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

         

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Sarkodie should have been bigger than ...
Calaveras County Seal View Photos

San Andreas, CA  The Calaveras supervisors look to spend a good deal of meeting time considering new and revised administrative fees.

High on Tuesdays regular agenda, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors anticipate formally introducing a fire mitigation fees ordinance in response to a request by the Calaveras Consolidated Fire District Board. It was last June when the fire district board held a public hearing, ahead of adopting its resolution to approve certain fire impact fees for residential and non-residential development. However in order to do so, the supervisors must first adopt an ordinance that lays out a process to follow for fire districts that might seek to implement such charges.

According to the meeting documents, staff plans to raise concerns about impacts to county resources, also noting that research into other counties ordinances shows that only a few of them regularly adopt capital improvement fees on behalf of fire districts.

In another leading regular agenda item, the board will consider adopting a resolution that would allow the countys planning department to charge more for certain development applications that tend to require a good deal of staff time. Currently, staff estimates that the total fees being charged provide less than seven percent of the departments operating budget, requiring the balance to come from the countys general fund.

Categories under consideration for fee hikes include planning department appeals and certain time extensions. The planning department also seeks to require fees for planning commission appeals, as well as implement its own fees for Williamson Act contracts with zone amendments  and begin charging for temporary use permits, which are now available at no charge. Planning staff is also suggesting setting a $40 fee for medical cannabis zoning clearance certificates.

Tuesdays meeting, which opens to the public at 9 a.m., will be in the supervisors chambers at the government center (891 Mountain Ranch Road). The supervisors have also scheduled a second meeting this Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in the centers administration conference room.
New To Business Expo 2016 View Photos

Sonora, CA  A business expo is coming up next week in Sonora to help both budding and current entrepreneurs.

The New-To-Business Expo will be hosted by the City of Sonora and several other partners. It will begin at 8am on Tuesday, March 1st, at the Sonora Opera Hall. The kickoff will be a keynote address by Jay Watson, co-founder of Indigeny Reserve, at 8:35am.

From 9am-11am there will be presentations on topics like bookkeeping basics, websites that work, marketing, insurance, taxes and social media. Then from 11am-11:45am there will be a panel discussion on small business loans, micro-lending and bank lending.

Rachelle Kellogg, Community Development Director for the City of Sonora says, We want to help businesses be successful here in the city. Were trying to get all the information here locally, so they can get the help they need to make their businesses successful.

Other partners include the Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority, SCORE, California Community Colleges, the Stanislaus Business Alliance, SBA and SBDC. The event is free of charge, but you are encouraged to register ahead of time. Click here to find more information.
Washington, DC  Central Valley Republican Congressman Jeff Denham has introduced federal legislation that calls for eliminating some actions done to protect the striped bass.

It specifically would eliminate the doubling requirement established by the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992 for striped bass, which Denham says is a known predator fish to threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead. Denhams office reports that the CVPIA mandated population doubling for all anadromous fish is part of an effort to protect the fish populations. Under this requirement, both native species and predator fish, specifically striped bass, are included. This has led to sending millions of acre-feet of water to the ocean to protect fish populations across the Central Valley.

Denham claims, Our devastating drought has been made worse annually by the Obama administration in conjunction with environmental extremists who prioritize fish over families. Yet they push out millions of acre-feet and fail to address predator species, which their own estimates have shown eat 98 percent of endangered fish species. We must stop the crazy cycle of spending money on both the fish we want to save and the fish that kill them.

To read the text of Denhams bill, click here.
President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed to "once and for all" close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer remaining detainees to a facility in the United States, saying that despite significant political hurdles and congressional opposition he is making one last effort to shutter the controversial facility.

"I don't want to pass this problem on the next president, whoever it is. Are we going to let this linger on for another 15 years?" he said, in an appearance at the White House. "Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law."

Obama's proposal ducks the thorny question of where the new facility would be located and whether Obama could complete the closure before he leaves office.

The plan, which requested by Congress, makes a financial argument for closing the controversial detention center. U.S. officials say it calls for up to $475 million in construction costs that would ultimately be offset by as much as $180 million per year in operating cost savings.

The proposal is part of Obama's last effort to make good on his unfulfilled 2008 campaign vow to close Guantanamo and persuade lawmakers to allow the Defense Department to move nearly 60 detainees to the U.S. But with few specifics, the proposal may only further antagonize lawmakers who have repeatedly passed legislation banning any effort to move detainees to the U.S.

According to the officials, the U.S. facilities would cost between $265 million and $305 million to operate each year. The annual operating cost for Guantanamo is $445 million, but the officials said the Cuba detention center will need about $225 million in repairs and construction costs if it continues to be used.

They said it will cost between $290 million and $475 million for construction at the various U.S. sites, depending on the location. Some of the more expensive sites are on the military bases, which would need more construction. Because of the annual operating savings, the officials said the U.S. would make up the initial construction costs in three to five years.

More detailed spending figures, which are considered classified, will be provided to Congress, said the officials, who were not authorized to discuss the plan publicly ahead of its release, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

Advocates of closing Guantanamo say the prison has long been a recruiting tool for militant groups and that holding extremists suspected of violent acts indefinitely without charges or trial sparks anger and dismay among U.S. allies.

Opponents, however, say changing the detention center's zip code won't eliminate that problem.

On that point, Obama's proposal faced criticism even from those who endorse closing the detention center. His initial campaign pledge was widely viewed as a promise to end the practice of detaining prisoners indefinitely without charge, not to bring that practice to the U.S., said Naureen Shah, director of Amnesty International USA's Security and Human Rights Program.

Marco Rubio, others on Guantanamo Bay proposal



Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has co-sponsored the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Protection Act introduced by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), that would permanently prevent the transfer of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to the Cuban government absent congressional authorization.

"Since announcing the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba, President Obama has given the Castro regime concession after concession, prioritizing political promises over national security, the integrity of Americas justice system, human rights and democracy," Rubio said. "The Castro regime is already ripping the American people off and now its demanding the return of a U.S. naval station, which has been vital to Navy and Coast Guard operations in the Caribbean for over a century."

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-FL, today voiced strong opposition to the Pentagons plan to permanently shutter the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, calling it a "dangerous, irresponsible and illegal action that will put American lives at risk."

According to press reports, the Pentagon proposal includes a recommendation to transfer as many Guantanamo Bay detainees as possible to countries around the world including the United States.

"Bringing terrorists  like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the 9/11 mastermind responsible for planning the horrific deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans  onto U.S. soil and to outside countries can only be characterized as dangerous and irresponsible at best."
A new partnership between law enforcement and a private security firm has started in two Orange County neighborhoods.

Armed security from the company G4S Security will patrol in marked vehicles beginning Monday night in Azalea Park and Tuesday in Holden Heights. The two neighborhoods were chosen to be a part of a pilot program, according to Orange County Sheriffs Office, due to active, engaged residents living within neighborhoods with geographically-defined borders, not because they are high crime areas.

We were astounded. We were so grateful that we were picked, said Barbara McCann, an Azalea Park resident, of the distinction. McCann has lived in Azalea Park since the 1950s. A lot of us know each other, and we know what to look out for.



And while McCann is proud of her community and has never felt unsafe, shes looking forward to the extra pairs of eyes which will be fixed on the area. She thinks it will especially be helpful for seniors in her neighborhood, giving them a heightened sense of security



Our hope is that it works, and that people use it, she said. Once the word gets out that theyre here, and theyre on the street, and everybodys watching, maybe that will help a lot.

At a press conference Monday, Sheriff Jerry Demings said that the goal of the partnership is to have security officers report back to the Sheriffs Office what they see, from pesky pot holes to neighborhood scuffles. Security officers will only have the power to make a citizens arrest.

Yet, the Sheriffs Office also hopes the pilot program will provide valuable information on two separate communities, with different demographics but similarly involved residents. If the program helps to reduce crime, it could be a model for other communities, the Sheriffs Office said.



If this project is successful, we will replicate it in other areas of the County where there is an organized neighborhood group, who really wants to partner in the way were doing here, said Demings.



The contract with G4S Security is between $120,000 and $150,000, according to OCSO. Demings described the amped patrols as a cost-effective solution, since hiring the same number of deputies to staff this patrol program would cost 2-3 times more. He also said that the project has taken months to gain approval, including getting the green light from the Florida Attorney General.
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Melbourne councilmembers have picked three potential Brightline train station locations in the hopes that All Aboard Florida will add a stop on the Space Coast.

During a meeting Tuesday night, Melbourne officials discussed the location recommendations, which they will submit to the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization.

Currently, the company's Brightline passenger rail service, traveling from Orlando International Airport to Miami, will only make stops in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. But "I would love to see (a train stop) in Melbourne," Mayor Kathy Meehan said. "We have a thriving downtown, we have small businesses that would benefit, and we would be thrilled to have it here."

The three proposed Melbourne locations for a train station are north of C Avenue, the east side of Main Street and the east side of Apollo Boulevard.

Those recommendations, along with potential stations in Cocoa, Rockledge and Palm Bay, will go to the Space Coast TPO, which next month will select a single train station location for Brevard County. That location will be submitted to All Aboard Florida for their consideration.

The company asked the Space Coast TPO to come up with a single location to be studied.

A spot in northern Cocoa is the front-runner because of its proximity to Port Canaveral.

For the most part, Brevard leaders have been supportive of All Aboard Floridas efforts to resume passenger service along the East Coast. But the company has critics, especially leaders in South Florida counties, concerned about traffic, safety, noise and its finances.

Space Coast leaders remain confident they could boost All Aboard Floridas ridership numbers with a stop in Brevard County because of Port Canaveral, the Kennedy Space Center and the beaches.

Even if one of Melbourne's train station locations isn't selected, city staff say identifying possible stops will help if more commuter rail lines come to Florida's east coast.



Melbourne officials on Tuesday will discuss 3 possible locations for an All Aboard Florida Brightline train station in Brevard County.
AMARILLO - As crop insurance deadlines loom for spring planted crops, a new crop insurance decision aid tool has been developed to help producers make key decisions on what coverage to purchase.

This web-based tool, created by the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University, enables producers to evaluate all available crop insurance decisions for major commodities, taking price and yield risk into consideration.

Co-director of the center Joe Outlaw, Ph.D., announced the availability of the 2016 AFPC Crop Insurance Decision Aid on Friday at the Texas Wheat Producers Board meeting. Outlaw also explained the tool with Agribusiness Director James Hunt on-air at KGNC-AM, Amarillo. Find the interview at http://kgncnewsnow.com/golden-spread-ag.

Outlaw said the tool helps producers sift more quickly through the thousands of options they have for types of crop insurance and coverage levels, by incorporating enterprise units, optional units and yield exclusions, as well as the shallow loss programs through the STAX and Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) plans.

It is a way for producers to fine tune their decisions and be more educated on their options before they sit down with their crop insurance agent, Outlaw said.

Because this 2016 AFPC Crop Insurance Decision Aid follows the AFPC 2014 Farm Bill Decision Aid created prior to the farm bill process last year, producers may use their existing login and password information, or they can register a new account if they have not previously used any AFPC decision aids. The Crop Insurance Decision Aid is available at www.afpc.tamu.edu in the top left corner of the webpage, located under the current projects headline.

The center also offers one-on-one help with those who may have trouble inputting their data. For questions or concerns about the decisions aid, contact the center by phone at 979-845-5913 or by email at info@afpc.tamu.edu.

The Texas Wheat Producers Board is a statewide board funded by a voluntary 2 cent per bushel checkoff program. Checkoff funds are used for research, market development and education to further the wheat industry in Texas. The Texas Wheat Producers Association is a voluntary membership organization of wheat producers in Texas. The association provides growers a concentrated, organized voice in political matters affecting the production and marketing of their crops. For information, visit http://www.texaswheat.org.
Campaign signs line the fringe of the courthouse lawn, just outside the distance marker, as early voting for the March 1 Democratic and Republican primaries is in progress in the courthouse basement. Registered voters can cast early ballots through Friday at any of four locations in Hale County - in the courthouse as well as city halls in Abernathy, Hale Center and Petersburg. Election Day is Tuesday, March 1. There are three contested local races in the Republican primary as well as for District 19 U.S. Representative.
Like the Plainview Police Department and other Texas law enforcement agencies, the Hale County Sheriffs Department is required to file its annual Racial Profiling Report to its corresponding governmental entity by March 1.

And. like the Plainview Police Department, the sheriffs department reported that it did not receive any complaints of racial profiling during 2015.

Sheriff David Mull presented the thick report to Hale County Commissioners on Monday during that groups regular meeting, and then offered a brief synopsis in public session.

You could more accurately call this our Lack of Racial Profiling report, Mull said. We received no complaints whatsoever of racial profiling, and we are 100 percent compliant with all our training and reporting.

Mull notes that his department normally does not make a large number of routine traffic stops since his officers dont customarily work traffic offenses. Even so, those encounters are recorded by in-vehicle video systems and later this year will be captured by video cameras warn by each officer.

During 2015, sheriffs deputies reported 414 traffic-related contacts, with 41 percent involving Caucasians, 3 percent blacks and 56 percent Hispanics. There were 41 searches, with 19 involving Caucasians and 22 with Hispanics. Sixteen of those were consensual searches (nine Caucasians and seven Hispanics). Thirty-five of the traffic stops resulted in arrests - 13 were Caucasians and 22 Hispanics.

The racial breakdown on the traffic stops closely mirror the racial percentages of the countys population. Based on 2010 census figures, with a population of 36,273, there are 55.9 percent Hispanic, 37.6 percent Caucasian, 5.3 percent black and 1.2 percent other.

The report summary states, The findings suggest that Hale County Sheriffs Office does not currently experience a problem regarding racial profiling practices. This is supported by the fact that it has not received complaints from community members regarding officers misconduct associated with racial profiling practices.

In other action Monday, commissioners:

--Approved the hiring of Myra Chapa as court reporter for the 64th District Court, effective Feb. 22.

--Approved a resolution supporting Conrad Housing LPs application for tax credit financing for a project to convert the Hilton Hotel into approximately 27 loft apartments.

--Accepted the January run report from Hale Center EMS showing 26 911 calls (17 within the city and nine in the county), 21 transfer runs (16 involving Advance Life Support and five Basic Life Support), with a total of 47 calls (six no transport and 41 billable runs).

--Agreed to allow Crisis Center of the Plains to use the courthouse square for its Walk-A-Mile-In-My-Shoes event on April 2.

--Accepted the resignation of retiring Ollie Liner Center manager Lynn Barton, effective May 1.

--Approved sending County Clerk Latrice Kemp, District Clerk Carla Cannon and Deputy Auditor Lorena Munoz to Tyler Technologies Software Training.

--Approved contract extensions for the Westlaw Clear program which the District Clerks Office uses to help locate individuals and with the Linebarger Legal Firm which handles collections for the Justice of the Peace courts.

--Authorized Precinct 3 Constable Terry Timms to apply for a zero-match grant through the Criminal Justice Division of the Office of the Governor for $49,500 for the purchase and equipping of a new Chevy Tahoe patrol vehicle.

--Approved the 2015 activity report from Abernathy VFD showing 62 calls, including 24 in the city, 26 in Hale County and 12 in Lubbock County. Commissioners also approved payment of its 2016 stipend of $12,500.

--Approved accounts payable, including $514,199.43 from the 2015 budget, and $137,609.83 for the period of Feb. 8-22. The countys closing balance of all accounts on Jan. 31, according to Treasurer Ida Tyler, is $18,579,303.93.
As negotiations continued Tuesday between five unions and Stop & Shop, the grocery store chain actively advertised for replacement workers in the event of a strike.



Local representatives with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 919, representing cashiers and other personnel, are in talks with Koninkliije Ahold, the parent company of Stop & Shop. The union represents 35,000 UFCW members.



Advertisements in New England newspapers, including the Sunday edition of the Record-Journal, called for replacement workers at $16 per hour contingent upon a worker walkout. The company plans recruiting events in Waterbury, East Hartford, Westbrook, New London and Fairfield.



Union officials have said Stop & Shops contract requires workers to pay higher-health care premiums, freezes pay, restricts job transfers and eliminates premium pay for holidays, Sundays and longer working days.



Instead of doing what is right, Stop & Shop presented contract proposals that were nothing short of a slap in the face to these men and women, according to a letter to members posted Tuesday on the UFCW Local 919 website.



The workers contract expires Feb. 28. A spokesman said negotiations would continue throughout the week.



A Stop & Shop spokesman said the union covers about 12,500 Stop & Shop associates in the state.



The Stop & Shop New England and New York Metro Divisions are working diligently and in good faith to reach a fair new contract that continues to offer competitive wages and benefits for our 34,000 store associates in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut who are represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Union Locals 328, 371, 919, 1445, and 1459, said Phil Tracey. It is important that any agreement responds to the competitive challenges facing our industry and puts our people and our divisions in the strongest possible position to succeed. We have a long history of reaching contracts with the unions that represent our associates without any disruption to their work or customer service and we have no reason to believe that this time will be any different.



mgodin@record-journal.com (203) 317-2255 Twitter: @Cconnbiz






HARTFORD  Connecticut lawmakers are considering legislation that would increase mental health training for police officers and require that each municipality hire an on-call expert to assist police during incidents involving an individual with a serious mental illness or developmental disability.



State law requires police officers to take a training course once every three years on handling incidents involving someone with a mental illness, but the law doesnt specify how long the course should last. A bill introduced by the General Assemblys Public Health Committee would require that the course be at least two hours long and also address individuals with developmental disabilities.



The same bill would require each municipality to hire an agency with expertise in mental health to serve as an on-call adviser to police departments. Officers would be able to request assistance from the adviser at any time while responding to an incident involving a mentally ill individual. Police departments would also be able to utilize the providers services on a ride-along when the department anticipates an officer will encounter such an individual during the officers shift, the bill states.



It certainly seems to be the foundation of a good idea, said Larry Dorman, spokesman for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 4, the largest municipal police union in the state.



Its unclear how the legislation would be executed, he added, and there are questions regarding liability, safety, reporting and protocol in terms of police interactions with advisers.



I think the concept is certainly a good idea, but there are so many questions, Dorman added. We havent had a chance to fully analyze its impact.



Meriden Mayor Kevin Scarpati, who is unaffiliated, said having an on-call adviser could prevent reoccurring issues that police must handle. The same individuals are often arrested over and over again. After they are released from holding or a hospital, they are subsequently arrested or cited a short time later, often for the same reason.



You can actually take steps to get them help instead of incurring the same problem over and over again, Scarpati said. Thats not doing anything, and is more of a burden on our police department.



Earlier this month, two Meriden police officers were suspended after they were captured on video in September berating a man lying in the middle of Arch Parkway. Officer John Slepski, who was suspended for 60 days, threatened to use pepper spray on the reportedly intoxicated man. Officer John Slezak was suspended five days for his part in the incident. Both officers told investigators they have dealt with the man in the past. A police lieutenant noted in his investigation that the man they berated suffers from a substance abuse issue. Since 1995, the man has been involved in 47 incidents, arrested 10 times and has received 30 citations.



Its difficult to determine if having an adviser available would have aided Slepski and Slezak in dealing with the man and prevented their actions, Scarpati said. But if someone were determined to be mentally ill, I think itd be an absolute benefit to have someone there who understands what theyre going through, what theyre thinking, to have someone there to train officers, he said.



Detective John Williams, president of the local police union, said a mental health adviser on staff wouldnt have helped in the situation involving Slepski and Slezak. The man is taken to the hospital on a weekly basis by police, and there are mental health staff there that can help him, Williams noted.



Having a mental health adviser on call would be good for the most part, he said, but medium and large departments dont have the time or manpower to deal with the added responsibility.



This is why we sent individuals to the hospital, so the officers arent tied up, Williams added.



As with most legislation, there are things that need to be considered, such as funding, Scarpati said. Williams agreed, stating that laws are enacted by the legislature that up the work but they do not fund anything.



If the legislation moves forward, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities would ask that the state provide funding to support the cost of hiring advisers to avoid this being another unfunded state mandate on towns, CCM spokesman Kevin Maloney said.



House Majority Leader Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said he supports the extended training for officers written into the pending bill.



Where I struggle a little bit is giving the mandate requiring a contractor to be hired, he said. Thats an unfunded mandate. The state is struggling and there are a finite amount of resources, so thats not a good idea.



But he would support the concept if a nonprofit or volunteer agency could assist or provide training to officers at no cost, Aresimowicz added.



State Rep. Terri Wood, R-Darien, wasnt deterred by the prospect of an unfunded mandate.



Isnt this something municipalities should be doing anyway? she said.



In 2013, Wood was co-chairwoman of the Mental Health Working Group that helped develop gun and school security legislation in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting. Last year, she proposed legislation that would have required additional mental health first aid training for first responders.



Such legislation could help in several situations, and doesnt have to just be those that are extreme, she said. For instance, if an officer is dealing with someone who has even slight anxiety, the way an officer addresses that person can escalate the situation.



The more tools we have, the better we all will be as a civilization, Wood said.



State Sen. Dante Bartolomeo, D-Meriden, said she strongly believes in more education for police on mental illnesses and developmental disabilities. She has personal experience on the subject. Years ago, Meriden police responded to an incident involving one of Bartolomeos family members, who has a diagnosed disability.



As a family member, it was absolutely terrifying, she said, noting that police were involved for the safety of her family member. There is this panic that goes through the family because (police) dont understand her or might misinterpret things that she says or does.



Bartolomeos husband, also a police officer, was able to act as a buffer and explain what was going on to responding officers. But in most situations, family members cant do anything if police cant comprehend the entire situation, Bartolomeo said.



From firsthand experience, if someone is not responding in the way a rational person would, that doesnt mean they are dangerous, she added. Its really important training for police officers to have and understand.



aragali@record-journal.com 203-317-2224 Twitter: @Andyragz






HARTFORD  Lawmakers are weighing legislation that would make threatening a Department of Children and Families worker a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.



DCF Commissioner Joette Katz testified in support of the legislation during a public hearing Tuesday before the General Assemblys Committee on Children. The bill is part of the agencys legislative agenda, and was crafted in response to a series of threats and assaults against social workers, Katz said.



Lara Sobel, a social worker at the Department of Children and Families in Vermont, was shot and killed by a woman in August after the woman lost custody of her child, authorities say. This senseless death was the impetus for the legislation proposed in Connecticut, Katz told the committee. A dozen social workers have lost their lives in similar circumstances over the past two decades, she noted.



The pending legislation would make threatening a social worker, supervisor, manager, case worker, case aide or investigator employed by DCF a class C felony, which is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 10 years. In addition, those found guilty of threatening a DCF worker could face a fine of up to $10,000.



Under current law, first-degree threatening is a class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000. A person can be sentenced to up to a year in prison if found guilty of second-degree threatening, a class A misdemeanor.



State Rep. Pam Staneski, R-Milford, a member of the committee, asked Katz if independent contractors who work with DCF would fall under the legislation. Katz said contractors are not covered by the legislation, but that she would not oppose changes to the bill to include contractors.



I think it is great legislation and I applaud you for bringing it forward, Staneski said.



Under the legislation, an individual is guilty of threatening a DCF employee if they convey a threat to instill fear in the worker. A person is also guilty if the threat is conveyed because the individual believes that the DCF employee inadequately performed a function of his or her job or is hostile toward the employee. The provisions of the legislation dont apply to children in DCF custody.



aragali@record-journal.com 203-317-2224 Twitter: @Andyragz






HARTFORD  After a nearly two-hour, contentious debate Tuesday, the General Assemblys bipartisan Regulation Review Committee approved adding six new ailments to the states medical marijuana program.



The program, established by the legislature in 2012 with 11 recognized ailments, now includes 17. State Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris proposed the additions. Legislators on the Regulation Review Committee voted to strike Fabry disease from the list because the Board of Physicians, which advises Harris, didnt reach a consensus on whether it can be treated by the drug.



The committee voted 8-5 to approve six other ailments: sickle cell disease, post laminectomy syndrome with chronic radiculopathy, severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ulcerative colitis and complex regional pain syndrome.



Based on the committees authority, no further action needs to be taken on the proposal. The committee is tasked with approving regulations proposed by state agencies before they are put into place. Seven Democrats and seven Republicans sit on the committee. State Sen. Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, a committee member, was absent Tuesday.



At the start of the meeting, state Rep. Vin Candelora, R-North Branford, said he was surprised the Department of Consumer Protection wanted to expand the medical marijuana program given that there are still questions about the effects of marijuana on the existing medical conditions that Connecticut has identified.



The states medical marijuana law prompted the establishment of a board made up of physicians familiar with the drug and its medical effects. That board is allowed to make recommendations to Harris about what ailments should be added to the states original list. Members of the public can also submit a petition to have an ailment added.



The board couldnt reach consensus on Fabry disease, a genetic disorder that can affect the autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular system, eyes, and kidneys. Harris used his discretion to put the ailment on the list. Harris said he is a member of the board, but chooses not to vote. Per state law, he has the authority to determine what ailments are placed on the list, no matter what the Board of Physicians recommends, Harris said.



The committee voted 7-6 to strike Fabry disease from the list.



Candelora also made a motion to strike complex regional pain syndrome, citing concerns that this would open up the states program to general pain management.



I feel like this provision has sort of gone too far and against the intent of the legislature, which was clear we didnt want to extend the use of the marijuana for pain, he said.



Harris explained that complex regional pain syndrome is a debilitating condition that is diagnosable, unlike many other forms of pain, such as a headache.



People often cant move and commit suicide due to the levels of pain associated with the condition, said Michelle Seagull, DCPs deputy commissioner.



With complex regional pain syndrome and other conditions, marijuana isnt the main treatment, but an alternative to highly-addictive opioid medications, she said. Candeloras amendment failed by a 6-7 vote.



More than 8,200 patients registered for the states medical marijuana program. The state has four licensed medical marijuana growers, and six dispensaries, though three additional dispensaries have been proposed.



aragali@record-journal.com 203-317-2224 Twitter: @Andyragz






Taiwan-based contract chipmaker TSMC scored big during Apple's iPhone 6/6 Plus cycle, winning the entirety of the manufacturing contract for the A8 processor. For the A9 processor inside of the iPhone 6s/6s Plus, Apple split the contract between TSMC and Samsung , with Samsung apparently getting the majority of the orders.

Interestingly, even though TSMC didn't win the majority of the A9 chip orders, it is believed to be the sole manufacturer of the Qualcomm -designed modem that powers the iPhone 6s/6s Plus.

For the A10, it is said that TSMC will be the sole manufacturer of the chip, which -- if true -- should provide TSMC with a nice year-over-year revenue boost. The iPhone 7/7 Plus are also likely to pack Qualcomm's MDM9x45 LTE modem, which is also built on TSMC's 20-nanometer process.

The iPhone 7/7 Plus ought to be good in terms of Apple content for TSMC. Where things have the potential to get more challenging for the chipmaker is during the iPhone 7s/7s Plus cycle.

Snapdragon X16 appears to be a Samsung-built device

Qualcomm's X16 modem, which I would expect to show up in the iPhone 7s/7s Plus, is built on Samsung's 14-nanometer manufacturing technology. Although Qualcomm has multi-sourced its modems in the past, it's not clear whether Qualcomm will do so with the X16.

At any rate, whether the X16 is dual sources or sourced solely at Samsung, both scenarios are negative (though not devastating) for TSMC as the company goes from sole source to either out of the loop or sharing the Qualcomm baseband win.

Who will build the A11?

Although the A10 appears to be "in the bag" for TSMC, it's not yet clear who will be building the A11. The follow-on to the 14-nanometer Snapdragon 820 is said to be built on Samsung's 10-nanometer process. At the same time, TSMC executives are on-record in claiming that the company will start the 10-nanometer generation off with "very high" (foundry) market share and "intend[s] not to lose it."

Given the dynamics around major customer Qualcomm, I am inclined to believe that TSMC has already won the majority, if not the entirety, of Apple's A11 chip orders.

In this case, TSMC should still be well positioned as the applications processor spot inside of the iPhone is much higher profile (and likely of higher dollar value) than the modem spot as far as foundry work goes.

If TSMC winds up being forced to split the A11 with Samsung, and this split is close to 50/50, then that'd actually be a negative for the Taiwan-based chipmaker. In this case, Samsung would have the "upper hand" as far as 10-nanometer foundry work/volume goes.

We'll see how it all plays out

I am generally positive on TSMC's long-term prospects; I believe that it has a number of key competitive advantages in the world of semiconductor foundries, including best-in-class technology and minimal conflicts of interest with respect to its customers.

However, the relationship between Samsung and Qualcomm is quite deep (one user on Seeking Alpha claims that Samsung will only use Samsung-built processors in its flagship phones, incentivizing Qualcomm to build its chips in Samsung's foundries), so this is something that potential and current TSMC investors need to keep an eye on.

3 companies poised to explode when cable dies

Cable is dying. And there are 3 stocks that are poised to explode when this faltering $2.2 trillion industry finally bites the dust. Just like newspaper publishers, telephone utilities, stockbrokers, record companies, bookstores, travel agencies, and big box retailers did when the Internet swept away their business models. And when cable falters, you don't want to miss out on these 3 companies that are positioned to benefit. Click here for their names. Hint: They're not the ones you'd think!

The article 1 Potential Headwind for Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd in 2017 originally appeared on Fool.com.

Copyright  1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Investors in Biglari Holdings Inc., parent of restaurant chain Steak n Shake and mens magazine Maxim, will have very little say in the company now that Chairman and CEO Sardar Biglari has purchased more than half of its outstanding stock.

Owning a majority stake gives Biglari the power to dictate, in most cases, matters that require shareholder approval, according to the companys annual earnings results filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday. The company warned investors that his control over operations may conflict with the interests of some or all of the Companys other shareholders.
More than 145,000 inmates sit behind the bars of Texas prison units across the state, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The total amount of offenses committed far exceeds that number.

Using TDCJ data, the Texas Tribune examined each prisoner's charges and tallied the number of offenses across the state.
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Agents with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission from across the state will going undercover in an attempt to prevent the sale of alcohol to minors during Spring Break, according to a news release issued Tuesday.

The minor stings will take place March 1-15 at businesses that serve alcohol near major areas of travel between major Texas cities and the Gulf Coast, the release said.

RELATED: Port Aransas bans visible drinking of alcohol on beaches after 6 p.m. during Spring Break

During undercover operations in 2015, TABC agents inspected more than 900 retailers, with more than 90 percent of those retailers being in full compliance with the law, according to the release.

"These undercover operations have proven to be a useful tool in ensuring our retailers are in voluntary compliance with the law," said Chief Robert Saenz, TABC chief of field operations.

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

The TABCs Audit and Investigation Division will visit each retailer involved in the sting prior to the undercover operations. They will then provide training on ways to spot underage customers, according to the news release.

During the operations, TABC agents work alongside a minor that volunteers for the sting, and the minor then attempts to purchase alcohol from various outlets that sell the products, according to a news release.

RELATED: TABC: Many bars in Texas are duping customers ordering top-shelf liquors with low-grade spirits

If a retailer sells alcohol to a minor, then the retailer could face repercussions from the TABC.

Officials hope that compliance is even better this year.

"While we were very pleased with the relatively low number of violations last year, when you're talking about an underage person getting behind the wheel while intoxicated, even one violation can result in loss of life, Saenz said. We're counting on Texas retailers to do the right thing and remain vigilant during this very busy time.

twhite@mysa.com

Twitter: @tylerlwhite
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SAN ANTONIO  A care provider for a woman with memory problems faces theft charges for allegedly stealing nearly $5,000 of jewelry from the her in January.

Marisol Smith, an employee of The Medical Team, was taken into custody on Monday, according to Bexar County Jail records.

An arrest warrant affidavit said the alleged victim called police on Jan. 31 to report that she believed her care provider, Smith, was emptying her jewelry boxes.

RELATED: Police: Man cons elderly San Antonio woman, steals $4,000 worth of jewelry

The document said there was no evidence of the theft at the time of the complaint, but the next day, a check of pawn shop databases revealed that Smith had pawned numerous items at local stores.

Police asked the victim to create a list of missing items, and she told them that she would try. However, she said previous brain injuries made it difficult for her to remember certain things, the affidavit said.

Investigators called Smith to ask about her relationship to the woman and whether she had pawned anything recently.

The document said that she denied pawning any items.

RELATED: Teen charged with murder in shooting of man next to VIA bus stop

A few days later, Smith went to SAPD headquarters to be interviewed by a detective who confronted her about pawn shops records showing transactions in her name. At that point, the affidavit said, she admitted to pawning her own items, but denied stealing anything from the woman.

The detective retrieved the items Smith pawned and identified 29 items that the woman said belonged to her, the document said.

Included in the haul were nine rings, 15 pedants and five pairs of earrings valued at more than $4,900, the affidavit said.

Linda Harvey, director of programs and policy development for The Medical Team in Texas, said Smith worked for the company on an assignment basis, meaning she would only work when given a particular assignment.

RELATED: Man who fell to death from Loop 1604 flyover after crash was 29

As soon as we got the allegations, we took her off the job, Harvey said, adding that the company immediately reported the complaint to the Department of Aging and Disability Services and Adult Protective Services.

She said that Smith has not worked since, but has not technically been terminated.

If Smith is found guilty, she said, she will not be allowed to work for the company, or any care provider again.

mdwilson@express-news.net

Twitter: @MDWilsonSA
Country music producer Tony Brown  who has recorded albums for George Strait and Vince Gill and played piano for Elvis Presley  faces a domestic assault charge after allegedly slapping a female family member for "slutty poses" proposed for a photo shoot.

RELATED: Rapper Azealia Banks arrested, accused of punching female security guard, biting her breast

Brown, 69, was arrested at around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday in Belle Meade, a suburb of Nashville, and booked into Davidson County Jail, according to online jail records and an arrest affidavit.

The producer has been charged with domestic bodily injury, a misdemeanor.

A spokeswoman with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office told The Tennessean that Brown had posted a $10,000 bond on Tuesday, but was being held in the jail on a 12-hour hold.

RELATED: Disney Channel star Orlando Brown arrested on battery, meth possession charges in California

According to the arrest affidavit, the victim told a Belle Meade police officer that Brown had "beat her up." The victim's age is not identified in the report.

Officers found the victim sitting in her car with her dog and Brown sitting on the front steps of the residence, the affidavit said.

The victim told police that the fight started because she had a photo shoot scheduled on Tuesday and was showing Brown pictures for ideas on poses, according to the affidavit.

"Mr. Brown stated that they were slutty poses and slapped her on the face," the affidavit reads.

RELATED: 'Glee' actor Mark Salling arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography

Brown then allegedly grabbed the victim's face and pushed her to the floor, police said in the affidavit. The victim's head hit the floor.

The 69-year-old producer got on top of the victim, pulled her hair and started "smacking himself in the face," police said.

Brown then grabbed her hair and dragged her down the hallway before letting her go, according to the affidavit.

That's when the victim ran to another room in the home, grabbed her phone and called her parents, who told her to call the police, the affidavit reads.

The victim then grabbed her keys and dog and locked herself in her car, according to the affidavit.

RELATED: Supermodel Bar Refaeli arrested for alleged tax evasion in Israel

Officers found "several marks on [the victim's] body and visible signs of her hair being pulled due to the damage of her hair extensions," the affidavit reads.

The victim was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to the affidavit.

Brown, who was president of MCA Nashville during the 1990s, has produced albums for several country artists including Steve Earle, Vince Gill, George Strait, Reba McEntire, Lyle Lovett and Pat Green.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports
The popular wisdom that opposites attract is true in both romance and politics.

But rarely do adages prove so profoundly  and absurdly  true as during the recent, media-created dialogue between Pope Francis and Donald Trump.

Set aside for a moment that this mini-uproar, spawned by a reporters question and poached by scandalmongers, has largely been put to rest.

The episode was a stellar (celestial?) example of the pitfalls of todays culture-media-politics complex.

Much distilled and slightly paraphrased, heres how the conversation between Trump and Francis went for a news cycle or two:

Pope: Anyone who wants to build walls instead of bridges is not a Christian.

Trump: Questioning someones Christianity is disgraceful.

Pope: If thats what Trump really said.

Trump: If ISIS gets the pope, which is the groups ultimate goal, hell wish I had been president because it wouldnt have happened. ISIS would have been destroyed.

Pope: It wasnt a personal attack but the Gospel.

Trump: I think he said something much softer than was originally reported by the media.

Heaven forbid, I think Trump may be right.

At first, the exchange, all of which took place through stories ricocheting and pinging around the vast media-verse, seemed a bit nasty. But as the conversation continued and messages began bubbling up in the Magic 8 Ball, things seemed less hostile  and even more ridiculous.

Meanwhile, South Carolinians, whose Republican primary was just a couple of days away when the cycle started, wondered why the pope was getting in their business. The simple answer is that Reuters reporter Phil Pullella specifically asked the pontiff about Trumps position on immigration as well as insults aimed at the papal leader:

Republican Donald Trump, in an interview recently said that you are a political man and he even said that you are a pawn, an instrument of the Mexican government for migration politics. Trump said that if hes elected, he wants to build 2,500 kilometers of wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, separating families, etcetera. ... What do you think of these accusations against you and if a North American Catholic can vote for a person like this?

To which Francis replied:

Thank God he said I was a politician because Aristotle defined the human person as animal politicus. At least I am a human person. As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I dont know. Ill leave that up to your judgment and that of the people. And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel. As far as what you said about whether I would advise to vote or not to vote, I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.

You can see why quotes get trimmed. But important to note, Francis didnt say Trump isnt a Christian; he did reaffirm that the church doesnt get involved in elections. Most important, he said the immigration problem cant be solved by only building walls.

Thus, it was hardly an indictment but an observation related to the Gospel. Otherwise, the flurry that followed focused on Trumps own inferences based on what he was told. Many in the media, knowing full well the extent of Trumps several disgraceful remarks about a variety of issues and people, rationally drew their own inferences. Thats context, too.

Invariably in such matters, we reach a consensus that one shouldnt judge anothers religious beliefs. We cant know anothers heart, we dutifully say at the end of such superficial purges.

Given this, why is it that Republican candidates speak so tirelessly of religion? Wait, here comes the answer: Morality is a continuum of ethical actions, not a proclamation of beliefs and intentions. I made that up, but its brilliant, dont you think?

Herewith a moral for the story: Let the pope be popey, let Trump be Trumpy, and let the rest of the bunch follow their faiths without fanfare.

kathleenparker@washpost.com
Overtly partisan tussles over Supreme Court nominations reached their nadir after President Ronald Reagan nominated Robert Bork in 1987. Civil rights and other groups mobilized a campaign that eventually helped deny Bork confirmation.

Democrats might rue the day. Another nomination battle looms, and the Bork battle created a template, though confirmation of Anthony Kennedy, perceived as more moderate, followed in 1988. Yes, that was indeed an election year.

Presidents nearly always have sought to put their policy imprints on the high court. And the Senate, in its advise and consent role, has legally pushed back. Each party has argued, when their person is in the White House, that the president should have wide leeway in the nominee  if the candidate is qualified.

Thats absolutely correct no matter who is president.

Nominations exciting partisan passions have followed nonetheless  Clarence Thomas nomination in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush, for instance. Sonia Sotomayor, nominated by President Barack Obama, was confirmed on a largely party-line vote in 2009 after a 10-week battle. The vote was 68-31.

But heres whats different following the recent death of Justice Antonin Scalia in West Texas. Opponents are not just saying that the president should nominate someone more in keeping with their version of American preference, they are saying the president shouldnt nominate at all.

That is fundamentally wrong  constitutionally, ethically and as a matter of the public good.

Whats most unsettling here is that not only are partisan critics contending the president shouldnt nominate, they are suggesting that they will not allow any to move forward. The next president will take office in January.

Apparently on the same page as presidential candidate Donald Delay, Delay, Delay Trump is Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. He has vowed to block consideration of any Obama nominee. Other GOP senators are lining up behind him. He backed McConnell at one point, but its hard to pin down where the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, falls, as he has said he hasnt ruled out hearings on an Obama nomination.

The nominee and the president are entitled to a committee vote. There remains plenty of time in the presidents term to get this accomplished. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was nominated in June 1993 and confirmed by that August.

Regrettably, Texas junior senator, Ted Cruz, a member of the Judiciary Committee, has joined the chorus for blocking the nomination, promising a filibuster. Cruz is also running for president. But, frankly, were having some trouble finding a lot of daylight between what Cruz says and what Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican who also sits on Judiciary, has said.

He told KSKY radio station in Dallas/Fort Worth on Tuesday that, he, too, believes that the next president should make the nomination, and that the Judiciary Committee chairman and the majority leader would be within the Senates advise and consent rights to deny a nomination hearing or a floor vote.

This is disappointing. Lack of opposition in the absence of a nominee would be, well, judicious. There is no objective reason a nominee should be denied a hearing and a vote. Both are precisely what the American public deserves  as quickly as possible. And it is what the Constitution demands. With major cases pending, the Supreme Court needs a full bench, though a deadlocked court might suit some interests.

Heres what the Constitution says: The president shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint  Judges of the Supreme Court.

This says that the president shall do this  not may. And nothing in there says the president must not nominate in a final year of office.

A nation divided, so let the people decide in the presidential election? A divided nation re-elected the president in 2012  for a full four-year term, with no expectation that he would be just a place holder in year four.

Qualifications and merit should carry the most weight in this and all other nominations. And the president should take care not to nominate a lightning rod merely to energize the Democratic base in this election year.

But qualifications and merit cannot be properly weighed if the Senate refuses to act. If the Senate does this, it will be in furtherance of division, not because of it. If Republicans, for valid reasons, oppose a nominee, they should vote no. But the president must nominate and the Senate should have that vote.
Customer rewards will be based on dollars spent rather than number of visits.

SEATTLE  Starting in April, Starbucks customers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico will earn two stars for every $1 spent on coffee, food, drinks and merchandise, rather than one star per visit under the coffeehouse chains current loyalty program, Starbucks announced Monday.

In April, My Starbucks Rewards becomes Starbucks Rewards, a loyalty program based on customer requests to be awarded more stars based on what they buy rather than shopping frequency.

According to the companys Ideas in Action blog, when Gold members earn 125 Stars, theyll earn a reward that they can redeem for just about anything on the menu. The loyalty program is upgrading all Welcome Level members to the Green Level so they can start enjoying more benefits of membership right away. Lastly, Starbucks is introducing a new benefit for Gold members: monthly double-star days.

Matt Ryan, global chief strategy officer for Starbucks, told USA Today that most customers spend around $5 per visit. At that rate, a customer would still need to visit about 12.5 times, or spend a little more than $60, before earning a free reward, writes the news source.
Regular readers may recall that as as result of your letters and e-mails to CalPERS board member, State Treasurer John Chiang,* said he would sponsor legislation to require disclosure of all fees private equity firms charge to California public pension funds, including related party fees. CalPERS staff, usurping the board, quickly voiced support for the idea. As much as we were heartened by the news, we warned:

While this is indeed progress, its also important to recognize that Chiangs (and CalPERS and CalSTRS) incentives are to do the bare minimum to make the problem of private equity transparency go away.

The legislation was introduced on February 19.

While the bill is not ideal, it goes a long way towards meeting Chings commitment. It requires at least once a year disclosure of the fee information in a public meeting. It included carry fees and portfolio company fees, including those paid to affiliates.

The one big lapse is something we flagged in our November post when Chiang announced his intention to launch a bill:

The inclusion of related related party transactions is critically important, since they have been one of the biggest sources of chicanery. For instance, professionals have been presented as part of the private equity team for marketing purposes, then being billed to the funds as independent consultants. That makes these consultants expenses to the investors, when the investors assumed those individuals were employees, and hence on the general partners dime. Needless to say, this provision needs to be drafted to include transactions with the portfolio companies, and not just at the fund level.

The gap here is that the bill stipulates that portfolio company fees be disclosed only if they are paid to the general partner or its affiliates. In fact, as we discussed at length in 2014, the general partners present a team that the limited partners assume are all employees of the general partner, when a significant number are senior advisors which are billed out as consultants on an individual basis, and the general partner claims they are not affiliates. Mark Maremont of the Wall Street Journal discussed an egregious example, of the house consulting firm KKR Capstone, which KKR astonishingly maintains is not an affiliate despite it being entirely captive to KKR, housed in KKR leased space, having its professionals listed on KKRs website and participating in KKRs carry pool, and having KKR on employee business cards. But the SEC let this one slide and apparently so did Chiang.

Chiang is seriously considering running for governor, so it remains to be seen whether he will push for the bill to pass, or try to pretend that the opposition was too great. If CalPERS and CalSTRS were both to back it, it would be hard for the legislature not to follow suit. Even though CalPERS staff voiced support of the concept, they could easily retreat, using the excuse that the general partners are threatening a revolt based on the actual language of the bill. Yet it seems hard to imagine that they can afford to write off the state of California, particularly since its state employees, generally speaking, get higher wages and benefits than in other areas of the US.

So it is time again for NC readers to saddle up and write Chiang and State Controller Betty Yee, who also sits on CalPERS and CalSTRS boards.

Please thank Chiang for following through on his promise, but remind him that you expect him to deliver, and you hope hell continue to provide the leadership necessary for CalPERS and CalSTRS to endorse the bill, and to keep pressure on the legislature.

Mr. John Chiang

California State Treasurer

Post Office Box 942809

Sacramento, CA 94209-0001

(916) 653-2995

Please contact Yee and thank her for her pressuring the SEC to take more concerted action on the private equity front, and that you hope shell also support important private equity initiatives in California, like Chings bill. Ask her to press her fellow board members at CalPERS and CalSTRS to back the bill.

Ms. Betty Yee

California State Controller

P.O. Box 942850

Sacramento, California 94250-5872

(916) 445-2636

And on another front, the Pew Research Center published a report last week on disclosure in state private equity funds. This is from the overview. Readers will recognize that this issues have been discussed in detail in past posts:

The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), the nations largest public retirement plan, recently raised the bar on investment fee transparency by disclosing the full amount it pays to invest in private equity, which may bring greater rewards but also greater risk and higher management costs. CalPERS, like most public retirement systems, pays performance-based fees, known as carried interest, to external investment managers as part of their compensation, but the system only began publicly disclosing these costs in November. CalPERS new policy of reporting carried interest and other performance fees resulted in the disclosure that external investment partners realized $700 million from profit sharing agreements in fiscal 2015. The move highlights the widespread problem among public retirement systems of underreported manager fees and expenses, particularly those associated with alternative investments such as private equity, real estate, and hedge funds, and points to the need for greater disclosure in order to provide full transparency on investment costs. State retirement systems receive guidance on disclosing investment details from the Governmental Accounting Standards Board and the Government Finance Officers Associations Best Practice for Public Employee Retirement System Investments. However, states interpret and implement these standards differently.

Pew did the heavy lifting of surveying the 73 biggest state funds which account for 95% of all state pension fund investments to document how disparate investment strategies and fee capture and disclosure policies are. It made some modest recommendations: to disclose performance fees and performance both gross and net of fees. But as weve also reported at CalPERS, even the most straightforward fee, the management fee, is not reported properly, since CalPERS bizarrely treats the portion shifted onto portfolio companies as a freebie to them even though it comes out of their monies too. It will be hard for CalPERS to maintain this fiction as the bar keeps (slowly) rising across the industry.

Again, thanks for all your support in these efforts. And keep the heat on!

______

* This is not an exaggeration. Weve gotten information from insiders that NC reader pressure goaded Chiang to act.
Yves here. Lambert and I often discuss with our correspondents how it can possibly be that what passes for our elites have no concept of the distress, desperation, and decay that are evident in large areas of the US.

This article discusses how it takes place in Delhi, where poverty and pollution are more acute than here. One of the devices is enclaves for the wealthy, where the poor are kept well away. Its city in a city, Lutyens Delhi, is a smart city depicted as a model for development despite the fact that it is such a resource hog as to be utterly unsuitable for widespread imitation.

Even more troubling is the role of Michael Bloombergs foundation as knowledge partner for this effort. Note that while Bloomberg does not appear to have any personal involvement, this sort of scheme (and the fact that his foundation is involved) suggests that it is consistent with his vision and priorities. Bloomberg even more so than most New York City mayors was a believer in the idea of turning Manhattan into a bedroom community for high end professionals and the rich,, and driving the service/support classes to the outer boros.

By Sunita Narain, Director of Centre for Science and Environment. Originally published at Triple Crisis

Many years ago, when Delhis air pollution was as high as it is today, my colleague Anil Agarwal and I had gone to meet a high-ranking, responsible government official. This was in the mid-1990s, when air was black because we did not even have the most rudimentary fuel quality and emission controls. The official was genuinely stumped by our demand that government should take steps to control runaway pollution. He kept asking, But is Delhi really polluted? I was equally flummoxed; air was foul and black. How could he miss it?

Then I realised that his world was not mine to see. He travelled from his home, located in luxuriantly green Lutyens Delhialso known as the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), where government residesto his office, also in the same verdant surroundings. Nowhere did he see any dirt; nowhere did he smell the air. And as it was not seen, it could not exist, so nothing needed to be done.

This incident came to my mind when I read that the Government of India had decided to select New DelhiLutyens Delhifor the smart city makeover. Under this scheme, 20 cities have been selected based on rigorous criteria to improve urban living. The Government of India will now provide funds and expertise to make the city smartdefined as innovative approaches to improvement in urban services. This means that the government will spend on facilities to make its own living area even better and more removed from the squalor, poverty and pollution of the rest of India.

The announcement declaring New Delhi Municipal Council a winner of the smart city challenge came when the rest of Delhi was drowning in urban waste. Municipal workers had declared a strike alleging non-payment of their dues. The contrast between where the government lives and where the rest of the citizens live could not have been more evident and striking. The fact that the government was now investing even more to make its own world better is a damning indictment of its non-inclusive approach to urban India.

Just think. This is Indias gated community of elite access. Of the total land area of Delhi, Lutyens citynamed after the British urban planner and constructed to reflect the grandeur of the colonial stateis only three per cent. The Government of India owns over 80 per cent of the land, including the buildings in the Lutyens zone. No democracy is at work here. The NDMC is a council and not a corporation, so it is headed not by an elected representative but by a bureaucrat.

It is also a parasite of a city; it has the highest water footprint as compared to any other part of India. Its daily per capita water supply is 462 litres, while in other parts of the same city people get below 30 litres. Even as per governments own norms, which specify highest water supply as 150 litres per capita per day, this is excessive, indeed gluttonous and wasteful. This water inequity is shameful and should have, in fact, disqualified Lutyens Delhi from any smart city challenge in my view.

It is also highly land-extravagant. While the city of Delhi has been imploding with a decadal growth rate of almost 50 per cent, the NDMC area is so privileged that it has a negative decadal growth rate of 2 per cent, according to its own sub-zonal plan. In other words, people are not welcome in this gated city. In this city of India, over 30 per cent of the land is under recreational purposes. This is so out of sync with the rest of the city and indeed the rest of India that is fighting for its inches of green spaces.

But even with all this land, the gated city of NDMC does not manage its own waste. This is sent to the rest of Delhis landfills. Its land is too precious for its waste. It does a lot of cute stuff like segregation of waste and even involves rag pickers in collecting waste from households. But the bulk of its waste goes to Okhla, where the compost plant is dysfunctional, and the rest to Delhis overflowing Ghazipur landfill. This is when it has no shortage of funds as government spends on itself without any questions.

New Delhi is not a smart city for all these reasons. It is certainly not a city that can be replicated in the rest of India. It is resource-inefficient, highly iniquitous and highly environmentally unprincipled. This is not what smart cities should stand for.

Former New York mayor and billionaire Michael Bloombergs foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, is governments knowledge partner for the Smart Cities Initiative. This initiative will define what smart cities will mean for India and what we must aspire to. It is important for this reason alone that they must choose wisely. The symbols of Indias urban renewal cannot be cities for the elite and by the elite. This is not smartnot by a long shot.
By Richard Smith

Lets sketchily define a term from our headline. LLPs, or in full, Limited Liability Partnerships, are a relatively new fangled type of British legal entity, somewhat analogous to Limited Companies or Limited Partnerships, though very different in detail.

Why is this vague description at all interesting? From 2013, here is a seven-minute video of Richard Brooks, formerly a tax inspector, and currently a journalist at the UKs renowned Private Eye magazine (familiarly, the Eye), gumshoeing his way round various tatty UK addresses with another investigator, Andrew Bousfield. LLPs are the subject of their investigation:

Weve learnt about a group of offshore companies that are behind thousands of Limited Liability Partnerships formed in offices across the UK. We believe these Limited Liability Partnerships are being used to launder millions of pounds that are the proceeds of crime in the Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

The video gives you an idea of the evasiveness of the company agents involved in creating these LLPs for their dubious end users. First up, theres a Mr Williams, who runs a formation agent called Company Formations Limited. He deflects a phone enquiry and denies all knowledge of the registrations that the official record says his company has performed. He promises a response by email, for what thats worth.

By a happy fluke, Brooks and Bousfield are at Mr Williams old maildrop address when the postman turns up, dropping off a mass of post, including a bank statement for one of the LLPs, which is from ING Banks branch, in (quelle surprise) Kiev, Ukraine. That immediately makes it look as if Mr Williams is most likely in a position to know plenty about the inner workings of the 600+ LLPs that, according to Private Eyes research of the official records, he has registered at that same address. It also looks as if Brooks and Bousfield are on broadly the right track with their Ukrainian suspicions. Elsewhere in the piece they instance multi-hundred-million-ripoffs of the Ukrainian tax payers, via wildly overpriced state purchases of items as diverse as bulk vaccines and oil rigs, in which UK LLPs played key roles.

Another agent, doorstepped by Richard Brooks at 5:09 in the video, improvises desperately. This fellow, addressing Richard Brooks over a bog standard entryphone, dimly remembers some other panic-stricken bodyswerve, and absurdly pretends that he is not really there at all. Somehow, he bluffs, he is operating the entryphone via a completely fictional landline telephone at some other location altogether. The alleged telephone is apparently an alleged coinbox and, apparently, the coins are about to run out.

After relaying this surreal excuse for an excuse, the entryphone, and the idiot at the other end of it, fall silent. This agent seems a wee bit unconvincing to me, but what do you think, dear reader? I certainly hope his anti money laundering due diligence is a bit better than his ad-libs.

Given all the stonewalling, its a pleasant surprise that Brooks and Bousfield get so far along with their project:

We want to know where the LLPs actually operate, who is ultimately behind them, and what checks are being made in Britain to ensure that we are not hosting major levels of money laundering.

I think we can hazard an answer to the last question at least. The result of the Private Eye investigation is a special report, one of many available here, called Where theres mucktheres brass plates, and aptly subtitled How UK ghost companies made Britain the capital of global corporate crime. It costs five quid, but subscribers to Private Eye can download it free and, if they are bloggers, indulge in a bit of fair use republication.

LLPs are a fairly new type of British legal entity (in use from the early noughties), and it would be fair to say that the bugs havent quite been worked out yet; Brooks and Bousfield say:

One major flaw was that an LLP with offshore members and no UK business would not be taxable in the UK but, as a UK-incorporated body, would also generally not be tax resident anywhere else and thus of little interest to any countrys tax authorities. This probably explains the big gap between the number of LLPs and those that file tax returns. By March 2011 there were 45,932 LLPs registered at Companies House, of which 43,241 were active. Yet for 2011/12, just 35,400 returns were submitted to HM Revenue & Customs, indicating that nearly 8,000 LLPs didnt bother. The precise number of illicit LLPs is hard to know. By March 2012, there were more than 52,348 LLPs in total, 49,005 of them active. This is up from fewer than 12,000 in 2005 the number of dodgy LLPs looks likely to be well into five figures.

Thats a reasonable ballpark estimate. Two years later, my own independent research, which came at the problem from a slightly different angle, quickly turned up 9,000 dodgy LLPs, and since I was in a hurry, I may well have missed some.

Now its time for a second definition: secrecy jurisdictions. The aspect relevant to LLPs is characterised concisely by one campaigner:

secrecy jurisdictions create a deliberate, and legally backed, veil of secrecy that ensures that those from outside that jurisdiction making use of its regulation cannot be identified to be doing so.

Got that? What it means is that, via LLPs, you can import to the UK all the offshore secrecy of, say

All that is required is the simple expedient of registering LLPs whose members are companies in one of those jurisdictions. Voila: you now have an impenetrably anonymous, potentially bank account holding entity, based in a trusted jurisdiction, the UK.

We will look at a few of these dubious creations in a minute. As a baseline, heres an LLP that wants to look squeaky clean. All the members are named human beings that look like traceable UK residents; the accounts filings are comprehensive. Its all very neat and above board. Mind you, one can see why someone wanted it to look that way. Heres that same LLP, Eclipse Film Partnership 35, getting its comeuppance in the courts. It was a squeaky cleantax dodgethat HMRC successfully challenged.

The 287 partners borrowed large sums from Barclays Bank to buy the licensing rights for a number of films. The interest on these loans created losses, for which they could then claim the special sideways tax relief introduced in 2005 to encourage investment in the British film industry. Each investor obtained GBP400,000 of tax relief for an investment of GBP173,000.

By way of contrast, lets go downmarket a bit more. Here are some quick examples, from the UK register, of seriously dodgy and utterly unidentifiable offshore people using the LLP vehicle to really take the Mickey:

In other words, this type of opacity isnt a mere theoretical possibility, with LLPs.

All of these sightings result from pulling at two or three of the many leads offered by the UKs LLP hairball; there are many, many other such leads and further offshore jurisdictions. One could go on and on  there are 9,000 of these things, remember  but one is merciful.

Good luck finding out who really controls those LLPs. A motivation for their shyness is indicated by more examples provided by Brooks and Bousfield:

when in 2004 EADS employed a renowned Italian fraudster to facilitate side deals on the Austrian air forces 1.5bn purchase of a fleet of Eurofighter jets, the fixerset up shop at 31 Dover Street in Mayfair. From here and his Grosvenor Square apartment, Gianfranco Lande would manage an outfit that remained unknown until, four years later, suspicious Austrian MPs started to ask questions. By then Vector Aerospace Limited Liability Partnership, as the Mayfair firm was known, had paid out more than 80m to companies controlled offshore by Lande, his Maltese bagman David Marinelli, and other unknown parties. Much of the money was paid through RBS Bank in the Isle of Man; but where it ended up is still not clear. Among the outcomes believed to be linked to the scandal was the melting away of domestic opposition to the fighter contract in Austria: in 2004 the country had no discernible need for 1.5bn worth of fighter jets.  As with other cases the Eye has examined, there was no sign of intervention by the UK authorities. The reason Lande had chosen London for this web was now clear. British companies and other legal structures provided all the obfuscation a man running such an operation could want.

Or again:

the 2007 Hermitage tax fraud proceeds were also laundered through a couple of the limited liability partnerships that were by now becoming increasingly popular among launderers (partly because the Companies Act 2006 required companies to have at least one natural person as a director, whereas LLPs could continue with entirely shell company directors). The LLPs in this case, Armut Services LLP and Dexterson LLP, filed either no accounts or figures way out of line with their multi-million pound activitiestheir ultimate ownership would be impossible to trace

Or this:

The preferred escape route for dodgy former Soviet funds became clear when the Eye obtained reports from inside the London branch of US bank Wachovia, already under investigation in the US over Mexican drugs money laundering. They showed a small selection of what are understood to be far greater volumes of money transfers from accounts, first in Riga, then to Raffeisen Zentralbank in Vienna before onward transfer to Wachovia,

the inevitable punchline:

all operated by a string of British LLPs.

Brooks and Bousfield sum it up:

IT IS EASIER to set up what is now the international criminals corruption vehicle of choice than it is to open a bank account or rent a DVD. Fill in a form with some basic details of two or more members in the LLP and send it off with a cheque for 40 to Companies House: no checks; no ID; youre in (dodgy) business right away.

Clearly, Something Must Be Done about LLPs.

Since PSC disclosure is a Thing, it is going to be Done, and by 6 April 2016, no less, in the guise of a new public register of PSCs, part of the UKs first stab at implementing the EU 4th Money Laundering Directive. After a couple of delays, the Directive will be applicable to LLPs in a month or sos time. Thats a mere three years after the full horror of LLPs was public knowledge, courtesy of Private Eye, and only a little more than a decade after dodgy company agents, onshore and offshore, first embarked on their LLP rampage, to the greater or lesser immiseration of the people of Austria, Russia and Ukraine, (oh, and Moldova, by the way).

Whats a PSC? From the blurb introducing the new register, heres the definition: its a Person of Significant Control:

1.3. LLPs incorporated under the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000 are required to maintain a register of people with significant control over the LLP (PSC Register). 1.4. A person has significant control over an LLP if one or more of the specified conditions are satisfied. The first three specified conditions concern the rights to more than 25% of the assets on a winding up, holding more than 25% of the voting rights, and the right to appoint or remove the majority of management. 1.5. The fourth and fifth specified conditions require a person to have significant influence or control either over the LLP itself or over the activities of a trust or a firm which meets any of the other specified conditions in relation to the LLP.

The idea is that the people who really control the LLP have to reveal their identities: no more anonymity!

One has ones doubts. First, one jibs at the thresholds. Its not obvious what stops crooks drawing up purported LLP agreements that assign 20% rights and control to five equal partners, all puppets, so that the PSC reporting threshold is never reached. Its been done before: a central strategy of the recent $1Bn bank fraud in Moldova was to covertly seize control of one of the banks via a huge cluster of nominee-controlled companies that acted in concert. None of them exceeded the apparently tight 5% ownership reporting threshold imposed by the Moldovan banking regulator. As a result, that essential preparatory part of the whole plot stayed off the authorities radar until long after the fraud was consummated.

Id say this 25% threshold idea for LLPs has been defeated even before it has gone live.

A still more awful suspicion dawns when one delves into the details, though. Here is one of a number of official wordings prescribed for PSC register entries:

a) The LLP knows or has reasonable cause to believe that there is no registrable person or registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the LLP.

In other words, UK officials already anticipate circumstances in which the LLP needs to make no disclosure whatsoever. Uh oh. One naturally wonders what a registrable relevant legal entity might be, and a non-registrable one.

In the end, theres no need to puzzle it out in detail; one can take a short cut instead. Here is the definition of the one big thing thats not a registrable relevant legal entity (my bold):

7.4.6 When a legal entity is not an RLE it cannot be registrable and you cannot enter it on the PSC register. A legal entity might not be an RLE because:

It is a UK legal entity which is not a company, LLP or SE (such as a Scottish Limited Partnership); or

It is a non-UK company or other legal entity that does not meet the test in paragraph 2.2.2.

In other words, the very type of structure (LLPs controlled by secret companies offshore), whose opacity has facilitated the international crime documented by Brooks and Bousfield, is pretty much the only thing that will be left undisturbed by the new anti money laundering rule that will come into force this April.

All that is required from LLPs with offshore corporate members is a filing to the effect that there is no registrable person or registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the LLP, a claim that no UK enforcement agency will be in a position to check or verify. Once that entry has been put on the register, all the big time money laundering can carry on as before. Clearly, whatever it is that has motivated the introduction of this new register, it isnt a desire to tackle the roughly 9,000 opaque LLPs that look exactly like money laundering apparatus.

Meanwhile, the lions share of the overhead of complying with this utterly worthless anti money laundering edict will land, with smart bomb precision, on the 50,000+, all-onshore LLPs that, give or take the occasional bustable tax dodge, arent much of a problem.

It might be time for one last definition

fiasco noun; plural noun: fiascos a thing that is a complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating way. synonyms: failure, disaster, catastrophe, debacle, shambles, farce, mess, wreck, flop, washout, snafu antonyms: success

Theres also one last twist: as soon as there is a years worth of empirical evidence confirming the utter failure of this inane measure, it will get a chance to fail again. In April 2017 the same provisions will be rolled out to the even more toxic Scottish Limited Partnership vehicle, whose nastier manifestations will by then outnumber dodgy UK LLPs by at least two to one, assuming that current registration rates are maintained.

With little more than a month to go before the new LLP regulation goes live, the UK is now stuck with that particular ignominious misfire. However, there are still a few months left to devise a better solution for Scottish Limited Partnerships.

Scottish MPs might want to get on the case, right now. They have less than a year to devise and promote something better, but they will score a big point, locally and internationally, if they pull that off. Conversely, if it turns out that Scotlands voice cannot be heard in Westminster, on an issue that has such implications, for Scotlands international image, for the financial wellbeing of the world at large, and for international law and order, that will make a powerful point, too.
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FTE Networks Inc., a networking infrastructure service solutions provider, has signed a multimillion dollar, multiyear strategic alliance agreement with Plano, Texas-based Edge Communications.

Events

The Second Annual Southwest Florida Sustainability Summit will be held from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 28 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point. Information: www. swflsustainability.com/2016-full-list-of- presenters/

The Estero Chamber of Commerce will hold its March Rise & Shine Breakfast Networking Event at 8 a.m. March 3 at Around the Clock Fitness, 16970 Alico Mission Way, Fort Myers. Information: www.EsteroChamber.org

Tom Moran, managing director  Investments, senior PIM portfolio manager of Moran Edwards Asset Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, will host a Meet the Portfolio Manager seminar at 2 p.m. Friday at the Naples Daily News Community Room, 1100 Immokalee Road in Naples. Information: 239-513-2511.

To submit your business news directly online, go to naplesnews.com/BIZwire or email news@naplesnews.com.
FILE - Collier County Clerk of Courts Dwight Brock stands by while debating with Georgia Hiller during a Collier County Commission meeting on Tuesday, September 9, 2014. (Scott McIntyre/Staff)

Dwight Brock is looking for a safe harbor.

A big one.

Collier County's Clerk of Courts was on the losing end last week of a court ruling over the payment of county invoices for goods and services.

Brock's position has been that the county manager and staff don't have to authority to make purchases without specific approval from the county commission.

As the person who writes the checks, Brock says he fears he'll be held personally liable if he makes payments not specifically approved by the board.

Over the course of the past year, Brock has talked about a "safe harbor" from which he could write checks, even if he personally doesn't think the county manager has the legal authority to make the purchases.

An opinion from Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi would have provided such safe harbor, Brock said. But the two sides were never able to agree on the proper wording to put to Bondi.

The Feb. 18 ruling of Judge James Shenko that the county manager is well within his rights to approve purchases up to $50,000 under the county's purchasing ordinance, should provide Brock some cover. How could he be held liable if a judge says it's OK for him to pay?

But Brock says the issue is bigger than the one between him and the county commission. County clerks elsewhere struggle with the validity of purchases made without specific commission authorization, he said.

So he's strongly considering an appeal of Shenko's ruling to the Second District Court of Appeals.

"It's not a final decision that is applicable statewide," Brock said of Shenko's ruling. "If I appeal it we'll get an opinion that's applied statewide."

Under Florida law, a ruling by a district court of appeals applies statewide unless there's a conflicting opinion from another district court of appeals. In those cases, the Florida Supreme Court will make the final ruling.

Brock says if he takes the case to the Second District Court of Appeal in Lakeland, it should result in a ruling every court clerk in the state could rely on, since there are no other cases on the topic pending elsewhere.

Other court clerks have found their own ways to process purchases that haven't been specifically authorized by commissioners. In Wakulla County, where Clerk Brent Thurmond serves as the president of the Florida Clerks and Comptrollers association, checks are printed for purchases up to $25,000 made by the county staff without prior board approval. But the check isn't handed over until the commissioners approve the item, usually on a consent agenda within 45 days of the goods or services being delivered.

Greg James, deputy clerk there, said an appellate ruling clarifying a county manager's discretion probably wouldn't alter the process, which has been in place for at least 15 years.

Brock says he'll meet with his attorneys to consider an appeal. In the past, when Brock and the county have met in court, Brock has lost the initial rounds then prevailed at the appeals court level.

The chances of success will be one of the factors taken into consideration, Brock said. "I know what my feelings are," he said.

(Connect with Brent Batten at brent.batten@naplesnews.com, on Twitter@NDN_BrentBatten and at facebook.com/ndnbrentbatten)
SHARE Liz Amrine signs the quilt she has been working on. A group of quilters in Corkscrew Woodlands in Estero have made hundreds of quilts and given them to wounded military service members. Lance Shearer/Special to the Banner

By Lance Shearer, Banner Correspondent

Patrecia Ross owes her inspiration to keep making quilts for wounded soldiers to an unnamed veteran in a hospital in Germany, and her organizational skills to Henry Ford.

Soldiers from Iraq, or Afghanistan, or any of the far-flung outposts in the country's "Global War on Terror" who are seriously wounded in combat are airlifted to Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, said Ross, and have their initial treatment at Lansdstuhl Regional Medical Center, a hospital complex nearby.

"The first year I did this, I got a handwritten note from the hospital," she said. "It told me of a very young soldier who woke up after surgery, reached down for his leg, and his leg was gone." The soldier was given a quilt as part of his bedding, and when he was transferred back to the United States, the letter said, "He asked, 'can I keep my quilt?'"

Ross is actually Dr. Ross, with a Ph.D. in educational teaching and research, and is retired from a career teaching at Eastern Michigan University. The university is in Ypsilanti, but to understand how Ross organizes the dozens of workers, primarily fellow residents at Corkscrew Woodlands in Estero, to turn out the volume of quilts they do, you would head 35 miles east to Detroit, birthplace of the assembly line.

On a recent rainy Saturday, 24 helpers, almost all women, showed up to work on the quilts, but the previous session two weeks before had 44 workers, nearly twice as many, said Ross. However many show come, she assigns each to a crew, who perform the same operation on quilt after quilt, making each one a group effort and speeding the production process.

The quilting group meets in the open-air screen room inside the circle of manufactured homes where Ross lives during the winter months, and they work devotedly at their sewing machines, ironing boards and tying stations, in what might be called a sweatshop if the ladies were not all volunteers, and the weather on this Saturday at least decidedly cool.

Each quilt has three layers, the top with the contrasting squares, the batting in the middle, and the backing fabric. Each quilt has 120 squares, so with the 150 quilts the group is aiming to make this season, which amounts to 18,000 squares to be sewn. Some women "man" the sewing machines, doing the stage one stitching that gets the quilts started, some add the batting, and then the back layer, and some work at tying each square together.

Other jobs include pinning, trimming, ironing, folding, wrapping, and packing the quilts. Ross circulates around the workers, and "whatever station needs an extra pair of hands, I fill in," she said. One woman, Lou Teague, sews the "heart square" that is included with each quilt, with a red fabric heart and the words "love to you, wounded warrior, from Estero, Florida."

"Lou spent all summer, and made 150 of those," said Ross. "She's the heart lady." In addition, each quilter signs the quilts she has worked on, and additional messages, including "God bless America" and "Peace from God be unto you" are incorporated into the squares. Each quilt also has one message personal to Patrecia Ross. They say, "In memory of Joseph L. Ross, WWII B-17 bombardier."

Joseph Ross is Patrecia's late husband, who was shot down twice in the Pacific theater of operations during World War II, and wounded when aviation fuel from his downed aircraft spread and ignited in the water around him and his fellow crew members.

Patrecia said she and her fellow crew members are happy to do something to brighten the day of a wounded service person, and maybe remind them of home.

"It's something we can do. We all like to sew, and to work together," she said. "We are women retired from business and professions, and this is a way to give back. This is what we've chosen to do."

The need continues to grow, says a letter Ross received in September from the Dept. of the Army's Clinical Pastoral Division. The Estero group is well on their way to meeting the goal of sewing 150 quilts, having already completed and sent out 50 in December, which go to the Chaplain's Clothes Closet, a "non-funded humanitarian entity within the Dept. of Defense," said Colonel and Chaplain Sherman W. Baker, Jr. Each month, he said, they serve "more than 350 warriors."

Hundreds of those wounded warriors are wrapped in quilts, and love, sent from the quilting ladies of Corkscrew Woodlands.
SHARE Chief Al Schettino addresses residents' concerns. The Marco Island Property Owners held a forum Thursday in council chambers to hear from the MIPD. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent Chair Linda Turner moderates. The Marco Island Property Owners held a forum Thursday in council chambers to hear from the MIPD. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent Keith Dameron asks a question from the audience. The Marco Island Property Owners held a forum Thursday in council chambers to hear from the MIPD. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent Chief Al Schettino talks about policing on the island. The Marco Island Property Owners held a forum Thursday in council chambers to hear from the MIPD. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent

By Lance Shearer

The good news is, you're pretty darn safe.

At Thursday's Marco Island Property Owners (MIPO) forum in the City Council chambers, about three dozen Islanders heard from the top brass at the Marco Island Police Department (MIPD). As Chief Al Schettino and Capt. Dave Baer told the assembled property owners, Marco Island is at or near the top of statewide rankings for the safest municipality in Florida.

"We are one of the safest communities in Florida," said Schettino, adding that different organizations and websites do their ratings differently, so the island will come in at "No. 1, number four or number five" depending on who's doing the ranking. While many people assume the police force is larger, he said the department has 34 full-time sworn officers, assisted by seven volunteer reserve officers and 10 part-time community service officers, who deal largely with civil matters such as code enforcement.

A group of citizens on Marco Island meeting to discuss concerns with police representatives is a very different session from what might occur in, say, Jefferson City, Missouri or the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of New York City. On Marco, residents tend to support the police, and believe they are on the same side. At Thursday's forum, there were no questions about heavy-handed police tactics or roughing up suspects while taking them into custody.

Still, islanders did have concerns. MIPO chair Linda Turner, moderating the event, said the group wanted to hear specifically about Marco Island's attempts to tone down rowdy renters.

"I'm wondering how the new noise ordinance is working for you," she told the crowd. Another topic covered was phone alerts, which were a timely topic in the aftermath of early morning tornado alerts heard recently.

Last year's string of burglaries and boat motor robberies also came up.

"Two individuals were arrested in Golden Gate, and as a result, all the burglaries stopped," said Schettino. The suspects have been tied to two of the Marco Island cases, and the MIPD's three detectives are working to establish connections to more of the thefts on the island, he said.

While there was "a rash of burglaries in an extremely short time," said the chief, it still fell short of a full-blown crime wave. To put the numbers in perspective, in 2013 there were 36 burglaries on the island. In 2014, the number was down to 20, and last year's total, including the uptick in the fall, was 26 burglaries.

The fall also saw a string of nighttime thefts from docked boats; 25 outboard motors had their lower units stolen, while two of those motors were completely stolen. These crimes remain unsolved.

"They hit us by land and by water. It's a statewide investigation," said Schettino. "This ring hits you for a month, then they stop." As none of the stolen parts have shown up for sale in Florida, the supposition is they are being loaded onto an ocean container and shipped overseas, he said. One thing the officers mentioned came as a surprise to many present. The message board that regularly spreads the word about happenings on the island also incorporates a camera, that records the license plate number of every vehicle crossing the bridge, and those records are then cross-checked against any vehicles known to be connected to individuals involved in criminal activity.

On policing the beach, the chief lauded reserve and auxiliary coordinator Bill Miller, who came up with the idea of carrying plastic cups, allowing officers to remove glass bottles from beachgoers without making them lose their drinks. Schettino detailed how the MIPD responds to noise complaints, with the officer sitting for at least 10 minutes to gauge whether the noise is at an objectionable level, considering the source and the time of day.

"The officers have to use discretion. Kids playing in the pool during the day may seem too loud, but you talk to the complainant and try to defuse it," he said. When in doubt about whether to call the department on any concern, make the call, he urged. He also pointed out that, unlike in some jurisdictions, the MIPD does not charge for false alarms from residential alarm systems.

In the Q-AND-A following the presentation, a number of questions focused on that Marco Island perennial, parking issues. Kevin Harrington said that parking near the weekly Farmers' Market is a "huge problem. There's virtual gridlock at Elkcam and Bald Eagle." Tom Graves called for a well-marked pedestrian crossing on Collier ZBoulevard near Seaview Court. Actually, said Schettino, "that falls under Public Works," but he promised to pass the comment along.

Thursday's forum followed another focusing on Parks and Recreation, and will be followed on March 10 by another on emergency services, with Marco Island Fire-Rescue Chief Mike Murphy as the principal speaker.
By Patrick Riley of the Naples Daily News

The clock is ticking for Tamara Swan's son.

The fifth grader is 11 now and attends Bonita Springs Charter School. He's still a few years way from high school, but with Bonita's push to get its own high school dragging on, his mother is growing increasingly worried whether he'll be able to attend high school in his city. The alternative could be Estero High School or even South Fort Myers High School.

"He can just barely slide in if they make a decision this year," Swan said, referring to the Lee County School Board.

"It's important that this gets pushed through so he has a high school here locally to attend," she said. "Not a big fan if he's got a one-way drive an hour with the bus. Seems kind of unfair."

It was a common frustration expressed Monday when a small contingent of residents, including Swan, gathered at the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce to once again drum up support for a high school in Bonita and discuss ways to counter pushback from vocal opponents of proposed high school sites.

"The thing that I don't understand either is: Why is it taking so long?" said Christine Ross, the president and chief executive of the chamber. "It's been going on three years now and they (the school district) have never behaved like this before. My understanding is they've always just said to communities: 'We're sorry you don't like it, we're building a school here.' "

Monday's gathering, which included discussions about using social media to promote the cause and organizing stronger pro-high school showings at future public meetings, marked the chamber's latest effort to rally support for a high school in Bonita  no matter the location.

"We've got to create some force at this point," Ross said. "They've got to make this decision."

For more than a year school district officials have been grappling with trying to find a suitable site for the proposed high school, often faced with strong opposition from residents.

In November, when word got out that the district was looking to acquire a property just south of Bonita Beach Road and east of Interstate 75, residents from communities abutting the site blasted the plans in emails, at town hall gatherings and school district meetings.

The school district backed off.

Last month, when school district officials announced that they were eyeing a 76-acre parcel on Imperial Parkway, they again faced considerable blowback.

Residents living in communities near the proposed site protested the district's plans to build a high school so close to their homes.

Many voiced concerns similar to those of residents near previous proposed locations, including that a school would disturb their quiet neighborhoods.

Swan understands some of the worries, but said a high school is sorely needed and has been for a while.

"They have legitimate concern to a degree, but it's not fair for our children," she said. "I mean, there has to be a spot. It's just sad that after all this time we're still in the phase of promoting that we need it. It just seems like we should be past that."

The district will hold an informational meeting for parents and community members about the district's plans for the Imperial Parkway site  which remains the preferred choice of Superintendent Greg Adkins  at 6 p.m., Wednesday, at Estero High School, said Amity Chandler, the district's spokeswoman.

"[Wednesday's meeting] should answer almost every question posed by the neighboring communities," she said. "They presented valid concerns over the last few weeks and we believe we have an answer to every concern, with the exception of, 'We just don't want it in our backyard.' "

Staff writer Melhor Leonor contributed to this report.
Salvation Army of Collier County employees carry a Toys for Tots donations to a truck at Toys "R" Us on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, in North Naples. (David Albers/Staff)

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By Maryann Batlle of the Naples Daily News

The Salvation Army in Collier County says it is in dire need of food pantry donations.

The pantry's shelves are bare because of a recent spike in demand, said Ashley Jones, director of social services for the nonprofit.

"The need is so great, we're just not able to keep up with the demand," Jones said.

In November, the pantry had 231 grocery orders from people between the ages of 18 and 49. As of February, with a handful of days left before the month ends, that number spiked to 356 grocery orders.

The Salvation Army credits the 54 percent increase to changes in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

As of January, adults in Florida who are "able bodied without dependents" and between the ages of 18 and 50 can lose their SNAP food assistance if they are not working or in job training at least 20 hours a week.

Adults who don't meet that criteria are eligible for three months of SNAP benefits in any 36-month period.

Florida is one of 21 states implementing SNAP time limits in 2016, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. About 300,000 adults in Florida will be affected, according to estimates from the state's Department of Children and Families.

An improving economy triggered the SNAP rule changes.

But some adults face employment barriers, including criminal records, that keep them from being hired, said Jones.

"These individuals just don't have places to turn," she said.

In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed into law welfare reforms that included work-for-food requirements.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture can waive the rules. Under President Barack Obama, the department did so for nearly every state during the most recent recession.

Florida sent SNAP recipients letters that directed them to a state website for more information.

About 14,000 people living in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, Glades were sent those letters last fall, said Beth Barger, center supervisor for CareerSource Southwest Florida's Naples office.

People who had not provided the state with updated contact information could have missed the notice, she said.

The spike in demand at the Salvation Army food pantry might be due, in part, to the SNAP rule changes, Barger said. Other factors, such as the annual surge of Collier County's homeless population during the winter months, could have contributed to the increased need, she said.

CareerSource of Southwest Florida has also seen more people come to the center in Naples, and they are seeking ways to meet the SNAP requirements and keep their benefits, Barger said.

"Now there's an incentive."

Donations to be dropped-off at The Salvation Army Annex:

3050 Horseshoe Drive North,

Building B, Suite 260, Naples

Donations can be made from Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to Noon and 1 to 3 p.m.

The following items are requested:

Canned food, canned meats such as salmon, chicken and tuna

Canned fruits and vegetables

Cereal and oatmeal

Peanut Butter and jelly

Evaporated, dry or shelf stable milk

Rice

Pasta

Macaroni & Cheese

Canned or boxed soup

Crackers

 The Associated Press contributed to this report
Life coach and yoga instructor Giselle Toner instructs her weekly sunset yoga class at Lowdermilk Park on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015. (Dorothy Edwards/Staff)

By Liz Freeman of the Naples Daily News

The greater Naples area has earned the top spot for "well-being" from among nearly 200 American cities, according to a survey by Gallup-Healthways.

The telephone-based survey of more than 350,000 adults nationwide asked how they were doing in their daily lives and how optimistic they were about their future.

Naples ranked seventh in last year's survey in which 100 of the most populous cities were ranked.

The questions ask about access to health care, medicine, food, insurance, dental care, finances and sense of community.

The responses are categorized into five subject areas based on how much people like what they do each day, their social networks of support, financial situations, whether they have pride in their community and also physical health.

The Naples/Marco Island/Immokalee area has an overall well-being score of 65, followed by Salinas, California, which came in second, with the same overall 65 ranking after rounding to a single decimal point.

The well-being index is calculated on a score of zero to 100, with 100 being the highest score possible. All told, 190 cities are ranked this year.

"I think it is spectacular," said Dr. Allen Weiss, president and chief executive officer of the NCH Healthcare System. "We should all be gratified we have an overwhelming chance to live longer, happier and healthier lives."

Weiss has been the leading advocate for Naples to become a Blue Zones community to offer healthier options in residents in their daily lives. The goal is for the healthier choice to become the easier choice and improve health and longevity.

The local Blue Zones project is now supported by volunteer committees and four employees, and it is seen as a 10-year project

When it comes to how Naples residents' fare in their sense of purpose, Naples ranks fourth among the 190 cities and ranks sixth when it comes to residents' social network of support. Naples ranked first for community pride.

When it comes to financial well-being, Naples ranked 18th and came in 15th for physical health.

"There still is room for improvement," Weiss said. "It's a journey."

Coming in third place in the Gallup/Healthways survey of 190 cities and well-being is Northport/Sarasota/Bradenton with an overall score of 64.7 and fourth is Fort Collins, Colorado with an overall score of 64.6

Ranking last in the well-being is Charleston, West Virginia, with a well-being score of 57.1 and second to last is Fort Smith, Arkansas, with an overall score of 58.2.

The Blue Zones project locally will play into Naples' future well-being and getting more people to support the project will help, Weiss said.

Dan Witters, research director for Gallups-Healthways, said in an email that Naples this past year saw a better life evaluation score, where the number of residents who said they are "thriving" went from 53.3 percent to 55.6 percent.

In addition, more people have acquired insurance, a number that stood at 70.3 percent in last year's survey and increased to 80.7 percent this year. More people report having a personal doctor, from a previous finding of 64.2 percent to 78.7 percent in the recent finding.

Weiss said he expects Naples' top ranking for well being will attract health conscious people to select the area when they want to move to fast-growing Florida  and that will increase economic opportunities locally.

Naples is walkable, safe, attractive and has a lot of community spirit, and those are key ingredients for people looking for the right place to live.

"Having the best well-being index is impressive," he said.

Healthways is a Nashville- based firm that works with companies and government entities to improve health, and its well-being index is a measurement tool used to assess Blue Zones communities.
FILE -- Commissioner Georgia Hiller debates during a Collier County Commission meeting at the Collier County Manager building in Naples, Florida on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. Calvin Mattheis/File

SHARE District 2 Commissioner Georgia Hiller debates during a Collier County Commission meeting at the Collier County Manager building in Naples, Florida on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. Calvin Mattheis/Staff) Collier Clerk of Courts Dwight Brock Submitted

By Greg Stanley of the Naples Daily News

Collier County Commissioner Georgia Hiller announced Tuesday she'll challenge longtime incumbent Dwight Brock for the job of Collier County Clerk of Courts.

Hiller filed paperwork Tuesday afternoon with the Supervisor of Elections office. Hiller and Brock are both Republicans, setting up a showdown in the August primary.

To challenge Brock, she'll have to resign her commission seat by June 10, although the resignation need not take effect immediately.

The move blows the future of the county commission wide open, with four of the five seats now up for grabs this year and three sitting commissioners on their way out. Commissioners Tom Henning and Tim Nance have announced they won't seek re-election. Nobody has yet filed to run against Commissioner Donna Fiala.

Hiller has been critical of Brock's latest lawsuit against the county over a purchasing policy that allows the county manager and purchasing director to buy items under $50,000. The lawsuit was thrown out last week by a Circuit Court judge. Brock said Tuesday he would appeal.

"The clerk can't stop litigating and wasting taxpayers' money," Hiller said from the dais.

When approached after the meeting, Hiller declined to comment.

Hiller made the announcement during the Collier County Commission meeting, mentioning her decision during a discussion of the North Collier Fire and Rescue Department's advanced lifesaving procedures. She also announced the run on Twitter. "I just told the BOCC I'm running for county clerk," Hiller told her Twitter followers just after noon.

Hiller, a lawyer and certified public accountant, had previously announced a run for state representative but had raised little money toward the effort, leading to speculation that she wouldn't follow through in that race.

Hiller and Brock were close allies when she began her political career in 2010 with a successful run for county commission, representing the North Naples district. She volunteered for him during one of his past lawsuits against the county, when Brock fought for the right to audit county expenses.

But a series of public disagreements transformed the relationship of the two obstinate elected officials into a bitter rivalry starting in 2014, when Hiller accused the clerk of usurping the commission's authority by selecting the bank that would hold the county's funds. Hiller called Brock a rude and a "very small man."

Other commissioners ultimately sided with Brock, confirming the bank he chose, which was the cheapest among several options.

Brock accused her then of drumming up a fight with him because she had an eye for his seat as clerk.

Brock has held the title since 1993. He hasn't filed papers to run yet, but said Tuesday he will seek a seventh term.

He feigned surprise when hearing of Hiller's announcement.

"I've been there before," Brock said. "I have no thoughts about her running. This is a decision the public has to make. They can examine my record and see if I have done the job that the law requires me to do. I will continue to do the job to the best of my ability as I have done for the last 24 years."
By Kristine Gill of the Naples Daily News

The second of two Missouri men accused of killing Bonita Springs doctor Teresa Sievers is now being held in the Lee County Jail.

Jimmy Ray Rodgers, 25, of Cadet, Missouri was booked into jail at 5:47 a.m.

Rodgers is facing a charge of homicide. He is being held without bond.

Rodgers was released from federal custody in Illinois Monday following a six-month stint on charges of violating probation by visiting a Fort Myers Walmart store on June 28, the day before Sievers was found dead.

The other suspect charged with the Sievers killing, Curtis Wright, is in a Lee County jail awaiting trial after he pleaded not guilty.

No one else has yet been charged in the case.
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Three government agencies independent of one another have a hand in the waters of Lake Okeechobee and the quality of what comes out.

What could possibly go wrong?

Ask mayors of cities in Lee County, some of whom are in Washington, D.C., this week to raise concerns about the fouling of the coast through releases from the lake, down the Caloosahatchee River toward the estuaries.

Ask the fledgling Captains for Clean Water group that is sponsoring a contest on its Facebook page for photos or short videos documenting the extent of marine damage. Some show soiled beaches, dead sea life and tainted waters. A $500 prize goes to the winner when the contest ends Tuesday.

Ask east coast critics of the state's new water quality law. In a report in Sunday's Daily News, critics noted that monitoring relies on computer models, not testing.

We're not sure which of three governments involved should bear the brunt of Southwest Florida's ire over Lake Okeechobee releases. That's the point. It illustrates what can possibly go wrong if three governments independent of one another are involved. If three are potentially accountable, none is.

Beyond addressing the current urgent issue, a long-term fix is needed. We believe there is nobody better suited to lead this effort than U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson, R-Bonita Springs. The Lee mayors are meeting with him, news partner NBC-2 reports.

Three, all for one?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in control of the lake's water level; it wants to keep Lake Okeechobee between 12.5 and 15.5 feet above sea level but heavy winter rains pushed the lake over 16 feet. A reconstruction of the dike is underway but only partially completed. The Corps is concerned about the security of the current berm, which prevents neighboring towns from being flooded. So it decided to release lake water into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers. About two-thirds of the up-to-6-billion-gallons-a-day release comes toward this coast.

The pumps are operated by the South Florida Water Management District, led by a gubernatorial appointed board and supported by our tax dollars but essentially independent of state and federal governments. It was the water district that backpumped tainted water into Lake Okeechobee from towns and farm fields after late-January heavy rainfall threatened sugar crops and residents. As coastal outcry over the fouled water grew louder, the district wanted to cut back releases into the river. The Corps resisted.

Gov. Rick Scott intervened and the Corps agreed to send some water south toward the Everglades via a canal. It's the state Department of Environmental Protection that monitors water quality. It's the state that has advocated water storage areas near the river as the answer to Lake Okeechobee discharges. It's the state that last year mistakenly let lapse an option to buy sugar farm land south of the lake that could be a conduit toward cleaning the southerly flow. The land wasn't bought, even though voters overwhelmingly supported Amendment 1 to designate money for purchases and waterway protection.

In Clawson's court

Last week, we applauded Clawson for his multifaceted commitment to protecting Florida's coast. He's part of a bipartisan push to expedite any Everglades restoration projects the federal government has ready.

"The long-term solution for Southwest Florida is getting the water to flow south from Lake Okeechobee into the Everglades, after natural filtration," Clawson said in a statement.

He's demonstrated his dedication to protecting our environment. He has a handle on the immediate crisis and the future southerly solution.

Recognizing there's no quick fix to this long-term problem, we'd also note that he's not term-limited as many state and local elected leaders are. From all signs, Clawson will be here as Southwest Florida's congressman for as long as he wants to be  so he can see this through.

At the moment, with multiple layers of government involved and none accountable, Clawson emerges to us as the logical point person. Southwest Florida is right to put the ball in his court to lead a push for a Lake Okeechobee solution.
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Thomas Gary Cavanagh, Naples

Seigel for council

My wife Peggy and I have been happy residents of Naples for over a dozen years.

Living in the Park Shore area, we have been particularly fortunate to have had Ellen Seigel as president and chair of the Park Shore Association, the founder of The Park Shore Fund, a charitable fund for the community and a current member of the Naples Planning Advisory Board.

Under Seigel's leadership we saw a marked improvement in our quality of life and excellent appreciation in the value of our residence. The classy Park Shore signs at every entrance to Park Shore enhance the perceived value of the area where we live, as does the landscaping on Park Shore Drive and Crayton Road. She also negotiated the discounts we receive from local merchants and restaurants with our Park Shore membership card.

The wonderful upgrade to our beach area, including the foot bath and dune protective walkway, are the envy of the other Naples communities as are our Spring Splash and Easter Egg hunts for our children and grandchildren.

Seigel recently relinquished her position as president of the Park Shore Association after many years of outstanding service and accomplishments. If only the current presidential candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties had what she has, America would be in good hands. Seigel has vision, integrity, energy, intelligence (master's degree and magna cum laude in math & Phi Beta Kappa), a good heart, is self effacing and a wonderful ability to work with and get the best out of people.

She will do for Naples what she did for Park Shore. She will be an outstanding member of the City Council and no one deserves our vote more.
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Louis S. Herkalo, Naples

Shared blame

After reading Donna Bayless' letter titled "Breaking the law" I had to comment on her comments of "our snowbirds coming into town and breaking the law."

First, I think a lot of people take offense to be called a "snowbird." They are an American just like you and I and want to enjoy the beauty and warm weather of Naples.

I would think the make-up of people who live in Naples year-round are transplants from other states is about 85 percent. Were you born and raised here or did you come from another part of the country?

The driving in Naples is no different than any other state. Many of the things that were talked about in the letter I've seen and I'm sorry but many of these laws being broken are by year-round residents. I call it "do as you want driving." I've seen it all here. The speeding, running red lights and stop signs, passing stopped school buses, crossing solid lines, crossing from left or right lane, then going across all lanes cutting in front of other cars, not using turn signals, not turning lights on when raining, etc.

The worst is drivers use shopping center lots as race tracks. Someday someone is going to be seriously injured or there will be a fatality.

People also park in front of stores; that is illegal. People will also park in handicapped spaces for their convenience. Patrons must take heed also. Many walk out of a store on the phone, etc. Soon there is going to be a terrible injury or fatality because of the way people are driving.

A lot of the ones you see doing illegal things are people who live in Naples because they're late to work (speeding), or miss where they wanted to go (on the phone, not paying attention). Yes, some of the visitors to Naples also are guilty of these; you can't blame all of them!
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Alan Swain, Bonita Springs

Sound familiar?

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should just give this speech:

"We should not confirm any Obama nominee to the Supreme Court except in extraordinary circumstances. They must prove by actions not words that they are in the mainstream rather than we have to prove that they are not . . .

"This is just a prologue considering the constitutional harm and dramatic departures that are in store if those few are joined by one more ideological ally. We have to, in my judgment, stick by the precepts that I've elaborated. I will do everything in my power to prevent one more ideological ally from joining (justices) Sotomayor and Kagan on the court."

That, of course, is a speech from Sen. Chuck Schumer from June 2007, with "Bush" replaced with "Obama" and "Roberts and Alito" changed to "Sotomayor and Kagan."

The audience at the American Constitutional Society gave it roaring applause at the end. No one booed. No one shouted this was an assault on the Constitution and rule of law. No one tore their hair out claiming that this was an obstinate ideological litmus test, and that it represented an assault on an independent judiciary.

So we've already established that in the minds of the American legal community, it is perfectly legitimate and fair for an opposition party to refuse to confirm a president's nominees to the Supreme Court unless the nominee meets that opposition party's definition of "mainstream."

Goose, meet gander.
SHARE David Bolduc

By David Bolduc

When NCH Healthcare System officials announced in February 2015 the launch of a Blue Zones initiative for Collier County, spearheaded by NCH president and chief executive officer Dr. Allen Weiss, they described how the Blue Zones group partnered with Healthways, a Nashville, Tennessee-based company to provide support to Collier companies, government entities and schools to make behavioral changes.

In fact, Weiss stated, "We can change our culture, we are poised to do it."

So if the main goal of NCH's Blue Zones initiative is to change Collier's culture, rather than improve our health, because Naples-Marco Island is among the Top 10 "least obese" metropolitan areas in the United States, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, then what culture does Weiss intend to impose on Collier County schoolchildren via the Blue Zones initiative?

For starters, since Heathways states on its website, "We embrace the World Health Organization's definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being," then Collier County parents should familiarize themselves with the mental health and social well-being goals of the first secretary general of the United Nations' World Health Organization, Dr. G.B. Chisholm.

In 1946, Dr. Chisholm presented a paper titled "The Psychiatry of Enduring Peace and Social Progress" at a U.S. conference on mental health. Two years later, his message was published by the prestigious magazine Psychiatry, and by his communist friend, Alger Hiss. In fact, Hiss, the presiding secretary general at the 1945 founding of the United Nations, wrote the preface to Dr. Chisholm's paper.

In this paper, Dr. Chisholm outlines the World Health Organization's radical views on morality, freedom and parents, stating, "What basic psychological distortions can be found in every civilization? The only psychological force capable of producing these perversions is morality, the concept of right and wrong."

Chisholm added, "We have swallowed all manner of poisonous certainties fed us by our parents."

Once again, blaming parents for teaching right and wrong, Dr. Chisholm goes on to state, "If the race is to be freed from its crippling burden of good and evil, it must be psychiatrists who take the original responsibility." Chisholm also added, "The reinterpretation and eventually eradication of the concept of right and wrong which has been the basis of (parental) child training ... these are the belated objectives of practically all effective psychotherapy."

So, the World Health Organization and Healthway's Blue Zones feel that parents teaching and influencing their children is a bad thing, and the way to eradicate our children from being taught morality is to remove parents from influencing their children, and to implement World Health Organization sponsored psychotherapy programs.

Interestingly, the Blue Zones School Pledge Action Items were recently finalized for the district's four pilot schools; Seagate Elementary, Lake Park Elementary, Gulfview Middle and Naples High School, and they are littered with policy actions that remove parent-taught choice, and take away significant classroom instruction time.

Not to be outdone, the Blue Zones School Policy Actions also include the "Legacy Project," where students are subjected to six entire classes of instruction time to learn how to meet "Super Seniors" in their homes, or at the mall, perform mental and physical tests on them, then mail the data to Blue Zones offices in Minnesota.

Many Blue Zones School Policy Action items have nothing to do with food choice, and are ridiculous nanny-state directives in an attempt for the district to parent our children instead of the thousands of good, involved, traditional families. Perhaps the most clandestine and alarming Blue Zones School Pledge item is, "Implement a program to teach mindfulness skills to students (example: MindUP or Mindful Schools)."

While they may sound innocuous, MindUp and Mindfuls Schools incorporate 15 and 25 psychotherapy lessons, respectively; greatly reducing classroom instruction time for a district which maintains a proficient in reading score of 54 percent, according to the 2015 U.S. News and World Report high school rankings.

Additionally, both psychotherapy programs focus on teaching our children to meditate like Buddhists after being brought to attention like Pavlovian dogs with Buddhist bells. If a parent decides to teach their child meditation and Buddhism at home, fine, but using the disguise of Blue Zones to bring Buddhist meditation into our children's classroom is a clear usurpation of all parental rights to raise our children based on our own religious and moral beliefs, not the morals and beliefs of the United Nations, which maintains a meditation room at its headquarters in New York City.

__ Bolduc is president of Parents ROCK, a nonprofit founded by Collier County parents who support and advocate for parents rights and district transparency.
Zonta Club of Bonita Springs will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16 at the Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce office, 25071 Chamber of Commerce Drive, Bonita Springs.

The guest speaker is Estero Councilwoman Katy Errington. In addition, the group will discuss its Free the Girls project and Woman of the Year Luncheon on April 20. The meeting is open to professional women interested in improving the lives of women and children locally and globally through service and advocacy. Admission is free, and light refreshments are served. For more information or to RSVP, call 239-434-5134 or visit facebook.com/ZontaDistrict11.
East and Greenwell Insurance Agencys two offices in Naples and Estero have been recognized for Allstates top national, state, and regional honors for 2015. The agency was named an Allstate Inner Circle Elite agency as one of Allstates top three percent of agencies in the nation in auto, property, and commercial insurance and financial service.



East and Greenwell was also named Agency of the Year and achieved the highest overall rating of all Allstate agencies in the state of Florida. All three awards recognize the agencys business results for 2015, as well as top ratings for customer satisfaction and retention for 2015.



We have an incredible, collaborative team of licensed agents who helped us achieve extraordinary performance in 2015, said Jeff East, an agency principal. Its a competitive industry and we consistently try to provide the most attentive, knowledgeable information and services by having the best people, experience and education on staff to earn our customers trust and confidence.



East and Greenwell Insurance Agency was formed by Jeff East and Kevin Greenwell to offer personalized insurance services to residents of Estero, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, and the islands. It offers a broad range of insurance coverages for property (homeowners, condo and renters), auto, flood, boat, umbrella, and life. East and Greenwells two offices are located in the Publix shopping center at 20321 Grande Oak Shoppes Blvd., Suite 308, Estero. and at 841 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples. For more information, call 239-672-4304 or visit www.EastandGreenwell.com.


Law enforcement authorities raided the headquarters of United Mortgage Trust in Grapevine, Texas, on Feb. 18, seeking documents related to the company's management.

The officers were acting on a search warrant issued by a federal magistrate of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, according to a Monday regulatory filing. Law enforcement also served grand jury subpoenas to "certain executive officers and employees."

United Mortgage did not disclose additional details about the purpose of the raid.

"The Trust does not believe that it or its officers, trustees or employees have violated any laws or regulations, and it intends to cooperate fully with the government's investigation," United Mortgage said in the filing. "The Trust cannot, however, predict what additional action, if any, government authorities might take in the future."

The raid follows a response issued on Feb. 8 by United Development Funding IV, an entity affiliated with United Mortgage, to a website about the company created by the Dallas hedge fund Hayman Capital Management. Hayman, which is controlled by Kyle Bass, accused United Mortgage's management of running a Ponzi-like real estate scheme.

The website contains "multiple false and misleading statements about our company and management team," Hollis Greenlaw, United Mortgage's chief executive, said in the response.

"Our secured loans are underwritten based on collateral value, and UDF IV has not had any realized losses in its portfolio," Greenlaw said. "We are confident that we have appropriate policies and procedures in place to ensure accurate financial reporting and compliance with all applicable rules and regulations."

Hayman has built a short position in United Development and hopes to profit from a decline in the company's shares, Greenlaw said.

United Mortgage is a real estate investment trust that invests in pools of residential real estate loans.
Finally: cost-savings that Obamacare promised but did not deliver

Coming physician shortage will drive concierge care

(NaturalNews) The home of Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson just took a major step forward on behalf of its citizens, in the realm of health freedom.A bill has made it out of a committee in the Virginia house that would help make health freedom a reality, by essentially nullifying provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) As noted by the Tenth Amendment Foundation, which focuses on and promotes states' rights concepts like nullification, the bill, HB 685 , introduced by Rep. R. Steven Landes earlier this month, "specifies that direct primary care agreements (sometimes called medical retainer agreements) do not constitute insurance, thereby freeing doctors and patients from the onerous requirements and regulations under the state insurance code."The practice is also called concierge medicine The measure passed unanimously out of the House Commerce and Labor Committee, 22-0, making it eligible for debate and a vote on the full chamber floor, the foundation said.As reported by, removing a third-party payer from the doctor-patient relationship enables medical retainer agreements to help both by minimizing costs.The site, which noted that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, just signed such a bill into law, added:"Under medical retainer agreements, patients make monthly payments to a physician who in return agrees to provide a menu of routine services at no extra charge. Because no insurance company stands between patient and doctor, the hassles and expense of bureaucratic red tape are eliminated, which have resulted in dramatic cost reductions. Routine primary care services (and the bureaucracy required to reimburse them) are estimated to consume 40 cents out of every dollar spent on insurance policies, so lower premiums for a given amount of coverage are another potential benefit."In short, the foundation noted, this will represent the medical cost savings that President Obama promised his law would deliver, but hasn't.Under provisions of the Affordable Care Act, regulations spell out what constitutes a primary care service and not simply health insurance plans; current IRS policy treats these monthly fee arrangements like any other health plan [in a sick irony, Obama and Democrats made the IRS the "enforcement" arm of Obamacare].Several states including Idaho, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Texas and Missouri passed similar bills in 2015, the foundation noted.As you have probably heard, the president and his supporters say that opponents of Obamacare have not offered any viable alternative; this law and those like it, however, do just that. Direct primary care cuts through the red tape and middleman insurance companies, thereby lowering a medical practice's overhead, and making office visits and proceduresIn addition, doctors and other primary care providers become much more responsive to the patients they are treating, not some "system" they must deal with."Allowing patients to contract directly with doctors via medical retainer agreements opens the market. Under such agreements, market forces will set price for services based on both demand instead of relying on central planners with a political agenda. The end-result will be better care delivered at a lower cost," the foundation noted in an analysis."A free healthcare marketplace within a state will help spur de facto nullification the federal program by providing an affordable alternative. As patients flock to these arrangements, the old system will begin to crumble."Doctors predicted that Obamacare would lead to a crush of patients flocking to concierge care "The shortage of physicians caused by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in the next five years will drive a massive increase in the popularity of Concierge Medicine in the US," wrote Dike Drummond, M.D., inin 2013."As the typical healthcare organization adapts to the coming tidal wave of newly insured patients it will become very difficult for you to see your doctor when you are ill, impossible to see them for routine care and make the typical experience of getting a checkup feel like being dropped into a 'patient mill,'" he continued
Chilling effect

Opioids - primarily prescription painkillers and heroin - were factors in more than 28,000 deaths across the U.S. in 2014, and opioid overdoses have more than quadrupled since 2000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



Cracking down on 'pill mills'

(NaturalNews) A physician from the Los Angeles area who was convicted earlier of second-degree murder for handing out prescriptions of painkillers that left three patients dead was sentenced in recent days to 30 years to life in prison in a bellwether case that many in the medical community think will have a chilling effect on all doctors around the country.A court sentenced Dr. Hsiu-Ying "Lisa" Tseng, 46, to the long sentence after she said she was sorry to the families of the patients she killed as well as others who became addicted to the drugs she gave them."I suffer every day from the impact and I will do everything I can to take responsibility," she said. "I have learned a very hard lesson on this that will stay with me forever."That said, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge George Lomeli wasn't moved, saying that Tseng gave out prescriptions recklessly even after she had discovered that some of her patients were dying."(She's) a person who seemingly did not care about the lives of her patients in this case but rather appeared more concerned about distributing dangerous controlled substances in an assembly line fashion so as to collect payments which amounted to her amassing several million dollars," Lomeli said, as quoted by The Associated Press.A mother of two children, 8 and 11, she could be more than 70 years old before she would have even a possibility of being released from prison. She had requested a 15-year sentence by the court.Part of the reason for the harsh sentence could be due to a dramatic rise of prescription drug abuse, particularly opioid painkillers , in recent years. As The Associated Press reported:The murder conviction of Tseng has likely sent the message around the country to doctors, the president of the Chicago-based American Academy of Pain Medicine, Dr. Bill McCarberg, told the AP."Prescribers see that and they say to themselves and I say to myself, 'What did she do wrong and could that happen to me?'" McCarberg said.The ruling could also have a negative effect on patients who might legitimately need prescription painkillers as well, McCarberg added (for some natural painkillers, click here )."Providers are very hesitant to give any medication for pain, so they'll give a Motrin or an Advil," he said.Then again, a little more hesitation among physicians probably is not going to be a bad thing, according to Larry Driver, a pain medicine and clinical ethics professor at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and president of the Texas Pain Society."It may be an opportunity to pause and reflect for a moment and think rationally about appropriate care for a patient," Driver told the AP.Both he and McCarberg said they would prefer to see state medical boards do a better job of policing their own rather than see cases elevate to the level of criminal charges.At Tseng's trial, L.A. County Deputy District Attorney John Niedermann told the jury that she had prescribed "crazy, outrageous amounts of medication" to patients who did not need them.In all, a dozen of her patients died, but she was only charged with three murders because there were other factors involved in the other deaths As reported by, the jury had found Tseng guilty of three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of three young California men: Vu Nguyen, 28; Steven Ogle, 24; and Joseph "Joey" Rovero III, 21.The Drug Enforcement Agency said that her conviction was the first of its kind, even though prosecutors in other parts of the country have filed similar charges as they move to crack down on so-called "pill mills."
Garlic through the ages

You can trust Mother Nature

(NaturalNews) Ever since the 1940s, our trust and focus have been solely driven towards penicillin and the use of antibiotics, as these became widely employed by medical practitioners in the treatment of disease. For some reason, natural remedies weren't good enough anymore. They kept us alive for the better part of our history, but now it was time for man-made chemicals to take over. As it turns out, we made an incredible mistake when we pushed natural medicine aside.Here's another reason why! What tastes great, smells awful and should be avoided at all costs before kissing someone? Garlic! For centuries, this plant was employed as a natural antibiotic. Until now, modern medicine has kept its distance from it, but recent studies have found that a compound inherent to garlic, Diallyl disulfide, is actually 100 times more effective against bacteria than antibiotics such as erythromycin and ciprofloxacin. What's more, garlic is 1,000 times more potent at piercing the protective outer layer of bacteria than our artificially developed chemicals Knowledge of natural medicine has been passed down from one generation to another from ancient times. Indeed, the Ancients had health tips, but no blogs to spread them with, so folklore and mythology became the best way to transmit the importance of certain herbal remedies  and one of those was garlic . This plant has its very own role in mankind's history . Even the Babylonians and Romans used it as a remedy . In more recent times, garlic became the go-to cure on the battlefield of the First World War. Not everybody could afford penicillin, so they used garlic instead. Soon enough, the plant's effectiveness and widespread use earned it the title of "Russian Penicillin."Of course, folklore is not always reliable. After all, there's no Loch Ness monster, and vampires don't turn into bats  but it all starts from a grain of truth. Using this assumption, researchers dedicated more time to exploring the medicinal benefits of garlic. Experts from the Washington State University decided to give garlic a fair match-up against bacteria and see how it holds up. As it turns out, the smell doesn't only repel other people, but also diseases Last year, two other papers were published by the same researchers from Washington State, wherein the scientists from the department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology and Analytical Chemistry found that garlic can also kill food-borne pathogens like Escherichia coli or the ones responsible for causing listeriosis. That's right, garlic is also a great natural disinfectant and preservative.So, the good news is that you can use garlic to fight off the accumulation of bacteria in your body, as well as to clean food surfaces or preserve your food. More importantly, the compounds that make garlic what it is can easily be derived without the use or introduction of harmful chemicals. For the organic food industry , this is an incredible step forward, as it will provide manufacturers with new, harmless ways of maintaining the freshness of their products. Studies have also proven that it can help fight off cancer Nevertheless, you shouldn't stop here. Garlic is not the only natural remedy you can use in the fight against disease and illness. From various fruits and veggies, to spices and essential oils , there is a world of green remedies out there ready to provide your body with vital nutrients. Unlike prescription drugs , natural medicine doesn't come with incredibly harmful side-effects. At most, you'll get a stomach ache. So, all things considered, isn't the smell of garlic a small price to pay for great health?
(NaturalNews) Pandora's box is a disturbingly apt metaphor for the GMO industry. In the Greek myth, Pandora was tempted into opening a forbidden box which contained all the evils in the world. Once the box was opened and Pandora realized what she had done, she tried to close it, but it was too late -- all the evil contained in it had escaped and spread around the planet.When scientists first realized that they had the ability to genetically modify living organisms, they -- of course -- were tempted into doing so, despite the warnings and protests from those who foresaw the potentially destructive consequences. Biotech corporations, particularly Monsanto, pushed for the introduction of GM crops, promising benefits to farmers and consumers, but the scheme has backfired on many levels.People are beginning to realize how greedy and shortsighted -- if not downright evil -- Monsanto and other GMO companies truly are, but it's too late. GM crops are being planted and harvested, and even in areas where they have been banned, cross-pollination contamination by GMO-tainted seed has become a serious issue.Many countries have had the courage to outlaw GM crops and imports -- China is one of them. And China's zero-tolerance policy toward GM imports is causing big problems for U.S. alfalfa farmers.In a recent article published by, a Canadian agricultural publication, hay exporter Ed Shaw was quoted as warning Canadian farmers about the "catastrophic" consequences of the blacklisting of U.S. alfalfa exporters by China after Monsanto's Roundup Ready GM alfalfa was detected among shipments from U.S. suppliers.Shaw is concerned that the same thing could happen to Canadian alfalfa farmers, since there are currently Roundup Ready alfalfa test plots being planted in Ontario and Quebec, along with plans to expand testing in other areas of the country.At a recent Canadian forage conference, Shaw said:Shaw is also concerned about GM canola seed, which is already widely planted in Canada, ending up being detected in alfalfa shipments, and said that he is worried that "if we start testing our alfalfa for zero tolerance, I bet we would fail."China recently blacklisted three American alfalfa exporters and quarantined their shipments -- hundreds of container loads -- after finding Roundup Ready alfalfa in them. It is feared that American alfalfa shipments to China may be banned entirely, since the country forbids the importation of GM hay.Thewebsite has also published an article on the subject, in which an unnamed USDA representative was quoted as saying:China is considering setting even stricter limitations on imports by lowering GMO acceptance thresholds from the current 5% limit to 0.2%. American exporters will likely have a difficult task in meeting these standards.Monsanto and other biotech companies have indeed unleashed an evil which has already begun to spread throughout the world. It's time to institute a permanent global ban on all GM crops before we poison our entire food supply and endanger future generations.Plenty of damage has already been done, some of it irreversible perhaps, but that's no reason to continue down a path of scientific madness. GM agriculture has proven itself to be a complete disaster, ecologically and economically -- let's stop the insanity now.
Questioning the vaccine schedule, vaccine portals of entry and ingredients' effects on underdeveloped organs

Vaccine mafia pressures State Farm to remove comedian Rob Schneider from their ad rotation because he questions vaccine safety



(NaturalNews) The current CDC vaccination schedule for children is so dynamic; it almost looks like a training manual to keep parents paying into the medical system on a timely, consistent basis. This vaccination schedule is literally conditioning families to depend on consistent jabs and prescriptions throughout their life while turning to the medical system for every sniffle and headache. For example, the DTaP vaccine is recommended up to four times before a child is even 18 months. The Hepatitis B shot is recommended three times starting at birth to 18 months. Before a kid is one and a half years old, the CDC recommends a child be jabbed 25 times by a combination of 14 different vaccination types. See the schedule for yourself.[Editor's note: The CDC also advises pregnant women to get a Tdap vaccine, despite the fact that the vaccine insert clearly states, "Safety and effectiveness of [Tdap] vaccine have not been established in pregnant women. ... Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with [Tdap] vaccine. It is also not known whether [Tdap] vaccine can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. [Tdap] vaccine should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed."]This vaccination schedule is so immense that some parents are now growing skeptical of its effectiveness or if some of the vaccinations are necessary at all. When one understands that a vaccine travels straight into the bloodstream, bypassing mucous membranes and gastrointestinal filters, they realize that a vaccine's mode of entry alone may pose risks. When the body is exposed to these chemicals and germs without processing them naturally through normal portals of entry into the body, is the immune system even being exercised and strengthened at all? Taking into consideration the various preservatives, adjuvants and foreign particles going straight into the blood, it's important to question if this is the safest way to provide immunity in the first place, especially for children. When one considers how small and underdeveloped a baby really is, then they may wonder whether the ingredients in vaccines have a multiplied effect on the child's smaller organs, especially their brain.In theory, immunization is a great idea, but if the ingredients going into the blood are not safe to begin with, then why should a parent succumb their child to the jabs?It's absolutely okay to question vaccine safety and strive for better medicine practices. Why do we settle for all the side effects in modern medicine, anyway? It's okay to want to get back to natural medicine that doesn't interfere with other bodily processes. Building the body's immune system doesn't begin and end with vaccinations scheduled by the medical system. There are other ways, like breastfeeding and feeding children nutrient-dense foods. Some herbs are naturally antibacterial and antiviral. From experience, elderberries alone are more effective than flu shots.Still, anyone who questions vaccine safety is quickly stereotyped as an anti-vaxxer. Those who look to vaccination as a religion are quick to slander anyone who questions the vaccine schedule and all its set authority. When those in the national spotlight question vaccine safety, they are quickly defamed by a malicious vaccine cult that does everything in its power to squelch free thinking and the idea that other forms of immune system therapy exist.Yes, there is a vaccine mafia that seeks to destroy the careers of all who question vaccine safety. The most recent example occurred when vaccine worshipers attacked comedian Rob Schneider . Schneider vocally questions vaccine safety and has said that "parents should decide what's in the best interests of their child, not Gov't mandates." Schneider was recently featured in a State Farm commercial that was unrelated to vaccination. When the vaccine mafia heard that Schneider was doing an ad for an insurance company, they went into full-on attack mode, criticizing State Farm for showcasing an "anti-vaxxer." State Farm caved to the pressure and took that ad down and replaced the image of Schneider on their social media pages.State Farm spokesman Phil Supple said in a statement, "State Farm advertising is intended to inform and entertain. The copy guy ad was unintentionally used as a platform for discussion unrelated to the products and services we provide. With that, we removed the ad from rotation."
Catastrophic for native tribes

How much will clean-up cost?

(NaturalNews) On January 14, 2016, officials in New Mexico filed their intent to sue the EPA and the owners of two Colorado mines whose mine waste poured into the Animas River  a tributary of the San Juan and Colorado rivers. The officials also claim the EPA is working with Colorado "to support its own woefully inadequate monitoring plan, which fails to address critical environmental and public health issues, and only serves to limit liability."EPA workers accidentally caused a blowout at the Gold King Mine on August 5, 2015, and 3 million gallons of wastewater flowed into the Animas River, and then into the San Juan River, leaving poisoned, contaminated water in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona, as well as land used by two American Indian tribes, the Navajo and the Ute."From the very beginning, the EPA failed to hold itself accountable in the same way that it would a private business," Ryan Flynn, New Mexico Environment Department's cabinet secretary, said in a statement. "The EPA caused an unprecedented disaster that may affect our state for years to come; they must take responsibility.""Because EPA headquarters continues to shirk their duties for meaningful support and collaboration, we have no choice but to turn to the justice system to hold EPA accountable to New Mexicans," said Flynn.Officials in Colorado also called out the EPA for allegedly lying about Colorado's role in opening the Gold King Mine. The state's top mine regulator wrote that the EPA's "conclusions into the events surrounding the discharge were not consistent with our staff's involvement and we felt it important to make sure the investigators were aware of our perspective."Native tribes are also upset with the EPA for mishandling spill liability waivers and receiving tainted water shipments.On September 17, 2015, in testimony before a US House of Representative's Joint Oversight Hearing on "EPA's Animas Spill," the President of the Navajo Nation, Russell Begaye, stated: "While USEPA was slow in notifying the Nation of the initial spill and its associated risks, it was quick in dispatching staff to Navajo communities to hand out Standard Form 95 and encouraging members of the Navajo Nation to fill out forms to expedite settlement of their claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act and apparently to obtain releases from members of the Navajo Nation. But this was only after I announced that the Navajo Nation would be suing the USEPA and other liable parties for the spill," he said."The Navajo Nation Attorney General reviewed the form and identified plain and clear language on the form asserting that individuals submitting the forms would be filing the forms in pursuit of 'FULL SATISFACTION AND FINAL \SETTLEMENT' of their claims for damages and injuries that yet remain unknown," Begaye reported.The San Juan River is a major water source for the Navajo Nation. "The San Juan River flows through 215 miles of some of the richest farmland in the Nation's territory, and provides much of the Nation's northern border," Begaye said."Yet the recent spill threatens to recur, either from unsettling of contaminated sediment in our River waters, or from ongoing contaminated releases from upstream mines," he said. "USEPA stated early on that we will be dealing with the effects of USEPA's Gold King Mine chemical spill "for decades,"The President of the American Action Forum, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, testified at the hearing and told the Committee: "Although there is no direct precedent for the toxic Animas River spill in Colorado, past EPA estimates indicate that the spill could cost between $338 million and $27.7 billion."To protect America from more toxic pollution caused by the EPA, Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, has announced a nationwide effort to test America's public water supplies for lead contamination. Citizens can contribute water samples to his project at EPAwatch.org.
Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) on Feb. 19 introduced draft legislation intended to preempt states from mandating labels on genetically engineered (GE) foods. A similar billthe Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (HR 1599)was passed last July by the House and would take away states rights to label and regulate GMO crops. The Senate Agriculture Committee is scheduled to mark-up the proposal Feb. 25.

Critics have dubbed the House bill the DARK (Deny Americans the Right to Know) Act because it would deprive consumers of the right to know whether genetically modified organisms are contained in their food. Advocates of mandatory labeling point out that 64 countries require labels on GE foods.

The Senate bill would amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a national voluntary labeling standard for bioengineered foods, and for other purposes. Whats more, if passed the bill also would preempt Vermonts law that requires labels on GE foods by July 2016 and bans use of the word natural" and similar words that promote GE foods. Although Connecticut and Maine have passed GE labeling laws, they dont take effect unless neighboring states adopt comparable measures.

In November 2015, FDA issued final guidance on voluntarily labeling for foods derive from genetically engineered (GE) plants. The agency encouraged industry to avoid statements such as GMO free," GE free" and non-GMO," which are widely used on product packaging. Instead, FDA offered appropriate examples including, Not bioengineered," Not genetically engineered" and We do not use ingredients that were produced using modern biotechnology." Other examples include Not genetically modified through the use of modern biotechnology," This oil is made from soybeans that were not genetically engineered," and Our corn growers do not plant bioengineered seeds."

FDA does not require labels on foods derived from GE plants. Regulators can only do so under federal law if a material difference" exists between the GE product and its traditional counterpart, the agency said. While FDA guidance doesnt carry the force of law, it provides direction food marketers.

The Grocery Manufacturers Associations (GMA) President and CEO Pamela G. Bailey issued a statement on the Senate bill saying in part: This common-sense solution will provide consumers with more information about ingredients in their food and beverage products and prevent a patchwork of confusing and costly state labeling mandates. We urge senators to stand up for working families, farmers and food producers and give this proposal the bipartisan support that it deserves.

With Vermonts mandatory labeling going into effect in July and other states considering their own laws, Congress must pass a national food labeling solution that offers farmers, families and food producers the certainty and access to the affordable and sustainable food supply they deserve. Time is running out, and consumers will ultimately pay the price of delay and inaction, as multiple studies have found that state mandatory GMO labeling laws will increase a familys annual grocery bills by hundreds of dollars."

However, the Senate bill has been meet with swift condemnation. Gary Hirshberg, chairman of Just Label It and Stonyfield Farm, issued the following statement: Just Label It strongly supports mandatory GMO labeling and urges the Senate to reject the DARK Act. Allowing food companies to make voluntary disclosures will simply perpetuate the status quo that has left consumers in the dark. Nine out of ten consumersregardless of age, income or even party affiliationwant the right to know whether their food contains GMOs, and food leaders like Campbells have shown that mandatory GMO labeling will not increase food prices. As the Senate considers the DARK Act, we reiterate our support for a mandatory, national GMO labeling system that gives American consumers the same rights as consumers in 64 nations."

For more information, listen to Healthy INSIDER Podcast 1: FDA Recommends Against Using Non GMO Labeling" where Sandy Almendarez, editor in chief, INSIDER, and Heather Granato, vice president of content, Global Health and Nutrition Network, Informa Exhibitions, discuss the popularity of products labeled non GMO; legislation around the world regarding labeling of GMO products; and FDAs take on the safety of products made with GMOs.
Study area

Vegetation in the Gulf Islands falls within the Coastal Douglas Fir (Psuedostuga menziesii) biogeoclimatic zone, and the region experiences a mild Mediterranean climate36. This work was conducted on four Gulf Islands. Coal Island (140 ha; 48 41 03 N, 123 22 32 W) is a single-owner private island consisting of 78% forest. Portland Island (225 ha; 48 43 33 N, 123 22 20 W) and Wallace Island (87 ha; 48 56 34 N, 123 33 04 W) are both fully forested parkland, being entirely within the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (Portland), or mostly BC Provincial Park (Wallace, 83% of land area). Penelakut Island (954 ha; 48 57 30 N, 123 38 34 W) is the traditional territory of the Penelakut First Nation and home to 350 people, all residing in a small village on the north end of the island. The majority of Penelakut Island (86%) is forested. Domestic dogs were present on all Gulf Islands on which this study was conducted, either as the pets of permanent residents (Coal and Penelakut Islands) or accompanying park visitors (Portland and Wallace Islands), though study sites were chosen well away from areas of high human and dog use to minimize interference.

Motivation and objectives

We experimentally manipulated the fear of large carnivores over 2 years and at multiple sites in the Gulf Islands, achieving both temporal and spatial replication of our results. In 2013, we tested the immediate reaction of raccoons to 10 s playbacks of large carnivore vocalizations on Coal, Portland and Wallace Islands. We then used month-long playbacks of large carnivore vocalizations to test for long-term behavioural responses by raccoons and cascading effects on marine biota, on Coal Island in 2013 and on Penelakut Island in 2014. The objectives in these 2 years were similar but complementary. In 2013, we focused on testing whether the fear of large carnivores was sufficient to mitigate the impacts of raccoons on intertidal and shallow subtidal prey. In 2014, we sought (1) to replicate the results from the Coal Island experiment concerning raccoon prey abundance, while expanding the focus of the study, (2) to test whether the effects of fear on raccoon behaviour observed in 10 s playback experiments persisted throughout our month-long treatments and (3) to test for further cascading effects of fear among intertidal and shallow subtidal species not directly eaten by raccoons. All work was conducted in compliance with the guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care, and was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committees of the University of Victoria and the University of Western Ontario.

Preparing the playbacks

We manipulated the fear of large carnivores using playbacks of domestic dog (large carnivore predator) and local pinniped (harbour seal and Steller sea lion; non-predator) vocalizations. Pinniped vocalizations provide an excellent control for dogs; the two call types are qualitatively similar, and Gulf Islands raccoons are certain to be as familiar with pinniped as with dog vocalizations. Most importantly, pinnipeds represent no threat to raccoons, and analyses of red rock crab abundance data verified that there was no difference between pinniped playbacks and silence with respect to raccoon impacts on marine prey (Supplementary Discussion). Sound files were acquired from online audio and video databases, and library archives. In testing the immediate reaction of raccoons to large carnivore vocalizations, we used multiple 10 s exemplars of predator and non-predator vocalizations (10 dog and 5 pinniped), and matched the temporal properties (duration, attack and number of staccato elements) of these two groups of playbacks by visually inspecting the spectrograms and waveforms of all exemplars37. We ensured that there were no differences in overall frequency characteristics between the two groups using t-tests to compare each of four frequency characteristics (peak: t 1,13 =0.36, P=0.735; minimum: t 1,13 =1.46, P=0.180; maximum: t 1,13 =0.63, P=0.551; range: t 1,13 =0.62, P=0.556; n=10 (predator) and 5 (non-predator) for all tests). We broadcast 10 s calls at a mean (s.d.) volume of 78.0 (2.1) dB at 1 m, with no difference in volume between predator and non-predator treatments (t 1,13 =1.3, P=0.234; n=10 and 5). All playbacks were broadcast using identical speakers (Nexxtech Mini Cube 2.0) and mp3 players (Coby Electronics MP301).

To test the long-term response of both raccoons and the nearshore marine community to the fear of large carnivores, we again used playbacks of dog (predator) and pinniped (non-predator) vocalizations. We composed playlists using multiple exemplars of both call types (n=11 predator and 9 non-predator exemplars) ranging in duration from 8 to 79 s, with no difference in duration between the two treatments (predator (means.d.): 34.120.6 s; non-predator: 26.818.3 s; t 1,18 =0.84, P=0.412). These two sets of playbacks were again matched for temporal properties using visual inspection of spectrograms and waveforms, and we used t-tests to confirm that there were no differences in overall frequency characteristics between predator and non-predator playlists (peak frequency: t 1,18 =0.03, P=0.973; minimum: t 1,18 =1.44, P=0.180; maximum: t 1,18 =0.76, P=0.459; range: t 1,18 =0.86, P=0.400; n=11 (predator) and 9 (non-predator) for all tests). All calls were broadcast at a mean (s.d.) volume of 86.1 (2.9) dB at 1 m, with no difference in volume between predator and non-predator treatments (t 1,18 =0.13, P=0.895; n=11 and 9). All playbacks were broadcast using identical speakers (Nexxtech Mini Cube 2.0) and mp3 players (The Source HeadRush 2GB mp3 player).

Raccoon immediate reaction to large carnivore vocalizations

All 10 s playback trials were conducted by two researchers (J.P.S. and D.R.) between 15 May and 16 September 2013. We located diurnally active raccoons foraging in the intertidal and broadcast a randomly selected predator or non-predator playback from a concealed location. The raccoons behaviour was video recorded immediately before and immediately following the 10 s playback using a handheld digital video camera with a  70 optical zoom (Sony DCR-SX45 Handycam). Immediately following each trial, the distance between the speaker and the focal animals location at the time of the playback was measured using a rangefinder (Bushnell Sport 450). Calls were broadcast at an average (s.d.) distance of 35 (16) m, and the distance between the speaker and the focal animal did not differ between predator and non-predator treatments (one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA); F 1,70 =0.96, P=0.33; n=45 (predator) and 27 (non-predator)). Habitat variables that could potentially impact the raccoons ability to hear the playbackincluding wind speed, rainfall and wave actionwere measured for each trial, and showed no difference between treatments (Wilcoxon rank-sum test; 0.18>P>0.87 for all variables; n=45 and 27 for all tests). As the reaction of conspecifics to our playback treatments could conceivably have influenced the focal animals behaviour, we also quantified the number of conspecifics within 50 m of the focal animal at the time of the playback. In general, raccoons were >50 m from any conspecific during playback trials (median (range) conspecifics within 50 m=0 (0, 5)), and there was no difference in the number of conspecifics present between the two treatments (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, W=687, P=0.27, n=45 and 27). To minimize the likelihood of repeated sampling of raccoons, playback locations on a given island were separated by a median linear distance of 266 m, comparable to the spacing of sampling points (273 m) commonly utilized in raccoon live-trapping studies38. The minimum distance between trials of the same treatment did not differ between predator and non-predator treatments (ANOVA; P=0.17; n=45 (predator) and 27 (non-predator)). Each playback type was only played once at a given location.

A single researcher (D.R.), who was blind to the playback treatment, scored all video recordings of 10 s playback trials, and estimated three behavioural measures. First, we scored whether or not the focal raccoon fled the intertidal (that is, moved from the exposed shoreline into the surrounding forest) within the 3 min immediately following the playback. For those individuals that did not flee, we calculated the amount of time (s) devoted to foraging and to vigilance (see Supplementary Fig. 2 for behaviour scoring methodology) in the 60 s immediately before and immediately following the playback. Gulf Islands raccoons spent <1 s of every minute vigilant in the 60 s before the playback (0.90.3 s (means.e.m.), range=014), and instead spent the great majority of their time foraging. We calculated the change in foraging as the time spent foraging following the playback minus time spent foraging before the playback. An identical calculation was made for the change in vigilance. We report that raccoons significantly decreased foraging in response to the predator playback, relative to the non-predator playback. We found a correspondingly strong increase in vigilance in the 60 s following the predator playback (vigilance increased by 27.11.7 (s.e.m.) s, relative to pre-playback, n=22 raccoons), as compared with the non-predator playback (vigilance increased by 9.71.7 s, n=17; Supplementary Table 2).

Raccoon long-term response to the fear of large carnivores

The month-long playback manipulations were conducted on Coal Island in 2013 (10 May to 13 July) and Penelakut Island in 2014 (28 June to 25 August). On each island, we chose two shoreline sites separated by sufficient distance (1.2 km on Coal and 2.7 km on Penelakut) that sounds were not detectable between sites. We used a repeated measures design, presenting both predator and non-predator treatments at all sites and alternating the order of treatment presentation between sites on each island, allowing us to control for the effects of site and seasonality on raccoon behaviour and intertidal community data. On a given island, each site received either the predator or non-predator treatment for 28 days (treatment period 1), followed by the opposite treatment for a subsequent 28 days (treatment period 2), with <1 week separating the two treatment periods. Starting treatment (predator or non-predator) was randomly assigned. Throughout each treatment period, we monitored raccoon behaviour (Penelakut), the abundance of intertidal prey (Coal) and subtidal prey (Coal and Penelakut), and the survival and abundance of marine species not directly eaten by raccoons (Penelakut).

At all sites, five identical sets of speakers and mp3 players housed in weatherproof boxes were deployed at regular intervals along sections of shoreline, attached to trees just above the high water line. Speakers played multiple exemplars of large carnivore predator (dog) or non-predator control (pinniped) vocalizations at regular intervals throughout each 28-day treatment period. On Coal Island in 2013, the speaker systems were deployed at 25-m intervals across 100 m of shoreline, and broadcast either predator or non-predator playbacks 24 h per day (raccoons on Coal were active both day and night; J.P.S., pers. obs.). Each speaker played a randomized playlist of calls interspersed by periods of silence, broadcasting calls 40% of the time and remaining silent for 60% of the time. To reduce the likelihood of raccoon habituation to the playbacks, speakers were intermittently turned off completely for 14 days at a time during each 28-day treatment period21 such that speakers were active for a total of 19 days during treatment period 1 and 18 days during treatment period 2.

On Penelakut Island in 2014, the five speaker systems were deployed at 50-m intervals across 200 m of shoreline and broadcast calls only at night (1900 to 0900 hours), as this is the period when raccoons on Penelakut are most active (J.P.S., personal observation). Speakers remained on for the full 28 days of each treatment period and played randomized playlists of either dog or pinniped calls 20% of the time, remaining silent for 80% of the time. In addition, two motion-sensitive speaker systems were deployed at each site, one at each end of the 200-m treatment area. These custom-built speaker systems used identical components to those described above, but were modified to incorporate a motion sensor, which activated a 10 s playback (using the same sets of calls described above) when triggered by a raccoon passing within 5 m of the sensor. These speaker systems were always active, but remained silent unless triggered. There is no evidence that the minor methodological differences in fear manipulation between the 2 years of the experiment had any effect on our results. Indeed, the effect size on subtidal red rock crab abundance was identical in both years (Supplementary Discussion).

We measured the long-term effects of the fear of large carnivores on several aspects of raccoon foraging on Penelakut Island in 2014, using a network of cameras deployed at each treatment site. Two colour/infrared video surveillance cameras (Speco Technologies HT7915DNV Bullet Cameras), recording to custom-built digital video recording systems21, were deployed within each treatment site and spaced 100 m apart. We estimated the duration of time raccoons spent in the intertidal for all independent raccoon occurrences on camera as the time (s) from an individual raccoon first entering a cameras field of view to when it exited the field of view. Two time-lapse cameras (Moultrie Game Spy M-990i trail cameras set to time-lapse mode) spaced 100 m apart were deployed within each treatment site and programmed to record one photograph every 30 s. For each time-lapse image in which a raccoons entire body was visible, we scored the raccoons behaviour as either foraging or vigilant (Supplementary Fig. 2). For each individual raccoon, we determined the total number of photos in which it appeared, and calculated the proportion of those photos scored as foraging. A single individual (J.P.S.) scored all images of raccoons taken from time-lapse cameras. To determine whether these scores were repeatable, five independent observers, blind to the fear manipulation treatment, re-scored a total of 184 time-lapse photos (21% of all photos). Agreement between the original scores (used in the analyses presented here) and those made by the five observers was 80%.

For both camera types (video and time lapse), we only used data from raccoons recorded between 1900 and 0900 hours, when playback systems on Penelakut Island were active. Unless multiple raccoons occurring on a single camera could be classified with certainty as unique individuals, raccoon occurrences on camera were only treated as independent if they were separated by >30 min (refs 39, 40). All raccoon behaviour variables were calculated per camera per night of the treatment period40,41; camera night is therefore the unit of replication in all behavioural analyses (see below). Camera placement remained constant throughout the duration of the experiment, and we therefore analysed all behavioural data using mixed effects models with Camera ID included as a random effect to account for variation due to camera placement.

Measuring cascading effects of fear

In 2013, we used standard quadrat sampling methods to test whether our month-long playback manipulations affected the abundance of raccoon intertidal prey. On the basis of previous work22 and direct observations of raccoon foraging, our a priori prediction was that our fear manipulations would affect the abundances of small (<5 cm carapace width) intertidal crabs (shore crabs (Hemigrapsus oregonensis, H. nudus), black-clawed crabs (Lophopanopeus bellus), porcelain crabs (Petrolisthes spp.) and juvenile northern kelp crabs (Pugettia producta)), intertidal fish (pricklebacks (family Stichaeidae) and northern clingfish (Gobiesox maeandricus)), and polychaete worms (families Terebellidae, Orbiniidae, Nereidae and Glyceridae). Following methods described in Suraci et al.22, we quantified species abundance in ten 0.25  0.25-m quadrats at each treatment site on Coal Island at the end of each 28-day treatment period.

To test whether our playback manipulations affected red rock crab abundance, we trapped crabs across 200-m sections of shoreline centred at each treatment site by setting five collapsible mesh crab traps per site just below the low intertidal zone, spaced 50 m apart and left in place for 24 h (ref. 22). On Coal Island in 2013, crab traps were set at the end of each month-long treatment period. Sampling effort was intensified on Penelakut Island in 2014 such that crab trapping was conducted once before the application of any playback treatments (on 11 June 2014) to establish a pretreatment baseline crab abundance, and then at the end of each week during both month-long treatment periods (that is, four times per treatment period). In both years, trap locations remained constant across all trapping sessions at a given site.

The effects of the fear of large carniovres may extend beyond those species directly subject to raccoon predation to affect the competitors and prey of the raccoons prey. Red rock crabs are major intertidal predators, and may compete for resources with other intertidal predators of similar body size, including staghorn sculpins, which are not subject to raccoon predation (Supplementary Discussion). We tested whether our fear manipulation treatments affected staghorn sculpin abundance by setting conical fish traps (minnow traps) across both treatment sites on Penelakut Island in 2014. Five traps, spaced 50 m apart and baited with 100 g of frozen herring, were set in the mid intertidal zone at each site and left in place for 24 h. Traps were deployed three times per 28-day treatment period, once immediately before the start of each treatment period and again at the mid-point and end of each treatment period. The same trap locations were used for all fish trap deployments at both sites.

Red rock crabs are known to affect the abundance of several species of gastropod prey, including periwinkle snails (Supplementary Discussion). We hypothesized that, during predator treatments, reduced raccoon predation on red rock crabs would result in increased red rock crab predation on periwinkle snails relative to non-predator treatments. To test this, we performed four replicate short-term snail mark-recapture experiments nested within our fear manipulation experiment on Penelakut Island in 2014, comparing the proportion of marked snails killed by red rock crabs during predator and non-predator treatments. Periwinkle snails were collected from high intertidal beds of Fucus algae at each site and transported back to the laboratory where they were marked with a small dab of acrylic paint on the apex of the shell, and held overnight in seawater tanks. Following Rochette and Dill42, snails were released the next day at each of four release points (spaced 30 to 50 m apart) within the 200-m treatment area at each site. All release points were located at the same tide level (1.0 m above mean lower low water) on areas of flat rock away from large boulders or crevices42. Twenty snails were released within a 5-cm radius of each release point during afternoon rising tides when release points were submerged under at least 1.5 m of water. The following morning at low tide, immediately following exposure of the release points, two researchers searched a 4-m radius around each point, recovering marked live snails and the marked apices of crushed snail shells. Red rock crab predation on snails produces a characteristic shell crushing pattern26, allowing one to reliably diagnose snail mortality due to red rock crab predation, and counting only shell apices rather than all crushed shell fragments ensures that each crushed snail is only counted once42. We estimated the proportion of marked snails surviving red rock crab predation over one tide cycle as the number of live snails recovered divided by the total number of live snails and crushed apices recovered at each release point (the fate of snails not recovered could not be reliably ascribed to red rock crab predation). To minimize potential bias due to low recovery rates, we only used data from trials for which at least 50% of the 20 released snails were recovered, alive or dead (n=18 trials). For these trials, the average recovery rate was 71% (range=5095%), and did not differ between predator and non-predator treatments (t 1,16 =0.04, P=0.97). This snail mark-recapture study was replicated four times on Penelakut Island in 2014, at the mid-point and end of each month-long treatment period, using the same four release points at each site throughout both treatment periods.

Statistical analyses

All model assumptions were checked using statistical tests for normality and homogeneity of variance, and the fit of all models was visually inspected using residual versus fitted value plots and quantilequantile plots43. Where appropriate, means and s.e.s were calculated on normalized data, and back-transformed to the original scale of the data for presentation in figures. All (Generalized) Linear Mixed Effects Models (LMM) were fit using the lme4 package in R44.

We used a log-linear analysis to test whether playback treatment affected the proportion of trials in which the focal raccoon fled the intertidal following 10 s playbacks, using a model that included terms for treatment, island and a treatment  island interaction. Data on both the change in foraging and the change in vigilance exhibited by raccoons that did not flee the intertidal following 10 s playbacks were BoxCox transformed and analysed using separate two-way ANOVA models including the main effects of treatment and island, and a treatment  island interaction (Supplementary Table 2).

We estimated the duration of time spent in the intertidal during month-long playback treatments for all independent raccoon occurrences on video surveillance cameras, and then used the median duration per camera night in our analysis. Median duration data were natural log-transformed and analysed using a LMM (Supplementary Table 3). We estimated the proportion of time that raccoons spent foraging when present in the intertidal from time-lapse camera data, as described above, and then calculated the average of these proportion foraging values for all individuals on a given camera night, weighted by the total number of photos of each individual. Raccoon occurrences on camera that produced fewer photos were thereby devalued relative to occurrences with many photos and thus more information. Nightly weighted mean proportions of time spent foraging were then analysed using LMM (Supplementary Table 3). The significance of model terms was tested using Likelihood Ratio Tests43. In both behavioural analyses, we tested for main effects of treatment and study site as well as a treatment  site interaction. We also tested for a main effect of time since the start of the treatment period (night, measured in days: 128) and an interaction between treatment and night. This allowed us to determine whether raccoon behavioural responses to the treatments changed over the course of the treatment period (for example, due to habituation) and whether any such changes differed between predator and non-predator treatments. Finally, we tested for a three-way treatment  site  night interaction. We found no evidence for raccoon habituation to predator playbacks across the month-long treatment periods in either behavioural measure; the effect of night and the treatment  night interaction were nonsignificant in both analyses (Supplementary Table 3).

Quadrat data on the abundances of intertidal prey were analysed using Generalized Linear Models with a Poisson distribution. All models were checked for overdispersion43, and those showing evidence of overdispersion (intertidal crabs and polychaete worms) were refit using the Quasi-Poisson distribution. Treatment, site and their interaction were included as fixed effects in all Generalized Linear Models (Supplementary Table 4). Following Zuur et al.43, the significance of all main effects and interactions was tested using Likelihood Ratio Tests for models fit with the Poisson distribution (intertidal fish (Fig. 3b)), and F-tests for models fit with the Quasi-Poisson distribution (intertidal crabs (Fig. 3a) and polychaete worms (Fig. 3c)).

We analysed the effect of the fear manipulation treatments on shallow subtidal red rock crab abundance across the 2 years of the experiment, using as our response variable the number of red rock crabs caught per trap at the end of treatment periods 1 and 2 in both 2013 and 2014. These data were analysed using a Generalized Linear Mixed Effects Model (GLMM) with a Poisson distribution and checked for overdispersion (ratio of null to residual deviance=1.17). We tested for main effects of treatment and year, and their interaction. Within a given year, sites and trap locations remained constant across treatment periods, so site and trap location were included in the analysis as nested random effects (trap location nested within site). The significance of main effects and interactions in the GLMM was tested using type II Walds 2-test45 (Supplementary Table 5).

We calculated the change in staghorn sculpin abundance across each treatment period by subtracting the number of sculpins caught in each trap at the mid-point and end of each treatment period from the number caught in the same trap immediately before that treatment period. These data were analysed using LMM, including trap location (constant across sampling events) as a random effect. We tested for the main effects of treatment and site, and a treatment  site interaction (Supplementary Table 6).

The effect of our playback treatments on the proportion of marked periwinkle snails escaping crab predation was determined by scoring all surviving snails as 1 and all crushed snails as 0 in each trial of the mark-recapture experiment, and analysing these data using GLMM with a binomial error distribution. There was no evidence for overdispersion in these data (ratio of null to residual deviance=1.10). Snail release point (constant across all trials at a given site) was included as a random effect. We again tested for the main effects of treatment and site, and a treatment  site interaction (Supplementary Table 6).
A three-alarm fire burned down a Cambodian Buddhist temple in Oakland early Tuesday morning on the eve of a religious celebration that demands the lighting of scores of candles.

The fire spread from the temple at 5212 E. 10th Street reported after 2 a.m. to five cars, three sheds and another home behind the temple, according to Fire Battalion chief Lisa Baker. The nearly 40-foot flames took 80 minutes to contain, she said.

Anywhere from 100 to 1,000 candles were lit for the ceremony, which falls at the same time of the "Butter Lamp Festival," celebrated at Tibetan monasteries. The ritual demands that lamps are lit with either yak butter or clarified ghee and lit to represent the illumination of wisdom.

The holiday is known as Makha Bucha  also called Maja Puja or Meak Bochea  celebrated on the full moon to honor the nine months after Buddha's enlightenment.

A visibly shaken monk told NBC Bay Area that the members were participating in some sort of celebration on Monday night and a candle possibly started the blaze, which was not officially confirmed by the fire department.

"Hot, hot, hot," Monk Vantha Som said in broken English. "That's why I get up."

Neighbor Korum Orum said simply: "I feel sad."

People began leaving memories of the temple on the group's Facebook page, including Dany Kheav, who wrote that her parents and aunts and uncles "worked to hard to build this place into a beautiful place. Gone. It's all gone."

While most of the temple is a loss, a Buddha statue brought from Cambodia to Oakland escaped unscathed.

Three people were taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, Baker said. One neighbor's hair was singed, but no other injuries were reported.

The Oakland Cambodian Buddhist Society was founded by refugees in 1983, and whose members scraped together $40,000 as a down payment on the building, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The temple had also been the site of political infighting. In 2010, a judge decided after 10 years of restraining orders and allegations of stealing that the the Oakland Cambodian Buddhist Society had a right to ownership, despite being taken over in 2005 by the Massachusetts-based International Community of Khmer Buddhist Monks Center, the Oakland Tribune reported.

NBC Bay Area's Jodi Hernandez contributed to this report.
The sister of a Muslim-American man killed last year in a possible hate crime has called out Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump for telling what's been called an offensive story about killing insurgents using bullets dipped in pigs' blood over a century ago.

Trump sparked outrage In a speech on Friday in South Carolina by repeating an unsubstantiated story about the execution of dozens of Muslim prisoners in the Philippines in the early 1900s, as supposedly ordered by U.S. General John Pershing.

While Trump didn't call for other Muslims to be killed that way, he did tell the story enthusiastically, and concluded that "we better start using our heads or we're not gonna have a country, folks."

Suzanne Barakat's response made waves on social media. The San Francisco doctor is the sister of Deah Barakat, who was killed last year in Chapel Hill alongside his wife and sister-in-law. In a tweet on Saturday, she asked Trump to meet with her and "tell me my brother, Yusor & Razan were deserving of the bullets."

.@realDonaldTrump Meet me in person and tell me my brother, Yusor & Razan were deserving of the bullets. #SCPrimary #OurThreeWinners  Suzanne Barakat (@sbarakat210) February 20, 2016

Deah Barakat, 23; Yusor Mohammad, 21; and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19 were gunned down on Feb. 10, 2015, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Craig Hicks is being tried for murder in the shooting, and the FBI is looking into whether to bring hate crime charges.

Barakat didn't respond to requests for comment from NBC Owned Television Stations, but she did discuss her tweet with The New York Times in a story published Monday.

Trump's comment allows for the Average Joe to see Muslims the way Craig Hicks saw my brother and his wife of six weeks and her sister, she told the newspaper, saying Hicks saw Muslims as "subhuman.

There's no evidence backing up Trump's story, according to Snopes.com, but Trump claimed "this is something you can read in the history books," he said at the rally. "Not a lot of history books, because they don't like teaching it."

Barakat wasn't the only person outraged by Trump's rendition of the discredited story. Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the coments incite violence.

"By directly stating that the only way to stop terrorism is to murder Muslims in graphic and religiously-offensive ways, he places the millions of innocent, law-abiding citizens in the American Muslim community at risk from rogue vigilantes," he said in a statement released Saturday.

This isn't the first time Trump has offended Muslims. The billionaire has called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country and claimed that thousands of the religion's followers in New Jersey cheered the attacks on Sept. 11, 2011, despite there being no evidence to support that.

But the outcry hasn't slowed his progress politically, most recently winning the South Carolina primary a day after telling the pigs' blood story. It's something Barakat seemed to make note of by tagging her tweet, which has been retweeted more than 2,000 times, with "#SCPrimary."
A person of interest is in custody after Hayward police found the body of a young San Jose mother, who was last seen leaving a party Feb. 14, riddled with gunshot wounds.

Police say Stacey Xanthe Aguilar's body was found at 12 p.m. Saturday in a rural part of Fremont. They believe the 22-year-old was shot several times in Hayward and her lifeless body was dumped off Morrison Canyon Road.

Aguilar's boyfriend was taken into custody Feb. 16 on a domestic violence charge related to the victim, police said at a press conference Monday.

"He was one of the persons questioned," Hayward Police Chief Diane Urban said. She would not specify, however, whether he is behind bars in connection with Aguilar's death.

Marianne Favro

The person of interest has been detained on an unrelated charge, police said.

Although confident that they have the right suspect, police do not plan to release identifying information until the Alameda County District Attorney's Office has officially levied charges.

"The people of this community should sleep at night knowing that there is no longer a murderer out there, that this is the right person," Urban said.

Aguilar's official cause of death remains under investigation and the Alameda County Coroner's Bureau is performing an autopsy.

The victim's mother said Monday that she believed her daughter was in an abusive relationship, and had begged her to return to Mexico.

Speaking by phone, Marisol Aguilar did not name the boyfriend but told NBC sister station Telemundo in Spanish: "I didn't know. I didn't know anything. I didn't know he beat her. No one told me. No one told me anything."

Hayward police said Sunday that they have found the body of a San Jose woman who went missing last weekend, whose parents say she was in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. Marisol Aguilar did not name the boyfriend by name but told NBC sister station Telemundo in Spanish: I didnt know. I didnt know anything. I didnt know he...

Stacey Aguilar's 7-year-old son lives with his grandmother who was deported to Mexico.

"I want all of this to end," a distraught Marisol Aguilar said. "I want my daughter's ashes to be brought to me."

The victim's mother is now trying to obtain a humanitarian visa to the United States so she can return to Mexico with her child's body.

Aguilar, who worked as a waitress in the San Jose area, was last seen at a party in Hayward around 1 a.m. Feb. 14, police said. Her family reported her missing the next day.

A resident of the East Bay house where last weekend's party was held told NBC Bay Area that Aguilar attended the gathering. The woman did not want to be identified, and said she did not know the victim personally, but knew her boyfriend who brought her to the party.

The woman also said the pair left together.
Rallies were planned at Apple stores from Albuquerque to Munich on Tuesday to support CEO Tim Cook's refusal to help the FBI access the cellphone of a gunman who, along with his wife, killed 14 people in San Bernardino.

Four of those 30 rallies were planned in the San Francisco Bay Area, the heart of Silicon Valley and the stores closest to Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. The rallies will take place at 5:30 p.m. local time in Corte Madera, Santa Rosa, San Francisco and Palo Alto, the store that Cook frequents the most.

Rallies will also be held in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Connecticut, Houston, San Diego and Los Angeles County, among other locations.

"We're angry that the FBI is trying to make all of us less safe by undermining Apple's security," the group's organizers wrote on the "Don't Break Our Phones" website.

Organizers say their goal is to show lawmakers why decrypting Syed Rizwan Farook's phone would be "dangerous." They encourage protesters to bring signs that read: "FBI: Don't Break Our iPhones!" and "Secure Phones Save Lives."

A majority of Americans, however  including Bill Gates  side with the Justice Department in the agency's desire to unlock the iPhone of the Dec. 2 gunman, according to a Pew Research Center study released Monday. A total of 51 percent of those surveyed said Apple should unlock the iPhone, while 38 said the company should not.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym, based in Riverside, ordered Apple last week to help the FBI access the password-protected phone, but Apple has resisted, saying such a move could compromise the security of all iPhone owners' information.

Cook reiterated that position in a company email Monday.

"This case is about much more than a single phone or a single investigation, so when we received the government's order we knew we had to speak out," Cook wrote. "At stake is the data security of hundreds of millions of law-abiding people, and setting a dangerous precedent that threatens everyone's civil liberties."

The U.S. attorney's office filed court papers in Riverside on Friday seeking an order compelling Apple to comply with Pym's mandate. Federal authorities argue in the court papers that Apple has the technical ability to access Farook's phone data.

According to the court papers filed Friday, federal authorities suspect that Farook, 28, may have used the iPhone, which was issued to him by his employer  San Bernardino County  to communicate with some of the people he and his wife, 27-year-old Tashfeen Malik, killed.

"The phone may contain critical communications and data prior to and around the time of the shooting that, thus far has not been accessed, may reside solely on the phone and cannot be accessed by any other means known to either the government or Apple."

Prosecutors also insist that their request will not compromise the data of other iPhone users.

"The order requires Apple to assist the FBI with respect to this single iPhone used by Farook by providing the FBI with the opportunity to determine the passcode," they said in court paperwork.

See the full list of rallies planned.

City News Service and NBC Los Angeles' Toni Guinyard contributed to this report.
The Environmental Protection Agency's mission is to protect human health and the environment, but nearly 100 of its own employees based in the Bay Area believe they're getting sick just by going to work. Employees say the indoor air quality is so bad at the EPA Region 9 Headquarters in San Francisco, they're unable to do their jobs.

The irony is not lost on Taly Jolish, a staff attorney for the EPA and vice president of ASGE Local 1236, one of Region 9's three unions. "It just seems crazy to us that someone would be risking their health by coming into the office to work on cleaning up the environment elsewhere," Jolish said.

Testing conducted by Berkeley Analytical, an environmental testing lab hired by the EPA, showed elevated levels of two potentially dangerous chemicals, formaldehyde and caprolactam. The EPA classifies formaldehyde as a "probable human carcinogen" and some studies found long-term exposure associated with certain types of cancer. Caprolactam's health effects are less known, but the EPA notes long-term exposure increases the potential for adverse health effects. The two chemicals tested above California state standards. The EPA does not believe it's out of compliance with the state because the levels were not sustained over eight hours, but the agency never tested over an eight-hour span of time. That's something the EPA unions want. "Our management is on a learning curve. Their initial response was to push back very hard,"Jolish said.

EPA employees first started complaining of health problems at work in December 2014, when the first phase of the building renovation was completed. Employees say they believe 75 Hawthorne is a "sick building."

"I think it meets EPA's criteria in its literature as a sick building," said Mark Sims, president of IFPTE Local 20 Union.

The EPA does in fact have a sick building fact sheet . Symptoms include headaches, irritation, dizziness and nausea, which are the same symptoms employees reported to their union reps in a survey.

Of the 139 employees who filled it out, 64 percent reported feeling sick after renovations began. "We have about 600 people in our building," said Patrick Chan, the union president of NTEU Chapter 295. "When they came to me, they were really, really concerned. The union feels you shouldn't come to work and get sick."

The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit showed the air quality reports to David Sassee, a senior environmental inspector at Healthy Building Science, and he came to the same conclusion as the EPA. "If they're not getting good air flow then those chemicals don't have any way to be flushed out and they'll just continue to persist until you can get some ventilation for much longer, even a couple of years," Sassee said

The head of EPA Region 9, Jared Blumenfeld, agrees but stops short of calling 75 Hawthorne a sick building. He says he's just as frustrated as his employees and has also felt sick working in the building.

"Was there a problem? Yes. Were people feeling symptoms including me? Absolutely. It was a royal pain," Blumenfeld said. "This is not a sick building. A sick building really has some attributes this didn't have. We have a handle on what the problems are here," Blumenfeld said.

In a tour of one of the floors with the worst indoor air quality levels, he pointed out yellow Post-it notes stuck to the ventilation, to see if the air was moving. It wasn't. "We need a ventilation system that works," Blumenfeld said. He says the responsibility of fixing the ventilation problem rests squarely with Hines, the building management company, not the EPA.

"I know it's the building management because we spent more than $100,000 to work out the answer," Blumenfeld said. "When we asked the building management if we can see the system to know that it's balanced properly that it is working, they said no."

Blumenfeld said he pushed Hines management to increase the air flow, after conducting its own independent testing. But he said Hines didn't increase the ventilation until the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit contacted the company. "You phoning the building got a lot of action," Blumenfeld said.

Hines declined to be interviewed, but in a statement said, "We have worked diligently for some time to address and resolve any air flow concerns raised." A company spokesman also said Hines is also conducting a comprehensive analysis of the building's HVAC system and will re-evaluate the building's air flow floor by floor once construction is complete.

Union leaders say it has taken too long, with too few results. Ultimately, they say public safety is suffering because the workers who are on the front lines of protecting the American public's health and safety are now fighting for their own health. "An agency that's mission is to protect the environment and health has failed to do so in this case," Chan said.

If you have a tip for the Investigative Unit, call us at 888-996-TIPS (8477) or email TheUnit@nbcbayarea.com. You can email Vicky directly at Vicky@nbcbayarea.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/vickydnguyen and Facebook at www.facebook.com/vickynguyenTV
About 20 students at an elite San Francisco high school walked out of class Tuesday morning in protest of what they see as racist behavior from fellow students.

Lowell High School students walked out of class around 9 a.m. and headed toward San Francisco City Hall for an 11 a.m. rally, where they were greeted by a representative from the mayor's office and by Supervisors Norman Yee and Malia Cohen, as well as by the Rev. Amos Brown, president of the local branch of the NAACP. The students attended a district board meeting late Tuesday to talk to school officials and make demands.

[PHOTOS] Students at San Francisco's Lowell High School Students Walk Out of Class

"I am deeply disturbed about what we're hearing and I applaud these students speaking up about their experience," San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Richard Carranza said at the board meeting. "We are listening to you and we agree this is absolutely unacceptable."

Students at the board meeting demanded a change in the school's curriculum and more African American teachers and staff.

The schools Black Student Union group said students found racist imagery on the windows of the school's library earlier this month.

Photos of prominent African-Americans  including Kanye West, President Barack Obama, and a shot of Ice Cube and Chris Tucker in the movie "Friday"  were taped to the window alongside a printout that said "HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH #GANG," the group said.

The display, which prompted students to organize Tuesdays rally calling for change, is one example of the types of racist comments and uncomfortable climate many black students experience at Lowell, students said.

"This is the evidence we needed so we can bring out our past experience of what we go through," student Christlyn Earle said.

Rev. Brown said the walkout is "an indication that courage has not skipped the Millennial generation."

A school district representative said the person responsible for the display has been dealt with, but did not elaborate.

Lowell's principal, Andrew Ishibashi, condoned the walkout and admitted the school has a long way to go. He said he'll be meeting with community leaders, "continue the listening," then implement "corrective action."

Lowell has 132 teachers, but only four of them are African-American, one faculty member told NBC Bay Area. San Francisco Unified spokesperson Gentle Blythe said the district has been trying to attract more African-American candidates for teaching positions, but the nationwide teacher shortage has compounded the issue.

A number of students said they had experienced incidents of being called "ghetto" or dirty, of having other students refuse to believe they could be taking Advanced Placement classes, and of being told by adults that they needed to change the way they looked to fit in. Several students said they did not feel like they belonged at Lowell.

"We go to the same school, we passed the same test, so what makes us different?" one student said. "We are just as smart as everyone at the school, we worked just as hard to get there."

"I personally feel that the school can do more," Lowell sophomore Charlotte Schwartz said. "But, being someone that believes they can do more, I also believe that theyre taking a step at all, which is more than most schools would do for this."

Lowell, the citys top-rated academic high school, has an enrollment of 2,650 students. Fewer than 60 of them are African-American.

The Afrikan Black Coalition is supporting the Black student walkout at Lowell High after a racist display. pic.twitter.com/VT6pZfoldT  Afrikan Black Coalition (@ABlackCoalition) February 23, 2016

NBC Bay Area's Chuck Coppola, Mark Matthews, Cheryl Hurd, and Bay City News contributed to this report.
San Francisco's mayor announced a major shift Monday in the way police officers will respond to an armed suspect, but the changes aren't going down well with the head of the police officers association.

Police training will now emphasize the need for time, distance and de-escalation in dealing with armed suspects in an effort to avoid officer-involved shootings like that one that killed Mario Woods in December, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Police Chief Greg Suhr said Monday, alongside Police Commission President Suzy Loftus and community members.

"We are fundamentally re-engineering the way police officers use force," Suhr said.

The changes in training are part of a package of police reforms announced Monday. The reforms are intended to rebuild trust between police and the community, officials said.

SF Mayor vows to build trust between police and community based on reengineering police use of force. pic.twitter.com/9NeIoOOB3n  Mark Matthews (@MarkMatthewsNBC) February 22, 2016

"For years we've been working as a police department with community members to foster trust," Suhr said. "Without trust in the community we can't do our jobs. That trust was shaken for many in the community on Dec. 2 with the shooting of Mario Woods."

Suhr and Loftus said research shows most officer-involved shootings occur within minutes after officers arrive on scene and usually at close range. Better officer training, use of force protocols and equipment, particularly in situations involving suspects armed with weapons other than firearms, could reduce such shootings by up to 80 percent, they said.

A draft use of force policy being considered by the Police Commission emphasizes the sanctity of life, de-escalation and proportionate response. It calls for officers to establish a buffer zone around the suspect to reduce the need for the use of force and use verbal skills to engage the suspect. It also bans the use of chokeholds, prohibits officers from shooting at vehicles and -- more controversially -- calls for some officers to be armed with Tasers.

The department has already directed officers to report all instances in which a weapon is drawn.

Supervisors respond to all incidents involving a weapon, Suhr said. In addition, it has expanded firearms qualification training from two hours to an eight hour "Force Options" training, equipped all patrol cars with helmets and batons for use with suspects armed with edged weapons and doubled the number of "less-lethal" bean bag guns available, officials said.

The reforms announced Monday include the creation of a new Bureau of Professional Standards and Principled Policing, led by Deputy Chief Tony Chaplain, to oversee reform and work with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services in a review of department policies and practices.

The department is also training more officers in crisis intervention, implicit bias and procedural justice, developing a protocol for handling suspects with edged weapons and working to secure training and funding for protective shields that officers can use against armed suspects, officials said.

The family of Mario Woods, who was shot and killed by San Francisco police officers last month, is urging the U.S. Department of Justice to examine whether there is pervasive racism in the policies and practices of the citys police department. Mark Matthews reports.

Lee said he is including the proposed reforms in his budget planning.

"This comprehensive package of police reforms will help our sworn officers strengthen their ties with the community and keep our city safe through a cultural change in how we handle conflicts on our streets," Lee said.

The reforms were introduced with the support of members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, faith leaders and other community groups that were actively involved in their development.

Not present at the press conference, however, were representatives of the Police Officers Association. Police Officer Association President Martin Halloran said the mayor's pronouncement is not a done deal.

"These are the biggest changes proposed to police policy in over 35 years and -- although some of the policies may be good ones -- some of the policies may expose our members to harm," Halloran said in a statement. "We are not going to let that happen."

Halloran said the Police Officers Association is particularly upset with the city's Board of Supervisors for unanimously declaring a Mario Woods memorial day. He called it a slap in the face to every public safety officer in the city.
A Sikh comedian and YouTube star who was performing at UC Berkeley over the weekend said that the Transportation Security Administration made him take off his turban in private during the screening process, then walk in public with his bare head to retie the traditional head covering in the bathroom.

Jasmeet Singh, also known as Jus Reign, began tweeting late Sunday night about his experience at San Francisco International Airport. He injected some self-deprecating humor into the situation, joking online about his public embarrassment. Sikh men are required to cover their hair at all times.

"I've flown many times before and never been asked to remove my turban," Singh said.

"I asked if it's okay if I leave it on" and the agents could "pat it down," he said. They refused.

By Tuesday morning, his story had been picked up all across the globe, mostly because of his stinging Twitter comments, such as: "Hey dude, a shoe is not a turban. All I asked was for a mirror bruv."

In a Skype interview from Ottawa, Canada where he was on his way to perform a comedy routine Tuesday night, Singh reiterated his story, saying he had no problem with taking off the turban but felt a "lack of respect" by agents who didn't seem to realize that forcing him to put the head covering back on in public is "embarrassing" for most Sikhs. "Asking a Sikh man to take off his turban in public is like asking a regular person to take off their pants in public."

"I felt frustrated," he said.

TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said the agency is looking into the matter and had not received a formal complaint from Singh. The TSA manages the private company, Covenant Aviation Security in South San Francisco, whose employees do the baggage screening at SFO.

But according to documents provided by the Sikh Coalition, the Department of Homeland Security received a similar complaint from a Phoenix traveler in 2008, and promised in 2012 that the TSA would provide mirrors in these booths across the country.

"They agreed, and they didn't do it here," coalition senior staff attorney Gurjot Kaur said by phone from New York City. "For a Sikh to be without their turban in public is akin to being naked. It's very humiliating."

A Sikh comedian and YouTube star who was performing at UC Berkeley over the weekend said that the Transportation Security Administration made him take off his turban in private during the screening process, then walk in public with his bare head to retie the traditional head covering in the bathroom. Peggy Bunker reports.

Singh's experience is the second in less than a month during which a Sikh-American was stopped at the airport for wearing a turban.

Waris Ahluwalia said attendants at the airport in Mexico City barred him from boarding his Aeromexico flight back to New York City on Feb. 8 because he didn't want to take off his turban in public.

The airline has since issued an apology.

"This incident inspires us to make sure that we strengthen the customer service protocols," the statement read in part.

Singh said he had Ahluwalia's experience in his own mind when he simply put his long hair in a bun and covered it with a bandana when he walked along the public airport terminal to put his turban back on. He's shown his hair before, but thought it would be more horrifying for those more observant than he is.

Sikhism, a 500-year-old religion founded in India, requires its male followers to wear a turban and beard and keep their hair uncut. Many members of the Sikh community have objected to the practice of frisking turbans, calling it unnecessary in a world with machines for body scanning and metal detection.

"Considering all the screening that they do and all the technology, you'd think they'd be able to use it to look through our turbans and see if there is anything in there," Harkeeret Kaur said. "It's just our hair."

As of 2010, U.S. guidelines no longer require air passengers to remove turbans if doing so makes them uncomfortable. They may, however, be subject to additional security screening, including pat-downs by TSA officials.

The Toronto-based comic said he had never been asked to take his turban off, but eventually relented because he was told he couldn't board if he didn't. The agents let him take off his turban a private room, he said, where his head cloth was sent through an X-ray machine for "safety" reasons.

"After finding absolutely nothing wrong because a turban is just cloth and the whole thing is stupid I ask for a mirror to tie it back again," Singh tweeted.

Singh said the agent then told him he could put his turban back on if he walked to the bathroom.

"FAM WHAT WAS THE POINT IN TAKING ME TO THE PRIVATE ROOM IF U JUST TELL ME TO WALK OUT TO THE NEAREST RESTROOM TO PUT IT BACK ON AGAIN," he tweeted.

Singh said the ordeal, which garnered media attention across the globe, won't deter him from honoring his faith, or from cracking jokes.

"I know dudes that don't even wear turbans to airports anymore," he tweeted, "because they have to deal with this bull---- but I choose to cuz i look swanky."

NBC Bay Area's Peggy Bunker contributed to this report.

so the @tsa made me take off my turban in extra screening or they said I wouldn't be able to be let through to catch my flight  Jasmeet Raina (@JusReign) February 22, 2016

[[369846101, C]]
No one  including Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppleman  rejects the struggles of former Yelp employee Talia Jane, which she detailed in an open letter to Stoppleman on Medium outlining how hard it is to pay her rent, buy groceries (she cant even afford bread and lives on rice and water) or even drive to work in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Tales of how excruciatingly expensive the Bay Area is are pretty rampant these days, so Talia Janes post from Friday hardly comes as a surprise.

"I haven't bought groceries since I started this job, the 25-year-old customer service rep for Eat24, which Yelp bought for $124 million last year, wrote on Friday. Bread is a luxury to me, even though you've got a whole fridge full of it on the 8th floor. But we're not allowed to take any of that home because it's for at-work eating."

Talia Jane claims that Yelp responded to her post by firing her:

This was entirely unplanned (but I guess not completely unexpected?) but any help until I find new employment would be extremely appreciated, she wrote in an update to the Medium post, later tweeting that she was told by human resources and her manager that "the letter violated Yelp's 'Terms of Conduct.'"

Stoppleman lent his voice to Talia Jane's frustrations  as did Yelp  but stopped short of offering any kind of of a pay increase to employees.

Late last night I read Talia's medium contribution and want to acknowledge her point that the cost of living in SF is far too high, Stoppleman tweeted Saturday. I've not been personally involved in Talia being let go and it was not because she posted a Medium letter directed at me.

We do not comment on personnel matters, a Yelp spokesperson said Monday, when asked to comment on Talias assertions that she was fired for writing the Medium post. However, we did agree with many of the points in the post and thought it served as an important example of Ms. Ben-Ora's freedom of speech." (Talia Ben-Ora is Talia Janes legal name.)

We agree with her remarks about the high costs of living in San Francisco, which is why we announced in December that we are expanding our Eat24 customer support team into our Phoenix office where we will pay the same wage.

The millennials who live in San Francisco have the second-highest median income in the country, according to a recent study by personal finance firm SmartAsset.

The Internet continues to respond to Talia Janes post with mixed reviews, with some calling her brave for not accepting her work conditions. Others advised her against posting scathing letters to her CEO next time.

One Twitter user criticized Stoppleman's response, calling it a "symptom of corporate cancer."

In the meantime, Talia Jane is accepting donations.[[369721351, C]]
North Korea showed interest in discussing a peace treaty with the United States, but pulled away after the U.S. insisted denuclearization be part of the negotiations, the White House said Monday.

"There was interest expressed by the North Koreans in discussing a peace treaty," Spokesman Josh Earnest told a news conference. "We considered their proposal, but also made clear that denuclearization had to be part of any discussions. The truth is that the North Koreans rejected that response."

The U.S. considered a proposal from the North Korea, which has long sought a peace treaty with Washington, said Earnest. The discussions took place before North Korea's recent nuclear test and rocket launch that have further strained relations.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is moving forward with a plan to rehabilitate Chicago's old main Post Office building in the West Loop.

The mayor, alongside Ald. Danny Solis and the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, will attempt to acquire the historic building and accept bids for redevelopment.

Todays action will accelerate the process of transforming the old Main Post office, which has sat empty for more than two decades, into an economic driver for the neighborhood and the entire city, Emanuel said in a statement. Development of this key gateway to the city can create thousands of jobs while rebuilding one of Chicagos iconic structures.

The building, which was closed by the U.S. Postal Service in 1995, was acquired by International Property Developers North America Inc. in 2009 and remains vacant. The company has been informed of the city's intention to issue a Request for Proposals to take over the site. The building's chosen developer will fund the acquisition. The request will be issued this spring and will conclude when a developer is named this summer.

The lack of redevelopment progress is unacceptable and the buildings ongoing obsolescence and blighted condition will make future rehabilitation more difficult, Planning Commissioner David L. Reifman said. As one of the largest buildings in Chicago, the post office complex represents a tremendous opportunity for new investment that could create thousands of permanent jobs and construction opportunities for local residents.

The 2.5 million-square-foot property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The building, which is monitored by the City's Law Department in Circuity Court, has had a litany of code violations since 2012.

According to the mayor's office, the redevelopment could create thousands of jobs.
Sen. Mark Kirk broke with Republican lawmakers Monday to support President Barack Obama moving forward with the process to nominate a replacement for the late Antonin Scalia as the ninth member of the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was a giant in the history of American constitutional law," Kirk wrote in an op-ed for the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday. "His legacy and contribution to our nation will long endure. And it is that legacy now that our actions should honor.

Scalia died a little more than a week ago at a remote Texas hunting resort. The 79-year-old jurist was appointed to the court in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.

A group of Republican senators, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, argue that Obama should not fill the vacancy as a lame duck but rather leave it to the next president.

Kirk referred to his obligation to honor the Constitution as the reason for his decision.

"As a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserve and as a United States senator, I swore an oath to protect and uphold the constitution," he wrote. "That oath is to our constitution, not to a party or any one individual, but to the ideals that bind our nation. I recognize the right of the president, be it Republican or Democrat, to place before the Senate a nominee for the Supreme Court and I fully expect and look forward to President Barack Obama advancing a nominee for the Senate to consider."

Kirk noted that his decision was not particularly indicative of how he would vote on Obamas nominee.

He claimed electing a partisan or extreme nominee would not be prudent nor would it provide a steady, scholarly hand to guide the constitutional ship of state. Kirk called on Obama to elect a candidate with the bipartisan values that the president championed at his Springfield address earlier this month.

My sincerest hope is that President Obama nominates someone who captures the sentiment he spoke about before the Illinois General Assembly this month  a nominee who can bridge differences, a nominee who finds common ground and a nominee who does not speak or act in the extreme," he wrote.

The Democratic frontrunner in the election for Kirk's seat, Rep. Tammy Duckworth, issued a statement last week urging Kirk to make his position known on the matter of the appointment.

Senator Mark Kirk must immediately level with the people of Illinois, and let us know whether he supports the Constitution, Duckworth said. Or if hell be a rubber stamp for Mitch McConnells obstructionist and unconstitutional gambit.

Kirk responded to Duckworth's statement, encouraging reverence for Scalias life before politicizing the vacancy.

The political debate erupting about prospective nominees to fill the vacancy is unseemly, Kirk said. Let us take the time to honor his life before the inevitable debate erupts.

Duckworth issued an additional statement Monday applauding Kirk's decision and calling for action.

I'm pleased Sen. Kirk has chosen under pressure to do the right thing and support the President's constitutional duty to nominate a Supreme Court nominee," Duckworth said. "He should go a step further, however, and demand Senators McConnell and Grassley end their obstruction and hold hearings and allow a vote on a nominee.

Andrea Zopp, Duckworth's opponent in the Democratic primary, also issued a statement on Kirk's decision.

"Unfortunately, Senator Kirk's statement is typical of the problem in Washington right now -- he, like Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, is skilled at giving us cheap political talk, but not specifics," Zopp's campaign manager Bryce Colquitt said. "Andrea calls on Senator Kirk to commit to voting to confirm any qualified nominee the President puts forward. If she was in the Senate right now, she would make that commitment."

Kirk will face James Marter in the March 15 Republican primary.

Duckworth will face Zopp and State Sen. Napoleon Harris in the March 15 Democratic primary.

The general election is set for November 8.
A man was found dead in the backseat of a cab in Chicagos Lincoln Square neighborhood Monday morning, and while the circumstances surrounding his death remain a mystery, police say theyre conducting a homicide investigation.

The 59-year-old man was discovered unresponsive in the vehicle just before 8 a.m. in the 4400 block of North Leavitt Avenue, police said. Authorities say he suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

While officials have not released the man's identity, Cab Drivers United and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees identified him as a cab driver named Kamil Shamji.

We are heartbroken over the loss of Kamil Shamji, and offer our deepest condolences to Mr. Shamjis friends and family," the groups said in a joint statement. "Kamil Shamjis murder last night reminds us all of the almost constant danger cab drivers put themselves in everyday when they go to work. Serving every corner of Chicago, their visibility allows them to serve residents and visitors, but at the same time, it makes for easy targets."

A cab driver claiming to be a longtime friend of the victim said Shamji had picked up a fare not far from where his body was found.

He picked somebody up and then what happened nobody knows, said Syed Siddiq.

Siddiq said Shamji had been driving a cab for 20 to 25 years and was well known among fellow cab drivers. He was also a family man, who drove a cab to provide for his two daughters, Siddiq said.

Not everybody is bad, Siddiq said. Maybe one or two person is bad. Anything is possible anywhere.
Race to Watch is a twice weekly Ward Room column dedicated to helping voters familiarize themselves with candidates in the lead-up to the March 15 primary elections. This weeks focus is the 22nd District Illinois House race.

Incumbent Mike Madigan will face fellow Democrats Jason Gonzales, Joe Barboza and Grasiela Rodriguez in the race for Illinois' 22nd District House seat. No Republican candidates have filed for the election. The 22nd District is located on Chicagos Southwest Side and includes Midway International Airport.

Madigan has served as the state representative for the 22nd district since 1971. He has served as Speaker of the House since 1983, with the exception of two years. This is the longest anyone has held that post in the state's history.

The speaker recently ranked 5th in Chicago Magazines Power 50, which ranks the most influential Chicagoans.

Madigan previously served as 13th Ward Democratic committeeman in Chicago and chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.

Throughout the states budget impasse, Madigan has been one of Gov. Bruce Rauners staunchest opponents. The state has been without a budget since July of last year.

During a budget summit last December, Madigan championed moderate alternatives to Rauners proposed overhaul.

"The solution to the budget deficit problem does not lie in the extreme but rather lies in moderation," Madigan said.

Rich Miller, editor of Capitol Fax, once wrote, the pile of political corpses outside Madigans Statehouse door of those who tried to beat him one way or another is a mile high and a mile wide.

Madigans oldest daughter, Lisa, currently serves as the Attorney General of Illinois.

Jason Gonzales, a 41-year-old consultant running his first political campaign, is posing a formidable challenge to Madigan's campaign for re-election.

During the course of his campaign, Gonzales has faced resistrance from the Madigan political machine. A Madigan aide waited for Gonzales at the Illinois State Board of Elections as he filed to run for the March 15 Democratic Primary ballot and subsequently filed for two additional candidates to appear on the ballot. Those candidates are Joe Barboza and Grasiela Rodriguez.

Diluting the ballot is the oldest trick in the book," Gonzales told Ward Room, "but we dont believe its going to change things very drastically."

In 1991, after dropping out of high school in his teens, Gonzales spent two months in jail for the unlawful use of credit cards. All told, Gonzales was convicted of six crimes between 1991 and 1994.

After these incidents, Gonzales re-enrolled in high school at 21 and eventually graduated from Duke, MIT and Harvard.



Gonzales was pardoned for his crimes in 2015 by former Governor Pat Quinn.



He is a champion of closing the funding gap in public schools and increasing funding for higher education and job training programs. Gonzales also claims to be committed to ending the pension crisis.

Barboza and Rodriguez will be included on the primary ballot but have not actively campaigned for the election. Neither candidate has a website or committee information.

The Democratic primary will be held March 15.
When Gabrielyn Watson, known to her students as Ms. Watson, returned to school after taking several months off amid a battle with cancer, she never expected what would be waiting for her.

The choir director at Chicago's Morgan Park High School took seven months off from teaching to fight multiple myeloma and was welcomed back to school this month with a moving performance of "Amazing Grace" by a throng of former students, including "American Idol" finalist Peter Frank.

Frank led off the surprise, standing in the hallway alone as he began to sing. Watson collapsed, overwhelmed with emotion as other former students join Frank in harmony. Soon, even Watson herself began to sing along.

The heartwarming homecoming was filmed as part of the "Someone Needs One" program by Kleenex. Frank, now 29, said he arranged the surprise to show his appreciation for "the most influential teacher hes ever had."

Since video of the touching surprise was posted to social media last week, it has been shared more than 130,000 times and received more than 7.3 million views.

A Caring Chorus We all have a voice inside, and the best teachers help us find it. One group of students took the time to recognize their chorus teacher with a performance shell never forget. #ShareKleenexCare Posted by Kleenex on Thursday, February 18, 2016

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Frank, who appeared on Season 10 of "American Idol," credits Watson with his career as an aspiring entertainer and called her "an unsung hero who deserves recognition." He recalls a moment when Watson gave him a tux for a chorus competition because he couldn't afford one.

In the video, an emotional Watson said she loves her students.

"I want them to have the best opportunities so that they can thrive," she said.

Morgan Park High School Principal Carolyn Epps called Watson a "true educator" and said there is "no greater tribute to a teacher."

"It was a real tearjerker," Epps said. "She was so surprised and so happy, so it really touched your heart."

Watson described the surprise as "such a rewarding, healing and inspiring experience," according to Kleenex.
A Connecticut couple who lost their baby boy to cancer marked his second birthday by buying dinner for a family of strangers celebrating the birthday of their own young son. Now the restaurant where it happened wants to keep the acts of kindness going.

First & Last Taverns in Avon, Plainville and Glastonbury decided to honor the memory of 17-month-old Luke Dunn, who died of cancer, with a pay-it-forward effort of their own after witnessing what they called a "beautiful act of kindness" on Saturday.

A Connecticut couple who lost their baby boy to cancer marked his second birthday by buying dinner for a family of strangers celebrating the birthday of their own young son.

Saturday would have been Luke's birthday and his parents, Shane and MaryJo Dunn, wanted to celebrate it by performing an act of kindness to keep his spirit alive.

What they did was give a $50 gift card to family dining at First & Last Restaurant in Glastonbury with a little boy who looked to be around Luke's age.

The Dunns left before the family could thank them for their generosity and read the card they left behind, which described Luke's journey and asked the family to pay it forward in his memory.

The recipients  who were out that night to celebrate their own son's third birthday  were nearly in tears.

Then, they purchased a gift card of their own to buy dinner for another family, according to restaurant manager Max Rickis.

MaryJo Dunn said the restaurant reached out to her about the pay-it-forward effort and she is honored that her son is being remembered in such a positive way.

First & Last shared the details about the effort on their website.

"We were so touched by what happened we decided we didn't want this selfless act to end there. That's why we started our Pay It Forward Program. At our restaurants we are fortunate enough to be a community gathering place. We feel that we see the best people walk through our doors, and our Pay It Forward Program is a great way for us to give back. #FNLPAYITFORWARD," the First & Last in Glastonbury posted on its website.

The restaurants have posted nomination forms on their websites and will pick one recipient per week.

They will keep the nominations anonymous, but will reach out to the people who made the chosen nominations.

Here are the links:

Avon First & Last

Glastonbury First & Last.

Plainville First & Last
State Senator Andrew Maynard, who was badly injured in a fall in 2014, suffered a "breakthrough seizure" before getting into a car crash in Waterford last month and will not be charged, police said during a news conference on Tuesday morning.

Police said Maynard was on the southbound side of Route 32 in Waterford around 3:31 p.m. on Jan. 14 when his car hit the jersey barrier, crossed through the Scotch Cap Road intersection, hit another car on the northbound side of the road, then hit a telephone pole guard wire, which spun his car.

Maynard was unconscious at the scene, police said.

Witnesses at the scene said Maynard was having a medical problem and medical records show he suffered a "breakthough seizure" at the time of the crash, police said.

Investigators never performed field sobriety tests because there was no indication that alcohol was involved and said medical records show no alcohol in Maynard's blood and said no drugs were listed.

Because there were no life-threatening injuries, police did not conduct an accident reconstruction, but said their investigating into the crash was extensive because of the political ramifications and public scrutiny.

Police said Maynard was able to communicate, with words and gestures, about what happened when they spoke to him about the crash, but he did not recall any details of the accident.

"The Waterford Police Department was and is focused on the accident itself," Chief Brett Mahoney said on Tuesday."I am proud of the numerous officer hours that went into this accident investigation and consider it resolved."

The crash happened a year and a half after Maynard was badly hurt when he fell from an outdoor staircase at his home in Stonington, hitting his head.

After the fall, he underwent physical and occupational therapy to work on his balance, strengthen his right arm and improve the use of his right hand, according to a statement that came out at the time of the incident.

"Senator Maynard thanks the Waterford Police Department for conducting a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding his January 14th accident. He is pleased that the States Attorney concluded that criminal prosecution was not warranted, as the accident was caused by an unfortunate medical emergency. He looks forward to continuing his work in the State Senate and finishing out the remainder of his term," Maynard's attorney said in a statement.

Maynard, who is serving his fifth term in the Connecticut General Assembly, has decided not to run for reelection in Novembers.

It has been an honor to serve in the Senate on behalf of my neighbors and the people of the 18th District, Senator Maynard said in a statement. I want to thank everyone for their prayers and well wishes, and I am grateful to live in such a beautiful and supportive community. I have made the decision to not seek reelection. There is much work to do this legislative session, and I am committed to continuing to work to create jobs, grow the economy and balance our budget.
An asteroid traveling about 34,000 miles per hour is expected to whiz past Earth on March 7. Astronomers are confident the warehouse-sized space rock will not impact the planet, but at the same time are not sure exactly how close it will come.



It could be as close as 20,000 miles or as far as 10 million miles, so its a pretty big window, astronomer Gerald McKeegan said.



McKeegan confirmed the existence of asteroid 2013 TX68 at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, after scientists in Arizona spotted it in October 2013. He says it likely came from the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars, and has been passing Earth about every couple of years.



This time, however, its coming much closer.



He estimates the asteroid to be 80 to 170 feet in length, and will pass by the planet sometime between 5:30 a.m. and 4:06 p.m. PST on March 7.



The asteroid is not going to hit us. Theres no concern about that. It will miss us. Its just a matter of by how much, McKeegan.



Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory agree the asteroid will not impact Earth, but say they have a new, straight-forward technique in case an asteroid veers course in the future.



And thats just slamming a spacecraft into an asteroid traveling at high speeds, post-doctoral researcher Megan Bruck Syal said of Kinetic Impact. Syal is the lead author of a recent paper on the diversion technique, published in January.



Syal says researchers are on track to test the powerful method on an asteroid in 2022; however, scientists say they need years of notice to implement the technique.



McKeegan says at the moment, notice consists of days, not years.



Scientists estimate there are 14,000 near-earth objects and believe there are a million more out there, according to McKeegan. More than 40 tons of pebby-to-fist sized rock falls on the earth daily, but burns up in the atmosphere.



However, he says the worry is if a larger asteroid such as 2013 TX68 does make impact, it could create damage like a meteor did in Russia in 2013.



Because it exploded in the sky, the shock wave from the explosion did a lot of damage, injured quite a few people. That asteroid is smaller than the one were talking about now, McKeegan said.



Researchers at Chabot say the best chance to see the asteroid will be the weekend before March 7; however, it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to observe.
An attorney for the family of a 21-year-old University of North Texas student fatally shot by a campus police officer in December says she has evidence proving the shooting was not justified and is worried the case is being pushed through the system without a full and fair investigation.

Ryan McMillan was killed at the intersection of West Oak and Fry streets, just north of the UNT campus, Dec. 13, 2015. Dashcam video released by the university showed McMillan, while holding a hatchet in his right hand, advance on UNT Police Cpl. Stephen Bean while repeatedly saying "shoot me."

McMillan continued advancing despite Bean's orders to "back away." Bean then shot and killed McMillan, police said.

Prior to the shooting, McMillan was suspected of using the hatchet to smash the windows of several parked vehicles in the area, according to police.

Renee Higginbotham-Brooks, the attorney for Ryan McMillans parents, says she has evidence proving the shooting was not justified and is worried the case is being pushed through the system without a full and fair investigation.

Renee Higginbotham-Brooks, the attorney for McMillan's parents, released a statement saying, "police have failed to review all the evidence in the case" before an upcoming grand jury hearing into the shooting.

During a news conference in Denton Tuesday morning, Higginbotham-Brooks and Dexter Simpson, a criminologist and former police officer, addressed the media, saying they had several witnesses to the shooting who said the officer overreacted and had not been threatened by McMillan.

According to Higginbotham-Brooks, witnesses said McMillan was killed while he had his hands to his side, with his wrists up, while holding a Boy Scout hatchet in a non-threatening manner.

Higginbotham-Brooks said the officer should have used non-lethal means to detain McMillan, whom she added was acting like a typical, reckless college student out celebrating his 21st birthday.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

"There are things that are ordinary. Ryan McMillan did what an ordinary college student would do  all college students do. He became intoxicated on his 21st birthday. In his extreme intoxication, he committed vandalism," Higginbotham-Brooks explained. "Vandalism is normal behavior throughout this country on college campuses. What is not normal is for an agent of a university to immediately use deadly force against a student when there are other non-lethal forms of force that should have been used."

"No Tasers, chemical sprays or tolerance were afforded this young man," said Simpson, who also spoke repeatedly about the Use of Force Continuum, a policy that guides a police officer's acceptable use of force.

Higginbotham-Brooks said her team has talked with "four key eyewitnesses who witnessed Ryan McMillans killing, and all four witnesses do not believe Ryan McMillan threatened UNT Police Cpl. Stephen Bean before he was killed."

"The four witnesses further believe that Officer Stephen Bean had ample time to use non-lethal force and that he overreacted," she said in a press release.

An attorney for the family of a 21-year-old UNT student who was fatally shot by a campus police officer says she will present new evidence Tuesday that proves the shooting was not justified.

Simpson said during Tuesday's news conference that the police department has not commented on what kind of non-lethal weaponry Bean may have had at his disposal.

Higginbotham-Brooks said neither she nor the family have been granted access to McMillan's autopsy, saying officials refused to release it citing the ongoing investigation. Toxicology reports can take up to 60 days from the date of autopsy to receive.

The Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting.
Three California students charged in a high-profile 2013 hate crime case at San Jose State University, where an African-American freshman had a bike lock put around his neck, were found guilty of misdemeanor battery Monday but escaped conviction on hate crime allegations.

The defendants in the case, Colin Warren of Woodacre and Logan Beaschler of Bakersfield, now 20, and Joseph "Brett" Bomgardner, 21, of Clovis were charged in varying degrees to allegedly subjecting Donald Williams Jr., who was 17, to repeated bullying that prosecutors say rose to the level of a hate crime during the fall of 2013.

All three were convicted Monday by a Santa Clara County Superior Court jury of misdemeanor battery.

However, Bomgardner was found not guilty of misdemeanor commission of a hate crime by use of force and Judge Thang Barrett declared a mistrial on similar hate crime allegations against Beaschler and Warren after the jury deadlocked on those charges. The Santa Clara County District Attorneys office says it will consider asking for a retrial on the hate crime charges.

The alleged bullying included putting a U-shaped bike lock around Williams' neck and refused to give him the key before finally setting him free, trying to lock him in a closet and displaying a Confederate flag in their shared suite. Prosecutors claimed the defendants also called him "three-fifths" and "fraction," referring to to the fraction the U.S. Census used to count black slaves in the South in the 18th and early 19th centuries for the purpose of representation in Congress.

"This violence did not happen in a historical vacuum," Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said Monday. "This violent act was done to a young black college student by five white men, an injustice inflicted upon him because of the color of his skin."

Bomgardner's attorney Sam Polverino said Monday he was "hesitant" to comment because there's a $5 million lawsuit pending against my client, the others, and the university."

Defense attorneys had argued their clients were simply playing an immature prank.

"Prejudice is not a prank," Rosen said. "Todays decision was partially disappointing, but not dispiriting. Our resolve to fight hate crimes remains unwavering."

Sentencing has been set for March 14. The three could face up to six months in jail.

A fourth student has been charged as a juvenile in the case, prosecutors said. More information on the status of the juvenile's case was not immediately available.

"All four students who engaged in these acts are no longer enrolled at SJSU," interim president Sue Martin said in a statement. "The victim and his family are pursuing civil remedies independent of the criminal actions.

"Much work lies ahead as we seek to create a truly inclusive, welcoming and safe environment for every member of our community," Smith said, adding that the university plans to hire a chief diversity officer and stage open forums with campus community members to "discuss results of the most recent campus climate survey."

NBC Bay Area's Scott Budman and Bay City News contributed to this report.
Police armed with rifles and backed by air units surrounded a Southern California home overnight after receiving a 911 call of a woman gunned down inside the residence  only to learn that the call was a "swatting" prank on a teen whose viral "Damn, Daniel" video has captivated the Internet.

The caller reported just after 1 a.m. Tuesday they had shot their mother dead with an AK-47 assault rifle at a home in the 6200 block of Hamilton Drive in Riverside, prompting officers to swarm the neighborhood east of Los Angeles with guns drawn, said Lt. Kevin Townsend of the Riverside Police Department.

The family came out of the home and told police no one inside had been shot, and they had not placed the 911 call.

Loudlabs/KNBC-TV

While speaking with the family, officers learned that a teen who lives there is behind the "Damn, Daniel" viral video. The family told police they've been receiving phone calls from strangers ever since the online video gained fame.

Police cleared the scene and dismissed the call as a swatting hoax.

In the video, a teen repeatedly says "Damn, Daniel," marveling over another teen's fashionable footwear.

"Damn, Daniel. Back at it again with the white Vans!" the teen gushes.

The video, posted on Twitter on Feb. 15, has spawned numerous memes and parodies.
The family of a mother of three assembled at the site where she and her companion were mortally wounded in a confrontation with Inglewood police, demanding authorities explain the circumstances of the shooting.

Family members identified the woman as Kisha Michael, 31.

"I have no clue why my sister is dead now," said Trisha Michael, the woman's identical twin.

Kisha Michael's two oldest sons, ages 9 and 11, joined other family members Monday afternoon on the sidewalk at the corner of Manchester Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue.

The shooting occurred early Sunday morning. According to a statement released by Inglewood police, officers responded at 3:11 a.m. to a call of an occupied vehicle that was stopped facing westbound in a traffic lane.

"Upon arrival, the officers observed the female occupant was in the possession of a firearm. The officers then took a position of cover and ordered the occupants to exit the vehicle. An officer involved shooting then occurred," police said in the statement.

From police scanner communications, it was apparent that the shooting occurred an hour after the initial response. Police declined to comment on what transpired during that hour.



At the time of Michael's death, there was an outstanding bench warrant for her arrest. She had been on probation for a theft case last year, and the warrant was issued on Feb. 11 after she failed to appear to provide evidence of CalTrans work service, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records.



Friends said she had moved to Las Vegas last year after separating from her husband, but had returned to Inglewood in the last month to visit, and was staying with her sister.



"She was a good mother," her sister said.



This past weekend, Kisha Michael had asked Sherry Cole to care for her children so she could have a weekend off, Cole said. As she checked her phone later, she discovered Michael had tried to call her three times at 2:38 a.m. Sunday.



Michael's mother, Rosalinda Reyes Lopez, said she learned of her daughter's death when police came to her Carson home late Wednesday afternoon. She said she was told only that her daughter was found dead in her car, and that additional information could not be provided because the case was under investigation.



"Even though she may have had a gun, that does not mean she was a threat to officers," said Najee Ali, a community activist who helped organize the Monday afternoon gathering.



Ali also questioned the circumstances of the fatal shooting of Trisha's companion, who was not described as armed in the police statement.



During police radio communications following the gunfire, one officer can be heard saying the woman was holding a gun in her hand.



Friends and family of Kisha expressed disbelief and said they could not imagine why she would have a firearm.



They speculated that Kisha Michael may have been unconscious when police approached.
Khloe Kardashian isn't sure she's ready to start watching "The People v. O.J. Simpson" just yet.

Even though the series features her famous family and is one of the biggest trending shows of the moment, she says she has her "reservations" about it  most of which surround the emotions involved with losing her father, Robert Kardashian, and having to watch her "uncle" O.J. Simpson on trial for murder.

"I have it on DVD. I just haven't seen it yet," Kardashian explained during this week's episode of of her FYI series "Kocktails with Khloe." "I've seen all of the documentaries or the rehashing of the footage of the O.J. trial and all this stuff, and just seeing like my dad and everything again, I relive emotions. Like, 'Oh my god, I forgot the sound of my dad's voice.'"

She continued, "I understand why it came back. I just feel bad and I think I'm a little more sensitive to it, cause he was my Uncle O.J., like that's always what I called him. So just hearing things, or I might remember things differently.

"I definitely want to watch it," she noted. "I was also just afraid of how they would portray my dad. I hear David Schwimmer did a phenomenal job, and they play him really true to form, so I'm grateful for that."

However, she also said she has a soft spot in her heart for O.J. and Nicole Brown's children and can't imagine what it would be like to have to relive the heart-wrenching experience again.

"I'm not their child. I more felt bad for the kids  Sydney and Justin," she said. "You'll never get over your mom being murdered, and now they have to get stalked by the paparazzi again?"

Meanwhile, Kardashian doesn't have to worry so much about her or her siblings getting a whole lot of air time in the series. Executive producer Ryan Murphy explained during a panel for the show last month, "In the 10 episodes, there are over 400 scenes, and of them, only four or five involve the Kardashian children."

The other executive producer Brad Simpson continued, "We thought it would be valuable just for a little sprinkling, and they are in probably no more than 5 minutes in 10 hours. It's the beginning of the 24 hour news cycle. The beginning of reality TV, and they are emblematic of this period."

The fourth episode of "American Crime Story: The People v O.J. Simpson" will premiere Tuesday at 10 p.m. on FX.

PHOTOS: "The People v. O.J. Simpson's" Incredible Transformations

PHOTOS: "The People v. O.J. Simpson's" Craziest Quotes
The El Faro sank just before it was to be added to a Coast Guard list of vessels identified as having the most "potential for risk,'' a designation that would have triggered more safety inspections.

The El Faro was to be included on the so-called "targeting list,'' which compiled the top 10 percent of ships the Coast Guard believed needed stricter scrutiny, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Kyle McAvoy testified Monday during an investigative hearing.

But the 40-year-old El Faro sank in 15,000 feet of water after losing propulsion and getting caught in Hurricane Joaquin just days before the Coast Guard planned to send the ship's owner a message about the new designation. All 33 people aboard died.

When news of the ship's disappearance came in, McAvoy said the connection was immediately made.

"The question became, internally, 'What do we do now? We just lost the El Faro,''' McAvoy said. "We held the message.''

The Coast Guard did release the list with El Faro's name still on it after confirming it sank. He did not say why, specifically, the ship was on the list but said age, expired documents or other problems are reasons other ships make the list.

McAvoy's revelation came during testimony on the sixth day of the Coast Guard's investigative hearing in Jacksonville looking into the El Faro's sinking. Investigators are looking into whether misconduct played a role in the ship's sinking, including whether mistakes were made in inspections. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigators are participating in the hearing, and will release separate reports.

In his final call for help, Capt. Michael Davidson told company officials he'd lost propulsion and his engineers could not fix it. He said water was flowing into one of the ship's holds, and the vessel had a "heavy list,'' or tilt.

Previous testimony showed that the ship, owned and operated by Tote Inc., was due for its boilers to be serviced the month after it sank. Documents showed the boilers contained parts inspectors said had "deteriorated severely'' before the ship's voyage from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico.

Still, Tote officials who reviewed those inspection reports described the scheduled maintenance as routine and that nothing identified in the boilers caused safety concerns, according to testimony.

Monday's hearing also focused on data gaps in the safety inspection system for commercial shipping. Coast Guard Capt. John Mauger said that his office identified a "disturbing'' uptick in safety discrepancies found during vessel inspections between 2013-2014.

Mauger said that more than 90 percent of ship inspections are performed by private classification societies, mainly the American Bureau of Shipping, or ABS, and that there are reporting "gaps'' in the information these groups share with the Coast Guard. The bureau of shipping did full hull and machinery inspections in February with no red flags, the company has said.

Because of this data gap, Mauger said it is difficult to fill cracks in the system that may be allowing risky vessels to go to sea. He said they are working to fix communication between the Coast Guard, ABS and other classification societies.

"We don't know what we don't know. If they don't notify us ... we see that as a gap,'' Mauger said.
Id come to the Lucille Lortel for a preview of Noah Haidles Smokefall, but the play seemed to begin with a flashback to the 2013 Glass Menagerie revival, a production so fluid and dreamlike that one character made her entrance via the interior of a sofa.

Like Smokefallnow having its New York debut, on the heels of a hit run in Chicago"Menagerie" began with narration from Zachary Quinto, the ultra-capable, sharp-featured actor celebrated most recently for his work as Mr. Spock in the rebooted Star Trek franchise.

In Menagerie, Quinto was the free-spirited Tom Wingfield, who knew survival meant escape from his smothering mother. Here, in a haunting drama from MCC that combines magical realism with vaudevillian hucksterism, Quinto plays three characters, beginning with narrator Footnote, who, just like Tom, is here to guide us through the disintegration of his family.

Footnote number nine, Quinto intones, introducing the paterfamilias (Brian Hutchison) of a peculiar suburban foursome in Grand Rapids, Mich. Like many truly unhappy people, Daniel can be the most charismatic person in any room. Lying in bed at night, he makes lists of all of his reasons to be grateful; but they only temporarily relieve his general sense of dread and malaise.

Smokefall continues thusly, as if it were an old text requiring illumination and explanation, like the Bible, or a Shakespeare play (the title comes from a T.S. Eliot poem). One scene evokes Hamlet to startling effect, right down to poor Yoricks excavated skull.

Aside from Hutchisons Daniel, there is dutiful wife Violet (Robin Tunney, of TVs The Mentalist); their daughter, Beauty (Taylor Richardson, a one-time Broadway Annie); and The Colonel (Tom Bloom), Violets widowed father, who still puts on his dress uniform every day, though hes 77 and losing his faculties.

The set is a classic kitchen and living area, save for the fact it has a skin of raw particle board, flimsy and unfinished material for a family that can't persuasively cover its darker impulses.

Smokefall is full of surprises. In the second scene, we meet Violets unborn twins (Hutchison and Quinto, again, in what you can think of as a pair of in-utero, nearly full-term carnies), who embark on a whats-the-meaning-of-existence conversation that has shades of Godot.

Time passes  for some of the characters. In the second act, an apple treea successor to one pronounced dead in the first acthas wormed its way through the homes particle board, an intrusion the current resident uses as a conveniient excuse to avoid trips to the produce aisle.

MCC has pulled off a visually interesting feat, under the direction of Anne Kauffman (The Nether). There are some sweet moments showcasing the small ways in which these family members love one another. Violet, each day, undoes any progress her ill father has made on the jigsaw puzzle he adores, just so he will have something he enjoys, to keep his mind busy the next day.

A recurring theme is that there is no escape from your origins  but youre likely to discover that what you "need" can be found there, anyway. Is this Buddhism? Some hazy, marijuana-fueled reimagining of The Lion King? Im not sure, but its quite obvious that Haidle believes some things can keep growing, maturing, evolving and improving, even if theyre diseased.

Smokefall, presented by MCC Theater, through March 20 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St. Tickets: $49-$79. Call 212-727-7722.

Follow Robert Kahn on Twitter@RobertKahn


A South Jersey elementary school teacher is facing charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.

Thomas Guzzi Jr., 36, has been suspended from his job teaching fifth grade at Winslow Elementary School, in Vineland. Officials said he was arrested after an investigation by state authorities and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement found child porn on his computer. He was arrested at his home in Pitman.

Guzzis bail was set at $50,000, and he was being held at Salem County Jail. Investigators seized four computers, three iPads and two phones from him.

Police did not specify whether any of Guzzis students were harmed, but school officials informed parents of Guzzis arrest via a letter last week and said they are cooperating with the investigation.


Don't look now, but something wicked this way comes. And it's quickly approaching. You feel it? We do, too.

That impending feeling is actually the thrill and the rush of an epic SoundDiego LIVE headed your way. And tonight -- Thursday, March 24 -- we unleash havoc on the streets of Little Italy with a hometown doorbuster: Little Hurricane, beloved San Diego blues/rock duo and 2014 San Diego Music Award-winner for Artist of the Year, are set to storm Music Box for our 50th party (!!!) -- and the only way to weather the sonic destruction is to join in!

RSVP now for SoundDiego LIVE 50 on March 24 at Music Box!

Yep, it's SoundDiego LIVE 50, so we knew we had to go huge, and this one may just be our biggest yet. Music Box, the recently reopened/revitalized site of the old Anthology, has quickly reached the upper echelon when it comes to local music venues -- with three different levels to enjoy clear views of the stage, a restaurant, two bars, VIP lounge and one of the best all-around environments in town at which to witness live music. It's big, it's new, and it's absolutely killer.

And you know what? We dug deep and snagged a headliner worthy of the epic venue: Little Hurricane -- who have spent the last couple years touring the world and releasing a new SoundDiego Record Club-inducted record -- are back in town, and they'll be delivering a rock-solid performance we'll all undoubtedly be raving about for weeks/months/years to come.

The party will be hosted by 91x radio host Robin Roth and according to her, we did a pretty good job (*pats self on back*).

"I've been a fan of Little Hurricane ever since they got together in 2010," Roth told us. "From their first album, 'Homewrecker,' to the all-covers album, 'Stay Classy,' to 2014's 'Gold Fever,' they have consistently entertained fans locally and worldwide. Tone and drummer C.C. have a knack for connecting with the audience, and their live shows are always on point. Looking forward to having them headline this 50th edition of SoundDiego LIVE."

Joining Little Hurricane will be opener and local indie-rock darlings (seriously, they're the most photogenic guys around) Grizzly Business, who Roth seems to remember from a party we threw a little while ago in a galaxy not that far, far away.

"Its not Grizzly Businesss first rodeo with SoundDiego LIVE," she told us. "They reigned supreme as the Garage 2 Glory winner back at Bar Pink in August of 2014. And any band that describes themselves as 'if the Shins and Interpol had a baby' is definitely OK in my book. It'll be great to have them back!"

Those two bands will also be joined by one other incredible support act -- North County's rugged and rollicking psych/alt-country rockers Taken By Canadians!

Of course, a SoundDiego LIVE party -- not to mention our big 50th bash -- wouldn't be complete without dishing out some happy hour freebies to folks who RSVP early! Belching Beaching Brewery will be our San Diego craft-beer brewing partner for the night, and if you haven't had their award-winning beer, you'll finally have your chance to get some -- gratis!

The happy hour runs 7:30-8:30 p.m., so be sure to plan ahead and get there early! We'll be seeing you there.

RSVP now for SoundDiego LIVE on March 24 at Music Box!
A woman excitedly dubbed the birth of a baby seal on a beach in San Diego as a "miracle of life."

The video, submitted to NBC 7 by Angie McCall, was taken Sunday afternoon at La Jolla Cove.

"It's a beautiful miracle of life," McCall can be heard on the video. "That's so beautiful."

McCall said she was just enjoying a sunny day with her family when she noticed the pregnant seal about to give birth and grabbed her phone.

This is the time of year to see pups on our beaches as female Harbor seals return to the San Diego coastline to give birth in February and March.

Because the beach at the Children's Pool area is closed to the public during this time of year, it's recommended that you stay above the beach on the sea wall or the sidewalk.
Sunny skies and free lunches arent the only benefits that attract transients to San Diego County.

Local advocates for the homeless confirm that for decades, government agencies, churches and social service agencies in other states have provided free transportation to San Diego and other California cities to help rid their own cities of transients.

According to lawsuit recently settled, a Nevada mental hospital was accused of sending 500 patients by Greyhound bus to San Diego and other California cities.

Christopher Earl Destrude was one of the patients from Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas who ended up in San Diego, according to the lawsuit.

Law enforcement records confirm Destrude was classified as a sex offender in Montana following his 2004 conviction for sexual intercourse without consent. According to the Montana records, Destrudes victim was a 9-year-old girl.

According to news reports, Destrude fled Montana in January 2011 after failing to register as a sex offender. He made his way to Las Vegas where police arrested him, records show. Destrude was sent to the Rawson-Neal Hospital, but patient busing receipts obtained by the Sacramento Bee confirm the hospital bought Dustrude a bus ticket for San Diego on Jan. 26, 2011.

Dustrudes aunt told the Sacramento newspaper that her nephew had no family in San Diego and no ties to our community.

Court records confirm the U.S. Marshals Service in San Diego tracked him down two weeks later at the county mental hospital in the Midway District.

Hes in violation (for failing to report as a sex offender) in three different states, Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo told reporters at the time.

It pisses me off that they are sending their most infirm to other cities and not taking care of them themselves, homeless advocate Bob McElroy said about government and social service agencies that give their homeless and mentally ill free bus tickets to other cities.

We get two hundred new (transients) here every month from other cities, said McElroy, executive director of the Alpha Project in downtown San Diego. Id say half of them are sent here without having any local contacts.



When the Sacramento newspaper documented the extent of the problem in a series of stories about alleged patient dumping by Rawson Neal Hospital and the state of Nevada, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera took action.

In 2013, Herrera sued the state of Nevada and various Nevada state agencies, alleging that Rawson-Neal Hospital administrators sent a substantial number of mentally ill and indigent patients to California, despite the fact that virtually all the patients required continuing medical care were not residents of California and were not provided any instructions or assistance in finding shelter or basic necessities, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleged the patients applied for and received a total of $500,000 worth of housing support, medical care and basic necessities, paid for by San Francisco taxpayers.

Court records reveal San Francisco prosecutors reached out to colleagues in other cities, including San Diego, to gauge their interest in joining the lawsuit.

Despite Christopher Destrudes well-documented arrest in San Diego, a spokesman for City Attorney Jan Goldsmith told NBC 7 Investigates that in 2013, legal investigators here did look into reports of patient dumping at Rawson-Neal Hospital but could not confirm that it happened in San Diego.

McElroy said homeless dumping is well known and openly discussed by social service agencies.

Everyone does it, and everyone complains about it, McElroy said.

San Diego did not join the San Francisco lawsuit but will benefit from the settlement won by San Francisco prosecutors.

According to the settlement, approved by a San Francisco judge on Dec. 17, the Las Vegas mental hospital will now provide travel assistance to California only for patients who lived in the area to which theyre being sent, who have a family member or adult friend willing and able to care for them, or who have been accepted for treatment at a medical facility or mental health program in the community to which they are being sent.

The settlement also details that all patients must be accompanied on their journey by a chaperone, who will meet the patient in Nevada and travel with them to California.

Nevada, which did not admit any of the allegations in the lawsuit, will also pay San Francisco $400,000 in legal fees.

McElroy said he doubts the agreement will put an end to homeless and transient dumping.

They only changed things in Vegas because they got caught, he said.
A small plane crash landed in the middle of a street in Pacoima on Monday afternoon, clipping cars and causing damage before coming to a halt.

A Mooney M20 plane tried to return to Whiteman Airport for unknown reasons shortly after departing about 1:40 p.m., said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The single-engine plane, piloted by Henry Corbett, ended up landing on San Fernando Road south of the airport.

The plane hit several parked cars and caused significant damage to the plane, said Margaret Stewart, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman.

Among the vehicles hit was a Ford Mustang being driven by 18-year-old Nicolas Jimenez, who said he had to think quickly as he saw the plane descending in his direction.

"If I don't accelerate, I'm going to get hit directly by the plane and I swerved, and it hit me on the side of my car," Jiminez said.

Henry Corbett, was trying to return to the airport in a plane owned by his son, Joshua Corbett, who is currently incarcerated for allegedly stalking actress Sandra Bullock.

Henry Corbett, who is a registered pilot, was the only person on board, and not injured.

No other injuries were reported.

Corey Arvin and Jamie Bankson contributed to this report.
San Diego has fallen behind other cities across the nation in an effort to house chronically homeless veterans, according to a national initiative called 25 Cities.

Now, the San Diego Housing Commission is aiming to house 1,000 chronically homeless veterans by March 1, 2017, along with a campaign launched by San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer called Housing Our Heroes.



The federally-funded agency is trying to tackle the problem by going more high-tech with recent purchases of Mac Book Pros, Apple iPad tablets, Apple iWatches and Apple TVs.



Jose Corrales, an inspector for the San Diego Housing Commission, uses an iPad to conduct a move-in inspection at an El Cerrito area apartment slated for a tenant with a federal housing voucher.



Corrales enters the inspection information into the iPad where the data nearly automatically becomes available to future landlords and to housing assistants helping low-income or homeless tenants find shelter.



It helps in that it speeds up the process, so right now, back in the office, they already know that it passed because my results have already gotten uploaded, Corrales said. It eliminates a lot of the paper shuffling, with for example, the reports on this persons desk, and its going somewhere else. Whereas now, at least, the result is done.



Not everyone agrees with how the money is being spent.



Through the California Public Records Act, NBC 7 found the agency bought about $50,000 in Apple products between 2013 and 2016, including two Mac Book Pros, 22 iPads, two Apple TVs and two Apple Watches. The documents can be found and reviewed here.

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A well-known San Diego hospital and physician face a wrongful death lawsuit filed Tuesday that claims they did not stop a patient from driving before she killed a La Jolla woman in October of 2014.

Melissa Ratcliff, 45, vice president of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, was running errands and had been unloading her car in the 7700-block of Girard when she was hit and killed.

Mary O'Neil, 91, backed out of a nearby parking spot on the west side of the street, crossed into the other side and rammed into Ratcliff, San Diego police said.

The lawsuit claims O'Neil should never have been driving in the first place and that those caring for her knew it.

Ratcliff had a successful career in national politics and was the mother of three young children.

They will never again have their mother with them. Some days are better than others, the kids father Bennet Ratcliff said.

Ratcliff spoke with NBC7 by computer from upstate New York.

The lawsuit claims, Dr. Gaston Molina and Scripps Health were aware O'Neil was unfit to drive when she crashed into Ratcliff.

The law is there to keep the rest of us safe from their patients that can't drive, Ratcliffs attorney Dan Gilleon said.

Gilleon, who represents the Ratcliff family, claims O'Neil's medical records show she suffered debilitating conditions including diabetes, Neuropathy and reported losing spatial awareness.

Its their responsibility to say, Hey a wait a minute you shouldn't be driving but they didn't, Ratcliff said.

When O'Neil backed into Ratcliff, court records indicate she told police, the car suddenly accelerated in reverse and she could not locate the brake pedal.

They are just as responsible for that as the driver is, Gilleon said referring to ONeils physicians office.

California Health codes require caregivers to report patients with disorders that could be characterized by lapses of consciousness.

Most doctors realize as soon as they report their patient to the DMV they are going to lose that business and not be happy about it, Gilleon said.

This case won't settle the "how old is too old to drive" debate, but may better define the symptoms of aging that could lead to tragic mistakes.

NBC 7 reached out to Scripps Health before the report was aired. The following day, we received a statement from Janice Collins, Senior Director of Public and Community Relations.

Scripps has been named as a defendant in this case. For that reason and to protect the privacy of our patients, we are unable to comment further, Collins wrote.


A 13-year-old South Park boy is looking for the owner of jewelry he and a friend found while hiking near a South Park canyon.

Thomas Hoffman said he and another boy were exploring new areas near a canyon at Felton and Ivy Street on February 13 around 9:30 a.m.

We saw something glitter and I went down more and found a whole chunk of jewelry, said Hoffman.

The boys said they found a pair of clip on earrings, bracelets and necklaces strewn down the canyon. Jewelry boxes were scattered on the ground as if thrown, he said.

We thought we should try to find whose stuff it was and return it to them, said Hoffman.

Hoffman gave the jewelry to his mother. She has tried to report this to San Diego Police, but says police have not gotten back to her. Its unclear whether this is connected to a crime in the area.

I just hope we find the person who owns this jewelry, says Hoffman.


A mountain lion was seen on the California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) campus Feb. 21.

The animal was reported to be near the social and behavioral science building, according to the universitys release.

The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFW) was contacted and upon investigation, the CDFW could not verify the sighting. However, the lack of physical evidence does not mean the sighting was false, explained CDFW.

No other sightings have been reported since Saturday.

There have been approximately seven other on-campus sightings over the past 10-years, according to the university. Despite these numbers, there has never been a serious incident with individuals on campus and a mountain lion.

These animals are not strangers to North County.

The university itself has a lot of open land surrounding it and students frequently see docile wildlife, such as deer, on campus, the university explained.

Nonetheless, the university warns students, faculty and staff to immediately report any sightings to university police at (760) 750-4567. They also warn individuals to avoid walking alone especially early in the morning and late at night.

If confronted by a mountain lion, do not run, the university advises. Try to make yourself as large as possible while making noise, waving your warms, and engaging in direct eye contact with the animal.
The amounts of money local schools earn through the sale of student portraits varies widely, according to an investigation by the News4 I-Team.

Similar-sized schools, often within the same school district, are cutting demonstratively different contracts with photography vendors, causing disparities and potentially burdensome work for school principals.

The I-Team, through a review of school photography contacts in Virginia and Maryland, found some school principals cutting more lucrative deals than others. Some secured signing bonuses, while others negotiated more generous commissions. The I-Team found local school districts, which use school portraits as a fundraising tool for individual schools, allow individual school principals to make contract agreements with portrait photographers. Even within the same school district, those principals hire a series of a different photography companies, and are permitted to set their own prices for the pictures.

Westland Middle:

Ridgeview Middle:

Forest Oak:

Montgomery County Public Schools Materials Management Director Kathy Lazor said the system allows principals flexibility to offer whatever portrait packages they believe parents would prefer. But Lazor said the system can be burdensome for those principals.

Principals will get cold calls from companies that want the business, Lazor said.

Lazor said the district recently limited the number of contractors permitted to offer school portrait service in Montgomery County schools to four to reduce the number of sales calls to principals.

Photography companies and schools share in the proceeds of school portraits in many local districts, according to the I-Team review. The money is set aside in a student activity fund in each local school in Montgomery County, Lazor said.

Those funds are specifically used for the student body, she said.

In several local school districts, contracts reviewed by the I-Team show variations in the percentage of school portrait funds offered to the schools as commission. In Frederick County Public Schools, the photography contract for Urbana Middle School guarantees the school $7 for each portrait sold to a students family. The contract written for Frederick High School guarantees the school $4,000 in proceeds from picture sales.

In neighboring school districts, including Faquier County in Virginia and Montgomery and Prince Georges counties in Maryland, schools are offered a percentage of all proceeds as commission. Photography contracts for Adelphi Elementary School in Prince Georges County show the school negotiated a 40 percent commission of all school picture sales. Within the Montgomery County school district, two similar-size middle schools cut different deals. Forest Oak Middle secured 40 percent of portrait sales. Ridgeview Middle School negotiated a 30 percent commission.

In other cases, the I-Team found some school principals negotiated signing bonuses to boost their revenue from picture sales. Hylton High School in Prince William County asked its photography contractor to fund a $1,200 scholarship for students, according to contracts. Bonnie Branch High School in Howard County asked photographers to offer a complimentary photo of school faculty.

Freedom High School:

Valley Elementary:

Bonnie Branch:

The I-Teams review found LifeTouch Photography, which is headquartered in Minnesota, was the most frequently used photography contractor in the D.C. region. The company, which also has offices and employees based in Maryland and Virginia, acknowledges cutting different size contracts with neighboring schools.

LifeTouch spokesman Kelvin Miller said the company uses signing bonuses and commission rates as incentives to win business from local school districts.

The packages vary in content and price depending on the level of the school, he said. We dont always do signing bonuses, but its a tool for negotiation.

Miller said schools have the ability to raise prices for portraits to collect additional funds from the sales.

Schools have the prerogative of increasing costs to families, he said. We are proud to have earned the trust of families and schools coast to coast.

Montgomery County Public Schools said it is considering changes to its system for contracting school portraits to relieve the burden on principals and parents. Lazor said the district will consider setting a firm cap or limit on the cost of portraits sold to reduce the need for negotiations by the principals and minimize the differences in prices between neighboring schools.

Reported by Scott MacFarlane. Produced by Rick Yarborough. Shot and edited by Jeff Piper.
Two male middle school students are accused of touching a 12-year-old female student aboard a Fairfax County school bus, WTOP reported.

The boys, also both 12, are facing sexual battery charges in the case.

The alleged incident happened Nov. 16 aboard a school bus parked at Glasgow Middle School in Lincolnia, Virginia. Police told NBC Washington it appears that the driver was not on the bus at the time.

Students were in the process of boarding the bus when the incident allegedly happened. The girl told investigators that one boy slapped her on the buttocks and then grabbed her buttocks and breasts over a period of several minutes, the Washington Post reported. The girl yelled at him to stop, the Post reported.

According to the Post, the victim said the student held her down and straddled her. A second student held her feet down, the Post reported.

Police say that the crime is considered a sexual assault because of their ages and Virginia codes.

John Torre, spokesman for Fairfax County Public Schools, said the school was notified of the incident a day later, and officials immediately began investigating.

"The parents of students on the bus who witnessed the incident were immediately notified and appropriate disciplinary action was taken against the students involved," Torre said.

Although student disciplinary proceedings are confidential, the students involved were removed from classes and also had their bus privileges revoked, Torre said.
An SUV crashed into the wall of a Maryland daycare center Tuesday morning. The driver was injured, but no children were hurt.

The SUV crashed around 7:30 a.m. into the Rising Generations Early Learning Center, located in the 9700 block of Prince Place in Largo, authorities said.

There were no children in the room where the SUV hit, said Prince George's County Fire Chief Marc Bashoor. The children are going home, he said.

The SUV driver was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

It's unclear what caused the crash.
An Uber driver was attacked by passengers Saturday night in Arlington, Virginia, after he asked them to throw out the beer they were drinking in his car, according to the driver and police.

The driver, who asked that News4 withhold his name, was punched and hit in the head with a glass bottle when three men from Woodbridge, Virginia, attacked him, police said.

The trouble began when the driver picked up six passengers before 11 p.m. Saturday night on Pollard Street. The group was boisterous, and soon the driver heard beer bottles clinking, he said. He pulled over the car on the 500 block of S. Washington Boulevard, near the Pentagon and the south end of Arlington National Cemetery, and asked the passengers to throw out the beer.

But instead of complying, one of the men opened a passenger-side door and tried to pull the keys out of the ignition. Then he began to hit the driver, he and police said.

"I tried to stop him with my hand, then from the other hand he threw the bottle at me on my head," the driver said. "After that, he started punching me."

A passenger then shattered one of the car's windows, and the group scattered.

Lance Ingram, 25, was charged with assault by mob. Justin Norconk, 26, was charged with malicious wounding and assault by mob. Jeffrey Rowe, 26, was charged with destruction of property.

All three men live in Woodbridge, Virginia, police said. They are being held without bond.

"We take this very seriously. No. 1, they shouldn't have been consuming alcohol in the car, so he is in the right to ask them to refrain from doing so," Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage said. "And then to violently attack him is absolutely inappropriate."

The men were arrested after police saw them leaving the scene in a taxi. Information on attorneys for the men was not immediately available.

Uber said the company has a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment and abuse. The accounts of the two passengers who requested and split the ride Saturday night were immediately deactivated pending an investigation.

"Uber expects everyone in our community to treat each other with respect and common courtesy," a representative said. "We've been in touch with the driver-partner and stand ready to assist the authorities with their investigation."
With the backyard bluff disappearing, a Wellfleet, Massachusetts, cottage is in retreat.

Ezra Ambrose, a field supervisor said, We moved the house back about 20 feet, and slid it over in the house corner.

This four week project is the latest of several just like it. It will involve putting the house on pilings to give it more flexibility.

"The dune can erode underneath the house and give the homeowner a little longer to live in the house while it does that," said Ambrose.

With the bluff in the area washing away at 1-2 feet a year, the homeowners hope to enjoy another decade by the sea. However, they know theyre at the mercy of mother nature.

Kim Shkapich, of Wellfleet, Massachusetts, says, Everything here is really at risk at one point or another.

Shkapich says her friend moved a house to battle erosion not long ago.

Even though its not a permanent solution, she says many on the outer cape just want to live seaside as long as possible.

Just to the south in Eastham, the erosion at Nauset Light Beach is even more extreme.

Kathy Tevyaw, of the Cape Cod National Seashore says, We really saw an increase last year when we lost 18 feet of the bluff here.

So far this year the loss is closer to 12 feet. This erosion is enough to wipe out the stairs leading to the beach again.

Karst Hoogeboom, the Chief of Facilities, noted, Its the fifth year in a row, and historically we had lost the stairs every 3 to 4 or 5 years.

With a replacement cost of $115,000, Cape Cod National Seashore is now looking at more resilient alternatives like a ramp or removable stairs.

The erosion problem is so serious at Nauset Light Beach that the national parks service is now considering moving the facilities all the way to the back of the property, then busing people closer to the beach. The move happen in the next several years.
A North Providence man who abandoned a starving dog outside a pet supply store has been sentenced to a year of probation.



The dog later had to be euthanized.



WJAR-TV reports that Brian Kenney was also ordered Monday to pay a $100 fine and contribute $500 to the Rhode Island SPCA after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of unnecessary cruelty to an animal.



Police say Kenney abandoned his dog Moses in August in the parking lot of a PetSmart store in Johnston. The dog was so malnourished that it had to be put down.



Authorities slater took away Kenney's other two dogs .He is also barred from owning a dog while on probation.



The SPCA's director said on the organization's Facebook page that "justice was done."
A plan by the state to establish a colony of venomous timber rattlesnakes on an off-limits island in Massachusetts' largest body of water has some rattled by visions of dangerous serpents slithering through the surrounding woods, attacking hikers, fishermen and hunters.

Those are completely irrational fears based on the public's aversion to snakes, said Tom French of the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, who's directing the project at the 39-square mile Quabbin Reservoir and representing the state at a public meeting Tuesday to address the concerns.

French said he's received several emails and phone calls from worried residents who fear the snakes will escape the island.

"People are afraid that we're going to put snakes in a place of public use and that they are going to breed like rabbits and spread over the countryside and kill everybody," he said.

There are only about 200 of the endangered snakes indigenous to Massachusetts left in five scattered pockets from greater Boston to the Berkshires, French said. Loss of habitat and human-caused deaths means they could disappear altogether, which is why the Quabbin project is so critical.

The plan to establish the snakes on Mount Zion  at more than 1,400 acres, the largest island in the reservoir  has been in the works for several years. A handful of snakes will be raised at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island, and placed on the island in a couple more years when they are mature enough to survive in the wild.

The project has received the endorsement of Gov. Charlie Baker.

The public's concerns stem from the fact that rattlesnakes can swim and the island is connected to the mainland by a pair of narrow causeways, French said.

Bob Curley, an avid hiker, isn't opposed to the rattlesnake preservation effort; he just doesn't think the Quabbin is the place to do it. Even though Mount Zion of off limits to the public, he's concerned the state will use the snakes as an excuse to shut off public access to areas around the reservoir about 65 miles west of Boston.

"When the inevitable happens and there is an interplay between a hiker and a rattler, what's the repercussion?" said the Athol resident, who said his dog was bitten by a rattlesnake last summer. "Are the trails around the Quabbin going to be shut down?"

There is no plan to deny public access to the Quabbin, and concerns that snakes will leave the island and threaten humans are unfounded, French said.

Rattlesnakes are timid and only strike out when provoked. There have been no documented rattlesnake bite deaths in Massachusetts since colonial times, he said. He can't even recall an accidental bite in his 32 years with the state agency even though Massachusetts' rattlesnake populations live largely in public lands that get heavy foot traffic.

On Mount Zion, the snakes will be safe from human interference, have ideal places to hibernate and plenty of mice and chipmunks to eat.

"We want one place where the impact of people in not part of the equation," French said.

The state's message appears to be getting out.

Nancy Allen, chairwoman of the selectboard in Petersham, a town on the eastern shore of the reservoir, said she heard from fearful residents when the plan became public, but those fears died down once people educated themselves about the project.

"Once they started to look into the facts, people started to change their minds," she said.

Peter Mallett, a recreational fisherman who lives in New Salem, a town on the Quabbin's western shore, opposed the snake project at first, but changed his mind after digging deeper.

"People are just petrified of snakes," he said.
Police are calling it one of the worst cases of animal abuse they've ever seen.

Two women are facing animal cruelty charges after investigators say they left a Shih-Tzu behind in a home they had been renting in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

Animals welfare advocates say a bill they are pushing in Massachusetts would help prevent a similar tragedy.

Lyn Gorka, a Re/Max realtor in Marlborough, took in her cat Willy after she says a client selling their home left him behind when they moved out of state.

"Oh, it's devastating. To me, it's like leaving a child behind," says Gorka.

Gorka has found many abandoned animals over the years: frozen cats, hungry dogs, and a rabbit thrown in the trash. But, it was Phanton, a two-year-old yellow lab, who was found starved to death in a Hudson condo, that drove her to take action. For the past five years, the 72-year-old has been a driving force to get an abandoned animal law on the books.

In a bill being debated in Joint Committee at the State House, landlords and owners of foreclosed properties would be required to check vacated properties within three days for animals left behind. If they were to find any, they would be required to alert the city or town animal control officer.

Dr. Martha Smith-Blackstone is a forensic veterinarian and performs many of the necropsies on animals who die of abuse of neglect throughout the state. Sometimes, she says, there is justice.

37-year-old Jose Rodriguez was convicted of animal cruelty in 2014 after police found the mummified body of his Husky named Snow in the bathtub. Rodriguez had left the dog in the Sheridan St. apartment without food or water and the landlord did not check the property until neighbors complained of the smell four months later.

"They're clawing at doors and windows trying to get out. Eating foreign objects. Ripping up floor tiles, trying to eat them. There's been cases of the dog ripping up toilet seats to get access to water," says Smith-Blackstone.

Lt. Alan Borgal with the Animal Rescue League of Boston says he sees between six and 10 cases of animal abandonment a month.

Stitch, an abandoned, starving pit bull found in Dedham, had to be put down last month. A month before that, police found two Chihuahuas in a Southbridge apartment. They had been locked in a closet, inside a rabbit cage, with no food or water for over a week. The mother and her puppy were rescued in time to save them. So far, no one has been charged in the case, but Borgal says the criminal investigation is ongoing.

"I don't think people realize, if they abandon their pet, it's a felony. It's animal cruelty and it's a felony in Massachusetts. It's seven years in jail now," says Borgal.

The bill would also impose a $100 a day penalty for landlords who don't check their properties after the required three days.

Greg Vasil with the Greater Boston Real Estate Board wonders how much weight those fines will carry.

"You can ding them, but then you have to find it and actually use the court system to recover it. It could take years," says Vasil.

Smith-Blackstone says ideally, the person who abandons the animals will be the one punished, but finding the animal before it's too late must be the priority for everyone.

"When animals are criminally abused, there's a very distinct possibility that humans are in harm's way as well," says Smith-Blackstone.

The bill is sponsored by Democratic Senator Jamie Eldridge. He says he hopes it will receiive a favorable report in committee so it can move forward. An update is expected in mid March.

As for the Chihuahuas abandoned in Southbridge, the Animals Rescue League says they are on the mend and have just been adopted.
A grand jury has declined to indict three Johnson & Wales University students who were accused of raping a female student at an off-campus apartment in Pawtucket.



Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin announced Monday that a Providence County grand jury declined to indict Mohammed Aljohani, Tareq Alharbi and Mohammed Alsaqer, all of Saudi Arabia.



Kilmartin spokeswoman Amy Kempe says the office can't comment on the grand jury's findings.



The men were arrested Oct. 6 and charged with first-degree sexual assault.



The university suspended the men pending an investigation. A university spokesman told WJAR-TV the men were still suspended as of Monday.



Attorneys for Aljohani and Alharbi say their clients are relieved and appreciative of the legal process.



Alsaqer's attorney wasn't immediately available for comment.
A police officer was hit by a car in a construction zone and dragged Tuesday afternoon in Wayland, Massachusetts.

Police say Sgt. Jennifer Ordway was struck just after noon at 118 Commonwealth Rd.

She was dragged between five and 15 feet before another officer signaled for the driver to stop.

Ordway was taken to Metrowest Medical Center in Natick with minor injuries.

Police charged the driver, 20-year-old William Prewitt of Concord, with driving to endanger and failure to stop. He was released at the scene, but will appear in Framingham District Court.

It was not immediately clear if Prewitt had an attorney.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) today rebutted accounts in the media, and implications by Apple, that it or San Bernardino County messed up when the iCloud password for the iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook was reset days after a shooting that left 14 dead.

On Dec. 6, FBI investigators, with the approval of San Bernardino County and the assistance of its IT staff, reset the password of Farook's iCloud account. San Bernardino County owned the iPhone 5C, had supplied it to Farook for his job as a health inspector, and controlled Farook's iCloud account.

+ ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD Tim Cook refuses order to help unlock terrorist's iPhone 5c +

Forook, along with this wife, Tashfeen Malik, are accused of killing 14 in San Bernardino, Calif., on Dec. 2. They died four hours later in a shootout with police.

"A logical next step was to obtain access to iCloud backups for the phone in order to obtain evidence related to the investigation in the days following the attack," the FBI said today in a statement emailed to Computerworld.

Re/code first reported Sunday on the FBI's statement.

"[The FBI] was able to reset the password in order to provide immediate access to the iCloud backup data," the agency said in its statement.

After serving a search warrant on Apple, the FBI obtained the phone's last iCloud backup, dated Oct. 19.

But questions remain about what would have happened had the FBI and San Bernardino County not reset the iCloud account password on Dec. 6. If the iCloud Backup feature in iOS is enabled, the phone is supposed to automatically back up when it's connected to power and connected to an already-known Wi-Fi network, assuming there's enough space in the account and the iPhone's screen is locked.

Some have posited that had the phone been connected to a power outlet and a Wi-Fi network -- specifically a known network, such as one at Farook's residence -- it would have automatically backed up the appropriate content to iCloud.

According to reports, Apple executives speaking to an invite-only group of reporters Friday suggested that the FBI botched the job by resetting the device's iCloud password. It might have been possible to collect a new backup's contents if it had held off, they said.

Apple implied as much in a FAQ it published early Monday. "One of the strongest suggestions we offered [the FBI] was that they pair the phone to a previously joined network, which would allow them to back up the phone and get the data they are now asking for," Apple said. "Unfortunately, we learned that while the attacker's iPhone was in FBI custody the Apple ID password associated with the phone was changed. Changing this password meant the phone could no longer access iCloud services."

The FBI didn't directly contest that, but argued that there was probably more information on the iPhone 5C than could be gathered from an iCloud backup.

"It is unknown whether an additional iCloud backup of the phone after that date [of Oct. 19, 2015] -- if one had been technically possible -- would have yielded any data," the agency acknowledged. "[But] even if the password had not been changed and Apple could have turned on the auto-backup and loaded it to the cloud, there might be information on the phone that would not be accessible without Apple's assistance as required by the All Writs Act order, since the iCloud backup does not contain everything on an iPhone."

The latter -- that there may be a wealth of information not included in the backup -- has been a point the Department of Justice (DOJ) has made repeatedly in its filings with the federal court that has ordered Apple to help investigators access the phone.

Authorities want Apple to create a modified version of iOS that disables an auto-erase feature -- triggered after 10 incorrect passcode entries -- and removes the forced delays between passcode guesses. The FBI would then conduct a brute-force passcode crack from a personal computer at high speeds to uncover the passcode -- which unlocks the device -- and so examine all the data there.

Apple must be the one that crafts such a tool since only updates signed by the company's digital certificate will be accepted by an iPhone.

Even if resetting the iCloud password was a mistake, the FBI said, Apple remains obligated to assist. "The reset of the iCloud account password does not impact Apple's ability to assist with the the court order under the All Writs Act," said the agency, referring to the 1789 law cited by the DOJ when it asked a federal judge to force Apple to help.

"As the government's pleadings state, the government's objective was, and still is, to extract as much evidence as possible from the phone," the FBI added. "Through previous testing, we know that direct data extraction from an iOS device often provides more data than an iCloud backup contains."

It's possible that Farook turned off the iCloud auto-backup at some point after Oct. 19, although he used the phone after that date, the FBI said. He may also not have charged it when a known Wi-Fi network was available.

Apple has said it will not comply with the court's order to assist the FBI because it would set what it called "a very dangerous precedent." Apple has until Friday to file its objections with the California federal court. That court has set a March 22 date for oral hearings, and will accept amicus briefs from interested parties until March 3.

This story, "FBI rebuts criticism that it reset terrorist's iCloud password after attack" was originally published by Computerworld .
This week as the mobile world has its eyes on Barcelona, Ericsson  a major supplier of equipment for telecommunication providers  has announced a broad-ranging, and slightly vague, partnership with Amazon Web Services.

+MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: All the latest Mobile World Congress Coverage | If Amazon were in Apples position, would it unlocks its cloud for the feds? +

The pact announced at Mobile World Congress marks the latest effort by a teleco provider to figure out how to deal with cloud computing services. Other telecos are struggling with the same question.

Swedish-based Ericsson says it is training up its workforce of consulting engineers to help its telecommunications clients use AWSs cloud. Heres what Ericsson said when announcing the agreement:

As part of this announcement, Ericsson is creating a global team of experts focused on the AWS Cloud and opening cloud innovation centers with customers, and AWS is supporting Ericsson in this effort. Ericsson will contribute expertise from its 25,000 R&D engineers and 66,000-person service workforce - more than 17,000 of whom are consultants and systems integrators, delivering 1,500 projects per year around the world.

What can telecos use the cloud for? Its still somewhat vague at this point, but basically Ericsson officials say that anything that requires compute, network or storage infrastructure can be done in Amazons cloud. It lists a couple of examples such as: End-to-end security and data traffic management services hosted in AWS; workload management from the cloud; or telecos could act as a gateway for customers to access data stored in AWSs cloud.

More broadly, the move represents the continually shifting strategies telecommunication providers have with regards to cloud services.

IDC analyst Brad Casemore pointed out on Twitter: In an earlier era, Ericsson might have tried to sell gear to AWS. Now, though, it partners with AWS to provide cloud services to carriers, adding, IT infrastructure vendors are coming to terms with public cloud. Its not going away, and they must adapt.

Over the past five years telecos have made some big moves in this market, from Verizon buying Terremark to CenturyLink scooping up Savvis and later Tier 3.

More recently, those two companies have been rumored to be considering selling off some of their data center infrastructure. As they do that, it could be a sign they would move to a cloud provider like AWS, instead of offering services to compete with the public cloud leader. AT&T recently announced a partnership with IBM for Big Blue to manage the teleco companys cloud service.

Ericssons interest in cloud computing should not come as a surprise though. Two years ago it hired Jason Hoffman, founder and former CTO of cloud provider Joyent to head up its cloud strategy.

Big changes are afoot in the telco market when it comes to cloud. Clearly Ericsson wants to be one of the companies helping these carriers make that transition, rather than be left behind.
A Discovery astronaut, a biomedical engineer who develops wellness programs for astronauts, and the CEO of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, will spend Monday, Feb. 29, with students and faculty at Girls Preparatory School.

Sponsored by the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, the womens visit will include a presentation to the entire student body along with in-depth discussions with various classes throughout the day regarding related careers, the Space Camp, research and other topics.

During a morning assembly, former NASA astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger will present a video of the space mission she experienced from preparation to orbit to reentry. She flew as a mission specialist aboard Discovery as part of the STS 131 Crew. She was the flight engineer during ascent and re-entry and operated the robotic arm during the crews two-week mission to the International Space Station.

Dr. Andrea Hanson is an exercise physiologist and biomedical engineer who works at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She is the exercise, physiology and countermeasures lead senior scientist and develops exercise routines/wellness programs for the astronauts.

Both Ms. Metcalf and Dr. Hanson attended U.S. Space Camp as young girls and will share how the experience sparked their dreams. The dream of Dr. Wernher von Braun (internationally recognized German rocket scientist), Space Camp has graduated 750,000 alumni since opening its doors in 1982. Five, all women, have gone on to become astronauts.

Dr. Deborah Barnhart is the CEO of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, U.S. Space Camp, and a retired Navy captain. She was one of the first females certified to fight on and drive Navy vessels. A former executive with Honeywell, she was involved in classified satellite work associated with spacecraft. She has written curriculum for the centers Space Academy II, the teachers program in which some GPS educators hope to participate this coming year.

During their daylong visit, all three women will visit and speak to Upper School STEM classes to engage in a more in-depth discussion regarding career paths or answer specific questions regarding their fields.






Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is one of 25 national parks selected to receive a 2016 Active Trails grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of Americas national parks. This grant will be used to encourage first-time visitors to Find their Park in their own backyard.

Now in its eight year, the Active Trails program supports healthy living by getting people out and active in national parks through projects promoting recreation and exercise.

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park hosts active recreational opportunities to bike, kayak, canoe and hike while learning about the parks history and resources, said Kim Coons, chief of interpretation and resource education. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with a local nonprofit, Glass House Collective. Together we plan to provide support for an urban, underserved neighborhood in East Chattanooga to discover our parks.

Sherman Reservation, a 50-acre public attraction, is located at the north end of a community that is undergoing revitalization," said Teal Thibaud, executive director of Glass House Collective. "Thanks to our Active Trails program, were also able to interact with Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in a much more intensive way in order to make it easier for people of all backgrounds to participate. Our residents will discover how they can actively enjoy our national parks in ways that speak to their unique interests."

Since 2008, the National Park Foundation has granted more than $3.85 million through its Active Trails program. As of early 2015, Active Trails has engaged more than 12,000 volunteers and 740 project partners.

National parks, both urban, and rural, can provide opportunities to improve ones physical and mental health, said Sara Newman, director of the Office of Public Health at the National Park Service. The scientific evidence is mounting to demonstrate that physical activity in the outdoors can lead to numerous health benefits, and we are proud our parks are a health resource for the nation. These National Park Foundation grants will help all visitors experience our parks as places to recreate, inspire, reflect, and be active.

The entire list of the 2016 Active Trails recipients can be found here.

The Active Trails projects are examples of the ways there are to #FindYourPark. Launched in March 2015, FindYour Park/Encuentra Tu Parque is a public awareness and education movement to inspire people from all backgrounds to connect with, celebrate, and support Americas national parks and community-based programs. Celebrating the National Park Service Centennial and setting the stage for the Services next 100 years, #FindYourPark, invites people to discover and share their own unique connections to our nations natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history.

The National Park Foundation wishes to thank The Coca-Cola Company and The Coca-Cola Foundation for their generous support of the Active Trails program.






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Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
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The Mount Desert Island (MDI) Biological Laboratory has announced that assistant professor Sandra Rieger, Ph.D., has identified two drugs that could potentially be used to reverse peripheral nerve damage, or peripheral neuropathy, resulting from chemotherapy treatment for ovarian, breast, lung, pancreas and other cancers. The drugs also have potential applications for the treatment of peripheral nerve damage caused by diabetes, traumatic injuries and other conditions.

The drugs are the subject of a provisional patent filed by the MDI Biological Laboratory earlier this month. Rieger, who is continuing to study the drugs, will work through the MDI Biological Laboratory's for-profit spinoff company, Novo Biosciences, to move the drugs into patient trials. If the drugs prove to be effective at treating nerve damage, they will be licensed to a pharmaceutical company for additional studies, with the aim of achieving FDA approval.

The MDI Biological Laboratory, located in Bar Harbor, Maine, is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution that develops solutions to complex human and environmental health problems through research, education and ventures that transform discoveries into cures. The institution is focused on increasing healthy lifespan and harnessing our natural ability to repair and regenerate tissues damaged by injury or disease.

Rieger and other scientists working in the institution's Kathryn W. Davis Center for Regenerative Medicine study tissue repair, regeneration and aging in a diverse range of organisms that have robust mechanisms to repair and regenerate tissue.

"Currently, there are no effective treatments for the underlying causes of peripheral neuropathy, which affects 30 to 40 percent of chemotherapy patients," said Kevin Strange, Ph.D., the president of the laboratory. "Our hope is that Dr. Rieger's work in the zebrafish model will lead to an effective treatment for this condition, which can cause disabling difficulty in carrying out everyday activities such as walking, writing, getting dressed and handling small objects."

Damage to peripheral nerves can cause pain, numbing, tingling, temperature sensitivity and muscle weakness. If the damage is severe, it can lead to serious problems such as falls, changes in heart rate, changes in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, paralysis and even organ failure. The overall incidence of 2.4 percent translates to nearly 8 million victims in the United States alone, with the incidence increasing to 8 percent after age 55.

Rieger has determined that, in the presence of paclitaxel, a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, peripheral neuropathy is caused by the increased expression of MMP-13 (matrix-metalloproteinase 13). MMP-13 is toxic to the nerves and increases the susceptibility of the skin on the hands and feet to injury from everyday stresses by degrading collagen, which Rieger described as the "glue" between the cells that helps the skin resist mechanical stress. The disruptions to the intricate interactions between the skin and nerves caused by the increase in MMP-13 activity are thought to contribute to paclitaxel-induced nerve damage.

Her research has identified two drugs that prevent paclitaxel-induced neurotoxicity by reducing the activity of MMP-13, offering a new avenue for potential therapeutic interventions. When given with paclitaxel, these new drugs prevented the degeneration of axons (the long, slender protrusions of a nerve cell) and restored the touch response in zebrafish. Rieger uses zebrafish as a model because they share 70 percent of their genes with humans; their brief lifespans also allow scientists to quickly gain valuable insight into fundamental scientific questions. Plans call for further testing in mammalian models such as mice and/or rats, as well as in human skin.

Rieger is now collaborating with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., on studies in human skin tissue.

"Once we've completed our studies on mammalian models, we'd like to collaborate with a medical institution or pharmaceutical company on clinical trials in humans," Rieger said. "The current thinking is that no single drug is likely to be effective for the treatment of all peripheral neuropathies, which can stem from multiple causes. The hope, however, is that these drugs can also be used to treat other neuropathies or that the zebrafish model can be used to identify novel candidates for the treatment of other neuropathies."

In addition to chemotherapy, neuropathies can be caused by diabetes, multiple sclerosis, obesity, chronic kidney disease, aging and many other conditions, creating a huge unmet need for effective treatment.

While drugs are available that provide partial relief of the pain associated with peripheral neuropathy, none address the underlying causes. The global market for pain-relieving drugs provides an indication of the size of this market. This market, which was $4.8 billion in 2010, is expected to grow to $10 billion in 2018. This growth is attributed largely to the global rise in the incidence of obesity and diabetes.
Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III and the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs announced on Nov. 4, 2015, a settlement with Elavon, Inc., a global company specializing in products and services that enable retailers to process credit card transactions.

The States settlement resolved allegations that Elavon and its subsidiary, Ladco Financial Group, LLC, violated the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act by misrepresenting: (1) the cancellation policy of its credit card processing equipment leases; (2) the duration of credit card processing equipment leases; and (3) the compatibility of credit card processing equipment.

Under the terms of the settlement, Elavon is providing refunds to eligible Tennesseans who file complaints with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, the Better Business Bureau or the Federal Trade Commission, prior to the Saturday deadline. Complaints filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer affairs may be filed by phone at 615.741-4737 or 800.342-8385, or online at http://www.tn.gov/commerce/article/consumer-complaint or by sending a complaint form to:

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance

Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs

500 James Robertson Pkwy

12th Floor

Nashville, TN 37243-0600

There is a limited time period to file a complaint for purposes of the settlement.
A medication approved to treat various respiratory diseases and that has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in preclinical studies is the focus of a new clinical trial for Parkinson's disease.

The trial is the latest to be launched as part of the Linked Clinical Trials (LCT) initiative, a program spearheaded by UK research charity The Cure Parkinson's Trust in collaboration with Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), which is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.

"With this trial, we're moving beyond treating Parkinson's symptoms. We want to actually slow or stop disease progression," said Patrik Brundin, M.D., Ph.D., head of LCT's international scientific committee and director of VARI's Center for Neurodegenerative Science. "This drug--ambroxol--has performed exceptionally well in preclinical studies for Parkinson's and is already approved to treat other conditions."

By focusing on existing medications that have have already passed the rigorous drug approval process and shown promise in preclinical laboratory studies for treating Parkinson's, LCT aims to significantly reduce the time and cost required to bring new therapies to people with Parkinson's.

"Linked Clinical Trials has real momentum and provides us with the prospect of having new, potentially breakthrough treatments being accelerated into the clinic within a relatively short period," said Tom Isaacs, president and co-founder of The Cure Parkinson's Trust. "This new trial provides real hope that we are on the cusp of something truly life-altering--new therapies that show promise to improve the quality of life for the seven to 10 million people worldwide who have Parkinson's.

From respiratory remedy to neuroprotection

The trial is based at Royal Free Hospital in London and focuses on ambroxol, which is typically used to treat respiratory conditions. Earlier work conducted by the trial's principal investigator Anthony Schapira, M.D., D.Sc., demonstrated that ambroxol improves the function of a protein that plays a key role in cellular "trash removal" processes. Recent evidence suggests that impairment of these processes are linked to neurodegenerative disease onset and progression. Additionally, mutations in the gene that encode this protein are considered to be the greatest genetic risk factor for developing Parkinson's.

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"Our preclinical work suggests ambroxol may be an effective Parkinson's treatment thanks to its ability to correct a dysfunctional protein that is prevalent in people carrying a genetic mutation associated with inherited Parkinson's cases," Schapira said. "What is particularly interesting is the potential for ambroxol also to benefit Parkinson's patients without these genetic mutations."

A complex problem

There have been few major therapeutic breakthroughs for Parkinson's in the last 50 years with the exception of levodopa, the current gold standard for drug treatment, and deep brain stimulation, a surgical option. Although these therapies may significantly improve quality of life, they do not slow or stop the progressive brain cell death that is the disease's hallmark. LCT's scientific committee, which comprises leading Parkinson's experts and advocates from around the world, is charged with investigating additional compounds that not only treat symptoms but that may also stop disease progression.

In addition to the ambroxol trial, LCT also supports trials to explore the cholesterol drug simvastatin and the diabetes drug exenatide as potentially disease modifying treatments in Parkinson's. In the coming months, additional trials focused on other medications, including other diabetes treatments, drugs to remove iron build-up in the brain, and treatments to address mitochondrial function, are expected to launch.
Collaboration between two Texas Medical Center institutions has resulted in today's release of the country's first hospital-based rapid tests for the Zika virus.

Pathologists and clinical laboratory scientists at Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital developed the Zika direct test in a matter of weeks as part of the L.E. and Virginia Simmons Collaborative in Virus Detection and Surveillance. This sponsored program was designed to facilitate rapid development of tests for virus detection in a large metropolitan area. The tests are customized to each hospital's diagnostic laboratory and will provide results within several hours. They can be performed on blood, amniotic fluid, urine or spinal fluid, according to James Versalovic, M.D., Ph.D., pathologist-in-chief at Texas Children's and leader of the Texas Children's Zika test development team along with James Dunn, Ph.D., director of medical microbiology and virology at Texas Children's.

Zika virus, which is mostly transmitted through mosquitoes, is a flavivirus that contains RNA as its genetic material. The new diagnostic test identifies virus-specific RNA sequences to directly detect Zika virus.

"With travel-associated cases of the Zika virus becoming more prevalent in the United States, coupled with the looming increase in mosquito exposure during spring and summer months, we must be prepared for a surge of Zika testing demand," said Versalovic. "We must provide answers for anxious moms-to-be and families who may experience signs and symptoms or may simply have travel history to endemic areas."

Before this test was developed, physicians faced the possibility of long delays of testing in local and state public health laboratories and the Centers for Disease Control.

"Hospital-based testing that is state-of-the-art enables our physicians and patients to get very rapid diagnostic answers. If tests need to be repeated or if our treating doctors need to talk with our pathologists, we have the resources near patient care settings," said James M. Musser,M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital and leader of the Houston Methodist test development team along with Randall J. Olsen, M.D., Ph.D., director of the molecular diagnostics laboratory.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

Musser said the test was designed to detect the genetic material of the virus, its RNA, so that virus is directly detected in pregnant women and any other adult or child with this virus infection. This test is specific and can distinguish Zika virus infection from Dengue, West Nile or Chikungunya virus infections. Every viral particle contains genes in its RNA and these RNA sequences are directly detected during pregnancy in amniotic fluid or anytime in blood, spinal fluid or urine.

"This is a significant development as health authorities are recommending all pregnant women who have traveled to a place with a Zika virus outbreak get tested," Musser said.

At the current time, only registered patients at Texas Children's or Houston Methodist hospitals can receive the test but the labs will consider referral testing from other hospitals and clinics in the future.

The test will be initially offered to patients with a positive travel history and symptoms consistent with acute Zika virus infection such as a rash, arthralgias or fever or asymptomatic pregnant women with a positive travel history to any of the affected countries. The World Health Organization is now advising pregnant women to consult their doctors before traveling to places with Zika virus outbreaks and consider delaying travel. The CDC issued similar guidelines to American women last month.

The collaboration between Texas Children's and Houston Methodist Hospital was made possible by philanthropists, Virginia "Ginny" and L.E. Simmons who created the program after the 2014 Ebola virus scare highlighted the need for more focus on these infectious diseases.

"It is so great to see the progress these teams have made in such a short time. The work they are doing has such an impact on so many lives," Simmons said. "I am so grateful to know that the funds we donated are being used to make these types of advances in the Texas Medical Center."
Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) examined medical home trends in children's primary care from 2003 to 2012 and found that while this specific healthcare model has improved children's primary care overall, certain aspects of children's patient care experience have worsened. Moreover, upon analyzing various at-risk profiles, the team found that uninsured children were subject to more insufficient levels of care.

The study, entitled "National Trends in Indicators of a Medical Home for Children," was published in the March issue of Maternal and Child Health Journal. Researchers have previously examined the effectiveness of the medical home, a team-based approach to healthcare that includes a personal physician who provides accessible, continuous, comprehensive and family-centered care to each patient. However, this unique medical home study measures success based on patient experience rather than physician experience.

"Overall, the medical home experience has improved over time for children across the nation, although some aspects have worsened," said Gregory Stevens, PhD, associate professor of family medicine and preventive medicine at Keck School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "Children have better access to healthcare and a more continuous experience with their physicians. But children do not always have sufficient time with their physicians, and may not be receiving all the medical care that they need."

To better analyze children's medical home experiences, the team created several sociodemographic subgroups. In situations where children did not have positive medical home experiences, the team identified risk factors that may have contributed to poor outcomes, such as the level of education of the child's parents, amount of insurance coverage and whether or not the child lived under the poverty line.

"We found that children identified with more risk factors had more volatile changes in their healthcare," said Alice Kim, MPH, project associate at the RAND Corporation, who co-authored the study. "Primary care experiences for vulnerable children decline more sharply when the overall healthcare environment declines; but they also improve more when resources are abundant."

There was one subgroup, however, that seemed to fall behind even when other at-risk subgroups improved. Uninsured children had the lowest and most unstable medical home experiences over the past decade. The uninsured subgroup also had the children in most need of constant, quality care.

"We need to make extra efforts to ensure that all children have access to quality healthcare," said Stevens. "Even if the Affordable Care Act is implemented exactly as planned, millions of people are expected to go without insurance, including children. We need to think of other ways to ensure that insurance is available for all children, or we need to expand other community resources."

The resources to which Stevens refers include federally qualified community health centers (FQHCs) and free clinics that cater to those who are not insured. Because the medical home model is a widely supported as a strategy for delivering high quality primary care, FQHCs that operate using the medical home model have been entitled to additional federal funding.

The medical home model is widely supported as a strategy for delivering high quality primary care. The passing of the Affordable Care Act has encouraged this model in children's primary care, and medical facilities that employ the medical home model may be eligible for additional federal funding.
A friend recently asked me to spread the word people shouldnt breed pets to sell because they wont make money.

She based her assertion on a family she knows left with more than a dozen unsold dogs. Fortunately, a rescue took in the dogs.

On the other hand, I routinely see puppies for sale on the local Facebook yard sale page. Ditto on Craigslist and in the classifieds. Someones making money.

The underlying logic of my friends plea is there are too many dogs and cats. There is no need to create more through casual breeding.

That is unquestionably true.

Look at how much money our local governments spend on killing cats and dogs who dont find homes. Look at how hard no-kill shelters work to retain that status as they scramble to find homes for so many animals.

The same holds for horses, another beloved companion animal.

There are excess horses not only from backyard breeders but also from being produced for the race track and hormone replacement therapy. A doctor once astonished me when I declined her prescription for Premarin; she had no idea about how it was produced, nor did she seem to care.

There are no horse slaughterhouses in the U.S., though that may change as someone is trying to open one in Missouri. Still, plenty of American horses are shipped to Canada and Mexico to be killed.

On equine-related Facebook pages you can see pleas from rescues that monitor horse auctions asking people to find homes for pregnant mares and other hard-luck cases.

The head of a Pennsylvania horse rescue recently posted a video of the crammed pens of horses at a kill auction, detailing the frightening journey from racehorse, pet, or competition partner to the slaughterhouse. If you want more graphic details about the horse slaughter business, visit www.horsefund.org.

Animals get sucked into the wrong end of our consumer, throw-away society. We manufacture more and more animals for pleasure and utilitarian purposes. We dont consider the costs to the product itself. Castaway creatures end up in our landfills and incinerators, or in the stomachs of people and zoo animals.

Since we are a society of consumers and capitalists, we can address the issue of surplus companion animals through the market place.

Use the power of the purse to stop the production of excess animals. Buy from a legitimate breeder if you must; these people breed to pass on superior traits, screen prospective buyers, and take back their animal if necessary.

Otherwise, adopt from breed rescues or general shelters, which are the consignment shops of the animal world.

If people stop buying from backyard breeders, the market will dry up and my friend finally will be correct  breeding your pets wont be a way to make money.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria and GOP challenger Jen Kiggans have faced off in a combative first debate in their closely watched race to represent Virginia's coastal 2nd Congressional District. The swing-district race between Luria and Republican state Sen. Jen Kiggans is among the most competitive in this years midterms and will help determine whether Democrats will maintain control of the U.S. House. The two Navy veterans tangled Wednesday over federal spending, the economy and abortion restrictions. The candidates are set to meet for two other similar events before Election Day.
John Stigall was a black author, poet, and spoken word artist. He served as a professor of English and Literature at Chattanooga State Community College from 1980-2001, where he was Poet in Residence. Mr. Stigall authored five books of poetry and was featured in countless live performances, including radio and television appearances.



Following his retirement, the John Stigall Poetry Contest was established to honor not only the work of Mr. Stigall, but to encourage the creative writing of students enrolled at Chattanooga State.



Currently sponsored by the Humanities and Fine Arts Division of Chattanooga State Community College, the contest is held each February to honor student works during Black History Month. Cash prizes are awarded to the top three students whose selections are chosen by judges. The 2016 winners are Fabeionia Story, Magic Eyes; Emerald Butler, To Truly Be Free; and Cassidy Blair, Hope is a Dream.



For more information about creative writing classes at Chattanooga State, contact Joel Henderson at 423-697-4403.
Boy Thunder's secret identity will be revealed in January's Batman/Superman: World's Finest #11 - but who is he?

Boy Thunder is secretly "someone DC fans have known for decades" - but who?
Garcia: We took steps to make Las Alturas a success

Garcia took to the stand at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Port-of-Spain, to complete his testimony before the Commissioners who are probing the partially-demolished housing project.

Asked in re-examination by his attorney Colin Kangaloo whether the HDC exercised due diligence in relation to the project, the Udecott chairman said, We ensured that there were regular site meetings, as the evidence shows, and in my view we took all of the necessary steps to ensure that we had a successful project.

Therefore, Im of the firm view that the HDC exercised due diligence in this project. Garcia further stated, It is my opinion that we exercised due diligence by the fact that we appointed competent consultants based on their CVs, that we appointed a specific project manager, Mr Glenn Forde, who would report to the Divisional Manager of Projects, who in turn would report to the Managing Director. On why the HDC paid $27 million for land once bought by Udecott for $3.5 million, Garcia said two buildings were on the site by the time the HDC acquired it.

However, Commissioner Dr Myron Chin said even if development of the land were to be factored, the price should have been about $17 million.

Chin asked whether any valuation was done for the land, outside of talks between HDC and Udecott.

I am not sure that there was a basis for supporting the price, the witness said.

On whether difficulties referred to in correspondence seen by Garcia referred to land slippage, Garcia said it did not, but rather other matters such as squatters and the prescence of an army post at the site.

The witness said as at July 2007 there were documents establishing a contract with the contractor, China Jiangsu International Corporation, though no formal, centralised contract document.

He said a formal contract was signed in 2008, long after work had begun, for the easy administration of the contract as all the contract details could be in one central document.

On why there were no tenders for the HDCs hired project manager, Cemas (which it has emerged at the inquiry was also working for the contractor at the same time) Garcia said, It was the practice, I dont know if it is still the practice at HDC, that we compiled a list of consultants. And based on their experience and the workload of HDC we would normally select one. And we felt that we were getting value for money because we base the selection on the scale of fees that the various professional bodies establish for consultants. Also testifying on Thursday was former Commissioner of Valuations Kenneth Subran.

He said upon a review for the inquiry, he saw no WASA approvals in relation to the project, though he did not advise the HDC in any capacity in relation to the project. I see no information on approval for the structures, he said. This is unbelievable as one must assume Udecott, WASA and Planning Associates (and the major land agencies involved) have staff with minimum qualification and experience were utilised. Attorney for Udecott Brendan Sutherland queried whether the land was acquired by private treaty. The witness said even if that were the case, the State would still have to be prudent.
The Supreme Court of Tennessee on Monday reinstated Richard J. McAfee to the practice of law.

Mr. McAfee had been disbarred by the Supreme Court of Tennessee on Aug. 23, 2006. Mr. McAfee filed a Petition for Reinstatement to the practice of law on April 22, 2015 and a hearing was held before a Hearing Panel on Oct. 6, 2015.

The Hearing Panel found that Mr. McAfee complied with the terms and conditions of his disbarment, and further found that he had demonstrated the moral qualifications, competency and learning in the law required for the practice of law, and that his resumption of the practice of law will not be detrimental to the integrity or standing of the bar or administration of justice, or subversive to the public interest.

Based upon the Hearing Panels recommendation, the Supreme Court reinstated Mr. McAfees license to practice law.


Brothers Who Haven't

Spoken in Decades Both

Want to Be Mayor
Bradley County commissioners on Monday discussed allowing the agreement between Trinity Broadcasting Network and the Bradley County Sheriffs Office to let inmates watch religious shows.



The agreement states TBN would install the equipment enabling the Sheriffs Departments correctional institutions to receive and retransmit TBNs television programming throughout the facilities. TBN would pay to install the equipment and provide the programming in exchange for the Bradley County Sherriffs Office making the programming accessible to inmates.

Headquartered in Costa Mesa, CA, TBN is an international Christian-based broadcast television network. It operates as an independent entity and is the worlds largest religious television network.

Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson holds community devotions regularly.

According to Vice Chairman Jeff Yarber, faith-based pods exist in the correctional facilities that TBN would serve.

Commissioners aim to vote on allowing TBN access to set up its programming in the facilities on March 7.

They also aim to establish a better protocol for the consent agenda  the package of non-controversial items presented before the commission that do not require discussion or independent action like one agenda item does.

Vice Chairman Yarber said it came to his attention that certain items were being approved in the consent agenda that other commissioners did not necessarily agree on. The way it works is the commissioners are presented with the consent agenda before a meeting. If they want to remove an item from it for discussion, it is up to them to do so. Otherwise, the items are lumped together and approved in the consent agenda.

Chairman Louie Alford said commissioners voted to put the consent agenda into effect in 2009. He said it saved a lot of time by not having to discuss each item individually. He said it was up to commissioners to read the consent agenda thoroughly to see if they wanted to pull any items for discussion.

On a different topic, Dr. Linda Cash, director of Bradley County Schools, presented to commissioners the initiative to provide school supplies to all students before the school year started.

Dr. Cash said the school supply initiative was a community-wide effort with an annual cost of around $45 to $120 per student. The cost, she said, depended on the students grade level and classes he or she would take.

She said all the funds for the endeavor were going to one place, and that a donor could identify what school to give to if that donor desired.

The overall goal of the initiative is to ensure every child has what he or she needs to start school. Many commissioners voiced their admiration for the enterprise. Commissioner Thomas Crye said he knew some single parents for whom $20 spent on school supplies was a lot of money.

Its a blessing from the good Lord what youre doing, he said.
(Newser)  Ted Cruz fired his national spokesperson, Rick Tyler, Monday, after Tyler posted a story about Marco Rubio that turned out to be false, Politico reports. Tyler, communications director for Cruz's presidential campaign, posted a story from the Daily Pennsylvanian blog on his Facebook page; the blog post claimed that Rubio ran into a Cruz staffer who was reading the Bible in South Carolina on Saturday and said to the staffer, "Got a good book there, not many answers in it," CNN reports. But Rubio's communications director, who was present at the time, tweeted the link to a video of the incident that, he says, has "the correct transcript": "Got a good book there, all the answers are in there." Tyler deleted his post and apologized on Facebook, and the Daily Pennsylvanian changed its blog to remove the transcription entirely and say, "Though our original transcription reflects what we originally heard, after reviewing the audio, we feel it is too unclear to say for sure."

"I want to apologize to Senator Marco Rubio for posting an inaccurate story about him here earlier today," Tyler said in his Facebook post Sunday. "I assumed wrongly that the story was correct. According to the Cruz staffer, the Senator made a friendly and appropriate remark. Since the audio was unclear, I should not have assumed the story was correct." But the apology wasn't enough for his boss, who called for Tyler's resignation: "I have made clear in this campaign we will conduct this campaign with the very highest standards and integrity," Cruz told reporters Monday, though he added that Tyler is a "good man" who made "a grave error of judgment." Cruz's campaign has been hit with a number of accusations that it's misleading voters, and Rubio told reporters, "It's every single day, something comes out of the Cruz campaign that's deceptive and untrue." Donald Trump also weighed in, of course, tweeting, "More dirty tricks!" (Read more Ted Cruz 2016 stories.)
(Newser)  We just don't learn, do we? Shortly after beachgoers in Argentina killed a baby dolphin, tourists in China are accused of killing two peacocks in an attempt to snap a selfie. Officials say the visitors were told not to touch the animals at Yunnan Zoo in Kunming on Feb. 12 but grabbed two peacocks anyway after luring them with food, per Mashable and the South China Morning Post. One photo shows a man gripping a peacock tightly against his body while a woman appears to pet the animal and a boy grabs its tail feathers.

Zoo officials say the animals had feathers torn out in an area of the zoo where visitors can get close to hundreds of peacocks, per Shanghaiist. The deathsincluding a 5-year-old male birdare being investigated; officials believe the animals died of shock as a result of the "violent behavior" of tourists. A vet confirms peacocks can die of fright and may suffer heart attacks over such shocks, per Mashable. It isn't clear if the zoo will press charges. (This guy just took a selfie with a shark.)
(Newser)  Chrissy Teigen recently did an interview with Us, and for the headline, the celebrity weekly went with, "Chrissy Teigen: Were Hiring a Night Nurse for Baby." The pregnant supermodel wasn't happy, tweeting Saturday, "so I am nice enough to choose to stop and talk to you guys and you use the last of many questions as your headline because you ... know it will make me look like a poor, uncaring mother and get people talking. Awesome. Doesn't go unnoticed." She wasn't wrongthat same day, she also responded on Twitter to a few people who took issue with her choice (sample: "you have NO idea what I am utilizing the nurse for. She isn't solely taking care of her or stealing 'precious time'"). Eventually the Us reporter who interviewed Teigen, Jon Warech, got involvedand he ended up losing his job over the tiff, the New York Daily News reports.

"I asked 3 questions and all of it is in the article. This feels like misplaced anger," he tweeted, followed by a screenshot of his interview notes that he sent Us: "for the record I don't write headlines. I send this," he wrote. Teigen responded that "whoever wrote this knew it would stir up some s---" and called the headline "click bait," but Warech insisted he thought it was "pretty factual." Sources tell the Daily News he was let go by Us Monday. "I felt the need to defend the story and my reporting style," Warech tells the newspaper. "We didn't 'use the last of many questions' and none of the three questions were 'extremely personal,'" which Teigen also claimed on Twitter. "Now that I have some free time on my hands, maybe she wants to hire me as her night nurse," Warech adds. (Click for more of Teigen's responses to haters.)
(Newser)  "I get the feeling she didn't want to be there," a lawyer for seven women suing Bill Cosby told reporters after Camille Cosby spent more than seven hours giving a deposition at a Massachusetts hotel on Monday. NBC News reports that security was tight at the Springfield Marriott as she testified, with reporters kept from getting near the conference room. Black curtains shielded the area in question from view, and security manned all entrances. Joseph Cammarata, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told reporters that she was "reserved" and her testimony lasted just 2.5 hours, with exchanges between the rival teams of lawyers taking up the rest of the time. The plaintiffs all accuse Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting them.

Lawyers for Camille Cosbywho defended her husband of 52 years after dozens of women came forward with accusationsinvoked spousal privilege more than a dozen times, Cammarata says. The lawyer didn't discuss her testimony, but he said she was clearly in a position to know a lot about Cosby, the AP reports. "She's his wife," he said. "She has the ability to live with him, be with him" and "understand who he associates with." She will return for the second part of the deposition on March 14. (Camille Cosby had sought to postpone the deposition, arguing that it would create an "unnecessary media circus" that "serves no purpose other than to harass and embarrass her.")
(Newser)  A 23-year-old man in Alabama has become the latest person to follow a phone-tracking app all the way to his grave. Police say the man was shot dead outside a Baptist church in the Birmingham suburb of Fairfield Sunday night after he used an app to trace an iPhone that had been stolen from his car, AL.com reports. The victim "arrived on the scene and hit a button on the app that made the phone ring inside a vehicle," Fairfield Police Chief Leon Davis tells Reuters. "When he went to retrieve the phone inside the vehicle, the suspect shot and killed him." Davis says investigators believe the victim and the shooter knew each other.

Davis offers the same advice that police in Canada gave after a similar murder last year: Don't risk your life for your phone by confronting thieves. "If you have an app on the phone, contact your local police department. Let the police do their job and recover your stolen property," the chief says, per NBC News. "Don't take these matters into your own handsthese things normally don't turn out too good." No arrests have been made in the case, but the chief says investigators are hunting a suspect known as "G Boy" or "G Bo" and have some "very good leads." (A mom used the Find My iPhone app to help rescue her kidnapped teen daughter.)
(Newser)  A book reportedly written by Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton was removed from Amazon's website a day after being put on sale online following protests by authorities in British Columbia. Publisher Outskirts Press issued a statement saying it had asked Amazon to remove the book from its website and apologizing to the families of the victims "for any additional heartache this may have caused." Pickton, now 66, was convicted in 2007 of six counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of sex workers. Pickton slaughtered the women at his pig farm and fed some remains to his pigs. He was sentenced to life in prison. Some 20 other murder charges were stayed, though DNA from 33 women was found on the farm and he told an undercover officer he had killed 49.

By Monday afternoon, the 144-page memoir titled Pickton: In His Own Words was no longer available. CTV News reports that the handwritten manuscript, which proclaims Pickton's innocence, was apparently passed to one of Pickton's former cellmates in the maximum-security Kent Institution. Authorities in British Columbia promised to introduce a law to prevent offenders from profiting from their crimes. "I am at a loss for words. To think about the pain that he's prepared to willingly cause all of the families of those people who he murdered," British Columbia Premier Christy Clark told reporters. "I have trouble understanding it and I think people will want to know that their government is doing everything it can ... to stop him from profiting from this at the very least." (Read more serial killers stories.)
The real world.

Its mostly uttered in contempt. As in, welcome to the real world, she said to me, condescendingly... Its an expression meant to yank the dreamer from her illusory existence where she ponders what should be, forcefully back into the fluorescent lighting of her cubicle where theres money to be made and customer complaints awaiting action. Real action.



Hurled Like a Rock at an Annoying Dog



The real world.

Its rarely offered in any other way than snidely. Its an insult phrase. A make-you-feel-stupid expression. A mirror held up to the recipient so they can clearly ascertain their inadequacy.



The disillusioned middle-aged person trekking aggravatingly through the muck of unrealized aspiration hurls it at the idealistic twenty-something at work like a rock at an annoying dog. You need to learn how to live in the real world...in the real world, you dont get a ribbon or a trophy just for showing up within 30 minutes of on time!



Constituents get their revenge on the well-heeled running for office with the expression. Main street is the real world. Washington DC is the world of bozos!



The President doesnt even know how much a gallon of milk costs. Hes so out of touch, he doesnt live in the real world. Its an insinuation that someone doesnt understand what is really happening in the universe.



Equally Valid, Equally Harmless



And of course, the kind of thinking behind it has relegated much Christian teaching to the same bin of human understanding as your Pinterest page. There are real, verifiable, unbreakable realities, and then there are are personal beliefs. The personal beliefs are all equally valid and all equally harmless. Theyre not not the real world after all.

Some people find life in Jesus. Some find it in the slow food movement. Some people are passionate about public education. Others have the same passion about mindful living. Protesting Genetically Modified Organisms gets some folks fired up, and for others, it takes a Saturday night surrounded by the deafening rumble of Nascar at Talladega. Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, New-Age Spirituality...its all equally valid, equally harmless (or harmful depending on your commitments), and none of it has much to do with the real world.



In the real world, the only forces worthy of our attention are economic, political, technological, or scientific.



The Most Real World



Eugene Peterson has this to offer as a correction:

As a pastor, I don't like being viewed as nice but insignificant. I bristle when a high-energy executive leaves the place of worship with the comment, This was wonderful, Pastor, but now we have to get back to the real world, don't we? I had thought we were in the most-real world, the world revealed as God's, a world believed to be invaded by God's grace and turning on the pivot of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.



The executive's comment brings me up short: he isn't taking this seriously...If he realized that I actually believe the American way of life is doomed to destruction, and that another kingdom is right now being formed in secret to take its place, he wouldn't be at all pleased. If he knew what I was really doing and the difference it was making, he would fire me.



Yes, I believe that. I believe that the kingdoms of this world, American and Venezuelan and Chinese, will become the kingdom of our God and Christ, and I believe this new kingdom is already among us. That is why I'm a pastor, to introduce people to the real world and train them to live in it.



Thats why many have found an astounding reality in learning to pray, to use Dave Hansens expression, like the Psalms. A training grounds for living in the most real world, interacting with realities, seen and unseen.



There is nothing like moving from wrestling with your thoughts to wrestling with God about those same thoughts for convincing you of the Unseen Reality the animates and governs all that you can see. The sustaining trust that gestates in us as we pour out our hearts to the One who daily bears our burdens is an heirloom resource beyond compare.



Grabbing Aholt of God



Walker Percy, in one place says,

This life is too much trouble, far too strange, to arrive at the end of it and then to be asked what you make of it and have to answer Scientific humanism. That wont do. A poor show. Life is a mystery, love is a delight. Therefore I take it as axiomatic that one should settle for nothing less than the infinite mystery and the infinite delight, i.e., God. In fact I demand it. I refuse to settle for anything less. I dont see why anyone should settle for less than Jacob, who actually grabbed aholt of God and would not let go until God identified himself and blessed him.

Praying like the anguished and dismayed God-wrastlers (to put like Id have said as a boy) helps us grab aholt of God and hang on for dear life so that we get the unfathomable relief and inextinguishable joy of knowing we are not living as cosmic orphans on this furiously spinning globe.



Pity-Parties



Dr. K, former professor at Covenant College, is reported to have said, Its fine to have a pity-party, so long as you are not the host and the guest! Our moments are assaulted so that pitys care is needed around the clock.

Pity, another word for compassion, or mercy, is the sort of emotion that propels us to taste the salt in anothers tears as if they were our own, to ache with the grief the immobilizes and swallows our friend, and to do whatever we can to tenderly bring relief.



The only problem is when weve been so conditioned to imagine its just us in the real world that we presume there is none to pity us as we walk through the vandalized ghetto of Gods formerly pristine planet. So we take it upon ourselves to soothe ourselves, to offer sorrow to ourselves for ourselves, and we burrow down deeply into a labyrinth of our own souls from which it is hard to escape. We become isolated and unhelp-able and assume that no aid is available anywhere.



But then we enter into the vast world of our Savior, who turns darkness into light, keeps our lamps burning, and who has wrestled merciless death and pinned it! We discover that transformative pity is available. A tenderness that can turn us is near. A muscled mercy that give us security and deep, soul-healing alteration awaits.



Draw Near to Me and I will Draw Near to You



We need only draw near. Theres no better way to do it, than taking our cues from those wailing, confused, despondent souls in the Psalms who found as they wrestled with the Almighty, even if they walked away with a limp, that their travail was always modified to triumph, their puny efforts at offering themselves pity, swallowed up by the Divine Pity which stabilized them, re-oriented them, and enlivened them to become walking Alleluias from head to toe.

Heres to hoping youll pray like the Psalms, and come out with an energizing and refreshing trust in our most real Lord Jesus, so that you come to know on whom to depend as you head out daily into the so called real world.



-----



Eric Youngblood is the senior pastor at Rock Creek Fellowship (PCA) on Lookout Mountain. Please feel free to contact him at eric@rockcreekfellowship.org.
(Newser)  Since 1989, Salman Rushdie has had to live a mostly underground life after Iran's then-supreme leader called for his assassination over the novel The Satanic Verses. Now that fatwa, which is occasionally paraded out by the country's religious leaders, has been reupped yet again, and this time 40 state-controlled media groups are crowdfunding it, the Guardian reports. The organizations raised about $600,000 at a media trade fair to add to the existing bounty, which is now said to run close to $4 million, per the New York Times. "Imam Khomeini's fatwa is a religious decree and it will never lose its power or fade out," Iran's deputy culture minister tells the Fars News Agency, which shows a picture of Rushdie, 68, with crosshairs on his forehead.

The 27-year fatwa against Rushdiewho once said living in hiding was like a "comedy routine" was supposedly lifted in 1998 by ex-President Mohammad Khatami, but the religious faction said only the issuer could pull it back (and Khomeini died in 1989). After current supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took the country's reins, he decreed the fatwa was still in place. Meanwhile, an Iranian journalist tells the Times she believes the latest reminder about Rushdie, who's lived a discreet, bodyguard-flanked lifestyle in New York City for more than a decade, is meant to be a distraction as elections near. Analysts say hard-liners want "an electoral edge" by keeping voters concentrating on other matters. (A Rushdie marriage proposal failed.)
(Newser)  An Egyptian court has handed down a life sentence that would be longer than most if carried out: The alleged criminal is all of 4 years old, max. The strange case involves little Ahmed Mansour Qorany Sharara, reports CNN. A military court this month found him and 115 others guilty of killing three people and damaging state property during a protest in support of ousted President Mohamed Morsi in 2014. Ahmed would have been 16 months old at the time. After the verdict and the ensuing uproar over Ahmed's fate, the military admitted a case of mistaken identity, reports the BBC. But it adds that Ahmed's fate is unclear, and his parents are worried because police have been inquiring about his whereabouts.

Reports differ, but authorities apparently included the child's name in the case in error, confusing him either with his uncle or a teenager. When police first showed up to arrest him and saw how young he was, they detained his father instead for four months. His dad went on Egyptian TV this week to plead for his son not to be taken from him, reports Egyptian Streets. A military official promised that won't happen, but critics of Egypt's justice system say it's so inept that anything could happen. For example, a defense attorney in the mass trial tried to clear things up by presenting the child's birth certificate, but "it appeared that the court did not transfer the material," reports the Jerusalem Post. (These Egyptian men were jailed over a gay wedding video.)
(Newser)  A Swedish girl has been freed from the clutches of the Islamic State in Iraq. Kurdish special forces rescued the 16-year-old Wednesday during a raid near Mosul, report Reuters and the AP. The teenwhom BuzzFeed identifies as Marlin Stivani Nivarlainwas "misled" by an ISIS member in Sweden and first traveled to Syria from the Swedish town of Boras, the Kurdish government says, adding Swedish authorities and family asked for help in rescuing her. Officials say she'll be "transferred to Swedish authorities to return home once necessary arrangements" are made. (Read more Islamic State stories.)
(Newser)  With the 2016 Olympics in Rio right around the corner, Brazil is bringing in the big guns to fight Zikaspecifically, a gamma ray device to sterilize the mosquitoes that carry the virus, Reuters reports. A nonprofit group will breed up to 12 million of the male insects a week in the northeastern state of Juazeiro, zap them with the irradiator soon to arrive courtesy of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and then set them free to breed with wild females, who will then lay eggs that won't produce baby bugs, per an IAEA molecular biologist.

"It's a birth control method, the equivalent of family planning for humans," he says. If the experiment goes well in towns near Juazeiro, the government could cast a wider net and release sterile mosquitoes in larger cities, possibly by drones. The irradiator has already seen success in getting rid of fruit flies on the Portuguese island of Madeira. (The pope says women can use contraception to prevent Zika pregnancies.)
(Newser)  Beware the woman with a cigarette craving. Police say a passenger on an MTA bus in Manhattan went haywire Tuesday when she was told to stop smoking. She refused to put out her cigarette or get off the bus, forcing the driver to pull over and wait for police, reports NBC New York. But as the driver was helping passengers disembark, the woman hijacked the bus and drove it for three or four blocks before another bus blocked her path, police say. The woman allegedly said she stole the bus because people were following her, per ABC 7. She was taken to a hospital for an evaluation and charges are pending, reports CBS New York. (Read more weird crimes stories.)
(Newser)  A new bill introduced by New York state Sen. Patty Ritchie would ban the purchase of "luxury food items" and less-healthy food choices through the state's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, the Daily Meal reports. The bill gives examples of foods that should be banned"high-end" cuts of steak, lobster, energy drinks, "decorated cakes," and junk food including soda, ice cream, candy, and cookiesbut the state's Office of Temporary Disability Assistance would be required to put together the full list of banned foods. Ritchie, a Republican, says the bill could help fight obesity by "help[ing] low-income consumers make wise and healthy food choices."

Democrats have voiced opposition to bills like this, and the Journal News predicts it "likely doesn't have much of a future in the Democrat-controlled Assembly, where it hasn't yet been introduced." The co-executive director of a group advocating for low-income New Yorkers calls the bill "ridiculous," adding, "This is a Republican attempt to make it appear that poor people use tax dollars to buy steak and lobster." But, as the Washington Post reports, a similar proposal was actually signed into law in Kansas in April. New York's SNAP recipients are already banned from using food stamps to buy alcohol, cigarettes, pet food, and hot or prepared food items. (Read more Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program stories.)
(Newser)  The chances of President Obama naming Antonin Scalia's successor just took a nosedive: Republicans on the committee that would consider his nominee say they won't hold any such hearings in Obama's final year, reports the Hill. Lindsey Graham said the Judiciary Committee reached a "consensus" on that during a special meeting Tuesday. "We should let the next president pick the Supreme Court justice," he said. And GOP Senate Whip John Cornyn reaffirmed the point: "We believe the American people need to decide who is going to make this appointment rather than a lame-duck president," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had suggested previously that the chamber wouldn't take up the matter, and on Tuesday he issued what CNN calls his "most definitive statement" yet: "Presidents have a right to nominate just as the Senate has its constitutional right to provide or withhold consent," he said. "In this case, the Senate will withhold it." Republicans also are making a point to reference comments made by Joe Biden in June 1992, when he chaired the judiciary panel, in which he said that no court vacancy should be filled that year because of the election. The Washington Post doesn't think Biden's remarks will matter much because he was speaking hypotheticallythere was no vacancy at the timeand because he was speaking in June, not February. (Read more US Supreme Court stories.)
India's capital Delhi faces a looming severe water crisis in recent years after a key supply was shut down as a result of protests by members of a rural caste that ended up in violence that caused 21 people dead due to rioting and arson.

Protesters from the Jat community damaged Munak canal in Haryana that delivers water to Delhi's treatment facility. It was triggered by disputes over the fear of losing guaranteed jobs under India's controversial caste quota system.

"We are here to die. We will keep going until the government bows to the pressure. There is no way we will take back our demands," said Rajendra Ahlavat, a 59-year-old farmer and protest leader as mentioned in a report by Sydney Morning Herald.

Due to the cut-off of the much-needed water supply, the city implemented strict rationing of water but supplies could run dry sooner if the problem escalates.

"Water to be equally rationed amongst all. Please save water. Schools closed tomorrow," said Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as quoted by The Guardian.

To stave off attempts at further destabilizing the situation, the federal government has just deployed around 4, 000-5, 000 security personnel to ensure the end to protests and other similar acts that threaten peace and order.

What were the protests all about?

In a nutshell, the 1950 Indian constitution initiated largest and perhaps the oldest affirmative action program guaranteeing certain castes and tribes in the country's rigid caste hierarchy both equality of opportunities and secure economic outcomes as well as reserved spots in schools, government jobs, and parliament representation. The idea was to compensate for thousand-year-long socio-economic discrimination based on birth status.

According to a report by BBC, the Indian Supreme Court controversially ruled that Jat community the Other Backward Castes (OBC) entitling them to government quota jobs only to be quashed by the high court.
The radical jihadist group Islamic State also known as ISIS or ISIL, claimed responsibility for bomb attacks in Damascus and Homs that killed 140 people and dozens more wounded.

Four explosions near the revered Shia Muslim shrine of Sayyida Zeinab reportedly left at least 83 people dead in the capital Damascus and 178 more injured. In Homs, 57 were killed in a twin car blasts in places identified as Shia-populated areas so reviled by Sunni extremists who dismissed the Shiites as being heretics.

"A man detonated the bomb on his body. Another five to seven minutes later, a second man detonated his body bomb there. I was right here looking at him," remarked a Muhannad, a Damascus resident who recalled the incident as quoted by BBC.

According to a report by CNN, the recent bombing was the fourth recorded incident in Homs which has seen a string of similar attacks carried out by ISIS in the past three months. On January 26, a coordinated car and suicide bombing left 24 people dead and 100 wounded. Last year, twin explosions also rocked Shiite-populated neighborhood on December 12 and 28.

Meanwhile, US and Russia appeared to have reached a draft ceasefire agreement between the Assad-led Syrian government and the opposition.

The proposed deal called on all warring sides to abide by the agreement on February 26 and implement a cessation of hostilities by midnight the next day.

"There is a will now on the part of the Russians and the Americans to move forward on this...I think the Americans are quite fed up and they really wanted something a couple of weeks ago. Moscow is running out of targets in Syria and it knows all too well it cannot continue with the same old game that started on September 30 without any concrete results," said Al Jazeera's senior political analyst Marwan Bishara regarding his take on the draft agreement.
Health official from the United States and Brazil have begun their joint efforts to study the link between the Zika virus and birth defect microcephaly.

Brazil's health minister, Marcelo Castro, said he is "absolutely sure" that the virus is behind the recent spike in microcephaly cases in Brazil.

Although there has been some evidence suggesting that the virus causes microcephaly, which is characterized by an abnormally small head and a brain that is not fully developed, officials are hoping to get a clearer idea about what is going on with the virus - if anything - in the womb.

Officials from the joint team of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Brazil's health ministry will be heading to the state of Paraiba in Brazil on Tuesday to look for mothers and newborns to include in their study. A total of eight teams, each composed of one CDC employee and three Brazilian health workers will be going door-to-door. Paraiba has had 56 confirmed cases of microcephaly with an additional 423 cases being investigated.

The officials ideally want to recruit at least 130 infants with microcephaly and their mothers. They also want to recruit at least 260 to about 390 mother-infant pairs, specifically from the area, who have not been affected for comparison. Blood tests will be taken and analyzed.

"I do believe there is something occurring that is unique and knowable, but we really need to understand better, mostly so we can prevent this from happening to other generation," Erin Staples, an epidemiologist who is heading the CDC section in Paraiba, said reported by the Washington Post.

The team will also be keeping an eye out for other potential factors that could be causing microcephaly, such as dengue fever, which is also transmitted by the same mosquito (Aedes aegypti) and toxins.

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Zika a public health emergency, several studies into the virus, which includes developing a vaccine and finding effective diagnostic tests, are being conducted.
Chattanooga State Community College is sponsoring a Chinese Writing Exhibit now on display in the Kolwyck Library and Information Commons in the IMC Building on the main campus. This exhibit is free and open to the public.

In addition to the exhibit, an Open House is planned for Sunday from 3-4:30 p.m. Representatives from international programs such as the Chattanooga State Diversity Club and Global Scholars honors program as well as members of the Chattanooga Chinese School will be available to discuss the exhibit and Chinese culture.

Of interest to those wishing to learn the Chinese language, and in collaboration with the Chattanooga Chinese School, Chattanooga States Community Education Department offers a 12-week Chinese for Travelers class on Sundays from 2-4 p.m., also beginning on Sunday. For more information about the class call 697-3100.


The White House has unveiled its plan to shut down the military prison Guantanamo Bay in Cuba on Tuesday.

In President Barack Obama's address, which was made from the Roosevelt Room at the White House, he said, "It's been clear that the detention center at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security. It undermines our standing in the world."

Obama added, "This is about closing a chapter in our history. It reflects the lessons we've learned since 9/11. We recognize that this is going to be a challenge. We are going to keep making the case to Congress."

The Barack Obama administration provided a blueprint to Congress in regards to the details and costs involved with closing the prison. If approved, about 30 to 60 prisoners will be transferred 13 potential sites in the United States for detention or trial. Detainees who are considered to be low-risk will be moved overseas.

The administration added it will need up to $475 million to carry out the entire plan, which mainly includes construction costs. The costs will be offset by the amount of money it takes to run Guantanamo bay, the administration noted. Obama has previously cited these high costs as a reason why the prison has to be shut down.

An approval of the plan would also mean that Congress has to change a law that currently forbids the nation from spending any money on bringing prisoners into mainland U.S.

The plan, however, is unlikely to get any traction in the Republican-led Congress. Several congressmen were already voicing their concerns about Obama's plans to shut down Guantanamo Bay prior to the blueprint.

"The American people have a right to expect that the administration will be transparent and honest with them about the activities and associations of the terrorists who remain at Guantanamo," Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) said in a statement Monday. "The administration's refusal to do so only underscores the fact that closing Guantanamo will make Americans less safe."

There are currently 91 detainees left at Guantanamo. 35 of them are considered to be transferable to another country.
Bernie Sanders has received a key endorsement from director Spike Lee just a few days before the South Carolina primary.

"Waaaaake up! Wake up, South Carolina!" Lee's radio ad for Sanders starts. "This is your dude, Spike Lee. And you know that I know that you know that the system is rigged! For too long we've given our votes to corporate puppets. Sold the okie doke. Ninety-nine percent of Americans were hurt by the Great Recession of 2008, and many are still recovering. That's why I am officially endorsing my brother, Bernie Sanders."

In the one-minute long ad that was released Tuesday, Lee explained that he supports Sanders over Clinton because of Sanders' positions on education and income inequality. Lee also praised the candidate for his involvement with activism during the Civil Rights Movement.

"Bernie takes no money from corporations. Nada. Which means he's not on the tape," Lee said. "When Bernie get's into the White House, he will do the right thing. Enough talk. Time for action."

Lee's endorsement is vital for the Vermont Senator who is lagging behind opponent Hillary Clinton when it comes to getting support from black voters. According to a CNN/ORC poll conducted in South Carolina, the results found that Clinton had 65 percent of the support from black voters. Sanders only received 28 percent.

Lee is the latest black celebrity to back Sanders. Over this past weekend, actor Danny Glover attended events in South Carolina in support of Sanders. Clinton, on the other hand, has the support of African-American actor Morgan Freeman, who is the narrator in her ad.

Throughout Lee's career, which started with "She's Gotta Have It," he has never shied away from controversial race topics. He has addressed race relations, urban problems and other political issues both in his movies and in the real world. Lee most recently stated that he would be boycotting the Oscars this year due to the lack of diversity in Hollywood.

The South Carolina primary takes place on Saturday, Feb. 27.
Kurdish fighters have rescued a Swedish teenager in Iraq, officials said.

The Kurdistan Regional Security Council released a statement revealing that Special Forces conducted a raid on Feb. 17 in an Islamic State controlled territory by the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. In the raid, they safely rescued the teenager, who the Swedish news outlet has identified as 16-year-old Marilyn Nevalainen. Nevalainen had traveled to the Syria from the city of Boras last summer.

"She was misled by an ISIL member in Sweden to travel to Syria and later to Mosul," the Kurdish statement said. ISIL is another term for the terrorist group, which is also known as ISIS. "She will be transferred to Swedish authorities to return home once necessary arrangements are put in place."

The officials added that the raid was conducted upon the girl's family and Sweden's request for aid. Since the rescue operation, Nevalainen has received medical attention and will be debriefed by Iraq Kurdish authorities.

The United States, who work closely with Kurdish fighters mostly as advisors in the war against ISIS, were not involved in this raid.

The circumstances regarding how the girl ended up in Iraq and what she was doing in the Middle East are unclear due to several conflicting stories. One report claimed that Nevalainen traveled to Syria with her boyfriend, who was training with a militant group. ISIS reportedly captured them. Another report said she was pregnant and had given birth in Syria.

Sweden's security agency reported, via the Washington Post that an estimated 300 Swedes have joined different extremist groups mainly in Iraq and Syria in recent years.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Snow this morning will transition to snow showers this afternoon. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches..

Tonight

Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low 26F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 50%.
Islamabad:

Throwing the ball in India's court, Pakistan on Tuesday said that Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar has been under protective custody since January 14.

Pakistan Prime Ministers Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz also said it was for India to decide on dates for Foreign Secretary-level talks, postponed in the wake of the terror strike.

Azhar has been named by India as the mastermind of the Pathankot attack.

This is for the first time a top functionary of the Pakistan government has confirmed that Azhar is in custody in that country though there were earlier reports to that effect.

Pakistani authorities had lodged an FIR in connection with the Pathankot attack on February 18, without naming Azhar.

Who is Masood Azhar?

Masood Azhar is the founder and leader of the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, a militant group based mainly in the Pakistan-administered portion of the state of Kashmir.

He first came into news when in early 1994, Azhar traveled to Srinagar to ease tensions between Harkat-ul-Ansar's feuding factions of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.

India arrested him in February and imprisoned him for his terrorist activities with the groups but released him in exchange for passengers on the hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814 (IC814) that had eventually landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, which at the time the Taliban controlled.

On December 7, 2008, it was claimed that he was among several arrested by the Pakistani government after a military raid on a camp located on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad in connection with the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He continued to live in Bhawalpur.

Pakistan's government denied it had arrested Masood Azhar and said it was unaware of his whereabouts.

On Jan 26, 2014, Masood Azhar reappeared after a seclusion of six years. He addressed a rally in Muzaffarabad, calling for the resumption of jihad in Kashmir. His group, Jaish-e-Muhammad, claims he is currently in Srinagar, India.

He was also linked to the Pathankot terror attack for which he was detained by the Pakistani authorities, the disclosure of which was made by Sartaj Aziz to an English Channel.

India had listed Masood Azhar as one of its most wanted terrorists due to his history of militant activities.

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New Delhi :

The BJP-appointed high-powered committee, headed by senior union minister Venkaiah Naidu, to examine the demand of Jats for quota in central jobs held its first meeting today and has called Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for deliberations today to ascertain states views on the subject.

During the hour-long meeting, the committee, comprising union ministersMahesh Sharma, Sanjeev Baliyan and party leaders Satpal Malik and Avinash Rai Khannatook stock of the situation and discussed as how to move forward in the matter.

According to sources, the Committee has called Khattar and other state ministers tomorrow for ascertaining the state governments views on the subject.

Yielding to pressure from agitating Jats, the BJP had last night announced setting up of the committee under Naidu to examine the quota demand for the community in government jobs.

Meanwhile, violence continued unabated in the state today with stone-pelting mobs attacking security personnel trying to clear a road blockade triggering a clash in which three civilians were killed raising the death toll to 19 in the nine-day old stir.

The five-member committee set up under the chairmanship of Union Parliamentary Affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu to examine the quota demand of Jats in government jobs, today held its first meeting here.

The committee took stock of the situation and discussed as how to move forward in the matter.

Other members of the committee - Mahesh Sharma, Sanjeev Baliyan, both Union Ministers and BJP leaders Satpal Malik and Avinash Rai Khanna, attended the hour-long meeting.

The committee is likely to talk to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and other state ministers tomorrow for ascertaining the state governments views on the subject, according to a close aide of Naidu.

Yielding to pressure from agitating Jats, the Centre had last night announced setting up of the committee under Naidu to examine the quota demand for the community in government jobs.

Meanwhile, life in violence-torn Haryana was limping back to normalcy with Jat protesters starting to lift blockades from various parts of the state after the announcement of the committee.

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New Delhi :

The Delhi High Court on Monday heared the bail plea of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, charged with sedition, in which he has contended that he was falsely implicated in the case as he had not raised any anti-national slogan.

Soon after the hearing began, Delhi police opposed bail for Kanhaiya, further which the hearing was postponed till tomorrow.

In his bail plea, Kanhaiya has claimed that he was wrongly arrested on the basis of an FIR which was devoid of evidence to book him under such a serious charge.

His counsel has said that the petition is limited to bail for Kanhaiya who was arrested on February 12 and remanded to judicial custody on February 17, amid violence at Patiala House courts which was the scene of attacks on the student leader and journalists by a group of unruly lawyers.

In the plea, he has also claimed that no case is made out against him as there was no evidence as he had never raised any anti-national slogan during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru university (JNU) on February 9.

He had moved the high court after the Supreme Court refused to hear his bail plea on the ground that it will set a dangerous precedent and asked him to approach the high court.

Kanhaiya, who is in judicial custody till March 2, had approached the apex court directly seeking bail on the ground that his life was under threat in the Tihar Jail.

He was arrested on sedition charge following a controversial event at JNU campus where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.

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Lahore :

Pakistans literary scene is seeing a spirited revival, with packed festivals attracting tens of thousands in a rock concert-like atmosphere that defies security threats in a growing cultural renaissance.

Events such as the raucous Lahore Literary Festival, held over the weekend, are reclaiming the cultural space that has shrunk significantly in the conservative Muslim nation in recent years amid a raging Islamist insurgency.

The festivalsplatforms for all forms of cultural expression, from architecture to film to food writing and feminism, as well as poetry and a recital by Central Asian musiciansare becoming a forum for exchange of liberal thought across the Muslim world.

Its greatone of the saddest things when you keep talking about Islam, the Muslims, the Ummah (the brotherhood of Muslim countries) is we dont know what their writers are, we dont know what their stories are, said Mohammed Hanif, whose internationally renowned 2008 novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes weaves a dark comedic narrative around the death of dictator Zia ul Haq.

And there is very little that gets translated from these languages. So its great to have Palestinian writers, Egyptian writers, he told AFP at the Lahore festival.

The event began with an interview with veteran Indian actress Sharmila Tagore, who received a standing ovation after discussing her storied career in Bengali and Bollywood cinema.

She hailed the cross-pollination of artists across the two rival countries borders as an important part of cultural diplomacy.

Other top-billed speakers included outspoken Egyptian-American feminist Mona Eltahawywhose vociferous denunciations of patriarchy and the politics of the hijab gave the festival some of its most energetic and controversial moments.

When we talk about the Global South, when we talk about women of colour, the issues that we talk about... its very important for me to be able to come to Lahore and say, Look, the issues that I have written about in my book are very similar to issues in Pakistan that feminists are fighting over, she told AFP.

I want to talk about how as Muslim women we are reduced to whats on our heads and whats in between our legs and I want to talk about the sexual revolution.

Critics say successive Pakistani governments, influenced by the religious right, have done little to encourage artistic expression or have even curtailed itincluding banning Lahores spring kite-festival of Basant in 2007, which Islamists accuse of propagating Hindu thought.
New Delhi:

This Mumbai restaurant has found the best way possible to celebrate Sanjay Dutts release from prison on Thursday, February 25. Based in South Mumbai, a Mughlai eatery will offer a special culinary delight to all Sanju Baba fans free of charge on that day.

The delight named Chicken Sanju Baba is the signature recipe created by Dutt himself was gifted to restaurant owner Khalid Hakim. This free dish will be served between 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. to all Sanjay Dutt patrons and fans.

I had invited Sanjay Dutt Saab to inaugurate the new family section of my restaurant in 1986. Since then, he visited regularly to relish the special non-vegetarian and other food items we served here, especially his favourite Nalli Nari, Khalid Hakim, the owner of of Mughlai eatery Noor Mohammadi Hotel told to a leading daily.

Hakim is reportedly the third generation owner of the restaurant that opened in 1923. This can well be praised as a different way to celebrate Sanju Babas release after nearly three years in Yerawada Central Jail in Pune.

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New Delhi :

BJP MLA from Rajasthan Gyandev Ahuja on Monday made one of the most controversial statements on JNU row so far!

He claimed that daily 50,000 pieces of bones, 3,000 used condoms, 500 used abortion injections, 10,000 cigarette pieces, among other things, are found at JNU.

At JNU, girls and boys also dance naked at cultural programmes, the MLA from Ramgarh in Rajasthans Alwar district stated.

Calling JNU students traitors, he mentioned When Maa Durgas Ashtami is celebrated, they celebrate Mahishasuras Jayanti. 2,000 Indian and foreign liquor bottles are found daily in JNU. More than 10,000 butts of cigarettes and 4,000 pieces of beedis are found. 50,000 big and small pieces of bones are found. 2,000 wrappers of chips and namkeen are found, and so are 3,000 used condoms  the misdeeds they commit with our sisters and daughters there. And 500 used abortion injections are also found.

Some facts about him

Gyan Dev was born in 1950 and got married in 1978. He is a BA (Ist year) and had been a journalist at one point of time.

Gyan Dev used to be a member of the Committee of Estimates "A" and is now the Chairmanof the same. Estimates Committee is a Parliamentary Committee consisting of 30 Members, elected every year by the Lok Sabha from among its Members. The Chairman of the Committee is appointed by the Speaker from among its members. The Committee's function is to study and suggest alternative policies to bring out efficiency and economy in administration and to suggest how Estimates should be presented to Parliament.

His house has a rather fancy name - "Apna Gahr Shalimar", which means"our house is abode of love".

Soon after BJP MLA hashtag trended on Twitter which trolled the leader:

This BJP MLA from Rajasthan, an unmitigated moron, seems to be making a strong case for #BJPMuktBharat. Must... https://t.co/Ato2jNZ6hV  Sanjiv Bhatt (IPS) (@sanjivbhatt) February 23, 2016

I was unhappy with my job until I saw this BJP MLA giving his job description https://t.co/fAWidv5U05.  Mr. Solo Dolo (@Rehmaanism) February 23, 2016

BJP MLA is using another trick to defame whole JNU campus.

Shame!  a JHNGAR NSRA a (@ittefaq_se) February 23, 2016

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An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has resulted in the indictment of a Sneedville man on charges of murdering his mother during the theft of a vehicle.

At the request of 3rd District Attorney General Dan Armstrong, on Dec. 3, 2015, TBI special agents joined the Hancock County Sheriffs Office in investigating the death of Darlene Seal at 146 Sterling Dr. in Sneedville. The investigation showed that Ms. Seal, 66, had been cut with a knife. During the course of the investigation, agents determined that Ms. Seals son, Larry Holt, Jr., had killed her during the process of stealing her car.

The Hancock County Grand Jury on Monday returned a three-count indictment charging Holt, 31, with one count of first-degree murder, one count of theft over $1,000, and one count of felony first-degree murder.

Holt, who was in the Hancock County Jail on unrelated charges, was served with the capias on Monday. He remains there on a $250,000 bond.




Barcelona:

Technology giant Samsung has unveiled two new flagship devicesS7 and Galaxy S7 edge as it looks to bolster sales to buck the slowdown in smartphone industry growth.

The smartphones, featuring sleek design and advanced camera features, are expected to hit the Indian market in the second week of March, according to sources.

The South Korean tech giant, however, did not mention the prices. It will start rolling out the handsets starting mid-March.

India is an important market for handset makers as it is witnessing strong sales growth rates at a time when global sales are waning.

According to research firm IDC, the global smartphone market saw shipment growing 10.1 per cent to 1.43 billion units in 2015 from 1.30 million units in 2014.

Shipments in India grew 28.8 per cent in 2015 to 103.6 million units over the previous year, making it one of the worlds fastest growing markets globally.

Samsung is a leader in both global and Indian market. At the end of December 2015 quarter, it had a global market share of 21.4 per cent, while in India it had 26.8 per cent share.

We believe in a world thats brighter, sharper, more convenient, and more fun. We strive to deliver on that vision with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge by marrying elegant design with functionality and providing a seamless mobile experience, Samsung Electronics President Mobile Communications Business DJ Koh said.

With Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung has introduced the first dual pixel camera on a smartphone, which delivers brighter and sharper images, even in low light. The 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 edge are constructed with 3D glass and metal and are water and dust resistance.

The hybrid SIM card tray allows users to insert a microSD card for up to 200GB of additional storage and in some select countries, the tray can be used with a dual SIM card.
Washington:

A monthly silicone ring that continuously releases an experimental antiretroviral drug in the vagina has been shown to cut the risk of HIV infection in women by about one-third, according to two new international studies.

In a large clinical trial in four sub-Saharan African countries, the ring reduced the risk of HIV infection by 27 per cent overall and by 61 per cent among women ages 25 years and older, who used the ring most consistently.

This study found that a vaginal ring containing a sustained-release antiretroviral drug confers partial protection against HIV among women in sub-Saharan Africa, said Anthony S Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Finding effective HIV prevention tools for adolescent girls and young women in particular is critical, as one in four new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa occur in this group, researchers said.

The ASPIRE study aimed to determine whether the experimental antiretroviral drug dapivirine could safely and effectively prevent HIV infection when continuously released in the vagina from a silicone ring replaced once every 4 weeks.

The study, which began in 2012, enrolled more than 2,600 HIV-uninfected women ages 18 to 45 years who were at high risk for HIV infection at 15 sites in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The women were assigned at random to receive either the dapivirine ring or a placebo ring. No one knew who received which ring until the end of the trial.

The investigators found that the dapivirine ring reduced the risk of acquiring HIV by 27 per cent among all women enrolled in the trial.

But when the scientists excluded data from two sites where it was apparent early on that many women were not returning for study visits or using the ring consistently, the ring reduced the risk of HIV infection by 37 per cent.

Researchers found that the dapivirine ring reduced the risk of HIV infection by 61 per cent in women ages 25 and older, but provided no statistically significant protection in women younger than 25 years.

These younger women appeared to use the ring less consistently than other participants, based on the amount of dapivirine measured in volunteers blood during study visits.

The ASPIRE study is the first to demonstrate that a sustained drug delivery product that slowly releases an antiretroviral drug over time can offer partial protection from HIV, added Thesla Palanee-Phillips, from the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute in Johannesburg.

An ongoing large multinational clinical trial called The Ring Study also tested the dapivirine ring for safety and efficacy in women.

Similar to ASPIRE, The Ring Study researchers found an overall effectiveness of 31 per cent, with a slightly greater reduction in risk of HIV infection among women older than 21 years.
Lucknow:

Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested two persons for allegedly killing a journalist in Sultanpur district.

Amand Singh and Kesari Upadhyay, were arrested last night by the STF from Charbagh station here, an official spokesman said here.

Both of them had allegedly killed journalist Karun Mishra on February 13 in Sultanpur.

A pistol, cartridges, mobile phones, 10 sim cards and a motorcycle was seized from their possession.

Both of them are contract killers and have criminal background, he said.

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New Delhi:

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan is not only a great actor but also an inspirational personality. Big Bs humility differs him from the rows making him counted as legends in the countrys history ever!

You all must have heard about his voice rejection story by All India Radio but here is another throwback story from his diaries.

The super-active actor is known for sharing pictures, poems and his thoughts on world outlook with his fans on social networking sites.

Recently, Big B shared a photograph of him from his younger days that he had sent for a talent hunt audition. He also didnt hesitate to reveal that this was the photograph that made judges reject him. Have a look!

T 2152 - This the picture I sent to FilmfareMadhuri Contest to join films .. is it any wonder they rejected me !! pic.twitter.com/49ECTENzrk  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) February 21, 2016

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Rohtak:

Actress Mallika Sherawat has called on the agitating Jat community to maintain peace and non-violence.

Hundred of Jat protesters are demanding reservation under the OBC category in government jobs and educational institutions.

My appeal to the jaat community to maintain peace and nonviolence, Sherawat, who is from Haryana, posted on Twitter.

My appeal to the jaat community to maintain peace and nonviolence #JaatReservation #jaatagitation #haryana  Mallika Sherawat (@mallikasherawat) February 23, 2016

The actress, 39, was last seen on screen in the 2015 film Dirty Politics.

Road traffic on various national and state highways from Hissar to various destinations, including Delhi, Chandigarh, Sirsa, Siwani and Bhiwani is disrupted.

Railway traffic from Hissar to various destinations including Delhi, Ludhiana, Bhiwani and Sadulpur also remained suspended.

Actor Vidyut Jamwal feels people of the Jat community, who have been agitating for reservation, should act more rational than emotional.

When asked about his view on the unrest caused by the Jat communitys agitation, the Commando actor told reporters here, I think that more than emotions, our Jat brothers should apply their mind. We can be provoked too... They should use their heart and brain.

Violence continues to rage in Haryana with stone-pelting mobs attacking security personnel trying to clear a road blockade and torching government vehicles even as the death toll on nine-day old Jat quota stir was put at 16.

Vidyut will be next seen in Commando 2, sequel of the action film Commando.

The actor said he is excited about the project as the first film gave him the recognition he strived for since the beginning of his career.

Every actor wants to do a film with which he can get recognition... I am very happy that people recognise me with Commando. It is a nice feeling that wherever you go, people get inspired by your work. In fact, I have met a few boys who got into Army after watching Commando, he said.

It was for Commando 2 that Vidyut let go of superstar Salman Khan-starrer Prem Ratan Dhan Payo but he does not regret his decision.

I dont regret not doing Prem Ratan Dhan Payo but I wanted to work with Salman Khan. I would have done the film, had I not been preparing for Commando 2.

He is mostly seen in action films, but Vidyut said he wants to dabble in all genres.

I want to do all kinds of roles from romantic to comic. I just completed Tigmanshu Dhulias Yaara, which is a romantic drama. I will try all genres but if it is action then I will do even better, the 35-year-old actor said. Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda has appealed to the people of the Jat community, who have been agitating for quotas, to maintain peace and engage in peaceful dialogue with the government.

Randeep, who himself belongs to the Jat community in Rohtak, Haryana, which has been most affected by the unrest.

In a series of posts on Twitter, the 39-year-old actor addressed the issue in his native tongue Haryanvi and appealed to people to quit the destruction.

Ram Ram. What is the use of burning your own houses down? Only dialogue can take this matter forward. Please brothers stop this destruction. #JatProtest #JatReservation, he wrote.

There is no need to be this crazy. Only proper dialouge can bring a solution to this problem. Dont make it a political issue. Keep calm and peace. Dont burn down your own houses.

The whole country has taken notice of your problems. Now quit all the destructions and move ahead with a peaceful dialouge process, the actor tweeted.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Tokyo:

Homosexual behaviour may not be solely genetically programmed and could be affected by the environment in which one is brought up, according to a new study in fruit flies.

Researchers showed that the sexual preferences of male fruit flies with a mutant version of a gene known to affect male sexual behaviour can vary depending on whether the flies are reared in groups or alone.

The neurons that express the fruitless (fru) gene basically govern the whole aspect of male sexual behaviour, said Daisuke Yamamoto, a professor at Tohoku University in Japan, who conducted the study with postdoctoral fellow Soh Kohatsu.

Normal male fruit flies tap the abdomen of a female to get a whiff of her sex pheromones before pursuing her to mate.

In contrast, males with a mutant version of the fru gene show no interest in females; instead, they set off in vigorous pursuit of other males.

Researchers wanted to analyse the role of vision in the courtship behaviour of normal and mutant fruit flies.

They optically stimulated neurons in a region of the fruit fly brain known to control courtship decision-making. The fruit flies were shown spots of white light flashing across a screen that represented walking females.

Normal fruit flies courted the spots only after priming with pheromones, but mutant males did not need pheromone priming or direct brain stimulation.

The mutant fruit flies immediately followed the moving light spots and vibrated their wings in courtship.

However, this behaviour was only displayed in mutant males reared in groups.

We found that this kind of visually induced courtship behaviour in the fru mutant males was blocked by isolating them right after their emergence from the pupa, said Yamamoto.

The males reared by themselves did not react to the light spots, he said.

Yamamoto said that he had previously never doubted that male-to-male courtship in fru mutant males was solely genetically programmed.

It appears that social interaction activates neurons that make mutant males hypersensitive to visual stimuli.

While Yamamoto is cautious about drawing conclusions on human sexual orientation from studies of fruit flies, he believes some aspects of sexual orientation in humans could have a similar mechanistic basis to that of flies.

Our study offers a conceptual basis to explain how nature and nurture interact in shaping human sexual orientation, he said.
Power companies, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and state and federal agencies came together today to conserve the sicklefin redhorse, a fish found in only six Appalachian counties worldwide and being considered for the federal endangered species list.

Although the sicklefin redhorse has a very limited distribution, its future is brighter today, said Mike Oetker, deputy regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Southeast Region. While it faces some significant conservation challenges, weve really seen partners come together to ensure its continued existence and that it will once again thrive across its former range.

At a ceremony in Cherokee, N.C., the partners signed a Candidate Conservation Agreement. This voluntary agreement addresses imperiled conservation through proactive measures before a plant or animal needs the full protection of the Endangered Species Act. In this case, the agreement formalizes and expands on conservation efforts established by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Duke Energy Carolinas, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Fish and Wildlife Service  all parties to the agreement, which also receives support from cooperators Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners and Conservation Fisheries Inc.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are proud to contribute to this long-term cooperative effort focused on conserving this rare native fish that once provided an important component of Cherokee subsistence, said Mike LaVoie, program manager for fish and wildlife management for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

The sicklefin redhorse is found in Jackson, Macon, Swain, Clay and Cherokee counties, North Carolina, and in Towns County, Georgia. It was only recently discovered to be a distinct species, triggered by the 1992 observations of Roanoke Colleges Robert Jenkins. In 2005, driven by concern over impacts from migration barriers, water quality, non-native fish and other factors, the Fish and Wildlife Service designated the fish a candidate for the endangered species list. In the ensuing years, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission led efforts to conserve the fish and increase population sizes.

For some time now weve had a core group of people working with this fish, said Steve Fraley, an aquatic biologist for the Wildlife Resources Commission. This agreement brings in some new partners and helps ensure not only our continued work, but should provide opportunities to expand our efforts.

The agreement is part of a larger effort by the Fish and Wildlife Service working with partners to conserve plants and animals before they need the protection of the Endangered Species Act. In 2010, the service was petitioned to determine whether the candidate species should be protected by the Endangered Species Act. A decision on that is expected later this year. So far as part of the agencys At Risk species conservation effort, the Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that 56 species do not require listing in part due to proactive conservation steps taken by partners.

We are pleased to partner on this agreement to conserve, manage, and enhance the sicklefin redhorse population and its habitat, said Steve Jester, Duke Energy Carolinas vice president, water strategy, hydro licensing and lake services. The agreement aligns well with Duke Energys commitment to produce electricity safely and reliably while protecting our vital natural resources.

Signatories agreed to a suite of annual measures for the next 10 years, including:

- Collecting and fertilizing sicklefin redhorse eggs from the Little Tennessee, Oconaluftee, Tuckasegee and Hiwassee rivers.

- Hatching and rearing the animals at the Fish and Wildlife Services Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery in Warm Springs, Ga., and the Conservation Fisheries Inc. facility in Knoxville, Tenn.

- Using these captive-reared fish to stock North Carolina and Georgia streams.

In addition to those annual actions, several broader measures will be undertaken, including:

- Opportunities will be sought to expand stocking into areas currently inaccessible to the fish due to dams.

- Duke Energy will manage the companys reservoir levels and dam releases to decrease negative impacts to sicklefin redhorse, including minimizing downstream impacts when reservoirs have to be drawn down or sediment and debris removed.

- TVA will continue to implement commitments in TVAs Reservoir Release Improvement Plan and River Operations Study that facilitate multiple uses of the reservoir system in a manner that ensures protection of all aquatic life and enhances their populations.

- Technical support will be offered to local governments, the U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service and citizen-based watershed groups to conserve and improve stream habitat.

- The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will manage Needmore Gameland, a 4,400-acre state-managed site along the Little Tennessee River, to conserve sicklefin habitat.

- The partnerships efforts will be evaluated by periodically surveying and assessing the sicklefin redhorses distribution, abundance and status.

Protecting and improving aquatic biodiversity is key to TVAs mission of service and supports our stewardship efforts across the Tennessee Valley, said Rebecca Tolene, vice-president, natural resources, TVA. This partnership is a great example of how we can work together to positively impact the future of both an individual species and its watershed community.

Dr. Jon Ambrose, chief of Georgia DNRs Nongame Conservation Section, said the spawning habitat in Georgias portion of Brasstown Creek in Towns County is critical for persistence of the Hiwassee River population of sicklefin redhorse and for conservation of the species overall.

Through the agreement, the agency plans to work with Young Harris College to expand monitoring of the species that has been ongoing since 2005, survey for undiscovered populations in the Nottely and Hiwassee River systems  the fish was likely more widespread in these systems historically  and protect sicklefin redhorse through DNRs environmental review process and support of aquatic species education and outreach.
Bank veteran Jeff Jackson has been named Chattanooga Market president by First Tennessee Bank. Mr. Jackson has more than 22 years of experience in the financial industry and most recently served as First Tennessees senior vice president and manager of commercial and business banking for Southeast Tennessee and Atlanta. He succeeds Keith Sanford who has been named president of the Tennessee Aquarium.

David Popwell, president and chief operating officer of First Tennessee Bank, said, As we began the search for someone to carry on the good work started by his predecessor, Jeff Jackson became the obvious choice for us. Like Keith Sanford, Jeff is committed to a community that has been so supportive to First Tennessee for the last 40 years. He will be Chattanoogas fourth Market Leader, which speaks volumes about the time given to the position by his predecessors. We look forward to the leadership Jeff Jackson will bring to Chattanooga.

Mr.

Jackson currently serves as chairman of the board for the Southeast Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross.He has volunteered his time with the Orange Grove Center and Creative Discovery Museum, and served as the chairman of corporate giving for Pink!, benefiting the Mary Ellen Locher Center at CHI Memorial.

Mr. Jackson said, "First Tennessee has built a strong reputation based on relationships that have been nurtured over generations of customers. Our strength begins with our team members at each one of our 25 branches and continues with hours they volunteer each year and the expertise they share so generously. I am proud to serve as the leader of this team and look forward to supporting the community that has done so much for First Tennessee.

Mr. Sanford said, Ive been honored to be a part of the First Tennessee family for 36 years. My job has always been to connect people and businesses with answers to meet their needs. Jeff Jackson will provide great leadership for the team and I congratulate him on this appointment.

Mr. Jackson holds a degree in finance from Auburn University
Try 8 Excellent Breakfasts From Around The World (Without Leaving Chicago)

By Anthony Todd in Food on Feb 23, 2016 4:40PM

By Jennifer Olvera

Ubiquitous bacon and eggs arent the only game in town at breakfast time. There are an ample number of alternatives, in fact, and some of the most endearing options can be found at small, traditional spots that are easily missed. So, the next time you're craving the tastes of far-flung placesor want to break away from staid greasy spoonshit up these gems for sustenance first thing in the morning.



Chicken at Tabaq. Photo by Jennifer Olvera.

Tabaq

If youre the type to seek out fiery fare, this bare-bones, counter-serve Pakistani joint (featuring 24-hour service and a lower-level prayer room) certainly fills the bill. Featuring a small, cafeteria-style spread and poofy, fresh-baked naan turned from the kitchen in back, it has all the makings of a great mealespecially if flavorful frontier chicken and soupy lentils are in the mix.

Tabaq is at 1245 N. Clybourn Ave.

Nha Hang Viet Nam

Head to this simple Vietnamese spot as early as 8:30 a.m. for one of the citys best bowls of pho. The shatteringly crisp banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake) stuffed with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts is almost as good, when dipped in slightly funky, tangy fish sauce. Meanwhile, ultra-fresh spring rolls burst with herbaceous flavor. Theres homey congee (thick, porridge-like rice soup) of many kinds, too; try the hearty standout chao thap cam  its decked with a quail egg, pork, beef, chicken, beef meatballs, shrimp and wontons.



Nha Hang Viet Nam is at 1032 W. Argyle St.





Cabbage and sausage at Podhalanka. Photo by Jennifer Olvera

Podhalanka

Theres a timeless feel to Podhalanka, a tchotchke-filled ode to Polish food and an authentic vestige of the citys Polish Broadway. Consisting of a long bar and a handful of basic, VFW hall-like tables, its a place where devotees can be seen digging into heaping plates of beige-hued food, including plump, starchy sauerkraut and mushroom pierogi; stuffed cabbage; smoked sausage; sour white borsht; and powdered sugar-showered cheese blintzes come 9 a.m. Just remember to order the potato pancakes, slathering them with applesauce and sour cream.

Podhalanka is at 1549 W. Division St.



Birrieria Zaragoza



Family-run Birrieria Zaragoza has a long-cooked formula that works. Offering the best version of the Jaliscan specialty, birria tatemada (roasted goat) citywide, the tender meat is butchered in-house before it spends five hours in the oven. Its then rubbed with ancho and other fragrant spices and returned to the oven to roast until a crispy exterior develops on the breathtakingly tender, decidedly non-gamey meat. Then, its finished in brothy tomato consomme. Tuck meat  especially the killer shank  into house-made tortillas  its a life-changing experience. On weekends, you can abate hangovers by 8 a.m.

Birrieria Zaragoza is at 4852 S. Pulaski Rd.



Rubys Fast Food

Youll have to wait until 10 a.m. most days to get your Filipino fix at Rubys Fast Food in Albany Park, but your grumbling tummy will thank you. Of course, youll be in good company since the tiny, welcoming space regularly fills with in-the-know diners, many of whom plunk crunchy lumpia Shanghai into sweet chili sauce and devour fair shares of pancit and tapsilog with green onion-specked garlic rice.

Rubys Fast Food is at 3740 W Montrose Ave.



Taqueria Moran

Make your way to this Logan Square fave bright and early  it opens at 6 a.m.  for crisp, saucy chilaquiles, carne asada tacos and satisfying caldo de res (beef soup), munching on chips and salsa and pickled carrots while you wait. Theres also a lineup of Mexican and American breakfasts  including huevos rancheros, a breakfast burrito and omelets  if you absolutely must.

Taqueria Moran is at 2226 N. California Ave.



Hon Kee Restaurant

Dont be deterred by the lacquered barbecue ducks that hang in the window of this frills-free Chinese eatery  theyre legendary, thanks to glisteningly crispy skin that belies the lush fat and tender, moist meat beneath. Fortunately for squeamish types, this deliciousness appears on-menu in a variety of configurations. Open every day except Tuesday at 9 a.m., it serves soul-satisfying soups and dumplings made from delicate, see-through-thin dough, too.

Hon Kee Restaurant is at 1064 W. Argyle St.





Donor kebab at i-Cafe Sukur. Photo via i-Cafe Sukor.

i-Cafe Sukurs Place

Divey, diner-like i-Cafe Sukurs Place is one of few games in town when it comes to authentic Turkish fare, served from the morning until the wee hours. If youre a traditionalist, You will find scrambled eggs with sucuk, a pepperoni-like sausage, served with Turkish tea. However, a better bet is the doner kebab; lahmacun, topped with spiced beef and lamb, onions and peppers; or a calzone-like pide. Just be sure to order some bracing Turkish pickles on the side.

i-Cafe Sukurs Place is at 1814 W. Irving Park Rd.


Report: China sends high-tech missiles to contested island in South China Sea

(NationalSecurity.news) The Chinese government has dispatched advanced surface-to-air missiles to one of the disputed islands in the South China Sea under its control, according to U.S. and Taiwanese officials, which will likely ratchet up tensions in the region as President Barack Obama has urged restraint.

Maj. Gen. David Lo, a Taiwan defense ministry spokesman, told Reuters this week that the SAM batteries were deployed to Woody island, which is part of the Paracels chain that has been under Chinese control for four decades but which are also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

In addition, a U.S. defense official confirmed the apparent deployment of the missiles in a report by Fox News, which said its report is based off exclusive civilian satellite imagery the network obtained.

The deployment of the missiles comes at an embarrassing time for Obama, who met with leaders of the ASEAN [Association of South East Asian Nations] countries in California this week to discuss, not so ironically, security and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. During the meeting, Obama said his goal was to adopt tangible steps to reduce tension in the area; the SAM deployment will do the opposite, experts said.

The United States and ASEAN are reaffirming our strong commitment to a regional order where international rules and norms and the rights of all nations, large and small, are upheld, said the president, as reported by Voice of America.

This is a nightmare for President Obama, Michael Pillsbury, senior director for Chinese strategy and former assistant under secretary of defense for policy planning in the Reagan administration, told Fox News. It embarrasses him in the middle of a summit that hes called with the leaders of Southeast Asia where the goal of the summit was to create a kind of unified response in the South China Sea and avoid militarization.

Chinese officials downplayed the reports, saying that certain Western media should focus more on Beijings construction of lighthouses to improve the safety of shipping in the region.

As for the limited and necessary self-defense facilities that China has built on islands and reefs we have people stationed on, this is consistent with the right to self-protection that China is entitled to under international law so there should be no question about it, Wang Yi told reporters in Beijing.

Chinese defense ministry officials told Reuters in a statement that defense facilities on relevant islands and reefs have been there for a number of years and that recent reports about missile batteries were nothing but hype.

Fox News reported, however, that according to satellite imagery the beach where the missile batteries are located was empty on Feb. 3; the batteries were visible by Feb. 14.

U.S. defense officials say the batteries appear to be the HQ-9 air defense system, which is similar in function to Russias S-300 batteries. The Chinese missiles are said to have a range of about 125 miles, posing a threat to any military and civilian aircraft in that radius.

See also:

Reuters

Fox News

Voice of America

NationalSecurity.news is part of the USA Features Media network of sites.

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Russia aims to grant its citizens one hectare of farm and forest land in the Far East to promote self-sufficiency

In an effort to promote self-reliance and good land stewardship, the Russian government is planning to grant every Russian citizen who wants it one hectare of land in its vast Far East territory for free, as long as these landholders use their land for farming, self-sufficiency and/or other legal uses.

At present, the territory is said to be home to about 6 million people, a number that has been steadily decreasing in recent years. Once the land grant program is put into effect, however, the government estimates that about 30 million people could flock into the region.

Free land grants [are] a powerful potential for developing our Eastern territories and an opportunity to radically  almost six fold  increase the far eastern population from 6.4 million to 36 million people, stated Alexander Galushka, the minister of development for the Far East.

A government survey has shown that a vast majority of interested Russians have indicated they plan to use their land for self-reliance. Others declared their intent to become farmers, while a few merely wanted to relocate to somewhere else. After a five-year probationary period, land occupants will be given full ownership of their land in perpetuity.

Russias land grant program vs. the United States Agenda 21

While some critics are skeptical of the programs effectiveness, citing a Russian land-voucher scheme in the 1990s which ended up granting large blocks of land to a few rich tycoons, a number still believe this program could benefit a lot of average Russian citizens. Nevertheless, Russias efforts are a far cry from the United States governments attitude when it comes to land ownership.

Rather than allowing Americans to privately own their land, federal bureaucrats in the U.S. are actually stealing land from rural citizens in an attempt to force all Americans into densely packed urban enclaves, under the Agenda 21 umbrella. The government aims to rewild the vast majority of U.S. territory by forcibly relocating people out of their homes and into government micro-managed cities. The federal government already owns nearly half of the land area in nine U.S. states, it turns out, and U.S.A. Inc. is progressively eating up more of it with each passing day.

Rewilding is ultimately about property rights, explains Kelly OConnell for Canada Free Press. In transferring large tracts of land (a.k.a. Big Wilderness) into government hands it thereby cancels any rights of the original owners.

This is, in fact, the entire goal of rewilding large, dangerous carnivoresto take away mankinds property rights to big parcels of land so the elite caste might macro-manage earth according to their dictates.

Source used:



NaturalNews.com

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DANBURY  Long time banker Hal Wibling is back at the helm of the Savings Bank of Danbury after the quiet departure last month of the banks CEO, Kathleen Romagnano.

Wibling confirmed reports on Tuesday that Romagnano had submitted her resignation from the position effective last month and that was asked by the board to come out of retirement until a permanent president and chief executive can be found. Romagnano was named CEO about two years ago.

She was the seventh person to lead the bank in its 160-year history. No public announcements were made about Romagnanos departure and most bank officials declined to comment on the matter. At least one executive noted that a confidentiality clause was signed as part of an agreement that was reached when she left the bank.

Kathy did some really nice enhancements to the bank during her tenure with the Savings Bank but thats all I can really say, Wibling said.

Wibling added that as chairman of the board of directors, he was well apprised of the banks operations during his brief retirement and he has no problem jumping back into the position. The bank has yet to initiate a search for Romagnanos replacement, he said.

Weve already received several inquires from people who are interested in the position, he added. But at this point we really dont want to rush into anything. We want to take some time to sort things out and develop a good game plan. Ive told the board that Ill stay here for up to a year if necessary.

Romagnano initiated several new ventures including being one of the first mutually chartered banks in the state last year to offer Apple Pay services.

We decided pretty early on that we wanted to offer some of the best services available on the market today to our customers, Romagnano said last February when the service was announced. We don't believe that people need to bank with a large bank to get the kind of services they provide.

Board member Ralph Macintosh declined to comment on Romagnanos departure from the bank, except to say that it was a cordial parting and that he wishes her well in her future endeavors. He added that having Wibling at the helm will provide the kind of stability thats necessary at a financial institution while a new chief executive officer is sought.

Hal is certainly a stable force and were glad that hes stepped into the role, Macintosh said. Thats just the kind of guy he is.

During her tenure with the Savings Bank, the 10th largest state chartered bank in Connecticut, Romagnano helped the bank boost its asset base to more than $900 million and increased the banks net income to more than $5.2 million during the most recent quarter from $2.7 million in all of 2013, according to information from the Connecticut Department of Banking.

Romagnano could not be reached for comment Tuesday despite repeated attempts.

dperrefort@newstimes.com
/ H John Voorhees III

DANBURY - Jan Giegler, the recently elected City Clerk and a seven-term Republican representing the 138th District in the state General Assembly, will not seek an eighth term in Hartford.

In a statement on her Assembly website, the Republican Whip said it was an emotional decision not to seek re-election.
NEW FAIRFIELD  A math program that many parents criticized as ineffective will soon be replaced with a curriculum that brings problem solving to life.

New Fairfield parents have been critical of the districts math program, citing low test scores and one mother even said she was considering sending her third child to a private school because of the math curriculum.

But educators and the Board of Education are optimistic the new program, Big Ideas, will answer the many concerns. The program will be phased-in at the middle and high schools beginning this year once teachers have been trained.

The committee went through quite a bit of extensive discovery of what foundation would be best for the district, so I feel pretty confident that theyve selected the best one, Amy Tozzo, vice chairwoman of the Board of Education, said at a recent meeting.

A committee of educators and parents have met regularly since September, reviewing and testing several options before recommending Big Ideas to the board.

Big Ideas started several years ago in Pennsylvania. Eleven other districts use Big Ideas in Connecticut, including Monroe, Trumbull, Darien and Litchfield.

The program includes intervention tools, resources, enrichment and assessments.

Books are available for three different pathways, depending on the students learning level. Students would receive print and online versions of the book.

The online version includes video tutorials, additional problems and games. Students are also able to access a tutor through the Big Ideas office in Pennsylvania, where teachers and graduate students work with students online between 4 p.m. and midnight, said Barbara Weber, a consultant with Big Ideas.

Weber said the program is designed to embed the math practices into the problems to make students more independent thinkers. It is also set up to encourage teamwork in pairs.

Big Ideas also shows students how to use the math theyre learning outside of the classroom by providing real-world examples and videos about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM.

If they ask where theyre going to use this, then we missed something, Weber said.
When Ray Kroc became a franchise agent for Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1955, I doubt anyone would have expected the company to become a burger behemoth that has more than 35,000 stores in 119 different countries. In fact, one could argue that McDonalds has created one of the greatest business models to follow.

Related: 6 Great Business Models to Consider for a Startup

These eight things have lead to the McDonald's companys global dominance and bear repeating here:

1. Maintain consistency.

No matter where you are in the world, you can be certain that when you walk into a McDonalds youre going to have a familiar experience in terms of the menu, food wrapping and design of the building. In 1961 Ray Kroc launched the Hamburger University as a training school that emphasizes consistent restaurant operations procedures, service, quality and cleanliness. Today, franchisees attend the program to learn and implement Ray Krocs vision.

Research has proven that these types of programs not only enforce consistency, but can also increase productivity.

2. Establish a brand presence.

McDonalds has done an excellent job at establishing a brand presence. But beyond the "Golden Arches" and "Im Lovin It" slogan, McDonalds has created an emotional experience that takes us back to our childhood. Even though we realize that there are better products out there, most of us have a bond with McDonald's that is almost unbreakable -- which is why you hear so many people proclaim their love for McDonalds fries. The fries have a look and taste that you will find exactly the same no matter where you are in the world. You can count on it.

A strong brand presence helps your business build credibility and memories with your customers that will convert them into lifelong advocates. If you're struggling with your brand, here are a few tips to brand your company better.

3. Take risks.

Even though McDonalds practices consistency, the company isnt afraid to take risks and tinker with their menu. The original menu only included a hamburger, cheeseburger, fries, shake and beverages. Over the years, the chain has added breakfast items, the Happy Meal, McNuggets, (and 'Mc' everything else. Does this remind you of the 'i' we see everywhere on multiple iTems?) Filet-O-Fish, salads and the McRibs.

While there have been failures like the McLobster and McPizza, without taking those risks, McDonalds probably would not have grown into the global juggernaut that we know of today.

4. Adapt to customers changing tastes.

The reason that McDonalds is willingly to take risks is that the company realizes that its vital to adapt to the needs and wants of customers. For example, the company scrapped the Super Size option and began offering healthier options as more people have become more health conscience. Additionally, the company also offers regional items based on local favorites.

However, the greatest adaptation was back in 1975. A McDonalds located near a military base in Arizona offered the first drive-thru to serve soldiers who were not allowed to leave their vehicles while wearing fatigues.

Related: The 7 Elements of a Strong Business Model

5. Perfect the art of the cross-sell.

Cross-selling is when you take the product you're going to buy and co-promote other products with it. Sound familiar? It should. McDonalds has arguably the most famous cross-sell of all-time, Would you like fries with that?

This is great way to increase sales, but make sure that you dont overwhelm the customer. Wait for them to order first, gain more information about the sale and realize why it adds value to the final purchase. Another effective example of this is Amazons Frequently Bought Together feature. And how about the effective cross-sell of, "Those who searched for this, (item, book, shirt, shoe, baby item), also searched for these six other items."

6. Learn how to work with people.

Employees at McDonalds have to not only work with the public but also know how to work with colleagues. While congenial working and speaking with one another situations are valuable for essentially every business out there, many former McDonalds employees will inform you that this careful treatment of each other attributed to their success.

Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge discovered that her time at McDonalds gave her the ability to size up peoples concerns, guide them through the process, apologize if something went wrong -- and hold your ground if someones stopped being reasonable.

McDonalds also gives leaders the opportunity to help their team member succeed. While as a McDonalds manager Andrew Card, chief of staff for President George W. Bush, stated that My job was determining how I could help each kid succeed. If an employee wasnt happy or skilled on the grill, the manager could move to cash register in order to tap into their strengths and preferences.

7. Spot and grow talent.

Did you know that 40 percent of McDonald's executives actually began as hourly employees? Thats because the company knows how to spot talent and tap into the "hidden talents" of employees. McDonalds then rewards these employees by allowing them to work their way-up. It not only reduces turnover, but also builds a company that is full of employees who know the business inside and out and are extremely loyal. More importantly, however, this creates a company that is committed to one shared vision.

8. Realize the importance of philanthropy.

McDonalds is also known for giving back to the community through the Ronald McDonald House Charities, college scholarships, fundraisers and mentorship programs. McDonalds, like so many other philanthropic businesses, have realized that giving back is just good for business. By sharing the same values with customers, businesses can create loyal advocates and increase their revenue.

Related: 4 Ways to Make a Business-Model Shift Seamless

Related:

8 Things McDonald's Can Teach You About Business Success

McDonald's Mozzarella Sticks Are at the Center of a New Lawsuit

Some McDonald's Mozzarella Sticks Are Missing a Key Ingredient



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
In Wake Of Bus Explosion, Megabus Says It Is Extremely Safe, Don't Worry

By Mae Rice in News on Feb 23, 2016 6:51PM



One of Megabus' coach busesthis one fortunately not on fire (photo via Facebook)

A Megabus burst into flames on Sunday en route from Chicago to Minneapolisand there happened to be a New York Times travel columnist on board. In the days since, the companys spokesperson has addressed the issue, and the columnist, who live-tweeted the bus fire, has now published his column.

In that column, Lucas Peterson noted that many passengers on the burned-out bus lost luggage worth orders of magnitude more than Megabus will compensate them for. (Its the companys written policy to reimburse passengers no more than $250 for damaged, or charred, luggage.)

One passenger, Alice Taylor, told Peterson she lost $1,000+ in luggage, including a laptop. Another passenger, Darnell McKinney, told Peterson he was moving to Milwaukee on the bus, and lost most of his possessionsincluding his birth certificate and Social Security card.

When asked about this policy Sean Hughes, Director of Corporate Affairs for Megabus.com North America, told Chicagoist, Everything is currently being reviewed. Obviously, we need to talk to passengers is whats going on but obviously the $250 is part of our ticket.

Hughes declined to elaborate on whether that meant there was flexibility around the compensation cap.

In his column, Peterson also cited various high-profile Megabus accidents. He wrote:

In 2010, a double-decker Megabus crashed into a railroad overpass in upstate New York, killing four on the top deck. In 2014, 26 passengers were hurt when a Megabus rolled over near Seymour, Ind. And in 2015, 19 were injured when a Megabus traveling from Chicago to Atlanta crashed.

In Hughes official statement, he confirmed that the bus from Chicago to Minneapolis was involved in an incident, and said that Megabus is fully cooperating with the authorities with their investigation into the incident." However, Hughes focused mostly on safety. He wrote:





Megabus.com takes safety as our top priority and maintains the highest safety compliance rating (Satisfactory) from the US Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Also, the Transportation Safety Exchange (TSX), an independent safety rating organization that provides safety ratings of more than 300,000 passenger and freight carriers, announced in January 2014 that all megabus.com carriers are TSX-approved. This approval was renewed in the fall of 2015. Megabus.com is the first carrier group to achieve TSX approval, demonstrating the most stringent safety standards in the industry. Megabus.com requires more hours off between shifts than is required by the federal and state regulators, has seat belts on our bus since 2007, and has had GPS tracking on all of our buses since 2006. These are some of multiple precautionary steps Megabus.com takes to ensure our passengers are safe and far exceed both federal and state requirements.



Are the crashes Peterson cites proof that Megabus is cheap for a reason, or aberrations in an overall safe system? We have no idea. We have to say, thoughthis bus explosion is a terrible stroke of luck, for passengers who lost basically everything, and for Megabus, who had one of the worst incidents in their company history live-Tweeted by a nationally-known reporter.
Health and life sciences drive growth in venture capital and IPOs lead increased 2015 Canadian VC exit values. Private Equity investment levels remain strong but decline from record 2014 levels. Private equity volume way up.

TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2016 /CNW/ - Canadian private capital continued its climb in 2015: venture capital (VC) activity saw amounts invested and fundraising increase substantially, with exit values reaching historical highs. Private equity (PE) saw solid fundraising numbers and large increases in volume. These are some of the main findings from the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association's (CVCA) private capital market activity reports for 2015.

VC investment continued its strong growth in 2015, with 536 deals capturing $2.3 billion, an increase of 24 per cent and 12 per cent respectively over 2014. Primarily driven by three large IPOs (Shopify, ProNAi, and Davids Tea), VC exit values were way up reaching a record of $4.3 billion in 2015, compared with $1.5 billion in 2014 and $1.3 billion in 2013.

Ontario continued to lead all provinces in venture capital investments, accounting for 38 percent and 42 percent of deal numbers and disbursement respectively. Quebec investment activity was up dramatically in 2015, increasing its national share of VC activity to approximately 31 per cent, and up 51 percent and 102 percent respectively in number of deals and dollars invested over 2014.

ICT continued to lead all sectors with just under two-thirds of volume and transaction values. However, Health and Life Sciences drove growth in 2015, up 39 per cent in deal volume and 35 per cent in dollar terms, compared to 2014.

Other insights from the report show funding by stages shifting towards earlier stage deals at the expense of later stage. The volume growth went to seed stage, which is up 30 per cent year over year to 178 deals in 2015. The growth in deal value, however, went to early stage (up 46 per cent from 2014) as a result of significantly larger round sizes. This shift caused later stage shares in overall investment to fall to 12 per cent in volume and 23 per cent in terms of amount invested (compared to 2013's 20 per cent and 49 per cent respectively).

"Venture capital investment is going through a much needed resurgence in Canada", said Mike Woollatt, CEO of the CVCA. "The future looks brighter as exits climbed through 2015 and fundraising numbers were strong, thanks in large part to government activity on the fund of funds side."

Private equity saw a 19 per cent increase in deal volume over 2014 with 399 deals in 2015. Due in large part to the 2014 Tim Horton's deal, which alone represented $11.8 billion, deal values in 2015 were down from the $42.2 billion record in 2014. Despite this, they still reached a historically high value of $22.8 billion. Quebec also saw a substantial increase in private equity activity in 2015 with $5.4 billion invested over 151 deals  now representing 38 per cent of the volume and 24 per cent of the amounts invested.

The impact of the low oil prices was felt in 2015 as the number of deals and the amount invested in oil and gas declined from 82 deals and $13.1 billion in 2014 to 48 deals across $8.6 billion in 2015. While oil and gas remains the highest in terms of amount invested, it is now fourth in terms of volume after industrials, ICT and mining. Data collected from a comprehensive survey of CVCA members shows that the vast majority (67 per cent) agree that depressed oil prices will worsen business outlooks for 2016.

In terms of exits, the IPO market for private equity remains slow representing only $2.5 billion over 4 deals in 2015. M&A exits continues to lead the charge, representing approximately 60% of both volume and overall value. The CVCA member survey reveals that the majority (56 per cent) believe 2016 will see a continued decrease in IPO activity.

"Private equity investment in Canada is leaping from strength to strength right now, despite the impact of oil and gas prices", said Woollatt. "We are seeing robust activity in deal volume, amounts invested, and fundraising levels, which bode well for future investments."

2015 has been a strong year for both VC and PE, and it is predicted that this will continue into 2016: According to the CVCA member survey, 64 per cent believe current economic conditions favour the private capital industry, with 54 per cent agreeing that a lower Canadian dollar improves business outlook for the upcoming year.

CLICK TO VIEW SURVEY RESULTS

VENTURE CAPITAL:

Highlights:

Market activity in 2015 saw 536 disclosed VC deals with $2.3 billion invested. ICT remains the sector leader capturing 325 deals and $1.4 billion invested; health and life science sector drove year-over-year growth, accounting for $647 million cross 110 deals. Clean technology declined to 44 deals across $135 million invested and agribusiness reported 20 deals and $42 million invested.

invested. ICT remains the sector leader capturing 325 deals and invested; health and life science sector drove year-over-year growth, accounting for cross 110 deals. Clean technology declined to 44 deals across invested and agribusiness reported 20 deals and invested. Top three regions: the majority of VC deal and investment activity took place in Ontario with 206 deals capturing $939 million . Quebec was the second largest with 168 deals and $693 million invested, followed by BC with 86 deals and $450 million invested.

with 206 deals capturing . was the second largest with 168 deals and invested, followed by BC with 86 deals and invested. Top disclosed VC exit for 2015 remains Shopify Inc.'s IPO for $1.6 billion with VC backers including Insight Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, FirstMark Capital, Georgian Partners, Felicis Ventures, and OMERS Ventures.

with VC backers including Insight Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, FirstMark Capital, Georgian Partners, Felicis Ventures, and OMERS Ventures. Stage: Early-stage investing captured the vast majority of disbursements with 178 deals, and $1.2 billion . Seed accounted for 178 deals at $154 million , while later-stage deals accounted for 64 for $530 million . Bridge investing had 78 deals with $129 million .

. Seed accounted for 178 deals at , while later-stage deals accounted for 64 for . Bridge investing had 78 deals with . Fundraising: 2015 saw 30 funds raising $2 billion , surpassing last year's total of $1.2 billion by 33 funds.

PRIVATE EQUITY:

Highlights:

Private equity disclosed deal value totaled $22.8 billion with 399 deals in 2015.

While energy and power sector continues to lead overall investments in terms of amounts invested at $8.6 billion , it has declined in activity rankings to 48 deals or 12% of the overall deal volume.

, it has declined in activity rankings to 48 deals or 12% of the overall deal volume. Industrial and manufacturing had the most activity at 62 deals, accounting for 16% of the deal volume followed by ICT at 15% and mining and resources at 13%.

Top three regions: Alberta reported 54 deals with $8 billion , Ontario had 117 deals with $5.8 billion , and Quebec had 151 deals with $5.4 billion .

reported 54 deals with , had 117 deals with , and had 151 deals with . Top Canadian PE disclosed exit for 2015: Birch Hill Equity Partners sold Shred-it International Inc. to Stericycle, Inc. for $3 billion .

. Deal types: PE buy-out dominated deal types accounting for 59 per cent of total disclosed value with $13.4 billion .

. Fundraising: 2015 saw 31 funds raising $14.1 billion .

CVCA Methodology

Venture Capital: dataset includes verified completed equity or quasi-equity venture capital deals only. Not included are non-equity based government funding such as grants from FedDev, project financing from The SD Tech Fund of the Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), pharmaceutical product development deals, senior debt as part of overall financing package, venture capital-backed acquisitions, and angel financing.

Private Equity: dataset includes only completed private equity deals for consistency and quarter-to-quarter/year-to-year comparison. Announced but yet to be completed deals are not included.

About the CVCA

The CVCA is the voice of Canada's venture capital and private equity industry. We are focused on improving the private capital ecosystem by broadening industry awareness and providing market research, networking, and professional development opportunities. We also advocate on behalf of the industry to ensure sound public policy that encourages a favourable investment environment. The CVCA works alongside its members, who represent the vast majority of private capital firms in Canada, to improve the industry and drive innovation and growth.

SOURCE CVCA - Canada's Venture Capital & Private Equity Association

For further information: For further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact: Ashley Smith, Communications Manager, 416-487-0519 x201, [email protected]
For the Quarter ended 31 December 2015, in US dollars

EASTAMPTON, NJ, Feb. 23, 2016 /CNW/ - Epicore BioNetworks Inc. (TSXV EBN) reported second quarter revenue of $2.2 million and net income of $0.1 million or $0.004 per share for the period ended December 31, 2015.

(LOGO: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336588LOGO)

Revenue declined 9% from last year's Q2. Net income decreased by 65%. Sales increases were achieved in some areas but declines outnumbered gains. Shrimp diseases such as Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) and a new microspordian disease called enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) affected several Southeast Asian (SEA) producing regions where Epicore sales have declined. Regions free of EMS and EHP increased shrimp production in fiscal Q2. Epicore sales increased in these regions but not enough to counteract the drop in SEA sales. In SEA, low prices combined with the risk of disease have resulted in a curtailment in shrimp stocking. These factors and the effects of a strong US dollar have combined to negatively affect revenues in the second quarter.

Results versus prior fiscal year quarter two were as follows:

Revenue decreased by 9% to $2.2 million

Gross profit decreased by 21% to $1.2 million

Operating expenses increased by 5% to $1.0 million

Income before taxes decreased 68% to $0.2 million

Net income decreased 65% to $0.1 million

EBITDA 1 decreased 58% to $0.2 million

decreased 58% to Achieved basic earnings per share of $0.004

Increased shareholders' equity to $8.5 million

Year-over-year cash decreased 37% to $1.7 million

Year-to-date cash flow from operations of ($0.2) million

Gross profit decreased 21% in Q2 due to the decrease in revenues and an 11% increase in cost of goods sold (COGS). The Q2 sales mix included a higher than normal proportion of lower priced sales items. Most of the COGS increase was due to a move of leased equipment expense to COGS.

Operating expense increased by 5% even though leased equipment expense was moved to COGS. While consulting, outside research and supplies expenses were lower in Q2, selling expense increased due to extra sales staff added in Asia and higher advertising costs. Depreciation, director fees and property tax expense also increased. Payroll expenses in Ecuador increased due to a new law on severance and retirement compensation.

Higher COGS and operating expenses combined with lower revenues to produce lower Q2 earnings before tax than prior year Q2. Even with reduced tax expense, Q2 net income was 65% lower than prior year Q2. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) decreased 58% over prior year from $0.5 million to $0.2 million. The following table summarizes the Q2 results (rounded to thousands of US dollars):



For the Quarter ended December 31

2015 2014 Increase (Decrease) Revenue $2,178 $2,398 ($220) (9%) Gross profit $1,184 $1,506 ($322) (21%) Operating expenses $1.022 $978 $44 5% Net income $99 $283 ($184) (65%) Earnings per share $0.004 $0.012 ($0.008) (67%) Shareholders' equity $8,528 $7,524 $1,004 13% Cash balance $1,693 $2,682 ($989) (37%)

Epicore continues to generate positive net income from operating activities although working capital increases and investments in plant and equipment decreased cash balances. Cash at the end of the quarter was $1.7 million versus $2.8 million at the end of fiscal 2016 Q1. With these funds, expected sales revenue growth and continued relatively low operating costs, management expects there will be sufficient cash to meet the fiscal year's financial requirements, to fund expansion of aquaculture and environmental remediation marketing efforts and to pursue new strategies for enhancing shareholder value.

Over the last two years, Epicore has invested materially in a second building and automated packaging equipment. As previously reported the new building was completed and is occupied. This added space is critical to our ability to increase production levels. Liquid packaging equipment was installed in Q1 and is operating well. Automated dry packaging equipment is on order and will be operational in Q3. The board has approved an ongoing capital program to enhance efficiencies and ensure redundancies in critical applications of our operations.

The financial statements of the company have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. Epicore BioNetworks Inc. is a public corporation with a registered office in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and with shares listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (symbol EBN). [Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.]

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve significant risks and uncertainties. The actual results, performance or achievements of the company might differ materially from the results, performance or achievements of the company expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those regarding the future growth of the Company, that investments now in place and planned for new plant and equipment will result in production efficiencies and increased capacities and the expectation by management that there will be sufficient cash to meet the fiscal year's financial requirements. We can provide no assurance that the expected timing or results of such development will be realized or that the company will be able to generate sufficient cash to meet its obligations. We are subject to various risks, including the uncertainties of product development, markets for our products and regulatory review, our need for additional capital to fund our operations, our reliance on collaborative partners, our history of losses, and other risks inherent in the biotechnology industry.

1 EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. For the Company, It is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Management believes that EBITDA is a better indicator of operational performance than net income because it ignores interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

SOURCE Epicore BioNetworks Inc.

Image with caption: "Epicore BioNetworks Inc. (CNW Group/Epicore BioNetworks Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160223_C5253_PHOTO_EN_627482.jpg

For further information: Mr. William P. Long, (Chief Executive Officer) USA, Tel: 609-267-9118, Email: [email protected]
WASHINGTON D.C., Feb. 22, 2016 /CNW/ - The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, had her first official visit to the United States today, meeting with key U.S. leaders and experts to discuss our bilateral approach to climate change and the environment.

Of particular note, Minister McKenna announced new measures to improve the quality of the Great Lakes, a vital water resource for both Canada and the U.S.

Minister McKenna also met with Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and discussed the two countries' shared responsibilities for protected areas and wildlife. This includes the joint CanadaUnited States Migratory Birds Convention, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

Minister McKenna then met with Todd Stern, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change, and discussed the importance of maintaining the momentum of the Paris Agreement, highlighting Canada's progress towards developing a pan-Canadian framework to address climate change.

Minister McKenna also met with Gina McCarthy, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Environment and Climate Change Canada and the EPA have a strong history of environmental cooperation in many areas including through the alignment of our regulatory approaches and through the CanadaUnited States Air Quality Agreement, which addresses the cross-border flow of air pollutants.

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page

Conserve, Restore, and Connect with Nature Facebook page

Environment and Climate Change Canada on Flickr

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

Image with caption: "Minister McKenna meets with U.S. environment leaders and experts in Washington (CNW Group/Environment and Climate Change Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160222_C6544_PHOTO_EN_626542.jpg

Image with caption: "Minister McKenna meets with U.S. environment leaders and experts in Washington (CNW Group/Environment and Climate Change Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160222_C6544_PHOTO_EN_626547.jpg

Image with caption: "Minister McKenna meets with U.S. environment leaders and experts in Washington (CNW Group/Environment and Climate Change Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160222_C6544_PHOTO_EN_626544.jpg

For further information: Caitlin Workman, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-938-9436; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338
The Canadian Payroll Association's Seminars Support Payroll Compliance Knowledge in Highly Regulated Pensions and Benefits Environments

TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2016 /CNW/ - Even before the new Liberal government took office, the need to provide additional retirement savings to Canadians was a crucial topic. The Canadian Payroll Association's (CPA's) National Payroll Week research continually shows that Canadians are challenged in saving enough for their retirement goals.

With financial wellness high on the agenda of governments and employers, payroll, accounting and HR practitioners involved in pensions and benefits processing and administration must stay abreast of developments and regulation by taking ongoing pensions and benefits training to enhance their payroll compliance knowledge.

The CPA offers three pension and benefit seminars: Pensions and Benefits from a Payroll Perspective, Advanced Pension Case Studies from a Payroll Perspective, and Best Practices of Employee Group Benefits, offering the most up-to-date payroll compliance knowledge practitioners require to successfully administer their plans.

Pensions Highly Valued Among Employees and Payroll Practitioners, Survey Shows

The CPA's recent Employment and Retirement Benefits Survey ranks pensions plans (including RRSPs, defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans) among the top 15 most common employer-provided benefits. These types of pension benefits are also viewed by payroll professionals as one of their most valued benefits, according to Hays Canada's 2016 Payroll Salary Survey.

"With the spotlight on pensions, and their role in supporting Canadians' retirement goals, employers and payroll practitioners must be knowledgeable in payroll compliance so they can accurately administer these plans," said Janet Spence, the CPA's Manager of Compliance Services and Programs. "The Canadian Payroll Association's Professional Development Seminars help to achieve this goal."

Pension Legislation and Regulations Have Payroll Implications

Governments continue to discuss pension legislation  from potential Canada Pension Plan (CPP) enhancements to the Ontario Government's proposed Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP). The CPA's Professional Development Seminars help payroll practitioners and their employers navigate legislation and regulation to ensure compliance.

"The Association works collaboratively with all levels of government to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of payroll-impacting legislation, regulations and administration for all stakeholders," says Rachel De Grace, the CPA's Manager of Advocacy and Legislative Content. "We are thankful to be a part of the Ontario Government's ongoing Pre-Budget and ORPP consultations to provide our recommendations on pension reform from an employer perspective and we look forward to carrying on this working relationship."

Payroll Compliance Resources Available for All Levels

Payroll practitioners rely on the CPA to communicate and advise on legislative updates that impact payroll, including those related to pensions and benefits. The Association continually updates its payroll compliance tools and resources and Payroll Best Practices Guidelines to provide the most current payroll compliance information.

The CPA offers over 20 different Professional Development Seminars across Canada, for members and non-members in payroll, accounting, finance and human resources professionals who recognize the value of payroll compliance knowledge.

For a complete listing of seminar dates and for more information on the Canadian Payroll Association's Professional Development Seminars, Certification Programs and Benefits of Membership, visit payroll.ca / paie.ca.

About the Canadian Payroll Association:

Canada's 1.5 million employers rely on payroll practitioners to ensure the timely and accurate annual payment of $901 billion in wages and taxable benefits, $305 billion in statutory remittances to the federal and provincial governments, and $169 billion in health and retirement benefits, while complying with more than 200 federal and provincial regulatory requirements. Since 1978, the Canadian Payroll Association has annually influenced the payroll compliance practices and processes of over 500,000 organizational payrolls. As the authoritative source of Canadian payroll compliance knowledge, the Canadian Payroll Association promotes payroll compliance through education and advocacy.

SOURCE Canadian Payroll Association

Image with caption: "The Canadian Payroll Association offers comprehensive Professional Development Seminars on pensions and benefits and more than 20 topics for payroll, accounting and HR professionals. Learn more at payroll.ca / paie.ca. (CNW Group/Canadian Payroll Association)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160218_C7778_PHOTO_EN_623218.jpg

For further information: Alison Rutka, Communications Specialist, [email protected], 416-487-3380 x 125
Photos: New Color Block Installation Brightens Grant Park In The Dead Of Winter

By Carrie McGath in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 23, 2016 5:45PM

The Chicago artist whose three-story eye sculpture once creepily gazed at Loop pedestrians from Pritzker Park has a new, large-scale public installation downtown.

Tony Tasset's latest, Artists Monument, was unveiled in Grant Park on Saturday. On Michigan Avenue near 9th Street, the 80-foot-long, eight-foot-high color-blocked installation is, Tasset told Chicagoist, a love letter to artists.

Most of the artists I know feel under-appreciated," Tasset said. "I wanted to make a piece that took away all the hierarchy [of] who's up, who's down and simply honor as many artists as I could."

On the monument, the audience can read the names of almost 400,000 artists (392,485 to be exact), laser-etched onto Plexiglass and then mounted on shipping containers. Listed alphabetically, the artistsranging from Picasso to emerging artistsare not being ranked or evaluated. Instead, they are listed through the alpha-etching on the plexi with the very thing that is an artists brand: their name.

The work debuted at the 2014 Whitney Biennial in New York City, but it will call Grant Park home throughout the summer. The ultimate goal is for the work to be a permanent installation on the University of Illinois at Chicago campus. Tasset has taught there for almost 30 years in the Art and Art History departmentyet another reason he's a central player in the Chicago arts community.

He still approaches the art world with an underdog mindset, though.

Its become a given that most of the public doesn't really like contemporary art," Tasset said. "Its usually portrayed as a joke in popular culture. Most of the art world finds public art hacky.

He continued, Theres also a lot of bad public art out there. I love working in this un-hip area. I love the challenge of trying to win over a grumpy audience.

Thanks to Tassets engaging, tactile pieces, it is hard to be cranky when in the presence of one of his works. Between the bright palettes and the humor, it is very likely that even the most cantankerous of viewers to squeeze out a smirk.

Think back a few years to the three-story sculpture, Eye, that gawked at passersby at State and Van Buren streets. Modeled after the artists own eye, the result was an astute and hyperbolically immediate interaction between the artist and the viewer. The installation of the work, with the iris dangling from a crane, pointed to the Duchampian farce so often present in Tassets process and resulting work.

Humor is probably the most personal aspect of my work. I just think funny, he remarked. I used to be paranoid the work wasn't being taken seriously enough because of the humor. I see everything as tragic / comic.

Fittingly, at least one renowned comedian has been drawn to Tasset's work. His 1994 photograph, I Peed My Pants, was purchased by John Waters and it fits perfectly with the cult filmmakers gritty, loathing and deeply human, humor-addled oeuvre. To make this ode-to-self acquisition all the more surreal, Waters bought it at an Enron auction, so at one point it hung in their corporate offices, adding an absurdist provenance to the image. Tasset said, When I made the photograph of myself peeing in my pants I thought it was heartbreakingly human, but other people find it hilarious.

This mix of emotion is markedly Tasset, making a seemingly straightforward work into the existential tragicomedy that is being human.

When I was younger I made art about art for an in-the-know audience. But as I got older I simply wanted to speak to a wider audience.

On Artist's Monument, he does that in part by including a tremendous range of artists from the 20th and 21st centuries. Tasset collected their names from internet searches for artists. Many people know Picasso or Warhol, but Tasset wanted to bluntly display all the unknowns.

Chicago has a democratic inclusiveness that is reflected in Artists Monument.

Ultimately the piece does its job when artists or friends of artists locate someone they know. I've had so many sweet experiences of people's appreciation for being included.

This egalitarian perspective is key to Tasset's Midwestern sensibility.

Part of the content of the work is that we are now at a new time in history when you can collect this kind of large data," he said. "One could easily make a monument to other cultures, say-duck hunters, politicians or yoga instructors. But I'm an artist so I made the monument to my community."

The color-blocked, barge-like shipping crates possess a joyful quality, with its bright colors, but also a somber feelthe work conjures images of a memorial wall. But it is a work that celebrates artists, literally bringing their names (and brand) into the very public realm of Grant Park. Here, there is no overt humor like Eye or Exhausted Paul Bunyan, who stands slumped over and defeated in University Park, Illinois. However, the sheer scale of this undertaking beckons a humor that comes through in the absurdity of a project so massive.

Coinciding with Artists Monument, Kavi Gupta Gallery is opening a Tasset solo exhibition, titled Me and My Arrow. His sculptural paintings of arrows have an opposing viewpoint to his Grant Park sculpture, as these paintings become small moments of evaluation (thumbs up / thumbs down), possibly a comment on the art markets fickleness. Opening on March 18 and running through April 23, the solo exhibition is a great opportunity to further delve into this beloved artists complex and engaging body of work.

Artists Monument is on display in Grant Park at Michigan Avenue and 9th Street and Kavi Gupta Gallery is located at 835 W. Washington Blvd.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has refuted allegations that he was behind the travails of former Minister of Justice and Attorney G...

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has refuted allegations that he was behind the travails of former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), at the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.Atiku told the former Justice Minister and all those invited to go and clear their names with the anti-graft agency instead of trying to drag innocent people into the fray.The former Vice President does not have a hand in the travails of the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, said Atikus Media Adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe in a statement on Tuesday.The Turaki Adamawa advises the erstwhile Attorney General and others so invited to focus on clearing their names instead of dragging innocent people into the fray.Adoke had in a letter to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo named Atiku as one of the people behind his travails.
Benue State Deputy Governor Benson Abounu has alleged that last Saturdays rerun in Benue South was characterised by violence, snatching...

Benue State Deputy Governor Benson Abounu has alleged that last Saturdays rerun in Benue South was characterised by violence, snatching of ballot boxes and stuffing of same in Agatu and Okpokwu councils.He rejected the declaration of David Mark as winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).Abounu, who addressed reporters in Makurdi, alleged that gunmen, allegedly recruited by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), attacked the All Progressive Congress (APC) supporters.He rejected the result, saying 29,000 votes were cancelled, while Mark won with a difference of 12,000.Abounu said: By law, INEC should have declared the election inconclusive as it did in Kogi and Bayelsa.He said they would take the matter to the tribunal.Accredited observer groups under the Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA) have alleged that the rerun was characterised by ballot snatching.Director-General of the groups Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, at a briefing in Abuja yesterday, said the election was held under best practices, but was characterised by irregularities.
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has reacted to Senator Ali Modu Sheriffs threat that he will be dealt with.

Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has reacted to Senator Ali Modu Sheriffs threat that he will be dealt with.The former Aviation Minister, in a statement made available to Channels Television, said he is amused by the Senators threat and he is waiting with baited breath for his actions.Mr Fani-Kayode who is a member of the PDP and one of the party leaders who are unhappy with the process which brought Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the new PDP national chairman, criticised the emergence of the former governor of Borno State as the new PDP Chairman, raising allegations of a link of the new party leader with the Boko Haram sect, a terrorist group which has killed hundreds of innocent Nigerians since it began its operations few years ago.The former minister says we are more than ready to meet Senator Ali Modu Sheriff in court. It would be a pleasure to expose him for what he is. The days of intimidating, silencing and threatening others are long over.If sheriff is a Goliath, let him be rest assured that he has finally met his David. Needless to say we stand by everything that we have said,he added.
The Creator Of @MayorEmanuel Reminds Us Chicago Is Screwed

By Mae Rice in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 23, 2016 9:58PM



Dan Sinker, a.k.a. @MayorEmanuel (left) meets the actual Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2011, just after Sinker's Twitter account went dark (photo via Daniel X. O'Neil on Flickr)

Whats happening in Chicago right now isnt funny, wrote Dan Sinker, the Twitter genius behind the parody account @MayorEmanuel, in a new Medium post about his hallowed, now-defunct Twitter.

Sinker says he abandoned the Twitter account once Mayor Rahm Emanuel was elected to his first term because, the idea of ridiculing the day-to-day work of trying to fix the city never appealed to me ... [A]nd the way that reality has played out in the last five years has only born that instinct out.

Much of Sinkers post is spent explaining what long-time Chicagoans (and/or Twitter users) already know: The account was beloved and got a lot of press; Sinker wrote it anonymously; there are now a lot of copycat political parody accounts on Twitter and most of themsuch as Hillary Clintons Vag, which Sinker mentions in passingare deeply bad.

However, Sinker also offers some analysis of Chicago then and now. Of Chicago five years ago, he wrote:

Its hard to remember after the five hard years since, but there was a great deal of hope following the end of 22 years of the Daley administration. This was an opportunity to rebuild a city that had been broken by decades of neglect and insider deals. The city and the schools were in debt by hundreds of millions of dollars. Public pensions had been underfunded for decades and threatened to make the financial situation even worse. The city had stopped growing in the previous decade  census numbers published almost simultaneous to the election showed that Chicago had shrunk by 200,000 people, nearly half of which were African-Americans. And on and on and on. People wanted to believe that a new administration  the first in two decades  would bring about change and fix the many real problems the city faced.

Of Chicago since Mayor Emanuels election, Sinker wrote:





The actual, real Rahm Emanuel, it turns out, hasnt done a great job at turning things around. The debt is more crushing than before, the schools havent pulled back from the precipice they were on five years ago. The pension debt has becomes such a huge problem that the entire state of Illinois hasnt had a budget in nearly eight months in part because nobody seems to know how to fix it. The shrinking population contributed to school closures that were hugely unpopular and mired in scandal. Then there is the violenceshootings in the city are double what they were this time last year, a staggering 292 victims with 51 murders in January alone  and the growing exposure of police murders and coverups. This isnt just a damaged Chicago, this is by pretty much every measure a destroyed Chicago. People want to lay all that destruction at Rahm Emanuels feet, and while his permanent headfake demeanor certainly hasnt helped and there are plenty of bad decisions that are of his making, the reality is far more complex and unforgiving. This is a series of slow-motion disasters that have been decades in the making, and will probably take just as long to turn around.

You know your citys in trouble when even Twitter comedians feel like itd be tasteless to joke about current events, and turn serious and longform-y. Still, Sinker's analysis feels solidand at this point, he might have more Chicagoans loyalty than the actual Mayor.

Let us finish with one of the accounts more timeless tweets, to lighten the mood?

Coffee! You are motherfucking wonderful! Let me carry you gently in my goddamn belly!  Rahm Emanuel (@MayorEmanuel) February 20, 2011

A message with bipartisan appeal.
Four of the worlds leading authorities on ISIL discuss what the group strives to achieve with its global attacks:  Theyre baiti...

Four of the worlds leading authorities on ISIL discuss what the group strives to achieve with its global attacks:On Al Jazeera Englishs flagship current affairs show, UpFront, Lydia Wilson, research fellow at Oxford University's Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict; Jurgen Todenhofer, the first Western journalist to be granted access to ISIL controlled territory; Will McCants, a former State Department adviser on countering violent extremism; and Hassan Hassan, co-author of the book ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, discussed what the group aims to achieve by carrying out attacks around the world.If we believe what they say, and I doTheyre baiting us, said Lydia Wilson. Wilson, who recently interviewed ISIL fighters in northern Iraq, believes ISIL wants Western countries to attack them at home. Theyre inspiring terror and drawing the Western powers, or the unbelieving powers into wars that they cannot afford or draw them directly into the region not just by proxies [Terror attacks] produce the response that we are giving them."German journalist, Jurgen Todenhofer, weighed in, saying, I think the brutality of these terrorists is their strategy. They want the Western governments to overreact, to send bombers, to kill civilians, and this is a terror breeding program This is a clear strategy, to be brutal to change the behaviour of the enemy."Also joining the special roundtable was Will McCants, the former State Department senior adviser, and author of the new book. The ISIS Apocalypse. He explained how ISILs attacks intend to polarise and act as a recruitment tool. The Islamic State is seeking, particularly in the West, to make Muslims face a choice, he said. They want Muslims to choose between being part of societies that dont want them or joining the Islamic State And the more that they can cultivate anger among non-Muslims in the West against Muslims, cultivate paranoia against them, the more they hope to be able to recruit from the resulting alienation amongst Muslims in the West."Rounding out the panel was author Hassan Hassan, who believes ISIL would prefer the West not attack them. If ISIS had a choice, I think it would have wanted the West to stay away from it, he said. However, I think ISIS has always had this mindset of the West would go after them even if they dont do anything in the West."
An African-American woman, Virgina McLaurin, has said her meeting with the United States President, Barack Obama, is a moment she has...





Video Credits: AJ+

An African-American woman, Virgina McLaurin, has said her meeting with the United States President, Barack Obama, is a moment she has longed for in her life.The 106-year-old woman danced with Obama and the First Lady, Michelle, at the White House, saying she had thought she would never have the opportunity.A video that captured the meeting showed the woman flanked by the Obamas, as they danced with her and they conversed. She said she had come to celebrate Obama for making history as the first black President of the US.The video, posted on the White House Facebook page on Sunday, had more than 17 million views by Monday morning, VOA reports.McLaurin said, I thought I would never live to get in the White House. Im so happy. A black president his black wife. Im here to celebrate black history. That is what Im here for. It is an honour.The President, who was mesmerised by the womans dance, expressed his delight at hosting her.Shes dancing at 106. Were glad to have you here, he said.Michelle, who was also thrilled by her dance, wished to be as strong as the visitor when she becomes old.She said, I wanna be like you when I grow up. Were happy to have you here. Were happy for you.
Rahm Tells Reporter 'Assumptions You Have About Me Are F---ing Wrong'

By Rachel Cromidas in News on Feb 23, 2016 2:46PM



(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is still deflecting blame over the considerably botched (some would argue criminally botched) handling of the police shooting of Laquan McDonald and the chilling video evidence behind it. This time, he's speaking in a rare sit-down interview with The New Yorker, in the magazine's latest profile on Chicago's activist priest and outspoken police critic Rev. Michael Pfleger.

The profile by Evan Osnos delves into the subject of Emanuel's role in the McDonald case, which took over a year to come to light and over a year for charges to be brought against the Chicago police officer who shot McDonald 16 times, about 5,000 words in. It's classic Rahma broad denial and the F-bomb.

During our interview, I asked if he was conducting any internal polling about the crisis. He said no, adding, Now you know that all the assumptions you have about me are fucking wrong.

But as Osnos writes, it's hard to believe Emanuel truly did not know the details of the case while campaigning for reelection last winter and had not seen the video, which "contradicts police reports, suggesting an orchestrated coverup."

Many in Chicago found it hard to imagine that the mayor of a city with historic police problems, at a moment when law-enforcement conduct was a national political issuea mayor who cultivated an image of attention to small detailswould not have wanted more information.

Rahm responded, "I was reassured that four entities were crawling all over this thing: one, the states attorney; one, the U.S. attorney in the name of the Justice Department; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and IPRA"...I dont think I ever thought that it still would take until December, a year later, for Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez's office to bring charges against the officer, Jason Van Dyke, who was charged with six counts of first-degree murder in December.

Pfleger told Osnos that Rahm has been more blunt with him about it:

He told me to my face, Mike, I did nothing illegal. I swear to God. Nothing, Mike. Its O.K., I believe that, I said. Emanuel has maintained that he was following City Hall procedure by keeping the video a secret, but Pfleger considers that to be a failing. I said, You knew the process was fucked up, so you hid behind the process. 

Osnos describes Pfleger as "torn" between wanting to work closely with the mayor on a solution and maintaining his image as a strong political critic in the wake of Chicago's police misconduct crises. And despite calls for Emanuel's resignation far and wide, Osnos interview with Emanuel shows the mayor is somehow not taking them personally:

He described the protests to me as part of a national trend. I found out from my colleagues: The mayor of Minneapolis was booed off the stage; she didnt finish her speech. The mayor of Denver couldnt get his M.L.K. event off the ground. He didnt think the protests reflected broad sentiment in Chicago. I respect peoples passion and the desire to do this, he said. I know the difference between people who are protesting on the issue and people who are relitigating the 2011 and 2015 election. And Im not the only person getting protests across the country.

[H/T The Reader]
Dunhuang Research Academy has released a series of photos of grotto paintings that depict the Lantern Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. The academy is an institution responsible for conservation, management and research at the Mogao Grottoes (a World Cultural Heritage site at Dunhuang), the Yulin Grottoes (a nationally protected key cultural heritage site at Guazhou), and the Western Thousand-Buddha Grottoes at Dunhuang. The institution said some wall paintings feature the festival celebrations during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. [Photo provided by Dunhuang Research Academy]
The Beijing municipal government held a press conference last Friday to announce plans to improve the Chinese capital's administrative functions, traffic and air systems.

Officials from Beijing's Development and Reform Commission, Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection, and Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning attended the press conference organized by the city's Information Office to showcase the remarkable changes and plans the city has made in the past two years.

President Xi Jinping inspected city organs two years ago and delivered a keynote speech encouraging them "to build an international first-class, harmonious and habitable metropolis," Qianlong.com reported.

Beijing to issue an administrative sub-center plan

"Beijing will build an administrative sub-center no less or no more than that of the [existing] central city level based on the standards for an international first-class, harmonious and habitable metropolis," said Wang Fei, the deputy director of Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning.

Initial progress had been made on general planning, and more work would be carried out on transport, municipal administration and public services, which would be made public shortly.

Wang said the sub-center would be defined as a pilot area to showcase the mode of an international first-class, harmonious and habitable metropolis, the pilot area for new type urbanization and the pilot area for the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province [surrounding the capital].

The sub-center will be located in Beijing's remote Tongzhou District, Wang said it would be covered by composite utility pipe lines, an ecological forest, and would provide the necessary infrastructure to encourage people to walk, cycle or take public transportation.

The construction of Tongzhou will be coordinated with the development and administration of Beijing's eastern districts such as Shunyi, Pinggu, Daxing and three northern counties of Langfang City, Hebei Province, under the planning of coordinative development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province.

Cutting and removing unneccessary functions

Beijing is efficiently cutting and removing functions that do not support the operation of a capital city.

"On the surface, various issues of Beijing are due to overloaded population, but when you look more deeply, the real problem is there are too many functions the city is required to perform," said Wang Haichen, a senior official from Beijing's Development and Reform Commission. "We have to remove some non-capital-city functions, which will be a good remedy to cure Beijing's 'metropolis illness'."

Wang said the municipal government had published a restricted and forbidden list for new industries. Since 2014, Beijing has rejected 13,000 industrial and commercial registrations. He added Beijing has also used administrative and market powers and provided funding within the past two years to remove 718 enterprises that were considered as major polluters.

The government had also removed 116 commodity trade markets, and upgraded, moved or transformed 104 others. To control agricultural sectors that have high water consumption, Beijing reduced by 31,300 acres of the land for wheat production in 2015 while the pig and chicken raising were also cut.

Wang said the government would also boost connections between Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province for coordinated development in such aspects as hospitals, roads, transportation cards and innovative entities.

Beijing building a one-hour city transportation circle

The spokesman of Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport Rong Jun said that, in past two years, Beijing's vehicle population had reached 5.61 million, but this was being offset by construction of more metro train lines.

Rong said Beijing government will enforce the plans to ease Beijing's traffic jams by using legal, economic and other necessary administrative approaches to reduce vehicle usage. By 2020, Beijing will build an express transportation system with 1,000 kilometers of rail transit networks and 1,000 kilometers of bus networks in the inner city.

Then they will form a one-hour city transportation circle consisting of subway, suburban railways, buses and cars with a high quality traffic system. Beijing will also build a quarter-of-an-hour living circle where people can safely, conveniently, comfortably choose to walk and ride bicycles.

Rong also revealed that by 2020, the total road length in Beijing will reach 22,200 kilometers, with1,200 kilometers of freeways. "In 2020, Beijing will form a green transportation model and will have eased traffic jams and pollution efficiently."

Beijing PM2.5 density decreased by 9.9%

"Beijing government has been focusing on dealing with the particulate matter 2.5 in past two years by controlling the consumption of coal, strict control of vehicles and adjusting industries," said Yu Jianhua, a senior engineer from Beijing Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection. All these efforts led to improvement of Beijing's air quality and the PM2.5 density was cut by 9.9 percent compared with 2013.

Many coal burning power plants were closed and the annual coal burning amount was reduced to below 12 million tons.

An emergency plan to tackle serious air pollution was also issued and twice in 2015 a red alert was issued to shut down more than 2,000 enterprises and factories.

Yu said the Beijing environmental protection department also push forward the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province coordinated prevention and control system for dealing with climate change and air pollution.

Wang Fei, the deputy director of Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning, added the government had established ecological red lines and the boundaries for city expansion. Beijing also developed five first-level ventilation corridors with width of more than 500 meters and a number of second-level ventilation corridors with width of more than 80 meters.

By 2020, Beijing will also build a municipal greenway system of 350 kilometers long as well as a waterfront system of 300 kilometers.
 Flash

Belgrade has launched campaigns in the hopes of attracting a significant number of visitors from China, director of the Tourist Organization of Belgrade told Xinhua in an interview at the International Tourism Fair on Saturday.

Miodrag Popovic said that Serbian capital city has launched a new promotion video expected to draw attention of Chinese tourists, as well as a series of activities to promote Serbian capital, hoping this would result in a significantly higher number of visitors and tourists.

"Chinese market is probably the most important one when it comes to tourism and we think we can participate in it disregarding that we have modest means, limited budget and the fact that we have to compensate all this with our own creativity," Popovic explained.

He reminded that the organization recently premiered a promotion video starring Velimir Bata Zivojinovic, an actor who played the main role in the 1972 movie "Walter Defends Sarajevo" at this year's 38th international tourism fair that takes place from Feb. 18 to Feb.21, saying the video is expected to draw attention in China.

"This movie was both popular in China and across former Yugoslavia, and we wished to attract Chinese tourists to Belgrade by having Zivojinovic in our 30-second promotion video which already became popular in Serbia," Popovic said in an interview at the fair considered to be the biggest in South East Europe.

Popovic said that the video is part of a larger campaign consisting of promotions and presentations, aiming to make Belgrade more attractive in Chinese tourism market.

According to data provided by the Tourist Organization of Belgrade, last year 14,238 out of 1.13 million (1.3 percent) foreigners who visited Serbia were Chinese. 646,778 foreigners visited capital Belgrade in 2015, among which 10,190 are from China (1.6 percent), a 60 percent increase compared to 2014, when only 6,386 Chinese people visited Belgrade.

"The whole region is like a small alley, having in mind the size of China and its population, and the fact that around 20 million Chinese visits Europe every year. A proportionally small part of this number would mean a lot if they would come to Serbia or elsewhere in our region," Popovic said.

He said that Serbia should expand its good cooperation with China in the area of tourism.

"I think this is very logical having in mind the political, economic and above all friendly relations between the two countries, the scale of Chinese investments in Serbia, and the fact that in December 2014 the third China-Central/Eastern European (CEE) summit was held in Belgrade. I think that this can expand to the area of tourism, and that we should work on attracting as many Chinese tourists as possible to Belgrade," Popovic told Xinhua.

He said that a delegation of the Tourist Organization of Belgrade, government and companies engaged in tourism will visit Beijing in June to promote Belgrade, and the campaign will spread on several other Chinese cities by the end of the year.

Popovic explained that the organization is looking for potential partners to make the deal work, among which most important part would be Chinese tourist agencies, while on the other hand Belgrade authorities are eagerly investing in infrastructure to make the city more attractive.

"Overall plan of Serbian government is to improve infrastructure in Belgrade - the city will get new main railway station, Belgrade Waterfront, revamp of the Sava littoral zone and the port in following years. These investments are all beneficial to tourism," Popovic estimated.

"In the past three years Belgrade is developing its promotion as a tourist destination. This year we will work a lot on city's facades, which we consider very important for returning it its glow. Also we plan to invest in promotion on big markets. Tourism is the generator of new work posts and investments, so every investment in tourism is justified," he added.

Popovic estimated that China, a great country with educated people in his eyes, will be interested in Serbian culture, history and tradition spiced up with local gastronomic specialties and nightlife.

"Some other countries of the region entered this market already. We used the first chance that we got, and already this year Belgrade will be present on Chinese tourism market with this campaign video starring famous Walter as well as with promotions and actions that we will undertake."

"I expect a lot from this. I think this will lead to a significant increase of Chinese guests to Belgrade this year," Popovic concluded.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  The House Jan. 6 committee plans to unveil "surprising" details at its next public hearing about the 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol. The session Thursday afternoon is likely to be the last public hearing before midterm elections next month. The panel is expected to include new evidence from the U.S. Secret Service about its actions with Donald Trump that day. Ahead of a report later this year, the panel is summing up its findings. The committee says Trump, after he lost the 2020 presidential election, launched an unprecedented attempt to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory. They say the result was the deadly mob siege of the Capitol.
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Last year, Sudbury enjoyed the distinction of being the happiest city in Canada. A year later, we have another distinction, this one not as joyful as we are the worst city for job seekers to find employment in the country.

Last year, Sudbury enjoyed the distinction of being the happiest city in Canada.



A year later, we have another distinction, this one not as joyful as we are the worst city for job seekers to find employment in the country.



Yes, we are now at the bottom of the list of 33 Canadian cities in the recent Bank of Montreal Labour Market Performance ranking with our unemployment rate of 8.4 per cent, well above the national average of 7.2 per cent.



Last year, Sudbury lost 5,000 jobs, which likely contributed to the current unemployment rate and job search ranking.



Some will say that this is just a cyclical occurrence and good times will return again; however, if this is to occur, the question is when and what we are as a city to do until this takes place, if indeed it ever does.



I believe we are facing a macro situation of real concern. We have an aging and dying population. We have or just about maxed out our health, education, retail, tourism and general services industries, and are not likely to increase employment substantially in the foreseeable future in the resource sector. It is generally predicted that employment in virtually all sectors across the country could decline by 30 per cent in the coming decades.



Is this the time, as some councillors and the mayor suggest, to consider borrowing for not only roads but for a number of other legacy projects?



Could the resultant debt load increase taxation to the point where other municipalities would look more attractive providing a lower cost of living with perhaps better amenities, especially for our seniors and more job opportunities for those of any age looking for work?



Some questions in this regard.



What is our current debt? What are our reserves? How much of our reserves can we actually spend on roads and legacy projects? How much debt can we incur?



I note that Windsor, with a similar high unemployment rate, is actually paying down debt and increasing reserves. It seems like a tale of two cities going fiscally in opposite directions, especially when Windsor has had no property tax increase in eight years and our city council, after a one-year hiatus, just approved a 3.9-per-cent increase far above the Consumer Price Index of 1.2 per cent, the same increase for seniors receiving Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security.



What is to become of us you might ask? So many questions; so few answers. Perhaps this is the time to try to open our citys Pandora Box to see what comes out?



John LindsayChair, Friendly to Seniors - Sudbury
Sudbury will be biggest Reading Town in Canada

Reading Town Sudbury Ville Lecture 2016 runs from April 30 to May 8 and is an action-packed week of bilingual literary events happening throughout Greater Sudbury to promote reading, and to celebrate local authors, writers, musicians, and filmmakers.

Reading Town Sudbury Ville Lecture 2016 runs from April 30 to May 8 and is an action packed week of bilingual literary events happening throughout Greater Sudbury to promote reading, and to celebrate local authors, writers, musicians, and filmmakers. Supplied photo.

Reading Town Sudbury Ville Lecture 2016 runs from April 30 to May 8 and is an action-packed week of bilingual literary events happening throughout Greater Sudbury to promote reading, and to celebrate local authors, writers, musicians, and filmmakers.



A series of amazing events programmed by the National Reading Campaign, a non-profit organization, will combine to create an exemplary Reading Town in Canada.



One such event is Reading Menu in which local authors will be paired with local restaurants to inspire a menu.



"This could be as simple as Alphabet soup or Green Eggs and Ham or as creative as the Ernie Coombs sandwich" said Derek Young, the Sudbury event coordinator.



"We are inviting local restaurants to share their menu with us and we'll match them up with local sweet and savoury writers to inspire some tasty treats.



Participating restaurants include Gonga's Grill, the Townehouse Tavern, Laughing Buddha, Tuco's Tacos, and Peppi Panini.



The National Reading Campaign is also inviting all pizza shops and local poets to participate in the Pizza Poems event. During Reading Town Sudbury Ville Lecture 2016, local poetry will be delivered with each pizza.



If you are a local business, writer, poet or author and would like to participate, please call 705-918-2601.



On the first week of May every year, the National Reading Campaign partners with a city to create an exemplary model of what a reading Canada looks like.



In previous years, citizens of Moose Jaw and Charlottetown wove reading into every aspect of their lives over one week through a series of amazing events.



This year, the biggest Reading Town ever will be coming to Sudbury.
Sudbury-based reThink Green is one of eight organizations in Ontario benefiting from a $1 million investment from the province.

Sudbury-based reThink Green is one of eight organizations in Ontario benefiting from a $1 million investment from the province.



The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change announced Monday that money from the Green Investment Fund aims to help businesses reduce emissions, manage energy costs and remain competitive as the province transitions to a low-carbon economy.



The CoLab Network is made up of eight non-profits, including reThink Green, who work with businesses and large institutions to help them be more profitable and more environmentally friendly.



According to its website, they collectively work with 125 businesses and organizations from private, public and non-profit sectors are participants of CoLab Network programs, and have collectively set targets to reduce nearly 60,000 tonnes of (greenhouse gases.)



To date, CoLab Network program members have collectively reduced 29,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases  the equivalent of taking over 6,100 cars off the road  the release said.



Ontario's $325 million Green Investment Fund commits money for projects that fight climate change. Locally, reThink Greens program, Green Economy North, is one of eight programs across



Ontario that help businesses set and achieve targets to reduce their environmental impacts while enhancing their competitive advantage and stimulating the low-carbon economy.



As we are launching Green Economy North on Earth Day April 22, Sudbury will be among the first communities to benefit from the Green Investment Fund, Rebecca Danard, executive director of reThink Green, said in the news release.

As the hub of Sudburys low-carbon economy, Green Economy North will grow more quickly, be more effective and provide better service to member businesses because of this investment.



Working together with CoLab, the Ontario government and other network members Green Economy North will provide Sudbury businesses and organizations the knowledge and networks to promote environmental and economic sustainability.



Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, said in the release that successfully fighting climate change while fostering the economy requires a collective effort.



This investment enables local environmental organizations to work with small and medium-sized businesses in the community on innovative, sustainable and practical ways to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, Murray said.



Mike Morrice, executive director of the Sustainability CoLab, said in the release that the funding was a game-changing investment.



(It) will support non-profits in the CoLab Network that are creating hubs for the low-carbon economy across the province, Morrice said. It will accelerate their efforts to help businesses track their emissions, set and achieve targets to reduce them, and be celebrated for progress made.



CoLab Network includes non-profit organizations launching or growing programs to engage businesses in growing the low-carbon economy in Durham Region, Hamilton-Burlington, Kingston, Niagara Region, Ottawa, Sudbury, Waterloo Region and York Region.



In just 10 years, Ontario has become a North American leader in the development, use and manufacturing of clean energy, the release said. In May 2015, Ontario became the first province in Canada to set a mid-term greenhouse gas pollution reduction target of 37 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030.



Other Green Investment Fund projects include: more electric vehicle fast-charging stations, energy retrofits for single family homes and affordable housing, and support for industry and small and medium sized businesses.
Experienced miner died in incident no one saw coming

Stephen Perry was among a small group of miners Vale's Coleman Mine manager trusted to share his honest opinions on what the company was doing right, and what it was doing wrong at the mine.

The second day of the Stephen Perry inquest started Tuesday with testimony from four witnesses, including his former supervisor, and a Ministry of Labour mine inspector. File photo.

Stephen Perry was among a small group of miners Vale's Coleman Mine manager trusted to share his honest opinions on what the company was doing right, and what it was doing wrong at the mine.



Perry had 16 years experience as an underground miner when he was struck and killed by a 14-tonne wedge of rock that dislodged from the 36 West rock face at the 4,215-foot level Coleman Mine on Jan. 29, 2012.



Perry was 47 when he died, and left behind a grieving family, including a daughter.



Franco Cazzola, who was mine manager at Coleman Mine from September 2011 to February 2015, was the first witness at an inquest into Perry's death, which started Monday, Feb. 22.



Cazzola started by giving the five-person jury an overview of Coleman Mine's operations, and a basic lesson describing the mining cycle and techniques Perry would have used when he was loading explosives into the rock face in the mine's main ore body.



The jury's goal is to determine how Perry died, and, if they choose, to make recommendations to help prevent future fatalities.



Steve was a creature of habit, Cazzola said.



Before he started his shift, Perry always sat at the same spot in the mine's warm room, waiting for the cage, or elevator, to take him underground.



Perry was also a model employee, Cazzola said, and was always accountable for his own safety, and that of his colleagues.



One of those colleagues, Marc Romaniuk, was the second witness to take the stand.



An experienced miner with 34 years of experience, including 25 years with Inco/Vale, Romaniuk prepared and marked the West 36 face for drilling during the night shift on Jan. 28, before Perry worked on the same section the next day.



It was a pretty good face, Romaniuk said.



There was nothing out of the ordinary with the rock face, except for some popping and cracking sounds he heard coming through the walls.



Romaniuk said the sounds were probably due to minor seismic activity, and reported his observation to his supervisor, John Patman.



Patman later told the jury the noises were not a concern, since Vale determined the seismic activity had originated outside of the mine.



Romaniuk started to drill holes into the face that night, to get it ready for explosives, without issue.



Because there was no loose rock, or other issues to be found at the face, it was not secured with bolts and mesh.



After Perry's death Vale changed that policy, and workers now secure all rock faces prior to blasting with bolts and steel mesh.



The morning of Jan. 29 Ron Weaver, also an experienced miner with 34 years of experience, completed the drilling at the West 36 face Romaniuk had started during the previous night shift.



Perry started that day's shift with a scoop tram at a different section of the mine, and was removing muck  rock and ore dislodged after an detonation  until the machine got a flat tire.



After he brought in the scoop tram to have the tire replaced, he switched to loading duty at the West 36 face.



It was his job to load cylindrical AMEX explosives into the drill holes Romaniuk and Weaver had left for him.



Around noon that day Michael Johnson, the shift supervisor, received a late status alert for Perry.



Every miner at Coleman Mine is equipped with a radio, and must check in with their supervisors on a regular basis.



If a worker's radio does not check in after one hour and 45 minutes, the supervisor receives a late status alert, and after two hours they get an emergency status alert.



Johnson went to look for Perry at the West 36 rock face, and found a pile of muck against the basket of his loader.



Perry's body lay lifeless in the basket, Johnson told the jury, unable to hold back his tears.



When Johnson approached Perry he found he didn't have a pulse.



He immediately called Weaver and a few other workers, who were having lunch at a refuge station at the time, to assist him.



Weaver, who had 18 years of experience with mine rescue at the time, told the jury the first aid kit available that day had minimal equipment. Vale says it has since addressed that issue, and equipped Coleman Mine with more first aid kits that have all the standard equipment for mine rescue.



They loaded Perry into a Jeep, and rushed to bring him to surface, which they reached in around 10 to 15 minutes.



Weaver said it was impossible to give him CPR in the Jeep, because his stretcher did not leave enough free space to attempt the procedure.



During the first day of testimony Ryan St. George, counsel for the United Steelworkers, raised questions about ground control, and how far workers were from the rock face when they operated certain pieces of equipment.



In the case of Perry's loader, to properly perform the job his basket had to be right against the rock wall.



The jury is expected to hear another full day of testimony Tuesday, continuing into Wednesday.



Coroner's counsel said the inquest is expected to conclude Friday with the jury's conclusions.
Wynne says sorry for 1912 law that tried to ban French in schools

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne formally apologized to French-speaking Ontarians on Monday for actions of past governments that aimed to prevent them from going to school in their own language.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne formally apologized to French-speaking Ontarians on Monday for actions of past governments that aimed to prevent them from going to school in their own language. File photo.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne formally apologized to French-speaking Ontarians on Monday for actions of past governments that aimed to prevent them from going to school in their own language.



Specifically, Wynne apologized for Regulation 17, a law passed in 1912 that put strict limits on French-language instruction in the province's schools.



Regulation 17 prohibited primary schools from using French as a language of instruction or communication beyond Grade 2, allowing only one hour per day for French to be taught as a subject in primary schools, Wynne told the Ontario Legislature on Monday.



Francophone parents and teachers at bilingual schools fiercely opposed Regulation 17. Many resisted, continuing to instruct students in French.



The decision mobilized francophones in Ontario and sparked outrage across the country. French schools tried to carry on without public funding, but were eventually forced to close or accept the public school curriculum. Teachers and schools who tried to ignore the rule faced sanctions from the province.



The French-language daily newspaper Le Droit was founded in 1913 with the express mission of opposing Regulation 17, Wynne said. One hundred and two years later, Le Droit remains a pillar of the Francophone community.



On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I apologize to all Franco-Ontarians whose families and communities were affected by Regulation 17. The Franco-Ontarian community has shown tremendous courage and tenacity in its long struggle to ensure that Francophone culture is valued as integral to the vibrant and prosperous Ontario we know today.



Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault, who had urged Wynne to make the apology, said in a news release it was long overdue.



I am thrilled that Premier Wynne made the official apology today, Thibeault said in a news release. I hope that, after 70 years, we can finally get closure on the shameful chapter in our history when the government tried to discourage the language, culture, and identify of Franco-Ontarians.
The Lincoln County Commissioners approved an amended escrow agreement with Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation and Title Services of the Plains for matching funds from the foundation for the Lake Maloney Hiking and Biking Trail project.

The commissioners also voted to send two special designated liquor permits on to the state for final approval. One request was for a fundraiser by Rotary Club of North Platte on March 17 at Harbor Lights and the other was for a wedding reception at Harbor Lights submitted by Ts Bar & Grill of Wallace on April 9.
The local housing market showed a healthy gain in the first month of 2016, with sales of existing homes growing nearly 16 percent in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties in January as compared to the same month a year ago.

To get this kind of start is amazing, Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors CEO Peter Novak said of the first month of the year.

Sales in the three counties totaled 550 in January, up 15.8 percent from the year-ago month, according to the GNIARs monthly report.

The figures include single-family homes, condominiums and attached townhomes and duplex units.

Nationally, year-over-year sales were up 11 percent, which was the largest gain since July 2013, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Novak said low mortgage rates help. Freddie Mac reported an average rate of 3.87 percent for a 30-year conventional fixed-rate mortgage. Thats appealing to a lot of people, Novak said.

And rents remain at an all-time high, he noted, encouraging potential buyers to enter the market.

Median price changes varied locally, with Lake County showing a 4 percent increase, from $125,000 to $130,000; Porter County stable with a slight decline from $179,500 to $178,750; and LaPorte County jumping 31.8 percent from $110,000 to $145,000.

Nationally, the median price was up 8.2 percent from January 2015, to $197,600.

The housing market has shown promising resilience in recent months, but home prices are still rising too fast because of ongoing supply constraints, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the NAR,

Available inventory in January was 2.2 percent below a year ago nationally, the NAR reported.

The spring buying season is right around the corner and current supply levels arent even close to whats needed to accommodate the subsequent growth in housing demand, Yun said. Home prices ascending near or above double-digit appreciation arent healthy  especially considering the fact that household income and wages are barely rising.

GNIARs membership includes realtors from seven counties, with Jasper, Newton, Starke and Pulaski rounding out the membership.

As a whole, the area saw a 15 percent increase in units sold, from 513 to 590, and a 9.7 percent increase in median price, from $127,500 to $139,900.

Even with supply constraints, Yun said the housing market is one of the U.S. economys strengths.

Despite the global economic slowdown, the housing sector continues to recover and will likely help the U.S. economy avoid a recession, said.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.  Bill Cosby's wife, an enigmatic figure who has publicly stood by her husband despite the dozens of sexual assault allegations against him, was deposed Monday in a defamation lawsuit filed against him by seven accusers.

The deposition, believed to be the first she has given since dozens of women came forward to accuse him of sex assault, was given under heavy security at the Springfield Marriott. Hotel staff cordoned off the area of the hotel near the conference room where Cosby gave her deposition and later pulled heavy draperies across the hallway so no one could see the door to the room.

Depositions in civil cases are typically given in private, with only the people being deposed, their lawyers and a stenographer in the room. Written transcripts of depositions are generally sealed from public view because they are considered discovery materials shared between lawyers on both sides. But depositions can sometimes become public when they are attached to support a motion in the case.

Camille, 71, has been married to Bill for 52 years. She has also been his business manager.

After numerous women went public with sexual assault allegations against her husband, Camille Cosby issued a supportive statement, calling him "a kind man, a generous man, a funny man, and a wonderful husband, father and friend."

"He is the man you thought you knew," she said in December 2014.

She also suggested that her husband, not the women, was the party being harmed.

"None of us will ever want to be in the position of attacking a victim," she said. "But the question should be asked __ who is the victim?"

Lawyers for the Cosbys have argued that she does not have any information on the accuracy of the women's claims and that her conversations with her husband are confidential under the Massachusetts marital disqualification rule. They attempted to quash the deposition.

A judge had ruled Friday that Camille Cosby's deposition must proceed. However, defense lawyers filed an emergency motion late Saturday requesting it be delayed, saying she "has had no involvement with the facts or allegations underlying this case." They argued her public testimony would create "an unnecessary media circus and personal security threat that serves no purpose other than to harass and embarrass her."

In a ruling late Sunday, a judge said Monday's deposition can take place.

The Cosbys have a home in Shelburne Falls, about an hour's drive from Springfield, where the lawsuit was filed. They have five children, one of them deceased.

A lawyer for the women argued that because Camille Cosby has been the TV star's wife and business manager, she could have useful information.

The plaintiffs in the Massachusetts defamation case are among about 50 who have accused Bill Cosby of sexual misconduct.

In December, Cosby, 78, was charged in Pennsylvania with drugging and sexually assaulting a former Temple University employee at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. Cosby has pleaded not guilty. This month, a judge denied a motion by Cosby's lawyers to dismiss the charges. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 8.

Cosby's lawyers have said in court papers that the deposition is "nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to pressure (the) defendant in the face of subjecting his wife to the shame and embarrassment of responding to questions about his alleged infidelities and sexual misconduct."
CROWN POINT  A 43-year-old man was sentenced last week to 26 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of child molesting and of performing sexual conduct in the presence of a minor.

Albert B. Lucero III was found guilty by a Lake County jury Oct. 27, but his sentencing hearing was delayed when a new public defender was appointed to the case.

Lake County Criminal Judge Salvador Vasquez determined there was a break down in communication after the trial between Lucero and defense attorney Samuel Vazanellis.

Vasquez sentenced Lucero last Friday to 12 years on the charges, but his sentence was enhanced by 14 years after he pleaded guilty to being a habitual offender.

Among the aggravating factors listed in the sentencing order was that Lucero wrote a letter to the victim before the trial, though he wasnt supposed to contact the girl.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nadia Chivers at trial said Lucero told a girl he was touching her chest to see if she had cancer.

The girl also gave detailed accounts of when Lucero masturbated in front of her.

Lucero knew the girl. The incidents happened at various locations in East Chicago and Whiting.

Police began investigating Lucero after the Indiana Department of Child Services last June received a tip that Lucero was having an inappropriate relationship with the girl.

Leticia Montez, an investigator for DCS, testified at trial that Lucero accused her of being a predator after she tried to question him about the allegations. He also told her to contact the FBI because he had moved to a Native American reservation.
An arrest warrant has been issued for an East Chicago man accused of coming face to face with a woman Jan. 3 as he attempted to break in to her house through a kitchen window, police said.

Joseph Gonzalez, 23, was identified as a suspect in the break-in after he and the woman's boyfriend were arrested Feb. 16 for fighting, according to Lake Criminal Court records.

The woman told police she heard glass breaking the afternoon of Jan. 3 in her residence in the 4500 block of Magoun Avenue and went downstairs to investigate.

She saw her kitchen window had been broken and startled a man climbing through the window, a court affidavit days. The man climbed down and got into a black Toyota.

After Gonzalez was arrested for fighting with the woman's boyfriend Feb. 16, the woman told police she recognized him as the man who broke into her residence, court records state.

The cost to repair her window was about $100, according to court records.

Gonzalez was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief and was not in custody as of Monday afternoon.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Luis Semidei at (219) 391-8426. To remain anonymous, call (219) 391-8500.
VALPARAISO  Porter County police Detective Roger Bowles testified Tuesday he did not take photographs of Melinda Lindsey as she lay in bed dying from a gunshot.

Thats not what the top priority was at the time, he said.

The priorities were to make sure the scene was safe and to provide aid to the young woman, who later died of the injury, Bowles said.

Defense attorney Larry Rogers asked further, Wouldnt the body position be important to get the trajectory of the bullet?

Sure, Bowles said.

Bowles spent Tuesday afternoon defending his role in the murder investigation against attacks by Rogers.

Rogers is representing Melinda Lindseys husband, Steven Lindsey, 36, who is charged with murdering her by shooting the 23-year-old in the head Jan. 16, 2015, as she lay in bed at the couples then-home along Ind. 149 in Center Township.

Lindsey is on trial a second time for the murder, with the first ending in November after three weeks with a hung jury.

Rogers asked Tuesday why Bowles did not attempt to collect fingerprints from the front door of the house.

Bowles said, in part, the cold temperatures would have foiled those attempts.

When asked why an attempt was not made to identify the type of shoe that left a print outside in the snow, Bowles said he could tell by ice cover the print had preceded the murder.

Steven Lindsey has denied murdering his wife, saying he was also a victim of what he said was a violent home invasion. He said he was attacked while sleeping on a couch, rendered unconscious, bound and carried to his 2-year-old daughters bedroom where he awoke to the sound of a gunshot that turned out to be someone shooting his wife in their bedroom.

Prosecutors have said Steven Lindsey and his wife had been having problems, in part because she wanted to return to her former job as an exotic dancer. They were also falling behind in their bills and Melinda Lindsey had purchased a $1.1 million life insurance policy.
CROWN POINT  A new trial date was set for a man who is accused of beating to death his 5-year-old son in 2010.

Leon D. Burns, 34, of Gary, is scheduled to stand trial June 27 on charges of murder, neglect of a dependent, battery and false informing. Burns faces the possibility of life in prison without parole if he is found guilty at trial.

His defense attorney, Timothy Ormes, told Lake County Criminal Judge Clarence Murray he hoped the case would be resolved through a plea agreement.

Ormes said he planned to meet with the Lake County prosecutor's office in March to engage in negotiations, but after speaking privately at Murray's bench, the case was later recalled and scheduled for a June 27 jury trial.

Burns' next court hearing is scheduled for May 24 for a pretrial conference.

He is accused of beating his son, Leon Walker, to death while the boy's hands were tied with an electrical cord so tightly his fingers turned blue, according to court records.

The boy died April 28, 2010, after his vertebrae was separated by force from his skull, according to court records. Leon was living with his father and his father's girlfriend, Rochell Johnson, in Gary, at the time of his death.

Johnson pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent in the case. She admitted to not seeking help for Leon while he was beaten, according to court records.

She was sentenced in 2013 to 25 years in prison followed by five years probation.
HAMMOND  Two defendants pleaded guilty last week and a third signaled she plans to admit to her role in a wide-ranging bank fraud scheme known as "cracking cards," U.S. District Court records show.

Kevin Ford, 28, and Cortez Stevens, 25, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Their co-defendant, Mercedes Hatcher, 22, plans to plead guilty March 2, according to court records.

A total of 29 people in Illinois and Northwest Indiana were indicted in fall 2014 in connection with the scheme. Ford, Stevens and Hatcher were among six defendants to face charges in federal court in Hammond.

The group was accused of using social media and rap music to persuade others to give up their debit cards and personal identification numbers in exchange for promises of cash payments. The group then deposited bogus checks into the bank accounts and withdrew money advanced by banks before the checks were rejected.

Ford, who identifies himself as rapper Bandman Kevo on Facebook, and his co-defendants allegedly posted rap videos online where they referred to a "cracking cards" scheme and displayed large amounts of cash and expensive items.

The scheme resulted in about $237,201 in attempted fraudulent withdrawals, court records state.

Ford and Stevens agreed to pay $141,920 in restitution to Bank of America, Chase, Citibank and US Bank, according to their plea agreements.

The restitution amount reflects payments made to Citibank after the administrative forfeiture of a 2006 Maserati owned by Ford and a 2004 Audi owned by Stevens, court records state.

All three could face up to 30 years in prison, but the government has agreed to recommend shorter sentences in exchange for their cooperation.

Co-defendant Mikcale Smalley, 22, of Chicago, was sentenced in December to 21 months in prison. Stephen Garner, 24, of Portage, was given two years.

Brittany Sims, 25, of Portage, was sentenced in September to two concurrent, six-month jail terms on a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and an unrelated mail theft count.
CROWN POINT  A Gary woman who is facing a charge of assisting a criminal related to a homicide is expected to be released from jail and placed on electronic monitoring.

Cheyanne D. Evans, 21, appeared Monday in front of Lake County Criminal Judge Samuel Cappas for her two pending cases.

In the first case, the Lake County probation department sought to revoke her probation in a criminal recklessness case where she had admitted to fighting with a woman using a broken beer bottle. She had been sentenced in 2014 to six months in jail followed by two years probation.

While the petition was pending, Evans was charged with assisting a criminal in the homicide of Nathan Marshall. She at one point fled to Florida, but was brought back last May to Lake County Jail to face the new charge, along with the petition to revoke her probation from the previous case.

On Monday, Evans admitted to violating her probation and because of that, Cappas sentenced her to 614 days in jail. She was released from the case, because it was determined she had already served the sentence while she was in jail since last May.

Defense attorney Lemuel Stigler then asked for Evans to be released from jail altogether or be allowed to be evaluated for the electronic monitoring program pending the newest case.

Cappas denied releasing Evans on her own recognizance, but he allowed her to be placed on the ankle monitor if the program accepts her.

Her next court hearing in the pending assisting a criminal case is scheduled for April 5.

In that case, she is accused of helping Stephanie M. Serrano and James E. Willingham who are charged with murder in the homicide of Marshall, 31, of Whiting and Gary.

He was found Feb. 25, 2015, wrapped in a carpet that had been left in a wooded area north of the 2200 block of Fairbanks Street in Gary. An autopsy later determined Marshall was strangled to death, with blunt force trauma listed as a contributing factor.

Marshall was confined to a wheelchair and had limited use of his hands because of a stroke and other health problems related to substance abuse, according to court records.

Serrano told detectives she, Evans and Willingham were drinking with Marshall at a Gary home when Marshall allegedly touched her inappropriately. According to the affidavit, Serrano fought with Marshall, and they then left him in a back room for days.

Serrano remains in Lake County Jail pending charges of murder and assisting a criminal.

Willingham is in the Stateville Correctional Center in Illinois where he is serving a sentence for unrelated charges of burglary and forgery. In Marshall's homicide, he faces charges of murder and assisting a criminal.
The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday, Feb. 15:

Weve always gone through periods when our democracy seems stuck. And when that happens, we have to find a new way of doing business. Were in one of those moments.

 President Barack Obama, Springfield, Feb. 10, 2016

When President Obama uttered those words in Illinois last week, urging bipartisan cooperation, he could not have guessed how relevant they would soon become  or how quickly they would be disregarded.

The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, alas, quickly sent partisans to their battle stations. Republicans vowed to block any nominee, arguing that the decision should not be made by a lame-duck president. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid retorted, Failing to fill this vacancy would be a shameful abdication of one of the Senates most essential constitutional responsibilities.

The president has indicated he will submit a nomination. The question is: What kind? If Obama is sincere in his wish for a new spirit of compromise, he can demonstrate it, and perhaps inspire it, by looking for someone acceptable to reasonable people on either side of the aisle.

Senate Republicans dont hold all the cards here.

If they appear obstructionist, they could not only damage the GOP presidential nominee but torpedo some of the incumbent Republican senators facing re-election this year.

Republican leader Mitch McConnell has to wonder whether holding to a hard line on the court vacancy could mean losing the Senate.

Obama obviously is not going to win over the opposition party with a liberal dream candidate  the Democratic version of Scalia. If he is to have any hope of getting his nominee approved, the candidate will have to be a Democratic version of John Roberts or Anthony Kennedy  experienced, respected legal figures who, from their records, could not be counted as automatic votes for one side.

What Obama should be looking for is someone who sees the role of a justice much like Roberts outlined it in his confirmation hearings: Judges are like umpires. Umpires dont make the rules; they apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules, but it is a limited role.

Roberts and Kennedy, appointed by Republican presidents, have sometimes disappointed Republicans.

There is no shortage of candidates who would verify Obamas willingness to meet the other side halfway. One is Sri Srinivasan, who served in the Solicitor Generals Office under President George W. Bush and Obama and was confirmed for the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit by a unanimous vote of the Senate.

Another is Merrick Garland, chief judge of that court, who is considered a moderate.

Or the president could break the usual mold of candidates and choose someone from elective office  say Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a former prosecutor and member of the Judiciary Committee known for working with Republicans, or Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who calls himself a radical centrist.

Maybe the White House has in mind other prospects of this sort who would actually have a prayer of getting through the Senate. Republicans would be forced to choose between a comparative centrist now and a staunch liberal next year, if Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders is elected.

Obama could boast that rather than make a partisan selection to please his Democratic base, hes nominating someone who at times may surprise and even flummox him in the coming decades.

Just as Justices Roberts and Kennedy at times have surprised and flummoxed Republicans.

The alternative for Obama is to choose an unmistakable liberal for symbolic or ideological reasons. We realize suggesting that he do otherwise asks him to buck his political instincts. Many Democrats will be peeved if he doesnt choose someone in the mold of his earlier nominees now on the court, the usually reliable liberals Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

Sure, Obamas submission of a doomed choice now could be used to tar the GOP as intransigent and rally the Democratic faithful on behalf of the partys presidential nominee.

By taking that route, though, Obama would not only assure a protracted vacancy on the court but drive a bigger wedge between the two parties on Capitol Hill.

If he wants to establish a new way of doing business, this is his chance.
INDIANAPOLIS  The answer to singing superstar Beyonce's question, "Who run the world?"  "Girls"  likely soon will be reflected in Indiana law.

Without a single dissenting vote, the General Assembly approved House Enrolled Act 1173 replacing all the male pronouns in statutes describing the duties of the seven statewide officeholders with gender-neutral terms.

Currently, women serve as lieutenant governor, state auditor, state treasurer, secretary of state and state superintendent of public instruction.

But Indiana law repeatedly refers to "his" actions, "his" signature or "his" opinion in detailing what those officeholders must do.

The legislation changes dozens of references to "he," "his" and "him" to the office title. So instead of authorizing administrative changes "he" deems necessary, the measure substitutes "the governor" for the male pronoun.

State Auditor Suzanne Crouch urged the statutes be updated during Indiana's bicentennial year to prepare Hoosiers for a future when "women will lead the way and participate in the marketplace of ideas so that we may progress further and faster than ever before."

The measure, which now goes to Republican Gov. Mike Pence for his signature or veto, was co-sponsored by 22 of the 31 women serving in the 150-member Legislature.

"The Indiana General Assembly sent an empowering message to women  young and old  that in Indiana they can be a part of the success story because they can help to write it," Crouch said.
INDIANAPOLIS  Nearly two dozen Region residents urged the Senate Public Policy Committee on Monday to reject House-approved legislation that could allow alcohol sales at a renovated Indiana Dunes State Park pavilion.

House Bill 1247, which is set for a committee vote Wednesday, authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to obtain a new state park alcohol permit, for any or all of its parks, without having to follow most of the procedures typically required to get state permission to sell beer, wine or liquor  including local review.

Opponents of the measure said allowing alcohol will destroy the family-friendly atmosphere of the Dunes, inevitably lead to development beyond the renovated pavilion and increase competition for local businesses.

State Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, also seemed to speak for many when she called the DNRs contract with Pavilion Partners overly generous, and blasted the end-run of the local review process that twice denied the developer an alcohol sales permit.

We do this far too often here. When somebody cant get what they want at home, they come to the Legislature and say, Here do this for me,  Tallian said. I think this is an abuse of our process.

A similar number of groups spoke in favor of the pavilion project and alcohol licenses, including local building trades unions, Region tourism organizations, the states commerce agency and the DNR.
EAST CHICAGO  A special City Council meeting has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday so the council can consider an ordinance that could set the groundwork for removing Councilman Robert Battle, D-3rd, from office.

Battle remains held without bail in Porter County as he awaits trial on federal homicide and drug charges.

Battle was arrested for drug possession in September in Porter County and later fatally shot Reimundo Camarillo Jr. on Oct. 12 in East Chicago.

Police claim Battle shot Camarillo, an alleged Two Six gang member, after Camarillo grew suspicious that Battle was working with authorities investigating drug activity.

Battle has claimed self-defense.

Members of the Camarillo family attended Monday's City Council meeting to encourage the council to remove Battle from his position for which he still receives an annual salary of $42,356.

He ran unopposed in the November election and took the oath of office in jail.

"Everybody's laughing at East Chicago," said Reimundo Camarillo Sr., who held a picture of his son as he sat in the front row of the audience at Monday's meeting.

The victim's widow, Maria Camarillo, said Battle should be removed not only due to the charges but since he is not present to do his job.

"If he's not here, why is he still getting paid?," Maria Camarillo asked.

Councilwoman Myrna Maldonado, D-1st, said an ordinance to establish a procedure for the City Council to expel members or declare a seat vacant did not make it into the council's packet of information for Monday's meeting.

"It wasn't in our packet and I think many of us were prepared to vote for that," Maldonado said.

Council attorney Stephen Bower said he drafted a proposed procedural ordinance that had been emailed to the council but that he had only received a response from two members.

Councilman Richard Medina, D-at-large, said he did not receive the email.

"I don't know why we're stuck in the mud, I think we're ready to go forward with this," said Councilman Robert Garcia, D-5th.

Bower said state statute allows the City Council to remove a member for violation of an official duty or to declare a seat vacant if he or she cannot perform the duties of the office, but that it is required that the council adopt its own rules to govern the process.

"The state statute requires that we have some type of procedure in place," Bower said.

Bower said once the procedure is agreed upon, notice has to be given to the individual the council is looking to remove and a hearing must be scheduled.

He said it would take a two-thirds vote by the council to remove a member.
MUNSTER  Onlookers young and old were there to observe and support Monday night as the Town Council took the first step toward adopting a human rights ordinance.

The council adopted on first reading an ordinance making it illegal to discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, sexual preference, disability or gender identity. The council also set a date, April 18, for a public hearing and final consideration of the ordinance.

This is a two-step process, Council President John Reed told the large crowd. This is step one.

The public hearing could have been scheduled within a month, but town officials thought it worthwhile for Munsters attorneys to review the ordinance thoroughly prior to final consideration.

(The review) is worth the extra time and effort, Reed said.

The proposed ordinance would make it illegal to obstruct someone from entering a business, entering into a contract, obtaining and maintaining employment or participating in any type of program or service available to the general public based on the classifications cited.

Religious worship, clergy while engaged in religious activities, nonprofit clubs organized exclusively for religious purposes and private gatherings not open to the public would be excluded from the ordinance.

The council meeting room was so crowded with supporters that some were sitting in the back on the floor.

These (supporters) are themselves a diverse group, said Paul Rotatori of We Are Munster, the community group which coordinated a petition drive on the issue. They are mothers, fathers. They are Republicans. They are Democrats. They are independents. They are employees. They are employers. They are all people, just wanting to live a happy and fulfilling life where everyone is accepted.

The ordinance sent an important signal to young people who are overwhelmingly in support of it, Rotatori said, That this is an accepting community where they can raise their family or start a new life.

The Rev. Quincy Worthington said his Christian faith inspired him to support the ordinance. We are asking that you give us a community we can be proud of, he told the council.

Town residents have crowded council meetings in the past to petition for the ordinance. Residents have said added protection is necessary at the local level because they believe federal and state laws arent enough to address discrimination. Munsters ordinance is based on one approved by the town of Carmel, Indiana. The city of Hammond adopted a similar ordinance last year.
If it wasnt special enough for the students at Washington Township Elementary School to make the honor roll, they were handed their awards for the accomplishment by a Miss America.

Miss America 2009 Katie Stam Irk was a special guest Monday at the schools annual honor roll convocation for fourth- and fifth-graders. Stam Irk, who hails from Seymour, and is the only Miss Indiana to win Miss America, also shared with students an excerpt from soon-to-be published childrens book she authored.

There were two dreams Stam Irk had when she was little  to be a writer and to win Miss America. Her book tells the story of wanting to become Miss America and how she got there. She even showed the students a Miss America sash she made and wore at the age of 6. Then she showed them the real sash and crown presented to her for being named Miss America.

No dream is too big for you at any age, she said. Dont be afraid to start now.

Fifth-grader Kennedy Gonzalez joined her fellow honor roll classmates in meeting with and getting an autograph from Stam Irk.

It was pretty cool, Kennedy said.

Fellow fifth-grader Sierra Richardson was thrilled to receive her honor roll award from Stam Irk.

I like Miss America, Sierra said. Shes pretty and talented. And I like being recognized if I do earn an award.

Fourth-grade honor roll student Ethan Girton said his favorite part of the day was hearing Stam Irks story about growing up in a small town and having only 11 classmates. He also thrilled to be named to the honor roll.

I just want to be a really good student in school so its really important to me that Im getting this, he said.
VALPARAISO  Last school year when she was a junior at Valparaiso High School, Analyse Pena said she was appalled when some of her friends came to school with confederate flags during the "All American Day" as part of spirit week.

Pena said she called her mother, crying. She said when she thought about the "All American Day," what came to her mind was red, white and blue.

Senior Maddy Wellman said the high school is on its way to becoming more diversified, but there's still a lot of work to do. She said when she hears someone say something like, "that's so gay," which she heard Monday morning, she said she recognized that people don't understand diversity.

Senior Yvon Bergner-Gonzalez said people talk about being colorblind, but he believes it's important to acknowledge race and talk about the real issues that are going on.

These students are among more than 30 who participated in a Town Hall meeting to discuss the issue of race Monday after school sponsored by the STAND Club, which was established about seven years ago at the high school to address issues involving diversity and racism. STAND stands for Socially Together and Naturally Diverse. It is modeled after the STAND Club at Merrillville High School and the two groups have had student exchanges.

The club sponsor is social studies teacher Ryan Labis. Other teachers and administrators were on hand to hear the discussion, including Cicely Powell, director of Culture and Student Services for Valparaiso Community Schools.

Pena said racism still exists. During that day last year, Pena said she discovered that so many people have preconceived notions about who people are because of their race.

"Never mind that I'm very intelligent. Never mind that I'm very active," she said. "I hate it when people say 'I hate those Mexicans but I love you.' The teachers here are majority white. Sometimes you can't talk to them about some of the issues."

Wellman said she doesn't think people mean to be hurtful when they say things, but she thinks it's important to bring more awareness about diversity issues.

Bergner-Gonzalez said it's important to acknowledge the words and everything behind the stereotypes regarding race, gender and sexual orientation, and how they are all connected.

When one student said she thinks it's hypocritical that black people use the N-word among themselves but become angry when someone else uses it, Bergner-Gonzalez said he understands the struggle about it.

"There were other connotations associated with the word, but I think it's about black people reclaiming it," he said.

Junior Irena Edwards said she believes people of different ethnicities are accepted at the high school, but she believes there can be improvement.

Sophomore Carleese Burnett is not a member of STAND but thought it would be interesting to hear the discussion.

"There is diversity here and I feel accepted," she said. "I think STAND helps those students who are not as comfortable at school as I am to express their feelings."
WASHINGTON  With Hillary Clinton taking the lead in the competition for Democratic delegates, rival Bernie Sanders is vowing to fight on, saying on Monday that he has no plans of leaving the race anytime soon.

Sanders downplayed Clinton's weekend victory in Nevada, pointing out that the win only resulted in her picking up four additional delegates, out of the 2,383 needed to win the nomination. He says his campaign has plenty of time to make up lost ground.

"This is about a slog, state by state by state," he said. "Even if we do well, Secretary Clinton will get a lot of delegates and we'll just have to keep moving on."

Clinton pulled ahead of Sanders late Monday, when she eked out the final delegate from Saturday's Nevada caucuses, giving her a total of 52 caucus and primary delegates. Sanders has 51.

"HRC now takes (national) delegate lead," tweeted Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon. "Not planning on ever giving it back."

The milestone is important because once a candidate establishes a sizable delegate lead, it can be hard for opponents to make up the lost ground.

Eight years ago, then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama outgunned Clinton for the party nomination by establishing a 100 delegate advantage that she was never able to overcome. Clinton's team, who hired Obama's former aides to run their delegate effort, hopes to copy his strategy this spring by parlaying their strength with African-American voters into a string of wins in South Carolina, on Feb. 27, and the southern contests that follow on March 1.

There are more than 1,400 delegates at stake in states such as South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana, and depending on the outcome and proportional allocation of delegates, Clinton could build a comfortable lead.

She also maintains a commanding lock on the party's leadership. An Associated Press survey of superdelegates, who are influential in picking the nominee, found that 449 of the party insiders back Clinton, while only 19 support Sanders. Those superdelegates can switch candidates and Sanders team says that if the count is close, they plan to lobby delegates from the states he wins to change their positions.

Sanders argues that she's made gains by lifting much of his message, saying she's adopting not only his policy positions but his "phraseology."

"I saw a TV ad and thought it was me, but it turns out it was Secretary Clinton in the ad," he said. "People of the United States need to know the difference between hastily adopted campaign rhetoric and the real record and the long held ideas of the candidate"
WASHINGTON  President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed to "once and for all" close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer remaining detainees to a facility in the U.S., though his plan does not specify where.

Obama said that despite significant political hurdles and congressional opposition he is making one last effort to shutter the facility.

"I don't want to pass this problem on the next president, whoever it is. Are we going to let this linger on for another 15 years?" he said, in an appearance at the White House. "Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law."

Obama's proposal ducks the thorny question of where the new facility would be located and whether Obama could complete the closure before he leaves office.

The plan, which was requested by Congress, makes a financial argument for closing the controversial detention center. U.S. officials say it calls for up to $475 million in construction costs that would ultimately be offset by as much as $180 million per year in operating cost savings.

The proposal is part of Obama's last effort to make good on his unfulfilled 2008 campaign vow to close Guantanamo and persuade lawmakers to allow the Defense Department to move nearly 60 detainees to the U.S. But with few specifics, the proposal may only further antagonize lawmakers who have repeatedly passed legislation banning any effort to move detainees to the U.S.

Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, chairman of House Armed Services Committee, has said his panel would hold a hearing on a closure plan. But he sent a letter to Obama warning that Congress has made clear what details must be included in any plan and that anything less than that would be unacceptable.

Obama, meanwhile, planned to make a midmorning statement on Guantanamo at the White House.

U.S. officials say the plan considers, but does not name, 13 different locations in the U.S., including seven existing prison facilities in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas, as well as six other locations on current military bases. They say the plan doesn't recommend a preferred site and the cost estimates are meant to provide a starting point for a conversation with Congress.

The seven facilities reviewed by a Pentagon assessment team last year were: the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks and Midwest Joint Regional Corrections Facility at Leavenworth, Kansas; the Consolidated Naval Brig, Charleston, South Carolina; the Federal Correctional Complex, which includes the medium, maximum and supermax facilities in Florence, Colorado; and the Colorado State Penitentiary II in Canon City, Colorado, also known as the Centennial Correctional Facility.

According to the officials, the U.S. facilities would cost between $265 million and $305 million to operate each year. The annual operating cost for Guantanamo is $445 million, but the officials said the Cuba detention center will need about $225 million in repairs and construction costs if it continues to be used.

They said it will cost between $290 million and $475 million for construction at the various U.S. sites, depending on the location. Some of the more expensive sites are on the military bases, which would need more construction. Because of the annual operating savings, the officials said the U.S. would make up the initial construction costs in three to five years.

More detailed spending figures, which are considered classified, will be provided to Congress, said the officials, who were not authorized to discuss the plan publicly ahead of its release, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

Late last year, other U.S. officials said that the assessments done by the Pentagon team suggested that the Centennial Correctional Facility in Colorado is a more suitable site to send detainees whom officials believe should never be released. Those officials were not authorized to discuss that matter publicly, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

Members of Congress have been demanding the Guantanamo plan for months, and those representing South Carolina, Kansas and Colorado have voiced opposition to housing the detainees in their states.

"I remain committed to blocking the transfer of Guantanamo detainees anywhere in the United States, especially Fort Leavenworth," Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said in a statement Tuesday. "We must safeguard the missions on Fort Leavenworth, the nearly 14,000 military and civilian personnel and their family members, and the thousands of Kansans who live in the Leavenworth community."

The administration is currently prohibited by law from moving Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States. Obama has long opposed that prohibition and the White House has not ruled out the possibility that the president may attempt to close the prison through executive action. The plan submitted Tuesday does not address that option, officials said.

Advocates of closing Guantanamo say the prison has long been a recruiting tool for militant groups and that holding extremists suspected of violent acts indefinitely without charges or trial sparks anger and dismay among U.S. allies.

Opponents, however, say changing the detention center's zip code won't eliminate that problem.

On that point, Obama's proposal faced criticism even from those who endorse closing the detention center. His initial campaign pledge was widely viewed as a promise to end the practice of detaining prisoners indefinitely without charge, not to bring that practice to the U.S., said Naureen Shah, director of Amnesty International USA's Security and Human Rights Program.

"Whatever the president proposes, even if it doesn't come to fruition, the administration is changing the goal posts on this issue," she said.

There are currently 91 detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Of those, 35 are expected to be transferred out by this summer.

The rest are either facing trial by military commission or have been determined to be too dangerous to release but are not facing charges. Some can't be charged because of insufficient evidence and some may face future prosecution or have been designated for indefinite detention under the international laws of war.

Seven detainees are in the early stages of trial by military commission, including the five men accused of planning and aiding the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, and three have been convicted and are serving sentences.

At its peak in 2003, Guantanamo held nearly 680 detainees, and there were about 245 when Obama took office.
SPRINGFIELD  One of the budget options Gov. Bruce Rauner presented to lawmakers last week could clear the way for the state to once again short or skip contributions to its beleaguered pension funds.

The first-term Republican presented the Democratic-controlled General Assembly with two options for solving the states ongoing budget impasse and passing a spending plan for next year: either work with him to enact portions of his pro-business, union-weakening turnaround agenda and the spending cuts and tax increases needed to balance the budget or give him unilateral authority to close the hole  estimated at $3.5 billion next year  himself.

That authority would be granted through a bill called the Unbalanced Budget Response Act, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.

If approved, the measure would give Rauner wide discretion in this fiscal year and next to sweep money from designated state funds and to cut funding for nearly anything in the budget except debt payments, general state aid to public schools and early childhood education programs.

The fact that the option of adjusting the states contributions to its five pension systems  whose unfunded liabilities top $110 billion  would be left on the table was not lost on Rauners critics. The state is supposed to contribute about $7 billion to the pension systems next year from its general fund, which is currently expected to bring in $32.8 billion.

In his response to Rauners Wednesday budget address, Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, called the idea of not making the full pension contribution alarming.

The governor has basically proposed legislation that would allow him to raid monies from the pension funds, Cullerton said. To start the idea of skipping pension payments again when we have such a bad pension funding problem is the wrong thing to do. We havent done that since Gov. (Rod) Blagojevich was here, and so Gov. Rauner has proposed a Blagojevich move, which is really not a good idea.

During the now-imprisoned Democrats tenure, the Democratic-controlled Legislature approved a bill that let the state skip more than $2 billion in payments to the pension systems.

Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said the bill granting the governor new budgetary powers is his third choice for dealing with the budget standoff.

His preferred path is to enact reforms and spending reductions with the potential for new revenues, she said. Kelly wrote in an emailed response to a request for comment on the inclusion of pension payments in the bill. His alternative path is to work with the legislature to identify the spending reductions needed to balance the budget in the absence of reforms. His last resort is to pass this bill, if the legislature will not agree on either of the first two paths.

Radogno spokeswoman Patty Schuh said the minority leader likewise would prefer that Democrats and Republicans work together to craft a budget solution.

She believes, as the governor does, that he needs extraordinary powers if the Legislature and its Democrat majorities are going to continue to ignore the pleas for a balanced budget, Schuh said.

She noted that Democrats passed a budget last year that was billions of dollars out of balance and called on Rauner to use his line item veto to fix it.

I would like to see their version of the line item veto, Schuh said. They passed a budget that was $4 billion out of balance because they couldnt put those numbers down on paper.

Rauner needs a variety of options to solve the problem if lawmakers wont work with him, she said.

Delaying a pension payment would not be anyones ideal scenario, but it has to be one of the arrows in the quiver, Schuh said. We are talking billions of dollars that were out of whack, and the longer we wait, the more the problem becomes in the next fiscal year, besides all the pains thats being caused this fiscal year.
State Rep. Kathy Bernier (R-Lake Hallie) walked out of a Monday meeting with representatives of three local school districts, upset when an Eau Claire School Board member stated that Wisconsins economy compared unfavorably with Minnesotas.

Fundamentally, Minnesota is beating us, said Wendy Sue Johnson, citing a Jan. 20 article written by state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma), who also attended the meeting.

Our (school) funding formula is broken, Johnson added.

Bernier then got up to leave the Breakfast with Our Legislators session involving the Chippewa Falls, Altoona and Eau Claire School Districts at the Avalon Hotel and Conference Center in Chippewa Falls.

It is not helpful to compare Minnesota and Wisconsin, Bernier said, remarking that this is what she experiences with Altoona, Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls each time she attends the districts breakfast.

Bernier later said she hears the same theme when she meets with representatives of the three districts: We want more money, we want more money and we dont like this or that.

She compared that with her meetings with rural superintendents in her Assembly district, where she said she receives helpful suggestions.

This vile political speech is not helpful, Bernier said before leaving.

Johnson said she checked with other school board members to see if she had made an offensive comment by making the comparison.

They didnt feel that I had, Johnson said. Its clearly disappointing when our representatives are not willing to engage in conversations about the issues.

She thanked the two other Republican legislators, state Sen. Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls) and state Rep. Warren Petryk (R-Eleva), for staying another 35 minutes to the end of the meeting and discussing issues.

Sweeping partisan statements coming out of a non-partisan member just ticked me off, Bernier said.

She was upset when Williams stated thar Minnesotas prison system was faring better than Wisconsin, because that wasnt on the agenda.

This is not productive, Bernier said. I want to have a conversation on how we can work together to make a difference.

She said she favors school choice, and hopes at some point the three local districts will accept that it is part of state law and work to make it better.

Comparisons

Petryk said some comparisons are worthwhile and some are not. He pointed out that Wisconsin has Milwaukee while Minnesota has two major metropolitan areas, St. Paul and Minneapolis.

He said he was told by school officials in 1994 that the state school district funding formula was broken.

Scrapping it might be an option, but I dont think so, Petryk said.

Democratic state Rep. Dana Wachs of Eau Claire said: The bottom line is that we have a state thats being run on a theory (of tax cuts expanding the economy) and the theory doesnt work.

Minnesota has a surplus, Wachs said.

When you build a tax policy where you are not afraid of taxing the wealthy, thats what you can do, he said.

The area school district representatives briefly talked about a bill that did not pass that would have prohibited districts from holding a referendum for two years after having a failed referendum.

Petryk said he was against that bill.

It will probably rear its ugly head in future terms, he predicted.

Moulton, however, did not believe the bill was going to go anywhere.

New tests

Some school district representatives complained about having to give out three state standardized tests in three years. Having new tests makes it hard to compare results from year to year.

Why are we doing this when we arent getting valid results anyway? Moulton asked.

Eau Claire Superintendent Dr. Mary Ann Hardebeck said that every time the test changes, there is an additional cost to school districts.

There doesnt seem to be financial support for supporting these changes, she said.

Shortly after Monday mornings meeting started, Bernier noted that state Rep. Tom Larson (R-Colfax) was absent. Larson is recovering from chemotherapy he received Friday for lung cancer.

Chippewa Falls Superintendent Dr. Heidi Eliopoulos also did not attend the session. She instead was part of an effort to console students at Chippewa Falls Senior High School after senior Joshua Pampuch was killed in a snowmobile crash Saturday.

It is not helpful to compare Minnesota and Wisconsin. Rep. Kathy Bernier,

68th Assembly District
WARSAW, Poland  An informant codenamed "Bolek" provided information on the views and actions of his colleagues at the Gdansk shipyard to Poland's communist-era secret police, according to documents released Monday that purport to show that national hero Lech Walesa collaborated with the regime in the 1970s.

Photocopies of the documents, from the secret police's file on Walesa, were released by the state National Remembrance Institute. They include details of the information that Bolek provided, receipts for money signed by him, and finally his discharge from collaboration when he was no longer considered a valuable source.

Walesa, 72, the founder of the pro-democracy Solidarity movement that eventually helped topple communism, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Poland's first popularly elected president, claimed Monday that the documents were forged.

The papers include a one-page handwritten note declaring readiness to provide information to the secret police, signed by hand with the name Lech Walesa and the codename "Bolek."

"I commit myself to cooperate with the secret police in exposing and fighting the enemies of the PRL (Polish People's Republic)," the document said, using the official name of Poland during the communist era. It was dated Dec. 21, 1970, a time when Walesa was a leader of worker protests at the shipyard in Gdansk where he worked as an electrician. The protests ended in bloodshed.

But another note, from three days later and also signed "Lech Walesa," is in different handwriting. The author says he is afraid that an upcoming meeting required by the security police is a "trap."

The documents show that at first Bolek eagerly provided information on opinions and actions by his co-workers and took money for the information. With time, he tried to avoid meeting the secret police officers or provided valueless information and demanded the contacts stop. The collaboration was terminated in 1976.

Allegations against Walesa are not new and he has long acknowledged that he signed a document in the 1970s agreeing to provide information to the much-hated secret police, though he insisted he never informed on anyone and never took any money. Breaking away from such a commitment required courage because it usually led to dismissal from a job and other persecution. In 2000, Walesa was cleared by a special court, which said it found no evidence of collaboration.

Walesa founded Solidarity in 1980 out of a worker protest. The pro-democracy movement helped bring down communism after nine years of struggle. In 1983 he was honored with the Nobel prize and in 1990 he was elected president in a national vote.

The last document in the released files, dated February 1976, says a secret police officer reprimanded Bolek for having criticized the communist party and threatened he would lose his shipyard job. Walesa lost his job that year.

The institute says the documents are authentic papers produced by the secret police of the time, although it is still possible that the police fabricated them  a common practice then. They surfaced last week at the home of the last communist interior minister, Gen. Czeslaw Kiszczak, who died last year. His widow offered to sell them to the institute, but authorities immediately seized them, acting on a law that gives them the right to important historical documents.

The files contain a note from Kiszczak requesting they not be made available until five years after Walesa's death.

A 1973 report by a secret police officer who regularly met with Bolek says he refused any further cooperation, arguing he was "getting nothing, no money out of it." According to the report Bolek agreed to collaborate in 1970 out of fear of persecution after the workers' protest.

There were more reports from meetings with Bolek through February 1976, but in their comments the secret police officers said they found them of no value.

The move to open the files so quickly  allowing journalists to see them before historians can analyze them  has proven hugely controversial. Walesa supporters accuse authorities of trying to tarnish the legacy of a man widely considered one of Poland's greatest national heroes. Many people have come to his defense, including former Solidarity activists who recalled how the police used brutal tactics to coerce regime critics to sign agreements to collaborate, as a tool for future blackmail, whether they acted on it or not.

Others, including members of the new government, say it's important to clarify Walesa's role.

The head of the ruling party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has long been a bitter political foe of Walesa's  and Walesa has recently been denouncing the new government as a threat to democracy.

"I think that above all we need to know the truth," Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said Monday. "Poles deserve this truth and the most important thing is to dispel all doubts."
As Apple fights efforts to force it to unlock an iPhone as part of a federal terror investigation, supporters of the tech giant are planning rallies today at stores here in the city and around the country.

They come as the company continues to ignore requests for new technology to unlock an iPhone used by Syed Farook, one of the shooters in last year's San Bernandino rampage.

Apple CEO Tim Cook says creating the software could compromise the privacy of its customers.

But Police Commissioner Bill Bratton is among those who strongly disagree.

In an Op-Ed piece for today's New York Times, Bratton and Deputy Commissioner for Counterterrorism and Intelligence John Miller argue that the government isn't trying to put customers at risk.

They say in part, "Apple and privacy advocates have framed this debate as the government wanting to 'create a back door' into peoples devices. But the Constitution protects people from unreasonable search and seizure. And for more than 200 years, the standard has been for law enforcement to obtain a warrant signed by a judge, based on probable cause."

Investigators say the iPhone used by Syed Farook might contain clues that could lead to other potential terrorists.
Fire officials say two window workers have been rescued after they were stuck outside the 66th floor of a Manhattan high rise when their scaffolding stalled this afternoon.



The FDNY says it happened at a building on Broadway and West 54th Street.

Officials say workers were setting up for glass removal when they were unable to start the scaffolding.

More than 60 fire and EMS personnel were called to the scene.

Fire officials say the window workers are currently being evaluated.



NY1 will have more on this story as it becomes available.


Mayor Bill de Blasio is defending the privately-funded non-profit organizations tied to his administration after a government watchdog group demanded an investigation. Common Cause New York says the mayor is making a mockery of the city's campaign finance laws and may be running afoul of the City Charter. The group is also raising questions about the mayor's reliance on outside advisors. That's an issue we examined at NY1 in an investigative report last year.

Mayor de Blasio and his top aides may officially run City Hall, but a leading government watchdog group says it is growing increasingly concerned that a well-financed shadow government is springing up and exerting significant influence over public policy.

"Here in New York we expect our elected officials to work first and foremost for the people," said Susan Lerner Executive Director of Common Cause New York. "This shadow government is not anything which should be permitted."

In a five-page letter to the city's Conflicts of Interest Board and the city's Campaign Finance Board, Lerner's group is calling for an investigation into the non-profit organizations linked to the mayor. They have been raising unlimited sums of money from real estate developers and unions, among others.

The American Federation of Teachers, for example, gave the mayor's Campaign for One New York group $350,000. The city's campaign finance laws prohibits contributions greater than $4,950.

"I think for most New Yorkers they don't expect city business to be done through a shadow government and they certainly don't expect that dark money is a necessary part of a modern mayoralty," Lerner said.

The mayor says non-profit groups like the ones supporting his agenda have been around for a long time.

"The idea that organizations would come together to fight for full-day pre-k for all and affordable housing I think is understandable and makes a lot of sense," de Blasio said.

And he argues against the idea that there is "dark money" at play here. The organizations linked to the mayor have voluntarily disclosed their donors.

Common Cause is also raising questions about the mayor's reliance on outside advisors who also represent paid clients who have business before City Hall. The mayor says he does not allow his ongoing outside advisors to lobby him.
One thing you might not know about Eiko, the veteran dancer, choreographer and activist at the center of Danspace Projects Platform 2016: A Body in Places: Shes funny. Humor isnt a quality I associate with her powerfully slow, often sorrowful work; if its there, its subtle. Last summer in Lower Manhattan, as part of a solo project also titled A Body in Places, she let her frail-looking body drift through the pedestrian traffic of Fulton Street Station in memory of the victims of Sept. 11. She looked like an angel, a ghost, a saint, certainly not one of us.

But Platform, a six-week series of performances, workshops, film screenings, book club meetings and other events that she has helped organize, all in the East Village, gives us a fuller picture of the artist: Eiko as teacher, curator, New Yorker, friend and someone as capable of cracking jokes as embodying grief and pain.

In the first three events of Platform  a Delicious Movement class on Wednesday morning, a screening of the postwar Japanese film The Burmese Harp that evening and Talking Duets I, a performance on Saturday night  she brought a light touch to themes as grave as death and suffering. One of the first ideas she imparted at Wednesdays workshop, which drew more than 40 students of varying ages and levels to St. Marks Church: When you die, the body keeps moving.

Delicious Movement, taught every Wednesday during Platform, isnt strictly a dance class, and Eiko was sure to let us know, introducing the D-word tentatively, as if it might harm us: Is everyone O.K. with the word dance? The term carries baggage that movement doesnt, assumptions about training and physique and dependence on music at odds with the inclusive, exploratory spirit of her class.
Two House Democrats plan to introduce a bill on Tuesday that would seek to curtail a strategy used by former American companies to cut their United States tax bills.

The measure takes aim at so-called corporate inversions, where American companies move their headquarters overseas through a merger to save on taxes at home. The biggest such deal is Pfizers planned $150 billion merger with Allergan.

The bill would limit certain tax deductions, blocking a companys ability to use interest from debt payments by its American operations to its foreign parent company to offset taxes, a practice referred to as earnings stripping. The bill will be introduced by Representative Sander M. Levin of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, and Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee.

The Democrats are also taking aim at Republican lawmakers after several attempts to get legislation through Congress in the last few years.
First there was Laker Airways. Then there was People Express. Both airlines shared a similar, if ultimately unsuccessful, goal: to bring low fares to the trans-Atlantic market.

Now, there is Norwegian Air Shuttle.

In the past three years, Norwegian, one of Europes biggest low-cost airlines, has quietly established a beachhead in the trans-Atlantic market by offering low-fare, no-frills service on long-haul flights.

Thanks to a small but expanding fleet of fuel-efficient planes combined with deeply discounted ticket prices, Norwegian Air Shuttle has attracted a growing number of leisure travelers looking for cheap flights.

It is all part of the vision of Norwegians outspoken chief executive, Bjorn Kjos, who is determined to force the same kind of low-fare competition on international routes that has been so successful in domestic markets for airlines like Southwest and Spirit, and Ryanair in Europe.
Mr. Guardian said city officials had drawn up different legislation that they hoped would be introduced soon, though he declined to say who might sponsor it. A key difference in this bill, he said, would be a provision for redirecting more of the taxes collected from casinos to the city.

Without an infusion of cash, the city could run out of money within two months and would have no alternative but to ask the states Local Finance Board to let it file for bankruptcy protection, Mr. Guardian said. Mr. Christie, a Republican, and other state officials oppose allowing Atlantic City to make what would be the states first municipal bankruptcy filing since the Great Depression.

While the mayor hesitated to invoke racism as a factor in the dispute, other speakers did not. Betty Lewis, president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said the organization would file a civil-rights lawsuit against the state if the takeover proceeded. About 70 percent of Atlantic City residents are black or Hispanic.

This seems to be about racism and greed, she said.

Ms. Lewis referred to the disastrous situation with the drinking water in Flint, Mich., as a reason to protest any attempt by state officials to take control of the provider of water in the city, the Municipal Utilities Authority. The authority is one of the few assets the city has to sell to pay off some of its debts, but residents fear that their water bills will rise and that the quality of the water could decline under private ownership.

We cannot afford to be Flint, Michigan, Ms. Lewis said.

Marty Small, the president of the City Council, said the takeover plan was hypocrisy at its highest level. He said state officials had been involved in running the city since 2010, and called those efforts an epic failure.
The uncle alerted Anthonys grandparents, who began trying to resuscitate him while getting instructions in CPR from the 911 operator, the police said. Fire Department medical workers continued trying to resuscitate him upon arriving. Anthony was then taken to Staten Island University Hospital North, where he was pronounced dead.

The New York City medical examiners office had not determined the cause of death on Monday, and the police said no charges had been filed. An emergency room doctor described Anthonys injuries to investigators, though the police said they could not offer additional details publicly.

Anthonys grandmother, who declined to give her name, said on Monday, Im barely keeping it together.

She said the woman who was babysitting Anthony on Sunday had started to help his mother, Marta Delgado, with child care three or four months ago, on and off. I trusted my daughters judgment, she said.

Neighbors said that they regularly heard the woman fighting with her boyfriend, and that the police had often been called to their apartment.
The following editorial appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal:



A pair of controversial bills targeting illegal immigrants just cleared the state Assembly with lots of drama but little practical effect.

Senate Bill 533 would limit the ability of local governments to issue identification cards in Wisconsin. Republicans fear such cards could be used to illegally vote or get public benefits. But thats theoretical, not reality.

Milwaukee has considered issuing such IDs to help the homeless and illegal immigrants open bank accounts and get prescription drugs. But not many, if any, cities, towns, villages or counties provide the type of identification the bill refers to, according to the Department of Children and Families.

So despite all the debate and division the proposal has caused, it wont change much if Gov. Scott Walker signs it. Republicans will try to use the issue to motivate anti-immigrant voters, and Democrats will cite the bills in courting Wisconsins growing Latino population, thousands of whom rallied at the state Capitol Thursday.

The other bill, Assembly Bill 450, would withhold state funding from sanctuary cities that prohibit police from asking people charged with crimes about their citizenship status.

Madison is one of the few cities targeted by the proposal. But police here say they already cooperate with federal immigration officials when serious crimes occur.

So AB 450 wouldnt have much impact, either. Its a wedge issue to divide people.

Neither GOP proposal will help Wisconsins economy, which relies heavily on immigrants to keep farms and other businesses running. The bills are needless political distractions.
The two gay men were walking along Sixth Avenue when a person passing by taunted them, calling them gay wrestlers and faggots.

This was the West Village, birthplace of the modern gay rights movement, and the men, Mark Carson and Danny Robinson, out for a night on the town, were not going to let the comments stand, Mr. Robinson testified in State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Monday.

They followed the person as he rounded the corner onto West Eighth Street. The man, Elliot Morales, was standing in the shadow of a shuttered bookstore, displaying a silver pistol in his right hand, Mr. Robinson said. Mr. Carson froze, he recalled. Too angry to be scared, Mr. Robinson said he kept talking to Mr. Morales even as he was dialing the police on his cellphone.

I was saying, Why do you have to do this? he said. Are you going to shoot us out here in front of all these people? Put the gun down.
It was a day in New York City that no firefighter could forget: Six of the departments own, battling a blaze in a Bronx apartment building on a brutally cold Sunday in 2005, became trapped on the fourth floor, hemmed in by illegal drywall partitions and unable to find the fire escape.

Two would die after jumping out of the building. Four others were severely injured, one of whom died six years later. On that same day, Jan. 23, 2005, another firefighter would die while fighting a house fire in Brooklyn.

Those fires, which claimed the lives of Lt. Curtis Meyran and Firefighter John Bellew in the Bronx, and Firefighter Richard Sclafani in Brooklyn, made that day the deadliest for firefighters in New York City since Sept. 11, 2001.

On Monday, more than a decade after what came to be known as Black Sunday, a State Supreme Court jury in the Bronx awarded five of the firefighters who battled the Bronx blaze and their families $183 million in damages from the city and the buildings owner, a result their lawyer called long-awaited vindication. The family of the sixth firefighter had settled its case before the verdict.
Heres what else is happening:

WEATHER

Its going to be wet today.

Rain and snow are expected this morning and into the early afternoon, though there should be little or no snow accumulation. That will be followed by rain later today, with a high near 40.

Expect that rain to stick around through Thursday.

And by the way, here are nine ways to survive the cold this week (and to look good while doing it).

IN THE NEWS

 A jury awarded $183 million in damages to five firefighters who battled a blaze in the Bronx on what came to be known as Black Sunday. [New York Times]



 The trial of Elliot Morales, charged with the killing of a gay man in the West Village in 2013, began in Manhattan. [New York Times]

 Elected officials in Atlantic City denounced the New Jersey governments plans to take control of the citys finances. [New York Times]

 City Hall accused state officials of a political media hit after they released a report to The New York Post about an alleged gang rape at a homeless shelter that the police later determined never took place. [New York Times]

 Executives at a Manhattan nonprofit gave themselves hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded bonuses despite failing to deliver on a health care project for needy residents. [DNAinfo]
FAIRFIELD, Conn.  A ghetto-themed party hosted off campus by students over the weekend set off a wave of discussion about race and a lack of diversity at Fairfield University, a mostly white Roman Catholic institution here.

University officials learned about the party from photos and posts that spread widely on social media, claiming that students had worn brown makeup and perpetuated racial stereotypes that have no place in our community, according to a statement from the university president, the Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx.

Everybodys talking about it, said Diana Olivo, who was heading to a study group on campus on Monday afternoon.

Ms. Olivo, 19, is a sophomore who commutes from her home in Bridgeport and also works on campus. I was in the commuter lounge earlier, and they were saying there was a crazy party, she said.
Two police officers had stepped out of their car for a brief foot patrol in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, early Saturday when they heard the pop of a gunshot. A man drove by them with a gun in his hand, then made a U-turn and passed them again, police officials said.

About three blocks away, after a car chase that ended with two other police officers being struck in an exchange of gunfire, the man, Frederick Funes, was pulled out of his car by an officer, a .357 Magnum revolver still in Mr. Funess right hand, the police said.

It was the third instance of officers being shot in the line of duty this year, and the second in which investigators were looking at the possibility that an officer was hit by a bullet fired by a fellow officer.

Both of the officers struck on Saturday  Andrew Yurkiw, 29, and William Reddin, 33  survived. Officer Yurkiw sustained blunt-force trauma after a bullet was stopped by his bullet-resistant vest. Officer Reddin was hit in his hip area by what investigators believed were bullet fragments, possibly produced by a ricochet.
A woman who claimed last month that an emergency room doctor at Mount Sinai Hospital sexually assaulted her has filed a lawsuit stating there is DNA evidence to prove the assault.

The lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, seeks monetary damages from the hospital, as well as Mount Sinai Medical Center and Dr. David H. Newman, whom the woman alleges assaulted her while treating her in the emergency room on Jan. 12.

As of Monday, Dr. Newman had not been indicted in a criminal case. The allegations have been under investigation by the Manhattan district attorneys office.

Image Dr. David H. Newman is accused of groping two patients at Mount Sinai Hospital in separate episodes several months apart.

Dr. Newmans lawyer, Susan R. Necheles, said on Monday that she was unaware of DNA evidence that would confirm the assault. She said she had no comment regarding Dr. Newmans guilt or innocence.
 Russia wants a closer look.

Moscow is requesting permission to upgrade the cameras it uses on surveillance flights over the U.S., which are permitted by the Open Skies Treaty.

The Obama administration must now decide whether to object to the Russian request. The treaty was signed to reduce the risk of war, primarily in Europe.

 Closing Guantanamo?

President Obama today sent Congress a plan for closing the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The plan centers on bringing between 30 and 60 detainees who are deemed too dangerous to release to a replacement prison on domestic soil.

The rest of the 91 detainees would be transferred to other countries. Here are some of the possible outcomes.

 Michigan shooting suspect denied bail.

Jason Dalton, a 45-year-old Uber driver in Kalamazoo with no known criminal history, was charged with six counts of murder and two counts of assault with intent to murder on Monday. He has offered no clues about a possible motive.

Business

 Before the U.S. housing crisis, low-income buyers got too much of a house that they couldnt afford. Theyre now getting too little of a house that they cant afford to repair, and deep-pocketed investors are profiting.
Q. Do you have a vision for the energy and climate norms that the world could have in 2100, given what you know about the climate system and the energy system? A. Well, I have a strong goal that the price of energy should be lower because of the work of the foundation and looking at the lives of the poorest. And so its a very big deal that we not push energy prices up too much, so that things like fertilizer, lighting, refrigeration, air conditioning eventually  the kinds of things we take for granted  by 2100 should be available to everyone on the planet. So we need affordable energy. We certainly want to cut down on local pollution because the understanding of the ill effects of particulates continues to rise. And then at a global level, you dont want the [climate] perturbation, because it gets you off into a level of uncertainty both about weather and the knock-on effects for ecosystems and species. And you want a limit on the [ocean] acidification because the speed that youre acidifying is quite rapid versus how quickly evolution can adapt to it. And so, you know, maybe if you wait millions of years, some evolutionary path can build coral reefs in that ocean that youve got. But in human time frames thats a long time to be missing huge parts of the ecosystem. Q. What aspect of the climate challenge drives you the most? Many people say sea-level rise is the biggest factor. A. The impacts will be greatest on the poor. Even sea-level rise. Yes, rich cities might have to raise their taxes a little bit, and you might have to move inland a little bit. But if you look at Bangladesh, there are a lot of poor people living in a river delta. Thats not that easy for them to adapt. You certainly have low-lying islands. To me its 70 percent of the worlds poor people are farmers, and theyre barely getting by. And a bad year means that their kid doesnt have enough nutrition. And so unless we can get their productivity and their resilience up quite dramatically, the increased variance in the weather, including lots of precipitation all at once, they just dont have the ability to deal with it. When you have resilience, which you have in rich countries, youre likely to be able to make adjustments. Q. Back to Paris, which is where you made a substantial announcement. So could you say now, where we go from here, sort of lay out from that initial grand announcement, what happens next? A. Well for me, its pretty easy to think of research and innovation as the thing thats going change the framework. And my interest in getting that on the agenda goes back quite a ways. I had talked to the United States and France about saying, hey, shouldnt this be on the agenda? And in fact, in terms of having Paris be novel for driving solutions, youd do the world a service by getting this onto the agenda. After all, raising R&D is a global public good, to invent something that can solve this problem. We need to encourage each other. And we even need to think, okay, are there some countries who are specializing, you know, say you want to do [carbon] sequestration. Well, you need a government with the right regulations and incentives, who lets all the pilot plants and things go on there the right way. So it really belongs on this agenda, particularly because the big emitters are pretty much one and the same as the countries with research capacity. They can respond by tilting their R&D budget in the right direction. And energy is so unique in terms of how little is spent on R&D, because if you invent something, its not going to be deployed in big amounts within a 20-year period. So yes, its wonderful that the countries made that commitment. And at first we thought, you know, if we get five or six countries, including the U.S. and a few big countries, that would be phenomenal. As it was, we ended up with 20 countries, and this is in a time of extremely tight budgets  every European country, Japan, the U.S. It is very tough. There are very few things that are getting more money. Most of the dialogue is about which things will get less money. So it takes a pretty compelling cause. You know, like when the Ebola epidemic came along. Okay, things related to that got more money. But only things that really get peoples attention in a big way are allowed to fit that special category. So it was a great announcement. And it was interesting, the idea that the private sector, in terms of high-risk venture investing, would come in and be there so that all we were asking for in this case was the basic research piece. Now, some countries may help with non-research pieces. I think thats fantastic. But this ask was about the piece that really can only be done at the government level. And we said the group of private investors  well add a lot of institutional investors as well  would bring several billion in so that we can nurture these companies up to a pretty large stage, so that more non-venture type financing would then grab onto them and help with the scale-up. Q. Is it anticipated that its really going to operate like an endowment? A. What were planning now is the first five years. And the spending will somewhat grow over the years, because well have more companies that are at a later stage. We are going to look at all the companies that are out there, because there are a few that have promising technologies, but theyre in a place where getting financing is a little bit difficult. So were not just going to do start-up companies. We may find a few that are at the stage where getting $50 million or even $100 million would be valuable. And then over the five years, well fully invest money, and then, like most venture funds, we would turn around and say to the investors, hey, if youre happy with this, yes, well do another fund. And theyll look at how well the different things are. We wouldnt expect all of them to be totally liquid. The turnaround time is not like I.T. where within two years somethings completely gone or its a unicorn [an investors term for start-ups that reach a billion-dollar valuation] or public. Q. Energy is so peculiar that way. Im sure youve talked to Nate Lewis before. Hes got this great line, but its a very sobering one, that I put in a story years ago. Its not like were trying to go to the moon. A moon shot is more clear-cut. Were trying to go to the moon when Southwest Airlines is already flying there, handing out peanuts. In other words, the energy system is there, I can plug my laptop into the wall. So its like a substitution for something thats already there, with these secondary long-term risks. I think thats whats impeded the R&D  the government sense that we need to even look at it. And youve seen the graphs of not just the U.S., but the O.E.C.D., when you compare different sectors, its unbelievable how little goes into energy research if its as important as world leaders say it is. Are you saying, we wealthy individuals with an investment plan here, we need a hand-off. We need you to work on this, too. Its kind of like a quid pro quo thing? A. Well theres always been a tradition that certain advances got funded by individuals. I mean, somebody endowed a Lucasian Professorship for Newton to take. And a lot of good science happened by private donors caring about it. Here, we have this imperative where the impactif you talk in monetary terms, although there are other ways of measuring it that are probably more valuable  youre talking about trillions of dollars. It wont be as fast. But we do expect to make money out of this thing. If you can drive a new approach, then the energy economy is absolutely gigantic. Now, getting it scaled up fast enough, so that you benefit from your invention or your trade secrets, that is tricky. But its great that we have that incentive. The financial incentive is to get it out and scaled quickly, and the climate benefit requires that same mentality. Q. John Holdren, the science advisor to President Obama, way before he was in that office, articulated how little we spend in a way that was effective. He said a two-cent rise in the gasoline tax triples our R&D money in this country. Recently I asked him by email to update the numbers, and he said the appropriation for energy R&D the last several years has been $3.6 billion, roughly. And he said that its more like a doubling of research, if you have a two-cent rise in the gas tax. Is there a way to make that case to the American people that hasnt been made? You talk to people of all political stripes, I assume. Have you found a way to get traction with the logic of that? A.Well, research hasnt been discussed much, but I do think it has a lot of appeal. Everyone wants great companies that are leading the way. We do have amazing universities where the basic technology, the material science, the simulation, you know, the I.Q. around the world large is very strong on this  to make the case to the U.S. that it should be a leader in doubling its budget. That was pretty important. I dont think if the U.S. wasnt participating, it would be easy to getto get critical mass. Because even though we underspend, we are about 50 percent of all of the energy R&D spending that gets done. I think everybody can get excited when they hear there are really ideas out there. Ah, and when you talk about basic research, you get away from the somewhat partisan divide about whats the role of government. Nobody would say it was zero, but youd get quite a range of views of how much the government ought to try and help out at that later stage. And so I think this one, now that its been highlighted as being so important, it you know, creates jobs in the company that allocates the R&D, it creates business opportunity in the country. And as you say, its not relative to the size of the energy market or whats at risk here. Its actually very, very small. You know, capitalism in general underinvests in research because the benefits to society are way more than whoever takes the risk and does the invention gets. And energy is just particularly dramatic in that. In fact, I.T. and health, people are spoiled by those, because those have pretty strong research models, both at the government level and at the private level. Q. Circling back to Paris, could you lay out the general sectors you personally are interested in, and inevitably these investments will be in? Can you remind people what some of the basic concepts are that are out there? A. The range of possibilities for getting an energy breakthrough that is something that will be cheap and clean, theres quite a few ways to do that. Ah, in the nuclear space theres fusion; theres fission. Within wind, youve got high [altitude] wind that only a little bits been done in. You have offshore wind, you have whatever improvements you can do to onshore wind, which you know, will likely be a workhorse of the overall system. Then in solar, you have solar electric, which has gone the furthest. You can do a lot more there. You have solar thermal, which has some nice characteristics, because storing heat is easier than storing electrons. And then you have solar chemical, which is where  without using a photosynthetic process; youre using a de novo process  photon energy equals some type of hydrocarbon. Think of oil dripping off of a solar panel type thing. Thats a paradigmatic example because it is not ready for a start-up, but there are some particular problems in terms of material structures and simulation that, if the right research was done, even over the next two or three years, then you could have a set of start-ups that would go into that area. High wind is another one where the challenges are, to some degree, control and materials challenges. This is the golden age of actually rationally designing materials, whether its for tensile strength or for catalytic capabilities. And if you can look at that area and say, okay scientists, heres what we need, then you can stimulate a lot of good work. And for us its a little bit like what we do at the foundation where we take a disease problem and then we try and make sure the scientists who might  even if they dont know the disease  have some tool that would help stimulate them to get involved. Biofuels is a category where youre either taking natural photosynthesis or modifying natural photosynthesis to get much higher efficiencies, and theres quite a few, you know: trees, grasses, algae. If youre taking current photosynthesis, then theres many ways to do cellulosic processing, none of which should have gotten into the large-scale mainstream, but theres a lot of promise that that might happen. And when we think about climate, we have to think about more than electricity. We have to make materials. Theres steel, aluminum, cement, plastic, paper  all of which are big processes were dependent on, some of which directly generate CO2, like cement production, and a lot of which are big industrial users of electricity or energy. We also have the entire land use, agricultural, livestock area, which is a very significant CO2 emitter. A little bit of the trap people get into is they think, okay if were meeting some 2030 goal, we must be on the way, because we just do more of what we did. Well, a lot of things you do, like, take [away] coal and build natural gas, for your 2050 goal, thats actually a step backwards because that gas plant is at a higher CO2-per-kilowatt-hour than youre going to want to have in 2050. So you thought, oh what a great thing we just did. But in fact it doesnt scale to the sort of near-zero [emissions technology] that we need to achieve. So when you think of the industrial economy, getting 20 or 30 percent out of that by pushing up recycling, labeling things, thats easy. But you have to plan today for meeting the large target. You dont just get to get partway there and say, oh well someone else will figure out how to make steel or, you know, lets pretend we dont need to make a lot of steel. Q. One of the things that frustrated me about Paris was that the whole discussion was about that 2020 to 2030 period. But all of those trajectories for that short period rely on this unbelievably steep dip that has to happen later. There was a lack of full disclosure that we dont know how to do that yet. And thats where the R&D has to come in. A. Yeah, and people like David McKay have tried to get people to say, hey, we only have so many ways to make energy. And have models  he did it for the U.K. with Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air. But there are not a lot of ways to get that scale of energy. And there are geographies like Japan. You know, where is their energy going to come from? People tend to want sovereign control of their energy supply. And so you run into geographic realities. What technologies are going to fit there? Q. I know you have an interest in CO2 removal - taking it out of the atmosphere and stashing it long term. Vaclav Smil, who we both read and talk to, talks about the scale issue. He has said you would need the same infrastructure we have all around the Earthtaking oil out of the ground to put a waste gas in the ground. CO2 removal is actually implicit in the models that the I.P.C.C. provided for the treaty process, to get that deep dive. But is it realistic to get that gigaton kind of outcome? A. Well theres a couple ways that it could come in. Poor countries, even if we figure out how to take livestock and land use in rich countries and get that down to zero, theres going be a lot of emissions out of poor countries. And we shouldnt force them not to use hydrocarbons. People actually get confused in climate and think this is bad for poor countries so lets get them to do expensive intermittent energy systems and then its okay. No, developing and truly poor countries - not China or India - they are a rounding error. So anything you do with their energy systems is a hobby, unrelated to climate change. I mean, maybe you could bring some power there, but they should grab onto the cheapest solution. And so the rest of the world has to be at true zero or even, under some models, its a negative number, which is where you get to capture. A lot of the systems design that people are looking at - likeChristopher Clack  even if you can get the renewables up to 80 percent, then you have a piece there probably natural gas peakers [power plants that run in periods of high electricity demand], at least based on current technology, are way cheaper than any [energy] storage. So doing carbon sequestration out of a natural gas [power plant] flue is a lot easier than out of a coal flue, because there isnt the sulfuric acid. And theres very little going on with that, but we may need that as part of a solution for that backup peaker 20 percent. Or if you have emissions taking place far away, in the poor countries, the idea that you could do free air capture, like Carbon Engineering is trying to do and a few other people are trying to do  that would have to be part of the mix. So actually, building prototypes now and saying, okay, how hard is it to do that carbon capture at scale, its great that that work is going on. The initial plants will be at very high prices  on the order of $100 per ton, which is way above even the highest CO2 tax in the world. Q. There are some pretty cool ideas out there. I was just at Arizona State, for the first time seeing Klaus Lackners work there. He has this spongy looking material that captures CO2 in dry air. You put it into a greenhouse in a moist environment and it liberates the CO2. So hes developing a prototype like that. And its exciting to see minds working on these problems. Id like them to be more visible, more integrated perhaps into how kids are learning. You and I grew up in the space race, you know, it was a no-brainer. Science was all around us. But do you see a way to make this story more pervasive? A. Well, I definitely think we need to take the dreams, like for air capture of CO2, and get those out there and make it concrete. You know, or high wind. I mean super-high altitude, the jet stream, which is a very constant source, and a large source. But its just very difficult to design that system. Get people thinking about those things and realize, hey, we need some inventions, and draw young people in. Ive seen other experiments in the education arena. There was a woman [Ozgem Ornektekin] who was the sustainability chief for the New York City school system for a while. And she had gotten some federal funding to put in new energy management systems in the school buildings. They started realizing they had not enough people in New York trained to run these systems. So they created this High School of Energy and Technology. And its kind of geared to getting young people into the heating-cooling arena. And one of the things I was incredibly excited to see there is that they go on a boiler room tour as part of their education. And the custodian is their teacher for the day. He shows them this boiler room, where just 20 years ago, coal was hand shoveled into the furnace. And now its oil. And I would like a boiler room tour in every school in America. You dont have to charter buses. There are no permission slips, and you start to understand an energy system within a school. Itd be great to see innovation on that front. Maybe not as much as the innovation in laboratories for photovoltaics. Im a communicator and an educator, so Im biased  but I think theres a lot of potential in that arena for innovation, as well. You should go on that boiler room tour. Its a great template. Every day I wake up with this issue, like we all do, with a sense of optimism when I see an exciting innovator, and pessimism when I feel the weight of inertia. In 2013, the Bloomberg administration had this statistic where they realized, 75 percent of New York Citys greenhouse gas emissions are from energy in buildings. And 80 percent of the buildings that exist in 2050 in New York City already exist. And so that says you can have your shining visions of the future and transformative, energy pathways. But you still have to deal with window by window, door by door retrofitting. A. Not really. Not if your electricity coming in is zero CO2. If the electricity system isnt about zero CO2, theres no way to get there. I mean, just ignore the U.S. Assume we could cut some dramatic amount. Just look at India. They will be using over 10 times as much energy. And, yes, some of those light bulbs will be more efficient. Some of those refrigerators will be more efficient. But they will be using more kilowatt-hours. Theres not any doubt. A lot more. The more the better. And so the generation system really has to do the magical work here. And there are generation systems. I mean, nuclear has got lots of lots of problems, but it does not emit CO2. Hydro, if you manage it properly and youre working with a reservoir and everything, it doesnt have to emit CO2. But I certainly agree with you that this is a problem that you can go from thinking it will be solved to thinking that it wont be solved. And even some of the people who think its easy to be solved can be frustrating to me, because then the idea of oh no we dont need to invent anything, we just need to get rid of evil utilities that arent paying 50 cents a kilowatt-hour for rooftop solar, and as soon as we get them to just realize they should go bankrupt, you know, boom, this thing is solved. It is a very hard problem to solve, because energy systems have to be reliable. And if youre a utility, you are supposed to buy low-cost energy on behalf of those consumers. Utilities are not there to spend money on global public goods, which is what CO2 reduction is. Q. You and I both are criticized sometimes by people who feel that too much of a focus on these  some call them moon shots, whatever you want to call it, the breakthroughs  this distracts from what they argue is the ability to do mass deployment now. What do you say in a situation like that? Do you have a way to balance that rhetorically? A. Well India is paradigmatic. And you know, its only 1.4 billion people. So they have to electrify. Thats why children dont die. They need to be able to refrigerate their food and heat and cool. And so if you think you have a solution that doesnt slow down India improving the lives of their people to be almost as good as what we take for granted, if you think todays technology solves the India problem with no price premium, no reliability problem, then great. Go to India, and its a capitalistic market there. Go ahead and do that. That is when youll know that were on our way. Then youre not saying to them, trade off between these two things. Yes, the United States could afford for energy to cost a lot more than it does today. Europe can afford for energy to cost a lot more. Japan can afford for it to cost a lot more. But the future CO2 emitters are not going to pay some meaningful premium, nor are they going to give up total reliability. Their hospitals want energy; their factories want energy all the time. Q. One thing I wrote a few years ago about this grand question is that it seems to require a quirky mix of urgency and patience. I dont know how you grapple with that yourself. In your career, have you had other issues where you had to have urgency and patience at the same time. Is that every day? A. Well I call myself the impatient optimist, because I want things to go faster. With something like an HIV vaccine, you know, there are a lot of dead ends. But youve got to believe that eventually youre going to find one and you want to pursue a lot of different things. And Im very optimistic, you know, were getting smarter all the time, ah, about how to do that. So it really wont happen overnight. You know, Im investing in a fission company. And the best case is that we have our pilot plant built by 2023, and that by 2030, this fourth-generation inherently safe design with all sorts of nice characteristics, including cost, becomes the standard for all nuclear builds from that point forward. Thats the best case for this amazing, brilliant Terrapower design [this was said with the knowing smile of a pitchman]. Well, in software, nobody at Microsoft is sitting there saying, oh yeah, whats the 2040 thing going look like? Its a ridiculously long time period, even for a health-care type intervention, to try and think, hey were doing this great work so that we have this tool for 25 years from now. But for good reason  safety tests and capital costs and just the time it takes to build large-scale things  thats the time frame that its in. If that is part of the solution, which is hard to say, Im really glad the work is being done. It has some meaningful chance of being able to help us with the climate problem.
Four years ago, in the first draft of my book A Capitalism for the People, I had a section dedicated to how worrisome a Donald J. Trump presidential bid would be for America. I was not prescient. Its just that having grown up in Italy, I knew how a real estate tycoon  in this case, Silvio Berlusconi  whose career exemplified crony capitalism could become the leader of supposed pro-market forces, and I knew what it meant for the country.

I cut this section after being told that my point was irrelevant: In America, there was no chance that a character like Mr. Trump would ever be seriously considered as a candidate.

Then 2016 happened: After sweeping wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Mr. Trump has shattered that notion. The Trump phenomenon caught everybody by surprise. Yet it is a manifestation of a fundamental contradiction long present in the Republican Party: Despite fierce anti-big-business sentiment among many Republican voters, no Republican candidate has emerged to champion them.

This contradiction created the space for Mr. Trump. In spite of being every bit a part of that pro-business establishment, Mr. Trump can pretend to be anti-establishment by sometimes reviling big business, because he doesnt need its funding for his campaign.
It is hard to imagine a conflict more in need of a cease-fire than the cruel violence that has ravaged Syria, killing almost half a million people and displacing millions. Though one sincerely hopes otherwise, it is equally hard to imagine that the truce negotiated by the United States and Russia has much chance of achieving more than a brief respite from the killing. One reason is the extraordinary web of conflicting interests and agendas involved in this struggle, and the warring parties have to buy in to make the truce work.

The greater reason is that the central figure in the fray is Vladimir Putin, the Russian president. Despite years of sanctions, scolding and pleas, Mr. Putins entry into the Syrian fight in support of the embattled government of President Bashar al-Assad last September has radically changed the dynamic of the war. Not only have the Russians changed Mr. Assads fortunes, but they also now hold the strongest hand in any attempt to end the conflict and stem the flood of refugees that has so disrupted Europe.

And how reliable is Mr. Putin likely to be in this enterprise? As he has already clearly demonstrated in Ukraine, a cease-fire to him is a tactic, even a smoke screen, not a goal. Indeed, he agreed to a cease-fire between Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine and the Kiev government just as he began his airstrikes in Syria. Even now, the Ukrainian truce seems to be unraveling, suggesting that Russia is ready to stir those embers again.

There is also this to understand about Mr. Putin: Whatever his geopolitical goals, one overriding objective since he began his third term as president in 2012 has been to compel the United States and its allies to recognize Russia again as a great power, and if possible to drive a wedge into the Western alliance. Rebuilding Russias power and demanding respect has also been the source of his continuing popularity among Russians, despite the price theyve paid in economic sanctions and Western disdain.
The Senate sponsor of a bill barring cities from enacting so-called sanctuary city policies says his Republican colleagues would pass the measure if Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald lets it come to a vote.

Sen. Steve Nass urged Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, to do so in a Monday statement. Fitzgeralds office said Friday that the bill is not a priority for passage in the waning weeks of the 2015-16 legislative session.

Nass, in his statement, noted Assembly Bill 450 has broad support from Wisconsin law enforcement. State associations for police chiefs and sheriffs have registered to lobby in favor of the bill.

It would be a terrible mistake for the Senate to avoid addressing this public safety issue, said Nass, R-Whitewater. AB 450 is strongly supported by Wisconsins law enforcement community.

Nass spokesman Mike Mikalsen, said Monday that Nass has not counted enough votes to be sure the bill would pass. But Mikalsen said Nass is confident of the bills Senate prospects based on conversations with some senators as well as the bills showing last week in the Assembly, where it passed 62-35.

Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, echoed that call with his own statement Monday. Stroebel said the bill should be on the agenda when the Senate convenes for whats likely to be its final session date in March.

The safety of Wisconsinites should be our top priority on our last floor date, Stroebel said.

Senate passage is all thats keeping the bill from landing on Gov. Scott Walkers desk.

A crowd estimated at 20,000 gathered in and around the state Capitol on Thursday to protest AB 450 and one other bill as part of the A Day Without Latinos and Immigrants in Wisconsin rally.

Supporters of the bill say it would bar a few local law enforcement agencies  they have singled out Madison, Racine and Milwaukee County  from declining to cooperate with federal immigration officials. The bill prohibits municipalities from adopting or enforcing policies, resolutions or ordinances that bar police from asking a person about  or that bar them from exchanging information with federal officials about  the immigration status of someone charged with a serious crime.

Cities that fail to comply with the law would see their state aid reduced for each day theyre not in compliance.

Opponents of the bill say it infringes on local control and could lead to racial profiling and less safe communities.

Madison officials, including Police Chief Mike Koval, dispute the sanctuary label being applied to Madison. Koval has said Madison police will cooperate with federal immigration officials in cases where people are arrested for serious crimes.
THE government and Apple have chosen interesting ground on which to contest the limits of government access to data on mobile devices. The case involves an F.B.I. request for Apples assistance in opening a phone once carried by Syed Rizwan Farook, who with his wife was responsible for the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif., that left 14 dead and 22 wounded.

On one level, this should be comfortable space for the government. First, the phone is owned by the County of San Bernardino, which issued it to Mr. Farook, an employee of its health department. The county, as Apples customer, has no problem having its phone opened. Second, Mr. Farook and his wife were killed in a gun battle with the police early last December. Under the law, dead people have no privacy rights.

But Apple is making a stand because the government wants it to create something against its will: code that would disable a feature that erases all content after 10 failed password attempts. Tim Cook, Apples chief executive, has said that if this happens, the floodgates will open to similar law enforcement requests, putting customers data at risk. And not just in the United States: Apple supporters have raised concerns that other countries, particularly China and Russia, are likely to follow suit.

Mr. Cooks position is hyperbolic, in our view. But beyond the legal case, there is an ethics issue unfolding here.
The Obama administration this week will begin the task of trying to persuade Congress to support its plan to shut down the prison in Guantanamo Bay before the president leaves office in January.

Republican lawmakers all too often have been reflexive and thoughtless in their opposition to closing Guantanamo, one of the most shameful chapters in Americas recent history. Closing the prison by the end of the year is feasible. It would make the United States safer, help restore Americas standing as a champion of human rights and save taxpayers millions of dollars.

In recent weeks, the Pentagon and the State Department have made considerable progress toward the goal of further reducing the number of inmates at Guantanamo, which stands at 91. Of those inmates, the government expects to resettle 35 in other countries by this summer.

Of the remaining 56, 10 have been convicted of terrorism charges or have pending cases before the military commission established to prosecute terrorism suspects.
Should incriminating evidence be used against a defendant if it was discovered in the course of an illegal police stop?

That was the question before the Supreme Court on Monday, the first day of oral arguments since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. The court has been weakening the Fourth Amendments defense against illegal searches for years. Mondays case gives the justices an opportunity to restore some of its power.

The case, Utah v. Strieff, started in 2006, when the Salt Lake City police got an anonymous tip reporting drug activity at a house. An officer monitored the house for several days and became suspicious at the number of people he saw entering and leaving. When one of those people, Edward Strieff, left to walk to a nearby convenience store, the officer stopped him and asked for his identification.

A routine check revealed that Mr. Strieff had an outstanding small traffic warrant. The officer arrested him based on that earlier warrant, searched him and found a bag of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in his pockets.
For coffee at the Casa Galimberti, Senchina wears scarlet lipstick and a long black braid pulled high on her head, along with a slim, zip-neck ski sweater from her latest collection  the first to feature knitwear  and an oversized midnight-blue wool coat with bands of contrasting colors running up the sleeves. The coat comes from an outerwear-only collection she created as a student at one of Milans fashion schools, the Istituto Marangoni, which earned her the campus moniker of the donna cappotto  coat woman. Having moved to Milan at 22, Senchina admits that she has, in her words, cried frustrated tears over adjusting to a new country, culture and language. But now, with a growing customer-base and an agile use of Italian, she finds herself at home here.

Pleased by the attention shes received so far, Senchina is enjoying her growth as a designer, saying she hopes to show in Italy in the future and to one day design for a brand she admires, like MSGM or Miu Miu, if the right opportunity comes along. Gazing out the cafes window toward the rainy Milan street, she concedes, I love what Im doing now, so, for me, every day is a holiday.
In countries around the world, the ways in which men and women spend their time are unbalanced. Men spend more time working for money. Women do the bulk of the unpaid work  cooking, cleaning and child care.

This unpaid work is essential for households and societies to function. But it is also valued less than paid work, and when it is womens responsibility, it prevents them from doing other things.

This is one of those root inequalities that exist all over in society and we just dont talk about it very much, Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Gates Foundation, said in an interview. She said she was inspired by her own observations when traveling to other countries as well as by time-use data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. If we dont bring it forward, we basically wont unlock the potential of women.
The House Committee on Ethics confirmed Monday for the first time that it was investigating Representative Alan Grayson, Democrat of Florida, who has been accused of violating House rules by operating a hedge fund while serving in Congress. The statement by the committee  which said it would continue to look into the matter until early April  also served as the first formal confirmation that the quasi-independent Office of Congressional Ethics had conducted a preliminary review and found reasonable grounds to conclude that Mr. Grayson had violated the rules. Mr. Grayson, who is a candidate for the Senate, set up the hedge fund in 2011, when he was not in Congress, and he has said he cashed out the outside investors in the last year. He has vehemently denied that he did anything wrong, but his own political aides urged him to close the hedge fund last year.
FLINT, Mich.  It was the Fourth of July, a warm summer night in 2014, but Tim Monahan was shivering in a thick blanket as he watched fireworks from his front yard here. By the next afternoon his temperature had shot to 104.6, and doctors at the hospital he had checked into puzzled over what was wrong.

Two days later, they had an answer: Legionnaires disease, a virulent form of pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria that can multiply in water systems. Mr. Monahan, now 58, was given antibiotics and eventually recovered, but his case turned out to be at the leading edge of a Legionnaires outbreak that sickened at least 87 people in the Flint region, killing nine of them, from June 2014 through October 2015.

State officials still say they cannot conclusively link the outbreak to Flints contaminated water supply, partly because sputum cultures were not collected from patients. But the possibility of a link was raised in internal government emails as early as October 2014, and state officials did not inform the public of the outbreak until last month.

The Legionnaires cases started popping up as Flint residents were complaining about the foul-smelling, discolored water flowing into their homes after the city switched to a new water source, the Flint River, in April 2014. Soon they were reporting rashes and stomach ailments, and whistle-blowers eventually pointed to alarming levels of lead in the water supply and in childrens blood.
The Court of Appeals, Marylands highest court, said Monday that the state can keep secret the names of applicants for abortion clinic licenses. The court ruled on an appeal filed by Andrew Glenn of the anti-abortion group Maryland Coalition for Life. Mr. Glenn sought the names under Marylands Public Information Act, arguing that disclosure would help protect women from operators with checkered safety records. The unanimous opinion upheld lower court rulings that withholding the names is necessary for public safety. It noted a history of violence toward abortion providers. Mr. Glenn argued that courts in Illinois, Kansas and Minnesota had ordered names released. The Maryland court said those cases had been decided before violence against abortion clinics escalated.
Bill Cosbys wife of 52 years, Camille, gave deposition testimony Monday in a civil case filed against him by seven women who say he defamed them, despite last-minute efforts by her lawyers to halt the deposition. A lawyer for the women, Joseph Cammarata, said Mrs. Cosby had been questioned under oath for two and a half hours in a hotel in Springfield, Mass. Her deposition will continue March 14, Mr. Cammarata said. Mr. Cosbys lawyers had sought to prevent Mrs. Cosby, 71, who was the entertainers business manager, from sitting for the deposition on a variety of grounds, and filed an emergency motion Saturday to delay it. But Judge Mark G. Mastroianni of United States District Court ruled Sunday that the deposition should go ahead, although Mrs. Cosby was not compelled to answer questions about her private conversations with her husband. Andrew Wyatt, a spokesman for Mr. Cosby, declined to comment. The civil case is separate from the criminal charges that Mr. Cosby, 78, faces in Pennsylvania, where a woman has accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2004.
State and local authorities were overseeing cleanup of manure that spilled from a dairy farm near Fennimore in Grant County and flowed 2 miles to a trout stream on Thursday.

It wasnt clear how much manure was released or if there was serious damage to wildlife, but neighbors said they were advised to drink bottled water and test their wells.

The farm, Misty Morning Dairy, 3679 Wood Road, obtained a state permit to expand as a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation with more than 1,700 animals in 2014, just a year after the state was forced to hire a hauler to empty the farms 1-million-gallon manure pit to avoid a spill.

Around 7 a.m. Thursday, the owner notified the state Department of Natural Resources that a hose coupling had failed sometime during the night, agency spokesman George Althoff said.

The owner shut down the pump, but by then the stream of waste had been flowing for hours. Crews set up berms to capture the spill, but some reached Castle Rock Creek, Althoff said.

The manure entered a section of Castle Rock Creek that is a Class III trout stream, which means trout must be stocked annually. A few miles downstream, it is listed as Class II because trout sometimes reproduce naturally. Creek water quality and fish habitat have been degraded by sediment and nutrients running off surrounding land.

No fish kills were reported Thursday, but the agency will continue to monitor the creek, Althoff said.

Grant County Health Department director Jeffery Kindrai said its possible the ground is frozen sufficiently to keep contamination from reaching well intakes for the time being.

Randy Mouw, who owns Misty Morning Dairy, said Friday the farm is working with the DNR to ensure the spill is "completely contained and cleaned up."

"We have also reached out to our neighbors to explain what happened and help them in any way we can, he said in a statement.

Wood Road resident Chuck Horn said he saw the spill around 7:30 a.m. when he went outside to check the bird feeder in front of his house. A stream of manure roughly 7 inches deep and 18 inches wide was moving over snow and ice that covered a spring flow in his yard, he said.

The spring empties into the creek, which is also known as the Fennimore Branch of the Blue River. The best trout fishing is a few miles downstream, Horn said.

He said he had a strong reaction to seeing where the manure was heading. You cant print it in the paper, Horn said. Just say I was disappointed, and I kind of had an inkling where it was coming from.

Horn said he tracked the manure back about a quarter-mile to its source. A 4-foot-wide stream ran over the snow for about 100 yards from the area where the farms manure pits are located to the road, Horn said.

In Wisconsin, large quantities of manure have become more concentrated geographically with the growth of huge, automated factory farms.

Farmers are allowed to spread manure on fields as fertilizer when the ground can absorb it. When the soil is frozen, manure too easily runs off into lakes and rivers, destroying wildlife habitat and worsening unnatural growths of weeds and algae.

So millions of gallons are pumped through pipes into lagoons or tanks, and the storage systems sometimes fail.

In 2013, the DNR recorded two spills of 300,000 gallons in Dane County. They were among the four largest manure spills of the previous 15 years. One was at a manure biodigester near Waunakee, and the other was at UW-Madisons Arlington Agricultural Research Station.

In both cases, pipes or couplings failed at night and went unnoticed for hours.

Its possible to install safeguards such as containment berms and leak sensors that trip shutoff valves, but those can be costly. The DNR usually relies on private engineers hired by farm owners to design proper storage facilities. The agency reviews plans before a project is permitted.

In March 2013, the owner of Misty Morning Dairy called the DNR to ask for help in preventing a 1-million-gallon manure pit from overflowing, according to a DNR environmental cleanup report.

The farm was filing for bankruptcy and could not pay haulers to empty the storage pit, so the DNR hired a private waste hauler for $50,000, the report states.

Ten months later, the DNR reissued Misty Mornings permit for pollution discharges as a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, allowing the business to expand. The owners said they had 1,340 animals in 2013, and projected the number to increase to 1,719 in 2014.

Althoff said he wasnt familiar with details of the $50,000 expenditure or the permit allowing the farm to grow.

Under Wisconsin law, CAFOs are supposed to be regulated more closely than smaller farms because of their potential to pollute.

The DNR issues general permits for dairy CAFOs with 1,000 to 5,720 animal units. More scrutiny is given to individual permit applications, which are required for those with more dairy animals or with more than 1,000 non-dairy animals.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated since it was first published to include a comment from Randy Mouw, the owner of Misty Morning Dairy. Mouw did not respond to phone messages seeking comment on Thursday but did release a statement about the incident on Friday.]
When you are as voluble as Joseph R. Biden Jr. is, you are bound to say more than a few words that come back to haunt you. And some choice ones returned with a vengeance on Monday as the fight over the open Supreme Court seat began in the Senate.

As Democrats prepared to lay into Republicans for vowing to stall any nominee to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, Republicans instead pounded them with remarks that Mr. Biden made as a senator in June 1992. In a Senate floor speech resurfaced by C-Span, he said he would do almost exactly what Democrats are now criticizing Republicans for promising to do  not even hold a nomination hearing if the president put forward a Supreme Court candidate.

Republicans and conservative activists pounced on the gift, enshrining as the new Biden Rules his declaration that a hearing in the heat of the political season would be too damaging for the nominee, the Senate and the nation.

Several elements of the old Biden speech are problematic for Democrats, most notably his position at the time as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, making him the partys voice on the handling of judicial nominations. The comments are also directly at odds with what President Obama and Mr. Biden, now the vice president, have been saying in demanding fair consideration for any nominee after the death of Justice Scalia on Feb. 13.
WASHINGTON  The tax plans of the Republican presidential candidates would cut federal revenues as much as $12 trillion over a decade, a post-World War II record eclipsing the deep tax cuts of George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy. And they would come just as America faces the costs of its aging baby-boom generation.

The combination of the tax cuts size and timing has many tax and budget policy analysts questioning their viability. The Republican rivals routinely denounce the current $14 trillion debt, but none has said how he would offset the revenues lost to his tax cuts, beyond unspecified cuts to domestic programs and repeals of some existing tax breaks.

Each candidate has said his tax cuts are needed to promote work, saving, investment and faster economic growth.

I believe by cutting taxes and simplifying the tax code, we will grow our economy and create more taxpayers rather than more taxes, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has said.
WASHINGTON  The day began with extended and sometimes wry reflections from Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on the life and work of Justice Antonin Scalia, whose empty chair at the Supreme Court was draped in black. It ended with a liberal justice invoking events in Ferguson, Mo., and accusing a conservative colleague of being ignorant of facts in a case that could lead to a police state.

Justice Scalias death has upended the courts work, withdrawing an important voice and often crucial vote from the contentious docket his remaining eight colleagues face in coming months in cases on abortion, immigration and religious freedom. It has also created a titanic struggle over who will succeed him, one that will play out in a divisive debate that found an echo Monday in the first arguments since Justice Scalia died on Feb. 13.

It did not take long for the justices, who arrived solemn and somber, to show their sharp divisions. In short order, rancor seemed to replace grief.

But first Chief Justice Roberts recalled his departed colleague.

In 1976, during his tenure at the Justice Department, Justice Scalia argued his first and only Supreme Court case, the chief justice said. He prevailed, establishing a perfect record before the court.
WASHINGTON  Senate Republicans on Monday seized on a 1992 speech by Joseph R. Biden Jr., then a senator, in which he argued against any Supreme Court appointment during a presidential campaign, grabbing an early advantage in what is likely to be a protracted battle to replace Justice Antonin Scalia.

The vice presidents remarks are unlikely to deter the White House from submitting a nominee in the coming weeks, and Republicans may still face public pressure to allow the confirmation process to go forward, especially if Mr. Obamas pick is respected and has been confirmed by the Senate to other posts.

Nonetheless, Republicans appeared to take the upper hand in a fight that stands to dominate Capitol Hill for months. The outcome could tilt the ideological balance of the court and reshape American life for generations.

It is my view that if a Supreme Court justice resigns tomorrow or within the next several weeks, or resigns at the end of the summer, President Bush should consider following the practice of a majority of his predecessors and not  and not  name a nominee until after the November election is completed, Mr. Biden, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, argued on June 24, 1992.
WASHINGTON  President Obama on Friday will visit a lithium-ion battery plant built with federal money from the economic stimulus package he pushed through Congress in 2009, part of a broad White House effort to highlight the measures success stories during his final year in office.

Mr. Obama plans to speak at the Saft America factory in Jacksonville, Fla., which opened in 2011 after a $95.5 million investment from the Department of Energy. The agency estimated that it would create 280 jobs and produce 370 megawatt hours annually of battery power, in line with the presidents drive to invest in renewable energy.

Jeffrey D. Zients, the director of Mr. Obamas National Economic Council, said the president would make the trip to see firsthand the good jobs of the future that the Recovery Act helped make a reality today.

In a White House blog post, Mr. Zients said the president would use the occasion to talk about the tough choices he faced early in his first term to right Americas course. It is the latest effort by the administration to etch the legacy of the stimulus measure, which Mr. Obama signed seven years ago last week, into the public consciousness.
The government has taken control of all mining in the diamond-rich Marange area after private companies were ordered to halt all operations because their licenses had expired, the mining minister said on Monday. All diamond mining will now be managed by the Zimbabwe Consolidated Mining Company, wholly owned by the government, according to the minister, Walter Chidhakwa. Private outfits may negotiate joint ventures with the government company, he added. The nine mine operators, including Chinese and Russian companies that were already involved in a joint operation with the government, had neglected or failed to renew their special grants, Mr. Chidhakwa said.
Warrants were also issued for the arrest of Mr. Skornicki and an Odebrecht executive.

The new developments come at a delicate time for Ms. Rousseff, whose popularity has declined sharply since her last election. While she has strongly denied having any knowledge or involvement in the scheme, she has been hit hard by the fallout. She has also come under sharp criticism as the countrys once-booming economy veered into a nasty downturn.

Yet in recent months, she had won a bit of a respite. Calls for her impeachment and the widespread protests accompanying them have faded somewhat, and the frightening spread of the Zika virus has given her a new opportunity to display leadership.

Part of the shift had to do with the growing public rancor toward Eduardo Cunha, the leader of Brazils lower house, who had spearheaded impeachment hearings against the president even though he faces serious corruption allegations himself.

But Mondays developments signal that the Petrobras investigation may be getting closer to Ms. Roussef and Mr. da Silva.

As of Monday afternoon, Mr. Santana and Ms. Moura had not been apprehended. They were reported to be in the Dominican Republic, where they were working on the re-election campaign of President Danilo Medina.
Italy has agreed to allow American armed drones to take off from an air base in Sicily to defend the coalition force fighting Islamic State extremists in Libya. An Italian Defense Ministry official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the government had not announced the accord, said leaders in Rome and Washington reached the agreement last month. Permission will have to be asked of the Italian government each time, case by case, for the drones to take off to defend military personnel at risk during operations against the Islamic State, which is gaining ground in Libya.
A video of the attack on the Alfa branch, posted online, showed men breaking the glass door and yelling Glory to Ukraine!

Despite a continuing war and multiple trade sanctions, Russian banks continue to operate in Ukraine. The Russian banking sector expanded here after the global financial crisis, filling a niche left by Western banking giants that pulled out.

The timing proved poor: The Ukrainian economy nose-dived amid the turmoil of the 2014 revolution and the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and its intervention in the eastern Ukraine conflict. Bad loans mounted.

The Russian banks are now receiving or are likely to receive an infusion of funds from their parent corporations in Russia in order to stay afloat, according to banking analysts, and are a source of much-needed capital for Ukraine.
WASHINGTON  Russia asked on Monday to fly surveillance planes equipped with high-powered digital cameras over the United States, fueling a long-simmering debate among Pentagon and intelligence officials over Russias intentions to use such flights to spy on American power plants, communications networks and other critical infrastructure.

Russia has for years conducted unarmed observation flights over the United States  as the United States does over Russia  as part of the Open Skies Treaty, which was signed in 1992 by both nations and 32 other countries at the end of the Cold War, and entered into force a decade later. Although the treaty and the flights, unfamiliar to most Americans, amount to officially sanctioned spying, their goal has been to foster transparency about military activity and to reduce the risk of war and miscalculation, especially in Europe.

Now some senior American intelligence and military officials say the new digital technology, combined with shifting Russian flight plans, will violate the spirit of the treaty. Some Republicans also expressed alarm.

I cannot see why the United States would allow Russia to fly a surveillance plane with an advanced sensor over the United States to collect intelligence, Representative Mac Thornberry, a Texas Republican who heads the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement on Monday.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday that it will require a full environmental impact study of a proposal for a huge pig farm in Bayfield County.

Iowa-based Riecks View Farms, and critics of the companys planned pig farm, welcomed the DNRs decision to give close scrutiny to what would be the largest hog farm in Wisconsin and the first animal feeding operation of its scale in the Lake Superior basin.

While we do not believe that conducting an EIS for this type of farm is required under Wisconsin law, we do believe that it is an efficient, transparent and effective way to evaluate our farm, Gene Noem, Riecks director of swine operations, said in an email. Our request for DNR to conduct an EIS to review our farm is an expression of our commitment to meeting those highest standards.

The $17.7 million facility, called Badgerwood, would house about 7,500 sows, 18,750 pigs and 100 boars in three barns with concrete manure storage structures located under three barns to provide more than 180 days of liquid manure storage, according to a DNR summary of plans.

Manure would be removed periodically and applied to farm land, the agency said.

Environmentalists have expressed concern that the farm would create odors and water pollution problems, especially runoff from farm fields into rivers that run into Lake Superiors Chequamegon Bay, the source of drinking water for the city of Ashland.

The soil in northern Wisconsin is clay, said Ashland County administrator Jeff Bierl. The question is how much can you inject into the soil before the soil cant take any more and then you get a rain and it runs off into the rivers and into the Chequamegon Bay.

The farm site is west of Ashland in Bayfield County, which has enacted a one-year moratorium on permits for large farms. Bayfield County Clerk Scott Fibert said officials could extend the moratorium another year, but its not clear whether it would stand up to a legal challenge because it was put in place after the farm in the town of Eileen was proposed.

Scott Griffiths, the mayor of Washburn, which is on the bay a few miles north of Ashland, said people are already concerned about occasional beach closings caused by bacterial runoff.

I have not heard one voice of support for that hog farm, Griffiths said. We live on the largest body of fresh water on the planet, and we shouldnt put that at risk.

Washburn, a city of 2,100, has spent millions of dollars on wastewater treatment facilities, Griffiths said. He questioned the wisdom of field-spreading the pig farms manure  estimated by the company at 6.8 million gallons a year.

The company expects to create 27 jobs, according to its state permit application. The application describes methods for controlling odors, while acknowledging that smells of the operation could be controversial, along with increased traffic from 60 cars and 10 trucks per day.

The purpose of building so far from the companys other operations in Iowa is to inhibit the spread of disease between farms, the application says.

DNR officials said in a press release posted online that an environmental impact study would be the best way to comply with the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act requirements for environmental analysis in advance of any permit decisions for the project.

Dave Siebert, a DNR bureau director, said the agency will draft a plan for the scope of the environmental impact statement within a few months, then seek public comment for a 30-day period.
AMSTERDAM  At the end of the first act of the new ballet Mata Hari at the Dutch National Ballet here, the flirty Frisian divorcee Margaretha Zelle MacLeod transforms before our eyes into her alter ego, an exotic Eastern temptress who will soon have much of Paris in her thrall.

As performed by the prima ballerina Anna Tsygankova, Margaretha begins a kind of striptease, removing a series of flesh-colored veils until, seemingly, nothing remains. The dance is is subdued and coy, the accompanying score distinctly Western, with only a faint echo of gamelan conjured by that most classical of all European instruments, the harp.

Spurred forward by one personal tragedy to the next, Margaretha/Mata Hari leaps and twirls into and out of the arms of lovers and through wartime battlefields, the scenery shifting behind her from Holland to Indonesia to Paris to Germany, suggesting the ceaseless change that characterized her life.

In the century since her execution by a French firing squad for spying for the Germans, Mata Hari has been depicted as a self-interested courtesan, a cultural appropriator, a proto-feminist or an innocent victim of wartime passions. Mata Hari, the ballet, imagines her as a precursor to Madonna or Lady Gaga, said Ted Brandsen, the choreographer and the director of the National Ballet.
JAIPUR, India  Literary notables including Margaret Atwood, Aleksandar Hemon and Thomas Piketty came to this northern city toward the end of January, appearing before large crowds at the Diggi Palace, an 18th-century complex temporarily filled with tents, food kiosks and bookstores. Some 330,000 people showed up, breaking the attendance record and once again making the Jaipur Literature Festival the largest event of its kind in the world.

The event began nine years ago, and its increasing size is a reminder of the seemingly limitless growth of literary festivals in India. Close to 100 populate the land; not long ago, the concept was virtually unknown here. They have sprouted in cities large and small, in the Himalayas and at beach spots, with some dedicated to specific genres like crime writing or childrens literature.

As the festivals have blossomed, they have also turned into something more than strictly literary: a mixture of the public square and the television studio, or forums where India talks to itself. What tends to happen is that the tamasha, or spectacle, is a large part of the festival, said Aakar Patel, a prominent writer and columnist, using the Urdu and Hindi word. We have sessions that are deeply political, and they are colored very strongly by emotion and feeling and the politics and divisions of our time.

The final session at this years Jaipur festival was a debate on freedom of expression, a subject of anxiety among Indian liberals and thus an almost inevitable theme at literary events here. (The subject is especially pertinent to this festival because Salman Rushdie pulled out of attending in 2012 amid reports that he had been physically threatened over his authorship of The Satanic Verses, a 1988 novel that angered many Muslims and is still banned in India.)
Its impossible to walk for long in New York City without passing someone who looks sad and alone and shrunken, like a snail thats been salted. Some days, you suspect you are that snail.

The sorts of loneliness that can envelope you in a big city have been much explored in music and art and literature, where a plump blue moon is always shining down on someone. The British writer Olivia Laing, in her new book, The Lonely City, picks up the topic of painful urban isolation and sets it down in many smart and oddly consoling places. She makes the topic her own.

The Lonely City is a hybrid book. Partly its a memoir. Partly its a critics investigation into the lives and work of certain visual artists whose productions speak to the authors heartsick sense of urban solitude. These artists include Edward Hopper, David Wojnarowicz, Henry Darger and, somewhat counterintuitively, Andy Warhol. Theres also a short, moving section on the otherworldly countertenor Klaus Nomi.

The biographical elements give this book its primary thrust. Ms. Laing moved to New York from England, when she was in her mid-30s, for a man. The relationship fell apart. She found herself moving from sublet to sublet, unable to scrape off a sense of personal failure and unease.
If tragedy plus time equals comedy, what does Yahoo plus Time equal? Maybe the same thing, or worse.

News that Time Inc., the $1.5 billion publisher of magazines including People, is weighing a bid for the core of Yahoo, the troubled $30 billion Internet company, evokes memories of the disastrous combination of AOL and Time Warner. Combining print and digital may make more sense now than when the $165 billion AOL-Time Warner merger was hatched in 2000, but the financial contortions certainly do not.

Citigroup bankers have pitched the idea of using a reverse Morris Trust so that the smaller Time can absorb Yahoos Internet business tax-free, according to Bloomberg. Yahoos tortuous history of seeking clever ways to break itself up gives further reason for pause on this latest idea.

In December, Yahoo ditched plans to spin off its valuable stake in the Chinese online commerce powerhouse Alibaba. After Yahoo devoted years to studying the mechanics, the United States government signaled that Yahoo would have to pay Uncle Sam its cut. Thats why Yahoo is now studying other options.
BERLIN  Oh, what a difference a few years make.

In 2013, Leon D. Black, the chief executive of Apollo Global Management, famously said that the company was selling everything that nots nailed down.

That came near the height of a period of selling when private equity firms returned hundreds of billions of dollars in capital to investors and exited investments, including dozens of public listings of portfolio companies in London and the United States.

But a global upheaval in markets in recent months, driven in part by a drop in energy prices and a slowdown in Chinas economy, has brought the initial public offering market to a halt in the United States and begun to weigh on the valuations of companies both private and public.

That is creating an opportunity for private equity firms to become buyers once again, industry leaders said at the SuperReturn International conference in Berlin on Tuesday.
Mr. Landbergs lawyer declined to comment.

Arguments were recently made in a motion to dismiss the case.

We look forward to these allegations being determined as false, and the claims denied, the bank said in its statement.

Among those suing Signature is the former television talk show host Richard Bey, a childhood friend of Mr. Landbergs. The two attended Far Rockaway High School in Queens, N.Y., together. (It also happens to be the alma mater of Bernard L. Madoff.) Many of the other investors were also former close friends or associates of Mr. Landbergs.

Mr. Bey, who is 64, kept in touch with Mr. Landberg through the years and started investing through the West End firm in 2002.

A relationship with Signature Bank  to which Mr. Landberg introduced Mr. Bey  was a selling point. Mr. Bey said he was able to refinance a $500,000 mortgage through Signature even while temporarily unemployed. Later, when he wanted to buy a car, Signature was quick to arrange $30,000 in funds, he said.

The convenience of it was incredible while it was working, Mr. Bey said in a recent interview.

When West End collapsed, Mr. Bey lost nearly $500,000. Left with just $203 to his name at that point, he says he was forced to borrow $30,000 from friends and run up $60,000 on his credit cards to pay his Manhattan rent and regular expenses. Eventually, he moved to Florida, where he lives in a beach condominium that he and his brothers inherited from their father. My life has been irrevocably changed by this.

The lawsuit contends Signature knew Mr. Landberg was running a fraud and failed to stop him.

Signature would not be the first bank caught up in a fraud involving money moving in and out of its doors. Two years ago, JPMorgan Chase paid $2 billion to settle Bank Secrecy Act violations in connection with its dealings with Mr. Madoff, the perpetrator of an enormous Ponzi scheme that came to light in 2008.
Squire Patton Boggs, a law firm that was built on powerhouse lobbying in Washington but later encountered turbulence as the legal economy shifted, is acquiring a smaller firm based in San Francisco, Carroll, Burdick & McDonough.

The firms, which announced the deal on Monday, said the combination would become effective in March, joining the approximately 1,500 lawyers at Squire with Carroll Burdicks 50.

In 2014, Patton Boggs, started by Thomas Boggs Jr., merged with Squire Sanders as its future became shaky. The combined firm is one of the three largest in the country, but earnings from its best-known practice, lobbying, have been declining. Last year, $25 million of the firms annual revenue came from its lobbying practice, a 20 percent drop from its 2014 lobbying earnings of $32 million. The firm reported $870.5 million in annual revenue in 2014.

The new matchup with Carroll Burdick, which has an international focus, gives the firm a broader base and taps into that firms strength in product liability and class-action litigation. That is useful expertise for Squire Patton Boggs, which represents the auto-parts supplier Takata, which has faced congressional inquiries into accusations that its airbag inflaters have serious defects that have led to 10 deaths and the recall of millions of airbags.
HOUSTON  Saudi Arabias petroleum minister on Tuesday ruled out the possibility that a recently announced oil production freeze by several countries might lead to cuts to reverse the plunge in oil prices.

There is no sense wasting our time seeking production cuts, Ali bin Ibrahim al-Naimi told energy executives at the annual IHS CERAweek conference. That will not happen.

Mr. Naimis comments put further pressure on oil prices. The price of West Texas intermediate crude oil, the United States benchmark, turned sharply lower after his remarks and settled at $31.87, down more than 4 percent.

Mr. Naimi is widely considered the most influential voice in energy policy in Saudi Arabia, which dominates the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, so his words are followed closely and typically move both energy and equity markets.
Peter Mondavi Sr., who, with his brother, Robert, made the Charles Krug winery an early leader in the Napa Valleys rise as a great wine region before the two had a bitter falling out, died on Saturday at his home in St. Helena, Calif. He was 101.

His death was announced by the Charles Krug Winery, which he owned with members of his family.

In 1943, Peter and Robert Mondavi convinced their father, Cesare, a grape shipper, to buy a derelict vineyard and winery founded in 1861 by Charles Krug, a Prussian immigrant. The sale was completed for $75,000, and the brothers set about making quality wines that would stand apart from the cheap jug wines that defined California in the industry.

Peter Mondavi almost immediately began introducing ideas he had been experimenting with while studying oenology at the University of California, Berkeley, notably cold fermentation to produce crisp, fruity whites. The winery was one of the first to use new French oak casks for aging and to adopt the then-novel practice of vintage-dating its varietal wines. The Charles Krug Winery soon became known for its Vintage Selection cabernets, big, well-structured, elegant wines that achieved classic status.

Robert Mondavi, a charismatic marketer with grand designs for the winery, clashed repeatedly with his quieter, more conservative brother, who was in charge of technical production. Peter Mondavi acknowledged growing resentful of his older brothers starring role and demanding ways.
A Silicon Valley venture capitalist, locked in a battle with the State of California over access to a prime stretch of beach that was popular with surfers, swimmers and fishermen before he bought it and closed it, has proposed a price to restore public access: $30 million.

The offer by lawyers for the billionaire, Vinod Khosla, was the latest salvo in a case that has touched a nerve in California as resentment grows over issues of wealth, privilege and public land use. The case has generated years of protests as it wound its way through state courts, where two lawsuits aim to force Mr. Khosla, who does not live on the property, to let the public back in.

About eight years ago, Mr. Khosla, a founder of Sun Microsystems, snapped up a prime 53-acre parcel of Martins Beach for $37.5 million. The parcel, about four miles south of Half Moon Bay on the San Francisco Peninsula, includes the beach and the road. And for a century, Californias State Lands Commission said, the land had been a haven for the beachgoing public.
Maryknoll Magazine Announces 2015 Student Essay Winners; Honors Students from California, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Texas

"Mission Of Mercy" Reveals Real-Life Inspirational Stories of Mercy



Contact: Mike Virgintino, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, 914-941-7636 ext 2219



MARYKNOLL, N.Y., Feb. 23, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Six middle and high school students representing California, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Texas have received cash awards for their winning submissions in Maryknoll magazine's 27th annual Maryknoll Student Essay Contest. Maryknoll magazine is published by the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers.



The 2015 essay theme, "Mission of Mercy," asked students to share real-life inspirational stories about mercy. Students also were asked to convey the lessons learned about the need for mercy in the world. Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee Year of Mercy from December 8, 2015 to November 20, 2016. He has asked all Catholics to focus on following the example of God the Father, who, Jesus says, does not judge us harshly but offers us love and forgiveness.



The contest received close to 6,500 entries from students who competed in two divisions (grades six to eight and grades nine to 12) for nearly $3,000 in cash prizes. The awards included $1,000 for each of the two first-place finalists, $300 for each of the two second-place finalists and $150 to each of the two third-place award recipients.



According to Marge Gaughan, contest coordinator and Maryknoll magazine managing editor, students passionately wrote about extraordinary mercy moments that ranged from stories that touched their hearts to experiences that changed their lives.



The panel of more than 50 judges comprised of Maryknoll missioners was elated to read the essays that conveyed thousands of examples of people helping others.



"Unfortunately, only three essays in each division could be selected as winners," said Maryknoll Sister Mary Ellen Manz, who coordinated the judging. "But, we were so inspired by all the students who shared their experiences and ideas that we congratulate each one as well as their teachers who encouraged them to write."



The essays written by the first-place winners in each category will be published in the May/June 2016 issue of Maryknoll magazine. All six winning essays will be featured in the Jubilee Year of Mercy exhibit that will be unveiled at the Maryknoll Museum of Living Mission at the Maryknoll Mission Center in Ossining, New York, during the second half of the year. All winning entries also will be published online at www.maryknollsociety.org/winners.



The 2015 Maryknoll Student Essay Contest Awards will be presented to:

Division I (grades six to eight) First Place ($1,000): The Bishop Francis X. Ford Award is named in honor of the Maryknoll missioner who died in a prison in China during 1952. Grace Wilson (eighth grade), St. James Elementary School, Red Bank, New Jersey. Teacher/catechist: Ms. Tracy Varno



Second Place ($300) Julia Osborne (seventh grade), St. John Fisher School, Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Teacher/catechist: Ms. Mary Clare McQuade



Third Place ($150) Codi Dicharry (eighth grade), St. Peter Chanel Interparochial School, Paulina, Louisiana. Teacher/catechist: Mrs. Geralyn Millet

Division II (grades nine to 12) First Place ($1,000): The Bishop Patrick J. Byrne Award is named for the Maryknoll missioner who died on a forced march in Korea during 1950. Anna Brest (11th grade), Cary High School, Cary, North Carolina. Teacher/catechist: Deacon Mark Westrick



Second Place ($300) Adriana Collins (12th grade), Huntingtown High School, Huntingtown, Maryland, Teacher/catechist: Mrs. Tina Gall.



Third Place ($150) Caitlin Simpson (12th grade), Robinson High School, Robinson, Texas. Teacher/catechist: Ms. Kesi Prescott

The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers follow Jesus in serving the poor and others in need in 23 countries that include the U.S. All Catholics are called to mission through baptism and confirmation, and Maryknoll's mission education outreach in parishes and schools throughout the country engages U.S. Catholics in mission through vocations, prayer, donations and as volunteers. Maryknoll missioners share God's love and the Gospel in combating poverty, providing healthcare, building communities and promoting human rights. For more information, visit the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers at maryknollsociety.org.



Follow the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers on Twitter (twitter.com/MaryknollFrsBrs) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/maryknollsociety).
Headliner

Cafe Altro Paradiso The airy, generously windowed, high-ceilinged space for the new restaurant from Ignacio Mattos and Thomas Carter is a far cry from Estela, their railroad flat overlooking East Houston Street. Though thoroughly Italian, with 1930s modern light fixtures copied from the main post office in Palermo, Sicily, it also suggests a welcoming Parisian brasserie, all in keeping with its Art Deco-era building. Like the setting, Mr. Mattoss cooking respects tradition (Its the foundation for the classics, he said) but allows him to go lighter at many junctures. One example he cited is his amatriciana, which uses lardo in place of guanciale and spaghetti alla chitarra instead of bucatini. Also on the menu are a fennel salad with olives and provolone, mushroom and onion fritto misto with lemon; and grilled swordfish with artichokes, raisins and almonds. Mr. Mattos covers Italy from north to south, including the liver-and-onion classic fegato alla Veneziana: 234 Spring Street (Avenue of the Americas), 646-952-0828, altroparadiso.com.

Opening

The Brooklyn Kitchen After closing for renovation early this week to accommodate the departure of the Meat Hook (see below), this no-frills cooking and cookware shop will reopen with an expanded cheese counter and new charcuterie and seafood departments. It will have its own butcher. (Opens Wednesday): 100 Frost Street (Meeker Avenue), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 718-389-2982, thebrooklynkitchen.com.

Indian Accent As Indian menus go, the one drawn up by Manish Mehrotra, the chef at this elegantly subdued spot owned by a restaurant group based in India, is refreshingly brief. And full of surprises. It is divided into four sections, the basis for two-, three- or four-course prix fixe dinners. Theres also a chefs tasting menu. Sweet pickle pork ribs with sun-dried mango, roasted Indian sweet potato with kohlrabi and crispy okra, and a beef kebab with bone marrow are among the choices served at sleek wood tables in the marble-paved bar area and softly gilded dining room. If butter chicken whets your appetite, youll find it tucked into a tidy round of tandoori bread. A variety of spiced papadums are also a signature. The wine list will include some imports from India. (Thursday): 123 West 56th Street, 212-842-8070, indianaccent.com/nyc/.

Lilia Caffe Missy Robbins has opened a small cafe and takeout spot next to her restaurant, Lilia, which opened a month ago. Its temptations include frittatas, focaccias, olive-oil cake, gelati and (soon) sandwiches: 567 Union Avenue (North 10th Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 718-576-3095, lilianewyork.com.
LOS ANGELES  One thing becomes clear when you go out for breakfast here, whether you join the hordes waiting in line at Sqirl, Republique and Eggslut, or linger among the regulars sipping cold brew and finessing their Instagram still lifes on the patio at Gjusta, in the booths at Jon & Vinnys, and up and down the white picnic tables of Trois Familia:

People sure have time on their hands.

Breakfast for much of the country involves random bland calories shoved down ones gullet in a mad dash to work, but breakfast in Los Angeles  particularly for those engaged in creative, flexible-schedule pursuits like acting, screenwriting or shamanic healing  qualifies as both a day at the office and a day at the beach. Fact is, a Los Angeles breakfast lasts all day long.

That has been the case for decades  its no accident that downtowns ancient war horse of the pancake griddle, the Original Pantry Cafe, stays open 24 hours. But in recent years, the chefs of the city, realizing theyve inherited a captive audience, have seized the opportunity and spiced up their menus.

Right now, the first meal of the day in Los Angeles is arguably one of the most interesting and satisfying meals, of any sort, in the United States. If the nation has a capital of breakfast R&D, this could be it.

At the moment, L.A. is the best restaurant city in America, said Phil Rosenthal, the New York transplant who created Everybody Loves Raymond and now stars in his own globe-spinning food show, Ill Have What Phils Having. In his mind, better-quality breakfasts are an outgrowth of that, and of the citys daylight-relishing culture.
Son of Saul, the Hungarian director Laszlo Nemess debut feature set at Auschwitz-Birkenau, is widely seen as the front-runner for the Academy Award for best foreign language film, according to Academy voters and film industry insiders whom the Carpetbaggers bespectacled cousin in Europe polled at the Berlin Film Festival last week.

These experts, who declined to speak on the record, citing Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rules, said the Hungarian film had a solid chance of winning because of its original vision and powerful subject matter. Voting ends Tuesday. The winner will be announced at the Oscars on Sunday.

Son of Saul took second prize at the Cannes Film Festival last year, and also won a Golden Globe for best foreign film, among other accolades. It was released in American theaters in December by Sony Pictures Classics, which has a good record of shepherding films through the awards season. Additionally, the drama drew strong reviews and generated intense debates about the political and moral implications of the directors aesthetics.

But some Oscar watchers are also saying that Frances entry, Mustang, a debut feature by the Franco-Turkish director Deniz Gamze Erguven, could sneak up from behind. A kind of Virgin Suicides set in rural Turkey, the film touches on the timely issue of women in the Muslim world. It tells the story of five sisters who do everything they can, even commit suicide, to escape the strictures of an oppressive conservative society.
Its one of the realities that the commission grapples with, and its one of the reasons many of these properties have remained on the backlog, because theres an understanding they will not be successful at the Council, she said.

Each time an item was presented, in addition to facts about the year it was built and who the architect was, the commission staff mentioned whether the property had Council support, an implicit nod to the challenges. As a result, many properties on Staten Island and in Queens were not approved, while most in Brooklyn were. Notable losses included the former Cunard Mansion, now part of Wagner College, and an expansion of the Douglaston Historic District in Queens.

A number of commissioners questioned this deference to the Council during their roughly three hours of deliberations, suggesting that they wished they could take a firmer, if ultimately futile, stand on certain properties.

I think we should vote, even if we know its going to get turned down, Michael Goldblum, one of the commissioners, said. It sends a message. It puts us on record. Look, we cant protect it, we cant protect it, but the mere fact of our having designated it, even if it is reversed, it constitutes a fight.

Despite the commissions clearing its backlog, the Council is considering a package of bills to place new restrictions on the agency.

Initially, the commissions research staff had recommended that 28 items be protected, but during the meeting, commissioners lobbied for two additions: the Lakeman House, a Dutch Colonial home dating from the 1680s on Staten Island that is now part of a flower shop; and the Excelsior Power Company in Manhattan, which has been converted to apartments and considerably modified, though commissioners still found it to be evocative.

The commission rejected some properties outright because they had been so thoroughly altered over the years. The home at 123 Lexington Avenue where President Arthur lived, which was the site of his inauguration in 1881 after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, was rejected because the first two floors had been altered into storefronts, masking its residential character. Structures on two Staten Island properties, one the site of Dorothy Days seaside cottage, had been demolished.
The regime of information may well sport its specific truths, but it is locked out of the associations  subjective but also moral and philosophical  that bathe all literature. A new technology like GPS provides us with the most efficient and direct route to a destination, but it presupposes we know where we are going. Finding an address is one thing; finding ones way in life is another. Even our smartest computers or most brilliant statisticians are at a loss when it comes to mapping our psychic landscapes.

When and how do you take your own measure? And what are you measuring? Both Oedipus and Lear could initially subscribe to Shakespeares notation, every inch a king, but by plays end, something different, varied and terrifying has come to light: for one, an unknown history of parricide and incest, for the other, an opening into a moral vision of such force that it wrecks all prior frames, leading to madness, as Lear suffers his kinship with all bare, forkd animal[s]. Lifes actual hurdy-gurdy often explodes our labels and preconceptions.

How much do you know about Shakespeare, I once asked a friend who has committed much of her life to studying the Bard. She replied, Not as much as he knows about me. Remember this the next time someone tells you literature is useless.

Why does this matter? The humanities interrogate us. They challenge our sense of who we are, even of who our brothers and sisters might be. When President Obama said of Trayvon Martin, this could have been my son, he was uttering a truth that goes beyond compassion and reaches toward recognition. It could have been me is the threshold for the vistas that literature and art make available to us.

Art not only brings us news from the interior, but it points to future knowledge. A humanistic education is not about memorizing poems or knowing when X wrote Y, and what Z had to say about it. It is, instead, about the human record that is available to us in libraries and museums and theaters and, yes, online. But that record lives and breathes; it is not calculable or teachable via numbers or bullet points. Instead, it requires something that we never fail to do before buying clothes: Trying the garment on.
To the Editor:

When the Hospital Fires the Bullet (front page, Feb. 14) reports on the changing nature of health care facility security. The article, about rare incidents of violence, highlights the challenge that hospitals face daily both to serve our patients and protect the dedicated men and women who care for them 24/7.

Hospital doors, especially emergency rooms, are open to everyone, and many of societys ills  domestic abuse, gang violence, family disputes and more  find their way to the hospital doorstep. Hospital patients, their loved ones and members of the community must have a safe environment where caring and healing can occur. And hospital workers need a safe environment while caring for patients.

The complex issues of assuring that patients are safe and protecting hospital workers are best addressed on a hospital-by-hospital basis, and specific training and education are essential. But it doesnt stop there.

As a society, we must also do more to better address our countrys growing mental health care challenges. Americas hospitals are already working to do both and welcome the support of the communities and patients we serve.
Later, speaking with Bloomberg News, he said the newspaper had gone too far in characterizing his allegiances.

I do believe that with the right safeguards there are cases where the government, on our behalf, like stopping terrorism which could get worse in the future, that that is valuable, he said. But striking that balance  clearly the governments taken information historically and used it in ways that we didnt expect going all the way back, say, to the F.B.I. under J. Edgar Hoover.

Since Apple challenged a court ruling on extracting data from the phone last week, most technology industry leaders have either lined up behind Apple or stayed silent. Several prominent Silicon Valley leaders  including Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive; Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and chief executive of Twitter; and Sundar Pichai, Googles chief executive  have cautiously indicated support for Apples position that the order posed an unacceptable threat to user privacy.

Apples chief executive, Timothy D. Cook, has forcefully argued that the order by a federal magistrate judge to assist the government in getting data from the accused terrorists phone would open a so-called back door to consumer phones that could obliterate the privacy protections.
We need to make the economics work, he said. We have to understand that every round of funding must be treated as our last.

Image A gold-painted scooter that Deliveroos co-founder once used to make food deliveries. Credit... Tom Jamieson for The New York Times

The focus at Deliveroo is symptomatic of a change across many European start-ups. Just as in Silicon Valley, where a number of privately held tech companies have been stung by lower valuations and investor questions about their sustainability, that same unease has now reached Europes tech community, in a sign that a move away from soaring boom times in start-ups is going global.

Driving the pullback are some of the same forces that have caused a change in Silicon Valleys start-up scene. Tech stocks are gyrating because of fears of a global economic slowdown  exacerbated in Europe by the regions migrant crisis and persistent financial problems. Valuations of some start-ups worldwide got ahead of themselves. As a result, venture capitalists in Europe and farther afield are becoming more cautious about funding local start-ups that do not have proven business ideas.

When Silicon Valley sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold, said Fred Destin, a partner at the London office of Accel Partners, a venture capital firm. Its only a matter of time before Europe faces the same issues that were seeing on the West Coast.

In Europe, that is leading to situations like that of Powa Technologies. Last week , Powa, an e-commerce company based in London, entered into administration, a form of bankruptcy. The start-up had raised $175 million since 2013 but had failed to win enough customers for its mobile shopping technology. Deloitte, which is overseeing the sale of the companys assets, says it is now working to find buyers for the business.
Google is shutting down its Google Compare comparison-shopping site, marking a retrenchment from the search giants foray into selling financial products like insurance and credit cards, according to a spokeswoman and partners who work with the company.

Google, whose parent company is Alphabet, has been running Google Compare in Britain for three years and started its highly anticipated United States site last March. Despite Googles being the biggest name in search, insurance industry partners and an internal email said the sites never really caught on with consumers.

Google, which had formed several insurance-industry partnerships to get access to broker networks, is telling partners that it is shutting down both its British and United States sites in about a month. In an email to partners, Google said it would focus on AdWords, the companys mainstay advertising product, where insurance is among the most lucrative search terms.

Despite people turning to Google for financial services information, the Google Compare service itself hasnt driven the success we hoped for, the company said in the email, which was posted on the website Search Engine Land.
Ms. Thomson said wildlife officials would explore the possibility that the birds had died from a poison, but added that nothing would be known until necropsies and X-rays were performed at a United States Fish and Wildlife Services forensics laboratory in Oregon, where the carcasses were shipped on Monday night.

There have been several past cases of farmers on the Eastern Shore accidentally poisoning eagles while trying to kill off foxes, which prey on the chicken farms dotting the area, Catherine Hibbard, a spokeswoman for the fish and wildlife Service, said on Tuesday. Some people have used illegal poisons, she added.

Bald eagles are still protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. It remains illegal to kill the birds, which can weigh as much as 14 pounds and spread their wings as wide as 8 feet, or to sell their nests and eggs.

Last October, a farmer in New York State was sentenced to six months probation and $4,000 in fines after he was found guilty of poisoning eagles by placing tainted meat in a field to kill coyotes.

Two of the birds found Saturday on the Maryland farm were considered mature bald eagles, recognizable by their white feathers, Ms. Thomson said. The rest were either in the process of getting their white feathers or were young and brown-feathered.
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MIAMI  With geology akin to a wet sponge and fragile underground aquifers that supply almost all its drinking water, Florida has never been considered part of the agitated battle over fracking as a technology for extracting oil and gas.

But that began to change two years ago when a Texas-based oil and gas company was found to have been using hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, and matrix acidizing, a fracking-like method that dissolves rocks with acid instead of fracturing them with pressurized liquid. Neither residents nor local governments knew about it because well stimulation, the catch-all term for both techniques, does not require a separate permit and is not regulated.

The result has been an unlikely battle over fracking in Florida that is picking up steam across the state. The discovery outraged local government officials and environmentalists, who said they were worried about the effects of toxic chemicals and acids on Floridas soil and water. Nearly 80 counties and cities have passed ordinances to ban or oppose the methods, in part because of their dissatisfaction with the State Legislatures proposals.

Now, a bill to try to regulate fracking is dividing the Legislature. Environmentalists and some local officials have sharply criticized the measure, saying that it would fail to regulate matrix acidizing, the technology most likely to be used in Florida, and that it would stop local governments from banning fracking. The bill also would revoke any local bans. The House has passed the bill, and the Senate is considering it.
In Dubuque, Iowa, in August, he answered a reporter asking about his tacit criticism of Hillary Clintons benefiting from super PACs by saying: The corporate media talks about all kinds of issues except the most important issues. O.K.? In December, his campaign demanded that the corporate network news grant him as much coverage as it does Mrs. Clinton (the Bernie blackout, they called it). And in his speech on the night of the Iowa caucuses, he directed familiar contempt to all of my critics out there in The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post and in corporate America, wherever you may be.

The Clinton campaign, however, argues that Mr. Sanders has benefited from the superficial horse-race journalism he scorns, and that coverage has largely focused on his avuncular style and cross-generational appeal rather than thorough inspections of his proposals or record. In the Vermont senators continual discrediting of the news media, the Clinton campaign sees an effort to inoculate himself from critical coverage.

He should get more scrutiny, said Joel Benenson, Mrs. Clintons pollster. In admiring words rarely uttered by a political operative, he added: You guys in the media are the referees. You are independent. You arent partisan.

The paradox for reporters covering the Democratic presidential race is that the Sanders campaign remains far more accessible to the press than Mrs. Clinton, whose wariness of the news media, after decades in the center of the public eye, is well established. Though he declined to comment for this article, Mr. Sanders often speaks with reporters on the phone or on his campaign plane. He has become a Sunday morning show regular, and last weekend he entered the belly of the beast for his debut appearance as a presidential candidate on Fox News Sunday.

At the end of the interview, the shows host, Chris Wallace, told Mr. Sanders, I hope you feel that you havent been mistreated, and asked if he would be willing to participate in a Democratic debate on the network. Mr. Sanders said that if the rules were fair and the Democratic National Committee endorsed it, I would have no objection.

But throughout his career, Mr. Sanders has found most all news media, even public television, objectionable.
WASHINGTON  The Department of Homeland Security, at the urging of Congress, is building tools to more aggressively examine the social media accounts of all visa applicants and those seeking asylum or refugee status in the United States for possible ties to terrorist organizations.

Posts on Twitter, Facebook and other social media can reveal a wealth of information that can be used to identify potential terrorists, but experts say the department faces an array of technical, logistical and language barriers in trying to analyze the millions of records generated every day.

After the December mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., we saw that our efforts are not as robust as they need to be, Francis X. Taylor, under secretary for intelligence and analysis, the top counterterrorism official at the Department of Homeland Security, said at a congressional hearing.

Travel industry officials and immigration rights advocates say the new policy carries the peril of making someone who posts legitimate criticism of American foreign policy or who has friends or followers who express sympathy toward terrorists subject to unwarranted scrutiny.
WASHINGTON  Senate Republican leaders said Tuesday that there would be no confirmation hearings, no vote, not even a courtesy meeting with President Obamas nominee to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, all but slamming shut any prospects for an election-year Supreme Court confirmation.

Together with a written vow from Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee that they would not hold any confirmation hearings, the pledge was the clearest statement yet from the Senates majority party that it would do everything it can to prevent Mr. Obama from shifting the ideological balance of the nations high court. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, urged Mr. Obama to reconsider even submitting a name.

This nomination will be determined by whoever wins the presidency in the polls, Mr. McConnell said. I agree with the Judiciary Committees recommendation that we not have hearings. In short, there will not be action taken.

Their first full day back at the Capitol since Justice Scalias death afforded Senate Republicans the opportunity to unite around a message and strategy to thwart Mr. Obama. Huddles in Mr. McConnells Capitol suite and a lunchtime conclave appeared to stem any wavering and push Republican troops into line. And they had the ammunition they needed in a June 1992 floor speech by Joseph R. Biden Jr., then a senator, urging President George Bush against any nomination to the Supreme Court until after that years presidential election.
Donald J. Trump was declared the winner of the Nevada caucuses on Tuesday night, according to The Associated Press, gaining a third consecutive victory in an early-voting state and strengthening his position in the Republican presidential race before the wave of Super Tuesday elections on March 1.

Mr. Trump was seen as a favorite going into the contest. Even so, his victory serves as a setback for his chief competitors, Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, who must now try to break Mr. Trumps winning streak in the larger states that vote in the coming weeks.

Mr. Trump was declared the winner on Tuesday night, and final returns reported by The A.P. put him 22 points over his nearest challenger, Mr. Rubio, with Mr. Cruz trailing in third place. Turnout in Nevada was reported to be high compared with previous caucuses.

For Mr. Trump, the outcome in Nevada is another sign of his campaigns durability and the breadth of his appeal: He has now handily won primary elections in New England and in the South, and a caucus fight in the far West. He won over independent voters in New Hampshire and evangelicals in South Carolina, and prevailed in Nevada, where Mormon voters and rural activists wield influence.
WASHINGTON  President Obama sent Congress a plan on Tuesday to close the United States military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, his latest attempt to deliver on an unfulfilled promise of his presidency, which faces near-certain rejection by Congress.

The prison has come to symbolize the darker side of the nations antiterrorism efforts, but the series of steps that Mr. Obama outlined at the White House were as much an acknowledgment of the constraints binding him during his final year in office as they were a practical blueprint for transferring prisoners.

In presenting them, the president made little secret of his frustration that his quest to close Guantanamo, once regarded as a bipartisan moral imperative, had become a divisive political issue.

I am very cleareyed about the hurdles to finally closing Guantanamo: The politics of this are tough, Mr. Obama said during a 17-minute address. I dont want to pass this problem on to the next president, whoever it is. And if, as a nation, we dont deal with this now, when will we deal with it?
He later broke with the Sandinistas, who ruled the country from 1979 to 1990, accusing them of betraying the poor, and in 1997 he was uncustomarily readmitted to the Society of Jesus. He went on to direct the Nicaraguan branch of Fe y Alegria (Faith and Joy), a Jesuit-run education program.

Fernando Cardenal Martinez was born on Jan. 26, 1934, in Granada, on Lake Nicaragua in the western part of the country.

While his brother Ernesto studied in a Trappist monastery in the United States under Thomas Merton, the American poet and priest, Fernando had a rambunctious adolescence until his attending a religious retreat when he was 17 inspired him to pursue the priesthood.

He said he devoted himself to the poor years later only after serving in the slums of Medellin, Colombia.

Returning to Nicaragua, he joined the Sandinistas (named for Augusto Sandino, the leader of an early-20th-century nationalist rebellion against American occupation) as a rifle-toting rebel.

In 1976, he testified in Washington against the Somoza regime before a congressional committee investigating human rights abuses. Questioned by Representative Edward I. Koch, a New York Democrat, about violence committed by the insurgents, Father Cardenal replied: These people are fighting for a democratic country. I would prefer that the solution not be bloody, but dictators like Somoza lead people to believe that the only road to democracy is through bloodshed.

Congress later ended military aid to the Somoza regime, which was overthrown in 1979.

Although the church played a significant role in the fall of General Somoza, Archbishop Miguel Obando y Bravo became a sharp critic of the Sandinistas, particularly after leftist demonstrators disrupted a Mass by Pope John Paul II when he visited in 1983. The pope preached against alliances between the clergy and leftist revolutionary movements and, on arriving in Managua, had famously wagged his finger at Father Cardenals defiant brother.
MANILA  As Filipinos prepare for the 30th anniversary on Thursday of the People Power revolution that toppled Ferdinand E. Marcos, the Marcos family legacy is undergoing a political renaissance by those who claim it was a golden age of peace and prosperity.

I think Marcos was our best president, said Richard Negre, a Manila resident who was born two years after the dictator was overthrown. That was when the Philippines was the leader of Asia. We were respected.

Ferdinand Marcos, who died in exile in Hawaii in 1989, ruled the Philippines with an iron fist for two decades, with his wife Imelda, whose lavish lifestyle  and thousands of pairs of shoes  became a global symbol of greed and corruption. Marcos was removed from power in 1986 when millions of Filipinos poured into the streets for days of peaceful protests.

But in the decades since Marcos was ousted and fled the country, the outrage has faded for many Filipinos. Despite the accusations of widespread corruption and human rights violations, none of the Marcos family members have been jailed. The family has quietly returned to politics  Mrs. Marcos is a now member of Congress, while her daughter Imee Marcos is a governor.
HONG KONG  China may be building a series of radar facilities on artificial islands in disputed waters in the South China Sea, which would help it to establish effective control over sea and air in one of the worlds busiest waterways, according to a report issued this week.

The report, released on Monday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and based on satellite images taken as recently as Feb. 12, came less than a week after the United States said that China appeared to have deployed surface-to-air missiles on another disputed island.

Late Tuesday, the Pentagon said recent deployments of fighter jets to that island put China at odds with its neighbors in the region, including Vietnam and the Philippines.
KABUL, Afghanistan  United States airstrikes have helped to break a bloody impasse between Afghan troops and Taliban militants north of Kabul, allowing repair crews to reach downed power lines and restore electricity to the capital after more than three weeks of disruption, an Afghan official said on Tuesday.

The transmission lines connecting Kabul to hydroelectric generators in Uzbekistan were first cut on Jan. 27, depriving the capital of its most important supply of electricity. The government accused the Taliban of destroying pylons that support the cables, though the militants denied doing so.

What was not in doubt was that the repair crews could not reach the area because of mines, booby traps and fighting between the Taliban and a large Afghan National Army force that was sent last month to reclaim the area from insurgent control.

To break the impasse, American aircraft began striking Taliban positions in the Dand-e-Ghori area of Baghlan Province, north of Kabul, driving the insurgents away, said Col. Abdul Rashid Bashir, the provincial deputy police chief. A spokesman for the United States military in Afghanistan, Col. Michael T. Lawhorn, said he had no information about American airstrikes in the area.
PARIS  A decision by the Macedonian authorities to block thousands of Afghan asylum seekers from crossing into the country from Greece set off clashes between migrants and the police on Tuesday, highlighting the challenges facing European nations as they seek to check the flow of people to the Continent.

Greek riot police officers forcibly removed groups of Afghan protesters from train tracks at a migrant camp in Idomeni, Greece, a crossing point to Macedonia and a gateway toward Northern Europe, after Macedonia abruptly announced that Afghans would be classified as economic migrants, disqualifying them from political asylum.

The policy shift, unveiled this weekend after Austria, Croatia and Serbia announced that they would restrict migrant entries, means that newly arriving Afghans, who make up a third of asylum seekers in Europe, can now pass no farther north than Greece. Thousands more who are migrating north are stuck in countries where borders have been temporarily closed.
Russia will conduct the necessary work with Damascus and the legitimate Syrian leadership, Mr. Putin said, while the United States will do the same with its allies and opposition groups. I am sure the joint actions agreed upon with the American side will be enough to radically reverse the situation in Syria.

There was more. Mr. Putin wanted to make clear that Russias intervention in Syria would avoid the kind of catastrophic collapse that occurred in Iraq, Libya and Yemen, lumped together improbably with the American-backed color revolutions in Ukraine in 2004 and Georgia in 2003. Syria, he said, could serve as an example of responsible actions.

Russia sent up to 50 combat aircraft to an air base near the coastal Syrian city of Latakia in September, along with more than 4,000 troops to protect them. In that move, Russia was seen as having five main goals: stopping regime change abetted from outside the country; thwarting plans by Washington to isolate Moscow; proving that Russia was a more solid ally than the United States; showcasing new Russian weapons; and presenting a new foreign policy spectacle to a Russian public weary of the war in neighboring Ukraine.

To some extent, all five goals have been achieved, prompting some voices to call for Russia to come home.

We have clear achievements; the main thing is that everybody now speaks to us, Boris B. Nadezhdin, a former member of the Duma, Russias Parliament, said on a popular talk show. Assads regime, or Syrias legitimate government, has stayed in power, he added. We need a political settlement, and to stop spending huge sums of money on an arms race.
BERLIN  Martin Wansleben surveyed the crowd here last Friday, some 400 German and Russian businesspeople and politicians. Lauding the Russian economics minister for attending, he waxed nostalgic for the days of better relations and lucrative trade.

At some point, we had a dream, said Mr. Wansleben, a leader of the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry. But that vision, of the two countries modernizing Russia together, is fast fading in a changing world of war, sanctions and mutual recrimination.

Trade has plummeted since spring 2014, when President Vladimir V. Putin upended the political order in Europe by annexing Crimea and sending Russian forces into eastern Ukraine. The West imposed sanctions, prompting Moscow also to restrict trade.

Russia and Germany have been trading, warring and making peace with each other for centuries, so many in both countries say they can tough out the current lows, keep talking and hope for better days.
CAIRO  As alibis go, this one would seem to be airtight: Your honor, my client was only a year old at the time of the crime.

But it did not stop an Egyptian military court from convicting the accused, a boy now 3 , of killing three people, carrying guns and firebombs, blocking a road with burning tires, and trying to damage government buildings  and sentencing him to life in prison.

The verdict came last week in a mass trial of 107 people suspected of being members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, and the charges stemmed from the protests, street clashes and police crackdowns in Egypt after the military overthrow of the elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013. Hundreds of people were killed and thousands were jailed.

After an uproar over the conviction of the boy  Ahmed Mansour Qorani Sharara, who was never arrested  the military said that it was a case of mistaken identity, and that the authorities had actually meant to try a 16-year-old student with the same name. The teenager is on the run, the military added in a post on its official Facebook page.
BAGHDAD  Kurdish special forces rescued a teenage Swedish girl from Islamic State-controlled territory near the city of Mosul, officials said on Tuesday.

The raid, according to a statement issued by the Kurdistan Regional Security Council, was conducted on Feb. 17. The statement misspelled the name of the Swedish girl, who had apparently left her hometown last summer to travel to Syria. She was identified in Swedish news reports as Marilyn Nevalainen, 16, from the Swedish city of Boras.

She was misled by an ISIL member in Sweden to travel to Syria and later to Mosul, the statement by Kurdish officials said, referring to an acronym for the Islamic State extremist group, also known as ISIS.

Kurdish officials said they had worked with the Swedish authorities and the girls family to find her, and that she was being provided with medical care and undergoing a debriefing by Iraqi Kurdish authorities.
By the time New York Fashion Week wrapped up late last week, the model Aamito Lagum, 23 years old and a native of Kampala, Uganda, had walked the runway for J. Mendel, Tadashi Shoji, Kanye Wests Yeezy line and Ohne Titel, even winning a coveted spot as the show closer for Zac Posen.

It was a triumphant week for Ms. Lagum, who broke into modeling about three years ago as the winner of the debut television season of Africas Next Top Model.

But as she raced between final fittings last Thursday, she received a message from a friend alerting her to a post on the Instagram feed of MAC Cosmetics, whose products had been used by the makeup artist Kabuki on models like Ms. Lagum who walked in the Ohne Titel show.

The photograph that MAC posted was a close-up of Ms. Lagums lips, painted purple and shown in profile. Many of the comments accompanying the image, posted mostly by anonymous Internet trolls, comprised racist, derogatory remarks about the shape and size of the models lips.
New York State requires that a doctor supervise laser treatments, but specifically adds that this shall not be construed as necessarily requiring the physical presence of the supervising physician at the time and place where such services are performed. New Jersey is stricter: doctors only.

Doctors generally charge at least twice as much as laser clinics, so why would you pay for an M.D.?

You can teach a monkey to push a button, said Dr. S. Tyler Hollmig, assistant professor of dermatologic surgery at Stanford University. Its judgment. Thats why you want a physician.

Every doctor has a tale of a patient who comes in after a botched removal procedure. Treating a tattoo properly includes understanding the biology of the skin around it. There is no uniformity among tattoo ink.

And a patient may want someone who can analyze the color of the skin (darker skin is harder), the history of the tattoo (has it been treated before?) and its age (older tattoos are easier, since the body slowly gets rid of the ink, which may have faded anyway).

Tattoos need to be at least six months old to be removed, because the inflammatory response has to stop, or removal treatment may make it worse.
No one disputes that having a tattoo removed is much more expensive and time-consuming than having one put on in the first place, and the cost is seldom, if ever, covered by medical insurance. Only one woman interviewed reported a tattoo coming close to clearing, as its called, in a treatment or two, and hers was a tiny brown Zodiac sign on her right ring finger. (Cost and initial results vary widely by the size of the tattoo and its location  leg and feet tattoos are slower to disappear, likely because blood flow is less.)

Upon a touch of the laser, the skin crusts immediately. (If it doesnt, you know the ink isnt absorbing the light, Dr. Friedman said.) Exactly how painful is a process that, if it goes well, is supposed to lead to oozing blisters? Most doctors offer numbing cream and lidocaine shots, which means that by the time the laser hits (with an ominous-sounding snap), the worst part is over. Just ask Julian Schratter, an artist in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Though Mr. Schratter happily spent five hours under the needle having a redwood tree tattooed from his right knee to his groin last year, he fears injections. Ironic, I know, he said. For his first appointment, his anxiety slowed the injection of the 10 lidocaine shots he needed during a two-and-a-half-hour ordeal. Actual laser time: seven minutes.

Mr. Schratter, who has seven other tattoos and plans to replace the redwood with something else, was more relaxed for his second appointment, which took only about 45 minutes. Still, he joked, deforesting is hard.

Removing Ink: Do You Need a Doctor?
New data from YouGov and Public Policy Polling show the extent to which he has tapped into a set of deeply rooted racial attitudes. But first, two caveats about these data are worth bearing in mind. The national YouGov survey was done near the middle of January, before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. Public Policy Polling is a company aligned with the Democratic Party, and some of its results over the years have been suspected of bias. Taken by itself, its conclusions could be doubted. Taken with the YouGov and exit poll data, however, these three surveys can give us a better idea of Mr. Trumps backers.

Mr. Trumps support among those who say they support a temporary ban on Muslim entry into the United States  a notion Mr. Trump first advanced in early December  is significant. He won more than twice as many supporters of the ban in South Carolina as any other candidate. Voters often echo the things candidates say on the campaign trail, so that level may not be revelatory.

Possibly more surprising are the attitudes of Mr. Trumps supporters on things that he has not talked very much about on the campaign trail. He has said nothing about a ban on gays in the United States, the outcome of the Civil War or white supremacy. Yet on all of these topics, Mr. Trumps supporters appear to stand out from the rest of Republican primary voters.

Data from Public Policy Polling show that a third of Mr. Trumps backers in South Carolina support barring gays and lesbians from entering the country. This is nearly twice the support for this idea (17 percent) among Ted Cruzs and Marco Rubios voters and nearly five times the support of John Kasichs and Ben Carsons supporters (7 percent).
In a typical young adult disaster novel, society collapses and survival depends on a young womans guts (and maybe her ability to pick a good love interest). Yet too often the world seems to end, and to exist, only for pleasantly middle-class communities, nuclear families and otherwise normal people by the standards of American media: white, straight, cisgender, abled and at least well-off enough that square meals arent rare. Everybody else is mysteriously gone long before the apocalypse comes.

Corinne Duyviss ON THE EDGE OF GONE (Amulet, $17.95) is in some ways about what happens to those who usually go unmentioned. Theres Denise, who is autistic; her sister, Iris, who is trans; their drug-addicted mother; and their absent Surinamese father. (The story takes place in near-future Amsterdam, and being half-Surinamese makes the girls black by Dutch standards.) When word comes that a comet strike will soon render Earth barely habitable, Denise and her family are among the unlucky thousands assigned to precarious shelters; theyre pretty much doomed. Chance, however, leads them to one of the few remaining ships that havent left the planet. This gives them an opportunity to join the lucky few who will escape to an Earth-like world in a distant star system  if, that is, the ship is willing to take on such a misfit family.

Thus this becomes not only the usual allegory for millennials trying to cope with a changing world, but also an excoriation of Y.A.s traditional shallowness. The problem threatening Denise isnt the comet but acceptance. She and her family might be all right if the new world order could find a way to equally value the disabled, the nonwhite, the non-binary and the people who need an artificial coping mechanism or two. With assimilation impossible, Denise first attempts accommodation  working harder and taking terrible risks to prove herself. When this, too, fails, her sister reminds Denise of another option: revolution. This is not necessarily of the violent kind, however. Instead of overthrowing a corrupt regime, Denise just has to get her fellow survivors to think differently about what survival truly means. A violent revolution might be easier.

The pacing is a little slow, and many of the characters outside of Denises family are flatter than they should be. Still, given the heavy themes the story juggles, immersion in this complicated family is probably a good thing.
There are many pitfalls to writing a memoir about a bar. Theres predictability. Theres the temptation to glorify the atmosphere, to overromanticize the drinking or the salt-of-the-earthiness of the patrons. Theres the idea that everything about drunks and drinking has already been written perfectly by Bukowski, so forget it.

In the first few pages of Tim Sultans part-memoir, part-biography, Sunnys Nights, its unclear which way the book will go. A writer in New York  a good one, you can tell by his eye for descriptive detail  has deliberately gotten himself lost and is driving aimlessly in a desolate part of Red Hook, Brooklyn. Restless and looking for who knows what, he sees a light in the darkness. A strange, off-the-beaten-path bar. When he opens the door, he finds a row of faces staring at him. Its a scene that feels a bit familiar. Except it turns out they arent staring at him but are watching a movie of the ballet Appalachian Spring, featuring Martha Graham. The author sits down and has a beer. A patron announces that hes going to sing a song he wrote when he was living in a basement in Texas.

Not predictable. Fantastic.

Sultan continues this dance throughout this bromance and barmance  taking material that might seem familiar and mixing a perfect, insightful cocktail: full-bodied, multitextured and delicious.

He returns to the bar, which is open only on Fridays, and develops a friendship with Sunny, the owner/bartender. Sunny is larger than life: part sinner, part saint, a painter, a born-and-bred Red Hook native who quotes Shakespeare and punctuates stories with fuhhgeddabouddit, terlet and pernt, a raconteur who uses words, not the nightsticks he keeps behind the bar, to stop violent men from beating the hell out of each other. Hes one of those characters that at first make you think, Come on, for real? But then Sunny starts to talk  there are pages of unbroken monologue  and the world stops. His stories twist and turn with the same authenticity that defines his bar, and the reader, like Sultan, is spellbound.
Jennifer Scanlons biography of the African-American activist Anna Arnold Hedgeman, who died in 1990, is long overdue. Over her career, Hedgeman pushed for civil rights legislation with Martin Luther King Jr.; pressured New York City politicians to make good on their promises for equal opportunity in housing, employment and education; and featured prominently in national politics, serving as the Democratic Partys strategist for organizing the black vote in the 1948 election, and as an appointee in health and human services after World War II. Her feminism informed her decision to be a founding member of the National Organization for Women (NOW), yet she also sustained ties with the more moderate National Council of Churches. Nevertheless, despite her influence, Hedgeman remains relatively unknown.

In Until There Is Justice, Scanlon sets out to correct this neglect by mining Hedgemans unpublished papers and published memoirs and taking inspiration from Hedgemans own words: We will not rest until there is justice in our beloved country and we know that as justice comes to all Americans, it will come in increasing measure to the people of the world. This biography presents readers with a puzzle: How did a naive girl, growing up in the only African-American family in a small white town, develop such an inclusive understanding of justice?

Hedgemans early years were pivotal. Her father moved the family to Anoka, Minn., in 1900, the year after she was born, effectively shielding them from the Jim Crow racism of the South, where he had been raised. Anoka was a tolerant town, Scanlon writes, and her father had been a particularly respected man. Yet despite a childhood where almost anything seemed possible  or perhaps because of it  Hedgeman chose a different path. In the 1920s, she headed to Mississippi to become a teacher, a trip that opened her eyes to black rural poverty. In the 1930s, as an emergency relief worker in Harlem, Hedgeman witnessed firsthand the painful effects of the Great Depression on African-American families, who lived in conditions that reminded her of the squalid environments endured by sharecroppers in the deepest South.
Its not unusual to view local art, consume regional foods or meet area trendsetters in boutique and luxury hotels. Now  to the great welcome of penny-pinching travelers  the trend in lodging to embody the location has trickled down to budget hotels and even brands generally regarded as cookie cutter.

Graduate Hotels, recently opened in five college towns across the country and with another five opening in 2016 (rooms average $120 a night), tries to tell the story of its locations through design. Among them are the Graduate Madison in Madison, Wis., where the chandeliers are made from canoes and oars, and the Graduate Athens in Georgia, which hosts a music club that pays homage to the local music scene (groups including R.E.M. and Widespread Panic hail from Athens).

Opened in December outside Aspen, Colo., the new Element Basalt-Aspen (rooms from $169), part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts extended-stay Element brand, serves locally roasted Bonfire Coffee, pours local beer and booze at its daily complimentary happy hour and hosts a branch of Basalt Bike & Ski for rentals or tuneups.

Many large hotel companies are adding affordable, locally skewed brands to their portfolios, including AccorHotels, which acquired a 35 percent stake in the French boutique chain Mama Shelter and plans to open 20 new locations in the next five years, including London and New York. Mama Shelter Los Angeles (from $169) features Los Angeles-based film scripts in the rooms and a restaurant with a ceiling displaying chalk drawings by local artists.
As I stood alone in the silent, darkened Kings Chamber of the Great Pyramid of Giza, staring into the sarcophagus that had been hollowed from red granite at least 4,500 years ago, my thoughts swirled.

Did this lidless box really once contain the mummy of the mighty Pharaoh Khufu? Did the pyramids architectural precision and celestial alignment suggest more than a burial chamber? Would my next encounter be with distant spirits or squinting tourists ducking into the entrance of the ancient stone room?

Little more than five years ago the chamber would have been crowded with visitors as, outside, swarms of tourists hoisted themselves up the massive beige blocks of the pyramid and convoys of tour buses snaked down the entrance road. On this fall day, though, it was mostly Egyptians in small groups milling about the base, only a handful of foreigners among them.

After the 2011 popular uprising in Egypt, tourism collapsed, especially in Cairo, Giza, Luxor and other cultural destinations along the Nile River. One of the unintended consequences is that in the chaotic metropolis of greater Cairo, you can enjoy the privilege of solitude at some of the worlds greatest historic sites.
Auburn University junior Sarah Pitts has been named a finalist for the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, one of the nations top academic awards.

Pitts, a Birmingham native, is a member of the Honors College pursuing a double major in English literature and Spanish with a minor in political science in the College of Liberal Arts. Since enrolling at Auburn in the fall of 2013, she has pursued undergraduate research in political theory as well as linguistics. Under the direction of Murray Jardine in the Department of Political Science, she completed a study, Martin Heidegger and Postmodern Thought, wherein she synthesized the literature on the 20th century German philosopher examining his work and his course of lectures An Introduction to Metaphysics as well as Nietzsche.

Among her many activities, awards and honors, she served as a legislative intern for U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions in the summer of 2015, during which she had the opportunity to work on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act which was reauthorized in late 2015; she is a member of the Committee of 19, Auburns anti-hunger initiative; and she participates in Blessings in a Backpack. She is a study partner in the Office of Undergraduate Studies; a Womens B-Cyclist with the Auburn Flyers Club Cycling Team; and was elected to the national honor society Phi Kappa Phi last spring.

The Truman Scholarship Program was established to provide scholarships to outstanding students who are committed to careers in public service. Created in 1975 by an act of Congress, The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is awarded to approximately 60 college juniors each year on the basis of four criteria: service on campus and in the community, commitment to a career in public service, communication ability and aptitude to be a change agent, and academic talent that would assure acceptance to a first-rate graduate school.

Scholars receive an award of $30,000 which will go toward post-graduate education. In addition, Truman Scholars participate in leadership development programs and have special opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government.

The National Prestigious Scholarship office in the Honors College at Auburn University works closely with students to identify and help them pursue prestigious national and international awards through information sessions and one-on-one support during the application process.
Chambers County school officials are continuing to take steps to improve student performance at LaFayette High School, which made the Alabama Department of Educations list of failing schools for the second year, Superintendent Dr. Kelli Hodge said.

We began implementing some of our strategies last year where we have sent teachers to some free intense professional development, Hodge said. Weve continued with that in the areas of content literacy and whats called DOK (Depth of Knowledge) training, so we are implementing many of the strategies from that professional development into the school. We also created some ACT Prep courses for our kids and purchased computer software so that if they cant actually take the course, that they would be able to take it online as well.

Hodge said an administrator has been added.

We have put in a full-time assistant principal there to help the principal so that he can focus more on instruction, Hodge said.

The school system has also had a middle school and elementary school on the failing schools list in the past, Hodge said.

We were able to get Eastside Elementary off the list two years ago, and this year we were able to get John P. Powell Middle School off the list. We have that middle school principal working with the high school principal now, as well letting them know the things that they implemented at the middle school level that have helped them get off of that list.

Hodge said the school system acknowledges the difficulties that can come with LaFayette being a high-poverty area.

If you look at the list of failing schools, youll notice that close to 100 percent of them are very high-poverty and high-minority schools, Hodge said. Two years ago, we started a study of how to work with kids in poverty and we have also been implementing that district-wide because there are so many more children coming from poverty now than there used to be. We begin our focus at the elementary level, hoping that as you close these gaps that these kids go through with their grades, they just continue to get stronger.

Even though the high school is on the failing schools list, its graduation rate continues to improve year after year.

In 2010, their graduation rate was 46 percent, and in 2015, their graduation rate was 87 percent, Hodge said.

Hodge explained what she hopes for the school moving forward.

I certainly want them to stay on that track in graduating more kids and helping their kids be college- and career-ready. I would like to see them come off of that list next year, and their ACT scores, I would like to see those continue to improve. They have improved tremendously in a years time.
Three San Bernardino County sheriffs deputies who beat and kicked a man they arrested after a three-hour pursuit across the High Desert last year will face trial on a felony charge of assault by a peace officer, a judge ruled Monday.

Deputies Charles Foster, Michael Phelps and Nick Downey breached the public trust, the prosecutor told Judge Katrina West during a preliminary hearing that focused on a video of Francis Jared Pusoks April 2015 arrest shot by a KNBC/4 news helicopter.

The deputies defense attorneys contended that no crime was committed because Pusoks actions before and during the arrest, and the danger they believed he posed, justified the amount of force deputies used.

The defense attorneys also argued that if a crime had been committed against Pusok, it would amount to only a misdemeanor.

West, without giving a reason, denied the defense attorneys motion to reduce the charge and ordered that the deputies face trial on the felony charge.

The deputies remain free on bail and on leave from the Sheriffs Department. An arraignment was scheduled for March 1. A trial date will be set later.

Pusok also faces criminal charges related to the pursuit.

Only one witness testified in Superior Court in San Bernardino on Monday: sheriffs Sgt. Daniel Hanke. He led the investigation into the case and testified about what he heard on a tape from Fosters belt recorder and in conversations Pusok had with investigators and his girlfriend.

The defense did not call any witnesses.

The deputies attorneys will have to do at trial what they couldnt Monday: overcome the five-minute video that showed deputies  the three charged, plus seven others not charged  hitting and kicking Pusok as he lay face-down on the ground.

The chase started when Pusok saw deputies serving a search warrant  unrelated to him  in Apple Valley. He took off in a car, driving south into the rugged hills, and eventually stole a horse, authorities have said.

The video starts with Pusok riding the horse through the desert brush before falling off. A deputy, whom Hanke identified as Phelps, slipped on a 40-degree slope before advancing on Pusok.

Phelps fired a Taser, but Hanke could not say whether it effectively disabled Pusok. Pusok quickly placed himself face-down on the ground and put his hands beneath him and then behind his back.

Almost simultaneously, a deputy whom Hanke identified as Downey made a kicking motion toward Pusoks head. Seconds later, Phelps kicked toward Pusoks groin area. Then both deputies punched and kicked Pusok.

The attorneys said that because Pusoks hands continued to move after the Taser was fired, that gave Phelps and Downey reason to strike him.

Foster entered the video about 31/2 minutes later and made a kicking motion at Pusok, cursed at him and told him to stop resisting, Hanke said.

Hanke testified that Pusok told his girlfriend in a jailhouse phone call that he was not injured. Pusok had cuts on his legs, back and stomach, and a black eye that defense attorneys contended could have been inflicted in the fall from the horse or the previous day in a motorcycle accident.

Supervising Deputy District Attorney Robert C. Bulloch said that argument was beside the point.

They keep wanting to beat the drum that there were no broken bones. They keep wanting to beat the drum that this guy was a bad dude. They wanted to beat the drum that even hes saying he wasnt kicked (in the groin). Well, your lying eyes are deceiving you then if you want to buy into this argument because the video is very clear, Bulloch said.

The most important point of the charge is not how many injuries, its not how many black eyes he got.  (It) is the breach of trust that we put in all three of these people to represent us as the public, Bulloch continued. Their offense is against the community, not just Mr. Pusok.

Downeys attorney, Michael D. Schwartz, said the video does not tell the whole story. He and the other two defense attorneys, Richard Hirsch and Steven G. Sanchez, noted that the arrest happened after a three-hour chase in which Pusok is accused of crashing a vehicle through a fence, driving at 100 mph and running away before stealing a horse that had been tied to a tree in the Deep Creek Hot Springs area. All of those circumstances combined to cause the deputies apprehension while arresting Pusok.

The defense attorneys said they plan to call witnesses and experts at the trial who can paint a picture beyond what the video shows.

Contact the writer: brokos@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9569
WASHINGTON  Apple Inc. will tell a federal judge this week in legal papers that its fight with the FBI over accessing a locked and encrypted iPhone should be kicked to Congress, rather than decided by courts, The Associated Press has learned.

Apple will also argue that the Obama administrations request to help it hack into an iPhone in a terrorism case is improper under an 18th-century law, the 1789 All Writs Act, which has been used to compel companies to help law enforcement in investigations.

A lead attorney for Apple, Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., previewed for the AP some of the companys upcoming arguments in the case. Apples chief executive, Tim Cook, has also hinted at the companys courtroom strategy.

Apples effort would move the contentious policy debate between digital privacy rights and national security interests to Congress, where Apple wields considerably more influence. Apple spent nearly $5 million lobbying Congress last year, mostly on tax and copyright issues. Key lawmakers have been openly divided about whether the governments demands in the case go too far.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym in Riverside ordered Apple last week to create specialized software to help the FBI hack into a locked, county-issued iPhone used by a gunman in the Dec. 2 mass shootings in San Bernardino. Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people at an office holiday party in an attack at least partly inspired by Islamic State.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest this week called the governments request narrow. Earnest said the magistrate judge came down in favor of our law enforcement after evaluating arguments by Apple and the FBI. Apple hasnt yet made any filings in the case because the Justice Department asked the magistrate to rule before Apple had an opportunity to object.

Sending complicated things to Congress is often not the surest way to get a quick answer, Earnest said.
Looking to put a healthy halo on its fast-food offerings, McDonalds restaurants in Southern California are adding to its menu a kale-packed breakfast bowl and Chobani Greek yogurt.

The menu items debuted Tuesday in 800 Southern California restaurants. Local operator Scott Frisbie, who runs 15 McDonalds in Orange County, said the bowls will fall under a new section of the menu dubbed Simple Delights.

The egg white and turkey sausage breakfast bowl comes with kale, spinach, bruschetta and cheese. The Chobani yogurt replaces the yogurt McDonalds has been using for parfaits and McCafe fruit smoothies.

Chobani said the company is proud to be part of an effort by local McDonalds operators to give customers food options that fit their lifestyle.

Weve always believed in democratizing better food and McDonalds is a really powerful partner for us to do that with, the company said.

For those who want a heavier meal, McDonalds is debuting a scrambled egg and chorizo bowl. It comes with chicken chorizo, eggs, shredded cheddar-jack cheese and pico de gallo. The bowl is served with a hash brown.

The bowls are available in the morning and are not part of the all-day breakfast menu.

Last year, McDonalds chief executive Steve Easterbrook said the chains turnaround plan is reliant on it becoming a modern, progressive burger company.

Much of the innovation has centered on Southern California, which has a reputation for leading the chain on menu updates. The bowls were tested last spring in nine restaurants throughout the Los Angeles area.

Frisbie said Southern California operators are responding to customers greater desire for more choices.

In late November, local operators introduced Taste Crafted  a line of build-your-own sandwiches that come with preselected ingredients such as blue cheese spread, spicy buffalo sauce and smoked bacon. Southern California restaurants, including nearly 100 in Orange County, offer table service.

But are the custom menu additions slowing down service?

Frisbie said not at his restaurants. Table service, in fact, has been hugely popular and well-received, especially among employees who enjoy interacting with customers, he said.

Contact the writer: nluna@ocregister.com
As a pilot in the British navy, Capt. Eric Brown mastered the Sea Otter, Starfighter, Swordfish, Spitfire and Sea Vampire  and almost every other type of military plane manufactured from the propeller era to the jet age.

Soaring in the de Havilland Hornet of the 1940s and 50s, he said, was like flying a Ferrari in the sky. And in the faster-than-sound F-86 Sabre, he said, you feel youre part of the air.

A test pilot nonpareil, Brown flew 487 different types of aircraft and made 2,407 landings on an aircraft carrier  both world records that will never be equalled, not in a million years, said the writer and World War II historian James Holland. First Sea Lord George Zambellas, who heads the Royal navy, called Brown the most accomplished test pilot of his generation, and perhaps of all time.

Brown  whose small build earned him the nickname Winkle, after the thumbnail-sized mollusk  died Feb. 21 at a hospital in Redhill, England. He was 97.

The cause was not yet known, said a friend, Paul Beaver.

Though he handled gliders, fighters, bombers and amphibious craft, Brown was perhaps most renowned for his skill in landing jets on carriers.

He became the first person to successfully take off and land a jet on a carrier when he guided a de Havilland Sea Vampire onto the Royal navy ship Ocean in 1945. With the Ocean in constant motion, landing the plane was like being a matchbox floating in a bath, he told BBC Radio 4 in 2013.

Explaining the difficulty of the maneuver, Brown noted that in wartime, the plane must make it back to the ship in radio silence, without guidance, to prevent the ship from revealing its position to the enemy.

When you get back, he continued, thats only the beginning of your problems. Youve got to land maybe on a pitching ship in heavy seas. At one stage we had one incident in every nine landings. I call it a game of Russian roulette.

Brown considered carrier landings among a pilots most demanding maneuvers. He recalled that the U.S. Navy once gave a pilot the job of breaking his record of 2,407 landings: To his everlasting credit he got up to 1,600 and then had a nervous breakdown.

With characteristic good humor, Brown added: I can see his problem. Being given a job to beat a record is very different from just accruing along.

Eric Melrose Brown was born in the port town of Leith, Scotland, just outside of Edinburgh, on Jan. 21, 1919. His father, a pilot, served in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and later in the Royal Air Force. He took Brown flying for the first time at age 8, in an open-cockpit biplane.

He was instantly smitten with flight. In 1936, he accompanied his father to the Summer Olympics in Berlin, where a teenage Brown was invited to fly with Ernst Udet, a German ace who downed 62 Allied planes during World War I.

Udet, impressed that Brown failed to lose his lunch after their acrobatic flight, told him he ought to learn German and, just as important, learn to fly.

So he did.

At the University of Edinburgh, he studied modern languages and trained in flight through a Royal Air Force program. His studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II in 1939, when Brown volunteered for the navys Fleet Air Arm. He returned to Edinburgh after the war and graduated in 1947.

Brown was on board the escort carrier Audacity when the ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat in the Bay of Biscay in 1941. He and the ships other pilot, buoyed by inflatable Mae West life jackets that had not been given to the ships 22-person sailing crew, were the only survivors of the attack.

The next year, he married Evelyn Lynn Macrory while on survivors leave from the Audacity. She died in 1998. Survivors include a companion, Jean Kelly, and a son from his marriage.

In 1942, Brown was selected as a test pilot for the Royal Aircraft Establishment, a now-defunct research and development office.

Fluent in German, he traveled to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the close of the war, where the Nazis killed about 50,000 Jews and other prisoners.

While in Germany, he interrogated aviation experts such as Wernher von Braun, who invented the V-2 rocket and later helped engineer NASAs Apollo space program, and Hermann Gring, a World War I ace who led the Luftwaffe under Hitler and became one of the Nazi Partys highest leaders.

Within a year of their meeting, Gring was condemned to hang as a war criminal at the Nuremberg trials. He committed suicide in 1946.

Brown served as a test pilot until retiring in 1970. In a 2013 interview with BBC Radio 4, he credited his longevity in a job that killed many of the finest pilots of the day to his meticulous preparation and his height, a relatively short 5-foot-7.

On at least three occasions, he said, he would have lost his legs had he not been able to curl them beneath his seat.

Where other pilots would say, Kick your tires, light your fires, and the last one offs a sissy, Brown took a far less cavalier attitude to his job. He made a point of studying planes before stepping into the cockpit and of planning his response to possible worst-case scenarios.

Brown retired to the town of Copthorne, England, and was appointed a commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1970. He became the director general of what was then the British Helicopter Advisory Board, a trade association, and in 1982 was named president of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

He told BBC Radio 4 that he took his last flight in 1994 and found it difficult to stop, comparing the experience to that of a drug addicts withdrawal.

Its an exhilarating world to live in, he said. Theres always that aura of a risk. You come to value life in a slightly different way.
Credit scores may not be the sort of thing youd want to shout from the rooftops here in the U.S., but in China, social credit scores being willingly shared among citizens are harbingers of a major economic play by the government.

Sesame Credit, part of the massive online retailer Alibaba (roughly the Chinese equivalent of Amazon) is one of eight pilot programs working on establishing social credit scores for Chinese citizens.

With nearly 400 million users, Alibaba is easily the worlds largest online shopping platform  and all the data of that platform is being put to use in the new system.

Available as a simple phone application, Sesame Credit brings massive amounts of financial data, both through its own platforms and through partners like taxi services, to create something similar to a credit score here in the West. The key differences lies in the social aspect these scores have introduced into the mix.

Unlike in the West, these social credit scores are being flaunted quite enthusiastically by many users. In one example, Alibaba has partnered with Chinese matchmaking service Baihe, allowing users to make their credit score part of their profile. Baihe is even offering higher visibility to users with high scores, saying a partners ability to make a living is an important aspect in matchmaking.

And a game promoted by Sesame Credit allows users to guess whether their friends scores are higher or lower than their own, further encouraging users to make their score public.

All of this is optional for now, but Sesame Credit and the other seven social credit score programs are just a warmup act for a proposed government system planned for 2020.

THE SITUATION IN CHINA

This stark contrast to the private notion of a credit score found here in the West may seem bizarre, but a Chapman University professor explains the system developing in China is in reaction to some unique characteristics there.

Wenshan Jia, a professor in the department of communication studies, is an expert on intercultural and global communication. His specialty is communications between East Asia and the West. Jia explains that, until now, there hasnt been an equivalent of Western credit scores in China  and that has raised a number of complications.

There has been a lot of fraud in the past because of excessive commercialization and competition. There has been an excess in individual mistrust, Jia said.

For example, down payments are customary when staying at a three-star or below hotel in China, seeing as theres no way to track down a persons credit. Furthermore, its typical upon checkout for the establishment to make sure nothing has been broken or stolen before settling the payment. At four- or five-star hotels, transactions are typically done using credit cards secured through branches of American banks, but Jia explains that few Chinese citizens have access to the luxury.

These complications have resulted in a new kind of search  one for social harmony. Jia explains that for the Chinese government, this means establishing a society where people can trust one another.

Enter the social aspect of these credit scores. Jia says that things like public credit scores are able to catch on in China due to the societys group-oriented mentality. He says that compared to the U.S., where individualism reigns and privacy is rigorously protected, China lacks such notions in both a legal and largely societal sense. When something like a social credit score could hit the trifecta of boosting the economy, promoting trust among society and legitimizing the governments political stances, it becomes evident why the government would take an interest in such a thing.

Trust comes in different levels: personal, social and  from the government perspective  political trust, Jia said. If such trust was institutionalized, the government would have an easier job of maintaining stability. I think the government has a holistic view of how the credit system would not only benefit them economically, but bring political stability as well.

CRITICISM EMERGES

Its not all sunshine and rainbows, though. Jia notes that politics and economics go hand in hand, and the advent of social credit has elements of the Chinese political scene that may be unsavory to western critics.

A planning outline for the governments social credit system of 2020, published by the State Council in 2014, makes mention not only of rewards for high scores, but punishments for low scores. Furthermore, rewards are mentioned for those reporting others who break trust. The document makes mention of propagating trust-keeping acts and rewards through the news media to forge a public opinion environment that trust-keeping is glorious.

Exactly how the government systems score will be tallied is yet unclear, but the planning outline mentions incentivizing trust-keeping on many different levels of society  not limited purely to finances. This can partly be seen already with Sesame Credit, which has been open about the fact that users consumer habits have an impact on their scores. For example, a user who loads up on video games will be scored lower than someone who spends their money on diapers  the reason being that the latter is a likely a parent who knows the weight of responsibility.

Critics have come out calling such a system nightmarish and Orwellian, partly fueled by sensationalist reports and misinformation. The American Civil Liberties Union, for example, charged that posting online information about Tienanmen Square would result in a lower score, only to later clarify that the post was based on inaccurate information.

Legitimate concerns do exist, but Jia expressed that the interest of the Chinese government isnt in taking a page from 1984 and manipulating its citizens, but in turning the economy around.

I think, right now, the biggest thing is for the government to make sure the economy is going well, because that ties in with the governments legitimacy, Jia said.

Contact the writer: jwinslow@ocregister.com
If a cat has nine lives, then the California Teachers Association has got to be the luckiest cat in jurisprudence. Undoubtedly, the union is celebrating having escaped the fight of their lives with the sudden, unexpected death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Based on Januarys oral arguments in Friedrichs v. CTA, court observers had predicted that Scalia would join four other justices in overturning Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, the courts 1977 decision requiring unionized public employees to split collective bargaining expenses, known as agency fees.

Without Scalia, court analysts believe a 4-4 tie is likely, maintaining the status quo. And, in politics, anything that lets you live another day is a victory.

A majority decision supporting Friedrichs would have severely impacted CTAs political clout and ability to obstruct education reform in California. Led by Orange County school teacher Rebecca Friedrichs, 10 teacher/plaintiffs argued that CTAs mandatory fees coerced them to support bargaining positions they disagreed with, violating their constitutional right to free speech.

Rather than accepting the unions characterization of them as free riders, they contend they are compelled riders, choosing to be free from paying for positions and policies they do not support. Dues and fees are the main source of union funds, an autopilot infusion of campaign cash. Until the money stream is stopped, there is no level playing field for education reformers seeking to prioritize the interests and needs of kids  rather than the adults  in the system.

Joining the plaintiffs side in Friedrichs were parent-empowerment and civil rights activists who argued that, by granting teachers their free-speech rights, parents fights to secure reforms for predominantly poor and minority children would have greater likelihood of succeeding because the tsunami of money into CTAs war chest, automatically obtained from teachers, would be stopped. Teachers would be able to choose  enabling a more democratic unionism where members reclaimed their power.

In its 2014 pro-forma ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was not asked to consider the merits of Friedrichs. Plaintiffs lawyers believed they would lose at the lower court, and agreed to an expedited decision in order to move the case as quickly as possible to the Supreme Court, where they anticipated their argument would prevail.

Now, with Scalias death, it is likely that the justices expected spring ruling will be a 4-4 tie, unless the case is postponed to the following year, after a new justice is nominated and confirmed. If the tie stands, the ruling of the 9th Circuit would stand, which upheld Californias law permitting mandatory fair-share fees and not affecting the other two dozen states with similar laws.

In open shop states, where all union dues and fees are voluntary, many employees are choosing to not join their unions. This is what CTA fears: if given a choice, its members will vote with their feet and bypass paying their leaders to represent them. It is this revolt from within its own ranks that CTA has luckily avoided with Scalias death.

In a year dominated by anger, rebellion and even Americans voting with their middle fingers within both the Republican and Democratic ranks, CTA has been spared facing its own mortality at the hands of its own disenfranchised ranks. Scalias death has given CTA new life  for now  enabling it to live another day, to haughtily continue blocking reforms for predominantly poor and minority children and enabling it to continue buying off politicians desperate for the mothers milk of politics  money.

Theyve survived, for now, the rebellion from within their ranks.

Staff opinion columnist Gloria Romero is an education reformer and former Democratic state senator from Los Angeles.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand  An island in Fiji took a direct hit from a powerful cyclone as the death toll climbed to 29, officials said Tuesday.

Government spokesman Ewan Perrin told Radio New Zealand that Koro Island had been pretty much flattened by Cyclone Winston over the weekend and that eight bodies were found there Monday.

He said there were very few buildings left standing on the island, which is home to about 4,500 people.

Winds from Cyclone Winston, which tore through the Pacific Island chain Saturday and early Sunday, reached 177 miles per hour, making it the strongest storm in Fijis recorded history.

Getting emergency supplies to the groups far-flung islands and remote communities most affected by the cyclone has been the Fiji governments top priority.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General Stephen OBrien said in a statement he was concerned by the devastating impact the cyclone was having on Fiji.

Whole villages have been destroyed, homes and crops have been damaged, power lines have been cut and more than 8,100 people are currently sheltering in over 70 evacuation centers, OBrien said.

OBrien said Fiji was leading the response and had asked for international help. Australia has so far pledged $3.6 million in aid and New Zealand has pledged $1.3 million.

Two vessels carrying medical supplies, food and water were due to arrive at Koro Island on Tuesday. Perrin said crews on the boat would build temporary shelters for people on the island whose homes had been destroyed.

Home to 900,000 people, Fiji has more than 100 inhabited islands, and authorities are still having difficulty communicating with some of the more remote islands in the wake of the cyclone.

Phone communications have been rapidly restored in many areas but in other areas the damage was severe and would take longer to fix, Perrin said.

He said the electricity network across Fiji remained patchy, and in some cases power had been deliberately cut to prevent further damage. He said clean water was also a challenge, and people were being asked to boil their water, treat it with chemicals or drink bottled water.
Walgreens will soon give Orange County residents their best option to jettison prescription drugs from medicine cabinets.

For those who bother to get rid of unwanted or expired medications, options have mostly been limited to either tossing them in household trash or flushing them down the toilet, which is legal but discouraged because it could pollute the local water supply.

Now Walgreens is the first large U.S. pharmacy chain to offer a more environmentally friendly alternative.

The chain was recently licensed to install mailbox-type kiosks at four of its 24-hour drugstores in Orange County. The kiosks will be secure, so people cant improperly get their hands on the valuable medications. Walgreens wouldnt say how the medications it collects will be destroyed, but it will likely be by incineration.

Its the first large pharmacy chain to take advantage of a two-year-old Drug Enforcement Administration rule that allows pharmacists to take back the drugs they dispense after receiving authorization. The changes were at first heralded as a major step forward in combating the prescription drug and heroin epidemic. Many heroin addicts first get hooked on prescription opiates before seeking a cheaper, more potent high.

But many pharmacists said they were deterred in earning the DEA authorization because of security risks and red tape.

Unless you have a couple of attorneys working for you to fill out the paperwork and go through all of the hoops, its unbelievable, said Jerry Medley, who co-owns Sea View Pharmacy in San Clemente.

Medley said he turns away a couple of people each week who are looking to get rid of their prescription drugs.

Doctors write enough prescriptions for painkillers for every adult in the U.S. to have one bottle of pills. That estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesnt include the other types of drugs doctors prescribe for conditions such as anxiety and depression (think Xanax and Valium) and that people abuse.

Many patients stash them before their treatment has run its course, saving them for future use and allowing them to pile up at home, where they can become easy scores for brazen teenagers, friends and relatives.

A medicine cabinet is no longer a safe place for anybody to store certain prescription medications, said Aimee Dunkle, whose son Ben Dunkle died at age 20 of a heroin overdose.

Ben, a Tesoro High School graduate, started using prescription drugs, including Xanax, as a teenager. Aimees husband once caught one of their sons friends rifling through their medicine cabinet, she said.

This kid knew exactly what he was looking for.

For that reason, law enforcement and public health officials urge people to destroy the medications.

But they havent made it easy, with conflicting advice on how to dispose of the drugs. The Santa Margarita Water District has a receptacle for prescription drugs, but not controlled substances  drugs deemed by the government as having the potential for abuse. The Orange County Sheriffs Department accepts controlled substances, but only in pill form.

I get calls from Orange County all the time. Nurses, drug prevention community, parents  theyre all trying to figure out what to do, said Heidi Sanborn, executive director of the California Product Stewardship Council, which has worked with counties in Northern California to enact ordinances mandating that drug companies pay for and manage take-back programs.

Her group surveyed 1,700 people in Northern California to find out how theyre getting rid of their drugs.

They go to pharmacies, they get turned away. One person buried the drugs out in the backyard, then watched squirrels dig it up, Sanborn said. Its unbelievable what were hearing. People are frustrated. The public is yearning for convenient locations.

Contact the writer: jchandler@ocregister.com and @jennakchandler on Twitter
A collaborative ethical exercise was held this month during the inaugural Orange County High School Ethics Bowl at Chapman University.

The event in the Argyros Forum hosted eight teams from Foothill, Valencia, Riverside Polytechnic and Santa Margarita Catholic high schools and included professors and alumni from Chapmans Albert Schweitzer Institute as guest judges.

Kanyes Thaker, lead student coordinator of the Ethics Bowl and junior at University High in Irvine, organized, recruited and served as the communicator between the high schools and Chapman, the host institution.

I had been interested in ethics for a long time, Thaker said. I had been interested in the way societies and different people perceive different things from a scientific and ethical point of view.

Last year, Thaker learned that Los Angeles County was holding an ethics bowl and attended the event, where he spoke to the national director of the National High School Ethics Bowl.

In the end, we came to the conclusion that, perhaps, it would be a good idea to start a regional bowl in Orange County, he said.

Nancy Martin, director of the Schweitzer Institute at Chapman and Ethics Bowl organizer, came away enthusiastic about the event.

When I heard about the Ethics Bowl, it just seemed like the ideal thing for Schweitzer and also for Chapman, because Chapman really has this underlying commitment to ethics and also to community engagement, Martin said. Ethics Bowl is such a wonderful idea. It gets high school students to think about really difficult issues. And it teaches them how to have a serious but very respectful discourse with other people about really hard topics and really explore them in a civil way where we can advance the argument and understand each others position.

Fifteen ethics cases were presented to the competing teams. The ethical scenarios included ransoms, transgender issues and racism. Each team was responsible for crafting reasoned arguments to support its positions in the debates, which were designed to be collaborative rather than adversarial.

The commentary, instead of being an attack, becomes encouragement to bolster your views in some way, said Daniel Pilchman, judge and assistant professor of philosophy. The role of the judges is not to trap students with trick questions or quiz them and see how well they understand the theory and the background. (Their role) is to draw out the deeper intuitions and the deeper theoretical commitments that students are making to help see more clearly.

What the Ethics Bowl actually says is that were all on the same team, Martin said.

One of the major interests we had was finding a way to do philosophy in sort of a nonstandard lecture format, and the Ethics Bowl really offers us something like that, Pilchman said. I think weve been really lucky at how supportive Chapman University has decided to be. Ethics Bowl is sometimes hard sell.

The Ethics Bowl leaves open the possibility that, in the end, a team could have changed their position and not necessarily be penalized for doing so, because in the process they were actually listening to the commentary offered by the other team, said Hugh Blake, judge and lecturer in philosophy. They were listening and going by the comments by the judges and evolving their initial answer to give them a well-reasoned, well-informed stance on an actual issue that doesnt always have a hard-and-fast easy answer to it.

Thaker said this generations ethical campaigns are not entirely focused on wars, anti-segregation and the right to have a voice; but rather on domestic issues, communities and how small elements come together to change the course of society.

If you look at media coverage, media bias, media oversaturation, you see that really the things that are driving social change in America, especially right now, are things like ignorance, despair and decisions made with irrational thought. Reason and careful consideration arent popular in the media, he said. You see things like radical statements made by radical people. You see only the biggest and boldest of things out there. In that, I feel our generation needs to take care of ethical premises to make valuable decisions and to better our society.

The spirit of Ethics Bowl was really present here, said Virginia Warren, judge and professor of philosophy. We expect to get more teams as interest grows.

Chapman will host another Ethics Bowl next February. All high schools in Southern California are welcomed to inquire and register for future events and can contact Nancy Martin at nmartin@chapman.edu and Kanyes Thaker at ocethicsbowl@gmail.com

Contact the writer: cgamboa@ocregister.com
For Lent this year, the Rev. Chineta Goodjoin says shes decided to give up her silence.

The pastor of New Hope Presbyterian Church, an African American congregation of about 100 in Orange, Goodjoin, 48, says shes going to start speaking up  in a bolder, clearer voice  for victims of domestic violence, racial injustice, economic inequality and particularly, for victims of gun violence.

We need to have a real conversation about gun violence, an issue that impacts us all, she said. We must become more actively involved in this issue so our churches, our schools and our communities are safe.

Goodjoin has formed a social justice committee in her church whose mission is to talk about ways to have this conversation with a largely conservative community, whose members may not feel comfortable, or even have a desire, to talk about this issue.

But, for Goodjoin, not talking about gun violence is not an option.

THAT CALL

Hello Rev. Chineta. This is Sharonda. I know it has been some time since we talked, but I want you to know that I love you.

Goodjoin still keeps this voicemail in her phone from the Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, her buddy, fellow speech therapy major in college, bridesmaid at her wedding.

Goodjoin remembers the day she got that call, sometime in early June.

I was in the grocery store, pushing my cart, feeling sorry for myself, just having a bad day, she said. And thats when she called.

Coleman-Singleton continued: Please know that no matter what happens, all shall be well. All shall be well. All shall be well. All shall be well. Especially for those who are living their lives according to Gods word. All shall be well.

Goodjoin called her friend a couple of days later and thanked her for the loving message.

And that was the last time they spoke.

Coleman-Singleton was one of nine people shot and killed by Dylann Roof last June as they sat in prayer at the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, S.C., where she was a minister.

The gunman, a self-proclaimed White Supremacist, waited until members of the Bible study group were off guard and vulnerable.

The following morning, Goodjoin saw her friends smiling face across the television screen, along with eight others  the slain.

Her life would never be the same.

COMING TO ORANGE COUNTY

Goodjoin was pastor at Knox Presbyterian Church Los Angeles in 2007 when the Los Ranchos Presbytery called on her to plant an African American church in Orange.

God must have a pretty good sense of humor, she thought, to have her bring in congregants in a county where African Americans accounted for less than 2 percent of the population.

About 25 people walked through the doors for her first service. The church has grown since into a diverse group thats 40 percent African American. Her husband, Reggie Goodjoin, directs the music and choir.

But life in Orange County hasnt been all smooth for the couple.

One time, a neighbor called the police after seeing Reggie Goodjoin in the church building, reporting a suspicious person.

On her first day of kindergarten, their daughter, Nyla, now 7, was told by one of her classmates that she wouldnt play with her because shes black.

The last eight years have been a journey, Goodjoin says with a laugh. But weve also received and continue to receive much love. And thats the important thing.

FROM TRAGEDY TO HOPE

Goodjoin believes good things can come out of heartbreaking tragedy.

Two days after Coleman-Singleton was murdered in church, her oldest child, Christopher, 19, went in front of cameras and told the nation that he has forgiven his mothers killer. To many, it was a shocking statement. Not to Goodjoin.

Its exactly what his mother wouldve done, she said. That was Sharondas spirit talking through him.

In propelling the conversation on gun violence, Goodjoin believes she is honoring her friends memory.

She knows conversations about guns and race relations can get uncomfortable quickly. But, Goodjoin says, its important that communities venture into that sticky spot and utter the words that make them squirm, feel raw and vulnerable.

We need to talk about hurt and anger if we want to build bridges of reconciliation, she said. If people cannot express their pain over incidents that have racial overtones, then we will continue to live in a false world.

Goodjoin is no stranger to violence. She was 21 when she was raped by an intruder who broke into an apartment she was renting for the summer.

So, a black man raped me and a white man killed my friend, she said. Ive found that its not liberating to hate. Its liberating to seek justice and bear witness to forgiveness.

In the end, love has to win.

NOT AFRAID TO GET POLITICAL

During Saturday nights service, Goodjoin urged members of her congregation to build bridges, not walls  a reference to Donald Trumps skirmish last week with Pope Francis.

New Hope has already started building those bridges.

Over Lent, they are having roundtable discussions about gun violence with congregants at First Presbyterian Church in Orange and St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach. On the evening of April 12, in the sanctuary, New Hope will host a public town hall meeting on gun violence.

Michelle Meers, a Tustin resident and New Hope member, says itll be an opportunity for all to speak up.

I too am Orange County, she said. Often, people dont raise their voices because the majority is saying something else. Having these conversations about things we may not agree on is an opportunity for people to come together and be a part of the solution.

Richard Norwood of Laguna Niguel hopes talking about gun violence will pave the way for meaningful action.

If we want to get a revolution started, he says, the first step is to acknowledge that theres a problem.

Goodjoin says faith communities shouldnt be afraid to get political, because theres divine precedent.

Jesus Christ was a radical and he did not shy away from the politics of the time, she said. If we want to see change, we need to give up our silence and make our voices heard.

Contact the writer: dbharath@ocregister.com
Even as media attention on Washington, D.C., soars with the election cycle, local governments direct impact on the lives of citizens will be given its due attention during Chapmans second annual conference on local government Thursday.

This years conference is Reimagining Local Government: Strengthening Democracy in Our Communities.

Organized by Fred Smoller of Chapmans political science department, the conference will feature a diverse panel of experts including several Chapman professors. Other big names include state Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait and Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole.

The conference will analyze local governments current state.

Issues to be discussed include a decline in local government press coverage in some cases, civic engagement, voter turn-out and fiscal crises.

Officials also will examine examples of municipal governments taking the lead on problem-solving as the federal government faces gridlock.

The conference is free to attend. Reservations are required.

Contact the writer: jwinslow@ocregister.com
ALISO VIEJO  As a Marine corporal in the mid-1990s, Michele Williams Harrington was based on an arid airstrip in Kuwait.

The remote location offered no creature comforts to the Marines stationed there, so when Williams Harrington received a Snickers bar in a care package sent by strangers in the United States, it meant the world to her.

Stuff like that means a lot when youre a million miles away, said Williams Harrington, who is married to Mayor Pro Tem Dave Harrington. It was the best Snickers bar I had in my entire life.

Williams Harrington and other Aliso Viejo residents will have opportunities to support hundreds of Marines now that the city has adopted the 1st Maintenance Battalion, based out of Camp Pendleton.

The City Council voted Feb. 17 to adopt the battalion and its 867 Marines. As part of the adoption, Williams Harrington is helping to form a residents committee that will devise ways to provide year-round support for the Marines and their families.

Dave Harrington said the entire city stands to benefit from the relationship.

Its another opportunity for us to show our appreciation to them, and its a way for our community to be involved in something greater than themselves, Dave Harrington said. Plus, its a way for the Marines to be more connected with home.

Lt. Col. Gregory Pace, the battalions commanding officer, accepted a certificate establishing the adoption at the Feb. 17 City Council meeting. He said the battalion is responsible for maintaining all Marine ground equipment west of the Mississippi River, including tanks, amphibious support vehicles and artillery support tubes.

Dating back to 1947, the 1st Maintenance Battalion participated in the Korean and Vietnam wars as well as operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Restore Hope and Iraqi Freedom.

In addition to sending encouraging letters and care packages to deployed Marines, Williams Harrington  a longtime real estate broker in Aliso Viejo  wants to provide opportunities for Marine families to celebrate Christmas or go to Disneyland, among other things.

Just knowing that strangers  people they dont know and have never met  care, thats special, Williams Harrington said. It means the world to the men and women in the service.

Contact the writer: 949-667-1933, cyee@ocregister.com and @ChrisMYee on Twitter
Three people were arrested Monday at an Anaheim medical marijuana dispensary during a raid, police said.

At 3:30 p.m., Anaheim police officers entered a dispensary in a strip mall in the 3000 block of Ball Road that was running on a generator because the utilities had been shut off, said Sgt. Daron Wyatt.

When they arrived, the officers discovered butane hash oil extraction taking place. Hash oil is a potent byproduct of marijuana that is extracted with butane. Hash oil has become more popular because while marijuana has about 15 percent THC, its main intoxicant, and hash oil has a THC rating of 30 to 80 percent.

But its production is dangerous because the butane is highly flammable, Wyatt said.

Three employees, two males and one female, were arrested on suspicion of manufacturing butane hash oil, which is an aggravated felony.

Two customers were in the dispensary at the time of the raid and more kept arriving in the parking lot, Wyatt said.

Marijuana dispensaries are illegal in Anaheim. The city has vowed to file civil and criminal charges against landlords who allow them to operate. Anaheim enacted a law in 2013 to prohibit dispensaries and delivery services after the California Supreme Court ruled that they can ban them.

The shop on Ball Road has been shut down at least once before, Wyatt said.

A series of explosions in Orange County in which people were badly burned, were attributed to the manufacturing of hash oil.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@ocregister.com
SANTA ANA  Nine residents were displaced Tuesday afternoon after a fire at a single-story house, officials said.

Twenty-three Orange County Fire Authority firefighters responded to the blaze around 1 p.m. at a home in the 2000 block of South Hickory Street, Capt. Larry Kurtz said.

The fire started inside the home, although fire investigators did not initially say where. It did not spread to any surrounding buildings, although wires fell around the house. Four adults and five children were home, but not injured. Neither were any firefighters, Kurtz said.

Authorities said two parakeets died in the fire.

Local Red Cross officials responded after the blaze was knocked down around 1:30 p.m. to assist the displaced family.

It was initially unknown how much damage was caused.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or aduranty@ocregister.com
IRVINE  For Laurie Thompson, it was finding out about families in the neighborhood whose children, like her daughter, were struck with a rare cancer.

For Ayn Craciun, it was experiencing a series of inexplicable miscarriages.

For Kathleen Hallal, it was dealing with her childrens autoimmune issues.

The three women and other Irvine parents concerned about the possible effects of pesticides on childrens health last year formed Non Toxic Irvine, an advocacy group pushing to end the use of synthetic chemicals to manage weeds and pests citywide.

On Tuesday, they will ask the Irvine City Council to ditch synthetic chemicals in favor of organic pesticides for the citys 570-odd acres of parks and fields, 800-plus acres of public right-of-way, 70,000 trees and nearly 1.5 million square feet of facilities.

A lot of people dont pay attention, but when your kids get sick, you start looking around, Hallal said.

Kids are exposed to so many chemicals now, even in the womb, she said. We feel like in order to fight dandelions, to add to that chemical mix is a poor choice.

Craciun, who lives in Irvines Quail Hill subdivision, said the master homeowners association there has switched to organic methods instead of sprays with glyphosate, the active ingredient in many herbicides, like agriculture giant Monsantos top-selling weedkiller, Roundup. Some other HOAs have followed suit.

After meetings with Non Toxic Irvine board members, Irvine Unified stopped using Roundup and, after visiting Los Angeles Unified School District to learn about its stringent pesticide-use policy, set up a pilot program using organic methods only at Plaza Vista K-8 School.

Member Kim Konte was an enthusiastic advocate for a running club at Canyon View Elementary School  until she found out the schools oval track was regularly burned into the grass using weedkiller.

Working with Principal Christina Giguiere and Nancy Collins, a teacher on special assignment with the school, the running club used plastic markers donated by Konte to mark the track to be mowed instead.

Those are the kind of collaborative changes the Non Toxic Irvine group hopes to spur, members said.

Last year, the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans.

However, in an email, Monsanto spokeswoman Charla Lord said that in evaluations spanning four decades, the overwhelming conclusion of experts worldwide has been that glyphosate, when used according to label directions, does not present an unreasonable risk of adverse effects to humans, wildlife or the environment, she said.

In November, the European Food Safety Authority concluded glyphosate is unlikely carcinogenic to humans, she added.

Better safe than sorry, say Non Toxic Irvine members, who want their city to become a model for others.

The Irvine council will discuss implementing organic methods at the 4 p.m. meeting.

I want kids to play in the dirt and roll in the grass, Konte said. These chemicals are for weed control; its cosmetic. Thats whats heartbreaking.

Contact the writer: sdecrescenzo@ocregister.com
WASHINGTON  Senate Republicans determined to block President Barack Obamas promised Supreme Court nominee embraced an unlikely ally Monday: Vice President Joe Biden.

More precisely, they embraced a fourth-term Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., D-Del., who, while serving in 1992 as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered a sprawling, 90-minute floor address that included a call for halting action on Supreme Court nominees in an election year.

Biden delivered his remarks in late June, as the court approached the end of its term  the traditional season for retirement announcements  and as President George H.W. Bush waged an uphill campaign for a second term amid an economic slowdown and sinking approval ratings.

Were there a vacancy, Biden argued, Bush should not name a nominee until after the November election is completed, and if he did, the Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until after the political campaign season is over.

Senate consideration of a nominee under these circumstances is not fair to the president, to the nominee, or to the Senate itself, he continued. Where the nation should be treated to a consideration of constitutional philosophy, all it will get in such circumstances is partisan bickering and political posturing from both parties and from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Biden, as vice president, has called in recent days for the Senate to take up the nomination Obama promises to make to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who was found dead Feb. 13 in Texas.

To leave the seat vacant at this critical moment in American history is a little bit like saying, God forbid something happen to the president and the vice president, were not going to fill the presidency for another year and a half,  he told Minnesota Public Radio on Thursday.

Biden said Monday in a statement that the 1992 speech pertained to a hypothetical vacancy and that the excerpt Republicans highlighted was not an accurate description of my views on the subject.

In the same statement critics are pointing to today, I urged the Senate and White House to work together to overcome partisan differences to ensure the Court functions as the Founding Fathers intended, he said. That remains my position today.

Republicans wasted no time highlighting Bidens long-forgotten remarks. The current Judiciary Committee chairman, Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, rose on the Senate floor Monday afternoon to deliver fulsome praise for Biden and the newly unearthed speech.

Grassley set out what he called Biden Rules: There ought to be no presidential Supreme Court nominations in an election year, and if there is such a nomination, the Senate ought to seriously consider not holding hearings on the nominee.

In the 10 days since Scalias death, politicians of both parties have been forced to square their current positions on whether or not to confirm Obamas promised nominee with their past statements on judicial nominations.

For instance, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who now favors leaving the nomination to Obamas successor, has been confronted with a 45-year-old law review article in which he suggested that political matters should not be relevant to the Senates consideration of a Supreme Court nomination.

But Bidens remarks were especially pointed, voluminous and relevant to the current situation. Embedded in the roughly 20,000 words he delivered on the Senate floor that day were rebuttals to virtually every point Democrats have brought forth in the past week to argue for the consideration of Obamas nominee.

Biden anticipated, for instance, that he would be accused of blockading an embattled Republican presidents nominees out of political expediency. That would not be our intention, he said. Instead, it would be our pragmatic conclusion that once the political season is under way, and it is, action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over. That is what is fair to the nominee and is central to the process.

And he dismissed fears that an eight-member court could not effectively function: The cost of such a result  the need to reargue three or four cases that will divide the justices four to four  are quite minor compared to the cost that a nominee, the president, the Senate, and the nation would have to pay for what would assuredly be a bitter fight, no matter how good a person is nominated by the president.

As Bidens remarks circulated Monday, one Republican senator broke with his colleagues to call for hearings and an up-or-down vote on Obamas nominee. Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who faces a difficult campaign this year in a Democratic state, said in a Chicago Sun-Times op-ed that he could support a nominee who can bridge differences, a nominee who finds common ground and a nominee who does not speak or act in the extreme.

But, by and large, Kirks GOP colleagues have held the line and have refused to even entertain the possibility of confirming a justice this year. One Judiciary Committee Republican who has backed some Obama nominees, Jeff Flake of Arizona, said Monday he would not vote to confirm a replacement for Scalia this year.

This is not about the potential nominee, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Monday. This is about who chooses.

At the White House, press secretary Josh Earnest said President Obama made additional phone calls in recent days to lawmakers from both parties, including some on the Senate Judiciary Committee, to discuss his ongoing deliberations and plans for selecting a nominee. But Earnest declined to offer specifics on the timeline or whom Obama is considering.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, one of just two currently serving Republicans who supported both of Obamas previous Supreme Court picks, said the White House has so far made no outreach whatsoever to discuss a path forward for a nominee.
It was supposed to be a week of surfing perfect turquoise waves on a remote Fijian island.

But a group of surfers  including four from Orange County  ended their getaway early with an emergency evacuation from tiny Namotu Island on Friday. The following night they survived the wrath of Cyclone Winston huddled with several hundred people in a resort ballroom on Fiji.

Winston, which had 184-mph winds and smashed previous records for a Southern Hemisphere cyclone, lashed onto the Pacific island Saturday night at the same time the local surfers were supposed to be on a flight home.

The cyclone has killed at least 36 people as of the latest tally and sent destruction throughout the islands, according to news reports.

Mike Pickett of Orange said the surfers heard about a cyclone in the area and considered canceling the trip. But the storm moved out of the area toward Tonga and they decided to go anyway.

For some reason, it circled back around. It wasnt until Friday we started hearing about it, Pickett said of the cyclone. We were out surfing and somebody came out on a boat. They were talking about evacuating the island after lunch.

Some of the people stayed on the island, he said. I heard they got hit pretty hard.

The group was ushered off Namotu Island, which holds only about two dozen people, as the storm intensified Friday afternoon. They piled into a panga boat as the wind whipped and the swell started to pick up.

They made it to the mainland and checked into a resort hotel. About 9 p.m. on Saturday  the same time they were supposed to be on a flight home to Orange County  the wind started howling, knocking down a big tree next to the resort.

Picketts friends, including Jim Dugan of Orange, Stan Sarnowski of Tustin and Jason Livingston of Huntington Beach, were in a room watching a surf film when they were told to report to the ballroom, where 350 people were sprawled out on the floor.

At one point, Pickett went back to his room to get a pillow and blanket.

I weigh about 210 pounds, and the wind blew me up against a rail, he said. It was pretty powerful.

Though there were some children and babies crying in the ballroom, most people didnt seem worried about their safety. They were more concerned for the people who lived in Fijis remote areas.

They dont have a lot of solid structures, Pickett said. In the days to follow, Im sure they will find more people hurt in those remote areas.

When he arrived home Monday, Pickett was devastated to hear about the destruction the cyclone caused.

Pickett, who regularly surfs San Onofre, knows his group was lucky. Although authorities had evacuation areas set up around the islands, many locals dont have a car in which to reach safety. And even if the locals had televisions to get news reports, the power in most areas was wiped out.

Going to Fiji is a great trip, the people are friendly and surfing there is just like a gift, he said. The only thing I would say is that I feel bad for the people who live there. They dont have the same protection we have been afforded.

Contact the writer: lconnelly@ocregister.com
For six Orange County students, it was a chance to give back even more to the community when the Disneyland Resort chose them as Luminaries as part of its Dreamers & Doers program.

The program was launched in honor of Disneylands 60th Anniversary.

The announcement was made at the inaugural celebration for the program held Satruday at the Disneyland Hotel.

There were 60 high school students honored as Shining Stars and the resort donated a $1,000 grant in their names to their schools.

The six that received the additional honor as Luminaries received a package that included a weekend stay at the Disneyland resort.

They will also have the opportunity to present a $3,000 donation to an Orange County non-profit of their choice that meets the resorts Corporate Citizenship focus areas: Strengthening Communities, Conserving Nature, Living Healthier or Thinking Creatively.

The six students honored were:

Adithi Iyer, a senior at Woodbridge High School in Irvine.

Belerofonte Mar, a junior at Samueli Academy in Santa Ana.

Erica Rivera, a senior at Savanna High School in Anaheim.

Madison Null, a senior at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo.

Queen Kwembe, a senior at Savanna High School in Anaheim.

Sara Shin, a senior at Oxford Academy in Cypress.

Contact the writer: meades@ocregister.com
The early presidential primaries and caucuses are doing their job of winnowing the field of contenders. The biggest development from Saturdays Republican primary in South Carolina was that Jeb Bush, a year ago the front-runner in polls, called it quits in a tearful speech.

Another casualty was the contention that the 2010 Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court, which removed limits to contributions to super PACs, somehow destroyed democracy. As Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders contended, American democracy is not about billionaires being able to buy candidates and elections.

But according to the New York Times, by Saturday Gov. Bush and his super PAC, Right to Rise, had raised $130 million, and had burned through the vast majority of that cash without winning a single state.

The winner in South Carolina, again, was Donald Trump, who mostly is self-financing his campaign, but has gained large dollops of free publicity while leveraging provocative Twitter attacks on his opponents. Mr. Trump also is expected to win todays caucuses in Nevada and looks in top form for Super Tuesday next week.

Behind him in South Carolina was Marco Rubio, around whom is gathering GOP establishment support seeking to block Mr. Trump. After winning the Iowa Caucuses on Feb. 1, Ted Cruz finished third in both New Hampshire and South Carolina, as anti-establishment enthusiasm gravitated toward Mr. Trump. Super Tuesday will tell whether Sen. Cruz has staying power.

For Democrats, Hillary Clinton beat Sen. Sanders in Saturdays Nevada caucuses, especially garnering support from the unions that have backed her and her husband, President Clinton, through their long political careers. Feel the Bern could be snubbed out in South Carolinas Democratic primary on Saturday and three days later on Super Tuesday, where the South is another Clinton stronghold.

Mrs. Clinton also is grabbing almost all the superdelegates, elected officials and party leaders who get automatic convention seats. Ironically, the Clintons political careers started in the revolt against the grip of the entrenched Democratic establishment at the 1972 convention. Now theyre the establishment.
FLINT, Mich.  It was the Fourth of July, a warm summer night in 2014, but Tim Monahan was shivering in a thick blanket as he watched fireworks from his front yard here. By the next afternoon his temperature had shot to 104.6, and doctors at the hospital he had checked into puzzled over what was wrong.

Two days later, they had an answer: Legionnaires disease, a virulent form of pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria that can multiply in water systems. Monahan, now 58, was given antibiotics and eventually recovered, but his case turned out to be at the leading edge of a Legionnaires outbreak that sickened at least 87 people in the Flint region, killing nine of them, from June 2014 through October 2015.

State officials still say they cannot conclusively link the outbreak to Flints contaminated water supply, partly because of a lack of sputum cultures that should have been collected from patients. But the possibility of a link was raised in internal government emails as early as October 2014, and state officials did not inform the public of the outbreak until last month.

The Legionnaires cases started popping up as Flint residents were complaining about the foul-smelling, discolored water flowing into their homes after the city switched to a new water source, the Flint River, in April 2014. Soon they were reporting rashes and stomach ailments, and whistle-blowers eventually pointed to alarming levels of lead in the water supply and in childrens blood.

An examination of government emails, and interviews with people who survived Legionnaires and relatives of those who died, shows the government response to the Legionnaires outbreak followed the same pattern that prevailed throughout the Flint water crisis: a failure to act swiftly to address a dangerous problem or warn the public.

Even as more residents became critically ill with Legionnaires disease, and some died, the officials remained mired in jurisdictional battles, according to emails released by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the health department in Genesee County, which includes Flint. Some at the state level seemed more concerned about following bureaucratic protocol, and not raising public alarm, than protecting residents.

Janet Stout, an expert on Legionnaires disease at the University of Pittsburgh whom county health officials asked for help last year, said state health and environmental officials had seemingly willfully impeded the investigation  health officials by refusing to invite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to dispatch experts to help with the investigation, and environmental officials by not helping the county get the answers it needed about Flints water.

The people that were pushing this aggressively were at the bottom, the county, and they were not getting cooperation from the levels above them, Stout said.

State health officials said the county had repeatedly rebuffed their advice and offers of assistance during the outbreak, although they did step in starting early in 2015. Jennifer Eisner, a spokeswoman for the State Department of Health and Human Services, said that while it presented the Genesee County Health Department with the investigation requirements, the county either did not fulfill them or did not acknowledge a need for additional support from the state.

A Ridiculous Tragedy

The revelations in January about the extent of the outbreak left Monahan and several others who contracted Legionnaires disease during that period stunned and furious.

What gets me is how fast the state has just denied  We cant prove its the water,  Monahan said. I think theyre so afraid of tying nine deaths to this. The whole thing is just such a ridiculous tragedy.

The state concluded that about 30 percent of the people who became sick had no known exposure to Flint water in the two weeks before their illness.

Most of those who contracted the disease during those 18 months remain anonymous. Some names emerged in court documents, as three Genesee County residents who recovered from Legionnaires, and the family of a fourth who died from it, have sued McLaren Flint, a hospital that many of those who fell ill with Legionnaires had visited in the two weeks before they got sick.

The lawsuit says the hospital failed to exercise reasonable and ordinary care to warn them of dangerous conditions there. It also names as defendants several current and former employees of the State Department of Environmental Quality, which has been widely faulted for its slow response to Flints water crisis.

Among those suing McLaren is Connie Taylor, who has survived the disease but at a tremendous toll: She now needs kidney dialysis three times a week.

Taylor said she would require the dialysis treatments for the rest of her life, unless she qualifies for a kidney transplant.

This was something I didnt have to go through, she said, and its changed my life tremendously.

Months Without Warning

No public announcement of an outbreak  or even a countywide warning to medical providers  was issued in 2014 or 2015, an omission that several infectious disease experts described as bewildering and highly unusual given the number of cases.

In New York City last summer, health officials warned the public within weeks about an outbreak of Legionnaires disease in the Bronx that ended up being the largest in the citys history. They also provided frequent updates on the outbreak, which they traced to a hotel cooling tower after matching Legionella samples collected from the tower and from patients sputum.

In the Michigan outbreak, the state laboratory tested sputum samples from only 11 of the 87 cases, Eisner said, adding that hospitals, not the state, were responsible for collecting and sending them for testing. She also said it was the countys job to inform health providers about the outbreak, a contention county officials have disputed.

Laurie Prochazka, a spokeswoman for McLaren, declined to answer specific questions about the Legionnaires outbreak, citing the lawsuit. But in a statement, she said the hospital had consistently followed all statutory regulations and notification requirements and that its water meets safety and quality standards.

The hospital, which hired Stout as a consultant last summer, recently announced a series of steps it had taken to safeguard and reinforce the quality of its water system, including installing five secondary water disinfection systems at a cost of $300,000.

In state and county government offices, emails show mounting concern over the outbreak, but bureaucratic inertia even as people like Taylor were fighting for their lives.

As she was recuperating in October 2014, the Genesee County Health Department was starting to ask officials in Flint and at the State Department of Environmental Quality for help determining the source of the outbreak, emails show.

Around the same time, the state health department appeared concerned that the countys investigation was falling short and that the states efforts to help were being rebuffed. The department had tried to offer our services to Genesee and thus far have gotten very little information and/or willingness to receive assistance, a state epidemiologist wrote in an email dated Oct. 13.

Similarly, Genesee County officials were complaining about the response of local officials. In March 2015, emails from county health officials showed rising frustration about their unsuccessful attempts to get information from Flint about its water. In an email in January 2015 that had accompanied a public records request  and that was also forwarded to the state  Jim Henry, the countys environmental health supervisor, said the increase in Legionnaires cases closely corresponds with the time frame of the switch to Flint River water.

Forwarding the email to several high-level state officials, Brad Wurfel, a spokesman for the State Department of Environmental Protection, called it beyond irresponsible for Henry to suggest a connection.

On June 4, a state health official wrote in a memo that the outbreak is over, angering county officials, emails from Henry show. In the months after that pronouncement, 39 more Legionnaires cases were reported.

The state was angry that the county officials had bypassed it to request help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including with collecting and testing respiratory cultures from Legionnaires patients.

I believe that CDC is in agreement that their involvement really should be at the request of the State, rather than the local health department, wrote Jim Collins, director of the state health departments communicable disease division, on June 8. He added that the state had not seen any information that would rise to the level of warranting such a request.

An Outbreak Advances

Kristen Nordlund, a spokeswoman for the CDC, said in a statement that although the agency had provided technical assistance via phone and email starting in February 2015, the state did not invite its experts to Michigan until last month.

During the crucial months of 2014, the outbreak steadily advanced: five cases reported in Genesee County in June 2014, five in July and 10 in August. In all, 42 were reported from June through December 2014, state reports show.

Debra Kidd, a grandmother from Burton, adjacent to Flint, came down at the end of July with what seemed to be a migraine headache. Her son took her to the emergency room at McLaren on July 25, and after a few hours of observation and an injection to treat Kidds headache, they left.

But Kidd deteriorated over the weekend, said her son, Troy Kidd. When she went to her own doctor on Monday, he sent her to a different hospital, Genesys Regional Medical Center in nearby Grand Blanc.

There, Kidd, barely able to breathe, was put on a ventilator and into a medically induced coma, Kidd said. Her illness was diagnosed as Legionnaires disease the next day, and she died on Aug. 2, after her family decided to take her off the ventilator. She was 58 and had been in good health, Kidd said.

Kidd said he thought to connect her death with the Flint water only after the state announced the outbreak last month. He now believes his mother was exposed to Legionella bacteria in the McLaren emergency room on July 25.

Accountability has to be laid on somebodys lap, he said. I want answers; I want to know why.
Seven police officers have been taken off the streets and put on desk jobs after state officials determined that the training they received at embattled Fullerton College Police Academy didnt meet minimum requirements.

The move comes five months after the state shut down the colleges academy for numerous compliance issues, including that many of its instructors failed to show the state they had sufficient qualifications to teach.

Before returning to the field, the officers from agencies in Orange and Los Angeles counties  who were handed certificates on graduation day by the school  must complete a training course to meet California standards.

In recent weeks, after conversations with state officials, La Habra, Brea and Fullerton police departments were among the agencies that reassigned officers to administrative work until they finish the state-required coursework.

Theyre good people that were caught up in a bad situation, said Capt. Jeff Swaim of the La Habra Police Department, which has two of the affected officers. We are very happy that we now have a path to go forward and get our officers certified and trained and back out on the streets serving the community.

In October, Californias Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, suspended the Fullerton College academys certification, saying the 10-month course had significant compliance issues with coursework and staffing.

After weeks of communication, including campus visits, the commission found the academy out of compliance in nine areas including documenting procedures in the electronic system, instructor qualifications and the handling of test materials.

Records showed the college failed to provide proper documentation for 29 of the academys 39 teachers, who were mostly active and retired Southern California police officers.

It was the first suspension in the 20-year history of the academy, which had been a recruiting arm for local law enforcement and one of three academies in the county.

The state asked the school to halt instruction for the Class of 2016, which already had started without state approval.

Further, state officials said at the time, the Class of 2015  whose 31 graduates were told by the college they had met state criteria  might not meet the legal requirements to be peace officers in California.

Since the shutdown, commission staffers told law enforcement agencies that keeping the officers in the field could open them up to liability. In recent weeks, the departments started pulling the officers off the street.

On Monday, interim Fullerton College President Greg Schulz said the school believes the class met state requirements.

The college continues to believe that all of the required training and content was provided, Schulz said in an email.

Because the college isnt authorized to offer a POST-certified course, one option might be offering additional training to the 31 class members through the Orange County Sheriffs Departments academy, said commission spokesman Ralph Brown. He said completion likely would take less than a month.

The state will send the class members letters to update them. The course will include arrest techniques and scenario training; the latter prepares recruits to respond to different types of crimes.

It is unclear who will pay for the additional training, which likely would take place during the summer. Thats being worked out right now, Brown said.

Fullerton College continues to work with state officials to achieve certification again for a police academy. Suspensions, which are rare, can take up to two years to fix, state officials say.

Contact the writer: 714-796-6910 or jclay@ocregister.com
DAMASCUS, Syria  Syrias government on Tuesday accepted a proposed U.S.-Russian cease-fire that is to go into effect later this week, but reserved the right to respond to any violations of the truce. The main opposition and rebel umbrella group approved the deal but set its own conditions.

The developments followed an agreement between Washington and Moscow for a new cease-fire set to take effect at midnight Friday local time in the 5-year-old civil war, even as major questions over enforcement remain unresolved.

The truce does not cover the Islamic State group, Syrias al-Qaida branch known as the Nusra Front, or any other militia designated as a terrorist organization by the U.N. Security Council.

But exactly where along Syrias complicated front lines the fighting would stop and where counterterrorism operations could continue under the truce is still to be addressed. The five-page plan released by the U.S. State Department also leaves open how cease-fire breaches would be dealt with.

While accepting the proposed truce, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said its operations will continue against IS, the Nusra Front and other terrorist groups. It also stressed the right of its armed forces to retaliate against any violation carried out by these groups.

Cabinet minister Ali Haidar said the government will respect the cease-fire in principle, although he could not speak on behalf of the armed groups.

Violations will happen from other parties and not from the Syrian states side, Haidar told The Associated Press after talks in Damascus with Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The main umbrella for Syrian opposition and rebel groups, the High Negotiations Committee, gave conditional approval late Monday. The HNC said acceptance was conditional on the government ending its siege of 18 rebel-held areas, releasing detainees and halting aerial and artillery bombardment.

However, Talal Sillo, a spokesman for the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces, told the AP that his group will not abide by the truce because its fighting against the Islamic State group in northern Syria.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said wont vouch for the success of the agreement but said its the best pathway for ending the bloodshed.

Im not going to say this process is sure to work because I dont know, Kerry testified in Washington before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Russian military said it has set up a coordination center to help enforce the cease-fire. The center is located at Syrias Hemeimeem air base, which hosts Russian warplanes, said Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.-Gen. Igor Konashenkov, adding that it was established in line with the U.S.-Russian agreement.

Its purpose, Konashenkov said, would be to help organize cease-fire negotiations between the Syrian government and the opposition. Russia has given out its hotline numbers for enforcing the truce to the U.S., he added.

Some Syrians in the northern town of Qamishli expressed skepticism that the truce would hold.

If the international community had wanted to stop the bloodshed, the killing and shelling, this could have happened three or four years ago, Bakr Safir told the newsgathering Arab agency Arab24.

U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura halted the latest Syria talks in Geneva on Feb. 3 because of major differences between the two sides, exacerbated by increased bombings and a large-scale government offensive near the northern city of Aleppo.

It was not immediately clear if de Mistura will set a new date for the talks, initially scheduled to resume Thursday. He was quoted last week by the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet as saying they wont resume Feb. 25 because he cannot realistically get the parties back to the talks by then.

A new humanitarian aid convoy of 44 trucks entered the besieged Damascus suburb of Moadamiyeh, Syrias state news agency SANA reported Monday. The delivery was supervised by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the U.N., it said.

State TV reported Tuesday that aid entered another rebel-held suburb, Kfar Batna.

The U.N. humanitarian agency confirmed the delivery. Spokesman Jens Laerke of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the shipments were under way to help about 20,000 people in Moadamiya and another 10,000 in Kfar Batna.

The latest distribution of aid came as Maurer, the ICRC president, began a five-day visit to Syria  his fourth since taking office in 2012.

This is a critical situation at the present moment with millions of people in need, he said.

The Islamic State captured the northern town of Khanaser, cutting supply lines for government forces between Aleppo and central and western Syria. The militants also seized 12 surrounding hills, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Aamaq news agency, which is affiliated with IS, also reported the extremists were in full control of the town southeast of Aleppo.

The Observatory said 35 troops and 16 IS fighters were killed, with many wounded.

The Observatory, which tracks Syrias civil war, said it has documented 271,138 deaths since the conflict began in 2011. But the actual death toll is estimated by the activist group to be about 100,000 higher than that, based on lists of names of the dead.

The U.N., which last released a death toll several months ago, says the war has killed 250,000 people.
NEWPORT BEACH  Residents who got their first look at a proposal for a 26-story condominium tower in Newport Center said it would multiply problems theyre expecting in an area with other luxury condo projects on the way.

The tower is planned for 850 San Clemente Drive, now the site of the Orange County Museum of Art. The museum announced its intention to move near the Segerstrom Center of the Arts in 2008.

If approved, the condo tower, with 47 two-bedroom and 53 three-bedroom apartments, would be one of the countys tallest buildings at 295 feet.

On Monday night, the city held a meeting to get public comment on what factors an environmental report on the project should address.

Nancy Alston, a member of citizen group Stop Polluting Our Newport, said the cumulative effects of so many development projects across the city have to be considered.

Its just mind-boggling, Alston said.

The Newport Center area is also seeing construction of the Irvine Co.s 524-unit luxury apartment complex at San Joaquin Hills and Jamboree roads, the 79-unit Meridian condominium complex on Santa Barbara Drive and proposals for other luxury apartment or condo buildings nearby.

Todd Smith, director and CEO of the Orange County Museum of Art, said in a statement that the museums trustees voted to bring on the firm Related California Urban Housing LLC to redevelop its two-acre property.

Design of the tower would be handled by designer Robert A.M. Stern, dean of the Yale school of Architecture.

(Related Californias) vision for this site will blend nicely into Fashion Island and is the best use of this property, Smith said in the statement.

Funds from the sale of the property would be used to construct the museums new building at the Segerstrom Center, according to the statement.

Several residents at the meeting said they hoped the project would fall under the citys Greenlight Initiative, which requires voter approval for developments meeting certain criteria. Its not yet known whether the project would meet that criteria.

Susan Skinner, who lives nearby, said a residential condo tower should be treated differently than the tall office buildings nearby. Lights would likely be on much later in residences, and there could be noise from tenants, she said.

Its the height of irresponsibility  to be approving construction, after construction, after construction, Skinner said.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7990 or mnicolai@ocregister.com
A 21-year-old changed his plea to guilty Monday in connection with vandalism at a Buena Park Sikh temple last year.

Brodie Durazo of Buena Park pleaded guilty to misdemeanor vandalism of religious property and misdemeanor vandalism under $400 in damages. He previous pleaded not guilty to one felony count of vandalism of religious property and two misdemeanors each of vandalism under $400.

Prosecutors said Durazo sprayed graffiti on a parking lot wall and a parked commercial truck at the Gurdwara Singh Sabha temple in the 7100 block of Orangethorpe Avenue.

The vandalism wasnt reported until Dec. 6, when temple officials and members showed up to attend services, two days after the San Bernardino shootings.

Markings on the truck referenced the Islamic State, sparking concern from the Sikh community that the graffiti was hate speech that could result in further attacks against them.

Police connected Durazo to the vandalism by comparing the lettering to similar graffiti he admitted to painting in a mobile home park.

In a video apology, Durazo said he was drunk when he made a poor decision to graffiti random locations.

Not only did I disrespect you, your religion, your beliefs, but I also disgraced myself, my family and my Christian beliefs and our highest power as well, Durazo said.

He is expected to be sentenced April 5.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@ocregister.com
The 1991 Gulf War saw only 100 hours of ground fighting as U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation, but echoes of that conflict have lingered for decades in the Middle East.

The war pushed America into opening military bases in the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, drawing the anger of an upstart militant named Osama bin Laden and laying the groundwork for al-Qaida attacks leading up to Sept. 11, 2001. Saddam Hussein, demonized as being worse than Adolf Hitler by President George H.W. Bush, would outlast his American rival in power until Bushs son launched the 2003 American-led invasion that toppled the Iraqi dictator.

Now, 25 years after the first U.S. Marines swept across the border into Kuwait, American forces are battling the extremist Islamic State group, born out of al-Qaida, in the splintered territories of Iraq and Syria. The Arab allies that joined the 1991 coalition are fighting their own conflicts at home and abroad, as Iran vies for greater regional power following a nuclear deal with world powers.

Iraq itself is now fragmented and war-torn to a degree few could have imagined after that 1991 U.S. victory. The IS jihadis have imposed their rule over many of the Sunni-dominated areas of the country, Kurds in the north have their own virtual mini-state and Shiites  many of them allied to Iran  lead the government in Baghdad.

In all, the United States finds itself in the quandary it hoped to avoid back in 1991.

Had we taken all of Iraq, we would have been like the dinosaur in the tar pit  we would still be there, and we, not the United Nations, would be bearing the costs for that occupation, the late U.S. Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of Desert Storm, wrote in his memoirs.

Iraq invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, angry that the tiny neighbor and the United Arab Emirates had ignored OPEC quotas, which Saddam claimed cost his nation $14 billion. Saddam also accused Kuwait of stealing $2.4 billion by pumping crude from a disputed oil field and demanded that Kuwait write off an estimated $15 billion of debt that Iraq had accumulated during its 1980s war with Iran.

Fearing Saudi Arabia could be invaded next, U.S. officials moved quickly to deploy troops to the region. After months of negotiations and warnings, the U.S. launched its assault on Iraqi forces in Kuwait on Feb. 24, 1991.

In purely military and political terms, the first Gulf War marked a tremendous success for the U.S., which was still haunted by Vietnam. America suffered 148 combat deaths during the entire conflict, while 467 troops were wounded out of more than 500,000 deployed, according to the Defense Department. The U.S. held together an allied army, its war effort was supported by a number of United Nations resolutions, and the conflict cemented its position as the sole world power following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Americas Arab allies also footed much of the bill for the $61 billion war, with both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait contributing some $16 billion, while the United Arab Emirates offered $4 billion, according to U.S. congressional reports. Japan and Germany together contributed another $16 billion, while South Korea gave $251 million. The U.S. covered the rest.

The key players in the Arab world at the time of the conflict are now long gone.

Saudi King Fahd died in 2005. A popular uprising toppled Egyptian autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Syrias totalitarian ruler Hafez Assad, a longtime U.S. foe who joined the Gulf War effort to reap billions in aid and diplomatic benefits, died in 2000. His son, President Bashar Assad, still clings to power amid a five-year civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people and flooded Europe with tens of thousands fleeing violence across the region.

In Israel, the memory of Iraqi Scud missile-fire prompted the military to speed up a missile-defense program that included the development of its Iron Dome rocket-defense system with the help of the Americans. Then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, a hard-liner, held back from retaliating at the request of Bush, who feared losing Arab support for the war. Though American aid to Israel exceeds $3 billion a year, relations have been strained over stalled Palestinian peace talks.

Yet despite seeing his forces routed from Kuwait, Saddam clung to power and survived an uprising by both Shiites and Kurds following the war. The U.S. and its allies began to patrol a northern and southern no-fly zone to protect the Shiites and the Kurds while Saddam remained a thorn in the side of American politics for more than a decade.

I miscalculated, Bush said in a December 1995 interview. I thought hed be gone.

It would take President George W. Bushs 2003 invasion to end Saddams reign, coming amid the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan. In its aftermath, al-Qaida in Iraq would arise and be put down by a U.S. military surge, coupled with the support of Sunni tribesmen. But as the U.S. withdrew from Iraq and Baghdad stopped supporting the Sunni tribesmen, the Islamic State group emerged from the ashes of al-Qaida in Iraq and in 2014, took control of about a third of both Iraq and neighboring Syria.

Today, the U.S. finds itself mired in a long war feared by Schwarzkopf and others who oversaw Operation Desert Storm. Oil prices, which sparked Saddams invasion of Kuwait, have dropped to under $30 a barrel from more than $100 in just a year and a half.

The cause, in part, is the same OPEC overproduction the late dictator Saddam railed against across the splintered Middle East.
A young humpback whale  struggling off the coast Sunday  was freed by rescuers following what federal officials last year called a record-setting year for whale entanglements off Southern California.

The whale  a 25-foot, juvenile on migration from Baja, Mexico to Alaska  was first spotted by California Fish & Wildlife officials on a boat at 1 p.m. off the coast of La Jolla.

The animal was hog-tied. Fishing line ran through its mouth, pinned down its left pectoral flipper and cinched around its tail fluke. Rescuers from SeaWorld, led by Keith Yip, the parks marine mammal curator, freed the whale after a two-hour effort.

Officials from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations National Marine Fisheries, who monitor entanglements, say the rescue is the first successful effort this year. Two others in January  one off Orange County, one off Los Angeles County and a gray whale off Dana Point  could not be rescued. Reports of those whales came in too late for whale disentanglement teams to respond, said Justin Greenman, part of NOAAs disentanglement team.

In December, NOAA reported a record 63 whales spotted off the California coast entangled in crab and lobster fishing gear. a record 35 humpback whales were reported entangled. From 2000 to 2012, an average of eight whales per year were found entangled off the California coast.

On Monday, whale-watch captains out of Dana Point were on the lookout for the just rescued whale. Records from Capt. Daves Dolphin Safari and Whale Watch and from Dana Wharf Sport Fishing and Whale Watch reported all-time record of 253 humpbacks in 2015 . In 2014, there were 178 and in 2013, there were just 17 of the behemoths spotted.

I believe the whale disentangled yesterday is headed our way and we may see it off Dana Point today, Dave Anderson, who is part of NOAAs disentanglement task force and in November helped disentangle a humpback off Newport Beach. We will want to do a good assessment if we relocate it. Weve seen many humpback whales recently and, unfortunately, so many are entangled.

Just Sunday, Anderson encountered a humpback whale repeatedly breaching and pectoral-slapping just off Dana Point. While the whale was not entangled, its behavior was unusual. Likely, Anderson said, the whales are close to shore to feed on sardines, anchovies and krill.

Because of theire giant sized fins and flukes and their feeding habit, they may be more at risk of getting caught in fishing gear, Greenman said.

Once Yip and his crew got to the struggling whale, it was a race against time. At 3:15 p.m., they found the whale literally anchored in 300 feet of water. A large poly ball was attached near the whales head. Its body was completely wrapped in fishing line. Only a small percentage of the whale was at the surface of the water.

The rescue team made several cuts to the fishing line working from the front of the body near the whales mouth and moving towards its tail. After two hours, a final cut was made to the line near the tail. In the end, they removed more than 40 feet of line and the poly ball.

Once freed, the whale barely moved. Then, suddenly, it took off. Yip and his team put their inflatable craft in high gear to check on it.

The whale appeared to be generally in good body condition and quickly began swimming northward in the direction of the normal migration pattern for humpback whales this time of year.

Ive been doing this for 25 years plus, Yip said. It wasnt until early last year, I got my first experience with a humpback whale. Of the last seven animals weve worked with, they were all humpbacks.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2254 or eritchie@ocregister.com
In a miraculous turn of events, a refugee cat that got separated from his family while fleeing Iraq has not only survived the treacherous sea voyage to Lesbos, but has also been reunited with his owners, now living in Norway.

Kindness towards animals is not new to the people of Lesbos  wed previously written about a cafe in the Greek island that opens its doors to stray dogs at night. So when volunteers found the poor, frightened cat all alone in November last year, they took him in, naming him Dias and deciding to care for him until his real owners could be found.

A few volunteers recalled that there had been a refugee family that was separated from their pet cat on reaching Lesbos a week earlier, so they began their hunt by putting up posters at reception centers all over the island. They also set up a Facebook page called Reunite Dias to help spread the word. In the meantime, Dias was left in the care of volunteers Amy Shrodes and Ashley Anderson, who had been working with refugees on the island.

Photo: Reunite Dias/Facebook

This family probably paid thousands to get a spot for themselves on this rubber boat  even infants required a fee, Anderson said, speaking to The Dodo. They cared enough about this cat to bring [him] with them.

I know how much hope means to a person that has nothing else left, Shrodes told Mashable. I felt strongly that if this family took such a huge effort to bring him with them, they must consider him a part of their family. It wouldnt be right not to give them a chance to at least know hes okay, and even take him back if theyre in a place where they can.

Photo: Reunite Dias/Facebook

So Shrodes took him to a foster home in Berlin and his new family agreed to wait for a year for his real family to be found, before officially adopting him. But the search came to an end quicker than anticipated and on February 14 volunteers posted on Facebook that the cats Iraqi family  a mother and five children  had been located. Although they wished to remain anonymous, it was revealed that they are currently living in Norway.

Photo: Reunite Dias/Facebook

Friends of the feline population, the post read, we bring you exciting news this Valentines Day. On Friday, February 12, 2016, Dias family has been located in Norway. Weve received confirmation in the form of photos as well as the familys historical account. His real name is Kunkush and the cat is very responsive to the name. The volunteers arranged for a Skype call, during which Kunkush kept looking behind the computer screen trying to find his family.

Photo: Reunite Dias/Facebook

A video of Kunkush traveling to Norway was later posted on Facebook, with the volunteers spending 600 for his care, pet passport, and flight ticket. They are now trying to raise money through a GoFundMe page to cover the costs. Kunkush was finally reunited with his family last Thursday, amidst many tears and smiles. The touching moment in which the mother cried out to the cat, Kunkush, my life! My darling! was recorded by The Guardian.

Photo: Reunite Dias/Facebook

The family revealed that they had fled Iraq last year along with their beloved pet Kunkush, making it all the way to the Mediterranean and crossing it on a crowded boat to Lesbos. They had carried Kunkush with them in a small basket, but as soon as they reached the shore, the frightened cat hopped out and ran away. The family and other volunteers searched for him for hours, but couldnt find him anywhere. Eventually the family had to move on to a registration camp without Kunkush. Volunteers found the cat a week later, but by then the family had left and no one knew where they had gone.

Photo: Reunite Dias/Facebook

More than 4,000 Facebook users have been supporting Kunkushs campaign, his Facebook page revealed. Every share has helped us get one step closer to this happy ending. Thank you all for staying hopeful and being a part of this journey.

In a small way, his journey represents the plight of all who are seeking a better life, wrote Michelle Nhin, another volunteer who helped set up the Facebook page. We need each other. If it wasnt for people taking notice of his vulnerable state and taking him in under their wings, hed likely be fighting for food and struggling to thrive.
Jess Schmidt

Omnicom PR powerhouse Porter Novelli has appointed Jess Schmidt senior vice president in the agencys consumer brand marketing practice. She will be stationed in Porter Novellis Los Angeles office.



Prior to joining Porter Novelli, Schmidt was a vice president of Finn Partners consumer marketing practice, which she joined in 2011 and managed food and beverage accounts. Prior to that, she held account management positions at The Rogers Group, and also led consumer-focused media events, managed the agencys internship program and spearheaded its pro bono program. She previously held account executive stints at JMPR Public Relations and Blaze.

In the new role, Schmidt will serve as North American consumer PR lead for one of Porter Novelli's top consumer accounts. She will also be responsible for budget, staffing and developing talent. She will report to executive vice president Jimmy Szczepanek.
The Washington D.C., office of public affairs and strategy firm Mercury has been tapped by the Turkish Institute for Progress for foreign relations support.

International relations organization Turkish Institute for Progress was formed as a means of establishing a forum for dialogue between Turkey and the international community. The non-profit organization is headquartered in New York.



Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu unveiled an economic plan this week to bolster Turkey's ailing tourism industry, which has been hurt recently due to a spate of terrorist attacks and escalating tensions with Russia.



A January suicide bombing in Istanbul's popular tourist district Sultanahmet Square killed 13, all foreigners. ISIS was blamed for that attack. A second bombing, this one from a car targeting military personnel, killed nearly 30 people in the Turkish capital of Ankara. Kurdish militant group the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks later claimed responsibility for that incident.

Turkey's relations with Russia have also soured surrounding both countries' ongoing role in Syria's civil war, which was the sight of a provisional February cease-fire brokered between Russia and the U.S.

Russia has thrown its support behind the Kurdish forces loyal to Syria's autocratic ruler Bashar Assad, forces also supported by the U.S. for aiding in its fight against ISIS. Turkey, which opposes the Syrian government, has supported rebels intending to overthrow Assad, and along with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, has backed umbrella rebel groups such as The Army of Conquest, which allegedly bears ties to al-Qaeda.

Turkey, which in November shot down a Russian warplane it accused of entering its airspace  representing the first downing of a Russian aircraft by a NATO power since the Korean War  has since accused Russia and Syria of attempting to form a "terror belt" along its Syrian border. Davutoglu told the press this week that it supports the cease-fire but would continue shelling Kurdish fighters in Syria if attacked. Assad, meanwhile, said in February that other countries, especially Turkey" should cease aiding rebels as a provision for the ceasefire. NATO in February warned Turkey that it can't guarantee support should tension with Russia escalate into an armed conflict.

Mercury will now represent TIP for the purpose of improving U.S. and Turkish relations. A three-member Mercury team will handle the account, which includes senior VP Mark Braden, former campaign manager for Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Bob Corker (R-TN) and Richard Burr (R-NC); senior VP Mike McSherry, former government affairs director for the Republican National Committee and director of VA Governor Jim Gilmores Federal Affairs liaison office; and director Jennifer Kaufmann, former counsel and rules associate for Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL).
In your Jeep Creep questions, please list your first and last names, your hometown, and your state/province/country, so that we can publish that information here. If you dont provide this information, we may not be able to publish your question and answer. Dont forget to be as complete as possible with the description of your Jeep and its problems, too. Send your Jeep questions to [email protected], Attn: Jeep Creep.

More Jeep Creep Q&As

January 2016

December 2015

November 2015

No Jeep recalls from NHTSA this month

(www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/monthlyreports.cfm)



Low Fuel Pressure

I have a 1990 Cherokee that wouldnt start. It needed a starter and a battery and now it turns over. Its got fuel pressure (35 psi) and spark. It initially didnt have an injector pulse so we put in a crank sensor. Now it fires up and dies right away. When it starts the injector pulse is there but then immediately goes away after starting and kills the engine. What could cause this?

Darren McGavin

Bisbee, AZ

Well, 35 psi is a little low, you should make the sure the fuel system isnt restricted. Inspect the metal fuel lines to be sure theyre not kinked or bent, clean the fuel filter or replace it, and verify that the tank is vented properly. I also think your ignition system is compromised. From your description it sounds like the fuel pump works while the starter circuit is engaged but quits when you return the key to the run position, so the circuit is open, a fuse is blown, or a circuit breaker is open. Inspect the circuit.



Gunky Gas Gauge

I have installed a new plastic gas tank in a 1980 CJ-7. After hooking up the proper ground and wiring, the fuel gauge always pegs out to full and does not move. I may have got my wires crossed. I didnt have a chance to check, but I will this evening. One wire came from the sender and since the tank is plastic, it was grounded from the steel setting ring to the Jeep frame. Could it be a wire from the sending unit (new) to the gauge?

Chad Thomas

Hurricane, UT

The sender works by the ground, therefore, the wiring is reversed; double check all the wiring again.

Power Brakes and Other Stuff

I have a 1977 CJ5 with a 304 V8. I installed an automatic transmission because Im missing my left drumstick below the knee. It has 35x12x15 tires on aluminum wheels, fiberglass body, disc brakes in front, and drum in back. My question is: can I put a brake power booster in my Jeep? The brakes seem rather weak. Ive checked the pads, rotors and shoes, and I bleed them off, but they still pretty poor. If you have any other recommendation or what type of booster to buy and what would be involved installing the booster, please let me know. I was also thinking strongly about the rear disc brakes.

Besides the leg Im missing part of my left foot, been a type one diabetic since 1960, had two bypass heart surgeries. I have leukemia and am on dialysis for my kidneys every day, and I never bitch or complain because therere people out there that are much worse off.

Another question: Im going to rebuild the carb on my CJ, could you tell me what carburetor is on it so I can order the right rebuild kit, before I take it off? And I made a real dumb mistake, I dropped a carb nut down the intake. How can I get it out?

Terry Davis

Columbia Falls, Montana

Absolutely, Terry, you can install a power booster. My 82 CJ7 had power brakes, and youre right they do make a world of difference. First of all you want to go to Summit Racing and order the parts (Summit Racing SUM-760210 - Summit Racing Power Brake Conversion Kit--$180). I strongly agree with you on the disc brake conversion on the rear differential. I did that on my CJ7. Youll love the increased braking, especially in the wet.

Its a Motorcraft 2bbl carburetor. But youll have to be more specific when you order it. The specific model depends on where youre from, electric choke, etc. Take a peek at http://www.nationalcarburetors.com/cat-amc.html and youll see what I mean. To extract the nut, use a flexible magnet to suck it outor you can turn the Jeep upside-down and shake it like a piggy bank!

New Cherokee

I purchased a 2015 Cherokee and Im planning on making it a unique off-road vehicle. Ive found that its difficult to find parts such as lift kits, fender flares, bumpers, etc. Where can I find off-road parts for this vehicle? Do you guys sell any? Im very interested in the Dakar concept fender flares and Id like to install bigger tires.

Kris Hopper

Santa Barbara, CA

First of all, we here at Off-Road.com do not sell products. We advertise many companies and aftermarket parts, but we dont sell any. Secondly, youre right  mods for the 2015 Cherokee are hard to find. Try Rocky Road Outfitters, as they seem to offer everything you mentioned.



YJ V8

Im thinking about converting my original in-line 6 for a Chevy 350. Besides the obvious challenges and cost, is it worth it?

Jordan Marrale

The short answer is: Hell yes!! But I should ask where you live first? If you live in the Midwest, where the land is mostly flat, it probably would not be worth it. I recently sold my 1982 CJ7 with a Chevy 350 V8 with TBI and a TH350 automatic. On the trails here in northwestern Arizona, on the trails in Moab, and on the trails in Nevada, it not only sounded beautiful, it idled over almost any obstacle. If it hesitated, a blip on the throttle popped it over. With a set of paddle tires, it could literally fly over the dunes at Glamis, Coos Bay, Oregon, or Florence, Idaho. Please respond with your hometown and more information on your YJ. Gears, lift, tires, etc., and type of wheeling you do.

Goofy Gauges

Im just looking for some advice on a 99 TJ with 125k miles and a 2.5L engine. When I hit a bump my gauge cluster acts goofy and my fuel gauge goes to empty. When I hit another bump the gauge cluster (speedometer/tach go completely to 0) and then start working again along with the fuel gauge. I put in new spark plugs, wire, rotor, cap, coil, crankshaft sensor, fuel pump, and fuel filter. I also put a new wiring harness on the back of the gauge cluster because the old one had some corrosion on it. Im really out of answers here. Everyone I ask thinks it is the gauge cluster or fuel pump but with the new wiring harness, pump and fuel filter, I think I have ruled that out. Also, when I fill up with gas it wont start. It will crank but after it sits for a little while it will finally start. Im very hesitant on taking it to a dealer. Do you think the bump and filling up are related? Im thinking that maybe there is a fuel shutoff valve somewhere that went bad?

John Hubert

San Antonio, TX

The short answer is: get rid of the 4-banger and get a real enginejust kidding! Your problems can be traced to a single problem: bad ground. The real problem lies in where the bad ground might be. Id say the first place to begin looking is in the ignition harness on the steering column. The next time you hit a bump and the gauges go goofy, wiggle your key and/or thump on the steering column. Also check the ground connection where the ignition loom exits the column--its probably corroded as the dash wiring was. The other place to examine for a bad ground is the new wiring harness you installed (did the gauges go goofy before you changed the harness?). Lastly, make sure the frame-to-engine ground strap is in good condition and both contacts are clean. Before you visit a dealer, buy a good repair manual that includes a wiring diagram.

Hot Wrangler

I just bought my first Jeep, 1999 Wrangler Sport 4.0L with 117,000 miles; very good condition with a lot of extras. But its starting to run too hot; sometimes all the way to the red line. It has an electric fan and an aluminum radiator with a high-flow water pump and thermostat housing. The thing is, when the engine is cold, it can idle for hours and the fan clicks in at 208 or 210 degrees, no problem at all. But if you drive it, it starts to get hot and when the temperature goes over 210 the fan refuses to start and when it does it shuts down right away. Honestly, I dont know what can be wrong. I took it to a mechanic; he changed the temperature sensor, but still the same. Im thinking to go back to a mechanical fan, but again I dont know if its better for off-road?

Ruben Acosta

Glendale, AZ

According to my favorite Jeep tech, the mechanical fan with a fan shroud is the best cooler with an electric add-on fan between the radiator and grille for crawling speeds. You could also install a relay and toggle switch for the electric fan without the thermostat control so that you can turn it on and off as you desire. You should install a 180 thermostat for the best performance.

Bump Stops

I have a 2003 Wrangler Sport with the sport suspension package and 30x9.5x15 on 15x8 rims. I upgraded to Pirelli Scorpion ATR 31x10.5x15 tires, which do not fit on my spare tire carrier. If I remove the five rubber bumper stops on the carrier, the spare tire fits just fine and clears the third brake light. There is about 1-inch between the tire and the tailgate. I do not want to drive without the spare tire being supported by the rubber stops. Do you know a solution or where I can get shorter rubber stops or is it better to by an extension bracket?

Robert Scanlon

Bayfield, CO

Although the extension bracket would be the better way to go, you could cut the bump stops down to size and reinstall them. Check the websites of Summit Racing, 4Wheel Parts or Quadratec for an extension bracket.

In your Jeep Creep questions, please list your first and last names, your hometown, and your state/province/country, so that we can publish that information here. If you dont provide this information, we may not be able to publish your question and answer. Dont forget to be as complete as possible with the description of your Jeep and its problems, too. For some reason the questions have fallen off, and I know we havent answered all your Jeep technical questions. There are no dumb questions; only unasked questions. Send them in and try to stump us.Jim Brightly

As usual, each month, Im shouting out a huge THANK YOU to Paul Schupp at Rock Lizard 4x4 in Kingman, Arizona, for his invaluable assistance in answering many of the Jeep Creep questions.

Send your Jeep questions to [email protected], Attn: Jeep Creep.

More Jeep Creep Q&As

January 2016

December 2015

November 2015
EJ has informed employees at its Birr facility of its proposals to downsize the facility which may result in the closure of the iron foundry and the potential loss of 32 jobs.

EJ has informed employees at its Birr facility of its proposals to downsize the facility which may result in the closure of the iron foundry and the potential loss of 32 jobs.

The foundry manufactures a broad range of manhole covers and drainage grates for the construction industry.

Cavanagh Foundry in Birr, was acquired by East Jordan Iron Works in 2000 and became part of the EJ global group of companies. Following a rebrand in 2012, Cavanagh Foundry, the Irish operation, was renamed EJ

In a statement released on Monday, the company states that it is fully committed to retaining a competitive Irish business with a sustainable future and has commenced a consultation process with its employees at Birr.

The statement continues, EJ will continue its distribution centre and sales and marketing team at Birr and will continue to undertake steel fabrication activities at the facility. In doing so, EJ will continue to employ a workforce of approximately 18 at Birr.

The company states that a strategic business review by EJ concluded that manufacturing of iron castings should be consolidated to its European headquarters in France due to economies of scale, greater operating efficiency and allows the company to be more competitive in response to challenges in the construction sector.

Given the declining volumes manufactured by the Irish operation, the review has concluded that the current structure of the company is no longer commercially viable, the company states.

Commenting on the announcement, Fred Malpass President of EJ said, EJ has been reviewing its manufacturing activity and capacity in response to the changing marketplace. We have seen a fundamental contraction in the construction sector in recent years and the Irish market for iron castings has declined. A review of our Irish business shows that we can no longer sustain our current structure at Birr. We are fully committed to safeguarding the future of our Irish business and we deeply regret any job losses that may result from the proposals announced.

We greatly appreciate the exemplary service of our employees at Birr and the proposed closure is no reflection on their performance. We will now engage in a process of consultation on these proposals. Should the proposals proceed, as a management team we are committed to assisting impacted employees by providing appropriate outplacement support as well as advice on issues such as financial planning.
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BARCELONA, Spain (AP)  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg vowed Monday to press on with his 3-year-old effort to bring the developing world online, even after Indian regulators banned one of the pillars of the campaign.

He said the banned service, Free Basics, was only one program in his Internet.org campaign. Indian regulators banned Free Basics this month because it provided access only to certain pre-approved services, not the full Internet.

Facebook isnt a company that hits a roadblock and gives up, Zuckerberg said at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, Spain. We take the hits and try to get better.

Although Zuckerberg called Indias ban disappointing for the mission and a major setback, he said every country was different and the model that has worked in one country may not work in another.

Zuckerberg wants to bring Internet access to everyone in the world, arguing that online connections can improve lives and fuel development.

To achieve that goal, he has high-flying dreams to someday provide Internet connections through a network of drones, satellites and lasers.

Zuckerberg said Monday that Internet.org would launch its first satellite over Africa this year, and we are about to test flying Internet drone solar planes that can fly three months a year.

While the drones may someday connect people in areas too remote for cables or cell towers, Free Basics is intended for people who live in areas with Internet service but cant afford it. Facebook works with wireless carriers in poorer nations to let people use streamlined versions of Facebook and certain other online services, without paying data charges.

A low-income resident of urban Manila, for example, can use Free Basics to view the Philippines GMA News site. He can be informed. He can research. He can read the news, Ederic Eder of GMA News said.

The program varies by country, in offerings and effectiveness.
A 24-year-old Prague, Nebraska, resident pleaded no contest Monday to a reduced charge of misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide in connection with an accident last summer in which his friend died.

Brandon L. Ostry, who faced up to 20 years in prison on a charge of felony motor vehicle homicide, was drunk when driving a pickup truck about 1:30 a.m. on July 19, investigators said.

Jacob E. Smaus, 23, died, and Jesse Mumaugh, 27, was injured when they were thrown from the back of the pickup after Ostry accelerated hard, said Saunders County Sheriff Kevin Stukenholtz.

Ostry also pleaded no contest to first-offense drunken driving and obstructing a peace officer, both misdemeanors. Authorities dismissed a charge of tampering with physical evidence in exchange for the pleas.

Saunders County District Judge Mary C. Gilbride will sentence him May 9. No sentencing recommendation was reached, according to court documents.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com
When it comes to graduation venues, the Omaha Public Schools face a Goldilocks-esque quandary: local arenas are too big, too small or too expensive.

None are just right.

Still, OPS board members asked district officials to take a second look at venue options in wake of the Civic Auditoriums June 30 closing and parent protests over the selection of the smaller University of Nebraska at Omaha Sapp Fieldhouse for 2015.

The city-owned Civic Auditorium was the site of graduation ceremonies for school districts such as OPS, Millard and Papillion-La Vista. Its closure and pending redevelopment has forced those districts to seek alternatives for commencement space.

Its a short-term problem. By 2016, all three districts plan to hold their ceremonies at UNOs new 7,500-capacity arena at 67th and Center Streets. But that arena, currently under construction, wont open until fall 2015  too late for the spring graduation season.

In the interim, Millard has booked the CenturyLink Center arena for three back-to-back ceremonies on one day, while seniors from Papillion-La Vistas two high schools will walk the stage at the Ralston Arena next spring.

Districts like Bellevue, Elkhorn and Gretna typically hold graduations at their high schools.

OPS announced last month it would hold graduation ceremonies for its seven high schools at the Sapp Fieldhouse, which can seat 3,500 people  less than half the capacity of the Civic.

The move was met with protests from parents, who were informed that graduation tickets would be limited to four per family because of the space crunch.

Board members said they were inundated with complaints, especially from large and blended families that fretted about leaving siblings or grandparents at home.

The outcry prompted board members to discuss other options Monday night.

I know I got tons of e-mails and calls about this issue, and the least we can do is think outside the box, board President Justin Wayne said.

Wayne pushed for renting Council Bluffs Mid America-Center, which can seat 8,000. Board member Yolanda Williams said she didnt like the out-of-state choice.

She said she is against taking our tax dollars and going across the bridge, as nice as the Mid-America Center is.

OPS Assistant Superintendent Jerry Bartee reviewed a list of cost comparisons and pros and cons for each arena in the Omaha metro area.

The CenturyLink arena was expensive at a rental rate of $56,188 for seven graduation ceremonies spread over two days, he said.

OPSs rent for the Civic was $3,000 to $4,000 per graduation ceremony, which the high schools paid from their annual budgets.

Timing and availability are also tricky for the CenturyLink arena. Millard already reserved one Sunday and a circus is booked for May 26 through 31.

Several board members wondered why graduations couldnt be held on site in high school gyms or outdoor stadiums.

Board member Lacey Merica said she believed the district was making the best of a difficult situation by choosing to rent the smaller fieldhouse next year.

Our students want their families to come because its a milestone event, but I cringe at spending nearly $60,000, Merica said. $56,000 is a lot of money our schools could be spending on actually educating students instead of rental fees.

Bartee said the district would continue to talk with high school principals about preferences for next year.

In other business, the board unanimously approved a 3 percent pay raise for Superintendent Mark Evans, who recently completed his first year as OPS superintendent. Under the new contract, which will run through June 30, 2017, Evans will make $272,950 over the next year, up from the $265,000 he made this past year.

Wayne said the 3 percent pay raise was in line with other OPS staff salary adjustments.

Mr. Evans doesnt want anything more other than what teachers and other staff are getting, Wayne said.

World-Herald staff writer Julie Anderson contributed to this report.
Adaptation and not mitigation to address Climate Change challenge

Feature

oi-Shradha

In what can be seen as an initiative towards adapting to the climate change challenge, the National Steering Committee on Climate Change (NSCCC) yesterday approved the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) submitted by governments of Telangana, Mizoram, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya and Chhattisgarh.

The projects are to be implemented in these states at a total cost of approximately Rs. 108 crore funded under the National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC).

Few salient points of the projects are:

Resilient Agricultural Households through Adaptation to Climate Change in Mahbubnagar district, Telangana' is a project worth Rs. 25 crore for four years, with the objective of enhance the climate resilient agriculture for improving livelihoods, particularly that of small and marginal farmers. 30% to 50% of women will be overall beneficiary under the project.

With focus on micro-nutrients and institutional interventions ,Climate Resilient Sustainable Agriculture in Rain fed Farming (Kandi) Areas of Jammu & Kashmir' aims at reduction in the agricultural vulnerability of farmers in water stressed zones with focus on integrated farming systems.

Climate Adaptation in Wetlands along the Mahanadi River Catchment Area in Chhattisgarh' aims to promote water conservation, demand side management as a major adaptation strategy and include switching over of 1,500 farmers from commercial farming to climate smart agriculture practices.

The project from Mizoram titled "Sustainable agriculture development through expansion, enhancement and modelling in the state of Mizoram" will enhance resilience of agriculture covering crops, livestock and fisheries through development and application of improved production and risk management technologies.

Spring-shed development works for rejuvenation of springs for climate resilient development in the water stressed areas of Meghalaya' seeks to maintain and improve the integrity of the natural water bodies.

US President supports Indian energy needs:

US President Barack Obama called for the need of passing clean coal technology to countries like India and China, which rely on coal, heavily, for power generation.

"In order to grow the economy, we have got to have energy. In fact, there are countries like India where it is even more desperate," Obama said in his address to the Democratic Governors at the White House adding that this is not an either/or issue. Energy production and dealing with climate change will have to go hand in hand.

Noting that technology and research and development are accelerating rapidly, the President said thanks to the Paris climate change agreement there would be more investment from the private sector that would accelerate progress even more.

Bill Gates on India's energy paradox:

Acknowledging India's need for electrification coupled with the fact that there is acute poverty in the country, Bill Gates has said that to meet the power requirements India will be burning a lot of coal.

Stating that very poor countries should be unconstrained, Gates said: "If they can figure out how to get power with coal or natural gas, they should go ahead because they are so poor and they have not emitted any of the greenhouse gases that are up there."

The richest man in the world, Gates himself has announced of investing $1 billion in clean energy projects and is hopeful that a new technology for producing clean energy at very low cost will resolve this extremely thorny problem for economies like India.

Prime Minister challenges students to find solutions:

While addressing the convocation ceremony of the Benares Hindu University (BHU) Prime Minister Narendra Modi called out to the students to come up with solutions to the climate and energy challenges these through innovation and research.

"I want to throw this challenge before young men and women of this country. Come up with innovations that may help the world in bringing down temperatures a bit, help the humanity overcome the grave energy crisis it is likely to face if renewable and sustainable alternative sources are not found," said the Prime Minister addressing the gathering of BHU scholars and academics.

Emphasizing on the need for research and innovation, Shri Modi also said that we need technology that can help us realize the goal of increasing our solar energy output, thereby making use of clean energy and reducing carbon emissions.

Climate change threatens bee community:

Recently, researchers have cautioned against the loss of honey bees previously found in abundance in the Nilgiris mountain range in southern India, adding that this may become disastrous for the whole ecosystem if not tackled at the earliest.

Attributing the sharp decline in the populations of the giant rock bee (Apis dorsata) to the changing rainfall patterns which has caused droughts and loss of many species of trees and flowers, scientists have also blamed it on tourism causing forest land to be lost and become covered in concrete.

Dr S Manivanan, a senior scientist at the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research & Training Institute, opined that the government should stop approving construction on steep slopes.

"It is visible that climate change has affected agriculture and the food chain in Nilgiris. The yield of vegetables and fruits is very low because of inadequate moisture content in the soil. Changes such as heavy rainfall in unseasonable months and severe water shortages at regular intervals indicate climate change," said Manivanan.
Arunachal BJP MP urges govt for release of youth taken away by China's PLA in 2015

Arunachal Governor's report tabled in Parliament

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Feb 23: Arunachal Pradesh has been "suffering badly" in the field of development and maintenance of law and order due to political instability and that there has been a failure of constitutional machinery, Governor J P Rajkhowa had told the Centre days before the state was brought under President's Rule.

He also said he and his family members apprehended "grave danger to their lives" due to public criticism against him and frequent gherao of the Raj Bhawan premises and use of "filthy language".

A month later, in his "special report", Rajhkowa said 31 MLAs out of the present strength of 58 supported Kalikho Pul as their leader and staked their claim to form the government.

"Thus, the majority of MLAs have supported Kalikho Pul as the Leader of the House and the next Chief Minister...In view of the foregoing, the Hon'ble President may consider revoking the proclamation imposing the President's Rule so as to enable formation of a democratically elected government enjoying majority in the House..." he said in his report dated February 16.

In his first letter dated January 15, the Governor said Arunachal Pradesh "has been suffering badly in the field of development, delivery of public services, management of state's resources, maintenance of law and order etc due to political instability, more particularly since September-October, 2015, caused by dissidence in the ruling Congress party and consequent chaotic conditions."

He said the "Constitutional machinery has already broken down." Rajkhowa said in a House of 60 members, the (then) ruling Congress led by (then) Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has support of only 26 MLAs including himself and Speaker Nabam Rebia as against the earlier backing of 47 MLAs.

The report said 21 "dissident" MLAs openly revolted against Tuki. The Union Cabinet had recommended imposition of President's Rule in the state on January 24 which was imposed on January 26.

On February 17, the central rule was revoked and Pul sworn in as the new CM.

A copy of the proclamation imposing President's Rule in Arunachal Pradesh and another revoking it, along with the two reports of the Governor were tabled in both House of Parliament today.

PTI
Arvind Kejriwal's five-day Punjab visit starts on Feb 25

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Chandigarh, Feb 23: With his party in a buoyant mood in Punjab, AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will begin a five-day visit to the state from Thursday.

"Kejriwal will try to cover the length and breadth of the state comprising the Malwa, Majha and Doaba regions. He will begin from Sangrur and Bathinda districts," an AAP spokesman said here on Tuesday.

Kejriwal will visit Ferozepur and Faridkot districts on February 26, Khadoor Sahib, Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts on February 27, Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar districts on February 28 and finally go to Ludhiana, Fategarh Sahib and Patiala districts on February 29.

"Kejriwal will interact with various sections of the society comprising families of distressed farmers who have been committing suicides, members of Dalit families and unemployed educated youth and know the concerns of the women folk about their safety and security," the spokesman said.

Kejriwal will also interact with sections of youths who have taken to drugs, the spokesman said.

He will meet the business community, comprising traders and captains of industry, to know the problems faced by them in the state.

The Congress in Punjab had earlier said that it will oppose Kejriwal's visit if the Aam Aadmi Party does not change its agenda for the state.

"Kejriwal should not play with fire by instigating the sentiments of the people of Punjab. This is a very dangerous style of politics being done by the AAP," Congress leader and Ludhiana MP Ravnit Singh Bittu had said.

Kejriwal had addressed a major AAP rally last month at the Maghi religious fair in Punjab's Bathinda district.

The AAP is posing a serious political challenge to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance and the Congress, which have dominated Punjab's political space for decades, in the run up to next year's assembly polls.

IANS
Good news for Sanjay Dutt's fans: Munnabhai MBBS star to walk free on Thursday

India

oi-Mukul

New Delhi, Feb 23: There is good news for all the fans of Bollywood superstar Sanjay Dutt. Reportedly, Munnabhai MBBS star will be released on Thursday after serving remaining 42 months of his five-year sentence. Actor is accused of possessing illegal arms in the March 12, 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case.

According to an official source, the 56-year-old celebrity prisoner is all set to be released from the Yerawada Central Jail in Pune on Thursday morning.

Dutt is scheduled to step out of the jail around 9 a.m. on February 25 and will be received by his wife Manyata, children and other family members.

The jail authorities have rejected a request for a small 'welcome ceremony' planned by the family on security grounds, in view of a large number of the actor's fans and media contingent expected there, said the official requesting anonymity.

The release date of Dutt was first announced by his spokesperson in June last year amid speculation that the actor would be reward with an early exit from prison for his good conduct.

Of the five-year sentence, Dutt has served more than 50 months in two installments, excluding the parole and furlough he was granted at various times on different grounds.

Dutt grabbed headlines when the then Mumbai police commissioner, late A.S. Samra ordered his arrest in 1993 for illegally keeping an AK-47 assault rifle.

He spent 18 months in jail as an undertrial before he was granted bail and later, following a Supreme Court order in May 2013, he was sent to the Yerawada jail in Pune to serve the remaining 42 months of his five-year sentence.

OneIndia news

(with inputs from IANS)

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Story first published: Tuesday, February 23, 2016, 11:00 [IST]
Govt committed to forging mutually respectable ties with Pak: President

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Feb 23: President Pranab Mukherjee today said the government is committed to forging a "mutually respectful relationship" with Pakistan while asserting that "firm and effective" steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism.

In his customary address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament outlining the government's agenda in the coming financial year, he said the government is fully committed to firmly dealing with all challenges concerning the security of the country. "Terrorism is a global threat and strong counter measures are necessary worldwide to eradicate it completely," Mukherjee said, congratulating the security forces for successfully foiling the recent terror attack at the Pathankot air base.

He said, "Firm and effective steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism." Turning to Pakistan, the President said the government is committed to forging a "mutually respectful relationship" with Pakistan and in creating an environment of cooperation in combating cross-border terrorism.

"My government believes in a secure and prosperous future for our neighbourhood", he said, adding that "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: The world is one family" is the principle to which the government is committed. "Its expression is most resonant in the steps we have taken in reaching out to our neighbours," he said at the outset.

PTI
Jat protesters vandalise rail station, burn train engine

India

oi-PTI

Bharatpur (Raj), Feb 23: A mob on Tuesday, Feb 23 vandalised a railway station and set ablaze a goods train engine in the district where normal life remained affected for the second consecutive day due to the Jat quota stir.

Police fired in the air and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse mobs at two places. "Firing in the air was done at two places including one at Ucchain area on National Highway 11 where a large number of protesters had gathered.

"An engine of a stranded goods train was set on fire and damaged by the protesters near Helak station whereas Paprera railway station was also vandalised in a separate incident," IG Bharatpur Alok Vashistha said.

He said that police contingents were rushed to different places in the district to disperse the agitators. DGP Manoj Bhatt said in Jaipur that the situation is under control in Bharatpur.

Bharatpur district collector Ravi Jain said that the agitators burnt the ticket counter and station masters cabin at Paprera railway station and looted around Rs 5000 from the ticket counter.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were imposed by the collector yesterday after the members of the Jat community extended their support to the ongoing reservation stir in Haryana and blocked highways and railway in the district.

State Social Justice Minister Arun Chaturvedi and Tourism Minister Krishnendra Kaur had held a meeting with the leaders of the agitators last night but it failed to yield any results. Normal life in the district remained affected due to the agitation and police and district administration officials are monitoring the situation.

PTI
Haryana: Narrow escape for Dussehra revellers as burning effigy of Ravana falls in Yamunanagar

Jat quota stir: Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda's aide instigated violence?

India

oi-Mukul

New Delhi, Feb 23: This will definitely leave Congress red-faced. Amid ongoing Jat quota agitation, an audio tape has surfaced which will surely increase Congress' cup of woes in coming days.

Reportedly, the 90-second audio clip has recorded conversation of close aide of former Chief Minister of Haryana, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and a Khap leader.

In the tape, Hooda's aide Virender Singh was heard talking with Khap leader Captain Man Singh and planning to instigate Jat agitation for political mileage.

Virender Singh was political adviser to Congress leader Hooda when he was Chief Minister of Haryana.

Congress which has been tragetting BJP government of Haryana for not containing Jat agitation is on the back-foot now. Manohar lal Khattar Government has said that it will investigate the whole matter and expose Congress.

When asked about the veracity of the audio tape, Virender Singh said, "I was, in fact, trying to say that the peace should not be disturbed . However, the recording has been doctored to change the meaning."

The issue was also raised in the State assembly on Monday where parties demanded proper inquiry of it.

State education minister Ram Bilas Sharma was quoted as saying, "He (Virender) has allegedly tried to flare up the ongoing agitation. I heard the clip and the matter is crystal clear".

OneIndia News
Kanaihya Kumar bail plea adjourned, Delhi police to file status report on probe

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Feb 23: The Delhi High Court has listed the bail hearing of JNU student leader Kanaihya Kumar for Wednesday.

The matter had come up before the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, Feb 23 where the Delhi police opposed the bail plea. The matter came up for hearing before Justice Prathiba Rani today who has ordered that the matter be posted on Wednesday for hearing.

Also read: Kanhaiya wet his pants while we beat him in police custody: lawyer

When the matter came up for hearing today before a packed court hall, the Delhi police opposed the bail plea filed by Kumar. The court then ordered the Delhi police to file a status report of the investigation into the case by tomorrow while adjourning proceedings.

The Delhi police has made it clear that bail should not be granted to Kumar as the investigations are still on. The Delhi police in a report prepared on the JNU incident said that Kumar was part of the group that was raising anti national slogans.

The police also said that if bail is granted at this juncture, then it would hamper the investigations.

PTI

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Story first published: Tuesday, February 23, 2016, 11:09 [IST]
Residency permit for foreigners bringing FDI?

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Feb 23: Foreigners who bring FDI may get long term visa or residency permit as the option is being explored by the government to make travel easy for businessmen as part of the 'Make In India' campaign.

The Finance Ministry and the Home Ministry's foreigners division are deliberating whether India can offer long term visa or residency permit as a token of gesture to foreign businessmen who invest in the country, official sources said.

If the proposal is implemented, it would be part of the Narendra Modi's 'Make In India' campaign to attract foreign direct investment. Various provisions of the Foreigners Act are being examined and discussions are also on whether to bring an amendment to the existing rules, sources said.

The facilities which may be offered to such investors are still being explored, but they would definitely get enhanced facilities and hassle-free entry to India as well as domestic travel, they said.

As of now, business travellers are not required to get themselves registered with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO)/ Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) concerned if they have entered India on a long term visa provided their continuous stay in India does not exceed 180 days.

But if they stay for more than 180 days, he/she should get himself/ herself registered well before the expiry of 180 days from the date of arrival with the FRRO/FRO concerned. There may be some modification of this rule and the foreign investors would not be required to visit FRRO even if the stay period crosses 180 days, sources said.

As per the existing rules, all foreigners (including foreigners of Indian origin) visiting India on long term (more than 180 days) Student Visa, Medical Visa, Research Visa and Employment Visa are required to get themselves registered with the FRRO/ FRO concerned having jurisdiction over the place where the foreigner intends to stay, within 14 days of arrival.

However, Pakistan nationals are required to register within 24 hours of their arrival.

All Afghan nationals are required to register with the FRRO/FRO concerned within 14 days of arrival except those Afghan nationals who enter India on a visa valid for 30 days or less provided the Afghan national concerned gives his/her local address in India to the Indian Mission/FRRO/FRO.

PTI
Salute the soldiers in Kashmir who face bullets from terrorists and stones from rebels

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Feb 23: Being in the army is never easy especially if the posting is at Jammu and Kashmir. As the brave soldiers battled terrorists for nearly 50 hours at Pampore, they had probably fought one of their toughest battles in recent times.

It was one thing to fight the terrorists for 50 hours and a whole other ball game facing the wrath of some local rebels who pelted stones at the soldiers apart from raising Azad Kashmir slogans.

This peculiar situation is not taking place for the first time. Even during the battle at the Kakapora village recently in which the army engaged with three Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants similar scenes were witnessed.

The army had to counter a similar situation at Samba as well and now the worry is that this appears to be becoming a trend.

Bullets from terrorists, stones from rebels:

A police officer in Jammu and Kashmir informed OneIndia that this is becoming a trend. At every encounter site, a couple of rebels gather around and raise slogans against the army. There are a handful of them, but they still create problems by pelting stones and raising slogans.

The army is in a catch-22 situation. It cannot fire at the rebels. On the other hand they dodge the stones from the rebels and the bullets from the terrorists. To top it all after the army had killed the terrorists, the rebels raised slogans in favour of the slain Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists.

We need to continue doing the job. This is an occupation hazard and we cannot let such incidents deter us said an officer in the army.

It does disturb the operation a great deal and no matter what we say or do, the rebels do not seem to get away from the site. Stone pelting has become a norm in Kashmir these days, the officer also added.

The rebels do not understand that it is the same army which saved them during the floods, the officer further noted.

OneIndia News
Vaishali Takkar suicide: Her e-gadgets to be probed; hunt for the harasser is on

Seers call off stir as MP govt assures redressal of demands

India

oi-PTI

Indore, Feb 22: The seers agitating for a month in support of their various demands including cleaning of Kshipra river ahead of Simhastha Kumbh fair in April today called off their protest, saying an assurance has been given by state government.

"Madhya Pradesh Transport Minister Bhupendra Singh came with a message from Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to meet our president 'Computer Baba'.

"He said the government will take all appropriate steps to meet our demands, following which we have decided to end the month-long protest," said 'Shatdarshan Sadhu Mandal' state general secretary, Naveenanand Saraswati.

The seers also sought solution to various problems prevailing in the Kumbh Mela area and demanded old-age pension for members of their fraternity who are dependent on others. He said the minister told the seers that government is taking all possible measures to clean the river, especially preventing waste water from entering into it.

Saraswati said the group of seers was scheduled to stage a protest on the issue at Jantar Mantar in Delhi from tomorrow, but has cancelled the plan after Chouhan's assurance. The religious congregation, held once in 12 years, will be organised on the banks of Kshipra in Ujjain during April 22 to May 21, wherein nearly five crore people are expected to take part.

PTI
Sumitra Mahajan stresses need for new Parliament building

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Feb 22: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today cited the difficulties she faces in providing adequate facilities to members as one of the reasons for her proposal to have a new Parliament building.

Mahajan said that in the coming days, the strength of the Lok Sabha could increase after a fresh delimitation and the present structure will find it difficult to accomodate more people.

She said that in an effort to make Parliament paper-free, she wants members to access the House documents online inside the Lok Sabha chambers. "But there is no space to put computers. TMC members said at the time of voting they find it difficult to adjust on the benches," she explained.

She said since the present structure is a heritage building, not many changes can be made. The Heritage Committee of Parliament had met recently to approve providing PNG (gas) pipelines in Parliament Building so that people can be served fresh food in canteens.

"There was often a complaint that chapatis are not warm. Now that has been taken care of," she said. She said since M Venkaiah Naidu is both Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development Minister, he will have to decide on the future course of action. "These things often take time.The new place which should not be away from the present complex and other things take time," she explained. Mahajan said she agreed with the proposal mooted by her predecessor Meira Kumar to go for a new building. "I have now put the file in process," she said.

She said one of the passing thougths was that Rajya Sabha can meet in the Lok Sabha chambers in the coming days. "There were a lot of suggestions. I am just sharing them," she said, adding everything is not in writing.

She had late last year written to Naidu asking him to consider initiating action for construction of a new Parliament building and suggested two options for the alternative site, one within the Parliament complex itself and another across the Rajpath.

Sources said the possible follow-up to the letter is that the Urban Development Ministry will prepare a note for the Cabinet where the matter could be considered.

PTI

GVS
What is Sabarimala Thantri's view over use of halal jaggery to prepare prasadam: plea in Kerala HC

Women entry in Sabarimala: TDB to hold 'yagna'

India

oi-PTI

Sabarimala (Ker), Feb 22: As a nationwide debate rages on whether or not to allow women of all age groups in Sabarimala temple, Travancore Devasoman Board is getting ready to hold a "yagna" to garner support and create awareness among devotees for maintaining the centuries-old tradition.

The TDB which manages several temples, including the Sabarimala Lord Ayappa Temple, said the 'yagna' envisages "to make a change in the mindset of those who demand the entry of women of menstrual age at the hillock shrine".

A meeting of the board members of TDB held here today decided to hold the state wide "yagna" at all temples coming under TDB on March 7.

"We are trying to use prayers as our weapon to counter all propaganda against the centuries-old rituals and tradition of the temple. At least 10 minutes of special prayer will be held at the shrines as part of this. The prayer will address the principle deities of respective shrines," TDB president Prayar Goplakrishnan told PTI.

As a prelude to the yagna, a seminar of experts will be held here later this month where papers regarding temple rituals and customs will be presented, he said.

The TDB chief said a meeting of 58 "tantries" (priests) across the state here today also appealed that the customs and tradition of Sabarimala temple not be changed as per the whims and fancies of anyone.

The Supreme Court had recently questioned the tradition of banning entry for women of menstrual age group in the Kerala temple, saying this cannot be done under the Constitution. While considering a PIL by an NGO seeking entry of women of all ages in the temple, the apex court had said it would examine the issue.

PTI
My party-BJP have different ideologies but common aim of uplifting poor: Nepal ex-PM Prachanda

India and Nepal Ties in Recent Times

International

oi-Lisa

By Lisa

India and Nepal resolved certain issues that had cropped up between historically two strongly bonding nations when Prime Minister of Nepal K P Sharma Oli visited India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also acknowledged that Nepal-India ties had suffered problems after promulgation of the Constitution in Nepal. The problems were however, the thing of past after two PMs sat and talked over the issues.

Both the Prime Ministers jointly inaugurated Mujaffarpur (India)-Dhalkebar (Nepal) transmission system. Also members of Nepali and Indian delegations signed and exchanged seven agreements for partnership and progress.

New template since May 2014

When PM Modi arrived in Nepal on two day visit on 3rd August 2014 it marked a new beginning of India's ties with Nepal. It was the first bilateral trip by an Indian PM to Nepal in last 17 years.

PM Modi got the rare honour to address Nepal's Constituent Assembly and he held talks with his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala and met other leaders too.

The high point of the visit was when PM united Nepalese man Jeet Bahadur with his family. PM Modi had met a child Jeet Bahadur in helpless condition and had paid for his education and other expenses. He also had helped Jeet Bahadur locate his lost family.

Numerous agreements were signed for major border infrastructure projects to usher in prosperity for people living on both sides of border. Numerous projects were also undertaken to increase connectivity between two nations.

The then PM of Nepal Mr. Sushil Koirala had graced PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony too on May 26, 2014.

Powerful friends of Nepal - India and China

Geo-politically Nepal is situated at a very crucial point acting like a cushion between India and China. Both the nations try to act like at times big brother' at times elder brother' for the tiny Himalayan nation.

During the UPA governments the ties between India and Nepal were not paid much attention and that ensured China's influence on Nepal increased considerably.

Nepal's problems like absolute poverty, Maoist insurgency, royal family succession and move to democracy have ensured that Nepal has always leaned towards India for long term solutions of its problems.

Nepal always has greater cultural similarities with India and its Gurkha regiment continues to serve in Indian army. Also India continues to train Nepalese soldiers and keeps supplying arms to Nepal.

Also both the nations share an open border which means Nepal is very crucial to India.

Nepal Earthquake

On 25th April 2015 Nepal was hit by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake caused massive damage and injuries. Proactive Indian PM didn't miss the opportunity and rushed relief to Nepal on war footing.

The help India extended at the time of earthquake ensured that Nepal realised that it is central to India and that it has a special place in India's thinking.

Indian defence services carried on relief and rescue operations for many days and also are actively involved in restoration work that are going on in Nepal.

Indian domestic airline carrier SpiceJet accommodated as many requests as possible free of charge from accredited NGOs and relief organistions taking emergency supplies to Nepal. Air India also carried relief material free of charge on priority basis to Nepal on its flights to Kathmandu leaving both from Delhi and Kolkata.

India pledged $250 million to Nepal to rebuild the nation after the earthquake.

Turmoil in India-Nepal ties as China makes its moves

There have been distractors especially Maoists who have tried their best to sour India and Nepal ties. Many say that the relationship between Nepal and India is semi-colonial. Also many talk about India treating Nepal as bonded market. Certain people leave no opportunity to talk about how water treaties help India more than Nepal.

The ties between India and Nepal hit a low when India chastised Nepal's government for adopting new constitution in a hurry and not meeting aspirations of all communities.

India also called back its ambassador to Nepal Mr. Ranjit Rae for a day long consultations to figure out how to tackle blockades and violence at the border areas.

Indian transporters lodged their vocal complaints about issues that they are facing due to unrest at the border areas. India not wanting to use force asked three political forces in Nepal to resolve the issue.

Nepal on the other hand was offended by the way in which it was admonished by the Indian government. Nepal found it hard to digest the treatment meted out to it despite PM Modi's personal involvement in improving ties with Nepal and also generous help that India offered during the earthquake.

As Nepal and India ties soured China not to miss the opportunity opened its border with Nepal along Tibet. The anti-India sentiments in Nepal following political uncertainty gave China and opportunity to offer financial assistance for drafting Nepalese constitution. Also China became Nepal's biggest foreign investor when it funded a .6 billion hydropower project.

Misunderstanding cleared

All the misunderstandings were cleared between India and Nepal when Nepalese PM Mr. K P Sharma Oli paid a visit to India. Both the PMs addressed a joint press conference in New Delhi.

PM Modi while addressing press conference called the day as a significant day for historic Nepal-India ties. PM Modi also added that,

"After a struggle of decades, making and promulgation of the Constitution are significant achievements. But, its success depends on consensus and dialogues. I believe, following these principles, via political dialogues with all sides, you will be able to satisfactorily resolve all issues over the Constitution and lead Nepal toward the path of progress and stability."

PM Oli too echoed PM Modi's views and said that,

"Our relations are beyond governments and beyond formal tales. We are linked by history, culture and geography. For Nepal, the relationship with India is important. We are proud of impressive development of India and we want to reap benefits from this."

Subramanian Swamy's role in India-Nepal ties

While India and Nepal ties are back on track it is interesting to note that PM Modi has been using veteran BJP leader Subramanian Swamy to interact with Nepalese PM Mr. Oli and Maoist leader Prachanda.

PM Modi had send Mr. Swamy to Nepal just ahead of PM Oli's India visit. Mr. Swamy was sent as special emissary for talks to Nepal. One reason for problems between two nations as quoted by Kathmandu sources was indirect communication between both the nations.

It could be that Mr. Swamy was sent to Nepal to help political dialogue resume. Mr. Swamy was travelled to Nepal in a special aircraft that belonged to Government of Gujarat.

There is no dearth of senior leaders in BJP who can be assigned task to keep India Nepal relations on track. Mr. Swamy may have been chosen for the task as he has very close relations with many Nepalese leaders.

Also Mr. Swamy could be a choice as he can easily convince Nepalese leaders to keep anti-Hindu forces in control in the Himalayan nation. There by he can stop Nepal from leaning towards China.

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Story first published: Tuesday, February 23, 2016, 12:36 [IST]
This photo captured by Webb telescope offers rare and clearest view of Neptune and its rings

NASA releases 1969 recording of 'strange music' from outer space

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New York, Feb 23: The US space agency has released the archived audio tapes of a conversation between Apollo 10 astronauts about an "outer-space-type music" as their craft flew on the far side of the moon in 1969, a couple of months before Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon, media reports said.

Although the text from the transcript of the discussion was released in 2008, the audio recording is only just being made public and will be played in an upcoming Science Channel series "NASA's Unexplained Files", CNN reported.

Since it is not possible to receive radio signals on the far side of the Moon, the musical dance of frequencies and noise made astronauts Eugene Cernan and John Young wonder whether "that whistling sound" could be an "outer-space-type music".

"That music even sounds outer-spacey, doesn't it? You hear that? That whistling sound? Whoooooo," says Cernan in the recording.

Young answers in the affirmative, saying: "I wonder what it is."

So, what could possibly be the explanation?

In a statement released last week by NASA, Cernan said: "I don't remember that incident exciting me enough to take it seriously. It was probably just radio interference. Had we thought it was something other than that we would have briefed everyone after the flight. We never gave it another thought."

In the promo of "NASA's Unexplained Files", astronaut Al Worden says that "logic tells me that if there was something recorded on there, then there's something there", but according to cbsnews.com, Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins provided a detailed explanation about the noise in his 1974 book "Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys", which he co-authored with Charles Lindbergh.

As Collins waited for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to catch up after blasting off from the lunar surface, he too heard "a strange noise" in his headset - "an eerie woo-woo sound", Collins wrote.

"Had I not been warned about it, it would have scared hell out of me," he further wrote.

"Stafford's Apollo 10 crew had first heard it, during their practice rendezvous around the moon. Alone on the back side, they were more than a little surprised to hear a noise that John Young in the command module and Stafford in the LM (lunar module) each denied making," Collins added.

After returning to Earth, the Apollo 10 crew "gingerly mentioned it in their debriefing sessions, but fortunately the radio technicians (rather than the UFO fans) had a ready explanation for it", Collins noted.

"It was interference between the LM's and command module's VHF radios. We had heard it yesterday when we turned our VHF radios on after separating our two vehicles, and Neil said that it 'sounds like wind whipping around the trees'. It stopped as soon as the LM got on the ground, and started up again just a short time ago. A strange noise in a strange place," he wrote in the book.

IANS
What does the US actually want in Syria?

US failing to explain deadly drone policy: report

International

oi-PTI

Washington, Feb 23: The United States has made little or no progress in explaining how and why it orders lethal drone strikes, even as America's reliance on the unmanned aircraft soars worldwide, a report found today.

According to a study by the Stimson Center, a Washington-based nonpartisan think tank, President Barack Obama's administration has failed to provide basic transparency into the drone program that has become a keystone in America's counterterrorism efforts.

"In terms of the justification for the program and all the legal basis -- that still remains out of reach of the American public," study author Rachel Stohl told AFP.

Her paper gives American school-style grades in a "report card" to the US government, rating how it has improved its drone accountability since the Stimson Center wrote a damning report on the matter in June 2014.

The report card gave the Obama administration an "F" -- or a failing grade -- in three areas: a lack of progress on releasing information on targeted drone strikes, developing better accountability mechanisms and explaining the US lethal drone program's legal basis.

A seemingly ever-expanding global war against extremist groups means the United States relies heavily on drones to monitor hostile lands and launch missiles at suspected extremists.

Obama has drastically expanded the drone program during his tenure, but his administration provides scant information on strikes. Critics say many drone strikes kill civilians, and the aircraft alienate and radicalize local populations on the ground.

Since June 2014, the United States has reportedly carried out lethal drone strikes in Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, as well as against Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

The Stimson Center said at least a dozen countries now host US drone bases, including Ethiopia, the Seychelles and Yemen.

"The targeted killing program has been the most precise and effective application of firepower in the history of armed conflict," said Michael Hayden, former head of the Central Intelligence Agency, which carries out most drone strikes.

AFP
US Prez poll 2016: Film director Spike Lee endorses Sanders

International

oi-Shubham

Washington, Feb 23: American film director Spike Lee has endorsed Bernie Sanders, the Democrat who is in race with Hillary Clinton for winning the party's presidential nomination, asking the voters of South Carolina to "Wake up!," a CNN report said.

[Complete list of US presidential election primary and caucus schedules/results]

Vermont Senator Sanders will take on Hillary in the South Carolina primary on February 27. After the five-point loss in Nevada Caucus, the former would be looking for a much-needed win to remain in the run for the White House.

In an ad released on Tuesday, the director of She's Gotta Have It, said: "This is your dude, Spike Lee. And you know that I know that you know that the system is rigged! For too long we've given our votes to corporate puppets. Sold the okie doke. Ninety-nine percent of Americans were hurt by the Great Recession of 2008, and many are still recovering," the CNN report said. He said this to explain why he officially endorsed Sanders.

Lee also praised Sanders for his activism during the Civil Rights Movement days, stand on education and fight against income inequality.

"Bernie takes no money from corporations," Lee said.

Fifty-eight-year-old Lee is a prominent voice in Hollywood and is known for films that examine race relations and urban and political issues. Lee's endorsement of Sanders takes place at a time when Hillary leads her rival among the black voters, a ley constituency in South Carolina. A recent poll in the state showed Hillary having the backing of 65 per cent black voters as against Sanders's 28.

Oneindia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, February 23, 2016, 22:38 [IST]
Yellow fever death toll rises to at least 250 in Angola

Yellow fever death toll hits 99 in Angola

International

oi-PTI

Luanda, Feb 22: An ongoing yellow fever epidemic in Angola has killed 99 people out of 462 suspected cases since December 30, statistics showed today, despite government attempts to quell the outbreak.

The centre of the health crisis is the capital Luanda's eastern suburb of Viana where 29 dead out of 173 suspected cases have been reported, according to the health ministry.

There is no specific treatment for yellow fever, a viral hemorrhagic disease which is transmitted by infected mosquitoes and found in tropical regions of Africa and Latin America's Amazon region.

Authorities launched a mass vaccination campaign earlier this month. The government has also appealed to residents to sterilise stagnant water before drinking it.

Yellow fever vaccinations are routinely recommended for travellers to Angola, though the country had not previously seen a significant outbreak since 1986.

AFP
Kanhaiya wet his pants while we beat him in police custody: lawyer

New Delhi

oi-Sandra

New Delhi, Feb 23: Shocking details have emerged in a sting operation conducted by India Today which shows three lawyers, Vikram Singh Chauhan, Om Sharma and Yashpal Singh admitting to beating up JNU students' union President Kanhaiya Kumar when he was in police custody.

The lawyers, accused of beating up journalists and students in Patiala House Court admit that they beat up Kumar for three hours while he was in police custody. They also admit that Kumar wet his pants during the beating.

Also read: JNU row: Tug of war continiues as Delhi cops to oppose bail for Kanhaiya Kumar

"We thrashed him for three hours and we also forced him to say 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. He raised the slogan following which we allowed him to go," said Chauhan.

One of the lawyers can even be seen claiming that he would not sign a bail bond only to land in jail so that he could beat up Kanhaiya again inside the jail premises. He went on to say that they had full support of police during the scuffle at the court premises.

Also read: Sedition law 'necessary' to stop talks against country: Hegde

Singh said, "We thrashed all journalists and JNU professors. If you live in the country, you will have to talk about the country. Police was also supporting us fully and they told us they were in uniform, that's why they (too) were not thrashing him."

Chauhan also says that many attackers on that particular day were brought from outside with the intent of beating up anti-nationals.

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New Bill in California Seeks to Regulate Online Poker (Again)

Published February 22, 2016 by Elana K

California State Representative Adam Gray has once again introduced a bill, AB-2863, that would see the regulation of online poker. A date for the hearing has not yet been set.

California State Representative Adam Gray has once again introduced a bill that would see the regulation of online poker. This is approximately the 12th bill introduced over the past nine years in attempt to regulate online gambling in the Golden State.

Gray issued another bill in April of 2015, AB-431, which was not passed due to minority opposition as well as tribal disagreements. His new bill, AB-2863, is an amended version of his previous bill, and the two are similar but contain some key differences.

Comparing the new and old bill

In Gray's new bill, Californias racetracks would not participate in Californias regulated online poker market - in return, they would receive as much as $60 million annually, taken from the states poker revenues. This amendment isimportant , because it seeks to mollify the tribal factions that insist on exclusivity over most of Californias potential online gambling market.

Another amendment is the elimination of the bad actors clause, which was included in the original bill in order to prevent certain operators from being allowed to offer gambling services. These operators are those who continued to offer online gambling after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed in 2006.

In Grays new bill, the bad actors clause is left out and replaced by a general statement that suitable operators will need to be approved by state regulators.

Both the new and old bill contain a clause that would make playing poker on unlicensed, out-of-state of offshore sites a felony, something which has never been illegal in California. Players are not likely to be happy with this inclusion, but if the state offers enough quality, regulated sites, it shouldnt be a problem.

The long road to regulation

The biggest obstacle, as of now, are the tribal factions, and whether they will agree to what is being offered. The good news on that front is that the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians has already issued a statement in support of Grays amended bill.

As of now, a hearing for the bill has not yet been scheduled.
New Samsung Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge Optimized for Gaming

Published February 23, 2016 by Sol FH

Samsung unveils newest mobile devices at Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, optimized for mobile gaming.

Samsung has pulled out all the stops to ensure that the newest additions to their smart phone repertoire pleases all. The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge were previewed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona before their expected release on March 11, and the South Korean market leaders have brought back some old time favorites, while upgrading to some hot tech.

The new devices both accept MicroSD Cards, allowing the user to boost their storage. Samsung is also claiming that the new phones can be submerged in water without failure to the devices. One of the problems that critics say could hurt the sales of the phones is that they look exactly like the S6 models released last year, but the hardware inside is a world apart.

Optimized for Mobile Gaming

Mobile gamblers will have a lot to look forward to with the new devices. The phones both feature improved battery time and Samsung says that users will be able to play 15 hours of HD mobile casino games on a single charge. The biggest addition to the devices is they are now capable of supporting the Vulkan Application Program Interface that lets games play more efficiently.

These new phones will be great for online gambling and leading mobile casinos the likes of bet365 Casino, 888 Casino and Royal Vegas Casino will look better than ever with the new phones new capabilities. The new Thermal Spreader, a 0.4mm thick tube of water, helps cool the processors allowing the phones to handle the incredible graphics offered at top mobile casinos like the aforementioned.

Mobile players even have an incredible way to record their biggest jackpots with the ability to record live gameplay with the touch of a button for later playback.

Zuckerberg checks out new 360 Virtual Camera

It was not only techies at the event in Barcelona, as Facebook creator and CEO Mark Zuckerberg flew in to see Samsungs new gear. Other than the new phones, Samsungs biggest unveiling was of their new 360 Virtual Camera, which was made in partnership with Facebooks Oculus Division. The new 360-degree camera is the future of filming experiences and both online and mobile casinos have already been dreaming of what this will do for the possibility of virtual reality casinos, live dealer games and more; it could be used in conjunction with the Gear VR headset also given the spotlight at the event.

360-degree cameras will ultimately make the online or mobile gaming experience more real and interactive than ever. Players will be able to look other players right in the eyes during virtual poker games, or being able to virtually reach out and spin the new 3D Virtual Video Slots that are already being developed.
An alarm has been raised by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, who claims that some politicians are planning to truncate the conduct of Saturdays governorship and state Assembly polls.

Buratai said the military has received Intel that some politicians are planning to perpetrate acts of violence including bombings and assassinations to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the elections.

The Chief of Army Staff revealed that much during his opening remarks at a strategic meeting with Principal Staff Officers, General Officers Commanding and field commanders at the army headquarters in Abuja.

Buratai said the army must not allow them to succeed.

He said during the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections, some level of violence was recorded leading to disruption of polls, burning of ballot boxes in some areas as well as loss of lives, including the death of an officer and three soldiers.

Buratai also warned that no Army officer is allowed to fraternise with politicians during this election period, urging commanders to deal decisively with any electoral crime or action such as thuggery, snatching of ballot boxes, illegal possession of electoral materials and firearms as well as other crimes that would mar the smooth conduct of the election.
The nations bourse on Wednesday reversed the three consecutive days positive trend with the market capitalisation dropping by N20 billion.

The All-Share Index lost 51.92 points or 0. 16 per cent to close at 32,121.74 compared with 32,173.66 achieved on Tuesday.

Breakdown of the price movement table shows that Dangote Cement recorded the highest gain to lead the gainers table, appreciating by 50k to close at N196.50 per share.

Guaranty Trust Bank followed with a gain of 35k to close at N37.95, while Access Bank increased by 10k to close at N6.10 per share.

United Capital added 5k to close at N3.30, while FBNHoldings also gained 5k to close at N8.15 per share.

Conversely, Seplat topped the losers table with a loss N22.10 to close at N596.90 per share.

Cement Company of Northern Nigeria trailed with N1 to close at N19, while GlaxosmithKline dipped 40k to close at N11.50 per share.

Ecobank dropped 30k to close at N13.70, while Etranzact shed 29k to close at N2.64 per share.

Zenith Bank dominated trading activities, accounting for 45.37 million shares worth N1.11 billion.

Guaranty Trust Bank followed with an exchange of 23.08 million shares valued at N872.94 million, while Fidelity Bank Plc traded 20.17 million shares worth N46.46 million.

Access Bank sold 15.61 million shares valued at N94.18 million, while Transcorp traded 13.86 million shares worth N17.54 million.

In all, the volume of shares traded closed lower by 47.96 per cent as investors bought and sold 208.60 million shares valued at N2.78 billion in 3,246 deals.

This was in contrast with 400.87 million shares worth N3.46 billion exchanged in 3,885 deals.
The Oyo State Police Command on Wednesday paraded 18 suspects in connection with alleged armed robbery, impersonation, possession of human skull and hijacking a tanker loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

Briefing journalists on Wednesday at the Commands Headquarters at Eleyele, Ibadan, the Commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu, said the police also recovered 19 firearms, 24 tricycles, one human skull and a vehicle from the suspects.

The commissioner said that the command mopped up 162 ammunition and 131 cartridges in the state.

He said that the command had not lost sight of its constitutional role of protecting lives and property in spite of the ongoing general elections.

No society is free of crime and we will continue to deal with the situation as they arise and arrest those involved in crime.

As we continue to ensure there is peaceful conduct of elections, we will not forget our constitutional role of protecting lives and property.

We warn those committing crime to desist from such act and remember that crime does not pay, Mr Olukolu said.

According to the commissioner, the police is always ready to give the best and go after criminals as long as the public cooperate with it.

He promised to ensure a peaceful and violence-free Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

NAN reports that among the suspects paraded by the police was a notorious gang which specialised in hijacking truck conveying petroleum products.

The commissioner said that the command was tipped that the gang was sighted on the Ibadan/Lagos Expressway hijacking a tanker loaded with 33,000 litres of petrol (PMS) to their Soka area hideout in Ibadan on March 2 at about 7: 00 a.m.

Sequel to this information, a team of operatives swung into action and in the process one member of the criminal gang was arrested.

He confessed that one other member of the gang nicknamed Action who is still at large brought the product to him.

The hijacked PMS had been siphoned into 16 drums and 12 kegs while the truck had been taken to an unknown destination, Olukolu said.

He said that the products recovered from the hideout of the suspects had been transferred to Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) office at Dugbe, saying that all the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded. (NAN)
The police in Lagos have arrested a self-confessed Yahoo boy (fraudster) for allegedly cutting his supposed lovers tongue in an attempt to kill her after hypnotising and defrauding her of over N2 million.

Recounting her ordeal to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos, the victim said she became hypnotised after she was forced to wear the suspects underpants not knowing he had used same for rituals.

According to her, the suspect conspired with her neighbour and others at large to perpetrate the evil act against her.

The victim, a 32-year-old physiotherapist with National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, said she met the suspect in January 2018 inside a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) from Ikorodu to Lagos.

On that day, he gave me directions how to get to the state Police Headquarters and we exchanged contacts. We kept in touch for a while and he later told me he had an infection (Gonorrhea) which I treated him.

We became close and then lovers. I guess he must have hypnotised me such that I really didnt know what I was doing then. I gave him my entire savings. He even lodged in a hotel for four months and I paid a bill of N185,000 at Ketu, Kosofe.

He later took me to his father at Ikosi. They live in an unhealthy environment which I pitied them and offered to help. I rented a house for myself in November 2018 and he visited me in the house that same month.

On Dec. 12, when he visited me, he said he wanted to buy a Toyota Venza, I asked him how much and when he googled it, he said it was N11.8 million. I asked him how he expected me to raise such money and he said we should open joint account.

I agreed and took my house document to get a loan and even promised to gather all I had from my cooperative account. Even the money I was saving for my Masters in Canada, I gave it to him because he said he knows an agent who can get genuine visas for us, she explained.

Trouble, however, started on December 14, when the suspect brought his pant and asked her to wear it.

Initially I told him I didnt want to wear the pant because I was not comfortable in it. But he went and called my neighbour, Hellen, and they both forced the pant on me.

After wearing the pant, I was no longer myself. I was acting abnormally and was taken to my mothers house. They took me to Ibadan for treatment and I became better. I did not suspect him then.

I kept relating with him. On December , I went to a church for thanksgiving and was given some prayers to do every midnight. He came back to me and was still living with me.

While I was praying this January, he started shouting, stop praying they have wired the money, it is only $2000 from Alaska in USA. That was how I knew he was into Yahoo Yahoo, she further explained.

The victim said when the suspect discovered she had found out his illicit trade, he cut her tongue so that she would not be able to tell anyone all that had happened to her.

NAN reports that the victim had difficulty talking as her speech was impared due to damaged tongue.

The suspect, in his confessional statement to the police, admitted being a fraudster, adding that he gave one Helen (victims neighbour) N300,000.

Spokesman for the police in Lagos, Chike Oti, confirmed the development, stressing that two people had been arrested in connection with the crime.

Mr Oti said the police was investigating the case, stressing that they were on the trail of others involved with a view to bringing them to justice.

(NAN)
Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Oregon-based Aequitas Capital made a name for itself on credit investing, but has collapsed on the news of bad student loan debt and investigations by both the SEC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. As recently as November, the company was adding new people to its advisory board and leading rounds of investments with over a billion in AUM- and then the ground shifted. The company filed a WARN notice, and told all employees that their jobs could be in jeopardy. The first round of layoffs included 30 staffers at the end of January. It is unclear how soon the remaining staff will be terminated. According to the Portland Business Journal, a "skeleton crew" is expected to lead the company after March 29 when the layoffs take effect. Approximately 100 people are likely to lose their jobs, prompting the state of Oregon to hold a workshop to help workers understand their options. It appears that Aequitas' subprime strategy went awry following a $600 million bet on student loans with fraudulent for-profit school Corinthian Colleges. Corinthian collapsed after federal investigators began looking at predatory loans offered by the for-profit school. Students at Corinthian amassed significant debt on the hopes of getting vocational training and career placement help which rarely materialized. Aequita...................... To view our full article Click here
Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Gibraltar is making a significant push to attract non-EU managers, small corporates, and the insurance industry with its new exchange. The country launched the Gibraltar Stock Exchange (GSX) at the end of 2014. Since then, it is has signed up the first wave of listing companies and recently added support for debt securities and closed ended funds. Nick Cowan and Phil Young of GSX recently spoke to Matthias Knab for Opalesque TV to offer greater detail about what entities get from listing on the exchange. "Gibraltar is very ambitious," Cowan explains. "Financial services is a core part of what we do here. With GSX, we now provide a low cost, fast to market solution for companies that want to market inside the EU, that is also well regulated." Gibraltar is the only British territory within the EU. As such, it is self-funded, relies on UK law and the pound. But, according to Cowan all offerings on the GSX are fully in-line with EU financial regulations and offer the opportunity for non-EU managers or small corporates to list a product and gain full passport capabilities. Products on the GSX are also available to UCITS investors. "GSX offers a fixed time frame for bringing products to market and allows entities to do so at a lower cost than the big exchanges," Cowan adds. Both of these features are important for small businesses or fore...................... To view our full article Click here
Curr: Long Looking to: Sell @ 63.50



As of 3/21/21 @ 8:46pm EST: $60.85



LAST WEEK: We suggested shorting from $66.28 up to $67.98 with stops on a close above $68 and with a target for covering and getting long at $59.65.



UPDATE: Crude oil bottomed in the very short-term and should bounce to around $63.50 before heading lower once again.



We would hold longs until $63.50 and would then sell those longs and get short. Stops should be honored on a close above $64 and the downside target for covering shorts and getting long will be $53.83.
Consciousness literature

Kamala Sarup



I spoke recently with Dr. Dubasu Chhetri (Durga Bahadur Subedi Chheri) is one of the famous poet from Nepal. The Sajha Purasakar (publication) also awarded to Dr. Dubasu Chhetri, the poet of 'Aswomedh Yagya ka Ghodaharu', an anthology of poems. His anthology of poems "Ashwamegh Yagyaka Ghoda Haru" is so wonderful. Chhetri said "In my book of 'Aswomedh Yagya ka Ghodaharu' the love, reality and nature are personified to life. I think that the epic with the power of love can lead the situation, and at the same time can protect the literature with value.



I have projected values in my book. This very fact perhaps might have provided this beauty on consciousness literature". Poet Dubasu further added. "I am pleased to mention that Sajha Puraskar, the most prestigious award has been conferred on my literary work. I feel

this award came my way in recognition of my experimental writing in Nepali literature'.



Poet Dubasu Chhetri further said "My poetry is to inquiry consciousness because it does sucess to meet its conditions. Further, it is logical to assume that the opinions of experts in specific fields. Yes, what I learn about my book and consciousness literature in particular just accentuates my profound non ignorance of both subjects while I was writing my epic".



Dubasu Chhetri's writing style is unique, further added "If we are to be a poet, a little poetry will help. I wrote a different verse about on my book ( 'Aswomedh Yagya ka Ghodaharu',) like in English (or Shakespearean) that may fit into our writing. If I write something that does not meet the above conditions, then I regard it as non consciousness literature. These poems we call are unique, and to an ancient pattern must conform. I read lots of consciousness literature, and I realize that fact on my writing".



Yes, in Dubasu Chhetri's anthology, we can feel our life, beauty love and the present scenario. His book is highly experimental, a different style. The 450-page volume is is available at various book shops in Kathmandu.



Poet Dubasu Chhetri also said " My poetry and consciousness literature both are useful for our community. Consciousness literature is entertaining. I see them between sentences. In every literature, still, the styles can be different for instance, is worked out between the writers and the readers. I'm familiar with almost always begin and end in the same theme. Remember, however, this is the beauty of our writing.".





The current popular issue of his writing is the love effect on life. said to me " For all I know, even these poetry by might now be replaced by action. From a Chhetri said " I write knowing our relative strengths in different words, that might determine the final epic. Also we must think of the special attributes. I think that the epic can get words changed on specific ideas to suit their preferences.



Knowing Dubasu Chhetri's relative strengths in different words, that might determine our life.



"The subject of my book on life is not complicated, and this is relevant to the current ''time. It's true that we once called for a right in our life".he said.



I admire Chhetri's continuous quest for knowledge. Poet Dr. Dubasu's first modern song (Mutuko Ghau) "Heart's pain" also shows promise. "In my new song, I made a mid piece modulation specifically to give the music high. I am also preparing for the second creation of the song to new revision of the scene as ''some life and changes,''.



He said "Long ago, I myself visited in a different places to listen songs which I very much enjoyed. Also viewed excerpts of singing to extend my music horizon.The songs were terrific, and was very beautiful. It was all moves and steps into the music. They all represented various groups. Every so often I go to the places, which does traditional and some, what I would call, contemporary songs.



His popular publications are becoming famous and known in Nepal. A poet like Dubasu is not made but born.



(Article changed on February 22, 2016 at 23:57)
Reprinted from Reader Supported News

For almost 30 years, Justice Antonin "Nino" Scalia was a larger-than-life presence on the bench -- a brilliant legal mind with an energetic style, incisive wit, and colorful opinions," declared President Barack Obama. "Justice Scalia dedicated his life to the cornerstone of our democracy: The rule of law."

High praise indeed -- and completely bogus, especially from a commander-in-chief who acts as judge, jury, and (by proxy) executioner for drone targets around the world, and a POTUS who refused to bring criminal indictments against the Wall Street bankers who created the global economic crash in 2008.

Rule of law? Would you like me to sell you a nice bridge in Brooklyn?

In significant sections of our political economy, the rule of law operates as it should, allowing people to know what the rules are and to see them fairly enforced. But, like the myth of free markets, paeans to the rule of law -- sincere, self-serving, or ceremonial -- too often mask the naked exercise of power. They also trash the once-sacrosanct ideal that no one -- rich or poor, black or white, government official or private citizen -- stands above the law.

Even before Ronald Reagan named him a federal judge and then Supreme Court justice, Antonin Scalia added dramatically to this legal hocus pocus when, in 1982, conservative and libertarian law students at Harvard, Yale, and the University of Chicago created the Federalist Society. Scalia served as one of the faculty advisors, along with his friend and long-time colleague Robert Bork.

The right-wing activists opposed liberal judicial approaches that had enlarged the federal government, reduced states' rights, and created "privacy rights" that the Constitution had never explicitly sanctioned. They hated legalized abortion and federal intervention to protect African-Americans, and they favored "traditional values," unfettered campaign contributions, and an unrestrained right to bear arms. Presenting themselves as "strict constructionists" defending the true meaning of the Constitution, the Federalists framed their fight as a response to "judicial activism." They insisted that the judiciary "say what the law is, not what it should be."

Increasingly persuasive as American voters swung to the right, these arguments helped the Federalists become the country's single most influential group of legal intellectuals. They essentially follow two overlapping schools of thought -- or claim to. On the Constitution and its amendments, they base their decisions, they say, on the original intent of the framers and subsequent authors. The appeal is obvious. The Federalists appear to offer an objective way to make Constitutional decisions, which they contrast to the unavoidably subjective judgments of liberal judges and justices seeking to adapt what they call "a living Constitution" to situations that James Madison and John Adams could never have conceived of.

"It's not a living document," Scalia insisted. "It's dead, dead, dead."

Well, not quite. Take a look at Scalia's classic 2011 interview in the California Lawyer. "In 1868, when the 39th Congress was debating and ultimately proposing the 14th Amendment, I don't think anybody would have thought that equal protection applied to sex discrimination, or certainly not to sexual orientation," said the interviewer. "So does that mean that we've gone off in error by applying the 14th Amendment to both?"

"Yes, yes. Sorry, to tell you that," replied the effervescent Scalia. "Nobody ever thought that that's what it meant. Nobody ever voted for that. If the current society wants to outlaw discrimination by sex, hey we have things called legislatures, and they enact things called laws. You don't need a constitution to keep things up-to-date. All you need is a legislature and a ballot box. You don't like the death penalty anymore, that's fine. You want a right to abortion? There's nothing in the Constitution about that. But that doesn't mean you cannot prohibit it. Persuade your fellow citizens it's a good idea and pass a law. That's what democracy is all about. It's not about nine superannuated judges who have been there too long, imposing these demands on society."

Scalia appeared to be offering a principled and unfailingly democratic defense of Originalism. How then could he have joined in the majority decision in Bush v. Gore, which cited the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause to override the voters of Florida and make George W. Bush president?

In 2011, journalist Robert Parry pointedly answered the question. He called Scalia a hypocrite. It's difficult to disagree. But "Originalism" has hypocrisy built-in. Too often, neither historians nor lawyers know what all the different authors of any particular passage intended or how to weigh their differences. It's largely guesswork and often -- though not always -- depends on the results a particular judge or justice wants.

"Judges are not competent historians," explains circuit court judge Richard A. Posner, a Reagan appointee and one of the country's leading legal authorities. "To put to a judge a question that he cannot answer is to evoke 'motivated thinking,' the form of cognitive delusion that consists of credulously accepting the evidence that supports a preconception and of peremptorily rejecting the evidence that contradicts it."

Others may suggest a more straightforward view of how Scalia interpreted the ineptly drafted Second Amendment: "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Did the framers intend the militia clause to restrict the right to keep and bear arms? Or did they want to preserve militias, now the National Guard, and also preserve the ancient English right for individuals to keep and bear arms? One can in all honesty read the text either way, and competent historians have no agreed-upon answer.

Scalia made his subjective preference clear in writing the majority decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, declaring that the Second Amendment guaranteed an individual's right to possess a firearm for self-defense or any other legal purpose. Liberal law professors, like Laurence Tribe and Sanford Levinson, had reluctantly come to the same conclusion, while two conservative federal judges-- Posner and J. Harvie Wilkinson -- condemned Scalia's decision as activist and highly political. This was precisely how he and they saw the liberal creation of privacy rights and legalization of abortion in Roe v. Wade. Leave both gun and abortion rights to the political process, Wilkinson and Posner argued.
Given the earlier refusal of the UN to act, I had also filed with The Human Rights Advisory Panel (HRAP) in Kosovo after it was constituted in 2008. A year later, in June 2009, the Panel found the complaint admissible and wrote a favorable decision. Rather than respond to the merits, UNMIK changed the rules and on 17 October 2009 issued a directive that prohibited the Human Rights Panel from hearing any complaints that had been or could be filed under the UN's third party complaint system. On 31 March 2010, the Panel reversed the previous admissibility decision and declared the entire claim inadmissible on the basis that the third- party process was an available remedy, which as noted above turned out not to be the case.

The Panel left open the door of resubmitting the claim after completion of the third party process. Accordingly, after the UN's July 25, 2011 rejection, I refiled with the Panel in October 2011. On 10 June 2012, the Panel ruled that it would re-open the case. Despite written submissions by both sides in 2012 and additional information requested and submitted in early 2015, no decision has been issued.

I also filed a complaint against the European Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo

(EULEX), the international mission in Kosovo operating under the umbrella of UNMIK, with a different panel known as the Human Rights Review Panel (HRRP). The HRRP issued a decision in November 2015 declaring that the "right of the complainants to an effective remedy remains affected by the absence of a demonstrable effective investigation" and "inviting" the head of mission to update the Panel of the progress of the investigation no later than 28 February 2016. It is now 16 years since the placement of the Roma on toxic land.

It is worth noting that the Roma have been characterized as the most disadvantaged ethnic minority in Europe; they may be the most disfavored and least championed ethnic group in the world. They have no financial resources or political voice; their only reliable supporter of means may be George Soros.

Their plight is not unconnected to their status.

The same can be said of the residents of Flint, Michigan, the latest victims of lead poisoning. It is no accident that Flint was chosen as the community to have its water provided from a river known to be highly polluted, with catastrophic results which are only beginning fully to come to light. Flint is a community where the racial breakdown, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is 57% African American and 36% white, and the median household income from 2009-2013 was $24,834, compared to $48,411 for Michigan as a whole, with more than 40% living below the poverty level. It is one of the predominantly black, less affluent communities in Michigan where the state's Governor chose to override locally elected officials by installing so-called "emergency managers" reporting directly to the Governor. As stated in a recent New York Times editorial, "there is little doubt that an affluent, predominantly white community- say Grosse Pointe or Bloomfield Hills- would never face such a public health catastrophe, and if it had, the state government would have rushed in to help." NYTimes, "Depraved Indifference Toward Flint", January 22, 2016.
Reprinted from Campaign For America's Future

Here are five takeaways from the Republican primary in South Carolina and the Democratic caucuses in Nevada.

1. Populism Is Still Rising

The populist revolt in both parties continues to build. In South Carolina, Donald Trump scorned George W. Bush, who is immensely popular among the state's Republicans; denounced the Iraq War in a pro-military state; savaged U.S. trade deals, was opposed by the governor, both senators and the Pope -- and still won big.

Trump is infamous for his nativist, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim screeds. He also attacks ruinous establishment trade policies, condemns the "special interests and lobbyists" and money in politics, calls for rebuilding the country, brands corporate lobbyists "blood suckers" and more. He's rewarded by conservative Republican voters who see him as someone who "tells it like it is," is an "outsider," and will bring change.

In Nevada, the Sanders surge fell just short of Clinton, but only after she donned much of Sanders' garb from getting "unaccountable money out of politics"; to making certain "Wall Street does not threaten Main Street again"; while promising to do even more to address "systemic racism," sexism, and immigration. The establishment candidate eked out a victory by becoming more populist with each passing day.

2. Republicans Are Lost

Trump, now the odds-on favorite for the nomination, is an unelectable blowhard, the most disliked candidate in America. Ted Cruz, who came in a virtual tie for second in South Carolina, is so distrusted that he lost evangelicals to Trump.

Marco Rubio, the other side of the second-place tie, is now crowned the "establishment" candidate in the race. But Rubio is a career politician, a remarkably empty suit with a dodgy record of corruption. He was elected as a Tea Party insurgent, and is known in the Senate mostly for missing votes and for flip-flopping on immigration reform. His current domestic platform -- a goofy pledge of $11 trillion in tax cuts, largely for the very rich (ending the estate tax and the capital gains tax for starters), combined with larding $1 trillion more on the military over 10 years while passing a constitutional amendment to balance the budget offends addition, much less reason. His foreign policy consists of rousing calls for getting tougher everywhere -- Libya, Syria, Iraq, Ukraine; tearing up the Iran nuclear deal; reversing the normalization of relations with Cuba. He offers nothing except continued wars without end and without victory.

Led by Trump, Republicans are intent on offending Hispanics, suppressing black votes and insulting women. They would repeal Obamacare with no clear plan to replace it, and, with the exception of Trump, cut Medicare and Social Security. This is a party intent on committing seppuku. And nothing seems likely to get in the way.

3. The Sanders Surge Continues

Sanders lost the "expectations game" by a far greater margin than the caucuses in Nevada. In fact, the surge was stunning. Clinton once more had all the advantages -- universal name recognition, the state party gatekeepers, lots of money, and skilled organizers on the ground early. Six months ago, Sanders barely registered among voters; a month ago Clinton led by nearly 25 percent. As it was, she barely edged out a victory, saved largely by significant margins among the AARP crowd and black voters.

Once more Sanders captured truly breathtaking support from the young, winning voters under 29 by 82 percent to 14 percent, and those under 44 by 62 to 35. Entrance polls showed him winning Hispanic voters by 8 percentage points. (The Clinton campaign disputes these results, but who would have imagined a month ago that Clinton operatives would have to challenge entrance polls about who won Hispanics?) National union endorsements and support for Clinton was telling, with Sanders losing union workers 54-43. For the first time, a gender gap showed up, with Sanders winning men and Clinton women.

Once more Clinton won big among those who cared most about electability and experience. Sanders won huge margins of those who most valued a candidate who "cares about people like me" (72-26), and is "honest and trustworthy" (82-12). Eighty-two to 12 on those voting for honesty. Think about that.

Sanders is still introducing himself to voters, while Clinton enjoys both a long history, universal recognition, and nearly unanimous party and institutional endorsements. Against those odds, Sanders continues to rise. He faces a formidable obstacle in closing the gap in African-American support, but his surprising showing among Hispanics showed once more the power of his message.

4. Clinton: The "Special Interest" Appeal
Reprinted from Civil Arab

Many of us read Professor Steven Salaita's hard-hitting oped in Salon 10 days ago, where he declared, quite loudly and articulately, that he won't be voting for Bernie Sanders. He succinctly laid out American politicians' long-standing and very consistent policies of bowing to the interests of the Israeli lobby, to the constant detriment of Palestinian life. He wrote:

"Supporting Israeli ethnic cleansing is more than a flaw or an oversight. Until Sanders states an intention to defund Israel's occupation, his proclamations about two states will continue to sound perfunctory and disingenuous, dull bromides uttered by a man who otherwise avoids them."

He is no doubt right about this. The problem with his analysis is that it relegates Palestine supporters to the sideline. If one chooses to do, that is of course his/her right. Inherent in the right to vote is the right not to vote. I'm not a proponent of the old mantra that tell us, "If you don't vote, you have no right to complain."

But we might be served to think strategically. And if we do so, we might ask ourselves a few questions:

Can we relate Palestine to a candidate's stated principles?



Which candidate is most likely to be swayed on Palestinian rights?





If we seek the answers to these questions, we most definitely end up in one place: the Sanders campaign.

What seems quite clear is that Palestine supporters can find no place anywhere else. We can quite quickly dismiss a role in any Republican campaign, as they are all mired in Islamphobia, anti-Arab racism, a quite acute hatred of immigrants, and clear distaste for anything darker than snow. This is why we should summarily disregard any and all organizations that seek dialogue and understanding with the GOP, such as Saba Ahmed's Republican Muslim Coalition.

We might take a quick look at the campaign of Hillary Clinton, gauging if her movement should appeal to us at all. But that assessment shouldn't take too long. We would be well served to recall her 2000 Senate election, when she returned over $50,000 of donations to Muslim organizations, in an attempt to avoid any "misimpression" that she supported the widely held belief in our community that Palestinians have the right to resist an illegal, violent, and murderous Israeli occupation.

It would also be quite within our interests to reject her embracing of Haim Saban, the Hollywood billionaire media mogul who has been quoted as saying, "I'm a one-issue guy and my issue is Israel." He is a very close friend of the Clintons (he brags about it often), spending numerous nights in the White House during Bill Clinton's presidency. I wish some Palestinians could have spent the night there, instead of being slaughtered in Gaza in 2014, after which Saban held an event that raised $34 million for the IDF.

Hillary Clinton has vowed to put an end to the Boycott, Divesment, and Sanctions movement against Israel, or BDS. In a letter to Saban, she pledged to "stand up for Israel" as president, further stating "that we need to make countering BDS a priority." In other words, Clinton has made it quite clear that she opposes all forms of resistance against Israeli policies, including explicitly nonviolent ones like BDS.

All in all, Saban has "donated" $6.4 million to Hillary and her super PACs.

So, back to Bernie. Has he recently advocated for defunding Israel, called for cutting off arms, or explicitly expressed support for Palestinian self-determination? No. But he hasn't done the opposite, as every other candidate has. Now, Professor Salaita might call that a low bar, and he would be correct. But we should also recognize that the spectrum of progressives who are supporting the Sanders campaign are generally averse to Israeli policies, and it is not immoral or unprincipled to find some common ground there in our attempt to further American policy on the issue.

On his website, Sanders proclaims that "he does not favor Israel over the Palestinians." No other candidate would dare put such words in print. And on the issue of Palestine, Sanders' Jewishness cannot be understated. Until we get a Palestinian president, a progressive Jew might be best equipped to stand up to the Israeli lobby and create just foreign policies when it comes to Palestine. Is that a pipe dream? Maybe. But if we Palestinians have an abundance of anything, it's optimism.

Finally, Bernie has spoken out more strongly against Islamophobia and racism than any other candidate. We are all familiar with his well-documented participation in civil rights movements since the 1960s. But we might also remember back in October 2015 when Sanders embraced a young Muslim student during a rally at George Mason University in Virginia. After expressing her disgust at the anti-Muslim rhetoric dominating the presidential primaries, Remaz Abdelgader was called to the stage by Sanders, who hugged her and went on to invoke his own Jewish familial history in pledging to rid America of its "ugly stain" of racism.
America is at a crossroads.

History may show that from this point forward, we will have left behind any semblance of constitutional government and entered into a militaristic state where all citizens are suspects and security trumps freedom.

As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, we have moved beyond the era of representative government and entered a new age--the age of authoritarianism. Even with its constantly shifting terrain, this topsy-turvy travesty of law and government has become America's new normal.

Let me take you on a brief guided tour, but prepare yourself. The landscape is particularly disheartening to anyone who remembers what America used to be.

The Executive Branch: President Obama, like many of his predecessors, has routinely disregarded the Constitution when it has suited his purposes, operating largely above the law and behind a veil of secrecy, executive orders and specious legal justifications. Rest assured that no matter who wins this next presidential election, very little will change. The policies of the American police state will continue.

The Legislative Branch: Congress may well be the most self-serving, semi-corrupt institution in America. Abuses of office run the gamut from elected representatives neglecting their constituencies to engaging in self-serving practices, including the misuse of eminent domain, earmarking hundreds of millions of dollars in federal contracting in return for personal gain and campaign contributions, having inappropriate ties to lobbyist groups and incorrectly or incompletely disclosing financial information.

The Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court was intended to be an institution established to intervene and protect the people against the government and its agents when they overstep their bounds. Yet through their deference to police power, preference for security over freedom, and evisceration of our most basic rights for the sake of order and expediency, the justices of the United States Supreme Court have become the guardians of the American police state in which we now live.

Shadow Government: America's next president will inherit more than a bitterly divided nation teetering on the brink of financial catastrophe when he or she assumes office. He or she will also inherit a shadow government, one that is fully operational and staffed by unelected officials who are, in essence, running the country. Referred to as the Deep State, this shadow government is comprised of unelected government bureaucrats, corporations, contractors, paper-pushers, and button-pushers who are actually calling the shots behind the scenes right now.

Law Enforcement: By and large the term "law enforcement" encompasses all agents within a militarized police state, including the military, local police, and the various agencies such as the Secret Service, FBI, CIA, NSA, etc. Having been given the green light to probe, poke, pinch, taser, search, seize, strip and generally manhandle anyone they see fit in almost any circumstance, all with the general blessing of the courts, America's law enforcement officials, no longer mere servants of the people entrusted with keeping the peace but now extensions of the military, are part of an elite ruling class dependent on keeping the masses corralled, under control, and treated like suspects and enemies rather than citizens.

A Suspect Surveillance Society: Every dystopian sci-fi film we've ever seen is suddenly converging into this present moment in a dangerous trifecta between science, technology and a government that wants to be all-seeing, all-knowing and all-powerful. Consequently, in the face of DNA evidence that places us at the scene of a crime , behavior sensing technology that interprets our body temperature and facial tics as suspicious, and government surveillance devices that cross-check our biometrics, license plates and DNA against a growing database of unsolved crimes and potential criminals, we are no longer "innocent until proven guilty."

Military Empire: America's endless global wars and burgeoning military empire--funded by taxpayer dollars--have depleted our resources, over-extended our military and increased our similarities to the Roman Empire and its eventual demise. The U.S. now operates approximately 800 military bases in foreign countries around the globe at an annual cost of at least $156 billion. The consequences of financing a global military presence are dire. In fact, David Walker, former comptroller general of the U.S., believes there are "striking similarities" between America's current situation and the factors that contributed to the fall of Rome, including "declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military in foreign lands and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government."

I haven't even touched on the corporate state, the military industrial complex, SWAT team raids, invasive surveillance technology, zero tolerance policies in the schools, overcriminalization, or privatized prisons, to name just a few, but what I have touched on should be enough to show that the landscape of our freedoms has already changed dramatically from what it once was and will no doubt continue to deteriorate unless Americans can find a way to wrest back control of their government and reclaim their freedoms.

That brings me to the final and most important factor in bringing about America's shift into authoritarianism: "we the people." We are the government. Thus, if the government has become a tyrannical agency, it is because we have allowed it to happen, either through our inaction or our blind trust.

Essentially, there are four camps of thought among the citizenry when it comes to holding the government accountable. Which camp you fall into says a lot about your view of government--or, at least, your view of whichever administration happens to be in power at the time.

In the first camp are those who trust the government to do the right thing, despite the government's repeated failures in this department. In the second camp are those who not only don't trust the government but think the government is out to get them. In the third camp are those who see government neither as an angel nor a devil, but merely as an entity that needs to be controlled, or as Thomas Jefferson phrased it, bound "down from mischief with the chains of the Constitution."

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Copyrighted Image? DMCA





It astounds me how wimpy and servile voters are. People, we're Americans! We're supposed to be independent, tough, ruggedly individualistic, exceptional!

No one pushes us around! Unless they want their butts kicked!



Right.

So why is it when the election cycle rolls around and as voters we have to start listening to the professional windbags courting our approval, we let the candidates tell us what they're going to do when they get elected?

Excuse me! Shouldn't we be telling them what they'll be doing if they get elected?

Voters seem to have forgotten how much power they collectively hold in their hands. The simple fact is, if we don't like what we see, we don't have to vote for someone. And if we don't vote for them, they are out of a job.



Let me talk directly to you progressives out there -- since the odds that a conservative or even centrist is reading this at OpEdNews are pretty nil -- and discuss a perfect example of the kind of surrender that has perpetuated the powerlessness we all complain about, i.e. not getting our elected officials to listen to us and begin serving us instead of the 1%.



Understandably, we lefties are encouraged by the rise in popularity of Bernie Sanders.

His campaign is certainly a much-welcome breath of fresh air next to both the belligerent bombast of the certifiably insane Republican presidential candidates, and the slippery shape-shifting rhetoric of Hillary the Terminator, the Democrat's heavy puncher in the neocon-driven cage fight to decide who has the most expedient blue print for incinerating the planet and destroying all living things in the nuclear holocaust of WWIII.

Why is Sanders gaining traction?

Because unlike everyone else, he's addressing bread-and-butter issues, the challenges which affect the daily lives of most Americans. He's talking about better jobs, increasing income, reducing wealth inequality, rebuilding our industrial base, bringing factories and jobs back to America, improving health care, education, making college affordable, etc.



Unfortunately . . . Sanders is NOT SERIOUSLY TALKING ABOUT ending unnecessary wars, reducing the defense budget, reversing the self-destructive pursuit of American empire, ending the monopoly control of foreign policy and promotion of military adventurism by the military-industrial complex, halting the unconstitutional citizen surveillance by the NSA, CIA, FBI and other security agencies, or ending the fraudulent War on Terror.

The simple truth is, all of his noble aspirations about improving the day-to-day lives of the majority of Americans will come to naught unless the militarization of American society and the imperialist agenda of world domination is reversed. As long as the current military mindset of Washington DC prevails, there will never be any money to address the needs of American citizens, nor will it ever be a priority. There will always be another bogeyman, terrorist group, rogue nation, another war, another "humanitarian intervention" to pursue. You and I, the everyday Americans who fund all of these illegal, immoral misadventures and self-destructive policies, will always be last on the list. Not even in the kitchen, much less on the back burner.



Whether Mr. Sanders is willfully ignorant of this reality, or whether he's just confused, it's up to us to set him straight.

Here's what we say . . .

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'The Clock of the Time Dragon and The City of Emeralds' by Carl Hentsch of Saint Joseph, Missouri. Finalist

(Image by Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics) Details DMCA



Wicked. It's both a Broadway play and an innovative quilt challenge that may make you "green with envy."

What's a quilt challenge? It's a project designed to challenge the creativity of a group of quilters, within prescribed parameters. Typically a fabric, or group of fabrics, is selected, and participants must use one or all of the fabrics in their finished project. Some quilt challenges allow or require the use of other fabrics, and some require quilters to only select fabrics from within a particular group. Some challenges specify a theme, or a specific size, and many offer awards and prizes.

The first major quilt challenge event was initiated in 1988, a result of an idea by veteran quilter/judges Betty Boyink and Holice Turnbow, who had booths next to each other at a quilt event. They came up with the concept while chatting about a particular Hoffman fabric that Betty had described as "challenging" to work with. So they "challenged" each other to make a quilt using that fabric by the next year's event, and along the way nearly 100 other quilters jumped onboard. The exhibit was enormously popular, and Hoffman of California continues the annual event, which now includes clothing, dolls, and accessories as well as quilts.

For 2015, the Hoffman Challenge fabric used was Pomegranate Gold:

A sampling of entries incorporating this fabric is shown below:



Top L: Sidetracked to Marrakesh by April Wicker, Top R: Over The Rainbow by Marijke Van Welzen, bottom: assortment of dolls by various quilt artisans

(Image by Hoffman of California Fabrics) Details DMCA



Hoffman's Marketing & Media Coordinator, Michelle Flores, notes, "We're revamping the Challenge for 2016 and starting a digital submission process via ArtCall. (add link) Another new feature for the 2016 Challenge: the selected Challenge fabric is adigitally printed fabric. Digital prints are a hot trend in quilting cottons and Hoffman is offering some of the very best made collections of digital fabrics under its Hoffman Spectrum brand. A butterfly fabric (N4240) from the new Crystalia collection is the selected Challenge fabric, and participants can choose either the black (213-Onyx) color way or the white (132-Opal) color way to create their contest entry. Or they can use both fabrics! One more new addition to the contest is a home decor category."



The WICKED Cherrywood Challenge 2014-2015 incorporated specific fabrics and finished size, and the theme was the Broadway show, "Wicked."

For anyone who has been living under a rock, the show, which premiered on Broadway in 2003 won a Grammy and three Tony Awards. The show went on its first national tour in 2005, and 14 million people have seen it since. According to Playbill, "Wicked broke the record for highest-grossing week in North American touring history, taking in $3,285,606 for the nine-performance week ending Jan. 3 (2016) at St. Louis' Fabulous Fox Theatre."



'Spotlight' by Lynn Synhort of Fargo, North Dakota. Grand Prize Winner in The WICKED Cherrywood Challenge.

(Image by Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics) Details DMCA



One hundred and fourteen 20" x 20" square quilts in The WICKED Cherrywood Challenge collection traveled to 18 exhibition venues in 13 months through 2015. Quilts were constructed from Cherrywood hand-dyed, suede-look fabrics. The 27 finalists were displayed in the Gershwin Theater on Broadway in NYC from October 2, 2014 through Jan. 2, 2015.

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Indication-Market Insights, Epidemiology and Market Forecast- 2010-2020

DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant and Market Research Firm which has become the knowledge partner for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies by providing competitive intelligence information which aids them to strategize and discover the target areas & potential customers for their products.The database of DelveInsight currently has over 3000 reports which elaborate the domains of Indication Insight, Mechanism of Action, Drug Insights and API Insights. In addition to that, DelveInsight is providing Therapeutic intelligence to the companies with Strategic reports on Immuno-Oncology, Gene Therapy, Stem Cell Therapy, Antibody-Drug Conjugates and many more.Market insights, epidemiology and market forecasting reports provides an insight on the forecast of a indication over a period of time which helps an organization to better understand the business development strategies from present and futuristic point of view.DelveInsight expertise has expanded from an initial focus on Pipeline & Marketed Reports to Market Forecasting and Epidemiology Reports. With the dedicated analytical and forecasting team, DelveInsight has released 13 Reports on Market insights, epidemiology and market forecast Reports. These Reports will provide an insight on the forecast of the indication in seven major markets during 2010-2020. The epidemiological forecast for the diagnosed prevalence of the disease in 7MM is supported by the data which has been obtained from studies conducted in the respective countries.Therapeutic Areas Focused Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Hemophilia Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Multiple Myeloma Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) Pancreatic Cancer Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Short Bowel Syndrome Ulcerative Colitis (UC)The Indication- market insights, epidemiology and market forecast 2010-2020, provides clients the detailed insights into epidemiology of the indication in these countries. This report majorly includes: Country specific forecast for the indication during 2010-2020. The risk factors, co morbidities and global trends for the disease in the 7MM. High quality, elucidating, transparent and market-driven report, providing expert analysis of disease trends in the 7MM.This epidemiological analysis report will aid in the development of business strategies by providing a deep understanding of the trend shaping and driving the global insight market. Along with that, it quantifies the patient populations in the global indication market to improve product design, pricing, and launch plans.For more information on Indication - Market insights, Epidemiology and Market Forecast 2010-2020, email at info@delveInsight.comNote: These type of reports require 7-10 working days.About Us:DelveInsight is a leading Business Consulting and Market Research Firm. DelveInsight helps the clients to find answers relevant to their business, facilitating decision-making; identify potential market opportunities, competitor assessments and business environmental assessment. In addition to this DelveInsight also deals in providing custom research services in coherence with interest area of the clients.DelveInsight Business ResearchNew Delhi, Delhi, India
Structural Steel Market Size, Segmentation To 2022: Grand View Research, Inc.

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/structural-steel-market

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/structural-steel-market/request

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/hvac-and-construction-technologies

www.grandviewresearch.com

The global structural steel market size is expected to reach USD 119.10 billion, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. Shift in preference towards ease of installation and faster completion of projects is expected to drive structural steel demand for residential and non-residential applications. Design flexibility and high ROI on constructing pre-engineered buildings (PEB) are other major factors expected to significantly influence the demand. Growing manufacturing facilities such as chemicals, automobiles and footwear in Asia Pacific and Middle East is also expected to develop the global market. Volatile raw material prices such as coking coal and iron ore are expected to challenge industry growth.Non-residential applications accounted for over 50% of total market volume in 2014. Increasing construction spending in building malls and educational institutes in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities of Asia Pacific and Latin America is expected to drive demand for non-residential applications. Residential application is expected to grow at moderate growth of 4.0% from 2015 to 2022.Browse full research report for structural steel market:Further key findings from the study suggest: Global structural steel market demand was 120.10 million tons in 2014 and is expected to reach 164.66 million tons by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2015 to 2022. North Asia structural steel market emerged as the leading regional industry and accounted for over 60% of global demand in 2014. Increasing construction spending in China owing to rapid industrialization is expected to drive the regional market. South Asia powered mainly by India is expected to witness the most significant growth in its market size over the forecast period. The region is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2015 to 2022. Affordable housing scheme by governments across Brazil and Colombia is expected to drive the Central & South American structural steel market over the next seven years. The global structural steel industry is highly fragmented with a mix of both large multinational corporations and domestic manufacturers. Key players operating in the global market include Baosteel Group, Arcelor Mittal, POSCO, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, Hyundai Steel and Tata Steel Group. Other players operating in the market include Baoganag Group, Valin Group, JSW Steel Ltd., Benxi Steel, Bohai Steel Group Co., Unites States Steel Corporation, Hebei Steel Group, ThyssenKrupp AG, Wuhan Iron & Steel (Group) Corp., Evraz Group, Ansteel Group and Anyang Iron & Steel Co. Ltd.Request for free sample report:Grand View Research has segmented the structural steel market on the basis of application and region:Global Structural Steel Application Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) Non-residentialo Industrialo Commercialo Officeso Institutionalo ResidentialGlobal Structural Steel Regional Outlook (Volume Kilo Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) North Americao U.S.o Canadao Mexico Western Europeo UKo Germanyo Franceo Spain Eastern Europe (CIS Countries)o Russiao Turkeyo Polando Rest of Eastern Europe North Asiao Chinao Taiwano Japano Hong Kong South East Asiao Thailando Malaysiao Singaporeo Indonesiao Vietnamo Philippines South Asiao India Oceaniao Australiao New Zealando Poland Middle East & Africao Saudi Arabiao UAE Central & South Americao Brazilo Chileo ColombiaBrowse more reports of this category by Grand View Research:Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.Sherry JamesCorporate Sales Specialist, USAGrand View Research, IncWeb:
Retinal Implant Market Share, Analysis, Trends To 2022 by Grand View Research, Inc.

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/retinal-implant-market

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/retinal-implant-market/request

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/medical-devices

www.grandviewresearch.com

www.dniamericas.org

www.terrapass.org

www.divog.org

The global retinal implant market for is expected to reach over USD 1,117 million by 2022, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Some key drivers of the bionic eye market include rising burden of blindness with increasing aging population and successful completion of clinical trials resulting in entry of breakthrough technologies in the market.Growing age is one of the prime factors resulting in expansion of visually impaired patients in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 65% of the total visually impaired population globally (i.e., approximately 285 million) is aged 50 or more.Additionally, the visually impaired population aged above 50 years accounts for 20% of the global population. Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) are the most common causes of blindness. According to the WHO, AMD is the third leading cause of visual impairment with a prevalence rate of 8.7%. Considering growth of target population, demand for retinal prosthetics is anticipated to rise swiftly during the forecast period.Moreover, alternative therapies such as anti-angiogenic drugs, laser therapy, Photodynamic Laser Therapy (PTD), and vitamins fail to completely cure AMD and RP. These treatments delay the vision loss with slowing progression of the disease. However, devices such as Argus II and miniature telescope are capable of restoring the vision in blind patients. As a result, adoption of retinal implants is escalating with rising awareness about the availability of the product in the market.On the other hand, high cost of commercially available products and stringent regulatory guidelines are primarily impeding growth of the global Retinal Implant Market. Furthermore, requirements of skilled professionals to perform implant surgery, and thereby necessity of training healthcare staff is further challenging adoption of bionic eye in the market.Browse full research report on Global Retinal Implant Market:Further key findings from the study suggest: Argus II is the first approved retinal implant in the world. The device received CE mark in 2011 and the U.S. FDA approval in 2013 for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa. Argus II is manufactured and marketed by Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. is actively involved in protecting technology and product through intellectual property rights. As of March 2015, the company had 220 granted patents in the U.S., 96 pending patent applications in the U.S., and 88 foreign granted patents. Reimbursement plays a significant role in adoption of Argus II systems, since the cost of products is very high, that is, approximately USD 150,000. Presently, only one regional Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) based in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. provides coverage for Argus II. Moreover, the system is covered through formal policy or a case-to-case basis by many commercial payers and Medicare Advantage Plans. Second Sight is progressively involved in expansion of reimbursement coverage for Argus II. Considering approved and pending patents across geographies, anticipated expansion in reimbursement coverage and application area of the product together offer growth opportunities for Argus II during the forecast period. In 2014, North America accounted for the largest market share of around 51%. Availability of the product, reimbursement coverage, and high cost of the product are some of the factors resulting in the dominance of this region in the world. Moreover, presence of skilled healthcare professionals to perform implant procedures coupled with higher adoption rate for advanced healthcare treatments and products is supporting growth of retinal implants in North America. Many other companies and organizations are in the process of developing innovative products to treat AMD and retinitis pigmentosa. Successful completion of R&D of these organizations/companies coupled with rising awareness about the availability of the products is anticipated to boost market growth during the forecast period. Players contributing to the development and growth of the market include, but are not limited to, Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., Retina Implant AG, Bionic Vision Australia (BVA), Boston Retinal Implant Project (BRIP) by Bionic Eye Technologies, Inc., and Visus Technology, Inc.Read detailed report or request for sample of this research report:Grand View Research has segmented the Retinal Implant Market on the basis of device type and region:Retinal Implants Device Outlook, (2012-2022, USD Million) Argus II Others (Implantable Miniature Telescope, Alpha IMS)Retinal Implants Regional Outlook North America Europe and MEA Rest of the World (RoW)Browse more reports of this category by Grand View Research:Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.Sherry JamesCorporate Sales Specialist, USAGrand View Research, IncWeb:Read our blogs -
Red Hat and Amdocs Collaborate to Enable Open Innovation for Communications Service Providers

Radhesh Balakrishnan, general manager, OpenStack, Red Hat

http://www.redhat.com

http://www.sec.gov

DUBAI, UAE  23rd February, 2016  Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), the worlds leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that Amdocs, the leading provider of customer experience solutions, has integrated Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform with the Amdocs Network Cloud Service Orchestrator  an open, vendor-agnostic, catalogue-driven solution designed to help communications service providers (CSPs) transition from physical networks to cloud service environments.Using Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform, Amdocs Network Cloud Service Orchestrator offers a complete solution for the orchestration of telecommunications services in a software-led environment. By enabling the continuous design, instantiation and assurance of complex network services comprising virtual network functions, the solution enables agile operations and gives CSPs the ability to rapidly introduce new services and quickly address customer needs and competitive pressures. With this open source-based solution, CSPs can more rapidly deploy virtual network functions (VNFs) from different vendors across its service catalogue and evolve towards running multi-vendor, multi-operation, end-to-end services for customers.Amdocs chose Red Hat because of its position as an open source and OpenStack leader and because of Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platforms emergence as a leading cloud platform for NFV that enables faster, open innovation. Amdocs relies on Red Hat as a stable platform partner offering security features and global support capabilities that can deliver the performance, scalability and deployment requirements of a carrier-grade operation, all of which are fundamental for CSPs as they undertake the transformation of their legacy infrastructure for cloud-based services delivery.Amdocs Network Cloud Service Orchestrator utilizing Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform has been part of several NFV lab trials with tier one telco providers globally, implementing a range of use cases with multiple vendors, including virtual CPE (customer premises equipment), virtual EPC (evolved packet core) and virtual IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem).Red Hat, a leader in making open technologies safer, more secure, and more easily consumable for business-critical use, provides virtualization and cloud platforms that are emerging as leading solutions for NFV. Red Hat Enterprise Linux, including the high-performance Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) hypervisor, forms a more stable, more secure, more reliable operating system foundation. Co-engineered with Red Hat Enterprise Linux and hardened and backed by Red Hat's support lifecycle, Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform offers a proven foundation for NFV deployments, and is relied on by leading telecommunications companies, Internet service providers (ISPs), and public cloud hosting providers for their advanced cloud deployments. Red Hat also offers professional services to help customers plan, design, implement, and operate a virtualized network environment. With these services, businesses can build a more secure, stable infrastructure faster and learn how to operate it as efficiently and effectively as possible.Supporting QuotesRadhesh Balakrishnan, general manager, OpenStack, Red HatWith OpenStack having become a de facto lingua franca for NFV trials across the globe, were excited about broadening our collaboration with Amdocs to meet the needs of CSPs that want to offer cloud-based delivery of virtualized network and business services, while operating more cost-effectively. Amdocs Network Cloud Service Orchestrator, built on Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform, offers service providers with choice and the ability to deploy services faster, helping them to remain competitive in this fast-changing market.Ann Hatchell, head of Marketing for Network, AmdocsUsing software automation and orchestration, CSPs can accelerate service agility with operational efficiencies and speed of innovation. Open solutions, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform, also accelerate innovation, by addressing the challenges of vendor lock-in. Red Hat is a key partner in the Amdocs Network Cloud Ecosystem bringing an open solution that reinforces the open, vendor-neutral pedigree of the Amdocs Network Cloud Service Orchestrator. Our relationship with Red Hat showcases strong collaboration to enable joint solutions and support for our customers , as they transition to next generation networks.About Red Hat, Inc.Red Hat is the world's leading provider of open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to reliable and high-performing cloud, Linux, middleware, storage and virtualization technologies. Red Hat also offers award-winning support, training, and consulting services. As a connective hub in a global network of enterprises, partners, and open source communities, Red Hat helps create relevant, innovative technologies that liberate resources for growth and prepare customers for the future of IT. Learn more atForward-Looking StatementsCertain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: risks related to the ability of the Company to compete effectively; the ability to deliver and stimulate demand for new products and technological innovations on a timely basis; delays or reductions in information technology spending; the effects of industry consolidation; the integration of acquisitions and the ability to market successfully acquired technologies and products; uncertainty and adverse results in litigation and related settlements; the inability to adequately protect Company intellectual property and the potential for infringement or breach of license claims of or relating to third party intellectual property; risks related to data and information security vulnerabilities; ineffective management of, and control over, the Company's growth and international operations; fluctuations in exchange rates; and changes in and a dependence on key personnel, as well as other factors contained in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (copies of which may be accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at), including those found therein under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic and political conditions, governmental and public policy changes and the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.###Red Hat and Red Hat Enterprise Linux are trademarks of Red Hat, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. The OpenStack mark is either a registered trademark/service mark or trademark/service mark of the OpenStack Foundation, in the United States and other countries, and is used with the OpenStack Foundation's permission. We are not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by the OpenStack Foundation, or the OpenStack community.Colin SaldanhaPROCRE8 for Red HatVilla 41, 81D Street, Uptown Mirdiff, PO BOX 78835, Dubai, UAETel: +97150 6400762Email: colin@procre8.biz
Paper Diagnostics Market Research Report to 2022: Grand View Research, Inc.

www.grandviewresearch.com

www.dniamericas.org

www.terrapass.org

www.divog.org

Global paper diagnostics market is expected to reach USD 8.35 billion by 2022, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing prevalence of infectious disorders and lifestyle associated diseases such as diabetes coupled with rising geriatric population base is expected to present this market with lucrative growth opportunities.In addition, rising adoption of cost effective and easily accessible rapid POC diagnostics especially in the developing economies of Asia Pacific region is expected to boost market growth over the forecast period. Furthermore, growing incidence rates of cancer is expected to serve paper diagnostics market as a driver. As reported by WHO, in 2012, cancer was among the prime causes of mortality worldwide with 8.2 cancer associated deaths and 14 million new cases, thereby expected to propel the need for development of rapid, portable and cost-effective paper diagnostics.Introduction of technologically advanced paper based sensor, 3D wax printing devices have potential advantages over conventional technologies, associated benefits such as disposable nature, user friendliness and low cost of fabrication are the factors attributing towards the growth of this industry.Browse full research report on Global Paper Diagnostics Market: grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/paper-diagnostics-marketFurther key findings from the study suggest: Lateral flow assays dominated the product market in terms of revenue share as of 2014, at over 65% of market owing to high adoption rates and introduction of fluid actuated valves which are embedded in paper enabling manipulation of fluids & reagents in imunodetection tests. Demand for diagnostics devices such as paper based microfluidics, and other upgraded technology based on fluidics for confirmatory tests is expected to heighten over the forecast period owing to increasing R&D activities assuring inflow of novel products in the industry. High cost of quantitative tests and growing awareness pertaining to associated benefits with adoption of these technologies are growth propellers for this market. Clinical diagnostics segment is expected to gain market share of over 45% over the forecast period due to rising demand for cost effective screening tests for infectious diseases and cancer. Increasing usage of microfluidics, and paper based biosensors in the diagnosis of liver disorders and diseases such as HIV, malaria, and dengue the segment is anticipated to be instrumental in providing lucrative growth platform during the forecast period. Biotech-Pharma research segment is expected to grow with lucrative CAGR of 8.1% owing to increasing R&D activities for the development of paper based analytical devices for diseases diagnosis. For example, in October 2015, Alere Ltd. UK in collaboration with other market players initiate the project for the development of laser printable point of care sensors which enables laser based printing for biological material. This study helps in the detection of specific disease such as tuberculosis and reducing the detection time Major players operating in the paper diagnostics market include Diagnostics For All, BiognostiX, Navigene Genetic Science Pvt. Ltd., Micro Essential Laboratory, Kenosha C.V., GVS Filter Technology, Alere Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, and Siemens Healthcare. Market leaders are involved in extensive research for the development of cost efficient, accurate, sensitive paper based microfluidics.Read detailed report or request for sample of this research report:grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/paper-diagnostics-market/requestGrand View Research has segmented the global paper diagnostics market on the basis of product, device, application, end-use and region:Global Paper Diagnostics Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012  2022) Dipsticks Lateral Flow AssaysGlobal Paper Diagnostic Device Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012  2022) Diagnostics devices Monitoring devicesGlobal Paper Diagnostics Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012  2022) Clinical diagnosticso Cancero Infectious diseaseso Liver disorderso Others Food quality testing Environmental MonitoringPaper Diagnostics Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012  2022) North Americao U.So Canada Europeo U.Ko Germany Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao India Latin Americao Mexicoo Brazil MEAo South Africao Saudi ArabiaBrowse more reports of this category by Grand View Research: grandviewresearch.com/industry/clinical-diagnosticsGrand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.Sherry JamesCorporate Sales Specialist, USAGrand View Research, IncWeb:Read our blogs -
combit List & Label and Xojo  teaming up for an even larger community

http://docs.xojo.com/index.php/Third_Party_Products

www.combit.net/en/reporting-tool/report-generator-list-label-highlights/

www.xojo.com

Constance/Austin, Texas, 02/23/2016 - With the Xojo developer platform as its synergy partner, Constance software manufacturer combit enters into its next high-quality alliance. Effective immediately, Xojo developers can integrate combit List & Label into their own apps and thus create highly expressive reports using the combit List & Label Report Designer. A specially developed sample application makes it easy to get started. Through synergetic partnerships such as this, combit is continually expanding the user's scope and building the community for the award-winning reporting tool List & Label.Thanks to an object-oriented programming language and a drag and drop user interface builder, Xojo provides developers with a quick and easy path to programming apps for the desktop, web, iOS and Raspberry Pi. An app created by Xojo Evangelist Paul Lefebvre, with the assistance of developers from combit, demonstrates how easy it is to integrate List & Label. The combination of Xojo and List & Label facilitates the creation of impressive reports with the List & Label Report Designer. The data used for the reports can come from any source, including databases, files, text, or directly from an application (such as a ListBox).Anyone wishing to give List & Label a try in combination with Xojo can download the trial, which is valid for 30 days, from the combit website. (combit.net/en/download-trial/).The Xojo app itself is available on the manufacturer's Third Party Products page under "Reporting". (). Further joint developments between Xojo and List & Label are already being planned.Xojo is commonly used to create business data analysis applications and reporting is often a critical component, commented Geoff Perlman, Xojo Founder and CEO. List & Label provides the Xojo community with another excellent option."We are delighted to welcome the rapidly growing community of Xojo developers to our community. We have a long tradition of supporting and serving different Windows develop-ment platforms and currently already support more than 20 languages. The cooperation with Xojo will greatly help developers to leverage the power of our reporting tool List & Label in Xojo applications. Both sides will only benefit from this cooperation," reflects combit Head of Development List & Label, Jochen Bartlau, with satisfaction.About combitSince its founding in 1989, combit has made a name for itself on the market with the List & Label reporting tool. Latest member of the combit product portfolio is the Business Intelligence solution, Report Server. Over a hundred awards from the trade press and readers, as well as comments from numerous fully-satisfied customers bear testament to the success of its products.With reporting tool List & Label, software developers can expand their applications to provide powerful reporting functions. They also have access to all types of data processing and trans-fer options  in classical applications, in WebReporting and in the cloud. In comparison to other report generators, List & Label provides the greatest flexibility with regard to data types that can be evaluated, the supported programming languages, and the number of export and barcode formats. List & Label Designer is available in multiple languages and can be in-tegrated into the application without any additional licensing fees. This means that even end users can create reports.About XojoXojo, Inc. was founded in 1997 with the slogan, "Enabling ordinary people to create extraordinary apps," which means that anyone should be able to develop sophisticated software for the desktop, web, iOS and Raspberry Pi. With Xojo Cloud, web apps developed with Xojo lend themselves to secure, maintenance-free hosting.Xojo has more than 300,000 users around the globe. Xojo apps in every category imaginable are used by governments, universities, businesses and the Fortune 500. Students throughout the world are learning about programming with Xojo. Even Xojo itself was developed with Xojo. Xojo, Inc. is headquartered in Austin, Texas, is privately owned, and has employees all over the world.combit GmbHBrita DannenmannUntere Laube 3078462 KonstanzGermanyT +49 (0) 7531 90 60 10pr@combit.net
VEIT Group Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary

60th Anniversary of the VEIT Group

Landsberg am Lech, 23 February 2016. Pioneering developments in ironing technology triggered the rapid growth of the Landsberg-based machine manufacturer in the 1960s and 70s. Today, the medium-sized company is a global player in industrial garment finishing, with business activities in more than 100 countries.With Gunter and Christopher Veit being at the helm of the family-run enterprise, it is the second and third generation who are jointly steering the company in the year of its 60th anniversary. It was their father and grandfather, 90-year-old Reinhardt Veit, who founded the business in 1956 and who used two innovations to set new technological standards for his sector those days. The cold ironing technology he developed turned the formerly stationary units into flexible, stand-alone ironing tables with their own independent motors. Powerful suction made built-in heating units redundant and helped to significantly reduce energy consumption even then. Another novelty was the suction and blowing technology launched in 1969. The use of an air cushion finally allowed ironing garments without any marks from seams and interlinings.Todays Group President Gunter Veit joined the company as a co-director in 1975, before full responsibility was handed over to him by his father Reinhardt Veit in 1990. It was Gunter Veit who expedited international growth with subsidiaries in the USA (1981), France (1990), Romania (1997) and the UK (1999). Ever since 1994, VEIT has been increasingly committed to the Asian market with offices in China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh.From VEIT to VEIT Group: Two acquisitions allowed the firm to broaden its product portfolio and its technological range. In 1989, it took over Brisay, a company specialised in ironing presses, and then, in 2001, Veit acquired the fusing technology division from Kannegiesser. Whereas the brand name Brisay continues to exist within the VEIT Group, fusing machines are being sold solely under the VEIT label since the beginning of 2016, fifteen years after the successful takeover.Christopher Veit joined the companys top management in 2015 and represents the third generation. The new managing director has been leading the Chinese subsidiary VEIT Zhejiang since 2011. At VEIT Group, he is now in charge of Human Resources, Design and Development, Quality Assurance and Manufacturing. Both he and his father Gunter Veit are aware of future challenges. Expanding their business facilities in Germany is one of the goals both Directors share.We are delighted to be able to celebrate our companys 60th anniversary this year and are thankful for the past. At the same time, we are looking ahead to the future with a spirit of confidence and motivation. We are particularly grateful to our employees, customers and VEIT supporters, who have joined us on our journey and keep doing so! emphasize Christopher and Gunter Veit. We are convinced that we will continue our successful path by working together to enhance our existing strengths and to put our customers benefits into the focus of our operations.The VEIT GroupFor almost 60 years, VEIT Groups products for finishing garments and fabrics have been the epitome of outstanding quality and highest productivity. This is why garment manufacturers as well as garment refinishers, logistics companies and customers from the automotive industry in more than 100 countries rely on VEIT technology. With numerous subsidiaries and an excellent distributor network around the world, VEIT Group continues to grow globally.Gabriele Milza / Marketing DirectorVEIT GmbH / Justus-von-Liebig-Strae 15 / 86899 Landsberg am Lech / GermanyTel: +49 (8191) 479-0 / Fax: +49 (8191) 479-26164
Canadian Indie Author Rusty Blackwood Announces Recent, Upcoming Schedule Of Events For Release Of 5 Star Rated Romantic Fiction Novel, 'Willow's Walk'

Romantic Fiction Author Rusty Blackwood

http://www.rusty-blackwood.com

Canadian Indie author Rusty Blackwood, author of 'Passions In Paris', has announced several new events and the upcoming schedule of events for the recent release of her new 5 star romantic fiction novel, 'Willow's Walk'.On February 1, 2016, Blackwood was the guest author and speaker for the Thorold Writer's Forum, which took place at the Thorold Public Library. This was the first launch event in the lineup for the official Niagara launch of 'Willow's Walk'. She was honored to speak about her writing journey. She performed a reading from 'Willow's Walk'.In addition, Blackwood was the only Niagara Indie author to be asked to sit on the first romance panel, "Love in the Afternoon", held in the La Marsh Room at the Niagara Falls Public Library on February 3, 2016. Other writers included Toronto Harlequin authors Jennifer Hayward and Stefanie London. It was an opportunity to discuss both traditional and independent writing, detailing the pros and cons of both forms.Ms. Blackwood also announced that she will be appearing at Seaway Mall Coles in Welland, Ontario on March 12, 2016 between 1- 4:30 pm to sign copies of 'Willow's Walk'. She was also invited to appear at R&B Novel Teas, 4400 Queen Street #2, Niagara Falls, Ontario, to read from 'Willow's Walk', and to sign copies between 1 - 3 pm on March 26, 2016."With all that has been recently happening," Blackwood stated, "it can feel somewhat overwhelming, but I can handle it, and I have certainly waited a very long time to be able to say that. I have worked hard, but I'm a very determined person, and I have no intention in slowing down anytime soon. I recently did some new and exciting venues, all in keeping with the Niagara launch of 'Willow's Walk', and it was most interesting to be personally asked by the Niagara Falls library to sit on a romance panel with a couple of authors from the opposite side of the publishing coin. By this I mean standard publishing, as opposed to independent publishing, but it was all informative for the audience, and I believe for those of us on the panel as well. But as enlightening as it was, it has not changed my mind regarding the path I have chosen. 'Willow's Walk' has made me even more determined to continue the route I've chosen, and it is my hope that I will continue to write nothing short of 'Willow's' quality."'Willow's Walk', follows the release of 'Passions in Paris: Revelations Of A Lost Diary'. Her first romantic fiction book is a sweeping saga written in the tradition of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' and 'What Dreams May Come'. It has been compared to Erich Segal's 'Love Story' and Nicholas Sparks' 'The Notebook'.'Willow's Walk' is a gripping new tale, certain to hold readers captive from the very first page. Set in the beautiful city of Ottawa, Canada in 2003, this touching story centers on the life and times of a woman determined to prevail at all costs, regardless of what is set before her, the result of which is certain to leave the reader reeling in its wake.The path each person walks is entirely their own. The pitfalls along that path, as well as the way in which they are dealt with are entirely up to the individual. But Willow Sutherland Crosby walks a far-different path, and with her own agenda.Abuse, deception, intrigue, and a never ending quest for happiness and love - will she find these, or will her blind determination be her downfall?'Willow's Walk' has received a number of 5 star reviews from professional reviewers. Maria Beltran stated, "I highly recommend this book." Gisela Dixon said, ". . . I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the life of a person presented in such a wonderful manner."'Passions In Paris' has also received rave reviews. Linkk Kula Kane said, "Passions in Paris I think stands its ground with these other powerful romantic stories like 'The Notebook' by Nicolas Sparks." Reader Fred Pifer stated that 'Passions', " . . .is a fascinating book of a love story that seemed to be written with me in mind. In the book 'Love Story' by Erich Segal, he told of a deep abiding love story that reminds me of Cullen and Joys in Ms. Blackwoods book, but the twists of intrigue and mystery that she adds keeps the reader on edge throughout."Information on the new romantic fiction release, including a new book trailer, is available at Blackwood's site on the 'Willow' page. Readers can download paperback and Kindle versions of both books at Amazon sites worldwide, including Amazon.ca.Rusty Blackwood is available for interview in the Toronto and Niagara areas and can be reached using the information below or by email at writerrusty@hotmail.ca. More information is available at her website.Rusty Blackwood is a prolific Indie author of romantic fiction, short story comedies, contemporary and traditional poetry and children's books. Her first love is romantic fiction, but she crosses genres with ease.PO Box 1613Shallotte, NC 28459
Multibrands Exhibits At The Hong Kong International Lighting Fair 2016

www.multibrands.eu.com

Bradford, West Yorkshire  February 23rd, 2016 - Multibrands International, along with more than 1200 manufacturers in the lighting industry from all over the world, will have a common meeting place, as the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair will open its gates this year from April 6th to April 9th.The fair is organized by the Hong Kong International Trade Development and is expected to attract even more professional than last year, that is: approximately 19.000 buyers from 112 countries and more than 1250 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions.Multibrands will participate with their newly launched product to the stand  Supacell LED. The range consists of revolutionary LED products that ensure a 3 year guarantee, a 25 years lifespan and 90% energy savings.Multibrands will be located at stands 3D B18 and 3D B20, ready to receive visitors from 09.00 to 16.00.Multibrands International is a FMCG company, constantly growing since 1998. With open markets in over 100 countries, it has set a name for providing high quality products at the best price. We offer a wide range of homecare and beauty products, from super glue and batteries to premium baby wipes and lip balms. For more details about our brands, check out our website:PO Box 11 Bradford
Temperature Data Acquisition Using Delphin

Professional Measurement Technology

www.DataLoggerInc.com

www.dataloggerinc.com

Delphin Data Loggers Record and Transmit Analog DataCHESTERLAND, OHFebruary 23, 2016Temperature acquisition is a major aspect of measurement technology in nearly every industry. Virtually every application involves measuring product or process temperatures, usually via thermocouples or RTDs. With this need in mind, Delphin products have been optimized for high-precision temperature measurement. Delphin's decades of experience in measurement technology go into their dataloggers and data acquisition systems. CAS DataLoggers outlines the features of these sophisticated systems below.Temperature data acquisition:Analog inputs can be configured to any type of thermocouple or 4-wire RTD. This is made possible through Delphins use of high-resolution, galvanically isolated 24-bit A/D converters and high-precision internal power sources for reference-current feeds. No additional converters are required when using Delphin products.Application features: High-precision temperature measurement of up to +/- 0.05K Universal inputs for RTDs and any thermocouple type (K, J, B, S, ...) Long-term measurement stability with only negligible drift No additional requirement for measurement converters; includes galvanic isolation Standalone temperature measurement as well as PC-supported operation via LAN or USB.Data Logger / Data Acquisition systems:Delphin Technologies data loggers/data acquisition systems solve a variety of measurement and control problems in industrial and laboratory applications. They feature different analog and digital input and output modules that can be used with a wide range of signal types including: voltage; 4-20 mA current; thermocouple; RTD; and resistance. They also offer powerful alarm and programming capabilities allowing these instruments to process measurements and initiate actions fully independently.Delphin systems can be used for local data acquisition and logging when connected to a PC; for remote unattended data collection connected the internet; or as stand-alone devices. Delphin products are typically used in the following ways: Message devices for industrial measurement data acquisition ProfiSignal for test bench automation The AMDT - module for vibration monitoring and analysis Remote monitoring of plant and machinery using ProfiSignal Go software Operating DAQ and intelligent processing within Message devices Supplying individual solutions (mobile, control cabinets, 19-inch .....) Developmental services (processing, user interfaces, databases) Start-ups and trainingThe Data Logger Experts:Computer Aided Solutions, LLC. dba CAS Data Loggers is a distributor of data loggers, paperless recorders and data acquisition equipment. We sell directly to end users and also work through a network of distributors and resellers throughout the United States, Canada, and Central/South America.We have been in business for over 20 years, and actively involved in selling data loggers and real-time systems since 2001. We want to help you select the most appropriate product for your application as well as recommend sensor and transducers to go with the data logger. We also provide free on-call technical support on all of our products.CAS can also provide value-added services including on-site installation, wiring and packaging, engineering and design services, and complete turn-key systems.For more info on Delphin dataloggers, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS Data Logger Applications Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or visit our website atContact Information:CAS DataLoggers, Inc.8437 Mayfield Rd.Chesterland, Ohio 44026(440) 729-2570(800) 956-4437sales@dataloggerinc.com
When his daughter died on October 5, Nathan Traller made a promise to continue her fight against teen cancer.

"You're not supposed to outlive your kids," he said the week she died. "It's just not right. That's never going to be better, but Nathalie would have wanted us to continue to push against it, and continue to kick ASPS. That's not going to stop."

The Trallers are continuing to make good on that promise. On Saturday, March 5, five months after Nathalie's death, family, friends and supporters are holding a 5K run and walk to raise money to find a cure for Nathalie's rare form of cancer.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will go to the Rutledge Foundation, which is working with Doctor Kevin Jones of the University of Utah's Huntsman Cancer Institute to develop two drugs to treat Nathalie's form of cancer.

Nathalie was diagnosed with ASPS, or alveolar soft part sarcoma, at age 13. By that time, the disease had spread. There was no known cure, but drug companies were working to find one.

Because of Nathalie's age, she was barred from the trials typically open only to patients 18 and older. After many months of social media campaigns, media coverage and letters to drug companies and politicians, pharmaceutical company one drug company, Genentech, made an exception for Nathalie.

Though she responded to the treatment, it wasn't enough to kill the cancer. But it did buy her time and strength, which she used to advocate for better access to clinical trials for all young people with rare cancers.

And now, in her death, her family and friends are continuing her fight to cure cancer.

The 5K will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 5 at Century High School in Hillsboro. You can register here.

-- Anna Marum

amarum@oregonian.com

503-294-5911

@annamarum
A former lawyer for President George H.W. Bush has taken over the Sweet Cakes by Melissa Case, a Texas lawfirm announced Tuesday.



C. Boyden Gray will represent Aaron and Melissa Klein at the Oregon Court of Appeals later this year.



The Gresham bakery owners ignited a national controversy three years ago by refusing to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple.



The women, Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer, filed complaints with Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries, triggering a national debate over the Kleins' claims of religious freedom in the face of anti-discrimination laws that require Oregon businesses to serve the public equally.



Klein supporters contributed more than half a million dollars in online fundraising campaigns. Aaron Klein paid $136,927 in damages and accrued interest last December but vowed to continue fighting.



Gray, working with nonprofit lawfirm First Liberty, will represent the Kleins at no cost. He joins Canby attorney Tyler Smith.





Working as U.S. special envoy for Eurasian energy issues, C. Boyden Gray speaks during a press conference in Rome, Friday, Oct. 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Gray worked as a law clerk to the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren then served as White House counsel under President Bush from 1989 to 1992. He later worked as the U.S. ambassador to the European Union.



First Liberty senior counsel Ken Klukowski said the Kleins asked his Plano, Texas firm to take on their case. He agreed because he believes theirs "is an issue of paramount importance for the nation."



"This is one of the most important cases in the country regarding how religious liberty is going to coexist in our society with new attitudes regarding marriage. The first amendment guarantees every person fundamental right to free speech and the free exercise of religion, how you act out your faith -- not just the words you say.



First Liberty works with "elite," volunteer lawyers such as Gray on more than 500 legal matters a year, Klukowski said, though not all are court cases. Klukowski said First Liberty wins more than 90 percent of those.



"This is definitely a winnable case," Klukowski said. "The Kleins have fundamental rights. The government has violated those rights. We look forward to our opportunity to make the case in a court of law as to why the constitution is on the side of the Kleins' free speech and religious liberty rights here."





-- Casey Parks

503-221-8271

cparks@oregonian.com; @caseyparks
University of Oregon campus

University of Oregon already received some money in 2015 to help students complete their degrees.

(Terry Richard/The Oregonian/File)

Oregon's seven public universities want more state money to help undergraduate students who are on the verge of graduation but face money woes stay in school.

Higher education leaders are asking for $15 million from the Legislature during February's short session to help students who otherwise might drop out stay in school and finish their degrees, a request officials don't expect to receive with competing requests and a rapidly approaching legislative deadline.

According to a new report released Monday, even small grants can provide a big return with little investment, if the schools have the appropriate infrastructure in place.

Foiling the Drop-Out Trap, a report released by the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities and Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities looked at how 10 schools are faring with programs designed to intervene with vulnerable low-income students either before they drop out or shortly after.

The report found that awarding grants of as little as a few hundred dollars to low-income and first-generation college students can help move the needle and increase graduation rates. "Helping them can mean the difference between a student earning a degree in a short period of time or stopping out permanently," the report said.

But according to the study, the schools found that successful grant programs require "system-wide collaboration and commitment" for the programs to be sustainable.

Each of Oregon's schools are looking to increase their respective graduate rates, part of the state's strategy to get more students through college and into the workforce. According to a spokesman, the University of Oregon received $1.4 million from the state last year in completion grants to help 100 juniors and seniors annually.

But money alone isn't the solution to helping students stay in school and finish their degrees.

According to the study, schools don't have enough data to assess the success of the grant programs. "It is important that institutions developing completion grants do not view them as standalone levers to boost student achievement, retention, and graduation rates," the report states, "But rather as one component of a comprehensive student success effort."



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen
Astronauts need their caffeine fix, too.

Thanks to Drew Wollman, a Portland State University Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering, NASA astronauts can now enjoy a freshly brewed pour-over coffee while orbiting Earth on the International Space Station.

Beat that view, Stumptown.

Portland State promoted the video Tuesday, but the coffee maker is the latest device in a series of space successes designed on the Park Blocks. Earlier this year, another PSU student's specially-designed ping pong paddles were used on the station.

Kjell Lindgren, a NASA astronaut, read a 2015 Wired Magazine piece highlighting the cleverest designs of the year. The issue cited PSU professor Mark Weislogel's zero-gravity espresso mugs. Lindgren contacted PSU and arranged a meeting in Houston early last year to discuss an idea.

Lindgren said he planned to carry K-cups, the Keurig single-use coffee pods, to the space station with the hope PSU could design a zero-gravity brewing device.

Wollman got to work and finished the first version of the coffee pot in a couple of weeks, then watched as the device was destroyed on a SpaceX cargo mission last summer.

"We thought that we would never get another second chance," Wollman said.

They did.

The 34-year-old senior engineer at Wilsonville-based IRPI LLC ultimately was able to design a second pot, which reached the station last year.

But Wollman never heard what happened with his product.

This year, he stumbled upon a picture online while browsing space station photos and discovered Lindgren had used the coffee pot.

"It was delightful," he said of the discovery.

Wollman tracked down video footage, too.

He contacted NASA, and the agency eventually posted a stand-alone video on its YouTube channel last week.

In the video, Lindgren giddily showed off the coffee pot, pulling hot water out of a pouch into a syringe, then pumping the water through the filter to "brew" the beverage.

"The applications for something like this are fairly tremendous," Lindgren said in a video posted to NASA's YouTube channel. "You can move fluids without having to use a pump with mechanical moving parts or electricity and power. that's highly beneficial for a system like this, the space station."

Lindgren sipped the freshly brewed java an smiled. "How awesome is that," he said. "Works amazingly well."



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen
nightskies

The mystery sound, which only comes at night and sounds like a mechanical scream, is also driving pets crazy.

(The Oregonian)

Strange tales of the mysterious, high-pitched scream freaking out Forest Grove residents and pets have gone international.

As a result, theories and Internet memes about the nocturnal sound -- it's hard to tell if it's organic or mechanical -- are popping up like stars in the twilight sky.

The theories run the gamut, from a bad clothes-dryer belt to plate tectonics to noisy wind disturbed by Pacific Ocean currents to bad streetlight bulbs to noisy E.T.s.

Here's a sample of the most interesting and entertaining comments:

What it sounds most like is bowing the edge of a metal plate -- yes, a violin or base fiddle bow and a thin plate of steel say a foot square. An old physics prof made one, dusted flour on the plate, and bowed it to demonstrate the vibration nodes.

-- Paul Rogers

Hubby the engineer suggests it's a bad valve on the waterline to or from a water tower -- which would be difficult to triangulate the source of the noise. I think it sounds more like a "singing bowl" or one note from an armonica. (BTW, the armonica lost its audience in the 18th century when rumors the audience or the performers went mad from the sound.)

-- Kay Lancaster

Saw your article on-line and also saw the report on ABC World News last week. Have they tried checking the bulbs in the street lamps/lights? Also any house that has an outside light with special bulbs. These lights can make strange noises when the bulbs start to go.

-- Blaine DeFries, Williamsville, N.Y.

Oh, by the way, here's the sound:

Mystery sound frustrates people in a west Forest Grove neighborhood. Where it could be coming from? #LiveOnK2 @ 11pm pic.twitter.com/p0inj5TBr2  Chris Liedle (@chrisliedle) February 16, 2016

This guy may be on to something:

Wow. That's eerily close.

Or:

It could most probably be a Wind Turbine, typically found on top of residential roofs. When their bearings start wearing out, they emit a v high pitched sound usually heard two to three blocks away, and visually they are still functioning. Add to that the infrequency, it suggests a commercial turbine, that is only spinning due to a heavier wind, or the occasional discharge of heat from baking or manufacturing at night. Just a thought, Bud.

-- Mike West, Houston, Texas

Heard a noise just like it at my ranch. Baffled me until I happened to be near the guest house when it went off and realized it was louder there. Going inside I found the hot water feed to the kitchen sink was vibrating like crazy and the horrendous noise was coming from that pipe. $4 for in-line "water hammer arrestor" and problem solved.

-- Jeff W. Bullard, Austin, Texas

What's a water hammer? Here's a German video explaining it.

Confused? Check this out:

More theories:

Sounds like a BFlat Flute to me.

-- LA Chancey

Hmmm. Maybe through a megaphone.

It sounds like the dryer I replaced the belt on but slacked on greasing the shaft the barrel slides back onto. It caused a very similar ear-piercing, high pitch noise. Not saying its that dryer; it's in Cornelius lol but could be same thing?

-- Steve Foucher

I had a similar sound that was happening at my house and it was the wind and an attic fan that was bent and the metal would rub together every time the wind would blow, even a breeze.

-- Sally Wilson, Nebraska

I just wanted to share that I had a similar experience like this in 6/2014 in Ohio. My dog woke me up at 12:30 in the morning and when I let him out this is what I heard. I never did find out what it was, but it definitely creeped me out!!!

-- Lauren Distel

I'm not a scientist by any means, but I would be willing to wager the noises around Forrest Grove coincide with the tide cycles of the Pacific Ocean. When the sounds occur it is probably linked to the same tide level and direction each day. Just the thoughts of a mad man.

-- Daniel F. Goggin, Greenville, Ill.

Just read your article and it sounds like a Aeolian harp to me.

They can be made out of cardboard boxes or rain gutter downspouts - but they can also produce the same erie noises you heard. My guess is someone playing a joke on the area and hide one nearby. they can be loud if placed in the right wind current. Check this video out, at the end it shows what different noise can be made with different shapes.

The same type of noise can be heard at about 8:30 in the video. Amazing how easily this noise can be made using a box, guitar strings and some wind

interested if this end up being the answer - let me know if it does

-- Doug Johnson

Did Bubb Rubb and Lil Sis move out to Forest Grove?

-- Talbot Menear

The noise comes from a automatic natural gas valve when the valve is slightly open... I'm retired from the gas industry in Ca... We had the same problem in the Bay Area.

-- Jim Haar

Of course, residents on Vista Drive and Gails Creek Road have already thought of that possibility.

Responding to a neighbor's complaint last week, a NW Natural technician spent an entire day in the area and found no problems with the underground lines, said gas company spokeswoman Melissa Moore.

"We don't have release valves in that area," Moore said.

"The other thing this sound is intermittent in the middle of the night," she said. "Gas is firing all of the time. In fact, if it were a gas-related issue, the sound would be happing in the morning, when people are firing up their stoves for breakfasts and taking showers with hot water. There would also be an unmistakable smell."

So, at this point, we know that it's not gas, mechanical equipment at a nearby Forestry Department facility or a railroad (unless it's a ghost train).

Fire and police officials are also baffled.

Still, let's not get carried away like this reporter, who sounds like she dresses up like Agent Scully on the weekends.

Even more theories:

@Drudge_Report_ @josephjrose Didn't we just have a stand-off in Oregon? Connection? Anything goes in these days of a new dawn.  michael hart-olsen (@HartOlsen) February 23, 2016

Bear with me on this attempt at possible explanation. Fifty years ago, my father, an ornithologist, was called to Marysville, WA (from Bellingham) to try to identify a sound much like this. I was ten and remember it clearly. It turned out to be an owl, possibly a saw whet owl, with a loud, atypical call. I realize this is a long shot, but if you find a competent ornithologist in Portland OR Seattle who is willing to drive the distance, it's worth a try. Look for Dennis Paulson in Seattle. Maybe he'll give it a try. He used to teach at UW.

-- Maura Wahl, Tucson, Ariz.

I just read your article in The Oregonian. I'm all the way across the country in Cleveland, OH, but you might say that I'm an amateur sleuth, when it comes to strange occurrences. I've been around 60 years, and have seen a lot of things, from a different perspective. Here are some thoughts for you to consider:

* If you Google "strange sounds", you will see that strange sounds are popping up around the world. If you listen to this YouTube video, you will notice that the sounds are different in pitch, but they have a similar resonance. Is there a connection?

* Have you ever heard of the Dyatlov Pass Incident? It occurred in the Ural Mountains (Russia) in 1959, where 9 hikers were found dead, and there has been no valid explanation of what happened to them. However, a mind-piercing sound was reported in the area, which some believe caused them to go crazy and eventually die in the harsh elements.

* Personally, I don't believe these sounds are man-made. As much as I truly do believe in alien life visiting Earth, I get the feeling that these sounds are coming from the Earth. The Earth will probably be around another 5 billion years, but mankind won't. Our civilization is dying. We have pushed the Earth to its limits, and society is crumbling along with it. (Is this the first time?) Eventually, the Earth has to yell "Uncle", and do what it can to rejuvenate itself.

* Has anyone in Forest Grove tried to triangulate the sound? If it is coming from one particular area, then that can be done. If the sound is more omnipotent, all of the best sound tracking equipment in the world will not be able to locate the source.

Just my two cents. Hope it makes you question the standard beliefs a bit.

Best regards,

-- Jim Kettren, Bay Village, OH

So first ......you could use the word theories alone....

meaning



Theory is a contemplative and rational type of abstract or generalizing thinking, or the results of such thinking.

Depending on the context, the results might for example include generalized explanations of how nature works.

Its a analyse of a possibility or a mathematical explanation of a motion



Conspiracy .........................nice word to dam the ones that have explainable theories.

So, when Hillary lies ................ she was shot by snipers in east Europe ..........no its a conspiracy

When the Cruz group tweets ...Ben Carson leaves the election ......................no its a conspiracy



When are you guys doing your work proper ........not eating across the street and play the puffs of the city.



Wow........... the sound on the radio is so easy to generate ........ even with a old baby phone , a oscillator ( main sender in baby-phone ) plus a end amplifier up to 10 watt .....connect the microphone with a

ham radio ......between 2 senders VHF & UHF Bands ..........than you have the result...

Any Ham radio person can make this sender in 30 min ..........



we did that in 1980 .....to piss off our parents ...while they where listening to the radio in the evening ........

a simple round fm antenna you need ......under a wooden roof...so nobody sees it ...................surrounding of 20 miles you can spook the people.





so...good luck hunting .....



or its not explainable or its a joke ..........





-- "man from Scotland"

Apparently, English sentence structure and punctuation are a wee bit different in Scotland.

I'm not sure what's more creepy: The sound or the people around the globe who are taking it so seriously.

I'm betting on the faulty HVAC-system theory.

-- Joseph Rose

503-221-8029

jrose@oregonian.com

@josephjrose
Forest Grove police car 2.jpg

The following is a list of calls, provided by the Forest Grove Police Department, that officers responded to during the past week.

Feb. 14

* A man, presumably hungry, stole a whole roasted chicken from a local market.

* Officers assisted Cornelius police in breaking up a fight involving three men and two women, including one person who was beaten with a stick. The people refused medical attention and were generally uncooperative.

* A woman called to report that she heard second hand that her ex-husband had broken her dog's legs while at her home. Officers responded to the residence and found the dog was fine and the ex-husband denied harming the animal.



Feb. 15

* A woman called to report an attempted murder that recently occurred in Portland. She also informed dispatch that members of Al Capone's gang had previously stolen her mattress. Officers contacted the woman who reported to the officer that she had been "murdered" by meth injections twice at a rehabilitation facility and resuscitated both times.

* Officers responded to a report of a 3 year old missing from the residence. Before officers arrived, the child was found safe in the caller's car waiting patiently "to go."

* A caller reported that a strange man approached her for assistance in finding an individual who was supposed to sell him meth.



Feb. 16

* Police responded to an incident at Pacific and Main in which a woman suffered a heart attack and subsequently struck a parked vehicle. Officers, in conjunction with firefighters and EMS, were able to revive the woman and she was transported to Tuality Hospital.

* School officials reported that a student had sent a picture of an airsoft gun to the entire school. Officers contacted the student who had sent the photo by accident and found no threat.

* A caller reported that he had followed a vehicle from Banks driving erratically. Officers located the vehicle and found a father teaching his daughter to drive. Police advised that dad keep a better eye out and to use other roads.

Feb. 17

* Officers responded to a caller who reported theft of $12, a credit card and a mood ring after spending the night with an unknown man, but were unable to locate the caller upon arrival.

* Police responded to a noise complaint described as the highest note one can play on D string. The caller suggested it might have been from a kid turning an amp loud. The call said he had played along with his Fender Stratocaster and was able to emulate the sound.

* A caller reported that their daughter had received messages on Facebook threatening that the mother would die if the messages were not forwarded to at least 15 people. Officers advised the caller that this was not harassment, just spam.

Feb. 18

* A caller reported a man yelling at himself and other people as they walked by.

* A woman called to report that her mother's boyfriend assaulted her sister's boyfriend. The injuries were serious and required medical transport to a Portland trauma center.

* A man called stating he had a gun to his head and would shoot at police when they arrived. Officers were able to take the man into protective custody without further incident.



Feb. 19

* A man called to report that his friend in Beaverton was making threats to kill himself and cut other people into little pieces. He was also threatened to take down Donald Trump. Beaverton officers contacted the man, who did not present a threat to himself or others.

* Police responded to a report of loud music and someone urinating outside.

* A man called to report harassment by his ex-boyfriend who was repeatedly calling him and showed up at this work. Police contacted the ex and advised him to cease contact.



Feb. 20

* A customer at a local gas station called police after an employee refused to pump his gas claiming he had not been paid when the customer claimed he had in fact paid. Video showed the customer indeed paid and finally got his gas.

* Police and a county crisis team contacted a person with suicidal intentions.

* While police were on scene of a separate call of a dispute, a man threatened to kill himself or others if police left. The man was taken into protective custody.
The Elms

The Elms retirement community in Forest Grove.

Herbert "Howard" Sahnow

A Forest Grove retirement home owner who was arrested Monday morning on accusations of sexual abuse and burglary -- and was later released after posting bail -- was arrested again Monday night.

Herbert "Howard" Sahnow, 72, violated the terms of his release by going back to The Elms retirement community in Forest Grove, police said.

The alleged crimes occurred at The Elms over the last few years, said Capt. Mike Herb, a Forest Grove police spokesman. Sahnow had been arrested there Monday morning.

Sahnow was initially arrested after a Washington County grand jury indictment accused him of one count of first-degree sex abuse, three counts of second-degree sex abuse, 16 counts of third-degree sex abuse and seven counts of burglary, police said.

Sahnow's arrest came after a five-month investigation, Herb said.

There are seven alleged victims, Herb said. Some of them are residents of The Elms, 2030 Elm St. in Forest Grove, he said. Herb said he thinks two of the alleged victims are former retirement center employees.

Sahnow also is accused of unlawfully entering the apartments of several alleged victims, Herb said.

Sahnow posted $58,000 bail and was released shortly before 4 p.m. Monday, police said. He was arrested again by 6:40 p.m., police said, and was booked into the Washington County jail.

The retirement community "is designed for senior adults who wish to maintain their independent lifestyle but need some assistance," according to the community's website. Its main building opened in 1989, the website says.

A representative answering phone calls for The Elms declined to comment late Monday afternoon.

Detectives want to speak with "anyone who has had any alarming or coercive contact with" Sahnow, Herb said. Anyone with information should contact the police department at 503-992-3260.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Tony Hernandez of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report
Barbie turns 57 years old next month and every year, she's jumped into home design trends with both pink stilettos. So it shouldn't be surprising that the fashion doll wants a modern house with such smart features as a voice-activated stove and shower.

But Barbie will have to wait until her maker, Mattel, releases the world's first smart dollhouse this fall.

The cost for Barbie's brand new Hello Dreamhouse: $300.

It's hard to break down the price per square foot, er inch, but there are seven rooms spread across two stories. Linking the levels is an exposed elevator and stairs that turn into a slide when the smart house is activated into party mode.

Yes, just say the words, "Hello Dreamhouse, dance party please" and a female voice behind the plastic responds with glee. Then the chandelier spins, lights flash and everyone's ready to take on the night.

What's been Barbie's house history? Her abode has changed since it was first introduced for $8 in 1962, although her signature pink has been a constant.

1960s: Like most starter homes, Barbie's first home was modest. Made of cardboard, the single-level studio apartment had Mod sunny gold walls and a pink-painted closet and vanity space with a reflecting oval mirror.

The Scandinavian-style furniture included a Hi-Fi cabinet that was as long as the single bed. Mini record covers displayed on the walls had the names of the Kingston Trio and other pre-Beatles bands.

Red-and-blue plaid upholstery on the arm-less cardboard couch matched the pull-down window shades. A square coral rug and a yellow round rug covered some of the white tile-mimicking floor. Later that decade, the house was upgraded from cardboard to vinyl, but it still could be folded and put away.

1970s: A three-story plastic structure showed that Barbie had moved up in the real estate world. The living room that lead to a trompe l'oeil backyard pool and patio furniture. Also sharing the ground floor was a teeny kitchen with a sink, stove and leafy view. The second level had a family room and office with blue gingham wallpaper. The top floor was Barbie's boudoir accessed by a yellow elevator.

Late 1970s: Barbie finally earned a house with four walls and working doors and windows. The red-roof, A-frame house had a yellow, double door entry and modern touches such as decorative, diagonal window screens and planters. Upstairs, the pink-schemed bedroom opened to a balcony.

1980s: A townhouse shifted Barbie's taste from modern to traditional. The tiny parlor off the entry was stocked with a white rattan rocker and shelf. More floor space was given to a kitchen with built-in cabinets and a white breakfast table with bent-wood chairs and pink cushions.

The second level had a formal dining room with high-back chairs and a china cabinet, and a living room was a mix of rattan chairs and a pink upholstered sofa fronted by a formal coffee table. Hardwood floors stretched across both rooms.

On the top floor, Barbie's bed backed up to long drapery that covered the back wall and hung from the ceiling at all four corners of the bed. The adjoining room had a rattan vanity and chair for primping.

1990s: Barbie downsized to a two-story with a terrace embedded in the roof line. Arched windows, French doors and bay windows set the style for this European-inspired residence. Upstairs, the bedroom had a pink armoire and the separate bathroom boasted a whirlpool tub, pedestal sink and rose wallpaper. A hint at the future: Electronics entered the scene with a ringing telephone and doorbell, and lit fireplace and chandelier.

Late 1990s: Barbie's fancy two-story chateau had a turret and a balcony as part of the master suite. The second floor was supported by an exposed wood-like column painted pink. Both levels had stained glass windows and pink floors, window frames and cabinets.

Outdoor hot tub

2000s: The elevator shaft was positioned in the center of a three-level pink house with white, wrought iron-style railings and dividers. The dining room had a cabinet with pink fluted champagne glasses and the kitchen had a dangling red chandelier. There was a pink-walled shower stall next to a pink commode on the second floor and, across the elevator was the bedroom. The top level was reserved for a walk-in closet and sitting area with a turquoise fireplace.

In 2012, Barbie's house came equipped with an outdoor whirlpool hot tub, and lights and sounds on every level.

2016: The Wi-Fi connected, two-story Hello Dreamhouse talks and responds to voice commands. Or kids can use an app to change the lights and music, and make the stairs into a slide. The lights can also be activated by having the doll touch down on floor sensors.

Dolls enter through pink double doors and walk past the chandelier that lights up and spins when the house is set in dance party mode. They can step into the sunken living room where furniture seems straight out of a Kartell showroom with a pink Eros-like bubble chair and a colored-injected polycarbonate-like table lamp and shade.

Upstairs, in Barbie's bath, there's a shower stall with a glass door that lights up when the pretend water is on. A vessel sink has a glass tile backsplash. There's a Le Klint 172 pendant-style light in the bedroom and a flat screen TV.

LED ceiling lights change colors on command, and there are Wi-Fi bars near the Barbie silhouette in the roof line to let little pretenders know when they're connected.



-- Janet Eastman



jeastman@oregonian.com

503-799-8739

@janeteastman




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A U.S. Postal Service letter carrier delivers mail in Atlanta's Cabbagetown neighborhood in 2012.

(AP Photo)

By Mario Parker-Milligan and Nikki Fisher

For decades, Oregon has ranked among America's greatest champions of free, fair and accessible democracy. From delivering ballots to voters' homes with vote-by-mail to being an early adopter of online voter registration to making registering to vote more accessible through Oregon's "motor voter" law, Oregon refuses to stand by while eligible voters are left out of our elections.

As you read this, the Oregon Legislature can again make our state's election system a bit more accessible by passing Senate Bill 1586 to save voters the hassle -- and in some cases impossibility -- of traveling miles out of their way to cast their ballots.

"But Nikki and Mario," you might say, "Oregon votes by mail. Nobody has to travel out of their way to get their vote counted."

While true for some, it is unfortunately not the whole story. Vote-by-mail promises the convenience of voting from home, but that assumes ample free time and a drawer full of stamps to get that ballot turned in. Yet with personal and business correspondence moving online in the last decade, thousands of Oregonians simply no longer send letters. For them, their ballot is the only thing that needs a stamp all year.

Though we are hesitant to accept any cost to vote, 49-cent postage is obviously not exorbitant. But there is a real -- sometimes prohibitive -- cost getting to a post office during regular business hours while working multiple jobs, going to school and/or raising a family. Many struggling Oregonians would love the luxury of leaving work early to travel miles to the nearest post office and buy that much-needed stamp, which in some grocery stores may only be available for sale as a book of stamps which is $9.80. But for Oregonians on the edge, it is simply not feasible to give up those hours of work.

Ideally, ballot drop boxes would solve this problem. Yet for an Umpqua Community College student in Roseburg, the nearest drop box is nearly eight miles from campus. If you have spare time and a car, this is no big problem. If you have neither, it can mean no democracy for you. In small-town Adel, if you work between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. during the week, the post office is literally closed to you, and the nearest ballot drop box is 42 miles away. For Oregonians who work full-time jobs, or multiple jobs, free time is the stuff of dreams. When you've taken the time to read the voters' pamphlet, research the issues and cast your vote, the last thing you should have to do is sacrifice needed income or time with your children to vote.

As you scramble to find your wallet, your keys, your child's backpack, and a diaper bag for child care, as well as your books for class, if you look for a stamp to mail your ballot and don't have one, that ballot will likely sit on the kitchen table and wait another day, maybe not getting turned in at all. When any of our votes go uncast because leaders refuse to understand the challenges for many, our democracy is not working as well as it should.

If you have that drawer full of stamps, or the flexibility to get to the post office when it's open, or the mobility to get to a drop box eight miles away, that's great. Please keep voting. Democracy needs you. But it also needs the struggling Oregonians who are not so fortunate.

The Oregon Legislature should enact Senate Bill 1586, because casting a ballot should be equally convenient for all eligible voters, and no ballot should get left on the table when the solution is as simple as allowing that working parent to drop their ballot in the mailbox on the way out the door.

*

Mario Parker-Milligan is executive director of the Oregon Student Association, and Nikki Fisher is executive director of the Bus Project.
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Supporters of LaVoy Finicum, killed upon capture, and the refuge occupiers gathered Feb. 6 for a candlelight vigil in John Day.

(Thomas Boyd/Staff)

Who shot LaVoy Finicum?: I cannot see what possible good it is for me to know the name of the police officer who shot Mr. Finicum. I don't need to know, and to disclose his name would expose the officer and his family to real danger.

The photo that ran with the editorial shows a man with a sign calling the officer a murderer. Shouldn't this be a warning that there are many people out there who would carry out a revenge killing?

This whole awful event was planned by those with no respect for the law. They carried heavy weapons to defy our government believing they have a sacred mission. There is no comparison with Ferguson, Missouri, here but rather with the Taliban.

We pride ourselves on being a nation of laws not men, but our system of government cannot last when militias disdain the legal process and use their weapons against unarmed people.

The police officer was carrying out his duties in protecting us and our government from violent people who take the law into their own hands. He or she needs to be protected, not sacrificed for some abstract principle that should not apply in this case.

If our government is intimidated from upholding our laws, no matter what the armed provocation, the countless heavily armed militias will gain greater power over local areas, like in Afghanistan.

Ilze Choi

Southwest Portland

*

Who shot LaVoy Finicum?: Thank you for your editorial outlining reasons House Bill 4087, creating a public records exemption allowing officers' names to be shielded from disclosure after deadly force incidents, should not pass. However, the appropriate call to action is to defeat this bill, not ask for it to be fixed after a "sunset" period.

Whether it's the internment of Japanese Americans or the overly broad authorization for war after 9/11 (which allowed the opening of Guantanamo prison, for example), citizens need to speak out before lawmakers create poor legislation. We should not wait a year and assume it will be fixed later. The practical effect of the bill will be the delay of all officers' names, regardless of whether there is an articulable threat. Jurisdictions will give cops time to file their petitions with a judge, the judge will have five days to consider it, and then a determined officer will appeal a negative ruling. No on HB4087.

Dan Handelman

Southeast Portland

Handelman is a founding member of Portland Copwatch, which, according to the organization's website, promotes "police accountability through citizen action."
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Ohio Gov. John Kasich, seeking the Republican nomination for the presidency, speaks during a Town Hall at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., on Monday.

(AP Photo)

By Stephen Stromberg

Republicans, you have one last chance.

Following his fourth-place finish in South Carolina, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ended his campaign for the White House, diminishing the hope among Republicans seeking a tolerable alternative to Donald Trump. On a night in which Nevada Democrats helped the chances of their more pragmatic candidate, Hillary Clinton, the GOP found itself with just one even-keeled option left in the race.

And, no, it is not Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., whose narrow second-place finish in South Carolina sets him up to be the choice among many Republican donors and establishment types. It is Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R). Kasich, to be clear, is no moderate. He believes as passionately as anyone in GOP fiscal dogma, promising big tax cuts, big spending cuts, a balanced budget, regulatory rollback and no funding for Planned Parenthood. He carries a national debt ticker around with him, displaying it on campaign stops. He also talks religion easily and frequently. But his campaign message often boils down to: Come on, guys, let's be reasonable. "You're an American before you're a Republican, before you're a Democrat," he likes to say, blaming partisanship for many of the nation's problems.

Rubio, on the other hand, has run on an extreme and uncharitable critique of Barack Obama, insisting that the sitting president of the United States has purposely weakened the country. His position on abortion is "practically never." And he has abandoned his previously reasonable stance on immigration. Rubio constantly references his youth, arguing that he represents a generational shift in conservative leadership. Yet he usually seems to be trying desperately to prove that he is as shrill as the next candidate. In the past Rubio showed flashes of willingness to cooperate with Democrats, as any Republican president must, which is part of what makes him more appealing than Trump or Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. But he has run an eye-rollingly strident presidential campaign.

It's true: Kasich does not have much of a shot. He places all his hopes in running up big wins in the Midwest. If he does not score well in Michigan's March 8 primary, a contest he mentioned reverently on Saturday night, his campaign will likely be over. In effect, the GOP race is probably down to three: Trump, Cruz and Rubio.

But, Republicans, consider what is happening to your party: Donald Trump is your frontrunner, and there is only one reality-hardened governor left in the race to lead the GOP.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post

Stephen Stromberg is a Post editorial writer specializing in domestic policy, including energy, the environment, legal affairs and public health.
hart.jpg

Jessica Hart, 30, of Klamath Falls said her 8-year-old son, Jackson, became sick and had to go to the hospital when he ate a marijuana-infused cookie he found on the ground.

(Jessica Hart)

By Drs. Rob Hendrickson and Paul Lewis

Jackson Hart is an 8-year-old boy who ended up in the emergency department after eating a cookie -- a marijuana cookie ("Marijuana-infused cookie sends Oregon boy to the hospital"). The story of his hospitalization should be troubling to all Oregonians. Our state has proposed rules that will allow for Oregon shops to sell cookies, candy, soda and ice cream infused with marijuana extracts as strong as the one Jackson ate.

As the state works to make edible recreational marijuana products available to adults, we must be vigilant to keep these products away from young kids who will not be able to distinguish them from look-alike treats. Right now, under industry pressure, proposed regulations will allow edible retail marijuana products to contain up to 50 mg of THC in each package -- exactly the amount that sent Jackson Hart to the hospital. Fifty milligrams is 10 Oregon "servings" of THC, but it can be in a single brownie, candy bar or cookie.

We know from the Food and Drug Administration's approval of synthetic THC (Marinol), as well as the experience in Colorado with legalized recreational edible products, that as little as two of Oregon's proposed "servings" (10 mg), may be harmful for preschool children. Jackson's case shows that 50 mg may be quite harmful, even in a relatively large 8-year old. In Colorado, several children have been hospitalized and some even needed life support in intensive care after ingesting marijuana edibles. Unfortunately, that brownie or cookie that gives an experienced adult user a buzz will send a 20-pound toddler to the emergency room -- or worse.

Marijuana "edible" products are unique. Unlike cigarettes or hard liquor that taste so harsh that children spit them out, marijuana-infused snack foods taste great and look just like their drug-free counterparts. While warning labels and the education of parents is essential, it is not enough. Parents deserve additional help to prevent accidental poisoning. Common sense demands that we err on the side of caution to protect a child's developing brain.

Fortunately, there are simple solutions that will allow the industry the freedom to innovate while protecting our kids at the same time. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has wisely adopted federal childproof packaging standards for all retail sales. However, under the proposed rules, there can be as many as 10 marijuana gummy bears in a package or a single chocolate bar with 10 adult servings in one package. Once a package is opened by an adult, what will prevent a curious toddler from eating the nine remaining gummy bears or the rest of the chocolate?

There is nothing abnormal about an 8-year-old eating a whole cookie; it is not credible to expect a kid or an adult to eat one-tenth of a cookie.

Washington state has a sensible and safe approach that Oregon should promptly adopt: If there is more than one marijuana serving of cookies or candy per package, each serving must be individually enclosed in childproof packaging. Even if a young child breaks into the package, they would still only be able to eat one serving.

As Oregon debates this question, pediatricians, emergency physicians, poison center medical directors and child advocates all recommend that a package contain one serving.

Young children explore the world with their hands and mouths, and we cannot expect them to distinguish edible marijuana snacks from the treats they are learning to enjoy. Let's resist pressure from those who will profit from retail marijuana and put safety before convenience.

*

Dr. Rob Hendrickson is a professor of emergency medicine and a medical toxicologist at Oregon Health & Science University. He is the associate medical director of the Oregon Poison Center. Dr. Paul Lewis is the Multnomah County and tri-county health officer and an associate professor of pediatrics at OHSU.
By Dana Milbank

WASHINGTON -- Last Thursday, Donald Trump called Pope Francis a "pawn" of the Mexican government and accused the leader of the world's Catholics of "disgraceful" rhetoric.

Last Friday, he approvingly retold an apocryphal story about a U.S. general ordering Muslims shot with bullets dipped in pig's blood.

On Saturday morning, he wondered on Twitter whether President Obama would have attended Justice Antonin Scalia's funeral "if it were held in a mosque."

And yet, on Saturday night, Trump won the South Carolina primary, affirming him as the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.

Are Republican voters really choosing as their standard-bearer a man who preaches such hatred and spews such vitriol?

No, they aren't -- at least not yet. But they may get Trump anyway.

The good news is only 32.5 percent of South Carolina Republicans voted for Trump. The bad news: Trump may not need the support of a majority of Republican voters to secure the nomination.

Five months ago, I wrote that I was so sure Trump wouldn't win the nomination that I would eat a column -- 18 inches of newsprint -- if he did. I argued that he "won't prevail in the Republican primary because voters, in the end, tend to get it right."

Trump's inability to rise above about 35 percent of the vote vindicates -- so far -- my faith in the voters. But even if that holds, I may be soliciting recipes for wood pulp anyway, because, given the three-way race emerging between Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, Trump could clinch the nomination with minority support.

The Cook Political Report, handicappers par excellence, observed over the weekend that Trump's 35 percent "ceiling" of support could be enough to win a five-person race (including John Kasich and Ben Carson) and even enough to "squeak out a victory" in a three-way race.

Cook's Dave Wasserman explained that 38 percent of the 2,472 Republican convention delegates are from winner-take-all contests, which means Trump can get them with a slim plurality of the vote. And in a number of the other states that award delegates proportionately, Cruz and Rubio are in danger of slipping below the 20 percent threshold required to get a share. This increases the odds that nobody will get the 1,237 needed, or that somebody will without winning a majority of votes.

The long-awaited consolidation behind a consensus alternative to Trump has finally begun. Jeb Bush has joined Chris Christie on the sidelines, and Rubio, after his sound-bite disaster in New Hampshire, appears to have returned as the consensus anti-Trump.

But Kasich remains, potentially denying Rubio a huge haul of delegates from Ohio on March 15. And while the primary map gives Cruz no plausible path (none of his strongest states is winner-take-all), Cruz can remain in the race and deny Rubio a clean shot at Trump.

On Sunday, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told ABC's George Stephanopoulos that it would be a "no-brainer" to support the nominee, even if it's Trump. "Winning is the antidote to a lot of things," he reasoned.

An antidote to having a nominee who, echoing one of his supporters at a rally this month, called Cruz a vulgar name? To having a nominee who said in front of thousands that he would "bomb the s--- out of" ISIS?

Perhaps the most disturbing of Trump's latest outrages -- beyond lashing out at the pope or again implying that Obama is Muslim -- was his decision to validate a hateful Internet hoax.

In South Carolina last Friday, Trump was defending torture (he said the United States should "go much further" than waterboarding) when he told a story of Gen. John Pershing, who allegedly dipped bullets in pig's blood before executing Muslim prisoners in the Philippines.

"He lined up the 50 people, and they shot 49 of those people, and the 50th person, he said, you go back to your people and you tell them what happened," Trump proclaimed. "And for 25 years there wasn't a problem."

Historians and others have found no substantiation for this allegation and plenty of evidence that Pershing wasn't that sort of man. When a Massachusetts state senator floated a version of the Pershing claim in 2003 in a flier, the Anti-Defamation League called it "incendiary and bigoted" and an "offensive caricature of Muslim beliefs."

And now, in 2016, the front-runner for the Republican nomination floats the same vile libel, and the chairman of the RNC says it would be a "no-brainer" to support him?

The voters may yet get it right, but that doesn't mean the Republican Party will.

Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, Milbank.

(c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group
Postage stamps and voting: It's obvious, but worth noting, that in other states, people actually have to go to the polls on a particular day at specific hours to vote. If they can't, they have to go somewhere and go through a process to vote via absentee ballot. Oregon's vote-by-mail makes voting vastly more convenient.

While it's pathetic to think that people are so confused and inconvenienced by having to stamp a ballot envelope, the drop-off alternative is a way around that. It's also worth noting that elections offices are not the only places one can drop off a ballot. Public libraries are another option that may be more convenient. As for the stamp being a form of "poll tax" -- please. Unless one walks, no trip to a ballot drop-off point or to a polling place in other states is free, either.

Adele Friedman

Southwest Portland

*

Postage stamps and voting: Once again Oregon politicians and the Senate Rules Committee display their thoughtless stupidity in financial management. A 49-cent stamp is not a most critical item in today's "handout/I-can-get-it-free" society. Was any thought given to the self-responsibility of citizens? Was any thought given to the concept that responsible citizens who can manage a 49-cent stamp and a trip to a postal box might be those responsible voters who can make a difference? Sad and pathetic. We have here another example of the problematic budgetary situation in our state offices.

Suzanne Burns

Southwest Portland

*

Postage stamps and voting: That's the trouble with Democrats: We tend to go a little nuts. Not as nuts as Republicans -- but nuts enough to believe obtaining a postage stamp may be the straw which breaks the camel's back for at least some Oregon voters. So while Democrats in the state Senate Rules Committee vote to place a maraschino cherry at a "fairly hefty" price atop the ice cream sundae which is Oregon's commendable voter registration and elections system, issues like our deteriorating transportation system remain unaddressed and neglected, like so many dead letters. Let's hope this nutty but good-hearted idea gets no further, so the money can be allocated to other, better uses.

For all those millennials Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Eugene, claims are confused by the notion of obtaining and affixing a stamp to their ballot envelopes, including her offspring, I am retired and have time. I could be available to meet and guide them through the stamp-purchasing process at the main post office or my local grocery store.

But I suspect they really don't need my guidance or Hoyle's legislation; I'll bet there's an app on their smartphones which will tell them exactly where to find one of the numerous drop-off sites for unstamped, hand-delivered ballots. Not so with my flip phone.

Alan Willis

Southwest Portland

*

Postage stamps and voting: Sen. Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin, and Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Eugene, both of whom are running for secretary of state this year, want the state to provide postage to voters to make it easier for them to return their ballots. It's estimated that the cost to the state could be as much as $1.84 million. This is an ill-conceived scheme that would rob badly needed funds from other programs -- schools, for example. It demonstrates a total lack of logical thinking on the part of these two sponsors -- certainly not the type of people we would want in the position of secretary of state.

Philip Rothrock

Northeast Portland
Pete Santilli, an independent broadcaster who is one of 25 defendants charged with federal conspiracy in the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, is asking another judge to overturn his continued detention.

In court motions filed late Monday, Santilli and his lawyer ask the federal judge assigned to the case, U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown, to review the Feb. 4 detention order by U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman.

They argued there's new information that warrants a review, including the recent removal of all his firearms from the Ohio apartment he shares with his girlfriend and an FBI search of his rental car that found no firearms present.

Santilli also offers the court a new release plan.

It would allow federal officers to search his apartment for any firearms or ammunition, conduct random searches "as they feel may be necessary'' and even allow the government to mount a video camera in his home so officers could continually monitor him, according to court documents.

Santilli's lawyer pointed to the concerns that Mosman raised "about the weight of the evidence'' against Santilli during his detention hearing earlier this month and a statement from the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon supporting Santilli's First Amendment rights.

"He stands today an innocent man who did nothing more than exercise his First Amendment rights, and he received no warning that his exercise of those rights was considered unlawful by law enforcement,'' wrote his court-appointed lawyer Thomas Coan. "The court should find that due process requires Santilli's pretrial release.''

Santilli, 50, who went to Burns to film a Jan. 2 rally protesting the resentencing of two local ranchers, stayed to film the monthlong armed occupation of the wildlife refuge in Harney County. He was arrested Jan. 26 in Burns.

On Feb. 4, Mosman affirmed a magistrate judge's decision to detain Santilli pending trial, saying he was disturbed by several remarks Santilli made during his online broadcasts promising to shoot federal officers if they came to take him or his guns away.

"There's a handful of statements I can't discount as just shock-jock" bravado, Mosman said.

He said he couldn't ignore what seems to be Santilli's "deeply-held beliefs" regarding his distaste for federal law enforcement and found Santilli could be "a real threat to pretrial service officers or U.S. marshals or others who have to deal with him.''

Prosecutors contend Santilli used his show to issue a "call to action'' to encourage more people to participate in the refuge takeover.

His lawyer has argued that Santilli was simply documenting a developing story. Coan has described Santilli as an "entertainer'' or "new journalist'' who puts out "a lot of bravado'' and has been a "thorn'' to the federal government.

Simply for "his words,'' Santilli is facing retaliation, Coan argued.

He argued that Santilli has never been violent, didn't challenge federal agents or police when arrested and could be supervised at his Cincinnati apartment.

The new filings make reference to an FBI search of Santilli's rental car earlier this month. Without obtaining a warrant, the FBI "caused Enterprise rental car company'' to falsely report the rental car as stolen, Coan wrote. That led Gresham police to seize the car and search it, according to Santilli's lawyer. He points out there were no firearms or other contraband found in the car.

Santilli has since been indicted in both the Malheur refuge occupation and in the 2014 standoff with federal officers near the Cliven Bundy ranch in Nevada.

Santilli's lawyer said in his latest court filing that Santilli tried to urge other protesters at the Nevada standoff to follow federal officers' orders and "calmed down a protester'' who was screaming at officers. He included an exhibit that he said captured Santilli saying, "Comply, comply, comply. Comply with the order...We have to.''

Related court documents:

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
Yaquina Bay Bridge

The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a man who fell into the water from a Newport bridge on Feb. 22.

The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a man who fell from a Newport bridge Monday morning.

The man reportedly fell into the Yaquina Bay Estuary from the Yaquina Bay Bridge shortly before 8:30 a.m. Monday, the Coast Guard said in a news release. Authorities suspended the search at 5 p.m.

Area fire, police and sheriff's office authorities assisted the Coast Guard in its search for the man.

Authorities found a black beanie cap and shoes that matched those the man was reportedly wearing, according to the news release.

The Coast Guard said authorities could "resume an active search at any time" if there's credible information about the man's location.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
Update: 'Sorry,' mom said as she threw son off Oregon bridge after weeks of planning his death

A woman sentenced to life in prison for throwing her 6-year-old son from the Yaquina Bay Bridge in November 2014 planned the act for weeks, researched insanity defenses online and hoped to be committed to the Oregon State Hospital, the Lincoln County District Attorney announced Tuesday.

Journal entries and cellphone and online records showed Jillian McCabe deliberately and methodically planned what she would do before and after killing her only son, London McCabe, said District Attorney Michelle Branam during a news conference with McCabe's husband, Matt, and parents.

Jillian McCabe appeared to fake a mental illness several times and claim she was hearing voices to justify throwing the boy, who had autism, from the center of the bridge in Newport, the prosecutor said.

She hid her intentions from her husband and his parents, whom she lived with for about two months before killing the boy, Branam said. McCabe had been voluntarily committed to a treatment facility in the past but appeared to have no diagnosed mental illness and wouldn't allow her husband access to her mental health records.

McCabe, a stay-at-home mother, was scared that her lifestyle would change after her husband was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and could no longer work, Branam said. She concocted the plan to rid herself of responsibility of the boy and live at the hospital.

On Nov. 3, 2014, McCabe drove her son for ice cream, parked at the bridge, walked with him hand-in-hand to the middle, hesitated after lifting him up once, left him there and walked away, but then returned and pushed him over the edge, Branam said. She then went back to her car and called 911.

Searchers found the boy's body hours later in the water near docks about a mile from the bridge. He didn't die in the fall but suffered several broken bones and then drowned.

McCabe pleaded guilty to murder Monday in Lincoln County Circuit Court and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

The mother has shown no remorse for the death of her son, Branam said. She appeared happy in jail, didn't mention her son's name for months and gleefully discussed the books she'd read while behind bars.

Internet search history from October 2014 included inquiries by McCabe on the chances of surviving a fall into water from 133 feet -- the height of the Yaquina Bay Bridge -- as well as searches on an insanity defense and news stories on parents who have thrown their children from bridges, Branam said.

McCabe thought she had a lot in common with Andrea Yates, a Texas woman found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2006 after drowning her five children in her bathtub.

Reitha McCabe, Matt's mother, said the family thought Jillian McCabe's sentence was "fair and merciful," but "no amount of punishment can make up for the value of London's life."

Matt McCabe said the loss of his son has left a large void in his life. He said the sentencing of his now-ex-wife brings him no closure.

"I will miss my son forever," he said.

This post will be updated.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
The state has agreed to pay $125,000 to a Portland boy who tumbled 60 feet down a cliff after leaning against a loose railing at Silver Falls State Park two years ago.

Wilson Pelot, who was 10 at the time, broke his neck and wrist and fell face down unconscious into a pool of near-freezing water, according to his lawsuit filed last year. He has struggled since with persistent thoughts of death, the suit said.

Pelot is expected to receive about $70,000 of the settlement starting when he's 18, after legal costs and medical bills are paid.

The settlement puts an end to the legal fight over whether the state was responsible for the railing that gave way at the park in Marion County, about 1 1/2 hour's drive from Portland.

A park ranger had received a Dec. 22, 2013, email about a broken railing that a volunteer discovered and identified by hanging a small piece of orange tape from it, the lawsuit said.

But, the lawsuit contended, state employees didn't get around to fixing it -- and four weeks passed before Pelot's fall on Jan. 19, 2014. Pelot's family argued that no reasonable adult -- and especially not a fourth-grader -- would think the tape served as an adequate warning to stay clear of the railing.

In court papers, the state had argued that Pelot's parents were at fault for "failing to properly supervise their children."

The settlement agreement became public in Pelot's court file last week, but the schedule for making payments to him from age 18 to 21 still needs the approval of a Marion County judge.

The state hasn't admitted fault in papers submitted to the court. Rather, the state agreed to the settlement to avoid any "further legal wrangling."

The conditions were icy, according to an Oregonian/OregonLive story the day after the fall. After Pelot leaned against the railing and it collapsed, his then-12-year-old brother watched in horror as Pelot plummeted to the water below. Pelot's brother and father rushed down to pull the boy from the water and cover him with coats while they waited nearly an hour for rescuers to arrive.

The boy suffered a fracture to his C6 vertebra, fractures to the two bones in his left wrist, serious bruises and injuries to his lungs, scalp and spleen.

In addition to its argument that Pelot's parents should have done a better job of watching him, the state had argued that it's immune from liability under state law because it didn't charge Pelot and his family any fees to use the park.

The lawsuit claimed the family paid a $5 day-use fee and $57 to reserve a cabin for the night. The state's website also says there is a daily day-use fee of $5.

Read the lawsuit here.

Portland attorney Benjamin Cox represented Wilson Pelot, now 12, and Portland attorney Sean Currie represented the his parents, Liam and Allison Pelot.

The legal grounds for the lawsuit were similar to that of a 2005 lawsuit filed by a man, Bradley Coleman, who paid a fee to camp at a site at William M. Tugman State Park along the Oregon coast. After drinking some beer, Coleman and a friend went mountain biking on a marked trail covered in wood chips, according to an Oregon Supreme Court summary of the case.

The two friends got off their bikes and carried them 2 1/2 feet up to a bridge, then rode across the bridge. After riding about a quarter-mile further, the two friends turned around and rode back across the bridge, according to the summary. But this time, they forgot about the 2 1/2-foot drop, and Coleman ended up riding off it and breaking his neck.

The state had argued that it was immune from liability because the state didn't charge a fee to mountain bike in the park. A Coos County Circuit Court judge agreed and threw out the lawsuit, and the Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed that ruling. But the Oregon Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that the state could be held responsible, noting that Coleman had paid a fee to camp at the park.

The state agreed to settle Coleman's lawsuit in 2011 for $115,000.

After that, state lawmakers voted to tweak state law to prevent such payouts in the future. But that didn't prevent state lawyers from agreeing that Pelot was due some money for his fall.

-- Aimee Green

503-294-5119
Updated

PORT ORCHARD, Wash. (AP) -- Authorities say the two residents of a triple-wide manufactured home in Port Orchard where an explosion occurred Tuesday are unaccounted for.

The Kitsap County sheriff's office was searching for the registered property owners and trying to determine the cause of the blast.

Authorities do not know if the homeowners were inside when the blast occurred around 4 a.m., sheriff's spokesman Scott Wilson told The Seattle Times.

Authorities have been unable to search the home to determine if anyone inside was dead, Wilson said.

"We don't know if they're in there," he said. "They could be on vacation, but they are not accounted for."

South Kitsap Fire and Rescue said the explosion shook the neighborhood, damaged other homes and blew out windows at a nearby elementary school.

Wilson said hundreds of calls came into the dispatch center reporting a loud, forceful explosion.

First responders arrived to find the home leveled and burning -- "turned into Popsicle sticks," Wilson said.

School officials were assessing the damage at Mullenix Ridge Elementary.

Sheriff detectives have requested the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assist with the investigation.

-- The Associated Press
SALEM -- Lawmakers on Monday changed a controversial proposal aimed at scrubbing coal from Oregon's electricity supply, sending the plan to the Senate floor after approving a measure to give state regulators more oversight.

The amendment to House Bill 4036, approved by the Senate's business and labor committee would give the Oregon Public Utility Commission more authority to control any costs expected from a shift toward cleaner energy.

The bill, one of the most far-reaching pieces of environmental legislation in decades, would see ratepayers of the state's two largest utilities, Portland General Electric and Pacific Power, stop paying for power produced at out-of-state coal-fired power plants by 2030. It would also require that utilities, by 2040, serve half their customers' demand with renewable power sources such as wind and solar.

The cost of any new infrastructure projects -- say, a new wind farm -- would be included in ratepayers' bills and paid off over time. The Senate's amendment would give the Public Utility Commission authority to cut off those ratepayer subsidies if utilities don't follow the plan that's most cost effective for consumers, potentially leaving companies with huge costs.

The amendment was put forth by Sen. Lee Beyer, D-Springfield. It followed reporting in The Oregonian/OregonLive that Gov. Kate Brown's office cut commissioners out of talks on the plan. Utilities negotiated the bill with environmentalists to fend off a proposed ballot measure this fall with steeper requirements.

The emails laid bare commissioners' concern that the plan would be expensive and do little to reduce greenhouse gases. Out-of-state coal plants would keep running, they feared, and Oregon customers would have to pay more.

"It essentially balances it, making it certain the PUC continues to be the watchdog," Beyer, who chairs the committee, said in an interview.

If the amended HB 4036 passes the full Senate, it will return to the House for another vote. The House had previously approved the bill 39-20.

Susan Ackerman, the utility commission chairwoman, repeated her concerns about the proposal. But she also disputed, when testifying Monday, reports that said the commission was cut out.

"That is simply not the case," Ackerman said.

She said instead there were "communication miscues, to be sure," but that Brown's office never told commissioners to keep quiet. Emails from Ackerman and other documents obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive showed Ackerman was unable to meet with Brown in person and that Ackerman complained Brown's chief of staff had stopped returning calls and emails.

Her dealings with the governor's office aside, Ackerman repeated her concerns Monday that the bill would be "both costly and ineffectual."

"It will raise customer rates that will not actually improve the amount of carbon in the air," Ackerman said.

Ackerman told lawmakers a carbon tax would be more effective. Some Democrats agree. Beyer and Sen. Chris Edwards, D-Eugene, introduced a cap-and-trade bill this session, but it's expected to die before ever making it to the floor.

Representatives for Pacific Power and Portland General Electric pushed back on the idea that a carbon tax would be more effective at cutting greenhouse gases. They told lawmakers that the current plan is the most cost effective way to cut emissions.

"There's a real reduction," said Dave Robertson, president of Portland General Electric.

Scott Bolton, a lobbyist for Pacific Power, said it's worth keeping the Renew Oregon measures off the ballot.

"One of the motivations for moving this forward," he said, "would be to avoid more adverse ballot measures."

-- Ian K. Kullgren

503-294-4006; @IanKullgren
SALEM -- Hoping to rewrite one of the most contentious debates this session, a bipartisan group of lawmakers went public Tuesday with a last-ditch plan that would replace a minimum wage increase already headed to Gov. Kate Brown's desk.

A draft of the plan obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive avoids setting a firm top rate for Portland -- requiring at least $13.50 but notably letting the city's leaders set the cap. It would raise wages in rural Oregon to $12.50 -- the same as the current plan -- while giving sizable tax breaks to farmers, loggers and other industries.

Drafters say the plan offers political victories to all sides, giving Portland the chance to adopt $15 or higher while insulating rural communities from much-feared job losses. That combination, if the plan's supporters are lucky, could give their idea the boost it needs.

"It's dramatically better," said Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, who voted against the plan sent to Brown but said he'd support this one. "It protects my area from economic devastation. We have to do something, because that is really, really bad for us."

The plan would largely preserve the phase-in period and rates set for smaller cities and rural areas in Senate Bill 1532. But instead of making every employer pay the full amounts -- $13.50 for most cities in Oregon and $12.50 in rural areas -- it would offer tax credits to nonprofits, businesses with fewer than 50 employees, and certain manufacturers.

Those employers in mid-size cities would instead pay the equivalent of $11.50 when the plan tops out in 2022. In rural areas, employers would pay the equivalent of $10.50. Wage subsidies wouldn't start until Jan. 1, 2017.

In theory, higher tax revenues in Portland would be able to pay for rural subsidies.

Rep. Brian Clem, D-Salem, said lawmakers are still working through details such as how to provide the planned wage subsidies. Clem is working on the overall proposal alongside Rep. John Davis, R-Wilsonville, and others.

"The wage supports are designed to be a softer landing for employers without diminishing the worker benefit," Clem said. "Portland can pay for rural Oregon to be able to afford this thing."

Beyond those new rates, the bill would require employers with more than 1.5 million employees worldwide to pay $13.50 outright, no matter where in Oregon their locations are based. That would apply primarily to Walmart.

The plan's success is far from assured, with fewer than two weeks to go in this year's 35-day legislative session. Initial reactions among lawmakers were positive, though, with supporters and even the most ardent opponents of SB 1532 plan saying they would seriously consider a do-over.

Some Republicans said the new plan would more cleanly divide cities from surrounding rural areas, protecting those communities from job losses. Davis, who helped write the plan, stopped short of saying he vote for it.

But it's better.

"It would prevent the balkanization of the state of Oregon," Davis said. "We are certainly close to a proposal I can support.

Lawmakers, if they choose, can rest knowing they've already passed SB 1532, which would set a $14.75 wage in the Portland area by 2022. That bill also has tentative support from labor unions looking to qualify a ballot measure this fall that would set a $13.50 statewide wage and lift the state's ban on local increases.

Sen. Chris Edwards, D-Eugene, said he voted for SB 1532, despite serious misgivings, because he thought it was better than an earlier plan that treated most of Oregon the same. SB 1532 included a third wage tier for rural counties -- a move that brought Edwards from "no" to "yes."

"It feels more like an Oregon solution," Edwards said of Clem's plan. "Everybody wins."

It's unclear whether House Democrats will even allow another bill to move in the session's remaining days, especially with campaign tensions looming this fall and the minimum wage sure to be a talking point even if a bipartisan plan succeeds.

It's also not clear whether a bill that leaves the House would find a welcome reception in the Senate.

Partisan tensions have been even worse among Senate Democrats and Republicans this session, and Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, may be loath to stoke the flames higher with another run at minimum wage. The Senate's vote on SB 1532 lasted more than six hours and left lawmakers raw and weary.

"The reticence seems based on the fear of what could happen rather than on the enthusiasm of the possibilities of a bipartisan plan," Edwards said. "I understand it. It's been a contentious session. But if Republicans say they're supporting the plan, I take them at their word."

Still, the new proposal would let Portland raise wages faster and higher than the rest of the state, an idea that's attractive to some Democrats.

"It's intriguing," said Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland. "We would lift the pre-emption in Portland and may be able to get it to $15 faster in my city."

-- Denis C. Theriault and Ian K. Kullgren

503-221-8430; @TheriaultPDX
Three Oregon legislators appealed on Monday to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for help in assessing the public health threat from Portland's toxic air.

U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Portland, all Democrats, sent a letter Monday to the CDC asking for immediate assistance. They want federal authorities to aid county and state officials who are investigating soil pollution, tracking residents exposed to risk and analyzing health threats.

"There is a concerning lack of data on the localized concentration of these contaminants and the length of time residents may have been exposed," they wrote.

The letter asks the CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to help screen residents for heavy metal exposure, test soil, establish a centralized information center and sort through soil decontamination methods and other public health needs.

"We ask that you deploy a team of public health professionals to Oregon to work closely with state and local authorities," the letter said.

The CDC often deploys investigators to help with local public health threats. In Portland, federal authorities have already been a big help at meetings and on conference calls, said Dr. Paul Lewis, health officer for Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties.

"If we have learned anything in these past few days, it is that air quality and health concerns around heavy metal exposure are complicated." Lewis said in an email. "This will take time, and we are going to need both breadth and depth to get it done."

The legislators got involved after hearing concerns expressed by residents, Wyden said in a statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

"I have heard those concerns repeatedly from neighbors throughout the city and that's why we want federal health officials to help us get answers as quickly as possible," he said.

State air monitoring found high levels of cadmium and arsenic near Bullseye Glass in Southeast Portland after moss tests by the U.S. Forest Service. Canvassing by the federal agency identified several heavy metal hot spots in Portland. One was near Uroboros Glass in North Portland. Bullseye and Uroboros used cadmium and chromium to make colors in its glass, and Bullseye also used arsenic. They've abandoned that practice.

Arsenic and chromium quickly leave the body but cadmium can stay in the kidneys for years. Exposure to the metals can cause lung, kidney, liver and skin cancer. The metals also damage the kidneys and affect the IQ of children.

State health officials will offer free urine testing to residents. They said those within a half-mile radius of the glass factories were most at risk. Oregon health officials haven't quantified the risk faced by longtime residents. Both factories have been in Portland for about four decades.

William Lambert, a toxicologist with Oregon Health & Science University, said the threat is likely low. But breathing heavy metal particles would add the risk of cancer that everyone faces as they age, health officials said.

State health authorities will investigate anyone who tests positive for cadmium. State environmental officials are conducting soil testing near the two glass factories. But it's not sampling near other hot spots in Portland. It's not clear why.

-- Lynne Terry
AX214_0C57_9.JPG

A Donald Trump supporter showed her support for the candidate at a rally on Monday.

(The Associated Press)

The Nevada Republican caucuses took place Tuesday, February 23. This post provides hour-by-hour news, exit polls, results and analysis.

Update (February 24, 7:05 a.m.): Welcome to the new Republican Party

The Republican Party as you've always known it is gone. A new entity has risen to take its place, one that neither party officials nor pundits understand.

"Suddenly, there are three strands of Republicanism, each entrenched and vying for supremacy in 2016," Politico wrote after Tuesday's Nevada Caucus. "Ted Cruz is the leader of the traditional conservative purists. Marco Rubio is emerging from the mud of a multi-candidate brawl to lead the once-dominant, now diminished, mainstream lane of the GOP. But it is Donald Trump's new alliance of angry populists that is ascendant -- and on the precipice of dominance."

All true enough, though the part about Rubio is a little misleading. So-called "traditional" Republicans like former presidential nominee Bob Dole are lining up behind Rubio, but it's not because he's one of them. He's simply not Trump or Cruz. Keep in mind that Rubio was a Tea Party favorite when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2010. His agenda is extreme compared to the one that Dole ran on in 1996.

So we're in a whole new world in this election. Is the Republican Party becoming a fringe party -- or has the country truly changed so dramatically that Trump now represents mainstream American political thought? Time will tell.

Final results in Nevada:

Donald Trump: 45.9%

Marco Rubio: 23.9%

Ted Cruz: 21.4%

Ben Carson: 4.8%

John Kasich: 3.6%

Update (February 23, 9 p.m. PT): Trump wins again

Businessman and reality-TV star Donald Trump has won the Nevada Republican Caucus, news sources project. After placing second to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the Iowa Caucus on Feb. 1, Trump has now won three straight elections by wide margins: the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries and the Nevada Caucus.

Trump now heads to the March 1 multiple-state Super Tuesday contest with powerful momentum. If he wins a majority of the states next week, it will become very difficult for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Texas Gov. Ted Cruz or anyone else to stop his march to the Republican presidential nomination.

Last June, when Trump announced he was running for president, his candidacy was widely considered a joke, nothing more than a shameless play for attention. Reports circulated that he had to pay people to show up and cheer at his announcement event, and NBC figured Trump would be out of the race and back on the network's prime-time schedule by the fall. "We will re-evaluate Trump's role as host of 'Celebrity Apprentice' should it become necessary, as we are committed to this franchise," NBC declared.

Eight months later, Trump is not just the front-runner for the Republican nomination, he is beginning to look unbeatable. He has been replaced on "Celebrity Apprentice" by action-movie star and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Update (February 23, 8:40 p.m. PT): Winning isn't everything

Here's an entrance-poll question that elicited telling responses:

Which of these four candidate qualities mattered the most in deciding whom to support today?

Can win in November: 25 percent

Shares my values: 30 percent

Tells it like it is: 21 percent

Can bring needed change: 22 percent.

That's right, a candidate who could win the general election mattered the most to only one in four Nevada Republican caucus-goers.

Update (February 23, 8 p.m. PT): Nevada Republicans are angry too

Here are some entrance/exit poll numbers from Nevada caucus sites:

61 percent of Nevada Republican caucus-goers want the presidential nominee to "be an outsider."

33 percent want the nominee to "have experience" in Washington politics.

About 60 percent says they're "angry at the way the federal government is working."

This all falls in line with the entrance/exit polls in New Hampshire and South Carolina that indicated voters want someone who will explode the Washington status quo. The polls are, needless to say, a very good sign for Donald Trump.

The entrance polls also show that 24 percent of caucus-goers chose a candidate in the "last few days."

Nevada Republicans are split four ways on what they consider the most important issue facing the country. Immigration, terrorism, the economy and government spending all landed in the 20 percent to 30 percent range.

Update (February 23, 7:25 p.m. PT): The Trump Show

Have you been wondering how real-estate mogul Donald Trump became a star among Republican Party voters? Then you must not watch "Fox & Friends."

On Monday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich blamed -- and considering the tenor of the conversation, that seems like the right word -- the Fox News program for creating the Trump political phenomenon. Trump appeared on the show every Monday for four years, until he launched his presidential campaign last spring. The regular segment was called, simply, "Mondays with Trump."

"Look, you could say that Trump is the candidate 'Fox & Friends' invented," Gingrich said on the show, reports Daily Beast. "He was on your show I think more than any other show. It was always a happy, positive conversation."

And you thought Trump hated Fox News.

Pathetic attempt by @foxnews to try and build up ratings for the #GOPDebate. Without me they'd have no ratings! https://t.co/2bx54VKpQh  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2016

Update (February 23, 6:20 p.m. PT): Anybody but Trump

"If Trump is blowing through March, then the panic really sets in, and then it's all about simply denying him a majority of delegates, doing whatever it takes," MSNBC political analyst Chuck Todd said Tuesday, according to Real Clear Politics. "There is still a filing deadline to make the California primary. Maybe a Mitt Romney. This is a scenario someone outlined to me a couple days ago. Mitt Romney would file late, you may get favorite sons and daughters to file late, simply to try to beat Trump, deny him delegates and create another way for a brokered convention. I have to tell you, it's most far-fetched."

That is indeed most far-fetched. But it does suggest that so-called "establishment" Republicans -- and few politicians represent the GOP establishment more than Romney -- really are panicking over Trump. It's not necessarily because they think the real-estate mogul would do a poor job as president. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman had some nice things to say about Trump this week. It's because they're realists. And they still don't believe that a boastful, pro-torture, pro-mass deportation New Yorker can win over independents and disaffected Democrats in a general election. Polling in South Carolina last week found that 38 percent of Trump voters "wish the South had won the Civil War." These are the kind of numbers you expect a third-party crank to get, not the nominee of one of the two major political parties in the country.

So what will stop Trump? Clearly, it's not his controversial policy proposals such as the "beautiful wall" he plans to build along the southern border. The more far out his ideas, the more they're embraced by Republican voters who are fed up with the status quo. So maybe -- like Karl Rove attacking John Kerry's war record in 2004 -- the anti-Trump faction will try attacking the real-estate mogul's strength: his record as a businessman.

So far Trump hasn't really been vetted, but that is now starting to happen. The Economist looked at his business career in its latest issue. It concluded that, yes, he's made good money in real estate (as well as impressively turning himself into a reality-TV star), but "Mr. Trump's [organization's] performance has been mediocre compared with the stock market and property in New York." The conservative British magazine concludes:

"He has great wealth, much of it made well over a decade ago from a few buildings he has retained in Manhattan, including his favorite on Fifth Avenue. But he has not yet created a great company, raised permanent capital on public markets, gone global or diversified very successfully. Something to think about when you are sipping an $18 'You're Fired' Bloody Mary at the Trump Tower -- or voting in a presidential election."

You can expect Trump's remaining rivals in the GOP presidential contest to pick up on this line of attack.

Update (5:10 p.m. PT): The Rubio reality

Old-school Republicans like 1996 GOP presidential nominee Robert Dole are lining up to support Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. But Nobel Prize-winning economist and liberal New York Times opinion writer Paul Krugman insists that "one shouldn't treat establishment support as an indication that Mr. Rubio is moderate and sensible. On the contrary, not long ago someone holding his policy views would have been considered a fringe crank."

Krugman writes that Rubio's proposed tax cuts and balanced-budget-amendment plan are contradictory and would be "catastrophic" in a recession. And that's just for starters.

Rubio, it should be remembered, was a Tea Party favorite when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2010. But 2010's Republican radical is today's reasonable alternative. That is, when the front-runner for the GOP nomination is businessman Donald Trump, who has channeled outsider outrage at Washington business-as-usual and been rewarded for it.

Trump has little on-the-ground organization in Nevada but is expected to win the state's caucuses tonight. Rubio, who has yet to win a primary or caucus, must score a strong second place to maintain the narrative that he's the logical choice for so-called "establishment" Republicans.

Update (February 23, 4:35 p.m. PT): Governor who?

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval is a Republican and easily the most popular politician in his state. But none of the GOP presidential candidates have been eager to be seen with him in the run-up to Tuesday's caucuses.

Politico points out the problem: Last year, he signed a tax increase into law. It doesn't matter than it was for education, an issue that's important to people of every ideological persuasion. He OK'd a tax increase, and ever since President George H.W. Bush went back on his "Read my lips, no new taxes" pledge more than two decades ago, that's just not OK for a Republican.

That said, Sandoval might just need to be patient. "When the general election comes, Sandoval's endorsement will be desperately needed," Politico writes. "Democrats privately fear he could be a potent weapon to drive Latino and Hispanic turnout. But in an unpredictable and highly partisan GOP caucus, with many conservative Republicans alleging betrayal by Sandoval over his historic tax hike and threatening revolt, the endorsement of the Nevada governor is seen as more of a headache than a helpmate. And no one is quite sure what to do about him."

The easy answer for Republican presidential candidates: ignore him. But at least one of them probably will be singing a different tune in a few months.

Update (February 23, 4 p.m. PT): Bring on the best and brightest

Jon Hunstman, the former Republican Utah governor who served as ambassador to China under President Obama, was considered too moderate ideologically and too mild-mannered temperamentally to be taken seriously by primary voters when he ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.

But Huntsman says he'd have no trouble backing Donald Trump if the bombastic, controversy-sparking real-estate mogul wins the 2016 Republican nomination. Huntsman said on David Axelrod's podcast that Trump is "right about bringing aboard a new generation of the best and the brightest and wiping out the old Washington establishment and the old Washington culture."

* Listen to the podcast

Update (February 23, 1 p.m. PT): How do you solve a problem like The Donald?

"Stopping Donald J. Trump is imperative -- and not just for his fellow Republicans."

So says the Boston Globe editorial board. And why is it imperative?

"Trump's campaign has revived some of the ugliest traditions in American politics, including the scapegoating of religious minorities and immigrants," the editorial states. "He has yet to put forth a serious platform of ideas about how he would govern or what a Trump administration would seek to accomplish. Just his nomination by one of the nation's major parties would be an international embarrassment."

The Globe has endorsed Ohio Gov. John Kasich for the Republican presidential nomination. Over the past few days, many Republican insiders who want to stop Trump have begun urging Kasich to get out of the race so that so-called "mainstream" GOP voters can move en masse to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who finished second in Saturday's South Carolina primary.

It's probably too late to stop Trump in Nevada. Wrote CNN Tuesday: "The more traditional campaigns of [Ted] Cruz and Rubio, said longtime Nevada political analyst Jon Ralston, 'are very frustrated by what everyone's frustrated by: you can't talk any sense into the Trump voters, they can't turn them.'"

The Nevada caucuses take place this evening. Massachusetts votes on March 1 as part of Super Tuesday.

Nevada Caucus preview (February 23, 8 a.m. PT)

Nevada Republicans head out to caucus Tuesday night, three days after Democrats in the state gave a narrow victory to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Real-estate magnate Donald Trump, who won the New Hampshire and South Carolina Republican primaries by wide margins, is expected to triumph in the caucuses. But polling has not been robust in the Silver State and is not considered especially reliable, in part because Nevada is still new to caucuses.

Nevertheless, those making guesses are pretty confident. "Nevada has always been perfect for Trump," a Republican insider told Politico. "He is a flashy billionaire with ties to gaming. That might have slowed him down in Iowa, but in Nevada it will be embraced and celebrated."

Plus, Trump's rivals seem increasingly desperate. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz put out a TV ad in Nevada in which he says he'll work "day and night" to strip public land in the state away from the federal government and give it to Nevada's "citizens." This appeal synchs with backers of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who led an armed standoff against the federal government in 2014 and is now in custody in Portland, Oregon.

Cruz has also become sensitive to charges from Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and others that he's running a dirty campaign. The latest questionable episode -- the promotion of a video that falsely claims to show Rubio disparaging the Bible -- led to Cruz firing his chief spokesman.

"I have made clear in this campaign that we will conduct this campaign with the very highest standards of integrity," he told reporters in Las Vegas.

Rubio, meanwhile, is the new hope of mainstream Republicans. His come-from-behind second-place finish in South Carolina was impressive and surprising, but he still hasn't won a contest. He needs to do so soon or Trump will take on the invincibility cloak.

"The window is closing, and we need to move now," a Republican donor backing Rubio told The Washington Post.

Many Republican insiders, fearful of having Trump as their presidential nominee, are encouraging Ohio Gov. John Kasich to follow former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush out of the race to allow traditional Republican voters to fully embrace Rubio. In this scenario, Trump, Cruz and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson would split the vote of Republicans who are angry with the party establishment while Rubio took the rest.

For now, Kasich is still in the race, but Rubio is already starting to turn up the heat on Trump and the other party insurgents. A new pro-Rubio TV ad shows Trump childishly mocking a reporter's physical disability and calls Cruz "calculated and underhanded." It refers to Rubio as "a disciple of Reagan" and "the Democrats' nightmare."

But the ad isn't going up in Nevada. It's targeting the March 1 Super Tuesday states.

-- Douglas Perry
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Only one school in Midland County received an A on its report card: Eastlawn Elementary. The school led the way according to the recently completed Michigan Context and Performance Report Card: Public Elementary and Middle Schools, 2015, by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Im very pleased with Eastlawn, Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow said. Our Community School Model with the assistance of (Community Mental Health) and the courts appears to be working. Title One intervention strategies and (International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme) all appear to be paying dividends. Its a good example of staff, parents, students and many community partners pulling together as a team.

Supported by probate court, the Community School Model is an attendance/truancy program at Floyd and Eastlawn elementary schools. The model removes barriers to school attendance by providing resources to students and families while developing an environment that values education. A team of school staff meet weekly to discuss attendance issues.

The Mackinac Center report card, coauthored by Ben DeGrow, Mackinac Center education policy director, and Audrey Spalding, Mackinac Center education policy fellow, ranked 2,246 elementary and middle public schools in the state. Each public school, grades three through eight, received Context and Performance (CAP) scores based on Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test results, but adjusted according to the socioeconomic status of the students.

This report card provides parents, educators and lawmakers with a better apples-to-apples comparison of schools across the state, DeGrow said. It helps find schools that are outperforming their peers and many of these schools are ones that are not typically considered to be high-performing. But it also identifies schools that may look like theyre doing just fine, but are actually under-performing when their student population is taken into account.

In 2013, Spalding compiled a similar CAP study for elementary and middle schools covering the years 2009-2012.

A unique characteristic of the report card is that it controls for differences in the socioeconomic status of students each school serves. Including this factor provides a more accurate assessment of a schools performance, since research has shown that student backgrounds can have a large impact on academic performance. The study took three years worth of MEAP scores in several subjects and adjusted these score based on the percentage of students who qualified for a free lunch.

With a ranking of 140, Eastlawn was one of 222 state public schools to receive an A for the years 2013-2015. Between the two studies Eastlawn saw its CAP score improve from 103.56 to 110.09, its grade go from B to A, its percentile improve from 74.5 to 93.8 percent and its ranking rise from 603 to 140.

Two other Midland County schools experienced significant improvement over the 2013 CAP study. Chestnut Hill Elementary improved from C to B and jumped from 773 to 590 in the rankings. Although Plymouth Elementary maintained a C the school improved its ranking from 1037 to 865.

Coleman and Adams elementary schools along with the Midland Academy of Advanced and Creative Studies all dropped from a B grade to a C.

Martin Luther King Jr. Education Center Academy of Detroit led state schools with a CAP score of 132.49, followed by Ross/Hill Academy-Elementary Charter School of Detroit (130.56) and North Godwin (Wyoming) Elementary (130.48).

These results show that a schools success is not limited to the family backgrounds of its students, DeGrow said. Schools like Martin Luther King Jr. Education Center Academy and Sister Lakes Elementary (Dowagiac) deserve recognition for beating the odds in helping students that come through their doors.

Of the remaining Midland County public schools, Jefferson and Northeast middle schools both received Bs as did Carpenter and Woodcrest elementary schools. Receiving Cs were: Pine River Elementary; along with Bullock Creek Middle School and Meridian Junior High. Floyd and Meridian elementaries along with Coleman Junior High received Ds.

Kolb Elementary in Bay County received an A as did Beaverton Primary School in Gladwin County.

The complete study can be found at: www.mackinac.org/CAP2015.
PHOENIX (AP)  The Latest on a federal judge falling ill during a trial over discrimination allegations against polygamous towns on the Arizona-Utah border (all times local):

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2:50 p.m.

A judge presiding over a trial involving two polygamous cities along the Arizona-Utah border is expected to return to the bench after he fell ill in the courtroom and was taken away in an ambulance.

U.S. Judge H. Russel Holland was carted on a gurney Monday after he said that he had been suffering from bronchitis.

U.S. District Judge Stephen McNamee said later in the day that Holland is doing well and intends on being back in court Tuesday.

Holland is overseeing a civil trial in which Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, are accused of discriminating against people who aren't members of the polygamous sect.

The communities deny the allegations.

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11:45 a.m.

A federal judge presiding over a trial involving a polygamous community in Arizona and Utah fell ill on the bench and was taken away from the courthouse in an ambulance.

Judge H. Russel Holland became ill Monday as the defense presented its case. He was taken out of the courthouse on a gurney.

The 79-year-old Holland is overseeing a civil trial in which the Justice Department alleges the governments and police in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale Utah, operate as an arm of a polygamous sect.

Holland is an Alaska judge who was appointed to the bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. He is one of several visiting judges from other courts who hear cases in Arizona.
To the editor:

I am disappointed that Congress cannot get together on a meaningful tax reform package. We need industrial growth to provide jobs for a declining middle class. A big problem is that our corporate tax structure is not competitive with most other countries.

The public must be made to understand that corporate taxes are an expense that the public pays in the cost of the goods and services that they purchase. In Michigan, Johnson Controls recent merger with Tyco will save the combined company in Ireland at least $150 million per year in taxes. Hopefully, in the short term this will save jobs in the U.S. However, with the headquarters in a foreign country, who knows where the next growth of this new company may be?

Corporations do get services for which they should pay taxes, but to pretend that high taxes on corporations cut the taxes a consumer pays is using emotions and voodoo economics rather than fact. In turn, the middle class is negatively hit for the hidden tax in the price of the goods they buy. It ultimately makes the middle class and poor class more dependent on Big Government which requires more nonproductive costly government jobs.

I know that this is an election year, but kicking the can down the road is a poor policy and that is why the public in general is mad or disappointed in Congress. We must be wiser and understand the fact that high taxes on corporations are operational expenses that you and I must ultimately pay.

Efforts to stop companies from locating overseas do not provide a good solution. Too often a company will go overseas or go broke in the U.S. This invites foreign competition and foreign jobs to take over.

WALTER RUPPRECHT

Midland
To the editor:

I learned some interesting things when I read the letter to the editor in the Sunday, Jan. 31, edition of the Midland Daily News titled Ideologically Driven by Mary Laforet.

I was not aware that President Obama was the force behind the rise of ISIS. Nor was I aware that George W. Bush was the human manifestation of the second coming during and after his years as president.

To declare Obama guilty of treason after treason without supporting evidence is un-America and alien to our way of life, and beliefs of human decency, and sounds like something Donald Trump would shout.

Speaking of Trump, I am certainly glad that Mr. Trump is out-polling Ben Carson because I admire success stories. Mr. Carson can revert to his previous avocation of neurosurgeron and become a multi-billionaire performing necessary brain transplants on people who voted for Donald Trump. Hows that for a success story?

It is too bad that Ms. Laforet cant poll the 4-5 thousand Americans who came back to this country in body bags and the tens of thousands who returned with life-altering disabilities from Iraq. Remember, they were chasing those nasty weapons of mass destruction that have been proven a figment of Bush and Cheneys imagination!

So rant on about the four killed at Benghazi, and get your combat gear packed for when Mr. Trump becomes our fearless leader. Unless your ancestors were Native Americans, you will need to pack your belongings because once Trump gets rid of the Mexicans and Muslims you will be returning to the country your ancestors came from.

Lastly, as a veteran with service-related disability, I prefer diplomacy over guns and bombs, so stick to your policies Mr. Obama.

DAN CARPENTER

Midland
Long lines and huge crowds filled the Andersen AFB flightline Feb. 20. The scene, reminiscent of something one might see at an amusement park, was Andersen opening its doors to the public for the 2016 Pacific Air Partners Open House.

More than 23,000 Guam residents, tourists and military members alike received the opportunity to walk around the flightline and see aircraft such as the U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, F-16 Fighting Falcon, E-3 Sentry, and aircraft from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and Royal Australian Air Force up-close.

We have a unique lineup of aircraft and Airmen here to showcase our incredible Air Force capabilities and pacific partners present for Exercise Cope North, said Brig. Gen. Andrew Toth, 36th Wing commander. There truly isnt anywhere else in the world that has the capabilities we do here in Guam. We are able to conduct complex training exercises on land, air and sea and we couldnt do that without your tremendous support.

The largest community outreach event of the year, the open house aims to enhance public awareness of the U.S. military's mission, equipment, facilities and personnel and to promote positive community relations.

I really enjoyed being able to visit the base, see these planes up-close and meet with military members, said Ricky Emesiochel, a local resident of Guam. My favorite part was the RQ-4 Global Hawk. I cant believe that aircraft is remotely piloted!

As the day drew to a close, members of the local community were able to go home knowing they learned something new about the military and were thanked for their continued support of the troops.

It is an honor to call this island home, Toth said. We hope that this Open House gives everyone the opportunity to see some of our aircraft up-close and talk to some of our Airmen both from the U.S and our coalition partners. From all of Team Andersen including our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, Reserve and Guardsmenwe thank you.
Wearing starched, grey field camouflage uniforms, airmen gathered under the orange glow of a canvas parachute suspended in the jungle canopy above.



Donned on their shoulders was the Hinomaru, or red circle of the sun  the Japanese flag. The group were members of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force participating in Cope North 16 on Andersen Air Force Base. Unsure of what to expect, they were keen to learn more about what it takes to survive in the jungle.



In a one-day workshop held Feb. 16, U.S. Air Force survival, evasion, resistance, and escape, or SERE, specialists from the 353rd Combat Training Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, shared basic jungle survival strategies with the participants  tips that could save these aviators lives.



Wherever we go in the world today, operations can put us into potential harm, such as a jungle environment, said Master Sgt. Kurtis Douge, the 353rd CTS, a veteran SERE specialist of more than 13 years. Today, we made sure this team has some basic survival skills if they did find themselves in a jungle environment and would be better prepared to survive.



Over the course of the day, Douge and his fellow instructor, Staff Sgt. Levi Wood, demonstrated a variety of tips and tricks  from how to start a fire using bamboo and fire steel to building an effective roof for shelter from tropical elements.



You need to build a fire, catch food and be able to signal to get found and recovered, said Staff Sgt. Levi Wood, noncommissioned officer in charge of training with the 353rd CTRS. The tools to accomplish that vary, and sometimes it takes improvisation.



The students then learned how to find and prepare food only with jungle materials by boiling water for rice and ramen in simple green bamboo stalks. The instructors also reminded the students that local fruit may be a great resource, such as Carambola, or starfruit, and the simple coconut.



The jungle is your hardware and grocery store, Douge told them. It offers tools and food  just have to know how to find them.



While the training was serious business, Wood lightened some moments using tricks he learned over the years.



Would you like to see some magic? he asked.



With two strokes of his machete, Wood skillfully disassembled a lithium battery and uncoiled the tightly wound metal paper within. With a few drops of water from a bottle, the tangle ignited into a crimson-red flame at his feet. Of course, he said, this only works once, but its another way of starting a fire in a bind.



This is my office, Wood said. I love being out in the wilderness; we get to teach other people more about it and watch them enjoy it. Its great.



But the jungle can also hold dangers - snakes, spiders and dehydration are formidable enemies for downed aviators. To reduce anxiety in the real-world, Wood demonstrated how to catch and safely handle one of Guams most infamous predators: the brown tree snake.



The goal of the training, Wood said, is to minimize time in the wild and expedite recovery. To allow search and rescue aircraft to see through dense jungle vegetation, participants therefore received training on signal flares, mirrors and the use of ground-to-air symbols to increase their chances of being rescued.



As the course progressed, initial apprehension gave way to smiles on the participants faces.



If I had to survive in the jungle, I think I would have a better chance at survival thanks to this training, said Tech. Sgt. Shinchiro Sasaki, a pararescue jumper with the JSDAF. We learned many new things in this training, and it was very interesting. My favorite part were the snakes, of course.



For Douge and Wood, this may have been another day at the office, but both know that even small tips may well save a service members life when help is far away.



Just after a few hours out here with us, you can tell their confidence level is just a little bit higher and sometimes in a survival situation thats what you need to get through  that little edge of confidence and knowledge, Douge said. As a SERE specialist, teaching other people new [survival] skills is at the core of what we do  and Cope North is a great opportunity because it allows us to share our knowledge with our coalition partners here in the Pacific.
Military members from six nations joined together for a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief deployment through out the region of the Commonwealth of the North ern Mariana Isl and s, Feb. 14-18.



The deployment is part of Cope North 16 , a multilateral exercise, including the U.S. Air Force and air forces from across the Indo-Asia- Pacific region.



Col. Brian Toth, CN 16 lead for the U.S. Air Force, said the HA/DR portion enhances regional capabilities to respond to crises and lays the foundation for the expansion of regional cooperation in the face of real-world contingencies.



 Humanitarian assistance and disaster response is an awesome capability we can provide, Toth said. The ability to have our forces train together allows us to underst and what each part brings to the response and what we can provide together to provide the aid any country in the region may ask for.



It demonstrates our commitment to working together with our coalition partner countries across the Pacific , he continued. We work well together and provide a strong presence  and we know we can rely on each other in a time of need.



Members from the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard; partnered with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force; Royal Australian Air Force; Republic of Korea Air Force as well as Royal New Zeal and Air Force; and Philippine Air Force, reacted to a fictional yet realistic disaster scenario that was said to affect the Marianas region.



What were focusing on is interoperability, learning from one another how to better respond to disaster situations, said Sharon Rohde, CN 16 HA/DR lead planner. Its about overcoming not only language barriers but differences to how we do business, whether thats regulatory in nature or based on our underst and ing of the situation. We open up communication and derive lessons learned to be better prepared in response to disaster.



The exercise scenario posed a severe impact from a typhoon traversing between the isl and s of Tinian and Rota, prompting CNMI to issue a simulated request for immediate assistance to Guams neighboring isl and s. During the HA/DR response, Guam acted as the hub for all aid efforts. From Guam, crews traveled to two deployed operation centers on spoke locations on Rota and Tinian.



Upon notification of the emergency, coalition units responded in a phased approach based on real-world response plans by deploying RAAF combat controllers and And ersen AFBs 36th Contingency Response Group teams to the isl and s to survey airfield conditions and establish security for incoming aid flights.



The notional disaster tested the main training objectives of airfield assessment team insertion and subst and ard airfield operation. Bringing together Airmen from varying Air Force specialties, multi-lateral contingency teams demonstrated their ability to assess and operate previously inaccessible airfields within 12 hours of notification.



Contingency response of this type is one of our major functions, said Lt. Col. Glenn Rineheart, 36th Mobility Response Squadron comm and er and exercise mission comm and er on Rota.  Cope North provides the ability for our Airmen to respond to a foreign location and operate only with those assets which were brought in order to surmount challenges with equipment and personnel and the environment. There is a lot to be gained from operating away from main base.



After declaring the airfields as safe, contingency teams provided continued communications and aerial port support to allow aircrews to deliver aid. Within hours of the airfield opening, coalition teams began set up of the Expeditionary Medical Support Health Response Team mobile hospital, which st and s ready on Guam to deploy to real-world disasters.



Expeditionary medical teams deploy to save lives



From emergency resuscitation to life-preserving surgery, the teams are well-equipped and trained to h and le a large variety of possible ailments, yet the priority for medics and nurses lies with triage and initial stabilization of patients.



The EMEDS-HRT is the first-line response package in the region, said Staff Sgt. Carlos Rance, a 36th Medical Group medical logistics contracting officer. We set up the ER tent first, and within a 12 hour period we have a fully operational medical facility that allows our teams to treat more than 300 patients. During this exercise we get the opportunity to not only complete a full set up, from the box up, but doctors and medics also get valuable h and s-on experience on what its like to operate exclusive with the equipment we carry.



Receiving a steady stream of typhoon victims who were hypothetically transported from Tinian for medical care, medical technicians and military doctors practice d real-time care procedures on simulated injuries ranging from burn wounds and open fractures to psychological distress and child delivery.



Focused on the patient



When patient condition required a higher echelon of care, a team or flight nurses and medical administrators ensured expedient aeromedical evacuation to a location with a fully functioning hospital.



The focus of this whole exercise is the patient, said Australian FLTLT Emma J. Dingle, a RAAF flight nurse and CN 16 aeromedical evacuation liaison. It is really important for us to underst and how each country functions, so that when we do have to come together for joint disaster responses, we can do it smoothly and effectively and have the best outcome for the people who are in need of help.



The aeromedical evacuation exercises culminated with a joint rescue event Feb. 17. Coalition search and rescue aviators located simulated downed aircraft crew in open waters off the coast of Guam and subsequent rotary wing evacuation by U.S. Navy's Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25.



Planning success through past lessons learned



For the first time, international HA/DR mission planners gathered during a two-day subject matter exchange and table top exercise before kick-off. Airmen from three nations shared their experiences, failures and successes during responses as far ranging as the 2011 Tsunami in Japan and the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal.



This year we added a tabletop exercise, which allowed participants to collaborate before exercising, Rhode said. This facilitated discussion about actual disasters that occurred in the Pacific and to hear that firsth and experience from somebody who was actually there and could speak to specific issues that occurred.



Experts also discussed the integration with civilian agencies that would take important roles in real disaster response situations, such as international civic aviation authorities and USAID coordinators.



Typically the civilian response agencies can h and le most emergencies, even large once, said Scott Aronson, senior USAID humanitarian assistance advisor to U.S. Pacific Comm and . But the U.S. military has unique abilities that either no one else has or nobody can deploy as quickly. We know, for instance, the CRGs capabilities during an HA/DR event are likely one of the unique abilities we might call on.



As the lead federal agency for disaster response, we participated to make sure the exercise is realistic from our perspective and to have that face-to-face time with the people and agencies we will see in the field, Aronson continued. The biggest challenge is underst and ing each others capabilities and Cope North allows both sides to see what the other brings to the table and how those things work together. Maintaining those relationships is essential.



Following the tabletop exchange, the teams practice d multinational interoperability during the stressful team building required during mission planning.



The planning group this year was incredible to see, said RAAF Squadron Leader Chris OByrne, Australian HA/DR scenario planning lead and exercise mission comm and er on Tinian. When you see service members come together and realize that theyre talking about the same thing, while calling it by a different name, and we notice that all the time; its an amazing thing to see.



International interest rises



Because of the resounding successes of HA/DR exercises in the past, an increased number of medical subject matter experts from Bangladesh, Canada, India, Indonesia, Malasia and Thail and visited the HA/DR portion as observers this year to witness operations firsth and and gather information on how to improve or establish their own contingency programs.



Natural disasters are the when not the if of contingency scenarios and HA/DR is becoming more and more important and recognized as a critical capability, which is why our partner nations have sent their observers to the tabletop and field training exercises, OByrne said.  During the conduct of the field training, the observers saw the U.S.-led CRG in Rota and the Australian Contingency Response Squadron on Tinian, which will allow them to see how different agencies would react.



Success in numbers and increased interoperability



Through effective use of its hub - and -spoke relief plan, the coalition teams successfully evacuated approximately 40 patients, moving more than 180 passengers, conducting 30 airdrops and transporting more than 438,600 pounds of cargo from isl and to isl and , Rhode said.



Each year, this exercise has been getting more advanced, she said. We are learning more about what types of cargo can go on what types of aircraft or what type of communication capability each country uses. We learn it in the exercise and then when things really kick off, we are not starting from square one. Were working in the interest of saving lives and no one country can do it all themselves, so its a lot easier to get on board and figure out the problem together.



Currently ongoing, this year marks the 87th iteration of exercise Cope North , which includes a long-st and ing, multinational HA/DR event designed to increase interoperability and develop a synergistic disaster response capability between the U.S. Air Force, Japan Air-Self Defense Force and Royal Australian Air Force. The second half of Cope North will shift the focus to air combat training, which will including air-to-air and air-to-ground combat and large force employment training.
YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea (Feb. 22, 2016) -- Despite a visible role on the battlefield, U.S. Army regulations don't allow chaplains to carry weapons; but that doesn't make them immune to enemy action. During just the Korean War, 13 U.S. military chaplains died while on duty. When chaplains come under fire, it's up to the chaplain's assistant to protect them.

About 100 chaplains and chaplain assistants carried out force protection training as it applies to Unit Ministry Teams, Feb. 3, at the 52nd Republic of Korea Army Division Training Center, near Seoul, South Korea.

The Chief of Chaplains Office Headquarters, Republic of Korea Army, hosted the training. Republic of Korea (ROK) Army Chaplain, Lt. Col. Yi, Jung-woo said it was long overdue.

"I have been a ROK Army chaplain for the past 24 years and have always wished for this type of training for our ROK Army chaplain assistants," he said. "For it to become reality, is a dream come true."

Another ROK Army Chaplain, Maj. Lee Kyeong-joo, said it was a good opportunity for ROK Army Soldiers to learn their roles on the battlefield and benefit from the combat experience of their U.S. counterparts.

"As the ceasefire in Korea has lasted for a long time, Korean Soldiers have somewhat lost sight of the importance of [UMTs] in wartime," Lee said. "In contrast, as U.S. Soldiers constantly face wars, they are aware of how important [UMTs are]," Lee said.

This training divided participants into three teams, each took turns at tasks including an obstacle course and a live-fire range.

In addition to practicing their combat skills, participants saw the force protection exercise as a bonding experience and a chance to build up the longstanding partnership between the ROK and U.S. Armies.

"Not only did it make me a better chaplain assistant, but I believe that it also made me a better Soldier, because trust and interaction are the very things that the Army is all about," said Chaplain Assistant Pfc. Hassan Thomas. "And trust is built on the long-term relationship and interaction." ROK Army Chaplain's Assistant Sgt. 1st Class Jo Su-yeong, Eighth Division of ROK Army Chaplain's echoed the sentiment.

"More training like this would help ROKA and U.S. Soldiers to build friendship and trust, reinforcing the alliance between Korea and the U.S.," she said.
Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time.

Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time.
NORMAL  State Sen. Jason Barickman is investing in Bloomington-Normal.

Three years after the Republican lawyer and real estate investor bought a home in Bloomington, he's purchasing his second and third local properties: at 112 W. North St. and 204 N. Oak St., both in Normal.

Barickman, 40, moved to the Twin Cities after winning the Senate seat in 2012. He also owns property in Champaign, Danville and Urbana.

Barickman hopes to close next month on the North Street property, a two-story building that currently houses North Street Tattoo on the first floor. The second floor is an "uninhabitable apartment, Barickman said.

We plan to convert it to two high-end apartments that presumably will attract young professionals and others that are interested in that quality of space, Barickman said of the second floor. Were exploring our options on the first floor, talking with the existing tenant.

JB Capital LLC 112 North Series, a company owned by Barickman and his brother, Joel, will buy the property for an undetermined amount, he said. The current owner is Mary Margaret McReynolds of Normal, according to county property records.

Id imagine construction activity beginning very soon after we close. ... Weve already completed much of the planning," Barickman said. Were considering some improvements to the exterior.

As part of the purchase, the town of Normal will buy four parking spaces included with the parcel. That will complete a parking lot behind the block, said City Manager Mark Peterson.

Im very optimistic about uptown. ... Its that optimism that is compelling this purchase," Barickman said. "I think theyve done great things there and theres going to be a continued demand by businesses and residents to work, live and play in uptown.

JB Capital LLC 204 Oak Series bought the Oak Street property for $535,000, Barickman said, from Nadja Sadiku of Normal. He expects that property, like 112 W. North St., to receive a "six figures plus" renovation.

Were going to perform some renovations over the late spring and summer with the turnover of leases and hope to complete that by the end of the summer, he said.
BLOOMINGTON  A McLean County judge denied requests Monday from a driver in a fatal drunken-driving case who wanted to take back his guilty plea and receive a lesser sentence.

Cameron Embry, 25, of Bloomington told Judge Casey Costigan that he did not fully understand the plea agreement he accepted prior to being sentenced to 6 years in prison for aggravated driving under the influence. Embry was charged in the death of motorcyclist Neal Keller, 30, who died in a March 2015 crash at the intersection of Lincoln and Bunn streets on the city's southwest side.

Embry was in court with a new lawyer, Brendan Bukalski, who argued the suspect's first lawyer, Stephanie Wong, failed to adequately explain the terms of the plea deal.

Wong was called to the witness stand by Assistant State's Attorney Jeff Horve, but she was not allowed to answer questions about her interaction with Embry because the defendant refused to waive his attorney-client privilege.

When asked by Horve why he was revisiting his decision to plead guilty, Embry said, "I believe I should have gotten less time and the state was wrong in its reconstruction. I think I could have possibly beaten the charge, and I'm unhappy with the time I received."

Embry said he was in shock and upset during the Sept. 24 hearing in which he accepted the state's offer to cap the possible prison term at 10 years, four years below the potential maximum.

Embry also claimed that he needed more time to consult with his family before making the decision on the state's offer.

Horve presented documents related to the plea offer and records of multiple visits Wong made to the jail to discuss the case with her client.

In his denial of the motion to rescind the plea, Costigan said he recalled the September hearing and the questions he asked Embry to confirm his understanding of the proceedings.

"I don't see where there was a problem with understanding what was going on," said Costigan.

The judge also rejected Bualski's arguments that the sentence was excessive for the first-time offender. According to Bukalski, the accident should qualify for extraordinary circumstances under Illinois sentencing laws, making Embry eligible for probation.

Costigan disagreed that a lower sentence was appropriate. Embry's criminal history and his young age were considered during the sentencing hearing, he said.

Bukalski said he will file an appeal of the judge's rulings.
SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois Supreme Court has approved a permanent policy allowing cameras in state courts following a successful four-year pilot program.

The test run for extended media coverage was launched in 2012 for certain types of cases. Fifteen of the state's 24 judicial circuits previously had been approved to participate in the program that brought still and TV cameras and sound equipment into the courtroom.

In the 11th Judicial Circuit, which covers Ford, Livingston, Logan, McLean and Woodford counties, only McLean County courts were part of the pilot program.

William Scanlon, trial court administrator for the 11th Circuit, said Monday that "from the court's perspective, we welcome the end of the pilot program."

The 11th Circuit recently requested an expansion of the pilot program beyond McLean County to the four other counties in the circuit.

The Supreme Court decision "will simplify and expedite that process and will serve to help the public understand the courts better," said Scanlon.

In a statement from the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Rita Garman said, "At every level of the judicial system, we do the people's work, and the people have an interest in observing how the judicial system functions.

"We are pleased with the success of the pilot project and with the great cooperation we have received from the media. It is time to make the EMC (extended media coverage) more widely available."

The nine circuits that have not applied to participate in the program will not be forced to join.

So far, more than 450 media requests have been filed under the cameras policy. In McLean County, more than 20 civil and criminal cases have been approved for extended media coverage.

Unchanged is the procedure the media must follow in order to obtain permission from the presiding judge to brings cameras and audio into the courtroom. An application must be filed with the court clerk, attorneys for both sides of the case, and the court administrator.

The final decision on whether cameras will be allowed rests with the judge.

Attorneys may file objections to the media request.

Certain proceedings are exempt from the program, including cases involving juveniles, divorces and sexual offenses.

The new policy is expected to be implemented sometime in April.
NORMAL  The director of the School of Nursing at Western Carolina University has been named dean of Illinois State University's Mennonite College of Nursing.

Judy Neubrander has been nursing school director at WCU in Cullowhee, N.C., since July 2011. She will begin her new position July 1 at a salary of $215,000.

Provost Janet Krejci announced Neubrander's selection on Monday. Krejci had been dean of Mennonite before being named ISU's interim vice president for academic affairs and provost in July 2014 and then being selected for the post permanently in March 2015.

While at Western Carolina, Neubrander led the implementation of a doctorate of nursing practice program, created the School of Nursing Development Council and secured more than $3 million in funding to improve access and diversity in nursing. She also played a key role in planning and developing a new College of Health and Human Sciences building on the WCU campus.

In a statement from ISU, Neubrander pointed to the the college's rich history and strong programs.

I look forward to collaborating with the college's faculty, staff, students, alumni and constituents as we work together to continue to move the college forward, she added.

Krejci described Neubrander as a mission-driven, visionary leader, with lived values that align with MCN, our Educating Illinois mission and our outstanding nursing programs, faculty and staff.

Neubrander has been an active nurse throughout her academic career. She has provided nursing services in Haiti and Ecuador in addition to serving as a nurse practitioner volunteer with the Good Samaritan Clinic of Jackson County, N.C.

She has a doctorate from North Carolina State University, a master's degree in education and adult health from the University of Kansas, a bachelor's degree in nursing from William Jewell College and a family nurse practitioner post-graduate certificate from the University of Alabama.

Other finalists for the position were Nancy Ridenour of the University of New Mexico; Jan Strom of Northern Illinois University; and Gloria Jacobson of Saint Xavier University.
Every person have their own fear. Fear starts to develop at a very young age and this grows bigger as we grow older. Some fear would just vanish as we overcome them and some would develop into greater lengths.

Fear is a good thing because it helps us survive. Fear is an instinct in every human being to keep them safe but not all fear are good. There are fear that could hinder one's ability or even success and some fear may lead to serious disorders too.

Here are the top 3 common fears of people and tips on how to overcome them for good:

3. The Fear of Public Speaking (Glossophobia)

This is very common in young people where they overthink on how they will do in public. The Fear of Public speaking is linked to fears of rejection and criticism.

As a student, it is normal to speak in front of the whole class but there are those students who are not comfortable speaking in front of a crowd and they just do it because they are required to. They are afraid to get criticized and rejected. This may result to disorganized thoughts when speaking because of fear.

To overcome this kind of fear, you should know what you are talking about and you need to get organized before public speaking according to Mayo Clinic. Having an outline of what you are going to discuss written in a small piece of paper or card will make you less nervous in discussing your topic in front of many people. Try some deep breathing because this can be very calming if you are nervous

2. The Fear of Death (Thanatophobia)

If not all, most of the people are afraid of death. According to Austrian Neurologist, Sigmund Freud, when people are afraid of death it means they are afraid of something else like abandonment, unresolved conflicts or unfinished business or could otherwise be a sense of guilt as posted in Freud Life.

Accepting your own death could be the hardest thing but if you learn to accept it as a natural cycle that everyone will eventually pass, you may have a different perspective about death according to Huff Post.

1. The Fear of Failure (Atychiphobia)

There are people who settle for less rather than settling for better because they are afraid of failing. One common example is getting into investments. You are afraid to invest in a business because you are afraid to fail running it. How will you know the outcome if you won't try?

The only way to conquer the fear of failure is to put an action with proper planning and visualize yourself succeeding in obstacles according to Forbes. You can't measure success if you have never tried failing.
The redheaded Prince is ready for love; a source told exclusively the Us Weekly. "He is fed up with the single life," the source said. Now, it seems that potential princesses may line up at Kensington Palace and be the first to capture the prince's precious heart!

"Harry is serious about settling down. He's single, but he's putting himself out there to find someone," the source added.

Us Weekly reported that the 31-year old former Army captain is following two women in the United Kingdom. "He's enjoying getting to know them, but he's not officially dating anyone," the source said. He also added that the British royal is not just messing around.

Meanwhile, MSN Lifestyle also wrote that the "prince party pursued the blond beauty, Juliette Labelle, an American who was a former Dior PR assistant when he was on holiday in Los Angeles in January.

"Juliette and Harry hit it off and had a constant connection," the source revealed. "It's now just a friend's thing because they don't live in the same country."

The prince is also now rumored to have a would-be love interest in London. Thus, the name of the lucky girl was withheld.

His new journey for love has changed since last September when he told the Britain's ITV. "There are a lot of things to get done before settling down," he told the Sky News. "I'd love to have kids right now but there's a process one has to go through. The time will come and whatever happens happens."

Prince Harry is the younger brother of Prince William and he is the fourth in line to the throne. He was born in 1984.

On the other hand, the princely duties are being prioritized as Prince George and Princess Charlotte's uncle will be going to visit the earthquake victims in Nepal in March and will head to Florida in May for the Invictus.
Melissa Mead, whose 12-month-old son, William died of sepsis after medics failed to spot it, finally met Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Now, the bereaved mother is hoping that he took the matter seriously and he would implement a package of measure to save thousands of lives.

Talking about the meeting, Melissa said she discussed with the Health Secretary and to the U.K. Sepsis Trust officials some issues to raise awareness about the condition that took her son's life. Likewise, the need for better training for the medics has been reiterated. Moreover, she shared patient records with Mr. Hunt just so he will realize that this matter requires an urgent action.

"He definitely seems to be interested in a public health campaign but it is about tying him down and making sure he follows it through and that is absolutely what I am going to be doing," Mrs. Mead disclosed to Belfast Telegraph.

Mrs. Mead said she is happy that Mr. Hunt came to meet her and she is hoping that he will "commit sooner rather than later" to improve the sepsis care, so to avoid any further incidents like what happened to her. "We cannot be in a position where there is another mother stood here in a month's time, another apology because of failure in care," she added. "There has to be a commitment to change."

The U.K. Sepsis Trust's chief executive, Dr. Ron Daniels said, during the meeting, Mr. Hunt "has committed an agreement in principle to a public awareness campaign." However, the resourcing or who is going to provide it is yet to be discussed. Nevertheless, Mrs. Mead and the Health Secretary is scheduled to meet again in two months.

But as Mrs. Mead and the health officials wait for the commitment to be made, Dr. Daniels said that around 120 adults and 3 to 4 more babies are dying from sepsis. Hence, they are hoping for the measures to be implemented as early as possible.


There are about 20 countries in total that have been affected by the Zika virus outbreak in the Latin American region and health experts say that the list could only grow longer.

The virus has found its way across countries like Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname and Venezuela. And, the infected areas also include those that tourists frequently make a visit to, according to a report from NBC News.

Health officials in different countries were already cautioning pregnant women about the possibility of their newborn babies having a birth defect referred to as microcephaly, which could be linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

Microcephaly is a rare neurological condition in which an infant's head is significantly smaller than the heads of other children of the same age and sex, says Mayo Clinic. The brain could have some problem in its development during the baby's stay inside the womb, or it could also stop from growing after the child is born.

The authorities have now come to a point where they are already advising women from their countries to put off on the their plans to get pregnant in order to avoid the possibility of these birth defects among their babies.

"We are doing this because I believe it's a good way to communicate the risk, to tell people that there could be serious consequences," said Alejandro Gaviria, Colombia's health minister, who is one of those health experts urging their local women to delay pregnancies six to eight months, as per ABC News.

Colombia already has a reported 560 cases of pregnant women infected with the virus, which is the second-highest Zika infection rate so far. In El Salvador, the local health ministry said that they were suspecting about 96 pregnant women that might have been infected by the virus and already cautioned women in the country to delay pregnancy until 2018.

Over in Jamaica, the health officials also advised women to postpone their pregnancy plans for the next six to 12 months. This is despite the fact that there has been no reported cases of infection in the country.

According to the European Centers for Disease Control, or ECDC, the Zika virus has two strains. One strain comes from Africa and the other one originated from Asia. it is the latter that has been causing the current outbreak in the region.
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As we approach Super Tuesday a lot of young voters are Feeling The Sand(ers)as in, theyre excited about Senator Bernie Sanders running for president (of the United States!) Some people are also excited about Hillary Clinton, another person running for president. Pretty much nobody is excited about Austin Powers, a movie character we all loved for several years in the late 90s and early 00s.

One of the attractive things about Bernie Sanders is hes remained very consistent in his beliefs. Hes been fighting for the same causes his entire career; those causes just happen to be more relevant than ever today. Austin Powers hasnt been relevant since his last film appearance in 2002 and its easy to see why. Yeah, theres still a lot to like in the idea of a silly James Bond parody but a lot of the catchphrases are pretty grating, to be honest.

So lets review some quotes. The important thing to remember is that democracy only works if we all vote and also we all used to like Austin Powers.

1. I think many people have the mistaken impression that Congress regulates Wall Street. In truth thats not the case. The real truth is that Wall Street regulates the Congress.

2. There is a lot of sentiment that enough is enough, that we need fundamental changes, that the establishmentwhether it is the economic establishment, the political establishment or the media establishmentis failing the American people.

3. Do I make you horny, baby?

4.In my view, a corporation is not a person. A corporation does not have First Amendment rights to spend as much money as it wants, without disclosure, on a political campaign. Corporations should not be able to go into their treasuries and spend millions and millions of dollars on a campaign in order to buy elections.

5. If a financial institution is too big to fail, it is too big to exist.

6. Shall we shag now, or shag later?

7. We got a collapsing middle class. We have more wealth and income inequality today than weve had since the 1920s. We have all of these enormous issues. And what big money can do is put an unbelievable amount of TV and radio ads out there to deflect attention from the real issues facing the American people.

8. You have to bring people together who may not agree on every issue but who understand that the middle class is collapsing and we are moving toward an oligarchic form of society, where the billionaires will control the economy and the political life of this country.

9. Twins, Basil. Twins!

10. If the goal of health care reform is to provide comprehensive, universal health care in a cost-effective way, the only honest approach is a single-payer approach.

11. What the American people are angry about is they understand that they did not cause this recession. Teachers did not cause this recession. Firefighters and police officers who are being attacked daily by governors all over this country did not cause this recession. Construction workers did not cause this recession. This recession was caused by the greed, the recklessness and illegal behavior of the people on Wall Street.

12. Oh, behave!

13. I am talking about a war being waged by some of the wealthiest and most powerful people against working families, against the disappearing and shrinking middle class of our country. The billionaires of America are on the warpath. They want more and more and more.

14. The ruling has radically changed the nature of our democracy. It has further tilted the balance of the power toward the rich and the powerful at a time when the wealthiest people in this country already never had it so good. History will record that the Citizens United decision is one of the worst in the history of our country.

15. Ive run outside of the two-party system, defeating Democrats and Republicans, taking on big-money candidates and, you know, I think the message that has resonated in Vermont is a message that can resonate all over this country. People should not underestimate me.

16. Wawaweewa its a very nice!

Follow Grant Pardee on Twitter.
Dear Bernie Sanders supporters: Wake the fuck up.

Sorry to be so blunt, but like any reasonable American, I have been disgusted and appalled as Americas answer to V.I. Lenin continues to gain strength in the polls. Your so-called populist movement is a slap in the face to the Democratic establishment that has served us so well over the last few decades, and the idea of giving up on the theory of incremental progress for such a fundamental change makes me want to vomit in the street. (In a poor neighborhood, not my own.)

I dont get it, guys. Im really confused here. The mainstream media has done a wonderful job of showing exactly why and how Bernies candidacy is flawed, but for some reason, people wont listen to common sense.

My intent is not to insult anyone, but I believe that Sanders constituency is made up entirely of aspirational nutjobsmostly lazy, entitled, poor, indebted millennialswho dont realize that our political choices should be based on fear and cynicism. They need to get with the program, and fast. Maybe the Washington Post and New York Times screwed up by highlighting the idiotic nature of Bernies candidacy one issue at a time, but I wont make that mistake. Im going to list them all, item by item, and lay waste to this annoying communist and his dense apparatchiks once and for all.

As the Marxist messiah himself would say, enough is enough.

Jesus, how many times do we have to repeat this before it sticks in your stupid heads? And spare me the counter-arguments, because I already know what youre going to say: Hillary Clinton has a far worse approval rating, is loathed by Independents, couldnt land a millennial voter if she turned into an anime version of Kanye West and Gangnam-styled across America, isnt considered remotely trustworthy even by her own family, and is losing in every hypothetical match-up in the general election.

Lets start with that last one. First off, you know Hillary is going to gain on the Republicans once she gets past Bernie the Bolshevik, even though her entire history in presidential elections is a steady narrative of dwindling support. Second, just imagine whats going to happen to Bernie when the GOP attack machine starts pointing out to Americans that hes probably a socialist. Once that happens, forget about it. Theres no way hes ever going to beat the Oompa Loompa version of Hitlerwho knows as much about governing as the dead rodent he wears on his heador the religious zealot who looks like a shitty caricature of Bela Lugosi drawn on a deflated leather sack, or the actual malfunctioning robot posing as the GOPs Obama.

You cant run a candidate with actual integrity against those guys. Are you nuts? You need a real nitty-gritty mud-slinging spitfire like Hillary, who is somehow considered even more dishonest. She understands the trench warfare that wins elections. Because if theres one thing that drives progressives to the ballot box, its feeling disheartened by their own candidate.

And I wouldnt worry about millennial voters either, even though theyre critical to the partys general election success and are gleefully declaring that they wont support anyone but Bernie in November. Dont sweat it. Hillarys this close to understanding what theyre all about. A few more Vines like this one, and shell have that coveted youth demographic all locked up:

Hip kids love pandering baby boomers! Those godawful 85-15 under-30 splits from Iowa and New Hampshire are a thing of the past, baby! Oppa Clinton style! Yasss kween!

Literally none of his so-called democratic socialist programs have ever been successfully implemented in any government in world history, except for all the other major nations in the modern world, and also America during our most prosperous period.

This is a really important one. If theres one message that should sink through your thick heads, its this: Cast your vote for the candidate who understands Washington, D.C. as it actually is, and not as youd like it to be. Real change happens for progressives when we elect a centrist candidate who doesnt represent our values in the first place, in the hopes that she makes concession after brutal concession to Republicans in an effort to pass legislation that strengthens banks and pharmaceutical companies and other monolithic institutions that contribute to our horrific wealth inequality.

One thing you should never do is to vote for the candidate who represents what you want the country to become, in the hope that its the start of a process leading to an America we can be proud ofone which protects and supports all its people. That would be exactly the kind of naive, starry-eyed mistake you and your Sandernista comrades are dumb enough to make. What you would do, if you had any brains, is forget the big picture entirely, ask reductive questions like, can Bernie Sanders immediately pass universal health care? and, if the answer is no, throw your vote to whichever compromised puppet the establishment shoves down your throat.

In other words, rubes, concede. Concede pre-emptively. Concede now, tacitly admit that your country is fucked beyond repair, and maybe even skip the middle man entirely by liquidating your assets, gathering the cash, and leaving it all on the doorstep of Goldman Sachs before you screw off and die in the streets.

I mean, just look at her insane momentum, as represented by this graph of national polls from the past year:

That should be plenty of evidence, but in case you need more, consider her resounding, emphatic win in Nevada, where she prevailed by five points in a state she led by 37 last July. I mean, can you get more decisive than that? I think not. And if you dont believe me, just read any mainstream political site or watch cable TV. All of those outlets correctly ignore the fact that the pledged delegate count is tied at 51and that in the three primary states thus far, Sanders leads the popular vote countand praise Hillarys newfound momentum. I dont know what America you live in, but my country is one where media narratives dictate election winners.

But Shane, you whine, in your pathetic Sanders-loving voice, the more people learn about Bernie, the more support he gains, and Hillarys trajectory looks exactly the same as in 2008, when her increased visibility led to a popularity plummet. Wouldnt their respective patterns just become exaggerated in a general election, to the point that the only logical analysis gives Bernie a far better chance of winning?

Nice try, but you forgot one thing.

Weve been hearing about the firewall for months, and in Nevada, sure enough, the prophecy came true.

Did Hillary win the Latino vote decisively? No. Did she win it at all? No.

Nobody really knows who came out on top, except that entrance polls say Bernie won, and a lot of media outlets are now rushing to muddy the waters. Even if she managed a tie, its far less than her margin of victory against Obama in 2008, when she also claimed that Hispanic voters gave her a firewall.

THE POINT IS, the firewall did its job. Think about it, dopes. If the firewall is on fire, then guess whats not on fire? Thats right: Everything beyond the firewall, whatever that might be. The firewall is on fire, but its protecting other stuff from being on fire. Why is this so hard for you to understand?

Because when you and your husband systematically sell out an entire racial group that counted on you as their only ally, the least they can do is reward you with their undying loyalty. All Sanders ever did was march with Martin Luther King Jr., lead protests against racial discrimination at the University of Chicago, and get dragged off by police for protesting segregation. But that all happened a long time ago, and for some reason the popular wisdom is that none of it matters anymore, so the logical reaction to this expired civil rights cred is to vote for Hillary, who spent her own youth working for Barry Goldwater, a segregationist, and has been a walking nightmare for Americas black population ever since. If you close your eyes, it almost makes sense.

How can you ignore the singular importance of winning a liberal stronghold like South Carolina, where it only took them 150 years to realize that flying the Confederate flag at the State Capitol might be in poor taste? If thats not a bellwether state, I dont know what is!

Bernie Bros are a real thing, guys. If you havent read the articles, get with it. There was this one person on Twitter who said something nice about Hillary, and then someone running a fake GOP House of Representatives account said something sexist in response, and it spawned a chain of self-referential articles proving beyond a doubt that everyone who supports Sanders is a rampaging misogynist, including the vast majority of young women who choose him over Hillary. (All of whom, by the way, joined the Sanders camp because they want to hang out with boys, and are bound for a special place in hell when they die. Thanks, Gloria and Madeleine!)

Also, some of the people who received negative comments from anonymous Twitter accounts were not white, so his supporters are also racist.

One last important point: When his male supporters try to engage in political discussion with the goal of persuading others, its aggressive mansplaining. And when his female supporters do it, its aggressive womansplaining, or whitesplaining, or something. Basically, it all falls under the umbrella of explaining, which is outrageously offensive to anyone exercising his or her god-given right to live in ignorance.

There was that month-long period in his campaign when he said that shouting about gun issues wouldnt lead to actual progress, and then he said it in the debate, and Hillary and her supporters correctly surmised that hes a sexist who thinks women shouldnt be allowed to speak at high volumes. Also per Hillary: He doesnt unilaterally support Barack Obama on every single policy like shes decided to do in the last month, so hes a racist.

I was infuriated at Saturday Night Lives Colin Jost, who had the audacity to joke about Clintons so-called scandals in a Weekend Update segment. You can watch at the 1:26 mark in the video below:

There are explanations for all of these, guys. All of them. That goes for all future scandals, too. And while I dont have time to prove that these are all just a series of hilarious misunderstandings, and not indicative of a larger pattern of corruption and dishonesty, Id ask you just to trust me that the Republicans will have enough class and restraint to let them all slide in the general election. Those guys wouldnt stoop.

Ezra Klein at Vox nailed this one: How can you trust a guy who has overcome a 60-point national deficit despite labeling himself a democratic-socialista term that carries a slightly lower favorability rating than repeat sex offender in American culturewhile avoiding the stupid mistakes of his predecessors, raising unbelievable amounts of money, and finding himself on the verge of the biggest upset in American political history? How can you trust a guy like that to run a country?

No thanks. Give me the candidate who cant even set up an email server without triggering an FBI investigation.

Hillary has really backed him into a corner with this point. Hey Bernie, why dont you try broadening your horizons? Seriously, the only thing this guy cares about is the stupid economy, and how it affects manufacturing, crime, drugs, health care, agriculture, climate change, trade, youth unemployment, immigration, energy, real estate, banking, civil rights, race relations, poverty, education, criminal justice, financial and corporate regulation, voting rights, equal pay for women, national infrastructure, social security, veterans rights, and, sure, foreign policy too.

Sorry Bernie fans, but your guy is a simplistic dipshit.

Just ask the left-leaning economists the New York Times dredged up in its righteous, ongoing anti-Sanders crusade (while ignoring an overwhelming tide of contrary views and sparing Clinton the same rigorous examination). The fact is, without absolute proof that Sanders policies can workAND I DONT JUST MEAN ALL THE SUCCESSFUL MODELS YOU BROUGHT UP BEFORE, INCLUDING THE AMERICAN ONEwe cant know for sure that theyll work, and if we dont know for sure, the only smart move is to continue slogging ahead on our slow middle class death march.

Please read this incredible insight from Dana Milbank at the Washington Post, who points out that Bernie Sanders hasnt raised any money for the Democratic Party, which might hurt progressives in smaller races. This would be a serious tragedy when you consider how successful the party has been since 2008 under DNC chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. To date, theyve only lost 69 House seats, 13 Senate seats, 910 state legislative seats, 30 state legislative chambers and 11 governorships. I mean, why stop throwing money into their coffers now??!? Clearly, the DNC and the party elite have the pulse of the people, and theres no need for an immediate overhaul of a fundamentally failed system. You dont change your horse midstream, especially when that horse is stubbornly intent on drowning itself.

I could go on, but hopefully you get the point. This is serious, and the very future of our country is at stake. Idealism is great, and on some level its adorable that youre fighting for something more than the grim political realities that have choked the color out of America. But its time to get real. Its time to understand where you live.

Its time to give up.

Its time to give up. Its time to give up. Its time to give up.

Repeat it 100 times. Find the rhythm in your heart. Thats the sound of our slow procession to national collapse, and the end of a great experiment. Join us, idiots. Join us and perish.
Theres silence on the line. But it isnt Jannis Noya Makrigiannis fault by any means. The Choir of Young Believers frontman is nothing if not amiable, discussing radio performances and the exhausting fun of SXSW in great detail. But the conversation has turned to Grasque, his bands third album, and things have gone uncharacteristically quietsave for the low hiss of an occasionally questionable Skype connection.

After a few tries, he rallies and jumpstarts the topic by admitting that if he had go with first impulse, there never would have been a third album. At least, under the Choir of Young Believers name.

I just think that it doesnt matter if its your personal life or your creative life, routines get really boring after a while, Makrigiannis says. I remember early on, I wanted Choir to inhabit all of these thingsI think it was because maybe I didnt, sometimes you forget that this band, I can have all these ideas in my head. But people only know the things that you release. I think I felt after Rhine Gold that I needed to point in a different direction. I felt like the two [previous] records were point in certain directions. I needed to broaden the specter of where the band could work.

Makrigiannis decision to nudge Choir of Young Believers toward a different sonic palette was solidified when he was invited on tour with Depeche Mode. (He notes that while having an appreciation for the band, he lived out teenage levels of super fandom through his friends, who visited him on tour for a chance to gawk at the iconic group.) Uninterested in simply rehashing previous ideas, the Danish musician enlisted producer Aske Zidore (who he had previously worked with on Rhine Gold) and entered the studio to generate new material.

But finding their footing wasnt easy. Its difficult to tell if Makrigiannis is being charitable when setting the scene, but he describes his previous behavior in the studio as protective of song ideas, and not always responding well to notes from his collaborators. The pair cooked up an elegant solution to help him ease up on his desire for ownership.

To avoid these conflicts, we decided to map out the sonic landscape of the record by improvising, Makrigiannis confesses. The first mini sessions in his studio in Copenhagen were pure improvisation. Also we went to Sweden for a week and just recorded hours and hours and hours of music. It was all improvising. That kind of made the fundament in production. We found our common ground and the universe we wanted to take the songs into.

Grasque still embodies all the adjectives that could easily be applied to previous Choir of Young Believer releases. (See: Yearning. Autumnal. Emotive.) Still swinging at musical fences, Makrigiannis has lifted his work out of the orchestral pop realm (bye bye guitars and orchestral refrains, hello synths) dipping into electro, soul and hip-hop beats in equal parts. Lead single Face Melting even incorporates a dusting of Auto-Tune. (Because why not?) To hear Makrigiannis tell it, the single, a melancholic meditation on the idea of shape-shifting, became a personal anthem of sorts.

I had some kind of identity crisis. I turned 30, he confesses. Just around my 30th birthday, I broke up with this girl that I had been together with for five years. That kind of really changed a lot of things in my head. For a moment I thought this relationship is gone, my 20s are gone. Maybe the best thing is to start a new band. One of the reasons why I kept on with Choir of Young Believers, even though routines get boring after a while, I think music is everything. Its a big part of my identity. Ive been playing music all my grown-up life, since I was 12, 13 years old. Its been the most important thing in my life. Its been the red thread in my life. Since I was 23, Choir of Young Believers has been that red thread. Id really like that red thread to continue even though the music changed and I changed. I would like a continuation.

The change has worked. Makrigiannis says these days the horizon is broader. The musical what ifs are no longer a source of claustrophobia, but rather curiosity. Even if hes not sure when hell get around to satisfying them all.

It really feels great to have opened up the ideaI really have no idea where the band is going now and where the next material will be, he says. But I feel very open to a lot of different new stuff, which is definitely a thing we started out with the making of this record. This is the new fundament of many places I can take this band. It feels very exciting. I dont believe that Ive felt like Ive been in this position with this band before. Having some history to the band also helps me; in many ways I was very insecure on the first two albums. Maybe also not pointing in too many directions with the music was out of fear. I definitely feel very fearless at the moment. Thats a nice feeling. But at the same time I also know I have this idea that this album might disappoint some people.

He pauses, laughing ruefully.

It might even piss some people off. But maybe well win some new people over too.
Thirsty? Youre in luck. In Pastes drinking-and-traveling series, City in a Glass, we mix up a citys signature swills and slide them down the bar to readers. Grab a stool. This round, in Atlanta, Georgia, is on us.

is not only the most traveled-through city in the South, it is also home to the busiest airport on earth. Here, local culture and global ideas mesh on every level, most visibly in the citys intertwined restaurant and bar scenes. Because the state of Georgia requires all bars to operate functioning kitchens, Atlantas cocktail style cant help but be influenced by its culinary style, says Paul Calvert, co-owner of the Ticonderoga Club. We have more interaction and collaboration between chefs and bartenders and pay a greater deal of attention to food and drink pairings [than other cities], Calvert says. At Seven Lamps restaurant, for example, beverage director Madison Burch always tries to match whats coming out of the kitchen with whats coming from the bar. Sometimes its just a basic flavor profile that fits, she says. One cocktail could work with six different things on the menu.

But bartenders are drawing inspiration from outside their establishments as well. Cole Younger Just, beverage director of the Last Word, says many bartenders are taking cues from the past. We are seeing more and more upperclassmen so to speak, Just says, who are moving further away from the use of a 1,000 unknown ingredients like rattlesnake testicles and tormented oak leaves in a drink. We are returning to a simpler style where the classic on which the drink is based is the star. A style that also lets Southern hospitality shine. Of course, I also believe that Atlantas cocktail culture is defined by a larger commitment to service that has always been a part of eating and drinking in the South, Ticonderoga Clubs Calvert says. In Atlanta, no drink is more important than the person requesting it. On this city drinks tour, were going to introduce youthe most important person in the roomto three Atlanta-only cocktails, show you where to find them and even how to replicate them at home.



Where to order: Seven Lamps

New Orleans-style coffee is known for being a combination of coffee beans and chicory root. This woody plant is roasted, ground up and used as a coffee additive or substitute all over the world (even though chicory does not contain caffeine); New Orleanians adopted the practice when their coffee supply ran low during the Civil War and have been using chicory to flavor their coffee ever since. At Seven Lamps restaurant in Atlantas Buckhead neighborhood, you can sip your chicory from a cocktail coupe. Here, beverage director Madison Burch combines Mississippi-made chicory liqueur with Tennessee-made whiskey, Applejack and potent ginger juice for a sweet and smoky drink she calls the Highwayman (pictured at top). The chicory liqueur and the whiskey are aged in used bourbon barrelscharred American white oak, Burch says. So there are a couple of different woods playing around in there. The tannin from the woods gives it a lot of complexity. The drink also contains Tuaca, an Italian liqueur thats made in Kentucky, which gives the drink some warm orange and vanilla notes.

Highwayman

1 oz. Chattanooga Whiskey 1816 Reserve

 oz. Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur

 oz. Tuaca

 oz. Lairds Applejack

1 barspoon of ginger juice

Mist of absinthe

Combine all ingredients except absinthe in a mixing glass with ice. Stir. Strain into a coupe. Mist top of drink with a spray of absinthe. Optional: Garnish the glass with a slice of ginger root.



Where to order: Ticonderoga Club



Photo courtesy of Bart Sasso

Southern-themed bars are popping up all over the country, but in Krog Street Market, theres a curious new bar thats reminiscent of the northeast. Ticonderoga Clubnamed after Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New Yorkwas founded by five men, four of whom grew up in Yankee territory. Ticonderoga is a Mohawk word for the place where two rivers meet, but for us the name is more associative; it reminds us of the pubs, taverns, locals and townie bars that dot the landscape in the places where we were raised, co-owner Paul Calvert says. We felt that while the word Ticonderoga would be somewhat familiar to our guestssuggestive of colonial American drinkingit is also obscure enough to let us get away with our own brand of madness when it comes to food, drinks and design.

One of the bars maddest drinks is the Thread and Theory, a rum-based cocktail that includes apple cider vinegar and sorghum syrup. The Ticonderoga team created the cocktail in partnership with the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to celebrate the American flags 250th birthday. We wanted the drink to represent a sort of historically relevant take on an old fashioned style of drink, co-owner Greg Best says. The taste is reminiscent of a colonial punch: a touch sour and a touch sweet, with a great complexity of cooked cane and spice.

Thread and Theory

2 oz. Rhode Island-style rum

 oz. Gran Classico bitter

 oz. unfiltered apple cider vinegar (such as Braggs)

 oz. sorghum syrup (such as Muddy Pond) (diluted; 3 parts sorghum syrup to 1 part hot water)

2 dashes Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Own Decanter Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until cold and slightly diluted. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.



Where to order: Last Word



Photo courtesy of Cole Younger Just

Scuppernongs are a variety of grape indigenous to the Southern U.S. They are a type of muscadine, namely the bronze- or greenish-colored ones, and are cultivated from the end of summer to mid-fall. One day last September, the staff forager at Last Word restaurant in Atlantas Old Fourth Ward brought in a whole bunch of Scuppernongs for the bar team to play with. Scuppernongs have a fantastic flavor that is interesting to capture in a cocktail, beverage director Cole Younger Just says. They really taste like sunshine and nectar. Theyre just delicious.

He turned the bounty into a variation on the pisco sour, a classic Peruvian cocktail made with piscoa type of South American brandylemon juice, simple sugar and egg white. This was our first egg white cocktail at Last Word and we wanted to showcase a little technique, Just says. So he infused some bottles of Macchu Pisco (a Peruvian distillery owned and operated solely by women) with the Scuppernongs using a vacuum-sealer. He then clarified the spirit using a centrifuge. Not everyone has those gadgets in the kitchen, but the infused pisco will practically last indefinitely without degradation of the flavor.

Scuppernong Sour

2 oz. Scuppernong-infused pisco (recipe below)

 oz. fresh lime juice

 oz. simple syrup (1 part sugar to 1 part water)

1 egg white

Amargo Chuncho bitters, for garnish

Make Scuppernong-infused pisco: Halve and remove the seeds from 1 lb. Scuppernongs. Place cleaned grapes into a vacuum-sealable bag with a 750-mL bottle of un-aged pisco. Vacuum-seal the bag. Let sit for one week. Open bag and strain out Scuppernongs through a chinois or sieve. Toss grapes. To further clarify the pisco, run it through a centrifuge or filter it through four layers of cheesecloth and then once through a large coffee filter. Store in a sealed container.

Make Scuppernong Sour: Combine all ingredients except bitters in a shaker tin with ice. Hard shake for 45 seconds. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a few dashes of bitters.

City in a Glass columnist Alyson Sheppard writes about travel, restaurants and bars for Playboy.com. She spent many years drinking in New York before resettling in the great state of Texas.
More than 9,000 votes were cast, and the results of CraftBeer.coms Great American Beer Bars poll are in. The website has come up with a list composed of the best craft beer bar in each state, plus Washington, D.C. Close to home for us was the inclusion of Decatur, Ga.s own Brick Store Pub, a favorite of our news editor and resident would-be cicerone Jim Vorel (and our entire Decatur office, really). Now you have an excuse to come visit.

Check out the full list below. You can find more information on each bar at CraftBeers website.
In Portland, Oregon, a local Girl Scout decided that the best way to raise money for horse camp was to target high customers by selling cookies in front of a marijuana dispensary.

The girl who was being supervised by her aunt set up a table in front of Foster Buds Marijuana Dispensary with a sign that read Satisfy your munchies. Within moments of arranging the table, they received a line of customers. Unsurprisingly they exceeded their goal for the day.

The aunt told KATU News, The Girl Scouts organization said they dont condone this, but its not against the rules. A spokesperson for Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington told KATU that they recommend that if a minor cannot enter a premises unaccompanied, she should not sell Girl Scout Cookies in front of the premises.

Fortunately for the girls, their aunt has taught them a valuable lesson in capitalism and the importance of a businesss location. Look at how legal marijuana is benefiting local communities!
Although most people are quick to recognize Leonardo DiCaprio for his acting skill and talent, many are not aware of his massive involvement in environmentalism. Most recently, he quietly donated $1 million to the Elephant Crisis Fund (ECF). The ECF informed NewLinQ that the funds will be used for anti-poaching and anti-trafficking efforts.

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) currently lists elephants as endangered. They are victims of poaching because their ivory tusks are considered highly valuable in the Asian market.

DiCaprio created the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998. According to the organizations website its mission is protecting the Earths last wild places and fostering a harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world. It fulfills its mission by providing grants to conservation projects.

In 2015, DiCaprio also donated $3 million to the WWF tiger conservation program in Nepal. Another reason why he is one of the greatest actors of this generation.
Pastes monthly blind style tasting for February has been American pale ale, and in honor of the 83 pale ales we were able to gather, blind taste and rank, were launching a new monthly series dedicated to the idea of beer styles themselves. In this series, Ill go trawling through the historical record to talk about the origins of popular beer styles both young and old, and then discuss that styles current role in the American craft beer community, as I see it. First up: the noble style of pale ale, which has been among the worlds most popular and consumed craft beer styles for more than 300 years.

The creation of pale ale as a style is closely tied to the history of technological development in professional brewing in England. In short, it was impossible for someone to brew what we would think of as pale ale before roughly 1642, due to the way barley was malted.

1642 is the first recorded use of coke as a fuel for kilning malt, and the beginning of what is now referred to as modern base malts. Coke, a fossil fuel derived from coal, burns hot but with far less smoke and soot than the wood or peat previously used to heat barley for kilning. Using coke, maltsters could create new varieties of malted barley that were lighter in color and softer in flavor. Before this point, use of darker roasted malts imparted darker colors and more pronounced roast flavors in essentially all British beer. These beers would be rather odd by todays standards, presumably with a profile somewhere between brown ale and rauchbier (because of the smoke).

This change, and the availability of lighter malts, is very significant to beer as a whole, even to dark beer styles as well. It was the first step toward modern grain billswhich is to say, beers made with a great majority of pale malt, and then smaller portions of specialty malts that are dialed in to achieve specific colors and malt profiles. Before this point, beers were likely to be made with a single malt variety. These standardized, lighter base malts eventually became the starting point of essentially all beer styles. Even in the grain bill for say, a stout, the majority is pale malt of some sort, with a smaller portion of intensely roasted malt (such as black patent malt or roasted barley) that gives the beer its dark color and roasted flavors. Its a matter of economics as well, as pale malts are more efficient and yield the greatest amount of fermentable sugars per ounce.

These earliest pale ales likely bore little resemblance to the style we know today, though, particularly when it comes to hop rates. Still, they grew slowly hoppier and more bitter over time, as the British palate grew more accustomed to hop flavors and British farmers began cultivating their own hop harvests by the mid 1600s. By 1703, the term pale ale had appeared for the first time, and in 1710 the English parliament banned the use of non-hop bittering agents in beer. The era of the hop had officially arrived.

Still, it is a style where there is much historical argument and confusion. Here, I defer to beer historian Martyn Cornell, whose work in digging through old brewing journals and advertisements has revealed much about the history of British beer styles. I find his argument on pale ale vs. bitter particularly interesting, as he contends that the two styles were historically one and the same, only dividing into identifiably different styles in the modern craft beer era. Or in more detail:

Regardless, pale ale has remained popular in Britain ever since, varying in strength and flavor profiles over time, often driven by scarcity and shortages such as the world wars. It was imported to every end of the British empire, including the U.S.A., which is where we head next.

For decades, pale ale was truly the backbone of the entire American craft beer industry. Like so many non-lager styles, it came to the country with British colonists, became popular, and then faded away into near-nothingness in the post-Prohibition era. But it was the style that began the revolution that has continued to gain strength in the last 35 years.

One might point to Anchors Liberty Ale, first brewed in 1975, as the first truly American pale ale, although it straddles a gap between APA and IPA. Indisputably the most important is of course Sierra Nevada Pale ale, which singlehandedly established most of the tropes of this genre, including the use of the first iconic American hop variety, Cascade. In the post-SNPA era, an American pale ale became defined as separate from English varieties: Typically lighter in malt presence, with less of that toffee-like maltiness and a greater focus on American hops and correspondingly higher bitterness. They became hop-driven beers that still prized drinkability and versatility in all situations, often featuring American hop varieties with citrusy or piney qualities in particular. For decades, that was the default definition of American pale ale, and hundreds of breweries created their own spin-offs of the SNPA formula.

The modern American pale ale, though, has changed. As in the category of American IPA, the definitions have broadened, and the flavors have become much more adventurous and varied, driven by the development of new aroma/flavor hop varieties throughout the 2000s and beyond. If youve been drinking beer through this period, youve seen numerous hop varietals come into vogue, one right after the other. Centennial. Amarillo. Simcoe. Citra. Galaxy. Mosaic. And so on. Theyve all helped broaden pale ales palette of flavors, resulting in modern examples that could be intensely tropical, herbal, resinous or even malt-driven. Just because you see pale ale on a label, you know longer know exactly what one will taste like.

Despite that evolution, though, and despite its historic importance, American pale ale has become something of an afterthought to American craft beer, at least in comparison with its previous prominence. After leading the way for so long, pale ale was finally passed in sales by IPA in 2011, and the gap has only increased since then. Its a reflection of changing tastes in modern craft beer; less of a desire for balanced hoppy beer and more interest in over-the-top hoppy flavor, especially in a hop-bursted age where extreme bitterness has given way to huge late additions of hops. Theres a sort of tacit understanding when it comes to pale aleItll always be there if I want it, but I need to try this new IPA/DIPA first.

This line of thinking was also presumably the one that gave birth to session IPA as a style, which has significantly eaten into the market share that once belonged to pale ale, as breweries realize that anything with IPA on the label will sell. If you need proof of that, look no further than the 2015 Great American Beer Fest, where the number of session IPAs in the competition surpassed the number of American pale ales in the very first year of session IPA being eligible. It all adds up to an American craft beer landscape where pale ale has receded in importance and volume, while still being a fondly regarded style. You can call it unfortunate, or you can call it simply part of the evolution of the beer landscape.

Still, its not like American pale ale is about to disappear, even if its no longer the poster child of the craft brewing movement. As long as there are corner brewpubs, pale ale will always have its placea hop-lovers ale, but also one of moderation and subtleties.

Fullers London Pride: In terms of immediately accessible examples of English-style pale ale, youre going to have a hard time beating Fullers. A pint of cellar-temperature Fullers, manufactured since the 1950s, will give you a good idea of how classic English pales differ from their American cousins. On the nose, you get a bit of estery fruitiness from the more expressive British ale yeast, and a pronounced, sweet, biscuity maltiness. On the palate, toasted malt and toffee interplays with herbal, floral and spicy English hops, all in a delicate balance. This is a beer meant to be enjoyed in quantity, but one that continues to reveal new little subtleties each and every time you return to the pub for another pint.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: You know it; you may love it; you probably at least have fond memories of it. Sierra Nevada Pale ale is the indispensable, iconic American pale ale, and until youve had one, then you can hardly say you understand what American pale ale is all about. I cant think of a single other beer that looms so largely and prominently in the history of its own style as SNPA does in pale ale. Its the beer that made, floral, grapefruity Cascade hops famous, which inadvertently makes it a beer that helped drive the growth of the American hop industry itself. It was the first hoppy beer encountered by an entire generation of early craft beer adopters, many of whom turned to homebrewing as they created SNPA clones of their own at home. And it still holds up as a solid American pale ale today. Will it set the world on fire for a palate that has become accustomed to modern beer flavors? Probably not. But people arent only drinking it in 2016 out of nostalgia.

Boneyard Beer Co. Bone-A-Fide Pale Ale: Ive given you classic English pale ale and classic American pale alenow lets talk modern American pale ale. This beautiful beer from Boneyard, winner of our recent blind tasting of 83 pale ales, is a great expression of where this style has gone in the 36 years since the advent of Sierra Nevada. Featuring massive tropical fruit, citrus and floral aromatics and flavors, it sets the senses ablaze while also still reminding you that pale ale is meant to be a refreshing, quaffable beer style. It simultaneously ups the volume of flavor that one expects from the style and presents those flavors in such a structured, professional way that they never seem random or wanton. It carries on the traditions of pale ale drinkability while forging ahead in terms of what kind of flavors a pale ale is allowed to present.

There you have itpale ale, in all its classical glory. Well continue doing this feature once a month, giving you an in-depth historical and modern primer on what beer styles have been, and what they will continue to be in our ever-evolving craft beer community.

Jim Vorel is Pastes news editor. Hes looking forward to writing these entries about modern styles such as black IPA. You can follow him on Twitter.
Sometimes, when everyone is talking about a particular issue, it takes a few key voices to point out that the conversation itself is not enoughthat it is, in fact, a symptom or a reflection of the very problem it seeks to resolve. Talking about women directors and how we desperately need more of them can be as useless as talking about how desperately we need more black actors to get Oscar-worthy roles. Discourse, as Foucault taught us long ago, is far more complicated than buzz, or, in this case, the repetition of the word diversity. And Lexi Alexander is one of few women directors making a similar argument. Tonight, Alexanders highly-anticipated episode of Supergirl (Truth, Justice and the American Way) airs on CBS, and Paste caught up with the Palestinian and German filmmaker to talk about her work on the show, choreographing fight scenes for women and the truth about the long-term effects of sexism in Hollywoodparticularly among women.

Paste Magazine: A couple of years ago I got to interview actor and stunt double Zoe Bell and I was just so fascinated with the kind of work people do when they are so in tuned with their bodies and their own physicality. How does your life as a fighter inform your style or your experiences as a director?

Lexi Alexander: I love Zoe! Shes my friend. And this is an excellent and interesting question. First of all, this episode of Supergirl happens to be my first time directing actions scenes with a female lead. It hadnt even occurred to me that I had created all of these fight sceneschoreographed them, or directed them, or bothand they were all for dudes! And a womans fight is often really badly choreographed. Like, shell punch a guy whos 220 pounds and her wrist will be bent down, and Ill think, Well, if shed really punched him like that, she would have broken her hand. So theres a lot of laziness in some of this choreography. Perhaps the people around dont really care about how the woman looks, or maybe in their minds, this is how a woman looks in a fight. I get frustrated.

I often think about it, and I probably wouldnt be directing if I wasnt a fighter. At some point I was on an all-male team in Europe, and I think it taught me to deal with the boys club. Im not someone who throws the towel in, although I think there are many times when I could have and should have thrown the towel in, and nobody would have thought any worse of me.

Paste: I was re-reading your blog about fake activism in Hollywood, and I so loved your metaphor of the wildcard fighting system. In the time since you wrote that, do you find that people in the industry are being more honest about the realities for women directors?

Alexander: People are trying a little bit morethe smart ones. You have to be an idiot at this point to think that there isnt a problem. The EEOC [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] has begun an official government investigation. So people know its there. But my fear is that were fixing it in a very shallow manner. Were not fixing the fires that manifest. We have to go much deeper into why this is even happening for us to really heal and fix this, and not just put a band-aid on it.

Paste: Your Supergirl episode is coming up. Can you talk a little about working on the show? How was this different from your past TV directing experiences?

Alexander: Whats really amazing is that the showrunner who really got me my start in TV is Andrew Kreisberg. He brought me on to Arrow and he tracked me down because he was a fan of Punisher. And [co-showrunner] Greg Berlanti kind of gave orders that they would not be the kind of company that has no women directors.

When I started on Supergirl, the massive difference was that Andrew had made such a big deal vocally about how big of a fan he is, and how much he trusts me. So he would come on set on the day of a fight sequenceand he did that purposelyand hed say it in a funny way, but hed say, Make sure she gets everything she wants, because thats why I hired her. But he said it like, If youre fucking with her, youre fucking with me. (laughs) So he set the tone that I was someone he believed in. And its like, my God, if were talking about the difference between a diversity hire and inclusionId tweeted this thing a while ago where I said that diversity is hiring people from different backgrounds, but inclusion means that youre creating an environment where they can succeed. And I had that environment. I wasnt a diversity hire, I was like a star hire! And it made me a million times better. Thats why I think I did my best work on the show. Because, when you dont have to prove anything, it makes things so much easier.

Paste: Im getting ready to head out to LA and meet Jill Soloway for the first time, on the set of Transparent. Are you feeling a shift in energy among the women in Hollywood, even if their male counterparts are still hesitant about speaking up, and even ifas you saidtheres a problematic band-aid approach at work sometimes?

Alexander: Unfortunately, I dont. Whenever theres oppression and you have a group thats being locked out, its almost [human] nature that people turn into vultures, because its also about survival. My friend Maria Giesethe ACLU thingshe was the one to really shepherd that project. She went and knocked on doors, and begged to get people involved, almost all by herself. And shes now a total outsider, a kind of persona non grata. Shes gotten a little bit of attention, but people look at her like shes a little bit nutseven while theyre holding lunches to honor the ACLU. There was a brunch the other day to honor the ACLUs involvement, but Maria wasnt invited. Now that there is a government investigation you see more women talking about it, but before we were all looked at as if we were nuts. And that hasnt been healed. Theres always rumors about each other, but I think a lot of that is a result of people being oppressed and being discriminated against. But it would be nice to start that healing process as well, because, potentially, were just doing what men have done to us.

Of course, for example, Jill Soloway is someone who hires a lot of women. Whenever I go on a job interview, I always recommend Rachel Talalay. I love her. So its not like we all dont like each other. I guess theres this sense that we havent overcome this feeling of being pitted against each other. Were still in that mind space, where, if I recommend another woman, they might not hire me because theyll only have a couple of women. Im now making a conscious effort to get beyond that.

Paste: Thats not an easy mindset to push beyond.

Alexander: Its super difficult! Especially when many of us were broke in directors chairs! We werent rich women sitting in our pool houses. People assume that because were talking Hollywood its so different, but many of us couldnt pay rent, ran out of unemployment and struggled very deeply.

Paste: Yes, we assume that talking about inclusion in Hollywood is a First World problems kind of thing. Whats next for you? Are there any other projects we should know about?

Alexander: I just arrived here in New York to direct Limitless, which Im very excited about because it has no fight scenes (laughs). Which means people are just hiring me now as a great director.

Paste: Im looking forward to seeing more of your work everywhere. Thanks so much for this!

Alexander: Thank you.



Shannon M. Houston is Assistant TV Editor & a film critic at Paste, and a writer for Salon and Heart&Soul. This New York-based freelancer probably has more babies than you, but thats okay; you can still be friends. She welcomes almost all follows on Twitter.
With Triple 9, Oz auteur John Hillcoat for better and for worse gets the closest hes come to finding his true voice since he left the Outback for Hollywood a decade ago. His latest, a cops n robbers thriller thats inescapably indebted to the genre, is harsh, violent and at times repugnantly amoral. Like all of Hillcoats pictures from this century, Triple 9 is a gore-saturated variation on the western, but away from 19th-century Australia, Prohibition-era Virginia or post-apocalyptic America, Triple 9 feels more gruesome than Hillcoats other recent works partly due to the fact its set so close to home, in modern-day big city USA.

A particularly claustrophobic and insular Atlanta, Georgia accommodates Hillcoats battered lawmen and crim oddballs this time around. Innocent legs are blown apart by explosives and passers-by are shot in the street in this warzone, across which cop Chris Allen (Casey Affleck) pursues a gang of super-skilled bank robbers, unaware his new partner Marcus (Anthony Mackie) is also one of them. When the gang, fronted by Chiwetel Ejiofors Michael Belmont, need a 999code for officer down, which draws all available police to the sceneto provide a distraction from their latest heist, it falls to Marcus to do the job on Chris.

After his oddly sanitized adaptation of The Road and the intermittently punchy Lawless, Triple 9 seethes with an intense cruelty unseen in any Hillcoat movie since The Proposition. Theres a casual brutality to each character in his sweaty Atlanta, up to and including Casey Afflecks One Good Cop, who gets the heros job done with swaggering, sociopathic detachment. Everyone else is plain dirty or a crook: the unfeeling bank-robbing crew of police and ex-military (Aaron Paul, Clifton Collins Jr. and Norman Reedus, joining Ejiofor and Mackie), the Russian-Israeli crime boss theyre beholden to (Kate Winslet), and Woody Harrelsons coke-snorting detective uncle to Afflecks Chris.

How much you can tolerate Triple 9 depends on how well you can stomach spending two hours with such unsavory characters. Theyre the reason Triple 9 will prove so off-putting to some, and why the film is perhaps more uncompromising than anything else Hillcoats done. Theres none of the underlying humanism of The Road, nor the poetry of The Proposition, nor the ultimate moral certainty of Lawless. Triple 9 instead luxuriates in its characters nihilism, Hillcoat taking a nonjudgmental spectator role as bodies begin to mount and betrayals pile upon betrayals.

Happily the absence of Hillcoats usual musical collaborator and/or scribe Nick Cave (Triple 9 is the first of Hillcoats six movies not to feature Cave in some capacity) isnt too keenly felt, thanks to a tough noir screenplay by Matt Cook and an electronic score buzzing with dread, courtesy of an Atticus Ross-led compositional foursome. The sun-fried photography by Nicolas Karakatsanis, a Michael R. Roskam and Matthias Schoenaerts regular, similarly adds to the queasy hardboiled atmosphere. Karakatsanis images are flecked with neonthe sickly pink of exploding anti-theft dye, the canary yellow of the paint tossed on cops when theyre trapped in a bad neighborhoodlike graffiti splashed on the screen.

The strange, bright scuzziness of the overall style elevates Triple 9s more familiar elements, such as the Heat-like heists and the tense cop vs. crook stand-offs. Triple 9 is Hillcoats most conventional film plot-wise, but as ever the filmmaker fixates on the details that add color to his world: thick-thighed prostitutes airing their wares in baking broad daylight, Russian mobsters collecting the teeth of their (still-living) victims in plastic bags, decapitated gangbanger heads placed neatly on a car bonnet as a warning to rivals.

Hillcoat is an enthusiastic world-builder, less concerned with upgrading his characters from types into fleshed-out human beings. (His characters often seem like mythic figures thatd be more at home in folk ballads than in feature films.) Hillcoat and Cook evidently arent interested in giving their characters arcs or indeed much personality, though the impressive cast injects character where it can. Affleck in particular continues to prove himself as maybe Hollywoods best offbeat leading man, with his high voice, peculiar boyish features and unshowy style. Few actors can suggest so much with such quiet precision, and even here Affleck is compulsively watchable despite his undercooked character.

Chris isnt the only one who Hillcoat doesnt develop through the film. Nobody really learns anything across the course of Triple 9; no one finds redemption or gets what they want. It adds to the fatalistic tone. Triple 9 could in fact be the least forgiving Hillcoat has ever been on humanity, depicting the worldor at least Atlanta, Georgiaas a hot cesspit of corruption and greed. Before now Hillcoat at least always offered the faintest flicker of light. With Triple 9, he cheerfully extinguishes it.

Director: John Hillcoat

Writer: Matt Cook

Starring: Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aaron Paul, Clifton Collins Jr., Norman Reedus, Kate Winslet, Woody Harrelson

Release Date: February 26, 2016
The party is over for smartphone growth states a new report by Kantar. According to Carolina Milanesi, Chief of Research, "The smartphone market will never again see the growth of the past ten years. But, the opportunities to monetize from what has already been built are there, for those with the vision to find and seize them."

According to Kantar's latest report, mobile penetration in the US and Europe's Big Five Countries (The EU5 - France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom) have reached 91%, and in urban China, that number has risen to 97%. Nearly everyone now has a mobile phone, and if those numbers are not staggering enough  65% of Americans, 74% of Europeans, and 72% of urban Chinese consumers own a smartphone.

Milanesi added that "With this kind of market penetration already in place, some in the industry are wondering where future sales will come from. As is often the case, the answer depends on how you look at it." In a long winded way of saying it, Milanesi believes growth will come from switchers and new features/innovation.

During Apple's last financial conference call Apple's CEO stated that they "saw a greater number of switchers from Android to iPhone than ever in Q1." It's been an ongoing theme during Apple's financial conference call.

As far as innovation for smartphones goes in 2016, Samsung is hanging their hopes on their VR headset and relationship with Facebook and Oculus to start winning back Android fans who have been switching away to Apple and other Android brands.

With the launch of its new Galaxy S7, Samsung is looking for ways to differentiate its handsets from other Android makers and bring a new user experience to market in competition with its key rivals.

The Korean press noted this morning that "Ko Dong-jin, president of Samsung's mobile division, said early Tuesday that the company has shifted its focus toward the main smartphone features customers are most concerned with  camera function, viewing quality, battery life and virtual reality (VR).

The report further noted that "Ko said Samsung has found VR technology is the 'right thing' that consumers want, providing new experiences in the mobile space. Samsung Gear VR is the best device that can bring high value to consumers. With VR addition, you will enjoy experiences that you couldn't imagine before."

While that's typical Samsung hype during a new product event, they know that they have to push VR hard now to get ahead of Apple's potential entry into this space in the next few years. At the launch of the Galaxy S7 on Sunday, Samsung made the offer that all those pre-ordering their new Galaxy S7 smartphones would receive a free Gear VR headset. That's so desperate, where do you even begin.

Yet with Samsung having had a two year leap on Apple with a smartwatch, they had to recently watch the competing Apple Watch sales explode to the upside leaving their branded product in the dust. They don't want this happening again with the emerging VR headset market.

As for what Apple is planning for their new 2016 iPhone 7, we're still in the dark as far as knowing about any major new feature on the way  though it does appear that a dual-camera is destined for the iPhone 7, a trend that's been in the works for some time now that could be exciting if Apple delivers the right app or software to make it fun for consumers and yet viable for business.

To get an idea of what a dual camera could bring to the table later this year, C/Net has just published a new video on the subject as noted below highlighting dual cameras with an optical zoom feature.

In January we posted a patent report titled "Apple invents a new Dual Camera Zoom Lens System for Future iDevices & beyond." Although it's a long shot, Apple could very well have this feature ready for the iPhone 7 if we're lucky.

In the end, smartphone growth is slowing according to Kantar and that could spell trouble. Yet for Apple, there's likely a lot more growth to squeeze out of China, where their middle class is still exploding to the upside and while that market is still shifting from 3G to 4G smartphones.

Secondly, there's India that will be a major world player in the coming decade. That's a market that Apple hasn't really even scratched the surface of to date; a market that will only see their first Apple Stores later this year if they get their application in order quick enough.

So in general I disagree with Kantar's assessment that the smartphone growth party is over and yet I hope that their view that advanced features and innovation will be the key to smartphone growth in the future. This of course is where Apple shines and hopefully with the need to grow market share and profits for their shareholders, more of Apple's patent pending ideas will move from the paper column over to the market place at an accelerated pace. I think we'd all like to see that happen. So is the market glass half empty or half full for Apple? As always, it's all a matter of how you look at the future and the possibilities that lie ahead for them. I see it looking very bright.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend.
This month I am returning to a classic in Western Buddhism: Insight Meditation, with Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein. Ill promise to share more gems from the text as I pass by them, but this one stood out for its resonance with my recent Valentines Day post, as well as an older one featuring Portlandias episode Meditation Crush (see below).

In a section subtitled DESIRE, Joseph Goldstein recounts:

A very common phenomenon, especially on retreats, is the vipassana romance. We may have anywhere from 50 to 150 people practicing in silence; not speaking to one another; supposedly not looking around. Yet it doesnt take long before somehow, youve managed to scope out the entire room and nd that one person to whom you feel this amazing attraction.You may never have spoken to them; you may know nothing about them. And yet the mind starts building this fantasy of meeting them; getting together after the retreat; going off someplace together; getting married; having kids  a whole fantasy arises through the power of desire in the mind. These internal dramas can be very enjoyable.

You might recall a 2012 post here featuring Portlandia that perfectly illustrated this:

(if this doesnt work, click here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/442586)

However, in the next section, called DESIRE VERSUS REALITY, Goldstein warns:

It makes no difference whether the thing were craving is an external object or an internal state. The force of desire or addiction in the mind to a particular outcome hinders concentration and obscures our natural wisdom. We become entranced and seduced by the object of our wanting. Its as if were living in a world of enchantment, and then we get lost in the force of that wanting.

He recounts an advertisement for a cruise to Asia, sprinkled with Buddhist language and promising nirvana. As he writes, This is the message we often get: Fulfill this desire, buy this product, have this experience, and you will achieve everlasting happiness. The gift of meditation is that it helps us see through this illusion.

And seeing through illusions, whether they are for the products being pushed at you by the media or those we all inevitably create around romantic life, is liberating. And when our fantasy-bubbles are burst and we confront reality we get an opportunity: react with scorn, or open up to the experience with the gift of acceptance.

*note, Buddhists do still take cruises and engage in romantic fantasy. With a little practice, however, their expectations for finding nirvana in either is radically diminished.

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. . . in Heaven, for Intercessory Purposes

Guardian Angel, by Bernhard Plockhorst (1825-1907) [public domain / [public domain / Wikimedia Commons

* * *

(6-10-08)

* * * All verses are from RSV. * * * * *

The argument is a rather simple one, based on a combination of different factors. The nutshell (mostly) implicitly biblical argument for asking saints to pray for us is as follows:

1) We ask others to pray for us. 2) Those who die in Christ are still alive and part of the Body of Christ too. 3) Saints in heaven are aware of earthly events. 4) We see them praying for us in at least one instance in the Bible. 5) The prayer of a righteous man avails much. 6) Saints are perfected in holiness and sanctity. 7) Therefore their prayers would have much power. 8) Ergo, we can ask them to intercede to God for us.

My papers fleshing out the biblical data on all this can be found on my Saints, Purgatory, and Penance web page. The argument for asking angels to pray can be constructed in similar fashion:

1) We ask others to pray for us. 2) Angels are messengers from God who are part of His purposes and who care very much about the fate of human beings. 3) Angels are aware of earthly events to an extraordinary degree, being super-intelligent beings. 4) We see them offering the prayers of the saints to God in at least one instance in the Bible. 5) The Bible says that the prayer of a righteous man avails much. How much more so, the prayers of angels, who are unfallen creatures. 6) Angels (excepting the fallen angels of demons) always have been perfected in holiness and sanctity. 7) Therefore their prayers would have much power. 8) Ergo, we can ask them to intercede to God for us.

Presently, Ill be doing something a little different, as suggested by recent insightful comments from several Catholic commenters on my blog. Here is the briefest version of the argument:

1) Men talk to angels. 2) Whats the difference if they are in heaven or on earth when this happens? 3) Scripture even gives examples of conversation with dead men (Transfiguration, Saul talking to the dead Samuel, etc.) 4) Angels are extremely intelligent and can deduce our thoughts and follow our actions, and they intensely care about us and are able to help us. 5) Therefore we can ask angels to pray.

Men Talking to Angels

* * *

[Note: the angel of the LORD is, on several occasions, but not always, equated in context with God Himself. Keep in mind, then, that in those instances it may be God Who is being addressed, not a created angel, which is a different scenario than what the present argument is addressing.] * *

Genesis 19:1-2 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening; and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed himself with his face to the earth, and said, My lords, turn aside, I pray you, to your servants house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise up early and go on your way. They said, No; we will spend the night in the street.

Numbers 22:34-35 Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, I have sinned, for I did not know that thou didst stand in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in thy sight, I will go back again. And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, Go with the men; but only the word which I bid you, that shall you speak. So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.

Psalm 103:20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! (cf. 148:2)

Zechariah 1:9, 13-14, 19 Then I said, `What are these, my lord? The angel who talked with me said to me, `I will show you what they are. . . . And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. So the angel who talked with me said to me . . . And I said to the angel who talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

Zechariah 2:1-3 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! Then I said, Where are you going? And he said to me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its breadth and what is its length. And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him,

Zechariah 4:1, 4-5 And the angel who talked with me came again, and waked me, like a man that is wakened out of his sleep. And I said to the angel who talked with me, What are these, my lord? Then the angel who talked with me answered me, Do you not know what these are? I said, No, my lord. (cf. 5:5,10; 6:4-5)

Luke 1:18-19 And Zechariah said to the angel, How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years. And the angel answered him, I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.

Luke 1:30, 34, 38 And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. . . . And Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I have no husband? . . . And Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.

Revelation 10:8-9 Then the voice which I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, Go, take the scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll; and he said to me, Take it and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth.

Men Making Requests or Petitions of Angels (That Are Granted) * * *

Genesis 19:15, 18-21 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.. . . And Lot said to them, Oh, no, my lords; behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life; but I cannot flee to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me, and I die. Behold, yonder city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there  is it not a little one?  and my life will be saved! He said to him, Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.

Genesis 32:24-29 And Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacobs thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, Let me go, for the day is breaking. But Jacob said, I will not let you go, unless you bless me. And he said to him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob. Then he said, Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. Then Jacob asked him, Tell me, I pray, your name. But he said, Why is it that you ask my name? And there he blessed him.

Genesis 48:14-16 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the first-born. And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has led me all my life long to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and in them let my name be perpetuated, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

Angels Pray to God For Men and Give Grace



Zechariah 1:12 Then the angel of the LORD said, `O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these seventy years? Tobit 12:12a, 15 And so, when you and your daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayer before the Holy One; . . . I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who present the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence of the glory of the Holy One. Revelation 1:4 . . . Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, Revelation 8:3-4 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God. Angels Communicating to Men From Heaven

(Thus Implying That the Reverse is Also Possible)



Genesis 21:17-18 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him a great nation.

Men Seeing Angels in Heaven * * *

Genesis 28:12-13 And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants;

John 1:51 And he said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Revelation 5:11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

Revelation 7:11 And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

Revelation 8:2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

Revelation 10:1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire.

Revelation 12:7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,

Revelation 14:17 And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.

Revelation 15:1 Then I saw another portent in heaven, great and wonderful, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is ended.

Revelation 18:1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor.

Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. (cf. also Pauls experience of being caught up to the third heaven: 2 Cor 12:1-4)

Protection of Angels / Guardian Angels * * *

Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Psalm 91:9-12 Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Daniel 6:22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions mouths, and they have not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.

Tobit 12:12b-13 . . . when you buried the dead, I was likewise present with you. When you did not hesitate to rise and leave your dinner in order to go and lay out the dead, your good deed was not hidden from me, but I was with you.

Matthew 18:10 See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

Luke 4:10 for it is written, `He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you, (cf. also Matthew 26:53)

* * * * *

One Dead Man Petitions Another (Abraham), and is Twice Refused * * *

Luke 16:19-31 There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich mans table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abrahams bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame. But Abraham said, `Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. And he said, `Then I beg you, father, to send him to my fathers house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. But Abraham said, `They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, `No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. He said to him, `If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'

Saul Petitions the Prophet Samuel After the Latters Death and is Refused * * *

1 Samuel 28:15-16 Then Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up? Saul answered, I am in great distress; for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams; therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do. And Samuel said, Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy?

Dead Saints Pray For Those on Earth * * *

Jeremiah 15:1 Then the LORD said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!

[Moses and Samuel were renowned among both Jews and Christians for their powerful intercession (Ex 32:11-12; 1 Sam 7:9; Ps 99:6; Jer 15:1) ]



2 Maccabees 15:11-16 He [Judas Maccabeus] armed each of them not so much with confidence in shields and spears as with the inspiration of brave words, and he cheered them all by relating a dream, a sort of vision, which was worthy of belief. What he saw was this: Onias, who had been high priest, a noble and good man, of modest bearing and gentle manner, one who spoke fittingly and had been trained from childhood in all that belongs to excellence, was praying with outstretched hands for the whole body of the Jews. Then likewise a man appeared, distinguished by his gray hair and dignity, and of marvelous majesty and authority. And Onias spoke, saying, This is a man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people and the holy city, Jeremiah, the prophet of God. Jeremiah stretched out his right hand and gave to Judas a golden sword, and as he gave it he addressed him thus: Take this holy sword, a gift from God, with which you will strike down your adversaries.

Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; (cf. Tobit 12:12,15; Rev 8:3-4)

Revelation 6:9-10 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; they cried out with a loud voice, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?

[these are what is called imprecatory prayers; cf. Ps 35, 59, 69, 79, 109, 139; Jer 11:18 ff.; 15:15 ff.; 18:19 ff.; 20:11 ff; Zech 1:12]

Dead Saints Appear on Earth Again and Talk to Men * * *

1 Samuel 28:7-20 Then Saul said to his servants, Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a medium at Endor. So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments, and went, he and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, Divine for me by a spirit, and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you. The woman said to him, Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death? But Saul swore to her by the LORD, As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing. Then the woman said, Whom shall I bring up for you? He said, Bring up Samuel for me. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, Why have you deceived me? You are Saul. The king said to her, Have no fear; what do you see? And the woman said to Saul, I see a god coming up out of the earth. He said to her, What is his appearance? And she said, An old man is coming up; and he is wrapped in a robe. And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance. Then Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up? Saul answered, I am in great distress; for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams; therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do. And Samuel said, Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done to you as he spoke by me; for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD, and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. Moreover the LORD will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me; the LORD will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines. Then Saul fell at once full length upon the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.

[the current consensus among commentators is that this is Samuel the prophet, after his death, not a demon impersonator as a result of the occultic practices of the medium (see, e.g., New Bible Commentary, p. 301; Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 292). This was also the view of the ancient rabbis, St. Justin Martyr, Origen, and St. Augustine, among others. Samuel was in Sheol or Hades, which explains his being brought up and saying that Saul would be with him when he dies. Samuels true prophecy of the Israeli defeat and Sauls death (28:19) mitigates against an impersonating demon, as does the mediums stunned reaction (28:12-13). Samuel speaks prophetically just as he did while on the earth.]

Sirach 46:19-20 Before the time of his eternal sleep, Samuel called men to witness before the Lord and his anointed: I have not taken any ones property, not so much as a pair of shoes. And no man accused him. Even after he had fallen asleep he prophesied and revealed to the king his death, and lifted up his voice out of the earth in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people.

Matthew 17:1-4 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah. (cf. Mk 9:2-5; Lk 9:29-33)

Matthew 27:50-53 And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were split; the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Revelation 11:3-12 And I will grant my two witnesses power to prophesy for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth. And if any one would harm them, fire pours out from their mouth and consumes their foes; if any one would harm them, thus he is doomed to be killed. They have power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the bottomless pit will make war upon them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which is allegorically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three days and a half men from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, Come up hither! And in the sight of their foes they went up to heaven in a cloud.

[The actions of the two witnesses echo those of Moses before Pharaoh and Elijah; especially the turning of water into blood, and the plagues (cf. Mal 4:4-6; Matt 17:11, Transfiguration accounts). As for the stopping of the rain, cf. Elijah: James 5:16-18. Elijah also went up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Ki 2:1,11). Many Church fathers thought they were Enoch and Elijah, because Enoch, like Elijah, never died (Gen 5:24; Sir 44:16; 49:14; Heb 11:5) ]

* * * * *

In summary, then, what have we learned about biblical data for the notion of asking angels and dead saints to pray for us and intercede before God for us? Plenty:

1) Men talk to angels (16 scriptural examples given) 2) Men make requests or petitions to angels and their wishes are granted (Gen 19, 32, 48). 3) Angels pray to God on behalf of men; they intercede for us (four examples given). 4) Angels even participate in giving grace (Rev 1:4; cf. Tob 12:12,15). 5) Angels talk to human beings from heaven (Gen 21:17-18). 6) Men see angels in heaven (11 examples given). 7) Angels protect and guard men (seven examples).

It is obvious that angels are aware of earthly events, and care about us. All of the data above leads to the deductive conclusion that it is perfectly permissible to ask an angel to pray for us. Three explicit examples occur in Holy Scripture of this very thing. It matters not where the angel is when it hears (#1) and grants the prayer request or intercedes before God, because, in fact, angels are not in space anyway. Our relation to them is the same wherever they are.

Therefore, since Scripture shows that they can be asked by human beings for their help, and fulfillments of these requests are even granted (#2), and grace given through angels (#4), the doctrine is proven, as they are extremely intelligent and are not confined to space. We know that angels intercede for us (four examples: #3). Therefore, since they are acutely aware of us, and in fact, we all have guardian angels (#7), we can ask them to do so. If the objection is to angels not being in front of us to talk to, we reply that in one instance, an angel talked to a person on earth from heaven (#5) and that men have often seen angels in heaven (#6). Thus, in all respects, the doctrine is proven from Holy Scripture.

The data regarding dead saints is harmonious with the above, and reinforces and expands it:

1) A dead man petitions or prays to another dead man (Abraham: Luke 16). 2) Abraham refuses his requests twice, thus showing that dead men can play a part, in conjunction with God, even in turning down (or by implication, also fulfilling) prayer requests. 3) Saul petitions or prays to the dead prophet Samuel and his request is declined (1 Sam 28:15-16). But there is no indication that he is forbidden to even make the request. Saul prayed to a dead person, not just an impersonating demon! 4) Its strongly implied that Moses and Samuel continue to intercede for us long after their deaths (Jer 15:1). 5) Onias and Jeremiah pray for the Jews long after their deaths (2 Mac 15:11-16). Even for those who reject this book as part of Scripture (on inadequate grounds), it nevertheless shows that Jews held this belief. 6) Many other dead saints intercede and pray for us (Rev 5:8, 6:9-10). 7) The prophet Samuel appeared on earth again to prophesy to King Saul of his impending death (1 Sam 28:7-20; Sir 46:19-20). 8) Moses and Elijah appear on earth and talk to Jesus within earshot of the disciples (Matt 17:1-4). 9) Many dead saints rose and walked around Jerusalem after the crucifixion (Matt 27:50-53). 10) The two witnesses (Rev 11:3-12) come back to earth, die, and are raised yet again and taken to heaven in a whirlwind. Most commentators have thought (based on analogies and cross-reference) that these witnesses were either Moses and Elijah or Enoch and Elijah.

Thus we can ask dead men to pray for us, according to much evidence from Holy Scripture, because we know that dead saints can hear and answer or decline our prayers, in the power of God (Abraham and Samuel: #1, 2, 3). We know that dead saints are praying for us (Moses, Samuel, Onias, Jeremiah, many others: #4, 5, 6). We also know the crucial premise that these saints are aware of earthly affairs, because of the abundance of examples and the fact that they are described as praying for us in the first place (one cant pray intelligently with no knowledge of what to pray for).

Hence, we see many examples of the barrier between heaven and earth and (earthly) life and death being no problem for God (Samuel, Moses, Elijah, possibly Enoch, and many dead saints buried in Jerusalem all appear again on the earth and communicate with men (#3,7,8,9,10).

Therefore, since they hear and answer prayer requests, pray for us, are perfectly aware of affairs on earth, and in fact, have come back to earth, thus eliminating a supposed barrier between heaven and earth, we can ask them to pray for us and intercede before God on our behalf, because the prayer of a righteous person like Elijah and these other saints, is very powerful and availeth much (James 5:16-17, utilizing the glorious old KJV lingo there). We would be very spiritually foolish not to do so, and not to access such power and sanctity, in light of such an abundance of biblical example and sanction.
(Called Idolatry By Some Protestants)

Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (1836-1902) or follower [public domain / [public domain / Wikimedia Commons

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(4-7-09)* * *

[all passages: RSV] * * * * * Exodus 20:3-5 You shall have no other gods before me. [4] You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; [5] you shall not bow down to them or serve them; . . . Leviticus 26:1 You shall make for yourselves no idols and erect no graven image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land, to bow down to them; for I am the LORD your God. . . . Deuteronomy 5:8-9 You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; [9] you shall not bow down to them or serve them; . . . Micah 5:13 and I will cut off your images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands; * * * * *

Exodus 3:2-5 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. [3] And Moses said, I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. [4] When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I. [5] Then he said, Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. (cf. Acts 7:30) [the burning bush]

Exodus 13:21-22 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night; [22] the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. (cf. 14:24; Num 14:14; Neh 9:12,19) [pillars of cloud and fire]

Exodus 19:17-20 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. [18] And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. [19] And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. [20] And the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. [Mt. Sinai, smoke and fire]



Exodus 25:22 There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you of all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel. [carved statues on the ark of the covenant]

Exodus 30:6 And you shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you. (cf. Lev 16:2) [mercy seat on the ark of the covenant]

Numbers 7:89 And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him. (cf. 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Ki 19:15; 1 Chron 13:6; Ps 80:1; 99:1; Is 37:16; Ezek 10:4; Heb 9:5) [carved statues on the ark of the covenant]

Deuteronomy 10:8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day. (cf. 1 Ki 3:15; 8:5; 2 Chron 5:6) [ark of the covenant]

Joshua 7:6-8 Then Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, why hast thou brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! [8] O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! [ark of the covenant]

1 Kings 6:23-35 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. [24] Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. [25] The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. [26] The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. [27] He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house; and the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house. [28] And he overlaid the cherubim with gold. [29] He carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms. [30] The floor of the house he overlaid with gold in the inner and outer rooms. [31] For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olivewood; the lintel and the doorposts formed a pentagon. [32] He covered the two doors of olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; he overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubim and upon the palm trees. [33] So also he made for the entrance to the nave doorposts of olivewood, in the form of a square, [34] and two doors of cypress wood; the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. [35] On them he carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied upon the carved work. [people prayed to God toward or in the temple and the walls included carved figures of angels]

1 Kings 8:22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; [altar]



1 Kings 8:44, 48 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way thou shalt send them, and they pray to the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen and the house which I have built for thy name, . . . [48] if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to thee toward their land, which thou gavest to their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; (cf. 2 Chron 6:34,38) [Jerusalem and the Holy Land]

1 Kings 8:54 Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and supplication to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven; [altar]



1 Kings 18:42 . . . And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees. [Mt. Carmel]

1 Chronicles 16:4 Moreover he appointed certain of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel. [ark of the covenant]

1 Chronicles 16:29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come before him! Worship the LORD in holy array; [clothes, altar]

2 Chronicles 3:7 So he lined the house with gold  its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors; and he carved cherubim on the walls. (cf. Ezek 41:20,25) [people prayed to God toward or in the temple and the walls included carved figures of angels]

2 Chronicles 6:12-14 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands. [13] Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court; and he stood upon it. Then he knelt upon his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; [14] and said, O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to thy servants who walk before thee with all their heart; [altar and bronze platform in temple]

2 Chronicles 6:20 that thou mayest hearken to the prayer which thy servant offers toward this place. [temple]

2 Chronicles 6:21 And hearken thou to the supplications of thy servant and of thy people Israel, when they pray toward this place; yea, hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest, forgive. [temple]

2 Chronicles 6:22 If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and comes and swears his oath before thy altar in this house, [altar]

2 Chronicles 6:26-27 When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and acknowledge thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them, [27] then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, thy people Israel, when thou dost teach them the good way in which they should walk; and grant rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people as an inheritance. [temple]

2 Chronicles 6:29-30 whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by any man or by all thy people Israel, each knowing his own affliction, and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house; [30] then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each whose heart thou knowest, according to all his ways (for thou, thou only, knowest the hearts of the children of men); [temple]

2 Chronicles 6:32-33 Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of thy people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of thy great name, and thy mighty hand, and thy outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house, [33] hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, (cf. 1 Ki 29-30,35,42) [temple]

2 Chronicles 7:3 When all the children of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the earth on the pavement, and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, For he is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever. [fire, temple]

Psalm 5:7 But I through the abundance of thy steadfast love will enter thy house, I will worship toward thy holy temple in the fear of thee. [temple]

Psalm 28:2 Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to thee for help, as I lift up my hands toward thy most holy sanctuary. [sanctuary]

Psalm 29:2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy array. [clothes]

Psalm 96:9 Worship the LORD in holy array; tremble before him, all the earth! [clothes]

Psalm 99:9 Extol the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy! [temple]

Psalm 134:2 Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the LORD! [temple]

Psalm 138:2 I bow down toward thy holy temple and give thanks to thy name for thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness; for thou hast exalted above everything thy name and thy word. [temple]

Isaiah 27:13 those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain at Jerusalem. [temple]

Ezekiel 46:3 The people of the land shall worship at the entrance of that gate before the LORD on the sabbaths and on the new moons. [gate]

Daniel 6:10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem; and he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. [Jerusalem]

Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. [bodies of Christians]

Philippians 1:20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. [St. Pauls own body]

Revelation 4:10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, [Gods throne, crowns]

Revelation 7:11 And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, [Gods throne]

Revelation 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; [altar in heaven]
Lately I found myself reasserting my opinion that there is nothing of much (any) spiritual or occult value in Satanism, or the worship of the various beings known as Satan, Lucifer or the Devil, or in the occultism derived from self-labelled Satanism. This provoked a response from Jake Stratton-Kent, an author I give huge respect to (and frequently cite). His work in developing a modern Grimoiric spirit-arte cannot be neglected by anyone interested in the subject, and I take his opinions seriously. In this discussion his most telling assertion, to me, was that ignoring 1500 years of western occult culture by entirely discarding Satan and the Grimoiric spirit hierarchy is counterproductive and irrational. He describes his own work, in which key Grimoiric demons have become what I, as a polytheist/animist, would call the gods of his personal shrine in pretty convincing ways. It is clear that he has successfully created a home-cult that is different from that of a traditional polytheist only in the sourcing of its persons. Rather than drawing on the remnants of pre-Christian spirit-lore directly, as Neopaganism does, he has addressed the spirits in names and forms found in the 17th and 18th century grimoires. Is this Satanism? Is this Paganism? Does its success refute my assertion that there is no merit in Satanic ideas and occult tropes?

I do not file neo-grimoire work with my Satanic, or dark books. As a hobbyist I have kept up with the literature of dark occultism. Beginning with Grant in the 70s, through the Setians, and more recently Koetting, 218, Ford, Smith, and a variety of new-fangled Traditional Witchcraft authors, that literature is the basis for the opinions I hold about modern self-described LHP and dark practices. Mainly I find their scholarship little better than the Llewellyn average, and find constructs such as Lucifer, bringer of Freedom to be as fluffy (i.e. modernist and based on questionable mythography) as the Triple Goddess. My reconstructionism-honed sense of discernment in such matters makes me a picky bitch.

Paganism and Satanism

Concerning my own preconceptions and prejudices, Ill admit that this is more systematic thinking about the idea of Satan than I have bothered to do for decades. My own spiritual goals have been centered on the restoration and establishment of polytheistic and animist worship, and the preservation and development of more esoteric spiritual practice *within* that public Pagan religion. Because there is no figure equivalent to my understanding of the Satanists god in traditional European pantheons, and because I find that the War in heaven does not exist in traditional Euro-Pagan lore in the way it does in Christian (or Zoroastrian) myth I have simply rejected the assertion that Satan has any place in the kind of work I mean to do. Thus if a modern occult system works with the worship of Satan, or even includes the later Hierarchy of Hell I consider it excluded from my personal work. That said I am committed to occultism in religion, and find the scholarship on the preservation of pre-Christian ritual forms in the grimoires both convincing and inspiring. It is their mythic construct I find it necessary to discard.

In my process of moving north I (and, I think, a growing number of experimental occultists) have also left behind the late-classical synthesis and the Hermetic cosmos. The Archaic cosmos in which I attempt to work is a much more spiraled, center-to-edge sort of arrangement than the Hermetic ladder of lights (or layer of chains, if one is various sorts of gnostic). This sets aside the idea of sub-lunar spirits, and makes the mythic title of King of the Spirits of the Air less attractive to me. I cannot find Hell to be an adequate equivalent to the archaic Underworld, nor can I consign daemons of the gods and dead primarily to that underworld, nor place them in hierarchy under the Underworlds king. All of this reduces my resonance with even the more occult versions of Satanism.

I do not find any serious use for the notion that there are great cosmic spiritual forces that wish to bind and restrict us as their slaves. The gods of European antiquity did not make such requirements and I see no sign of their modern persons doing so either. In my spiritual comprehension there is simply no such thing as the biblical, or late-Hellenic philosophical God, nor any non-Abrahamic (or Avestan which is an anomaly, if a powerful one) equivalent to it in traditional polytheism and animism. In the same way there is no traditional mythic equivalent of the King of the Powers of Air, except perhaps in specific local deities or sub-deities, none of whom are in opposition to the greater powers  that is, they are not satanic in the Hebrew sense.

I think it is the War in heaven notion that gets in the way of allowing medieval spirit cosmology to sync well with more archaic (or non-Euro polytheist) systems. In my understanding of archaic story the War between the Gods and the Other Gods is fought at the dawn of time, and is functionally well-over in the time of living mortal cult. The Titanic forces are not only defeated, they are in fact in place within cosmos. Gods, heroes and magicians sometimes have to consult with them, sometimes marry them  Heroes are often born of such unions; their relationship includes cooperation as often as conflict. How that basic Indo-Euro motif became oppositionalized first in Zoroasters revelation and maybe more relevantly in Enochs story is a historical puzzle. I see no merit in internalizing that opposition. I would adopt no position in which any spirit  god or daemon or underworld rot-worm  must be my enemy. Light and Dark, Order and Chaos, Underworld and Heavens are lovers, not opponents.

For this reason I find no resonance with anti-cosmic sentiments. I reject entirely the gnostic notion that reality, or matter, or society is a trap or prison, or other than our proper home. Knowing that I speak as a first-world kid I find no sense of oppression in life, and have built my spiritual work on celebrating matter and spirit as one great fun-fest. Sometimes the fun is a horror-movie, but never mind. This does not remove the reality of the dangerous kill-ya-and-eat-ya parts of nature or of the spirit-world. Traditional culture may characterize such beings in terms that get translated as demons, but that implies none of the assumptions of western theology or popular myth about that word. An Asura or a drowning-sidhe, or a Naga or Assyrian plague-demon is not a Satanic being though it is, I think, a Pagan being in the sense of polytheist and animist.

Satanism and Witchcraft

Here we are in squishier ground, as the majority of the complex that the west thinks of as witchcraft was invented by the Church, based first on their response to remnant Paganism, and later to the persistence of occult practice, even when re-clothed in Christian myth. The Dark Ages are called dark primarily because we cant see a damned thing about them. One of the hidden things is the 500 years of transition in religion and magical arts between, say 500 and 1000 ce. Late classical Pagan spirit-work transitions into proto-Solomonic work, remnants of Paganism that were prominent at the start have been driven deep or extinguished by the end, and literate record comes to be almost entirely owned by the Church for a short while. During that period remnant Paganism transitions into the beginning of High Magic and folk-magic finds its mythology transforming toward the later grimoire synthesis.

The making of a pact with a spirit had been a core part of magic-art for centuries (maybe forever). In the theological transition the church asserted that any homage given to unauthorized spirits was functionally devil-worship. The gaining of a familiar by appealing to one of the ancient gods (or their equivalent in a transforming spirit-list) could not be perceived as anything but Satanism by the church and became a core of the scholastic description of witchcraft. The fact that it probably fairly well described a real continuing tradition of magical practice can only have added to the confusion that accompanies transition.

As imperial Christianity has advanced across the world they have arrived in each new polytheistic/animist location with the message that magic and witchcraft  you know, divination, spirit-summoning, treating with the Dead, working your own will by spiritual arts  was forbidden, and in fact was ruled by the devil or Satan. Functionally they learn that Satan is the god of magic and, especially, of down-home sorcery. Sensible people dont give up useful, pro-survival tech, so those that continued to learn and teach sorcery eventually conformed to the legislated mythology, and Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, etc became the gods of sorcerers.

I think the witchcraft myth was shaped by two other big Pagan motifs  the secret circle of mystery initiates, and the big public sacrifice-feast. Both of these are undeniably present as part of pre-Christian Europe. The public feast as religious expression is present from Ireland to India. A tribe, king or rich patron undertakes a great sacrifice and ritual to gain some good  sons, or the relief of drought, etc. They parcel off a few acres, set up the fire-altars and begin sacrificing meat-animals and blessing beer. The villages empty out as the folk set up for what was sometimes weeks of feasting  a hecatomb doesnt happen in a day. These were joyous occasions of free food and drink, social exchange (i.e. sex), song and dance for the peasant multitude, along with plenty of idol-worship, and probably lots of spell and divination commerce as well.

To this day the cities of northern Europe empty out, Im told, on the occasion of Summer Solstice. The impulse to leave town, go to the country, sing, drink and play seems inescapable, and the church tried to quash it by painting the witchs revel  by which they meant the remnant Pagan tendency  as a feast of filth and cannibalism. Leaving Margaret Murray entirely aside I find it impossible not to think that in 800 ce or so the impulse among the peasants was stronger than today.

The mystery-cults of the Orphics seem to have been small circles of initiates who gathered in secret to work rites that might transgress the strict regimen of pure living that their religion otherwise recommended. Naked circles gathered around a fire, worshipping a goat-mask on an underworld staff, and teaching and learning practical magic as well as spirit-vision is one of the more esoteric expressions of traditional Pagan religion. The growing church must surely have seen and described it as devil worship.

In general, when the church says devil worship from one place to another they arent talking about beings that the folk would have said were the same fellow. Any old local spirit was the devil in their descriptions. Folkloric sorcery-seekers may have been going down to the crossroad and making a pact with some horned power-spirit for centuries before Christianity arrived (though we cant prove it), but by the 1700s that horned lad was surely de debbil in folk understanding, if without theological sophistication. Theology makes little difference to those seeking magical power, and if it was the devil to be called upon for it, then so be it.

I see no merit in internalizing the churchs description of these Old Ways as Satanic. I am uninterested in the idea constructs of the early-modern era in the west, and find the occultism of that period, and of the late grimoires, to be thoroughly grown-over by Christian myth and models that simply do not appeal. To move those systems out of their orthodox, demons-n-angels model into something more palatable seems to be taking Jake (bless him) down a road of scholarship and historical detection at least as winding as that required for the reconstruction of any earlier era. I simply prefer to focus my work on a period when there was no Rebel Prince in myth, no sublunar spirits, no King of Demons and, in fact, no conflict between any spirit-faction and god. My rather serious amateur inquiry continues to convince me that all that was the case in archaic polytheism, as in most non-Euro tribal religions.

Once again, in our modern times and inside our occult and Neopagan revival the sense that meeting in secret cult circles is forbidden or a transgression just isnt an issue. The involvement of Satan or of devils (as opposed to similar spirits understood in non-Christian mythic terms) seems irrelevant to me. Even those who approach occult work from a restrictive or dogmatic monotheist background have often carefully deconstructed themselves into atheism before turning back to more occult pursuits. I see no particular benefit in presenting spirit-based sorcery, pacts with gods, daemons and the dead, divination, naked bonfire dances or sex-magic as anything but a whole and holy part of spiritual work. In traditional polytheist and animist systems weird, occult practices are simply nested within the common practices of popular religion, and thats my general goal for the future here in the west. There is no sense that the Dionysus of the mysteries was opposed to the order of Olympus  that is, he was not Satanic.

Transgression and Illumination

The use of transgressive techniques to bust through social programs and free the individual mind certainly predates, and occurs outside of, Christianity or post-Christian monotheism. While the tight social bonds of tribal society that constrained individual initiative did not come from the word of the gods, it was often granted the force of religious injunction. Religious specialist training, whether nunnish or tantric, often took initiates out of the patterns of common life. In some sects that was done by involving them in violations of deep societal moral assumptions about food, sex or some other core human thing. We see this in Greece and in India with some clarity, and we see suggestions of it (without proof) in European witchcraft legends. Again in the latter it is difficult to distinguish the churchs exaggerations and fantasies from real folk practices and Pagan survivals.

Several branches of world mysticism and magic use deliberate transgression of moral law as a means of both spiritual illumination and of gathering magical power. It would be untrue to say that more mainstream sects approve of or recommend such practices. Nevertheless they are part and parcel of the great religious traditions of the world.

Its rather more difficult to use transgression for these goals in our modern western world. Being a 60-year-old child of the 60s I transgressed the crap outa my societys values, not just for the pleasure of doing it but for the actual pleasure it brought. Occultism was a part of that transgression, but I just never found the material surrounding Satanism to be very deep or interesting, compared to either High Magic with Qabalistic divine stuff or Euro-Pagan reconstructions. By the time I was 15 or so I had rejected Christianity and was more likely to take moral instruction from Uncle Crowley than from more orthodox scripture. So at this point transgressing against Christian values is a ho-hum, so what, sort of idea. While it isnt true everywhere in the US, I have always lived in places where Christianity has little discernable social presence, and provides no wall against which to push back. It seems to me that in the West Christianity is a spent force, with little juice left in its symbols of rebellion.

In the same way my commitment to hippie and counterculture values has meant that I live outside of most capitalist models as well. I can count the days Ive worn a suit on two hands (if you dont count the obligatory outfits I was stuffed into for childhood church). I have never valued money over leisure, and through my working life I limited my career options in order to pursue magic and my other financially unrewarding arts and delights.

I must say that I never associated too much of that with witchcraft, which I always understood as the effort to restore remnant Paganism, or with occultism which I understood to be the secret search for both power and enlightenment. While I understood intellectually that Satanism was said to promote such thinking the two-bit anti-Christianity that was the most prominent rebellion of the day just didnt have any percentage of the romance of post-Pagan forest cults. What the church would surely call Satanic rebellion I have always simply called religion. My opinion about the matter is more likely to be true than the Popes, I think.

So today my Pagan and occult work (which has included thousand-person naked fire-revels, small-group sorcery, personal sex-magic, Saivite-Shakta puja-work, etc) centers on leading public, daytime fire-sacrifice rites that are open to the Pagan public. No nudity, no drunkenness (though some drinking), no deliberate transgression unless one counts the worship of idols, making of offerings, working of spells, jokes about the gods, etc as such. Our rites are full of families and their kids, for whom this polytheism-and-picnic community will become their childhood memory, free of guilt-trips and full of songs. I expect this sort of Paganism to grow into viable minority religious institutions, supporting householder lives not so different from those of more mainstream religionists.

In the woods beside this sunny meadow, or once the sun goes down, we could re-grow a transgressive practice. Ancient Paganism and modern polytheisms are supported and fertilized by the weird, underworld, occult sects *within* the religion. In the dharma, whether Hindu or Buddhist, LHP and RHP are partners and serve the same spiritual goals, often the same gods.

Our Neopaganism is still mainly based on an ethic of personal freedom. However to the degree that we succeed in building a new culture we will build new walls and bindings of mutual agreement  morality. Such mutual cultural trance will inevitably become a barrier to self-awareness and personal growth, and the value of transgression as a spiritual technique will grow. Inside our stable, daylight Paganism we may find space for a new witchcraft. Successfully working the formula requires the former in order for the latter to work. My hope would be to see occult and esoteric cults and their more dangerous methods kept discreetly in the hidden pockets of the system; not so much in opposition to the daylight cult, but as its night-time lover.
"We're not used to seeing growth in our check business," said Deluxe's Tracey Engelhardt, who reports a 6% to 7% increase in revenue for check orders from businesses and consumers in each of the last three quarters, driven by various factors originating from the pandemic.
Iran: Ultra Conservatives concerned about increasing public participation in elections

02/23/16

Source: Radio Zamaneh

After Iran's Supreme Leader appealed to the public to take part in the elections even if they oppose the regime, now the ultra-conservative and extremist figures of the establishment are saying widespread participation in the elections is "the strategy of the country's enemies to engineer the outcome of the elections".



Ahmad Khatami



Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, spokesman for the Central Coalition Council of Conservatives, says: "The U.S. is using the promotion of greater participation in the elections to engineer the result of the elections". On Friday February 19, the Tehran representative in Parliament told the Mehr News Agency that in contrast to the past where spoke of boycotting the election, the enemy is now calling for greater public participation in the elections.

"In the past, satellite programs would advise against voting; now they are promoting election participation and are also providing voting direction," Haddad-Adel said. He added: "I hope the public remains careful to elect a conservative Parliament and not allow foreign infiltration".

"Those who are now hiding behind the mask of moderation," Haddad-Adel said; "are those who revealed their extremism in the past as in the 'sedition of 2009.'"

The conservatives refer to the election protests of 2009 as sedition, while the reformist candidates who triggered the protests with allegations of vote fraud maintain that the protests were peaceful and their demands were within the framework of the constitution.

Mehdi Chamran, the head of Tehran City Council, spoke at the Haddad-Adel election campaign meeting, saying the "enemies of the Revolution" have changed their strategy from "sanctions to the deterioration of the elections". He said: "From across the seas, they have given up on sanctions and are instead saying whom our people should be voting for."

Ahmad Khatami: It is Slander Week!

Meanwhile, hardliner Ahmad Khatami in Kerman referred to his critics and opponents as "numbskulls who take their cue from enemy forces". On Friday February 19, the Assembly of Experts candidate said foreign countries are "meddling in Iran's business" and "trying to send infiltrators into the decision-making centres of the country".

"English-speaking media are saying do not vote for Ahmad Jannati, for Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi in Tehran, for Ahmad Khatami in Kerman or Ahmad Alam al-Hoda in Khorasan," he said referring to the ultra-conservative clerics seeking a seat in the Assembly of Experts.

Without directly referencing the internet campaign launched by a group of supporters of moderate cleric Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani to prevent the election of conservatives Jannati, Yazdi, Khatami and Alam ol-Hoda to the Assembly of Experts, Ahmad Khatami said: "What is it to you, you meddlers! These very individuals are at the top of the list of wise voters."

Ahmad Khatami insisted that the reason for the adverse campaign launched against him is that he has "slammed sedition in [his] sermons" and said: "This week is the week of slander from anti-Revolutionaries against candidates supported by the leadership, and the wisdom of the public will come into play right here when, with God's support, you will not be swayed by such rumours and lies spread around cyber space."

Mohsen Esmaili, an Assembly of Experts candidate, was also heard condemning foreign countries and accusing the "country's enemies" of creating rifts between the forces of the Revolution by putting their support behind certain people.

Tehran's Friday Mass Imam, Kazem Sedighi, also said in this week's sermon that foreign media have for the first time begun encouraging Iranians to go to the ballot box but asserted that the public will not vote for "candidates promoted in enemy media".

Iranians will go to the polls on February 26 to vote for parliamentary and Assembly of Experts candidates. While the majority of reformists and moderate candidates have been disqualified by the ultra-conservative Guardian Council, the reformists, including President Hassan Rohani, have urged the public not to boycott the elections and to simply try to vote for the most moderate candidates in each riding.
Iranian Kurdish Filmmaker Sentenced to 223 Lashes and One Year in Prison

02/23/16

Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran

Keyvan Karimi, an Iranian Kurdish documentary filmmaker, has been sentenced to 223 lashes and one year in prison for insulting the sacred. Karimis initial six-year prison sentence by Judge Mohammad Moghisseh in October 2015 has been reduced by an Appeals Court to 12 months in prison and a five-year suspended prison term.



Keyvan Karimi



Karimi, 30, was also fined 20 million Iranian rials or approximately $700.

A source close to Karimi told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that Karimi will be forced to endure 223 lashes because the Appeals Court upheld the punishment for the charge of having illegitimate relations by kissing the face and shaking hands with a woman who is not a relative.

The United Nations has declared lashing a cruel and inhuman punishment tantamount to torture.

Karimi had been accused of denigrating religious values in his film, entitled Neveshtan Rooy-e Shahr (Writing on the City), about graffiti in Tehran. Some of the scenes in the film relate to the protests that followed the disputed 2009 presidential election in Iran.

The producer of this film is Tehran University, a source told the Campaign in October 2015. It has footage from the archives of various institutions such as the Martyrs Foundation, the Islamic Revolution Foundation, and the Center for Islamic Studies.

It is the scenes from the Green Movement which seem to have caused some sensitivity, said the source.

The Green Movement rose out of the peaceful protests against the widely disputed results of the 2009 presidential election in Iran. The movement is still a highly sensitive subject in Iran, referred to by hardliners as the sedition.

In his defense he argued that he had not insulted Islam and even if he had, his film was never released to the public.

Karimi told the judges that his film has never been screened nor distributed. Therefore, if no one has seen it there can be no grounds for the charge of insult, the source told the Campaign.

The Appeals Court hearing was presided by Judges Babaee and Pourarab and attended by representatives of the hardline Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization as well as a representative of the Tehran Prosecutor, according to the source.

Karimis Kurdish and Sunni background may have contributed to his harsh sentence. Irans Kurdish ethnic minority and Sunni Muslim religious minority are subjected to significant discrimination and persecution.

In an October interview with the Campaign, Karimis lawyer, Amir Raeesian, said even though the indictment alleged that Karimi had insulted sacred values in his film, the prosecution never pointed out which shots were allegedly insulting.

In 2012 Karimi received a Special Mention at the Civita Film Festival in Italy for his documentary, Marz-e Shekasteh (Broken Border).
Branding Our Community: Norooz vs. Nowruz

02/23/16

By Noosheen Hashemi, The Hand Foundation

Genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple" - C.W. Ceran





Photo of Haftseen spread for Norooz, created by Noosheen Hashemi



Iranian-Americans are a nascent diaspora, most of us having immigrated only in the past four decades. We are coming to our own, lifting our heads from the business grindstone and beginning to establish ourselves in other realms of diaspora influence and acceptance such as politics, philanthropy and culture. By doing so, we are promoting our beautiful arts and culture by sharing our rituals and festivals. The most uniting, revered and unanimous of these is Persian New Year or Norooz. No means new and rooz means day, perfectly apt since Persian New Year coincides literally with the Vernal Equinox, the very instance that spring season commences in the northern hemisphere. Norooz is the most enduring of all Iranian institutions: it has survived 2500 years, changes of religion and government, and the post-Islamic-Revolution exodus abroad.

The early civil society abroad took shape in the form of dance, music and language lessons and the small mom and pop shops began celebrating Norooz. As the diaspora became larger, its desire to take care of its elderly and connect its youth to its culture grew exponentially. Through many efforts, community centers began to emerge, Iranian studies were set up in universities (PARSA Community Foundation alone helped initiate or grow 12 such programs), and sizable Norooz celebrations were launched in schools and city halls, museums and parks, and most recently, the White House.

The term used for these events was Norooz and occasionally Norouz (The French had cultural influence in Iran for decades and many Iranians spell the oo sound as ou). Iranian Alliances Across Borders, NIPOC, NIAC, Tirgan, Iran Heritage Foundation, in other words, the most prevalent organizations in the U.S. and Europe, used one of these. NIAC, the largest grassroots Iranian American organization with supporters in all 50 states, still uses the Norooz spelling. Iranian Alumni of Stanford University and the Alborz Farsi School, which celebrated annually at Quinlin Community Center, use Norooz. Payvand.com and Iranian.com, two of the most popular information sites use Norooz. The popular website 7rooz, which means seven days, uses rooz as the spelling for day. Roozonline is another popular site about human rights and political reforms. Roozvideo shows Iranian videos 24/7. Iranian Chamber of Commerce uses No-Rooz. There are books with rooz used for the word day, and so on.

A few years ago, in the search to choose one term between Norooz and Norouz, some folks introduced a third term, Nowruz. This was the spelling used in Encyclopedia Iranica, a body of work that uses transliteration, a process of translation that is not concerned with sound, phonetics, or pronunciation, rather, by a literal translations of individual letters in a word, using diacritics. This source spells Norooz as Nowruz. Wikipedia notes: Transliteration is not concerned with representing the sounds of the original while conversely, transcription notes the sounds but not necessarily the spelling. First, 'now' does not sound anything like 'no' and secondly, the macron above 'u' is not used in common daily language. Even if it were, it would indicate a long 'u' which would be read like cute, not coot. Academics have questioned Encyclopedia's decision to use transliteration methodology, however patriarchy and politeness (tarof and roo-dar-bayesti), which dominate Persian culture, have precluded them from challenging the mandate. No one can find the spelling of ruz to represent day anywhere except the Encyclopedia Iranica.

It was a great milestone when the United Nations, U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate recognized Persian New Year, regrettably though, it was with the complicated Nowruz spelling.

Several years later, we have not seen unification, rather a division around the usage of Norooz. All of this flies in the face of the KISS principle which is so vital to picking a name and building a strong brand. Regrettably, this change only confused recognition of our nascent community, not helped it.

The explanations given for this new term have included:

Those who are academic know that they need to read the word Nowruz while imagining a line above the letter u making it an oo sound;

The Encyclopedia Iranica knows best;

We do not want to use the negative word no in the beginning of our New Year as it is negative; and

There are people outside of Iran, in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, etc., who celebrate Norooz and hence we need to take their pronunciations into consideration.

The plain facts are:

Most of the world is not academic. Also, only Iranian academia, who is already familiar with the word for Persian New Year, reads Nowruz as Norooz. Others read it as now-ruz, which can rhyme with cow-buzz.

Encyclopedia Iranica is a priceless body of academic work. And yet its transliteration methodology can at times distort pronunciations of Persian words, which is not conducive to spreading one's brand;

I would normally agree that starting a word with no can be a branding challenge and yet were not creating a brand new word here. Were constrained by the original word, which, in earnest, starts with no.

While we respect all the people in the world that celebrate Norooz, from Albania to India and elsewhere, we are the Iranian community of North America. The United States President and the Canadian Prime Minister - who represent 365 million people - being able to say Norooz, without training, for their New Year messages might be a good tradeoff for the local variations in Albania and India. Aiming for a universal word in vastly different local languages and dialects is impractical.

As members of diaspora, we all want acceptance and influence. We want to infuse our culture and rituals in the mainstream consciousness. So why is it that we take the common names associated with our culture, like the name of our country of heritage, the name of our language and the name of our new year so haphazardly? How we self-identify matters most. Is it Iran or iRan, Persian or Farsi, Norooz or Nowruz?

If we follow smart branding principles, the right answer would probably in the following principles:

Picking a spelling that is pronounced by non-Iranians the same way that it is uttered by Iranians, without necessitating unscrambling, decrypting and guesswork;

Avoiding spellings that can easily be mispronounced; and

Making it memorable which means consolidating the brand instead of diffusing it.

American Companies spend an average of 10.4% of their revenue budget on branding and marketing- some as high as 30%. Large companies spend billions of dollars by having focus groups and A/B testing to get just the right name and building just the right brand for drugs, cars and cosmetics. Countries hire their own branding and marketing companies to help build affinity and encourage tourism. In a recent Steve Jobs biography, it said that he picked the name Apple because it sounded fun, spirited and not intimidating. In 2010, the Y.M.C.A changed its name just to The Y in order to simplify their branding to become warmer and more welcoming. I am sure you have come across other examples.

The festive Norooz season is just 8 weeks away. Literally millions of greetings will be exchanged among people, governments, nonprofits and businesses. We need to take immediate action to make 2016 Norooz as powerful and impactful as it can. This presidential year, when the Iranian diaspora is under attack and the visa waiver program threatens our free movement and prosperity of our businesses, we need to act with a sense of urgency and resolve.

Here is what you can do:

Use Norooz spelling for your greetings, invitations, social media posts, etc.

Use Norooz for events that you plan yourself or for which you volunteer.

Request organizations you support to use the easy spelling of Norooz.

Let your friends know to do the same!

Thank you and Noroozetan Pirooz!!

Susan Akbarpour

Ahmad Anvari

Nima Asgharbeygi

Christina Ashtary

Bruce Bahmani

Borhan Chi

Nobar Elmi Golhar

Shahri Estakhry

Noosheen Hashemi

Mohammad Hekmat

Beeta Jahedi

Persis Karim

Ali Kashani

Gita Kashani

Nazy Kaviani

Pedram Keyani

Ahmad Kiarostami

Alidad Mafinezam

Jahhandad Memarian

Ali Moayedian

Yalda Modabber

Rezvan Moghadam

Dr. Shokooh Miry

Moji Momeni

Delfarib Naimi

Farzad Naimi

Steve Nasiri

Zohreh Niknia

Shanna Nisiri

Fariba Nejat

Neda Nobari

Khatereh Kate Nowrouzi

Pejman Nozad

Shabnam Parang

Touraj Parang

Trita Parsi

Ali Partovi

Pirooz Parvarandeh

Julia Rasooly

Mostafa Ronaghi

Lily Sarafan

Shiva Sarram

Roya Soleimani

Ahmad Tabrizi





Noosheen Hashemi is a business builder, angel investor, and advisor with a focus on disruptive ideas and platforms, Noosheen has more than three decades of experience building the leadership and execution capabilities of early stage companies to deliver growth and profitability on a global scale. As a private investor in more than 20 start-ups that are pushing the boundaries of mobile, productivity, convenience, travel, and beauty, Noosheen takes an active role in fundraising, talent acquisition, operations, and business development. A seasoned veteran of high growth, technology-driven, founder-led companies, Noosheen spent the early part of her career at Oracle Corporation where, as Vice President of Finance and Administration, she built the critical sales and administrative capacity that allowed the company to scale revenue from $26 million in 1985, to $3 billion in 1995 and a market cap of $19 billion.

A philanthropist and outspoken advocate on behalf of the vulnerable and disenfranchised, Noosheen is also the co-founder and President of HAND, a family foundation that provides financial, advisory, and advocacy support to hundreds of organizations and dozens of scholars and social entrepreneurs. Noosheen serves on the advisory boards of SIEPR, Ploughshares Fund and Eurasia Foundation. She holds a B.S. in Economics from San Jose State University and an M.S. in Management from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.
Siamak Namazi, American Businessman Jailed In Iran, Tries Hunger Strike

02/23/16

Source: RFE/RL

A U.S. businessman jailed in Iran has tried going on a hunger strike to improve his condition and has not been allowed to speak to his lawyer, relatives say. Siamak Namazi, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, was detained by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in October while visiting relatives, according to his family. Iranian authorities have not announced any charges against him.



Siamak Namazi



Namazi's mother, Effie Namazi, reported over the weekend that her son had started a hunger strike.

The strike "greatly increased the worries of his family," Effie Namazi wrote on Facebook. She urged Iranian officials to allow her to visit her son and convince him to stop the strike.

The plea was evidently effective, as on February 22 Effie Namazi said in a new Facebook posting that her son had broken the hunger strike and spoken to her by phone, Reuters reported.

"We thank God," she said.

Namazi most recently worked for Crescent Petroleum, an oil and gas company in the United Arab Emirates. Previously, he headed a consulting firm in Iran, where he was born. He was educated in the United States.

Based on reporting by Reuters



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After Prisoner Swap, Anxiety Over Jailed Iranian-American Businessman

Iran has eagerly opened its doors to foreign investment now that a nuclear deal has cleared the way. So why is Iran still holding prisoner an Iranian-American businessman? This is one of the contradictions of the moment in Iran, where economic sanctions were lifted weeks ago. -Steve Inskeep, NPR - 2/18/16

Friends fear for U.S. businessman in Iran

Nearly a month after a prisoner deal between Washington and Tehran, the friends and family of business consultant Siamak Namazi -- who holds degrees from Tufts and Rutgers universities and has ties to many Washington foreign policy insiders -- fear he has been forgotten in the warm afterglow of last month's swap and are pressing the Obama administration to step up efforts to free him. -Michael Crowley, Politico - 2/10/16

Siamak Namazi's Friends Thought He'd Be Freed From Iranian Prison, But The Media Had It Wrong

Initial news reports from the official Iranian media outlet Islamic Republic News Agency incorrectly identified Siamak Namazi as one of the four Americans who would be released this past Saturday as part of a prisoner release agreement between Iran and the U.S. By the time IRNA had acknowledged its mistake, several journalists with large Western followings had already tweeted about Namazi's impending release. - Jessica Schulberg, Huffington Post - 1/20/16

Daily Beast Didn't Know American Was Stuck In Iran When It Published Anonymous Story Attacking Him

On Sept. 15, The Daily Beast published an article by "Alex Shirazi" -- a fake name that the news outlet said was a pseudonym for a "a well-known Iranian dissident" -- describing Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi as part of "The Shady Family Behind America's Iran Lobby." -Huffington Post - 12/18/15

The Truth About Siamak Namazi, the Iranian-American Arrested in Iran

"It is only when a mosquito lands on your testicles that you realize there is always a way to solve problems without using violence." Siamak Namazi sent me an Internet meme with this quote only a few weeks ago. It was his clever way of responding to the heated discussions I was having on social media in his defense. The Daily Beast had just published an article attacking Siamak and his family, via a pseudonym, as Siamak was being interrogated in Iran. -Ahmad Kiarostami, Huffington Post - 11/28/15

Setting the Record Straight about Siamak Namazi

Over the past few days, disheartening news has emerged about the arrest of Siamak Namazi, a Dubai-based American-Iranian citizen whom the author knows very well. While the family has not confirmed the news, Siamak's friends believe that the situation may be the result of a misunderstanding which they hope will be resolved shortly. - 11/3/15




Dog-Beating Video Sparks Protests In Tehran

02/23/16

By Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL

Adisturbing video of a hunter in northern Iran brutally beating his dog has triggered a rare public protest in the capital, where dozens gathered to call for an end to animal cruelty.

Pictures and videos of the protest on February 22 posted on social media showed participants calling for the animal rights to be protected, and for legal measures to be taken to ensure the safety of animals.

              -    . pic.twitter.com/euOV0PJzEr  IranHumanRights.org (@ICHRI) February 22, 2016

The protest, held in front of the state environmental-protection organization, was held several days after the emergence online of the graphic video. The clip, which was posted some time ago, according to officials, shows a man repeatedly kicking and throwing a dog during an apparent hunting trip, as onlookers laugh. The dog, seeking to escape the beating, jumps into the bed of a large truck. The man follows the dog, and can be seen swinging a shovel downward above his head at full strength, as the dog cries out in pain.

The incident in the northern province of Golestan also led to a small protest gathering there on February 21.

An Iranian police official said on February 21 that the man involved was arrested within 24 hours after the video was published online, according to the semiofficial news agency ISNA. He said the dog was receiving treatment.

Sharq Daily tweeted images of the arrested man, his face blurred, in handcuffs, and other pictures of people tending to the wounded and apparently malnourished dog.

            

          .pic.twitter.com/lujGZhpTb4    (@SharghDaily) February 21, 2016

Hamidreza Khildar, who heads the environmental-protection department of the Iranian police, called for the "severest of punishments" for the man because he had "disturbed public opinion" by posting the video online. It wasn't clear if the man himself posted the video, which was later published by rights groups.

He said the man could be sentenced to a fine and up to three months in prison.

The head of the environmental-protection department of Golestan Province, Esmail Mohajer, said the man had become upset after the dog ate his food, prompting the beating.

"This man is a simple-minded individual with little knowledge, he didn't even know that his action was considered a crime," Mohajer was quoted as saying by ISNA.

In an apparent reaction to the incident and the ensuing outcry, an Iranian environmental official said on February 21 that a bill had been presented to the government to ensure the safety of stray animals.

Mohammad Darvish, head of the public-participation and education department of the state environmental-protection organization, told the government news agency IRNA that the adoption of the bill would ensure better treatment of animals.

In 2015, animals-rights activists protested in several cities after footage emerged showing the killing of stray dogs by lethal injection.

The head of Iran's environmental-protection organization, Massoumeh Ebtekar, promised at the time that the government would introduce laws to protect animals.

Pet ownership, particularly of dogs, is reportedly on the rise in Iran despite criticism and disapproval by the country's hard-liners, who have denounced dog ownership as a "blind imitation of decadent Western culture" and called for action against dog owners.



cartoon criticizing killing of a dog by reciting a poem from Rumi

(by Alireza Seddighi, Iranian daily Ghanoon)





Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org



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The Nuclear Deal Implementation Day: Can the Deal with Iran Survive Iranian and US Elections? (part three)

02/23/16

By Farhang Jahanpour, Oxford

Although the implementation of Iranian nuclear deal has been welcomed by all those who had been involved in the negotiations as part of the P5+1, the deal has had many vociferous opponents.





Iranian hardliner Hassan Shaiatmadari, is one of the fiercest critics of the nuclear agreement

(cartoon by Farsheed Rajabali, Iranian daily Ghanoon)





In the United States, the opposition to the Iranian deal has not stopped at verbal denunciation alone. Only one day after the January 16th announcement of the implementation of the deal, the US Treasury unveiled new sanctions on Iran on the excuse that Iran had tested Emad missiles in October, contrary to the Security Council resolutions. These sanctions are at least against the spirit of the nuclear deal as the US had pledged not to impose new sanctions on Iran. First of all, Resolution 2231 had rescinded all nuclear-related resolutions, and the nuclear deal has ensured that Iran has no nuclear weapons.

In December 2015, the US Congress passed a new law seeking to stop terrorists from traveling to the US. The law changed the rules of the visa waivers afforded to citizens of some 38 countries, including a provision that dual citizens from Syria, Iraq, Sudan and Iran or anyone who has visited any of those countries over the past five years must obtain a visa in advance, including an in-person interview, prior to visiting the US. This law would inconvenience many dual Iranian citizens and many other nationals who wish to travel to Iran on business or tourism, thus violating the provisions of the nuclear deal. Iran's name was added to the list at the last moment as a pure act of hatred.

It is no wonder that many Iranian officials say that they do not trust the US. It is clear that such acts are not aimed at improving relations between the two countries and encouraging Iranians to have closer relations with the West.

However, Iran did not waste any time in making the best use of the nuclear deal. The unfreezing of Iranian assets, said to be worth about 100 billion dollars, will help the Iranian economy that has been suffering for years under crippling sanctions. Even before the formal Implementation Day, President Vladimir Putin travelled to Iran in November 2015, his first visit for ten years. The two sides signed many deals on economic cooperation. The Russian engineering company Tekhnopromexport will build a 1.4 GW thermal power plant in Iran and a desalination plant with a capacity of 200,000 cubic meters of water per day near the city of Bandar Abbas. Moscow will extend Tehran a government loan worth 5 billion dollars to cover the implementation of 35 priority projects in the fields of energy, construction, seaports, railway electrification, and others. A further 2 billion dollars in the form of export credits is due to be provided by Russia's State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs. Victor Melnikov, head of the Iran-Russia Trade Council, said that the two countries could boost bilateral trade exchanges to 10 billion dolars in coming years.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was the first foreign leader to visit Tehran following the lifting of international sanctions. During his two-day visit to Iran (22-23 January), the two sides agreed to raise the level of their bilateral trade more than tenfold, from 51.8 billion dollars in 2014 to600 billion dollars in the next 10 years. In an article on the eve of his visit to Iran, the Chinese President referred to the first Iranian delegation that had visited China more than 2,000 years ago, and he referred to the Silk Road that had connected those two ancient lands over many centuries. Presidents Rouhani and Xi oversaw the signing of 17 politico-economic agreements between the two countries worth tens of billions of dollars.

Perhaps even more important than the economic deals was Iran-China's strategic partnership. The Chinese president confirmed his support for Iran to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Iran enjoys a unique geopolitical position, as a link between the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea, between Central Asia and the Caucasus, also linking China and India to Europe, thus acting as a hub for Eurasian integration.

During his visits to Italy and France (25-29 January), the Iranian president signed some 55 billion dollars in deals focused on the hydrocarbons, metals, transport, and automotive sectors. Unquestionably the biggest deal was Iran's purchase of 118 Airbus planes, at a total cost of 25 billion dollars. Iran's transport minister, Abbas Akhoundi, has remarked that Iran is in the market for some 400 medium and long-range planes, as well as 100 shorter-haul aircraft. He also said that Iran was open to deals with American aviation companies.

The wide range of deals across multiple industries highlights the overall appeal of the Iranian market to the world. Iran's 80 million young and educated population, as well as Iran's vast natural resources, have made it the biggest hope for the recovery of a sluggish European economy. Iran owns more than 7 per cent of the total global mineral reserves, ranking first in terms of proven gas and second in terms of oil reserves (fourth if shale oil is also taken into account). Iran also ranks first in the world in terms of zinc, 2nd in copper, 9th in iron, 10th in uranium and 11th in lead mines, as well as possessing 68 different types of minerals.

In addition to all its economic benefits, Europe also sees Iran as a major ally in the battle against ISIS. The world has moved on from the era of sanctions, which were on the point of collapse even prior to the nuclear agreement. It would be futile to try to reverse the global trend and to isolate Iran again. All that the attempts to isolate Iran would do is to push her further into the arms of the Russians and the Chinese, while most Iranians are strongly pro-Western and pro-American. There is a very large community of Iranian-Americans with a vast network of friends and relatives in Iran that could be used to bring Iran closer to the Western orbit. This asset should not be wasted.

It is time for US politicians to realize that past US policies in the Middle East have destabilized the region and have given rise to ISIS and other terrorist groups. They should turn a new leaf and make use of America's soft power, rather than giving priority to military options and regime change.



Note: This article was first published by IPS and it's reprinted here with the author's permission.





The Nuclear Deal Implementation Day: A Win-Win Agreement (part one)

Views Split on Nuclear Deal Implementation (Part Two)



About the author:

Farhang Jahanpour, a TFF Associate and Board member and Fellow of The Royal Asiatic Society, is a former professor and dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at the University of Isfahan and a former Senior Research Fellow at Harvard University. He is a tutor in the Department of Continuing Education and a member of Kellogg College, University of Oxford.








Iranian president receives Azeri counterpart

02/23/16

Source: Press TV

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has officially received his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev who arrived in Tehran Tuesday to discuss boosting relations. The visit is to feature high-level meetings and inking of several documents for cooperation.



Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev (center) arrived in Tehran on Tuesday Feb. 23, 2016

(photo by Islamic Republic News Agency)





Rouhani and Aliyev sat for their first meeting after the welcome ceremony.

Iran and Azerbaijan have been working on a key North-South transport corridor, which is expected to connect Northern Europe to Southeast Asia through their territories.

According to preliminary estimates, the overall capacity of the rail link will be 1.4 million passengers and 5-7 million metric tons of cargo a year.



Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (R) shakes hands with the Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Tehran, Feb. 23, 2016. (photo by

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (R) shakes hands with the Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Tehran, Feb. 23, 2016. (photo by ISNA

Iran is also studying plans to raise its stake in Shah Deniz, the largest natural gas field in Azerbaijan.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said presidents of Switzerland and South Africa will also be visiting Tehran in the next few days.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said he will visit Tehran in April after Rouhani's trip to Rome last month.
The best 2-in-1 laptop 2022: our picks of the best convertible laptops

These are the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy right now
Nikon has made pricey compact cameras beforewhen 1/1.7-inch image sensors were all that you could hope for in a pocket-friendly point-and-shoot the long zooming Coolpix P7800 ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) and its predecessors had their share of devotees. But the 2012 launch of the Sony RX100 ($448.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) set a new bar for the image quality that a pocket camera could deliver with its 20-megapixel 1-inch image sensor.

After four years and several iterations, Sony's RX cameras still set a high bar, and have real competition in the market in cameras like the Canon PowerShot G7 X ($699.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) and Panasonic LX100 ($739.99 at eBay)(Opens in a new window) . Now Nikon is joining the party with three 1-inch sensor models, a good thing for competition and for consumer choice.



Nikon isn't burdening its premium lineup with the somewhat uncool Coolpix designation. Instead it's opting for the more understated DL designation. It's releasing three models at launch, each hitting its own niche. There's some shared tech between themincluding the same 20.8-megapixel 1-inch BSI CMOS image sensor, Raw image capture, a 20fps burst rate with continuous autofocus, 4K video recording support, and Nikon's SnapBridge system, which leverages Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to speed wireless transfer image to your smartphone.



Most photographers are going to look at the mainstream entry in the series first. The pocket-friendly DL 24-85 features a 3.5x zoom ratio, covering a 24-85mm (full-frame equivalent) field of view. It's a fast lens, rated at f/1.8 at the wide end and f/2.8 at its telephoto extreme. Its zoom ratio is a bit more ambitious than the 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 zoom used by our current Editors' Choice compact, the Sony RX100 III ($748.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , but not quite as long as the 24-100mm f/1.8-2.8 zoom used by the Canon G7 X and G5 X ($699.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) .



The DL 24-85 sets itself apart from the crowd with a lens that can focus very close. It has a Super Macro Mode that delivers 1:1 magnification. The macro setting has its own place on the step zoom ring that surrounds the lens, which also has marked positions for 24, 28, 35, 50, 70, and 85mm. The lens is stabilized, offering 4 stops of compensation.



Other on-body controls include a dedicated EV compensation dial and a rear control dial. The rear OLED display can tilt up or down and is sensitive to touch. All three cameras in this series use the same display, which features a 1,037k-dot resolution and is protected by Gorilla Glass.



There's an in-camera flash, as well as a hot shoe that accommodates an add-on electronic viewfinder. The need to use an add-on EVF is a bit of a downer, as Sony has proven that it's possible to incorporate one into a body of this sizethe RX100 III and RX100 IV ($898.00 at Dell)(Opens in a new window) both have them. Those models don't have a hot shoe like the DL 24-85 has, thoughif you want to pair the DL with an external Nikon Speedlight or a PocketWizard ($95.83 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) you'll be able to.



The DL 24-85 is set to ship this summer and is priced at $649.95.



Next up in the lineup is another pocket model. The DL 18-50 is targeted squarely at lovers of ultra-wide angle photography. At the wide end it captures the same field of view as an 18mm lens on a full-frame camera, and it still manages to zoom in to cover the classic standard-angle field of view offered by the 50mm focal length. Like the DL 24-85, the DL 18-50's lens has a variable f/1.8-2.8 aperture and 4 stops of stabilization. It doesn't have an in-camera flash, but it does have a hot shoe with support for the add-on EVF, and a tilting OLED touch display. The DL 18-50's lens is coated with the company's Nano Crystal Coat, the same type of coating used for the company's premium Nikkor lenses.



The DL 18-50 is also shipping in the summer, but its niche design comes with a higher price tag$849.95.

The final DL camera is a larger bridge-style superzoom. The DL 24-500 covers a longer zoom range than the 1-inch Panasonic FZ1000 ($897.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) while maintaining a similar form factor. It's a little larger than the closest model on the Canon side, the Canon G3 X the G3 X zooms to 600mm, but doesn't include a built-in EVF.



The DL 24-500 does have an integrated viewfinder, which is a good thing as it certainly improves the usability when zoomed in. The lens is a variable f/2.8-5.6 aperture design that is stabilized by Nikon's Dual Detect Optical VR system, which provides 5 stops of stabilization.



The larger body has room for more controls, including a rear and top control dials, as well as a dial to adjust exposure compensation. There's a hot shoe and a pop-up flash, a pair of programmable Fn buttons, and a vari-angle display. Videographers looking at the DL 24-500 as a 4K platform will also be happy to know that it includes a microphone input.



Also shipping this summer, the DL 24-500 is the priciest of the trioit'll sell for $999.95.



Despite targeting an upscale market with the DL series, Nikon isn't abandoning Coolpix. It is releasing three new long zoom models this spring, each with the more common 1/2.3-inch sensor size. The bridge-style B500 is priced at $299.95 and includes a 16-megapixel CMOS image sensor, a 40x zoom lens, Wi-Fi, and AA battery powera plus for travelers who may not have access to power outlets in exotic locales and for occasional users who don't want to be without a camera if they neglect to recharge a battery.



The Coolpix B700 features a similar body style to the B500, but adds an EVF. It has a higher-resolution 20-megapixel BSI CMOS image sensor and is powered by a rechargeable battery. Its lens covers a 60x range, it can shoot in Raw format, supports 4K video capture, and includes SnapBridge Wi-Fi. It's priced at $499.95.



Finally, there's a pocket zoom model, the A900. It has a 20-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, a 35x optical zoom lens, a 3-inch tilting rear display, and support for 4K video captureall in a slim form factor. It's priced at $399.95.


While Silicon Valley execs rally around Apple in its stand-off with the FBI, one industry heavyweight is not exactly jumping to Apple's defense: Bill Gates.

"Apple has access to the information, they're just refusing to provide the access," he told the Financial Times(Opens in a new window).

"You shouldn't call the access some special thing," he said, adding that this case is no different from the government asking for phone or bank records. "Any time a bank is told, 'Hey, turn over bank account information,' as soon as they do that on one person, then they're admitting they can do it on many people," Gates said.

In a later interview with Bloomberg(Opens in a new window) (video below), Gates said he was "disappointed" that his comments had been characterized as backing the FBI "because that doesn't state my view on this," but he stopped short of saying Apple should not comply with the court's order.

"The courts are going to decide this, and I think Apple said whatever the court decision is, they'll abide by [it]," Gates said when asked asked what Cupertino should do. "In the meantime, that gives us this opportunity to get the discussion" started.

He urged both sides not to act rashly. "You want to strike that balance [and] set an example" for the rest of the world.

Last week, a Los Angeles District Court judge ruled that the tech titan must assist the U.S. government in the search of an iPhone 5c owned by San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook.

The controversial court order does not explicitly ask Apple to break the phone's encryption, but rather to develop and install a new mobile operating system to allow the government to bypass a setting that wipes the phone after 10 incorrect passcode guesses. The FBI would then use a brute force attack to figure out the phone's passcode and unlock it, without fear of deleting its data.

But Apple CEO Tim Cook says that's a slippery slope, suggesting that a backdoor created for the FBI could very easily land in the hands of those with nefarious intent. Cupertino has already handed over everything it had on the shooter from Apple's servers, but the actual phone is encrypted for security purposes.

Apple fears that if it makes an exception for this case, more requests will follow. Law enforcement agents around the country have already said they have hundreds of iPhone they want unlocked if the FBI wins this case.

"In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks," Cupertino said in a Q&A(Opens in a new window) posted to its website. "Of course, Apple would do our best to protect that key, but  it would be relentlessly attacked by hackers and cybercriminals."

To the contrary, FBI boss James Comey said on Sunday that the government does not "want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land."

Comey and the Bureau seem to have the ear of the American public: According to a recent Pew Research Center study(Opens in a new window), 51 percent of people say Apple should unlock the iPhone; only 38 percent think the company should stand its ground.

Late last week, the Department of Justice filed a motion to force Apple to comply with the court's original order. The agency said it shared the iDevice maker's concerns that information needs to be protected, but insists the FBI's order does not compromise that goal. Apple has until Feb. 26 to submit its response to the court.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 10:30 a.m. ET with more comments from Gates.
Although Apple does not exhibit at Mobile World Congress, the giant trade show in Barcelona, the company casts a long shadow over it.

The iPhone makers influence there extends to app developers, accessory vendors and, now, the debate about securing digital identity.

In a keynote session on security at the show, moderator Michael OHara asked presenters whether they sided with Apple or the U.S. government in the legal dispute over whether Apple should help the Federal Bureau of Investigation unlock an iPhone belonging to the employer of one of the San Bernardino attack suspects.

For Simon Segars, CEO of ARM, the company that designs the microprocessors found in most smartphones, Its a complex situation, there are rights and wrongs.

For the last few years, ARM has been encouraging its customers to adopt better security practices in designing their products. Its processor core designs, including those used by Apple for its iPhone and iPad chips, contain a secure TrustZone for protecting authentication mechanisms and cryptographic keys.

Security experts generally concur that the Secure Enclave found in recent Apple phonesalthough not the iPhone 5c that is causing the FBI so many problemsis built on ARMs TrustZone, although Apple has not commented on the matter.

TrustZone is useful not just to smartphone designers but to anyone building devices that need to maintain the security of communications even when someone has physical access to them.

With the Internet of Things, we are only just getting started when we consider these issues, Segars continued. Now is a good time to ensure we have a legal framework to decide who owns our data.

We believe users should own their data and control who has access to it, but obviously there are some extreme circumstances where you have to look through a different lens, he said, appearing to side with the FBI.

However, Segars didnt explain whether, or how, ARMs TrustZone technology could be circumvented in such extreme circumstances.

For the CEO of biometrics and secure identity company Morpho, Anne Bouverot, the big question is whether security and convenience are compatible.

We want both, she said. We want to be able to use smartphones, we store more money on them than under our mattresses and we have more secrets on them than we tell our best friends.

Privacy is very important but at the same time we want the government to protect us from terrorist attacks.

Bouverot, whose company has many government customers, also gave weight to the FBIs arguments in the dispute over access to the phone used by Syed Rizwan Farook.

The U.S. government wants to look at his employers phone and I think this is also important, she said. Technology has to find a way to give both privacy and security.

Next up was Pavel Durov, CEO of Berlin-based encrypted messaging company Telegram.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said it would be dangerous if the company were to provide the FBI with the tools that could help it to crack the passcode of the iPhone 5c, running iOS 9, by brute force. A court in California has ordered Apple to provide the required assistance to the FBI.

Asked about the Apple vs. FBI case, Durov didnt mince his words: I definitely side with Tim Cook on this, he said to a smattering of applause. Segars and Bouverots responses had been greeted with silence from the audience.

Theres always going to be a risk that your iPhone could be stolen and people could use the data in it against you. If we increase the risk that an iPhone could be unlocked, its extremely dangerous, Durov concluded.

This story was updated on Feb. 24 to correct a quote from Simon Segars, CEO of ARM.
The U.S. National Security Agency could be relying on a seriously flawed machine-learning model to target drone strikes in Pakistan, according to a new analysis of slides uncovered last year by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Published last May by The Intercept, the slides detail the NSAs so-called Skynet program, in which machine learning is apparently used to identify likely terrorists in Pakistan. While its unclear if the machine-learning model has been used in the NSAs real-world efforts, it has serious problems that could put lives at risk if it were, according to Patrick Ball, director of research at the Human Rights Data Analysis Group.

I have no idea if any of this was ever used in actual strikes or even made it into a meeting, Ball said Monday. But nobody rational would use an analysis this crappy for making decisions about who to kill.

Dating back to 2012, the slides describe the use of GSM metadata for behavioral profiling of 55 million cellphone users, including factors such as travel behavior and social networks. Equipped with that data, the model aims to predict which people are likely to be terrorists.

Its no secret that the United States has been using unmanned drones to attack militants in Pakistan over the past decade. Between 2,500 and 4,000 Pakistanis have been killed by drones since 2004, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, a nonprofit news organization. Many of those killed were members of groups such as al Qaeda, the organization said.

General Michael Hayden, former director of the NSA and the CIA, has stated the connection explicitly: We kill people based on metadata.

Particularly troubling, however, is that drones have reportedly killed more than 400 civilians  possibly more than 900  along the way.

Thats where the models specific failings become relevant. First and foremost is that the NSA didnt use nearly enough data about known terrorists to be able to train the model to distinguish terrorists from other people with any reasonable level of accuracy, Ball explained.

In fact, the model was trained using data about just seven known terrorists, according to the slides. Thats totally inadequate, Ball said.

The algorithm itself is fine, he said, but the paucity of data used to train it leads to an unacceptably high chance of false positives, or innocent people classified as terrorists. It it were actually used to direct drone attacks, that would mean the loss of innocent lives.

The NSA is not stupid, and this is a stupid piece of analysis, Ball said. My guess is that this was someone in technical management at NSA selling it up the chain, but it didnt really work  its a failed experiment.

Thats not to say that drone strikes arent going on, or that the possibility that a model like this might be used to direct them isnt concerning.

Yes, there are drone strikes in Pakistan, and yes, they kill innocent people  these things are not in dispute, Ball said. But in the case of this model, all we know is whats on a few slides, and thats worrisome.

The NSA did not respond to a request for comment.
Mastercard is working on a new app that provides extra security when buying things online. But instead of just demanding a password, the app will offer to verify your identify with a selfie.

The app is coming this summer for phones, tablets, and PCs, and will be available in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, the BBC reports. Mastercard has been testing these capabilities since last summer.

With selfie checks, users will have to blink for the camera to prevent against spoofing the system with a photo. Alternatively, users will be able to verify themselves with a fingerprint, through systems like Apples Touch ID. Mastercard says it will transmit this data in a way that cant be stolen or used by scammers.

In most cases, online purchases dont require extra verification, and simply entering credit card details is enough. But on occasion, Mastercard may ask for a password when it suspects a fraudulent transaction. Users who have Mastercards app installed will receive a notification, asking them to pose for the camera or scan their fingerprint. (Whether users actually take the time to install this app is another matter.)

The idea is to create a more convenient system for verifying identity, allowing the credit card company to prevent fraud more often. As the BBC notes, the costs of fraud typically get passed onto merchants in the form of higher transaction fees, so a better system could potentially lower those fees (or yield greater profits for the credit card company).

Why this matters: Biometric identification is quickly becoming the norm on mobile devices, as both iOS and Android now support in-app payments with just a fingerprint. Mastercards plan sounds like a catch-all for websites that dont have biometric capabilities built-in, and for phones that dont have fingerprint readers. Although selfie-based verifications arent foolproof, they at least provide an extra layer of protection against stolen credit card details.
ADELANTO  On a Wednesday night in December, investors from Orange County and Los Angeles descended on a crumbling outpost that, until then, many had only unwittingly driven past on the way to Las Vegas.

The outsiders and residents alike packed Adelanto City Hall, eager to weigh in on the City Councils ongoing debate over its new marijuana ordinance. But when the city attorney announced that Don Kojima of Newport Beach had scored 47 acres of prime city-owned land for just $375,000, men in pricey suits began shouting out offers to pay 10 times that much.

Welcome to the unlikely land rush that is transforming this desert town.

Adelanto, known 80 years ago for its fruit trees, is tying its star to another agricultural boom. In November, it became the second city in Southern California to permit commercial cultivation of medical marijuana.

Since then, land prices have skyrocketed as 27 companies secured permits to grow cannabis in Adelanto warehouses. Two more applications are pending.

If the city approves conditional use permits, the first several thousand of a potential half-million square feet of marijuana could be growing in Adelanto by summer. At full production, cultivators could churn out roughly 50,000 pounds of marijuana up to six times a year to service Californias growing medical marijuana industry.

RELATED: Marijuana growers, like one Costa Mesa company, look to produce pot out in the desert

Adding to the surreal scene playing out here are reports of celebrity tie-ins.

Ky-Mani Marley, one of Bob Marleys sons, has already signed on to license a strain of cannabis that will be grown there, according to Freddy Sayegh, the attorney on the project. Tommy Chong has also shown interest. So has B-Real of Cypress Hill fame, plus other high-profile musicians and professional athletes whose names are being kept under wraps.

The rush comes as California rolls out its Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, which creates a licensing program for cannabis businesses including cultivators. But investors are also looking toward November, when California voters are expected to legalize recreational marijuana  with the Golden State projected to dwarf the nearly $1 billion brought in by Colorados adult-use market in 2015.

In Adelanto, supporters see acceptance of an industry thats still shunned elsewhere as confirmation that the city is living up to its name, which means progress in Spanish.

Tomorrow, theyll be on the correct side of history and be recognized as a city that actually embraced safety and embraced something that heals people, said Randall Longwith, a Fullerton attorney whos representing 12 Adelanto investors.

In my personal opinion, local real estate agent Elizabeth Brown said, this is going to save Adelanto.

Others, though, see the move as an act of desperation, with the desert city an easy target for yet another controversial industry after years of facing insolvency.

Its just a way for the government to make money, Tina Owens, 50, said as she loaded her trunk with groceries from Adelantos only supermarket.

ONE TOWN, FOUR PRISONS

Until last fall, Adelanto was known, if at all, as a prison town.

Its first prison was built in 1991, as the city braced itself for the closure of nearby George Air Force Base.

That didnt stop Adelantos long slide into high unemployment and depressed property values. More than a third of the citys nearly 33,000 residents now live below the poverty line. So it kept welcoming more prisons, banking on the promise of jobs and steady revenue in the form of an annual bed tax.

There are now four prisons within city limits that house some 3,340 county, state and federal inmates. Another 1,000-bed prison is expected to come up for a vote March 1, city planner Mark de Manincor said. But Adelanto only takes in $160,000 each year from the prisons, which employ roughly 680 people combined.

Other development schemes also came up short. Green-energy developers targeted Adelanto in hopes of covering its 56 square miles of desert in solar panels that would sell power to utilities. But just four of those projects have panned out, de Manincor said, yielding 400 acres of solar panels, one-time development fees and a handful of jobs.

In 2010, teetering on bankruptcy, Adelanto sold its first prison, which had been run by the state, to the private firm GEO Group for $28 million. That one-time revenue is still sustaining the city, though the cash is quickly running out.

Adelanto declared a fiscal emergency and floated a 7.95 percent utility tax on the November 2014 ballot. Residents, whose median household income is just $38,768, responded with a resounding no.

Then came promises of a new kind of boom.

IT WAS BROKE

Although California legalized medical marijuana in 1996, its still rare to find a city that permits commercial cultivation.

What that does is it forces people to operate on an underground level, with zero regulation, zero tax structure, zero accountability, said Sayegh, a Los Angeles-based attorney whos spearheading three Adelanto projects. You might as well accept it, regulate, tax it, keep pesticides out of it and allow it to thrive.

Desert Hot Springs became the first Southern California city to allow large-scale grows in 2014. Those facilities are just starting to come online in the Coachella Valley city, with five approved and seven pending.

When investors started talking to Adelanto about cultivation, nearly all of the City Council was against it. The exception was John Bug Woodard Jr.

I had nothing to lose, said Woodard, a real estate agent with flowing gray hair who hosts the Woodystock Blues Festival on his desert ranch. The city could not get in any worse shape than it was. It was broke.

After a year of heated meetings  featuring disapproving school district and public safety leaders  Woodard couldnt persuade the City Council to approve dispensaries. But on Nov. 23, the council voted 4-1 to allow cultivation.

The citys ordinance limits grows to enclosed spaces with nondescript signs. They cant be within 2,500 feet of schools, parks or churches. Applicants have to go through background checks and promise to install security cameras and alarms.

The ordinance also says cultivation permits are only good for 12 months. That drew concern from some applicants, nervous about investing so much money with only a yearlong guarantee.

If youre doing everything appropriately, then there should be no reason that you dont have your license renewed, said Longwith, the attorney representing a dozen investors. Theyre putting their neck on the line, so I think they deserve some reassurances.

Adelanto originally talked about granting just six permits. At the last minute, the council decided to let zoning dictate the limit, allowing as many cultivation facilities as can fit in three industrial parks that total more than 21 million square feet.

One park  the acreage Kojima bought  is vacant. The other two are a mix of empty parcels and large warehouses, with some 44 manufacturing businesses that are about to get a flood of unusual neighbors.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

A wide range of characters has joined Adelantos land rush.

The owners of Fat Jacks Bar and Grill in neighboring Apple Valley have snatched up property to build a cultivation facility.

Medical marijuana dispensaries Organix out of Santa Ana and East L.A. Caregivers have thrown their hats into the ring. So has Anaheim Hills real estate developer Manooch Khanbeigi.

Kojima, a soft-spoken man whos done speculative development in Southern California for 40 years, is expected to build multiple warehouses to lease to growers. He paid so little for the property because the city believed it had to price at its assessed value, following a conflict with the state over redevelopment funds.

Joseph Brady, president of the commercial real estate firm the Bradco Companies, said that before Adelanto voted to allow cultivation hed get one call a week with people interested in buying land or buildings. Since the September vote, hes been averaging five calls a day.

Ive had a brokers license since March 1980, Brady said. I have never in my life seen anything like this happen.

One plot was valued at $1.5 million before the zoning changed to allow cultivation, he said; now its in escrow for $4 million.

Brown, whos with Lee & Associates, said land that was going for 50 to 90 cents per square foot is now going for $12 to $14.

With banks still unwilling to serve medical marijuana businesses due to federal laws against the drug, most land buyers are paying cash, Brown said.

Federal laws killed one deal Brady was working, where a building owner planned to lease space to two cultivators. When the landlord heard the government could seize land used to facilitate a federal crime, he quickly backed out.

But Sayegh told a group of investors, cultivators, doctors, architects and record executives who flew across the country Tuesday for a tour of three Adelanto facilities that they wont have to fear raids since theyll be complying with city and state laws.

PUSHING ASIDE DRONES

Sayeghs Adelanto Research Technologies  in a massive warehouse that was home to Cabo Yachts until the company left town in 2010  will focus on cultivating exclusive strains of cannabis for distribution throughout the state.

Ecologies Laboratories says it will focus on medical research, with biochemist Kang Hsu hoping to study how cannabis can be used to calm pediatric epilepsy, shrink brain tumors and ward off PTSD in veterans.

Those lofty plans won over the owner of a building thats long been leased for storage to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which makes the Predator drone. Rather than renew the defense companys lease, the landlord opted to give the space to Ecologies Laboratories.

General Atomics also uses several other buildings in town, employing some 250 people, and the city hopes to find it another property, de Manincor said. Still, the company has threatened to pull out of Adelanto altogether.

We are currently weighing our options as a result of the citys inability to recognize the negative impact of this ordinance on Adelantos second-largest employer, General Atomics spokeswoman Kimberly Kasitz said in an email.

Adelanto has already raked in $203,000 in permit application fees. And the city should see a bump in its meager property tax revenue as land values rise.

The real money, though, will come in November if voters approve a tax on cultivation facilities.

The city took a risk in permitting cultivation without first having a tax structure in place. And cultivators wont know what tax rate theyll face until many have already invested heavily in development, since details of the tax are still being drafted.

It looks like everyone who touches marijuana is in this green rush and making millions of dollars. But in reality, high taxes can just crush these businesses, Longwith said.

MILLIONS AT STAKE

Under the tax structure imposed in Desert Hot Springs, cultivation is taxed at $25 for the first 3,000 square feet and $10 for each square foot after that. If it adopted that approach, Adelanto might make more than $6 million each year from the first 27 cultivators. (By way of context, the citys entire general fund budget this fiscal year is $13 million.)

Longwith calls that tax structure onerous. But de Manincor recommends Adelanto take an even tougher stance, not slashing the tax after 3,000 square feet. He feels doing that creates an unfair advantage for large cultivators.

If all Adelanto growers paid $25 per square feet, the city would rake in $12 million a year from the 27 permitted cultivators.

The city may feel emboldened now, with so few cities permitting cultivation. But competition is expected to increase soon. Brown points to two unnamed cities in Riverside County and many others throughout the state that are considering similar regulations. And those numbers are expected to jump if Californians vote this fall to legalize recreational use.

More pot-friendly cities might have to compete for cultivators. But for now, all eyes are on Adelanto.

This will bring millions and millions and millions of dollars flowing into our city, Woodard said. Adelanto is going to blow everyones mind. Were going to blow the entire worlds mind.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7963 or bstaggs@ocregister.com
Riverside City Attorney Gary Geuss and Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin have until March 11 to figure out how they might be able to work together to address misdemeanor, quality-of-life crimes in the city of Riverside. Should they fail to do so, the Riverside City Council will place a proposal on the June ballot to transform the role of the City Attorneys Office to that of a city prosecutor responsible for addressing misdemeanors in the city.

The idea of a city prosecutor is certainly not unheard of. Cities across Southern California, including Los Angeles, Long Beach and Santa Monica, have taken responsibility for prosecuting misdemeanors. But it is a major responsibility, a significant expansion of the powers of the unelected city attorney and a potentially costly endeavor.

City officials, motivated by a desire to more aggressively confront quality-of-life crimes, have discussed the idea of a city prosecutor since Mr. Geuss assumed the position of city attorney last year.

While the details of the precise chain of events vary according to who is telling the story, the city convened discussions with Mr. Hestrin over a cooperative effort to better tackle low-level crimes in Riverside, but at some point discussions fell apart. Though both sides seemed open to a proposal by Mr. Hestrin to train a handful of city attorneys and have them work out of the district attorneys office, under his offices control, the city insisted on having greater control over those city attorneys.

On Feb. 9, the City Council voted 4-3 to place The Riverside Criminal Prosecution and Crime Reduction Measure on the ballot, under the condition that discussions resume between the two offices. The narrow vote and the obvious need for more discussion concerns us that the city is needlessly rushing into a significant transformation of the powers of City Hall without giving reasonable alternatives a chance.

Mr. Hestrin has since reiterated to the city that his offer stands. Further, Mr. Hestrin insists the city attorney will have more power under such an arrangement than Mr. Geuss seems to think.

Were inclined to suggest the city takes up Mr. Hestrin on his offer. If it turns out that Mr. Hestrin has misrepresented the arrangement, or that it fails to accomplish what the city wants to accomplish, then the city would be on much better footing to pitch the idea of a city prosecutor to residents. There is simply no reason to rush this.
A year-and-a-half old ethics complaint that Riverside Councilman Paul Davis filed against Mayor Rusty Bailey may be resolved this week, just as the 2016 mayors race gets underway.

Bailey is seeking re-election and Davis has been campaigning to replace him.

In the August 2014 complaint, Davis alleged that Bailey violated the city charter and other regulations by denying him public information about city employees. He also alleged that Bailey yelled at and was disrespectful to him when they discussed the matter on a city trip to China.

Bailey has said he did nothing improper and disagreed with how Davis characterized the incident in China. We had a discussion at a breakfast table, said Bailey, who added that he wouldnt call it an argument.

The filing period for mayoral hopefuls opened Feb. 15 and closes March 11.

Ethics complaints have typically been heard within a few months of filing by a panel convened for the purpose. But less than two months after Davis submitted his complaint, the council put pending complaints on hold and appointed an ad hoc committee to overhaul the ethics code and hearing process.

The committee has finished its work but has not brought its recommendations to the council. But a city lawyer recently said two pending complaints must be heard under the rules in place when they were filed, unless the filer and the subject of the complaint agree to use the proposed new rules.

This month, the council voted unanimously, but without comment, to schedule a hearing on Davis complaint. It is set for 3 p.m. Wednesday in the mayors ceremonial room at Riverside City Hall, 3900 Main St.

The other complaint, filed by a Fontana resident against City Councilman Andy Melendrez, may be heard in March.

With the filing period for mayoral candidates just having opened, the timing of the ethics hearing is awkward.

If you look at when these ethics complaints are filed youll see that many of them are during  election times, said Bailey, who declined to comment on whether he believes Davis filing was politically motivated.

Davis denied that politics played a part in the situation.

This is a 2-year-old issue, he said. It happened way before I even decided to run for office.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9461 or arobinson@pressenterprise.com
A blaring train horn prompted the arrest of a 45-year-old Victorville woman whom deputies say managed to enter a parked locomotive and refused to come out during the racket.

Shawna Marone was apprehended Sunday, Feb. 21, along the 16800 block of D Street, north of Interstate 15, sheriffs officials said in a written statement.

A deputy was investigating complaints of a train horn that had been sounding continuously for more than 10 minutes  at about 2 a.m. When the deputy arrived, the locomotives lights were illuminated and the horn was still blaring.

Marone refused to come out, officials say, so the deputy found an unlocked door and arrested her. She is accused of moving a locomotive, or causing it to be moved, without authorization. Though a sheriffs spokeswoman couldnt explain exactly how that misdemeanor charge applies to the noisy encounter.

Marone was released from custody after signing a promise to appear in court.
Re: Some Catholics back popes comments [Local, Feb. 19]: So the pope criticized Donald Trump for wanting to build a wall to secure Americas border. Quite hypocritical, since the popes own house and city is fortified by giant stone walls. Maybe the pope should tear down this wall, allowing a flood of immigrants, vagrants and who knows what else, to invade his home. People who live in glass houses, or in this case a glass pope-mobile, should not throw stones.

Brad Willason

Redlands

Obama hypocritical

Re: We, the people, have spoken [Letters, Feb. 22]: Yes, Mr. Lassoff and Mr. Mendoza, we the people have spoken in regard to the nomination of our next Supreme Court justice. We the people handed two overwhelming midterm election victories to the Republicans. And quite honestly, those of us that are paying attention have had enough of hope and change.

The people gave Republicans the constitutional power of advice and consent. And you should also note that no president in the last eight decades has nominated a new justice in his last year in office.

Remember, the always eloquent Sen. Chuck Schumer told us in July 2007 that, with 18 months remaining in his last term, President Bush had absolutely no business nominating a new justice. So why is it OK for President Obama to do it? Also remember the words of another eloquent Democrat, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, when she famously stated, Elections have consequences.

Yes, indeed they do.

Mike Talarico

Riverside
When hes not working his main job as service manager at a car dealership, Riverside resident Justin Bottrell is hunting poisonous snakes around the world.

His exploits are featured on Venom Hunters, a new Discovery series that airs Wednesday nights through March 23.

People ask, Whats the most dangerous snake? The most dangerous snake is the one that bites you, said Bottrell, 35.

He was bitten once, on the fingertip, while feeding a caged Moorish viper in Florida a decade ago.

Luckily it was a dry bite, but it freaked the heck out of me. I was scared because thereve only been a few people whove been bitten by them, and some of them died.

A garter snake he found at age 6 sparked Bottrells fascination with the creatures. He began hunting venomous snakes at 17.

I like the venomous ones because theyre so dangerous and I just like the danger involved in catching one, he said.

When he was 19, Bottrell met veteran snake hunter Ed Chapman, who became his mentor and is also featured on the show. The two have scientific collecting permits that allow them to catch snakes for laboratories that milk the venom and sell it for development of antivenin.

Bottrell hunts snake hotspots in the Corona Hills, San Diego, Lancaster and Phelan, and elsewhere with Chapman, who transports the snakes by vehicle to labs in Florida. Bottrells employer, Moss Bros. in Moreno Valley, allows him to take time off work when an order for snakes comes in.

On Venom Hunters, the two battle through the swampy Dead Lakes area of Florida in search of three cottonmouths.

Jack Facente, who owns the Agritoxins venom lab in Saint Cloud, Fla., relies on Bottrell and Chapman to supply him with coral snakes from the southeastern United States. He pays them about $35 per snake.

The pair sell other types of venomous snakes to another Florida lab, Biotoxins Inc.

Facente keeps dozens of the red, yellow and black coral snakes in clear acrylic boxes. He feeds them baby food and vitamins through a tube inserted into their stomachs because they wont eat in captivity.

To milk their venom, Facente holds each snake behind the head and allows the animal to bite the edge of a test tube covered with a latex sheath to release a drop of the golden liquid. The venom is freeze-dried and reduced to powder, which is sold to pharmaceutical companies for antivenin development and medical research.

Only a fraction of snake bites in the United States are from coral snakes. The majority of bites are from North American pit vipers, which include rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths.

Antivenin for those bites, CroFab, costs about $2,400 per vial, and victims require an average of 14 vials, said Dr. Sean Bush, a snakebite expert at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C.

Contact the writer: jzimmerman@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9586
The CEO of the owner of the Los Angeles Times has reportedly been fired in a boardroom coup orchestrated by a partner he recently brought into Tribune Publishing.

Jack Griffin was ousted from the chief executive role at the newspaper publisher by new non-executive chairman Michael Ferro, industry analyst Ken Doctor reported Monday night on the Politico website where he is a regular contributor. Doctor reported the official announcement was expected to be made Tuesday morning.

Chicago investor Ferro took a board-level post at Tribune earlier this month after he invested $44 million for a 16.6 percent stake in Tribune, which also owns the Chicago Tribune and the San Diego Union-Tribune. Griffin was embarking on a controversial strategy to expand the companys Southern California holdings.

Tribune acquired the San Diego paper last year and has said it will be a bidder for the Orange County Register and The Press-Enterprise, owned by bankrupt Freedom Communications, which is auctioning off its assets in a court-supervised auction next month.

It is unclear what impact, if any, the reported CEO change at Tribune Publishing may have on the sale of Freedoms two newspapers. Freedom asked the Bankruptcy Court on Monday for more time to exclusively file its bankruptcy plan, noting that it will have more work to do after the newspaper auction is completed by March 31.
With political attention focused on the Nevada caucuses and the South Carolina primaries, Iowa and New Hampshire are rapidly disappearing in the medias rear-view mirror. But before we bury ourselves in more current analyses and prognostications, it might be well to consider the peculiar order of Americas primary lineup.

I thought about this because I recently came across a post raising an issue I had not previously considered; that the choice of Iowa and New Hampshire as the sites of our earliest political primaries operates to support racismor at least white privilegein American life.

This is my epiphany of 2016. Our primary system  like the rest of our political system  is one more example of the racism we so deeply entrench and protect. I dont pretend that moving the first primaries to more representative states would end racism, but, like pulling down Confederate flags, it couldnt hurt.

In defense of this conclusion, he points to media coverage of the Iowa and New Hampshire primariescoverage strongly suggesting that the results from these two states tells us something important about the desires of the American people and he places the outsized importance attributed to those contests alongside voting requirements, slating, and gerrymandering, as examples of structures designed to exclude minorities and protect white privilege.

Frankly, it would difficult to find two states less representative of America than Iowa and New Hampshire. Only 3% of Iowans and 1% of New Hampshire residents are black in contrast to 13% of the nation. Only 5% of Iowans and 3% of New Hampshire residents are Latino in contrast to 17% of the rest of America. Indeed, having our first primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire is a little like reserving the front of the political bus for whites only. When the political parties suggest America has spoken in Iowa and New Hampshire, they imply that white America- the America that really matters to them  has spoken. Indeed, Iowa and New Hampshire represent an America that hasnt existed for two hundred years. Thirty-six percent of Iowans and forty percent of New Hampshire residents live in rural communities while only 19% of Americans are rural dwellers. Claiming white farmers and woodsmen are the most politically important people in our nation may have made some demographic sense in the 1800s, but it is patently ridiculous and racist in 2016. Allowing the opinions of whites in Iowa and New Hampshire to have such an inordinate influence on our national election is wrong.

I am less inclined to attribute the structures the author identifies to conscious racism; they are equally likely to be a result of partisanship and happenstance. That said, his larger point is worth considering: although this country has eliminated most of the legal disadvantages and inequities that operated to tilt the playing field in favor of white Americans, even people of good will have yet to recognizelet alone disassemblethe myriad social structures that facilitate racist practices and foster racist assumptions and stereotypes.

There are actually all sorts of good reasons to revisit the importance of the Iowa and New Hampshire primariesreasons having little or nothing to do with race. Even if one finds the post unpersuasive, even if moving the primaries to more representative states wouldnt really represent a blow against racism, the author is clearly right about one thing: it sure couldnt hurt.

[Originally published at SheilaKennedy.net on February 21, 2016]

Peacock Panache readers:

Sheila Kennedy is a former high school English teacher, former lawyer, former Republican, former Executive Director of Indianas ACLU, former columnist for the Indianapolis Star, and former young person. She is currently an (increasingly cranky) old person, a Professor of Law and Public Policy at Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis, and Director of IUPUIs Center for Civic Literacy. She writes for the Indianapolis Business Journal, PA Times, and the Indiana Word, and blogs at www.sheilakennedy.net. For those who are interested in more detail, links to an abbreviated CV and academic publications can be found on her blog, along with links to her books..

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On the heels of promoting their get out of jail free RFRA legislation, the West Virginia GOP  via Senator Craig Blair (R-Berkeley,15)  just introduced a joint resolution that would amend the state constitution to abolish local government ability to decide its own non-discrimination policies. SJR13  also known as No Protected Class Amendment  is meant To prohibit adoption and enforcement of a local law, ordinance, resolution, rule or policy that creates a protected classification or promotes discrimination on a basis not contained in state law, recognizing that all life is equal from conception to the grave.

This is an open attack on the eight municipalities (INCLUDING HARPERS FERRY) that have passed local nondiscrimination ordinances to protect their LGBT citizens from harmful discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, said Harpers Ferry Recorder Kevin Cardin (who was recognized by the Victory Fund & Institute in 2009 as West Virginias first out LGBT elected official). He added, The West Virginia Constitution specifically allows local governments to pass laws that they feel best serve their communities. It is clear that Senator Blair, who is the Chair of the Government Organization Committee, wants to abolish democracy in its purest form.

While the legislation has overt anti-abortion tones (specifically mentioning from conception to the grave several times throughout the brief resolution) its intent cannot be ignored. The resolution draws attention to it specifically when it states, The purpose of this resolution is ensure that businesses, organizations and employers doing business in West Virginia are subject to uniform nondiscrimination laws and obligations.

Rather than expand state-level definitions to incorporate local level protections, the West Virginia GOP would rather violate the very spirit of democracy in order to implement the same dogmatic religious freedom ideology running rampant throughout the state and nation.

Arkansas implemented its own version of this amendment last year (though it was less blatantly called The Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act). Passed without the governors signature, the bill (called Act 137) still faces legal challenges as cities like Fayetteville fight for the right to govern their city without state intervention.

Before that, Tennessee passed the Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act in 2011 with similar results. Both Arkansas and Tennessee were able to get away with passing their versions of the law since they did not specifically target the LGBT community in the wording of their bills.

It wasnt so with Colorados version (struck down in 1996 by the Supreme Court). In the case of that discriminatory law, the court argued law cannot be said to be directed to an identifiable legitimate purpose or discrete objective. They added, the Colorado law raises the inevitable inference that it is born of animosity toward the class that it affects.

While individual legal suits on the new wave of laws written broadly enough to pass initial constitutional muster will eventually make it to the Supreme Court, LGBT people in places like Harpers Ferry will suffer in the meantime.

As an interesting aside: In his statement on the resolution, Carden noted:

Resolution 13 is an OBVIOUS retaliation against the the City Councils in Lewisburg and Martinsburg that recently passed LGBT-inclusive ordinances unanimously. SENATOR BLAIR IS A RESIDENT OF MARTINSBURG. This action provides even more evidence that this Legislature is fostering a culture of discrimination against LGBT West Virginians and it sends another message to the world that LGBT people are not welcome in the Mountain State.

Should the SJR13 pass through the legislature it will go to the citizens of West Virginia for a vote during this years fall election cycle.

[H/T Kevin Carden]

Peacock Panache readers:

Tim Peacock is the Managing Editor and founder of Peacock Panache and has worked as a civil rights advocate for over twenty years. During that time hes worn several hats including leading on campus LGBTQ advocacy in the University of Missouri campus system, interning with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and volunteering at advocacy organizations. You can learn more about him at his personal website.

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ArtBoy Gallery curator Marc Huntington is quite pleased with the number of dicks his space has assembled.

As his Melbourne gallery prepares to host a world-first IRL exhibition of Drawing Dicks On The Herald Suns hard copies, he told PEDESTRIAN.TV anything that gets somebodys creative juices flowing is a good thing.

Flow is an understatement, of course. At time of writing, the now-iconic Facebook page has amassed over 375,000 followers. Thats nearing half of the actual papers daily readership. And that number is there solely to have a giggle at a cavalcade of engorged members.

Despite his role as a professional artistic conduit, Huntington isnt immune to having a laugh either.

He said many of the artworks  nearing 50 at last count, up from the original 20 hand-picked pieces  are still under wraps after being professionally framed, but thats not stopping him from sneaking some peeks.

Its hard to have a straight face, he said, before waxing lyrical on the masses of penile penstrokes.

The penmanship or the brushwork is beautiful. These arent crudely drawn doodles from a textbook, quite a lot of these people are established artists, he said, referencing the likes of one Johnathan Guthmann, whose Gothic stylings transcend, well, drawing wangs on newsprint.

The bar is set quite high in the exhibition. I can look at it like that, and then as a giggling teenager, Huntington said.

Still, detailed dongs alone do not an exhibition make. The display is the spawn of documentary filmmaker Larry Boxshall, whose massive input Huntington hasnt envied.

Working with the pages originators Dylan Merritt and Jeremy Bassett, Boxshall was tasked with choosing the works; as part of his duties to the exhibition, hes also been flying interstate to interview artists involved for a flick on the knob-phenomena.

Drawing Dicks On The Herald Sun: The Documentary promo #1 from Larry Boxshall on Vimeo.

Adding to the carnal fun is the knowledge the films climax will be sourced from footage taken on the exhibitions closing night.

Before then, Huntington said visitors can expect to peep some searingly topical pieces, including one featuring a certain Cardinal Pell. Despite the ability of wanton cocks to spruik current issues, Huntington maintains the artform has its short, curly roots in antiquity.

Nudes and genitalia have been on display since man starting drawing on cave walls, he said. Of course, its the Facebook wall thats catapulted dick-drawing helmet-first into the 21st Century.



As Huntington says: dont bring the children along. Dont expect anything other than what the exhibitions about, and youll see some amazing penmanship and penwomanship.

Photo: Brent Andersen / Drawing Dicks On The Herald Sun / Facebook.
Bulls Head

The Bulls Head Public House in Lititz was named one of the Great American Beer Bars in an online survey. (File photo, PennLive)

(CHRIS KNIGHT, The Patriot-News)

The Bulls Head Public House in Lititz has, once again, been singled out as one of the best craft beer bars in the country, according to a CraftBeer.com poll.

And the Lancaster County bar has been picked, for the second time since 2014, as the best in Pennsylvania in the annual Great American Beer Bars survey held by CraftBeer.com, a Brewers Association website.

To pick the best beer bars in 50 states and Washington D.C., CraftBeer.com asked readers to nominate favorite craft beer bars and include information on the bar's atmosphere, staff, beer selection and events. Between August and December, more than 9,000 votes were cast for the survey, according to a news release on the survey.

Bulls Head is modeled after a traditional British pub, and it include 14 rotating beers on tap, two cask-conditioned ales and 80 bottled beers, according to CraftBeer.com's winner's list.

Check out the full list below.
Calls for school board president William Murry's resignation continue in Manheim Township, more than a week after he refused to step down amid allegations of transparency law violations and a mounting public backlash.

Murry stood his ground and refused to remove himself in a meeting earlier this month in which petitions containing more than 1,700 combined signatures calling for his resignation were presented to the board by members of the public.

On Thursday, residents renewed calls for his ouster and vowed to continue to look for ways to force him out if he does not remove himself voluntarily.

But can they?

William Murry

Experts say the answer is both complicated and case specific.

In Murry's case, the backlash stems, in large part, from a leaked audio recording made during a recent closed door meeting of the board. In it, Murry is reportedly heard instructing members in how to conduct their search for a new superintendent without public scrutiny and outside of the requirements of the Sunshine Act -- a state law requiring transparency in government.

At least, that's how many on the outside heard it.

LancasterOnline, the news site which broke the story, quoted Murry as saying on the recording: "Tonight we are not going to deliberate the search firms. I want you to go home and think about it. I will discuss your particular feelings or which one you want on an individual basis. One by one. Part of this is to keep our butts out of a wringer ... If we don't deliberate, the meeting isn't subject to Sunshine. OK? That's the point."

The public response was swift, with outraged parents and students calling it a blatant violation of their trust and the law.

But not everyone is so sure.

The argument boils down to whether an actual violation occurred and whether Murry's apparent interest in circumventing the law is enough to constitute a breach. Those defending Murry also question the legality of the leaked recording.

Whether right or wrong, some are construing his instructions to board members on that recording as a possibly misguided attempt at arranging a "straw vote," or an informal poll of board members prior to a public vote taking place, something allowed under the Sunshine Act in certain situations.

Whether this was one of those situations, however, remains open to debate.

"The situation (LancasterOnline) reported on didn't sound like a straw poll, it sounded like intentional avoidance of a quorum to thwart public access under the Sunshine Act," Melissa Melewsky, Media Law Counsel with the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, said. Melewsky added that the act of recruiting firms to lead the superintendent search was an inappropriate subject for a closed-door, executive session in the first place.

But even if a concrete Sunshine Act violation is found to have taken place -- local and county law enforcement are both investigating the matter currently -- it's unlikely that this would be enough to remove Murry from office without his consent.

Melewsky said Sunshine Act violations, if they occur, do not alone permit removal of an elected official from office. That process is instead governed by the Pennsylvania Constitution and Sunshine Act violations do not give rise to that process, she added.

Under the state's constitution, school board members can be removed for serious misbehavior in office or convictions for "infamous crimes," including all felonies and some misdemeanors that, in a broad sense, relate to dishonesty. This according to Emily Leader, senior deputy general counsel with the Pennsylvania School Board Association.

Sunshine Act violations, meanwhile, are only summary offenses punishable by a fine of between $100 and $1,000 for a first offense.

"Misbehavior in office would extend to behavior such as malfeasance or nonfeasance, again, very, very serious misconduct," Leader said, adding "(The Sunshine Act) is simply not an infamous crime or misbehavior in office as contemplated by the Pennsylvania Constitution, in my opinion."

Leader went on to say that even multiple proven Sunshine Act violations are unlikely to lead to removal from office without something additional. This has helped feed public perceptions of the law as toothless and entirely too vague.

Proven Sunshine Act violations, she added, require "showing that an individual participated in a meeting with the intent and purpose of violating the law. Thus, you have to still prove the person acted with criminal intent beyond a reasonable doubt."

Leader declined to discuss specifics of the Manheim Township case without access to the entire leaked recording.

She said there are additional grounds for removal of school board members, namely violations of state constitution or school code provisions including those having to do with refusing to perform duties set forth in the public school code; failing to be sworn in; failing to attend a certain number of meetings without an excuse; moving out of the region or school district while still governing it; and holding an incompatible office while also failing to resign that office.

According to state law and the state Department of Education, under Section 318 of the PA School Code, a petition to remove a school board director, like that circulating in Manheim Township, "may be presented if a school board director refuses or neglects to perform any duty imposed on him or her by the School Code."

It goes on to state that the "Court of Common Pleas in which the school district is located will rule on removal, and any person removed from office may not be eligible to serve as a school director for a period of five years thereafter."

But experts say the process is far more complicated than it sounds, and with a higher threshold for wrongdoing than is implied.

This means even school code violations are often not enough to warrant removal of the offending official.

In the end, Leader said there are few scenarios in Pennsylvania where an official can be removed by popular demand. Even fewer exist under the state's Sunshine Act.

Pennsylvania law, she said, intentionally restricts the public's ability to take action in cases like these, adding "It's very difficult to remove people from elected office in Pennsylvania. There are no recalls, and this is on purpose so people can't do this (remove someone from office) for differences of opinion."

But this will likely do little to slow the calls for Murry's resignation in Manheim Township. Although, with little in the way of legal recourse, the appeals will likely continue to focus on coaxing him to relinquish the reins on his own, something he has vowed not to do.

In a Feb. 11 board meeting, resident Renee Heller, who spearheaded the petition drive calling for Murry's resignation, told him, "If you do indeed have the best interest of our district in mind, as you have claimed to, then you will voluntarily resign tonight because trust has been broken and it's too far gone to be restored as long as you're on the board."

Murry was succinct in his response, telling Heller and the hundreds of her supporters in attendance, "Unfortunately, Renee, you're not going to get what you came for."

Monthly meetings of the board are held at 7 p.m. on the second and third Thursday of each month.

UPDATE: This article has been updated to clarify comments attributed to Melissa Melewsky of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. It has also been updated to include mention of legality questions around the origins of the leaked audio recording.
HARRISBURG- The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the investigation into a burglary at the National Civil War Museum where three historic firearms were stolen.

Gene Barr, vice president of the museum's board, confirmed the FBI's involvement and said museum officials were told the agency is helping local police since the burglary involved the theft of art.

The FBI runs a national computerized index of stolen art and cultural property, known as the National Stolen Art File. The Simon Cameron pistols and rifle stolen Feb. 14 from the museum in Harrisburg were not yet listed as stolen in the NSAF database as of Monday afternoon, at least according to a check of the online search engine. The guns were worth upwards of $650,000, according to a antique firearms expert.

The database consists of images and physical descriptions of stolen and recovered objects, in addition to investigative case information, according to the FBI website.

The search for the stolen firearms and the investigation into the surgical break-in at the museum continue amid calls for greater security at the museum. City officials on Friday hand-delivered a letter to the museum demanding greater security for the millions of dollars worth of city-owned artifacts.

Wayne Motts, chief executive officer of the museum, said Monday that museum officials planned to meet with city officials about security at the city-owned building in Reservoir Park.

No date was provided for the meeting, but Barr said museum officials would like to meet as soon as possible.

City officials contend that building security is the responsibility of the museum, which is operated by a nonprofit board. A long-term lease between the city and museum says the museum must keep the building and museum "safe," but it does not offer more specificity.

Barr on Monday said the city's responsibility for security at a city-owned building was "a legitimate question to ask.

"It's a question of what is considered a capital improvement," Barr said, adding that the topic would likely be discussed at the pending meeting between city and museum officials.

Meanwhile, museum officials are using every method available to spread the word about its stolen firearms in an attempt to get them back, Barr said. He also noted that attention on the museum in recent years because of disputes with the city had possibly boosted museum attendance.

"We had 900 people on our most recent free day," Barr said. "That's significant. That's the community. We've had a number of successful events. I think attendance is up because people want to see what the offering is."
A former U.S. Navy contractor from Mt. Holly Springs has pled guilty to providing false statements to the government after he defrauded subcontractors out of more than $1.2 million in payments for work at a local naval facility, the U.S. attorney's office said Tuesday.

Andrew Persaud, 43, pled guilty to submitting a false statement to the government in connection with a $4.4 million contract his company landed to renovate warehouses at the Naval Support Activity Center in Hampden Township.

Persaud bilked more than $1.2 million in payments from the Navy that were supposed to be used to pay subcontractors involved with the project, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

In October, an indictment was filed against Persaud, who was president and corporate director of Persaud Companies Inc., a construction company based in Maryland and Virginia, after he entered into into the $4.4 million contract to renovate the warehouses in 2011.

Persaud hired 17 subcontractors to work on the project, with work beginning in May of 2012. In June and July of that year, Persaud submitted invoices for payments to the Navy, certifying that all of the subcontractors had been paid for their work on the project.

Based on his certifications, the Navy sent Persaud more than $1.2 million between June and August of 2012, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. However, by the next month, most of the subcontractors had walked off the job site, claiming not one had received payment for their work on the project, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The Navy immediately terminated its contract with Persaud upon learning the subcontractors had walked off of the job site.

Since the Navy required Persaud to buy a materials/labor bond that cost him $53,539, the subcontractors eventually were paid, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Under the terms of Persaud's plea agreement, he has agreed to pay restitution of $1.2 million and to forfeit the prior payment in the same amount.

He is facing up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

A date has yet to be set for Persaud's sentencing.
Daniel Negron-Rosario.jpg

Daniel A. Negron-Rosario

(Submitted photo)

A Puerto Rico native who already is serving prison time for shooting at a cop during a car chase dodged a potential death sentence Tuesday by pleading guilty to killing a Harrisburg man who owed him money.



Daniel Negron-Rosario, 30, took a deal offered by Chief Deputy District Attorney Sean McCormack to plead guilty to first-degree murder in return for a life prison term.



Dauphin County President Judge Richard A. Lewis immediately imposed Negron-Rosario's life sentence for the September 2013 execution-style slaying of 32-year-old Rafael Diaz-Cosme.



Tuesday's plea marked Negron-Rosario's second murder conviction. McCormack said Negron-Rosario served 13 years in prison on a 2001 conviction for second-degree murder in Puerto Rico. He was 15 years old when he killed a 16-year-old in that case, the prosecutor said.



"It does seem to me the value you place on human life is not very high," Lewis said. "Our state prison system is probably the best place for you to reside for the rest of your life."



At the urging of Chief Deputy Public Defender Paul Muller, Lewis agreed to allow Negron-Rosario to serve his life term concurrently with a 20- to 40-year sentence he received in Cumberland County in January 2015 for firing a rifle at a state trooper who was chasing a car in which he was riding.



"It's going to be life, regardless," Muller noted.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/01/man_charged_in_harrisburg_homi.html



McCormack said Negron-Rosario shot Diaz-Cosme three times at close range on Sept. 18, 2013 in the 1400 block of Hunter Street.



"He was shot twice in the chest and once in the forearm," the prosecutor said as he outlined the plea deal for Negron-Rosario. "After you fired the first shot, you told a detective, Mr. Diaz-Cosme begged you not to kill him."



McCormack said Negron-Rosario at first lied to city Detective Quinten Kennedy and claimed he saw another man shoot Diaz-Cosme. He said Negron-Rosario confessed to the slaying when Kennedy picked him up for a lie-detector test.



Negron-Rosario, who followed the court proceedings with help from a Spanish interpreter, said nothing before Lewis imposed his sentence.




Parking meeting.JPG

Monday night's public parking advisory committee meeting drew only one member of the public: Zach Monnier, a downtown resident, who asked why the system raised garage rates for daily parkers. Parking officials said the move was necessary to make the 2016 budget work.

HARRISBURG- Parking officials Monday night agreed with Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse that the city is entitled to $1 million that was cut from the 2016 parking budget.

John Gass, of Trimont, which manages the parking system, publicly addressed the disputed budget for the first time at a parking advisory committee meeting at the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Harrisburg.

Gass agreed that Papenfuse was right about the city being shortchanged, but said it's still unclear where the parking system will find the money to make the city whole with lagging revenue. The city is supposed to get $3 million this year from the parking system in so-called "waterfall payments."

In the short-term, the parking system could pull money from its capital reserve fund to pay the city, Gass said. An unpopular alternative, Gass said, could be to increase parking meter rates.

City and parking officials will have their first detailed discussion of the budget in a closed-door meeting set for 10 a.m. Tuesday. Gass said he would provide details to reporters after the meeting.

"We've got a budget that requires additional approvals," Gass said. "What we'll have to do as part of the discussion with the city is figure out: do we raise rates, do we lower your payments, where do our fees come in?"

In Gass' budget that was approved last year by the Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority, performance fees for the authority and parking managers were left fully intact with a cost of more than $330,000 despite the city's 30-percent haircut.

"We're being asked to work harder but we're being asked to take less?" Gass said of performance fees that are structured in the waterfall after the city payment. "We're not saying we have to get paid our performance fee before the city gets anything, but we want that to be part of the conversation."

Papenfuse wrote a letter to all authority board members last month objecting to the 2016 budget, claiming that it violated the bond indenture and betrayed promises in the city's financial recovery plan. The authority sold the bonds to generate the money for the parking transaction. The authority operates under the state's Department of Community and Economic Development.

Papenfuse noted Monday night that he received no response from any of the board members. Instead, Papenfuse said, his administration received a threat from DCED that the city would not get "another dollar through the Act 47 process to the city of Harrisburg if we didn't lay off on the parking."

Parking officials can probably make the budget work this year by drawing from its capital reserve, Gass said, but that option only works for a year or two.

"We can't make it through the next four years paying the city what they need to be paid because it eats up all the cash flow for the project and we don't have any money for capital reserve," Gass said. "These are not new garages."

For his part, Papenfuse said parking officials must avoid increasing meter rates because that would actually cause the system to generate less revenue when drivers revolt.

The mayor said he hadn't been able to talk to parking officials about the budget until now because the authority refused to communicate with him and Gass was also restricted by the authority from conveying any information to him.

"We haven't had the conversation yet despite repeated efforts to see how we can do it," Papenfuse said. "I believe they have an obligation to make city payments. And then the question is how to we do that. We should have had a conversation before the budget was passed... apparently, we're going to have a conversation tomorrow."

Parking officials released an unaudited financial report for 2015 at Monday's meeting that showed overall revenues for the parking system fell $1.2 million short of expectations. The biggest disappointment came from enforcement revenue (-$1.6 million) while meter revenue exceeded expectations by $764,000.

The lagging revenue resulted in the city receiving $1.3 million less than expected last year.

The underpayments to the city are supposed to roll forward and be paid eventually. But it's unclear where the system will find the money without revenue growth going forward.
legislator_crime.jpg

From left: Jamani Ellison, Zhaquan McGhee, and Mark Farano

(Police photos)

Three Harrisburg teens were sentenced Tuesday to spend years behind bars for participating in a monthlong armed robbery spree that ended in a shoot-out with a state legislator in the shadow of the Capitol.

"The impact is not just on the victims. It's to all the citizens of the City of Harrisburg," Dauphin County Judge Scott A. Evans said as he sent Jamani Ellison, Zhaquan McGhee, and Mark Farano to state prison. "Everybody got hurt in this one."

Ellison, McGhee and Farano were arrested in October 2014 after the attempted gunpoint robbery of Democratic state Reps. Martin Flynn and Ryan Bizzarro near Third and Herr streets. Flynn, who has a concealed carry permit, drew his pistol and exchanged fire with one of the robbers.

No one was hit.

Neither legislator attended Tuesday's sentencing hearing, nor did the victims of other crimes the teens are accused of committing in the city in September and October 2014. "That should not be interpreted as disinterest," Chief Deputy Johnny Baer said of the victims' absences. "Everyone was in fact pleased with the result" of plea negotiations.

All three teens were sentenced under plea deals to robbery and conspiracy charges. McGhee, who was involved in multiple robberies in September and October 2014, including the holdup of Flynn and Bizzarro, took the hardest hit. Evans sentenced him to 6 1/2 to 15 years in prison.

"I regret what I did," McGhee told the judge. "I personally never had the intention of hurting anyone..I can only ask and pray that my victims can forgive me."

McGhee was 15 during the crime spree. His lawyer, Lenora Smith, asked Evans to recommend he be housed in a state prison where he can finish his high school education and learn a "workable skill." She also asked that he not be fined so he can better rebuild his life after his release.

Evans granted her requests.

Ellison, who was 17 when he was arrested, struck a deal to plead guilty to participating in three robberies, including the incident involving the legislators, in return for a 4- to 9-year state prison sentence. His wheelchair-bound father, Edward Butts, told Evans how shocked he was that his son chose such a criminal path.

"If you're going to make a mistake, you sure picked a big one," Evans told the teen.

Ellison didn't address the judge, but his lawyer, Wendy Grella, said he is remorseful for his crimes. Ellison's guilty pleas followed his failed attempt to have his case moved to juvenile court.

Farano also was 17 when he participated in two robberies. He wasn't involved in the Flynn/Bizzarro holdup. Farano pleaded guilty to the two robberies and received a 2- to 5-year jail term.

He said nothing before receiving the penalty. Defense attorney Paul Kovatch stressed that Farano never had a gun during either robbery.

Two other city teens also were charged in the robbery spree. Derek Anderson's case was moved to juvenile court last fall. Baer said plea negotiations are ongoing with Jyair Leonard, who has cooperated with investigators and testified against his co-defendants.
John Hanger

John Hanger, a key advisor to Gov. Tom Wolf, is leaving the administration after a year dominated by wrangling over the state budget.

(File photo)

John Hanger was among the most powerful members of Gov. Tom Wolf's Cabinet, particularly in the midst of one of the state's longest budget impasses.

As policy and planning secretary, Hanger helped shape the governor's budget proposals, sat in on meetings with lawmakers and oversaw compromises and the political wrangling inherent in the process.

Hanger faced off against Wolf in 2014's Democratic gubernatorial primary, but despite the turmoil of the last year -- Pennsylvania still lacks a finalized budget -- Hanger wouldn't change a thing.

"I can honestly look at you and say I would not have done anything of substance differently," said Hanger, standing upright in his Capitol office for the length of a 40-minute interview for the sake of his back.

The aching back, he said, was the result of more than a year sitting behind tables negotiating the budget and steering wheels commuting to see his family in Massachusetts.

On Friday, Hanger announced he was leaving the Wolf administration to spend more time with his family. He follows another member of the so-called "team of rivals" to leave, following Katie McGinty's departure to run for the U.S. Senate. For his part, Hanger balks at that label, saying that he's been a friend of Wolf's for 15 years.

"Within two weeks of (Wolf's campaign) ads, I realized I wasn't going to become governor and neither would anyone else other than Tom Wolf," he said. A short time later, the Kenyan-born Hanger withdrew from the race and endorsed his political opponent.

LISTEN:

Wolf's first budget proposal, even at the time of its release, was expected to be a hard sell to the Republican majorities in the state Legislature.

But Hanger said it was designed to encapsulate all of the policy priorities that Wolf had campaigned on in the 2014 election. It also contained elements that Republicans had backed, such as cutting the corporate net income tax nearly in half.

Following Wolf's budget address, he said, the administration embarked on a charm offensive to try to woo Republican support for key elements of the budget.

"I watched this governor for the first six months pursue every kind of sugar and syrup strategy he could think of," Hanger said. "He broke bread. He invited them to his office. He went to their office. He socialized. He turned the other cheek in meetings where no one else would turn the other cheek. He took a lot of guff and, frankly, got us nowhere."

Hanger said he ultimately concluded that charming the Republicans wouldn't work, although he believes it was still the right approach to start with.

"Smiling and being nice is not what's going to fix this," he said. "We've got fundamental differences and it is going to take at this point the people of Pennsylvania to decide what do they want. Do they want cuts or do they want revenues to fix a bad situation?"

So what precipitated last year's budget battles?

For one, Hanger said, the average Pennsylvanian doesn't feel the pain because a series of court decisions and rule changes mean that tax revenue continued to pay state workers during the impasse. Similarly, a rift within the Republican party means that compromises hashed out between party leaders may still be a tough sell to rank-and-file members.

Hanger also laid the blame at the feet of House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny.

"He's the speaker of the house, not some back-bencher," he said. "He's been opposed all along. He's wanted his liquor bill, his way, He's not been willing to compromise on liquor. No shale tax regardless of the terms that were put on the table . . . Where has Turzai compromised on anything?"

Turzai spokesman Jay Ostrich said Wolf's policy team "has always been narrowly trained on personal attacks" and that the administration shouldn't be surprised by the results.

"Maybe now they can put that type of ugliness behind and join us to find sensible solutions," he said, in a written statement.

Of course, Republican lawmakers have also groused about Hanger's tactics. One public example was his ultimatum that state universities freeze tuition in exchange for Wolf's proposed funding increase.

But Hanger said he's worked cooperatively across party lines throughout his career -- he also served as environmental secretary under Gov. Ed Rendell -- and exercised restraint even during "outbursts" from Turzai during budget meetings.

"I fundamentally reject the notion that I haven't always engaged with members in a way to find constructive solutions," he said. "At some point, though, you cannot in fact have a successful negotiation with someone who is fanatically opposed to reaching a compromise."

For Wolf's second budget proposal, Hanger said the administration made a point of spotlighting the most important issues and abandoning the complex web of interlocking proposals that marked the first budget.

It's important to finally get a full budget passed, he said, because average Pennsylvanians won't be insulated from the fallout for much longer. Without one, the administration's projections show a $500 million deficit that won't be balanced by incoming tax revenue.

"There is real red ink showing up," he said, "and we've either got to cut our way out of it or we've got to raise revenues."

Tune into Keystone Q&A, a weekly podcast featuring newsmakers and fascinating personalities from across the state, for PennLive's full conversation with John Hanger.

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Kutztown University stabbing

Authorities said they were looking for perpetrators, seen in surveillance photos fleeing the scene of a stabbing early Feb. 20, 2016, in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, that left a student at the state university there in serious condition.

(Courtesy photo)

Kutztown University's president said Monday the campus community is safe, while calling for vigilance following a weekend stabbing that seriously injured a student.

Police in Kutztown, the borough in Berks County that is home to the state university, said Sunday they had identified three suspects in the attack on the 22-year-old victim. Police did not, however, announce any arrests or details on the perpetrators.

The Reading Eagle reports police had interviewed the three.

The student was stabbed in the neck and ribs about 12:45 a.m. Saturday on Noble Street, several blocks east of campus.

"Those of us who are familiar with the Kutztown University community understand that this is an isolated incident," university President Kenneth S. Hawkinson said in a statement. "However, we also understand that no place is immune to crime.

"While, overall, we consider Kutztown University and the borough to be safe environments, we must continuously encourage each other to remain vigilant in all places at all times and to take personal safety seriously."

Borough police on Twitter on Monday said Kutztown Area Transport Service Inc. paramedic Horace Foraker and EMT Sydney Shade have been credited with saving the life of the injured student, who was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township.

Doctors say Paramedic Foraker & EMT Shade @KutztownEMS likely saved the life of the victim in the #kutztownstabbing. Great job & Thank you!  Kutztown PD (@KutztownPD) February 22, 2016

Hawkinson, in his statement, thanked borough police for their handling of the situation, first responders, campus police and others from the university who assisted in identifying the assailants.

He also listed measures taken to enhance the security of students, faculty and staff, including 24-7 patrols of campus, safety training offered beginning at student orientation, on-campus escorts, emergency call stations throughout campus, emergency alerts, shuttle buses and regular safety reviews.

"For off-campus residents, we have helped the borough implement KUBoK, a crime watch program that patrols the town streets Thursday through Saturday when student foot traffic is heaviest," Hawkinson stated. "Many of our faculty, staff and students volunteer for this effort.

"In addition, we have established a university/community committee to discuss all issues that may affect the university and borough."

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein.
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As Pippin, the Tony-winning 1972 musical about the fictitious life of King Charlemagne's son and his struggles to claim the throne, comes to the Academy of Music stage Tuesday through Feb. 28, it will bring together two theater vets who came to Broadway on very different paths.

Stephen Schwartz - the acclaimed composer and lyricist behind Godspell (1971) and Wicked (2003), as well as Disney films such as Pocahontas (1995) and The Prince of Egypt (1998) - was all but born in the footlights. He trained at the Juilliard School while still in high school before attending Carnegie Mellon, where he penned his initial version of Pippin for the student-run drama club. "Theater was my life from a very early age," Schwartz said recently from his Manhattan home. "I was confident however; confident, playful, nervous, scholarly, and freewheeling."

Adrienne Barbeau, appearing in this production of Pippin, came from the Midwest, danced in high school for traveling USO-like troupes, and came to New York City in the late '60s to train in theater for a possible teaching job. She's perhaps best-known for playing the divorced daughter in Norman Lear's 1970s TV comedy Maude.

"I was from a farming family, not someone who grew up seeing theater, television, or film, really," Barbeau said. "Theater didn't seem like a profession. Then again, I didn't see Grease Live on Fox last week, nor did I see Grease the movie." That's funny only because Barbeau originated the tough-girl role of Rizzo in the 1972 Broadway production of Grease and was Tony-nominated for her efforts - right around the same time Schwartz was preparing Pippin for Broadway with John Rubinstein in the title role.

"That John is now playing Pippin's father, 40-some years later in our revival, is so moving, so stark an illustration of the passage of time, I choke up," Schwartz said.

He mentioned how Pippin - "similar in tone to The Lion in Winter, with our tale of court intrigue, inner family plotting and, of course, witty, sophisticated dialogue" - resonated with audiences in 1972 because "we were a metaphor for what was going on with youth. I think it still does that now."

Schwartz's path to Pippin originally included the late, legendary Bob Fosse, an epically egotistic and difficult man who directed the original Broadway production and contributed to its libretto. "I was young to the theater at that point, but my instincts were prescient in knowing that it wouldn't be an easy working relationship with Bob," Schwartz said, recalling the directing and choreographic genius. "Bob definitely brought his personal struggles into the script, which made it a far darker work."

"Everybody had troubles with Bob. He was not an easy guy, especially with writers," Schwartz recalled.

Beyond making her Broadway debut in 1971's Fiddler on the Roof (first in the chorus, then as Hodel, Tevye's daughter; Bette Midler played her sister), then 1972's Grease with a nudie, Off-Broadway musical - Stag Movie - between them, Barbeau's first dealings with the famous came by chance.

All in the Family writer-producer Lear's people were casting Maude, looking for someone who could stand up to Bea Arthur's brashly outspoken title character.

"I didn't seek out television, but it found me," Barbeau said with a laugh about playing Maude's equally bold daughter, Carol, from 1972 to 1978. "They saw something in me during Grease ... and they wrote to my strengths. Norman saw in me a great foil to Bea because I could stand up to her but did not share her kinetic delivery. Bea was a very giving actress, and I think Maude did a lot of good when it came to women's rights and equality. We also showed that a family could love each other and still scream at each other."

Barbeau said she took her role in Pippin 2016 - the title character's grandmother, Berthe - because the composer's songs resonate with her personal philosophy ("You have to live in the moment, that's Berthe's goal").

Schwartz returned to Pippin at this point in his career because he wanted to bring light to what was once dark. Director Diane Paulus helped Schwartz realize that new vision.

"Fosse's version couldn't have been better, but it was dark and cutting," Schwartz said. "What is most thrilling about doing Pippin now is that it is brighter, kinder, and lighter."

"Pippin," various times, Tuesday through Feb. 28, Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., $20-$120, 215-893-1999, kimSmelcenter.org.
FRONTLINE: CHASING HEROIN

9 p.m. Tuesday, WHYY12

It's no secret this country has a drug problem, and not just with the kind peddled on street corners to vacant-eyed addicts.

Do we also have a pain problem?

Many of our TV shows are brought to us by products with fanciful names promising relief from ailments large and small, and, perhaps most of all, from pain.

And as PBS's Frontline reports Tuesday in a two-hour presentation, Chasing Heroin, it's the search for pain relief - as well as for profits - that helped lead to a national problem with heroin that's not always fully acknowledged.

"This epidemic is also the quietest epidemic. It's filled with shame," says Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Epidemic. "People die alone in a McDonald's bathroom toilet. And then when the people die, when the kids die, the parents are so mortified. So ashamed that they keep quiet, too. And the thing is left to perpetuate and spread."

Quinones and others describe how the marketing to doctors of painkillers, followed by a crackdown on overprescribing, helped create a new class of opiate addicts: mostly white, living in towns and suburbs, not inner cities, and targeted by drug cartels that set up shop in areas where prescription-drug users live.

Their customers may be people like Cari Creasia of Kent, Wash., who was prescribed Vicodin for pain after giving birth to her second child and who became addicted. After years of obtaining pills, first from her doctor and then through a variety of scams, she moved on to meth and eventually to heroin, leaving her family behind in the process.

Not surprisingly, these new addicts have put officials on less of a wartime footing: We're beginning to hear more about treatment and less about incarceration.

Or, as Frontline's Martin Smith notes in an interview with former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who worked to change the government's approach to nonviolent drug crimes, "Richard Pryor said, you know, famously - about cocaine - that it's an epidemic now because white people are doin' it."

"Well, you know, when things seep into the majority community, the nation pays a greater amount of attention than when it is confined to minority communities. And so, yeah, there's an element of truth ... to that," Holder replies.

The search for solutions took Frontline to Seattle, where it spent a year observing a program in which police and social workers work with addicts to improve their lives and reduce their contact with the criminal justice system without necessarily expecting them to stop using drugs.

"You can't make somebody stop using. So not allowing them to use [before agreeing to help them] is absurd," social worker Mikel Kowalcyk tells Smith. "The goal is to reduce overdose, to reduce theft, nuisance, trespassing, reduce recidivism."

Two hours isn't enough to cover a problem that's at least three decades in the making, but there's plenty to think about here, including the apparent absurdity of a drug policy that places greater restrictions on the prescribing of methadone and Suboxone - drugs used to help manage addiction - than on OxyContin.

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The UK governments new 25-year plan for food and farming will detail how it plans to attract even more skilled people to the industry, build the British brand and increase exports, according a preview of the soon-to-be published document given to the NFU annual conference today by Secretary of State, Elizabeth Truss.

Despite starting her presentation with an acknowledgement that British farmers have faced a tough year, including pork prices being at their lowest for eight years, the Secretary of State was resolutely upbeat in her rallying call to the industry.

Despite the fact prices are low, every week I meet people full of new ideas for taking forward this great industry, and with ideas for managing the volatile world we face, she said, adding that there were very good reasons to have confidence in a positive future for British farming.

In relation to science and innovation, for example, she said that over the next five years, Defra would be doubling its investment in science to 130 million. That was in addition to investing another 80m across government to develop research centres for livestock, crop health, data and precision engineering.

There is also a new generation excited about farming, she continued. It is the fastest-growing subject at university, with a 4.6% increase in student numbers last year. There are now more than 19,000 people studying agriculture and related subjects.

Her own efforts in relation to new export opportunities also got a mention.

The market-access deals I signed in China in 2015 will bring our farmers around 40m a year of potential sales for barley and pigs trotters, she said, before also claiming progress on the domestic market.

AHDB is now able to celebrate the British provenance of our food in its campaigns and will be running promotions for home-produced meat over the coming months, supporting the 2016 Year of Great British Food.

AHDBs work in helping farmers smooth out volatility was also highlighted, alongside a commitment that her department was cooperating closely with the Boards volatility forum, in partnership with farming, processors and the finance sector.

There was even time to deliver a message on the importance to farmers of the UK staying within the EU.

By voting to remain we can work within a reformed EU to reduce bureaucracy and secure further reform while still enjoying the significant benefits of the single market which gives us access to 500 million consumers, Ms Truss (pictured above) told NFU delegates. Food and farming is our largest manufacturing industry employing 3.8 million people, with 60% of our food and farming exports being to the EU, bringing in 11bn.

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Sunday Briefing: Martin Jacobson Wins PokerStars Sunday Supersonic

February 22, 2016 Matthew Pitt Editor

The 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event champion, Martin Jacobson, added yet another online poker tournament title to his name this weekend when he emerged victorious in the PokerStars Sunday Supersonic.

Playing as "M.nosbocaJ," Jacobson navigated his way through a field of 1,308 opponents in the hyper-turbo six-max tournament. After 1.75 hours, Jacobson was the last player standing and collected $46,220.40 for an hourly rate of approximately $26,410.

Although impressive, Jacobson's victory was not the largest at PokerStars on Sunday, that honor went to Irelands stardust167 who triumphed in the Sunday Million. There does not appear to be much information about the mysterious Irish player, but we discovered that he won a $215 ticket via a $7.10 sit-n-go satellite and looks to have used that to enter the Sunday Million. It turned out to be a fantastic decision, as "stardust167" topped a field of 5,778 players to scoop a massive first-place prize of $179,120.79.

February 21, 2016, Sunday Million Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 stardust167 Ireland $179,120.79 2 Nicolau nicofellow Villa-Lobos Brazil $132,894.00 3 KumariOy Russia $93,603.60 4 feldegani.ps Brazil $64,886.94 5 capodelon Switzerland $48,535.20 6 IMDaBuster Australia $36,797.20 7 DEdgge Israel $25,423.20 8 Gordinho90 Brazil $14,445.00 9 Patrick pmahoney22 Mahoney Mexico $9,013.68

Other PokerStars players who won big on Sunday include:

Vlad dariepoker Darie  winner of the Sunday Warm-Up for $71,406.54 after a heads-up chop.

 winner of the Sunday Warm-Up for $71,406.54 after a heads-up chop. Benjamin bennybunny18 Richardson  runner-up in the Sunday Warm-Up for $62,336,17 after a heads-up chop.

 runner-up in the Sunday Warm-Up for $62,336,17 after a heads-up chop. Diego Mr.Bittar Bittar  winner of the Hotter $162 for $20,974.05.

 winner of the Hotter $162 for $20,974.05. TMoney0209  winner of the Sunday Rebuy for $39,935.70.

 winner of the Sunday Rebuy for $39,935.70. NutsPow  winner of the Bigger $109 for $32,071.90 after a three-way chop.

 winner of the Bigger $109 for $32,071.90 after a three-way chop. miggs9  winner of the Sunday 500 for $59,156.25.

 winner of the Sunday 500 for $59,156.25. Schildy1984  winner of the Bigger $162 for $30,680.12.

 winner of the Bigger $162 for $30,680.12. earlgrey23  winner of the Sunday 2nd Chance for $35,136.00.

 winner of the Sunday 2nd Chance for $35,136.00. hello_totti  winner of the Sunday 6-Max for $21,195.18.

This weekends $150,000 guaranteed Main Event at partypoker was chopped heads-up by BUMS4EVER and bob2829 who collected $23,771.25 and $22,863.76, with Christopher nigdawg Brammer finishing in third place for $15,000.00.

Russias nicecallLOL won the partypoker $150,000 guaranteed High Roller for $27,780.00 a short time after winning the Sunday 6-Max at PokerStars to cap off a profitable Sunday session.

Over at Full Tilt, the talented grinder that is Chris Big Huni Hunichen walked away with the Sunday Brawl title and $8,319.80 in prize money.

Another Full Tilt player in the winners circle was dmarcelb, who defeated youbuzzme heads-up in FTOPS Event #1 to add $18,040.05 to their bankroll; the latter secured a $13,057.56 payout. Both AntonSergeevich and Pisstanek also grabbed top prizes in the T-Rex ($3,636.58) and the Turbo Multi-Hundo ($2,598.42) respectively.

Completing the Sunday Briefing this week are the results from 888pokers biggest Sunday tournaments. One of those was the $150,000 Whale which P0kerwinners took down, claiming $38,045.97 in the process.

Two other big winners hail from the United Kingdom. Jono Spyver Beck won the $100,000 Sunday Challenge after a heads-up chop and saw $16,841.36 added to his 888poker account, while Paul xin_bama Dandos reward for winning the $120,000 Mega Deep was a welcomed $28,815.20.

Want to stay atop all the latest in the poker world? If so, make sure to get PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!
Mississippi Narcotics Agent James Lee Tartt was killed in the Saturday gunfight. He was a 22-year law enforcement veteran. (Photo: Facebook)

A Mississippi state narcotics agent was killed and three highway patrol troopers were wounded over the weekend in a shootout in Tishomingo County.

The incident began with a call about a domestic dispute at the home near the town of Iuka.

When officers arrived on the scene an armed man barricaded himself in the home with a woman and child.

After a six-hour standoff, officers made entry into the house. A gunfight ensued. Narcotics agent James Lee Tartt, 44, was killed, and three other officers were wounded.

The suspected gunman Charles Lee Lambert, 45, was killed.

Trooper Trea Staples was wounded in the Saturday gunfight.

Wounded were troopers Trea Staples, Bubba Holifield, and Deandrea Dixon. According to statements on the Mississippi Highway Patrol Facebook page, all three officers are recovering.

Troopers Deandrea Dixon (left) and Bubba Holifield are recovering from their wounds. (Photo: Facebook)

Tartt was a 22-year law enforcement veteran and had been a narcotics agent since September 2000, according to an Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics statement. His funeral is scheduled for Tuesday, WDAM TV reports.
An off-duty police officer chased a man suspected of fatally shooting another man in a car-to-car shooting in San Pedro, CA, early Saturday morning, police said.

A male victim was struck by gunfire in the car-to-car shooting and later died, police said.

The officer saw the shooter and followed his vehicle until the gunman stopped near Santa Cruz Street and N. Cabrillo Avenue. The gunman then got out of his car and fired several rounds at the officer. The officer, who was not hit, fired back at the suspect, KNBC TV reports.

The suspected gunman fled from the scene and could not be located, according to the LAPD.
The early morning shooting in which a bullet-resistant vest saved 29-year-old Police Officer Andrew Yurkiw from certain death occurred as the NYPD finishes up its roll-out of new state-of-the art slug stoppers, officials said, reports the New York Daily News.

The vests come with a ceramic chest plate designed to withstand knife thrusts, as well as rifle shots. They offer wrap-around protection and theyre up to 30% lighter than the older vests, Commissioner Bill Bratton said last year when he announced the safety upgrade.

Mayor de Blasio put $7.3 million in the city budget to pay for the 13,000 new vests, which cost about $700 each. More vests were on the way, the mayor promised.

The new vests were ordered shortly after the deaths of Police Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos in December 2014. They were doled out to police officers last May. Its believed that Yurkiw was wearing one of the new bullet-resistant vests when he was shot in Bedford-Stuyvesant, although that couldnt be immediately confirmed late Saturday.
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Only an American in a coma for the past seven-plus years was surprised at the immediate Republican response to the death of a Koch-acolyte serving on the Supreme Court last week. Of course Republicans announced they would obstruct President Obamas attempt to fulfill his Constitutional duty to nominate a replacement for Antonin Scalia; anything less would have been Earth-shattering news indeed. What has been curious is the media, liberal pundits, and other politicians focused rage and analysis on Senate Republicans violating Senate protocol and the Constitution by claiming a sitting President is prohibited from nominating a Supreme Court Justice; Republicans do nothing of their own volition.

The Republican obstruction of this president is historic and remarkable, but this latest incident is entirely different. No matter what their stated reasoning, or how much it violates the clear intent of the Constitution, this particular intent to obstruct is entirely in service of the Koch brothers; the true Republican Party. The apropos question should be not whether Republican obstruction is unconstitutional or just despicably partisan, but why they are doing it and whose interests are they serving.

Since Republicans are not in the business of serving the peoples interests, or the nations well-being, the answer to whose interests they are serving by obstructing the President is their donor base; or more specifically the Koch brothers. Republicans in the Senate and House exist to serve the economic interests of the Kochs and their wealthy corporate cohort and fossil fuel cabal. They are who will either gain or lose hundreds of millions, even billions of dollars depending on how the Supreme Court rules on complying with environmental, financial, and labor regulations.

As a one or two pundits have opined, that is what this Obama nominee fight is all about and nothing else. It is true that the GOP, the religious right, and special interests trumpet the importance of eliminating womens rights, affirmative action, and voting rights, but those are secondary to the only issue important to the Kochs; eliminating federal regulations.

Some Americans may be aware that the preponderance of cases Republicans take all the way to the Supreme Court are those challenging the constitutionality of federal regulations. And recently it is primarily regulations that impact the Koch brothers and their fossil fuel cohort; many cases are making their way to the Supreme Court even now. This is particularly true since President Obama has made addressing the devastation of climate change an important issue to the American people, the world, and his Administration.

Any Supreme Court nominees confirmation is going to be contentious regardless who runs the Senate or who is president; but this complete refusal by Republicans to even entertain voting on a nominee is unprecedented in modern times. It is also unprecedented for a political party to express fealty to wealthy fascists without remorse or apology, and if anyone thinks the Koch brothers are not behind the let the people decide who is the new Supreme Court justice they are not just outrageously ignorant; they are stupid.

For example, a Koch-founded organization, the Wellspring Committee funds another Koch 501(c)4 social welfare organization, the Judicial Crisis Network. The Judicial Crisis Networks only purpose is issuing Koch propaganda to influence public opinion, and to either reward or punish Republican Senators depending on whether or not they vote in lockstep to advance the Koch Brothers interests. Since the Kochs interests are founded on abolishing all federal regulations as unconstitutional, specifically those affecting the oil, gas and coal industries, it is crucial that the Kochs maintain control of the Supreme Court; it is why they desperately want to keep their conservative majority intact. It is also why Republicans immediately obeyed the Kochs and began telling Americans it was their right to decide who nominates the right kind of prospective Justice.

The Judicial Crisis Network invested seven-figures for an ad buy that features a 30-second television spot entitled Let the People Decide. The narrator parrots what Republicans in Congress quickly learned was the Koch brothers plan to convince Americans that Republicans in the Senate, and not the Constitution decide who, when, why, and how Justices are nominated and confirmed.

The television ad informs voters that your voice in November is the only voice to express an opinion on the vacancy on the court left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. And Senator Kelly Ayotte agrees; the American people should decide. This isnt about Republicans or Democrats its about your voice. You choose the next president. Call Senator Kelly Ayotte. Thank her for letting the people decide.

Similar ads were tailored for other Republican senators and their respective states such as Charles Grassley in Iowa, Ron Johnson in Wisconsin, John McCain in Arizona, Mitch McConnell in Kentucky and Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania.

The Judicial Crisis Network was joined by another Koch-affiliated conservative group, FreedomWorks, that issued warnings to Republican senators to block any hearing on an Obama Supreme Court nominee or face the significant wrath of the Koch brothers for disobedience.

As many pundits and politicians have noted already, the people voiced their opinion three years ago on who gets to nominate the next Supreme Court Justice and they elected Barack Obama whom they knew would be President until January 20, 2017. Obviously Republicans are well aware they are out of line in telling their constituents the sitting President has no legal authority to nominate a replacement for Scalia, but they also comprehend that their base will believe anything and that the price for crossing the Koch brothers is electoral death.

No-one can deny that the Republican Senate is just continuing their practice of refusing to even allow a vote on any of the Presidents nominees for any position; but especially judicial nominees. Naturally, it is easy to target the likes of McConnell, Cruz, and the rest of Republican Senators for opposing the Constitutional process for staffing the highest court in the land, but they are doing the will of their masters the Koch brothers.

It is true that crossing the Kochs and their wealthy cabal is dangerous; for anyone whether they are politicians, journalists, or educators. But it is high time the mainstream media and politicians not beholden to the Kochs identify the real American government and Supreme Court hostage takers: the Koch brothers. The billionaire fascists who believe the right to decide who sits on the Supreme Court belongs solely to them; and they have the money to make the majority Party in Congress make it happen.
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Zakia and Ali grew up on adjacent farms in the remote Afghan mountain province of Bamyan, where the Taliban famously blew up two huge sandstone Buddhas 15 years ago.

They played together as children when they took their families' sheep to graze on the mountainsides. Strict custom forbade them from having any contact once she reached puberty, but he smuggled her a cellphone and took the unheard step of proposing a love marriage to her parents. However, he was from the Shiite Hazara sect, and she was a Sunni Tajik, so her shocked family forbade the union.

The story of their elopement, their life on the run and her family's efforts to kill her  for the dishonor she supposedly brought them by an unacceptable relationship  is chronicled in "The Lovers: Afghanistan's Romeo and Juliet, the True Story of How They Defied Their Families and Escaped an Honor Killing," a fascinating new book by New York Times correspondent Rod Nordland.

But the story of Zakia and Ali is also a reminder that the practice of "honor killings" continues to thrive in a belt extending from the Mediterranean to Pakistan, mainly in Muslim communities. The book raises thorny moral questions of whether and how outsiders can fight this horrifying practice and whether their intervention makes things better or worse.

There is very little accurate data on the number of honor killings worldwide since they are rarely reported. Women are targeted by family members for offenses like refusing an arranged marriage, seeking a divorce, alleged adultery or even glancing sideways at a strange man. Even rape can be the cause of an honor killing because the girl or woman is blamed for having brought shame on the family by enticing the rapist.

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"The numbers are underreported everywhere, and no one thinks police reports are reliable," says Catherine Warrick, an associate professor of political science at Villanova University who has studied the subject. In 2000, the United Nations estimated that 5,000 women a year were victims, but human-rights groups believe the number could be at least four times higher. In Pakistan alone, such groups estimate the annual number at 3,000 to 4,000, while official statistics put it at 1,000 cases.

The killers usually get away with murder, which only encourages more of them. "Honor killings are not endorsed in Islamic law at all," says Warrick. However, misinterpretations of sharia, and traditional cultural beliefs, usually back the murderers. So do courts and local police.

According to provisions in civil law, in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, a woman can be jailed for "immorality." If a family member hacks her or stabs her to death, that same family can forgive the killer. In other words, if a brother murders his sister for an alleged violation of family honor, his mother and father can "forgive" him, and he is home free.

Clearly, there's little hope for victimized women unless such laws are revised.

Nordland's book raises the tricky question of whether publicity helps or harms a victim. He learned about Zakia and Ali from Bamyan's director of women's affairs, Fatima Kazimi, who sent out a desperate email seeking help.

The local court had suspended Kazimi for placing Zakia in a women's shelter. Had Nordland not intervened, the young woman's family probably would have taken her out and killed her. But the subsequent publicity in the Times made Zakia and Ali's case notorious and ensured that her family could track them. Nordland stepped outside his journalistic role and helped them with cash, but they had to go on the run.

On balance, I'd argue that publicity is a good thing because it may embarrass a government into taking action.

Take Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's "A Girl in the River," nominated for an Oscar for short subject documentary. The film tells the story of Saba, a 19-year-old Pakistani who was shot in the head by her father for running off to marry her boyfriend. Thrown into the river in a sack, she somehow survived. Obaid's documentary has provoked Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to vow that Pakistan will eradicate "evil" honor killings.

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Of course, Sharif also would need to reform the courts and the police so they would obey any new legislation. But at least it would be a start if he follows through on his promise.

Here are some additional ways outsiders might help:

First, international aid agencies should devise projects that educate men about the value of treating their women properly. A few years ago, I visited Suraya Pakzad, a courageous Pakistani woman who runs women's shelters in Herat, Afghanistan, and who had organized such classes. She enticed men to participate by combining the classes with a project to deliver water to the community (a project run by Aldo Magazzeni, a Philadelphia-area businessman committed to such causes). This is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking worth supporting.

Second, U.S. officials  who have spent millions promoting women's rights in Afghanistan  should continue to support Afghan women who risk their lives for these values. Zakia would have been killed had a female official not gotten her into a women's shelter. But "shelters are 100 percent international-donor funded in Afghanistan," says Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch. Will the United States and Europe continue to fund them as our attention to Afghanistan wanes?

Finally, the United States should put its visas behind its values. U.S. officials brag about their support for Afghan women, yet, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul showed no interest in granting Zakia and Ali humanitarian visas, says Nordland. They are still living in hiding in Bamyan, facing sure death if  no, when  her family finds them. Surely, we can do better than that.
On a couple of occasions during this election season, Ive written in detail about Hillary Clinton and the Whitewater/Castle Grande scandal. Although the events in question took place 25 years (or so) ago, they are relevant today because at the heart of that scandal, insofar as Hillary is concerned, was the theft and/or wrongful destruction of documents. Such conduct is also a central issue in Hillarys current email scandal, although this matter also raises concerns that she compromised national security.

Now, the invaluable Judicial Watch has obtained and published an April 1998 memo by the Office of Independent Counsel, called HRC Order of Proof. It includes the names of 121 witnesses and a discussion of the evidence to be used at trial against the Whitewater/Castle Grande conspirators. The memo thus constitutes a road map to the Independent Counsels criminal case.

Ken Starr, the Independent Counsel, decided not to proceed against Hillary Clinton. He did so, it is said, because he believed his team could not win the complicated, largely circumstantial case against such a high-profile figure. Its quite possible that, in addition, political calculation came into play.

In any event, the evidence against Clinton was substantial, as the newly released HRC Order of Proof confirms. Here are some of the items the memo shows the Independent Counsel had the testimony needed to establish:

* Carolyn Huber, a Clinton aide, received a call from Mrs. Clinton on the night of March 7, 1992, instructing her to get certain records at the Rose Law Firm (Hilarys former employer) and deliver them to the Clinton presidential campaign. * That night, Rose Law firm documents were passed to a campaign aide in the firms parking lot. * Rose Law Firm billing records were taken out of storage in February/March 1992 and not returned. * During this same period, there was a furious Clinton effort to locate documents and shut down witnesses. * Tulsa-based senior Resolution Trust Corp. investigator Jean Lewis, later the subject of a vituperative campaign of personal destruction by the Clinton side, was dispatched by her local supervisor and someone in Washington to go to Little Rock to determine if Whitewater had caused a loss to Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association (a central issue in the Whitewater scandal). * Lewis visited Little Rock in April 1992 (shortly after the billing records had been removed), and drew up Criminal Referral C-0004, which was sent directly to the Little Rock U.S. Attorney and Little Rock FBI on 9/1/92. * U.S. Attorney Paula Casey, a Clinton associate, and the Little Rock FBI office agreed to hold the criminal referral in abeyance until after the election. Meanwhile, the FBI and RTC investigations moved forward. Nine more RTC criminal referrals involving Whitewater-related schemes were drawn up. * A Justice Department probe was underway on July 20, 1993, when search warrants were obtained in Little Rock for Whitewater-related documents. That evening in Washington, Vincent Foster, the former Rose Law Firm partner serving as both the Clintons personal lawyer and White House deputy counsel, committed suicide. * Numerous witnesses saw documents being removed from Fosters office, including papers that resembled the Rose Law Firm billing records under subpoena at that time, which were nowhere to be found. * Maggie Williams, Hillary Clintons top White House aide, was seen removing documents from Fosters office. * Around this time, Williams told Treasury Department official and Clinton friend Roger Altman that HRC is paralyzed over the thought that an Independent Counsel would be going back over their last 20 years in Arkansas. * In August 1995, White House staffer Carolyn Huber (the same person who in 1992 had passed Rose Law Firm records to the Clinton campaign) found what turned out to be a box of Rose Law firm billing records in the book room on the third floor of the White House. * Huber had not seen the box of documents on her last visit to this room, which she says occurred a few week earlier. * In July 1995, a Secret Service employee encountered Mrs. Clinton on the third floor of the White House residence. She was carrying a cardboard box when he saw her in a doorway across the main corridor from her office. * In the box that Mrs. Clinton was carrying, the Secret Service man saw documents that looked like the billing records. He said the documents were placed in the box length-wise, with one end sticking out of the box. The documents were the same length and thickness as the billing records later produced to the Office of Independent Council. * Two other witnesses saw Mrs. Clinton carrying a cardboard box on the third floor during the same time period. * Fingerprint analysis of the Rose Law Firm billing records found at the White House found the prints of Vince Foster and Hillary Clinton.

This is just part of the Independent Councils case described in the memo. If you read the whole thing in conjunction with my earlier post, I think you will conclude that Hillary Clinton deserved to be indicted and might well have been convicted.

You probably will also agree with me that document theft or destruction is nothing new for Hillary Clinton.
Kannywood star villainess, Aisha Dankano, has died after a brief illness in Kano.

Family sources said Dankano, also known as Sima, died Tuesday and was buried according to Islamic rites earlier in the afternoon.

Actor and family friend of the deceased, Nuhu Abdullahi, also confirmed the death to PREMIUM TIMES, saying Aisha died in her house in Gwammaja area of Kano State.

Aisha was below 40, family sources said.

Aisha died at about 2pm this afternoon, Abdullahi said. We are all in a sober mood in the Kannywood at the moment.

We might not get her replacement in the industry. She is a fantastic, creative actress, Abdullahi said.

Another actress, Ummah Shehu, said she could not believe it when the news was broken to her.

I almost fainted because she was very close to me. I will dearly miss her, Ummah said.
Femi Adebayo, a lawyer, actor, producer, and trophy ambassador has been appointed Special Assistant on Arts, Culture, and Tourism to the Kwara Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed.

In a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, Mr Adebayo expressed joy over the new appointment and urged his fans to continue to support him.

I was appointed as Special Assistant (SA) to the Kwara state governor, on Arts, Culture and Tourism.

I thank God for an opportunity to transform my state into a foremost tourist state that will attract foreign and domestic tourists.

My fans, I need your support; leave me not, Mr. Adebayo said.

Following his new appointment, Mr. Adebayo has joined the league of Nollywood stars, who have held and still holding political offices.

The Nollywood stars included; Richard Mofe-Damijo, Kate Henshaw, Desmond Eliot, and Ini Edo who was recently appointed SA Tourism to Akwa Ibom governor. (NAN)
United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has welcomed the agreement announced by U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, on the terms of a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria scheduled to come into effect on Feb. 27.

The secretary-general on Tuesday in New York strongly urged the parties to abide by the terms of the agreement.

He highlighted that much work now lied ahead to ensure its implementation, and the international community, International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and Ceasefire Taskforce.

Mr. Ban said the ISSG and the Syrian parties must remain steadfast in their resolve.

The ISSG, comprising the Arab League, the European Union, the United Nations, and 17 countries including the U.S., Russia and China, laid the groundwork for the intra-Syria talks at a meeting in Munich in November 2015.

The secretary general said being aware of the lengthy and detailed discussions that preceded the announcement, he believed the agreement, if respected, would constitute a significant step forward in the implementation of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).

.

It demonstrates the commitment of the ISSG to exert influence on the warring parties to bring about an immediate reduction in violence as a first step toward a more durable ceasefire.

It further contributes to creating an environment conducive for the resumption of political negotiations.

Above all, it is a long-awaited signal of hope to the Syrian people that after five years of conflict there may be an end to their suffering in sight, he said.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, expressed his readiness to support implementation of the agreement, both on the ground in Damascus and in Geneva.

De Mistura was mediating indirect talks between the Syrian government and opposition to negotiate an early end to the Syrian conflict. (Xinhua/NAN)
When Dafe Rose (53) was assigned as the head teacher of Abuator Primary School in Delta State in mid-2015, she came expecting a decently well-equipped public school. It is, after all, in the heart of Nigerias immensely wealthy oil region. A large oil and gas installation is just a stones throw away. But what greeted Dafe on her first day of work was far from decent.

The school has no library, no toilets, no blackboards, and no educational materials. It doesnt even have a sufficient number of classrooms; three rooms cater for students from primary one to primary six.

To accommodate the different grades, each room has been partitioned into two with planks and disused sacks. Students struggle to hear and concentrate as noise filters easily between the partial, plank and bag walls.

The 14 kindergarten children at Abuator Primary School have it even worse than their elder schoolmates. Their class takes place under a mango tree, where they sit on dirty, disused cement sacks laid on bare ground. Soldier ants frequently drop from the tree and crawl under the childrens clothes.

Dafe says it grieves her every time she has to send the children to their classroom under the mango tree. It is far from an ideal learning environment.

What makes the situation even more frustrating is that on the school grounds sits an uncomplete three-classroom block, now in virtual ruins. It was built by the Delta State Primary Education Board around 2005.

That building has been abandoned for many years, says Dafe. If the government can complete that, we would be able to accommodate all our children under a roof away from the elements. The community has written many letters of protest to the State Primary Education Board over the abandoned building, but has not received any favourable response.

Dafe has since taking matters into her own hands. The community is gripped by poverty, but she managed to convince the parents to contribute a portion of their already meagre earnings to the purchase of plastic chairs and tables for the kindergarten children. She then got a nearby church to let out its building to serve as a classroom.

All across Nigeria, even in the oil-rich south-east, there are dedicated teachers like Dafe struggling passionately to educate the countrys children with little or no provisions from the government.

But this need not be the reality. Billions of dollars in public revenue can be saved if the Nigerian government stopped the granting of harmful tax incentives to foreign investors.

An exceptional 10-year tax holiday offered to three of the worlds largest oil and gas companies, Shell, Total and ENI, cost the public purse US$3.3 billion alone. In a country where 10.5 million children are out of school, this is an amount greater than the 2015 federal education budget.

Losing their babies while Shell, Total, Eni enjoy tax holiday

Elohor Siakiere (30) remembers vividly the day she lost her baby. It was July 19, 2015, an unusually sunny day, she says, for that time of year in Delta State, Nigeria. I was pregnant and when my labour started, I was transported in a canoe to Ukperhren where I was put on a motorcycle to go to the general hospital in Warri, says Elohor. But the road was very bad and I fell down many times. It was a painful ordeal to get to the hospital.

Elohor survived the precarious journey in the canoe and the 15 kilometres on the muddy and slippery road, but unfortunately her unborn child did not. At the hospital, the doctor told me the baby was dead, Elohor says quietly. They did an operation to remove it. I felt very bad losing my baby.

With the hospital so far away, many women in the community of 6,000 have little choice but to turn to traditional birth attendants in their community who rely on herbs and unscientific practices that often have disastrous consequences for the mother and/or the child.

According to Elohor, the community became fed up with the governments lack of action and decided to build a healthcare centre themselves. The clinic, which served Esaba and four other communities, was staffed solely by one nurse. Unfortunately, the nurse passed away in February 2015 and as of October 2015 the government still had not provided a replacement, despite the communitys repeated requests.

Elohor says that in this time period about five children have died because we could not get them to hospital fast enough. The great and tragic irony of Esaba is that a mere four kilometres away sits a huge source of potential public revenue that could pay for roads, a school and a proper clinic for the community: Otorogun gas plant, operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government passed a unique law that gave an exceptional ten year tax holiday to Shell as well as Total and ENI, three of the worlds biggest oil and gas companies. This wasteful act has resulted in the loss of US$3.3 billion of public revenue.

If the Nigerian government were to stop offering such harmful tax incentives to foreign investors, women like Elohor may not be mourning the unnecessary death of their children and worrying about the futures of their surviving ones.

Why does it matter? The human cost of the tax holiday

With its 182 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and the seventh most populous country in the world.40 Nigeria is endowed with enormous natural resources including more than 30 different minerals. Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa and holds the largest natural gas reserves on the continent.41 Nigeria is also Africas largest economy. By 2050, Nigeria is expected to become one of the largest 20 economies in the world.

But while the country is building its economy, Nigeria also has the third largest population of extreme poor in the world.42 More than 60% of the population lives in extreme poverty.43 This means that more than 110 million Nigerians live on less than one US dollar a day. Research by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) shows that less than half of the population has access to clean water.44 Nigeria is one of the countries in the world with the largest income inequality between the few super rich and the majority living in extreme poverty.

Looking at social spending, the Nigerian government budgeted a total of US$2.61 billion for education, and US$1.4 billion for healthcare in 2015.

This means that if the Consortium would have been given a five-year tax holiday instead of a decade, the additional revenue to the Nigerian government could have paid education at the current level for over a year, or healthcare at the current level for over two years.

Increasing the education budget is a necessary investment. Almost half of the Nigerian population isunder 15 years old. This puts an enormous pressure on the educational system. Despite an increase in the enrolment rates in recent years, approximately 11 million children are out of school, out of which 4.7 million children of primary school age are not in school.

While an inadequate budget is not the only factor preventing children from going to school, more funds in education could greatly improve access to education. A higher budget could pay for more qualified teachers, build new schools, buy necessary materials and eliminate school fees, the latter a crucial factor for the poorest.

Similarly, a better and more accessible health care system is needed to fulfil basic rights for Nigerians living in poverty. Child mortality rates illustrate this. Skilled health personnel attend just over half of all births in the country, and out of thousand live births, 61 infants do not survive the birth, and an additional 95 children die before their fifth birthday. Of the children that survive, one in four is under weight.

In its 2010 strategy for reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Nigerian Presidential Committee on the Strategy and Prioritisation of the MDGs estimated that meeting the MDGs would cost Nigeria approximately US$163 per person per year between 2010-2015. With US$3.3 billion extra on its books and accompanied by effective policies, the Nigerian government could have ensured that in that period 4 million persons had access to the basic services described in the MDGs.

US$3.3 billion would do a lot for Nigeria What is the value of US$3.3 billion to the Nigerian economy?

More than the US$2.4 billion Nigeria allocated to education in the 2015 budget, in a country where 11 million children and young people do not go to school.

More than twice the US$1.4billion Nigeria allocated for healthcare in the 2015 budget, in a country where almost 15 out of 100 children die before their fifth birthday.

What is the value of US$3.3 billion to Shell Total and Eni?

Just over 4% of the three companies total world wide reported net profits in 2013.

22% of the three companies profit from the Consortium between 2004-2013.

Wasteful tax incentives in Africa and beyond

The Consortiums tax holiday in Nigeria is one of many examples of corporations being offered generous tax terms in developing countries. Benefits can include reduced tax rates, exemption from specific taxes or tax holidays granted for a period of time.

In a 2014 paper, the OECD names tax holidays as one of the two potentially most harmful types of tax incentive.56 Tax incentives can be offered in a specific sector, aiming to boost investments in strategic sectors of the economy. They can also be offered in specific geographical areas, often called special economic zones.

Not all tax incentives are harmful. The tax system may be used to promote domestic policy choices, such as environmental objectives, or the development of particular domestic sectors, in accordance with a countrys national development plan. Tax incentives for corporate investment are meant to generate economic benefits which outweigh the cost of lost revenue, but they can just be a handout.

In order to assess the public benefits of tax incentives, it is necessary to set clear objectives for them and consistently evaluate whether or not these objectives are being met. Where objectives are not being met, this should trigger the removal of the tax incentives.

Finally, the potential economic benefits of tax incentives need to be balanced against the lost revenue in a systematic fashion. Incentives which do not meet these criteria are harmful.

The main reasoning behind granting tax relief to corporations is the idea that it will promote investments that attract capital and contribute to job creation, and that this will deliver a high return in the long run or promote investments into a specific sector such as renewable energy. Other potential benefits are technology transfer and increased demand that can boost local and national industry.

Investors will sometimes ask for tax incentives on the basis that a particular investment will not be viable without them. While this has been the predominant narrative, evidence suggests differently.

International institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) now increasingly warn against excessive tax incentives.

Countries fear of losing out on investments if not granting generous tax deals has created a harmful competition based on large tax incentives. A 2012 IMF paper confirms a partial race to the bottom over tax incentives. While this may be good for international businesses whose tax bills are lowered, evidence shows that tax incentives are not efficient in attracting investments. A 2006 IMF study shows that the countries that have been the most successful at attracting foreign investors have not offered large tax or other incentives.

The report also shows that providing such incentives was not sufficient to attract large foreign investment if other essential conditions were not in place.

A report prepared for the G20 by the IMF, OECD, United Nations and World Bank in 2011 concludes along the same lines: Incentives, including corporate income tax (CIT) exemptions in free trade zones, continue to undermine revenue from the CIT; where governance is poor, they may do little to attract investment  and when they do attract foreign direct investment (FDI), this may well be at the expense of domestic investment or FDI into some other country.

Even businesses themselves say that tax incentives are not key deal-breakers. Investment decisions depend more on factors such as stable economic and political conditions.61 In the World Banks recent Investor Motivation Survey for the East African Community, 93% of investors said that they would have invested anyway, had tax incentives not been on offer. Tax incentives ranked only 17th, behind a host of factors including exchange rates, utility and transport infrastructure.

Generous tax incentives may even contribute to undermining what investors seem to value the most. In a 2014 study, the OECD cautions that ineffective tax incentives may erode resources for the more important drivers of investment decisions.

Investors attach great value to factors such as good infrastructure, security, a stable energy supply and not least a healthy and well-educated work force. Tax revenue is a prerequisite for the existence of these public goods, and businesses may make higher profits if they contribute their fair share of taxes and get public goods in return.

The OECD warns that tax incentives that lower government revenues cannot compensate for or be an alternative for a poor investment climate. Discretionary tax incentives  that is, incentives that are granted on an ad-hoc basis to individual investors  are particularly undesirable because they undermine consistency of treatment between investors.

Leaking revenue 15 ActionAid estimates that corporate tax incentives cost developing countries over US$138 billion every year.64 Apart from the sheer value of the lost revenues from tax incentives, decisions to grant them are often shrouded in secrecy, and not based on a thorough public cost-benefit analysis. Corporate tax incentives are frequently unaccounted for in the national budget and are non-transparent, reducing public accountability.

Tax incentives, like cuts to headline tax rates on corporate profits, have negative long-term impacts by encouraging harmful tax competition. Apart from the immediate losses of tax revenue, the practice also runs a risk of encouraging a race to the bottom, where countries undercut each others effective tax rates in order to attract investment, with all countries involved losing out on tax revenue as a result.

As Christine Lagarde of the IMF has pointed out  By definition, a race to the bottom leaves everybody at the bottom.

Some governments are however responding to this problem. In April 2015, Kenya was reported to be considering a proposal from its tax authority to scrap tax exemptions, including a 10-year tax holiday for foreign investors in its export processing zones.

Tanzania passed new laws in 2014 to curb tax incentives, aiming to collect another US$500 million a year in revenues. In the Philippines, however, a new law to bring more transparency to tax incentives appeared to be contested by the government.

CULLED FROM ACTIONAIDS RECENT LEAKING REVENUE REPORT
The immediate past Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, in a frantic move to avoid accounting for his unprofessional role in the transfer of $1.1 billion to an illegal company, Malabu Oil and Gas Limited for the sale of oil block OPL 245, has written to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, deliberately muddling up details of the transaction.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently re-opened investigations into the scandal and had invited Mr. Adoke for questioning. Mr. Adoke is however yet to honour the agencys invitation.

But in a desperate appeal for Mr. Osinbajos intervention in the matter, Mr. Adoke recycled the same catalogue of lies he had repeatedly circulated since his role in using the Federal Government as a platform for a secret deal with oil giants, Shell and Eni, to transfer the controversial fund to Malabu, an illegal company with fictitious directors and addresses, floated by a former Petroleum Minister and ex-convict, Dan Etete.

In the letter dated December 31, 2015, Mr. Adoke claimed he acted in the best interest of the country and accused those he described as agents of the Sani Abacha family; Lawal Abba, an associate of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and news website, specifically PREMIUM TIMES and Sahara Reporters, of orchestrating smear campaign against him.

PREMIUM TIMES had in the past published a series of extensive investigations revealing that Mr. Adoke acted unprofessionally and had consistently lied to cover up his involvement in the fraudulent transaction.

Contrary to his claim in the letter to Mr. Osinbajo that the transaction aforementioned was legitimate, transparent and well documented, and above all, self-explanatory, PREMIUM TIMES extensive investigations into the deal had revealed that it was fraught with corruption and monumental fraud.

While Mr. Adoke tried to deflect attention from his involvement in the scandal by alleging that the Abacha family was sponsoring a smear campaign against him, he deliberately avoided addressing the core issues of the controversial transaction.

Firstly, Mr Adoke avoided addressing the question of the illegal status of Malabu Oil and Gas, the company to which he authorized the transfer of $1.1 billion.

While Mr Adoke continued to insist that the deal was illegal, the Corporate Affairs Commission, an agency on whose board Mr Adoke once sat, had placed a caveat on the companys file after being briefed by the EFCC that the company was under investigation and that its record had been breached.

Also, before the payment was made, Mr Adoke was informed that he was dealing with fraudsters.

A letter titled Unauthorised alterations of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited Ownership Structure, signed by Abdullahi Haruna, a principal solicitor at a law firm, Onekutu, Haruna and Co., was handed over to Mr Adoke in May 2011 when he assumed duties as attorney general, warning him that people he was dealing with had manipulated and falsified company records with the Corporate Affairs Commission.

Mr. Haruna also briefed Mr. Adoke of the history of Malabu and the alleged criminality of Mr. Etete.

We humbly request that the Honourable Attorney General intervene in these negotiations and prevent the conclusion of the transaction on the basis of fraudulent misrepresentation, Mr. Adoke was told.

Separate investigations by PREMIUM TIMES and the EFCC revealed that the ownership structure of the company was illegally changed and a fictitious new director, Kweku Amafegha, which was created by Mr. Etete, introduced with six million shares.

By that act, Mr. Etete and other promoters of Malabu violated section 563 of the companies and allied matters act and are liable to at least seven years in prison by virtue of sections 190 and 436 of the criminal code act.

Section 190 and Section 436 (b) of the Criminal Code Act is applicable to the conduct of the promoter of Malabu, in that a false representation or declaration was made to induce the Corporate Affairs Commission to issue an incorporation certificate, said Jiti Ogunye, a Lagos based lawyer.

A PREMIUM TIMES investigation also revealed that all the office addresses provided to authorities by Malabu were fake.

But Mr. Adoke, in his letter to the Vice President, did not explain why, as the most senior legal officer of the last government, he approved the payment of such a huge sum of money to a company enmeshed in corruption of which he received advance warnings.

Further, Mr Adoke also need to explain why he negotiated with Mr. Etete when he (Etete) was never listed as a director of the company.

Another important fact of the transaction Mr. Adoke avoided talking about was the haste at which the transaction was concluded with Mr Etete.

PREMIUM TIMES investigation at the time revealed that Mr Adoke, in cohort with a former Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama, on August 16, 2011, hurriedly and secretly authorised the transfer of the money to Malabu from a Nigerian government account with JP Morgan International Bank, a day before the assumption of duties of the immediate past Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Malabu subsequently transferred the money to other phony companies with falsified addresses in what the EFCC described at the time as a cloudy scene associated with fraudulent dealings.

Below is a copy of Mr. Adokes letter to Vice President Osinbajo.

31st December 2015

His Excellency,

Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON

Vice President,

Federal Republic of Nigeria,

Aso Rock,

Abuja.

Your Excellency,

RE: RESOLUTION OF THE DISPUTE BETWEEN SHELL ULTRA DEEP NIGERIA LIMITED, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA (FGN) AND MALABU OIL & GAS LIMITED IN RESPECT OF OPL 245 NOW SUBJECT OF INVESTIGATION BY THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC)

May I respectfully draw Your Excellencys esteemed attention to the above subject matter which is now a subject of investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and to present the true facts in so far as they concern the official and professional role played by the office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (HAGF) during my tenure. This has become necessary in order to set the records straight in view of the spurious allegations, mischievous and misleading publications on the subject matter in the media (particularly the online media).

Your Excellency may please note that except for those whose sole intentions are to denigrate and impugn my integrityfor resisting attempts to use the Office of the HAGF to further narrow selfish business interests, the transaction aforementioned was legitimate, transparent and well documented, and above all, self explanatory. I trust therefore that this brief will afford you the opportunity to dispassionately examine the records and come to a fair and just assessment of the matter. A few weeks ago, I was informed through the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF) that the Federal Ministry of Justice was in receipt of a letter from the EFCC inviting me to its office for an interview on the Malabu Oil Transaction with Shell/ENI. I was however unable to immediately honour that invitation as I was writing my end of semester examinations at the University of Leiden, in the Netherlands where I am currently studying for an Advanced LL.M Degree in Public International Law. I therefore requested that the invitation be deferred to 28th December 2015 pending the completion of my examination. However, on deep reflection, I found the invitation rather curious, unconventional and mischievous especially as I acted purely in an official capacity and the EFCC could easily have had recourse to the sitting HAGF for clarifications since the records were in the Federal Ministry of Justice as government is a continuum. I therefore phoned the HAGF and notified him of the development and offered a detail explanation of what had transpired. I also impressed on him the need to protect the office from unwarranted attacks and machinations of those out to destroy it in view of its unique constitutional role in governance. I followed up by sending him a written brief with a copy of the attached Comprehensive Position Paper to enable him familiarise himself with the transaction in the event that official files in the Federal Ministry of Justice could not, for one reason or the other, be easily traced. It was after this development that I was made to understand that there were plans by some individuals who had become aware that I would be honouring the invitation of the EFCC on 28thDecember2015 to humiliate me. I was also informed that these individuals had enlisted a notorious online media (Sahara Reporters) to smear my name with allegations of corruption and bribery and that some agents of the Abacha family and one Lawal Abba acting for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President were behind the scheme. According to the information, their motive was predicated on the following:

(a) the claim that they were shareholders in Malabu Oil & Gas Limited and had been short-changed by the main shareholder of the company, and

(b) that I had refused to use my official position as Attorney General of the Federation to help them get their dues from the main shareholder.

Your Excellency, as preposterous as these assertions were, I was forced to give credence to them when on 27th December 2015, Sahara Reporters and Premium Times published that I was scheduled to appear for interrogation at the EFCC on 28th December 2015 and will thereafter be detained and charged to court. It was also falsely published that I was involved in the Halliburton bribery scandal, when the said scandal predated my tenure. It will be recalled that it was during my tenure that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation in collaboration with the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) under the leadership of General Aliyu Gusau and the EFCC proceeded against the Companies that were involved in the bribery scandal and got them to pay reparations for reputational damage to the country totaling almost $180 Million even when by the penal sanctions contained in our laws, the companies could only have paid pittance. The records are there to show what was achieved and that the monies were paid into the Federal Government accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). It is apparent from these publications that the intention is not necessarily the clarifications sought by the EFCC but a carefully orchestrated plan for my assured unjustified persecution, humiliation and disgrace by a known group with interest in the Malabu matter that are aggrieved over my official role in the resolution of the case. The said group has now joined forces with those desperate to malign me by using the present investigation by the EFCC to humiliate my person. My refusal to take a particular position they had sought and impressed upon me after the resolution of the matter was concluded is the root of all this blackmail. Your Excellency, I make bold to state that any responsible Attorney General of the Federation would have done what I did to safeguard the interest of the country and avoid a liability that potentially stood against the country. It is in this regard that I respectfully urge Your Excellency to carefully consider and ascertain from the documentation supplied, the following facts:

(i) that Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 was granted to Malabu Oil & Gas Limited by the administration of General Sani Abacha, GCFR in 1998;

(ii) that OPL 245 was subsequently revoked by the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR in 2001and re- allocated to Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited (SNUD) in 2002 under a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) arrangement;

(iii) that at the time of revocation and re-award, Malabu and SNUD had a binding Joint Operating Agreement to exploit the block with SNUD as technical partner to the Venture;

(iv) that aggrieved over the revocation, Malabu petitioned the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum. After a public hearing, the House condemned the revocation and re- allocation to SNUD and recommended that the block be restored to Malabu;

(v) that Malabu also sued the FGN and SNUD at the FHC in Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/420/2003 claiming several declaratory reliefs including an order setting aside the re-allocation to SNUD and a restoration of the block to Malabu. The suit was struck out but on appeal, the parties entered into a settlement dated 30th November 2006 which were executed by my predecessor in office, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, CON;

(vi) that the Terms of Settlement were filed in court as consent judgment and a key term in the settlement was the restoration of the Oil block 245 to Malabu by the FGN;

(vii) that pursuant to the Terms of Settlement, President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006 rescinded his earlier revocation and restored the Oil block 245 to Malabu;

(viii) that at this time SNUD had already expended huge resources of over $500 million to de-risk the Oil block under the existing arrangement with the FGN and had found oil in commercial quantities. This was inspite of the pending litigation instituted by Malabu;

(ix) that Shell was equally aggrieved over the unilateral revocation of the block by the FGN and commenced Arbitration proceedings at the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) claiming over $2 billion from the FGN for breach of contract, loss of investment and special damages;

(x) that It was under the above circumstances that I, as AGF encouraged a definitive resolution between the parties who themselves had expressed an intention to settle but were untrusting of each other given their antecedents;

(xi) that title on OPL 245at the date of settlement in 2006 and the Resolution Agreement in 2011 vested exclusively in Malabu subject only to the terms and conditions in the allocation;

(xii) that the interest of the FGN at the time of resolution in 2011 was to ensure the payment of the signature bonus on the block and that the block was developed to enable the country earn revenue through royalty and taxes;

(xiii) that consistent with Nigerian law governing oil and gas and the allocation of oil blocks, the signature bonus due and payable to the FGN amounting to $210 million was duly paid and acknowledged. The taxes and royalties associated with oil produced from the block are also now being paid. This is contrary to the lies and misinformation being peddled that Nigeria was short changed in the transaction.

(xiv) that at all times material to the resolution of the disputes between Malabu/Shell/FGN one Mohammed Sani who now claims to be Mohammed Abacha was not a party to the transaction and did not disclose any personal or family interest in OPL 245 to the administration of Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar GCFR or to the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR;

(xv) that Mohammed Abacha did not participate in the negotiations leading to the resolution or settlement agreements;

(xvi) that Mr. Abacha surfaced only after the tripartite resolution of the matter between Shell/Malabo and the FGN to request that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation should prevail on the main shareholder of Malabu to respect their interests in Malabu by paying them part of the proceeds;

(xvii) that rather than use the courts to resolve their internal company issues in Malabu, they have resorted to the use of the apparatus of state to settle scores with imaginary perceived enemies;

Your Excellency would upon an objective determination of the distilled issues come to the irrebuttable conclusion that at all times material to the resolution of the dispute, conscious efforts were made by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to safeguard national interest. Furthermore, in the negotiations, the office of the Attorney General ensured that all relevant MDAs including the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) were represented and participated to ensure compliance with extant laws and processes. It is therefore incorrect and contrary to as widely claimed in some quarters that the money that was paid to Malabu, which was only warehoused in an escrow account, was meant for the Nigerian Government and that the country was thereby shortchanged. Malabu as title-holder of the oil block merely dispensed of her interest in it as allowed by law. This indeed is the case with similar oil blocks allocated to several notable Nigerians who also disposed of their interests to oil multinationals and are enjoying the proceeds without any eyebrow or allegations of corruption. Your Excellency, I have explained in detail the history of the transaction trusting that you are in a better position as a one-time Attorney General of Lagos State and the current Vice President to objectively appraise the situation and brief the President truthfully so as to discourage the lies being peddled by mischief makers. This will not only bring my persecution to an end, but also protect the institution that the exalted office of the Attorney General of the Federation represents as well as guarantee its independence and prevent its destruction on the altar of political expediency. I am not unmindful of the need for public officers to be held accountable for their service. In this respect, if Shell and or ENI have infracted on the laws of their home countries either by non-disclosures and or tax evasion, our duty is to assist their home governments if requested to ascertain the truth but not to undeservedly criminalize our public office holders to satisfy the narrow and selfish interest of shareholders fighting over assets of their company. While thanking Your Excellency for your patience and valuable time, I want to assure you that I discharged my duties as the Chief Law Officer of the Federation with conviction, integrity and candor striving at all times to protect national interest. While I acknowledge that I am human and not infallible, I remain very proud of my record of service as Attorney General of the Federation. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest regards and personal esteem.

Yours sincerely,

MR. MOHAMMED BELLO ADOKE, SAN, CFR
Leaders of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have expressed commitment to a stable oil market and a rebound of oil price.

At a bilateral meeting between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia in Riyadh hosted by the ruler King Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz, the two leaders accepted the fact that their two economies are tied to oil and that all cannot be well with both countries when the world oil market is unstable.

They therefore committed themselves to doing all that is possible to stabilize the market and rebound the oil price.

The two leaders did not expatiate on modalities they plan to adopt in raising oil price.

The two leaders, who engaged in extensive discussions on regional and global issues, also agreed that terrorism posed a common threat to their states and would require close cooperation to prevail over the threats.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who was making his first pronouncement on the invitation to join the coalition of Islamic states against terror spearheaded by the Saudis, congratulated the Kingdom on its formation.

Even if we are not a part of it, we support you. I must thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the recent creation of a coalition to address the menace of international terrorism. Nigeria will support your efforts in keeping peace and stopping the spread of terror in your region. This is in consonance with our own commitment and on-going efforts in seeking to stamp out Boko Haram terrorists from the West African sub-region and Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), the President said.

Speaking on global terror generally, President Buhari said that international terrorism made a statement by attacking one of the advanced countries by carrying out an attack on Paris in which 130 were killed. Now we have to come together to find a common solution to the problem of terrorism.

He thanked the Saudi government for its continuing support to Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.

Turning to the menace that Libya has turned into, President Buhari regretted that the late Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi recruited, trained and armed citizens of many states in the Sahel region.

With his fall, these mercenaries have returned to their countries, doing nothing but to shoot and kill.

He cited Burkina Faso and Mali as the main victims but expressed happiness that the countries neighboring the Lake Chad have tightened their ranks to finish off the Boko Haram threat.

Luckily, we have cultivated our neighbors. We are now working together against Boko Haram,otherwise the problem would have become worse.

He and King Salman hoped that the Libyan factions will soon see reason to reunite and fully restore their own country so as to save the world from further terrorism spin-offs from that country.

The leaders also focused on trade between their states and agreed to give fresh impetus to the joint commission previously established in order to boost commercial and other activities to unify their peoples.

In his remarks, King Salman commended the progress made by Nigeria in combating terrorism and promised to give further support and assistance.

He welcomed the support of the Nigerian government for the new anti-terrorism coalition and implored the President to consider its full membership.

King Salman pledged his full support and cooperation to Nigeria under its present leadership and directed all agencies of his government to follow up on the discussions.

I now instruct my team to go and sit down with your relevant agencies to push forward cooperation between our states, the King said.
Kabiru Marafa, an All Progressives Congress Senator and the most vociferous critic of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in the upper legislative chamber, has denied shunning the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions asked to probe him for allegedly disparaging the Senate.

Two senators, Isah Misau (APC-Bauchi Central) and Matthew Urhoghide (PDP-Edo South), brought complaints against Mr. Marafa, saying the Zamfara Central Senator had in a February 7 Punch publication demeaned the Senate.

But Mr. Marafa did not attend the hearing of the committee scheduled for Monday.

Mr. Marafa, speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, said his colleagues lied against him and explained that no invitation was extended to him to appear before the committee on Monday.

He, however, said he had earlier on February 16 received invitation to a hearing of the committee scheduled for February 18, but that he replied that he could not make it to the hearing.

He said he requesting another date this week.

The February 16 invitation letter, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, referred Mr. Marafa to the said interview in the Punch which Senators and the entire Senate believe is an infringement on their privileges.

Yes I got the text from the clerk to the committee but replied I would not be able to attend the meeting because I was in Kaduna commiserating with my brother and friend spanning over 30 years, Senator Hunkuyi who lost his mother, Mr. Marafa said.

I also called my office to ask my SA (Senior Legislative Assistant) to formally reply the invitation letter; explain why I would not attend the meeting and ask for another date.

We also obtained a copy of the reply signed by Mr. Marafas assistant , Abubakar Ahmed, and dated February 17.

The letter explained that Mr. Marafa could not attend the meeting because he is currently out of town to condole with Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, who lost his mother yesterday. He is therefore unavailable for the hearing scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday 18th February 2015.

He is however expected back in Abuja on Saturday, and is available for the hearing fixed for any date next week, please, Mr. Marafas letter added.

As far the hearing held yesterday was concerned, there was no invitation, Mr. Marafa said, challenging the committee to publicize invitation letter asking me to appear before the committee on Monday, apart from the first one last week which I replied and formally gave reason why I would not attend.

The behaviour of committee members is very undistinguished; they caused the Senate embarrassment by concocting lies against one of their own.

Thats why I went to plenary today to see how they will pass judgement without hearing me. I deserve to be heard. Even the Senate President who is facing criminal charges is given right to defend himself.

They cant face me; they are afraid. They know the illegalities they have committed. I read the said interview again and I wish to stand by everything I said. I am defending the institution of the Senate, Mr. Marafa said.

He added that even though his lawyers asked him not to attend the hearing because he was challenging the legality of the committees in court, he wanted to attend for two reasons.

One, I have respect for the Senate institution to which I belong; so, I want to defend myself and save the Senate from embarrassment. Two, I have respect for the committee because I served in that committee for four years.

On why he refused to convene a budget defence hearing of his committee on National Population Commission, he said his decision was based on the logic of Senate spokesperson, Aliyu Sabi.

He said when he questioned the legality of the committees raised from 57 to 65 in violation of Senate Standing Orders, Mr. Sabi told him that by approving votes and proceedings of the day the list of the committees was read, the whole Senate had approved the increment.

So, when the budget bill was read for the first and second time, we passed votes and proceedings of those days.

Following same logic as established by the Senate official spokesperson, it follows that we have passed the budget.

Then, why do we have to invite the MDAs again? Why do I have to waste taxpayers money on hearing again? Then, why is it that it is after Supreme Court judgement on Saraki they are saying they cant pass budget? You journalists, should ask questions.

Meanwhile, Samuel Anyanwu, Chairman of the investigative committee laid the report on Mr. Marafas probe before the Senate today.

The report is yet to be considered.
The day of reckoning is here. After walking free for about two years, former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, and four others are now set to face trial for their roles in the shoddy March 15, 2014 immigration recruitment exercise that killed no fewer than 20 job seekers across the country.

After investigating the matter for five months, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has now slammed an 11- count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence, procurement fraud and money laundering on Mr Moro; permanent secretary of the ministry at the time, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia; a deputy director in the ministry, F. O Alayebami; one Mahmood Ahmadu(at large), and the contracting firm given the recruitment job, Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.

The defendants are accused of defrauding 676, 675,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Six Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy Five) Nigerian applicants of N676,675,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Six Million, Six Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand Naira).

The applicants paid N1000 each through an e-payment platform for their online recruitment exercise into the Nigerian Immigration Service.

The accused are also alleged to have contravened the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 in the contract awards by not following the necessary procedure laid down by the government.

The award of the contract to Drexel Tech Nig Ltd, the EFCC said. had no prior advertisement, no needs assessment and a procurement plan was not carried out before the contract was awarded.

The contract was awarded through selective tendering procedure by invitation of 4 (Four) firms without seeking the approval of the Bureau for Public Procurement, contrary to sections 40, 42 and 43 of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under section 58 of the same act, the anti-graft agency said.

Drexel Tech Global Nigeria Limited, the company that provided the online enlistment and recruitment services is said to be unregistered and had no legal capacity to enter into the said contract.

There is also said to be no budgetary provision for the exercise in the 2014 Federal Capital budget hence the applicants were made to bear the responsibility of funding the project without approval of the Board contrary to section 22(5) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000, the charge said.

The document alleged that One of the accused Mahmood Ahmadu(who is at large) in connivance with Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd, lavished the total of N423,800,000.00(Four Hundred and Twenty Three Million, Eight Hundred Thousand naira) part of the N676,675,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Six Million, Six Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand Naira) gotten from the applicants on the following: the sum N202, 500, 000( Two Hundred and Two Million Five Hundred Thousand naira ) in purchase of a property in a choice area of the Federal Capital territory, N120, 100,000 (One Hundred and twenty Million One hundred Thousand Naira ) used in upgrading a property in Abuja, while the total of N101, 200, 000( One Hundred and One Million Two Hundred thousand Naira) was converted to United states dollars for personal use.

The case, filed at a Federal High Court in Abuja, is yet to be assigned as at the close of work on Tuesday.

Those familiar with the matter said Mr. Moro and the other accused persons might be arraigned before the end of the week.

A source at the commission, who cannot be named because she is not authorised to speak on the matter, had told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that the suspects were picked up on Monday evening preparatory to their being charged.

At least nine job seekers died at the Abuja National Stadium while scrambling to secure seats for the controversial recruitment test.

The stampede ensued after the over 200,000 job seekers scrambled through a poorly organized barricade at the stadium.

In Port Harcourt, Rivers State, four applicants died from the stampede while 12 others sustained injuries and were rushed to Rivers government-owned Braithwaite Memorial Hospital.

After the tragedy, several Nigerians demanded the resignation or dismissal of Mr. Moro and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, David Parradang, as well as their criminal prosecution for involuntary homicide.

They were accused of putting in place a sham recruitment process that enabled the interior ministry to extort applicants.

The minister, who initially blamed impatience and refusal by applicants to abide by instructions for the tragedy, later accepted responsibility for the incident.

He, however, refused to step down.

Speaking on a Channels TVs breakfast programme, Sunrise, on October 20, 2014, Mr. Moro made it clear he would not resign, saying he would rather stay put in office to clear the mess caused by the incidence.

The point at which we are now is not about resignation. That time has gone, Mr. Morro said in response to a question over why he refused to quit.

At the time (people were calling for his resignation), I think emotions were very high. I was in the eye of a storm.

At that time, a lot of options were on the table The issue is do you resign or do you stay to sort out the problem that have been created?

I decided that staying and mopping up the mess caused by the lack of proper implementation of our plans is better. Thats the point we are now.

The minister said Nigerians should consider the tragedy as an accident which he too did not plan for or envisage.

I also have families. I didnt set out on that journey knowing that accident would occur that would lead to the death of human beings.

We took everything into proper perspective. If we had succeeded, a few Nigerians would have congratulated us for the job well done.
The Nigeria Labour Congress on Tuesday petitioned the minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, demanding an immediate investigation into an allegation that the Togolese government was rejecting travel certificates issued by the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) to Nigerians travelling to the country.

Copies of the petition were also sent to minister of Foreign Affairs; executive secretary, ECOWAS Commission; Togolese ambassador to Nigeria; and comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service.

The petition, signed by the general secretary of NLC, Peter Ozo-Eson, said the national president of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, was personally humiliated by officials of Asky Airline at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday, when he was about to board the flight to Lome, Togo.

Mr. Ozo-Eson said Mr. Wabba was denied boarding and prevented from travelling out of the country by officials of the airline after tendering his ECOWAS Travel Certificate duly issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria on behalf of ECOWAS.

The NLC scribe said officials of Asky Airline who denied Mr. Wabba boarding on the flight said they were acting on the instructions of the Togolese government.

He explained that the travel document issued on July 16, 2015, with an expiration date of July 15, 2017, was previously used by the NLC president on trips to Senegal and Ghana, both members of ECOWAS.

Urging the federal government to consider the issue as a matter of national significance and urgently intervene to save Nigerians the humiliation and embarrassment, Mr. Ozo-Eson said he did not understand why Togo would not recognize a travel document issued by ECOWAS, of which it is a member.

It is curious that at the time of ticket purchase, Asky Airline did not deem it necessary to warn prospective passengers of ECOWAS origin that the Togolese government does not accept or recognize the ECOWAS Travel Certificate, the NLC scribe stated.

He said the NLC believes Nigerians, wherever they are, deserve protection if they act within the law, pointing out that by denying Mr. Wabba the right to make the trip, the central labour body was denied the representation at the International Trade Union (ITU)-Africa activity held in Togo.

The disruption of his travel plan and by extension, denial of his participation at this major activity, has caused the NLC president considerable embarrassment as well as constituted a set-back to the Nigeria Labour Congress and Nigeria, Mr. Ozo-Eson noted.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Sandra Elleingand, the director of communications of ECOWAS, she declined comment, saying she was in a meeting.

But another senior official of the community said on the condition of anonymity that ECOWAS had since stopped issuing travel certificates.

They should know that ECOWAS does not accept travel certificate anymore, because we do not issue it anymore. What we issue is laissez-passer (a kind of travel document).

ECOWAS travel certificate is only issued by the embassies in a country when somebody is stranded and is coming back.

If he said he has used the certificate to travel to Senegal and Ghana before, how long ago? If you go to immigration, being a government official, it does not take a few minutes it would be issued to you at N5, 000 and save yourself from all those embarrassment.

On the petition to the minister, the ECOWAS official said nothing is going come out of it as all government officials already know that travel certificate were no more accepted.

I dont know what purpose the petition would serve. He cant get anywhere with that petition. There was a time ECOWAS was publicising that everyone should get laissez passer. Everybody, including traders, has it, the source explained.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday in Abuja said the recent removal of 12 vice-chancellors of federal universities by the federal government amounted to a violation of the law.

The ASUU president, Nasir Isa, stated this while briefing journalists on the state of the nation.

On February 12, the federal government announced the removal of the vice-chancellors and appointment of their replacements.

Mr. Isa said ASUU National Executive Council received the news with a lot of concern due to its implication for due process, university autonomy and the growth and development of universities.

Going by the provisions of the Nigerian University Miscellaneous (Amendment) Act 2003, only the Governing Councils are bestowed with the powers of appointing and removing vice-chancellors.

The latest action in these universities has justified our consistent demand for proper governance structure and process in Nigerian university system.

In the first place, vice-chancellors were arbitrarily appointed into these institutions and the governing councils instituted without making their enabling law public.

We are worried that the same cycle of illegality is playing out again.

In a university where there is the law, only the governing council is empowered to remove a vice-chancellor from office for a good cause, Mr. Isa said.

He said only a council had the power to appoint a vice-chancellor in accordance with the law.

The ASUU president also said on the appointment of a vice-chancellor, the council would only select the vice-chancellor and inform the visitor.

He said as stated in the University Amendment Act of 2003, 4 (b), the council shall select and appoint as vice-chancellor, one candidate from among three candidates recommended to it and thereby inform the visitor.

He said the vice-chancellor could only be removed from office by the governing council on grounds of conduct or inability to discharge the function of the office.

This could be as a result of infirmity of the body or mind, at the initiative of the council, senate or the congregation after due process.

We, therefore, call on the federal government to toe the path of legality and due process by gazetting the law appointing the councils, he said.

He said the government should mandate the councils to immediately commence the process of appointing new vice-chancellors for the affected universities.

Mr. Isa however said the removal of the vice-chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria was in conformity with the Amendment Act of 2003.

He said the act provides five years non-renewable tenure for a vice-chancellor in the Nigerian university system.

This act particularly applies to all federally-funded universities in Nigeria, inclusive of NOUN.

Since the vice chancellor had served a five-year term, he should not be given an extended term of even one day.

Fair and just institution abhor ad hoc laws tailored to the advantage of special individuals, he said.

(NAN)
Oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have shut down operations of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) over alleged imposition of an acting executive secretary of the agency.

The workers, who are mainly members of staff of the agency, are protesting the arrival on Monday of a senior staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Stephanie Oyoyo to assume duties as acting executive secretary four days after the immediate past occupier of the office, Farouk Ahmed, was removed.

Mr. Ahmed had handed over the management of the agency to Moses Mbaba, the most senior official of the organisation.

But the Chairman of the PPPRA chapter of PENGASSAN, Victor Ononokpono, told the protesting workers outside the premises of the agency in Abuja on Tuesday that the staff would no longer accept the continued imposition of NNPC officials on the agency.

Our members are saying the arrival of another staff of NNPC, which is the operator arm of the petroleum industry, to manage the PPPRA, the regulating arm, would not be acceptable.

This is an imposition the workers will vehemently reject. We will continue to protest against it till government is ready to listen to us. This is not only unprofessional, but detrimental to the effective performance of PPPRAs role in the industry, Mr. Ononokpono told the protesting workers.

He said the workers were concerned that PPPRA was having two executive secretaries within 48 hours, pointing out that there were sufficient indication of a clandestine move to cover up massive fraud in the system.

According to the union leader, immediately the new NNPC official showed up at the PPPRA to assume duties, the first set of files she called for were those relating to petroleum support fund (PSF) and fuel subsidy payments.

This is curious. There is something very clandestine going on with this arrangement. We are genuinely worried. We say no to any imposition. We call on the anti-graft agencies, namely the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corruption Prohibition and related crimes Commission (ICPC) to investigate the management of the immediate administration in the PPPRA, Mr. Ononokpono said.
The immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Comfort Ekpo, might be dismissed this week from the university over allegation of gross misconduct, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report.

Mrs. Ekpo, a professor of educational technology, whose five-year tenure as vice chancellor ended November last year, has been on indefinite suspension since February 1.

She is accused of traveling to the U.K for a conference immediately after her tenure, without approval from the school.

The trip cost the university N2.7 million.

She is also accused of by-passing the Governing Council, the highest decision-making body in the school, when she wrote a letter to the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, in November 17 requesting that the inauguration of her successor, Enefiok Essien, be suspended.

Mr. Essien was indicted for sexual assault and forgery by the Court of Appeal, Calabar.

Mrs. Ekpo had said in her letter to the minister that Mr. Essiens appointment was causing uneasy calm, tension, and anxiety in Uniuyo because of his (Essiens) fractured integrity.

Members of the Governing Council, including its chairman, Kimse Okoko, were said to have seen Mrs. Ekpos letter for the first time during the sitting of a federal government fact-finding panel to the school.

Council members, shocked by the letter, couple with the allegation that Mrs. Ekpo traveled to the U.K without authorisation, were said to have resolved that she should appear before an investigation panel.

But Ekpo rebuffed the council.

She wrote in her response that the panels invitation was ignoble, and that it would be most inappropriate and unpatriotic for her to honour it.

She said, I have been informed of the persons recruited into the panel.

I particularly note the inclusion of a junior staff with a track record of truancy, unrepentant repeated acts of gross misconduct amply qualifying him for instant dismissal from service according to the University of Uyo Condition of Service.

The junior staff Mrs. Ekpo referred to is the local chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Idongesit Nsubong.

She said his inclusion in the panel was a great moral bankruptcy for the council.

Mrs. Ekpo went on to say that, The present height attained by the University of Uyo has been the accumulated results of immense corporate and individual sacrifices by patriots and people of great minds over several decades.

I consider it a great disservice to our people and generations any attempt in the slightest guise, to do anything that could now or later jeopardize our common interest.

The response shocked members of the council the more, and earned her a query personally signed by the pro-chancellor and councils chairman, Mr. Okoko, who accused her of trying to ethnicize and politicize the subject matter.

The council later suspended her after considering her response to the query as unsatisfactory and unacceptable.

Her sabbatical leave to Jamaica was also cancelled.

The panel sent a second invitation to Mrs. Ekpo, hoping that she would honour it this time.

But she wrote back, I wish to repeat myself: I shall not appear before this panel as presently constituted.

Mrs. Ekpo had on February 8 petitioned the federal ministry of education alleging that she was being victimised by Mr. Okoko, the chairman of the council.

She is exploring the option of going to court, someone conversant with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES.

PREMIUM TIMES learned that the council would meet on Thursday to decide on further disciplinary measures to take against the former vice chancellor.

A council member who did not want his name mention because he wasnt authorised to speak on the matter told PREMIUM TIMES that the choice of words in the letter to the council did not fit the Professor Ekpo they all knew.

She may be under some external influence, he said. But she is not above the law.

The thinking of the university council is that if she humbles herself and apologises for her wrong-doing, she could be forgiven.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mrs. Ekpo, she declined to comment on the issue.

But in her response to the query, she had told the council that her letter to the minister of education was properly routed through the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, and that it was a situation report, and not a petition against anybody.

She said the U.K conference was approved by the university, and that she had informed the vice chancellor and her head of department of her intention to travel.

Throughout my 30 years of service in the University of Uyo to date, I have consciously distanced myself from acts of misconduct, insubordination, or any such demeanor, she said to the council.

This is confirmed by the fact that I have never received any query during this period. On the contrary, I have received only recommendations for my loyalty to all administrations and dedicated services rendered even under cruel circumstances.
The executive secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Primary Health Care Development Board, Rilwanu Muhammad, said unknown disease suspected to be typhoid fever or shigella dysentery had killed 13 people in Saburi community of AMAC in Abuja.

Mr. Muhammad told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that the disease broke out on February 18.

He said 13 of the 14 affected people died, while a five-year-old child survived the outbreak as at February 22.

The secretary said the victims of the disease were not from a single household.

According to him, the victims were experiencing fever, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, and sometimes bloody diarrhoea before they subsequently died.

There is no good sanitation in the community and we suspect salmonella typhi and shigella dysentery in that community, said Muhammad.

He explained that shigella dysentery is a bacterial species causing dysentery in humans and in monkeys, found only in faeces of symptomatic individuals.

It is not food poisoning; it is not cholera or gastroenteritis; that is why we are suspecting typhoid, the executive secretary emphasised.

He said the board had taken the sample of the water from the well and three different boreholes in the community for analysis.

He said the community had about 20 boreholes and all of them were not looking neat.

Mr. Muhammad urged the community to embrace hand washing, good personal hygiene and good environmental management.

He added that the sample was taken to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control laboratory to confirm the diagnosis.

He assured residents of the boards efforts at controlling the situation and treating infected persons.

Chicken pox is another problem that is affecting the FCT, especially in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, he said.

He said 18 people were affected with Chicken pox in AMAC, stressing that chicken pox is the disease that has vaccination but was yet to be included in the National Programme on Immunisation.

We also have reported cases of measles in some general hospitals in the FCT.

We are much worried that people are not doing routine immunisation well because if people adhere to it very well the outbreak will have gone down.

We are going to embark on a follow-up campaign on measles to catch up those who have not received the vaccine.

We did it recently and we are going to repeat it again, Mr. Muhammad added.

He therefore urged residents to take measles vaccination as it reduces complications from the sickness such blindness, deafness, pneumonia and abdominal pains.

(NAN)
The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State said on Tuesday that the federal government deliberately withheld N19.4 billion due to the state as bailout, saying the governments action was a grand design to bring down the PDP government in the state.

The party also said that the ruling APC was behind the seizure of the balance of the bailout funds requested by the state from the federal government.

The spokesperson of the party chapter, Jackson Adebayo, said in a statement that the federal government was acting the script of the APC by financially crippling Ekiti State.

Out of N29 billion requested from the federal government, only N9.6 billion was released to Ekiti State, hence it was evident that Ekiti State was particularly marked for this financial punishment to prepare ground for the 2018 governorship election in the state, Mr. Adebayo alleged.

According to him, the APC was working out a strategy to frustrate Ayo Fayoses rising profile in preparation for elections in the future.

Mr. Adebayo also alleged that the various meetings by leaders of the APC outside the state in recent times were targeted at pulling down the state in the name of politics.

We want to alert the public that in all the meetings of the APC leaders they have not been discussing the progress of the state.

Rather, they have preoccupied themselves with the business of how Ekiti State government will not be able to meet its obligations again in terms of regular payment of salaries and furtherance of the populist projects it has embarked upon.

They have approached President Muhammadu Buhari and other notable leaders of their party on this matter, Mr. Adebayo alleged.

He called on indigenes of Ekiti State to beg the APC to stop the vilification of the state as it would be detrimental to its progress in the long run.
HAMMONTON  Community leaders in this western Atlantic County town are trying to stop South Jersey Gas from moving its headquarters and 167 workers from Folsom, just a few miles from downtown Hammonton, to the planned $203 million Atlantic City Gateway Project.

What really makes them angry is the $12 million in Grow New Jersey tax credits the state gave SJ Gas to make the move, rewarding the chaotic and struggling Atlantic City at the expense of their stable community and others nearby.

Ask developers connected to officials on both sides of the aisle why the government is allowing the western end to lose jobs, Hammonton Mayor Steve DiDonato said at Monday nights Town Council meeting. They think we are sheep and they must slaughter us for their financial gain. This is Hammonton, and we are not going quietly into the night on this one.

Western Atlantic County towns are dominated by mom-and-pop businesses that will be harmed by the loss of the gas companys well-paid workers, said DiDonato.

The project by Atlantic City Devco is planned for the Chelsea section of Atlantic City, on and around the former city high school site. The land was purchased with the help of a $10 million short-term loan from SJ Gas to AC Devco, a gas company spokesman has said.

It includes the new SJ Gas headquarters and an Atlantic City campus for Stockton University, along with a shared 886-space parking garage.

After an emotionally charged discussion, Town Council voted 6-0 for a resolution opposing the Atlantic County Improvement Authoritys bonding of $50.4 million for part of the Gateway Project, and the countys guarantee of those bonds, set for a vote by freeholders Tuesday. Councilman Joe Giralo abstained because he works for the ACIA in its housing program.

DiDonato and Folsom Mayor Louis Skip DeStefano attended Tuesdays freeholders meeting, with other local representatives, where they pleaded for the county to put off a vote on backing the bonds. But the board voted to introduce the ordinance, with only Hammonton resident Freeholder Jim Bertino voting no.

The freeholders did, however, agree to help arrange a meeting between officials of the western towns and South Jersey Gas before the public hearing and final vote on the guarantee in two weeks.

Stocktons Chief University Relations and Marketing Officer Sharon Schulman was at the Hammonton meeting and told council the money the ACIA is bonding is just for Stocktons portion of the project.

We are in dire need for Stockton to expand, she said.

But DiDonato and other councilmen were skeptical, saying the funding is also for the shared parking garage over which the SJ Gas building will be constructed.

So isnt the parking garage the footing for SJ Gas? Could the SJ Gas building be floating? asked DiDonato. I dont think so. (The ACIA funds) are covering part of their building.

At Tuesdays freeholder meeting the head of AC Devco Christopher Paladino said the gas company is paying for its share of foundation work.

ACIA board member and Hammonton resident Joe Ingemi said at the Hammonton meeting that SJ Gas is paying $6 million for its share of parking spaces in the garage.

They are paying for their spots. Government money is going to Stockton, said Ingemi. Your beef is with the NJEDA. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority awarded the company the tax credits.

Ingemi called the councils opposition to the funding political grandstanding, trying to blame the towns tax increases on the county.

The bottom line is 200 jobs, said Councilman Sam Rodio.

And 20,000 square feet of Hammonton office space will be lost because of this, said Councilman Tom Gribbin, referring to space currently rented by SJ Gas parent company South Jersey Industries. Those jobs will now move to the Folsom building, according to the company.

Its unfair to use taxpayers money to move jobs from the western end of the county to Atlantic City, said Hammontons Jim Donio earlier Monday, who is working with DiDonato to fight the loss of the SJ Gas jobs. He called it poaching.

The resolution stated that the bonds will fund a parking garage and other improvements essential to the South Jersey Gas major corporate headquarters relocation and that Town Council opposes such use of those funds.

That is not accurate, County Chief of Staff Howard Kyle said.

Its very important to make the distinction between what the county is doing and what the NJEDA is doing, Kyle said.

We have had no contact with South Jersey Gas. All of our conversation and agreements have been with Stockton, period, said County Executive Dennis Levinson.

Kyle said original plans called for the parking garage to be separate, but that Stockton requested the change so it could have its academic building on the site of the former Atlantic City High School.

Schulman said Tuesday that professionals looked at various ways to lay out the buildings.

Everyone looked for the highest and best use of the land, Schulman said. We wanted to make it so Stockton can grow.

Contact: 609-272-7219

Twitter @MichelleBPost
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




BEIJING, Feb. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspur Worldwide Customer Summit was held in Four Seasons Hotel located in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia was the first stop of 2016 Inspur Worldwide Customer Summit. Under the theme of "computing inspires future", in combination with local business development emphases and open to such industries as government, education, medical treatment, finance and telecommunication, this summit attracted over 60 high-end customers and experts from KACST, National Self-Defense Forces, Ministry of Health, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi British Bank and Saudi Telecommunications. Through overall display of Inspur's brand strength, high-end equipment and industrial solutions, this summit fully improved Inspur's brand awareness and market influence in Saudi Arabia.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160222/335614

Focusing on cloud trends and sharing cloud technology

At the summit, Jason Guo, Brand Promotion Department Deputy General Manager, Inspur Group, gave a welcome speech to customers and guests, sincerely thanked them for their presence, fully introduced Inspur's brand, technological strength and philosophies and shared analysis of industrial trends. Meanwhile, he sincerely expressed desire to strengthen in-depth cooperation with Saudi enterprises.

Later, James Li, General Manager of Inspur Saudi branch, once again expressed warm welcome to guests present, reviewed Inspur's business development and growth status in Saudi Arabia with guests, analyzed Saudi Arabia's IT industrial trends and technology in combination with the latest market analysis and expounded on Inspur's development strategy in Saudi Arabia. James Li stated, "Considering Mideast and Africa constitute an important region of Inspur's global strategy and Saudi Arabia is the largest IT market in Mideast and Africa, Inspur will preferentially and emphatically make investment and development in Saudi Arabia in the hope of making it a regional core and making Inspur gradually become a leading comprehensive solution provider in the region". In the end, he expressed confidence in and expectation for rapid development and in-depth cooperation for Inspur's localization.

At the summit, Inspur collectively displayed high-performance computing, cloud computing and advantageous solutions in response to different industries and elaborately displayed various star products in the display area.

Developed by Inspur for key business computing, the TS-K1 system is regarded as the sole mission critical server independently researched and developed by China. The TS-K1 system enables China to become the third country after the United States and Japan mastering the core technology in the world and enables Inspur to be listed as one of the global TOP5 UNIX operation system server developers. Currently, K1 system has been widely applied to 12 major key industries such as the finance industry, the power industry, the public security and the transportation industry with 12% shares in China's high-end UNIX server market in 2015; meanwhile, K1 system has been applied in the overseas market, which wins consistent recognition from global users and cooperation partners.

The presented 8-CPU server TS860 is taken as the star product of Inspur with a full-module design; its reliability, expansibility and data security adopt the highest industrial specifications; it sets the best two achievements in term of performance test in the SPEC CPU2006 test based on the Intel E7-8850 V2 processor, which presents the best performance level for the mainstream 8-CPU server configuration. According to the IDC data, Inspur's 8-CPU server enjoys a 47% market share in the third quarter of 2015 with No.1 market share in China in seven consecutive quarters and remains the No.1 shipment in China, which is far ahead of other brands. Currently, Inspur's 8-CPU server is sold to more than 10 countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United States, Russia, Germany and Japan.

Inspur's high-end massive storage serial products have been successively applied to cases of China Centre for Resources Satellite Data and Application, State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and others. In China's resource satellite system, Inspur's massive storage completes the key business deployment in the application demonstration system and operates stably, which provides security protection for China's satellite strategic data.

During the summit, the customers responded enthusiastically and deeply communicated with Inspur on further cooperation.

Boosting Saudi cloud market and jointly building cloud ecosphere

Lately, the first session of Computer Schools of National Colleges and Universities in Saudi Arabia initiated by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education was convened with the purpose of providing one computer information technology exchange platform for the 34 Saudi Arabian public and private colleges. As the specially invited gold-level sponsor, Inspur participated in the grand meeting. By presenting the latest products and technical solutions such as the advanced I9000 blade server, the mission critical server K1 developed for key business computing, Inspur's 8-CPU server TS860 that sets two world records for SPEC CPU test and solutions for the education industry, Inspur brought cutting-edge cloud computing technology analysis and popularization for Saudi Arabian colleges and universities, improving the computer technology education and application level in Saudi Arabia.

Until now, by precisely pinpointing strategic partners and channels for development, Inspur has been positively participating in and supporting the local government and industrial meetings and activities and has initially established the market integration ecosphere. Focusing on national industries gaining priority investment such as the higher education, the scientific research and the government sector, Inspur realizes batch sales and long-term strategic cooperation with strategic customers. Meanwhile, by combining the deep-level technical and service requirements of local customers, Inspur successfully practiced its "Four-dimension project management and service system", which not only provides customized solutions and service for customers, but also brings them new application experience.

With a global layout, Inspur is to offer core driving force

Inspur is a world-leading total solution provider of cloud computing. At present, it has expanded business to 85 countries and regions, established branches and offices in 26 countries, had over 12,000 commercial partners, established joint ventures with Cisco and Diebold and signed a strategic cooperation agreement with SAP. As a member of international authoritative organizations such as Open Stack, SPEC and TPC, Inspur obtained Special Contribution Award presented by SPEC in 2016. As Saudi Arabia is one of Inspur's key markets for its internationalization strategy, the summit held herein also intends to better expand Saudi market and accelerate the realization of internationalization strategy.

Relying on leading technological innovation, profound industrial insight and the principle of openness and cooperation, Inspur drives industrial progress, boosts enterprise development, becomes the most trustworthy partner for global enterprises and provides core driving force for global enterprise development.

SOURCE Inspur Group
The series includes individualized designs inspired by New York's Chrysler Building, London's Elizabeth Tower and Tokyo's Skytree with Swarovski crystal accents in a classic CROSS conical top

LINCOLN, Rhode Island, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CROSS fine writing instruments will commence their 2016 presence in the luxury brand category, with the unveil of a Peerless Special Edition Collection of fine writing instruments to honor globally iconic cities. Chosen by the brand for the first edition, were the cosmopolitan locales of New York, London and Tokyo. CROSS will represent each of these 3 cities through instrument design emulating an aspect of their architectural beauty. Celebrated edifices to include New York's Chrysler Building, London's Elizabeth Tower, more commonly known as Big Ben, and Tokyo's Skytree.

"At CROSS we speak of 'human greatness' as part of the brand's DNA, both historically and moving into the future. Great cities have always served as an incubator for human greatness, producing large achievements in diverse categories like economics, social causes and the arts. As a tribute to the concept of urban centers as bastions of ingenuity, we have created the Peerless Special Edition Collection of fine writing instruments. The series is designed to celebrate the world's most iconic cities and the human potential within each of them," says Magnus Jonsson, Global CMO, A.T. CROSS.

Each of the three writing instruments crafted as part of the series is characterized by a number of elements:

New York : This pen has been etched with architectural detail reflecting aspects of NYC's famous Art Deco style skyscraper- still the tallest brick building in the world- the Chrysler Building. Available in ball point pen and fountain pen styles, it is platinum plated and embellished with a Swarovski crystal in its classic conical top. The fountain pen style includes a rhodium plated, 18KT solid gold nib. All styles are packaged in a specially fashioned keepsake box and accompanied by a romance booklet.

This pen has been etched with architectural detail reflecting aspects of NYC's famous Art Deco style skyscraper- still the tallest brick building in the world- the Chrysler Building. Available in ball point pen and fountain pen styles, it is platinum plated and embellished with a Swarovski crystal in its classic conical top. The fountain pen style includes a rhodium plated, 18KT solid gold nib. All styles are packaged in a specially fashioned keepsake box and accompanied by a romance booklet. London : This pen has been etched with architectural detail reflecting aspects of London's Elizabeth Tower , more commonly known as Big Ben. The tower is a prominent symbol of the UK frequently used by filmmakers to establish London as the backdrop for a film. Available in ballpoint pen and fountain pen styles, it is 23KT gold plate with a Swarovski crystal in its classic conical top. The fountain pen style includes a fine, 18KT solid gold nib. All styles are packaged in a specially fashioned keepsake box and accompanied by a romance booklet.

This pen has been etched with architectural detail reflecting aspects of , more commonly known as Big Ben. The tower is a prominent symbol of the UK frequently used by filmmakers to establish as the backdrop for a film. Available in ballpoint pen and fountain pen styles, it is 23KT gold plate with a Swarovski crystal in its classic conical top. The fountain pen style includes a fine, 18KT solid gold nib. All styles are packaged in a specially fashioned keepsake box and accompanied by a romance booklet. Tokyo : This pen has been etched with architectural detail reflecting aspects of Japan's tallest structure and center of broadcasting and communications, the Tokyo Skytree. It is available in ballpoint pen and fountain pen styles, in a satin black finish with a Swarovski crystal in its classic conical top. The fountain pen style includes a rhodium plated, 18KT solid gold nib. All styles are packed in a specially fashioned keepsake box and accompanied by a romance booklet.

All 3 pens are decorated with the geographic coordinate system of the city they represent. Ballpoint styles are MSRP $350 USD and fountain pen styles are MSRP $625 USD. The series can be purchased online at www.cross.com and at select retailers. Access the online store locator for more details.

About CROSS

The story of the CROSS brand begins in 1846 when artisan Richard Cross, in partnership with his son Alonzo Townsend Cross revolutionized fine writing instruments. Their early mark of entrepreneurial excellence included tools refined through more than 100 patents and accented by the spoils of the California gold rush. Still positioned to set the bar for what it means to symbolize achievement, human potential and usable luxury, CROSS seeks to provide those possessing extraordinary vision and a strong entrepreneurial spirit with the tools needed to make their mark.

Media Contact:

Genevieve Malandra

j2 Communications

gigi@j2online.com

646.977.0224 (mobile)

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150917/267607LOGO

Related Links

http://www.cross.com



SOURCE A.T. CROSS
THE HAGUE, the Netherlands, February 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Due to the amended EU Transparency Directive, BNG Bank is obliged to disclose its 'home member state'. For BNG Bank, with registered office in The Hague, the home member state is The Netherlands.

About BNG Bank:

BNG Bank is the bank of and for local authorities and public sector institutions. The bank is a committed partner and makes a sustainable contribution to minimising the costs of public utilities for the consumer. Its key client groups are local authorities, housing associations and care institutions. BNG Bank offers its core customers a broad package of financial services. In addition to loans, it provides supplementary services relating to payments, spatial planning and asset management. The shareholders of BNG Bank are solely comprised of local authorities. The Dutch state owns half of the shares in the company, while the remainder are held by municipal and provincial authorities and a water board. The debt securities issued by BNG Bank have a credit rating of Aaa (Moody's), AAA (Standard & Poor's) and AA+ (Fitch).

For more information: http://www.bngbank.com

PRN NLD



SOURCE BNG Bank
LONDON, February 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Humm is a free music app that makes it possible, simply and legally, to access more than 50 million songs, providing users with a personalized experience based on their musical tastes.

Humm, a London-based startup, has just launched a new music-streaming app that provides a free and easy way to listen to a huge array of music online. Without ads or interruptions, it provides users with a service similar to Spotify through a highly intuitive interface.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160216/333620 )



The app, which has just launched a mobile version on Android, draws on more than 50 million songs obtained through the YouTube API. Humm lets users create their own music library and listen to a radio service tailored around their favourite artists. Similar to Apple Music, Humm also offers customized content based on users' musical tastes.

"With Humm, we want to democratize streaming music and make it accessible to the whole world, but through legal channels. We use the APIs of other services such as YouTube or Spotify, adhering to their terms and conditions," explains its CEO and founder, Andres Sanchez. "At present, only 1% of the world's population is willing to pay for premium music services. We want this number to increase, and Humm wants to be the gateway to paid services. We see a big gap between YouTube and Spotify and we'd like to be the stepping stone to go from one to the other," adds Sanchez.

Founded by Spanish entrepreneurs and a graduate of the Telefonica Wayra acccelerator, Humm is a London-based startup with offices in Malaga and Santiago de Compostela. Its earlier incarnation, Living Indie, was a live streaming platform for concerts. In April of last year, the company closed its first round of funding in through Crowdcube, the UK-based equity crowdfunding platform.

Humm's mission is to make music accessible to everyone through a music streaming platform with access to more than 50 million songs. Humm is also an API that offers a legal package for creating music services.

Video: https://vimeo.com/155985384

Web: http://www.myhumm.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhumm/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/humm_music

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humm_music/



SOURCE Living Indie Limited
PUNE, India, February 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report "Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring & Safety Market by Detection Type (Gas-filled, Geiger Muller, Dosimeters, Solid-state Detectors), Products (Personal Dosimeters, OSL, Badges), Safety (Apron, Shields, Face Mask, Gloves), End User - Forecasts to 2020", published by MarketsandMarkets, this market is valued at an estimated USD 876.3 Million in 2015 and expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% between 2015 and 2020, to reach USD 1,234.8 Million by 2020.

Browse 165 market data Tables and 39 Figures spread through 196 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring & Safety Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/medical-radiation-protection-market-1200.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

This report studies the global Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring, and Safety Market over the forecast period of 2015 to 2020.

Based on detection type, the medical radiation detection and monitoring market is segmented into gas-filled detectors, solid-state detectors, and scintillators. Of these, gas-filled detectors are expected to command the largest share of the Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring, And Safety Market in 2015.

Based on product, the medical radiation detection and monitoring market is segmented into personal dosimeters, area process monitors, environmental radiation monitors, surface contamination monitors, and radioactive material monitors. Of these, personal dosimeters are expected to command the largest share of the Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring, and Safety Market in 2015; this segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2015 and 2020.

The medical radiation safety market is segmented into full-body protection, face protection, hand safety, and others. In 2015, the full-body protection segment is expected to account for the largest share of the medical radiation safety market, by type.

Based on end user, the Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring, And Safety Market is segmented into hospitals and non-hospitals. The hospitals segment is expected to command the largest share of the Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring, And Safety Market in 2015; moreover, this segment is expected to witness the highest growth in the end-user market.

Based on geography, the Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring, And Safety Market is segmented into Asia, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World (RoW). North America is expected to command the largest share of the global Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring, and Safety Market in 2015. However, the market in Asia is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period.

Speak To Analyst: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalyst.asp?id=1200

The major factors driving the growth of the Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring, And Safety Market are increasing use of nuclear medicine and radiation therapy for diagnosis and treatment, growing incidence of cancer, increasing safety awareness among people working in radiation-prone environments, growth in the healthcare industry worldwide, and rising insurance coverage.

The key players operating in the global Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring, And Safety Market are Landauer, Inc. (U.S.), Mirion Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Radiation Detection Company (U.S.), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.), and Ludlum Instruments, Inc. (U.S.).

Browse Related Reports:

Radiation Detection Monitoring & Safety Market for Nuclear Power Plants, Homeland Security & Defense, Manufacturing Industry (Geiger Counter, Scintillator, Dosimeter, Area Process, Survey Meter, Portal Monitors) - Trends & Global Forecasts to 2020.

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/radiation-protection-market-987.html

Radiation Dose Management Market by Product (Dose Tracking, Monitoring, and Analytics Software, Consulting Services), by Application (Computed Tomography, Angiography, Fluoroscopy), by End User (Hospitals, Diagnostic Centers) - Global Forecasts to 2020.

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/radiation-dose-management-market-82326344.html

About MarketsandMarkets:

MarketsandMarkets is world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.

M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.

We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.

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Unit No. 802, 8th Floor,

Tower - 7, Magarpatta City SEZ,

Hadapsar, Pune - 411013,

Maharashtra, India.

Tel: +1-888-6006-441.

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com



Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://mnmblog.org/market-research/healthcare/medical-devices

Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
TOKYO, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Niwano Peace Foundation will award the 33rd Niwano Peace Prize to the Centre for Peace Building and Reconciliation (CPBR) in Sri Lanka for its work to build trust and social ties that are key to reconciliation and peace in a country torn by the long civil war that ended in 2009.

An award presentation ceremony will take place in Tokyo on May 12 at 10:30 a.m. In addition to an award certificate, CPBR representatives will receive a medal and a cash prize of 20 million yen.

The CPBR, a nonprofit organization promoting peacebuilding, peacemaking and nonviolent conflict transformation, was founded in 2002 by attorney Dishani Jayaweera, who quit her profession to create a peaceful and just society, and university professor Jayantha Seneviratne, a recognized expert on conflict resolution. According to Dishani, reconciliation is best advanced by a group of people from diverse backgrounds coming together to lead the way through example and encouragement, rather than only through social movements led by and dependent on a few individuals. It is the CPBR family's collective efforts that have had an impact in Sri Lanka and provide an inspiration for peacebuilding in the wider world. Therefore, the CPBR's whole organizational team is being awarded the Niwano Peace Prize.

Niwano Peace Prize:

The Niwano Peace Foundation established the Niwano Peace Prize to honor and encourage individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to inter-religious cooperation, thereby furthering the cause of world peace, and to make their achievements known as widely as possible. The foundation hopes in this way both to enhance inter-religious understanding and cooperation and to encourage the emergence of still more persons devoted to working for world peace. The prize is named in honor of the founder and first president of the lay Buddhist organization Rissho Kosei-kai, Nikkyo Niwano.

Niwano Peace Foundation:

The Niwano Peace Foundation was chartered in 1978 to contribute to the realization of world peace and the enhancement of a culture of peace. The foundation promotes research and other activities based on a religious spirit and serves the cause of peace in such fields as education, science, religion and philosophy.

Contact:

(Mr.) Tadashi Takatani

Niwano Peace Foundation

Tel: +81-3-3226-4371

Fax: +81-3-3226-1835

E-mail: t.takatani@npf.or.jp

URL: http://www.npf.or.jp/english/

Related Links

http://www.npf.or.jp/english/



SOURCE Niwano Peace Foundation
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The unexpected and unrelenting challenges of caregiving affects not only caregivers, but their employers and their co-workers. With nearly half of America's 65 million family caregivers participating in the workforce, the workplace is feeling the pinch of this growing pressure on their employees who also find themselves in the role of family caregiver. The emotional fatigue of caregiving alone can compromise a worker's productivity, but throw in last minute schedule changes, continual phone calls, tardiness, and absenteeismand more employers are finding themselves in the difficult place of wanting to express compassion while simultaneously maintaining a productive workplace.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160222/335995LOGO

Caregivers with Hope founder Peter Rosenberger says that caregiving employees can strengthen their professional standing in the workplace by taking 3 simple steps.

"I've found that if an employee is forthright with their supervisor about their circumstances, asks for flexibility without an attitude of entitlement, and consistently provides a fair day's work, their employer is more likely to be understanding and work with them," states Rosenberger. "It is also important for the employer to still keep boundaries for these workers. They are not helping the caregiving employee by enabling poor workplace habits and performance."

To address these and other concerns faced by the caregiver, Rosenberger founded Caregivers with Hope to offer clear, proven strategies to guide them towards a healthier lifestyle in every facet of their life. Peter is 'the Caregivers Caregiver' bringing diverse talent and outrageous humor and candor to encourage others. "The goal is not just making family caregivers feel better, but offering them the tools and empowerment to be better," says Rosenberger.

Through an unparalleled journey with his wife Gracie, Peter has navigated through a medical nightmare for the past three decades that has included 78 operations and the amputation of both of Gracie's legs. In the process, he has learned that a caregiver cannot only survive, but thrive in the midst of oftentimes-grim circumstances. A most ardent champion for the cause of family caregivers for years as a speaker, author and radio host of his own weekly show on News Radio WLAC 1510 in Nashville (also on iHeart Radio), he is also an accomplished pianist and black belt in Hapkido.

Peter's lengthy media credits include USA Today, Today, The Today Show, Fox news, Guideposts, AARP, BBC World News, among others, and he offers practical help in his latest book, Hope for the Caregiver  Encouraging Words to Strengthen Your Spirit (Worthy Inspired, September 2014).

For more information, go to www.caregiverswithhope.com

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Caregivers with Hope

Related Links

http://www.caregiverswithhope.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CODAME, a leading organization producing cutting edge experiences at the intersection of art and technology, announces today the launch of CODAME Labs. Located in downtown San Francisco, the new dedicated research and development studio will focus on collaborative innovation through CODAME's curated network of local and international artists, engineers, architects, fashion designers, scientists, and major tech companies to accelerate the field of art and technology.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160222/335722

CODAME Labs will be led by Creative Director, renowned Dutch designer, Anouk's key focus is to make fashion ahead of her time, combining the latest in science and technology to create an experience that transcends appearances. Partnering with companies such as Intel, Autodesk, Google, Microsoft, Cirque Du Soleil, Audi, and 3D printing company Materialise she researches how our future would look as we continue to embed technology into what we wear.

"CODAME Labs is a place where hardware gets tested, robotics get styled, and electronic textiles get crafted in order to make a push for a new generation of devices that is not handheld - but wearable or even omnipresent living around us. Having access to the newest gadgets and tools including 3D scanners, 3D printers, VR, microcontrollers, and tiny sensor modules, CODAME Labs is determined to playfully produce amazing projects around the clock" says Wipprecht.

CODAME Labs is now seeking proposals from San Francisco bay-area based and international designers, artists, engineers and technologists with a taste for fashion and an urge to create innovative projects around the theme of "interface" by taking a look into new interactions we can have with the world around us on the topic of fashiontech. Current participants include renowned and forward thinking artists as Tiffany Trenda, Behnaz Farahi, Ricardo O'Nascimento, Valerie Lamontagne, Alex Murray-Leslie of Chicks on Speed; futuristic fashion labels like Elecktro Couture and Sensoree, and many more. Propose a project at codame.com/pages/call-for-proposals and join this incredible team.

This powerful lineup of researchers, emerging talent, designers and tech pioneers will be in partnership with some of the most forward-thinking companies in the Bay Area and beyond. CODAME has a history of partnering with technology companies to bring funding to artists and community recognition to brands. CODAME Labs will offer additional sponsorship opportunities that include lectures, workshops, space at our ART+TECH Festival and Labs project collaboration. For more information on how to get involved as a sponsor, visit: codame.com/pages/partners-sponsorship-enquiry

About CODAME:

CODAME produces ART+TECH projects and events that inspire through experience while embracing innovation through design, creativity, and collaboration between artists and technologists.

Since 2009, Codame has been going strong in building 50+ projects in collaboration with their 200+ tech artists collective around the globe, producing over 60 events. Honing in on the surrounding diverse communities, CODAME ART+TECH continues to embrace and showcase creative collaborations in the arts, technology, design, music, dance, data visualization, creative coding and innovation, using these avenues to broaden our horizon.

CODAME has a highly engaged community of 20k and growing top-industry engineers, designers and artists. CODAME has received support from tech companies such as Google, Salesforce, GitHub, Box, Adobe, Rackspace, Unity, BlackBerry, Shopify, Mozilla, Autodesk, and Organic, as well as upcoming startups like CoreOS, Retronyms, and Chartio.

They are fiscally sponsored by "Intersection for the Arts" a 501(c)(3) non profit organization.

labs.codame.com

CODAME.COM ~ twitter: @CODAME ~ tag: #CODAME ~ facebook: CODAME.ART.TECH

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FLOWER MOUND, Texas, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Myra Myers, Operation Outcry:

It does...all across America, when women and men are deceived by legalized abortion in our great nation.

The Daily Equivalent of 9/11 doeswhen thousands of women and men are deceived by the devastating lies of the abortion industry and the rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court that legalized abortion in our great nation!

I represent 30 million women harmed by the devastating, tragic, poor choice of legalized abortion, whether they realize it yet or not. I am among the vast majority of these (more than 94 percent) who would never have considered abortion had it been illegal.

In 1965, I was a single college student and pregnant; abortion never occurred to me - nor the dad of our child; instead, we married. Expecting our third child in 1968, we felt it was too soon for another child but the idea of abortion was never conceived in our minds until January 1973. When we were expecting our sixth child, my husband believed the lie of legalized abortion: not a child yet! "There is only one thing to do," he said. Co-dependent on him, I felt verbally and emotionally pushed to abort. Since abortion was legal, I thought it must be ok!

Like many of these 30 million women, I did not realize I had become a mother at fertilization, since life begins at this point every time. Ignorance does not make us innocent or free of the consequences.

When I went to Planned Parenthood, I was given no information on fetal/child development and not even a pregnancy test. No information was given to me on abortion procedures, risks or consequences. I was told that counseling was available if I encountered any problems afterward. But I thought: Why should I have a problem with it? I was already in denial!

I lost my "reproductive rights" when the abortion procedure damaged my uterus. Because of my "poor choice" of abortion, my uterus was removed shortly afterwards. Only a year and a half after the abortion, I felt a crushing weight of guilt and grief. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, Oh God, I've murdered!

Regardless of the circumstances, when mothers choose abortion they become responsible for the death of their children.

Legalizing abortion never made it right or safe or good for women! Abortion destroys relationships: not only the parent-child bond, but also marriages and even entire families due to the guilt, grief, shame and the blaming. I represent the 20% of women having abortions who are married. Most marriages do not survive this tragedy.

Today my husband and I agree our devastating decision to abort was the worst decision we ever made. I have chosen to forgive all involved in my abortion, including myself and those responsible for legalizing that which is wrong.

I have chosen to speak the truth in love so that individuals may receive forgiveness from God Almighty through His Son Jesus Christ...And so that justice may be restored in our nation.

Our third child was born two months premature and died. The loss of the child brought grief, but no guilt.

The night before my appointment to abort our sixth child, I asked, "God, Is there anything wrong in what I am going to do? Man says it isn't even life. What do you say?" In the morning, a clerk called to inform me the abortionist had to cancel his appointments. I did not make the connection - I wasn't listening and made another appointment to abort that brought on myself and our family the loss, grief, guilt and shame we have endured. And my story is only one among millions.

Think about it...every day since Jan. 22, 1973, America has experienced the equivalent of 9/11. Over 57 million Americans have been lost, and millions more - the mothers, fathers and families have been wounded. Don't you think it is time for the devastation to end? Before we destroy America ourselves, from within!

https://www.youtube.com/user/myoomy1

www.operationoutcry.org

Hurting from abortion?

Call International Helpline for Abortion Recovery

1-866-482-LIFE

[email protected]; 202-271-1580

Media Contact: Operation Outcry 210-614-7157 or [email protected]

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SAN DIEGO, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded Renova Therapeutics a $802,500 grant to support the company's continued preclinical gene therapy research for congestive heart failure (CHF). This is the first portion of a second NIH grant  totaling $1.6 million  that the San Diego-based biopharmaceutical company is receiving for this particular research, which is focused on increasing heart function by intravenous delivery of the urocortin-2 gene via an adeno-associated viral vector.

The NIH grant  part of a phase II grant in a three-phase funding structure  was awarded through the agency's Small Business Technology Transfer program. The grant helps fund the continued research of Renova Therapeutics and its scientific team headed by co-founder H. Kirk Hammond, MD, whose paracrine gene therapy approach has been shown to dramatically improve animal models of congestive heart failure and type 2 diabetes.

Paracrine gene therapy is a novel, patented approach developed by Dr. Hammond, who is Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and a cardiologist at the San Diego Veterans' Affairs Healthcare System. This approach involves sustained activity following systemic delivery of a gene therapy to the blood, and distribution to other organs where it can exert beneficial effects on target organs from a distance. This single-IV-injection approach is a foundation for Renova Therapeutics products that have the potential to bring about permanent improvements in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

The approach has already shown promise in mouse models of CHF, also previously funded by the NIH: A one-time intravenous dose of the therapeutic urocortin-2 gene delivered via non-replicable AAV8 safely and efficiently increased function of the failing heart.1

"With this support from the NIH, we've been able to make tremendous progress in the cardiovascular gene therapy field," says Jack W. Reich, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder of Renova Therapeutics. "What we're working on is a true innovation for a large patient population that has seen only incremental improvements in medicines, resulting in small changes in outcomes. With paracrine gene therapy, we're talking about the potential to attenuate the debilitating effects of heart failure with a simple IV injection, a common procedure that can be administered in any doctor's office."

CHF is a progressive, fatal disease characterized by the heart's inability to pump sufficient blood to meet the body's demands, afflicting approximately 6 million people in the United States and 28 million people globally. Survival rates are distressing: Despite advances in treatment, community-based studies still indicate that more than 20% of patients die within one year of diagnosis and 50% die within five years.2

The urocortin-2 gene therapy for CHF is one of several product candidates in the Renova Therapeutics pipeline, and the second gene therapy for CHF patients. The NIH grant provides an opportunity to continue this research, with hopes of eventually commencing first-in-human studies for this revolutionary therapy.

Learn more about Renova Therapeutics and its gene therapy pipeline here: www.renovatherapeutics.com.

About Renova Therapeutics

Renova Therapeutics is developing definitive, one-time gene therapy treatments to restore the health of people suffering from chronic diseases. The first two indications the company is pursuing are therapies for congestive heart failure (CHF) and type 2 diabetes, two of the most common and devastating chronic diseases in the world. The company's lead investigational product, RT-100, is a new type of treatment that delivers a therapeutic gene directly to damaged heart tissue during a routine outpatient procedure and has the potential to renew heart function in millions of patients with CHF. The company's product pipeline also includes a second-generation therapy for CHF patients and a groundbreaking therapy in pre-clinical stage for sufferers of type 2 diabetes. Renova Therapeutics was founded in 2009 and is led by an experienced management team in biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy. For additional information about the company, please visit www.renovatherapeutics.com.

References:

1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25760560

2 Mozaffarian D, Benjamin EJ, Go AS, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics-2015 update: a report from the american heart association. Circulation. 2015;131(4):e29-e322.

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OREM, Utah, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SnowFire.com's new website is now live, offering network, information technology and Datacom professionals an expansive selection of fiber optic cables, Ethernet cords and HDMI cables.

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This comes as the lightning-fast Google Fiber connection has become available along the Silicon Slopes in Provo and soon in the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area. The area is known as the "Silicon Slopes" due to the proclivity of tech companies, many of which rely on data centers with a Fiber Optic infrastructure.

"We're extremely proud of our new internet portal and hope to facilitate fiber optic communications for even more customers this way," said Jason Bringhurst, CEO of SnowFire. "In addition to Google Fiber, the Wasatch Front in Utah is home to a good number of data centers, so a fiber optic cable supply company like ours in the heart of the Silicon Slopes is a natural fit. We carry off-the-shelf fiber cables and custom fiber cords."

The company offers dozens of types of information technology supplies, including Single and Multi-Mode Fiber, adapters, bulk wire, patch panels, CAT6 Ethernet, SVGA, HDMI, gender chargers, power cords, RCA cables, CAT5E Ethernet cords, USB 3.0 hubs, DVI, Apple Lightning cables, chargers, and much more. They offer will call pick up services to local clientele and UPS shipping to customers anywhere in the USA.

The new site is organized, easy to navigate, and appealing in layout and design. The website also contains a powerful search option that displays findings by popularity, average rating, product newness, and by price. Additional price breaks are available for quantities of 10-49 and 50 plus. There's also an e-newsletter signup function for those who wish to learn about new products, sales, featured items, and more.

About SnowFire.com

Located in Orem, Utah, SnowFire.com is located in an area now commonly referred to as Silicon Slopes for its high concentration of science and tech companies. They supply fiber optic cables, Ethernet patch cords, HDMI cables, and other wire and adapters to network, IT and Datacom professionals. Will call is available for pick up, or the company can provide same-day shipping directly to you. The factory in China is a registered ISO 9001-2000 manufacturer, and all cables are made according to the RoHS directives. The cables are high quality and come with a lifetime warranty. Custom fiber optic OM2, OM3, and OM4 cables are made in the U.S.

For more information, visit https://snowfire.com/, call 801-691-0237, or email [email protected].

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Congress simply must act.

If lawmakers in both parties dont rapidly approve the request the President lodged on Monday, February 22 for $1.9 billion to combat the Zika virus epidemic sweeping the Western Hemisphere, there could be devastating consequences for Americans, especially unborn children.

Time is not on our side. Yes, we need better science around what is going on with Zika virus, but in the meantime millions of pregnant women and unborn fetuses are at risk and need support now to avert a further disaster. The virus can cause microcephaly, a tragic, irreversible condition, which depending on its severity, can be accompanied by a range of complications, including mental retardation. Thousands of cases of this heart rending disease, which can deal a crushing blow to the hopes of expectant parents, have already been recorded. And there are major societal implications as the integrity of the reproductive process  which underpins humanity itself, is at risk.

The CDC once estimated that the lifetime costs of caring for a child suffering from mental retardation topped a million dollars. So averting less than 2,000 cases of microcephaly and mental retardation would offset the Presidents request. And this is an investment that will deliver returns many times over. In fact, if Congress approves this investment, Americans will be getting a bargain. An important knock on effect of funding this program will also lead to lasting control of mosquitos that can spread disease and stronger public health systems that could prevent other outbreaks of disease from reaching Americas shores.

There is no time to lose because the Zika virus is already on its way. With 26 countries and territories in the Western Hemisphere already reporting cases, with thousands of cases of microcephaly already identified, and with the mosquito vector already in America, the conditions are ripe for the U.S. mainland to be increasingly affected as we move into the spring and summer months.

But while the threat is serious, history is on our side. In the 1940s the United States faced major mosquito-borne outbreaks of malaria and yellow fever in the southern states that were brought under control through public health investment and hard work, leading to the formation of the CDC in Atlanta.

But before we can tackle the Zika outbreak, we need Congress to do its part. It is being suggested that the quickest way of funding the Presidents request would be to divert resources currently being used to contain Ebola in West Africa. But this makes little sense  in fact it would be like diverting the fire hose from a house fire that is smoldering, to one that is in flames. It only takes a puff of wind for the original conflagration to ignite again.

Does Congress really want to run the risk of having BOTH Ebola and Zika virus cases in the mainland U.S. in the coming months? Really? Time will tell, but this is not the time for Congress to belabor this issue.
Kolkata, Feb 18 : At least 200 ABVP workers and BJP leaders including actress Roopa Ganguly were stopped from entering Jadavpur University here on Thursday by police and a section of professors and students who formed a human chain to block the right-wing activists.

Amid intense sloganeering and waving of the tricolour as well as party flags, the ABVP activists took out a protest march from Golpark in south Kolkata to the university about three km away.

The rally, held in protest against the "anti-India slogans by Leftist students unions" was stopped about 150 metres from the university by police to prevent any untoward incident.

Holding aloft posters labelling the Leftists as "desh drohi" (traitors), slogans of "Make our campuses free of desh drohi Leftist student unions" and "Jis ghar se Afzal niklega, us ghar mein ghus ke marengey" echoed through the area.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) rally was fronted by a huge banner urging people to protest against the "Communist traitors".

Another banner called for creating a "Communist-free campus and terrorism-free India".

"We won't allow any anti-national activities and anti-India slogans in educational institutions," said Bengali actress Locket Chattopadhyay, who was denied entry along with another actress-leader Roopa Ganguly.

Despite the barricades and heavy police presence, some supporters managed to sneak past, but were prevented from making any headway by a second ring of police.

At the other end, a human chain of professors and students of Jadavpur University put up a united front opposing the entry of the ABVP activists.

Tempers soared in the university and adjacent areas, as students' unions of the three faculties of the university -- science, arts and engineering -- called a rally on the campus, slamming the ABVP for engaging in "vandalism" by tearing posters on Tuesday.

"The way our campus was vandalised on Tuesday is unprecedented. This is not the culture of the university. We have to stand up against saffron terror and the fascism that is being brought down on the country by the Narendra Modi government in Delhi," said a student taking part in the rally called by the Leftist students' unions.

Amid slogans of "Pichu hotche RSS (RSS is going back) and "The people united shall always be victorious", the students went round the campus for hours.

"They are not our students and we don't want them inside the campus because they are creating issues," said a student, who was part of the human chain.

Jadavpur University has been on the boil over the past two days when pro-Afzal Guru slogans were heard and posters put up "seeking independence" for Kashmir and demanding "freedom" for Manipur and Nagaland.

Protests were also directed against the Modi government's handling of the Jawaharlal Nehru University row and the arrest of the students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar.

Jadavpur vice chancellor Suranjan Das dismissed Tuesday's slogans eulogising Parliament House attack mastermind Afzal Guru as the handiwork of "fringe elements" and ruled out any action, including calling in police. However, a police officer said the matter was being "thoroughly investigated".

The posters appearing on Wednesday were purportedly put up by an ultra-left group which called itself "Radical".
Ghaziabad, Feb 18 : Two criminals involved in over a dozen heinous crimes in Meerut and adjoining areas in Uttar Pradesh were arrested in Ghaziabad after a gun battle with police on Thursday.

The Special Operations Group (SOG) and Crime Branch of Ghaziabad police received information that some criminals snatched a motorcycle from a man near Dasna area.

A team led by Superintendent of Police (City) Salman Taj Patil came face to face with the criminals near the Dasna toll bridge on national highway-24.

On seeing the police team, the criminals fired, and police retaliated.

In the exchange of fire, two criminals sustained injuries and were later arrested. Three policemen also sustained bullet injuries.

All of them were rushed to a hospital, where doctors said they were out of danger.

During interrogation, the arrested criminals revealed their identities as Dharmendra and Rahul -- both residents of Rohta in Meerut district and members of the Rahul Khatta gang.

Dharmendra carried a reward of Rs.15,000 on his head from Meerut police, and along with Rahul was found involved in over a dozen criminal cases in Meerut and nearby areas.

Two cars have been recovered from their possession.
Jammu, Feb 20 : Independent legislator Engineer Rashid was attacked by activists of right-wing Hindu groups in Rajouri district of Jammu region on Saturday.

"With murderous intention, activists of Bajrang Dal and VHP attacked me in Bhamla (Sunderbani) area of Rajouri district today," Rashid alleged.

"They also broke the windshield of the vehicle in which I was travelling. They tried to sprinkle ink on my face but it fell on the damaged vehicle," the legislator told reporters.

Engineer Rashid stirred up a hornet's nest last year when he hosted a beef party at the legislators' hostel in Srinagar.
Islamabad, Feb 21 : At least 88 Indian fishermen were arrested by Pakistani Maritime Security Agency (MSA) reportedly for fishing in the country's waters, an official said on Sunday.

"The Indian fishermen were arrested while they were fishing in Pakistani waters of the Arabian Sea on Saturday," Dawn online quoted a police official as saying.

The MSA has also seized 16 fishing boats, the official said, adding that the police had registered a case against them under Sections 3/4 of the Foreign Act and 3/9 of the Fishery Act.

The arrest of Indian fishermen came as the third such incident in three months after the two countries agreed in December 2015 to reinitiate the dialogue process during Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's visit to Pakistan.

The release and exchange of fishermen had come to a halt from the two sides for the past several months causing concern among the families of their arrested loved ones on both sides of the border.
New Delhi, Feb 22 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday urged the Narendra Modi government to get the Munak canal started in Haryana, saying the national capital had "completely run out of water".

"We've completely run out of water. I appeal to the Centre with folded hands to immediately intervene and get Munak canal started in Haryana," Kejriwal said in a tweet.

The Munak canal in Haryana, which supplies water to many parts of Delhi, was shut down after it was vandalised by a section of Jats demanding quota in government jobs and educational institutions.

Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said there was no water supply to his residence on Monday.

"So! dry day starts from today (Monday)? No water supply at my home this morning. No hope to get water in Munak canal. Tough days ahead for Delhi," Sisodia said in a tweet.

Earlier on Sunday, Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra termed the water crisis in the national capital "unprecedented", and warned warned that the situation might worsen in the next few days if the supply from Haryana was not immediately restored.

He informed that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had almost run out of water and advised people to use water judiciously.

Delhi has nine water treatment plants which together produce 820 million gallons per day (MGD) of potable water. Of these, only two - Sonia Vihar and Bhagirathi - fed by water from Uttar Pradesh are operational. The current production is only 240 MGD. Delhi gets its bulk of water supply from Haryana.
Islamabad, Feb 22 : India has agreed to receive Pakistani investigators for probing the involvement of any group or people from Pakistan in Punjab's Pathankot airbase attack, Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said.

Chaudhry Nisar on Sunday said the only condition India made was that it should be informed at least five days before the visit of the Pakistani investigators, Dawn online reported.

He provided the information in reply to a question about the registration of an FIR in Pakistan against the Pathankot airbase attackers, believed to be from Pakistan.

"Our SIT (Special Investigation Team) will visit India in the next few days. India has already been informed through a letter by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. India has agreed to it," he said.

Chaudhry Nisar did not say if India also agreed to allow the investigators to visit the Pathankot airbase as there were reports that New Delhi would not allow them to enter the base area.

He was of the opinion that the registration of the FIR was necessary to fulfil certain legal requirements to hold investigations and verification of the information shared by India with Pakistan.

The FIR was also necessary to acquire data from service providers of those telephone numbers through which the attackers had talked to someone in Pakistan from inside the Pathankot airbase.

"These (phone) numbers have been made part of the FIR," he said, adding that "further investigations will be held on the basis of this FIR."

The minister recalled that an FIR was also lodged in Pakistan following the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

He said some arrests were made in connection with Pathankot attack but investigations were still on to establish their links with the telephone numbers or with those people whose names were provided by India.

He refused to give details about those arrested, saying it was a "sensitive matter".
Gurgaon, Feb 22 : Former Haryana minister and Congress leader Ajay Singh Yadav on Monday sought a CBI probe into the Jat protests for job quotas that were accompanied by largescale violence.

Yadav said the entire agitation seemed "a big conspiracy against citizens" of Haryana. He said the role of two Haryana ministers should be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

He said an audio tape that had gone viral on social media purportedly had the political advisor to former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda instigating a person named 'Captain' to unleash an aggressive agitation.

He said stringent action should be taken against the advisor if he was guilty.

Yadav said freedom fighter Rao Tula Ram's statue was demolished in Jhajjar and properties and businesses belonging to specific communities were targeted and torched.

He said the role of some senior IAS and IPS officers should be probed for not taking appropriate action against the mobs.

The Bharatiya Janata Party government had "totally failed" to control the agitators, causing huge losses to life and properties, Yadav said.

Gurgaon BJP legislator Umesh Aggarwal, in a separate statement, blamed Virender Singh, political advisor to former chief minister Hooda, for playing a role in the violence.
Chennai, Feb 22 : Automobile maker Tata Motors Ltd on Monday said it has renamed its new hatchback Zica as TIAGO.

In a statement, the company said the new name was crowdsourced and the winner of the campaign was Libi Thomas whose entry matches the selected name.

"The company had announced the intent to rename previously named Zica (acronym derived from Zippy Car) as the right and responsible action following the hardships caused by the virus outbreak across many countries," the statement said.

Tata Motors will apply for regulatory registrations and is working towards the market launch by March end, the statement added.

The new name hunt for the model started with the global crowd-sourcing intiative inviting netizens, both within and outside India, to participate.

TIAGO became the chosen name from the final three entries - Tiago, Civet and Adore that were opened up for the audience voting.
Jaipur, Feb 22 : The protest by the Jat community demanding reservation spilled over to Rajasthan on Monday, with agitators blocking roads and railway tracks in Bharatpur district and setting ablaze a state roadways bus.

"There were road and train blockades in some places, mainly between Bharatpur to Mathura, Jaipur and Agra by protestors of the Jat community," a police official told IANS.

Efforts were on to remove the blockade through peaceful negotiations, he said.

Jats in Rajasthan are classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC), except for Jats of Bharatpur and Dholpur districts.

Many trains in the Jaipur, Agra and Mathura sectors were cancelled while train traffic between the important Delhi-Mumbai sector was also affected.

The protestors on Monday set ablaze a Rajasthan Roadways bus, and damaged another near Bharatpur city, over 170 km from Jaipur.

Roads from Bharatpur to Delhi, Deeg, Alwar and Mathura were also blocked.

Almost all markets in Bharatpur remained closed on Monday in support of the demand.

In view of the tense situation and to maintain law and order, the district administration invoked Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure banning as unlawful assembly of people at public places.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje appealed to the Jat community to maintain peace.

She directed Social Welfare Minister Arun Chaturvedi to hold a meeting with Jat community leaders to thrash out a solution.
Washington, Feb 23 : The US and Russia announced on Monday the plan for a cessation of hostilities in Syria that will begin on February 27, the US State Department said.

In a joint statement, the two countries said the ceasefire agreement will not apply to "Daesh", also known as the Islamic State (IS), "Jabhat al-Nusra", or other terrorist organisations designated by the UN Security Council.

Any party engaged in conflicts in Syria will indicate to Russia or the US their commitment to and acceptance of the terms for the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12.00 (Damascus time) on February 27, said the joint statement issued by the State Department.

"I am gratified to see the final arrangements concluded today for a cessation of hostilities in Syria and call on all parties to accept and fully comply with its terms," US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

If implemented and adhered to, Kerry said, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people, Xinhua news agency reported.

Russia and the US are prepared to work together to exchange information and develop procedures necessary for preventing parties participating in the ceasefire from being attacked by Russia, the US-led anti-IS coalition, and the Syrian government, said the joint statement.

Russian and the US military actions, including airstrikes, will continue against IS, "Jabhat al-Nusra," and other terrorist organisations.

Moscow and Washington will also establish a communication hotline and, if necessary and appropriate, a working group to exchange relevant information after the cessation of hostilities has gone into effect.

"This is a moment of promise, but the fulfilment of that promise depends on actions," Kerry said. "We are all aware of the significant challenges ahead."
Chandigarh, Feb 23 : Violence affected areas of Haryana limped back to normalcy on Tuesday even as authorities remained cautious about some parts which were still tense in the aftermath of the Jat agitation which paralysed life in the state in the last nine days.

Officials said that traffic had been restored on the Delhi-Ambala national highway No. 1 (NH-1). Three people were killed when Jat protesters blocked the highway on Monday, forcing security forces to open fire on them.

Traffic was also restored on the Delhi-Hisar NH-10, especially near Sampla town, police said.

Curfew was relaxed in Rohtak town, the worst hit by the Jat agitation violence, as Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar headed to the town on Tuesday.

Hisar and Kaithal districts remained tense after members of Jat and non-Jat communities headed for a clash. Army and paramilitary forces remained on high alert in both districts.

State government officials claimed here that road and railway blockades by Jat protesters were being removed from various places.

Earlier, uncertainty prevailed over the fate of the ongoing Jat agitation for reservation as the protesters continued blockades and protests at various places. The agitation entered its 10th day on Tuesday.

Despite the BJP promising reservation for the Jat community in Haryana and assuring that a bill will be brought in the next session of Haryana assembly, Jat protesters had not ended their agitation in Rohtak, Hisar, Sonipat and Jhajjar districts.

Uncertainty prevailed over restoring traffic on NH-1 (Delhi-Ambala) even though authorities claimed that all protesters have been removed from the highway and army was patrolling the affected parts.

Army and paramilitary forces remained stationed in the violence-hit districts.

In Jind, the district administration relaxed curfew on Tuesday. Offices, schools, colleges and other institutions are likely to re-open after a three-day break.

While unconfirmed reports put the death toll at 19, including three people killed in firing by security forces on rioters who were blocking the NH-1 in Sonipat district on Monday, the state government claimed that 16 people were killed.

Over 200 people have been injured in the mindless frenzy that has ravaged the state bordering Delhi. The loss to property is estimated to be in hundreds of crores.

The Jat protesters are demanding reservation under the OBC category in government jobs and educational institutions.

Some places in Haryana remained tense on Monday, with Jats demanding job quotas indulging in fresh violence and triggering a backlash by other communities, leading to curfew. More security forces were rushed to maintain law and order.

The Haryana government has decided to give full compensation for the damage caused to private property, residential or commercial, and to immediately assess the role of civil and police officers for dereliction of duty.

Police sources said the Jats fought pitched battles with soldiers by hurling stones and bricks near Larsoli village, 55 km from New Delhi. Highway resorts and eating joints were also set on fire and damaged. The army fired at them, leaving three dead and a few injured.

"The state government also decided to give an ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakh to the next of kin of those innocent people killed in the ongoing agitation and employment to a member of the family of the deceased. Also, no false case would be registered against anyone," Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said.
Chandigarh, Feb 23 : It might be a late starter but "The City Beautiful" is raising a resounding cheer to the European concept of a microbrewery.

It may not hit you like a hard drink and more and more Bacchus lovers are raising a toast to the idea of clinking mugs of freshly brewed beer. The Great Bear, a new brewpub in Chandigarh's upscale Sector 26 eatery market, is tapping urban changing lifestyle preferences by offering a range of freshly brewed beer.

"Good food and great beer is a passion of sorts," microbrewery managing director Amritanshu told IANS.

He said the concept of microbrewery is getting pretty popular in the tri-city -- Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali -- like in Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gurgaon, where the craze for fresh beer is galloping.

A microbrewery is one that produces small amounts of fresh brewed beer. The ingredients are same like the bottled beer -- malts, water, hops and yeast. But there's no glycerin in the fresh one.

India's first microbrewery, Doolally, was opened in Pune in 2009.

Beer drinkers in India are turning away from mass-produced lager brands and opting for the richly flavoured in-house brewed beers, said 32-year-old entrepreneur Amritanshu, who started his first microbrewery, Hops & Grains, in Panchkula, located on the outskirts of Chandigarh, almost five years back.

His passion is reflected as soon as one enters the arena of The Great Bear - which competes with another in the vicinity - that transports you to an industrial warehouse of large-scale beer production house.

Amritanshu believes microbrewery as a concept is fairly well known as people are fairly well travelled and have tasted beers at brewpubs in India and abroad.

Keeping this in mind, the experienced duo of Amritanshu and Deb Dip Chatterjee said: "Let's serve beers that are original in flavour, texture, body and smoothness."

There's golden ale, weiss (wheat), German bock, and brewer's special, each with a distinct taste of its own.

Depending on the personal preference each has different levels of alcohol content likewise different taste and texture, explained brewpub's general manger Chatterjee.

The freshly brewed stuff is a hit among the bon vivants.

"The freshly brewed golden ale is favourite among the young drinkers who like lighter beer, minus glycerin content. Moreover, it's more refreshing than routine lager brands that are more like hard drink. All lagers taste almost the same," corporate executive Manav Malhotra said.

"There is nothing to hide," his friend Sonal Bhandari said. "Like a restaurant cooking in the open kitchen, they are brewing beer in front of you."

The freshly brewed beer takes seven to eight hours to make. It's neither bottled nor stored and is served straightway.

"I had never tasted a black (bock) beer. It's smooth and drinkable and leaves a lasting taste," she added.

The Great Bear also offers an interesting melange of cuisines ranging from Continental to Mediterranean to Italian to British and the exotic Indian too.

There are succulent 'tikkas' and 'kebabs' and for health lovers a variety of salads like fattoush, shrimp salad and not to forget flaxseed grilled chicken salad.

In appetizers, there is a whole range of vegetarian options like tacos, falafel, cheddar bites, spinach and cheese fatayer.

For non-vegetarians there is a plethora of options ranging from 'charmoula tikka', lamb and chicken kibbeh, panko chicken tenders and special tandoori and mustard prawns.

The main course has diverse specialties -- gnocchi, pasta in carbonara sauce, poulet roti au jus, chicken veracruz, okra pepper fry, Allepey fish curry and bhuna gosht.

A meal for two with two drinks will be between Rs.800 and Rs.1,200.

FAQs:

Location: Sector 26 (Outer Market).

Meal for two with two hard drinks or two mugs of beer: Rs.800 to Rs.1,200.

Timings: 12 noon to midnight.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in
Washington, Feb 23 : With the passing of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia earlier this month, the US Supreme Court could shift to the Left, which will impact a number of upcoming decisions, experts said.

Scalia, who died on February 13 in the state of Texas, was an outspoken critic of a number of liberal positions, including abortion, affirmative action and what he labelled as the "so-called homosexual agenda".

If a liberal justice is chosen to succeed Scalia, that could lead to a shift toward the Left on a number of issues up for review by the nation's highest court, Xinhua reported.

This comes at a time of increasing animosity between liberals and conservatives, which is reflected in the political arena, with Democrats moving further Left and conservatives moving further right.

The court is a powerful US institution that often decides on cases that can have a sizable impact on society and determine the direction of the culture.

"Scalia's passing offers the possibility of a liberal swing on the court," Brookings Institution's senior fellow Darrell West said.

"For several decades, conservatives have held a narrow margin on the Supreme Court and this has helped Republicans move US policy to the right on many issues. However, with the current opening and a Democratic president, a new appointee can provide the crucial swing vote that moves the court to the Left."

President Barack Obama has announced his intention to name a successor to Scalia, despite strong opposition from the Republican Party, which vows to block his nominee.

Obama could fail to get the Republican-controlled Congress to approve his nominee, "but if Democrats hold on to the presidency in the 2016 elections, they will be able to push a liberal through and this will be very impactful for future court rulings," West said.

This will affect cases dealing with abortion, immigration, civil liberties, Obama's healthcare overhaul, and the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of government.

"The Supreme Court touches many different issues so this appointment likely will affect judicial rulings for the next couple of decades," West said.

Still, Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at the Princeton University, said that if the Republican-controlled Congress can delay the pick till the next administration, it may prevent a swing to the Left -- as long as a Republican president wins.

"If the Senate can tie this up till the next presidency, and a Republican wins, the next president would have considerable room to get a conservative nominee through a Republican Senate," he said.

There are several significant cases currently pending before the Supreme Court in which Justice Scalia's vote might well have determined the outcome, John Malcolm, director of the Meese Centre for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation, said.

But now, those cases might not go as they were expected to go, given Scalia's death, Malcolm said.

One controversial case that has grabbed headlines nationwide is Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged v. Burwell.

This case involves a challenge by several religious non-profit organisations to the government's new requirement -- under Obama's healthcare revamp -- that religious organisations either provide contraceptive and abortifacient coverage to their employees or that they certify to their insurance provider that they have a religious objection to doing so.

That would result in the insurance provider assuming responsibility for providing such coverage.

The challengers believe that signing such a certification would make them complicit in the provision of services that they consider against their religion.

With the four liberal justices in the nine-seat Supreme Court unlikely to rule in favour of the religious non-profit groups in this case, Justice Scalia's death could well result in a loss for these groups, Malcolm said.
New Delhi, Feb 23 : The central government is committed towards the development of rural areas and progress of farmers, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday, addressing the joint session of parliament's both houses.

"The wellbeing of farmers is vital to the nation," the President said, marking the beginning of the budget session of parliament.

"The government recently launched Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme to facilitate insurance for post harvest losses, unseasonal rains, and uncapping of prices for certain crops. Eligibility norms have also been relaxed by the government to facilitate the farmers," Mukherjee noted.

"My government in particular is focussed on 'Garibon Ki Unnati', 'Kisano Ki Samridhi' and 'Yuvaon Ko Rozgar'," the President said, adding, "My government is driving job creation through Make in India, Startup India and Mudra Scheme."

The President said the central government firmly believes that economic development and environmental protection can co-exist.

"As part of the Namami Gange Programme, my government is implementing several projects in all 118 cities and complete sanitation solutions for 1,649 gram panchayats, on the banks of the holy Ganga," he added.
New Delhi : Title: Storm the Norm; Editor: Anisha Motwani; Publisher: Rupa; Pages: 283; Price: Rs.500 Branding is the biggest buzzword for any product to thrive, or even survive. But how does one create a successful brand?

For Anisha Motwani, the idea for the book began with a simple question: How is it that in a diverse, challenging and often predictable market like India, a handful of companies are doing an excellent job of attracting consumers and creating business value for themselves?

To answer this she began digging deeper. "I realised that most of the (successful) companies have done something out of the ordinary and, in the process, they have stormed and shaken up the market, transforming stale categories into vibrant ones."

Motwani, a business strategist, speaker and columnist, developed that simple question into a book from which people could benefit. As she put it: "This book... create(s) a reservoir of success stories that can benefit others who are equally hungry for knowledge."

The book has categorised companies into three parts -- entrepreneur, challenger and legacy.

It has included brands like PVR, MakeMyTrip, Radio Mirchi, Real, Tata Tea, Sprite, Axis Bank, XUV500, Kurkure, Honda Motors, Sensodyne, Idea Cellular, Ford EcoSport, Fiama Di Wills, Cadbury, Kissan, MTR, Raymond, Saffola and The Times of India.

The book, however, does not mention any technology brand.

It also talks about the whole gamut of challenges the companies face, both internal and external which often become stumbling blocks to growth.

"I felt that if the wisdom of this handful of companies could be made available to a wider public, it would help many more people, in turn, become winners in their own spheres," she said.

While going through the chosen companies, she discovered that it was possible to put a method on how to learn from these brands, how, as she puts it, one can storm the norm.

"I was clear that each brand story had to be authored by the people who were behind the wheels of the business, the people who conceptualised and executed game-changing strategies."

The examples given in the book are business stories which were tried and tested. The narrative is not templated and typecast in a rigid format. "Since the individual stories have been crafted by different people, it was felt that the flavour needed to be retained in the final output."

(Aparajita Gupta can be contacted at aparajita.g@ians.in)
New Delhi : A dangerous situation may arise in the country if Mamata Banerjee's demand for granting citizenship to Bangladeshi immigrants living in India for more than five years is conceded.

The West Bengal chief minister has called for restoration of the district magistrates' former rights to grant citizenship which, in effect, may facilitate further immigration from Bangladesh.

The situation in West Bengal is so grim that as early as in the 1980s T.V. Rajeswar, a former IB director and former governor of the state, was forced to write in a mass circulation daily cautioning against heavy infiltration from Bangladesh.

His article averred that in the 1981 census the total population growth rate for West Bengal was 23.2 percent while that of the minority community was 29.6 percent. In the same census the overall yearly population growth of the state was 2.3 percent. But in the districts bordering Bangladesh the figures were higher: 2.7 percent in 24 Parganas, 3.3 percent in Nadia, 2.55 percent in Murshidabad, and 2.66 percent in both Malda and Jalpaiguri.

The same pattern continued in the 1991 census. The average population growth rate of West Bengal was 24.73 percent - quite an abnormally high figure. But the districts bordering Bangladesh showed even higher figures: North Dinajpore (34 percent), North 24 Parganas (31.69 percent), South 24 Parganas (30.24 percent), Murshidabad (28.20 percent) and Nadia (29.95 percent). This proved that illegal immigration from Bangladesh was continuing. It is continuing unchecked even today.

The issue is sensitive and must be handled with statesmanship. Banerjee is playing this card a bit rashly with an eye on the coming election as she has reasons to be somewhat worried about a probable Left Front-Congress electoral understanding. But she has picked up the right point from this complicated maze of population movement.

Although Rajeswar had mentioned the abnormal rise of minority population in the 1981 census, he had missed one vital point: exodus of the Hindus from Bangladesh since the birth of that nation. The hard truth is that both Hindus and Muslims are emigrating from Bangladesh to India and there is no point in giving it a communal character.

The only logical reason behind Banerjee's demand for granting citizenship to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants may be her fright that a significant quantum of votes which the BJP could garner in the last parliamentary election may be transferred this time to either the Left or the Congress.

In the last municipality elections, the BJP's share of votes had dwindled by about 50 percent and this portion had found its way to the Left kitty. As most of these municipalities are situated in the Indo-Bangladesh border areas, playing the "citizenship for the immigrants" card may have temptations.

It is likely that the BJP, too, will lap up this issue. During the last parliamentary poll campaign, Narendra Modi held out promises in this regard. Some time back Rajnath Singh, the union home minister, had lamented about the centre's inability on the issue as the BJP does not enjoy a majority in the Rajya Sabha.

The issue has now become a double edged weapon. On the one hand, voting patterns in large numbers of constituencies in 24 Parganas (North) , 24 Parganas (South), Kolkata, Nadia and several districts of north Bengal may be affected by majoritarian sentiments arising out of the issue. On the other hand. the minority community can also influence results in 60-odd constituencies.

West Bengal is now sitting on a powder keg and no one should try to disturb the fragile equilibrium that is still holding the social fabric together. There is no point in crying over Muslim immigration from Bangladesh. Hindus are also coming. In 1951, East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, had 22 percent Hindus. Now the number has come down to a mere seven percent. Where are they going ? The natural answer is India.

Moreover, Bangladesh being a Muslim majority country, it is but natural that there will be a considerable number of Muslims among the emigrants. Trying to give a communal colour to it will be unjust.

In 1951, West Bengal's population had 79.40 percent Hindus and 18.63 percent Muslims. In 1981 the number of Hindus decreased to 77.10 percent while that of the Muslims increased up to 21.55 percent. In 2001, the share of the Hindus in the total population further came down to 72.90 percent, but the Muslims' share jumped upto 25.37 percent.

As per the 2011 census, Hindus now constitute 72.5 percent of the population of the state. No doubt it shows a decline. This declining trend is noticeable in the minority community's share of the total population also at 25.2 percent. But the rate of decrease is slower.

Many experts have however expressed reservations about the sharp decrease in the population growth rate in West Bengal during 2001-2011. According to the 2011 census the growth rate was 17.84 percent in 2001 but nosedived to 13.84 percent in 2011.

Any attempt to give citizenship to Bangladeshi illegal immigrants may seriously jeopardize the political, social and economic life of the country as well as its security scenario too. West Bengal or the north eastern Indian states can no longer accommodate the Bangladeshis. So neither Mamata Banerjee nor any other political party should tinker with such an explosive situation.

(Amitava Mukherjee is a senior journalist and commentator. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted atamukherjee57@yahoo.com)
Jammu, Feb 23 : Independent legislator Engineer Rashid on Tuesday staged a peaceful sit-in outside the civil secretariat in Jammu against the alleged excesses of the police against protesting members of the Gujjar community in Samba district.

Engineer Rashid, member of the legislative assembly from Kashmir's Langate constituency, on Tuesday sat on protest along with about two dozen supporters in Jammu city.

"We sat on a peaceful 'Dharna' (sit-in) outside the civil secretariat in Jammu for nearly an hour," Engineer Rashid told IANS.

"After that we were proceeding to Vijaypur area when police stopped us and said we would not be permitted to go there," he said.

Muhammad Yaqoob, a protestor, was killed in Monday's clashes between the police and the protestors in Sarore area of Jammu district.

Protestors had torched an earth-mover machine and blocked the Jammu-Pathankot highway for a short while during Monday's protests.
New Delhi, Feb 23 : The Congress on Tuesday demanded a law against discrimination of people from weaker sections in educational institutions across the country.

"What happened to Rohith (Vemula) has not happened to him exclusively, many students across the educational institutes face discrimination. Our girls are suppressed, Dalits are discriminated against and tribals are repressed," Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said.

Gandhi was addressing a protest march organised here by various students organisations to condemn the "institutional killing" of the 26-year-old scholar from Hyderabad University.

"If you really want to fight this oppression, we need an anti-discrimination law enacted in all colleges and universities that stops any kind of prejudice and bigotry against the weaker section. I had suggested them to look at it. We in Congress party are also mulling over it to get such a law enacted that stops the student oppression," he added.

He claimed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was robbing students and thinkers of their freedom of expression and dissent.

"RSS and BJP want to impose one language one ideology on everyone throughout the country. They don't want other ideas and traditions to flourish but we don't want our India to be like this. We want crores of ideas, crores of ideologies, an India where creativity flourishes."

"Rohith symbolises creativity and all the youngsters with us will fight for this creativity. We will fight for it and win this battle," Gandhi said.

Hundreds of students and faculty members from various universities gathered at the Ambedkar Bhawan earlier in the day and took out a march till Jantar Mantar to condemn Rohith Vemula's killing.

Members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), Bahujan Samaj Party and the Aam Aadmi Party students' wing Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) also participated in the solidarity march along with students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Delhi University (DU).
Damascus, Feb 23 : Syria's foreign ministry on Tuesday announced the government's consent to a cessation of hostilities as agreed upon by the US and Russia.

The ministry said the military campaign against the Islamic State (IS) terror group and the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front will continue in accordance with the US-Russian agreement, Xinhua news agency reported.

It however warned that the Syrian army has the right to respond to any violation by the opposition forces against the people, or the military forces.

Also, the ministry said it will continue to coordinate with the Russian side to identify the areas and the armed groups that will be included in the cessation of hostilities "to ensure the success of agreement".

Meanwhile, the ministry stressed the importance of controlling the borders and halting the support some countries render to the armed groups "to avoid such groups from exploiting the cessation of hostilities agreement."

"The Syrian government, through its acceptance, stresses its keenness to see a curb to the bloodletting in Syria and restore peace and stability," the ministry added.

On Monday, Russia and the US agreed to enforce a cessation of hostilities starting from February 27.
Nairobi, Feb 23 : The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Tuesday began implanting microchips in every black rhino in the world's famous Masai Mara Games Reserve, to fight against poaching.

The Kenya Rhino Microchip Programme runs along with the ear-notching and tracking of unmarked or younger rhinos of endangered black rhino around the park, Xinhua news agency reported.

Martin Mulama, WWF Kenya Rhino Programme coordinator, said the exercise involves fixing a microchip in the rhino's horns and notching their ears as one way of protecting them from poachers.

"The black rhino is an endangered species in Africa due to increased cases of poaching, and the current exercise will help security officers to easily monitor and track these animals," he said during the launch of the exercise.

Mulama said $70,000 was allocated towards the unique ten-day exercise that would help enhance monitoring of the animals around the park and also improve their security.

He added that the conservation group and other stakeholders would later conduct an audit of all the rhinos in the reserve.

The animals are part of the big five that draw tourists, a major source of revenue for the east African nation. The other four are the lion, elephant, leopard and buffalo.
Rohtak/Chandigarh, Feb 23 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar made it clear on Tuesday that the Jat community will be given reservation in the state under a special provision and the OBC quota would not be disturbed.

Khattar, who arrived in Rohtak for the first time after widespread violence during the nine-day-long Jat agitation virtually devastated many parts of the town, said that "the state government would not spare those found guilty of indulging in violent activities but no false case would be registered against anyone".

"A high level probe would be got conducted into the entire incident and strict action would be taken against all officers and employees of police and administration involved in this incident," he told media after his short trip in Rohtak where he had to face angry traders and residents and was forced to retreat and leave for Delhi.

"The state government would not disturb the quota of 27 percent reservation meant for the Other Backward Classes (OBC). The government would make a separate provision for their (Jats) reservation," said a stern-looking Khattar, whose government has drawn flak for not being able to contain the agitation and the violence.

Communities under the OBC category in Haryana are opposing inclusion of Jats in the same category.

Khattar asserted that a "thorough investigation of the entire chain of events would be conducted and conspirators would be exposed".

Referring to the audio clip which has surfaced, in which the close aide of a senior Congress leader was allegedly trying to incite violence, he said that the clip would be "thoroughly investigated".

"If the involvement of any person belonging to any political party or organization is found, he would not be spared. People who have damaged property during the agitation would be identified and strict action would be taken against them," the chief minister warned.

He said that the state government would provide full compensation for the damage caused to property during the recent agitation in the state. The state government would estimate losses suffered by the people after gathering full information.

Khattar said that strict action would be taken against the officers and employees found negligent and a committee of retired officers would be constituted to investigate their conduct.

"Action would be taken against them on the basis of the report of the committee," he added.

The chief minister said that 'dharnas' at all places across the state have been lifted and blockades on all roads cleared.

At least 19 people were killed and nearly 200 injured in the violence during the nine-day long Jat agitation for reservation.
New Delhi, Feb 23 : Amid the ongoing JNU row, city-based electronic music producer and composer Akshay Johar aka MojoJojo has lent support to the students movement by creating a track inspired by Umar Khalid's speech made on Sunday when he surfaced after nearly a fortnight.

Khalid -- one of the six students accused of raising anti-national slogans in the JNU campus on February 9 -- delivered a speech on the campus premises on February 21 wherein he asserted that he was "not a terrorist", and opined that the BJP government "needed an excuse to target the campus".

The track, which features excerpts from Khalid's speech, has been rendered in MojoJojo's trademark style of bass-rich electronic music.

MojoJojo, whose debut album "Shots Fired" was released last year, says he was inspired to create the track, titled "Yeh ladai", after hearing Khalid's emotional speech.

"He talks about how he was subjected to a public trial by the (electronic) media, where fictitious 'facts' about him were created for the sake of TRPs, how because of his religion he was branded a terrorist, how there was a witch hunt for him and his family, among other things," MojoJojo told IANS in an email interview.

"Most of all, he talks about how his fight is against oppression by the state and not against the country, because he is a son of the soil, like you and me. He talks about how without dissent, a university is like a prison," he added.

MojoJojo, whose first tryst with music was at the young age of 10, says his aim behind creating the song was to project the matter in a "new light".

"Over the past several days, he (Khalid) was portrayed in a certain light by sections of the media and the state. I thought that with this song, the matter could be projected in a new light, given a fresh perspective of sorts," he said.

While calling himself a "proud citizen" of the country, MojoJojo also said he was saddened with the way the matter has been dealt with so far.

"My stand on the entire matter is that, of course, anything against our beloved mother land should not be tolerated. I am a proud citizen of this country but when you charge students, who are protesting peacefully, with sedition... when you target an institution, when you launch a propaganda against it, when you doctor speeches, you are ravaging the basic social fabric of secular India," he observed.

"It saddens me that this matter has been dealt with such heavy-handedness and, instead of mitigating the damage already done to our secular society, things are only getting worse."
Hyderabad, Feb 23 : The government, law enforcing agencies, religious scholars and media have to work together to stop Indian Muslim youth from getting attracted to terror outfit Islamic State, eminent religious scholars said on Tuesday.

Maulana Sajjad Nomani, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani and others said fatwas, or edicts, alone can't prevent the youth from joining the ranks and called for going to the root of the problem.

Nomani, who is a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said that leaving the issue of stopping the youth to scholars is not fair.

Stating that injustice is the root of the problem, the scholars said the ulema have to come forward to ensure that the disgruntled youth follow the right path to get justice in a democratic way and in accordance with the constitution.

The scholars were addressing a select gathering of senior police officers and intellectuals at the end of a three-day international conference on life and teachings of Prophet Muhammed.

Telangana's Director General of Police Anurag Sharma was among the officers who attended the event, presided over by AIMPLB secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani.

Nomani narrated an incident of Maharashtra's Kolhapur in which some police officials were caught on camera while trying to frame a Muslim youth for alleged links with the IS. If the law enforcing agencies handle the issue like this, it would not be easy to stop the youth, he said.

He pointed out that hundreds of Islamic scholars across the world have given fatwas that those working for Islamic State don't represent true Islam. "They (IS) misunderstood Islam. They are misguided," he said.

The scholar said that IS a strong but misguided reaction to the repression let loose by the international forces and youth from the countries which witnessed severe repression got attracted to the organisation.

But unlike other countries, very few youth in India tried to join IS, he said.

The conference, attended by 300 scholars from India and abroad, passed eight resolutions. "The terror outfits like the ISIS are not even remotely associated with the idea of Islam. Their deeds and actions are absolutely un-Islamic and against humanity," said one of the resolutions.

Stating that Islamic law forbids killing of innocent people, a resolution called upon all to refrain from extremism and unjust use of power.

The conference, hosted by Al Mahadul Aali Al Islami (Institute for research and specialisation in Islamic sciences), decided to prepare and distribute among people literature on the life and ways of Prophet Muhammed.

"Muslims must follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammed and strike to make their live and social conduct according to the exemplary life of the Prophet. Muslims must respect the principles of peaceful interfaith coexistence and equality of human race," said another resolution.

Calling for respect of spiritual leaders of all faiths, the conference demanded a legislation to punish those who hurt religious sentiments through academic syllabi or any media.

It voiced concern that history books in India are tampering with the history and sometimes publishing baseless stories about Prophet Muhammed and his companions. It urged the government to look into the matter seriously and ensure that before publishing any religious matter about any faith, the scholars of those faiths are consulted.
Patna, Feb 23 : A 'bandh' (shutdown) called on Tuesday by the Left parties in Begusarai district of Bihar in support of JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar affected normal life.

Hundreds of Left parties leaders and workers took to the streets in the district, blocked roads at several places and disrupted train traffic at railway stations, demanding release of Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested in Delhi on charges of sedition.

"The bandh evoked a good response as normal life was badly hit," a district official said.

Kanhaiya Kumar hails from Begusarai. He was arrested on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy on February 12 after an event held on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in Delhi against the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Most of the shops, markets, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed.

According to reports reaching here, residents of Kanhaiya's native village, Bihat, joined the strike and demanded his release.

In Patna, Left parties took out a protest march demanding the release of Kanhaiya Kumar and withdrawal of sedition charges against other students of JNU.

CPI(M) leader Arun Mushra said here that Left parties also staged protest marches at all the district headquarters against the "attack on educational institutions by Hinduvta forces led by RSS, BJP and ABVP".

"Hinduvta forces have a single point programme to target Left parties' students in different campuses; JNU is the latest target," he said.
Shimla, Feb 23 : The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Tuesday reserved its order in a case of supply of contaminated water causing an outbreak of jaundice here.

The court also directed the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh to submit by Wednesday a list of patients hailing from Himachal Pradesh who died there due to the water-borne disease.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and which treated media reports regarding supply of contaminated water in this city as a public interest litigation, passed the order.

It was reported in the media that Ashwani Khud water treatment station, which supplies water to one-third of Shimla's population, is highly contaminated.

The media report said sewage mixed with the drinking water was being supplied to the residents, which has resulted in an epidemic-like situation here.

The special investigating team, constituted by the state to investigate the jaundice outbreak, informed the court that the water supply scheme at Ashwani Khud was managed by class IV employees and senior officers never visited the site.

It blamed the contractors hired to operate the water treatment plant for flow of untreated sewage into Ashwani Khud.

Advocates appearing as amici curiae blamed the irrigation and public health department head for the negligence and sought action against him.

"Because of the apathy on the part of the authorities concerned, the people of Shimla town do not have access to clean drinking water and are falling prey to many water-borne diseases," observed the court.

Expressing concern over the large-scale outbreak of jaundice, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Sunday sanctioned funds to conduct a study to prevent recurrence of the disease.

Asking the state to take necessary steps to handle the situation, Nadda said Rs.70 lakh has been sanctioned by the health ministry to the Indian Council of Medical Research to conduct a study so that recurrence of this nature can be avoided.

Official sources told IANS that more than 1,500 cases of jaundice, including patients among senior government officials, have been reported in Shimla and 11 people lost their lives due to the disease.

Most of the jaundice cases have been reported from Chhota Shimla, Panthaghati, Vikas Nagar, New Shimla and Kasumpti, a health officer said.

In 2007, 2010 and 2013, a large number people in the city tested positive for Hepatitis E, a liver problem caused by consumption of water contaminated by sewage.

Unscientific disposal of sewage and solid waste is threatening the pristine environment and water sources of Shimla, an official told IANS.

Quoting last year's observations of the Comptroller and Auditor General that highlights the inadequacies of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, he said just 13 percent of the sewage generated in Shimla is treated and the rest is left in the open -- despite Rs.74 crore ($12 million) being spent for installing six treatment plants.

Planned for a maximum population of 16,000, Shimla is home to 170,000 people as per the 2011 census and generates 30.09 million litres of sewage per day.
Bhuj (Gujarat), Feb 23 : Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, on a six-day visit to India, on Tuesday landed at the desert district of Kutch in Gujarat, which 15 years ago was a face of devastation akin to what his home country was last year after a killer temblor, for a first-hand account of how the region rose like a Phoenix.

A battery of enthusiastic Gujarat government officials unfolded before Oli and his delegation the story of the unprecedented revival of the state's largest district that was completely reduced to rubble on the Republic Day, January 26, 2001.

The Nepalese team witnessed an audio-visual presentation of how Kutch was put together brick-by-brick from a near-impossible state to the spick and span picture it presents today. The presentation was by officials of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) and the Bhuj Area Development Authority (BADA).

Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli and Health Minister Shanker Chaudhary, who is in-charge of Kutch, were among those who witnessed the presentation.

The officials, led by GSDMA chief executive officer Anju Sharma, explained that the top priority was given to relief and rehabilitation of the people who were left with absolutely no resources and eked out a living under tarpaulin sheets.

Such was the devastation that the people had virtually no provisions to begin their morning chores. Thus, the first thing was to provide them essential commodities. They were soon put up in temporary sheds equipped with proper electricity and water supplies.

Sharma explained how a proper coordination network was put in place between the state government and the centre for quick decision-making on policy issues and how systems were put in place for disaster management and for ensuring complete transparency in the mammoth re-construction work.

Former GSDMA CEO P.K. Mishra recounted a slew of tough challenges before the administration. Giving instances, Mishra explained the kind of financial, public-oriented and administrative issues that cropped up during the rehabilitation work and how they were tackled.

He said the mammoth relief and rehabilitation of the sprawling district that suffered the most in the earthquake, could not have been possible without relentless international aid hand-in-hand with the joint efforts of the state and union governments.

The Nepalese prime minister was accompanied by his wife Radhika Sakya, Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa, Finance Minister Vishnuprasad Paudel, Home Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet and a host of top bureaucrats and officials.

The delegation also visited the Kutch Civil Hospital that was raised from scratch after the quake to a modern state-of-the-art facility and visited a rehabilitation site in Bhimasar village of Kutch district.

The Nepalese prime minister later departed for Mumbai, from where he will fly back home on Wednesday.

Some 19,000 people - 17,000 in Kutch alone - died in the temblor, whose intensity was placed at 6.9 on the Richeter scale by the Indian Meteorological Department and at 7.7 by the US Geological Survey. Some 166,000 people were injured and property worth crores of rupees was destroyed in the quake, which had its epicentre at Chobari in Bhachau taluka of Kutch district.

(Darshan Desai can be contacted at darshan.d@ians.in)
New Delhi, Feb 23 : Terming India a haven of stability in an increasingly turbulent global economy, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday cited the government's initiatives for ending poverty and boosting employment and said women will be inducted in all fighting streams of the armed forces.

In his address to the joint sitting of the two houses of parliament at the start of budget session, Mukherjee said that firm and effective steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism.

With the past two sessions marred by repeated adjournments over a range of issues, the president said that democratic temper calls for debate and not disruption and urged MPs to discharge their duties in a spirit of mutual accommodation.

Noting the government's fundamental tenet was "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas" (taking along everyone, progress of everyone), he also said it has pursued a bold and proactive foreign policy.

Opposition parties said that the president's address was "uninspiring" and did not mention any of the raging controversies such as concerning the Jawaharlal Nehru University but Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar defended it, saying it reflected government's commitment to the welfare of villages, poor, farmers and youth.

The over one-hour address was heard with rapt attention by members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha assembled in the central hall of parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi were among those present. Gandhi, who was seated next to BJP leader L. K. Advani, thumped her desk twice during the presidential address - firstly when he mentioned the role of security forces in foiling the terror attack at the IAF base at Pathankot, and then he spoke about the induction of women as fighter pilots.

The president said innovative initiatives have helped India jump up 12 places in the latest rankings by the World Bank on ease of doing business.

"India is a haven of stability in an increasingly turbulent global economy. GDP growth has increased making India the world's fastest growing economy among large economies," he said, also noting that the country recorded the highest ever software exports, the highest generation of electricity and the highest foreign exchange reserves in 2015.

The president said that government has taken a number of measures for a progressive tax regime, is engaged in simplifying procedures, apart from unlocking infrastructure development opportunities.

He said generating employment was a top priority and it is being done through initiatives like Make in India, Startup India, Mudra scheme and Skill India.

On agriculture which has suffered two successive seasons of inadequate rainfall, the president said the government was taking steps to usher in a second Green Revolution in the eastern region.

Mukherjee congratulated the security forces for successfully foiling the terrorist attack at Pathankot air base and said "firm and effective steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism".

Noting 'Shakti', which means power, was the manifestation of female energy which "defines our strength", he said that induction of women as Short Service Commission officers and as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force has been approved.

Noting that the overriding goal of the government was poverty eradication and the poorest of the poor have the first claim on the nation's resources, he said the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojna was the world's most successful financial inclusion programme and of the over 21 crore bank accounts opened, 15 crore were operational with an aggregate deposit of over Rs.32,000 crore.

He listed the government's particular focus on poverty eradication, farmers' prosperity and employment generation for youth.

On Pakistan, he said that the government is committed to forging a "mutually beneficial relationship and creating an environment of cooperation in combating cross-border terrorism."

Congress leader Ashwani Kumar however said the address was "utterly uninspiring and completely directionless", while CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said the address did not refer to burning issues such as the government action in JNU and its plan to "replace history with Hindu mythology".
New Delhi, Feb 23 : BJP veteran L.K. Advani and Congress president Sonia Gandhi chatted away on the front row of the Central Hall before President Pranab Mukherjee began his address to the joint session of parliament on Tuesday.

Gandhi stood up and greeted Advani with folded hands as he entered the hall. He took his designated seat next to her and the two leaders could be seen talking.

They spoke with one another even as the president ended his speech marking the beginning of the budget session.

xxx Flanking Advani were Gandhi on his right and former prime minister Manmohan Singh on his left. Manmohan Singh extended a hand of greeting to Advani after seeing him seated near Gandhi.

Another former prime minister, H.D. Dewe Gowda, was seated next to Manmohan Singh.

xxx Shortly before President Mukherjee's arrival, some MPs and even a few foreign delegates took selfies with their colleagues. Many of the MPs were from Gujarat and Punjab.

It was the first time so many MPs were seen taking selfies. Many MPs also snapped away their colleagues.

xxx External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, seated a little away with Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, walked up to Gandhi and greeted her. The two exchanged pleasantries.

xxx Gandhi thumped her desk twice during the presidential address.

The first time was when the president mentioned the supreme sacrifice of security forces during the terror attack at the IAF base at Pathankot. And when he spoke about the induction of women as fighter pilots in the IAF.

xxx Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Prakash Javadekar and Rajiv Pratap Rudy exchanged greeting with most MPs. Ravi Shankar Prasad walked up and down each row of MPs, meeting both ruling party and opposition members.

xxx Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on his right and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad to his right.

xxx Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who reached just before the president, was seated behind union ministera Maneka Gandhi, his aunt, and Kalraj Mishra.

xxx In his address, the president referred to Modi by name once -- when he mentioned how he had dedicated the Afghanistan parliament to its people. Immediately, the treasury benches vigorously thumped their desks.

xxx Later, after the presidential address, Modi was at its friendly best in the Lok Sabha as he went around greeting opposition leaders as well as BJP and NDA MPs.

He spent a few moments with Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, holding his hands. Modi also met Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge after the house had been adjounred for the day.

Latest updates on Gandhi Jayanti 2019
Kolkata, Feb 23 : A section of students at Jadavpur University here took out a torch rally on Tuesday calling for consolidation of campus democracy against fascist expansion in the wake of recent events at JNU.

Eschewing any organisational affiliation, at least 50 students walked with blazing torches urging others to remain united.

With slogans like "moshal diye korbo sesh lej gutiye RSS" (the torches will force RSS to fold), they also encouraged more debates on the issue of campus democracy.

The university was at the centre of a raging controversy last week.

Pro-Afzal Guru slogans were heard and posters put up "seeking independence" for Kashmir and demanding "freedom" for Manipur and Nagaland during protests against the Narendra Modi government's handling of the Jawaharlal Nehru University row and the arrest of student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

Jadavpur University vice chancellor Suranjan Das has come under fire from the BJP for refusing to lodge a police complaint against the students saying the university will maintain its tradition of autonomy and be open to debates and discussions.
Kolkata, Feb 23 : With at least two passengers losing their lives due to the indefinite rail blockade demanding statehood or union territory status for Cooch Behar in northern West Bengal, the Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) on Tuesday temporarily withdrew the agitation, even as police carried out an operation to clear the rail tracks in which five policemen and some protesters sustained injuries.

The GCPA, however, asserted it has temporarily withdrawn the stir on its own, and not due to the police action.

GCPA agitators have been laying siege to the tracks at New Cooch Behar station seeking dialogue with union home ministry officials to resolve the issue.

Cooch Behar district police and Government Railway Police on the day carried out an operation to clear the rail track, that led to pitched battles between police and the agitators.

"We arrested 14 people including two central committee members of GCPA. The tracks have been cleared," said Superintendent of Railway Police (Siliguri) E. Annappa.

Annappa said at least five policemen and some protesters sustained injuries.

The fourth day of agitation on Tuesday threw train movement haywire across the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), with at least 22 trains including the Brahmaputra Mail and Mahananda Express being cancelled.

While 29-year-old Benoy Thakur, onboard the stranded Kanchanjunga Express, died on Sunday due to alleged lack of medical aid, 56-year-old Rabina Khatun travelling to her hometown in Chapra in Bihar for treatment collapsed and died at the Alipurduar station.

"We have withdrawn our agitation temporarily today (Tuesday), but that doesn't mean we have given up on our demands. We are discussing with various stakeholders and soon will restart our agitation," GCPA chief Bangshi Badan Barman said.

Barman said the GCPA was still awaiting a response from the Centre on its pleas for a dialogue.

"We have written to various central government authorities, including the home ministry, seeking a dialogue over the issue. We are yet to get any reply," he added.

Alipurduar divisional railway manager Sanjeev Kishore said the railways were awaiting a nod from police for resuming train services.

"Police and the district administration have initiated an operation to remove the agitators from the tracks. Once we get a communication from them, we will undertake an inspection for resuming the services," said Kishore.
Panaji, Feb 23 : The Congress in Goa on Tuesday accused Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi of mishandling the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student troubles.

Goa Congress spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar said the series of incidents linked to the JNU protests could have stemmed from the lack of leadership by Bassi, who also served in Goa from 2009 to 2011.

"Bassi was a slack police officer, even when he was the Goa DGP," the Congress leader said in a statement.

"He had gone on record to say that the drug problem in Goa was insignificant though some senior officials of his department were arrested for having a nexus with drug mafia and almost 24 kg of drugs were missing from police custody," he said.
New Delhi, Feb. : New Delhi, Feb. Feb 23 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it could not tinker with the functioning of the intelligence agencies - RAW, Intelligence Bureau and others - including deployment of their funds as it may jeopardise the security of the country.

"These matter involve the security of the state. Interfering with them would threaten our very own existence," said a bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh as it declined a plea by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) seeking for some oversight over their functioning and spending of huge funds allocated to therm.

Making it clear that the working of the intelligence agencies came strictly within the domain of executive control, the court asked: "Water a is purely an executive issue. Why should court get into it?"

The court order came as Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the court that it should refrain from scrutinising the working of the intelligence agencies as he contested the claim of the petitioner that intelligence agencies were beyond the government control.

The government stand was the reiteration of its earlier stand that the government had an "enormous amount of control" over the working of the intelligence agencies including their finances.

The government had earlier told the court that a parliamentary sub-committee goes into their working and tables a report in the parliament which are not published.

Appearing for the NGO, activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan told the court that intelligence agencies together had an annual budget of over Rs.60,000 crores and there should be some "oversight" and aceaccountability" of the organisations like legislative control and auditing of their accounts by the CAG.

The intelligence agencies that the NGO CPIL was seeking to be brought under legislative scrutiny and the auditing of their accounts by CAG included the Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing and the National Technical Research Organisation.

The NGO had contended that these intelligence agencies were snooping on the privacy of the citizens and were operating without any legislative mandate.
Busto Arsizio (Italy), Feb 23 : Police in northern Italy on Tuesday arrested a Pakistani Muslim and five members of his family for allegedly enslaving his young wife, starving and keeping her prisoner and preventing her from washing.

The unnamed bearded, traditionally-clad immigrant and the five others were arrested from the family home in Busto Arsizio.

The man's wife is now staying at a secret location in a shelter for abused women.

For over four years, the man and his family had allegedly kept his wife a prisoner in the Busto Arsizio apartment, forcing her to rise at 6 a.m., do chores, cook, clean, wash dishes and iron all day for the family, even when ill or pregnant, local daily Varese News reported.

She was not allowed to do anything without her husband and his family's permission, including even going to the bathroom, eating, drinking or washing. On one occasion, she was beaten because she cooked a meal for the whole family without being asked, the daily reported.

If the family went out, the woman was shut in a room while the kitchen was kept locked to prevent her "stealing" food. On the rare occasions she was allowed out of the house, she was always escorted by family members and attended few ante-natal appointments during her two pregnancies, it said.

The woman was only rarely being allowed to see her father and two brothers, who lived locally, and was only permitted to phone her mother in Pakistan with the loudspeaker switched on and her husband and in-laws listening, according to Varese News.

In 2012, when her first child was born premature by emergency caesarian section at seven months gestation, the family did not allow the woman to return to hospital to see the baby, who died aged five months, Varese News said.
Rental values in Spain are continuing to fall with the latest figures showing that average rents fell by 0.4% in January compared to the same month of 2015, the 34th month in a row of declines.

The data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) shows that rents fell in all regions except in Galicia where they increased by 0.3%, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia both up 0.1%, ad were static in Murcia and Navarra.

The most significant fall in rental prices were in La Rioja where they were down by 2% while in Castilla y Leonand Castilla-La Mancha rents fell by 0.9%, were down 0.8% in Madrid and Extremadura and down 0.7% in Asturias and Valencia.

The regions of Andalucia and Aragon registered the same rate of decline as the national average at 0.4%, while in Cantabria rents fell by 0.3% and the Canary Islands, the Basque Country and Ceuta all recorded declines of 0.2%.

But in the buying and selling market the news is more positive with the INE data showing that the Spanish housing market grew by 11% last year after bottoming out in 2014.

There were 318,055 home sales last year, the first time sales have risen above 300,000 a year, and following 260,000 in 2012 and 2013. But sales are still considerably below the 700,000 recorded before the global economic downturn in 2007.

In terms of percentage growth, the housing market expanded by 11% last year, after rising 4% in 2014, and according to Mark Stucklin of Spanish Property Insight this suggests that the market has finally turned around.

The crash in sales started back in 2008, and declined in five of the six years between 2008 and 2013, with dramatic double digit falls in most of those years. However, looking just at December, sales were up 8% year on year, meaning the market expanded every month in 2015, the first year that has happened since the crisis began.

There were 77,865 new home sales registered last year, and 276,267 resales, meaning that resales were 78% of the market, down from parity as recently as 2013. The new homes market has failed to recover as quickly as resales in part due to a lack of new developments on offer, though sales may start to recovery this year as more new projects come on stream, Stucklin explained.

Of the selected regions most of interest to foreign buyers, Barcelonas property market increased the most last year, up by 20%, but new home sales fell 20% while resales were up 32%. This was followed by Cadiz province, Las Palmas in the Canaries and the Balearics all up 15%.

Indeed, all regions were positive with the exception of Huelva, home to the North Western end of the Costa de la Luz, also known as the Spanish Algarve, where they fell by 2%.

The Spanish property market now looks to be on a growth path after years in crisis. Sales growth was particularly strong in the city provinces of Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, plus coastal areas that attract foreign buyers like the Balearics and the Canaries, Stucklin said.

However, it is important to keep in mind that sales are increasing from a depressed base, and the market is still far from normal. If the Spanish economy continues to grow in 2016, and the supply of new homes in areas with demand increases, then its reasonable to expect another year of double-digit sales growth in 2016, he pointed out.

That said, risks abound that could derail the sales recovery, including political uncertainty at home, a UK referendum result in favour of leaving the European Union, a European banking crisis, and global financial turbulence, he added.
2015 was a difficult year of announcements for property investors, but what will the new rules mean

2015 was a year where little changed with regards to the rental sector's strength, but equally one in which many upcoming changes were revealed, with the chancellor George Osborne making a number of announcements that will alter returns and make the market a much more challenging prospect for rental investors.

While recent figures show that rental returns in many areas of the UK reached as high as 12 per cent last year, continuing the strength that's been seen across the UK for some time, the chancellor's announcements are expected to make investors less confident about their prospects moving forward.

Some expect that the sector will even suffer a shortage of stock as a number of investors choose not to spend on the back of new tax changes, which bring about real uncertainty.

So what do buyers need to know about the tax changes? And what will it mean moving forward for investors?

Income tax



In the first announced but second to come into play change, George Osborne announced last year that the favourable tax relief many landlords have enjoyed for some time will be pared down, potentially making the market a far less favourable place to operate.

From April of next year, the goalposts will be moved, with owners no longer able to deduct mortgage interest payments from their rental income before they reach a taxable income. Instead, buyers will owe tax at their personal rate on the entire income from their property, with most handed a 20 per cent flat rate of relief that will, in most cases, half what landlords are able to deduct at the moment.

Higher tax paying landlords are set to be worst hit as well. While those paying the 20 per cent tax rate as standard will see little change in their tax bill for buy-to-let, those paying 45 per cent income tax will see their tax bill rise from an average of 450 to 2,700 on buy-to-let investments.

So what does this mean for the market? Many expect to have to raise rental prices to close the gap between earnings and tax once again. It remains to be seen whether or not this will damage the sector as a whole, but with average wages rising, perhaps the effect on the private rented market overall will not be as severe as originally feared.



Stamp Duty levy



A more immediate change announced towards the tail end of 2015 was the introduction of a new buy-to-let levy on Stamp Duty, which will see investors have to pay three per cent on top of the standard land tax. When announced, this was met with real opposition from the industry, with fears that it would not only chase new money away from the vibrant marketplace, but also cause those already operating therein to sell up and look elsewhere.

From April of this year, the cost of investing in a buy-to-let property for individuals will grow considerably. For example, if someone was investing half a million pounds in a rental home at present, their spend on Stamp Duty would come in at around 25,000, or five per cent. After April 1st, however, this will climb to eight per cent, or some 40,000.

Jerald Solis of Experience Invest believes that this will see some real changes in sentiment towards the market from buyers. "The increased rate will make it difficult for investors to achieve a higher yield in the short-term. This may initially put some investors off," he said.

Mr Solis believes that the changes will see more investors coming to the market in the short-term to beat the deadline, while it will also be the case further down the line that there could be a real rush on less expensive properties, largely due to the fact that it will be those at the top end that will be hardest hit.

It's also possible that moving forward more investors will put their money into larger collective investments through companies. At the moment, it's expected the build-to-rent sector will become the new powerhouse, and this may be furthered by the expectation that such large scale investments will be exempt from the new levy.
Michael, Gerard, Bernard and I are excited to bring our practice and professionals to Buchbinder,

Buchbinder Tunick & Company LLP, a CPA and advisory firm, welcomes four new partners into its New York and New Jersey practices. As of January 1, John A. Demetrius, Michael M. Wolansky, Gerard A. Demetrius and Bernard W. Stubofsky, along with six other accounting professionals from Demetrius Berkower LLC joined Buchbinders New Jersey practice.

Michael, Gerard, Bernard and I are excited to bring our practice and professionals to Buchbinder, John Demetrius said. We feel that Buchbinders values and services matched well with ours.

Demetrius and his associates focused on serving closely-held businesses, including start-up and fast-track entrepreneurs, CPA firms and publicly held companies.

Buchbinder is proud to have John, Michael, Gerard and Bernard and several of their colleagues join us, said David Sands, Managing Partner, Buchbinder. The addition of these partners, managers and staff demonstrates Buchbinders continued commitment to serving its growing client base.

With the combined resources in New Jersey, Buchbinder will expand into Wayne, NJ and will consolidate its Hackensack office into the Wayne office.

About Buchbinder Tunick & Company

Buchbinder Tunick & Company is a regional CPA firm with offices in New York, NY, Wayne, NJ and Bethesda, MD. Buchbinder provides audit, tax, consulting, peer review, and valuation/litigation support services to labor unions, employee benefit plans, non-profit organizations, public companies, CPA firms and privately held and family-owned businesses. We have approximately 75 professionals and 24 partners.
Martin's has a wide range of products, many made from potatoes. Franklin County Visitors Bureau is proud to welcome potato lovers of all ages to celebrate National Potato Lovers Month this February in Franklin County.

February may be the month for love but it's also National Potato Lovers Month, and Franklin County Visitors Bureau is celebrating its delicious potato products.

Franklin County is home to two potato-loving businesses--Bender Farms and Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe. Both originated in Franklin County and both are dedicated to providing a fresh and flavorful product.

Bender Farms, a hometown and regional favorite, has been growing Chambersburg potatoes since the early 1900s. Available year-round, these potatoes are grown in shaley loam soil, which potato lovers say gives Benders potatoes a buttery taste. A key to Benders potatoes flavor is freshness. A locally-grown product travels an average of 56 miles from farm to destination, according to the farm. Benders potatoes taste better because they haven't been shipped in and out of warehouses. They are fresher.

Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe connects with potato lovers in a different way: potato rolls. These sweet, buttery, golden rolls come in all shapes and sizes: sandwich rolls, long rolls, dinner rolls, whole wheat potato bread, and cinnamon-raisin swirl potato bread, just to name a few. First made in the kitchen of Lloyd and Lois Martin in the 1950s, the business grew and they turned the family garage into a bakery. Today, the company ships potato rolls all over the world. Though Martins has grown, the family and faith-based business is rooted in Christian beliefs. The company now employs more than 600 people, including bakery employees.

"Martin's mission is to bake the best products and provide the best sales distribution support while working together fairly and with integrity; whatever it takes, God helping us," said Julie Martin, social media manager for Martin's and granddaughter of Martins founders.

In 2015, Martin's used just under 2.2 million pounds of potatoes for their breads and rolls, which have always had potatoes in them because they add "so much to the overall taste, texture, softness, and nutritional value of bread. Our use of potatoes, real milk, high protein wheat flour, and other high quality, wholesome ingredients is what make us special and sets us apart from other bread products," Martin said. "We're always striving for excellence in all that we do and produce."

Visitors can tour The Golden Roll--a museum about Martins delicious products--which was built literally around the original garage in which Lloyd and Lois Martin began the company. A 1954 Dodge Coronet, the vehicle that Lloyd and Lois used to deliver their delicious baked goods to farmers markets, is parked inside, as if ready to continue selling the first products of sticky buns, cookies, pastries, potato donuts, and--of coursepotato breads and rolls.

Franklin County Visitors Bureau is proud to welcome potato lovers of all ages to celebrate National Potato Lovers Month this February in Franklin County.

The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites all to explore Franklin County PA and enjoy the trails of history, arts and architecture, recreation, natural beauty, fresh foods, and the warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro. Franklin County PA is located just north of the Mason Dixon Line and is an easy drive to Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Discover more....plan a visit soon at ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com or by contacting 866.646.8060.
CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Platte River Networks to its 2016 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Pioneer 250 category. This annual list recognizes North American solution providers with cutting-edge approaches to delivering managed services. Their top-notch offerings help companies navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of IT, improve operational efficiencies, and maximize their return on IT investments.

Weve invested heavily including both money and resources into our managed services offering - Intuition - since its launch eight years ago, said Treve Suazo, CEO of Platte River Networks. In the past 18 months, we purchased, fully renovated and moved into our new Denver headquarters; 12,000 square feet of innovative and highly technical space, including our newly improved Intuition Operation and Help Desk Center.

In todays fast-paced business environments, MSPs play an important role in helping companies leverage new technologies without straining their budgets or losing focus on their core business. CRNs MSP 500 list shines a light on the most forward-thinking and innovative of these key organizations.

MSPs meet a critical need in the IT market, providing customized, turnkey services that allow for predictable operational expenses, effective control of expenditures, precise allocation of limited resources and convenient access to on-demand and pay-as-you-go technology, said Robert Faletra, CEO, The Channel Company. We congratulate the service providers of the MSP 500, who continually reinvent themselves to successfully meet their customers changing needs, helping businesses get the most out of their IT investments and sharpen their competitive edge.

In 2008, Platte River Networks launched their own signature managed services product, INTUITION - a bundle of cloud technology services designed specifically to manage a business complete IT department including help desk services. Their core competencies include: server infrastructure, switching, storage, firewalls, desktops, NOC and help desk, hardware/software procurement, cloud, managed services, disaster recovery, virtualization, data center, security, mobility, business continuity solutions and full telecom services. This amazingly marks the 11th award in the past year for Platte River Networks.

The MSP 500 list is featured in the February 2016 issue of CRN and online at http://www.CRN.com/msp500.
Amadas reputation for quality made the FOM2 3015 NT RI an easy choice. It will allow our operators to maintain the tight tolerances and quality standards for which EVS has come to be known, all in a single handling.

EVS Metal, Inc. has added an impressive new fabrication system to their New Hampshire manufacturing facility: the Amada Laser Cutting System with Rotary Index (FOM2 3015 NT RI). This integrated cutting unit is considered the most versatile rotary index system available. With its expanded process range, high-speed cutting head, outstanding accuracy and industry-leading stability, the Amada is a welcome acquisition to an already-impressive lineup of machines available at EVSs New England-based and ITAR-certified operation.

Why did EVS Metal choose this particular machine? In a word, precision. In particular to achieve the exact, detailed cuts required for the large number of frames that are requested by customers. Said EVS Vice President and Co-Founder Joe Amico, "Amadas reputation for quality made the FOM2 3015 NT RI an easy choice. It will allow our operators to maintain the tight tolerances and quality standards for which EVS has come to be known, all in a single handling."

The Amada Laser Cutting Machine consistently produces this high level of accuracy for several reasons. The rotary index gives it the power and speed to efficiently cut even thick materials easily, including a significantly wider variety of tubing. Impressively, due to the location of cutting head (close to the chuck), the dead zone is minimized, allowing even bowed pipe or tube to be precisely cut from end to end without the use of vibration. The Amada is capable of processing almost any shape, from round or square to C-channel and angle iron, and when utilized in concert with the included Dr. Abe_Tube software, even fabricating complex tubular structures for welding is simplified.

With this new addition up and running, EVS now stands ready to take on most any type of complex, high-precision cutting and machining project, from prototype to production run, efficiently and cost-effectively.

About EVS Metal:

EVS Metal provides end-to-end manufacturing and logistics services to companies throughout the United States. A leading metal fabrication, machining and finishing shop, EVS also offers integration services, various stocking programs and design engineering support. EVS Metal is a privately held corporation, headquartered with a manufacturing facility in Riverdale, New Jersey and with additional facilities in Pflugerville, TX, Keene, NH and East Stroudsburg, PA. Recognized for its world-class manufacturing processes, EVS has enjoyed tremendous growth, fueled by a commitment to both quality and customer service. For more information, please visit http://www.evsmetal.com or call (973) 551-1890 to speak with a representative.
"All focused on the AssetPack-3... the most adaptable and affordable satellite-sensor interface and GPS tracking device ever built."

AssetLink Global LLC, manufacturers and designers of the AssetPack series of battery-powered satellite tracking devices and IoT solutions, has named Scott Rosenzweig as Executive Vice President of Sales and Business Development.

Mr. Rosenzweig will focus on building AssetLink's global network of resellers and integration partners, with all efforts focused on integrating the new AssetPack-3, the most adaptable and affordable satellite-sensor interface and GPS tracking device ever built.

The AssetPack-3 (AP3) http://bit.ly/1U84GRd is designed to work forever, everywhere, running off a solar-recharging industrial battery and over the Iridium Communications satellite network, and comes in two form factors: The AP3-TRACKER, a sealed GPS Tracking-only device, and the AP3-HUB, with connectors for wired monitoring, IoT and M2M sensor applications. AssetLink delivers hardware and network data operating on the 100% Global Iridium satellite network http://bit.ly/1LtIcTj and provides device management and maintenance services for its clients.

Mr. Rosenzweig was previously President and Founder of Sypes Canyon Communications (acquired by Geoforce) and Principal/VP at Orbit One Communications (acquired by Numerex Corp), and has a long career in GPS satellite tracking with both commercial and government clients.

"Scotts experience building partnerships with customers fits very well with our approach to the market," said David Goldstein, President, AssetLink Global. "As AssetLink expands the capability of what satellite and mobile IoT tools can do on the edge of far-flung global industrial operations, Scott will be a key asset to supporting our customer-partners as they innovate within their business model to take advantage of what this latest generation of technology offers."

Said Rosenzweig, I joined the team for two reasons. First is the AP3. It is a uniquely impressive piece of autonomously functioning Iridium based hardware. Ive always wanted to make it, but AssetLink went ahead and did it, with Iridiums full support behind a battery-powered tracking and monitoring program that is now available to all Iridium VARs. The AP3 is going to open new industries and new countries. Second, and just as important, is the respect I have for the AssetLink team, and the confidence I have in knowing that we are all committed to doing right by our customers.

Mr. Rosenzweig has an MBA from Cornell University, and a BA in Philosophy from Wesleyan University. He and his family live in Bozeman, Montana.

For more information, please contact AssetLink at: info(at)assetlinkglobal(dot)com or visit: http://www.assetlinkglobal.com/.

About AssetLink:

AssetLink Global connects to your remote equipment for tracking and monitoring, with custom turnkey satellite, cellular and wireless machine-to-machine solutions, and turns that data into usable business information. With thousands of fielded units and cloud software that interfaces directly with critical Fortune 500 and Government back office systems, AssetLink has been offering modular end-to-end wholesale Satellite, Wireless and TCP/IP IoT/M2M solution sets to partners in multiple industry verticals since 2009.

Our team works with partners to deliver business information as they need it, by combining our rugged hardware, choosing the correct satellite or other network link, and proving out the GPS and/or sensor-driven application. Our modular technology approach means that we can prototype and deliver a solution based on building blocks we already possess, within weeks or days -- putting functional hardware in the hands of our partner-customers in less time than it takes to write a proposal. Our flexible systems and world-class engineering team can deliver the unique solution that you need at a fraction of the time and cost youd expect.
Oman is fast becoming a favourite destination and is already the worlds 17th fastest growing tourist destination. The report also suggests that Oman is the only GCC country to be included in the worlds elite list.

World Tourism Organizations barometer identifies Oman as the worlds 17th fastest growing destination. Thomas Exchange Global proudly announces its most competitive exchange rates for Omani Real and instant availability at all of its branches.

On 25th January, Times of Oman, quoting the UNWTO travel barometer, reported that Oman is fast becoming a favourite destination and is already the worlds 17th fastest growing tourist destination. The report also suggests that Oman is the only GCC country to be included in the worlds elite list.

Oman is a different kind of experience. Mountain tops reaching to the Arabian Sea in Muscat to the Musandam Peninsula, Oman offers a variety of landscapes which is rare in the Middle East, claimed Trevor Samuel, Marketing Manager at Thomas Exchange Global.

In line with increased demand for Omani Rial in London, Thomas Exchange Global also offers the most competitive exchange rates for Sultanate currency. In addition, other Middle Eastern currencies such as UAE Dirham, Kuwait Dinar, and Saudi Riyal are also available at Thomas Exchange Global branches at a very competitive rate.

Despite the demand, Oman Rials are not widely available in London. Visit one of our competitors and pay in advance, you have to wait a minimum of 48 hours to collect your Rials claimed Trevor.

However, Omani Rials and other Middle Eastern currencies are readily available at all of Thomas Exchange Global branches and can be purchased instantly. Being a specialised currency dealer they buy and sell over 120 types of foreign bank notes with most of them available to be bought over the counter without prior notice.

For those who missed the Muscat festival, the Khareef Festival during the summer vacation will be an ideal choice when the mountains are packed with tourists and a cool breeze.

About Thomas Exchange Global

As dedicated foreign exchange specialists, Thomas Exchange Global has the professional expertise, in depth market knowledge, technological infrastructure and commitment to provide an unprecedented level of service that sets the standard in the foreign exchange industry. They are specialists in all areas of foreign exchange. They provide commission free currency as well as travellers cheques.

Thomas Exchange Global also offers International Money Transfer Service where funds can be remitted to overseas bank accounts within one to two days. With commission free service for transfers over 10,000 backed by competitive exchange rates, customers are assured of a better deal and a substantial saving compared to banks and money brokers.

Thomas Exchange Global branches are located at Strand, Embankment, Victoria Place (Victoria Rail Station) Victoria Street, Liverpool Street, High Street Kensington, Hammersmith, Canary Wharf, Cannon Street, Wormwood Street and Richmond.
People love using our Restaurant App to find great lunch or dinner specials nearby. Says Huan Tran,

Successful restaurant App Cheap Chomp was launched by the Wake Up Social team in 2015, as part of their mission to 'improve how people experience the world'. Given there there was no previous way to organize and find all of the current restaurant specials that exist in any city, the Wake Up Social team built an App for this very purpose. There is no need for customers to use coupons or pre-buy special vouchers. Their App simply crowd sources the best restaurant specials in Toronto and is expanding to other cities across Canada and the U.S.

As weve seen more significant engagement from people that love using our App to find great lunch or dinner specials nearby, we wanted to feature the top spots more prominently. Says Huan Tran, Co-Founder Wake Up Social, Inc.

The team have just introduced the Top 5 places in each of Torontos Trendy Restaurant Neighbourhoods which features new icons to make it easy to identify the hot spots in Torontos top foodie neighbourhoods including Roncesvalles, The Danforth, Queen St West, The Annex and Little Italy. They are now expanding this successful concept across the US & Canada as they crowd source the best local restaurant specials. "It's time for everyone that downloads the iPhone App to be able to 'Eat Cheap Every Day".

Learn More About Cheap Chomp & Download the Latest iOS App - http://cheapchomp.com/

About Cheap Chomp

Cheap Chomp crowd sources the best local restaurants specials in Toronto so you can just get on and 'eat cheap every day'. Our social sharing app allows you to look up specials based on proximity, for any day of the week.

About Wake Up Social

Wake Up Social creates digital ventures to improve how people experience the world - http://www.wakeupsocial.com/
"Its very exciting to be part of Elastic Grid as the company enters a new stage in its evolution focused on driving more value for channel teams and their partner communities."

Elastic Grid, a leading B2B channel marketing platform with offices in the United States, Australia, Romania and UK has announced the appointment of two senior executives to its management team.

Brian Dudley has joined Elastic Grid in the position of Chief Revenue Officer, and Kathryn Rose has been appointed Vice President, Business Strategy and Development. The new executives will be instrumental in developing and introducing key business strategies designed to further enhance the companys products and services, and oversee its expansion into new market segments.

Working out of Los Gatos, California, Brian, who was previously at NetLine Corporation as Revenue Strategist, will be responsible for all activities that drive awareness and generate revenue for Elastic Grid and its growing client list. He will also be accountable for integrating and aligning marketing, sales, customer and partner support.

As part of his broader remit, Brian will focus on maintaining the communication framework across the various organizational functions, which extends to multiple teams and locations nationally and internationally. Additionally, he will develop and share best practices among the management team in order to maximize revenue potential for clients.

Its very exciting to be part of Elastic Grid as the company enters a new stage in its evolution focused on driving more value for channel teams and their partner communities, said Brian Dudley. We have an exceptional team of people and I look forward to working closely with them, he added.

Kathryn Rose joins Elastic Grid from SharedVue (now Zift Solutions), where she spent three years as their top sales performer, key strategist and event speaker. An internationally renowned best-selling author, Kathryn has written nine books on social media and relationship marketing.

Kathryn will be based in Boston, Massachusetts, and her newly defined role will see her focused on shaping the companys go-to-market strategy as well as client retention, growth and acquisition. She will work directly with clients to help them define channel strategies and provide solutions that address the varying needs of their diverse partners.

With technological innovations, personalized automated channel marketing is set to grow exponentially over the next 12 months, said Kathryn Rose. It has since gone from a nice-to-have to a must-have element of the marketing mix. Elastic Grid has developed a world-class mix of platform and services that support their client's needs. The current offerings and future development plans have us poised to become the leading provider in the partner marketing space."

Cameron Avery, CEO and Founder of Elastic Grid, said of the appointments, Having highly regarded and well-respected people such as Brian and Kathryn will be invaluable as Elastic Grid transitions into the next phase of our ambitious growth plans."

About Elastic Grid

Elastic Grid loves channels and is focused on delivering an enhanced partner experience through its scalable, easy-to-use channel marketing platform. Providing partners with 1:1 personal support, Elastic Grid helps B2B channel teams scale marketing programs globally, successfully grow partner adoption and drive more business for their channel partners and reseller networks.

Elastic Grid differentiates itself with a partner-first approach. By combining a scalable marketing platform and real-time analytics with personal marketing support for every partner, Elastic Grid is revolutionizing the partner experience by creating a channel solution that partners love to use.

Over 5000 partners around the world depend on Elastic Grid to generate over 200,000 net new leads and more than $2.5 billion in pipeline revenue.

Elastic Grids customers include Amazon Web Services, Atlassian, Google, Juniper, NetApp and many others. For more information about Elastic Grid visit http://www.elasticgrid.com.
Beatport today introduced the expansion of Beatport News into original video coverage through several new series available now and premiering in the weeks ahead. These new video series transform Beatport News into a vibrant multiplatform outlet that not only communicates with audiences through a variety of formats, but also broadens its scope of coverage in order to more fully engage with the global community that defines dance music today.

The new video series include:



On Record: An honest, earnest, sometimes sobering look at the life and work of compelling figures in the electronic music community, featuring behind-the-scenes footage in artists studios, backstage, at home, or in other real-life settings.

This Is Dance Music: Profiles of the elements that define electronic music, from the major (house, techno, edm) to the sub (tropical house, minimal techno, grime) featuring luminaries, characters, and supplemented by animations.

Offstage: A deeper examination of the personalities behind the music and the hands-in-the-air experience through the lens of Justin Nizer and Eyewax Films, featuring dance musics most colorful left-of-center DJs who define the scene today.

How to DJ: An instructional series appealing to both the experienced and wannabe DJ alike, featuring artist experts spanning genre and style.

Beatport News features an expert staff tuned into the pulse of the electronic music scene at every levelfrom the dancefloor, to the DJ booth, to the label officeto tackle the biggest issues within the electronic music community today. Recent coverage has included:



Those of us who have been in the industry for a long time know that the impact of electronic music can be life-affirming, life-changing, and for some live-saving, says Beatport Vice President of Media, Zel McCarthy. Acknowledging and respecting this relationship, as well as who our readers are and their interests, is at the core of what were doing at Beatport News. This is not some attempt to capitalize on an EDM trend. Everything we create will be ruled by the stick of truth, sometimes harshly if necessary, and always out of love.

Fans interested in electronic music want access to more than just a song, said Beatport President & CEO Greg Consiglio. Beatport News and todays expansion into original video series, is designed to provide a deeper context of the artists and culture they love, and provide a deeper look into how this music is created, consumed, and experienced.

About Beatport

Beatport is the global pulse for electronic music and culture a trusted source where fans, DJs, producers, and artists alike can create, connect and discover through a complete collection of music-inspired experiences, all within one platform. This includes listening to streaming music, downloading tracks, creating and sharing mixes, enjoying festivals and events both in person and live online, and accessing news, reviews, and insider videos. Together, Beatport offers a complete music experience for everyone, everywhere. Founded in 2004 as the principal source of music for DJs, Beatport today attracts an audience of more than 50 million unique visitors a year consisting of DJs, producers, and their fans. Beatport has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Berlin and Amsterdam.
Stagnito + Edgells Multicultural Retail 360 Summit will feature speakers from Jewel-Osco, Safeway, Facebook and Zumba among other multicultural and marketing experts. They will address key concerns of retailers and consumer product goods companies trying to compete in a fast-changing consumer environment.

The 2016 Multicultural Retail 360 Summit (August 24 to 26, San Diego) will focus on how multicultural consumers use the internet, social media and their mobile devices. It will show retailers how to engage with nontraditional consumer segments and what organizational and strategic requirements are necessary to grow their business through a multicultural focus.

Subtitled, Optimizing the Omni channel Experience for Multicultural Consumers, this years conference program will feature Christian Martinez, head of U.S. Multicultural for Facebook, the worlds largest social networking site. He will unveil insights from a recent Facebook study that found that multicultural consumers are organically mobile, reaching for their phones first to discover, research and shop.

In another session, representatives from Jewel-Osco, the grocer renowned for its experiential activations celebrating Hispanic, African-American and Kosher communities, will provide video footage from its eighth annual Taste of Hispanic Heritage, the 16th annual Taste of Black History and its first Taste of Kosher events.

J-O will be joined by the leader of a minority-owned supplier to discuss key takeaways, share tips about getting products on the shelves at Jewel-Osco and driving sales growth in an ever-evolving market. Speakers include Jim Seidler, category manager, ethnic and specialty foods, Jewel-Osco/Albertsons; Yakov Yarmove, corporate lead for Kosher foods, Albertson/Safeway; and Marcus Johnson, CEO and founder of FLO Wines.

The conference will also explore the many ways of reaching and engaging multicultural consumers, including Zumba, a dance-fitness program. Alberto Perlman, CEO, will discuss the history of the international fitness craze and how all types of companies, from retailers to insurance firms, are using Zumba to make themselves more relevant and interesting to multicultural consumers.

Creating and nurturing a productive and diverse workforce is another part of the conference. Debra A. Sandler, African-Caribbean-Latina and senior executive, will share personal and professional views on approaches to creating a truly productive and diverse employee lineup. Other sessions at this years conference will feature experts in Hispanic, African-American and Asian-American marketing.

As in past years, the conference will kick off with a guided Cultural Immersion Tour to several ethnic-savvy southern California retailers on Wednesday, August 24.

Multicultural Retail 360 is produced by Stagnito Business Information + Edgell Communications, which also publishes Convenience Store News and Progressive Grocer. For more information about the 2016 Multicultural Retail 360 Summit, visit: http://www.multiculturalretail360.com/summit.
We are excited to be a part of the WSIPC Purchasing Program and bring RapidIdentity, our next-generation IAM solution, to its member schools, said James Litton, CEO of Identity Automation.

Todays schools are under increasing pressure to modernize their classrooms and curricula. Web-based education apps and student computers are no longer a vision of the future, but an integral part of the modern, digital classroom. IT departments in K-12 schools now face an ever-growing number of users, mobile devices, and cloud-based applications to manage, often times with inefficient and disparate identity management tools and processes.

As technology access expectations and security threats increase, budgets are not necessarily growing in tandem. While facing pressure to keep costs low, K-12 IT departments are tasked with making the transition from legacy point tools and manual processes to more modern solutions that support digital classroom learning. Schools need technologies that are purpose-built for education that help IT teams truly do more with less.

Today, Identity Automation has announced a partnership with The Washington School Information Processing Cooperative (WSIPC), a public agency that provides information services and systems to K-12 school districts throughout the state at best-in-state pricing. Through this partnership, school districts that are members of WSIPC can now purchase Identity Automations RapidIdentity solution at a discounted price, allowing them to securely create, manage and offboard students, teachers, staff, and parent group identities and access throughout the entire academic lifecycle.

Identity Automation has worked with hundreds of school districts throughout the United States -- including Kennewick and Everett School Districts in Washington State -- to solve the identity and access management challenges they face using automated lifecycle management of user accounts, user single sign-on (SSO) and teacher self-service for password management and resets.

We are excited to be a part of the WSIPC Purchasing Program and bring RapidIdentity, our next-generation IAM solution, to its member schools, said James Litton, CEO of Identity Automation. We commend WSIPC for its work to provide schools with cost effective access to the leading technologies required to securely enable the modern, digital classroom.

To learn more about Identity Automations RapidIdentity solution and the WSIPC Purchasing Program, visit http://www.wsipc.org/catalog/partners/identity-automation.

Additionally, Identity Automation will offer a free webinar to teach education IT professionals what to look for in a next-generation IAM solution.

What: Webinar - The Digital Classroom Requires a Next-Gen IAM Solution

When: Tuesday, March 8, at 2pm Central Time

Who: Timothy Till, Director of Sales for SLED North America

How: To register, visit the following link - http://info.identityautomation.com/next-gen-iam

About Identity Automation

With over ten years of focused experience, hundreds of K-12 installations, and more than 10 million students, parents, and staff using RapidIdentity, Identity Automation is the undisputed leader in Identity and Access Management for educators. RapidIdentity is an identity and access management platform specifically designed for K-12 educators. Visit http://www.identityautomation.com for more information.

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Lucas Group Amdie brings a fresh, creative perspective to our legal team which will help drive results for both our Clients and Candidates.

Lucas Group, the premier executive recruiting firm in North America, has hired Amdie Mengistu to lead its legal search practice in New York City. In one of the most successful and thriving legal markets in the country, Mengistu will manage a team of executive recruiters and continue to grow the practice while running a full desk.

Sharp, strategic and smart, Amdie has already proved to be a tremendous addition to the legal team, said Tom Williamson, General Manager of Lucas Groups Legal Practice Group. We are confident that he will lead our team to new heights of success and provide the highest level of service to our Clients and Candidates.

Mengistu was in the last entering class at the old Dewey Ballantine which gave him a front row seat for the highs and lows of Big Law. From there he litigated at a boutique firm and spent a year as a public defender on Staten Island. Mengistu transitioned into legal recruiting in 2012 and rose to Managing Director with Empire Search Partners before joining Lucas Group.

As Managing Partner of the New York legal office, Mengistu will mentor his team to achieve excellence while running a full desk, sourcing leading talent for a variety of clients from small, boutique firms to Fortune 500 corporations. Mengistu earned his B.A. in English Literature from the University of Virginia and his J.D., cum laude, from Hofstra University School of Law where he was a Dwight L. Greene Scholar and a New York City Bar Diversity Fellow.

Amdie brings a fresh, creative perspective to our legal team which will help drive results for both our Clients and Candidates, said Williamson. As more millennials enter the workforce, Amdies youthfulness and energy will play a vital role in reaching our goals and objectives.

The Legal Practice Group is one of seven practice areas in which Lucas Group specializes. For more than 40 years, Lucas Group recruiters have matched exceptional talent with exemplary employers to form long-term, strategic partnerships. With offices located throughout the U.S., Lucas Group offers national reach together with localized, expert search methods.

About Lucas Group

Lucas Group is North Americas premier executive search firm. Since 1970, our culture and methodologies have driven superior results. We assist clients ranging in size from small to medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 companies find transcendent, executive talent; candidates fully realize their ambitions; and associates find professional success. To learn more, please visit Lucas Group at http://www.lucasgroup.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Growing Generations co-owner and psychologist Dr. Kim Bergman will travel with surrogate and Growing Generations Admissions Specialist Anna Stewart to speak at two conferences both presented by the non-profit organization Families Through Surrogacy (FTS).

Dr. Bergman, a regular presenter at FTS conferences worldwide, is slated to again offer the keynote address at both conference locations. The presentation, which focuses on the psychology of surrogacy, also denotes heavy emphasis to what motivates a woman to become a gestational carrier. Bergman will touch on issues including why the surrogate does not feel maternal bonds with the child and what characteristics are frequently seen in successful surrogates. Dr. Bergman is a well-respected member of the assisted reproduction community and has given similar presentations in several countries over the past year.

In addition, Growing Generations Admissions Specialist Anna Stewart will also be speaking at the conference. Stewart who has previously given birth to twins through surrogacy will participate in a panel discussion geared at helping intended parents select their surrogate thoughtfully as well as offering tips on how to grow a meaningful relationship with the surrogate once she is selected. Stewart will also focus on what personality traits are crucial to possess in order to have a successful experience as a surrogate.

The conferences feature a full day of discussion, presentation, and panels. The London conference is slated to be held on March 5, 2016. The Dublin, Ireland, conference will be held on March 6, 2016. To learn more or to register for the event, please visit: http://www.familiesthrusurrogacy.com/2016-conference-and-event-schedule/.

Dr. Bergman will be available for private meetings during the conference. Those wishing to schedule a time with Dr. Bergman should email Erica Brenda at ericas(at)growinggenerations(dot)com in advance of the conference.

About Growing Generations

Founded in 1996, Growing Generations is a Los Angeles based company dedicated to creating lives and supporting families through egg donation, gestational surrogacy and parental education. They aim to provide ethical, safe, successful and cost effective assisted reproductive services to individuals regardless of sexual orientation, marital status or HIV status. Since their inception they have helped bring more than 1,300 babies into the world.
Identity theft one of the scariest, and fastest growing problems in the digital world.

Anyone who has been the victim of ID theft knows process all too well. Having a credit card decline at the gas station. Getting a call from the bank verifying suspicious charges in the account

What now?

In a recent How To article from The Credit Repair Kit for Dummies, Steve Bucci suggests changing account PINs and passwords regularly. (http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-get-and-use-credit-after-identity-theft.html)

While this is a great suggestion, and one that ID theft victims should consider, it's not enough. The way to prevent falling into the terrible circumstances that identity theft brings is to monitor it around the clock.

Modern technology allows for effortless, 24/7 bank and credit monitoring through companies like CreditMonitoring.com. Users can even alerts sent to a phone or email so they can take action immediately. As an additional precaution, CreditMonitoring.com is announcing a new feature offering up to $1,000,000.00 identity theft insurance to all members enrolled in credit monitoring.

Monitoring changes to credit reports scores over time is a critical component of identity protection. Learn more at CreditMonitoring.com.
Establishing safety as a core value rather than a simple business priority makes it clear that safety is built into our culture.

Taylor Norris, CEO Custom Air Products & Services, Inc. (CAPS), today announced that the company has achieved its lowest ever EMR (experience modification rate), a measure used by insurance companies to indicate a companys safety performance. A low EMR is achieved, over time, by continued implementation of an effective safety program that eliminates hazards and prevents injuries.

While everyone cares about safety to some extent or another, explained CAPS President John Boger, a company like ours doing business in the commercial and industrial sectors has the added incentive that many of these organizations put such a premium on safety performance that contracts can be lost based solely on poor safety performance. We believe our EMR rating of 6.2 is among the best in the industry.

Establishing safety as core value rather than simply a business priority, explained CAPS Safety Director Robert Covington, makes it clear to our employees as well as our customers that safety is built into our culture, not merely something we do to comply with regulations. The EMR factor is only one of many elements of a good safety program, but it is one that can result in financial savings for the company in the form of lower workers compensation premiums. While the computation of the EMR is complicated, and there are many factors that go into determining the number, an EMR of .62 generally means that the company is much better than the industry average, an EMR of 1.0, and will pay nearly 40% less in workers compensation premiums than the average company.

CAPS has recorded better than average EMR for the past three years with the following measures: 2014, .70; 2015, .66; and 2016, .62. While another commonly used industry safety measure called TRIR (total recordable injury rate) provides some information about a companys safety performance in a single year, EMR is used to determine future risks based on past performance. TRIR measures can change significantly from year to year but EMR measures can only change significantly over time.

According to company officials, reduction in injuries, incidences, and frequency rates and the resulting savings have enabled the company to turn cost saving measures into equipment purchases, improve the workplace environment, and pass on savings to customers. Not only do we have an obligation and a desire to make our workplace safe for our employees, but our continued growth and expansion also depends on our strong safety and health management system helping the bottom line company profits, said CEO Taylor Norris.

About Custom Air Products & Services

Custom Air Products & Services, Inc. is a full-service HVAC company that specializes in the design, construction, installation, modification, and servicing of industrial and commercial air conditioning equipment. CAPS employees are committed to providing exceptional custom design and quality workmanship at competitive prices.

Custom Air Products & Services currently occupies five (5) modern facilities, totaling 200,000 square feet in size. These buildings include administrative and engineering offices, training facilities, a filter warehouse, and service shops for fabrication, manufacturing, and modifications. CAPS services are provided to customers throughout the United States and Mexico while their manufactured products have been delivered to sites around the world. Currently CAPS has equipment operating on six (6) continents and in 52 countries.
Our goal, says Irvin, is to teach companies how to work smarter, instead of longer, to develop winning bids and proposals.

Keystone Resources, in partnership with Event Management Company, Xenox Global and JK Waldie & Associates, has launched a new two-day workshop to train proposal professionals in adaptive processes and techniques that fit companies of all sizes, no matter the type of clients they serve.

Too often proposal processes do not provide the flexibility needed to effectively produce a proposal, says Jeannette K. Waldie, CPP APMP, President of JK Waldie & Associates. Julie Irvin, CF APMP, President of Keystone Resources, and I are excited to work with Xenox Global in training proposal professionals around the world on how to effectively design processes and manage their bids and proposals, no matter their company size or the industry they serve.

Ms. Waldie or Ms. Irvin will lead the workshops. The two-day workshop is scheduled for 15 locations throughout North America, Europe, and Asian Pacific and Japan. On Day 1 of the workshop, participants will learn, through real-world examples, how to develop processes that are adaptable to the opportunity. Day 2 includes techniques for managing workflow and reducing overtime, how to effectively design your proposal, and proposal writing techniques that work with writers and non-writers alike.

Our goal, says Ms. Irvin, is to teach companies how to work smarter, instead of longer, to develop winning bids and proposals.

The Bid & Proposal Workshop is part of Xenox Globals mission of supporting Global 2000 companies in establishing and maintaining business relations and generating new business. The company, along with their division Xenox Events, delivers workshops and conferences that are targeted and relevant to industry needs, such as their Business Process Management 2016 Regional Conferences and Data Center Regional Conferences.

Since 2012, Xenox Global has helped organizations worldwide to operate profitably and grow sustainably, and has provided expert consulting and advisory services in Marketing, Inside Sales, Data Building and Lead Generation. Xenox Global hosts more than 100 events in 21 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, bringing together more than 6 million industry active event participants from around the world who are generating billions of dollars in business.

JK Waldie & Associates provides capture, proposal development and training services to clients and proposal professionals around the world. The firm helps businesses win more while spending less by adapting best practices to fit their business flow and processes. Keystone Resources is an award-winning Brand and Interactive and Business Proposal Agency that has helped international companies develop and train staff in proposal best practices. Keystone provides proposal development, graphics, desktop publishing, and production services.

The workshops will start in March and continue through May 2016. Xenox Global expects to announce more upcoming events throughout 2016 and beyond. More information about the workshop and Xenox Global, is available at xenoxglobal.com. For more information on JK Waldie & Associates, visit jkwaldie.com. For more information on Keystone Resources, visit Keystoneresources.com.
Visit NoviFlow at Mobile World Congress Booth 7H40 The combination of NoviFlow and IP Infusion will help enterprises to achieve centralized distributed networking support for increased agility and cost effectiveness.

NoviFlow Inc., a leading provider of high-performance OpenFlow-based switching solutions, and IP Infusion, Inc., a leading provider of intelligent network software for telecom and data communications services, today announced that they are working together to bring to market a ground-breaking Software Defined Networking (SDN) based solution that unites the advantages of high-performance OpenFlow forwarding planes with carrier-grade networking stacks.

NoviFlows Scale-Out Router leverages SDN and OpenFlow to disaggregate the traditional monolithic router into independently scalable elements, replacing proprietary systems with COTS hardware. The router software is further disaggregated into component parts, each of which can be scaled independently: the ONOS controller, NoviFlows open source Scale-Out Router application, and IP Infusions licensed VirNOS-C protocol stacks. The forwarding plane is provided by standard OpenFlow switches such as NoviFlows high-performance NoviSwitch products. The result is a fully functional, centrally controlled and reliable network router supporting major routing protocols such as BGP, IS-IS, OSPF and LDP, that is much easier to scale and far more economical to operate than traditional scale-up monolithic routers, thus reducing CAPEX by over 75% and OPEX by as much as 65%.

"NoviFlow is thrilled with our collaboration with IP Infusion in bringing together to market carrier-grade Scale-Out Router solutions. says NoviFlows President and CEO, Dominique Jodoin. IP Infusions field-proven networking stacks combined with NoviFlows scale-out router application will provide faster time-to-deployment, ensure inter-operability with traditional routers and give our customers support for protocol stacks otherwise not readily available in the open source community.

With large data center operators and service providers requiring high performance networking solutions that meet the demands of the explosive growth of virtualization and cloud services, the combination of NoviFlow and IP Infusion will help enterprises to achieve centralized distributed networking support for increased agility and cost effectiveness, said Kiyo Oishi, CEO and president of IP Infusion. We look forward to continuing to work with NoviFlow to deliver solutions that require less time and decreased capital and operating expenditures.

Together, IP Infusion and NoviFlow are driving the growing SDN ecosystem by contributing code to Open Source projects such as the ONFs Atrium project and the ONOS Project, and by providing solutions optimized for todays networks: huge populations of connected devices, fast changing networks traffic patterns, and the need to orchestrate in real-time network resources with the applications and services that use them.

NoviFlow will be demonstrating the Scale-Out BGP Router solution live in booth 7H40 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from February 22-25. For more information on the NoviFlow Scale-Out BGP Router solution please see http://noviflow.com/solutions/scale-out-routers/.

Please see http://www.ipinfusion.com/products/virnos for more information on IP Infusions VirNOS-C

ABOUT NOVIFLOW

NoviFlow Inc. provides high-performance OpenFlow-based switching solutions and applications to network carriers, data center operators and enterprises seeking greater control and flexibility over their networks. NoviFlow has offices in Montreal, Sunnyvale and Seattle. For more information, please visit http://www.noviflow.com. Follow NoviFlow on Twitter: @NoviFlowInc.

ABOUT IP INFUSION

IP Infusion, a leading provider of intelligent network software for telecom and data communications services, helps equipment manufacturers to deliver products faster with lower costs and greater differentiation. Over 300 customers worldwide, including all major networking equipment manufacturers, use IP Infusions respected ZebOS platform to build networks to address the evolving needs of cloud, carrier and mobile networking. IP Infusions OcNOS, the industrys first carrier and enterprise network operating system for Open Compute hardware, allows for easier implementation of large-scale IT networks, and offers customers white box solutions to deploy more quickly. VirNOS, a NFV-based software platform, provides a carriers and enterprises a cost-effective network OS approach to implement and manage their networking services. IP Infusion is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., and is a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of ACCESS CO., LTD. Additional information can be found at http://www.ipinfusion.com.
Since my earliest involvement with Bode, I have found their company to be world class in so many ways, - Adam McPherson, Panel Built Inside Sales Manager Past News Releases RSS Bode Equipment Company Celebrates...

Bode Equipment Company (BODE), New Englands premier provider of material handling, overhead door and loading dock solutions, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious MVP (Most Valuable Partner) Status by the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA). This award makes the fifth consecutive year that Bode has received this top industry honor which recognizes outstanding achievements in business excellence, professionalism and good stewardship.

The Most Valuable Partner designation recognizes those distributors who have achieved, through documented processes and performance, excellence in customer service, supplier relationships, employee training and community involvement. To be awarded MVP status, a distributor must demonstrate achievements in the five critical areas of Industry Relations, Customer Relations, Peer-to-Peer Networking, Training, and Best Practices.

Bode supplier, Panel Built, considers the Londonderry-based company to be an exemplary model to which all dealers should aspire.

Since my earliest involvement with Bode, I have found their company to be world class in so many ways, says Panel Built Inside Sales Manager, Adam McPherson. Their representation of Panel Built products has always been fair, courteous and above all, professional in every respect.

Long-time Bode customer, Hypertherm, also recommended the company for MVP consideration based on their recent work on a new Logistics Center for the company.

Bode Equipment collaborated with and supported our Facilities and Operations Teams throughout the six month construction and fit up process, comments Hypertherm head of Warehouse Operations, Douglas Demers. Their consultative approach resulted in improvements to the original facility design and simultaneously assisted in reducing overall costs. The attention to detail and professional quality, combined with the smooth communication flow and collaborative spirit, won Bode Equipment the project.

The Hypertherm project consisted of the installation of 202 bays of pallet racking, over 220 uprights, 1,700 beams, 99 bays of shelving, 616 full-width carton flow lanes and a variety of aisle and upright protectors in just two weeks despite weather delays and project change orders and is one of many examples of why Bode has received this honor so many times.

-- About Bode Equipment Company

Bode Equipment Company has been servicing New England industrial and commercial customers since 1975. Offering a wide variety of material handling solutions as well as loading dock and overhead door services, Bode Equipment Company has grown to be one of the largest providers in the region. With a local presence in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, we offer design, layout, sales, installation and service. For more information, please visit http://www.bodeequipment.com.

-- About The Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association

The Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) is the only national trade association dedicated solely to improving the proficiency of the independent material handling distributor. MHEDA represents close 650 companies in the material handling equipment business. Located in suburban Chicago, the association provides services to companies seeking to improve their business through education, networking, benchmarking and best practices. For more information, visit http://www.mheda.org.
"CardFellow and Indigo Payments are both dedicated to transparency."

CardFellow is pleased to welcome Indigo Payments to its credit card processing marketplace. Indigos inclusion allows it to place certified quotes for businesses that come to CardFellow seeking honest, transparent, competitive credit card processing. As with all certified quotes, Indigo will offer pass-through pricing, a lifetime rate lock, and no cancellation fees. CardFellow will remain a point of contact for any business that chooses a quote through the marketplace, providing ongoing education and client support.

CardFellow president and founder Ben Dwyer says the addition is good news for merchants. Indigo Payments and CardFellow are both dedicated to transparency, Dwyer explained. Were excited to offer access to competitive quotes backed by CardFellows protections and are confident merchants will see the value Indigo offers.

While any payment processing company can place quotes through CardFellow, authorization to place certified quotes is a more stringent process. Says Dwyer, Certified quotes adhere to specific requirements and are backed by a legal agreement between CardFellow and the processor. For businesses, it really takes the guesswork out of finding the right processing solution.

Indigo Payments was founded in Atlanta, Georgia with a mission to provide modern technology and service combined with old-fashioned values of great customer service. A spokesman for Indigo says, Cardfellow and Indigo Payments share many values and commitment to merchants. We are excited to partner with CardFellow in order to provide the excellent level of service that we provide to all of our customers.

CardFellow, LLC has been helping businesses find the most competitive credit card processing solutions since 2006. The companys online marketplace offers instant quotes from pre-screened credit card processors as well as personalized support to help businesses select the best option. The company also offers an extensive credit card processing product directory with one-click options to add equipment to quotes, and a review system for consumers to read or post about experiences with processors or equipment. Merchants remain anonymous so they can review quotes without the pressure of sales calls. Based in Connecticut, CardFellow provides services to businesses throughout the United States.
 iHire announced today that it has entered into a job posting agreement with BirdDogHR to become the companys first-ever partner concentrated on the construction industry. With this affiliation, three of iHires niche communities  construction, landscaping, and engineering  will be added as options for BirdDogHRs customers to use to advertise their open positions. In the near future, the two companies plan to expand their association and incorporate additional iHire communities targeting manufacturing, trucking, and quality control, among other industries.

iHire reaches job seekers in construction, engineering, transportation, and manufacturing, so its a great job distribution channel for the BirdDogHR ATS, said Michelle Stedman, VP of Operations for BirdDogHR. In addition we are very excited to partner with iHire because they mirror BirdDogHRs concentrated focus on customer support and success.

This is a very exciting partnership for iHire, stated Jason Hayes, iHires Director of Sales and Customer Service. Job seekers come to iHire because we can deliver opportunities within their fields. This partnership will give our customers additional industry-specific positions to choose from and BirdDogHR clients will now have a resource to find and attract the best qualified applicants in their industry. Its a win for everyone involved.

About iHire, LLC:

iHire offers a network of niche job boards dedicated to specific professions, enabling job seekers and employers to reach their employment goals by focusing their searches. iHire provides job seekers a single place to find jobs that are posted all over the internet and a variety of other services such as resume building, scoring, writing, and formatting. For employers, iHire provides straightforward hiring tools to help fill open positions quickly and cost effectively. iHire understands that successful recruiting isnt about a lot of resumes; its about the right resumes. Thats why iHire offers a niche focus with network reach, enabling employers a fast, affordable way to reach the right candidates. Visit http://www.ihire.com for more information.

About BirdDogHR:

BirdDogHR offers comprehensive talent management software and managed services  everything you need to guide the entire employee lifecycle. The cloud-based talent management system is straightforward and easy to use, so you can safely focus on implementing strategy  not learning new software or worrying it wont keep up with changing regulations. Managed services operate as an extension of your HR department and deliver the expertise and focus you need. Organizations can see ROI in effective growth management, bottom line results and compliance peace of mind. BirdDogHR specializes in high-consequence and government contracting industries because they have unique needs. Companies from other industries can use the BirdDogHR talent management solution  and they do  but the solution is built with the most rigorous compliance needs in mind. Visit http://www.birddoghr.com for more information.
We want to congratulate Kadan Homecare on receiving both the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award and the Best of Home Care Employer of Choice Award, said Aaron Marcum, CEO and founder of Home Care Pulse.

Kadan Homecare, a provider of quality home care to Atlanta area families for more than 30 years, today announced that it has received both the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice Awards from Home Care Pulse. These awards are granted only to the top ranking home care providers based on client and caregiver satisfaction scores gathered by Home Care Pulse. Kadan has proven their ability to provide an exceptional working experience to employees, and the highest quality care to clients.

We want to congratulate Kadan Homecare on receiving both the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award and the Best of Home Care Employer of Choice Award, said Aaron Marcum, CEO and founder of Home Care Pulse. Since these awards are based on real, unfiltered feedback from clients and caregivers, Kadan has proven their dedication to providing a great work environment and solid training to employees, while maintaining their focus on client satisfaction. We are pleased to recognize their dedication to quality, professionalism and expertise in home care.

Best of Home Care award-winning providers have contracted with Home Care Pulse to gather feedback from their clients and caregivers via live phone interviews each month. Because Home Care Pulse is an independent third-party company, they are able to collect honest and unbiased feedback. These award-winning providers have received the highest satisfaction scores in areas such as professionalism, compassion of caregivers, training, and client/caregiver compatibility.

We always strive to deliver the best home care possible, said Linda Kadan, founder and CEO of Kadan Homecare. That can only be achieved through our team of qualified, client-focused caregivers. This recognition from Home Care Pulse wouldnt be possible without their dedication and commitment. We are so pleased to be recognized in both award categories once again this year.

To find out more about the Best of Home Care award or Home Care Pulse, please visit http://www.bestofhomecare.com. For more information on Kadan Homecare, serving the Atlanta Metro area, please visit http://www.kadan.org.

About Home Care Pulse

Home Care Pulse is the industrys leading firm in performance benchmarking and quality satisfaction management and serves hundreds of home care businesses across North America. They are the industrys top resource for education, business development, certification, and proof of quality, including the prestigious Best of Home Care awards. Visit http://www.homecarepulse.com to learn more about our VANTAGE program, or visit benchmarking.homecarepulse.com to learn about the Private Duty Benchmarking Study, the home care industrys largest and most comprehensive annual study, featuring benchmarks on finance, sales, marketing, operations, and more.

About Kadan Homecare

Kadan Homecare is a 30-year old, family owned home healthcare agency that provides companion and personal care, as well as skilled nursing, to help support families with short and long term needs. Kadans comprehensive C.A.R.E. Transitions program enhances post-discharge monitoring to help minimize hospital readmissions. Kadan is currently providing caregiver services ranging from post hospitalization and respite relief to hospice assistance for families spanning 16 metropolitan Atlanta counties. For more information about Kadan, please visit http://www.kadan.org or call 770-396-8997.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Kardian

Michael Mackenzie Communications

(678) 438-0547

jskardian(at)michaelmackenzie(dot)com
McKinney Texas pool builder Southernwind Pools received a total of 8 swimming pool industry design awards at the 2016 Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) Regional Design Awards ceremony in San Antonio this year. There were 206 entries in 21 categories submitted by 43 different pool construction companies from throughout the central and southwest United States. Competition was open to more than 1000 pool builders in the eight-state region.

The ceremony took place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. The event recognizes and rewards installations of pools and hot tubs which showcase the most beautiful and creative work throughout the south-central United States. The awards were accepted by Southernwind pools owner John Versfelt, founder and president of the company.

Twelve judges from across the nation scored the entries. These judges are APSP members and hold APSP certifications. They only see the pictures and descriptions; the company name is not disclosed.

Entries were judged on the following criteria:



Workmanship - Quality of Craftsmanship

Overall Beauty - Aesthetic appeal of the entire project

Creativity - Uniqueness of shape, deck, water features, etc and how they blend together

Integration - Blending of the entire project with the landscape and general house style.

The 8 award-winning designs were created by senior design consultant Mike Calonne and sales director Chad Dains, the Southernwind Pools director of sales and design. Dains and Calonne have both won numerous awards over the years at Regional, National and International award competitions.

About Southernwind Pools:

Southernwind Pools is an independent pool contractor that specializes in designing, building and servicing custom pools in the greater Dallas  McKinney  North Texas area. Southernwind Pools has been building award-winning custom pools in the North Texas area since 1983. Theyve received numerous design awards including the prestigious International Gold Design Award from the APSP. In 2009, Aqua Magazine bestowed Southernwind Pools with their Aqua Choice award  an award limited to only eleven of the top builders in the country. Southernwind Pools consistently shows up as one of the top 20 pool builders on the DFW Book of Lists.

More info at SouthernwindPools.com

About The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP):

The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals is the worlds largest international trade association representing the swimming pool, spa, hot tub and recreational water industries with a mission to enhance the business success of members. The over 4,500 member companies of the APSP include manufacturers, distributors, manufacturers' agents, designers, builders, installers, retailers, and service professionals. APSP members adhere to a code of business ethics and share a commitment to public health and safety in the use of pools, spas, and hot tubs.

More info at apsp.org

More about the APSP Region 3 Design Awards Judging Process:

The judging panel is made up of certified building professionals and certified service professionals from across the United States. Judges do not know the names of entrants, as all entries are identified only by number.

Judges look for quality/durability of construction, and how well the shape and style of the installation blends with the surrounding area and architecture. They focus on the aesthetic features of the installation, including landscaping and/or other amenities that enhance the harmony created. Photographically observable factors such as workmanship, soundness of design and safety measures required by existing standards, are also considered. Any entry which does not include the entrants affirmation of conformance with applicable ANSI/APSP standards or any applicable mandatory design code of a government having jurisdiction over the installation site, cannot be considered in the judging.

At the judges discretion, any number of medal awards (Gold Medal, Silver Medal, Bronze Medal), and/or any number of Awards of Merit may be presented in each category of entry. However, judges do not have to recognize any entries in a category if they deem that no entries merit an award.
On January 21, Faruki Ireland & Coxs Zachary Heck was named co-chair of the International Association of Privacy Professional's ("IAPP") KnowledgeNet Chapter for Cincinnati. The IAPP KnowledgeNet is responsible for coordinating programs in Cincinnati relating to current events in privacy, such as cybersecurity, data breaches and drones. The IAPP focuses its activities on Cincinnati privacy professionals.

Privacy professionals are the arbiters of trust in todays data-driven global economy. They help organizations manage rapidly evolving privacy threats, and mitigate the potential loss and misuse of information assets. As co-chair, Zach will be organizing and participating in presentations about the minimization of risks associated with data privacy.

Hecks practice at Faruki Ireland & Cox focuses primarily on assisting clients in the areas of privacy compliance, defense litigation, class action defense, and guidance in the aftermath of a cybersecurity incident or data breach.

About Faruki Ireland & Cox P.L.L.

Faruki Ireland & Cox P.L.L. (http://www.ficlaw.com) is a litigation firm with offices in Cincinnati and Dayton that handles complex business disputes nationally, including intellectual property, class actions, competition-based litigation, employment, antitrust, privacy and commercial litigation and arbitration.

About the IAPP

The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) is the largest and most comprehensive global information privacy community and resource, helping practitioners develop and advance their careers and organizations manage and protect their data. Founded in 2000, the IAPP is a not-for-profit association that helps to define, support and improve the privacy profession globally through networking, education and certification. More information about the IAPP is available at http://www.iapp.org.

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Our EDPS system will now import and process the new MAO-004 report file as well as provide pre-MAO-004 prospective analytics

For Immediate Release:

Contacts:

Dynamic Healthcare Systems

Media Relations

Bob Cordisco

Phone: 949.333.4565 ext 101

Web: http://www.dynamichealthsys.com

Dynamic Healthcare Systems, a provider of enterprise technology solutions for government-regulated health plans today announced an upgrade of their Encounter Data Processing System (EDPS) to support the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Advantage Organization MAO-004 report file. The MAO-004 report file data is a significant change to the filtering method used to support risk adjustment calculations and will affect the payments MAOs receive.

According to Kathy Feeny, President and CEO of Dynamic Healthcare Systems, In 2015, our EDPS processed millions of encounter transactions. Our 98%+ acceptance rate (MAO-002) assures MAOs that the maximum number of encounters are assessed for risk adjustment. Our EDPS system will now import and process the new MAO-004 report file as well as provide pre-MAO-004 prospective analytics. Our Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) Analytics solution uses the risk adjustment indicator provided in the CMS EDS filtering logic as well as the MAO-004 when calculating expected Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) scores and identifying suspects. The risk adjustment indicator is a crucial element for accurately reflecting risk adjustment factors used by CMS.

Previously, MAOs used their own filtering logic and submitted adjustment-eligible diagnoses in a very small data set consisting of 7 fields to the Risk Adjustment Processing System (RAPS). Now, MAOs must also submit encounter records with over 1,700 data elements, including all diagnoses, to the Encounter Data System (EDS). CMS, rather than the MAO, filters diagnoses submitted to the EDS and identifies those that are eligible for risk adjustment. CMS will equally use diagnoses from both systems for 2015 payment (2014 DOS). Beginning with PY 2016 (2015 DOS), CMS will use a weighted blend (RAPS 90%: EDS 10%) as a basis for risk score calculations used for MAO payments.

Dynamics end-to-end platform includes solutions to submit both RAPS data and EDS encounters to CMS. Additionally, Dynamics HCC Analytics solution examines all source data to calculate expected Risk Scores and identify member and provider suspects as well as encounters that are likely to risk adjust, but have not passed through all of the CMS validations.

About Dynamic Healthcare Systems

Dynamic Healthcare Systems, Inc. delivers comprehensive enterprise software solutions and services for health plans with Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and Marketplace lines of business striving to succeed amid new and evolving regulatory requirements. Headquartered in Irvine, California, the company brings world-class innovations to companies serving the government-regulated healthcare population. For more information visit dynamichealthsys.com or call 949.333.4565
Montreal Food Baskets today announced a partnership with MADA Community Centre. The objective is to ensure that everyone in Montreals Jewish community celebrates Passover with dignity and that anyone in need receives a food basket packed with nutritious kosher food and festive treats.

Established in 1947, Montreal Bnai Brith Food Baskets (now Montreal Food Baskets) has a strong legacy of support from the community. Each year, volunteers give of their time to pack and deliver holiday food baskets. MADA was founded in 1993 and has grown to become Quebecs largest food charity. By collaborating, the two organizations will distribute more food baskets with greater efficiency. Specifically, MADA will now manage the collection, warehousing and packing of food for Passover baskets.

Sadly, the number of people in need seems to grow year-over-year, says Rabbi Chaim Cohen, Executive Director, MADA. In tough economic times, charitable organizations need to be more efficient, just like everyone else. By merging our efforts, we can accomplish more. MADAs expertise is the collection and distribution of food. Combining our strengths with Montreal Food Baskets fundraising capabilities and large network of volunteers, we will help more people celebrate Passover with dignity. This partnership is a source of pride to all involved, adds Rabbi Cohen.

Montreal Food Baskets is entirely operated by volunteers and all funds raised by the organization are exclusively for the procurement of kosher food products.

Anyone in need of a Passover food basket is invited to contact Montreal Food Baskets at (438) 968-8424.

To support Montreal Food Baskets with donations of bulk food items, volunteering to pack/deliver food baskets or to make a tax-deductible charitable contribution, please call (438) 968-8424, or visit http://www.montrealfoodbaskets.com.

Media Contact: Mark Lowe / mark(dot)lowe(at)pragcom(dot)com / (514) 499-9632 / (514) 576-2519.
Softeq provides full-stack development services of advanced IoT solutions and next-gen wearable tech  from hardware design to complex embedded solutions through to tightly connected end-to-end gadget to application ecosystems.

Softeq Development Corp., a leading provider of powerful solutions for the Internet of Things and smart wearables, welcomes on board Joel Carter in the position of VP of Business Development.

Mr. Carter is a senior retail and product development executive with over 30 years experience, including 20 years in consumer electronics marketing holding C-level positions. Joel focused on emerging technologies and successfully launched multiple new brands and private label consumer electronics product lines backed with a number of international patents, trademarks and copyrights, surpassing a billion dollars in incremental sales revenue.

Joel brings a wealth of industry experience to Softeq that will help drive the companys IoT and wearable solution competency to new heights to yield smart, secure, and tightly connected next-gen electronic solutions for enterprises along with device design, complex embedded solutions, and end-to-end gadget to application ecosystems. Mr. Carter will also apply his skills honed over a career in marketing, business development, sales, research, product development, and engineering among others, to reinforce Softeqs strong position in the U.S. market and expand its reach to Canada, Latin America and Asia Pacific.

What was once a distinct separation between stand-alone software and hardware products has completely blurred. Almost everything is now smart and connected through mobile apps, web and enterprise software which serve as the glue. Not to mention the rise of embedded systems in almost all electronics. Code is the language of innovation and I am looking forward to bringing exciting and innovative new business opportunities to the team, commented Mr. Carter during the welcome ceremony at Softeqs headquarters in Houston, Texas.

About Softeq

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Houston, TX, Softeq Development Corporation is a preferred technology partner to Fortune 500 juggernauts and innovative startups operating in the consumer electronics field. The company provides full-stack implementation of advanced IoT solutions and next-gen wearable tech  from hardware design to complex embedded solutions through to tightly connected end-to-end gadget to application ecosystems  drawing on years of hands-on practice across low-level, mobile, and web. Some of Softeqs customers include NVIDIA, EPSON, NIKE, AMD, and HP. Learn more at http://www.softeq.com
Claudia Bartra, Recipient of Women of Worth Award "I am very happy with the lead role, women have achieved in our society. A woman can be strong and at the same time nurturing.That makes a perfect combination. Let's not lose that while leading!! Thank you for the award,Wow! Women Of Worth 2016!"

The Central Palm Beach County Community Foundation hosted its 5th Annual Women of Worth (WOW) awards event on Thursday, February 4. Claudia Bartra was chosen from six finalists as the winner of this years WOW award.

This event honors outstanding women who have achieved professional excellence, serve their community, and have strengthened and enriched well-being in Central Palm Beach by helping to advance the educational, cultural, and economic interest of the community. This years luncheon was held at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, 2800 South Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach, Florida 33480.

Claudia Bartra is the owner of the LaGranja restaurant chain, which operates over 40 locations in South Florida. La Granja Restaurants serve fresh Peruvian cuisine, including Pollo a la Brassa, as was first introduced in their first location in Aruba. Claudia and LaGranja Restaurants have won many awards in the past, including "The Best Peruvian Restaurant of the Year", "The Best Family Style Peruvian Restaurant" and "Best Peruvian Cuisine of Fort Lauderdale" (all from The Restaurant Review Magazine).

In addition to providing great home cooked Peruvian meals that are also affordable, La Granja also supports the South Florida community by partnering with grass roots youth organizations like ASPIRA, honoring veterans, and offering scholarships to Florida residents of Hispanic and Latino descent to Palm Beach Community College.

More information on the awards luncheon can be found at http://cpbchamber.chambermaster.com/events/details/women-of-worth-wow-award-luncheon-5070776.
For 11+ years, IvyZen has helped 300+ students gain admissions to the Ivy Leagues "In one informative article about The Hedgehog Concept, IvyZen Executive Director, Mark Lee, takes a controversial stance denouncing the ubiquitous well-balanced approach..."

High-achieving students are always looking to improve their chances of getting into Ivy League colleges. While there are plenty of people to give them advice on the perfect college essay, the perfect test score, and the perfect extracurricular activities to gain admission to top colleges, few offer a comprehensive plan for how to present the most effective college application. On IvyZens revamped site, students and parents can learn about The Hedgehog Concept, which consists of crafting unique and compelling Themes to make ones college application stand out from the rest.

In one informative article about The Hedgehog Concept, IvyZen Executive Director, Mark Lee, takes a controversial stance denouncing the ubiquitous well-balanced approach:

"In the hyper-competitive world of college admissions, being the Hedgehog is key. Unfortunately, many students attempt to out-fox the admissions committee with a quantity of impressive tricks: fairy tale-like essays, myriad small extracurricular activities, recommendations from famous people, and life-changing 10-day trips to exotic locales. But ultimately, the Hedgehogs are the ones who are admitted, with their singular, unwavering focus.

Acting as the Fox with the well-rounded approach is not an unusual strategy, and is in fact recommended by counselors, teachers, and parents of students applying to the top schools, e.g. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Caltech, Columbia, UChicago. It has long been the conception that with a 4.0 GPA, a perfect SAT score, and appealing extracurricular activities, a student can prove himself a worthy candidate for admission. But recently, the Ivy Leagues have been rejecting up to 95% of candidates, most of whom are the Foxes of the world. Those who are admitted have proven themselves to be very interested inand talented ata single thing, much like the Hedgehog."

The rest of the article is a thorough and helpful guide for creating ones own unique Theme. IvyZen walks through the main steps for readers starting with the four main areas used to create a Theme:

1. Academics

2. Extracurricular Activities- Leadership

3. Extracurricular Activities- Scholarship

4. Competitions/Achievements

Potential Ivy Leaguers can also find many unique, effective sample Themes on the site. Examples include political activism, encryption, big data and social entrepreneurship  big ideas that can help tie all the activities and accomplishments of high-achieving students into one compelling whole. Of special note are the Success Stories of IvyZen students who were accepted to the top US colleges, including MIT, Stanford, Princeton and Caltech.

About IvyZen

IvyZen provides leading-edge college admissions consulting services to the very brightest. IvyZen mentors focus solely on the top US colleges: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Caltech, UChicago and Columbia. For more than 11 years, IvyZen has been mentor to over 300 students, helping them gain acceptance to these most selective institutions.

For more information, please contact Mark Lee, Executive Director of IvyZen, at mark@ivyzen.net.
The Eclipse Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of the Papyrus Industry Consortium, a collaboration to create a model-based engineering platform and workbench based on the domain specific and modeling capabilities of the Eclipse Papyrus family of products. The consortium partners will jointly fund the development of the Papyrus platform and tools, consolidate and prioritize requirements from consortium partners and across application domains, and promote Papyrus as an open source solution for MBE. The founding members of the consortium include Adocus, Airbus Helicopters, Airbus Defence & Space, Atos, CEA List, Combitech/Saab, EclipseSource, Ericsson, Flanders make, Fraunhofer Fokus, OneFact, and Zeligsoft.

The Papyrus Industry Consortium (IC) aims to deliver an industrial-grade open source MBE solution for companies developing software intensive systems ranging from embedded software development, enterprise software, Internet of Things (IoT) to cyber-physical systems. As the mantra software is eating the world indicates, many of these companies are becoming more reliant on software development for their customer solutions. Better software design tools, like Papyrus, will enable these organizations to design, develop and deliver software-based solutions in a more efficient manner.

Ericsson has over a thousand software engineers who require advanced modeling tools to create the software systems for our commercial solutions, explains Francis Bordeleau, Product Manager Software Development at Ericsson. Therefore, the existence of both an industrial-grade modeling tool and a vibrant and growing modeling tools community is a critical part of our long-term software development strategy. With the establishment of the Papyrus IC, we strongly believe that Papyrus will become the dominant modeling tools solution that will provide the required innovation for a larger adoption of model-based engineering.

Papyrus is an extensible platform and tool suite that supports existing modeling languages such as UML 2.5 and SysML 1.4, and the creation of industry-specific and domain-specific modeling languages, allowing end-users, suppliers, and academics to customize Papyrus to their specific needs. Through its various specializations, Papyrus also enables development of capabilities regarding different development aspects, including model-based simulation, model-based testing, safety analysis, and architecture exploration.

The Papyrus IC is a great example of end-user organizations using open source to direct the development of an industry solution to meet their specific needs, explains Mike Milinkovich, executive director of the Eclipse Foundation. We expect the Papyrus IC will jointly fund $5 million/year of research and development towards building a model-based engineering solution that meets the needs of large organizations that depend on modeling tools for their software development and design. We believe this type of open source collaboration is the future of software development for many types of industries.

More information about the Papyrus tools and the Papyrus IC is available at https://eclipse.org/papyrus/ and https://www.polarsys.org/ic/papyrus. The Eclipse Foundation and the Papyrus IC will be demonstrating the Papyrus platform at the Embedded World Conference in Nuremberg, Germany, on March 23-25 in Hall 4, Booth 160.
"Natural wine has broken the rules and has introduced the drinking world to a broader range of colors, flavors and textures. In the near future we won't be talking about natural but about beautiful wines that have emotional impact." Alice Feiring

While there are no legal criteria for the definition of natural wine, and calling wines natural is even prohibited in some EU member states, that has not stopped such wines from becoming a strong force on todays wine landscape. The world is seeing a huge clamor for them and according to many experts on the subject of wines made with minimal human intervention, their very existence is calling into question what is a wine and how does one judge it?.

In recognition of the growing importance and relevance of these wines, Vinitaly will organize a new event. This gathering, an award called Free Wine, Wine Without Walls (a.k.a.Free Wine), will be held in the city of Verona on April 1st, 2016.

The parameters to judge Free Wine seems to be challenging. A true natural wine could be considered one produced using organic (or biodynamic) principles with minimum technological intervention. To make it super-simple, most believe the wines to originate from some sort of organic viticulture, minimally processed and then made in the cellar without anything added or taken away. Yes, this means that some additives that other winemakers hold as essential are not employed. For example, to the natural winemaker, adding yeast to start fermentation or using more than 20 ppm of the preservative sulfur is frowned upon, and believed to be exerting much interference in the winemaking comments Alice Feiring.

In recognition of these wines, this year at Vinitaly a panel of 5 international wine experts that include: Pietro Vergano (Restaurante Consorzio, Torino), Diego Sorba (Il Tabarro, Parma), Doug Wregg (Cave de Pyrene, London), Pascaline Lepeltier (New York via France) and chaired by Alice Feiring (USA) American journalist and exponent for natural will taste and assess the participating wines.

The special recognition will dramatically break from convention: the wines will not be scored. Instead the judges will look for a wine that demonstrates at least six of eight qualities, these include evolution in the glass, emotional impact and transparency. In addition, there are parameters to ensure that the wines are practically natural from the ground up. This means that some form of organic viticulture is necessary, and in order to ensure that minimal winemaking remains intact the use of ingredients products or machines that may alter the organoleptic and physical properties of wine such as yeasts, bacteria, tannins, gum arabic, tartaric acid, enzymes, excessive sulfite, anti-microbials, thermovinification, reverse osmosis, irrigation, concentrators, or malolactic fermentation block and others will not be allowed. This award is meant to celebrate the wines made with grape alone that manage to be glorious.

With its prestigious award bestowed only to those wines deemed to have merit by the distinguished judges panel on hand, Free Wine- Wine without Walls aims to highlight the quality of wines from grapes that follow organic viticulture practice that are low-input, low-sulfite from the world over.

Winning wines and estates will be announced on Sunday, April 10, in a special presentation to be held at Vinitaly in Verona, in the presence of Alice Feiring and the judges on her panel, as well as Stevie Kim, Managing director of Vinitaly International and creator of Free Wine, and Ian DAgata, Scientific director of Vinitaly International Academy.

About:

Veronafiere is the leading organizer of trade shows in Italy including Vinitaly (http://www.vinitaly.com), the largest wine and spirits fair in the world. During its 49th edition Vinitaly counted some 4.000 exhibitors on a 100.000 square meter area and 150.000 visitors including more than 2.600 journalists from 46 different countries. The next edition of the fair will take place on 10 - 13 April 2016.

The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine (http://www.vinitalyinternational.com) Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers, will unite international wine professionals on April 9th in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA has now also created its very first Certification Course with the aim of creating new Ambassadors of Italian Wine in the World.

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Thanks to the generous support from AT&T, commitments from top businesses and the leadership of El Centro College, Year Up Dallas will begin serving young adults in August 2016.

Year Up, a national nonprofit organization that collaborates with Fortune 500 firms to train disconnected youth and prepare them for jobs in high-demand sectors, is expanding to Dallas with the help of a $1 million lead investment from AT&T, as part of AT&T Aspire.

The new site launch will be announced today at the forum Educational Attainment: A Pathway to Prosperity, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas at 2200 N. Pearl Street from 7:159:45 a.m. Year Up founder and CEO Gerald Chertavian will speak at the event.

Thanks to the generous support from AT&T, commitments from top businesses and the leadership of El Centro College, Year Up Dallas will begin serving young adults in August 2016, said Chertavian. Not only will they gain the technical and professional skills to enter an exciting career, theyll also receive college credits and be on track to complete an associates degree from El Centro.

Through AT&T Aspire, we are investing in young people to prepare them for success in school and beyond, said Nicole Anderson, AVP, Social Innovation, AT&T Services. By working with innovative organizations like Year Up to expand their services to Dallas, more students will have the skills to meet the needs of the future workforce.

Year Up is planning to locate its Dallas site at El Centro College, part of the Dallas Community College District. Students will spend one semester taking technical and professional skills classes taught by El Centro and Year Up staff, and will then spend the next semester participating in a full-time, credit-bearing internship at a corporate partner firm.

Companies in Dallas recognize that local young adults can be a significant source of motivated, skilled entry-level talent, said Chertavian. Weve seen the strongest employer demand of any site launch to date, with more than 30 internship seats already confirmed at Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Liberty Mutual, and Dallas Childrens Health.

Founded in Boston in 2000, Year Up currently has sites in 16 cities. The program provides low-income young adults, ages 18-24, with six months of technical and professional skills training followed by a six-month corporate internship. Eighty-five percent of graduates are employed or attending college fulltime within four months of completing the program, with average starting salaries of $36,000/year.

About Year Up Inc.

Year Up's mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Year Up achieves this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships and college credits. Its holistic approach focuses on students' professional and personal development to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. Year Up currently serves more than 3,000 students a year at sites in Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Jacksonville, the National Capital Region, New York City, Philadelphia, Providence, Puget Sound, San Francisco Bay Area, and South Florida. To learn more, visit http://www.yearup.org or http://www.youtube.com/yearupinc.

About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T

AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. AT&T Aspire is AT&Ts signature philanthropic initiative that drives innovation in education by bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including funding, technology, employee volunteerism, and mentoring. Through Aspire, weve passed the $250 million mark on our plan to invest $350 million in education from 2008-2017.
Damita Robinson (pictured), Sr. VP of Human Resources, Andrews Federal

Andrews Federal Credit Unions Damita Robinson, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, was recently invited to attend the 2016 National Security Seminar by U. S. Army War College Commandant Major General William E. Rapp. The event will be held June 6-9, 2016 at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA.

The National Security Seminar (NSS) is a four-day event that creates an environment for Army War College students and invited guests to examine current national security issues and exchange candid dialogue. NSS provides a forum for distinguished speakers to discuss their views on issues of importance to the nation's security and welfare with New Members, resident students, International Fellows, staff and faculty.

It is an honor to be selected to participate in this prestigious event, said Robinson. I want to thank Andrews Federal Board Treasurer Brig. Gen. Roger Scearce (Ret), for the nomination, and look forward to learning more about national security from this distinguished group of presenters.

On nominating Ms. Robinson for the Seminar, Brig. Gen. Scearce (Ret.) stated, Damita is the epitome of a truly outstanding credit union senior executive who strives for excellence in all she does  and the HR team and reputation she has built at Andrews Federal certainly demonstrates that. She will bring immense private sector financial community leadership and experience to the US Army War College National Security Seminar Week. The real beneficiaries of her attendance and participation will be the senior military officers in her seminar. I am convinced that her contributions will be many, and her perspectives insightful, relevant and very meaningful. I am honored to have nominated her.

Approximately 160 invitees join resident student seminar groups for the event. These New Members come from across the country and are a cross-section of American life, representing a broad range of occupations, geographic regions, and age groups.

About Andrews Federal Credit Union

Andrews Federal Credit Union was founded in 1948 to serve the needs of military and civilian personnel by providing a vast array of financial products and services. With over $1 billion in assets, Andrews Federal has grown to serve more than 116,000 members in the District of Columbia, Joint Base Andrews (MD), Springfield, Virginia (VA), Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (NJ), and military installations in central Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. In addition, the Credit Union serves as a financial partner with many select employee groups in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and New Jersey.

To learn more about Andrews Federal Credit Union and its community involvement, or to become a member, call 800.487.5500 or visit http://www.andrewsfcu.org.
At least 8.4 million Americans are caring for an adult with mental illness Mental illness is a condition that affects the whole family, explained Gail Gibson Hunt, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving.

At least 8.4 million Americans are providing care to an adult with an emotional or mental health issue, and nearly three quarters report that caregiving causes high emotional stress, finds a new study from the National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The study, On Pins & Needles: Caregivers of Adults with Mental Illness, identifies startling inadequacies in the U.S. health care system in meeting the needs of families who manage moderate-to-serious mental illness. Four in 10 caregivers struggled to find an accurate diagnosis for their loved one. Families whose loved one had found an accurate diagnosis reported that it took 11.8 years, on average, to get there.

Treatment is also an issue. A majority of caregivers found that it was difficult to find the right drug and dose, and fewer than four in ten caregivers (37%) reported that their loved ones medication was effective in providing the help they need. Caregivers noted several barriers to accessing health care services and long-term services and supports, including day programs, peer support, case managers, in-patient treatment centers, and low availability of services in rural areas.

Mental illness is a condition that affects the whole family, explained Gail Gibson Hunt, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving. These findings illustrate that gaps in the healthcare system can impact a family caregiver as well. Caregivers noted that they felt isolated by the stigma of mental illness. They reported high levels of emotional stress and worried that their loved one would self-harm. Its time to bring these families out of the darkness and get them help.

In addition to identifying common challenges facing caregivers of people with mental illness, the study offers a number of solutions to help families struggling with mental illness. Providing greater access to high-quality healthcare services and assistance with care coordination are two of the suggestions offered. Healthcare providers should examine ways to include caregivers as part of the care team, improve access and reimbursement for medications, and provide education, the authors suggest.

We often forget that caregivers themselves are enduring trauma, anxiety, and depression as they work on behalf of a loved one, explains Paul Gionfriddo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mental Health America, a partner on the study. Surveys like this help us to focus not only on the inadequacies in our system of services and supports for people with mental health conditions, but also on the inadequacies of the support we give to those who care for them.

The study confirms what NAMI hears every day on its Helpline and in its family classes and support groups, said NAMI Executive Director Mary Giliberti. It reveals a glaring gap in support for caregivers that is one more example of the inequality between mental illness and other health conditions. The report provides an agenda for action by policymakers and they should act quickly to provide caregivers with needed parity in access to mental health care and to provide for their overall needs.

Highlights  On Pins & Needles: Caregivers of Adults with Mental Illness:



8.4 million Americans care for an adult with an emotional or mental health issue (from Caregiving in the U.S. 2015, National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP Public Policy Institute).

Caregivers have typically provided care for an average of 8.7 years, in contrast to caregivers of an adult for any condition or illness who typically provide care for 4 years on average.

The majority of people receiving care (58%) are between the ages of 18-39 and it is often a parent taking on care of the adult child (45%).

The main conditions requiring care are bipolar disorder (25%), schizophrenia (25%), depression (22%), and anxiety (11%).

A majority of caregivers (55%) reported that they were included less than they felt they should have been in care conversations with their loved ones providers.

Caregivers indicated that the most helpful policies or programs would be mental health service coverage parity (31%), care navigator (30%), and caregiver education (15%).

About half of mental health caregivers reported that their loved one was sent home too early or too quickly from the emergency room, hospital, or other facility after a mental health crisis situation (49%).

Nearly half (49%) of caregivers said that their loved one is financially dependent on family and friends.

Nearly half (48%) of caregivers said it was difficult to talk with others about their loved ones mental or emotional health issues.

Methodology

The research study was conducted by Greenwald & Associates, with guidance from the National Alliance for Caregiving, Mental Health America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and oversight from an independent advisory committee. Researchers gathered data from 1,601 family caregivers age 18 or older who provide care to an adult with serious-to-moderate emotional or mental health issues. Data was collected through an online survey instrument in September 2015.

Get the Report

The study was made possible through generous sponsorship from Allergan, Eli Lilly, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, and Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC. The report and related materials can be found at http://www.caregiving.org/mentalhealth.

About the National Alliance for Caregiving

Established in 1996, the National Alliance for Caregiving is a nonprofit coalition of national organizations focusing on advancing family caregiving through research, innovation, and advocacy. The Alliance conducts research, does policy analysis, develops national best-practice programs, and works to increase public awareness of family caregiving issues. Recognizing that family caregivers provide important societal and financial contributions toward maintaining the well-being of those they care for, the Alliance supports a network of 80-plus state and local caregiving coalitions and serves as Secretariat for the International Alliance of Care Organizations. Learn more at http://www.caregiving.org.

About Mental Health America

Mental Health America is the nations leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to helping all Americans achieve wellness by living mentally healthier lives. Our work is driven by our commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention for all, early identification and intervention for those at risk, integrated health, behavioral health and other services for those who need them, and recovery as a goal. Learn more at http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net. Media should contact Erin Wallace, Vice President for Communications and Marketing, at (703) 797-2588 or ewallace(at)mentalhealthamerica(dot)net.

About the National Alliance on Mental Illness

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nations largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI State Organizations and NAMI Affiliates offer education programs to help individuals and families get the support they need. For more information visit http://www.nami.org or call the NAMI HelpLine: 800-950-NAMI (6254). Media should contact Bob Carolla, Director of Media Relations, at (703) 516-7963 or bobc(at)nami(dot)org.

About Greenwald & Associates

Greenwald & Associates is a leading full-service research firm with industry expertise in healthcare, financial services, & employee benefits. Conducting customized research for over 30 years, Greenwald & Associates has earned a reputation for extensive research knowledge, industry expertise, and commitment to serving the needs of their clients. For more information, please visit http://www.greenwaldresearch.com.
Bellwether Technology is the premier IT service provider in New Orleans. Were honored to be on the MSP 500 for the third year in a row, said Bellwether President Poco Sloss. Once again, were on this list because we have such a strong team with a strong customer focus.

Bellwether Technology, the premier IT service provider in New Orleans, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Bellwether to its 2016 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Pioneer 250 category. This annual list recognizes North American solution providers with cutting-edge approaches to delivering managed services. Their top-notch offerings help companies navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of IT, improve operational efficiencies, and maximize their return on IT investments.

In todays fast-paced business environments, MSPs play an important role in helping companies leverage new technologies without straining their budgets or losing focus on their core business. CRNs MSP 500 list shines a light on the most forward-thinking and innovative of these key organizations.

The list is divided into three categories: the MSP Pioneer 250, recognizing companies with business models weighted toward managed services and largely focused on the SMB market; the MSP Elite 150, recognizing large, data center-focused MSPs with a strong mix of on-premise and off-premise services; and the MSP Hosting Service Provider 100, recognizing MSPs focused primarily on off-premise, cloud-based services.

This is Bellwether Technologys third year in a row on the MSP 500. Based in New Orleans, LA, since 1980, Bellwether is a managed IT services provider that focuses on serving businesses and organizations throughout southern Louisiana and the Gulf South. Bellwethers core offerings include a comprehensive, outsourced IT department; project management and implementation; and cloud hosting.

MSPs meet a critical need in the IT market, providing customized, turnkey services that allow for predictable operational expenses, effective control of expenditures, precise allocation of limited resources and convenient access to on-demand and pay-as-you-go technology, said Robert Faletra, CEO, The Channel Company. We congratulate the service providers of the MSP 500, who continually reinvent themselves to successfully meet their customers changing needs, helping businesses get the most out of their IT investments and sharpen their competitive edge.

Were honored to be on the MSP 500 for the third year in a row, said Bellwether President Poco Sloss. Once again, were on this list because we have such a strong team with a strong customer focus.

The MSP 500 list is featured in the February 2016 issue of CRN and online at http://www.CRN.com/msp500.

About Bellwether Technology

Based in New Orleans, LA, since 1980, Bellwether Technology Corporation is a managed IT services provider that focuses on serving businesses and organizations throughout southern Louisiana and the Gulf South. Bellwethers core offerings include a comprehensive, outsourced IT department; project management and implementation; and cloud hosting. Learn more at http://www.belltec.com.

About the Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. http://www.thechannelco.com
Stupid Cancer Announces Dates for The Stupid Cancer Road Trip and CancerCon Young adult cancer is largely unknown in the war on cancer with a new diagnoses every eight minutes, according to The National Cancer Institute.

Stupid Cancer, the largest U.S.-based charity addressing young adult cancer, today announced dates for the annual Stupid Cancer Road Trip and CancerCon. Co-founder and C.O.O. Kenny Kane, and cancer advocate and caregiver, John Sabia will visit 14 cities across America in the month of April, before convening in Denver, Colo. to kick off the convention on April 28, 2016. CancerCon is the premier oncology conference and social networking event for the young adult cancer movement, taking place April 28 - May 1, 2016. The conference meets the underserved needs specific to the 72,000 young adults, ages 15 to 39, who are diagnosed with cancer each year.

This announcement comes just over a week following President Obama and Vice President Bidens news establishing the Cancer Moonshot Task Force as part of an initiative to prioritize increased Federal investment that supports cancer research, treatment and care.

Now in its fifth year, the Road Trip is a cross-country grassroots campaign raising awareness that young adults in their teens, 20s and 30s can and do get cancerand Stupid Cancer is here to help. Kane and Sabia will travel 6,000 miles to host special awareness events, visit cancer centers and connect with the local cancer community. Stops include: Boston, Mass. (April 8); Buffalo, N.Y. (April 9); Columbus, Ohio (April 10); Detroit, Mich. & Ann Arbor, Mich. (April 11); Chicago, Ill. (April 12); Milwaukee, Wis. (April 13); Minneapolis, Minn. (April 14); Billings, Mont. (April 17); Seattle, Wash. (April 20); Anchorage, Alaska (April 21); Portland, Ore. (April 23); Salt Lake City, Utah (April 25) and Denver, Colo. (April 27).

CancerCon and The Stupid Cancer Road Trip are unifying events designed to empower anyone affected by cancer," says Matthew Zachary, C.E.O. and founder of Stupid Cancer. Im equally thrilled to also announce the election of our new chairwoman, Thea Linscott, a public relations and brand development expert, teen cancer survivor and champion of our mission. Thea has worked with us over the last four years in developing the Stupid Cancer brand and elevating our national platform.

Young adult cancer is largely unknown in the war on cancer with a new diagnoses every eight minutes, according to The National Cancer Institute. As chairwoman, Linscott is responsible for leading the organization, alongside its board of directors and executive leadership, to improve awareness and understanding across the country.

Stupid Cancer is the bullhorn for the young adult cancer movement and I am humbled to have the opportunity to serve as its chair, says Thea Linscott, chairwoman of Stupid Cancer. Matthew Zachary and Stupid Cancer's Board of Directors are dedicated to growing the organization among the cancer and non-cancer communities, ensuring no one faces this disease alone. Linscott, now 17 years cancer-free, volunteers on the governance and strategic planning committees where she oversees the strategic path of the organization. In addition to her service, Linscott is a senior account supervisor in the employee practice at MSLGROUP.

The Stupid Cancer Road Trip is supported by presenting sponsor Walgreens. To learn more about the Road Trip, visit: http://www.stupidcancerroadtrip.org.

For details about CancerCon including registration and event agenda, visit: http://www.cancercon.org.

About Stupid Cancer

Founded in 2007 by Matthew Zachary, Stupid Cancer, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is the largest charity that comprehensively addresses young adult cancer through advocacy, research, support, outreach, awareness, mobile health and social media. Our innovative, award-winning and evidence-based programs and services serve as a global bullhorn to propel the young adult cancer movement forward. For more information, visit http://www.stupidcancer.org.
Find Documents:

Press release: http://tinyurl.com/gua9vmv

Bunkum Award Presentation: http://nepc.colorado.edu/think-tank/bunkum-awards/2015

With the Oscar celebration next week, and the Emmys and Pulitzers on the way, the National Education Policy Center announces this years winner of its Bunkum Award. NEPC invites its audience to enjoy the 10th annual tongue-in-cheek salute to the most egregiously shoddy think tank reports.

Its not easy to laugh when data are manipulated and made to fit foregone conclusions or when the research literature is misrepresented or ignored and low-quality or dishonest evidence has real impact on policy and on children. As best we can tell, polar bears arent laughing at reports from the American Petroleum Institute.

Yet humor is one of the best ingredients of survival, according to Aung San Suu Kyiwhose travails have been far weightier than ours. So we will persevere in our commitment to having a bit of fun each year with the evidentiary farce-lympics.

The Think Twice Think Tank Review Project arose as a response to the often-outsized policy influence of glossy, well-publicized reports that have not been vetted by peer-review. These reports regularly wrap themselves in the veneer of research, but they are frequently little more than propaganda masquerading as social science.

This years awards announcement, available on the NEPC website, is hosted by Dr. David Berliner, the Regents Professor Emeritus and former dean of the College of Education at Arizona State University. Berliner is a member of the National Academy of Education and the International Academy of Education, a Fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, a past president of the American Educational Research Association, and a widely recognized scholar of educational psychology and policy.

To see the 2015 Bunkum Winner, watch the 2015 Bunkums Awards video presentation, read the Bunkum-worthy report and the review, and learn about past Bunkum winners and the National Education Policy Centers Think Twice think tank review project, go to http://nepc.colorado.edu/think-tank/bunkum-awards/2015.

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC) Think Twice Think Tank Review Project (http://thinktankreview.org) provides the public, policymakers, and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. The project is made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice:

http://www.greatlakescenter.org/

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: http://nepc.colorado.edu/
Financial Town logo Now, were adding mobile video banking to the mix, and the result is a communication system unlike anyone has experienced."

Financial Town today launched BankOn Video, the banking industrys first interactive mobile video banking solution providing face-to-face customer communication and unprecedented access to live financial professionals, sales and service representatives. By empowering consumers and credit unions alike, BankOn presents the most complete customer experience possible, and allows branches to offer longer hours, expanded services, and immediate, personalized assistance.

In just the past few years, data speed, affordability of consumer plans and mobile technology itself have advanced significantly, said Financial Town founder and CEO Gene Pranger, who pioneered the market of video banking with the uGenius platform in 2008. Now, were adding mobile video banking to the mix, and the result is a communication system unlike anyone has experienced. Through BankOn Video, financial institutions make way for the self-service future by becoming trusted partners with their customers, providing not only the solutions they need, but exactly when and where they want them, and in a way that exceeds their expectations.

The comprehensive web and mobile video system closes the gap between businesses and their customers by providing assistance at the exact moment of need. BankOn video calls can be initiated through the mobile video app, web portal or customer communication center. Utilizing the power of mobile video enhances connectivity for both businesses and consumers, removing the need for either party to be in an office, branch or retail store.

BankOn Video includes a sophisticated lineup of features, including:



Video Chat: The ability to speak speak face-to-face with potential and existing customers builds stronger connections through swift and personalized service.

Present: Within live video chats, service representatives can enter presentation mode to send any slide, information or form that can be hosted in a normal Web environment.

Check Deposit: Customers can deposit checks with ease using their smartphones or tablets, and within a video chat.

Document Upload: Using a mobile device, customers can immediately capture and securely upload all required documentation for service representatives, allowing the sales process to start in a matter of minutes.

Acceptance & E-Signatures: Consumers can remotely view and accept new terms and conditions, as well as electronically sign all required documents.

Chat Support: Online and in-app chat support are available 24/7, with the option to rate representatives immediately following interactions.

Message Feeds: Tailored message boards to individuals or groups of customers facilitate fast and easy distribution of information, such as news and updates, shared documents, and task assignments to be completed.

Security: BankOn creates the most secure connection with customers that allows for unrivaled personalization as well as peace of mind.

With the BankOn Customer Communication Center, which plugs directly into the back-end of existing systems, banks and credit unions have the tools they need to serve and sell to customers in a way that is transparent, social and convenient. Customer information is stored directly next to text or video chat, allowing representatives to quickly review customer history and better serve by understanding any issues, questions and concerns that have arisen over time.

Additionally, BankOns comprehensive analytics feature helps financial institutions examine the effectiveness of their sales cycle, customer support and personnel. Customer interaction metrics are automatically recorded and analyzed, including call content, length, events and customer sentiment. With such insights in hand, management directives become clearer, needs are identified sooner and solutions become more effective, granting executives the information they need to confidently lead their companies into the digital future.

Financial Town currently offers a free 30-day trial of BankOn Video for qualifying banks and credit unions. Financial Town plans to expand its tailored mobile video solutions to additional marketplaces including insurance, healthcare, hospitality, retail and more. For more information regarding BankOn Video, visit http://financialtown.com/ or call 801-417-9000.

About Financial Town

Financial Town creates computer, web, mobile and video software solutions to bridge the gap between customers and financial groups across all industries, including banking, insurance, hospitality, healthcare, retail and beyond. Through increased connectivity, these comprehensive and interactive solutions enhance customer communication and action to empower sales and give companies the tools they need to exceed customer expectations. For more information regarding Financial Town, visit http://financialtown.com/ or call 801-417-9000.

Press Contact

Financial Town PR

Kristi McCain, (385) 204-4341

mccainconsultingllc(at)gmail(dot)com
2016 Spring CLO Symposium Aside from being educational, our conferences are designed to create a sense of community among the key players in the L&D industry, said Mike Prokopeak, CLO editor-in-chief.

Chief Learning Officer magazine, a flagship publication of Human Capital Media (HCM), is pleased to welcome Keller Center for Corporate Learning and Saba as Platinum sponsors of the 2016 Spring CLO Symposium, the premier conference for the worlds elite learning leaders, now in its 13th year. In keeping with the relevance of this years theme  Learning Redefined  sponsors were carefully selected to reflect organizational solutions revolutionizing the industry.

Keller Center for Corporate Learning (http://www.corp.keller.edu/)

Keller Center for Corporate Learning describes itself as "leading provider of quality, career-oriented education and training solutions for corporate and government organizations and the people they employ. Building a relationship with Keller Center for Corporate Learning can help your best talent sharpen their skill sets, grow their management expertise and become more valuable members of your organization. Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), http://www.hlcommission.org, DeVry University and its Keller Graduate School of Management, offer your employees the opportunity to earn associate, bachelors and masters degrees as well as graduate certificates to meet professional and personal goals."

Saba (http://www.saba.com)

Saba states it is "a global leader in next-generation cloud solutions for talent management. The company helps organizations transform the way they work by enabling the continuous learning, engagement and development of their people network. Supporting the new world of work, Saba delivers learning, performance, succession, career development, workforce planning and compensation solutions that incorporate modern technologies such as social, collaboration, mobile and gamification."

Aside from being educational, our conferences are designed to create a sense of community among the key players in the L&D industry, said Mike Prokopeak, CLO editor-in-chief. Sponsoring the CLO Symposium is an opportunity to establish relationships organically between innovative vendors and interested customers.

To learn more about sponsoring events hosted by Human Capital Media, contact Kevin Fields, director of business development, events, at kfields(at)humancapitalmedia(dot)com.
Kimberly Baker, EHA Global Founder & CEO (left) and Audrey Davies, Executive Director of Strategic Event Management (right) The meetings industry is a relationship-based industry and we are honored to be a part of such a progressive organization as Meetings.com and look forward to our partnership and in sharing our future successes

Meetings.com, the premier site for information on meeting and banquet venues worldwide, is excited to announce their newest partnership with Elite Hospitality Alliance Global, an innovative company focused on delivering a full range of business development, meeting management, and brand implementation services.

EHA Global will be utilizing Meetings.com as sourcing and lead generation tool in order to assist various corporate planners with high-end or smaller corporate meetings as well as incentive programs. The Meetings.coms site simplicity, cutting edge technology and industry leading support service, makes for the ideal platform to drive new business for their clients.

Meetings.com helps to secure the best hotel accommodations, meeting space, conference venues, and hospitality services available, all while negotiating the most favorable terms possible.

We are very excited to have EHA Global joining Meetings.com, stated Ross Hoskings, President of Meetings.com. This collaborative effort represents our business model by providing unrivaled support and assistance with sourcing booking and contracting.

Elite Hospitality Alliance Global, with more than 35 years of combined service with their network of partners and directors, knows a thing or two about establishing and maintaining professional relationships within the hotel and meeting industry. EHA Global Founder, Kim Baker, and her business partner Audrey Davies, Executive Director of Strategic Event Management, provide a broad spectrum of meeting services to their clients and companies of all sizes to assist them in organizing, branding and managing successful meetings and conferences. The team also works directly with top hotel executives to design and implement new business development sales strategies and initiatives for hotels and resorts.

At EHA Global, we proudly stand by our Yes We Can motto to deliver the best selection of services possible to our clients. The meetings industry is a relationship-based industry and we are honored to be a part of such a progressive organization as Meetings.com and look forward to our partnership and in sharing our future successes, stated Kim Baker, Founder & CEO of Elite Hospitality Alliance Global.

Alongside Meetings.com, EHA Global will work together to facilitate and drive successful hotel and meeting space bookings.

About Elite Hospitality Alliance Global, LLC

Elite Hospitality Alliance Global provides a complete array of full-service meeting management, remote and onsite event services as well as branding services for groups of 10 to 10,000 across all markets. Specializing in the corporate market for all sizes and types of meetings and incentives, users group events, sales meeting and training events, CME, financial and automotive programs, the event team at EHA Global prides itself on unrivaled professionalism and experience to manage any event anywhere in the world while working alongside you and your team for maximum efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Based on their many years of experience in both meeting planning and hospitality, EHA Global also provides a fresh look and deeper, more strategic insight and consultative sales approach to group sales and marketing for new business development and group lead generation, custom projects and unique property-specific sales services using an innovative approach to identifying and meeting the needs of luxury hotel clients. Not only does EHA Global specialize in full service meeting management, and event planning, but also targeted New Business Sales and Account Development, dormant database management and re-qualification, targeted territory sales development, re-branding sales solutions and implementation and creative Group/MICE sales solutions. The company also provides sales staff, organizes sales events and client appointments and more to the hotel industry, working with hotel companies, large or small all over the US and Internationally.

About Meetings.com

Meetings.com focuses on business travel and helping corporate event planners book space for meetings plus hotel rooms. Through direct, collaborative relationships with the leading meeting and banquet venues around the world, Meetings.com will quickly find clients the perfect space and the best price. Combining technology with an experienced worldwide client-focused team, Meetings.com provides exceptional service to help each client select the optimal venue and/or develop an exclusive corporate hotel travel program always delivering the best price for their hotel travel needs. With a global team of travel specialists specializing in specific markets plus robust sourcing/hotel booking tools, HotelPlanner is a one stop shop for all hotel program needs. Founded in 2002, the company has offices in in West Palm Beach, FL (USA Headquarters), Las Vegas, Nevada, London, England, (European Headquarters) and Hong Kong (Asia Headquarters). Meetings.com is wholly owned subsidiary of HotelPlanner.

For more information on Meetings.com or to become an affiliate, please visit: https://www.meetings.com/Become-Meeting-Planner/
Superior Walls marks 35 years of manufacturing precast concrete foundations in 2016.

Superior Walls, innovator of the precast concrete foundation system, celebrates 35 years of operation in 2016. The company manufactures the only foundation to have earned the NGBS Green Certified Product designation and has precast concrete system licensee manufacturing operations throughout the United States and Canada.

During the past 35 years, Superior Walls has installed more than 125,000 foundation systems. The large number doesn't surprise founder Mel Zimmerman, who was a builder in Lancaster County, Pa. when he developed the solution to damp, weak basement foundations.

"A real estate agent asked me to look at a bowed block wall foundation that needed to be fixed," says Zimmerman, who is retired and lives in Denver, Pa. "I figured out a way to anchor that wall and reinforce it. That got me to thinking that concrete was the solution to these unstable foundation situations."

After discarding spray concrete as an alternative, Zimmerman decided to start precasting concrete panels. One of the big advantages at the time --- and today --- is that each panel is customized for a project and strategically designed with holes for wiring to pass through.

"We developed a strong, dry basement that made it like framing a house with reliable concrete studs," says Zimmerman. "As the company grew, we continued to invest in research and development so we could find better, faster and greener ways for the precast concrete wall panels to be installed."

Strong Company Growth

Starting in 1986, Zimmerman welcomed the first licensee for Superior Walls, Weaver Precast out of Ephrata, Pa. Thirty years later, 10 additional licensees operations have been added in New York, Virginia, Tennessee, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Today 25 states are serviced by licensees of Superior Walls.

A new milestone was achieved by the company in 2014, when two licensee operations were opened in Canada. Superior Walls Alberta, LTD, located near Calgary, offers Superior Walls Xi products throughout the province of Alberta. Superior Walls by Magnis, Inc., out of Beausejour, provides Superior Walls Xi Plus products throughout the Manitoba province.

"We believe Canada represents exceptional opportunity for our precast concrete products and expect to expand further into Canada in the near future," says Keith Weller, vice president and CFO of Superior Walls of America. "Our energy-efficient products meet the demanding energy codes in Canada and perfectly complement the shorter building season in that country due to weather conditions."

Product Offerings

Known for their durability, speed of installation (usually in a single day) and damp-free basement conditions, the selection of Superior Walls products has expanded in the past 35 years.

The original R5 precast wall developed by Zimmerman was joined in 2003 by the Xi wall, followed by the Xi Plus wall in 2012. In 2011 an uninsulated four-foot high precast concrete foundation (the Ui Wall) was introduced for use primarily under garages and porch systems. The AG Wall, also launched in 2011, is specifically designed and modified for use above grade. The precast walls can be used in conjunction with foundation panels and stacked to create multiple stories as a part of a complete wall system building solution.

All Superior Walls products are pre-engineered and custom manufactured off site in indoor production facilities, eliminating any on-site soil contamination such as the form oil used for poured walls. No on-site sprays or bituminous coatings are required to make the walls dampproof. The panels are delivered directly to a jobsite where certified crews install the precast wall panels.

Since Superior Walls panels are engineered and manufactured with insulated concrete studs, Superior Walls reduces the amount of materials used to build a structure, including wood and concrete, and reduces the carbon footprint of a new home or commercial facility's construction process.

Passing the Test

Superior Walls products have passed many tests over the years and earned the respect of builders throughout North America.

In 2009 Superior Walls insulated precast concrete wall systems earned the NGBS Green Certified Product designation by the Home Innovation Research Labs. Now, six years later, Superior Walls is still the only energy-efficient foundation system approved by the independent labs.

Builders choosing to use Superior Walls Xi or Xi Plus foundations can earn up to 13 points on a project toward a National Green Building Certification via the following practices:

Practice 601.2.2  3 points  Higher Grade or higher strength of the same materials than commonly specified are used and component sizes are reduced.

Practice 601.5 (1-3)  4 points  Precut/preassembled components, panelized, or precast assemblies are utilized for a minimum of 90% of floor, wall, and/or roof system.

Practice 602.1.1.2 - 3 points - A capillary break is provided between the footing and the foundation wall.

Practice 608.1  3 points  Products containing fewer materials are used to achieve the same end-use requirements as conventional products.

Xi and Xi Plus foundation wall panels provide R values that meet or exceed energy conservation values for both the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the International Residential Code (IRC).

In 2012 the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC) declared that Superior Walls precast concrete insulated wall panels were evaluated for use in Canada. This opened the door for new licensee opportunities throughout the Canadian provinces.

Benefits to Homeowners

Superior Walls prefabricated foundation walls are resource efficient, using up to 70 percent less concrete in a new home than conventional foundations. Stud facings eliminate the need for additional wood framing prior to interior finishing. Using fewer materials helps reduce the carbon footprint of the new homes construction process. Available for installation year-round, the foundation panels provide warm, dry basements for homeowners - even in the harshest and coldest northern climates.

For homeowners, the benefits of Superior Walls foundations systems are substantial. The energy-efficient walls help lower energy costs and reduce energy leakage while providing increased living space in a comfortable setting. The precast concrete systems help improve the indoor air quality in a dry basement setting along with enhancing the resale value of a home.

For more information visit http://www.superiorwalls.com.

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SOLDIERFIT, a military-inspired fitness franchise based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, was named a winner of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's DREAM BIG Blue Ribbon Small Business Awards, which recognizes 100 companies for their success and their contributions to Americas economic growth and vitality.

For the past 10 years, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been scouting the country for the best in business and honoring leading companies with this prestigious award. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is honoring SOLDIERFIT for exemplifying the strong American values of hard work, innovation, persistence, and entrepreneurship.

Winners were selected from a record number of applicants from across the nation. They were judged on strategic planning, employee development, customer service, and community involvement.

Small businesses across America today face more economic and regulatory hurdles than ever before, but each of these outstanding companies is rising to the challenge, said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. These Blue Ribbon Award winners have worked hard, taken risks, and achieved success, helping strengthen their communities and local economies.

On March 9, the Chamber will announce seven regional finalists from among this years Blue Ribbon Small Business Award winners. All of this years winners will be honored at the 12th annual Americas Small Business Summit, which will take place June 13-15 in Washington, D.C. During the summit, one regional finalist will receive the DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sams Club, and a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of the U.S. Chamber.

All Blue Ribbon Small Business Award winners are also eligible for the Community Excellence Award, which recognizes one business that has found notable success in the eyes of its community. The winner of that award will be decided through online public voting taking place February 18 through March 4.

About U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the worlds largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

About SOLDIERFIT

SOLDIERFIT is a unique military-inspired fitness franchise that pushes its members to strive for more than physical fitness. Founded in 2007, SOLDIERFIT exists to battle the obesity epidemic and educate its members about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The brand's fitness program encompasses boot camp classes, kids' fitness programs, personal training and functional fitness. Since launching, SOLDIERFIT has expanded across Maryland with locations in Gaithersburg, Frederick and Columbia. SOLDIERFIT is continuing its expansion through a targeted franchise opportunity, initially sweeping the East Coast.

To inquire about franchise availabilities, visit the website and fill out the franchise application or contact the SOLDIERFIT franchise team at 240-479-4348 or email franchise(at)soldierfit.com.
A vulnerability of this magnitude has the potential to be damaging to the entire online ecosystem. Patches are available for most distributions and server administrators should install them as soon as possible.

WiredTree, a leading provider of managed virtual private server and dedicated server hosting, has strongly advised hosting users and other users of the Linux operating system to update their servers as soon as possible. The advice is a response to the recent discovery of a critical remote code execution vulnerability  reported by Ars Technica (Feb 16, 2016)  in a key component of the operating system.

Patches that mitigate the risk have been released by Linux distribution developers, including both Red Hat and CentOS, the most popular distributions for web hosting platforms.

The vulnerability is present in a widely used function in the GNU C Library, which is part of almost all Linux distributions, and is used by software ranging from system utilities to services that include web servers. The affected function is used by many thousands of applications.

At WiredTree, we've had a busy week patching the servers of our managed hosting platform  a service we offer to all of our managed hosting clients, said Zac Cogswell, President of WiredTree, However, although our clients are safe, we want to publicize this vulnerability as widely as possibly. A vulnerability of this magnitude has the potential to be damaging to the entire online ecosystem. Patches are available for most distributions and server administrators should install them as soon as possible.

The vulnerability is so serious because it occurs in one of the most widely used components of the GNU C Library in a function that handles DNS resolution. This function is used in a staggering number of Linux applications on millions of servers around the world. Although there is no evidence that the vulnerability has been actively exploited by online criminals, there's no doubt that in the wake of the vulnerability disclosure, criminals are working to turn it to their advantage.

About WiredTree

WiredTree specializes in delivering managed hosting experience that places the client in complete command; covering virtual, hybrid, and dedicated web hosting. As champions of customer care, it's no wonder that more than 5,000 clients enjoy WiredTree's free hardware level-ups and a <15 minute average ticket response time. All of this is built on top of only the highest-performing technologies, including LiteSpeed web server, MariaDB, memcached, SSD-driven hardware, and an in-house management system called Grove. To learn more about what WiredTree can do for your site, visit http://www.wiredtree.com.
Photo of NADL member Heather Voss, CDT, by Kate Lovering A dental laboratory technician is rarely seen by the patient, yet is always in the foreground of a successful device

The Food and Drug Administration began regulating medical dental devices in 1994, requiring sleep device manufacturing labs to be FDA-registered, outsourcing to be done with full and proper disclosure and materials to be FDA-registered and accepted, according to The Regulatory Side of Oral Sleep Devices. Yet, other dental devices and restorations  such as crowns and bridges  go unregulated and into patients mouths.

A dental laboratory technician is rarely seen by the patient, yet is always in the foreground of a successful device, says Laura Sheppard, owner and managing member of Device Masters Dental Laboratory and National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL) board of directors member. These technicians are the manufacturers of sleep devices and dental restorations.

Unlike the EU, U.S. dental lab technicians are not required to have a formal education, specific training or demonstrate core competency. Some labs are unaware or misinformed, do not have quality systems in place, are not registered or dont follow regulatory requirements. Many dentists also are unaware of these requirements. It is the joint responsibility of the lab and the dentist to ensure regulatory compliance for the safety of the patient.

We all know that healthcare should be offered with the best and safest services possible, says Sheppard. Dentists and laboratories alike must do their best to become informed and act accordingly to provide the highest level of medical device service for their patients.

Patients have the right to know where their restorations are from and the qualifications of the business that made the restoration. NADLs campaign,Whats In Your Mouth? suggests patients assess the quality of their restorations by asking their dentists these four basic questions:

1. Do you use a Certified Dental Technician for your laboratory work?

2. Is the laboratory you work with certified and by whom?

3. Where is your dental laboratory located?

4. What patient contact materials are in the restorations you are prescribing for the treatment plan?

5. How does your dental practice ensure that it is not using misbranded or grey market dental implant parts?

About NADL:

The National Association of Dental Laboratories is the unified voice of the dental laboratory profession supporting dentistry and serving the public interest by promoting high standards. NADL accomplishes this by providing programs, services and networking opportunities to meet the evolving technical, educational, professional and business needs of dental laboratories. http://www.nadl.org
Chris Beck, President of Clements Worldwide, Gives Keynote at Clements Worldwide Risk Presentation A riskier world isnt simply a function of media coverage, said Chris Beck, President of Clements Worldwide

The latest Clements Worldwide Risk Index revealed that concerns over risks from terrorism have doubled over the past 6 months and 16% of organizations had losses due to political unrest over the last year. These results, and what they mean for global organizations in 2016, were the subject of a February 19 panel discussion held at Clements Worldwides new Washington, DC headquarters. Attendees from corporations, NGOs, and think tanks heard Clements Worldwide President Chris Beck open the event with what Clements Worldwides political risk teams see as the key risk trends facing global organizations in 2016.

The first key trend Beck addressed is broadening scope of risk. A riskier world isnt simply a function of media coverage, he said. In 2016 more low-risk countries will move into the medium-risk category. And more medium-risk countries will move into the high-risk category.

The next 2016 key risk trend is the increasing number of political and economic refugees. Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia top the list, but over 15 other countries have active conflicts that are creating growing numbers of refugees, said Beck. The pressures caused by this large flow of displaced persons are already having repercussions in otherwise stable countries. Already we are seeing a more militarized and autocratic Turkey, which could further damage Turkish business and investment climate, Beck noted. Similar pressures exist not only in the Middle East and Africa, but within Europe.

The third key trend identified by Beck is more activity by extremist groups with intensified response by the US and other militaries. We have just seen renewed US air strikes in Libya, and those will intensify, said Beck. Boko Haram and similar groups will continue to expand activities in the Sahel, likely with a heightened US and French response.

These responses will have varied economic impacts in the US and other countries. Beck described how intensified Taliban activity in Afghanistan creates greater instability and could deter much needed foreign investment. At the same time, over half of Afghanistans economy is services, and greater US and allied military and other activity will result in growth in the countrys service sector.

The final 2016 risk trend is that business interruption planning has to be part of the new normal. According to the Risk Index, 29% of organizations say their largest losses resulted from business interruption/ supply chain interruption  not other more traditional expenses like medical insurance. There is a growing recognition that instability, unpredictability and heightened risk are here to stay, said Beck.

Vasko Naumovski, Macedonias Ambassador to the US, followed Beck with analysis based on his countrys important geographic location in the current migrant crisis. The Ambassador described how migrants from the Middle East and Africa, especially those from Syria, are placing unprecedented stress on the European Union and, in particular, Southeastern Europe. The pressures caused by a lack of a coordinated EU response could further slow an already sluggish EU economic picture by delaying or preventing investmentjust as the Clements Worldwide Risk Index indicated. This would be of particular concern to Macedonia, which has attracted large amounts of foreign investment in recent years.

The Ambassador also struck a hopeful note, when he stated he believes there will be positive movement toward resolving the Syrian situation over the next six months.

Sergio Sanchez, Clements Worldwides Senior Director of Marketing, then introduced Bloomberg View columnist and CNN political analyst Josh Rogin, who recently traveled to the Balkans with a Congressional delegation. Rogin echoed Beck and spoke about the pressures within the EU caused by the migrant situation, singling out US concerns about a rise in nationalism and states retreating from liberal political and economic policies. He also mentioned growing fears that certain states are deliberately attempting to manipulate the migration patterns of refugees as part of a strategic effort to destabilize other political entitiesthe weaponization of refugees.

Rogin agreed with Beck that heightened risk is real, not simply a function of media attention. Many countries are unprepared for attacks by aggressive states and criminal and terrorist entities, either through subversion, invasion, mass attacks or cyber strikes, he said. As events in Ukraine and Paris make clear, these risks have arrived, and there is no indication they will go away soon. Rogin highlighted that dealing with terrorists or non-state actors is almost simpler than dealing with state actor aggression  which there is no real mechanism to address other than war.

Laura Schauble, VP of Risk Management at ACDI/VOCA, provided her insights from managing the risk of hundreds of employees working on aid and development projects in dozens of countries. Schauble emphasized that while headline risks get attention, it is other critical risks that more often face our employees and business operations. She described how coups and other political instability have long-term impacts on her organizations ability to effectively implement programs, and that what triggers these events develop over years and take consistent effort to identify and understand. She gave the example how the Ouagodougou terrorist attacks created lots of news this year but the 2015 Burkinabe coup detat last year had wider affects to operations.

Smita Malik, Clements Worldwide VP of Special Programs and Political Risk, discussed how risks are ever changing. Political and social reality this month is not what it was last month, and business operations this year are not what they were last year, she said. Risk management has to be consistently aware of changing organizational facts, and the changing facts on the ground in which those organizations operate. That is the way to build resilience and lower both risk and its costs.

The objective of the event was to promote an increased dialogue regarding political risk to help companies, including humanitarian aid organizations, better prepare for these risks so that when they occur, operations face as little disruption as possible. A global insurance broker can be a critical operational partner to help validate risk management plans and protect assets and people abroad. Please reach out to Clements for more information on participating in the Clements Worldwide Risk Index and information on our customized insurance programs for global risks.

About the Clements Worldwide Risk Index

The Clements Worldwide Risk Index is based on an online survey conducted from October 2015 to November 2015. Risk and other managers in 420 global organizations in the global humanitarian aid, oil and gas, logistics and other sectors participated in this second survey. For more information on the Clements Worldwide Risk Index and its methodology, visit http://www.clements.com/riskindex.

About Clements Worldwide

Clements Worldwide is a leading insurance provider for expatriates and international organizations. Founded in 1947, Clements offers international car, property, term life, health, specialty and high-risk insurance in over 170 countries. With offices in Washington, D.C., London, and Dubai, Clements delivers comprehensive and customized coverage, superior customer service, and unparalleled claims response. To learn more or receive a quote online, visit http://www.clements.com.
The whole reason we started Our year over year track record shows that service is our greatest priority and our customers and candidates mean more to us than anything. Being recognized yet again by Inavero is a true honor.

EdgeLink, a leading employment agency in the technology industry, announced last week they have earned Inaveros Best of Staffing Client Satisfaction Award and Talent Diamond Award after winning the Best of Staffing Talent Award at least five years in a row for providing superior service to job seekers. Presented in partnership with CareerBuilder, Inaveros Best of Staffing winners have proven to be industry leaders in service quality based completely on the ratings given to them by their clients and the permanent and temporary employees theyve helped find jobs. On average, clients of winning agencies are nearly three times more likely to be completely satisfied and talent of winning agencies are 50% more likely to be completely satisfied with the services provided compared to those working with non-winning agencies. Award winners make up less than two percent of all staffing agencies in the U.S. and Canada who earned the Best of Staffing Award for service excellence.

Focused on helping to connect people with the right jobs to further their career, EdgeLink received satisfaction scores of 9 or 10 out of 10 from 67.3 percent of their placed job candidates and clients, significantly higher than the industrys average of 49 percent. With fewer than 2% of all staffing agencies in U.S. and Canada earning the Best of Staffing Award, just 22% of the 2016 Best of Staffing winners earned the Diamond Award distinction. The winners of this award truly stand out for exceeding client expectations.

Cofounder and Managing Director, Jeff Miller said, The whole reason we started EdgeLink was to create a hands-on staffing experience that stood out from the competition. Our year over year track record shows that service is our greatest priority and our customers and candidates mean more to us than anything. Being recognized yet again by Inavero is a true honor.

Our goal has always been to offer singular service to clients and candidates, said Mike Miadich, Cofounder and VP of Contract Services and Operations. The Best of Staffing awards are a nice reminder that we are living up to our commitment. Though the market evolves and conditions change, our dedication to superior IT staffing services is a constant.

"Leaders of growing companies are more committed than ever to staying flexible in this stable yet volatile market, making staffing firms the most viable employment partnership," said Inavero's CEO Eric Gregg. "Finding the best staffing partner with a proven commitment to service excellence can be really tough. BestofStaffing.com is the place to find the winning agencies that place talent with the skills you need in your city or state. We are very proud of the 2016 award winners."

About EdgeLink

EdgeLink is a technology staffing firm that recruits the best mid-to-executive level technical professionals on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct-hire basis. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, EdgeLink works with start-ups to Fortune 100 companies throughout the country. Their knowledge of the technology industry allows them to take a personalized, targeted and consultative approach to match the right candidate with the right company.

About Inavero

Inavero administers more staffing agency client and talent satisfaction surveys than any other firm in the world. Inaveros team reports on over 1.2 million satisfaction surveys from staffing agency clients and talent each year, and the company serves as the American Staffing Associations exclusive service quality partner.

About Inaveros Best of Staffing

Inaveros Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the U.S. and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service quality based completely on the ratings given to them by their clients and job candidates. Award winners are showcased by city and area of expertise on BestofStaffing.com  an online resource for hiring professionals and job seekers to find the best staffing agencies to call when they are in need.
Animal Behavior College We appreciate each company's commitment, their belief in Animal Behavior College's mission and their support for professional dog trainer education.

Animal Behavior College (ABC) today announced that 2 Hounds Design, Inc., Alcott, a Pet Adventures Worldwide Inc. (PAW) brand, and Charlee Bear Dog Treats, have renewed their sponsorships for the schools certified Dog Obedience Program(DOP). The sponsorship renewals are effectively immediately.

Through these partnerships, Animal Behavior College has been able to offer Dog Obedience Program students information and access to some of the most popular dog treats and high-quality training equipment available in the pet industry, said Steven Appelbaum, president and CEO of Animal Behavior College. We appreciate each companys commitment, their belief in Animal Behavior College's mission and their support for professional dog trainer education. We look forward to another successful partnership this year.

2 Hounds Design, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of dog collars and leashes. Best known for its patented Freedom No-pull Harness, which tightens gently around a dogs chest to discourage pulling, the Monroe, North Carolina-based company uses premium hardware and fabrics to create pet collars that are not only beautiful and colorful, but durable and comfortable.

Known for its exclusive line of adventure canine products geared for owners who engage in active lifestyles with their dogs, Alcott offers a wide-range of products from travel beds and life jackets to reflective collars and leashes. With five well-thought-out, beautifully designed product categoriesEssentials, Explorer, Traveler, Mariner and Storybookthe West Chester, Ohio-based manufacturer offers safe and practical products that encourage fun activities and positive interactions between dog owners and their four-legged friends.

Once handmade in a neighborhood bakery more than 21 years ago, Charlee Bear Dog Treats has become a key manufacturer with product distribution channels across the U.S., Canada and Japan. The company offers two product lines, Charlee Bear Dog Treats and Bear Crunch Dog Treats (a grain-free version), which come in a variety of flavors, including liver, cheese & egg, and bacon & blueberry and chicken, pumpkin & apple, respectively, to name a few. Resembling oyster crackers, the dog treats contain only three calories each and are popular among dog trainers and owners due to their small size and Pocket Perfect (no stains, no smells, no grease or crumbs in the pocket) portability.

In addition to dog training certification, ABC offers certification through its Grooming Instruction Program (GIP) and Veterinary Assistant Program (VAP). The school also offers a variety of timely ISPs (individual study programs) on subjects such as cat management and training, pet nutrition, pet massage, pet sitting and training shelter dogs.

Currently, ABC has 13 sponsors including Andis Corp, Groomers Choice, Cardinal Pet Care, Miracle Corp, PetAg Inc. and WAHL Clipper Corporation.

To become a dog trainer, pet groomer or veterinary assistant, visit the website at http://www.AnimalBehaviorCollege.com/info or call 1-800-795-3294.

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About Animal Behavior College

Often imitated, but never duplicated, Animal Behavior College is the largest school for professional dog trainers in the U.S. To date, the college has certified and graduated more than 12,779 professional dog trainers through the Dog Obedience Program since its inception in 1998.
When Sgt. Marquez chose to volunteer and put on the uniform he became my brother. I am my brothers keeper and justice must prevail in this case.

The Road Warrior Foundation along with Duct Doctor USA hope their contribution of additional reward money will help lead to the arrest of the Feb 12 McDonald's attackers. When Sgt. Christopher Marquez was beaten and robbed at a McDonalds restaurant in the district, three unnamed suspects were identified as the assailants. Several military-owned companies are helping to increase the initial $1,000 reward money put forth by the Metropolitan Police Department with hopes of bringing justice in this unprovoked attack. Duct Doctor USA and Road Warrior Foundation are joined by Honor Brewing Company in Chantilly and The Rustic Flag Company in Tennessee bringing the total of the additional reward dollars to $5,000 including the initial reward from the Metropolitan Police Department.

When Sgt. Marquez chose to volunteer and put on the uniform he became my brother. I just can't sit idly and watch justice slip by for a member of my family. I am my brothers keeper and justice must prevail in this case, said Christopher Little, owner of Duct Doctor USA.

Sgt. Marquez served 8 years in the Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Scout Sniper and Rifleman. Sgt. Marquez was a Bronze Star with V recipient and was one of two marines who helped carry a severely wounded then 1st Sgt. Bradley Kasal out of Fallujahs infamous Hell House. And yet on the evening of February 12, he was simply eating a meal at an area McDonalds when the attack occurred.

By teaming together, it is our hope that we can help to bring justice to this case, said Craig Anders, Co Founder of the Road Warrior Foundation. We should never have to worry about an attack of this nature without provocation or cause.

A complete story and video footage of the attack can be seen below.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2016/02/18/decorated-marine-vet-attacked-dc-mcdonalds-stop-racism/80579940/

Those interested in helping to join together to bring justice are encouraged to reach out to Craig Anders at craig(at)roadwarrior(dot)org or Christopher Little at ductdoctorusa(at)yahoo(dot)com.
Accountex The accounting technology marketplace needs an independent forum where innovation thrives and businesses can prepare for the future. The AccountexUSA conference is where accountants and vendors meet, learn and innovate together." ~Doug Sleeter

Accountex USA, formerly SleeterCon, will provide attendees with insights into current trends and future happenings in a keynote presentation by the Founder himself, Doug Sleeter. Highly sought after for his ability to engage and educate accounting professionals on modern developments, Doug provides a guiding light in the evolution of the accounting profession.

Doug Sleeter is a passionate leader of innovation and change in the small business accounting technology world. As a CPA firm veteran and former Apple Computer Evangelist, Doug has melded his two great passions (accounting and technology) to guide developers in the innovation of new products and to educate and lead accounting professionals who serve small businesses. Doug serves on several advisory boards for technology companies and has consulted with numerous industry leaders including Intuit, Sage, Apple, Xero, and Adobe Systems.

Mr. Sleeter commented on his participation in Accountex 2016, The accounting technology marketplace needs an independent forum where innovation thrives and businesses can prepare for the future. The AccountexUSA conference is where accountants and vendors meet, learn and innovate together. I am proud to help Accountex build on The Sleeter Groups original vision and to add my perspective on the next frontier in accounting technology.

Doug is a regular columnist for The Sleeter Report as well as CPA Practice Advisor. He is the co-author of numerous books and courseware materials including The QuickBooks Consultants Reference Guide, The QuickBooks Step-by-Step Teaching System, Adding a Xero to Your Practice, Restaurant Accounting with QuickBooks, and college textbooks such as QuickBooks Complete, QuickBooks Fundamentals and Intuit's QuickBooks Fundamentals Learning Guide.

CPA Practice Advisor magazine has recognized Doug as one of the "Top 25 Thought Leaders" in the accounting profession for the past several years and he has been named to Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting. He was recently awarded the Small Business Influence Champion award.

Accountex USA provides a four-day learning experience that focuses around the technology that moves accounting forward as well as the business processes and organizational success needed in the marketplace. As an independent conference, the content offers more than a single perspective on solutions. In addition, the expo brings together the largest selection of solutions and offers professionals face-to-face time to learn about the latest upcoming trends available from the innovators in technology. The conference is the premier event of the year for the accounting and financial professionals and the add-on developer community.

Additional keynote speakers include: David Kotz, former Inspector General of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and Managing Partner at Berkeley Research Group, Debbie Rich-Walker, Senior Finance Manager at Home Depot, Dave Kerpen, Founder and CEO of LikeableLocal and a New York Times Best-Selling Author, Joe Woodard, Founder of Woodard Events and Consulting, and Geni Whitehouse, CEO at Even a Nerd.

Accountex will be held at the Mirage Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada November 15-18, 2016. Registration is now open at AccountexUSA.com.

About Accountex

Accountex is the leading independent expo and conference focusing on accounting technology. Accountex USA focuses on the technology that moves accounting forward as well as the business processes and organizational success needed in the marketplace. It is an independent conference meaning that it offers more than one viewpoint of solutions. Accountex features the most accounting technology solutions at one major event, plus latest trends and the traditional technologies that still dominate, without any focus on a singular suite of products. http://www.accountexusa.com.

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We look forward to continuing the development of our platform with the help of Georgias best and brightest talent.

Urjanet today announced that the company was chosen by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), the states leading association dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of Georgias technology industry, as one of TAGs Top 40 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia. TAG will recognize this prestigious group at the 2016 Georgia Technology Summit (GTS) on March 17, 2016, at the Cobb Galleria Centre.

TAGS Top 40 Awards recognize Georgia-based technology companies for their innovation, financial impact, and their efforts at spreading awareness of Georgias technology initiatives throughout the U.S. and globally.

The 2016 Top 40 finalists are an elite group of innovators who represent the very best of Georgias Technology community, said Tino Mantella, President & CEO of TAG. The 2016 Top 40 finalists are shining examples of what makes our State such a hotbed for technology and we applaud them for standing out as leaders in Georgias technology community.

This years Top 40 Companies were selected from among over 100 applications submitted by companies from across Georgia. Companies selected for the "Top 40" will be showcased in an exhibition at The 2016 Georgia Technology Summit.

"An extraordinary number of truly innovative technology companies participated in this years Top 40 competition, demonstrating the depth and breadth of Georgia's technology community," said Dennis Zakas, Managing Partner of Zakas & Leonard, LLP, CEO of Zinc., and chairperson of the Top 40 Selection Committee. In fact, based on the quality of the contestants, we could have had a 'Top 60' without losing a beat."

Urjanets award-winning cloud-based utility data platform is based on innovative research performed at Georgia Tech on federated data models. In the few short years since its founding, Urjanet has grown to over 150 employees worldwide, with key customers in the Fortune 1000 fueling its rapid global expansion.

Urjanets inclusion in TAGs top innovative companies list is yet another recognition of the value our data services provide to large commercial organizations and energy solutions providers alike, said Sanjoy Malik, CEO of Urjanet. We are proud to be a vital member of the Georgia technology community and look forward to continuing the development of our platform with the help of Georgias best and brightest talent.

The 2016 Georgia Technology Summit is expected to draw a crowd of more than 1,300 C-level executives, entrepreneurs, technology professionals, and academia to celebrate and recognize Georgias technology community. In addition to presentations from some of the top technology influencers in the nation, the newest member of the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia will be inducted.

For more information about TAG and the Georgia Technology Summit and to register for the event, visit http://www.tagonline.org/events/georgia-technology-summit. Follow the conversation on Twitter through #TAGGTS.

ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA (TAG)

TAG is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 30,000 members through regional chapters in Metro Atlanta, Athens, Augusta, Columbus, Macon/Middle Georgia, and Savannah. TAGs mission is to educate, promote, and unite Georgias technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy.

Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAGs charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive.

For more information visit the TAG website at http://www.tagonline.org or TAGs community website at http://www.hubga.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.

ABOUT URJANET

Urjanets mission is to provide the world with easy access to automated utility data. Our cloud-based platform connects directly to utilities to seamlessly acquire and normalize disparate utility bill and interval data. The processed data is delivered directly to industry-leading business applications.

Public and private organizations across the world use Urjanet data to achieve sustainability goals and reduce energy consumption and cost. Urjanet is rapidly becoming the global standard for utility data and powers applications from the leading energy and sustainability solutions providers.

Urjanet is a privately-held company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit http://www.urjanet.com.
NEMRA Power Up Conference Calypso seamlessly and creatively delivered our message to a fully engaged general session audience. Feedback from the conference attendees was phenomenal.

Calypso Communications, an integrated, full-service public relations, marketing, and design firm, was recently engaged by National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association (NEMRA) to create a unique style for its annual industry conference, held earlier this month in Dallas, Texas. Calypso conceived of a system of videos, signage, and messaging that highlighted the members own positive opinions of the organization.

NEMRAs annual conference has proven to be the most rewarding and productive event for its members, offering electrical representatives and manufacturers educational opportunities and a high-level networking venue. The conference draws nearly 2,000 participants every year.

For 2016, NEMRA sought a partner to create an event video and customized signage that would generate excitement, facilitate networking, and serve as a reminder of the unique value of a NEMRA membership. Ken Hooper, president of NEMRA, stated, The conference theme, PowerUP, was inspired by the desire to recharge and electrify the excitement level among conference participants. We knew we needed a wow factor, and after seeing examples of Calypsos work, we knew we chose the right partner for this project. Ken continued, Calypso seamlessly and creatively delivered our message to a fully engaged general session audience. Feedback from the conference attendees was phenomenal.

Mike Teixeira, senior vice president and creative director at Calypso, added, NEMRA has become a leader in its industry because of the innovative opportunities they afford their members. In that sense, Calypso is a perfect match; our combination of integration and collaboration allow us to think of visually surprising ways to deliver messages while meeting the specific needs of the client. He added, Were excited to be involved with NEMRA members as they shape the future of the electrical industry.

PowerUP 2016 was held in Dallas from February 3-6, 2016.

About Calypso Communications

Based in Portsmouth, N.H., Calypso Communications is a premier, award-winning strategic marketing, corporate communications, and business development consultancy. Highly sought after for its seasoned insight and perspective, Calypso effectively engages stakeholders crucial to driving business and value for clients in the energy, environmental, healthcare, and technology industries. For more information, visit http://www.calypsocom.com.

About NEMRA

NEMRA, the National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association, offer its members powerful resources for educational and professional development, networking, and new business opportunities. NEMRA combines the premier sales and marketing agencies in the electrical industry with the top manufacturers. And these connections often result in a NEMRA members greatest benefit  an economic one. Founded in 1969, NEMRA currently has over 500 members in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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Contact:

Tiffany Nelson, Public Relations Manager

Calypso Communications

tnelson(at)calypsocom(dot)com

603.431.0816
"We will continue to provide the fantastic service only a local brokerage can offer ... now coupled with the horsepower of a national employee benefit corporation." - Eric Fredriksen, Partner at Fredriksen Health Insurance

United Benefit Advisors (UBA), the nations leading independent employee benefits advisory organization, welcomes Fredriksen Health Insurance as its latest Partner Firm. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Fredriksen Health Insurance is a locally-owned, family business that has been servicing that state for more than 35 years.

We are thrilled to become a Partner of United Benefit Advisors, says Eric Fredriksen, Partner at Fredriksen Health Insurance. Through this partnership, Fredriksen Health Insurance will continue to provide the fantastic service only a local brokerage can offer that is now coupled with the horsepower of a national employee benefit corporation. The Idaho market is ready for a local brokerage to provide this level of service and expertise.

Known as a leader in the health insurance marketplace in Idaho, Fredriksen Health Insurance specializes in employee benefit plans, individual health and life insurance, and Medicare supplements. Their employees also have a high level of expertise in financial management and accounting and they are very active in the community via nonprofit board service and civic organizations.

As the only UBA Partner Firm in Idaho, Im especially pleased to know that their clients are being served locally, yet with the support of a national benefit advisor presence, says UBA CEO Les McPhearson. Im also pleased that the input of Partners from Fredriksen Health Insurance will provide a unique perspective from that state.

As the newest Partner Firm of UBA, Fredriksen Health Insurance joins a network of employee benefits advisory firms that serve employers of all sizes across the United States, Canada, and Europe. As a combined group, UBAs annual employee benefit revenues rank it among the top five employee benefit advisory organizations in the U.S.

ABOUT Fredriksen Health Insurance

At Fredriksen Health Insurance, we think of ourselves as more than an employee benefits broker. We are an ideas and solutions company locally owned and operated for over 35 years. We seek to be the leader in helping our clients, large and small, implement and execute targeted and effective human resource solutions. So a partnership with Fredriksen Health Insurance isn't about buying health insurance. Its about building a relationship with a knowledgeable, trusted, committed source; adding value to your business; and actively contributing to your success in the marketplace. Whether you are looking for an employee benefit plan on a tight budget or would like to implement a rigorous HR package, we will ensure you succeeded on time and on budget. For more information, visit http://www.fredhealthins.com.

ABOUT UNITED BENEFIT ADVISORS

United Benefit Advisors (UBA) is the nations leading independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 offices throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. UBA empowers more than 2,000 Partners to both maintain their individuality and pool their expertise, insight, and market presence to provide best-in-class services and solutions. Employers, advisors and industry-related organizations interested in obtaining powerful results from the shared wisdom of our Partners should visit http://www.UBAbenefits.com.

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Nerium International, a global leader in scientifically advanced, age-defying products, takes its rapid growth one step further with a summer 2016 launch into Japan.

Nerium is committed to meeting Japans enthusiastic demand for scientifically-proven anti-aging products, said Jeff Olson, CEO of Nerium International. Our products provide the real results that educated consumers expect and our company offers an exciting direct sales business model that is embraced in the Asia-Pacific region.

Seasoned international business leader Peter Dale has been tapped to launch Nerium into the Japanese market, leaning on his more than 30 years of sales and operational leadership experience in territories spanning the United States, Japan, and Asia Pacific. Born in Kyoto, Peters history of excellence has effectively orchestrated Japanese and Asian expansions for both public and private multi-national corporations, bringing rapid revenue and sustained success. Peter will serve as General Manager for Japan as part of the Nerium International executive leadership team.

Japan, the number two market in our industry, and the Asia-Pacific region hold the ideal markets for the continued international expansion of Nerium International at this time, said Dale. With the unparalleled excellence of Neriums exclusive patented products, as well as the innovative business opportunity, the company is breaking sales records at every turn. Nerium International achieved more than $1 Billion in cumulative sales within four years, earning top recognition by Inc. 500 and Direct Selling News in 2015.

For more information about Nerium International please visit http://www.nerium.com.

About Nerium International

Nerium International, LLC, headquartered in Addison, Texas, is a relationship marketing company that markets breakthrough anti-aging products validated by science. Since its August 2011 launch, Nerium has reached record-breaking sales and earned industry accolades while building a loyal customer base of millions in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and South Korea. Led by an award-winning executive team with more than 220 years of collective industry experience, Nerium International is committed to developing and distributing anti-aging products that are rooted in real science, produce real results and improve consumers' lives. For more information, please visit http://www.nerium.com.
As market trends continue to evolve and grow, we look forward to another year of cutting edge technologies.

Processing magazine, part of Grand View Medias Process Flow Network, is accepting entries for its 2016 Breakthrough Products of the Year awards.

The Breakthrough Products of the Year awards recognize products, technologies and services that made significant contributions to the process industries within the last year and are expected to impact the industry for years to come.

Processing is excited to share another group of innovative solutions for the processing industries in 2016, said Processing Editor in Chief and Processing Flow Network Editor at Large Kevin Parker. As market trends continue to evolve and grow, we look forward to another year of cutting edge technologies.

The deadline to submit nominations is Oct. 30. Product descriptions of the winning technologies will appear in the December issue of the magazine. Solutions must be introduced between October 2015 and September 2016. Use the online form to enter a product for consideration.

The 2015 winners were:



Bindicator Co., Roto-Bin-Dicator PRO

Bedrock Automation, Universal Control System

Flexicon Corp., BLOCK-BUSTER Hydraulic Bulk Bag Conditioner

SPX Flow, EcoPure Centrifugal Pump

Vortex, Vortex Loading Spout

GE Piping Systems, Pressure Regulating Valve (PRV) Family

Camfil Air Pollution Control, Quad Pulse Package PX dust collector

Kepware Technologies, IoT Gateway for KEPServerEX

ITT Goulds Pumps, i-ALERT2 Equipment Health Monitor

Fox Thermal Instruments, Model FT1 Thermal Mass Flow Meter

Rittal, Blue e+ Cooling Unit Series

About Processing Magazine

Processing is the No. 1 new equipment and technology magazine serving the process industries worldwide, including the chemical, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries.

About Grand View Media

Grand View Media serves industries from horticulture to hunting to health care, publishing content and providing client services for business-to-business and consumer markets. Whether via magazines, custom publications, digital communities, websites or proprietary lead generation tools, Grand View Media presents clients with custom solutions. Specializing in the green, outdoors, industrial and health care industries, almost 30 brands combine for collaborative, comprehensive solutions for clients worldwide. Grand View Media is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EBSCO Industries, a multibillion-dollar international conglomerate based in Birmingham, Alabama. One of the largest privately held companies in the U.S., EBSCO Industries is No. 1 in the world for many media and data services and comprises more than 40 diverse business units.

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Avalara, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based tax compliance software for business, today announced that Pascal Van Dooren, chief revenue officer and general manager of its flagship AvaTax business unit, has been named one of CRNs 2016 Channel Chiefs  marking his fourth consecutive year on CRNs list of the most powerful channel leaders in the IT industry.

CRN Channel Chiefs are selected by the CRN editorial team based on channel experience, program innovations, channel-driven revenue, and public support for the importance of IT channel sales. These individuals hold direct responsibility for driving growth and revenue for their organizations through their indirect channel partners. Channel Chiefs are selected for inclusion based on their track record of channel accomplishments, standing in the industry, dedication to the partner community, and plans for driving future business innovation and channel growth.

Since joining Avalara in 2011, Van Dooren has played a critical role in the strategic development, growth and success of Avalaras partner channel and programs. Under Van Doorens leadership, Avalara has successfully recruited and enabled channel partners to offer integrated products from hundreds of leading software vendors, including NetSuite, Epicor, Sage, Shopify, GoDaddy, Hybris, Stripe, IBM WebSphere, Microsoft, Intacct, Intuit, SAP, Infor, Exact, Acumatica, BigCommerce, Syspro, SugarCRM, Open Systems, Magento, Celerant, Demandware, Americaneagle.com, Xero, and Concur, among others.

Avalaras Channel Partner program has helped partners realize the benefits of a cloud-based business model, and a product set with hundreds of pre-built connectors into leading accounting, ERP, ecommerce, mobile commerce, point-of-sale, and other business applications. The Avalara Channel Partner program offers competitive financial incentives, sales and marketing tools and resources, and expanded service offerings.

Pascal had another successful year at the helm of Avalaras channel, and we congratulate him on a fourth straight year as a CRN Channel Chief, said Scott McFarlane, Avalaras founder and CEO. Avalara channel partners participated in a remarkable year, taking advantage of new expansion opportunities into markets such as Fuel Excise, Communications/Telecomm, Digital Goods and the Sharing Economy, and participating in our global growth into the European Union and Brazil. The skys the limit for our partners, as they continue on this transformative global journey with us. I have full confidence that Pascal will lead our channel partners to even greater business success in 2016.

The 2016 Channel Chiefs list is featured in the February issue of CRN, now online at http://www.CRN.com.

To learn more about partnering with Avalara, go to: http://www.avalara.com/about/partners/

About Avalara

Avalara helps businesses of all sizes achieve compliance with sales and use, excise, communications, VAT, and other transactional tax requirements by delivering comprehensive, automated, cloud-based solutions that are fast, accurate, and easy to use. Avalaras Compliance Cloud platform helps customers manage complicated and burdensome tax compliance obligations imposed by state, local, and other taxing authorities in the United States and internationally.

Avalara offers hundreds of pre-built connectors into leading accounting, ERP, ecommerce and other business applications. The company processes millions of tax transactions for customers and free users every day, files hundreds of thousands of transactional tax returns per year, and manages millions of exemption certificates and other compliance related documents.

A privately held company, Avalara s venture capital investors include Sageview Capital, Battery Ventures, Warburg Pincus, Technology Crossover Ventures, Arthur Ventures, and other institutional and individual investors. Avalara is headquartered in Seattle, WA with offices across the U.S. and London, England; Brussels, Belgium; and Pune, India. More information at: http://www.avalara.com.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and LifeMap Solutions, a company developing innovative digital health solutions, today announced international expansion of the free Asthma Health app to the United Kingdom and Ireland. Released in March 2015 alongside the launch of Apples ResearchKit platform in the United States, Asthma Health enables individuals with asthma to participate in a large-scale medical research study by simply using iPhone.

The Asthma Health app is designed to facilitate asthma patient education and self-monitoring, promote positive behavioral changes, and reinforce adherence to treatment plans according to current asthma guidelines. The study tracks symptom patterns in an individual and potential triggers for these exacerbations so that researchers can learn new ways to personalize asthma treatment.

We are excited to expand our successful Asthma Health research app to the United Kingdom and Ireland using Apples ResearchKit framework, said Eric Schadt, PhD, the Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor of Genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Founding Director of the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology. Over the past year in the United States, we recruited and enrolled over 8,600 research participants in our study in one of the largest real-world epidemiological studies of asthma. Now were going global by adding the UK and Ireland to our clinical research platform, to collect an unprecedented breadth and depth of `real world health data and create a more holistic view of individuals and the disease on a population level.

ResearchKit is a software framework designed by Apple that helps doctors and scientists gather data more frequently and more accurately from participants using iPhone apps. When granted permission by the user, the Asthma Health app can access health data from HealthKit to track exercise activity levels such as walking and running distance, take advantage of the GPS sensors built into iPhone to provide local air quality readings, and monitor asthma inhaler use as measured by third-party devices.

To date, our Asthma Health study in the USA has demonstrated the feasibility of reliably consenting participants and collecting rich data across a large, diverse population in a cost-effective and accelerated manner by digitizing and automating the research processes that are traditionally labor intensive and time consuming, said Yu-Feng Yvonne Chan, MD, PhD, Director of Digital Health and Personalized Medicine at the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology at Mount Sinai. With the UK and Ireland launch, we will conduct a randomized controlled trial, specifically A/B testing a new app feature to assess its impact on engagement and the retention of recruited participants over time.

As we expand internationally with our Asthma Health app, were continuing to enhance it, making it even more effective and engaging for all users, stated Corey Bridges, CEO of LifeMap Solutions. This new version of Asthma Health introduces enhanced air-quality readings from BreezoMeter, with an intuitive map of real-time data to help users and providers identify environmental triggers. And were working closely with clinical experts at Mount Sinai to develop new features that increase user knowledge and enhance doctor/patient visits. In addition to the features we recently announced, such as Doctor Dashboard and electronic medical record integration, were always honing our gamification features to provide positive feedback and rewards to participants for daily usage in order to increase long-term retention and bolster powerful data collection.

The Asthma Health app is available for free download in the App Store here; for more information visit http://icahn.mssm.edu/asthmaapp.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services  from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.

The System includes approximately 6,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 minority-owned free-standing ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked as one of the nations top 10 hospitals in Geriatrics, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, and Gastroenterology, and is in the top 25 in five other specialties in the 2015-2016 Best Hospitals issue of U.S. News & World Report. Mount Sinais Kravis Childrens Hospital also is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 11th nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel is ranked regionally.

For more information, visit http://www.mountsinaihealth.org/ or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About LifeMap Solutions, Inc.

LifeMap Solutions is developing innovative digital health solutions in partnership with the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, which is located within the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. LifeMap Solutions integrates health and wellness information with care team guidance into a secure mHealth platform to deliver digital health solutions that empower patients to make better choices to achieve optimal health outcomes. LifeMap Solutions is a subsidiary of BioTime, Inc. LifeMap Solutions is headquartered in San Jose, California. For more information, please visit http://www.lifemap-solutions.com.

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EiQ Networks "Our proactive IT security monitoring service is perfect for educational institutions looking to bolster their security posture and and keep in compliance with SANS controls," said Kim Ann King, VP of Marketing, EiQ Networks

EiQ Networks, a pioneer in hybrid SaaS security and continuous security intelligence services, today announced that Massasoit Community College has selected its SOCVue hybrid SaaS security service. Massasoit Community College is a public two-year college in the Massachusetts Public Higher Education System that offers associate degree programs in arts, sciences, and applied sciences, and one-year and short-term certificates for a range of occupations and interests. Corporate and job skills training courses, personal enrichment classes, theater and concert performances, and programs for high school students, younger children, and seniors are among the other offerings available to the residents of Southeastern Massachusetts.

Massasoit Community College will use EiQs SOCVue Security Monitoring to monitor several SANS controls, including Control 2 (Inventory of Authorized and Unauthorized Software), Control 5 (Malware Defenses), Control 11 (Limitation and Control of Network Ports, Protocols, and Services), and Control 14 (Maintenance, Monitoring, and Analysis of Audit Logs). They chose EIQ because of the ease of implementation and management, and because EIQ made it possible for Massasoit to monitor multiple SANS Controls even with a small IT staff.

EiQ has allowed us the ability to be more proactive as to how we look at security, said Jack Barrett, Deputy CIO, of Massasoit Community College. The EIQ support staff is great! The weekly meetings are helping with the implementation of the service. Requests are handled in a timely and professional manner.

EiQ is pleased to be working with Massasoit Community College, said Kim Ann King, Vice President of Marketing, EiQ Networks. Our proactive IT security monitoring service is perfect for educational institutions looking to bolster their security posture and keep in compliance with SANS controls.

About SOCVue, EiQ Networks Hybrid SaaS Security Service

SOCVue is the only subscription SaaS service that combines people, process, and technology to deliver a cost-effective information security program, including:



Proactive and Continuous Critical Security Controls Auditing

Co-managed SIEM & Log Management

Continuous Vulnerability Management

24x7x365 Security Monitoring by Trained EiQ SOC Security Analysts

Incident Analysis, Notification, and Remediation Guidance

Compliance Reporting

About EiQ Networks

EiQ, a pioneer in hybrid SaaS security services, is transforming how mid-market organizations build enterprise-class security programs. Acting as an extension of our customers IT teams, EiQ provides continuous security operations based on best-of-breed technology at a fraction of the cost of alternative solutions. EiQ is a trusted advisor to organizations that need to improve their IT security and compliance posture and protect against cyber threats and vulnerabilities. For more information, visit: https://www.eiqnetworks.com.
Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C.

Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. will begin accepting applications for its 2016-2017 Ethiopian Heritage College Scholarship on Wednesday, March 2, 2016. Applications from eligible applicants will be accepted through June 27, 2016. The winner will be announced in July.

The Scholarship was started by the firm in 2008 as a way to support local graduating High School seniors who come from recently immigrated families in the DC Metro area as they pursue a higher education and college degree.

To be eligible for the Scholarship fund, applicants will be required to write an essay, provide an official copy of their high school transcript, and show proof that they have been admitted to an accredited two or four year college or university. To maintain the scholarship, winners must continue to provide proof they remain in good standing at their respective college or university.

To learn more about the Ethiopian Heritage College Scholarship Fund, view the rules, and download an application, please visit: http://www.chaikinandsherman.com/EthiopianHeritageScholarship.

Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. has served local residents of the Washington, DC metropolitan area for over 40 years. During that time, the firm has been a trusted source of help and compassion for victims and families harmed by the negligence of others. The firms award-winning attorneys are continually recognized for their abilities to secure justice for clients, and for their commitment to communities across the DC Metro Area. http://www.chaikinandsherman.com.
Each year we are so proud and honored to host this event that brings people from all over the U.S. and Canada to Fountain Hills for extraordinary art, music and food

More than 200,000 people are expected to flock to Fountain Hills to lose themselves in fine arts and crafts, music and food at the Fountain Hills Great Fair, set for Feb. 26-28. The three-day juried expo will be held on the Avenue of the Fountains in Fountain Hills from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Along the Avenue of the Fountains 500 artisans from around the U.S. and the world are expected to showcase their paintings, sculptures, photography and one-of-a-kind crafts. The event is an opportunity for people to add to their art collections, find new truly unique jewelry and buy just the right gift for that special someone.

Admission and parking are always free. Parking is readily available and handicap accessible. The Great Fair was created by the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber asks guests leave pets at home for everyones safety and enjoyment during the fair. Scooter rentals will also be available.

The Great Fair is an event for Americas best artists to showcase their work, says Sharon Morgan, event producer for the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce, host of the event. Each year we are so proud and honored to host this event that brings people from all over the U.S. and Canada to Fountain Hills for extraordinary art, music and food.

For more information, visit http://www.fountainhillschamber.com or call (480) 837-1654.

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About Fountain Hills

The Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce was organized as a non-profit corporation on Nov. 19, 1974, with approximately 15 members. Today, the Chamber has exceeded over 400 members. Since that time the Chamber has served the community to improve the economic environment while providing leadership for improving the quality of life of Fountain Hills.
Hair Surgeon Dr Parsa Mohebi The goal of our contest is to help someone in need of a hair transplant as well as show the public how easy and effective it is

In an effort to show how easy and effective todays hair transplants can be, renowned hair surgeon Dr. Parsa Mohebi has launched a unique Facebook contest that shows how a hair restoration procedure helps not only ones hairline but also ones self esteem. Rules to enter the contest can be found here. The deadline for the Facebook contest is March 11 at 4:00pm with the winner being announced on March 21.

Submit A Video To Enter

"The goal of our contest is to help someone in need of a hair transplant as well as show the public how easy and effective it is, says Dr. Mohebi. We also want to remove the stigma around hair transplants as many people still do not know what a modern hair transplant entails."

Free Hair Transplant

To enter the contest, all one needs to do is let Dr. Mohebi know why they deserve to be awarded the hair transplant by submitting a video (5-minutes or less in length) to the Parsi Mohebi Facebook page. Be creative, but also let us know how your life would change with the free hair transplant. Show our judges (as well as our Facebook friends) the real difference the transplant would make in your life, adds Dr. Mohebi.

Hair Loss Can Be Scary

According to Dr. Mohebi, people suffer as their hair loss grows. Many are scared of having work done on their hairline. There are many misconceptions of hair transplants based on the outdated notions of hair plugs. Modern hair transplantation is a much easier procedure, says Dr. Mohebi. There are now many options in terms of where hair can be taken from the body.

Innovative Hair Restoration:

Although every patient is different, Dr. Mohebi has consistently pushed the science of hair restoration forward through many advances and innovations. His work using Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), Laxometer, Serial Extraction and Placement Technique and Celebrity FUE can be seen here. He also used the ARTAS method, which involves a robotic arm that allows for harvesting hair from patients with male patterned baldness. Patients who receive the ARTAS FUE procedure can usually resume normal activities the day after the procedure.

About Parsa Mohebi:

Dr. Parsa Mohebi is an internationally recognized hair transplant surgeon known for his achievements in advancing modern hair restoration. He is well known for his individualized approach to each and every one of his patients, who are impressed by his superior technique and artistic sensibility. His state of the art precision creates natural looking hairlines that complement his patients age and facial features. What Dr. Mohebi finds most gratifying are the long term relationships he forms with his patients, who show amazing progress in their personal and professional lives. The doctor has offices in both Beverly Hills and Encino, California. For more information go to: http://www.parsamohebi.com.

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MediaPro today announced a strategic partnership with ObserveIT, a leader in behavioral analytics for insider threat detection, to create a new vision for how companies combat insider threats. Behavioral analytics provide tremendous insight into potential threat actors (whether intentional or unintentional).

ObserveIT is highly successful at identifying potentially bad employee behaviors, but we intend to take it a step further and use those insights to create hyper-targeted security awareness programs, said Steve Conrad, Managing Director, MediaPro. Bringing in key behavioral insights from ObserveIT will enable our customers to drill down even deeper and deliver specific, in-time training right at the point of need.

Combining behavioral analytics with security awareness training gives insight into potentially bad employee behavior, allowing organizations to deliver just-in-time, tailored training based on a users or employees specific weakness. According to both MediaPro and ObserveIT, this combination will be key to improving employee behaviors over time while also fostering more security-aware cultures.

Research from ObserveIT has shown that Just-in-Time Training deters more than 90 percent of users from engaging in risky behavior, which indicates the power of Just-in-Time Training in improving employee behaviors, said Gabriel Friedlander, Co-Founder & CTO at ObserveIT. In partnering with MediaPro, well be able to ensure that our customers employees who exhibit risky behaviors will be educated, rather than them simply looking for another way to bypass policies.

The partnership also allows for improved reporting for information security professionals, who will be able to track out-of-policy activity and the effectiveness of a particular security awareness program using pre- and post-education behavioral analytics for an individual or a department.

Over the past few years, the security awareness market has been broadening  moving from passive awareness and training to more active behavior shaping and culture management, said Perry Carpenter, Research Director, Gartner. An ability to provide real-time, injective training or to automatically schedule future training based on detected behavior is a much needed next step in this progression. By integrating security awareness and training solutions with endpoint detection and user monitoring tools, organizations are able to more comprehensively deter insider threats and reinforce appropriate behavior.

Customers have already had success implementing behavioral analytics, where theyve been able to neutralize malicious insiders based on reports from tools like ObserveIT.

In Livingston County (MI), we know firsthand just how devastating an insider threat incident can be, said Rich Malewicz, CISO, Livingston County, MI. Combining behavioral analytics with in-time security awareness training will go a long way toward preventing many of the frequent security incidents faced by organizations on a daily basis.

MediaPro is recognized by Gartner as a leader in the Magic Quadrant for Security Awareness Training Vendors and will be in booth #3125 at RSA 2016. ObserveIT is also recognized as a leader in Gartners Magic Quadrant for Behavioral Analytics and will be in booth #N3016 at RSA.

About MediaPro

MediaPro, headquartered in Bothell, Washington, works with Fortune 500 CISOs, CIOs, and boards to diminish the human-based security threat through adaptive training and reinforcement programs. Over the past two decades, MediaPro has won hundreds of industry awards and is recognized by Gartner as a leader in the Magic Quadrant for Security Awareness Training Vendors. For more information, please visit http://www.mediapro.com or follow MediaPro on Twitter @MediaProInc.

About ObserveIT

ObserveIT is the worlds leading insider threat management solution. ObserveIT detects insider threat and prevents data loss. ObserveITs award-winning insider threat management software combines employee monitoring, behavioral analytics, policy enforcement and dynamic forensic recording. The company is based in Boston, MA and has over 1,200 customers worldwide, spanning a wide range of industries including financial services, healthcare and retail. For more information visit: http://www.observeit.com
Hunter Douglas Silhouette window shading by Decorview Shopping for custom window treatments just got easier with the launch of our redesigned website.

Decorview, a leading seller of custom window treatments in North America, is excited to unveil its redesigned website, decorview.com.

Shopping for custom window treatments just got easier with the launch of our redesigned website, said Indi Matthew, digital marketing manager at Decorview. Homeowners now can easily browse an extensive online showroom of Hunter Douglas window fashions, read up on the latest interior design trends, find an experienced window coverings expert in their area, and schedule a free in-home design consultation, all on decorview.com.

Developed based on user statistics and client feedback, the new mobile-friendly website includes location-specific content, tailoring the visitors experience based on their country of residence.

Decorview has a large customer base in both the U.S. and Canada, so in developing the website, we wanted to ensure each visitor was only shown content relevant to their shopping experience, including promotions, product offerings and designers that service their area, added Matthew.

The redesigned website was designed by Exults, a Fort Lauderdale-based agency specializing in Internet marketing services.

Decorview sells the complete line of Hunter Douglas products, including bestsellers, Duette honeycomb shades, Silhouette window shadings and NewStyle hybrid shutters. Homeowners looking for in-depth guidance on selecting blinds, shades, shutters or drapery are encouraged to sign-up for a free in-home design consultation with a Decorview window coverings expert using the sign-up form on decorview.com. Clients will then be immediately paired with a designer in their area who will let them explore products, colors, fabrics and finishes all from the comfort of their own home.

About Decorview

Decorview is a leading provider of Hunter Douglas window fashions and custom drapery, with a large network of design experts and installers in North America. The companys Hunter Douglas-certified designers offer free in-home design services to consumers, as well as professional measuring and installation. Every order is backed by Decorviews Satisfaction Guarantee and the Hunter Douglas Lifetime Limited Warranty.
PresenceLearning These measurements show that when given access to the right resources, students can and will achieve great things.

Each day, thousands of students with special needs across 43 states log on to PresenceLearning to receive live, online speech therapy and other special education related services from a large network of fully licensed providers. With consistent access to high-quality remote SLPs, students are progressing toward or achieving their speech therapy goals on their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). To celebrate the successes that school districts are having in meeting students needs, PresenceLearning announces the recipients of its 2nd Annual Award of Excellence in recognition of their students progress for the 2014-2015 school year.

 Fossil School District 21j (OR)

 Stone County School District (MS)

 Borrego Springs Unified School District (CA)

 Innovative Education Management (CA)

 Lake Mills Area School District (WI)

 North State Charter JPA (CA)

 Dodge City Unified School District 443 (KS)

 Ceiba College Preparatory Academy (CA)

 Los Angeles Unified School District (CA)

Two of these districts, Borrego Springs Unified School District and North State Charter JPA, are second-time PresenceLearning Award of Excellence winners. Each of the award winners will receive a commemorative plaque marking the achievement.

PresenceLearning selected the winners based on two factors:

 The percentage of students at the district who improved one level or more in spoken language production and spoken language comprehension on the Functional Communication Measures (FCMs) scales during the 2014-15 school year

 Exemplary partnership between the district and PresenceLearning

The American Speech-Language-Hearing-Association (ASHA) developed FCMs to describe the different aspects of a patients functional communication and swallowing abilities over the course of intervention. The FCM scales are part of ASHAs National Outcome Measurement System (NOMS) data collection and reporting tool.

PresenceLearning has been instrumental in the success of our new and innovative Distance Learning Program, said Brad Sperry, Superintendent of Fossil School District. The charter school serves approximately 365 distance learning students and some of them need speech-language therapy services, which they receive from PresenceLearning. The students who use online speech therapy have nothing but positive success stories. The rate that students achieve their goals and reach benchmarks so they can exit special education is higher with PresenceLearning than with most brick-and-mortar programs.

The FCM areas that students in speech therapy most commonly work on include spoken language production, spoken language comprehension and speech sound production. The data PresenceLearning collected across the districts it serves show that students who received online speech therapy beat the national averages set by students who received traditional on-site speech therapy:

 66% of telepractice students improved their spoken language production by one level or more compared to 50% of the students in the nationally-normed NOMS data set

 69% of telepractice students improved their spoken language comprehension by one level or more during the school year compared to 60% of the students in NOMS data

 77% of students improved their speech sound production by one level or more during the school year, compared to 75% of the students in NOMS data

Additionally, the percentage of students receiving online speech therapy who improved these NOMs measurements have increased by 1, 5 and 3% points respectively since the 2013-2014 school year.

These measurements show that when given access to the right resources, students can and will achieve great things, said PresenceLearning Co-CEO Clay Whitehead. The PresenceLearning Award of Excellence not only recognizes the students achievements, it applauds the districts dedication to serving students  regardless of the obstacles. It is also huge thank you to the teachers, clinicians, administrators and parents who work so hard to see these children succeed.

About PresenceLearning

PresenceLearning (http://www.presencelearning.com) is the leading provider of online speech and occupational therapy, behavioral and mental health services, and assessments for K-12 districts and families of children with special needs. PresenceLearnings nationwide network of online professionals and telehealth providers includes hundreds of highly qualified speech language pathologists (SLPs), occupational therapists (OTs), and behavioral and mental health professionals. Sessions are delivered anytime anywhere via live videoconferencing using the latest in evidence-based practices combined with powerful progress reporting.

By partnering with PresenceLearning, education agencies can fill service gaps related to acute and chronic shortages of special education and related services personnel, reduce high caseloads for onsite personnel, reduce their backlog of assessments, improve student outcomes, and improve efficiency. Since 2009, PresenceLearning has delivered more than 1 million live, online therapy sessions to students in public, charter, and virtual schools across the U.S. and globally, proving that online delivery of special education related services is practical, convenient, and highly effective.

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StoreLocal is the United States' first self storage co-op. The Lindseys were a great find, because theyre the voice of the future of self storage, Lance Watkins, Storelocal CEO, said. Theyre young, energetic, entrepreneurial and on the east coast, so were really excited to have them join our group."

Storelocal, the self storage industrys cooperative, announced today the addition of Lindsey Self Storage Group as a founding member. Lindsey Self Storage Group, co-founded by brothers John and Alan Lindsey is based in Durham, NC and is an owner and operator of self storage facilities in North and South Carolina. The addition of Lindsey Self Storage Groups eight facilities will bring Storelocals total membership to more than 700 facilities.

The Lindseys were a great find, because theyre the voice of the future of self storage, Lance Watkins, Storelocal CEO, said. Theyre young, energetic, entrepreneurial and on the east coast, so were really excited to have them join our group, as well as StorageFront. Their involvement in the Young Leaders Group, which we see as the future of the political arena of the SSA, was also an important factor in our decision to bring them on.

John Lindsey, President of Lindsey Self Storage Group, cited the high number of quality operators that make up Storelocals membership as a motivating factor for joining the co-op.

The group of leaders that are associated with Storelocal, you look at them and theyre some really big names in the industry, people who have really made a difference not only at the national association level, but as far as introducing new practices and standards to the industry at large. And when you get a group of powerful people like that together theyre only bound to do good things, John said. I also recognize as a small operator the issues were facing as these 800 lb. gorilla REITS get bigger and badder. Its tough for us to combat them as far as prices and cost of marketing and advertising is concerned. The co-op provides an outlet for small to medium size operators like myself to step into the same arena and really continue to hold our own as we grow throughout the years.

Still in their early and mid 20s respectively, the Lindsey brothers are a unique duo in the self storage industry and believe that the co-op will help them achieve success far into the future.

I plan on being in the business for the rest of my life, John said. Hopefully thats 60, 70 years, but I see this as a really, really good jumping point. This is a group that is going to continue to grow and blossom throughout the years and even if we take on different platforms or shift directions a little bit, weve got the right people on the bus and that can combat any change we see come our way.

Every prospective Founder is subject to a rigorous approval process by the Storelocal Board of Directors. Storelocals bylaws limit Founder membership to 30 companies. Lindsey Self Storage Group marks the 19th company to receive this honor, with more companies under active consideration.

About Storelocal: Storelocal is a cooperative of self storage owners and operators working together to solve industry challenges. Co-op members leverage existing and new resources to provide solutions for customer acquisition, operational services and technology products, thereby bridging the efficiency gap between the top national operators and online reservation systems. To learn more about the Storelocal co-op, visit the Storelocal website, http://www.storelocal.com or call Natalie Bragg, Director of Public Relations, at 949-629-4142.

About Lindsey Self Storage: Co-Founded by Alan and John Lindsey in 2012, Lindsey Self Storage Groups only focus is self-storage. LSSG is backed by over 50 years of combined experience in every aspect of the self-storage industry, including, but not limited to: brokerage, development, and management. Additionally, Lindsey Self Storage Groups portfolio of facilities spans the likes of both North and South Carolina.
Our vision, explains Brian Felix, Chairman, is to bring all the project team members together to exchange knowledge and ideas to improve the overall control environment for the Owners, delivering them greater value.

The National Association of Construction Auditors (NACA) (http://www.thenaca.org) finalizes the program for their 2016 Annual Conference being held at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, FL on March 21-23, 2016.

Join other Auditing, Accounting and Construction professionals (CMs, PMs, Accountants, Auditors, Attorneys, Engineers, CPAs, Architects, Estimators, etc.) at the most economical conference with the most interesting topics. The 20 hours of continuing professional education credits include Best-in-Class sessions you cannot miss:



The Future of Construction - Randy Stutzman, FMI Capital Advisors, Inc.

Overcoming Resistance: What Works & What Doesnt - Courtenay Thompson

Cyber Security, Responsibility and Liability - John Sier

A Claim Gone Bad - Sam Hadley & Lucas Troyer

Vendor Fraud  Case Study - Bob Meissner

Dealing with Management & Clients on Construction-Related Fraud - Courtenay Thompson

The Construction Managers Role - Marvin Johnson

Organized Crime in Construction - Iris Duncan

Lost Profits - The Denny Construction Case - Jack Harris

Effective Auditing of Construction Activity - Update - Rich Townsend

GMP: Is It Really a Guaranteed Maximum Price? - Paul Pettit

The G702/G703 Payment Application - Best Practices and Methodologies - John Wisz

Labor Rate Workshop - Paul Donovan

Auditing the Administrative Owner Management Aspects of Construction Projects - Warren Hudson

Fraud in Construction - David Cotton

Providing Added Value to Your Construction Clients with Data Analytics - Brian Moore

What Does Fraud Look Like in a Construction Project - Greg Smith

Ethics, Is It Part of Your Business Culture - Jim Brigham

Government Contracts - John Croy

Change Orders - John Wisz

Construction Contract-Language and Process (Lessons Learned From the Audit Trail) - John Conley

This years program was developed by continuing to embrace the NACA mission to seek out and unite those individuals performing in the fields of construction and risk management, auditing, accounting, public accounting, architecture, and engineering; and be recognized as the authority on construction project controls. Our vision, explains Brian Felix, Chairman, is to bring all the project team members together to exchange knowledge and ideas to improve the overall control environment for the Owners, delivering them greater value.

________________________________________________________________________

The NACA grants the designation of Certified Construction Auditor (CCA) and Construction Control Professional (CCP) to the individuals with the expertise in these areas. The National Association of Construction Auditors is committed to providing resources, information, and leadership for NACA members, their clients, and the public to ensure the highest standard of construction controls possible.

For a limited period of time, the National Association of Construction Auditors (NACA) is currently accepting applications under the grandfathering provision for the Certified Construction Auditor (CCA) and Construction Control Professional (CCP) designations, setting the standard in these fields (http://www.thenaca.org). The provisions are a point-based system based upon education, training, and experience.

The grandfathering provision will be replaced by a challenging testing process beginning in 2016.

While National is in our name, we welcome members from around the globe.
ADM Oral Systemic Practice Chris is one of the primary contributors to the rise of 'Oral Systemics,' the study of how oral health affects overall bodily health; especially where it concerns systemic inflammation.

"It is on the basis of my personal and business experience with Chris that I wholeheartedly encourage any practitioner and team committed to embracing an oral systemic practice model to attend this program." says Founding AAOSH Executive Committee Chair and AIM Dental Marketing president Daniel A. 'Danny' Bobrow, MBA (finance), MBA (marketing).

Chris is one of the primary contributors to the rise of 'Oral Systemics,' the study of how oral health affects overall bodily health; especially where it concerns systemic inflammation.

From diabetic testing to scaling and root planing, Gums of Steel delivers step-by-step instructions on creating a patient-first approach to periodontal disease treatment. With 80% of patients nationwide having some form of PD, Gums of Steel can help treat and control this rampant epidemic.

Gums of Steel encourages patients to advocate for their own health and in turn, help to bridge the gap between the dental and medical worlds.

When one considers that simply one converted patient more than covers the investment in the workshop, it represents a logical way to begin the process toward an enhanced level of care and treatment most practitioners seek.

Members of the dental team are also encouraged to attend.

The seminar begins at noon and ends at 5:00 p.m. Attendees are welcome to attend the AAOSH Reception, also at the Palmer House, immediately following the workshop.

For more information call Dr. Kammers Director of Operations, Paul McDonald at 608.520.3689.
CloudOne (http://www.oncloudone.com), a leader in bringing enterprise applications to the cloud and providing a platform for IoT services and solutions, is honored to be a nominee in the Scale-up of the Year ($5M-$20M) category for the 17th Annual TechPoint Mira Awards presented by Angies List, Interactive Intelligence, and Salesforce.

Eight of the 14 award categories are brand new this year. The changes reflect both the tech communitys maturation and TechPoints narrowed focus to address critical community needs  like filling the tech talent pipeline and accelerating high-potential, emerging tech companies.

Nominees were selected by 40 independent subject matter experts who evaluated and ranked the applications. Later this month, all nominees will deliver presentations and answer questions in-person with one of the independent judging panels, and then the judges will select the winners following their deliberations.

The black-tie awards ceremony and gala at The Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, April 23, features dinner and cocktails, live music and other fun, energized activities. A complete list of finalists can be viewed at http://www.techpoint.org.

We are honored to be recognized by TechPoint as one of the states tremendous tech success stories, said John McDonald, CEO of CloudOne. As CloudOne continues to grow and accelerate the adoption of IoT solutions for our customers around the world, we feel privileged to do so in Central Indianas supportive and talented technology sector.

CloudOne continues to receive accolades for its scalable IoT Platform as this month alone they have been recognized with a 2016 IBM Beacon Award for Outstanding IBM Watson Health Solution; IBM North America ISV Innovation Leadership Award; finalist for the IBM Beacon Award for Analytics Platform Solution and named one of the Top 100 Best Places to Work in Indiana by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

About CloudOne

CloudOne helps the worlds best companies make their things for the Internet of Things. The company brings enterprise applications to the cloud, enabling global collaborative development, production and analysis of software and products in real time on individual, secure, private hybrid cloud environments. Trusted by leading brands, CloudOnes scalable technology is supported by a team of experts and partners who share a passion for making it easier, faster and more economical to make things for the Internet of Things. For more information, visit http://www.oncloudone.com.
The Tennessee Aquarium on the Chattanooga Riverfront by Todd Stailey I think the Aquariums Board of Trustees made an excellent choice, said Aquarium president and CEO Charlie Arant. "Keith will bring his experience, expertise and energy to a team of seasoned Aquarium leaders, staff and volunteers."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Thom Benson 423-785-3007 tlb(at)tnaqua(dot)org

Contact: Robin Derryberry 423-755-7588 Robin(at)DerryberryPR(dot)com

Keith Sanford Named Tennessee Aquarium President and CEO

Former First Tennessee Market President to Succeed Charlie Arant

Members of the Tennessee Aquariums Board of Trustees have elected Keith Sanford as President and CEO. Sanford succeeds Charlie Arant who has served as the Aquariums President and CEO for more than 20 years. Sanford will become the Aquariums fourth president and CEO when he officially assumes his new role on March 1st.

We knew we had some big shoes to fill in finding a candidate to continue Charlie Arants great work, said John Giblin, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Giblin served as Chair of the Aquarium Board of Trustees search committee. After a thorough search and review of more than 100 applications, we determined the best person to be the next CEO of one of our citys most cherished institutions was someone who has devoted his entire career to improving the Chattanooga community. Keiths record of achievement during his long tenure at First Tennessee speaks for itself. He will be an exemplary leader for the Tennessee Aquarium.

Sanford is well known and respected throughout Chattanooga, both professionally and for volunteer service, lending his business expertise and leadership skills to many of the areas top non-profit organizations.

For the past 36 years Sanford has been employed at First Tennessee, rising in banking and finance from his start as a management trainee to serving for the past five years in the banks top position as Chattanoogas Market President. Sanford managed the institutions assets and helped grow First Tennessee into the regions largest bank with 25 branch locations and more than $2 Billion in assets.

Sanford was named Chattanooga Area Manager of the Year (CAMOY) by the member organization of CAMOY in 2014.

His current non-profit leadership roles include:



Director and Treasurer, ArtsBuild

Director and former board chair, Caldsted Home and Foundation

Board, Executive Committee, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce

Member, Director and Treasurer, Chattanooga Rotary Club

Director, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera

Vice Chair, Planning Commission, City of Lookout Mountain, GA

Trustee, Helen Ross McNabb Foundation

Trustee and Chair of Management Committee, Treasurer, Hunter Museum of American Art

Trustee and Board Chair, Lookout Mountain Conservancy

Board chair and Director, Tivoli Foundation

Trustee, Tennessee Aquarium

Director, Executive Committee, United Way

In addition to his efforts to support so many non-profit organizations, Sanford is described by many as a passionate supporter of conservation to ensure the communitys environmental well-being.

Im honored to follow in the footsteps of leaders like Charlie Arant, Jim Hill, and Bill Flynn as the Tennessee Aquarium prepares for its 25th anniversary next year. As a member of the board of trustees, the return on investment made by this community in the Aquarium is nothing short of remarkable. This fall, the facility will open the biological field station of the Aquariums conservation institute on the campus of Baylor. From a board members perspective, it further expands the scope of work done by the Aquarium in the region. From my new vantage point, its one of many exciting strategies that will well position the Aquarium for a future that Im pleased to share as a member of the team.

Arant believes the organization has been entrusted to someone who will carry on the traditions of excellence in animal care, superior exhibits, guest satisfaction and focus on freshwater conservation. I think the Aquariums Board of Trustees made an excellent choice, said Charlie Arant. Keith will bring his experience, expertise and energy to a team of seasoned Aquarium leaders, staff and volunteers that I am very proud of. Together, weve accomplished a lot and Im confident that some of the Aquariums best years are yet to come with Keiths leadership.

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The Tennessee Aquarium is a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring wonder, appreciation and protection of water and the life that it sustains. Regarded for its expertise in animal care, top-ranked guest satisfaction and award-winning education programs, the Aquarium has been continuously accredited by both the Association for Zoos and Aquariums and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information about how the Tennessee Aquarium positively impacts our community, go to: http://www.tnaqua.org/about-us/community-impact .
Zen Hair will be showcasing their salon quality extensions at PRO HAIR Live in Manchester

Specialists in luxury hair extensions, Zen Hair will be showcasing their long lasting, salon quality products at Manchesters PRO HAIR Live.

Established by leading experts with over 35 years in the industry, Zen Hair brought their special hair range, which keeps up with the sectors ever-increasing demand for higher quality hair extensions, to keep in line with the modern elite hair trends and creations.

Created from the finest Virgin Hair, and available in a huge variety of colours, Zen Hairs hair extensions provide outstanding performance and the most natural wave, fullness, lustre, and longevity of any extensions.

Taking the market by storm, with previous exhibitions at Londons Olympia and ExCeL, Zen Hair is now looking forward to showcasing their renowned high quality hair pieces at the PRO HAIR Live, which takes place at Manchester Central, from the 28th February  29th February 2016.

With four different stages, each showing a wide array of tutorials, interviews and live cuts, across the two day show, and a selection of different leading exhibitors, promoting innovative and beautiful products that will renovate and invigorate the hairdressing and hair styling world.

Zen Hair, who have recently set up a couple of sub-distributors across Europe, will be presenting their industry-leading products with the aid of a Prestige Exhibition Stand from the exhibition-specialists, Quadrant2Design. With integrated showcases, seamless effect graphics, and beautiful photo-quality branding, the stand, which is both modular and portable, is sure to make this innovative and sought-after brand stand out amidst the exhibition hall, and captivate a whole new audience.

To discover more about Zen Hair and their long lasting salon quality extensions, visit http://www.zenhair.co.

To register for tickets to PRO HAIR Live in Manchester, which opens its doors on Sunday 28th February 2016, visit http://www.prohairlive.co.uk.

For a complimentary design consultation from Quadrant2Design, contact designteam(at)quadrant2design(dot)com.
Brad Dupee, Executive Vice President, Business Markets, FreeConferenceCall.com Being recognized as a Channel Chief is a testament to Brads commitment to our partners, innovation and the program he has built.  Bob Wise, President, FreeConferenceCall.com

FreeConferenceCall.com, the worlds most recognized conferencing brand, today announces that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Brad Dupee, Executive Vice President, Business Markets, to its prestigious list of 2016 Channel Chiefs. The executives on this annual list represent top leaders in the IT channel who excel at driving growth and revenue in their organizations through channel partners.

Channel Chief honorees are selected by CRNs editorial staff on the basis of their professional achievements, standing in the industry, dedication to the channel partner community and strategies for driving future growth and innovation. Each of the 2016 Channel Chiefs has demonstrated loyalty and ongoing support for the IT channel by consistently promoting, defending and executing outstanding channel partner programs.

Dupee brings more than 22 years of entrepreneurial sales and marketing leadership in telecommunications. His role at FreeConferenceCall.com For Business focuses on maximizing the exposure and value of enterprise conferencing and collaboration solutions. In the last year, he has worked to implement a channel-only sales model and deal registration process, which almost entirely eliminates channel conflict. He designed a program that provides the highest commissions in the industry (up to 2x the industry comparable) and created a solution set and go-to-market plan that gives channel partners the opportunity to move upmarket and gain easy entry into the enterprise.

We congratulate Brad on this outstanding recognition from CRN, said FreeConferenceCall.com President Bob Wise. Our goal for the channel at FreeConferenceCall.com For Business is to increase the profitability of our partners by offering unprecedented commissions, innovative programs and an experienced staff of industry veterans. Being recognized as a Channel Chief is a testament to Brads commitment to our partners, innovation and the program he has built.

"We are honored to present the 2016 lineup of CRN Channel Chiefs, comprised of outstanding executives who move our entire industry forward by cultivating exemplary partner programs and executing cutting-edge business strategy, said Robert Faletra, CEO, The Channel Company. They represent an extraordinary group of individuals who lead by example and serve as both invaluable advocates and innovators of the IT channel. We applaud their incredible strides and look forward to following their accomplishments in the coming year.

For more information on becoming a FreeConferenceCall.com channel partner, visit our website. The 2016 CRN Channel Chiefs list is featured in the February 2016 issue of CRN and online.

About FreeConferenceCall.com

FreeConferenceCall.com is recognized as a top conferencing and collaboration provider around the world, boasting more than 800,000 business customers, worldwide, including users from many Fortune 500 companies. Service offerings around the globe with unlimited use include: high-quality free HD audio conferencing screen sharing, video conferencing, audio and visual recordings, customized greetings, security features, desktop scheduling and mobile applications. Mid-market and enterprise customers can take advantage of FreeConferenceCall.com For Business: high-quality, reliable and secure conferencing and collaboration services complemented by 24/7 customer support, enterprise account management teams, consolidated billing, customized user analytic reports, employee rollout and training and white-label services.

FreeConferenceCall.com was founded by David Erickson in 2001 and is based in Long Beach, California.

FreeConferenceCall.com Contact:

Haley Steinhauser

FreeConferenceCall.com

562.991.3170

hsteinhauser(at)freeconferencecall.com

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace.

CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. The Channel Company logo is a trademark of The Channel Company, LLC (registration pending). All rights reserved.

The Channel Company Contact:

Melanie Turpin

The Channel Company

508.416.1189

mturpin(at)thechannelco.com
Our Canadian contingency of VIA community is fast-growing and it just made sense for us to come back to foster a deeper understanding of Italian native grapes through our VIA seminars here in Vancouver, with our two Canadian VIA representatives

After its first debut in Toronto last year, Vinitaly International is now soon to return to one of the most important and, at the same time, most complex markets in the world on the occasion of Canadas premier wine show in Vancouver, the Vancouver International Wine Festival (20-28 February 2016).

With its 25,000+ attendees in 2015, this year the international festival shines the spotlight on Italy as the theme country with a number of events and activities aimed at providing an informative, educational and entertaining wine experience for public and trade.

As one of the Festivals many protagonists, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) will be presenting a series of three Executive Wine Seminars led by Dr. Ian DAgata, Scientific Director of VIA, who will be supported for the fist time by VIAs first Italian Wine Expert, Michaela Morris, and Italian Wine Ambassador, Gurvinder Bhatia.

Our Canadian contingency of the VIA community is fast-growing and it just made sense for us to come back to foster a deeper understanding of Italian native grapes through our VIA seminars here in Vancouver, with our two Canadian VIA representatives. Last year, in Italy, both Michaela and Gurvinder underwent a rigorous certification program and we are proud to have both debuted with Ian at their side. We have a rather modest objective to become the gold standard for Italian Wine education in the world by certifying Italian Wine Ambassadors and in their turn teach the local professionals and winelovers to become Italian Wine advocates. In fact, we are looking forward to rolling-out a highly specialized grape variety focused program that will uniquely differentiate our Italian Wine courses from all others in 2017, remarks Stevie Kim, Founder of Vinitaly International Academy.

The three seminars will offer a public, 300+ members of trade, an overview of Italys immense diversity of native grapes, terroirs, and wine styles with the aim of further increasing sales of Italian wine in a Country where wine consumption has risen by 14% in the past 4 years (three times the worlds average). (Source: http://tinyurl.com/jr3lsc7)

The seminars will cover Italys Indigenous Whites and Italys Autochthonous Reds on the 24th of February and Italys Great Wines: Evolution North to South during the Festivals opening plenary session the following day.

Boasting the likes of Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino, Italy has always been thought of as a country excelling at red wine production Doctor DAgata explains when introducing his first seminar. However, the last thirty years have seen an amazing improvement in Italys white wines as well which he goes on to describe as characterized by harmonious, lively acidities, crisp fruit and floral aromas and flavours. Italian whites are also amazingly age-worthy. Still today, few people realize that a well made Verdicchio Riserva, Etna Bianco (those made with 100% Carricante, at least) and Soave can easily last and improve for upwards of ten years. In this guided tasting, Ian DAgata will showcase many of Italys greatest white wines, including what are undoubtedly the countrys top two or three best: Passito di Pantelleria, Pecorino, and Greco di Tufo.

Passing on to red wines in the second seminar of the day, Doctor DAgata will be presenting many little known but outstanding wines made with native red grapes from Italy: amongst them the countrys most famous Grignolino wine and memorable Ciliegiolo and Pugniotello. This tasting will thus represent a unique opportunity for trade to taste and learn about great Italian wines that are unfortunately off most wine radars, as well as provide tangible help to those producers who toil with less sexy and famous cultivars but that grow and farm them with passion and joy.

Last but not the least, on the 25th of February the VIA will offer local trade an overview of Italys best known wines and estates: Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Trentodoc, Taurasi and much more. Very famous names in the Italian world of wine such as Argiolas, Barone Ricasoli, Biondi-Santi, Mastroberadino, Medici Ermete and Umani Ronchi will have one of their wines featured in what promises to be a standout tasting showcasing the exceptional quality, uniqueness and age worthiness of Italys best wines.

About:

Veronafiere is the leading organizer of trade shows in Italy including Vinitaly (http://www.vinitaly.com), the largest wine and spirits fair in the world. During its 49th edition Vinitaly counted some 4.000 exhibitors on a 100.000 square meter area and 150.000 visitors including more than 2.600 journalists from 46 different countries. The next edition of the fair will take place on 10 - 13 April 2016.

The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine (http://www.vinitalyinternational.com) Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers, will unite international wine professionals on April 9th in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA has now also created its very first Certification Course with the aim of creating new Ambassadors of Italian Wine in the World.

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Im excited to now share many of these insights and past experiences to help other dental professionals achieve their goals.

Rick Workman, DMD and founder of Heartland Dental, LLC, the largest dental support organization in the country, recently announced the rollout of the Dentistry Leaders blog, an information site dedicated to providing valuable information to dental professionals.

With spending much of my life in the dental industry as a dentist and dental support leader, I have had the privilege of gaining an extensive amount of knowledge and insight on how to find success in this industry, both from my own experiences and working with other outstanding dental leaders, Dr. Rick Workman explained. Im excited to now share many of these insights and past experiences to help other dental professionals achieve their goals.

The Dentistry Leaders blog features helpful posts from Dr. Rick Workman, Heartland Dental leaders and other industry mentors and professionals on topics such as dental office leadership, dental support organization announcements, clinical features and other key areas of the dental industry.

Education has always been a key element of Heartland Dentals vision and mission. We seek to help supported dentists gain the knowledge necessary to be the best they can be, added Dr. Rick Workman. This blog is another extension of that focus, and will hopefully have a positive impact on not only Heartland Dental supported dental professionals, but many other dental professionals as well.

About Heartland Dental

Heartland Dental, LLC is the largest dental support organization in the United States with more than 700 supported dental offices located in 32 states. Based in Effingham, Illinois and founded by Rick Workman, DMD, Heartland Dental offers supported dentists and team members continuing professional education and leadership training, along with a variety of non-clinical administrative services including staffing, human relations, procurement, administration, financial, marketing, and information technology. For more information, visit http://www.Heartland.com. Follow Heartland Dental on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Rob Green, 2016 Chair, ATD Board of Directors

The Association for Talent Development (ATD) welcomes Rob Green, Director and General Manager of Amazon Marketplace, as the 2016 chair of the board. Marci Meaux, recently retired from Cisco Systems, has been named the 2016 chair-elect.

In his role at Amazon, Rob oversees teams that focus on seller recruitment and selection expansion on the Marketplace through scalable sales, integration, and education platforms and processes.

Prior to Amazon, Rob spent more than 20 years at Oracle in development, consulting, and training leadership roles. From 2010 to 2013 he led Oracle's global customer education business, which served more than 500,000 students annually in 120 countries worldwide. He has more than 20 years experience in technology development, implementation, and training, and has played integral roles in leading training transformations and change management initiatives.

Marci Meaux served on the ATD Board of Directors from 2012 to 2014 and is the associations 2016 chair-elect. In her most recent role at Cisco Systems, Marci served as the Vice President of Planning, Programs, and Operations. She was a key leader in the transformation of Cisco, driving internal disruptions within Ciscos services business to capture the companys opportunity for dramatic growth. Marci has more than 30 years experience in the technology industry.

New members of ATDs 2016 Board of Directors are Tara Deakin, Head of Talent & Organization Effectiveness at TD Bank Group, Jessica Neal, Chief People Officer at Scopely, and Ted Smith, Chief of Civic Innovation for the Louisville (KY) Metro Government. Each new member will serve a three-year term, 2016-2018. They join current board members:



Gail Baity, Director of Workforce Development and Learning, Corning Incorporated (Retired)

Melissa Daimler, Head of Organization Effectiveness and Learning, Twitter, Inc.

Rick Kerner, Corporate Trainer, Victaulic

Doug Kirkpatrick, US Partner, NuFocus Strategic Group

Mary McNevin, Chief Learning Officer, Signature HealthCARE

Brian Miller, Senior Director of Learning & Development, Gilead Sciences

Terri Pearce, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, HSBC USA

Tony Bingham, ATD President and CEO, is also a member of the board.

About ATD

The Association for Talent Development (ATD) is the worlds largest professional membership organization supporting those who develop the knowledge and skills of employees, improve performance, and help to achieve results for the organizations they serve. Originally established in 1943, the association was previously known as the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).

ATDs members come from more than 120 countries and work in public and private organizations in every industry sector. ATD supports talent development professionals who gather locally in volunteer-led U.S. chapters and international member networks, and with international strategic partners. For more information, visit http://www.td.org.
Norway Pavilion at OTC 2015 Country pavilions have been notable highlights in the Absolute Exhibits project portfolio throughout the years.

Absolute Exhibits, a full-service trade show exhibit design and fabrication company with offices in Las Vegas, Orlando, and Southern California, will be constructing the Norway pavilion exhibit for Wulff Entre of Finland with over sixty Norwegian exhibitors at the Offshore Technology Conference 2016 (OTC).

The Norway Pavilion exhibit is a substantial undertaking as it will showcase over sixty exhibitors and include a luncheon to be cooked onsite each day on the top deck to feed 1,500 attendees over the course of the trade show.

OTC focuses on state-of-the-art technology for offshore drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection. OTC is the world's foremost event for the development of offshore resources and one of the most important global offshore events with more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 110 countries in attendance.

Country pavilions have been notable highlights in the Absolute Exhibits project portfolio throughout the years, said Todd Koren, CEO of Absolute Exhibits. The Norway pavilion at last years OTC 2015 was the consummate pavilion-building experience.

Koren added, Working on the show floor in collaboration with our outstanding partner, Wulff Entre, and its phenomenal group of managers, has been an excellent opportunity for our own staff to build the necessary skillset for meeting the needs of every exhibitor in a pavilion of this magnitude.

Absolute Exhibits is a leading provider of trade show exhibit rentals, including custom exhibits and pavilion exhibits, for foreign exhibitors at US trade shows. The company offers a complete one-price exhibit package, which includes display hardware, graphics, furnishings, A/V equipment, flooring, installation and dismantle, and shipping to and from the show.

For more information on exhibiting in the United States, contact Christina Corbin at (714) 685-2845.

About Wulff Entre Ltd.

Wulff Entre Ltd. is located in Helsinki, Finland and concentrates in turnkey solutions at trade shows and events globally. Spanning over 90 years, Wulff Entre is a specialist in exhibition and event marketing. They offer planning and design for clients to exhibit in hundreds of marketing events and trade fairs every year around the world.

About Absolute Exhibits

A leading exhibition firm, Absolute Exhibits provides clients with turnkey solutions for designing and fabricating exhibits while managing the entire trade show experience as a one-source trade show and convention exhibit resource. Established in 2000, with locations in Southern California, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Bucharest, Absolute Exhibits rents and sells custom and system exhibits at over 300 shows in the USA and countries around the world.
AV Danzer are one of the UK's leading Modular and Portable Buildings Manufacturers. AV Danzer announces major new updates and business gains.

AV Danzer, one of the UKs largest manufacturers of modular and portable buildings announces new business gains and shares updates on important contracts both in the public and international sector.

The organisation celebrates these new business wins with figures released this past weekend. Helen Scott, CEO announced on Friday February 19th Weve just been adding up our sales figures and in the last week (well 8 days to be exact) we have received orders for 131 units in contracts totalling 1.121m. We knew we were busy but hadnt quite realised to what extent!

Scott continues, All of these orders were for steel units and OpenSpace products which will go into production at AV Danzers Langley Mill, Nottingham site before being delivered to construction sites across the country from Glasgow and Carlisle to Banbury and Eastleigh. The contracts range in size from a single store to a stack of 26 modules which will provide extensive welfare facilities and office accommodation.

These orders follow recent new client updates announced in AV Danzers media channels over the last few days.

Danzer Limited has provided 11 site welfare units for Reis Construct in a contract worth over 100,000 to build 155 new houses on the Grade II listed site of Manchesters historic Barnes Hospital. These will provide a large and roomy OpenSpace meeting room and a canteen with kitchen servery area.

Barnes Hospital was was built in 1875 by Robert Barnes and operated throughout the world wars, caring for injured soldiers and patients with tuberculosis and yellow fever.

The organisation will also supply respite units to allow a 24 hour presence along with an additional shower, and 3 single welfare units.

Danzer also focusses on the expansion of international business and the recent installation of a document storage facility for Iron Mountain in Helsinki, Finland on behalf of long standing client Osborn Associates.

Bill Holloway, Director tells about battling the increasingly stormy seas to ensure the project was delivered on time and in perfect condition.

It took just one month to build and fit out the four HighLine modules from our Nottingham production unit. The articulated trailers and were all ready to head off in the direction of Hull Docks, Helsinki-bound. We were advised of long delays in the North Sea due to the relentless stormy weather we experienced across Europe at the time.

Prior to departure the windy weather continued and we were allocated two alternative vessels both of which could have suffered during the storm. On the day of departure Storm Desmond fully reared his ugly head and our shipping contractor had to move us onto yet another alternative carrier, the massive MV Finn-hawk.

Three days later the units rolled off at port in Helsinki. Once the erection and linking was done the sub contractors moved in swiftly to finish their work and the building was handed over to a very happy client, on schedule.

AV Danzer is proud of these recent developments and the hard work its team delivers with sometimes difficult challenges, and is looking forward to continuing this trend into 2016 as the year unfolds.

AV Danzer are based in Manchester, London and Nottingham in the UK and provide modular, prefabricated, secure steel buildings, on-site sanitary solutions, and portable offices for short term, or long term use in the Education, Healthcare, Technology, Sports, and Construction Sectors. Custom built solutions are always available.

For more information about offsite construction methods for modular buildings call Helen Scott 0800 012 6563 or visit http://www.avdanzer.co.uk
Based on the success of our work with Directly, we are really excited to take the next step: the certified experts program.

Directly, provider of on-demand customer service apps, is expanding customer service efficiency with its latest feature: certified experts. Available today, this new capability lets companies send a high volume of customer inquiries to their expert users and arm these experts with the tools and information they need to solve complex cases.

Companies typically handle customer support by hiring armies of inexperienced workers, training them and enduring high turnover. Or they outsource these critical brand interactions to third parties with similar challenges.

By contrast, companies like Airbnb, Pinterest and Republic Wireless use Directly to scale online support by routing customers questions to their expert users, who earn rewards by resolving the questions.

Unlike hourly call center workers, the experts know and love the products already, and they answer questions on demand, where and when they want to. This method delivers significantly faster response times, 4 minute average compared to hours or even days using traditional methods, and high customer satisfaction ratings of 92% average.

Now, with Directlys certified experts capability, companies can expand the types of questions experts can handle to include ones that require account access, like order inquiries.

Were aiming to increase the cases that a companys experts can solve, so that more and more of their problems are being solved by their passionate and knowledgeable users, and customers can receive the highest quality care, said Directly CEO Antony Brydon.

Directly crunches large amounts of data to identify a companys top-performing experts based on customer satisfaction and response time. A company can then invite those top-performers to earn certification by taking additional tests and passing third-party background checks.

Once experts earn certification, Directly dynamically routes to them the questions that best match their skills. When they elect to answer questions, the certified experts can access additional, screened account information and tools to resolve them.

As part of its overall mission to innovate the entire consumer wireless business model, Republic Wireless has been using Directly for over a year to empower enthusiastic, expert customers to earn cash rewards through the Directly app for resolving other customers questions submitted to the Republic Wireless helpdesk. The expert program has delivered extraordinarily fast response times averaging 2.9 minutes.

To date, the experts have resolved how-to questions, like how to adjust phone settings. Now, with Directly's certified experts, Republic Wireless can let some experts earn additional certification to answer more complex questions that require advanced trouble-shooting skills.

Based on the success of our work with Directly, we are really excited to take the next step; the certified experts program ensures that the best experts have the tools that allow them to handle certain escalated levels of tickets, said Jonathan Keane, director of customer service at Republic Wireless, a nationwide, wifi-first smartphone service based in Raleigh, North Carolina.

For more on how Republic Wireless uses Directly and certified experts to support new product launches, join this live webcast on February 25 at 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST. go.directly.com/republic-wireless.

###

About Directly

Directly makes on-demand business apps. Fast-growing companies like Pinterest, Airbnb and Republic Wireless use our customer service apps to scale support and improve customer experience. Expert users get a smart way to help others, share in the rewards and work on their own terms. Customers get expert help in minutes. Directly integrates with Zendesk, Oracle RightNow, Desk, Salesforce Service Cloud and other leading helpdesk software.
Phillips AdherePac Box The latest technology guarantees the right medication is in the right pouch for the right patient, every time.

Phillips Pharmacy is pleased to announce that it will now offer retail customers packaging to help them with remembering to take their medications on time, every time with AdherePac. Customers can synchronize all of their prescription medications into a single, 30-day packaged roll, sorted by time of day, with specific administration information, pre-printed on every pouch. This provides convenience for the patient, the prescribing doctor(s), and the pharmacy, as well as safety and security of simple dispensing administration.

AdherePac puts patients medications into easy-to-read, easy-to-open pouches with their name, time of administration, medication name and dosage, strength and description of each pill. Other medications such as liquids, inhalers or ointments have an additional bag to remind the patient to take it at the prescribed time. Caregivers now have a quick way to verify when the last dose was taken, to improve adherence, and reduce over-medication. Handing a patient multiple pill bottles and explaining when to take each med, and how to take it, is always a daunting task for us, but even more complicated for them to remember it all. Phillips Pharmacy is proud to offer our customers convenient prescription filling options that save them additional trips to the pharmacy, and help increase their medication compliance, said Wayne MacArdy, RPh. He goes on, AdherePac eliminates pre-sorting pills into traditional pill boxes, and eliminates confusion on when and how many of each medication to take.

Phillips Pharmacy partnered with TCGRx, the creator of the ATP 2, to automate the process of packaging each patients meds, all verified by barcode technology, guaranteeing accuracy and safety for each pouch produced. Duane Chudy, President and CEO of TCGRx stated, Pharmacies that offer AdherePac are helping their customers live healthier lives by helping them adhere to the medication program they were prescribed. TCGRxs role is to help both the pharmacy and their patients by using the latest technology to guarantee the right medication is in the right pouch for the right patient, every time.

This service offers doctors one phone call per month per patient, to verify refill orders, and at-a-glance information of a patients package to see all medications prescribed by other doctors, during their visit to the physician. Optional dispensing of shorter cycles is available should medications require dosage adjustments throughout the month. This ultimately saves patients money on new medications and the disposal of unused medications.

My goal, as pharmacist, is to serve the patient, ensuring their safety and health well-being. There is no limitation to the AdherePac progam and who chooses to use it. Anyone can take advantage of the simplicity of the program  business travelers, vacationers, active seniors, home health services, parents of school-age children that require medication during school hours, children in daycare or summer camp programs. Doctors can partner with pharmacies like Phillips to guarantee that the prescription written, will be taken as required, making the doctor, pharmacy and patient successful.

Phillips Pharmacy will be holding an open-house at their Mile Bluff Clinic, Tuesday, March 1, 2016, at 11am, and again in the afternoon beginning at 4:30 at their Mauston location, inviting anyone interested in learning more about the AdherePac program, and learn about how technology is improving the future medication administration.

Learn More About AdherePac

If you are interested in simplifying and taking control of your medications, please contact Phillips Pharmacy at (800) 343-3784 or visit their website at http://www.phillipsrx.com.

About Phillips Pharmacy

Wayne MacArdy, RPh, owner of Phillips Pharmacy, has been in business for over 70 years, serving both retail and long-term care patients. Phillips prides itself on addressing patient rights, responsibilities, dignity and confidentiality in the delivery and follow-up process. Phillips Pharmacy is headquartered in Mauston, Wisconsin with additional locations in Tomah, Adams/Friendship, Elroy, Mile Bluff Clinic and the new location in Necedah. For additional information, contact Phillips Pharmacy at (800) 343-3784 or visit their website at http://www.phillipsrx.com.

About TCGRx

TCGRx is a leading supplier of pharmacy automation, offering scalable solutions that range from simple packaging technology to enterprise-wide perpetual inventory management. TCGRx solutions are specifically designed to make pharmacies and their processes more efficient. The company provides comprehensive workflow automation, including design and consultation services, to offer in-patient, out-patient, retail and long term care pharmacies a fully featured, integrated solution. With a strong presence in pharmacy markets throughout the U.S. and Canada, TCGRx is headquartered in Powers Lake, WI. For additional information, visit http://www.TCGRx.com, or contact them at 262.279.5307.
RelaDyne, one of the nations leading providers of lubricants, fuel, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), and industrial reliability services, announced today that it has acquired Industrial Action Services, Inc. (IAS), a national leader in oil flushing and chemical cleaning services.

IAS (http://www.industrialactionservices.com), headquartered two hours northeast of Houston, Texas, performs advanced oil flushing and chemical cleaning system decontamination services throughout the United States and Canada. The company was founded in 2007 and has since grown to be a leading industrial services business in the US.

Founder and previous owner of IAS, Kevin Sapp, commented, We are looking forward to being part of RelaDyne and providing our customers and employees with additional resources we didnt have access to before. Sapp, along with the entire IAS team, will stay on full time with RelaDyne and work closely with Scott Hill, RelaDyne Vice President of Reliability Services, to facilitate the acquisition and continued growth and expansion of IAS as part of RelaDyne Reliability Services.

IAS brings to RelaDyne additional experience in varnish removal services and an extensive inventory of prototype equipment and industry knowledge and expertise, particularly within the petrochemical and refinery industries. The addition of Kevin Sapp and the IAS team brings incredible state-of-the-art processes and techniques to our Reliability Services offering, states Scott Hill. Their industry experience will significantly increase what we bring to our existing customers and to the marketplace.

We are excited to have IAS join the RelaDyne family, says Larry Stoddard, RelaDyne CEO. This acquisition will allow RelaDyne to continue to be the industry leader in Reliability Services for our customer base across the United States and Canada.

IAS will continue to operate as Industrial Action Services within RelaDyne Reliability Services. IAS is RelaDynes second acquisition of the New Year.

About RelaDyne

RelaDyne, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is an industry leading lubricant, fuel, and DEF distributor providing customers with integrated reliability management services for industrial and commercial businesses in the United States. RelaDyne was formed in 2010 by the combination of four industry leaders  Mid-Town Petroleum, Inc. (Bridgeview, IL), Oil Distributing Company (Cincinnati, OH), The Hurt Company, Inc. (Houston, TX) and Pumpelly Oil Company (Sulphur, LA). RelaDynes distribution platform spans more than 30 locations serving states in the Central US. In May 2014, RelaDynes industrial services business expanded with the acquisition of Turbo Filtration Corporation (TFC), enhancing their offering to key industrial customers throughout the US. The company also benefits from the support of its business-building financial partner, AEA Investors LP, which manages funds worth approximately $6 billion of invested and committed capital. For more information, visit http://www.RelaDyne.com.

About Industrial Action Services, Inc.

Industrial Action Services, Inc. (IAS) is the worlds premier provider of on-site fluid purification, system decontamination and engineered maintenance and condition monitoring services. The IAS team of dedicated experts focuses on fluids, fluid systems, and condition monitoring to provide long-term reliability to customers in a wide range of circumstances, including pre-commissioning of new equipment, planned maintenance to remove gradual contamination build-up, and emergencies such as catastrophic failures. For more information on IAS, visit http://www.industrialactionservices.com.
When traveling to a foreign country, it can be difficult to get the lay of the land. Foreign driving customs, intimidating public transit and hundreds of kilometers can stand between a traveler and their next destination. Not knowing how to navigate a city, let alone a country, can be a major worry for travelers. In order to assist travelers when visiting Italy, Select Italy (http://selectitaly.com), a boutique travel company, created an infographic highlighting Top Travel Tips about how to navigate Italy.

Italy attracts 48 million visitors from across the globe every year. Whether traveling by air, rail, road or sea, Italys has plenty of transportation options to accommodate the large number of travelers. North to south transfers can be easily arranged by train, thanks to the 16,723 km railway network which extends across the peninsula. Italys road network is even more widespread, with a total length of 487,700 km, travelling by car is another option. The Bel Paese can be experienced also by sea; with 2,400 km of navigable water and 43 major sea ports, yacht charters provide travelers an alternative method of transportation. Select Italys collection of transportation services ensures every traveler a unique and personalized transportation experience, from the beginning to the end of his trip:



Airport shuttle: Enjoy peace of mind when traveling from the airport to the hotel, or vice versa.

Train Tickets: An easy and cost-effective way to travel between Italian cities.

Private Transfer: A convenient option for shorter journeys.

Yacht Charter: Experience the Italian seas with an exclusive form of transportation.

Select Italys new transportation infographic presents five top tips every traveler should know when planning a trip to Italy. We wanted to showcase information in a fun and creative way says Beatrice Sartori, International Communication & Marketing Specialist at Select Italy, so we created an infographic to help travelers feel more confident about getting around in Italy. These tips are definitely a must-read before any Italian vacation. The infographic can be downloaded here.

The complete portfolio of transportation services can be found on the company website. For more information about Select Italys services visit selectitaly.com or send an email to info(at)selectitaly(dot)com
US Media Studios US Media Studios specializes in developing, producing, and distributing programming for diverse audiences. Past News Releases RSS

US Media Studios programming will soon feature updates for entrepreneurs. Information will be presented in a variety of topics for small business owners. Subjects on the agenda include how to open and run more than one business, tips for hiring the best staff, integrating brands for cohesion and simplicity, plus more. The top-notch media companys programming airs across the United States and Canada on regional and national cable television stations.

For more than thirteen years, US Media Studios specialized in developing, producing, and distributing programming for diverse audiences. Today, from the corporate headquarters in Coral Springs, Florida, the editorial and business teams collaborate to provide new and exciting programming, as well as social media marketing, public relations campaigns, Internet marketing, consulting, and other multimedia services.

US Media Studios delivers award-winning content through a variety of media, including television, social networks, websites, and in-person events. The fully-integrated communication solutions are designed to increase the value of a brand and help businesses reach success. The experienced team of producers, designers, consultants, and editors work with individuals from leading companies across the world. To learn more or connect with the studio on popular social media platforms, please visit usmediastudios.com.
If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity.

PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move.
News

From Bulgaria

Bulgaria Grants Shell Offshore Oil, Gas Exploration Permit

The planned 2D and 3D seismic tests however are to start after Shell acquires all the necessary regulatory and environmental permits, Eileen Wilkinson, regional VP of Shell, stated

AUTHOR: Lyudmila Zlateva

From left to right: Kamelia Slaveikova, Eileen Wilkinson, Boiko Borisov, Temenuzhka Petkova

 publics.bg



The Bulgarian Ministry of Energy and Shell Exploration & Production (LIX) B.V. signed Tuesday a contract for deep water offshore oil and gas exploration in the Silistar block. The exploration site is situated in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Bulgaria in the Black Sea.

The duration of the contract is five years, with the possibility for the company to extend it two times with two years each time. The expected investment is EUR 18.6 m, while Shell is to pay the Bulgarian state a bonus of EUR 4.9 m after the signing of the contract, Bulgarian energy minister Ms Temenuzhka Petkova said.

The planned 2D and 3D seismic tests however are to start after Shell acquires all the necessary regulatory and environmental permits, Eileen Wilkinson, regional VP of Shell, stated. Ms Wilkinson declined to comment on the timeframe of further activities, as the initial evaluation would take a few years to be completed.

Once we have all the approvals, only then we will commence our geological evaluation  studies and seismic acquisition. That will take some years and, as the minister of energy said earlier, we have five years in which to do our initial exploration phase. It is too early to speculate on the timing beyond doing that geological evaluation, Wilkinson said.

Ms Kamelia Slaveikova, CEO of Shell Bulgaria, who was also present at the ceremony deemed the signing as a crusial point of the companys history in Bulgaria.

Local production and the planned Balkan gas hub

Connecting Bulgarias gas system to those of the neighbouring countries and the prospect for local oil and gas production are the basis for the Bulgarias energy source diversification, energy minister Petkova said. In her view the expected production from the Silistar block could also feed the planned natural gas hub in Bulgaria. The large-scale project under the name Balkan was announced in late 2015 and a work group between Bulgarian and European Commission experts is currently assessing its feasibility before pitching it to potential investors and partners.

Shell however is not the only international oil and gas company to delve into the Bulgarian offshore gas exploration field. In 2012 a consortium of Total, OMV and Reposol was granted a permit for research in the Han Asparuh Block, in the deep waters off the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. First exploration drilling in Han Asparuh is expected to take place by mid-2016, Ms Petkova said.

Bulgarian PM Boiko Borisv went on to give a positive outlook on the development of local oil and gas production in Bulgaria.

There have been may sceptics to talk about it, but eventually Total, Repsol and OMV entered in the exploration of Han Asparuh, now we have Shell for Silistar. So, Han Asparuh, Silistar, Galata, Azerbaijan, the LNG terminal in Greece and, hopefully Russian import, we will have all those sources of gas for the Balkan gas hub. We need company of the scale of Shell, one that can invest, so that we could have five-six sources of gas for our gas system. Bulgaria has a great interest in this, as it involves transit fees, Mr Borisov commented.

Borisov went on to elaborate that such projects would allow Bulgaria to invest in the upgrade of its gas transmission system so that it could up its transmission capacity.
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The annual celebration of the freedom to read, set this year for Sept. 25-Oct. 1, will focus on banned books written by people of color. The event will also look to examine why titles by diverse writers are so often challenged.

The American Library Associations Office for Intellectual Freedom estimates that over half of all banned books are by authors of color, or contain events and issues concerning diverse communities. Banned Books Week 2016 will explore why diverse books are being disproportionately singled out.

Charles Brownstein, chair of the Banned Books Week Coalition, said in a press release that this years event is an important moment for communities to join together in affirming the value of diverse ideas and multiple viewpoints." The coalition will be partnering with library, reader, and author groups such as We Need Diverse Books in order to bring meaningful conversation to the program.

By shining a light on how these ideas are censored, we hope to encourage opportunities to create engagement and understanding within our communities, and to emphasize the fundamental importance of the freedom to read, said Brownstein.

Sponsors behind Banned Books Week include the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, the Association of American Publishers, the National Association of College Stores, and PEN America.
This nonfiction title by an German-Egyptian academic has spent 21 weeks on the bestseller list in Germany. It examines stereotypes throughout history of the prophet Muhammad.

Book title: Mohamed. Eine Abrechnung (in English, Muhammad. A Reckoning)

First published by: German house Droemer Verlag (an imprint of Verlagsgruppe Droemer Knaur) in October 2015

Format: Hardcover

Author: Hamed Abdel-Samad was born near Cairo in 1972. He worked for USESCO, at the Institute for Islamic Culture at the University of Erfurt, and at the Institute for Jewish History and Culture at the University of Munich. Abdel-Samad is a member of the German Islam Conference and, according to his publisher, is considered to be one of the most renowned Islam intellectuals in the German-speaking world.

Acquiring Editor: Stefan Ulrich Meyer

How Its Done: The book has spent 21 weeks on the bestseller list in Germany, at one point hitting #1. Rights have sold in the Czech Republic (to Euromedia); Hungary (Muvelt Nep); Korea (Hans Media); and Sweden (Rosa Alba).

Why They Think Its Working: Abdel-Samad has written other bestsellers and is known in Europe, as a vocal critic of Islam. This book, Meyer said, exemplifies his reputation as someone who writes "trenchant, sharply argumentative" assessments of the religion. Meyer also felt sales of the book benefited from the fact that it was released shortly before the terrorist attack in Paris. Ultimately, though, Meyer said he thinks readers appreciate the fact that Abdel-Samad delivers taboo-free answers to pertinent questions about Muhammad.
Spain's Martinez Gaining Attention

International publishers are taking notice of Gabi Martinez, whose latest novel, The Defenses, has just sold at auction in Spain to Elena Ramirez at Seix Barral, and in Catalonia to Catedral. The book is based on the life of a real-life neurologist named Domingo Escudero, who overcame an autoimmune disease by devoting his life to studying and understanding the ailment. (In September, Martinez published a piece about it in Granta called "The Exorcism of Doctor Escudero.") The sale of The Defenses, which was handled by the Pontas Literary & Film Agency, follows a recent spate of international deals for the Spanish author. Martinezs In the Land of Giants, a nonfiction book a Spanish zoologist who was murdered, will be published in the U.K. (by Scribe) in November; the book has also sold to houses in Brazil (Rocco) and France (Autrement).

Norwegian 'Hell' Drawing Int'l Interest

Hell Was Open, the second book in a crime series by Gard Sveen, is gaining traction in a number of countries. The novel was first published in Norway by Vigmostad & Bjrke and has sold to houses in the U.S. (AmazonCrossing), the Netherlands (Bruna), Germany (Ullstein), and Italy (Marsilio), among others. Rights to the book are controlled by Anna Frankl at the Nordin Agency. The series follows a police inspector named Tommy Bergmann. In Hell Was Open, Bergmann begins questioning an old case after finding a beaten prostitute whose injuries seem to match those from a crime he encountered when he first joined the force.

Book on Boko Haram Ordeal Making the Rounds

Patience Ibrahim and Andrea Claudia Hoffmann's Not Without Her Daughter is picking up interest from publishers around the world, following an initial sale to dtv in Germany. The book is about Ibrahim's experience escaping from the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, cowritten with German journalist Hoffmann. Ibrahim was pregnant when she fled, and later named her daughter "Gift." Christine Proske at the Germany agency Ariadne Buch handled the sale to dtv, and Barbara Zitwer, who has an eponymous shingle, is preparing to submit the proposal in the U.S. and U.K., as well as other territories, this week. Hoffmann also co-wrote The Girl Who Beat Isis (published in the U.S. by Vintage Digital) and Raif Badawi, The Voice of Freedom: My Husband, Our Story (published in the U.S. by Other Press).

Italian Picture Book Gaining Recognition

The House of Other Children by Luca Tortolini, with illustrations by Claudia Palmarucci, received a special mention in the First Works category from the Bologna Ragazzi Award. The book was published in August by Italy's Orecchio Acerbo Editore, and rights are controlled by the house's foreign rights agent, Anna Spadolini. French rights have been sold to Cambourakis Editions with simplified Chinese rights going to Everafter Books/Trustbridge Publishing. The book, which has been picking up attention since receiving the special mention, is about houses around the world, and the children who inhabit them.
ORANGE, Calif.  Her goal in life is to grant wishes like a princess in a fairy tale.

What better way to pay back the wish that was granted to her more than two decades ago?

Ayesha Kazim, 30, of Orange, Calif., recently signed up to volunteer at Make-A-Wish. She works for Disney (a fitting job for someone who dreams of granting wishes) in the online travel department. Shes awaiting her first Make-A-Wish assignment. She already has figured out what shes going to tell the first person she meets with a life-threatening illness.

Im here, she will say. My parents didnt think I would be here. So dont ever give up.

Disney said it will donate $5  up to $1 million  for every picture shared on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram that shows someone wearing mouse ears. Kazim had her picture taken in mouse ears last Tuesday at Disneyland, where she was telling her story to offer hope to people who may be going through similar horrors to those she endured as a child.

Kazim carries a scrapbook with a kindergarten photo of her holding a book under her right arm and smiling. She remembers the pain.

I couldnt hold that book with my left arm, she said. She was living in Olney, Md., at the time, and she remembers wearing a purple sweatsuit when the phone call came with her test results. She was rushed to a hospital in Washington, D.C., where she had the first of five operations.

That scrapbook also holds a drawing a doctor made of the tumor. When she was 5, she got a diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of the muscle tissue.

Doctors gave her parents a best- and worst-case scenario. At best, she might live to see her 16th birthday. At worst, she had about six months to live.

She went through chemotherapy and radiation, and by the time she was 7, the cancer had spread to her shoulder. She had lost all her hair, and her brother pushed her in a wheelchair. She remembers her father praying in the hospital.

Her family grimly braced itself for what would happen next.

It was at one of the low points that Kazims family was connected with Make-A-Wish. She wanted to go visit a Disney park in Europe but she told she couldnt stray very far from her hospital.

So she choose Disney World, which was a two-hour flight away.

This was going to be our last trip as a family, she said. To think about it that way is terrifying.

It wasnt the end. It was the beginning.

Kazim remembers eating peanut butter ice cream with Reeses Pieces for breakfast. She remembers how nice everyone was to her and her family  her father, Fazlur; her mother, Seeta; a brother, Ijaz; and a sister, Samina.

It was a magical trip, she said. My dad said he didnt realize how compassionate people could be.

She remembers Chip and Dale, the chipmunk characters, pushing her wheelchair. She rode Space Mountain 10 times in a row.

I never thought about why we were there, she said. We were just there. My whole family acted normal, and it was perfect.

Something else happened to Kazim on that trip. She fell in love with Disney and Make-A-Wish.

That trip reaffirmed what my parents taught me about charity, caring and giving, she said. Thats what Disney is all about  hopes and wishes and dreams coming true.

Kazim has been cancer-free since she was 7. She still has trouble moving her left arm, but shes doing physical therapy to help her deal with the pain.

And in July 2012, her boyfriend, Suresh Francis, proposed to her at Walt Disney World in Cinderellas Castle.

Kazim and her husband live in Orange, just a few miles from Disneyland. Working at Disney has fulfilled one of her lifelong dreams.

Occasionally, she will handle the travel arrangements of a child with cancer.

I say, 'Oh, my God, I had cancer, too, she said. I make a connection with them. And when they say this might be our last trip, I tell them, 'Once you get here, everything is going to be fine.
I can remember wanting to be tan for prom as a teenager. My sisters and friends did, too. Cancer was the farthest thing from our minds.

However, Christina Metz Anderson has enough experience with this dreaded disease to know that cancer has no minimum age requirement or limit. She lost her daughter, Katie, at age 13 to a brain tumor, and both her father and sister have fought skin cancer.

Thats why Ms. Metz Anderson is urging Iowa lawmakers to follow Illinois and 42 other states in banning tanning beds for teens and kids younger than 18 without parental consent.

The local LiveStrong leader also is a member of the American Cancer Societys Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), which wants teenagers and families to know about the risks involved with tanning beds.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network is the nations leading cancer advocacy organization that works to make cancer issues a national priority, according to its website, acscan.org. It brings together cancer survivors, patients and caregivers to advocate for laws and policies that will help bring an end to the disease.

The network also trains volunteers to make them effective advocates, and offers voter guides to hold officials and candidates accountable for their positions on cancer-related issues.

Advocacy with a group like the American Cancer Society (ACS) makes it easy, Ms. Metz Anderson said. The ACS has priorities that are based on research. It provides you with all key points on why or why not to support a bill. It then becomes about the facts and your personal story of why you feel the representative should or shouldn't support the bill.

I met Christina and learned about her amazing initiative to educate when I became a participant of the YMCA LiveStrong Cancer Program. She made me made realize that there were resources and hope for me and my family.

It is important to advocate for health care to keep cost downs by building a healthier society through prevention education and government funding, she said.

Ms. Metz Anderson also was part of the ACS CAN tanning bed law advocacy in Des Moines last week. Iowa is one of seven states that have not passed a law that restricts tanning bed usage for teens younger than age 18. The tanning bed law went into effect in Illinois in January 2014, but was voted down in Iowa last year.

At first, lobbying sounds hard. But then you remind yourself that you elected the representatives, and if you dont bring to their attention the things that can make a difference like tanning bed regulations, they may never be aware of the whole story, she said.

With prom approaching, young girls start hitting the tanning beds now to get ready. Parents should talk to their kids about the dangers of tanning beds and this law is needed to help keep skin cancer away from our children.

Iowa state Rep. Linda Miller, R-Bettendorf, was disappointed that the tanning bed law did not pass last year. The mother of four daughters supports the law.

We put sunscreen on our kids until they reach 14, and then as teenagers, stop, Rep. Miller said. Now, it is a norm for these girls to tan for prom and they dont realize the consequences. They are burning a layer of their skin and raising their chances of melanoma.

Rep. Miller said she hopes the bill passes in the House, and hopes the Senate follows. This is a public safety issue for me because as a parent, we need to know that this is not safe, she said.

The parental consent can prevent skin cancer at a young age. This is as important as telling our children how bad drugs and smoking are.

Ms. Metz Anderson hopes the law passes. Other states already are ahead of us, she said. I want people to know that by writing your lawmakers, you can help pass laws.

Ms. Metz Anderson donates to ACS CAN to be a member of the advocacy group. Members receive a legislative toolkit that includes a personalized listing of elected officials and instructions for taking action. Members also receive an eNewsletter.

For more information about ACS CAN or becoming a member, visit the website or call 202-661-5700.
CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois is making its cameras-in-court policy permanent after having success with a four-year experiment that allowed media coverage at some trials, state high court officials said Monday.

An Illinois Supreme Court spokesman said safeguards at several dozen trials where news cameras and audio recording devices have been allowed for the pilot project since 2012 have worked, despite concern that having media in court could create a disruptive, circus-like atmosphere.

"There were no red flags in any of the instances," spokeswoman Bethany Krajelis said.

Most other states have had permanent policies allowing cameras and audio recording devices in courts for years. Illinois has allowed the devices in Illinois Supreme Court and appellate court hearings since 1983. At the time, the ban at state-court trials was continued out of fear of undermining defendants' rights to a fair trial.

Although historic, Monday's decision wasn't a surprise and won't immediately change the number of participants. Nine judicial districts that opted not to participate in the pilot project won't be forced to now that it's permanent; 15 of the state's remaining districts are taking part.

Also, cameras still won't be allowed during jury selection and presiding judges will continue to have the final word about letting cameras in and under what conditions.

Cook County, which has more than 400 county judges overseeing more than a million cases a year in Chicago and more than 120 suburbs, joined the program in 2014.

Media have made about 450 requests for access to hearings and trials, with courts granting the requests in most cases, Krajelis said.

Among the first high-profile trials to allow cameras during the pilot program was the 2012 murder trial of Nicholas Sheley in Whiteside County. Sheley was convicted of killing 93-year-old Russell Reed, one of eight people he's accused of killing during shootings in Illinois and Missouri.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers had argued the media coverage inside the courtroom at that Sheley trial would make it impossible to pick impartial juries for trials in the other killings. But Judge Jeffery O'Connor said at the time he was sure jurors would fulfill their duty to give Sheley a fair trial.
EAST MOLINE -- An East Moline middle school teacher says instructional training of staff is interfering with education in the district.

Rich Palmer, an eighth grade history teacher at Glenview Middle School, told school board members on Monday that the Marzano Evaluation Model is having a negative impact on students.

Teachers and administrators have spent "countless school days" on instruction and observational training, leaving students in the hands of substitute staff, he said.

"At Glenview, there are many days when the four building administrators are replaced by two substitute administrators. Our school atmosphere and your son and daughter's education has suffered. As you can imagine, the regular absence of building administrators has a negative impact on leadership, morale, and consistent discipline," he said.

"(Marzano) promises to develop better teachers and improve student learning, but it has come at a high cost, the least of which is money and time."

Implemented in the district in 2013, the Marzano model teaches the cause and effect that instruction has on student achievement.

With the passage of the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) and Senate Bill 7 in 2010, school districts were required by Illinois law to use a teaching and evaluation model to track standards and measure student growth.

Superintendent Kristin Humphries said Marzano was chosen in partnership between the school district and the East Moline Education Association.

Mr. Palmer said the implementation of Marzano "has been a one-step forward, three steps back experience.

"This expensive, nice, neatly packaged box program has been, and will continue to be, a detriment to your son and daughter's learning experiences unless its implementation process is changed," he said.

Mr. Humphries said the Marzano model is having a positive impact on students and teachers.

"As with most large scale change, progress takes time. We are seeing very positive results with the model and we will continue to work toward making it even better for our staff because we know the end result is teachers with more tools to meet the needs of our students," he said.

After the meeting, Mr. Humphries told a reporter that Mr. Palmer had not shared his concerns with him.

"We will continue to do what we have for the last three years, which is work with our teachers and administrators to improve the evaluation model because our kids deserve the best instruction we can deliver,"

In other news, board members approved a transfer of $200,000 from working cash to the operations and maintenance fund, and a loan of $200,000 from working cash to the transportation fund. Mr. Humphries said the loan will be paid off by June.

Also on Monday, following closed session, board members approved listing the former administration building for sale. Located at 3555 19th St., in East Moline, the property will be listed at $825,000 with Mel Foster realtor Mike Burke.

Board members also:

-- Approved an $8,153,500.00 contract with Control Technology and Solutions, based in St. Louis, to replace windows, lighting, mechanical systems and boilers in Glenview Middle and Ridgewood Elementary Schools. The board last month approved $8 million in bonds to pay for the project.

-- Approved a new, fulltime position of payroll specialist, to be paid a rate of $17 an hour. Board president Janet Neff said having a payroll specialist on staff will give the district two people who are trained to process payroll.

-- Presented a community outreach award to Pastor Larry Westbrook of the Community Outreach Worship Center for his work with East Moline youth. Pastor Westbrook partnered with the Watertown Community Empowerment Coalition to send kids to summer camp and provide other opportunities.
Rock Island attorney Stuart R. Lefstein still remembers the day in 1988 when he came face to face with Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Those memories have come flooding back since Justice Scalia's death on Feb. 13 at a West Texas ranch.

Mr. Lefstein, who has more than 50 years of legal experience, said he isn't aware of any other Quad-Cities attorney who successfully has argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

On Monday, he recalled standing before the high court on April 18, 1988, to argue the 1984 Rock Island federal case of Christianson vs. Colt Industries.

Though well-versed in arguing cases in state and appellate courts, Mr. Lefstein said he still was taken aback when, about 30 seconds into his argument, "the questions started coming -- and they never stopped."

The remainder of his prepared statement, at that point, "went out the window." He laughed Monday, saying the experience was a lesson in being quick on your feet and knowing the ins-and-outs of a case.

"It was a very interesting experience, there's no doubt about it," he added.

The job of the nine justices was to decide which appeals court had jurisdiction in an antitrust case involving the manufacturer of the M-16 military rifle.

Mr. Lefstein's client, Charles R. Christianson, of Springfield, Mass., sold parts for the rifles and claimed his former employer, Colt Industries, unfairly forced him out of business.

Mr. Lefstein said Justice Scalia "was known to be a very sharp questioner" and was quick to understand the major issues of the case.

"He was the driving force on the case. He asked the most questions and, fortunately for our side, he picked up on an argument we had made and really grilled my opponent," Mr. Lefstein said, adding the opposing side was unable to answer many of the justice's questions.

"I knew when he got done questioning that we had won the case," Mr. Lefstein said.

Two months later, the court issued a unanimous decision ruling the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago had jurisdiction over the case.

Though Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., penned the court's opinion, "it was clear nobody was challenging Scalia's analysis which was, in effect, our analysis," Mr. Lefstein said.

He attributed the unanimous decision to the case not being about ideological issues but "technical and historical" ones.

His presentation in the Supreme Court lasted only about 30 minutes but has stayed with Mr. Lefstein, now 82.

While Mr. Lefstein said he didn't always see eye-to-eye with Justice Scalia's opinions, he regarded him as a brilliant man. He also recalled the conservative justice's famous friendship with liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

"They blasted each other in their opinions, then they'd go off to dinner together," he said.

Mr. Lefstein, a graduate of Augustana College and the University of Michigan Law School, started practicing law in 1958. After "well over 50 years," he officially retired at the end of last year.

The case he eventually would argue before the Supreme Court was first filed by Mr. Lefstein in May 1984.

A lower federal court judge ruled in Mr. Christianson's favor, but the decision was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington. The court, however, said it lacked jurisdiction.

The case remained in limbo in federal appeals courts until Mr. Lefstein petitioned for a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case eventually ended in a settlement agreement, he said.
WASHINGTON  The court dispute between Apple and the Justice Department over unlocking the San Bernardino, Calif., gunman iPhone became a public relations war Monday, with the FBI and Apple exchanging words on the Internet and Congress preparing to intervene.

For now, the FBI appears to be winning the battle, at least according to new polling from the Pew Research Center. But privacy advocates who support Apple plan rallies across the nation Tuesday, including one in front of the FBIs headquarters in Washington.

Pews poll of more than 1,000 Americans found that just 38 percent support Apples refusal to help the FBI unlock the iPhone of Syed Farook, who with his wife killed 14 people in the San Bernardino attack in December.

Fifty-one percent of those surveyed between Feb. 18 and Feb. 21 said Apple should unlock the phone. The other 11 percent were unsure.

Apple posted a statement to its customers on its website Monday, offering the companys justification for challenging a court order demanding that Apple create a software to open the phone.

Apple said it would set a dangerous legal precedent and expand government surveillance powers.

Law enforcement agents around the country have already said they have hundreds of iPhones they want Apple to unlock if the FBI wins this case, the statement said. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks.

That statement came after FBI Director James Comey, in an unusual online commentary posted just before midnight Sunday, said, I hope folks will take a deep breath and stop saying the world is ending.

We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorists passcode without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly, Comey wrote. Thats it. We dont want to break anyones encryption or set a master key loose on the land.

That assertion seemed open to question. Last week, New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said his office has 175 iPhones it wants Apple to unlock in criminal cases.

Others in law enforcement around the country have also spoken of pursuing decryption of phones in criminal cases, signaling that Apples defeat in the case would spark a broader effort to get the company to open more phones.

Apple called on the government Monday to drop the court case in favor of a congressional commission or other panel of experts on intelligence, technology, and civil liberties to discuss the implications for law enforcement, national security, privacy, and personal freedoms.

Apple would gladly participate in such an effort, the company said.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, are expected to introduce a bill this week to create a commission. Other lawmakers want to go further, though, with Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., , and Richard Burr, R-N.C., working on a bill to force tech companies to assist law enforcement with decryption when there is a court order.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has invited Apple and the FBI to testify and share their side of the story with the American people.

A lawyer representing some of the victims and their families from the San Bernardino shootings said Monday that he will file a legal brief supporting the FBI in the case in hopes of getting more information about the attack and why those killed and wounded were targeted.

Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a letter to employees saying that over the past week Ive received messages from thousands of people in all 50 states, and the overwhelming majority are writing to voice their strong support.

The Pew poll showing that a majority of Americans want Apple to unlock Farooks phone raises the question of whether the company could suffer a business backlash. John Feland, CEO of Argus Insights, a research company that specializes in smartphone marketing, said he doesnt think so.

The U.S. market has become less and less important for Apple over the last few years, Feland said.

Even in the U.S., where Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump called for a boycott of Apple products, Feland said he expects that over the long term it wont be a problem for the company.
DETROIT (AP)  Uber is once again facing tough questions about safety after one of its drivers was charged with murder.

The fast-growing, San Francisco-based ride-hailing company defended its screening of drivers Monday, saying it couldn't have predicted that driver Jason Dalton would engage in the random shootings that left a half-dozen people dead in Kalamazoo Saturday night. Uber said its safety procedures are robust and don't need to change.

But some experts say the company needs to take a harder look at potential drivers if it wants to convince riders the service is safe, even as they agreed that Dalton wouldn't have raised red flags because he didn't have a criminal record.

Dalton, who had been driving for Uber for less than a month, was charged Monday with killing six people. The shootings began Saturday evening and took place over nearly five hours. The Kalamazoo County prosecutor says Dalton picked up Uber passengers after the first shootings and probably after subsequent shootings.

Uber security chief Joe Sullivan said Dalton cleared a background check and was approved to be a driver on Jan. 25. He had given slightly more than 100 rides and had a rating of 4.73 stars out of a possible five.

Until Saturday, Sullivan said, Uber had no reason to believe anything was amiss.

"No background check would have flagged and anticipated this situation."

Still, the incident raised more questions about Uber's security. The company earlier this month agreed to pay $28.5 million to settle two lawsuits that alleged it misled customers about safety procedures and fees. It's also facing a separate a lawsuit by district attorneys in San Francisco and Los Angeles, who alleged that Uber's checks failed to prevent the company from hiring several felons.

Last fall, an Uber driver in Massachusetts was sentenced to prison for raping a female passenger. Around the same time, a sixth-grade teacher moonlighting as an Uber driver was accused of raping a passenger in South Carolina. And in India in November, an Uber driver was sentenced to life in prison for raping a passenger. Uber was briefly banned from operating in New Delhi after that incident.

In response to the lawsuits, Uber has stopped using terms like "safer than a taxi" and "industry-leading background checks." But it insists riders are protected, and points out that, unlike taxis, riders can rate drivers.

"The system that Uber has is extremely safe," said Ed Davis, a former police commissioner from Boston who serves on Uber's Safety Advisory Board.

Uber's driver background checks compare names to public court records and are far less effective than fingerprint checks that access the FBI criminal history database, says Matthew Daus, a former New York City Taxi Commissioner and a transportation lawyer who has studied the issue.

Name checks can miss court records if a person uses an alias or their name is even slightly different from the records, Daus said.

Uber disputes that, and says the FBI records can be flawed because they don't always make clear cases in which charges were dropped. That can discriminate against potential drivers. Sullivan says Uber checks court records back to seven years, and will send someone in person to check records that aren't online.

In any case, both sides agree that Dalton wouldn't have raised red flags, since he had no prior criminal record.

"A background check is just that. It does not foresee the future," Davis said. But Daus said Uber's process is still troubling, since background checks done by fingerprints by a government agency are public records that anyone can review. In this case, Uber controls the information, he said.

Sullivan indicated that Uber became aware at some point Saturday of issues with Dalton's driving. He said the company received complaints about Dalton from several passengers on Saturday, including one about dangerous and erratic driving. Sullivan said Uber immediately suspends drivers who are accused of violent acts. But in the case of erratic driving, it typically contacts the driver first to make sure it hears both sides.

Sullivan wouldn't say whether Uber contacted Dalton on Saturday night, referring questions to law enforcement.

Uber passenger Matt Mellen said he called police to report that Dalton was driving erratically more than an hour before the shootings began. Mellen said he also tried to report Dalton to Uber.

Driver behavior is a problem Uber must address with the public as it grows and adds more cars, said Allen Adamson, founder of Brand Simple Consulting. The company, which is currently chalking up 3 million rides per day worldwide, needs to show that it has tough screening procedures and doesn't just take anyone as a driver, he said.

"People expect Uber to ensure that that driver is safe, secure and can be trusted. That's very hard for a rapidly growing company, and the bigger the company the harder it is to do," Adamson said.

People will accept one or two fluke incidents, but "if it happens on a repeated basis, you are on thin ice with your brand," Adamson said.

Customers appeared to sticking with the service, and backing the company's safety processes.

Ian Leavitt, a medical research assistant at the University of Colorado in Denver, uses Uber a few times a month and he'll continue to use it despite the shootings. Leavitt says that as long as Uber makes sure drivers don't have a criminal record or links to terrorism, he's satisfied that it's doing all it can.

"A background check can't predict the future. If someone with poor mental health hasn't acted out in the past, they'll make it through the check," he said.
Press release submitted by Scott Tunnicliff

Owner completes renovation of 1028 Harrison House purchased from Hilltop Campus Village leased

The George W. Smiley House has been given new life, now that the renovation of it has been completed. The two-story brick residence, built in the late 1860s, has been leased to three Palmer College of Chiropractic students. Members of the Hilltop Campus Village, Blue Grass Bank and others involved were given the chance to see the inside, and were very pleased with what they saw.

Having seen the property both before and after helps you appreciate the amount and quality of work performed.  said Chris Meyer, member of the ad hoc volunteer group that oversaw the process of finding a new owner. The floors, windows and staircase are just a few of the amazing things achieved here.

Director Scott Tunnicliff was equally impressed. Attracting quality investment like this is the cornerstone of what the Hilltop Campus Village is all about. Nothing is more important in this city than halting the trend of de-populating the central city with such projects.

The house, which is a contributing property to the College Square Historic District in Davenport Iowa, had faced an uncertain future for the past couple of years. It reuse is due to the generosity and commitment to community development of Wells Fargo Bank and Trust, who donated the property to the Hilltop Campus Village Corporation, hoping they could find a someone interested in its renovation. Sherri Wagler and Derrick Beechum of Wells Fargo were among those that toured the property.

The Hilltop Campus Village Corp., a 501c3 organization dedicated to revitalization within the district, chose an ad hoc work group from its volunteer base to develop an application aimed at finding a developer or occupant who would be able to take possession for a price substantially below market value, on condition that they be able to secure financing and implement viable plans for its renovation and re-use.

The process was not an easy one. Funding for the initial successful applicant fell through, and the ad hoc had to begin again. Eventually a successful applicant emerged. Andrew Wold, owner of Alliance Contracting, came forward and agreed to purchase the property to renovate it to standards as specified by the the HCV.

The house, originally a 4-bedroom, 2600 sq foot residence, is located at the SW corner of Harrison Street and 11th, directly across from the new construction going on at Davenport Central High School. It is just east of the Bethel AME Church, and north of Jimmys King Gyros.

The ad hoc work group did a great job of developing the application, and vetting applicants. Said HCV Board President Robert Lee. We wanted to make certain this property would be saved, and given new life, especially as it is so close to lots of amenities, and visible to people driving and walking through the Hilltop Campus Village.

Andrew Wold is pleased that things turned out so well. Going in, we knew there would be a lot of work required, especially on the windows and on the floors, but this place has great bones. He said. We are pleased to have has the opportunity to do the work and to lease it out..

Those seeking additional information may contact Andrew Wold at 563 370 0354, or Scott Tunnicliff, HCV director, at 563 370 2098.
The developments followed an agreement between Washington and Moscow for a new cease-fire set to take effect at midnight Friday local time in the 5-year-old civil war, even as major questions over enforcement remain unresolved.

The truce does not cover the Islamic State group, Syria's al-Qaida branch known as the Nusra Front, or any other militia designated as a terrorist organization by the U.N. Security Council.

But exactly where along Syria's complicated front lines the fighting would stop and where counterterrorism operations could continue under the truce is still to be addressed. The five-page plan released by the U.S. State Department also leaves open how cease-fire breaches would be dealt with.

While accepting the proposed truce, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said its operations will continue against IS, the Nusra Front and "other terrorist groups." It also stressed the right of its armed forces "to retaliate against any violation carried out by these groups."

Cabinet minister Ali Haidar said the government will respect the cease-fire in principle, although he could not "speak on behalf of the armed groups."

"Violations will happen from other parties and not from the Syrian state's side," Haidar told The Associated Press after talks in Damascus with Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The main umbrella for Syrian opposition and rebel groups, the High Negotiations Committee, gave conditional approval late Monday. The HNC said acceptance was conditional on the government ending its siege of 18 rebel-held areas, releasing detainees and halting aerial and artillery bombardment.

However, Talal Sillo, a spokesman for the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces, told the AP that his group will not abide by the truce because it's fighting against the Islamic State group in northern Syria.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said won't vouch for the success of the agreement but said it's the best pathway for ending the bloodshed.

"I'm not going to say this process is sure to work because I don't know," Kerry testified in Washington before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Russian military said it has set up a coordination center to help enforce the cease-fire. The center is located at Syria's Hemeimeem air base, which hosts Russian warplanes, said Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.-Gen. Igor Konashenkov, adding that it was established in line with the U.S.-Russian agreement.

Its purpose, Konashenkov said, would be to help organize cease-fire negotiations between the Syrian government and the opposition. Russia has given out its hotline numbers for enforcing the truce to the U.S., he added.

Some Syrians in the northern town of Qamishli expressed skepticism that the truce would hold.

"If the international community had wanted to stop the bloodshed, the killing and shelling, this could have happened three or four years ago," Bakr Safir told the newsgathering Arab agency Arab24.

U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura halted the latest Syria talks in Geneva on Feb. 3 because of major differences between the two sides, exacerbated by increased bombings and a large-scale government offensive near the northern city of Aleppo.

It was not immediately clear if de Mistura will set a new date for the talks, initially scheduled to resume Thursday. He was quoted last week by the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet as saying they won't resume Feb. 25 because he cannot "realistically" get the parties back to the talks by then.

A new humanitarian aid convoy of 44 trucks entered the besieged Damascus suburb of Moadamiyeh, Syria's state news agency SANA reported Monday. The delivery was supervised by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the U.N., it said.

State TV reported Tuesday that aid entered another rebel-held suburb, Kfar Batna.

The U.N. humanitarian agency confirmed the delivery. Spokesman Jens Laerke of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the shipments were under way to help about 20,000 people in Moadamiya and another 10,000 in Kfar Batna.

The latest distribution of aid came as Maurer, the ICRC president, began a five-day visit to Syria  his fourth since taking office in 2012.

"This is a critical situation at the present moment with millions of people in need," he said.

The Islamic State captured the northern town of Khanaser, cutting supply lines for government forces between Aleppo and central and western Syria. The militants also seized 12 surrounding hills, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Aamaq news agency, which is affiliated with IS, also reported the extremists were in "full control" of the town southeast of Aleppo.

The Observatory said 35 troops and 16 IS fighters were killed, with many wounded.

The Observatory, which tracks Syria's civil war, said it has documented 271,138 deaths since the conflict began in 2011. But the actual death toll is estimated by the activist group to be about 100,000 higher than that, based on lists of names of the dead.

The U.N., which last released a death toll several months ago, says the war has killed 250,000 people.
Meng Brings NASA Astronaut To Queens On October 17, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) brought NASA astronaut Dr. Jonny Kim to Queens where he met and spoke with students at Francis...

Celebrating Columbus The Federation of Italian-American Organizations of Queens (FIAO) held their annual Columbus Day parade in Astoria, on Saturday, October 8, during Italian Heritage Month. The...

Russo-Elling Mourned More than 300 first responders lined up on Thursday night to honor FDNY EMT Lt. Alison Russo-Elling, as her body was placed into a waiting...
Nova 96.9s Fitzy & Wippa are heading to the South African jungle. From Monday they will be live from TENs Im A CelebrityGet Me Out Of Here!, to not only surprise the celebs but shake things up a bit.

Fitzy & Wippa will be joining the remaining celebrity contestants, Shane Warne, Prisoners Val Lehman, Brendan Fevola and The Chief Paul Harragon, in South Africa all next week.

Fitzy said, Even our Rabies shots cant prevent the foaming from the mouth excitement, knowing were going into the jungle to stitch up the celebrities.

Fitzy & Wippa will be in the jungle from Monday 29 February to Friday 4 March from 6am to 9am, with highlights from 6pm to 7pm across the Nova Network.
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As sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more common, evacuation routes in coastal areas with increased flood risk become more important. So does the need for their maintenance.

Transportation engineers must remember to factor climate change into the equation because it can help them anticipate and cope with what could be an overwhelming challenge, the unpredictability of nature. Engineers will need to become more proactive as they assess the potential impacts of climate change and try to anticipate damage to transportation infrastructure assets such as pavement, bridges and culverts.

Extreme weather will make infrastructure assets deteriorate more quickly, and this new reality makes planning and operational alternatives imperative. For example, New York City relocated trains and other equipment to areas that were not prone to flooding when Hurricane Irene was imminent in 2011. Such concerns may be reflected in infrastructure management plans, through which a planning agency documents how they expect to manage assets in the light of uncertainty.

Since 2012, a federal law  the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act  directs state departments of transportation to develop risk-based asset-management plans for interstate highways and commit more broadly to transportation performance management. The final rules detailing when and how state transportation agencies will have to comply are expected in 2016. The preliminary requirements have given the agencies an opportunity to begin addressing the potential impact of climate change in infrastructure management documents.

Transportation Asset Management Plans are specified in living documents that are already commonplace in Australia and New Zealand, both at local and regional levels of government. New Zealand has required local governments to prepare and update such documents since 1974. The country's recently released Thirty Year (PDF) infrastructure plan devotes a small section of one chapter titled Strategic Context to climate change and has been criticized for largely ignoring the issue while mainly focusing on road construction. However, the authors of the document should be commended for at least raising the issue of climate change.

Infrastructure management systems are software suites supported by databases that help planners and engineers decide when and how to maintain, rehabilitate or replace an asset. Arizona's Pavement Management System is an early example of this  it came online in 1980 and saved the state an estimated $14 million the first year by identifying a cost-effective maintenance plan. States and local agencies have adopted pavement, bridge, pipeline and municipal infrastructure management systems.

A 2012 review by the Water Finance Research Foundation found 14 different software systems for municipal infrastructure management. In addition to reducing maintenance costs, the systems can lead to improved facility conditions (via the selection of more cost-effective maintenance plans), help define infrastructure maintenance requirements, and predict with some accuracy the consequences of funding decisions. The Environmental Protection Agency notes that asset management helps utilities efficiently manage infrastructure.

Infrastructure management systems operate by relying on models that show how facilities will be used and will deteriorate over time. These should be periodically updated to reflect changing environmental conditions. Historical data on facility deterioration and use are stored within infrastructure management systems, giving engineers the information they need to study the impacts of climate change.

Developing management systems and infrastructure management plan documents gives public agencies the opportunity to take a step back and think about the facilities they manage, to consider how these facilities will age and how they will be used. By doing so, the agencies can prepare for the fallout from climate change before the harsh weather wreaks its havoc.

Kenneth Kuhn is an operations researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and on the faculty of the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He is also an associate editor of the ASCE Journal of Infrastructure Systems.

This commentary originally appeared on Inside Science on February 22, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
The implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement and the release of Americans held prisoner in Iran are no doubt positive developments. Iran's implementation of the agreement leaves it without the ability to develop nuclear weapons quickly; more importantly, the nuclear program comes with closer international supervision. On the whole, ties between the United States and Iran are improving, especially considering that relations between the two had been marked by great tension in recent years, and military conflict did not seem far off at times. But to think that a new era in Iran or in U.S.-Iran relations has arrived is a stretch.

The forces of the status quo in Iran are still strong. It's true that President Hassan Rouhani appears to be enjoying a strong tailwind: Sanctions against Iran have been lifted, Iranian prisoners in the United States have been released in exchange for the release of the Americans and Iran acted quickly to release captured U.S. sailors who had wandered into their territorial waters recently. But in Iran, progress has often faced resistance and pushback by reactionary forces.

Iran was in the throes of reform in the 1990s under President Mohammad Khatami, who not only controlled the executive branch but was also able to dominate Parliament for a time. Khatami's brief spring allowed for a more open and expressive society, a profusion of new media and a dynamic economy. However, his era of reform was followed by the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from 2005 to 2012, a contested presidential election in 2009, mass protests, a brutal regime crackdown and life under severe sanctions. Iran's political system has changed significantly since the Khatami era: The Revolutionary Guards have amassed political and economic power, and the 2009 Green uprising has left the regime more suspicious of reform than ever.

Rouhani has always stated his duty to conduct policy within the framework established by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has said that he is not opposed to negotiating with the United States on specific issues. The past two years have demonstrated the convergence between Rouhani and Khamenei as they both sought the lifting of sanctions. And both men may believe that the United States and Iran should engage on a number of other issues, including resolving the Syrian conflict and fighting the Islamic State group.

But it is unlikely that Khamenei's policy framework extends to normalizing relations with Washington, allowing more open elections, improving human rights, easing political and social repression or fundamentally changing Iran's regional policies. Human rights abuses have increased since Rouhani's election. Traditional and social media are heavily censored. Many Iranian-Americans traveling to Iran are not necessarily safer after the prisoners' release. Reports indicate that Iran's watchdog Guardian Council disqualified many reformist and centrist candidates from running in the upcoming parliamentary elections. And Tehran continues to fund and train sectarian forces throughout the region.

Iranians who have lived through the nuclear crisis are right to be wary of the future. And policymakers in Washington should view Iran the same way. The next U.S. president may explore new opportunities for diplomatic engagement with Iran. But he or she cannot ignore the realities of Iran and the Middle East. The United States has achieved an important diplomatic breakthrough with Iran, but it still faces the same regime it has since 1979. And Iranians are still waiting for a truly new era that includes personal freedoms long denied to them. The euphoria surrounding the nuclear implementation should not obscure a key fact: The Islamic Republic acted in its own self-interest by implementing the nuclear agreement. It was not an act of kindness or friendship toward America or its key regional allies and partners.

A new era for Iran would mean a more democratic and open nation at peace with its neighbors. The Iranian nuclear crisis is over for now, but real change in Iran still remains to be seen.

Alireza Nader is a senior international policy analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

This commentary originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report on February 23, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Coinciding with the Galaxy S7 launch at the Mobile World Congress 2016, Orange Spain has announced it will distribute its smart TV line together with Samsung's new flagship phone.





With each Galaxy S7 (719 for the 32Gb version) the French telco sells, a Samsung Full HD 32'' J4500 smart TV will be included. Also, Orange customers pre-booking an S7 or S7 edge will receive Samsung Gear virtual reality glasses.Through the offer, which is available to convergent IPTV subscribers, the telco is strengthening its partnership with the Korean manufacturer. Orange , and its recent acquisition Jazztel, have been distributing smart TVs since December as a part of their convergent strategy, aiming to draw more customers to pay for fibre-based Internet and IPTV. In addition, Orange has stated that it sees smart TVs as a tool to increase access to its multimedia TV features, such as its video-on-demand (VOD) catalogue and Wuaki.tv portfolio.For the first time since it started offering TV in Spain, Orange is experiencing real growth, and reported that it tripled its pay-TV subs during 2015.
Marvin G. Weinbaum is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This piece has been published in collaboration with the Middle East Institute, and is part of the MEI series titled: "The Middle East and the 2016 Presidential Elections."

Many of the Afghan state's vital signs are weakening. The transition necessitated by the withdrawal of most American and NATO forces has proven exceedingly difficult. Security has diminished, especially over this last year, as the Taliban have made steady military gains. Roughly half of the country's 34 provinces are under severe or strong risk of falling to the insurgents, according to a recent U.N. report. The economy is struggling to adjust to a sharp drop-off in military-related spending.

Meanwhile, an Afghan unity government beset with political wrangling has failed to make progress against endemic corruption, or to bring about other promised reforms. In foreign policy, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's efforts to improve relations with Pakistan -- a means of initiating a peace process with the Taliban and furthering a strategy of regional economic integration -- are being tested.

The actions of the Obama administration in 2016 can significantly affect the Afghan government's prospects of overcoming the security, economic, and political challenges that threaten the viability of its unity government, and ultimately that of the Afghan state. What happens this year in Afghanistan, when taken together with the last seven years of the Obama presidency, will also figure prominently in shaping its legacy.

As in so many other conflicts in the Greater Middle East, there are bound to be surprises, and American policy in Afghanistan needs to be recalibrated during this election year. Yet even in an election in which American foreign policy is expected to have considerable salience, Afghanistan is unlikely to emerge as a prominent campaign issue.

Partisan differences in U.S. policy toward Afghanistan run less deep than in Syria and Iraq. To the extent that Afghanistan receives attention, most Republican aspirants and the eventual nominee can be expected to promote a more robust military role than the Obama administration has undertaken. While neither party is likely to advocate a greatly expanded U.S. military presence, Republicans can be expected to go further than Democrats in calling for an increase in trainers with the Afghan army, more Special Forces tasked with targeting terrorist groups, and increased close air support for Afghan army units. Republican demands for additional personnel and financial commitments in Afghanistan could, however, lose out to Syria and Iraq in the competition for additional military assets.

President Obama had until mid-2015 planned a complete pullout of all American military personnel by the end of his term of office. His October 2015 decision to leave 5,500 U.S. troops in the country is important, because it does not foreclose the support options available to his successor as president. NATO has also announced that it hopes to have as many as 12,000 troops (including U.S.) in Afghanistan through 2016 and has promised to sustain Afghan security forces financially through 2020. But the level and kind of involvement of the United States and its allies is contingent on the performance of the Afghan army, its quasi-military police, and government-backed local defense militias. A major Taliban surge in 2016 or later that puts the Afghan military under severe stress would no doubt compel Washington to reassess the U.S. force structure in Afghanistan, as well as the need for additional material support. In a worst case scenario, rapidly collapsing Afghan defenses could force the United States and its NATO partners to conclude that our further military presence in the country is untenable.

2016 has already seen another effort to launch a peace process with the Taliban. The United States and China have joined the Afghan government and Pakistan, chief among regional powers, to seek a political outcome to the 14-year-old conflict. Hopes rest on the belief that the Taliban and other insurgent groups will agree to a cease-fire, followed by a power-sharing arrangement with the Kabul government. Yet there is little reason to believe that the insurgent leaders are ready to compromise, particularly as they perceive themselves to be succeeding militarily. Moreover, the government's vision of an Afghanistan that fosters democratic institutions and human rights sharply contrasts with Taliban ideas of a Sharia state. Washington's persistence in pursuing reconciliation is an indication of its desperate desire to find a shortcut to bring to an end to an increasingly dispiriting conflict.

One of the larger unknowns in 2016 and beyond is the extent to which the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, will plant roots in Afghanistan. At present, ISIS is dominant in only a small number of provincial districts across the east and north. Its further growth would appear limited by its having to compete for turf and local loyalties with the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Adherents to the Islamic State are mainly defectors from a fractionalizing mainline Taliban movement in an alliance with several thousand foreign fighters, many of them Uzbeks and Chechens. While the links of the Afghan chapter to the movement's leadership in the Levant appear to be weak, the brand of terrorism in Afghanistan does mimic the brutal practices in several Arab countries, with which it also shares a similar worldview. Should the Islamic State group's influence in Afghanistan expand over the coming months and years, the United States may have to reassess what this means for its strategic stakes in the Afghan conflict, and in the region more broadly.

While there are disagreements over aspects of U.S. policy in Afghanistan, there is a near consensus among experts that the country has entered into a critical period in which the complexion of the conflict with the Taliban could change rather quickly. Will the Taliban's momentum, so evident in 2015, continue, with the insurgents able to hold territory, including large urban centers? Will the Taliban's organizational disaffection accelerate the emergence of younger, more hardline elements, and possibly lead to greater recruitment to the Islamic State? Or might the growing disarray within Taliban ranks provide an opportunity to encourage further disunity and weaken the insurgency? These and other open questions make it virtually certain that U.S. policy in Afghanistan will require recalibration, and must anticipate surprises through this administration and the next.

(AP photo)
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Conservative. Idaho. Software engineer. Historian. Trying to prevent Idiocracy from becoming a documentary. Email complaints/requests about copyright infringement to clayton @ claytoncramer.com. Reminder: the last copyright troll that bothered me went bankrupt. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." -- Rom. 8:28
Kourtney Kardashian reunited with Scott Disick on Monday to honor her late dad, Robert Kardashian.

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The 36-year-old "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star invited her 32-year-old ex-partner to celebrate what would have been the attorney's 72nd birthday with her family.

Robert Kardashian died of cancer at age 59 in 2003.

"My first love," Kourtney captioned a throwback photo of herself with her dad on social media. She later tweeted, "Blessed and magical night" with heart, prayer and rose emojis.

Kourtney and her family ate Armenian food in honor of her late dad's heritage, as seen in a live stream on sister Kim Kardashian's website and app.

Kim's daughter, North West, dressed as Elsa from "Frozen," while Kourtney's daughter, Penelope Disick, dressed as Anna.

"You know it's been a good night when you've finished your family dinner and you realize Elsa's sister Anna left her hair behind. #penelope #frozen #magical night," Kris Jenner, Kourtney and Kim's mom and Robert Kardashian's ex-wife, captioned a photo of the dinner table.

Jenner, who is also mom to Khloe Kardashian and Rob Kardashian with her late ex-husband, hosted boyfriend Corey Gamble and Khloe's estranged husband, Lamar Odom, in addition to her family.

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Kourtney's sons Mason Disick and Reign Disick were also present.

Kourtney and Disick were together for nine years before splitting in July.

The pair previously came together for the Thanksgiving holiday, but their reunion Monday was overshadowed by reports Disick spent the previous week partying at New York Fashion Week.

"He was a total mess," a source told People of Disick, who has struggled with substance abuse issues for years. "He was doing well for a long time. It's sad and worrisome ... Hopefully he can go back to being healthy. He doesn't want to disappoint Kourtney or his kids."
Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd celebrated their engagement in New York on Saturday.

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The 36-year-old Ukrainian-American and 29-year-old New Zealand-born professional dancers celebrated at a masquerade-themed party at the Diamond Horseshoe club in the Paramount Hotel.

"I'm obsessed with the amount of love in this room. I'm so thankful for everyone that created these memories with us. Thank you @diamondhorseshoenyc," Murgatroyd wrote on Instagram.

"Officially the best day of my adult life! Worlds collided and love flooded the room! Thank you to @ldvlife for putting on an event of a lifetime and to @diamondhorsehoenyc," Chmerkovskiy added.

Chmerkovskiy and Murgatroyd danced as pros on ABC reality competition "Dancing with the Stars" and got engaged in December. The couple was joined by other "Dancing" pros, including Chmerkovskiy's brother Val and Sharna Burgess, and Val's Season 20 partner, Rumer Willis.

"Hugs and endless love for the most beautiful girl in the room, inside and out, every time. What an incredible night baby girl, and it's just the beginning of a new incredible chapter in your life. Love you beyond @petamurgatroyd #bestengagementpartyever," Burgess wrote.

Chmerkovskiy and Murgatroyd met during a Broadway production of "Burn the Floor" in 2009 and first appeared together on "Dancing" in 2011. The two previously celebrated their engagement with a tropical getaway to Saint Martin for New Year's.

"I'm not sure how 2016 can top this incredible year... but it's an amazing feeling knowing the best is yet to come baby @maksimc #StMaarten #grateful #lifeisgood," Murgatroyd wrote at the time.

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Chmerkovskiy competed on Seasons 2 through 5 and 7-15 of "Dancing," and won Season 18 with Meryl Davis in 2014. Murgatroyd joined "Dancing" in Season 13, and was forced to sit out Season 21 due to injury.
Nick Cannon celebrated his January cover of DuJour Magazine in Midtown, N.Y. on Friday, February 19.

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While there the actor and producer mentioned to People magazine that while he has a lot scheduled for himself in the near future, including writing a new film, one thing that isn't certain is his love life.

"I haven't figured it out yet," the "America's Got Talent" host told the magazine in regards to dating."I just don't think I'm ready to date yet," he added.

"It's funny because my next film that I'm writing is all about online dating so I'm learning all about it," Cannon said. "It's so intriguing to me but I have yet jump into that pool. But it's the new wave so I'm not against it."

Cannon has proven that the subject of love has been on his mind with several quotes posted on

Instagram.

One post reads: "It is better to lose your ego to the one you love than to lose the one you love because of your ego."

He captioned it, "#LateNightInMyFeelings."
Facebook is currently hunting for a 500,000-square-foot space in its attempt to expand in its company office in New York City, sources of recent reports say.

Well, expecting this social media giant to seek for giant spaces for their company is already a given. The Real Deal even reveals that Facebook has been considering a space in one of the office towers currently being constructed in the Hudson Yards.

Founded by Mark Zuckerberg, this $300 billion company has been reportedly negotiating with the Related Cos. as well as with Vornado Realty Trust, Facebook's current landlord on their desire to move to another location.

Being the largest tenant at Vornado's 770 Broadway in the Greenwich Village, Facebook has been adding space for the company since it first positioned in a 100,000-square-foot space in 2013, as per Crain's New York Business. To date, the company's space at the 15-story building has a total of 295,000 square feet, the source added.

Despite its already large company housing in a 1.6 million-square-foot property at the 770 Broadway, the Internet giant continues to look for a larger space, allowing growth for the company, as per brokers.

Moreover, Crain's said that Vornado is helping Facebook develop a space near Penn Station or other locations. Recent reports say that the World Trade Center could be a conducive space for Facebook should the 500,000 square feet be pushed through.

The search for another large space in New York is still on so Facebook may not move sooner or just anytime. Other tech companies like Google have been rapidly expanding in the city and Facebook's expansion may possibly follow in due time.

As a matter of fact, just this February, Facebook has housed its largest office in Southern California, specifically at the Playa Jefferson campus at 12777 West Jefferson Boulevard, Playa Vista, closing a 35,000-square-foot lease deal with Vantage Property Investors, another business landlord, according The Real Deal Los Angeles.

While still hunting for another place for expansion, Facebook is currently on business with other tenants, such as AOL in Vornado.
MV Construction and Development Group has recently announced that it will be joining with the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami as a sponsor for the Blitz Build 2016, Habitat for Humanity's accelerated construction project.

"We are delighted to have MV Group helping us further our mission," stated Miami Habitat CEO, Mario Artecona. "It's always a wonderful thing to see a busy company take the time to engage in their local community by rolling up their sleeves and being a part of what will become an affordable home for one of our great partner families."

According to the press release of MV Group in PR NewsWire, elected officials and partners will join the MV Group team for the celebration of the dedication ceremony upon the completion of Blitz Build 2016. In Blitz Build 2016, 10 homes are scheduled to be built within two weeks. This year, the project will be constructed on properties within a three-block radius in West Perrine. The dedication ceremony will be held at 10345 S.W. 182 Street on Feb. 27, 2016 at 1:00 p.m.

"We are thrilled to bring out our team to complete our Habitat home during Blitz Build 2016. We are honored to contribute to the ongoing development of the West Perrine area, and can't wait for the dedication of our home to the Habitat family," said Manny Angelo Varas, CEO and President of MV Group.

The partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the MV Group marks a milestone in MV Group's commitment to the South Florida community.

Varas is a notable developer, general contractor, and Harvard University alumnus of the distinguished Graduate School of Design.

MV Construction Group is a Miami-based full-service construction company that offers a broad range of construction and interior design services. The company's comprehensive, multi-disciplinary services range from the creation and preparation of completely furnished turn-key packages to construction, purchases, installation, coordination, and supervision.
A House committee in Arizona has approved a bill to eliminate licensing requirements for landscape architects, geologists, assayers, driving school instructors, fruit packer companies and yoga instructors. Several members of the regulated professions attended the committee hearing and spoke in opposition of the bill, particularly landscape architects and geologists who raised concerns that eliminating licensing in Arizona would make them ineligible for license reciprocity to work in neighboring states. Others spoke out on concerns related to public safety and the need for a body with the authority to discipline incompetent professionals. Supporters of the bill noted the regulations that would remain in place related to certification, degree and examination requirements in order to use the titles professional landscape architect and professional geologist.

Related to this, Governor Ducey has issued Executive Order 2016-03 prohibiting all state agencies from conducting any new rulemaking, except when changes to rules create efficiencies, protect public health and safety, are necessary to avoid violating a court order or federal law, and fulfill budgetary obligations. This order is in effect until December 31, 2016.

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Donald Trump speaks to his supporters at a rally in Atlanta at the Gerorgia World Congress Center. Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. Donald Trump is a Republican running in the 2016 presidential election. (Photo/ Sam Cherof, Samuel.cherof25@uga.edu)
SHARE In this book cover image released by Simon & Schuster shows, "And Then All Hell Broke Loose: Two Decades in the Middle East," by Richard Engel. (Simon & Schuster via AP)

By JERRY HARKAVY, Associated Press

"And Then All Hell Broke Loose: Two Decades in the Middle East" (Simon & Schuster), by Richard Engel

Regular viewers of television's evening news are sure to have seen video of Richard Engel delivering narratives as he dodges bullets, bombs and artillery barrages while reporting on the latest conflicts in the Middle East.

Over the past two decades, the boyish-looking reporter for NBC News has emerged as perhaps the most familiar face that Americans count on to update them on complex, chaotic and critical developments in a faraway region that has come to dominate international news. Like Forrest Gump, he seems to wind up wherever the action is.

Engel's third book on the subject is both a memoir about his often dangerous assignments and a primer on the political and religious strife in the Arab world, a story that begins after he graduates from Stanford and takes off for Cairo with dreams of becoming a foreign correspondent. Arriving with two suitcases and $2,000, he moved into a seven-story walk-up "as barren and dirty as a flophouse." But for a young man looking to connect a major story, his timing was perfect.

No sooner than he taught himself Arabic than he came in contact with violent Islamic fundamentalists, whose attacks on foreign tourists set the stage for similar bloodshed from al-Qaeda and ISIS. After four years in Cairo, he moved on to Jerusalem and covered the second Intifada.

The switch from freelancer to staffer for a French wire service was followed by his shift to television, where bigger budgets allowed him to move around more easily. Instead of scrounging for money for gas, TV correspondents flew on chartered planes. "I thought to myself, now that's the world I'd rather be part of."

Iraq was where Engel made his mark, scoring a visa by posing as a peace activist prepared to serve as a "human shield" against U.S. attacks and then hiring a driver to smuggle him into the country through Jordan and across Iraq's Western Desert. Soon after the bombings began, he was the last American TV reporter in Baghdad.

When a truck bomb explodes outside his hotel room during the insurgency, Engel wonders how long he can continue to cheat death and whether the constant danger was making him paranoid. But leaving Iraq does little to get him out of the line of fire. His transfer to Beirut comes just in time to cover the monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah; he then returns to Egypt for the Arab Spring uprising that brought down strongman Hosni Mubarak and crosses the border when the overthrow of Libya's leader takes center stage. But Engel's biggest brush with danger would come at the end of 2012 when he and his crew are held captive for five days in Syria during the civil war that continues to this day.

The author's quick-paced account is a thrilling adventure story laced with historical context to help readers make sense of the longstanding sectarian hatreds that propel the violence in Iraq and elsewhere. Engel's critiques of U.S. policy are bipartisan, faulting Presidents George W. Bush for misguided military action and Barack Obama for his inconsistent and confused response to the Arab Spring and the rise of ISIS.

No one can argue that Engel, now NBC's chief foreign correspondent, missed the boat when he decided to head to the Middle East to cover what he believed would be his generation's biggest news venue. "My ambition was to ride the train of history, and the train came rumbling right at me."
This image provided by CBS shows, Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick in a scene from "The Good Wife." Show creators Robert and Michelle King say they welcomed CBS' decision to end the series, allowing them to write its final chapter. On Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, the network used its Super Bowl telecast to announce that "The Good Wife" was heading into its final nine episodes, with the series finale to air May 8. (Michael Parmelee/CBS via AP)

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By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) a "The Good Wife" creators Robert and Michelle King say they welcomed CBS' decision to end the series, allowing them to write its final chapter.

The Kings already had decided to exit as executive producers after this season, the seventh, leaving CBS to weigh whether to keep the critically acclaimed show afloat without them.

On Sunday, the network used its Super Bowl telecast to announce that "The Good Wife" was heading into its final nine episodes, with the series finale to air May 8.

The Kings had just learned of the decision in the past week, they told a phone news conference Monday.

"We felt very fortunate and flattered that we're being allowed to end the show .... the way we hoped it would end," Michelle King said. "The Good Wife" airs 9 p.m. EST Sunday.

CBS may have faced the loss of series star Julianna Margulies as well. At an event last month honoring the Kings, Margulies joked in her speech that she'd only shown up because she would soon be out of work and needed the exposure.

The actress "was kind of up in the air" about returning as lawyer Alicia Florick, Michael King said. Margulies has won two Emmys for the role.

But after conversations in recent days involving her, CBS, the studio and the Kings, the conclusion was that everybody "really wanted to go all together," Michelle King said.

The couple, who are moving on to a new series for CBS, the comic political thriller "BrainDead," said they had long envisioned "Good Wife" as lasting seven years.

To avoid spoilers, the Kings spoke in broad strokes about how their critically acclaimed drama will conclude.

Robert King said he likes shows that "end with some resonance," citing "Breaking Bad" and "Six Feet Under" as memorable examples.

"What I admire an ending that feels inevitable and surprising," Michelle King said.

There will be a return of characters who have been offstage, including Gary Cole's Kurt McVeigh, but viewers won't see private investigator Kalinda Sharma, played by Emmy-winner Archie Panjabi.

Kalinda chose to disappear and "it wouldn't make any sense to bring her back," Michelle King said.

Asked about a possible "Good Wife" spinoff, she said "nothing's off the table but there's nothing formal. ... We're not saying 'no' to anything at this point."

Robert King said such a spinoff likely would be an ensemble drama focusing on characters who haven't gotten as much attention, such as Elsbeth Tascioni, played by Carrie Preston, or Martha Plimpton's Patti Nyholm.

"The Good Wife," initially built on the response of Margulies' character to a scandal involving her politician husband (Chris Noth), was centered on the world of Chicago law and politics.

In early January, CBS programming chief Glenn Geller told reporters that the network hadn't decided the show's future without the Kings.

___

Online: http://www.cbs.com/shows/the_good_wife
First-year medical student Timothy Woodiwiss, shown in an anatomy lab at the University of Washington, has come a long way since he was a 16-year-old high-school dropout. He is among 34 students being honored for achievements in which community college played a part. "You take one step at a time. You never realize how it all added up." (Lindsey Wasson/Seattle Times/TNS)

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By Katherine Long, The Seattle Times

SEATTLE  When he dropped out of high school in ninth grade, Timothy Woodiwisss biggest ambition was to manage the Ritzville, Wash., McDonalds.

At 18, he joined the Washington Army National Guard and, after working in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, decided he wanted to do something bigger with his life than serving Big Macs and french fries. So he enrolled in community college, where he started in remedial math  basic algebra.

Over the next nine years, he cycled through a half-dozen majors and career ideas, from firefighter to accountant to veterinarian. His studies were interrupted by two military deployments, but he always returned to college. He also got married, started a family and worked full time, but stayed in college.

His could have let his career be sidelined by any one of these events, but Woodiwiss never gave up.

I failed so many times in my life, said Woodiwiss, who has a shaved head and a gentle, boyish face.

At one point I got fired from McDonalds. Hegot a D in organic chemistry the first time he took the class  a failing grade. Over and over, he said, I felt like a miserable failure.

Yet today, he is a first-year medical student at the University of Washington, after graduating with honors last year from Washington State University with a bachelors of science in biochemistry, and minors in microbiology and animal science.

And last month, the 29-year-old was one of 34 students honored by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges for using a two-year college education as a springboard to a new life.

All those students embody tenacity and grit. Many were high-school dropouts. Some overcame poverty, drug addiction and homelessness, fled abusive parents, joined gangs, attempted suicide, went to prison for breaking the law.

Some were raised by alcoholics and junkies. A few managed to keep going to school despite physical disabilities. Many attended college while working and raising children on their own.

You just read these and you cry, you cry, literally, said Joanne Schwartz, a trustee for Centralia College, who has been helping select the award winners for the last five years. Because you cant help it. Youre so overcome with peoples desires to do better, to get beyond all the obstacles.

Personal character and resilience play a key role, as they have in Woodiwiss case. But the students who succeed almost always found a helping hand as well, Schwartz said. That person might be a teacher, a counselor, sometimes even a fellow student. They discovered someone who really cares about them, Schwartz said.

STARTING SMALL

Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Wash., was Woodiwiss springboard to college. But when he first enrolled, he feared that if he asked a stupid question, hed be discovered for what he was  a high-school dropout.

I was really terrified, he said. I was scared I wasnt smart enough. I felt like I was missing this foundational knowledge  and someone like me shouldnt be there.

Hed grown up in the small Eastern Washington town of Lind, the sixth of 12 children. His father was a postal worker, his mother a stay-at-home mom, and neither had attended college. In high school, Woodiwiss didnt see much point in going to college, either.

He dropped out at 16, and put in long hours at McDonalds, working his way from a member of the crew to shift manager. Woodiwiss took the GED test at Big Bend so he could work full-time during school hours. Because he couldnt afford the gas to drive to Moses Lake  41 miles away  for GED prep classes, he took the test anyway, and passed.

Shortly after his 18th birthday, Woodiwiss joined the Washington Army National Guard, and soon after was sent to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, where he witnessed the anguish of people who had lost everything in the storm. When he returned to Washington, his aspirations had moved beyond McDonalds, and he moved to Moses Lake and enrolled at Big Bend.

There he met Barbara Whitney, a math instructor who treated every question with patience, without ever making a student feel inferior for not grasping a math concept. She was so kind, he recalled.

Whitney still teaches at Big Bend, and she still treats every student equally, regardless of how much  or how little  they understand algebra.

Thats important, said Whitney, a 27-year veteran of the community college system. They pay good money, and theyre here to learn. Theres a saying: The only question thats stupid is the one you dont ask.

Whitney remembers Woodiwiss as a quiet, reserved student who sat in the front of the classroom. He didnt have a lot of family support, but he had a lot of drive, she said.

Woodiwiss was influenced by other teachers, too  an English composition teacher who encouraged his writing, and a history teacher who gave him his first A, on a paper about the history of the Balkans.

I thought my ideas were so small, but my history teacher loved it, Woodiwiss said.

Looking back, Woodiwiss thinks his insatiable appetite for reading as a teenager helped get him through the first quarters of college. He learned discipline in the military, and his faith also played an important role in what hes achieved. But community college was pivotal.

Without community college, I never would have had a chance to go to university, he said. It was the perfect setup for someone like me.

READY FOR A CHALLENGE

When Woodiwiss transferred from Big Bend to WSU in 2008, he had a 3.5 GPA. He no longer waited until the last minute to complete assignments, or study for a test. Hed learned how to be a better student.

But WSUs sprawling Pullman campus, so much larger and more intimidating than Big Bend, was a tough transition.

I really struggled, he said.

He failed his first biology test, but did better on the second. On the last exam of the semester, he earned an A.

Woodiwiss was called up for active duty in 2009, and left Pullman for a year to drive supply trucks to and from U.S. military bases in Iraq, where every mission was haunted by the fear that an improvised explosive device would detonate under the truck. But deployment also gave him a chance to think about how lucky he washow much more opportunity he had, as an American, than Iraqis stuck in a perpetual war zone.

His education was put on hold a second time when he volunteered for active duty and was assigned to serve in Bahrain, a month after he married his wife, Jessica. When he returned to Pullman, I really wanted to challenge myself, to finally overcome my fears, Woodiwiss said.

He had planned to become a veterinarian, but began thinking about becoming a doctor after watching the movie Gifted Hands, about the surgeon (and current presidential candidate) Ben Carson. Later, he read the Pulitzer-winning nonfiction book about the history of cancer, The Emperor of All Maladies, by Siddhartha Mukherjee.

After reading that book, I was hooked, he said. I was enthralled with the ability of a physician to touch the life of another human being and help them through the most difficult time of their life.

After graduating magna cum laude from WSU, and being inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, he spent thousands on a preparatory class for the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT, while he and his wife raised daughter Isabella, who is now 2. He was accepted to three medical schools, including the UW, which became his top pick.

To succeed in school requires a thousand steps, Woodiwiss said. You take one step at a time. You never realize how it all added up.

Whitney, the Big Bend math teacher, said Woodiwiss gave a speech at the college recently and talked about how he sat in his car in the parking lot on the first day, summoning the courage to walk into a class, fearing hed be labeled the stupidest student on campus.

He was ready for failure the first day, she said. But with a little bit of encouragement 

Oh, man, hes going to go so far.



2016 The Seattle Times

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Teepa Snow, a nationally known Alzheimer's expert, conducts a seminar at Daylesford Crossing senior living community in Paoli, Pa., on Jan. 19, 2016, where she uses humor, wit and wisdom to show participants what works best behaviorally when working with dementia patients. Here, Snow goes through a range of emotions during a role-playing exercise with seminar participants. (Ed Hille/Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)

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By Stacey Burling, The Philadelphia Inquirer

PAOLI, Pa.  Expect to say Im sorry a lot if you decide to try one of the trendier ways to communicate with people who have Alzheimers.

There was a time when caregivers tried orienting people with dementia to reality. That often feels like the natural thing to do. No, Mom, I actually did tell you that. Like, five times.

But at Daylesford Crossing, an assisted-living facility in Paoli, Pa., workers are more likely to just go with it if a resident has some strange ideas.

Lets say Mom or Grandma is furiously accusing her neighbor of stealing something. Your first impulse may be to defend the neighbor, but that would just make things worse, said Kathleen Douglass, administrator and dementia specialist at Sage Senior Living, which opened Daylesford 18 months ago.

Im sorry that happened to you, is a better answer, she said. Then you can show youve heard the emotion. You seem really angry. I would be angry too if that happened.

Its time to give up thinking your truth and rationality will change the mind of someone with dementia. Shes never going to be able to process that again, Douglass said. Shes in brain failure.

Teepa Snow, originator of this positive approach to care, was in Daylesford last month to train about 50 staffers from Sage facilities and some family members in her principles. A Pittsburgh native who moved to North Carolina 45 years ago and who has a Southern accent to show for it, Snow demonstrated how brain damage from dementia affects behavior and offered hands-on tips to help caregivers fill in the gaps.

Her message: The more the person with dementia loses his brain, the more those around him have to use theirs.

Snows goal is to help caregivers make use of whats still working in the brain and compensate for what isnt. Instead of focusing on the hole, we need to be looking at the doughnut, she said.

Krista McKay, director of programs and services for the Alzheimers Association Delaware Valley chapter, said Snow is among a group of dementia experts who espouse a more person-centered philosophy  look at the person, not the disease. The approach, which the association has endorsed for years, has been slow to take off but is gaining traction.

I would say that its taking root in a lot of ways, the care philosophy, she said. The issue at hand is whether its being applied.

Older approaches, she said, make it a priority to feed residents three meals a day, dress them appropriately, and take care of their toileting needs. The new one, which requires more staff, places greater emphasis on personal relationships, reminiscence, and activities that draw out what a patient still cares about. We have to go with that person along their journey as opposed to bringing them back, she said.

Douglass added that the old approach relied more heavily on using medication to address problem behaviors. Thats less likely to be necessary when peoples needs are being met.

With the aid of pictures that showed how the brain atrophies during dementia, Snow, an occupational therapist, explained why these patients are often frightened or resistant.

Their hearing may be fine, but they cant make sense of the words, so speaking more loudly only startles or annoys them.

Their visual field narrows considerably, especially when they are frightened. A 20-year-olds peripheral vision can detect his moving fingers if he stretches his hands straight out to the side, but someone in the midstage of dementia can see only between two arms thrust straight forward. That means its easy for someone with dementia to think youre sneaking up on him. If you stand right in front of him, youre blocking his full visual field, which can feel threatening. Its best to greet from a distance and then approach from the side.

Later in the course of the disease, the brain begins using visual messages from only one eye, throwing depth perception way off and increasing the risk of falling.

Because of damage to the frontal lobe, people with dementia often have trouble initiating an action, such as picking up a fork to eat. If you help them start, they may be able to keep going.

Snow said people with dementia lose the ability to use and understand complex speech. Long after thats gone, they may retain their sense of rhythm, the ability to dance and sing, and to make chitchat. These can be paths to happy experiences and theyre a lot healthier than a common source of a quick high: sugar.

Dementia patients also still remember swear words and racial slurs  Snow said theyre housed in a different part of the brain from complex language  and they use them. Another thing that isnt working is the brains brake.

A high-energy presenter with a flair for the dramatic, Snow convincingly modeled different neurological deficits. She drew knowing looks from people in the audience who had no trouble thinking of specific residents she resembled. Most often, she was a shuffling, hunched, cantankerous woman who took offense quickly or did inappropriate things like fondling the shiny bald head of one worker and swearing prodigiously.

In one common scenario, she played a woman who pitched a fit when a worker tried to bring a new woman to her table in the cafeteria. Then Snow explained what this queen bee of the table might have been like. Before she got sick, she likely was an introvert who was always in control. Introverts, she said, are territorial.

The worker should have come to her before lunch and said, I have a huge favor to ask of you. She would describe how this new person needed a place to sit and needed to be with someone skillful. What do you think?

At that point, the queen bee likely would volunteer to accept the new resident, but, because of her memory problems, thats not the end of it. Before the meal started, the worker would need to bring the new resident directly to the woman for the first introduction before actually showing her a chair.

Then theres the guy who complains that his table never gets served first. Even though the facility goes out of its way to make sure every table is served first sometimes, the important thing is what he thinks. The facts, which he cant remember or understand, wont sway him.

Im so sorry, Snow would tell him. Thats not all right. That shouldnt be happening. Im so sorry. Youre not getting served first, ever?

Then she said that, unless there are two tables with people who really care about when theyre served, its OK just to serve that guys table first.

One of her most counterintuitive examples was of a woman who shuffled up to a worker saying, I need something.

What do you need? the worker asked helpfully. First mistake. The woman didnt know and that forced her to admit it. She struggled to find the words to describe what she was looking for.

The worker tried to comfort her. Its OK, she said soothingly. Second mistake. It wasnt OK. This woman used to be a teacher and it was not OK at all with her that she couldnt find the words to say what she wanted.

Snow started again with Carla Bennett, a resident assistant with long experience in caring for the elderly. Bennett had to try multiple times before she could get past the habit of asking the woman what she needed. Finally, she did what Snow suggested. She repeated what the woman had said.

You need something. Then, Tell me more about it.

Snows character struggled some more, saying, I need my white and my black that I have first.

Can you show me what you do with it? Bennett asked. Finally, she steered the woman toward the coffee.

Bennett, who has been at Daylesford since it opened, said the program gave her a much clearer understanding of how Snows philosophy works. Its like shes moving all the old furniture out of your mind, she said.

Janet Haufler of Newtown Square, Pa., went to the workshop to learn more about interacting with her 84-year-old mother, who moved into Daylesford Crossing after a bad experience at another facility. She said her mother was doing much better now.

She became more engaged. Shes able to speak more. Shes able to move more, she said. Shes much happier.
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By Don Thompson, Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California lawmakers should reject Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to give counties another $250 million for jail construction, the state's nonpartisan legislative analyst said Monday.

The state has already provided $2.2 billion to build jails since 2007, including $1 billion since it began sending lower-level offenders to county lockups instead of state prisons about four years ago.

Shasta County would not be eligible for the governor's recent proposal, as the county received $20 million in 2012 for construction costs of a proposed 64-bed adult rehabilitation center in Redding. The 36,000-square-foot center is being proposed as more than a jail facility, with room for rehabilitation programs offered on site to offenders, with the ideal inmate having about one year left on a sentence.

The Democratic governor failed to show the need for more construction money, the Legislative Analyst's Office said in a report examining Brown's criminal justice budget.

The budget he offered last month fails to take into account a 2014 voter initiative that lowered penalties for certain drug and property crimes, the analysts concluded. It also doesn't consider whether counties can use alternatives to jailing offenders. The analysts noted the state's jail population dropped by 10,000 inmates after voters approved Proposition 47.

Brown's budget and state sheriffs say the money is needed to provide rehabilitation programs, not more cells.

"Program and treatment space is critical to reducing recidivism," said Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer.

As with the last round of funds, the money would go to provide the kind of rehabilitation programs that lawmakers and voters sought when they approved legal changes in recent years, California State Sheriffs' Association spokesman Cory Salzillo said. Those laws changed the mission of jails, he said, and counties need more and better space to provide treatment, education and health care to longer-term inmates, and those with mental health and substance abuse problems.

The competitive grants would be available to 20 of the state's 58 counties that received only partial funding in previous years or never had state help in replacing or renovating jails. Lassen County would be one of 17 counties eligible for the governor's proposed funding, as they have received no prior funding in the past for jail construction.

The analysis also recommends that lawmakers reject Brown's proposal to spend $6 million to repair the dilapidated California Rehabilitation Center in Norco.

Brown says California needs to keep about 2,800 inmates there to meet a federal court-ordered population cap. But the analysts say the state can comply other ways, and closing the prison east of Los Angeles would eventually save $131 million annually.

Nathan Solis contributed to this article.
Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight John Noonkester, right, sits in a Tehama County courtroom Monday with his defense attorney, Joe Gazzigli.

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By Jim Schultz of the Redding Record Searchlight

A Cottonwood man who is possibly facing the death penalty for the deaths of his ex-wife and her father reaffirmed his innocence Monday in Tehama County Superior Court.

Tehama County District Attorney Gregg Cohen told a Superior Court judge Monday afternoon that his office is still weighing whether to seek the death penalty against double-murder defendant John Wayne Noonkester, 32.

Cohen said his office is continuing to review the issue and talking with the family of the victims before finally determining how to proceed.

Noonkester, who reentered his not guilty plea during a brief appearance in court, is not scheduled to return until May 16.

Superior Court Judge C. Todd Bottke said he will set a trial date for Noonkester at that time unless a resolution is reached in the case.

Redding defense attorney Joe Gazzigli said after court he hopes a resolution can be reached, saying it's his wish the DA's office doesn't seek the death penalty against his client.

But if it does, Gazzigli said, he would have no other choice than to take the case to trial.

"It's (the death penalty) still on the table," Gazzigli said.

Noonkester, who was ordered last month to stand trial on two counts of first-degree murder and other charges, is accused of murdering his ex-wife, Kimberlee Thomas, 29, and her father, Keith Thomas, 53, during a July 3 shooting rampage outside the Little Country Store in Lake California.

Tehama County Sheriff's Detective Eric Patterson testified at Noonkester's preliminary hearing last month that Noonkester fired at least 10 rounds, shooting Kimberlee Thomas twice, including once while she was lying on the ground.

Her father, who was Noonkester's first victim, was also shot as he was lying on the ground, including one shot to the head.

Sheriff's deputies have said the shooting erupted outside the store after Kimberlee Thomas called 911 to report that her ex-husband and the father of their two young children had punched her father.

Although a possible motive behind the shooting was not raised at the preliminary hearing, electronic court records show that Noonkester had been involved in a dispute with his ex-wife over the custody of their two children after she had filed for divorce earlier that year.

In addition to murder, Noonkester is charged with attempted murder in the wounding of bystander Anthony Maitias Baugher, then 25, of Cottonwood.

Noonkester is being held in Tehama County Jail without bail.
Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight Bob Blankenship stands in front of his koi pond at his Redding home. The former Redding police chief is in need of a kidney transplant.

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By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record Searchlight

Bob Blankenship is not the type of person to ask for help, even as his kidneys are failing. Despite being the Redding police chief for several years, he does not relish the spotlight.

In need of a new kidney, Blankenship requires the help of another person, whether that is family, friend or a stranger, to see if they would be a viable candidate.

Last June, Blankenship cut the ribbon of the new Redding police facility named after him. But under his clothes was surgically implanted tubing for dialysis treatment. After several months, the treatment has not improved his condition and Blankenship has been hospitalized three times since his diagnosis of acute kidney failure.

His daughter recently created a Facebook page detailing her father's condition and, with the announcement seeking donors, the family invites more people into a private episode.

"I'm a private man. It's a very uncomfortable process to go through  to have to ask people if they are candidates," said Blankenship, 69, whose daughter is currently undergoing tests to see if she is a viable candidate.

Jean, Bob's wife, said there is some ambivalence involved with having their daughter test herself to see if she is a candidate.

"It's just a lot to ask of her, as a blood-match relative," Jean said. "As a proud man, Bob just needs to accept the help."

Doctors point to a history of high blood pressure and Blankenship's weight as the likely culprits for the kidney failure. The wait list with UC Davis Medical Center is five years for a new kidney, time Blankenship likely does not have.

Edward Zawada, Blankenship's doctor from Shasta Critical Care Specialist, said patients with end stage renal disease have no chance of kidneys being restored with medicine.

"There is not only the clearing of the poisons from our metabolism with a new kidney, but the new organ makes hormones and activates vitamins within the body. In short, the wellbeing of the person improves," said Zawada, who adds there are about 250 patients at his practice with end stage renal disease similar to Blankenship. The practice is one of the only clinics besides one in Chico to treat kidney failure in Northern California, Zawada said.

At this time, Blankenship is experiencing lethargy and confusion as his kidneys fail him. He spends 10 hours a night undergoing dialysis treatment at home, as a fluid flushes out his abdominal cavity and sometimes he wakes up unable to walk, concerned of his deteriorating health.

"The family is playing up this paired kidney donation approach, where someone would offer a kidney that maybe would not go to me, but to someone else who would have a donor on their side that would then go to me," Blankenship said, while expressing his guilty feelings of asking for another person's kidney.

A similar scenario played out for Jim Gironda when he required a transplant from a living donor. Gironda, 67, was reluctant to ask for help, let alone an organ. After researching the topic, Gironda felt a little better, but still had second thoughts. His friend, John Williams, offered to donate one of his own kidneys.

The two weren't a match. But at the California Pacific Medical Center, Williams and Gironda underwent the transplant surgery as part of a six-person pair match. Williams' kidney went to one recipient, whose own donor sent a kidney over to another recipient and finally Gironda received a kidney from a 27-year-old woman who was donating her kidney to her mother-in-law.

Williams, 69, said he was sore for a few days after giving Gironda his kidney, but after a month he was back to an active lifestyle.

"You don't feel different, ill or sad. There's nothing. The remaining kidney enlarges a little bit and it's perfectly capable of doing the job," said Williams, who donated his kidney at 66 years old, which is technically after the age cutoff, but was allowed because of his good health.

Gironda said he is in touch with the woman whose kidney he received in the match process, adding she has since had a baby and is in good health.

"It's a gift of love. My salvation was that I was lucky enough to have friends and family to come forward," Gironda said.

Blankenship is aware of Gironda and Williams' arrangement, and Zawada has assured him that with modern medicine recovery for both the donor and recipient can be relatively effortless. He refers to this time in his life as unnatural, and a bit frightening, but he's keeping a positive outlook.

In 1975, a few years after joining the Redding Police Department, Blankenship was shot in the head during a traffic stop. That experience left him shook up, but he approached the recovery process with the same sense of optimism.

"I'm staying as positive as can be," Blankenship said "That's the best thing to do."

TO HELP: More information on the pre-screening process and donor program can be found at www.CPMCkidneydonor.org or at 1-415-600-1476. Bob Blankenship is identified through his date of birth, Dec. 18, 1946. His blood type is O+.
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Three people were hospitalized Monday night while one man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol following a head-on crash on Highway 99 north of Los Molinos.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Christian Hall, 23, of Harker Heights, Texas was driving north on Highway 99 near Childs Avenue when he drifted into the oncoming lane and struck another vehicle traveling south.

The two vehicles crashed into each other at just about drivers side headlight to drivers side headlight, the CHP said.

Hall was going about 65 mph, while the other driver, Paula Angel, 65, of Redding was going about 55 mph, the CHP said. Ron Angel, 58, was a passenger in the car with Paula Angel, the CHP said.

Ron Angel and Hall suffered moderate injuries, while Paula Angel suffered major injuries, the CHP said. All three were taken to Enloe Medical Center in Chico. Hall was also arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, the CHP said.

The crash closed both lanes of traffic on Highway 99 for about an hour and a half, the CHP said.
Vanna Belton, 29, is photographed at Flavor, the restaurant she owns, on Feb. 4, 2016 in Baltimore, Md. Belton regained much of her vision after participating in a stem cell study through NIH. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun/TNS)

SHARE Vanna Belton, 29, right, and her wife, Julia Belton, 25 are pictured at Flavor, the restaurant they own, on Feb. 4, 2016 in Baltimore, Md. Belton regained much of her vision after participating in a stem cell study through NIH. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun/TNS)

BALTIMORE  Sitting on the front steps of her Cockeysville, Md., home a year and a half ago, Vanna Belton was startled and thrilled when her eyes focused on a cars license plate. Essentially blind for more than five years, she suddenly could read the numbers and letters.

When I realized I could see the license plates, we started walking around the neighborhood reading them, said Belton, recalling the excitement she and her fiancee felt at that moment. We drove around and read store signs. The Pennsylvania Dutch Market. The tanning salon.

No one can explain exactly how Belton came to see again, not even the doctor who treated her as part of an unconventional stem cell study shortly before she regained limited vision.

Despite their promise, stem cell treatments often garner skepticism from experts who are still studying their safety and effectiveness. While stem cells can be grown into any type of cell in the body, scientists generally believe proving the cells can repair or cure anything is a ways off. The only U.S. government approved stem cell treatment involves blood clotting disorders, but that hasnt stopped those who can afford the treatments from seeking them.

Belton, now 29, was training to be a police officer in Washington in 2009 when, while stuck in traffic one day, she noticed the streetlights were blurry. Weeks later she had almost no vision and no explanation for why everything seemingly went dark.

She was diagnosed with a sudden and perplexing case of optic neuritis, a general term meaning optic nerve inflammation.

Beltons damaged optic nerve was not properly sending visual information to her brain. Doctors suspected the cause was multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder, but Belton tested negative for it. They initially said her sight would improve, but after six months they stopped calling her blindness temporary, she said.

Since doctors offered little hope and no treatment options, Belton turned to Chinese herbs and acupuncture and even made a trip to India seeking a stem cell treatment.

After relying on friends and family for help getting around, she learned to use a cane, public transportation and technological aids for the blind. One such aid helped her access a dating website and she met Julia Donoghue, who would become her girlfriend and later her wife.

Their first date was at Ruths Chris Steak House, where Belton once worked. It was a familiar enough spot to initially hide the fact that she could see little more than shadows. Things went so well that she mustered the nerve to tell Donoghue about her condition. They began dating, enjoying meals and walks together with Donoghue holding Beltons elbow. They also devoured any research they could find online about her condition.

As Belton searched for alternatives, a doctor pointed her to clinicaltrials.gov, the National Institute of Healths clearinghouse of studies. There she found Dr. Jeffrey N. Weiss in Margate, Fla., who was enrolling blind patients in an unorthodox stem cell study.

He wasnt affiliated with a university or government institute, but he was taking on all those who could afford the roughly $20,000 to pay for the study and injecting stems cells into their eyes in one of three ways  around the retina, in the retina and directly into the optic nerve  in hopes of restoring some peoples sight.

He made no promises.

Her local doctors advised against it; one doctor even called her stupid. Belton decided to go see Weiss anyway.

She paid for it with her wedding budget, opting instead for courthouse nuptials, and a few weeks later in early 2014, she had the surgery. During the four-hour procedure, Weiss and a medical team extracted bone marrow from Beltons hip, separated her stem cells in a machine and then injected the cells in and around her right eyes retina and directly into her left eyes optic nerve.

Weiss is not following the usual steps of clinical studies. Among other things, he didnt test his treatment theories first on lab animals or using computer models, or randomize his trials by using either stem cells or placebos in study participants. He didnt test the procedure for safety on a small group before moving to a larger trial.

Weiss, who is board-certified in ophthalmology and once taught at Harvard University, said he didnt have the patience for academic research, which is strictly governed by internal review boards and requires fundraising. Without a long history of stem cell research and a current academic appointment, he said, he sought legitimacy for his work by registering the trial with NIH, which scientific journals require to publish promising results.

The U.S Food and Drug Administration must permit the use of investigational drugs, and the NIH requires that researchers attest they have such permission to register a trial. While the FDA continues to tweak regulations, there are exceptions when stem cells arent considered drugs, such as when they are minimally processed and taken from and used in the same person, a category in which Weiss said he falls.

The NIH also requires researchers to gain approval and oversight from an ethics review panel. Universities and government agencies have their own panels; Weiss tapped the International Cellular Medicine Society, an independent group that promotes stem cell therapies.

Weiss published a case study about Belton in the journal Neural Regeneration Research. However, he said, 60 percent of his 278 patients with macular degeneration, glaucoma and other diseases have regained some sight.

While he cant explain how it works, he believes that will become clear eventually.

We didnt know how penicillin worked for many years, but it saved many lives in the meantime, Weiss said. It is hubris to think that something cant work until you understand how it does.  It is more important what the patient sees, not what I see.

No one disputes that Belton now sees well enough to read the menus in her new Mount Vernon restaurant, Flavor. She can navigate the eatery and the streets without the white cane she once used. And on her wedding day, just a week after she read the license plate, she could see her wifes face.

She started crying when she realized I was looking in her eyes, Belton said.

Researchers believe stem cells can work in two ways, said Dr. Donald Zack, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Stem Cell and Ocular Regenerative Medicine. They either revive sick cells or prompt them to perform better, or they replace the functions of the sick cells.

While calling Weiss methods unconventional, stem cell researchers acknowledge results are what matter. Theres not enough information to judge his research, said Dr. Henry John Klassen, associate professor and director of the Stem Cell & Regeneration Program at the University of California, Irvine.

Weiss inclusion of so many diseases and treatment methods could make conclusions tough, Klassen said. About a dozen other stem cell studies are now taking place in humans with eye diseases, all focused more narrowly, he said.

I dont want to play down the results of this patient, Klassen said. Its always great when a patient seems better.  If 60 percent of his patients have improved, that would be a strong claim, and thats what he should be presenting.

For Belton, it was about trying, even if she defied her doctors.

Dr. Alexis G. Malkin, who examined Belton before and after the procedure, still would hesitate to recommend it to other patients. While Beltons improvement has been dramatic, she said, shes still legally blind and sees only islands amid blind spots.

What was the mechanism? said Malkin, who left Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute to become a clinical assistant professor at the New England College of Optometry. Its hard to say; we dont know why she lost her vision in the first place.

But she added, Had she done nothing, would she randomly have gotten better on her own? That seems exceptionally coincidental.

Belton said she plans to return to Florida in March for another treatment. She could improve  or even lose ground.

Im happy to be a guinea pig, she said. Tell me what you wouldnt do.



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Police investigators at the scene where a silver Corvette crashed after a pursuit involving multiple police agencies in December 2013. The driver of the Corvette died in an officer-involved shooting at the end of chase. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

SHARE John Beaird, left, brother, and Bill Beaird, father of Brian, who was shot dead by LAPD following a car chase in his Corvette, at a news conference in front of LAPD headquarters in a December 2013 file image. Attorney Nathan Miller holds a photo of deceased Brian Beaird. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/TNS) Hector, left, and Veronica Carrion hug each other outside the courtroom after ex-deputy Ivory John Webb Jr. was found not guilty for shooting their brother, Elio Carrion, in a June 2007 file image. (Karen TapiaAndersen/Los Angeles Times/TNS) Ex-deputy Ivory John Webb Jr. is found not guilty as he cries and hugs his lawyers after hearing the verdict in a San Bernardino, Calif., court room in a June 2007 file image. (Karen TapiaAndersen/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

By Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES  A grainy video showed 21-year-old Iraq War veteran Elio Carrion on the ground, pleading with a San Bernardino County, Calif., deputy who held him at gunpoint.

Carrion was a passenger in a car that Deputy Ivory Webb pulled over after a high-speed pursuit in Chino. Carrion, who was unarmed, is heard telling Webb we mean you no harm seconds before the deputy shot him three times without visible provocation.

The bystander video of the 2006 shooting drew national attention and prompted a rare prosecution: Webb is the only on-duty officer charged with a crime in more than 2,000 Southern California police shootings since 2004, a Los Angeles Times examination of district attorneys files, coroners reports and court records show.

Webbs attorney said the deputy feared Carrion might have been reaching for a weapon as he rose to his feet. A jury acquitted Webb. San Bernardino District Attorney Michael Ramos, who maintains he was right to file the charges, said the verdict taught him a lasting lesson about public sentiment.

They may be marching in the streets about police shootings, Ramos said, but when people serve as jurors, they still have a high regard for peace officers and the difficult job they do.

Last year, as protests against excessive force by police spread across the country, there was an increase nationally in the number of murder and manslaughter charges filed against officers for on-duty shootings, according to data compiled by Philip M. Stinson, an associate professor of criminal justice at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Eighteen officers were charged in 2015, more than were prosecuted in the previous four years combined, he said.

But such prosecutions remain almost unheard of in six Southern California counties  Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial  where there has been a police shooting roughly every other day since 2004, records show.

Most of those shootings were justifiable under the law, involving armed suspects who opened fire on police, suspects who refused to drop weapons during confrontations and people  often mentally ill or on drugs  who attacked officers.

Current and former Southern California prosecutors said in interviews that they declined to file charges even when videos, witness statements or forensic evidence raised serious questions about the officers version of events because they would have to convince a jury that the officers did not legitimately fear for their lives when they pulled the trigger.

Further, state courts have ruled that the criminal justice system should be highly deferential to the judgments made by officers in the field because they are sometimes forced to make split-second life or death decisions. Officers cant be held criminally responsible even if they misjudge a threat  confusing a cellphone for a gun is common, for example  so long as they acted on reasonable and honest convictions, courts have ruled.

Like it or not, the law provides huge cover for the police in these situations, said Steve Cooley, L.A. County district attorney from 2000 to 2012. He said almost every shooting he reviewed was justified, but acknowledged he had a term for cases that were highly questionable but lacked the evidence to charge the officer: awful but lawful.

Another former Los Angeles district attorney, Gil Garcetti, said the near certainty that local prosecutors wont file charges against police means its time to take the decision out of their hands and give it to the state attorney general.

Attorney General Kamala Harris opposed a bill last year that would have done just that, but similar ideas are gaining traction nationally. In 2014, Wisconsin became the first state to require that police shooting investigations be done by outside agencies. Last year, New York began requiring the state attorney general to investigate cases in which police kill unarmed civilians and Connecticut took all police shooting investigations out of the hands of local prosecutors.

Garcetti said many people, especially in minority communities, believe district attorneys dont file charges because of their close relationship with police, who they rely on as investigators and witnesses in other cases. Even if local prosecutors can handle the cases objectively, the public will not trust their decisions because of the obvious conflict, Garcetti said.

In Los Angeles County, police departments conduct their own shooting investigations with a lawyer and an investigator from the district attorneys office looking over their shoulder, to make sure evidence and witnesses arent manipulated.

If prosecutors were to conclude a shooting was unjustified, the most likely charges would include assault or manslaughter, which would require the D.A.s office to prove that an officer acted with reckless disregard for human life.

Garcetti (father of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti) was the countys top prosecutor during the Rampart Division scandal, in which two LAPD officers admitted covering up an unjustified shooting and accused others of doing the same.

He said police sometimes kept civilian witnesses to shootings away from his investigators. In addition, when several officers were involved in a shooting, the department sometimes would allow them to coordinate their stories before they were interviewed by the DAs office, Garcetti said.

There were times when we knew we were not getting the full story, he said.

Jackie Lacey, a career prosecutor who succeeded Cooley in 2012, said she didnt know of any cases in which police departments interfered with the work of her investigators.

I believe we do an extraordinary job at independently collecting and evaluating the evidence and applying the law, she wrote in an email to The Times.

In December, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck asked Lacey to charge one of his officers for fatally shooting Brendon Glenn, an unarmed homeless man, in the back during a May 5 encounter in Venice.

If Lacey files charges, Officer Clifford Proctor will be the first to be prosecuted for an on-duty shooting in L.A. County since 2000, a period in which there have been more than 1,300 police shootings, records show. Lacey declined to comment on the case.

The shooting of Glenn was captured on a surveillance video, which has not been publicly released. Video evidence that appeared to contradict the officers claims that they fired because they feared for their lives was key in prosecutors decisions to file charges in recent high-profile cases in South Carolina, Ohio, Louisiana and Illinois.

Although prosecutions remain extremely rare, officers can face departmental discipline, ranging from reprimand to dismissal, if a shooting is found to have violated policy. Internal disciplinary proceedings are confidential under California law, however, so such actions are difficult to track and do little to assure the public that officers face consequences when they use excessive force.

A handful of Southern California officers have been criminally charged for beating suspects in recent years. In 2015, a female LAPD officer was convicted of assault and sentenced to three years in prison after a dashboard video camera caught her choking and kicking a handcuffed suspect who later died. A year earlier, an Orange County jury found two former Fullerton police officers not guilty in the 2011 videotaped beating death of a schizophrenic man, who could be heard saying he couldnt breath and crying out to his father for help during the struggle.

Controversial shootings that dont result in prosecution often end up in civil court where the burden of proof is significantly lower and jurors are often sympathetic to families of people killed by police. Judgments and settlements resulting from such cases have cost Southern California taxpayers at least $150 million since 2004.

After jurors found the San Bernardino deputy not guilty of attempted manslaughter and assault, shooting victim Elio Carrion sued the county for violating his civil rights. He settled for $1.5 million in 2009.

The same year, Los Angeles Sheriffs deputies fired 61 rounds into the back of Alfredo Montalvos car following a brief pursuit. Prosecutors declined to press charges because they said the driver had used his car as a weapon, repeatedly ramming it into one of 11 police vehicles that had him surrounded in Lynwood.

The deputies said they feared for their lives because the force of the collisions knocked two of them over and pushed the patrol car backward onto a third deputys foot. But several witnesses questioned during a civil trial by the familys attorney, John C. Taylor, including deputies who were at the scene but didnt shoot, said they didnt see anyone fall down or get run over. The three deputies the district attorney said had been injured had no broken bones, dislocated joints or swelling, according to medical records introduced at the trial.

After reviewing the evidence  including photos of both cars that showed about a dozen bullet holes in Montalvos rear window, but almost no collision damage  the civil jury found the officers had used excessive force in killing the unarmed, 29-year-old father of two. The county paid Montalvos family nearly $9 million.

Montalvos widow, Annette Montalvo, said the money is bittersweet because she thought the officers should have been prosecuted. I think the officers should pay a price, she said. Theyre the ones who keep doing this.

Cooley and Lacey declined to comment on the case. A spokesman for the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department also declined to comment.

In 2013, Brian Beaird slammed his Corvette into a downtown Los Angeles light post following a chaotic, televised car chase. About two dozen officers hopped out of their cars behind him, most held their fire, but three LAPD officers shot Beaird in the back, killing him on live TV.

The officers said Beaird had been reaching under his seat during the pursuit, perhaps for a gun, and he reached for his waistband as he stumbled out of his mangled car and tried to flee on foot. Prosecutors reviewed the video and found no evidence that Beaird had a weapon or posed a threat when he was shot. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck rejected the officers claim that their lives had been in danger and said the shooting was not justified.

Months later, Lacey issued a letter declining to press charges because she didnt think she could prove that the officers were not actually and reasonably in fear for their safety. In a recent interview, Lacey said she stands by the decision because, during the pursuit, which ended in a spectacular crash with another vehicle, Beaird had endangered many peoples lives and refused to pull over.

The city council, worried a civil jury would find the officers had used excessive force, approved paying Beairds father $5 million to settle his lawsuit, the most the city had paid in a police shooting in more than a decade.

Beck fired two of the three officers in September 2015. They are now suing the city to get their jobs back. Their attorney did not respond to requests for comment.

Although police have broad latitude to fire their weapons in self-defense, a 1985 Supreme Court case involving an unarmed burglar who was shot in the back while climbing a 6-foot chain link fence established one of the few bright lines officers must not cross  they cant use deadly force against a fleeing suspect who poses no obvious threat.

Attorneys for the family of Alejandro Rendon argued thats exactly what happened when an Indio police officer fatally shot the 23-yeard-old in the back in February 2013.

Officer Alex Franco began pursuing Rendon after spotting him riding his bicycle without a headlight. Rendon tried to peddle away, fell off the bike, then rose from the pavement as if he were holding a gun and assumed the classic shooters stance, Franco told investigators after the shooting. The two were almost face to face when Franco fired, he said.

But Rendon had no gun, and he didnt fall on the pavement where Franco said the two had faced off, according to the Riverside County district attorneys case file. He came to rest several yards away, on the other side of a six-foot high chain link fence. A bloody cellphone and a small kitchen knife were found next to his body. Hed been shot once in the lower abdomen, from the side, and once in the back from below  suggesting hed been climbing over the fence when Franco fired.

Ronald R. Scott, a former commander of the Massachusetts State Police ballistics team, who testified for the family during the civil trial, said the forensic evidence contradicted the explanation that Rendon was facing Franco when he fired. The Riverside County Sheriffs Department simply accepted the officers version of events, and never did an investigation to see if the evidence supported it, Scott said.

Officer Franco, the Indio Police Department and the Riverside County district attorneys office declined to comment on the case.

A Times review of the 400-page case file showed no evidence that investigators from the Riverside County Sheriffs Department asked Franco to explain how a fatal bullet entered Rendons back, even though Franco seemed to acknowledge the possibility that Rendon had been fleeing when he pulled the trigger.

Asked by investigators if he had given Rendon any commands, Franco said he only had time to yell once during the brief encounter. I dont know if it was after I shot or before.  I was yelling, Get down. Get down from the fence, Franco said.

The investigator did not ask Franco to clarify where Rendon had been when he fired, the transcript shows.

In January 2014, the Riverside County district attorneys office issued a two-sentence statement saying there was, no evidence of criminal liability on the officers part, and the case was closed.

Months later, a civil jury found Franco had committed battery and used excessive force, awarding Rendons family nearly $2 million.



(Los Angeles Times staff writer Doug Smith and Times researcher Maloy Moore contributed to this report.)



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I read that on Feb. 1, Judge Allison Claire of the U.S. District Court issued a court order for the California Department of Education to release personal student information to a nonprofit parent-run organization known as the Morgan Hill Concerned Parents Association.

Hearing this made me upset, as a mother of two children who have received their education in California public schools. I am concerned about the privacy of my children's identity and information. I needed to understand why a judge felt it was OK to release private information about our children.

Through additional reading, I learned that there is finger-pointing going on. The Department of Education is giving the impression that they have done everything they can to protect the children from this group's demands. While the parents' association has stated that they never asked for personal identifying information such as Social Security numbers.

I again found the need to further understand exactly what is going on. After looking over the recent judgment issued by Judge Claire, I realized a couple things: the Department of Education attorneys have done a bad job of trying to present their case, using generalized defenses that the judge referred to as "boilerplate objections." The department is now using scare tactics urging school districts to inform parents that they should opt out of this data exchange to protect their children. Most importantly, I learned that the lawsuit that the Morgan Hill parents group has against the Department of Education involves a group of parents from different school districts that could have gone after the department on behalf of their own children, but chose to stand up and hold the state accountable for its negligence in providing adequate education for all children in California with disabilities.

This lawsuit seeks to make the education department comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. This is a federal law that governs states and public agencies on early interventions and services for the education of children with disabilities.

In the court orders, it's made clear who will have access to the released information. There will be a court-appointed special master of information and everyone who has access to the information is under a stipulated protective order that information is to only be used for the sole purpose of this case.

As a mother, I have had to navigate the system that is currently in place and is supposed to help identify and provide help for children with learning disabilities. My child attended school in the area, but has received minimal testing with no diagnosis to properly provide the services needed for true success. Rather, the goal only seems to be to pass my child on to the next grade and show a positive number for the school's completion rates.

When thinking about my situation it saddens me to think of the many communities, schools and families coming from areas that don't have the access to what I and my community are able to provide for my children. I believe that the outcome of this case could have an effect not only on the education of children with disabilities, but on all of our children.

I'm urging parents of this community to not fall for the scare tactics and the false victimization that the Department of Education is claiming to distract us from this opportunity to make sure that the state is doing all it can to ensure our children receive the education that they deserve, as well as the education that our tax dollars are supposed to provide.

Misti Hardy lives in Redding.
Police are searching for answers after a Flash Cab driver was found shot to death inside his taxi in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. Feb. 23, 2016. (CBS Chicago) (CBS Chicago)

A cabdriver was found fatally shot in his Flash taxi parked near a library in Lincoln Square Monday morning, according to police and the company.

Kamil Shamji, 58, a licensed cabdriver in Chicago for 35 years, had been shot in the head, police said. He was discovered around 7:55 a.m. when officers responded to a call of an unresponsive person in the 4400 block of North Leavitt Street, police said.

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Police are investigating the death as a homicide, according to a police spokesman.

Flash Cab issued a statement saying it was "deeply saddened to learn today of the senseless death of Kamil Shamji." It said Shamji had worked for Flash for more than 20 years.

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"Flash Cab extends its deepest condolences to his family and many friends," the company said.

Police were releasing few details of the shooting.

Peter Enger, a spokesman for United Taxidrivers Community Council, a cabdriver's union, said it was believed Shamji had transported a fare after someone called for a cab, rather than picking up a fare on the street.

Cabdriver Kamil Shamji was found shot to death inside his cab in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. Feb. 22, 2016. (WGN-TV)

Enger said "that means they would have a name and a number, I imagine ... unless the call was made from a business phone," such as a restaurant or bar that might have called a cab on behalf of a patron.

Because of the way cameras in cabs work, police may have video surveillance of the person who killed Shamji, Enger said.

Another drivers' union, Cab Drivers United/AFSCME Local 2500, issued a statement offering the union's condolences to Shamji's family.

The killing "reminds us all of the almost constant danger cabdrivers put themselves in every day when they go to work," according to the statement.



The union noted that after cabdrivers Chinedu Madu and Seneca Richardson were killed in early 2015, the union held safety training sessions for cabbies, and called on the city to "address the violence against cabdrivers immediately."

"A simple preventative measure such as a silent alarm linked to GPS, that would dispatch the nearest CPD squad car, would give Chicago's cabdrivers the backup they need should they be placed in a dangerous situation with a potentially violent passenger," the union said in the statement.

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A second fatal shooting occurred a few hours later in Englewood, according to police.

A 28-year-old man was shot about 9:45 a.m. in the 6400 block of South Eggleston Avenue, said Officer Ana Pacheco, a Chicago police spokeswoman.



According to preliminary reports, a silver vehicle pulled up and someone jumped out and shot the man in the head. The gunman got back in the car and fled south, Pacheco said. The man, identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office as Nicholas Robinson, was pronounced dead at the scene. He lived in the 6400 block of South Parnell Avenue, authorities said.

In addition, three other people have been shot within about a block of each other in Englewood since Monday evening.

At 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, a 25-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman were in an alley in the 7200 block of South Halsted Street when three or four people walked up and fired shots, police said. The man was hit in the chest and arm and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition. The woman was shot in the ankle and leg. She also was taken to Christ Medical Center, and her condition was stabilized.

About a block away about 6 p.m., a 30-year-old man was on a bicycle in the 900 block of West 72nd Street when someone shot him in the leg. He went to Holy Cross Hospital, and his condition was stabilized.

Tribune reporter Brianna Gurciullo contributed.

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An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect age for Shamji.
'You are sending the army to Rohtak? There are six paramilitary forces in the country. Why can't you use these people?'

'What is the need to call out the army? And that too at a place where there is an army man in every house.'

'Can you imagine how stupid this decision is? How insensitive?'

IMAGE: The army carries out a flag march in Rohtak amidst the Jat agitation. Photograph: PTI

Ajay Singh, president of the All India Jat Maha Sabha, was a minister of state in the V P Singh government.

Speaking to Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com, Singh, below, left, explains why the Jats are angry and why they need reservations.

Why are the Jats protesting now?

For the last 25 years the Jat community has been demanding that they be included in the OBC (Other Backward Classes) list. This happens sometimes, but the courts reject it. All this has been going on for the last 20 years.

Now some students were sitting on a dharna demanding that Jats be included in the OBC list. This demand is very justified as in north India, the peasant community and middle farmers are the Jats, Kurmis, Yadavs, Gurjars etc.

They have a hookah-paani relation. They come from the same social economic educational background. So, when the Mandal Commission was implemented (in August 1990), the Jats got left out whereas the others got included in the reservation list.

Why were the Jats were left out from the Mandal Commission list of OBCs?

I think there was a little bit of politics and they ignored the Jats.

But you had a strong Jat leader in Devi Lal, who was deputy prime minister in the V P Singh government which implemented the Mandal Commission recommendations?

There was a fight between Devi Lal and V P Singh and there was a falling out. Devi Lal had left the party (the Janata Dal) when Mandal was implemented in which Jats were not included.

The Mandal Commission was set up in 1977 in (then prime minister) Morarji Desai and (then home minister, later briefly prime minister) Charan Singh's time. By the time he (Bindheshwari Prasad Mandal) gave his report in 1980, the Indira Gandhi government shelved it. The Congress government ignored it.

There was lot of agitation against that and when the Janata Dal government of V P Singh came in 1989, I was a minister as deputy to George Fernandes in the railways.

At that time we implemented the Mandal Commission report, but before that we formed a Cabinet committee to see if there were any shortfalls and whether we could improve the report.

We made a list of 21 castes from Kashmir to Kerala. These castes were left out from the Mandal Commission (recommendations). We wanted these too be in the Other Backward list.

Therefore, we formed a commission on that, but unfortunately by the time (we could take action), our government fell.

So, Mandal was implemented as it is and the Jats were left out.

When the Jat students were sitting on dharna demanding reservation, they were beaten up. The situation got out of control as the government didn't do anything for eight days.

Was the fallout between Devi Lal and V P Singh the reason for the non-inclusion of Jats in the OBC list?

They fought for another reason and not the non-inclusion of Jats in the Mandal Commission. B P Mandal went around the whole country (1977 to 1979) and there was politics within the Mandal Commission too. Whether it was unfortunate or by design, I don't know.

The Mandal Commission went to two places in India to assess the backwardness of the Jat community. They went to Patiala in Punjab and Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Both happened to be places where Jats happened to be the ruling family.

The people they (the Mandal Commission) spoke to in Bharatpur and Patiala did not understand what this was all about.

When they were asked whether they were illiterate, the Jats said, 'Nahi, hum toh raje hain (we are the rajas). I personally feel there was political mischief in this.

If the Supreme Court refused to include Jats in the OBC list, why is your community insisting on being included?

Before the state elections, the Congress government of Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Haryana took a decision to include Jats in the OBC list. They said at a public meeting that they would give Jats reservations and therefore they must vote for the Congress.

The opponents of Jat reservations went to the Supreme Court. They challenged this decision and the court said the reservation was done for political gain and not for social justice.

The matter then went back to the central government. The government had to set up a commission to examine this. Now there are reports that the Centre has announced a panel on the Jat demand for reservations. This they could have done five days back. This is the Haryana government's failure, for sure.

But Haryana Chief Minister Manohal Lal Khattar tried to reach out to the Jat community.

That is what they say. This is all politics. Our agitation has always been peaceful. We had one lakh (100,000) people who agitated in Delhi and it was always peaceful because promises have been made.

First, they provoked us and now you have a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Kurukshetra, Raj Kumar Saini, who is publicly abusing the Jat community and talking against reservations for the Jats.

IMAGE: Jats protest on a Haryana road demanding reservations. Photograph: PTI

Are Jat youth left out economically because of no reservations?

A vast majority of the Jat community are from the farming community even now despite urbanisation. The parameter for OBCs is based on assessing which communities are socially, economically and educationally backward. On this basis you get reservations in the OBC category.

Jats have a reputation as patriotic men who serve the Army. Today, one sees them agitating for reservations.

I was aghast and I don't know who in government called the army out to Rohtak. Can you imagine? Firstly, we are totally against the army being used for civilian disturbances.

You are using the Indian Army against your own people. These people don't even know that Rohtak is the district where the maximum people (Jats) are sent to the Indian Army.

Every village has a soldier, army colonel or retired army man. First is Rohtak and the second is Jhunjhunu and the third is Alwar in Rajasthan.

You are sending the army to Rohtak? There are six paramilitary forces in the country. Why can't you use these people? What is the need to call out the army? And that too at a place where there is an army man in every house.

Can you imagine how stupid this decision is? How insensitive?

What are the reasons for the government's failure? Is it inexperience?

The BJP is handling the Jat issue very badly. They are teasing, provoking and insulting them.

But the Jats destroyed government property...

Whenever there is an agitation going on, all sorts of elements come in and they loot shops (and destroy property), which is an act of anti-social elements. You cannot blame this on the Jats.

We have always been peaceful in our protests. Why have they reacted violently? People should examine that.

Is it true that Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised reservation for the Jats?

The Congress gave Jats reservation earlier, but the Supreme Court struck it down. After that a Jat delegation went and met Modi and he committed (to reservations). He made a commitment and therefore the Jats were peaceful, but this situation has been provoked by the government in Haryana.

Please understand, this is not the BJP as their outlook is national. This is a local issue. Modi made a commitment and the government has to follow a procedure, you cannot just announce it. They have to set up a commission. This will take time and they will have to do in a manner that it cannot be challenged in court.

Won't other communities get upset with if Jats are included in the OBC list?

In Haryana, the anger of the Jats is that for one year they (the BJP) are instigating other communities to oppose the Jats.

Saini is a classic example. He is leading the anti-Jat movement. You cannot control of your own MP? Obviously he has got some backing.
Mamata Banerjee has fulfilled two key electoral promises: Ridding Lalgarh of Naxals and bringing peace to Darjeeling, says Ishita Ayan Dutt.

Oh, the power of the word! Mamata Banerjee said, let there be light. And, there was light. On December 18, the Christmas lights were switched on for Park Street, the most happening thoroughfare in Kolkata. The chief minister had promised that for the first time, lighting would extend beyond Park Street. And, it has.

Over the past week, lamp posts in all major streets of the city have been wrapped with intertwining blue and white lights. Christmas is still in the air, long after it's gone from every other city of the world, and will probably be around much after the assembly elections in May, with Mamata Banerjee almost sure to return as chief minister. Till May, Kolkata will be a picture of prosperity.

It hardly matters that adversaries like the Communist Party of India-Marxist are crying hoarse that Kolkata Municipal Corporation's electricity bill has increased from Rs 9 crore to Rs 25 crore a month in five years; there is festivity in the air and it's infectious.

"I slammed Mamata during Singur and after. But, I have been visiting every three months and she has done a wonderful job of cleaning up Kolkata. The general upkeep is far better," says Suhel Seth of Counselage India, a brand marketing consultancy firm.

Seth is not alone. There is general unanimity that sans the blue and white (Banerjee's favourite colours) stripes here and there, Mamata has done far better than the previous Left Front government on Kolkata beautification.

"These are cosmetic changes. There is failure all around," CPI-M leader and former mayor of Kolkata, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, asserts.

That might be stretching it too far. Politically, Banerjee has scored significantly since she came to power in 2011 by living up to at least two key electoral promises: Ridding Lalgarh of Naxals and bringing peace to Darjeeling. What remains unfulfilled is returning 400 acres of land to farmers at Singur (which resurrected her political career). But, it does ring true when she says, "Pahar (hills of Darjeeling) hanshche (smiling), Jangalmahal (Lalgarh) hanshche (is smiling)."

During last years of the Left Front government, the death toll caused by Naxal violence was as high as 100 every quarter. That has given way to peace and development. The strikes that once caused widespread disruption in Darjeeling are not so frequent.

There are other successes. Bengal's finances are in better shape, with own source revenue collections having increased from Rs 65,574 crore in 2011 to Rs 1.33 lakh crore by March 2015.

"She is the best performing chief minister in the country," says Sanjiv Goenka, chairman of RP-Sanjiv Goenka group.

Bhattacharya says such achievements are a part of Banerjee's successful public relations campaign but even he might find it difficult to explain why the various chit-fund scams like Saradha that played out in West Bengal in the last couple of years, and fanned by the opposition, mainly the Bharatiya Janata Party, have had little impact on her popularity.

Last May, at the peak of the Saradha investigation, Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress swept the civic body elections in West Bengal, winning 70 of the 92 municipalities. In Kolkata, her party won in 115 of the 144 wards. The BJP, which was seen as a close contender, drew a blank and that kind of put to rest its ambitions in West Bengal, while paving the way for a new bonhomie at the Centre.

Friendly relations with the Centre have been mutually beneficial. The TMC has extended support to the goods and services tax bill, while West Bengal has bagged some big-ticket investments from the Centre and its public sector units, perhaps Banerjee's weakest point.

According to the 2014-15 annual report of the department of industrial policy & promotion in the Union ministry of commerce and industry, during 2012-14, Bengal received 214 investment proposals amounting to Rs 15,454 crore, which gives an annual average of Rs 7,727 crore. This is way below the Rs 18,836 crore in 2002-07 (10th Five-year Plan) and Rs 102,378 crore in 2007-12 (11th Plan).

The saving grace is the growth of the micro, small and medium enterprise sector. The number of clusters have grown from 49 in the earlier regime to 331 during 2011-15, while credit flow has jumped from Rs 16,764 crore to Rs 91,752 crore.

The state government has a different set of investment numbers to rely on. After the recent Bengal Global Business Summit that had the who's who of India Inc, from Mukesh Ambani to Sajjan Jindal, the chief minister said a total of Rs 2,50,254 crore of business announcements, business documents exchanges, expressions of interest and investment proposals were received. That figure, however, includes the Centre's proposals: Investments in road, shipping, telecom and railways adding to Rs 51,000 crore.

Last year too, the biggest draw was Steel Authority of India Ltd's Rs 40,000 crore project.

Perhaps the most significant show of how the Centre has extended a helping hand to Banerjee lies in the example of Haldia Petrochemicals. The central government recently exempted the joint venture company from a tax demand in excess of Rs 2,000 crore, paving the way for a pending share transfer between the private equity firm, The Chatterjee Group's Purnendu Chatterjee and the government. It prompted Chatterjee to commit Rs 20,000 crore to the refinery.

Yet, these investments may not be enough if Bengal has to compete with other states. "Today, no one is investing anywhere in the country. But, when they do, will Bengal be their first choice? It may have now graduated to being considered as one of investment destinations but is that enough," asks an investor.

These questions are being raised by the Left Front as well. The Left had won the 2006 elections with an overwhelming majority on an industrialisation plank. Between 2005 and 2008, the government had bagged investment proposals of Rs 2.37 lakh crore.

"Much of the investment proposals that the chief minister is talking about had been bagged by our government. Bengal's youth need jobs and Banerjee has failed to deliver," a Left leader says.

The party has already led a march from Singur (erstwhile site for the Nano project) to Salboni (site for a mega steel plant originally, and now cement) against lack of industrialisation and had quite a bit of success, with people turning up in large numbers. In the days to come, it plans to raise the pitch on this count and is trying to get the Congress on its side.

Bengal and Banerjee will need more than summits to counter the charge.
Soon after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack the then chief of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence conceded that some of the powerful spy agencys retired members were engaged in training those involved in the heinous crime but refused to take action, a former Central Intelligence Agency chief has said in a new book.

In his latest book Playing to the Edge, Michael Hayden, the former CIA director, expressed his deep frustration of the duplicity of the Pakistani leadership when it came to taking action against terrorist groups in particular Al Qaeda, Taliban, Laskhare-e-Tayiba and the Haqqani network.

Arguing that the Pakistan Army is built to fight against India and not terrorists, the top leadership in the country, in particularly those from its military in the past one decade, have repeatedly expressed its inability to take on the terrorist groups in the tribal regions as desired by the US, he wrote.

Referring to the Mumbai terrorist attack, Hayden, who was the CIA chief till 2009, said it was very clear that there seemed to be so many Pakistani fingerprints on the atrocity.

I began routinely harassing my counterpart in Pakistan, now Ahmed Shuja Pasha (the former director general of Military Operations, the Pakistan armys top operational post), on the phone, urging him to get to the bottom of the attack and to discuss it frankly with us, he wrote.

We had no doubt that the attack was the work of LeT, and there was mounting evidence that preparation for and direction of the attack took place from within Pakistan, where the LeT enjoyed the protection and support of ISI, Hayden said.

Pasha, who had come to ISI only a few weeks earlier and had no previous intelligence experience, came to the US on Christmas Day and spent most of the next afternoon in his office.

He worked carefully from notes. His investigation had revealed that some former ISI members were involved with Lashkar-e-Tayiba (no surprise there). Pasha admitted that these unspecified (and still uncaptured) retirees may have engaged in some broad training of the attackers, but he was characteristically vague about any detailed direction the

attackers had gotten during the attack via cell phone from Pakistan, Hayden wrote in the book.

I took to passing sufficiently sanitised intelligence to Pasha on what we believed was going on in order to try to goad him into action. If he knew that we knew... perhaps we could get some movement. We didnt have a whole lot of success, Hayden wrote.

Narrating an incident when the then Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf refused to fill up gas in the airplane that flew him to Islamabad, where he had gone to press him to take action against terrorists, Hayden wrote: One more bit of evidence that these guys really were the ally from hell.

The crew had forgotten their government credit card  you cant make this stuff up -- and the Pakistanis wouldnt budge, he wrote.

Musharraf refused to take action, despite some crucial evidence being provided to him.

And every time he was pressed, the response was his army was built to fight India, not tribal insurgents, and he wasnt going to bleed it in Waziristans mountains chasing Pashtun, Uzbek or Arab jihadists, Hayden said.

The US received similar response from other leaders of the Pakistan Army including General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the ISIs chiefs, he said.

(The then) ISI chief Ashfaq Kayani didnt say anything to ease our concerns when he reported that there was little prospect of the Pakistani military conducting robust ops in the tribal region. He said that it was less a matter of will than of capacity. His army was certainly India-focused, Hayden wrote.

Indeed, one senior Pakistani official told me that his was the only army in the world that sized the perception of the threat (India) to meet the desired end strength of the military. So PAKMIL was big, artillery heavy, and road bound -- and ill-suited to navigating mountain trails or dealing with insurgents, Hayden says in the book.

When the US government presented Pakistani officials with intelligence that pinpointed an Al Qaeda leader and a plan of action to take him off the battlefield, the response was no, maddening delay, or our target suddenly and unexpectedly relocated.

Many Pakistanis viewed LeT (like the Haqqani network and the Taliban) as some sort of strategic reserve rather than the strategic liability and regional danger they really were, he wrote.

Hayden said in his view, the United States will need to keep this capacity and be willing to use it.

Islamist terrorism thrives in places -- Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Mali, the list goes on -- where governments cannot or will not act. In some of these instances, the United States must, he argued.
Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi on Tuesday made a U-turn from his earlier stand of not opposing Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar's bail plea in the high court, saying it was due to "change in circumstances".

Bassi had earlier asserted that the police will not oppose Kanhaiya's bail, maintaining that a young man like him should be given another chance. However, the police chief has justified his backtracking saying, "The circumstances when I had said so, those have totally changed."

Bassi further said, Kanhaiya showed repentance on his part when he issued an appeal on the day he was produced before a court but later denied having issued any such appeal and made certain allegations which were "false".

"We have reasonable apprehension that if he (Kanhaiya) comes out on bail, he is bound to impact the investigation and influence witnesses. He is also likely to indulge in activities that are violative of penal laws.

"That is why we have opposed grant of bail to Kanhaiya and shall oppose it further too," Bassi added.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday made it clear that Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who have been accused of allegedly raising anti-national slogans, have to surrender and follow the due process of law.

The HC will on Wednesday continue the hearing on the plea of the two accused, seeking security before they surrender in the court.

During the hearing, Umar Khalids lawyer told the court that his client was willing to surrender at a time and location, but the Delhi Police objected to the place.

The Delhi Police made strong objection against surrendering at an undisclosed location and the time suggested by Umars lawyer.

Meanwhile, the high court has also dismissed another plea filed by a lawyer seeking direction to the Delhi Police to enter the JNU campus and arrest the accused students.

Earlier, two more students of the varsity -- Rama Naga and Anant Prakash Narayan -- filed anticipatory bail pleas in the Delhi high court.

The five students Umar Khalid, Anant Prakash Narayan, Ashutosh Kumar, Rama Naga and Anirban Bhattacharya returned to the campus on Sunday night.

Image: Student activist Umar Khalid on the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University. Photograph: PTI
Pakistani authorities have conducted raids in some cities of Punjab province and arrested several suspects in connection with the attack on the Pathankot air base last month, a media report said.

"The raids were conducted in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Jhelum and Dina cities in Punjab province during the last two days, and some suspects were arrested," an unnamed interior ministry official was quoted as saying by the BBC Urdu.

They have been shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation, the official added.

Pakistan has also started investigations regarding the telephone numbers provided by India and used in planning the attacks on the Pathankot airbase. The authorities are looking for those involved directly in the attacks or the facilitators of the attackers, the BBC said.

Special teams comprising police and other law-enforcers are conducting raids across the country, especially in central Punjab cities.

"It is suspected that the arrested people have been in contact with the alleged extremists in the near past," the official said, adding that these people went underground when news stories were run by the media after the attacks.

He said these suspects had stopped the use of their mobile numbers and because of this locating them had become very difficult. He, however, said those points are being searched for the suspects where they had last used the said mobile numbers.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the mobile numbers provided by India in the Pathankot case were also included in the case registered by the Pakistani authorities.

He said during the investigation, several people have been detained for questioning. He, however, did not provide the details of those arrested.

Pakistani authorities had lodged a first investigation report in connection with the Pathankot attack on February 18.

The FIR was filed against "unknown persons" after weeks of probe into the terror assault that had led to the postponement of Foreign Secretary-level talks.

Seven security personnel were killed when suspected terrorists of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad stormed the Pathankot airbase on January 2.

India has blamed the JeM for the attack and identified Masood Azhar as the mastermind of the attack. It has also blamed his brother Rauf and five others for carrying out the attack.

Meanwhile, the Dawn said the registration of the FIR appears to have paved the way for a series of next steps.

"The first of those steps is likely to be a trip by Pakistani investigators to India to gather evidence on the basis of which collaborators and architects of the Pathankot air base attack may be formally charged," the paper said.

"The Pathankot attack is an early and serious test of the intentions of both the Pakistani and Indian establishments."

The paper said there has been no attempt in Pakistan to downplay the Jaish-e-Mohammed role in the Pathankot attack.

Insisting on resumption of dialogue, it said, "For reasons of both security and prosperity, the governments of India and Pakistan owe it to their public to restart and sustain a bilateral dialogue."
The president outlined the government's agenda in the coming financial year in his customary address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Pranab Mukherjee, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu walk towards the Central Hall at Parliament House for his address on the first day of Budget Session. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI

Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday in a strong criticism of disruption and obstruction and called upon all MPs to discharge their responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation.

In his customary address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament outlining governments agenda in the coming financial year, he also declared that the government will constantly strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliamentary business

Our Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people. Democratic temper calls for debate and discussion, and not disruption of obstruction.

My government will constantly strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliamentary business. I urge all Members of Parliament to discharge their solemn responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation. Let us all collectively endeavour to build a flourishing and prosperous India, he said.

The President remarks assume significance in the context of repeated disruptions of business on various issues, loss of time of Parliament and the stalling of legislative business in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks majority.

The 20-page speech was heard in rapt attention by members in the central hall of Parliament whenever he spoke of the government achievements and new announcements.

Let noble thoughts come from all directions, should be the spirit behind the debate in this temple of democracy. Being a member of this great institution bestows great honour as well as important responsibilities, Mukherjee said.

Asserting that the government is fully committed to firmly dealing with all challenges concerning the security of the country, the President said terrorism is a global threat and strong counter-terrorism measures are necessary worldwide to eradicate it completely.

Let me congratulate the security forces in successfully foiling the recent attack at the Pathankot air base by terrorists. Firm and effective steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism, he said.

My government is committed to forging a mutually respectful relationship with Pakistan and in creating an environment of cooperation in combating cross border terrorism, Mukherjee said while referring to the governments foreign policy.

He said the government believes in a secure and prosperous future for the neighbourhood while committing itself to the principle of the world is one family.

Elaborating on the focus of the government development for all beyond just the economic advancements that dominate headlines, the President said the country must ensure that the poor and deprived were truly empowered to take advantage of opportunities to improve their lives.

Development for all means that backward sections of society are equally valued and are genuine stakeholders in the countrys progress. Development for all implies that we tackle the pollution, traffic, and garbage problems that plague our cities, he said.

Rediff.com's word cloud analysis of the presidents speech. The words that appeared more often in the speech included India, government, programme, developed and honour.

Mukherjee said development for all also meant development of the entire world which was why India has to be a responsible member of the global comity of nations helping humanity solve major challenges such as terrorism, climate change and financial instability.

The President said the government is focused on poverty eradication, farmers prosperity and massive employment generation.

The overriding goal for my government is poverty eradication, he said adding the poorest of the poor were entitled to the first charge on the nations resources.

Removing the scourge of poverty and destitution was governments most sacred moral responsibility, Mukherjee said it was pledge to making this goal possible through financial inclusion and social security, the two wings on which human aspiration takes fight.

To this end, my government has placed great emphasis on food security, Housing for All and subsidies that reach those who need them the most, when they need them the most, he said.

The President said under the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna he was proud to say that it was the worlds most successful financial inclusion programme.

Under the programme, out of over 21 crore accounts opened, 15 crore accounts are operational with an aggregate deposit of over Rs.32,000 crore.

The programme has gone beyond mere opening of bank accounts to becoming a platform for poverty eradication by offering basic financial services and security to the poor, he said.

To universalise social security, the President said, the government has launched three new insurance and pension schemes which afford insurance to hitherto uncovered sections of society.

He said targeted subsidies ensure that benefits reach the deserving. Direct Benefit Transfer has so far been extended to 42 schemes funded by the government.

PAHAL has become the largest direct cash transfer programme of its kind in the world, with nearly 15 crore beneficiaries. Since June 2014, the food security coverage has more than doubled to cover over 68 crore persons.

The Give-It-Up campaign in tandem with the Give-Back programmes has released subsidised fresh connections to 50 lakh below-poverty-line families.

More than 62 lakh LPG consumers have voluntarily surrendered their LPG consumers have surrendered their LPG subsidy under the campaign. The highest number of new cooking gas connections to9 the rural poor were distributed in 2015, he said.

The President said the government has fostered competitive cooperation among various states to enhance Ease of Doing Business. State governments were being encouraged and supported to simplify procedures, introduce e-enabled processes and invest in infrastructure to improve investment climate.

A series of reforms have been initiated to help convert job seekers into job creators. My government has launched the Start-Up India campaign which would deepen, expand and support the innovation eco system in the country, he said.

Mukherjee said a landmark agreement with Japan will make the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor a reality.

By March 2019, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, 1.78 lakh habitations will be connected with all-weather roads.

My government has revived a majority of the 73 stalled road projects, completed construction of 7,200 km of high ways and awarded 12,900 km of highway projects which is the highest-ever number of new highway kilometres awarded, he said amidst thumping of desks by members.

India, the President, said is a haven of stability in an increasingly turbulent global economy. GDP growth has increased making India the worlds fastest growing economy among large economies. Inflation, fiscal deficit and current account deficit have all decreased.

India recorded the highest-ever foreign exchange reserves in 2015, he said.

Mukherjee said the governments concerted efforts to tackle the menace of black money have started yielding results. With the enactment of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, a stringent legislative framework has been put in place to combat the menace.

The Gold Monetisation Scheme and Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme in November, 2015 has been launched to ensure productive utilisation of idle assets.

He said the government has taken a number of measures to put in place a simplified, progressive and non-adversarial tax regime by incorporating international prevalent best practices in tax administration.

A gamut of taxpayer facilities like e-filing of returns and various forms, electronic processing and retrieval of documents and online grievance redressal are now available to the citizen, he said.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to consider a plea seeking contempt action against three lawyers allegedly caught on camera bragging and boasting that they had beaten up Jawaharlal Nehru University stdudents union president Kanhaiya Kumar in police lock-up for three hours at the Patiala House Court complex.

This allegation has been never made before us. This is a new allegation which has come up. You file an appropriate petition and we will consider it, a bench comprising Justice J Chelameswar and Justice A M Sapre said after a plea for contempt action against these lawyers was mentioned before it.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan said the three lawyers who were allegedly involved in violence at Patiala House Court Complex on February 15 and 17 had conceded in a sting operation aired by some news channels that they had beaten up the JNUSU president.

These three lawyers were at the forefront during the violent incidents at Patiala House Court Complex on February 15 and 17. They had conceded in a sting operations aired by two news channels yesterday that they had beaten up Kanhaiya Kumar, Bhushan said.

He said these lawyers have bragged and boasted in the sting operation that next time they will bring petrol bombs and were even ready to go to the jail to beat Kumar in his cell.

These bragging and boasting by the lawyers is trampling the rule of law. Its high time that the Supreme Court takes suo motu notice of the matter and issue contempt notice against these lawyers, Bhushan said.

To this, the bench asked Bhushan whether anybody has lodged a case against the three lawyers or has Kanhaiya Kumar accepted that they had beaten him in the police lock-up.

Bhushan, while replying to the query, alleged that police was complacent about lodging any complaint regarding the violence in Patiala House and even Kumar has not said anything about any such incident.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the petitioner N D Jaya Prakash, submitted that a report of National Human Rights Commission has said that Kumar was being terrorised by the lawyers.

She said there was a genuine threat perception to the accused and his security and safety needs to be ensured.

The bench then said it will look into the matter after a proper application is filed.

The bench also ordered that the face of a judicial officer who had appeared in a video recorded by one of the six members of the Supreme Court-appointed committee on Patiala House Court be masked without tampering with the original video.

The courts order came after Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the Delhi high court, mentioned before the bench that the face of a judicial officer had appeared in the video footage, which may be uploaded on social networking sites causing embarrassment to him.

The video was recorded by a member of the Supreme Court appointed committee on February 17 after it was tasked to visit the Patiala House Court and assess the situation in which the face of the judicial officer has appeared. To avoid any undue embarrassment to him, his face may be masked, Luthra said.

The bench also directed the registry that the said video footage in original recorded by senior advocate Haren Rawal, a member committee appointed by the apex court, be kept in a pen drive in a sealed cover to avoid any future dispute regarding its authenticity.

The apex court had on Monday made it clear that it would confine itself to the violence in Patiala House court complex on February 15 and 17 in which JNU students, teachers and journalists were attacked during the hearing of sedition case against JNUSU head Kanhaiya Kumar.

Kanhaiya had on February 18 directly moved the apex court seeking bail while claiming threat to his life in Tihar jail.

In the petition, filed through advocate Anindita Pujari, Kanhaiya, who was also attacked in Patiala House court complex by a group of lawyers, had claimed innocence.

Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 on sedition charge following a controversial event at JNU campus where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.

The student leader was produced in the court on February 17 after expiry of his police custody, where a group of men dressed in lawyers robes unleashed a brazen attack on him and others including journalists present there.

Kanhaiya had sought the apex courts intervention, saying no purpose would be served by keeping him in the jail and the police was finding it difficult to even produce him in the court.
A top US university is "walking away" from the USD 3 million (around Rs 20 crore) grants it received to establish endowed chairs in Hindu and India studies after faculty members and students alleged that the donors were "extremely ideologically driven" and have "extreme right-wing notions", a media report has said.

As a result, question hangs on the future of proposed chairs at the University of California Irwin, for which it received USD 3 million from California-based Dharma Civilisation Foundation.

The university has also decided to review another USD 3 million (around Rs 20 crore) in gifts it received for another two chairs.

The four chairs are Thakkar Family-DCF Presidential Chair in Vedic and Indic Civilisation Studies; Swami Vivekananda-DCF Presidential Chair in Modern India Studies; Dhan Kaur Sahota Presidential Chair in Sikh Studies by Harvinder and Asha Sahota and Shri Parshvanath Presidential Chair in Jain Studies by Meera and Jasvant Modi.

Some faculty questioned why the university administration didnt identify red flags regarding the gifts much earlier in the process.

"You didn't have to do too much due diligence," Catherine Liu, a professor of film and media studies at UC Irvine, said of the foundation.

"I went right to their website and it immediately read to me as extremely ideologically driven and of having extreme right-wing notions."

An ad hoc faculty committee in its report has recommended the University "against accepting any endowment" regardless of the changes that might be made to the gift agreement.

The committee in its report noted that the agreements related to all the four chairs included language that is not consistent with University policies related to religious and academic freedom.

Such a recommendation comes after 150 professors and educators throughout the international academic com unity collaborated on a petition published in early February denouncing the University of California, Irvine's decision to take this donation.

"We are troubled by news reports that the [DCF] has put forward its own list of acceptable candidates based on race and religion. Further, we are concerned about reports that the DCF has already brought their favoured candidates to the UC Irvine campus, in the absence of any advertised search for these positions," said the petition signed by professors from Yale, Cambridge, Harvard, and several UCs, among others.

In another letter, UCI students and faculty expressed concern over DCF donation, and the impact it might have on the credibility of Hindu studies at the university.

"The HEC recommends that we do not proceed with the chairs endowed by the Dharma Civilisation Foundation," Georges Van Den Abbeele, the dean of Irvine's School of Humanities, was quoted as saying by Inside Higher Ed.

The report was posted by the University on its website.

"I will support these and other recommendations and will be working actively with HEC and relevant faculty on the recommended actions," Abbeele said.

The University and the Dharma Foundation did not respond to questions send on the gifts related to the chairs.
Unprecedented violence... Mobs determined to teach Delhi a lesson... An incompetent chief minister... Losses of over Rs 200 billion.

Haryana's Jat agitation has a grim message for the nation. Rashme Sehgal reports.

IMAGE: Protesters set shops on fire as the Jat agitation demanding reservation intensified in Sonepat, February 20, 2016. Photograph: PTI

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal's ineptness in handling the Jat agitation has taken a heavy toll.

The ferocity of the attack by the Jat community across Haryana has shaken the chief minister and his ministerial colleagues who were unable to gauge that the reservation issue would take such a violent turn.

Khattar had been assured by his Jat ministers that they were in dialogue with the protesters and would be able to contain the agitation. The CM made little effort to assess the situation on his own and this can be best gauged from the fact that when the flare-up took place, the CM, his ministers and most of his senior bureaucrats were in Chandigarh.

Says one Jat minister, speaking on condition that he would not be identified by name in this report, "From being an RSS pracharak he was catapulted to the seat of chief minister. Thirty nine of the 47 BJP MLAs are first-timers and were equally at sea. That is why although the state has been boiling for eight days, the CM and his colleagues have taken no political initiative to reach out to the Jat community."

Even after the agitators became extremely violent, Khattar did not issue orders to the police to use force and kept insisting they use tear gas to disperse the agitators.

Within hours, the violence had spread across the state engulfing most of its major cities including Sonepat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Jind, Gurgaon, Hissar, Karnal, Faridabad and Bhiwani.

IMAGE: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar: 'Although the state has been boiling for eight days, the CM and his colleagues have taken no political initative to reach out to the Jat community.'

"When we asked for 90 companies," says a senior police officer, "we were given three. Firing of tear gas shells or caning the agitators could hardly be expected to rein them in."

Khattar's problems may have been compounded by the fact the majority of the police force comprises Jats who are reported to have been unwilling to take action against members of their community.

Haryana has paid a heavy price with most of its large and small industrial units having faced a shut down. ASSOCHAM estimates the state has suffered losses of over Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) due to the destruction of private and public property while the collateral damage to neighbouring Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab runs into several more thousand crores of rupees.

The Jats remain unrepentant about having held the state to ransom for over a week. An aggressive Yashpal Mallik, president of the All India Jat Reservation Agitation Committee, says, "BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini from Kurukshetra has been making the most inflammatory statements against the Jats for the last one year. He went to the extent of calling us 'sons of pigs.' Why was no attempt made to rein him in?"

The BJP's central leadership has served Saini a show cause notice, but this is a case of too little too late. Jat leaders believe Saini's inflammatory speeches were made at the behest of BJP President Amit Shah who they allege is trying to create a divide between the Jat and Other Backward Classes because the Jats have traditionally been non-BJP voters.

"The BJP has created an OBC brigade, which is a loose coalition of the backward classes to cut the Jats to size," Mallik insists.

Jayant Chaudhary, general secretary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal, agrees with Malik. "When the BJP were selecting the CM for Haryana," he asks, "what was the need for the BJP president to say publicly that we will select a non-Jat CM or that no Jat leader was being considered for the top post?"

"All the Jat ministers at the state level and Union Minister for Rural Employment Birendra Singh have complained against Saini's incendiary statements to Amit Shah who failed to take any action against him," adds Chaudhary, the late prime minister and Jat icon Chaudhary Charan Singh's grandson.

"It is obvious the BJP's aim is to create a divide between Jats and non-Jats," he alleges.

IMAGE: Jat demonstrators atop a school bus at Sampla village in Haryana block the Delhi-Haryana national highway. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Bhupinder Singh Hooda -- Khattar's predecessor as chief minister -- whose constituency Rohtak witnessed the worst rioting refuses to comment on the violence. Sitting on a fast at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Hooda insists, "My priority is that harmony and peace return to the state. Although I am a political man, there are several reasons for the eruption of such unprecedented levels of violence."

"I have many questions to ask -- why goondas and anti-social elements were allowed to take over peaceful protests -- but I will go public about my apprehensions later."

Hooda has been drawn into a controversy with one of his former political advisors, Professor Virender Singh, recorded on an audio clip, encouraging a Khap leader Kaptan Mann to ensure that student bodies step up the violence in Sirsa.

Professor Singh admits the voice on the audio is his, but claims he did not instigate the Jats to go on the rampage. The Khattar government has ordered an enquiry to ascertain the veracity of the audio recording.

Mallik and other Jat leaders including Dr Virendra Sindhu have accepted the state government's proposal to bring in a Bill to grant OBC status to Jats in the coming assembly session. The Centre has announced that Union Urban Housing Minister M Venkaiah Naidu will head a committee to examine the demand by Jats for reservation in central government jobs.

IMAGE: Buses set on fire in Sonepat. Photograph: Rajesh Sood/PTI

Eight days of agitation left 19 youth killed and over 150 injured. This has caused further unrest amongst the Jat community.

One in a group of young boys at a roadblock near Nangloi asks why the army had been called to shoot at "his people."

"The Jats have given the most people to the army and yet the CM uses the same army to shoot and kill us. What were our leaders like (Haryana minister) Captain Abhimanyu and others doing when the army was firing at us?" asks one young man who gave his name as Sanjay.

The reservation issue in Haryana is a tricky one. Traditionally, Jats have been seen as the king makers of Haryana with seven out of the ten chief ministers in the state having been Jats. In the 90 assembly constituencies, Jats are in a majority in 35 to 40 seats.

Former chief minister Hooda claims he tried his best to sort out the reservation issue, having created a special category for the Jats. "The benefit of reservations was being given to all the weaker sections. We created a special category of reservation for the Jat community, but this was struck down by the Supreme Court," he says.

The Jats were also angered by Khattar's failure to assign any of his Jat ministers like O P Dhankar or Abhimanyu Sandhu to reach out to the agitators. This failure saw angry mobs stoning and trying to set fire to these and other ministers' homes.

While the Jats in Rajasthan, UP and Delhi were given reservations, their caste counterparts in Haryana missed out. The Jats in Nangloi, which falls within Delhi, enjoy reservation, but their caste brethren living five kilometres away in Haryana do not enjoy the fruits of reservation.

"This has built up a strong sense of resentment within the community," says Mallik, the president of the All India Jat Reservation Agitation Committee. "The BJP in its election manifesto had promised reservations, but on coming to power in the state, failed to do so."

"BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini openly opposed reservations for the Jats and on many occasions swore he would resign if there was any dilution of the OBC quotas to accommodate the Jats," adds Mallik.

The Jats remain a largely agrarian community. With farm holdings shrinking, with farming no longer being economically viable, large numbers of Jat youth are moving to the cities in search of jobs.

Large scale unemployment, rise in drug addiction, alcoholism and worse, an acute shortage of brides due to the unequal sex ratios has created strong sentiments of grievance.

This sense of aggrievement has been witnessed in the protesters who have taken control of the Munak canal. The men and women gathered there warn, 'If we are going to be kept hungry, then the people of Delhi will be made to die of thirst.' This one canal supplies 50 per cent of the capital's water needs.

The fact that the protestors did not think twice in damaging the canal does not portend well for the nation.
Benitez Ramos v Holder

Publisher United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Publication Date 15 December 2009 Citation / Document Symbol 09-1932 Cite as Benitez Ramos v Holder, 09-1932, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 15 December 2009, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,USA_CA_7,56cc11a74.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

United States Court of Appeals,Third Circuit. Silvia Moreno GARCIA; CLAUDIA MORENO GARCIA, Petitioners v. ATTORNEY GENERAL of the UNITED STATES, Respondent. No. 10-1311. Decided: November 28, 2011 Before HARDIMAN and ALDISERT, Circuit Judges and RESTANIJudge.* Rosa H. Soy [Argued], Montclair, NJ, for Petitioners. Yedidya Cohen [Argued], Eric H. Holder, Jr., Kate D. Balaban, David V. Bernal, Susan K. Houser, Thomas W. Hussey, Gary J. Newkirk, Anthony C. Payne, United States Department of Justice, Office of Immigration Litigation, Civil Division, Washington, DC, for Respondent. OPINION OF THE COURT Claudia Moreno Garcia (Claudia) and Silvia Moreno Garcia (Silvia) petition for review of an order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) affirming the decision of an Immigration Judge (IJ) rejecting their applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). Although we find sufficient merit in Silvia's petition to order a remand, we will deny Claudia's petition. I 1 Claudia was born on October 31, 1977, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. In late December 1998 or early January 1999, Claudia illegally entered the United States at San Ysidro, California. Claudia's younger sister Silvia was born on April 6, 1981, also in Guatemala City. Silvia illegally entered the United States at San Ysidro in October 2005. A little over a year after Silvia entered the United States, the Department of Homeland Security served Claudia and Silvia with separate Notices to Appear, charging removability under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C.  1182(a)(6)(A)(i). Both sisters conceded removability but applied for asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT protection, claiming that if they are returned to Guatemala, they will be persecuted by Valle del Sol, a violent gang the Guatemalan government allegedly cannot control. Although the sisters' affidavits and testimony before the IJ indicate that their respective problems with Valle del Sol were distinct, both traced their problems with the gang back to their cousin, Hilda Marleny Sosa del Cid (Hilda). In 1986, shortly after Claudia and Silvia's father died, their mother moved to the United States, leaving her daughters with her sister Gloria. Hilda, who is one of Gloria's five children, is roughly the same age as Claudia. The sisters' living situation with their aunt Gloria and cousin Hilda was not ideal. Gloria withheld the money that Claudia and Silvia's mother sent them from the United States, and Hilda was violent and associated with gang members, one of whom, Jorge Solis Mexicanos, became her husband. Mexicanos was a career criminal and a leader of Valle del Sol. II A We first consider Silvia's petition for review because it presents a closer question than Claudia's petition. In the summer of 2003, Hilda used Silvia's home telephone to help Valle del Sol assassinate a prominent human rights activist named Jose Lopez-Lopez. After the murder was accomplished, Hilda told Silvia that gang members Juan Carlos Munoz Castillo (aka "Topacio") and Dennis Marroquin participated in the crime and warned Silvia that she would be killed if she helped the authorities find Lopez-Lopez's killers. Silvia's safety concerns were exacerbated by the fact that she was pregnant at the time and also looking after her younger sister, Danay. On August 14, 2003, the investigation of Lopez-Lopez's murder led police to Silvia, who refused to cooperate even after several hours of interrogation. At the end of their questioning, the police left, telling Silvia they would return the following day. Silvia then received a telephone call from an unknown woman who told her that Hilda was concerned that Silvia would report her to the police. The woman then requested a meeting with Silvia in a park. Silvia declined the invitation and went to stay with a friend instead. The following day, Silvia met police officers at a church. She and the officers then traveled to a restaurant where they discussed the evidence against her (i.e., the fact that a phone call that led to Lopez-Lopez's murder came from her house). The police threatened to arrest Silvia, but she refused to disclose any information. After leaving the restaurant, however, Silvia learned that her house had been ransacked. Too frightened to return home, Silvia fled to her grandfather's house but was turned away because her relatives feared retaliation from Hilda. Silvia then turned to a lawyer who recommended she leave Guatemala City and not tell anyone where she was going, but added that she should call him in a few days. Silvia followed the lawyer's advice and went to stay with a friend several hours away in the city of Escuintla. When Silvia called the lawyer, he told her there was nothing he could do and it was unlikely any lawyer would take her case. He explained that Silvia had two options: side with the authorities or with Valle del Sol. That day, Silvia contacted officials from Guatemala's Public Ministry and arranged a meeting at a restaurant. Officers transported her from the restaurant to another building where, for the first time, Silvia agreed to give a statement implicating Hilda, Topacio, and Marroquin. In return for her assistance with the prosecution, the Public Ministry officials agreed to place Silvia and her sister Danay in witness protection until Silvia testified and then relocate them to another country. While in witness protection, Silvia and Danay were protected around the clock by armed security teams. In addition, they were moved from hotel to hotel as many as twelve times in three months because of potential security breaches. At various times prior to trial, security personnel were forced to transport Silvia and Danay in armored cars, strictly control their food, keep them away from windows, and arrange for a special trip to the hospital to address a problem with Silvia's pregnancy.2 Silvia claimed that despite these security precautions, Hilda threatened her over the phone. Silvia also learned that Marroquin had evaded trial and disappeared, and that Hilda's brother, Henry Sosa, was threatening Claudia and her mother in the United States. Silvia appeared in court twice in October 2003. The first time, she did not testify because the defendants, Hilda and Topacio, were not given proper notice. Two weeks later, Silvia testified under oath outside the presence of the defendants while wearing a disguise and a bulletproof vest. Notwithstanding these precautions, Silvia received a phone call from an unknown individual who said that Silvia was being watched during her first court appearance and that if she testified, she and Danay would be killed. The caller also mentioned that Henry Sosa knew where her mother and Claudia were living in the United States. A little over a month after Silvia testified, she and Danay were relocated to Mexico, where the Guatemalan and Mexican governments, along with the United Nations and other international organizations, arranged for them to register as refugees. In Mexico City, Silvia and Danay met with representatives from Mexico's refugee commission, the Comision Mexicana de Ayuda a Refugiados (COMAR), as well as two non-governmental organizations and the United Nations. They were taken to a hotel, and Guatemalan officials remained in Mexico City to assist in their transition. Approximately two months later, in February 2004, Silvia and Danay were granted refugee status in Mexico, which permitted them to remain in the country as long as they renewed their status annually. According to Silvia, however, the threats persisted. In the spring of 2004, Silvia saw Dennis Marroquin on the subway. After Silvia reported the encounter to COMAR, she and Danay were relocated to Guadalajara, Mexico, where they were placed in refugee housing. Meanwhile, Hilda, who was in prison at the time, kept calling. In September 2005, Danay and Silvia's relationship fractured, and Danay left Mexico for the United States. Silvia claimed that for the rest of her time in Mexico, she was discriminated against and treated poorly because of her refugee status, which made it difficult to find a job. Consequently, she decided to move to Tijuana, Mexico, so she could enter the United States. Once in the United States, Silvia moved to New Jersey where she lived with her mother and Claudia. Silvia testified before the IJ that Henry Sosa called her in the United States and told her to recant her testimony. Silvia refused to do so, and Hilda was convicted. Silvia also testified that she later saw Sosa on the street in New Jersey and that he began calling her house, telling her Hilda would soon get out of prison and implying that some harm would befall Silvia once Hilda was released. Silvia also testified that Hilda has been released from prison and unsuccessfully attempted to enter the United States. B The IJ issued an oral decision denying Silvia's application, finding that she was barred from receiving asylum because she had firmly resettled in Mexico before entering the United States. Oral Decision of the IJ, Garcia & Garcia, File Nos. A094783360 & A094783359, at 18-19 (June 2, 2008) (IJ Dec). The IJ also determined that although there was "a plethora of documentation about Silvia's testimony, [and] Silvia's assistance in the prosecution against Hilda," she was not eligible for asylum or withholding of removal because any persecution she might face is not on account of her membership in a cognizable "particular social group" (i.e., individuals who testify against gang members). Id. The IJ noted that there was no corroborating evidence regarding Sosa or the threat he might present in the future, and that even if Sosa might look to harm Silvia, the Guatemalan government had shown it was willing and able to protect her. Id. at 1921. Finally, the IJ rejected her CAT claim citing a lack of evidence that the Guatemalan government would acquiesce in, or turn a blind eye to, her torture. Id. at 21. Silvia appealed, and the BIA issued an opinion affirming the IJ's decision. The BIA relied primarily on two of the IJ's findings: (1) "that Silvia did not demonstrate an objectively reasonable fear of future persecution in Guatemala because she did not show that she is unable or unwilling to avail herself of the protection of the Guatemalan government;" and (2) "that the Guatemalan government is willing to protect Silvia such that she cannot be considered a 'refugee' within the meaning of the [INA]." Decision of the BIA, File Nos. A094783360 & A094783359, at 2 (Dec. 31, 2009) (BIA Dec.) (citing 8 C.F.R.  1208.13(b)(2)(i)(C)). The BIA added in a footnote that it "also concur[s] with the [IJ]'s alternative ruling that the harm [Silvia] fears is not on account of a protected ground ."3 Id. at 4 n. 1. Both sisters' CAT claims were rejected for the reason stated by the IJ. Id. at 23. Silvia filed a petition for review, arguing that the BIA adopted the IJ's opinion without providing its own analysis, and that the IJ applied an incorrect legal standard, ignored precedent, and disregarded evidence.4 C "We exercise de novo review over constitutional claims or questions of law and the application of law to facts." Yusupov v.. Att'y Gen., 518 F.3d 185, 197 (3d Cir.2008) (citations omitted) (internal quotation marks omitted). The IJ's factual findings "are conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary." 8 U.S.C.  1252(b)(4)(B). Under this "extraordinarily deferential standard," Abdulrahman v. Ashcroft, 330 F.3d 587, 598 (3d Cir.2003), findings of fact "will be upheld if [they are] 'supported by reasonable, substantial, and probative evidence on the record considered as a whole.' " Lin-Zheng v. Att'y Gen., 557 F.3d 147, 155 (3d Cir.2009) (quoting INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 481 (1992)). When the BIA adopts or defers to the underlying decision of the IJ, we review the IJ's opinion as the decision of the agency. See Abdulai v. Ashcroft, 239 F.3d 542, 549 n. 2 (3d Cir.2001). As the Government argues, however, "review of the immigration judge's decision would be proper in this case  only to the extent affirmed or incorporated by the Board." Appellee's Br. at 21 n. 3 (citing Sheriff v. Att'y Gen., 587 F.3d 584, 588 (3d Cir.2009)). In this case, the BIA agreed with several of the IJ's findings but did not adopt all of them. Accordingly, we may affirm the BIA's decision only if we find that its stated reasons are correct, as it was the BIA-not the IJ-that provided the final and authoritative "grounds invoked by the agency." SEC v. Chenery Corp., 332 U.S. 194, 196 (1947); Li v. Att'y Gen., 400 F.3d 157, 163 (3d Cir.2005) (reviewing only BIA's finding that "assuming [petitioner] was credible, he failed to establish past persecution," not IJ's adverse credibility determination, because BIA did not adopt credibility finding); cf. Dia v. Ashcroft, 353 F.3d 228, 241 (3d Cir.2003) (holding that under Chenery, when the BIA affirms the IJ without opinion, we review the IJ's opinion as "the grounds invoked by the agency"). D 1 With the aforementioned standards in mind, we turn to Silvia's petition for review. We begin by noting that Silvia did not argue in her opening brief that the BIA erred in denying her CAT claim, so that issue is waived. See Lie v. Ashcroft, 396 F.3d 530, 532 n.l (3d Cir.2005) (citing Nagle v. Alspach, 8 F.3d 141, 143 (3d Cir.1993) ("When an issue is either not set forth in the statement of issues presented or not pursued in the argument section of the brief, the appellant has abandoned and waived that issue on appeal.")). Thus we review only Silvia's requests for asylum and withholding of removal. Whereas an application for withholding of removal requires a showing that there is a "clear probability" of persecution in the country to which an applicant will be removed, Chen v. Gonzales, 434 F.3d 212, 216 (3d Cir.2005) (citing 8 U.S.C.  1231(b)(3)(A)), an application for asylum must establish only that the applicant is "unable or unwilling to return to, and is unable or unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of, that country because of [past] persecution or a well-founded fear of [future] persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion," 8 U.S.C.  1101(a)(42)(A), 1158(b)(1)(B)(i); 8 C.F.R.  1208.13(b)(1). "[A]n applicant has a well-founded fear of persecution if  [t]here is a reasonable possibility" that she will suffer it, 8 C.F.R.  1208.13(b)(2)(f), and a showing of past persecution creates a rebuttable presumption of such a well-founded fear, 8 C.F.R.  1208.13(b)(1). The persecution "must be committed by the government or forces the government is either unable or unwilling to control." Sukwanputra v. Gonzales, 434 F.3d 627, 637 (3d Cir.2006) (citing Lie v. Ashcroft, 396 F.3d 530, 537 (3d Cir.2005)). 2 The Government argues that Silvia did not establish her "[inability] or unwilling[ness] to avail herself of the protection of the Guatemalan government." Our review of the record compels us to disagree. The parties agree that Silvia's conflict with Hilda and Valle del Sol began when she initially decided to assist the Guatemalan government and seek its protection-a decision that left her and her sister Danay under armed guard, moving from hotel to hotel each time there was a feared security breach. Ultimately, the Guatemalan authorities took the drastic measure of working with the Mexican government, the United Nations, and several international organizations to obtain refugee status for Silvia and Danay in Mexico. These extraordinary measures demonstrate that the Guatemalan government believed there was a "reasonable possibility" Silvia would be persecuted if she remained in Guatemala. For that reason, we find no support for the BIA's finding that Silvia does not have a reasonable fear of persecution if she is returned there. Although the Guatemalan government displayed great willingness to protect Silvia before and after her testimony in the Lopez-Lopez murder trial, this willingness sheds no light on Guatemala's ability to protect her. The fact that Guatemala saw fit to relocate Silvia to Mexico is tantamount to an admission that it could not protect her in Guatemala. Guatemala's decision to move Silvia may have prevented future harm, but it does not constitute "protection" in the same way that a government's law enforcement apparatus protects its people by maintaining a state of law and order. There is nothing in the record to suggest that Guatemala will be any better able to protect Silvia if she is returned there now. We see no reason to doubt, then, that Silvia fears retaliation from the same individuals and organization that the Guatemalan government could not control eight years ago. Accordingly, the BIA's finding that she has failed to meet this element is not supported by substantial evidence. The BIA's alternative holding-that any persecution Silvia might face in Guatemala would not be based on her membership in a "particular social group"-also is not supported by substantial evidence. In Fatin v. INS, 12 F.3d 1233, 1239-40 (3d Cir.1993), we adopted the interpretation of "particular social group" that the BIA announced in Matter of Acosta, 19 I. & N. Dec. 211 (B.I.A.1985). Under Acosta, a "particular social group" is defined as: [A] group of persons all of whom share a common, immutable characteristic. The shared characteristic might be an innate one such as sex, color, or kinship ties, or in some circumstances it might be a shared past experience such as former military leadership or land ownership. [T]he common characteristic that defines the group, it must be one that the members of the group either cannot change, or should not be required to change because it is fundamental to their individual identities or consciences. 19 I. & N. Dec. at 233. The parties agree that Silvia testified against Hilda and other members of Valle del Sol. She therefore shares a "common, immutable characteristic" with other civilian witnesses who have the "shared past experience" of assisting law enforcement against violent gangs that threaten communities in Central America. It is a characteristic that members cannot change because it is based on past conduct that cannot be undone. To the extent that members of this group can recant their testimony, they "should not be required to" do so.5 The BIA has not yet addressed several other elements of Silvia's application for asylum and withholding of removal-including whether the harm she might face in Guatemala rises to the level of persecution, whether there would be a nexus between any persecution and her membership in a particular social group, and whether she was "firmly resettled" in Mexico such that she is barred from receiving asylum under 8 C.F.R.  1208.13(c)(2)(i)(B). We leave these matters to the BIA on remand. See I.N.S. v. Orlando Ventura, 537 U.S. 12, 16 (2002). III Unlike Silvia, Claudia's interactions with Valle del Sol were quite limited, she never testified against Hilda or any of Hilda's associates, and she never requested protection from the Guatemalan government. Claudia's claim is based on her belief that she will be persecuted either because she is Silvia's sister or because she became friendly with Hilda in 1998 and learned about Valle del Sol activities, but then rejected what she perceived to be attempts at recruitment into the gang. Like Silvia, Claudia claimed that Hilda and Henry Sosa found her and her mother living in New Jersey and threatened them in person and by telephone. Claudia also alleged that Hilda has since been released from prison and tried to enter the United States, but she was turned away at the border. The IJ found, and the BIA agreed, that Claudia's asylum application was time-barred and that, in any event, she was unable to show a clear probability of future persecution because she never sought police protection, the Guatemalan authorities went to great lengths to protect her sister Silvia, and she failed to provide evidence to corroborate her affidavit and testimony about threats. IJ Dec. at 14-18; BIA Dec. at 23. The BIA also affirmed the IJ's holding that Claudia was not entitled to relief under CAT because she could not show that the Guatemalan government would acquiesce in, or turn a blind eye to, her torture. IJ Dec. at 18; BIA Dec. at 3. Claudia does not dispute the BIA's findings that her asylum application was untimely and that she failed to establish a claim under the CAT. Thus we review only Claudia's request for withholding of removal. To qualify for withholding of removal under the INA, an alien must show either (1) that she has suffered past persecution in the country of removal "on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion," in which case, a rebuttable presumption of future persecution applies; or (2) that she will be persecuted in the country of removal-i.e., there is a " 'clear probability' that the alien's life or freedom would be threatened upon her removal to a particular country," Chen, 434 F.3d at 216 (quoting INS v. Stevic, 467 U.S. 407, 412 (1984)) (citing 8 U.S.C.  1231(b)(3)(A))-for one of the same reasons (race, religion, etc.). 8 C.F.R.  208.16(b)(1)-(2); Myat Thu v. Att'y Gen., 510 F.3d 405, 413 (3d Cir.2007) (quoting 8 U.S.C.  1101(a)(42)(A)) (internal quotation marks omitted). Under the "clear probability" standard, the applicant must show that persecution would "more likely than not" occur.  208(b)(l)(iii), (2); Quao Lin Dong v. Att'y Gen., 638 F.3d 223, 228 (3d Cir.2011). "[A]s with any claim of persecution, the acts must be committed by the government or forces the government is either unable or unwilling to control." Sukwanputra, 434 F.3d at 637 (citation omitted). Nothing in the record compels us to reach factual findings contrary to those reached by the IJ in respect to Claudia's case. Claudia admitted during her testimony that she never personally contacted law enforcement in Guatemala about her interactions with Hilda and Valle del Sol, and although she may have been understandably fearful while she was living in Guatemala, there is nothing in the record to support a finding that she was ever persecuted in the past. Claudia must therefore show a clear probability of future persecution, which she cannot do in light of the IJ's finding that Claudia and Silvia failed to corroborate their testimony about threats Claudia allegedly received after she entered the United States. There is no reason for us to upset the IJ's determination that such corroboration could reasonably be expected and that Claudia and Silvia did not adequately explain its absence. See Abdulai, 239 F.3d 554 (announcing three-part inquiry for whether an application may be denied based on a failure to corroborate). On this record, we agree with the BIA that Claudia failed to meet her burden of showing it is more likely than not that she will face persecution in Guatemala. We will therefore deny Claudia's petition for review. IV For the reasons stated, we will deny Claudia's petition for review, grant Silvia's petition for review, and remand Silvia's case to the BIA for proceedings consistent with this opinion. FOOTNOTES 1. To the extent the Immigration Judge's factual findings are not so clearly erroneous that "any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary," we accept them as "conclusive." 8 U.S.C.  1252(b)(4)(B). See infra Part II.A. We also supplement the IJ's version of the facts and correct minor misstatements therein by including details found in Claudia's and Silvia's affidavits and testimony, but we do so only to the extent they do not conflict with the IJ's findings. 2. By the time arrangements were made for Silvia to get to the hospital, it was too late, and she suffered a miscarriage. 3. The IJ did not actually discuss the "on account of element of an asylum claim. We assume that the BIA was referring to the IJ's finding that Silvia was not a member of a "particular social group," IJ Dec. at 19, 22, and that is the finding we will review. The Government agrees with this understanding of the BIA opinion. See Appellee's Br. at 30 n. 9 (noting that the agency has not yet considered "whether  there is a nexus between the harm [Silvia] suffered or fears and a protected ground"). 4. The BIA had jurisdiction under 8 C.F.R.  1003.1(b)(3) and 1240.15, which grant it appellate jurisdiction over "[d]ecisions of Immigration Judges in removal proceedings." We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C.  1252(a)(1). See also Chen v. Ashcroft, 376 F.3d 215, 221-22 (3d Cir.2004). Venue is proper in this Court because removal proceedings were completed in Newark, New Jersey. 8 U.S.C.  1252(b)(2). 5. The BIA has rejected a similar social group comprised of "noncriminal informants," finding that it lacked the "particularity" and "social visibility" required under the BIA's new interpretation of the phrase "particular social group." In re C-A-, 23 I. & N. Dec. 951, 957, 95961 (B.I.A.2006), aff'd sub nom. Castillo-Arias v. U.S. Att'y Gen., 446 F.3d 1190, 1196 (11th Cir.2006), cert. denied sub nom. Castillo-Arias v. Gonzales, 127 S.Ct. 977 (2007). In re C-A- is distinguishable, however, in that it involved confidential informants whose aid to law enforcement was not public, whereas in this case, Silvia's identity is, and always has been, known to her alleged persecutors. Moreover, in Valdiviezo-Galdamez v. Attorney General of the United States, we held that the BIA has failed to sufficiently explain and justify its addition of "particularity" and "social visibility" to the traditional Acosta requirements. --- F.3d ----, No. 08-4564, 2011 WL 5345436, at *22 (3d Cir. Nov. 8, 2011). Until the BIA provides an analysis that adequately supports its departure from Acosta, we remain bound by the well-established definition of "particular social group" found in Fatin. HARDIMAN, Circuit Judge.
Injured Syrians fleeing Aleppo onslaught among thousands denied entry to Turkey

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 19 February 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Injured Syrians fleeing Aleppo onslaught among thousands denied entry to Turkey, 19 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc234f4.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Turkish authorities have denied entry to injured Syrian civilians in need of immediate medical care, after fleeing the intense bombardment of the northern Aleppo countryside in the past two weeks, said Amnesty International from the Oncupnar/Bab al-Salam border crossing.

The organization has also documented how Turkish security forces have shot and injured civilians, including children, who out of desperation have attempted to cross the border unofficially with the help of smugglers.

"People we spoke to painted a tragic picture of the desperate situation for the civilians who remain trapped between daily airstrikes and dire humanitarian conditions. Turkey's highly selective practice is appalling - only severely injured people are allowed entry to seek medical treatment while everyone else fleeing the violence is left unprotected," said Tirana Hassan, Crisis Response Director at Amnesty International.

"The fact that Turkey is even restricting access to sick and injured Syrians shows how its current border control policies are a far cry from meeting its international obligations to offer protection. The border must remain open to all those fleeing conflict in Syria especially the injured and sick civilians being targeted by daily airstrikes on their homes, hospitals, and schools.

"The international community should step up its support to Turkey and other neighbouring countries dealing with a massive refugee influx."

Testimonies from doctors and Syrian families with injuries

Testimonies from doctors and carers who were permitted to cross with their injured relatives through the Oncupnar/Bab al-Salam border gate, as well as witnesses and doctors inside Syria indicate that thousands of Syrians are stranded on the Syrian side of the border in dire conditions.

A doctor from Azaz described to Amnesty International the scramble to try to manage a sharp increase in injuries over past two weeks. Unable to adequately cope with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, they have transferred patients to the Syrian-Turkish border in the hope that they will be treated inside Turkey.

"Because several hospitals are no longer in operation, we are struggling to provide treatment. We do not have enough surgeons or equipment. We are sending the injured in local ambulances to the hospital at the Syrian border crossing in Bab al-Salam requesting that they be transferred to Turkey but most have been turned back because they do not suffer from severe injuries," the doctor said adding that many other injured civilians remain in Azaz.

Syrian doctors explained to Amnesty International that once injured people arrive at the Bab al-Salam border hospital, Turkish medics select cases to be transferred for treatment in Turkish hospitals. Others are turned back if their injuries are not deemed life-threatening and in need of immediate treatment.

While Turkey has reportedly allowed a few dozen people with urgent medical needs in over the past two weeks, it has denied entry to individuals suffering from chronic diseases, such as cancer and those in need of dialysis, despite the fact that medical facilities in Syria do not have the medication or equipment to adequately treat such cases. Amnesty International could find no evidence to support the claim by the Turkish authorities that 10,000 Syrian refugees had been allowed to cross the Oncupnar/Bab al-Salam border gate.

Witnesses and Syrian doctors also said that the Turkish authorities do not allow families of those with life-threatening injuries to enter together, in some cases allowing the patient and a carer but leaving the rest of the family, including children, behind. In at least two cases injured parents or children were separated at the border when families were not allowed to cross together.

One mother accompanying her severely injured 11-year-old son to Turkey told Amnesty International how she was separated from him at the border. Despite the boy being wounded in the leg along with her husband in an air strike, he was not permitted to cross the border with the rest of the family: "They [Russian and Syrian forces] had been bombing all day My husband and 11-year-old son were injured by shrapnel in the legs when an air strike struck a few metres away on 8 February around 1am as we slept. They [Turkish authorities] only allowed me and my three children under five to cross with my husband in the ambulance leaving my injured son behind because his injuries were not seen as life threatening."

Another man told Amnesty International that his daughter who was injured by shrapnel in her back from an airstrike in Kal Jabrine on 15 February was not allowed to cross to Turkey with her husband and one-year-old daughter who were both severely injured. The father added that his son-in-law is in intensive care and his granddaughter died from her injuries, but Turkey still denied access to the mother.

Shootings at the border crossing

The doctor from Azaz and a paramedic also told Amnesty International that Syrians who tried to cross the Kilis border irregularly with smugglers have been shot by members of Turkey's security forces. Over the past two months the Syrian hospitals in Azaz have received on average two cases daily of civilians shot attempting such crossings. In one case a child of around 10 years old was shot in the head. There is no evidence to suggest that armed groups are present in the border area which is also a considerable distance away from the frontlines. Amnesty International has documented many similar such cases during the past two years or more.

"The EU has prioritized ensuring that Turkey keeps refugees out of Europe at the expense of the immediate protection needs of thousands of Syrians fleeing intense, daily bombardments in Aleppo and elsewhere," said Tirana Hassan.

Tens of thousands trapped

This latest influx of Syrian refugees to Turkey's border again underlines the need for the EU and others to establish a credible resettlement programme from Turkey, which already accommodates more than 2.6 million Syrian refugees, more than any other country.

Some 58,000 people have arrived in the Bab al-Salam area in the past two weeks according to UN estimates, after fleeing an intense ground and aerial offensive on opposition-held areas of northern Aleppo by Syrian government and allied forces, including Russian armed forces, as well as of the Syrian Democratic Forces which include Arab and Kurdish non-state armed groups.

Some of the attacks appear to have targeted civilian residential areas as well as medical facilities, including in Azaz, north of Aleppo, and close to the border with Turkey. In addition, Amnesty International has reviewed video-clips and other images indicating attacks with inherently indiscriminate cluster munitions on civilian areas in northern Aleppo.

The consequences for those prevented from entering Turkey are aggravated by the lack of adequate medical care inside Syria as a result of ongoing bombings of hospitals and other health care facilities by Russian and Syrian government strikes. At least five medical facilities were hit in Aleppo in January and at least a further four medical facilities on 15 February alone.

"It is clear that countries neighbouring Syria, particularly Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, are under incredible strain from the influx of refugees. However, Turkey must not flout its obligations under international law by turning away injured refugees. Turkey, with the support of the international community including the EU, must grant them immediate protection from the daily bombardment that is happening just a few kilometres away."

Background

Turkey's selective entry practices are worsening an already desperate humanitarian crisis at the border, where there has been a significant build-up of people in the past two weeks. Activists in Bab al-Salam told Amnesty International that some families who had fled after their homes were destroyed have resorted to sleeping in cars or on the streets despite the freezing conditions.

Most of Turkey's official border gates with Syria remain closed. The Turkish authorities only allow seriously injured people, or those with an urgent humanitarian need - usually when fighting comes very close to the border, to cross. In practice this means that almost all Syrian refugees in Turkey have been forced to use difficult and dangerous irregular crossing points with the help of smugglers.

A local Turkish humanitarian organization said 110,000 internally displaced people were already sheltering in eight camps along the Syrian side of the Bab al-Salam border crossing even before the latest influx. A ninth camp is currently under construction but will not be enough to accommodate all the new arrivals.

The flow of people to the Kilis border crossing has reached crisis point. Turkey must open its borders to refugees.

Amnesty International has repeatedly called for the international community to alleviate the burden on Syria's neighbouring countries through increased humanitarian assistance and resettlement places. Amnesty International is calling for 450,000 of Syria's most vulnerable refugees to be resettled in Europe, North America and elsewhere by the end of 2016.

The organization believes that anyone from Syria seeking asylum should be considered to be in need of international protection due to the widespread human rights abuses being committed in the conflict including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Turkey hosts more than 2.6 million Syrian refugees, making it one of the largest refugee hosting countries in the world. In mid-to-late 2015 following the large influx of refugees to the EU through irregular routes from Turkey, the European Union made a deal with Turkey to combat irregular migration across their land and sea borders.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Iraq: Shocking surge in 2016 death sentences tops 90 as 'terror' trial closes

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 18 February 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Iraq: Shocking surge in 2016 death sentences tops 90 as 'terror' trial closes, 18 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc23b74.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The 40 death sentences handed down today in Iraq after a fundamentally flawed mass trial show a reckless disregard for justice and human life, said Amnesty International and brings the total sentenced in 2016 close to 100.

Iraq's courts have imposed at least 52 death sentences since 1 January 2016. Today a further 40 individuals were sentenced to death as the verdict of a high-profile anti-terror trial is delivered in Baghdad.

"For Iraqi courts to hand down 92 death sentences in just six weeks is a grim indicator of the current state of justice in the country," said James Lynch, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director.

"The vast majority of the trials have been grossly unfair, with many of the defendants claiming to have been tortured into 'confessing' the crimes. These allegations must be urgently investigated and a re-trial that meets international fair trial standard should be ordered."

Today's trial involved 47 individuals accused of involvement in the Speicher massacre, in which at least 1,700 military cadets from Speicher Military camp, near Tikrit, were brutally killed by militants from the armed group calling itself Islamic State (IS) in June 2014.

Iraq's Federal Judicial Authority confirmed that 40 people were sentenced to death under the 2005 anti-terrorism law and seven were released due to lack of evidence.

More than 600 arrest warrants were issued by the Iraqi authorities in connection with the Speicher massacre. The Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI) went on to announce that it would consolidate all cases relating to the Speicher crimes into one case - opening the door to mass trials.

In July 2014, 24 men were sentenced to death by hanging under the 2005 Anti-Terrorism Law in connection with the massacre.

"These mass, expedited trials raise serious questions about whether the Iraqi authorities really want to uncover the truth behind these abhorrent attacks, or whether they simply want to create the illusion that justice has been done. Once again we are seeing basic human rights trampled upon as the authorities circumvent fair trials in the name of national security," said James Lynch.

Amnesty International is calling on the Iraqi authorities to halt the ratification of death sentences and immediately establish an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.

Background

Before a death sentence can be carried out, the President of Iraq must ratify it. Former President Jalal Talabani refused to ratify any death sentences leading to a backlog of more than 600 cases.

Last year, the new President Fuad Ma'sum came under significant pressure from MPs and the public to ratify death sentences, particularly following the Speicher massacre. A Special Committee was set up in the Presidency Office to manage the backlog. In July 2015 Amnesty International called on the Iraqi President to halt the ratification of death sentences that would pave the way for executions. Many of those sentenced to death have been subject to grossly unfair trials.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Ban arrives in Burundi in support of UN efforts to resolve political crisis

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 22 February 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Ban arrives in Burundi in support of UN efforts to resolve political crisis, 22 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc250840c.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

22 February 2016 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived today in Bujumbura, capital of Burundi, for an official visit during which he is expected to meet President Pierre Nkurunziza and other actors in support of ongoing UN efforts at resolving Burundi's political crisis.

After a stop in Nairobi, Kenya, Mr, Ban was greeted on arrival in Bujumbura by the First Vice-President, Gaston Sindimwo, the Foreign Minister, Alain Nyamitwe, and other Government officials, as well as his Special Envoy to Burundi, Jamal Benomar, and by the Coordinator UN resident Paolo Lembo, said the UN office in Bujumbura.

In Kenya, the Secretary-General was briefed by the Director-General of the UN Office in Nairobi (UNON), Sahle-Work Zewde, and Kenya's Minister for Education, Fred Matiangi.

Burundi was thrown into crisis this past April when President Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term that he went on to win in July. To date, it has been reported that more than 400 people have been killed, more than 240,000 have fled the nation, and thousands more have been arrested and possibly subjected to human rights violations.

The UN chief is then expected to leave Burundi on Tuesday for the Democratic Republic of Congo on the second leg of an Africa tour. He is expected to be in Goma to visit people impacted by the insecurity and humanitarian crisis in the region, including those living in camps for internally displaced people, according to a statement on his schedule.

The next day, the Secretary-General will be in Kinshasa, where he will preside at the opening session of the Great Lakes Private Sector Investment Conference. He is also expected to meet with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Joseph Kabila, as well as several Government officials and political and civil society representatives.

On Thursday, 25 February, the Secretary-General will head to Juba, South Sudan, where he is expected to meet with President Salva Kiir as well as visit a protection of civilians' site that is run by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

A wide view of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's meeting with representatives of humanitarian non-governmental organizations of Burundi. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre right) meets with representatives of humanitarian non-governmental organizations of Burundi. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) is welcomed by Gaston Sindimwo (centre right), First Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi, on his arrival in Bujumbura. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre right) meets with representatives of political parties of Burundi. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre) is welcomed by Gaston Sindimwo (centre right), First Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi, on his arrival in Bujumbura. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

 
Afghanistan: Taliban Child Soldier Recruitment Surges

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 17 February 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Afghanistan: Taliban Child Soldier Recruitment Surges, 17 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc26394.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Taliban forces in Afghanistan have added scores of children to their ranks since mid-2015 in violation of the international prohibition on the use of child soldiers, Human Rights Watch said today.

New Human Rights Watch research shows that the Taliban have been training and deploying children for various military operations including the production and planting of improvised explosive devices (IED). In Kunduz province, the Taliban have increasingly used madrasas, or Islamic religious schools, to provide military training to children between the ages of 13 and 17, many of whom have been deployed in combat.

"The Taliban's apparent strategy to throw increasing numbers of children into battle is as cynical and cruel as it is unlawful," said Patricia Gossman, senior Afghanistan researcher. "Afghan children should be at school and at home with their parents, not exploited as cannon fodder for the Taliban insurgency."

Human Rights Watch interviewed relatives of 13 children recruited as Taliban soldiers over the past year, and verified these claims through interviews with civil society activists, political analysts, and the United Nations. Despite Taliban claims that they only enlist fighters who have achieved "mental and physical maturity," and do not use "boys with no beards" in military operations, some of the children recruited from madrasas in Kunduz, Takhar, and Badakhshan provinces are 13 or younger. The Taliban have previously denied "the use of children and adolescents in Jihadic Operations," but its deployment of individuals under the age of 18 violates international law applicable in Afghanistan and in cases involving children under 15 is a war crime.

Kunduz residents and analysts say that the increase in recruitment and deployment of child fighters coincided with the Taliban's major offensive in northern Afghanistan that began in April 2015. Human Rights Watch interviews with activists and analysts indicate that the Taliban-run madrasas have been functioning in Kunduz, as well as other northern provinces, since at least 2012. As the Taliban made substantial inroads in 2013-2014, gaining ground in Kunduz's Chahardara and Dasht-e Archi districts, they gained more influence over education in the province. Taliban commanders increasingly used madrasas not only for indoctrination, but also for military training of children. Previously, Taliban commanders sent boys selected for military training to North Waziristan in Pakistan, where despite Pakistan's military operations, the Taliban operates freely in large swathes of territory. While such training still occurs, the Taliban has solidified its control over at least three districts in Kunduz and residents and analysts told Human Rights Watch that the group is carrying out more of the military training locally.

The Taliban recruit and train children in age-specific stages. Boys begin indoctrination as young as six years old, and continue to study religious subjects under Taliban teachers for up to seven years. According to relatives of boys recruited by the Taliban, by the time they are 13, Taliban-educated children have learned military skills including use of firearms, and the production and deployment of IEDs. Taliban teachers then introduce those trained child soldiers to specific Taliban groups in that district.

"The Taliban's increasing use of children as soldiers only adds to the horrors of Afghanistan's long conflict both for the children and their families," Gossman said. "The Taliban should immediately stop recruiting children and release all children in their ranks, even those who claim to have joined willingly."

Please see below for additional information including accounts from relatives and friends of Taliban child soldiers.

Taliban Recruitment and Training of Children

The Taliban have recruited and used children as fighters since the 1990s, but Kunduz residents whose sons have been among those recruited, together with analysts who have monitored the recruitment drive, believe that recruitment increased in 2015 due to expanded Taliban operations against Afghan government forces. The establishment of training centers in madrasas in the Taliban's expanded zone of control in Kunduz also led to increases in child soldier recruitment. Kunduz residents told Human Rights Watch that the Taliban had recruited and deployed more than 100 children from Chahardara district alone in 2015.

Because the Taliban begin the indoctrination of children from an early age, they are easily persuaded to fight. Relatives of child soldiers in Kunduz told Human Rights Watch that the Taliban target children because it is easy to convince them of the righteousness of jihad, and because they are at an age where they do not feel responsible for providing for a family and so are easily persuaded to take on dangerous tasks. In general, children are not recruited by force. However parents who have tried to retrieve their children are usually unable to do so because the Taliban claim that the boys are of age, or are committed to jihad regardless of their age.

The Taliban madrasas attract many poor families because the Taliban cover their expenses and provide food and clothing for the children. In some cases they offer cash to families for sending their boys to the madrasas. An expert on Kunduz told Human Rights Watch that traditionally, even before the Taliban established madrasas in these areas, rural and village families sent at least one son to the local madrasa because of the prestige associated with the status of becoming a mullah (someone educated in the basics of Islamic law). In the cases of child soldiers Human Rights Watch investigated, some boys attended the madrasas in the early morning hours and then attended government schools later in the day. Other boys who had been recruited attended the madrasas full time. For example, "Razeq," (a pseudonym) 16, a resident of Chahardara district in Kunduz province, is a student in Class 6 at a government-run school, which he attends between 8 a.m. and noon every day. Between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. he attends a madrasa controlled by Malawi Abdul Haq, a Taliban commander in the district. As of late 2015, the madrasa had about 80 students, most of them children between the ages of 13 and 17. All of them are vulnerable to recruitment.

According to some reports, children as young as 10 years old fought with Taliban forces in the battles that led to the Taliban's temporary takeover of Kunduz. Leila Zerrougui, the UN special representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict, told Al-Jazeera that "children between the ages of 10 and 15 were used by the Taliban and dozens of them were deployed" during the fighting in Kunduz in September and October 2015.

International Law

International humanitarian law, or the laws of war, prohibits the recruitment or use of children under 15 by parties to a conflict. "Conscripting or enlisting children under the age of fifteen years into armed forces or groups or using them to participate actively in hostilities" is a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), to which Afghanistan belongs. Those who commit, order, assist, or have command responsibility for war crimes are subject to prosecution by the ICC or national courts.

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict ("the Optional Protocol"), which Afghanistan ratified in 2003, states that non-state armed groups may not, under any circumstances, recruit persons under 18 or use them in hostilities. The Optional Protocol also places obligations on governments to "take all feasible measures to prevent such recruitment and use, including the adoption of legal measures necessary to prohibit and criminalize such practices." Military forces also have an obligation to provide children with special respect and attention. The Convention on the Rights of the Child requires that governments "take all feasible measures to ensure protection and care of children who are affected by armed conflict."

Relatives and Friends of Taliban Child Soldiers Speak Out

The following accounts are based on Human Rights Watch interviews with the relatives of 13 boys recruited into the Taliban in 2015, and interviews with community elders who have worked with the families to try to get the boys released. The names of the boys and other identifying details have been changed for their families' security. In all cases, the parents tried unsuccessfully to secure the return of their sons. In some cases the children were killed during the fighting in Kunduz in 2015. In each of these cases the Taliban commanders responsible for recruiting the boys were based in Kunduz. Because it was not possible to contact the Taliban for their views on these allegations, we have not referred to these commanders by name.

-Qasem, 15, was a resident of Chahardara district, Kunduz province, where he attended a local madrasa. In June or July 2015, a Taliban military unit recruited him as a soldier. A community elder who has been assisting the families of boys who have been recruited told Human Rights Watch:

On three occasions in July, August, and September 2015, Qasem's parents contacted Taliban Commander A who was in charge of the unit, begging to have their son returned to them, but they were refused. They told Commander A: "We will send him to you after three years when he is of age. He should study until that time and be with his parents," but the commander refused to release their son.

-Ahmad was the son of a merchant in Chahardara district. In May 2015, when he was 14 years old, Taliban forces under a senior Taliban commander, Commander B, recruited Ahmad as a soldier. According to members of the family, about a week after her son was recruited, Ahmad's mother appealed to Commander B to release her son, but he refused.

In June 2015 Afghan government forces launched a clearing operation in Chahardara district, and both Qasem and Ahmad were deployed. According to a source close to the family who lived in the village where the operation took place:

When the government forces counter-attacked, both Qasem and Ahmad, along with a civilian woman named Zahra who was living nearby, were killed. The boys' families recovered their bodies.

-Mohammad, 15, was a resident of Chahardara district, Kunduz province. He was in Class 7 at the local government school, but also attended a local madrasa. In June 2015 an armed group under Taliban Commander A recruited him as a child soldier. Mohammad's parents have said that when they went to Commander A and asked for the return of their son, he refused to release him.

-Farhad, 17, is from a village in Chahardara district of Kunduz province. A family source said:

Farhad joined the Taliban over his father's objections. He is currently a fighter in Commander B's group. His parents together with local elders went to the Taliban several times and asked another commander in this group, Commander C, to free Qari [an honorific bestowed on someone who has learned to read the Quran ] Farhad. Commander C then asked Farhad if he wanted to go back to his family, but as Qari Farhad wanted to stay, Commander C told his parents and other local elders that "your sons are better Muslims than yourselves. They don't leave jihad."

-Atar, 17, is from Chahardara district. He was a student at a local madrasa, which he had attended from the time he was 6 years old. In May or June 2015, forces under Taliban Commander B recruited him as a soldier. His parents have unsuccessfully tried to secure his release.

-Mati, 15, was also the resident of a village in Chahardara district. In June 2015, after his father died, the Taliban recruited him into an armed group under the command of Commander D. A relative said:

They cheated him. Mati's uncle went to bring him back, but the Taliban would not let him go with his uncle. Then fighting [with Afghan government forces] erupted [in July 2015], and in the fighting Mati was killed in an airstrike. Friends who lived in Khotagert, the area he died, found the body and told his uncle, who came and buried him.

-Mansur, 15, was a resident of a village in Chahardara district, Kunduz province. In May 2015 he was recruited into an armed group. A relative said:

Commander A sent him to Waziristan in Pakistan for training in making explosives. His responsibility in the armed group is to plant IEDs in government agencies and government cars. The family has been unable to secure his release.

-Najib, 16, is from a village, in Chahardara district. A relative said that the Taliban recruited him against the family's wishes:

His father is not alive and his grandfather sent him to Turkey to avoid Taliban recruitment, but he came back and the Taliban recruited him into the group of commander B.

-Hesam, 16, is also from Chahardara district. Forces under Taliban commander A recruited him when he was 14 or 15. On May 5, 2015, he was injured in Kunduz while fighting for the Taliban, and treated in a clinic in Kunduz. When his father tried to bring him home after his treatment, he ran away and joined commander A's group again.

-Malek, 14, a student at a local madrasa, was recruited by his teacher, Commander E, one of the Taliban's principal recruiters in Chahardara district. A relative said:

Before recruiting Malek, the Taliban took his cousin Esmat by force over his father's objections. However, Esmat's father succeeded in getting Esmat released and sent him to Iran to save him. Currently Qari Malek is tasked with carrying RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades] in Commander B's unit.

-Burhan, 14, is also from Chahardara district. A relative told Human Rights Watch:

Qari Burhan was recruited in March or April 2015 into Commander B's armed group, where he is armed with a Kalashnikov [assault rifle]. After he was recruited, he was sent to Waziristan [in Pakistan] to be trained in using explosive materials. He came back to the front after three months training in July 2015 and is active in Commander B's armed group. Two of Burhan's uncles are with the Taliban.

-Emad, 16, is a resident of a village near Kunduz city center. He was a student in a local government-run school until he was recruited into commander E's armed group, over his family's objections. According to a family member, "Emad's widowed mother requested that the Taliban release him from their group, but they refused."

-Navid, 16, is a resident of Kunduz center. According to his family, he has been made part of commander B's bodyguard. He sits at the back of a Taliban commander's motorcycle and rides with him, carrying a Kalashnikov.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
RSF and JED request inquiry into cutting of RFI's signal

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 18 February 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF and JED request inquiry into cutting of RFI's signal, 18 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc26c840d.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Journalist in Danger (JED), its partner organization in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), are deeply shocked by yesterday's one-day suspension of local retransmission of the broadcasts of the French international news radio station, Radio France Internationale.

It coincided with a one-day "Dead City Day" protest called by the main opposition parties to demand adherence to the constitution, which forbids a third term for President Joseph Kabila.

RFI's signal was simultaneously cut early in the morning in the capital, Kinshasa, and in Bukavu, the capital of the eastern province of Sud-Kivu, and was not restored until the start of the evening.

The communication and media minister, who is also the government's spokesman, said the measure was taken by the local authorities in order to prevent RFI from "casting oil on the flames."

RSF and JED regard the suspension as an illegal and arbitrary action that reflects government hostility towards an international radio station that is listened to every day by millions of Congolese and whose independence bothers the authorities.

As this is not the first time that RFI's signal has been cut and the election process is now a source of growing tension, RSF and JED call for an investigation into this grave violation of freedom of information in order to identify who gave the orders and to prevent its recurrence.

DRC is ranked 150th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2015 press freedom index.
Journalist shot dead by sniper in Taiz

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 18 February 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Journalist shot dead by sniper in Taiz, 18 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc26f240b.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns TV journalist Ahmed Al-Shaibani's targeted murder by a sniper yesterday in the southwestern city of Taiz and calls for independent investigations into the crimes committed by both sides in the war in Yemen.

A video reporter for state-owned Yemen TV, Shaibani was killed while covering the fighting in Taiz along with other journalists. A sniper shot him in the head as he and other reporters crossed a road in a western district of the city to inspect the damage inflicted on a factory by Houthi rebel missiles.

Shaibani was the first journalist to be killed in Taiz since the start of the war. An Al-Jazeera video shows him being shot as he runs across the road. He died on the spot. RSF condemns his death.

"We urge journalists and media outlets to take great care when reporting in the field and we remind the parties to the conflict that they must answer for their actions towards journalists and other civilians in accordance with international law," said Alexandra El Khazen, the head of RSF's Middle East desk.

"We call for independent investigations into all the crimes against reporters in Yemen, both the crimes by the Arab coalition and those by the Houthis."

Al-Jazeera correspondent Hamdi Al-Bokari was kidnapped in Taiz on 18 January along with fellow reporter Abdelaziz Al-Sabri and their driver Mounir Al-Soubaie. After they were freed ten days later, Bokari reported on social networks that they had been kidnapped by Houthi rebels.

Shaibani is the third journalist to be killed in Yemen since the start of the year. At least eight journalists and media workers were killed in the course of their work last year in Yemen.

Although the Houthi rebels are responsible for most of the violence against media personnel, at least five journalists and media workers have been killed in air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition since the start of its intervention in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015.

In a statement published by the official Saudi news agency SPA, the Arab coalition nonetheless announced in late January that it was creating an "independent" commission to investigate allegations of possible abuses against civilians that had been reported by UN experts.

Yemen is ranked 168th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2015 press freedom index.
RSF accuses government of endangering general interest

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 18 February 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF accuses government of endangering general interest, 18 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc271940d.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders condemns the government's decision, after a series of corruption scandals, to prioritize the intimidation of journalists and whistleblowers, who just do their duty to inform the public.

RSF supports the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and Gerakan Media Marah (the Angry Media Movement), an informal coalition of journalists, and their condemnation of a proposed amendment to the 1972 Official Secrets Act - which would penalize whistleblowers and the use by journalists of anonymous sources - as an act of "flagrant intimidation."

Under the amendment, journalists could be prosecuted for refusing to name the source of their information and maximum penalties would be increased to life imprisonment and 10 strokes of the cane. As things stand, the penalty for divulging official secrets is one to seven years in prison.

In an article in the Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily, attorney general Mohamed Apandi said the amendment was needed because of a significant increase in leaks of government secrets. Anticipating objections, he added that, "those who claim journalistic ethics to protect their sources could be considered as collaborators with potential saboteurs, and that this practice would endanger the country's security."

"The reprisals against investigative journalists, the increase in censorship in recent months and now the proposed amendment designed to persecute whistleblowers and journalists clearly show that the government has taken the authoritarian road," said Benjamin Ismail, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk.

"The government needs to realize that it is Prime Minister Najib Razak's policy of censoring and suppressing information, and its political and economic consequences, that are endangering the general interest, and not the corruption revelations."

Corruption, censorship and witchhunt against whistleblowers

The past eight months have been marked by political and financial scandals involving leading members of the private sector and government officials, including the prime minister.

In July, the Wall Street Journal revealed details of a judicial investigation into allegations that a development fund called 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had channelled money into the prime minister's personal accounts.

Sarawak Report, an English-language news website based in London, was blocked by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission on 20 July, a few days after it revealed the content of confidential emails obtained from an anonymous source that supported the corruption allegations.

A warrant for Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown's arrest on a charge of "activity detrimental to democracy" was issued on 4 August, five days after she posted secret documents showing that the attorney general had been fired because he had been preparing to bring corruption charges against the prime minister.

Access to Medium.com, a news website that had been reposting Sarawak Report articles and thereby enabling Internet users in Malaysia to circumvent the blocking of the Sarawak Report website, was in turn blocked by certain Malaysian Internet operators on 22 January.

Malaysian media outlets that followed these developments have also been targeted. Two publications that had been covering the investigation, The Edge Weekly and its sister, The Edge Financial Daily, were suspended by the interior ministry on 27 July for three months for coverage that was deemed to have been "prejudicial to public and national interest."

Four news blogs - Syedsoutsidethebox, Tabunginsider, Fotopages and Din Turtle - were blocked by the media regulator on 27 January. The authors of these blogs and their content (Tabunginsider's is a whistleblower, Din Turtle's is a well-known critic of the prime minister) are very different but they all irritated the government.

Malaysia is ranked 147th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2015 press freedom index.
The situation of journalists in Egypt is unacceptable

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 22 February 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, The situation of journalists in Egypt is unacceptable, 22 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc2735411.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has written to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi requesting the release of journalists who are detained arbitrarily in Egypt. As violations of freedom in general and media freedom in particular continue to grow, the letter also voices concern about the safety of media personnel and stresses the need to combat impunity for violence against journalists.

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi

Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Cairo, Egypt



Paris, 22 February 2016

Dear President Sisi,

Respect for the fundamental freedoms of Egyptian citizens and foreign residents has unfortunately declined since you became Egypt's president in 2014. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) would like to draw your attention to the very disturbing situation of Egypt's journalists, who are only too often persecuted on national security grounds.

In 2015, Egypt became one the world's biggest prisons for journalists. At least 24 journalists and bloggers are currently imprisoned in connection with their reporting. In most cases, their only "error" was to have covered demonstrations or protests or to have spoken with members of the Muslim Brotherhood (which you have declared to be a "terrorist organization") in the course of their reporting.

These journalists, who RSF defends, are held on trumped-up charges unrelated to press offences, charges such as membership of a terrorist organization, participating in an illegal demonstration, spreading false information or disturbing public order. Many of them have been subjected to unjust trials that violate Egypt's 2014 constitution and international human rights law, demonstrating the Egyptian justice system's lack of independence.

Mahmoud Abou Zeid, a freelance journalist also known as "Shawkan," is one of the victims of this system of arbitrary detention. After being arrested while covering a demonstration in support of deposed President Mohammed Morsi in Cairo's Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square for the Demotix and Corbis photo agencies on 14 August 2013, he spent more than two years in prison without seeing a judge and without being formally charged. His pre-trial detention, one of the longest ever in Egypt, according to his lawyers, violated Egyptian law (article 143 of the code of criminal procedure).

He finally began being tried on 12 December 2015 along with more than 700 other defendants, including Muslim Brotherhood members. The charges against him include murder, attempted murder and membership of a banned organization, and he is facing life imprisonment. Mentally exhausted, suffering the effects of days spent in solitary confinement, he is also ill with hepatitis C.

Other journalists are also facing long jail sentences. They included six journalists who were originally given life sentences in April 2015 in the so-called "Rabaa Al Adawiya operations room" case. They were convicted of spreading "false news," inciting violence and chaos, and being part of a supposed "operations room" that allegedly orchestrated attacks on the government during the August 2013 demonstrations in Rabaa Al Adawiya Square.

As the Court of Cassation overturned their convictions in December 2015, a new trial was scheduled to begin on 8 February. However, as some of the defendants, including Abdallah Al Fakhrany and Samhi Mostafa, were unable to appear in court, the session has been postponed until 1 March.

These journalists are being held in appalling conditions. Some are being tortured and denied medical treatment. They include Omar Abdel Maksud, a photographer for the Masr Al-Arabia news website, who has a heart condition. Arrested on 14 February 2014, released and then rearrested in April 2014, he is accused of attacking and setting fire to cars belonging to your presidential campaign.

Last September, you said your country enjoys unprecedented freedom of expression but the reality is completely different. Working as a journalist in Egypt has become as dangerous as openly demonstrating against the regime. The latest anti-terrorism law, adopted in August, directly attacks the media because coverage of bombings and shootings is punishable by a heavy fine if it does not conform to the official version, for example, as regards the death toll.

It is nonetheless your responsibility to guarantee the protection of journalists, so that they can do their job to provide news and information freely and in complete safety. They should not be subjected to a climate of fear and impunity.

May I remind you that three journalists were killed by the security forces while covering the pro-Morsi demonstration in Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square on 14 August 2013. A year later, no investigation had been opened into the deaths of these journalists or the massacre that took place that day, and none of those responsible had been arrested. The same goes for the perpetrators of all the other murders of journalists since January 2011.

It is absolutely crucial that pluralism of news reporting and opinion should be guaranteed in your country. The Egyptian constitution guarantees media freedom, which underpins a democratic system. This is why RSF asks you to release these unjustly detained journalists and to stop persecuting them. Otherwise, Egypt's prospects for the future will be very dim in the long term.

Sincerely,

Christophe Deloire Secretary-General
Home at last for young refugees in Hungarian orphanage

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 22 February 2016 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Home at last for young refugees in Hungarian orphanage, 22 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc279f4.html [accessed 21 October 2022]

With its government calling for a "defensive line" against refugees, Hungary may seem heartless. But Haseebullah Sarwari-Said from Afghanistan and Hassan Shabna from Western Sahara have had a positive, if atypical experience here, having finally restarted their lives thanks to an orphanage near Budapest.

Both young men fled mortal danger at home, making arduous journeys through the Middle East and the Balkans before finally being taken into care in Hungary as unaccompanied children. "It's too dangerous, we can't go home," they both say.

At the age of 15, Haseebullah, the son of a rich landowner from Kunduz, saw the Taliban kill his uncle and brother. Hassan, a Berber who grew up herding goats, was picked out to be killed in a blood vendetta between his relatives and another local family. Now 23, the young men are like brothers, sharing the unusual fate of having found sanctuary in Hungary.

Their story shows that although Hungary has harsh and restrictive policies for refugees, there are some that stay there and build new lives. It also challenges the perception that young Muslim men without families always mean trouble for European society.

The Hungarian government, which last year ordered the construction of fences on the borders with Serbia and Croatia, has played on popular fears. A press campaign that suggested refugees raised the risk of terrorism prompted a rebuke from the UNHCR.

However, the criticism fell on deaf ears in Budapest and policies that began in Hungary now look likely to be adopted by Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia as well.

At a joint press conference with visiting Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo earlier this month, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban called for a "defensive line" through the Balkans and Central Europe to hold back refugees and migrants trying to reach the EU.

Nearly half a million people crossed through Hungarian territory at the height of the refugee crisis last summer but although 177,000 were registered here, just 500 have been granted asylum. Over 1,000 are in detention for illegal border crossing and likely to be deported.

Haseebullah and Hassan are lucky, having arrived ahead of the wave of refugees and migrants that sought sanctuary in Europe last year. Both of them have had time to complete their schooling, enter higher education and integrate into Hungarian society.

In the town of Fot outside Budapest, the Karolyi Istvan Children's Centre sits in the grounds of an old noble estate. During Hungary's Communist days, it housed hundreds of Hungarian orphans. Now it takes young offenders, handicapped kids and unaccompanied migrant children.

"We give them maximum independence," says Peter Vamosi, director of an aftercare service for graduates of the orphanage. "I am at the boys' service if they need me but I don't interfere in their private lives."

Over the course of four years, 4,000 underage migrants have passed through this centre, with 2,460 in the last year alone. Most move on to Austria or Germany, but about 100 have chosen to stay in Hungary, including Haseebullah and Hassan.

"At first, we lived in tents in a camp at a place called Bicske," says Hassan. "We got back into school there and two local teachers, they really helped us with our Hungarian. I stayed because of the kindness of these people, encouraging us to learn and everything." Thanks to their support, he is now studying to be a physiotherapist.

Haseebullah, who hopes to be an electrician, has integrated even further into Hungarian society by marrying a Hungarian girl. Sadly, he has lost touch with his parents back in Afghanistan, who paid people smugglers to get him out to safety. "They would be glad if they could see me now," he says. "They wanted me to have a life."
Afghan Girls Mourn Lost Education

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Author Mohammad Ibrahim Speasalay Publication Date 23 February 2016 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Afghan Girls Mourn Lost Education, 23 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc286c4.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Soala gazes at her prized high school diploma with tears in her eyes.

Having graduated at the top of her class from the Zarghuna Ana high school in Kandahar province, she had dreamed of going on to study medicine.

But her hopes were dashed when her father and older brother said that they would not allow her to carry on her education.

As a doctor, Soala said, she would have been able to serve the wider society and help rebuild her country. Conservative traditions now meant that her studies were at an end.

"If I had known that they would not allow me to go on to higher education, then maybe I would not have struggled so hard throughout the 12 years [of school]," she said. "I wanted to serve the women of Kandahar in the field of medicine after graduating from university. My father and older brother killed my hope. What good will this certificate do me now?"

Soala's older brother Asadullah said that he could not face the humiliation of friends teasing him because his sister was allowed to go to university.

"My conscience can not accept my young sister leaving the house every day and studying together with young men she does not know in the same class," he said. "I am also ashamed of my friends mocking me. If they say even one bad word about my sister, my honour won't be able to bear it."

Access to education has improved significantly in the southern province of Kandahar since the fall of the Taleban in 2001. But even those families who send their daughters to school are often unwilling to allow them to continue studying past the age of 15, let alone go on to higher education.

Hazratmir Totakhail, the head of Kandahar university, said that although 2,060 high school graduates had taken entrance exams to begin studying for a degree last year, only 230 of them were female.

The prospects for younger girls hoping to finish high school are even starker. According to Kandahar's department of education, there are 75,000 girls currently at school in the province. However, statistics indicate that only a handful go on to finish high school.

Education spokesman Nazar Mohammad Samimi told IWPR that only 528 girls had graduated from high school in the last academic year, reflecting the fact that many families did not allow girls to continue past year six of their education.

"Many families in Kandahar face this problem; and I think that this is worse in the districts," agreed Shogofa Sahar, the head of the women's affairs sections of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in Kandahar.

She said that only 14 incidents of girls being forced to curtail their studies taken had been reported to them over the last year, but the numbers were clearly much higher. Most cases of girls being denied further education were simply not reported.

The chance to chance to continue studying was a human right, Sahar continued, and the community needed to support talented young women so that they can in turn could go on to serve society.

Zalmai Toryal, the head of the teachers' training institute of Kandahar, also said that many families in Kandahar refuse to allow female family members to continue their education. In addition to cultural traditions, Toryal said that concerns over security led many families to prevent girls continuing their studies. Another factor is that many young women end their education when they get married.

He said that 1,346 students study at his institute, of which only 321 are girls.

"If you look at the number of our students, you will notice the low level of female students attending the teacher training institute. Although we arranged special facilities for them, still the families are not ready to send their daughters to academic institutions."

Islamic scholar Maulawi Abdul Bari Madani said that there was no religious reason to prevent girls and young women from pursuing their studies.

"The religion of Islam orders its followers to learn Islam never prevents the education, where hijab [modest dress] is observed," he said.

Civil society activist Abdul Aziz Akrami said that one issue was the fact that, unlike high schools, colleges were co-educational.

"One of the reasons that many families in Kandahar that are not willing to send their daughters to universities and teacher training centres is that there both girls and boys study together," he said. "If classes for girls and boys were separated, this might help solve the issue."

Toryal agreed that this might encourage more young women to continue studying. He said that his institution was encouraging their female staff to undertake more teaching hours.

"We also tried to give our female teachers more classes so that we can achieve a women- dominated educational environment," he said.

Ruqia Achikzai, head of the provincial department of women's affairs, said that she was had held meetings across the province to try and convince families that they should let girls continue with their education.

"We have talked with girls and their families about this issue to let them know that girls need to have access to higher education so as our society can have a brighter future. Girls, too, need qualifications from academic institutions."

Copyright notice:  Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Taleban Threat May Tempt Turkmenistan Out of Isolation

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Publication Date 19 February 2016 Citation / Document Symbol RCA Issue 782 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Taleban Threat May Tempt Turkmenistan Out of Isolation, 19 February 2016, RCA Issue 782, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc28e64.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Security challenges emanating from neighbouring Afghanistan may lead Turkmenistan to cooperate more closely with other regional allies, according to a leading Central Asia expert.

Fabio Indeo, a specialist in Central Asian geopolitics and a research fellow at the Centre for Energy Governance and Security at Hanyang University in Seoul, spoke to IWPR about Turkmenistan's perspective on regional security.

The most isolated of all Central Asian states, Turkmenistan sells electricity to Afghanistan's northern provinces and is heavily invested in the US-backed TAPI project. This gas pipeline would connect Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India and depends greatly on the security situation in Afghanistan.

Many areas of the porous Turkmen-Afghan border are either lawless or controlled by militants, whether the Taleban or other armed groups.

Turkmenistan has been an officially neutral country for the last 20 years, and the capacity of its army to deal with such security threats is unclear.

Turkmenistan's flat landscape and extensive border with Afghanistan makes it particularly vulnerable, along with Tajikistan, to attacks by Afghan extremists. How do you assess Turkmenistan's military readiness for such challenges?

Even if the number of Islamic radicals present inside Turkmenistan is not comparable with Uzbekistan or Tajikistan, a potential spread of instability led by growing armed incursions of Taleban along the shared border could heavily affect central power.

As a matter of fact, Turkmenistan's armed forces may not be ready to face the challenge of frequent terrorist incursions from the eastern border, which could destabilise the country and present a serious threat to national security.

Following its traditional policy of permanent neutrality, the Turkmen army never undertakes any military operations and has not been involved in multilateral training exercises. For instance, as a consequence [of neutrality] it refused to participate in regional military political blocs.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), 12,000 Turkmen border guards are normally deployed along the AfghanTurkmen border but these are considered to be ineffective, due to the lack of qualified personnel and training.

During a meeting of the State Security Council in November 2015, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov - who is also supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces - reaffirmed his engagement in the implementation of large-scale military reforms, based on upgrading hardware and training qualified personnel.

The 460-mile-long largely deserted AfghanTurkmen border appears under serious threat following several cases of armed cross-border incursions by terrorists and the growing Taleban presence on the Afghan side of the border.

There has been a steady increase in fighting over the last few years in the Jowzjan and Faryab provinces of Afghanistan which border on Turkmenistan. Incursions and provocations by supposed Taleban fighters have been reported, underlining the risk they could cross the border and spread instability within Turkmenistan.

In terms of trans-border stability, the situation is further complicated by the presence of an estimated 1.5 million ethnic Turkmens in northern Faryab and Jowzjan provinces, where Taleban militants are currently active. Ethnic Turkmens have organised two popular militias led by two ethnic Turkmen former warlords known as Gurbandurdy and Emir Karyad. The militias reacted to Taleban attacks in 2014 and 2015, fighting them and protecting their communities.

Turkmenistan has announced a new military defence-only doctrine. What is your take on it?

On January 25, 2016 Turkmenistan endorsed a new military doctrine of defensive nature, aimed at ensuring the security and territorial integrity of the country. The doctrine also promotes the traditional status of permanent neutrality, which remains the mainstay of Turkmen foreign policy.

On December 12, 2015, Turkmenistan celebrated its 20th anniversary of permanent neutrality. And Berdymuhamedov appears officially committed to preserving its neutrality policy, mainly based on non-interference in the affairs of other states, respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-participation in international military organisations and treaties.

Judged on that, how prepared is Turkmenistan to work with other states and multilateral organisations in case of a security emergency?

If the Taleban threat along the border becomes more relevant, Berdymuhamedov will come under pressure to partially revise the neutrality concept in foreign policy in order to receive military support to contain Taleban armed incursions.

One option could be to develop bilateral military cooperation with regional and external actors such as Russia, Central Asian countries, China, maybe NATO, rather than to be involved in multilateral organisations, for instance the [Moscow-led] Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).

As a matter of fact, in spite of several talks between the Turkmen and Russian presidents about security concerns and the threats coming from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan still refuses to cooperate with Russia both in the CSTO framework - disappointing CSTO secretary-general Nikolay Bordyuzha - and bilaterally, turning down the recent proposal of Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to support Ashgabat in border control and patrol activities.

Furthermore, bilateral cooperation with Central Asian countries in the military and security sphere may be necessary in the case of emergency.

In October 2014, Berdymuhamedov met Uzbek president Islam Karimov in Tashkent to discuss the worsening of the regional security scenario and how to address threats coming from Afghanistan.

However, until now Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries have yet to create a framework to work together to address and contain these security threats. A potential explosion of violence and the spread of instability in the region could push them to accelerate the development of military cooperation, even if the problem of a lack of coordination among the involved countries remains.

Apart from the security issue, what is Turkmenistan's relationship like with Afghanistan?

What needs to be considered in addition to political domestic reasons is that growing instability along the border will hamper the realisation of infrastructural projects such as the TAPI gas pipeline. Even though the pipeline is planned to cross the Turkmen-Afghan border in the Herat province, an area distant from the current unrest between the Taleban and state security forces, project risks are still high.

From the Turkmen perspective, TAPI represents a short-term strategic goal allowing Ashgabat to further diversify its energy exports that are now mainly oriented to Chinese markets, which make up 60 per cent of total Turkmen exports.

Afghanistan is currently perceived as the main source of threat on the Turkmen border. However, Turkmenistan has always had a pragmatic approach towards Afghanistan, offering economic solutions to Afghan problems and attempting to integrate the country within a regional economy through the development of trade and energy infrastructures such as the TAPI gas pipeline and the supply of electric power.

In spite of the worsening security situation along the Turkmen-Afghan border, Turkmenistan has ambitious aims of promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan through preventive diplomacy. For instance, the Ashgabat government has proposed to host an inter-Afghan peace dialogue under UN auspices as a way of finding new political and diplomatic mechanisms to resolve this issue.

Copyright notice:  Institute for War & Peace Reporting
UNHCR calls on Nigeria to heed wishes of internally displaced

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 23 February 2016 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNHCR calls on Nigeria to heed wishes of internally displaced, 23 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc2a124.html [accessed 21 October 2022]

UNHCR's top protection official, Volker Turk, has called on the Nigerian authorities to heed the concerns of internally displaced people (IDP) in the north-east of the country.

"We all need to listen to the IDPs, their aspirations and sense of dignity and safety," he stressed during a visit at the weekend to Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, referring to organized returns to areas back under government control but still considered risky.

Earlier this month, suicide bombers killed more than 50 people and injured dozens in attacks on a site holding some 50,000 IDPs at Dikwa in Borno, the state hardest hit by the Boko Haram insurgency.

The UN Refugee Agency has long been unable to visit the Dikwa site for security reasons. Many of the IDPs in Borno come from towns and villages that have been practically razed over the past two years, lacking infrastructure, basic services and security.

Turk, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, arrived in Nigeria last Thursday to review the refugee agency's emergency operations in the north-east, where UNHCR helps tens of thousands of IDPs located in camps. He has also met Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja and government partners to discuss the challenges and areas of cooperation.

During these meetings, he appealed to the government to take advantage of UNHCR's experience in voluntary repatriation and to work closely to ensure the welfare of people of concern. The insurgency has affected about 5 million people, including more than 2.2 million Nigerians who are internally displaced and almost 180,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries. Turk offered to help neighbouring countries organize voluntary repatriation where and when the conditions were right.

While encouraging government institutions and civil society organizations to lead the response to forced displacement, he said: "UNHCR, as part of the international community, will continue to support local initiatives."

The Assistant High Commissioner also met IDPs in Borno and Yola states, listening to harrowing tales of violence and destruction and the continuing suffering and challenges facing people unable to return home. He was deeply moved by their courage and resilience.

At Malkohi, on the outskirts of Yola, capital of Adamawa state, he talked to some of the internally displaced about their concerns and situation. "We want to listen to the people in order to better assist them," Turk said. Hapsatu Amadu, a 47-year-old community leader, told him they needed clothing, food and shelter. "We are exposed to the vagaries of the weather in these grass thatched huts," she explained.

UNHCR and its partners have been providing protection, shelter, camp management training and assistance to about 10 per cent of the IDPs in north-east Nigeria, where most of the displaced live with host families. At Bakassi camp in Maiduguri, visited by Turk, UNHCR has built 450 transitional shelters.

But the needs in Borno, including Maiduguri's 17 organized and 13 informal IDP camps hosting some 125,000 people, are great and increasing. "Borno is the most devastated state; social and health infrastructures are virtually non-existent," a senior local government official, Alhadji Usman Didda Shua, told Turk. "This state should be treated on the same footing with Syria," he added of an emergency that is under-reported and under-funded as well as spreading in the region.

In Borno alone, 16 out of 38 hospitals have been destroyed or looted, and 214 primary health care centres shut. Bama was the second largest city in Borno until 2014 with a population of 600,000. Today it lies in ruins and is deserted. State authorities say it will require millions of dollars to reconstruct.

"In each crisis, there is an opportunity, which we need to seize, hopefully in the form of a new social contract," Turk concluded. He will next visit Cameroon to discuss the situation of Nigerian refugees there and to visit the Minawao refugee camp in the Far North Region before wrapping up his regional visit on Wednesday.
Egypt: Sentencing of Author Ahmed Naji to two years in prison violates freedom of expression

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 22 February 2016 Cite as Article 19, Egypt: Sentencing of Author Ahmed Naji to two years in prison violates freedom of expression, 22 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc2a5e4.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

On Saturday 20 February, the Egyptian author Ahmed Naji was sentenced to two years in prison for 'violating public modesty' with the content of his book. Tarek al-Taher, the editor of the weekly literary newspaper in which the novel was published, was ordered to pay a fine of 10,000 Egyptian Pounds (approx. 900 GBP). These sentences violate the author's and the editor's rights to freedom of expression, protected under the Egyptian constitution and international human rights law.

ARTICLE 19 calls for the convictions against Naji and Taher to be overturned, for Naji to be immediately released and for the penal code to be amended in line with the constitution and international human rights standards.

This conviction violates the rights of the individuals concerned and will have a chilling effect on freedom of expression in Egypt more generally given that journalists, artists and human rights defenders are routinely targeted for their legitimate expression.

Background to the case

Naji's novel, 'Using Life', was previously approved by the Egypt's censorship authority for distribution in Egypt. However, after a chapter of the novel was published in 'Akhbar Al Adab' on 3 August 2014, an individual reader took out a complaint against the author and the editor, complaining that the text caused him to have heart palpitations and his blood pressure to fall. Naji and Taher were charged under Article 178 and Article 200 of the Egyptian Penal Code, which stipulate a maximum sentence of two years in prison for printed materials which violate public morality, and a maximum sentence of a 10,000 Egyptian Pound fine for editors who publish material that offends public morality. The trial began in November 2015, and the pair were acquitted by the lower court on 2 January 2016. The prosecution then appealed and a guilty verdict was issued by the appeals court on 20 February, with the maximum sentence of two years handed down to Naji for authoring the text, and a maximum fine of 10,000 Egyptian Pounds to Taher for publishing it.

Violation of the Egyptian Constitution

Adopted after a referendum in January 2014, the Egyptian constitution protects freedom of expression in Article 65, stating that: "Every person shall have the right to express his/her opinion verbally, in writing, through imagery, or by any other means of expression and publication". Furthermore, Article 67 specifically protects artistic expression and stipulates that there must be no prison sentences for crimes related to the publication of literature: "No freedom restricting sanction may be inflicted for crimes committed because of the publicity of artistic, literary or intellectual product." Many Egyptian laws still need to be updated to ensure the implementation of the new constitution. In this case, Articles 178 and 200 of the Penal Code clearly undermine the rights guaranteed in the Constitution and have led to a conviction which violates the right to freedom of expression.

International standards

The convictions of Naji and Taher also violate the right to freedom of expression under international law. Egypt is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in which Article 19 states that "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression [...] either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice." In an official comment on Article 19 (General Comment 34) in 2011, the UN Human Rights Committee clarified that even expression that is deeply offensive may be protected.

ARTICLE 19 calls for the conviction against Naji and Taher to be overturned and for Naji to be released immediately. The Egyptian government should take steps to amend laws in contradiction with the new constitution and its commitments under international human rights law, in particular Article 178 and 200 of the Penal Code.

Copyright notice: Copyright ARTICLE 19
Russia: Community service order, 31 initial fines in 46 cases for public religious events over 4 months

Publisher Forum 18 Author Victoria Arnold Publication Date 22 February 2016 Cite as Forum 18, Russia: Community service order, 31 initial fines in 46 cases for public religious events over 4 months, 22 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56cc2ba54.html [accessed 21 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In the last four months of 2015, at least 45 individuals and one religious organisation are known to have been brought to court under Administrative Code Article 20.2 for exercising their right to freedom of religion and belief in public space. Most were Jehovah's Witnesses offering religious literature on the streets, but Mormons, Hare Krishna devotees, Baptists and a Muslim were also prosecuted. These prosecutions led to 31 fines and one sentence of community service (before appeals), according to an analysis by Forum 18 News Service, continuing an increasing trend over 2015. Fines were, in some cases, nearly two-thirds the average monthly wage and nearly twice the average monthly pension. These can place a heavy burden on the poor, elderly, and unemployed. Prosecutions at least partly stem from pressure from Russia's federal government to "minimise the public activity of citizens", Hare Krishna lawyer Mikhail Frolov commented to Forum 18.
Apothecary Salon & Spa ready to pamper locals at Burton Lane location

More than two years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives and careers of millions of Americans. Some folks took the opportunity to learn more about themselves.
What has Gov. Abbott done about the six mass shootings on his watch?

As some urge Abbott to finally take action on guns, he says the issue is mental health. Texas lags in that area, too. Will there be accountability?
SHARE William Willimon

By Loretta Fulton, Special to the Reporter-News

Sixteen religion students from eight Baptist universities in Texas walked away from a ceremony in their honor Monday night with a certificate, words of praise and a lot to chew on.

The students were honored as the 2016 Young Maston Scholars during the opening night of the annual T.B. Maston Lectures at Baptist-affiliated Hardin-Simmons University. The final lecture, which is free to the public, will begin at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in HSU's Behren's Auditorium. Title of the final lecture is "Christians As Resident Aliens."

Don Williford, dean of the Logsdon School of Theology at HSU, recognized the Maston Scholars on Monday for their academic achievements as they pursue careers in ministry.

"These are some of our very finest," he said.

Among the students honored were two from Hardin-Simmons, Davidson Sutherland and Corbin Garner, and two from Howard Payne University, Kelsan Wolverton and Robert Martinez.

Students selected for the honor are recognized as top scholars and critical thinkers by their professors. They already will have a list of honors on their resumes, Williford said, but none will top being a Maston Scholar.

"This will be one of the finest honors," Williford said.

The students, and a large audience in the chapel of HSU's Logsdon School of Theology, were treated to an insightful and humorous talk by one of the nation's foremost theologians, William H. Willimon, professor of the practice of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School.

Willimon also is an ordained United Methodist minister and has served as a bishop in Alabama. His talk Monday night was on "The Challenge of Being an American and a Christian at the Same Time."

Governments and politics aren't the answer to society's ills, Willimon reminded. Jesus spoke little of politics, Willimon said, because he had different ideas about what was important.

"Your church and mine," Willimon said, "is God's answer to what's wrong with the world."

Willimon said he recently heard a politician making nasty comments about immigrants and he expected the minister at his church to say something about it on Sunday.

"She didn't," he said.

But what happened at the service was more powerful than comments. The minister invited an immigrant family to come forward to be baptized.

"When we came here, you were the only people who seemed to be glad we were here," a family member said. "You showed us what God wanted us to be."

And then the family was baptized.

"This is the most radical political statement that could be made," Willimon said.
The Albany City Council Monday decided to allow former Police Chief Jason Price to have an honorable discharge, following a January drug-related incident at Albany High School.

City Manager Billy Holson fired Price from his post Jan. 29 after Price and authorities reportedly left a box containing marijuana and drug paraphernalia in a locker at the high school following a canine training exercise. The drug-sniffing dog didn't find the box, but a student did after the exercise and reported it to school officials.

The training exercise on the school campus took place Jan. 25 and involved a deputy with the Shackelford County Sheriff's Office and the Cisco Police Department's K-9 unit.

Mayor Rodney Alexander said Tuesday that Price appealed his termination to the council.

The council did not uphold the termination but Price will not be the chief in the city again either.

"The City Council withdrew the termination to let Jason resign," Alexander said. "It let him have an honorable discharge from his job."

Alexander added "just through everything that has happened, Albany had lost trust. There was a trust that was broken. And he wasn't going to be able to work for Albany and Albany wasn't going to be able to work for him."

The honorable discharge gives Price an opportunity to leave on better terms via his paperwork.

Alexander said the council understood that Price has a family and did not want to keep him from providing for them.

"They're not trying to ruin anybody or make a man lose his job," he said. "They didn't want to do anything that would hurt his chances for getting a job in the future, so that's why they allowed him to get his (paperwork) cleaned, so where he can go somewhere else."

Alexander also dismissed any hint of a lawsuit brought by Price, in regards to his termination.

"There was never anything about a lawsuit," he said.

"The only thing that was brought to us was, once he was terminated, he hand delivered a letter from CLEAT (Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas) that stated that he wanted to appeal his termination and have his say in front of the City Council but at no time was there ever mention to myself or to a City Council member or to the city manager that there would be a lawsuit, if they didn't change anything."

Alexander added the city is working slowly but surely to find Price's replacement.

"We want to make sure we find the right person," he said. "But as for now, we are in the process of hiring the retired chief (Lynn Wilkins) that was here for so many years to come back and work part time, while we go through the process of finding another replacement."

Alexander added he still supports Holson's decision to fire Price.

"When the termination took place, there was a full investigation done and at no time did Albany ever say that Jason was fully responsible but we did say that he bore part responsibility," he said.

"Jason unfortunately was the one that had to be held accountable. We had video evidence that he participated in it."

According to Alexander, there's going to be a protocol in place to prevent future incidents.

Monday's meeting  which included Price, his attorney, the five council members and mayor  was held in the Aztec Theater, and was attended by people supporting Price and those supporting his termination.

"I have no ill will against Jason," Alexander said, admitting there has been a division in the city since the aftermath of the incident.

"You have to work to earn the trust of everybody, hopefully by correcting what happened."

Twitter: ARN_Titus
The Merkel Police Department said it has detained multiple people following the early morning shooting of a man in the 100 block of High Cotton Parkway, according to an email sent by Phillip Conklin, Merkel PD public relations officer, Monday afternoon.

Police received a call of a disturbance at 2:08 a.m. that a man was shot. At the scene, police found the man had been shot in the leg.

He was transported to Hendrick Medical Center for treatment of the injury which was not considered life threatening.

According to the email, the investigation is ongoing and police are "not releasing any names until all family can be notified."
Robert Tucker, a candidate for Place 1 on the Abilene Independent School District's board of trustees, removed himself from the race Monday.

He said he failed to complete his voter registration before the deadline and was informed he would need to withdraw from the race.

Tucker, dean of fine arts at Hardin-Simmons University, said he was last living in Brownwood and moved to Abilene less than three years ago for the job. Once here, he said, he and his family were living in a duplex and just recently bought a house and did not complete a registration card in time for the election deadline.

According to the Texas Secretary of State's website, a candidate for school trustee must be a registered voter by the filing deadline. The deadline to file for office was Friday.

For Place 1, Tucker was set to face Abilene Christian University professor Jeff Arrington in the May 7 election for the school board. The winner would take a seat currently held by Robert Laird, who did not seek re-election.

Arrington will now take that seat.

With the loss of the candidate, there remain two races for the board. Sammy Garcia and Daryl Zeller are vying for Place 3, a spot currently held by board Vice President Barry Hoefer, who is also not seeking a new term. Place 7 is contested, as AISD bus driver James Miller faces Abilene Education Foundation President Angie Wiley for an unexpired term vacated by Kelvin Kelley after he moved to Cisco.

Place 2 incumbent Randy Piersall also has no challenger.

Twitter: @TimothyChippARN
Until Feb. 15, Apple appeared to be winning its fight with law enforcement. President Obama announced last year that he would not pursue legislation forcing tech companies to give law enforcement access to users' encrypted data. But on Tuesday, the FBI persuaded a judge to order Apple to create software that would help federal investigators crack into the iPhone 5C that Syed Rizwan Farook used before he shot up a San Bernardino, California, banquet room in December. Apple immediately promised to fight the order.

In essence, the FBI is attempting to explore and establish the limits of its legal powers to combat terrorism  as well as more mundane domestic crimes  under existing laws, in the absence of action by Congress and the White House. We think that's the wrong call. The nation should not ask the courts to strike a balance between device security and law enforcement access. The political branches of government should do that.

The FBI relied on the two-century-old All Writs Act, a law that helps the government execute search warrants, to compel Apple to create hacking software for Farook's phone. The order was nominally tailored to Farook's specific device, but its implications are larger. To what extent is it reasonable to force companies to write code and harm their international reputations for data security  and, therefore, their business models  in order to help the U.S. government hack into suspects' phones? Should this be a routine investigative tool, or reserved for extraordinary situations, or beyond the pale? Farook's is an extreme case, but it is easy to foresee the government attempting to apply All Writs to less important investigations. What sorts of software can the government compel tech companies to write?

The answers to these questions have major implications for online safety and security. The more government-ordered hacking techniques are developed and used, the more likely they eventually will fall into the hands of malicious actors. This risk seems small but is difficult to estimate. Even if technology companies and the government kept the techniques they developed secret, their hacking activities would still threaten the technology ecosystem. Fearful of government-mandated malware, fewer people might accept automatic updates from software companies. This would make devices more vulnerable. The anti-terrorism benefits, meanwhile, would wane over time, as high-level terrorist groups turned to software from places beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement.

The public has reason to be frustrated that investigators cannot execute valid search warrants; this is a worrying impediment to legitimate law enforcement. We believe Apple should help search for a workable solution. If there is a Paris-style attack in the United States, decisions may be imposed on it in a far less benign atmosphere. But the decisions should be made by Congress.

Meanwhile, Apple's role as a leading exponent of data security brings special responsibilities. Whatever U.S. officials decide, the policy will be the legitimate product of a democratic government and the rule of law. That will not be true in countries such as China, where dictators would use anti-terrorism tools to crack down on dissenters. We hope that Apple will fight as hard to safeguard its users' privacy from authoritarian abuse.

The Washington Post
Karen Rampy, Abilene

Entering the 2016 election season, the first big moment comes in a couple of days on March 1, "Super Tuesday." As one of the 13 states with a Super Tuesday primary, voters in Texas have a lot of factors to weigh as they contemplate who our next commander-in-chief should be.

For me, what the candidates are saying about Alzheimer's disease will influence my choice. As a regional director of the Alzheimer's Association (North Central Texas Chapter), I see its impact every day. I know how it devastates millions of American families, overwhelms our health care system and threatens Medicare firsthand.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Alzheimer's Association, 73 million American voters know someone with Alzheimer's. I've seen the emotional and financial toll of this devastating disease. I believe that our state and nation face no public health issue more critical than Alzheimer's disease.

Despite the sobering statistics, I feel hopeful in our battle against this disease. There has been some real progress achieved in the last year. Congress passed a historic 60 percent increase in Alzheimer's funding in December. And a few of the leading presidential candidates in both parties have pledged support for and shared their plans for increasing federal government support for Alzheimer's research.

I want to protect our progress and send the message that our work is nowhere near complete. I will be casting my ballot on Super Tuesday for a candidate who will make urgent action against Alzheimer's a priority. Anyone passionate about this issue can visit ALZ.org to get involved with the fight against Alzheimer's.
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A tuk tuk is shown caught in the crush of Phnom Penh traffic in this file photo. An association linked to tuk tuk drivers is at the heart of a demonstration that sent a labor activist and a bus driver to jail.

About 300 demonstrators gathered outside the Prey Sar prison and the Phnom Penh Municipal Court today in an effort to win the release of a bus driver and union official who were jailed earlier this month after they were attacked for protesting alleged union-busting actions by the Capitol Bus Company.

The protestors, which included former bus drivers, relatives of the accused and garment workers chanted: Please, the court release, please release the two arrested.

Their appeals fell on deaf ears, however, as the court rejected a legal request to release the men.

Former Capitol Tours bus driver and Cambodian Transport Workers Federation (CTWF) member Nan Vanna and Cambodia Informal Worker Association (CIWA) official Ros Siphay were arrested on Feb. 6 and charged with aggravated intentional violence, obstructing public officials and obstructing a public road.

Im Sokhom, Nom Vannas mother, told RFA on Tuesday that authorities were acting unfairly.

My son was victimized unjustly, she told RFAs Khmer Service. He was a driver, a worker who is the son of farmers making a living with integrity. Why he was jailed unjustly?

Ros Siphay's mother, Srey Suon, appealed to Prime Minister Hun Sen to intervene and for NGOs to pressure the government for his release

Feel pity for my son she told RFA. Please help. Please all nongovernmental organizations and governmental institutions help release my son soon.

A question of justice

Cambodian Labor Confederation President Ath Thorn questioned the governments desire to find justice.

The perpetrators carried metal bars and pieces of metal water pipe pipes and photographs and videos were posted online, even in other countries, and still the perpetrators could not be arrested, he said. Not only that, the court accused the drivers without conducting clear investigation. Where is the justice?

The Cambodian government may not be listening, but 50 NGOs issued a joint statement on Tuesday, condemning Capitol Tours bus company for abusing the rights of its former drivers who tried to establish a union and were fired.

The NGOs have also appealed to the public to boycott the companys services if their request for the release of the two detained workers is not answered.

It is important to base the issues on reasons and specific and clear evidence and find out who would be responsible for this, the NGOs said.

On Feb. 6, the two men were part of a demonstration that turned violent when former drivers for the company and their supporters from the Cambodia Labor Confederation gathered in front of the Capitol Tours bus companys headquarters to protest the firing of 45 drivers who tried to start a union.

According to news reports, members of the Cambodia for Confederation Development Association (CCDA) clothed in black and wearing helmets rushed the union protestors and violently beat them with sticks, metal bars and hammers.

While the CCDA represents tuk-tuk and moto-dops drivers, it is widely thought to be in the business leaders back pockets. CCDA members were captured on video viciously beating the protesters, with one slamming a hammer twice into the back of a cowering bus driver.

Once police pushed back the protesters they arrested Nan Vanna and Ros Siphay, but none of the attackers.

Domestic rights group Licadho said that 14 people were injured in the violence, including one policeman, while Ros Siphay was allegedly beaten by police.

CCDA and Capitol Tours blamed the union representatives for starting the violence, and the groups leader E Sophors accused Licadho of doctoring the video.

Reported by Leng Neang for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Pagnawath Khun. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
Authorities in the southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou have moved ahead with the prosecution of a key figure in a Protestant church, her lawyer said on Tuesday.



Zhang Xiuhong, deacon at the Guiyang Huoshi Church, was detained by local police on July 28 alongside her husband Chen Zukai, who was later released.



Zhang, who was responsible for the church's financial affairs, now faces charges of "running an illegal business," according to one of her defense team, Li Guisheng.



"The case is going to court," Li told RFA. "The indictment is likely to be released by the end of the month; the prosecutor's office hasn't released it yet."



Chen said he is anxiously awaiting news of his wife's case.



"We haven't got the indictment yet, and that probably won't happen until the end of February or the beginning of March," he said.



Lawyers had met with Zhang earlier this month, he said.



"She seems to be doing OK, psychologically," Chen said.



'Leaking state secrets'



Meanwhile, the authorities are still holding Huoshi pastor Li Zhiguo, also known as Yang Hua, his wife Wang Hongwu told RFA.



Li has been formally arrested, and faces charges of "deliberately leaking state secrets."



Wang said she expects her husband's case to be tried in the next couple of weeks.



"I know it'll be at the end of February or the beginning of March," she said. "If there is a trial, I hope to be able to attend, but we don't know if we'll be allowed yet."



Li's lawyer Chen Jiangang has been denied permission to meet with his client in the police-run detention center, Wang added.



"I have been trying to get in touch with the police officer who arrested [my husband] and have called him a number of times, and he has never replied, even though he promised to get back to me," Wang said.



"Then I called again, and he told me that they are in the process of moving the case to trial, and that he has already been formally arrested," she said.



"Now I am trying to get a meeting with him, but they haven't replied to my calls yet."



Stepped-up campaign



The ruling Chinese Communist Party is extending a campaign stepping up controls over the country's estimated 46 million Christians, demolishing visible crosses from church buildings, and harassing unofficial "house" churches not regulated by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in its Three-Self Protestant Association.



Earlier this month, the party issued new guidelines banning its members from following any religion, even after they retire from official life, amid an ideological campaign by President Xi Jinping targeting any activity seen as "importing" values and cultural practices from overseas.



Xi has cited religion in particular as a means by which "hostile foreign forces" seek to exert a subversive influence in China.



The move comes on the heels of a months-long campaign by religious affairs officials in Zhejiang province to tear down publicly visible crosses from churches in the region, which is known as "China's Jerusalem" for its high concentration of Protestant believers.



The most recent demolition was of a cross atop the Dongtian Church in Zhejiang's Rui'an city, church members told RFA.



"We put it back up [after they left]; it's back up there now," the church member, who asked to remain anonymous, said.



"As soon as they get here, they take it down, and as soon as they've gone, we put it up again," the church member. "But I can't say too much."



Churches closed



According to U.S.-based Christian rights group ChinaAid, some 90 percent of crosses have now been torn down from church buildings in Zhejiang, while "several dozen" churches have been completely demolished.



The authorities stepped up their targeting of religious believers in Zhejiang, Guangdong, Guizhou, Guangxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, and Tibet during 2015, the group said in an annual report this month.



"Large numbers of house churches have been shut down, large numbers of pastors, church workers, and believers have been detained, while church property has been confiscated," the report said.



"The government is also extending its campaign for sinification of Christianity nationwide," it said. "The aim is to harmonize Christianity with socialism, whether it be in the fabric of church buildings or in the missionary work they carry out."



Beijing issued new guidelines earlier this month banning its members from following any religion, even after they retire from official life.



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Hai Nan for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.




A member of Myanmars cease-fire committee told an armed ethnic group to withdraw its troops from restive Shan state where it has engaged in fighting in recent weeks against another rebel army, as the government military prepares to take charge of security in the area, a committee member said Tuesday.

Retired Lieutenant General Kin Zaw Oo from the governments Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC), made the comment to leaders of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S), which has been involved in clashes with the ethnic Palaung/Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Myanmars Shan state.

Lieutenant General Khin Zaw Oo told them [RCSS/SSA-S] to withdraw their troops from conflict areas in the northern Shan state, said Nyo Ohn Myint from the Myanmar Peace Center, who is a member of the UPWC delegation. The RCSS would have to move out of the area at a certain time, and they said they would surely do so.

The Tatmadaw [Myanmars military] is making plans to take charge of security in the area and has asked those concerned to abide by the points in the nationwide cease-fire agreement, he told RFAs Myanmar Service.

The RCSS/SSA is one of the eight armed ethnic groups that signed the governments nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) last October.

The TNLA, which was not invited to sign the NCA, has accused the government army of supporting the RCSS/SSA in the recent clashes, although the Shan rebels have denied the claim.

The government military wants to treat the armed rebel groups that signed the NCA equally and hopes to hold discussions for a cease-fire with the TNLA, observers told RFA.

The meeting occurred after the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of armed ethnic groups that did not sign the NCA, wrapped up a meeting in Thailand to discuss the recent clashes in Shan state and its peace negotiation strategy with the next government.

Aung Min, minister of the presidents office and the countrys chief peace negotiator, met with RCSS/SSA-S leaders on Monday to discuss the fighting, which began in late November but flared up again earlier this month, forcing thousands of people in Kyaukme and Namhkam townships to flee their homes.

He wanted to meet separately with other UNFC members to get them involved in the peace process, but the alliance turned him down. The UNFC is calling for an all-inclusive peace process that excludes no groups.

The UPWC is trying to get UNFC members to agree to peace before the new government led by the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party takes over on April 1.

Foundation for democracy

Meanwhile, Myanmars military chief on Tuesday also urged armed ethnic rebel groups to disarm to build a peaceful foundation for democracy in the country.

In a speech at the Defense Services Command and General Staff College in Kalaw cantonment in Shan state, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing spoke about the need for ethnic rebel groups to lay down their arms and discuss their demands within the legal fold if they believe in a democratic system.

He also said that some changes, if deemed necessary, could be made to the 2008 constitution at an appropriate time, but gave no specifics, according to a report by the countrys military newspaper Myawaddy Daily.

The constitution, drafted in 2008 when a military junta was in power, contains a provision under which NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi is prohibited from assuming the countrys presidency because she has foreign relatives.

Months before the NLD won last Novembers general elections by a landslide, Aung San Suu Kyi spearheaded efforts to change the provision, but lawmakers rejected the move.

Nevertheless, some political observers believe that she is trying to strike a deal to sidestep the provision and become president.

Reported by Wai Mar Tun RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
China imposed intense restrictions in Tibetan areas of the western provinces of Qinghai and Sichuan this month during religious gatherings celebrating the Lunar New Year, sources in the region said.



At Kumbum monstery in Qinghais Tsoshar (in Chinese, Haidong) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, authorities deployed large numbers of armed police and conducted exercises to intimidate the monks and other Tibetans in the area, one local source told RFAs Tibetan Service.



And on the last day of the Chotrul Monlam festival on Feb. 22, police carrying weapons merged with the crowd, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



This caused great inconvenience to the devotees who had gathered at the monastery, he said.



Government workers in Tibetan areas were instructed to monitor Tibetan activities both day and night during the Monlam festival, which is held each year for two weeks following the first day of the New Year, a second local source told RFA.



They were also ordered not to take time off, except under emergency circumstances, the source said, also speaking on condition he not be named.



This year was a special occasion when the Lunar New Year, or Losar, was observed by both Tibetans and Chinese only one day apart, the source said.



And Feb. 22, the fifteenth day of the New Year, was observed both in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and in the traditional Tibetan areas of Kham and Amdo.



This led to widespread celebrations of the Chotrul Monlam festival, he said.



Buddhist monasteries in Tibetan-populated regions of China have frequently become the focus of efforts to promote not just religion but Tibetan cultural values, and Chinese security forces often monitor and sometimes close down events involving large crowds.



Annual public assemblies at the monasteries have greatly increased in size in recent years, as thousands of Tibetans gather to assert their national identity in the face of Beijings cultural and political domination.



Reported by Lhuboom for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Richard Finney.
A lawyer representing a detained Vietnamese blogger and his assistant has petitioned judicial authorities in Vietnams capital Hanoi for his clients immediate release, saying that last months postponement of their trial has now exceeded the time limit allowed by law.



Blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh, also known as Anh Ba Sam, and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy were arrested at their homes on May 5, 2014 for posting essays online that had the potential to tarnish the state apparatus prestige, Vietnamese state media said at the time.



Though a trial was finally scheduled for Jan. 19, authorities postponed the proceeding, leading lawyer Ha Huy Son to file a petition this month urging the pairs immediate release, Son told RFAs Vietnamese Service on Monday.



The time for postponement of the trial has now exceeded the limit stipulated by law, Son said. Therefore, there is no legal basis to detain them any longer.



Authorities have so far failed to respond to the petition, which was sent on Feb. 16, Son said.



I dont know why, Son said, adding, I think this is a violation of the law by the agencies involved in the case.



If we still dont receive a response, we will continue sending our petitions, he said.



'Interests of the state'



Vinh, founder of the political blog Basam, and Thuy were charged in November 2014 under Article 258 of Vietnams penal code with abusing freedom and democracy to infringe upon the interests of the state, state media said at the time.



The two could face jail terms of up to seven years if convicted under the charges.



Vinh, a former policeman, founded Basam in 2007 as a means to store articles for his own reference, but the site soon became a platform for activists to share online posts and other content critical of the government.



Communist Vietnam, where all media are state-run, does not tolerate dissent, and rights groups identify Article 258 as among the vague provisions that authorities have been using to detain and jail dozens of writers and bloggers over the last two years.



Speaking to RFA, Son said that he had last seen Vinh and Thuy in January, just before their trial was postponed.



They were in strong spirits and they maintained their innocence, but physically they are not well, he said.



[Vinhs] family has asked the authorities several times to let him stay at home for medical treatment, but they have never received a response, he said.



Reported by Gia Minh for RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Viet Ha. Written in English by Richard Finney.
A four-nation group says direct peace talks between the Taliban and negotiators from Kabul are expected to begin in Islamabad by the first week of March.

The so-called Quadrilateral Coordination Group, made up of officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and the United States made the announcement after meeting in Kabul on February 23.

The February 23 meeting was the fourth in a series of quadrilateral encounters aimed at setting conditions for eventual peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban.

The Taliban have not yet clearly indicated whether it will take part in any talks with the Western-backed government in Kabul.

The peace process was derailed after an initial meeting in the summer of 2015 by the revelation that the Talibans founder and spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had been dead for more than two years.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa


Diplomats from four countries that are trying to broker an end to Afghanistan's war against the Taliban say they hope they will be able on February 23 to set a date for a face-to-face between the Taliban and negotiators from Kabul.

The representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and the United States are meeting in Kabul on February 23 for the fourth round of discussions aimed at setting conditions for eventual peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban.

Javid Faisal, the deputy spokesman for Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, said the delegates announced "a date for the first direct peace talks" before the end of February.

At their last meeting, which was in Islamabad on February 6, the delegates agreed to work toward bringing the Taliban together with Kabul negotiators before the end of February in order to restart a peace process.

That peace process was derailed after an initial meeting in the summer of 2015 by the revelation that the Taliban's founder and spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had been dead for more than two years.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
A U.S. businessman jailed in Iran has tried going on a hunger strike to improve his condition and has not been allowed to speak to his lawyer, relatives say.

Siamak Namazi, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, was detained by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in October while visiting relatives, according to his family. Iranian authorities have not announced any charges against him.

Namazi's mother, Effie Namazi, reported over the weekend that her son had started a hunger strike.

The strike "greatly increased the worries of his family," Effie Namazi wrote on Facebook. She urged Iranian officials to allow her to visit her son and convince him to stop the strike.

The plea was evidently effective, as on February 22 Effie Namazi said in a new Facebook posting that her son had broken the hunger strike and spoken to her by phone, Reuters reported.

"We thank God," she said.

Namazi most recently worked for Crescent Petroleum, an oil and gas company in the United Arab Emirates. Previously, he headed a consulting firm in Iran, where he was born. He was educated in the United States.

Based on reporting by Reuters
Russia has been sending in thousands of recently mobilized troops to reinforce the defense of the southern region of Kherson, where Kyiv's forces have been making major advances in their offensive to retake territory occupied by Moscow, the Ukrainian military said, as fresh Russian strikes on civilian targets were reported on October 21.

"Up to 2,000 mobilized Russians arrived in the temporarily captured Kherson region to replenish losses and strengthen units on the contact line," the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement on October 21.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, Russian protests, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

"At the same time, the occupation authorities issued an order to prepare for the evacuation of the so-called banking institutions and Russian medical workers and teachers," the statement said.

Ukraine is trying to drive Russian forces in Kherson back east across the Dnieper River that bisects the country. Russian soldiers on the western bank, where the city of Kherson is located, are reportedly close to being cut off from supply lines and reinforcements.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office said on October 20 that Ukrainian forces mounted 15 attacks on Russian military strongholds in the Kherson region in what appears to be the start of a major push to liberate the region and the strategic city of Kherson.

Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said the Kremlin's forces repelled Ukrainian attempts to advance with tanks on the Kherson villages of Sukhanove, Nova Kamyanka, and Chervoniy Yar.

Neither claim could be independently confirmed.

The city of Kherson, with a prewar population of about 284,000, was one of the first urban areas captured by Russia when it invaded Ukraine, and it remains the largest city it holds. The city is an important objective for both sides because of its key industries and a major port on the Dnieper River.

Moscow-installed officials have urged residents to evacuate and allow the military to build fortifications. Officials said 15,000 residents of an expected 60,000 had been relocated from the city and surrounding areas as of October 20.

Kherson is one of the four partially occupied Ukrainian regions that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally seized following Kremlin-orchestrated referendums denounced as sham by Ukraine and the West.

Putin declared martial law in the Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions on October 19 in an attempt to assert Russian authority in the annexed areas as Moscow faced battlefield setbacks, a troubled troop mobilization, increasing criticism at home and abroad, and international sanctions.

In a video address to EU leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels on October 20, Zelenskiy warned that Ukraine suspects Russia has mined the dam and units of the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant on the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine, and if it were blown up, more than 80 settlements, including Kherson, would be in danger of flooding.

Zelenskiy said Ukrainian workers have been thrown out of the facility, leaving Russians in control. He asserted that Russia "has already prepared everything to carry out this terrorist attack."

He called for an international observation mission and the return of Ukrainian personnel to ensure the mines are removed from the dam and its units.

Zelenskiy's comment came two days after Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed head of the Kherson region of Ukraine, announced an "organized, gradual displacement" of civilians from four towns on the right bank of the Dnieper River to the left side.

Saldo accused Ukrainian forces of planning to destroy the dam and also warned of "an immediate danger of flooding."

The Moscow-appointed deputy head of the Kherson region, Kirill Stremousov, encouraged people to cross over to the left bank of the Dnieper River and posted a video of a column of buses on Telegram.

Kyiv has denounced Moscow's move, calling it a "deportation" of Ukrainian civilians to Russia.

Over the past 10 days, Russia has also unleashed a wave of deadly attacks on Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure using artillery, air strikes, and Iranian-made suicide drones that destroyed 40 percent of the country's energy grid and prompted Kyiv to introduce rolling electricity restrictions for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion eight months ago.

WATCH: Ukrainian forces first got their hands on FH70 155-millimeter howitzers courtesy of Italy in May and received training in Estonia. RFE/RL journalists met with a frontline FH70 crew and watched them in action against Russian forces.

Early on October 21, a series of blasts rocked the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhya, authorities said.

Missiles hit an industrial facility in Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Separately, Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Sinegubov said five people had been wounded.

No further details were immediately available about the Zaporizhzhua blasts.

Zelenskiy told EU leaders that the Russian attacks against civilians and infrastructure are aimed in part at provoking a new wave of migration of Ukrainians to EU countries.

"Russian terror against our energy facilities is aimed at creating as many problems as possible with electricity and heat for Ukraine this fall and winter and for as many Ukrainians as possible to go to your countries," he said.

This should be "answered immediately," primarily by more air-defense systems sent to Ukraine, the president said, speaking by video conference from Kyiv.

"We must do everything possible to make it completely impossible for Russia to destroy our energy system with missiles and drones," Zelenskiy said in the virtual speech, calling on Ukraine's partners to provide systems "to create a truly reliable air shield."

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, and BBC
MINSK -- An activist from Tajikistan's opposition Group 24, Shabnam Hudoidodova, has been released from custody in Belarus after being held for more than eight months.

The Minsk-based Vyasna (Spring) human rights center told RFE/RL that Hudoidodova was released on February 22 after she was granted the legal status of a refugee.

Belarusian authorities detained Hudoidodova on June 15, 2015, when she entered Belarus from Russia after they discovered that Tajikistan had filed an international warrant for her arrest through Interpol.

In July, European Union officials urged Belarus not to extradite Hudoidodova to Tajikistan.

The EU also called on Dushanbe to drop the case against the 29-year-old activist and respect the rights of Tajik citizens to have alternative political views.

Group 24 was officially banned in Tajikistan in October 2014 after the authorities labeled it as an extremist organization.

The group's founder, fugitive tycoon Umarali Quvatov, was shot dead in Turkey on March 5, 2015.

Opponents of Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon who live abroad have alleged that Quvatov's killing was orchestrated by authorities in Dushanbe.
The unexplained resignation in late December of Irakli Gharibashvili from the post of Georgian prime minister put an end to two years of friction between him and the country's president, Giorgi Margvelashvili.

In certain respects Margvelashvili remains a divisive figure, however, whose stances on crucial political questions such as electoral reform differ from those of some other members of the ruling, five-party Georgian Dream coalition.

Gharibashvili's successor, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, has gone out of his way to present a united front with Margvelashvili. He made a point of attending a session of the National Security Council that Margvelashvili convened in late January, whereas Gharibashvili had participated in only one of three such sessions under Margvelashvili's chairmanship.

In a statement confirming that Kvirikashvili would attend the January 29 session, his office stressed that "the head of the government believes that it is important to respect institutions and that such issues [whether or not he will attend meetings of the National Security Council] should no longer become a topic of discussion, especially when the authorities have much more important issues to tackle."

Days later, Kvirikashvili was similarly present when Margvelashvili delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address to parliament. Republican Party leader David Berdzenishvili hailed Kvirikashvili's presence as symbolizing "the restoration of political order."

That "new political reality" was also reflected in what Margvelashvili did and did not say. In his 2015 address, he had complained about the multiplicity of "commissions, councils, and agencies" whose functions duplicate each other and thus raise the question "Who exactly is in charge?" In that context, he mentioned specifically the Council for Security and Crisis Management set up by Gharibashvili in late 2013, the functions of which overlap with those of the National Security Council, and the Inter-Agency Council on Foreign Policy that partially duplicates the work of the Foreign Ministry.

Margvelashvili said that lack of clarity weakens the institutions in question and detracts from their efficiency, and also "creates confusion" among potential investors and Georgia's international partners.

He praised the government for "listening to the people" but went on to criticize its handling of the economy, in particular the slowdown in economic growth and the steady depreciation of the national currency.

This year, Margvelashvili eschewed such criticism, instead praising Kvirikashvili's stated intentions of expediting infrastructure projects, stepping up engagement with business, and reforming the education system.

Challenges Ahead

Margvelashvili went on to review in general terms all the major problems and challenges the country faces, including strengthening democracy; ensuring the parliamentary election due in October is acknowledged as free and fair; weathering the global economic downturn; Georgia's uneasy relationship with Russia; and its stalled bid for NATO membership.

Parliament speaker Davit Usupashvili expressed "satisfaction that we have seen shared approaches, [and a shared] vision of the country's long-term and short-term priorities."

Other Georgian Dream parliamentarians, however, took issue with specific proposals. Giorgi Volsky, leader of the Georgian Dream faction, criticized Margvelashvili's commitment to the electoral reform advocated by extraparliamentary parties and supported by the formerly ruling United National Movement (ENM) that would replace the current 75 single-mandate constituencies with a regional-proportional system. Other Georgian Dream members (including Gharibashvili) have consistently argued that it is not feasible to do so in the time span remaining.

Opposition parliamentarians, especially two from the ENM, were harsher. Sergo Ratiani criticized Margvelashvili for being too vague in his approach to some key issues and for avoiding any mention of others, including "systemic corruption" and the role and influence of Georgian Dream's founder, billionaire philanthropist Bidzina Ivanishvili, who the ENM is convinced influences, or even dictates, government policy.

Giorgi Gabashvili was more specific, arguing that Margvelashvili's assertion that Georgia should be a country where law reigns supreme was cynical insofar as the country is ruled by a person -- Ivanishvili -- who has no formal authority and is guided solely by his own interests.

Controversial Criticism

But it was a member of the Georgian Dream majority faction who came out with the most controversial criticism of Margvelashvili. Gogi Topadze, whose Industry Will Save Georgia party has been represented in most parliaments since 1995, accused Margvelashvili of showing "ingratitude" by criticizing Ivanishvili and the government that had selected him as its presidential candidate.

Topadze criticized Margvelashvili's refusal to vacate the presidential palace in Tbilisi constructed at huge expense by former President Mikheil Saakashvili. And he claimed that Margvelashvili had compared the Georgian nation to people suffering from Down syndrome.

In an essay published several years earlier in the journal Dro Mshvidobisa (Time of Peace), Margvelashvili, a former philosophy professor, had reportedly compared the Georgian nation to "a mentally defective child that doesn't want to grow up," apparently meaning a reluctance to shoulder responsibility. On the other hand, Margvelashvili and his wife hosted a party at the presidential palace in March 2015 for children with Down syndrome.

Two members of the cabinet, Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani and Labor, Health, and Social Security Minister David Sergeenko, publicly apologized for the imputed slur, and Topadze himself subsequently retracted his comment.

But the public criticism by parliamentarians of Margvelashvili's refusal to vacate the presidential palace inspired a sparsely attended protest on February 12. Participants argued that at a time of economic hardship, the country cannot afford the upkeep of two official presidential residences. Some even demanded Margvelashvili's resignation.

True, only some 30 people attended that protest. But if the economic situation continues to deteriorate, Margvelashvili may, rightly or wrongly, come to be more widely perceived as a symbol of the authorities' apparent indifference to the plight of the population at large. And as the debate over the timing of electoral reform becomes more heated, Margvelashvili may also find himself in direct confrontation with the Georgian Dream parliament majority that insists on implementing that reform only after the October 2016 parliamentary ballot.

Meanwhile, Topadze's industrialists now risk expulsion from the Georgian Dream coalition after he publicly implicated Defense Minister Tinatin Khidasheli in the falsification of a recent by-election and accused two other parliamentarians from the 10 member Republican Party faction (the second-largest within Georgian Dream) of having collaborated with the Soviet-era KGB.

Prime Minister Kvirikashvili said the allegations against Khidasheli "cast a shadow not only over the Republican Party but over the entire coalition."


The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered the Russian government to pay 29,000 euros ($32,000) in damages to a man imprisoned in Moldova's breakaway republic of Transdniester.

The Strasbourg-based court ruled on February 23 that Russia had violated various rights of a Moldovan man arrested in Transdniester in 2008 and that he was subject to inhuman or degrading treatment.

However, it said the European Convention on Human Rights hadn't been violated by Moldova.

The court also ruled that the facts complained of fell within the jurisdiction of both Moldova and of Russia.

Pro-Russian Transdniester declared independence from Moldova in 1990 and fought a separatist war in 1992. Transdniester's independence has not been recognized by any state.

Russia maintains about 1,200 troops in the separatist region, despite Moldova's repeated request that they be withdrawn.

With reporting by AP


Estonian authorities say they have jailed three men convicted of spying for Russia.

The state prosecutor's office announced on February 23 that the three men, described as smugglers, were sentenced in trials between October 2015 and February 2016.

They received sentences ranging from two years to four years and ten months for supplying information to Russian security services on the movements and operations of Estonia's security service, defense forces, and border guards.

The group includes Estonians Aleksandr Rudnev and Maksim Gruzdev, and stateless Pavel Romanov. All are ethnic Russian.

Estonia, a former Soviet republic who became a member of the European Union and NATO, has expressed growing concern over Russia's actions in Ukraine and an apparent increase in Russian military activities close to its borders.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
The foreign ministers of Germany and France have urged Ukraine to overcome its political turmoil and move ahead with reforms needed to revive the economy and carry out the Minsk peace agreement.

Upon arriving in Kyiv on February 22, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he and his French counterpart, Jean-Marc Ayrault, saw no alternative to the Minsk agreement for ending the fighting in eastern Ukraine between government troops and Russian-backed separatists.

"We need a readiness from the Russian side to implement the Minsk deal.... But we also need Ukraine," Steinmeier said, urging Ukrainian leaders to set aside domestic political battles and push ahead with needed reforms.

Ukraine has so far failed to enact measures to increase autonomy for the eastern regions and allow local elections there, while Ukraine claims that Russia violates the peace agreement by sending troops and weapons to back up the separatists.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told Steinmeier and Ayrault that he hoped they would help force Russia to keep its side of the agreement, which was drafted with the participation of France and Germany in the Belarusian capital a year ago.

Separately, U.S. President Barack Obama in a phone call on February 22 told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscow needs to honor the cease-fire in Ukraine and allow a special monitoring mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to have full access to the conflict zone, including the border with Russia, the White House said.

The European diplomats' visit to Kyiv was meant to pave the way for another round of talks on carrying out the Minsk agreement on March 3 in Paris.

The French and German ministers also used the visit to urge Ukraine to stick with economic reforms prescribed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ensure the fund does not suspend its $17.5 billion bailout program for Kyiv.

The IMF put the loan program on hold after the resignation of Ukraine's economy minister amid charges of corruption within the ruling coaliation earlier this month, in a development that sparked a political crisis.

Seeking to quell the crisis, President Petro Poroshenko last week urged Yatsenyuk to resign along with his government, but the prime minister survived a confidence vote in parliament.

Steinmeier told Yatsenyuk that European leaders "were following -- especially the last week -- with great interest and some concern."

He warned that the IMF is looking for political "stability" before offering further loans to Ukraine. Kyiv has also received loans of over $30 billion from the European Union and the United States that are linked to the IMF funding.

Ayrault praised Yatsenyuk for pushing through parliament some unpopular belt-tightening measures that are meant to reform Ukraine's economy and revive growth.

"But we are also assessing all the work that remains to be done and it is considerable," Ayrault said. "I would even say that time is running out."

Ukraine has been in a severe recession, with output falling by 10 percent, and experts say further funding from the IMF will be needed to refloat the economy.

With reporting by AFP and AP
NAZRAN, Russia -- Residents of Ingushetia are remembering the victims of the Soviet Union's 1944 deportation of Chechens and Ingush from the North Caucasus.

Commemoration ceremonies and public prayers were being held in Ingushetia's mosques and cemeteries on February 23.

From February 23 to March 9, 1944, Soviet authorities deported almost all Chechens and Ingush -- an estimated 650,000 people -- to Central Asia, claiming they were collaborating with Nazi Germany.

As many as half of the deportees died either on the journey or due to the harsh conditions in which they were forced to live.

In 1957, the survivors were allowed to return to the North Caucasus.

In Chechnya, Moscow-backed leader Ramzan Kadyrov in 2012 moved the Day of Grief and Remembrance from February 23 to May 10, the anniversary of the burial of his father, Akhmad Kadyrov, who was killed by a bomb in 2004.

In a statement on Facebook on February 23, Kadyrov condemned Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and his Interior Minister Lavrenty Beria for the deportation.


Kazem has vowed, via a social network that's not blocked to him and his fellow Iranians, not to vote in this week's elections.

"I won't let anyone use me as a tool," the Tehran-based businessman declared on Instagram. He described the voting as a "farce" aimed at providing legitimacy for the country's clerically dominated establishment and unelected officials.



Kazem says he's only voted once. That was in 1997 for former President Mohammad Khatami, whose attempts at reform were largely foiled by hard-liners and who is still banned from appearing in newspapers or on television or radio.

"I realized later that things will never change under the current system," he tells RFE/RL.

It's a familiar dilemma for a certain swath of Iran's 55 million registered voters: Does voting makes sense in their Islamic republic, where allegations of rigging are rife and candidates are routinely disqualified by vetters from the notoriously hard-line Guardians Council? Naysayers dismiss the elections as "selections," window-dressing for the supreme leader and his chosen allies; yeasayers counter that despite the shortcomings, elections since the country's 1979 revolution have provided opportunities for political change.

The debate has been reignited by scheduled balloting on February 26 for both a new parliament, known as the Majlis, and an Assembly of Experts, the all-male body of mullahs that appoints the supreme leader. The vote pits backers of self-styled moderate President Hassan Rohani against hard-liners opposed to reforms and particularly hostile to any opening up of the country.

In the absence so far of any organized boycott of the vote and despite Kazem's arguments against participation, pro-reform voters are more likely to be following Reza's example.

Reza, a Tehrani who asked us not to use his real name, says he believes it is crucial to vote for the 290-seat parliament and the 88-member Assembly of Experts. He has been encouraging others to cast their ballots for an alliance of reformists and moderate candidates in order to block hard-liners and help "institutionalize the culture of voting" in Iran, where a Western-backed monarch ruled until the revolution that brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and other clerics to power nearly three decades ago.

While Reza says he recognizes that Iran's elections fall short of international norms for free and fair votes, he argues that they allow "a minimum of competition within the system," which he believes is sufficient for gradual reforms to take place and make Iran more democratic.

"I believe that elections will in the long run -- despite all the limitations -- result in the imposing of people's will on the establishment through members of the establishment," Reza tells RFE/RL.



Test For Rohani



Reformists have described the parliamentary elections as a "second step" after the 2013 victory by Rohani, whose popularity has risen since a nuclear accord was reached last year with world powers to limit Iran's disputed nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Rohani's first term is due to end next year, and this month's vote is widely seen as a test of his support ahead of a possible bid for reelection.

The Guardians Council has disqualified half of the 12,000 or so applicants for the legislature, many of them reformists whose loyalty was in question and including prominent figures, leaving around 6,200 candidates for the 290-seat Majlis. A Rohani ally complained that just 33 of 3,000 reformists made the cut.

But Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has urged Iranians, including "those who do not accept the ruling system," to vote in large numbers "for the sake of the country's [international] standing." He has said a high turnout would deliver a message to the West, and he has urged people to "act contrary to what enemies want."

Those reformists urging like-minded voters to go to the polls argue that boycotts in the past have given the upper hand to hard-core conservatives, whose supporters turn out in large numbers and are thought to be especially loyal. They cite the victory of Mahmud Ahmadinejad in the presidential election of 2005 and the dominance of the conservatives and hard-liners in parliament since 2004, when many reformists boycotted the polls in a reaction to a ban on many of their candidates.

Mobilizing Efforts

A former president and onetime head of the Assembly of Experts who allied himself with the opposition following the disputed election of 2009, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency this week as urging Iranians to "deliver an ultimatum to hard-liners" at the polls despite their disappointment at "the behavior of some individuals in some organizations." He criticized the vetting process and warned that such measures "create splits and discords between people" 37 years after Iran's revolution.

Reformists say a high turnout by the opposition could shake the rule of hard-liners in parliament, where they have repeatedly challenged Rohani and his cabinet ministers over their foreign policy outreach and less restrictive social and cultural policies.

"Not voting will not block the hard-liners, it will just make it easier for them to regain control of the parliament," a Rohani supporter wrote on social media. "The only viable option is to do all we can to block them."

Some observers believe moderate gains in parliament could strengthen Rohani and allow him to bring modest social changes and push his economic agenda forward following last month's lifting of the international sanctions that had been crippling the Iranian economy.

The disqualification process has left less room for maneuver in races for the Assembly of Experts, where some observers say the 76-year-old Khamenei is determined to ensure that his loyalists dominate the body. Just 161 of 800 or so would-be candidates have been approved to run for assembly seats.



Blocking Strategy

To many Iranians, the Assembly of Experts is an obscure rubberstamp body with elderly members who are disconnected from society. Tasked under the constitution with monitoring the performance of the supreme leader, it is not known to have ever challenged or criticized Khamenei. But the assembly would play the primary role in determining a successor if Khamenei -- whose health remains a question -- should die or become incapacitated in the next eight years.

Rafsanjani joined former reformist President Khatami this month in urging voters to choose from a "list of hope" of reformist-backed candidates in the elections -- in the case of the Assembly of Experts headlined by Rohani and Rafsanjani. The call included a rare public appearance for Khatami, who is still subject to an official media ban -- in the form of a YouTube and Telegram video in which the 72-year-old theologian and two-time president cited Rohani's election win in 2013 as a prelude to a "second step."

WATCH: Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami Urges People To Vote For Reform (in Persian, no subtitles)

Some reformists have responded to the list by taking to social media themselves to encourage participation. They argue that voting for the 16 "list of hope" candidates can prevent the election to the Assembly of Experts of three perceived ultra-hard-liners and Khamenei loyalists in particular: Guardians Council Chairman Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, Assembly of Experts Chairman Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, and Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi.

"Please vote for all the names on this list. Let's kick out Jannati from the Assembly of Experts forever. The next election for the assembly is in eight years, and by then Jannati will hopefully not be alive," a Facebook user in Ahwaz wrote.

Some potential voters this week still appeared to be undecided as to whether to cast their ballots or not.

"I've never voted. But sometimes I tell myself that if I and many others like me had participated in elections, for example in 2005 when Ahmadinejad came to power, then maybe Iran would have been a better place," one woman wrote in a debate on social media about the February 26 voting.
Irans Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh has dismissed a proposal by Russia and three OPEC members to freeze oil production as "ridiculous."

Zanganeh said on February 23 that the proposal by Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Qatar for crude oil producers to cap production at January levels puts "unrealistic demands" on Iran.

Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Qatar are seeking to halt a 40 percent drop in oil prices over the past year caused by a global crude glut, while Tehran is planning to increase output by 1 million barrels a day this year after international sanctions against Iran were lifted last month.

"Some neighboring countries have increased their production over the years to 10 million barrels per day (bpd) and export this amount, then say let's all freeze our oil production," Zanganeh said. "They freeze production at 10 million bpd and we freeze at 1 million bpd."

Based on reporting by AFP and Bloomberg


Authorities in northern Iraq's Kurdish autonomous region say a teenage Swedish girl who was being held by Islamic State (IS) militants has been rescued in a raid by Iraqi Kurdish special forces.

A statement issued by officials in Iraq's Kurdish region on February 23 said the 16-year-old girl had travelled from Sweden to Syria in 2015 and then crossed the border into Iraq.

The statement said the girl was rescued on February 17 near the IS militants' stronghold of Mosul by forces from the region's counterterrorism department.

It also said the girl was "misled into making the journey to Syria and then Mosul by an IS member in Sweden.

The statement said it had been called upon by Swedish authorities and members of her family to assist in locating and rescuing her from the IS group.

There was no immediate confirmation of the incident from the Swedish authorities.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin says Ramzan Kadyrov didn't respond to a request for an interview in connection with Yashin's report criticizing the Kremlin-backed Chechen leader. So Yashin concluded his report with the following 20 questions that he would have liked Kadyrov to answer:

1) During the 1990s, you fought in Chechnya against the Russian Army. You were also personally acquainted with the leaders of the terrorists. Do you still have any photographs of yourself with, for example, [Chechen field commanders] Shamil Basayev or Doku Umarov? Would you comment on those photographs and tell in detail about your participation in military actions? What orders did Basayev give to you and to your father [former Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov]? How many people have you personally killed?

2) In one interview, you said that you first took an automatic weapon into your hands when you were younger than 17. That time is well known in Chechnya as a period of ethnic cleansing when the Russian population of the republic was brutally driven beyond its borders. Did you personally participate in ethnic cleansing? Who did you shoot when you were 17?

3) Do you feel regret at having fought against Russia?

4) When Akhmad Kadyrov was killed in a terrorist bombing [in Grozny in 2004] you were in charge of his personal security. Where were you at the moment when he was killed? How did the security detail that you were in charge of fail to prevent the explosion? Do you see in this a lack of professionalism or betrayal?

5) At various times, you have put forth different versions about who was responsible for the murder of Akhmad Kadyrov. You have said at one time that the separatist Shamil Basayev was involved. At other times you have said the Hero of Russia Sulim Yamadayev [a former Chechen rebel commander who switched to support Russia and who was assassinated in Dubai in 2009] was. So who really killed your father?

6) A significant number of the current Chechen security forces are bandits who formerly fought against Russia and who were amnestied by you. Why didn't you find them civilian work? Why have you legalized militants and armed them under your command?

7) Chechnya today is the only subject of the Russian Federation that has its own regional army. In December 2014, you gathered more than 20,000 armed fighters at a stadium in Grozny in a demonstration of force. These fighters publicly proclaim their personal loyalty to you, rather than to the Russian state. Why do you need your own army?

8) In 2015, you publicly ordered your forces to fire during a confrontation with Russian security forces who were operating in Chechnya but not under your command. Do you understand that this order was a gross violation of Russian law and is grounds to question your right to lead the republic?

9) Do you understand that your policies of de facto rejecting the [Russian] Constitution and ignoring Russian laws represents a direct path for Chechnya's withdrawal from the Russian Federation? Is this your goal? Do you understand the consequences of such a policy for the Chechen people and for yourself personally? Do you not fear those consequences?

10) You do not conceal that you live in luxury. You often show off your collection of expensive watches and elite automobiles, your enormous residence, your personal zoo. All of this clearly does not correspond to your official asset declarations. Where does your money come from? What are the real sources of your income?

11) Nearly 30 million people in Russia today are living below the poverty line. You are a state official, living at the expense of taxpayers. Do you not think it is immoral to show off your personal wealth, which so obviously does not correspond to your official declarations?

12) What is the real income of the Akhmad Kadyrov Foundation? Can you confirm that every resident of Chechen is de facto obligated to contribute to the accounts of that foundation?

13) Your policies in Chechnya are characterized by setting the norms of Islam against Russian legislation. Are you aware that according to the [Russian] Constitution, our country -- of which Chechnya is an inseparable part -- is a secular state? In your leadership of Chechnya, which take priority -- the norms of Shari'a law or Russian legislation?

14) You often emphasize your own personal religious devotion and your dedication to Islam. At the same time, Islam forbids the glorification of any individual personality. To what extent does your cult of personality throughout Chechnya correspond to the norms of the Muslim faith? Do you not see in this the sin of pride?

15) You have publicly acknowledged that Chechnya has become the single largest contributor [of people] to [militant group] Islamic State. Hundreds of young Chechens have joined the ranks of terrorists in the Middle East. Do you see any personal responsibility in this? Do you understand that your policy of setting Islam against Russian law in Chechnya creates the ideal basis for Islamic State recruiting there?

16) According to prosecutors in Austria, you are the likely organizer of the murder of your former bodyguard, Umar Israilov, who had been granted official asylum in Europe. It has been demonstrated that you were personally acquainted with the killer, Ruslan Edilov. Photographs of you two together were found on his mobile phone. Did you participate in Israilov's murder? If not, why did you refuse to testify in the Austrian court in 2010 in order to demonstrate your innocence?

17) In 2009, an assassination attempt against Isa Yamadayev was thwarted. The would-be killer, Khavazha Yusupov, was arrested and told investigators that you personally ordered the murder. Also during interrogation, Yusupov said that you confirmed in a conversation with him that you were involved in the murders of two other Yamadayev brothers, Sulim and Ruslan. Were you really involved in those murders? If not, how do you explain Yusupov's statements?

18) The deputy commander of the Chechen battalion Sever, Zaur Dadayev, has been arrested in connection with the murder of [former Russian Deputy Prime Minister and opposition leader] Boris Nemtsov. His fellow serviceman, Ruslan Mukhudnov, is wanted in connection with the case. Investigators have repeatedly tried to question one other deputy commander of Sever, Ruslan Geremeyev. How do you explain the involvement of your officers in Nemtsov's murder? Did they really act on their own initiative or were they acting in accordance with your will?

19) Do you know anything about the possible involvement in the murder of Boris Nemtsov of [Russian State Duma deputy] Adam Delimkhanov or [Sever battalion commander] Alibek Delimkhanov? Or [Russian presidential aide] Vladislav Surkov? Or [Russian Internal Forces commander] Viktor Zolotov?

20) How do you explain the fact that people who enter into conflicts with you and whom you name as your enemies are murdered one after another?

Translated by Robert Coalson


The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an international press rights group, has expressed concerns about the February 22 detention in Almaty of Seitqazy Mataev, the head of the Kazakh Journalists Union and the chairman of the National Press Club.

Mataev and his son Aset Mataev, who is the director of the KazTAG news agency, were detained for questioning on February 22.

Kazakhstan's Anticorruption Agency said later that Seitqazy Mataev was suspected of embezzling and tax evasion and could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted.

He remained in custody on February 23 but has not been formally charged.

The CPJ in a statement urged the Kazakh authorities to either produce evidence supporting the allegation that Mataev and his son had committed a crime, or "immediately stop harassing the two, and refrain from leveling unfounded accusations against journalists in an effort to intimidate them."

Aset Mataev, who was released on February 22 after being interrogated for several hours, told RFE/RL that all the accusations were politically motivated.
A Pakistani official says police have killed at least 12 militants involved in target killings and attacks on officers in the southern city of Karachi.

Rao Anwar, a senior police official who led the raid, said police raided a house where the militants were hiding out in Pipri district, some 50 kilometers northeast of central Karachi.

Anwar said eight militants were killed during a gunbattle inside the house, while four who escaped were later killed in the Gadap area.

He said the militants belonged to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent and the Lashkar-e Jhangvi militant group.

Anwar also said police recovered explosive material, bomb making devices, and suicide vests.

Karachi is frequently hit by religious, political, and ethnic violence. In 2013, security forces began a sweeping crackdown on militants in the city of 20 million.

Based on reporting by AFP and Dawn
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili used his visit to RFE/RLs Prague headquarters today to affirm his governments commitment to Europe, amidst fraught relations within the region and between the West and Russia over European security, Ukraine, and Syria.

The visit, part of an official two-day trip to the Czech Republic that included meetings with political counterparts, business leaders, and students, came just days after the prime minister spoke exclusively with RFE/RLs Georgian Service in Tbilisi in his first major interview with any media since assuming office on December 30, 2015. The interview was cited by dozens of media outlets in both Georgia and Russia, and reached 200,000 people via the Georgian Services Facebook page and website.

In the interview, Kvirikashvili declared, We are not moving towards Europe, but we are Europe, removing any ambiguity about his governments political vision. He said, We will do everything in our power to make sure that every citizen of Georgia, every business entity, every single small-scale entrepreneur becomes aware of the benefits of European integration.

He then described how his government would reconcile its European aspirations with the challenges posed by Russia. We are doing everything we can to bring our message to Russian politicians  that Georgia, with its Western values, pro-Western orientation and its desire to integrate with the West, is not opposing Russia and is not seeking any confrontation with Russia. At the same time, Kvirikashvili flatly rejected the possibility of political normalization with Russia absent its recognition of Georgias territorial integrity, calling this principle "fundamental" and beyond compromise.

Kvirikashvili spoke warmly of Georgia's relationship with the U.S., characterizing it as one of our best, and recognized the U.S. as "a very solid supporter of Georgias sovereignty and territorial integrity."

About RFE/RL and its Georgian Service

RFE/RL is a private, independent international news organization whose programs -- radio, Internet, television, and mobile -- reach influential audiences in 23 countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus. It is funded by the U.S. Congress through the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG).

RFE/RLs Georgian Service, Radio Tavisupleba is a rare, and award-winning, source of balanced journalism in a country where much of the press openly supports, both editorially and through the selection of news, either the government or the opposition.
Nowhere in the world has Russia reconfigured the balance of power over the last decade as effectively as it has in the strategic Black Sea region.

The militarization of the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia following the war with Georgia in 2008 and the annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, in conjunction with an aggressive military modernization that is now bringing new capabilities online, have given Russia powerful new tools to wield influence in the former Soviet Union and to exert pressure against NATO and the European Union.

Russia plans to spend $2.4 billion on the Black Sea Fleet by 2020, including the most modern surface ships and submarines, as well as integrated air-defense and amphibious-landing capacities. By the time the upgrade is completed, the Interfax news agency reported on February 16, the fleet will be able to strike 200 targets with Kalibr cruise missiles in a single salvo.

"The threat to the Caucasus, the Middle East, and to Europe as a result of Russian aggression against Georgia [in 2008] and Ukraine in 2014 and the overturning of the European status quo and the ensuing militarization of the entire area are matters of the utmost concern to [Western] security planners," says Stephen Blank, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council and a longtime expert on security issues.

Littoral Danger

Moscow's domination of the Black Sea casts a shadow over the littoral states. The pro-Western economic and political course of both Ukraine and Georgia has been stymied, and their ability to develop independently of Russia is seriously compromised. Earlier this month, Georgia announced plans to build a $2.5 billion cargo port at Batumi in hopes of creating a trade link between China and Europe. But whether that project will attract investors or function smoothly is now at least partially under Moscow's control. Mere sabre rattling can be enough to make investors pull out.

The military doctrine adopted in July 2015 asserts Russia's policy of resisting attempts "to overturn legitimate governments" in its region. "In effect, Moscow reserves for itself the right and obligation to defend governments that are amenable to Russian influence, even against the democratic choices of their own populations," says Black Sea Rising, a new report by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).

Combined with the Kremlin's active use of hybrid warfare and "little green men" actions, the Black Sea military buildup is worrisome in capitals from Moldova to Azerbaijan.

In addition, Russia's new muscle in the region has NATO members Romania and Bulgaria concerned as well. "These trends have allowed Russia to essentially make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for NATO to get into the Black Sea to defend NATO allies and partners without substantial losses of ships, planes, and men," analyst Blank says.

Judy Dempsey, editor in chief of Carnegie Europe's newsletter Strategic Europe, says Romania is "acutely aware of the situation" and has been working with NATO to create a rapid-deployment capacity in the Black Sea that is similar to what NATO already has planned for the Baltic region and Poland.

Through the use of political and economic pressure on Sofia and Bucharest, Russia is able to sow public doubts about the unity and resolve of the European Union and NATO.

Syria And The Mediterranean

In a speech at the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, Ukraine, in 2007, then-commander of the Russian Navy Admiral Vladimir Masorin said: "The operational zone of the fleet extends across the Black Sea and the Mediterranean all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. It is at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and here we must reestablish the permanent presence of the Russian Navy."

Just over a year after the Crimean annexation, the Black Sea Fleet has already been turned from a "green-water" to a "blue-water" force, one capable of carrying out extensive operations in open waters. It has played an essential role in facilitating Russia's military action in Syria.

Without this preparation, "they might have been able to airlift things into Syria and do some sealift, but nothing on the scale of what they have been able to do," says analyst Blank. In addition, Blank says, after Russia completes the upgrade of its military base at Tartus, Syria, its dominance of the Black Sea will enable Moscow "to sustain a much larger force in the Mediterranean" over the long term.

The CEPA report notes that the Black Sea is already "the main logistical platform" for Russian actions in the Middle East, already enabling Moscow to maintain 10 ships in the eastern Mediterranean.

And Then There Was Turkey

Russia's buildup in the Black Sea occurred during a time of good relations between Moscow and the other major regional power, Turkey. The warm personal relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meant that Turkey was largely silent as Russia pushed forward in the region.

"We went into Syria without understanding that we were entering into a conflict with Turkey," says Russian military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer. "It seems clear that Putin was sure that the Turks would be amenable and somehow we'd divide things up with Erdogan. This was a fundamental mistake."

But Russia's action in Syria has now brought the two countries to the brink of open conflict. On November 24, Turkey shot down a Russian military jet that Ankara said had entered Turkish airspace from Syria. The two countries have had virtually no diplomatic contacts since then.

With both countries prominently present in the Black Sea, the possibilities for more dangerous incidents are high, analysts say.

NATO officials are "very worried" about the possibility of a Turkish-Russian incident in the Black Sea, says Carnegie analyst Dempsey.

"In retrospect it is quite remarkable that there haven't been accidents given so many different aircraft in the skies over Syria and, now, in parts of the Black Sea," she adds.


Russia says it has opened a coordination center to help enforce a cease-fire in Syria.

Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on February 23 that the center is located at Syria's Hmeymim air base hosting Russian warplanes.

Konashenkov said it is tasked with monitoring a truce in the five-year-old Syrian conflict and with organizing deliveries of humanitarian aid.

He also said the center had been established in line with a deal brokered by the United States and Russia on a cease-fire due to begin on February 27.

The truce does not include the Islamic State group, the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front, and other terrorist organizations designated by the UN.

The agreement sets up a communications hotline, and calls for a working group to monitor cease-fire violations.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, TASS, and Interfax


Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council has published a previously top-secret transcript of a closed-door meeting it held on February 28, 2014 -- just a few days before Moscows seizure of Crimea.



The 37-page document shows the new authorities -- in power for less than a week -- in a state of near panic as they address how an unprepared Ukrainian army would deal with Russian aggression that appears to have caught them off guard.



The Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense says it released the document on February 22 to show the circumstances Ukraine faced as the annexation was beginning and what countermeasures the government had discussed taking.



"Lately there has been a lot of insinuation and speculation about this," committee head Serhiy Pashynskyy said at the meeting, referring to the conflict with Russian-backed separatists in Ukraines Luhansk and Donetsk regions. "Maybe in two more years we will tell how the war in the east began."



RFE/RL's Current Time television published the most important excerpts from the meeting:



'Demoralized' Servicemen



Ukrainian servicemen in Crimea were "demoralized," and many had not accepted the new government that came to power after President Viktor Yanukovych fled the country. This according to Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, chairman of Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), who argued at the meeting that the troops were not prepared to carry out Kyivs orders.



He also said that many in the military had already betrayed their oath to Ukraine, a charge backed by Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, who said 67 Ukrainian riot policemen had defected to the Russian side.



Members of the council acknowledged that the Ukrainian military was debilitated, despite the fact that there were 15,000 Ukrainian troops in Crimea. "The majority among the military are contracted locally --service means money to them," said acting Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh. "A maximum of 1,500-2,000 troops are ready to execute an order involving the use of weapons."



It was revealed that only 5,000 servicemen in Ukraine were available to carry out combat missions. "We can send them to Crimea, but it wont solve the problem of Crimea," said Tenyukh. "We will simply get them killed there."



58,000 Russian Troops



Council members discussed staggering numbers of Russian troops present on Ukrainian territory or just along the Russian border.



"In the directions of Kyiv, Donetsk, and Kharkiv there is already a concentration of 38,000 people," said the acting defense minister. "If they came in the morning from Chernihiv Oblast, by evening they would be in Kyiv."



The council also said Russia was moving assault units of the armed forces and Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) special forces to Crimea. According to Tenyukh, at the time of the council meeting there were 20,000 Russian troops on the peninsula.



(Russia, at the time, was publicly denying that the soldiers, nicknamed "little green men," where theirs. Moscow claimed they were "local volunteers." Russian President Vladimir Putin later admitted that they were, indeed, Russian troops.)



The acting defense minister also recounted a brief conversation between the Ukrainian Navy commander and the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in which the latter said that "they will go to the end."



"All forces are in full combat readiness," the Russian commander was quoted as saying. "If you do not resist there will be no blood and everything will end peacefully."



Crimeans Supported Russia



The Crimean Peninsula's population massively supported Russian actions in Crimea, according to the SBU head Nalyvaychenko. "The disinformation and defamation campaign, and building pressure on public sentiment with the help of Russian and Crimean media, is incredibly strong," Nalyvaychenko said.



The acting president and parliamentary speaker, Oleksandr Turchynov, emphasized that it was important for Kyiv to address Crimeans to explain that the Ukrainian government was not the enemy. "We must dispel the myth that it was Crimeans who rebelled against Ukraine," he said. "It wasn't Crimeans. This is purely a military operation against a sovereign state."



Proposed New Status For Crimea



Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk suggested a political solution to the crisis that would entail changing the status of the Crimean Autonomous Republic in Ukraine to give it even greater powers to run its own affairs. He suggested adopting a law that would allow the peninsula to form its own financial system.



"I would call it conditionally independent," said Yatsenyuk. "For instance, [we could] leave at the disposal of the autonomy a value-added tax, leave [them] a part of the excise tax, and [let them] make decisions about so-called language, national, cultural, and ethnic issues."



However, he admitted that this plan would not work, and that Russia would not support such a scenario because it was "not interested in a peaceful resolution of the conflict."



Martial Law Mulled



Acting President Turchynov called for the introduction of martial law in Ukraine. Responding to criticism that the move would increase panic in society, Turchynov countered that "even greater panic will ensue when Russian tanks roll on [Kyivs main street] Khreshchatyk." His argument fell flat.



"If we introduce martial law, see what happens." Yatsenyuk said. "Its part of their plan. Besides troops, Chechens will go there, if they are not there already. An ethnic conflict will start there."



Turchynov decided to call a vote on the introduction of martial law anyway.



"Who is for? he asked. "Fine, only Turchynov is for. The decision is not made."



Call From Russia



The council meeting was interrupted toward the end. Russian State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin had apparently telephoned demanding to speak with Turchynov immediately.



"What can I say," Turchynov told the meeting upon his return. "Naryshkin passed on threats from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. They dont rule out, as he said, making hard decisions concerning Ukraine for persecuting Russians and Russian speakers. Perhaps they are hinting at a decision to send troops not only to Crimea."
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said that infighting among political parties in Ukraine's governing coalition cannot be allowed to prevent the government from carrying out its reform obligations under the Minsk accords.

Speaking at a joint press conference on February 23 with the Ukrainian and French foreign ministers after talks in Kyiv, Steinmeier said the key steps on implementing the Minsk agreement still must be taken.

He said Russia also must be ready to implement the Minsk deal.

He said Germany and France will continue to support Ukraine's reform efforts but expect Kyiv to continue with reforms in return to help revive the economy and carry out the Minsk deal, which was reached in the Belarusian capital a year ago.

Steinmeier warned Kyiv that the International Monetary Fund was looking for political "stability" before offering further loans to Ukraine.

Kyiv claims Russia is violating the Minsk agreement by sending troops and weapons to back up pro-Russia separatists in the east.

But Ukraine has so far failed on its pledge to enact reforms that would increase autonomy for Ukraine's eastern regions and allow local elections there.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
The European Union has lost some of its allure for Balkan countries seeking to join, thanks to the migrant crisis and concerns about Britain leaving the bloc, Serbia's prime minister has said.

Aleksandar Vucic told reporters in London that Serbia still hopes to join the EU after beginning formal accession talks last year.

But the bloc "has lost its magic power" for Balkan countries aspiring to join, he said at a European Bank for Reconstruction and Development conference. "Yes, we all want to join, but it is no longer the big dream it was in the past."

Balkan countries have been caught in the middle of the European migrant crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people who have fled war and poverty in the Middle East crossing through the Balkans in the desperate hope of finding refuge in the EU.

The so-called "Balkan route" for migrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries runs through Macedonia, Serbia, and Croatia.

Vucic told Reuters the Balkan public was also disillusioned by the threat of Britain, a long-standing EU member, leaving the union.

"When you see that in Britain at least 50 percent of the people say they want to leave, that has an effect on the public," he said.

British Prime Minister David Cameron last week negotiated changes to the terms of Britain's EU membership and hopes to persuade voters to back them in a referendum set for June 23. But opinion polls show the outcome could be close.

Despite being less attractive than before, joining the EU would still be a smart move for Serbia, Vucic said.

"I have told them openly the EU is not as attractive as it used to be, but we are rational people and we know this is the best for our country," he told the conference.

Vucic added that Serbia is not prepared to abandon its close relations with Moscow to join the EU, despite the economic sanctions the EU has imposed on Russia.

"I have told them unambiguously that we continue our cooperation with the Russian Federation, he said. "We would like to preserve good relations with Russia."

Serbia sells a lot of agricultural goods to Russia, having stepped recently into the void created by Moscow's ban on Ukainian agricultural goods.

Among Serbia's neighbors in the Balkans, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia are already in the EU. Countries hoping to join like Serbia include Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Turkey.

The EU encouraged Serbia in December by opening talks in two new policy areas. But Belgrade's continued refusal to recognize the independence of its former province of Kosovo likely remains a hurdle.

With reporting by Reuters and InSerbia Network Foundation
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A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Random thoughts from a Brit in the North West. Sometimes serious, sometimes not. Quite often curmudgeonly.
A nearly full auditorium of parents and students peppered Roanoke County school officials Monday night over how a report of a shooting threat at Northside High School was handled as administrators apologized and promised to make changes.

Right off the bat, schools spokesman Chuck Lionberger said he was sorry parents werent informed of the threat  first reported to the school Wednesday afternoon  sooner and more clearly. The district notified parents in a post Thursday morning on Facebook more than 12 hours after school officials became aware of the threat, and Lionberger said that was too late.

Again, we sincerely apologize for not properly communicating with you on this incident, he said. Weve learned a lot from this situation and were going to do better.

Nearly every top administrator in the district and a majority of the school board attended the meeting, which was called by Roanoke County School Board member Tom McCracken and followed several days of criticism by students, parents and community members. Assistant Police Chief Jimmy Chapman and several Roanoke County police officers, including school resource Officer N.D. Hartwell, also attended.

McCracken, whose Catawba District includes Northside, originally called the community meeting last week to give parents an opportunity to share concerns about the sudden departures of both the schools principal and assistant principal, but most of the questions at the forum were regarding the way the threat report was handled. Longtime Principal Frank Dent stepped down from his position on Feb. 12, and Assistant Principal Amy Puckett followed a few days later.

Dan Lyons, a former superintendent for Lexington City Schools, will serve as interim principal until June 30. Lyons couldnt be at Mondays meeting because of a prior commitment, but filmed a welcome message that was played at the community meeting. He will be at the school starting Thursday.

Many parents who attended the meeting did not seem completely satisfied by the answers school officials gave, sometimes rolling their eyes in response and other times shouting over the speakers in order to repeat questions they did not believe had been answered. When McCracken tried to cut off questions about the way the threat was handled after about 45 minutes of discussion, some in the audience shouted no.

I wanted answers, said Carey Chitwood, whose son is a sophomore at Northside. Quite honestly, we didnt get any.

School and police officials did elaborate on the timeline of events that began Wednesday afternoon, when a parent first called the school to report a threat her son overheard. The way the report was investigated, officials said, was in line with the districts plans for dealing with emergencies and reports of threats.

The parents phone call came in at 3:58 p.m. Wednesday and by 4:01 was being investigated, McCracken said. The caller told school officials her son had overheard discussion about a threat while he was on the bus. She provided police with the first name of a student who was alleged to have made a threat.

From there, Hartwell was able to identify the student and went to question him with his mother and grandfather, Chapman said. The students grandfather does own weapons, but he and police determined they were all accounted for and secure, Chapman said. The student denied making the threat, he said.

By late Wednesday night, Superintendent Greg Killough was informed the threat was not credible. Killough said he and Roanoke County Police Chief Howard Hall decided to increase police presence at the Northside campus on Thursday with the hope that it would have a calming effect on students, parents and teachers after several days of turmoil due to the personnel changes.

Overnight though, students and parents who had heard rumors of the threat began posting about it on social media, warning others to be safe and stay home on Thursday. Those social media posts, which spread very quickly, prompted the district to address the threat on its Facebook page, said Paul Lineburg, the districts director of administration. The Facebook post ended up compounding parents confusion in part because the district said it was not certain this is a credible threat.

To me, that sounds like its still open-ended, said one parent, to applause from the audience. She asked why the district didnt just say it had investigated and ruled out the threat, and Lionberger, who said he wrote the post, again apologized and said it should have been clearer.

The districts initial post also incorrectly said the district was aware of an "online post threatning [sic] possible violence," which Lionberger said was intended to reference the chatter about the threat and not the threat itself. Monday, a woman said shed seen a screenshot of an online post where a student made a threat, which both police and school administrators said they were not aware of previously. Chapman asked the woman to follow up with police, but he and other officers said the woman left the meeting without speaking to them. He encouraged anyone with information about a threat to contact police immediately.

One speaker pointed out that McCracken initially kept his own daughter, a junior at Northside, home from school because of the threat. McCracken said in an interview that although he was told Wednesday night that the threat wasnt credible, he and his wife decided to keep their daughter home Thursday morning because of lingering uncertainty prompted in part by the increased police presence at the school. McCrackens wife, Laurie, is an administrator overseeing special education at Northside.

Several parents said in the future, they wanted to be notified of any threat, even those determined not to be credible. One parent said that it was ludicrous the district didnt anticipate chatter on social media and attempt to address it.

Killough said hes forming a committee to evaluate this response and what the district should do differently in the future, and McCracken said the school board will review the districts emergency crisis plans. Parents with concerns should contact Killoughs office directly, he said.

This is a top priority, McCracken said. Were working on this today and tomorrow.
RICHMOND  Want to get a bill passed at the Virginia General Assembly? You might consider hiring Aiden Coleman  age 11.

The sixth-grader from Berkeley Middle School in Williamsburg is a big part of the reason Virginia may soon have an official state snake.

The eastern garter snake, to be exact.

After slithering past the House of Delegates, House Bill 335, sponsored by Del. Brenda Pogge, R-Yorktown, slid through the Senate General Laws and Technology committee Monday without opposition and now heads to the full Virginia Senate  although it did face one challenge.

Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, tried a few years ago to win state reptile designation for the eastern box turtle. But after winning Senate approval, Petersens box turtle bill lost in the House on the floor when a delegate revealed that the Latin designation of the terrapin included the word carolina.

Fortunately, Aiden had done his homework. The Latin designation of the eastern garter snake is Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis.

During Mondays hearing, Petersen, perhaps still licking his wounds over the box turtle defeat, asked Aiden about another candidate for the designation:

Why not the timber rattler?

Well, because its West Virginias state reptile, and we already share the cardinal with them, Aiden responded politely and without hesitation, causing the audience and members on the panel to oooh and ahh  and Petersen to mimic the defensive stance of a boxer.

Do you want to stay for the whole meeting? asked Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, eliciting laughs.

Unfortunately, Aiden, with parents Renee and Randy, had to go home. There are only so many days of school a sixth-grader can afford to miss.
CCC scholarship announced

The Central Community College Foundation has announced the establishment of a new $70,000 scholarship fund in honor of long-time Hastings resident Bernice K. Smith.

The Bernice Blomenkamp Smith Scholarship will be awarded for the first time this spring to students attending Central Community College during the 2016-17 academic year.

The scholarship is open to traditional and nontraditional and full-time and part-time students taking classes at any CCC location or online. Students must be working toward a degree in accounting, bookkeeping, education or early childhood education. The scholarship may be used for tuition and/or books.

Bernice K. Smith died Aug. 24, 2012, in Kenesaw, at the age of 94. She was born in Hastings, attended Hastings Public Schools and was a graduate of Hastings High School and the Nebraska College of Commerce. For many years, she worked as an individual and business accountant and bookkeeper for Brand-WSilson Funeral Home, Dr. John Coover, Hastings Plumbing and Heating, and Warehouse Carpeting, all in Hastings. She was a member of First St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Hastings and a former member of the Nebraska State Board of Public Accountancy and the National Society of Public Accountants.

Applications for all CCC scholarships, including the Bernice Blomenkamp Smith award, are available online at ccc.awardspring.com. The deadline to apply is March 1.

Board approves tuition increase

(Hastings, Neb.)  The Central Community College Board of Governors on Feb. 18 approved a tuition increase of $2 a semester-hour for Nebraska residents for 2016-17.

The increase raises tuition for Nebraskans from $82 a credit-hour to $84. A full-time student taking 15 credit-hours a semester for two semesters will see tuition increase by $60 for the year, from $2,820 to $2,880.

Tuition for students who are not from Nebraska will increase from $123 to $126 a credit-hour. Fees remain at $12 a credit-hour for all students.

Room rates for students living in campus housing will remain at $1,628 a semester for double or triple occupancy and $3,256 for single occupancy. Meal rates will increase by 2.9 percent to $1,570 a semester for 14 meals a week and $1,843 a semester for 19 meals a week.

The board also gave tentative approval to two budgets for 2016-17: $10,283,809 for the capital improvement fund and $2,186,000 for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and removal of hazardous waste.

Tentative approval authorizes expenditures from the two budgets for projects beginning after the start of the 2016-17 fiscal year on July 1. Final budget approval is scheduled for the September Board of Governors meeting, following a budget hearing.

Concerts scheduled

The Central Community College-Columbus music department has two upcoming concerts.

The first is a band concert under the direction of Micah Crochet at 3 p.m. on March 6 in the campus Fine Arts Theater. Music for the Stage and Screen is the theme for the concert, which will feature the Hilltop Winds, CCC Concert Band and student soloist Cayla Cuba of Columbus. Special guests will be the Columbus Jazz Orchestra.

Afternoon on a Hill will be the theme of a choral concert at 7 p.m. on March 10 at the First United Methodist Church, 2710 14th St. in Columbus. The concert will feature the CCC choirs under the direction of Jeffrey Kitson and is not recommended for children younger than five years old.

Both concerts are open to the public free of charge, although freewill donations are welcome.

Medication Aid classes

Registration is open for a medication aide course will be offered March 28 through April 29 in the West Education Center at Central Community College-Columbus.

The class is offered in a lecture/lab format, and students must attend 12 mandatory class sessions. It will begin with an orientation from 1 to 2 p.m. on March 28. Class sessions are scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. p.m. on March 30 and April 1, 4, 6, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 25, 27 and 29.

Class size is limited to 12 students so registration is required to reserve a space. The cost is $354, which includes in-state tuition, textbook and supplies.

For more information or to register, contact the CCC Extended Learning Services Office at (402) 562-1225; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 1225: or by e-mail at cwagner@cccneb.edu.

HazMat Course

A 24-hour hazmat training course will be offered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 15-17 in the Student Center, Room 176, at Central Community College-Columbus.

The course is designed for employees engaged in the emergency response, containment, control and cleanup of hazardous materials.

Class size is limited so preregistration is required by March 8 to reserve a space. The cost is $400. For more information or to preregister, contact Susan Baer at (402) 562-1425; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 1425; or by email at sbaer@cccneb.edu.
He authored 282 majority opinions for the court. He was also known, on occasion, to dissent, Roberts said, the understatement about Scalias scathing dissents drawing a laugh from the gallery. We remember his incisive intellect, his agile wit, and his captivating prose. But we cannot forget his irrepressible spirit. He was our man for all seasons, and we shall miss him beyond measure.

Five hours later, the Senate reconvened after a week-long recess with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.,sidestepping the question of considering a nominee for the bench before November.

Minority Leader Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., delivered a statement to remind Senate watchers that McConnell had said that the nomination should be left to the next president.
Republican lawmakers sharply criticized the Obama administrations plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, dismissing it as a vague menu of options that fails to recommend any alternative sites in the United States to house terrorist suspects still held at the military-run prison in Cuba.

President Barack Obama made closing the facility one of his national security priorities after taking office in 2009, but his efforts have run up against fierce resistance in Congress to transferring the detainees to U.S. soil. The plan released Tuesday, required by the fiscal 2016 defense authorization bill (PL 114-92), will likely do little to help Obama meet his goal during the closing days of his administration.
LINCOLN--Future high schoolers across Nebraska may need to pass a civics exam before grabbing their diploma.

LB868, introduced by Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, would require all high school students to pass a 100-question civics test. The questions would be from the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services' naturalization test.

Krist said while this exam is just a stepping stone for moving forward, a U.S. citizen should be able to answer questions people entering the country are forced to answer in order to become citizens. Krist also emphasized the importance of students becoming engaged in government.

"If students don't understand how the government works at the most basic level, how can we expect them to understand the importance of voting and engaging in the political process?" Krist asked.

If passed, it would be up to the Legislature to decide what questions to include. They could customize the test and also incorporate Nebraska's state civics questions along with those of the federal government.

Each school district would decide how to administer the test, which could be taken any time in grades nine through 12. Students would be allowed to repeat the test as many times as necessary to pass.The first graduating class affected by the bill would be students of the 2017-18 class.

Last year, nine states passed similar legislation while 24 more, including Nebraska, are considering it this year. Neighboring South Dakota and nearby North Dakota were two of the states to pass the statute. In Arizona and Oklahoma, two other states where the civics test requirement has been adopted, Krist said only 4 percent of high school students passed.

To Krist, that means we are facing a crisis in school today with students and their lack of civic knowledge.

Lucian Spataro from the Joe Foss Institute, who testified at a Tuesday hearing in support of the bill, called it a quiet crisis in America. The institute is an Arizona-based nonprofit organization that advocates for civics education and civics involvement.

Requiring the civics examination would shift the focus back to learning about government after educational institutions across the country have spent nearly all of their time on STEM content, or science, technology engineering and math, he said.

"If tested, it's emphasized," Spataro said. "This will put American civics back on the front burner, encouraging students to be actively engaged and responsible citizens. Civics has suffered from the swing in the pendulum to STEM content. We don't have a level playing field today because most of the content on standardized tests is STEM content."

Sen. Rick Kolowski of Omaha, who is a former teacher and principal, pointed out not only is it important to test the knowledge, but also is a way to heighten the youth engagement and apply what is learned to everyday life.

Representatives from the Elm Creek School District, just west of Kearney, who testified for the bill at the hearing, was a prime example. Elm Creek students all take the civics exam and are required to pass before graduating.

Audrey Worthing, a freshman from Elm Creek, started the idea as part of her FCCLA project to get the community more engaged. Now, Worthing is hoping what started in Elm Creek will be applied statewide.

"Civics plus your support equals a changed world," Worthing told the Education Committee. "It's as simple as two plus two equals four to have this mandated. Personally, tests do overwhelm students, but it will help you in everyday life. It will help lead to active citizenship."

One of Worthing's administrators, Elm Creek Superintendent Dean Tickle, backed up his school district's decision to enforce the graduation requirement.

"We need to be fully aware of our liberties," Tickle said. "It's important to have an informed and engaged electorate."

The Nebraska Association of School Boards was the main opponent of the bill, saying it disapproved of putting curriculum and graduation requirements together. The NASB wants the Legislature to allow the State Board of Education to do its job.

Contact Seth Olson at nns.solson@gmail.com
DRIVERS can say no to number plate thieves by getting special non-tamper screws fitted thanks to a new neighbourhood watch scheme.

Members of Doncaster West Neighbourhood Watch have teamed up with JAs Autos in Denaby Main to offer people the chance to get them installed on their cars free of charge.

The scheme will launch on Tuesday, March 1, and has been made possible thanks to funding from South Yorkshires police and crime commissioner (PCC), Dr Alan Billings.

Eileen Cooper, chairperson of the Doncaster West Neighbourhood Watch, said: There has been a rise in the number of thefts since the government got rid of tax discs.

We have got 50 sets of the specialist non-tamper screws thanks to the PCC funding and a grant from South Yorkshire Neighbourhood Watch Association.

Were very grateful of the help from the staff at JAs Autos.

Mrs Cooper said the specialist screws can only be fitted at a garage.

For more information or if you would like to get some of the screws fitted on your car call Mrs Cooper on 01709 322571.
ONLY a few weeks after the closure of the Redcar Steel Works, and the loss of thousands of jobs in the steel works at Port Talbot, Scunthorpe, Rotherham and Sheffield, the Chancellor George Osborne specifically asked China to tender for the supply of steel for the forthcoming HS2 (High Speed Rail project).



This project will need literally millions of tons of steel over a period of time, with a multi-million pound (if not multi-billion pound) value. Keeping the production of this steel in the UK would present a golden opportunity to revive our steel industry.



I am not a political animal, and like thousands of people I am disillusioned with most of the politicians, but I am strongly in favour of fairness. I have never worked in the steel industry, but feel very strongly about the decline in UK industry and the misery it causes to the employees who lose their jobs.



The message Osborne has sent to the UK steel industry, by personally requesting China to tender, is that the process will NOT be on a level playing field for all.



It seems to me that Osborne is obsessed by balancing the books as fast as possible (I agree that he should balance the books, but slower) and has no thought for the consequences to UK industry and its workforce. We may not be able to match Chinas steel prices, but by keeping people in work and not having to pay benefits, should help bridge that gap.



I have therefore started a petition on the Government website, which reads: All steel used in the HS2 project should be made in UK steel plants. I need 100,000 signatures to force a debate in the House of Commons. I would like to think that this will help keep the steel production and as such the jobs, in the UK.



Could I please ask that you support my petition by going onto the Government website and simply ticking a box. It will ask for your name and e-mail address, but will then keep you up to date with the progress of the petition. Your details will not be disclosed to anyone. Please visit https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions and then search on HS2 to find the above worded petition.



Please help  we really do need to highlight Osbornes indifference to both UK industry and UK jobs  it really is scandalous!



Bob Lax, Barnsley Road, Thorpe Hesley
A ROTHERHAM childrens centre and nursery has become the first in the borough to achieve the highly-acclaimed Rotherham Charter Gold accreditation.

The Arnold Centre, based at Herringthorpe, has been judged outstanding in its last three OFSTED inspections and is now the first early years centre in Rotherham to gain Rotherham Charter Gold status.

The Rotherham Charter asks Rotherham schools and other services to commit to care for and work with parents and children.

Staff at the Arnold Centre have been working towards this accreditation over a two year period, led by special educational needs and disabilities co-ordinator (SENDCO), Vicki Dawson.

Head of Centre Anne Anderson said: We are absolutely delighted to be the first children's centre and early years setting in Rotherham to receive Charter Gold.

We pride ourselves on our inclusive nature and we know that our families really value the work we do, the welcome they and their children receive at the centre every day and the expertise and knowledge staff use to achieve the best outcomes for all children.

We will be inviting all our children and families to help us celebrate this wonderful achievement in the summer term when we are planning a big celebration day.
Mahesh C Khemlani, President, World Jewelry Hub FZ (Panama Diamond Exchange) has an extensive background in business and government. He spent six years at the Ministry of Economy & Finance of Panama, most recently as Vice Minister of Finance.

Prior to this, Khemlanis many stints include Vice President of Finance and Business Development at Optynex Telecom; a member of the Technology Investment Banking Group at CIBC World Markets; and a financial analyst at Standard & Poor's Portfolio Management Data Group; and at Grupo VerdeAzul, a private investment firm in Panama, where he is currently Chief Investment Officer.

A Finance and International Business graduate from Ithaca College, Khemlani also comes armed with a Masters in Business Administration from Universidad Adolfo Ibanez in Chile; and a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Here, in an interview with Rough&Polished, Khemlani talks extensively about PDE, the Latin American market, the current status of the PDE project and a host of other related issues.

Its a little late in the day but Id like to congratulate you on being elected President of Panama Diamond Exchange (PDE) some months back. To begin with, what are your plans for PDE for next few years, given that it is on its first leg?

As a young diamond exchange operating in a developing market, our primary mission is two-fold. First, we need to consolidate the position of the Panama, and the World Jewelry Hub in particular, as the center of the diamond, gemstone and jewelry business in the region, and second we must educate the Latin American trade as to the benefits of functioning within the framework of a dedicated gemstone and jewelry business structure, which is anchored by a recognized diamond bourse. In other markets this may be a given fact, but in a region where no bourse has existed, this is a process of learning.

I am not starting at zero, of course. Over the past year, since the opening of the first phase building of the World Jewelry Hub, we have implemented an intensive marketing and educational campaign, internationally and more specifically in South America, Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico.

Since taking office, along with my team and the leadership of the World Jewelry Hub, the business plan has been reviewed, fine-tuned, and new elements introduced.

Our outreach program will continue, with the goals of expanding our network of buyers being served by the bourse, and also the companies supplying diamond, gemstones and jewelry. One of the lessons we learned during the review process is that Panama is serving as a multi-faceted center, serving diamond trade, and also the colored gemstone trade, and the jewelry trade. We are not only a diamond center; we provide expert services to all sectors of the industry.

Membership of our diamond exchange is a critical element, and we are currently upgrading our website, adding functionality, with the objective of assisting those going through the membership process. We will roll that out within the very near future.

How do you intend to tackle the many challenges that might arise in the coming years? As a new project, will attracting international buyers be a herculean job? More so as the South American gems and jewelry market is still in its infancy?

I think it is important to correct a misperception. While all of Latin America, and not just South America, can most definitely be considered a developing market with tremendous potential, it is hardly in its infancy. There has been a tradition of gold, silver, gemstones and diamonds that stretches back many hundreds of years, and in the case of gold and colored stones most probably predates jewelry produced in Europe.

What is true, however, is that the established jewelry trade, as it was established in Europe and North America, and later Asia, was relatively under-developed in Latin America, as was the business structure. That is the vacuum that we are working hard to fill in Panama.

What is important is that, not only are we providing an infrastructure and trading environment that will help the local trade develop, but we also are creating the environment that will allow international suppliers and buyers set up shop in the region. They often were reluctant or nervous to get their feet wet, because they felt that Latin American trade was disorganized, or at the very least operating to processes with which they felt uncomfortable. Our new trading center remedies that situation.

It is widely believed that Latin America is not a member of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering), nor is it bound by treaties on mutual legal assistance (MLATs); and it does not recognize court rulings of other countries. Do you see this as a convenient environment for doing business? What difficulties do you anticipate in the future?

You refer to Latin America as if it is a single judicial and legislative entity. But you are talking of a vast region with a population of about 620 million individuals, comprising 20 countries and 23 islands, all operating independently with their own governments, legislatures and judicial systems.

One of the objectives of our organization is to establish a trading environment that meets the strictest standards demanded by the trade and the financial authorities. For that purpose, there has been a strong commitment from the Panamanian government which has cooperated with the FATF for many years. I was part of this effort as early as 2013 when I served as the countrys Vice Minister of Finance.

Panama passed its first AML law in in 2000, and following that was removed from the FATF black list. In February 2014, the FATF published a report that pointed out certain deficiencies in the Panamanian regulations, and in June 2014, the FATF itself reported that the Panama made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and GAFILAT, which is the Latin American equivalent of FATF, to address the strategic AML/CFT deficiencies that had been pointed out.

Over the course of the next year, Panama made amendments to the criminal code, passed a new AML/CFT law, and the legislature enhanced the framework for international cooperation. This all was recognized by FATF, and the dialogue with the organization is ongoing.

Panamas new AML law strengthens two important government institutions whose objective it is to prevent irregular transactions from taking place in the country. The first was a commission against money laundering, terrorism funding, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and the second was a financial analysis unit that will collect and analyze reports of suspicious operations.

The law also expands the number and type of entities to be supervised to include accountants, auditors and notaries, casinos, enterprises operating in the Colon Free Zone, money exchange firms, pawnshops and real estate agents, among others.

In the initial stages of the diamond hub project, people felt it was too ambitious and that depending on the countrys burgeoning middle class and higher purchasing power of the population was just wishful thinking. Your take on this?

Of course, it is an ambitious project. We are proud of that. But we do not believe that it is too ambitious, for our plans are carefully formulated and based on an intimate knowledge of the region.

There is a mistaken belief on the part of some that our project was somehow transplanted from elsewhere, like some sort of foreign object. That simply is not the case. The group that is involved is Panamanian, and it is one of largest developers in Latin America. Over the years, it has established and developed several ambitious projects in Panama, which have changed the landscape of the country.

This project, like others before it, was undertaken after extensive research, based on models built over many years, and one of the factors definitely considered is the growing middle class in Latin America, which is associated with a rising standard of living and more disposable income.

If you visit Panama City and you see what is going on around you, you will understand immediately that this is not wishful thinking. The skyline evokes images of Dubai, Hong Kong and New York, the standard of living that can be enjoyed in the city competes favorably with that of a Western country.

How is the demand for the project faring in the regional market? How enthusiastic are they with the future growth of the gems and jewelry / diamond market in the country?

As we have learned from our road trip program, as well as from the continuously growing number of buyers visiting the complex for the first time, and by the continuously increasing volume of requests and queries sent to the diamond exchange, interest is growing fast.

It is a process and one cannot expect the number of office space buyers to increase from one to one hundred overnight.

Growth-wise there is enthusiasm, but that enthusiasm needs to put in the context of the global macroeconomic environment as well as the state of affairs in our industry. Economic times are tough in certain regional markets, like Brazil and Venezuela.

This, however, is not a short-term venture, and the market understands that. It is a long-term investment both in the physical and business infrastructure.

With Latin and South American market being just an emerging market, how does it compare with traditional markets catered by the diamond exchanges of Antwerp, Ramat Gan, Dubai, Shanghai, etc.?

As I said earlier, we are a multi-faceted complex and exchange, handling diamond, gemstones and jewelry, while most of the other centers deal predominantly in diamonds.

A person visiting the World Jewelry Hub will discover an array of companies, meeting the needs jewelers across the board. We provide a trading umbrella for a companies that are dealing in diamonds of course, but also in emeralds and other gemstones, and jewelry and watches.

It is understood that PDE has the status of a free trade zone and all transactions executed on this exchange are exempt from any customs duties and taxes. What other incentives does it offer? Do you see an influx of international businesses due to this attraction?

Just to clarify the point, the area of the World Jewelry Hub is a recognized as Free Zone, meaning that good imported directly from outside of the country, and exported directly from it, an exempt from duties and tariffs. Furthermore, companies registered in the Free Zone are not subject to corporate tax.

The Panamanian government also has enacted a series of measures that aim at enabling foreign corporations set up operation in Panama, including preferential residential requirements for company owners and their families, as well as employees bringing expert knowledge into the country.

For this reason, a large number of major foreign corporations, not necessarily related to the jewelry or gemstone business, have established Panama as their Latin American or regional headquarters. I certainly would expect to see a similar influx in our sector.

With the global slowdown being faced across countries, what are the strategies being undertaken to keep the morale high for PDEs growth?

I think we need to keep our eyes on the ball. Economies are cyclical, although there are long-term growth trends, and that would certainly appear to be the case for diamonds, gemstone and jewelry, especially here in Latin America.

What we are doing is putting the building blocks together of a trading center that not only will sustain that long-term trend, but also will accelerate and strengthen it. We need to do that deliberately and steadily, structure by structure, member by member, client by client.

Can you brief us about the project PDE and what it offers; the current status; and is businesses already operating from there, and so on?

As of the beginning of the last year, the first phase of the World Jewelry Hub has been operating. It is a secure two story building that houses the offices of companies, as well as the administration and trading floor of the bourse. With the opening of the building, the free trade status of the World Jewelry Hub also went into effect.

The next stage is the construction and population of the tower on the site. It will be an iconic structure that will provide a long-term solution for the Latin America diamond, gemstone and jewelry trade, with ample room for growth and development. While offices in the first phase building are leased, office and commercial space is being sold in the second structure.

When the second phase building is complete, the diamond bourse will move into dedicated facilities in the new building.

To wrap up, where do you see PDE, say 10 years down the line?

Our plans have always been ambitious. Our goal is not just to establish a complex and facility that will serve the domestic or regional trade, but we see ourselves as becoming a full-fledged world center in all its facets. The name World Jewelry Hub was not picked out of thin air. It indicates a vision and an intention.

We do not expect it to happen overnight, but we strongly believe that, over time, as the professional trade learns about the physical infrastructure that is being created, the fiscal and business-friendly environment that already exists, the wonderful weather, beautiful countryside, excellent standard of living, and first and foremost the growing volume variety of business opportunities, our center in Panama will take its place among the leading centers in the world.

Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished




Any person who is eligible to vote in the State of Nebraska and will be at least 18 years old on Election Day, November 8, 2016, may participate in the Nebraska Caucuses on March 5, 2016. You must be registered as a Democrat or register at the Caucus as a Democrat.
The U.K. was the focus of attention in European trading on Monday, though concerns about a so-called "Brexit" were largely ignored as stocks throughout the region pushed higher. Global strength and an bump in crude oil prices helped lift equities in the region.

The FTSE 100 advanced in early trading and took another step higher during the afternoon. The index finished off its highs for the session, but still up 87.5 points, or about 1.5 percent, to close just below 6,038.

The advance reversed weakness seen in the last couple sessions of last week, resuming a strong advance posted last Wednesday.

The spotlight fell to the U.K. amid worries that the country might pull out of the EU.

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron struck a reform deal at a European Union summit on Friday that would give the UK "special status" in the EU. Meanwhile, London Mayor Boris Johnson announced over the weekend that he would campaign for a British exit from the EU. Cameron has set a June 23 date for referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.

Among individual stocks, Home Retail Group jumped nearly 13 percent, bolstered by reports that Sainsbury is seeking an extension of its Tuesday's deadline to make a formal proposal after the emergence of a rival offer from Steinhoff.

Meanwhile, HSBC Holdings finished lower by 0.88 percent. The Asia-focused lender posted an unexpected fourth-quarter loss after booking fair-value losses on its own debt.

Elsewhere in Europe, the DAX of Germany climbed 1.98 percent and the CAC 40 of France rose 1.79 percent. The SMI of Switzerland finished higher by 1.25 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Virginia McLaurin, 106 years-old and a longtime Washington, D.C. resident, had long been dreaming of visiting the White House and meeting President Obama. At the week-end, her dream came true in a big way.

Sunday, the President and first lady Michelle Obama received perhaps the oldest guest they have ever had at the White House, thanks to a friend of McLaurin who reached out to the White House seeking permission to fulfill her wish.

McLaurin, a black woman, has been doing stellar work as a volunteer throughout the D.C. area for decades.

The White House made sure that she not only got to visit, but also had the chance, prior to a reception celebrating African American History Month, to meet privately with the President and First Lady backstage. It was her dream to meet President Obama, given his passion for investing in early childhood education and his significance as the first African American President.

The rendezvous at the Blue Room of the White House turned into a quick joyful union with the trio shaking a leg together, and the video has gone viral.

"I thought I would never live to get in the White House. And I tell you, I am so happy. A black president! A black wife! And I'm here to celebrate black history. Yeah, that's what I'm here for," said an elated McLaurin.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Susan DeLemus, a Republican New Hampshire state representative, called the Pope the "anti-Christ" in a Facebook post.

DeLemus, who supports Donald Trump, posted the comment on February 18, the same day when Pope Francis noted Trump's desire to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico as "not Christian."

Trump has promised to build a wall between the U.S.-Mexico border and also deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Pope Francis had called Trump's policy on building walls as "not Christian."

A Facebook user asked DeLemus about the Pope: "Did you happen to see what the Pope said about Mr. Trump? That he wasn't a Christian all because he wanted to build a wall for our protection? The Pope is a disgrace!"

"The Pope is the anti-Christ. Do your research," DeLemus replied to that comment.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

More Political Blogs
Should the President fill a Supreme Court vacancy during an election year or wait till the election is over?

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died on February 13. Many Senate Republicans believe that Scalia's replacement should be left to be decided by the next president as it could tilt the high court's balance of power.

In a poll conducted by Pew Research Center, a majority of Americans-- about 56 percent-- said that the Senate should hold hearings and vote on President Obama's choice to fill the vacancy.

About four-in-ten said the Senate should not hold hearings until the next president selects a court nominee.

Most of those who want the Senate to hold off consideration of a Supreme Court nominee say they would not change their minds about this, regardless of Obama's selection to replace Scalia.

The survey was conducted among 1,002 adults, however, it shows the wide partisan and ideological differences in opinions about how the Senate should address the Supreme Court vacancy.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

More Political Blogs
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is supporting the FBI over its fight with Apple to get access over the encrypted iPhone of one of the San Bernardino terrorist.

Technology companies must cooperate with law enforcement in terrorism investigations, Gates said, according to a Financial Times report.

"This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case," Gates said.

A federal judge had ordered Apple to provide software to FBI to help it unlock a phone used by one of the suspects in the San Bernardino, California, terror attack because investigators suspect the device may hold critical details of the plotting behind the mass murder.

Meanwhile, other Silicon Valley executives like Facebook Chief Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and Google Head Sundar Pichai had voiced their support for Apple CEO Tim Cook.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Hoping to finally achieve one of his original campaign promises, President Barack Obama sent Congress a plan Tuesday to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

In remarks from the White House, Obama claimed the Guantanamo Bay facility does not advance U.S. national security and is a drain on military resources.

Obama said other world leaders routinely bring up the issue of the Guantanamo facility, which he said harms U.S. partnerships with allies and other countries whose cooperation is needed in the fight against terrorism.

"Moreover, keeping this facility open is contrary to our values," Obama said. "It undermines our standing in the world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law."

The president's plan includes transferring detainees to other countries, utilizing military commissions to close out the cases of some detainees, and finding a secure location within the U.S. to hold the remaining detainees.

The plan identifies thirteen potential sites for transferring the suspected terrorists but does not propose a specific location.

Obama noted former President George W. Bush and his 2008 Republican opponent Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., both previously expressed support for closing the Guantanamo facility.

However, the plan drew immediate criticism from Republicans in Congress, including McCain, who currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

McCain said the president's proposal is not a credible plan for closing Guantanamo and does not include a coherent policy to deal with future detainees.

"After years of rhetoric, the President has still yet to say how and where he will house both current and future detainees, including those his Administration has deemed as too dangerous to release," McCain said.

He added, "Rather than identify specific answers to those difficult questions, the President has essentially passed the buck to the Congress."

Nonetheless, McCain said the Armed Services Committee would closely scrutinize and hold hearings on the details of what Obama submitted.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., noted that laws passed by Congress currently prohibit the transfer of dangerous terrorists to communities within the U.S.

"We will review President Obama's plan but since it includes bringing dangerous terrorists to facilities in U.S. communities, he knows that the bipartisan will of Congress has already been expressed against that proposal," McConnell said.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
A village in Gujrat, India has banned unmarried women from using mobile phones.

The village name Suraj from Mehsana district in Gujrat, the state from where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes, has reportedly passed a resolution restricting mobile phones for teenage girls and young women.

The village leaders have agreed to slap a fine of 2000 rupees if anyone is caught using phones unless the call is from a relative and received on a parent's phone.

"Why do girls need a cell phone? Internet is a waste of time and money for a middle-class community like us. Girls should better utilize their time for study and other works," Devshi Vankar, sarpanch or head of the village told the Hindustan Times

Meanwhile, other villages in India have also passed similar rules, claiming cell phone use by unmarried women is nuisance for the society.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
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LINCOLN - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a new conservation effort that provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers to mitigate the impacts of climate change and provide food and habitat for monarch butterflies. Nebraska farmers and ranchers have until March 18, 2016, to apply for funding.

The monarch butterfly, along with other pollinators like honeybees, has seen its population numbers decrease significantly over the past 20 years. This targeted effort by USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest $100,000 in Nebraska to help combat the iconic species decline.

These once-common butterflies are becoming less familiar, and we know private lands will continue to play a crucial role in aiding the recovery of this species, Nebraska NRCS State Wildlife Biologist Ritch Nelson said. Nebraskas farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners are stewards of the land. This effort helps them make voluntary improvements that benefit their farming operations while providing habitat for monarchs, honeybees and a wide array of other pollinators.

NRCS will provide technical and financial assistance to help producers plant milkweed and nectar-rich plants along field borders, in buffers along waterways or around wetlands, in pastures, and other suitable locations. NRCS also helps producers manage their pastures in ways that increase critical populations of milkweed and nectar plants while also improving the health of their rangelands.

Nelson said, These conservation improvements not only benefit butterflies, they also strengthen agricultural operations, support other beneficial insects and wildlife, and improve other natural resources. Appropriate buffer habitats and better rangeland and pasture management practices reduce erosion, increase soil health, inhibit the expansion of invasive species and provide food and habitat for insects and wildlife.

Nebraska farmers and ranchers may also apply for assistance through NRCS to make their operations more resilient against the impacts of climate change. Over $1.8 million is available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for producers to receive assistance to install conservation practices that support soil health, nitrogen management, manure management, grazing management, forestry improvement and energy efficiency.

Nebraska NRCS State Conservationist Craig Derickson said, This investment is expected to accelerate the implementation of core conservation practices that help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners increase carbon content of soils and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associate with food and fiber production.

NRCS accepts EQIP applications from producers on a continuous basis, but to receive this specially designated funding, producers should apply by March 18. Producers interested in participating should contact their local USDA service center to learn more.

For more on technical assistance and financial resources available through NRCS conservation programs, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted or a local USDA service center.
Medication aide course planned

COLUMBUS -- Registration is open for a medication aide course to be offered March 28-April 29 in the West Education Center at Central Community College-Columbus.

The class is offered in a lecture/lab format, and students must attend 12 mandatory class sessions. It will begin with an orientation from 1-2 p.m. on March 28. Class sessions are scheduled from 1-5 p.m. p.m. beginning March 30.

Class size is limited to 12 students, so registration is required to reserve a space. The cost is $354, which includes in-state tuition, textbook and supplies.

For more information or to register, contact the CCC Extended Learning Services Office at 402-562-1225; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 1225: or e-mail cwagner@cccneb.edu.

Shrine Circus set for Ag Park

COLUMBUS -- The Pawnee Shrine Club of Columbus is presenting the Shrine Circus Wednesday and Thursday at Platte County Agricultural Park Arena.

The shows are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

All tickets will be sold at the door.

Leadership series at CCC

COLUMBUS -- A leadership development series will be offered from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Feb. 25 through April 14, in the West Education Building, Room 177, at Central Community College-Columbus.

The series will cover leadership and trust, team building, communication skills, personality styles, conflict resolution, situational leadership and managing change.

Class size is limited, so registration is required to reserve a space. The cost is $600.

For more information or to register, contact Sue Mahlin at 402-562-1409; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 1409; or email smahlin@cccneb.edu.

Little Hats, Big Hearts at CCH

COLUMBUS -- Columbus Community Hospital is celebrating American Heart Month by partnering with the American Heart Association for the Little Hats, Big Hearts program, which raises awareness of heart disease and congenital heart defects.

Through the program, every baby born at CCH in February will receive a red knitted or crocheted hat handmade by a volunteer.

This is the third year of the Little Hats, Big Hearts program, which provides hats to newborn babies in 35 states across the country. But this is the first time Nebraska hospitals are participating.

For more information on the program or a list of hospitals receiving donations, visit www.heart.org/LittleHatsBigHearts.

Foundation seeks nominees

SCHUYLER  The Schuyler Community Schools Foundation is seeking nominations for a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.

Those who know someone who they believe deserves this honor should visit www.schuylercommunityschools.org, click on the Foundation tab and complete a nomination form. Forms are also available from the office of the superintendent, 401 Adam St., in Schuyler or by contacting Shelley Friesz at 402-352-3527 or shelley.friesz@schuylercommunityschools.org.

The purpose of the Schuyler Community Schools Foundation Distinguished Alumni Award is to celebrate and acknowledge outstanding Schuyler alumni and inspire and empower current students to strive for high achievement.

Only nominees who attended Schuyler Community Schools at least 10 years ago are eligible for the award. Nominees may be living or honored after death. Nominations must be received by March 1 at the office of the superintendent by mail or online.

The award will be presented at the May 15 graduation ceremony.

CCC scholarship deadline slated

COLUMBUS -- Central Community College has set March 1 as its deadline for new and returning students who want to apply for scholarships for the 2016-17 academic year.

Students are encouraged to apply online by going to ccc.awardspring.com. Applicants must register to create an account.

Students who are interested in federal financial aid for the 2016-17 academic year must also complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. They should use the Link to IRS option when reporting their 2015 income.

For more information, contact the financial aid office at the Columbus Campus at 402-562-1290.

Spring health fair March 1

OSCEOLA -- Annie Jeffrey Health Center, 531 Beebe St., will host a spring health fair from 6:45 a.m.-noon March 1, with a free continental breakfast.

Comprehensive blood, thyroid and diabetes screenings and PSA testing will be available, as well as screenings for aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease and atrial fibrillation. Those planning to have blood work done are asked to fast.

Walk-ins are welcome for the lab. Vascular screenings will be available from 8 a.m.-noon; call for a pre-diagnostic screening at 402-747-2031.

Free services will include blood pressure checks and skin analysis. There will also be a medication take-back opportunity for unwanted or expired medications.
By SA Commercial Prop News

Life Healthcare Group Holdings Ltd. (LHC) said net income increased 25 percent to 690 million rand in the six months through March.

South Africas second-biggest private hospital group Life Healthcare has reported a 22% increase in operating profit to R1,2bn for the six months to March 31, as it benefited from improved efficiencies and increased demand.

Normalised earnings per share rose 21,9% to 62,3 cents.

In a statement to the JSE, Life Healthcare said growth in its core hospital division, had been driven by a 6% increase in paid patient days, which it attributed to an increased burden of disease, an aging population, and network arrangements with medical schemes. Hospital division revenue rose 11,7% to R4,9bn, compared to R4,4bn last year.

Revenue in its Healthcare Services division rose 12,7% to R365m.

"The group continues to focus on efficiencies across the business to ensure services remain affordable. (Our) alternative reimbursement model provides an incentive to actively manage input costs, which together with slightly higher occupancies of 70,3% (69,5% last year) allowed the group to leverage efficiencies across the existing base," the company said in its statement.

Life Healthcare said its cash position had been affected by the well-publicised financial difficulties of several provincial health departments, which failed to pay their bills on time. Life Healthcare has a public private partnership with the government called Life Esidimeni. "Weak collections of government related debt, contributed to a decrease of 6,2% in cash generated from operations to R1,003bn (compared to R1,069bn in the corresponding period last year)," it said.

The group declared a 45c dividend, up from 31c in the corresponding period last year.
By SA Commercial Prop News

Ahead of the 2016 Budget Speech, GBCSA CEO, Brian Wilkinson has urged the country to focus on electricity demand side management rather than just supply management, to consider a total energy debate.



As the country prepares to receive Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's 2016 Budget Speech this Wednesday, the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) has called for a total energy debate.

Gordhan, who was recently re-appointed as Finance Minister by President Jacob Zuma, faces a difficult challenges: energy, restoring confidence in economic policy, keeping the nation from losing its investment-grade credit rating and staving off recession.

Citing energy concerns, GBCSA has urged the country to focus on electricity demand side management rather than just supply management, to consider a total energy debate.

On the eve of the national budget speech where one of the focus areas is likely to be on energy supply projects, GBCSA Chief Executive Officer, Brian Wilkinson, observes: Decreasing the demand for power should be a major theme in South Africas total energy narrative.



Wilkinson says: We acknowledge it is terribly important to have an energy supply-side debate around electricity generation, however, demand-side management that emphasises reducing consumption is an opportunity that is being completely underemphasised.



He adds: The more electricity we save, the more we ease supply constraints.



In its simplest form, demand management starts with saving energy at home by switching off lights, turning down geysers, turning off pool pumps and using renewable energy resources. However, it extends well beyond this to using green building technology.



Green building is already playing a major role in reducing electricity demand. The average green building is proven to save 30% of energy consumption.



This illustrates the substantial impact demand management plays in the total energy debate, notes Wilkinson.



South Africas green building movement is making significant headway in reducing the demand for energy. The country now has 167 Green Star SA certified projects.



Research recently announced by the World Green Building Council (World GBC) reveals South Africa is the country with the highest proportion of green building projects currently being undertaken. At this pace, South Africa is set to be the world leader in green building in the next three years.



Besides gaining momentum in commercial property, green building is also expanding into new arenas.



GBCSA recently announced it will play a bigger part in creating greener homes using its residential green building certification scheme.

At the COP21 Climate Change Summit in Paris late last year, the GBCSA made an ambitious commitment to drive residential green building certifications, targeting 10 000 residential certifications by 2020. In addition, the council aims to introduce a Net Zero/Positive building certification scheme by 2020. The Net Zero/Positive building certification will cover energy and carbon emissions, and possibly also water and waste.



The association is also working with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) to train officials at municipalities across the country. In this way, the green building conversation can be raised at an early stage of land use and building approval, says Wilkinson.
A first-of-its-kind journey along India and Pakistan border

What binds the two most talked about nations - India and Pakistan together? What makes the
Library focus groups to meet

COLUMBUS -- All Columbus and area residents are invited to attend focus groups today and Wednesday to share their ideas on the design of the proposed Columbus Library/Cultural Arts Center.

Sessions today will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a toddler/parent focus group followed by an open public session from 2-4 p.m. in the library auditorium. On Wednesday, an open focus group will be held beginning at noon in the library auditorium.

Additional focus groups for teachers, parents and young adults will also be held during both days. The focus groups will be conducted by representatives from Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, the firm that has been hired by the City of Columbus to design the facility.

All sessions are open to the public. For more information, contact Drew Brookhart at drew.brookhart@columbusne.us.

Medicare workshop set

DAVID CITY -- Medicare Changes 2016, a workshop about the newest revisions to Medicare, will be held at 10 a.m. today at david place, 260 S. 10th St.

A certified Medicare counselor will address changes to Medicare and answer questions from the audience.

For more information, call 402-367-3144.

Spaghetti dinner set for church

SCHUYLER  Christ United Methodist Church, 1922 Colfax St., in Schuyler will hold a spaghetti dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.

The cost is $7 for adults and children, with no cost for children younger than 5. Takeout orders are available.

Proceeds from the dinner will fund local ministries.

Two Central CC concerts planned

COLUMBUS -- The Central Community College-Columbus music department has two upcoming concerts.

Music for the Stage and Screen is a band concert to be held 3 p.m. March 6 in the campus Fine Arts Theater.

This concert will feature the Hilltop Winds, CCC Concert Band and student soloist Cayla Cuba of Columbus. Special guests will be the Columbus Jazz Orchestra.

Afternoon on a Hill will be the theme of a choral concert 7 p.m. March 10 at First United Methodist Church, 2710 14th St.

The concert will feature the CCC choirs under the direction of Jeffrey Kitson and is not recommended for children younger than 5 years old.

Both concerts are open to the public free of charge, although freewill donations are welcome.

VIPS to meet at resource center

COLUMBUS -- Visually Impaired Persons Support (VIPS) will meet at 11 a.m. March 11 at the Columbus Family Resource Center, 3020 18th St.

The speaker will be from East Central District Health Department to explain a program to help in case of tornado or other disaster.

Those interested in joining the group for lunch should call 402-563-4444. For other information, call Judy at 402-564-3913.

Hazwoper class at Central CC

COLUMBUS -- A 24-hour hazwoper training course will be offered from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. March 15-17 in the Student Center, Room 176, at Central Community College-Columbus.

The course is designed for employees engaged in the emergency response, containment, control and cleanup of hazardous materials.

Class size is limited, so preregistration is required by March 8 to reserve a space. The cost is $400.

For more information or to preregister, contact Susan Baer at 402-562-1425; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 1425; or email sbaer@cccneb.edu.
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Feb-22-2016 20:40 TweetFollow @OregonNews Syria Shattered US Agendas ...to identify the root causes of terrorism, we have to look for the forces who benefit of terrorism," explained Ahmed Akhlaq.

US and Syrian flags, Courtesy: globalresearch.ca

(SALEM, Ore.) - A number of thinkers in India discussed the dimensions of the fight against terrorism at a recent meeting in New Delhi. Dozens of political and cultural elite attended the meeting that was held under the title, the roots of global terrorism. A number of attendees contributed their thoughts, Abe Minou referred to the destructive role of Saudi Arabia in the expansion of terrorist acts and spreading Wahhabism in favor of the Israeli agenda. He said that conflicts in the region are not founded on their own, but there is always a strong political force seeking to inflame the situation as the conflict between Sunnis and Shiites, between Hindus the Muslims and the execution of Sheikh Nimr, are examples for these dark political decisions." It has been suggested that Sheikh Nimr was executed under the direct orders of Israel, as Tel Aviv is seeking to weaken the Asian countries, especially Middle Eastern countries. On the other hand, Ahmed Akhlaq, explained the secret relations behind terrorism, saying to identify the root causes of terrorism, we have to look for the forces who benefit of terrorism meaning the arms dealers and countries that rely on the energy sector in the Middle East. Maulana Kalb emphasized that India can prevent the spread of Wahhabism in the country through educating citizens, referring to the role of culture and education in the development of societies. In the same context, Hamid Malik ruled out the existence of a Sunni-Shiite conflict in Kashmir, stressing the importance of changing the political system to avoid the community's draw to terrorism, adding that the ISIS terrorist group is not an Islamic-rooted organization. Maulana Mohsin Naqvi criticized US double standards in dealing with terrorism, saying, there is no fixed definition of terrorism from the standpoint of the Americans. America suddenly considered Taliban as a terrorist group and tried to eliminate the movement while the United States did not show any reaction to the movement's crimes for many years. Ahmad Kazemi attributed the success of the war against terrorism on political awareness and described the Iranian revolution as a result of political awakening. Kazemi said, "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supports terrorist groups like Boko Haram, al-Qaida, Taliban and ISIS while (the) US and Israel provide arms to these organizations." _________________________________________

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Feb-22-2016 20:32 TweetFollow @OregonNews Does ISIS Seek to Maintain the Support of Turkey? Many fear ISIS will begin targeting Turkish cities.

Courtesy: fightisis.wordpress.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - After the Justice and Development Party took over the reins of power in Turkey, tourism has played an important role in securing the Turkish government budget while Turkish cities, especially Antalya, Izmir, Bodrum, Kemer, Kusadasi and Marmaris become global destinations for millions of tourists. The economic importance of tourism revenue for Turkey came along with the collusion of the so-called Islamist Justice and Development Party government regarding corruption in Turkey's tourist centres. The Turkish city of Hopa has become known as the center of the sex tourism industry after the deliberate neglect of the Turkish state over the past years. In concomitant with developments in Aleppo and the decline of Turkey's strongly worded statements against the Syrian government, ISIS is trying to gain Turkey's support. Moscow has information proving ISIS-Ankara cooperation as the negotiations between the Turkish government and the leaders of ISIS terrorist group continue, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, declared. Meanwhile, intelligence sources reveal new attempts from ISIS to draw Turkish support in various fields in favor for the terrorist group. Bilateral cooperation between Turkey and ISIS led both sides to use each other in achieving strategic goals. In the same context, Osman Baydemir, Turkish parliamentarian, said that Erdogan would prefer al-Nusra Front and al-Qaeda on Kurds to be Turkey's neighbors - referring to Turkish collaboration with ISIS in the suppression of Kurdish protests in the country. Criticism directed against ISIS due to the legalization of ethical scandals and drug abuse under titles such as sexual jihad, forced ISIS leaders to begin targeting Turkish tourist cities in the context of a particular political agenda. The intelligence sources warned about the possibility of bombing prestigious hotels in Antalya by the ISIS terrorist organization. According to analysts, Turkey's dependence on the financial resources of tourism will convince Ahmet Davutoglu's government to continue providing logistics support for ISIS. On the other hand, Observers believe that after weeks of heavy losses of ISIS terrorists in Syria and the low morale of the supporters of the organization, new terrorist attack on Turkish tourist centers will help ISIS in justifying itself in face of its opponents. _________________________________________

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Another car wash company is coming to Salina

The growth of car wash services have been increasing in Salina the past few years, with another coming after approval by the city.
CAMBRIDGE  Two Cambridge High School upperclassmen have been charged with felony child abuse for a June 30 incident that allegedly involved freshmen being forced to eat doughnuts off the older boys genitalia while others watched.

The Nebraska Attorney Generals Office filed juvenile petitions against the two Cambridge High seniors on Feb. 9 in Adams County Court.

The incident is alleged to have happened during a wrestling camp June 29-July 1 at Hastings College. The Nebraska State Patrol investigated after the incident came to the attention of authorities and school officials in late August.

Cambridge Public Schools Superintendent Robert Gregory said the district is aware that charges have been filed and is working to educate students on hazing issues.

We will continue to support the entire student body and of course the victims of this alleged crime," he said in an emailed statement Monday. "We have worked with state, county and city officials to continue to provide a safe school and the best possible learning environment for all our students.

The incident prompted Nebraska Sen. Dan Hughes of Venango to introduce a bill (LB710) earlier this year that would broaden state hazing laws. Hughes has made the measure his priority bill, which means it likely will be debated this session.

Adams County Attorney Donna Fegler Daiss declined to prosecute the incident as hazing, saying in October that Nebraska law says such incidents must involve postsecondary organizations such as fraternities and sororities to meet the state definition of hazing.

She said she wasn't charging them with sexual assault because it would be difficult to prove the teenagers performed the act for sexual gratification.

Gregory said the students involved in the incident have been punished by the school district but would not elaborate.

One of the students who was criminally charged and his parents have filed a petition for appeal seeking to get his expulsion for this semester of school overturned and removed from his scholastic record. The appeal was filed on Dec. 29 in Furnas County District Court. Gregory declined to comment on the appeal.

A description of the incident included in the court documents says several members of the Cambridge wrestling team were in a dorm room at Hastings College on June 30. They had bought snacks earlier in the day, including some doughnuts.

There was some discussion about initiating, and the atmosphere in the room led the freshmen to feel they had no choice, court documents say.

An attorney for one of the boys declined comment, as did the attorney general's office. An attorney for the other could not be reached.
8 out of 10 Filipinos will go for Presl bet with food and agriculture in platform

By GREENPEACE

January 11, 2016

QUEZON CITY  Nearly eight out of 10, or 76% of 1200 respondents will vote for candidates whose platforms include ensuring food sufficiency and addressing farmers needs, reveals results from the Social Weather Station (SWS) 2015 3rd Quarter Social Weather Survey, in the items commissioned by environmental group Greenpeace Philippines.

The nationwide survey, conducted from September 2-5, 2015, also showed that 75% of the respondents prefer presidential candidates who will ensure that food needs are met and 70% would support candidates who will promote environment-friendly farming.

Moreover, 44% of the survey respondents entreated the government to focus on financial support to farmers to make farming climate resilient while 39% expressed support for ecological agriculture such as organic farming.

Agriculture, specifically Ecological Agriculture, has taken a back seat in terms of government prioritization. We have the Organic Agriculture Act but actual implementation and government support has to improve tremendously. Our presidential candidates should take these survey results seriously, as these show how concerned Filipinos are with our current food and agriculture systems, said Vigie Benosa-Llorin, Food and Ecological Agriculture Campaigner, Greenpeace Philippines.

Ecological Agriculture, which includes organic farming, is a climate resilient farming system that will address the issue of food security concerns. It is a farming system that combines modern science and innovation with respect for nature and biodiversity, and ensures healthy farming and food production while protecting the soil, water and the climate. Ecological agriculture does not contaminate the environment with chemical inputs or use genetically engineered crops.

We challenge our Presidential candidates to clearly state how he/she will support the farmers, address issues on food sufficiency, and make farming climate resilient and environment-friendly. While each candidate may have their own lines about agriculture, the voters are looking and demanding for more than mere rhetoric, but rather real programs and policies towards safe, healthy and sustainable food and agriculture systems that respond to the continuing plight of Filipino farmers, the majority of whom continue to reel from mass poverty, hunger and destitution, added Benosa-Llorin.

On the other hand, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) laments the poor state of agriculture in the Philippines, and calls on the government to stop supporting chemical-based and corporate agriculture and instead develop policies that will help farmers through the promotion of Ecological Agriculture.

"In recent decades, the promotion of agricultural liberalization and corporatization has also intensified the condition where toxic chemicals and engineered organisms bear down on the Filipino farmers and consumers and their efforts to promote socially-desirable practices including organic, sustainable and ecological agriculture, said Rafael Mariano of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. In fact, the Philippine government has generally negated the objectives of sustainable and ecological agriculture as it continues to promote an overall policy of chemical farming that is founded on rural monopolies in land, income, wealth and power."

In a landmark decision from the Supreme Court released last December 2015, the high court barred the field testing of Bt eggplant and placed a temporary ban on the development of genetically modified organisms (GMO)s. Greenpeace sees this an opportune time for the next president to lead the country away from conventional agriculture and to shift to Ecological Agriculture.

The Philippine weather and climate agency Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) also announced that the Philippines will experience the full impact of the prevailing strong El Nino phenomenon's peak intensity during the first semester of 2016, which is expected to usher in drought and dry spell conditions from below-normal rainfall and warmer-than-normal air temperature.
Sydney to host sundeck catwalk overlooking famous harbour

Jessica Minh Anh adds Australia in her impressive portfolio of worlds most iconic catwalks

Press Release

January 14, 2016

PARIS  After shaking up the fashion world with a 4000-feet catwalk over the Grand Canyon and the Eiffel Tower phenomenon, Jessica Minh Anh will transform the sky-high sundeck of the luxurious Costa Luminosa cruise ship in Sydney into the worlds newest runway. With the iconic backdrop featuring Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, J Spring Fashion Show on 14 March 2016 will mark yet another breakthrough in the modern fashion presentation.

Costa Luminosa will be at anchor during the show, providing exclusive VIPs and the press with an opportunity to experience the unique catwalk right in the middle of the ocean. This is the second time Jessica Minh Anh has worked with Costa Cruises after the international success of J Winter Fashion Show on Costa Atlantica in Dubai in 2013. Jessica Minh Anh is known worldwide for producing the worlds most extraordinary catwalks at places such as Londons Tower Bridge, the Seine in Paris, and One World Trade Center in New York City. We are extremely honored to work with her again on our Costa Luminosa (the ship of light) new flagship, providing a Italys finest location to this important event said Neil Palomba, President Costa Cruises.

Similar to Jessicas previous history-making catwalks, J Spring Fashion Show 2016 will feature a combination of haute couture, high end ready-to-wear, and jewelry collections from 4 continents. According to ABC New York, Jessica Minh Anh is special in many ways, one of which is her ability to mix art, architecture, culture, and fashion. The queen of catwalk stunts (CNN) has worked with not only top labels such as Montblanc, Graff Diamonds, Paul Costelloe, Addy van den Krommenacker, Yumi Katsura, Shiatzy Chen, and Tony Ward, but also promoted young talents including Ivanka Trump, Shilpa Reddy, Ziad Nakad, and Rami Kadi.

The highly anticipated catwalk will welcome country ambassadors, ministers, international fashion designers, Fortune 500 company directors, influential faces from various industries, and of course the international press. The full list of participating fashion brands and partners will be revealed in February 2016.
Aquino government accountable for death of NDFP peace consultant Eduardo Serrano  Karapatan

By KARAPATAN

January 15, 2016

QUEZON CITY  "No less than President BS Aquino is accountable for the death of detained peace consultant Eduardo Serrano; and so are the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the 204th Infantry Brigade (IB) of the Philippine Army, Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary-general said in a picket protest in front of the OPAPP.

"It is BS Aquino and the OPAPPs disinterest in pursuing peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and their intransigence on keeping Serrano in prison that led to the deterioration of his health and eventual death after undergoing heart surgery, Palabay claimed.

On the other hand, it was the 204th IB in 2004 during the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regime that cooked up criminal charges against Serrano, insisting that the NDFP peace consultant was in fact Rogelio Villanueva, supposedly a New People's Army leader who led an ambush against the state troopers. For more than 11 years, political prisoner Serrano and his legal counsels told the same thing in different courts: that Serrano was not Villanueva. Finally, in 2015, Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 said as much, and ruled in Serrano's favor. "If only the OPAPP honored the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG), did not block the release of NDFP consultants, and pursued peace negotiations, Serrano would still be alive and enjoying his much deserved freedom," lamented Palabay.

"As if it was not enough to sabotage the peace talks with the NDFP, the OPAPP has the gall to make monkey business out of the peace process," Palabay argued. She cited as proof of corruption the P1.14B unliquidated OPAPP funds from the Disbursement Acceleration Program, or presidential pork; and the P45M worth of car rentals and fake signatures of attendees in OPAPP activities. It looked like OPAPP Secretary Teresita 'Ging' Deles deliberately stalled the peace talks to make money, said Palabay.

"Was the P1.14B fund the largesse of paramilitaries in Mindanao? Or was it the money used in the counter-insurgency programs disguised as peace initiatives, one of which facilitated the Lumad killings and the displacement of Lumad communities?" Palabay asked.

Currently there are 18 detained NDFP peace consultants who have been slapped with various trumped-up criminal charges," Palabay revealed. Serrano used to be the political prisoner held the longest among the peace consultants, until he was rushed to the hospital last December for his serious heart ailment. He died three weeks later. Leopoldo Caloza now holds the dubious title among the NDFP consultants. Imprisoned since 2006, he was convicted of murder in 2015, together with Emeterio Antalan.

"OPAPP does not stand for peace. In fact, it is now exposed as a conduit for funding and implementation of the bloody counter-insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan," Palabay said.
LINCOLN  The Legislature on Monday shelved Sen. Laura Ebke's resolution calling for a convention of the states to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution that would impose limits on the power of the federal government.

Senators voted 25-18 to send the proposal (LR35) back to the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, effectively removing it from the agenda for the rest of the legislative session.

Opposition to the proposal centered on fears of a runaway convention that might move beyond the agenda proposed in the resolution and attempt to change other portions of the Constitution.

Ebke's proposal, a carbon copy of resolutions introduced in other state legislatures, seeks to limit topics that could be considered to imposition of fiscal restraints on the federal government, limitation of federal power and limiting the terms of federal officeholders.

While she acknowledged fears expressed by opponents, Ebke asked, "Is this the time to take a risk or not?"

If "a rogue element" tried to take control of a convention, the Crete senator said, "it would be stopped in pretty short order."

"We shouldn't live in fear of the incredibly unlikely," Ebke said.

Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha offered the motion to send the measure back to committee, promising to use the 12 hours of filibuster time available during a proposal's progression through three legislative floor stages if it remained in play.

Chambers described the proposal as "lamebrained, inflammatory, demeaning and insulting" in its language attacking the federal government.

Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln raised the possibility of a runaway convention operating in essentially uncharted waters.

"Once we open the door, we will not be able to close the door," he said, and conceivably "everything could be on the table."

Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson said the fact that Donald Trump is the leading Republican presidential candidate  "you've got to be kidding me," he interjected  demonstrates the anger that is loose in the country.

"Maybe it's time to put pressure on Congress" by supporting such a resolution, he said.

Both Ebke and Friesen pointed to the growing federal debt that will confront their children and grandchildren. Other supporters of the resolution warned about growing federal regulation.

Two-thirds of states would have to agree to summon a convention to propose constitutional amendments, and three-fourths of states would need to ratify any proposed amendments.

Ebke conducted 33 town halls throughout Nebraska to discuss her proposal in advance of the 2016 legislative session.
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By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

Last year was a tough one for Debbie and Don Johnson, owners of the Santa Paula Times but in spite of Dons serious illness the newspaper kept coming twice a week to a news-hungry community.

Because of that dedication to serving the community reflected in the many activities, projects and programs Debbie and Don have been devoted to for almost four decades, the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce is honoring the couple as the 2015 Citizens of the Year.

The awards luncheon will be held Wednesday, February 24, 11:30 a.m. at Casa Del Mexicano. Tickets are $40 each and available at the Depot (corner of 10th and East Santa Barbara streets) and the Santa Paula Times (120 N. Davis St.).

The Johnsons, said Chamber Board President Zahid Shah, are valuable members of the community who have tirelessly given their time and care to multiple service clubs and non-profit organizations, all of which have benefitted Santa Paula in immeasurable ways.

The couple was co-founders of Citizens Patrol and founding board directors of the Santa Paula Police & Fire Foundation (SPP&FF); Don served two terms on the City Council and was Mayor twice while Debbie was a board member of the Downtown Merchants Association that sponsors the annual Hot Summer Jazz & Art celebration.

They are also associated with B&GCSCV (Don a former Board President and recipient of the highest national honor given to supporters), the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce (Don was president twice in separate terms), SPP&FFs Moonlight at the Ranch, the Santa Paula High School Education Foundation, and The Santa Clara Valley Wellness Foundation, to name only a few.

They have given time and care to our beautiful city and, noted Zahid, they are extremely deserving of our many thanks and appreciation.

Said Debbie, We were very surprised very honored, to learn of being named Citizens of the Year, especially as There are so many people in Santa Paula that give their all and are very deserving of the honor

Santa Paula residents since October 1979, Debbie said she and Don have thoroughly enjoyed all the years weve lived in Santa Paula and the things weve been involved with in the community. Santa Paula is the best there is!

The Johnsons founded  and published  the Santa Paula Times in 1993 within days of the abrupt closure of the Santa Paula Chronicle, which had served the community for 105 years. The Johnsons had worked at the Chronicle for the corporate owners and it was only a matter of days before the new Times hit the streets. And, in spite of repeated efforts by county and regional newspapers to take over the area the Santa Paula Times continued to be the only community newspaper.

One of the nominations for the couple noted the Johnsons have been the Chief advocates of the brain, heart and soul of Santa Paula through sharing the news...good, bad, joyous and sad. Not just chroniclers of the community, the Johnsons have also been highly active in the community they serve.

The newspaper has been honored numerous times receiving the Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award in 2009 and the Latino Town Hall Jesse Victoria Business of the Year Award in 2015.

Don was unable to attend the latter function: he was undergoing aggressive and debilitating rounds of treatment for cancer that kept him home  where he continued to layout the paper from a hastily created home office  and Debbie carrying on in the office and the community.

Others might have stepped back but owning a newspaper is a particularly unique responsibility shared only perhaps by entertainers who believe no matter the circumstances the show must go onand the Johnsons knew the whole community was relying on them for the newspaper to go on.

Without information about its movers and shakers, politics, schools, crime, controversies and news vital to the hometown, the community has nothing to think about. Without news about helping those in need, proud high school graduates, happy kids playing sports, Girl Scouts selling cookies, endless celebrations and deepest sorrows, the community had no feelings.

Without stories detailing its against-all-odds accomplishments, wonderful books at the library, music, art and artists, churches, the theater, thinkers, activists, complainers and philosophers there is nothing the community needs a soul for.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

The Santa Paula community is invited to a free presentation of what to expect following a crisis or emergency with a program focused on healing.

On Tuesday, March 8 the Santa Paula Citizens Corps Divine Distractions program is presenting the HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) as well as other speakers.

The free program will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Santa Paula Community Center, located at the corner of West Main Street and Steckel Drive.

According to organizer Samantha Frady of Citizens Corps, We in the City of Santa Paula have highly-trained and dedicated first responders who will always be there for all ages. But we also have access to second responder teams that will care for our emotional needs, FEMA certified HOPE AACR and their wonderful therapy dogs.

Frady said the mission of HOPE is to provide encouragement through animal assisted support to those effected by crisis or disaster, ranging from a school suffering the death of a schoolmate or teacher to those displaced by earthquakes and hurricanes.

The Santa Paula Citizens Corps Divine Distractions program she added, is designed to help children separated from families during times of disaster and crisis with games and toys and other distractions that will ease their minds until they can be reunited with their loved ones.

Representative Tressa Saviers of Fillmore brought the concept culled from Project Joy to Citizens Corps, now seeking program volunteers and donations. Project Joy is a nonprofit grassroots organization that uses the power of play to heal and strengthen children whose lives have been impacted by trauma or hardship.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

Salt of the Earth, the classic 1954 film depicting striking Mexican-American zinc miners in New Mexico, has strong ties to Santa Paula both on and off the screen.

LaLa Gonzalez, a 97-year-old Santa Paulan, will be a special guest at the February 26, 7 p.m. free screening of the film to be held at the Universalist Unitarian Church, 740 E. Main St.

Gonzalez appeared in the film with her late husband Joe but also worked for the family of Paul Jarrico, the producer of Salt of the Earth, whose son Bill will attend the screening and answer questions following the film.

Salt of the Earth is unusual on many levels ranging from its writer Michael Wilson, director Herbert Biberman and Jarrico all being blacklisted during the notorious Red Scare of the early 1950s. Biberman, one of the Hollywood 10 that were particularly targeted by the hearings sparked by accusations by Senator Joseph McCarthy that Communists had infiltrated government and the film industry, even spent time in prison.

The three were blacklisted from mainstream Hollywood studios.

Subsequently, Salt of the Earth, financed by unions and employing the three men post-hearings, was a blacklisted film.

Gonzalez had a close relationship with Jarrico and his family: his mother-in-law owned a dress shop on Main Street and She asked me if I wanted to work for the family in HollywoodBill was only 8 months old and I worked for the family until he graduated from college!

Even when Paul Jarrico was blacklisted and moved to Europe they flew Gonzalez for visits; Bill was about 3 years old when the film was made, a child she still has close ties to.

I practically raised Billy, she said. His father was busy making movies and his mother worked at UCLABilly thought he had two Mommies! He called me Mama LaLa.

Gonzalez said Salt of the Earth was sort of politicalthere was a lot of discrimination then and finding places to shoot the movie was hard. A lot of people were against it, said the film depicting the strikers in New Mexico, wasnt truethere was discrimination, I went through it.

And chauvinism: according to a press release on the screening, When an injunction is issued against the workers, the wives carry on the battle and the men are left to care for the home and children, culture shock for the men suddenly in charge of the family.

The script depicts the situations humor and its drama and the film  starring Mexican actress Rossaura Revueltas, deported during filming amid accusations she was a Communist  won awards in Europe. Actual miners and their families were actors in the film as was Gonzalez and her husband who appeared in a few scenes.

Born in Los Angeles, Gonzalezs family moved to Santa Paula when she was about 3 years old.

There was a lot of work here picking lemons, said Gonzalez, who started working in the orchards when she was 12 years old.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

The Santa Paula Lions Club will make sure you see a professional who can help you see better when they host the 3rd Annual California Lions Friends In Sight clinic Saturday.

Hundreds of people will be seen February 27 for the free screening and have the opportunity to receive free eyeglasses said Santa Paula Lions President Ken Ary.

Those taking part in the program are Dr. Aaron M. Luekenga OD and Dr. Carey Poultney OD of Heritage Valley Eye Care Santa Paula-Fillmore and Dr. Mark Brunette of Miramar Eye Care Santa Paula-Ventura.

Dr. Brian Van Dusen OD of Hemet is a Friends in Sight board director who will travel to Santa Paula for Saturdays clinic, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Church of Christ, 276 W. Santa Paula St. Depending on the number of those that seek an exam the event may stop taking applicants earlier to make sure all are seen by 3 p.m.

The United States-based program is the offshoot of a project that before concentrated only on those in the greatest need living in foreign countries.

About eight or ten years ago they allowed us to come to the United States, opened it up to distribute the used glasses Lions have been collecting since the 1870s, for distribution to the needy in the 210 countries worldwide that have Lions Clubs.

Ary noted that the Lions Club, founded in the United States in 1917, was declared Knights of the Blind by Helen Keller in 1925 who partnered with the organization to focus on helping those with sight issues.

And ever since then most of our projects revolve around sight, and in the last decade sight and hearing

The California Lions Friends in Sight hold up to three-dozen clinics annually in California, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico; the local clinic last year drew about 350 people.

Were expecting more this year, said Ary, were shooting for four-hundred

The clinics serve a fairly even mix of children and adults: Were really pushing for families, including farm workers, the homeless and anyone else in need of an eye examination and eyeglasses.

The clinic is First come, first servedusually by about 7 a.m., an hour before we open, we already have fifty to sixty people in line.

And, noted Ary, If they need glasses they have 18,000 pairs they bring with them, theyre refurbished. And if for some reason they dont have a fit they have a warehouse in Hemet and theyll check and see if they have others that will fit.

A unique aspect of the already unusual program is the workforce refurbishing the eyeglasses.
It is claimed the groups fight between themselves, have been defecating in the bushes and are seen 'falling over drunk'

But pack mentality has taken over - and women passing through are routinely grabbed at and insulted by the men, it is claimed

They are now massing at the train station - where there is free wifi, access to alcohol and warm passenger lounges

Linz has become a gathering point for migrants turned away from Germany because they come from 'safe' countries

w comments

Hordes of drunk, predatory migrants have turned an Austrian train station into a 'no-go zone' for local women, who dub the station 'The Terminus of Fear'.

Linz Station has become a gathering point for migrants rejected by Germany at the border a few miles away - drawn to its free internet, cheap drink, fast-food joints and heated passenger halls as they calculate their next move.

But pack mentality has set in, creating a 'Cologne-light' mentality, which sees women subjected to having their breasts and buttocks grabbed and the alcohol-fuelled men try to steal kisses, all the while slurring lewd sexual insults in pidgin German.

The men fight, they fall down, the vomit, they defecate in the bushes on the greensward outside the station entrance, women told MailOnline.

+15 No-go: Hordes of drunk, predatory migrants have turned an Austrian train station into a 'no-go zone' for local women, who dub the station 'The Terminus of Fear'

+15 Threat: Linz station is a gathering point for migrants rejected by Germany at the border a few miles away - drawn to its free internet, cheap drink, fast-food joints as they calculate their next move

+15 Defiant: Young mother Vanessa Zellner, 22, hugs her daughter Caitlyn, four, outside the station as she waited to collect a friend. She said she would not risk going to Linz at night but has not had a bad experience herself

One woman interviewed by MailOnline outside was too frightened to give her name. But in terse sentences, delivered in the staccato of a firing machine gun, she said: 'Come here at night? I would rather order a taxi straight to hell.

'What's it like? It is terrible. Fearful. I would say shameful. They are predators, they are drunk and they are all over the place.

Come here at night? I would rather order a taxi straight to hell. They are predators, they are drunk and they are all over the place.

'I hate what they have turned this into. I am a decent person, I am not a Nazi, not a hater of people. But they have no right to behave the way they do in my city. Or anywhere. How dare they make my station a place of fear.'

Police or any other local authority have refused to identify the troublesome migrants. They are collectively referred to as North Africans, citizens of countries like Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco that are now no longer considered danger zones by Germany.

But one senior lawman told MailOnline that the majority of the troublemakers turning the concourse into a no-go zone for females at night are from one country; Morocco.

The Linz problem was highlighted in an embarrassing - for the bureaucrats at least - letter by a father of a 16-year-old girl to the local governor Josef Puehringer. Identified only as Franz H., he said: 'My daughter is 16 and is terrified when she has to come through Linz train station in the evening.

+15 Letter: The Linz problem was highlighted in a letter by a father girl, 16, to local governor Josef Puehringer. 'My daughter is 16 and is terrified when she has to come through Linz train station in the evening,' he wrote

+15 Lockdown: As a result of the letter and reports of oncreases in the number of migrants at the station, police patrols have been stepped up to prevent crime

+15 Trouble: One senior policeman told MailOnline that the majority of the troublemakers turning the concourse into a no-go zone for females at night are from one country- Morocco

+15 Scared: Linz train station has become a gathering point for migrants rejected by Germany because they come from a 'safe' country 'As a result, we have now arranged a travel group with other parents. My wife and I went to see it for ourselves. We travelled the same route that our daughter did and we found out that it was even worse than she described.

'There was not a policeman in sight and in a country like Austria it cannot be the case that our children are scared going to and from work.'

Two 16-year-old students, probably just like his daughter, named Damaris and Joanna, had a profound mistrust of the new arrivals which seemed out of step with their youth and innocence.

'Come down here at night? You must be joking!' said Joanna. 'We have read too much in the papers and seen too much on the TV for that.

'We have heard how women have to be escorted on to trains, how migrants are raping people. I don't want that to happen to me.'

Damaris just nodded in agreement before both moved off before dusk began to fall.

But Franz H.'s protest was not in vain. Teams of police from the 'Lentos' unit - hardened officers deployed at violent demonstrations and to quell brutal fans at football matches - are now to be seen marching confidently, overtly, through the station, the body language telegraphing to potential troublemakers that they will come off on the losing end of any confrontation.

+15 Reported: A woman outside too frightened to give her name told MailOnline: 'Come here at night? I would rather order a taxi straight to hell'

+15 Crackdown: The father's letter led to police from the 'Lentos' unit - hardened officers deployed at violent demonstrations and to quell brutal fans at football matches - to be guarding the station

'I think we can say that the situation is quiet now thanks the massive police prescence in the station.' Police Oberrat David Furtner, an engaging senior officer, gave Mail Online the lowdown on what has gone on in recent weeks, and how law and order is responding to it.

'It is true that in the past few weeks there have been problems with a group of, largely, North African men,' he said, not referring to their race. 'There have been between 40 and 50 of them at any one time, aged between 18 and 30.

'They have been up to all sorts of things - from sexual harassment to public drunkeness, drug taking, even causing actual bodily harm.

'Most of the suspects, we have to say, are severely drunken. Three Red Cross workers were attacked by some of them at their nearby post in January and needed hospital treatment. They will not operate now without a permanent police presence.

'Cologne was the thing that changed everything for Germany and for us. We have not experienced such things before January 1 and suddenly we are: women complaining of sitting alone on station benches and suddenly being approached. One on one side, one on the other and one right up close in her face saying the most terrible things.

'It is too early to give an accurate number because we are so early into the new year - but, yes, there has been an increase in the number of complaints from women complaining of sexual harassment and we can link that directly to what happened at Cologne. Women are more willing to come forward as a result of that.'

+15 Intimidating: Pack mentality has taken over, and women describe running a gauntlet of sexual assault - with their breast being grabbed as men attempt to kiss them and then insult them in pigeon French

+15 Attacks: Last month a Moroccan slashed the neck of an Afghan refugee at the station. Police officer David Furtner said: 'We can say that the situation is quiet now thanks the massive police presence in the station'

But the volatile mix of booze, drugs and a growing mood of impotency and anger that many testosterone-fuelled young asylum seekers feel, is not only a threat to women hurrying to catch the train home from work.

On January 13, a Moroccan slashed the neck of an Afghan refugee in the bicycle park area of the station, wounding him gravely. For whatever reason, he was not arrested for that crime but, nine days later, was caught shoplifting a bottle of scotch and several tins of beer and ended up in a brawl with the security personnel of Austrian Railways, whose patrols are now also highly visible inside the railway station.

The man is now incarcerated in a mental hospital. The hope is that there are not many others like him, but logic dictates that the next incident can only be just over the horizon or around the corner.

At the local Caritas charity centre Ahmed Al-Ghalibi, one of the leaders of the effort to help refugees, said; 'We have to call the police three, four times a day because of the problems.' He meant the problems caused by Moroccan youths.

Police and politicians believe that only massive pressure on the countries that the troublemakers come from will lead to a permanent solution: until then the police are a Band Aid applying pressure to staunch a wound that threatens to bleed at any moment.

Young mother Vanessa Zellner, 22, hugging her young daughter Caitlyn, four, outside the station as she waited to collect a friend, said: 'I personally cannot say anything bad about refugees because I have personally not had a bad experience with them.

+15 Assaults: Most of the asylum seekers are said to be from Morocco - where many of the men behind New Year's Eve sex assaults in Cologne. Germany is no longer taking refugees from the north African state

+15 Cologne-'light': Police are currently investigating 73 people in connection to sexual assaults, theft and other crimes committed on New Year's Eve in Cologne - but Linz is turning into a Cologne-light, say some

'But I know people who have and I have read so much about the trouble here at night. God, I can't imagine it. I wouldn't want to be here.'

The troubles at Linz come in a week when there was mixed news about crime in Austria.

Latest statistics show that crime carried out by asylum seekers in Austria increased from 'around' 10,000 incidents in 2014 to 14,000 offences last year, even though in 2015 there were 500,000 criminal charges, whereas in 2014, there were around 528,000.

This kind of number crunching has no meaning for people forced to run a gauntlet of fear and suspicion every day.

The atmosphere was poisoned by Cologne and its toxic aftermath has drifted hundreds of miles to the Alpine state where the scare factor has seen a corresponding rise in the purchase of pepper sprays and other personal defence items.

+15 Disturbance: Those helping migrants admit they have to call the police 'three or four times a day' to deal with problems. Pictured: Refugees wait to cross into Austria from Slovenia, as most hope to reach Germany

+15 Border: Austrian police protect the border between with Slovenia in Strass near Spielfeld. Interior minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said the country plans to extend border controls to Italy

Thousands of migrants desperately cross into Austria in October Progress: 0% 00:00 Play Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration Time 1:19 Fullscreen Need Text

Anke and Kristina, both 18-year-old students at the fashion school in Linz, made it clear that they appreciated the new heavy presence of the police in the station - but also that they would, like so many, avoid it during the hours of darkness.

'I heard a woman got raped and was rolled on to the tracks,' said Anke. 'I don't what that to happen to me.'

It didn't happen. But truth is as much a casualty of the immigration crisis along with the age-old securities that most took for granted.
The Marinwood CSD did not want to share it with the public. As a continuing public service, we will post videos of our local CSD meetings...
Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/23/2016 -- The report "Air Purification Systems Market - Forecast to 2020",The air purification market size is projected to grow from USD 14.46 Billion in 2015 to reach USD 20.65 Billion by 2020, at an estimated CAGR of 7.38%.



Browse more than 191 market data tables with 51 figures spread through 205 Pages and in-depth TOC on Air Purification Systems Market - Forecast to 2020.



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Accelerated urbanization, growth in infrastructural activities, and increasing industrialization has multiplied the rate of air pollution in the environment which has resulted in the need for air purification systems across the globe. The increasing income and spending capacity of people in developing economies and increasing demand in various end-use sectors such as automotive, building & construction, healthcare & medical, manufacturing, and energy & utilities are the major factors driving the growth of the air purification market. The strict regulations pertaining to industrial emissions and concern about occupational health and safety of the workers have led the industrial and commercial sector bodies to look into the concern of air purification needs at all their operating facilities.



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Key Players:

The air purification systems market comprises companies such as Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.), 3M Company (U.S.), Sharp Corporation (Japan), Daikin Industries, Ltd. (Japan), and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (U.S.).



Dust Collector segment to gain maximum traction during the forecast period



Dust collectors are used to improve the quality of air discharged from commercial and industrial processes through collecting dust, impurities, and other allergen particles from air or gas. A dust collector system generally consists of a blower, dust filter, filter cleaning system, and a dust removal system. It removes solid granule pollutants from exhaust gases before venting to the outer atmosphere and also recovers valuable solid or powder granules from process streams. The demand for this type of air purification system holds a significant part of the air purification market. The reason behind the growth of this product segment is the need of making the ambient and in-door air dust-free, which is the primary concern of the population and government in this industrial era.



Asia-Pacific to play a key role in the air purification market



Factors such as the increasing urbanized population in China and India along with the growth in disposable income, and the growing concern regarding the ill-effects of air pollution on human health in these countries are driving the growth of the Asia-Pacific air purification market. Rapid industrialization and imposition of strict laws pertaining to toxic emission control are also major factors contributing to the growth of the air purification market in this region.



The various key air purification companies profiled in the report are as follows:



-Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.)

-3M Company (U.S.)

-Sharp Corporation (Japan)

-Daikin Industries, Ltd. (Japan)

-Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (U.S.)

-Clean TeQ Holdings Limited (Australia)

-Alfa Laval AB (Sweden)

-SPX Corporation (U.S.)

-Mann+Hummel GmbH (Germany)

-Clarcor Inc. (U.S.)



The scope of the report covers detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the air purification market such as drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. A detailed analysis of the key industry players has been conducted to provide insights into their business overview, products & services, key strategies, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, partnerships, agreements, joint ventures, and recent developments associated with the air purification market.



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Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/23/2016 -- Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is gaining momentum in the transportation fuels segment, due to growth in drive towards adoption of clean fuels by national governments around the world. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is obtained through compression of natural gas to less than 1% of the volume it generally occupies at normal atmospheric conditions. There are four primary end-user segments of CNG globally: light duty (LD) vehicles, medium duty/heavy duty (MD/HD) buses, medium duty/heavy duty (MD/HD) trucks and others. The others vehicle segment comprises three-wheeler vehicles powered by CNG. These are mostly used in Asia-Pacific and Latin America. LD vehicles accounted for nearly 93% of the global CNG vehicle fleet, but only 50.2% of the global CNG consumption in 2013. This is because medium and heavy duty vehicles consume a larger quantity of fuel compared to light duty vehicles and passenger cars. Consumption pattern of medium and heavy duty vehicles is also relatively constant in nature. This has prompted multiple governments to target conversion of existing bus and truck fleets to CNG.



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With rapid production of shale gas in the U.S., natural gas prices in the country are at an all time low. Other external factors such as the expansion of the Panama Canal are also likely to play a major role in adoption of CNG adoption. Owners of long haul vehicles are finding it increasingly beneficial to shift to CNG owing to attractive payback periods it provides. With China gearing up for commercial shale gas production by the end of 2016, a downward pressure on gas prices in Asia-Pacific can be expected. This would further be bolstered by the completion of the expansion of the Panama Canal, resulting in higher shale gas export to Asia-Pacific from the U.S. Prices of natural gas are anticipated to decrease in the near future. Thus, volume of CNG consumption is estimated to exhibit attractive growth rate in the near future. Gradual decoupling of natural gas and crude oil prices is likely to further support the growth in consumption of CNG. Substitution threats from other clean fuels such as autogas in the light duty vehicle segment and LNG in the long haul heavy duty vehicle segment exist for CNG. However, such threats are not likely to be realized unless there is adequate development of LNG refueling infrastructure and significant decline in LPG prices globally.



This research study analyzes the market for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in terms of volume and revenue. The CNG market has been sub-segmented based on source, end-user and geography. As CNG conversion depends solely on demand profile, only the CNG consumption has been sub-segmented in this market study. Market data for all the sub-segments has been provided on the regional level for the period from 2013 to 2020. A comprehensive competitive landscape has been included in the report. This comprises companies involved in the CNG business. Value chain analysis and Porter's five forces model have also been included for both the markets to provide a clear understanding regarding the market dynamics of these industries.



Key source segments estimated in this study for the CNG market include associated gas, non-associated gas and natural gas produced using unconventional methods. Major end-users for CNG were identified as light duty vehicles, medium duty/heavy duty buses, medium duty/heavy duty trucks and others. The others vehicle segment encompasses three-wheeler vehicles such as autos and tuk-tuks that use CNG as fuel. The CNG market was analyzed across five geographies: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and South & Central America. Regional data has been provided for each sub-segment for the CNG market.



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Major drivers, restraints and opportunities of the CNG market were analyzed in detail with supporting graphs and tables. Market attractiveness analysis was also carried out for the market based on geography. In the market attractiveness analysis, the CNG industry was analyzed regionally and ranked based on a number of parameters that directly affect the attractiveness of the market. Market players that supply CNG include Indraprastha Gas Ltd, National Iranian Gas Company and OAO Gazprom. These companies have been profiled in detail. The report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial revenue, business strategies and recent developments.



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Plymouth, MI -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/23/2016 -- Based in Burton MI, Mid Michigan Metal Sales is now set to open doors to their new, second location to anticipated customers in Plymouth MI. The company is renowned in the area and is a full-service roofing supply shop that boasts an inventory of wholesale metal roofing panels, accessories, Energy Star paint colors and more. A while back, the company had made an announcement about plans being underway for a new store location and a grand opening. Things are in full swing and the new store location is now ready to become operational in Plymouth within the month of February, 2016.



By adding a new store location, the company aims to expand and cater to a bigger clientele than before. They believe that by opening a new location in Plymouth, they will be easily accessible by a larger number of customers. A spokesperson for Mid Michigan Metal Sales made an official statement in which he discussed the work of the company and gave details about the new location opening "Here at Mid Michigan Metal Sales, we deal in wholesale metal roofing, highly quality roofing supplies and accessories, wholesale copper and aluminum, metal sliding, garage doors and more. We pride ourselves in our extensive inventory of high-quality goods and our unmatched for customer care."



He further added "We are now ready to open doors to our new location this month, February 2016. Our new location will be situated in Plymouth, Michigan in an endeavor to cater to a larger clientele with the same high quality service and products that are offered at our Burton, Michigan location. The new store is set to open soon with a grand opening ceremony that will invigorate the public's interest; work is underway to inaugurate sales and discount offers on the opening day."



Mid Michigan Metal Sales specializes in metal roofing that is stated to be durable and is built for longevity. The metal roofing panels sold at store are easy to use and are preferred for DIY projects that home owners can execute themselves, without opting for professional help. The metal roofing is set to last a life time, without having the need to replace it every few years like commonplace roofing tiles etc.



The store takes pride in being one of the only metal roofing providers in the area who gives their clients an exclusive Limited Lifetime paint warranty, a Limited Lifetime Steel Warranty and a 20 year fastener warranty if the client opts for Mid Michigan Metal Sale's Kwik Seal II WoodBinder screws to apply the roofing. According to the company website, the metal roofing provided by them does not only promise optimum longevity but is economical too. With many models and designs of metal roofing being available at the store, the pricing starts at only $46/Sq.



Other products provided by the store include Energy Star paint colors. The store currently stocks twenty nine gauge Energy Star paints in 17 different colors. Furthermore, the store is now also providing specialty tools and equipment that make for easy installation of the metal roofing. These tools are not only available for sale but can be rented from the store too. The store is currently also running a sale on their website for Balck EconoRib Panels.



Details about the sale, the new location and the grand opening can be seen on Mid Michigan Metal Sale's official website at http://midmichiganmetalsales.com/



Contact:

Joe Miller, Owner

Mid Michigan Metal Sales

New Location Address: 45854 Mast Rd Ste 103, Plymouth, MI, 48170

Phone Numbers: 734-656-8800 or 800-260-9861

Email: info@midmichiganmetalsales.com

Website: http://midmichiganmetalsales.com
Deerfield Beach, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/23/2016 -- A new study on Military Ground Robots and unmanned vehicles. The 2010 study has 513 pages, 190 tables and figures. Worldwide markets are poised to achieve significant growth as the military ground robots and unmanned vehicles are used globally. Growth comes as the nature of combat changes in every region while the globally integrated enterprise replaces nationalistic dominance.



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Military robot automation of the defense process is the next wave of military evolution. As automated systems and networking complement the Internet , communication is facilitated on a global basis. The military charter is shifting to providing protection against terrorists and people seek to maintain a safe, mobile, independent lifestyle. Much of the military mission is moving to adopt a police force training mission, seeking to achieve protection of civilian populations on a worldwide basis.



According to Susan Eustis, the lead author of the study, "the purchase of Military Robots s is dependent on budget constraints. The use of Military Robots s is based on providing a robot that is less expensive to put in the field than a trained soldier. That automation of process has appeal to those who run the military.



Robots are automating military ground systems, permitting vital protection of soldiers and people in the field, creating the possibility of reduced fatalities. Mobile robotics operate independently of the operator.



The innovation coming from all the vendors is astounding. No one innovation is more significant than another. One vendor, BAE Systems has an ant size robot useful for reconnaissance and networking robots in development. As soldiers take up secure positions behind a wall, they deploy a small reconnaissance team. The initial deployment is poised to be a very, very small reconnaissance team. Some hopping, some flying, the stealthy autonomous reconnaissance squad vanishes into a suspicious building for several minutes, then relays the all-clear back to its partners outside when that is the case.



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What is good for a robotic unmanned ground vehicle is also good for an ummanned vehicle. Multiple technological, logistical, political and market forces share a quantum singularity that has bro ght mobile robotics to the point where robots are useful to every arm of the military services. This is a phenomenon that will have a major impact on the way we run the military and police societies.



Use of remote-control toys in Iraq started as improvised robots to check out possible roadside bombs. There has since been a flurry of activity on the robotic explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) front since that early beginning. Deliveries of smaller and cheaper Bots are anticipated.



The emergence of a market for intelligent, mobile robots for use in the field and the confined areas of city fighting presents many opportunities. Units used in public spaces and on the battlefield create a better, more flexible, more cost efficient military.



Technology is used to actuate the disparate robot types. Core robotics research and advances in robotic technology can be applied across a variety of robotic form factors and robotic functionality. Advances feed on and off of each other. With each new round of innovation, a type of technological cross pollination occurs that improves existing robotic platforms and opens up other avenues where intelligent mobile robots can be employed, effectively creating new markets.



Roboticists are more advanced in their training and in the tools available to create units. Military robots have evolved from units used in the field to manage different situations that arise. Robots save lives..



Defense security systems have an emphasis on causality reduction during combat. This has resulted in investment in robotics technology that is useful. Robotic research is on the fast track for government spending. Congress passed a law making it an Army goal that by 2015, one-third of the operational ground combat vehicles are unmanned. The US Navy and Marines have similar initiatives underway.



Military ground robot market forecast analysis indicates that vendor strategy is to pursue developing new applications that leverage leading edge technology. Robot solutions are achieved by leveraging the ability to innovate, to bring products to market quickly. Military purchasing authorities seek to reduce costs through design and outsourcing. Vendor capabilities depend on the ability to commercialize the results of research in order to fund further research. Government funded research is evolving some more ground robot capability.



Markets at $831 million in 2009 are anticipated to reach $9.7 billion by 2016.



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Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/23/2016 -- The operating cost can be saved by using SHM systems, which facilitate condition-based maintenance for various civil infrastructure. The global SHM market was valued at USD 505.0 Million in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24.7% between 2015 and 2020. The base year considered for this research study is 2014, and the market size has been estimated between 2015 and 2020. In this report, the SHM market is divided into four major geographies: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Rest of the World (RoW). The SHM market in North America accounted for the largest share in 2014, in terms of value. The said market has been divided into the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The key driving factors for the SHM market in the Americas include the ageing infrastructure, government support, and the increasing need for effective solutions for maintaining infrastructure.



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The report also provides market insights and forecast of SHM market with broader segmentation by technology, solution, application, and geography. The technology segmentation covers wired and wireless SHM, while the solution segmentation covers hardware and software & services. The SHM market segmented on the basis of application includes bridges, dams, tunnels, buildings, stadiums, and others.



SHM is an emerging market and used to improve the safety measures and reduce maintenance cost of critical structures. A combination of hardware and software is required for the designing of SHM system, whereas the services such as design and consulting services and installation services play important role in designing the SHM system. The large number of new civil infrastructure project is at the construction phase around the globe. Government rules and regulations also provide the boost in the growth of the SHM market. For instance, in 2014, according to new rules and regulations by the Chinese government, SHM should be used in the new bridges, and designing of SHM should be in parallel with the designing of the bridge. It also outlines the importance of durable, maintainable, and replaceable sensor with service life of up to 20 years if embedded or 3 to 5 years if placed on the surface of the bridge.



The overall SHM market is segmented into various segments, namely, technology, solution type, application, and geography. The SHM market is segmented on the basis of SHM applications, which include bridges, dams, tunnels, buildings, stadiums, and others. The SHM market in bridges is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 27.1% between 2015 and 2020.



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Geographically, the SHM market is segmented into North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, the U.K., France, and others), APAC (China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and others), and Rest of the World (Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and others). The APAC market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 29.0% between 2015 and 2020.



In 2014, some of the key players in the SHM market include Advitam Inc. (France), COWI A/S (Denmark), Geocomp Corp. (U.S.), Geokon, Inc. (U.S.), Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH (Germany), and Nova Metrix LLC, (U.S.). There are many other players in this market such as Digitexx Data Systems, Inc. (U.S.), GeoSig Ltd. (Switzerland), SODIS LAB (Russian Federation), and Strainstall UK Limited (U.K.) among others.



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An international group of scientists has successfully sequenced the whole mitochondrial genome of the ancient glyptodont  a heavily armored herbivorous mammal that went extinct in the Americas at the end of the last Ice Age.

Glyptodont looked like a gigantic and fearsome armadillo. Roughly the size and weight of a Volkswagen Beetle, the ancient animal was distinguished by its massive, heavy shell of armor, and a club-shaped, armored tail.

Although scientists like Charles Darwin collected partial remains of glyptodonts in the early 19th century, at first nobody knew what kind of mammal they represented.

It was eventually accepted that they must be related in some way to armadillos, the only other New World mammals to develop a protective bony shell.

However, because of the many physical differences between these two groups, most scientists have held the view that they must have separated very early in their evolutionary history.

Glyptodonts in fact represent an extinct lineage that likely originated about 35 million years ago within the armadillo radiation, explained team member Dr. Hendrik Poinar, a researcher with McMaster University, Canada, and senior author of a paper in the journal Current Biology.

Glyptodonts should probably be considered a subfamily of gigantic armadillos, added co-author Dr. Frederic Delsuc, of CNRS.

We speculate that the peculiar structure of their unarticulated carapace might have evolved as a response to the functional constraint imposed by the size increase they experienced over time.

Using an innovative approach to recover genetic information from ancient specimens, the scientists successfully assembled the complete mitochondrial genome of Doedicurus  a gigantic glyptodont that lived until about 10,000 years ago  and compared it to that of all modern xenarthrans (anteaters, tree sloths and armadillos).

Ancient DNA has the potential to solve a number of evolutionary questions, but it is often extremely difficult to obtain endogenous DNA, that is, DNA actually belonging to the animal being sampled, rather than some contaminant, Dr Poinar said.

In this particular case, we used a technical trick that allowed us to selectively enrich our Doedicurus DNA extract so that we had enough endogenous genetic material to work with, the researchers explained.

Their phylogenetic analysis establishes that glyptodonts are in fact deeply nested within the armadillo crown group, representing a distinct subfamily (Glyptodontinae) within the family known as the Chlamyphoridae, represented today by the four-ounce pink fairy armadillo, or pichiciego (Chlamyphorus truncatus), and the giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus), which can weigh up to 80 kg, for instance.

Molecular dating suggests that glyptodonts diverged no earlier than about 35 million years ago.

Their findings also highlight the impressive increase in glyptodonts size over evolutionary time.

The scientists estimate that the last common ancestor of glyptodonts and their living armadillo relatives weighed in at a mere 6 kg, suggesting a spectacular increase in glyptodont body mass.

Thats consistent with the fossil record, which shows glyptodonts evolved from medium-sized forms (about 80 kg) to become true megafauna in the Pleistocene (reaching 2,000 kg) before their disappearance at the end of the last Ice Age.

The team intends to continue to explore ancient DNA lifted from numerous other fossil xenarthrans, including giant ground sloths.

_____

Frederic Delsuc et al. 2016. The phylogenetic affinities of the extinct glyptodonts. Current Biology, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. R155-R156; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.01.039
Young researchers in particular should get support to engage society routinely, says Tolu Oni.

A wide range of players, from policymakers to the media, often consult scientists at times of crisis or social controversy. At such times, how the public perceives the credibility and relevance of scientists to society is vital to how their views might be received.

Scientists themselves may be quick to criticise when media reports air opinions from underqualified sources. But simply reacting to such reports puts credible scientists on the back foot, forcing them to debate from a defensive position. An example of this is the ongoing debate around climate change and global warming.

Scientists need to engage with society routinely, during periods of calm, not just during crises. Tolu Oni, University of Cape Town

To avoid this, scientists need to engage with society routinely, during periods of calm, not just during crises. This would boost their credibility so that, during crises, there is already a foundation of trust with which to engage.

This is a societal literacy approach to public engagement  a two-way approach that highlights the role of scientists. It differs from, but works together with, the more usual calls to improve the publics scientific literacy: societal literacy requires science to occupy spaces for popular conversation not traditionally considered relevant, or of interest, to science. It also highlights that science is more likely to be perceived as relevant when it is seen as credible in society.

Better engagement can be a crucial, strategic influence on policymaking. It can facilitate how science advice informs policies and their implementation. It can also help maintain a healthy pipeline of young scientists by showing them how science can help understand and improve the world around us.

Routine engagement can also create a more critically engaged public, necessary for navigating science advice in a post-normal science era where facts are uncertain, values in dispute, stakes high and decisions urgent. It will do this by reinforcing the role of uncertainty in science, so the public no longer perceives scientists who highlight the uncertainties of evidence as less credible.



Teach scientists to reach out

There is a role here for universities to engage more, and, alongside other key players including policymakers and private entities such as industry or philanthropic foundations, to support young scientists as advocates for societal literacy and science engagement.

One area where this is needed is in incorporating engagement skills into scientific education and training. Not all scientists feel naturally inclined to interacting with society beyond academic spaces, but many can be equipped to do so if teaching the relevant skills becomes a higher priority within the education and training system. This would also serve to highlight the importance of the public space in which science operates.

To engage with policymakers and wider society more effectively, emerging scientists need to be equipped with the tools to grapple with the values, ethics and politics of post-normal science  as well as its limitations.

An interesting example of where this type of training is being achieved is the Aalborg Centre for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability in Denmark. This institution promotes service or immersive learning where students learn not just in the classroom but by experiential learning  interacting with services that identify problems and solutions relevant to their field, such as housing or healthcare.

In contrast to more traditional methods, this approach focuses on training scientists by teaching critical thinking skills and through early immersion into real-world problems or working with communities. It also incorporates social values, which helps scientists engage with social, economic and environmental challenges.



The next generation

Another route to better engagement is through young academies  organisations that typically involve promising scientists in their early careers  which are growing around the world and leading the societal literacy approach.

For example, the website of the South African Young Academy of Science, which I cochair, publishes PhD blogs that humanise scientists and the scientific process by showcasing the day-to-day lives of scientists in training  their experiences, motivations, highs and lows. The blogs encourage young students and wider society to take an interest in science, while also promoting young scientists engagement with broader social challenges.

Another example is the Research the Headlines blog published by the Young Academy of Scotland. This focuses on how research is portrayed in the media, encouraging scientists to offer views about its social impact from an expert but independent position.

Young academies can also identify emerging issues. The Global Young Academy jointly runs an Invisible Worlds project that highlights issues that are underrepresented in the media and wider policy agendas. And the Jobs of the Future Initiative, conceived by a group of young scientists at Novembers World Science Forum, identifies changes in training and skills required to address the Sustainable Development Goals.



Active duty

These examples highlight the critical role that universities and young academies can play in creating a new norm where scientists by default play an active role in society. They now operate on an ad-hoc basis  and need to become institutionalised. Structures can be put in place to support that process.

First, policymakers need to create a space, as part of the policy process, for regular engagement with young scientists.

Second, government ministries and private organisations need to partner with young academics and academies to support and promote their work.

And third, representatives of young academies should work with universities to adapt curriculums so they are more responsive to the social context of science. Institutions should also reformat their criteria of research excellence to reward excellence in engagement, not just publication in scientific journals.

Tolu Oni is a senior lecturer at the School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa. She is a member and cochair of the South African Young Academy of Science, a Next Einstein Forum fellow and a World Economic Forum young scientist. Oni can be contacted at [email protected] or on Twitter @drtolullah
23 May 2022

- Understand the French healthcare system, how you access it and how you are reimbursed - Useful if you are new to the French healthcare system or want a more in-depth understanding - Reader question and answer section Aimed at non-French nationals living here, the guide gives an overview of what you are (and are not) covered for. There is also information for second-home owners and regular visitors.
FLORENCE, S.C.  The president of the University of South Carolina made two stops Monday in Florence to discuss future plans for the institution, including a possible partnership with Florence-Darlington Technical College.

USC President Dr. Harris Pastides started his Florence visit with a trip to FDTC. He spoke to students, faculty and staff members about his universitys plan to partner with FDTC in the coming years. Though he said nothing is official just yet, Pastides and USC are very impressed with the college, specifically the engineering department.

Theyve got high-intensity, corporate relevant equipment there that we dont even have on our campus, Pastides said. Theyve got equipment in 3-D printing that I think doesnt exist anywhere else in South Carolina. Were going to do some breakthrough things with them.

FDTC President Dr. Ben Dillard said partnering with USC can greatly benefit students in that they will be able to take a two-year associates degree and turn it into a bachelors degree without leaving the FDTC campus.

A possibility for our students is that we can have a bridge program much like we have with FMU, Dillard said. Our students can take their first two years here and then move to USC, but the most exciting possibility is a program where USC can utilize our facilities and our students wouldnt have to leave the area.

Dillard said this possible partnership provides both schools with previously untapped resources and exciting opportunities, especially for students at FDTC.

The sky is the limit! Dillard said. A partnership with USC provides both institutions with amazing resources. For us, its the joining our college with the flagship University in the state. USC can have a larger footprint here in the Pee Dee, and USC can take advantage of our technical expertise and numerous industry partners.

Pastides highlighted those points later Monday at the Florence Rotary Club meeting, telling local business leaders about his future plans for both the college and the city itself.

My goal is that we will be able to provide four-year baccalaureate degrees in engineering right here in the Pee Dee, Pastides said. The Pee Dee and the state need more engineers. South Carolina needs educated citizenry.

Pastides said this partnership is still a couple of years away from being implemented and understands that nothing is ever guaranteed. For Pastides, it is more about bringing parts of the state together to improve South Carolina as a whole.

Will this happen? Only if we start working together more diligently, Pastides said. Lets get back to not finger-pointing but hand-shaking, like we did with Florence-Darlington Tech today.
Hyderabad

Hyderabad's real estate scenario is all set for a makeover from being a back office hub to one known for world class products and services, erstwhile a reserve of cities like Bangalore. As per Jayesh Ranjan, Telangana IT secretary, "The fact that we have three times better infrastructure at one-third the price was always appreciated, but now the extra support via TASK, the arm of the government that promises talent availability for the latest technologies has made a big difference. We already have more than 25 high end colleges being trained in industry requirements; this has made Hyderabad very attractive for high-end technology offices. Then the T-Hub and its ability to bring in the required corporate support, investments, mentoring and technology eco-system has been a tremendous boost to the start-up eco-system."

Hence both big corporates and start-ups see the city as a great locale. Industry sources affirm the pro-active and continuous support of the state government, ministers and officers is a big reason for the big shift in outlook.

Apple's proposed off-shore centre, first one in India, will be housed in Tishman Speyer's Wave Rock facility at Gachibowli. While officials at Tishman Speyer declined to comment, sources in the know confirmed that the California based IT giant's new office will be spread on 2,50,000 sq ft at Wave Rock facility, and is expected to begin operations by mid of this year. Additionally, Development Bank of Singapore also plans to lease 50,000 sq ft office space in the same facility, say sources.

With the upcoming entry of Apple Inc, the city's commercial real estate will align in value to the high-end corporate locating here. As per Cushman and Wakefield's report titled 'India Office Snapshot 2015', Hyderabad's absorption rate increased approximately by 25 percent from 2014. Shortage of supply brought down vacancy levels to approximately 12 percent in this segment of real estate. Availability of quality office spaces at affordable rates, coupled with political stability have worked in Hyderabad's favour, states the report.

With the addition of every new company or the existing ones expanding operations, the positive spill-over effect on real estate will be sustained. A point in case is IT major Infosys' announcement made earlier in January this year, regarding the formal inauguration of its new campus in Pocharam. The Indian IT major's campus is said to have a maximum seating capacity of 25,000 spread on 447 acres. Industry player say that the impact of companies setting up their offices in Pocharam is already being felt in the area's residential real estate sector. "Rentals in Singapore Township, near Pocharam have already increased and there is no vacancy there," says Veera Babu of Cushman and Wakefield, Hyderabad.

Currently Hyderabad's commercial real estate is more affordable compared with the likes of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune. As per a media release by JLL India, Hyderabad's share of PE Funds in the real estate sector during 2015 stood at 3 percent. Out of the total inflows of Rs19,500 crores in 2015, Mumbai and Delhi received the highest share of 34 percent and 29 percent each, followed by Chennai and Bengaluru, bagging 14 percent and 11 percent of the total inflows. Pune too was ahead of Hyderabad by grabbing 5 percent of the overall share. This is likely to change now, and PR majors are on the lookout for interesting deals that would lead to swift growth in the city. But as is commonly known, the grade A commercial real estate in the city is in short supply at present.

Hyderabad is home to Amazon's fulfilment centre, Infosys campus, Google's new campus, and Apple Inc. Commenting on the inflow of PE fund in the country's real estate sector, Shobhit Agarwal, MD, Capital Markets, JLL India says, "Going forward, investors are expected to remain focused on the top seven cities only [which includes Hyderabad]. In the past few months, Chinese and Japanese investors have shown interest in bringing their long-term money into India. Overall, the stage is set for a superlative show this year."

Dipal Gala, Times Property, The Times of India, Hyderabad
The raids, codenamed Operation Carwash, focused on the suspected use of offshore companies and real estate transactions to launder money from bribery, graft and other offenses, media reports cited the police statement.

The Brazilian federal police said nearly 300 officers launched 51 warrants including 38 search and eight arrest warrants in three states, and arrested Zwi Skornicki, an agent for Keppel Corp in Brazil working on contracts between certain Keppel entities and Petrobras and its subsidiary Sete Brasil.

Keppel Corp releasted a statement on Tuesday maintaining that the group does not tolerant any forms of corruption by its employees or associates.

Singapore-listed Keppel Corp announced last month that it has taken a $160m provision on its $4.9bn rig orders from Sete Brasil and stopped all work on the six semi-submersible rig newbuildings for the rig contractor.

Back in February 2015, allegations were made by Petrobras former engineering manager Pedro Jose Baruso that illegal payments were made by the agent Skornicki in connection with contracts between certain Keppel entities and Petrobras and/or Sete Brasil.

Keppel had since put the agency relationship with Skornicki on hold pending determination by the relevant authorities into the allegations made on the matter, Keppel Corp stated.

News of the bribery allegations surfaced when Brazilian media Veja reported that Keppel Fels Brasil and Sembmarines Jurong Aracruz shipyard paid more than $6m in bribes to officials of Petrobras and directors of Sete Brasil, to win contracts.
Svensen led the Maritime Business of DNV during a decade, serving as president and deputy ceo for the DNV Group from 2006-2012, and oversaw the move of the Maritime HQ to Hamburg following the merger with Germanischer Lloyd completed in 2013. He also played an active role within IACS (the International Association of Classification Societies), serving as its chairman from 2007-8.

Svensen said that having turned 60, retirement age in Norway, and having completed the merger and integration of DNV GL and launch of a new combined rule set, it is time to retire while he still has time to undertake fresh challenges within the maritime industry.

Safety at sea remains one of my main interests, and at Strathclyde I will lead research on the interface between politics and regulations and how that impacts safety, he says, adding that he will also be working on supporting the new Safety Research Centre that DNV GL is establishing at Stratchclyde jointly with RCCL and the University.

Prior to joining DNV Svensen had graduated from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1978 with a degree in Naval Architecture and Shipbuilding, subsequently receiving a Ph.D from the same university in 1983. He then spent several years working within consulting in the UK before becoming head of the Ship Division at The Norwegian Maritime Research Institute (MARINTEK).

Tor has made an outstanding contribution to the company through a transformative period for both our industry and DNV GL, commented Remi Eriksen, president and ceo of the DNV GL Group. His leadership has had a significant impact in keeping a strong focus on safety and the importance of the independent role of classification societies in the maritime industry.

Eriksen went on to pay tribute to Svensens insight, drive and engagement, a sentiment that will be shared by all those in the industry who know him.
Cayetano sits down with balut vendors, vows to punish 5-6 loan sharks, pushes for "bank of the poor"

Fresh from attending the first presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte's running mate, Senate Majority leader Alan Peter Cayetano, wasted no time as he pressed on with their tandem's listening tour, this time visiting Pateros, known for its balut industry.

The senator lamented the industry's dismal situation, which he said was caused by government neglect and incompetence. "Like what Mayor Duterte said in the debate, there's so much disorder and suffering because there's so much government incompetence and corruption," Cayetano said.

Cayetano compared the balut industry to the struggling shoe industry in Marikina.

"Kagaya ng malungkot na kwento ng shoe industry sa Marikina, dahil sa kapabayaan ng gobyerno, unti-unti na ring namamatay ang balut industry ng Pateros. Talagang hindi matapos-tapos ang gulo at hirap sa buhay ng tao," Cayetano said.

Cayetano said most of the vendors could not get loans from public banks like Landbank, which he said functions more like a commercial bank. This makes it hard for them to sustain their small businesses without resorting to the "5-6" lending scheme that only puts them deeper in debt.

Cayetano said, if elected, he and Mayor Duterte will punish all 5-6 loan sharks and provide sufficient capital for balut vendors to sustain their trade.

"We will mobilize the national budget and establish a bank that will provide loans and other services to small entrepreneurs, similar to Thailand's SME Bank. Ang pinapautang dapat ng gobyerno ay ang mahihirap, hindi puro mayayaman," Cayetano said.

"But this is only possible if our leaders have the courage and strength of character to do what is necessary. This is what I and Mayor Duterte are bringing in this election," Cayetano concluded.
Press Release

February 23, 2016 Cayetano pushes for living wage, says it's good for public health "Kaya hindi matapos-tapos ang gulo at hirap ng tao. Wala na ngang libreng serbisyong pangkalusugan, wala pang living wage para tustusan ang mahal na presyo ng pagpapagamot sa bansa." Two days following the first-ever presidential debate, Vice presidential bet Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano had this to say as he took a swipe at the administration's failure to provide workers with a living wage, which in turn deprived them of better healthcare services. "The lack of a living wage are killing Filipino workers," Cayetano stressed, citing the tragic death of construction helper Roger Benigno, who reportedly underwent an appendectomy at a hospital in Isabela but committed suicide after seeing his costly hospital bill. The senator said he could not help but to agree with what his running mate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, said during the debate on Sunday. "Paano nga naman natin masasabing may tuwid na daan kung puro gulo at hirap ang nararanasan ng tao," he said. Cayetano said it's time for bold solutions and swift actions to create real changes in the country. And based on the outcome of the debate, he said it is clear that only Duterte can offer this kind of change. Cayetano said that if elected, he and Duterte will provide workers with a living wage. Citing data from the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), he said estimated family living wage in Manila is P27, 510 per month or P917 daily. But Metro Manila's daily minimum wage is only P9,620 monthly. "I will not allow our workers to commit suicide because they can't pay their hospital bills. If elected, we will provide workers with a living wage so that they can have more opportunities for better health and healthcare services," Cayetano said. "Real changes call for leaders who have the courage and strength of character to do what is necessary. This is what I and Mayor Duterte are bringing in this election," he ended.
Press Release

February 23, 2016 GUINGONA TO QUEZONIANS: KNOW WHAT MATTERS,

KEEP PALABRA DE HONOR SENATOR Teofisto "TG" Guingona III on Tuesday emphasized the importance of knowing what truly matters and of palabra de honor (word of honor), especially this campaign season. During the re-electionist senator's visit in the Province of Quezon, he underscored the need for Filipinos to cultivate the valuable traits of being able to know what is important in life and being able to keep one's promises. Guingona further named a few notable figures who hailed from the vibrant Southern Luzon province and whose lives are exemplary manifestation of the said attributes. "Simple lang ang dahilan kung bakit binanggit ko ang kahalagahan ng kaalaman kung ano ang mahalaga sa buhay at ng pagkakaroon ng isang salita: Kung alam mo ang mahalaga sa'yo, iyon ang susundin mo, at kung ikaw ay may isang salita, pinapahalagahan mo ang dignidad mo at ang dignidad ng kausap mo," Guingona stated. According to Guingona, knowing what matters and keeping true to one's words may also serve as the Filipinos' guidelines in selecting candidates who vow to uphold the citizens' rights and uplift the lives of the impoverished. "If they [candidates] are true to what truly matters, especially for the Filipinos, they will be true to their words. If candidates are truly in touch with serving others and serving God, it will not only show in their words but in their track record," Guingona said. The lawmaker seeking a second term in the Senate has visited the municipalities of Mauban, Tayabas, and Lucena. He is also set to make rounds in Lucban and Infanta.
UC Davis is widely acknowledged as a wellspring of invention and instruction in the visual arts, a central player in Bay Area art history, particularly in the 1960s and 70s. Now that heritage will be marked permanently with the opening, announced Tuesday, Feb. 23, of the new Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art on Nov. 13.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi praised the project as further empowering a dynamic educational experience at this research university.

With the arts, she said, we discover ourselves.

The new building is the culmination of an effort that began in earnest late in 2011, with a $10 million gift from the Shrems. About $30 million has been spent on the project, with the remainder coming from university funds and proceeds from tax-exempt bonds, as well as an earlier pledge of $2 million from Margrit Mondavi.

Among the highly accomplished artists associated with the Davis campus are the painter Wayne Thiebaud; Bay Area Funk figures Robert Arneson, Roy DeForest and William T. Wiley; the conceptualist Bruce Nauman; and the sculptor Deborah Butterfield.

The announcement of the museum opening coincides with a gift of 101 works of art from Arnesons widow, Sandra Shannonhouse. It includes a major Arneson ceramic sculpture  the 6-foot-high I Have My Eyes on Me Endlessly (1992), a witty tribute to Constantin Brancusi and his Endless Column (1918)  and two strong works by Shannonhouse, herself a sculptor. According to Manetti Shrem Museum director Rachel Teagle, however, the most important thing about the gift is that it consists of works acquired by Arneson from UC Davis colleagues and students.

It is 100 percent from artists who were students here, taught here, or were visiting artists, she said. The story of our history is so personal to us, and this gift gives us the ability to tell that story. It is the story of the friendships and relationships that made Davis what it became at that crucial time.

Among the artists whose work is represented, often by small objects, sketches and prints, are John Altoon, Luis Cruz Azaceta, Judy Chicago (She lived across the street from Bob when she was working on The Dinner Party, Teagle said), Luis Jimenez, Jim Melchert, Philip Pearlstein and Richard Shaw.

Teagle, who started in her role in August 2012 with no employees and no architectural plans, will not only have a museum building in nine months, but a professional staff of 20 (up from 10 today). She hopes to fill the major roles of chief curator and curator of education by the end of March, she said.

Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1
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The only way out for most tenants in California who face dilemmas like that of a 97-year-old woman being evicted from her Burlingame home of 66 years is depressingly simple: Hit the bricks.

State law offers very little protection for renters who are served with eviction notices, regardless of ethnicity, longevity or income, experts say. That protection is left up to cities  and only 12 of the 482 municipalities in California offer rent control, San Francisco chief among them.

Basically, rent control in California is a case of the haves versus the have-nots, said Ken Carlson, a tenants rights lawyer who runs an online resource site for renters. The trouble is that tenants dont vote ... and politicians listen to people who vote.

So what youre left with is a sense of powerlessness, Carlson said. Tenants work for someone else, they rent from someone else  they dont have control over vast parts of their lives.

More for you Burlingame woman, 97, being evicted after 66 years

Such is the plight of 97-year-old Marie Hatch, who was served with a 60-day notice this month to vacate the Craftsman cottage shes lived in since 1950. She says she may wind up homeless if evicted.

After The Chronicle broke the story, more than 300 emails and phone calls offering assistance poured into the paper Monday from around the nation. Scores of people also contacted a next-door neighbor who has been helping Hatch, Cheryl Graczewski  who is being evicted as well, because her rental house is owned by the same landlord.

Some people offered to pay Hatchs rent at a higher rate, some volunteered legal help, and a few even said they would buy the house from her landlord so she could stay  a remedy the landlords attorney said he is exploring.

Enforcing verbal contract

Friends of Hatchs started a GoFundMe account and by Monday evening it had raised more than $13,000.

One of the legal offers came from Joe Cotchett, a high-profile civil attorney who represented victims in the Bernard Madoff scandal and the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion. He took on the eviction case pro bono and said that unlike many tenants who live outside cities with strong eviction controls, Hatch has an argument.

Cotchett said he believes that Hatchs landlord has to honor a verbal agreement that the landlords late wife, and her mother and grandmother before her, made over the past 60-plus years to let Hatch live in the cottage for life.

That woman will not leave her house, Cotchett said.

One of Cotchetts partners, Nancy Fineman, visited Hatch on Monday and told her that she believes the situation qualifies under wrongful eviction law.

We will get the oral contract enforced, she said. People think they cant enforce an oral agreement, but theyre wrong.

When you see this house and you meet Marie  you can see there is a lot of love in that house, Fineman said. Fulfilling the promise of being able to live there for life is not charity, its the honorable thing to do.

Hatchs landlord, David Kantz, said he has great sympathy for her, but that he has a duty on behalf of his sons to handle the property to the best of his ability before his late wifes trust expires this summer. His attorney says that under the terms of his wifes will, the house must be sold this year.

I feel bad for the elderly lady, I feel bad for my sons, I feel bad for me, Kantz said.

By many accounts, Hatch was promised lifetime tenancy in 1950 by the original landlord, Vivian Kruse. After she died, her daughter continued the promise until she died, and then the granddaughter. But the granddaughter was killed by a boyfriend in 2006 as she was getting divorced, and Kantz took over the property.

View of landlords attorney

On Monday evening, with Kantz facing hostility from many quarters, his lawyer released a statement attempting to expand perspective on the case.

Ms. Hatch is a valued tenant, and accommodations must be made for her comfort and care, wrote attorney Michael Liberty. But the landlord cannot bear sole responsibility; the tenants family must cooperate in this matter rather than use the media regarding a purported life tenancy.

Liberty wrote that the trust left behind by Kantzs wife requires a sale of the property in 2016, and that the landlord is making every effort for Ms. Hatchs smooth transition into either an elderly facility or to moving in with family members.

The attorney also said Kantz was looking for someone to buy the house who would let Hatch stay.

Hatch, meanwhile, said she has been agonizing with her 74-year-old son about what to do. She is fighting cancer and is agoraphobic, meaning she panics outside of her house. Her son  Gary Hatch, who also lives on the Peninsula, in a one-bedroom apartment with his wife  said he cant afford to house his mother and that she needs to be in her own place to survive.

Im old, I can hardly walk, and I dont have any money, Marie Hatch said. Where can I go? Im going crazy just thinking about it.

Kantz, a civil engineer, said that if he sells the house he could get more than $1 million. And Hatch is paying about $900 a month in rent for herself and her friend and roommate, Georgia Rothrock, 85.

A tenant advocate in San Francisco, which has the strongest rent control protections in California, said Hatchs situation could not happen in the city. At the least, Hatch would probably be eligible for thousands of dollars in relocation costs, said Tommi Avicolli Mecca, a director at the Housing Rights Committee.

But thats San Francisco, Mecca said. Much of the rest of the entire country has no rent control. And cases like the 97-year-old woman in Burlingame  what a nightmare.

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, held a town hall meeting Monday night on the situation for tenants in San Mateo County. Among those attending were representatives of landowners, who said they are getting a bad rap.

The real problem here is that there is a housing affordability crisis across the state, said Jay Cheng, deputy director of governmental affairs for the Association of Realtors in San Francisco. Its about people not having enough places to live, so were fighting over very small scraps of housing.

A lot of landlords are more concerned about having a good neighbor, not necessarily making a lot of money, he said. Its not just a case of landlords versus tenants.

Theres got to be a way

Next-door neighbor Graczewski, in the meantime, helped Hatch field queries and offers of help all day Monday. She and her family can afford to move, and she said she has some understanding for the landlords economic dilemma. But she is hoping for a better solution than Hatch packing her bags.

Theres got to be a way out of this, she said. I just know there is.

Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @KevinChron
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The family of an inmate who died in an Alameda County jail last year filed a lawsuit against the jail systems private for-profit health contractor and the county Tuesday in federal court, charging that the mans death was totally preventable and caused by negligence.

Mario Martinez, 29, died July 15 in Dublins Santa Rita Jail because of acute asthmatic respiratory insufficiency, according to the coroners office. In the wake of his death, family members and supporters alleged that he did not receive adequate, timely medical treatment and that his death could have been avoided.

More than two dozen of Martinezs family members and friends gathered on the steps of the Rene C. Davidson Alameda County Courthouse near Oaklands Lake Merritt on Tuesday to announce the federal filing.

What happened to my son was totally preventable, Martinezs mother, Tanti Martinez, said. Yes, youre incarcerated, but that doesnt mean you should die in jail.

Mario Martinez was jailed on charges of attempted murder, drug violations and possession of stolen property at the time. Family members said he was fighting the charges and maintained his innocence.

A judge had issued a court order for Martinez to receive medical treatment for his asthma and nasal polyps, but because of a lack of urgency, said civil rights attorney John Burris, the problem got so big he couldnt even breathe through his nose.

Burris, who is representing Martinezs family in the litigation, blamed the death on Corizon Health Inc., the jails contracted health provider named in the lawsuit. He said Martinez should have been placed in a medical ward rather than the jails normal housing unit.

He could not breathe. He was passing out, Burris said Tuesday, describing Martinezs death. His cellmates were asking for help. ... There's a real question of the adequacy of the medical care provided by Corizon.

Jail deputies were notified that Martinez was having difficulty breathing at 10:58 a.m., and two nurses arrived three minutes later, according to Sgt. J.D. Nelson, an Alameda County Sheriffs Office spokesman. Paramedics were requested at 11:10 a.m., Nelson said, and Martinez was pronounced dead at 11:44 a.m.

He is survived by three children.

Anytime theres a death in custody, the county is very concerned, said Donna Ziegler, county counsel. Our heart goes out to the family for their loss.

Corizon Health Inc. has faced a litany of allegations within and outside Alameda County. Last year, Corizon and the county settled a lawsuit for $8.3 million after an inmate, 50-year-old Martin Harrison, died in 2010 following a confrontation with sheriffs deputies at the same jail where Martinez died.

Under terms of the settlement, Corizon agreed to implement staffing changes in jails throughout California. Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern said when the settlement was announced that inmates would be better screened for pre-existing conditions.

Beyond Alameda County, Corizon has been shunned by the likes of New York City, which canceled its contract with the company at the Rikers Island jail complex after a city investigation found that some of its staffers had criminal histories and did not carefully watch suicidal or mentally ill inmates, two of whom died while unsupervised.

Corizons contract with Alameda County is set to expire this year, and officials have released a request for proposals to find a provider.

But agencies across the country have struggled to find replacements for Corizon, and Ziegler said, There are certain risks inherent in the provision of health care.

I challenge you to find any health care provider that provides services at this scale that hasnt had outcomes that are undesirable.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon and Police Chief Greg Suhr were once again at odds on Monday, this time in their differing testimonies in front of the district attorneys blue-ribbon panel investigating police bias and misconduct.

In his first time in front of the panel, Suhr denied that there was an old boys club culture causing problems within the department. He maintained that the department was doing its best to diversify and train officers in recognizing implicit bias in order to have a more inclusive, racially sensitive force.

Within every profession there is a culture, and within every profession, there is the feeling that there is more in than out, Suhr said. The Police Department is no different. I would say that some of that is not genuine, and some of it might be true, but as far as my administration, we try to be inclusive of everybody.

In contradiction to Suhrs testimony, Gascon said that in his interactions with the department when he was chief in 2009, he found the department suffering from an insular mentality that manifested itself in the treatment not just of other officers seen as different within the department, but also of certain communities of color. His testimony supported that of Sgt. Yulanda Williams, president of Officers for Justice, who testified last month as the only other active duty officer to come before the panel.

More for you S.F. announces shift in police gun policy

Most of the command staff were born and raised in the city, Gascon said. Many went to the same schools. There was a tremendous amount of camaraderie, which is good in one way, and in another way, there was a really tight-knit structure that precluded an objective look into the organization.

He noted that he was much more worried today about the state of the Police Department than he was in 2009. He voiced particular concerns around the police union, which he says influences the ability for a chief of police or frankly even a police commission to effectuate reform.

Former California Supreme Court Associate Justice Cruz Reynoso, one of three retired judges on the panel, echoed Gascons concerns. He said he believed that the San Francisco Police Officers Association was trying to intimidate officers into not participating in the panels efforts. In particular, after Williams provided tearful statements about her experiences  she recalled hearing about a lieutenant asking a black officer why he was wearing n jewelry  the union president wrote a scathing public letter denouncing her claims.

When I read (that letter), I said, Theyre trying to intimidate the people so that nobody else will make those statements, Reynoso said.

Mondays testimony came after Gascon accused Suhr and the police union of engaging in what he described as a dizzying array of stonewalling tactics when it came to cooperating with the panel. Both Suhr and the San Francisco Police Officers Association responded that they were cooperating and will continue to cooperate in the future.

Union President Martin Halloran said in a letter earlier this month that the union has been working with all seven of the panels working groups.

The blue-ribbon panel was formed by Gascon in May to look into potential racial bias and misconduct within the department, in light of racist text messages that were exchanged by 14 officers and emerged last year.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
The old lumber schooner C.A. Thayer, the last ship of its kind, returned to its home port at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park on Monday looking almost as good as new.

The vessel glistened in brand new black paint, new rigging and three new Douglas fir masts, which could make it possible to fulfill an old dream. With some more work, a bit of luck and some money, the 121-year-old museum ship may sail again.

Wed love to sail her one day, said Kevin Hendricks, superintendent of the maritime park.

The Thayer, last survivor of a fleet of steam and sailing schooners that carried lumber from the forests of California and the Pacific Northwest, made its last voyage under sail 59 years ago, when a volunteer crew sailed the ship from Seattle to San Francisco to become a floating exhibit.

The intervening years had not been kind to the old ship, which came perilously close to sinking at its Hyde Street berth in San Francisco. Old age and dry rot were the culprits.

But a major restoration that started a dozen years ago saved the ship. The hull was rebuilt, the rotten old masts were removed, and the ship got new frames and timbers. The work was done in stages  and the second stage, which began just before Thanksgiving, involved new masts and rigging.

The latest stage cost about $2.2 million, out of total projected costs of about $12 million in National Park Service funds.

The work was done at the Bay Ship and Yacht yard in Alameda. Courtney Andersen, the maritime parks chief rigger, went over old records and pictures to figure out how to rig the ship so it would look just as it did on the day it was launched on Humboldt Bay in 1895. He called his search for clues to a vanished time a maritime detective story.

Visitors can watch progress

Andersen was aboard Monday, working with a National Park Service crew and admiring the old ship. He and his crew of workers and volunteers will do the complex rigging of a three-masted schooner at Hyde Street Pier. They will also install new sails.

By August, he said, well have sails aboard and raised. The work will be done alongside the pier, and park visitors can watch.

The ship made its 6-mile voyage from Alameda in three hours, with the tugboat Betty L towing the ship slowly and carefully. The workboat Hawk went along, too, watching and assisting as needed. The Thayer has no engine.

Among the passengers invited along was Brian Mullins, who is the great-great-grandson of C.A. Thayer, the lumber company executive for whom the ship was named. Mullins brought along the house flag of the E.K. Wood Lumber Co., a San Francisco firm that had sawmills along the coast and lumberyards all over the Bay Area.

The Thayer was one of nine lumber ships the company owned. At one time there were hundreds of ships carrying redwood, fir and pine on the West Coast and in tiny dog-hole ports on the Sonoma and Mendocino county coasts. They carried the lumber that built the Victorian houses and was used to rebuild San Francisco after the great 1906 earthquake and fire. The C.A. Thayer is the last survivor of that lumber fleet.

Mullins is vice president of the San Francisco National Maritime Park Association, which helps raise money for park projects like the restoration of the Thayer. It was a thrill, he said, to be aboard and raise the flag of the long-vanished company and to feel the ship move.

Alice Watts, who has worked for the maritime park, has served aboard the Thayer for 33 years. She first saw the ship when she brought her son, Christopher, then 10 years old, to spend the night aboard as part of a school program. She fell in love with historic ships.

Setting sail for love

Shawnecee Schneider, who has worked as a rigger on the Thayer and on boats around the bay, was along, too. This is a big deal, she said of restoring the Thayer. This ship is totally unique and part of our history.

She has another reason to be fond of the Thayer. I fell in love on this ship, she said. She was working on the ship one day, and a handsome young man named Mike Leslie came along. And now, hes my boyfriend.

Some people just love old ships. Look at that, said Bob Hansen, who watched the tugs move the ship gently into the Hyde Street Pier. Its something right out of the past.

Hansen, who runs a nonprofit organization that helps fund museum projects, called the Thayer one of the hidden jewels in the crown of the nations national parks.

Carl Nolte is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carlnoltesf
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As San Francisco officials outlined a series of changes Monday designed to reduce police killings and rebuild community trust, they described a fundamental shift in tactics in which officers encountering knife-wielding suspects should focus on keeping their distance and de-escalating the situation.

The package, announced by Police Chief Greg Suhr and Mayor Ed Lee at a City Hall news conference, includes more training and new weaponry as well as changes in philosophy. It seeks to respond to criticism that mounted, particularly in the citys African American community, after the Dec. 2 police killing of Mario Woods in the Bayview neighborhood.

And it lays out a formidable goal: to reduce San Francisco police shootings by 80 percent.

Suhr and Lee have been under immense pressure since videos of Woods shooting showed several officers firing on the young man  who was a suspect in an earlier stabbing and was allegedly still holding a knife  even though he was shuffling slowly along a wall with his arms at his sides and did not appear to directly threaten the officers.

Its a huge cultural shift to ask officers to step back, and seems counterintuitive when its an edged weapon, Suhr said. He added that trust was shattered with the officer-involved shooting of Mario Woods. We need to figure out a way to re-engineer force.

Mixed response

The initiative described Monday combines dozens of changes that were launched both before and after the shooting, and which were developed with input from the city Police Commission and a group of black community leaders that counsels Suhr called the African American Advisory Forum. Members stood with the chief and mayor at the news conference.

Attorney John Burris, who represents Woods family and has monitored years of court-ordered police reforms in Oakland, called the changes a step in the right direction. But he added, Now the issue is that these extraordinary reforms get implemented.

The effort, though, was blasted by the Police Departments rank and file, with the officers union saying the new policies havent been properly negotiated and may endanger police.

Among the policies: Officers are prohibited from using force against a person deemed to be a danger only to himself. They cannot shoot at vehicles, nor apply choke holds. Police plan to give all patrol officers body cameras by the end of the year. And they hope to equip many officers with Taser stun guns.

When an officer points his or her gun at a suspect, it will now be considered a use of force that requires a report  an acknowledgment of the inherent seriousness and danger of such a move. In the past, when officers drew a weapon, their only responsibility was to tell a supervisor about the incident. A supervisor is also mandated to respond to any call involving a weapon.

Suhr and Police Commission President Suzy Loftus said officers will be equipped with helmets, 36-inch batons, gloves and a greater number of less-lethal bean bag rounds  gear that could help subdue a suspect with an edged weapon. However, officers struck Woods with at least four bean bags, which only bruised and staggered him.

Knife-wielding suspects

Currently, officers must have a two-hour firearms qualification every six months, proving they can hit a target. That will be bumped up, officials said, to an eight-hour session that includes training on how to best use force in different scenarios, resorting to gunfire only when necessary.

In situations involving a person with a knife or other blade  which have been particularly troublesome for officers in San Francisco and around the nation  the idea is to create more time and space, Suhr said. Up to 80 percent of police shootings happen within minutes of officers coming in contact with a subject, the chief said.

Suhr pointed to an episode earlier this month in which officers encountered a knife-wielding suspect who refused to surrender on Fourth Street in the South of Market neighborhood. He said officers specially trained in crisis intervention engaged the 6-foot, 195-pound man and eventually talked him down.

We want advanced crisis intervention officers  just short of hostage negotiators, Suhr said.

The changes outlined Monday include an expansion of that training to more officers, and an improvement in technology to get those officers quickly dispatched to tense situations.

Other shifts include the creation of a Professional Standards and Principled Policing Bureau, headed by Deputy Chief Toney Chaplin. It will oversee proposed reforms going forward and work with the U.S. Department of Justice, which is conducting a top-to-bottom review of the San Francisco force.

The city, officials said, will step up efforts to recruit people of color to become cops, and expand a program that invites young people from neighborhoods touched by violence to work closely with police.

Lee called the new policies substantial and meaningful changes to training and equipment as to how and when officers will use force. He said the policies will help our sworn officers strengthen their ties with the community and keep our city safe through a culture change in how we handle conflicts on our streets.

NAACP leader weighs in

The changes were applauded by the Rev. Amos Brown, a pastor at Third Baptist Church in the Western Addition and president of the San Francisco branch of the NAACP who is part of Suhrs advisory panel.

I should like to first commend you for responding to the appeal that came from the womb of the African American community, Brown said to Suhr and Lee. I promise the NAACP will be watching to make sure these words do not ring hollow.

Leaders of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, the union that represents all city officers, were absent from Mondays news conference. City leaders and union officials continue to argue about whether the union is being properly included  and whether it is cooperating  in discussions about changes.

These are the biggest changes proposed to police policy in over 35 years and  although some of the policies may be good ones  some of the policies may expose our members to harm. We are not going to let that happen, the union president, Martin Halloran, said in a statement.

We expect the mayor and the police chief to fulfill their ethical and legal duty to our members and let our voices be heard, he added. Our officers put their lives on the line every day to protect this city, and we deserve a seat at the table.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
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Amid a growing sense of crisis over the encampment of homeless people along Division Street, San Francisco health officials moved Tuesday to declare the tent city a health hazard and tell people living on the sidewalk that they have 72 hours to pack up and move.

City workers planned to post notices saying the area is now in violation of health codes and is not inhabitable, said Rachael Kagan, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Health.

Police Chief Greg Suhr said it was unclear what will happen to anyone who remains after the 72-hour deadline expires. He did not say whether those who stayed would be arrested.

Mayor Ed Lee also didnt offer specifics Tuesday for how the city will deal with stubborn campers. As he toured the citys newest homeless shelter at Pier 80, he said, Well get to those situations on a case-by-case basis. ... Were going to encourage people first to get out of those situations and persuade them. Persuasion usually means a backup from people who say you cant be here.

Lee said public health officials were already posting notices at the Division Street encampment  a stretch of roadway under the remains of the Central Freeway, south of Market Street  as well as encampments at 16th and Market streets and 18th and Sanchez streets.

Asked for a timeline on when the tents would be gone, the mayor said it was a matter of weeks.

Once we clean up the area, we expect the area to be kept clean and not be re-encamped, Lee added.

Kagan said health officials had decided to act after inspectors with the departments environmental health unit visited the camp and observed unsanitary conditions there.

The Division Street encampment has become a problem for Lee, who had hoped the area would clear out when the city opened its 100-bed shelter at Pier 80. The idea was to entice homeless people with security, showers and services, but many of the Division Street dwellers have chosen to remain where they are.

Complaints from neighbors and businesses have been increasing, and in some places the sidewalks have become so clogged with tents that pedestrians must walk in the streets. Sanitary conditions have deteriorated, and drug users discarded needles have become common.

The citys Public Works agency has been sending crews to do what they can to clean up the area for weeks. The health departments hot team has also been on site, urging campers to move to Pier 80 or other city shelters.

We have been doing what we always have been doing, said Public Works spokeswoman Rachel Gordon.

On Tuesday morning, however, officers from the California Highway Patrol and San Francisco police were also on hand, according to witnesses. The CHP officers were overheard telling campers to move on, while San Francisco police stood back.

As for what happens when the 72-hour deadline is up? The Department of Public Works will go in like they did with the Occupy encampment, Suhr said, referring to incidents during the fall of 2011 in which police stood guard while Public Works dismantled the tents of protesters who had been camping at Justin Herman Plaza for over a month.

We will be there in support to make sure that nobody gets hurt, Suhr said.

The timing of Lees Pier 80 tour was no coincidence. City Hall sources tell us the mayor was trying to show the public that there is an alternative to sleeping on the streets. Having the health department take the lead on declaring Division Street uninhabitable was intended in part to deflect criticism that Lees administration is criminalizing homelessness.
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The S.S. Jacob Luckenbach sank more then 60 years ago after colliding with another ship 17 miles southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge, but the 469-foot freighter is still posing an environmental hazard from its ocean grave, leaking hundreds of thousands of gallons of bunker oil that has left birds coated in the gunk, officials said Monday.

The sunken ship has been the source of several large oil spills along the Northern California coast since the 1970s, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and it is being blamed for another plague, long after officials believed they had gotten a handle on its spewing cargo.

Nearly a dozen seabirds have turned up coated in oil along the Northern California coast since late last year, and officials have traced the spill to the Luckenbach, which sits under 180 feet of water in what is now the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.

The Luckenbach, unfortunately, is a huge human mistake that continues to taint these beautiful seabirds, said JD Bergeron, executive director of International Bird Rescue.

Unfortunately, its not surprising, said Bergeron, whose organization has saved some of the soiled birds and cleaned them up at its center in Fairfield. There are a lot of sunken ships out there.

Since December, caretakers at International Bird Rescue have taken in nine distressed and oil-covered birds  a mix of Pacific loons, red-necked grebes, Western grebes, and common murres. All of the birds were found on beaches in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

Of the nine, four have died, Bergeron said. Three have been rehabilitated and released back into the wild, and two are still being cared for at the center.

Ships collide

On July 14, 1953, the Luckenbach collided with another ship while carrying railroad parts to South Korea and sank. The boat was also carrying more than 400,000 gallons of bunker fuel when it went down, and samples taken from the recently recovered birds confirmed the oil came from the freighter, officials said.

Since at least 1973-74, the Luckenbach has been responsible for a major oiling event every few winters, the Department of Fish and Wildlife wrote in a report on the wreck. The sunken vessel becomes especially problematic in rough seas when large waves and strong currents cause it to shift on the seafloor.

Leaks from the buried boat killed more than 51,000 birds of 50 species and at least eight sea otters between 1990 and 2003, according to the report.

The company responsible for the ship, the Luckenbach Steamship Co., had long since gone out of business by the time officials pinned blame on the ship, so cleanup responsibility fell to the government.

About 300,000 gallons of oil is thought to have leaked from the vessel over time and, in 2002, the U.S. Coast Guard spent roughly $20 million from the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to offload as much oil as it could. Divers, who had to live in a pressurized chamber for as long as a month, siphoned approximately 100,000 gallons of oil from the freighter to a barge floating on the surface, but because the remaining oil was located in at least 30 different compartments on the vessel, complete removal was impossible, officials said.

The remaining holes in the vessel were said to have been sealed at the end of the cleanup operation, but the boat is obviously leaking again, officials said.

Steve Gonzalez, the spokesman for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said there is still about 29,000 gallons left in the Luckenbach. He said the oil was positively identified as being from the Luckenbach by scientists in the departments Office of Spill Prevention and Response chemistry laboratory.

Tainted wildlife

Were doing what we can do right now, Gonzalez said. Any time there is oiled wildlife, we will do what we can to rescue these birds and get them back in the wild.

He added that all officials can do at this time is monitor the wreck.

Its just because the oil is compartmentalized and there were some compartments that they cant get to, so for safety reasons they just sealed them up as best as they could, but 29,000 gallons was still left onboard, Gonzalez said. During times of big ocean currents, big swells and underwater ocean currents, it seems to be the time these oilings happen.

A number of other projects were instituted to try to offset the environmental damage done by the Luckenbach, including restoration of wildlife habitats along the coast and funding of educational programs for marine pilots and captains who navigate the area.

Bergeron expects more injured birds show up at his rescue center in the coming days.

The oceans are becoming less and less hospitable for birds and other marine wildlife even without these toxins, he said in a statement.

Anyone who encounters oiled wildlife should not approach or touch the animals, the center recommended. Instead, the exact location and condition of the animal should be noted and relayed to the experts at the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, who can be reached at (877) 823-6926.

Kale Williams and Peter Fimrite are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com, pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfkale @pfimrite
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The billionaire owner of Martins Beach near Half Moon Bay has drawn a new line in the sand over public access to the picturesque cove, and it would cost more seashells than the state is willing to pay.

Vinod Khosla, a venture capitalist who co-founded Sun Microsystems, said in a letter to the State Lands Commission that an easement leading over his property in San Mateo County to the beach would cost California about $30 million, not including the enormous additional costs for road repairs, annual operations and maintenance.

Khoslas lawyer, Dori Yob, offered the estimate in a letter submitted Feb. 3 to the state Court of Appeal, which is handling one of several lawsuits over the 89-acre property. Yob did not return a phone call seeking comment Monday, but the estimate was not well received. Khosla bought two parcels, including the beach, for $32.5 million in 2008.

The $30 million figure is rather amusing, said Gary Redenbacher, a lawyer for Friends of Martins Beach, which says the state Constitution makes all beaches public property. I don't know if anybody would really take it seriously. He bought 89 acres for $32 million and is asking for $30 million for an easement over a road that is 2,500 feet long. Thats approximately 1 acre.

Jennifer Lucchesi, the executive officer of the State Lands Commission, was equally taken aback when she received the letter, which she submitted as evidence in the case. The commission contends the tidelands Khosla claims are his are actually owned by the state.

We have not seen any documentation or analysis supporting that $30 million value, Lucchesi said. Our own appraisal and other research indicates that the value of that easement is significantly less than that.

The seashore tussle is about Khoslas refusal to allow access across a 49-acre parcel, including the road and beach, and another 39.5-acre parcel that includes coastal cliffs. There are 45 leased cabins on the property. Khosla closed the only public access gate in September 2010, citing the high cost of maintenance and liability insurance.

Friends of Martins Beach sued in San Mateo Superior Court, and Judge Gerald Buchwald ruled in Khoslas favor in 2013, saying the beach was subject to the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War and required the United States to recognize Mexican land grants. Buchwald said, in essence, that the beach had been in private hands long before laws were passed requiring public access to the coast.

Buchwalds decision was appealed. That same year, the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation also sued, arguing that the sandy shoreline had been open to all comers since at least 1918 and belonged to the public. In September 2014, Superior Court Judge Barbara Mallach ruled that Khoslas failure to obtain a coastal development permit before blocking access to the beach was illegal  and ordered the gate reopened.

The California Senate passed legislation that year ordering the State Lands Commission to negotiate with Khosla for one year in an attempt to find a solution. If an agreement cant be reached within a year, the commission would be allowed to acquire all or a portion of the property by eminent domain.

The year was up Dec. 31. Lucchesi said the lands commission will continue to try to reach an agreement, but that at some point the State Lands Commission will have to decide whether to proceed with eminent domain.

Meanwhile, Khosla claims the court order doesnt apply because of his appeal and has regularly been closing the gate when he feels like it, said attorney Joe Cotchett, who represents Surfrider.

Its basic arrogance. He is just playing with the law, said Cotchett, who is planning to take the matter back to court. If you are a multibillionaire, I guess you think you can play that game.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg vowed Monday to press on with his 3-year-old effort to bring the developing world online, even after Indian regulators banned one of the pillars of the campaign.

He said the banned service, Free Basics, was only one program in his Internet.org campaign, so he could proceed with other initiatives. Indian regulators banned Free Basics this month because it provided access only to certain pre-approved services  including Facebook  rather than the full Internet.

Facebook isnt a company that hits a roadblock and gives up, Zuckerberg said at the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona. We take the hits and try to get better.

Though Zuckerberg termed the regulatory defeat disappointing for the mission and a major setback, he said every country was different, and the model that has worked in one country may not work in another.

Stocks

Floor store

in more trouble

Lumber Liquidators stock plunged Monday as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says people exposed to certain types of the companys laminate flooring were three times more likely to get cancer than the agency previously predicted.

The CDC said that in its original report it had used an incorrect value for ceiling height. It said that resulted in health risks calculated using airborne concentration elements about three times lower than they should have been.

It now estimates the risk of cancer at six to 30 cases per 100,000 people. It previously estimated two to nine cases per 100,000 people.

The agency said that its recommendations will likely stay the same  that people take steps to reduce exposure to formaldehyde emitted from the Chinese-made flooring.

Formaldehyde was added to the governments list of known carcinogens in 2011. It is a colorless gas with a pungent smell, used among other things to manufacture building materials and household products. Its a common indoor air pollutant. Researchers say the amount of formaldehyde given off by new products ebbs over time.

Lumber Liquidators said Monday that it has strengthened its quality assurance procedures, such as testing sample products.

The company stopped selling the Chinese-made laminate floors in May, a few months after CBS news show 60 Minutes reported that those floors contain high levels of formaldehyde. Lumber Liquidators also began providing customers with free air quality tests.

The CDC says homeowners can reduce the amount of formaldehyde in their homes by letting in fresh air for a few minutes every few days and choosing products with low or no formaldehyde.

Shares of Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. slid $2.81, or 19.8 percent, to close at $11.40 on Monday. Its shares have fallen more than 83 percent over the past year.

Flying

Batteries in

cargo a no go

A U.N. panel approved on Monday a temporary ban on cargo shipments of rechargeable lithium batteries on passenger planes because they can create intense fires capable of destroying an aircraft.

The decision by the International Civil Aviation Organizations top-level governing council isnt binding, but most countries follow the agencys standards. The ban is effective on April 1.

Safety concerns increased after Federal Aviation Administration tests showed gases emitted by overheated batteries can build up in cargo containers, leading to explosions capable of disabling aircraft fire suppression systems and allowing fires to rage unchecked. As a result of the tests, an organization representing aircraft manufacturers  including the worlds two largest, Boeing and Airbus  said last year that airliners arent designed to withstand lithium battery fires and that continuing to accept battery shipments is an unacceptable risk.

Mexico

Imported fuels

offered soon

Mexican officials have moved up the date for opening the countrys market to imported fuels in an attempt to spur investment at a time when low oil prices have forced the government to cut spending.

President Enrique Pena Nieto said Monday during a visit to Texas that businesses will be able to begin importing gasoline and diesel as of April 1, rather than 2017 as previously planned.

Until now only state-run Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, has been able to import gasoline and diesel.

Pena Nieto predicted the opening would lead to lower fuel prices.

Chronicle News Services
Facebook is trying to make virtual reality social.

More than 20,000 videos shot in a 360-degree format have already been uploaded to Facebook news feeds since late last year, with hundreds more added daily.

Now Facebook has created dynamic streaming technology that automatically increases the resolution of those videos, depending on the angle the viewer chooses. And the company has assembled a team of employees to explore the future of social interaction in VR.

Going back about 10 years, most of what we shared and experienced was text, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Sunday at the Mobile World Congress telecommunications industry convention in Barcelona.

And then it was photos. And now were entering into a world where thats video. But pretty soon were going to live in a world where everyone has the power to share and experience whole scenes as if youre right there in person, he said.

Facebook placed a huge bet on the future of virtual reality in 2014 when it spent $2.3 billion to buy startup Oculus VR, which next month plans to ship its first consumer-ready virtual reality viewing headsets, the widely anticipated $599 Oculus Rift.

But Facebook is trying to stay ahead of the competition. Electronics device maker HTC said Sunday the company will charge $799 for its heralded HTC Vive virtual reality system, due out in April. Meanwhile, Sony also plans to release a PlayStation VR headset this year.

In the online battle, Googles YouTube began offering 360-degree video months before Facebook.

So Zuckerberg made a surprise appearance at a Mobile World Congress press conference Sunday. He joined Samsung executives, who introduced the South Korean electronics giants consumer-oriented virtual reality camera called the Gear 360, which the company hopes will increase the volume of user-generated virtual reality video posted online.

Samsungs $100 Gear VR viewing headset is also powered by Oculus technology. Facebook said more than 200 games and apps have become available for the Gear VR since Samsung began selling the device in November.

To extend that partnership, Facebook said its dynamic streaming technology will be viewable to Gear VR owners in a few weeks.

In a blog post, Facebook said dynamic streaming will deliver 360-degree video over the Internet more efficiently, showing only the pixels youre actually looking at in the highest quality, instead of delivering the entire 360 video in high resolution.

The technology creates dozens of variants for each video, each tailored to a specific viewing angle, and then as you watch the video, we rapidly adjust which variant we display based on where youre looking, the company said.

The process quadruples the resolution quality while reducing the bandwidth required so videos look clearer and play faster, Facebook said.

The Social VR team, meanwhile, is charged with exploring how people will share virtual reality video now and in the future.

Benny Evangelista is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: bevangelista@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChronicleBenny
The heated rhetoric between Apple and the FBI got a few degrees hotter over the weekend, with both sides digging in over whether the government can force the tech giant to create a tool to help bypass security functions on an iPhone used by one of the terrorists responsible for the San Bernardino attacks in December.

In a company-wide memo from CEO Tim Cook  obtained by BuzzFeed  the company called on the government to rescind its court order, based on the All Writs Act of 1789, and instead let the issue be decided by a commission of experts.

We feel the best way forward would be for the government to withdraw its demands under the All Writs Act and, as some in Congress have proposed, form a commission or other panel of experts on intelligence, technology and civil liberties to discuss the implications for law enforcement, national security, privacy and personal freedoms, Cook wrote. Apple would gladly participate in such an effort.

Cooks memo went out just hours after FBI Director James Comey issued his own statement on the matter, calling for discussion on finding a balance between two core American values.

I hope folks will take a deep breath and stop saying the world is ending, but instead use that breath to talk to each other, Comey wrote. Although this case is about the innocents attacked in San Bernardino, it does highlight that we have awesome new technology that creates a serious tension between two values we all treasure  privacy and safety.

The tug-of-war between the government and one of the countrys most popular companies comes as investigators continue to try and piece together background information on the two assailants in the Dec. 2 attack, which killed 14 people. The phone in question, which belonged to Syed Rizwan Farook, is password protected and, if the wrong password is entered too many times, all data on the phone could be erased.

The back and forth between Apple and the FBI kicked off last week after a ruling by federal Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym, in which she told the company it would be required to produce specialized software for the feds so they could bypass the auto-erase feature on Farooks work phone.

Meanwhile, some victims and affected families in the mass shooting are filing documents in support of the judges order, a lawyer said Monday.

Los Angeles attorney Stephen Larson said he represents at least several families of victims and other employees he declined to identify but who were affected by the shootings. He said the U.S. attorney in the case, Eileen Decker, sought his help. Larson said he will file a brief supporting the Justice Department before March 3.

The victims have questions that go simply beyond the criminal investigation ... in terms of why this happened, how this happened, why they were targeted, is there anything about them on the iPhone  things that are more of a personal victim view, Larson said.

An appeal by victims gives the Justice Department additional support in a case that has sparked a national debate over digital privacy rights and national security interests.

The county-issued iPhone 5C was used by Farook, who with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people at an office holiday party in December before they died in a gun battle with police. The government said they had been at least partly inspired by the Islamic State.

The couple damaged two personal phones so completely that the FBI has been unable to recover information from them.

Farook had worked as a county health inspector. Larson said the government has a strong case because of Farooks diminished privacy interests as a dead, murderous terrorist and because the phone was owned by his employer, the county government. Youre weighing that against the interest of enforcement in an investigation and the victims and their interest in obtaining this knowledge, he said.

Larson, a former U.S. district judge, said he knew Pym, the magistrate, and described her as an extraordinary jurist when she argued in his courtroom as a then-federal prosecutor.

Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook acknowledged in a letter to employees earlier Monday that it does not feel right to refuse to help the FBI, but he said to do so would threaten data security for millions by creating essentially a master key that could later be duplicated and used against other phones.

Cooks email came hours after Comey said in an online post that Apple owes it to the San Bernardino victims to cooperate and the FBI cant look the survivors in the eye, or ourselves in the mirror, if we dont follow this lead.

Apples supporters are planning to turn out to back the company in protests against the FBI in the case, planned Tuesday evening outside Apples stores in about 50 cities in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Germany and Hong Kong. In Washington, people are being asked to express their displeasure outside the FBIs headquarters.

According to Pew Research Center, 51 percent of Americans say Apple should unlock the iPhone to assist the FBI investigation, while 38 percent say Apple should not to ensure the security of other users information. Eleven percent gave no opinion. The survey was conducted from Thursday through Sunday among 1,002 adults.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfkale
Since he took over as the chief executive of Tribune Publishing in 2014, Jack Griffin had withstood a string of controversies and criticisms and a decline in the companys share price to about $7 from nearly $25. The one thing he could not survive was a new investor who initially seemed like a potential savior.

When Michael Ferro, a Chicago entrepreneur and the majority owner of the Chicago Sun-Times, took a $44 million stake in Tribune Publishing in early February, many there thought the move might give Griffin more cash to pursue acquisitions and more leverage in staving off potential takeover bids.

At the time, Griffin described the investment as one that would help Tribune Publishing execute its strategic plan. The company owns the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and the Hartford Courant, among other newspapers.

Health care exec

Less than three weeks later, Griffin was abruptly replaced. The news, first reported by Politico, was announced in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission early Tuesday morning. Griffin will be succeeded by Justin Dearborn, the former chief executive of Merge Healthcare, the company said.

It was a move that current and former Tribune Publishing staffers, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive situation, attributed to Ferro. The company declined to comment on Griffins departure.

In a subsequent statement, Griffin said he had laid the foundation for the future success of the company and that the timing is right for a new leader to come on board and lead Tribune Publishing through its next phase of transformation.

Griffin helped oversee Tribune Publishings spin-off from its own parent company, now called Tribune Media, after years of turmoil. But he has been criticized recently by, among others, current and former members of the staff, and by civic leaders in Los Angeles, for cost-cutting that they said endangered the Times and for the lack of a clear plan to turn around the companys newspapers. They are struggling, like many in the industry, with precipitous downturns in print advertising that have not been made up by digital revenue.

Stock falls

The companys stock price fell to $7.21 Tuesday from nearly $25 in 2014.

In a memo to its staff Tuesday, the company said that Dearborn believes in using technology to boost the value of content. Before his appointment, Dearborn accompanied Ferro to some Tribune Publishing meetings, according to a person briefed on the matter who spoke anonymously to reveal details of confidential company business.

Ferro, who also became board chairman upon making his investment, said in a statement, The board thanks Jack Griffin for his significant contributions and wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Griffins departure represents the latest upheaval for Tribune Publishings newspapers. The Tribune Co., its corporate antecedent, was bought by Chicago billionaire Sam Zell for $8.2 billion in 2008. Less than a year later, amid reports of erratic management, it tipped into bankruptcy, listing $7.6 billion in assets against a debt of $13 billion.

In 2014, after years of dealing with the bankruptcy and its aftermath, the company spun its newspaper assets out into a separate company, Tribune Publishing, which it left with $350 million in debt. Griffin, who had consulted on the companys spin-off, was appointed CEO.

The Los Angeles Times, its flagship newspaper, responsible for the largest portion of the companys revenue, has waged a continuing battle with its ownership through the years. Two top editors  including Dean Baquet, now executive editor of the New York Times  left after refusing to cut newsroom jobs. Despite their efforts, the newsroom, once staffed by 1,200 people, declined to about 500.

And late last year, Griffin fired Austin Beutner, the recently appointed publisher of the Los Angeles Times, who had injected a sense of optimism into the newsroom, after the two disagreed about strategy.

Many of those who protested Beutners firing have held out hope that Los Angeles billionaire Eli Broad, who has expressed an interest in leading a group to buy the Times as an act of civic benevolence, would do just that. It was not immediately clear what effect the change in Tribune leadership might have on the Times.
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Whiskey shots, kegs of beer, bottles of Champagne, packs of cigarettes, quickies in the stairwell.

The makings for a frat house party?

Nope, these were all allegedly a part of the culture at San Francisco software startup Zenefits.

But now, the party is over (which is probably a good thing for a company operating in the highly regulated health-insurance industry).

More for you Zenefits CEO resigns amid compliance problems

The new chief executive David Sacks is cracking down on inappropriate behavior and has banned alcohol from the SoMa-based office, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The Journal obtained an email sent to employees last month that gives a sense of the spring break vibe that once permeated the offices, especially the sales department, under the leadership of the former CEO Parker Conrad.

Emily Agin, the company's director of real estate and workplace services, wrote:

"It has been brought to our attention by building management and Security that the stairwells are being used inappropriately....Cigarettes, plastic cups filled with beer, and several used condoms were found in the stairwell. Yes, you read that right. Do not use the stairwells to smoke, drink, eat, or have sex. Please respect building and company policy and use common sense..."

Taking over the reins of the health-insurance brokerage company this month, Sacks is reinforcing this message to his staff and asking employees to stop celebrating the signing of new clients with rounds of shots.

"As part of our commitment to making this a great place to work, we will find other ways for employees to socialize and have fun," Sacks wrote in a memo, according to BuzzFeed.

Immature employee behavior isn't the only issue Sacks is tackling. The fast-growing company started under Conrad was also under question by state regulators for using questionable business practices. For example, the Journal reports, Zenefits "developed a software tool that enabled sales representatives to complete online-training courses more quickly than legally required to obtain an insurance license.

Steering Zenefits in a new direction, Sacks is making sure the company admits its mistakes and accepts responsibility.

"As Zenefits' new CEO has made clear, it is time to turn the page at Zenefits and embrace a new set of corporate values and culture," Zenefits spokesperson Kenneth Baer wrote in an email. "Zenefits is now focused on developing business practices that will ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements, and making certain that the company operates with integrity as its number-one value."

This is a good thing, because while Zenefits employees might appreciate a good party, they also reportedly work very hard, readily putting in 15-hour days, according to the Journal. Maybe that's why they were doing shots.
Dorothy Edwards/The Chronicle

Hayward police have arrested a suspect in the slaying of 22-year-old Stacey Aguilar, whose gunshot body was found in a remote area of Fremont four days after she disappeared following a party, police said on Monday.

Police chief Diane Urban also said the boyfriend of Aguilar, of San Jose, had been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence against her on the same day she disappeared. But Urban would not say whether the boyfriend was the same person as the homicide suspect because, she said, no charges have been filed in connection with the slaying.
A 60-year-old educator from Lafayette was charged Monday with possessing and distributing child pornography, officials said.

The Contra Costa County District Attorneys Office filed the charges against David Prashker, who was working as a substitute teacher at two private schools in the county prior to his arrest last week. The evidence does not indicate that his alleged conduct involved students at the schools, Deputy District Attorney Paul Graves said in a statement.

When investigators attempted to contact Prashker at his Lafayette home Thursday, he ran to the back of his house and tossed his laptop computer from his second floor bedroom to the backyard below, officials said. Forensic investigators were able to find evidence of child pornography on its hard drive, Graves said, and Prashker was later charged with attempting to destroy evidence.

Prashker was booked at the Martinez Detention Facility in Martinez with bail set at $205,000. He faces up to 44 months in prison if convicted.

Officials at the Seven Hills School, an independent pre-K-8 school in Walnut Creek that serves about 385 children, confirmed that Prashker had been working as a substitute there. They declined to state whether he had been dismissed or how long he had worked for the school.

On his personal website, Prashker said he has taught English, French, Hebrew, world religions, history, music and art. As a teacher and senior school administrator he has covered every age from nursery to adults, his website bio reads.

As director of a Jewish day school in Canada, he came under fire in 2008 for having previously written sexually explicit and violent poetry, which was posted on his website but has since been removed.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
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A man who was gunned down Sunday coming out of a McDonalds drive-through in the Western Addition was identified Monday as a 23-year-old San Francisco resident who police said was targeted by his killer.

Curtis Cail was shot at 2:48 p.m. in the brazen daytime attack outside the busy fast-food restaurant at Golden Gate Avenue and Fillmore Street, across from the citys Northern District Police Station, officers and the city medical examiner said.

The victim was targeted, San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr said Monday. We believe he was known to the suspects.

The unidentified assailant shot Cail multiple times through the passenger-side door of a white Dodge sedan before fleeing into a waiting newer-model gray sedan that sped east down Golden Gate Avenue, police said.

Cail scrambled out of the car but soon collapsed on the sidewalk. Paramedics treated him at the scene before rushing him to San Francisco General Hospital, where he died.

The driver was not injured.

The shooter, described as a young man wearing dark clothing, had approached the passenger side and looked into the car before opening fire, police said.

No suspect has been identified in the killing. Investigators are reviewing security video that may have recorded the suspect and getaway car.

Cail was one of two suspects arrested in 2012 for the slaying of 54-year-old James Earl Lee and the attempted killing of a 27-year-old woman. The two were shot on May 11 that year on the 1100 block of Turk Street, just three blocks from where Cail was shot.

A witness was unavailable, and the case against Cail was ultimately dismissed by a San Francisco Superior Court judge after a preliminary hearing because of insufficient evidence, according to court records.

Suhr said he was aware of the arrest but had no idea if its related to Sundays killing.

In May 2015, Cail was arrested along with another man for an attempted burglary on the 200 block of Dorset Way in Benicia, according to a report in the Vallejo Times-Herald.

Less than six hours after Sundays slaying, at 8:20 p.m., someone opened fire with a rifle, hitting a man in his 20s in the shoulder and grazing his head on the 1100 block of Eddy Street  five blocks from where Cail was gunned down, police said.

The victim, who was not identified, took himself to the hospital. He is expected to survive. Four suspects fled the scene in a white Acura and were not identified or arrested, police said.

It is unclear whether the two shootings Sunday are related, but Suhr said investigators are not ruling it out.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Nina Menendez first saw Farruquito dance in the 1990s, backstage in San Francisco, where the boys celebrated grandfather, the great Gypsy flamenco dancer Farruco, was on tour with the hit Broadway show Flamenco Puro.

The kid, who appeared in Carlos Sauras famous film Flamenco at 12 years old, was encouraged by his family to dance a buleria for friends backstage. Among the group was one of the shows other stars, the storied singer La Fernanda, who accompanied him as he danced.

He was phenomenal. He had all the right moves, and the rhythms were perfect, recalls Menendez, artistic director of the Bay Area Flamenco Festival, who saw Farruquito dance over the ensuing years in Seville and the last time he performed here, at Cal Performances in Berkeley in 2003.

That same year, Farruquito was involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident in Spain that would send the dancer to prison for a spell, derail his career and, according to Menendez, change him deeply.

Now Farruquito is back touring the world, performing his first U.S. dates in more than a decade. He and his primo nine-member troupe of dancers and musicians perform their improvisatory Improvisao show on the Bay Area Flamenco Festival bill March 1 at the Palace of Fine Arts.

Farruquito is from a dynasty of Gypsy flamenco dancers, with a tradition passed down through the generations, says Menendez, who brought him here to teach workshops the past two years but couldnt arrange to present him in performance with his full ensemble until now.

Farruquito carries flamenco into the 21st century. Hes an innovator, but in a way thats still within the tradition, Menendez continues. Most of todays innovators are really doing fusion  more modern dance than flamenco. Within the flamenco parameters, he has developed a personal style thats different than other dancers before him yet also reflects his heritage.

Hes featuring dancer Gema Moneo, an Andalusian star on the rise who wowed audiences here in 2013.

Menendez, a flamenco singer herself and the daughter of venerable jazz and blues singer Barbara Dane, is also buzzed about the festival show March 9 at Herbst Theatre: a duo performance by the dazzling Cuban jazz pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and the Gypsy flamenco singer Esperanza Fernandez. They met while appearing in a documentary about famed Cuban composer and pianist Ernesto Lecouna, who was influenced by flamenco. Theyre performing a tribute to the music of the great Cuban singer Beny More and his mid-20th century Spanish flamenco contemporary, Manolo Caracol.

The sparks flew artistically when they worked together on the documentary, Menendez says. Theyre doing it for the first time two nights before, in Miami. Its exciting.

For more information, go to www.bayareaflamencofestival.org.

Conners in Sonoma

The assemblages of the late Bay Area maverick Bruce Conner and his wife, Jean, whos still active, are on view through March 13 at Sonoma States University Art Gallery in the exhibition, Yes! Glue: A Half-Century of Collage by Bruce and Jean Conner.

The title of the show, which was organized by Katzen Art Center at American University, refers to the brand of glue the Conners used for the collages they began making in the San Francisco Beat milieu of the late 1950s. He created poetic and darkly surreal assemblages made with found objects and other detritus, while she crafted wry pieces with spliced images from popular magazines.

The Sonoma show precedes the big retrospective Bruce Conner: Its All True, opening in July at New Yorks Museum of Modern Art and traveling to the by-then-reopened San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

For more information, go to www.sonoma.edu/artgallery.

Jazz in San Jose

Some big names  among them guitarist John Scofield, saxophone Joe Lovano with his quartet, fiddler Regina Carter with her Southern Comfort band, trumpeter Nicholas Paytons trio and the Delfeayo Marsalis Quartet  are set to perform at the 2016 Kaiser Permanente San Jose Jazz Winter Fest, which opens Thursday, Feb. 25, and runs through March 8 on stages in San Jose and Palo Alto.

Other bright spots include a 100th birthday tribute to the late honky-tonk pianist and organist Bill Doggett, featuring prized Bay Area keyboardist Chester Thompson, and the pleasing vocalist Jackie Ryan doing her Duke Ellingtons Sound of Love show.

For the full lineup, go to www.sanjosejazz.org

Jesse Hamlin is a Bay Area journalist and former San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
ELKO, Nevada  Marco Rubio amassed increasing support for his candidacy while Ted Cruzs campaign showed signs of struggle as Republican presidential candidates crisscrossed Nevada on Monday on the final day of campaigning ahead of the states GOP caucuses.

Cruz told reporters Monday that he has asked his campaign spokesman, Rick Tyler, to resign for tweeting a story that falsely alleged Rubio insulted the Bible.

We are not a campaign that is going to question the faith of another candidate for president, he said, calling Tyler a good man and noting that he deleted the tweet once he discovered it was false.

Tyler did not return telephone, text or email messages left seeking comment.

Its not the first time that Cruzs campaign has been accused by rivals of using questionable tactics. Cruz apologized to GOP hopeful Ben Carson earlier this month after his campaign promoted a news story suggesting that Carson was getting out of the race. Cruzs campaign has also acknowledged creating a website that used a computer program to create a fake picture of Rubio shaking hands with President Obama.

Speaking during a campaign stop in Elko earlier Monday, Rubio criticized Cruz for the incident and asked whether Cruz would fire anyone involved.

Its every single day something comes out of the Cruz campaign thats deceptive and untrue, and in this case goes after my faith, Rubio said.

Republican front-runner Donald Trump lashed out at Cruz over Twitter on Monday, saying Cruz has now apologized to Marco Rubio and Ben Carson for fraud and dirty tricks. No wonder he has lost Evangelical support! He reiterated his calls for disqualifying Cruz because of his fraudulent win in Iowa.

Meanwhile, establishment heavyweights continued to back Rubio, with many saying they see him as the candidate who can unite a fractious Republican Party. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch were the latest to endorse Rubio. South Floridas three Cuban American members of Congress also said that they shifted their support to Rubio, having previously supported former Florida Gov. Jeb Bushs now-defunct bid.

Former Sen. Bob Dole told ABC News on Monday that he too had been backing Bush, but hes now supporting Rubio because he wants to grow the party as opposed to Cruz. I dont know what he wants to grow.

Since Friday, Rubio has added 12 new congressional or gubernatorial endorsements, while Trump and Cruz have added none.
PHOENIX  Authorities trying to rescue a family begging for help after their 26-year-old son opened fire in their Phoenix home arrived to a chaotic crime scene they could not prepare for.

The shooter ignited a raging fire and was still inside. Officers donned breathing gear, grabbed fire hoses and ran in, hoping to save lives. They pulled out two victims, but they had to make a hasty retreat as bullets flew their way.

The violence played out in a cul-de-sac of quiet, suburban family homes Tuesday morning. Authorities eventually found Vic Buckner, 50, Kimberly Buckner, 49, and their 18-year-old daughter, Kaitlin Buckner, who were all pronounced dead. A 6-year-old daughter, Emma, later died at a hospital.

The shooter was the couples son, Alex Arthur Buckner, who was fatally shot by police, Sgt. Trent Crump said.

Three officers were treated for smoke inhalation.

The chaos woke up residents in surrounding houses, forcing some to evacuate just before dawn.

Yolanda Strayhand, who lives behind the burned home, said her elderly mother woke her up after hearing gunfire. Strayhand went outside and said her front yard looked like a movie scene, with lights and noise from several fire engines, SWAT officers and a helicopter.

We were approached by a lady firefighter who said, Theres a live shooter,Strayhand said.

She got a glimpse of the back of the home engulfed in flames.

Every room on the top floor was lit, and they were pointing guns toward the basement, she said.

The ordeal began shortly before 5 a.m. when Kaitlin Buckner called 911, pleading for help and saying that her brother had shot her, Crump said. The first officers on scene ran into the burning house because they felt they had to act quickly.

You have people that need you to come and rescue them, and you now have not only a fire, but somebody whos also firing a gun in there, the police sergeant said.

Investigators will likely be gathering evidence at the burned home into the night, Crump said. The police have no record of ever having been called to the house.

A next-door neighbor said the family had lived in the home for about two years after moving from Oklahoma. James Graham said he was not close to his neighbors, but they chatted occasionally and never mentioned any problems.

Family members told investigators that Alex Buckner, who lived in the home, had received treatment in Oklahoma for drug abuse.

They knew that there was some drug abuse in the past, Crump said. They didnt suspect this now and this was completely out of character and they did not see this coming.

All the victims had gunshot wounds, but a medical examiner will determine their causes of death, authorities said.

Police said they believe the gun used belonged to Vic Buckner.
Suzanne Barakat, the sister of a Muslim student killed alongside his wife and sister-in-law last year in an attack in North Carolina, challenged Donald Trump to meet with her after a speech in which he spoke approvingly of killing Islamic terrorists with bullets dipped in the blood of pigs.

Barakat, 28, a physician in San Francisco, said the comments and other anti-Muslim rhetoric from Trump, including a proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country, have contributed to an atmosphere of intolerance that she fears could have deadly consequences.

It allows for the Average Joe to see Muslims the way Craig Hicks saw my brother and his wife of six weeks and her sister, she said, referring to the man charged with killing her relatives last February. As The Other, as subhuman, because of their faith.

Trump has not responded to Barakats invitation for a face-to-face meeting, she said. It was delivered on Saturday via Twitter, a platform the Republican presidential candidate has frequently used to telegraph his views and to attack people, places and things that he dislikes.

Trump speaks as if he is the authority on American Muslims, said Barakat. Well, if you mean it then call me up and meet with me and lets have a chat.

Trump made his remarks about blood-dipped bullets at a rally on Friday in South Carolina, before winning the states Republican primary the next day.

They came during a speech in which he repeated a questionable story told about Gen. John Pershing, a U.S. Army leader of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Pershing, Trump said, used bullets dipped in pigs blood to summarily execute dozens of Muslim prisoners in the Philippines, shortly after the Spanish-American War.

The story, which has circulated online for years, has been dismissed as unsupported by historical documentation or evidence by websites that fact-check Internet rumors. Trump used it to illustrate his call to push back with brutal force against both Islamic terrorism and political correctness. Muslim-American groups reacted with horror to the remarks.

A little more than a year ago, Barakats brother Deah, 23, was shot and killed at his home in Chapel Hill, N.C., alongside his wife, Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, and her sister, Razan Abu-Salha, 19. A neighbor, Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, was charged with three counts of murder.

In the year since their deaths, Barakat has spoken out repeatedly about the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment and met with President Obama.
1 Zika virus: President Obama on Monday sent lawmakers a $1.9 billion request to combat the spread of the Zika virus in Latin America and the U.S. He is also requesting flexibility to use a limited portion of leftover funds provided in 2014 to fight Ebola to take on Zika, which has been linked to severe birth defects. Zika has been spreading through countries such as Brazil, but is also being transmitted by mosquitoes in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa. Travelers have also returned to the continental U.S. infected with the virus. Obama said the $1.9 billion he is requesting would include investments in research into new vaccines and better diagnostic tools, and more support for Puerto Rico and territories where there are confirmed cases.

2 Algae blooms: The U.S. and Canadian governments have agreed to seek steep cuts in phosphorus runoff into sections of Lake Erie plagued by harmful algae blooms that foul drinking water and kill fish. The deal Monday between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Canadas Ministry of Environment and Climate Change calls for a 40 percent reduction of phosphorus into the lakes central and western basin  a target scientists set. They say its essential for keeping algae growth levels low enough that they dont produce toxins that pose health threats to people and aquatic ecosystems.
A federal appeals court on Monday restored laws approved by California voters that allowed the governor to veto a convicted murderers release on parole and authorized the parole board to make inmates wait as long as 15 years for a new hearing.

Voters gave the governor the power in 1988 to overrule parole decisions and acted again in 2008 to allow the Board of Parole to lengthen the time between hearings after denying parole. In 2014, now-deceased U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton of Sacramento ruled that both laws increased the length of imprisonment and therefore, under the Constitutions ban on retroactive punishment, could not be applied to prisoners who committed their crimes before the laws passed.

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco issued an immediate stay that prevented Karltons ruling from taking effect. On Monday, the court overruled Karlton and said neither law amounted to an increase in punishment because inmates are still being considered for parole under the same standards that existed previously.

Although governors since 1988 have often denied parole to inmates who were found suitable for release by the board, the governor must use the same criteria to determine suitability as does the board, Judge Carlos Bea said in the 3-0 ruling. And although the 2008 ballot measure increased the maximum period between parole hearings from five to 15 years, Bea noted that the parole board allows inmates to request earlier hearings. He rejected as clearly erroneous Karltons findings that those requests were inadequate safeguards.

The inmates will ask the full appeals court for a rehearing before a larger panel, said their lawyer, Monica Knox. She said Mondays ruling had disregarded findings of fact by Karlton based on extensive evidence about the impact of the two measures.

The 1988 measure, Proposition 89, allowed the governor to overrule decisions by the appointed parole boards to either grant or deny parole to murderers serving sentences of up to life in prison, but governors have invoked it only to overturn grants of parole  overruling more than 70 percent of those proposed releases, according to evidence in Karltons court.

Gov. Gray Davis vetoed nearly every decision his parole board made to find an inmate suitable for release. Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed only about 20 percent of the boards decisions. One prisoner, 73-year-old Bruce Davis, a member of Charles Mansons murderous cult, has been granted release three times by the parole board but was denied each time by Brown for two killings in 1969  decisions the governor could not have made under Karltons ruling.

Before 2008, the board held hearings once a year for convicted murderers who had become eligible for parole consideration after more than a decade in prison. The law at the time allowed that period to be increased to five years for those found unlikely to win release.

The 2008 initiative, Proposition 9, lengthened the standard interval to 15 years, but allowed inmates to get the waiting period reduced to as little as three years by showing they were likely to be released earlier. In addition, the parole board allows inmates to seek speedier hearings based on new information about their cases.

Karlton, after hearing evidence at a trial, said Prop. 9 arbitrarily delayed parole hearings for inmates who might have won release earlier, and thus lengthened their sentences.

But the appeals court said less-frequent parole hearings dont necessarily mean longer sentences. Bea also said Karlton was erroneously second-guessing parole board decisions that inmates were not entitled to quicker hearings.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
Dusan Vranic/Associated Press

HAIFA, Israel  Hossam Haick, whose breakthrough work in nanotechnology has garnered global accolades, says his success as an Arab citizen of Israel proves that education knows no boundaries and is key to improving his communitys lot.

Haick, 40, has been repeatedly recognized as a leader in his field. He also teaches a popular online course in his spare time to thousands of students across the Arab world from his lab at Israels oldest university, the Technion.
Via The Age: Measles outbreak hits Princes Hill Primary School in North Carlton. Excerpt:

A measles outbreak has spread to two primary schools in Melbourne, sparking fears many more people will be infected with the potentially deadly infectious disease.

Two schools - Princes Hill Primary School in North Carlton and Footscray West Primary School in Melbourne's inner west - are alerting parents to cases of the illness.

On Tuesday, Principal of Footscray West Primary School, Brendan Millar, sent parents a message to say that one of his students had been diagnosed with measles and would be kept at home until he receives medical clearance to return to school.

"Please be aware of the symptoms, as the condition is highly contagious and we would like to minimise the effect within our community," he wrote. It comes after the Department of Health warned of more cases to come.

It revealed there were now 14 cases of measles in Melbourne, including two children who attend Princes Hill Primary School where 21 unvaccinated children have been banned from the premises.

The other adults with measles have been linked to the suburbs of Brunswick, Brunswick West and Preston. A spokesman for the department of health said at least one case was linked to Melbourne's eastern suburbs. Two people have been hospitalised. The department has not said which hospitals they are in.

Victoria's acting Chief Health Officer Roscoe Taylor said given measles has an incubation period of up to 18 days, new cases could still be coming through, with people remaining infectious for many days without realising it.

President of the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association Tony Bartone said the outbreak was "a huge concern", particularly when some suburbs affected did not have 95 per cent immunisation rates - enough to create herd immunity. The most recent data from the National Health Performance Authority shows none of the suburbs identified so far have 95 per cent vaccination rates for one-year-olds and five-year-olds.

Dr Bartone said given children had been infectious in recent weeks, it was highly likely that more cases would emerge.
Martin Cassidy / Hearst Connecticut Media

NEW CANAAN  In the wake of another daytime burglary, New Canaan Police are recirculating an image of a suspect and asking residents of the Silvermine neighborhood to review outdoor surveillance footage from Friday, Feb. 18, hoping to develop information on the suspected culprit they believe possibly drives a Subaru or Audi sedan.

Police want residents to report any footage capturing a later model green Subaru Legacy or a silver or gray four-door Audi, two model cars they suspect burglars have used to commit recent break-ins.
Via PAHO: Directors of PAHO and WHO in Brazil to assess Zika virus response. Excerpt:

The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Chan, and the director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne, are meeting this week with top Brazilian officials, including Minister of Health Marcelo Castro, to assess the Zika virus situation and response.

In their visit to Brazil, Chan and Etienne will meet with President Dilma Rousseff on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at the Presidential Palace. They are scheduled to visit the National Center for Risk and Disaster Management (Cenad) for discussions with top cabinet members, including the ministers of health, national integration, defense, foreign affairs, social development and fight against hunger alleviation, as well as the secretary of government and the executive secretary of the Ministry of Education.

As part of their assessment of actions taken by Brazil in response to Zika virus infection and its possible consequences, Chan and Etienne will be in Recife, Pernambuco, on Feb. 24 to visit the Institute of Integrative Medicine Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP), a clinical research center that is the National Referral Center for Mother and Child Care Programs. WHO Executive Director for Outbreaks and Health Emergencies Bruce Aylward will accompany them.

Chan, Etienne and Castro are slated to hold a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 17:00h, at PAHO/WHO headquarters in Brasilia.
IRBIL, Iraq  Iraqi Kurdish troops have rescued a Swedish teenager from the Islamic State group near the extremist-controlled city of Mosul, the Kurdish government said Tuesday.

A statement from the regional government said the rescue operation by the Kurdish antiterrorist forces took place Feb. 17 near Mosul, 225 miles northwest of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

The statement identified the young woman by name, saying she is a 16-year-old from the Swedish town of Boras who was misled by an Islamic State member in Sweden to travel to Syria and later to Mosul.

It also said Swedish authorities and the teenagers family had contacted the Iraqi Kurdish government and asked for help in locating and rescuing the girl from the Islamic State.

The young woman is currently in Iraqi Kurdish territory and is being provided the care afforded to her under international law, the statement said, adding that she will be transferred to Swedish authorities to return home once necessary arrangements are made.

The statement provided no details on the rescue operation and did not say whether the teen was mistreated while with the Islamic State group. The Associated Press does not identify minors who may have been victims of abuse or may be accused of crimes.

Iraqs second-largest city of Mosul was the first major city to fall into the hands of Islamic State militants during their blitz in June 2014, when the group swept across vast areas in the countrys north and west.

To this day, Mosul remains under control of the Islamic State.
BENGHAZI, Libya  Libyans took to the streets in Benghazi on Tuesday, honking car horns and waving Libyan flags in celebration after army units, backed by civilian fighters, cleared a major part of this eastern city of Islamic extremists, after nearly two years of deadly fighting.

The rare celebration comes hours after troops earlier in the day pushed into the once populous district of al-Laithi, a stronghold of Islamic militias who withdrew within hours. Over the past days, the army had made important advances and on Monday took control of a strategic port and a hospital.

Later Tuesday, families displaced from al-Laithi flooded back into the district to revisit their homes while others first waited for soldiers to inspect their houses for booby traps.

Residents posted photographs on social networking sites, showing tearful mothers bowing on the ground in front of their houses. Others hugged their sons who returned from the front lines. Streets of al-Laithi were largely blocked by large containers and sand bags used as defenses. In some of the buildings, personal belongings of the militiamen and Islamic militants lay scattered about after they retreated hurriedly.

Benghazi is Libyas second largest city and was the birthplace of the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Moammar Khadafy. Since 2014, it has endured fierce battles as the city became divided between warring parties, with militias  including al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates  on one side and army commanders and local fighters who answer to army commander Khalifa Hifter and the internationally recognized parliament on the other.

The fighting is still going on, especially in militia-controlled pockets in southern and western areas of Benghazi. Many parts of the city lie in ruins, with buildings leveled and their residents long gone.

The violence that has torn Benghazi is just a segment of Libyas overall turmoil and chaos. The country is split between two parliaments and two governments, each backed by an array of militias and tribes. The United Nations brokered a deal last year and a unity government is awaiting endorsement from the internationally recognized parliament.

That vote is expected to help pave the way for a unified military action against Libyas Islamic State branch, which has taken control of the central city of Sirte and surrounding areas.

Also Tuesday, Italian Premier Matteo Renzi said Italy will do its part in a U.S.-led coalition to thwart any terrorist attacks by the Islamic State in Libya. He didnt elaborate on Italys role.
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A group of roughly two dozen students walked out of Lowell High School in San Francisco Tuesday morning in response to an offensive sign posted on a window at the schools library this month.

The sign, which was posted on Feb. 5, read Happy Black History Month #Gang along with photos the schools principal said were insensitive to the racial stereotyping of black people that is far too prevalent in our society. The photos showed several hip-hop artists and other African American entertainers along with President Obama, according to the school.

Seeking support

While the message was removed, black students remained outraged by the use of #gang as it refers to black students and Black History Month negatively. In response to this clear anti-blackness, past incidents of racism and an uncomfortable climate for black students, the Black Student Union scheduled the walkout  according to the student youth group Afrikan Black Coalition.

Just after 9 a.m., at least a couple dozen students emerged from the school and stood in line at the main entrance holding signs that said, Black Minds Matter, Dont Stereotype Us and We Are Young Black Scholars. They later held a rally at City Hall.

A lot of students from other ethnic groups stereotype us without really knowing us, said Mikayla Sherman, a junior at the school who joined the walkout. We are protesting to make a stand against the SFUSD for not handling the situation the way we felt they should. We dont have black history at this school. We want teacher support. We want all the support we can get.

Some of that support came from Daryle Washington, a parent of a student at Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School in San Francisco, who said he saw Lowell as a steppingstone for bringing change in the district.

Student remorseful

Lowell Principal Andrew W. Ishibashi spoke outside the school as well Tuesday morning, voicing support for the students right to protest.

I want to assure you that we stand against racism and racist behavior, he said. The inappropriate posting of pictures and comments that occurred Feb. 5 is wholly unacceptable.

The school has 2,650 students, fewer than 2 percent of whom are African American.

In a letter sent to students and parents this month, Ishibashi said school officials have spoken to the student who put up the offensive poster.

While the intent was not malicious, the student who put the message up has been made aware that it was insensitive. The student is deeply remorseful, Ishibashi wrote in the letter. We recognize that this message, though not intentional, can have damaging effects on our entire community.
Via his remarkable Dispatches from Haiti blog in the Peoria Journal Star, Dr. John Carroll describes The Art of Reentry to home after a stint in Haiti. Excerpt (but read the whole piece) and then a comment:

I am going through a tough reentry right now. I just got back from the refugee camps on the Haitian/Dominican border. I want to spew out details of the camps replete with my explanation of what can be done to ameliorate the horrible situations in the camps. I need to be debriefed.

But almost no one seems interested. In fact most people dont even know the camps exist. And after 30 years I am tentative about broaching the subject except with my wife Maria and my son Luke. And even they can only take so much.

Ramsey and Sachetti from Reentry: Coming Home to the Unfamiliar:

There is a tendency for repatriates to expect several things:

1. Although people and places change, relationships that were once vital will continue to be so;

2. Family and friends will be as eager and excited to hear about their adventures as they are to speak about them;

3. Activities and/or job responsibilities that inspired them before they left will continue to do so;

4. They will feel relaxed, at ease, and at home because they are once again in a familiar cultural and physical environment;

5. Their broader perspective on life, abilities to deal effectively with diversity, and their understanding of the global nature of the human condition will be acknowledged and valued.

The actual experience of return proves, however, that to varying degrees all of the above assumptions are FALSE.

Boy, does this remind me of the reverse culture shock I experienced coming home to Canada from China in early 1984.

Compared to my eager Chinese students, ecstatic to be in post-secondary and on the verge of their careers, my Canadian students seemed like dullards who were doing me a favour just by showing up.

My colleagues listened to my adventures for a while, and then began to glaze over. I ranted to the administration on the opportunities to teach Chinese students and thereby build strong ties to a rising giant; they nodded and did nothing. It was cold consolation, 20 years later, to see deans and vice-presidents flying to education fairs in China to recruit studentsat least the ones whose parents could afford the tuition, on which our college now depended.

Rather than become a China Bore, I shut up...at least until years later, when my colleagues began coming home from our experiments in running our programs in Chinese universities. The experiments did not go well, and I could at least sympathize with my culture-shocked colleagues while reflecting on how little had changed since my time there.

I suspect rough reentries like Dr. Carroll's and mine are routine for many who take their skills and good will overseas. The doctors coming back from West Africa, for example, got a decidedly mixed reception, ending in general apathy.

Countless experts from WHO, CDC, ECDC and other agencies routinely lend their expertise in hot zones and then come home to the pastoral torpor of Geneva or the Washington suburbs or Stockholm, where the locals enjoy reliably safe water and food and excellent healthcare systems. Like combat veterans, they must soon decide it's a waste of time to talk much about what they've seen, except to the politicians who can fund adequate responses. And even then, they have to portray the threat not to the current victims, but to the voters who elected those politicians.

We are already becoming aware of the psychological toll we impose on our first responders: the firefighters, cops, and medics who deal with drug overdoses, burn victims, and the other casualties of daily life in a modern industrial nation. The endless police shootings of civilians in the US likely reflect the prevalence of undiagnosed PTSD in American police officers.

The toll we impose on the medical staff of NGOs like MSF is far less recognized. But I know a thousand-yard stare when I see it, and I've seen it in healthcare workers who've been in poor countries. Eventually, after one outbreak or another, we will have to factor in the added cost of giving care to the caregivers.
Those of us used to walking around with an open tab of tickets owed to SFMTA might be surprised to hear this: San Francisco actually owes a lot of people money. Those interested in getting that cash back are running out of time to file a claim.

Several hundred individuals and a number of companies either double paid or overpaid parking and transit citations between 1995 and 2012, and are now owed a collective $6.1 million. But the Municipal Transportation Agency is warning residents that after Thursday, "unclaimed funds will become the property of the City and County of San Francisco."
Via the Times of India, a worrying report: Full water supply only after 2 weeks as Jat stir cripples capital's lifeline. Click or tap through for the full report, a video and an infographic. Excerpt:

NEW DELHI: Water supply in the city is likely to take two weeks to be fully restored as Jat protesters have extensively damaged the Munak canal, Delhi's lifeline, which accounts for close to 45% of the supply, at several places.

There was, however, some relief on Monday after Delhi Jal Board started partial production at the Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla treatment plants.

The government announced that schools, shut on Monday due to the water crisis, will reopen on Tuesday. By Tuesday morning, authorities hope to supply 475 million gallons per day, about 50% of Delhi's total supply capacity of 900 MGD.

The Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla plants, with a combined capacity of 238 MGD, take raw water from the Yamuna. These plants too are now unable to fully function due to high levels of ammonia in the river.

Protesters had taken control of Munak canal at Mandora village in Haryana on February 19 and then again the next day. On Monday, the Army finally wrested control but protesters moved to Khubru, a village 35km upstream and stopped supply to the canal completely.

Both banks of the Munak canal have been completely breached along a length of 250 feet, sources said.

A DJB team was sent to Mandora to assess the damage to Munak. After the army took control of the canal, Haryana said it would release water through the Delhi sub-branch, an offshoot of Munak which has a capacity of 215 MGD. However, officials soon realized that despite opening gates, there was no water in the channel because protesters had blocked the canal in Khubru.
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SALINAS, Calif. The Salinas woman accused of killing a 3-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy and hiding their bodies in a Redding, Calif. storage unit is pregnant, sources told KSBW.

Monterey County jail inmate Tami Huntsman will receive prenatal care from the jail's medical unit. Huntsman's baby will be her fourth biological child.

Sources did not know how many months pregnant she is, nor who the father is. Before she was arrested in December, the 39-year-old woman was dating a 17-year-old boy, Gonzalo Curiel.

The couple began dating when Curiel was 16 years old, her estranged husband said.

Curiel is also charged with murdering the two children and will be put on trial as an adult. He turned 18 on Tuesday.

Prosecutors and police believe Delyha Tara and her brother, Shaun Tara, were murdered inside Huntsman's Salinas apartment on Nov. 27, and their bodies were driven 300 miles north to the Redding storage locker.

An autopsy concluded that the cause of death was ongoing, long-term physical abuse. The victims' 9-year-old half-sister was put into protective custody after she was found starving and severely beaten in a locked vehicle in Quincy, Calif.

Huntsman is not the mother of Delyha, Shaun, and the 9-year-old survivor.

Huntsman's estranged husband, Chris Criswell, told KSBW that she used to be a good mother, but she changed when she began dating Curiel.

"Tami Huntsman was the perfect mother, the perfect housewife, the perfect person, up until the point she met that kid," Criswell said, referring to Curiel.

Huntsman met the teenage boy because he was friends with her 15-year-old son.

"She was never a vindictive person. She wasn't evil. I don't know what flipped her switch (and) what made her do what she did," Criswell said.

Huntsman and Curiel have pleaded not guilty to all charges, and they are scheduled to make their next court appearance on March 4.

This article originally appeared on KSBW.
The U.S. government has charged at least 87 people on U.S. soil with trying to support the ISIS terrorism group.

They were tracked down for their alleged willingness to join forces with ISIS either by carrying out attacks in the United States or by traveling overseas and taking up arms on the battlefield.
A guest blog by Dolores Hill

Who in the world would spend their free time talking to the public about the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-Rex) mission and asteroids? OSIRIS-REx Ambassador volunteers and OSIRIS-REx team members, thats who! We have a terrific group of volunteers who staff tables at public events such as the University of Arizonas College of Science Lecture Series where the missions Principal Investigator Dante Lauretta was a featured speaker, or at the huge annual Tucson Festival of Books.

Ambassador volunteers come from all walks of life and have several things in common: they love space science, are excited about the OSIRIS-REx mission, and are thrilled to rub elbows with the team. Several OSIRIS-REx Ambassadors actually started out as NASA Solar System Ambassadors, so they came with extensive training and experience.

I am honored to work with both Ambassadors and team members who are immersed in the mission. I love sharing with the public the OSIRIS-REx story as it unfolds as well as news about asteroids and meteorites.

Ambassadors provide information about NASA, The University of Arizonas Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (which leads the mission), Goddard Space Flight Center, Lockheed Martin, and instrument partners. The program helps the OSIRIS-REx mission engage students and the public.

For Brenda Huettner and LuAnn Kidd, its a real family affair. Both have children who work for the mission. Dave Acklam, Al Anzaldua, and Jack Monahans are knowledgeable fellows we count on to give explanations of technical topics. Volunteers like Luis Martinez have observed asteroids in big and small telescopes, so they understand the nuts and bolts of Earth-based asteroid observing. Jonna Zucarelli fills an important role in the OSIRIS-REx Principal Investigator Office at the mission operations center and regularly volunteers as an Ambassador.

Science team members Carl Hergenrother (Astronomy), Ellyn Kinney-Spano (Image Processing), Cat Merrill (OCAMS), Bashar Rizk (OCAMS), and Heather Enos (PPCO) are always ready to pitch in to talk about their roles on the mission. We appreciate their willingness to squeeze us in to their busy schedules. We get to hear news hot off the press so to speak as OSIRIS-REx scientists, engineers, managers, and technicians share their mission stories, trials, tribulations, and successes of course.

One of our largest events of the year is the huge Tucson Festival of Books. Taking place in March, it draws more than 130,000 visitors over two days. Its all hands on deck time as we share the OSIRIS-REx mission with visitors who have come from all over the world to meet their favorite authors and enjoy the University of Arizona. We display models of the spacecraft and Bennu and create fun hands-on experiences for all ages to help explain the goals and objectives of the mission.

Last year we focused on Messages to Bennu, a program where individuals submitted their names to be engraved on chips that will be affixed to the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and the Sample Return Capsule. This year we emphasized Earth-based observations of asteroids and the need for spacecraft exploration  especially OSIRIS-REx.

The OSIRIS-REx display at the 2015 Tucson Festival of Books was a great success by any measure. We had 12 presenters during the two days with a good mixture of Ambassadors and OSIRIS-REx staff. Even Lauretta stopped by. We all had great fun engaging the public with new activities. The tables were surrounded by visitors excited about the OSIRIS-REx mission and interested in all things asteroid.

Ambassadors also help with numerous small-scale events throughout the year. Some serve in informal settings like library demonstrations and give presentations to astronomy clubs, civic groups, and science museums. Classroom visits are high on the list as well. Because the OSIRIS-REx mission has a connection to other small bodies in the solar system, we have opportunities to talk about current spacecraft missions in the news such as the European Space Agency Rosetta mission to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, NASAs Dawn mission to Vesta and Ceres, and JAXAs Hayabusa 2 mission to asteroid 1999 JU3. The Ambassador team developed new activities to help convey these topics.

In certain settings, Ambassadors lead kids and adults through comet-making exercises. As the carbon dioxide ice starts to sublimate, the kids bring their comets around to orbit the Sun and watch what happens. Finally they place their creation into the Comet Hall of Fame and position a little representation of the Philae lander onto their comet. That gesture makes saying goodbye to their creation a little easier.

Because I have spent many years analyzing meteorites, meteorite activities for classrooms and public events are especially fun. Ambassadors explain that meteorites are directly related to the OSIRIS-REx mission. Meteorites help us learn about the origin and evolution of the solar system and some of methods we might use to study precious samples of Bennu returned by OSIRIS-REx. Although we are certain that most of the 50,000+ meteorites in the worlds collections are fragments of asteroids, for a variety of reasons, we can only match a few of them to actual parent bodies  all the more reason to return a sample from a known asteroid.

While most events take place in the Tucson area, they are not limited to Arizona. For example, Ambassador Brenda Huettner joined the NASA booth at the famous South by Southwest event in Austin, and Dr. Jason Dworkin of Goddard Space Flight Center gives presentations as an Ambassador in the eastern U.S. Because the training is online, Ambassadors can come from and serve a wide geographical area.

While no human can ride along with the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, Ambassadors hitch a ride by learning and sharing along the way. You, too, can be a part of this important endeavor to reach the asteroid frontier! The program has online and local training sessions throughout the year. Contact us to sign up and get started as an ambassador!
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One Bernie Sanders supporter is redefining the term "grassroots support" to raise funds for the Democratic candidate.

Ariel Zimman, a 29-year-old from Portland, told the Center for Public Integrity she will donate 10 percent of all proceeds she gets from sales of ceramic marijuana pipes emblazoned with the Vermont senator's campaign logo to the Sanders campaign.

Supporters who want to take the campaign slogan "Feel the Bern" to a whole new level  most likely "Burners for Bernie"  will have to shell out $60 for a pipe and $30 for a chillum, according to Zimman's website.

RELATED: Here's why some people think Ted Cruz is the Zodiac killer

Sanders has previously stated that he wants to end the federal prohibition on recreational marijuana and would allow states to decide on legalization.

The Vermont senator, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, has also said that he supports the medical use of marijuana.

"It was really just a way to show my support for him as a candidate," Zimman told the outlet. "People love [the pipes], and once they hear they are contributing in some way to the campaign, they are all about that too."

RELATED: Oregon man lives in a Boeing 727, wants to build another airplane home in Japan

But, the practice raises some questions about how legal it is to use a campaign logo to sell a product, even if some proceeds will go to that campaign.

Kenneth Pennington, digital director for the Sanders campaign, told the Center for Public Integrity that the campaign does not "authorize or condone" the practice, but said "it's not okay to sell things with the campaign's logo."

RELATED: Texas is prepping to license people to grow, sell marijuana. Here are 10 things you need to know

Zimman also risks brushing against the federal campaign donation cap of $2,700 for individuals.

The 29-year-old told the Center for Public Integrity that she's already donated about $150 to the Sanders campaign and plans to send about $200 more in about a month.

That's out of roughly $3,000 in pipe sales, Zimman told the outlet.

"There is profit on my side of the business, but I'm also doing it for their profit as well," Zimman said.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports
The oceans are rising faster than at any point in the past 28 centuries, and human emissions of greenhouse gases are primarily responsible, scientists reported Monday.

They added that the flooding that is starting to make life miserable in many coastal towns  like Miami Beach, Florida; Norfolk, Virginia; and Charleston, South Carolina  was largely a consequence of those emissions, and that it is likely to grow worse in coming years.

The scientists confirmed previous estimates, but with a larger data set, that if global emissions continue at a high rate over the next few decades, the ocean could rise as much as 3 or 4 feet by 2100, as ocean water expands and the great ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica begin to collapse.

Experts say the situation will grow far worse in the 22nd century and beyond, likely requiring the abandonment of many of the worlds coastal cities.

I think we can definitely be confident that sea-level rise is going to continue to accelerate if theres further warming, which inevitably there will be, said Stefan Rahmstorf, a professor of ocean physics at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany and co-author of a paper released Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Ice simply melts faster when the temperatures get higher, Rahmstorf added. Thats just basic physics.

In a report issued at the same time as the scientific paper, a climate research and communications organization in Princeton, New Jersey, Climate Central, used the new findings to calculate that roughly three-quarters of the tidal floods now occurring in towns along the American East Coast would not be happening in the absence of sea-level rise caused by human emissions.

The lead author of that report, Benjamin H. Strauss, said the same was likely to be true on a global scale, in any coastal community that has seen an increase of saltwater flooding in recent decades.

Local factors do come into play, though: Communities on land that is sinking, as in the Chesapeake Bay region of the United States, are being hit especially hard by the rising sea level.

Tidal floods are occurring more frequently, and are becoming a strain in many towns by killing lawns and trees, polluting supplies of fresh water, blocking streets in the middle of sunny afternoons and sometimes stranding entire island communities for hours by covering the roads to the mainland.

I think we need a new way to think about most coastal flooding, Strauss said in an interview. Its not the tide. Its not the wind. Its us. Thats true for most of the coastal floods we now experience.

The new research was led by Robert E. Kopp, an earth scientist at Rutgers University who has won respect from his colleagues by bringing elaborate statistical techniques to bear on longstanding problems, like understanding the history of global sea level.

Scientists knew that the sea level rose drastically at the end of the last ice age, by almost 400 feet, causing shorelines to retreat by up to 100 miles in places. They also knew that the sea level had basically stabilized, like the rest of the climate, over the past several thousand years, the period when human civilization arose and spread across the earth.

There were small variations of climate and sea level over that period, and several recent papers have tried to clarify these. The new paper confirms a central finding of the earlier research, that the sharp increase of sea level in the 20th century was unprecedented over thousands of years, but does so with a larger data set that may add to the confidence scientists place in the results.

The paper confirms that the ocean is exquisitely sensitive to small variations in the earths temperature  a portentous finding, given that human emissions are inducing a large temperature rise.

The researchers found that when the average global temperature fell by a third of a degree Fahrenheit in the Middle Ages, for instance, ice started to build up on land, and the volume of ocean water contracted, causing the average surface of the ocean to fall about 3 inches over 400 years. When the climate warmed slightly, that trend reversed.

Physics tells us that sea-level change and temperature change should go hand in hand, Kopp said. This new geological record confirms it.

In the 19th century, as the Industrial Revolution took hold, the oceans began to rise, and have gone up by about 8 inches since 1880. That may sound small, but the increase has caused extensive erosion worldwide, and governments are spending billions of dollars to try to shore up beaches and other coastal defenses.

Largely because of human emissions, global temperatures have jumped about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since the 19th century. Land ice has started to melt all over the planet, and seawater is expanding as it absorbs heat. The seas are rising at what appears to be an accelerating pace, lately reaching a rate of about a foot per century.

One of the authors of the new paper, Rahmstorf, had previously published estimates suggesting the seas could rise as much as 5 or 6 feet by 2100. But with the improved calculations from the new paper, his latest upper estimate is 3 to 4 feet.

That means Rahmstorfs estimate is now more consistent with calculations issued in 2013 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.N. body that periodically reviews and summarizes climate research. The panel found that continued high emissions might produce a sea rise of 1.7 to 3.2 feet over the 21st century.

Rahmstorf said, however, that the rise would eventually exceed 3 feet  the only question is how long it will take. The recent climate agreement negotiated in Paris, if acted upon, will bring emissions down enough to slow the rate of sea-level rise in coming centuries, but scientists say the deal was not remotely ambitious enough to forestall a significant melting of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets.

On a geologic time scale, the recent, human-induced planetary warming has been quite sudden, and the huge ice sheets have only just started to respond.

The upper estimate of 3 to 4 feet of sea-level rise in the 21st century rules out any large contribution from Antarctica in the near term, but that finding is tentative, given that the ice covering the western part of that continent is already showing signs of instability. And recent studies suggest that the destruction of large parts of the Antarctic ice sheet may have become inevitable, even though that could take hundreds or thousands of years to play out.

Sea level is going to continue going up for many centuries, Rahmstorf said.
1 Mohaymen Kiaran McLaughlin TapitJustwhistledixie, by Dixie Union After working a half in :47 3/5, which was faster than McLaughlin was expecting, he had a nice easy half-mile breeze in :49 3/5 as he begins his final preparation for the Feb. 27 Fountain of Youth, where he will take on a number of new faces who are looking to make an impact on the Derby trail. As McLaughlin said, We know hes fast, we dont need to see :47s every week. This time he went off slow in :13 3/5, then finished up his final three-eighths strong in :35 4/5. If he can turn back this second wave, and then defend his home track against the invading Nyquist in the Florida Derby, there will be few who can dispute his ranking as top dog. But it is important to remember that in the grand scheme of things these are all preps, and its only important to show enough to move forward without emptying the tank. Much will be expected of him after his easy Holy Bull score, but we really dont know the extent of the talent hell be facing on Saturday, which will include some fast horses who have been sprinting and will be stretching out for the first time.

2 Mor Spirit Bob Baffert EskendereyaIm a Dixie Girl, by Dixie Union Gary Stevens pulled him up in a work because he was unresponsive following a reported coughing episode before the work, which seems to have nothing to with the aborted work. Baffert and Stevens said it was due to earplugs. Whatever it was all about, it's probably no big deal, but still a hiccup, and you have to hope he gets back to work soon. To judge who hes beaten you have to decide whether Uncle Lino and I Will Score are serious Derby contenders. They pretty much set it up perfectly for him in the Robert Lewis and we have no idea how much to make of his win over Toews on Ice in the Los Alamitos Futurity and the latters subsequent poor effort at Oaklawn Park. His best race still may be his second in the Ky. Jockey Club and hes perfected his running style since then. He certainly doesnt set off the sparks like American Pharoah, but then who does? He is in the unenviable position of having to try to fill those shoes, but he is moving in the right direction, he still has a lot in reserve, and there are very few flaws, if any, to find in him. I only see him improving with each race. Taking into consideration the 2010 Triple Crown crop, it is very possible that had his sire stayed healthy he might have beaten American Pharoah to the punch. Although Mor Spirit looks nothing like Eskendereya and doesnt run like him, he definitely has inherited a good deal of his talent.

3 Brody's Cause Dale Romans Giants Causeway Sweet Breanna, by Sahm Breezed 5 furlongs in 1:01, and as in previous weeks, there isnt great deal new to say about him as he waits patiently for his March 12 debut in the Tampa Bay Derby, which will be a make or break weekend around the country for many Derby hopefuls. Until then, we sit and wait. I was tempted last week, and even this week, to move Nyquist ahead of him, just because hes run and we know hes made an excellent transition from 2 to 3, while Brodys Cause still has to show it. But I decided to keep them in the same order for now, even though Nyquist has proven himself to be the most accomplished and versatile 3-year-old in the country with an insatiable will to win. As a reminder, Brodys Cause is taking the same route as 2007 Derby winner Street Sense, running twice, in the Tampa Bay Derby and Blue Grass Stakes. Street Sense was fortunate enough to get a gut check at Tampa against Any Given Saturday and didnt need to push himself to the limit in the Blue Grass, run back then on Polytrack. The Tampa surface gets horses fit and well just have to see how he handles it and how fit he can get from it. I still have to wonder deep down how Romans compares him to Cherry Wine and how he compared last year to Unbridled Outlaw.

4 Nyquist Doug O'Neill Uncle MoSeeking Gabrielle, by Forestry ONeill confirmed that the Florida Derby will be his next and only stop before the Kentucky Derby. He likely would then ship directly to Keeneland instead of traveling back to California. Training for the Derby certainly has changed over the past 10 years, and although I feel compelled to retain some sense of tradition and remain skeptical, I wish them good luck in blazing a new trail. It used to be that Derby horses had least three preps, with many of the top stars starting with a sprint and then having two or more two-turn races. Now, starting only twice at two turns is the way to go with many of the leading trainers, whose philosophy is more geared toward getting to the Derby. You cant deny its been successful. But now, ONeill is taking the two-race schedule a step further by having pretty much 1 1/2 preps  a sprint and a two-turn race, with long periods of time between races. The way the Derby trail has changed, no one can say for sure whether that will work or not. The fact that I dont get it means very little in the grand scheme of things. If ONeill believes he can get Nyquist, who some feel may be distance limited (Im not one of them), to peak on Derby Day with so little mileage in the colt, then more power to him for standing by his convictions. He did a remarkable training job with Ill Have Another, winning the Derby with only two races spread far apart. Despite this colts immense talent, unbeaten record, and a tenacious will to win, Ill stick with history and tradition for now, or whats left of it.

5 Greenpointcrusader Dominick Schettino BernardiniAva Knowsthecode, by Cryptoclearance Had his typical :49 1/5 half-mile breeze, as he continues his early preparation for whatever race he winds up running in. So far, just about every major stakes has been mentioned, so its safe to say Schettino has no concrete plan. All those races are so far off, hell be in limbo for quite a while, unless things change. I have discussed my concerns with his schedule for the past several weeks, so no one wants to hear that again. A good deal of the criticism Ive gotten regarding the Derby Dozen has been directed at this horse, who for some reason is not being regarded very highly, and it doesnt seem to have anything to do with his schedule. Perhaps its Schettinos inexperience in big races over the past 20-plus years, never mind the Derby. Or perhaps it was his effort in the BC Juvenile, which was not considered a strong race as a whole, with the first 11 finishers within 5 1/2 lengths of each other. But for the most part, people just dont take the horse seriously, feeling hes a cut below. Who knows, maybe its a combination of everything. I cant see any knocks on his Holy Bull performance, where he was taken completely out of his comfort zone, and slop or no slop I cant see knocking his Champagne victory. And he certainly appeared to have an excuse in the BC Juvenile, returning with an ulcerated eye. I know he has dropped from No. 1, but that is based strictly on my scheduling concerns and has nothing to do with the horses ability. Who knows, the way the Derby trail has changed so dramatically, perhaps he and Nyquist will both teach me a lesson.

6 Exaggerator Keith Desormeaux CurlinDawn Raid, by Vindication So, who will be proven correct, Doug ONeill or Desormeaux? The latter will stick to the traditional path of the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby. Right now, Desormeaux is thrilled with ONeills strategy, having dropped five straight decisions to Nyquist, finishing second each time  four with Swipe and once with Exaggerator. He said candidly, Were looking at the San Felipe, no doubt. It seems like a good progression to me. If Nyquist runs next in Florida Im fine with that. I dont ever want to have to run against him for $200,000 again. Its not enough money to run against that kind of horse. Desormeaux went into the San Vicente extremely confident, and while he was disappointed he got beat he was happy with Exaggerators performance, which should set him up beautifully for the San Felipe. As a son of Curlin, he should improve as the distances stretch out, and with his excellent tactical speed and how hard he tries every race, he should continue to be a major force. Although his record demonstrates his consistency and versatility at different distances and different racetracks, its difficult to know just what his strength is. He basically runs around there and runs hard and is always right there at the wire. Im just waiting to see what his best weapon is when its time to deliver a knockout punch.

7 Mo Tom Tom Amoss Uncle MoCaroni, by Rubiano He always seems to find trouble trying to come up the inside, whether by his own doing, as in the Ky. Jockey Club, or having a tiring horse come in and cause him to check sharply, as was the case in the Risen Star. He no doubt would have won or been right there at the finish with a clean run. As it is, for him to be beaten only 1 1/2 lengths, while suffering a minor gash, he definitely must be considered one of the leading Derby contenders. For a horse who comes from as far back as he does, hes been remarkably consistent, demonstrating that big late closing kick in all six of his starts, whether its at Ellis Park, Keeneland, Churchill Downs or Fair Grounds, from 6 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. Fair Grounds for some reason has been the downfall of many a good horse over the years trying to rally along the rail or between horses, and, with its long stretch, seems to favor horses making big outside runs, regardless of how wide they go, as was the case in his LeComte victory. His pedigree, with the exception of his dam being inbred to Nijinsky, doesnt exactly shout a mile and a quarter, but he sure doesnt run like distance will be a problem, and we really dont know how far the progeny of Uncle Mo want to go. At this point, they dont appear to be distance limited, so well see what happens as the distances stretch out.

8 Smokey Image Carla Gaines Southern ImageSpecial Smoke, by Free House He breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00 2/5 in preparation for the San Felipe Stakes. Gaines decided to work him in company just to give him a target this time. But she said he did it easily. The San Felipe will be a major test to see how he stacks up against open company. His speed figures say he fits with those horses, even though it is shaping up be to be a very tough spot. As I mentioned last week, his mechanics still need a little work, but he seems to have so much raw talent he just goes out there and runs his opponents off their feet, as he did in the Cal Cup Derby, his first try around two turns. Of course, the San Felipe will be a huge step up in class, but from a visual standpoint hes been as dominant as anyone and did improve a great deal stretching out in distance. No one is claiming hes the next California Chrome, but I dont believe weve seen the best of this horse. And remember, he is undefeated in six starts and his average margin of victory is 4 1/2 lengths. The only race he won by less than 2 lengths may have been his best performance, as he overcame a horrible trip, having to check sharply on the far turn, to win a race he probably shouldnt have won.

9 Gun Runner Steve Asmussen Candy RideQuiet Giant, by Giant's Causeway I loved his chances in the Risen Star, but his victory didnt really tell me much more about him. He did win off a 3-month layoff in an 11-horse field. Although he had a perfect trip, and Mo Tom may have beaten him with a clean trip, I have to think he still has a lot of improvement left in him. He was getting a bit tired at the end, drifting to the inside, but being away since November, running at Fair Grounds for the first time, tracking a rapid pace, and making an early move to take the lead turning for home all likely contributed to that. He is a racy-looking colt with good extrension to his stride. Hes had problems with his lead changes in his previous races, but he showed tremendous improvement in the Risen Star, switching to his right lead on cue and staying on his right lead all the way to the wire down that long stretch, which likely is a sign of maturity. From a pedigree standpoint, hes very strong. His dam, who won the Molly Pitcher and other stakes, is a half-sister to Horse of the Year and Breeders Cup Classic winner Saint Liam and sold for $3 million at Keeneland November. Gun Runners tail-female family traces to the great Gallorette, and he is inbred to Fappiano, Lyphard, and Blushing Groom, so, all in all, there is plenty of class in his pedigree, and plenty to like about him.

10 Suddenbreakingnews Donnie Von Hemel MineshaftUchitel, by Afleet Alex Im always a little leery of horses who come from as far back as he did in the Southwest and are still several lengths back at the eighth pole. But I believe the 13-post contributed to that, especially considering he broke his maiden at a mile battling head and head for the lead before drawing away. Watching all his races, Im more impressed with him now. He has shown remarkable versatility, coming from everywhere, whether a monster move on the turn from the back of the pack, sweeping by the entire field on dirt and grass, or squeezing his way between horses. If you dont think he has speed, he was 4 lengths off a :44 2/5 half in his gutsy victory in the 7-furlong Clever Trevor Stakes, rallying between horses. When he broke his maiden battling on the lead he drew off without ever being touched with the whip. In the Springboard Mile, he was stuck behind horses in the upper stretch, then squeezed through the narrowest of openings between horses, only to be beaten the shortest of noses by eventual Smarty Jones winner Discreetness in the slop. So, as you can see, this smooth-striding gelding can do anything and from anywhere. He has an explosive turn of foot that can be used at any point in the race, whether hes 6 lengths back or 15 lengths back. And with his outstanding pedigree, theres no telling how far hes going to keep advancing.

11 Awesome Speed Alan Goldberg Awesome AgainSpeedy Escape, by Aptitude His dropping two spots has nothing to with him. I still think just as highly of him, but I had to move the Southwest and Risen Star winners ahead of him. Hell have his chance to jump back up in Saturdays Fountain of Youth. He definitely has his work cut out for him, but all he has to do is be competitive and leave room for improvement. The fact that hes been running so well at shorter distances with a pedigree that is inundated with stamina bodes well for his chances to improve as the distances stretch out. He turned in another strong work, breezing a half in a bullet :48 1/5, fastest of 45 works at the distance and his third straight bullet work. I admit Im taking a gamble having him in the Top 12 for several weeks when we really have no idea how good he is or who hes beaten. But hes done things like a good horse, hes shown his competitiveness race after race, and hes fast and can carry his speed. He cant afford to get caught up in what promises to be a quick pace, with Awesome Banner in there. And Zulu likely will have speed coming off sprints. He also cant afford to match strides with Mohaymen, so hes sort of an in-betweener in this field. In short, the pace scenario is a tough one, but well just have to see how talented he really is, with the knowledge that he still hasnt had to use that abundance of stamina in his pedigree.

12 Cherry Wine Dale Romans Paddy OPrado C.S. Royce, by Unbridleds Song He continues to train sharply for his stakes debut in the Fountain of Youth, breezing 5 furlongs in 1:00 flat. Facing an array of fast and classy opponents, this will either be his coming out party and establish him as a major Derby contender or will confirm that he is not quite fast enough for this company. We do know he has an explosive turn of foot and absolutely toyed with his opponents in his last two starts. Like Awesome Speed, he certainly does not have to win the Fountain of Youth, but needs to demonstrate that same kind of acceleration and be coming on at the end. This is a major steppingstone to launch him into the upper echelon, and all he needs to do is prove he belongs there. His works indicate hes sharp and fit, and unless he runs into traffic or the pace is freakishly slow he shouldnt have any excuses. Remember, this is a prep  an important one, but still a prep.

Knocking At The Door

If there has been one sure thing at Saratoga every year, its been the unveiling of a slew of Todd Pletcher 2-year-olds who bust out of there in their first start as if someone had given them a hotfoot. Theres one or two in every maiden race, and you better have a talented runner if you hope to have a chance against these fleet-footed Pletcher prodigies. But a funny thing happened last year. Pletcher was human and actually made little impact on the 2-year-old races.

In the past, those precocious Pletcher babies and a second wave unleashed at Gulfstream in January and February seemed to dominate the maiden, allowance, and early stakes. He even managed to win a pair of Florida Derbys with horses making only their third career start. For the most part, those early Pletcher horses would either fail to make the Derby or disappoint on the first Saturday in May. We all know that Pletcher has been criticized for his poor record in the Derby, so theres no need to quote statistics. He did manage to win it once in the slop with a perfect ground-saving trip and has had several horses finish in the money. But considering the number of horses hes run in the Derby, sometimes five in one year, many feel his accomplishments should be greater. Hes also had a number of horses finish far up the track, and had big horses like Eskendereya and Uncle Mo withdrawn at the last minute due to injury. Many of his Derby starters simply werent that good or were not ready to compete at that level going 1 1/4 miles.

But as mentioned earlier, because he was so silent with his 2-year-olds last year, he is, whether by design or not, approaching the Derby totally different this year, trying to get a number of lightly raced horses with little or no stakes experience or 2-year-old foundation to make a late push and actually be peaking on Derby Day instead of emptying their weapons in January, February, and March. Unlike talented horses such as Materiality and Dunkirk, all these horses will have at least four career starts. Two years ago Pletcher had a precocious 2-year-old named Danza who won first time out in July and then was sidelined for seven months after running in the Saratoga Special. That probably was the best that could have happened to him, as he came out of nowhere at 3 to upset the Arkansas Derby at un-Pletcher-like odds of 41-1, winning by almost 5 lengths, before running a super race to finish third in the Kentucky Derby, despite a terrible trip. But that was the last we ever saw of him.

This year started out with Pletcher, unlike past years, appearing to have little ammunition for the big Derby preps. But once again that may have been the best thing that could have happened to him. He has already unlocked the mystery of DESTINS past malaise and sent out a different horse to win the Sam F. Davis Stakes impressively. This horse actually woke up the last sixteenth of a mile in the LeComte and carried that wake-up call to Tampa. Studying that race more closely, I believe he may be much better than people think and likely will wind up in the Top 12 in the next week or two. Pletcher has the brilliant, but untested ZULU, who has never been farther than 7 furlongs, primed for a shot at Mohaymen in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, and he mentioned possible plans to send the unlucky RALLY CRY to the Gotham Stakes following his hard-luck third-place finish against unbeaten Shagaf in an allowance race. He also has the recent mile maiden winner MO POWER ready for better things.

At the end of November, three of these horses were still maidens, with Destin having broken his maiden in October. By the end of December, all had broken their maidens and it was just a question of how good they were and how much stakes experience they could get leading up to the Derby. Pletcher, this time, didnt rush any of them into stakes company, running Zulu, Destin, and Rally Cry in allowance races. He has had one disappointment with the only horse he put right into a stakes off his maiden score, and that was GETTYSBURG, who was never a threat in the Sam F. Davis as the 8-5 favorite.

So, how will this new look Pletcher team fare in the big upcoming stakes? Does he have another Danza lurking in the barn who will start peaking in April? Well soon find out, but one thing is for sure, this is one group of Pletcher 3-year-olds who wont be peaking too early, and if any of them make the Derby they will at least get there with something left in the tank.

A word about ZULU. I thought enough of him to put him in the very first Top 12, despite never having been two turns, having only two career starts, and never having run in a stakes. I took him off when he went several weeks without working, and with so many excellent stakes performances, its been difficult finding a spot for him. I could have taken off Cherry Wine, but to do so right before the Fountain of Youth might not be the wisest thing to do, so Ill sit tight and expect a big performance from Zulu, which no doubt will get him back in the Top 12. If my initial observations about him are correct, I expect a big performance from him on Saturday, despite his lack of experience and foundation and never having run against this caliber of horses. But I also expect big performances from Derby Dozen occupants Mohaymen, Awesome Speed and Cherry Wine, so if he proves hes not quite ready to win a race against more seasoned horses, with only a pair of sprints, I still believe he has a bright future and will move way forward in the Florida Derby. He breezed half in a sharp :48 1/5, so all systems are go. Stablemate MO POWER went his half in :48 2/5.

Getting back to the Risen Star, kudos to runner-up FOREVAMO, yet another talented son of Uncle Mo, who physically looked great before the race and ran to his looks, coming within a half-length of catching Gun Runner. With the exception of a poor effort in the Delta Jackpot in the slop, hes been improving with every start. My favorite part of his pedigree is his crop of 1964 trifecta. His third dam is by a son of Damascus, out of a daughter of Dr. Fager, and his broodmare sire is a great-grandson of In Reality. He is inbred to the great Tartan stallion Intentionally and his tail-female great-grandsire, Whos for Dinner, is a Tartan-bred grade I winner on grass who was runner-up to John Henry in the great geldings career finale in the Ballantines Scotch Classic at the Meadowlands.

Mention must also be made of arguably the most improved horse on the Derby trail, CANDY MY BOY, who rose from a $15,000 maiden claiming race at Indiana Grand to impressive maiden and allowance scores at Fair Grounds. In the Risen Star, he had to break from post 11, was rushed to the front, rattled off testing fractions of :22 4/5 and :46 1/5, and still held on gamely to finish fourth, beaten only 2 1/4 lengths in as good a losing effort as Ive seen this year. By comparison, the pace of the Mineshaft Handicap for older horses earlier on the card was :24 1/5 and :48. In addition, the horse who was chasing him, Bistraya, faded to 9th, beaten over 18 lengths.

What was ironic about the Risen Star, was that the second, third, and fourth-place finishers of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes have now all come back to win graded stakes in their next start. But the winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club, AIROFORCE, did absolutely nothing in the Risen Star, beating one horse as the 8-5 favorite. Whether he just does not handle a fast dirt track as he does the slop and grass, he looks to be out of the Derby picture. Hell be sent to Ocala where hell get checked out thoroughly before a decision on his future will be made.

Trainer Stanley Gold said he does not see a problem stretching AWESOME BANNER out to 1 1/16 miles, citing the fact that hes not a speed-crazy horse who runs off and has to have the lead at all costs, despite his wire-to-wire scores in the Hutcheson and Swale Stakes. He admits 1 1/4 miles is another question, but is taking it one step at a time, and Saturdays Fountain of Youth will tell him where he stands with this colt. At the other end of the spectrum. Gold has FELLOWSHIP, another son of Awesome of Course who is also pointing for the Fountain of Youth after his third-place finish in the Holy Bull Stakes at 40-1, in which he rallied from last. He also has speed, as indicated by his last work  5f in :58 3/5, which followed 5f works in :59 2/5 and :59 4/5, so that last work was no fluke. Remember, he did finish second in the 6 1/2-furlong Juvenile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream West, dropping back into a sprint after rallying from 14th to win the Florida Sire In Reality Stakes going away by 4 1/2 lengths. This is a very interesting duo, who should compliment each other very well.

One horse who may be way under the radar for the Rebel Stakes is the Mark Casse-trained SIDING SPRING, who finished 5th in the Southwest Stakes, beaten 6 1/4 lengths, after uncharacteristically charging to the lead from the 11-post and leading to the top of the stretch, while under a strong hold. He was racing in blinkers for the first time and was a fresh horse, not having run since the Breeders Cup Juvenile. He also was wearing regular shoes after having previously worn bar shoes because of an old quarter-crack. Although passed by four horses in the stretch of the Southwest, he re-broke after the wire and galloped out past all of them and just kept going. In three of his four career starts, he drew post 11 in his debut on grass, winning off by 6 lengths, post 14 in the BC Juvenile, and post 11 in the Southwest. Coming off his maiden score he finished a solid third in the Bourbon Stakes on grass, beaten 3 lengths by Airoforce. With this race under him and a decent post, watch for him to return to his off-the-pace style of running.

He has a fascinating pedigree, being by Warriors Reward, a son of Medaglia dOro, out of a Seeking the Gold mare. His female family has names you rarely see. His broodmare sire is Peace Rules, winner of the Haskell, Blue Grass, Louisiana Derby, and Suburban Handicap and second in the Travers and third in the Kentucky Derby. His second dam is by Thirty Six Red, winner of the Wood Memorial, second in the Belmont Stakes, and third in the Breeders Cup Classic. His third dam is by the all-but-forgotten Wajima, a 10-length winner of the Travers who at 3 defeated The Mighty Forego twice, in the Governor Stakes and Marlboro Cup, looking him in they eye each time. He was also second to Forego in the Woodward in a race for Horse of the Year honors and was beaten a neck in the 2-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup. And finally, the fourth dam is by Majestic Prince, undefeated winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and second in the Belmont Stakes in the final race of his career, cut short by injury. There is just something about this horse I find fascinating, especially his pedigree. If he doesnt run in the Rebel, hell go in an allowance race around the same time.

Casse added another horse to the Derby trail when he sent out CONQUEST WINDYCITY to win a one-mile allowance race at Oaklawn last Friday. The son of Tiznow looked trapped behind horses nearing the head of the stretch, but was able to swing out for room, switched leads on cue, and charged past the dual stakes-placed RATED R SUPERSTAR to win going away by 1 1/4 lengths. What I loved most was the way he seemed to pick up momentum at the wire and pulled well clear of the others on the gallop-out. He has good extension to his stride and runs like he wants to go a lot farther. He ran a huge race to finish 4th in the Iroquois Stakes as a maiden in his second career start and first start on the dirt. Considering all the trouble he had in that race, he made a huge run from 10th to third on the turn, but couldnt sustain it. He then came back and broke his maiden in the slop at Keeneland over a nice horse in Donegal Moon.

His dam, by A.P. Indy, is a full-sister to graded stakes winner and Champagne runner-up Jump Start, and his third dam is a full-sister to the multiple stakes-winning sprinter Miswaki, who sired Breeders Cup Classic winner Black Tie Affair and Prix de lArc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea, who in turn produced English Derby, 2,000 Guineas, and Arc de Triopmphe winner Sea the Stars and English and Irish Derby winner Galileo. Conquest Windycity is inbred to Triple Crown winners Secretariat and Seattle Slew, as well as Buckpasser.

Staying with Casse, CONQUEST BIG E, for whom he had a great deal of promise before a disappointing fourth in the Holy Bull, breezed a sharp 5f in 1:00 4/5 at Palm Meadows. Casses two big Derby horses at the start of the year, Airoforce and Conquest Big E, have both been disappointments so far, but he may have two worthy back-ups in Conquest Windycity and Siding Spring.

As of now, the Rebel Stakes is looking strong, with Suddenbreakingnews, WHITMORE, AMERICAN DUBAI, and Siding Spring all eligible to show big improvement, along with New York shipper VORTICITY, second in the Withers Stakes who breezed 5f in 1:01 2/5 at Fair Hill. And well see where Casse goes with Conquest Windycity. DISCREETNESS, who had an extremely wide trip in the Southwest, and unbeaten allowance winner DAZZLING GEM are other Rebel possibilities. With out-of-the-money performances by Collected and Toews on Ice in the Southwest and Smarty Jones Stakes, respectively, Bob Baffert has two strikes against him already at Oaklawn, where he has been all but invincible the past several years. Could he be saving his (not so) secret weapon, CUPID, for the Rebel and Arkansas Derby? Thats just speculation, so well see. He is starting to rev it up, working 6 furlongs in a sharp 1:11 4/5.

Even though the majority of top horses at Fair Grounds ran in the Risen Star Stakes, there are still a few left over who will compete in an allowance race on Thursday, including JENSEN, HARLAN PUNCH, and the highly regarded SPIKES SHIRL.

DANZING CANDY, impressive winner of his last two starts, turned in a sharp 5f breeze in 1:00 1/5 for the San Felipe Stakes. Trainer Clifford Sise said he was just galloping. Also at Santa Anita, Robert Lewis runner-up UNCLE LINO turned in a sharp half-mile breeze in :47 4/5, which, according to trainer Gary Sherlock, was the best work hes ever had by himself. The Lewis third-place finisher I WILL SCORE breezed 5 furlongs in 1:01.

The undefeated SHAGAF, who could head to the Gotham, breezed a half in :48 3/5. I still feel he and Zulu, both of whom I wrote about in a recent column, could be very special horses and we have only seen the tip of the iceberg with them. Well know a lot more about Zulu on Saturday.

COCKED AND LOADED, winner of the Iroquois and Tremont Stakes last year, and fifth in the Breeders Cup Juvenile, returned to the work tab for the first time since the Breeders Cup, breezing 3 furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs in :37 3/5. The aforementioned RALLY CRY, breezed a half in :48 2/5 for a possible start in the Gotham Stakes. The much-heralded MALIBU SUNSET, a 10 1/2-length maiden winner on Jan. 31 for Wayne Catalano before being sent to Bob Baffert, is starting to get serious, working 6f in 1:12 3/5. If he were to make the Derby it is highly doubtful hed have more than three career starts, so with only a 6f race under him at this late date, his chances of being ready for the Derby appear slim at best. Another brilliant colt who got started too late is the Jimmy Jerkens-trained UNIFIED, who won his career debut by 3 lengths, scorching 6 furlongs in 1:08 4/5 and coming home his final quarter in :23 3/5. The huge margins between the others strung out over 23 lengths suggest this was a monster effort and that he could be a very special horse.

Jeremiah Englehart looks to have a runner in CADEYRN, an 11-length maiden winner at Aqueduct going a mile. The son of Malibu Moon set all the pace and drew away impressively through the stretch with a solid final quarter in :24 4/5. He could be an interesting new face for the Wood Memorial.

Dale Romans sent UNBRIDLED OUTLAW a half in :48 1/5 at Gulfstream as he prepares for his 3-year-old debut. MAC DADDY MAC continues to train well for his debut, breezing 5f in 1:00 4/5 at Gulfstream. Canadian champ RIKER turned in a sharp 5f drill in 1:00 1/5 at Palm Meadows.

With California Derby and El Camino Real Derby winner FRANK CONVERSATION targeting the UAE Derby, his connections had a keen interest in Sundays one-mile Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo Race Course, with the appearance of the Tapit colt LANI, who was attempting to earn his ticket to Dubai. But Lani certainly didnt strike any fear in their hearts, finishing 5th, beaten 2 1/2 lengths.

Another ONeill-Paul Reddam stakes winner, RALIS, impressive winner of the Hopeful Stakes, continues to progress, breezing a half in :50 1/5. FLEXIBILITY, perhaps the most forgotten horse on the Derby trail following his fourth-place finish in the Withers, breezed a half in :49 on the Belmont training track. I still believe this is a top-quality horse, who just ran once too often. With five races in 3 1/2 months, including tough races against Mohaymen at 1 1/8 miles and one mile, itll be interesting to see if he gets some extra time and skips the Gotham to point directly for the Wood. Does he really need another 1 1/16-mile race over the inner track? He already has 15 points and likely would need only a second- or third-place finish in the Wood to get in the Derby.

Finally, I havent forgotten about ZICONIC, but this is the Derby Dozen and he as much of a shot of running in the Derby as his mother has of coming out of retirement.
The growth of Central Kentucky into the country's hub for Thoroughbred breeding is owed in no small part to the arrival 140 years ago of veterinarian Dr. Edward Thomas Hagyard.

Hagyard opened a veterinary hospital Feb. 19, 1876, along Short Street in downtown Lexington soon after he'd been called upon to treat a prized shorthorn bull on a farm near Winchester, Ky. He had been living in Canada, but the trip to Kentucky opened his eyes to new opportunities. The area was attractive and reminded him of his native Yorkshire, England, but foremost he recognized a dearth of top-notch veterinary care.

Upon his arrival Hagyard became the first licensed veterinarian to practice in Kentucky. His rounds were made with horse and buggy, often requiring trips to farms 25 miles away. It was typical for a vet to stay overnight on a farm when making rounds.

Hagyard was as much a teacher as a practitioner, having been a founding faculty member of the Toronto Veterinary College, so he was continuously investigating new methods of treatment and care. As his practice evolved, education and innovation would remain a priority.

While Hagyard got established, horse breeders in Kentucky and Tennessee had begun heavily promoting their stock, working hard to regain a reputation for quality that had been lost primarily to New York during the Civil War. Churchill Downs also had just started in 1875 a race for 3-year-olds it called the Kentucky Derby. Many of these owner/breeders turned to Hagyard and his three sons, Thomas, John, and Edward, to care for their increasingly valuable stock.

Thomas Hagyard would become the resident veterinarian for James Ben Ali Haggin, who owned Elmendorf Farm. At one point Haggin reportedly owned 20% of the country's registered Thoroughbreds. During this time, Edward Hagyard was managing Thoroughbred stock for Marcus Daly, a business associate and staunch racetrack competitor of Haggin's.

The connection between horses and the Hagyards strengthened even as horses were used less for transportation and more for sport. In the 1920s the Hagyard & Hagyard practice officially changed to specialize in horse care. Helping to direct this evolution was Dr. Charles Hagyard, a grandson of Dr. E.T. Hagyard. Known as "Doc Charlie," he would specialize in equine reproduction and continue down the path of innovation set by his grandfather. Doc Charlie was among the early practitioners to learn and teach palpation as a means for determining pregnancy, which had previously been done by external observation alone.

Doc Charlie took on two partners who would put innovation into overdrive: Dr. Arthur Davidson in 1937, and Dr. William R. McGee in 1940. Davidson would pioneer surgical techniques with the advent of effective anesthesia for horses and specialize in treating lameness. McGee did his own pioneering work with mares and foals. Working with the University of Kentucky, McGee helped identify botulism as the cause of "Shaker foal syndrome."

Dr. Edward Fallon, a nephew of Doc Charlie, became the fourth generation of Hagyard veterinarians at the practice in 1956. Fallon made his own contributions by working with McGee to implement and refine techniques for detecting ovulation by palpating the ovaries. Determining pregnancy in a maiden mare was reduced from around 40 days to around 30 days. He also developed techniques for eliminating one embryo in the case of twins and worked on artificial lighting protocols that would bring mares into season earlier in the year.

The clinic Dr. E.T. Hagyard started on Short Street 140 years ago has since grown and changed into what is now the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, a nationally renowned operation near the Kentucky Horse Park that employs more than 50 veterinarians and support staff that operate a surgical center, state-of-the-art diagnostic center, fertility center, podiatry center, a sport horse division, and more.

"What's been important about Hagyard has been that role we've played in the development of the horse industry," said Dr. Luke Fallon, a fifth-generation veterinarian and the son of Dr. Ed Fallon. "We've been here for every advancement in equine medicine, but it's also been more than our daily duties and our commitment to research. We've also been a part of the community by supporting programs like Riding for Hope and the Blue Grass Preservation Society."

Dr. E.T. Hagyard's timing was impeccable. He arrived in Central Kentucky just when his talents were needed the most, and Kentucky breeders capitalized on his skills to grow an industry they believed would thrive here. Together they attracted an unprecedented concentration of high-quality horses and veterinary talent that should keep the Bluegrass at the center of the U.S. Thoroughbred industry for years to come.
Mountain lions feasting on house pets (Feb. 14) used data out of context to severely exaggerate depredation to make people fearful of mountain lions. In 2015, as a result of special permits issued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 107 of Californias estimated 4,000 mountain lions were killed for injuring livestock or pets. A little more than half of those lions whose stomach contents were analyzed actually contained apparent remains of livestock or pets. No surprise.

The truth: 43 of Californias 4,000 mountain lions (or 1 percent) were proved to have eaten a domestic animal. But thats nowhere near as exciting to report. If anything, we should be alarmed by the other 48 percent that may have been wrongly killed. There is no evidence that lion numbers are growing, that the lions that live in California are eating more pets or livestock than before, or that a significant number of lions are dining on anything other than deer.

Ryan Leemon, Orange

Not heroes

Jill Tuckers Some school names offer lesson in regret (Feb. 22), about renaming schools named for flawed icons, struck a chord with me. Yesterday, I went for a delightful walk in one of my favorite places in the city: the oceanside cliffs of Fort Funston. Returning to the parking lot, I noticed a sign telling visitors about the man, Frederick Funston.

He was proud of his role in the Philippines on behalf of U.S. imperialism over 100 years ago. He crowed about stringing up people without trial, among other atrocities. Union Square has a tower of a monument to Adm. David Farragut, who led the U.S. expedition there that ousted the Spanish and then turned against the people of the Philippines. That is bad enough.

James Haber, San Francisco

Alternative policy

Lone voice of dissent on homeless piece (C.W. Nevius, Feb. 20) was excellent. I wonder how much Jennifer Friedenbachs annual salary is as director of the Coalition on Homelessness? From what I have seen, she is not doing a very good job. The idea to allow hundreds of people to live on the streets, even when there are alternatives, is extremely irresponsible. Was she part of the campaign to give out tents to the homeless? That is just a quick fix without realizing future implications. The homeless continue to live in these camps because they make their own rules and they dont like anyone telling them what to do  even though everything they have been doing is against the law.

Why have Mayor Ed Lee and his policies allowed this to continue when there are alternatives available? Why should San Francisco taxpayers be responsible for providing housing for the homeless in the most expensive housing market in the nation?

Judy Adami, San Francisco

Use Pier 80

Regarding tent cities in San Francisco: It seems one of the major complaints by the homeless about the new Pier 80 facility is they lose their privacy sleeping in a open room. Why not let them (after inspection and possible cleaning) set up their tents in the spacious Pier 80 facility? Everyone likes their privacy and their own stuff. The homeless are no different in that regard.

Mari Weiss, Martinez

Bernies got it

Regarding Bernie cant win (Letters, Feb. 21): Sen. Bernie Sanders can win us a future we want. Our primary concern nationally should be climate change and our sliding democracy: Both issues are what Sanders campaign stands on. This is not 1972, nor need it be a time for fear that what the GOP wants, the GOP gets. Many called President Obama messianic. He won and has had real accomplishments. I see Sanders being the candidate to take his work to a deeper level, getting us on track to actually turn back climate change, restructuring our economy and society at the same time. We can do it if we want it, grassroots style.

Priscilla Rich, Danville

Crumbling bridge

That chunks of concrete falling from the Bay Bridge tunnel are yet further evidence of the dramatic decay of Americas vital infrastructure. The bridge and tunnel were built years ago by the Public Works Administration, one of the New Deals many work relief agencies created not only to alleviate poverty and end the Great Depression but to catapult the U.S. into the mid-20th century. We should be grateful that the New Dealers built so well because they never imagined that Americans would be persuaded to stop paying the taxes needed to maintain what they left us so that we could return to the not-so-romantic 19th century.

Gray Brechin, Berkeley

Worst scenario

Worst-case possibility: Donald Trump actually wins the presidency. If so, I predict that hell be the first president to resign voluntarily. At some point, he wont get his way, so hell take his ball and go home, saying he needs to run his businesses, etc. Sarah Palin then becomes the president of the United States.

John Heffernan, Hayward

Pay gap debacle

Tech fueling gender gap in earnings (Feb. 21) follows the current trend to ignore identified reasons for the gender gap and instead use poorly summarized information to make a point. There is no argument that there is a pay gap, but by ignoring degree major, time in grade, career choice, hours worked, etc., you weaken your argument.

Expecting all bachelors degrees to earn the same amount ignores that one degree may be in electrical engineering and the other in English. While we can debate the value of both to society, most people would expect that the electrical engineering person would probably be qualified for a higher-paying entry job than the undergraduate English major.

At least by halfway through the article, you actually begin to focus on the serious problem that needs focus; a lack of young women focusing on STEM fields. Lets start there!

John Hildebrand, Sausalito
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Word for Word, the inventive company that stages stories exactly as written, aptly turns its literary-theatrical lens on two true stories about historical female writers, both Irish. And the stories are by noted contemporary Irish expat authors Emma Donoghue and Colm Toibin, each of whom has also been reaping praise for screenplays  her Room and his Brooklyn.

Donoghues Night Vision explores the world of the young 19th century poet Frances Browne, a blind girl whose love of words helped her glean the education denied her and become one of Irelands most revered poets.
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SACRAMENTO  California would ban anorexic models under a bill introduced Monday in the state Legislature.

Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, said AB2539 is an effort to reduce the number of eating disorders among models by creating industry health standards and requiring modeling agencies to be licensed by the California Labor Commissioner. Under the legislation, models would need a physicians certificate attesting that they dont suffer from an eating disorder, which agencies would be required to keep on file or face a fine.

This is a societal problem as unhealthy models have become role models for young people, Levine said in a statement. As California often leads the nation and the world, this bill will help assure that our children will see healthy images on magazines and fashion websites.

Last year, France approved a law that bans excessively thin models by requiring they meet a certain body mass index. Italy, Israel and Spain have also passed similar legislation, Levines office pointed out. AB2539 would not necessarily require models meet a certain body mass, instead allowing the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board and Department of Public Health to work with medical experts to create health standards for models.

The legislation has the support of former fashion model Nikki DuBose, who said AB2539 is long over-due. AB2539 is likely to face criticism from those who feel it is government over-reach and an invasion of privacy.

Eating disorders run rampant in the fashion industry in great part because models do not have support, protection, and proper access to health care, DuBose said in a statement.

Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez
DAMASCUS, Syria  The United States and Russia have agreed on a new cease-fire for Syria that is to take effect Saturday, even as major questions over enforcing and responding to violations of the truce were left unresolved. Syrias warring government and rebels still need to accept the deal.

The timeline for a hoped-for breakthrough comes after the former Cold War foes, backing opposing sides in the conflict, said they finalized the details of a cessation of hostilities between President Bashar Assads government and armed opposition groups after five years of violence that has killed more than 250,000 people.

The truce will not cover the Islamic State group, the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and any other militias designated as terrorist organizations by the U.N. Security Council. Where in Syria the fighting must stop and where counterterrorism operations can continue must still be addressed. And the five-page plan released by the U.S. State Department leaves open how breaches of the cease-fire will be identified or punished.

The announcement came after Presidents Obama and Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone Monday, capping weeks of intense diplomacy to stem the violence so that Assads government and moderate rebel forces might return to peace talks in Geneva. A first round of indirect discussions collapsed almost immediately this month amid a massive government offensive backed by Russian air strikes in northern Syria.

Obama welcomed the agreement in the call with Putin, which the White House said was arranged at Russias request. The White House said Obama emphasized the key is to ensure that Syrias government and opposition groups faithfully implement the deal.

This is going to be difficult to implement, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. There are sure to be some setbacks.

Putin called the agreement a last real chance to put an end to the many years of bloodshed and violence. Speaking on Russian television, he said Moscow would work with the Syrian government, and expects Washington to do the same with the opposition groups that it supports.

The leader of a Saudi-backed Syrian opposition alliance, meanwhile, said in a statement that rebel factions had agreed in principle to an internationally mediated temporary truce. Riad Hijab did not elaborate but urged Russia, Iran and the Assad government to end attacks, lift blockades and release prisoners held in Syria.

Syrian officials said the government was ready to take part in a truce as long as it is not used by militants to reinforce their positions.
Here is some stuff in the news today...[Content Note: Rape culture] So, I read in the Guardian today that "Democrats in the Senate on Tuesday introduced a sweeping new bill to guarantee and standardize certain rights for people who have experienced sexual assault. ...The Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act draws from legal rights that already exist in patchwork form in different states across the county." That sounds promising, but I can't find the text of the Senate legislation anywhere. I tweeted at Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the bill's primary sponsor, asking for text, but no reply. If and when I ever put my hands on the text, I'll have a look and let you know what I think of the legislation.[CN: Rape culture; sexual assault] Dr. Luke has "broken his silence" on the Kesha case, and, in news that should shock exactly no one, it is terrible : After wholesale denying the allegations, he said, "Imagine if you or somebody you loved was publicly accused of a rape you knew they didn't do. Imagine that. I have 3 sisters, a daughter, and a son with my girlfriend, and a feminist mom who raised me right." Dr. Luke, imagine being raped and no one believes you. Imagine that. P.S. Being related to women doesn't make you[CN: Video may autoplay at link] Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell " issued his most definitive statement on Tuesday: There will be no Supreme Court nominee confirmed in President Barack Obama's final year in office. In a sharply worded statement on the Senate floor, McConnell bluntly warned the White House that the GOP-controlled Senate would not act on anyone he chooses to sit on the high court. 'Presidents have a right to nominate just as the Senate has its constitutional right to provide or withhold consent,' McConnell said. 'In this case, the Senate will withhold it.'"Meanwhile, Pew Research Center finds : "In the high-stakes battle over replacing Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, a majority of Americans (56%) say the Senate should hold hearings and vote on President Obama's choice to fill the vacancy."[CN: Climate change] Well shit: "Sea levels on Earth are rising several times faster than they have in the past 2,800 years and are accelerating because of man-made global warming, according to new studies. An international team of scientists dug into two dozen locations across the globe to chart gently rising and falling seas over centuries and millennia. ...'There's no question that the 20th century is the fastest,' said Rutgers earth and planetary sciences professor Bob Kopp, lead author of the study that looked back at sea levels over the past three millennia. 'It's because of the temperature increase in the 20th century which has been driven by fossil fuel use.'"This guy: "Justin Trudeau will become the first Canadian Prime Minister to march in a gay Pride parade later this year. Trudeau has previously marched in Pride parades in Vancouver and Toronto. However, this will be the first time he has participated as Prime Minister. Toronto Pride shared the news on Twitter. Trudeau responded saying he was looking forward to taking part in the parade again in his new role as the country's elected leader."GOOD GRIEF: "Spare a thought for the Catholics of St. Louis, Missouri, weighed down as they are with ponderous spiritual matters. [T]hey must now wrestle with a new moral conundrum : Girl Scout cookies. The ethical dilemma is put pithily on the website of the archdiocese of St. Louis under the headline: 'Can I still buy Girl Scout cookies?' The equally punchy answer states: 'Each person must act in accord with their conscience.' The spiritual crisis over the selling of Thin Mints, Trefoils, and Do-si-dos on Catholic premises has been triggered by the archbishop of St. Louis, Robert Carlson. In a letter circulated to the region's priests and scout leaders, he questions whether the Girl Scout movement is spiritually in line with the teachings of the Catholic church. ...'Girl Scouts is exhibiting a troubling pattern of behavior and it is clear to me that as they move in the ways of the world it is becoming increasingly incompatible with our Catholic values,' the archbishop writes. 'We must stop and ask ourselvesis Girl Scouts concerned with the total well-being of our young women? Does it do a good job forming the spiritual, emotional and personal well-being of Catholic girls?'" LOL.YES!!! "Audra McDonald made history when she won her sixth Tony Awardthe most of any performerfor her portrayal of the iconic Billie Holiday. Two years later, she's bringing her winning performance to the small screen . HBO'sis set to air on March 12 at 9 p.m." There's a video trailer at the link.Gor $6.1 million to spare? Then maybe you'll be interested in buying Byfleet Manor, the 17th century mansion which has served as home tos Dowager Countess, and is now for sale And finally! I love this so much: " Veterinarian Eats in Kennel to Comfort Scared Shelter Dog ." This reminds me of the work I had to do with Dudley when he first came to live with us. And now the dog who was so scared he'd pee on himself if I got near him sleeps on top of me every chance he gets. Timid dogs just need patience and love. 
Genesis Energy, the country's biggest electricity retailer, increased first-half earnings 1.5 percent as it grabbed more customers in a tightly contested retail market and lifted generation volumes, but still hasn't made a decision on whether to can its Huntly power station.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and fair value movements (ebitdaf), a favoured measure by power companies, rose to $175.5 million in the six months ended Dec. 31 from $172.8 million a year earlier, the Auckland-based company said in a statement. The company said it expects annual ebitdaf will be similar to the $344.8 million reported in 2015.

Revenue fell 2 percent to $1.04 billion, even as total customer customer numbers increased 1 percent to 643,721. The partially privatised power company's total generation rose 3 percent to 3,377 gigawatt hours, while the average price received dropped 14 percent to $61.78 per megawatt hour.

Forsyth Barr analyst Andrew Harvey-Green was forecasting largely flat earnings of $172.2 million on a 2.3 percent dip in sales to $1.04 billion.

Net profit dropped 47 percent to $35.9 million, which included a $21 million fall in the fair value of the electricity company's electricity swaps and options, which it said reflected movements in the electricity price path between the dates contracts were entered into and the company's balance date.

"Despite a challenging market, our earnings proved stable through better than expected generation output, a focus on customer acquisition and simplifying online processes, while paying attention to operating expenses," chair Jenny Shipley said.

Genesis announced last year that it would close its two remaining 250 megawatt units at the old Huntly coal and gas-fired power station unless there was a substantial change in market conditions. Hailed at the time by environmental groups as the death-knell for coal-fired power generation in New Zealand, it has since become apparent that the announcement was code for Genesis only being willing to keep the units operational if market participants were willing to pay a high enough price.

Outgoing chief executive Albert Brantley said the company is still working towards a 2018 closure date, but is in "bilateral discussions with market participants about possible options for the Rankine capacity, and we will continue to evaluate commercial proposals that could deliver value to our shareholders."

The board declared an interim dividend of 8.2 cents per share, up from 8 cents a year earlier, though short of the 8.5 cents estimated by Forsyth Barr, The dividend has an April 1 record date, payable on April 15.

The shares last traded at $1.87 and have declined 3.6 percent this year. The stock is rated an average 'hold' based on five analyst recommendations compiled by Reuters, with a median target price of $2.06.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Ebos Group, the animal and healthcare company that's been expanding via acquisitions, posted a 19 percent gain in first-half profit on growth in its healthcare and animal care units, allowing it to declare a bigger-than-expected interim dividend.

Net profit rose to $64 million, or 42.5 cents a share, in the six months ended Dec. 31, from $53.9 million, or 36.2 cents, a year earlier, the Christchurch-based company said in a statement. Sales rose 8.3 percent to $3.38 billion.

Ebos announced the $80 million purchase of New Zealand vitamin and herbal tea maker Red Seal last November, adding to a string of recent acquisitions including specialty pharmaceuticals firm Zest, Australian pharmacy retailer Good Price Pharmacy Warehouse and the BlackHawk Premium Pet Care pet food business. It has also opened a pharmaceutical distribution centre in Melbourne and won a state-wide contract to supply medical consumables to public hospitals in New South Wales. Acquisitions would help drive earnings growth in the full year, the company said

"The financial performance and growth in the first half has benefited from acquisitions and investments undertaken in previous periods which have now cycled through a full 12 months of ownership," said chief executive Patrick Davies. "We remain confident of delivering another year of double digit, constant currency, profit growth for our shareholders in 2016."

The company will pay a first-half dividend of 26 cents a share, up 18 percent from a year earlier. The record date is March 11, with the payment to be made on April 1. The dividend will be imputed to 25 percent for New Zealand shareholders and fully imputed for Australian investors. Ebos suspended its dividend reinvestment plan for the interim payment. Brokerage Forsyth Barr had forecast a dividend of 24.5 cents.

The healthcare division recorded a 13 percent gain in first-half earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to $99.8 million on 8.2 percent revenue growth to $3.2 billion, Animal care ebitda rose 16 percent to $19.6 million as sales gained 10 percent to $210 million.

Ebos shares last traded at $13.70 and have gained 41 percent in the past 12 months. The stock is rated a 'hold' based on the consensus of five analysts polled by Reuters.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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NEW DELHI: Polling for 2019 general elections will be conducted through paper trail-based electronic voting machines to "enhance transparency".



Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi also said that voting through the internet is not on EC's agenda in the near future though it is going to use information and communication technology (ICT) in a big way to reach the voters in the coming days.



"We have reached a stage where people are demanding hundred per cent deployment of paper audit trail machine. We have preserved the secrecy (in this system) as well. Our plan is that by 2019, the whole country will be covered by paper audit trail machines. The budget for this has been committed now," Zaidi said while addressing an international seminar today.



The next general elections are due in 2019.



The paper audit trail machine or Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) was first introduced by the Commission in 2013 in order to enhance transparency in the polls process and increase electorate's confidence that their vote goes without error to their desired candidate.



Once the vote is polled, the VVPAT linked EVM immediately takes a printout and it is preserved for later use to tally in case there is a dispute in the final result.



Zaidi, who was speaking on the topic 'Leveraging Technology for Transparent and Credible Elections', stressed that secrecy of voters will be zealously preserved.



While the poll watchdog is taking full advantage of ICT for "recommending legislation" on providing electronic postal ballot facility to overseas Indian voters, the CEC said the same confidence cannot be expressed at present in the context of internet voting owing to security concerns.



For e-postal ballot, Zaidi said a "safe technology" has been developed and it is being "validated and tested currently...."



"Employing internet voting or online voting is not our horizon in the long term because it requires serious consideration of challenges posed by technology.



"We have to weigh between perceived and actual benefits versus perceived and actual challenges associated with online voting, security and secrecy of voting alongwith encryption and end-to-end verification of voters are some of the most important consideration in online voting," he said.

Zaidi said the EC has always marched along with



technology despite challenges coming its way like "controversies and opposition raised by political parties and activists" while introducing EVMs as replacement of the paper ballot system.



Zaidi said despite numerous allegations and accusations, the EVMs have stood the test of time and have proved their accuracy in ensuring free and fair polls across the country.



"It took the Commission more than 20 years to develop and introduce EVMs in the country after fulfilling all legal requirements and convincing stakeholders about justification, accuracy and integrity of machines. EVMs are now fully accepted. They enjoy the trust and confidence of voters.



"Our machines are tamper and security proof and have complete integrity and transparency in storage, transportation and demonstration to political parties and candidates during election period. Cases of technical malfunctioning of EVMs do occur during testing and actual use, but we have an efficient system of replacement of these machine and within matter of less than an hour," Zaidi said while endorsing the EVMs.



He said despite these results, the EVMs "continued to be attacked by activists in various media and judicial fora on account of alleged lack of transparency".



"According to these activists, a voter does not get any physical evidence whether his voting has gone to the intended candidate. This in turn has led to introduction of paper audit trail machines after an order of Supreme Court in 2013," he said.



The CEC said VVPAT machines hence acted to resolve the queries and clarifications sought by people in this regard.



He added that "not a single" dispute has been reported from the country vis-a-vis VVPAT usage in polls and the EC has deployed more than 20,000 such paper audit trail machines till now.



While moving forward in this direction, the CEC said the most important thing to be kept in mind was the security of the data.



"The biggest challenge in using ICT by electoral management bodies lies in relation to ICT security, certification and third party auditing.



"No electoral democracy can afford to have a technology that fails at its simplest and can be manipulated or subjected to malpractices at its worst. This can demolish the credibility of elections," he said.



Zaidi said the Commission is currently working on an e-governance vision 2020 to provide inclusive, integrated single window view of services to all stakeholders in all phases of the electoral cycle through various communication platforms.

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NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said the government has invited 400 foreign academicians to teach in India.

"To enable increased interaction between foreign faculty and our students, under the aegis of GIAN, my government has in the first cycle invited 400 foreign academicians to teach in India," he said.

The president was addressing a joint sitting of both houses of parliament -- Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha -- marking the commencement of the budget session.

He also said that two Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), six Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), one Indian Institute of Science Education and Research and one National Institute of Technology have started functioning.

Mukherjee also added that through the launch of Imprint India, scientific areas have been identified in 10 fields of research ranging from defence to sustainable living.

"Government has given impetus to research through the launch of Imprint India whereby scientific goalposts have been identified in 10 fields of research ranging from defence to sustainable living," he said.

"National Institutional Ranking Framework has been launched for higher educational institutions. The National Scholarship Portal provides a one-stop platform for applications of all scholarships," he added.

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BENGALURU: The appointment of a high level committee under Venkiah Naidu, by the Union government could not calm the rising fury among the Jats of Haryana. Hence, their ten day protest including road blockages, loots, plunders, open fire, water cut supply, injuries and deaths continue. Curfew at Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jhajjar and Sonepat has made life absolutely stand still.

This is the second time that the Jats rose to protest in the state of Haryana within a year. Basic supplies like fuel, milk and ration are at stake and even ATMs are out of cash. The army along with national security personnel is deployed in over eight districts to control the massacre.

As the Jats continue to paralyze life at Haryana, here is a detailed report about their demands and wishes, identity and crisis which the central government is addressing to rectify circumstances, reports Varinder Bhatia of Indian Express.

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BENGALURU: They not only set new benchmarks in the Indian fashion scene for time to come, but also captured the imagination of the leading fashion houses of the world. The soaring anticipation at NYFW this year of hundreds of people who filed into the historic Skylight at Moynihan Station in midtown Manhattan, added an excited fervor and electric buzz environment.

Catching the attention of the international fashion circuit, here are Top Models from India who challenged all the odds and gave one more proud moment to India:

Bhumika Arora

After posting pictures of her with her girlfriends on Instagram, the pretty brunette caught the eye of a fashion photographer. She soon scored her first cover for an Indian magazine, marking the real start of her career. In February 2014, Bhumika walked her first international runway show at Paris Fashion Week for Dries Van Noten. The 27-year-old has walked the runways in New York, London, and Milan. Also, she has landed some big gigs including Alexander Wang and Marc Jacobs in New York, Gareth Pugh in London, and Bottega Veneta and Salvatore Ferragamo in Milan.

Having not seen a fresh Indian face on the scene since Ujjwala, its amazing to see Bhumikas rise open wider doors for diversity on the runway and pave the way for other Indian models, says Casting Director James Scully. She awes people, not only by her beauty but also by the intelligence and grace with which she carries herself.

Read Also: Toyota To Recall SUVs Worldwide

Finger-Licking Delicacies At Delhi Street Food Festival
NEW DELHI: Sanjay Patel's animated short, "Sanjay's Super Team", which tells the story of an immigrant community and "a family of colour", is up against movies like 'Bear Story' and 'World of Tomorrow' for the Best Animated Short Film at this year's Oscars. The Indian-American Pixar artist and director says it feels special just to be in the company of "incredibly deserving" nominees.

The world is eagerly waiting to see who will walk away with the prestigious statuette at the 88th Academy Awards, to be held in Los Angeles on February 28. And Indians have a reason to cheer as Patel, who has roots in Gujarat, is pitted against "Bear Story", directed by Gabriel Osorio, "World of Tomorrow", helmed by Don Hertzfeldt, Richard Williams's "Prologue" and "We Can't Live Without Cosmos", directed by Konstantin Bronzit.



"I was confident (of winning) until I saw the other nominees. I became even less confident after I met the nominees. They are so incredibly deserving. All the films are so unique and special. It feels special just to be in that company," Patel told IANS over the phone from Los Angeles.



The US film production studio Disney-Pixar's film shows a boy, modelled on Patel, who wants to watch superhero cartoons on television. It goes on to present the boy's daydreams -- bored with his father's religious meditation -- who imagines Hindu gods as superheroes.



"John Lasseter (chief creative officer, Disney-Pixar) was the one who gave me the confidence and permission (to make the film). I had a story about a little boy from India who didn't have a father and it was more about him being absorbed in western comics and kind of ignoring the stories from his own culture. I told that story to John. He liked it. Then he asked me about how I grew up.



"I told him about my experience with my father. John straight away loved the idea. The same ideas got communicated, but it got richer and more universal. Initially, the concept was something that may be only a certain amount of people might have been able to relate to. But the idea of generational struggle between a young person and his parents is way more universal and emotional," he said.



He feels proud that Pixar was "so supportive in letting me tell a story from an immigrant community... a story of family of colour and give me that opportunity to tell the truth".



Born in Britain to Gujarati parents, Patel moved to the United States in the 1980s. The 41-year-old joined Pixar Animation Studios in 1996 as an animator on 'A Bug's Life,' and has animated on many of Pixar's feature films, including 'Ratatouille,' 'Cars' and 'Toy Story 3'.

Read Also: 6 Indian-Americans Among Early-Career Scientists Honoured By Obama

U.S. Companies to Invest $27 Bn in India, U.S.-India Business Council Chief Says

Source: IANS
CII inks MoU with Dubai exports to boost trade

Published: February 23, 2016

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai Exports to boost trade and explore business opportunities.

CII is a non-government organisation of Indian businesses which works to create an environment conducive to the growth of industry in the country. Dubai Exports works with other Dubai Government Departments to simplify the export process by developing long-term growth strategies to expand businesses and maximise opportunities

Key features of MoU

Signatory parties pledge to maintain regular and frequent contact with each other for mutual exchange of economic, trade and non-confidential information.

They will recommend and suggest partners for trade and economic cooperation and explore opportunities for business between members of both parties.

CII and Dubai exports will also organise exchange of visits for business cooperation and provide necessary support in terms of mounting business delegations, organizing conferences and other activities to each other.

Both of them within the limits of their competence will aspire to make coordinated efforts in reducing and solving impediments caused due to regulatory mechanisms like customs procedures, taxation, visas etc.

This MoU seeks to further strengthen India-UAE economic ties and paves way for both parties to help each other for promotion of investment opportunities in both countries.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2016

Topics: Business  CII  Current Affairs 2016  Economy  India-UAE  Trade

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FARMINGTON  Roman Day of Farmington, formerly of Bixby, passed away on Friday, February 19, 2016, at Presbyterian Manor at the age of 96 years. He was born on June 5, 1919, at Boss, son of the late John W. and Della (Hedrick) Day. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his wife, Nina (Sellers) Day, and a son Alvalee Day.

Roman grew up in the Boss area and attended school there. On July5, 1939, at Salem, MO, he was united in marriage to Miss Nina Sellers. Roman and Nina made their home in the Flat River area where they raised their family. They then moved to Bixby where, they remained for thirty years. In 2005 they moved to Iron Mountain to be closer to family and friends. Before his retirement, Roman worked for the St. Joe Lead Company as a Drill Operator in the lead mines. Over the years he provided very well for his family and was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was a faithful member of the Iron Mountain Assembly of God and in his spare time he enjoyed hunting and fishing with Nina and his grandsons.

He will be missed by all those who knew and loved him including is son, Dwight (Rosemary) Day of Bonne Terre, Diana (and Ronnie) Baker of Ironton, and Marcella (and Ray) Hughes of Roswell, GA, daughter-in-law Diane Day of Medical Lake, WA, seven grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and numerous other relatives and dear friends.

Friends may call from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at the Iron Mountain Assembly of God. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. with the Reverend Matthew Prihoda officiating. Graveside services will be held at 2:30 p.m. at the Boss Cemetery in Boss. Memorials, if desired, may be made to either the American Cancer or Heart Associations. Share your memories and leave condolences online at cozeanfunerahome.com.
For the Christians of Mosul, Iraq, Jesus Christ isn't a benevolent teacher whose words remind them to be nice. He is the Savior who opened the doors of eternity to them, and whose name they are willing to give their very lives to proclaim.

"We were angry. We were afraid. But we were also happy ... Our faith is more important than everything else."

These words come from Archbishop Amel Nona, the shepherd of these Christians. But his home diocese no longer exists, and his people are scattered -- many of them on church property in Jordan, living in storage containers and other makeshift homes, having fled ISIS. The Chaldean Church has since reassigned Nona, a native Iraqi, to Australia, where "they are keeping me busy."

As he talks with me in New York City, there is, of course, an expected and appropriate sadness on his face, but also an overwhelming joy -- the kind that comes from the peace of knowing you're doing God's will, that your life has the kind of meaning and purpose people crave, and often look for in all the wrong places.

I'd even go so far as to say that before me is a happy man. Indeed, he tells me, "We were always a minority. We always knew it was not important what we have, but what we do. The Lord shows us how it is important to be happy in all situations."

Talking more about identity, he emphasizes that the Christian has no other identity than as a Christian. The Gospel is what you want to conform your life to, he says.

"For us, we want to practice our identity. ... Our identity is to live like Jesus Christ." Christ becomes everything, and so there is no life without Christ, he says. "I think all our problems lie in this point: that in our life, sometimes we forget to live like Jesus. It's not theology, it's reality."

That's an epidemic common to East and West.

While Nona admits it's heartbreaking to have to flee your home, for lives to be at risk, he still radiates gratitude: "We thank God for everything because (the Christian refugees) are still alive; they still have a very strong faith. We thank God for that."

Nona has been at an event in New York, talking about how his people wouldn't consider walking away from their faith. I totally play devil's advocate and ask him if he's really fessing up. Surely there were some hard conversations with people who thought they could keep their Christianity in the shadows, or renounce their faith outright, to keep their families' homes.

No, there were not, he insists.

He talks about the importance of living with love over fear. It was just over a year ago now that ISIS beheaded 21 Coptic Christian men. Their families had words of forgiveness, deep compassion desiring the conversion of those who had murdered their loved ones.

This is who Christians are. It's why, frankly, Pope Francis denounces the "wall-building" rhetoric as not of the Gospel. If we're stuck in anger, vengeance and fear, we're not giving out of an overflow of love. That's not a political platform or a policy position, but a posture that can make for the peace of the world.

"I remember when I was in Mosul, going to church could mean going to die," says Nona. In fact, his best friend, another priest, was killed by al-Qaida.

I think of how spoiled we Americans can be. I think of how easy it is for me to safely go to church -- and how many options I have. I think about how people would die for the religious liberty we've had here in the U.S., and how fragile it can be when we're not grateful stewards of it.

The buzz continues to be that the White House will soon declare the massacre of Yazidis in Iraq a genocide, but overlook the Iraqi and Syrian Christians, who are likewise targeted. Nona believes one upside of the targeting of Christians there is that while for many years there was a widespread silence in the West about the dangerous predicament they were in, now there is an awareness.

"The globalization of indifference is a malignant cancer," Nona said during a panel discussion. He is grateful for those in the West who have a desire to help, and urges the United States to formally acknowledge the genocide -- he has no doubt that would make an international difference.

For anyone in the West living in fear after terrorist attacks, he offers some hard-earned advice: Terrorists are afraid of joy. To his fellow Christians, he issues a challenge: "We fight them by living the Christian life."

Nona and his people demonstrate just what that means. In our relative luxury here, Christians ought to do the same. It would do a world of good.
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System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948

/var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02a17b0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f029f020)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02a17b0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f029f020)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f0106ea8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f029f020)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f029f020)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e2573820)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f0089e68)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f0089e68)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948

/var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f00f17e8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0249e08)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f00f17e8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0249e08)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f01dd998)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0249e08)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f0249e08)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e25737b0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f00fba48)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f00fba48)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948

/var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612eff5c840)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f04ecc50)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612eff5c840)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f04ecc50)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612eff5cf90)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f04ecc50)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f04ecc50)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612efda7518)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f046df68)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f046df68)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948

/var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f039bbb0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f03bf440)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f039bbb0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f03bf440)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f03c46a0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f03bf440)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f03bf440)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e2572fd0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f01b3f08)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f01b3f08)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
Mr Palmer has previously declined to respond to Fairfax Media's queries about whether he gave a personal guarantee to GE Commercial for the finance on the aircraft but on Tuesday it is understood he denied to the Australian Financial Review newspaper that he gave a guarantee.

Representatives of GE Commercial said the company could not comment on the issue.

Industry experts have said that if the jet did not recoup the total amount of the debt, then whoever was signed up as a personal guarantor would be required to cover the shortfall - which could amount to millions.

One aviation expert said it was likely the jet's maintenance would need to be brought up to date and that the jet would need to be refurbished in the United States, costs that would further reduce the amount that could be recouped from a sale.

The jet, which was purchased in 2012, had been a touchy subject with Mr Palmer, who has previously tried to keep its operations secret, despite being photographed alongside and inside the aircraft on a number of occasions.
Is inflation even lower than the ABS is reporting?

ANZ reckons the current basket of good and services used by the statistics bureau to measure consumer price inflation doesn't fully capture discounting, which impacts over 40 per cent of the items in the basket.

"We estimate that the CPI could be overstating annual inflation by around one-quarter percentage point," senior economist Jo Masters says.

That doesn't sound like a lot, but considering headline inflation is already running at a low 1.7 per cent rate, that takes it to even more worrying levels for an RBA already fretting about global disinflation and even deflation.

Masters also notes that even the sharp depreciation in the Australian dollar over the past years hasn't fired up inflation, despite around 40 per cent of retail goods being imported, which he explains with increased competition from discount retailers such as Aldi or online shops.

"A more competitive retail environment is limiting pricing power and encouraging increased use of promotions, sales, discounts, and loyalty programs."
About 20,000 households in the ACT face housing stress and single parent households are among the hardest hit, new research has found.

Housing stress, defined as when individuals spend more than 30 per cent of their pay packet on housing costs, affects in two in every five single parent households in the ACT and the research found "a significant intersection" between gender inequality and housing inequality.

ACT Council of Social Service director Susan Helyar says children in financially distressed households often miss out on activities such as sport. Credit:Jay Cronan

The report, set to be released on Wednesday by the Housing and Homelessness Policy Consortium, brings together work by peak bodies gearing up to make housing an election issue in 2016.

Its members include ACT Shelter, the ACT Council of Social Service, the Youth Coalition and Women's Centre for Health Matters. The report includes findings from a phone poll of 1000 adults in the ACT and population and economic modelling.
Five men who smashed their way into an Aranda bar and loaded up a shopping trolley with liquor have been caught after CCTV footage of their crime was released to the public.

Police have now identified all five of the offenders and four will face court at a later date, acting officer in charge of Belconnen, Station Sergeant Allison Williams said.

An image of the boot loaded with allegedly stolen alcohol. Credit:ACT Policing

Earlier this month, the men were sprung filling a boot with stolen booze from the Bolt Bar in Aranda in the early hours of the morning.
A five-fold increase in the number of women applying to become firefighters in the ACT has been credited on a massive recruitment drive and marketing campaign to address the service's gender imbalance.

About one in five applicants for ACT Fire and Rescue's 2016 recruit college were women accounting for 144 of the 802 applications received compared to the last recruitment process in 2012 when just 26 of the 395 applicants were women.

Anica Hesse was one of the 144 women hoping for a career change after meeting the cut off in the beep test in the ACT Fire and Rescue recruitment process. Credit:Jay Cronan

Currently only 6 per cent of the ACT's firefighters are women. Across the entire ACT Emergency Services Agency, women make up 30 per cent of the ranks.

Gym receptionist and personal trainer Anica Hesse was one of the 144 women hoping for a career change.
The ACT government says heritage-listed buildings in Manuka will be protected if a proposed $800 million redevelopment of the oval precinct goes ahead.

Community groups have raised concerns over city planning processes following last week's revelation of an unsolicited bid by the GWS Giants to redevelop the oval and build 1000 units as well as commercial and retail space on surrounding land.

An artist's impression of the proposed Manuka Oval redevelopment.

Emeritus Professor Ken Taylor, a world-wide expert on historic urban landscape within the Australian National University's Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies, echoed community group concerns over the bid process, saying the government needed to institute independent oversight of the plan in order to assess whether it was appropriate for the area.

He also warned of the need to ensure heritage landmarks such as the 1937 Mothercraft centre were protected and said it would be of "enormous concern" if the heritage-listed buildings were swallowed up by the new development.
A kangaroo cull protester will appear in the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with hindering shooters last year.

Chris Klootwijk will be supported by cull opponents, who plan to hold a protest on Wednesday morning outside the court, signalling their anger over the arrest and the annual shooting of kangaroos in Canberra reserves.

Kangaroo cull opponents plan to hold a protest outside court in Canberra on Wednesday. Credit:Greg Stooley

Shooters killed 1689 eastern grey kangaroos last year; 168 more than the previous year, but down on the 2466 target. Another 701 joeys were killed.

The government secured a two-year cull licence last year. It is set to go ahead with shooting up to 2500 kangaroos this winter without having to get another licence and risk being delayed by court challenges from animal activists.
MasterCard wants to use your face to help fend off fraudsters. Using a new system called MasterCard Identity Check - or, colloquially, "selfie pay" - the credit card company will use biometric methods like face recognition and fingerprint scans to better secure online shopping.

Right now, MasterCard offers a feature that financial institutions can enable that lets customers set up a password for online payments to help prevent fraud. The new system will use the same principle, but instead of relying on a password that could be forgotten or stolen, it uses your face or fingerprint.

Selfies are set to become a way to verify payments. Credit:AP

Consumers will go through all the normal steps of filling out credit card information when making an online purchase, but this feature adds another step: The website will send a notification through an app on customers' smartphones that asks them to verify their identity. This can be done either through a fingerprint scan or by using the phone's camera to take a brief, selfie-like, video.

When taking the "selfie," the user will have to blink to prove that it's a live person and not just an old photo being used to spoof the system.
Edmund 'Eddy' Groves will face no more criminal charges after the Australian Securities and Investment Commission closed its investigation into the collapse of childcare centres group ABC Learning.

ASIC released a statement on Wednesday saying it had been advised by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction for any further criminal charges to be commenced.

ASIC has closed its case on Eddy Groves and the collapse of ABC Learning Credit:Glenn Hunt

The CDPP filed an application to discontinue its case against Mr Groves in 2012 after former ABC Learning chief executive Martin Kemp was found not guilty in his his trial.

ABC Learning's founder, Mr Groves - well known for his unconventional office attire, including cowboy boots and long blond hair - was made bankrupt in 2013.
The commodity price slump is bad news for some and good news for others, as BHP Billiton and Qantas demonstrated on Tuesday.

BHP has always argued that its oil business enables it to surf the commodity price cycle more easily than its competitors, but oil led commodity prices down last year and helped push the group from an operating profit of $US7.9 billion to an operating loss of $US7 billion in the December half.

Stripped of writedowns on oil shale and other assets, BHP's underlying attributable profit fell from $US4.9 billion to $US412 million. Oil's rapid price slump since mid-2014 was "the one we didn't see", chief executive Andrew Mackenzie said after confirming that the group had abandoned its progressive dividend policy, and slashed its December-half payout.
Kerry Stokes' Seven Group Holdings says its foray into oil and gas remains a sound strategy despite the collapse in oil prices, indicating it will continue to push for consolidation within the Australian east coast gas sector.

Concurrent downturns in industrial services, energy and media resulted in lower earnings before interest and taxes in all of the conglomerate's key businesses during the first half of the financial year.

While revenue and underlying profit for the period both fell marginally to $1.4 billion and $111.6 million respectively, compared to the year-earlier period, the company's statutory net profit after tax plummeted 90 per cent to $7.1 million.

It was primarily weighed down by a $182.2 million non-cash impairment on the carrying value of its 41 per cent stake in Seven West Media.
Pesticide and herbicide company Nufarm has upgraded its half-year earnings forecast after bumper sales in January, despite tough conditions in Brazil and Australia.

Nufarm expects its half-year earnings before interest and tax, which it previously tipped would be in line with the same period last year, to surge between 8 and 13 per cent based on audited accounts.

Nufarm chief executive Greg Hunt. Credit:Pat Scala

The upgrade came after a "strong trading performance in January" and its focus on higher margin products.

"Nufarm's results for the first six months are typically dominated by contributions from Australia and Brazil, which both experienced challenging market conditions during that period. Despite this, Nufarm has delivered margin expansion and EBIT growth," the company said in a statement to the ASX.
Scentre Group, the owner and manager of Westfield shopping centres across Australia and New Zealand, has reported funds from operations (FFO) of $1.199 billion, or 22.58 per security.

It will pay a final distribution of 10.45 per security, taking the full-year distribution to 20.9 per security.

Scentre, run by Peter Allen, was spun out of the Westfield empire in 2014, and now runs the local malls. Credit:Louie Douvis

Scentre's bottom line net profit, $2.7 billion is presented as a 58 per cent fall from $6.5 billion in 2014.

But the two numbers are not comparable because of the restructure in the middle of 2014. The $6.5 billion number does not include Westfield Retail for first six month of 2014 but does include Westfield Group for the first six months.
Younger workers in the early years of their career are expecting to retire at the age of 52  15 years before the federal government has decided they should stop working.

Across all age groups, the expectation of having a job for life no longer exists for more than two thirds of Australian workers, a new national survey has found.

Deloitte Access Economics surveyed 1400 people around the country across a variety of professions and ages and warned that growing confidence in younger generations needs to be balanced with more realistic expectations.

The report says an increase in confidence after the global financial crisis may be "creating unrealistic expectations", particularly in younger people with less than five years' experience in the workforce.
Malcolm Turnbull was all smooth assurances at the introduction in Parliament on Monday of an electoral reform bill to abolish group and individual voting tickets in future Senate elections. The changes, he said, would give voters greater understanding of where their preferences would flow, and ensure that candidates with minuscule first preference votes could not be elected to the Senate. "Every Australian that votes in the Senate will determine where their vote goes, and that's democracy".

The bill, which the Coalition and the Greens both support (meaning its enactment is a mere formality) will certainly prevent gaming of future Senate elections by so-called micro parties using elaborate and opaque preference distribution deals. Whether that's what voters want, or whether indeed, it marks a restoration of democratic ideals subverted by grubby political deal-making, is open to argument, however.

Editorial

The reform bill's genesis is a report by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters into the unexpected "success" of the micro-parties at the 2013 federal election when some candidates were elected despite winning fewer than 2000 first-preference votes. Though entirely legal under Senate voting rules, these enabling preference deals were criticised as a subversion of voter intentions, and their proponents charged with "gaming" the system.

In response, the committee recommended the abolition of group voting tickets, allowing for optional preferential above-the-line voting (numbering either just one square or up to six) and partial optional voting below the line  that is, numbering at least six candidates (or at least two in the Territories). It also sought an increase in party membership from a minimum of 500 to 1500 members to weed out fly-by-nighters.
The biggest buzz at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is coming from an unlikely source. Everyone on the ground is discussing boring old HP's Elite X3  running Windows 10  as the must see booth of the show.

The HP Elite X3 is a giant phone with a 5.9-inch display, and an enormous 4150mAh battery. Inside is 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 820  the same chipset powering the just-announced powerhouse phones from Samsung, LG and Sony.

When it's not tethered to anything, the Elite X3 is a powerful smartphone that (barely) fits in your pocket. Credit:Peter Wells

But HP want you to think about the Elite X3 as more than just a smartphone. For HP, this is a device to replace a computer, and it's aimed directly at the enterprise market.

To pull that off, they've built a docking station for the HP Elite X3 that allows the phone to connect to a desktop monitor, ethernet and USB. And thanks to Windows 10 continuum, docking the phone coverts the OS from mobile to desktop.
Were it not for a strong exhibitionist streak, the British comedian Julian Clary thinks he might be willing to give up the ''buggery jokes'' for full-time life as a children's author.

Clary has spent most of his adult life as a provocateur, piling double entendre upon sexual innuendo at every stage opportunity.

Comedian and author Julian Clary says writing a children's book was much more fun that writing for adults. Credit:Brook Mitchell

So it comes as both refreshing and liberating, he says, to find himself the writer of whimsical children's stories.

The idea for a book came from Clary's literary agent after Clary had published an autobiography, A Young Man's Passage, and three novels.
The word is out and The Met's not it

New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art has a new logo, and not everyone's happy about it.

'Still Here' by Josh Muir projected onto the facade of the National Gallery of Victoria as part of White Night. Credit:Graham Denholm

The new logo, designed by the firm Wolff Olins as part of an institution-wide rebranding, enshrines the museum's nickname, "the Met", in two lines of conjoined red letters. The designers say the new mark was based on a theme of connection, unifying internal departments and the museum's three Manhattan locations (the Met is about to open a branch in the former premises of the Whitney Museum).

The logo, which replaces a Vitruvian Man-inspired "M" that has been in use since 1971, is intended to be both classical and modern. But prominent critic Justin Davidson kicked off a wave of negative reactions.
Bill Shorten and Cory Bernardi have clashed during a press conference at Parliament House, with the Opposition Leader calling the conservative Liberal senator a "homophobe".

Mr Shorten was using a press conference to attack the Turnbull government's decision to review the Safe Schools program, which is designed to reduce bullying of LGBTI students.

But things got heated when Senator Bernardi - the program's leading critic - walked past.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ordered a review into a controversial school education program aimed at promoting acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBTI) students.

The move was immediately hailed by the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) as a win against "rainbow ideology," while Labor and the teacher's union slammed Mr Turnbull for buckling to the conservative wing of the Liberal Party.

The Safe Schools teaching manual, set up by Labor but launched by the Coalition in 2014, has been under fire in recent weeks from conservative politicians, the ACL and News Corp newspapers.

An independent review announced on Tuesday will advise Education Minister Simon Birmingham on whether the program's material is "age appropriate" by mid-March.


but NOBODY vetted Barack Obama after Barack Obama politicized his own mother's cancer

for his own political gain during the 2008 democratic race, and then again in the presidential debates.

Did Barack Obama tend to his own mother in any personal way

during her last couple of years of life, when she was dying of cancer in Hawaii?





If I am wrong, or can be proven wrong about my concern, then I will stand corrected.

But until then, the timeline I have been able to put together shows that Barack Obama

chose to finish writing his book instead of being with his mother.

With apologizes to the filmmaker for politicizing his film,Or, did Barack Obama CHOOSE to fly over Hawaii, where his mother was dying of cancer,so he could go to Bali to finish writing his book about his sperm donor father?
Supporters of asylum seeker baby Asha have released hospital records stating the baby accidentally poured a bowl of hot water over herself, after media reports suggested the mother may have deliberately injured her child to get to Australia.

The advocates have accused the Turnbull government of playing "dirty politics" by leaking details of an investigation by Queensland Police and other sensitive information to the media to damage the reputation of the child's mother, as the government faces huge public pressure to let the family stay in Australia permanently.

The office of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton rejected the claims.

Doctors at Brisbane's Lady Cilento Hospital had refused to discharge the one-year-old girl, who goes by the pseudonym Asha and was facing return to Nauru. The hospital said she would not be released until a suitable home environment was found.
The state's health department has launched an investigation into a Sydney hospital that administered incorrect chemotherapy doses to 70 cancer patients as families scramble to discover if their loved ones are affected.

NSW Health will oversee a review of the incident at St Vincent's Hospital, where oncologist Associate Professor John Grygiel gave as little as half the correct dosage of the drug carboplatin to patients with head and neck cancer for up to three years.

The investigation would cast its net further than the 70 patients identified in the internal review and would investigate patients with other cancer types that were treated by Dr Grygiel, Fairfax Media understands.
The National Gallery of Australia has announced a recruitment freeze as it struggles to deal with the government efficiency dividend and budget cuts.

In a letter to staff, the gallery's deputy director Kirsten Paisley said a number of vacant positions would not be publicly advertised, with management considering further savings measures.

The National Gallery of Australia's new deputy director Kirsten Paisley.

The letter to staff obtained by Fairfax Media, comes a day after the National Library of Australia detailed a major review of services with key programs to be curtailed or cancelled amid staff cuts.

The major restructure, which includes more than 20 job losses by June 30 and a reduction of international print and online subscriptions, was condemned by Labor and the Greens on Tuesday morning.
The Salvation Army has effectively urged a Tamil asylum seeker on Manus Island to go home because: "You will never live in Australia".

A Salvation Army risk and compliance officer, who is only identified as "Andrew", wrote to a Tamil man on the charity's letterhead in January 2014 saying: "You can expect to remain in this facility for a very long time whilst this process is undertaken.

The Manus Island detention centre. Credit:Andrew Meares

"You may be given an opportunity to be re-settled in PNG but I am not sure when or if this may occur. The only other option available to you is to seek repatriation with the assistance to IOM (International Organization for Migration) to your country of origin.

"If you choose not to go home you will spend a very, very long time here. You have been told lies by people smugglers."
While doctors warn against the "trend", its inventor (not pictured) said there is no growing popularity in the niche body art. Credit: Iconosquare, @savagehart "It's absolutely ridiculous that the government should allow it, it should be banned out of hand." A NSW Health spokesman said that the legislation is designed to make the practice safer, however. "In order to ensure that premises that carry out eyeball tattooing comply with the infection control provisions of the Public Health Act and Regulation, the Public Health Regulation was amended to include eyeball tattooing within the meaning of skin penetration procedures," he said. The move has confounded Kylie Garth, a Perth-based tattoo artist who had her eyes coloured aqua three years ago.

"I think it's crazy it's in legislation. I'm worried that this legislation will mean that anybody that the health department is OK with can tattoo an eyeball. We haven't even got gay marriage in Australia, yet they're leagalising eyeball tattoos, it's so bizarre. I can't believe it." The 30-year-old had her eyeball coloured by Melbourne-based Luna Cobra, who pioneered the technique in 2007 and is regarded as its world expert. "I chose to get it done because I knew there were no risks having him do it. There are probably more risks going to a dodgy surgeon for a breast augmentation than there are with going to this particular artist," said Ms Garth, who worked as a piercing artist in Sydney's Darlinghurst before relocating to WA. She said her eyes looked otherworldly. "It's very, very subtle, I thought about it for a couple of years and we coloured in pictures of my whites beforehand. We mixed up a bunch of blends to get this, he was very patient." "It feels like pressure and a slight irritation," she said of the injection. "It didn't hurt. There was no pain. I've seen so many and no-one flinches. They are very relaxed."

Despite the lack of pain, she said it was a nerve-wracking experience. "I went skydiving for one of my birthdays, I relate it to that - you know it's safe but it's scary. It's not a fear that something is going to go wrong, it's just a natural thing to be frightened." While Mr Secord said that doctors had told him at least 20 people in NSW had had their eyeballs tattooed, Ms Garth said she knew of 10 people across Australia with coloured eyeballs. Luna Cobra said that concerns over an apparent popularisation of the body art were unfounded.

"One Australian a year has it done. We're talking about a comically small number, it's unbelievably niche. It's not growing," he told Fairfax Media. Speaking from Miami, the body artist said that he is the only practitioner who performs the technique in the country. "It's a very extreme thing done by usually fringe members of society. It's such a small group. It's ridiculous that the opposition is using this as a leverage point." He estimated that just a few hundred people globally have had the tattoos and that in his nine years of creating eyeball tattoos around the world, he has never had a client with a health problem associated with the injections. "The opposition's argument is based on no fact whatsoever. [Mr Secord] literally yanked it out of his ass to make it look like he's interested in public health," he said.

He said he vets every client before they undergo the permanent procedure and turns many more people away than he modifies. His Australian clients include tradesmen and a Darlinghurst-based tattoo artist, whose pale blue eyeballs now match her irises. Luna Cobra has heard of gangs attempting the procedure in US prisons and said that an LA gang member from El Salvador who was reportedly blinded by a makeshift attempt at the procedure last year was a "fool". A Jamaican musician was reportedly hospitalised after attempting to tattoo his own eyeballs. The practice is banned in at least two US states, including Illinois and Utah, where a National Geographic program about Luna Cobra's art inflamed reactions. Long term health effects of the procedure are not yet known, given its newness. After being inspired by science fiction novels in the Dune series, Luna Cobra said he modified a technique used by ophthalmologists in corrective eye surgery on scars - though Dr Steiner said the only tattooing ophthalmologists used was in very rare cases on the cornea to help patients with glare problems. Dr Steiner added that he believed complication rates would be higher if more people had the procedure.
Two men are dead and another has been critically injured in a car crash in Sydney's south-west that has closed a major road, police say.

A resident reported hearing a loud skid before the vehicle smashed into a power pole on Canterbury Road in Belmore about 3.40am on Wednesday.

The impact crushed the car, a Toyota, and trapped the three men in the vehicle.
The family of a teenage bride who expressed a desire to become a "jihadi Bonnie and Clyde" with her husband say they are shocked at the way things have transpired.

Alo-Bridget Namoa, 18, was arrested on Tuesday morning at her aunt's house in Guildford and charged with recklessly possessing an item connected to a terrorist act and recklessly collecting documents connected to a terrorist act.

It's alleged police found a knife wrapped in a shahada flag in Ms Namoa's handbag last month.

Her husband Sameh Bayda, 18, was allegedly found with several documents outlining how to make an improvised explosive device and carry out a stabbing.
Gold Coast couple could be charged over the death of a four-year-old boy who drowned in their backyard pool.

William Chase Corben died last March after he was found unconscious in the pool of his neighbours, Rodney and Lisa Stewart. The pool gate had been deliberately propped open with a wooden block.

William Chase Corben who drowned in a neighbours' pool. Credit:Hannah's Foundation

The boy had been playing hide-and-seek with four other children when he entered the pool area unnoticed and drowned.

Deputy State Coroner John Lock, who investigated William's death, said Mr Stewart had propped the gate open so he could bring his mower through - something he did often.
Passengers are being left behind on the crowd-choked Ferny Grove and Cleveland rail lines as three-carriage trains prove unable to take all passengers during morning peak times.

They are simply refusing to catch the over-loaded trains, which carry more than 550 passengers in a three-carriage train, according to public transport advocacy group Rail Back on Track.

Brisbane train commuters are increasingly finding themselves crammed in to crowded carriages. Credit:Bennet Nichol

The group has claimed passengers were being left behind at Alderley, Wilston, Windsor and Fortitude Valley stations.

"Passengers choosing to not board from Alderley, passengers unable to board from Wilston, and at least 20 passengers left behind at Windsor," Rail Back on Track's blog post show.
Premier Daniel Andrews wants the Turnbull government to hand over $4.5 billion to help build a new rail tunnel through Melbourne's CBD, arguing the project must proceed if Melbourne is to "take advantage of growth rather than grind to a halt".

The amount is much greater than Labor first said it would seek from Canberra for the twin tunnel.

Previously the Andrews government proposed a three-way funding split between the federal government, the state and the private sector to build the nine-kilometre Melbourne Metro, with five new stations between South Kensington and South Yarra.
The bus company involved in the South Melbourne bridge crash has defended its decision to cover up its name and logo at the scene.

A charter bus carrying delegates from a major tourism conference slammed into a light-rail bridge about 10.40am on Monday.

The 14 terrified passengers could do little but duck their heads and close their eyes as the vehicle, part of the Gold Bus Ballarat fleet, smashed into the Montague Street bridge.

It took firefighters nearly an hour to free four people trapped in the bus. Fortunately, most passengers suffered only cuts and bruises, but 10 were taken to hospital for treatment and observation. The bus driver was also taken to hospital.
The Safe Schools teaching manual, introduced by the previous Labor government, has been attacked in recent weeks by conservative politicians, the Australian Christian Lobby and News Corp newspapers.

"I'm sick of Liberal politicians telling our kids that there's something wrong with them  when there isn't.": Premier Daniel Andrews. Credit:Justin McManus

"I'm sick of Liberal politicians telling our kids that there's something wrong with them  when there isn't," Mr Andrews said in a Facebook post.

Premier Daniel Andrews has savaged Malcolm Turnbull's decision to review a school education program that aims to promote acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.

Mr Turnbull has called an independent review that will provide advice by March to Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham, who has previously strongly defended the program's aims.

Senator Birmingham has written to his state and territory counterparts to ensure parents are being consulted about the program.

"Homophobia should be no more tolerated than racism, especially in the school environment," he said on Tuesday. "However, it is essential that all material is age appropriate and that parents have confidence in any resources used in a school to support the right of all students, staff and families to feel safe at school."

The issue dominated discussion in Tuesday's behind-closed-doors meeting of federal Coalition MPs and senators.

In the meeting, Liberal senator Cory Bernardi called for the program to be defunded because he was concerned it was being used to "indoctrinate children into a Marxist agenda of cultural relativism".
Mr Bowen said the school would conduct a review into the school camp, but said nothing like this had happened in its 35-year history. Asked if the boy was alone or with students when he became ill, Mr Bowen said he was not sure. "There would have been a supervisor there. I'm imagining it was with the group because it was at such an early stage of the camp." Monday was the first day of walking, he said, after a few "warm up" hours on the Sunday. "The way it's designed is they break up into smaller groups - each group with a number of supervisors," he said. "We have an incredible ratio of one supervisor to every three children because it is the Australian outback and we know that it can be a dangerous environment and we do everything we can to ensure their safety." The remaining students and their supervisors are currently on a bus returning to Melbourne, roughly a 14-hour drive from Plumbago. "Everyone is struggling as you can imagine," Mr Bowen said, adding a counsellor was on board the bus.

The school has been in contact with the family. "They're devastated - completely devastated, as are we all," Mr Bowen said. "It's a terrible thing for our community." He said the family had requested privacy, and did not want the boy's image or name released. Mr Bowen said the excursion was about kindness and building relationships. Asked if the excursion was gruelling, he said it "is and it isn't." "It's an experience in which its intended to help them bind as a group and to find out a bit about themselves and to support one another," he said, adding it was not about being a "hero".It's understood all senior years at the school are away on various camps this week. The 2000 square kilometre Plumbago Station comprises rugged, pastoral terrain, however it is accessible by road, police said.

In a statement to parents on Tuesday, Mr Bowen said: "It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the sad passing of a year 11 student on the camp to Plumbago Station." "Our thoughts, sympathies and prayers are with the student's family and friends, and with the students and teachers who were on the camp," he said. "The camp has been cancelled and the students are returning to Huntingtower. "Counselling is being provided for the students and staff, and the wider school community." About 75 students had been on the camp at the vast sheep and cattle station.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service received a call for help on Monday evening and dispatched a crew at 5pm to retrieve the student. But midway during the flight, they were notified that the student had died, and returned to their base in Adelaide. "Unfortunately we were not able to retrieve the patient," a Royal Flying Doctor Service spokesman said. The Royal Flying doctors was planning on landing on an airstrip at Manna Hill station, near Plumbago Station. Plumbago Station is located about 420 kilometres north-east of Adelaide and 200 kilometres west of Broken Hill.

Huntingtower students have been attending Plumbago Station as part of the school's "outdoor education experience" for the past 35 years, Mr Bowen said. Students spend one week hiking through the arid South Australian station. The school holds information sessions with students and parents in the lead-up to the trip and students are encouraged to hire a backpack, sleeping bag and weatherproof clothing. The students typically carry a 70-90 litre backpack with their belongings. Each student carries a seven-litre water bag, but they have access to 10 litres of water in total each day for cooking, cleaning and drinking.
A young man who fleeced thousands of dollars from people in online scams has had more than three years cut from his jail term, partly because of his age.

Joash Boyton was a teenager when he began using stolen credit-card numbers to buy airline tickets and household goods, which he then sold on auction websites, or employed others to sell on his behalf.

In 2011 and 2012, Boyton obtained goods and financial advantages worth about $100,000, although about half of that was returned by eBay and PayPal when people realised they had been duped.

Boyton was last September jailed for four years and nine months, and ordered to serve two and a half years before he is eligible to parole, after he pleaded guilty to 34 deception-related charges in the County Court.

But the Court of Appeal reduced his jail term to one year after Boyton appealed against his sentence, arguing it was manifestly excessive.
The Sunday Times has confirmed it is investigating the 'Deli-gate' fiasco that has raised serious concerns about the practices and legitimacy of its two high-profile food reviewers.

Former My Kitchen Rules contestants and STM food reviewers Chloe James and Kelly Ramsay left it to their manager to break the silence on the food fight that has gripped Perth.

Chloe and Kelly during their time on My Kitchen Rules in 2014.

The furore began after WAtoday broke the story on Sunday about Ms James and Ms Ramsay penning an unflattering review about West Perth restaurant West End Deli in the Sunday paper's lifestyle magazine.

But Deborah Munson, director of The Options Group, which manages the pair, said the "personal attacks" on the TV cooks were unfair due to "incorrect factual information" the restaurant said on social media about their food review.
Eyeball tattoos can be any colour and are injected into the outer tissues of the eyeball. Credit:Iconosquare, @frozz_bodyart "You need some intense training to be able to perform that procedure.They've opened the door for anyone to give it a go and that's when we'll see problems appear." Ms Garth said she was shocked to learn NSW had added the procedure to their legislation as she believed the practice had only been performed on about 10 people in the past decade. While doctors warn against the "trend", its inventor (not pictured) said there is no growing popularity in the niche body art. Credit: Iconosquare, @savagehart "It's just strange this has even been an issue. There's much bigger things they need to be working on," she said.

The unusual procedure is said to be painless - descriptions of the injection range from a "scratch" to a "coldness against the eye" - while the sterile ink spreads across the surface of the sclera, one the eye's outer layers, in a matter of minutes. "It's very, very subtle, I thought about it for a couple of years and we coloured in pictures of my whites beforehand. We mixed up a bunch of blends to get this, he was very patient," Ms Garth said. "It feels like pressure and a slight irritation," she said of the injection. "It didn't hurt. There was no pain. I've seen so many procedures and no-one flinches. They are very relaxed." Despite the lack of pain, she said it was a nerve-wracking experience getting her eyeballs tattooed. "I went skydiving for one of my birthdays, I relate it to that - you know it's safe but it's scary. It's not a fear that something is going to go wrong, it's just a natural thing to be frightened."

New South Wales opposition health spokesman Walt Secord called for a ban on the practice and labelled the legislation a "major stuff up" in a statement on Tuesday. Speaking with Fairfax Media, he added: "I base my opposition on advice from doctors. Even mainstream tattooists reject this practice and the Baird government, instead of regulating it, should ban it. I think it's irresponsible, it's dangerous, it causes blindness." Michael Steiner, President of the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists, said that he had never come across the practice but said it was an "appalling concept." "To have somebody inject something into the tissues of the eye just for the look, I find that appalling," said the ophthalmologist of 40 years standing. "The eye is such a valuable organ, you don't muck around with it." As well as the possible risks of infection, perforation, sensitivity and haemorrhage, he said that obscuring the white of the eyeball may hinder detection of pancreatic disease.

"It's absolutely ridiculous that the government should allow it, it should be banned out of hand." A NSW Health spokesman said that the legislation was designed to make the practice safer, however. "In order to ensure that premises that carry out eyeball tattooing comply with the infection control provisions of the Public Health Act and Regulation, the Public Health Regulation was amended to include eyeball tattooing within the meaning of skin penetration procedures," he said. Luna Cobra said that concerns over an apparent popularisation of the body art were unfounded. "One Australian a year has it done. We're talking about a comically small number, it's unbelievably niche. It's not growing," he told Fairfax Media.

Speaking from Miami, the body artist said that he is the only practitioner who performs the technique in the country. "It's a very extreme thing done by usually fringe members of society. It's such a small group. It's ridiculous that the opposition is using this as a leverage point." He estimated that just a few hundred people globally have had the tattoos and that in his nine years of creating eyeball tattoos around the world, he has never had a client with a health problem associated with the injections. "The opposition's argument is based on no fact whatsoever. [Mr Secord] literally yanked it out of his ass to make it look like he's interested in public health," he said. He said he vets every client before they undergo the permanent procedure and turns many more people away than he modifies. His Australian clients include tradesmen and a Darlinghurst-based tattoo artist, whose pale blue eyeballs now match her irises.

Luna Cobra has heard of gangs attempting the procedure in US prisons and said that an LA gang member from El Salvador who was reportedly blinded by a makeshift attempt at the procedure last year was a "fool". A Jamaican musician was reportedly hospitalised after attempting to tattoo his own eyeballs. The practice is banned in at least two US states, including Illinois and Utah, where a National Geographic program about Luna Cobra's art inflamed reactions. Long term health effects of the procedure are not yet known, given its newness. After being inspired by science fiction novels in the Dune series, Luna Cobra said he modified a technique used by ophthalmologists in corrective eye surgery on scars - though Dr Steiner said the only tattooing ophthalmologists used was in very rare cases on the cornea to help patients with glare problems. Mr Steiner added that he believed complication rates would be higher if more people had the procedure. A tattoo artist based in Newtown told Fairfax Media that he had never had any enquiries regarding the procedure and sensed no growth in the trend, which he said was unlikely appeal to many.
Beaches, parks and backyards may become drone no-fly zones if councillors at the Town of Cambridge vote to ground the remote aircraft at a council meeting on Tuesday.

An average of just one complaint a month has been enough to propel the council into action with its community committee putting forward draconian restrictions on drones.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's an insidious device that spies on you on your day off. Credit:Luke Bell

If the motion succeeds, it is believed Cambridge will become the first local government authority in Western Australia - and only the third in the world after Leichhardt in Sydney and Chicago - to effectively ground drones without a permit.

The proposal includes banning drones from:
Dr Trenneborg, who has been compared to Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man who kept his own daughter locked up in a cellar for 24 years. An aerial view of the farm of 38-year-old Swedish doctor Martin Trenneborg, which had specially constructed soundproof bunker. Credit:AP He studied to become a doctor at the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, before working as a GP in Stockholm and Kristianstad, German newspaper Bild reported. Dr Trenneborg also claims to be a member of Mensa, an international organisation for people who attain a score within the top 2 per cent of the general population on an approved IQ test. Some of the masks found in the home of Dr Martin Trenneborg. Credit:Swedish Police Authority

A man who claimed to be a friend of Dr Trenneborg told Swedish daily newspaper Kristianstadsbladet that he was always helpful, nice and extremely intellectual. "He is a head man. He does not speak about feelings and tries to solve everything intellectually," the anonymous friend was quoted as saying. A photo taken by Swedish police inside the bunker. Credit:Swedish Police Authority Images on Dr Trenneborg's Facebook page show him mountain climbing, while, on a blog, he wrote that his favourite actors were Christopher Walken, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Italian porn star Rocco Siffredi, Bild reported. Meticulous planning

A mask recovered by police at the scene in an isolated house in Kristianstad, Sweden. Prosecutor Peter Claeson told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that Dr Trenneborg spent several years building the bunker, which was about 60 square metres in size and sound-proof and light-proof. It is not clear how Dr Trenneborg was introduced to the woman, but they spoke on the phone for the first time on September 10 last year, Kristianstadsbladet reported. Two days later, they met in person at the woman's Stockholm apartment, where Dr Trenneborg allegedly drugged her with Rohypnol-laced strawberries, before using a wheelchair to take her to his car and driving her more than 550 kilometres to the bunker. He allegedly wore rubber masks of bearded and elderly men during the journey to avoid being recognised.

The woman is reported to have been handcuffed for most of the six days of her incarceration, according to CNN. Aftonbladet reported that the doctor allegedly acquired the contraceptive pill, as well as equipment to test if the captured woman had a sexually transmitted infection. He allegedly tested the woman's samples at his work. Kidnapping goes awry After six days, Dr Trenneborg reportedly drove back to Stockholm to retrieve some of the woman's belongings from her apartment, when he discovered she had been reported missing. Dr Trenneborg's barrister, Mari Schaub, told Bild that her client found a piece of paper taped to the woman's front door that read: "We miss you".

"Someone had searched for the woman. That was the last straw," she said, the newspaper reported. Dr Trenneborg then took the woman to a police station in Stockholm on September 18, hoping to persuade police that she was unharmed and that they were a genuine couple, according to The Local, an English-language newspaper in Sweden. However, officers became suspicious and spoke to the woman separately. She told them that she had been kept prisoner. The newspaper reported that Dr Trenneborg admitted drugging the woman and taking her to his home, but denied raping her. He also wanted the kidnapping charge to be reduced to a less serious charge of deprivation of liberty. "He is a man who was mentally depressed and, when at the police station, complied with all the requests of the police," Ms Schaub told CNN.
CAYMAN ISLANDS:--- Health City Cayman Islands, a state-of-the-art tertiary referral hospital, recently donated science equipment to two Grand Cayman high schools, John Gray High School in South Sound and Clifton Hunter High School in Frank Sound.

The equipment, which included high quality chemistry and lab supplies, was donated by the Healthcare Explorers Program, a Health City initiative which seeks to provide early and in-depth exposure to tertiary level healthcare to high school and college students in the Cayman Islands. The Healthcare Explorers Program made the donation as part of the international hospitals commitment to support STEM education to prepare young Caymanians who would like to pursue a medical or science-based profession.

Richard Parchment, Program Manager for the Healthcare Explorers Program said, Health City was eager to help provide opportunities to further educate our future doctors, so donating necessary science equipment to our local students seemed like a natural fit to help further their scientific studies.

We became aware that the schools science departments had issues with some specific supplies, including beakers and test tubes, and so we set about to see how we could help, he said.

The two schools have been keen participants in the Healthcare Explorers Program since its inception. The schools were selected as part of Health Citys ongoing scholarship commitment to the Cayman Islands Government, Ministry for Education.

The donation, which was a surprise to both schools, was a welcome gift and greatly appreciated by teachers and students alike. Mr Godfrey Williams, John Gray High School science teacher said, Practical tuition, especially when it comes to science, is so important for effective learning. Having the right lab equipment will really help us to undertake science experiments with our students so they can put the theory into practice. Thank you to the team at Health City for their kindness.

Ms Pauline Beckford, Principal of Clifton Hunter High School, said, The generosity of Health City has been an invaluable asset to our science department, and the equipment will be used to further educate our children.

Gene Thompson, Project Director, said, Education is such an important part of Health Citys philosophy  in order to stay innovative, we have to learn and grow, something our staff and doctors take to heart. We are proud to be able to provide the lab and chemistry supplies to these schools, so that our future generation of scientists, mechanics and doctors can further their education.

The Healthcare Explorers Program offers year round programs, including a robust summer program. For more information, parents, teachers and students are invited to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Look no further than Tokyo Asakusa for the richest matcha ice cream in the world! Yes, you are not reading wrongly. It's Tokyo and NOT Kyoto. Shizuoka's famous green tea gelato parlour Nanaya has collaborated with Tokyo tea shop Suzuki En  (since 1848) to sell its famous matcha ice cream in varying degrees of intensity.

Tasting is believing as the No.7 matcha gelato is outrageously rich in matcha taste. The first lick left me dumbfounded for words and it took me a while before I came to realize that this IS reality, NOT a dream. Named as the worlds richest matcha ice cream, this dark emerald green scoop was indisputably "!"





Yet it did not overpower on the bitterness that some would shy away from. The matcha flavour shone through the cream effortlessly, with smooth echoes of sweetness in the background, making it a supreme gelato from the average soft serve. Not a surprise as this is made from a batch of Shizuoka tea leaves which has won the MAFF award for consecutive 3 years.





The matcha gelato here ranges from 1 to 7; No. 1 is the average matcha gelato sold everywhere, No. 2 is twice the intensity, No. 3 is the same level of intensity as the tea from Suzukien, No.5 is known as "the boundary of richness", the level which artisan gelato makers argue as impossible to go beyond for any gelato.

And now you can roughly picture the strength of No.7, which is sold for the first time in Kanto area and NOT even available at the main outlet in Shizuoka. In short the higher you climb, the greater the satisfaction especially if you are a matcha lover. Try ordering different levels and you will experience the difference instantly.

Meanwhile, the other flavors such as Houjicha and Genmaicha are no less exceptional. My heart smiled upon a lick of the black sesame gelato; so irresistibly toasty and compact. Opened since 29th Dec 2015, this place has shot to fame and expect to see lines forming outside the shop. Not to worry as it moves quite fast.

However, do go early if you like to try the No.7 matcha gelato as it is always the fastest to disappear from the display window.





Now you don't have to travel far for the world's richest matcha gelato.





Just be prepared for a life-changing experience.



9.30am-5.30pm daily

3-4-3 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo

TEL03-3871-0311
MARIGOT:--- The Caribbean Sail Training member vessel "EENDRACHT" closed off a busy and successful Caribbean season when leaving the Port of Galisbay Marigot last Thursday.

The tall ship came to St.Martin from Holland in December. They made a stop over here to pick up some trainees, bunker fuel and provisioning and left on route to Aruba, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Cuba and back to Curacao.

About 25 trainees from Kazakstan came on board in Curacao a few weeks ago and sailed to St.Martin.

They are now en route sailing the Trans Atlantic crossing from Marigot back to Rotterdam in Holland.

Mr.Alberic Ellis and his staff of the Galisbay Port hosted the vessel again at the pier to allow for provisioning, crew changes and fuel bunkering.

The port de Marigot will also host the famous CST member Tall Ship Picton Castle in the next weeks and offer an "Open Ship day" for the public in cooperation with CST and the Maritime School of the West Indies. Exact dates will be announced soon.

An other Caribbean Sail Training member vessel the WYLDE SWAN will do a Maritime Experience Day sail with youngsters from the St.Dominic High School on Thursday March 3 during the Commodores Cup of the Heineken Regatta.

The Wylde Swan will team up with the tall ship Mercedes during part of the trip to allow helicopter and chase boat photo shoots. If the Picton Castle is around at the same time, Caribbean Sail Training will try to have that vessel participating also.

Several other Sail Training Vessels are sailing around in the Caribbean and more are expected to visit St.Maarten and St.Martin in the coming months.
Competition will be held on February 25th- 28th. 2016 at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The 44 Annual Leeward Islands Debating Competition that is hosted by the Hyacinth Richardson Educational Awareness Foundation will be held on St. Maarten starting on February 25th at the Maho Sonesta Beach Hotel. The students will be debating the following topics namely:

Legislating and removing corporal punishment will be detrimental to Caribbean Societies.

The free movement of Caricom nationals is a net positive for the Caribbean Region

The Illegal Drug Trade has undermined the legitimacy and effectiveness of Caribbean Governments

The Caribbean are not doing enough to combat child use.

The popularity of skin lightening is testament to the racism/colourim that plagues Caribbean Society.

The marginalization of men have led to the breakdown of Caribbean Society.

These debates not only aid our youth in their personal growth but also equip them with skills that will be useful to them in their professional realm. Each year a different sland serves as host and the LIDC alliance contributes to the overal economy and tourism of the host country. Participating teams are from Anguilla , Antigua and Barbuda, BritishVirgin Islands, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts and host St. Maarten.Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York and the LIDC Foundation will serve as host for this year's finalits for a weekend exhibition debate at the end of March 2016. The college will be sending an observer in the person of Mr. Milton Lawrence to the debate

The debates will begin at 7.00 pm.

Entrance : Free

MOOT ALLOCATION

Thursday, February 25th.

Debate 1 Antigua vs Montserrat

Moot: Legislatively removing corporal punishment will be

detrimental to Caribbean children.

Friday, February 26th.

Debate 2 BVI vs St. Kitts

Moot: The free movement of CARICOM nationals is a net

positive for the Caribbean region.

Debate 3 St. Maarten vs Nevis

Moot: The Illegal Drug Trade has undermined the legitimacy

and effectiveness of Caribbean Governments.

Saturday, February 27

Debate 4 Winner Debate 1 vs Winner Debate 2

Moot: The popularity of skin lightening is testament to the

racism/colourism that plagues Caribbean society.

Debate 5 Anguilla vs Winner Debate 3

Moot: The Caribbean are not doing enough to combat child

abuse.

Sunday, February 28th.

Debate 6 Winner Debate 4 vs Winner Debate 5

Moot: The marginalization of men has led to the breakdown of
PHILIPSBURGL---- The Central Committee meeting that was scheduled for February 23 has been postponed at the request of the Members of Parliament who requested the meeting.

The Central Committee meeting was set for Tuesday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point was the status of insurance coverage for Police Officers and their families and other related and affected issues.

This urgent meeting was called by the United Peoples (UP) party faction Members of Parliament (MP) Tamara Leonard, (MP) Franklin Meyers, and Independent (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will meet in an urgent plenary public session on February 24th. The Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Emil Lee will be present for the session.

The plenary public meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is a discussion on the issue of the closure of food establishments; hindrance of inspectors, while granting preferential treatment to some establishments and unfair treatment to other businesses.

This urgent plenary session was requested by Members of Parliament (MPs) Leona Marlin-Romeo, MP Cornelius de Weever and MP F. Meyers.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of the police management namely Commissioner of Police Denise Jacobs seems to be missing in action since she cannot be reached by telephone to give explanations as to why no one is answering the telephones at the Philipsburg Police Station. SMN News reporter tried to reach Jacobs on Monday and Tuesday and on both days she did not respond to her phone calls. Jacobs is currently the Acting Chief of Police while Chief of Police Carl John is off island.

Several persons contacted SMN News over the weekend claiming that they called the Police Station several times on Saturday and no one picked up the phones. One of the persons that spoke to SMN News said that they went to the Police Station after he could not reach the Police by phone. The man said to his surprise that not one police from any of the departments were on the job. He said he met a young woman who was manning the emergency line and she tried to connect him to several persons but no one were in the offices to answer the phone.

According to the gentleman he even asked the woman he met at the Philipsburg Police Station how would they get information if someone spotted escaped prisoner Kathron Fortune aka Cuchi who escaped last week from prison guards.

So far the French Gendarmes have issued a wanted bulletin for the escaped prisoner. The gendarmes are trying to enlist the community in their hunt for the prisoner that has been described as armed and dangerous.

However, it appears as though members of KPSM is not doing anything to find the escaped prisoner, some persons have said that members of the Police Force are reacting negatively now that the discussion on the insurance for police officers have been postponed by parliament for the second time, the latest being on Tuesday.

Prison Director searching for sex toys inside the house of detention while prisoners have loaded firearms.

Prison director Edward Rohan is also another department head who cannot be reached for comment on the constant fights and now escaped prisoner. SMN News tried reaching Rohan several times by phone but he too seems to be busy searching the house of detention for sex-toys in order to call a press conference while he is yet to explain how escaped prisoner Kathron Fortune aka Cuchi got hold of a loaded firearm.

Last week Minister of Justice Edison Kirindongo said he asked prosecutors office to enlist the national detectives in the internal investigation that will determine what exactly transpired on the day of the escape.

On Tuesday SMN News contacted the Minister of Justice for information since no one including the Prosecutors Office have been releasing information on the ongoing investigation. Minister Kirindongo said he is not interfering with the investigation and no one updated him either. However, when asked if any of the prison guards that took the prisoner to the Cay Hill clinic have been suspended on placed on inactive duty since there is an ongoing investigation Minister Kirindongo said that he contacted the prison director and was told that no one has been detained or placed on inactive duty.

High Absenteeism at Prison Facility.

A source at the Pointe Blanche prison told SMN News that a number of prison guards are on prolonged sick leave. The source said that the prison is currently undermanned and that some nights only three guards are on duty and since the new director took office he has done nothing to improve the situation at the House of Detention.
Jasper and Telular Partner to Expand IoT Solutions for Commercial Telematics and Security

BARCELONA, SPAIN  (Marketwired)  02/23/16   , a global technology leader and provider of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for commercial telematics and security, and , a global IoT service platform leader, today announced a partnership to deliver IoT services to the commercial telematics and security markets. The partnership will integrate the Jasper Control Center IoT service platform with Telulars SkyBitz and Telguard products to enable telematics providers and security dealers to increase productivity, reduce cost and deliver new revenue-generating services to their customers worldwide.

Telular shares our vision of providing the best IoT services to markets that depend on real-time, mission critical data that delivers clear ROI, said Macario Namie, VP of Strategy at Jasper. Telulars support for branded and third-party solutions for telematics and security, along with Jaspers global IoT expertise, will enable greater scalability and value for our customers in these industries.

Telular, a portfolio company of Avista Capital Partners, has over 30 years of experience in the wireless IoT industry. Telulars SkyBitz division is a leader in commercial telematics with businesses focused on providing rapidly deployable solutions for enterprise fleets, local fleets, tank monitoring and petroleum logistics.

For the security industry, Telulars Telguard division provides a portfolio of communication solutions, as well as white labeled and channel support, to select partners. Current Telguard partners include Videofied for their video verification solution and Elk, DSC and 2GIG for cellular communicators and interactive services.

Our partners have come to expect measurable cost savings from Telulars solutions. As IoT innovation has advanced, enterprises now expect it to have a demonstrable ROI, said Shawn Welsh, SVP, Product Line Management and Marketing, Telular Corporation. Both Telular and Jaspers solutions deliver that today. This partnership will allow us to combine Telulars expertise within our markets with Jaspers global IoT expertise to help select partners rapidly deliver value-added services and cost savings to their customers, with our support.

Control Center, the Jasper IoT service platform, is an industry-leading cloud-based IoT platform that enables companies of all sizes to rapidly and cost-effectively launch, manage and monetize IoT services for any connected device. The platform, which is easily configurable to meet the unique requirements of businesses across any industry, gives companies the automation, intelligence and global scale they need to deliver IoT services worldwide. Jasper partners with 27 mobile operator groups, representing more than 100 mobile operator networks worldwide, to deliver the benefits of Control Center in over 100 countries.

Jasper is a global Internet of Things (IoT) platform leader. Jasper has designed its industry-leading, cloud-based IoT platform to enable companies of all sizes to rapidly and cost-effectively launch, manage and monetize IoT services on a global scale. When companies do this, they become much more than product businesses. They become service businesses, capable of automatically managing their customers entire IoT service lifecycle, delivering increased customer value and unlocking new sources of revenue. More than 3,500 companies in over 20 industries, including many of the worlds top brands, choose Jasper to fast-track their IoT services. Jasper currently partners with 27 mobile operator groups, representing more than 100 mobile operator networks worldwide.

Founded in 2004, Jasper is based in Santa Clara, California. For more information, visit or follow us on Twitter @Jasper_IoT. To learn more about enterprises building IoT services that demonstrate whats possible when the digital and physical worlds converge, check out their stories at .

Telular Corporation, a portfolio company of Avista Capital Partners, is a global technology leader and provider of IoT (Internet of Things) solutions for commercial telematics and security. With over 30 years of experience and innovation in the wireless industry, Telular provides integrated event monitoring, information management and reporting services to improve process efficiency in areas such as vehicle and asset tracking, supply chain management, security, home automation, and many other residential, commercial and industrial markets. Headquartered in Chicago, Telular has additional offices in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit .
Sigma Announces Two New Mirrorless Cameras: Sigma sd Quattro and sd Quattro H

KANAGAWA, JAPAN  (Marketwired)  02/23/16  , a leading camera, DSLR lens, flash and accessories manufacturer, today announced the new high-performance, compact and mirrorless camera systems with Foveon Quattro sensors. The Sigma sd Quattro features an APS-C sized sensor and the Sigma sd Quattro H touting a larger APS-H sized sensor for even greater image quality. Thanks to the mirrorless aspect of the cameras, both the sd Quattro and sd Quattro H are designed to take full advantage of all Sigma Global Vision lenses.

With the introduction of these two new cameras, Sigma continues its rich history of innovation. The Foveon sensor is renowned for its imaging characteristics, and the mirrorless interchangeable format offers photographers the full line of Sigma Global Vision lenses to help realize their creative visions, stated Mark Amir-Hamzeh, President of Sigma Corporation of America. The sharpness of detail and nuanced color tone captured by the Foveon sensors is a key component of Sigma Global Vision. The sd Quattro, and the sd Quattro H, with the newly announced Foveon Quattro APS-H sensor, will be greatly appreciated by photographers who demand the utmost in imaging purity, with the added benefit of portability for both in-studio and on-location photography.

Both the sd Quattro and sd Quattro H feature similar design aspects with a compact form consistent with the dp Quattro line, making them highly portable and utilizing the Foveon Quattro sensor for exceptional imaging quality and fast processing. A magnesium alloy body makes the sd Quattro and sd Quattro H durable and rugged, while a dust- and splash-proof design makes it ideal for photographers facing harsh conditions. In addition to the new body design, both cameras boast a list of useful advancements. These include a two-mode Autofocus detection that combines Phase Detection for focus speed and Contrast Detection for focus accuracy. The focus settings have also been enhanced with such modes as Movement Prediction, Face Detection, Free Movement, Focus Peaking and a variety of others. The new 2.3 megapixel viewfinder displays close to 100% of the field of view and when placed in Auto will toggle between the viewfinder when the user has the camera to their eye and then to the LCD when the user lowers the camera. A new Super-Fine Detail mode brings out the full potential of the Quattro sensor by capturing seven different exposures with one shot and merging them for exceptional dynamic range (images can be extracted individually as well). Meanwhile an updated algorithm for the Auto White Balance allows for greater accuracy, even with multiple light sources.

While the sd Quattro and sd Quattro H are similar in physical design details, they stand apart when their Foveon sensors are compared. The sd Quattro utilizes the same sensor found in the dp Quattro line and produces image quality comparable to that of a 39 megapixel Bayer-pattern sensor on resolution testing. The stacked silicon Foveon Direct Imaging sensor captures all detail information on the top 19.6 megapixel layer along with all color information for the Blue channel, while the two five-megapixel layers below capture Red and Green color information, all without the need for a low pass filter. Merged together they create incredible image quality that is comparable to medium format files. The boasts a larger APS-H sensor (26.617.9mm) than the and can produce images equivalent to that of a 51-megapixel Bayer-pattern sensor camera on resolution testing. The sensor structure is similar to that of the sd Quattro but uses a 25.5 megapixels on the top layer of the sensor that captures the detail information. Both cameras use the latest Dual TRUE III image processor and take full advantage of the Art, Contemporary and Sport line Global Vision lenses that are made for high megapixel cameras. Like all Sigma Cameras, RAW (X3F) data can processed via , which offers editing options, including Monochrome mode to take advantage of the incredible monochrome images the Foveon sensor captures.

Since 1961, Sigma has worked toward a single, simple goal: To imagine and develop photographic technologies that push the envelope, empower photographers and produce unparalleled imagery. Weve honored this commitment by maintaining control of our design, research and development, and manufacturing processes in our own Aizu Factory. Our products are built with premium materials and are known worldwide for quality and performance. Our family-owned organization is the largest, independent SLR lens manufacturer in the world, producing more than 45 lenses that are compatible with most manufacturers, including Sigma, Canon, Sony, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax. Sigma Corporation also produces digital SLR cameras and high-definition digital compact cameras. The company is headquartered in Japan, with offices strategically located throughout Europe, Asia and North America. Photography is all we do, and its all weve ever done.

For information about Sigma, please visit or follow the company on , and .

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Patrick Santucci

Sigma Corporation

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Anya Nelson

Zazil Media Group for Sigma Corporation

617-817-6559
According to the Jordanian government, the terrorist Ahlam Tamimi, who masterminded the Sbarro massacre in 2001, cannot be extradited to the...
What you need to know about Powerball and the $550 million jackpot
Terror Groups Eyeing Israel's Destruction from inside NGOs



Two stalwarts go sleuthing:



"The research suggests that antisemitism is the fuel that primes the PSC engine"



'For as long as these antisemites wrap themselves up in the Palestinian flag, too many people are willing to turn a blind eye. Only against Jews is this type of racism openly tolerated. It is flourishing in schools, colleges, universities, unions and in city councils. In fact, so rampant is the disease now, in some settings you can be ostracised if you do not partake in the frenzy yourself. Bashing Jews has becomes a trendy position for the ignorant social justice warrior. "Palestinianism" is a viral "ponzi scheme" and as it spreads, it carries antisemitism in the undergrowth.' David Collier (2017)

'This new rise in antisemitism, which I had thought long dead, was not shaven-headed white imbeciles from the far right. It was Muslims, a large chunk of it.... Suddenly I grasped that the British far left didnt want people to know about antisemitism because it pointed the finger at people they really, really liked. From that moment on, it all fell into place.... Time and again the same tropes emerged, the same sort of stuff that Streicher and Goebbels would have commended  and uttered.... And from that a whole bunch of other stuff emerged: the old blood libel business (a favourite of the repulsive Jenny Tonge).... Nice, avuncular, Jeremy Corbyn, with his peace badges, happily laying a wreath at the graveside of Palestinian terrorists who murdered innocent Jewish athletes, oh, and much much more.... It is the same antisemitism, exactly the same: the obsession with Israel to the exclusion of everything else, the conspiracy theory paranoias, the derangement.... Heres the test  if you cannot see the flagrant racism in the BDS movement, and if you are obsessed with the perfidy of the Middle Easts only democracy to the exclusion of all else, you are an antisemite. That means a good proportion of the Labour Party, including the leader, and almost all of Momentum: no brown shirts, no marching bands, but the same old filth, dressed in the clothes of a polytechnic geography lecturer.'

Rod Liddle (2018)



Pro-Israel Down Under







Shalom and Welcome to my blog!

I'm the little Aussie blogger who took the screenshot and broke the story of Stephen Sizer's notorious 9/11 post, and I've since broken two other stories that subsequently went viral, one Australia-wide and one, thanks to the sterling work of two other bloggers, worldwide. I remain very surprised and very honoured to have been co-winner, Best Pro-Israel Blog, Hasby Awards, 2013

Please "Like" me on Facebook; my Facebook page is here









'In a region where women are stoned, gays are hanged, Christians are persecuted, Israel ... is different.... Of the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa, only Israel's Arab citizens enjoy real democratic rights.... Israel is not what is wrong about the Middle East. Israel is what is right about the Middle East.' Bibi Netanyahu (20 Iyar 5771; 24 May 2011)

Scroll to end for more quotations





Tired of anti-Balfour agitprop?



Balfour and Beyond



Try this for Sizer



'Before the June 1967 Six Day War, there were no such things as "settlements". Palestinians were trying to destroy and displace Israel anyhow. The core problem is not, and never was, "settlements," but the right of Israel (or any non-Muslim nation) to exist inside any borders in that part of the world.

If you take a stand that is based on a lie, then that stand cannot succeed. If you try to oppose antisemitism but pretend it is the same thing as "Islamophobia," then the structure on which you have made your stand will totter and all your aspirations will fail. If you try to make a stand based on the idea that settlement construction rather than the intransigence of the Palestinians to the existence of a Jewish state is what is holding up a peace deal, then facts will keep on intruding.' Douglas Murray (31 December 2016)

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9685/britain-little-lies

BDS is Antisemitic



The Bigotry & Immorality of BDS



'Islamophobia does NOT come from the same wellspring of hatred as antisemitism. Antisemitism is a true prejudice because the hatred and demonisation it promotes derive entirely from lies and a repudiation of rationality itself.

Islamophobia is a false allegation of prejudice which is deployed to silence rational criticism based on actual facts about attitudes and practices within the Islamic world.

[L]ethally compromised even-handedness is to misunderstand, and thus minimise, antisemitic attitudes and behaviour while shutting down legitimate and necessary discussion of the threat from the Islamic world  even to demonise as Islamophobic anyone who draws attention to the extent and consequences of Muslim antisemitism.' Melanie Phillips (14 December 2016)

"Selling a house to a Jew is a betrayal of Allah"



Maps of Mendacity & Mischief



These misleading maps were deliberately prepared to date from 1946  intentionally papering over the momentous events that had occurred between 1917 and 1945. Attempts to unravel binding precepts of international law established between 1917 and 1945  and failing to insist on their being upheld and enforced  has a lot to do with the sorry situation the world finds itself in today. David Singer (2016)

How They Twist the Truth!



Jews have re-assumed the role of the canary in the mine and are the first to be targeted, but the world would face the same threat if Jews did not exist. Israel has been at the front lines confronting Islamic extremism but has received scant support... For Jews, the writing has been on the wall for a long time. The virulence of the antisemitic hatred closing in on Jews in Europe (and elsewhere) is horrifying...

Europe is today facing a crisis as serious as the confrontation with Nazism. If Western leaders continue behaving like Chamberlain and fail to stand up to this global threat, it could usher in a new Dark Age in which the Judeo-Christian culture is subsumed by primitive barbarism. The writing is on the wall Isi Leibler (12 January 2015)



Expose The Lies! There is a war of lies and deceit on the internet generating unbelievable hate by denigrating and delegitimising the legal rights conferred on the Jewish people by the League of Nations in 1922 and the United Nations in 1945. The idea that there are two narratives on the Arab-Jewish conflict is rubbish. There is only one  the factual truth that details the return of the Jewish people to reconstitute the Jewish National Home in its ancient biblical, ancestral and historic homeland after 3500 years of dispersion with the unanimous endorsement of the nation states then comprising the League of Nations.... Generals cant fight a war without soldiers. Jews around the world need to join the fight or vacate the internet to the Jew-haters and their lies that repeated often enough eventually become accepted as truth. David Singer (2016)



Exposing Lies



The "Apartheid" Slur The division of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) into three separate areas A, B and C was agreed on by Israel and the PLO pursuant to the Oslo Accords.

95% of the West Bank Arabs live in Areas A and B and their daily lives are under the total administration and control of the PLO since the Palestinian Authority was disbanded by Abbas in January 2013. The PLO has total security control in A and shares security control in B with Israel. Israel has total administrative and security control in C.

Israel is entitled to and will continue to take responsibility for the security of Jews living in the West Bank.

Jews were given the legal right to settle in the West Bank under article 6 of the Mandate for Palestine and article 80 of the UN Charter. They did so for decades until they were driven out in 1947 and not able to return there until 1967.

There are Arab roads only in the West Bank that Jews are not allowed to use. Jews are also forbidden from entering Area A. Selling land to Jews is forbidden by the PLO under pain of death. The PLO runs the daily lives of 95% of the West Bank Arabs and Hamas runs the daily lives of 100% of the Gazan Arabs. They have been under occupation  and subjugation  by these two evil groups for the last ten years and given no say in their future or any opportunity to elect others to lead them following the disastrous political decisions of their leaders over the past ten years. Hamas and the PLO do not accept the continued existence of a Jewish State and call for its disappearance.

The narratives did not begin in 1948  they began in about 1917. How do you make peace with an enemy that has been obsessed with not recognising any Jewish national rights in former Palestine for the last 100 years? David Singer (2016)



Telling the Truth



The Jews of the Holy Land ... are surrounded by hostile states 650 times their territory and sixty times their population. Yet their last, best hope of ending two millennia of international persecution - the State of Israel - has somehow survived. When, during the Second World War, the island of Malta came through three terrible years of bombardment and destruction, it was rightly awarded the George Cross for bravery. Today, Israel should be awarded a similar decoration for defending democracy, tolerance and Western values against a murderous onslaught that has lasted twenty times as long. Andrew Roberts (historian)





A voice of courage & reason



He knows, y'know



An Aussie demo against BDS



On the left, black people are usually allowed to define whats racism; women can define sexism; Muslims are trusted to define Islamophobia. But when Jews call out something as antisemitic, leftist non-Jews feel curiously entitled to tell Jews theyre wrong, that they are exaggerating or lying or using it as a decoy tactic  and to then treat them to a long lecture on what anti-Jewish racism really is. Jonathan Freedland (The Guardian, 29 April 2016)

An awkward fact for some!



Socialist thought was tainted from its very origins with the heavy baggage of anti-Jewish stereotypes. Robert Wistrich, From Ambivalence to Betrayal:The Left, the Jews, and Israel (2012)

BDS hypocrisy!



Want more?



Israel is understandably obsessed with security, but its greatest security lies ultimately not in the Israeli Defence Forces, but in political warfare.... Most of the world is not deeply interested in what happens in Israel, and probably does not want to be deluged with legalistic defences of particular actions. What it wants is a clear, calm, repeated case. It is a case  aimed more at public opinion than at foreign ministries  about freedom, democracy, a Western way of life and the need for the whole of the free world to fight terrorism. Sometimes you hear Israelis say: It doesnt matter what we say. The whole world is against us. You can see why they say it, for they are indeed unfairly treated. But when they say it, they are uttering a self-fulfilling prophecy. If they wont say what needs saying, no one else will say it for them. Charles Moore (2010)



#Je suis ISRAEL



Aujourdhui, lantisemitisme est masque par lantisionisme. Il faut dire les choses comme elles sont! ["Today, antisemitism wears the mask of anti-Zionism. We must tell things as they are!"] Nicolas Sarkozy (27 May 2015)





Once again the armies of the Arab nations are coordinating their military efforts to destroy Israel - whatever they say about wishing merely to regain the lost territories.... [I]f the present Arab offensive had been launched at the pre-1967 frontiers, then the Israelis would indeed have been fighting to avoid annihilation. It seems now that the Israelis were right to maintain the ceasefire lines gained in 1967, and that to do so is the only guarantee of their continued safety.

Alan Sillitoe (The Times, 11 October 1973)







A nuclear Iran threatens our existence



Iran and ISIS are competing for the crown of militant Islam... In this deadly game of thrones, theres no place for America or for Israel, no place for Christians, Jews or Muslims who dont share the Islamist medieval creed, no rights for women, no freedom for anyone... [T]he greatest danger facing our world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons. To defeat ISIS and let Iran get nuclear weapons would be to win the battle, but lose the war. We cant let that happen...[T]he days when the Jewish people remained passive in the face of genocidal enemies, those days are over. We are no longer scattered among the nations, powerless to defend ourselves. We restored our sovereignty in our ancient home. And the soldiers who defend our home have boundless courage. For the first time in 100 generations, we, the Jewish people, can defend ourselves....Even if Israel has to stand alone, Israel will stand. But ... I know that America stands with Israel... You stand with Israel, because you know that the story of Israel is not only the story of the Jewish people but of the human spirit that refuses again and again to succumb to historys horrors. Bibi Netanyahu (12 Adar 5775; 3 March 2015)





The Jews are a peculiar people: things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions, of people, and there is no refugee problem.... [N]o one says a word about refugees. But in the case of Israel displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees.... Other nations - when they are defeated - survive and recover, but should Israel be defeated it would be destroyed.... [A]s it goes with Israel, so it will go with all of us. Should Israel perish the holocaust will be upon us. Eric Hoffer (1968)



My archived Tuesday blogs at Elder of Ziyon



  ,   



Most of the present Arab countries were given their freedom after the 1914-18 War, or after the 1939-45 War.... Yet to listen to Arab spokesmen one might think that they had been cheated ... because they have not also got Israel. Israel is only .2 per cent of the land where Arab States have been established. Surely no fair-minded man can begrudge the Jews their own promised land when it is remembered that for every 2 acres that went to make up Israel, 1,000 acres became Arab.... Why is there an Arab refugee problem? The oil-rich countries have the money. There is no shortage of land, and the Israelis have the technical knowledge to show how it could be developed and made fertile. Bring those things together and the problem could be solved. 3rd Earl of Balfour (1968)









Blog Archive





January 7, 2015 has already its place in the history of infamy, but also will be the date when the defenders of freedom and democracy will rise and pay tribute to those who died for their freedom and ours. Therefore, we must not forget on which side we are and who are our allies in the defense of the West and its values. Whether we admit it or not, the West is at war with an enemy who will not stop to destroy us...

The State of Israel boasts a commandment that, in one of the darkest hours in the fight for liberty Winston Churchill taught: "Never give up". Israel has proven to be a key ally in the fight against Islamism and also an example of how a liberal democracy can resist the jihadist stake and thrive as a Western nation ... Not only France but also all the West should look to Israel to defeat Islamism...

friendsofisraelinitiative.org





[I]ts impossible to believe that an active antisemite wouldnt  if only opportunistically  seek out somewhere to nestle in the manifold pleats of Israel-bashing, whether in generally diffuse anti-Zionism, or in more specific Boycott and Divestment Campaigns, Israeli Apartheid Weeks, End the Occupation movements and the like....[T]ell me that not a single Jew-hater finds the activity congenial, that criticising Israel can never be an expression of Jew-hating, not even when it takes the form of accusing Israeli soldiers of harvesting organs... Howard Jacobson (The Independent, 27 May 2013)





What has happened to the 800,000 Jews who lived for over 2000 years in the Arab lands ...? Where are they in Arab society today? You dare talk of racism when I can point with pride ... to the fact that it is as natural for an Arab to serve in public office in Israel as it is incongruous to think of a Jew serving in any public office in an Arab country, indeed being admitted to many of them. Chaim Herzog (6 Kislev 5736; 10 November 1975)







I stand with Israel, I stand with the Jews.... I defend their right to exist, to defend themselves, to not let themselves be exterminated a second time. And, disgusted by the antisemitism of many Europeans ... I am shamed by this shame that dishonours my country and Europe. Oriana Fallaci









For Western countries to side with those who question Israel's legitimacy, for them to play games in international bodies with Israel's vital security issues, for them to appease those who oppose Western values, rather than robustly to stand up in defence of those values, is not only a grave moral mistake, but a strategic error of the first magnitude. Israel is a fundamental part of the West. The West is what it is thanks to its Judeo-Christian roots. If the Jewish element of those roots is lost and Israel is lost, then we are lost too. Jose Maria Aznar









Israel is, for us, a normal and a special country. A normal country, because it is just like any other democracy. A special country, because the Jewish culture, which eventually became the Judeo-Christian culture of the dignity of man, is the conceptual foundation of liberalism and democracy. This is why attacking Israel is tantamount to attacking Europe and the West. This is also why disputing Israel's legitimacy and its right to existence means questioning democracy. And this is why we are Friends of Israel. By defending Israel, we are defending ourselves. Marcello Pera









Israel ... is beset today by a unique combination of threats. It must defend its people from attack while defending its very right to exist. No other nation in the world faces this dual challenge. To deny Israel's right to confront some of the world's most vicious terrorist groups in order to ensure the safety of its citizens is to corrode international norms from within ... The assault on Israel is one part of a more general assault on the West, on democracy, and on the moral and cultural heritage that grew from the fruitful interaction of Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome ... Should these efforts succeed, similar efforts will certainly be turned against other western democracies. George Weigel









Apart from America itself, Israel still stands as the world's brightest model of national self-liberation based on ideals of individual responsibility and human freedom. Israel's ability to withstand Arab attempts to destroy it in one of the longest and most lop-sided wars ever fought serves as an indelible testimony to the strength of democratic culture.... We know from the past that the West paid dearly for ignoring Hitler's war against the Jews. One can only hope it will not pay as dearly for having ignored or underestimated for so long the Arab war against Israel and the Jews. Ruth Wisse







The choice before us is not between victory and defeat, but between victory and annihilation. We therefore have not the slightest intention of allowing the re-creation of the conditions of vulnerability in which we found ourselves, abandoned and alone, in the summer of 1967. Diplomat Michael Comay (1970)









I am duty-bound to defend freedom, culture, peaceful coexistence, the civic education of children, and all the principles that the Tablets of the Law have rendered universal. Principles which Islamic fundamentalism systematically destroys. This means that, since I am a Gentile, a journalist and a leftist, I have a triple moral commitment to Israel. Because, if Israel were to be vanquished, modernity, culture and freedom would also be crushed. Even though the world has failed to wake up to this fact, Israel's struggle is the world's struggle. Pilar Rahola









About Me Daphne Anson I'm a writer/researcher, with many academic books and articles under my own name. Daphne Anson is my blogging alias. Combining the names of two ships, it's a moniker of special significance to me - I'm a naval history buff. I use an alias owing to a perceived need to keep my blogging and professional identities separate. An Aussie, I've long been interested in politics and foreign affairs, having studied International Relations in the USA and Britain for my first degree, and I also hold a doctorate. I began blogging in response to the exponential rise in antisemitism and hostility to Israel in the wake of the Mavi Marmara affair. Another reason I use an alias: http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2015/08/alias-two-ships-daphne-anson.html View my complete profile





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Oak Creek to host outdoor 2022 World Cup watch party

A partnership between Morans Pub in South Milwaukee and the city of Oak Creek will offer residents food, drinks, music and games on Nov. 25.
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Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson rode in on the Range Rover pulling the company's new SpaceShipTwo vehicle, which is called VSS Unity, on Feb. 19, 2016.

MOJAVE, Calif.  If you asked me to choose one indelible memory from Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo unveiling gala Friday (Feb. 19), I would hem and haw for a few seconds, and then ultimately ask you to wait. There are just so many surreal moments from which to choose.

For example, do I go with the actual unveiling itself, which featured Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson standing  with arms outstretched like king-of-the-world Jack Dawson in "Titanic"  through the sunroof of the Range Rover that towed the space plane into view, with the pumping music and saturating blue lights giving the hangar here at the Mojave Air & Space Port a dance-club vibe?

Or what about the revelation of the vehicle's name, VSS (for Virgin Spaceship) Unity, which came at the end of a 4-minute recorded message from astrophysicist and spaceflight enthusiast Stephen Hawking, who hopes to ride the spacecraft one day? [Photos: Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity Rolls Out]

But there's also Unity's christening, which occurred in a shower of milk when Branson, his daughter and his son-in-law helped the entrepreneur's granddaughter, Eva-Deia, smash a baby bottle against the vehicle's hull.

Virgin Spaceship Unity was unveiled Friday February 19th, 2016 in Mojave, California. The space vehicle was christened by Richard Branson's granddaughter, Eva-Deia. (Image credit: Virgin Galactic/Jack Brockway)

Oh, and the unveiling ceremony happened on Eva-Deia's first birthday. So, just after the christening, the big crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to the tot, with famed English soprano Sarah Brightman leading the chorus.

Harrison Ford attended the event but did not speak, whereas youngest-ever Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai said a few words from afar. The 18-year-old Yousafzai, who fights for the right of girls in her native Pakistan and around the world to receive a quality education, contributed a video message, which played before VSS Unity was rolled out.

"I'm so excited for the unveiling of the spacecraft," said Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen in October 2012. "It's such a great work, and it's a way that we are inspiring young people in this whole world to explore more, to go farther and to have no boundaries."

I also vividly remember the sea-green cocktails that filled a table near the back of the hangar toward the gala's end, and the loud, pounding drumbeats that ushered us to our seats for the start of the ceremony. (I remember thinking, "Did I wander into a luau?")

Actor and pilot Harrison Ford (left) and Virgin Galactic chief pilot Dave Mackay inside the new Virgin Spaceship Unity during its unveiling in Mojave, California, on Feb. 19, 2016. (Image credit:  2016 Mark Greenberg/Virgin Galactic)

Such moments of spectacle are memorable. But now, after some reflection, I believe I know what will stay with me the longest  the sight of the sleek and beautiful VSS Unity itself, its blazing, shiny newness a testament to the power of hope, hard work and perseverance.

Unity is Virgin Galactic's second suborbital spaceship. The first, VSS Enterprise, broke apart in October 2014 during its fourth rocket-powered test flight, killing co-pilot Michael Alsbury and seriously injuring pilot Peter Siebold.

"That was a hard day. I remember greeting Richard in this very hangar hours after the accident," Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides said during Friday's ceremony. "It was a moment when years of hard work were put into public doubt, and the life of a brave test pilot, a family man and a friend to many of us, was lost."

But company representatives decided that very day to keep pushing ahead with their dream to get a commercial spaceline up and running  to eventually take paying customers to suborbital space and back aboard SpaceShipTwo, Whitesides said.

The history of spaceflight is full of moments like these  times when serious, and sometimes even fatal, failures prompt soul-searching and reassessment. I want humanity to push farther and farther out into the cosmos, to learn more, to explore more. So that's what I thought of when I beheld VSS Unity sitting in that hangar, after the music had stopped and the cocktails had been cleared away: Here is humanity bouncing back and pushing forward.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
An artist's impression showing a close-up of the extrasolar planet XO-1b passing in front of a Sun-like star 600 light-years from Earth. The Jupiter-sized planet is in a tight four-day orbit around the star.

Paul Sutter is a visiting scholar at The Ohio State University's Center for Cosmology and Astro-Particle Physics (CCAPP). Sutter is also host of the podcasts "Ask a Spaceman" and "RealSpace," and the YouTube series "Space in Your Face."

As usual, we thought we had it all figured out. See that gas giant over there in the outer solar system? It was born there. It will spend its whole life there, and it will die there. Sure it might wiggle around a bit every few hundred million years  who doesn't?  but, by and large, planets don't move.

Surprise: Planets move. And not just a little. They move a lot. All over the place. In fact, in the early days of a solar system's formation, planets are a little rambunctious: squirrely little toddlers jostling about underfoot. But it wasn't until we started observing planets in other solar systems ("extrasolar planets" or "exoplanets" for the astronomer on the move) that we really noticed this fact.

Hot Jupiters whipping around

And it wasn't just any type of exoplanet that kicked off this re-think; it was the hot Jupiters. Imagine: a planet more massive than the largest one in our solar system and 10 times warmer, a monstrous beast of hydrogen and other elements, complete with swirling bands of gas and a rich, dynamic atmosphere, orbiting closer its star than Mercury orbits the sun. In some solar systems, such a planet orbits so quickly that its year is shorter than the Earth's day. That means these worlds can whip around their parent stars in hours. The physics involved can reduce the most hardened scientist to tears.

When astronomers spotted the first hot Jupiter (51 Pegasi b, the first exoplanet to be found around a sunlike star, no less), the reaction was mostly, "Ha ha, mother nature, that's cute. You got us this time, but no more funny business, OK?"

But then another hot Jupiter was found. And another. Then half a dozen more. They went from goofy oddballs to  normalcy. For a while, it started to look like our own solar system was the weird one. Maybe they should just be called "regular Jupiters," and ours re-named a "cold Jupiter?"

Astronomers searching for another Earth are getting closer, thanks to recent discoveries by the Kepler space telescope. [ See our full infographic on the types of alien planets here (Image credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com Contributor)

Seeing stars  and planets

In retrospect, it's not surprising that astronomers spotted these massive planets living so close to their parent stars. After all, our detection methods are most sensitive to exactly these scenarios.

One method is based on the motion of the parent star itself. Have you ever taunted a dog on a leash, running back and forth? The dog, frantically trying to chase you, runs until the leash stops it. You go the opposite direction, and so does the dog, until "thunk!" and the leash again reaches its limit.

In this really bad analogy, each planet is taunting its parent sun through gravity. During one part of the planet's year, the world sits at a certain position in the system. Gently, week by week, the planet tries to pull the star over to it, because that's how gravity works. But some time later, the planet finds itself on the opposite side of the system. "No, star, I meant come over here, not over there!"

Back and forth the star goes, sloshing around  just a tiny bit  it is huge compared to its planets, after all. But with precise-enough measurements, we can detect that wobble by a telltale red- and blue-shifting of the star's emitted light. [Direct Imaging: The Next Big Step in the Hunt for Exoplanets ]

A second powerful method  and nowadays, the method most commonly used to find new planets  is to simply look for distant eclipses. If we get the alignment just right, and stare at enough stars, every once in a while, a planet will cross the face of its parent, ever so slightly dimming the star. Bingo: a transit detection!

Both of those methods will more easily find a planet if it is big, producing a stronger pull from wiggling or a more significant dip in the brightness.

So these methods will first pick out the massive, close planets, because those will make the strongest, clearest, least-ambiguous signals. And with planets that have fast orbital speeds, you can get more signal bang for your observational buck.

That led to the initial worry: For a while, it seemed like every exoplanet was a hot Jupiter. Fortunately, as our detection methods improved and we could spot smaller exoplanets, we've learned the galaxy is a mellower place. There are plenty of hot Jupiters, but also plenty of regular Jupiters, and every other kind of planet you can imagine .

Almost a sun, but not quite

Still, how did the hot Jupiters get so hot? To seed a gas giant, you need more than rocks for a core, simply because there aren't enough rocks in a solar system to make a decent Jupiter-size planet core. You also need to glue together a bunch of ices, and last time I checked, there aren't exactly a lot of ices near the surface of a star. So obviously the hot Jupiters didn't form in the Mercurial positions where we now find them. What gives?

The best guess we have so far  and it really is a guess at this point  is that a Jupiter-like planet forms in an appropriately Jupiter-like orbit in an early gaseous, nebulous not-quite-a-solar-system. The big world clears a gap in the gaseous disk, because that's what giant planets do. It's stuck to the middle of the gap like a car on a racetrack. If it moves too close in, the bands of gasses around the star are rotating faster than the planet is orbiting, and so nudge the giant young planet back out. If the planet scoots out too far, the slower-moving gas bands located there nudge it back into its proper place.

If you're a topical expert  researcher, business leader, author or innovator  and would like to contribute an op-ed piece, email us here (Image credit: SPACE.com)

But since the system is so young, it's not done contracting and compressing. The gas continually brushes against the planet, playing a fantastically huge game of curling to keep the planet within the gap. And as the entire disk of gas continues to squeeze inward to its final, compact size, it carries the gap  and the newly formed planet  with it. Voila: a Jupiter-size planet in the inner solar system!

But if it's so easy, why does it happen only sometimes? How come our solar system's Jupiter is where it "belongs"? And what stops a hot Jupiter from becoming a very hot Jupiter and just crashing into its star? And, honestly, the whole mechanism seems a little dodgy, if you ask me.

There are certainly many things we don't understand, and hot Jupiters offer us yet another tantalizing clue about the larger puzzle of how solar systems form, both here and abroad. To solve this riddle, we have to do what scientists do best: think about it some more. And more data wouldn't hurt, either.

Learn more by listening to the episode "What's Up with Exoplanets?" on the "Ask a Spaceman" podcast, available on iTunes (opens in new tab) and on the Web at http://www.askaspaceman.com. Thanks to Jon Ziegler, Dan Cataldo, @infirmus, @MarkRiepe and Kieran Price for the questions that led to this piece! Ask your own question on Twitter using #AskASpaceman or by following Paul @PaulMattSutter and at facebook.com/PaulMattSutter.

Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates  and become part of the discussion  on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Space.com.
How acidic is the ocean on Saturn's icy moon Enceladus? It's a fundamental question to understanding if this geyser-spouting moon could support life.

Enceladus is part of a family of icy worlds, including Europa (at Jupiter) and Titan (also at Saturn), populating our outer solar system. These bodies are some of the most promising places for life because they receive tidal energy from the gas giants they orbit and some contain liquid water.

The Cassini spacecraft has been taking regular measurements of Enceladus for more than a decade to evaluate its environment. One of the key factors influencing the habitability of an environment is its chemical composition, in particular its pH. On Earth, it's possible for life to exist near the extremes of the pH scale that ranges from 0 (battery acid) to 14 (drain cleaner). Knowing the pH can help us to identify geochemical reactions that affect the habitability of an environment, because many reactions cause predictable changes in pH. [Photos: Enceladus, Saturn's Cold, Bright Moon]

Oceanography of another world

While we cannot stick a strip of pH paper into the ocean water on Enceladus to measure the pH directly, it can be estimated by looking at molecules in its plumes that change form in response to pH changes.

Recently, geochemist Christopher Glein led a team that developed a new approach to estimating the pH of Enceladus' ocean using observational data of the carbonate geochemistry of plume material. This is a classic problem in geochemical studies of Earth (such as rainwater), but scientists can now solve the carbonate problem on an extraterrestrial body thanks to measurements of dissolved inorganic carbon by the Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA), and carbon dioxide gas by the Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) onboard Cassini.

Glein's team tried to create the most comprehensive chemical model to date of the ocean by accounting for compositional constraints from both INMS and CDA, such as the salinity of the plume. Their model s uggests that Enceladus has a sodium, chloride and carbonate ocean with an alkaline pH of 11 or 12, close to the equivalent of ammonia or soapy water. The estimated pH is slightly higher by 1 to 2 units than an earlier estimate based on CDA data alone, but the different modeling approaches are consistent in terms of the overall chemistry of an alkaline ocean.

Serpentinization, which is believed to occur on Enceladus, may also happen on other moons such as Europa (pictured). (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute)

"It's encouraging that there is general agreement, considering that these approaches are based on spacecraft data from a plume. This is much more difficult than getting the pH of a swimming pool, so it would not be surprising if the models are missing some of the details. Of course, we are trying to reconcile the data as much as possible because the details may provide clues to understanding the eruptive processes that turn an ocean's chemistry into a plum e ," said Glein.

A paper based on Glein's research, "The pH of Enceladus' ocean," was published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta in August. Glein is a research scientist at Southwest Research Institute, but completed the research while at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. The work was funded by the NASA Astrobiology Institute element of the Astrobiology Program at NASA. [Inside Enceladus, Icy Moon of Saturn (Infographic)]

Hydrothermal activity for life

A portion of the "Lost City" hydrothermal vents in the Atlantic Ocean, which may be most similar to what is happening on Enceladus. (Image credit: NASA)

It is believed that Enceladus' alkaline chemistry comes from a geochemical process called serpentinization. This happens when a rock that is rich in magnesium and iron is converted to more clay-type minerals. On Earth, we see this process in very limited locations, such as the low-temperature hydrothermal vent field named Lost City in the Atlantic Ocean.

"It's exactly what we would expect if there is a liquid water ocean in contact with rocks on and below the ocean floor on Enceladus," Glein said.

In addition to a high pH, this process produces hydrogen gas, a potent fuel that can drive the formation of organic molecules that in some cases can be building blocks of life.

An unresolved question, however, is whether s erpentinization is taking place now. If the activity is ongoing, this would provide habitable conditions, which could support an ecosystem similar to Lost City. If it occurred long ago, the high pH may be a relict and life may be less likely, although still not impossible if there are other sources of chemical energy.

Cassini did a final flyby of Enceladus in late October that targeted the chemistry of the plumes directly. The INMS team, which includes Glein, is searching for molecular hydrogen in that plume, which would be chemical evidence of active serpentinization. An absence of molecular hydrogen would be a sign that the serpentinization is extinct.

The data analysis from this flyby may be completed in time for the American Geophysical Union's fall meeting in December. Glein added that the planned NASA mission to Europa includes advanced descendants of both the CDA and INMS instruments, meaning that in a decade or two, scientists can start to make these same measurements at Europa. This will allow us to better understand the importance of serpentinization across the Solar System.

"On other icy worlds, if they have liquid water oceans, [serpentinization] should be inevitable because these bodies are massive mixtures of water and rock," he said. "Maybe the methane we see in Titan's atmosphere formed when hydrogen from serpentinization combined with deep carbon in a hydrothermal environment. There may also be liquid water on [dwarf planet] Pluto, through cryovolcanoes and a youthful surface. We expect there to be some degree of water-rock interaction on such ocean worlds, setting the stage for serpentinization and the generation of hydrogen that could be utilized if there is anyone out there."

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
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Marvel TelevisionTEAM: Jeffrey Bell (w, ep), Paul Zbyszewski (w, ep), Jeph Loeb (ep), Jim Chory (ep)Centers on Bobbi Morse (a.k.a. Mockingbird) and Lance Hunter of Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., two ex-spies and ex-spouses who are on the run with no friends, no S.H.I.E.L.D. and a long list of enemies looking to claim a bounty on their heads. Able to trust no one but each other, Bobbi and Hunter form an uneasy alliance with Dominic Fortune, a rogue adventurer with a wealth of resources and even more adversaries, who agrees to protect them so long as they help him with his own agenda. These two heroes will help anyone in need, all while trying to uncover the conspiracy that put their own lives in jeopardy.Adrianne Palicki, Nick Blood, Delroy Lindo
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STAMFORD  In 1995, in the early days of the Internet, Jim Fordes seventh-grade science class at Rippowam Magnet Middle School followed a team of five adventurers who bicycled through Central America looking for clues about the collapse of the Mayan civilization.

Twice a week, the explorers checked in with classrooms across the world  including Fordes  via email. They uploaded their findings with heavy laptop computers and a small satellite uplink.

On the receiving end, Forde was running a state-of-the-art communications hook-up, too. He taped a long telephone wire to the ceiling of his second-floor classroom, which ran from his laptop to the closest telephone jack, several doors down in the teachers lounge. He and his class would dial onto the information superhighway with a modem 2,000 times slower than todays typical connection. If anyone lifted the receiver in the teachers lounge, Fordes class was over.

I put a sign on the phone that said, Dont pick up the phone,  he recalled.

Forde paid the $3-per-minute access fee out of pocket. At that price, he said, I was sweating bullets every time we would download an image.

But his class was enthralled.

This was the first time, for many of them, that they saw the potential of the Internet, he said.

Now a seventh-grade teacher at Cloonan Middle School, Forde was recently honored as one of nine teachers nationwide invited to the White House to talk about the future of computer science education.

I am humbled by it, Forde said Monday. It was a real honor. I know there are hard-working teachers at all of (Stamfords) 20 schools who could have easily been there.

The plan for the Jan. 26 event had been a panel discussion among the educators on how best to expand education in coding and computer science. But heavy snow hit the nations capital that week, and instead, nine teachers sat around a conference room table in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with senior White House staff for an informal talk.

Since it was a snow day, so to speak, all the administration officials were dressed down, he said. The cafeteria was closed  we ordered pizza.

It was an atmosphere that Forde said put everyone at ease.

I get nervous when my principal walks in the room, you know? he joked.

In the years since Fordes slapdash dial-up connection, he has continued to introduce new technology in his lessons. He runs Cloonans Scratch Club, named after an introductory coding language invented by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The goal of the language is to make computer programing more accessible, he said. Two Fridays a month, some 30 students gather at Cloonan to work on coding projects.

Forde said the club is meant to be a creative space.

The idea is for me not to be a classroom teacher in that space. I have to say, Im probably the worst programmer in the room, he said.

Inspired to do more

Students who encounter problems in their code often turn to each other for help.

It allows them to develop grit, Forde said. It creates a community of learners.

The sit-down with White House staff has inspired him to do more, he said. He was especially moved by conversations about expanding access to computer learning beyond the kids who decide to pursue it on their own time.

I like the idea that I have this club, but its only 30 kids, he said. I could be intentionally reaching out to kids that have potential and creating the confidence for them to (learn computer science). That could be a life-changing thing.

The D.C. trip was only a start.

I feel like it gave me some marching orders: Jim, there are more things you could be doing. 

ESimko-Bednarski@scni.com; 203-964-2215; stamfordadvocate.com/news
To launch a series of events to celebrate Diversity Week at Greenwich High School, U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th, spoke to students Monday about bullying, race and working toward a more tolerant society.

A crowd of close to 400 turned out in the middle of the school day at GHS new auditorium to hear from Himes. And while the congressman, a resident of Cos Cob, shared a laugh when he noted that physically he was not exactly the best exemplar of diversity being a white man, he had a serious message.

Diversity is what makes us great as a country, Himes said. Why do people in Pakistan and Indonesia and Ghana want to come here? Yes, economic opportunity is a main reason but at the core of who we are and why people want to be here is ... were the one place in the world where it theoretically doesnt matter where you came from or what your background is or what your skin color is. If you are here you have the opportunity to grow a business and participate in government and do the things that really provide opportunity.

The event was put together by the GHS Diversity Club, which has events planned throughout the week. Himes took prepared questions from several club members and then the floor was opened to students in attendance.

Bullying was one of the topics raised and Himes noted the suicide of GHS student Bart Palosz in 2013, who reportedly endured years of bullying.

All too often amongst our young people they pick up the things they hear from their parents, their community and in school, Himes said. Whether its grade school, middle school or high school, people are bullied because of the color of their skin or because theyre gay or theyre Hispanic. ... When someone gets bullied they question themselves and worry theyre different or not as good as the person who thinks differently than they do. That is a tragedy in of itself.

Recalling his own experiences as a high school student in the early 1980s Himes, said he felt people had come a long way since then.

Back then we made gay jokes all the time, Himes said. We made racist jokes. I grew up in a small town that was pretty much uniformly white. That doesnt happen so much anymore.

His two daughters provide him with a sense of the current school-aged generation, he said

You guys are much more tolerant than my generation was. You have an active LGBT presence here in this school and that would have been inconceivable in my high school in 1984, he said. We need to celebrate that progress, but be conscious of the fact that were far from where we want to be.

Himes urged students to stand up against bullying, and to voice objections to offensive jokes or comments. Speaking to the men in the audience, Himes told them there is nothing manly about putting other people down.

He said social media can be a real double edged sword, a platform where an advocacy group against racism can be quickly formed, for example, but which can also serve as a forum for bullying and the exchange of racist ideas.

Students said after the event they were happy Himes came to the school and grateful for the chance to discuss issues important to them.

The youth needs to get more involved in the situation, said GHS junior Remi Ullmann. Were not involved enough here in the United States. We see whats going on in Syria and Iraq and Afghanistan. We see whats going on in Europe and Russia and the Ukraine. We see what happened here with Ferguson and Baltimore. We need to talk to our diplomats and solve this situation.

Alejandra Leiva, a sophomore and a member of the Diversity Club, added, I liked how he talked about how we need to change now. Even though things have changed a lot hes telling us that we still need to make more of a change and have a bigger impact against racism. Hes talking about how we can be a better country.

As president of the Diversity Club, Cory Myrtil said she was pleased with how Himes appearance kicked off the week of events to celebrate diversity.

In an affluent town like Greenwich we kind of turn the other cheek and think everything is OK, Myrtil said. To have these open discussions and have not only adults but students getting involved, I want everyone to leave (Diversity Week events) knowing that everyone belongs and seeing why everyone belongs. Im not saying everyone is going to be friends overnight but we can create a more empathetic feeling toward one another.

GHS Headmaster Christopher Winters and Superintendent of Schools William McKersie both attended the event. McKersie spoke about his own experiences as a youth growing up in Chicago and how his father brought him to hear Martin Luther King Jr. speak.

McKersie said he had spoken with his father just the other day about Diversity Week and brought a message from him connecting the civil rights struggles of the 1960s with todays issues and the creation of activist groups like Black Lives Matter.

He said to tell them that the color line is still a problem for us, McKersie said. We still have people talking about building walls and separation in a nation that has been rooted in coming together, not building lines and not building walls. When Dr. King took his stand in the 1960s, he was not embraced. ... We need to find a way to have difference, have debate and have discussion but get across that color line.

kborsuk@scni.com
FAIRFIELD  Out of the hospital, Kathleen Andrews issued a statement Monday nearly a week after police fatally shot her husband outside their home following a violent domestic incident.

In these darkest days that have passed since the events of last Tuesday, our family has been overwhelmed by the support we have received from our community, the statement said. The kindness and generosity that continues to be shown to myself and my children has given our family hope and strength to begin to heal. My gratitude for the incredible doctors that worked tirelessly to save my family is immense.
STAMFORD-A Windsor Locks woman, with a history of larceny arrests and bond jumping, was arrested for being a part of a counterfeit check cashing scheme that stole $55,000 from two Stamford companies.

Kazia Kostrzewa, 27, was arraigned at the Stamford courthouse Tuesday on charges that she cashed six phony checks in Stamford totaling $5,974. After hearing that she is wanted for not showing up to court for four other larceny cases at the Enfield courthouse, Judge Auden Grogins ordered that she be held on a $20,000 cash bond in the Stamford case and $106,000 in bonds on her other cases.

According to her arrest affidavit, First County Bank reported to Stamford police in 2014 that it was dealing with a large scale check fraud scheme, involving two of its business customers. Between May 27 and June 3, 2014, 10 individuals cashed 56 counterfeit checks purporting to be from the two Stamford businesses worth nearly $56,000 at multiple First County Bank branches in the Fairfield County area.

Bank officials said 32 of those checks had been cashed at Stamford First County branches.

Bank officials said Kostrzewa went to a Norwalk branch of First County Bank on May 28 and tried to open up an account, but was refused.

On May 30, she appeared at the banks Springdale location and cashed a check for $995 after presenting her Connecticut identification card. On June 2 she went to branches in North Stamford, Shippan and Atlantic Street cashing three checks totaling nearly $3,000. The next day she went to branches in Glenbrook and North Stamford for two more checks for nearly $2,000.

After Stamford police put out an alert, they found that Kostrzewa was wanted in Great Barrington, Massachusetts for teaming up with a man and cashing nearly $31,000 worth of checks from the same Stamford businesses between June 4 and June 6.

The affidavit said that Kostrzewa is being investigated for cashing other counterfeit checks at banks including Fairfield County Bank, Newtown Savings Bank and First Niagra Bank.

Darien police have also arrested Kostrzewa for cashing another phony check for $995 from the same Stamford company at a Darien First County Bank branch on June 2.

Kostrzewa is facing six forgery charges and one third-degree larceny charge in the Stamford case.
T he City turned the screw on miner BHP Billiton today as the Anglo-Australian blue-chip tumbled to annual losses of $5.67 billion (4 billion) and slashed back its dividend.

Shares in the company sank by 3% or 26.55p to 768.45p today following dire numbers from the FTSE 100 giant, which has joined a host of industry peers including Anglo American, Rio Tinto and Glencore in cutting shareholder payments or scrapping them altogether.

Alongside the companys first loss in 16 years, BHP chief executive Andrew Mackenzie hit the dividend with a bigger cut than expected, slashing it by 75% to 16 cents for the year, as well as ending its progressive payout policy.

That disappointed company watchers who were hopeful of a payout of around 35 cents.

Miners such as BHP are under increasing pressure as a slowdown in Chinas economy results in lower demand for key commodities, such as iron ore and coal.

We need to recognise we are in a new era, a new world and we need a different dividend policy to handle that, Mackenzie said as the company warned of a prolonged period of weaker prices and higher volatility in the mining industry.

Ratings agency Standard & Poors cut its credit score on BHP earlier this month and warned that further action was likely unless the miner shored up its finances.

The huge losses included a $4.9 billion hit on BHPs US oil and gas assets  already flagged up  as well as a $1.2 billion charge following last years dam disaster in Brazil at the companys Samarco joint venture with miner Vale.

The bursting of the dam at Minas Gerais sent millions of tonnes of mine waste surging through the jungle, flattening a village with the deaths of 28 people and polluting the Rio Doce.

The bill could rise significantly as BHP and Vale are in negotiations with the Brazilian government over a potential $5.1 billion clean up and compensation fund.
A s have others, I privately nagged Boris Johnson over what he intended to do on Europe. His answer was always that he would do what he believed to be right.

It is characteristic of him to take it to the wire. We former Daily Telegraph colleagues perfectly understand his creative process. We were usually left in the dark about the subject of his column and certainly the timing of it. Boris thinks and composes in a Socratic flourish. His decision-making at City Hall, according to some employees there, relied on epiphanies often triggered by someone outside the office hierarchy.

The lethal legal argument by Marina Wheeler QC, who happens to be Boriss wife, which she outlined for a Spectator blog, was closely reiterated in Boriss Telegraph column yesterday. Marinas Euroscepticism is more striking than Boriss. He may have been partly raised there but his journalistic career was made as a Brussels insurgent. Marina is a Euro liberal grandee, the daughter of the distinguished BBC journalist Charles Wheeler.

To declare an interest, I knew Marinas family in Brussels. Her scathing examination of sovereignty in law is borne out of logic rather than ideology. There is nothing Little England about the Wheelers.

If there was anguish in coming to a decision, that is not surprising either. The Cameron years have been the story of close friends and godparents. Boris Johnson is friendly but not clubbable. It is painstakingly explained by Old Etonians that scholars, which Boris was, do not naturally mix with the Establishment.

But Boris has come to Camerons rescue over two elections and his instincts towards his party are loyal. He is not a political purist. At the Telegraph, when we all had to vote for a Tory leader in 2001, the Eurosceptics wanted Iain Duncan Smith, while Boris championed the Europhile Kenneth Clarke.

Having eventually raised his flag, it suits Boris. He will be unworried by the turmoil it causes and attempts to crush him in the Commons will make him more flamboyant in opposition. Look what happened on the airport issue, on which Johnson and Goldsmith almost alone have refused to negotiate. Boris was pitted against the weight of business and political opinion and would not budge.

So Boris is where he belongs with the free spirits of Merrie England. The only allegiance he acknowledges is to the Queen. It is nicely timed that he gives her the gift of the Elizabeth Line today.

Those with a non-Shakespearean interest in the Euro referendum are irritated that it has become a soap opera about two Tories, Boris Johnson and David Cameron. But the different characters of the two men effectively distil the issues.

Cameron is comfortable with order, security, status quo, sobriety. Johnson is a challenger and risk taker. Cameron stands with big business, Johnson is the emblem of the creative chaos which everyone applauds unless it is happening in your company.

Two visions. But who really speaks for Britain?

Proof that the ties of Europe are manifold

The roots of a relationship spread and so peoples responses to the Euro referendum debate are multifaceted. I have focused on the economy but there are other prisms to consider.

The other day, I went to visit the gene therapy unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The possibilities of medical advance are astonishing. I met the Spanish parents of a baby with a severe immune disorder brought to the hospital for a life- saving but fairly painless treatment. Some of the babys cells were removed, grown in a laboratory and re-inserted via an artificial virus.

It is such a specialised field of medicine that Great Ormond Streets Professor Bobby Gaspar knows his European counterparts. He is not only saving lives but understanding the scale of the implications.

The answer to many of the conditions that threaten us lie within our own genetic codes. The next step will be genetic therapy medicines.

Gaspar says the exchange of patients within Europe has been vital for research and fears us leaving the EU. What if it set back this research, and, by the way, the commercial dividends of a British- based patent? And, on a human level, one could only feel kinship with the exhausted and grateful Spanish parents who thanked Great Ormond Street Hospital and the UK over and over again.

Changing face of the capital

Thirty years ago, Knightsbridge was defined by the Sloane Ranger Handbook, depicting middle-class girls sharing flats while waiting to settle down in Gloucestershire. Their two retail compasses were Peter Jones and Harvey Nichols. Then London became a global capital and the Sloane Rangers were priced out of Zone One.

Now a correction is taking place. The price of oil is making foreign shoppers more frugal. Some of those luxury flats look empty because nobody is buying them rather than no one living in them.

There are always new opportunities British companies such as Burberry are strengthening ties with Japan, for instance. It would be awful if Brexit meant no more French accents in South Kensington yet lets welcome back the Brits. They shop and buy homes too.

Chic women are keeping the viewers hooked

I love television at the moment but the plot lines seem to be blurring. I have kept up with The Good Wife, Deutschland 83, French political drama Spin and of course now The Night Manager, which started on Sunday night on BBC1. So I really like seeing fast action involving foreign, well-dressed women, connected to politics, possibly murdered.

In the case of Spin and The Night Manager, the programmes have serendipitously merged in the form of actress Aure Atika.

In Spin she plays a beautiful, powerful French politician, Secretary General Gabrielle Tackichieff.

In The Night Manager she is plot collateral as Sophie Alekan.

I am pretty sure I will not see her cast in the Icelandic thriller Trapped; she would never, ever wear a fleece.
F orget Boris. Think London. Forget the bumptious Mayor with an eye on the main chance. He is just a politician. London is for ever. So is London better off, whatever that means, in the European Union or not?

Politics, of course, is never that simple. When the Mayor of London summons the media to his Islington home on a Sunday afternoon, it is not to offer thoughts on the sheep meat premium or fish quotas. It is to launch his bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party. It is to Londons credit that its mayoralty is a fit platform for the top job in the land.

Johnsons father Stanley was wrong to say yesterday that the referendum would make or break his sons career. Boris Johnson understands the Cromwell question, Which side were you on at Marston Moor? When the Tory faithful come to vote for their leader, it is not who won the referendum that counts but which side was Boris on.

Johnson at the weekend referred to an EU that is now unrecognisable from the idealistic entity of his youth. Its blundering Brussels headquarters reek of the 20th century. Its institutions are plainly beyond reform, other than towards ever greater centralisation. It cannot cure the eurozones mass unemployment. It cannot handle mass immigration. It cannot control money launderers and tax havens. It cannot do foreign policy or defence. Even its obtuse response last week to David Camerons humiliating plea for tiny reforms was ham-fisted.

The EU has morphed into a protectionist, lobby-dominated cartel. The cost to London housing of senseless EU building regulation, says my builder, is in the order of 20 per cent  plus VAT. EU labour laws are a conspiracy for joblessness. The safety of our buses, the quality of our air and the pollution of our rivers should be our business, as electors not passive subjects of a distant power.

This is not really controversial. Even the pro-EU Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, calls the EU a failure. What divides opinion is what to do about it, indeed whether anything can be done about it. An In vote is for nothing.

I am probably in a tiny minority in believing that, for London at least, in or out of the EU does not matter much. London is a pocket battleship of a state that is master of all it surveys. It does some business with the EU and some not. For all this weeks hysteria that will go on as usual.

As the City guru, Neil Woodford, said last week, much of the argument over withdrawal is thus bogus. This month HSBC did not bother to wait for the referendum to opt to stay in the City. London is a global metropolis more than it is a European one. The In-voting captains of industry in Todays Times were just insiders comfortable with the status quo.

A vote for withdrawal would not mean total withdrawal, whatever the In-lobby claims. Forget the Lisbon Treatys Article 50 and Camerons clever divorce joke yesterday. A British Out vote would deliver the mother of all diplomatic crises. There is no argument. Britain and the EU would simply have to agree a new trading relationship. Common sense suggests a new referendum to validate it, as when countries voted against the Lisbon Treaty.

There would be compromises, as there were with Europes other non-EU partners. At the end of the day, Britain would probably come away with some sort of associate member status. The price would be keeping many of the hated rules and regulations, and even paying something into EU, as does Norway. But the focus would, as Johnson says, be on free and fair trade not on the present stampede of EU bureaucrats through Britains social, judicial and even constitutional affairs.

An Out-vote would exclude Britain from the voting heart of the EU but membership of a majoritarian council is barely sovereignty. What Britain would regain is democratic control over up to half its legislation reportedly now beholden to Brussels, most of it nothing to do with equalising trade.

There could be no better illustration of this than Cameron touring Europe last week begging to be allowed to fix his own child benefits, and being told, in effect, no. As for Project Fear  that the EU saves Britain from Islamic State terrorism, increases crime or invites Russian invasion  that insults public intelligence.

London will survive. It will continue to trade with a lethargic EU. The outside world is its opportunity. What needs to change is the EU itself.

When I voted for Europe in 1975, it was still a dynamic framework for trading between sovereign states. Now the EU is an archaic church in chronic need of Reformation. It will clearly not get it from a British In-vote. It needs disruptive trauma.

Johnson may have been a weak Mayor. He may have failed to protect London from Tube unions and neighbourhood gangs, from property speculators and ugly greed. But this week he called it right on Europe.

Voting Out is a worthwhile gamble. It is the only way of rebooting UK relations with the EU. To be free of Brussels interference, even to a small degree, is in Londons interest. It would position the city where it is happiest and richest, as an offshore island with bridges to both Europe and the world.

An Out-vote might also jolt the EU into the reform that Cameron wrongly claims to have achieved. It would refresh democracy everywhere and call a halt to Brussels remorseless hunger for power. Out is the radical option, the smart option, the future option. Boris has got the point.


I am utterly appalled by Boris Johnsons decision to back the Out campaign [February 22] for the EU referendum. How can someone who is supposed to act in the interests of one of the biggest financial centres in the world possibly think leaving the EU wont have a negative effect on businesses?

We all know how important London is to the economy of this country and Mr Johnsons decision betrays this. I noticed that the rate of exchange is significantly worse than it has been for a long time. It is plain to see that the uncertainty around our place in the EU is already impacting our businesses, and his decision will only increase this uncertainty.

By announcing his support for a Brexit, Mr Johnson has committed the worst crime in politics  putting his own personal gain before what is right for the people he was elected to champion. Sorry, Boris, I was a fan but you will never get my vote again.

Jason Maddocks

For London to continue as one of the great capitals of the world, it needs to remain at the heart of the European Union. An exit would, at best, leave London as the capital of an isolated island but at worst could lead to the break-up of the UK, given that most people in Scotland are likely to vote in favour of staying in the EU.

I do not believe Boris Johnson is truly in favour of a Brexit  he appears to feel that backing the Out campaign is his best chance of becoming the next Prime Minister.

Giorgio Loukas

I was so proud of David Camerons performance at the EU negotiations  his speeches were confident, forthright and eloquent and I cant think of anyone else I would like to represent us.

The situation is very different from 1975  we have the issue of migrants from various countries wanting to live in the UK, while human rights and how much we contribute to the European coffers are also prominent issues. The whole question of our EU membership may be a huge problem now with so many different issues to debate but I believe Mr Cameron did the best he could.

Barbara Bayford

The EU referendum is about the wrong issue. We should be voting about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which is a big threat to the independence of the UK and other countries of Europe. But we will not, unfortunately, be able to reject TTIP.

The hardest task in the referendum will be deciding whether there is more danger in voting to stay in the EU, which is wooed and controlled by global corporations based mainly in the United States, or becoming even more directly connected to the US ourselves. I dont think this is a real choice  the UK economy will be dominated by multinational corporations whichever way we vote.

Una Hodgkins

Music lessons need funding, not venues

At first glance a new concert hall for Londoners sounds like a wonderful idea [February 18]. However, 278 million is a considerable amount of money and it is inconceivable that this could go ahead without public funding.

In an era of austerity, we have a duty to ask whether the UK needs a major new venue for classical music. Londoners can already hear high quality music at the Barbican, Royal Albert Hall and Southbank Centre.

Just nine years ago the Royal Festival Hall was completely refurbished, with millions of pounds of funding from the Lottery as well as from trusts, foundations and private donors.

We should also ask whether 278 million would be better spent on music education, especially at a time when support for teaching musical instruments in schools has been reduced.

Such investment would have a transformational impact on music education, enabling every child  regardless of their background  to learn a musical instrument and receive expert tuition.

Cllr Sally Prentice (Lab), Ferndale Ward, Lambeth Council

Were being taken for a ride by Uber

Penny Laughton [February 18] clearly cares little about the future of Londons black-cab trade. Taxi drivers did not just decide overnight to drift into the business because of the ease of entry, unlike many of the unregulated Uber drivers.

Transport for London already takes great interest in the exhaust emissions of London taxis but if Ms Laughton really thinks that licensing lots of Uber vehicles will help pollution  thereby forcing thousands of licensed taxis to crawl endlessly around Londons streets looking for elusive fares shes greatly mistaken.

The licensed taxi trade continually chases the ever-moving TfL goalposts while it appears that the Uber operation is allowed to decide its own. How can this be?

G Crane

Goldsmith is for the few, not the many

Regardless of Zac Goldsmiths connivance at cuts at his local hospital [February 19], his attitude towards NHS cuts in general was clearly demonstrated at the mayoral hustings recently organised by your newspaper.

Asked whether he would join other candidates in campaigning to maintain full NHS services at Charing Cross and Ealing Hospitals, he replied that hed stand up for his own local hospital but not necessarily for others. London needs a Mayor who will stand up for all Londoners  not just the favoured few.

Francis Prideaux

New shopping mall means less housing

Your recent interview with David Atkins [February 19] painted a rosy picture for the proposed Brent Cross shopping centre and Hammerson the developer. But the truth for those who live here is very different.

According to Barnet councils own documents, the centre will generate 29,000 extra car journeys every day and the new road will see homes being demolished, so it will actually lead to a decrease in Barnets housing. Its not too late for Mr Atkins to listen to the people whose lives he is blighting but I am not holding my breath  retail gain will win over people, yet again.

Alison Hopkins
T he fashion industry isnt going to change overnight. Until we see a shift in attitude from within the industry, campaigners like myself will continue to be ignored despite the huge amount of public support we enjoy.

Ive been campaigning for the use of healthier models since September and Ive received messages every day from people who have suffered from anorexia or other body-image issues as a direct result of the fashion industry glorifying extremely thin body shapes.

The focus of the industry should be on encouraging models to eat healthily, exercise in moderation and see a doctor regularly. Agencies shouldnt be focused on how many inches one girl or boy has to lose before they can audition for a catwalk show, however important it may seem for their career in the short term.

A model could walk for three or four seasons in New York or Milan but, if they are damaging themselves in the process, they could be left with lifelong health issues.

Carole Whites suggestion that the curb on size zero models is doomed to fail is a perfect example of how the industry as a whole is unwilling to consider change, and how it continues to push its own ideals in the face of opposition.

Rosalie Nelson, model and campaigner

Your report [Designers want size zero models, February 18] had a most depressing ring to it.

London Fashion Week still receiving serious public funding at a time when eating disorders are on the rise.

Horrific eating disorders are often generated by such distorted ideas about the supposed ideal shape that women, or indeed men, should have.

It is time the fashion world started to accept what real and attractive women and men actually look like. If the industry fails to live in the real world it should have its public funding finally turned off.

Baroness Doocey, House of Lords

In response to claims that efforts to curb the use of skinny models are doomed to fail because designers want straight up and down, flat-chested models, if these so-called designers cant work with a human-shaped body then theyre clearly not up to the job.

Perhaps these inexplicably esteemed types might want to consider turning their talents to something theyre more imaginatively equipped for, such as hoardings for scaffolds.

Real designers create things that are reactive to the environment or to the consumer  products that are fit for purpose. Buildings, vehicles, art and interior decor are designed in this way. Who exactly do these fashion designers think theyre creating these clothes for?

Besides, starving models so that they fit the wardrobes on the runway isnt even aiming at the right market  and Im reliably informed that zombie movie directors tend to hire their own creatives for costume design.

Julian Self

Help is at hand for Leytons homeless

RE Waheda Al-Mikdadis letter [Homelessness has no place in our city, February 18], I would like to make this person aware that there are places where help is available.

I am a homeless woman living in Waltham Forest. Leyton has a day centre catering for 35 people a day, providing meals and helping them find accommodation, secure work and claim benefits.

We also have seven churches of various denominations who kindly open their doors one night a week during winter. Yes, there are many in our shelter who are foreign nationals but there are also those of us from the borough who have become homeless through no fault of our own. Most of us have worked in the past and paid into the system and are not all out on the streets begging or claiming welfare benefits.

While I agree that more could be done  every person could be one step away themselves from becoming homeless  we need to urge our councils and the Government to do more to help us all.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to Waltham Forest shelter volunteers: your hard work is truly appreciated.

Glynis Barber

Centrica bosss EU claim is all hot air

So Centrica CEO Iain Conn warns that Britain leaving the EU will lead to higher gas prices (Thursday 18 Feb). This is rich coming from a company whose UK arm is posting increased profits on the back of falling wholesale prices and helps to prop up the falling profits of its EU arm from a once UK state-owned company.

As a reward the firm intends to force 2,000 redundancies on the UK workforce in 2016. And there may be more between 2017 and 2020 as Centrica looks to cull a further 3,000 jobs across Europe.

The article also states that the UK imports more than half of its gas from Europe, mostly from Norway, and the volume is likely to climb over the next decade. Correct me if Im wrong but while Norway is geographically part of Europe it is not part of the EU, so considering it is our largest gas supplier, how will pulling out of the EU lead to higher gas prices?

Norway is a perfect example of how a European country can deal with the EU from the outside. The UK could save 12 billion a year in membership fees, excluding financial fines for quick economic recovery, to invest in overstretched public services.

Karl Walker

Tall buildings should be better planned

Peter Murray of New London Architecture says shorter and fatter buildings arent the answer to Londons need for growth (Letters, February 17). Denser, well-designed and lower developments are exactly the way we can continue the essential architectural traditions of London, while delivering greater capacity for housing and workplaces.

Our city deserves a meaningful response to its character and history, but many of our tall buildings are hopelessly generic. A number of the 260-plus towers that have planning permission line the Thames, meaning our oldest and arguably most important public space could be cut off from Londoners.

We recognise that tall buildings in the right places can make exciting contributions but they should be planned for strategically, for the whole of London, and should not be springing up in the wrong places.

Duncan Wilson, CEO, Historic England
A collection that appealed to the Instagram generation topped the bill on the final day of London Fashion Week as Toga staged its latest show.

Brimming with clothes designed to harness maximum impact, Japanese designer Yasuko Furuta went all out to capture the digital generations imagination with a showcase which marked her brands second appearance on the capitals fashion week schedule.

A former costume designer, Furuta is wise to the notion of fashion as a loaded statement.

To this end, the collection on offer today was a roll call of next season's most photogenic trends.

Toga AW16 at London Fashion Week 1 /25 Toga AW16 at London Fashion Week Toga Models walk the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga Handbag detail on the AW16 runway Tristan Fewings/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Toga A model walks the AW16 runway Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty

Knitted flared trousers, studded dungarees, sheer tulle skirts and faux fur sleeve coats all featured high on the agenda. A floor sweeping coat crafted entirely from marabou feathers also looked certain to delight the capital's peacocks.

Statement accessories will prove hot property amongst entry level Toga shoppers next season. This included a recently launched bag collection, featuring structural satchels and belt bags slung around the waist, alongside tree frog motif hoop earrings and glitter boots with mirror ball heels.

Tristan Fewings/Getty

A favourite among industry insiders who pride themselves on discovering the next big thing, Toga has long relied on the strength of social media to grow the brand's cult following.

Clearly keen to ensure that her influential audience members had the best view possible in which to share looks with followers, Furuta also installed extra rows of seating to the centre of the catwalk.

With Furuta at the helm, it surely won't be long before this cult brand is a mainstream sensation.
Raw edges at Mulberry

Ahead of his debut on Sunday creative director Johnny Coca explained his decision to reinstate the brands original logo with the phrase modernity always needs roots to the past. It was a smart move from the former Celine designer that preceded a showcase in which Coca looked to wipe the slate clean.

With a collection that is British, in so far as it is predominantly produced in this country and includes a few repurposed archive pieces, the Mulberry we know has been transformed.

Harder and more serious, new-look Mulberry includes raw-edged wool coats, rivet-trimmed biker jackets and a series of delicate tulle dresses which come with a hint of futurism. Acid yellow slip dresses also ensured that Cocas presence was felt.

Bag junkies (51 per cent of British woman bought at least one last year) can look forward to a refined version of the classic Bayswater  its lighter and better for carrying a laptop  along with the new and highly covetable Clifton.

Kleptomania at Christopher Kane

After his show yesterday Christopher Kane said hed been watching some fascinating documentaries about hoarders. His latest collection was a celebration of their leading characters. Id been thinking about the outsider and the women making their own world by hoarding things away, he said.

Accordingly his latest collection delves behind the front door of the kleptomaniac. Tabard tops and skirts crafted from corrugated tobacco leather evoked the inside of cardboard boxes, while oversized floral prints suggested that dried-up bouquets had been on the designers mind. Roses crafted from wool hung idly from dresses while the designers signature safety buckle came trimmed with feathers.

Christopher Kane (Catwalking.com)

But this collection was never gimmicky; instead it was poignant  movingly so  with the idea of decay taking centre stage. Among the most beautiful pieces were oversized shearling coats.

Kane, who is always keen to deliver at least one populist hit, also unveiled a new K logo, which featured on sloppy-knit sweaters. The result was a collection that was truly beautiful  and so hoardable.

Applique at AV Robertson

Bringing a well-timed dose of maximalism to the schedule, fashion weeks newest star is also one of the brightest.

The former assistant to Marc Jacobs  who flew in from New York to watch his protege make her LFW debut  Amie Robertsons calling card is a sprinkling of 3D crystalline flowers, which came paired with rich jewel hues and bold blazer stripes.

The AV Robertson Fashion East show (Jeff Spicer/Getty)

It was clear to all who watched that this newcomer had just made her first step to becoming a household name.

Plisse at Mary Katrantzou

Love was in the air on Sunday when Katrantzou sent heart-embroidered dress coats and leather shirts inset with angel wings down the catwalk.

But this wasnt fluffy stuff. Inspired by what becomes of the broken-hearted, the Greek designers offering for next season has a sombre undertone.

Lilac polka-dot pencil skirts worn with blouson-sleeve blouses emphasised the idea that this was a collection in which darkness met light and joy met sorrow.

Dolly Partons vocals served as fitting accompaniment.

Ruffles at Roksanda

Citing the photographs of Deborah Turbeville and the Seventies Italian classic The Night Porter, Serbian Ilincic unveiled a brooding heroine with a sinister streak as the inspiration for her latest collection.

But there was nothing in this collection to frown about. Along with a plisse evening gowns, among which was Roksandas 100th dress, shimmering lurex knitwear and regal fur trimmed coats, Ilincic offered up ruffles - and lots of them.

Roksanda (Catwalking.com)

A black jumpsuit, worn layered over a lace pink embroidered blouse was among this shows most desirable inclusions.

Heritage coats at Burberry

In a Burberry collection defined by its coats, Christopher Bailey offered up everything from officers blazers to pristine capes in his outerwear offering for next season.

The result was a collection that was among the brands finest in seasons, with youth figuring high on the agenda.

One oversized plaid military coat - rehashed in luxurious cashmere - was among the most covetable on offer while capes, which served as accompaniment to bold Sixties interiors prints, lent a retro sensibility to this collection.

London Fashion Week 2016- Burberry

Subtle seduction at Preen

Sex appeal isnt something that often preoccupies us Brits.

That is, unless it is in the hands of Preens Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi.

Preen (Catwalking.com)

The duos talent at combining the hard with the soft resulted in a subversively seductive collection in which even the most prudish fashion editors found themselves contemplating a pair of thigh-high boots. Layering was also key to this look, with sheer silks paired with slouchy knits, heavy velvet lightened with lace and waspish corsets worn over weightless dresses.

Dressed-up denim at Emilia Wickstead

If Wickstead has her way the Duchess of Cambridge will add denim to her dressing repertoire next season via a host of tailored coat dresses repurposed in the unroyal textile.

Next season Mrs Windsors favourite label will also include loose tabard dresses and highlighter stripes.

Emilia Wickstead (Catwalking.com)

While the designers bread and butter will always be elegant gowns, this collection stands as proof that she has more to offer.

A series of volumnious bell skirts were also among this shows most covetable inclusions.

No fur coats at Unique

In what is a decidedly sensible move for a British brand, Topshop is backing the coat as next winters saving grace.

Unique (Catwalking.com)

But this being Unique - a high-end offering for the chains most discerning customers - these were not just any old coats but an offering brimming with luxury.

Ensuring the tactile outerwear trend looks set to continue long into next season, teddy bear chubbies, sleek razored hair and strokeable shearling will see faux-fur fly to the top of the Topshop shoppers wish list come autumn.

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Late-night leather at House of Holland

If filling your wardrobe with frocks that can accommodate an action-packed diary is top of the agenda next winter youll find plenty of options at House of Holland.

Fusing references from two of the greatest party decades in history, Twenties hedonism met with Studio 54.

The highlights for Hollands cocktail-quaffing customers were a host of party dresses, which came crafted from lacquered lace, chain-mail and iridescent rainbow leather adorned with fringing, pom-poms and sequined jellyfish motifs.

See you on the dance floor.

Buff at Simone Rocha

Rochas brand looks poised to evolve into a red-carpet superforce next season, with a collection ladened with options for bright, young, courageous things.

Among the highlights are swaddled silk dresses worn layered over luscious tweed, plus soft blouson sleeves and apron bibs.

Simone Rocha (Catwalking.com)

A palette which saw the designers signature affection for jet black and sugar pink expand to include off-white and ivory also appealed.

Statement sleeves at Erdem

If spring is all about shoulders, then next seasons buzzword is sleeves.

Answering the prayers of every woman who shudders at the sight of a black-tie dress code, the capitals most iconic red-carpet regulars have embraced the sleeve as autumns power player.

Erdem (Catwalking.com)

At Erdem, that meant gowns complete with ruffle cuffs and lace-trimmed blouson sleeves as a nod to the practical concerns of the modern day dresser with fabulous places to be.

Leather trims at J W Anderson

With conical skirts, chain-mail zippers, padded cape coats and ruffles aplenty on offer at J W Anderson, it was clear that the Northern Irish designers latest vision was an amalgamation of a whole host of ideas.

Along with some pretty spellbinding sequin-trimmed court shoes, our takeaway is the leather.

JW Anderson (Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty)

Combining faux with the real stuff, Anderson offered up beautiful wide-cut leather pants in dusty pink along with corrugated cropped bombers.

Nodding to Sixties interiors, this collection focused on the idea of individuality and, accordingly, was totally unique.
C arine Roitfeld, the revered former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris and current global fashion director of Harpers Bazaar, is sitting delicately before me dressed head-to-toe in high street (save for her enormous diamond earrings). She looks expensive. And very Parisian. Her black single-breasted, long-line blazer with flatteringly narrow arms, you may be surprised to hear, costs 79.99. The black pencil skirt: 49.99. These are just a taste of her second collaboration with Uniqlo, whose parent company Fast Retailing is the worlds fourth largest global retailer, and the reason Roitfeld has started shopping one decimal place to the left.

Her distinctive silhouette  petite and kept whippet-slim by a daily hour of ballet (good for posture, she points out, adding frankly, When you get older you shrink)  is often photographed dressed in Givenchy and Tom Ford striding fiercely across the Jardin des Tuileries during Paris Fashion Week. Its a natural habitat for Carine, who is used to wearing custom-made designer clothes, an image quite different from the high street-clad diminutive editor present today. The foil was blown on her icy editrix persona in her 2013 documentary Mademoiselle C, which revealed her to be altogether quite sweet. But was her play of coquettish bashfulness just for the cameras? Come in, she coos. Please sit down. Beckoning me to the sofa in Paris Shangri-La Hotel where shes finishing a lunch of hearty vegetable soup. Apparently not.

Were here to talk about her collaboration, which riffs on her own wardrobe  an interesting pairing for the casualwear retailer, given that she describes her own look as sophisticated and already evening, very not for working . But a scan of the Uniqlo collection turns up reassuringly easy-to-wear separates, such as a military shirt and on-trend cropped kick flares. The colour palette is no surprise: I go for very classic black, which is mixed with what she calls jungle print. Shall I tell you what I think makes a girl more beautiful? she says, leaning in conspiratorially, blinking eyes thick with kohl. Shining! she beams, pulling at a top with a gold stripe running through it. This has a bit of Lurex, so the shine makes you glow, see? (For the record, her sixty-something skin is virtually wrinkle-free and radiant.) There are a lot of, how do you say, bombers. In black, of course, and in fake fur that I really like. I love ruffles. And always a scarf. Despite access to the worlds most cutting-edge designers, Roitfeld is famous for her uniform: a high-waisted pencil skirt, unbuttoned shirt and always, always heels. I look like me, you know?

So what does a colossal apparel brand such as Uniqlo, which turned over 8.13 billion last year trading grey marl leisurewear and cashmere jumpers, want with Roitfeld? I dangle a well-worn question: what is Parisian style? Its our way of thinking, she says intently. Of sitting, of crossing the legs, of eating, of everything. But as beguiling as all that sounds, its not the full story. I think its a fantasy. I think Paris [style] is not so good, you know? I think we think Paris is great because of Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour and all these amazing movies from the 1960s. But Karl Lagerfeld once said that if you close your eyes and think of the perfect Parisian woman, it would be Carine Roitfeld, I offer. He likes old Paris rather than BoBo [code for bourgeois bohemian], its not about the girl riding around on a bicycle. Im older so my style is older, too.She is, in fact, a grandmother.

Her daughter Julia Restoin Roitfeld, 35, is an art director and model and has a three-year-old daughter Romy, with the Swedish model Robert Konjic (Roitfeld also has a son Vladimir, 31, an art dealer based in New York). Its funny because my daughter is more classic than me, but my granddaughter is a mini-me. My taste is not far away from bad taste: I wear gold shoes with lace tights. I think bad taste is more interesting.

Raised in the bourgeois 16th arrondissement of Paris, Roitfeld  daughter of Russian emigre film producer Jacques Roitfeld and Nicola, a Parisian who worked in film scripts  blames her conservative surroundings for her outre style. I was the first one to wear high heels with le jogging [pants], or black underwear under a white shirt. When I was working at French Elle, I had an amazing teacher of style, Nicole Crassat [a stylist]. She was the first one to say, Why dont you wear all gold jewellery with military clothing? Oh, I thought, this is a good idea, to mix things up. Her hand moves to her ear: Its like diamonds; they look best if you are under 25 or over 60, she says. I learned this from Sonia Rykiel, who is covered in diamonds. When you get to 35, 40 and you start to do some Botox and you try to buy the jacket of your daughter, it doesnt work. When you get older, diamonds are the answer.

Roitfeld has inspired armies of lookie-likies but does this style icon have icons of her own? My biggest idol ever, Liz Taylor, is not the chicest but I think shes amazing for a different reason, she says, a finger raised. First, she married my big idol, Richard Burton, twice! Its a dream, non?! And she was a very generous person. She was the first one supporting people suffering from AIDS. It was not popular at that time in Hollywood and it was very brave of her. Roitfeld herself is an impassioned activist for amfAR (the foundation for AIDS research) and helps coordinate an annual fundraiser in Cannes. She created this thing, which was small in France and now is huge. People always say glamour and charity dont go together, but I say why not? The late, great Diana Vreeland, American Vogue editor-in-chief from 1963-71, is also on her list of unlikely pin-ups. Its quite amazing to be able to create a style with not so beautiful a face.

Despite appearances, Roitfeld has been the underdog in her time (when she exited Vogue Paris and launched CR Fashion Book in 2012, certain photographers were reportedly banned from working with her) and seems to revel in it. I love women who are not perfect, she says defiantly. I was always using oversized girls in my magazine. I was the first one to do an entire issue at Vogue with a black girl. They said, Dont do it, it will not sell  it sold very well. I did a cover of Vogue with a transgender model. Im very open to everything, thats what I like in fashion and it gives me back a lot.

Shes embracing her new stage in democratic fashion. French Vogue was aligned with a specific group of people that love fashion. Now with Uniqlo Im talking to millions of people worldwide, and its very exciting. She continues: When I was young, there was nothing for young girls so they had to create outfits themselves. The high street doesnt exist in France, you know. I went to a lot of flea markets. Or you had to go to London; I went to Kings Road and Carnaby Street. But it is getting easier and now you have a lot of brands, so you can have lots of style with not a lot of money. Its not like before when it was: This season is about pink. Twenty years ago you had to follow. Now there are so many propositions in fashion.

Although eager to please the masses, she also has a tight crowd of her own to impress. Im very picky because I want Tom [Ford] or Karl [Lagerfeld] or Riccardo [Tisci] to be proud of what Im doing. Its very important that they respect what I do, that its good quality. We all work together, Im still very good friends with them.

Looking down at my jeans, I wonder what she really thinks of the way Londoners dress. Too frumpy? Not enough sex appeal? Come on, she drawls. I go to London to get dressed when there is nothing in France. Youre one step in advance. You know, chic comes from England not from France, she says generously. In France, OK, we have Karl and we had Mr Saint Laurent and a lot of amazing designers, but in London you have this street craziness. You have Vivienne Westwood, she is my goddess, a genius. I think fashion is something very British; no one looks at you if you have purple hair, orange hair. For me, the English are the kings and queens of fashion.

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M asked protesters have formed an angry mob outside exclusive private members club Shoreditch House in opposition to the closure of the Calais 'Jungle' camp.

French Ambassador for International Investment and CEO of Business France Muriel Penicaud was reportedly attending an event inside the building at the time the demonstrators gathered.

Around a dozen anarchists clad in black and with their faces covered staged the protest, clutching banners bearing slogans in support of refugees.

Witnesses reported seeing smoke bombs hurled towards the entrance to the building, where the Creative France UK launch event was being held.

Police blockaded the entrance and advised passers-by to stay well back as the protesters handed out leaflets criticising the French government's decision to clear the camp.

Daniel Giacopelli tweeted to say he was forced out of the building when the smoke bombs went off.

He captured footage of protesters shouting about what they called the "barbaric" treatment of refugees by the European Union.

Protest: Smoke bombs were thrown towards the door of Shoreditch House Zing Tsjeng/@misszing / Zing Tsjeng/@misszing

One man, who did not wish to be named, passed the protest on his way home from work.

The 27-year-old, from Haggerston, told the Standard: "I was just walking back from work and there was a bunch of people who had their faces covered, it looked like they were trying to get into Shoreditch House.

"Police were blocking the entrance and members and non-members couldn't get in the door.

"They were telling people to stand back and not go near the front door."

He said the protesters was passing out flyers and holding banners with slogans including 'Solidarity to Calais' and 'No Borders.'

He also said the banners had what appeared to be anarchist symbols drawn onto them.

He said: "They were restricting entry to a private members' club, I thought it was quite a funny comparisson in a way, to the way refugees are restricted at borders."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Police were called to Ebor Street, E1, to reports of a protest taking place at approximately 6.50pm on February 23.

"Officers attended the scene. The protest has concluded."

He added that no arrests had been made and police enquiries were continuing.

The French embassy in a statement said: "Everyone agrees that life conditions in the 'jungle' are not ideal. The French authorities are deploying huge efforts to cater for the migrants.

"Our objective is that everyone should be housed in humane conditions."
A British Airways flight approaching Heathrow airport was targeted with a powerful laser in the second attack on an aircraft over west London in 10 days.

The high powered laser beam is thought to have struck the pilot of the BA plane in the eyes as he made his final approach to the runway last night.

However, he was able to land the flight from Amsterdam without incident and police said the aircraft was not endangered.

The attack comes just nine days after a Virgin Atlantic flight to New York was forced to turn back to Heathrow after a laser was shone into the cockpit while it flew at 8,000ft.

The pilot declared a medical emergency about an hour into the flight when his co-pilot was taken ill and the plane returned to the airport as a precautionary measure.

Scotland Yard confirmed today that officers were investigating the latest incident where a laser was shone in the direction of an incoming flight into Heathrow Airport at 7.47pm.

A spokesman said: The incident did not endanger the aircraft.

Laser attack: It is the latest in a string of incidents (file image) / NPAS

Enquiries continue to establish where the offence took place. There have been no arrests.

The BA pilot is thought to have been struck in the eye by the beam from a green laser as he approached Heathrow.

He is not thought to have been hurt but is expected to go for a medical check-up.

Pilots demanded that laser pointers be reclassified as offensive weapons after the last attack on the Virgin Atlantic flight to New York on February 14.

The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said aircraft were being attacked with lasers at an alarming rate with devices of ever increasing strength.

The Civil Aviation Authority has logged more than 9,000 laser dazzling incidents since January 2009, involving passenger and military jets, police helicopters and air ambulances.

The figures show that reports of lasers being shone at aircraft in the UK have increased from 746 in 2009 to 1,442 in 2014  equivalent to nearly four incidents a day. More were reported at Heathrow than at any other UK airport .

Balpa said in November 2015 that a British Airways pilot had been left with significant damage to his eyesight after being hit by a military-strength laser when landing his plane at Heathrow.

Today it emerged that a green laser was shone at a Thomson flight as it came in to land at Gatwick last Tuesday but no-one was hurt and the plane landed safely.

Last week a man was jailed for five months for shining a laser pen at a helicopter.

Philip Houghton, a 25-year-old care officer, bought the 9 pen online from China to entertain his dog but shone it into the sky after becoming bored of waiting for a takeaway, a court heard.

He directed it at a police helicopter as it hunted the suspect of a shooting in Hull. Houghton admitted endangering an aircraft or person in an aircraft.
A wealthy investor waged an online war against a property developer after discovering that his fashion designer girlfriend was seeing him behind his back, a court heard.

Thomas Badian, 46, the Austrian-born director of Fitzrovias Cadence Capital Ltd who lives in a 3.2 million St Johns Wood house, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment by sending repeated electronic messages.

The Facebook, Instagram, email and telephone campaign began after Badian discovered the dinner dates between his girlfriend Michaela Frankova, a London College of Fashion graduate, and the other man.

The target of his anger was Andrew de Candole, the 62-year-old founder of de Candole Residential, and his girlfriend, Nateploy Thamsaroch.

Prosecutor Robert Simpson told Hammersmith magistrates court: Andrew de Candole met Michaela five or six times for dinner and his girlfriend Ms Thamsaroch believed they were just friends with nothing romantic going on.

Michaela Frankova was taken to dinner by Andrew de Candole. She says she regrets the whole episode

However, both Mr de Candole and Ms Thamsaroch became disturbed by Badians Facebook and Instagram communication with them and in September last year instructed solicitors to ward off his behaviour.

Instead of replying to the law firms business email Badian found the solicitors personal account and replied to that. Ms Thamsaroch believes it was sent to intimidate the lawyer, said Mr Simpson.

Ms Thamsaroch then received an email from what appeared to be Mr de Candoles account, however he did not send the email and was sitting next to her when she received it. It contained flight confirmation for Mr de Candole and Ms Frankova.

An investigation revealed the email account had been set up by a phone number ending in 36, which matched a number that had sent threatening text messages to Mr de Candole. He received one text at 5am that read: Today is full of surprises.

The couple then began receiving emails from an address called Project ADC. The name of this account scared both of them because it suggested there was some sort of project against them, said Mr Simpson.

It became clear that Badian had become fixated with Mr de Candole and Ms Frankova meeting.

Ms Thamsaroch said someone also hacked into her Uber account and a fake Facebook account in Mr de Candoles name was set up with 169 of his friends invited. He believes this was set up by the defendant.

Badian was this month sentenced to a 12-month community order, including 100 hours community service work, plus 85 costs and a 60 victim surcharge.

He was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order prohibiting any contact with his victims.

Badians lawyer Guy Ladenburg told the court: Its very unpleasant behaviour and he is deeply remorseful. He discovered Michaela was seeing an older gentleman and thought she was seeing him behind his back.

He was very unhappy and distressed by this and wanted to demonstrate to Ms Thamsaroch: Your boyfriend and my girlfriend went to Paris on such a date.

He says he wanted to put salt into Mr de Candoles tea and it is obvious from the facts they were seeing each other on half a dozen occasions.

However, he accepts it was very hurtful, insulting and puerile behaviour. There were no direct threats against their safety. He just wanted to put Mr de Candole on notice that he knew what was going on.

Badian accepts he sent about 10 emails to Ms Thamsaroch between August 30 and November 11, and that he sent up to five texts and made five prank calls to Mr de Candole, who he also sent Instagram messages.

Mr Ladenburg said: He is of good character, has lived in London for 10 years and is a pillar of the community known for his philanthropic giving.

His feelings of jealousy and his bruised ego that Ms Frankova was seeing a man behind his back caused him to behave the way he did.

Magistrate Robert Westlake told Badian: This was a very unpleasant incident causing a great deal of hurt and concern to the victims.

After the case, Badians lawyer Phil Smith said: This was totally out of character for my client, who immediately fully co-operated with the police and accepted he was in the wrong. He is sorry for the distress he caused.

Ms Frankova, whose work has been worn by celebrities, said: I regret this whole episode.
A man is fighting for life in hospital after being found unconscious in a south London street in the early hours of this morning.

Police are treating the incident as suspicious after the man, aged in his late 40s, was found collapsed in Wandsworth Road at the junction with Belmore Street at 2.14am today.

The London Ambulance Service arrived, finding the victim unresponsive, and he was taken to a south London hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

Police cordoned off the area, close to Lambeth College's Vauxhall campus, this morning.

Anyone with information should call Lambeth CID on 020 8649 2191 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
T he sister-in-law of the ISIS executioner dubbed "Jihadi Sid" has been jailed for three years after being caught trying to smuggle her four children into Syria.

Zahera Tariq, 33, sparked an international manhunt when she disappeared from her home in Walthamstow with her daughter and three sons.

She fled out of London City Airport in August last year, stopping in Amsterdam and Istanbul before being caught in Kilis  a crossing point from Turkey into ISIS controlled Syria.

Tariq had smuggled her children out of the country without telling her husband or family, and sold off her family jewels to fund the trip.

She is believed to have been following in the footsteps of her sister, Aisha, who fled the UK for the terrorist state in 2014 with husband Siddartha Dhar, dubbed "Jihadi Sid" after a string of gruesome televised executions.

Tariq denied four counts of child abduction but was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court after trial, and was today sentenced to three years in prison by Judge Alistair McCreath.

Dhar, a former bouncy castle salesman, was put on a terror watchlist and forced to surrend his passport by UK authorities, but still managed to slip out of the country.

He penned a 46-page ISIS manual about life in the caliphate, likening it to a plush Mediterranean resort with chocolate bars and lattes for everyone.

Also known as Abu Rumaysah, Dhar made worldwide headlines as he succeed Mohammed Emwazi as the public face of ISIS executions.

He marked their arrival in Syria by posting a picture online of himself holding an assault rifle and his infant son.

Tariq, who married her husband in 2000 in Pakistan before moving to the UK the following year, left with her children on August 25 last year.

Her three sons all suffer from severe asthma and two of the boys have an eye condition called Keratoconus, and were receiving treatment at Moorfield Eye Hospital.

She left no message for her distraught husband, who was initially too scared to call the police in case he was accused of a crime.

He eventually reported the disappearance of his family, and five days later Tariq and her children were picked up on the Syrian border.

She had taken their Pakistani ID cards and jewellery to sell in order to fund the trip, flying out of London City Airport to Schiphol in Amsterdam.

They then flew on to Istanbul before making their way to Kilis.
M ore than 8,000 patients across the UK are being urged to arrange blood tests after it emerged an NHS worker tested positive for hepatitis C.

The worker did not return to clinical practice after testing positive in 2008.

But NHS Lanarkshire is now working with other health boards across the UK to notify people who may have had a surgical procedure carried out by the individual between 1982 and 2008.

The employee worked in hospitals across Lanarkshire during the period, mainly in Wishaw General Hospital and the former Law Hospital.

They also worked at the William Harvey Hospital in Kent for three months between January and April 2006.

When the worker initially tested positive in 2008, the UK Advisory Panel (UKAP) said patients did not need to be warned as the risk was thought to be low, but two positive cases have now emerged.

It was found a patient referred for treatment for hepatitis C in Lanarkshire in 2015 had previously had a surgical procedure carried out by the infected healthcare worker.

Further investigations found it was "probable" the patient was infected with the virus during a surgical procedure carried out by the individual and another similar case has now been found.

The health board said: "After detailed investigations, including extensive testing of viruses, NHS Lanarkshire submitted a report to UKAP. UKAP endorsed NHS Lanarkshire's proposal to carry out a patient notification exercise.

"Patients are receiving a detailed question-and-answer sheet with their letter which includes information about hepatitis C and how to arrange to be tested."

In total, 8,383 patients across the UK are to receive letters informing them of the situation and urging them to arrange a blood test.

The vast majority - 7,311 - are in Lanarkshire, with more than 700 across the rest of Scotland, 336 in England, a further 11 in Wales and five in Northern Ireland.

Dr Iain Wallace, medical director at NHS Lanarkshire, said: "We would like to reassure people that the likelihood of patients acquiring the virus from a surgical procedure carried out by the healthcare worker is low.

The virus infects the liver and can cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage. Around 215,000 people in the UK have hepatitis C, according to the NHS.

It is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact and can be passed by sharing unsterilised needles, razors or toothbrushes.

The NHS said it does not have any noticeable symptoms until the liver has been significantly damaged, meaning people can have the infection without realising it.

When symptoms do occur, they can be flu-like and cause tiredness and a loss of appetite.
T he BBC is reportedly planning to build a mosque into the new EastEnders set.

The soaps famous set at Elstree Studios is set to be demolished after 30 years and rebuilt at a cost of 15 million.

The new site will be 20 per cent bigger and feature a mosque on a street off Albert Square among a number of new buildings, the Sun reported.

It will be the soaps first religious building and form part of the producers efforts to create a more authentic version of east London.

Producers were also said to be considering a plotline involving a key character becoming radicalised by Muslim fanatics.

The Sun quoted a source saying: Its been considered and discussed.

The soap wants to be up to date and timely. It is a realistic storyline for an East London community.

But an EastEnders spokeswoman said: There are no current plans for a radicalisation storyline."
F riends of a London doctor left fighting for his life after being hit by a lorry have praised the incredible generosity of donors after 100,000 was raised in an effort to bring him home.

Dr Sebastian Kola-Bankole, from Camden, was put in an induced coma after being hit by a lorry outside the Hard Rock Hotel off the Las Vegas Strip on February 15.

The 35-year-old NHS doctor, who works at the Royal London Hospital, has three broken vertebrae in his neck and has already had emergency operations to his spine, ears and arteries. He had flown out to Los Angeles before the accident for a friends wedding.

Friends set up a gofundme.com page on February 20 as part of a bid to raise 250,000 to cover the cost of US medical bills and bringing him home. His family can find no record of him having taken out travel insurance ahead of his trip.

So caring: Dr Sebastian Kola-Bankole from the Royal London Hospital,

In just 48 hours the crowdfunder racked up 113,000 - and loved ones have urged people to keep on giving.

Close friend Dr Pawandeep Sarai told the Standard: Were incredible chuffed with the support that weve had, from so many people who dont even know Seb.

Were delighted with the way its going. But were hoping that the momentum will keep going.

He said people from all over the world had pledged their support. But the 32-year-old doctor, who works at Lister Hospital in Stevenage, added that friends now feared 250,000 was a conservative estimate because of the potentially expensive costs of medical support on a flight home.

He added: The 100,000 will certainly cover the costs of what hes received so far. But hes going to have more surgery in the next few days. And that will prolong his ITU [intensive care unit] stage by a few more days.

Dr Kola-Bankole is being treated at the Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, where it is thought he will need to spend at least another two weeks before repatriation is possible.

The collision that caused his injuries is being investigated by police.

In an update on the fundraising page, friends and family wrote: We are overwhelmed by your generosity and can't wait to tell Seb how you've all pulled together to help get him back home.

Thank you all for your donations, comments and suggestions. We continue to do all we can to trace any possibility of his insurance and will contact the ombudsman tomorrow.

We are also discussing with consultants who can take him on in the UK and hopefully should have a plan in place soon ready for whenever he is medically able to be transferred.
L ondon parents are paying thousands more for childcare than mothers and fathers across the rest of the UK, a report today reveals.

Research shows parents with two-year-olds and under in the capital on average pay 36 per cent more for part-time and 39 per cent more for full-time childcare.

In 2011, London parents were paying just 22.9 per cent more for part-time care than the rest of the UK.

It means parents with toddlers now pay 2,182 more for part-time and 4,400 more for full-time childcare.

Childcare for pre-school children over two is similarly more expensive, but is supplemented by the age of three when children become entitled to 15 hours of free childcare every week.

The report also reveals huge shortages of childcare places in London, which the Trust says is partly to blame for less than half  46 per cent  of eligible two-year-olds from lower income families taking up the offer of free early education. Uptake across the rest of England is higher at 56 per cent.

It also says families in nine London boroughs are disproportionately affected by a cap on claiming back costs. Parents on lower incomes can claim up to 70 per cent of childcare costs, but it only applies to a maximum cap of 175 a week.

However, in nine London boroughs, the average cost of part-time childcare already exceeds the cap.

The report, by the Family and Childcare Trust, surveyed every local authority in the UK for the average childcare costs across all types of providers.

The findings today prompted promises from Mayoral hopefuls Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith to do more over the issue if elected, with Mr Khan saying eye-wateringly expensive childcare is bad for families, bad for business and bad for London.

The Labour candidate told the Standard: Childcare will be a priority for me if I get into City Hall. Ill bring together businesses, local authorities, charities and childcare providers to ... identify what needs to be done to increase supply and cut the soaring cost for families.

A spokesperson for Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith said: If elected in May, [Zac] will lobby government to ensure the promised 30 free hours of childcare from 2017 adequately reflects the cost of childcare in London.

The reports author, Jill Rutter, says costs are much more in London due to space shortages and higher staff wages and rents. Julia Margo, Chief Executive at the Family and Childcare Trust, said: The Government needs to review the sufficiency of the support it offers so that childcare does not act as a barrier to work for London families.

It is also vital that the next London Mayor takes targeted action to help increase the supply of early education places and ease cost pressures in the capital.

Education and Childcare Minister, Sam Gyimah, said: It is vital parents are able to access high, quality affordable childcare and this report shows there is record support available. For the first time in a decade costs are stabilising and there are rising numbers of places on offer.

Latest figures show 7,000 more providers are offering the universal 15 hours offer with 1.3million children - the vast majority taking it up. Rising numbers of disadvantaged two-year-olds are also benefiting.

Thanks to record investment by this government - 6billion a year by 2020  and with our plan to double the free childcare offer for working parents we expect take-up numbers to rise. That ambition is supported by the huge levels of interest in our early implementer which will trial the 30 hour offer a year ahead of schedule in parts of the country including in Newham.

"Further to this, a number of other London areas - Kingston & Richmond, Barking & Dagenham, Islington, Ealing and Hillingdon - will be looking to develop innovative approaches to support flexible childcare for working parents.
I nspired by Margaret Thatchers European flag jumper shown on last nights Newsnight film of the 1975 European referendum, The Londoner went looking for more memorabilia from that vote 41 years ago. We discovered a remarkable In campaign poster, displaying a host of the great and the good, sloganned: People for Europe: join them.

Urging voters to remain in the Common Market were artist Henry Moore, man of letters J B Priestley and Dads Armys Arthur Lowe  all since sadly departed. So who could we contact for more comment? Step forward legendary photographer David Bailey, one of the 1975 Euro pin-ups, who we spoke to in his studio. Surely he would back an In vote again?

But he was not so sure. I thought it was just a trade deal. I didnt think theyd tell me the shape of a banana, he told us. Bailey thinks the European project now has too much politics. I dont see why we should be told by Poland what laws we should have, before adding I love the Polish, we need them, Im not against immigration.

How does he see himself voting this time? I rarely vote in my life. I dont know enough about it. I listen to Boris Johnson and I listen to George Osborne. I cant see itll make much difference in the long run.

With this disinterest, The Londoner wondered how Bailey had been talked into the photo at all. But it was all such a distant memory. How long ago was it? Forty years? I bet youre not even that old...

***

Champagne for Boris Johnson last night as he threw a party at his Islington house. It wasnt, however, some early celebration of putting David Cameron on the ropes but for his wife Marina Wheeler, who has just been appointed a QC. Boris might also want to thank her for furnishing some details for his Brexit arguments on the over-reach of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, upon which she had expanded in The Spectator this month.

Brexit debate goes boom bang-a-bang

Important decisions in Europe ahead  its the Eurovision Song Contest in May. So what do the six shortlisted songs for the UK entry tells us about the Brexit vote?

Some send a message of unity, with Bianca Claxtons Shine a Little Light calling for an entity to cover me in my hour of need and pop duo Joe and Jake sing that were all in this together, all that you want is right here forever.

But Karl William Lunds Miracle has him feeling like I dont belong and folk act Dulcima begs a reluctant dumpee please dont make this difficult.

Voters take note: your Eurovision choice may mean more than douze points.

Three cheers for Emins jewellery range

Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. So when Tracey Emin decided to throw a dinner last night she naturally chose 34, the Mayfair restaurant which is decorated with her work, and welcomed guests including punk poet John Cooper Clarke, pictured above with Emin, and GQ editor Dylan Jones. The artist was adding another string to her YBA bow, launching a new collection of rings, necklaces and earrings with jeweller Stephen Webster. The range, I Promise to Love You, is inspired by Emins usual hastily scrawled words, but judging by last nights reaction she may still have the Midas touch.

Prince shows pity for hard Labour

Life is strange for an ex-adviser, Ayesha Hazarika once wrote in the New Statesman. A few weeks ago I was making big-ticket policy calls, one of her fellow Spads complained to her, now the biggest decision is whether to watch Homes Under the Hammer or Come Dine With Me.

Life may have become quieter since Jeremy Corbyns appointment but Harriet Harmans former chief of staff had a busy Friday. Along with Greg Cook, she received an MBE from Prince Charles and subsequently had a party at the Albert in Westminster. The Londoner dropped by and was surprised to hear the speech would be given not by Ed Miliband but Neil Kinnock. No one has ever criticised a speech for being too short, he started, before giving one of the longest speeches The Londoner had ever heard, prompting even his wife Glenys to beg someone  anyone  to wrest the mic away from him.

A detail had caught our ear, however, and we went to talk to Ayesha afterwards. How was the ceremony? we asked. When [Prince Charles] greeted me he asked, What council do you work for?, so I told him I worked for the Labour Party. And who did you work for? he added, so I said Id worked for Ed Miliband and Harriet Harman for more than eight years. Christ, you certainly deserve this then, he shot back.

***

One good thing from the referendum? Infuriating the French. Francois Fillon, wannabe Republican party presidential nominee, was at an evening for Londons French community  but vented frustration at having to be subjected to the demands of our British friends. The atmosphere is loathsome with Mr Cameron pressing for EU concessions. He has opened Pandoras box.

Is Boris backing the loons?

While Boris backs Brexit, father Stanley is a key mover in pressure group Environmentalists for Europe  fellow members include Bill Oddie.

As a senior Eurocrat, Stanley created the EUs Habitats directive, which helps protect 924 wildlife sites across the UK. Hes already 1-0 up on Boris, though. In 2008, the Mayor proposed his Thames Estuary airport at Shivering Sands, off the Kent coast, but plans later considered a relocation to the Isle of Grain. But the airport commission ruled them out in 2014, citing in part environmental concerns.

The estuary is home to the migratory red-throated loon and if Boriss Out vote prevails, Britain will no longer be bound by EU rules on the birds protection  and maybe his airport plan could return. The spoils to Stanley so far  but whats next for the loon?

Diplomatic pickle of the day: EU officials were meant to have an English breakfast last week but chefs refused to cook scrambled eggs due to EU food safety regulations.
Heyman Uraminezhad

The Iranian judiciary has finalized the death sentence that had been handed down to a young Kurdish man who was under the age of 18 at the time of his alleged crime.





The countrys Supreme Court upheld the death sentence issued for a young man by the name of Heyman Uraminezhad.





This young man is currently held in Sanandaj Central Prison waiting for his sentence to be carried out.





Heyman is currently 21 years old and was convicted of premeditated murder by the Sanandaj Prime Court.





Iran under the rule of the clerical regime is one of the leading executioners of juvenile offenders, Amnesty International said Monday.





In a new report, Amnesty International said last month that it had documented the execution of at least 73 juveniles in Iran from 2005 to 2015 and that 160 juvenile offenders are languishing on the countrys death row.





According to the Amnesty International, the report was based on information received from death-penalty opponents and human rights defenders in Iran, as well as from lawyers and relatives of juveniles convicted of capital crimes in Iran.





Now that Iran is emerging from an era of international sanctions and is seeking broader acceptance, Ms. Auerbach said, rights groups are hoping that the Iranian authorities realize they have to act in accordance with international human rights standards.





There have been over 2,300 executions in Iran since Hassan Rouhani has been in office, more than in any similar period in the past 25 years.





The victims include political dissidents like Gholamreza Khosravi, an activist of Irans principal opposition, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK) who was hanged solely for providing financial assistance to a satellite television station supporting the opposition.





On April 20, 2014 Rouhani described these executions as Gods commandments and laws of the parliament that belongs to the people.








M Ps have agreed to debate calls to give the meningitis B vaccine to all children, but want to hear from families who have been affected by the disease first.

The Petitions Committee has agreed to schedule a debate on the matter as the number of signatories to a petition calling for a discussion in parliament hit well over 700,000.

However, the committee said it would like the House of Commons to have the chance to hear from some of the families who have been affected by meningitis B as well as from relevant medical experts before setting a date, to help to inform MPs taking part in the debate.

The huge support for the campaign comes after several high-profile cases involving the devastating virus, that can kill its victims or leave them in need of life-changing amputations.

Tragic images of two-year-old Faye Burdett, from Maidstone, Kent, who succumbed to the virus on Valentine's Day, prompted a surge in support for the cause and the petition received a further boost when England rugby hero Matt Dawson revealed his two-year-old son, Sam, was recovering after contracting meningitis C.

Ill: Matt Dawson shared a picture of his son Sami in hospital / @matt9dawson

By Tuesday evening more than 770,000 had signed the parliamentary petition, making it the most popular since their introduction.

It eclipsed the petition to ban US presidential hopeful Donald Trump from the UK that attracted around 580,000 and was discussed in the Commons.

Any petition that receives over 100,000 signatures will be considered for debate in Parliament.

Faye's parents, Jenny and Neil Burdett, have said the response to the petition since their daughter died has been "overwhelming".

Although his son is now well and back home with his family, Dawson said he felt "absolutely helpless" as Sam lay hooked up to machines in hospital.

Lee Booth, who lives in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, launched the petition last September after one of his two young daughters was deemed too old to have the vaccine on the NHS.

He said previously he was "speechless and overwhelmed" by the "phenomenal" response.

A vaccine to protect against meningitis B is available on the NHS for babies aged two months, followed by a second dose at four months and a booster at 12 months.

The petition calls for the programme to be rolled out to children at least up to 11.

Parents who wish to have older children vaccinated must pay privately, although a worldwide shortage of the vaccine Bexsero means stocks are very low.

Manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) hopes to have increased stocks in the UK by the summer, although NHS programme is unaffected.


A delivery robot tested among the crowds of central London is set to start being deployed in the capital.

The self-driving, battery-powered box on wheels is poised to undertake local delivery trials in Greenwich following 3,000 hours of testing.

The robots by Starship Technologies have been described as ground drones and were created by former Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis.

Their invention is expected to be popular at smaller local businesses, such as bakeries and corner shops, that could send out the robot containing goods in its tub body costing only a pound or two.

They are equipped with cameras and a warning signal to ward off vandals

They are part of the 25 million EU Smart Cities project to test if new and unproven technologies to see if they can enhance peoples lives.

An on-board battery lasts for about two hours and the delivery range will be up to 30 minutes away base, guided by GPS using 3G signals.

They travel at up to 4mph and are programmed with software to help avoid obstacles and are CO2-free, apart from power used charging batteries.

The drones are set to be deployed on a trial in Greenwich

The six-wheeled drone can hop up kerbs and over cobbles, plus sensors help it dodge people.

It also knows to wait if it is about to encounter a large group so they can pass.

The cargo bay is locked throughout the journey and can only be opened by the recipient via their smarthphone.

If troublemakers think of damaging the robot, it features nine cameras to capture their face, plus a microphone and speaker to warn them off.

The company is also looking in the future at using drones to police their robot workforce.

The are big enough to carry most small items and are capable of hopping up onto kerbs

An operator can take over control remotely if the robot gets into trouble.

The company says they hope to replace the need to shopping trips, which is currently the purpose of one third of British car journeys.

Speaking to the Standard at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Allan Martinson, chief operating officer of Starship Technologies said: We went to the South Bank on a Saturday, near to the London Eye, where it is crowded are lots of tourists and we didnt have any problems with pedestrians or cyclists.

Keith Cornell, the firms senior advisor, said: It weighs 20lbs and is able to hold 20lbs worth of goods.

It cant hold a flatscreen TV but it holds three bags of groceries or two pairs of shoes.

When you request a delivery, rather than get a text saying you will get it between these hours, you call it up, you see a map of it coming to you, it alerts you when it gets there and you then push the button that unlocks it.

You take out your goods, put the top back down and away it goes.

Were waiting to start the tests and show it actually working in a populated area.

We want to get public acceptance and show that it works.

Its not obtrusive and its not scary, most people say its cute.
O ne person has died, three are missing and five are in hospital after a building collapse at Didcot Power Station.

Thames Valley Fire Control Service confirmed the fatality after emergency services were called to the power station in Oxfordshire just after 4pm.

A search operation is continuing tonight after three people were unaccounted for.

A John Radcliffe Hospital spokesman said five men were being treated at the hospital.

Didcot power station explosion

He said: Four of the men are in a stable and non-life threatening condition, while one man is in a serious but not life-threatening condition.

Initial reports described the incident as an explosion but it has since been confirmed that a large part of Didcot Power Station A collapsed.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Nathan Travis said: It is with great sadness that I have to confirm one person has died during this incident.

Our priority now is to find the three missing people.

The search will be a considerable undertaken due to the instability of the site.

We expect the search will continue through the night and possibly into the coming days.

A demolition of the building was due to take place in 10 days. The Health and Safety Executive has launched a joint investigation with Thames Valley Police into why it partially collapsed.

According to the RWE npower website the total demolition of the site is expected to be complete by the end of this year.

A spokeswoman for npower said: "The site is currently being demolished. We are working with our contractors Coleman and Company to establish the facts and will keep you updated as soon as we have more information."

A GMB union official said: "We understand that workers were preparing two boilers for demolition in the coming weeks. This led to the collapse of a building."

Fire engines, six ambulances, two air ambulances and specialist search and rescue teams were scrambled to the power station in Oxfordshire on Tuesday afternoon.

Oxfordshire Fire Service advised residents to remain indoors after dust from the collapsed covered a considerable area.

People were also told to stay away from the John Radcliffe Hospital in unless they were suffering "serious or life-threatening emergencies".

Didcot A opened in 1970 as a coal-fired power station and was later converted so it could also generate power from natural gas.

It ceased generation in March 2013.

In July 2014, hundreds gathered to watch when three of its enormous cooling towers were blown up.

The incident comes 16 months after a major fire struck a cooling tower at Didcot B in October 2014.
A brother and sister are locked in a venomous legal feud over a 3.2 million fund set up by their father, a court heard.

Carolyn Hamilton claims her late father David, who fled the Nazis in 1938 for England, had put the money aside in case of a repeat of the Holocaust. But her brother Alan claims the fund was treated like a piggy bank and should be split 50/50 in line with his will.

Their father, who died in 2007 aged 84, arrived in England as a penniless boy refugee on one of the last Jewish evacuee ships from Germany.

His entire family perished in the Holocaust, the High Court heard, but Mr Hamilton went on to build a vast fortune in fashion and property.

Alan Hamilton arriving at the High Court

He died an extremely wealthy man, leaving a UK estate valued at around 4.5 million  plus more than 3 million in Swiss bank accounts.

Mr Hamilton left 500,000 to his widow, Laura, and the remaining 4 million of his UK wealth was split equally between his children, Alan and Carolyn.

The siblings also inherited 3.2 million in a Liechtenstein-based foundation. Alan, 69, received about 1 million from the Rainbow Foundation after his fathers death, while top barrister Carolyn, 64, was paid out 2.2 million, the court heard.

Alan now claims his late father treated the foundation like a piggy bank  away from the eyes of the English taxman. He said the businessman, who ran a real estate business in Great Portland Street, used a courier to fly home bundles of cash beneath HMRCs radar.

But Carolyn maintained her father had seen the foundation as an escape fund in case history repeated itself.

My father was heavily affected by his pre-war experiences, she said. He lost his family, his home, his country and his community. He lost everything. He would say, Youre never, ever safe. She insisted her father came to love Britain after it gave him sanctuary from the Holocaust and would never have cheated the taxman.

Alan, an accountant based in Madison Avenue, New York, said he did not discover until four years after his fathers death that his sister had got more than double his share. He now claims that the funds in the Rainbow Foundation form part of his fathers UK estate, and should be split in line with his will.

Asked why her father gave more of his offshore assets to her, Carolyn, a London-based barrister specialising in childrens rights, explained that he viewed her as a good daughter who had helped out in his business.

Their feud had ripped the family apart, she told the court, with their elderly mother conflicted by it all.

The bad blood between the siblings had even spilled over into violence, said Carolyn, who claimed Alan had assaulted her. I just object to being punched, she told the court.

The hearing continues.
T housands of popular chocolate bars have been pulled from the shelves after plastic was found in some products.

Mars Chocolate is recalling several confectionary brands including Mars, Snickers, Milky Way and Celebrations.

The recall applies to all Mars and Snickers products, Milky Way Minis and Miniatures, and certain packs of Celebrations, all with best before dates ranging from 19 June 2016 to 8 January 2017.

It is not known how many products are affected, but the US-based company has warned that chocolates listed in the recall must not be eaten.

The Europe-wide recall is set to affect Mars products on sale in Britain, according to the AFP news agency.

The agency also reported that Mars, Celebrations and Snickers had been recalled in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.

The Mars factory in Viersen, Germany, alone produces around 10 million chocolates every day.

In a statement the company told ITV News: "Mars Chocolate is carrying out a voluntary recall of chocolate products of Mars, Snickers, Milky Way and Celebrations after plastic was found in a product.

"With this recall, we would like to prevent consumers who have purchased one of the mentioned products from consuming it."
A n overtly sexual advert showing a man cavorting in hot pants topped a list of most complained about ads of 2015.

Tube posters asking "Are you beach body ready?" also featured among the year's most controversial campaigns, the Advertising Standards Authority said.

At the top, with more than double the number of complaints the second most criticised ad received, was MoneySuperMarket.com's online and TV advert of a man walking down a street and dancing while wearing denim shorts and high-heeled shoes.

Many branded its content overtly sexual and altogether 1,513 complaints were filed claiming it was offensive.

Three Booking.com adverts - involving a play on words where the word "booking" was seen to be used in the place of a swear word - were the second, fourth and seventh most complained about ads.

'Offensive': A still from the 'overtly sexual' MoneySuperMarket advert / YouTube

Online payment website PayPal claimed third place with its portrayal of two children concerned that their parents had not been shopping for Christmas presents.

Nearly 500 people expressed fears that "the ad revealed the truth about Father Christmas" - and despite the complaints not being upheld, PayPal decided to change its scheduling of the advert.

A controversial Protein World poster campaign, which appeared widely on the London Underground, was the fifth most complained about ad.

The posters, promoting a weight loss collection, showed a woman in a bikini and asked: "Are you beach body ready?"

They drew 380 complaints, which followed widespread criticism on social media and instances where angry commuters defaced the ads in protest.

The ASA told Protein World that, due to its concerns about a range of health and weight loss claims, the ad could not appear again in its current form, but concluded it was "unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence".

While the top 10 list largely drew complaints about harm and offence, 75 per cent of the complaints the ASA receives are about misleading ads, the regulator said.

It spent last year ensuring broadband providers and secondary ticketing sites were transparent in their pricings, and that vloggers made it clear when they were being paid to endorse products.

ASA chief executive Guy Parker said: "While matters of offence can grab the headlines, the bulk of our work is the less glamorous task of tackling misleading advertising.

2015's 10 most complained about ads 1. Moneysupermarket.com: 1,513 complaints  Not upheld

2. Booking.com: 683 complaints  Not upheld

3. Paypal (UK): 464 complaints  Not upheld

4. Booking.com: 407 complaints  Not upheld

5. Protein World: 380 complaints - Not upheld

6. British Heart Foundation: 219 complaints  Not upheld

7. Booking.com BV: 201 complaints  Not upheld

8. Department of Health: 181 complaints  Not upheld

9. Nicocigs Ltd: 145 complaints  Not upheld

10. Omega Pharma Ltd: 136 complaints  Upheld

"That's why we're taking a more proactive approach to address the issues which affect consumers the most before complaints need to be made."

Additional reporting by PA
A gurning University Challenge contestant has delighted the internet with his unusual facial expressions  for a second time.

Cambridge student Oscar Powell bit his lip and scrunched up his nose as his college Peterhouse took on St Johns, Oxford, in the quarter final aired on Monday.

His knowledge helped take his team through to the next round, but it was his expressions that stole the show.

Hundreds of people posted comments on social media calling the Geological Sciences student their favourite contestant, or suggesting he join Top Gear.

The contestant first appeared on the show in December, when his unique thinking face sparked similar social media frenzy.

On Monday, his notoriety was even acknowledged by presenter Jeremy Paxman, who asked: Have you ever considered a career in stand-up, Oscar?
A British Airways jet which caught fire at Las Vegas airport will be put back into service, the airline has confirmed.

The London-bound Boeing 777-200 was engulfed in flames before take-off from McCarran International Airport on September 8 last year.

Passengers were forced to flee the burning aircraft via the emergency slides and captain Chris Henkey, 63, was hailed a hero for adverting a major disaster.

BA today confirmed the plane will be put back into service once stringent checks have been completed after photographs emerged showing the jet undergoing repairs

A BA spokesman said the engine which caught fire - a General Electric GE90-85B - has been removed by the manufacturer and will be replaced.

Repairs: The Boeing 777-200 will eventually come back into service / AP Photo/John Locher

He added: The airframe was inspected by a team of highly experienced engineers from Boeing who concluded that the damage was limited and suitable for repair.

A team from Boeing is carrying out the repair work, which will be certified to the same high standards as if the aircraft was brand new.

BA said safety is the airlines first priority and there is no set timeline for when the plane will be brought back into service.

The aircraft was preparing to take off for the 10-hour flight to Gatwick when the Mr Henkey, who was on his penultimate flight before retirement, slammed the brakes on after becoming aware of the fire.

Hero: Captain Chris Henkey averted a major disaster by aborting take-off / Chris Radburn/PA Wire

A total of 157 passengers, 10 crew and three pilots had to evacuate down emergency slides.

Twenty-seven people, including all crew members, were taken to hospital with minor injuries, mostly caused by sliding down the inflatable chutes.

Mr Henkey, who had 42 years of flying experience with BA, said he was unlikely to make his final flight after the incident.
R epublican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has said he would like to punch a protester in the face after a man was thrown out of a rally in Las Vegas.

The billionaire businessman bemoaned the old days when he said the man would have been taken out of the event on a stretcher.

He made the comments as security staff escorted the protester from an arena filled with thousands of Trump supporters on the eve of the Nevada caucuses.

The guards were being very gentle, Mr Trump said, allowing the man to walk out of the arena smiling.

You know what I hate? Theres a guy totally disruptive, throwing punches. Were not allowed to punch back any more, he said.

Reporters did not see why the man was ejected, and it was unclear whether he had actually thrown any punches.

But Mr Trump continued: I love the old days. You know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? Theyd be carried out in a stretcher, folks.

The crowd thundered in agreement.

Id like to punch him in the face, Mr Trump added.

Mr Trump continued to lash out at rival Ted Cruz, telling the crowd: This guy is sick. Theres something wrong with this guy.

He took specific issue with an advert Mr Cruzs campaign has been showing that accuses Mr Trump of being against turning over government land in Nevada to state control.

But Mr Trump said it was not a subject I know anything about.

Something to do with I want to take away your land? And I want to keep it in the federal government? I dont even know what the hell theyre talking about, he said.

Rival Ted Cruz meanwhile said he liked the thought of Democrat hopeful Hillary Clinton behind bars.

The Texas senator suggested that when one of his supporters at a rally in Elko, Nevada, shouted that he should put Hillary in jail if he is elected in November.

Mr Cruz paused, then responded: With any luck, shell be there already.

The capacity crowd cheered at the suggestion that the former US secretary of state who has been dogged by questions about her private email use at the state department should be locked up.

Mr Cruz later added I am told the Democrats are opening up a new polling place at Leavenworth - a reference to the federal prison in Kansas.

Polls suggest Mr Trump will continue his hot streak in Nevadas Republican caucuses tonight after winning in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Meanwhile Mr Cruz and Florida Senator Marco Rubio are battling to emerge as his main challenger a week before a whole raft of states go to the polls on Super Tuesday.
T his was the moment an escalator suddenly changed direction and threw more than a dozen people to the ground.

Five people were slightly injured in the bizarre incident in the city of Ningbo, near Shanghai on the east coast of China, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Security footage captured the moment the upwards-moving escalator changed direction, apparently randomly, then sped up.

Several people are immediately thrown painfully to the ground, while others including children appear to fall after tumbling over those collapsed at the bottom.

CCTV News said the incident happened in a shopping centre on Thursday.

The escalator has since been closed and an investigation has been launched.
Guantanamo Military Prison

President Obama on Tuesday urged lawmakers to lift obstacles to closing the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as he presented to Congress a long-awaited roadmap for shuttering a facility he said symbolized the excesses that following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.





This is about closing a chapter in our history , said Obama, flanked by Vice President Biden and Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, in remarks at the White House. It reflects the lessons that weve learned since 9/11, lessons that need to guide our nation going forward.





But Obamas blueprint, which provided some detail to earlier White House plans to move up to 60 prisoners to the mainland United States for trial or detention,was met with immediate condemnation from Capitol Hill.





Previewing the plan earlier in the morning, officials said the document submitted to Congress outlined costs associated with housing prisoners in facilities within the United States. Officials said 30 to 60 detainees were expected to be brought to U.S. facilities if the plan is approved. Some of them would continue through slow-moving military commissions; others probably would be detained indefinitely without trial.





The Obama administration also is resettling overseas other prisoners, who are deemed to pose little security risk. Since he took office in 2009, Obama has resettled 147 Guantanamo prisoners overseas.





The prison now houses 91 detainees, down from a high of nearly 800 under former President George. W. Bush. Of those remaining, 35 have been cleared for transfer to allied nations. Ten are in some stage of a military trial process.





But Obama cannot act without support from Congress. To allow the closure plan to move forward, lawmakers would have to alter current laws that prohibit the administration from spending any money on bringing detainees to the United States.









Source: The Washington Post, Missy Ryan and Adam Goldman, February 23, 2016




T he family of a backpacker missing in Thailand today appealed for help finding her as they revealed they received a panicked message from her.

Grace Taylor, 21, made contact with her mother Sam from Ao Nang in Krabi province, from where she sounded "very stressed and frightened".

The family, from Swanage, Dorset, booked her a flight from Krabi airport but Grace did not board the plane even though she was believed to have arrived there between 8.30pm and 9.30pm local time.

In a post on Monday, Ms Taylor said: "Grace contacted us at 11am today from Ao Nang, she was very stressed and frightened saying that people were trying to hurt her and were following her and she wanted to come home. We calmed her down and booked her a flight from Krabi tonight but she apparently reached the airport but didn't catch her flight and has gone missing again.

"We are desperately worried, all previous backpacker sightings have reported that she is disorientated and not in a good mental state."

Ms Taylor has reported her missing to Dorset Police and the Foreign Office (FO) and appealed for backpackers in the country to help locate Grace.

A family member would be flying to Thailand to join the search and bring her home, she added.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are in touch with local authorities about a British national who was reported missing in Thailand and are providing consular assistance to the family."
A British backpacker missing in Thailand has been found, according to police.

Grace Taylor, 21, contacted her mother from Ao Nang in Krabi province saying people were trying to hurt her.

Her mother, Sam, launched an online appeal to find Grace after she did not hear from her daughter again and flew out to Thailand to try and find her.

Ms Taylor said her daughter sounded very stressed and frightened and did not board a flight home that had been booked for her, despite reportedly arriving at the airport.

Grace, from Swanage in Dorest, was found at Krabi International Airport and was reportedly detained by officers for her own safety.

Dorest Police, who were informed Grace had gone missing, confirmed this morning that the backpacker had been found.

Pol Lt Col Jetsada Chanpoom, from Krabi police, said: Tourist police officers and immigration officials have found Grace Taylor at Krabi airport.

She has spoken to embassy officials and we expect she will be leaving Thailand. She is feeling sick but we do not believe there was any crime involved.
O ne person has died after a train hit a crane and derailed in the Netherlands, Dutch media reported.

Several others are said to be injured following the incident at around 9am local time (8am GMT) near the town of Dalfsen.

Photographs on Dutch news websites showed the aftermath of the collision in which the train appears to have been thrown on its side and into a field.

Local reports said the crane had been passing over the line at a level crossing when the passenger service ploughed into it.

Dalfsen mayor Han Noten confirmed one person had been killed and said around 15 people had been on board at the time.

A map showing the location of Dalfsen in the Netherlands / Google

The train was operated by Arriva, a subsidiary of Germany's Deutsche Bahn.

A spokesman said: We can confirm that this morning at around 9am an Arriva train in the Netherlands has been involved in an accident near the town of Dalfsen.

"Our first concern is for our staff and passengers and we are cooperating fully with the investigation which has been launched by the Dutch Safety Board. We will provide further information as soon as it is available.
N o one is expecting a full cessation of hostilities this weekend  not least because the forces of Islamic State, and the most powerful al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, the Al-Nusra Front, are excluded. The fight against them will continue.

Two crucial regional powers are in on the deal  Turkey and Iran  and this should make a big difference to the on-off ceasefires we have been hearing about since the turn of the year.

Technically, the Kerry-Lavrov deal should mean Russian aircraft and Syrian helicopters and ground forces stop targeting civilians. The sieges across Syria, which have seen up to 400,000 people trapped  with thousands starving  should now be lifted.

But they are the hostages for Assads military tyranny and their Russian allies. What happens to the besieged will be a test of good faith for Moscow and Damascus and we should know whether they are prepared to meet that test before the weekend is out.

Supervising and monitoring the ceasefire will be more than challenging because no party has the capacity in terms of ground forces and police to manage the parting, or deconfliction, of battling groups on the ground.

For this is not only a battleground of militias, armies, factions and guerrilla bans, but clans and feuding neighbourhoods and families. Minority groups, the factions of Kurds and Turkmen, for instance, have the capacity to derail the armistice almost before it has begun.

But something has changed in the past week. First, the IS bombs around Damascus and Homs have threatened Assads heartland as never before. The Russians appear to have decided to abandon Assad and his family clique, in the hope of preserving some semblance of the old Baathist regime as a client mini-state in north-west Syria, which means the Russians will hang on to their bases at Latakia and Tartus.

The US and Russia appear to be focusing on Islamic State and it appears to be pinned back in Syria and Iraq.

Concern is growing about the IS empire, a collection of 11 wilayats, or governorates, from Afghanistan to Africa. In Libya, it has a growing army of 7,000, based in Sirte and Sabratha. This is a base for terrorist operations across north Africa and into Europe.


A Swedish teenager has been rescued from Islamic State by Iraqi Kurdish troops near the extremist-controlled city of Mosul, it was revealed today.

The Kurdish Government said the rescue operation by anti-terrorist forces took place last Wednesday, near Mosul, 225 miles north-west of Baghdad.

The statement identified the young womans name and said she is a 16-year-old girl from the Swedish town of Boras who was misled by an IS extremist in Sweden to travel to Syria.

Kurdish authorities said they were contacted by Swedish counterparts and the teenagers family to help find and rescue the girl from the terror group.

The girl is currently in Iraqi Kurdish territory and is being "provided the care afforded to her under international law.

The statement added she will be transferred to Swedish authorities to return home once necessary arrangements" are made.

No details on the rescue operation were released or on the girls treatment by Islamic State.

The statement provided no details on the rescue operation and did not say whether the teen was mistreated while with the Islamic State group.

Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul was the first major city to fall into the hands of Islamic State militants during their blitz in June 2014, when the group swept across vast areas in the country's north and west.
A GP has spent two years searching for a new doctor to join his practice  despite offering a 190,000 salary and a massive three months of holiday.

The job, based in a small town on New Zealands North Island, has failed to attract any interest despite the attractive terms, which also include no evening or weekend shifts and an idyllic location.

British-born Dr Alan Kenny, 61, who owns the practice in Tokoroa, says no-one has been prepared to move to the relatively isolated spot, despite being offered about double the standard salary for a GP in New Zealand.

Dr Kenny, who moved to the town 30 years ago, told the New Zealand Herald: I can offer them a really, really amazing income; it's incredible. My practice has exploded in the last year and the more patients you list, the more money you get.

But it just gets too much at the end of the day. Just because I earn lots of money doesn't mean I want to work my butt off.

Dr Kenny said his workload dealing with upwards of 40 patients a day means he is forced to cancel holidays. The practice has 6,000 patients on its books, shared across the six current doctors.

He has now made an international appeal to try to find a new recruit.

I love my work and I would like to stay but I hit my head against a brick wall trying to attract doctors, he said.

If it's hard enough to get doctors to work alongside me, it's going to be a devil of a job to get doctors to replace me."
 If they demolish the Jungle, I think I will have to find another Jungle, or start my own, says 10-year-old Zia Urrehman, one of the Calais camps youngest known lone children.

He is one of about 300 to 400 youngsters with no family who charities say will be affected by plans to flatten the southern part of the camp tomorrow.

Today, a French judge is due to decide whether the demolition at the camp should go ahead. Zia, who has called it home for three months, tells how the Taliban executed his father before he fled Afghanistan with his uncle.

Speaking through an interpreter who acts as his guardian, he says he and his uncle were separated as police stormed a migrant hideout in Calais port, where the pair were waiting in the hope of hiding on a cross-Channel ferry.

Zia was caught but his uncle gave police the slip and has contacted him from the UK. His mother and younger brother are still in Afghanistan. Zia said: I miss my family. I pray for them and hope to see them again one day.

But I just want to go to London where I have family. I want to be a teacher and help people. If I get a bit of luck, maybe I can find this dream.

He is not the only lone child who has risked their life trying to get to the UK. Mohammed Ahmed, 16, has been in the camp five months after fleeing Syria.

He told how he paid human traffickers $1,300 in Turkey to cross over to Greece. Like so many other youngsters in the camp, he has tried to reach the UK several times and claims he should be allowed in as he has relatives here.

Under threat: Migrants walk in the mud in the southern part of the Jungle camp / Reuters

He said: It was a very hard journey to Europe. We were almost five hours in the sea and we thought we were going to die. Forty-five people were in the boat, which was like a dinghy.

I just want to get to the UK and study. Im very scared of the eviction because if they do that then we feel we will have nowhere to live and nowhere to go.

Mohammeds case is one of 50 live ones being processed with the help of Citizens UK. The charity campaigns for better legal access for lone minors to exercise what they claim is their right, under European law, to move to the UK if they have family members here. Zia and Mohammed told their stories as solicitors from London firms Bhatt Murphy and the Islington Law Centre visited to work on the ongoing cases. Since January, four applications have succeeded.

Iona Lawrence, 27, a Citizens UK outreach worker, said: We are trying to prove that its possible for [the children] to exercise their rights and go to the UK if they have family there. We are committed to finding safe and legal passageways so people can move safely and not have to put their lives in danger.

We have proved its possible for lone minors living in this squalor, but we need the British Government to step up and be more proactive because its not just a legal obligation, but a moral one. Four successful cases since January is unacceptable and not enough.

The process is often slowed because lone minors often do not have any identity documents and obtaining new ones from the Syrian government and others can take months or never happen. Citizens UK says more DNA testing, which can show a child is telling the truth about their age and relatives, should be facilitated to speed up the process.

It also says the EU needs to provide more systematic information on rights for asylum seekers and the UNHCR, which is doing little and only monitoring the situation occasionally, also needs to do more.

Ms Lawrence said aid workers are expecting a violent clash if the judge approves the demolition of two thirds of the camp, which will affect up to 3,000 people. She said: The pressure this is putting on people is a lot. People already take unimaginable risks and, if you add a demolition to the pot, the pressure increases peoples need to get to the UK and puts more young childrens lives at risk.
A ll Saints have debuted their brand new single One Strike.

The British girl group, who rose to fame in the late 1990s, premiered the track on Radio 2 on Tuesday morning after announcing their comeback.

Inspired by Nicole Appletons split from husband Liam Gallagher, this is the bands first new song in nearly a decade.

When I write, I just think about whats on my mind. The lyrics came from somewhere very real. Nic was going through a lot of things at that time, said Shaznay Lewis.

That was at the forefront of my mind because it was the heaviest thing going on.

Natalie Appleton added: The first few times I heard it in my car. I couldnt stop crying because I could hear so clearly what it was about.

Talking about the decision to reform, she said: Listen, if you can work with your favourite people, then why not?

I have such a good time and I spend more time laughing and having fun than I do working.

All Saints, who are gearing up to release their new album Red Flag in April, have just announced their first headline show in 10 years.

The band will take to the stage at Koko in Camden on April 4, to promote the record.


J ohn Cleese has revealed he is not a fan of Daniel Craig as James Bond, calling the actor a little Welsh bandy-legged guy.

Cleese, 76, said Craig was too short to play the iconic 007 agent but praised Pierce Brosnan and Sean Connerys outings.

Speaking on Australia's The Morning Show about Brosnan, Cleese said: I thought he was a wonderful Bond I thought he was the best Bond since Connery because this little Welsh bandy-legged guy theyve got at the moment is simply not tall enough, Im sorry. And he certainly didnt go to Eton.

After reminding Cleese of Craigs name, one news anchor asked: Not a fan?

Cleese  who starred in Bond films The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day  replied: No, his legs are too short.

Craig  who has portrayed Bond in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre  is thought to be under contract for one more film but is rumoured to have already stepped down from the role.

Spectre After Party 1 /25 Spectre After Party Stealing the show Naomie Harris wears a navy cut-out dress at the after party Dave Benett Party time There was a carnival feel to the Spectre after party Dave Benett Big night The red carpet was rolled out at the British Museum Dave Benett The man of the moment Daniel Craig rocks up at the party Dave Benett Outfit change Lea Seydoux puts on her party dress after the premiere Dave Benett Cocktail dress Naomie Harris swaps her red carpet gown for a navy mini dress Dave Benett Dapper gent Sam Smith wears a white tux for the bash Dave Benett 007 Daniel Craig aka James Bond shows off his posing skills Dave Benett Back to black Stephanie Sigman, who also stars in the film Dave Benett Geek to chic Ben Whishaw, who plays Q in Spectre Dave Benett Mingling Sam Smith chats to pals inside the party Dave Benett In good spirits Spectre director Sam Mendes Dave Benett All in black Monica Bellucci wears a Gothic gown to the after party Dave Benett Icon Dame Shirley Bassey wows in an embellished gown at the British Museum Dave Benett Pretty prints Lea Seydoux attends the World Premiere after party Dave Benett First look Melissa Odabash after watching the film Dave Benett Bond fan Sam Branson wears head-to-toe black Dave Benett Party people Greg Williams and Alice Temperley Dave Benett Letting their hair down Terry Gilliam and Holly Gilliam Dave Benett

Mark Strong recently hinted at Craigs departure during an interview with Shortlist.

Do you know what, Id have loved to have played the villain in a Bond movie while Daniel was doing it because hes a pal and that would have been great, he said.

But I think hes come to the end of his Bond time and so its probably never going to happen, but that would have always been great.



Follow @StandardShowbiz for more entertainment news.
HSBC has been under scanner ever since a leaked list of hundreds of Indian clients of its Geneva branch found its way to the Indian tax authorities.

London: Indian tax authorities have issued notices to global banking giant HSBC, warning of prosecution against its Swiss and Dubai arms for allegedly abetting tax evasion by four Indians and their families.

The UK-based HSBC, which also disclosed today on-going probes by tax authorities from various countries in connection with alleged abetment of tax evasion and money laundering through its Geneva branch, said it is cooperating with the relevant authorities and cautioned of "significant" financial impact as a result of these investigations.

HSBC has been under scanner ever since a leaked list of hundreds of Indian clients of its Geneva branch found its way to the Indian tax authorities. Similar lists made their way to tax authorities in various other countries, prompting probes.

The Indian government has stepped up its fight against black money, allegedly stashed in Switzerland, in recent years and there have been apprehensions that the so-called illicit wealth might have got shifted to other places such as Dubai.

Without disclosing the names of the Indians who indulged in the alleged tax evasion through its Swiss or Dubai units, HSBC said while announcing its annual results that it had first been issued summons in February 2015 from Indian tax authorities, while fresh notices were issued in August and then in November.

The bank on Monday reported a revenue of $1.84 billion from India in 2015, up from $1.74 billion in 2014. Its profits from India operations stood at $606 million, largely from global banking and market businesses. For India, its customer accounts had balance of $11.8 billion at the end of 2015, up from $11.7 billion in the previous year.

"In India, in February 2015, the Indian tax authority issued summons and request for information to an HSBC company in India.

"In August 2015 and November 2015, HSBC entities received notices issued by two offices of the Indian tax authority, alleging that the Indian tax authority had sufficient evidence to initiate prosecution against HSBC Swiss Private Bank and its Dubai entity for abetting tax evasion of four different Indian individuals and/or families and requesting that the HSBC entities show why such prosecution should not be initiated," the bank said.

It further said the bank is "cooperating with relevant authorities in a manner consistent with relevant laws" with respect to each of the on-going matters. HSBC listed out probes in countries like Argentina, Belgium and France in connection with "allegations of tax evasion or tax fraud, money laundering and unlawful cross-border banking solicitation".

It said there were "many factors that may affect the range of outcomes, and the resulting financial impact, of these investigations and reviews, which could be significant. "In light of the media attention regarding these matters, it is possible that other tax administration, regulatory or law enforcement authorities will also initiate or enlarge similar investigations or regulatory proceedings."

With regard to another probe in the US relating to Indian-origin clients, HSBC said it is cooperating in on-going investigations by the Department of Justice and the US Internal Revenue Service.

This probe relates to "regarding whether certain HSBC companies and employees, including those associated with HSBC Swiss Private Bank and an HSBC company in India, acted appropriately in relation to certain customers who had US tax reporting obligations".

Meanwhile, the banking major said hiring practices is being investigated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC is "investigating multiple financial institutions, including HSBC, in relation to hiring practices of candidates referred by or related to government officials or employees of state-owned enterprises in Asia Pacific", it said.

"HSBC has received various requests for information and is cooperating with the SEC's investigation. Based on the facts currently known, it is not practicable at this time for HSBC to predict the resolution of this matter, including the timing or any possible impact on HSBC, which could be significant," it added.
The importance of the upcoming budget lies in its message on the government's fiscal consolidation plans.

New Delhi: Days ahead of the Union Budget, Moody's Investors Service on February 23 said India's fiscal metrics will remain weaker than its peers in the near term even if Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was to stick to fiscal consolidation roadmap.

Jaitley in his Budget for 2016-17 will on Monday reveal if the credit-positive five-year trend of narrowing budget deficits - from 6.5 per cent of GDP in fiscal 2010 to 4.1 per cent in 2014-15 - will continue. He will also say if the government was on track to reduce deficits to 3.9 per cent and 3.5 per cent of GDP this fiscal year and the next respectively.

Moody's said the importance of the upcoming budget lies in its message on the government's fiscal consolidation plans. The government's fiscal deficits have reduced over the last five years, and this has supported the stabilisation of government debt ratios. Without fiscal consolidation going forward, India's government finances will continue to compare poorly to peers.

"Even if budgetary consolidation continues, India's fiscal metrics will remain weaker than rating peers in the near term, because of the relatively high level of India's state and central government deficits and debt," Moody's said.

Based on the trends in revenues and expenditures over the last five years, Moody's said the fiscal consolidation process remains vulnerable to economic shocks, such as a fall in corporate profits or consumption growth, or an increase in subsidy costs.

Although fuel subsidy reform has partially addressed this vulnerability, food subsidies still pose risks. The fiscal weakness, it said, was partly due to structural factors. Low per-capita incomes of around USD 1,700 limit the government's tax base and raise pressure for subsidies and development spending.

"Moreover, interest payments absorb almost a fifth of Indian government revenues a consequence of high debt, which we estimate at 63.8 per cent of GDP in fiscal 2016, down from 83.1 per cent in fiscal 2005. This restricts the government's fiscal flexibility," it said.
Cadbury was acquired in 2010 by the erstwhile Kraft Foods which later adopted a new name, Mondelez International.

New York: Confectionery giant Mondelez, maker of Cadbury chocolates and Oreo biscuits, faces potential enforcement action in the US for alleged bribing of government officials with regard to factory permissions in India.

The US-based multinational, which has disclosed the potential action by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a regulatory filing, also said it is contesting show cause notices by the excise department in India that has demanded from it unpaid taxes and penalties.

In the filing made with the US regulator (SEC), Mondelez International said the investigation under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) relates to a facility in India which it had acquired as part of the Cadbury takeover.

After a long takeover battle, Cadbury was acquired in 2010 by the erstwhile Kraft Foods which later adopted a new name, Mondelez International. However, the Cadbury brand has been retained for various products.

Mondelez said it had first received a subpoena from the SEC under FCPA regarding the Indian plant in February 2011, wherein the company was asked to provide information regarding dealings with Indian governmental agencies and officials to obtain approvals related to the operation of that facility.

"We are continuing to cooperate with the US and Indian governments in their investigations of these matters, including through ongoing meetings with the US government to discuss potential conclusion of US government investigation."

"On February 11, 2016, we received a 'Wells' notice from the SEC indicating that the staff has made a preliminary determination to recommend that the SEC file an enforcement action against us for violations of the books and records and internal controls provisions of the Exchange Act in connection with the investigation."

"We intend to make a submission to the staff of the SEC in response to the notice," the company said.The US regulator issues a 'Wells' notice to individuals or companies against whom it plans to bring an enforcement action.

Regarding the tax dispute in India, Mondelez said the erstwhile Cadbury India (now Mondelez India Foods Pvt Ltd) had got show cause notices in February 2013 and March 2014, from the Indian central excise authority.

The notices sought explanation as to why the company should not pay a total of Rs 370 crore of unpaid excise tax and an equivalent amount of penalties, as well as interest, related to production at the same Indian facility, the company said, adding that it contested these demands.

Later, the Commissioner of the Excise Authority denied the excise exemption that the company had claimed for the Indian facility and confirmed the Excise Authority's demands for taxes and penalties totalling Rs 580 crore.

The company said it has appealed this order."In addition, the Excise Authority issued additional show cause notices on February 6, 2015 and December 8, 2015 on the same issue but covering the periods January to October 2014 and November 2014 to September 2015, respectively.

These notices added a total of Rs 240 crore of unpaid excise taxes as well as penalties to be determined up to an amount equivalent to that claimed by the Excise Authority and interest," it added.

The company said it believes that the decision to claim the excise tax benefit is valid and it was continuing to contest the show cause notices through the administrative and judicial process.
The Nebraska Court of Appeals has affirmed a Roseland, Nebraska, man's conviction on drug charges.

Joseph Lowery, 27, had been sentenced in August 2014 to 36 to 60 months in prison on a charge of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, a Class III felony. A jury had found Lowery guilty in June 2014 of possessing nearly 11 grams of methamphetamine. Officers found the methamphetamine as they searched the Mitchell home of George Valles.

Officers had gone to the home after seeing Lowery's vehicle parked at it because he was wanted on an outstanding warrant.

During trial, Lowery had sought to suppress evidence of drugs found in the home, arguing that he was an overnight guest at Valles' home. Valles had allowed officers into the locked room that Lowery had been hiding in, he said, and he had an expectation of privacy because he had been staying in the room.Therefore, he said, officers needed a separate warrant to search his belongings.

The Nebraska Court of Appeals ruled that law enforcement did have reasonable belief and probable cause to enter Valles' home and arrest Lowery. Officers did not need a search warrant to arrest Lowery in the home, the court ruled, regardless of whether he enjoyed overnight guest status. The court also ruled that he did not have standing to challenge officer's search of Valles' home.
Additional metropolitan magistrate BS Kharade acquitted Dilip Kumar from the case registered under section 138 r/w 141 of Negotiable Instrument Act 1881.

Mumbai: A special metropolitan magistrate court, hearing matters pertaining to cheque bouncing cases, in Mumbai on Tuesday acquitted veteran Bollywood star Dilip Kumar from an 18-year-old cheque bounce case.

Additional metropolitan magistrate BS Kharade on Tuesday acquitted Yusuf Khan alias Dilip Kumar and Vimal Kumar Rathi from the case registered under section 138 r/w 141 of Negotiable Instrument Act 1881. The magistrate convicted S Seturaman and Gopalkrishna Rathi, directors of M/s Geekay Exim India Ltd, in the case.

The court acquitted Dilip Kumar and Vimal Rathi because both of them were honourary directors in the company and section 141 of Negotiable Instrument Act says that if any company is involved in cheque bouncing case then it should be proved that the accused were responsible for managing the day-to-day affairs, like issuing cheques etc.

In the present case, the complainant failed to prove that both the acquitted persons were responsible for issuing cheque valued rupees 57,61,838 which was not honoured and resulted in filing of this case.

Earlier this case was pending before the Bellardpear magistrate court, however later it was transferred to special court in Girgaon conducting cheque bouncing cases.

Though initially case was registered against 20 persons holding different posts in the company but the complainant withdrew case against 16 persons and only four persons, including Dilip Kumar was facing the trial.

According to Ms Smita Shroff, she had invested Rs 45,00,000 in Kolkata based Geekay company in June 1996 and the company had issued a cheque of rupees 57,61,838. The cheque was of State Bank of Hyderabad but was dishonoured on November 19, 1997 and hence she first sent notice to the company and later filed complaint in December 1997 and a case was registered subsequently.

This case was pending in court since then and magistrate BS Kharade on Tuesday passed judgment on it.

Expressing concern over her husband's fragile health yesterday, actress Saira Banu asked his fans to pray that the stress related to an 18-year-old case should not affect him. She wrote-

1) From Saira Banu: Breaks my heart to inform @TheDilipKumar fans. tomm, Tuesday, 18-yr-old court case in which Saab has been associated,  Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) February 22, 2016

2) will be up for judgement hearing at 14 Met. Magistrate court, Girgaum, presided by Hon. Magistrate BS Kharade...  Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) February 22, 2016

3).. At 94 yrs, Saab's health is delicate, facing neurological problems, yet Saab has never prayed for case adjournment  Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) February 22, 2016

4. Hope serious consternation n stress caused don't affect his condition further. Saab needs peace n rest. I seek your prayers n support  Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) February 22, 2016

The actor was bestowed with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan Award in 2015 for his immense contribution to Indian cinema.
For years, North Korea has been determined to sustain its regime through intimidation and reckless behavior. From nuclear and ballistic missile tests to cyberattacks, the belligerence of Dictator Kim Jong-un demonstrates that this rogue nation is a serious threat to the region and U.S. national security.

Yet, as these threats have grown and continued, American foreign policy has lacked the firm resolve to curtail North Koreas behavior.

In the Senate, I serve on the Armed Services Committee and chair its subcommittee on emerging threats. Our committee has closely tracked North Koreas growing capabilities and repeatedly taken action to ensure our nations defense stays ahead of this threat. For example, in 2013, the committee authorized additional funding for the deployment of a long-range missile defense radar system. This technology, which is now under development, will improve our ability to track and intercept North Korean missiles. The committee has also authorized increased resources for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program. This is the interceptor system which defends the United States from ballistic missile attack.

Simply improving our nations defenses, however, does not address the source of the problem. Indeed, these efforts must be paired with a policy that uses the weight of U.S. economic and diplomatic influence to isolate the North Korean regime and those who do business with it.

This month, the Senate came together to take action. By a unanimous vote, the Senate passed the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act. The bill seeks to target the regimes financial supporters and the hidden avenues that have subsidized its belligerence. It does this through greater enforcement of sanctions on their nuclear and ballistic missile programs. In addition, the bill codifies and expands sanctions against North Korea for its malicious cyberattacks and its egregious abuse of human rights.

Senators on both sides of the aisle are in agreement: the flow of resources that support this behavior must be stopped. The bill now heads to the presidents desk, where he is expected to sign it into law. Congress has acted, and Im proud to have supported this important step toward better addressing threats to our national security.

However, Congresss efforts are only part of the solution. It will soon be up to the president to implement the authority that Congress has given him. I believe the overwhelming bipartisan approval of this legislation demonstrates the support of the American people for a firmer policy toward North Korea. It is my hope that this bill galvanizes the president to hold the regime and its patrons accountable. More must also be done to improve cooperation with our allies in the region and make it clear to Russia and China that an irrational, nuclear-armed nation on the Korean peninsula is not in their best interest.

Congress must continue to conduct rigorous oversight and ensure that the administration acts on these sanctions. The security of our nation will always remain at the forefront of my priorities, and I am honored to continue this work.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.
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The defence had earlier contended that the prosecution had framed two more cases of poaching against Khan by planting witnesses and evidences.

Jodhpur: The prosecution in the chinkara poaching case of 1998, in which Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was given prison term, today rejected the allegation by his lawyers that evidences or witnesses had been planted.

Arguing in the Rajasthan High Court bench here on an appeal of Khan against the one-year sentence in the Bhawad chinkara poaching case, Additional Advocate General K L Thakur said that the statements of Harish Dulani, driver of the vehicle allegedly used by Khan in hunting the endangered species, and a key witness of another case of poaching, were vindicated by the statements of other prosecution witnesses.

The defence had earlier contended that the prosecution, relying on the statements of such a witness, who could not be examined in the court, had framed two more cases of poaching against Khan by planting witnesses and evidences.

While rejecting the contentions of the defence, Thakur argued that the statements of Dulani are corroborated by the statements of other witnesses and also the FSL reports, which confirmed that blood stains collected from the vehicle and the hotel, where the hunted animals had been taken for cleaning and cooking, were those of chinkaras.

"We are trying to link all these circumstantial evidences to prove that Khan had killed the chinkaras. None of the evidences or witnesses had been?planted but have naturally been pointing to the corroboration of the statements of Dulani," Thakur argued.

The forest department had registered a case of poaching of two black bucks on October 1-2, 1998 at village Kankani in Jodhpur.

During recording of the statements of Dulani, who happened to be at the steering of the vehicle of Khan, the forest officials had got to know about two more similar incidents which had taken place on 26-27 and 28-29 September, 1998 at Bhawad and Mathania respectively.

The forest department had then registered two more cases of poaching against Khan, which was objected to by the defence stating that the prosecution was relying on the statements of such witnesses who were never available for examination. The prosecution will continue its arguments on next Tuesday.
Tuesday, 23 February 2016 16:58:47 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

Markit's Germany Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) was at 52.3 points in January this year, down from Decembers 53.2 points and slightly higher than the 2015 average of 52.1.

In January, Germany s manufacturing sector grew further, although the pace of expansion was the slowest since last October. Latest survey results signaled a slowing in the rate of production growth at German manufacturers, largely as a result of stagnating output at intermediate goods producers. Meanwhile, consumer and investment goods manufacturers reported further solid growth.

It is an unspectacular start to the year for German manufacturers. Although, the headline PMI signaled further growth in the sector, the pace of expansion was relatively sluggish. It is also a bit disappointing that the first reduction in selling prices for three months was not sufficient to generate a stronger increase in total new business. A source of weakness highlighted by the data was subdued demand from foreign markets, stated Oliver Kolodseike, economist at Markit. Mr. Kolodseike also stated, Low energy, oil and raw material prices, meanwhile, have continued to exert downward pressure on prices, with the latest fall in input costs one of the steepest since the financial crisis.
Tuesday, 23 February 2016 17:46:40 (GMT+3) | Brescia

According to market sources, in the Italian domestic market local producers' base prices for merchant bar are at 40-45/mt ($44-50/mt), 10/mt ($11/mt) less compared to prices at the end of January (*see note below on extras) . The decline is mainly due to the weak trend of scrap prices. The domestic merchant bar market is currently experiencing some stability, with no major changes in prices in sight in the coming period.



Meanwhile, in recent weeks the market has seen the intensification of the efforts of Spanish producers to expand their market share in Italy by offering prices slightly lower than Italian producers' levels.



As for the European market, prices of merchant bar from Italy are in the range of 425-440/mt ($468-484/mt) delivered to customer, depending on the European country of destination.





*In the Italian market, price extras can vary in the range of 410-610/mt for domestic sales and in the range of 410-620/mt for foreign markets, depending on dimension and product.

1 = $1.10
By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com During last Thursdays county commission meeting, the topic of tourism came up. First District Commissioner Karen Stuppy reported on the Tourism Advisory Council and Tourism Tax Commissions joint meeting earlier that week, at which a task force was formed. She said that the tourism department has an $89,548 budget, with $45,000-50,000
The Judiciary Committee of the Senate on Tuesday approved requests for the commencement of criminal investigation into Senator Gabriel Oprea of the National Union for Romania's Progress (UNPR) as well as the remanding and placing under pre-trial detention of Senator Doina Tudor of the National Liberal Party (PNL).

The request for the commencement of Oprea's prosecution passed 6 to 5, while the request for the remanding and placing under pre-trial detention of Tudor passed 9 to 1 and one annulled vote, according to committee sources.The Judiciary Committee is now expected to draw up its reports on the requests to be forwarded to the plenary session of the Senate.Last week, chief prosecutor with the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi requested the Senate's permission to start off a criminal investigation of Oprea in a case where also investigated are former chiefs of the Department for Internal Protection and Intelligence ( DIPI ), over abuse of office when a functionary obtains ill-gotten gains for self or others.Also last week, DNA asked Senate for permission to remand and detain Senator Doina Tudor for being an accessory to bribe taking. AGERPRES
Directed by Ankur Tewari, the films feature a set of fine actors including Farida Jalal, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Nimrat Kaur, Shweta Tripathi, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin to name a few.

Mumbai: After the phenomenal success of their web series, Bang Baaja Baarat, Y-Films is back with 'Love Shots'- a collection of six short films with a twist. The team has unveiled a cumulative trailer of stories with unique slice-of-life characters and unconventional storylines.

Producer Ashish Patiler said, 6 short films featuring 14 fantastic actors, 6 phenomenal songs by 6 incredible musicians  Love Shots is our gear shift from web series to the short films format  guaranteed to get you high on love!

Each short film also features a fresh original soundtrack scored by some of the most talented and upcoming artistes of today including the Anand Bhaskar Collective, Ankur Tewari, Gaurav Dagaonkar, Subhi Khanna, Superbia to name a few.

Directed by Ankur Tewari, the films feature a set of fine actors including Farida Jalal, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Nimrat Kaur, Shweta Tripathi, Tillotama Shome, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Rhea Chakraborty, Mohit Marwah, Saba Azad, and Swanand Kirkire.

Watch the trailer here.
The "Good Hands People" are getting a little worried about cars that don't require anyone's hands on the wheel.

In its 2015 annual report, filed Friday, Allstate acknowledged that driverless cars are a potential threat to its business. The Northbrook, Ill.-based insurer also is concerned that increasingly connected cars could someday be vulnerable to hacking.

Allstate's 2014 annual report didn't lay out those two challenges in the section of the document that outlines risks of investing in the company. Disclosures of a wide range of "risk factors" that public companies face are common in SEC filings.

Allstate has been investing in driver-monitoring technologies, commonly called telematics in the car-insurance industry.

"Telematics devices used have been identified as a potential means for an unauthorized person to connect with a vehicle's computer system resulting in theft or damage, which could affect our ability to successfully use these technologies," Allstate said. "Other potential technological changes, such as driverless cars or technologies that facilitate ride or home sharing, could disrupt the demand for our products from current customers, create coverage issues or impact the frequency or severity of losses, and we may not be able to respond effectively."

Allstate spokesman Brian Faith said Monday that "protecting the privacy of our customers' information is our top priority, and Allstate is confident in the security of our telematics devices."

"We utilize multiple layers of protection to maintain the confidentiality of the data collected and prevent unauthorized access," he said.

The financial squeeze that safer cars, including the type of self-driving car developed by Google, could put on the insurance industry has been predicted for years. In 2012, financial technology consulting firm Celent published "A Scenario: The End of Auto Insurance: What Happens When There Are (Almost) No Accidents?"

The worries expressed by Allstate are a reversal in course from a year earlier. In the 2014 letter to shareholders, Allstate Chief Executive Tom Wilson said ubiquitous consumer connectivity, autonomous cars and other technological advances create "tremendous opportunity for a company with Allstate's market position, customer relationships, capabilities and financial resources."

Autonomous cars are few in number, he said, but the technology is "advancing rapidly," Wilson said. "We support the introduction of new driver-assistance technology that makes driving safer, because this is about saving lives."

In its 2014 annual report, Chicago-based auto-parts distributor LKQ Corp. also flagged safer cars as a risk factor.

"Systems designed to help drivers avoid accidents are becoming more prevalent and more technologically sophisticated," LKQ said. "To the extent original equipment manufacturers install or are mandated by law to install accident avoidance systems in their vehicles, the number and severity of accidents could decrease, which could have a material adverse effect on our business."
London Stock Exchange Group said it was in merger talks with Deutsche Boerse, a deal that would create the dominant European exchange operator.

Just three days after British Prime Minister David Cameron set a date for a referendum on leaving the European Union, the London and Frankfurt-based market operators confirmed the discussions to create a business worth more than 20 billion pounds ($28 billion). Shares in both companies soared.

A combination of LSE and Deutsche Boerse reflects the inexorable consolidation that has created a handful of titans overseeing much of the plumbing for global trading. The Anglo-German tie-up would have leading positions in equities, derivatives, indexes and clearing, leaving it in competition with just a handful of market operators in the U.S. and Asia.

"It's very, very important in the context of the connectivity between the Americas, China as we've heard, and Europe, and of course London" that one of these global companies is based in Britain, LSE Chief Executive Officer Xavier Rolet said in a Bloomberg Television interview in March.

Should regulators approve the all-share merger, LSE Group equity holders would own 45.6 percent of the enlarged group, while Deutsche Boerse stockholders would get 54.4 percent.

The chief executive officers of both companies are keen dealmakers. LSE's Rolet has bought an index provider and expanded into clearing, while Deutsche Boerse boss Carsten Kengeter spent $1.5 billion in his first 60 days in charge of Europe's largest derivatives exchange.

The exchange business is rife with acquisitions. Intercontinental Exchange Inc. became a global powerhouse in part through its dealmaking, such as the 2013 purchase of NYSE Euronext, which gave it a derivatives business called Liffe.

An LSE-Deutsche Boerse deal would also create a stronger rival to CME Group Inc., the world's largest derivatives market. That company was formed by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange's 2007 acquisition of the Chicago Board of Trade. Then a year later, CME bought the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The discussions are taking place against an uncertain backdrop for Britain's place in Europe. British voters decide on June 23 whether to stay in the European Union. LSE Group's Rolet, along with 35 other chairmen or CEOs of FTSE 100 companies, signed a letter to The Times today urging Britons not to leave the EU.

Rolet has repeatedly argued that there's room for only a handful of firms to operate trading venues, clearing and related services around the globe, and Britain must ensure one of its companies is among them.

The merger was seen by a German politician as an escape route for LSE if Britain opts for an exit  a Brexit  from the 28-nation EU.

"I would not support a merger which is aimed to serve as a safety net for the City in case of a Brexit," Ingrid Arndt-Brauer, the head of a finance committee in the German parliament said by phone Tuesday. "The City of London seems to be afraid of the consequences of a possible Brexit."

Discussions between companies don't necessarily mean a deal will take place. The talks are ongoing, according to today's statement. Should the firms agree to merge, their key businesses will continue to operate under their existing brand names. The board would have an equal number of directors from both companies.

LSE's shares jumped 14 percent to 2,630 pence in London, their biggest rally since 2008. Deutsche Boerse climbed 3.2 percent to 78.80 euros. The shares jumped after Reuters reported shortly after 1 p.m. London time that the companies are in the early stages of exploring a possible merger.

Deutsche Boerse tried to buy a smaller version of London Stock Exchange in 2005. It dropped its bid after shareholders led by hedge funds opposed the plan. The flop led to the end of Werner Seifert's tenure as Deutsche Boerse CEO. The company in 2004 failed to buy SWX Swiss Exchange.

Kengeter's predecessor, Reto Francioni, led Deutsche Boerse for about a decade. Francioni's most famous deal was one that didn't happen: an attempt to purchase NYSE Euronext, which was rejected by the European Commission in 2012. Francioni called it a "black day for Europe."

With assistance from Matthew Leising
SEATTLE  Jim McNerney is stepping down as Boeing chairman and will be succeeded March 1 by Dennis Muilenburg, who will remain the companys CEO as well.

Boeing, which has a large presence in the Seattle region, said in a statement that independent lead director Kenneth Duberstein continues in that role.

McNerney, 66, joined the Boeing board in 2001 and was elected chairman in 2005.

Muilenburg, 52, was named Boeing CEO last July, at which time McNerney indicated he would retire in 2016.

During a decade as Boeing CEO, McNerney was admired by some as a numbers guy whose relentless push for efficiency and lower costs delivered stellar profits.

Yet he alienated engineers and machinists in the Pacific Northwest with what they considered his coldblooded approach to moving work and forcing union concessions.
Parigi, the new restaurant from chef Ben Poremba of Elaia, Olio and Old Standard Fried Chicken, opened Friday at 8025 Bonhomme Avenue in Clayton.

Parigi features Italian cuisine with a French influence. "The sauces are a little more French," Poremba said when announcing the project last year. "The precision is a little more French."

The executive chef is Ramon Cuffie, a name that will be familiar to longtime St. Louis diners for his work in the 1990s and 2000s at Bar Italia, JaBoni's Bistro and La Dolce Via.

"Ramon was one of my earliest friends in St. Louis," Poremba told the Post-Dispatch Monday. "Our cooking is very similar. I often call him (my) mentor when I describe him."

Cuffie wrote Parigi's menu. Among the highlights of the opening weekend, Poremba said, were a lobster-leek salad and the pasta Bolognese. The menu also prominently features steaks: a filet, a grass-fed strip and a traditional bistecca alla Fiorentina. Diners can pair these with a sauce of their choosing.

"Ramon is a master of sauce work," Poremba said, adding that, in general, Cuffie's cooking approach is very classical -- to the point that he eschews the sort of techniques and devices (sous-vide baths, CVap ovens) often favored in modern kitchens.

Parigi is currently open for dinner Monday through Saturday. The phone number is 314-899-9767.
John Cleese has criticised British actor Daniel Craigs portrayal of fictional English spy James Bond, saying hes too short to play the character. Hes simply not tall enough, Im sorry, John said on The Morning Show, adding, Because this little Welsh bandy-legged guy that theyve got at the moment, hes simply not tall enough, Im sorry.

John had earlier played Q, Bonds quartermaster when Pierce Brosnan played the character, and said of Pierce, I thought he was a wonderful Bond. I thought he was the best Bond since (Sean) Connery.
COVID-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims. A government report released Wednesday lays out grim trends across the country for expectant mothers and their newborn babies. It finds that pregnancy-related deaths have spiked nearly 80 percent since 2018, with COVID-19 being a factor in a quarter of the 1,178 deaths reported last year. The percentage of preterm and low birthweight babies also went up last year, after holding steady for years. And more pregnant or postpartum women are reporting symptoms of depression.
Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

How quickly they forget.

Just last August, the president pro tem of the Senate resigned his office before his term was up and quickly took a lobbying job.

Sen. Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, cashed in big-time. He became a partner and director of business development for the Gate Way Group, among the most powerful lobbying firms in Missouri.

The firm is the lobbying arm of uber-donor Rex Sinquefield, the St. Louis billionaire who, not coincidentally, was Dempseys biggest donor in the year before he cashed in.

In 33 other states and in Congress, cooling-off period laws would not have allowed Dempsey to do what he did. Public service is not supposed to be a shortcut to riches. Voters want to know that their elected officials are working on public policy, not looking for their next jobs.

But not in Missouri. And that wont change anytime soon.

Thats because many of Dempseys colleagues have already erased from their memory banks what he did just a short few months ago.

What were engaged in here is hocus-pocus, proclaimed Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, last week as the Senate was killing the key provision of a House bill meant to impose a one-year waiting period on lawmakers before they can become lobbyists.

Added Sen. Dave Schatz, R-Franklin County: I dont think anyone in here thinks thats the problem, that we have people exiting the building  and that has corrupted the system.  This is a solution in search of a problem. It does not exist. Its a perception issue.

Schatz needs to get out more.

Take a look at his neighboring county of St. Charles, where Dempsey lives.

Since 2002, not a single elected senator from that county has completed his term. Every one of them left early to take either a government job or one in the lobbying sector.

First came Sen. Jon Dolan, who in 2005 resigned and became executive director of the Missouri Health Care Association, a powerful group that represents nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Next up was Sen. Chuck Gross, who quit early after St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann offered him a job as director of administration in 2007.

Gross was followed by Sen. Scott Rupp, who resigned mid-session in 2014 to be appointed to the Public Service Commission for a nice $105,570 a year.

Rupps replacement, Sen. Bob Onder, a Republican like all of his early-quitting predecessors, was the Senate handler of the cooling-off period bill that passed with overwhelming GOP support in the House.

In the Senate, however, a majority of Republicans took the see no evil, hear no evil approach.

One of them, Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, thinks lobbyists are getting an unfair rap in the ethics debate that Speaker of the House Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, made a priority this year.

Emery said he can think of only one time this year when a former lawmaker came to lobby him.

I look at lobbyists as unpaid staff, Emery said.

Think about that. A state senator believes that the people who are paid well by special interests, to influence the laws that are passed or not passed, work for him.

He has it backward.

Emery, and many lawmakers like him, work for them, or they act like it, anyway. The purpose of revolving-door legislation isnt to protect lawmakers from Dempsey; its to take away the incentive for Dempsey to do what he did last year, which was to block a similar bill so it didnt get in the way of his payday. Dempsey also bent over backward making sure his donor and future employer got what he wanted in legislation.

I dont think many of my colleagues realize how insidious the ethics problems are, said Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, who has pushed for stringent ethics laws for the past couple of years. Missouri remains the only state in the country with this wicked combination: It has no limit on campaign donations, no limit on lobbyists gifts, and no cooling-off period. That lack-of-ethics trifecta tilts the playing field toward those with deep pockets.

To me, its about access, Schaaf said. Rich people get it, and poor people dont.

Here, again, Dempseys experience is telling.

In 2014, Sinquefield gave the then-leader of the Senate $70,000, far more than any other source. But he didnt give it directly. No, he first ran the money through multiple political action committees, to make the money harder to track. Among Sinquefields top priorities has been cutting the states income tax. And, voila, in 2014, the well-funded Dempsey delivered. Then he helped block last years attempt at passing a revolving-door ban. Then, he quit early, leaving his district without representation during an important special session, and walked through that door.

Schatz et al. said in debate last week that their constituents dont care about ethics issues. If thats the case, why did they block Schaafs attempt to take a roll-call vote on the revolving-door issue, not once, but twice?

Hocus-pocus, indeed.
ST. LOUIS  A jury here has awarded $72 million in damages on a womans claim that her longtime use of baby powder and other Johnson & Johnson products contributed to the ovarian cancer that killed her.

The St. Louis Circuit Court jury found that the company failed to warn the public and conspired to hide the truth, said Jim Onder, one of the lead attorneys, who practices in Webster Groves.

Johnson & Johnson, a health care giant based in New Brunswick, N.J., is expected to appeal. It issued a statement Tuesday insisting the products are safe.

The plaintiffs lawyers said it was the first jury in the nation to award damages over claims that are the basis of suits by at least 1,200 women here and elsewhere.

The verdict in favor of Jacqueline Fox was for $10 million in actual damages and $62 million in punitive damages. About half the punitive damages would go toward the Missouri Crime Victim Compensation Fund, Onder said.

Fox, 62, of Birmingham, Ala., died last fall, about 2 years after being diagnosed. Her son, Marvin Salter of Jacksonville, Fla., became plaintiff after her death. Jurors heard from Fox in an audio deposition, recorded a few months before her death.

The suit claimed her use for more than 35 years of talc-containing products, such as Johnsons Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body powder for feminine hygiene, contributed to her cancer.

The more than three-week trial culminated in nearly five hours of deliberations Monday that delivered a decision about 10:15 p.m. Jere Beasley, one of Foxs lawyers, said the vote was 10-2.

One juror, Jerome Kendrick, 50, said he and nine women voted in favor of Fox, two men against.

The companys internal memos pretty much sealed my opinion, Kendrick said. They tried to cover up and influence the boards that regulate cosmetics.

Kendrick added, They could have at least put a warning label on the box but they didnt. They did nothing.

Kendrick said the $62 million total was calculated at $1 million for each year of Foxs life.

Fox's son, Salter, is a 46-year-old mortgage banker who said the jury's decision on monetary damages surprised him. "I was speechless when we heard the initial number," Salter said. He added: "To think, how groundbreaking this could be for so many other women.

Salter said Johnson & Johnson is a household name he always trusted. When he heard something such as baby powder could have contributed to his mother's cancer, my reaction was disbelief," Salter said. "How can a company have known about this relationship between talc and ovarian cancer since the 1970s and not disclosed it?

Salter was the only biological child of Fox, a single mother who also raised foster children.

Onder said that, after being diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer, Fox contacted lawyers based on a TV ad about talc.

"The sad part is, she had to learn about it from lawyer ads, while Johnson & Johnson tried to hide the truth from her," Onder said.

Beasley said the jury found against Johnson & Johnson, a holding company, and Johnson & Johnson Consumer Cos. Inc., but did not fault another defendant, the talc producer, Imerys Talc America Inc.

Carol Goodrich, a spokeswoman for Johnson & Johnson, said in an email Tuesday, "We have no higher responsibility than the health and safety of consumers, and we are disappointed with the outcome of the trial."

Goodrich added, "We sympathize with the plaintiffs family but firmly believe the safety of cosmetic talc is supported by decades of scientific evidence."

Goodrich said the company would have no further comment.

The company's internal documents were a big part of the plaintiff's case.

Onder said, "All their internal documents show that they knew talc caused ovarian cancer, and actively undertook to hide the truth, not only from the governmental regulators but from the public."

Onder said it's clear from the internal memos that the company spent 30 years preparing for litigation over the risk. He said one company internal document talks about declining product use because of increased awareness of the health risk, and how to grow the franchise by targeting blacks and Hispanics as the highest users of talcum powder. Fox was black.

Beasley said his Alabama firm heard from more than 6,000 potential clients. The case ended up in St. Louis after he and a Mississippi lawyer joined with Onder here to represent several clients. Foxs case was the first to go to trial. Others will be in state court in April and in federal court in July.

Onder said overall there are about 1,000 plaintiffs in St. Louis and 200 in New Jersey state court.

The suit filed for Fox in St. Louis involves 58 plaintiffs, including some who live in St. Louis but many who live elsewhere. Onder said his is one of three law firms in the country who are actively pursuing these complaints. He said a unique law in Missouri allows a single lawsuit to be filed with up to 99 plaintiffs. Onder's firm was co-lead counsel in the Yaz birth control litigation.

Onder said Foxs claim was part of a mass tort case that joins plaintiffs together to share expenses but handles trials individually because, unlike in a class action case, the plaintiffs dont all claim identical damages.

Some people were cured, some werent, he explained.

Talcum powder is made from talc, a mineral. Foxs lawyers said corn starch is a safer alternative but the company chose not to use it.

The American Cancer Societys website says it has been suggested that talcum powder might cause cancer in the ovaries if the powder particles (applied to the genital area or on sanitary napkins, diaphragms, or condoms) were to travel through the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes to the ovary.

But the society says studies have mixed results, some showing a slightly increased risk and some showing none. The research continues.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 22,280 women in the United States will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year, and that about 14,240 women will die of it this year. Beasley said, We were able to prove that approximately 1,500 die each year because of the talc involvement.

An epidemiologist who testified for Fox estimated about 10 percent of those who die have ovarian cancers linked to talc.

A pathologist found talc in Foxs ovaries, which caused the inflammation which in turn caused her cancer, Beasley said.

Salter said his mother, who died Oct. 6, did not sue for the money. It was a fight, he said, so others are warned.
UPDATED with arrest information at 5 p.m.

ST. LOUIS  A 20-year-old Black Jack man suspected of forcing a woman and her three children out of their car outside a Schnucks store Friday has been arrested on unrelated charges in north St. Louis County.

At about 8:45 a.m. Sunday, St. Louis County police spotted the family's 2015 Chrysler 200 near an apartment complex in the 1200 block of Chambers Road, which borders Ferguson and unincorporated north St. Louis County.

St. Louis police issued an alert with the suspect's name so Ferguson and St. Louis County police officers went to an apartment in the complex. They asked residents if they knew where that man, Leroy Coleman was, said county Officer Shawn McGuire.

A resident living in the apartment where Ferguson police had previously handled a call for service involving Coleman told officers that he was inside and gave them permission to search, McGuire said.

Police found 20-year-old Coleman underneath a mattress and bedspring in one of the bedrooms. He was arrested on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm. Officers also found a loaded black semi-automatic rifle hidden nearby, police said.

Charges are pending for robbery, kidnapping and armed criminal action in connection with the carjacking.

The day before the carjacking, St. Louis County prosecutors had issued a warrant for Coleman's arrest for possession of heroin with intent to distribute, as well as unlawful possession of a weapon. Those charges stem from an Oct. 11 incident in which county police say Coleman, of the 4600 block of Whisper Lake Drive, tried to hide something from officers who were called to a hotel room at the Knights Inn Motel in an unincorporated area just north of Ferguson.

The officer saw a bag sticking out from underneath a pillow and a pistol sticking out of the bag, officials said, and found capsules with heroin inside. Police also seized about $220 in cash and a clear plastic bag containing more than 1,000 empty capsules. Coleman also had more clear plastic baggies inside his pocket, according to court documents.

Coleman told police he had been selling heroin for several weeks and that two men in the hotel room were showing him how to do it, according to the documents.

Police believe he committed the carjacking at about 1 a.m. Friday on a Schnucks parking lot, at 4171 Lindell Boulevard.

A woman, 33, was sitting in the passenger seat of her car, parked on the lot. Her three daughters  ages 5, 8 and 9  were in the backseat when a man jumped into the driver's seat of her car, and ordered her to get out. When she refused, police said, the intruder pulled a gun and hit her in the head with it.

She got out and tried to retrieve her kids but the car sped off, then stopped on Whittier Avenue, to let them out. Her husband told Fox 2 News that she and her family stopped at the store while traveling through St. Louis on their way to Detroit. The car had Tennessee license plates.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY  A Muslim family wants hate crime charges filed against a south St. Louis County man who allegedly threatened to shoot and kill them Sunday as they looked at a house for rent.

St. Louis County police are investigating the familys claim that a man, 71, approached the Muslim couple and their four children shortly before noon and yelled, You Muslim? All of you should die!

Rabie Ayoub, 37, his wife, Marwah AbdulHussein, 30, and four children ages 3 to 11, of South County, were house-shopping on Sioux Drive when the man drove up and parked his vehicle nearby in a driveway in the 4800 block of Big Chief Drive.

He got out and started yelling obscenities at them, police said. AbdulHussein was wearing a hijab at the time.

The man walked onto the front porch of his home and allegedly yelled, This state allows you to carry a gun and shoot you. A police summary says he went inside, got a handgun and pointed it at Ayoubs vehicle, and said, You, your wife and your kids have to die. Im going to take a picture of your plate and come hunt you down!

Ayoub took a photo of the man carrying his pistol and also saw the man take a picture of Ayoubs car and license plate with his phone, police said. The family called police, who took the man into custody and seized his handgun. He was released as police pursued charges Tuesday. He said Tuesday evening that, on the advice of his lawyer, he could not comment on the allegations.

Ayoub and his wife were joined by members of St. Louis Muslim community at a news conference Tuesday to condemn anti-Muslim speech and demand hate crime charges against the man.

Ayoub said Tuesday that his youngest children were having nightmares about getting shot. He said he was struggling to help them understand what had happened and was saddened. He said he had experienced violence in his home, Palestine.

What I went through in my childhood, I dont want them to see, Ayoub said. And sadly, they just saw it in this state.

His wife, AbdulHussein, said she is just a regular person who works as a nurse and shouldnt be targeted because I have a piece of cloth on my head.

I looked at that guy and at that place, and all I was thinking was, Which one of us is gonna get shot first? AbdulHussein said. This has to stop, and our voices have to be heard.

Faizan Syed, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in St. Louis, said at the news conference that the mans actions are completely unacceptable.

This crime was done against all American Muslims, Syed said.

Syed said the mans actions reflect growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States and in American political discourse.

This type of rhetoric has consequences, and Rabie and his family are the latest victims of the mainstreaming of Islamophobia in this country, Syed said.

Valerie Schremp Hahn of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
ST. LOUIS  James Cashatt almost shot at someone downtown Thursday night.

Cashatt, 48, works as a state probation officer and sometimes carries a gun with him off-duty. He was straddling his parked motorcycle in the 1900 block of Washington Avenue about 9 p.m., taking a break to text his girlfriend during a ride in the mild weather.

He heard several pops and looked up. A dark-colored sedan rolled up on him. A young man, probably a teenager, looked at him from the car. He was kind of smiling. Then Cashatt saw the silver barrel of a gun, heard four pops and felt a sting on his arm.

Cashatt thought he was going to die. He reached in his black riding jacket for his gun.

Then he looked at the arm of his jacket, and saw a splash of color. Lime green. He hesitated before his hand took the gun from his holster.

He took another look at his arm.

And then, stuck to the jacket, he saw the shell from a spent paintball.

He took his hand from his jacket and took a breath.

By the grace of God, I did not return fire, said Cashatt.

Cashatt was one of at least five people who were shot or shot at with a paintball gun in at least three incidents Thursday and Friday nights in downtown and north St. Louis. Police have made no arrests.

The incidents prompted St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson to caution his commanders Saturday about the additional stress that the pranksters have put upon the community and officers.

Its a huge concern because we live in a state with extremely liberal gun laws and in a city thats seen its share of gun crimes, he said. Its made the officers job more difficult and now officers have an extra decision to make, Is it a real gun or a paintball gun?

Dotson continued, It puts officers and the community at risk because of the illegal and irresponsible actions of these people.

Police said a second man, 23, also was shot at with paintballs multiple times by someone in a gray vehicle in the 1900 block of Washington.

The victim ran and was not struck, police said. They found paint splatter in the area.

Cashatt said he talked to a man who was shot in the groin while walking with his friends up the street, just before Cashatt was shot. It is unclear whether thats the same man police said was not struck.

About 8:15 p.m. Friday, two women, ages 31 and 37, were shot on North Grand Boulevard north of Cass Avenue, about two miles from where Cashatt was hit. They told police they saw three people inside a dark Chevrolet Impala. One woman was struck in her back and another on her side and foot. They were not hurt, police said.

About an hour later, another woman, 53, was reported being shot in the chest with a paintball gun at North Grand and Natural Bridge Avenue, at Fairground Park, about a mile from the Cass Avenue incident. She told police she heard loud pops coming from a vehicle as she was crossing the street. She was not hurt, police said.

Cashatt, of the Affton area, works with people on probation or parole, many of them young men who are struggling with substance abuse and have been in gangs. A lot of these guys, theyve done stupid stuff, but theyre good guys, he said.

He said that the officers responding that night told him he would have been justified in that instant to return fire. Dotson referred questions as to the legality of a civilian or officer returning fire to Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyces office.

Joyces chief trial assistant, Beth Orwick, said the legality of lethal force would depend on the circumstances: What did the gun look like? How long did you see it?

In the state of Missouri, you can defend yourself in certain situations, and if you think someone is going to shoot you, you have the right to shoot, she said. The self-defense law states that you must reasonably believe youre in danger of imminent harm, ... but theres nothing in the law that states you have to wait and determine if the gun is real or not, those are split-second decisions.

It comes down to what does that person believe and was that belief reasonable.

Cashatt would not have legally had the right to fire at his assailants after he looked at his arm and realized it was a paintball, Orwick added.

Ive seen some fake guns that look real, and some that dont look real at all, she added.

There is some difference in the law when it comes to a police officer in situations involving fake guns.

An officer doesnt have to wait to determine whether its real or not, because a lot of times when they wait to make that determination its too late, Orwick said. They also get the benefit of self-defense as well.

The moral of this story is: Dont point paintball guns at people. Its so scary and so senseless all around. Scary for the victim, and it could result in a loss of life.

Cashatt said he has never drawn his weapon on the job. He also said until he looked at his arm, he thought the gun was real.

Now he wonders: What if he had killed the paintball shooter? Hed have to live with the idea of taking a life, knowing that the person killed was just doing something stupid. And a family would have to bury a son.

For those of you who are quick to judge others who carry firearms and only view those with badges (as) eager to kill young black men, he wrote in a Facebook post to friends after the incident, I ask you to think for a moment how you would judge me had I pulled the trigger.

Cashatt said he saw two young men in the car Thursday night. The shooter was the passenger. He thinks he will pursue charges if the men are caught, to make a point. Most of all, he wants to get the word out because he wants them to stop. How will the next victim react?

It really could have been something very serious, he said. I want these guys to get caught because I dont want them to get killed.

Christine Byers of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
Films featuring animals have always drawn attention, and have gone on to be hits in Tamil cinema. After goats, dogs, snakes, horses, elephants, roosters and cats have featured in films in the past, here comes a movie titled Jetlee, which has a white piglet in the titular role. Touted to be a laugh riot, the movie stars Kannan Ponnaya and Jehan Saai as the male leads  the former being a long-time associate of Gautham Menon. Parvathy Nair of Utthama Villain fame and Arundhati Nair of Saithan play the female leads.

Apart from playing one of the heroes, it is interesting that Jehan Saai has also penned the story and wielded the megaphone for the film. Speaking about Jetlee, Jehan who has worked under director Jagganath, says, Lot of people believe in various superstitions. One such belief is that a moving vehicle hitting a pig is a bad omen, and they immediately sell their vehicle. I want to negate this misconception, not in a hard-hitting way, but in a hilarious manner.

On choosing the right white piglet he says, Since the story revolves around the piglet, we scouted around many places and finally found one cute little a near Foreshore Estate in the city. We are planning to use the animal in vital scenes, and the rest of the time we will use the one created through VFX. We did thorough preproduction work before commencing the project, he concludes.
EAST ST. LOUIS  A federal lawsuit filed here Monday says that a common acne drug  and the failure by medical staff to recognize the side effects  killed a 15-year-old Fairview Heights boy in 2014.

The suit says that Jordan Dixon, then 14, went to the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation on June 2, 2014, for acne and was prescribed minocycline by his pediatrician, Dr. Robert Quaas.

Jordan began suffering a reaction within days, Thomas Q. Keefe Jr., one of the lawyers representing his family, said Tuesday.

Jordan went to the UrgiCare Center in OFallon, Ill., on July 1 and returned to Quaas on July 3 and 8 with symptoms, according to separate suits in federal and state courts.

Jordan also went to Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital in St. Louis on July 3, the state lawsuit says.

Keefe said that Jordan was initially diagnosed with mononucleosis there and prescribed an additional antibiotic.

The lawsuits say that medical providers failed to recognize the signs of drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome, or DRESS syndrome, and failed to immediately stop the acne drug.

Minocycline is a known trigger for the condition, and he just got missed, Keefe said.

When Jordan returned to Cardinal Glennon, even sicker, doctors there diagnosed DRESS, stopped the minocycline, and started steroids, Keefe said. But Jordan died on Dec. 21, 2014.

He fought the battle for two or three months, but DRESS syndrome, by its nature ... systematically attacks all of your organs and, tragically, he passed away, Keefe said.

Jordans obituary says that he played the bass drum for the OFallon Township High School Marching Panthers and also played the piano.

By all accounts, just a great kid, Keefe said.

The federal lawsuit asks for $5 million for a wrongful death count and $5 million for Jordans survivors, including his parents and two siblings, from the U.S. government, which funds the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation through the U.S. Department of Public Health, Keefe said.

A lawsuit filed in August in St. Clair County names UrgiCare and Cardinal Glennon and currently asks for at least $75,000 for each of eight counts against the medical providers.

Spokespersons for all the defendants declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

There have been scattered reports of other deaths blamed on minocycline and DRESS.
JEFFERSON CITY  Candidates for state and federal offices lined up Tuesday to formally enter Missouris 2016 primary election.

With open races for governor, attorney general and a slew of seats in the Legislature, Republicans and Democrats filed paperwork to get on the Aug. 2 primary ballot.

State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal beat the crowd to be first in line for the 8 a.m. opening bell, a tradition she has carried on since she first ran for a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives.

I have always been first in line. If you really want something and youre hungry for it, youll prove it, said Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, who is running for the seat in Congress currently held by U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay of St. Louis.

Statewide offices up for grabs include U.S. senator, governor, attorney general and treasurer. All 163 seats in the Missouri House are on the ballot, as are half of the 34 seats in the state Senate.

Candidates have until March 29 to file for a primary ballot spot. The primary winners will go on to compete in the Nov. 8 general election.

Former Missouri House Speaker Catherine Hanaway was the first Republican candidate for governor in line Tuesday. It has been 12 years since she last filed to run for state office.

I was carrying our son the last time I filed. Its a whole different climate. Weve had eight years of failed leadership. Im running for the job that can make a difference, Hanaway said.

Hanaway is vying for the GOP nomination against Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens and businessman John Brunner.

I think its going to be a race of who can get the job done, Brunner said. It all comes down to leadership.

Attorney General Chris Koster is seeking to keep the governors office in Democratic hands when term-limited Gov. Jay Nixon leaves the post in January.

We will be moving around the state, listening to Missourians about what they are looking for and exchanging ideas with them, Koster said.

Among other high-profile politicians filing Tuesday was Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, who is likely to face Secretary of State Jason Kander, a Democrat, in the November general election.

Kinders decision to run for governor has two Republicans vying for lieutenant governor: state Sen. Mike Parson of Bolivar and Bev Randles of Kansas City. Among Democrats seeking the No. 2 position are former U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, Dr. Brad Bradshaw and state Rep. Tommie Pierson of St. Louis.

Kanders race against Blunt leaves the secretary of states office wide open, with Republican state Sen. Will Kraus of Lees Summit and Jay Ashcroft battling it out among GOP voters.

The race to become attorney general is pitting state Sen. Kurt Schaefer of Columbia against University of Missouri law professor Josh Hawley.

St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman is vying for the Democratic nomination for attorney general. Zimmerman, a three-term member of the Missouri House before taking his current position, acknowledged that the two Republican candidates are running as conservatives.

I dont think this is an office whose purpose is to pursue a narrow ideological agenda, regardless of which team that agenda is fighting for, Zimmerman said. The job of the top law enforcement officer is to enforce the law.

State Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, picked up a surprise opponent in his bid for state treasurer. Dan Brown, a Republican state senator from Rolla, filed to run against Schmitt in the primary.

Browns current term as senator doesnt expire until 2018. He is a veterinarian and former member of the Missouri House.

Judy Baker of Columbia and Pat Contreras of Kansas City filed for treasurer as Democrats.

Among the likely general-election legislative races already shaping up is one for St. Louis Countys 1st state Senate district, currently held by Sen. Scott Sifton, a Democrat. Dr. Randy Jotte, who attempted to win a congressional seat in 2012, has filed for the Republican nomination in that district.
The Post-Dispatch will hold a free community forum Thursday night to address healthy ways parents and grandparents can raise children amid stressful circumstances. The event is part of the newspapers reporting on toxic stress and trauma among children in St. Louis.

The report found that the regions children face a serious public health crisis. Children and parents are being exposed to dangerous levels of stress, particularly in neighborhoods with high rates of poverty and violence.

The report examined a growing body of research pointing to adverse developmental and physical effects of toxic stress on children that trigger chronic health problems later in life. The report presented solutions and programs to better protect children.

The Crisis Within special report provided an in-depth look at how a number of negative life factors are harming our local children and their prospects for healthy lives, said Post-Dispatch Editor Gilbert Bailon. Some of the causes are more obvious to the public, but the urgency of this more hidden health crisis requires the St. Louis community to engage with families who are trying to cope with many debilitating stresses.

Thursdays free program, Parenting and Grandparenting Under Stress, aims to help parents understand and manage stress as they rear their children.

It will begin at 7 p.m. at the New Northside Missionary Baptist Churchs conference center, 5939 Goodfellow Boulevard. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Free child care is available, and a reservation is required.

The forum will be hosted by iHeartRadio personality Jade Harrell, also the host of Hallelujah AM 1600.

Presenters include Washington University School of Medicine psychiatrist John Constantino and Connie Fisher of Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri.

Constantino will provide information on child development stages and tips to help parents navigate those milestones, even as they deal with heavy stresses in their own lives.

Constantino said the tips will help parents with children from birth to age 70 and beyond.

Fisher will present tips on stress management. She said people often dont realize how deeply stress can affect their health and immune systems. There are simple methods people can use to reduce their bodys stress response and protect their health.

Theyll learn how stress affects them emotionally, mentally and physically, and get practical tips how to handle each of them, Fisher said. Theyll get tips about managing their perception of stress so they dont increase their stress.

Representatives from local organizations also will be on hand with information about programs and servicesto help parents and grandparents as they raise their children. They include Affinia Healthcare, Alive and Well STL, Child Care Aware of Eastern Missouri, the Early Emotional Development Program of Washington University School of Medicine, Flourish, Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri, Lume Institute, Nurses for Newborns, Parents as Teachers, Ready Readers and St. Louis Crisis Nursery.

Register online for the event at stltoday.com/stress or call 314-340-8900.
The safest holiday is when a couple takes one holiday together and one with their respective friends.

The trouble with taking a lady to Bangkok is that all your male friends consider you a loser for it. To the single ones, taking a girl to Bangkok is akin to, well, you choose your simile. I am not single and any comments down this road will hasten my ending up that way.

I recently went to Bangkok with my major half and I have lived to tell. It was a surprise trip around Valentines Day. A surprise sprung on her not by me but by Uber and Musafir, who gifted us this. Imagine waking up one day to book a taxi ride and being told that instead you are flying to Bangkok later in the day? Good thing that I decided not to drive after my usual whisky breakfast that morning.

So we arrived in Bangkok almost 12 hours later than planned, no thanks to Jet Airways and the Mumbai airport. But it got better from there. Our stay was extended by Musafir and between the two of us, our love for food and all things brewed (fermented or distilled) kept us visibly elated and in sync.

Given how on our first trip there together we had managed to visit every possible strip joint on the infamous Soi Cowboy, there was little to offend us this time. From giant prophylactic inserts for all sorts of orifices to solicited offers from every possible race, sex and body type, we took it all in our stride.

As long as a good fresh seafood salad or some ripe cut mango was there to punctuate the day, we didnt really care much for things that others may have termed uncomfortable or perturbing.

And then, there was shopping. This was tricky because shopping is like girlie magazines  supposedly intended for women but its really the men who enjoy the engagement.

Although every good man knows to put the ladys interests before his own and focus on all she tries on or shows interest in, it can be well-nigh an impossible task. Focus isnt something we men-kind are built for.

The only constant in our brains functioning is the sporadic impulsive pursuit of one distraction followed by another. Its like being a puppy with a thousand coloured bouncy balls being flung your way, from every direction.

Which is why its a good thing for a man to get his shopping fix elsewhere. There are online portals for such, and some even allow you to choose the delivery time so you can have the goods arrive at a safe non-suspect hour.

So shopping, scrumptious food and sips covered, there is no place on earth that a man and woman cant expect to visit together and still be together by the end of it. Come to think of it, we are all simple creatures really, as long as we manage to remember that simplicity is a complex art where mastery only comes with time.

The safest holiday, one may still propose, is when a couple takes one holiday together and one with their respective friends, but till time and resources make that a reality for most out there, the safest way is to find common interests. In the absence of that, find things she likes and adopt the ones you can.

The writer is a lover of wine, song and everything fine
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agencys ability to do its largely secret work probably wont be significantly affected whether the agencys new $1.6 billion western campus winds up in an Illinois corn field or a struggling north St. Louis neighborhood.

But its clear that critics of the proposed St. Louis site are doing their best to present security and safety concerns as a deal-killer for this city. They argue that NGAs mission would be better served by relocating to a semi-rural Illinois site adjacent to Scott Air Force Base in St. Clair County. This argument takes a considerable lack of vision.

The proposed 99-acre St. Louis site adjacent to the old Pruitt-Igoe public housing complex is unsightly because of a high number of crumbling, abandoned buildings. It wouldnt stay that way, but theres no question that decades of neglect dont help city officials make their otherwise strong case for keeping the NGA here.

Unsightliness doesnt necessarily connote crime. A map of city crime incidents over the past six months suggests the area surrounding the proposed NGA site actually has very low crime rates. We suspect thats largely because the area is so sparsely populated, even criminals neglect it.

More to the point, though, is whether the NGAs 3,100 workers would feel comfortable driving to and from work. City officials have been working hard to convince NGA decision-makers that a wholesale transformation is in the works to address those concerns.

Redesigned streets would ensure better traffic flow and offer attractive, boulevard-style approaches. Hike-and-bike trails are planned. And, most important, police and private security surveillance would make the area among the most heavily monitored neighborhoods in the city  more so, even, than the area surrounding NGA-Wests current site southeast of the Anheuser-Busch brewery.

As described in city briefings, a vast network of video cameras will communicate via a new wireless Internet grid to emergency response teams in the area. If development plans work out, new housing complexes, offices and retail outlets would reverse the areas image as a no-mans land.

The NGA site itself will require a 500-foot setback on all sides with fencing and various internal security features. Itll be secure no matter what happens on the outside.

But in a January speech, NGA Director Robert Cardillo expressed a desire to change the agencys profile from one of hunkered-down secrecy to openness and interactivity with the public.

If thats the goal, then Cardillo must certainly be considering the optics of the siting decision hell make in March: Should the agency sneak off to a distant site in Illinois, away from public view? Or is the mission of greater openness best served by remaining immersed in the heart of this Midwestern urban hub?
The Bad Owl Coffee cafe is decorated with Potter decor and has become an instant hit with the customers. (Photo: Instagram/ @badowlcoffee)

A Harry Potter-themed cafe in Nevada seems to be the perfect hangout for folks who love both their coffee and the famous wizard. The Bad Owl Coffee cafe is decorated with Potter decor and has become an instant hit with the customers.

The cafe even features tables inscribed with famous lines from the book like I open at the close, Mischief managed and even clever puns like Espresso Patronum. It even serves butterbeer latte as its signature dish.

However, Bad Owl Coffee is not the first restaurant with a Harry Potter theme, there has also been a Potter-themed bar called The Lockart that opened in Toronto a few months ago.
LONDON MARKET CLOSE: FTSE 100 ends higher; Mordaunt makes UK PM tilt

Friday, October 21, 2022 - 17:22

The pound regained some poise on Friday afternoon but remained in precarious territory, after falling below the $1.11 mark in afternoon trade.

The pound was quoted at $1.1203 at the close on Friday, down versus $1.1294 at the London equities close on Thursday. It hit an intraday low of $1.1063 not long after midday.

Sterling was hurt by continued political uncertainty. Speculation about who will join Penny Mordaunt in throwing their hats in the ring in the race for Number 10 continues. Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, one-time neighbours at Number 10 and 11 Downing Street - but now bitter rivals - have pockets of support from Tory MPs.

Adding to the pressure on sterling, disappointing UK retail sales data showed a bigger-than-expected decline in September, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Retail sales fell 6.9% annually in September, with the decline accelerating from a 5.6% fall in August. It also was worse than FXStreet-cited market consensus, which had expected a fall of just 5%.

The pound had initially found some support on Thursday after Liz Truss called an end to her disastrous tenure as prime minister - poking above $1.13 - but has since been dragged lower.

The FTSE 100 index closed up 25.82 points, or 0.4%, at 6,969.73 - closing out the week up 1.6%.

The FTSE 250 lost 182.38 points, or 1.1%, at 17,206.55, but still managed to gain 1.0% this week, and the AIM All-Share ended down 1.04 points, or 0.1% at 785.40 - but advanced 0.8% over the past five days.

The Cboe UK 100 closed up 0.4% at 696.31, the Cboe UK 250 ended down 1.0% at 14,694.15, and the Cboe Small Companies lost 0.3% at 12,240.46.

In European equities on Friday, the CAC 40 in Paris lost 0.9%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt gave back 0.3%.

The Tories have begun to declare their allegiances in the party's second leadership contest of the year as speculation mounts over who will seek to replace Truss at the helm of the party.

Supporters of Johnson are backing the former prime minister to make an extraordinary political comeback, while ex-chancellor Sunak and Commons Leader Mordaunt also have the public support of several MPs.

Mordaunt become the first to declare her candidacy, with a pledge to re-unite the bitterly divided party.

The leader of the House  who finished third in the last leadership election  said she had been encouraged by the support she had received from fellow Conservative MPs.

There has also been no declaration yet from Sunak, who did not answer questions from reporters as he left his home on Friday morning.

Whoever does win will face an immediate test, choosing whether to go ahead with the planned Halloween statement setting out how the government intends to get the public finances back on track, Downing Street has said.

Work is continuing in Whitehall, led by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, in preparation for the medium-term fiscal plan to be announced on October 31 along with an updated set of economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility.

However, a Number 10 spokeswoman said it would be up to Liz Truss's successor to decide whether to proceed with that approach and with the same timetable.

In London, blue chip miners helped push FTSE 100 higher. Glencore gained 3.6%, Anglo American 3.1%, Antofagasta 2.7%, and Rio Tinto added 1.6%.

Retailers, however, were showing weakness after the disappointing UK retail sales data. A profit warning from Adidas did nothing to help the mood either.

JD Sports closed down 6.1%, Frasers 4.0%, Burberry 2.2%, and Next shed 2.9%.

On Thursday, Adidas lowered annual guidance as it struggles with "deteriorating traffic" in China and high inventory levels.

The sports apparel maker said it has needed to turn to "higher clearance activity" to try and shift stock.

It lost 9.0% in Frankfurt.

Deliveroo gained 3.6%.

The London-based online food delivery service said gross transaction values rose 8.3% annually in the third quarter to 1.70 billion from 1.57 billion, though orders fell by 1.1% to 72.8 million from 73.6 million.

Deliveroo said the decline in orders was due to a difficult consumer environment. With economic data on Friday showing that UK consumer confidence remains near record lows, this seems unlikely to change anytime soon.

InterContinental Hotels gave back 2.2% but reported strong revenue growth in the third quarter to September 30, saying that high global employment levels are boosting occupancy levels.

Revenue per available room, or RevPAR, rose 28% year-on-year and now exceeds its pre-pandemic level, being up 2.7% on the third quarter of 2019.

In the third quarter of 2022, the average daily rate increased by 13% compared to a year ago and was up 11% on 2019.

Chief Financial Officer & Head of Strategy Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson will leave the company in six months time to become CFO of Flutter Entertainment in the first half of 2023.

IHG has started the process of finding a new CFO.

The euro stood at $0.9802 Friday evening, down against $0.9822 at the close on Thursday.

Against the yen, the dollar was trading at JP148.03, compared to JP149.77 late Thursday. The yen was staging a fightback after the open on Wall Street, after nearly hitting JP152 during the Asia session.

Stocks in New York opened higher on Friday, with the DJIA up 1.1%, the S&P 500 index up 0.9%, and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.6% higher.

Brent oil was quoted at $92.84 a barrel late Friday, down from $93.29 late Thursday. Gold was quoted at $1,643.70 an ounce Friday, up against $1,641.90 from Thursday.

In the international economics events calendar next week, Monday will be dominated by a slew of composite PMIs, with Japan overnight followed by Germany, eurozone and the UK in the morning then the US in the afternoon. A quiet Tuesday will be headlined by a US house price index.

On Wednesday, there is Chinese GDP, retail sales and industrial production overnight, then on Thursday attention will be on the European Central Bank interest rate decision at 1315 BST. Friday will be headlined by a Bank of Japan rate decision.

In the local corporate calendar on Monday, there are half-year results from Dr Martens, while education publishing firm Pearson will issue a third quarter update.

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
The tax reliefs provided in India are comparable with some developed countries.

According to the Income Tax Act, 1961, persons attaining the age of 60 and 80 anytime during a financial year are viewed as senior and super-senior citizens, respectively.

They enjoy an enhanced basic exemption limit of income up to Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively while other individual taxpayers enjoy an exemption limit of up to Rs 2.5 lakh.

The higher slab rates allow a tax saving of Rs 5,000 for senior citizens and Rs 25,000 for super senior citizens. However, this benefit of enhanced exemption is limited to resident senior citizens, ie, those who are in India for at least 182 days during a financial year.

The tax reliefs provided in India are comparable with some developed countries. For instance, in Singapore, those aged 60 and above are granted a deduction of SGD 8,000 per annum.

However, globally, a higher relief is granted to those aged who suffer from a handicap. Let us hope that a similar restructuring is considered in the ensuing Union Budget.

Section 80D of the Act confers senior citizens with a deduction for payment of medical insurance premium for an amount not exceeding Rs 30,000 while for others it is restricted to Rs 25,000.

This is over and above the benefits provided under section 80C of the Act. Further, the said deduction is available even on medical expenditure incurred provided the individual concerned does not have a health insurance policy.

Further, in order to claim the deduction under section 80D, the payments can be effected by modes other than cash. A maximum deduction of Rs 60,000 can also be availed by senior citizens for medical treatment of specific diseases under section 80DDB of the Act.

Until recently, the said deduction was available provided a certificate is obtained from a specialist working in a government hospital. Recently, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has simplified the said requirement whereby a certificate can also be obtained from a private hospital.

Senior citizens are also provided reliefs on payment of advance tax and deduction of taxes at source. For instance, a senior citizen with no business income is exempted from payment of advance tax as provided under section 207 of the Act.

A senior citizen can also claim exemption from tax deduction at source on interest income earned on deposits if his income is less than the taxable limit. Further, such individuals whose income is less than the taxable limit can also claim an exemption from furnishing a Permanent Account Number.

From a compliance standpoint, the senior citizens are also granted exemption from compulsory e-filing of income tax returns and can continue to file their income tax return in paper mode.

(The author is a lawyer who specialises in tax and corporate laws, besides being a chartered accountant, cost accountant and company secretary)
Dirty Little Secrets

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DLS for 2007 | DLS for 2008

The Lessons Of Vietnam Forgotten

by James Dunnigan

February 22, 2016 Micromanagement, first seen during the Vietnam War when advances in communications allowed someone in Washington to communicate directly with commanders in combat, has reached new heights and is causing major headaches for another generation of battlefield commanders. The latest disaster is a combination of still better communications in addition to growth of White House staffs. In particular an advisory group like the NSC (National Security Council) has been overwhelmed many additional personnel, most of whom have only opinions to offer, not advice based on long experience. In the beginning, when the NSC was created in 1947, it consisted of senior military and State Department officials based in Washington. These original NSC members all had long experience in their fields and the president used the NSC for advice and to test new ideas. But over the next fifty years more support staff were added to the NSC and after the end of conscription in the 1970s fewer of these staffers had any military experience and even less understanding of how diplomacy actually worked. When the NSC got so large (about fifty members) that the staff seemed to be getting in the way some directors sought to reduce the size. But after 2001 NSC growth got out of control and is currently about 400 people. As a result the experienced people are so outnumbered that they are often considered the enemy by the inexperienced (in national security and diplomacy matters) support staff. The tail was truly wagging the dog. This type of NSC has become an embarrassment and seemingly invulnerable to reform. This mutant NSC is one reason U.S. military and diplomatic policy seems so random and aimless. No one in the government can muster sufficient support to change the situation and return the NSC to its original usefulness. Meanwhile the ability of the bad advice to quickly make life miserable for the troops (and diplomats abroad) became really noticeable in 2004 when the U.S. Department of Defense decided to provide the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) with a real time combat command capability. This meant that the JCS, led by its chairman, now had a combat command center in the Pentagon where they use satellite communications to directly observe, and sometimes control, combat forces anywhere on the planet. This should not have been a problem because most of these senior officers learned, early on in their military training, the importance of giving subordinates their mission and leaving it to these lower ranking officers to figure out a way to do it. But now, with a generation of senior commanders with no experience of being micromanaged platoon leaders in Vietnam, the insidious and crippling micromanagement disease is creeping back into the White House and Pentagon. Field commanders are being second guessed by nervous superiors half way around the world. These same superiors are now calling in lawyers to help them make the right (for the guy in Washington) decision while the troops are under fire and waiting for permission to proceed. It wasn't always this way. It was since the mid-19th century that a government could exercise any control at all over armed forces far from the capital. This was first done with the introduction of overland and undersea telegraph lines in the 19th century and world-wide radio broadcasting equipment early in the 20th century. Before that an admiral or general was sent off with orders to accomplish a mission and pretty much allowed to get it done as they saw fit. The generals and admirals rather liked this approach, as their job was hard enough without a bunch of politicians looking over their shoulder and second guessing their every decision. Even with the radio messages from back home, the combat commanders were still left to sort things out on their own. The radio was used mainly to report progress, or lack of it, not ask permission for every move. But by the 1960s it was possible to patch through a telephone call from the White House to an infantry battalion commander deep in the Vietnamese bush. And it wasn't just the dreaded phone call from the president you had to worry about. The beleaguered battalion commander might have brigade, division, and corps commanders circling overhead in helicopters, all of them observing and offering advice or giving orders. This "micromanagement" was much disliked by the guys on the ground, trying to run a battle they were right in the middle of. After Vietnam the Department of Defense tried to deal with this problem by establishing regional commands to cover the entire planet and then appointing four star generals or admirals to command all American forces in that region if there were a war. The rest of the time they would keep an eye on things and get ready for any possible war. These commanders in chief (or CINCs as they are still called, unofficially) were sometimes guilty of micromanagement, although all experienced combat commanders recognized that it was best to leave the commanders of the fighting units alone. This was the lesson of history. Micromanagement was bad but it persisted. Why? Blame it on the media. Just as military communications had improved so had the ability of the media to get the story back to their audience (of voters, pundits, and unfriendly politicians). In the past the commander on the spot might do things that did not look good in the media but it took so long to get the story back that the operation was over by the time it did. If the battle was won many sins would be forgiven. That no longer works. Communications now allow reporters to deliver color commentary while a battle is in progress. The American president, the ultimate (by law and in fact) commander in chief, is held responsible for whatever the troops do. It is not possible, politically, to wait for the combat commanders to finish their job before the president, or his aides, issues new orders. Examples of micromanagement were abundant in the recent Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Washington often had to be consulted before sensitive attacks were made (like having a Predator UAV launch a Hellfire missile at some guy on the ground who might be Osama bin Laden, or some tall Afghan with a beard, a new SUV, and a commanding manner). The JCS Command Post was an attempt to deal with this problem. The JCS and the Secretary of Defense are the president's senior, and most frequent, military advisors. Ultimately, the buck stops with the JCS. So by plugging the JCS into a world-wide command system, politically sensitive decisions can be resolved quickly (in minutes, or at least in less than an hour). The more frequent contact between the president, the Secretary of Defense, and the JSC with combat commanders might build up a degree of trust that would enable sensitive decisions to be made more quickly. This would happen, in a best case situation, because the JCS Command Post had developed confidence in the judgment of the commanders out there. But the JCS Command Post has just become another layer of management that slows down decision making without improving the ability of the troops to get the job done. The expanding NSC staff often put itself between JCS and the president. Another side effect was a proposal that the CINC be reduced to the status of a staff officer. The CINC and his people (several hundred staff officers and support troops) would be the repository of knowledge about the local situation and would take care of all those logistical and support details that enable the combat operations to happen. So far, the CINCs have successfully resisted this, but it's happening anyway whenever the folks back in Washington want to throw their considerable weight around. Speaking of staff work, one thing combat staffs are increasingly concerned with is how to deal with politically delicate situations that the media could run with (often in uncomfortable directions). This sort of thing has been seen frequently since 2001. For example, when sandstorms seemed to have "stalled" the American advance on Baghdad in 2003, the president, or at least the Secretary of Defense, had to be in touch with the commanders inside the sand storm and then say something to the press that would defuse the story and wouldn't blow up later if it proved to be false. For those who didn't catch the follow up on the sand storm, the troops were delayed by the need to resupply (especially fuel for their very thirsty M-1 tanks) and the storm actually helped because the Iraqis thought they could safely move Republican Guard divisions under cover of it. They couldn't, as there were American satellites, UAVs, and sensors on the ground that could see right through the sand. Iraqi tanks and troops got shot up on a massive scale before they realized that the swirling sand blinded them more than the Americans. The ability to quickly communicate between the battlefield and the Pentagon came in handy after Baghdad fell in 2003and the Baath party diehards continued to resist with ambushes. But all of this communication was improvised. That experience naturally led to the idea that better preparation for that situation would have improved communications and decision making. The Pentagon and White House already expected to see real time UAV video coverage of critical events. But there are often dozens of video feeds running through Department of Defense satellites, and the JCS Command Post tries to sort it all out and have the most important videos marked for the attention of the president, Secretary of Defense, and Chairman of the JCS, or for release to the media. Micromanagement originally appeared because the technology was there to make it possible. New technology keeps showing up, making more mischief, or benefits, possible. As always, it's up to the people using the technology to make things happen or screw things up. Turns out that you can usually depend on the tech to be more reliable than some of the people using it.


While the current Russian government appears to be maintaining its popularity by calling for the rebuilding of the pre-1991 Russian Empire, opinion surveys and migration patterns indicate a mixed attitude towards the old Russian Empire. The big problem is that half the people in the old empire were not Slavs although ethnic Russians were the majority among the half that was Slavic. The problem is that despite centuries of living in the same country (czarist Russia or the Soviet Union) all these different ethnic groups never developed much affection or tolerance for each other. Most ethnic Russians living in non-Slav parts of the Empire (especially Central Asia and the Caucasus) have returned to Russia since 1991. Most of those who stayed in non-Russian areas did so for economic reasons. That was also why non-Russians stayed in Russia, because what is now Russia is where the most economic opportunities always were. That wealthier and better educated population was a major reason Russia conquered all those other countries. But in the end (1991) the conquered, as is usually the case, never got used to the conquest and do not want the conquerors back.

Theres also the racism factor. For example about 40 percent of ethnic Russians thought other Slavs (like Ukrainians or Byelorussians) were capable of becoming Russians if they lived in Russia for a few years and switched their loyalty to Russia. But less than ten percent thought peoples from the Caucasus or Central Asia were capable of that. This xenophobia (fear of outsiders) is nothing new for Russia. For 70 years the communists sought to eliminate this trait but only managed to suppress it and delude themselves into thinking it was gone. This is a common pattern in communist countries and throughout East Europe. Xenophobia returned in the 1990s because of the collapse of the communist governments in 1989. It was worst in the Balkans, where civil war erupted as the communist police state collapsed and optimists hoped for a democratic Yugoslavia. While that that had long been a cherished goal in the region, it was not to be. Several years of vicious fighting between Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, and Albanians followed and was not halted until 1999. The Caucasus also erupted and unlike Yugoslavia, a NATO peacekeeping force was not available to fix things there. In the Caucasus the usual Russian application of carrot (bribes) and stick (violent suppression) did not work either. Eventually (1999) Russia had to reinvade parts of the Caucasus (especially Chechnya) to restore order.

Meanwhile, there has been a major ethnic shift in the Caucasus. Russians, and other people not native to the Caucasus, are still being driven out of the region by terrorism, corruption, and a bad attitude towards outsiders. Its been worst in Chechnya, where Russians comprised 25 percent of the population in 1989, but only 2 percent today. The decline has not been as great in the rest of the Caucasus but it has been massive, with more than half the Russians who were living in the Caucasus having left by 2011. Actually, this trend began in the 1950s, right after tyrant Josef Stalin died in 1953 and Russia began to trim the power of the secret police. The departure of ethnic Russians from the Caucasus simply accelerated after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. In Central Asia about half the nearly ten million ethnic Russians living there in 1991 have left.

The recent Russian operation to take the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine had a bracing effect on the other countries that, until 1991, were part of the ancient Russian Empire. The Crimean operation was the second such land grab Russia had undertaken since 2008. The first was against tiny Georgia. Many of these former Russian subjects feel that the Russians are trying to get their empire back. Ask many Russians that question and most agree that it would be a nice thing. Some Russians are more outspoken and bluntly call for the empire to be reassembled no matter what.

In reaction to this the forlorn fourteen nations that were part of the Soviet Union until 1991, as well as many East European states that were subject to Russian control from the end of World War II to 1989 have become very nervous. Poland is particularly agitated because large parts of Poland were part of the Russian Empire for most of the 18th and 19th centuries. Same deal with Finland, which broke away after World War I and had to fight off a Russian invasion in 1940 and many threats since then to stay independent. That makes the forlorn fourteen the scared sixteen. All of these nations have noted what happened to Georgia and Ukraine with great trepidation and are responding in expected, and unexpected ways.

The fourteen former Russian imperial possessions that regained their independence are the three Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the five stans of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). Poland, the Baltic States and Finland escaped from the empire after World War I but only Finland managed to stay free through World War II. The Baltic States were retaken during World War II and Poland remained nominally independent but was occupied by Russian troops (and took orders from Russia) until 1989.

Poland and the Baltic States managed to join NATO after the Cold War ended and are hoping that the mutual defense terms of the NATO alliance will dissuade Russia. Nevertheless all four, plus Finland, have increased their military readiness this year and are seeking assurances from the West that they will have help against Russia. Many Finns have called for Finland to join NATO, but a large minority has opposed this because of the fear it would anger the Russians. There was a similar division in Ukraine but now more Finns are thinking that NATO membership is preferable to trusting Russia to always behave. Even Sweden, never part of the Russian empire and successfully neutral since the early 19th century is thinking about joining NATO for protection from an increasingly aggressive Russia.

The stans of Central Asia have another option; China. The stans have been very receptive to Chinese diplomatic and economic cooperation. This bothers Russia, but not to the extent that threats are being made, as was the case with the former imperial provinces to the west. The stans also have a problem with never having been democracies. When the Russians conquered them in the 19th century, the local governments were monarchies or tribes. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, former Soviet officials held elections and manipulated the vote to get themselves elected "president for life." But many people in the Stans want clean government and democracy, as well as continued independence from Russia. China is no help with that because the Chinese prefer dictators.

In the Caucasus Georgia still seeks closer ties with the West. Armenia, because of disputes with Azerbaijan and long-term fear of Turkey remains a close ally of Russia. Azerbaijan maintains good relations with Russia mainly because Iran claims Azerbaijan as a lost province (stolen by Russia in the 19th century).

Russia is quite open about wanting to rebuild the old Tsarist Empire that the communists managed to lose in 1991 when the Soviet Union came apart and half the population of that empire went off and formed 14 new countries (or reconstituted old ones the Russians had conquered). Russia is proposing things like customs unions, military cooperation and rebuilding the old Soviet air defense system that used to defend everyone in the empire. Theres been some progress, but most of the 14 nations want nothing to do with Russia.

Meanwhile Russia has to face that fact that when the Soviet Union broke up half the population enthusiastically went to the 14 new countries and most of those people were quite pleased with the demise of the Soviet Union. Thus if you asked all citizens of the former Soviet Union what they thought of the breakup you would find about 70 percent with no regrets. Thats because the Soviet Union was basically the Russian Empire cobbled together by the old czarist monarchy over more than two centuries of conquest and expansion. Thus in the Soviet Union more than half the population felt like conquered people, not part of any union. The Soviet Union dissolved quickly in 1990-91 because over half the population really wanted it to happen and had wanted it for a long time. Moreover many ethnic Russians were tired of supporting a lot of the less affluent conquered people and were fed up with the economic failures of communism. The former Soviet Union citizens who regret the breakup tend to be older people who were disillusioned at how corruption and bad leadership made post-Soviet life less wonderful than was expected. The younger people are more realistic, never having lived as adults in the Soviet Union and intimately familiar with the fact that freedom isnt free and democracy is difficult. For younger Russians there are more economic opportunities than under communism. While Russia lost half its population when the Soviet Union broke up, it hung on to most of the valuable natural resources (like oil and natural gas). While the post-Soviet government was initially reluctant to increase state supplied pensions (which were low during the Soviet period because there was little to spend it on and the state supplied housing and some health care), the pensions did eventually go up. But not as much as the economy grew and the working Russians were obviously doing better than the pensioners who had grown up under communism. In Soviet times that meant there was little economic opportunity and most everyone was equally poor. The old-timers never got used to the post 1991 changes and most would prefer the communists to come back. That wont happen and as the generations that grew up under communism die off so will any desire to return to the bad (but familiar) old days. Nevertheless enough Russians favor rebuilding the empire to make the idea a popular talking point among major politicians and that may continue for decades.
New Delhi: While the JNU row has kicked up a hornet's nest and engulfed almost the entire country deep into a raging debate on nationalism, Gyandev Ahuja, BJP MLA from Alwar has other worries. Addressing a protest march at his constituency, the MLA painted a grim picture of the varsity on Monday claiming that over 3,000 used condoms, 10,000 cigarette butts, and 500 used abortion injections are recovered daily from the premises.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Ahuja also said that 2,000 Indian and foreign liquor bottles are found per day in the campus addition to 50,000 big and small pieces of bones, and 2,000 wrappers of chips and 4,000 pieces of 'beedis'.

Reading out 'facts' about 'anti-national' students of the University, Ahuja said "I want to put before you the facts, which have come through social media and television channels. When Maa Durgas Ashtami is celebrated, they celebrate Mahishasuras Jayanti. Students are mostly found taking drugs after 8 pm inside the campus. Those studying in JNU are not children, but parents of two children. They indulge in peace protests in the mornings and during the nights, they perform obscene dance."

Lamenting about the misdeeds that the students perpetrate 'on our mothers and daughters,' Ahuja claimed that over 3,000 condoms and 500 used abortion injections are found in the campus, in addition to aluminium foil that the 'drug-addicts' use to take drugs.

Seeking that the 'traitors' be brought to books, Gyandev also slammed at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for his stance on supporting JNU students.
A new (since 2003) favorite among snipers, the 8.6mm (.338) Lapua Magnum round, was in the news again recently. In this case it was a situation in Syria where a British SAS commando used an Israeli 8.6mm sniper rifle to kill an ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) instructor. The ISIL teacher was about to show his students how to behead prisoners by using a live victim. The British sniper was 1,200 meters away and managed to hit the ISIL instructor in the head at that range. The head shot caused the skull to sort of explode, which apparently made an impression on the ISIL recruits because the SAS sniper was using a new Israeli designed rifle equipped with a suppressor. This is not a silencer but it does greatly reduce the flash and sound of the rifle. For long range shots this means those on the receiving end have a very difficult time telling where the shooter is and that often causes panic.

The rifle involved here is the Dan .338, which was introduced in 2014 and was designed by an Israeli firm for the Israeli military. The manufacturer expected to sell many to foreign police and military organizations and the British, who have been using .338 rifles for nearly a decade, were apparently giving the Dan .338 some field testing. The Dan .338 is a 6.9 kg (15.2 pound) weapon that, with scope and loaded ten round magazine weighs about nine kilos (20 pounds). This is a bolt action, adjustable stock, weapon with a 737mm (29 inch) barrel. The design is very well thought out, showing the influence of the many Israeli snipers who contributed ideas and opinions to the designers.

The British were already fans of the 8.6mm cartridge. Starting in 2007 the British Army began replacing most of its 3,000 7.62mm L96A1 sniper rifles with one modified to use the .338 (8.6mm) Lapua Magnum caliber round. This Accuracy International "Super Magnum" rifle is basically a L96A1 "Arctic Warfare" rifle modified to handle the larger, 8.6mm round. The L115A1 weighed 6.8 kg (without a scope), was 1.27 meters (fifty inches) long and had a 686mm (27 inch) barrel and a five round magazine.

Snipers in Iraq, and especially Afghanistan, had been calling for a smaller long range round because they found the 12.7mm weapons too heavy. The Lapua Magnum round has an effective range (about 1,500 meters) about 50 percent greater than the 7.62mm standard NATO round. Like most long range rounds, if the weather (clear) and winds (calm) are right, you can hit targets farther away.

The 8.6mm round entered use in the early 1990s, and became increasingly popular with police and military snipers. Dutch snipers have also used this round in Afghanistan with much success, and have a over a decade of experience with these larger caliber rifles. Recognizing the popularity of the 8.6mm round, Barrett, the pioneer in 12.7mm sniper rifles, came out with a 7 kg (15.5 pound) version of its rifle, chambered for the 8.6mm.

The 8.6mm also began setting records. Between 2009 and 2015 the distance record for sniper kills was held by a .338 rifle. In 2015 that record was broken by two Australian snipers in Afghanistan using M82A1 12.7mm (.50 caliber) rifles. In a coordinated shot at a Taliban leader 2,800 meters away the two snipers fired simultaneously and six seconds later the Taliban chieftain fell dead. It will never be known which of the two shots got him. The victim would not have heard the shot, the rifles were so far away and the bullet was travelling faster than the speed of sound. About two seconds later anyone with the dead Taliban man would have heard the two shots, but faintly as the shooters were nearly three kilometers (two miles) away.

The previous record shot was made in November 2009 by a British sniper (corporal Craig Harrison) who killed two Taliban in Afghanistan, at a range of 2,620 meters (8,596 feet). He did this with a L115A3 rifle firing the 8.6mm Lapua Magnum round. Before that the record was held by a Canadian soldier, corporal Rob Furlong, who dropped an al Qaeda gunman at 2,573 meters (7,972 feet) in 2002, also in Afghanistan with a 12.7mm rifle. These weapons are good at 2,000 meters or more, but weigh twice as much as the 6.8 kg (15 pound) 8.6mm rifles.
South Africa is evaluating the operations of the UNs Intervention Brigade (IBDE) in terms of accomplishing the UN goal of peace enforcement. Over 1,000 South African soldiers serve in the special unit that is tasked with conducting offensive operations against rogue militias. South Africa also supplies the attack helicopter detachment and artillery support. Observers believe that because of the IBDE the operation against the M23 guerrilla group was largely successful. M23 tried to hold enclaves and the IBDE and Congolese Army forces attacked them. Despite the IBDE the However, the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), a radical Hutu militia, continues to exist and the Ugandan ADF rebels manage to keep fighters in the field. Peacekeepers and Congolese security forces have battered the FDLR and ADF, but these two militias have demonstrated the ability to filter away, hide for a while and then attack again. Is there something the IBDE can do to deliver the coup de grace? Diplomats and UN peacekeeping officials are wondering if these groups be destroyed before the November 2016 Congo elections. In November 2015 the UN Security Council made neutralizing (destroying) the FDLR and ADF priority goals. The Security Council also said FRPI (Front for Patriotic Resistance of Ituri) must be eliminated. The Ugandan Lords Resistance Army still has bands operating in Congo and the Central African Republic (CAR). If South Africa withdrew its forces IBDE would be crippled but even with South African troops IBDE still has a lot of work to do. (Austin Bay)

February 20, 2016: Ugandas political opposition is disputing the national election held on February 18. Current president Yoweri Museveni claimed victory with around 65 percent of the vote. The opposition is crying foul and fraud. Chief opposition leader and presidential candidate Kizza Besigye has been in and out of jail. International observers report that votes were bought -- and they point to Museveni supporters as the buyers. The U.S. government agreed that there were numerous irregularities in the vote. That can mean mismanagement, and many polling places did not receive timely delivery of ballots. But it is really diplo-speak for fraud and cheating. The United States scolded the Ugandan government for excessive use of force by police, blocking internet sites, blocking social media and undermining the election.

February 19, 2016: As Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni claimed victory in the presidential election, Ugandan security forces in the capital, Kampala, surrounded the political headquarters of the main opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change. They then arrested Kizza Besigye, the main opposition presidential candidate in the recent national election. Elsewhere in Kampala, police confronted protestors. In the central business and government district, police fired tear gas and stun grenades at protesting crowds. In one instance police with automatic rifles fired warning shots to disperse demonstrators.

February 17, 2016: The UN has documented 411 incidents of human rights violations in the Congo that occurred in January 2016. This is up from 347 in December 2015. North Kivu province (eastern Congo) has the most human rights violations. The Congolese government is a major human rights violator. The UN report said that the Congolese Army, police and government authorities were responsible for two-thirds of the incidents.

February 16, 2016: Congo opposition parties continue to seek international help in forcing the government to conduct the national election in November 2016. The opposition characterized the election schedule released in January by the government (CENI, National Independent Electoral Commission) as being designed to fail. CENI claimed it will take more than 13 months to revise and confirm voter registrations lists. One opposition leader said that failure to conduct a fair and honest election on time will produce a national political crisis. The opposition also says the bureaucratic mismanagement of the election (pointing a finger at CENI) is just one part of president Kabilas glissement (sliding or slipping) strategy to delay elections. They contend that Kabila intends to seek a third term, which is unconstitutional. The constitution which limits a president to two terms.

February 13, 2016: A rebel militia in North Kivu province attacked a village near the town of Eringeti, killing six people and kidnaping 14. The attackers apparently belonged to the ADF and the rebel operation was planned and coordinated. For example a small rebel contingent attacked a nearby army camp while the larger force attacked the village.

February 8, 2016: In Burundi opposition group FRODEBU (Front for Democracy in Burundi) accused the African Union (AU) of abandoning the people of Burundi by failing to deploy a peacekeeping force. In response, senior AU officials said that was not the case and that the AU remains deeply involved in trying to resolve the turmoil in the country. That said, there will be no AU peacekeeping force in Burundi, at least for the immediate future. The AU wants to give dialogue and diplomacy another chance. The political trouble began when President Pierre Nkurunzizas April 2015 decision to seek a third term. He then changed the constitution and won an election.

February 6, 2016: Five people were killed in violent incidents in Burundis capital, Bujumbura. One of the attacks involved a grenade.

Citizen Front 2016, a Congo opposition political alliance said it will hold more public protests to demand President Joseph Kabila respect the constitution and not seek a third presidential term.

February 5, 2016: The UN apparently has a confidential report that concluded Rwanda has trained Burundian refugees for the purpose of deposing Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza. The report included information provided by Burundian rebel fighters who said they were trained at a camp in Rawanda. One of the leaked details includes where and when some of the rebels were recruited. Eighteen rebels said they were in the Mahama Refugee Center (eastern Rwandan). In May and June 2015 they were recruited to fight Nkuruniziza. They then received two months of military training by the Rwandan Army. Most of this involved the use of light infantry weapons. Rebels claimed that the Rwandans have trained four companies of rebels, each with about 100 fighters. In December 2015 the Burundi government accused Rwanda of supporting a rebel guerrilla group but Rwanda denied the allegation.

February 4, 2016: During January 2016 the Ugandan Lords Resistance Army (LRA) conducted 16 attacks in the Central African Republic (CAR). LRA fighters killed one civilian and kidnapped around 70 people. Most of the attacks occurred in the CARs jungle-covered south-eastern region.

February 2, 2016: The Burundi government claimed that the country is 99 percent safe and said that the country does not need an African Union peacekeeping force.

February 1, 2016: The Congo government confirmed that the Congolese Army offensive in South Kivus Masisi targeted the Mai Mai Nyatura. That operation began January 11.

Angola reported that in January the families of 40 former FLEC (Cabinda Enclave Liberation Front) rebel fighters are receiving national identification papers as part of Angolas social reintegration process. Altogether 236 people will receive their papers. The 40 former rebels had been in exile in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville). The Angolan government relocated them in Cabindas Cacongo municipality.

January 31, 2016: Rwanda announced that it had arrested several people it suspects are operatives working on behalf of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant). The arrests came after police attempted to arrest a Muslim cleric, Muhammad Mugemangango, who was allegedly trying to recruit Rwandans to fight with ISIL. Police shot Mugemangango when he tried to escape.
In Pakistan the military is being asked embarrassing questions about the continuing Islamic terrorist violence. According to the generals, the ongoing offensive in the northwest tribal territories (mainly North Waziristan) has been declared a success at shutting down the only Islamic terrorist sanctuary in Pakistan. So how do you explain the continuing Islamic terrorist violence? In 2015 Islamic terrorist attacks fell by half but going into 2016 these attacks continue. Of particular concern to many Pakistanis is the fact that one of the worst attacks so far in 2016 was on a private university. This one left 21 dead and the Taliban not only took credit but said it was only the first of many attacks on colleges that provide secular education for future military and government leaders and the growing middle class in general. This terrified the middle and upper class families that send their children to these schools and many shut down until better security measures can be implemented. The Taliban threat actually applies to all secular schools and that has an impact on the majority of Pakistanis.

In response the generals blame foreigners, mainly India and the West. Official accusations against the United States (which most Pakistanis believe) are rare because the Americans are still a major source of military and economic aid. But thats about all the United States gets for its money because the reality is that Pakistan is still a major supporter of Islamic terrorism, as it has been since the late 1970s. Initially this support was for Islamic terrorists who would attack Russians in Afghanistan and Indians in Kashmir. After the Russians left Afghanistan in 1989 nearly all Pakistani support for Islamic terrorism shifted to India but in the early 1990s the generals saw a need to create the Taliban in order to take advantage of the continuing chaos in Afghanistan. Attacks against India continued and Islamic terror groups carrying them out have always had sanctuary in Pakistan. So does the Afghan Taliban, which has been safe in the southwest (Quetta) since 2002.

All this Islamic terrorist support is quite open in Pakistan and most Pakistanis believe that this provides Pakistan with protection from attacks by true Islamic terrorists. Thus any Islamic terrorist violence against Pakistan must be instigated by India, Israel and/or the West. This includes the creation and support for groups like ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and al Qaeda. No real Moslem would commit the atrocities against Moslems that those two groups are accused of. But because ISIL and al Qaeda have been declared outlaws by most of the world (including the UN) public statements in Moslem nations must go along. On the street, however, there is no such pretense. Any time an Islamic terrorist attack kills non-Moslems it is a victory for Islam. Whenever the victims are Moslems, its another example of non-Moslems attacking Islam. Of course many educated Pakistanis know better, but in many Moslem countries the Islamic conservatives can get away with murder if the victim is someone who has openly questioned these myths. This has long been true in Pakistan and is even occasionally true in Bangladesh, which at least goes after the killers and makes a real effort to shut down all Islamic terror groups.

In southwest Pakistan (near the Iran border) several hundred additional police and soldiers have recently arrived to provide more security for the growing Chinese workforce in the city of 100,000. Pakistan has assured China that there would be no terrorist violence against Chinese working on upgrading the port of Gwadar. This is a key part of the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This project began in 2013 when China agreed to spend $18 billion to build a road from Gwadar into northwest China. This will require drilling long tunnels through the Himalayan Mountains on the border (in Pakistani controlled Kashmir.) The road and a natural gas pipeline are part of the larger CPEC project. This will make it much easier and cheaper to move people, data (via fiber optic cables) and goods between China and Pakistan. China also gets a 40 year lease on much of the port facilities at Gwadar, which India fears will serve as a base for Chinese warships. The thousands of Chinese coming into Pakistan for this project will be prime targets for Islamic terrorists and tribal separatists in Baluchistan (southwest Pakistan). The people in Gwadar will benefit greatly from the construction and the expanded port. Because of that Pakistan is recruiting another 700 local policemen, whose intimate knowledge of the area will be key in keeping the peace. These new police will serve in a unit dedicated to keep the foreign (mainly Chinese) workforce safe.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are increasing their joint efforts to track down and kill members of the growing local (for Pakistan and Afghanistan) branch of ISIL. This group is attracting many of the most fanatic Islamic terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan. These men are attracted to the ISIL view of the world. For example ISIL insists that the Pakistani military controls the Afghan Taliban as well as Islamic terrorist groups based in Pakistan that operate in India. These accusations are nothing new but they are the reason ISIL considers Pakistan un-Islamic and worthy of some lethal retribution delivered by ISIL. To underscore that ISIL has been carrying out suicide bomber attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. So far there have been few such attacks because ISIL is under attack by Afghan and Pakistani security forces as well as rival Islamic terrorist groups. For most of 2015 ISIL has been trying to establish a base area in eastern Afghanistan but that has led to constant skirmishing with Pakistani Taliban hiding out there. The local tribes are largely hostile to ISIL and all this has provided better intel for the security forces on what ISIL is up to and exactly where they are. This has led to more effective American air strikes and raids by Afghan troops and American commandos. ISIL is hanging on but not growing rapidly. There are some ISIL members operating in Pakistan, which is an even more hostile environment for them because of widespread hostility towards ISIL tactics by most Pakistanis. Since ISIL considers all other Islamic terror groups enemies the group has to become large enough to crush the local Islamic terrorist competition before it can become a major threat.

Pakistan Taliban continue to make attacks in Pakistan and most of these efforts can be traced back to bases in eastern Afghanistan. These attacks tend to take place in the tribal territories of the northwest and southwest but not in Waziristan, where security is too tight. So far this year Islamic terrorism related deaths in Pakistan continue to decline. These deaths fell by a third in 2015 (compared to 2014) and so far in 2016 the decline continues. At the moment it looks like the deaths in 2016 will be nearly 50 percent less than in 2015 and only a third of what they were in 2014. Yet that is still over 1,500 Islamic terrorism related deaths compared to 189 in 2003, when the current wave to Islamic terrorist violence began escalating (initially to 863 in 2004). That violence peaked in 2009 when there were 11,700 deaths and has been declining ever since. This in sharp contrast to India, which has six times the population but, in 2015, 86 percent fewer terrorism related deaths. In 2003 India had 3,700 terrorism related deaths compared to fewer than 200 in Pakistan. Most of the fatalities in India were from Islamic terrorists based in Pakistan. India had been fighting this problem since the 1990s and terror related deaths peaked in 2001 (at 5,800) and steadily declined after that. So far in 2016 India has suffered about 18 terrorism related deaths a week compared to 37 for Pakistan. Taking into account the population differences Pakistan still has twelve times as many terrorism related deaths per capita than India.

Bangladesh suffered a recent spectacular Islamic terrorist murder when ISIL took credit for the beheading of a Hindu priest in a Hindu temple. While that got a lot of media attention it took away from the fact that Bangladesh has far less Islamic terrorism activity than most other Moslem nations. For example, with 75 percent of the population of Pakistan it has less than two percent as many Islamic terrorism related deaths. Bangladesh had 56 Islamic terrorism related deaths in 2015, down from 60 in 2014 and a record 379 in 2013. The 2013 surge was 69 percent of all Islamic terrorist deaths since 2005 and a sign that Islamic terrorism continues to have a difficult time getting a foothold in Bangladesh. Actually most of the terrorism related deaths were political rather than religious but in the last few years Islamic terrorism has gotten a lot more attention in the news. The government is also increasing its cooperation with India and the United States in identifying and tracking Islamic terrorists. Its efforts like this that have kept Islamic terrorist activity low in Bangladesh.

February 22, 2016: In Bangladesh a series of weekend raids led to the arrest of two Islamic terrorists and the seizure of twenty bombs plus bomb making materials. The police were seeking members of the Ansarullah Bangla Team, an Islamic terror group that has been going after foreigners and local bloggers who criticize Islamic terrorism.

In northern India (Haryana state) a week of rioting ended with the government and local Jat caste leaders working out a peace deal. The week of violence left 17 dead and over 150 wounded. Economic damage is estimated to be as high as $5 billion. This violence was all about an effort by an organization representing one of the lower Hindu castes (Jats) to be reclassified as one of the lowest castes, and thus become eligible for government benefits (cash, college admission, job preferences). The caste system is an ancient components of Hindu culture and religion. It separates all Hindus into four main castes, and many minor ones. Tradition discourages relationships with those in the lowest caste, who are often called the untouchables. Caste is technically illegal now, but it still exists, and the government provides all sorts of aid to help the hundred million or so people in the lowest castes. This has caused increasing resentment by relatively poor but not untouchable castes.

In northwest Pakistan (Kurram) an American UAV missile attack killed at least three members of the Haqqani Network. This is the second such attack in Pakistan this year. The first one was on January 9th in North Waziristan and killed five members of the Pakistani Taliban. The Haqqani Network used to be based in North Waziristan but moved to nearby Kurram after the mid-2014 Pakistani offensive into North Waziristan.

February 21, 2016: India announced that its first locally designed and built nuclear powered submarine, the 5,000 ton SSBN (ballistic missile carrying sub) INS Arihant had completed its sea trials and was ready for service. This comes after twelve years of planning and construction. Arihant was supposed to enter service before the end of 2015 but there were more unforeseen technical problems to fix. Arihant was launched in 2009 but completing the sub kept running into problems. Nevertheless the success of Arihant led to an SSN (nuclear attack submarine) program, which is now underway. In 2015 India announced ambitious plans to build six SSNs but admits development and building will probably take at least fifteen years. One locally made nuclear sub doesn't change the balance of naval power much for India, which is already dominant in the region but it does show that India can build nuclear subs and six SSNs will make a difference.

February 19, 2016: Pakistan officially lifted all economic sanctions it had imposed on Iran. Pakistan was obliged to enforce these sanctions because of international treaties (like belonging to the UN). Now that a July 2015 international agreement has lifted those sanctions Pakistan is free to resume trade and revive joint economic projects that had been stalled by the growing list of sanctions. India and Pakistan were both doing a lot of business with Iran before the sanctions and both countries are now reviving those activities.

February 18, 2016: In northwest Pakistan (Mohmand Agency on the Afghan border) Pakistani Taliban made two nigh attacks on border troops killing nine of them. It was unclear which side of the border this group of Islamic terrorists was operating from.

February 13, 2016: In eastern India (Chhattisgarh) police, acting on a tip, found a Maoist storage site and seized over a dozen firearms, four bombs, bomb making equipment and other equipment. The campaign against communist rebels (Maoists) continues with the Maoists unable to reverse the steady erosion of their strength because of the persistent police campaign.

February 12, 2016: In eastern Pakistan (Karachi) security forces carried out a series of raids that led to the arrest of 97 Islamic terrorists belonging to al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban. These men were believed responsible for multiple attacks (on military, police and civilian targets) since 2009. One operation being planned was an attack on a prison to free the Islamic terrorists who murdered American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

The United States finally agreed to give Pakistan another eight F-16 fighters. This gift (military aid) is worth $699 million and includes support and training. A month ago the U.S. Congress was able to halt this deal for 30 days in an effort to get Pakistan to reduce its support for Islamic terrorism. Pakistan delivered enough assurances and convincing lies to get the F-16 deal approved. There is growing American political opposition to this support for Pakistan. But Pakistan has made the most of its weak position. After all Afghanistan is landlocked and the most convenient land access is via Pakistan. This access tends to be interrupted whenever the Americans threaten to halt the flow of cash and equipment. When cornered on the issue of support for Islamic terrorism Pakistan gives as little ground as possible in order to keep the American gifts coming. Since 2001 Pakistan has received over $25 billion in military (mostly) and economic aid. Pakistan insists this is insufficient because they estimate that Islamic terrorist violence has cost Pakistan over $100 billion since 2001. The Islamic terrorism violence in Pakistan sharply increased after the Pakistani Taliban was formed in 2007 (via a coalition of existing Islamic terrorist groups). The operations in North Waziristan have led some Pakistani factions to announce they are renouncing violence and turning to political activity to achieve their goals. There are already a lot of Islamic radical political parties in Pakistan and they are a major force in parliament and local politics. But other Taliban factions have announced they are joining ISIL and thus going for even more extreme violence. The real reason Pakistan needs the American aid is because the Pakistani generals justify all their power (and expensive lifestyles) by portraying neighbor India as a constant threat. Pakistani generals insist they need more money to deal with this threat. After all India spends over $40 billion a year on Defense, which is five times what Pakistan can afford. As a result India is constantly modernizing its forces while Pakistan, with half as many troops but only 20 percent of the Indian budget is obviously not keeping up.

February 8, 2016: In northwest India the first joint military exercise between Chinese and Indian troops took place. Thirty troops from each country spent the day doing joint disaster relief chores. The object of the drill (aside from the diplomatic benefits) was for both sides to discover and eliminate any differences in procedures that would disrupt future joint operations along the border area. Earthquakes are frequent in the area as are avalanches.

February 6, 2016: In southwest Pakistan (Quetta) a Taliban suicide bomber on a bicycle attacked a military convoy leaving nine dead and over 30 wounded. Most of the casualties were civilians.

February 3, 2016: Afghanistan turned over the bodies of 18 Pakistanis killed in a recent UAV missile attack in eastern Afghanistan. The 18 dead were identified as members of the pro-Taliban Mehsud and Ahmadzai Wazir tribes. These men were killed while working for the Pakistani Taliban and were in a convoy that had just crossed the border into Afghanistan. The 18 men were buried in Waziristan, where they came from. Afghanistan will return bodies to Pakistan if they can be identified as Pakistani. This complies with Pushtun tribal tradition in the area and, since Pushtun are on both sides of the border (sometimes the same tribe) neither governments interfere with it. For the Afghans it demonstrates that something is being done about Pakistani Islamic terrorists who have moved to Afghanistan. These men were moving back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Afghans want more cooperation from Pakistan on this issue. Then again the UAV attack that killed these men appears to have been possible because Pakistani intelligence (or Afghan informants in Pakistan) warned of the movement.
Kenya and al Shabaab are involved in a public dispute about the Kenyan claim that their air force bombed an al Shabaab camp in southwest Somalia (Nadaris) on February 8th that killed the deputy head of al Shabaab (Mohammed Karatey), ten other al Shabaab commanders and about 40 of the new al Shabaab members that were graduating from a training course. Al Shabaab claims that Karatey is alive and that there was no attack. Neither side has offered proof of what happened (or didnt happen). Karatey is also head of intelligence for al Shabaab and organizer of terror attacks. He is believed responsible for several attacks in Kenya and Somalia that left hundreds of civilians and security personnel dead. The United States offers a $5 million reward for his capture or death.

In the last few weeks peacekeepers have been on the offensive throughout central and southern Somalia. At the same time several major al Shabaab attacks on army and peacekeeper camps failed. All this is in sharp contrast to January where there were several successful al Shabaab attacks. The peacekeepers said they and the Somali army would reorganize their deployments, improve their intelligence and develop new tactics. All this appears to have worked so far.

Meanwhile al Shabaab still has a lot of popular support. The majority of Somalis oppose Islamic terrorism but a significant minority (up to 20 percent) support or tolerate groups like al Shabaab. The main reason for the support is desperation for a solution to the poverty, corruption, factionalism and chaos that make Somalia such a dangerous place to live in. Al Shabaab is still attracting recruits and is still a dangerous factor in Somali life. Then again al Shabaab is part of the problems that bother most Somalis.

The most recent (2015) international study found Somalia one of the two (along with North Korea) most corrupt nations in the world. Corruption in this Transparency International Corruption Perception Index is measured on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The two most corrupt nations have a rating of 8 (North Korea and Somalia) and the least corrupt is 91 (Denmark). A look at this index each year adds an element of reality to official government pronouncements. African nations are the most corrupt, followed by Middle Eastern ones.

Pirate activity may be largely gone in Somalia but the pirates are still a threat , even if the pirates not based in Somalia . It was recently revealed that on January 27th Somali pirates operating out of an al Qaeda controlled town (al Mukalla) in southern Yemen attacked a large cargo ship but fled when armed security guards fired back, killing one of the pirates. Islamic terrorists based in Yemen have been known to work with Somali pirates before, usually for money. Providing sanctuary for the pirates in return for a cut of any ransom money was the usual deal. Because of the civil war in Yemen al Qaeda has gained control of much of the southeast Yemen coast. Pirate activity in Somalia has been declining since 2012 but it was always believed that some of the pirate gangs were waiting for the expensive anti-piracy measures (armed guard on large ships and the international anti-piracy patrol) to disappear.

February 18, 2016: In the southwest (Gedo, 320 kilometers from Mogadishu) a peacekeeper raid on an al Shabaab training camp left at least twenty Islamic terrorists dead. Among those killed was Maalim Sheriff, an expert bomb maker who was the main target of the raid. Several more al Shabaab men escaped, some of them wounded. Many weapons and much equipment was captured in the camp, including 16 assault rifles, bomb making materials and electronic gear (like GPS devices).

In Mogadishu soldiers and police conducted one of their periodic raids into neighborhoods where there has been al Shabaab activity and arrest and interrogate suspected al Shabaab supporters. This time the overnight raids led to the arrests of about 300 people. Some 90 percent of these suspects were released after questioning.

February 15, 2016: In Mogadishu a prominent politician (and former Defense Minister) was killed by a bomb planted under his car. Al Shabaab was suspected of being responsible as they have made several similar attacks in the last year.

February 14, 2016: In the south (Kismayo) al Shabaab fired several mortar shells at the port citys airport. None of the shells hit the airport and instead hit a residential area wounding three civilians. Al Shabaab believes that American UAVs are operating from the airport.

The government admitted that Nigerian Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram had some members who were trained in Somalia by al Shabaab. It was not made clear if this was still going on. Probably not because Al Shabaab and Boko Haram have gone in different directions. Boko Haram has aligned itself with ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) while al Shabaab remains loyal to ISIL arch-enemy al Qaeda. Moreover in early 2015 defectors and captured al Shabaab members reported that that groups leaders were dismayed that other Islamic terror groups like ISIL in Syria and Boko Haram in Nigeria are crowding al Shabaab out of the media. Al Shabaab needs that media attention for fund raising and recruiting, both of which were (and still are) in decline for other reasons as well. Al Shabaab is seen as less attractive to Somali expatriates seeking to become Islamic terrorists. In part thats because al Shabaab made itself very unpopular inside Somalia because of how the mistreated civilians, many of whom had kin in the West. This unpopularity made it easier for the UN and AU to get a peacekeeping force in and build a new Somali Army and government.

February 11, 2016: A leader of the peacekeeper force in Somalia warned that al Shabaab was apparently planning to use captured peacekeeper uniforms to disguise their men for attacks on civilians in areas controlled by peacekeepers. This is intended to discredit the peacekeepers because some Somalis will believe the subsequent al Shabaab claims that the foreign peacekeepers are oppressing the Somali people.

February 7, 2016: In the south al Shabaab men entered the coastal town of Merka and chased away police and local militia. But the next day soldiers and peacekeepers came and drove the Islamic terrorists out. Small ports like Merka were once frequently used by al Shabaab for smuggling goods and people in and out of the country. During 2015 al Shabaab lost regular access to many of the small port towns it had long depended on. The attack on Merka was an attempt to see if they could regain that access and apparently they cannot.

February 4, 2016: In the northwest (Middle Shabelle region 120 kilometers north of Mogadishu) soldiers searching for al Shabaab raided an Islamic terrorist camp and after brief gun battle killed eight al Shabaab men and seized a large quantity of weapons and ammo. The area where this took place (near the town of Mahaday) has been under government control since 2014 but there are still small groups of al Shabaab men around who live off plunder.

February 2, 2016: In Mogadishu an airliner took off and while still climbing suffered an Islamic terrorist bomb explosion in the passenger cabin. The suicide bomber was sucked out the hole created in the fuselage but the aircraft was still intact and was able to safely return to land in Mogadishu. No one else on the aircraft was hurt. Al Shabaab later took credit for the attack and an investigation tracked down those at the airport who had got the bomb through security. Al Shabaab had meant to get their bomber on a Turkish airliner but that flight was cancelled and passengers were transferred to an aircraft from an Arab airline. Al Shabaab wanted to punish the Turks for supporting the Somali government and reopening their embassy in Mogadishu.

February 1, 2016: In northeast Kenya police detained three trucks carrying aid for Somali refugees in Somalia. The police were suspicious that the truck drivers were working for al Shabaab because aid trucks in this area had been seized by the Islamic terrorists recently. Officials from the foreign aid organization involved arrived and eventually persuaded police to let the trucks through. Al Shabaab did not seize any of these trucks.

January 31, 2016: Just across the border in Kenya (Lamu) five al Shabaab gunmen entered a village at dawn looking for Christians to kill. Three Kenyans were killed before the gunmen left. Attacks like this are nothing new in northeast Kenya, which has a mixed Christian-Moslem population. Al Shabaab considers any area where Moslems live as Islamic territory where non-Moslems should be converted, driven away or killed. Because of this attitude there is growing tension between Kenyan Christians and Somalis. About ten percent (4 million) of Kenyans, mostly along the coast, are Moslem and most of these are ethnic Somalis. There has always been some Islamic radical activity among Kenyan Moslems, but the police have been particularly attentive to it after Kenyan Moslems were found to be involved in terrorist operations in the 1990s.
Wellesbourne Airfield

The festival has been held for the past three years, attracting some of the biggest names on the comedy circuit.

Last years headline act was Pub Landlord, Al Murray. A statement from Underbelly said: After three fantastic years of the Comedy Hullabaloo in Stratford, there is no doubt that the festival has been a welcome addition to Stratfords cultural calendar, with thousands of tickets sold and a programme of some of the funniest comedians around.

However, the costs have proved prohibitive and while were very grateful to both our festival partners, Stratforward and the RSC, for their invaluable support, weve made the difficult decision not to present the festival in 2016.

Weve really enjoyed bringing fantastic comedy to Stratford and we hope to return in the future.

The event, which regularly attracts thousands of people, has featured a number of top comedians and emerging acts.

Sara Aspley, RSC Director of Commercial Services, said: Just like Comedy Hullabaloo organisers, we are sorry the festival isnt returning in 2016, but would be very happy to work with them in the future to see the festival return to the town.

2016 is an extremely busy year for Stratford, as the RSC and the town itself marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeares death with an extraordinary mix of events and activities.

Karen Wild, BID Manager, Stratforward BID Ltd, added: Comedy Hullabaloo has been a welcome addition to the annual events programme in Stratford for the past three years and Stratforward are proud to have been involved as an event partner.

We are obviously sorry that the event will not be taking place during 2016 but hope, should circumstances change, to see it return in the future. 2016 will be a busy year for Stratford as it becomes the focus of worldwide attention for Shakespeares 400th Anniversary, with a packed events calendar we are sure that there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
Pump jacks are seen at the Lukoil company owned Imilorskoye oil field, as the sun sets, outside the West Siberian city of Kogalym, Russia, January 25, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

By Barani Krishnan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude oil futures jumped 3 percent on Thursday, reversing earlier loses after confirmation of a meeting of major producers and news of project delays and job cuts in the industry.

Venezuela reaffirmed a mid-March meeting of oil producers that would include Saudi Arabia, Russia and Qatar, to stabilize prices that have slumped 70 percent in a 20-month rout.

The four countries are involved in an effort to get oil producers in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and elsewhere to freeze production at January's highs. Many traders believe an output cut and not freeze is what the market needs to clear the global crude glut.

"It's the Venezuela headline that got the market excited enough to rebound, though it's baffling why as everyone knows of this meeting and that it's not going to achieve anything," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital, a New York energy hedge fund.

U.S. crude futures settled up 92 cents, or 2.9 percent, at $33.07 a barrel. It had slid more than $1 at the session low.

Brent crude futures finished up 88 cents, or 2.6 percent, at $35.29 a barrel, hitting a three-week high. It had also dropped more than $1 earlier.

The rally in crude also boosted gasoline futures , which settled up nearly 5 percent after rallying from early in the day on strong demand for the motor fuel.

Aside from the March meeting, traders said sentiment in oil was helped by project deferments in the U.S. shale industry and job cuts that will slow production.

Continental Resources Inc (NYSE: CLR), one of the biggest shale drillers in North Dakota, said it planned to continue deferring project completions in the Bakken fields due to low crude prices.

Oil services provider Halliburton said it will start a new round of global layoffs that will cut 5,000 jobs.

Oil prices had fallen as much 3 percent earlier on Thursday after data indicating new record highs in U.S. crude inventories.

Stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery point for U.S. crude futures rose by more than 503,000 barrels to reach above 67.5 million barrels between Feb. 19 and Feb. 24, traders said, quoting data by market intelligence provider Genscape.

Officially, the U.S. government reported on Wednesday that Cushing added 333,000 barrels last week to reach 65.1 million for a fourth straight week of record highs. Nationwide, inventories rose to all-time peaks above 507 million barrels. [EIA/S]

(Additional reporting by Amanda Cooper in London; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Bernadette Baum)
Sanofi (NYSE: SNY) announced that the license and development agreement between Sanofi and kaleo, formerly Intelliject Inc., the developer of Auvi-Q (epinephrine injection, USP), will terminate later this year. At that time, all U.S. and Canadian rights will be returned to kaleo. Sanofi is in discussions with kaleo on these terms and for an orderly transition plan. Kaleo will evaluate timing and options for bringing Auvi-Q back to market.

The decision to return rights for Auvi-Q aligns with Sanofi's ongoing transformation to focus on critical therapeutic areas in its five global business units: Diabetes & Cardiovascular, General Medicines & Emerging Markets, Sanofi Genzyme, Sanofi Pasteur and Merial. Sanofi US will complete the return and reimbursement process associated with the October 28, 2015, voluntary nationwide recall of Auvi-Q. For more information on the recall, please visit www.Auvi-Q.com.

Indication AuviQ (epinephrine injection, USP) is used to treat lifethreatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) in people who are at risk for or have a history of these reactions.

Important Safety Information Auvi-Q is for immediate self (or caregiver) administration and does not take the place of emergency medical care. Seek immediate medical treatment after use. Each Auvi-Q contains a single dose of epinephrine. Auvi-Q should only be injected into your outer thigh. DO NOT INJECT INTO BUTTOCK OR INTRAVENOUSLY. If you accidentally inject Auvi-Q into any other part of your body, seek immediate medical treatment. Epinephrine should be used with caution if you have heart disease or are taking certain medicines that can cause heart-related (cardiac) symptoms.

If you take certain medicines, you may develop serious life-threatening side effects from epinephrine. Be sure to tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, especially medicines for asthma. Side effects may be increased in patients with certain medical conditions, or who take certain medicines. These include asthma, allergies, depression, thyroid disease, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

The most common side effects may include increase in heart rate, stronger or irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea and vomiting, difficulty breathing, paleness, dizziness, weakness or shakiness, headache, apprehension, nervousness, or anxiety. These side effects go away quickly, especially if you rest.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs. In the US, contact the FDA by visiting www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please click here for Full Prescribing Information.
SILICON SLOPES, UT -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Today Domo announced that Julie Yerks of GE Digital is joining the mainstage at this year's Domopalooza. Yerks, who drives GE Digital's commercial business enterprise reporting initiative and manages its commercial PMO team, will share how enterprises can better leverage data to drive transformation throughout their organization.

GE is transforming itself to become the world's premier digital industrial company by combining the nimbleness of a Silicon Valley startup with the strong pedigree of GE's global industrial domain expertise. Yerks' background in financial analysis, planning, budgeting and forecasting enables her to lead GE Digital's business insights team in developing a business enterprise reporting tool to drive automation and better business decisions.

Domopalooza, Domo's annual customer event, is designed to educate, inform and inspire Domo's fast-growing community of users from the world's most progressive organizations and most recognizable brands. Now in its second year, it is being held March 21-23 in Salt Lake City. Event attendees will gain new insights on how to best leverage Domo, their growing universe of business data and industry best practices to operate more efficiently and effectively to improve business results.

In 2015, Domopalooza attracted more than 1,300 attendees who were director-level and above across organizations ranging from mid-sized corporations to worldwide enterprises. Domo anticipates that number to grow to 2,000 senior-level attendees this year.

To learn more about how experts from GE Digital and other successful organizations are using Domo to get more value from their business data, register for Domopalooza on Domopalooza's event page.

About Domo

Domo is a cloud-based business management platform that transforms the way business is run. Domo gives CEOs and decision makers across the organization the confidence to make faster, more effective decisions and improve business results by giving them one place to easily access all the information they need.

With more than $450 million in funding, Domo is backed by an all-star list of angels and investors including Benchmark, BlackRock, Capital Group, Fidelity Investments, Founders Fund, GGV Capital, Glynn Capital, Greylock Partners, IVP, salesforce.com, TPG Growth, T. Rowe Price, WPP and Zetta Venture Partners, plus CEOs of the world's largest SaaS and Internet businesses.

Domo's founding team consists of some of the most sought after talent in the industry with experience that includes Amazon, American Express, Ancestry.com, eBay, Endeca, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, MLB.com, Omniture, salesforce.com, SuccessFactors and SAP. For more information, visit www.domo.com. You can also follow Domo on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest.

Domo and Domopalooza are trademarks of Domo, Inc.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/2/23/11G084019/Images/2.17.16_customer-speaker-ge-2-05f23d2eb86883958f5533ae97dd8221.jpg

Source: Domo, Inc.
Varanasi: Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh on Sunday claimed BJP activists hurled stones at his party leaders in Varanasi when Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's cavalcade was passing through the area.

Police, however, said a scuffle took place between AAP and BJP supporters only after the Chief Minister's cavalcade had left the area.

"A few people got injured in the incident. An FIR was registered in connection with the matter," police officer Rajesh Srivastava said.

Nearly 16 AAP workers, including women, were injured in an attack by BJP activists while the convoy of Delhi Chief Minister was passing, mr Singh told the reporters.

Singh said he had spoken to the Senior Superintendent of Police in Varanasi who has assured him that by Sunday all the activists, who attacked AAP workers and threw stones, would be sent to jail.

He said a complaint for registering a FIR has been given to the police and they are trying to ascertain the identity of the attackers.

Arvind Kejriwal was purely on a religious visit to the temple town to offer prayers and such an attack in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Parliamentary constituency is unfortunate, Mr Singh said.

"PM Narendra Modi and BJP should feel ashamed for the attack," Mr Singh said.

The AAP leader threatened if the Uttar Pradesh government and local police do not act against the attackers his party would launch an agitation.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today offered prayers at the Ravidas temple here.
NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Board of Trustees of the Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) today announced the appointment of Christine Ann Botosan, Professor of Accounting at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, to the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223006165/en/

Christine Ann Botosan

Ms. Botosans term will begin on July 1, 2016 and conclude on June 30, 2021, when she will be eligible for appointment to an additional term of five years. She will replace Thomas J. Linsmeier, who joined the FASB in July 2006 and whose second and final term concludes on June 30, 2016.

Christines deep understanding of the relationship between high-quality accounting standards and the capital markets will make her a valuable addition to the FASB, said Charles H. Noski, chairman of the FAF Board of Trustees. The combination of her extensive background in academia and her expertise in financial statement analysis and valuation will bring a unique perspective to the FASBespecially as it continues to serve users of financial reports by improving financial accounting and reporting standards.

Im very pleased to welcome Christine to her new role as a FASB member, said FASB Chair Russell G. Golden. Christine has a broad knowledge of accounting issues, and her wide experience provides her with an understanding of financial accounting from various perspectives. We look forward to working with Christine, and know she will be a great asset to the organization.

Ms. Botosan has served in a variety of roles during her tenure at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. In addition to her tenure as a professor, she currently serves as a leadership fellow in the office of the vice president, and as the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Presidential Chair in Ethical Financial Reporting. She was previously the associate dean of graduate affairs, and an associate professor of accounting.

Prior to joining the University of Utah in 1999, Ms. Botosan was an assistant professor of accounting at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Ms. Botosan has served the academic community in numerous ways, and is currently the immediate past president of the American Accounting Association (having been president from 20142015).

A certified valuation analyst, Ms. Botosan received her Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Michigan and received a bachelors degree in business administration from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada.

About the Financial Accounting Foundation

Established in 1972, the Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) is the independent, private-sector, not-for-profit organization based in Norwalk, Connecticut responsible for the oversight, administration, financing, and appointment of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). The FASB and GASB establish and improve financial accounting and reporting standardsknown as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAPfor public and private companies, not-for-profit organizations, and state and local governments in the United States. For more information, visit www.accountingfoundation.org.

About the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)

Established in 1973, the FASB is the independent, private-sector organization, based in Norwalk, Connecticut, that establishes financial accounting and reporting standards for public and private companies and not-for-profit organizations that follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The FASB is recognized by the Securities and Exchange Commission as the designated accounting standard setter for public companies. FASB standards are recognized as authoritative by many other organizations, including state Boards of Accountancy and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). The FASB develops and issues financial accounting standards through a transparent and inclusive process intended to promote financial reporting that provides useful information to investors and others who use financial reports. The Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) supports and oversees the FASB. For more information, visit www.fasb.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223006165/en/

Financial Accounting Foundation

John Pappas, 203-956-3440

[email protected]

Source: Financial Accounting Standards Board
Deal will broaden reach of InvenSense MEMS Sensor SoC solutions to IoT markets

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InvenSense Inc. (NYSE: INVN), a leading provider of MEMS sensor platform solutions, today announced the extension of its strategic distribution agreement with Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a leading global technology distributor, increasing the footprint and expanding the Internet of Sensors platform globally. With the extended agreement, Avnet is now chartered with sales and value-added support for InvenSenses MEMS sensor platform solutions in the U.S., Asia, the EU and Japan.

As one of the of the world's largest technology distribution and services companies, Avnet offers leading design-chain and supply-chain services for embedded engineers worldwide. Avnets large customer base of electronic original equipment manufacturers and electronic manufacturing service providers allows InvenSense to significantly extend its reach to hundreds of thousands of potential new customers.

Expanding our relationship with InvenSense enables Avnet to deliver increased value to our customers, particularly in key verticals like health and fitness wearables, with the design anywhere, produce anywhere flexibility that is so crucial to remaining competitive in todays global market, said Alex Iuorio, senior vice president, supplier development, Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas.

Avnets extensive worldwide network of embedded design engineers helps InvenSense expand the served available market for all of our MEMS sensor platform solutions, said Behrooz Abdi, president and CEO of InvenSense. We are making a concerted effort on a global scale to build out our platform for the Internet of Things and look forward to a continued partnership with Avnet as we continue to advance the Internet of Sensors.

Come visit InvenSense at the Avnet Memec booth during Embedded World in Hall 1, 1-370 Nuremberg, Germany on February 23-25, 2016 (map). For additional information about the InvenSense Motion and Sound devices, please visit our website at www.invensense.com or contact InvenSense Sales at [email protected].

About InvenSense

InvenSense, Inc. (NYSE: INVN) is the worlds leading provider of MEMS sensor platforms. The companys patented InvenSense Fabrication Platform, MotionFusion technology, and location software and services address the emerging needs of many mass-market consumer applications via improved performance, accuracy, and intuitive motion-, gesture- and sound-based interfaces. InvenSense technology can be found in Mobile, Wearables, Smart Home, Industrial, and Automotive products. InvenSense is headquartered in San Jose, California and has offices in Boston, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, France, Canada, Slovakia and Italy. More information can be found at www.invensense.com and http://www.coursaretail.com/ follow us on Twitter at @InvenSense.

2016 InvenSense, Inc. All rights reserved. InvenSense, Sensing Everything, FireFly, SensorStudio, TrustedSensor, Coursa, UltraPrint, MotionTracking, MotionProcessing, MotionProcessor, MotionFusion, MotionApps, InvenSenseTV, DMP, AAR, and the InvenSense logo are trademarks of InvenSense, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160222006703/en/

InvenSense, Inc.

David Almoslino, 408-501-2278

Senior Director

Corporate Marketing

[email protected]

Source: InvenSense Inc.
Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boiko Borisov speaks during a session of the parliament in Sofia November 7, 2014. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov has received a letter with death threats, but said he was not worried and suggested the threats were result of his fight against corruption and smuggling.

The anonymous letter that was sent to the government office, and contained Borisov's picture, a bullet and threatening messages, media reported on Monday.

The government press office confirmed a threatening letter had been sent but declined further comment.

"When you collect close to 3 billion levs ($1.69 billion) more from the smugglers, these are hurt interests in cigarettes, in liquor, sugar, meat ... when you stop public procurement orders for 1.7 billion and when every day you fire someone ... everyone has their cross to bear," Borisov told reporters.

Borisov has ordered the cancellation of several big public procurement orders in the past week on different grounds, explaining that he did not want to leave even a sign of a doubt of possible corrupt practices.

He formed a center-right government in November 2014 after almost two years of political uncertainty.

Bulgaria ranks as EU's most corrupt country in Transparency International's 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index and has been rapped repeatedly by Brussels for failing to combat rampant organized crime and jail high level officials.

Earlier on Monday, police officials said they ordered security protection for Delyan Peevski, a member of parliament from the ethnic Turkish MRF party after information of a possible assassination attempt against him came to light while investigating a plot against a former security agent.

Borisov dismissed any link between the threats against him and the deputy.

($1 = 1.7753 leva)

(Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova; Editing by Alison Williams)
PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czech Republic is ready to send around 100 soldiers to the eastern flank of NATO to help reinforce the Baltics and Poland and deter Russia, Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky said on Sunday.

The move is in line with a NATO plan, announced on Feb. 10, to deter Russia from aggression by rapidly deploying air, naval and ground forces without resorting to Cold War-era military bases.

"There is a talk of a platoon, roughly 100 people, who would take part in the alliance's contingent," Stropnicky said on Czech Television.

"If the preparation of the (NATO) brigade goes according to plan, and I believe it will, then it is very likely in the second half (of this year)," he said.

In an effort to deter Moscow after its 2014 annexation of Crimea, NATO defense ministers will rely on a network of new alliance outposts, forces on rotation, warehoused equipment and regular war games, all backed by a rapid-reaction force.

(Reporting by Robert Muller; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
By Tom Perry and Laila Bassam

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri on Monday urged Saudi Arabia not to abandon Lebanon after it halted aid to the army, reflecting concerns that Riyadh is reducing support for a country that has been an arena for its struggle with Iran.

Hariri's direct appeal to King Salman reflects worries among Saudi Arabia's allies in Lebanon that a major shift is under way in its policy toward the country. Riyadh's backing has been crucial to the decade-long struggle waged by Hariri and his allies against the Iranian-backed Shi'ite group Hezbollah.

The crisis came to a head last week when Saudi Arabia decided to suspend its aid to the army in response to the Lebanese government's failure to sign up to statements condemning attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.

Reflecting deep differences among rival Lebanese politicians, a government statement issued after a meeting of the national unity cabinet on Monday also fell short of condemning them. Instead, it was left to Prime Minister Tammam Salam to condemn them himself after reading the declaration.

Hariri, who heads the Saudi-backed March 14 alliance, said Lebanon would "not be a protectorate for Iranian policies in the region".

"We are here to confirm in the loudest voice that nobody will be able to cancel Lebanon's Arabness," he said, making only his third visit to the country since the Hezbollah-dominated March 8 alliance toppled his government in 2011.

He urged King Salman and other Gulf Arab leaders "not to abandon Lebanon and to continue to support and embrace it".

Hezbollah, a political party with a powerful militia, has grown in strength over the last decade. Its fighters are playing a crucial role fighting on President Bashar al-Assad's side in the war in neighboring Syria, one of the major arenas of Saudi-Iranian rivalry in the region.

Many Lebanese are worried about how Saudi policy will affect the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese employed in Saudi Arabia and Gulf Arab states allied to it. The money they send home is crucial to the Lebanese economy.

Saudi Arabia pledged the aid for the Lebanese army in 2013 in what then-Lebanese President Michel Suleiman called the largest grant ever to the country's armed forces. The army, carefully balanced to reflect Lebanon's sectarian make-up, is widely seen as the backbone of the weak Lebanese state.

ARAB STATEMENT

Saudi anger at the Lebanese government appeared to come to a head last month when the government, represented by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, refused to vote on a joint Arab statement condemning the attacks on Saudi missions in Iran by crowds protesting at the kingdom's execution of a prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric.

Bassil, a political ally of Hezbollah, cited the statement's criticism of Hezbollah as the reason for not backing it. He stressed the need for national unity in Lebanon.

The government statement issued on Monday said it was necessary to "fix relations between Lebanon and its brothers, and to remove any flaws that may have emerged in recent times".

It said Prime Minister Salam should make contacts with Gulf states that would "pave the way for a Gulf tour ... with this aim".

The statement said Lebanon would not forget Saudi Arabia's sponsorship of the peace agreement that ended Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war, its role in rebuilding the country, and its support for Lebanon's "financial, economic, military and security institutions".

"Likewise it will not forget that the kingdom, and the rest of the Gulf Arab states ... embraced and continue to (embrace) hundreds of thousands of Lebanese of all sects", the statement said.

Hezbollah member Mohammed Fneish, a minister of state in the government, said when asked whether the group supported sending a ministerial delegation to apologize to Saudi Arabia: "When Saudi apologizes for its insults to us, we will think".

(Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippine government hopes to evaluate bids and select the winner for a 123 billion peso ($2.6 billion) tollway and dike project before President Benigno Aquino steps down on June 30, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Rogelio Singson, public works and highways secretary, told ABS-CBN News Channel that bid-evaluation "should not be too difficult" for what is planned as one of the country's largest infrastructure projects.

The secretary said the bid submission date, which has been postponed twice, has been fixed as March 14. There will be a maximum of three bids, he said, as that's the number of consortia that pre-qualified for the public-private partnership (PPP) project.

The three groups are: San Miguel Corp (NYSE: SMC), via its San Miguel Holdings Corp unit; Trident Infrastructure and Development Corp., also known as Team Trident composed of Ayala Land Inc , SM Prime Holdings Inc , Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc (NYSE: AEV) and Megaworld Corp (NYSE: MEG); and Alloy Pavi Hanshin LLEDP Consortium, comprising Malaysias MTD Group, South Korea's Hanshin Construction Co Ltd <004960.KS> and the family of former Philippine Senator Manuel Villar Jr.

The Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike project involves construction of a 47 kilometer (29.2 mile) expressway and a 45 kilometer dike that will mitigate flooding in communities along Laguna Lake.

Another part is the reclamation of around 700 hectares (1,730 acres) of land south of Manila.

Some bidders had sought more time to prepare offers, prompting the government to postpone the bidding several times.

"Among the issues that they raised was the timing as well as some concerns about government proclamation on the land that will be reclaimed," Singson said.

The proclamation is being worked out by the Office of the President and multiple concerned agencies, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, he said.

"What we're working out is to make sure that all of these documents are issued before March 14," Singson said.

Since launching the PPP program in 2010, the government has awarded nine projects worth 130 billion pesos.

(Reporting by Erik dela Cruz; Editing by Richard Borsuk)
Blood covers the hands of an injured boy lying in a field hospital after what activists said were air strikes by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus February 6, 2015. REUTERS/ Mohammed Badra

By Arshad Mohammed and Tom Perry

WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States and Russia announced plans for a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria that would take effect on Saturday but exclude groups such as Islamic State and al Qaeda's Nusra Front, a loophole Syrian rebels immediately highlighted as a problem.

Monday's agreement, described by a U.N. spokesman as "a first step towards a more durable ceasefire," is the fruit of intensive diplomacy between Washington and Moscow, which back opposing sides in the 5-year-old civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people.

Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin discussed the accord by phone, and the Kremlin leader said it could "radically transform the crisis situation in Syria." The White House said it could help advance talks on bringing about political change in Syria.

To succeed, the deal will require both countries to persuade their allies on the ground to comply. Fighting and air strikes continued on Monday, according to a British-based monitoring group.

The plan allows the Syrian army and allied forces, as well as Syrian opposition fighters, to respond with "proportionate use of force" in self-defense. It leaves a significant loophole by allowing further attacks, including air strikes, against Islamic State, Nusra and other militant groups.

Bashar al-Zoubi, head of the political office of the Yarmouk Army, part of the rebel Free Syrian Army, said that would provide cover for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian allies to keep attacking opposition-held territory where rebel and militant factions are tightly packed.

"Russia and the regime will target the areas of the revolutionaries on the pretext of the Nusra Front's presence, and you know how mixed those areas are, and if this happens, the truce will collapse," he said.

'CRITICAL ISSUE'

Since intervening with air strikes in support of Assad in September, Russia has helped pave the way for significant advances by government forces in a conflict that has drawn in a host of world and regional powers.

The Syrian army is backed by Moscow, Iran and fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah. Ranged against them are rebels supported by the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

A U.S.-Russian statement said the two countries and others would work together to delineate the territory held by Islamic State, Nusra Front and the other militant groups excluded from the truce.

But rebel officials said it was impossible to pinpoint positions held by Nusra.

"For us, al-Nusra is a problematic point, because al-Nusra is not only present in Idlib, but also in Aleppo, in Damascus and in the south. The critical issue here is that civilians or the Free Syrian Army could be targeted under the pretext of targeting al-Nusra," said a senior opposition figure, Khaled Khoja.

He said the cessation would be for an initial two weeks and "could be extended indefinitely if the parties commit to it."

Assad said on Saturday he was ready for a ceasefire, on condition that opposition forces he describes as terrorists did not use a lull in fighting to their advantage, and that countries backing insurgents halted support for them.

In a sign of confidence, reflecting his growing momentum on the battlefield, Assad on Monday called a parliamentary election for April 13. The timing was not a surprise as elections are held every four years and the last one was in 2012.

A U.N. Security Council resolution in December called for elections within 18 months under a new constitution, and administered by the United Nations.

TALKS 'VERY SOON'

The U.S.-Russian plan got a cautious and hedged response from Riad Hijab, chief coordinator of the main Western-backed Syrian opposition, who said he did not expect the governments of Syria, Iran or Russia to comply with it.

Hijab said the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee, of which he is president, would accept a truce if Syria and its backers halted all sieges, permitted aid deliveries, released all detainees and ended bombardments and attacks on civilians.

"The HNC is committed to the success of the international efforts dedicated to ending Syrian bloodshed ... but we are also capable of addressing the regime in a language it understands," he said, saying a formal HNC response would come later.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon welcomed the U.S.-Russian announcement, which followed a failed attempt by his Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, last month to restart peace talks in Geneva.

De Mistura told Reuters the cessation accord could allow a resumption of negotiations. "We can now relaunch very soon the political process which is needed to end this conflict," he said.

U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said he was "not pessimistic."

Under the terms of the cessation, parties would indicate their agreement to the United States and Russia by noon on Friday Damascus time (1000 GMT), and the truce would take effect at midnight, the two countries said.

Syrian government and allied forces will cease attacks against armed opposition forces, and vice versa, with any weapons including rockets, mortars, anti-tank guided missiles.

The agreement does not spell out in detail how the truce will be monitored, let alone enforced. While the United States and Russia will establish a communication "hotline" and encourage others to share information about violations, they have yet to make explicit how they plan to do so.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry cited "significant challenges ahead." He urged all sides to accept the deal, which he said could cut violence and help get aid to besieged areas.

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, in a speech aboard a U.S. Navy ship visiting Israel, said: "It is difficult to see a stable ceasefire in actuality, with all players agreeing to it."

NO LET-UP

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, said fighting and air strikes continued unabated across Syria on Monday.

Islamic State attacked the Syrian government's main supply route from Damascus to the northern city of Aleppo, a day after the group targeted Damascus and Homs in some of the bloodiest car bomb attacks of the war.

A rebel fighting government forces and Kurdish militia in the Aleppo area said there was no sign of a let-up. "The battles are in full force," he told Reuters.

Fred Hof, a former State Department Syria specialist now at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, said the proposed timetable gave Russia, Iran and Syria five more days to complete the encirclement of rebels in Aleppo.

"Indeed, success of this initiative - including widespread humanitarian relief for Syrian civilians - requires good faith and decency by three parties who have shown little or none during the duration of this crisis," Hof said. "Let's hope they change their spots."

(Additional reporting by Tom Perry, Jonathan Landay, Dasha Afanasieva, Jason Bush, Lisa Barrington, Omar Fahmy, Louis Charbonneau, Dan Williams and Stephanie Nebehay; Writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Peter Cooney)
The GM logo is seen at the General Motors Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Lansing, Michigan October 26, 2015. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

By Jessica Dye

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge in Manhattan said on Tuesday he will not alter, for now, a plan to try five more early test cases this year against General Motors Co (NYSE: GM) over faulty ignition switches linked to nearly 400 injuries and deaths.

Lawyers for plaintiffs suing the automaker had told U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman that trying the remaining cases scheduled for this year might not be the most efficient way to advance the resolution of hundreds of remaining injury and death claims. GM opposed their request, saying that the current plan was working as intended.

During a hearing on Tuesday, Furman said he intended "to stay the course and try the remaining five bellwether, or test, cases scheduled in the federal litigation for this year. But Furman acknowledged that the bellwether process was not perfect and said he remained open to alternatives, including adding recently filed cases to the trial slate.

A lead lawyer for GM plaintiffs, Elizabeth Cabraser, said she and her co-counsel were encouraged by Furmans willingness to consider refinements, alternatives and additions to the bellwether process. GM spokesman Jim Cain said the company was pleased that Furman had agreed to stick with the current bellwether process.

GM has admitted that certain employees had known for years, prior to its 2014 recall of 2.6 million vehicles, that problems with the switch could cause it to slip out of place, stalling engines and cutting power to air bags, brakes and steering. It has paid $2 billion in related penalties and settlements.

Federal ignition-switch litigation was consolidated before Furman. He had scheduled six bellwether trials to help the parties assess how jurors value the claims in order to inform settlement discussions.

The first was dismissed mid-trial in January following allegations that the plaintiff had lied on the stand. The next federal trial is set to begin in March. Additionally, a dozen cases are set to go to trial in state courts between May and November, Furman said during Tuesdays hearing.

The case is In re General Motors Ignition Switch Litigation, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 14-2543.

(Reporting by Jessica Dye; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi, Cynthia Osterman and Steve Orlofsky)
People who went to Sky City and the Sugar Tree apartments on February 9 were most likely exposed to the disease.

Auckland health services are battling to contain the measles outbreak, with 48 people currently in quarantine in their own homes and four confirmed cases of the infectious disease.

The number of confirmed cases of the disease had not increased since Friday, but Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) said more possible cases were being investigated following the public health alert last week when a person ignored quarantine instructions.

"Some staff are working extra shifts and the phone is constantly ringing," said Medical Officer of Health Dr Richard Hoskins. "The laboratories have an unusually heavy workload as they visit people's homes to obtain blood samples and process blood tests so we can quarantine people who are not immune. Our number one priority is public safety and that means stopping the disease spreading as quickly as possible,"

SUPPLIED Four people have been confirmed with measles while another 48 have been quarantined after one person ignored their quarantine requirements, potentially causing an outbreak of the infectious disease.

Three of the measles cases came from an infected passenger on China Southern Airlines' flight CZ305, which arrived in Auckland on January 30.

READ MORE:

* 51 people quarantined after measles outbreak

* Measles warning for passengers on Auckland-bound flight

* Palmerston North Hospital confirms third measles case in month

* Australian anti-vaxxer mum seeks covert help after son contracts measles

* Measles scare at Auckland's SkyCity hotel

The public health alert was raised after one person off the flight ignored their quarantine requirements and potentially exposed hundreds to the disease.

"I'm disappointed with this individual who disobeyed medical instructions for quarantine. They have let the public down and created a major upheaval for those involved. My plea to the people of Auckland is to always follow medical instructions and ensure you are vaccinated so you are protected against measles," Hoskins said.

ARPHS said the man was now over his illness, was not infectious and had returned to his daily routine. No decision had been made if legal action would be pursued against the man.

The health service has been focusing on tracking over 300 individuals who may have been exposed to the disease, establishing their immunity, isolating those infected and managing the quarantine.

"There can be a delay of up to 14 days until the first symptoms appear, so we'll know by the end of this week if anyone from SkyCity Casino or Sugar Tree apartments has been infected," Hoskins said.

Darren Brown from Sugar Tree Apartments said he was not aware of any confirmed cases or people currently in quarantine in the apartment complex.

"It's good news really, as far as we know no one has been quarantined and no one has caught the measles," he said.

Within the apartments, they had put warnings up throughout the apartment, put letters in each letter box and also distributed warnings via email.

The building managers and the body corporates of the aparment block had also sent warnings out to the residents.

He said they had done all the could to make sure residents were aware of the risk and paired with the media coverage, he said everyone was informed about the matter.

ARPHS said people at risk were those who visited the Sugar Tree apartments between February 9 and 13th in the lifts and common areas.

As well as those who visited SkyCity Casino on February 9, between 9pm and midnight on level 2, 3 and public areas.

The fourth confirmed case was unrelated to the flight. The person became ill after an overseas holiday.

No public health alert would be issued in that case as it was contained to medical waiting rooms. However, a patient list was provided and ARPHS was in the process of tracking people down, it said in a media release.

Hoskins said Measles was one of the most contagious diseases in the world.

"The virus from an infected person can stay in the air for more than an hour after they have left the room.

This means if you don't have immunity you can contract the disease by simply walking past someone with measles.

In a recent case one child infected 25 others at school within 48 hours."

Any persons with measles could expect a delay of up to 14 days before they suffer any symptoms, he said.

However people can still be infectious without the symptoms which was why those at risk had been quarantined.

"In New Zealand 20 per cent of cases require hospitalisation. There are a number of complications such as acute encephalitis which is a rare condition occurring in 1 out of 1000 cases and can lead to death or permanent brain damage," he said.

Hoskins was encouraging people aged from 10-years-old to 30-years old to check their vaccination records, because without vaccination you were at risk of catching and transmitting the disease.

"There is no treatment to cure measles or stop the illness once you have contracted the disease. The only way to protect yourself is to become vaccinated so you don't catch it in the first instance."

The first symptoms are a fever, and one or more of a runny nose, cough and sore red eyes. After a few days a red blotchy rash starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

In 2011/12 there was a 600 person measles outbreak across NZ and in 2014 there were 250 cases across Auckland and Waikato.

For more information phone Healthline for advice on 0800-611-116 or ARPHS on 09-623-4600 or visit the Auckland Regional Public Health Service website for a fact sheet on measles.
There has been an outcry over the council's plan to "upzone" areas and allow more housing density.

Auckland local body politicians would create more chaos if they withdraw controversial plans to allow greater intensification of the city.

That's the view of an environmental lawyer, ahead of an extraordinary council meeting on Wednesday to reconsider contentious "upzoning" proposals paving the way for more housing density in Auckland's leafy suburbs.

"It would have a multitude of follow-on impacts the councillors probably aren't aware of," Andrew Braggins, partner in law firm Berry Simons, said.

Residents groups are up in arms over the council's "out-of-scope" zoning submissions, which if implemented would see many more townhouses and apartments built in areas such as the eastern suburbs where there are currently mostly detached houses.

The outcry has been such that Mayor Len Brown has called an extraordinary meeting to revisit the issue.

READ MORE

* How are you affected? See maps

* Auckland Council backs down after pressure over "upzoning"

* Group takes legal advice over Auckland "upzoning" plans

* Residential zoning changes put pressure on schools

But if councillors vote to withdraw the surprise upzoning submissions to Auckland's incoming Unitary Plan it would create "a headache", Braggins said.

It had been agreed that Auckland needed to become a compact city to cater for its rapidly growing population, he said.

"If these changes aren't going to be made where are people going to live? Are we going back to a sprawl-based approach?

"And if we're not, when are these future plan changes providing for intensification going to come?"

The Independent Hearings Panel considering Auckland's new Unitary Plan is due to report back in July, and withdrawing the upzoning submissions at this late stage would affect other submitters, plus expert witnesses who couldn't just change their professional evidence, he said.

Opponents say the council has tried to sneak in the upzoning proposals under rules allowing it to make out-of-scope submissions on the Unitary Plan without consultation.

Braggins said the problem was less the process than the council underplaying how much intensification was required in the first place.

"If the council had perhaps done more work on the amount of density that was going to need to be delivered to achieve a compact urban form in the first place, we wouldn't be here," he said.

The Character Coalition, representing heritage and residents' groups, wants the submissions withdrawn and is planning a big presence at Wednesday's meeting.

It would be extremely disappointed if councillors promising action on the issue didn't follow through, spokesperson Sally Hughes said.

The coalition had taken advice, and it was "absolutely not correct" that it would impact on other submitters.

"People have not submitted on this piece of evidence from the council because it didn't exist," she said.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

What's being proposed?

The council wants to change the zoning of many areas of the suburbs to allow for more houses. The biggest change is in the "Mixed Housing Urban" zone, which permits a mix of housing types (townhouses, apartments) up to three storeys. Under current proposals 11 per cent of the city falls into this zone. Under the controversial "out-of-scope" changes it would be 17 per cent. The changes mean fewer sections would be zoned "Single House" - one dwelling on one lot. At the moment 31 per cent of the city is Single House. This would reduce to 25 per cent.

Why are the proposed changes "out-of-scope"?

"Out-of-scope" means no-one else has made submissions to the Unitary Plan on these areas. The council has proposed the out-of-scope zoning changes based on the 4200 zoning submissions already received, and on guidance the Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel has given it. It says the aim is to avoid "spot zoning", where individual submissions can lead to inconsistent changes in an area.

Can affected homeowners now make submissions on the out-of-scope proposals?

No, not unless they made an earlier zoning submission.

What is the Unitary Plan?

The Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan (PAUP) will be the city's new blueprint and replaces the regional plans of the old Auckland councils. It's been in the pipeline since 2011, shortly after the Super City was created. Submissions on the proposed plan were open from September 2013 to February 2014. Hearings began in 2014 and will run until April 2016.

How does the final plan get decided?

The Independent Hearings Panel (IHP) is a body appointed by the government to hear submissions. review evidence and conduct mediation on the Unitary Plan. In July it will make its recommendations to Auckland Council. In August councillors will publicly debate and make final decisions on the plan. There will be no decisions on zoning until then.

Who are the Independent Hearings Panel?

David Kirkpatrick, Environment Court Judge (chairperson)

Janet Crawford, planning expert

Peter Fuller, lawyer and RMA commissioner

Greg Hill. resource management consultant

Paula Hunter, planning consultant

John Kirikiri, former Rodney District deputy mayor

Desmond Morrison, former Auckland councillor

Stuart Shepherd, infrastructure economist

Alan Watson, independent hearing commissioner

David Hill, planning and resource management consultant

Les Simmons, former local authority planner

Does the Independent Hearings Panel have to accept Auckland Council's zoning proposals?

No. The council is a submitter like anybody else. Its position on zoning will be discussed at public hearings held by the IHP in March. All evidence from other submitters on zoning will also be taken into account. After that the IHP will send its recommendations to the council.
New Delhi: As the budget session commenced, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday hit out at the frequent disruption and obstruction of Parliament and urged MPs to function in a spirit of cooperation, asserting that it reflects the supreme will of the people.

In his customary address to the year's first session of Parliament prepared by the government outlining its agenda for the coming fiscal, he skipped contentious issues like the unrest in the JNU or Hyderabad University or the reservation agitation in Haryana.

Read: Budget Session: Indian economy a haven of stability, says President

The President declared that the government would constantly strive for smooth and construction conduct of Parliamentary business.

"Our Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people. Democratic temper calls for debate and discussion, and not disruption of obstruction.

President Pranab Mukherjee arrives in a buggy to address the joint session of Parliament on the first day of budget session 2016 (Photo: PTI)

"My government will constantly strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliamentary business. I urge all Members of Parliament to discharge their solemn responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation. Let us all collectively endeavour to build a flourishing and prosperous India," he said.

The President remarks assume significance in the context of repeated disruption of business on various issues, loss of time of Parliament and the stalling of legislative business in Rajya Sabha where the government lacks majority.

Also read: Hopeful of a fruitful Parliament session, says Narendra Modi

The 75-minute speech was heard in rapt attention by members in the central hall of Parliament and occasional thumping of desks, especially when he regretted the disruptions and appealed for smooth functioning of Parliament.

"Let noble thoughts come from all directions, should be the spirit behind the debate in this temple of democracy.

Being a member of this great institution bestows great honour as well as important responsibilities," Mukherjee said.
Jeremy Hamish Kerr, the Auckland businessman who pleaded guilty to threatening to poison infant formula with pest poison 1080

A man who tried to blackmail the country out of using 1080 was caught after his DNA was found on one of his letters to police.

After threatening letters mailed to Fonterra and Federated Farmers were linked to Jeremy Kerr, his DNA was found on a retraction letter sent to police, leading to his confession.

Kerr has pleaded guilty to two charges of attempted blackmail, relating to threats made to contaminate baby formula.

His disputed facts hearing - to decide whether his offending was financially motivated or not - continued at the High Court at Auckland on Tuesday.

READ MORE:

* Man guilty of 1080 blackmail plot named as inventor of rival poison Jeremy Kerr

* 1080 blackmailer made $100k per year off his poison Feratox

The court was shown video footage of Kerr's interview with Detective Senior Sergeant Aaron Pascoe.

Police had executed a search warrant at Kerr's Howick home earlier that morning, in October last year, and while police searched Kerr's laptop and personal items, Pascoe interviewed Kerr.

Nearly two hours into the interview Pascoe reveals that DNA discovered on a retraction letter sent to police, was 260 times more likely to belong to Kerr or a male relative of his than any other male.

The letter read: "You are aware there is no treat (sic) of any sort made to New Zealanders. I cannot imagine why the Government has put the country through this....I have had enough of this nonsense. You will not be hearing from (me) again."

"I find that absolutely staggering," Kerr said after being told DNA on the letter matched his. "I certainly didn't write the letter."

Cellphone records had also placed Kerr in Wellington mail catchments on the days the letters were sent, and a "thorough search" of a laptop he used was found to have traces of a letter that appeared to have been addressed to police.

The document was headed with the name of a detective that had earlier interviewed Kerr, and was the same name of the detective who received the retraction letter in July.

Kerr admits sending the letters after Pascoe implores him to tell the truth given the overwhelming evidence.

"Honestly, I couldn't tell you why," he said in the interview. "I was in a really bad state when it happened.

"I've been in the industry so long, you see things that aren't good. I don't know why I did it. It's not financial, it's got nothing to do with Feratox."

It was revealed at the hearing's beginning on Monday that Kerr was concerned with his financial situation, which Crown prosecutor Christine Gordon QC pointed to as the reason for the blackmail plot.

Witness testimony from former colleagues said all Kerr thought about was money, and that he was concerned at the falling sales of a poison he developed himself, Feratox.

During the police interview Kerr said Feratox could never rival 1080 because it couldn't be aerially dropped, however his colleagues swore in affidavits presented to the court that halting the use of 1080 could drive Feratox sales up by 30 per cent.

In the police interview Kerr told Pascoe that he received about $100,000 in royalties off Feratox per year, and described his financial situation as "okay".

"I'm not in any stress," he said.

HOW KERR WAS CAUGHT

-DNA found on the retraction letter matched a sample Kerr provided to police and was 260 times more likely to have come from him or a member of his family more than any other Kiwi male

-1080 samples found in Kerr's possession were found by a University scientist to have come from the same source as 1080 samples sent with the blackmail letters

-A computer used by Kerr, in Wellington, was found to have been hooked up to a printer and a Brother label maker. A brother label was found on the letters and Kerr had previously denied ever using one or owning one

-Cellphone records placed him in Wellington mail catchments at both times the letters were sent. Kerr initially said he couldn't remember why he was there, except to assume he was visiting friends

HIS EXPLANATIONS

-Kerr maintained he had acted alone

-He said he suffered since his wife had died some years earlier. "I've been through some big ups and downs and I'm aware of it too. Probably since my wife died..I've had terrible grief."

-He said media coverage of a large scale aerial drop of 1080 had incensed him. "The way things are going, there'll be a child death soon."

-"Honestly I couldn't tell you (why I did it). I was in a really bad state when it happened."

-"I'm not against 1080, I know it sounds strange, but I'm not. It just popped into my head. I hadn't even thought about it at all. What I was really hoping to do, was at the very least make some changes (to the way 1080 is used)."

-"I know I've caused a lot of grief."
After a tough few years, Auckland tenants are getting a reprieve from big rent rises but those in other parts of the country are not so lucky.

The start of the new year has meant a rent rise for tenants around the country.

The latest Trade Me Property Rental Index shows the national median asking rent increased from $420 to $435 between December and January, after very little change through 2015.

Head of Trade Me Property Nigel Jeffries said it was expected. "It's a trend we see each year as many landlords look to adjust their rental incomes at the start of the year."

Auckland tenants got off lightly  the median weekly rent only edged up $5 to $500 a week. The city's rents increased 4.2 per cent over the year.

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* Are you better off to buy or rent?

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"Rents in the City of Sails have been hovering around the $500 a week mark for some time and don't look like changing drastically in the coming months. This plateau indicates a good supply of rental properties in Auckland and landlords aren't going to get any extra assistance on their mortgages for the foreseeable future," Jeffries said.

Over the past five years, Auckland's median rent was up 28.2 per cent, adding $5720 to the median annual rent bill.

January's rent increases were bigger in other parts of the country.

Wellington recorded a $40-a-week jump in median rent between December and January to a new record of $450.

The Bay of Plenty had a $25-a-week increase to $395.

"The growth in the Bay of Plenty is extraordinary," Jeffries said.

Christchurch landlords have seen their returns stall as weekly rents remained at $420 a week for the fourth consecutive month, down 6.7 per cent over the past year.

The median rent in Christchurch has declined year-on-year for 10 consecutive months. Since the peak of $495 a week in early 2015, rents have fallen around $75 per week and saved tenants just under $4000 a year.

Landlords with small houses appear to be getting the best bang for their buck in the rental market.

Outside Auckland, the median asking rent for these properties rose by 5.3 per cent over the past 12 months. Auckland was up 5.1 per cent.

In Wellington, large houses recorded a "massive" increase in median weekly rent, Jeffries said, jumping $55 in the past month to top $875 a week  the highest weekly rent for this category of property across the country and $100 higher than Auckland.

Jeffries said with the start of the academic year Trade Me Property looked at the cost of renting in New Zealand's major university cities.

"Since January 2014 all of the major university cities around the country except Canterbury have experienced serious increases in the median weekly rent.

"Students in Auckland now need to find an extra $50 a week while students in Palmerston North and Dunedin are paying $25 and $30 respectively more than they were two years ago."

Hamilton's median asking rent has increased from $325 in 2014 to $360 this year.
A fire started when a man tried to burn his toilet paper on the southern shoreline of Lake Pukaki.

A French tourist started a grass fire on the shores of one of New Zealand's most pristine lakes when he defecated and then tried to burn the evidence.

Twizel chief fire officer Simon Fox said the man, in his early 30s, had been walking the Te Araroa Trail along the southern foreshore of Lake Pukaki, Canterbury, about 6pm on Tuesday, when he found himself caught short.

The fire had started when the man tried to burn his toilet paper, Fox said.

"I was gobsmacked when he told me what had caused it, I had to give him a double take," Fox said. "It's the strangest fire call-out I have ever been to.

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* Drunk who used tunnel as toilet holds up morning commuters

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"He was pretty embarrassed. He thought he was in the s***, so to speak."

The fire had quickly spread through the grass, reaching 25 metres by 10m at its peak.

Two fire engines from Twizel were called at 6.27pm and quickly put it out before helping with traffic control for the smoke, which was causing poor visibility on nearby State Highway 8.

The man was running around trying to put out his fire when they arrived, Fox said.

"To his credit I was suitably impressed that he hung around - most people in that sort of situation would probably have just kept going and not faced the music."

Fox said he explained to the man how defecation beside a lake was frowned upon by New Zealand residents and he suggested he invest in a poop pot from the Department of Conservation for the rest of his walk.

"In all seriousness we were quite lucky he did it on the lakefront side of the road because it would have had to jump the road to get any bigger," Fox said.

"If he'd done the same thing up in a forest in Blenheim we could have been looking at something much worse."
Members of Akhil Bharatiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti protesting for their demand of reservation (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday directed security forces to forcefully clear all blockades put by Jats, whose violent agitation has paralysed normal life in Haryana.

The clear instruction was given to the central security personnel deployed to assist the Haryana administration to bring back normalcy as early as possible as there is a feeling of a breakdown in the law-and-order situation, a senior government official said.

Protesting Jats were squatting on highways, state roads, railway tracks, canals and dams in Haryana, disrupting normal life.

"The security forces were asked to use force to clear all the places where the protesters were squatting affecting communication network and water supply," the official said.

As the National Highway 1, lifeline of Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, was blocked for the third consecutive day, the central government has given top most priority to clear the vital roadlink.

Railway link between Delhi and Ambala and beyond was also snapped due to the protests and subsequent violence by the agitating Jats, who have been demanding reservation in jobs.

As road and train communication links were disrupted, there have been reports of sky rocketing airfare between Delhi and Chandigarh.

The National Highway 10 connecting Hisar, Jind and Rohtak with Delhi has also been blocked completely and instruction has been issued to clear the road too.

Security forces were also asked to take strong action against anyone who indulges in violence, damaging public and private property.

At least 6,500 paramilitary forces besides Army columns were deployed to assist the Haryana government to restore peace after several days of violence.

The central government was particularly anxious that despite an announcement of accepting their demands, the Jats were yet to shun violence and blockades were continuing.

Last night, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had announced that a committee headed by Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu has been formed to look into the demand for reservation in central government jobs for Jats.

Earlier, BJP general secretary Anil Jain had announced that the BJP government in Haryana will bring a legislation in the coming session of the Haryana assembly to give OBC status to the Jats.
Chennai: As DMK leaders commenced interview on Monday for candidates selection for the Assembly elections, some partymen are upbeat about the presence of Congress in the alliance.

Another section is apprehensive of seats they are seeking which may go to the national party, since constituency allocation is not over yet.

Some functionaries from southern districts are happy since the Congress is relatively strong in their region and has sufficient votes to swing the results, even going by the outcome of 2014 Parliamentary elections.

Most partymen from Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli are in an upbeat mood as they feel that Congress could still have enough votes to impact election results. Their buoyancy is rooted in Congress performance in the Lok Sabha polls in the two districts. The Congress did well in Thoothukudi, Ottapidaram, Srivaikuntam, Nanguneri, Alangulam and Tenkasi Assembly segments and secured a good share of votes in the other seats barring Kovilpatti and Sankaran-koil, noted a senior functionary.

However, there is apprehension among partymen on the seats that will be allotted to Congress. The DMK functionaries feel that Congress could cite its strength in the southern districts and demand more seats.

A youth wing functionary from Dindigul district who sought party ticket, said The DMK is very strong in the district and won two seats in 2011 Assembly polls. We lost the Palani seat by a very thin margin. Even in Parliament polls, we did well in all the Assembly segments. Congress got over five per cent votes in Natham Assembly segment alone in the same polls. We are sure that our existing seats, Athoor and Oddanchatram, will be retained, but do not know which of the other seats will go to Congress.

Partymen from Virudhunagar district too are equally apprehensive and one from Sivakasi said, there is a general perception that Congress is strong in all southern districts, particularly in Virudhunagar, native of Congress icon K. Kamaraj. But, Congress has managed to get over five per cent votes in Rajapalayam and Virudhunagar seats alone, while DMK has retained its base. Our party should field more candidates in district this time.
"Terrorism is a global threat and strong counter measures are necessary worldwide to eradicate it completely," Mukherjee said, congratulating the security forces for successfully foiling the recent terror attack at the Pathankot air base. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said the government is committed to forging a "mutually respectful relationship" with Pakistan while asserting that "firm and effective" steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism.

In his customary address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament outlining the government's agenda in the coming financial year, he said the government is fully committed to firmly dealing with all challenges concerning the security of the country.

"Terrorism is a global threat and strong counter measures are necessary worldwide to eradicate it completely," Mukherjee said, congratulating the security forces for successfully foiling the recent terror attack at the Pathankot air base.

He said, "Firm and effective steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism." Turning to Pakistan, the President said the government is committed to forging a "mutually respectful relationship" with Pakistan and in creating an environment of cooperation in combating cross-border terrorism.

"My government believes in a secure and prosperous future for our neighbourhood", he said, adding that "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: The world is one family" is the principle to which the government is committed. "Its expression is most resonant in the steps we have taken in reaching out to our neighbours," he said at the outset.

On ties with neighbouring countries, the President said that last year, the government adopted the historic Land Boundary Agreement with Bangaladesh, leading to the peaceful exchange of disputed territories between the two countries.

The signing of the Motor Vehicles Agreement between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal will provide seamless connectivity and further strengthen ties, Mukherjee said.

"We have been a friend in need to Nepal during the devastating earthquake of April 2015. We opened our skies, became a key transit hub and essential enabler so that assistance from other countries could reach Nepal in the hour of need," he recalled.

On Afghanistan, he said India remained committed in providing support to the people of Afghanistan in realising their dream of building a stable, inclusive and democratic nation.

"Dedication of the Afghanistan Parliament to its people by Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi was our contribution to Afghanistan's pursuit of peace and prosperity," the President said.
Special housing areas have nothing to do with housing affordability, and Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby says he has that from Housing Minister Nick Smith himself.

Stuart was speaking during discussion on the application to turn the Golden Grove Kiwi Holiday Park into a special housing area.
Housing Minister Nick Smith commended both western bay of plenty councils for exceeding the new housing developments agreed to in the housing accords.

The ministers approval came as he visited Omokoroa to announce Smiths Farm in Tauranga being approved as a Special Housing Area.
Tired drivers are placing a strain on Waikato first responders and roading networks after emergency services dealt with two fatigue related crashes yesterday morning.

Inspector Freda Grace says in the first incident emergency services were called to State Highway 1, between Rangiriri and Ohinewai, at 6.15am, where a car collided with the barrier.
The new trial date is later than the one sought by The Kiwifruit Claim, with plaintiffs wanting to get the trial out of the way well before the 2017 general election campaign.

A total of 212 plaintiffs are suing for more than $375 million following the introduction of the Psa-V bacteria in New Zealand.

Psa-V does not affect human or animal health, or any other plant life aside from kiwifruit vines.

The bacteria is thought to have entered the country in 2009, via the importation of anther, according to University of Otagos Dr Russell Poulter and his team.

The first official report of Psa-V was in Te Puke on November 5, 2010, though instances of Psa-V were suspected before this date.

Kiwifruit Claim chairman John Cameron says its lawyers plan to present evidence to the court which is alleged to show officials negligently approved the importation of pollen, later discovered as Psa-V infected, against the governments own policies and procedures, as well as the date and time it arrived in New Zealand.

This information has led Auckland University legal expert, Professor Bill Hodge, to say The Kiwifruit Claim has a smoking gun of evidence against the government.

Bill says if the claim has chapter and verse of the specific entry then, in his view, it has a very strong prima facie case.

Over the three months of the trial, the claim plans to call evidence from the kiwifruit growers and their families whose livelihoods were devastated by Psa-V, along with many other witnesses and experts.

The court will also hear evidence from current and former officials from the Ministry for Primary Industries.

The courts order was made after a hearing earlier this month, determining the 2017 trial will be to confirm whether a duty of care is owed by the Ministry for Primary Industries to kiwifruit growers.

The plaintiffs allege that Biosecurity New Zealand was negligent, resulting in an estimated total loss of $885 million to kiwifruit growers across New Zealand.

The Kiwifruit Claim was launched in September 2014, with legal documents filed in November of that year. Losses for the 212 plaintiffs as a result of the 2009 introduction of Psa-V into New Zealand have been estimated at $376 million.
Plans to fly a giant version of the NZ alternate flag from the Elizabeth St/Takitimu Drive flagpole are being challenged by Mount Maunganui lawyer Rob Paterson.

Tauranga City Council has permission from the government committee that looks after flag flying and has checked the resource consent about a plan to fly the alternate flag on alternate days, but Rob says the flagpoles consent only permits the New Zealand flag to be flown.
To be attributed to Senior Sergeant Anita Dixon  Area Response Manager Kapiti

A 27-year-old Kapiti man was airlifted to Wellington Hospital on Monday 22 February following a suspected drug overdose. Last night, the man passed away in the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital.

Kapiti-Mana Police executed a search warrant at a Waikanae address last night and arrested and charged a 25-year-old man with drug-related offences. He is appearing in the Porirua District Court this morning.

We are continuing our investigations this morning, including a further search of the property and to see whether there is a link to the mans death and the drug supplied.

This is one of four reports that Kapiti Police have received of people having taken a recreational drug and needing to be hospitalised due to the adverse effects.

Police believe all incidents are related and involve the drug Alpha PVP (APVP), commonly referred to as bath salts.

The reactions of the people affected include hallucinations, erratic and aggressive behaviour, seizures and loss of consciousness.

Police are concerned that more people may have purchased the drug from this supplier or another, not knowing exactly what they have.

If anyone has purchased any such drug over the last week, Police recommend destroying it.

While it is reassuring that we have been able to move quickly to identify this particular supplier of drugs, it is a reminder to people about the dangers of recreational drug use, and a drug that is currently available that is causing such adverse reactions.

More and more often we are seeing dealers cutting drugs with other substances that make the effects unpredictable and highly dangerous.

There is no such thing as a reliable or safe high. In this case, the pursuit of a high has cost this young man his life and at least three others have been very lucky to survive.

Kicking a drug habit is hard, but its not as hard as a family having to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. Please, if you are using recreational drugs, or you know a friend or family member who is, get help. There are a range of services out there to help people so we dont have to lose any more lives needlessly.

Source: New Zealand Police.
The girl stated that though she survived the suicide bid, the acid caused damage to her internal organs as a result of which she is unable to consume anything. (Representational image)

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Monday permitted an 18-year-old rape victim to abort her 24-week-old foetus observing that continuance of pregnancy may result in a grave injury to her mental health.

In her order, Justice Sonia Gokani took into account the opinion of expert doctors after the HC admitted the plea of the girl. The victim, had stated in her plea on February 17 that she was raped by a youth last year at her village in the district. She later consumed acid to commit suicide as she was unable to bear the trauma after the incident.

She then requested the HC to allow her to terminate her pregnancy. The girl stated that though she survived the suicide bid, the acid caused damage to her internal organs as a result of which she is unable to consume anything. She is being fed with a pipe which is placed directly into her stomach.
Parents across the Bay of Plenty are being urged to ensure their daughter is protected from cervical cancer.

A free HPV immunisations programme is being offered for Year 8 girls at participating schools are being offered free immunisations to protect them against the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Bills running back LeSean McCoy will meet with the district attorney in Philadelphia on Tuesday, according to a media report.

McCoy's attorney told 6ABC that the meeting with DA Seth Williams will happen this afternoon.

McCoy is under investigation for his role in a bar fight with off-duty officers more than two weeks ago in Philadelphia. Williams has been criticized for not filing charges in the case.

McCoy is one of four suspects allegedly involved in a fight with three off-duty police officers  two of which were hospitalized  over a bottle of champagne.

 TMZ video of the brawl

One off-duty officer who was kicked and stomped by the suspects was treated for a laceration to his right eye, broken nose, broken ribs and a sprained thumb. The officer who intervened received eight stitches over his left eye and was received treatment for a possible skull fracture.
Syracuse, N.Y.  State Supreme Court Judge James Murphy has dismissed the city of Syracuse's lawsuit against COR Development Co., the developer of the Syracuse Inner Harbor.

Mayor Stephanie Miner alleged in the lawsuit that COR broke a promise to the city when it applied to the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency for $44.6 million worth of tax exemptions for its planned $342 million development of the Inner Harbor into a mix of hotels, apartments, and office and retail buildings.

The agency approved the exemptions in December. Miner asked the court to order the Fayetteville-based developer to return the land around the former Barge Canal terminal to the city.

Murphy said the city did not prove that COR President Steve Aiello made such a promise when the company arranged its purchase of the land from the city in 2012. Even if it could have proven that he made such a promise, there is no evidence that it was a "material fact" that influenced the city's approval of the land sale, the judge said.

Murphy said the city had presented no evidence that COR had violated the agreement under which it purchased the land.

"There is no allegation that COR has breached any obligation contained within the disposition agreement," the judge said. "At best, the city has submitted proof that the Common Council would have approved the disposition agreement by a 6 to 3 vote, rather than 8 to 1."

COR issued a statement late Monday afternoon saying it was "grateful to the court for fully dismissing the city of Syracuse's frivolous and politically motivated action against the Inner Harbor project."

"Despite the division this lawsuit caused in our community, we never wavered from our commitment to move forward and complete our work," the company said.

Miner's office issued a statement Monday evening saying the city was reviewing the decision and "examining our options going forward."

"The administration continues its commitment to ensuring public benefits from any project of this scale receiving public dollars," the statement said.

City officials previously indicated, however, that they would appeal any decision that went against them. In fact, the city already has appealed previous rulings by Murphy dismissing portions of the lawsuit.

COR said it was concerned that an appeal by the city will drag the matter out longer, delaying the harbor's redevelopment.

"What remains concerning is the city's attempt to continue its suit through an appeal, which could cause significant and long-lasting delays," it said. "The city's maneuver will negatively impact the timely employment of 250 local construction workers for the mixed-use apartments - which is permitted, financed and ready to go - and potentially 60 local permanent jobs with the Aloft Hotel in a hiring and training partnership with SUNY EOC."

COR is close to completing construction of a 134-room, $22 million Aloft Hotel on the south bank of the harbor, the first building in the redevelopment project.

Murphy has not yet ruled on a related lawsuit filed by the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency against COR. In that lawsuit, the agency alleges that COR was obligated to come to the city agency rather than its county counterpart for any tax exemptions. It seeks a $3.24 million administrative fee that it would have received from COR if the company had come to it for the tax exemptions.

The county agency's approval of property, sales and mortgage tax exemptions for COR angered Miner. She said that Aiello had promised city officials that the company would not seek any exemptions. Furthermore, she said she opposed any tax exemptions for COR without a commitment from the company to reserve some of the construction jobs created by the project for city residents.

Aiello acknowledged telling the Syracuse Common Council in 2012 that the company had no plans at that time to apply for tax exemptions  but that it might do so in the future.

The city also said in its lawsuit that COR's response to a request for proposals to develop the harbor did not mention any intention of seeking tax breaks. It alleged that the city relied on that document when it agreed to sell the land around the harbor to the company.

However, Murphy said the city had no legal basis to support its claim that COR's response to the city's request for proposals created some of contractual obligation. He noted that the sales agreement under which the city sold the land to COR contained no prohibition against COR applying for tax exemptions.

COR has said it is working with the State University of New York's Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center to find local residents to work on the harbor project.

The dispute has deepened a rift between Miner and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney.

Court decision in Syracuse lawsuit against COR Development

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
Syracuse, N.Y.  Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney is urging Mayor Stephanie Miner not to appeal a judge's dismissal of the city's lawsuit against COR Development Co. over tax breaks for the company's $342 million Syracuse Inner Harbor project.

"There was no basis for the lawsuit and there's certainly no basis for an appeal," Mahoney said.

She said an appeal by the city will only further delay the creation of construction and other jobs at the harbor, a former state Barge Canal terminal that COR wants to turn into a complex of hotels, apartments, and office and retail buildings. The company is nearing completion on the project's first building, a 134-room Aloft Hotel.

Related: Judge dismisses Syracuse's lawsuit against Inner Harbor developer

"This is the biggest development in the city in a long time," Mahoney said. "To stop it and at the same time purport to be speaking on behalf of people who need jobs, it makes no sense. It's irresponsible. It hurts efforts to get companies to bring jobs here."

She also called on the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency to drop a related lawsuit against COR.

Earlier Monday, state Supreme Court Judge James Murphy tossed out Miner's lawsuit alleging that Fayetteville-based COR broke a promise not to seek tax exemptions for the harbor project. In December, the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency approved the company's request for $44.6 million worth of property, sales and mortgage tax exemptions.

Murphy said the city failed to prove that COR made any such promise.

Miner's office issued a statement saying the city was reviewing the ruling and "examining our options."

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner points out some of the buildings to be built at the city's Inner Harbor. Standing with her at the 2012 event are, from left, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, state Sen. John DeFrancisco and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney.

Miner has said COR should not have received the exemptions without committing to hiring city residents for some of the jobs to be created by the project.

COR denies that it promised not to ask for tax exemptions and has said it is making an effort through an association with the State University of New York's Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center to hire local residents for the project.

Mahoney said a continuation of the litigation will send the wrong message to companies thinking of building in the city.

"It's not a way that a community wants to be seen in terms of economic development and business deals and progress," she said.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
2015-04-29-sdc-sunnywea_2.JPG

A view of Labrador Pond from the Labrador Hollow boardwalk taken in April 2015. Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 that Ryan Lawrence killed his daughter, Maddox Lawrence, at Labrador Hollow Unique Area in Cortland County, a state-owned nature and recreation area.

( Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com | File photo, 2015)

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick

Syracuse, NY -- Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said that baby Maddox Lawrence was likely killed hours after her disappearance Saturday evening in a scenic spot south of Syracuse.

The DA revealed that the baby is believed to have been killed in Labrador Hollow, a Department of Environmental Conservation area in Cortland County, just south of the Onondaga County line. His comments came during an interview with Channel 5 (WTVH).

The girl's father then came back to Syracuse and dumped his daughter's body at the Onondaga Creekwalk -- where she was found this afternoon -- before heading to Baldwinsville, where he had lived and felt comfortable, the DA said.

A former thrift store worker in Baldwinsville recognized Ryan Lawrence Monday evening and called 911. Baldwinsville police and Onondaga County Sheriff's Office deputies picked up the father and turned him over to Syracuse police.
New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the city police to file before tomorrow a status report of its investigation in the sedition case in which JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested.

The court's direction came while hearing Kanhaiya's bail plea which was opposed by Delhi Police. As soon as the hearing commenced before Justice Pratibha Rani at 10.30 am, the bench said, "Are you filing a status report? If you were aware, you should have done it."

Read: Beat Kanhaiya Kumar so hard that he 'wet his pants', brag lawyers in sting

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the police, told the bench that they were opposing the bail plea of Kanhaiya.

At this juncture, the bench said, "What about the status report. If you do not have the status report, I will not proceed. Ask your investigating officer to file the report."

ASG Mehta, however, told the bench that they will file the status report in a sealed cover as "this is a pre-charge sheet bail and the status report cannot be shown to the accused."

Read: Umar Khalid moves Delhi HC, seeks 'security' to surrender

To this, the bench observed, "I do not need it in a sealed cover. You will have to file it. Issue notice. File the status report by tomorrow."

The bench, however, clarified that the status report will be limited to the extent of bail only.

As the matter commenced, senior standing counsel of Delhi government advocate Rahul Mehra opposed the appearance of ASGs Mehta and Sanjay Jain and lawyer Anil Soni, saying before appearing in the matter they should show notification in this regard.

"If they don't have the same (notification) they cannot stand on their legs before this court," Mehra told the bench.

Read: 5 students wont surrender, JNU rallies to their support

Responding to this, ASG Jain said, "Once the ASGs are appearing in this matter, you have no business to interfere in this issue."

At this stage, the bench intervened and said, "Let's not fight over this issue. I will proceed only if status report is filed."

Advocate Mehra, however, said, "They have crossed the 'laxman rekha' and I will not allow this unless the court passes an order. I am appointed by the full court reference of this high court."

Read: JNU students refuse to surrender, prove innocence says Bassi

Mehra also contended that the status report in this matter has to be filed by the Delhi Police Commissioner and he has to clarify his stand as he had earlier said that the police will not oppose Kanhaiya's bail plea.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Rebecca John and advocates Vrinda Grover and Sushil Bajaj were inside the court room representing Kanhaiya in the hearing which lasted for around 10 minutes.

Read: Four booked for sodomising Class five student in Muzaffarnagar

The hearing of the bail plea witnessed unprecedented security arrangement in the high court premises in wake of the violence at the Patiala House Court on February 15 and 17 when unruly lawyers had assaulted Kanhaiya, litigants as well as journalists during the hearing in the case.

Kanhaiya had moved his bail plea in the high court following the direction of the Supreme Court which had refused to hear it on the ground that it will set a "dangerous precedent".

In his petition, Kanhaiya has contended that he was 'falsely implicated' in the case as he had not raised any anti-national slogan.

The JNUSU leader claimed that he was wrongly arrested on the basis of an FIR which was devoid of evidence to book him under such a serious charge.

Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 and remanded to judicial custody on February 17, amid violence at Patiala House courts.

In the plea, he has also claimed that no case is made out against him as there was no evidence as he had never raised any anti-national slogan during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on February 9.

Kanhaiya, who is in judicial custody till March 2, had approached the apex court directly seeking bail on the ground that his life was under threat in Tihar Jail.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The activity along Onondaga Creek is "ground zero" in the search for Maddox Lawrence, a law enforcement source familiar with the case said Tuesday.

The Syracuse Police Department has not released any information related to the case since Monday morning. Maddox and her father, Ryan Lawrence, disappeared Saturday night from a Valley Drive home in Syracuse.

Syracuse police and FBI agents have been searching along the banks of Onondaga Creek for hours between Hiawatha Boulevard and Bear Street. A New York State Police helicopter just landed near the scene.

Tuesday afternoon divers could be seen working from a raft searching the Inner Harbor.

Syracuse Police Chief Frank stopped at the search scene for about 20 minutes before leaving.

Lawrence was taken into custody around 4:30 p.m. Monday in Baldwinsville, a law enforcement source said.

Charley Hannagan contributed to this report.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Police are searching vacant properties and lots in Syracuse and Baldwinsville for missing baby Maddox Lawrence.

Several State Police and Onondaga County Sheriff's deputies are currently on Park Street near Destiny USA searching for the baby.

Residents in Baldwinsville are reporting a helicopter searching near the village.

A state police spokesman said all available units have been asked to check vacant properties and lots to search for the missing 21-month-old baby. A formal search team will be organized at about 8 a.m.

Ryan Lawrence -- the father of missing baby Maddox -- was taken into custody this evening in Baldwinsville, according to a law enforcement source.

Syracuse police have declined to confirm he is in custody nor has the department released any information about searches being conducted.

Onondaga County Sheriff Gene Conway said tonight that a man who apparently fit the description of Ryan Lawrence -- the father of missing baby Maddox -- was taken into custody this evening in Baldwinsville. The man was turned over to Syracuse police, he said.

Maddox and her father disappeared Saturday night from a home on Valley Drive. Police said the father left a cryptic, alarming text message. The Amber Alert was issued Sunday morning said the father left a message saying he was going to harm himself and possibly the child.

As of early Tuesday morning, the Amber Alert had not been cancelled. Police are continuing to search wooded areas, open lots and other properties in Baldwinsville and the surrounding areas.

This is a developing story and will be updated with new information as it becomes available.
Update: Syracuse police have Ryan Lawrence - the father of missing baby Maddox - in custody, according to a law enforcement source.

Syracuse police still have not confirmed that he is in custody and have declined to release any new information on the case at this time.

Baldwinsville, NY -- A man who apparently fit the description of Ryan Lawrence -- the father of missing baby Maddox -- was taken into custody this evening in Baldwinsville, Onondaga County Sheriff Gene Conway said tonight.

The sheriff said the 21-month-old girl was not with the man.

"There was not anyone else (with him), obviously not the little girl," Conway said.

The man -- who was not officially identified -- was transferred to Syracuse police custody, Conway said. Syracuse police would not immediately confirm that anyone was in custody.

The sheriff provided the following:

A former employee of a thrift store in Baldwinsville called 911 after spotting a man matching the description of Ryan Lawrence.

Baldwinsville police and sheriff's deputies were dispatched at 4:30 p.m. to Downer Street. The caller may have indicated that she recognized the man from previous visits to the thrift store.

Village police stopped a man who matched Lawrence's description walking down Downer Street. That man was held until Syracuse police could arrive.

"SPD did come out, did take a subject that had been stopped," Conway said.

He referred all further questions to Syracuse police, who presumably still had the man in custody.

Maddox and her father disappeared Saturday night from a home on Valley Drive. Police said the father left a cryptic, alarming text message.

The father has a history of mental health issues and is emotionally unstable, according to an Amber Alert was issued Sunday morning. The alert also said the father left a message saying he was going to harm himself and possibly the child.

As of Monday night, the Amber Alert had not been cancelled.

Syracuse police are working with the FBI, Onondaga County Sheriff's Office and the State Police to try to locate the baby and her father.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the man was taken into custody in a car. But updated information indicates he was actually on foot, Sheriff Gene Conway said.
ryan lawrence mug.jpg

Ryan Lawrence booking photo

(Syracuse police)

Syracuse, NY -- Minutes after announcing Ryan Lawrence's arrest in his daughter's murder, Syracuse police released a mug shot of Lawrence during his booking at the county jail.

Police Chief Frank Fowler stood by his decision not to release any information during a search for baby Maddox Lawrence in the 24 hours after her father's capture Monday in Baldwinsville.

The 21-month-old's body was found this afternoon in Onondaga Creek near Destiny USA.

At a news conference this afternoon, the chief said that Lawrence would be arraigned at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in City Court.

From there, his case will undoubtedly be presented to a grand jury and he will be tried in County Court.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said he will personally prosecute the father when the time comes.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The Syracuse Police Department will hold a news conference this morning about the case of missing baby Maddox Lawrence.

The 21-month-old girl and her father, Ryan Lawrence, disappeared Saturday night from a Valley Drive home. An Amber Alert issued Sunday morning reported the father left a message stating he was going to hurt himself and possibly harm his daughter.

The news conference is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Syracuse Police Sgt. Richard Helterline said no information will be released until then.

This will be the first information the city has released in about 18 hours.

As of Tuesday morning, the Amber Alert has not been canceled.

At about 4:30 p.m. Monday, Baldwinsville police and Onondaga County sheriff's deputies rushed to Downer Street in Baldwinsville after a former thrift store employee reported spotting a man who looked like Lawrence, Sheriff Gene Conway said.

A Syracuse police car sits under the Bear St overpass on the Creekwalk. A search will start for Maddox Lawrence, 21 months, who was last seen with her father Ryan Feb 20, 2016. A search will continue throughout the day. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Village police stopped a man walking on Downer Street who matched Lawrence's description. Lawrence was taken into custody, according to a law enforcement source.

Syracuse police are stationed near the Syracuse Inner Harbor Creekwalk this morning.

The trail underneath the Van Rensselaer Street bridge was roped off with police tape. An officer locked the wooden gate at the parking lot near Van Rensselear Street and Bear Road.

A marked patrol car parked on the trail near the Van Rensselear Street. Another officer parked near the Hiawatha Boulevard bridge over Onondaga Creek.

State police troopers and sheriff's deputies searched Park Street near Destiny USA for the baby Monday night. Baldwinsville residents reported a helicopter was searching near the village. A formal search team was expected to be organized around 8 a.m. today.

Syracuse police have asked that anyone with information call 911 or (315) 442-5222. Anonymous tips can bed submitted through the SPD Tips app.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Maddox Lawrence, a 21-month-old Syracuse girl who was reported missing Saturday night, is dead, according sources this afternoon.

Syracuse Police are working with the New York State Police, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office and the FBI to investigate what happened to baby Maddox. The Syracuse Police Department has not released any information in the nearly 24 hours since Ryan Lawrence, Maddox's father, was taken into custody Monday afternoon.

A news conference that was postponed this morning has been rescheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Here's 4 things that we learned today:
Chennai: A day after DMDK chief Vijayakanth lost the Opposition leader status in Assembly, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa filed a defamation case against him for making false remarks against the government in connection with the December deluge.

On her behalf, city public prosecutor M.L.Jegan on Monday filed the complaint before the principal Sessions Court. She submitted that the DMDK leader made a false statement against the government stating the Chennai flood was caused artificially. Based on a committees report, Vijayakanth levelled allegations against the government. This was published in DMK party organ, Murasoli on February 4.

Jagan stated that Vijayakanths statement, attributable to Chief Minister, was false and deliberately made to defame her reputation. There is no truth in the allegation.
As the signature campaign kick started on the lawns in Allama Iqbal Library block, the students began chanting 'Kanhaiya Kumar, were with you; SAR Gilani, you are not alone' and then, Go India, go back. (Photo: Habib Naqash)

Srinagar: Students at Kashmir University in Srinagar on Tuesday held a rally to protest against the police crackdown on JNU students. They also launched a signature campaign to express solidarity with the JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and also the Valley-born SAR Gilani, a former professor at Delhi University arrested in connection with a recent event at the Press Club of India where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised and who was subsequently booked on sedition charges.

Scores of male and female students marched within the picturesque campus of Kashmirs main and oldest university on the western shore of Srinagars Dal Lake, carrying banners which read Kanhaiya Kumar; the voice of justice and Prof. SAR Gilani; the voice of the voiceless prisoners.

Some of the placards in their hands had, Dont label students as terrorists, We stand for freedom of speech and expression, We stand in solidarity with JNU and The hanging of Afzal Guru was travesty of justice written on them.

The protesting students also raised pro-freedom slogans and condemned alleged harassment of Kashmiri students at the hands of Delhi Police. As the signature campaign kick started on the lawns in front of imposing
Visits to Harbor Cove in the Harbortown Marina in North Fort Pierce have been hit or miss in the past, but the tranquil view of boats and the Indian River Lagoon always bring me back.

I got word the restaurant was renovated. I found the outdoor deck and dining area are bright tropical hues, and the menu was revamped under the new ownership. Harbor Cove offers short term tie-up for smaller boats, making it an easy stop when out on the water.

Some of the old menu options are still available, like the crab-stuffed artichoke hearts ($12) and the conch sandwich ($12), along with additional sandwiches, burgers and salads such as the kale and quinoa ($12; kale, quinoa, roasted peppers, grapes, sunflower seeds and sun-dried cranberries). A dinner menu is available after 4 p.m. Entrees consist of Italian seafood offerings, such as lobster ravioli ($18), along with fish and chips ($14), avocado mahi ($18, served with black beans, pico de gallo and avocado over rice) and various steak options.

One of the appetizer specials offered on our afternoon trip was ahi tuna egg rolls ($12). Rare ahi tuna, seaweed salad and sesame seeds were rolled into a crisp wonton shell. They were cut in half and served over mango Thai slaw. The plate was decorated artistically with wasabi squiggles, a colorful fried tortilla spiral for decoration and sweet Thai chili sauce for dipping.

The crunchy grouper sandwich ($15) was a huge, flaky, white grouper filet fried golden. It was twice the size of the bun. Our server said the tortilla chip coating is what gives it that extra crispiness. It came with fries and a pickle spear.

My mahi Reuben ($15) was a thick, slightly citrusy grilled mahi filet topped in gooey melted Swiss cheese and a layer of sauerkraut on grilled rye bread. The sandwich was served with Thousand Island dressing on the side, French fries and a pickle spear. The filet was flavorful, and a Reuben is always a good choice.

The kid's beef slider with cheese ($6.75) was a handcrafted mini patty seasoned well and covered in the requested American cheese, the size of the burger was perfect for my 4-year-old, and it was nice to see different options available for children, but the price seemed a bit steep for a slider-sized burger with fries.

Melissa Stonesifer dines anonymously at the expense of Treasure Coast Newspapers. Contact her at melissalifetime@gmail.com, or follow @M_Stonesifer on Twitter.

HARBOR COVE BAR AND GRILL

Cuisine: Sandwiches, burgers, Italian seafood entrees, steaks

Address: 1903 Harbortown Drive, Fort Pierce (in Harbortown Marina)

Phone: 772-429-5303

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Handicapped access: Yes

Alcohol: Full bar

Online: On Facebook
Don't be alarmed if you see zombies, freaks and monsters in Fort Pierce next weekend.

For three days, The St. Lucie County Havert Fenn Center will be transformed into another world for the inaugural Treasure Coast Freak Show.

Similar to last summer's Treasure Coast Comic Con, which brought popular actors and producers of superheroes and villains to the area, the Freak Show will bring together stars of hit horror movies and television shows with their diehard fans.

"It's pretty awesome to have something like this here," said Port St. Lucie resident and cosplayer Steve Waters.

MORE | Scroll down read about the special guests coming

to the Treasure Coast Freak Show.

Waters, a founding member of the local Treasure Coast Cosplayers group, is excited by the prospect of thousands attending the event.

Cosplayer, which is a mash-up of the words "costume" and "play," is a popular hobby in which fans, like Waters, dress up as characters from video games, comic books, graphic novels, movies and television shows.

Before attending last summer's Comic Con, Waters, a transplant from Georgia who enjoys dressing up as a Ghostbuster at similar events, took to Facebook last year hoping to find local cosplayers and never dreamed the group would grow as big as it has today.

"It just soared," he said. "It has more than 270 members in less than a year."

Although many members often are busy with family or work, most have found the group's activities a great way to socialize.

"We're all interested in this fandom and want to participate and to feel a part of something," Waters said.

Even though Halloween is months away, Waters and other diehard fans are eager to dress up as horror characters for the Treasure Coast Freak Show.

"It's a way for everyone to showcase their talents and get inspired because they want to create something new and fresh and meet other people in the process," said Waters, whose group will dress-up as Balthazar and his Band of Beauties as they host a maze-like tour during the event.

The Freak Show also will include a presentation of classic sideshows found in a traveling circuses in the early 1900s, unseen horror films, a haunted house and photo opportunities with stars from the hit shows "American Horror Story" and "The Walking Dead" as well a panel discussion with the actors.

"We're trying to test the limits and bring new stuff to the area, whether it be comic con or the freak show because St. Luice County is in high demand of good produced local events and that's what we're trying to do," said John Mangan, co-owner of the Port St. Lucie-based South Florida Event Management, the company that hosts the conventions.

Those attending the Treasure Coast Freak Show will find out what it was like for the actors on the sets of these shows, he said.

"You're going to learn how to execute a podcast and many other things depending on what you come for," Mangan said.

Although the event is all things scary, there's no age limit for guests and many activities are family friendly, said Mangan's business partner Ryan Strickland.

He said the individuals that show up for these kind of events take them seriously.

"It's really an art and has a cultural experience about it. It's not just about being weird," Strickland said.

TREASURE COAST FREAK SHOW

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March 4-6

Where: St. Lucie County Havert L. Fenn Center, 2000 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce

Tickets: Starting at $15 for a one-day pass; $35 for a weekend pass; $125 for VIP, which includes access all three days, Friday night VIP dinner with the stars, one Freak Show T-Shirt and one Freak Show poster.

Information: www.treasurecoastfreakshow.com

Hover over or click on the icons to learn more about each actor.

SPECIAL GUESTS

Tyler Mane (Daryl Karolat): Actor and producer known for "X-Men" (2000), "Halloween" (2007) and "Troy" (2004)

Naomi Grossman: Pepper in "American Horror Story: Asylum" and "American Horror Story: Freak Show"

Mat Fraser: Paul, the Illustrated Seal in "American Horror Story: Freak Show"

Jennifer Lynn Warren: Borquita LaLaurie in "American Horror Story: Coven"

Rob Archer: "Bio-Man" in "Defiance," "Bruce" in "Lost Girl" and other credits include "Beauty and the Beast," "Kickass 2," "Flashpoint," "Alphas" and "Repo Men."

Nick King: Actor/Stuntman in "Paranormal Activity" and "Paranormal Activity 3," "Thor," "The Green Hornet," "Cowboys and Aliens" and "The Last Stand."

Paranormal Xpeditions (PXP): A paranormal group comprised of three young women from the Boston-area including Rachel Hoffman, Danielle Minacapelli and Tina Storer. The group was featured in the debut episode of the Travel Channel's Paranormal Challenge.

Ari Lehman: Young Jason Voorhees in "Friday the 13th" (1980) and "Boy In The Lake."

Danica Rockwood: A gamer, model, YouTuber and an award-winning costumer.

Theodus Crane: Big Tiny in "The Walking Dead" and many other roles.

Travis Love: Shumpert in "The Walking Dead."
Ray Morales, 37, 1700 block of Fairfield Street, Port St. Lucie; robbery with firearm.

Heriberto Ortiz, 48, Royal Palm Beach; warrant for court order for pretrial detention and termination of pretrial supervision, possession of a controlled substance without a valid prescription, DUI, fleeing or eluding while lights and siren activated, use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

Hoyt Adams, 43, 6700 block of Woods Island Circle, Port St. Lucie; warrant for court order for pretrial detention and termination of pretrial supervision, resisting an officer with violence, burglary of a dwelling or structure, causing damage over $1,000, trespass, battery on an officer/firefighter/EMT, criminal mischief  property damage of $1,000 or more.

Michael Daniello, 44, Lake Worth; warrant for violation of probation, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, less than 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Aaren Hartman, 36, 3800 block of Edwards Road, Fort Pierce; warrant for uttering a forged instrument, petty theft.

Joseph Rogers, 21, 1900 block of Villanova Road, Port St. Lucie; DUI, unlawful blood alcohol level of .15 more higher with a person under 18, first offense.

Rodney Fardink, 51, first block of Flores Del Norte, Fort Pierce; warrant for violation of probation, battery on an elderly person.

Michael Loftsgaard, 29, 2800 block of Dame Road, Fort Pierce; warrant for giving false information to a pawnbroker, dealing in stolen property.

Zoraima Beritan, 25, Miramar; warrant for larceny/grand theft.

Anthony Juarez, 33, 300 block of Butler Avenue, Port St. Lucie; warrant for DUI, with prior arrests.

William Sutherland, 53, 900 block of Savannah Point Drive, Fort Pierce; out-of-county warrant, Broward County, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, petty theft.

Alfredo Gomez, 27, 14000 block of Shawnee Street, Indiantown; warrants for giving false information to a pawnbroker, dealing in stolen property.

Marcos Valdez, 20, 2000 block of 30th Street, Fort Pierce; warrant for preventing/obstructing extinguishment of fire.

Gary Burnette, 26, 400 block of Kentwood Road, Port St. Lucie; sexual assault by custodian/sexual battery on a victim, 12 years old to 18; lewd/lascivious behavior on a victim, 12 to 16, by an offender, 18 or older.

Luis Funez, 41, 1700 block of Port St. Lucie Boulevard, Port St. Lucie; warrant for violation of probation, petty theft, resisting merchant.

Mercilyn Bailey, 61, 100 block of Sea Lion Road, Port St. Lucie; organized fraud.

Gerald Ramirez, 30, 400 block of Belmont Circle, Port St. Lucie; warrant for court order to revoke bond, new arrest, petty theft.

Jacolby Dunbar, 28, West Palm Beach; warrant for bond surrender, knowingly driving while license suspended or revoked; hold, Palm Beach County, robbery with firearm, kidnap  false imprisonment.

Robert Pugh, 25, West Palm Beach; warrant for violation of probation, petty theft.

Anetia Buendia, 37, Boca Raton; warrant for violation of probation, battery.

Billy Moore, 58, 1700 block of Cashmere Boulevard, Port St. Lucie; re-admit, driving while license suspended, forcible felony or suspension not specified.

Deborah Holloway, 43, 5800 block of Killarney Avenue, Fort Pierce; re-admit, possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, possession of hydromorphone.

Fallon Lohr, 34, 600 block of Todd Avenue, Port St. Lucie; out-of-county warrant, Okeechobee County, passing worthless checks.

Christopher Lawson, 45, Delray Beach; hold, Palm Beach county, reckless driving, resisting an officer without violence.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed happiness over people's response in sharing their memorable exam experiences and ideas on his mobile app.

During Mann Ki Baat programme in All India Radio last month Mr Modi had urged students, teachers and parents to share their exam experiences, keeping in mind the ongoing exam season.

"Glad that many people have shared their memorable exam experiences & ideas on the Mobile App. I went through some of them. People have written about tension free exams, how to overcome pressures, freedom to choose one's own path among several other issues," the Prime Minister said in a series of tweets today.

During #MannKiBaat last month had urged students, teachers & parents to share their exam experiences, keeping in mind ongoing exam season.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 23, 2016

Glad that many people have shared their memorable exam experiences & ideas on the Mobile App. I went through some of them.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 23, 2016

People have written about tension free exams, how to overcome pressures, freedom to choose one's own path among several other issues.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 23, 2016

The Prime Minister urged everyone to keep sharing their views and said that it will help students and their parents and teachers.

I urge you all to keep sharing your views. This will help students & their parents, teachers. https://t.co/TYuxNNJfIf  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 23, 2016

Yesterday, in his address at the centenary convocation of the prestigious Banaras Hindu University, the Prime Minister said 'the student within you should not die, should not shrivel', urging students to not give up their curiosity.
State law requires public-school students to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning. But on the Treasure Coast they don't all do it.

Parents can get their kids excused from the daily regimen simply by making a written request to their school. That's happening here, but trying to find out how many children are sitting out the pledge is no easy feat.

District officials could not immediately provide the number of students who don't say the pledge. To come up with a figure, officials said they would have to search each student file in every school to see if they had a letter from home.

Districts say they comply with the rule, which calls for posting a notice of the right to skip the pledge in a "conspicuous place."

Those "conspicuous" places vary among school districts.

In Martin County schools, the notice is posted in the front office of each campus, according to district officials.

St. Lucie and Indian River county school districts display the notice online with other polices.

School officials said the pledge can be led by teachers, students or administrators.

Those posting rules could change soon.

A bill now in the Legislature, sponsored by Rep. Doug Broxson, R-Milton, would require notice be placed in student handbooks. A state House panel approved the bill last week and it will next be heard by the full House.

But why are schoolchildren required to say the pledge at all?

The Pledge of Allegiance has been commonplace in American schools since it was written by Francis Bellamy, a socialist, in 1892, explained Marshall DeRosa, a political science professor at Florida Atlantic University.

Bellamy saw the school system was a way to socialize the American people to be loyal to the U.S. government for generations, DeRosa said.

"He was trying to bind the nation together," DeRosa said.

The pledge has endured much controversy since its creation, DeRosa said.

In 1941, the Supreme Court ruled students must say the pledge despite religious grievances, after Jehovah's Witnesses refused to say the pledge, DeRosa said. The decision was overturned three years later.

The pledge has since evolved over the decades.

Before World War II, the pledge salute was a right hand raised in the air with flat palms toward the ground  similar to the Nazi salute, DeRosa said.

The words "one nation under God" were added in 1954, during the Cold War, a time when the nation was attempting to foster patriotism, DeRosa said.

The addition was problematic for people of many religions, according to DeRosa.

"They can't pledge an allegiance to a government, their allegiance is to god," DeRosa said. "Once you pledge allegiance, you're saying 'Yes, I'm following you  you are in charge.'"

When Bellamy wrote the pledge, his focus was uniting people over the centralized power of national government, according to DeRosa. Today, the pledge is a check, protecting the nation from becoming absorbed into the global community, he said.
MARTIN COUNTY  A battalion chief who was responding to a Fire Rescue call was injured in a Tuesday morning crash near Interstate 95, said sheriff's officials.

Scott Legg was driving a Fire Rescue SUV with lights and sirens westbound on Martin Highway about 11:20 a.m. Tuesday when a tractor-trailer exiting I-95 failed to yield to the SUV, said sheriff's traffic supervisor Lt. Stephen Mochen.

Legg tried to avoid the tractor-trailer, but hit the left rear side of it head-on, Mochen said.

Legg sustained nonlife-threatening injuries and was flown to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce, Mochen said. He was stable Tuesday afternoon, Mochen said.

Legg had been heading toward a serious crash at Dunklin Park in Indiantown, said sheriff's officials.

Martin Highway west of I-95 remained closed until 2:30 p.m. while rescue crews were on the scene, Mochen said.

Florida Highway Patrol continued Tuesday afternoon investigating the cause of the crash.
U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy has been going on the offensive against his U.S. Senate primary opponent, taking advantage of recent bad headlines about U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson's controversial hedge funds.

Grayson also has shown his teeth, attacking Murphy for money a super PAC that supports him took from a businessman who would have benefitted from legislation he co-sponsored.

Murphy, D-Jupiter, has called for Grayson to shut down the hedge fund after a Feb. 11 New York Times investigation showed his work for the fund interfered with his congressional duties and he advertised his international trips, some of them as a congressman, to solicit business. The House Ethics Committee said Monday it is investigating Grayson but didn't say what the content of the investigation is.

Murphy took the latest jab at his Democratic rival during a Sunday interview with NBC6 Miami, which covers one of the state's largest Democratic strongholds in South Florida. Murphy questioned whether Grayson was trying to evade taxes by setting up hedge funds in the Cayman Islands, a known tax haven, even though he's closed those branches. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid earlier this month called on Grayson to drop out of the Senate race. Grayson denies using his office for personal financial gain.

Grayson, of Orlando, is known as an aggressive campaigner and has gone on the offensive against Murphy since he entered the Senate race in July. He has attacked Murphy on the campaign money he's taken from Wall Street, his vote for a bill calling for a halt to accepting Syrian refugees last year, among others.

One of Grayson's latest jabs was over $50,000 the pro-Murphy super PAC Floridians for a Strong Middle Class took last year from a company affiliated with a Palm Beach County developer. Nicholas Mastroianni II has raised more than $1 billion for projects through the EB-5 visa program, in which foreigners can get a green card in exchange for investing at least $500,000 in the U.S. and creating at least 10 American jobs, Fortune magazine reported in 2014.

Murphy was one of seven bipartisan co-sponsors to a 2014 bill that would have exempted the program from congressional reauthorization every five years and made it permanent. The bill died, and Murphy didn't co-sponsor a version filed in 2015.

Murphy's campaign declined to comment on the EB-5 issue and instead sent a statement on Grayson's hedge funds.

"Mr. Grayson needs to come clean with congressional investigators and owes his constituents an apology for failing to put them first," Murphy said in the statement.

The U.S. Senate primary will happen Aug. 30 and the general election Nov. 8. Also in the Democratic race is Palm Beach County lawyer Pam Keith.

U.S. Reps. David Jolly and Ron DeSantis are running against Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Orlando businessman Todd Wilcox for the Republican nomination. Incumbent GOP Sen. Marco Rubio isn't seeking re-election to run for president.
MARTIN COUNTY  Not yet halfway through the fiscal year, county fire rescue has spent more than what it budgeted for overtime, according to the county. It's spent $375,685 for overtime; the county had budgeted $300,000, records show.

The growing overtime expense sheds light on ongoing friction between the county and Martin County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics, the union representing most of Martin's fire rescue staff. The two have been at odds over the collective-bargaining agreement for about a year and a half. The two sides are at an impasse, but they're to try again at a meeting Friday.

Now, they also are at odds over the growing overtime.

While the union says a "mass exodus" of experienced fire rescue staff created the need for remaining staff to work extra hours, the county said other reasons also are causing the overtime.

Employees have been leaving because of a lack of pay raises commensurate with experience and overall low morale, said Chad Michael Cianciulli, union president.

"Overtime is there because of vacancies," Cianciulli added.

But there are other reasons, County Administrator Taryn Kryzda said.

Long-serving employees have accumulated sick and vacation leave  some have more than 1,000 hours  and the county is required to maintain certain staffing levels at stations and on shifts, she said.

"Therefore, when we have an individual that is out either sick or on vacation or any other reason, another employee with the same rank must fill in and is then working that shift on overtime," Kryzda said.

In a Feb. 15 memo, she denied there's a "'mass exodus' of experienced employees" as the union has said.

So far this fiscal year, 10 employees have left Martin fire rescue for other departments, according to the county. And, for all of last fiscal year, nine left for other departments, the county said.

Renzo Urzola was one of those nine.

In Martin County, he said, he likely wouldn't have received a significant raise in the future.

During 7 years on the department he received only one or two raises, but they were insignificant, he said.

Now, as a firefighter and paramedic with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Urzola said, he's more likely to get a raise.

"There's a lot more room to grow down here," he said.

Howard Huxable said he resigned Feb. 17 after 1  years as a firefighter/emergency medical technician.

At Palm Beach County Fire Rescue his starting salary will be $42,000, less than what he was making in Martin County, he said.

But, he added, he is confident his salary would grow at his new job.

"There's vertical growth that I felt might not be provided in Martin County," he said.

For its part, the county plans to curb the overtime by eliminating off-duty, nonessential activities, restricting leave time and restructuring new-hire training, records show.

"We are doing everything we can to streamline and increase the turnaround time," Kryzda said.

The county has received 175 applications for the open firefighter/EMT positions and has filled the vacancies it could with applications received in the past, Kryzda said in her Feb. 15 memo.

As for tackling the growing overtime spending, she said: "We will continue to monitor the overtime each pay cycle and hold other expenditures within the department to a minimum to offset the moneys having to be expended above the budgeted amount in overtime."
VERO BEACH  The city should spend another $50,000 to complete its stormwater utility tax study, two commissions recommended Monday.

If the City Council approves the recommendations of the Finance and Utilities commissioners, the second part of the study would take a more in-depth look at drainage off hard surfaces, such as pavement and roofs, and at existing land uses, said City Manager Jim O'Connor. The study could be completed in about four months, he said.

'There is no need to spend any more money on this if we don't want a stormwater utility,' O'Connor told the city's Finance and Utilities commissions, which met jointly Monday to discuss the consultant's preliminary findings.

City Council hired a consultant last summer to study implementation of a stormwater utility tax  which levies a tax across all property owners to generate money for drainage projects. The council has said it would hold a citywide referendum before making a final decision. If approved, the stormwater utility would apply only to the 13,200 Vero water customers  out of 22,000 total  within the city limits.

The Utilities Commission unanimously recommended the city move forward with the study. The Finance Commission agreed 4-1 to continue the study, with Commissioner Daniel Stump opposing it.

Stormwater utilities were created in Florida in the 1980s as a way of paying for drainage projects without raising taxes or raiding a city's general fund. Proponents say a stormwater utility would be more equitable than raising property taxes because all property owners pay the fee with their monthly utility bills. Even tax-exempt properties such as churches and schools would pay.

Public Works Director Monte Falls said Monday a stormwater-utility tax would allow the city to pay for upgrades to its water-treatment infrastructure. The study shows that about 34 percent of the runoff in the city gets some kind of treatment before going into the Indian River Lagoon, Falls said.

According to the study, the city would need about $2.5 million to increase that to about 53 percent, and an additional $1.1 million to bring the city to 64 percent, he said.

Opponents say the stormwater utility is another tax on residents.

O'Connor said the council likely would discuss the study and the commissions' recommendation at its March 1 meeting.
ST. LUCIE COUNTY  A countywide rabies alert that has been in place since late November will end Wednesday, unless another rabid animal is found, according to county health officials.

The last case of rabies was a wild raccoon confirmed Dec. 26. It was the sixth rabid raccoon found in the county last year, said St. Lucie County Health Department spokeswoman Arlease Hall. Rabies previously was found in one bat, a cat and one domestic dog, she said.

St. Lucie County's nine rabies cases last year was the most out of Florida's 67 counties last year. Alachua was second with seven cases and Palm Beach County had six.

Indian River County had one case; Martin County had two. All were raccoons.

It is unknown how many rabid animals are in the wild because usually only a few are seen, according to health officials. Animals are only tested if they act strangely, can be captured, and are near a person or pet, according to the Florida Department of Health.

The rabies virus is spread to humans through the saliva of a rabid animal. That can be through a bite or through exposure to infected saliva. It can be fatal, if left untreated, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control.

Last year in St. Lucie County, 108 people took anti-rabies vaccinations, costing $3,000 per person, state records show. It wasn't confirmed that those people had rabies; rather they were bitten or scratched under circumstances where rabies could have been present, said Cheryl Dunn, environmental manager with the Indian River County Health Department. Last year, 36 Indian River County residents got the vaccinations. In Martin County, 35 were treated.

Almost invariably, people get vaccinated after being cautioned that they could have been exposed to rabies.

Animal control agencies and health officials continue to advise people to have their pets vaccinated.

Rabies can occur year-round but this year has had repeated cold fronts, making people or their pets less likely to be outside and in contact with rabid animals. It is through such contact that rabies often is found.

Last year was an exceptionally warm year.

St. Lucie County's first rabies case of 2015 was a raccoon in March. That was followed by a rabid feral cat found in a vacant house in Fort Pierce in June. As the count continued increasing, much of the county was put under an alert. At the end of November  after finding another rabid raccoon  the alert was expanded countywide.
Michele Lochridge

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By Will Greenlee of TCPalm

ST. LUCIE COUNTY ? A woman who told sheriff's officials she was there when her accused murderer boyfriend moved a body to a storm shelter and poured drain cleaner on the corpse, was arrested on an accessory charge, according to records obtained Monday.

Michele Lee Lochridge, 38, of Vero Beach, was arrested Friday in the late November homicide of Ashley Pollow. Her boyfriend, Thomas Barnard, was arrested Jan. 27 in the case on a first-degree murder charge.

Pollow's body was found Dec. 7 locked in a storm shelter at Pollow's home in the 6400 block of Oleander Avenue. Lochridge and Barnard worked for Pollow, 58, a tax attorney whose business was based at his house.

"The reason Thomas Barnard gave for killing Ashley Pollow was that Ashley Pollow was going to report Michele Lochridge to authorities for stealing from him," Sheriff Ken Mascara said after Barnard's arrest. "Thomas Barnard also stated that he and his girlfriend wanted to take over Ashley Pollow's business and this would be a great way to do it."

Mascara has said Barnard, 33, and Lochridge "were suspects from the first week of the investigation."

Barnard and Lochridge initially told investigators they went to work Nov. 29, but Pollow apparently wasn't there. They said they locked the home and left. They also said that on Nov. 30, they arrived and the home was locked. Pollow wouldn't answer the phone.

Sheriff's officials learned that on Dec. 3, Lochridge tried to cash a $1,250 check at a SunTrust Bank, but the bank wouldn't cash it because the signature wasn't consistent with Pollow's signature card.

In a Jan. 23 interview with investigators, Lochridge said Barnard admitted to killing Pollow on Nov. 28, saying he choked Pollow in the front office at his home.

She later said Barnard went to Pollow's home on Nov. 28 in the morning and that she got a call from Barnard. He reportedly said "something bad" happened to Pollow. She said Barnard returned to their Vero Beach home but because Barnard wouldn't tell her what happened, she went to Pollow's home.

She found Pollow's body wrapped in a blanket with a plastic bag covering his face in a bedroom closet. Lochridge said she was very upset and sat crying next to Pollow's body. She tried to lift Pollow's body but couldn't. She said she called Barnard and said "they needed to call rescue or tell somebody," but Barnard told her no. Barnard, she said, told her she would be blamed for Pollow's death and that "somebody else did this."

After Lochridge returned home, Barnard reportedly agreed to go back to Pollow's home, she said. When they went back to Pollow's home, they argued over calling for assistance. She said they went back to Vero Beach.

The next day, they returned to Pollow's home, where she said Barnard moved Pollow's body to the storm shelter.

She told Barnard to be careful but didn't help carry the body. She said Barnard pushed Pollow down the steps and poured Liquid Lightning drain cleaner on Pollow.

She said Barnard told her he was protecting her by pouring the drain cleaner on the body. She said Barnard said authorities would blame her for Pollow's death because she had a criminal record.

Lochridge was arrested Friday on a felony accessory charge.
I'm about to make a bit of a leap here. But jump along with me.

I spoke to a lot of people last week whose voices didn't make it into my Sunday piece on the anger over the discharges fouling the Indian River Lagoon. I talked to Capt. Scott Fawcett, of Off the Chain sportfishing charters, who's watching his business evaporate as the "chocolate-soup mess" pours into the estuary.

"We offer stand-up paddling and kayaking but I don't even advertise that anymore because I've been afraid to take my family" in the water, he said.

Follow our Lake Okeechobee discharge meter for daily updates.

Indeed, Fawcett said he's reluctant to rinse his hands in his live bait well, and has been careful about boat speed so people don't get splashed.

You know things are bad when a guy who makes his living off the water is worried about what might happen if he or his customers actually touch it.

How's the water in your area?

I also talked to Mark Nichols, owner of DOA Lures, a Stuart-based lure manufacturer. He said the sea grass that used to start about 50 yards offshore has disappeared.

"This year we went 200 yards offshore, and there was not a blade of grass," he said.

And without the sea grass, guess what happens to the fish who rely on it?

"I've always been an optimist," Nichols said wearily. "But some of what I've seen since I've owned this business makes you really discouraged."

It doesn't exactly bolster your faith in a political system that responds slowly, if it responds at all.

Look I'm just a newcomer, but I see the aerial photos of black lake water flooding into the inlets and ocean and I think: How does anyone think this is acceptable?

Of course no one does, or no one frames it that way. A spokesperson for the Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains the dike around Lake Okeechobee, acknowledged to a local TV station that "there is a huge public impact we are well aware of and recognize," but the discharges will continue, because where else is the water going to go?

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson flew into town last week and touted a bill that would authorize the $1.9 billion Central Everglades Planning Project, which could reduce discharges by 14 percent ... by 2029.

"Unfortunately, these things are costly and take a long time," Nelson said.

Meanwhile, the Amendment 1 money that was supposed to be used for land purchases  including land south of the lake  will again be used for other things. Of the $880 million in Amendment 1 funds available this year, the Florida House is proposing to spend $80 million for land acquisition, while the Senate proposal would allot only $52 million.

What about salaries and operating expenses? The Senate would put $236 million toward that, and the House $183 million.

"I wish you all would kick them in the shins," said Nelson of the legislators who think this a good idea.

Actually, a swift kick to another part of the anatomy might be more effective, or at least more gratifying.

So here we are. Hey, it's complex, these things take time, and it costs a lot of money. So sure, the discharges are bad. But what can we do?

How does that look from the perspective of someone whose livelihood depends on the water?

Think it looks like dysfunction? Does it convey a warm, fuzzy feeling about the competence of government? Or does it send the opposite message?

Is it any wonder people may lose faith in government's ability to actually do something about the problem?

That sentiment doesn't start or stop at the water's edge.

This dynamic  this loss of faith  defines American politics right now. It's the reason Donald Trump and, to a lesser extent, Bernie Sanders have gotten so much traction.

Trump in particular draws support from those who believe that the status quo has failed them and their communities. If you're working class and come from a depressed industrial town, if you feel like you're treading water financially and the water keeps getting higher and higher  what has the status quo done for you?

Do you really think Hillary Clinton or whichever establishment GOP candidate can wrestle the nomination away from Trump is going to make a difference in your life  beyond making it worse?

Do you trust government and the usual crop of politicians to solve your problems? Heck, do you think they actually CARE about your problems?

Understand, I'm not suggesting that opponents of the Lake Okeechobee discharges are voting for Trump. They might think him a dangerous loon.

And I don't know that they've lost faith in the system to the point where they want to blow it up  which is what Trump and his supporters aim to do.

Instead, they want the system to listen and respond. They want legislators and other public officials to push harder, buck the special interests that bankroll them, find money and make it happen.

Those efforts might succeed. But if not, any remaining confidence that Tallahassee gives two shakes about the pollution problem might be gone with the sea grass.

And that creates the conditions, the mindset, where the next Trump, or "Trumpism," finds more support among those who never considered themselves radical  but who begin to see radicalism as the only thing that might actually move the needle.
MARTIN COUNTY  At its February luncheon meeting in Palm City, The League of Women Voters of Martin County honored longtime Martin County Commissioner Sarah Heard with its 2016 Susan B. Anthony Award. This award is presented annually by the League, and recognizes an individual in Martin County who exemplifies 'the characteristics of Susan B. Anthony, particularly her independence, persistence, determination, devotion to her faith and her dedication to obtaining equal rights for all citizens of the United States of America.'

A longtime Martin County resident, honoree Heard has devoted her professional life to Martin County, serving as commissioner for almost 14 years. She was re-elected for the third time in 2012, and has advocated not only for the residents of Martin, but statewide and federally on so many issues of importance.

She is an impressive river advocate who has inspired thousands of residents. She has served three years as the President of the Loxahatchee River Coordinating Council, and is Martin County's representative on the Nine County Coalition (the nine counties surrounding Lake Okeechobee). Additionally, she served as a Board member of the Marine Resources Council, the Children's Services Council, and Pal-Mar Water Control District Board of Supervisors.

Her many years of activism have helped to maintain Martin County's reputation as one of the finest counties in Florida.

The League of Women Voters of Martin County is a non-partisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League does not support nor oppose any individual candidates.

For more information on the League of Women Voters of Martin County, view the website at http://LWVMartinCounty.org.
PORT ST. LUCIE  One hundred years ago, Florence Terry Griswold, founder of the Pan American Round Table (PART), opened her home to women and children refugees during Mexico's 1910-16 turbulent political period. She truly believed that there could be unity through understanding of the diverse Americas' cultures, and that friendships among its people would indeed ensue.

And now 100 years later, we can boast about this great organization's trajectory. We can genuinely say that its ideals have been embraced by women from all walks in life in the Americas. From one chapter or table in the founding city of San Antonio, Texas, PART has grown to an amazing 212 tables throughout the Americas, with 7,000 plus members.

Pan American Round Table of the Treasure Coast, a small subsidiary of this larger 212-chapter organization/alliance, was formalized in 1993. We have an avowed dedication to fulfilling Griswold's mission. Our chapter is composed of culturally diverse members, who are proud to proclaim that our size has not hindered our accomplishments.

Our Treasure Coast chapter supports education with scholarships and collaborates with other community needs, such as food baskets at Thanksgiving, toys to children at Christmas, school supplies to low-income schools, clothing to a domestic violence shelter, participating in local cultural events and more. We celebrate our cultural diversity on our anniversary and at other local cultural events. Members very proudly wear their respective country's traditional dress, share their typical foods and perform traditional dances.

Our commitments to the community are fulfilled through fundraising events such as fashion shows, garage sales and dinner dances, which are all professionally and successfully executed. Needless to say, this does not happen as if by magic. It takes a lot of planning and work for the ultimate successful outcome. We can't do it all alone. We reach out to our local vendors, who generously donate gift certificates and make monetary donations.

One significant goal of the parent Pan American Round Table organization was and is to help support the formal education of women (and now young men, as well). PART of the Treasure Coast enthusiastically supports education. Our fundraising events generate the funds that make it possible to award multiple scholarships to Martin and St. Lucie counties' very gifted, career focused students with financial needs.

Why do we work so hard to support various causes in the community? We see and feel the needs. The reward from giving? The genuinely sincere appreciation expressed by those whose lives we touch!

'One for all and all for one' is the motto that guides our efforts.

Please help support our forthcoming garage sale fundraiser on Saturday, March 19, at 1362 SW Jericho Ave., Port Saint Lucie, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information about Pan American Round Table, please call 772-209-8805 or 772-486-7345.
Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI leader D. Raja and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury after an all-party meeting called by Union parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu ahead of the Budget Session at Parliament House in New Delhi on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: As the government braces itself for the Budget Session of Parliament starting Tuesday, the Opposition parties made it clear they wont allow the passage of any key bill in the first half of the session, and accused the government of setting the agenda for disruption. President Pranab Mukherjee will address the joint session on Tuesday.

While the government said it wants all issues, including the JNU row, to be discussed, the Opposition said it will allow only those bills to be passed on which there was general consensus.

At an all-party meeting called by parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, the Opposition leaders lamented that PM Narendra Modi and the BJP hadnt acted against a single leader making provocative statements. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also called a meeting of leaders of all parties Monday evening, that was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ms Mahajan hoped the House will run smoothly and all issues to be discussed will be decided at a meeting of the business advisory committee on Tuesday. After the meeting, she said there was a consensus among all parties that Parliament should function.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said: Contentious bills should not be brought. Bring only those bills on which there is general agreement. Bills like GST will not come in the first half.

Congress evades reply on GST

Asked if the GST Bill could be passed in the second half, Mallikarjun Kharge evaded a direct reply, saying a view will be taken then.

With the Opposition closing ranks to corner the government on the JNU issue, the BJP is of the view that it stands to gain by turning the debate into one between nationalists and anti-nationals.

The party has already submitted motions in both Houses for a discussion on the issue. The JNU issue is likely to come up on Wednesday in the Rajya Sabha, where the government is in a minority. During the meeting convened by Mr Naidu, which saw leaders from various parties including the BJP demanding an early debate on the JNU row, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury spoke of a chilling parallel between the current situation in India with that in Germany which led to rise of fascism.

The government is setting the agenda for Parliaments disruption even before its session has begun. We have seen this agenda of the BJP for the last three-four sessions, he said.

Describing the meeting as very positive, Mr Naidu said all parties were in favour of running Parliament. He also said a number of regional parties felt they were not getting adequate time to raise issues due to disruptions. Smaller parties had a complaint that theyre not able to raise issues due to the disruption. The government is ready to discuss all issues, including JNU and the Rohith suicide issue, said Mr Naidu.
CNIL, Frances data protection authority, on Monday formally gave Facebook three months notice to comply with the French Data Protection Act.

A working group comprised of regulators from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and the German province of Hamburg recommended the action.

On-site and online inspections, along with a documentary audit, disclosed that Facebook had failed to meet the requirements of the French Data Protection Act, CNIL said.

What Facebook Must Do

The notice gave Facebook a laundry list of things to do within the next 90 days, including the following:

Stop compiling the data of French account holders for advertising purposes without a legal basis;

Stop processing data thats irrelevant, excessive or inadequate with respect to the purposes pursued, and stop asking account holders to prove their identity by providing medical records;

Obtain the explicit consent of account holders, based on specific information, for the collection and processing of their sensitive data  including religious and political views and sexual orientation;

Inform account holders on the sign-up form and profile pages about the processing of their personal data, why data is transferred outside the EU  and to whom, and the level of protection offered by third countries;

Fairly collect and process data of non-account holders with regard to data collected using the datr cookie and the like button; and

Inform Internet users and obtain their prior consent for placing cookies on their terminal.

The Europeans take a tough stance, and it makes sense, commented Laura DiDio, a research director at Strategy Analytics.

Today, in a world where everythings interconnected, the question about who owns the data becomes very muddy, she told TechNewsWorld.

Facebook is using illegal means of collecting data and a data transfer mechanism which was invalidated by the European Court of Justice last fall, DiDio pointed out. I think its pretty nervy that they collect the browsing activity of anybody who surfs the Web, even if they dont have a Facebook account  and I laugh at their response, which is always, We are willing to work with the European authorities.'

Facebook did not respond to our request to provide further details.

Facebooks Options

Facebook will likely try some sort of delaying tactic, whether legal or procedural remains to be seen, surmised Mike Jude, a program manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan.

However, Facebook has to be able to target advertising to continue being a going concern, and this order would pretty much shut down French operations, Jude told TechNewsWorld. The procedural fixes will require rearchitecting its service for the French market.

Faced last year with a similar order from Belgium, Facebook responded by banning nonmembers in the country from accessing any pages on its website. That resulted in complaints of blackmail, so its unlikely Facebook will try that tactic again.

Forget about going to court, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

France has a very fast legal system, he told TechNewsWorld. Penalties could be assessed and reach nosebleed levels very quickly, and appeals are very limited.

The Napoleonic legal system doesnt embrace the concept of fairness, Enderle said.

Further, the French are likely to make an example of the company if it doesnt comply, he suggested. This could include criminal indictments for Zuckerberg and his senior staff, and theres an extradition treaty between France and the U.S. The French take this stuff really seriously.

Fallout From Frances Actions

More investigations are being conducted into Facebook by the various EU regulatory authorities, and India just last week banned the companys Free Basics service.

The Internet is being Balkanized by competing regulatory regimes, Frosts Jude said. As countries move to impose their own regulations on the Web, the overall freedom people enjoy there will ultimately disappear.

Expect repercussions against Google, Amazon, Twitter, YouTube, and every other company doing business online that uses consumer data to tailor services, Jude cautioned. This is definitely a slippery slope.
New Delhi, India, February 23, 2016: Lifesize today confirmed that it has split from Logitech and is operating as a fully independent company. Backed by $17.5 million in funding from three prominent Silicon Valley venture firms  Redpoint Ventures, Sutter Hill Ventures and Meritech Capital Partners  the company is focused on winning new customers as a high-growth cloud-based video collaboration and meeting platform company, and tackling the $7 billion global conferencing market head-on. Logitech will retain a meaningful interest in Lifesize moving forward.

No other company in the industry has Lifesizes global distribution, channel relationships and unrivaled product differentiation, said Jeff Brody, partner at Redpoint Ventures. It is obvious to us that the enterprise-grade reliability coupled with its unique hardware advantage will keep fueling the companys remarkable growth. Redpoint has backed Craig in each of his last three ventures where he has pioneered every new and disruptive innovation in video collaboration. We are excited to support him once again in leading this next wave of cloud-based collaboration.

Lifesize plans to use this infusion of capital to:

Drive accelerated demand generation and customer acquisition

Invest in engineering headcount to bolster its leadership position with its integrated SaaS-based software and hardware technology

Further strengthen the alignment of its brand and the market leadership of its cloud-based services

Over the past 18 months, Lifesize has transformed itself to address the evolving video collaboration and meeting platform market and achieve strong growth. The company pivoted its business through the combined launch of Lifesize Cloud  its cloud-based video collaboration service  and the industrys first integrated approach to connected cameras and HD phones.

This is an exciting step for Lifesize and is the result of the tremendous work we have done to create a unique offering in the video conferencing and collaboration space, said Craig Malloy, CEO and founder of Lifesize. We have a 12-year heritage of leadership and industry innovation and a strong executive team in place. Standing as an independent company will allow us to invest more meaningfully in our product roadmap and be more responsive to the market and our customers, which puts Lifesize on a path for impressive growth and success.

Together with our three co-investors, we determined that the capital, SaaS industry expertise and growth-focused approach would be key ingredients to realizing tremendous long-term value, said Guerrino De Luca, Logitech chairman. Logitech looks forward to participating in the journey.

Technuter.com News Service
Barcelona, Spain, February 23, 2016: Huawei, along with worlds leading telecom operators, TeliaSonera from Norway, HKT from Hong Kong, LG U+ from Korea, P4 from Poland, Viva from Kuwait among others, attended the 4.5G Strategic Cooperation Launching Ceremony during the 4.5G Industry Summit on the eve of Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016. The ceremony kicks off the massive deployment of 4.5G commercial networks in 2016.

More than 300 major telecom operators, analysts, and journalists attended the 4.5G Industry Summit, an essential part of Digital Transformation Summit at MWC 2016. The attendees shared their vision on the development of 4.5G. The business values, development strategies, pre-commercialization, and progress of 4.5 G are also discussed. During the 4.5G Industry Summit, Bob Cai, Head of Huawei LTE Domain, released GigaRadio, the innovative base station solution, which features smaller size, higher performance, and simpler installation. GigaRadio will further facilitate the massive deployments of 4.5G commercial networks globally.

GigaRadio represents Huaweis latest innovation in 4.5G. It provides 50% increase in processing capability and 20% decrease in size, which is over one year more advanced than the industry average. With GiagRadio products, operators can build networks with peak rate of over 1Gbps, providing prime user experience of high definition voice and video. Operators can also open up new business opportunities such as Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT). We would like to predict that Huaweis GigaRadio is to be widely used globally, facilitating the deployment of 60 commercial 4.5G networks in 2016.

Technuter.com News Service




As a tech blogger who takes pride in being Filipino and who hopes for the best for our country, these kinds of initiatives by the companies I work with really mean a lot to me.

Starmobile has partnered with Bilang Pilipino 2016

Demonstrating how its innovations, products, and services can be used to make positive contributions with lasting impact to Philippine society, Starmobile provided PLAY Spark Android smartphones to power the initiative's real-time data-gathering efforts nationwide led by SWS

Since 2011 Starmobile has enabled Filipinos to reach for their own stars. This time around, we are more than willing to help the country reach for a brighter future









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I have to hand it to Starmobile for being the first Pinoy devices manufacturer to launch a meaningful effort that's related to our upcoming 2016 national elections., TV5s data-driven, multi-platform election coverage conducted in partnership with the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), Social Weather Stations (SWS), Smart Communications Inc., and Voyager Innovations.Since early January, SWS has began deploying the smartphones to respondents nationwide. The survey takers receive a daily SMS containing a link to a web-based platform [] created by Voyager Innovations. Smart provides users with free access to the link and the updated results are then broadcast on TV5.The partnership between Bilang Pilipino and Starmobile underscores our goal in providing our voters a platform that offers maximized information access and voter engagement. This is important as we continue to be the media partner of choice of the multi-screen voter, shared Mr. Rody Alampay, Bilang Pilipino Project Lead.Aside from PLAY Spark Android handsets, Starmobile likewise provided TV5s news team with Digital TV-enabled (DTV) smartphones - namely, KNIGHT Vision, UP Vision, and UP Max - to bolster its integrated news coverage across broadcast, digital, mobile, and social platforms. These fairly powerful handsets with built-in DTV tuners and live recording capabilities will allow TV5s news personnel to monitor and respond to whats happening on the ground whole the whole span of the election season., said Mr. Michael Chen, Starmobile's Product Development Head.I hope we all do our share to make sure that the Philippines' future would shine bright. We can start now by doing well at work or in school and simply by being good citizens who follow the laws of our land. And then, when election day comes, let us the right leaders - based on their integrity, track record, and list of accomplishments - who can really raise this country up to the stars.
In the second such protest in less than a week, the students marched from central Delhi's Jhandewalan to Jantar Mantar where they held a rally. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Thousands of students from various universities across the country today hit the streets of the capital demanding justice for Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula and protesting the JNU row with Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal joining them in slamming the Modi government against "crushing" voices of dissent.

In the second such protest in less than a week, the students marched from central Delhi's Jhandewalan to Jantar Mantar where they held a rally, which was addressed by Rahul, Kejriwal, CPI's D Raja, CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri, social activist Medha Patkar and mother of Rohith Vemula and all of them warned the NDA government against "messing" with young minds.

Read: Rohith Vemula suicide to be discussed in Lok Sabha on Feb 25

Mounting a fresh attack, Rahul accused the Modi dispensation and RSS of stifling voices of dissent of college and university students across the country while Kejriwal accused those in power of "distributing certificates of patriotism", alleging that "goondaism" has been unleashed to crush dissent.

Rahul said his party will fight for enactment of a law to protect them from "discrimination" and "suppression".

Read: HCU suicide: Mystery over scratched paragraph in Rohiths last letter

"We need a law to ensure that students in colleges and universities do not face discrimination and their voice is not stifled," Rahul said, lending support to the students.

The Congress Vice President also slammed the government for not including issues like Rohith's death and difficulties being faced by students of universities in the President's address to Parliament today.

Read: HCU suicide: No names in suicide note may not be helpful for accused

Kejriwal, who came to rally an hour after Rahul left, said the Centre was at "war" with the students of the country and asked the Prime minister to "mend his ways". Otherwise, he said, students will "teach him a lesson".

"What happened that youth who had supported Modi have risen against him today? This government seems to be at war with students of the country.

"Now they have started distributing certificates of patriotism. They are distributing certificates as to who is a patriot and who is a traitor. They will beat anyone up, or rape anyone and justify it by saying that they were raising slogans against India.

Read: I want justice for my son, says Rohith Vemula's mother

"This goondaism won't be tolerated. For them the biggest patriot is Nathuram Godse and the biggest traitor is Kanhaiya. The biggest patriot is Adityanath and traitor Mahatma Gandhi. Biggest patriot Sadhvi Ritambhara and biggest traitor Aamir Khan. For them all these hoodlums are patriots," he said.

Kejriwal said youth of the country will come down hard on Modi if he does not mend his ways. "If Modiji does not mend his ways then very soon the youth and students will come together to teach him a lesson," Kejriwal said, adding "I had said earlier, 'Modiji students se pange mat lena' (don't mess with students). Otherwise they will rock your government and you won't have a clue."

Slamming the Centre for taking action against students for expressing dissent, he said everybody has the right to raise voice against anything, which is wrong.
Google is partnering with mobile operators across the world to push a replacement technology for SMS called Rich Communications Services (RCS). The standard would enable more advanced features found in today's messaging apps like the ability to send photos and videos, create group chats, and to see when another user is typing.

The long overdue upgrade would help operators catch up with "over-the-top" (OTT) internet messaging services like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger and -- they hope -- regain some of that lost revenue.

The GSMA has been promoting RCS since 2008 and some operators already offer a variation of the technology under various brand names. But with today's announcement the goal is to get everyone on board towards a common, universal and Android RCS client provided by Google in collaboration with operators and OEMs.

Is it too little too late? Probably. At this point Facebook already dominates the messaging scene with 2 billion monthly active users between Messenger and WhatsApp, while Tencent's WeChat and QQ Messenger claims 1.5 billion.

That said, a single universal standard that works across carriers out-of-the box is still a step in the right direction, and with Android's huge market share this is the carriers' best bet. But even if RCS succeeds it's unclear if carriers will be able to find a way to monetize it in a world where OTT messaging apps are completely free.

At this point there's no clear timeframe on when Google will be delivering the RCS client. Although today's announcement is all about Android, Google says RCS can be implemented by other operating systems too.
In the ongoing search for the successor to unsecure passwords and PINs, financial services giant MasterCard is taking a modern approach to authenticating transactions called MasterCard Identity Check.

Last year, MasterCard completed a pilot program for a feature that allows users to authenticate online transactions using facial recognition. Dubbed by many as "Selfie Pay," the app maps the user's face and requires them to blink to eliminate fraud by using a still photograph. The company says its algorithms can also detect if someone is trying to fool it by using a video.

Ajay Bhalla, MasterCard's president of enterprise security solutions, told The Verge that the facial recognition system won't be used to authenticate every transaction. Instead, it may be utilized if the context of a purchase seems abnormal such as, for example, if you're shipping an item to an unfamiliar address.

It may seem silly to some but it could come in handy if your phone doesn't have a fingerprint scanner.

Following the successful trials, MasterCard said it will be rolling out the technology to 14 countries over the summer including Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, the US, the UK, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Norwary, Switzerland, Denmark and Finland.

Within five years, Bhalla believes the technology will be ubiquitous. It's unclear if that prophecy will indeed come to fruition but it's encouraging to see large players like MasterCard moving past the traditional password and PIN approach.

Image courtesy Flickr
After its computer system got taken over by hackers, the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles has decided to pay a ransom of $17,000 in order to regain access.

The hospital was hit by ransomware  malicious software that locks computer systems until a ransom is paid to unlock it.

Media reports says the hackers were demanding the hospital to pay them 9,000 Bitcoins or about $3.4 million, but CEO and President Allen Stefanek confirmed these were false. In the end, the hospital shelled out $17,000, which is equivalent to 40 Bitcoins.

Payment using Bitcoins require a particular level of anonymity, and they're described as an "anonymous" form of currency.

Unfortunately, the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center is not the first institution hit by ransomware. Based on reports, ransomware attacks have become increasingly common in latest years.

Since January 2013, there had been 100,000 cases of recorded ransomware attacks. By the end of that year, the number skyrocketed to 600,000, according to antivirus software creator Symantec.

Apparently, hackers are moving from attacking individuals to targeting major institutions and companies and even governments in different countries. According to the German blog Coincierge.de, hackers in Germany have explored the loopholes in the best antivirus software available to the market and injected their malware in undetectable ways to the average virus removal tool.

Last year, a police department in Maine paid $300 to unlock hacked files. Boston-area police also paid $500 after their systems were hijacked by a computer virus.

Ryan Kalembar, senior vice president for cybersecurity strategy at Proofpoint, said the hack itself is a simple three-step process.

He said hackers send what appears like routine email  be it an invoice or a bill with an attached file such as a Word document.

"People click on that," said Kalembar. "They always click on it."

By clicking on the attached document, an "enable content" yellow bar pops up. If that is clicked on, the malicious software starts to lock files with a password or key that cyber criminals or attackers hold.

RSA Network security senior director Peter Tran said Bitcoin is relatively untraceable and completely unregulated.

"We've moved beyond leaving a suitcase of money dropped onto a park bench and moving into more sophisticated means of taking people's information hostage and asking for money," said Tran.

Meanwhile, Kalembar said the hospital's decision was the easy choice, but he wouldn't consider it as the right one.

By surrendering to the hackers' demands, the hospital finds itself in an awkward position of channeling funds into a potentially organized crime, he said.

"We've seen even terror groups finance their organizations by using operations like cybercrime and ransomware," added Kalembar.

However, Tran somehow disagrees. He said that when a person is held hostage, the negotiators would typically say that it isn't right to pay the ransom.

"With this kind of hack, you don't have that kind of time," said Tran. "The complete footprint of your entire life is being held for ransom. All of your information."

Tran said they are moving towards more risk-based profile authentication and layering authentication  not just multi-factor authentication  to safeguard systems against attacks.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
LG has finally taken off the veil on LG G5 during the Play Begins event at the 2016 Mobile World Congress. This phone, aimed to challenge Apple's iPhone 7 and Samsung's Galaxy S7, rocks a removable battery, microSD slot, all-metal body and more.

All-Metal Body  The LG G5 has its housing made entirely of metal, putting the device head-to-head with its strong competitors from Samsung and Apple.

Removable Battery  This handset houses a large, removable 2,800 mAh battery. This means smartphone heavy users can just simply remove the battery and replace it with a new one in only a few seconds.

Always-On Display  This feature enables users to check the battery status, time and notifications without the need to wake the device. The company says that this is made possible by the display's backlight that only illuminates a small part of the entire display. This feature only eats 0.8 percent of the handset's battery every hour.

Extra Modules  LG introduced some additional modules for its newest smartphone, which it calls LG Friends.

These two modules were highlighted by LG during the event:

1. CAM Plus  This is a special camera accessory built for the phone. It does not only offer an enlarged camera grip for single-handed photography, but it also provides additional battery power as well.

2. Hi-Fi Plus With B&O Play  This module transforms the phone into a Hi-Fi audio player. It supports 32-bit 384 KHz high-definition audio files.

Other Features And Specs

The LG G5 comes with a 5.3-inch display and 2,560 x 1,440 resolution at 554 ppi. This premium smartphone is powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 820 chip, as LG confirmed a couple of days ago. It includes a 4 GB of RAM and a 32 GB of internal storage, which is expandable up to 2 TB via a microSD slot. On top of that, the phone also runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

The G5 rocks two rear cameras: a 16-megapixel standard 78-degree lens, plus an 8-megapixel 135-degree wide angle lens. The wide angle lens is specifically beneficial when capturing tall buildings, landscapes and large groups. The phone also has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

The USB Type-C port on the phone is compatible with USB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC and Wi-Fi 802.11 a,b,g,n, ac.

Customers have four color options to select from - Pink, Gold, Silver and Titan.

What Experts Are Saying

BGR believes that if ever there was a smartphone that is well deserved to grab a little attention from Samsung at the MWC 2016, "this could be it."

"The G5 marks a major improvement for LG and bodes well for Android competition in the year ahead." It even calls it "one of the more memorable devices of MWC 2016," says The Verge.

While Gizmodo says that the LG G5 seems like the prototype of a smartphone from the future, it says, however, that the device "falls short on the looks." It also adds that the user interface of the G5 has some "blemishes." One of which is the ditching of the apps drawer.

"Now, every app you download will take up display real estate on the home screen, like on iOS," it says. "LG says this makes the smartphone clean, but I feel exactly the opposite."

The LG G5 and its friends are going to be released across the globe starting April of this year.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Nokia is centering its attention on investing in 5G mobile networks this year and is planning to reenter into the mobile phone market that could happen "later."

The Finnish company announced in a press event at the MWC 2016 that it's going big on 5G.

"We are planning to dramatically increase our investment in 5G this year and unleash the power of our massive innovation engine. We are already at the forefront of making 5G a reality and enabling massive capacity and massive connectivity  this is an integral part of our vision," said Rajeev Suri, Nokia's president and CEO, adding that 5G should happen rapidly as cases of Internet of Things (IoT) use need it.

"If we know that 5G can help save lives, improve our environment, and make our lives better, we need to move faster, not slower," he said.

Recently, Nokia acquired France's Alcatel-Lucent at $16.6 billion. Alcatel-Lucent specializes in telecommunications and networking equipment technology. The company said the acquisition of the company would help it produce 5G mobile networks and IoTs. Suri also believes it will put Nokia in a "dramatically different position."

Another big news Nokia announced at the MWC 2016 is its plan in making a comeback in the smartphone market. Just last month, images of a phone rumored to be the Nokia C1 leaked online. Rather than rushing back into the market, though, Suri said the company is waiting for its ideal partner. Earlier, Nokia said it is going to license the Nokia brand to a manufacturer instead of building its phones on its own.

"We don't need to be in a rush," told Suri to TechCrunch. "We will explore this with the right partner or partners."

When Nokia's boss was asked whether or not the company would partner with Foxconn, Suri said he does not know yet. Foxconn works with Apple in creating iPhones. This suggests that the future Nokia smartphones may just go toe-to-toe with Apple's iPhone and other Android flagship smartphones the moment they are going to be released.

Back in 2013, Nokia sold its mobile making division to Microsoft for $7.2 billion. In early 1990s, Nokia ruled in the mobile world. Its 3210 and 3310 models became among the favorites of a number of consumers throughout the globe. When the iPhone was introduced in 2007, however, the company's popularity started to wane.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Over 18,300 aspiring astronauts have applied for the 2017 NASA Program. The current pool is three times higher than the numbers in 2012 and more than double the numbers in 1978 which was around 8,000.

The application officially opened on Dec. 14, 2015 and closed last Thursday with record-breaking numbers. The stringent selection process, which lasts 18 months, will eventually produce only eight to 14 astronauts by mid-2017. But what caused the spike in astronaut applications this time?

"[It is] not at all surprising [...] that so many Americans from diverse backgrounds want to personally contribute to blazing the trail on our journey to Mars," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

For instance, recent films such as "Interstellar," "Gravity" and the recent blockbuster "The Martian" helped increase our interest in space investigation. Moreover, NASA has been successful in connecting with more people through social media these past few years.

In early January, while planet Earth mourned the death of glam rocker David Bowie, we saw the revised version of NASA astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield's "Space Oddity" on YouTube. The video was originally created in 2013 but revised as a fitting tribute to one of planet Earth's widely celebrated artists.

In late January, 43-year-old European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and former Army major Tim Peake shared with the world how he makes coffee on board the International Space Station (ISS) through a YouTube video.

While coffee in space is not the same as the ones served in ceramic mugs here on Earth, the video gave us a quick preview of what drinking coffee is like in space. They don't have Starbucks up there but the view on board the ISS will make up for the lesser quality cup of Joe.

In early February, astronaut Scott Kelly got the best Super Bowl 50 seat. He tweeted a photo of the Levi's Stadium in Bay Area from the ISS.

Got to see the #SuperBowl in person after all! But at 17,500MPH, it didn't last long. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/O0DygOdX8i  Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 8, 2016

And just this month, Peake also posted on Twitter a time-lapse video of lightning striking planet Earth.

In recent years, social media enables common folks to connect with astronauts up in the ISS. Likewise, social media allows astronauts to bond with planet Earth and share the many amazing things they see on a daily basis. These exchanges via social media make space observations personalized.

There are many people who want to be among the stars. For some people, these stars are in space. As we know more about the universe and more channels can help deliver new information, there are dreams that suddenly feel within reach.

Photo: Paul Hudson | Flickr

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A local man in Virginia is facing trouble with the law after trying to help his neighbors' two dogs that were left in the cold during a snowstorm earlier this year.

Appomattox-native Terry Paxton has always tried to look after Daisy and Girl, two dogs owned by his neighbors John and Glenda Venable. Paxton would give the dogs something to eat once in a while, which never appeared to have bothered the Venables before.

Things seemed well between the neighbors until one January day when Paxton saw that the two animals were left chained to their doghouses. Appomattox was being battered by a snowstorm and the air was particularly cold.

Worried about the two animals, Paxton tried contacting officials at the local animal control to have them help Daisy and Girl, but they refused to do something about the situation.

Micky Martin, county animal warden for Appomattox, explained that the Venables' dogs were not being mistreated and have not missed any meals.

As far as drinking water for the animals goes, Martin said that the dogs could get a drink from the surrounding snow. He also mentioned a bird dog that they had that would even eat snow.

The animal control's refusal to take action angered Paxton, who decided to take photos of the two dogs' situation and shared them with a friend. The images were later spread online.

"She can't even reach her water," Paxton said. "I'm sorry, but this is about them."

When news about Daisy and Girl's predicament became viral, many people on the Internet expressed their concern and frustration at how the two dogs were being treated.

The resulting furor from the public caused the Venables to press charges against Paxton and had him arrested for stalking. They also sought a protective order that would prevent Paxton from taking pictures of the dogs again.

Paxton stressed that it was about the dogs' well-being and never about the Venables.

Susan Adams, administrator of Appomattox County, said that she wants to make sure that Daisy and Girl are being looked after.

She said that if there is proof of any neglect on the government or the dog owners' part, it will be addressed immediately.

Paxton is set to appear in court regarding the matter on Feb. 24.

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Samsung recently unveiled its latest flagship line, and market-dependent information about the configuration of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge came out.

Samsung took a different approach when building the Galaxy S7 lineup. The two handsets will feature the in-house Exynos 8890 processor, alongside the Snapdragon 820 processor from Qualcomm.

According to the OEM, various global regions will get different chipsets.

Gadgets NDTV reports that the only countries getting the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 in the Galaxy S7 line are the United States, China and Japan. The rest of worldwide markets, including India, will receive the Samsung-manufactured Exynos 8890 SoC.

Currently, no official date exists for an Indian launch of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Preorders for the two premium devices will start on Tuesday, and the phones will start shipping on March 11.

Samsung fans who will be among the first to preorder the Galaxy S7 or the Galaxy S7 edge will also receive a Gear VR headset bundled with six games, for no additional charge.

It should be noted that the latest-gen smartphones bring a hybrid dual SIM onboard. The availability is limited to certain regions, but it will allow users to pack one SIM card and one microSD card at the same time. Alternatively, the phones will be able to holster two SIMs simultaneously.

Here's a quick roundup of the specs found on the two devices.

The Galaxy S7 keeps the screen size of the Galaxy S6, sporting a 5.1-inch display. The Galaxy S7 edge features a larger, 5.5-inch screen. Both devices display visuals in QHD Super Amoled resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels).

Samsung added the rumored Always-On display, bringing extra functionality to its premium handsets. This enables users to check time, notifications and date at a glance, without draining the battery.

The default storage option is 32 GB, but a 64 GB option exists, as well.

The U.S., China and Japan get the four-cored Qualcomm Snadragon 820 SoC, which contains a dual-core running at 2.15 GHz and a second dual core clocked at 1.6 GHz. The rest of the markets will see an Exynos 8890 SoC. The octa-core processor contains a 2.3 GHz quad-core and a 1.6 GHz quad-core.

Processing power will get backed by 4 GB of RAM on both variants.

When it comes to software, Android 6.0 Marshmallow is preinstalled on both the Galaxy S7 edge and the Galaxy S7.

To take a closer look at the performance behind the processors, check out our earlier coverage of benchmark results.

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Victims of the San Bernardino attack will be part of a collective lawsuit aimed at forcing Apple to open up an iPhone that belonged to one of the shooters.

Stephen Larson, an ex-federal judge and a current lawyer, took the case pro bono but did not mention how many victims enrolled in the class action. His steps towards revealing the missing pieces of information about the attack support the FBI's efforts to convince Apple to unlock the iPhone.

"They were targeted by terrorists, and they need to know why, how this could happen," Larson told Reuters.

Before the dispute went public, members of the Justice Department and local prosecutors reached out to Larson. He declared that an amicus brief will reach the courthouse by the beginning of March.

The Justice Department could not be contacted for commentary on the subject.

The San Bernardino attack left 14 dead and 22 wounded. The shooting was carried out by a married couple who took inspiration from the Islamic State militants. The assailants were shot down in a gun fight with the police.

After the attack, authorities pressed Apple to unlock the iPhone of one of the attackers, but to no avail.

Tim Cook sent on open letter to customers in which he notes that Apple "worked hard to support the government's efforts to solve this horrible crime."

James Comey, FBI Director, recently underlined that his organization does not aim to create a precedent by asking Apple to break its security policy. What the bureau really wants is to deliver justice to the victims.

"Fourteen people were slaughtered and many more had their lives and bodies ruined. We owe them a thorough and professional investigation under law," Comey wrote.

The iPhone of one of the shooters, Syed Rizwan Farook, is in FBI custody. The Bureau wants Apple to break in the handset without damaging the data within, in the hope of having a better understanding of the case and to protect against possible future tragedies.

Apple is reluctant to comply, stating time and time again that this would threaten customer security, not to mention it would set a dangerous precedent.

The friction between the iPhone manufacturer and the Justice Department is part of a heated debate over privacy levels in digital communication. Multiple tech companies side with Apple and say that opening backdoors in devices is similar to opening Pandora's Box.

Last week on Tuesday, the Justice Department won a federal court order against Apple. The company will present its first legal arguments this Friday.

In his blog post, Comey admitted that the clash created unwanted tension between privacy and security. He went on to add that the dispute should find an ending, by constant cooperation between "corporations that sell stuff for a living" and the FBI.

"[The dispute] should be resolved by the American people deciding how we want to govern ourselves in a world we have never seen before," he said.

Tim Cook, Apple CEO, pointed out that yielding to the authorities' demands and creating software that decrypts an iPhone's security system would create a liability to all similar devices.

"In the wrong hands, this software - which does not exist today - would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession," Cook says.

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The majority of Americans think Apple should comply with the FBI's demands over unlocking the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters.

The investigators want Apple to build them a tool that'll bypass the iPhone's security measures, but the company refuses to do so because it will set a "dangerous precedent" and put iPhone owners everywhere at risk. The device is believed to hold important clues regarding the incident.

According to a study conducted between Feb. 18 and 21 by the Pew Research Center, 51 percent of the 1,002 adults surveyed agree that Apple should give in to the FBI's request, whereas a lower figure of 38 percent says that the company shouldn't do so to ensure the safety of other users. The remaining 11 percent does not have an opinion on the matter.

On the other hand, the views of other iPhone owners aged 18 to 29 had a narrower difference, as 47 percent say Apple should unlock the iPhone and 43 percent say otherwise. Moreover, the older age groups up to 65-years-old and above side with the FBI. In other words, most Americans believe that the company should help in the case.

"In general over recent years when it comes to anti-terrorism efforts, we find the public tends to prioritize keeping the country safe over concerns about civil liberties," Alec Tyson, a senior researcher at the institute, tells PCWorld, noting that the results shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai and whistleblower Edward Snowden were among the first to show support for the Cupertino brand's stand, which were followed by Huawei. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also expressed his agreement with Apple and voiced out his opinion again at the 2016 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

"We're sympathetic with Apple. We believe in encryption. We think that that's an important tool. I don't think requiring backdoors with encryption is either going to be an effective way to increase security or is really the right thing to do for just the direction that the world is going to," Zuckerberg told the audience at the event.

Last week, a federal judge ordered Apple to aid the FBI and develop a completely new operating system solely to bypass the iPhone's security. The Pew Research Center says that 75 percent of the people surveyed have heard a lot (39 percent) or a little (36 percent) about this particular piece of news.

The investigators need the company's help because the iPhone will automatically erase its data after 10 incorrect entries of the passcode. The handset also sets a delay between each attempt and requires manual input as opposed to plugging it into a supercomputer of sorts to crack the code.

It's also worth noting that this entire kerfuffle could've been avoided if the passcode of the iPhone in question had not been changed, with Apple presenting a solution that didn't require a backdoor. Reports say that it was modified after the FBI got ahold of the handset in less than 24 hours.

Despite the survey results and the public's dominant consensus, this should not have an impact on Apple's legal case and refusal to cooperate.

"The courts should not be swayed at all," says Susan Hennessey, managing editor of Lawfare.

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Mumbai: Seizing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that a conspiracy is being hatched to destabilise his government, ally Shiv Sena on Tuesday sought to know if India will actually remain stable under the current circumstances, considering the rise in terrorist attacks and activities of "anti-national elements" on the JNU campus.

"The country is not safe and we are lagging in stopping the dangers emanating from Pakistan ... Anti-national elements in JNU spoke in favour of Afzal Guru and ISIS supporters waived their flags in Jammu and Kashmir at the same time," an editorial in Sena's mouthpiece "Saamana" commented.

Addressing a rally in Bargarh in Odisha on Sunday, Modi said critical NGOs and black marketeers were conspiring to destabilise his government and "defame" him.

"In Odisha, Modi said attempts are being made to destabilise the NDA government. We are happy that he at least spoke about NDA. But, looking at the current turn of events, will the country remain stable? Governments come and go, but let the country remain intact," the Sena said.

"The Pathankot terror attack was also a conspiracy to defame Modi government and destabilise it. Just after the attack, Pakistan-sponsored terror activities increased and around 25 jawans have been martyred in the last one month," it said.

"Everyday, bodies of our slain army men are being brought to their homes and thus people's anger towards Pakistan is only increasing. This is why Modi government facing slander. If people feel that we are lagging in fighting terrorists who sneak into our country, they should understand Modi's plight," it added.

Referring to suicide of farmers in Maharashtra, it said this has now spread to Marathwada and north Maharashtra from Vidarbha region.

"The slander (directed towards the NDA government) is unbearable for us as well but black-marketeers are not behind it. There has been a revenue loss of Rs. 20,000 crore and more than 10 people have died due to Jat protests in Haryana. Who is hatching this conspiracy in Modi's regime," it asked.
A new study has found that extinct glyptodonts were indeed ancient armadillos that evolved into a size of a small car.

Thinking that extinct glyptodonts are related to armadillos is not a surprising observation. After all, both species share the same body shapes, bony skin and armored shell. However, experts could not grant a sure spot for the glyptodonts in the family tree.

Now, a group of international researchers were able to discover that glyptodonts were really armadillos, with giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) and pink fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) as their closest relatives.

Identity Crisis

In the past, nobody knew how to classify glyptodonts. Experts could not seem to decide which group of mammals the species represent. While some said it belongs to the armadillo group, others thought that the species were distant members of Xenarthra, which includes anteaters, tree sloths and also, the mammals currently responsible for increased leprosy cases, armadillos.

Charles Darwin was able to obtain partial samples of glyptodonts during the 19th century, yet there has been no clear answer.

So to be able to end the identity crisis once and for all, scientists studied fossils of ancient glyptodonts.

Digging Through The DNA

To ensure that their study is comprehensive enough, the researchers included genomic proof from the species using DNA methods. Scientists from different parts of the world contributed a wide range of samples for the study.

Fossil genomic specimens are often poorly preserved. True enough, despite the several specimens nominated, only a fragment of the upper part of the shell was deemed suitable for the study.

The fossil was from an unidentified species of Doedicurus, which is a large glyptodont that walked planet Earth some 10,000 years ago.

The team arranged the complete genomic material of the species and compared it to that of modern Xenarthrans.

Truth About Glyptodonts

The findings of the study showed that glyptodonts not only originated from giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) but also from the modern armadillo called pichiciego (Chlamyphorus truncatus) or pink fairy armadillo.

In contrast to previous speculations that glyptodonts were from ancient Xenarthrans, the team found that the species most likely originated from ancestors with linear connections to the modern Chlamyphorus.

"Contrary to what is generally assumed about the distinctiveness of glyptodonts, our analyses indicate that they originated only some 35 million years ago, well within the armadillo radiation," says co-author Frederic Delsuc from the French National Center for Scientific Research. "Taxonomically, they should be regarded as no more than another subfamily of armadillos, which we can call Glyptodontinae."

Why The Evolution?

The reason for the evolution of the species is both an interesting and amusing concept to study. Although there has been no explanation behind it, experts have some suggestions.

Firstly, the pink fairy armadillo, which weighs about 4 ounces, may have had that small size because of its burrowing activity. Scientists say it only makes sense for such animal to have a small size to facilitate digging.

Secondly, the bigger size of glyptodonts may have something to do with protective needs against predators.

Extinction In Question

The cause of the species' disappearance remains unclear. Researchers say human intervention and climate change may play a part. Simply put, glyptodonts may have faced the same situation as the sloths, mastodons and other mammals that have gone extinct as well.

The study was published in Current Biology on Monday, Feb. 22.

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Cuba has yet to spot a case of Zika, but the country is now moving one step ahead in the fight against the mosquito-borne virus.

President Raul Castro revealed Monday that he is sending 9,000 army troops to keep Zika out of the country, urging all Cubans to help eradicate the mosquitoes that carry the virus.

"It is imperative that every Cuban man and woman assume this battle as a personal issue," Castro says in a statement published in the national newspaper Granma. He called on Cubans to clean up possible breeding areas for the Aedes mosquitoes.

Apart from thousands of active-duty officers and reserves, Castro also dispatched 200 police officers as part of the initial effort.

The army troops were out on the streets of the Cerro district in Havana, knocking on doors and spraying fumes on homes. Residents were cooperative as they gathered waiting for the chemical fogs to clear.

Castro said the country's fight to prevent the arrival of the mosquito-borne virus had been slowed down by "the inadequate technical quality" of efforts against the mosquito, poor weather conditions, and insufficient work to clean up places where the mosquito proliferates.

The Caribbean island nation prides itself on its free, neighborhood-level public health care system. This includes intensive efforts to eliminate mosquitoes, which could also be carriers of dengue and chikungunya.

"We are fighting by using the public health system so the Zika virus does not attack our country," said Cristina Suarez, a mechanical engineer and a military reservist who is part of the campaign.

Meanwhile, the president did not elaborate on his criticism of anti-Zika efforts. The workers for the program can be seen marking areas as fumigated even when no residents are at home or even when residents say they are asthmatic or allergic to the anti-mosquito fumes.

The army troops are perceived as more disciplined and more effective than civilian state workers, who earn $25 a month on average.

"Once again, the true leadership of the struggle against the threat of an epidemic is the responsibility of our entire people," added Castro. "[T]heir conscious participation is indispensable if this important and necessary task is to be successful."

The Zika outbreak is currently affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. The World Health Organization said the virus is likely to spread in all countries in the Americas except Chile and Canada.

But as reported by Tech Times, Canada is testing whether Zika could be carried and transmitted by mosquitoes other than Aedes aegypti.

Incidentally, there had been two suspected cases of Zika in Cuba, but they turned out to be negative. Currently, there is still no vaccine nor treatment for the mosquito-borne virus.

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True friends stick with one another despite problems and sweaty shirts, a new study has found. Researchers from Sussex University and St. Andrews University have discovered that people are less disgusted by their peers' odor than those who belong to a different group.

The team put groups of students to the test and measured their disgust over a pile of sweaty shirts. Results show that participants are able to put off the bad smell of the shirts if the owner is identified as a member of the same group they are in. Meanwhile, the subjects showed completely different reactions if they were made to believe that the shirt belongs to another group.

"This difference is explained by the similarity to self of ingroup members," the authors wrote.

The Sweaty Shirt Test

The study consists of two separate experiments.

The first one involved 45 female students from Sussex University who were asked to smell a shirt with a logo of their rival school, Brighton University. The students were then asked to sniff a shirt worn by a research assistant for one whole week. While at it, the students were also asked to consider themselves as an individual, a Sussex student and a plain student.

For the second experiment, 90 male and female St. Andrew University students were asked to sniff three different shirts - one with the logo of their own university, one with the logo of rival Dundee University and one that has no logo at all. Little did they know that the three shirts were worn by only one research assistant during an intense one-hour workout.

The students were also asked to identify themselves as either a plain student or a student of their own school.

The Verdict

For the first study, the students showed less disgust over a shirt, which they believed was worn by a student from the same school. Conversely, the participants were greatly disgusted after smelling the shirt of a person they believed came from the rival university.

"This reduction in the response to core disgust from a stimulant from within a person's own social group is significant because it helps us to understand how group behaviour becomes possible," said study author John Drury. "Essentially, it frees people to cooperate with each other, and to work together effectively."

For the second study, the researchers surveyed the disgust of the participants after smelling the shirts. To do this, they looked into how quickly the students walked to the sink and how much soap they used to wash their hands.

Analysis shows that students walked more rapidly and used more soap after being in contact with a shirt from a rival school than from a fellow student.

Implications

The findings have two implications. First, it highlights the importance of social group borders in toning down instinctive distaste. Second, the results show the role of disgust in basic group processes, including the level of cooperation and harmony among members.

The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, Feb. 22.

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Certain shampoos, creams, aftershaves and even toothpastes from known brands such as Procter & Gamble and L'Oreal may contain a host of potentially dangerous substances, a new study has warned.

French consumer protection group UFC-Que Choisir published on Monday a list containing 185 legal and approved products that are believed to contain substances that could lead to allergies, irritation or endocrine disruptors in their users.

Olivier Andrault, running the study for the French group, said that they are keen on putting pressure on makers and manufacturers  amid the perceived lack of "suitable European regulation"  through the purchasing behavior of consumers.

The study identified products such as baby wipes, lotion, and diapers as containing phenoxyethanol, which is potentially toxic for the liver and blood. The brands include Bebe Cadum and Mixa of L'Oreal, Pampers of P&G, and Nivea of Beiersdorf.

In its response to the findings, the Federation of Cosmetics Makers (FEBEA) argued that beauty and personal care products in France are considered safe and compliant to European regulation, which it even hailed as the most rigorous in the world.

In a statement, L'Oreal emphasized that it is strongly committed to overall product safety with a "very robust" safety evaluation process in place.

"[A]ll our products and our ingredients are rigorously evaluated before they are put on the market, always in full conformity to the regulation in place," part of the statement reads.

Many of the products cited in the study are part of the roster of globally recognized and positioned companies. P&G, for instance, operates worldwide through its beauty, hair and personal care; grooming; health care; fabric care and home care; and baby, feminine and family care segments.

P&G was founded in 1837 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, cover these business segments selling anything from cosmetics to men's shaving kits to supplements with its subsidiaries around the world.

Previous research already warned that common preservatives in shampoos, sunscreens, and other common personal care products and cosmetics may increase the risk for breast cancer. These estrogen-mimicking chemicals known as parabens are even deemed riskier at lower levels than previously thought.

Worse, current safety tests likely undermine the pernicious effects of such ingredients.

Photo: Panil Brune | Flickr

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Gentlemen who use their smartphones for even as little as an hour each day can experience a significant drop in their fertility levels, according to a team of experts in Israel.

In a study featured in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine, Professor Martha Dirnfeld and her colleagues at the Technion University in Haifa, Israel examined how mobile phone use among men can affect their fertility. They monitored the health of more than 100 individuals who attended a fertility clinic for an entire year.

The researchers discovered that men who chose to keep their smartphones in their pockets during the day experienced abnormal levels in their sperm concentration in 47 percent of the cases observed. This is considerably higher compared to the 11 percent of cases in the general population.

Dirnfeld explained that they found a reduction in the amount and quality of active swimming sperm in the samples that they analyzed.

She said that they believe it could be caused by the heating of the sperm as a result of electromagnetic activity or heat generated by smartphones.

Dirnfeld and her team found that the sperm levels of men who used their smartphones while charging and those who kept their gadgets beside them while sleeping were affected as well.

The findings of the study support the long-standing belief of some people that using smartphones too much could significantly impact the ability of individuals to conceive children.

Professor Geeta Nargund, medical director of the UK-based fertility clinic Create Fertility, said that previous reports have been made about the possibility that too much exposure to mobile phones could negatively affect the motility and viability of sperm in some men.

"Thermal effects could increase the temperature of testes since mobile phones are carried in trouser pockets, Nargund said. "Age, smoking and other lifestyle factors also need to be taken into account."

Nargund added that men should consider the findings outlined in recent studies regarding the potential impact of smartphone use on sperm quality and try to at least reduce their exposure to the effects of such devices.

She also pointed out that further studies have to be made in order to find out if the negative effects on fertility are being caused by heating or radiation or even both from mobile phones.

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A neurosurgeon in Australia successfully completed the world's first surgical removal of malignant vertebrae with a subsequent transplant of a 3D-printed titanium replacement. The historical operation of cancer patient Drage Josevski in December 2015 lasted a total of 15 hours.

Neurosurgeon Ralph Mobbs is from New South Wales' Sydney Spine Clinic. When he conducted the operation, it was unclear whether Josevski would survive. The procedure involved exposure of the neck's top part where it meets the head.

"It's essentially [detaching] the patient's head from his neck and taking the tumor out and reattaching his head back to his neck," said Mobbs.

Josevski was diagnosed with chordoma, a rare cancer type that can occur at any point along the spine. Unfortunately, Josevski's chordoma occurred at the top of two vertebrae which makes his prognosis less optimistic.

Without treatment or surgery, Josevski risks losing the functions of his legs and arms gradually. He can also gradually lose the capacity to eat and breathe.

For the historical procedure, Mobbs designed a 3D-printed titanium vertebrae to replace the malignant one. The surgery was successful and the replacement vertebrae fit well.

However, Josevski is having difficulty speaking and eating but the patient is expected to recover within half a year's time. The unexpected complications are due to the prolonged exposure and stretching of the mouth during the 15-hour operation.

"3D printing of body parts is the next phase of individualized health care," said Mobbs. Anatomics, a Victorian company, designed and manufactured Joveski's titanium implant.

Joveski's cancer was first picked up during a family trip to Macedonia. His daughter Tanya Josevska explained that her father struggled with the diagnosis, not knowing what the operation's results would be.

Tanya shared that despite the doctors' explanations, Josevski didn't know if he would die during the operation or what complications will come with it. Tanya and the rest of the family are optimistic about their father's future despite the complications.

Josevki pushed through with the operation because he was excited to be at his daughter's wedding. The family is truly grateful to the surgical team who conducted the historical operation.

Photo: Lucy Lambriex | Flickr

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Applying beauty creams on the face may do more harm than good, says an Indian dermatologist. This is because such products are said to be the root causes of acne and may even cause thinning of the skin.

On Sunday, Feb. 21, hundreds of dermatologists gathered at the Acne India Summit to enhance their skills and knowledge about the common skin problem that is acne.

Thinning Of The Skin

"The obvious side effect of using beauty creams on face is thinning of the skin," says dermatology expert Rohit Batra. He adds that when people use these products every day, they may experience acne growth and loose skin, which may result in thinning.

Acne Is Not Just For Teens

Acne is most commonly associated with puberty and teenagers, but this is not necessarily true all the time. In fact, there has been growing incidence of severe acne among people aged 15 to 44 years old.

"Every patient wants a cure as no one wants to live with scars on their face," says Batra.

Having said that, Batra says new technologies are now available to get rid of acne and acne scars. Examples of such procedures include laser therapy, chemical peels and light therapy, among others.

Dermatologists Empowered

"Acne India Summit aims to provide [a] multi-speciality platform for a dermatologist[s] to learn [about] acne like never before," the committee says.

The one-day program also included a quiz and workshop to better impart new skills and knowledge.

Batra says the participants are now knowledgeable about modern technologies and thus can help their patients regain self-esteem.

Acne India Summit was held at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where about 250 licensed dermatologists, students, members of the academe and other delegates from across the country participated.

More About Acne

Acne is a long-term, inflammatory skin condition that includes blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and big, deeper skin lumps on the face, neck, shoulders, upper arms, chest and back.

Acne does not only cause one to suffer physically, as it also affects a person's psychological state because it causes permanent scarring, disturbed body image, anxiety and depression, among others.

Aside from that, acne can also cause some financial woes as some treatments may be expensive. In the United States, acne treatment is estimated to exceed to $3 billion. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using only the prescribed medications and products and to comply as directed.

It's also better to avoid using over-the-counter products without a doctor's advice to prevent unwanted side effects such as allergic reactions.

Acne is the most common skin problem in the United States. The condition affects about 40 to 50 million people per year.

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Feb. 1 was a bad day for U.S. fans of British television series Doctor Who, particularly those who watched the show online: the series left both Netflix and Hulu, leaving U.S. fans without a single Doctor Who episode streaming anywhere in the country.

However, Monday brought an announcement from Amazon that piqued Whovian interest: Amazon Video tweeted that Doctor Who was one of a few series set to stream on Amazon Prime starting on March 1.

Fans rejoiced and news articles popped up everywhere with that tweet, but then something odd happened: Amazon Video deleted the tweet, also deleting any evidence that such an announcement was ever made.

Of course, the video linked to from the original tweet remained on the Internet, and it clearly lists Doctor Who as coming to Amazon Prime as of March.

So what happened? Although Amazon released its list of shows and movies coming to the service in March last week, Doctor Who was notably absent from that original list. So it's likely that Amazon jumped the gun in tweeting about Doctor Who, either wishing to save it for a later announcement (considering it would have an exclusive streaming license for the series) or details for acquiring the show from the BBC for streaming are not yet finalized.

Whatever the case, though, the company went to the trouble of creating a video featuring it, so it's likely that it will still happen: fans can probably expect an official announcement about Doctor Who on Prime soon. However, there's still no word on if Amazon Prime will also get any of the classic Who episodes on its service.

In the meantime, there's still no word from the BBC about launching its own paid streaming service in the U.S., although the company confirmed it was working on such a service last year. Many assumed that the BBC pulled Doctor Who, its most popular show in the U.S., from Netflix and Hulu to have exclusive rights to it for its own service, but now it seems that this isn't the case.

Fortunately, for U.K. Whovians, there was a reprieve earlier this month: the series remained on Netflix there. U.S. fans still await word from Amazon, though, to get their Who fix, particularly now that there isn't a new season to look forward to in 2016.

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With Volkswagen still mired in the worst crisis of its brand's history, CEO Matthias Mueller isn't only trying to right the company's wrongs ... he's attempting a complete culture change.

According to the Wall Street Journal, part of Mueller's overhaul includes faster decision making. Another includes tabbing new employees from fellow automakers.

The publication reveals that Mueller's new strategy chief is Thomas Sedran, who formerly worked at Adam Opel, the German division of General Motors, adding that he was significant in crafting survival plans during GM's well-publicized bankruptcy bout.

For his digital chief, Mueller looked toward Apple and poached Johann Jungwirth. The engineer was a researcher with Mercedes-Benz before joining Apple's special projects unit, with sources even telling the Journal that he worked on the AppleCar project.

The results of these key hires, as well as Mueller cutting down the amount of execs answering to him by nearly 50 percent to a reported 17 people, is faster decision-making. VW needs just that to drive out of the trudge of its emissions scandal and into a healthy future.

Already, those in the company have noticed dramatic change since Mueller took over last fall.

"The difference is like night and day," Andreas Renschler, a VW board member formerly with Daimler AG, told the Journal. "We all realize that the crisis gives us a huge opportunity to change the company."

Added VW's chief designer Klaus Bischoff: "There is no more hemming and hawing. They make decisions, we are moving faster."

Michael Horn, VW's president and chief executive, additionally told the media outlet that he used to wait for months to get responses, but now has Mueller's cell phone number and calls when needed.

It's good that the embattled automaker is moving as a well-oiled machine, because it has plenty of work in front of it.

Although the recall to fix 8.5 million faulty diesel vehicles in Europe has been underway, the automaker has yet to come up with a proposal for the nearly 600,000 affected vehicles in the United States, with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) having both rejected its plan for such a massive fix just last month.

VW has plenty of work ahead of it.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
This is how to use Facebooks Messenger to track friends sleeping habits

The popular social networking site, Facebook has become an integral part of our lives. Right from posting status updates to birthday or anniversary or baby pictures, chatting or expressing views on politics or any other topics or sharing links, we do it all on Facebook. Not only this, the moment we wake up or go to bed, we check Facebook and sometimes on both times. Who knows, but Facebook definitely knows!

While Facebooks Messenger is great for many things, its most recent among them is tracking sleep. There is now a tool that uses the data collected from Messenger to track just how much sleep your friends are getting.

Soren Louv-Jansen, a Danish coder at Tradeshift, discovered a way to track his friends sleeping habits through Messenger by coding a simple program that collects digital IDs and receipts left behind by the platform.

Louv-Jansen had no problem gathering information, as tracking data on Messenger such as location and the time a person was Last Active is available in plain sight on Facebooks online client for Messenger.

He wrote a program that checks Facebook every 10 minutes to see who last checked Facebook and when. It pulled together those login times to see when people opened their phones or computers in the morning or put them down at night.

Many people visit Facebook as the first thing in the morning, and the last thing before going to bed. It is therefore possible to get a good impression of their sleeping habits (or lack thereof), Louv-Jansen wrote on his Medium post.

The program then compiled all his Friends and their downtime into an organized timeline.

Louv-Jansen says that he developed the program as a kind of demonstration of our information insecurity:

Everybody Ive shown this have been equally fascinated and outraged by the accuracy with which it predicts their sleep patterns. In this digital world we leave footprints everywhere we go, and when we do it, without even thinking about it. Facebook might block this little hack, so your friends no longer can track you, but Facebook will always be able to do their own data analysis which is undoubtedly way better than what Ive come up with.

For those who are interested in knowing their friends sleeping patterns can find the source code for fb-sleep on GitHub. You can copy the repository to run the tool locally to start tracking your friends sleep patterns and take Facebook stalking to a whole new level.

A Tumblr post about a similar project went into more technical detail about the information and coding involved.

This is not the first time a coder uses Messenger to track friends activity. Last summer, a student developer named Aran Khanna created a Google Chrome extension called Marauders Map that could divulge location of his friends on Facebook. Inspired by Harry Potter, he used a similar approach like Louv-Jansen to collect data.

We know that Facebook has the power to draw intimate insights about our most private moments, waking or otherwise. By creating such programs, both Khanna and Louv-Jansen show that most Facebook users arent aware of how much information they are revealing online without knowing.

Facebook will always be able to do their own data analysis which is undoubtedly way better than what Ive come up with. They are likely using this data for profiling, and creating more user-specific ads, Louv-Jansen wrote.

Heres a video Louv-Jansen made explaining the project:

If you would not like Facebook or anybody to snoop on you like above without knowing, its better that you disable the login timestamp and location sharing on your Facebook Messenger.
Tribal activist Soni Sori complained of burning sensation in her face after an attack. (Photo: Twitter)

Raipur: As the doctors at a Delhi hospital said the condition of tribal rights activist and AAP leader Soni Sori was stable and there was no threat to her life, Chhattisgarh police in Raipur denied that they had any role in the attack on her.

Sori was flown to Delhi after the attack in which some persons rubbed acid-like chemical on her face.

"This is not an acid attack. Someone threw black ink or grease on Soni Sori's face in Dantewada. She is suffering pain because the black material rubbed on her face made scratches," Special Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal operations) D M Awasthi said in Raipur.

"An FIR has been lodged and we trying to locate the mischief-mongers. Police are actively searching for them," he said.

Rejecting allegations of police's involvement in the incident, Awasthi said, "Police has no role in the incident which is a bodily offence. The incident is deplorable and we condemn such an incident taking place with any individual, whatever be their leanings or affiliations. (Ms) Sori is entitled to all rights and protection like any other citizen."

On February 20, three unidentified motorcycle-borne youths attacked the teacher-turned-politician with an acid-like black chemical near Jawanga village in Dantewada.

On Sunday, she was flown to Delhi by AAP and was admitted at Indraprashta Apollo Hospital as local doctors couldn't identify the substance smeared on her face.

"The patient came to the hospital last night with chemical burns on her face and was immediately admitted in the ICU...We are hopeful that she will recover within the next few weeks and are carefully monitoring the situation on an hourly basis. Her condition is stable at the moment with no threat to her life," the hospital said in a statement today.

Convener of AAP in Chhattisgarh, Sanket Thakur had alleged that Ms Sori was attacked because she raised the issues of human right violations, and the police didn't give her protection though she was receiving threats.

In the past, Ms Sori had been accused of being a conduit for the Maoist and arrested.

The hospital statement today said that Ms Sori was evaluated by an ophthalmologist and her eyes, in bedside examination, appear to be normal, though she has orbital and conjunctival oedema (a condition when watery fluid collects in cavities or tissues).

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked the Raman Singh government to arrest the accused immediately.
iPhone tips and tricks : Here is how you can unlock your iPhone for using it with any operator

Break the restriction of a specified operator and use your phone with the SIM card of your wish. Read on to find out the methods for various default operators.

Although iPhones are restricted to work with the carrier they are locked to, there are ways by which you can unlock your iPhones to work with almost any operator.

In this article were discussing on some operators to which iPhones are generally locked in. And the ways to gain freedom of choice.

O2:

O2 requires you to fill out an online form to unlock your Phone. If youre a Pay Monthly customer you can unlock your iPhone at any time, but youll still need to finish paying for your contract.

O2s website claims that Pay & Go customers will have to wait for 12 months before they can unlock their iPhone, and that itll cost them 15, but an O2 representative has claimed that O2 will now unlock all iPhones for free.

3:

On Threes website, the company states that all iPhones purchased after 1 January 2014 from Three will be unlocked as soon as you activate it over WiFi or connect it to iTunes on your computer.

However, in order to unlock an iPhone running iOS 7 or above that wasnt purchased from Three recently, youll need to connect to iTunes and do a restore of your device to unlock it. Its important to back up your content first, as restoring your device will wipe all of the data.

EE (Orange and T-Mobile):

To unlock your EE iPhone, youll need to have had your account for at least six months, and youll need to have paid all of your bills to date. EE says itll take up to 20 days to unlock your Phone, and itll cost you 20.42.

However, if youre not an EE customer and youve got an iPhone thats locked to EE, youll need to find out the name of the original owner, their EE phone number and any additional account information you can acquire in order to unlock the iPhone. If youre happy with that, youll need to fill out the online form.

Vodafone:

Vodafone also requires you to have an account with the company or know the details of the person who had the account before. If you do know those details, youll need to fill out Vodafones online form. The company says itll get back to you within 48 hours, but it could take up to 10 days if theres an issue that requires getting in touch with the phones manufacturer.

Unlocking through Vodafone will be free if youve had your plan with the company for more than 12 months, but less than that and youll need to pay 19.99. If youre Pay as you go its 19.99, too.

Tesco Mobile:

Tescos website says it will only provide you with a code to unlock your iPhone if youve been with the carrier for 12 months or if youve completed your contract. You can get said code by calling 0345 301 4455, and choosing the unlock your mobile option.

Virgin Mobile:

Any iPhone purchased from Virgin Mobile recently will be unlocked, and can be used with other SIMs. However, some older iPhones may be locked to Virgin Mobile, but youll just need to update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS to automatically unlock your iPhone.

Alternatively, if your iPhone isnt compatible with iOS 8, Apples newest operating system, you can perform a full restore of your iPhone just like you can if youre unlocking from Three, as described above.

Apart from these, you can also use some third party agents to unlock your iPhone, but watch out for the hidden extra charge that many providers slap at the time of checkout.

When your carrier has agreed to unlock your iPhone and has processed your request, youll need to replace the old SIM card with a SIM card of the carrier you wish to change to. Make sure your iPhone is off when you do this, and when your turn your iPhone back on it will talk you through any further updates that may be required.

If you dont have the original SIM card but have requested for your iPhone to be unlocked by the original carrier, youll need to reset your device.

Make sure you back up your iPhone by connecting it to your computer and using iTunes to perform a backup, and then completely reset your device by going to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Everything will be wiped from your iPhone following this process, so backing up your iPhone is EXTREMELY important to do first.

Post your further queries in the comments.
Russia wants permission to fly a spy plane over the US; Will it accede?

It is yet another sensitive case for both the United States and Russia as the latter has requested the country to fly a spy plane in order to conduct surveillance activities (because why else would you want a spy plane in the first place?). On Monday, Russia had requested permission to fly a surveillance plane equipped with an advanced electro-optical imaging sensor over the US, and it is only fair that American officials protested against this requested since they want to maintain the best interest of their country.

Both countries are signatories on the Open Skies Treaty, which is an international agreement that allows for unarmed observation flights over the entirety of the 34 member nations. History has not served both countries well and after constant years of fighting at opposite ends, perhaps this treaty will allay the differences that both regions have had for a very long time. The treaty has been originally designed to increase the military transparency of member nations. Unfortunately, the US is not going to take this request lightly since it is arguing that Russia is exploiting the spirit of the treaty by using such advanced technology.

Russias request of the Vienna-based Open Skies Consultative Commission comes at a time of heightened tensions between the two former Cold War rivals. According to Cecil D. Haney, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, he told a source the following:

The treaty has become a critical component of Russias intelligence collection capability directed at the United States. In addition to overflying military installations, Russian Open Skies flights can overfly and collect on Department of Defense and national security or national critical infrastructure.

It is highly possible that the Russians could exploit the data gathered from these flights. Another reason why the United States could reject Russias request to fly a spy plane is because the latter recently declined to make all of its territory available for the same purpose. As of right now, Moscow, Chechnya and the areas around Abkhazia and South Ossetia are off-limits despite the rules defined by the treaty.

However, if the spy plane does manage to capture images, then all the footage captured must be shared among the 34 member nations. Regardless what the treaty might state, it is highly unlikely that the United States will grant permission to Russia, seeing as how Putins state did not offer the same courtesy to the US.

AP
A 40 anos de Malvinas

"Revisar el pasado es pensar el futuro". La frase de la presidenta de Telam, Bernarda Llorente, resume el espiritu del documental coproducido entre la agencia de noticias y el canal publico de TV sobre la cobertura que los medios de comunicacion hicieron del conflicto, plagada de censura y mentiras. Una autocritica necesaria para mirar hacia adelante en un (ya viejo) contexto de fake news y negocio informativo.
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The North Sea oil industry is standing at the edge of a chasm, according to an official report warning nearly half its fields are on course to operate at a loss this year and of a domino effect of closures.

Oil and Gas UKs 2016 activity survey said that the North Sea is entering a phase of super maturity, with only 1 billion expected to be spent this year on new projects compared to a recent average of 8 billion.

It concluded that exploration is at an all-time low with no sign of improving and a significant permanent reduction in tax is required in George Osbornes Budget next month to attract back investment.

Although production increased by nearly 10 per cent last year, the survey said revenues fell by 30 per cent thanks to the collapse in the oil price to around $30 per barrel.

The fields predicted to operate at a loss this year account for around a sixth of the North Seas total production, it said, but their interconnectivity with other fields would mean many more would fall into the red thanks to a domino effect.

It also emerged that explorer First Oil Expro, owned by Aberdeen oil tycoon Ian Suttie, has entered administration. The company said it had been in talks with KPMG last year as it battled the collapse in oil prices.
Shares in Standard Chartered plunged by as much as 11pc after the bank reported its first annual loss since 1989.

The Asia-focused bank has been pummelled by the economic downturn in many Asian economies, declining commodity markets and its own expensive internal restructurings.

The bank's bosses will get no bonus for the year, shareholders will get no dividend, and the long-term incentives offered to executives in previous years will not pay out.

It made a $1.5bn (1.1bn) pre-tax loss in the year to the end of December, compared with a $5.2bn profit in 2014, weighed down by hefty restructuring charges and loan impairments.

Impairment losses on bad loans almost doubled to $4bn, while regulatory costs increased by 40pc to $1bn. The bank levy in the UK  which taxes a banks global balance sheet  increased by a fifth to $440m.

The bank attributed a 15pc slide in operating income to a combination of falling commodity prices, lower levels of business activity, the declining value of many emerging market currencies against the US dollar andits own efforts to sell businesses and other assets.

Chief executive Bill Winters, who joined the bank last year, said the global economy was a major factor in Standard Chartereds problems.
Persimmon has become the latest builder to benefit from the country's chronic housing shortage after reporting a sharp rise in annual profits.

Higher selling prices and a rise in the number of homes sold, driven by a lack of supply on the market, pushed sales up by 13pc to 2.9bn in the year to the end of December, while pre-tax profits jumped by more than a third to 638m.

The good result means the FTSE 100-listed house builder will pay out more cash to its shareholders than previously announced. It will pay a 110p dividend to investors on April 1, significantly higher than the planned payment of 10p per share.

The additional windfall means shareholders are now on track to get a cash return of 2.76bn, or 9 a share, by 2021, a 45pc increase from the original plan set out in 2012 to pay out 1.9bn by 2021, or 6.20 a share.

The average selling price of Persimmon's homes increased by 4.5pc to 199,127 last year, while the number of homes it sold rose 8pc to 14,572 . It also acquired a further 20,501 plots of land to add to an already robust pipeline of potential development sites.

Since 2012, the number of homes that Persimmon has sold each year has increased by almost 50pc.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday made it clear to Maharashtra government that it cannot keep the Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba in prison as he has to be kept in a guest house and medical treatment is to be provided to him.

A bench of Justices J.S. Khehar and C. Nagappan asked counsel for Maharashtra to take instructions if the State were to oppose bail to Prof. Saibaba following his arrest for his alleged links with Maoists.

The bench said if Prof. Saibaba is taken to Nagpur to face the trial, then they have to ensure that sufficient medical facilities for his treatment and lodging. The court made it clear that the facilities have to be in a guest house and not in a jail.

The court also allowed Mr Saibaba to move an application seeking personal exemption from appearing before the trial court by Wednesday and the same will be considered on Friday.

In his bail plea, Saibaba said he was granted interim bail by a Division Bench of the Bombay high Court on the basis of an email sent to the Chief Justice by Ms. Purnima Upadhyay, a social activist, who relied upon a report about the physical condition of Saibaba written by Mr.Pavan Dahat in a newspaper article. The Bench asked Dr. Saibaba to seek regular bail in the sessions court.
Theres a variety of chalcedony  itself a type of quartz  which is of such a mesmerising shade of powder blue that it cant be mistaken for anything else. Now imagine this as an entire parure or set of jewels on the defiantly glamorous figure of the Duchess of Windsor  a double strand of luminous beads with a large sapphire-stamened flower clasp, swoops of leaf-shaped earclips, and a pair of cuffs carved in rings of the stone, dangling with fat beads.

This is the work of Suzanne Belperron, the greatest jewellery designer of whom youve never heard, but thats about to change. Thanks to the passion and doggedness of a father-and-son duo in New York, the Belperron name has been revived in the most faithful way possible, and anyone who has ever been left breathless by a rock crystal and sapphire brooch in the form of a bunch of grapes, or diamonds set to overlap like fish scales should rejoice.
The pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $72 million (51 million) to the family of a woman who claimed her ovarian cancer was caused by talcum powder.

A jury in St Louis, Missouri, said the company had failed to warn users of the potential dangers despite concerns raised by the American Cancer Society in 1999.

Although many talcum powder manufacturers in the US have since switched to corn starch following the scare in the 90s, in Britain most still use talcum.

However the ruling is likely to prove controversial because most cancer experts believe the link is unproven and law experts said British claimants would face a higher bar in trying to convince a UK judge that talcum was a direct cause of cancer.
Confronted by a press question on whether he was talking about Boris when the PM said he is not standing again, Cameron says: "I am saying this because I feel this so strongly, I'm not standing again as PM, I'm speaking about this issue after thinking about it very deeply... After all the things I've learnt in 6 years as your PM. "I'm not sure that six, maybe ten years ago I thought the European Union was quite so important for Britain getting things done in the world." On the mayor of London specifically, he adds that Boris has a bright future as a political leader and lots to give to the country. He says: "He is a great friend of mine, he is a great mayor of London ... But on this issue I think he's got it wrong and I think he's reached the wrong conclusion ... You're going to find this is one where here are some fairly strange bedfellows ... Yes it's going to be a strong and passionate debate. "I would say to anyone who is thinking about this and struggling to decide ... I would say come down on the side of security and safety and certainly because in this reformed EU we know what we get ... Outside what do we get? And I don't think the people who want to leave are spelling it out." Cameron adds that he thinks if the UK left the EU it would continue to exist but "go in the wrong direction" and make worse decisions and become more protectionist. Kate McCann
The Tories now are in far deeper trouble than Labour was in the dying days of its government
Chennai: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Monday informed the Madras high court that it has decided to write to Centre about the Tamil Nadus state universities not adopting the UGC regulations for appointment of vice-chancellors and other factors.

Additional solicitor general G. Rajagopalan also informed a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana that the UGC would very soon initiate action in the matter once the Centre responds to its communication.

He made the above submissions when a PIL from CHANGE India represented by its director A Narayanan came up for hearing before the Bench.

The PIL sought to quash a May 2015 advertisement calling for applications for appointment of vice chancellors for the state universities.

The bench reserved orders after hearing elaborate arguments from both sides.

During the course of hearing, the bench also pulled up the UGC for its inaction in the matter, pointing out that advocate general A L Somayaji had been saying repeatedly that adopting UGC regulations by the universities was under consideration.

Advocate general however submitted that all the points raised in the PIL had been addressed by the Supreme Court in Kalyani Mathivanan case and that unless the universities adopt the UGC regulations, they would not be bound by the UGC regulations while selecting vice chancellors.
New Delhi: Sending a message that money allotted for the smart city projects cannot be used for other purposes, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday asked the 20 selected cities to get the projects off the ground by June 25, the day Smart City Mission completes one year of its launch.

The Minister emphasised that there was no politics in choosing Smart Cities as many BJP-ruled states do not figure in the list, so do the constituencies represented by many VIPs.

Addressing a workshop 'India Smart City Mission: Next Steps', attended by senior officials from states and UTs and municipal commissioners of the 20 smart city winners and 23 cities participating in the Fast Track Competition, Naidu called for cooperation from the people for the success of the project.

"Narendra Modi does not have an Alladin's djin with which he can make every city smart. It requires public participation Smart cities require a smart leader in action, vision, and implementation. (How can) a city be smart if people don't cooperate with the administration."

"Everything will be observed and everything will be watched. Money cannot be spent for other purposes," Naidu said.

The Minister asked the 20 cities selected for the Smart City Mission to begin their projects by June 25.

"You got to get your Special Purpose Vehicles quickly in place and get them going about formulation of projects and getting them off the ground. I would like these 20 projects off the ground by June 25 this year, marking the one year of launch of the Smart City Mission by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Naidu said.

Smart City Competition was completely city neutral, neither favouring nor discriminating against any participant city, he said adding that it was good if competition brought pressure on political leadership.

"Several political leaders met me and said the competition based selection of cities, based on a set of rules is all fine but it brought pressure on them with people asking why not a single city from their states made it to the top 20.

"If competition could make political leadership at various levels focus on urban planning and governance, it is a positive outcome since urban governance can no longer be business as usual," he said.
The newly developed Thotlakonda beach in Vizag city will be open for general public soon.

Visakhapatnam: The AP tourism department will promote Vizag as the city of hills and beaches to attract the tourists from various parts of the country and abroad.

The newly developed Thotlakonda beach in Vizag city will be open for general public soon and three more beaches in the city will be ready by March. The tourism department has identified four beaches - Sagarnagar, Yendada, Thotlakonda and Mangamaripeta in the city for development and they have given top priority for Thotlakonda beach.

The 2.4 acres beach will be ready for the general public shortly. District Tourism Information Officer V.S. Lakshman Rao said that the tourism department has spent almost Rs 1 crore for Thotlakonda beach. It will include a park with sprawling landscaped lawns and four spacious food courts, washrooms for men and women and other basic amenities.

Vizagites and tourists from various parts of the country have been often disappointed as the existing beaches, RK Beach and Rushikonda beach in the city have failed to attract visitors.

Hence, the Mangamaripeta beach will be developed with water sports and other facilities. Two firms, Livein and India Extreme will develop the water sports facilities, including speed boats, scuba diving and water scooter rides and the time line for that has been set by March 31.

We are waiting for the Forest Department clearance for the development of the Sagarnagar and Yendada beaches and hopefully we may get the clearance soon, said Mr Lakshman Rao.

While Sagar Nagar project will be come up on .98 hectares at a cost of Rs 65 lakh, Yendada will come up on .97 hectares at a cost of Rs 80 lakh, he added.

The tourism department also planned for development of Mutyalammapalem, Revupolavaram and Yarada beaches in the coming days as the beaches were beautiful and located away from the city.
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Two weeks before giving birth to my second child, a test showed that I had hypoxia. So I had to register at the hospital for treatment several days before the expected date of delivery. I had my second boy by Caesarean section. I recovered much more slowly than other new mothers younger than me who went through the same procedure. But despite all the difficulties, I feel it was worth it and I am happy.
U.S. arms policy and practice too often fuel war rather than deterring it. Roughly two-thirds of current conflicts involve one or more parties armed by the United States. | Read More
Bengaluru: Why was the premier government-run Minto Eye Hospital without power for nearly 36 hours starting Sunday evening, risking the lives of tens of patients recovering from surgery?

Caught between the increasingly inept BESCOM and a PWD that has been kept out of handling this hospice, doctors struggled to cope in the dark, putting off critical surgical procedures and turning away patients.

Relief came only at 3 am on Tuesday after a glitch in the transformer on the hospital campus was set right. For over 100 patients, mostly from the poorer sections, the glitch meant they had no recourse to treatment.

It is a very old building and we have been trying to run the show with the help of generators. We only had power supply for the OT, said Dr Chinamyee J.T. of Minto Hospital. 50 surgeries were performed on Tuesday after power was restored.

Both the hospital and Bescom are to blame for the power disruption. The fuses in the transformer are gone. The maintenance department is understaffed. We have one estate officer, one electrical engineer and one technician when we need a full-fledged team, they said.
Star Hero Set To Walk Free From Jail On Thursday

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt who lodged in Yerawada Central Jail will be a free man on February 25. Sanjay has been serving the remainder of his five-year term in Yerwada jail, Pune, for possessing illegal arms in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case. A regular remission was granted to Dutt by the authorities on account of his good behaviour.



His family members, including wife Manyata and children, will be at the gates of Yerwada jail to receive him when he walks out.Sanjay dutt who convicted by TADA court has served his sentence in two half's. He had already spent 18 months in jail before the Supreme Court pronounced the five-year sentence.After spending 18 months in jail, he was granted bail in April 1995. In July 2007 he was sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment, including his previous term of 18 months.



Sanjay got remission of 7 days per month for good behaviour and extra-curricular activities like running a radio station inside the jail, educating other inmates and hence 420 days were reduced from the sentence. The jail authorities have rejected a request for a small 'welcome ceremony' planned by the family on security grounds, in view of a large number of the actor's fans and media presence.



Its known that Supreme Court convicted Dutt of illegal possession of arms relating to the 1993 Mumbai blasts case and sentenced him to five years imprisonment.









News Posted: 22 February, 2016








New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday rushed a Border Security Force contingent to stand guard outside the gates of JNU as the universitys teachers and students pressed their demand to drop sedition charges against arrested students union chief Kanhiya Kumar and five others who recently surfaced at the campus.

While all eyes on Wednesday will be on the Delhi High Court where Mr Kumars bail plea will be heard, the High Court told the other students to follow procedures of surrender or arrest.

The Delhi police, meanwhile, made a U-turn from its earlier stand of not opposing Mr Kumars bail, saying this was due to a change in circumstances.

Delhi police commissioner B.S. Bassi had earlier claimed the police would not oppose bail for Kanhaiya as a young man like him should be given another chance.

But on Tuesday he justified his backtracking, saying: The circumstances when I had said so... those have totally changed. He also said the police will not shy away from using all its options if the five JNU students who resurfaced at the campus failed to cooperate with investigators.

The BSF was made to stand guard outside the campus gate. The police felt it lacked adequate forces as it also had to handle another major protest near Jantar Mantar.

The JNU authorities, meanwhile, said the demands from teachers and students that Mr Kumar be released and that sedition charges be dropped against him and five others were matters beyond its control.

JNU registrar Bhupinder Zutshi said: We have not arrested Kanhaiya, we have also not charged anyone with sedition. It is for the police and the court to take a call. Both these demands are beyond our control.

When Mr Kumars bail petition came up in the High Court, additional solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the police, surprised many by opposing bail. As soon as the hearing began at 10.30 am, the judge asked: Are you filing the status report? If you were aware, you should have done it. What about the status report? If you do not have the status report, I will not proceed. Ask your investigating officer to file the report.

When the ASG told the court they will file the status report in a sealed cover as this is a pre-chargesheet bail and the status report cannot be shown to the accused, the bench said: I do not need it in a sealed cover. You will have to file it. Issue notice. File the status report by tomorrow.

Later, Mr Bassi said: We have reasonable apprehension that if he (Kanhaiya) comes out on bail, he is bound to impact the investigation and influence witnesses. He is also likely to indulge in activities violative of penal laws. That is why we opposed grant of bail to Kanhaiya and shall oppose it further too.

As the hearing began, Delhi government senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra opposed the appearance of ASGs Mehta and Sanjay Jain and lawyer Anil Soni, saying that before appearing in the matter they should show a notification in this regard.

Responding to this, Mr Jain said: Once ASGs are appearing in this matter, you have no business to interfere in it. At this stage, the bench intervened and said: Lets not fight over this issue. I will proceed only if the status report is filed.
Send CBN To Jail; Jagan Urges President

YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has finally responded on defections of his MLA'S to ruling TDP.Reacting to the party MLAs joining TDP, YS Jagan said Chandrababu has managed to get hold of just four MLA'S despite the vigorous efforts.



"I must salute all my party MLAs who did not give in to Chandrababu's fraudulent schemes to tempt them into his party. He lured all our MLA'S with several offers but he just managed to get four by promising them cabinet berths.'' Jagan said.



Jagan has met the President Pranab Mukhargee and requested him to interfere in according the special status to AP and also to fulfil the assurances given by the centre in the reorganisation act.



He also complained to president against Chandrababu and appealed Pranab Mukharjee to initiate steps to send Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to jail for his anti-people governance in the state.



YS Jagan is also tried to meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. However, their appointment could not be confirmed as both PM and Home Minister were busy monitoring the Jats' agitation in Haryana. Jagan along with four MP'S have submitted a memorandum to the President alleging the irregularities of the CM.









News Posted: 23 February, 2016








Talasani asks Naidu to clarify on defection of MLAs

Hyderabad, Feb 23 (INN): Commercial Taxes Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav on Tuesday asked Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP Chief N. Chandrababu Naidu to clarify on defection of four YSRCP MLAs into TDP.



Speaking to media persons at Telangana Bhavan here, Talasani reminded that he was severely criticised by Naidu when he quit the TDP to join the TRS. He said he was hurt by several personal remarks made against him by the TDP leaders. However, he said that the TDP has done the same thing in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh by encouraging four YSRCP MLAs to defect to TDP.



Talasani asked Naidu to justify the joining of YSRCP MLAs into TDP. He asked whether Naidu would ask those MLAs to resign and seek re-election. He said that the recent defection of YSRCP MLAs was aimed at diverting people's attention from the rout TDP has faced in Telangana State.









News Posted: 23 February, 2016








KCR orders merger of 14 sections of Education Dept

Hyderabad, Feb 23 (INN): Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday directed the officials to reduce the number of sections in Education Department so as to improve the quality of education.



Addressing a review meeting in connection with preparation of budget proposals for the Education Department, the Chief Minister said there were 14 different sections under Education Department. He said those departments were not essential as they do not have required staff. Citing an instance, he said the Libraries and Archives Sections had nothing with the Education Department. Therefore, they could be merged with Cultural Department. Similarly, other sections which are not directly connected with education could be merged with other relevant departments or scrapped.



KCR said despite spending nearly Rs. 20,000 crore on education sector, the quality of education in government institutions was not up to the mark. He said immediate steps should be taken to improve the standard of education in all government institutions. He said students belonging to SC, ST, BC, minorities and other economically weaker sections study in government schools and colleges. Therefore, he said the quality of education must be improved in government institutions to ensure growth of future generations.



The Chief Minister directed the officials to convert all SC, ST and BC Welfare hostels into residential schools in a phase manner. He asked them to prepare a detailed proposal in this regard. He also proposed merger of all language academies under one-roof. Similarly, the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), presently being run by Labour Department, will be transferred to Technical Education Department.



KCR said it was not compulsory for the Telangana Government to continue all the schemes which it inherited from united Andhra Pradesh. He said that the officials should focus on implementation of schemes introduced by the Telangana Government. He also ordered scrapping of Printing Department.



The Chief Minister asked officials to prepare a detailed report on the functioning, staff, infrastructure and other relevant information of all educational institutions in the State. He said instead of constructing new buildings, the existing buildings could be upgraded by providing needed infrastructure and facilities. He said that the Central Government was not releasing adequate funds for the institutions which it is running in the State. He said that the State Government would try to compensate deficiency in funding of those institutions.



The review meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari, Finance Minister Etala Rajender, Advisor to Government G.R. Reddy, Chief Secretary Dr. Rajiv Sharma, Principal Secretary of Education Department Rajiv Ranjan and other senior officials.









News Posted: 23 February, 2016








Congress receives a jolt as Saraiah joins TRS

Hyderabad, Feb 23 (INN): Just ahead of Greater Warangal municipal elections, the Congress party received a major jolt with its senior leader and former minister Basvaraj Saraiah joining the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi.



Saraiah, along with his supporters, joined the TRS on Tuesday after meeting Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao at his camp office. KCR offered a pink khandwa (scarf) to Saraiah to formally welcome him into the party.



Speaking to media persons later, Saraiah said he was quite impressed with the welfare schemes being implemented by KCR. He said although the credit for formation of Telangana goes to Congress party, it was TRS Government which was working for the development of new State. He also praised the Chief Minister for proposing a comprehensive package on the development of Warangal









News Posted: 23 February, 2016








A lawyer, center, who spoke to the media supporting student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, is beaten up by other lawyers outside Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Wednesday. Kumar has been arrested by the police on charges of sedition. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Hours after arrest of lawyer Yashpal Singh, who was caught on camera thrashing journalist and students in Patiala House Court last week in Delhi, was released on bail by Delhi police.

Yashpal Singh is amongst the three lawyers who were caught on camera thrashing students and journalists during the hearing of JNUSU president Kanhiya Kumar, who face sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-national slogans in JNU campus.

The arrest came a day after a news channel aired a sting operation in which the lawyer was seen boasting about beating JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, when he was brought to the court on February 17.

A senior Delhi Police official said Singh has been arrested in connection with two cases of assault when he presented himself to the investigators at Tilak Marg police station responding to summons.

Singh was caught on camera beating journalists and JNU students and teachers along with his colleagues Vikram Singh Chauhan and Om Sharma among others.

While Sharma was arrested on Saturday and subsequently released on bail, Chauhan, who led two brazen attacks, is yet to respond to multiple notices issued by the police asking him to join probe.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition that seeks action based on the TV sting that purportedly features the Mr Singh and lawyers Vikram Chauhan and Om Sharma - who were the most prominent of the lawyers involved in the assault on JNU students, teachers and journalists on February 15 and 17.
Venkaiah Naidu. Though the BJP has the strength in the Karnataka Assembly, he may be fielded from AP or Madhya Pradesh. Nirmala Sitharaman. There has been no word from the BJP to the TD on the Union ministers renomination so far.

Hyderabad: While it is still not clear when the Election Commission will hold the biennial polls for vacant Rajya Sabha seats in several states, including TS and AP, though Assembly elections are due in Tamil Nadu, Assam and Kerala from where the RS vacancies need to be filled.

Past experience shows that the EC had held biennial polls for the RS seats ahead of Assembly polls as the elected MLAs are the voters for the Upper House of Parliament. While Tamil Nadu Assembly term ends May 22, RS members elected from the state are to retire on June 29.

Similarly, Assam Assembly term ends by June 5, but the RS members will retire by April 9, while Kerala Assembly term ends by May 31 and the RS members from this state will retire by April 2. Biennial elections are due in 16 states where the term of RS members will be completed between April 2 and August 1.

As per the Law, elections will need to be completed within six months from the date of completion of the term. Normally, biennial polls for the Rajya Sabha are conducted across the states within a single schedule

However it is up to the EC to either split or combine the polls and hold them before the Assembly term expires or after formation of the new House.

There is no word yet from the EC over appointment of Returning Officers for the elections which normally take place a month before announcement of the poll schedule.

Despite the uncertainty over conduct of RS biennial polls, there are a lot of aspirants from both TS and AP. As far as TS is concerned, V. Hanumantha Rao and Gundu Sudharani will be retiring by June 21.

It is an open secret that TRS, having welcomed a number of Opposition MLAs to the party, wants to bag both these RS seats. It is believed some more TD and Congress MLAs will be joining the TRS before the RS polls.

Assuming that the entire Opposition  TD, Congress and BJP, along with CPI and CPM members  fields a common candidate, even then the TRS, with its present strength in the House, will make it.

This would be the first RS biennial polls after formation of Telangana. Though Ms Sudharani resigned from the TD and joined the TRS, it is not clear whether TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao has given her any assurance that she would get a second term.

Incidentally, aspirants have started queuing up before Mr Chandrasekhar Rao and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao.

Sources close to Mr Chandrasekhar Rao say that D. Damodara Rao, owner of Telugu daily Namaste Telangana, and a close relative of the TS CM, is a certainty, while the names doing rounds for the second seat are the CMs friend and former minister V. Laxmi Kantha Rao, irrigation contractor-cum-media man C.L. Rajam, former ministers D. Srinivas and S. Venugopala Chary, former MP Manda Jagannadham and a few others.

With regard to AP, terms of Union minister of commerce Nirmala Sitharaman, Union minister of state for science and technology Y.S. Chowdary (Sujana Chowdary), Congress member and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh and former Union minister of state J.D. Seelam will expire on June 21, 2016.

Of the four RS seats for which polls will be held, the TD-BJP combine is sure of winning three with the allies strength in the Assembly, while the fourth one will go to the YSR Congress due to its formidable strength in the AP Assembly.

However, Mr Naidus close aide and RS member C.M. Ramesh says that the TD will do all it can to ensure that the YSRC does not bag even one RS seat. If we manage to attract more MLAs from the YSRC, and this is a certainty, we will win all the four seats, Mr Ramesh said.

If the YSRCs strength in the AP Assembly drops below 36 from the present 67 (four MLAs have already switched sides) the party cannot win the seat, he said.

For the remaining two seats from AP, one of the names doing rounds is of Mr Chowdary. Likewise, there is speculation over the nomination of Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu whose third RS term from Karnataka will end by June 30.
Watch out super fund spruikers  the corporate cop is trawling YouTube and Facebook over concerns that some financial services firms are making "potentially misleading" statements about the benefits of managing your own superannuation.

Three small financial services firms that ply the self-managed super fund trade have taken down their allegedly offending videos and social media missives after the Australian Securities and Investments Commission raised concerns over the content.

In 2012 ASIC established a taskforce to crackdown on misleading advertising. Credit:Daniel Kalisz

The companies  Urban Seed Project Marketing, Sydney's Skybridge Portfolios and Brisbane Tatnell DLS  all ran afoul of the regulator over their respective social media content.

In 2012, ASIC established an SMSF taskforce to crackdown on misleading advertising of SMSFs including potentially misleading or deceptive statements about SMSF fees, returns and risks.
Westfield owner Scentre has emerged as a potential buyer of David Jones' landmark Market Street store in Sydney.

Long unofficially known to Sydneysiders as David Jones' "men's store", the building houses the famous David Jones food hall as well as menswear, manchester and electrical.

Analysts expected Scentre Group to be interested in David Jones' Market Street store in Sydney. Credit:David Clare

South Africa's Woolworths Holdings has formally put the CBD property on the market as part of its ongoing restructure of the department store business.

It's understood the building could sell for as much as $350 million. An international marketing campaign will begin in March.
For all its peculiar horror, cancer comes with a saving grace. If nothing else can stop a tumour's mad evolution, the cancer ultimately dies with its host. Everything the malignant cells have learned about outwitting the patient's defences - and those of the oncologists - is erased. The next case of cancer, in another victim, must start anew.

Imagine if instead, cancer cells had the ability to press on to another body. A cancer like that would have the power to metastasise not just from organ to organ, but from person to person, evolving deadly new skills along the way.

Tasmanian devils have been threatened by contagious cancer. Here, an immunised devil is released into the wild. Credit:Tasmanian Government

While there is no sign of an imminent threat, several recent papers suggest that the eventual emergence of a contagious human cancer is in the realm of medical possibility. This would not be a disease, like cervical cancer, that is set off by the spread of viruses, but rather one in which cancer cells actually travel from one person to another and thrive in their new location.

So far this is known to have happened only under the most unusual circumstances. A 19-year-old laboratory worker who pricked herself with a syringe of colon cancer cells developed a tumour in her hand. A surgeon acquired a cancer from his patient after accidentally cutting himself during an operation. There are also cases of malignant cells being transferred from one person to another through an organ transplant or from a woman to her fetus.
Frankfurt/London: Mars has recalled chocolate bars and other products in 55 countries, mainly in Europe, after bits of plastic were found in a Snickers bar in Germany, the US chocolate maker said on Tuesday.

All of the recalled products, which include Mars, Snickers and Milky Way bars, were manufactured at a Dutch factory in Veghel, according to a Mars spokeswoman.

It is not yet known whether the recall affects any products in Australia, and Fairfax Media has contacted Mars for a response.

According to one of Mars Australia's websites though, many popular Mars chocolate products sold in Australia such as Mars bars, M&M's and Snickers are made locally in Victoria.
Synchronicity is a curious thing. Just hours after reading a letter to the editor about the excessive zeal being adopted by the ACTs beggars and panhandlers over breakfast in Tuesday's The Canberra Times I experienced the phenomenon firsthand.

While Alayne Richardson's epistle focussed on what is now an unpleasant fact of life in Civic, my encounter was at a service station on Canberra Avenue.

Not all beggars are this polite. Credit:Michael Rayner

Having pulled in to feed the tiger in the tank, I was accosted by an agitated female of middle years who said she was on the run from domestic violence and needed $11.70 for the bus fare to Yass for her children.

When I looked in the direction indicated no children were anywhere to be seen.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine a petition from advocate Prashant Bhushan bringing to its notice a sting operation conducted by two TV channels against certain lawyers justifying the assault on JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

A bench of Justices J. Chelameswar and A.M. Sapre asked Mr Bhushan to file a proper petition when he mentioned about the sting operation and sought action against the lawyers concerned, who had said they had beat Kumar for three hours in police custody in the presence of the police.

When Justice Chelameswar wanted to know whether any police complaint had been registered in this regard or on the alleged custodial violence against Kumar, Bhushan said no such complaint has been filed so far.

He submitted that something more serious has happened. Aaj Tak TV and India TV conducted a sting operation of three lawyers who had beaten up Kumar and indulged in violence on February 15 and 17 at the Patiala courts.

In the operation, the lawyers claimed they beat up Kumar for three hours in police custody and the police did not intervene. He said in the sting operation, the police on duty also stated that if they were not in uniform at that time even they would have beaten up Kumar.
A dramatic cut in dividend payments will give BHP Billiton the capacity to buy assets, with the company declaring it is time to buy rather than build.

The acquisitive sentiment emerged after a dire six months in which BHP sanks to its first statutory loss since 1999 and was forced to cut interim dividends by 74 per cent.

A weaker than expected underlying profit of $US412 million ($573 million) for the six months to December 31 became a $US5.66 billion loss after accounting for asset impairments.

The US16 interim dividend was the smallest announced by BHP since February 2005, and came with confirmation that the company's "progressive" dividend policy (which guaranteed dividends would never fall) had been abandoned.
Cleaning and catering giant Spotless is not turning its back on acquisitions despite suffering "indigestion" after it completed a flurry of deals last year.

The company has reaffirmed its full year profit will dive 10 per cent, but is confident the worst is behind it.

Spotless chief executive Martin Sheppard is confident the worst is behind the company.

Chief executive Martin Sheppard attributed the plunge to a delay and deferral of contracts and well as recent acquisitions not being integrated into the company as smoothly as hoped.

But he said those were "short-term issues" that would be resolved before the end of this financial year and the company was well positioned for further growth.
I am not a scientist. I never studied science past the most elementary level. I certainly don't pretend to know anything about the effects on human brain cells of electromagnetic waves in the radio frequency.

But I do have a lifetime's experience of long-form television journalism, as a producer, reporter and editor. And, in my opinion, Dr Maryanne Demasi, of the ABC's Catalyst program, just doesn't understand the difference between journalism and advocacy.

Ms Guthrie has had a tumultuous start to the job, criticised for cuts to science program Catalyst (pictured) and programming changes to Radio National. Credit:ABC TV

Demasi's modus operandi is becoming all too familiar. Find a scary thesis that is bound to resonate with many ordinary Australians: people who take statins to lower the chances of cardiovascular disease; parents of young people who are being prescribed antidepressants; people who use mobile telephones a lot, and  a far bigger cohort  the parents of children who use Wi-Fi devices.

Find advocates in the scientific world who have plausible credentials  plausible, at least to the layperson  and who challenge the prevailing scientific orthodoxy: advocates who claim statins are not decreasing, and might even be increasing, the risk of mortality in many of those who are taking them; that antidepressants are inducing psychosis or suicidal tendencies in young people; that prolonged mobile telephone use is probably increasing the risk of brain tumours, and that all Wi-Fi devices might yet prove to be dangerous, especially to children.
South Australia's experience of the nuclear industry isn't a happy one. The atomic weapon tests at Maralinga resulted in deadly health problems for the unintended victims and decades of environmental clean up.

But now South Australia has the opportunity to make a significant contribution to international security by providing a solution to one of the stickiest problems associated with nuclear power generation: a long term resolution to nuclear waste via a deep geological disposal facility.

ERA shares are not for the faint-hearted. Credit:Glenn Campbell

There's a consensus at the scientific level supporting geological disposal of high-level waste because it's a feasible and low risk option, enabling its radioactivity to decay to harmless levels.

Kevin Scarce, a former South Australian governor, has just handed down his preliminary findings from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission, which examined if South Australia should expand from being a uranium miner into enrichment, waste storage and power generation.
Is it selfish not to vaccinate your kids? I've always taken the view that it's personal choice if a parent wants to immunise their child. But that was before becoming a mother. That was before outbreaks of chickenpox and measles surfaced in my own backyard.

Late last year it was reported that around a quarter of children who attended a particular primary school were struck with chickenpox. Now we are hearing of measles outbreaks in the same area: Brunswick.

Some doctors are blaming anti-vaccination campaigners. The aim in Australia is for a 95% immunisation rate but in Brunswick the immunisation rate for children aged five is 90 per cent, 89 per cent for those aged two, and 94 per cent for one year olds. Is it just a coincidence the viral party is happening in Brunswick?

It's only in the last few years (now that my child is of school age) that I've come to realise how someone not vaccinating their child affects my child. I had just assumed that if there was an outbreak that my child would be fine while the unimmunised children would catch it and suffer through it. But I was wrong.
Sony has announced new additions to its Xperia family of smartphones at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but this time the Japanese company is taking a new approach.

There was some confusion at the booth as to whether the three 'Xperia X' devices were replacing the Z5s unveiled less than six months ago, but it appears Sony is simplifying its entire current lineup  which consists of dozens of phones of varying size and specification  with this new, focused offering.

The Xperia X is unveiled at Mobile World Congress. Credit:Bloomberg

Sony is saying Xperia X marks "a re-imagining of the Xperia brand", indicating these three new phones really are a fresh start. The exception is the Xperia Z5 Premium, Sony's 5.5-inch, 4K phone, which will live on during this transition.

The Xperia X family includes the 'super midrange' Xperia XA, the flagship Xperia X, and the high end Xperia X Performance. The most interesting change in strategy is that all three phones will sport the same 5 inch display, which Sony says is the most popular screen size its customers have asked for.
For more than 60 years a visit to Disneyland has been all about the magic of fairytales and iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. But that much-loved, if staid, cartoonish universe is about to dramatically expand.

Harrison Ford, who despite being killed off in episode VII showed his importance to Disney, by being entrusted with the announcement on US television of massive Star Wars-themed extensions at Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida, as the film studio seeks to further capitalise on its purchase of Lucasfilm. In acquiring Lucasfilm it bought the entire Star Wars franchise for $US4.05 billion from its creator, George Lucas.

Disney already reaped huge profits from the success of the latest instalment, episode VII  Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Since opening a week before Christmas, it has made $US2.040 billion, making it the third highest-grossing film of all time.
One of Hollywood's greatest living filmmakers, Martin Scorsese, will be the subject of a major exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image at Federation Square in Melbourne from May.

The show, simply titled Scorsese, will present clips, storyboards, costumes, notes and unpublished production stills from the 60 or so titles on which the 73-year-old filmmaker has worked since he made his first short film in 1959.

Scorsese is reuniting with his Goodfellas stars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci for the mob flick. Credit:Sikelia Productions, New York

The artefacts are drawn from Scorsese's personal collection as well as those of some of his collaborators, including actor Robert De Niro, screenwriter and director Paul Schrader, and costume designer Sandy Powell and photographer Brigitte Lacombe.

The exhibition  curated by the Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin, and being staged in Australia exclusively at ACMI  will be accompanied by a program of screenings, talks and live events.
New Delhi: As the Parliament geared up for a turbulent Budget Session, Pranab Mukherjee said that the government's development philosophy Sabka saath, Sabka vikas aimed to eradicate poverty, which he added was the worst kind of violence.

Here are the latest updates:

9.45 am: BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi gave a notice in the Lok Sabha on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) row and the Ishran Jahan case. With the notice being submitted, these issues are most likely to be raised in the Parliament during the Budget Session which begins from today.

10 am: President Pranab Mukherjee to address both Houses of Parliament on the governments agenda and policy for the upcoming year.

10.40 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Parliament on day one of Budget Session, followed by President Pranab Mukherjee.

President Pranab Mukherjee en route to the Parliament (Photo: Twitter)

10.45 am: I wish that the Parliament session will be fruitful and there is constructive criticism as well, said the Prime Minister. The country is watching eagerly at the proceedings that are to take place in the Parliament. I welcome criticism of the government and its policies, that's what a Democracy is all about, added Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches the Parliament for the Budget Session (Photo: Twitter)

11.00 am: Budget Session began with President Pranab Mukherjee addressing members of both houses at a joint sitting in Parliament.

Expressing confidence that the deliberations of the Parliamentarians will live upto the task reposed by the citizens, the President said that ''Going forth, we will all be partners in progress and development of our great country.''

Adding that the development philosophy of the government was captured in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' motto, he added ''My government in particular is focused on the welfare of the poor, farmers and jobs for the youth. The overriding goal of my government is to eradicate poverty, which is the worst kind of violence.''

Development philosophy is captured in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas': Honourable President addresses the Parliament @RashtrapatiBhvn  PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 23, 2016 My government in particular is focussed on 'Garibon Ki Unnati', 'Kisano Ki Samridhi' and 'Yuvaon Ka Rozgar': President Mukherjee  PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 23, 2016 My government in particular is focussed on 'Garibon Ki Unnati', 'Kisano Ki Samridhi' and 'Yuvaon Ka Rozgar': President Mukherjee  PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 23, 2016

11.07 am: Speaking about the social security schemes, the President said My Government has launched 3 new social security and pension schemes. The Government is committed to provide housing for all.

11.15 am: Well being of farmers is vital to the nation's prosperity. Government is committed to the philosophy of per drop, more crop, the President said, speaking on agricultural sector.

11.20 am: Maintaining that Rural development was one of the top priorities of the government, the President said "India achieved the highest urea production in 2015. Government realises role of animal husbandry, dairy & fisheries sectors."

11.25 am: "My government's mission of skill development in India has gained momentum" President Mukherjee.

11.30 am: Addressing the Parliament on the progress made on health care sector I am happy to inform that we have successfully eliminated Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus well before global targeted timeline of December 2015. We are putting strong focus on holistic healthcare, strengthening Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Sowa-Rigpa & Homoeopathy.

My Government has taken measures to eliminate the scope for corruption: President Pranab Mukherjee addresses the Parliament @RashtrapatiBhvn  PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 23, 2016 Government has been unsparing in punishing those who are found guilty of corruption: President Pranab Mukherjee @RashtrapatiBhvn  PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 23, 2016

11.40 am: Emphasising that the Government firmly believed that economic development and environmental protection can co-exist, President Mukherjee detailed on the progress of the Namami Gange project. He also spoke on corruption saying Measures to eliminate the scope for corruption has been undertaken by the government. Government has been unsparing in punishing those who are found guilty.

11.50 am: Speaking on the developments in the energy sector he said Government has envisaged increasing the renewable energy capacity manifold to 175 GW by 2022. Today solar power is affordable and accessible to thousands of people. Also, in the year 2015 India witnessed the highest ever generation of electricity. He added that the government introduced dynamic and comprehensive reforms in Coal sector and conducted transparent allocation of over 70 coal blocks.

Members at the President's address of the joint session of Parliament (Photo: Videograb)

12.00 pm: Revealing that 2015 saw the highest ever software exports during 2015, Pranab Mukherjee said that the year also saw the highest ever increase in rail capital expenditure.

12.05 pm: Building upon the success over the past year, my Government's endeavour is to scale new heights in Space, the President said, and added that the country witnessed a hike in GDP growth, making it the worlds fastest growing economy among large economies. Inflation, fiscal deficit & current account deficit have decreased. India recorded highest ever foreign exchange reserves in 2015," he announced.

12.07 pm: The government's concerted efforts to tackle menace of black money have started yielding results. The government also launched the Gold Monetization Scheme & Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme in Nov 2015 to ensure productive utilization of idle assets, the president said.

He also said that the Defence procurement procedure has been streamlined with a focus on indigenously designed, developed & manufactured weapon systems, and that the government was working to ensure that the Armed Forces will be equipped with the most capable and sophisticated armaments in the world.

12.10 pm: The government has continued to pursue a bold and proactive foreign policy. We reached out to the world, both on land and sea. My government is committed to the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world is one family he said.

12.12 pm: The President said The government is focused on Sabka Vikas, beyond just the economic advancements that dominate headlines. We must ensure that the poor and deprived are truly empowered to take advantage of opportunities to improve their lives. Sabka Vikas means that backward sections of society are equally valued and are genuine stakeholders in the countrys progress.

12.13 pm: Parliament reflects the supreme will of people. Democratic temper calls for debate & discussion & not disruption or obstruction. Government will constantly strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliamentary business, Mukherjee said.

12. 15 pm: President Pranab Mukherjee concluded his address to the Parliament.

President Pranab Mukherjee concludes the address to the joint session of the Parliament (Photo: Twitter)

During the session, the Rail Budget will be presented on 25th and the General Budget on 29th of February. The first phase of the Session will come to an end on 16th of March and the second phase will begin from 25th April and conclude on 13th May.

The Bills which will come up for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha include GST, Real Estate, Anti-Hijacking, National Waterways and Whistle Blowers Protection. In the Lok Sabha, the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Amendment Bill is among others which will be taken up for discussion and passage.

Asserting that the government was ready to discuss the current state of unrest at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Union parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu earlier said that there were different views on the issue which needs to be addressed and debated.Calling on the Opposition to adopt a positive approach for the upcoming Budget Session, he added that holding 'discussion' should be the protocol in the Parliament instead of 'disruption'.
One of the first refugees to be resettled in Papua New Guinea has pleaded to be returned to Manus Island, saying life in limbo is better than living with fear, loneliness and poverty in the city of Lae.

"I don't have freedom. I want to go back to Manus," Loghaman Sawari, 20, told Fairfax Media after spending more than two months in PNG's second-largest city.

Mr Sawari has told how he was terrified by an armed "rascal" and reduced to tears by bullying in the town before being befriended by a homeless youth and taken to a Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Unskilled, with no secondary education, poor English and no money, Mr Sawari has concluded he has no prospect of trying to build a life in Lae and wants to return to the relative safety of the transit centre.
Okay, time to wrap up. What happened?

the government has been at sixes and sevens over its message on Labor's negative gearing policy ;

has been at sixes and sevens over its message on ; Assistant Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer was forced to clarify comments she made in which she said the policy would result in increased house prices;

was forced to clarify comments she made in which she said the policy would result in increased house prices; Ms O'Dwyer was brought into line in time for another question time which zeroed in on what the effect of the policy will be;

was brought into line in time for another which zeroed in on what the effect of the policy will be; Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull suggested it would cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars;

suggested it would cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars; Labor frontbencher Gary Gray has criticised his party's position on Senate voting reform but will still vote along party lines; and

has criticised his party's position on but will still vote along party lines; and Opposition leader Bill Shorten called Liberal senator Cory Bernardi a "homophobe".

It definitely feels like the second half of the week, doesn't it?

As usual, my thanks to Andrew Meares and Alex Ellinghausen for their super work and to you for reading and commenting.

You can follow me on Facebook.

Andrew, Alex and I will be back in the morning and we hope to see you then. Until that time - good night.
Believe it or not, now is a great time to begin investing in shares. The volatility is delivering lots of cheap stocks. If you've never invested in shares before and have the courage to dip your toe in the water, here are seven steps to get you started.

1. Preparation

The best way to start out is to take it slow. Investing can be highly rewarding  both financially and intellectually  but it also carries risks. Before putting your money to work it's important to do a little reading first.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Credit:indigolotos

Start with The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham, heading straight to chapters 8 and 20. These are possibly the two most important pieces on investing ever written  the Mr Market and Margin of Safety concepts  even though they are now some 60 years old.
More than a dozen unauthorised medical staff have been caught accessing the confidential records of Cy Walsh after he was arrested over the murder of his father, former Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh.

His electronic records, including test results that could relate to the criminal trial, have been accessed by at least 13 health workers across South Australia in what authorities have called a serious privacy breach.

"I view this very, very sternly ... this is a breach of trust," Health Minister Jack Snelling told Ten News.

"These 13 people would be in particular trouble if they then went onto pass this information onto anyone else."
Detectives are investigating two suspected gay bashings in inner Sydney over the weekend, prompting a warning from police less than a fortnight before the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardis Gras Parade.

The NSW Police spokesman on Sexuality and Gender Diversity, Superintendent Tony Crandell, said the occurrence of two "bias-related assaults" over one weekend was uncommon, and was of concern to police.

One of the victims, Dylan Souster, 22, said he was punched in the face by a man who called him "a queer" outside his apartment block in Waterloo in the early hours of Sunday morning.

That man had initially been trying to help him, after he was earlier knocked unconscious by a group of young people and woke up in Waterloo Oval.
The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival in Brisbane has come to an end.

Organiser Lindsey Bennett, who has helmed the festival since its inception a decade ago, released a statement saying a lack of sponsorship opportunities and the withdrawal of funding from the state government caused festival organisers to reconsider its future.

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane organisers posted: "Thank you and goodbye' on its Instagram account today. Credit:Instagram

The state has intermittently provided funding throughout the years, including last year.

"It is extremely disappointing that we have had to make the decision to cancel the Festival  meaning that Queensland will be the only state not to have its own Fashion Festival this year  but unfortunately we are left with no other choice," Mr Bennett said.
The state government has hit back at suggestions they stopped funding the Mercedes-Benz Brisbane Fashion Festival, saying they are still happy to come to the table.

On Tuesday, festival organisers said the 2015 event was the last, after the state government withdrew funding.

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane organisers posted: "Thank you and goodbye' on its Instagram account today. Credit:Instagram

But a spokesman for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government would make funds available to the festival if it could prove it would work towards becoming self sustaining.

"Successive governments have been sponsoring the event since 2006," the spokesman said.
The Fair Work Commission has found a Halls Gap motel manager who was paid as little as $3 an hour was subject to "exploitative" working conditions and unfairly dismissed.

Maricar Virata was employed on a 457 visa as a hotel manager at the Comfort Inn Country Plaza Halls Gap motel with an annual salary based on 40 hours a week of $55,000, plus 9 per cent superannuation.

About 1500 Exploited foreign workers will share in $2m backpay.

Ms Virata's partner, Rolando Gagate, also worked at the Halls Gap motel and the salary paid to Ms Virata was expected to be split between the pair.

Ms Virata was on holidays in the Philippines when she was dismissed on the basis of a bullying complaint and because of "relationship issues" between her and Ms Gagate, which were said to have "adversely impacted the workplace".
"I'm a very old man," Christian Brother Paul Nangle said, toward the end of his gruelling six-hour testimony at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse on Tuesday.

That is true. Brother Nangle, long retired, is 84. He lives now in St Kilda, a long way from Ballarat and a long way from St Patricks College, a Catholic cornerstone of the regional city where he was headmaster from 1973 until 1978.

Former St Patrick's headmaster Paul Nangle, right, leaves the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse at the Ballarat magistrates Court on Tuesday. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

At that time the school housed paedophile Brother Edward Dowlan, now jailed for child sex offences, as an English teacher. Brother Nangle was also one of the most senior Catholics in Ballarat through the 1970s. He had direct contact with two other brothers  one found guilty, one dead but accused of sexual abuse  from Christian Brothers schools.

"I think I would agree there was some naivety in my outlook," he said. "I trusted people. Whenever I was made aware of misconduct I acted to correct it. I wasn't blind to it. Perhaps with better worldly wisdom I might have been more alert to signs that were there."
Out-of-control fires that threatened homes and prompted evacuation warnings across Victoria on Tuesday may have been deliberately lit.

As temperatures surged above 40 degrees in parts of the state, several grass and scrub fires sparked panic and prompted large-scale firefighting efforts.

The most serious blazes were at Somerville on the Mornington Peninsula and at Mount Bolton, north-west of Ballarat, which scorched 1300 hectares.

Victoria's emergency management commissioner, Craig Lapsley, said the cause of the fast-running fires would be investigated.
Monsanto is in the news again. The Competition Commission of India (CCI), the countrys antitrust regulator, has recently said that it suspects a Monsanto joint venture abused its dominant position as a supplier of genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds in India and has issued an order citing prima facie violation of Sections 3(4) and 4 of the Competition Act, to be investigated by CCIs director-general.

Monsanto also faces cases brought by state governments and domestic seed manufacturers, for the astronomical royalty it charges. In previous cases, Monsanto defended itself by saying that it was trait fees (for using its technology in cotton hybrids) and not royalty.

Fact is that Monsanto has viewed the laws of our land as mere hurdles in its way to swindle India and our farmers. On March 10, 1995, Mahyco (Monsanto-Mahyco) brought 100 grams of cotton seeds, containing the MON531-Bt gene, into India without the approval of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).

Eager to establish a monopoly in India based on the smuggled MON531 gene, Monsanto-Mahyco started large scale, multi-centric, open field trials of Bt cotton in 40 locations spread across nine states, again without GEAC approval. Article (7) of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, states: No person shall import, export, transport, manufacture, process, use or sell any hazardous microorganisms or genetically engineered organisms/substances or cells except with the approval of the GEAC. GMO traits, once released into the environment, cannot be contained or recalled.

Genetically engineered cotton from the trials was sold in open markets. In some states, the trial fields were replanted the very next season with wheat, turmeric and groundnut, violating Para-9 of the Biosafety Guidelines (1994) on post-harvest handling of the transgenic plants according to which the fields on which GMO trials were conducted should have been left fallow for at least one year.

In face of these blatant violations of Indian laws and the risks of genetic pollution India faced, the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE) filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India against Monsanto and Mahyco in 1999, for their violations of the 1989 rules for the use of GMOs under the Environmental Protection Act.

Indias laws, rightly, do not permit patents on seeds and in agriculture. This has always been a problem for Monsanto and, through the US administration, it has attempted to pressure India into changing her robust intellectual property regime since the World Trade Organisation came into existence, and continues to do so today.

Monsanto-Mahyco Biotech (MMB) Ltd collected royalties for Bt cotton by going outside the law and charging technology fees and trait fee to the tune of $900 million from marginal Indian farmers, crushing them with debt. In 2006, out of the Rs 1,600 per 450 gram package of Bt cotton seed (Rs 3,555.55/kg), almost 80 per cent (`1,250) was charged by MMB as trait fee. In stark contrast, before Monsanto destroyed alternative sources of seed (including local hybrid seed supply) through unfair business practices, local seeds used to cost farmers Rs 5-9/kg.

In response to the unfair pricing, the government of Andhra Pradesh filed a complaint with the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) against MMB, pointing out that Monsanto was charging Andhra Pradesh farmers nine times what it was charging US farmers for the same seeds. MMB said the royalty it charged reflected its research and development costs for Bt cotton, admitting that they were charging royalty to Indian farmers.

Monsantos ruthlessness is central to the crisis Indian farmers are facing. Farmers leveraged their land holdings to buy Bt cotton seeds and the chemicals it demanded, but the golden promise of higher yield and reduced pesticide use failed to deliver. Of the 300,000 farmer suicides in India since Monsanto smuggled the Bt gene into India in 1995, 84 per cent, almost 252,000, are directly attributed to Monsantos Bt cotton.

While the Government of India is suing Monsanto, the government of Maharashtra has signed an MoU with Monsanto to set up the biggest seed hub in the country in Buldana, announced at Make in India Week. How can a corporation breaking India, taking the lives of Indian farmers, destroying our agriculture and food security, and violating our laws be rewarded with the Make in India label?

For arrogantly breaking Indian laws and corrupting our regulatory systems, Monsanto must be held accountable. For the failure of Bt cotton, Monsanto must be made to pay damages to the farmers and seed companies that have had to pay technology fees for a failed technology.

The land that our farmers have lost to the agents selling Monsanto seeds and chemicals must be returned to the farmers families. All the illegal royalty collected from our farmers and Indias seed companies must be returned to India. With its flagship product failing across the country year after year, and the dimming prospects of the super-profits the company has become used to, why would Monsanto make a large investment in Vidarbha unless it is sure of continued monopoly?

The technical expert committee has recommended that Herbicide Tolerance (Ht) and GM varieties of crops for which India is the centre of diversity, not be allowed in India. Is Monsanto counting on the GEAC approving Bayers herbicide-tolerant terminator mustard in contempt of the recommendations of the Technical Expert Committee? Allowing Bayers Ht terminator mustard will open the floodgates for herbicide tolerant crops, worsening Indias agrarian crisis and debilitating Indias food security.

Herbicide tolerance, which goes hand in hand with Monsantos Glyphosate based RoundUp herbicide, has failed across the world at controlling weeds, creating super weeds. Glyphosate, classified by the World Health Organisation as a carcinogen, is already being used across India and we are seeing an explosion of cancers in villages where Glyphosate is used. If we allow another failed technology and its associated poisons to further destroy Indias rural economy, and allow extraction of profits from Indian farmers, we will fail our nation and Indias future generations.
If our public transport-loving Prime Minister were solely motivated by base political considerations, he might ponder the following question as he prepares for the looming election: is Victoria worth $4.5 billion?

What could Malcolm Turnbull reasonably expect to get in return by taking up Daniel Andrews' offer to make him an equal partner in the Metro Rail Project?

On the upside, the project is now backed by a robust business case estimating it would, as a bare minimum, generate a return of at least $1.10 for every $1 invested. More generous assumptions factoring in so-called wider economic benefits suggest the return could be as high as $4.50.

As the business case makes clear, Melbourne's trains are already seriously crowded, and, without significant investment, the existing network will be incapable of meeting future demand.
Family members of a woman found dead in her home have sat through a short court hearing, glaring at the man accused of her murder.

Sigaragh Baea, 21, appeared briefly in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with murdering Prasad Somawansa, 48, at her Hoppers Crossing home last Thursday night.

Mr Baea sat looking straight ahead, as Mrs Somawansa's son, Wishhasad, and three other men sat in the back of the court staring at the accused man.

Mr Baea, wearing a white business shirt, did not say anything during his court appearance and was remanded in custody to return in June.
Ms Buchanan, the head of the Federation of Community Legal Centres, has been appointed as Victoria's new Commissioner for Children, a role most recently held by outspoken child advocate Bernie Geary.

The state's new Commissioner for Children, Liana Buchanan, experienced family violence when she was a young child. Credit:Simon Schluter

And Liana Buchanan knows first-hand what it's like to feel scared, and voiceless.

Vulnerable children, like those living with family violence or in out-of-home care, have a new champion in Victoria.

And, for the first time, she has talked about her own experience of family violence when she was a young child.

Ms Buchanan, then five, and her mother fled her abusive father to live in women's refuges in her birthplace of Dundee in Scotland, in the 1970s.

"The memory that stands out most strongly is the amount of support that workers - often volunteers - provided to the families. It showed me the power of grassroots support," says Ms Buchanan.

Her mother went on to work in refuges and the women's movement, and is now an Australian-based academic working in sociology and gendered violence.

"Being a little kid in women's refuges, even when mum was there as a worker, I saw many people who lived in fear and who got help from neither the justice system or broader services, says Ms Buchanan.
Three homes and nearly a kilometre of track on one of Melbourne's key train lines have been destroyed by bushfires that authorities suspect may have been deliberately lit.

The fires  one at Mount Bolton, about 30 kilometres north of Ballarat, and the other at Somerville on the outskirts of Melbourne  sparked panic and emergency warnings on Tuesday afternoon.

At Somerville, near Frankston on the Mornington Peninsula, the bushfire burnt through 800 metres of rail sleepers along the Stony Point train line.

Buses are replacing trains between Frankston and Stony Point while Metro crews repair the damaged track.
Hundreds of protesters including the Maritime Union of Australia and other activist groups have rallied outside the WA parliament about anti-protest laws.

The bill, which would allow for the arrest of protesters who lock themselves to objects such as trees or machinery, passed through the upper house without amendment last week.

UN human rights experts urge the Barnett government not to introduce anti-protest laws earlier this year.

It is now set to get the nod in the lower house as the Liberal state government has the numbers.

Greens MP Lynn MacLaren says the protesters are going to get louder as next year's state election nears.
London: At least one person is reported to have died in a building collapse at a UK power station.

Emergency services were called to the Didcot Power Station in south Oxfordshire, west of London, on Tuesday afternoon amid reports of an explosion.

Rodney Rose, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council, told the Oxford Mail: "I have been told there has been one fatality, but the rest is currently unknown. The fire service is there now and we are still trying to find out if this was a demolition."

Rose added: "At the moment this is being treated as a collapsed building, not an explosion, but there was a bang."
The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Kirsten Greenidge's explosive and engrossing Milk Like Sugar opens with the three entwined pinky-fingers of friends (and high school sophomores) Talisha, Margie, and Annie, as they make a pact to get pregnant together. Despite the realities of teenage motherhood that will further constrict their lives, the girls see their future as one of unconditional love from their babies, enhanced by designer diaper bags and fancy strollers that they will push together down the streets of the hood.

Margie (Carolina Sanchez) is already "PG" (pregnant, in teen lingo) and dreaming of the pink Jordans she will tie on the feet of the little girl (a boy is out of the question) she hopes is coming. The tough-talking Talisha (Shazi Raja) is nearly there, from a relationship with an older man who beats her, but Annie (Jasmine Carmichael) is not so sure of the plan. She is the smartest of the group, an achiever in high school who realizes that there might be something better ahead for her if she can escape the milieu where she, her mother, Myrna (Ramona Lisa Alexander), and siblings are stuck. Annie is feeling unloved at home, but understands her mother's bitterness over her job cleaning offices when she'd rather be writing stories on a computer, no matter Myrna's lack of education.

The excellent ensemble of actors comprises Shanae Burch as Keera, an outsider to the trio of friends, who, in place of the depravations of her home life, substitutes it with a passionate bond to her church; Matthew J. Harris as Antwoine, a wannabe artist stuck in a tattoo parlor; and Marc Pierre as the brainy senior student, Malik, determined to leave behind his responsibilities to his sick mother in favor of college. All these characters impact Annie's life in ways large and small. However, Annie's most searing relationship is with her mother, who pushes her away and undermines her will to succeed.

Carmichael as Annie leads the cast in a probing performance of a character forced to choose between the bonds of friendship and the certain knowledge that teen pregnancy is more a set of shackles rather than a way out. She plays Annie with all the vanities of the age group, as well as the insecurities, but she also endows her with an appealing openness to change. Carmichael picks up on hints at the alternatives  in Keera's fervent promise of the rewards of religion and in Malik's quiet belief in her abilities. But she cannot overcome the obstacles imposed by her mother or the temptations coming from Antwoine. Equally believable are the sexual stirrings of these teenagers and their desire to explore them.

Alexander as Myrna has the physical presence of a woman who is alternately tired and proud, while loath to give into the advice of her daughter. With a cigarette hanging from her mouth, and the banging of pots and dishes on the table, she cannot hide the slow burn that consumes her.

Greenidge based the play on a news article about a supposed pregnancy pact among a group of students in a Gloucester, Massachusetts high school. Even through the teenage patois is sometimes hard to decipher, the rhythm of the language and the quick pacing of the staccato scenes is mesmerizing.

The production has been directed in antic fashion by M. Bevin O'Gara, to move the action along as if a disc jockey were spinning the high-decibel music that sets the beat. Designer Cristina Todesco created a backdrop of chain-link fencing for the set, symbolizing the enforced isolation of an inner city neighborhood. Sexually charged dance moves are sandwiched between a series of scenes fueled by incendiary dialogue, to further draw the audience into the dead-end promises society has offered these girls, barely out of childhood themselves.

Greenidge's title, Milk Like Sugar, comes from the prevalent practice of impoverished parents feeding powdered milk to their babies. This less expensive formula tastes sweet, but lacks the nourishment of natural milk. Greenidge's imagination has forcefully expanded the symbol of this food into a lifelong journey of mistaken decisions that bring few changes from one generation to the next.
Sally Field is planning her long-awaited return to Broadway in a new revival of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, according to the website Showbiz411.

Field is aiming to take on the classic role of Amanda Wingfield this fall in a production helmed by Fun Home Tony winner Sam Gold. She previously played the role in a 2004 Kennedy Center mounting under the direction of Gregory Mosher. Field made her Broadway debut in Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? in 2002. She is the recipient of Academy Awards for her performances in the films Norma Rae and Places in the Heart, and received 3 Emmy Awards for her work in television.

The Glass Menagerie was last seen on Broadway during the 2013-14 season, in a revival directed by John Tiffany that starred Cherry Jones, Zachary Quinto, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Brian J. Smith. This would be the classic drama's seventh Broadway revival since the work premiered in 1946.

No official information about the prospective production has been officially confirmed.
Volkswagen Updates The up! and Prepares to Unveil A Surprisingly New Concept at 2016 Geneva Motor Show







 New up! comes in an impressive range of versions and power units

 New concept car brings mobility to a whole new level

WOLFSBURG, Germany - February 23, 2016: Two models take centre stage for the Volkswagen brand at this year's Geneva International Motor Show: first, the new edition of the "up!" city car, which will soon be appearing on the market with an impressive variety of extras and improved smartphone integration. Secondly, the Wolfsburg-based company presents a fascinating concept car, which will liven up the compact car class as a trendy, affordable SUV.

With a choice between powerful petrol engines (now also available with 66 kW/90 PS*), efficient natural gas or innovative electric power units  the new up! leaves nothing to be desired in terms of drive units. A number of models will be appearing  three equipment lines, a cross-version and the spacious, 2-seater load up!  as well as new exterior colours, seat fabrics, dashpads and decorative decal designs which give each up! its own individual character. Another novelty is the smartphone integration, allowing access to navigation, music and vehicle data when used with the Volkswagen app. In addition, Volkswagen throws into the mix "up! beats", blended by US audio specialists BeatsAudio, with a 300 watt sound system.

The concept car, expressive of a lifestyle, can be seen as the beginning of a broad SUV offensive, stating a new automotive attitude to life whilst remaining perfectly suited for everyday use. With this, Volkswagen gives a realistic perspective on a completely new model series and at the same time on the future production model. Its operating concept features hardly any switches, creating a conceptual bridge to the BUDD-e, which amazed an international audience at the CES in Las Vegas.
The Presidents address to a joint session of the two Houses of Parliament, which customarily marks the inauguration of the Budget Session, turned out to be an exhausting compendium of cliches which might have left many even on the Treasury benches intrigued as to its utility. This is a speech which the President signs on the dotted line, as it were. The Rashtrapati has no leeway about veering from the text approved by the government. And thus the show on Tuesday turned out to be a monumental clerical foray with few relieving features.

The Presidents address typically adumbrates key elements of government policy and lists signal achievements. As a curtain-raiser to the direction of future government thinking, there was little on offer. Possibly the most promising element in this direction was the suggestion that the government was committed to mutually respectful ties with Pakistan in creating an environment for cooperation and combating cross-border terrorism.

And on the side of attainments of the government, the President noted that his governments concerted efforts to tackle the menace of black money had begun to yield results. It is easy to visualise an army of sceptics wagging their finger. Another achievement cited is that November 26 has now been declared Constitution Day.

Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas remains the governments philosophy, it was sought to be emphasised. By now this philosophy has begun to acquire all the halo of a mumbo-jumbo chant with no end in sight. By way of elaboration the President noted that sab ka vikas (the progress of all) meant that the backward sections of society would be genuine stakeholders in progress.

With Indian agriculture in crisis and the farm sector reeling  in Maharashtra alone there have been more than a hundred farmer suicides since January this year which a BJP MLA recently described as a fashion among farmers  one may wonder where the sabka vikas slogan is truly headed.

But new slogans continue to be coined. The Presidents address spoke of Garibon ki unnati, kisanon ki samriddhi (the progress of the poor, prosperity for the farmer), and Yuvaon ko rozgaar (employment for the youth). The garib, the kisan and the yuva are not likely to be amused when they weigh their reality against these claims that mock.

We should just be thankful that the recent diktat of the HRD ministry to Central universities to hoist the national flag prominently has not yet been flagged as a signal achievement of the Modi government. Heres a sobering thought as Parliament embarks on its Budget Session. The size of the Central Budget will have grown just by a third in the last five years while it had more than doubled in the previous five.
The nation needs some pest control to rid us of cockroaches and so on, says renowned actor Anupam Kher. Since he has appointed himself as some sort of a government spokesperson, it seems that these accursed cockroaches and other pests are all those who oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

If you want it number-wise, thats 69 per cent of Indias voting population since the BJP-led alliance won the 2014 general election on 31 per cent of the vote. But lets dump that old and now boring numbers game. Lets instead argue that even one person who disagrees with the government or the majority or this or that political establishment, is worth defending.

Because I would like someone to stand up for me, the human cockroach, in Mr Khers eyes. Now I know that some of you over-educated types, possibly even from, shudder, Jawaharlal Nehru University, will start babbling about Franz Kafka and use words like metamorphosis. Not having had the benefit of studying at JNU but with a proper anti-national background from another much older college, I can at least claim to have read and admired Don Marquis poetry-typing cockroach, Archy. There is almost nothing about Mr Khers ideas that I admire.

And yet, and this is unbearably weak of me, I do not think that Mr Kher needs to be pest-controlled. He should be allowed to live a wonderful life free of boric acid or whatever, entertaining us with his incredible love for India, the Prime Minister of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party of India and so on. Who knows, I may even pay money to watch Mr Kher act in a movie because his acting in movies is certainly preferable to his posturing as a public intellectual.

I am lucky of course, because I may be a human cockroach, but I am not a student at JNU. I do not hold extreme radical positions. I do not take part in student meetings where difficult and uncomfortable questions are raised. Because if I was, there would be no one to save me and, in fact, by Mr Khers recommendation, a whole lot of killer chemicals would be sent my way.

If I were a student at JNU with radical thoughts, I could be arrested right away. I could be beaten up by lawyers in spite of police protection. My friends and relatives could be hounded, intimidated and questioned. I could be labelled, tagged and put away as an anti-national. All this is before a trial. And what is my biggest crime in all this by the way? Sloganeering. Thats it. Shouting. If shouting was a seditious crime, imagine how delightfully comprehensible our TV prime time debates would be.

For someone to say that they are opposed to the execution of Afzal Guru on charges of terrorism may be a difficult, reprehensible and unconscionable position for you or me. But this is not the first time anyone has taken this position. And thus that horrible word, even worse than anti-national, springs to mind: hypocrite.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in a coalition government with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir. The PDP has a good relationship with Kashmiri separatists and the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was a supporter of Afzal Guru. Therefore, it is not seditious to speak in favour of Afzal Guru, a convicted terrorist executed by the Indian state in February 2013, if you are a politician, but it amounts to sedition if you are a student? Does Mr Kher have the courage to compare the PDP to cockroaches that need pest control or would he just dismiss that as mere political expediency as an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue did on TV the other day?

It is another matter that the student in jail, Kanhaiya Kumar, did not raise anti-India slogans, did not burn the Constitution of India, unlike the present chief minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, many years ago, and a bunch of BJP members in Gwalior the other day, and did not, in fact, do most of the things he has been accused of. Unless, of course, you consider the fact that he does not subscribe to the BJPs idea of politics and is in fact a Leftist.

Perhaps in todays India just by being a Marxist or a Leftist you are automatically anti-national, seditious, traitorous and such. Makes you wonder why they allow Left parties to even stand for elections. Makes you wonder even more why the Prime Minister was so keen on releasing all those files about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose since the party he founded, the All-India Forward Bloc, is clearly in the Left block. Oh, perhaps, they did not know that. So as an aside, would Bose be seen as a nationalist or anti-national in todays India?

I concede that it is unfair of me to target Mr Kher like this. And I also concede that cockroaches like me should know their place and eat their boric acid bread balls quietly and go gently into the night. The nation has to be saved from people who question the government, people who disagree with common discourse.

People who have varying, opposing or difficult points of view. Students who want to challenge the status quo. Young people who are pushing the envelope as far as they can. These are dangerous people, people who make your mind work and people who can make you uncomfortable. They can break down the narrow little walls we build for ourselves, they can challenge our limitations.

Why do we need such people in our society when we can live in our cosy shibboleths, all believing the same thing and all mouthing the same ideas? What a beautiful nation that would be, right? All homogenous, no challenges, no arguments, no charges and counter charges. Just field after field of the same crop, no trees, no other flowers, no other animals, no other insects... Yes, I know what you cockroaches are going to say: Who wants to live in Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia? Do you?
ROME  Miriam Wuolou was not just any hotel receptionist. The 34-year-old Eritrean, who had Italian citizenship through marriage, was the receptionist at the Domus Santa Marta, the small hotel inside the walls of Vatican City where Pope Francis lives.

She was the smiling face he saw morning and night, the one who greeted him with his key and handed him his personal messages. He congratulated her when he found out she was pregnant, and he is said to be terribly upset about the news that she is now dead.

Wuolous body was found in her private apartment in the Pisana suburb of Rome in an advanced state of decomposition after her brother alerted the police that she hadnt been answering her phone. The military police went to the scene and forced open her door.

Woulou, who was seven months pregnant, was reported to be clothed with no apparent signs of violence. Her medical records show that she was diabetic, which, during pregnancy, can be especially dangerous, and even fatal, but police clearly arent satisfied that an Insulin error caused her death.

The Vatican also weighed in, asking for a complete autopsy and criminal investigation, according to Il Messaggero newspaper, which broke the story of the receptionists death on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Woulous house was still sealed off and neighbors told The Daily Beast that forensic teams had combed it for clues for many hours after her body was found, even removing some of her personal effects for further examination. Neighbors assumed that they were investigating a homicide based on the level of scrutiny.

Police sources also tell The Daily Beast that the inquest will cover ample ground. One of the theories being floated involves Woulous husband, who did not live with her at the time of her death, nor, it seems, maybe ever.

They suspect the husband, whose name has not been released, may have married Woulou under a business arrangement to provide her with Italian citizenship, which is a costly service sought all too often by those applying for asylum or permission to stay. Those who want a passport generally pay up to 10,000 ($11,000) for the marriage of convenience. That may or may not be the case with Woulou, but police confirm they are looking into how her citizenship was granted.

Police questioned the husband at length to determine whether he was hoping to marry someone else or if he, in any way, contributed to her death. Woulous brother was also questioned about the details of his sisters life, including whether or not anyone would want to harm her. Neither the husband nor brother is a suspect in any crime, but they are considered persons of interest and, as such, are banned from talking to reporters.

The autopsy, which will be carried out this week, will also include thorough toxicology exams to rule out homicide or any form of foul play. Those who knew Woulou from the Santa Marta say she had been on sick leave for more than a week, but no one appeared to have checked in on her, including other family members who live in the area.

Investigators are also wondering just who, if not Woulous legal husband, might be the father of her unborn child and have ordered a DNA test on the fetus. Local media reported that Pope Francis, who knew the woman well, took the news of her death especially hard, though the Vatican has not made any official comment on the mysterious case.

Last month, Pope Francis used the homily of one of his daily masses to mourn the loss of another woman from Santa Marta who passed away. According to Alessandro Notarnicola, who writes the blog Inside the Walls about life in Vatican City, the pope described the people who work inside Santa Marta as his family. This group of men and women are part of our family, he said, before offering a special prayer for the woman, who died after a long illness. They form a family, they are not just employees.
The Obama administration on Tuesday released its plan to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but effectively acknowledged that the controversial facility likely will be open at the end of Obamas presidency.

The report was notably short on specifics and effectively spelled out the various reasons why it would be difficult for Obama to bypass Congress, which banned detainees from being relocated to the United States, and issue an executive order to close the facilitys closure.

The report states that detainees could be transferred to one of 13 U.S. other prisons, but it doesnt say which ones. It also doesnt explain how the administration calculated the $475 million price tag for building a new facility in the U.S. to hold detainees. Nor did it explain why moving detainees to U.S. soil reduce criticism across the world that the U.S. should stop holding such prisoners all together.

Any construction of a new prison is unlikely to be completed in the next year, and any executive order would require funding and congressional approval. Moreover, none of the proposed costs associated with moving detainees to the U.S. are allocated in the current defense budget. For those reasons, the prison in Guantanamo is likely to remain open when Obama leave office in January 2017.

But administration officials who briefed reporters would not rule out that Obamat might issue an executive order to shut down the prison and move the detainees. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he Obama would try to work with Congress on how to close the prison with an executive order.

Obama has said even before he took office that closing the facility was among his top priorities, but its continued use remains his most notable unfulfilled campaign promise. Obamas frustration with Congress efforts to thwart closing the facility was clear on Tuesday in remarks at the White House, flanked by Vice President Joseph Biden and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. Obama noted that during his presidency, closing the facility increasingly became a partisan issue: George W. Bush, he noted, wanted to close the facility, as well.

Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values, Obama said Tuesday, adding, We have to change course.

Congress frustration with the lack of specifics in the administrations plan was immediately clear.

Congress has waited for seven and a half years for President Obama to provide a plan to achieve his goal of closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. What we received today is a vague menu of options, not a credible plan for closing Guantanamo, let alone a coherent policy to deal with future terrorist detainees, John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said in a statement. Rather than identify specific answers to those difficult questions, the President has essentially passed the buck to the Congress.

Bringing terroristslike Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the 9/11 mastermind responsible for planning the horrific deaths of nearly 3,000 Americansonto U.S. soil and to outside countries can only be characterized as dangerous and irresponsible at best, Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Republican, said. We cannot afford to release these hardened terrorists back onto the battlefield where they are able to rejoin terrorist networks and carry out horrific attacks.

Far less than a plan, the report read as a summary of what had been done. Pentagon officials noted the lack of specifics. As one explained to The Daily Beast, Read this with very low expectations.

But Congress has been just as vague in alternative options, fighting any effort to bring detainees to prisons in the lawmakers districts. Some argue that detainees should be held indefinitely because they likely are to return to terrorist activity if released. The majority of those whove been held havent been charged.

According to administration officials, the recidivism rate of released detainees is roughly 20 percent for the more than 500 people who were been released during George W. Bushs administration, and 10 percent for the 147 detainees released during the Obama administration.

As the report was released, there was another suspected instance of a former detainee returning to terrorism. On Tuesday, authorities in Spain arrested an unnamed ex-Gitmo detainee on charges he was part of a jihadi cell that sought to recruit fighters for the Islamic State group. The detainee was reportedly released from Guantanamo Bay in 2004, according to reports.

The latest proposal, which Congress demanded by today under the last National Defense Authorization Act, estimated that the additional $475 million cost for a new prison would be offset in as little as three years through the savings of detaining the prisoners in the U.S. and not in Cuba.

During fiscal year 2015, the Guantanamo prison cost $445 million to maintain. The report concludes that the U.S. could save as much as $85 million a year by moving the detainees to the U.S.

In all, there are 91 detainees at the facility now. Of those, 35 are on a list to be transferred to another country, once the U.S. finds one willing to take them, while another 46 have not been recommended for transfer. The remaining 10 have been charged or convicted in the military commissions system.

The administration estimates that as few as 40 detainees could end up in a U.S. facility.

Obama urged Congress to consider closing the facility, calling it a moral issue.

I really believe there is an opportunity for progress. I believe we have an obligation to try, Obama said.
Clever lies become matters of self-congratulation. Solemn pledges become a farce  laughable for their very solemnity, wrote Rabindranath Tagore. The nation, with all its paraphernalia of power and prosperity, its flags and pious hymns... and the literary mock thunders of its patriotic bragging, cannot hide the fact that the nation is the greatest evil for the nation...

The sound and fury over alleged anti-nationalist slogans at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the belligerent, showy nationalism of people in public life reminds me of Tagores words from a hundred years ago. Is the nation really the greatest evil for the nation? I dont know. But what I do know is that nationalism can be a heartless weapon in the hands of populist, politically motivated people. Anyone can be branded an anti-nationalist and be beaten up or clapped in jail. Anyone can pose as a nationalist and beat you up and clap you in jail. The police will look on. The law will look away. Even in Delhi, in the buzzing capital of a proud democracy.

JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on sedition charges and branded an anti-national with no proper evidence against him, and beaten up by lawyers while in police custody in Delhis Patiala House courts last week. But a lot of people have been hit with the sedition charge  an academic here, a doctor there, a budding artist elsewhere, people whose views annoyed the government of the day. And under trials are routinely beaten up in police custody. So what is so special about Mr Kumars case?

It is special because it brings the festering wounds of our injured democracy out in the open  there is no veneer of doing the right thing or respecting the law. It shows how shamelessly politics can manipulate the rule of law. It shows that democratic institutions are not sacred anymore and we are not ashamed about it.

So if you dare to dissent you can be slapped with a sedition charge based on a fake tweet and reportedly fake tapes.

Officers of the court can attack you like a lynch mob inside the court and strut about as heroes thereafter. All this violence is compounded by the total lack of regret or shame by these lawless lawmakers. And the lawyers who beat up the journalists and the defenceless student are felicitated, garlanded and hailed as heroes in nationalist rallies. They are also caught on camera bragging about how they had beaten up Mr Kumar for three hours and how they are planning something even grander for the other student, Umar Khalid  maybe a petrol bomb in court. These lawyers are smug and immensely satisfied with their criminal acts. They are ready for political leadership.

This did not happen overnight. Wayward lawyers have had a free hand in lawless behaviour for years. And the bar associations have humoured them. Lawyers have beaten up people in court before  like Surinder Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher, accused of killing children in Noidas Nithari. Lawyers even attack fellow lawyers who try to follow legal procedure, like when they attacked and gravely injured Mohammed Saleem, the defence counsel for the accused in the Uttar Pradesh serial blasts case in a Faizabad court.

Curiously, bar associations do not discipline such lawyers who bring shame to their profession. In fact, they often behave like the mob themselves, passing resolutions that prevent their members from appearing for those charged with crimes they find distasteful  never mind the basic principle of justice, the fundamental rules that every citizen deserves a fair trial and must be regarded as innocent till proven guilty.

Of course, this time, following the violence at the Patiala House courts, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has apologised and started an investigation. It has promised that licences of lawyers found guilty would be suspended. It would be superb if the disciplinary committee of the BCI finally wakes up and protects its profession.

Because we are tired of walking on eggshells fearing the law and contempt of court when sundry lawyers go rampaging about, defiling the sanctity of the court with impunity. If the BCI cannot protect its own profession and continues to protect its black sheep instead, it would be failing in its duty to the Indian state. And we would need to hunt for other ways of protecting our otherwise superb justice system from the hooligans in black.

It is scary to be in a country where justice is in the hands of goons. Whatever our faults, we can be proud of our judiciary  especially the higher courts  which usually does what is right. If that changes, it would be the end of our democratic freedoms.

Disciplining  however slight  is necessary. When lawyers take to hooliganism inside the court, they insult the Constitution. Now, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, specifies: Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt the Indian national flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

These lawyers were clearly insulting the Constitution by their criminal acts in lawyers uniform. At the very least, they should be fined and put away for three years. Of course, they do not deserve to be legal representatives, since they have no respect for the law. Otherwise they would not indulge in criminal acts for the sake of cheap heroism. But that is a growing problem with our law and governance. Populism rules. From the Allahabad high courts Ayodhya ruling in 2010 to the recent Juvenile Justice Bill, we see justice being influenced by populist demands. Hopefully, this will stop. Because populism is a slippery slope and not a safe path for justice. Especially since justice is supposed to be blind.
I hear from sources close to former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg that he will almost certainly run for president as an independent if Republicans nominate Donald Trump and Democrats nominate Bernie Sanders. With Hillary Clintons victory in the Nevada caucuses, the latter is increasingly unlikely but still plausible, as is Bloombergs election. Im not predicting that the following will occur, but it could:

Jan. 20, 2017

We knew the 2016 campaign was going to be nuts, but an old Jewish guy whos not Bernie Sandersand a billionaire whos not Donald Trump taking the oath of office today as the first independent president of the United States?

Michael Bloombergs path to the presidency in 2016 marked a strange climax to an insane election year. It wouldnt have been possible without both political parties falling prey to deeply unpresidential nominees. By the time Bloomberg prevailed last month in a nail-biting test of arcane provisions in the U.S. Constitution, 2016 had taken its place with the elections of 1800, 1824, and 1876 as the only presidential contests in American history resolved by the House of Representatives.

Bloomberg decided to run back in March of 2016 only when he saw that Trump and Sanders were on track to be nominated by the Republicans and Democrats. He viewed both as dangerous men who would wreck the country. And Bloomberg saw a path. He thought voters would eventually see that he had been a highly successful mayor of a city larger than all but a handful of states and was far more fit for high office than either of them. He would run as an unprecedented blend of insider and outsiderrepresenting elites but smashing the two-party status quo that voters despised.

The journey began in mid-winter. After Trump plastered the field in New Hampshire on Feb. 9 and won by double digits on Feb. 20 in South Carolina, Republicans proved powerless to resist his hostile takeover of their party. With his opposition divided, Trump edged Ted Cruz in home state Texas on March 1, and then, on March 15, Marco Rubio in home state Florida and John Kasich in Ohio, all but eliminating all three. By then the die was cast on the Republican side, though Americans and millions watching around the world still had to slap themselves to prove they werent dreaming.

Democrats suddenly had to do the same in their party. Sanders won 60 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary, romping not just with young liberals but even older moderate women who were supposed to be Hillarys base. Clinton prevailed in the Nevada caucuses by five points on Feb. 20, but Sanders showed surprising strength outside his base with Latino voters. When Hillary won by a much smaller margin than expected in South Carolina on Feb. 27, it showed that Bernie would also avoid being overwhelmed by pro-Hillary African-American voters in the big industrial states.

After Nevada and South Carolina, party leaders breathed a sigh of relief thinking Hillary was home safe, but thats always the moment with the Clintons when new voter doubts about them set in. Hillary is best when shes in trouble and worst when sitting on a lead. She underperformed badly on Super Tuesday, losing Massachusetts by a big margin (she had trailed there in the polls for weeks) and, shockingly, Texas, where the states longstanding populist tradition returned with a vengeance. On March 8, Sanders carried Michigan, which had gone for Jesse Jackson in 1988. That gave him momentum the following week to come close in Hillarys home state of Illinois and to carry Ohio, where he reminded Democrats of their populist senator, Sherrod Brown, though Brown supported Hillary.

Hillarys campaign began to crumble in delegate-rich states for the same reasons it did in Iowa and New Hampshire. Her themes of experience and incremental change were weak tea for increasingly left-wing Democratic primary voters who resented her ties to Wall Street and didnt care what label Sanders used to describe himself as long as he was speaking to their problems. These voters proved to be as fatigued by the Clintons as Republicans were by the Bushes.

Over time, Sanderss righteous anger and indisputable authenticity proved a better match for the mood of Democrats than the Hillary camps claims about electability (especially because polls going back to December of 2015 showed Sanders also trouncing Trump in the general). Plus, he kept raising millions online from small donors, while Hillarys big donors were tapped out.

While it looked in March as if Hillary was romping with super delegates, in truth most stayed uncommitted until their states voted, at which point scores felt obliged to hold their noses and back Sanders.

When Clinton and her increasingly strident surrogates turned their fire on Sanderss character, it sent her numbers even lower. And when Sanders broadened his themes, he moved beyond a liberal insurgency to connect with more mainstream Democrats who didnt trust Hillary.

In mid-March, as Bloomberg had to decide whether to file for ballot positions in all 50 states, Hillarys campaign was rocked by fresh news on the fallout from her handling of highly classified emails. FBI leaks showed that a pair of career prosecutors had recommended an indictment. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, recognizing that other senior officials over the years had been similarly careless in emails, squelched a criminal prosecution. But in order to maintain its integrity, the Obama DOJ issued a stinging interim report that let Sanders re-open an issue he had closed in 2015.

After former Arkansas nursing home administrator Juanita Broaddrick appeared on 60 Minutes to tell her version of the alleged Bill Clinton rape story from back in 1978, many younger women in particular believed her. Hillary had trouble walking back a 2015 tweet saying that women should be believed in sexual assault cases. For weeks polls had showed women resentful of the arguments offered by feminists like Gloria Steinem and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that Hillary deserved their support on gender solidarity grounds. Now the gender issue began to boomerang on Hillary among voters.

As he announced his candidacy, Bloomberg began spending some of the $1 billion he had promised in January of 2016 to devote to a race. He could afford it. Revised estimates of his net worth put his fortune at $40 billion, which trumped Trumps pile and neutralized the Donalds claimcentral to his popularityto being the only candidate who couldnt be bought.

Many of Trumps supporters mistakenly believed their man was self-made. When they learned through Bloomberg ads that Bloomberg had pulled himself up by his bootstraps while Trump inherited his fortune and stiffed working people during his three bankruptcies, it hurt Trump.

A February Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll had shown Sanders leading Trump 43 percent to 33 percent, with 16 percent for Bloomberg. But after Bloomberg began flooding the airwaves across the country while Sanders and Trump husbanded their resources for the fall, the numbers changed. The huge ad buys gave him a lead by summer, just as billionaire Ross Perot led in mid-1992 polls over both Gov. Bill Clinton and President George H.W. Bush. Unlike Perot, Bloomberg wouldnt blow it with crazy stunts.

The Republican and Democratic conventions were both PR disasters, like management retreats after a corporate raider has just taken over the company. Surly super delegates in both parties forced to toe the line couldnt hide their displeasure with the nominees and vented on national TV.

After Trump chose New Mexico Gov. Susan Martinez as his running mate to lessen the damage of his immigration views, and Sanders kept a 2015 promise and doubled down by selecting Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Bloomberg turned to former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who helped draw African-Americans and mainstream Republicans.

The anger at the establishment that both Trump and Sanders touched didnt dissipate but it also didnt reflect the feelings of all 125 million Americans set to vote in a general electionnearly three times the total who vote in primaries. These general election voters are historically less angry, more middle-of-the-road and more concerned about which candidate seemed presidential.

Bloomberg was a famously plodding campaignerhe had to spend more than $100 million in 2009 to barely win a third term as New York mayor against a weak opponentbut once the campaign moved from the retail politics of early primary states to a national campaign, charisma and flesh-pressing became less important.

Even TV skillswhere both Trump and Sanders had an advantagebecame less significant than a campaigns mastery of technology, the area where Bloomberg made his fortune and would lap his rivals in using analytics to micro-target voters.

The mayors technological advantage was based on a solid political foundation. While he lost support for his unpopular nanny-state initiatives in New York (like banning large sodas), his socially liberal and fiscally conservative pragmatic positions more often put him in closer tune with the broad electorate than either Trump or Sanders.

Many observers thought Bloombergs gun control positions would hurt him nationally, but that would only have been true had he run in Republican primaries. His views on guns, abortion, and gay rightsnearly indistinguishable from those of Sanders, Clinton, and other Democratshardly disqualified him in blue states and most swing states.

Bloomberg drew support from both parties, siphoning off moderate Obama-Clinton Democrats from Sanders and millions of college-educated Republicans from Trump. Some conservatives who found Trump too moderate and temperamentally unsuited for the presidency vowed to stay home, but many others swallowed hard and backed Bloomberg as the lesser of three evils. Strong support from Rupert Murdoch (who all but endorsed Bloomberg in January 2016) meant that Trump-hating Fox News would spend all year making the case for Bloomberg as a Mitt Romney-style president.

Bloomberg was running against history. Even former President Theodore Roosevelt couldnt win in a three-way race in 1912, and Perots 19 percent in 1992 was still not enough to throw the election into the House.

But 2016 was destined from the start to be a historicand historically bizarreelection. With Trump hailing from Queens, Sanders from Brooklyn, and Bloomberg from Manhattan (by way of Massachusetts), it was the first all-New York general election since FDR beat Tom Dewey in 1944. This negated any campaign against New York values and leveled the playing field culturally.

As the fall campaign got underway, Trump seemed to have an advantage as the only Christian candidate, until it came out that Sanders and Bloomberg, both Jews, were more familiar with the tenets of Christianity than Trump.

Bloomberg easily won all three of the fall debates. He was far more knowledgeable than Trump, who continued his pattern of not preparing on issues. When Trump predictably tried to belittle Bloomberg, he failed badly. Bloomberg was no loser in the only way Trump ever kept score. And the fear arguments fell flat with a mayor who had rebuilt New York after the 9/11 attacks. Meanwhile, Bloomberg schooled Sanders on how to create jobs and make the economy grow, eviscerating his plans as unaffordable and leading to tax increases on the middle class.

Throughout, Bloomberg, the non partisan candidate, floated above the fray on divisive issues like the Supreme Court, and as the only free trader in the race, he sewed up the small business vote. Pundits later said that, boiled down, Trump was arguing that Americans want to be rich like him. Sanders was saying that voters only want to be fair. Bloomberg insisted that they want to be both.

Election Day brought a rough three-way split, with Trump winning the Gun Belt (Deep South, border states, small Western Republican states), Sanders carrying liberal Democrats and young people, and Bloomberg doing well enough in cities (just as he had won in liberal New York) and crucial swing-vote suburbs to win several large states and the popular vote. Trump finished second and Sanders third.

In Florida, for instance, Trump won the panhandle, but he underperformed among his Mar-a-Lago neighbors in South Florida and was crushed among Hispanics. Sanderslike recent liberals running statewide in Florida in three-way raceswent nowhere. Bloomberg won the Jewish condo vote, entrepreneurial Latinos and the critical I-4 corridor, enough to carry the state.

The 2016 election was reminiscent of 2000too close to call. With no candidate receiving the necessary 270 electoral votes, the first post-election test was whether faithless electors (electors who vote differently from their states, as allowed under the Constitution) would emerge to tip the balance. That didnt happen, but in December enough electors did buck their states preference to set a precedent for members of the House to do so when the election went there.

In the House, each state under the Constitution gets one vote, for a total of 50 (Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia are not eligible, though the fate of D.C. was the source of an expedited Supreme Court challenge under the 23rd Amendment). The candidate with 26 votes becomes president.

At first, the constitutional requirements seemed to favor Trump because 33 eligible state delegations are majority Republican (15 are Democratic, and three are evenly split). But after it was clear Sanders couldnt win, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi convinced all Democrats to vote for Bloomberg, which narrowed the margin in many state delegations to one member. That meant Bloomberg needed only one Republican House member in five states to defect to himfive votes total within state delegations to get to 26.

Beyond Bloombergs promise to lavishly fund the campaigns of targeted members (not matched by a petulant and cheap Trump), local political factors set off a flurry of intense deal-making, set against the members chances of reelection.

Just enough Republicans in swing districts in states that voted for Bloomberg (e.g., Pennsylvania, where his suburban strength carried him) succumbed to pressure that they vote the way their districts and states did.

Trump had no base to draw on. Ever since a January 2016 special issue of the National Review entitled Against Trump, conservatives had argued that the narcissistic billionaire wasnt one of them. He trashed the Bushes, embraced Obamacare mandates, and refused to renounce Planned Parenthoodall before South Carolina. By the fall, he had galloped to the center, pandering all the way.

Enough conservatives decided that it would be better for their movement and party to render the Trump nomination a bad dream and try again with a real conservative in 2020. Otherwise, they feared, Trump would remake the GOP as a centrist party for good.

Thus did Michael Bloomberg become president of the United States. Under the Constitution, the vice-presidency is decided in the Senate, where Colin Powell was easily elected.

Bloomberg and Powell will launch their non-partisan administration today in a spirit of hope after the craziest election in American history.
LONDON  The Middle East is in flames. Just as Iraq was President George W. Bushs catastrophic legacy, Syria will be Obamas. Bushs sins of commission wrought no less chaos than Obamas sins of omission. If the Stop the War lobbys primary motive was to avoid civilian casualties, then by any standard they should slither away shamefully into voluntarily redundancy.

By latest human rights accounts, Syrias five-year civil war has left 470,000 dead. To add to our disgrace, we dont even know how accurate these figures are becauseas if in despairthe United Nations gave up collecting statistics 18 months ago. Syria has spiraled into the biggest humanitarian, political and security challenge of our time. The Cuban Missile crisis of 2016.

Last week in Munich, the well-meaning but under-powered U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry optimistically announced a temporary ceasefire, leading up to UN-brokered peace talks scheduled for Feb. 25. Onlookers meanwhile, wondered what sort of cessation of hostilities allows Russia to continue hostilities, and questioned whether depressing realities on the ground truly reflect Kerrys sleight of hand.

Those realities are dire. Through a combination of Shia-Islamist sectarianism in Yemen and Lebanon, terrorist intimidation via Hizbollah, and meddling in Iraq and Syria, Iran has succeeded in setting the region alight.

No less a culprit, Saudi Arabia has spent decades funding its own sectarian agendaSunni-Wahabi puritanism. As Saudi struggles feverishly to compete against the ayotollahs, Irans Shia crescent has cast its shadow from Persia through Iraq, deep into the Levant and pierces its way into the Arabian Peninsula via Oman and Yemen. In desperation, the Saudis have threatened to send ground troops into Syria, just as they already did in Bahrain and Yemen.

Turkeybursting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogans neo-Ottoman delusions of grandeuris desperate to prevent the triple threat of being overwhelmed by refugees, facing a resurgent hostile Assad regime, and watching as an independent Kurdish region arises on its border. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has warned that Turkey will not hesitate to act military to halt Kurdish ambitions. Already bombing Kurdish strongholds inside Syria, the Turks too are suggesting sending in ground troops to join Saudi Arabia.

Hearing of Turkish and Saudi ground troops, Russias Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev responded by threatening permanent war. Hypocritically, Russia has already committed her own ground troops, and flies up to 510 combat sorties a week inside Syria from its airbase near Latakia.

Putin is pursuing his aim of dividing Europe, and dividing NATO, by championing the Kurds. As Turkey downed a Russian jet last year, Russia retaliated by amassing her forces on the Turkish border to secure a base in the Syrian Kurdish region. The two countries militaries are currently fighting on the ground mere kilometers from each other and if a clash occurs NATO could either be unwillingly dragged into war orto Putins delight lose all credibility as a common defence pact.

Perhaps as a reward for hosting a Russian base, and as a snub to fickle American supportwhich really should have been there from the start, the Kurds of Rojava, an autonomous Kurdish area in northern Syria, have been given their first overseas representative office in Moscow. As well as Rojava, there is the Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq. The Kurds have risen up and are incredibly unlikely to ever accept Syrian, Iraqi or Turkish rule again, no matter what cessation of hostilities Kerry reaches.

This is how it came to be that the region now stands precariously at the cusp of World War III. But so much of this could have been avoided, if President Barack Obama had displayed two qualities in his foreign policy: leadership and strategic vision.

We know he lacked a strategy because, well, he told us so. And there was no moment of more memorable spinelessness than when Syrian President Bashar Assad crossed Obamas chemical red line with impunity.

However which way Obama is remembered for his domestic record, Iand no doubt many other foreign policy punditswill forever be gritting our teeth at the sheer arrogant indifference he displayed to the unraveling of the Middle East, and the rise of the Russian Bear. Putin stared Obama down; Obama cowered and blinked.

As in Afghanistan, then in Bosnia, and now in Syria, the story of how entire generations came to be radicalized is incomplete without considering the role of Russian aggression.

In Afghanistan the Soviets invadedonly to provide the perfect context for a nascent al Qaeda. In Bosnia, Russia supplied the Serbs while the International Community stood by its arms embargopaving the way for the Bosnian genocide that radicalized an entire generation of European Muslims. And now in Syria, Putin props up his puppet Assad while destroying entire Syrian cities and completely ignoring ISIS-held areas. Meanwhile, the Far-Left gleefully denounce lackadaisical American colonialism from Russian state television channels or pontificate over American ills, as asylum seekers in Moscow.

The consequences of Obamas stunning lack of vision will be felt in Europe, too, in more ways than one. As Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Kurds, Turkey, Russia and various jihadist terrorist factions such as ISIS and al Qaeda fight over the Middle-Eastern jewel, half of Syrias population has become displaced. Hundreds of thousands are fleeing to Europe, and the resulting cultural civil strife this has sparked will only bolster thoselike Putinwho seek to break up the European Union.

Naivety is perhaps too generous a word for Merkels open door immigration policy. It is as if she was oblivious to the forthcoming UK referendum scheduled for June 23rd on the Brexit, or Britain leaving Europe.

Its too late for Obama now, but not for the next American president to recoil from this record of failure. American leadership and strategic vision should, first and foremost, have recognized that the intervention pendulum has swung too far the other way, to pacifism. A global power vacuum, by definition, would soon be filled by another power. Enter Russia.

American leadership would have called Putins bluff over that red line, and recognized that Putins position in Moscow was weaker than it looked. American leadership would have recognized that the recent center-left trend towards isolationism far from being true to the principles of liberal internationalism has always been symptomatic of parochial conservative populism. This is why it eventually gave way to Donald Trump.

American strategy would have exploited the opportunity of talks with Iran to force a compromise over Assad. American strategy would have exploited the Egyptian, Saudi and Israeli common foes of Iran and Assad, to unify them instead around a deal over Palestine. American strategy would have long ago supported an independent Kurdish state before Russia began to seize that opportunity, too. A Kurdish state would have been the Middle Easts only secular, democratic Muslim-majority country, and could have acted as a torchlight for the entire region against insurgent Islamism.

Instead, none of this happened. But Obama did receive a Nobel Peace Prize. Congratulations, Mr. President.
Ron Low never realized there was something missing from his penis until he was a grown man.

In the mid-1980s, he came across a magazine article about circumcision that detailed several personal accounts from men whose foreskins had not been removed at birth. This chance encounter with a then-unpopular position made Ron consider the reasons behind circumcision.

How could humans could be the product of thousands of years of evolution and still need a part [of their body] cut off?, Low recounts himself thinking.

Like many people, Ron viewed circumcision as a routine procedure that had been done to him as it was done to all male infants. According to the World Health Organization, 80 percent of adult males in the United States have been circumcised, compared to about 30 percent of the rest of the world. The Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics say that the benefits of male infant circumcision outweighs the risks. The World Health Organization endorses circumcision as a means to reduce the risk of the transmission of HIV.

Still, it appears that a movement to end routine circumcision is finding some success, or is at least coinciding with the practice being on the wane. Newborn male circumcision in the U.S. declined from 64.9 percent in the 1960s to 58.3 percent in 2010.

Low became a father in the early days of the Internet, when social media was limited to chat rooms and virtual bulletin boards.

I was lurking around in chat rooms trying to find some solidarity with other parents, and these people would always show up and start railing about circumcisions and it was annoying! he Low said. After a time, however, he slowly came around to their way of thinking. But the same people who were always jumping in and talking about this stuff, some of those same folks, I am still in touch with today and use as sources.

Around the same time, Low heard a radio program featuring author James Bigelow. He was discussing his latest book, The Joy of Uncircumcising.

As Low listened to Bigelow describe using tapes and weights to stretch the slack skin on his penis in order to regrow a foreskin, the interviewer quipped, Could you just wear a little hat?

An engineer by trade, Low thought: Well, why couldnt you just wear a little hat? His own restoration journey was years off, but when he speaks of the design for the TLC Tugger, he hearkens back to this moment.

Ron and his wife had always enjoyed a fulfilling sex life, but as she approached her forties, considered a womans sexual peak, Ron noticed it was taking him longer to satisfy her. After some failed attempts using different positions as well as lotions, his doctor suggested that he should just get used to the fact that his circumcision had left the head of his penis exposed and dry.

I knew it wasnt my wifes fault. And I had to do something. So I went to her, on April Fools Day, and I told her I was going to restore. Rons wife predictably thought he was kidding. I assured her I was serious, and told her to help me be accountable, and also to let me know when I should remove the tape, he says, as taping meant that removal would involve cleaning off the adhesive residue which was a delicate and timely process.

I taped my penis for four years, 80 percent of the time. And during a fifth year, I only wore the tape at work, but wore a retaining cone the rest of the time. The retaining cone protects the suppleness and sensitivity of the glands and also maintains progress, he matter-of-factly shares about his own penis, completely unabashed.

Meanwhile, Low was perfecting his own device to restore foreskin without messy tape: the TLC Tugger.

Using silicone, he designed a conical device to grip skin using tension instead of adhesive. The TLC Tugger uses constant tension to grip the foreskin and then tug it via a strap attached to the leg. (Weights are available for purchase to enhance the tugging experience.)

Unless men are experiencing a medical condition, there is no need to seek medical attention in order to undertake the restoring process, Low said. Instead, he believes strongly in the restoring community he has created on his website, where he estimates about one-third of the members are customers.

Despite being a soft-spoken Midwesterner, there is no mistaking his harsh words for infant circumcision.

Informed adults can make the decision. It is forced mutilation on those who cant consent.

There are no medical studies to suggest the efficacy of foreskin restoration and youll be hard pressed to find any physician endorsing devices like Lows.

A urologist with over thirty years experience in the U.S. and abroad had harsh words about foreskin restoration.

It is definitely on the fringe of medicine, and I doubt there are many urologists who would treat it, the physician, who requested anonymity said.

It is ironic they feel they have been mutilated against their will in the USA, while in parts of the third world it is accepted practice to circumcise all males as HIV prevention, he added. Instead of foreskin restoration, the physician recommended men seek psychiatric evaluation and care.

Anthony Losquadro is aware of the psychological dimension of foreskin.

You gotta be able to talk about this stuff, the executive director of Inaction, an anti-circumcision group said. We wont be embarrassed to talk about it. We wont be ashamed, doctors should be be the ones who are ashamed. Were gonna try to gain back our power.

Anthony said he was always somewhat aware that something had been done to him.

The scars didnt seem natural and no one was telling me, so I thought it mustve been some type of trauma.

As he moved into adulthood, Anthony said delved into all the research he could find and became angry.

Doctors only amputate. They joke around that no one has come back and complained, but there are hundreds of thousands of men who have restored or are restoring. There are lots of unhappy men out there.

The restoration process will not completely reverse the effects of a circumcision, though.

You dont get back 20,000 nerve endings, and you wont get back your frenulum, Anthony said, referring to the band of tissue that connects the foreskin and a lubricating gland. Those are the most sensitive areas of the penis and theres no way to get them back.

Anthony sees restoration as more than just a physiological fix, however.

The physical appearance is indistinguishable, but men feel their bodies have been violated. Restoration helps empower men to overcome these feelings as well as the physical.
Barcelona: SanDisk Corporation a global known brand in flash storage solutions introduced the worlds fastest microSD card. The SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II card enables action camera, drone and smartphone users to offload huge video files at unprecedented speeds.

Action cameras are now the fastest-growing segment in digital imaging and drones are becoming increasingly popular, creating an opportunity for people to capture more high-capacity, high-quality 4K Ultra HD content, said Dinesh Bahal, vice president, product marketing, SanDisk. We designed this card specifically to address consumers needs for a faster solution when transferring massive files  and now, with nearly 3x the speed of our fastest microSD UHS-I card, this new offering dramatically reduces time spent transferring content.

The new card, available in 64GB and 128GB capacities, delivers transfer speeds of up to 275MB/s to offload high-quality content at record speeds. Featuring Class 10 and UHS Speed Class 3 (U3), the SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II card is perfect for capturing Full HD and 4K Ultra HD video on the latest action cams, drones and smartphones. It also includes a USB 3.0 card reader to conveniently offload files to a PC.

Todays mobile devices are more sophisticated than ever, and require more advanced technology to deliver the best possible user experience," said IDC Research Director for mobile and tablets Les Santiago. "As the demand for higher quality content such as Full HD and 4K video increases, the need for higher capacity, faster storage solutions grows exponentially. The Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II card is at the forefront of delivering solutions that meet these evolving needs.

Built for a New Generation of Devices

The latest action cameras, drones and smartphones are versatile, powerful devices that have expanded the possibilities for high-quality video.

We empower our creators to capture amazing images around the world, ones that were previously out of reach. High-end professional imagery is captured every day with our products, and SanDisks new UHS-II card is a great complement to our portfolio, said Basile David, Senior Content Manager, DJI. These new cards deliver remarkable speeds, giving our creators more time to spend bringing their ideas to life.

SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II cards are backwards-compatible with UHS-I host devices, performing up to UHS-I speeds allowed by the host device. Also designed for todays durable devices, the cards can keep up in extreme environments. SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II microSD cards are shockproof, temperature-proof, waterproof, and X-ray-proof.

Pricing and Availability

The 64GB and 128GB SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II cards feature a lifetime limited warranty, and will be available worldwide in Q2 at US MSRPs of $179.99 and $299.99, respectively.

FOR MORE NEWS AND UPDATES ON MWC 2016, CLICK HERE.

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Minutes after Ted Cruz claimed a disappointing third-place finish Saturday night in South Carolina's primary, the U.S. senator was already shifting his attention to Texas, extolling it unprompted to his home-state press corps backstage.

"I cannot tell you how excited I am to be back in the great state of Texas in just a few days, to sleep in my own bed, to be with the greatest people on the history of the planet," Cruz said, brushing off a question about whether his showing in the Palmetto State spelled danger for his campaign in other southern states.

Yet Texas, long considered a place where Cruz could run up his delegate count on March 1, no longer appears to be entirely comfortable territory for its junior senator. With just over a week until its primary  and many ballots already cast early  Cruz's grip on his home state does not appear ironclad, even with all his rivals with major Texas ties officially out of the race.

In interviews Monday with more than a half dozen Texas-based GOP strategists, a consensus emerged: Cruz is still favored to win Texas, but it may not be as easy or resounding a victory as he would like. They uniformly cited billionaire Donald Trump as Cruz's biggest threat at home, especially after a South Carolina primary in which Trump took the gold by a wide margin, giving him another burst of momentum as the nominating contest heads deeper into the South.

"I think he is safe here, but I think it just got a lot more competitive for him," said one strategist who, like the others, was granted anonymity to candidly discuss the prospects of one of the most popular Republicans in Texas. "The idea that you can just sit back or just let a couple of state senators wrangle up your vote for you just isn't realistic."

"He has to come and work now," the strategist added.

Some of the strategists offered anecdotal evidence of a tightening race between Cruz and Trump gleaned from their own polling in certain legislative districts, as well as conversations with activists, donors and voters. Regardless, they noted it was remarkable that Cruz facing serious competition in his home state has even become a topic of conversation.

"I don't think anybody associated with Cruz would have thought it had gotten to this point," another strategist said.

Public polling on the GOP race in Texas has been sparse and largely inconclusive about the strength of Cruz's home-field advantage. One survey conducted Jan. 25-26 found Cruz up on Trump by five points, 30 percent to 25 percent. Another poll completed just a few days earlier put Cruz's margin at 15 points, 45 to 30 percent.

Cruz's campaign insists it is "not just assuming Texans are going to vote for us because they're Texans." Instead, Cruz's aides say he will be pressing the case that he kept his word to them when he was first elected in 2012 in a come-from-behind victory.

"Were very confident in our positioning in Texas, but were not taking anything for granted," Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said, naming Trump and Rubio as competition in the state. "We know that there are other campaigns running aggressive campaigns, and we're going to do everything we can to outperform them."

Cruz's campaign has no doubt taken Texas seriously. He has won the support of some of the state's top Republicans, including former Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, both former critics to varying degrees. He has the backing of roughly a quarter of Republicans representing Texas in Congress and nearly half the Republicans in the state legislature  not as easy as some might think given the divided loyalties among Texas-connected candidates at the start of the race. And he has built a ground game here that includes more than 27,000 volunteers, 57 congressional district co-chairs in all 36 districts, and 462 county chairs and co-chairs.

Some of Cruz's most prominent surrogates are expected to fan out across the state in the run-up to the primary, including Patrick, Perry, Cruz's father Rafael and his wife Heidi, who already has eight meet and greets scheduled Friday through Sunday in Texas. Cruz himself plans to be in the state on election night and make a number of Texas appearances surrounding the Republican debate Thursday in Houston. He has already been announced as a speaker at the Harris County GOP's Lincoln-Reagan Dinner on Wednesday in Houston.

Arguing he is running a national campaign, Cruz has never ruled any state a must-win. He has stuck with that approach when it comes to his home state, most recently on Sunday  when he was pressed on NBC's "Meet the Press" about whether he could beat Trump in Texas.

"Look, we hope to do well," Cruz ultimately said. "I believe we will do well."

Cruz's supporters in Texas are confident he will prevail on March 1 but acknowledge Trump's strength cannot be discounted, especially as the billionaire racks up wins. He is expected to claim his third straight victory Tuesday in the Nevada caucuses, the last contest before the group of mostly southern states vote March 1 in what is being called the SEC primary.

"I think Texas will go big for Ted Cruz," state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham said in an interview Friday. "Certainly, Donald Trump has some momentum now, and he's the media darling in some ways, but I don't see anyone else resonating" in Texas.

Very little is known about Trump's campaign in Texas, especially after Corbin Casteel, a Republican consultant known around Austin, stepped down last month as the billionaire's Texas state director. Casteel was replaced by Joshua Jones, a relatively anonymous operative.

Neither Jones nor Trump's campaign in New York responded to requests for comment. Reporters in Texas have largely been left to read the tea leaves through a series of emails Jones has sent to Trump supporters, many of them seeking to build state-level coalitions of students, hunters, pastors, first responders and teachers.

Multiple emails from Jones have said the race in Texas would be "too close to call" if it were held tomorrow. After Cruz beat Trump in the Iowa caucuses with the help of a widely acclaimed ground game, Jones used the news to try to simultaneously assure and motivate the billionaire's supporters in the Lone Star State.

"While Senator Cruz is widely believed to have home state advantage, we believe our organization is capable of pulling off a win  and Iowa in that regard should be a warning," Jones wrote. "While a substantial number of Senator Cruz' Texas supporters volunteered in Iowa, his strong first showing this election cycle was a matter of necessity as his national name recognition isn't as strong as Mr. Trump (who enjoys a high level of popularity in all 50 states)."

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is also expected to be a factor in Texas, though few see him competing at the same level as Cruz and Trump. One of the biggest questions surrounding his candidacy in the state is whether he can notch 20 percent of the vote, the threshold at which a candidate can start collecting delegates either statewide or by congressional district. Polling has shown him falling short, though his backers here are hopeful he can cross the threshold by winning over former supporters of ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who dropped out of the race Saturday.

Rubio's campaign has assembled a Texas leadership team co-chaired by five current and former state representatives and filled out by 27 other prominent Republicans from across the state, including a handful of Bush supporters who switched over as the former Florida governor flamed out. From early on, Rubio demonstrated an ability to make inroads with some of Texas' most prominent Republican donors, even with Bush and Cruz reeling in many of the big fish.

State Rep. James Frank of Wichita Falls said Rubio's campaign in Texas does not "expect to win but will certainly take it." Instead, Frank sees Rubio accumulating support by capitalizing on the minority of areas that are not Cruz strongholds, perhaps more moderate enclaves.

"This is a delegate game at this point," Frank said. "At the end of the day, when youre going against the Texas senator, youre going to go against him in places where he isnt as strong."

Between Trump's potential momentum by March 1 and Rubio's corner on some establishment support in Texas, Cruz could find himself more pinched than he would prefer to be, according to the strategists. That's especially true with Cruz staking his campaign on a strong showing throughout all the southern states set to vote March 1, not just Texas.

"If Trump wins Nevada on Tuesday, hell have increased momentum from the grassroots and the media as the presumed front-runner," said Brian Haley, an Austin-based Republican operative who worked on John McCain and Tim Pawlenty's presidential campaigns. "When you combine this with establishment donors rallying behind Rubio, Super Tuesday is turning into the perfect storm against Cruz."
The new logo combines the letters i and j to form a G which represents Gionee and subtly conveys the message, I am joyful.

Barcelona: Gionee, a global telecommunications solutions provider has officially launched a new brand identity at the Mobile World Congress. The new brand identity involves a new logo, together with Make Smiles as its new purpose statement. The move marks the companys further expansion to global markets and its mission to connect phone users with smiles. The company also introduced S8, which will open up a new era of mobile video shooting and photography.

Gionee is a recognized leader in developing phones with great power and design. The company is competing in growing markets and sees customer engagement and product value are the keys to success.

The smiling face on new logo shows our desire to create happiness by developing built-in user-friendly technology and easy-to-use communication tools, said William Lu, President of Gionee. By adding emotional elements to our smartphones, we believe our smilephones will allow us to maintain a place in the hearts of our consumers and gain a stronger position in the industry.

The new logo combines the letters i and j to form a G which represents Gionee and subtly conveys the message, I am joyful. The brightened orange color signifies an energetic, passionate and warm image.

Make Smiles is thecompanys new tagline.The tagline invites customers to engage with Gioneepartake inthe delightful moments in their lives. Whether it is achievements or nice surprises, the phones are developed to capture happiness.

Given the growing popularity to share our lives on social media, we have found that users are no longer satisfied with static images, and now need active videos, said William Lu, President of Gionee. Gionee S8 is our first smartphone to carry our new smiling logo and enhance the video sharing experience. It allows us to easily record our precious moments and upload them to social media platforms. Our smilephone is involved in the process of delivering joy.

FOR MORE NEWS AND UPDATES ON MWC 2016, CLICK HERE.

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Voters are angry. We get that. For too long government hasn't worked as it should for the people of America.

But voters shouldn't be lured into thinking that electing someone with no government experience and no plan for making government work again would solve America's problems.

The problem with the race for president is that Republicans have too many candidates and Democrats have too few.

By the time the Brazos County Republican Primary ballots were printed, the GOP presidential field had shrunk to 13 candidates: Donald J. Trump, Elizabeth Gray. Lindsay Graham, Carly Fiorina, Red Cruz, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, John R. Kasich, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Rick Santorum and Jeb Bush. Now, after Saturday's South Carolina's Republican Primary, five are left. Jeb Bush, our original choice, dropped out after another disappointing showing.

On the Democratic side, there were three serious candidates and five other virtually unknown candidates. Since the ballot was printed, Martin J. O'Malley -- the best of the Democrats -- dropped out, leaving Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders as the only two viable candidates. It would be hard to find a more disappointing duo.

For Clinton, truth is fungible. What was "true" for Clinton today may not be true tomorrow. The questions surrounding her emails and her continuing obfuscation create the impression that Clinton has something to hide. And that is just one of the issues in which her veracity is called into question.

As for Sanders, we need less government in our lives, not more. Sanders is an avowed socialist -- a democratic one, to be sure, but still a socialist. It is easy on the campaign trail to make promises about free tuition and the like, but much harder to deliver on those promises if elected. We understand his appeal to young voters -- idealism is rampant in the young. It is only with time and experience that that idealism becomes more realistic, more tempered. They will learn that Sanders was not the man they had hoped to be president.

Martin O'Malley, the former governor of Maryland, was the most palatable candidate in the Democratic race for president, but he never caught traction and withdrew from the race earlier this month.

The members of the Editorial Board would like to make a recommendation in this race, but we can't. We could say Clinton is the better, more experienced of the two remaining candidates, but that isn't saying much. The huge negatives of both candidates disqualify both in the Democratic Primary.

The Eagle makes no recommendation in the Democratic race for president.

On the Republican side, Trump has virtually sucked all the air out of the race, leaving the other candidates struggling to win votes. But Trump is a bully, the worst of the entire Republican field. He is loud, he is vulgar, he misleads, he stifles anyone who dares disagree with him and he promises the world with no plans in place to back up his promises. And yet, the more obnoxious he is, the more his supporters idolize him. His habit of calling anyone who disagrees with him a "loser" indicates that he would have difficulty getting along with anyone in Washington or the world for that matter. Saying he would get along with the British or Israeli prime minister or the president of Mexico is not actually getting along with them. The art of diplomacy is not telling others how stupid they are but rather in finding a way to work together. Trump has shown no ability to do that. Do not vote for him in the misguided hope that he would fix Washington. The gap between what he says and what he could deliver is, pardon us, huuuuuuge.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is flat-out mean. He has proven to be unable to get along not only with Democrats but with members of his own party. His presidency would guarantee continued gridlock in our nation's capital. In his three years in the Senate, he has alienated senators on both sides of the aisles and has been responsible for little legislation of consequences. Someone from Texas should know the immigration is far more complicated, far more nuanced than he makes it. When we recommend Cruz in his race for the U.S. Senate, we did so because he seemed the best of the candidates -- but that was then. Although he is a Texan, that alone is not enough for the Editorial Board to recommend him.

Dr. Ben Carson had his brief moment in the lead, but his missteps and his inexperience have dropped him to the bottom of the pile in the Republican Primary.

That leaves John Kasich and Marco Rubio. Both have appealing messages and we think either one would be better than the other Republicans in the race. Kasich's experience as major-state governor would allow him to take over the White House and be ready to work. The experience he gained running a major state as governor would translate well to the White House from Day 1.

Rubio is a fine young man with good ideas, but his limited experience as a United States senator would require a much steeper learning curve. He may very well end up as the Republican nominee and that would be OK, but it would take some time -- perhaps considerable time -- for him to understand the ins and outs of actually running the government and not just being a part of it.

Kasich is extremely low key, which could work against if elected president, though. Rubio seems more energized, more gung ho.

While both Rubio and Kasich would make a fine Republican standard-bearer, Kasich has the edge.

His experience, his temperament, his background make him the most qualified candidate in the Republican Primary on March 1.

The Eagle recommends a vote for John Kasich in the March 1 Republican Primary.
Correction

In Sunday's recommendations in the race for state representative from District 14, The Eagle incorrectly stated the location of Jess Field's family's funeral home. The primary located is in Humble in Harris County.

Have experienced candidate's qualities of grace and integrity

For more than 30 years I have had the pleasure and privilege of calling Nancy Berry my friend as well as my neighbor. Many of her supporters already have written about her myriad professional qualifications and awards, but I am writing this letter from a slightly different perspective.

Personal experience has shown me that Nancy is a woman of the highest grace and integrity, not to mention her obvious intelligence. Her word is, indeed, her bond. Even when we occasionally have disagreed on issues, Nancy always has listened to my opinions thoughtfully and respectfully, then voiced hers in the same spirit.

While I applaud Gabriel Garcia's good intentions, Nancy's resume, experience and past conduct as mayor of College Station are all the proof I need that she has what it takes to perform the duties of county commissioner ably and honorably.

Please join me in voting for Nancy Berry for county commissioner for Precinct 3.

ANN ANDERSON

College Station

Candidate has a vision and skill that would be beneficial

Nancy Berry is a pure gift to this county who provides a vision and skill that is of huge value. She has shown her management style at the city of College Station and the many other organizations she has assisted.

Her first order of business at the city was to get rid of all the pending and ill-conceived lawsuits that caused strife and senseless outcomes.

Cheers to Nancy. She would be wonderful as a county commissioner. We all would profit from her service on the court.

JIMMY BOND

College Station

Candidate is passionate about serving his district

We support John Raney's re-election to the Texas House of Representatives from District 14. We do not reside in Texas and are not experts on politics in his district but we do know a great man when we see one!

We have known John since we were his employees at Texas Aggieland Bookstore in 1987. We met while working there and married in Bryan. We have remained in very close contact with the Raneys and have spent a lot of time with them over the years. We are writing to speak to the character and leadership of the man our family has grown to love deeply in the past 25-plus years.

What we know for sure about John is how deeply committed he is to his district and how hard he is willing to work for the people of his district. Whenever we are in Bryan-College Station, we stay with the Raneys. On countless late evenings we have seen John, tired from a long day's work, still muster the energy to have in-depth conversations with us in which his genuine love of service comes shining through. In his every description of his work on behalf of his district it is evident how deeply committed he is and seriously he takes his role in Texas government.

John represents all that is good, true and right in a man of character and exemplifies for us and our sons true leadership, love, sense of purpose and honor that, frankly, is lacking in many men. John has always exemplified all of these qualities.

We urge you to look carefully into John Raney's record in the Texas House and get to know John as the wonderful man we know before casting your vote. He is without question still the right man for the job!

BRENDA and BRIAN ROBINSON

Castle Rock, Colorado

Stealing political yard signs is despicable

One morning this last week, I found the Jess Fields campaign sign we have been displaying in our yard lying in the gutter in front of our house in the Pebble Creek subdivision. I first assumed that perhaps the wind had somehow blown the supporting wires out of the ground.

I then discovered, however, that approximately 10-12 Jess Fields signs were completely missing from other yards in the vicinity. It is obvious that someone removed them. I only can assume they were removed by supporters of Jess's opponent since signs for other candidates for office were still in place in ours and other nearby yards.

I would hope that the lack of moral and ethical character displayed by the sign thieves is not reflective of those of Jess's opponent.

Additionally, I noted with great interest the letter in The Eagle from Phil Gramm (Eagle, February 9) refuting accusations made in the letter from Jim Kracht (Eagle, Feb. 6) concerning the work Jess did with the Texas Public Policy Foundation. I hope that the candidates for public office in our area are above such unethical behavior.

FRED BOUSE

College Station

Will not let any special interests tell him how to vote

There are few people in public office who have served with as much integrity and character as John Raney. He has refused to allow special interests or extremists to dictate how he should vote. Instead, he has voted for, supported and led initiatives that benefit the people of his district in particular and the people of Texas in general.

I have known John and his family since the early 1970s when I was a teenager and he was chairman of the local fledgling Republican Party. I also worked for John at his bookstore when I was a student at A&M. During our long friendship, John always has been honest, true to his character and optimistic about the future. This is the way he has run his campaign.

When it comes to John Raney, what you see is what you get: an honest statesman who wants to continue to represent you the very best way he can.

ELAINE WELCH

Bryan

State representative acts more like a Democrat

I have been heavily involved in the Republican Party of Brazos County while attending Texas A&M University.

Over the past several months, I have witnessed tactics that liberal groups, such as Battleground Texas (who seek to turn Texas blue), have in their playbook.

During this campaign season, it seems liberal Republicans are using the same playbook. These tactics are meant to confuse the voters and cloud the facts for political gain.

Integrity and uprightness always have been central to the conservative ideal, and State Rep. John Raney's willingness to abandon that ideal adds weight to the popular claim that he is in the wrong party -- claims substantiated by contributing to Democrat Leticia Van de Putte, voting with Democrats against pro-life legislation and additional border security, raising money with Democrats, and the list goes on.

There is no better example for actions speaking louder than words.

If you want a representative who will serve House District 14 with integrity and uprightness, then I urge you to vote for Jess Fields.

WILLIAM MARTINEZ, '16

College Station

An impressive list of accomplishments

I pledge my support for John Raney who is seeking re-election to serve in the Texas House of Representatives. I have known John since our days attending Lamar Junior High School in Bryan. I graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School with John. I served in the airborne infantry unit of the Texas National Guard with John. I graduated with John from Texas A&M. I have attended church with John across the years. I know John as a person with the utmost integrity, honesty and wisdom.

John is a conservative with an unambiguous record. John has supported legislation that avoids the pitfalls of Obamacare, reduced taxes on homeowners, reduced the marginal tax rate on businesses, defunded Planned Parenthood, protected clergy who choose not to participate in same-sex marriages, increased funding for border security, expanded the privileges among licensed handgun owners, and increased the financial support for Texas A&M.

His opponent claims inconsistencies in his record through misrepresentation. In contrast, John has an impressive list of accomplishments.

Character means everything in the long run -- not only for us individually but also for our representatives. John exemplifies high character.

Please join me in my support for John Raney.

DONALD R. HOUSE Sr.

College Station

Oppose 'Washington-style' tactics in state House race

Well, the Washington cartel tactics have come to the Brazos Valley! John Raney has teamed up with others to destroy anyone who exposes their underhanded voting records.

One candidate in their line of fire is Jess Fields, who is running against John Raney for texas House District 14. At a time when there are so many important issues facing Texas and the United States, Raney has started an all-out assault against Jess Fields, taking a joke between friends several years ago and turning it into something more sinister, bordering on slander.

John Raney, like other politicians, uses these types of underhanded tactics because he cannot run on his own voting record. For instance, Raney voted for Joe Straus, who was elected as speaker of the House by 46 Democrats and 11 Republicans. One of those 11 Republicans was John Raney.

In fact, Raney is rated as the fourth most Liberal Republican in the Texas House and has received "F" ratings from nearly every conservative scorecard. The fact is Raney's record speaks for itself. He voted for embryonic stem cell research. He voted against funding for helicopters and other equipment needed to protect our borders. And he aligns himself with other politicians who do not have your best interest in mind, but instead, vote with their "special interest" friends.

Jess Fields is a constitutional conservative who is pro life, believes in religious freedoms and traditional marriage, will stand against federal government overreach, believes we need to secure our borders, is against sanctuary cities and is someone who would be accountable for his voting record.

Who do you want representing me? A young man such as Jess Fields who is running on his conservative record or a cartel member who fund raises with Democrats and votes to "go along to get along?"

CAROL NICHOLS

Bryan

Candidate accomplished little on CS city council

I am supporting John Raney for Texas House of Representatives for District 14. John is a proven leader and effective representative for our community. He reflects our values and serves the residents of the Brazos Valley and the state of Texas with dignity and respect. He understands his responsibilities and bears our interests in the highest regard.

His opponent has chosen to use slander, innuendo and other disingenuous methods to attempt to distort the facts in this election. His opponent lacks any experience or skills necessary to hold an important office of public trust. His short term on the College Station City Council demonstrated his total lack of effective leadership. He accomplished nothing other than to extend meetings with argumentative comments and objections to voices of reason. His campaign is funded by sources outside our community and he is beholden to those sources, not the residents of the Brazos Valley. He totally would be ineffective in Austin and if he were to be elected, we would be the laughing stock of Texas to have him for our representative.

If you look past the garbage that is being mailed to our homes, you will find that the choice is very clear. Please join me in voting for John Raney for state representative.

STEVE BEACHY

College Station

Deserve real conservative representation in Austin

While Republicans currently hold almost a two-thirds majority of the 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives, the governing coalition is comprised of an alliance between liberal Republicans and Democrats. This alliance is led by Joe Straus, speaker of the House. The Speaker appoints his allies, liberal Republicans and Democrats, as chairmen of and majority members on leading House committees. These committees can expedite or hold up progress on proposed legislation as their liberal vision compels them. This is the situation that allows liberals effectively to control the Texas House.

You wonder why Texas still has sanctuary cities? You wonder why funds were denied for additional aircraft to patrol the border? You wonder why protections for religious liberty were not adopted? You can thank the liberal power structure in the House that engineered circumstances to defeat or avoid these issues and this is only a sampling of their efforts.

John Raney consistently has supported Joe Straus and the liberal House leadership. This has earned Raney the distinction of being named the fifth most liberal Republican in the Texas House, according to a recent Rice University study of House votes.

This is why I believe Texas House District 14 needs a change in representation. This is why 85 percent of the Brazos County GOP Executive Committee (22 of 26 Precinct Chairmen) support Jess Fields for the Texas House. Precinct chairmen are our neighbors, not outside interest from Austin. This is why local grassroots support for Jess has resulted in a big difference in the number of local campaign contributions: Fields, 560 compared to Raney 130, as indicated in their January 2016 Campaign Reports.

Bryan-College Station deserves genuine conservative representation.

Please vote Jess Fields for Texas state representative for District 14.

JODY QUIMBY

Bryan

A conservative record opponent cannot match

During this campaign we have heard some statements about John Raney that we had trouble believing as we have known John for more than 20 years, and know him to be a conscientious man.

John Raney has been an active member of the Brazos County Republican Party since well before it was the trendy thing to do. He has been a business owner in this community, creating jobs and mentoring students for nearly half a century. To this he added public service in 2011, in the Texas House of Representatives.

He has a wealth of life experience and a solid conservative reputation built over many years that his opponent cannot match, and so the attention seems to now be focused on cherry-picked, out-of-context character attacks.

We urge you to do a little research of your own and not believe everything you read from these political attack ads, which are financed by some big-money out-of-town PACs. The facts are that in a relatively short time in the Texas House, John Raney's leadership skills have been recognized by House leadership and he was appointed to two of its most influential committees: Appropriations and Higher Education. The work of these two House committees is critical to this community, and he has proven his effectiveness in representing the Brazos Valley and our interests well.

To trade John for an inexperienced, unknown political novice backed by out-of-town PACs would do a tremendous disservice to the residents of this area.

It also speaks volumes for him when someone who is on the opposite side of the political fence writes to the newspaper defending John's lifelong consistent conservatism. Please join us in voting to re-elect John Raney to the Texas House of Representatives.

RAY and LESLIE KORNHOFF

Bryan

Representative supported adult stem-cell research

I write to endorse Rep. John Raney to return to Austin as our state representative. Rep Raney has solid commitment and long-standing roots in Brazos County, and has established these now in Austin during his tenure. We need to allow him to leverage this in supporting issues specific to our community.

I was fortunate to see this in the recent session when testifying on health care issues. He is both respected and represents us with character and maturity. I want to point out from the last session HB 3185, which he authored and passed. This obtains access to supplemental funding of the uninsured whose care has been in excess of $50 million in past years. He did this for all hospital systems in Bryan and College Station and demonstrated the ability to pull people together for the ability to assure care for all our residents regardless of ability to pay.

I want to point out inaccurate information I have sadly seen in literature sent to my home. Rep. Raney supported HB 1, which continued funding for adult stem cell research -- a promising therapy for many disease, including Parkinsons, congestive heart failure and others. These stem cells are obtained from adults who donate in order to better health care for others. The University of Texas Heart Institute performs such research, offering hope to the approximately 511 million people in the U.S. suffering from heart failure, which costs an estimated $32 billion per year according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Please join me in voting for Rep. Raney and sending him back to Austin to continue the excellent work he has done for the residents of Brazos County.

KIMBERLY OAS

College Station
Sony unveiled a new-look Xperia brand with the first X series smartphones and a vision for the future of communications, with ambient connected devices capable of changing the way you interact with the world.

Barcelona: Sony Mobile Communications (Sony Mobile) unveiled a new-look Xperia brand with the first X series smartphones and a vision for the future of communications, with ambient connected devices capable of changing the way you interact with the world.

Sony Mobile will continue to create increasingly personalized and intelligent products and services that empower you to do more, and live more creatively than ever. Our products and services will connect you to each other and become essential and beloved parts of your lives. said Hiroki Totoki, President and CEO at Sony Mobile Communications.

First X Series smartphones: Xperia X, Xperia X Performance and Xperia XA

The Xperia X series embodies Sony Mobiles new brand vision through adding new layers of intelligent technology across popular and acclaimed Xperia features: camera, battery and design, to make every day smarter and simpler.

Predicting the unexpected is difficult, but not impossible  the next generation Xperia camera takes spontaneous capture to another level allowing you to shoot in sharp focus, even for spur-of-the-moment shots. The all-new Predictive Hybrid Autofocus in Xperia X and Xperia X Performance is developed in close collaboration with Sonys TM camera engineers; it lets you choose your subject and then predicts its motion, so you can capture the action in perfect focus, free from blur.

Xperia X Performance Black Predictive AFAdvanced features require the battery stamina to match, and Xperia X series incorporates Sonys smart battery management to deliver up to two days battery life1. Not only will it keep your phone running for longer from one charge, Xperia X series benefits from a battery lifespan thats up to twice as long with Qnovos Adaptive Charging technology and Sonys smart battery management system. Each phone is powered to make the most of their advanced capabilities, with Xperia X featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor and Xperia X Performance introducing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor for ultra-fast connectivity.

As part of their unified design concept, Sony designers researched premium materials, texture and curvature for the most natural palm fit. Each X series smartphone brings a curved glass display within a rounded, continuous frame for a familiar form that feels comfortable in your hand. The unified design concept is also extended to Xperia XA, which features a stunning edge-to-edge display to integrate seamlessly into your life.

Xperia X, Xperia X Performance and Xperia XA each have a range of matching Style Covers and will roll out in four elegant finishes; White, Graphite Black, Lime Gold and Rose Gold, from Summer 2016.

Introducing new Xperia smart products, with expanded communication experiences.

The new Xperia smart products and concepts are designed to adapt to your situation and environment, whether at home or on-the-go. Sony Mobile envisions this new category as intelligent devices that understand preferences, activities and behavior, to provide useful and contextual information.

Xperia Ear is a next-generation wireless ear-piece that brings a new way of communicating, without compromising on enjoying the world around you. It provides you with useful information such as your schedule, weather and the latest news to keep you up-to-date on the go. Powered by Sonys voice technology, it responds to verbal commands, so you can ask it to make a call, perform an internet search, dictate a message or navigate to a certain location. It enables you to face forward and get things done, for a convenient hands-free experience.

Xperia Ear Lifestyle Touch

It connects to your Android smartphone via NFC or Bluetooth and talks to a host application, where you can customize settings, including the info you need when you first connect in the morning, touch commands and app notifications.

Its lightweight and comfortable soft silicone ear-bud is built for continuous wear, with IPX2 water-protection and all-day battery life3. Its available in Graphite Black and the innovative case doubles as a charger, so you can simply pop it in when you need to recharge. Xperia Ear will roll out from Summer 2016.

The Xperia smart product concepts, a communications vision with machine learning, natural user interface and sensing.

Xperia Eye is a conceptual vision for an ultra compact, wearable wide-angle lens camera  with the flexibility to be easily attached to clothing or worn around the neck.

It represents a proof-of-concept exploration to bring Sonys acclaimed camera and sensing technology to its smallest ever form-factor  featuring a 360-degree spherical lens for a natural field of view. Its intelligent shutter technology will use facial and voice detection to capture images, allowing you to enjoy and preserve lifes moments without thinking about the technology.

Xperia Projector PIU

The Xperia Projector concept will enrich, empower and stimulate creative family communication using a natural and interactive interface projection on any clear surface. It will respond to touch, voice and gestures just as you would interact with your smartphone screen.

Xperia Agent

The Xperia Agent concept is a vision for a personalized assistant. It will enhance everyday life by responding to voice and gestures  providing you with useful information, communication assistance and home appliance controls.

It is also powered by Sonys voice technology and will respond to a number of commands  and has a built-in camera and projector display for projecting content onto surfaces.

RM-X7BT in-car Bluetooth commander, from Sony Corporation, enabling wireless music streaming and hands-free smartphone functions.

RM-X7BT is an in-car Bluetooth commander that enables wireless music streaming and uses Sonys voice technology to activate smartphone functions whilst driving. It consists of two units  an adaptor module that enables wireless audio streaming and hands-free calls, and a commander facilitates smartphone functions such as navigation, all whilst driving safely. RM-X7BT in-car Bluetooth commander will roll out from Summer 2016.

FOR MORE NEWS AND UPDATES ON MWC 2016, CLICK HERE.

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Cullers don't like small areas

However, culling contractors prefer large areas, hoping that the sheer miles involved will discourage those people trying to defend badgers from the guns. According to NE, the applications cover areas ranging from from 135to 655 sq.km, with the average area being approximately 330 sq.km.

Note: for those who walk, drive and think in miles, those figures are 52.1, 253.8 and 127.4 square miles respectively.

How can one achieve an even half-accurate estimate of the badger population in an area of 127 or 252 square miles that could contain major differences in geology, soil and landscape? Yet it is on this dodgy estimate that the number of badgers to be culled per year is decided by Natural England. But NE doesn't have the staff to cover the ground and farmers consistently overestimate how many badgers a sett holds.

Many do not understand that a single group of badgers may have more than one sett. Or that a long established sett may have over 30 entrances / holes, yet no more than 5 or 6 badgers in residence, the average family group being 5.9 badgers. One farmer's over-estimate for the number of badgers on his land amounted to three badgers per acre. Rabbits maybe. Badgers no.

Is culling badgers the only option?

No. In 2011 the European Commission carried out an audit on the UK's efforts in controlling bTB in cattle. The report was damning, highlighting many areas where adequate testing, cattle movement controls and biosecurity measures were quite simply inadequate.

The UK produced some defensive comments on the report (the word 'wildlife' appeared just once, and 'badgers' not at all) and then a proposed plan to deal with the situation, implemented in 2013. But until England follows the route taken by Wales (e.g. annual TB testing on all cattle, not just in selected areas), England's farmers will still struggle to gain control over bTB.

Biosecurity on farms is an absolute must if one is serious about controlling any form of disease (bird or swine flu for example) that might be transmitted by wildlife or stock on neighbouring farms, particularly when one considers that intensive farming methods compromise the immune systems of the animals, making them more vulnerable to infection.

But how many farms do you have to see with your eyes wide shut before noticing that too many are still lax in their biosecurity controls - putting not just themselves at risk, but also those farms in the area that do take matters seriously.

Easy as it is to blame the wildlife, the far greater risk comes from herds where bTB is endemic. The farming industry, not badgers, needs to bite the bullet.

What 'infected badger populations'?

Defra talks about 'infected badger populations', but in all this pseudo science there is no effort to investigate how much bTB really is present among badgers.

During the first two years of culling in Somerset and Gloucester, no badgers were tested for bTB. Rumour has it that an independent laboratory is now thinking of doing such a study on badgers in one of the Western Region counties. But surely, if the government wants to go on claiming this is a 'science-led policy', it must conduct its own rigorous, unbiased and transparent investigation?

It won't, of course. Such a study would only demonstrate that badgers are nowhere near being a major part of the problem. Further, any government-funded reports that don't agree with its policies may be muzzled.

One can expect neither sense nor science from a government that appears to be allowing the closure of the National Wildlife Crime Agency. For the majority of us, culling badgers is one of those crimes.

Lesley Docksey is a freelance writer who writes for The Ecologist and other media on the badger cull and other environmental topics.

See other articles by Lesley Docksey.
The case for rebellion

The Malheur Refuge is an expanse of 187,757 acres designated in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt to protect an astonishing variety of birds, including sandhill cranes, sage grouse, snow geese, tundra swans, ducks, grebes, ibises, egrets and pelicans - to name a few.

The refuge provides opportunities for bird watching, hunting and grazing for local ranchers' cattle, and is a key source of tourist revenue for the local economy. It is a critically important place for millions of migratory birds to rest and feed on their journey along the Pacific Flyway.

With the arrival of armed men from Nevada, Arizona, Montana and Idaho (none of the leaders were local, or even from Oregon), the Malheur Refuge was given a profoundly different role. It became center stage for the latest act in the long-running Sagebrush Rebellion - a sometimes violent political movement with roots in the 1970s and 1980s that aims to transfer federal land to private ownership.

The core leaders of the group were veterans of the 2014 armed standoff in Bunkerville, Nevada, led by Cliven Bundy, including his sons Ammon and Ryan Bundy, Arizona rancher Robert 'LaVoy' Finicum and Montana militant Ryan Payne.

While the occupiers at first spoke of a desire to see the sentences of Dwight and Steven Hammond overturned, in time they declared a much broader agenda - one consistent with the goals of national right wing groups that seek the handover of federal land to private ownership. These groups also seek the 'nullification' of federal authority broadly and the establishment of so-called 'constitutional' sheriffs who claim authority to keep federal authorities out of their counties.

Federal ownership of land 'unconstitutional', say rebels

While the press often reported on the groups' stated goals of freeing the Hammonds and handing over land in the Malheur Refuge to private owners, the occupiers' goals were in fact far more ambitious.

At a community meeting that I attended near the town of Crane, Oregon, on January 18, Ammon and Ryan Bundy, LaVoy Finicum and Ryan Payne presented their grand vision in no uncertain terms. In the audience were roughly 30 local ranchers.

The Bundy group gave a lengthy presentation of their interpretation of the US Constitution in which they claimed the federal government has essentially no authority beyond the powers specifically enumerated in the verbatim text of the Constitution, and that the federal government cannot own land outside Washington, DC except with the consent of the states.

Based on this interpretation, the Bundys, Finicum and Payne told local ranchers that they had no obligation to pay fees for grazing on federal land because, in their view, federal ownership of land is unconstitutional. The group implored the Harney County ranchers in the meeting to tear up their grazing leases.

Their goal, ultimately, was to wrest virtually all power from the federal government through armed action in the name of "We The People." Arizona rancher LaVoy Finicum said that he and Cliven Bundy were the only ranchers to have faced off against the federal government by refusing to pay grazing fees and that they had succeeded by using their Second Amendment right to bear arms - arms that they had literally pointed directly at federal employees.

Harney County ranchers at the meeting complained that the occupiers were asking too much - for example, if ranchers tear up their grazing leases, then the value of their former grazing rights is subtracted from their net worth and they cannot borrow against it. And none welcomed an armed standoff with federal authorities.

Finicum responded that his group was there to defend the ranchers from federal authorities by force of arms. Finicum insisted that if only half a dozen ranchers in the room stood together, with armed protection by the Bundy militants, they could defeat the United States government and start a national movement that would spread like wildfire.

Revealing his frustration at the reluctance of the assembled ranchers to join the revolution, Finicum practically begged, saying, "If not now, when? If not here, where? If not us, who?"

Tearing up grazing leases

Not a single rancher from Harney County or the state of Oregon was persuaded. On Saturday, January 23, the occupiers held a ceremony at the Malheur Refuge that symbolically represented the fruits of their revolutionary labors: in front of TV cameras and newspaper and radio reporters, a single rancher, from 1,300 miles away in New Mexico, stood beside Ryan Bundy and pledged to break his BLM lease.

The New Mexico rancher, Adrian Sewell, had a violent criminal past that included assault with an ax. Another eight ranchers made similar commitments - all in Utah, where the movement to privatize public land is particularly strong.

The Bundy group claimed, without presenting any evidence, that other ranchers would soon make the pledge to tear up their grazing leases, igniting a national movement. Three days later, the Bundys and Payne were arrested and Finicum was killed, according to reports, after resisting arrest by state police.

Harney County's ranchers were not the only ones to reject the Bundy group's radical anti-federal agenda.

It is important to understand that for virtually all Harney County residents, the rally in Burns on January 2 was about the sentencing of the Hammonds - not about opposing federal ownership of land and certainly not about turning over the Malheur Refuge to private ownership.

Dwight and Steven Hammond were not universally well-liked in the community, and there was little dispute that they had committed crimes. But Harney County is a very close-knit community that takes care of its own. For the community, the rally was about supporting neighbors in need and redressing what they considered to be the Hammonds' inappropriate sentences; it was not about any broader political agenda.

Later, at a community meeting on January 19, when the Bundy group arrived unexpectedly (causing much tension), some community members looked Bundy straight in the eye and accused him of taking advantage of the community's distress about the Hammonds' sentences to push a different agenda.

Quietly and behind the scenes, even militia leaders advised the Bundys against using the community's anger over the Hammonds' sentences to create an armed standoff similar to the one led by Cliven Bundy in Nevada two years earlier.

Community opposition

After the Bundys seized the Malheur Refuge, it quickly became clear why the Bundys might have been wise to heed the militia leaders' advice against an armed occupation.

The overwhelming majority of Harney County citizens were clearly opposed to the occupation and angry that their peaceful rally for the Hammonds had been hijacked to launch a violent campaign in pursuit of a broader agenda.

Even community members generally sympathetic to the Bundys' goals were incensed that outsiders from afar were now telling them how to run their county and what to do with local land. No one failed to note the hypocrisy that outsiders claiming to cherish local control were now telling the community what to do. One resident whom I spoke with estimated that 97% of the community opposed the Bundys' methods and goals.

The community's opposition became very clear at community meetings, where Harney County residents almost unanimously voted to request that the occupiers leave. At one community meeting, when almost the entire leadership of the Bundy group arrived unexpectedly, citizens of Harney County stood on their feet, pointed fingers at the Bundys and chanted "Go home! Go home! Go home!"

When asked about the opposition by the community, the occupiers claimed that the "majority" of local people supported them but provided no evidence to support the claim.

All objective observers agreed: from the beginning, the community strongly rejected the occupation. Over time, the mood escalated from indignation to intense anger that an outside group claiming to speak for the county was ignoring repeated requests to leave. The community posted a large billboard on the main highway that read, "We are Harney County. We have our own voice."

Start of something?

In the end, the unwillingness of the community to rally to the Bundys' side was probably the group's undoing. Had the community come to the aid of the occupiers at the Malheur Refuge in large numbers, as the Bundys seemed to have been counting on, it would have been much more difficult for law enforcement to bring about a mostly peaceful end.

Many believe the conflagration and mass causalities that resulted a generation earlier when law enforcement moved against a religious sect in Waco, Texas, had made federal authorities extremely wary of using potentially lethal force. Had the Bundys succeeded in bringing large numbers of local people into the occupation of the Malheur Refuge, they might well have blocked law enforcement and set off a national wave of similar occupations.

Instead, on February 11, after 41 days of armed occupation, all the occupiers had fled or were arrested, and one was killed in a confrontation with police. Not a day was shaved off the Hammonds' sentences, and not an acre of federal land was privatized.

The sheriff of Harney County is still the kind recognized by established law, not a so-called 'constitutional' sheriff. And the Harney County judge and commissioners - whom the Bundys demanded be removed - are still in charge. By the measure of its own stated goals, the Bundy occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was a dismal failure.

There are no guarantees, however, that similar attacks on the federal government will not happen in the future. In fact there is every reason to believe they will.

The national movement to transfer federal land to private ownership (including groups with direct ties to the Bundy family) remains as active as ever, and appears to have access to enormous resources from wealthy conservative supporters with interests in oil, gas and coal development. Militia groups are active, angry and eager for a win.

Those who value public lands - for economic, environmental, recreational and aesthetic values - owe a debt of gratitude to Harney County. A violent branch of the Sagebrush Rebellion came to town in Harney County, and the community told it to go away.

This would-be revolution proved that geography matters: the people of Harney County are not the people of Bunkerville, Nevada - and on the whole they are not interested in overthrowing the federal government. In fact, Harney County is a recognized national leader in collaborative efforts between local land users, conservationists and federal natural resource agencies designed precisely to avoid unnecessary hardships to local communities that can set off conflicts.

But other communities in the American West may be more welcoming to radical action, and those who want to see public land handed over to private interests are certain to seek them out. The war for western lands goes on.

Peter Walker is Professor of Geography, University of Oregon. He has just returned from Harney County, Oregon, where armed occupiers took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. He spent several weeks attending community meetings and watching the events unfold, as he describes here.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Washington: Acknowledging India's massive energy needs, US President Barack Obama has underlined the need for passing clean coal technologies to the country to fight climate change while maintaining economic growth.

"In order to grow the economy, we have got to have energy. In fact, there are countries like India where it is even more desperate," Obama said in his address to the National Governors Association at the White House yesterday.

"They (Indians) do not have electricity," he said. "And if we are not giving them options, if the only message we have for them is, 'stay poor', the we are not going to solve the problem," Obama said.

"We have got to grow the economy, which means we have got to produce energy and we've got to deal with climate change.

"The good news is that technology and research and development are accelerating rapidly, and because of the Paris agreement this would be going to accelerate progress even more," he said.

In his speech, Obama stressed the need of passing on the clean coal technologies to countries like India. "I want India and China to know how to use clean coal, because they're going to be building coal plants anyway. And if we've got technology that can help make sure that it is not emitting huge amounts of carbon, all the better," Obama said.

After coming into office, Obama said his administration has invested in technologies to capture carbon from coal-fired plants.

"The technologies are there, the problem is that they're just really expensive right now. And so given relative prices to natural gas and other options, they haven't been deployed," he said.
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WASHINGTON -- Some victims and affected families in the mass shootings in southern California will file documents in support of a U.S. magistrate judge's order that Apple Inc. help the FBI hack into a locked iPhone as part of the terrorism investigation, a lawyer said Monday.

A Los Angeles attorney, Stephen Larson, said he represents at least several families of victims and other employees he declined to identify but who were affected by the shootings. He said the U.S. attorney in the case, Eileen Decker, sought his help. Larson said he will file a brief supporting the Justice Department before March 3.

The victims "have questions that go simply beyond the criminal investigation ... in terms of why this happened, how this happened, why they were targeted, is there anything about them on the iPhone -- things that are more of a personal victim" view, Larson said.

George Valasco, whose 27-year-old niece Yvette Velasco was killed in the shooting, said his brother -- Yvette's father -- has agreed to have his name included in the brief.

"Frankly it's difficult to understand why Apple would not jump at the opportunity to help uncover whatever information the phone may contain," according to a family statement. "We're not talking about an ordinary case here -- this is an act of terrorism, where 14 Americans lost their lives, and many more were seriously injured. It's potentially a matter of national security, where other Americans' safety could be at risk."

The family statement said that they want to ensure justice is served "and (that) the contents of the cellphone could contain critical information needed to ensure that."

An appeal by victims in the case gives the Justice Department additional support in a case that has sparked a national debate over digital privacy rights and national security interests. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym in California ordered Apple last week to assist investigators by creating specialized software that would let the FBI rapidly test random passcode combinations to try to unlock the iPhone and view data stored on it.

The county-issued iPhone 5C was used by Syed Farook, who with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people at an office holiday party in December before they died in a gun battle with police. The government said they had been at least partly inspired by the Islamic State.

The couple physically destroyed two personal phones so completely that the FBI has been unable to recover information from them.

Farook had worked as a county health inspector. Larson said the government has a strong case because of Farook's diminished privacy interests as a "dead, murderous terrorist" and because the phone was owned by his employer, the county government. "You're weighing that against the interest of enforcement in an investigation and the victims and their interest in obtaining this knowledge," he said.

Gregory Clayborn, whose 27-year-old daughter Sierra was killed in the attack, said he hasn't been contacted to join the federal filing but thinks Apple has an obligation to unlock the phone.

"This makes me a little bit angry with Apple," Clayborn said. "It makes me question their interest in the safety of this country."

Clayborn said he owns Apple products and understands why the company wouldn't want the FBI to have the software to access anyone's phones but unlocking one for the agency is "as simple as it gets."

Larson, a former U.S. district judge, said he knew Pym, the magistrate, and described her as an "extraordinary jurist" when she argued in his courtroom as a then-federal prosecutor.

Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook acknowledged in a letter to employees earlier Monday that that "it does not feel right" to refuse to help the FBI, but he said to do so would threaten data security for millions by creating essentially a master key that could later be duplicated and used against other phones.

"We have no tolerance or sympathy for terrorists," Cook wrote in an early morning email. "When they commit unspeakable acts like the tragic attacks in San Bernardino, we work to help the authorities pursue justice for the victims."

Cook's email came hours after FBI director James Comey said in an online post that Apple owes it to the San Bernardino victims to cooperate and the FBI "can't look the survivors in the eye, or ourselves in the mirror, if we don't follow this lead."

Apple's supporters are planning to turn out to back the company in protests against the FBI in the case, planned Tuesday evening outside Apple's stories in about 50 cities in the U.S., the U.K., Germany and Hong Kong. In Washington, people are being asked to express their displeasure outside the FBI's headquarters.

According to Pew Research Center, 51 percent of Americans say Apple should unlock the iPhone to assist the ongoing FBI investigation, while 38 percent say Apple should not to ensure the security of other users' information. Eleven percent gave no opinion. The survey was conducted from Feb. 18 through Feb. 21 among 1,002 adults.

___

Myers reported from Los Angeles. AP writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report. Follow Tami Abdollah on Twitter at https://twitter.com/latams and Amanda Myers at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAP .

___

This story has been corrected to show the first name of the US attorney is Eileen, not Ellen.
This is the third in a series of articles written by high school and college participants, who are covering the upcoming 30 Hour Famine hosted at St. Philip Church on Feb. 27-28. Kara Cloud is a student at St. Joseph High School in Trumbull.

In my first year participating in St. Philip's 30 Hour Famine, I was initially most struck by the diversity of the people who joined together to fight hunger -- young and old, poor and wealthy, religious and nonreligious, parents, high school and elementary school students. All people, all participants in the 2015 30 Hour Famine, were there because they wanted to be.

That's what intrigued me: who would want to give up four meals, do some physical labor, and spend 30 hours not eating with kids of all ages whom they had never met before? I was interested to the point where I had to figure out what it was all about. I entered with curiosity -- I had no expectations seeing as I had not partaken in any event like this before, and I had no idea what a life-changing experience I was about to have.

Typically people are brought together over meals: holiday celebrations, cooking with parents, meeting up with friends for a dinner out. Yet, nothing has ever made me feel such a bond with others as voluntarily giving up our food for thirty hours to raise awareness for world hunger and poverty. How does your hunger help keep those thousands of miles away from being hungry? I've grown up asking myself the same question.

When I was in elementary school the people working in the cafeteria would always scold the students who threw away their uneaten meals saying, "There are children starving in Africa!" However, it was never explained to us what we should do to help them because clearly stuffing myself wasn't going to make them less hungry and there was no efficient way to donate the excess food on my lunch tray to those in need. It took until my sophomore year in high school before someone gave me an alternative that made sense to me: instead of taking what we have for granted, learn to live without and by doing so, learn to appreciate our privilege and do something with it.

Children I know are never allowed to walk out of their grandparents' house having eaten anything less than 10 cookies and countless calories worth of other snacks. They don't come back from their friends' house without being asked by their mother, "What did you eat?" When one visits another person they are immediately offered something to drink and there is some sort of hors d'oeuvre on the coffee table. Even when we're at a meal we're talking about eating and a favorite dish from this restaurant and that new recipe book someone found. Every single thing we do is fueled by our access to food: 'feed your brain,' 'cut down on calories,' 'let's go out for ice-cream.'

We are lucky to be a nation that has to force ourselves to eat less, because we have the excess food at our fingertips. We are lucky to be able to deny our children dessert, because we have that dessert to deny. Why should we, who are only given these opportunities by chance, not feel some sort of responsibility to give others the same chance to eat a wholesome meal?

Going hungry is not the same as being hungry, and all of the participants at 30 Hour Famine were well aware of their privilege as they came together to package 20,000 meals for the hungry in Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world located in West Africa. We were all thankful that in 30 hours we would be guaranteed a meal, that the hunger we felt would pass. It made the experience more bearable, easing the grumbles in our stomachs. However, while my feeling of hunger was pacified by knowing I could eat soon, my feeling of guilt at how lucky I am to be in the small portion of the world's population that is guaranteed a meal at every breakfast, lunch, and dinner break was not as easily forgotten. We all were united with this recognition of our privilege and worked to grant others the same assurance of another meal, an escape from hunger, by taking donations at supermarkets, packing lunches, and making economical and substantial food through Stop Hunger Now and Catholic Relief Services in a system that uses basic ingredients to provide sustenance for a family of six for one meal.

Everything I learned -- the hunger facts, the importance of unity, numerous causes to raise money for, greater appreciation for my privilege -- is evident in my smile, my composure, my thoughts. I came to the Famine a blank slate ready to be changed -- and I did change. I became more aware, more appreciative, and more global-minded. The most important thing for one's first Famine experience is to come ready to be changed, and then to go inspire change in the world. Use the fuel given by the food are you are lucky enough to eat, and go fuel some change.

To learn more about the 30 Hour Famine and how you can participate, volunteer or donate, please go to http://stphilipnorwalk.weebly.com/30-hour-famine.html
Trudeau will participate in the LGBT parade on July 3, but this time as a Prime Minister. (Photo: Twitter)

Toronto: For the first time in history, the organisers of the Pride Toronto fest announced that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be participating in the event.

Mathieu Chantelois, the executive director of Pride Toronto expressed his delight about Trudeau attending the event, adding, 'It is a big news in Canada. Not only is Trudeau the sexist politician alive, but he would be the first one to participate in the event.'

Trudeau also took to Twitter to express his excitement. "Very much look forward to being there again, this time as PM.", tweeted Trudeau.

Very much look forward to being there again, this time as PM. #PrideTO https://t.co/cz5gBLZNyD  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 22, 2016

The event is scheduled to take place on July 3, 2016. Akin to previous march in Vancouver, Trudeau will participate in the LGBT parade, but this time as a Prime Minister.
Looking for the big games to watch in Week 9? We have them right here.
Question: I know that our legal concept of the constitutional right to bear arms has changed in recent years. I know that we are now allowed to possess guns in states that previously forbade us from possessing them, and, thankfully, I know that the Supreme Court recently decided a case that embraced the framers' intent when it comes to our basic right to bear arms. I own a lot of guns, and thought that I had them all locked away. I have three sons that I have taught to shoot, and I have always taught them the right thing when it comes to firearm safety. My youngest son is only 16 years-old, and he recently got into trouble because he brought one of my guns to school with him. He had told a fellow student friend of his about an older handgun that I had recently purchased, and my son's friend did not believe him, because it is a rather sought-after handgun. My son stupidly brought the gun to school in order prove to his friend that I had the handgun. He was arrested, and wound up being charged in juvenile court for the possession of the handgun. As far as I know, my son never actually entered onto school grounds with the handgun, but was on his way to school with it when the police stopped him, after being tipped-off by my son's friend's parents - after my son told him he would be bringing the gun with him. My son has jumped through all the hoops in order to get his ID card that allows him to possess a firearm. My son has the right to possess firearms just like I do. With the Supreme Court recently affirming our constitutional right to bear arms, how is it that my son can still be charged with this nonsense?

After the United States Constitution was passed, the Bill of Rights with its amendments was passed as well. The Second Amendment to the Constitution provides for A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Beginning Feb. 29 the Edwardsville District 7 administration will launch an informational series of weekly emails to all parents and employees entitled, District 7 Focus on Finances.

The purpose of these communications, which will also be posted on the district's website and Facebook pages, will be to provide staff, employees and the community with information about the district's current financial status as well as its plans to restore financial stability to the district.

Edwardsville District 7 Superintendent Lynda Andre made the announcement about the informational emails during the Edwardsville District 7 Board of Education general meeting Monday night.

The nine-month series will cover topics that include how the district receives its funding from the state of Illinois and property tax revenues, the costs associated with providing the excellent educational opportunities that we offer in District 7, and the strategies the Board of Education has used to balance the budget during this economic crisis, Andre said.

Messages may include video and will be sent every Monday morning, Andre added. All messages will be posted on the district's website, the district's Facebook page and Facebook page of all schools.

A presentation regarding EAV (Equalized Assessed Valuation) and its impact on the district's budget that Dave Courtney, Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations, made during the finance meeting earlier Monday evening, will be the first informational item posted.

In his presentation, Courtney explained that District 7 funding comes from three main sources: local, state and federal. The largest of these is the local source, which is approximately 80 percent of the district's total funding support.

The largest source for this local funding is property taxes which are calculated based upon the EAV of all property values within the district - residential, commercial, industrial, farm, etc..

Courtney said that the EAV has become an important factor in District 7 funding because from 1990 to 2008, The district's EAV grew an annual average rate of 8.35 percent.  Over a seven-year period from 2001 to 2007, the district's EAV grew an annual average rate of almost 11 percent, Courtney explained. During this period of unprecedented EAV growth, the district was collecting additional property tax revenue of $1.2 to $2.6 million annually in the Education Fund.

He further explained that in 2009 when the local housing market collapsed and the state economy began to falter, the district's EAV growth came to a sudden stop. Over the last six-year period from 2009 to 2014, the district's EAV has grown an annual average rate of 0.19 percent, Courtney noted.

Property tax revenues collected for the Education Fund have been essentially unchanged since 2008, while state funding has declined by over $7 million annually over the same period, Courtney added.

He also talked about commercial EAV and annual property taxes local businesses pay, explaining that it would take a total EAV growth of an additional $37 million each year in commercial EAV to achieve a 3 percent EAV growth which would equate to $800,000 in revenue for the district. It doesn't have the significant impact that you'd think it would, Courtney stressed about commercial property tax revenue not being the answer.

Courtney further expounded on how little commercial EAV contributes towards the district's revenues by stating examples that Walgreens is assessed $26,392 but only paid $6,638 in 2014 due to it being in a TIF in Glen Carbon. Buffalo Wild Wings paid $25,607, Panera $17,886, Starbucks $6,996 and Shop-n-Save $67,070 in 2014.

TIFs and various other property exemptions all contribute to decreases in potential revenue to District 7. The city of Edwardsville actually has four TIF districts. TIF 1 expired in 2011 and is already included in the district's EAV. TIF 2 started in 1997 and is set to expire in 2020. TIF 3 (Enterprise Zone) was approved in 2003 for the I-255 interchange, and is set to expire in 2026. TIF 4, the North Main TIF, started in 2008 and is set to expire in 2031.

The village of Glen Carbon also has a TIF that includes Wal-Mart and Walgreens that is set to expire yet this year. But Courtney pointed out that businesses about to leave the protection of a TIF will appeal their property assessment and seek a lower assessment amount to pay less taxes.

Over the past several years, it has become a fairly common practice for commercial businesses to appeal their property assessment values which the board has consistently fought.

It is important to note that the total TIF EAV that is currently not included in the district's EAV is under $45 million, a small percentage compared to the district's total EAV of almost $1.22 billion, Courtney pointed out.

Without sustained growth in the district's EAV, the district's only options to offset continuing cost increases and declining state funding are to further cut expenditures, increase fees and discuss increasing the Education Fund tax rate, Courtney added.
Washington: Soon after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack the then chief of Pakistan's ISI conceded that some of the powerful spy agency's retired members were engaged in training those involved in the heinous crime but refused to take action, a former CIA chief has said in a new book.

In his latest book 'Playing to the Edge', Michael Hayden, the former CIA Director, expressed his deep frustration of the "duplicity" of the Pakistani leadership when it came to taking action against terrorist groups in particular al-Qaeda, Taliban, LeT and the Haqqani network.

Arguing that the Pakistan Army is built to fight against India and not terrorists, the top leadership in the country, in particularly those from its military in the past one decade, have repeatedly expressed its inability to take on the terrorist groups in the tribal regions as desired by the US, he wrote.

Referring to the Mumbai terrorist attack, Hayden, who was the CIA chief till 2009, said it was very clear that there seemed to be so many Pakistani fingerprints on the atrocity.

"I began routinely harassing my counterpart in Pakistan, now Ahmed Shuja Pasha (the former director general of Military Operations, the Pakistan armys top operational post), on the phone, urging him to get to the bottom of the attack and to discuss it frankly with us," he wrote.

"We had no doubt that the attack was the work of LeT, and there was mounting evidence that preparation for and direction of the attack took place from within Pakistan, where LeT enjoyed the protection and support of ISI," Hayden said.

Pasha, who had come to ISI only a few weeks earlier and had no previous intelligence experience, came to the US on Christmas Day and spent most of the next afternoon in his office.

"He worked carefully from notes. His investigation had revealed that some former ISI members were involved with Lashkar-e-Taiba (no surprise there). Pasha admitted that these unspecified (and still uncaptured) retirees may have engaged in some broad training of the attackers, but he was characteristically vague about any detailed direction the attackers had gotten during the attack via cell phone from Pakistan," Hayden wrote in the book.

"I took to passing sufficiently sanitised intelligence to Pasha on what we believed was going on in order to try to goad him into action. If he knew that we knew...perhaps we could get some movement. We didn't have a whole lot of success," Hayden wrote.

Narrating an incident when the then Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf refused to fill up gas in the airplane that flew him to Islamabad, where he had gone to press him to take action against terrorists, Hayden wrote: "One more bit of evidence that these guys really were the ally from hell".

The crew had forgotten their government credit card. You can't make this stuff up and the Pakistanis wouldn't budge, he wrote.

Musharraf refused to take action, despite some crucial evidence being provided to him.

"And every time he was pressed, the response was his army was built to fight India, not tribal insurgents, and he wasnt going to bleed it in Waziristans mountains chasing Pashtun, Uzbek or Arab jihadists," Hayden said.

The US received similar response from other leaders of the Pakistan Army including General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the ISI's chiefs, he said.

"(The then) ISI chief Ashfaq Kayani didnt say anything to ease our concerns when he reported that there was little prospect of the Pakistani military conducting robust ops in the tribal region. He said that it was less a matter of will than of capacity. His army was certainly India-focused," Hayden wrote.

"Indeed, one senior Pakistani official told me that his was the only army in the world that sized the perception of the threat (India) to meet the desired end strength of the military. So PAKMIL was big, artillery heavy, and road bound? and ill-suited to navigating mountain trails or dealing with insurgents," Hayden says in the book.

"When the US government presented Pakistani officials with intelligence that pinpointed an al-Qaeda leader and a plan of action to 'take him off the battlefield'", the response was "no, maddening delay, or our target suddenly and unexpectedly relocated".

Many Pakistanis viewed LET (like the Haqqani network and the Taliban) as some sort of strategic reserve rather than the strategic liability and regional danger they really were, he wrote.

Hayden said in his view, the United States will need to keep this capacity and be willing to use it.

"Islamist terrorism thrives in places? Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Mali, the list goes on? Where governments cannot or will not act. In some of these instances, the United States must," he argued.
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Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The prosecutors' office dropped a controversial assault case involving Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan on Monday, citing a lack of evidence in support of the long-running case.



The Attorney General's Office (AGO) said the 12-year-long case failed to reach the prosecution stage before its expiry date last week, since the police had built it on weak evidence.



It said that the gun presented by the police as evidence was unreliable because it was registered under the name of 'Polres Bengkulu', while in fact the Bengkulu Police at that time coded their weapons with 'Polresta Bengkulu'.



'[Lack of evidence and expiry] are the main grounds behind the decision to issue a cessation for the case,' junior prosecutor for general crimes (Jampidum) Noor Rachmad told a press briefing.



Novel was accused of shooting a robbery suspect during his tenure as Bengkulu Police chief detective in 2004 but it appeared from the start that the case was fabricated by the police. The National Police reopened the investigation in 2012 after the senior KPK investigator led a graft investigation into then-National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo.



Although the case had been halted by an order from then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, it was resurrected last year in the wake of a standoff between the anticorruption agency and the police regarding the legal status of police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan.



The KPK had named the police general a suspect in a bribery case, which had prompted the police to bring up cases against Novel, as well as two former commissioners Abraham Samad and Bambang Widjojanto.



Novel's case had earlier been taken before the Bengkulu District Court after pressure from the police.



But the AGO withdrew the case on Feb. 3 following an order from President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo who had instructed Attorney General M. Prasetyo to settle the controversial case immediately.



Jokowi has also instructed the prosecutors' office to end the cases involving Abraham and Bambang.



The AGO's decision to drop Novel's case sends a message to the National Police that it should not be reopened in the future.



'With the issue of the cessation letter, the case against Novel has been dropped,' Noor said, adding that the AGO had sent the letter to the Bengkulu Prosecutors' Office ordering prosecutors in charge of the case to comply.



The case was heard at the Bengkulu District Court on Jan. 29 and was scheduled for trial on Feb. 16, but Prasetyo, after receiving instructions from Jokowi, ordered the withdrawal of Novel's dossiers from the court, an intervention that managed to prevent the case being tried before its expiry.



The Criminal Code (KUHP) stipulates that law enforcement institutions have a maximum of 12 years to investigate and prosecute a criminal case.



The KPK chairman applauded the AGO's decision, urging the national police not to reopen the case in the future, while another KPK leader Laode Muhammad Syarif said that he expected the AGO to also swiftly drop Abraham and Bambang's cases.



Commission spokesperson Yuyuk Indriati said on the termination of Novel's case, and Bambang's and Abraham's in the future, 'It is hoped that there will be no more criminalization of KPK officials in the future.'



The KPK's decision to name Budi a suspect in January last year voided Budi's inauguration as the National Police chief after Jokowi canceled the ceremony due it his graft-suspect status. He instead inaugurated former National Police deputy chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti as police chief in February.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post London  Tue, February 23, 2016

Bill Gates is siding against Apple ' and many other technology companies ' in saying the firm should help the US government to hack into a locked iPhone as part of an investigation into the San Bernardino shooting.

Apple has resisted providing a piece of programming that would help the FBI access the phone. Apple argues that governments, both in the US and overseas, are likely to use the program in other cases, undermining data privacy.

In an interview Tuesday with the Financial Times, Microsoft founder Gates says "this is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information." He likened it to the police getting records from a phone company.

The heads of many tech companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google have sided with Apple.
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

Sunarjati Djajanegara, 82, dedicated half of her life to teaching at the prestigious University of Indonesia (UI) and wants nothing more than to live in peaceful retirement at her own house in Bintaro, South Jakarta.



Facilitated by the Education and Cultural Ministry, Sunarjati purchased land in 1965, along with hundreds of other UI employees. She built a house and relocated to her property in 1980.



In 1988, a man named Hardy Sanjaya came to her house claiming that the land was his. He filed a lawsuit the following year. A long legal battle proceeded. Sunarjati lost the case presented before the South Jakarta District Court, won at the High Court, lost again at the Supreme Court and then again in a case review trial held at the Supreme Court in 2002.



Sunarjati is a UI Cultural Studies Faculty professor emerita and is a recipient of the Satya Lencana Karya Satya, a prestigious honor from the government. Sunarjati, who has never been married, lives alone, accompanied by two maids and a driver, and she occasionally teaches at both UI and at a private university in Bogor, West Java. She has said that her house in Bintaro is her only home, the place where she plans to live out her old age.



'I have genuine certificates. This is my land and I'm not going to give it up,' she told The Jakarta Post on Monday.



Although the case was initially lost 14 years ago, until recently Sunarjati had not thought she would lose her house.



Three weeks ago, officials from the South Jakarta District Court visited her house and ordered her to pack her belongings and to leave the land as soon as possible. The officials came to serve an eviction notice based on the Supreme Court's verdict.



'This will be unjust,' she told the Post on Monday, adding that she had always been the one to pay the land taxes.



The officials served the eviction notice at the request of Hardy's son, who wished to execute the court's verdict.



Sunarjati, however, says that the claims made by Hardy and his son are inaccurate. Sunarjati's lawyer conducted an investigation into the case and discovered, in 2001, that the land Hardy had claimed was actually located in the neighboring block. 'My land is in Blok Rena, Hardy's certificate is for a plot of land in Blok Jaran,' Sunarjati said.



The new evidence allowed Sunarjati to file a case review with the Supreme Court, but she lost again.



'I do not understand the court's decision. We presented the new evidence, but they just ignored it,'

she said.



Later in 2003, the National Land Agency (BPN) sent a letter to her, in reply to a lawsuit that Sunarjati had filed against the institution, saying that BPN had not made any mistake in releasing both certificates. According to the BPN letter, obtained by the Post, maps of the land listed on the two certificates show that Sunarjati's plot of land and the plot belonging to Hardy are in different locations.



'Hardy never checked the land when he bought it,' she said.



Sunarjati said that, even after the Supreme Court issued a verdict in his favor, Hardy did not order her to leave the house. 'I think this was due to the work carried out by my lawyer and because I have a valid land certificate,' she said.



But on Feb. 1, Hardy's son, who Sunarjati refers to as Edwin and who was a child when the initial legal battle occurred, came to tell her to leave the land because he is now the owner, she said.



Edwin could not be reached for comment as of Monday evening.



Instructing the eviction to be suspended temporarily, Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister and BPN head Ferry Mursyidan Baldan said as quoted by Kompas that the agency would trace the source of the problem. 'As this is about seeking justice, I hope the eviction is suspended.'



Sunarjati said that her young colleagues at UI, women activists, had helped her not only with her case but also by offering their moral support and had accompanied her when she reported her case to the Ombudsman.



'I have been living alone and I am an old woman. Suddenly, a young man sent officials to take my house,' she said. Sunarjati said Edwin had never come to meet her.



'He probably thinks that he can just treat an old woman who lives alone like this,' she said.
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Linkedin Brandon Bailey (The Jakarta Post) San Francisco  Tue, February 23, 2016

In its battle with Apple over an extremist's iPhone, the FBI says neither the company nor anyone else has anything to fear. Although they want to compel assistance from Apple to unlock a phone used by San Bernardino mass shooter Syed Farook, officials say the techniques they propose are limited in scope and pose no risk to the privacy of other iPhone users.



Security experts say it's not so simple.



"It's a very dangerous proposition to claim that this capability could not be re-used," said Will Ackerly, chief technology officer at Virtru, a computer security firm he co-founded after working 8 years at the National Security Agency.



Federal prosecutors have asked a court to force Apple to produce special software that would help the FBI guess the passcode to an iPhone found in Farook's car. Federal officials say Apple will be free to destroy that software once the iPhone is open to investigators.



Apple argues it's unrealistic to think that governments, both in the U.S. and overseas, won't ask to use the same program again in other cases. Ackerly and other experts echoed that concern. And on technical grounds, experts say, it may simply be impossible to keep the program from falling into the wrong hands.



True, some experts say Apple CEO Tim Cook is exaggerating when he says the government wants the company to create a "backdoor" into otherwise secure information held on iPhones. It might be closer to say the government wants to require Apple to help pick the lock to the front door. Even that approach, however, could still pose broader dangers.



Essentially, the FBI wants Apple to write a program that disables some iPhone security features so that federal computer experts could guess the phone's passcode by "brute force." Unlocking the phone with the passcode automatically decodes encrypted files. In particular, the FBI wants to disable a "self-destruct" mechanism that could render the phone unreadable after 10 bad guesses, as well as an enforced delay of up to an hour between incorrect passcode attempts.



U.S. officials say their precautions would prevent anyone else ' governments and criminal hackers included ' from re-using that bypass software on other phones.



First, the government says Apple can design the program to work only when it recognizes Farook's iPhone, by checking the unique identifying code assigned to each device Apple makes. The iPhone won't respond if the program doesn't contain a cryptographic signature that verifies the software was created by Apple, the government said in its court filing.



Authorities say the program can be loaded onto the iPhone's temporary memory, so it will disappear once the iPhone is turned off. As an additional precaution, the government says Apple can design the program to let investigators try different passcodes by submitting them electronically, so that Apple can keep physical control over the iPhone while the special program is deployed.



"Compliance with the order presents no danger to any other phone," prosecutors said Friday in a court document signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Wilkinson.



Those measures should prevent anyone from getting their hands on the special software or re-using it on another phone, agreed Chris Eng, vice president of research at Veracode, a computer security firm. "From a technical perspective, I believe what's being described is completely possible."

True backdoor

Eng said he'd be more concerned if the government was seeking a true "backdoor" ' a change in Apple's encryption algorithm that would let others break the code. That's not what the FBI is pursuing in this case, he said.



But other experts warned of technical risks in the government's plan. They said it would be difficult, but not impossible, to reverse-engineer the Apple program so it could work with other phones. Software is easy to copy, despite the government's reassurances, said Bruce Schneier, a security expert and chief technology officer for Resilient Systems. "That's the nature of software."



The program wouldn't work on another iPhone unless a hacker modified it to recognize that device, and that would require forging Apple's digital signature, said Steve Bellovin, a computer science and security expert at Columbia University. But he said it's not beyond the realm of possibility that sophisticated hackers or a foreign government could steal Apple's signature code.



Though Apple is known for guarding its secrets closely, a senior executive said recent history shows that no companies are immune to hacking ' either by outsiders or an employee who's been bribed to steal secrets. The executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also asserted that an outsider wouldn't need Apple's digital signature to modify the program so it works with another phone.



Any risk that the software could be stolen or modified will increase because other law enforcement agencies are likely to ask Apple to re-use that tool in the future, Apple contends. "Law enforcement agents around the country have already said they have hundreds of iPhones they want Apple to unlock if the FBI wins this case," the company said in a statement Monday.



Using the software even once could give authorities or outsiders new clues to how Apple's security features work, potentially exposing vulnerabilities that could be exploited in the future, Ackerly said. If Apple allows federal investigators to submit passwords through a remote connection, he added, that could open the phone to intrusion ' including efforts to copy the program.



The government has promised it won't try to copy Apple's software, of course, and doing so would risk a judge's ire or even legal penalties.



Computer forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski raised another possibility: If authorities find anything on the iPhone that they use in court ' for example, to identify and prosecute any accomplices who aided the San Bernardino shooters ' then Apple could be required to explain its software in court. A judge might also permit defense attorneys and their experts to study the program.



There's a strong likelihood "this tool won't be used once, but many times," Zdziarski said in an email, adding that each time could expose the software to copying or misuse. (ags)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry has called on university campuses to remain vigilant regarding religious student organizations to thwart any influence by radical groups.



The ministry also wants teaching staff, including lecturers, deans and even rectors, to have more critical discussions with students so that they do not simply accept extreme doctrines.



The ministry's director general for learning and student affairs, Intan Ahmad, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that vulnerability to radical doctrines, such as those from the Islamic State (IS) militant movement, escalated when students were close-minded.



It was the responsibility of educators to encourage critical thinking, he said.



'Universities have to be more sensitive [to issues] as the government can't always tightly monitor the activities [of radical student organizations]. Lecturers can involve students in discussion, teaching them how to think critically so that they always 'ask why' when receiving new information,' Intan said.



He encouraged for a discussion to be embedded in all courses, not only those concerning religion and civic education. But admitted that would not be easy as not all lecturers were capable of engaging students in such discussion.



He also said that he had already asked the Religious Affairs Ministry to strengthen tolerance teaching in religion lectures.



'We can't deny that radical ideology, in any form, is very dangerous, so it must be a never-ending effort,' he added.



The country has seen a growing influence of Islamic militant movements over the years.



The dissemination of fundamentalist ideologies to young generations is currently at an alarming level, and it is spreading through hard-line religious student organizations, according to a study.



Research conducted by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in five state universities ' the University of Indonesia (UI), Bogor Agriculture Institute (IPB), Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Airlangga University and Brawijaya University ' has shown that a number of fundamentalist Islamic student organizations have dominated campus activities.



The organizations include Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) and the United Front of Indonesian Muslim Students (KAMMI), a group very interested in the Islamic political agenda of Egypt-based Ikhwanul Muslimin (IM), as well as various transnational Islamic Wahabi groups.



HTI is known as a fundamentalist Islamic group spreading an ideology that opposes the principles of the Pancasila, the Constitution and the national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (unity in diversity).



In almost all its activities, HTI campaigns for the implementation of sharia and an Islamic caliphate system.



LIPI senior researcher Anas Saidi said that conditions at the five surveyed universities were not improving, and if anything support was growing for such organizations, currently capturing more than 50 percent of all students.



'It's dangerous. If it keeps going, Indonesia may face terrific ideological clashes in 10 to 20 years from now,' Anas said.



He pointed out that the organizations were deemed worrying as they preached very closed-minded Islamic teachings and did not allow space for democratic thinking, insisting on their interpretation of Islamic values.



According to the research, students majoring in science and engineering are more susceptible to the worrying ideologies, while those studying social and political science, humanities and philosophy are more resistant, because they are more open-minded and don't see things in absolutist terms.



Anas further said that the organizations had very well-structured recruitment system, not promoting jihad or violence, but taking a very soft approach through meetings and recitation to embed their doctrines.
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Linkedin Tassia Sipahutar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The government is seeking to maintain infrastructure funding at current levels while trimming other sectors' funding amid a cash-strapped budget in a measure lauded by analysts.



Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said on Monday at the State Palace that the government had to step up efficiency measures when revising the 2016 state budget.



The revision will be crucial to the government's attempt to achieve its economic targets despite a bleak outlook for expected revenue due to low tax income and slumping oil prices, which are expected to drag down other commodity prices also and reduce non-tax income.



The state budget shows that total state revenue is earmarked at Rp 1.82 quadrillion (US$135.4 billion) in 2016, 21 percent more than last year's realized total. 'However, if revenue decreases, spending must decrease as well,' Darmin said.



Total state spending in 2016, on the other hand, has been set at Rp 2.09 quadrillion, 63.2 percent of which belongs to the central administration.



Specifically, 37 percent of the spending is going to ministries and agencies, with Public Works and Public Housing Ministry receiving the largest allocation of Rp 104.1 trillion. Meanwhile, 37 percent of the spending is dedicated to the regions and village funds and the remaining 26 percent is for non-ministries and agencies.



The government might have to shave off over Rp 290 trillion in funding from ministries and agencies in the upcoming budget revision, said Darmin and Sofjan Wanandi, the chief economic advisor to Vice President Jusuf Kalla.



Most of the cuts will likely come from routine expenditure whereas capital and goods expenditure ' especially that relating to infrastructure projects ' will likely remain as is.



'The government will continue playing its role as locomotive for the economy and for infrastructure development, but the private

sector must be involved for other developments because our budget is limited,' Sofjan said, adding that the government's 5.3 percent growth target was still feasible despite the cuts.



He also said that each ministry's budget allocation would be carefully examined to remove spending items deemed 'inefficient', a move previously called upon by President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.



In a plenary Cabinet meeting two weeks ago, the President insisted that ministries' spending be in line with the administration's list of priorities and that ministers had to hold back from channeling funds into non-priority projects.



Contacted separately, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said that the ministry had not made any decision and that it was still reviewing the latest development.



Meanwhile, Bank Central Asia (BCA) chief economist David Sumual and Center for Indonesia Taxation Analysis (CITA) executive director Yustinus Prastowo welcomed the spending cuts, saying that it would be better for the government to play things conservatively because tax income had not progressed as expected.



The January data on total tax income showed even lower results than a year ago, down 8.8 percent year-on-year at Rp 62.25 trillion.



Yustinus said that potential income from the highly awaited Tax Amnesty Law could not be realized soon because talks were still ongoing at the House of Representatives.

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Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The government is planning to reform its non-tax state revenue (PNBP) system in the forestry sector following a finding that corruption in the sector is causing trillions of rupiah in state losses every year.



The national plan is laid out in a draft by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and other related government institutions including the Finance Ministry, the Environment and Forestry Ministry and the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).



KPK forestry-sector investigator Hariadi Kartodiharjo told The Jakarta Post on Monday that related government institutions would kick off an integrated plan to improve the revenue system on Wednesday.



'The draft has been finalized. There will be a brief presentation [during the signing ceremony] to make sure that every government institutions adopts the plan that has been discussed.'



The plan is a follow-up on a KPK study published in October, which found that state losses from missing potential non-tax state revenue in the forestry sector between 2003 and 2014 amounted Rp 86.9 trillion (US$521 million), or Rp 7.24 trillion per year.



The number was based on a calculation of all forestry products that could be collected and shows the necessity of establishing a non-tax state revenue system to prevent illegal logging.



The KPK report cited ineffective law enforcement, inaccurate production data and auditing by timber plantations, a lack of transparency on royalties data within government ministries and poor coordination between central and regional administrations as causes for the lost timber revenue.



The Environment and Forestry Ministry responded to the finding by revamping its online system as well as conducting an audit, according to Hariadi.



'But it's not just the Environment and Forestry Ministry [that needs to act]. The Finance Ministry and the BPK also [have to be involved],' he said.



Therefore, the national plan stipulates that there should be an online non-tax state revenue system connected to the Finance Ministry, the government institution tasked with collecting non-state tax revenue, said Hariadi.



'There is already an online system but it's still partial. For instance, the system is being managed by the directorate-general of sustainable forest products management at the Environment and Forestry Ministry, but it will now be merged with the system at other government institutions,' he said.



Moreover, the BPK is preparing a list of agro-forestry companies that are prone to corruption.



'These companies are at high risk from a financial perspective,' Hariadi said. 'The BPK is also designing an appropriate audit system.'



He added that the reform would be implemented in 12 provinces: Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Jambi, Palembang, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi and Papua.



'These provinces have a high potential for non-tax state revenue. It follows that they also have a high potential for state losses,' said Hariadi.



He said that the KPK would help these provinces to collect non-tax state revenue in the forestry sector.



'Many provincial administrations are complaining that they find it difficult to collect data from regencies. So, in the national action plan, each governor must ask for data [on the forestry sector] from regency administration in a uniformed format. The data will then be forwarded to the KPK. So, if there are any obstacles in collecting the data, the KPK will call the regents [in question and ask them to submit the data],' Hariadi said.



Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) activist Emerson Yuntho said that the national action plan should be accompanied by a thorough evaluation and monitoring process.



'We're worried this will become another action plan with no comprehensive evaluation and monitoring,' he said.

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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post)  Tue, February 23, 2016

Grand Imam of Al Azhar University in Cairo, Muhammad Ahmad Al Thayyib, says he will deliver a public speech at the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta on Tuesday, calling for the global Muslim community to step up the fight against terrorism.



During the speech, Ahmad said, he would ask for all Muslims in the world, both in western and eastern countries, to unite and put aside their differences, as friction in the Muslim community was mainly caused by differences in principles.



"Terrorism is not a part of Islam," Ahmad told The Jakarta Post during an interview on Monday.



Terrorist who wore Muslim attire did not reflect the true Islamic values, since their violent behavior was not in line with Islam as a religion which was a rahmatan lil alamin [blessing for the universe], Ahmad said.



As the nation with the largest Muslim population in the world, Ahmad added, Indonesia was a strategic partner in the spreading of Islamic values, and the bilateral relations between both countries could be traced back to the first Asia-Africa Conference in 1955.



Ahmad's public speech, which will also cover recent issues relating to global terrorism, is part of his wider agenda to bolster relationships with the local Muslim communities in Indonesia.



Earlier on Monday, Ahmad along with his delegation visited the State Palace and met with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who said that the Grand Imam's visit was an important opportunity to spread Islamic understanding.



After 15 years since his last visit to Indonesia, Ahmad says he wishes to tie up relationships with local Muslim communities. (dan)(+)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The lack of a quorum has delayed a plenary session that was called on Monday to approve the draft of a bylaw to regulate zoning and spatial planning for the north coast and small islands and the spatial planning for the Jakarta north coast strategic area.



The draft bylaw would regulate zoning of the controversial 17 planned artificial islets off the coast. City Council secretary Muhammad Yuliadi said that in order to approve a bylaw, at least two thirds of the councilors must be in attendance. However, he said, only 48 of the total 106 councilors attended the plenary session.



'There should be at least 71 councilors in attendance to approve a bylaw draft. However, I'm sure there are no problems. Many councilors just had other things to do,' Yuliadi told reporters at City Hall on Monday. Yuliadi said that the session will be delayed until Wednesday.



The session was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in the plenary session room at City Hall. However, the delay was not announced until 4 p.m., when dozens of councilors and city officials had waited in the plenary session room for two hours.



Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama and City Council speaker Prasetio Edi Marsudi had also waited in the VIP waiting room before returning to their offices.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Tangerang  Tue, February 23, 2016

Customs at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Banten, have thwarted the smuggling of thousands of protected baby turtles from Bekasi in West Java to Guangzhou, China.



The turtles, consisting of 3,737 pig-nosed turtles and 883 snake-neck turtles, were put in boxes and then placed in the same container with boxes of clown fish as camouflage, Soekarno-Hatta's customs law enforcement division head Yulianto said on Monday as quoted by wartakotalive.com.



'We uncovered the smuggling at an export storehouse at the airport last Saturday,' he said, adding the authorities also apprehended five suspects. He did not disclose the citizenship of the five people.



He said that at first customs officers were not suspicious of the contents of the container in question, but they started to check them when the suspects could not show a plants and animals shipping letter.



Meanwhile, Soekarno-Hatta customs head Dwijo Muryono said the turtles were listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), meaning the animals are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but may become so if they are traded uncontrollably.



Jakarta's Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) head Awen Supranata said all the turtles were worth a total of Rp 1.1 billion (US$82,500), adding that the numbers of both types of turtles were decreasing nowadays.



'Both types of turtles live in particular waters. Such types are currently being bred in Papua because there are under threat. Therefore, those found smuggling these types of turtles will face criminal charges,' he said without elaboration.
As a result, the future of proposed chairs is under question at the University of California Irvine (UCI), for which it received $ 3 million from California-based Dharma Civilisation Foundation (DCF).

Washington: A top US university is walking away from the $ 3 million grants it received to establish endowed chairs in Hindu and India studies after faculty members and students alleged that the donors were extremely ideologically driven and have extreme right-wing notions, a media report has said.

As a result, the future of proposed chairs is under question at the University of California Irvine (UCI), for which it received $ 3 million from California-based Dharma Civilisation Foundation (DCF).

The university has also decided to review another $ 3 million in gifts it received for another two chairs.

The four chairs are Thakkar Family-DCF Presidential Chair in Vedic and Indic Civilisation Studies; Swami Vivekananda-DCF Presidential Chair in Modern India Studies; Dhan Kaur Sahota Presidential Chair in Sikh Studies by Harvinder and Asha Sahota and Shri Parshvanath Presidential Chair in Jain Studies by Meera and Jasvant Modi.

Some faculty questioned why the university administration didnt identify red flags regarding the gifts much earlier in the process.

You didnt have to do too much due diligence, Catherine Liu, a professor of film and media studies at UC Irvine, said of the foundation.

I went right to their website and it immediately read to me as extremely ideologically driven and of having extreme right-wing notions.

An ad hoc faculty committee in its report has recommended the University against accepting any endowment regardless of the changes that might be made to the gift agreement.

The committee in its report noted that the agreements related to all the four chairs included language that is not consistent with University policies related to religious and academic freedom.

Such a recommendation comes after 150 professors and educators throughout the international academic community collaborated on a petition published in early February denouncing the University of California, Irvines decision to take this donation.

We are troubled by news reports that the [DCF] has put forward its own list of acceptable candidates based on race and religion. Further, we are concerned about reports that the DCF has already brought their favoured candidates to the UC Irvine campus, in the absence of any advertised search for these positions, said the petition signed by professors from Yale, Cambridge, Harvard, and several UCs, among others.

In another letter, UCI students and faculty expressed concern over DCF donation, and the impact it might have on the credibility of Hindu studies at the university.

The HEC recommends that we do not proceed with the chairs endowed by the Dharma Civilisation Foundation, Georges Van Den Abbeele, the dean of Irvines School of Humanities, was quoted as saying by Inside Higher Ed.

The report was posted by the University on its website.

I will support these and other recommendations and will be working actively with HEC and relevant faculty on the recommended actions, Abbeele said.

The University and the Dharma Foundation did not respond to questions send on the gifts related to the chairs.
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Linkedin Erika Anindita Dewi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The House of Representatives postponed discussion of the amendment to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law during a plenary meeting at the House complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday.

House Speaker Ade Komarudin said it had been decided to withdraw the tabled discussion of the 2002 KPK Law during a House deliberative body (Bamus) meeting earlier on Tuesday. 'We held a Bamus meeting this morning to get approval for the postponement of the KPK Law draft revision discussion scheduled for today's plenary meeting,' the Golkar Party politician said on Tuesday.

The House's decision to postpone the discussion of the KPK Law draft revision started with an agreement made during its consultation meeting with President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo on Monday. During the meeting, the President and House leaders agreed to postpone the discussion of the KPK Law amendment.

The delay is aimed at giving wider opportunity to both the government and the House to introduce practical points in the KPK Law draft bill to members of the public, many of whom have rejected the law amendment plan.

The current KPK Law draft revision consists of four amendment points that have been strongly criticized by the public. The four amendments would mandate the establishment of an oversight council to monitor the antigraft body, give the KPK the authority to issue investigation termination warrants in corruption cases, require the KPK to obtain permits to conduct wiretaps and remove its ability to recruit its own investigators.

Neither the government nor the House have set a date to resume discussion on the draft revision.

"We have not arranged an exact date to discuss the amendment again," House Deputy Speaker Agus Hermanto said on Tuesday.

Amendment of the KPK Law is supported by seven factions at the House, namely the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party, the Hanura Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP) and the NasDem Party. Three factions have rejected the amendment, namely the Gerindra Party, the Democratic Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). (ebf)
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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

Indonesia is set to modernize its primary defense systems (alutsista) in order to strengthen the country's defense capabilities.

In a limited meeting held at the Presidential Office in Jakarta on Monday, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said Indonesia's current defense budget amounted to 1.1 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), slightly up from previous allocations of 0.89 percent of GDP in 2015 and 0.79 percent in 2014.

Jokowi added that with targeted economic growth of 6 percent, Indonesia's defense budgetary allocation would increase to 1.5 percent of GDP, worth around Rp 250 trillion (US$18.66 billion).

"It's a very large amount. This should be anticipated from now on. There should be proper and detailed planning so the budget allocation will be well-targeted and well-planned from the very beginning," Jokowi said.

With such defense system development, he hoped the Indonesian Military would be ready to anticipate threats in the future as geographically, two-thirds of the country's territorial area was sea. Such a geographical situation would affect the constellation of warfare in the future, the President said.

"I'm really aware that to build a professional and respected Indonesian Military, we should be able to meet our defense equipment requirements" he added.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said the country's defenses needed to be developed to protect the archipelago.

"The President wants to know the strength of military capacity needed to secure and maintain the vast territory of this country. Moreover, we know Indonesia is an archipelagic country; so, early readiness of our defenses is very important," he told reporters. (ebf)
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Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

Telecommunications operator PT Indosat Ooredoo says it will expand its 4G/LTE network to 16 cities across the country this year as demand for the services keeps growing.



Indosat Ooredoo chief executive officer Alexander Ruslie said expanding the services to the 16 cities would be done gradually over the course of the year. Currently, the company's 4G network is available in 27 cities where internet users can enjoy data traffic at high speed.



Given the faster data traffic provided by the 4G service, Alex said more Indosat's customers were switching over from the 3G network to 4G. He added that demand for 4G mobile bundling packages was growing bigger than expected.



'With the number of transitions from 3G to 4G services, I'm glad that it is happening because it gives us more room to invest more in the 4G network,' Alex said recently.



Aside from the plan to expand its 4G network, Indosat Ooredoo will also improve efficiency through infrastructure sharing. However, the company is still awaiting a regulation on the matter from the Communications and Information Technology Ministry.



'With the number of transitions from 3G to 4G services, I'm glad that it is happening because it gives us more room to invest more in the 4G network.'



'Regulations on infrastructure sharing are not final and right now partnerships [with other telecommunications operators] are still very minimal because of that fact, but we are not closed to the idea of collaborating with other operators, as we are prepared to share in any area that makes sense to us,' Alex added.



Indosat is now in preparation to go into partnership with fellow operator PT XL Axiata to share its 4G network infrastructure in four cities.



Speaking about 4G network innovations, Alex said there are no plans to introduce the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology feature, even though it could be properly utilized by users of the network, since there is a lack of established standards between operators regarding the feature and most operators do not sell their own line of phones.



However, Indosat Ooredoo's competitor, PT Smartfren Telecom, recently introduced the feature in its new Andromax line of phones.



Indosat Ooredoo had also recently collaborated with Google to deliver a new home internet service, the GIG, which would enable subscribers to access the internet with speeds of up to 1 gigabyte per second.

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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has said infrastructure and deregulation are the keys for Indonesia to win the regional competition in ASEAN.

He further said regional competitiveness must be achieved as it had entered the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which took effect in January.

'We cannot get it [regional competitiveness] out of the way. This is the era of competition among countries,' said Jokowi in Jakarta on Monday.

The President said that infrastructure and deregulation, including improved rankings in doing business, were two things the government was focusing on to attract investors.

'The period of 2015-2030 is critical in our infrastructure development as we have to compete with our neighboring countries,' he said.

Among ASEAN countries, Jokowi said Indonesia still lagged far behind in the ease of doing business as it ranked 109th out of 189 countries in 2016, according to a survey. Meanwhile, Singapore ranked first, followed by Malaysia at 18th, Thailand at 49th, Brunei Darussalam at 84th, Vietnam at 90th, and the Philippines at 103rd.

Indonesia ranked 120th in the ease of doing business in 2015.

Jokowi said it was hoped that Indonesia's position could jump to 40th in 2017.

The President further said deregulation was important to address the ease of investing at the regional and local levels.

He said that around 42,000 regulations and rules had hampered the country's bureaucracy and that he had instructed his Cabinet to slash these regulations and rules.

Citing examples, Jokowi said a long dwelling time in ports across Indonesia was indicated to have inflicted Rp 740 trillion (US$55.10 billion) worth in financial losses upon the state due to inefficiency. Loading and unloading at ports now only took three days, he added, a decrease from four days in January and six days prior to that.

Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said Indonesia's dwelling time was targeted to reach less than three days, similar to neighboring countries Malaysia and Singapore.

"The main target is not the value of our efficiency but the same dwelling time as Malaysia, at least," he said.

Main competitors

Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman Franky Sibarani said Indonesia considered Vietnam, Malaysia and Myanmar the biggest competitors in ASEAN; hence, it was working on investment synergy between central and local governments.

Referring to Financial Times data, Franky said Indonesia had received 34 percent of total global investment flows in ASEAN, followed by Vietnam 19 percent, Malaysia 12 percent and Myanmar 9 percent.

"The three countries have become our main competitors," he said at the 2016 Consolidation Meeting for National Investment (KP3MN) Planning and Implementation at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday.

Franky said Vietnam was focusing on investment in the country's industrial area. Malaysia ranked 18th in the ease of doing business while Indonesia stood at 109th. Meanwhile, Myanmar had seen a twofold increase in investment.

"Therefore, we need to make a breakthrough to compete," he said.

Further, Franky said KP3MN aimed to build synergy between the central government and regions in the acceleration of investment services. One-stop integrated services (PTSP) would be formed in 511 or 91 percent of Indonesia's regions, an increase from 463 in 2014.

Following the second economic policy package, the government has launched investment facilities in 14 industrial zones and achieved three-hours licensing services for infrastructure.

Franky said investors could now build in industrial zones directly after they received principle permits through investment-license facilities in industrial estates.

As of Feb.18, 20 companies have utilized the three-hour licensing service with total commitment to reach Rp 52.9 trillion and will absorb 15,939 Indonesian workers.

"The speeding up of licensing services will be conducted not only in the BKPM but also in technical ministries," Franky said.

According to BKPM data, investment commitment reached Rp 545.5 trillion in 2015, or up by 17.8 percent compare to 2014, creating employment for 1.4 million people. For Java alone, the increase in investment reached 13 percent to Rp 296.8 trillion in 2015.

"Meanwhile, investment in areas outside Java rose by 25 percent in 2015 from the previous year to reach Rp 248.6 trillion," he said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Bassem Mroue (The Jakarta Post) Beirut  Tue, February 23, 2016

The Islamic State group has collected millions of dollars in ransom for a group of Assyrian Christians it kidnapped in Syria a year ago, Christian officials and an opposition group said Monday, as the last of the 230 hostages were freed.

The release ended a yearlong saga for the Christians ' many of them women and children ' during which families had no news from their loved ones.

Younan Talia, of the Assyrian Democratic Organization, told The Associated Press that about 40 remaining captives were released early Monday and arrived in the northeastern town of Tal Tamr. He said the release came after mediation led by a top Assyrian priest in northern Syria.

The extremists captured the Assyrians, members of an ancient Christian sect, last February after overrunning several communities on the southern bank of the Khabur River in northeastern Hassakeh province.

Kidnapping for ransom is a main source of income for the extremists, who have captured scores of journalists and aid workers in the past few years, releasing some for large sums of money and killing others. In November, IS said it killed a Norwegian and a Chinese captive after demanding ransom for their release two months earlier.

Talia said IS demanded a ransom of $18 million for the Assyrian Christians. He said the figure was later lowered following negotiations. He said he did not know the final amount.

Osama Edward, director of the Stockholm-based Assyrian Human Rights Network, said 42 Christians, mostly young women and children, were released. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said 42 were released, including at least 17 women.

A Syrian Christian figure said the worldwide Assyrian community launched a campaign for the captives' release shortly after they were abducted. He said a bank account was opened in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil and donations began to flow in from around the world.

"We paid large amounts of money, millions of dollars, but not $18 million," said the man, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the sensitive mediation. "We paid less than half the amount."

The official added that the fate of five Assyrians who went missing during the abductions was still unknown.

Observatory director Rami Abdurrahman said $25-30 million in ransom money was paid by businessmen and the Assyrian church, who asked that the terms of the deal remain secret to avoid allegations of supporting terrorism. Abdurrahman, whose group documents the war through activists on the ground, did not say how he got the information.

The money would be a shot in the arm for IS, which has been faced with a cash shortage in its so-called caliphate across parts of Syria and Iraq. The Associated Press reported earlier this month that the group is having a hard time meeting expenses, thanks to coalition airstrikes and other measures.

An Assyrian woman in Beirut, whose parents, brother and sister-in-law were among those abducted and released over the past year, told AP that the detention left her parents "psychologically scarred." She did not know how much was paid in the end, but heard that at some point the group was demanding up to $50,000 for one person.

IS attacked a cluster of villages along the Khabur River last year, sending thousands of people fleeing to safer areas and capturing the Assyrians over a period of three days. Over the next two days, the extremists picked up dozens more from 11 communities near Tal Tamr.

The Hassakeh province, which borders Turkey and Iraq, has become the latest battleground in the fight against IS in Syria. It is predominantly Kurdish but also has Arabs, Assyrians and Armenians.

On Friday, the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces captured the IS stronghold of Shaddadeh in Hassakeh, where some of those kidnapped were once believed to have been held.

Many Syrian Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Syria's pre-war population of 23 million, left for Europe over the past 20 years, with the flight gathering speed since the country's conflict began in March 2011. (ags)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Medan  Tue, February 23, 2016

Amran Sinaga, the newly inaugurated deputy regent of Simalungun regency in North Sumatra, was taken to the Simalungun penitentiary on Sunday evening by local prosecutors executing a Supreme Court ruling that found Aman guilty of abusing his previous position as the regency's Forestry Agency head.



Spokesperson of the North Sumatra Prosecutors' Office, Bobbi Sandri, confirmed the action. He declined, however, to give details on the chronology of the event.



'We are still waiting for a copy of the court's ruling,' he said on Monday as quoted by tribunnews.com.



Earlier in this case, Amran was charged by the Siantar Prosecutor's Office with producing a fake document while serving as the agency head. He was sentenced to two years in prison.



The judges at the Simalungun District Court, however, acquitted Amran, a ruling the prosecutors appealed to the Supreme Court.
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Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The controversial revision of an anticorruption law was called off on Monday after President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo convinced legislative leaders to reconsider provisions that have been seen as attempts to incapacitate the spearhead of the country's graft fight.



In closed-door lobbying at the State Palace, President Jokowi convinced House of Representatives leaders to put a halt on the legislation process of the revisions to the 2002 Law on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for an unspecified period of time.



Jokowi said that he respected the House's efforts to prepare the draft revisions, but he said that the plan was not ready for deliberation.



'I think we need more time to strengthen the plan and to disseminate more information about it to members of the public,' the President said in a press conference after the meeting.



The government had earlier agreed to work on revisions of the KPK law with the House on the condition that they would strengthen the antigraft agency.



Both parties had also agreed that revisions would be limited to four points: the establishment of a supervisory body, wiretapping authority, a mechanism for terminating an investigation and the power to hire independent detectives.



The plan went south when the House factions, led by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), proposed scrapping the agency's wiretapping authority while enabling investigation termination for corruption cases.



The House's inconsistency in supporting the KPK has drawn strong public resistance with the government being accused of being weak in its commitment if it continues supporting the lawmakers' initiative.



The government's recent bowing to the proposal to allow the KPK to terminate investigations was deemed as a move to enable the future trading of cases involving high-ranking officials and politicians.



House Speaker Ade Komaruddin of the Golkar Party, which was among the supporters of the PDI-P-led initiative, emphasized that the bill would remain a legislation priority this year despite the delay.



Speaking after the President, Ade also added that Jokowi did not say that he had changed his mind on the four points during the Monday meeting.



'The four points aimed at strengthening the KPK remain on the table although we decided not to discuss them anytime soon,' Ade said.



He said that the government and the House leaders would inform antigraft campaigners about the importance of the revisions for the KPK.



Ade, citing human rights considerations, defended the plan to give the KPK the right to terminate cases, saying that an investigation should be terminated in a situation where a suspect was terminally ill or had already died.



'We don't want to see a dead body labelled as a graft suspect,' Ade said.



House deputy speaker Fadli Zon of the Gerindra Party, one of the three opposing parties, said that he tried to convince Jokowi during Monday's meeting to comply with the public calls to reject the KPK law revisions, but to no avail.



'We respect the delay decision and I think that's the best that can be done now although we hoped that the revision would be stopped,' Fadli said, adding that Jokowi's win-win solution to the crisis had put the KPK law into limbo.



Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said that Jokowi had listened to the public demand over the KPK revision plan and 'that is why the President wants to publicize the four points to the public [during the delay period].'



Luhut said that the government and the House would only move to discuss the bill after the public understood the plan well. He did not explain how long the delay would last, but he hinted at the possibility that the government would take over, from the House, the initiative to revise the KPK law.



Meanwhile, the House's Legislative Body (Baleg) chairman, Supratman Andi Agtas, said that during the meeting Jokowi stated his firm stance that he did not reject the revision plan and the President had no plan to remove the bill from House priority bills list (Prolegnas).



KPK chairman Agus Raharjo, who earlier said he would resign if the government and the House went ahead with the revisions, welcomed the delay saying, should both parties insist on going on with the plan, 'we hope that it will happen after our corruption perception index improves and we will give recommendations on what articles should be revised to strengthen the KPK in the future.'



Separately, Vice President Jusuf Kalla took a chance to shoot back at Agus by reminding him that he should comply with his oath as a state official and not respond angrily to the government plan to revise the KPK law.

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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

Multifinance company Mandiri Utama Finance (MUF), a subsidiary of state lender Bank Mandiri, aims to become a major financing player within the next five years amid the automotive sales slump.



Established early last year, the company opened its new head office in Jakarta on Monday, expecting to be among the top five multifinance companies by 2021.



MUF president director Stanley Setia Atmadja said the company's market share was expected to reach 7 percent and 3 percent in new motorcycle and car markets, respectively.



Stanley said the company was convinced that it could achieve the target as its expectations had heightened amid improvements in the country's economy and people's income.



To grab the market share, Stanley said the company aimed to disburse financing worth at least Rp 3.2 trillion (US$240 million) this year.



Of the total, he said Rp 1 trillion and Rp 700 billion would be allocated for secondhand and new motorcycle financing, respectively.



'Meanwhile, the remaining Rp 800 billion and Rp 700 billion will be disbursed for the financing of secondhand and new cars,' he said in a statement on Monday, adding that the company's financing was expected to reach between Rp 30 trillion and Rp 40 trillion in the next five years.



For that purpose, he said the company would focus on expanding its network by opening at least 35 branches during the first year and would reach more than 200 in the next five years.



Aside from that, Stanley said the company would improve its IT system and capacity and quality of its sales network, supported by strong risk management and standardized services.



He said MUF would also seek synergy with its parent company, which owned a large business scale and customer base nationwide.



Bank Mandiri president director Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the lender would fully support the multifinance company as part of its efforts to develop and integrate all businesses owned by its subsidiaries under the Mandiri Group brand.



Budi said part of the efforts would be building synergy between MUF and Mandiri Tunas Finance, another subsidiary that also operates a multifinance business and joint venture with Tunas Group.



Mandiri Utama Finance, which obtained its approval from the Financial Services Authority (OJK) in July last year, is a joint venture formed by Mandiri and automotive distribution companies ASCO Automotive and Tunas Group.



The state bank holds a majority stake of 51 percent, while ASCO and Tunas hold 37 percent and 12 percent, respectively.



MUF became the latest addition to Mandiri's list of subsidiaries following its establishment in January last year.



As of September last year, Mandiri has 10 subsidiaries, including sharia lender Bank Syariah Mandiri, securities firm Mandiri Sekuritas and life insurer AXA Mandiri Financial Services.



Mandiri finance and strategy director Kartika 'Tiko' Wirjoatmodjo said the bank planned that it would increase revenue contribution from its subsidiaries to 20 percent to its total profit in the long run, from 9.8 percent as of September last year.
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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang  Tue, February 23, 2016

The Central Java Police have stepped up surveillance of the activities of militant groups in the province in response to the police's recent crackdown on military-style training conducted by a local Muslim organization in Temanggung regency.



On Friday evening, the Temanggung Police dispersed a militaristic exercise carried out by 38 members of Jamaah Anshorut Shariah (JAS) on the slopes of Mount Sumbing in Jambon village, Bulu district.



Based on the police's examination, it was revealed that two of the people were underage, among 19 private employees, six manual workers, three traders, six farmers and a teacher.



Although they did not arrest any of them, the police said they would closely monitor the activities of JAS and other militant groups.



'We will observe the [JAS] group first as a part of prevention efforts,' Central Java Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Liliek Darmanto told reporters on Monday.



Temanggung Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Wahyu Wim said the activity of the JAS members, who hailed from Temanggung, Surakarta, Sukoharjo, Wonosobo and Kendal ' all in Central Java ' had been first reported to the police by local residents.



The people were concerned because the activity was conducted in the middle of the night in a location that is difficult to access, he said.



'The training participants put on black clothing, some with stripes, and boots,' Wahyu said, adding that the group had paid a visit to a house in Jambon before heading to the exercise site.



The exercise site, meanwhile, can only be accessed by walking for four hours from Jambon. To travel from downtown Temanggung to Jambon, takes an hour's drive in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.



At the location, Wahyu said that police had found several pieces of evidence, including five air rifles, two daggers, a cleaver, nine cell phones, a rifle bag with slugs, 10 black flags bearing Arabic letters, eight books and a manual on marching.



They also found cans used as shooting targets and trees with torn stems, allegedly from knife cuts.



'We, however, did not catch them red-handed while conducting their exercises,' Wahyu said, explaining why the police decided to release the group members.



The members of the group were sent to their respective hometowns after signing a statement that they would not repeat the same activity anywhere.



Both Liliek and Wahyu, however, refused to explain whether JAS was identical to a jihadist group with a similar name established by the sons of firebrand Muslim cleric and terrorist convict Abu Bakar Ba'asyir: Abdul 'Iim' Rohim and Rosyid Ridho.



The South Jakarta District Court convicted Ba'asyir for planning or influencing others by providing funds for them to participate in military-style training in the Jantho mountain range in Aceh Besar and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.



The Jakarta High Court later decreased the sentence to nine years, but the Supreme Court restored the sentence to the original 15-year term in October 2011.



Ba'asyir was once tried and acquitted of being the leader of regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) and for his alleged involvement in a string of terrorist attacks in Indonesia from 1999 to 2003, including the Bali bombings on Oct. 12, 2002.
Mining giant BHP Billiton reported on Tuesday a half year net loss of $5.67 billion and warned that the current period of weak commodity prices would be prolonged.

The result for the six months through December 2015 was down 233 percent from the $5.35 billion the Anglo-Australian company posted for the same period a year earlier.

Underlying profit for the latest half year fell 92 percent to $412 million as lower commodity prices cut $7.8 billion in earnings.

The Melbourne, Australia-based company slashed its interim dividend to 16 cents per share, from 62 cents a year ago. It said it was revising its progressive dividend policy to ensure increased financial flexibility.

"While we were prepared for lower prices across our commodities, we now believe the period of weaker prices and higher volatility will be prolonged," the miner said in a statement.

BHP reported a net profit of $1.9 billion for the 12 months to June 30, 2015. That was down from $13.8 billion a year earlier. Revenue was down 22 percent to $52 billion.

Miners such as BHP are under increasing pressure as a slowdown in China's economy results in lower demand for key commodities, such as iron ore and coal. (ags)
The detainees allege that Sri Lankan authorities have held them over a long period of time without any charge. Most have been imprisoned on suspicion of links with the Tamil Tigers. (Representational Image)

Colombo: At least 18 Sri Lankan Tamil prisoners held for suspected links with the defeated LTTE have gone on hunger strike, mostly at the country's largest and maximum security prison, to press for their early release.

At least 16 detainees at the largest and maximum security Welikada prison and two in the north-central Anuradhapura prison are on hunger strike since Monday, prison officials said on Tuesday.

The detainees allege that Sri Lankan authorities have held them over a long period of time without any charge. Most have been imprisoned on suspicion of links with the Tamil Tigers.

The detainees are usually being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which allows security forces to detain people for up to 18 months without presenting them before a court.

This is not the first time Tamil detainees have gone on a hunger strike. In September last, they held a similar strike demanding their release from prison.

UN's human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, who visited the country early this month, has said in a landmark report last September that the government had acknowledged holding 258 men and women under the PTA but only 54 of them had been convicted of anything.

Following an intervention by President Maithripala Sirisena, some of those detained have been released. Tamil rights groups, however, call for a blanket amnesty to all those held for having suspected links with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The government has rejected the demand, saying those who could be released legally would be released. Northern Province's Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran has urged Hussein to seek their release through a blanket amnesty.

Nearly 30 prisoners of varied ethnicities died in prisons during rioting in 2012.
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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The government is working to upgrade the country's maritime navigation system by developing several navigation vessels as part of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's plan to strengthen the country's maritime transportation.



On Monday, the Transportation Ministry signed an agreement with shipbuilder PT Palindo Marine on the construction of five navigation vessels worth Rp 618.25 billion (US$46 million).



The vessels, the construction of which will be funded from the state budget, consist of three class I navigation ships worth Rp 370.95 billion and two navigation vessels worth Rp 247.3 billion.



According to the contract, the construction of the vessels will be completed by late 2017.



'This will take the number of navigation vessels built since 2015 to 20 vessels,' the ministry's navigation director Bambang Wiyanto said.



The ministry currently has 63 navigation vessels, out of an estimated requirement of 125 vessels, with almost half of the vessels needing to be replaced because of their age.



The ministry aims to build 50 vessels over the course of five years, including some that are intended to be funded by loans from foreign investors.



'We have proposed to Bappenas [National Development Planning Board] to fund the construction through loans of 16 class 1 navigation vessels and four supply ships,' he said, adding that the construction would be put out to tender.



He said representatives from the Netherlands had come to the ministry to discuss the project, while, Japan would conduct an initial study.



'I don't know when the construction will commence, it will depend on the Transportation Minister, Bappenas, as well as the loan approval,' he said.



The country has pledged to improve its sea transportation through the maritime-highway program launched by President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo to reduce the country's soaring logistics costs, recorded at 23.5 percent of GDP.



Bappenas previously estimated that the government would need to invest around Rp 700 trillion between 2015 and 2019 to support the maritime-highway vision, including the development of 24 commercial seaports, 1,481 non-commercial seaports and the procurement of vessels.



Last year, the ministry procured more than 187 vessels, including 100 pioneering ships as well as 77 patrol vessels and navigation vessels.



With the allocation of Rp 48.4 trillion for the ministry from the 2016 state budget, the ministry also

aimed to add 48 patrol vessels and continue the construction of five livestock transportation vessels this year.



The Transportation Ministry has also stated that this year's program related to sea transportation will remain on schedule despite the legal problems involving the director general of sea transportation Bobby Mamahit, who was recently put under arrest by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).



Bobby was detained for alleged corruption in connection with procurements and the construction of a shipping education and training center in Sorong, West Papua, after he was named a suspect in October last year.



'It won't have any impact because the programs have been set and there's already an official at the technical level who can take over,' the ministry's staff expert Hadi M. Djuraid said, adding that the minister had also appointed an acting director general for sea transportation to prevent negligence of administration problems.

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Linkedin Dian Arthen (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman's soothing and deep voice is the latest addition to Google's free navigation app Waze, so you can now have the voice of 'God' -- the character he portrayed in Bruce Almighty -- navigating your daily commute.



The community-powered navigation app has previously tapped famous voices such as Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator and The Late Show host Stephen Colbert.



Its latest voice feature is a marketing tie-in to Freeman's upcoming action-packed movie London has Fallen, the sequel to Olympus has Fallen.



In the movie, which comes out March 4, Freeman plays the vice president Trumbull and his voice in the Waze app addresses you, the driver, as if you are the president with lines like "The time has arrived, President Wazer. The world awaits your commands" and "You've arrived. It's been my honor and duty to see you through this mission". What a fancy way to guide you through the heavy traffic in the Big Durian, right?



To have one of the most requested voices of all time direct you through the streets, you first need to download the app for free at waze.com/get, then go to Settings > Sound > Voice Language > Morgan Freeman.



This feature is unfortunately only available in the US and for a limited time. The company has not yet indicated how long the voice option will be available, but most of the previous promotions lasted only around three weeks. (kes)(+)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The government has almost completed a draft revision of the 2015 Regional Elections Law, which is among the priority pieces of legislation this year.



Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said the draft revision was expected to be submitted to the House of Representatives before the end of this month and would contain 15 new provisions, including on candidacy, dispute settlement and political dynasties.



'[The General Elections Commission] has demanded that the revision be completed by August,' he said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.



The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician said the government may disqualify candidates involved in criminal cases.



The General Elections Commission (KPU) has announced that the next concurrent local elections will be held in another 12 months to allow time for improvements to the elections law to be made. Among the contentious articles to be amended are those related to funding.



The next elections, scheduled for Feb. 15, 2017, will be held in seven provinces, 18 cities and 76 regencies.
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Linkedin Madjedi Hasan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The government is to issue the details of a new regulation that will allow foreign investors to hold 100 percent ownership of geothermal power plants with a capacity of 10 MW or more. For plants with a capacity of less than 10 MW, foreign investment will be capped at 67 percent.



While it represents the government's efforts to streamline the approval, many consider the new regulation insufficient to boost investment in clean, renewable energy in Indonesia.



In fact, the regulation contradicts present laws and regulations on geothermal undertaking, which do not limit foreign participation based on the size of the power plant.



The new policy reflects a lack of understanding and coordination among policymakers on resolving the real problems and constraints in the development of these renewable energy resources.



In particular, it fails to consider the unique characteristics of geothermal power development, which differs from the power projects of independent power producers (IPPs).



Geothermal energy has unique attributes that pose challenges to its development. Unlike coal or gas power plants, commercial development of geothermal energy requires electrical power plant development on-site.



Also, the size of the power plant is ultimately determined upon the completion of exploration activities. As such, it would not be practical to distinguish at the outset which of the plants may be owned partly or wholly by foreign investors.



In addition, the development requires high initial capital costs and the commitment to purchase a large portion of the eventual power supply at start-up in the form of development wells. Long-term operating costs, however, are quite low.



Thus, geothermal contracts require base load status and long-term price security in order to justify development. Looking back at its development, the majority of existing geothermal power capacity (1,300 MW) was installed as a result of Presidential Decree (PD) No. 22/1981, which granted state-owned oil company Pertamina the right to explore and exploit geothermal resources for power generation.



But PD No.22/1981 was amended by PD 45/1991, which authorizes private-sector development of geothermal potential with fundamentally different terms.



Under the PDs, there were two alternatives to participate in Indonesia's geothermal venture; the first alternative was to only explore and develop the steam field in cooperation with Pertamina and to sell the geothermal energy to state electricity monopoloy holder PLN.



The second alternative was a total project through a joint-operation contract with Pertamina involving upstream and downstream activities and selling the electricity to PLN.



Pursuant to the PD 49/1991, the applicable tax rate for the total project would not exceed 34 percent of the net income. The 34 percent included any taxes, duties or levies in respect of the geothermal operations.



In 2003 the government enacted Law No. 27/2003 on geothermal energy, which mandated that future geothermal fields should be transparently and competitively tendered for development.



The law also grandfathered the fields previously allocated under PD45/1991, enabling existing operators to retain control. The government also developed a geothermal blueprint, including a roadmap to develop a total of 6, 000 MW of geothermal capacity.



Under the new law, 51 geothermal power projects were awarded to investors consisting of six projects to be carried out by Pertamina-PLN joint operations or PLN alone.



However, most of the projects have stalled following failure on the part of the project developers to raise funds for exploration, insufficient pre-exploratory data, poor project preparation, failure to appreciate exploration risk, cumbersome permit and license processes and low bid prices.



A new geothermal law was promulgated on Aug. 26, 2014, with major changes intended to ease development of the country's geothermal energy industry.



The breakthrough of the new law includes the removal of geothermal undertaking from the category of mining activities and improvement of the structure of geothermal transactions, coupled with a feed-in tariff (FIT) regulation.



Also, the new geothermal law involves fundamental changes to the process and procedures related to geothermal development.



Under the new law, the majority of the licensing and tender process was transferred from the authority of governors and regents/mayors to the central government, and geothermal activities are now classified as non-mining activities. As of today, about 17 months after the promulgation of the new geothermal law, no government regulations have been issued to implement the law.



Although the new law has classified geothermal development as non-mining activities, the forestry law still classifies geothermal as a mining activity. Hence, the forestry law may need to be further amended before the new geothermal law of 2014 can be fully enforced.



In addition, several barriers must still be overcome. Unlike fossil fuel projects, geothermal projects require integrated efforts and risk management between upstream and downstream activities.



The installation of power plants involves various stages of work and clearances, including project identification, project allotment, pre-feasibility reports, detailed project reports, techno-economic clearance, environmental and other clearances, financial closure, finalizing contracts for civil and mechanical work and commencement of construction.



Also, the government may still need to provide assistance in securing the land, in particular the project included in the accelerated power plant program. The lack of finances has also hampered the development of geothermal resources. Therefore, the financial capability and technical competency of companies bidding for geothermal development projects need to be thoroughly assessed during the bidding process.



In conclusion, investment in geothermal development faces substantial uncertainties and continuing challenges.



The industry has identified high capital costs, resource risk, long payback periods for investment, financing mechanisms, cumbersome permit and license processes and inappropriate regulations as major issues impeding geothermal development.

__________________________________



The writer is a director of an energy development process consulting company in Jakarta.
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Linkedin Khoirul Amin and Tassia Sipahutar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

In a world where everything moves so fast and economic rivalry becomes fiercer among nations, Indonesia should no longer take anything for granted, or it will be left behind, says President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.



Speaking in front of governors and regents at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday, Jokowi warned that Indonesia needed to work extra hard to improve its comparative advantages in order to be able to survive in the more competitive world. He said Indonesia should regard other nations as its rivals, including other ASEAN members.



'Although we [ASEAN leaders] held hands together at the ASEAN summit, I personally view other ASEAN countries as competitors,' said Jokowi. If other Southeast Asian countries can do everything fast, Indonesia should be able to do so, or it will be left behind, he added.



In terms of ease of doing business, the world's fourth most populous nation is ranked 109th among 189 economies, lagging behind neighboring countries Singapore (first), Malaysia (18th), Thailand (49th) and Vietnam (90th), according to the World Bank's Doing Business 2016 ranking



The ranking is based on a number of indicators, such as ease of starting a business, dealing with construction permits, electricity set-up costs and registering property. For many foreign investors, Indonesia has long been known for its infamous red tape and high-cost economy.



Jokowi said that the country had to change its traditional way of doing business to lure more investments in order to provide jobs and improve people's welfare.



The President said that he had assigned all the ministries and the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) to cut bureaucratic procedures in order to be able to improve the country's ranking to 40th in the World Bank's Doing Business 2017 ranking.



BKPM head Franky Sibarani said on a different occasion that the government had completed half of its 36 to-do-list items to achieve the ambitious target.



On Monday, the BKPM signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with six provincial governors, nine regents, the National Police and the Attorney General's Office to make sure that investment facilities for infrastructure development in 14 selected industrial zones could be smoothly utilized.



The BKPM also signed similar agreements with the transportation, energy and mineral resources, public works and public housing and communications and information ministers to facilitate the implementation of three-hour licensing for investment in the infrastructure sector. It has also issued investment facilities to companies operating in several industrial zones.



Among the industrial zones entitled to the scheme, abbreviated as KLIK, are the Modern Cikande industrial estate (Banten), the Bekasi Fajar industrial estate (West Java), the Wijayakusuma industrial estate (Central Java) and the Medan industrial estate (North Sumatra).



The three-hour licensing, meanwhile, will apply to a number of infrastructure investments, such as those in energy, transportation and communications and information.



As a special treatment to help develop the country's infrastructure, both facilities may be enjoyed by any investors in the sectors without the requirements of a minimum Rp 100 billion (US$7.4 million) investment and of employing 1,000 workers, as are applied to other sectors.



Indonesia's poor infrastructure has so far made the country's regional logistics performance mediocre.



The Industrial Estate Association (HKI) lauded the BKPM's move, but urged the government to improve legal certainty to provide safety and comfort for investors in the country, chairman Sanny Iskandar said.
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Linkedin Novani Nugrahani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

Over 150 travel agents participated in this year's Tiara Tunggal Cemerlang (TTC) Travel Mart, a biannual independent business-to-business (B2B) outbound travel event, on Monday.

Held at the Redtop Hotel & Convention Center in Central Jakarta, the participants reportedly came from all over Indonesia as well as around the globe including Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Turkey, China, Thailand, the Philippines, India, Australia, the Netherlands and United Arab Emirates.

TTC Travel Mart's initiator Tedjo Iskandar, who is the owner and director of TTC Destination Networking, said the event wanted to become the place where travel agents from all over the world were able to exchange business information and build networks with each other.

Through a buyer-meet-seller structure, the travel mart is using an informal table-top formation to provide more freedom for buyers to interact and negotiate with sellers without having to make any appointments or to negotiate in a restricted time limit.

Most of the tour packages sold at the event are for the long-haul market, which includes far-flung destinations that require day-long flights.

One of the participants, Ali Hasyimi from Citra Nashwa Tour, told a press conference on Monday that the event provided opportunities for local travel agents to negotiate directly with overseas wholesalers, which led to significantly cheaper prices for the tour packages.

In addition to Jakarta, a similar event will also be held in Surabaya in East Java on Feb. 24. (kes)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The police plan to interrogate Abdul Aziz, aka Daeng Aziz, who has been named a suspect for facilitating prostitution or pimping in Kalijodo in West Jakarta

"Aziz is a suspect. Tomorrow [Wednesday], he will be interrogated. If he is a good citizen, he will come [to police headquarters]," Jakarta Police general crimes director Sr. Comr. Krishna Murti told journalists on Tuesday.

The police will also question him about dozens of sharp weapons, including poisonous arrows that were found at his cafA in the area, said Krishna.

Last week, when the police started carrying out raids, Aziz disappeared from Kalijodo. He was not at his Intan CafA in Kalijodo when the police raided it. His lawyer, Razman, argued that he did not turn up after hearing about the raid because he did not want to be accused of being an instigator.

On Sunday, the police arrested Udin Nakku, who was also accused of pimping.

Meanwhile, Razman, who claims to represent Kalijodo residents, filed a lawsuit in the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) against the city administration's decision to clear Kalijodo on Feb. 29.

The eviction of Kalijodo residents was against prevailing regulations, said Razman, adding that the city administration should give more time to residents to relocate.

In the lawsuit, he demanded that the judges order a stay on the city administration's plan to totally clear Kalijodo of buildings by Feb. 29, saying that residents should be given another 12 months to relocate. (bbn)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 21, 2016

Police have released three Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officials, who were initially accused of being members of a terrorist group.

The KPK officials were arrested inside their car in the parking lot of Harco shopping mall in North Jakarta after police became suspicious of the vehicle, which had been in the area since Friday.

"The police were suspicious. We have explained that they are KPK investigators," KPK spokeswoman Yuyuk Andriati said on Monday evening.

The three, identified only as DR, BP and WG, are members of the KPK information division.

The police confirmed the release. "We have sent them home. There's no problem at all," North Jakarta police chief Sr. Comr. Daniel Bolly Tifaona said.

Daniel said their frequent visits to the shopping mall since Friday had aroused suspicion about their activities. "Because there is still a terrorist threat now, we don't want to take any risks," Daniel said, adding that the police officers took the car and the three officials to North Jakarta Police office.

At the police station, police discovered that the three were carrying KPK identification cards. After being contacted by the police, the KPK confirmed that the three were employees of the organization. "There was no arrest, don't be mistaken," Daniel emphasized. (bbn).
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Linkedin Marcel Thee (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

Music-centric website Disorder may be young, but in its short life so far it has proven to be one of the most reliable online publications, with coverage that is more thorough and readable than its blog-style brethren.



To boot, the website also releases a print edition every month or two (the schedule, unsurprisingly, is always up in the air), with a focus on longer articles and detailed editorials.



On Feb. 23, Disorder will celebrate the release of its latest edition by holding a concert at the JK7 Arion Swiss ' Bellhotel in Kemang, South Jakarta. It will feature performances from underground bands playing a healthy variety of different musical genres, including Tarrkam, Vague, Rekah and SVN. The show will start at 7 p.m. and is free.



'The show's going to make your Tuesday night great!,' exclaims cofounder and designer Adhitya Corsa, who said the show would be a welcome way to end a working day 'after being reprimanded by the boss all day'.



The concert is also a way for members of Disorder's editorial team to set a deadline for themselves. Cofounder and reporter Raka Ibrahim says it will be a good way 'for us to tell ourselves 'The launch date is set, now get to work publishing that new edition!''



'It also serves to remind us how far we've gone with the website ' a testament to our continuing existence,' adds Raka.



The bands were mostly picked for their close friendships with the editorial team, so as to avoid the hassle involved in booking more demanding bands, says cofounder and writer Zaka Sandra Novian.



'It's not only because [the bands] are friends, though. It is also because they are really good bands, and it would be a treat to help them get the word out to our fellow music fans. These are bands that count,' Zaka says.



For Raka, the surprise element is a major attraction.



'A lot of these bands ' I have never heard of them or their music. And only a select few have heard of them. Some, we even discovered through internet sites such as YouTube and Soundcloud. They are all younger and fresher bands. We don't know what to expect from them, which is a dangerous but fun feeling to have,' Raka says.



Another point of interest is the fact that all these bands are 'loud and moshable', says Zaka, pointing out the rough dance-ability of the performers' music.



'We could use the exercise,' jokes Raka.



Shows such as these are important in providing new talent with a space to present music, since most other organizers would rather work with more established acts.



Holding a show such as these is never cheap in Jakarta, however, so the Disorder (wearedisorder.net) cofounders are wary of proclaiming this will be a regular event, as much as they'd like it to be.



'There are actually plenty of spaces outside the city to hold these things ' But the fact is they cost a lot to prepare and to attend. We need to find new ways of approaching and making a concert. Not just how to present a good concert as a spectacle, but how to organize it independently while keeping it sustainable,' explains Raka.



'Every city has its own problems. And I'm sure that if we keep making these concerts, we'll encounter such problems. That's a learning experience we're looking forward to.'
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Sydney  Tue, February 23, 2016

Qantas Airways Ltd. on Tuesday reported that its latest half-year profit had more than trebled to a record 688 million Australian dollars ($497 million) on the back of low fuel prices and a falling Australian dollar.

The Australian airline's net profit for the six months through December was up 239 percent on AU$203 million for the previous corresponding half year, boosted by the AU$448 million saved through hedging on lower fuel prices.

Qantas also approved a AU$500 million share buyback starting in March.

The Sydney-based company attributed AU$261 million in cost and revenue benefits to its ongoing restructuring.

Underlying profit before tax was AU$921 million, in the upper end of the airline's guidance of AU$875 million to AU$925 million.

Qantas opted against paying an interim dividend and instead will hand over cash to shareholders in the form of a buyback to start in March.

"The strength of our performance and balance sheet means we can continue to reward our shareholders for their confidence in our business," chairman Alan Joyce said.

The airline already handed back the vast majority of the AU$557 million full year net profit announced in August to shareholders in the form of a AU23 cents per share cash distribution.

The weak Australian currency was driving a surge in inbound tourism, Joyce said. Qantas had responded by increasing capacity, particularly on North American and Asian routes.

Qantas posted a $409 million full-year profit last year, in a dramatic turnaround from the $2.6 billion loss the previous year. (ags)
Jakarta: Singapore has deported four suspected Indonesian extremists allegedly heading to Syria to fight with the Islamic State (IS) group, authorities said Tuesday.

The four, who included a 15-year-old boy, were arrested Sunday in the city-state when officials became suspicious after checking their documents and finding one of them had previously spent time in Syria, Indonesian police said.

Authorities deported them to Batam, an Indonesian island not far from Singapore, the same day, and they have since been sent on to Jakarta.

"Four Indonesians were deported to Indonesia after investigations revealed that they had plans to make their way to Syria to fight for ISIS," a spokesman for Singapore's ministry of home affairs said, using an alternative name for IS.

"Singapore authorities informed their Indonesian counterparts before the deportation."

After questioning the men, all from the main island of Java, Indonesian officials also concluded that the group were likely heading to Syria, Indonesian police said.

IS has provided a potent new rallying cry for Islamic extremists in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, with hundreds believed to have headed to fight in the Middle East with the jihadists.

National police chief Badrodin Haiti said the detained men were also thought to be followers of radical preacher Aman Abdurrahman, who is in jail for his role in forming a militant training camp, and has pledged allegiance to IS.

There have been suspicions Abdurrahman may have helped plan last month's gun and suicide attacks in Jakarta that left four attackers and four civilians dead.

They were claimed by IS, which controls vast swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq, and were the first major attack in Indonesia for seven years.

The detained men originally entered Singapore from Batam but left for Malaysia, where they stayed only several hours, said local police chief Helmy Santika.

They were detained as they returned to Singapore, where they planned to catch flights, he added, without giving further details.

Indonesian police have launched a nationwide crackdown since the Jakarta attacks, rounding up dozens of alleged Islamic extremists.

Indonesia suffered several major bomb attacks by Islamic radicals between 2000 and 2009, but a subsequent crackdown weakened the most dangerous networks.
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Linkedin Christopher Bodeen (The Jakarta Post) Beijing  Tue, February 23, 2016

China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday reasserted Beijing's right to develop its South China Sea island outposts following a US think tank's report that China has built new radar facilities in the disputed Spratly Islands.



Citing commercial satellite imagery, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS, said the radars on the outposts of Gaven, Hughes, Johnson South and Cuarteron reefs could be key to helping China establish effective control over the strategically vital area's sea and airspace.



China has been building islands on top of reefs and atolls it controls, then adding air strips, harbors and other infrastructure that would help consolidate its control. Five other governments also hold maritime claims that overlap with Beijing's, and the US has said it is concerned about China's militarization of the area.



Beijing rejects the accusations, saying it is merely installing defensive measures on islands, primarily for civilian purposes.



Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had no specific information about the CSIS report, but said China had undisputed sovereignty over the area.



"It's within China's sovereignty to carry out constructions on its own territories," Hua told reporters at a regularly scheduled news conference. "By deploying some necessary defensive facilities on the relevant islands and reefs it defends in the South China Sea, China is exercising the right of self-preservation that every country enjoys according to international law, which is beyond reproach."



Hua reiterated charges that international media were paying too little attention to China's construction of lighthouses, weather stations, fishermen's shelters and other civilian infrastructure that Beijing portrays as public goods and services for the benefit of the international community.



She said China's pursuit of peaceful development and good neighborly relations shouldn't be called into question. "China wants to make joint efforts with each side to keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable," Hua said.



CSIS said the new radars would significantly bolster China's ability to keep an eye on ship and aircraft traffic in the southern portion of the South China Sea, complementing its monitoring of the sea's northern areas from existing facilities.



"Improved radar coverage is an important piece of the puzzle ' along with improved air defenses and greater reach for Chinese aircraft ' toward China's goals of establishing effective control over the sea and airspace" throughout China's South China Sea claims, the CSIS report said.



The report comes a week after it was revealed that Beijing had deployed surface-to-air missiles on an island in the Paracel group, northwest of the Spratlys. The US said the presence of missiles provided increasing evidence of militarization of the area by China.



China subsequently accused the US of militarizing the region, saying patrols by US Navy vessels and military aircraft had escalated tensions and raised concerns about stability in the area.



The South China Sea and ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula are expected to dominate talks starting Tuesday in the US between Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.



In an editorial Tuesday, China's official Xinhua News Agency said divisions over Korea and the South China Sea had been "amplified thanks partly to Washington's hidden agendas and recklessness."



"It is also noteworthy that it is Washington that is fanning up the flames by flexing its muscles in the South China Sea and by emboldening nations in their territorial disputes with China," the editorial said.(+)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

The National Police say they believe that four Indonesians detained by Singaporean Immigration authorities on their way to Syria are followers of Aman Abdurrahman, a convicted terrorist currently held on Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java.



'We're still investigating and seeking information about their purpose in going to Syria. We'll also try to uncover any links to acts of terrorism,' National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said on Monday.



The four ' identified as Mukhlis Khoirur Rofiq from Bekasi, West Java, Risno from Purbalingga, Central Java, Muhammad Mufid Murtadno and Untung Sugema Mardjuk, both from Jakarta ' were detained at Changi International Airport in Singapore on Feb. 19 by an immigration officer after presenting their boarding passes showing Syria as their destination.



They were handed over to the Singaporean police because of concerns that they were attempting to join radical groups in Syria.



Singapore later deported the four men to Indonesia via Batam International Port Center. Riau Police are currently holding them for further investigation.



The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) is monitoring the investigation to find out whether the four have any connection to radical groups affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) movement.



BNPT chairman Saud Usman said it was hard to determine whether people traveling overseas were going to join radical groups if they had genuine travel documents for the purposes of holidays, a pilgrimage or business travel.



He suggested that the proposed amendment to the 2003 Terrorism Law should allow the revocation of citizenship status from those who were proven to be joining radical groups abroad.



'We should be able to revoke the citizenship of people who travel abroad for the purpose of terrorism. So when they come back to Indonesia we can legally process them,' Saud said.



The initiative to amend the Terrorism Law has come from the government in response to the terrorist attack on Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, on Jan. 14, which left eight people, including four terrorists, dead.



The amendment aims to improve preventive measures in the fight against terrorism as the current law remains weak, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said earlier.



Under the amendment, the police may receive the authority to arrest suspected terrorists even before they commit a terrorist act, and detain them for at up to 10 months, up from the current six months, thus giving the police sufficient time to preempt any planned attack.



However, the BNPT said the amendment should focus on other measures such as rehabilitation. The BNPT has conducted rehabilitation programs inside prison for terrorist convicts, as well as outside prison for ex-convicts and their families.



For the convicts, the rehabilitation includes dialogue on deradicalization and job training.



'In the rehabilitation program, we make sure we treat them well, embrace them, so that they don't feel isolated. After they get out of prison, the public should embrace them. It's not right to act against them as it will only make them return to terrorism,' Saud said.

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Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Fenox VC will team up with Japanese information technology (IT) services provider Infocom Corporation to help startups in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries.



Under a startup-accelerator program called GnB (green and blue) Accelerator announced in Jakarta on Monday, the two companies would provide mentorship and access to facilities and funding, said Fenox VC CEO Anis Uzzaman.



Fenox would mostly provide the seed investment while Infocom would mostly provide the mentorship and corporate partners within its network, until the mentored startup is able to achieve independence through their own initial public offering (IPO) or something similar.



Anis said that Indonesia would be the accelerator's Southeast Asian headquarters and that startups in Indonesia were already eligible to apply for the GnB program starting on Monday, before it officially begins in April.



He explained that the main problem within the Indonesian startup scene was that there was a real lack of knowledge and mentorship, but that it was very easy to find good startup concepts.



'The problem here is that despite the good ideas, they just don't have enough good investors. Not many foreign investors are coming to Indonesia to invest in its economy. Our master aim is to also develop startups which could potentially benefit not just Indonesia, but also the Southeast Asian region as a whole,' Anis said at the accelerator's launch on Monday.



He added that in order to help lure investors, such as venture capitalists like Fenox, the government must do more to sell Indonesia as a 'gold mine', but acknowledged that steps had been taken in that direction by President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, pointing out his recent visit to Silicon Valley, the center of IT innovation in California, the US, earlier in the month.



'The goal is to also help startups achieve great success. I can't wait for an Indonesian startup to reach the heights that Facebook has,' he commented.



GnB's program will receive six startups in its first batch, which will run from April to June, but the number may change due to the possibility of discovering other interesting concepts.



The chosen startups will be provided with mentoring, advisors, potential investors and partnership opportunities with major companies.



Each startup in the program will receive an investment of about US$50,000 from Fenox's funds.



The program is also open to startups from all over Southeast Asia. In its second batch, GnB will receive up to 10 startups, with the program updating itself every three months.



Meanwhile, Fenox VC's head of investments, and GnB mentor, Viviek offered insights on how Indonesian startups could truly succeed; saying that the focus should be foremost on creating a clear business model after receiving funding.



'Startups need to eventually grow as businesses, and that does not just happen from receiving investment. There is a lot of money involved in this industry at the moment, but it is what you do with the money afterward that matters,' he said at the launch event.
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Karo, North Sumatra  Tue, February 23, 2016

After spending years in evacuation shelters, hundreds of farmers affected by the ongoing eruptions of Mount Sinabung in Karo regency, North Sumatra, can now return to work following the official handover of new farmland to replace their lost land.



As of earlier this month, 348 out of 457 families, who had been relocated from Simacem, Bekerah and Sukameriah subdistricts to Merek district, had each received a 5,000-square-meter plot from local authorities and began cultivation.



The remaining 109 families, meanwhile, will receive their replacement land later this year after the authorities complete the clearing of forest area designated for the purpose.



'We've waited for this land-distribution program for so long,' Ulia Ginting, a local resident, told The Jakarta Post recently.



'We are happy as we can now work again.'



Ulia and her family left their home and farmland in Simacem, located only a few kilometers from Mt. Sinabung, two years ago as a result of the volcano's escalating activities.



The mother-of-three used to return to her farmland to check her vegetable crops but finally stopped doing so following warnings from local authorities about the danger of Sinabung's eruptions.



Rosmawati, a former resident of Sukameriah, also expressed her gratitude for the land-replacement program.



'We feel like we're living again,' she said.



The 2,460-meter Mt. Sinabung was inactive for centuries before erupting in August 2010.



Three years later, it erupted again and has never entirely stopped since then, forcing residents living near the volcano to be constantly prepared for evacuation should volcanic activity escalate suddenly.



The eruptions have also claimed more than a dozen lives and destroyed thousands of houses and hectares of farmland.



In June last year, authorities increased Sinabung's alert status to the highest level. Since then, the volcano has experienced a series of eruptions, with authorities unable to predict when the evacuees will be able to return safely to their homes.



The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has estimated that more than 2,500 families from nine subdistricts near the volcano have been regularly evacuated to nine evacuation centers in the regency.



Most of the affected residents are farmers.



Karo regent Terkelin Brahmana said the land-distribution program would be carried out in stages until all evacuees had received replacements for their affected property.



The initial stage of the program is targeting evacuees from three subdistricts worst hit by the eruptions, he said.



'We want to see Sinabung evacuees get their livelihoods back after a long struggle with the eruptions,'

he said.



Karo, located some 100 km southwest of the provincial capital of Medan, is home to some 350,000 residents.



Apart from affecting local farmers, the Sinabung eruptions have also blighted the tourist industry in the regency's Berastagi resort area.



Authorities have repeatedly called on local residents to remain patient in dealing with the impact of Sinabung's eruptions, which some experts have predicted will continue for five more years.



For the past three years, the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has also instructed evacuees and local residents not to enter the danger zone, covering an area of between 3 km and 7 km.



Separately, Karo Forestry Agency head Martin Sitepu said the local administration had received approval from the Environment and Forestry Ministry to use 416 ha of forest area for the land-replacement program.



'Of the allocated land, we have cleared around 200 ha,' he said.
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Linkedin Sammi Taylor (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

For five straight years, Melbourne, Australia, has been voted the world's most livable city ' renowned for its multicultural society, pleasant weather, fun attractions and impressive infrastructure.

The steady, beating heart of Melbourne, Australia, is its cafA culture, and it is renowned for serving up what is arguably the best coffee in the world.



Now, a little taste of Melbourne is coming to Jakarta, with the ST. ALi food and beverage family opening a brand new venue in Kuningan, South Jakarta.



It's the first stop in ST. ALi's plan for world coffee domination, as Jakarta is the first global venue for the growing Australian brand.

Salvatore Malatesta, owner of the ST. ALi family, says that Melbourne is the 'coffee renaissance city of the world', and that Jakarta deserves a bit of the action.



'We are leading the movement,' Malatesta said at the cafes' opening event early February. 'We pioneered specialty coffee in Australia and now we're going to do it globally. We're hoping to bring the best part of Melbourne to the heart of Jakarta.'



Coffee culture has been a large part of life in Melbourne since the 1950s, and now the city is home to over 2,000 cafes serving up a variety of different coffee blends and brunch options.



'There is no bad coffee in Melbourne ' there's good, there's better and then there's the best. And we're the best,' Malatesta says about his business, ST. ALi's.



ST. ALi's is wildly popular in Melbourne, and prides itself on providing a 'holistic food and beverage experience'.



Jakarta receives no less, and the attention to detail on the Indonesian menu is incredible ' from where the produce is sourced to the exact aromatic and fruity flavors in your cappuccino mug.



The burgers are particularly eccentric, with combinations of special sauces, pork and fennel sausage, avocado, haloumi and everything in between. The Koo Koo Ca Choo combines crispy potato hash with mushroom duxelle, poached eggs, shaved GruyAre, chlorophyll and truffle vinaigrette.



The coffee is the main attraction, with World Barista Champion Matt Perger at the helm of a brand new La Marzocco Espresso machine.



While the food and drinks are a unique taste experience, it's the general aesthetic of the cafA that sets ST. ALi's apart from anything else in Jakarta. The cafA utilizes a semi-outdoor space at the Setiabudi One building in the Kuningan vicinity, South Jakarta and gives off distinctly 'Melbourne' vibes. The aesthetic is casual and bright, with vibrant smiling staff and a busy kitchen space.



'My life's work has been being a vibe master. So that involves tweaking the edges, creating an atmosphere. I've always said that if The Rolling Stones were coming to Melbourne for one day, where would they go for coffee and breakfast? That's the atmosphere we're trying to create here,' Malatesta says.



But there are distinct Indonesian influences at play in ST. ALi's Jakarta, from furniture made by local designers to the coffee beans sourced from farms in Sumatra.



Malatesta hopes this blend of culture and style will be welcoming to everyone who walks through the doors of his cafA.



'I'm hoping that when you walk through the doors in ST. ALi's you will see a fairly even mix of locals, expats, tourists and generally just people committed to an excellent food and beverage experience. We cater to people in search of a sensory food and coffee experience,' Malatesta says.



'The idea is that when you sit in here, you don't realize that you're in Jakarta. You could be anywhere in the world.'



ST. ALi's next stop is to open a venue in Bali, a place that Malatesta describes as 'Australia's backyard'.



He said Bali was the original destination for their first opening in Indonesia, but the Jakarta venue was easier to put together quickly. 'If we can pull it off here in an urban metropolis, especially where there's gridlock and it's hard to get to, Bali will be a walk in the park. It's a no brainer for us.'

_____________________



The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post



' Photos courtesy by ST.ALi
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Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani, Ganug Nugroho Adi and Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar/Surakarta/Bandung  Tue, February 23, 2016

Modern retailers in several major cities across the country have expressed a willingness to support and maintain the sustainability of the newly introduced plastic bag charge policy despite the absence of any legal standing with regard to the program in the respective regions.



The policy, launched on Sunday to coincide with National Waste Awareness Day, has initially been implemented in seven major cities ' Jakarta, Bandung, Bogor, Banda Aceh, Surabaya, Tangerang and Balikpapan ' which, combined, are home to almost 10 percent of the country's 250 million people.



It is expected that the plastic bag charge is to eventually be implemented in a total of 23 major cities.



With the exception of Bandung, none of the allocated cities have a bylaw or other legal standing with regard to plastic bag reduction.



This, however, has not discouraged modern retailers from joining the campaign.



In Denpasar, Bali, the management of Tiara Dewata, the island's oldest supermarket chain, said it was ready to implement the program despite the absence of official information from local authorities.



Tiara Dewata spokesperson Gusti Ayu Sriani said that the supermarket had implemented various plastic programs to raise the public's awareness on the dangers of plastic.



The supermarket already charges an additional fee when customers ask for extra plastic bags. In addition to this, customers who bring their own shopping bag with them to the supermarket are offered points that can be exchanged for gifts.



'It wasn't easy to introduce the program,' Sriani said over the weekend.



'We try our best to explain its purpose to our customers.'



While Denpasar and Makassar, in South Sulawesi, were among the first cities to implement the program on Feb. 21, last week both cities confirmed that they would postpone due to paperwork issues.



The Denpasar administration's Environment Agency head Anak Agung Bagus Sudharsana said the municipal administration would introduce the policy later this week after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with five retail companies, including Tiara Dewata.



In Bandung, retailers have also pledged their support for the policy.



'One of our challenges surrounds how we educate our outlet cashiers about the program,' said Muhammad Afran, a spokesperson for PT Sumber Alfaria Trijaya, the company that owns minimarket chain Alfamart and grocery store Alfamidi.



Bandung's 2012 bylaw on plastic bag reduction only stipulates that retailers have an obligation to provide customers with environmentally friendly plastic bags; it mentions nothing about charging customers extra for using plastic bags.



In February last year, prompted by online and offline petitions that attracted 70,000 signatures, the Environment and Forestry Ministry issued a circular stating that retailers should start charging for plastic bags.



Under the policy, customers shopping in malls, department stores, supermarkets and other modern retailers must now pay Rp 200 (1.5 US cents) for each plastic bag.



The fee, however, is subject to change if and when a local administration issues a bylaw or other official regulation regarding the implementation of the policy in its jurisdiction.



Meanwhile in Surakarta, Central Java, the municipal administration on Sunday distributed 5,000 free cloth bags to local residents in an attempt to educate the public about the plastic bag tax policy.



Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo said that his administration had secured commitments from modern retailers in Surakarta to jointly implement the policy, which is currently in trial stage in the city.



'We will soon seal their commitment in an MoU,' he said.
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Linkedin Edith M. Lederer (The Jakarta Post) UN  Tue, February 23, 2016

War crimes are "rampant" in Syria, and the conflict has become "a multisided proxy war steered from abroad by an intricate network of alliances," U.N. investigators said in a new report Monday.



In a swipe at the U.S., Russia and their allies, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said the international powers and regional countries ostensibly pushing for a peaceful solution are the same nations that "continue to feed the military escalation."



The new report came as U.S. officials said the U.S. and Russia had agreed on a new "cessation of hostilities" in Syria that will take effect on Saturday. A similar cessation announced Feb. 11 and set to begin last week did not take place, while Russian airstrikes continued to support a Syrian government offensive in the northern province of Aleppo.



Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, chair of the commission established by the U.N. Human Rights Council, enthusiastically welcomed efforts launched in Vienna and Munich to find a political solution to the conflict, which will enter its sixth year in March with over 250,000 people killed.



The U.N. investigators warned that "the fractured Syrian state is on the brink of collapse" and said there is a growing risk of "internationalization of the conflict."



Crimes against humanity continue to be committed by government forces and the Islamic State extremist group, their report said.



"The fight for control of areas in the hands of enemy forces is carried out with blatant disregard for human life and the laws of war," Pinheiro told a news conference launching the report. "Not a single warring party respects international humanitarian law, the Geneva conventions, all the conventions of human rights."



The investigators urged the U.N. Security Council to take action to bring the perpetrators to justice, possibly by referring the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court or to "an ad hoc tribunal." Russia and China, allies of Syria, vetoed a referral resolution in May 2014.



"U.N. members need to step up and make clear that any plan for Syria's future, if it's to be meaningful and durable, will need justice and respect for human rights at its core," said Balkees Jarrah, senior counsel at Human Rights Watch's International Justice Program. "The brutality of the past five years is far too horrendous to be swept under the rug."

Manpower shortage



The report said the Syrian military is facing a severe shortage of manpower, which has forced it to rely on a growing number of foreign militia in recent attacks, "implying an increasing fragmentation of the government forces and the decentralization of Syrian state authority."



While the Islamic State group remains in control of large swathes of east and northeast Syria, the investigators said it has recently come under mounting pressure from different fighting groups. One result is its reversion to tactics including the use of explosive devices and the carrying out of operations in enemy territory, often using sleeper cells.



"While no party seems able to achieve 'victory,' all appear to have sufficient capacity to sustain operations for the foreseeable future, perpetuating death and destruction along the way," the investigators said.



The report paints a grim picture of what the investigators called "the destruction of the country and the devastation of the nation" ' giving numerous examples of attacks carried out by government forces, opposition groups, Russia and the U.S.-led coalition that killed civilians.



The targeting of hospitals and medical personnel remain "an ingrained feature of the Syrian conflict," the investigators said.



According to the report, government forces targeted hospitals and medical clinics in areas not under their control, including in Aleppo where fewer than 10 of the 33 hospitals open in 2010 in what was once the country's largest city and commercial hub are still functioning.



The Islamic State group has also directed multiple bombings at medical centers in areas recently seized by the main Kurdish militia, including a triple bombing of a clinic in Tel Tamer on Dec. 10 that killed more than 50 civilians, it said.



The investigators also accused all warring parties of carrying out "deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on schools," which is one reason that more than 3 million children in the country aren't going to classes.



The investigators, who interviewed 415 witnesses and victims inside and outside Syria between July 2015 and January 2016, called the destruction of cultural sites by Islamic State extremists "a war crime."



They said civilians have been deliberately killed and persecuted for their ethnicity or religion.

One example they cited was the Jaish al-Islam rebel group putting men and women belonging to the Alawite sect ' the same sect as Syrian President Bashar Assad ' in metal cages and parading them through their stronghold in eastern Ghouta following an airstrike on a vegetable market Oct. 30 in which at least 50 civilians were killed.



The report also cites the Islamic State group's use of slave markets where fighters and civilian supporters buy Yazidi women and girls, some as young as 9 years old. IS, the al-Nusra Front, and anti-government armed groups also hold hostages for ransom to generate revenue, it said. (ags)
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Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 23, 2016

In what may not be the proudest boast of the country's female population, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) revealed on Monday that women are still more tolerant of corruption than men.



The finding was revealed in the BPS' annual anticorruption attitudes index (IPAK). The index for women stood at 3.55, out of a maximum score of 5, lower than that of men at 3.63.



The agency explained that a score of 5 meant zero tolerance of corruption and the lower the score the more permissive the respondent was toward corruption.



The survey has been conducted every year since 2012. The latest survey was conducted in November 2015 in 33 provinces, 170 regencies and cities with 10,000 householders as respondents.



The lower index scores for women have been a consistent result since the first study took place.



Money-laundering expert Yenti Ganarsih from Trisakti University agreed with the findings, saying that women were braver when it came to committing corruption than men.



'I am worried that it is easier for women to accept goods or money from corruption and to be bribed,' she told The Jakarta Post.



Yenti cited the example of bank fraud and money-laundering convict Malinda Dee, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzling at least Rp 17 billion (US$1.2 million) from Citibank premium customers and laundering the proceeds through purchases and an investment company.



'If a woman has been involved in corruption, she will be more reckless and willing to take risks [than men],' she said.



Yenti said she noticed that the way women engaged in corruption was more sophisticated than men.



'It's a matter of quality over quantity. If you look at the number of graft convicts, it is still largely dominated by men, not women,' she said.



'But eventually, what's important is that women shouldn't be vulnerable and easily accept money of dubious origins. This is related to passive money laundering,' she added.



Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) legal and court monitoring division head Lola Easter, meanwhile, said that the findings did not necessarily mean that women were more likely to commit graft than men.



'In general, corruption doesn't correlate to gender. So if there is a figure revealed by research, it doesn't guarantee that women tend to be more corrupt than men,' she told the Post.



Lola cited a study conducted by the World Bank in 1999 on 'Corruption and women in government', which concluded that higher rates of female participation in government were associated with lower levels of corruption.



It indicated that women appeared to have higher standards of ethical behavior and be more concerned with the common good. 'If there is a higher percentage of women committing corruption, it's because their positions enable them do so, not because they are women,' Lola said.



Overall the BPS recorded a slightly lower score of 3.59 for the index last year, compared to 3.61 in 2014.



The BPS obtained the index by combining two indexes: the perception index and experience index.



While the index on perception has tended to increase from year to year, starting at 3.66 in 2013 and reaching 3.73 in 2015, the index on experience has been steadily declining from 3.58 in 2013 to 3.39 in 2015.



'It means that the anticorruption perception among the public is already high but still contradicts the actual attitude on the ground,' BPS head Suryamin said, adding that petty corruption was still commonplace in the country.



Therefore, he said the government should increase its efforts to prevent corruption at all levels. 'There needs to be monitoring at all levels, both in the central [government] and in the regions,' said Suryamin.

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Linkedin Farai Mutsaka (The Jakarta Post) Harare  Tue, February 23, 2016

The Zimbabwean government will now control all mining in the diamond-rich Marange area, after mining companies were ordered to halt all operations because their licenses have expired, the mining minister said Monday.



All diamond mining will now be managed by the Zimbabwe Consolidated Mining Company, wholly owned by the government, Minister of Mines and Mining Development Walter Chidhakwa said. Private firms may negotiate joint ventures with the government mining company, he added.



The nine mine operators, including Chinese and Russian companies that were already involved in a joint operation with the Zimbabwean government "neglected or failed to renew their special grants," Chidhakwa said.



Chidhakwa said operators were also "cherry-picking" alluvial deposits rather than exploring underground deposits. The Zimbabwean government already owns 50 percent of all mining companies operating in the eastern Marange, although the private owners of the companies were responsible for marketing and sales of the stones and general operations of the mines, said Chidhakwa.



"Since they no longer hold titles these companies were notified this morning to cease all mining activities with immediate effect and to vacate the mining areas," Chidhakwa told reporters and representatives of the companies in the capital Harare. "They have been given 90 days within which to remove their equipment and other valuables."



The Marange diamond fields caught global attention in 2006 when thousands of unlicensed artisanal miners illegally mined the area, selling stones on the black market. They were later driven out by the army in an operation criticized by human rights groups for its brutality.



Diamonds from the region were barred from being sold sale until 2011 when Zimbabwe was approved by the Kimberley Process, an international effort that certifies legally mined "conflict-free" diamonds to be sold on the international market. (ags)
Humanitarian aid began pouring into Fiji today, as the death toll from super-cyclone Winston rose to 29. (Photo: Twitter)

Suva, Fiji: Humanitarian aid began pouring into Fiji today, as the death toll from super-cyclone Winston rose to 29 and officials warned the devastated Pacific nation's recovery could take months.

With authorities still struggling to grasp the scale of the disaster on remote island communities, Australian and New Zealand planes arrived laden with desperately needed supplies of food, water and medicine.

Government spokesman Ewan Perrin said the news was grim from villages which had managed to restore communications after the storm hit overnight Saturday.

"The official death toll now is 29, another eight bodies were found on the island of Koro since yesterday," Perrin told Radio New Zealand in a phone interview.

"We are expecting it to rise but we're hoping it's going to rise by a very small number."

Severe tropical cyclone Winston, the most powerful storm ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, lashed Fiji with wind gusts of 325 kilometres (202 miles) per hour, leaving a trail of destruction.

More than 8,000 people are still sheltering in evacuation centres and Perrin said some villages had hardly any buildings left standing.

"We're still trying to get people on the ground in these areas to do a detailed assessment of the damage. We're just taking it day-by day," he said.

"In some places people are going to be displaced for months because they've lost everything."

The rising toll makes Winston the deadliest cyclone to ever hit Fiji, according to figures cited by the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation.

Perrin said 2,000 families were homeless on Koro alone and two ships were steaming to the island with relief supplies.

"We haven't been able to make contact with all parts of Fiji, although with the assistance of the New Zealand Air Force we've managed to do aerial inspections across almost all of the islands," he added.

"There's considerable damage of course across the top of the main island (Viti Levu) and the island of Koro, which took pretty much a direct hit."

'Truly Heartbreaking'

New Zealand military photographs show entire villages flattened by the first category five storm to hit Fiji, washing out bridges and flooding schools.

Many homes were reduced to piles of kindling, with roofing and furniture strewn about.

In one image a lone man stands on the tin roof of his ruined home, apparently waving both arms at the military plane as it passes overhead.

In another, a large steel-hulled ship sits high on a beach after being driven ashore in huge swells.

"The images emerging from early aerial assessments of affected areas are truly heartbreaking, leaving little doubt about the ferocity of this cyclone," said the UN's Fiji coordinator Osnat Lubrani.

"It is clear from these catastrophic impacts that Fiji is facing a long road to recovery."

The nation has declared a month-long state of natural disaster after a storm that Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama described as an "assault on Fiji".

Power is gradually being restored in the main centres and roads cleared of felled trees.

The international airport at Nadi also reopened on Monday, allowing international tourists caught up in the disaster to return home.

Aid efforts have ramped up, with Australia contributing a Aus$5.0 million (US$3.6 million) package and New Zealand NZ$2.2 million (US$1.5 million).

Wellington has mobilised two military aircraft, while Canberra is sending two planes and four helicopters, as well as specialised medivac teams.

UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien said hundreds of thousands of Fijians had been affected.

"We must do all we can to help people rebuild their lives and livelihoods," he said in a statement from New York.

The European Union said it had sent a disaster management expert to assess the best way it could respond.

Aid agencies such as the Red Cross, Oxfam, Care Australia and Save the Children are on the ground distributing supplies and providing expertise on issues such as sanitation in evacuation centres.
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Firefighters work at the scene of an explosion in Ankara, Turkey. (Photo: AP)

Ankara: Turkey's Health Ministry says a man injured in last week's suicide car bomb attack in Ankara has died of his wounds, raising the death toll to 29.

The ministry said the 66-year-old died in the hospital on Tuesday. Ten other people wounded in the attack are still being treated in hospitals, it said.

Also today, police detained three more people suspected of involvement in the bombing, the state-run Anadolu Agency said. Fourteen others were charged in connection with the attack over the weekend.

A Turkey-based Kurdish militant group has claimed responsibility for the February 17 attack, which targeted buses carrying military personnel.

The government says, however, it has evidence that a US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia group carried out the attack in collaboration with Turkey's own Kurdish rebels.
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Vienna: Vienna, Austria's grand capital on the Danube river, offers the highest quality of life of all cities in the world, while the Iraqi capital Baghdad, once more, took its place at the bottom of the list compiled by consulting firm Mercer.

The survey of 230 cities helps companies and organisations determine compensation and hardship allowances for international staff. It uses dozens of criteria such as political stability, health care, education, crime, recreation and transport.

Vienna's 1.7 million inhabitants benefit from the city's cafe culture and museums, theatres and operas. Rents and public transport costs in the city whose architecture is marked by its past as the centre of the Habsburg empire are cheap compared with other western capitals.

Switzerland's Zurich, New Zealand's Auckland, Germany's Munich and Canada's Vancouver followed Vienna - which reached the best position for the seventh time in a row - in the top five of most pleasant cities to live in.

Baghdad was again ranked lowest in the world. Waves of sectarian violence have swept through the city since the American-led invasion in 2003.
Thousands of migrants have been left stranded in Greece after Macedonia abruptly closed its border to Afghans, creating a fresh bottleneck as European countries scrambled to respond to the continent's refugee crisis. (Photo: AP)

Geneva: More than 110,000 migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean to Greece and Italy so far this year, and 413 have lost their lives trying, the International Organisation for Migration said Tuesday.

As of Tuesday morning, 102,547 people had arrived in Greece, while another 7,507 had arrived in Italy since the beginning of the year, IOM said. Last year, the 100,000 mark was only topped during summer, IOM spokesman Itayi Viriri told reporters. He said that out of the 413 people who had died trying to reach Europe, 321 had perished on the route to Greece.

"An estimated 35,000 migrants and refugees have reached the Greek islands so far in February alone," he said, adding that nearly half of them were Syrians and a quarter were from Afghanistan, while another 17 percent were from Iraq.

Once they reach Greece, almost all attempt to move on, he said, adding that "we understand that an estimated 26,000 have already passed the Greek border with Macedonia in February alone."

Not everyone is able to move on

Thousands of migrants have been left stranded in Greece after Macedonia abruptly closed its border to Afghans, creating a fresh bottleneck as European countries scrambled to respond to the continent's refugee crisis.

Some 4,000 people remained stranded on the frontier on Tuesday as even the crossing of Syrians and Iraqis, who are allowed to pass, slowed considerably, Greek police said.

According to IOM, nearly 20,000 Afghans have arrived in Greece by sea so far this year, along with nearly 31,000 Syrians and more than 12,000 Iraqis.

UN refugee agency spokeswoman Karin de Gruijl slammed the Macedonian move and "all of these measures aimed at keeping refugees out, (which) are causing numerous hardships for the people arriving."

"We are concerned about the profiling of refugees at the borders," she told reporters, stressing that countries should be determining who should be allowed in not on the basis of nationality but based on "whether they are in need of international protection or not."

The arrival last year of more than one million refugees and migrants on Europe's shores, many fleeing war, poverty and persecution, has caused a chain reaction of border clampdowns, in a blow to the EU's border-free Schengen zone.

UNHCR meanwhile published a survey Tuesday finding that a full 94 percent of Syrians and 71 percent of the Afghans who arrived in Greece last month said their main reason for making the treacherous journey was to flee conflict and violence.

A full 85 percent of the Syrians interviewed said they had been internally displaced inside Syria before fleeing the country, the survey found.
Damascus: The Syrian government said on Tuesday it accepted a halt to "combat operations" that does not include the Islamic State group, the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, or groups connected to it, in line with a US-Russian plan.

It said it would coordinate with Russia to decide which groups and areas would be included in the "cessation of hostilities" plan which is due to take effect on Saturday according to the US-Russian plan.

In a statement, the government stressed the importance of sealing the borders and halting foreign support to armed groups and "preventing these organizations from strengthening their capabilities or changing their positions, in order to avoid what may lead to wrecking this agreement".

The Syrian government announced "its acceptance of a halt to combat operations on the basis of continuing military efforts to combat terrorism against Daesh, the Nusra Front, and the other terrorist organizations linked to it and to the al Qaeda organisation, according to the Russian-American announcement".

Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

The Syrian military reserved the right to "respond to any breach by these groups against Syrian citizens or against its armed forces", the statement added.
Aussie tourist injured after fall from Phuket hotel balcony

PHUKET: A 66-year-old Australian man on holiday in Phuket is in hospital after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Patong just after midnight early this morning (Feb 23).

patongaccidents

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Tuesday 23 February 2016, 01:54PM

Police reported that the balcony rail remains sturdy adn was not a factor in Mr Petschauer's fall. Photo: Patong Police

Police reported that the balcony rail remains sturdy adn was not a factor in Mr Petschauer's fall. Photo: Patong Police

Police reported that the balcony rail remains sturdy adn was not a factor in Mr Petschauer's fall. Photo: Patong Police

Mr Petschauer suffered cuts and bruises, but remained conscious and talking while rescue workers rushed him to hospital. Photo: Patong Police

Mr Petschauer suffered cuts and bruises, but remained conscious and talking while rescue workers rushed him to hospital. Photo: Patong Police

Staff at the Charm Resort Hotel, on the Patong beach read, called police at 25 minutes after midnight, reporting that a guest had been injured.

The man, Johann Petschauer, had apparently fallen from his hotel room balcony and crashed through a glass panel in the roof onto the tiles in hotel kitchen.

Mr Petschauer was rushed to hospital.

He was conscious and talking when he was taken to hospital, Maj Anukul Nookaid of the Kathu Police.

He had cuts and bruises, but hopefully his injuries were not serious, he added.

Mr Petschauer and his partner, Ms Jacqi Lilian Spencer, checked into the hotel on February 19 and were due to check out on February 26, Maj Anukul said.

We were told that before the incident, Jacqi was inside their room while Johann went out on the balcony with two drinks in his hand, he explained.

Jacqi said that she thought it was an accident, and that he probably sat on the railing but slipped and fell.

Maj Anukul noted that the balcony railing is 130cm tall.

We checked the railing, and it remains sturdy, so we dont think that was a factor, he added.
Body of third missing canoe fisherman found in Phuket mangrove

PHUKET: The body of the third man been missing since Saturday (Feb 21) after the canoe he and his friends were fishing from capsized off Koh Sireh was found in a mangrove in Rassada this morning (Feb 23).

transportaccidentsdeathmarine

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Tuesday 23 February 2016, 03:53PM

The body of 53 -year-old Laong Thongpitak was discovered at 11am in a mangrove near a canal in Soi Kingkaew in Rassada. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Marine Police continued their search for the man after discovering the body of Mard Pantip, 52, earlier today. (see story here). However, it was local residents who alerted Kusoldharm rescue workers to the body of 53 -year-old Laong Thongpitak which was discovered at 11am in a mangrove near a canal in Soi Kingkaew in Rassada, about 1.5 kilometres from where the body of Mr Mard was found earlier. The body of Mr Laong was taken to Vachira Hospital where his family have since identified it as that of Mr Laong.
CAAT mulls revoking 4 air licences

BANGKOK: Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is considering revoking the aviation business licences of four small airlines found to have racked up exorbitant debts.

transport

By Bangkok Post

Tuesday 23 February 2016, 09:13AM

Kan Air, City Airways, Jet Asia and Asian Air are in such serious economic trouble that the government has ordered aviation regulators to consider revoking their business licences. Phot: Bangkok Post

The airlines are City Airways, Kan Airlines, Asian Air and Jet Asia Airways.

CAAT director Chula Sukmanop said the four carriers were found to have serious liquidity problems and Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith has instructed the CAAT to keep tabs on their operations, particularly their safety standards.

The CAAT is considering whether to revoke their air operating licences (AOLs), Mr Chula said. Efforts will also be made to adjust the criteria to award AOLs and Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) to carriers, he noted.

City Airways Co, which runs City Airways, has significant debts, most of which are short-term liabilities, Mr Chula said, adding the company is facing a liquidity shortage.

Based on records from Feb 5, the firm owed B25.08 million to Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) and B6.73 million to the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD). The company also has debts from unpaid aircraft rentals.

Kannithi Aviation Co, which operates Kan Airlines, was found to have borrowed an additional B27 million from financial institutions to boost its liquidity. As of Feb 5, its debt-to-capital ratio reached 18:3.

The company owed B10.21 million to Aerothai and B1.11 million to Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT). Asian Air Co, which runs Asian Air, has not yet submitted its financial statements. The firm still owed 69.68 million yen (about B22.07 million) in airport charges to Japans Narita Airport.

The Central Bankruptcy Court ordered the seizure of the firms assets on Jan 26 and the company subsequently suspended its flights on Feb 5.

Jet Asia Airways Co, which runs Jet Asia Airways, posted B250 million in losses, exceeding its registered capital, based on its financial statements released on Nov 30 last year. The firm racked up accumulated losses of B525.18 million.

As of Feb 5, it owed about B49.46 million to Narita Airport and B16.23 million to Aerothai.

We found evidence that these airlines shoulder very large debts, said Mr Chula, adding that consideration will be given to whether they are still suitable to run an airline business.

In the past, the approval of an airlines business operation was done easily and no audit was carried out on the airlines financial status, he said, adding Mr Arkhom instructed the relevant officers to pay attention to these issues.

The authorities are not only interested in the losses in the airlines operating results, but also to their capital, liquidity as well as debt-to-asset ratio, the CAAT director said. Those found to have debt exceeding capital will be closely monitored, he noted.

Mr Chula said he instructed all the airlines to submit their financial statements by the end of next month. Some carriers have already submitted them.

Based on their financial statements, the CAAT will examine the airlines operational problems, accumulated losses, liquidity, loans and other financial risks, he said.

According to the CAAT director, 16 Thai-registered airlines currently provide routine flights. One of them provides a cargo transport service.

Another 29 carriers provide unscheduled flights, including nine operators providing helicopter services and one balloon service provider.

Two airlines  Asian Air and Business Air  are facing legal action by the authorities and are subject to asset seizures.

Referring to new operators who want to enter the airline business, Mr Arkhom said both their financial status and management must be examined.

The key mission is to ensure the airlines have effective safety standards in place, the minister said. He said he ordered concerned officials to conduct audits of the airlines financial status, which can reflect their business capacity.

Those airlines affected by significant liabilities or debts from aircraft rentals can be seen as incapable of managing their businesses, said Mr Arkhom.

The question must be raised about how airlines with unstable finances and debts can still be allowed to operate.

Referring to the problem of the Thai aviation industry, the minister said that Thai-registered airlines can seek protection by law, which means they can even counter-sue their creditors, which he said is not right.

As for Thai-registered carriers which rent aircraft but fail to pay rental charges, the planes owners still have no authority to revoke the airlines right to use the aircraft, he said. This results in problematic airlines still using the leased planes.

The owners of the aircraft can do nothing, except to seek the courts approval to seize the airlines assets.

Mr Arkhom acknowledged concerns over the CAATs failure to accede to the Cape Town Convention, an international treaty that protects commercial ownership rights and security interests in aircraft, which could be an impediment to foreign aircraft lessors who would be unable to take action against airlines that still owe rental charges.

Other loopholes include the fact that Thai airlines can also seek court injunctions and that the CAAT cannot force them to return the aircraft to the plane lessors, he said.

Mr Arkhom said efforts are being made to fix the problem because many debt-ridden airlines are still allowed to operate and it is hard to ensure the safety of these carriers.

Referring to the countrys aviation oversight, the minister said a major problem is the shortage of qualified personnel to ensure the airlines are above board.

Read original story here.
Patong hill bus crash driver dies on way to Phuket hospital

PHUKET: The driver of the bus that crashed at the bottom of Patong hill last night (Feb 22) was pronounced dead upon arrival at Patong Hospital The Phuket News has learned today (Feb 23).

accidentstransportdeath

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Tuesday 23 February 2016, 10:15AM

The bus stopped after slamming into a power pole in the sidestreet beside Patong temple. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub.

Following the accident, police confirmed that at least 17 tourists had been taken to hospital, along with the driver, 40-year-old Jeerasak Kimbuathong from Krabi, for treatment of injuries, though no description of how serious the injuries were was given.

The bus stopped after slamming into a power pole in the sidestreet beside Patong temple. The concrete power pole was broken into two by the force of the impact. (See story here)

However, a doctor from Patong Hospital later confirmed that Mr Jeerasak actually passed away whilst being transferred to the hospital. A number of passengers initially taken to the hospital had since been discharged.

Capt Yingyong Chuykit from Kathu Police said that the tour bus was returning 18 Chinese tourists to their hotel in Patong when the accident happened.

According to some of the passengers, the driver told them to move toward to the back of the bus when he discovered the brakes had failed. He managed to control the bus part-way down the hill but finally lost control causing it to crash into the pylon.
Two men dead, one missing after canoe capsizes during Phuket fishing trip

PHUKET: The bodies of two men who went missing while canoeing off Phuket on Saturday (Feb 21) have been found. One man is still missing, whilst a ten year old boy who was also out on the canoe is safe The Phuket News has learned.

accidentsmarinetransportdeath

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Tuesday 23 February 2016, 11:28AM

Marine Police and rescue workers go out in search of the bodies of the missing men. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

More than 15 Marine Police and Kusoldharm rescue workers went out to search for the missing pair yesterday (Feb 22) after they had been reported missing from the waters off Koh Sireh since Saturday night. (See story here)

There were four people who went out fishing on one canoe, explained Lt Col Panya Chaichana of the Phuket Marine Police.

The canoe, carrying Wisuth Prasert, 58; Mard Pantip, 52; Laong Thongpitak, 53, and a 10-year-old Sontaya Kasikul when it began to sink when they were about 100 metres offshore.

As it was sinking, the canoe has hit by a big wave and this threw all four on board into the water. The boy managed to swim to shore and alert residents who were able to rescue Mr Wisuth. He was taken to hospital by rescue workers but was pronounced dead shortly after, he said.

The body of a second man, Mr Mard, was found this morning (Feb 23) floating in a mangrove near the Klong Tha Chin canal in Rassada, about 1.8 kilometers from where the canoe sunk. The mans sister has identified the body.

Sontaya said All the men are my relatives. We took out the canoe to go fishing but a big wave flipped the canoe and sank it.

We all tried to swim back to shore but only I managed to reach it. Mr Wisut was close to shore but was unconscious. Residents pulled him from the water and rescue workers revived him and took him to hospital.

I thought he would be all right but I was told later that we had lost him, he said.

Marine police are continuing to search for Mr Laong who is still missing.
Pakistan officially denounces such strikes as a violation of its sovereignty, though analysts believe the two countries coordinate at least some of the attacks. (Photo: AFP, Representational Image)

Islamabad: Pakistan's military said on Tuesday it had killed 15 militants in air strikes along its restive border with Afghanistan on Tuesday as part of a major offensive to clear Taliban and Al-Qaeda strongholds.

The strikes were carried out in the Alwara, Khar Tangi and Maizer areas of North Waziristan's tribal region, the bastion of Islamist insurgents who rose up against the state in 2004.

Pakistan began its operation in June 2014, after a bloody Taliban attack on Karachi airport finally sank faltering peace talks earlier that year.

"Fifteen terrorists were killed and eight of their hideouts destroyed in the aerial strikes today," the military said in a brief statement.

The conflict zone is remote and off-limits to journalists, making it difficult to verify the army's claims, including the number and identity of those killed.

The bombings came a day after a US drone strike, which was targeting three compounds belonging to fighters from the Haqqani network in the Kurram tribal district, injured one militant, according to Pakistani security officials.

Pakistan officially denounces such strikes as a violation of its sovereignty, though analysts believe the two countries coordinate at least some of the attacks.

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Pakistan's Islamist insurgency began after the US-led invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan in 2001 which led to a spillover of militants across the border and a surge in recruitment for Pakistani militant groups.

Pakistan's relative success in fighting militancy stands in marked contrast to Afghanistan, which is facing record numbers of civilian casualties following the withdrawal of NATO combat troops at the end of 2014.
Senior leaders of Nepali Congress party put the partys flag over the body of former Nepalese Prime Minister, Sushil Koirala, at the Nepali Congress central office in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Photo: AP)

Kathmandu: Sushil Koirala's death has triggered a rift within the Nepali Congress, with some senior leaders demanding a probe into the "unnatural and suspicious" demise of the former prime minister and party president.

In the first central working committee (CWC) meeting held at the party's headquarters at Sanepal here after Koirala's death, the members of the highest body of the country's biggest party expressed dissatisfaction over the silence observed by the party's leadership as well as the government over Koirala's death.

79-year-old Koirala passed away on February 9 in an "unnatural and suspicious manner", they said. Speaking at the meeting, senior CWC member Suryaman Gurung said that the party could not maintain silence over Koirala's mysterious death, demanding probe into the matter.

"People have expressed complaints and media have also raised suspicion over the demise of Koirala, which must be investigated into by both the government and the party," he pointed out. He also demanded forming a probe committee to investigate the matter and resolve the mystery before the public.

Koirala's close relative Shekhar Koirala, who is also a CWC member, asked the office-bearers of the party to clarify any doubts that might have arisen regarding his death.

The party should issue a white paper in this regard, he said.

The matter was raised after acting president of the Nepali Congress Ramchandra Poudyal presented the policy and programmes of the party ahead of its 13th general convention which is scheduled to start March 3.

Koirala died due to pneumonia and long infection at his residence in Maharajgunj on the outskirts of Kathmandu on February 9. Koirala's personal physician Kabirnath Yogi, his personal assistance and nephew Atul Koirala including his security guards were present at the time of his death.

However, he could not be taken to the hospital and reportedly did not receive adequate medical attention during his final moments. Koirala had developed fever, felt some uneasiness in the chest and did not have appetite at that time, according sources close to Koirala.

He could have been admitted to the hospital after developing such complexities, said Balkrishna Khand, another CWC member. Khand echoed the views of fellow committee members, saying the facts regarding Koirala's death should be made public by the party.

However, the party's acting president Ramchandra Poudyal remained silent over the reactions made by the CWC members. Khand told PTI that the party's next CWC meeting scheduled for Thursday will discuss the matter among other issues.
Ranil Wickremesinghe said an Indian delegation is due to visit the country early next month to finalise the draft agreement. (Photo: AFP)

Colombo: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday said that his government will sign the proposed Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India by the middle of this year notwithstanding opposition from political parties and trade unions.

Speaking in Parliament, Wickremesinghe said an Indian delegation is due to visit the country early next month to finalise the draft agreement and "the government will go ahead signing it despite opposition coming from opposition political parties, trade unions and professional groups."

Stating that it was a misconception that the country would be flooded with Indian workers, he said, "What we are trying to sign will be better than the CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement). CEPA was to include services.

"We did not accept that. So the Indians coming here and threatening our jobs is not true. There will be more job opportunities for Sri Lankans."

Wickremesinghe, who had earlier branded as "traitors" those opposed to the deal, said, "We have not got a document just yet. This will not be done in secrecy."

Sri Lanka's opposition has criticised the proposed trade deal with India as an attempt to "foreignise" the country's economy and demanded that the shortcomings in the existing FTA should be sorted out before concluding the deal.

It said the agreement would be advantageous to India and inimical to Sri Lankan economic interests. The opposition demands that the agreement include goods, trade in services and investment.

In recent weeks the doctors' trade union and several other employees' organisations have taken to the streets to protest the ETCA with India.
How to watch and what to know about South Dakota State at North Dakota
The historic first round of direct talks with the Taliban took place in the Pakistani resort town of Muree last July, but came to a standstill after the insurgents confirmed Omar's death, which had been kept secret for two years. (Photo: AFP)

Kabul: Direct peace talks between Afghanistan and Taliban chiefs are expected to take place by the start of next Monday, Afghan leaders and officials from the United States, China and Pakistan said on Tuesday.

Pakistan has agreed to host the talks, said a joint statement by Afghanistan and its three partners in the Quadrilateral Coordination Group after meeting in Kabul.

The four states "invite all Taliban and other groups to participate through their authorised representatives in the first round of direct peace talks with the Afghan government expected to take place by the first week of March 2016," said the statement.

"Pakistan has graciously offered to host this round of talks in Islamabad," it added.

Delegates from Afghanistan, China, the US and Pakistan met in the capital for a fourth round of talks aimed at forming a path back to the nascent peace process, which was interrupted by last summer's announcement that Taliban leader Mullah Omar had died.

Taliban representatives have been notably absent from the process so far.

Earlier Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani told participants that he wanted the Kabul meeting to "draft the details of direct talks between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban before the end of February.

"To end the conflict and bloodshed in the country, the government of Afghanistan once again calls on Taliban groups to take part in peace talks," Rabbani added.

The historic first round of direct talks with the Taliban took place in the Pakistani resort town of Muree last July, but came to a standstill after the insurgents confirmed Omar's death, which had been kept secret for two years.

The announcement and appointment of his successor Mullah Akhtar Mansour, accentuated divisions among the militants, with many holding Mansour responsible for lying to them about Omar's death.

In 2015 a splinter group formed under Mullah Rasool and challenged Mansour's leadership. But the disunity has not dented the Taliban's fighting ability.

The fresh peace initiative comes as the insurgents wage an unprecedented winter campaign of violence across Afghanistan, underscoring a worsening security situation more than 14 years after they were driven out of power by US-led NATO forces.

The first round of attempts to bring the militants back to the negotiating table began in Islamabad in January, followed by two more meetings in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Also on Tuesday, President Ashraf Ghani announced he is replacing Rabbani as head the High Peace Council, the government body responsible for negotiating with the insurgents, without specifying the reasons.

Pir Sayyed Ahmad Gailani, an influential leader among the Pashtun who make up a large number of the Taliban, will take his place.
Once the EAC regained a quorum of commissioners and hired a new executive director, the agency reversed the previously announced policy and allowed Kansas and Arizona to include citizenship-verification requirements with the federal voter-registration form. In other words, the EAC wound up doing the right thing, in accordance with the Supreme Courts 2013 decision.Which brings us to the League of Women Voters lawsuit filed on February 12. Kansas has asked to intervene in the case. Its pleadings make the same bombshell allegations outlined above: that partisan lawyers in the Voting Section wrote EAC policies that should have been written by the EAC, not an agency under the control of the President. It charges that:

. . . in the previous case concerning Kansass 2013 requested language, Kobach v. Election Assistance Commission, the United States Department of Justice drafted the response to Kansass 2013 request and presented that response to the States as if it were coming from the EAC itself. In effect, the Department of Justice commandeered the vacant ship that was the EAC and used that vessel to fight against the interests of the State of Kansas.
The Do-Right

By Lisa Sandlin

Cinco Puntos Press, 301 pages, $23.50

The Do-Right from this captivating first novels title is old Texas talk for a prison. Delpha Wade is out on parole from a Do-Right, specifically Gatesville Womens Prison near Beaumont, Texas, where she served 14 years for voluntary manslaughter. Delphas conviction managed to overlook the circumstance that when she killed the man, he was in the process of raping her.

Free, more or less, in Beaumont, Delpha is 32, determined and crackerjack smart. The year is 1973  the Watergate hearings on TV provide the background music to the books events  and she takes a job as assistant to Tom Phelan whos just gone into the PI business. Tom, once a medic in Vietnam, then the muscle on Gulf of Mexico oil rigs, figures he has the nerve, good manners and cunning to provide top service as the local Sam Spade.

When Delpha and Tom get rolling, the book evolves into something rare in crime fiction  a slice of life novel. But what slices! What lives! As exotic as the cases are that come through the office door  the one-legged client whose sister is holding his prosthesis hostage presents conundrums undreamed off  a couple of essential plot lines are constants.

One line originates in a case of apparent husband infidelity and morphs into something larger and more ominous. And the other line relates to the voluntary manslaughter that cost Delpha those 14 prison years. It returns in events that torment our girl and stun us readers. However much we learn to expect from this smashingly original book, it invariably packs one more whack of fate that no one saw coming.

Midnight Sun

Jo Nesbo

Random House, 218 pages, $27.95

Unlike Nesbos usual fat bestsellers with their full-bore operatic violence, Midnight Sun is a taut little tale that includes a sweet romance. The setting is Norways most northerly region where the sun never sets in the summer, the population is thin and the religion is fundamentalist. A fugitive on the run from Oslos crime kingpin hides out among the locals. The fugitive has plenty to occupy him while he waits for the showdown  and when it arrives, Nesbo treats his readers to the most extraordinarily clever and cringe-making escape sequence in recent crime fiction

The Widow

By Fiona Barton

New American, 336 pages, $24

Clever and creepy, this English first novel has the shape of a stealth bestseller, another Girl on the Train perhaps. The books premise is basic: a little girl has vanished, probably the victim of a pedophile, and both the police and the tabloids think they can identity the guilty party. The story is told in alternating chapters by a handful of disparate characters: the police detective who is being driven a little mad by the case, the wife of the prime suspect who stubbornly keeps her cool and a tabloid reporter who doesnt let her conscience get in the way of a grim but juicy story.

The Killing Forest

By Sara Blaedel

Grand Central, 320 pages, $31.50

When Detective Louise Rick of Denmarks National Police talks about confronting her old demons in a village outside Copenhagen, shes not kidding. Its in this village that Rick was raped and nearly murdered and where her boyfriend was either murdered or committed suicide. Nevertheless, Rick accepts an assignment to track one of the villages missing teenagers, a deal that propels her into a series of horrifying new calamities. Sara Blaedel is Denmarks most popular crime novelist, a status she has won with books that are unusually raw and fundamental. In a Blaedel novel, no character survives in one piece, especially our heroine, Louise Rick.

Jack Battens Whodunit column appears every other week.

Note - February 22, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version that misspelled the surname of Louise Rick, the heroine of The Killing Forest, in two instances.

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It wasnt too long ago that Talia Mancuso, a genetics counsellor, and Derek Flake, an aeroacoustics engineer, came to an agreement. They decided to put both of their careers first and to divide all domestic responsibilities strictly in half.

Among our peers few guys with an ambitious career are looking for a housewife, says Mancuso, 29.

She and Flake, 32, believe that having two people with busy careers makes it easier to understand if one has to travel out of town, work late or cancel a date night. Id worry that dating someone less ambitious, someone who isnt as busy, would result in some resentment and conflict.

They say they make a conscious effort to be fair and equal in everything from household chores and finances to family visits.

The latest data from Statistics Canada shows that female participation in business and finance reached 51.2 per cent in 2009, up from 38.3 per cent in 1987. Women also comprise approximately 55 per cent of doctors, dentists and other health professionals, an increase from 43.1 per cent. More than twice as many women work today than in 1976; this is true even for women with children under age 6.

Trends are likely to continue on this trajectory. A 2014 national online survey of 1,010 Canadian singles, conducted by online dating site match.com found careers were the top priority of 27 per cent of singles, followed by finances at 24 per cent. Dating was the top priority for 7 per cent.

Life is definitely more complicated. Factor in business trips (27 per cent of match.com respondents travelled for work in the past year), changes in jobs (every three to four years) and even changes in career (up to seven careers according to some estimates) and theres a lot for modern couples to juggle.

This leaves many couples with a unique set of dilemmas: Whose career should take prominence when work is equally important to both partners? If you cant choose one, how do you reach a balance and compromise? Is it easier if one partner is more ambitious than the other?

Things have really changed, especially for millennials, says Kimberly Moffit, a relationship therapist and director of KMA Therapy in Toronto. For women, theres more of an emphasis on their career, there is more opportunity and women are feeling more empowered.

Such is true for Michelle Majeed and Aaron Stacey. While she was pursuing her PhD in Toronto, her husband had a chance to advance his career by fighting fires in northern Ontario for five months at a stretch. Kept apart by their careers for more than two years, Majeed, 36, an instructional consultant, and Stacey, 36, a natural resources expert, had to communicate constantly to make it work, but they knew compromise was essential for their future happiness.

We had a lot of difficult conversations over the years, says Majeed. I knew I wouldnt be happy following him to small towns  there wouldnt be any opportunities for me  but I also knew that it was important for him to find something he loved as well.

The couple took risks pursuing careers they knew would land them in different parts of the country, listened to their hearts, and made sacrifices, living separately and not being together for birthdays, anniversaries and holidays, to support one anothers goals. Majeed and Stacey are now living together again, this time in Michigan where they have both found challenging professional opportunities. After everything they have been through, Majeed and Stacy dont regret choosing ambitious partners.

You would think that it would be easier if one partner was ambitious and the other wasnt, but its not necessarily the case, says Moffit. Couples tend to be happier when both partners are happy and fulfilled, so the key is to balance your careers and personal lives and inspire one another along the way.

Kimberly Moffits tips to help ambitious couples thrive

Know yourself and dont make apologies for who you are. If youre ambitious, let your partner know you plan to be successful, even on a first or second date.

Be flexible. Continue to communicate and be adaptable. Unexpected opportunities may arise so its important to leave room for negotiation and understanding.

Support one anothers goals. Our career is how we live our passions and you want your partner to be excited about life. Check in with your emotions if youre suddenly feeling like you want to hold back your partner.

Times have changed: Dating over the decades

Audrey Lee, 33 and James Brink, 36

Audrey Lee and James Brink met in law school where there was already the expectation that they would both have careers. It was always our understanding that I was going to make use of my education, says Lee. Now that they have a 10-month-old son and Lee has started her own law firm, theres a lot more to juggle. We are trying to treat our domestic responsibilities as shared. Some days are busy and unpredictable but we are both supportive of one anothers careers. I dont get upset if he has to work late one day and Im home with the baby. There will be another day when I work late. She says that her career is part of who she is and that communicating openly about their goals was key. We discussed how we wanted to plan our life  how it would look and how we would manage  and we made sure we were on the same page. We have always cooperated and made choices together and that has really helped.

Jennifer Graff, 47, and Steve Graff, 51

Both lawyers, this busy career-driven couple also has four kids together. Its not easy for two people to work their hardest while also balancing kids and programs and outside interests, says Graff. They have found a way to balance work and family, but that doesnt necessarily mean they split all the responsibilities 50-50. There has to be some compromise, she says. I choose to be there for my family  to read them bedtime stories, help them with homework and take them to their programs, but that means I bring work home and there are some days I have to work late, whereas Steve spends a tremendous amount of time at work. She says the trick is to find whats right for you and to know what you can manage. Somehow we seem to get everything done and I hope it sets a good example for our kids.

Sandy Zack, 69, and Arthur Zack, 70

When his job was transferred from Montreal to Toronto 1983, the transition was hard for his wife and three kids. They had lived in a close knit community in Montreal and all the kids in the neighbourhood were growing up together. We had friendships and support, says Zack, who worked as an accountant at the time. Leaving was very emotional. We knew zero people in Toronto so it became doubly difficult for Sandy, a stay-at-home mom. I was busy working all day. They say Toronto felt like a much harder city to find that same sense of community. Its bigger, everyone was working and we had very few new friends on our street, he says. Though it was hard to move, they knew it made sense. Back then, the mans career was the driver and I knew I wouldnt be able to progress in my career in Montreal. It was a different generation then where only one spouse was expected to have an income. Its very different today.

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Would-be tractor-trailer drivers in Ontario will face mandatory training before they are allowed to get behind the wheel under new rules being proposed by the province.

The prospective changes will require anyone seeking a Class A licence  needed to operate heavy trucks and tractor trailers  to complete a training course at a government-approved school before attempting a road test.

The introduction of mandatory training, in addition to the testing requirements, is designed to ensure that commercial truck drivers are properly trained before they are licensed, reads a government statement released Monday encouraging public and industry feedback.

A 2014 Star investigation into Ontarios truck training industry found new tractor-trailer drivers could obtain their licences without taking any formal driving education. The Stars probe revealed that many aspiring drivers enrol in courses offered at unregulated, cut-rate schools throughout the GTA that teach just the skills tested on the DriveTest exam. These schools, called licensing mills by trucking industry insiders, take advantage of a provincial loophole that allows them to evade regulation by charging less than $1,000 for a course. That loophole will effectively be closed by the new rules.

Transportation Minister Steve Del Duca told the Star that the safety of all users of Ontarios roads and highways is our governments top priority. In an emailed statement, the minister said he is committed to making sure trucking industry standards are high to keep Ontario amongst the safest places to drive in North America. The cost for the mandatory course has not been set, but existing big-rig courses offered by government-regulated schools typically cost $8,000.

The governments proposal notes that the Ministry of Transportation will also update both written and road tests for all commercial-class licences.

The Stars investigation also found that tractor trailer drivers were earning their licences at the provinces largest truck-testing facility in Woodbridge without being taken on major expressways. The Woodbridge location closed last year after its lease was not renewed.

Under the new proposals, which the government is aiming to implement by July 2017, only private career colleges, colleges of applied arts and technology and recognized schools under the MTOs driver certification program will be allowed to offer the new mandatory entry-level training programs.

These providers will be asked to develop curriculum to train drivers based on new standards set to be released by the province this summer. The schools will then have a year to create curriculum for provincial approval.

Once fully implemented, all new applicants for a Class A licence will be required to take mandatory entry-level training prior to the road test, Del Duca said.

Kim Richardson, chair of the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario, said he likes the provinces proposed rules.

Anything thats going to improve road safety, especially from a commercial driving perspective, is positive, he said. How can you argue with advanced training and testing? Thats wonderful.

Mike Millian, president of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, which represents operators of private truck fleets, said his organization has been providing the MTO with suggestions on how to improve the knowledge and road tests.

Its been over 20 years since theyve been upgraded. Its time for a change, he said.

Millian added that he was concerned that the governments timeline for providing the new training standards and requiring schools to submit curriculum may not be long enough.

Its important that we make sure the training providers have enough time to review the standards to then put the curriculum in place so they can then send them in to get approved, and thats not something you do overnight, Millian said.

The deadline for feedback on the governments changes in April 7.

In Transportation Minister Del Ducas email to the Star, he noted the importance of collaboration in the shift to mandatory testing. We have been working closely with the industry to make sure we produce a result that helps make Ontarios roads safer and gets this right for industrys adoption of the program.

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DAMASCUS, SYRIAThe United States and Russia have agreed on a new ceasefire for Syria that will take effect Saturday, even as major questions over enforcing and responding to violations of the truce were left unresolved. Syrias warring government and rebels still need to accept the deal.

The timeline for a hoped-for breakthrough comes after the former Cold War foes, backing opposing sides in the conflict, said they finalized the details of a cessation of hostilities between President Bashar Assads government and armed opposition groups after five years of violence that has killed more than 250,000 people.

The truce will not cover the Islamic State group, the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and any other militias designated as terrorist organizations by the U.N. Security Council. But where in Syria the fighting must stop and where counterterrorism operations can continue must still be addressed. And the five-page plan released by the U.S. State Department leaves open how breaches of the ceasefire will be identified or punished.

The announcement came after Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone Monday, capping weeks of intense diplomacy to stem the violence so that Assads government and moderate rebel forces might return to peace talks in Geneva. A first round of indirect discussions collapsed almost immediately this month amid a massive government offensive backed by Russian airstrikes in northern Syria.

Obama welcomed the agreement in the call with Putin, which the White House said was arranged at Russias request. The White House said Obama emphasized the key is to ensure that Syrias government and opposition groups faithfully implement the deal.

This is going to be difficult to implement, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. We know there are a lot of obstacles, and there are sure to be some setbacks.

Putin called the agreement a last real chance to put an end to the many years of bloodshed and violence. Speaking on Russian television, he said Moscow would work with the Syrian government, and expects Washington to do the same with the opposition groups that it supports.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also welcomed the agreement, calling it a long-awaited signal of hope to the Syrian people. But he warned that much work lies ahead for its implementation.

Hours after the agreement was announced, Assad issued a decree setting parliamentary elections for April 13. A UN Security Council resolution adopted in December calls for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held during an 18-month transition period that would end the 5-year-old conflict in Syria. However, the country was due for parliament elections anyway, as the current parliaments four-year term expires in May.

The leader of a Saudi-backed Syrian opposition alliance, meanwhile, said in a statement that rebel factions had agreed in principle to an internationally mediated temporary truce. Riad Hijab did not elaborate but urged Russia, Iran and the Assad government to end attacks, lift blockades and release prisoners held in Syria.

Syrian officials said the government was ready to take part in a truce as long as it is not used by militants to reinforce their positions.

Both sides have until Friday to formally accept the plan.

Even if the ceasefire takes hold, fighting will by no means halt.

Russia will surely press on with an air campaign that it insists is targeting terrorists but which the U.S. and its partners say is mainly killing moderate rebels and civilians. While ISIS tries to expand its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, Nusra is unlikely to end its effort to overthrow Assad. The Kurds have been fighting ISIS, even as they face attacks from Americas NATO ally, Turkey. And Assad has his own history of broken promises when it comes to military action.

All of these dynamics make the truce hard to maintain.

We are all aware of the significant challenges ahead, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said. Over the coming days, we will be working to secure commitments from key parties that they will abide by the terms.

Kerry said the cessation could lead to less violence, expanded humanitarian deliveries and help support the U.S. goal of a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people. Like previous U.S.-Russian statements, however, Mondays document says nothing about Assads future  perhaps the biggest stumbling block to a sustained peace.

The plan largely follows the blueprint set by Washington, Moscow and 15 other countries at a conference in Germany earlier this month. That agreement called for a truce by Feb. 19, a deadline that was missed.

Beyond the new ceasefire date, the agreement sets up a communications hotline and, if needed, a working group to promote and monitor the truce. Violations are to be addressed by the working group with an eye toward restoring compliance and cooling tensions. The deal also calls for non-forcible means to be exhausted before other means are pursued for punishing transgressors.

Any party can report violations to the working group being co-chaired by the U.S. and Russia.

The two countries also will share pertinent information about territory held by rebels accepting the truce.

Russia has pushed for broad co-ordination. Putin apparently hopes that engaging the U.S. in military-to-military co-operation in Syria could help ease the strain in relations and also cast Moscow as a power equalling Washington.

The timing of the ceasefire is only days ahead of Moscows proposal earlier this month for it to start on March 1. Washington rejected that offer at the time, saying it wanted an immediate ceasefire and not one that would allow Syria and its Russian backer to make a last-ditch effort for territorial gains in the Arab countrys north and south.

While negotiations dragged, however, Russian airstrikes pummeled areas in and around Aleppo, Syrias largest city, and Assads military made significant gains.

Inside the Hamidiyeh Souk, a popular Damascus bazaar, people expressed worries that a ceasefire wouldnt be evenly observed, leaving Syrian authorities vulnerable.

I hope there will be no ceasefire, because if there is a ceasefire, Turks will increase their support for criminals and traitors, said Ahmad al-Omar, who is from the province of Aleppo in the north, adding that Turkey may let opposition fighters in through its border with Syria. The Associated Press reported from the bazaar on a government-approved visit.

But rebels who engage in violence could see their Western support cut off. In recent days, U.S. officials have spoken about the ceasefire being a self-policing mechanism. If a group fights Assads military, according to this logic, it essentially aligns itself with militants considered to be terrorists and can then be attacked.

That has the opposition concerned about Assad or Russia trying to provoke it into acts of self-defence.

The conflict began with violent government repression of largely peaceful protests in 2011 but quickly became a full-blown rebellion against Assad and a proxy battle between his Shiite-backed government and Sunni-supported rebels. A U.S.-led coalition is only attacking the Islamic State and other extremist groups, not Assads military.

The Syrian governments supply route by land to the city of Aleppo was cut by heavy fighting Monday as the army, supported by allied militias and the Russian air force, fought to consolidate its recent gains. They are trying to seal the border with Turkey, a key supporter of the rebels, before a truce is reached.

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Marco Rubios path to the Republican nomination goes through the suburbs of places like Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Minnesota is one of 11 states that vote March 1, and the Florida senator who is emerging as his partys great anti-Donald Trump hope plans to campaign there this week. It could be the first contest Rubio wins.

Preparing for Super Tuesday, Rubio is focusing heavily on the vote-rich metropolitan areas around Denver, Atlanta, Nashville, Little Rock, Birmingham and Boston.

Even if he loses the popular vote in these states to Trump, Rubio might still emerge with a lot of delegates  and momentum  going into the higher-stakes, winner-take-all races that begin on March 15.

Internally, the campaign calls this The Ankeny Strategy. In the run up to the Iowa caucuses, rival campaigns mocked the Rubio operation for being so obsessed with Ankeny, Iowa. They joked that it felt like Rubio was running to be mayor of the Des Moines suburb. His headquarters was there, and his state chairman represents the city in the state Senate. But it paid off: Rubios surprisingly strong third-place finish in Iowa was possible because he ran up his margin in the suburbs.

There are Ankenys all over the country, Rubio deputy campaign manager Rich Beeson said in an interview last night as he boarded a plane. Name the state, and theres an Ankeny in that state.

Next week will offer the biggest test yet of whether The Ankeny Strategy can get Rubio the GOP nod. Unlike the early states, where the campaign could organize heavily, the race is likely to now turn on earned media. Rank-and-file Republican voters in Minnesota report that theyve received few mailers and seen even fewer ads. Theres relatively little local media coverage of the race.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who endorsed Rubio this week, was able to win twice in the blue state by appealing to the same kinds of voters who now seem poised to move in Rubios direction. He is no doubt conservative but his message is also hopeful and positive in a way that would be well-received in the suburbs, Pawlenty, who was a city councilman in the suburb of Eagan before joining the state legislature, said.

John Hinderaker, an influential conservative blogger who backs Rubio, explained that Minnesota suburbs like Edina and Eagan were once reliably red, but theyve become much harder to win in the fall. (Richard Nixon was the last Republican to carry Minnesota in a general election.)

Marco is the kind of candidate who could do well in these traditionally Republican areas that are now swing areas, Hinderaker said. My wife and daughters love Rubio. They cant stand Ted Cruz. Theres a lot of people like that ... I think Marco is conservative enough to appeal to hardcore Republicans, but hes got a little bit of a broader appeal that will play well with suburban women.

To be sure, the suburbs in the general election and in the Republican caucuses are very different places. For example, Minnesotas suburban Dakota County will be a swing district in November but it will be quite conservative next week. So Rubio needs to sell electability without sacrificing his conservative bona fides.

So far, Rubio has shown that he is a gifted communicator who can thread that needle among Republican voters and moderates. Unlike Cruz or Trump, he has proven (by winning statewide in Florida) that he can communicate red messages in purple and blue places  without scaring people.

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What does a university education actually teach you?

In a rare bid to answer the age-old question, Queens University is trying to measure what students actually learn  beyond the subject theyre studying. Its tracking skills employers say they seek, but which long have been seen as unmeasurable; things like the ability to think critically, work with others, be organized and analyze problems.

Employers want to know more than the fact you know your field; they want to know youre going to show up at a meeting on time, have thought about the issue and bring questions to ask, said Jill Scott, vice-provost of teaching and learning.

Measuring these kinds of skills is a game-changer. People may roll their eyes at standardized tests, but if we dont have the data, we cant have these conversations.

Queens is one of six institutions experimenting with ways to measure these learning outcomes beyond just course marks, in a project funded by Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). The others are the University of Toronto, The University of Guelph, George Brown College, Durham College and Humber College.

At Queens, some 2,000 students in psychology, drama, physics and engineering have agreed to take part in soft skill assessments, from standardized international tests to personal surveys and special questions stitched into their own class assignments.

Among the tools Queens is using:

The Cognitive Learning Assessment (CLA) is an online 90-minute test of critical thinking, communication and problem-solving. Widely used by American colleges, the test measures these transferable skills a student could bring to different types of work, and are deemed valuable by employers. One engineering student was shocked he was being asked to analyze a poem as part of the test, said Natalie Simper, co-ordinator of the Queens assessment project. This is a poem  but Im an engineer!

The Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT) is a paper-based assessment with problems that test the ability to think critically. For these standardized tests, Queens offers free pizza as an incentive.

Special questions embedded in an assignment can help test core skills, such as communication and problem-solving.

Students fill out surveys that indicate whether their personal behaviour might help them succeed, from being motivated and organized to how they work in a group, their self-confidence and self-discipline.

Already Queens has found students improved most between first and second year on questions that were embedded in their own course assignments, rather than the free-standing standardized tests,

It stands to reason wed see discernible growth when the questions are related to their field of study, where theyre most motivated, said Simper.

In the end, its all about flexibility, said Susan McCahan, University of Toronto vice-provost of innovation and undergraduate education, who is in charge of the U of Ts pilot project.

A good university education should not train you for one particular job; that was never the intent. But will you be flexible enough for all your jobs? That will put you in good stead for your whole career.

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Cruz changes tune on rounding up undocumented immigrants



Ted Cruz moved to a more aggressive deportation policy in an interview on Monday night, saying he would look for and deport undocumentedl immigrants using Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, marking a change from a January interview with CNN.



Appearing on "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News, Cruz was repeatedly pressed on the specifics of his deportation plans by host Bill O'Reilly, who asked Cruz, "Would you go look for them, though? As (Donald) Trump would look for them to get them out, would you do that if you were president?"



"Bill, of course you would, that's what ICE exists for," Cruz said. "We have law enforcement that looks for people who are violating the laws, that apprehends them and deports them."



Nightcap: The toll of the "liar" attack: Ted Cruz cans top aide Rick Tyler | Sign up



O'Reilly offered a hypothetical example of an immigrant from Ireland with "a couple of kids and he's settled into Long Island."



"And you, President Cruz, are going to send the feds to his house, take him out, and put him on a plane back to Ireland?" O'Reilly asked.



"You better believe it," Cruz said.



Cruz's comments to O'Reilly stand in stark contrast from his previous rhetoric on the issue.



In a January interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Cruz had said he would not deploy a "deportation force," as Trump as suggested he would do as president.



"I don't intend to send jackboots to knock on your door and every door in America. That's not how we enforce the law for any crime," Cruz told Tapper. "We don't live in a police state. We do have law enforcement."


The man, who identified himself as Don Schubert, was asked to leave the lobby of the Las Vegas Review Journal on Friday after filling out an obituary form for Clinton, the newspaper reported. A security guard at the newspaper said Schubert was wearing a Sanders campaign sticker on his shirt at the time and drove off in a maroon car with several Sanders stickers on the back.



Schubert later told the Review Journal that he submitted the obituary in an attempt at political humor. He also acknowledged that he was contacted by the Secret Service but did not expect to be arrested for the incident.



Martin Mulholland, a special agent in charge of government and public affairs at the Secret Service, said the agency is aware of the incident.



"Our Las Vegas Field Office is conducting appropriate investigative follow up in conjunction with our local law enforcement partners," Mulholland said in an email.



The Sanders campaign's website lists an event last month at the home of a Don Schubert of Long Beach, Calif., and a volunteer phone bank at the same location. A man by the same name posted in a Facebook group for Sanders volunteers acknowledging the Las Vegas newspaper's story but did not elaborate on the situation.



The Sanders campaign declined to comment.




Asimov said: I was thinking of the Vatican... maybe somewhat? Except that nobody bothers to even ASK the Catholic believers who they want for Pope. The entire election begins and ends with the College of Cardinals.



Maybe we should do away the General Election. It would certainly save a lot of time and probably at least a billion dollars. Click to expand...

Have Congress choose the President. This was rejected for violating the separation of powers.

Have the state legislatures select the President. This was rejected because it would leave the Executive Branch obligated and beholden to the states.

Have the President elected by popular vote. This was rejected for myriad reasons. The primarily reason was the Founders disdain for democracy and the reason for the collapse of the Athenian democracy and the Roman Republics demagoguery such as the panem et circenses.

I will hit just the highlights for the sake of brevity.Indeed, the United States Electoral College can be compared to the Roman Catholic Churchs Sacred College of Cardinals for selecting the Pope. Both are based on the Roman Empires. Until the 18th century, the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire primarily functioned in the same manner as our Electoral College with the laity excluded from any direct influence on who was elected Pope.Circa 700 A.D., this applied as well to the monarchical government. One example is the Pelagius, the King of Asturias. He was elected by the Visigothic noble senators and remained in power only with the support of the Visigothic nobles. The method was used in other countries as well.As with most of the Constitution, nothing was new but was based on the success and failures of political systems dating back almost two-thousand years. The enduring relevance of the power of the Constitution is that it was based on thousands of years of the failings of human nature in the role of government, and its relevance today, if followed, is to protect the country from the very same human nature. The Electoral College is one of those protections.The structure of the Electoral College can be traced to the(Centuriate Assembly), system of the Roman Republic. Rather than states, the Roman Electoral College used Centuries consisting of one-hundred people. Each Century could cast one vote, and the majority of the one hundred people in the Century decided how their one vote would be cast. This mirrors our Electoral College.The Roman Republic failed not because of the structure, but because of the representative republican structure was dominated by tyrannical kings. This history of tyranny in a republic was one the primary reason of the severe limitations regarding the Presidents powers and method of electing the President in Article II.This was the knowledge of failed nations and empires that Madison spent an inordinate amount of time studying and understanding. In the Philadelphia Convention, three methods of electing the President were debated:The Founders had to balance a structure of government that prevented tyranny from democracy, allow the people to govern themselves, and negate the power of large states over small states. The Electoral College accomplished this, and that is why it was relevant then and is just as relevant today.
The US is Selling Weapons to Nearly Half the Countries in the World



The global trade in arms continued to grow over the last half decade, buoyed by an appetite for weapons in the Middle East and a near doubling of exports from China.



Figures released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a monitoring group, showed that even as the total trade in weapons grew by 14 percent between 2011 and 2015, the two largest exporters, Russia and the US, managed to capture even greater portions of the pie.



American exports made up a full third of the global trade, up from 29 percent between 2006 and 2010. According to a congressional report, US arms sales increased by more than a third in 2014 alone, to $36.2 billion from 26.7 the year prior. SIPRI reported that over the last five years, the US sold "major" weapons to at least 96 countries  just a hair under half the total number of UN member states.



Russia meanwhile captured a quarter of all exports in SIPRI's most recent assessment, up from 22 percent in the previous reporting period.



In line with longstanding security alliances in the Gulf, the US sent nearly 10 percent of its total exports between 2011 and 2015 to Saudi Arabia, and a further 9.1 percent to the United Arab Emirates. Both countries are members of the coalition that has intervened militarily in Yemen for nearly a year, largely with American-supplied aircraft and munitions. According to the Congressional Research Service, the US sold them more than $90 billion in armaments and weapons systems since 2010.



Overall, imports to the Middle East rose by 61 percent; Saudi Arabia and the UAE were the second and fourth-biggest global importers between 2011 and 2015. Elsewhere in the region, Qatar's imports grew by 279 percent, while Egypt's increased by 37.



Weapons purchases by Iraq, which is battling Islamic State militants, rose 83 percent more during the past five years than between 2006 and 2011, continuing a steady flow that began following the US-led invasion of the country in 2003.



"Despite low oil prices, large deliveries of arms to the Middle East are scheduled to continue as part of contracts signed in the past five years," said Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher at SIPRI, in a statement.



Russia sent nearly 40 percent of all its exports to India, followed by sales to China and Vietnam. The latter increased its spending on foreign arms by a whopping 699 percent, catapulting their rank among importers from 43rd to eighth over the past five years.



Nearly all of the weapons delivered to Vietnam came from Russia, including 8 combat aircraft, 4 submarines and 4 "fast attack craft." SIPRI assessed that Vietnam's stepped-up purchasing reflected fears of Beijing's growing power in Asia and territorial claims in the South China Sea that overlap with its own



While China still only accounts for 5.9 percent of global arms exports, its share is growing faster that practically any other state. Between 2006 and 2015, it's share of exports rose 88 percent. Most were destined for other Asian countries, including Pakistan.



SIPRI noted that Beijing "is increasingly capable of producing its own advanced weapons and has become less dependent on arms imports," which fell 25 percent in the recent reporting period. But China, wrote researchers, "remains partly dependent on imports for some key weapons and components, including large transport aircraft and helicopters, and engines for aircraft, vehicles and ships."
The German Rheinmetall company outlined today its role in the overhaul and upgrade of 128 Leopard 2 main Battle Tanks for the Polish military. The project represents roughly 220 million in sales volume for Rheinmetall. The consortium includes the German company that teamed with local prime contractor PGZ and system integrator ZM Bumar-abedy S.A., both were awarded the Leopard 2A4 modernization contracts on 28 December 2015, offering an upgrade program developed in partnership with Rheinmetall.

The 128 Leopard 2 A4 MBTs were purchased in 2002 by the Polish Army from surplus Bundeswehr stocks. They will be upgraded to Leopard 2 PL standard, which corresponds to the German Leopard 2 A5 and A6. Rheinmetall has been awarded similar modernization contracts for Leopard 2 tanks from Canada and Indonesia. with over 3,600 Leopard II tanks built, serving the armed forces of 17 countries,

The consortium will deliver a prototype for Polish Armed Forces evaluation by the end of 2017. Once approved for series production, Rheinmetall will revamp a further five tanks starting in 2018. The next 12 tanks will undergo modernization at Bumar-abedy, under Rheinmetall supervision. Follow-on upgrades will be done by the Polish contractors, retrofitting and shipping the remaining 110 tanks. The entire work is expected to conclude by the year 2020. An option for the upgrade of 14 additional tanks is also included, to be signed upon the conclusion of the program in 2021.

This is an excerpt of 215 of the original 467 words article reserved to subscribers.
The Italian government last month quietly began allowing armed American drones to fly out of the US Naval Air Station Sigonella on the island of Sicily, on military operations against Islamic State in Libya and across North Africa  a breakthrough for Washington after more than a year of negotiations. U.S. drones have been based in Sigonella since 2011 but until last month they were used exclusively on surveillance missions.

The Italians granted permission for the drones to be used only defensively, to protect U.S. special-operations forces in Libya and beyond, the officials said. The permission granted does not include sending drones on an air attacks such as the one conducted last Friday by U.S. air Force F-15Es based in the U.K, against a training camp near Sabratha, Libya, targeting a senior Islamic State operative from Tunisia.
It takes a punk rock attitude to start a global beer revolution, said James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog and the author of Business for Punks.

"We hate having to depend on anyone for anything, so we love to learn the skills ourselves and it's that D.I.Y. punk bootlegging ethos that has underpinned everything we've done," said Watt.

BrewDog beer was founded in England in 2007 by the former deep sea captain Watt and his pal Martin Dickie. The pair started the craft beer revolution in the U.K. after being bored of the industrial lagers and traditional ales that dominated the market.

There are now 32 BrewDog Bars in the United Kingdom and overseas, a rapidly expanding brewery in Scotland, over 400 incredible crew members, and over 40,000 Equity Punk shareholders. The company's shareholders get exclusive offers for their investments, as well as for referrals to its crowdfunding program.

"The business is owned by people who enjoy the beers we make," said Watt. "But they are also advocates and ambassadors and they tell their friends to buy our beer."

BrewDog has big plans to expand in the United States as well, launching a similar equity for punk program stateside in May. The company purchased 42 acres of land near Columbus, Ohio, on which it is constructing a full-scale 100,000 square foot brewery. The site will also feature US offices, a visitor center, a craft beer inspired restaurant and a taproom featuring beers such as Punk IPA, Dead Pony Club and Jack Hammer.

"We make a name for ourselves in the U.S.A. by making the customers complicit in the U.S.," said Watt, adding that he plans to take his "unconventional business model" from the U.K. to the U.S.A in order to compete with the likes of Anheuser Busch (BUD).

"More and more people want a beer made by somebody who is passionate," said Watt.
Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.

This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media  main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.




Editor's note: This story was originally published on February 23. Considering Donald Trump's win in the Republican Nevada caucus and his march to the nomination, it's worth looking at how his selection would change the GOP.

Funny or Die recently released "The Trumpening," a mashup video of Donald Trump's campaign with horror film "The Conjuring." The parody will take on new meaning if the real estate magnate lands the Republican Party's presidential nomination -- for many in the GOP establishment an inconceivable outcome and one not too welcome.

Since Trump threw his hat into the ring last summer, the prevailing wisdom has been that an unknown something would derail his campaign, clearing the way for a more conventional candidate to ultimately land the Republican nod. But as the days wear on and the boisterous billionaire continues to defy the odds, Republicans are having to come to terms with what to many is a sobering possibility: the Donald taking center stage at the RNC convention in Cleveland in July.

If and when that happens, the Republican Party will face a rough road ahead.

"It will be a huge mess," said Jonah Goldberg, National Review senior editor and fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. "It will fundamentally and permanently change the brand of, at least, the Republican Party."

Trump as the GOP's standard bearer would give the party a much more nativist, populist gloss. It would also call into question some of the ideological pillars -- stances on issues like free trade and entitlements -- that have sustained its platform for decades.

"The party has been pretty steadfastly against protectionism, against big government interventions, and Donald Trump is completely out of sync with the ideological roots of the GOP going back at least 30 years. It's going to cause a huge shaking out," Goldberg said.

Of course, many Republicans would be able to make peace with a Trump nomination.

The vast majority of Republicans will vote for the party's nominee, said Jon Seaton, a Republican political strategist who has worked on George W. Bush, John McCain and Lindsey Graham presidential campaigns. Some establishment Republicans are already coming around (see: John Huntsman). And the Republican National Committee will back Trump as well -- something chairman Reince Priebus has reiterated on numerousoccasions.

"To the extent that he wants to use it, the Republican Party apparatus will be available to him, the infrastructure both nationally and in the states," he said.

The K Street crowd (Washington lobbyists, think tanks and advocacy groups) and many Republicans on Capitol Hill would support Trump, Goldberg predicted. Others, however, might not.

"There will be other people who are going to be ideologically homeless either within the GOP or they'll leave the GOP," he said.

A number of the party's most prominent figures, including Peter Wehner and Erick Erickson, have already drawn the line and said under no circumstance will they cast a vote for Trump.

A Trump nomination would perhaps be most problematic for down-ballot Republicans -- those competing for Congressional seats, governorships, etc. -- running with Trump at the top of the ticket. The party would find itself having to engaging in a political balancing act of sorts.

"Certain candidates will really embrace Trump, others will advocate for themselves as a balance against Trump," said Ben Domenech, publisher of The Federalist. "It depends on which state you're in, and whether it's blue or red."

Those distancing themselves from Trump might not be able to stray too far, however -- at least if they want to draw the support of his enthusiastic base.

"It's going to put a lot of people in Congress in a tough spot, because they are going to have to answer whether they agree with the positions that they have held for their entire professional lives or whether they agree with the standard bearer of the party," said Goldberg, adding that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan may emerge as the party's rallying point, positioned as the authentic head of the GOP.

Conservative grassroots groups that depend on voter donations would find themselves in a predicament as well -- namely, those with ideologies that conflict with Trump.

"It's very difficult to raise millions of dollars from the grassroots and small donations for free trade, let's say, if the masses are now listening to Donald Trump, who's against free trade," he said.

While a Trump nomination may not fracture the Republican Party entirely, it may transform the nature of America's two-party system.

The United States has been unique in having a tradition of a classically liberal, fiscally conservative, free market wing in politics, Domenech explained. In much of Europe and the West, systems are dominated by a centrist, technocratic majority and a populist party represented in a way as xenophobic, anti-immigrant and anti-free trade.

"That's kind of what Trump does by taking over the Republican Party," said Domenech. "If you have a Republican Party that is taken over by Trump and Trumpism, then it kind of moves the conversation from being one between a group of people who want to reform entitlements and a group of people who don't, between an argument about which entitlements need to be rescued and saved, and it really gets rid of a voice for free trade, free markets and things of that nature."

It would mark entirely new territory for the Republican Party and force it to tackle issues most of its members would rather not face -- including contemplating mounting a conservative third-party run.

Pundits have floated the idea in the past, and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is exploring a potential bid in the event that Trump or lead rival Texas Senator Ted Cruz becomes the GOP nominee and Bernie Sanders lands the Democratic nomination (an unlikely scenario). While many conservatives acknowledge a third-party bid is a challenging scenario, it is not an impossibility if Trump lands the GOP nomination.

"I do think that it opens the door wider than it usually is," said Seaton.

"Talk about a third party, I think, is kind of overblown, but you can only exaggerate the truth," said Goldberg.

Ultimately, the principal concern among many Republicans is that a Trump nomination might give Democrats an easier path to the White House.

"What I do think would happen if Donald Trump won the Republican nomination is Hillary Clinton would beat him. He is vulnerable on so many fronts," said Henry Barbour, a Mississippi-based Republican strategist. He believes swing-state voters in places like Iowa, Florida, Colorado and Iowa would reject Trump outright and that Republicans would almost certainly lose their majority in the Senate. "It would be a disaster," he said.

Goldberg was a bit more cautious in his assessment. "I wouldn't want to bet on Donald Trump to win, I just don't think it's obvious that he wouldn't," he said.

Republicans Still Hoping for a Trump Trip-Up

Those we spoke to for this piece agreed on one theme: They're still not sure Trump will get the nomination. This, despite the overwhelming indications to the contrary.

Domenech acknowledged that Trump has momentum and "it is his race to lose" but believes Cruz or Rubio can still beat him -- as long as they do so within the next month. If Trump comes out ahead in winner-take-all states like Florida and Ohio, which vote on March 15, it could be over.

"If we wake up on March 16 and he has won Ohio and Florida, which are both winner-take-all, then I think he's probably the nominee. And if that happens, then conservatives have to come to grips with the fact that the Republican Party is no longer a conservative party," he said.

Seaton has hopes that go beyond next month.

"There will probably be a huge amount of focus on delegate counts and on seeing if he's shy of 50% going into Cleveland, what kinds of deals and coalitions can be pulled together to settle on a different nominee," Seaton said. "You'll see that right up until he clinches 50% plus one of the delegates in the primaries and caucuses. As long as he's shy of that, as long as there seems to be a reasonable chance that he'll fall short, even if he has a massive delegate lead, I expect that there will be some maneuvering to find another candidate who can on second, third or fourth ballot get a majority."

The overarching consensus among those hoping for Trump's defeat appears to be that the Republican field needs to be whittled down to two. But with five contenders still left in the race, that may not be happening anytime soon.

"The hope is that the rest of the field gets out, leaving [Marco] Rubio to face Trump one-on-one, because the polling is pretty clear that Rubio would beat Trump one-on-one," said Goldberg. "The problem is that we're in a situation that all of these guys are still fighting to be the last candidate standing to take on Trump, and there isn't much time left to do that."

"Candidates who are underperforming have to get out of the race," said Barbour, later adding, "The longer it takes, the better it is for Donald Trump."
If you think Ted Cruz is getting dirty, try 1972.

Back when Richard Nixon was running for re-election, it was called "ratfucking," and the man in charge was Donald Segretti. A former Treasury Department lawyer, Segretti knew Nixon from their days at the University of Southern California, where they first began using dirty tricks in student elections.

As a staffer on Nixon's Campaign to Re-elect the President, known widely as CREEP, Segretti worked with others to spy on investigative reporter Jack Anderson, infiltrate the grassroots group Vietnam Veterans Against the War and ultimately to break into the Democratic Party's national headquarters at The Watergate in Washington D.C.

Watergate remains the Nixon campaign's defining event, but before the break-in Segretti was responsible for the "Canuck Letter," which accused liberal Maine Senator Edmund Muskie of making disparaging comment about Canadians, all but ruining his 1972 presidential campaign.

Segretti was also the brains behind a slew of anonymous mailings, one printed on Muskie letterhead, that accused Democratic Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson of fathering a child with a teenager, and charging that another had been arrested for homosexuality in the 1950s. Back before Stonewall, so-called anti-sodomy laws were commonplace, and fair game for politics.

For some, these were 'Good Fellas' moments. Boys being boys. But as Charles Pierce wrote, "ratfucking" was born of the belief that "political sabotage for its own sake is a worthy enough goal." On a more personal level, it's "essentially bullying...about ridicule and deceit as ends in themselves."

Of course, dirty tricks didn't begin or end with Segretti.

George W. Bush's political advisor Karl Rove, who met Segretti when he was 21, used accusations of being gay to undermine opponents, including Texas Governor Ann Richards, whom Bush defeated in 1994. Then in 2000, in South Carolina, fliers, e-mails and push polls surfaced alleging that Arizona Senator John McCain had fathered an African-American daughter out of wedlock. He actually had adopted a girl from Bangladesh.

Rove's attacks on McCain in 2000 read like a laundry list of dirty tricks. Which leads us to Cruz's presidential campaign.

In recent days, both Florida Senator Rubio and Ben Carson have accused the Texas senator's campaign of dishonesty, deceptiveness or downright lies. Carson remains bitter that on the day of the Iowa Caucuses, Feb. 1, Cruz's campaign told its supporters by phone and e-mail, that the nuerosurgeon-turned-religious-book-writer was suspending his quest for the Republican nomination, and heading to his home in Florida.

Cruz supporters were alerted with "breaking news" that Carson was dropping out, encouraging them to "inform any Carson caucus-goers of this news and urge them to caucus for Ted instead." Cruz narrowly defeated Trump in Iowa. The news about Carson was wrong, but Cruz went on to win the caucuses, defeating frontrunner Donald Trump, and gaining early momentum.

Since then, Cruz's campaign manager Jeff Roe, an operative in the tradition of Segretti and Rove, stepped up attacks on Rubio, first on immigration and later on abortion. In both instances, the Cruz campaign was accused of underhanded tactics.

And then on Monday, Cruz communications director Rick Tyler posted a video in which Rubio appears to portray the Bible as "not having many answers in it." Such an attack ad seemed like fair game considering that both candidates often invoke religion as guiding their positions on major issues.

Yet the Cruz campaign's accusation that Rubio was insufficiently impassioned over the Bible was actually the product of clever video editing. An earlier Cruz video had done something similar, creating the impression that Rubio was shaking hands with President Obama, a Republican no-no.

As for the Bible video, Rubio in fact states that when it comes to the good book, "all the answers are in there." Cruz fired Tyler afterward.

RedState, the right-wing website that supports both candidates, called on Cruz and Rubio to knock it off, and focus their attacks on Donald Trump, who many establishment Republicans now fear will be their nominee.

"In an election that is just as much about the identity of conservatism and what it means for our country, this spat does little more than give two camps which are normally stellar examples of the conservative identity a chance to tear each other apart," wrote RedState's Joe Cunningham. "This leaves the substantially less conservative Donald Trump still standing tall.

Dirty tricks may be easier to expose than in generation's past, but it's unlikely they'll disappear. As for Segretti, he served a little more than four months in federal prison for distributing illegal campaign material, back in the 1970s, and then surfaced, ironically, as the co-chair in conservative Orange Country, Calif. for McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.

Nonetheless, Obama defeated McCain eight years ago in California, 61% to 38%.
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) are spiking 7.6% to $47.43 on Tuesday morning after the company reported its 2015 fourth quarter earnings before today's market open.

The Miami-based cruise operator posted adjusted earnings of 51 cents per share, in line with analysts' estimates.

Revenue for the period was $1.04 billion, slightly lower than Wall Street's expectations of $1.06 billion.

However, revenue rose year-over-year. In the same quarter last year, revenue was $788.9 million.

Additionally, the company said strength in the Caribbean, Alaska and Bermuda markets are expected to offset softness in Mediterranean itineraries.

"By all accounts, 2015 was a truly successful year for Norwegian - a year which included strong net yield growth driven primarily by the go to market strategies aimed at driving demand that were introduced earlier in the year and the successful launch of the largest ship in our fleet, Norwegian Escape," President and CEO Frank Del Rio said in a statement.

For the full year, Norwegian Cruise Line expects adjusted earnings per share between $3.65 and $3.85 on revenue of $5 billion. Analysts are looking for earnings of $3.78 per share on revenue of $5.06 billion.

Separately, TheStreet Ratings Team has a "Buy" rating with a score of B on the stock.

This is driven by multiple strengths, which should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks covered.

The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, reasonable valuation levels, expanding profit margins, good cash flow from operations and growth in earnings per share.

The team believes its strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself.

Recently, TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this articles's author.

You can view the full analysis from the report here: NCLH

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Western Digital Corp. (WDC) stock is falling 4.45% to $44.05 in mid-morning trading on Tuesday after Unisplendour Corp. terminated plans to invest $3.78 billion in the hard-disk drive maker.

The Chinese firm, which would have acquired a 15% stake in Western Digital, pulled the offer after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. decided to investigate the proposal, Western Digital said in a statement.

Unisplendour's decision alters Western Digital's plans to acquire flash storage maker SanDisk Corp. (SNDK) by lowering the value of the offer.

Western Digital is now offering SanDisk shareholders $67.50 in cash and 0.2387 shares of Western Digital per share.

The alternative offer is valued at $78.50 per share based on Western Digital's stock closing price on Monday, compared with the previous proposal of $86.50 per share, according to Reuters.

Shares of SanDisk are down 1.71% to $66.52 this morning.

Separately, Western Digital has a "hold" rating and a letter grade of C at TheStreet Ratings because of the company's strengths, such as largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, attractive valuation levels and good cash flow from operations, and its weaknesses, including generally disappointing stock performance, feeble earnings per share growth and deteriorating net income.

You can view the full analysis from the report here: WDC

TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this articles's author.

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- YamanaGold (AUY) stock is up by 3.58% to $2.74 in late morning trading on Tuesday as gold prices rise.

The price of gold is increasing on Tuesday due to a rise in safe-haven investing in the precious metal, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Investors are worried about the global oversupply of oil, which has pressured oil prices, and the Chinese economy, according to the Journal. Gold prices have increased about 15% so far this year due to market volatility.

"If there is another big sell-off in equity markets, then levels around $1,260 are very achievable because you'd see defensive investors coming forward," ETFSecurities analyst Martin Arnold told Reuters.

Gold for April delivery is up by 1.25% to $1,225.20 per ounce on the COMEX this morning.

Based in Canada, Yamana operates gold mines in Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Canada.

Separately, recently, TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this articles's author.

TheStreet Ratings rates this stock as a "sell" with a ratings score of D. The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its weak operating cash flow and generally disappointing historical performance in the stock itself.

You can view the full analysis from the report here: AUY

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shutterfly (SFLY) stock is up 7.75% to $44.09 on heavy trading volume Tuesday after the company disclosed that a private equity firm was interested in buying the company.

The Redwood City, CA-based digital photo company received a letter from an unnamed private equity firm that expressed interest in buying the company, Shutterfly said in an SEC filing today.

That letter has been circulated "to certain participants in the investment community" without Shutterfly's permission, the company said.

"The board exercises its fiduciary duties in giving due consideration to such indications of interest, but is not engaged in negotiations regarding the sale of the company," Shutterfly said in the filing. "The company's highest priorities at this time are delivering its 2016 results and hiring a new CEO."

So far today, 1.18 million shares of Shutterfly have traded, versus the company's 30-day average of 579,000 shares.

Separately, recently, TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this articles's author.

TheStreet Ratings rates this stock as a "hold" with a ratings score of C-. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its impressive record of earnings per share growth, compelling growth in net income and revenue growth. However, as a counter to these strengths, we find that the stock has had a generally disappointing performance in the past year.

You can view the full analysis from the report here: SFLY

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Delta Air Lines (DAL) stock is climbing 0.63% to $49.13 Tuesday afternoon as oil prices take a hit.

Crude oil (WTI) is slumping 4.88% to $31.76 per barrel and Brent crude is plunging 4.32% to $33.19 per barrel.

Futures were lower today after Saudi Oil Minister Ali Ibrahim Naimi said production cuts will not happen. However, exporters will hopefully meet in March to negotiate an output freeze, he said, according to CNBC.com.

"Freeze is the beginning of a process, and that means if we can get all the major producers to agree not to add additional balance, then this high inventory we have now will probably decline in due time. It's going to take time," Naimi added.

Last week, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela proposed a freeze that would put a lid on production at January levels.

However, falling oil is good for airlines that now have extra cash on hand.

Separately, TheStreet Ratings currently has a "Buy" rating on the stock with a letter grade of A-.

The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its impressive record of earnings per share growth, notable return on equity, good cash flow from operations, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and solid stock price performance. We feel its strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins.

Recently, TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this articles's author.

You can view the full analysis from the report here: DAL

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Gold exploration company Newmont Mining (NEM) is up over 40% in the past month, while the yellow metal itself is only up 10%. Dan Denbow, portfolio manager of the USAA Precious Metals and Minerals Fund (USAGX) , said the surge in Newmont's stock is a testament to CEO Gary Goldberg's leadership during gold's downturn.

"Gary Goldberg came in and right-sized the organization and has been cutting costs," said Denbow. "He has delivered operating leverage which is why you own gold miners versus gold when you think gold is going to go up."

The USAA Precious Metals and Minerals Fund is up 26.6% thus far in 2016, according to fund-tracker Morningstar. The $563 million fund has lost an average of 2% annually over the past ten years, outpacing 67% of its Morningstar peers.

Denbow also likes Randgold Resources (GOLD) , up 39% in the past month, saying the company's CEO Dennis Bristow likes to operate in difficult African locations, but is able to pull it off.

"He is the one CEO you can trust to do it," said Denbow. "It always looks a little expensive, but you have to trust that he will continue to deliver. He builds the company to operate on $1,000 an ounce gold, so when gold prices rise he is going to do even better."

He is positive on Tahoe Resources (TAHO) , up 33% in the past month, saying the company's recent gold mine acquisition in Canada will lower the company's dependence on its Central American silver operations.

"They will benefit from the lower Canadian dollar and also give diversification for geopolitical events if the Guatemalan government decides it wants to raise royalties," said Denbow.

Denbow added that he likes Tahoe's 2.6% dividend yield because "everything that comes from the company is a good thing".

Finally, Denbow is a fan of Asanko Gold (AKG) , up 46% in the past month, although he admits this highly speculative African miner is speculative and needs to be monitored.

"You have to watch these smaller names, you don't want to pay too much for them, but they still have some room to run," said Denbow.
In this July 30, 1991 file photo, smoke rises from the Syrian city of Kobani, following an airstrike by the US led coalition, seen from a hilltop outside Suruc, on the Turkey-Syria border. Twenty five years after the first U.S. Marines swept across the border into Kuwait in the 1991 Gulf War, American forces find themselves battling the extremist Islamic State group, born out of al-Qaida, in the splintered territories of Iraq and Syria. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File)
Afghan migrants wave from a bus as they leave from the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. In an early morning operation, police at the Greek-Macedonian border ordered mostly Afghan migrants onto buses bound for Athens. The migrants are being taken to an army-built camp near Athens that was set up last week, following European Union pressure on Athens to complete screening and temporary housing facilities. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
A municipal health worker prepares insecticide to apply in a junk yard to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits the Zika virus in Joao Pessoa, Brazil, Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. A 16-member team of the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is starting work on a "case-control" study aimed at determining whether the Zika virus really does cause babies to be born with the devastating birth defect microcephaly, as Brazilian researchers strongly suspect. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Talk about a silver lining to a dark cloud.

Scio Christian Church was notified earlier this month that it needed to get a restaurant license to continue providing free meals to the community, and necessary upgrades to its kitchen would likely cost thousands of dollars.

As of Monday, the church had already received $5,000 in pledges for the new equipment, as well as $600 from a GoFundMe online account, said Minister Mike Owens.

We got calls from as far away as a man down in Grants Pass. Word got out far and wide. We were kind of overwhelmed with support and encouragement, Owens said.

Phone calls started coming in on Friday, the same day a newspaper article about the situation appeared in the Democrat-Herald.

Some people who werent donating were calling to encourage us. They appreciated what we were doing. It was a blessing, period, Owens said.

Owens said that he wasnt sure exactly what upgrades will be necessary  hell be meeting with health officials soon  but the church will apparently need commercial-grade sanitizers to wash the dishes as well as stainless steel triple sinks.

The church is classified as a benevolent restaurant as it provides food to community members in general, rather than just church members, said Frank Moore, director of the Linn County Health Department, in an interview last week.

Moore added that an organization serving food to the general public needs to meet state standards, and the issue was a safety concern regarding food-borne illnesses.

For the last five years, the church has provided free Wednesday lunches to Scio High school students, and 125 teens usually attend. The church also has provided an annual meal for local public safety workers for eight years and has held a free community Thanksgiving feast for the last 21 years.
In this Feb. 12, 2016, file photo, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, shakes hands with China's Froreign, Minister Wang Yi, during a meeting in Munich, Germany, before the Munich Security Conference. The top diplomats of the U.S. and China meet Feb. 23, in Washington at a fraught time in relations between the two world powers. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, doctors treat a girl injured in the triple blast in Sayyida Zeinab, a predominantly Shiite Muslim suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus arrives to a hospital to receives treatment, Syria, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a triple blast in the Shiite suburb, saying two IS fighters set off a car bomb before detonating their explosive belts and killing dozens. (SANA via AP)
Linn-Benton Community College added extra security guards to campus Tuesday morning after receiving a bomb threat via Albany police.

Dale Stowell, executive director of institutional advancement, said campus was searched and no threat to safety was found. Classes and activities went on as usual, with the addition of security and police personnel.

Stowell said campus officials spoke with both police and the FBI about the threat, which a computer-generated voice message received at the Albany Police Department about the community colleges Albany campus.

We did what they recommended that we do and determined that it wasnt credible, he said.

Stowell said attendance Tuesday appeared to be about usual levels. No changes are planned to Wednesdays schedule.

Lt. Alan Lynn at the Albany Police Department said the call specified a bomb threat. The computer-generated voice stymies voice identification, he said, and so far the number has not been able to be traced.

Lynn said no link can be conclusively established, but the call was similar to anonymous computer-generated calls received last month at more than two dozen schools in New Jersey, all warning of bombs or shootings. All appear to have been hoaxes.

In the mid-valley, similar anonymous calls were received last October by Santiam Christian School in Adair and by Central School and the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Albany. Those calls were traced to a high school student in Maryland who was later charged with telephone misuse, disturbing school activities and making a threat of mass violence.

LBCC sent out emails and texts to students and staff about the threat shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday:

LBCC security received a report from the Albany Police Department which said they received a computer generated message that included a safety threat to the Albany campus.

With the full support and involvement of Albany Police Department, FBI, and Corvallis Police Department, this report has been investigated and deemed to be not credible.

Still, safety is a top concern, so if you notice the police officers that will be on campus today and the greater security presence, please know this is only an effort to take every precaution to ensure a safe campus environment.

We have also alerted and prepared other key staff to be vigilant.
[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]

By Dovid Grossman

Rabbi Tzion Menachem, a world renowned Mekubal from Eretz Yisroel, will be arriving in New York to meet with people who are seeking guidance and assistance in numerous matters. He meets people facing all sorts of difficulties and gives them chizuk, strengthening them and thus enabling them to face challenges. Whether it is children who are off-the-derech, issues of marriage or parnassa, Rav Menachem seems to give consistent and solid direction and advice that many people understand as truly miraculous.

Aside from being a Mekubal, Rav Menachem is a Rav in Elad where he has a shul and a Kollel Choshain Mishpat where his students study to be dayanim. Rav Menachem is an extraordinary Talmic Chachom as well as a great Mekubal and Tzaddik.

Rav Menachem has also authored a commentary on shaar ruach hakodesh of Rav Chaim Vitals classic Kabbalistic work entitled Etz Chaim. Rav Menachem had studied under the great Kabbalistic luminaries of our generation, HaRav Yoseph Dayan ztl and HaRav Mordechai Sharabi ztl.

It is said that virtually everyone who merits to see him and receives his advice, whether it has to do with medical issues, business issues, family matters or anything else  is so impressed that they recommend Rav Menachem to ten friends.

The following is a typical letter and experience. It was written by the son of a very famous Askan:

Around two years ago my bas yechidah began experiencing discomfort with her legs. I wont go into detail but we constantly visited doctors to no avail. As time went on her condition worsened. At the end of last year her legs began buckling. This became a regular occurrence and she got used to it happening.

This is when my story begins; In mid May 2015 on a Sunday when my daughter stumbled into our house crying. A heaviness had crept into her legs and by the time she got home she lost sensation in some parts and had little in the rest. I hurriedly took her to the doctor. After countless hours we knew she needed the hospital.

She spent 15 hours undergoing tests with no results. There was nothing visibly wrong with her and the doctors said it was probably a one time thing.

Fast forward. The next day my daughter buckled and she fell down a large ight of stairs. I knew she couldnt go on like this and hurried to another hospital. We spent a week there. In the beginning it was nerve racking knowing that my daughter might have a serious illness. But I knew that it wasnt in my hands.

After the rst few days we all breathed a sigh of relief when all serious issues were ruled out, however we were still anxious about the fact that her legs were still numb and developed a numbness in her arm. At the end of a long week with no answers, we had only one more test which would be done as an outpatient.

My daughter left the hospital in a wheelchair. Thats when my father-in-law called me to ask for my daughters full name. About a half hour after we came home my father-in-law called me again. He had spoken to Rav Tzion Menachem shlita, a Rav and Rosh Kollel from Elad, a city in Eretz Yisroel.

He told us that we had closed a window in our home 2 years ago and that is what caused all the problems. With shock we recalled that most certainly we had left a hole in the wall but we had stuccoed on our home two years ago and sure enough the hole which once was, was no longer.

With bated breath I quickly called someone down to drill a hole in my wall. Unbelievably very soon after the hole was drilled my daughter started gasping and crying as the sensation began returning to her legs. With tears streaming down our faces I together with my family watched her stand up and walk on her own.

The gratitude and feelings of shevach vhodaah to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for sending us such a shaliach are indescribable.

Rabbi Tzion Menachem Shlita will be available in New York between February 28th and March 9th. For an appointment please call: 347  585  1846.
By prosecutors count, Apple helped federal law enforcement agents extract information from iPhones in criminal investigations at least 70 times in seven years before suddenly expressing a change of heart last fall in an otherwise ordinary drug case out of Brooklyn.

Asked to help break into the phone of a suspected methamphetamine dealer, Apple refused to cooperate, taking a stand that foreshadowed last weeks clash with the federal government over a phone belonging to one of the San Bernardino, California, attackers.

Public sensitivity to issues regarding digital privacy and security is at an unprecedented level, the companys lawyers said in a court filing. Forcing Apple to extract the data, they said, could threaten the trust between Apple and its customers and substantially tarnish the Apple brand.

The reversal stunned prosecutors, but they quickly girded for a broader fight.

Even after the defendant in the drug case, Jun Feng, pleaded guilty at the end of October, both Apple and the Justice Department lawyers told the court they still wanted a ruling.

The issue wasnt just that phone, they wrote, but the millions of other Apple devices with even tougher encryption technology that might someday be seized in connection with a criminal case.

At an October court hearing, Apple attorney Marc Zwillinger said the company feared the government would try pushing the law to a new frontier by forcing the company to modify software or change its products.

Were being forced to become an agent of law enforcement, and we cannot be forced to do that with our old devices or with our new devices, he said.

A decision still hadnt come when the case was overtaken by a similar one in California, where Apple had refused to help the FBI break down the security of a new version of its operating system so agents could look inside the iPhone of a shooter in the Dec. 2 massacre in San Bernardino that killed 14 people.

The technical and legal issues in that case are more complex. Apple has maintained that its iOS 8 operating system is so secure that even it cant get at data inside the phones without creating sophisticated software to bypass a self-destruct feature. The phone in the Brooklyn case didnt have those security features.

But at the heart of both cases is the governments reliance in recent terrorism investigations on a 1789 law, called the All Writs Act, which was written to compel action when other laws do not provide the authority.

Apples surprising October opposition in the Brooklyn case arose in part because a U.S. magistrate judge, James Orenstein, invited the Cupertino, California, company to challenge the governments use of the law. He asked whether the governments request was too burdensome.

Orenstein questioned the governments application of the law, saying using an aggressive interpretation of that statutes scope to short-circuit public debate on this controversy seems fundamentally inconsistent with the proposition that such important policy issues should be determined in the first instance by the legislative branch after public debate.

In court papers, Apple said it did have the technical capability to retrieve some data from the drug dealers phone, largely because it was running an older operating system. And it could afford to send Apple personnel to testify in any related court case. Zwillinger told Orenstein the company had been called to testify in about 20 instances in which it had helped to extract information from an iPhone.

Yet while it had cooperated in the past, Zwillinger said, customer privacy expectations had changed.

Right now, Apple is aware that customer data is under siege from a variety of different directions. Never has the privacy and security of customer data been as important as it is now, he said.

Apple said forcing it to extract data from phones would be like forcing a safe manufacturer to travel the country, picking locks at the governments whim.

Orenstein called the safe-cracking analogy fanciful but said he was troubled that Apple was changing course after repeatedly helping the government get access to iPhones in past investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Saritha Komatireddy told the judge that Apples position was a stunning reversal.

(AP)
With Hillary Clinton taking the lead in the competition for Democratic delegates, rival Bernie Sanders is vowing to fight on, saying on Monday that he has no plans of leaving the race anytime soon.

Sanders downplayed Clintons weekend victory in Nevada, pointing out that the win only resulted in her picking up four additional delegates, out of the 2,383 needed to win the nomination. He says his campaign has plenty of time to make up lost ground.

This is about a slog, state by state by state, he said. Even if we do well, Secretary Clinton will get a lot of delegates and well just have to keep moving on.

Clinton pulled ahead of Sanders late Monday, when she eked out the final delegate from Saturdays Nevada caucuses, giving her a total of 52 caucus and primary delegates. Sanders has 51.

HRC now takes (national) delegate lead, tweeted Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon. Not planning on ever giving it back.

The milestone is important because once a candidate establishes a sizable delegate lead, it can be hard for opponents to make up the lost ground.

Eight years ago, then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama outgunned Clinton for the party nomination by establishing a 100 delegate advantage that she was never able to overcome. Clintons team, who hired Obamas former aides to run their delegate effort, hopes to copy his strategy this spring by parlaying their strength with African-American voters into a string of wins in South Carolina, on Feb. 27, and the southern contests that follow on March 1.

There are more than 1,400 delegates at stake in states such as South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana, and depending on the outcome and proportional allocation of delegates, Clinton could build a comfortable lead.

She also maintains a commanding lock on the partys leadership. An Associated Press survey of superdelegates, who are influential in picking the nominee, found that 449 of the party insiders back Clinton, while only 19 support Sanders. Those superdelegates can switch candidates and Sanders team says that if the count is close, they plan to lobby delegates from the states he wins to change their positions.

Sanders argues that shes made gains by lifting much of his message, saying shes adopting not only his policy positions but his phraseology.

I saw a TV ad and thought it was me, but it turns out it was Secretary Clinton in the ad, he said. People of the United States need to know the difference between hastily adopted campaign rhetoric and the real record and the long held ideas of the candidate

(AP)
A lecturer at Beit Berel College, Dr. Anat Rimon has created a storm with a Facebook post in which she writes The day will come when High Court of Justice justices will be tried for treason. I hope that hang as the last of the criminals against humanity for all the horrors that they helped do to the Palestinians, the miscarriage of justice to Israelis, and on tilting the law in favor of those who are oppressors of our vital resources.

Dr. Rimon lectures on philosophy and sociology at the College of Arts Beit Berel College was responding to a High Court ruling in the case of administrative detainee Mohammed al-Kik, who has been on a hunger strike for 90 days, demanding he be released by Israel or charged with a crime and placed on trial.

Speaking to Walla News, Dr. Rimon decries what Israel is doing to al-Kik, calling it a betrayal, the fact he is held without being charged with a crime, without rights and without a trial. She feels the governments actions are a betrayal of democracy for which they will be held accountable.

The post on Facebook appears last week, explaining her words  that this is not what she hopes for but what she believes will happen to the justices due to their actions, calling for an immediate halt of such policies and a return to sane dialogue and adhering to the principles of a democratic society.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Otniel resident Mrs. Dafna Meir HYD was murdered in front of her home in the Southern Hebron Hills community on the eve of 8 Shevat. The terrorist responsible for the heinous act, an Arab youth, explained his actions were influenced by PA (Palestinian Authority) television.

There are people who feel the IDFs response to the many young terrorists, frequently Arabs youths who are 16 and younger, is too harsh. In fact, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott recently stated police and soldiers do not have to empty an entire clip into a 13-year-old girl with a pair of scissors.

The prosecutor on Monday 13 Adar I filed an indictment against this young terrorist, 16, explaining in the indictment that after murdering the mother of six in front of some of her children he returned home, washed his hands and sat down to watch television.

One must question if this too was the influence of PA TV or perhaps more accurately, the result of the ongoing PA education which indoctrinates youths with a hate for Israel and its very existence, breeding the next generation of terrorists.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Once again Israel and the United States are taking part in a joint military exercise, which also involves the US European Command. The training event began on Sunday, 12 Adar I involving over 1,700 US troops and civilians who arrived to be a part of Juniper Cobra 16, a biennial event.

The IDF Spokesman reports the exercise serves to improve cooperation and coordination as well as boosting ballistic missile defense capabilities.

US Major-General Mark Loeben, the director of Exercises & Assessments at EUCOM Headquarters said, Support for Israels defense has been an integral part of US policy in the region for decades, and this exercise has, and will continue, to directly support that policy.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Modiin resident Eliyahu Muallem, 27, was indicted in the Ramle Magistrate Court on charges of incitement, referring to Facebook posts dating back to 2014. The charge is incitement to violence and racism.

Muallem used Facebook to call on the masses to act, to strike out against Arabs; PA (Palestinian Authority) residents and Israeli Arabs alike. In his posts he cited Arab MK Hanin Zoabi by name as a possible target as well as members of the extremist left-wing Israeli community. He also praised the murder of 16-year-old Israeli Arab resident Mohammad Abu-Khadir, expressing his hope the next time the victim would be even younger.

His posts were received by his 1,280 friends and bounced around from there.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Amid growing fears that the current administration will continue to advance the agenda of the Reform Movement, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday, 13 Adar I hosted a contingent of leading Reform Movement rabbis from the United States as well as the movements leaders in Israel.

The visitors thanked the prime minister for the historic cabinet decision which allocates an egalitarian prayer area near the Kosel. Mr. Netanyahus guests cited they and they congregants around the world remain committed to the State of Israel and the expect the government to advance the values of pluralism, freedom of religion and equality.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Members of Knesset of the Degel Hatorah faction of Agudas Yisrael are becoming increasingly vocal in their criticism against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who earlier this week met with representatives of the Reform Movement from both the United States and Israel.

That meeting is seen as a step up in relations between state officials and the Reform Movement following other recent victories including the allocation of an egalitarian prayer area near the Kosel; the decision to move the IDF Jewish Consciousness Unit from the IDF Rabbinate to the Manpower Branch; and a High Court ruling compelling the Beersheva Religious Council to permit a Reform convert to toivel in front of Reform beis din.

In fact, MK Moshe Gafne and his colleagues, who insist they are acting upon instructions from Gedolei Yisrael Shlita, are coming under fire for standing by as the State of Israel officially recognizes Reform Jewry.

As PM Netanyahu hosted the Reform delegation on Monday, 13 Adar I, Gafne and his colleagues on Tuesday morning warned a red line that should not have been crossed was violated. Interestingly, while voices are opposition are audible from inside Yahadut Hatorah, Shas remains silent, as does the Bayit Yehudi party. Bayit Yehudi did however agree to join forces with Yahadut Hatorah and Shas in combating the High Court ruling pertaining to the mikve in Beersheva.

Gafne is quoted by Yated Neeman explaining first and foremost, the meeting that occurred between the prime minister and Reform leaders will be examined to determine if any of the coalition agreements were violated. Gafne adds he cannot ignore the meeting that took place.

The newspaper quotes Gafne saying the chareidim are aware there are areas in which Mr. Netanyahu is very sensitive and they do their best to respect those sensibilities, questioning why the same does not hold true in reverse. He adds the meeting that took place is tantamount to stabbing the Jewish People in the heart for they represent the destruction of the Jewish People and assimilation.

MK Uri Maklev adds the Reform representatives did not happen to come to meet but there is a clear agenda as in his words they wished to celebrate with Netanyahu over recent advances.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Some feel chareidi elected officials are missing the big picture regarding recent significant advances by the Reform Movement in Israel, fearing MKs from Yahadut Hatorah and Shas may be viewing each advance as an isolate case instead of seeing the bigger picture, de facto State of Israel recognition of Reform Jewry.

In recent week there have been noticeable advances boasted by Reform Movement leaders. These advances include (a) a High Court decision allocating an egalitarian prayer area near the Kosel, (b) stipulating the Chief Rabbinate of Israel will have no involvement in the running of this area, but Reform & Conservative Movements leaders will (c) a high court decision compelling the Beersheva Religious Council to permit a Reform convert to toivel in front of a Reform beis din (d) the ordered move of the IDF Jewish Consciousness Unit from the IDF Rabbinate to the Manpower Branch and (e) the meeting between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and high-level Reform Movement leaders from the US and Israel. Adding to the list, President Reuven Rivlin is expected to meet with visiting Reform leaders this week as well.

Adding to the current unwanted atmosphere, Reform leaders are expected to visit the new egalitarian area this Thursday, 16 Adar-I to hold a mixed prayer service following their recent victories, which they explain is tantamount to official recognition. (The area hasnt been set up yet but they will use the area).

While Yahadut Hatorah continues to insist their decision was correct, to remain passive and permit the allocation of the egalitarian prayer area, there is a growing sentiment among the frum community in Israel that they erred and in fact, the Reform has since celebrated other victories and it appears it may now be too late to stop this momentum.

MK Yisrael Eichler told Kol Chai Radio on Tuesday morning 14 Adar-I, the situation is much worse than most realize for in fact, the Reform Movement and its money already controls political parties such as Yesh Atid, Meretz and even Likud, explaining many Likud Members of Knesset are controlled by the money strings of the Reform Movement.

Eichler comes to the defense of his colleagues explaining Moshe Gafne and others from Degel Hatorah were opposed but regarding the decision to break form the coalition, this must be made by Gedolei Yisrael not the MKs. He explained that the chareidim breaking from the coalition would be yet another gift to the Reform Movement for all said and done, their continued presence has resulted in significant gain for the frum tzibur throughout Eretz Yisrael.

Kol Chai, Mordechai Lavi:

I know when the chareidi MKs are opposed to something they wage a war without compromise, and continue until victory is at hand. This was not the case here.

MK Rav Yisrael Eichler:

You are correct. What demands a response today however is the fact that PM Netanyahu invited Reform leaders and met with them. This demands a response.

Kol Chai adds there is also significant anger among Chabad shluchim, who are described as Extremely concerned.

The report explains the shluchim BH have been successful in making bar mitzvahs for countless numbers of non-frum youths but now, families in many cases will opt to have their bar mitzvah in Israel at the new Kosel area in a mixed setting and far from frum custom, for the egalitarian area would be more in line with their lifestyle.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
ALBANY POLICE

Burglary arrest  3:48 a.m. Monday, Linn County Jail. Amy Michelle Moller, 22, of Albany, was arrested on charges of first-degree burglary and second-degree criminal mischief. Her initial bail in the case was set at $23,000.

LINN COUNTY SHERIFF

DUII crash  3:40 a.m. Monday, 35800 block Brewster Road. A vehicle hit a power pole, and the pole and electrical line was across the roadway. Jaxsen Charles Perry, 24, of Aumsville, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving. He was released from jail without posting bail and scheduled to appear in court on March 31.

LEBANON POLICE

Threats  11:58 a.m. Friday, Boys & Girls Club of the Greater Santiam Teen Center, 626 S. Second St. A teen at the location posted a picture of a gun and a direct threat to staff members. The 15-year-old was referred to the juvenile department on a charge of first-degree disorderly conduct.

Fraud  12:15 p.m. Saturday, 600 block F Street. A woman reported that she attempted to buy a vehicle online, and the seller had her send $2,400 via a gift card. Once the gift card was sent, the vehicle was subsequently removed from the online list and the seller now will not respond.

SWEET HOME POLICE

Injury crash  3:19 p.m. Friday, 800 block Main Street. Maria Eugenia Hartmann, 77, was taken to Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital after a motor vehicle crash. Michael Lynn Heath, 66, was cited for failure to yield the right of way at an uncontrolled intersection.

Burglary arrest  7:35 p.m. Sunday, Linn County Jail. Jason Milton Dalebout, 41, of Sweet Home, was arrested on charges of first-degree burglary, unauthorized use of a vehicle, coercion, menacing, second-degree theft, third-degree criminal mischief and resisting arrest. His initial bail was set at more than $62,000.

TANGENT FIRE

Fan fire  11:04 a.m. Sunday, Bernett Research Services, 33464 Eagle Drive. Light smoke and a burning electrical odor were coming from the mens bathroom, and the building was evacuated. The burning odor and smoke were coming from an exhaust fan, and the problem was quickly solved.
The northern Shomron community of Chomesh was uprooted in 2005 as part of Ariel Sharons so-called Disengagement Plan. Following that act, Israelis are prohibited from entering the area according to the law.

Jews have been trying to maintain a presence there nonetheless and a court ruling shows authorities have been discriminating between visits by Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs.

A Jewish male, who does not wish to have his name revealed, was indicted for violating the law prohibiting him entry to the former Chomesh. He is charged with entering illegally twice in 2010. In response to the indictment, public defender Sharon Danieli argued the area where he was apprehended is outside the former yishuv. In addition, the defense argued enforcement of the law is discriminatory as Israeli Arabs are permitted entry while Israeli Jews are barred.

While a magistrate court rejected the contention he was not in Chomesh, the court did accept the argument that enforcement is discriminatory as the defense counsel pointed out.

Magistrate Court Justice Nava Bakor wrote, An unequal enforcement policy with a sweeping distinction between Jews and Israeli Arabs is improper and outrageous and justifies the defendants acquittal.

The ruling found that selective enforcement by Israel is deliberate, intended to protect Jews from being abducted and to strengthen the PA (Palestinian Authority) economy.

Testimony heard during the trial showed security agencies are aware of Jews entering that area often, including testimony from policemen who stated in 2010 there were dozens of such cases. Police told the court the defendant was apprehended with others, and they had sleeping bags, large bags, coolers, chairs and additional items. At least one person had his IDF-issued weapon for self-defense purposes.

The defendant told the court that during the two years following the expulsion he continued living in Sanur, the neighboring community that was also uprooted in 2005. Only when he was ousted from there did he move to Yitzhar and took part in a number of attempts to resettle Chomesh, admitting he was aware at the time his actions were illegal.

In the courts ruling, Justice Bakor added the defendant remained silent during a major portion of police questioning as he viewed his arrest as political in addition to believing police were hounding him and others like him, residents of the Shomron.

IDF counsel for the Yehuda & Shomron Division Command Colonel Doron Ben-Barak explained to the court the reasoning for the inequality in enforcement but the court ruled there was no place for such discrimination between one citizen and another, acquitting the defendant.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
During his address to a Knesset plenum session MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Uri Maklev stated that recent political affection being shown the Reform Movement is comparable to the meeting between Arabs MK and families of terrorists killed during the perpetration of recent terror attacks in a sign of solidarity with those families.

Maklev shouted The Knesset shouted regarding the Arab MKs meeting with terrorists families to show solidarity and as a result they are willing to pass the Suspension bill even though Arab MKs explained it was not solidarity but rather recitation of verses said to mourners. And how did you respond? Since when did the spirit of prayer become a part of you?

He continues that now there is A small fringe group and the spirit or prayer struck them with Sifrei Torah at the place of the Mikdosh suddenly and no one shouts or asks what it is all about.

Maklev told fellow lawmakers the Reform Movement is attached to the BDS effort, explaining he questions right-wing MKs as to how they can back such a movement, accusing the Reform of falsifying and sneering at everything holy. They desecrated the Holocausts connection to the Jewish People and cause millions to be against the Jews People he added.

Maklev added They are uprooting Toras Yisrael, Am Yisrael, and Eretz Yisrael. There is not a single mitzvah in the Torah they fulfill and not a single mitzvah in the Torah they mock, not Shabbos, not family purity, not a single Jewish value. They uprooted the tefilos   as well as    and   and does the location of the Mikdosh interest them? Does the Suspension law interest them? It is fitting to determine who indeed is mocking true Yiddishkheit and its roots, the Reform!

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
An inattentive Scio man crashed his vehicle into an Oregon State Troopers patrol car on Interstate 5 in Salem, according to a news release from the Marion County Sheriffs Office, which investigated the case.

Neither man was seriously injured in the wreck.

Trenton Simon, 25, was cited for careless driving.

At about 2:30 p.m., Simon was traveling south in the fast lane on I-5 near the D Street overpass, according to the news release. He took his eye off the roadway, and when he looked back up, traffic had slowed, and he swerved to the left shoulder to avoid a collision.

Unfortunately, his Volkswagen Jetta struck an Oregon State Police troopers car that was parked and conducting speed enforcement on that section of the interstate. Trooper Jason Davis was leaning out of the drivers side door monitoring traffic when the resulting impact ejected him away from the vehicle and onto the shoulder, the news release states.

The Jetta rolled over and came to rest in the southbound lanes.

Both Simon and Davis were being evaluated at Salem Hospital on Monday night.
Britain's first 'council solar bond' will launch tomorrow with a project in Swindon, Wiltshire, which is offering investors a six per cent return over a 20-year term.

People can invest in the bond from as little as a fiver through investment platform Abundance with the added security that it is backed by Swindon Borough Council.

The bond will fund construction on the site, with 3million being stumped up by the Council and Abundance hoping to raise 1.8million from small investors.

Swindon sun: The solar bond is offering a 6% return and is backed by Swindon Borough Council

The rate is certain to be eye-catching for savers currently starved of decent returns from banks and building societies and is likely to prove popular considering its tie-in with the council, which should, in theory, make it a lower-risk investment.

Investors will receive interest in cash twice yearly. Returns will be earned from a combination of electricity sold to the grid and payments under the Government's feed-in-tariff scheme.

Although there were serious cuts to feed-in-tariffs last month, Abundance says the rate it has secured will be at the higher level that applied before the recent cut.

Those who invest in the first six weeks will receive a 0.5 per cent 'early bird' boost to their returns for the first five years.

Abundance believes the tie-in with the council could be the start of a flurry of bonds issued this way, as local areas look to generate electricity to meet their needs and raising funding without increasing the burden on local taxpayers.

BE AWARE OF THE RISKS There are risks involved in investing in these type of bonds, so do your homework before investing. A bond is an official IOU issued by a company which offers a fixed-rate of return over a defined period. Swindon solar bonds are peer-to-peer investments which are a regulated and can be traded on the Abundance website. In this case, the Community Interest Company will be owned by Swindon Borough Council. Part or all of the original invested capital may be at risk and any return on the investment depends on the success of the project invested in. If the project did turn sour, there is no guarantee you'd get your money back. Although traditional high street savings rates are low, they do have the Financial Services Compensation Scheme safety net which covers savers to the tune of 75,000 if their bank or building society goes bust. These types of bond are also not covered under the investment part of the FSCS, which covers people up to 50,000. Abundance says investors should be prepared to hold its investments for their full term. It adds that investments may not be readily realisable and their value can rise or fall.

Swindon Borough Council  which is Conservative run - has a commitment to building enough renewable energy capacity by 2020 to generate electricity each year to meet the needs of all homes in the area.

Abundance says that the old, more generous feed-in tariff was an added attraction to these types of project as they made returns higher.

But it doesn't believe it will be a spanner in the works to council projects like this, saying the returns will still be good and 'relatively low risk' compared to other investments.

It also adds that bonds issued by it from April will be able to be included in an Isa wrapper.

Councillor Dale Heenan, Swindon Borough Council Cabinet Member for Transport and Sustainability, said: 'For years, companies have been trying to find ways to make investing more accessible and understandable.

'Swindon's solar bonds provide an opportunity for people to invest as little as 5 and enjoy better returns than their bank provides as they invest for their children's future, their own retirement or just a rainy day.

'Our approach is democratic finance in action, and the combination of personal benefit, environment issues and community involvement provides a topical way to catch imaginations, and help improve personal finance skills in a simple, easily understood way.'

Bruce Davis, managing director of Abundance, said: 'This first ever council solar bond is exciting and important as it is further proof that "win win investment" is not only possible, but can play a crucial role in providing the public with a better return, while creating innovative new ways for local community infrastructure to be improved without increasing costs to the taxpayer.

'This is great news for people struggling to live off their savings or wanting to invest for their future without stock market risks, and to councils across the UK trying to maintain and improve local services.'

Common Farm: The solar project will be built south of Swindon and the M4. Abundance says it will generate enough power to supply electricity to 1,200 homes

Abundance has successfully raised 15million for 16 different renewable energy projects in the last three years. It is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

This project will be built at Common Farm, near Wroughton, with construction starting in spring. It will be managed to promote biodiversity, with the land around the panels remaining in agricultural use, with sheep grazing for part of the year.
Primarkhas been boosted by its first foray into the US.

Owners Associated British Foods said that the initial inroads across the Pond by the low-cost clothes retailer had been encouraging.

Primark has opened two stores on the East Coast and plans to have ten shops across the Boston, New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia areas by next year.

Expanding: Primark is set to open 6 new stores in the US this year and its first Italian store in Milan in April

Finance director John Bason said that it was competing well with other fashion retailers in the US as its clothes are cheaper.

Primark also said shoppers spending on the High Street at the start of this year helped it beat the winter blues that had damaged it in the run up to Christmas.

Associated British Foods (up 34p to 3289p) said it predicts sales at Primark to be 7.5 per cent ahead of last year as trading picked up in 2016 following weaker trade in the weeks leading up to and over Christmas as a result of unseasonably warm weather across northern Europe.
The North Seas oil and gas industry is pleading with the Government to lower taxes as its crisis worsens.

The price of oil has tumbled 70 per cent since summer 2014 and the North Sea industry is facing catastrophe with thousands of jobs already lost and many more under threat.

Figures from the industrys 2016 Activity Survey revealed nearly half of the UKs North Sea oil fields will be loss-making by the end of the year if prices stay low.

Less than 1billion is expected to be invested in projects, down from the typical 8billion a year. Just 13 exploration and 13 appraisal wells were drilled in 2015.

Choppy seas: The price of oil has tumbled 70 per cent since summer 2014 and the North Sea industry is facing catastrophe with thousands of jobs already lost and many more under threat

Industry body Oil & Gas UK is calling for the Government to change the tax structure that is crippling the industrys growth.

Chief executive Deirdre Michie said: We want Government to level the playing field and to help attract investment into the UK.

Companies across the UK pay 20 per cent corporation tax which is set to reduce to 18 per cent. However, North Sea oil firms pay special taxes at a headline rate of 50 per cent which rises to 67.5 per cent for fields paying Petroleum Revenue Tax on production.

Michie admitted the industry previously was operating with inflated costs, but that since the oil price began to decline companies had become more efficient.

The report revealed costs have dropped by a third to around $20.95 a barrel during 2015 and experts predict costs will fall again by another 20 per cent this year  meaning they will have dropped by 40 per cent over two years. However, revenues fell by 30 per cent to 18.1billion.

The oil price has been knocked by record US supply from shale, as well as continued supply from the Opec cartel.

Lifting of sanctions on Iran has meant the world is also producing around 2million barrels of excess oil a day and storage facilities are filling up around the world. The oil price is below $35 a barrel.

Oil companies, including FTSE giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell, have been forced to cut billions of pounds in costs, make thousands of redundancies and sell billions of pounds of assets.

The cuts have hit operations around the world but the North Sea industry has been particularly vulnerable as it is a mature region, which is considered fully developed.

It is estimated the North Sea industry has lost 65,000 jobs  5,000 in the offshore sector and 60,000 in supporting industries and services sectors. Many of its fields are already being decommissioned as they do not make commercial sense to operate.

In five years it is expected 100 oil fields will have ceased production. However, Michie said: We have a huge task ahead but the prize is worth fighting for.

The UK Continental Shelf still holds up to 20billion barrels of oil (equivalent) which can continue to provide a secure supply of energy for the country, support hundreds of thousands of jobs, generate several billion pounds in corporate and payroll taxes from the supply chain and stimulate countless technological innovations.

She said the Government would be better off lowering the taxes to get a share of something rather than a higher tax which could lead to a collapse of the industry and a tax that would be a return of nothing on nothing.
Sainsbury's has been given extra time to mount a larger takeover offer for Argos owner Home Retail Group.

South African furniture company Steinhoff International gatecrashed the deal on Friday night.

Pressure is now mounting on Sainsburys chief executive Mike Coupe to increase his 1.3billion bid, which was blown out of the water by the owner of Harveys and Bensons For Beds.

Challenge: Pressure is mounting on Sainsburys chief executive Mike Coupe to increase his 1.3billion bid for Argos owner Home Retail after South African furniture company Steinhoff International gatecrashed the deal

Steinhoffs 1.42billion cash bid  around 175p a share  was announced after the market closed on Friday evening.

The retail and manufacturing giant, which is backed by billionaire Christo Wiese who recently bought fashion chain New Look, is regarded as more attractive than Sainsburys cash and shares deal which equates to about 165p a share.

Sainsburys deadline to raise its offer has been extended to March 18, from an original deadline of today at 5pm.

The Takeover Panels deadline matches the one set for Steinhoff to also make a firm offer.

Even if Sainsburys raises its bid, experts believe that Steinhoff may win the battle.

Analysts at Exane BNP Paribas said they expect Sainsburys to launch a higher offer at around 185p a share.

They added that above 190p a share, the deal ceases to offer double-digit returns.

Steinhoff is thought to have met with Home Retail in recent months without making an offer.
Another day, another rumour about consolidation in telecoms  this time involving Vodafone.

Speculation about potential merger activity in the sector has long done the rounds as mobile operators try to enter the fixed-line and broadband market and vice-versa.

Up until now, most talk surrounding Vodafone has focused on a potential tie-up with Virgin Media owner Liberty Global, particularly after the pair agreed to merge their Dutch businesses last week.

But the latest whisper is that chief executive Vittorio Colaos charge is attracting fresh interest from the Far East, namely China Telecom (CT), China Mobile and possibly other operators backed by the Chinese government.

Majority state-owned CT is rumoured to have advisers running the rule over Vodafone, which has been expanding in Europe through the Dutch tie-up, its acquisition of Germanys Kabel Deutschland in 2013 and other deals.

Vodafone is rumoured to be attracting fresh interest from the Far East, namely China Telecom (CT), China Mobile and possibly other operators backed by the Chinese government

CT is thought to be keen to expand internationally to develop its presence and experience in types of network other than its Chinese operation.

Talk has it that the Chinese would need to bid at least 300p a share to win over Vodafones shareholders and to fight off other parties thought to be keeping their eye on the situation, such as Americas AT&T.

A Vodafone spokesman declined to comment. The groups shares rose 2.7p to 215.65p.

Any deal involving Vodafone would represent the latest shake-up in an industry rushing to cater for consumer demand for all-in-one packages, including so-called quad-play of mobile, fixed line, TV and broadband.

BTs (up 9.6p to 467.45p) 12.5billion swoop for EE has put it back in a market it left in 2001 when it spun off its BT Cellnet business.

Mobile operator Three, owned by Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, has been attempting to persuade UK regulators to allow it to buy O2 from Spains Telefonica.

There has even been idle speculation that Vodafone could do a deal with Sky (up 4p to 1022p), although the talk has stayed just that.

The FTSE 100 Index rose 87.5 points to 6037.73 as mining shares hardened on the back of strengthening metal prices.

The price of copper hit a two-week high after the head of Chinas securities regulator resigned and an uptick in the countrys steel industry sparked hope of a revival in metal demand.

The Footsies progress came despite falls in the pound amid concerns about a British EU exit and a drop in banking heavyweight HSBC, whose shares were 4.25p off at 445.6p following worse-than-expected annual results.

Investment bank Jefferies raised its target price on Anglo American, which has gained more than 50 per cent this year, but retained its under-perform rating on the stock. Anglos shares rose 47.5p to 484.15p.

The risk to the Anglo share price is to the downside in the near term, especially after the recent rally, analysts at Jefferies said.

JP Morgan upgraded UK equities to overweight from underweight, a position it had held for three years, despite the risk of a British EU exit.

The JPM base case is that the UK stays in Europe, but admittedly it is likely to be a close call. Once campaigning starts in earnest, we believe the bulk of businesses will fall in the stay camp, the brokers analysts said in a note.

Home Retail soared 19.9p, or nearly 13 per cent, to 173.5p on news late on Friday of a rival bid for the Argos owner from South African retail group Steinhoff International, which owns UK furniture chains Harveys and Bensons For Beds.

The Takeover Panel yesterday extended the period by which Sainsburys has to table a firm offer for Home Retail until March 18. Shares in Sainsburys, which has already proposed a potential 1.3bn offer for Home Retail, fell 5.9p to 255.2p.

Shares in electronics distributor Premier Farnell sparked up 12.25p, or 11.67 per cent, to 117.75p on apparent short-covering.

Premier faced takeover speculation last year, with activist investor Go Investment Partners said to be pushing for a shake-up including a possible merger with rival Electrocomponents. The latters shares rose 6p to 235p.

In oil, Cairn Energy spurted 6p to 161.4p on news that the explorer and producer had bought an extra 4.5 per cent stake in the Kraken development in the UK North Sea.

Nostra Terra Oil & Gas, which is active in the US and Egypt, was 20pc slicker at 0.1p after buying production assets in the Permian basin of New Mexico from Alamo Resources.

In mining, Regency Mines ticked up 0.3p, or 92 per cent, to 0.62p as it bought a 5 per cent stake in the Horse Hill oil project near Gatwick Airport.

Builder's merchant and Wickes owner Travis Perkins is an emerging champion, according to broker Liberum Capital.

The stock market is undervaluing Travis, which is increasing sales by boosting the number of products carried in its regional distribution centres, Liberum said. The broker added: Its driving most of the increase in returns by taking much more advantage of its scale than it has ever done before.
Renters are shunning the high costs of living in London in favour of moving to towns such as Swindon and Luton to seek out lower prices, according to new research.

The price of renting a room rose 13 per cent in Swindon, 12 per cent in Luton, 11 per cent in Bristol and 10 per cent in Reading in the last quarter of 2015 compared to the same period a year earlier, the highest increases of the UK's 50 biggest towns.

In London room rents rose 3.48 per cent compared to a 5.5 per cent hike across the UK, according to research from Spareroom.co.uk.

Rents are rising four times faster in commuter towns such as Luton and Reading than in London

The most expensive large towns and cities outside of London to rent a room were Reading where you'll be set back an average of 548 and Oxford at 537.

The cheapest place to rent out a room in one of the UK's largest towns was Belfast where average room rents are 277. It was followed by Bradford at 294, Dundee at 317 and Sunderland where prices are 318.

The most expensive areas to rent out a room by postcode, on average, were areas just outside London.

Esher in Surrey had the highest rates at an average of 641 per month, followed by Twickenham at 637, Kingston Upon Thames at 621 and Barnet where rooms are priced at 592.

At the other end of the scale the cheapest area by postcode to rent out a room was Dewsbury in West Yorkshire where average prices were 256 per month. It was followed by Galashiels in Scotland at 269 then Belfast at 277.

When looking at the demand for rooms, Harlow in Essex and Belfast in Northern Ireland both had the highest for this time period with nine tenants searching for every room available.

The number of available rooms to rent was unsurprisingly found in London with 102,364 available during the quarter. In Birmingham there was 4,365 rooms available and in Manchester there were 3,186.

Matt Hutchinson, director of flat and house share site SpareRoom.co.uk, said: 'We've reached the point where London room rents are so high some tenants can't afford to live there.

'Renters are naturally drawn to the next best thing  the commuter belt  where accommodation savings hopefully outweigh the higher travel costs.

'But that extra demand in London satellite towns like Harlow, where nine people are searching for every room available, means prices are rising sharply year on year there too.

'It's a matter of when, not if, the commuter belt will become unaffordable for lower-paid Londoners, like the service workers who keep the capital ticking.

The most expensive rooms to rent on average by postcode are found on the outskirts of London

'We either need to drastically increase supply in London or start creating more jobs in other areas of the UK to spread the demand for housing more widely.'

The quarterly report compares data from 400,000 adverts posted on the room rental site and the price differences between the last quarter of 2014 and 2015.

This news comes after we reported on research last month showing that one in five tenants could not afford to pay January's rent.
The boss of O2 has slammed the red tape and outdated planning laws that prevent consumers from getting super-fast internet.

Speaking to the Mail at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the phone giants chief executive Ronan Dunne described how the UKs networks are hampered by onerous restrictions.

We are working with laws that havent been updated for 30 years which were made for an analogue economy, he said.

Speed demon: O2 boss Ronan Dunne says too much red tape is strangling Britain's internet

To improve a cell site [where antennae and electronic communications equipment are placed] all you need is a box, about the size of a laptop computer, that youd barely even notice in the street. But to get one built it can take 18 months to get planning permission.

His comments came just weeks after the UK was ranked 29th in the world for 4G, the latest high-speed internet for mobile phones.

A study by OpenSignal found that for the third quarter of 2015 the UK offered 4G speeds of 15Mbps (megabits per second), ranking it lower than Singapore (37Mbps), New Zealand (29Mbps) and Hungary (28Mbps).

Dunne said another problem is access to mobile masts on private fields or property. The laws governing access to infrastructure on private land have been scrutinised by politicians for five years, but the Government has yet to change the rules.

He added: Mobile operators can be held to ransom by landlords who can charge for access or delay letting engineers on to their land.

Mobile networks are racing to develop the next generation smartphones and gadgets which will need 5G internet.

This works 200 times faster than 4G, according to technology experts  meaning a film can be downloaded to a mobile phone or tablet in just five seconds.
It has become a national pastime. Once, before the financial crisis, select committee hearings were excellent cures for insomnia. Today, though, they have turned into Punch and Judy shows.

Roll up, roll up, to watch the bankers being bashed! See executives squirm over their tiny tax payments! Enjoy the discomfort of the rich and powerful as they are quizzed about their wealth!

Few taxpayers, small shareholders or customers will shed a tear when they see a bank boss, or the leader of a tax-minimising US giant, being pilloried in public.

But some MPs have indulged in bullying and grandstanding that could end up harming the economy, according to Simon Walker, the head of the Institute of Directors.

Tongue lashing: Google bosses Tom Hutchinson and Matt Brittin received a tongue lashing in the UK Parliament last year

Most of the executives summoned for a grilling are used to being treated with exaggerated respect  not to being hectored, mocked and forced to justify themselves.

However, with the relationship between business and politicians at a sensitive point ahead of the Budget and the Brexit vote, some argue that the theatrics in select committee hearings are causing genuine damage.

The maulings come at a time when business feels deeply aggrieved at the Conservative Government.

The hope was that, uncoupled from the Lib Dems, the Tory administration would be resoundingly pro-enterprise. Many firms feel they have been used instead as milch cows for costly and misguided policies.

The CBI this week said that business will end up paying 29billion over the course of this Parliament due to the National Living Wage and the Apprenticeship Levy, pension changes and inaction on business rates.

Glum: HSBCs Rona Fairhead is questioned by MPs

It is in this climate of mutual distrust that Walker has spoken out about what he sees as the intimidatory methods of certain MPs.

Walker suggested the interrogations of HSBC chief executive Stuart Gulliver and chairman Douglas Flint by the Treasury Select Committee may have played a part in the banks threat to move its headquarters out of London.

The lender decided last Sunday to stay in the UK following a year-long review.

It is great HSBC is staying, Walker said. But it did no credit to our parliamentary system that the chief executive and chairman were publicly ripped apart on live TV by the select committee.

When quizzed about his personal finances, Gulliver told the committee he placed 5million into a Swiss bank account through a Panamanian company because he wanted to conceal his earnings from colleagues.

Walker said the committees are in general a good thing because they can hold the executive in check. But it is a question of balance. They can be spoilt by the bullying and self-aggrandisement of some MPs. I had better not name names.

The IoD chief also singled out the treatment of Matt Brittin, Googles European boss, at the hands of the Public Accounts Committee, which is now chaired by Meg Hillier and was previously chaired by Margaret Hodge. Brittin was asked five times how much he earned before admitting that he did not have a figure.

Business leaders concede that the Treasury committee played a valuable role in the banking crisis. Similarly, the Business, Innovation and Skills committee called the Government to account over the steel industry by castigating Whitehall for not having effective warning systems in place and for failing to push for EU action to help the sector.

But Dr Adam Marshall, executive director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, says the showboating can overshadow the valuable role committees play. He adds: Its important to separate the political theatre from the hard-hitting work.

Mark Swift of EEF, the manufacturers organisation, says: On the positive side, select committees can find a way to dig into issues in depth and put ministers, regulators and executives on the spot.

But their effectiveness depends on the members and personality of the chairman.

Aggressive select committees are just one element in an increasingly fraught relationship between business and the Government. Brexit is another: the big lobby groups are all keen for the UK to remain in the EU.

Tough talk: Aggressive select committees as illustrated by former Public Accounts Committee chair Margaret Hodge, are just one element in an increasingly fraught relationship between business and the Government

Business ought to say how it feels on Brexit but cant tell people how to vote, says Walker. It is counterproductive. People in the UK dont like being told what to do.

There is also deep discontent about the burdens on business. The CBI praises the Government for pushing down corporation tax rates and for its drive to reduce the deficit, but argues it must stop piling on costs such as the controversial National Living Wage.

Other lobby groups agree. If it was Labour introducing these measures we would have been critical. It is a shock coming from the Tories. It feels like they are taking business for granted, said one.

We are one of the chorus of voices talking about a build-up of measures, says Adam Marshall.

Conversations ahead of the Budget need to result in no more business taxes, no more rises in the cost of employing people.

It is one thing to state one is pro-business, it is another thing to demonstrate that.

Confrontations with Government are not the only problem facing the lobby groups, most of which started life at a time when British business was much more oriented to large industrial companies, and when executives were treated with deference.

The challenge, as Simon Walker admits, is how to appeal to a new breed of entrepreneur, who is quite likely to be young, in the tech industry, and even female.

The grandeur of the IoDs headquarters in Central Londons Pall Mall, designed by 19th century architect John Nash, are a world away from the trendy tech hubs of Shoreditch in the East End.

How do we appeal to tech entrepreneurs, that is the question, says Walker.
LEBANON  In Ethiopia  which sits in the Horn of Africa on the far eastern border of the continent  one in 16 pregnancies ends in infant death, compared to one in 2,800 in developed countries.

The vast majority of the countrys 91 million residents live in poverty, subsisting by growing wheat, teff or coffee, and earning less than $1 per day.

Daily life between there and the mid-valley is as different as night and day.

But thanks to the 120-bed Soddo Christian Hospital, there is a strong bond between mid-valley residents and their counterparts more than 8,500 miles away.

In December, the Lang family of rural Lebanon  Jonah, 39, and Becky, 36, their daughters, Adrianne, 12, Stella, 10, and Charlotte, 7, and grandparents Will and Lynne Tucker of Scio  forged strong bonds with missionaries serving the region and the hospital.

We have been long-time friends with Brad and Bethany Canfield, Becky Lang said. Brad is the administrator of the Soddo Christian Hospital.

Canfield was formerly employed at the Lebanon Express and Samaritan Health Services before being called spiritually to aid the people of Ethiopia in 2015.

The hospital was founded in 2005 and has recorded 163,000 patient visits, completed more than 26,000 operations and delivered nearly 4,000 babies.

It is funded by the St. Lukes Health Care Foundation, based in Wheaton, Illinois, along with local support from the Calvary Chapel in Corvallis, among many others.

The Langs are members of the River Center church in Lebanon, and both Jonah and Becky have prior missionary experience. Becky is a homemaker and home-school teacher and Jonah is a firefighter in Clackamas County.

Between them, they have traveled to Brazil, Venezuela, Thailand and China, meeting a variety of mission needs.

Being able to take on a family mission trip once our youngest was able to handle it has been on our radar for some time, Becky said. We have known the Canfields since we took Lamaze childbirth classes together 12 years ago. They have two children, Jack and Oliver, our girls ages.

The Langs planned out a three-week trip in December and her parents, the Tuckers, spent 10 days, including travel.

And to help the children be fully vested in the trip, the girls raised $700 among them by doing chores and other work to pay for their own passports. They also brought needed items such as handcrafted wash towels for the maternity ward of the hospital.

They also received all of the necessary immunizations, which Charlotte admitted wasnt much fun.

Our goal was to act as support for the long-term missionaries there, Becky said. We wanted to encourage them and to help them get refreshed, to make their jobs easier. They deal with poverty every day, and it is mentally fatiguing.

For Jonah and Will, there was plenty to do fixing the home the Canfields live in about 20 minutes from the hospital.

A motorcyclist picks Brad Canfield up for work each morning, and when the rainy season fills potholes with mud, Canfield often has to walk until they get to drier ground.

We worked on many things around the house, especially electrical needs, Tucker said. The wires were put together without wiring nuts, so the connections wore down and there were open shorts. The home is made of mud and concrete, so there is little chance of a fire, but its still not good.

The families also brought items to repair toilets, plus a variety of screws, fasteners and tools to complete several maintenance needs, including building a new fence around the Canfield home.

In fact, the crew put together 18 50-pound containers of food and tools.

We took school supplies, food, clothing, canning jars, and even some hams for Christmas, Becky said. The Canfield boys really wanted some macaroni and cheese.

The family learned quickly why mission work in a third-world country can be so trying.

The electrical grid is very unreliable, Becky said. The power went off and on while we there, and it has been off since we left the end of December. The Canfields have a generator they run a couple hours per day to keep their refrigerator and freezer cold.

Becky said living without electricity drives home the need to buy non-perishable foods as much as possible, and to plan meals daily.

Our lives became extremely simple, basic, she said.

There are gas-burning stoves to cook with when the electricity is out and, more importantly, boil the murky water that comes from a nearby stream.

People spend all day hauling water, Becky said. From children to adults, its a big part of everyones daily schedule.

The girls learned how to hand wash clothing as a new life skill, and they learned some words in an extremely complex language that includes hundreds of letters.

The group visited the hospital a few times, singing carols there at Christmas, but primarily focused on the compound where the missionaries live.

The hospital system there is much different than in the United States, Will Tucker said. The patients families help take care of them. They change the beds, deliver meals and medicines. They will often sleep in the same room, or outside on the hospital grounds. The hospital is open at night only for emergencies.

Because there are so few white people in the region, the team drew crowds of onlookers everywhere they went.

The Tuckers said the Canfields treated them to a trip to an outlying resort, where they saw wildlife, including hippos and crocodiles up close.

Both families were a bit surprised to not see tractors working the farm fields.

Everything is done with donkeys and by hand, Will Tucker said. Women will use hand scythes to cut grasses and the men hand load them. When we put in posts for the new fence, my helper used his hands and a digging bar.

Both families say they would love to return to Soddo Christian Hospital, possibly as early as next year, when the Canfields get to take a furlough from work.

Absolutely, we would love to go back, Lynne Tucker said, to much agreement by her granddaughters.
LEBANON  Lebanon middle school students got a sneak peek at how to navigate the rigors of high school and college Thursday through AVID & GEAR-UP parent night at Lebanon High School.

The Lebanon Community School District is in its third year of offering AVID, a college preparation effort that helps students focus on organizational and study skills. The program is an elective class at LHS and Seven Oak Middle School, and its organizational techniques are prepared for use in all schools at all levels.

In late 2014, Lebanon also became one of 21 districts statewide to share in a seven-year, $2.6 million GEAR-UP grant, a separate program with similar goals.

Superintendent Rob Hess said AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, requires regular parent nights to help build its culture of support and give older students a chance to act as mentors for younger ones.

On Thursday, families were invited to attend two seminars from a list that included information on budgeting for college, building study skills at home, what to expect from high school, the basics of how AVID works and how to prepare for Advanced Placement classes. Snacks and prizes rounded out the evening.

Seven Lebanon High School juniors in the high schools AVID elective kicked off the evening by welcoming an auditorium full of parents, classmates and students from the districts four middle school programs. They took turns talking about how the elective class has helped them develop stronger skills for college and careers.

Emilee Souza said the class helps participants set goals and identify ways to achieve them.

Addressing the middle-schoolers in the room, she said: Close your eyes and think about what you want to be when youre older. Now open. AVID will help you get there.

AVID teaches participants how to speak in front of people, which is helpful when youre struggling, Martin Hines said. Before taking the class, speaking in public wasnt his strong suit.

If I have a problem, I actually ask for help, whereas before, Id usually try to solve it myself, and that didnt end up well, he said.

Jordan Jeffers said he cared little for school before joining AVID, but the program has helped him take ownership of his choices, including the choice to achieve better grades.

In a later interview, he said he hoped the visitors Thursday would take away the point that this experience is more than just a class. Its a family. Its friends. Its people trying to get through life together.
MANZINI  Human Rights Lawyer Thulani Maseko arrived at the magistrates court yesterday morning to support his wife, Tanele, who was arrested together with seven other women and charged with public indecency.



Maseko, who was clad in a black designer suit, alighted from his silver grey Chevrolet Aveo and went inside the courtroom where his wife, together with the other women, were to be remanded.



As a prominent attorney, Maseko could have sat where other lawyers, public prosecutors and court clerks sit, however, he opted to take a seat in the public gallery, where all the other people who had come to support their relatives and friends sat.



The eight women, Lomsiko Maseko (53), Tanele (31), Zanele Dlamini (35), Sindi Maseko (37), Tengetile Ngwenya (34), Elizabeth Dlamini (56), Xolile Lukhele (35) and Mavis Maseko (46), all of Luhleko, yesterday appeared before Magistrate Mthokozisi Dlamini for a remand hearing.

They were arrested on Saturday by officers from Bhunya Police Station, however, they were released on their own recognisance.



The women were represented by Sibusiso Nhlabatsi of TR Maseko Attorneys, who requested the court to furnish his office with statements of all the witnesses in the matter.



The charge sheet states that the eight women near Luhleko, acted jointly in furtherance of a common purpose, committed an act of public indecency by stripping naked near the gate belonging to Inkhosikati LaMakhungu, along the Bhunya-Luhleko public road, a place where the public has access to, thus committing the offence of public indecency.
LOBAMBA  Senate President Gelane Zwanes tactics during the opening of Parliament were met with a baptism of fire by Members of Parliament (MPs), who labelled her behaviour with all sorts of names.



Inyakanyaka, nondweza,lihlazo, imphungane legcumukela elubisini, siwishiwishi and kudzakatana, were just some of the names used by the legislators as they condemned the speech that Zwane made before Their Majesties during the state opening, where they felt she had attacked Prime Minister (PM) Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini.



This was during the first sitting of the MPs and the motion that was debated had been moved by the PM, who asked that a humble address be presented to the King, thanking him for the Speech from the Throne, which he delivered on February 12, 2016.



The MPs, in their debate, felt that not only was the King supposed to be thanked for the wise words but also that an apology should be forwarded to him, particularly for Zwanes behaviour, where a majority of the MPs felt that she had stolen the Kings thunder on the day.



Matsanjeni North MP Phila Buthelezi said the King, in his speech, had warned against confrontational behaviour yet they had done it in his presence. He said mud-slinging each other was okay when they were alone or under a caucus setup, but not in front of the King.



Please look into these speeches which are presented, its embarrassing and it is like something is wrong with us, said Buthelezi. Ngatsi sesaba nenhlanga, he said in vernacular.



MP Buthelezi added that the PM was the only one who was appointed at the Cattle Byre and that had its own significance. This is a kingdom and not a republic and things are done differently here, said Buthelezi. He said it was a pity that these were adults who were being dealt with, otherwise if it were children their buttocks would have been whipped.
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By Suzanne Parker

NY Epicurean Events, the folks who organized the recent Cheesefest, are pandering to meatheads this time with Charcuterie Masters, to be held at historic Flushing Town Hall on Saturday, Feb. 27.

Part tasting event and part smackdown, Charcuterie Masters brings together Old World and new wave charcuterie artisans, chefs, vintners and brewers.

Charcuterie Masters is the first ever competition of its kind, highlighting the talents of more than a dozen professional and amateur makers of artisanal charcuterie.

For a little preview of what was in store, I paid a visit to the Ridgewood Pork Store.

While waiting for the attention of the owner, Jonel Picioane, I couldnt help but overhear his conversation with the customer ahead of me. An Asian man was ordering an impressive quantity of Tasso ham while chatting about all manner of cured meats. I couldnt resist asking the man if he was a chef. He introduced himself as Fred Hua, of Nha Minh, a Vietnamese cafe cum art gallery in Brooklyn. He wanted the ham for bahn mi sandwiches at his restaurant. Where but Queens would you run into a Vietnamese chef buying New Orleans-style ham in an Eastern European meat market?

The Ridgewood Pork Store has been at the same location at 516 Seneca Ave. since the 1930s.

Picioane claims bragging rights to operating the oldest non-stop smokehouse in New York City in the stores basement. Picioanes father bought the store in 1974. He was an ethnic Romanian who emigrated from the autonomous Serbian province of Vojvodina.

The ethnic makeup of Ridgewood has changed considerably since 1974, and Picioane strives to keep up with the times. His biggest sellers are his baconsmaple smoked, cracked pepper and double smoked.

But along with his Eastern European sausages, he offers chorizo, andouille, and ndujaCalabrese smoked spreadable sausage. He also loves to come up with new delicacies. His entries in the Charcuterie Masters contest will showcase the products of this experimentation  namely dry aged Wagyu beef, Rosemary smoked lamb, and pistachio studded salami made with fatback from Iberico pigs.

Carl Blake will be a significant presence at the event. Computer engineer turned pig farmer and barbecue tinkerer extraodinare, he created the Iowa Swabian Hall pigs, a cross of the Chinese Meishan and Russian wild boar, based on a 19th-century German breed. Blake will be providing a pig for a butchering demonstration by Larissa Popa, Detroit butcher and charcuterer. Chef Will Horowitz of Manhattans Ducks Eatery/Harry & Idas will be smoking one of Blakes pigs.

In conjunction with Michelin-starred Chef Hugue Dufour of M. Wells Steakhouse in Long Island City, Blake will be demonstrating one of his latest creations, the American Hot Box. Blake promised that the stainless steel cooking box can cook a 100-pound pig in four hours. Blake has only shipped six boxes so far, but he said Menards, the Midwest hardware store chain has already contacted him about carrying it.

Guests will be able to sample exquisite charcuterie, including pate de campagne with truffle, and pata negra salami with Catskills goat cheese as well as partake in an Iowa Swabian Hall pig roast prepared caja China style by Chef Hugue Dufour and Mangalitsa pork sliders grilled by Chef Zhicay. Pairings will include top-rated wines, craft beers, and farmstead ciders.

They will also have an opportunity to learn from the makers as well participate in a peoples choice vote of the best-of-the-evening charcuterie.

The artisanal products will be available to purchase directly at the event.

If You Go

Charcuterie Masters

When: Saturday, Feb. 27, from 6 pm  9 pm

Where: Flushing Town Hall, 37-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing

Cost: $100/general admission, $200/VIP includes early entry and access to special tasting room, Tickets available at www.nyepi curea neven ts.com

Contact: (718) 463-7700
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By Madina Toure

A project seeking to build affordable housing in Municipal Parking Lot 3 in Flushing will be presented to Community Board 7 in March with the hopes of breaking ground by the end of the year, after the necessary approvals are granted.

The 43,200-square-foot development at 133-45 31st Ave. will have 208 affordable housing units. The site is surrounded by College Point Boulevard, Main Street and the Flushing-Main Street Long Island Rail Road station.

The ground floor will be used for commercial purposes. The upper floors will be residential, with studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. The second floor will be a community facility space.

In April, HPD Commissioner Vicki Been selected a development team for the project. The team, which consists of Asian Americans for Equality, HANAC Inc. and Monadnock Development, has named its plan One Flushing.

John Napolitano, HANACs director of community development and planning, said the team has been meeting with CB7s Land Use Committee.

The project is supposed to go before the full board at its next meeting March 14 at 7 p.m. at the Union Care Plaza Center at 33-23 Union St., Napolitano said. The team has also been in contact with Borough President Melinda Katz, the City Planning Commission and the City Council for the final vote.

Were hoping these approvals will be buttoned up by summertime so we can get in the ground by the end of the year, he said.

He stressed that the project is in the pre-development pipeline and said he could not speak about construction costs as they have not been finalized yet.

The marketplace is quite high in terms of construction costs for any type of residential housing in the city, Napolitano added. Its just a very challenging environment.

An HPD spokeswoman confirmed that the project continues to be in its preliminary stages and that information about the total cost of the project will be available once the project is financed.

The team is partnering with New Hyde Park-based Parker Jewish Center Institute for Healthcare and Rehabilitation, which provides long-term care to seniors. The institute will use the space on the second floor.

The roof will have solar panels that will harvest photovoltaic solar energy that will mainly be used for heating, hot water and a small urban farm. The people operating the building would run the farm, which would be used by tenants.

The project will be funded through Mayor Bill de Blasios 10-year affordable housing plan, which aims to create and preserve 200,000 affordable housing units.
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By Madina Toure

State Assemblywoman Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village), who represented parts of southeast Queens, died at the age of 76 Monday night, a representative from her district office said. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Clark had been serving the 33rd Assembly District since 1986. The district includes Cambria Heights, St. Albans, Queens Village, Hollis and Bellerose.

She played a key role in converting Andrew Jackson HS into four small magnet high schools and served as a primary sponsor of the 1996 New York City Governance Law, which mandated parental involvement in school policy decision-making.

Clark also supported the plaintiff in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity vs. State of New York lawsuit, which resulted in a $5.5 billion increase in funding for city public schools and authored a bill to establish the age of 6 as the statutory age for full-time attendance in school.

In a statement, state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) said that over the course of her career, she has written significant legislation that improved the quality of life for thousands of families in her community and throughout the state.

Assembly member Clark will be remembered by many for her warm spirit and her firm belief that we have a responsibility to defend the well-being of our fellow citizens, Heastie said.

U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) said they both joined the Assembly at the same time.

We were both elected to the New York State Assembly 30 years ago and it was an honor to serve alongside her and see firsthand her unwavering commitment to the people of Queens, Crowley said in a statement. She will be remembered as a tireless public servant and will be sorely missed by our entire community.

Other borough elected officials echoed similar sentiments.

Queens has lost a dedicated leader and legislator, James Sanders (D-South Ozone Park) tweeted.

State Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) tweeted, #NYS has lost a legend and Ive lost a great friend!

City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Letitia James also praised the assemblywoman on social media.

Clark is survived by her husband, Thomas Clark, Jr.; four adult children: Jan, Crystal, Thomas III, and Brian; and two granddaughters, Taylor and Lauren.
In elementary school, I was taught that presidents serve four-year terms.

Apparently that number is off by three  or so Ive learned recently from listening to Republican politicians.

See, according to former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), the first year of a presidents term doesnt really count. After all, both have argued that George W. Bush kept us safe, suggesting that 9/11 didnt stain Ws otherwise spotless safety record because it occurred too early in his presidency.

Also, according to Republican Senate leadership, the last year of a presidents term doesnt count either; thats why President Obama shouldnt get to nominate a replacement for late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Finally, it turns out the second-to-last year of a presidents term also doesnt count. How can you tell? Because Republican senators obstructed nearly all of Obamas judicial picks last year, too. And obviously  per their recent rhetoric about Scalias successor  they would have only done that in a year when the president was already a lame duck.

By process of elimination, then, U.S. presidents really serve one-year terms, occurring just once every four years. The other three-quarters of the time, presidents presumably disappear into the ether, like Brigadoon.

Seriously though, Ive been puzzled by how much of the should-Obama-get-to-choose-a-judge debate has been framed as a last-year-of-presidency issue. Republicans strategy of blocking everything this president wants to do, and everyone he wants to appoint, did not exactly begin when we rang in the recent new year.

It may be convenient for Republicans to blame their latest bout of obstructionism on some unwritten election-year rule, but its also pretty bogus. Republicans were just as dedicated to Confirmationus Interruptus in 2015.

Last year, the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed just 11 federal judges, the fewest in any year since 1960. Only one appeals court judge was confirmed, the lowest number since 1953.

As a result, there are 76 vacancies (including Scalias) for Article III judgeships, nearly twice as many as there were when Republicans regained Senate control in January 2015.

Another way to measure just how aggressively Republicans have obstructed the judicial confirmation process is to look at the number of judicial emergencies, a term used when judges cant keep up with growing caseloads. That figure has nearly tripled over the past year, from 12 in January 2015 to 31 today.

Now, its not like Democrats always rubber-stamped Republican presidents judicial nominees (see: Robert Bork). But this level of jurisprudential sabotage is nearly unprecedented.

Republican senators have created at least four choke points in the confirmation pipeline.

In some cases, theyve delayed setting up the local committees that vet possible nominees. Sen. Ted Cruz, and his fellow Republican senator from Texas, John Cornyn, have used such delays to make their state ground zero for judicial emergencies.

Elsewhere, Republicans refuse to return blue slips, the century-old forms that give home-state senators an effective veto over any judicial nominee. In some instances, senators have publicly endorsed a candidate but then never actually delivered this paperwork, which is necessary for the nominee to get a confirmation hearing. Rubio, for example, publicly recommended Mary Barzee Flores to fill a district court vacancy in Florida. But nearly a year after Obama nominated her, Rubio still hasnt returned his blue slip.

In other cases, the Senate Judiciary Committee has received blue slips, but delayed holding hearings or votes on nominees; or Senate leadership has put off floor confirmation votes.

The nominees in question dont look especially controversial or unqualified either. Last years lucky 11 judges waited an average of 283 days between their initial nomination and a confirmation vote, according to the Alliance for Justice, a coalition of mostly liberal advocacy organizations. But when they were confirmed, 10 of the 11 were approved with either unanimous or near-unanimous support from both parties.

Senate obstructionism isnt reserved for judicial branch openings alone. A January analysis from Politico found that more than a quarter of the administrations most senior executive branch jobs  more than 100 overall  were missing permanent occupants. It also reported that the Senate in 2015 confirmed the fewest civilian nominations for the first session of a Congress in nearly three decades.

Meanwhile, senators congratulate themselves for getting back to the business of governing.

I think I can safely say here, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) proclaimed recently, that at the end of the first year of this new majority, dysfunction is over.

Hmm. Maybe its not the president whos been vacationing in Brigadoon all this time.
5 things to watch on Friday night in the Beaver Valley: Week 8

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During his visit, Arthur Blackie Blackwood was given two coins. A challenge coin from Sheppard Air Force Base and a commemorative coin from the Wichita Falls Regional Airport. Blackwood, a bomber pilot in World War II, turned 100 years old February 3rd.

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By Judith McGinnis of the Times Record News

Spirits flew high Monday as Arthur "Blackie" Blackwood was introduced to Sheppard Air Force Base 80th Flying Training Wing pilots at Wichita Falls Regional Airport.

Blackwood celebrated his 100th birthday Feb. 3. Born in Kansas he was commissioned July 28,1943 at Moody Field in Georgia into the Army Air Corps. The AAC later became the Air Force.

"Blackie was a private pilot before joining the Air Corps," said friend Jim Bracket, who arranged the special meeting with SAFB training pilots as a centennial surprise. "He flew into Georgia and didn't need pilot training."

As an AAC bomber pilot, Blackwood took World War II missions over the Philippines and Guam. During his career he flew the B-24, B-29, B-47 and B-52.

Stationed at SAFB in 1964, Blackwood retired from the military at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio. He returned to Wichita Falls.

Bracket, a retired USAF Senior Master Sgt., joined Blackwood in the 1980s as a pilot instructor at SAFB. Bracket produced a collection of duty records pilot rating books from his friend's early military career.

"He pretty much rated A+," he said, grinning. "He retired from the Air Force after 20 years, 12 days and 10 minutes of service." Blackwood was a Lt. Col.

Now wheelchair-bound and not having the best day, Blackwood smiled as young pilots encircled their senior example for a special presentation. The group was led by SAFB Commanders Action Group's Major Michael Creedon (a T-38 pilot).

In a brief ceremony, Blackwood received an Air Force "challenge coin." The coins are often presented in recognition of special achievement.
From inside the Wichita County Jail.

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By Claire Kowalick of the Times Record News

Wichita County Commissioners approved nearly $40,000 toward jail expenses Monday morning, including nearly $9,000 for toilet paper.

The county purchased 300 cases of toilet paper at a cost of $29.72 each case for a total of $8,916 from Mayfield Paper.

Commissioner Barry Mahler calculated that this quarterly purchase equates to each inmate using about two-thirds of a roll of toilet paper per day.

Jail staff said they try to keep costs down by purchasing bulk quantities of stock and storing it at the jail annex.

Also approved for jail needs:

 300 sealed-seam mattresses for $10,200

 $1,957.20 for four steel drying racks for air-drying meal trays

 $17,300 to purchase four replacement 10-ton air conditioning/heating units for the jail annex from Texoma Heating and Air

In other matters, the court received a report from Andrea Raef of Direct Energy on the county's energy usage.

Raef stated that the county actually saved about $19,000 in 2015 over the previous year buy going to a "blended" rate deal beginning in August.

She stated that while the county's usage was about the same the past couple years, they went from 17 sites to a total of 33 sites and the savings came from a lower rate and low natural gas prices statewide.

Raef said Texas uses about 70 percent natural gas at its power stations so those prices drive rates up or down.

The county paid a total of $477,411.09 for energy in 2014 and it went down to $458,980.57 in 2015.

Commissioners approved $5,826.25 for three cash-drawer stations for the Tyler Eagle project at the county clerk's office.

The court also decided to move forward with a request for proposal bid from Webfire Inc., pending negotiations.

Commissioner were divided, three to two, on the matter with commissioners Barry Mahler and Jeff Watts and County Judge Woody Gossom voting in favor of the move and commissioners Lee Harvey and Ray Gonzalez voting against the issue.
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By Christopher Collins of the Times Record News

Kenny Lemons and Jeff Lyde  Republican candidates for Clay County sheriff  both have roots in the rural county, meaning the race likely will boil down to establishment versus innovation.

Lemons, who was first elected to the office in 2008, says he has a proven track record of cutting down on crime while being responsible with taxpayer money. He's come in under budget in each of his two terms and is a "life-long resident" of Clay County.

Lyde, on the other hand, says that if he's elected he can improve public safety response times and can cut down crime even further. His family founded one of the county's first ranches, the Sanzenbacher, in 1873.

Early voting for the primary race continues until Friday. Election Day, also known as Super Tuesday, is March 1.

Lemons, 50, first ran for Clay County sheriff in 2004. He lost to Tim King Sr. in that election.

Lemons won the sheriff title in a 2008 election and was able to hold onto it in 2012. He told the Times Record News on Monday that he's used to being opposed in election, though "this is the first time I've only had one opponent."

Since being sworn in, Lemons has cut the county's crime rate and raised the percentage of solved crimes, while spending less than the $2 million budget allotted to him on average, he said.

"The financial end of the office has been an extreme success," Lemons said. "I think my results speak for themselves."

To prove his point, the sheriff cited crime statistics collected by the FBI for its Uniform Crime Report, which show the average number of crimes committed annually in the county has dropped from 243 before he took office to about 200 now.

The numbers are reported by law enforcement agencies to the FBI on a voluntary basis.

"We also are solving more of those crimes," Lemons continued, saying that the percentage of felony crimes solved under his leadership has risen from 12 percent to 20 percent. "I attribute that success to the massive patrol that we do. We're enjoying a crime record lower than we've ever had before."

Lyde, a former U.S. intelligence operative who was deployed into combat in Desert Storm, said voters should be wary of statistics cited by Lemons.

"The Uniform Crime Report, those numbers are not generated by the FBI. They're generated by the local agencies." he said. "You can spin those numbers any way you want to."

And Lemons' claim of being under budget could just mean the department's budget ceiling has being artificially elevated, making it easy to not spend all the allotted funds.

"Whether or not you're under budget depends on how high your budget climbs. Being under budget is an arbitrary thing," he said. "I'm not saying that's not justified, it's just not a legitimate talking point."

If elected, Lyde said, he will improve fire and law enforcement response times by making sure dispatchers are sending troops as soon as they get calls, as opposed to having them fill out a lengthy "run sheet" before making a dispatch. He also said he will dispatch whichever deputies are closest to the locations of police calls instead of maintaining a permanent deputy in the city of Henrietta.

"You need to listen to the voices of the people and what they need and try to get them the answers to what they need," Lyde said. "A lot of the politicians today forget who they work for."


Aurora Sterling Bolin was born on November 4, 1924 and passed away on February 19, 2016. Aurora lived her early childhood in Saratoga, Texas. At the age of 11, her father, Phillip Huffman Sterling, and mother, Willora Coleman Sterling, moved to Anahuac, Texas where Aurora lived with her parents, her brother Philip and sister Charlotte until her graduation from high school in 1940. Auroras lifelong love affair with music began at the age of three when she started playing the piano. She continued to share this wonderful gift, playing the piano for her family, friends, and the community throughout her life.

In 1940, Aurora enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin where she studied piano. In 1944, she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in piano and a minor in Spanish. Aurora taught piano in the Anahuac school system, the Wichita Falls Independent School District, The University of Texas and privately to many students in Wichita Falls. Several years after graduation from The University of Texas, Aurora continued to enhance her piano skills by studying for her Masters degree in Recital at Southern Methodist University. Over the years, Aurora has publicly shared her talent in performances with the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra and concerts at Southern Methodist University, Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and McMurray College in Abilene, Texas.

Aurora and Phil met at the University and were married in Houston, Texas on May 19, 1945, just before Phil was called to active duty and shipped out for service in the Pacific during World War II. During the last forty years, she served on numerous community organizations with an unequaled zeal. These include various committees of the First United Methodist Church, where she served as Chairman of the Trustees, Worship Committee and Music Committee. She served Midwestern State University as a member of the Board of Regents from 1980 to 1986. During this period, she was on the committee that sought out and hired Dr. Louis Rodriguez as President of Midwestern State University.

During her term as a Regent, Aurora served on the MSU Art Acquisition Committee, which resulted in the improvement of the physical appearance of MSU. Aurora also served as the first Chairman of the MSU Presidents Excellence Club, and she continued as a member of that group since its founding in 1985.

Additional community activities include several terms as President of the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Womans League, and Chairman of the Symphony Ball. She served on the Board of the Wichita Falls Museum and Art Center, as Chairman of the Spring Fling Auction Committee, on the Board of the Womans Forum and as President of the Junior League of Wichita Falls. Aurora also assisted her Alma mater, having served on The University of Texas Advisory Council for the College of Fine Arts and the Centennial Commission of The University of Texas. In addition to her many cultural activities, Aurora served on the Governors Task Force on Higher Education. She was a long-time political activist and served as a delegate from her precinct to the Republican Party of Texas for over twenty-five years, as well as serving as County Chairman for many statewide candidates for public office within the Republican Party.

In 1999, she and her husband Phil were named Distinguished Citizens by the North Texas Council BSA; in 2008, they were named Wichita Falls Citizens of the Year by the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce for their lifelong support of the community.

Aurora will be most remembered for her loving devotion to family and her community. The familys memories will be filled with her effortless grace, meticulous manners and extraordinary musical talent. And by our Lords Grace, Mom has joined her Mr. Wonderful to spend eternity together.

Aurora is survived by her two sons: Dr. Daniel Huffman Bolin and his wife, Carla, who reside in Wichita Falls, and Patrick Sterling Bolin, who resides in Dallas with his wife, Jane, grandchildren Philip Houston Bolin and wife Katrina of Addison, Ross Sterling Bolin of Dallas, Danielle Bolin Heston and husband Matt of Dallas, Sarah Beth Bolin of Austin, Bonnie Bolin Schaefer of Wichita Falls, three great grandchildren, Fisher Sterling Smith, Knox Houston Bolin and Grayson Charlotte Heston, two step-grandchildren, sister-in-law, Beverly Bolin of Wichita Falls, as well as many nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to acknowledge the staff at the House of Hope and her long time care giver Fina Flesch, who loved Aurora and took wonderful care of her for many years. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to The House of Hope and the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra.

Services will be held at First United Methodist Church on Tuesday, March 1st at 3:00 p.m. with the Rev. Paul Goodrich officiating. There will be a private burial at Riverside Cemetery.
TRN Archives

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By Bridget Knight of the Times Record News

One of the largest commercial fires in the city's history broke out Feb. 3, 1983, when the Flake Industries main plant and offices at 1000 Burkburnett Road were engulfed by flames that left little more than a pile of charred equipment.

The company, which supplied a linen and uniform service that stretched into Oklahoma, had been founded in 1949 as a neighborhood washeteria.

A passer-by first noticed flames biting through the roof of the building about 5:15 a.m., but Flake's corrugated metal plant, plus a two-story home next door, were already fully engulfed when firefighters arrived. It took fire crews more than two and a half hours to bring the conflagration under control.

Flake Industries rebounded quickly, first by operating two night shifts at space offered by National Linen, then at a new location north of town on the Red River Expressway. The company's president, Leon Flake, used the determination he had so well demonstrated as a medal winner in the Korean War to make good on his promise that the company would not quit.

Not so quickly resolved were the legal claims related to the fire, which federal and local officials ruled had been intentionally set. While the arsonist was never found, Flake sought to place some of the blame on the company that had installed the plant's fire alarms, which failed to notify the fire department as they were designed.

The lawsuit went on for some five years before an 89th District Court jury cleared the alarm company of any blame in the fire. Somehow, jurors concluded, the alarm's notification system had been switched to "silent" before this fire, even though the same alarm system had saved the plant in six previous fires.
I view Apple with almost as much loathing as I save for overzealous federal prosecutors. My last Apple phone was a lemon. The Genius Bar isnt. When I hear Apple extol its vaunted regard for privacy, I think of all the invasive personal questions my iPhone used to ask before I could download a free app. That was before I switched to Android. Liberated from 1 Infinite Loop  thats is Apple headquarters precious Cupertino street address  I am free of owners cultish reverence for all things iPhone.

So when I began reading CEO Tim Cooks open letter outlining the reasons why the most valuable corporation in the world would not submit to a judges order that Apple help break the encryption on a terrorists iPhone, I was ready to believe that Apple was putting its brand before public safety. But this is no black-and-white controversy. Its not: Apple thinks it doesnt have to obey court orders. And its not: The government just wants to mess with Apples encryption. Its more complicated.

The FBI believes that the San Bernardino County Public Health Department-owned work iPhone of Syed Rizwan Farook  who with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people on Dec. 2  may contain important information about other terrorists. Farook may have intentionally disabled a feature that sends data to the cloud on or after Oct. 19 to conceal the identity of confederates. Prosecutors want Apple to override its technology that wipes out phone data after 10 unsuccessful attempts to enter a pass code in order to see whats in Farooks phone.

While critics of national intelligence surveillance like to rail against National Security Agency bulk data collection, this story is not about sweeping surveillance, It is about a judges warrant for the phone of a known terrorist and mass murderer. San Bernardino County gave the feds permission to tap phone data. It is possible that the phones contents could save lives. Or not.

Julian Sanchez of the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute, notes that Farook and Malik tried to destroy their burner phones, but not the iPhone. In practical terms, Sanchez argued, the Justice Department wants to risk iPhone security protocols on a bet that Farook hid data in a device he did not bother to destroy.

Cook wrote that if the government forces Apple to bypass its security codes, then The encryption can be defeated by anyone with that knowledge. The answer to which should be: OK, dont share the knowledge. But to Cook, the exercise is like Pandoras box. You open the lid, all the bad things get out.

Worse, the FBI essentially is demanding that Apple do the FBIs job: criminal investigation. Cook wrote, The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers. If the government can order a tech company to write a hacking program, can the government force other people to do investigators chores as well?

Cyber law attorney Catherine Gellis described Apples position in a different manner. Apple is trying to deliver an invulnerable product, she told me. If Apple can break its own code, then its new iPhone is no longer a secure device. Its no longer invulnerable. You could say the government is demanding that Apple disprove its marketing claim that its phones are so secure that even Apple cannot hack into your data.

Cook, Sanchez and Gellis fear that if the government succeeds in using the All Writs Act of 1789 to force Apple to undo its security measures, theres no way the Department of Justice stops with Farooks work phone. Indeed, Sanchez thinks thats the idea. He suspects this effort is less about Farooks phone and more about finding a high-profile case to push a novel and somewhat unprecedented use of an 18th century law.

It wouldnt be the first time the feds have used their considerable muscle to pick on the wrong person. In 2007, the government imprisoned videographer Josh Wolf for seven months based on the incorrect belief that Wolf had video that might reveal the identity of a protester who seriously injured a San Francisco police officer.

I just dont see them doing that to Apple, former CIA spokesman Bill Harlow told me. Harlow doesnt think Uncle Sam would haul such a large corporation into court unless there was no other recourse. For one thing, These are all senior government lawyers who want to get jobs with Apple when they leave the government.

The government is still pursuing its investigation. Thursday officials executed a search warrant on Farooks brothers home.

Gellis told me that once Apple admits its pass codes wear no clothes, entrepreneurs and hostile foreign governments will try to create their own backdoor into the iPhone. I have to think others already are trying to hack iPhone security software, because the notion of inviolability sounds too good to be true. But that doesnt mean its smart to encourage hackers. Or that its smart to develop anti-encryption software that others can steal. The trade-off: Risk inviting China and freelancers to break iPhone security in the hope that Farook left useful intelligence in his iPhone. The downside may be far worse than the upside is good.
Bethlehem

Monolith Solar says that a delay in getting several of the solar farms it has built around the region connected to the electrical grid has impacted construction of its new headquarters in Slingerlands.

In a letter last month to the Bethlehem Industrial Development Agency, Monolith President Steven Erby said his company, which is currently located in Rensselaer, believes it can soon move forward with construction of the $4.6 million project.

However, he said the company had been until now too tied up getting approvals from National Grid on several solar farms to start construction of its new facility at the Vista Technology Campus in Slingerlands. "National Grid insisted on obtaining an engineering study prior to permitting such a connection..., " Erby wrote. "Unfortunately this process occupied our time and resources delaying the process of this project. We are now ready to move forward and would like to be able to locate in the town of Bethlehem as originally planned."

Monolith is planning to keep its Rensselaer facility when it makes the move to Slingerlands and the Vista Technology Campus. The company has been promised $800,000 in state aid and $600,000 in tax breaks through the IDA.

National Grid spokesman Patrick Stella said that National Grid has been working closely with Monolith Solar to get the studies done and make sure the connection of its solar farms to the grid is safe and reliable. However, the solar industry has greatly increased the number of solar farms that it has been building, adding to the number of interconnection requests.

At the Jan. 22 meeting of the IDA, board members were told that the delay in getting the solar farms connected to the grid tied up capital that Monolith needed in equity to qualify for the loan it needed from its bank. The IDA members said that it's possible that a new mortgage may have to be negotiated because of the delay as well. Erby did not immediately return a call for comment Monday.

lrulison@timesunion.com  518-454-5504  @larryrulison
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Berlin

Alaa Ammar fled Syria to escape not just civil war but also the threat of persecution as a gay man. Yet when he arrived in The Netherlands last spring, he did not find the safe haven he craved.

He and four other gay travelers had to face newly arrived asylum seekers at a migrant center in the remote northern town of Ter Apel.

"After five minutes, they started looking. After 10 minutes, they started to talk. After one hour, they came to us," said Ammar, a slender 28-year-old in tight jeans and with a diamond-like stud in each ear. "After three hours, they started fighting with us."

Across Europe, gay, lesbian and transgender migrants say they suffer from verbal, physical and sexual abuse in refugee shelters, and some have been forced to move out. The AP found out about scores of documented cases in The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, with the abuse usually coming from fellow refugees and sometimes security staff and translators.

The cases suggest a possible cultural clash: Many migrants are coming from conservative Muslim countries where homosexuality is taboo into European societies that are more open to it. In Syria, for example, homosexuality is illegal, and the militant Islamic State group has killed more than 30 gays in Syria and Iraq over the past two years, activists say.

A similar debate, this time over cultural attitudes toward gender, was sparked after young men assaulted and robbed hundreds of women in several German cities on New Year's Eve. Police described the men as of North African and Arabic origin.

The number of migrants accused of gay abuse are just a tiny fraction of the hundreds of thousands of refugees streaming into Europe. However, most abuse is likely not reported because of European privacy laws and the stigma felt by gay migrants, and there is no official tally across the continent.

In Germany, the Lesbian and Gay Federation counted 106 cases of violence against homosexual and transgender refugees in the Berlin region from August through the end of January. Most of the cases came from refugee centers, and 13 included sexual abuse.

Joerg Steinert, head of the federation in Berlin-Brandenburg, said refugees have been asking gay groups for help all over the country, reluctant to approach police for fear of jeopardizing their asylum applications. Last year, the federation placed 50 people in private homes because the migrant centers were too dangerous.

"These asylum shelters are law-free areas," he said. "When I come to our office on Monday morning, there's usually a bunch of refugees waiting outside in the hallway who need help immediately."

Charities and private shelter operators say they've simply been too overwhelmed by the huge influx of migrants to attend to some refugees' special needs. Masses of people often live in one big hall, without lockable rooms or gender-separated washrooms.

In Berlin, where four hangars at the former Tempelhof airport were turned into a reception center for 2,100 people, four cases of gay abuse were reported. Maria Antonia Kipp, spokeswoman for private center operator Tamaja, said it's very difficult to create safe spaces for homosexuals when hundreds of bunk beds are separated only by thin wooden boards.

"When we see a dangerous situation or people tell us about it, we'll get the people out and transfer them to smaller shelters," she said.

The German Red Cross said it had a code of conduct banning violence at its shelters. And the Arbeiterwohlfahrt, or Worker's Welfare charity group, said it is trying to create safe spaces in new centers but cannot implement the highest standards it would like.

"We've been somewhat overrun by reality," said spokeswoman Mona Finder.
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Damascus, Syria

The United States and Russia have agreed on a new cease-fire for Syria that will take effect Saturday, even as major questions over enforcing and responding to violations of the truce were left unresolved. Syria's warring government and rebels still need to accept the deal.

The timeline for a hoped-for breakthrough comes after the former Cold War foes, backing opposing sides in the conflict, said they finalized the details of a "cessation of hostilities" between President Bashar Assad's government and armed opposition groups after five years of violence that has killed more than 250,000 people.

The truce will not cover the Islamic State group, the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and any other militias designated as terrorist organizations by the U.N. Security Council. But where in Syria the fighting must stop and where counterterrorism operations can continue must still be addressed. And the five-page plan released by the U.S. State Department leaves open how breaches of the cease-fire will be identified or punished.

The announcement came after presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone Monday, capping weeks of intense diplomacy to stem the violence so that Assad's government and "moderate" rebel forces might return to peace talks in Geneva. A first round of indirect discussions collapsed almost immediately this month amid a massive government offensive backed by Russian airstrikes in northern Syria.

Obama welcomed the agreement in the call with Putin, which the White House said was arranged at Russia's request. The White House said Obama emphasized the key is to ensure that Syria's government and opposition groups faithfully implement the deal.

"This is going to be difficult to implement," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. "We know there are a lot of obstacles, and there are sure to be some setbacks."

Putin called the agreement a "last real chance to put an end to the many years of bloodshed and violence." Speaking on Russian television, he said Moscow would work with the Syrian government, and expects Washington to do the same with the opposition groups that it supports.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also welcomed the agreement, calling it "a long-awaited signal of hope to the Syrian people." But he warned that much work lies ahead for its implementation.

Hours after the agreement was announced, Assad issued a decree setting parliamentary elections for April 13. A U.N. Security Council resolution adopted in December calls for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held during an 18-month transition period that would end the 5-year-old conflict in Syria. However, the country was due for parliament elections anyway, as the current parliament's four-year term expires in May.

The leader of a Saudi-backed Syrian opposition alliance, meanwhile, said in a statement that rebel factions had agreed "in principle" to an internationally mediated temporary truce. Riad Hijab did not elaborate but urged Russia, Iran and the Assad government to end attacks, lift blockades and release prisoners held in Syria.

Syrian officials said the government was ready to take part in a truce as long as it is not used by militants to reinforce their positions.

Both sides have until Friday to formally accept the plan.

Even if the cease-fire takes hold, fighting will by no means halt.

Russia will surely press on with an air campaign that it insists is targeting terrorists but which the U.S. and its partners say is mainly killing moderate rebels and civilians.
A new book on the Black and Tans in North Tipperary has been heralded as a significant history of North Tipperary. The book, The Black and Tans in North Tipperary, by Sean Hogan, was a timely work in celebrating the centenary of a decade that shaped Ireland, Mayor Ger Darcy said at the launch in Nenagh Civic Offices.

A new book on the Black and Tans in North Tipperary has been heralded as a significant history of North Tipperary. The book, The Black and Tans in North Tipperary, by Sean Hogan, was a timely work in celebrating the centenary of a decade that shaped Ireland, Mayor Ger Darcy said at the launch in Nenagh Civic Offices.

Every family has its story of fear and trouble during the Black and Tan War, he said. This book gives good analysis and perspective on the events and is a major contribution to our history and understanding of our heritage.

The book looks at the period 1913 to 1922 and examines how County Tipperary went from being one of the least crime hit police districts to being one of the bloodiest and most terrifying.

It recounts events surrounding the ambushes and engagements, the struggle for political power at council level and within the IRA itself, as well as giving detailed background on those in the RIC and Crown Forces who were killed. It also examines the many killings and intimidation of civilians that were carried out by both the IRA and the Black and Tans.

Author Sean Hogan gathered much of his information through interviews with 35 of those who were involved in the War of Independence, as well as utilisating police records in England and the Irish Bureau of Military History and local newspapers. One of those interviews was with Dean Cahill of Borrisokane, who was portrayed by Martin Sheen in the recent film Stella Days.

Mr Hogan said he was of a generation that could recall the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising in 1966, and had read the standard works by Dan Breen and Ernie OMalley.

I had, what I imagine, was a fairly standard hero / villain view of this period of our history. And the villains were, of course, the Black and Tans, he said.

However, the author said there were some fairly shocking and dark deeds in the book. This is not heroes and villains.

Mr Hogan said some will find aspects of the stories about their ancestors to be very difficult, but one of the things we had learned in recent years was that no side in a conflict had a monopoly on the damage inflicted or the suffering caused.

He hoped the book would do justice to the generation involved, pointing out that many of the people involved were very young.

John Flannery, president of Ormond Historical Society, also stated that many will not like what they found in the book, but believed it presented a challenge to confront our demons. He said Mr Hogan had shed new light on the topic.
Nenagh is in line for a further jobs boost with a Norwegian company announcing plans to move into a premises at Lisbunny Industrial estate.

Pipeliner, a Norwegian -based company that specialises in the rehabilitation of no longer fit for purpose pipelines in the water system, announced plans to begin operations this summer with 10 or 12 jobs.

To start off with they will have a team of 10 or 12 management and administration personnel in Nenagh but hope to recruit a team of local engineers this summer. It is planned to train the local recruits in Norway.

We also intend to establish a research and development centre in the University of Limerick and Nenagh ticked all the boxes as a location for us, said CEO Thomas Ramm.

He thanked Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly for his help in setting up the company inNenagh.

Minister Kelly welcomed the company to Nenagh and said he was looking forward to them expanding at a later stage.
Calculating The Costs of Your Contact Center's Turnover Rates

If youre a contact center manager, you know the scenario. You spend the time bringing a candidate in for an interview, find he or she is a pretty good fit, and hire and train that person. Just about the time the new agent is starting to show skills and knowledge, he or she quits. This leaves you one agent short until you can begin the recruiting and hiring process all over again. Its an expensive, time-consuming never-ending revolving door.

The truth is, however, that all industries have turnover, and the call centers average turnover is higher given the nature of the work. So how do you really know if your organizations turnover is higher than usual? Jeff Toister of Toister Performance Solutions, Inc., recently blogging for Customer Think, provided some guidance to contact center managers. You can calculate your overall turnover rate for any given time period (month, year) with this simple formula: Employee Separations/Active Employee Count = Turnover Rate.

For example, lets say you had 40 employees leave and you have 100 active employees (on average) over the course of one year, wrote Toister. Your turnover calculation would be: 40/100 = 40 percent.

Toister noted that its helpful to separate bad turnover from good turnover when youre calculating attrition rates.

Bad turnover is when an employee is either fired or quits the company entirely, wrote Toister. Good turnover is when an employee leaves the job for another opportunity within the company, usually a promotion.

Lets say you calculate bad turnover and determine your rate is 30 percent. How do you determine if this matches up with the rest of the contact center industry? For starters, you can compare your current turnover rate with your own historical data. What was it like a year ago with your organization, or even five years ago? Are the numbers getting higher? In this case, it might mean its time to make some improvements that can help retain agents for longer (better working environment, more amenities, more flexible hours).

While its helpful to compare your turnover rates to other companies in your industry, Toister notes that these figures can be hard to come by. Few companies broadcast their attrition rates for market researchers to take advantage of in compiling helpful benchmarks. If you feel youre spending too much recruiting, hiring and training agents only to lose them, strive for a reduction by one-third of your existing bad turnover. (If your current bad turnover rate is 30 percent, take steps to reduce it by 33 percent to a bad turnover rate of 20 percent, for example.)

It also helps to calculate your true costs of turnover, according to Toister. This can be done by attaching numbers to hard costs such as the hiring process, training costs and the overtime that must be paid to other agents due to short-staffing. (Toister provides a turnover cost spreadsheet in his article.) Calculate the hard costs of your current bad turnover rate, then calculate what it would cost if your rate was one-third lower. Is the amount substantial? Is it worth making the effort to reduce the rates? What could you do with that money that might lower turnover rates even further?

Its important to keep in mind that high turnover doesnt just hurt a companys bottom line. It also hurts relationships with customers, so be sure to factor those soft costs into the calculations when you make them. Chances are good, whatever your calculation, the real costs of lost opportunity with customers is even greater.

Edited by Stefania Viscusi
[February 23, 2016] Cloudian HyperStore Selected for Natural Disaster Data Protection in U.S. and Japan

SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloudian, Inc., the leader in software-defined smart data storage, announced that Cloudian HyperStore has been selected to validate and develop faster data protection and recovery methods for wide-area distributed networks. The project, DESTCloud, led by Osaka University, Japan, will verify disaster resistance and fault tolerance of a wide-area distribution system across eleven data centers located in Japan. When an earthquake or tsunami hits, multiple network failures can happen simultaneously, impacting vital business and infrastructure systems and data recovery. In this project, pseudo network failures will be triggered to verify the impact on data recovery speeds across wide-area distributed networks. Cloudian HyperStore was selected to serve as the multi-data center, object storage platform to validate efficient data protection and replication at multiple, geographically distributed data ceters. The 11 data centers participating in the research are located at Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Kyoto University, Kochi University of Technology, National Institute of Informatics, Tohoku University, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Hiroshima University, Sapporo DC, Okinawa DC and University of California (San Diego).



"We are honored that Cloudian HyperStore has been selected to participate in this exciting and important project," said Michael Tso, co-founder and CEO of Cloudian. "Cloudian provides a robust object storage platform that combines backup and disaster recovery in one solution for use in multi-regional data center use cases. When it comes to data recovery, we look forward to illustrating how quickly and efficiently backup data can be retrieved, saving the organization valuable time, which is key when responding to a disaster. " "The testing DESTCloud is undertaking is crucial to ensure the viability of data management systems during natural disasters and other network failures," said Hiroki Kashiwazaki, assistant professor, Center for Information Promotion, Cybermedia Center, Osaka University. "Cloudian not only provides wide-area data distribution, replication and recovery, but the company offers robust support and customer service. Cloudian is the optimal solution to enable us to test and formulate methodologies that can be broadly adopted for disaster recovery."

DESTCloud will undergo testing through March 2016, and the research and verification methodology will be disclosed to help organizations develop faster disaster recovery processes. About Cloudian

Based in the Silicon Valley, Cloudian is the leader in software-defined smart data storage. Its flagship product, Cloudian HyperStore, is a fully S3-compatible storage platform that enables service providers and enterprises to build reliable, affordable and scalable hybrid cloud storage solutions. Cloudian Media Contacts

U.S.: McClenahan Bruer

[email protected]

+1 503-546-1000 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120918/SF75609LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cloudian-hyperstore-selected-for-natural-disaster-data-protection-in-us-and-japan-300223950.html SOURCE Cloudian, Inc.

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[February 23, 2016] Heptagon Shows Mobile Iris Scanning With IriTech at MWC 2016

Heptagon (www.hptg.com), an industry leader in imaging, sensing and illumination solutions for the Internet of Things (IOT) and Smart Devices, today announced it will be demonstrating mobile iris scanning at the Heptagon booth #8.0E22 during the Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) (MWC) 2016 in Barcelona. The solution leverages IriTech's leading edge iris recognition algorithms and software as well as Heptagon's newly launched mobile imaging demo platform. The demonstration shows a complete solution for unlocking a smartphone, tablet, PC or any Internet of Things (IoT) product and could also complement fingerprint sensors to provide added security as mobile devices becomes more crucial to our everyday lives. Iris recognition applications in the consumer electronics market are forecasted to grow to $3.6B by 2020 making this the fastest growing segment of the iris recognition market. Heptagon and IriTech are very well suited to pursue this market space by combining in-depth consumer electronics and mobile technology know-how with in-depth iris recognition algorithms and software. Heptagon's miniaturization technology has been fine-tuned over 20 years and deployed in over 2 billion units. "We are excited to launch our new UEYE platform together with IriTech iris scanning application here at MWC 2016," says Erik Volkerink, Heptagon's Chief Business Officer and Executive Vice President. "IriTech's leading edge algorithms and technologies have been proven to perfom extremely well in large field studies."



"We are very pleased to be working with Heptagon on this Iris scanning demo," says Daehoon Kim, CEO and President of IriTech. "Mobile customers are looking for complete solutions and close collaboration between sensor and biometrics vendors is essential to drive value and adoption forward." The new Heptagon module features proprietary illumination and a Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor system optimized for iris recognition, eye tracking, and face detection applications. The solution significantly reduces host system computational complexity, latency and power consumption. Depth information is used to improve speed and accuracy of iris scan applications and enables smaller baselines for mobile integration. The system will also benefit from the Heptagon's Focus Controlled Packaging (FCP) camera technology that allows even further miniaturization. IriTech's IrisSDK software development kit allows quick application development and deployment based on unique and proven iris recognition algorithms.

The collaboration brings together two high-value contributors in the iris recognition market creating new opportunities to reduce time-to-market for integration of iris recognition solutions in mobile, laptop, and PC applications. About Heptagon Heptagon (www.hptg.com) provides complete 3D/imaging, illumination and optical sensing solutions for smart devices and the internet of things. With over 2 billion units shipped and 20 years of industry firsts in miniaturizing and integrating complex hardware and software systems, Heptagon has industry leading technology and services to enhance our customer's competitiveness. Backed by world-class investors, Heptagon is a global company with research and development, sales and customer services teams located in Singapore, Zurich Switzerland, in Silicon Valley USA, and Shenzhen China. About IriTech IriTech, Inc. (www.iritech.com) provides iris recognition based authentication solutions to provide the highest level of security and convenience to customers. Over the years, IriTech has fostered iris biometric technology through its leadership role in developing standards for iris recognition technology, especially US [ANSI] and international [ISO] standards. IriTech is a global company Headquartered in Virginia USA with research and development, sales and customer services teams located in Seoul Korea, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam and Moscow Russia. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160222006800/en/

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[February 23, 2016] Invitae to Present at the Cowen and Company 36th Annual Health Care Conference

Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA), a genetic information company, today announced that members of the company's management team will present at the Cowen and Company 36th Annual Health Care Conference on Monday, March 7, 2016 at approximately 4:40 p.m. Eastern / 1:40 p.m. Pacific in Boston, Massachusetts. The live, listen-only webcast of the presentation may be accesed by visiting the Investors section of the company's website at ir.invitae.com. A replay of the webcasts will be available shortly after the conclusion of the presentation and will be archived on the company's website.



About Invitae Invitae Corporation's (NYSE: NVTA) mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medical practice to improve the quality of healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate most of the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time, and lower price than many single-gene and panel tests today. The company currently provides a diagnostic service comprising hundreds of genes for a variety of genetic disorders associated with oncology, cardiology, neurology, pediatrics and other rare disease areas. For more information, visit our website at ir.invitae.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223005333/en/

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[February 23, 2016] Largest Free Standing Privately Held Cancer Center in the U.S. Replaces Legacy Avaya System With RingCentral Cloud Communications Solution

RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE:RNG), a leading provider of cloud communications and collaboration solutions, today announced that Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center (CBCC), a leading free standing, UCLA affiliated, privately held cancer center in the United States, has migrated its communications to the cloud by selecting RingCentral (News - Alert) Office to replace its legacy on-premise Avaya PBX system. With a need to support an untethered working environment to better serve patients, CBCC adopted RingCentral Office, a complete cloud business communications solution designed for the mobile workforce, enabling physicians, nurse practitioners, and employees to easily stay connected anytime, anywhere. Using RingCentral on mobile devices, CBCC has seen significant improvement in the patient experience, as doctors are more reachable and can return patient calls from any location while maintaining the privacy of their personal mobile contact. "Moving to the cloud for our communications was the best decision we've made as we're now connected with our patients and colleagues whether we are in the office, at home or even traveling overseas," said Dr. Ravi Patel, founder of CBCC. "Our patients are happier, our IT staff is focused on more productive areas, and we now have a state of the art solution that makes our future expansion limitless. RingCentral has helped significantl with video conferencing and web meetings, powerful communication tools, often needed in managing and planning complex cancer care both locally and nationally."



CBCC's legacy system had no flexibility to efficiently manage patient call volumes, had reached its scalability limits, had no mobility support, and was expensive and difficult to maintain. With RingCentral Office, CBCC's patient-facing staff has become more productive, helping improve the overall patient experience. Furthermore, the IT staff no longer has to bear the burden of managing complex PBX (News - Alert) equipment, and can now focus on productive, business-impacting matters. When CBCC recently expanded its office space, the IT team wasn't concerned with how to scale the communications system since RingCentral Office is cloud-based. "Our goal is to help businesses effectively communicate with their customers - in this case, efficiently and flexibly connect physicians with their patients," said Mitch Tarica, vice president of Enterprise Sales for RingCentral. "The staff at CBCC is doing amazing work, and a key pillar of delivering excellent healthcare services is enabling seamless patient communications. We're glad that RingCentral has been able to migrate CBCC to the modern cloud communications solution."

CBCC is committed to investing in new technologies and treatment options, recently including the CBCC CyberKnife Center, the first and only robotic radiosurgery system, and the only technology in the world located at a free standing cancer center. About RingCentral RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE:RNG) is a leading provider of cloud-based business communications and collaboration solutions. RingCentral's cloud solution is easier to manage, and more flexible and cost-efficient than legacy on-premises communications systems. It meets the needs of modern distributed and mobile workforces spanning SMB to Enterprises globally. RingCentral, Business Communications Made Simple. RingCentral is headquartered in Belmont, Calif. RingCentral and the RingCentral logo are trademarks of RingCentral, Inc. About Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center CBCC has treated over 100,000 patients since it first opened in 1984. CBCC has continually expanded and has earned the recognition as the largest free standing, privately held cancer center in the United States. The more than 100,000 square foot facility, CBCC is the largest free-standing cancer center on the west coast with a world class professional team, providing the most innovative technology for detecting and treating cancer, including the Cyberknife and cutting edge clinical trials with UCLA, and much more. CBCC's motivation has always been to provide the finest care available-offering patient and community a "One Stop Shop" for Comprehensive Cancer Care. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223005833/en/

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[February 23, 2016] SnowFire.com Launches New Dynamic eCommerce Website as Google Fiber Has Arrived in Provo and Prepares to Launch in Salt Lake City, Utah

OREM, Utah, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SnowFire.com's new website is now live, offering network, information technology and Datacom professionals an expansive selection of fiber optic cables, Ethernet cords and HDMI cables. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160218/335005LOGO This comes as the lightning-fast Google Fiber connection has become available along the Silicon Slopes in Provo and soon in the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area. The area is known as the "Silicon Slopes" due to the proclivity of tech companies, many of which rely on data centers with a Fiber Optic infrastructure. "We're extremely proud of our new internet portal and hope to facilitate fiber optic communications for even more customers this way," said Jason Bringhurst, CEO of SnowFire. "In addition to Google Fiber, the Wasatch Front in Utah is home to a good number of data centers, so a fiber optic cable supply company like ours in the heart of the Silicon Slopes is a natural fit. We carry off-the-shelf fiber cables and custom fiber cords." The company offers dozens of types of information technology suplies, including Single and Multi-Mode Fiber, adapters, bulk wire, patch panels, CAT6 Ethernet, SVGA, HDMI, gender chargers, power cords, RCA cables, CAT5E Ethernet cords, USB 3.0 hubs, DVI, Apple Lightning cables, chargers, and much more. They offer will call pick up services to local clientele and UPS shipping to customers anywhere in the USA.



The new site is organized, easy to navigate, and appealing in layout and design. The website also contains a powerful search option that displays findings by popularity, average rating, product newness, and by price. Additional price breaks are available for quantities of 10-49 and 50 plus. There's also an e-newsletter signup function for those who wish to learn about new products, sales, featured items, and more. About SnowFire.com

Located in Orem, Utah, SnowFire.com is located in an area now commonly referred to as Silicon Slopes for its high concentration of science and tech companies. They supply fiber optic cables, Ethernet patch cords, HDMI cables, and other wire and adapters to network, IT and Datacom professionals. Will call is available for pick up, or the company can provide same-day shipping directly to you. The factory in China is a registered ISO 9001-2000 manufacturer, and all cables are made according to the RoHS directives. The cables are high quality and come with a lifetime warranty. Custom fiber optic OM2, OM3, and OM4 cables are made in the U.S. For more information, visit https://snowfire.com/, call 801-691-0237, or email [email protected]. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/snowfirecom-launches-new-dynamic-ecommerce-website-as-google-fiber-has-arrived-in-provo-and-prepares-to-launch-in-salt-lake-city-utah-300222885.html SOURCE SnowFire.com

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[February 23, 2016] Solplicity Earns Green Award From San Mateo Chamber Of Commerce

CALABASAS, Calif., Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Solplicity, a full service solar provider, was honored with the Green Award at the San Mateo Chamber of Commerce 21st annual Business Awards Dinner earlier this month. Joe Nolan, the Northern California operator for Solplicity, was one of 14 business leaders to receive an award from the local Chamber. "We're honored to earn the Green Award from the San Mateo Chamber of Commerce," said Nolan. "I grew up in San Mateo and am proud to be part of such a dynamic local business community. The Green Award is a testament to Solplicity's continued focus on offering the best products in the solar energy industry, white glove service for our customers and our commitment to making our local communities as sustainable as possible." The Green Award recognizes Solplicity's commitment to renewable energy and green business practices. Nolan and his team in the San Mateo office have made an impact locally by offering homeowners a wide array of customizable solar options, increasing community awareness on the benefits of green energy and through their involvement in the Chamber and the community. "We are proud that Joe Nolan and his team were honored by the San Mateo Chamber," said Solplicity Vice President Fred Stefany. "His team is focused on growing the Solplicity brand on the Peninsula and beyond. Joe is a great ambassador for the brand and a dynamic businessman with a results-oriented office." Nolan is a San Bruno native and graduated from Serra High School in San Mateo and earned a Bachelor's in Journalism from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Previous to his work in the solar industry, Joe was a sportswriter for the San Mateo County Times, and most recently spent nine years running a business in Austin, Texas. Joe, along with his wife, son and daughter, decided to move back home to the Peninsula to be closer to family and to lead Solplicity's expansion in Northern California. Customers interested in state of the art solar with a personal touch can visit www.solplicity.com. Follow Solplicity on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the Solplicity blog for more information about the company. About Solplicity

Solplicity is a growing team of passionate experts dedicated to helping homeowners live an energy efficient and sustainable life through solar, while saving them money in the process. Solplicity offers a full suite of financial options and only uses the best technology. Solplicity provides in-person smart and straightforward guidance to help homeowners select the best solar option for their home. A member of American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), the privately-held company is based in Calabasas, California. For more information about Solplicity, go to www.solplicity.com.







Contact: Beth Mansfield

[email protected]

805/223-0278

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160219/335419 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/solplicity-earns-green-award-from-san-mateo-chamber-of-commerce-300223267.html SOURCE Solplicity

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[February 23, 2016] Trina Solar Acquires a Solar Cell Factory in the Netherlands

CHANGZHOU, China, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Trina Solar Limited (NYSE: TSL) ("Trina Solar" or the "Company"), a global leader in photovoltaic ("PV") modules, solutions, and services, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Trina Solar Netherlands, has completed the acquisition of all the assets from Solland Solar, a solar cell manufacturing company with approximately 200 MW solar cell manufacturing capacity located in Heerlen, the Netherlands. Upon completion of the transaction, Trina Solar Netherlands acquired all of the manufacturing machines, equipment, stocks, office inventory, and real estate etc. from Solland Solar. Trina Solar will commence operations at the facility in the coming weeks. "We are delighted with the successful completion of the transaction and believe that the acquisition enables us to expand the global manufacturing footprint of Trina Solar in an efficient manner," commented Mr. Jifan Gao, Chairman and CEO of Trina Solar. "This investment will be one of the components of our ongoing global expansion strategy. In particular, this new cell facility in Europe, along with our in-house manufacturing capacity in Thailand and other overseas capacities allows us to leverage our global resources so that we can further expand our presence and enhance our competitive edge in overseas markets, especially the U.S. and Europe. We are also pleased to be investing in the Netherlands PV sector, in which we believe we can help create job opportunities for the local area, and support economic development in the region." About Trina Solar Limited Trina Solar Limited (NYSE:TSL) is a global leader in photovoltaic modules, solutions and services. Founded in 1997 as a PV system integrator, Trina Solar today drives smart energy together with installers, distributors, utilities and developers worldwide. The company's industry-leading position is based on innovation excellence, superior product quality, vertically integrated capabilities and environmental stewardship. For more information, please visit www.trinasolar.com . Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the Company's ability to raise additional capital to finance its activities; the effectiveness, profitability and marketability of its products; the future trading of the securities of the Company; the Company's ability to operate as a public company; the period of time for which the Company's current liquidity will enable the Company to fund its operations; general economic and business conditions; demand in various markets for solar products; the volatility of the Company's operating results and financial condition; the Company's ability to attract or retain qualified senior management personnel and research and development staff; and other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry in which the Company operates. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results.







Trina Solar Limited Christensen IR Teresa Tan, CFO (Changzhou) Linda Bergkamp Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 480 614 3014 (US)

Email: [email protected] Yvonne Young

Investor Relations Director

Email: [email protected]



To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trina-solar-acquires-a-solar-cell-factory-in-the-netherlands-300224411.html SOURCE Trina Solar Limited

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[February 22, 2016] Implications of Mega Trends on Batteries

LONDON, Feb. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This study examines the key mega trends that are creating a high demand for batteries. The role of the Internet of Things (IoT), advancements to telecommunication networks (LTE), wearable devices with sensors, renewable integration, smart grid, energy storage, and advancements to healthcare devices are some of the key technologies that are dependent on batteries for their successful implementation and performance. This study highlights the different emerging battery chemistries and their applications, apart from the existing, well-established lead acid, lithium-ion, and flow batteries. A long-term perspective of how the demand for batteries and winning business models will evolve in 2025 is given along with revenue forecasts.



Key Findings



The global battery-based energy storage systems market is expected to reach $ billion by 2020 with lithium-ion accounting for more than half of this revenue.

A boom in wearable devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) is driving battery manufacturers to invest heavily in producing batteries that are flexible, thin, and stretchy. Curved, foldable, and pin-sized batteries are ome good examples. Solid-state battery chemistries are becoming more popular to power miniature devices that require high energy density.







Lithium-ion, the most sought after chemistry, is reaching its limits, thus, paving way for advanced chemistries such as metal-air, flow batteries, and sodium sulphur.

Strong growth in renewables is expected to drive the demand for storage, especially battery-based systems both on the grid scale as well as on the residential side. Revenue from grid scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is expected to grow at a double digit CAGR ( %) from 20152020.



'No down payment' is emerging as the most popular business model for installing battery energy storage systems for Commercial and Industrial (C&I) customers. Integrated battery storage solution providers such as STEM, Sunverge, Green Charge Networks, Solar City, and so on install, own, operate, and maintain these solutions at customer locations. In return they split the difference in savings from peak demand charges with the end-user.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3090035/





About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/implications-of-mega-trends-on-batteries-300224130.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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[February 22, 2016] NexStreaming to Provide Gionee With NexEditor SDK Video Editing Solution

SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global multi-media software provider NexStreaming's representative director Lin Yize announced that the company will provide Gionee Communication Equipment, China's large smart terminal device manufacturer, with its video editing solution 'NexEditor SDK', enabling Gionee to launch smart mobile phones that contain a diverse collection of premium video editing options. NexStreaming over the last few years has invested a meaningful sum into the multimedia processing technologies that led to the creation of NexEditor SDK. NexEditor SDK then became the software that serves as the backbone for the professional video editing app KineMaster, an application that was developed in-house. KineMaster has been downloaded more than 7 million times in the Google Play store, demonstrating the app's leadership position in the field of professional video editing. To ensure sustainable profitability, the company rolled out a new business model in the B2B segment of the market and teamed up with smart mobile phone manufacturers worldwide. The partnership with Gionee is the first of this kind in China for the company. Gionee, a brand under Gionee Communication Equipment Co. Ltd., was founded in September 2002. Gionee is a high tech manufacturer that focuses on the R&D, production and international sales of cellular mobile devices. NexStreaming's representative direcor Lin Yize said: "The effect of using the new multimedia solution NexEditor SDK, a solution that we developed in-house, to expand into the B2B market, has been remarkable, and the signing of the partnership agreement with Gionee will become an important milestone for the company as it expands into the Chinese market."



Gionee vice-president Xu Li added: "I am excited that NexEditor SDK will bring a new experience to Gionee's users both at home and abroad. In the future we expect to maintain this good relationship and for it to serve to consolidate our position in the global market." As a professional video editing solution, It allows users to edit videos more precisely with features like trimming and also merging after deleting certain sections, speed control, templates, and text overlay as well as a thumbnail UI which can express detailed movement.The editor also offers users the ability to preview video edits in real time due to the optimized rendering technology that cannot be experienced on other devices.

The chief features of NexEditor SDK will be showcased at Mobile World Congress 2016 (MWC 2016) from February 22 to 25, 2016 at both Gionee's Booth (Hall 7 Stand 7C50 Hall 7 Stand 7C61) and at NexStreaming's Booth (Hall 8.1 -- App Planet Stand 8.1D59) at Gran Via Exhibition Centre in Barcelona, Spain. About NexStreaming NexStreaming is a widely acknowledged multiple-media software company with its own proprietary video-processing technologies. Products include: NexPlayer, which already powers more than 350 million handsets, NexPlayer SDK, providing HD live broadcasting video streaming services, NexEditor SDK, the advanced and sophisticated video editor delivering optimum performance on every device for the fastest recording and editing, NexSoundSDK, an audio solution that provides an optimal listening environment, KineMaster, the first and only professional video editor available for Android devices, SingPlay, a karaoke recording app that enables users to enjoy karaoke as well as create their own version of a song. NexStreaming is a publicly traded company listed on the Korean stock exchange KOSDAQ since December 2012. NexStreaming is a global mobile software company with headquarters in Seoul, Korea and branches in Spain, the US, Japan and China. Media contact:

Bowin TENG,

+86-135-3404-0896,

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nexstreaming-to-provide-gionee-with-nexeditor-sdk-video-editing-solution-300220363.html SOURCE NexStreaming

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[February 23, 2016]

Newsbyte: New SAP Education Network for Digital Transformation Accelerates Customers' Journeys to Becoming Digital Enterprises

WALLDORF, Germany, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and the SAP University Alliances program today announced the global launch of SAP Education Network for Digital Transformation, an initiative to engage and prepare executives and professionals to lead their organizations to become digital enterprises in collaboration with academia and partners. The announcement was made at Mobile World Congress, being held February 2225 2016, in Barcelona, Spain.

"SAP Education Network for Digital Transformation enables business leaders, IT executives, IT experts and end users in the SAP ecosystem to acquire the skills required to be successful in the digital transformation," said Dr. Bernd Welz, executive vice president and head of Scale, Enablement & Transformation, SAP SE.

A key part of SAP Education Network for Digital Transformation is Digital Transformation Academy, which provides business leaders and IT professionals a home base for learning opportunities and collaboration with peers and experts to build the skills for their digital learning journey. Digital Transformation Academy makes it easy to find content and events provided by SAP through traditional classrooms and digital offerings including SAP Learning Hub, the openSAP platform and Thought Leaders courses from openSAP, as well as from other parties such as universities. Offerings range from dedicated executive education programs in collaboration with universities, including the Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley, to learnng modules, to innovation workshops. "Leadership in Digital Transformation" is one example of a Thought Leaders course that provides immediately usable insights for both IT and businesspeople about how the digital transformation changes the way a company creates value, interacts with its customers and business partners, and competes in established and emerging markets.







SAP Education Network for Digital Transformation works with SAP University Alliances, a network of more than 2,650 educational institutions in 90 countries, and learning assets from SAP and partners. Offerings include education on the digital transformation for business executives and IT professionals, including network collaborators such as RocketSpace and incubator trips to Silicon Valley. Additionally, an alumni network enables executives and professionals to share and collaborate on insights and best practices to accelerate their digital transformation journeys.

Another key component of SAP Education Network for Digital Transformation is innovation with young talents through projects in the SAP Next-Gen Consulting program. Showcases will be featured at Mobile World Congress with students from leading universities in Barcelona and around the world who competed in the SAP InnoJam event "Run Simple in a Digital World with 5G" held before Mobile World Congress at Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona. In addition, students from the Hasso Plattner Institute will demonstrate innovative solutions in sessions such as "Passwords Are Obsolete  Automatic User Authentication Through Wearables and Mobile Devices."

SAP Next-Gen Consulting will also be the foundation for the Big Data and healthcare challenge from SAP for the ITU Young Innovators Competition, which will enable entrepreneurs from around the world with innovative ideas to explore and engage with SAP's latest technologies, including SAP HANA Cloud Platform and analytics solutions from SAP, to develop compelling design concepts and prototype solutions to real-world challenges in the Big Data and healthcare areas.

For more information, visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews and @sap_ua.

Media Contact:

Susan Miller, SAP, +1 (610) 661-9225, [email protected], ET

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110126/AQ34470LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/newsbyte-new-sap-education-network-for-digital-transformation-accelerates-customers-journeys-to-becoming-digital-enterprises-300223975.html

SOURCE SAP SE
[February 23, 2016] SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom Establish Strategic Technology and Business Partnership

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM) and Deutsche Telekom announced today that they entered into a strategic business partnership agreement to collaborate in the fields of services, Internet of Things (IoT) and related R&D areas. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336206 With the aim to strengthen their capabilities as ICT industry leaders and to achieve new growth through joint business opportunities in Asian and European Markets, SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom will cooperate in the global sales of innovative solutions and products and work together to lead standardization of innovative technologies, including 5G enabling technologies and SDDC (Software-Defined Data Center). - Cloud Streaming Solution, Pico Beamer, International Roaming

As part of the collaboration, SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom will also make joint efforts to expand markets for their solutions and products/services. SK Telecom's technological competency with regard to Cloud Streaming* was successfully demonstrated through the solution tests conducted at Deutsche Telekom's T-Labs in December 2015. The two companies will conduct a feasibility test for its potential commercialization in Deutsche Telekom's footprint by the second quarter of 2016. Going forward, through partnership with Deutsche Telekom, who has 6 million TV subscribers in Europe, SK Telecom expects to secure a bridgehead to enter into the European markets with its Cloud Streaming solution. *Provided by SK Telecom's subsidiary ENTRIX, Cloud Streaming is an innovative solution that enables even the legacy/low-end set-top boxes to support the latest user interfaces as it is built on software virtualization technologies. The solution thereby allows companies to significantly reduce costs for set-top box investment and subscriber acquisition. Moreover, the two companies have agreed to introduce SK Telecom's pico beamer to Germany in the second quarter of 2016 and then to other countries in Europe. They also agreed to launch Deutsche Telekom's in-car Wi-Fi solution in the Korean market. SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom will also cooperate in the international roaming service area, including quality improvements, signature of Service Level Agreements and pursuit of LTE based roaming services. - Smart City

Another area of collaboration is in the IoT to develop innovative services in an urban setting. They are now ready to combine their efforts to mutually investigate industry leading smart city solutions. This will enable the two toserve the customer needs in the best way to make their cities smarter and to expand the related services into new markets.



- Technology R&D

Under the partnership agreement, the two companies will pursue joint R&D activities to develop cutting-edge technologies  including 5G enabling technologies  and push for their standardization, while actively taking a part in diverse global projects to drive ICT infrastructure innovations. In particular, through development of key 5G technologies such as network slicing and mobile edge computing, they plan to drive standardization and implementation of 5G, and identify 5G key applications.

In addition, as members of the Open Compute Project, the Facebook-led open source hardware and data center design initiative, the two companies will play proactive roles to achieve innovations in the network-IT infrastructure. Furthermore, SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom have joined the Next Generation Enterprise Network Alliance (ngena) as founding members. 'ngena' is an alliance of international telecommunications companies to provide truly international network services for enterprise customers, securely and reliably from a single source. 'ngena' is a standalone company with independent management. It comes with a completely new business model and a new technology in a greenfield setting, sharing network assets of trusted service providers. "The idea is to create an amazing technology partnership with tangible results. The development and exchange of new services will help both companies generate more benefit for our customers," stated Tim Hottges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom. "But it's also about learning from each other. We are really impressed with SK Telecom's agility and creativity, and look forward to exchanging ideas and experiences." "SK Telecom is excited to enter into a strategic partnership with Deutsche Telekom, which holds a strong technology and market leadership across the globe," said Jang Dong-hyun, President and CEO of SK Telecom. "By building on each other's strengths, we will unlock new growth opportunities and pave the way for the future ICT industry." About SK Telecom SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, KSE: 017670), established in 1984, is Korea's largest telecommunications company with more than 26 million mobile subscribers, accounting for around 50% of the market. The company reached KRW 17.137 trillion in revenue in 2015. As the world's first company to commercialize CDMA, CDMA 2000 1x, CDMA EV-DO and HSDPA networks, SK Telecom launched the nation's first LTE service in July 2011. SK Telecom also became the world's first mobile carrier to commercialize 150Mbps LTE-Advanced in June 2013 and 225Mbps LTE-Advanced in June 2014 through Carrier Aggregation(CA). In line with its efforts to swiftly move towards the next-generation mobile network system, or 5G, it successfully commercialized 300Mbps tri-band LTE-A CA. As of the end of December 2015, the company has over 18.98 million LTE and LTE-Advanced subscribers. Based on its strength in network operations business, SK Telecom is seeking new growth engines through three innovative platforms namely Lifestyle Enhancement Platform, Advanced Media Platform and IoT Service Platform. For more information, please visit www.sktelecom.com or email to [email protected]. About Deutsche Telekom Deutsche Telekom is one of the world's leading integrated telecommunications companies with around 151 million mobile customers, 30 million fixed-network lines and more than 17 million broadband lines (as of December 31, 2014). The Group provides fixed network, mobile communications, Internet and IPTV products and services for consumers and ICT solutions for business customers and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in more than 50 countries and has approximately 228,000 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenues of EUR 62.7 billion in the 2014 financial year  more than 60 percent of it outside Germany. Media Contact SK Telecom

Cindy Kang

SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

(822) 6100-3836

(8210) 9113-2344

[email protected] Raphael Rashid

Edelman Korea

(822) 2022 8228

[email protected] Deutsche Telekom AG

Corporate Communications

Tel: +49 228 181  4949

E-Mail: [email protected]

Further information for the media at: www.telekom.com/media and www.telekom.com/photos To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sk-telecom-and-deutsche-telekom-establish-strategic-technology-and-business-partnership-300223842.html SOURCE SK Telecom

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[February 23, 2016] SIGOS and IneoQuest Combine Expertise to Provide Video Testing Solutions for the Telecommunications Industry

NUREMBERG, Germany and BOSTON, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SIGOS, the worldwide leader of active testing solutions for Quality of Service, Quality of Experience, Fraud Detection, Roaming and Revenue Assurance and IneoQuest, the global leader in video quality and audience behavioural intelligence solutions, have signed a cooperation agreement to develop the industry's first network-based multi-screen streaming video quality testing tools. The cooperation combines both companies' years of expertise to create a video quality verification system for Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) streaming video content being delivered to viewers on smartphones, tablets, PCs, set-top boxes, and smartTVs. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160222/335966LOGO IneoQuest and SIGOS are demonstrating a prototype system at the 2016 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Booth 6H38. The solution combines IneoQuest's award-winning IQ Dialogue software with the SIGOS SITE Test Systems remote test units (LU), creating an elegant integrated solution. This solution can then be used to conduct active testing and evaluation of ABR video streams in all major streaming formats, including HLS, HDS, MSS, and DASH - and across any video-capable access network technology, including 3G, LTE, LAN, DSL, and Wi-Fi. Support for this combination of formats and network types can accurately represent the enormous array of technologies being used by today's viewing audience. Using the IneoQuest-enabled SITE system, Mobile Network Operators will now be able to precisely monitor streaming video quality from an end customer perspective, including their own content offering, as well as content that is traversing their network. These Operators will also have the ability to benchmark their video service offering against those provided by Over-The-Top (OTT) content providers such as YouTube or Netflix.



"By working with SIGOS, we can make our video quality intelligence technologies easily available to a market that is wrestling with video growth, and its impact on their networks." Said Calvin Harrison, CEO of IneoQuest. "These new tools allow operators to quickly find video trouble spots, and gives them the knowledge they need to determine how to best address them in both the short and long term." Adil Kaya, CEO from SIGOS added:

"In the mobile telecommunications industry video was always a topic  getting reliable quality and performance indicators for mobile video services has been a challenge. For over 400 network operators the SITE architecture, measurements and results are a highly trusted source to test and measure quality - adding video is just a logical consequence. At the same time, video is a complex topic, the cooperation with IneoQuest was the right thing to do, creating the best solution well ahead of the market."

With the shared development, Network Operators will have access to a new range of products and solutions to better understand and expand their video subscriber base, and grow their returns on capital investments and digital. Moreover, the two companies have agreed on including future aspects into their joint activities. About SIGOS

SIGOS is the worldwide leader in active testing and Fraud Detection of telecommunication networks and services. The solutions enable operators, OTT, content providers, carriers and regulators to fully understand Quality of Service and Experience from an end-user perspective.

The SITE test system supports proactive testing across all technologies and network infrastructures. GlobalRoamer, the world's largest roaming testing platform, provides access to over 780 networks in 206 countries. Fraud Detection and Revenue Assurance conclude the innovative and market leading portfolio. SIGOS today serves over 440 network operators in 152 countries worldwide, including most top 100 network operators. Media Contacts:

SIGOS GmbH

Bjorn Koetz

Klingenhofstr. 50 d

90411 Nuremberg

www.sigos.com About IneoQuest Technologies

IneoQuest provides the world's leading media companies and service providers the critical insight needed to keep viewers engaged on any device, across any network. Recognized as an industry leader and innovator by Deloitte, Red Herring, Inc., Frost & Sullivan, and others, IneoQuest's patented solutions continue to set the standard for measuring video quality and viewer behavior. To learn more about how IneoQuest is redefining the video experience, visit www.ineoquest.com. Media Contacts:

Laura Paine

InkHouse for IneoQuest

+1 (781) 966-4124

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sigos-and-ineoquest-combine-expertise-to-provide-video-testing-solutions-for-the-telecommunications-industry-300224156.html SOURCE IneoQuest Technologies

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[February 23, 2016] Webroot 2016 Threat Brief Explores Next-Generation Cyber Threat Landscape and Targeted Intrusion Trends

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest edition of the annual Webroot Threat Brief reveals 97% of malware is unique to a specific endpoint, rendering signature-based security virtually useless. The data collected by Webroot, the market leader in next-generation endpoint security and cloud-based collective threat intelligence, throughout 2015 clearly show that today's threats are truly global and highly dynamic. Many attacks are staged, delivered, and terminated within a matter of hours, or even minutes, having harvested user credentials and other sensitive information. The report shows that countering these threats requires an innovative approach to attack detection that leverages advanced techniques and up-to-the-second threat intelligence. Key findings from the Webroot 2016 Threat Brief include: Malware and potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) have become overwhelmingly polymorphic, with 97 percent of malware morphing to become unique to a specific endpoint device. By changing attributes to evade detection, polymorphic threats pose a major problem for traditional, signature-based security approaches, which often fail to discover singular variants.

Approximately 50 percent of Webroot users experienced a first contact with a zero-day phishing site, as compared to approximately 30 percent in 2014. This data indicates that zero-day phishing attacks are becoming the hacker's choice for stealing identities.

Technology companies, including Google, Apple and Facebook were targeted by more than twice as many phishing sites as financial institutions, such as PayPal, Wells Fargo and Bank of America. These tech companies are targeted because the same login credentials are often used to access many other websites, resulting in multiple compromised accounts with each phishing victim.

100,000 net new malicious IP addresses were created per day in 2015, a significant increase from the 2014 average of 85,000 a day indicating cybercriminals rely less on the same list of IPs, and are expanding to new IPs to avoid detection.

IP addresses were created per day in 2015, a significant increase from the 2014 average of 85,000 a day indicating cybercriminals rely less on the same list of IPs, and are expanding to new IPs to avoid detection. The U.S. continues to have the most malicious IP addresses of all countries. In 2015, it accounted for over 40 percent of all malicious IP addresses, a significant increase from 31 percent of malicious addresses in 2014. Top countries hosting 75 percent of malicious IPs include the U.S., , Japan , Germany , and the UK.

As with malicious IP addresses, malicious URLs are largely hosted in the U.S. (30 percent), followed by China (11 percent). Furthermore, the U.S. is by far the largest host of phishing sites, with 56 percent of sites within its borders.

(11 percent). Furthermore, the U.S. is by far the largest host of phishing sites, with 56 percent of sites within its borders. In the second half of 2015, 52 percent of new and updated apps were unwanted or maliciousa significant increase over the first half of 2014, when only 21 percent were unwanted or malicious.



"2015 was yet another record year for cybercrime, during which more malware, malicious IPs, websites, and mobile apps were discovered than in any previous year," said Hal Lonas, chief technology officer at Webroot. "It comes as no surprise to those of us in the Internet security industry that the cybercrime ecosystem continues to thrive, given new innovations and little in the way of risk for those who choose to participate. The continued onslaught of hacks, breaches, and social engineering scams targeting individuals, businesses, and government agencies alike has caused many in the security field to ask if it's truly possible to defend against a persistent attacker. We conclude that we can only succeed by being more innovative than our criminal opponents."

What can organizations and individuals do?

With the various increases in polymorphism and other malware trends, it is more apparent than ever that organizations need to bolster their security posture with next-generation endpoint protection and real-time, highly accurate threat intelligence to protect themselves, their users, and their customers from cybercriminal activity. Dynamic intelligence enables them to set proactive policies to automatically protect networks, endpoints, and users as part of a defense-in-depth strategy. This is especially necessary when security teams consider the threat landscape as a whole, in addition to conducting in-depth analysis on the threats targeting them. Furthermore, individuals need to be more vigilant than ever about the websites they visit, the URLs they follow, and the applications they download and use. For a copy of the Webroot 2016 Threat Brief, visit Webroot at booth #3837 at RSA Conference 2016 in San Francisco on Feb. 29-March 4, 2016, or download the report online: www.webroot.com/Webroot-2016-Threat-Brief. About Webroot

Webroot delivers next-generation endpoint security and threat intelligence services to protect businesses and individuals around the globe. Our smarter approach harnesses the power of cloud-based collective threat intelligence derived from millions of real-world devices to stop threats in real time and help secure the connected world. Our award-winning SecureAnywhere endpoint solutions and BrightCloud Threat Intelligence Services protect tens of millions of devices across businesses, home users, and the Internet of Things. Trusted and integrated by market-leading companies, including Cisco, F5 Networks, Aruba, Palo Alto Networks, A10 Networks, and more, Webroot is headquartered in Colorado and operates globally across North America, Europe, and Asia. Discover Smarter Cybersecurity solutions at www.webroot.com. Social Media: Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook 2016 Webroot Inc. All rights reserved. Webroot, SecureAnywhere, Webroot SecureAnywhere, Webroot BrightCloud, BrightCloud, and Smarter Cybersecurity are trademarks or registered trademarks of Webroot Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121016/LA94090LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/webroot-2016-threat-brief-explores-next-generation-cyber-threat-landscape-and-targeted-intrusion-trends-300224242.html SOURCE Webroot

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[February 23, 2016] eInfochips' Eragon 820, Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor, Will Accelerate 4K HD Video in Embedded Applications

SUNNYVALE, California, February 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Eragon 820 Product Line, Based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, Will Accelerate Development of 4K and HD Video Applications in Virtual Reality, Drones, Robotics, Infotainment, Media Broadcast, Digital Signage Among Many Others eInfochips (http://www.einfochips.com ) has initiated the creation of SOMs, development kits, and custom designs for companies to accelerate development of products and solutions based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated. Eragon 820 System on Module (SoM) will enable 4K and HD video capability and support a maximum of 32 MP camera products. To pre-order Eragon 820 Development Kit, click here. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131029/648699 )

The Snapdragon 820 processor features the Qualcomm Adreno 530 GPU that is designed to deliver immersive visual graphics, while delivering up to 40 percent improvement to graphics performance and compute capabilities when compared to the previous generation Adreno 430. The Qualcomm Hexagon 680 DSP enables the CPU to offload many tasks for more efficient processing, thereby making it the desired solution for the latest embedded devices. The Snapdragon 820 processor also features Qualcomm Spectra dual Image Signal Processor (IP) providing superior image quality and experience.



"Snapdragon 820 processor will play a key role in enhancing the graphics and visual capabilities of the embedded applications requiring leading edge computing performance, built-in connectivity, and 4K HD experiences for end users," said Tia Cassett, senior director, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "eInfochips' experience in developing embedded systems, cameras and video solutions will bring significant value to device manufacturers." The SoM, development kit, and custom design solutions will be part of the eInfochips Eragon 820 product line that will be available in Q2 2016. In parallel, the company is also working with the early-adopters of Snapdragon 820 in custom hardware and software development by providing end-to-end product engineering services.

Parag Mehta, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at eInfochips said, "eInfochips has strong expertise in Snapdragon processors and our design team has over 15 years of experience in developing custom products for clients that are successfully deployed in various industries including surveillance, consumer devices, medical imaging and industrial automation. Eragon 820 development kit will help our customers accelerate next generation designs in Ultra HD / 4K camera and connectivity solutions." About eInfochips eInfochips has more than 20 years of experience in designing end-to-end systems with design centers supporting customers locally in North America, Europe and Asia. eInfochips is a global product innovation partner, recognized for technology leadership by Gartner, Frost & Sullivan, NASSCOM and Zinnov. The 1500+ engineers at eInfochips have contributed to over 500 product designs for top global companies, with more than 10 million units deployed around the world. Visit us at http://www.einfochips.com, or stay connected on LinkedIn, Facebook, SlideShare, Twitter and YouTube. To request information, contact: [email protected] Sooryanarayanan Balasubramanian (+1) 408-496-1882 | (+91) 79-2656-3705 Qualcomm Snapdragon, Qualcomm Adreno, Qualcomm Hexagon and Qualcomm Spectra are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Qualcomm, Adreno, Hexagon and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Qualcomm Spectra is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Other product and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. SOURCE eInfochips

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[February 23, 2016] Mobile Video Growth: Vdopia Launches Innovative Programmatic Tools for Outstream

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vdopia, a global leader in mobile video advertising, today announced the launch of innovative new programmatic platform tools. Following the successful launch of Chocolate, the first mobile video only programmatic platform, Vdopia has extended its product suite with its 'Chocolate Preferred' for advertisers & 'Chocolate Supply Side Platform' for publishers. 'Chocolate Preferred' enables preferred access to brand-safe premium mobile video inventory as verified by Fraudlogix. The platform showcases inventory by verified audience segments via partnerships with several data and measurement providers including Blue Kai, Nielsen. Chocolate Preferred enables programmatic deals via Deal ID or directly for mobile advertisers on a guaranteed and non-guaranteed basis and supports newer Mobile Outstream & Native video formats as well as In-stream Pre-roll ad units. "It's no secret that mobile video is one of the fastest growing areas in programmatic but it's not easy to create a private marketplace deal with an app or mobile site that matches an advertiser's desired audience," said Saurabh Bhatia, CEO, Vdopia. ""We wanted to make private marketplace deals in mobile video as simple as on desktop. To offer preferred real time access to this inventory to our brand advertisers on both a guaranteed and non-guaranteed basis is a game-changer. Now advertiser's can slice and dice their perfect mobile video audience and buy directly through their favorite dsp." Also announced today is the 'Chocolate Supply Side Platform' or SSP for premium mobile publishers. The Chocolate SSP solves a need for publishers of how to manage new mobile video formats such as outstream and in-stream video for mobile web and app inventory. The supply platform enables access to preferred demand & multiple other demand sources & programmatic partners. "The Chocolate SSP is unique; it's a mobile video only supply platform focused on the pain points for mobile publishers - managing SDK's, VAST  JS tags across multiple providers & ad servers, improving yield, fill and managing passbacks. Plus the way we run our auction takes into account both brand and performance advertisers and their respective goals." Martin Price Vdopia SVP of Product explained "Our aim is not only to generate the highest yield for publishers, but to help improve the user experience of our partners sites and apps by showing better performing video ad units to the segments of their audience that will interact with them the most."



The product releases come on the back of two high profile hires in 2015: Price joined Vdopia from OpenX where he was VP of Product, and Giuseppe Di Mauro, ex-Pubmatic, joined as SVP of Engineering. Vdopia operates the industry's only mobile video-only programmatic platform, called Chocolate, which is powered by its proprietary .VDO technology. Vdopia also last year launched InView, a native video ad format for mobile, which is highly transparent and certified viewability-measurable  a much-talked-about topic in the industry.

About Vdopia Vdopia is a global programmatic buying and selling platform for mobile video advertising. Powered by patent-pending, .VDO technology, Vdopia's programmatic platform, 'Chocolate', is a brand safe, viewable and transparent platform for complete planning, buying and measurement of mobile video ad campaigns. Vdopia Inc. is a privately held, venture-backed company headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in Fremont, CA, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, India, Singapore & Australia. Media Contact

Saurabh Bhatia for Vdopia

+1 347-989-5080

[email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336247

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336246

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150708/233681

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336257

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336258LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mobile-video-growth-vdopia-launches-innovative-programmatic-tools-for-outstream-300224425.html SOURCE Vdopia, Inc.

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[February 23, 2016] Xgility Moves Headquarters to Ashburn, Virginia

DULLES, Va., Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Xgilitya technology solutions provider that specializes in cloud-based systemswill move its headquarters from Dulles, Virginia to 44095 Pipeline Plaza #460, Ashburn, VA 20147 in February 2016. The company will celebrate with an open house with a select number of its customers and partners on February 25th. The new office boasts 8,000 square feet of lobby and office spacenearly four times larger than Xgility's current officesand includes three conference rooms plus a large breakroom. The space is designed in a modern, industrial style building, complete with a painted open ceiling in the open work station area and bold accents of blue and green throughout. Natural light floods the offices, thanks to panoramic exterior windows and glass interior walls. The move to the new location is necessary to accommodate Xgility's exponential company growth. The company was founded in 2011. By 2014, the company already reported revenues of $3.9 million. In 2015, Xgility posted revenues that exceeded $5 million, earning it the No. 144 ranking on The Inc. 500's list of the nation's fastest-growing companies. Looking forward, the company's three-year strategic plan projects significant growth in the number of its employees, moving from 20 employees in 2015 to as many as 100 Xgility team members by 2018. The company attributes its remarkable growth to a commitment to serviceand to helping organizations achieve transformational results. Xgility's success is also fueled by its core values: collaboration, embracing an entrepreneurial spirit, expertise at every level, agile development and teamwork.



"Our growth has been fast because an entrepreneurial spirit is embedded in our culture," explains Xgility CEO Chris Hornbecker. "Every Xgility team member is empowered to innovate and to explore new solutions and even better ways to serve our clients. That freedom and independence creates a work environment that is fun, effective and attractive to our clients. Our culture is the main reason we continue to grow and thrive." Xgility client Ghattas Hajjo, Co-Founder-Principal at MCW Solutions, adds, "We have recommended Xgility to several government contractors looking to automate their business with SharePoint. We would recommend them to others looking for help developing workflows and applications in the Microsoft cloud."

About Xgility

Xgility helps organizations migrate business applications to cloud platforms such as Office 365, Azure, and Amazon. We use SharePoint to deliver transformational results to our customers by automating business processes through forms and workflows. We are passionately devoted to the principles of agile development and iterative, user-centric engagement. Based in Dulles, VA, Xgility serves professional services firms, non-profits and government customers. The company is focused on design, development, deployment and training for SharePoint Collaboration & Workflow Solutions. It has the ability to enhance and augment SharePoint solutions with extensive Database & Business Intelligence capabilities, providing greater control and accountability through robust dashboards and automated business processes. In addition, Xgility's Cloud Computing & Mobility Solutions deliver anywhere/anytime access through innovative mobile applications that enhance access to real-time information, speed response time and improve workforce productivity. To learn more about how Xgility can help your organization achieve transformational results, please contact us. PRESS CONTACT:

Kurt Greening

Director, Business Productivity

888-944-5489 x 721 | [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xgility-moves-headquarters-to-ashburn-virginia-300224436.html SOURCE Xgility

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[February 23, 2016] Committed to reducing climate change, Ricoh delivers quantifiable milestones aimed to enhance a more sustainable society

MALVERN, Pa., Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricoh has recently achieved landmark milestones in its commitment to finding new, innovative ways to enhance a more sustainable future. These quantifiable actions, such as reducing its energy emissions by the equivalent of the carbon emissions from 6,500 passenger vehicles, demonstrate Ricoh's dedication to continuously finding ways to improve lives and sustain our planet. In fact, Ricoh* has reduced its energy use emissions to a level that is now less than they were in 2010 while also activating other environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. "Ricoh is committed to enhancing our environmental sustainability and impacting a more sustainable society as our new world of work evolves," said Martin Brodigan, Chairman and CEO, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "The way we work today has changed from that of just five years ago  and a big part of that change is how organizations address sustainability. Ricoh has been dedicated to improving sustainability for 40 years, and we are proud to take this expertise and leverage it to help our customers reach their sustainability goals. It's a cultural focus that we are extremely proud of, and one that we are continuing to see make a true impact on our society both locally and internationally." Ranging from international efforts such as being named the official partner of the United Nation's COP21's climate conference, to U.S. activities including supporting the White House's American Business Act on Climate pledge and local accomplishments including the Wildlife at Work biodiversity conservation certification, Ricoh's dedication to contributing to advancements in environmental sustainability is front and center. Recent activities, milestones and pledges that support Ricoh's efforts include: Ricoh is committed to reducing the total lifecycle CO2 emissions of the Ricoh Group by 30% by 2020 and by 87.5% by 2050 from year 2000 levels. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015 , Ricoh achieved a successful decrease of 35.8%.

, Ricoh achieved a successful decrease of 35.8%. Wildlife at Work certification  In November 2015 , the Wildlife Habitat Council(SM) awarded Ricoh with its Conservation Certification which recognizes corporate conservation efforts. Ricoh's West Caldwell, NJ office's Pollinator Gardens has been a constant staple at the facility since April 2012 when WHC biologists surveyed the property. From the fall of 2013, a dedicated team of Ricoh employees, all seeking to help build a more sustainable environment volunteered to plant, monitor, water and weed the garden.

certification In , the Wildlife Habitat Council(SM) awarded Ricoh with its Conservation Certification which recognizes corporate conservation efforts. Ricoh's office's Pollinator Gardens has been a constant staple at the facility since when WHC biologists surveyed the property. From the fall of 2013, a dedicated team of Ricoh employees, all seeking to help build a more sustainable environment volunteered to plant, monitor, water and weed the garden. Ricoh has joined the U.S. EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership, an innovative collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and industry that provides a framework to assess the environmental and energy efficiency of goods movement supply chain. As a member of this program, Ricoh will contribute to the Partnership's savings of 144.3 million barrels of oil, $20.6 billion in fuel costs, 61.7 MMT of carbon dioxide, 1,070,000 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 43,000 tons of particulate matter, the equivalent of taking 13 million cars off of the road.

in fuel costs, 61.7 MMT of carbon dioxide, 1,070,000 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 43,000 tons of particulate matter, the equivalent of taking 13 million cars off of the road. Ricoh has been recognized as an outstanding company in the Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI) through CDP, the international NPO that drives sustainable economies. This recognition demonstrates that Ricoh comprehensively discloses information such as the calculation and management of emissions, climate change strategy, and the process and the results of risk management.

In the U.S., Ricoh joined other businesses and consumers to celebrate ENERGY STAR Day, which recognizes the commitment to save energy and protect the planet. The company encouraged employees, customers, partners and family members to take a pledge to reduce carbon emissions. As a result, Ricoh secured nearly 1,400 pledges, one of the top contributors to the overall ENERGY STAR campaign.

Green Excellence in Partnership award recipient  The Coalition for Government Procurement named Ricoh the winner of its prestigious Green Excellence in Partnership award in October 2015 . This program recognizes individuals in the procurement community who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to improving the federal acquisition system.

. This program recognizes individuals in the procurement community who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to improving the federal acquisition system. All Ricoh manufacturing and production sites worldwide are certified ISO 14001 for their environmental management system.

Ricoh has been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for three years in a row, obtaining the industry best score in four categories: "Innovation Management," "Privacy Protection," "Environmental Policy/Management System" and "Climate Strategy."

Ricoh has been featured in the FTSE4Good Index for the past 11 years.

Ricoh has started a forest ecosystem conservation project in Mexico which is expected to spur the recovery of the wetland ecosystem, mitigate the damage caused by natural disasters, and improve the lives of local residents.



Ricoh's Long History of Commitment to Achieving Enhanced Sustainability Ricoh has been a dedicated advocate to supporting the development of a more sustainable society for 40 years when Ricoh announced the establishment of its Environmental Promotion Section in 1976.

Ricoh has strived to achieve a balance between the Planet (the environment), People (society) and Profit (economic activities). To achieve this goal, the Ricoh Group follows a number of activities to reduce the environmental impact on the planet exercised by resource extraction, energy use or the release of chemicals, and participates in activities to protect biodiversity. For more information about Ricoh's dedication to enhancing sustainability, please visit this website. *Carbon emissions reduction refers to overall results from the Ricoh Group. | About Ricoh | Ricoh is a global technology company that has been transforming the way people work for more than 80 years. Under its corporate tagline  imagine. change.  Ricoh continues to empower companies and individuals with services and technologies that inspire innovation, enhance sustainability and boost business growth. These include document management systems, IT services, production print solutions, digital cameras, and industrial systems. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in over 190 countries. In the financial year ending March 2015, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,231 billion yen (approx. 18.5 billion USD). For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com  2016 Ricoh Americas Corporation. All rights reserved. All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies. Contact: John Greco

Ricoh Americas Corporation

(973) 882-2023

[email protected] Tracey Sheehy

Breakaway Communications

(212) 616-6003

[email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140718/128670 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/committed-to-reducing-climate-change-ricoh-delivers-quantifiable-milestones-aimed-to-enhance-a-more-sustainable-society-300224499.html SOURCE Ricoh Americas Corporation

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One of my favorite stories of forgiveness comes from George and Hanna Miley. She was rescued as a child at the last possible minute; her par...
Let me ask you a question: did you know that the Chinese have their strategic eyes on the Atlantic? No, nor me but they do and the Americans are handing it to them on a plate. But let me begin at the beginning. I am currently hooked on a 'Scandie' thriller on BBC4 set in Iceland called "Trapped". Part of the background is that the remote coastal town in which it is set has been approached by the Chinese who wish to build a brand new harbour there. Bit extravagant, I thought, but I concentrated on the murder mystery part of it and forgot the rest. In fact I have been mulling over the idea of writing a humorous post advising you all to see a psycho-babbler if you ever consider visiting Iceland because, based on this TV movie, it would be like taking a holiday in your deep freeze!

Anyway, moving further south, I was truly shocked to read at Commentary that the Chinese are actively looking to take over a base on the Azores left virtually vacant by the departing American Air Force who believe it is surplus to their requirements. Have they gone completely mad? A Chinese base on the Azores, plus another in Iceland, will hand over the entire north Atlantic to Chinese control!

For God's sake, America, wake up!
Tom's Guide is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us.
Samsung Galaxy S23  all the rumors so far

As good as the Samsung Galaxy S22 is, Samsung could do even better with its next flagship. Here's a look at some of the features we hope make the cut for the Galaxy S23.
OLED burn-in  what causes it and how you can fix it

Its not as prevalent as some TV owners make it out to be, but OLED burn-in can happen in certain circumstances. Heres what you can do to prevent that.
Best VPN deals in October 2022

VPN Don't want to pay full price for a VPN? These VPN deals offer huge savings on all the very best providers  all you need to do is pick which one!
The parental-monitoring service uKnowKids accidentally exposed the names, addresses and birth dates of up to 1,740 children on the open Internet, and might still be doing so if a security researcher hadn't stumbled across the data. The exposed data also included 6.8 million text messages, 1.8 million images, and GPS coordinates that had been associated with uKnowKids accounts.

(Image credit: Asier Romero/Shutterstock)

The unsecured data was discovered last week by Chris Vickery (opens in new tab), a IT staffer in Austin, Texas who moonlights as a security researcher for Mac-security-software maker MacKeeper. Yesterday (Feb. 22), uKnowKids CEO Steven Woda took to the UKnowKids blog to say the holes had been patched, but described Vickery as a "hacker" who "breached" the company's database, even as he acknowledged Vickery had discreetly brought the issue to the company's attention.

Vickery told Tom's Guide that he didn't need to hack into anything, and that he had stumbled upon uKnowKids' "unprotected" database using the Shodan search engine, which is designed to find all kinds of Internet-connected devices.

MORE: Best Parental-Monitoring Smartphone Apps



"I am not a hacker, and have never claimed to be any sort of hacker," Vickery told us. "When something is configured for public access, and is allowed to be indexed on a public search engine, there should be no surprise that someone in the public discovers it."

Not only did the exposed database contain the logs of user conversations and photos, Vickery said, but the full names, addresses and dates of birth of children were also exposed. Such information would be very valuable to identity thieves, as duplicate identities are often discovered only when a person enters the workforce.

"The database itself was not encrypted at all," Vickery said. "Some of the password fields appear to have been MD5 hashed."

The MD5 encryption algorithm is known to be weak, and Vickery told us that the "hashed" passwords did not appear to be "salted" with random data that would stop password crackers. Free online services such as CrackStation and HashKiller will quickly "crack" all but the strongest MD5-hashed passwords.

Vickery told us his initial attempts to notify uKnowKids of the unprotected database were difficult, as his "first actual attempt at contact was bounced back" because the email address provided on the company's posted privacy policy had lapsed.

In the company blog post, Woda accused Vickery of stealing uKnowKids' intellectual property and said the company had alerted "the necessary legal authorities." Woda strongly implied that Vickery violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998, which mandates strong protection of personal information pertaining to children, by accessing the information that uKnowKids had posted online without any protection.

"uKnowKids has issued many misleading statements and half truths," Vickery told Tom's Guide. Asked for further comment, he said, "I plan to consult with an attorney before expanding upon that response." If you or a loved one have used uKnowKids' services, we recommend that you change your account password immediately, and also make sure you're not using the old password anywhere else.

For $10 per month, $100 per year or $180 forever, uKnowKids will monitor your kids' Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social-networking accounts, as well as the kids' Android devices. Monitoring Apple mobile devices merits an extra $60 one-time payment.
One of our favourite Perth crews, the Love Junkies have just dropped their brand new single Nobody and as expected its a corker. The bold, bass-y, deeply personal, and strangely beautiful track Nobody marks the bands return to the studios of Perth producer Dave Parkin (Jebediah, Karnivool, Abbe May, Tired Lion).

Nobody is teaser of what to expect from their upcoming third LP, as well as welcoming of sorts to a new member to the Love Junkies fold  taking over from bassist Robbie Rumble (as he moves to guitar) is FOAMs very own Harley Barnaby.

In celebration of the single and upcoming record the band will be heading on their first 2016 tour, making their way around Australia and The US throughout the coming months. Check out the new single below and if you like what youre hearing pop by the Love Junkies Facebook page for more info on upcoming shows and releases.

May 2016 Aussie Tour

May 13th  Perth WA  The Garage, Osborne Park *all ages*

May 14th  Perth WA  Jack Rabbit Slims

May 19th  Bunbury WA  The Prince Of Wales

May 26th  Brisbane QLD  Black Bear Lodge

May 27th  Sydney NSW  Brighton Up Bar Saturday

May 28th  Melbourne Vic  The Workers Club
MAYOR SLY IS CONFRONTING QUITE A BIT OF 3RD DISTRICT OPPOSITION IN HIS EARNINGS TAX RENEWAL EFFORT!!!

IN A FEW RECENT EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH EAST SIDE OPINION LEADERS . . . INFLUENTIAL 3RD DISTRICT DENIZENS SEEM SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE MAYOR'S EFFORTS!!!

"The Mayor's biggest challenge is trying to convince voters that his efforts are sincere. The timing is suspect and, generally, people don't respond well to bribes in the privacy of the voting booth. The recent incentives might earn some good press but could fail to inspire 3rd District voters to go to their polling places . . ."

"What has this Mayor done for this city to address the problems on the East Side?"

To that end, in a move that stinks of desperation . . . Mayor Sly's Office touts their "truth" post detailing big plans for urban core development.

ACCORDING TO KANSAS CITY INSIDERS THE EARNINGS TAX IS TAKING A HIT ON THE EAST SIDE BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN STINGY PASSING CAMPAIGN MONEY AROUND THE URBAN CORE!!!

"They're greedy. They're being penny wise and pound foolish when it comes to the e-tax campaign. It's the same small group of consultants who also get a piece of all these TIFs and incentives. They can't imagine that they don't know how to communicate with urban core voters and simply won't give any money to people who are better equipped to speak to this community."

Opinion leaders in Kansas City's predominantly African-American 3rd District don't seem too excited about the Mayor's earnings tax renewal pitch despite a slew of recent economic incentives aimed at winning support.To wit . . .To be fair, when it comes to civic organizations and voting groups . . . The Mayor has the endorsements he needs.With a $10 MIL blight fight effort, $18 MIL proposed for the Jazz District and other projects under his cap like a subsidized grocery store and a very successful reading program, the Mayor is doing his very best to show his support for a part of town he hasn't lived in for more than a generation.However . . .From an E-tax supporter . . .A pointed question from an East Side critic of the E-Tax . . .Accordingly . . .But let's dig deeper and remind Kansas City voters what really wins elections . . .Here's a very real bit of news that offers a bit of insight into the human condition of the political animals running local politics.The E-Tax crew simply can't break themselves from their greedy habits. The incentive spending spree is a nice idea but that's taxpayer cash spent down the road, locals need money in their handto inspire them to vote and the organizers of the earnings tax campaign have been pinching pennies. It's simply against the nature of these corporate types to spend money in the urban core and secure campaign support from the most active and influential denizens.Grow up . . . Election efforts run on money that gets people to the polls in white, Black, Latino, rich, middle-class, and poor communities.Accordingly, one insider says . . .And so, it's a twisted Kansas City parable of sorts that reminds us greedy tax and spend campaign architects can't abandon their fundamentally flawed nature in order to garner more cash to fuel their continued greed. Very much like. . . It seems the e-tax campaign on the east side attempting to improve their neglectful image of mayor Sly toward the 3rd District has only highlighted his strained relationship with the community which previously didn't really come out to support him amid streetcar expansion defeat.Developing . . .
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS WEEK'S LGBT PARTY FOR HILLARY TOUTING A VERY SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE BY COUNCIL LADY JOLIE JUSTUS!!!

Kansas City Councilwoman, Jolie Justus, will be in attendance. Jolie represents Kansas Citys 4th District.

Kansas City may not count for much when it comes to votes in thebut the raging Democratic Primary elicits the need for a great deal of local political and financial support.To wit . . .Take a look . . ."Join the LGBT community and allies as we gather in support of Hillary Clinton for a fun night at Bistro 303! Secretary Clinton has been a lifelong advocate for the LGBT community at home and across the world, and we need to win the Missouri primary on March 15th so she can win the White House!"This year the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act (MONA) will be introduced again to try to ensure that Missourians can't be fired from their jobs because of who they love."The language will be identical to the language used 12 previous times in the Missouri legislature."But rather than be frustrated, we're committed to using this occasion to push for positive change. For the 13th introduction we'll be asking people to donate $13 to Hillary Clinton, someone who strongly supports not just MONA, but a federal solution--the Employee Nondiscrimination Act."Bistro 303Thursday at 6 PM - 8 PM303 Westport Rd, Kansas City, Missouri 64111#########Developing . . .
In Armenias capital Yerevan, USAID recently announced the launch of the Advanced Science and Partnerships for Integrated Resource Development Project, or ASPIRED,  a three-year initiative designed to curb the rate of groundwater abstraction in the Ararat Valley to sustainable levels.

USAIDs recent assessment of the status of groundwater resources in the Ararat Valley  the countrys key agricultural hub  has indicated an alarming situation. The decreasing level of the groundwater supply and the uncontrolled use of artesian water by fish farms has left some 30 communities in the Ararat and Armavir regions without reliable access to drinking or irrigation water.

In addition, these water shortages pose a real threat to the countrys agricultural sector, the socio-economic and environmental well-being of these regions, as well as the safety and security of Armenias sole nuclear power plant, Metsamor, which relies on these water resources for its cooling system. Despite recent measures by the Armenian government to regulate the use of artesian water in the valley, the situation remains serious and is among the Armenian governments top priorities.

USAIDs new ASPIRED project will assist the Government of Armenia in developing consistent policy and technical solutions for a more regulated use of these vital groundwater resources. The project will focus on closing data gaps, improving technical capacities and tools for informed decision-making, increasing access to innovative water conservation and energy efficiency technologies, and promoting regulatory and enforcement mechanisms.

ASPIRED will also conduct an inventory of the wells and springs in the Ararat Artesian Basin, create a publicly accessible integrated data system for the valley, install an automated control system for monitoring groundwater abstraction in ten selected fisheries, and pilot innovative technologies for efficient groundwater and energy use.

Policy recommendations will be provided to the Armenian government to optimize fees for underground water use by fisheries and introduce stricter water permit practices and oversight.

The United States is proud to work with Armenia in meeting the needs of the Armenian people for sustainable water resources.
CHECK THIS NOTE CALLING OUT THE NEW KANSAS CITY BUDGET FOR MORE TOY TRAIN STREETCAR SPENDING AND ADDITIONAL TIF TAX BREAK MONEY!!!

"Didnt the KCMO taxpayers / voters tell City Hall a couple years ago we did not want to expand the streetcar? We believe we did by a margin of 60% against expansion to 40% for expansion.





"A couple weeks ago, the City took $200,000 from the bus fund for the streetcar, this morning the City Council looked over the attached City Wide PIAC expenditures (ordinance 160121) which includes another $1,000,000 for the streetcar (see spreadsheet below) over the next two years. There is also $24,000,000 more for TIFs over the same two year period. City Hall will might try to pass ordinance 160121 on Thursday at the main council meeting before the voters can object or question the validity. Unbelievable!"

Kansas City funds directed toward theare typically supposed to be used for some kind of neighborhood improvement . . . Sadly, City Hall continues to direct this cash toward the toy train streetcar.To wit . . .Here's the word . . .While e-tax supporters tout City Hall cash directed toward 1st responders and public safety, the fact is that this town continues to spend cash on touristy frou-frou big ticket items.Developing . . .
CFRG Petitioners decide not to appeal the judges ruling...

After a verdict against their effort to put a petition on the ballot and threats from Kansas City's political elite, this group lives to fight against corporate greed another day. Take a look:After several meetings and discussions, the attempt to force the city to uphold the city charter on the initiative petition process has ended. Our attempt to hold City Hall accountable for the integrity of the petition process did not succeed.Today CFRG and the petitioners have decided not to appeal the judges ruling.We would like to thank all of you who helped with collecting signatures, finances, etc. Your help and support is greatly appreciated.Citizens for Responsible Government############
"Prosecutors have charged two additional men with the fatal shooting of 3-year-old Amorian Hale in May 2015. The 3-year-old boy was killed in a drive-by shooting at his home late last May. He was asleep in his home on a Sunday morning when someone fired at least 20 shots into the house from a passing car. Another suspect was previously been charged with murder in the case."

Big announcement today from Jackson County prosecutors regarding a tragic murder case involving one of many innocent children killed in Kansas City as of late. Take a look:Deets:Developing . . .
U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Jonathan Elkind joined Pakistans Ministry of Planning, Ministry Water and Power, and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources recently to announce the launch, of a multi-agency technical assistance program designed to support Pakistans energy development efforts. The three-year effort, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development, will bring experts from the U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories together with Pakistani energy experts to develop strategies and resources for integrated energy system planning, energy efficiency, and promoting private investment in renewable energy.

The program is a component of the U.S.-Pakistan Clean Energy Partnership, announced by President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in October 2015. The Partnership aims to develop 3,000 megawatts of new private sector clean power projects in Pakistan, which would directly benefit more than 30 million Pakistanis. The new Partnership continues joint efforts by the United States and Pakistan to address Pakistans energy needs, and includes support from several U.S. Government agencies.

The United States and Pakistan have cooperated on energy issues since 2009 under the Energy Working Group established through the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue. Recognizing the critical importance of increasing energy security and access in a clean, sustainable manner, the United States has committed more than $1 billion to date to support energy sector investments and reforms in cooperation with the government of Pakistan. Our cooperative efforts have made over 1,750 additional megawatts available to the national grid, powering the homes and businesses of 19.4 million Pakistanis and increasing the annual revenue of Pakistani distribution companies by over $418 million.

The United States is committed to our partnership with Pakistan. We are addressing energy challenges and working together on our shared global energy priorities, including the opportunities presented by a growing renewable energy market, said Assistant Secretary Elkind. We look forward to having American and Pakistani experts collaborate in this critical arena.
Halkidiki Tourism Organisation participated from February 18 to 21 in the International Tourism Fair IFT Belgrade 2016 where Central Macedonia Region Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas announced that Greece should expect around 800,000 tourist arrivals from Serbia in 2016.

Mr Tzitzikostas noted that the large majority of Serbian tourists will visit Central Macedonia, which is among their most popular holiday destinations and especially referred to the potential of Thessaloniki becoming a major tourism attraction for Serbs, both thanks to its significant infrastructure  for conference and city break tourism  but also because of the monuments that demonstrate the ties of the two peoples which date back centuries ago.

The Governor finally proposed the creation of a joint Central MacedoniaBelgrade tourist package that would open new perspectives for cooperation between the two regions.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Bahrain launched a $600-million, two-part bond sale on Tuesday, offering a higher yield than it did for a $750-million debt sale that was cancelled last week after the kingdom's credit rating was downgraded by Standard & Poor's.



Pricing for a $275-million, five-year tranche was set at a yield of 5.950 percent, while a $325 million, 10-year tranche was set at 7.650 percent.



The sale is a reopening of a $1.5 billion bond issue by Bahrain in November. Orders for the new sale exceeded $900 million, a document from lead managers showed. -Reuters
Iraq's oil minister has said development costs for foreign oil companies had been revised down to just over $9 billion in 2016 from $23 billion following complex negotiations.



Adel Abdel Mahdi said on his official Facebook page that most foreign oil companies had approved the revised costs, and that it would not affect production and development plans.



The slump in crude prices has slashed government revenue in Iraq, Opec's second biggest exporter, just as it faces an economic crisis and surging expenditure to fund a military campaign against Islamic State.



Since a significant proportion of development costs are passed on to Iraq, the oil ministry had called on firms to revise their oilfield development plans by considering postponing new projects and delaying already committed projects as long as no additional costs were incurred.



"In 2016, the companies estimated costs at $23 billion but we entered into complex negotiations ... and were able to reduce them to just over $9 billion whilst preserving production and development plans," Abdel Mahdi said, adding that around $13.6 billion had been paid to firms in 2015 and $13.1 billion the previous year.



Earlier on Monday, Abdel Mahdi said Iraq plans to increase oil output to more than 7 million barrels per day over the next five years, and export 6 million of that.



Oil production in Iraq hit a record high of 4.775 million bpd in January, ministry spokesman Asim Jihad told Reuters earlier this month.



In a statement on the oil ministry's website, Abdel Mahdi also said Iraq would use all its gas production to supply the electricity grid and industry, requiring investments of $300 billion over the next 15 years.



Abdel Mahdi made the comments during a visit to Japan where he discussed opportunities to invest in and finance Iraqi energy infrastructure, the statement said.  Reuters
The 2016 Emerson Global Users Exchange, Europe, Middle East and Africa, aimed at existing and potential users of Emerson Process Management products and services will be held in Brussels, Belgium, in April.



Emerson Process Management is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, distribution and processing facilities in key industries.



The event will be held from April 12 to 14, at the Square Meeting Centre.



During the event, which will be tailored to meet the needs of users from the three regions, delegates will have the opportunity to attend over 100 presentations, predominately from Emerson users, describing current projects and applications, said a statement.



The presentations will enable delegates to find out how to dramatically enhance safety and compliance; reduce complexity, accommodate change and cut the costs of major projects; become top quartile performers through integrated reliability programmes; develop more effective energy management strategies; optimise operations and ensure the most efficient use of capital and resources; minimise downtime and risk during control system migrations, it added.



The conference programme will also include industry forums, allowing open discussions between delegates and experienced industry professionals, plus a solutions exhibition, where delegates can receive hands-on demonstrations of Emersons latest and most innovative products and services, it said.



The delegates will also be able to interact and network with their peers, business partners and other industry leaders, meeting the experts behind the technologies and learning how innovations can be used in practice, said the statement.



Shaped by users, for users, the event is managed by a board of directors, comprising users from a range of industries, who formulate the conference content and guide the direction of the users group at large, it added.



Roel van Doren, president, Emerson Process Management Europe, said: The third Global Users Exchange in Europe promises to surpass the successful events held in Germany, with even greater interest from presenters and delegates wanting to participate.



The theme of this years event is New Reality, New Opportunity reflecting the challenges that a rapidly changing world is creating for the process industry, the new opportunities that are emerging and the right approaches to take to ensure improved performance and profitability, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the Bahrain-based aluminium smelter, has announced that it has upgraded the technology for its Line 6 Expansion Project from EGA DX+ to the EGA DX+ Ultra.



The signing ceremony was held today (February 23) in Dubai, UAE, and was attended by Shawqi Al Hashimi, Albas director for Line 6 Smelter Project and Engineering; Abdulla Kalban, managing director and CEO, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA); Dr Ali Al Zarouni, senior vice president, Jebel Ali Operations, technology development and transfer; and members of the EGA technology development and transfer department.



The upgrade to the EGA DX+ Ultra Technology will boost Albas production to 540,000 metric tonnes per annum (mtpa), an increase of 26,000 mtpa versus prior projections. This will bring Alba's total production capacity to approximately 1,500,000 mtpa making Alba the largest single site smelter in the world, said a statement from the company.



The DX+ Ultra Technology will improve energy efficiency, which in turn will allow Alba to increase its metal production with no increase in overall energy consumption, it said.



Albas Line 6 Expansion Project timeline remains on track with first hot metal scheduled for January 1, 2019, it added.



Albas Al Hashimi said: We are very fortunate to have EGA as a partner in the Line 6 Project. The upgrade to DX+ Ultra Technology is a game changer that will allow Alba to increase output through the use of low energy consumption technology and further strengthen our position as a leading, low cost producer.



Jebel Ali Operations Al Zarouni added: Research and technology development have been hallmarks of EGA since the inception of our business. We have dedicated considerable resources  both human intellect and financial investment  to these activities over the years. DX+ Ultra Technology is the result of the latest efforts to develop lower CAPEX and lower energy, high amperage reduction cells.



One of the biggest industrial projects in Bahrain, Albas Line 6 Expansion Project will make the company the largest single site smelter in the world upon its completion, said a statement.



This project is expected to have a big impact on countrys economy as well as strengthen the kingdoms position as the hub for the downstream aluminium industry in the GCC, it added.  TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry has warned its citizens against travel to Lebanon and urged those present to leave for their own safety, state news agency SPA reported.



The UAE also announced that it was banning its citizens from traveling to Lebanon and reducing its diplomatic mission there, according to state news agency WAM.



Saudi Arabia has issued several previous warnings about security in Lebanon, but this statement comes at a sensitive time in the two countries' diplomatic relationship.



Saudi Arabia said it was suspending aid to the Lebanese army last week in response to Lebanon's failure to condemn attacks by Iranian protesters on Saudi diplomatic missions in January.



"The Foreign and International Cooperation Ministry announced that it had raised its warning situation on traveling to Lebanon to banning travel there ... (It) also decided to reduce the members of its diplomatic mission in Beirut to its furthest extent," the UAE ministry said in a statement said. - Reuters
Two years ago, after the Russian Federation occupied and attempted to annex Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, the United States, the European Union, and a number of other countries and international organizations, applied targeted sanctions against Russian individuals, businesses and officials complicit in the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

In response to Russias continued aggression toward Ukraine, including training, arming, and fighting alongside separatists in eastern Ukraine, on July 31 2014, the United States and the European Union initiated a new round of coordinated sanctions targeting certain sectors of the Russian economy.

Sanctions are not an end unto themselves, said Secretary of State John Kerry at the 2016 Munich Security Conference. But we shouldnt forget why they were imposed in the first place: to stand up for Ukraines fundamental rights  rights of international norms that have been accepted ever since World War II, that were part of what that great battle was about.

The sanctions have taken a heavy toll on the Russian economy, contributing to a sharp depreciation of Russian currency and the countrys current recession.

Russia is a signatory to the September 2014 and February 2015 Minsk Agreements, but Moscow has made no effort to fulfill even the first point  observing the ceasefire. Combined Russian-separatist forces continue to launch daily attacks on Ukrainian-government positions. Conditions for sanctions relief are clear. Russia has a simple choice: fully implement Minsk or continue to face economically damaging sanctions, said Secretary of State Kerry:

The path to sanctions relief is clear: withdraw weapons and troops from the Donbas; ensure that all Ukrainian hostages are returned; allow full humanitarian access to occupied territories, which, by the way, is required by international law and by several United Nations resolutions; support free, fair, and internationally-monitored elections in the Donbas under Ukrainian law; and restore Ukraines control of its side of the international border, which belongs to it.

In other words, said Secretary of State Kerry, Russia can prove by its actions that it will respect Ukraines sovereignty, just as it insists on respect for its own.

Europe and the United States are going to continue to stand united, said Secretary of State Kerry, both in sustaining sanctions for as long as they are necessary and in providing needed assistance to Ukraine until the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine is protected through the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.
This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 18 years and 38,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.




MORE ABOUT ME:









I'm an author with The Story Factory. My literary and film agent is Shane Salerno.









I was born and grew up in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. After studying philosophy at Oxford University I emigrated to New York City where I lived in Harlem for 7 years working in bars, bookstores, building sites. In 2001 I moved to Denver, Colorado where I taught high school English and started writing fiction. I lived in Oz for 10 years from 2008 - 2018 in the beautiful suburb of St Kilda. In 2019 I moved back to NYC.





My first full length novel Dead I Well May Be was shortlisted for the 2004 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, was optioned by Universal Pictures and appeared on several best of the year lists.



I'm probably best known for my Sean Duffy series of detective novel set in Belfast during the Troubles. Those books have won the Edgar Award, Ned Kelly Award, Barry Award, Anthony Award, Audie Award etc.





I have a new standalone coming out in 2019 called The Chain...
ELKO  Elko County students in need of some extra support could soon get it as social workers are being hired in local schools.

School social work is a fairly new trend in the field of social work, said Larry Robb, who is one of the new hires and is part of the hiring committee that interviews social work candidates.

Their role and the function are changing as society is changing, he added. Ultimately what the goal is, per the legislation, is to have an onsite therapist that can provide one-on-one or group counseling.

The funding came from a Social Workers and Other Licensed Mental Health Professionals grant that the Elko County School District recently applied for. Elko County grant writer Holli Kiechler said the time frame for having the grant money allocated and the social workers hired concerned her initially.

Re-authorization of next years funding is depending on showing success with this years funding, she said. To me, thats a little concerning that we have such a short window to show progress. I was really concerned about being able to hire six and a half qualified people.

Kiechler went on to explain that one of the other challenges of hiring workers for these positions was convincing candidates to leave their full-time jobs to come and work for the county only until the end of the school year. While she said she is optimistic, Kiechler also said there is no guarantee the grant funds for the social workers will be there next school year.

Overall, the grant will provide schools in the county with $229,538.28 for the seven social workers the county plans to hire to work for the remainder of the school year.

Despite some of these challenges, Superintendent Jeff Zander said the hiring process is going smoothly so far and he hopes to have all the positions filled within two to three weeks.

Zander said about half of the positions were filled after advertising the job openings for a week and a half, and he doesnt think they will have too hard of a time filling the remaining vacancies.

Zander also said that because of the lack of social workers in the area he expects the state to be flexible and not set a firm deadline too soon.

They understand that theres some inability to fill these positions statewide, he said. So I think theyre going to work with us in regards to trying to facilitate filling those positions and being patient in regards to the time we do fill those positions.

Once they are hired the counselors will have to work to establish the trust of the students in the school theyre assigned to.

Fortunately we have people that are from here, theyve already established some relationships with the schools and with students, Robb said. Rapport-building is a really huge factor. Getting this done towards the end of the school year adds a huge challenge as well but were ready to get in there, boots to the ground.

As the school district takes on the task of filling the remaining positions and giving their newly hired counselors training before they start working with the schools, Zander said he is excited to show the state the impact this program has in Elko County.

Were going to do our best to collect the data ... and hopefully show some positive results, he said. Anytime we can get professionals to work with kids and work with parents its going top be a win-win for education and a win-win for the community.
The myth goes like this: Since wolf re-introduction 15 years ago, they have devastated Idahos elk populations. Hunters are not finding elk and people are not seeing elk any more.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game states Idahos elk population is doing fine. During the last 15 years, its elk population has dropped by 20 percent, due to factors such as habitat loss, wildfires, weather, increased numbers of black bears and mountain lions, along with the presence of wolves. The elk population remains above 100,000 and elk harvests by hunters have mostly remained stable during this time.

The IDFG has divided the state into 29 elk management zones with population goals for each zone. Ten of these zones have populations above their goal while 13 populations are within the objectives. In some areas, landowners complain about the numbers of elk damaging crops. Six zones have populations below what the IDFG would like to see. Five of these zones are due to predation, including three specifically affected by wolf predation. These zones are the Lolo near Lolo Pass, the Sawtooth in the Sawtooth Mountains and the Smoky Mountains near the Sawtooth.

Elk populations around the Sawtooth and Smoky Mountains have been affected primarily by wolf predation plus a hard winter in 2007. It is felt these zones will respond to the current management. The Lolo Zone, however, is the poster child for wolf predation. That elk population has plummeted by 70 percent from a high of 16,000 in 1988. The IDFG stated this decline began before wolves, because of deteriorating habitat and harsh winters, but the presence of wolves is probably keeping the population from recovering. Habitat improvement projects, changes in elk and predator hunting seasons, along with 48 wolves killed in the Lolo Zone during the last four years, are all working on improving elk numbers.

If a hunters favorite area is around Lolo Pass, they might be justified in saying their elk herd has been destroyed by wolves. However, an overall 20 percent drop in elk populations does not seem to signal devastation.

Wolves have definitely impacted elk behavior. Elk do not hang out in valleys as much, spending more time on mountain slopes and moving more often.

Some of this myth is probably due to people, including hunters, not seeing elk where they saw elk in the past.
ELKO  Barrick Gold Corp. updated its management structure last year, but it has continued to refine its leadership.

As part of that refinement, Andy Cole, who has been the general manager of Goldstrike Mine since 2011, was named executive director, Barrick U.S.A.

My focus is going to be looking at the growth and development of Barrick, primarily within Nevada, working closely to ensure that permitting  those project timelines  hit their marks, Cole said.

Cole will be based in Elko and will work as a joint business leader with the general managers of Goldstrike, Cortez and Turquoise Ridge. He will also work with President of Barrick U.S.A. Michael Brown, who previously served as executive director.

Cole will be responsible for communications, community relations, corporate social responsibility, energy, Elko finance and permitting.

Cole also will continue to advise on the TCM project at Goldstrike, according to Barrick.

You need somebody on the ground in Nevada, where the bulk of the mines are, Cole said. I think thats really where my focus is going to be, and those issues and supporting the mines primarily in Nevada to continue to grow and be successful and be a sustainable operation in Northern Nevada.

He said the company recognizes Nevada as one of its key areas.

Cole said he will focus on being a good partner to the general managers.

We will continue to work closely and coordinate, he said.

Two of the newest general mangers are Bill MacNevin and Curtis Cadwell.

MacNevin was the general manager at Barricks Lumwana Mine in Zambia. He took over the general manager position at Goldstrike. MacNevin has nearly 30 years of international mining experience, having served in management positions at operations in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania and Zambia.

Cadwell was appointed general manager of closure sites. He will manage Barricks global portfolio of closure properties, the company stated. Cadwell joined Barrick in 1998 and has served in management positions in North America and Australia. He was the general manager at Bald Mountain before it was sold to Kinross Gold Corp. last year.

Coles Mining Career

Barrick hired Cole in 1994 and he has more than 25 years of experience in processing, environment and operational management.

He grew up in Reno, and because of a friend, he found his career in mining.

I became very good friends with a guy from Winnemucca, whose dad happened to be a chief chemist at Pinson Mining Co. For whatever reason, that still escapes me today, he took a liking to me and offered me a summer job.

He handled samples in the assay lab. He then went to the University of Arizona and earned a degree in metallurgy.

He really helped to mentor my career, Cole said. When I graduated, being a Nevada guy, I wanted to come back to Nevada. I came back to Nevada in 1988.

He spent six years at Freeport Jerritt Canyon and Big Springs.

When he joined Barrick in 1994, he was the chief research metallurgist at Goldstrike.

I did that job for about eight months, he said.

Cole then went into operations and spent a couple years in Toronto doing the engineering on the roaster.

He spent the majority of his Barrick career at Goldstrike, with the exception of his time in Toronto, and he spent a few years at Ruby Hill Mine from 2009-2011.

Cole said not being on a mine site every day will be an adjustment.

Its going to be interesting, Cole said. When you spend your entire career at a mine site and you love the feel and the rhythm of an operation. Im looking forward to my new job. Im excited. Theres a lot of challenges.

Cole said he sees a lot of optimism for Barricks objectives and goals to continue to be the best mining company.
News Oct 21st, 2022 at 12:40

Spending on IT this year by the UK travel sector is projected to hit 1.98 billion, the highest level seen in data analysed covering the last 15 years...
A Secret Compass expedition team has been granted unprecedented access to summit three volcanoes and to sleep inside a volcanic crater above the worlds largest lava lake in Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).



(TRAVPR.COM) UK - February 23rd, 2016 -

A Secret Compass expedition team has been granted unprecedented access to summit three volcanoes and to sleep inside a volcanic crater above the worlds largest lava lake in Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Africas oldest national park, Virunga was established in 1925 and has been a UNESCO-protected habitat since 1979, said Tom Bodkin, director of Secret Compass.

Virunga has received attention from Leonardo DiCaprios eponymous film  concerning the fate of the park and its gorillas  and as a New York Times top 2016 destination.

Formerly Zaire, the DRC is a challenging destination to access and to move around in. From 2009 to 2013 it ranked as the poorest country on earth, with the wealth of its rich mineral resources being outweighed by corruption and political instability.

As a pioneering expedition company aiming to achieve the extraordinary in the worlds wildest places, exploration within tough-to-access DRC appeals to well-travelled, intelligent and savvy adventurous travellers who are keen to get beyond the nations headlines.

Bodkin concluded Were privileged that the Park is allowing our team to stage this world-first. The income generated from our gorilla and volcano permits will help support the rangers incredible work to protect Virungas threatened wildlife for future generations.

Virunga expedition highlights

Climb highest volcano wholly within DRC, Mount Mikeno at 4,437m

Straddle the Rwandan border on Mount Karisimbi at 4,507m

Camp inside Nyiragongos volcanic crater above the worlds largest lava lake

Spot endangered mountain gorillas on a dedicated trek

Explore the ecological diversity of Africas oldest national park

Expedition fact box

Name: The volcanoes of Virunga

Dates: 9  23 July 2016 (14 nights)

Cost: 3,299 all inc. except flights (LHR-KGL 594 with KLM)

Secret Compasss marketing director, Kerry ONeill said, Ten of the 12 team spots went in just one week much interest also noted from fit and active individuals. Until those spots are gone we welcome applications to join this pioneering team using our online form.

ONeill continued, Adventure travel has myriad definitions but whichever way you look at it, Secret Compass expeditions are at the tougher, more ambitious end of the scale.

Our expedition teams often set out to achieve exploratory firsts, from challenging first-ascents on Mongolias unclimbed high peaks to pioneering pack-raft missions in the wilds of Gabon. This expedition is no different with the team aiming to make several first commercial ascents of Virungas high volcanic peaks.

Former team-mate Tracey Croke said she felt like an explorist as part of an expedition, saying, Secret Compass lets me make history on my annual leave! Im now the first woman to have traversed Kyrgyzstans Talas Range by mountain bike, and was part of the first commercial expedition to mountain bike to Ras Deshan, the roof of Ethiopia at 4,543m.

Expedition destinations for 2016 and 2017

In 2016 and 2017, Secret Compasss expedition and adventure travel destinations include Afghanistan, Armenia, Burma, Ethiopia, Gabon, Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Panama, Mongolia, Kamchatka, Siberias Arctic Circle, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Chad, the southern Sinai and North Korea.

Expedition styles range from mixed-terrain trekking and minimalist desert traverses to mountain-biking, rafting and horseback expeditions. Secret Compass welcomes applications from anyone with a good level of fitness whos keen to achieve the extraordinary in the worlds wildest places

For further press information, contact marketing director Kerry ONeill.

------- ends -------

NOTES TO EDITORS

Secret Compass redefines what is possible by creating pioneering projects in the world's wildest places. Secret Compass is built around a team of trusted experts who combine a passion for exploration with industry-leading professionalism. Secret Compass reignites your primal need for adventure, providing the catalyst for you to come alive and achieve the extraordinary.

Specialist Film, TV and brand project services

Secret Compass also takes film crews, journalists, brands and photographers to remote and previously inaccessible areas thanks to its unrivalled location management expertise. Clients to date include the BBC, Nat Geo, Animal Planet, Discovery and Channel 4.

###
When Mike first showed us the Tesla Model X with its Falcon Wing rear doors, I thought oh, this is going to be trouble. These kinds of doors have always been trouble; I remembered that the Gull wing doors (all one piece, unlike the Falcon doors that have an extra hinge and are even more complicated) were the bane of Bricklin owners. They didn't keep out the rain, they didn't open in winter if there was the tiniest bit of frost, they didn't fit in most garages because they went up so high.

And sure enough, they are trouble indeed. According to the Wall Street Journal, they are a serious problem for a lot of owners like the Carters:

On a recent morning, the cars falcon-wing doors wouldnt open as she prepared to drive her childrens carpool to school. Its a bummer; you spent all this money...and the doors wont open, she said in an interview while waiting for the Model X to be picked up for repairs. She expected some issues, but feels embarrassed that friends might think: Look at the Cartersthey spent all this money and the doors dont work.

They have been a problem for a while; according to Jalopnik, Tesla is even suing the original door manufacturer "for the companys inability to engineer the unique and complex falcon passenger doors on the electric SUV."

Teslas lawsuit claims that Hoerbigers design prototypes were riddled with problems, including overheating and oil leaks. The automaker says in the lawsuit that the doors sagged beyond Teslas specified tolerance levels and did not open with the speed or symmetry that it requested.

Problems With Gull Wing Doors

Mercedes

In fact, the history of gull wing doors should have given Tesla some good reasons to avoid them. Mercedes invented them in 1956 because the design of the car required very high sills that you had to climb up to get over and out of the car. There was no headroom otherwise. But they are hard to engineer, and you had to lift the weight of the door instead of just swinging it.

Bricklin

Then there is the Bricklin, where it is hard to single out the doors as the biggest flaw in this disaster, but certainly added to the weight (which was too much for the engine's power) and the leaking, because according to a Bricklin repair guy, it had "overpowered hydraulic door openers that actually bent the doors during usage."

Not Always Practical

Delorean

Gull wing doors are heavy and need some kind of assist to open them. The Delorean had a very clever torsion bar system, but torsion bars are hard to set precisely, and in some cases they actually warped the door to the point that it no longer fit. There is also an issue of safety; doors have to be designed so that they can be opened if the car flips. The Delorean had a window you could push out; the fancy Mercedes AMG actually has explosive bolts to blow the door off in emergencies. Oh, and short people could forget about gull wing doors; they often cannot reach them when they are open.

On Popular Science, Eric Limer concludes:

And ultimately, that's why gullwing doors and their like aren't more widespread: It's just so much easier not to have them. While they do offer a few benefitsand a whole boatload of coolthey cause more trouble (and cost more money) than they're ultimately worth. Most of us don't even know what we're missing anyway. And in the end they don't make it to very many cars, and the ones they wind up on tend towards the expensive.

Gull wing doors were a solution looking for a problem, and Elon Musk has enough problems on his plate without complicating things even further. In the end, they are proving to be an expensive mistake.
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Every gardener has their favorite tool, one that's always close at hand when they're at work. I asked the gardeners I know on Facebook and Twitter what their "must-have" tools were, and found that (like me!) most of them were both particular and passionate about what they liked and disliked in a garden tool.

This list of 10 tools that could revolutionize your gardening experience includes some of their recommendations for great gardening tools and a few of my own "must-haves." A great tool makes gardening so much easier -- and your garden will flourish.

1. Good, Sharp Pruners

Michael Moeller / EyeEm / Getty Images

This is number one as far as most gardeners are concerned. I know that during gardening season, my trusty Felcos are never far out of reach.

A sturdy, comfortable, sharp pruner will reduce fatigue (if you're doing a lot of pruning, this is important) and keep you safer. In addition to Felco, other quality brands of pruners include Fiskars and Corona.

You may have to try a few different models before you find the one that works best for you, but it's worth it.

2. A Hori Hori

Aside from being kind of fun to say, the hori hori is a really useful gardening tool.

When I asked on Facebook what my fellow gardeners considered to be their "must-have" garden tool, master gardener and garden writer Monica Milla had this to say about the hori hori: "It cuts, it digs, it weeds! Best hand tool EVER!" For those unfamiliar with the hori hori, it's a combo knife/trowel and is available from several different garden tool companies. The video here shows it in action, along with the Fiskars Big Grip Knife.

3. Radius Ergonomic Shovel

This is one of my favorite tools. I got a Radius shovel for Christmas a couple of years ago, and I use it constantly.

The blade of this shovel is sharp and heavy, the handle is made of lightweight fiberglass, and the handle makes it easy to get a grip when digging. The complete Radius line is designed with ergonomics in mind, and has been recommended for gardeners with arthritis.

4. EasyBloom Plant Sensor

This is a handy tool for people who are just getting into gardening, or who are in a new house and are still getting familiar with the garden.

The EasyBloom consists of a stake that you stick into the soil in the area of the garden you want to plant in. You leave the EasyBloom in the garden for a few days, and it will collect data such as the amount of sunlight and moisture that area receives.

Then, you plug the USB drive from the EasyBloom into your computer, and visit the EasyBloom site to get recommendations for what to plant based on the data your EasyBloom collected.

I've seen the EasyBloom in a few catalogs; also available at the EasyBloom site.

5. Cobrahead

The Cobrahead weeder also received a lot of praise among the gardeners I polled for this post. The pointed head and curved shank of this tool make weeding, even removing weeds with long tap roots, much easier.

The Cobrahead is available in a few different garden catalogs, and directly through Cobrahead.

6. Gardening Apron

Jupiterimages / Getty Images

If you're like me, you spend a good part of your time in the garden juggling pruners, a trowel, a few packets of seeds, a camera (a garden blogger must) and maybe a cell phone, too.

There is not enough pocket space for everything, and I hate having to wander back-and-forth grabbing tools. If you prefer to have all of your tools at hand, a gardening apron is for you.

If you can get a hold of Gayla Trail's fabulous book, You Grow Girl, she has full instructions for making a sturdy apron. You can also find similar instructions online at Botanical Interests.

7. A Compost Tumbler

I confess to not "getting" the whole compost tumbler thing when I started composting, but then I got one to review, and I see why so many people love them.

If you want to make compost, and you want it quickly, a tumbler is the way to go. It's great to have finished compost in about three weeks instead of couple of months. There are many brands out there, at a wide range of prices. You can also make your own compost tumbler with a trash can or barrel, as shown in the video.

8. An Online Vegetable Garden Planner

If trying to figure out how many pepper plants you can fit in your garden is not your idea of a good time, you might want to take a look at one of the online garden planners available. I like these because it makes it easy to make the most of your gardening space. Some good online planners:

Gardener's Supply Company has a free online planning tool based on the Square Foot Gardening method.

Renee's Garden Seeds offers plans for short and long-season gardens. There's less flexibility with this, but the plans do give you an idea of how much you can fit in your space, as well as what plants grow well together.

Mother Earth News offers a nice garden planner on its website.

However, this planner is subscription-based. You do get to try it for a month for free, and then decide if you want to keep using it or not. I like that you can get monthly emails based on your zone to tell you what to plant.

9. Self-Watering Container

Whether you buy an EarthBox or a similar product or make your own self-watering container, it will make your gardening life a lot simpler.

Self-watering containers are perfect for those of us who forget to water. You simply keep the reservoir topped up and your soil will stay perfectly, evenly moist.

10. A Journal

Marc Romanelli / Getty Images

Whether you keep a paper journal or maintain a blog about your garden, some kind of journal is important to help you keep track of your garden's progress.

You can keep track of when you planted what, your successes and failures, and variety names of veggies you particularly liked. It's also a great idea to keep track of things like crop rotation and companion planting.

I keep a journal because I know that I won't remember everything from year-to-year, and to keep a written and visual record of how my garden progresses. After a couple seasons of keeping records in your garden, you'll have a better sense of what grows best there, which will make you a more successful gardener.
WALTERBORO, South Carolina  In a recent interview with Donald Trump, Fox News Greta van Susteren posed a simple question from a viewer: Why dont you act more presidential?

I will be changing very rapidly, answered Trump, fresh from his smashing victory in the New Hampshire primary. Im very capable of changing to anything I want to change to.

In South Carolina, where he won another important primary contest, Trump drew remarkable crowds; when a group called Lowcountry Sportsmen for Trump held an event for him early Wednesday evening at a remote and sprawling hunting area known as Dove Field, about an hour outside Charleston, 2,500 people turned out to see him, many driving an hour or more to a place that looked a little like the middle of nowhere.

Nearly everyone I talked to had decided to vote for Trump. Some had already voted. They were definitely on board. Still, after his sometimes flailing performance in last Saturdays contentious Republican debate in Greenville, many, like van Susterens viewer, would like to see Trump act just a little more presidential.

Take, for example, Larry and Sherri Hoover, two newly retired State Department officials who live in Ridgefield. When I asked why they chose Trump over the other candidates, Larry said, I feel like he tells the truth. He just tells it like it is. Sherri agreed.

I noted that some critics thought Trump went a little over the top at the debate. What did they think?

I agreed with the premises of what he said, but he probably didnt need to say everything he said, to be honest with you, Larry answered.

I thought that was a little bit much, Sherri added, mentioning Trumps comments about George W. Bush. But he has no filter. He tells it like it is. Thats what we like about him.

Im looking for a leader, a fighter, and a winner, said Bernie Bell, a retired Chamber of Commerce official from Charleston. Heres what I thought about the debate: Trump was getting shot at from everywhere. I didnt agree with him on the part about George W. Bush, but I can understand why Trump did that. Id like for him to be more presidential, Id like for him to talk more about the issues. But when youre getting shot at from everywhere, youve got to respond.

I wish he would be a little more southern in his genteel manner, Kathy Randall, a lawyer from Summerville who said shes likely to vote for Trump, said with a smile.

He needs some gentility, for sure  a big dose, added Randalls friend Hugh Merriman, an oncologist, who also intends to vote for Trump. What is there to gain from bashing the Bushes? Jebs done, I think. I dont see the benefit in that.

Even Trumps host and introducer, Ellie Thomas, a Mount Pleasant CPA whos with Lowcountry Sportsmen for Trump, took note of Trumps habit of taking things to the limit, and then a little beyond. We say, You know, I dont know that I would have said that, but Im sure glad he did, Thomas told the crowd.

The Trump who took the stage  it was decked out with camouflage cloth and bales of hay  spoke as if he might have heard the advice. In a stump speech cut down to about half an hour because of a tight schedule, Trump said everything he normally says, but he appeared to have dialed back the intensity just a little. At the end, some people wished he had spoken longer, which rarely happens when Trump delivers his usual one-hour-plus performance.

Heres a theory. Trumps supporters believe the United States is at such a precarious point in its history that they want to elect a leader who will take an entirely different approach to government, not just from Barack Obama but also from the Bushes who monopolized Republican presidential politics for more than a generation. Theyre willing to put up with some excess because Trump seems to be the only man who might truly be able to break out of the old mold. Yes, they would like to see him polish things up a little. But even in his roughest state, hes worth it, given whats at stake.

On the other hand, Trumps manner has prevented him from taking advantage of the huge opportunity that South Carolina presents to expand his base of support. When a candidate does something like win the New Hampshire primary by 20 points, people who arent his supporters take another look at him. That moment is a chance to draw in new voters. After New Hampshire, Trump had that chance  big time  and the best opportunity for him to bring in those new voters was the Greenville debate. He didnt do it. It was another missed opportunity, like the debate he skipped in Des Moines.

One way to see that is not at Trump rallies, but at other candidates events, where there are South Carolinians who have seriously considered supporting Trump but are now leaning elsewhere.

Trump says whats in my heart, said one voter at a Ted Cruz event in Columbia last Tuesday. But after the debate, the man said, My head says no. Off the record, casual talks with other Republican voters around South Carolina suggest that he is not alone. They appreciate Trump and are glad someone is saying what he is saying about immigration and other issues  but they just cant bring themselves to support him.

Back at Dove Field, though, voters were willing to take the bad with the good in the hope that Trump will bring real change to American politics.

Thats Trump, said Tim Fensch, of Walterboro. Hes like everybody Ive ever met from New York City. Theyre all like that. They get in your face, theyre blunt, if you come at them, they double down on you. I mean, thats him.

I want to make a statement, said Charles Perkins Dubee II, of Savannah, Georgia. I like what he has to say.

I think we need a stick of dynamite in Washington, said Drake Donahue, of Goose Creek. I think hes it.
ELKO  Presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz spoke to an audience that filled the Convention Center to capacity Monday, with many of his views receiving thunderous approval.

All of us are here today because our country is in crisis, said Cruz.

In particular, Cruz stated he would return all public lands to the State of Nevada and its citizens; using his experience he would nominate a successor to the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalias seat; he would rebuild the military and reform Veterans Affairs; and he would utterly destroy the Islamic State.

The Public

Im trying to make it a point in our rural Nevada to attend these group sessions with any of the candidates to learn more about who they really are and what they really represent because the media, the debates, I dont believe are giving us the real picture, said Lina Blohm, who told the Free Press she is an undecided voter at this time.

Before the rally began, many attendees stated they were there to hear what the Texas senator had to say about public lands. Others also were undecided.

Im an undecided voter and I want to see what Cruz has to say, said Marvin Eldridge. I like a lot of things about Trump, but Im kind of disappointed that he didnt come to Elko, so, Im checking out Cruz.

Other locals said they were at the rally to help them decide between the current Republican front-runners: Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.

I would love for him to start addressing federal lands, who owns them, what are we going to do with them  the states cant afford them and the feds want to keep closing them down  so, thats what Im after, said Joel Moorehead.

Moorehead was not the only member of the audience seeking Cruzs stance on public lands and the Bureau of Land Management.

What hes going to do about giving BLM land back to the states and what hes going to do about ISIS  immigration is another concern, Eldridge said, discussing what he hoped the senator would speak about.

However, some wanted to know what Cruz would do to reach across the aisle.

I want him to address  how, if elected president, he would bring the chambers together, Congress together, in order to fulfill this dream that theyre all promising of a better America, because right now were understanding, via the media, that hes not friends with his fellow Republicans nor the Democrats, said Blohm.

The Constitution

There are so many things that are important that whatever he touches on is going to be good. Honestly, theres just a lot up in the air, said April McNeil, who said she wanted to know how much the senator believes and interprets the Constitution  weather that is strict or loose.

I hope he does more strict. Im a strict constructionist, she said, explaining that loose construction does not stem solely from the past eight years, but since the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with a few bright spots in between.

Before Cruz took the stage, television personality and radio host Glenn Beck told the crowd that fairness doesnt exist in America anymore.

Im here to stand for the Constitution of the United States of America, he said, reminding the audience the Oath of Office promises to protect and defend the Constitution.

Beck brought a message of not compromising in the nations highest office, saying Cruz does not stray from his principles and the founding document of the U.S.

He said the Constitution is the choice to make and Senator Cruz has been running toward it.

I come to you today and ask you, not as a guy you watch on television or listen on the radio, but as a fellow citizen  please, let us raise a standard, he concluded.

Cruz came onto the stage saying the principles of the Constitution, of the Framers, are what turned America into this exceptional nation that we are, and come from God, not the government.

Public Lands

Cruz told Elkoans that when he is elected president he will end government ownership of 85 percent of Nevada.

Let me tell you right here and right now, if Im elected president, that will end, he told the room, which broke into boisterous applause.

This is an issue with diverse opinions, he said, and the land needs to be transferred back to the State and the people.

I trust the people of Nevada more than the bureaucrats of Washington, ended Cruz on the subject.

The Veterans

We want to make sure he understands the issues that Veterans of Foreign Wars has, said Gil Hernandez.

During the rally, Cruz said the country would honor its solemn commitments to every service member.

That includes fundamentally reforming the VA so that every veteran has the right to choose his or her doctor, Cruz said to a cheering audience.

He said that also includes the Second Amendment right of every service member to bear arms.

One of the most shameful things, we have seen over the last seven years is the president sending our fighting men and women into combat, with rules of engagement so strict their arms are tied behind their back and they cannot win and they cannot defeat the enemy, said Cruz, adding that is wrong and immoral and will end when he becomes president.

When and if it is needed, Cruz said overwhelming force would be used to destroy the enemy.

When it comes to radical Islamic terrorism, youll have a president willing to utter the words radical Islamic terrorism, he said.

Supreme Court

Cruz put forth his plan for his first two days in office. The second day he said he would nominate Scalias successor.

Justice Scalia was a lion of the law. I was blessed to know him for 20 years, personally, he said.

He stated the U.S. is one justice away from a liberal majority that would not uphold the sovereignty that belongs to the people.

I give you my solemn word, every justice I put on the court will be a principled constitutionalist, stated Cruz, explaining to elect the wrong person is the loose the Supreme Court for a generation.
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 22

The Ajnala police have booked Palwinder Singh, a resident of Gujjapir village here, for allegedly defrauding a youth of Rs 1.5 lakh on the pretext of settling him in Malaysia after arranging a work-permit visa for him.

However, he sent the victim, identified as Ravideep Singh, on a tourist visa whereby he had to face a lot of hardship there in order to survive and return to his native place. Ultimately, he suffered from a deadly form of cancer and died.

The police have registered a case under Section 420 of the IPC against Palwinder following a statement of Balwinder Kaur, the mother of the victim. It took over eight months for the police to complete the probe against Palwinder, who runs a small religious dera, in the name of Sikh Gurus.

Balwinder Kaur had submitted a complaint to the police about the incident in May 2015. She told the police that her son, Ravideep Singh (23), was a senior secondary pass student and was unemployed. She said the accused, Palwinder Singh Baba, was known to the family and an occasional visitor to their house. She said he asked the family to arrange Rs 1.5 lakh and he would send Ravideep to Malaysia on a two-year work permit. She alleged that they took a loan on a high rate of interest.

However, in 2012, he sent her son on a tourist visa to Malaysia where, in the absence of necessary permission and documents, her son remained in hiding, she alleged. She said he, along with several others like him, who were sent by the baba to Malaysia in a similar fashion, had to live in jungles and eat wild grass in order to survive. Her son also had to sleep on roads and eat waste which led him to contracting cancer.

She alleged she was repeatedly urging the baba to get her son back but he did not bother at all and made false assurances to her. She said after two-and-half years, Ravideep somehow returned from Malaysia and died in March 2015.

While alleging that the baba had sent around 20 youths to Malaysia who were going through a similar plight, she urged the police and the authorities to arrest him and put him behind bars. Sukhjinder Singh, investigation officer, said the accused was yet to be arrested.
Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 23

Heritage is a common property, deemed valuable, when you need to go back to your roots.

Singapore-based banker Amardeep Singh, who turned author with his first book, The Lost Heritage  Sikh Legacy in Pakistan, began his travels through Pakistan with the same idea  to experience and visually document the lost heritage of Sikhs in Punjab on the other side of the border.

Launching his book at Bhai Veer Singh Niwas Sthaan, Amardeep Singh made a presentation on how the book is a labour of love, rather than a literary and visual compilation. Eighty per cent of our legacy has been left behind in Pakistan, and needs to be documented. There are places, we have never visited or heard about yet have a deep connection with, said the author, who calls himself a mad man in love in the context of the book.

The book documents the functional and vestigial places of heritage across 36 cities in West Punjab, North-West Frontier and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Amardeep travelled for one-and-half years through the villages and cities to capture rare moments that most do not know about. My family belonged to Muzaffrabad, where my father was born, and Abottabad was my mothers place of birth. And I wanted to go there and find out my roots. Through my journey, I connected with people and explored more. Like the Dumel Bridge where the Jhelum meets Neelum river, where almost 300 Sikhs were shot at point-blank range. Or the Mangat gurdwara in Mandi Bahahuddin that is an architectural marvel and an example of secularism at its best. I didnt go to write a book, but to study that legacy, he said.

He said his visits to the Prahladpuri temple in Multan, Baba Farids shrine in Pakpattan, Baba Bullhe Shah in Kasur and Sain Mian Mirs dargah in Lahore made him understand the secular aspects of the Sikh community of that time.

With exquisite visual narratives of the Nakkai havelis, with their beautiful frescos, the remnants of the biggest salt mines near Jhelum to Sikh gurdwaras and an erstwhile Khalsa institution now functioning as an Islamia school, battlegrounds, residential and commercial buildings built between 15th century to early 20th century, the book has heritage captured in a 504-page book, with 507 photos, 14 maps and over 50,000 words.

Singh maintains that most of these places are in ruin, dying slowly in the absence of restoration or conservation work. The Pakistan government is doing its bit to preserve some the buildings, but a lot needs to be done. Like the Mansehra gurdwara that now functions as an MC library. Some places have been plastered with marble slabs and drawings in the name of restoration, just like in India. But they need more professional and a planned restoration, he added.

But he says that its a complicated task given the status of political relations between the two countries. Chief guest of the occasion, Parneet Sachdev, IRS, Principal Director of Income Tax (Investigations) Punjab & JK, unveiled the book at the function.

The programme was organized by Dilbir Foundation (DF) as a special event of their Dialogues in Legacy Conservation project. The foundation was working in association with the Lahore Conservation Society for restoration of significant historical sites.

Gunbir Singh, president, Dilbir Foundation, said, Amardeeps work is indeed a celebration of the majesty of the Sikh era, much as it is a lament against mans roughshod tread. It is nevertheless a document which is a keepsake for all touched by our legacy, he added.
Nepalese Prime Minister KP Olis visit to India, his first official trip overseas since he took charge, is a welcome step aimed at repairing the severely strained ties between New Delhi and Kathmandu. The ties nosedived after Kathmandu ignored New Delhis suggestions on the new constitution. Olis six-day state visit came a week after the nearly five-month blockade caused by protesting Madhesis on the Indo-Nepalese border was lifted. The Madhesis, who share a close cultural and familial bond with people across the border in India, were agitating against Nepal's recently drafted constitution which has diluted their rights and representation in the country.

The Indian government allowed itself to be seen as sympathising with the protesting Madhesis. The Madhesis' protest caused considerable internal instability which resulted in Indian trucks carrying vital supplies such as fuel, food and medicines among other commodities refusing to cross the border. All this added up to a de facto economic blockade of the land-locked country. The blockade manifested itself in the form of months long rationing of fuel and other essential commodities, thereby causing much resentment in Nepal against India and souring of bilateral relations. The protesters called off the blockade following assurances by Nepal's coalition government led by Oli's Communist Party of Nepal to re-examine parts of the constitution to address the concerns of the Madhesis and other dissatisfied communities.

Although during the Oli visit the two sides signed nine agreements aimed at strengthening partnership and at facilitating connectivity and regional development, the New Delhi-Kathmandu relationship suffers from a trust deficit. It is in mutual interest that both sides should tread with caution and not permit bilateral ties going south again. New Delhi should be well aware that Beijing will seek to capitalise on every friction it has with Kathmandu to wean its southern neighbour from India. Nepal too must acknowledge that India, with which it has deep historic and cultural ties, remains a more convenient neighbour, both economically and politically.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

The mediatory role played by ex-servicemen between the agitating populace in Haryana and the armed forces deployed to curb violence played a large role in diffusing volatile situations, the Army has claimed.

The substantial population of retired soldiers in the state proved to be an important factor which enabled the Army to stem violence and prevent the situation at many places from spiralling out of control, a spokesperson said.

Acting as a bridge between the Army and the agitating civilians, the veterans were able to convince the protesters to abide by the instructions given by the Army, he said, adding that they were instrumental in dispersing a large crowd that had gathered at Karnal Chowk in Kaithal.

Haryana has been a major contributor of manpower to the armed forces, who have played a very important role in all wars and other major operations undertaken by India, including counter-terrorist operations.

The Army is also playing a major role in evacuating travellers from affected areas to safer places. A large number of senior citizens, women and children who required immediate help were moved to Ambala over the past two days in military vehicles. Army columns also arranged evacuation of patients from a private hospital in Kaithal.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

Adamant Jat protesters lay siege to National Highway 1 (NH-1), snapping link to the national capital despite stern measures by the security forces to get the road cleared. The Army opened fire to disperse protesters at Larsauli in Sonepat today. Though official sources said three persons were killed, other reliable sources put the toll at five.

Meanwhile, curfew was imposed in Kaithal after a mob vandalised a mall and looted shops. More than 500 persons were booked. The authorities have sought more forces for the district. At least 1,300 persons have been booked in Faridabad and 1,000 in Palwal for rioting.

Much to the relief of stranded commuters, protesters agreed to lift blockades on National Highway 10 after a series of negotiations with the authorities at Rohtak and Hisar. Ram Bhagat Malik, spokesperson for the Akhil Bharatiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti, said blockades on NH-10, that links Sirsa, Hisar and Rohtak with Delhi, had been removed.

Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said 16 persons had died in the ongoing agitation, including three at Larsauli village in Sonepat. The deceased are Sunny of Ganaur, Rakesh of Shamri village and Sandeep of Pamcha village.

Haryana Janhit Congress chief Kuldeep Bishnoi demanded a criminal case against former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in view of a CD on the social media showing his former political adviser, Prof Virender, instigating the Jats. Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said the government would get the CD examined.

Hooda and his son Deepender Singh, Rohtak MP, were stopped at the Tikri border near Bahadurgarh today as they tried to enter Rohtak from Delhi. Protesters squatting on the Rohtak-Delhi road refused to budge, insisting that they be provided a copy of the government notification on Jat reservation. Later in the evening, they lifted the blockade at Sampla village (NH-10) after a delegation of Jat leaders met Principal Secretary AK Singh and Additional DGP BS Sandhu at the Police Lines, Rohtak.

An Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti leader announced that they had decided to clear the roads in Hisar, Fatehabad and Bhiwani. Meanwhile, water supply to Delhi has been restored. In violence-hit Rohtak, curfew was relaxed for an hour today.
Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

People in the violence-hit areas are still living in fear. They alleged that they had to keep themselves locked in their houses as arsonists had a field day and the police were nowhere to be seen.

Today, my shop has nothing. Till three days ago, it was packed with material worth Rs 10 lakh. The arsonists first packed the main stuff in their bags and then set it on fire. So far, the police have neither visited my shop nor recorded my statement for the FIR, alleged Jatin Arora, a 27-year-old shopkeeper from Sector 3 in Rohtak.

Arora said he started a cosmetic shop at Skytech Mall of Rohtak three years ago. The mall was burnt down and shops were looted, but the authorities were yet to take any action against them, he said.

I and my family members have not ventured out of our house for the past four days in the absence of security, alleged Arora.

Another victim, Mukesh Pahwa, owner of Pahwa Handlooms in Rohtak, alleged that he had lost material worth Rs 20 lakh as rioters set his shop on fire.

The violence has badly affected the movement of more than 20,000 daily passengers working in the government and private sectors in Delhi. They are forced to stay indoors as no train and bus services are available, said Harish Kumar, a private company employee and resident of Civil Road. I cant think of going to Delhi, leaving my wife and daughter behind, as no security is available here, he said.

However, Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma during a press conference here today claimed that things were improving in the state.

Meanwhile, businessmen in Jind today met senior officials of the district administration and announced to close their shops. They demanded compensation for the damage and adequate security within seven days.

New Grain Market, Kaithal, president Ashwani Shorewala alleged that residents were living in fear and there was no security for them.

Goons today damaged a mall in the city, but no action has been taken against them, he alleged.
Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, February 23

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda had to face the wrath of Rohtak residents and traders as they visited the violence-torn town today.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, the Chief Ministers visit was cut short and he was taken to the local Police Lines, from where he was flown to Delhi in a helicopter.

Rohtak residents, including the traders who have suffered heavy financial losses due to the recent incidents of arson during the Jats agitation for grant of reservation, gheraoed Khattar, showed black flags and raised slogans against the CM, his Cabinet colleagues Capt Abhimanyu and Om Prakash Dhankhar, as well as local police-administration in Khattars presence at the Canal Rest House here.

The protesters also demanded removal of the local Deputy Commissioner as well as the SSP. Some residents raised slogans in support of Health Minister Anil Vij.

Hooda, late in the evening, was asked to leave Rohtak "to ensure peace and harmony," official sources said.

Hooda told PTI that he had received the order advising him to leave Rohtak and not stay here for the night by the district administration for maintenance of law and order.

"As a law-abiding citizen I complied with the directions issued by the Principal Secretary AK Singh and left the town immediately, he said, adding he was on his way to Delhi.

Earlier, Hooda was heckled by protesting traders and other residents near D-Park at Rohtak.

Faced with stiff opposition, Hooda rushed back to his house located nearby. As the protesting residents tried to enter his house, Army personnel tried to stop them at the gate.

The protesters also pelted Hoodas Rohtak residence with stones. On his arrival at Rohtak, an unidentified person reportedly hurled a shoe at Hooda.

Read also:

A chaos broke out at the press conference as reporters belonging to different communities got engaged in a verbal clash, as a journalist questioned Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar about the recent happenings and their repercussions. However, the CM left the conference amidst chaotic scenes.

Security personnel had a tough time in getting Khattar seated in his car and clearing the way from the protesting residents. The residents, who were livid at the police inaction in the entire scenario, even maintained before the Chief Minister that they did not want a police force.

Addressing the hurriedly convened news conference, Khattar termed the recent incidents of arson and violent clashes witnessed in different parts of the state as unfortunate and asserted that a high-level inquiry would be conducted to get to the bottom of the matter.

The Chief Minister remarked that the episode smacked of a conspiracy. He also announced a probe into the audio-clip containing a controversial conversation involving an aide of former Chief Minister BS Hooda.

Stating that as many as 19 lives had been lost as a result of the violence, Khattar announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each innocent person who had been killed during the agitation.

WATCH: People affected by #Jatreservation protests raise 'murdabad' slogans against Haryana Government in Rohtakhttps://t.co/M0iEOvfDSq  ANI (@ANI_news) February 23, 2016

The biggest loss to human life has been reported from Jhajjar, while Rohtak has borne the biggest financial losses. Assocham has pegged the financial loss at Rs 30,000 crore, but we will get the actual losses assessed at our own level and suitably compensate the traders and residents who have suffered losses, he maintained.

The Chief Minister affirmed that the government would not spare the police as well as administrative officers who are found guilty of negligence or dereliction of duty. The persons who had indulged in arson and violence would also be identified and punished, he added.

Meanwhile, Rohtak traders and their supporters staging a protest demonstration on the Delhi road in Model Town here reportedly made former Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra, who had gone there to express his solidarity with the protesters, to leave the venue.

The traders have been staging the dharna to press for the grant of compensation for the losses suffered by them due to the arson.

However, when Batra, who is considered a confidant of former Haryana Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, went to extend his support to the traders, some protesters reportedly refused to accept his solidarity and support, following which he left the venue.

Batra has, however, denied any misbehaviour with him by any of the protesters.

On Hooda being told to leave, Batra said two IPS officers first came to the fomer CM's residence and verbally asked him to leave the town.

"But Hooda declined saying he cannot leave on verbal instructions," Batra said, adding the former Chief Minister sought an administrative order.

Batra said that later an order was issued by Principal Secretary A K Singh, who has been appointed the Special Officers for Rohtak during the Jat agitation.

He issued the order on ground of maintenance of law and order. The former Chief Minister immediately complied with the order and left for Delhi, Batra said.  With PTI inputs
Chandigarh, February 23

The situation on Tuesday remained tense in some parts of Jat-dominated areas like Rohtak and Sonepat while curfew was lifted in Jind district, even as security personnel stepped up efforts to clear the blockades put up by protesters on various state highways.

Meanwhile, the vehicular traffic has been resumed on NH-1 at Panipat following the lifting of blockades.

Barring a relief of one-hour, curfew remained in force in Rohtak, which has been the epicentre of the pro-quota agitation in Haryana and has seen loss of lives and maximum damage to property.

A meeting of the panel led by Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu to look into the Jat quota demand was held in New Delhi. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar attended the meeting.

Union Minister Sanjeev Baliyan, a member of the panel, said a way out will soon be found to give reservation to Jats.

Owing to the Jat agitation, train services were hit on Tuesday as well with the Railways cancelling 210 more trains, including Kalka Shatabdi, Ludhiana Shatabdi and Himalayan Queen.Three Shatabdi trains between Chandigarh and New Delhi were also resumed.

During the last 24 hours, there has been no report of any untoward incident in the district, said a senior official of Rohtak Police.

He said curfew will continue to be imposed in the Jat dominated district till there is complete normalcy.

Read also:

We are giving relief in curfew for like one hour depending upon the situation to allow people to buy essential items, he further said.

Meanwhile, body of a 24-year-old youth, a resident of Lalpura village near Hansi in Hisar district, was recovered from fields today. There were also reports of firing in Hansi town. No fresh incident of violence has been reported in the district so far, SSP Ashwin Shenvi said.

In Jind, another Jat-dominated area, the district administration has lifted curfew.

We have lifted the curfew. There is about 80 per cent normalcy in Jind district. But we are on the watch, Jind Deputy Commissioner, Vinay Singh said over phone.

The agitation has thrown normal life out of gear with road and rail traffic on key routes, including the Delhi-Ambala and Delhi-Hisar-Fazilka National Highways hit, even as security personnel were making efforts to clear the blockades put up by protesters on highways.

Yesterday, sporadic incidents of arson were reported in Sonepat, Kaithal and Hisar which derailed the normalcy process which commenced after the BJP announced setting up of a committee to examine the quota demand of the community.

Three persons were yesterday killed in Sonepat during a clash when security personnel trying to clear a road blockade were attacked by stone-pelting mobs, raising the death toll to 19 in the stir so far.

Following fresh incidents of arson and violence yesterday, curfew was reimposed in five villages of Hansi sub-division, Hisar city limits and Kaithal.

Following the incidents of violence and arson, curfew was imposed in Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Jind, Hisar, Hansi, Sonepat, Kaithal, and Gohana town of Sonipat.

The All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) yesterday had announced lifting of dharnas on national and state highways in view of the BJP announcing setting up of a committee under a Central minister to examine the quota demand for the Jat community.

Industry body PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry has pegged the loss of economic activity due to the Jat agitation at Rs 34,000 crore.

The Haryana government had yesterday said that it would fully compensate people whose private property was damaged during the Jat agitation.

It also announced a relief of Rs 10 lakh to the family of each deceased.  PTI/TNS
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

The Haryana Government today announced compensation for the damage caused to private properties as well as Rs 10 lakh ex gratia to the kin of those killed in the Jat agitation.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said no "false" cases would be registered against anyone.

He said the government would bring a Bill in coming Assembly session to give reservation to Jats and would get the audio clip of Prof Varinder Singh, a former Political Adviser to the then Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, examined since he allegedly tried to flare up the ongoing agitation in the state.

He was replying to questions of mediapersons after a Cabinet meeting here today. The Chief Minister had already made the offer at the all-party meeting and asked for unanimity on the provisions of the draft Bill. Both the INLD and the Congress had welcomed this and suggested for consultations on the draft Bill before it was moved in the session, he said.

Asked about the reservation quota proposed to be given to Jats, Ram Bilas Sharma said the state government would not disturb the quota of 27 per cent reservation meant for other backward classes. He added that as a Bill was being brought, the Government would make a separate provision for their reservation.

On Prof Varinder Singh's audio clip which had gone viral, he said he himself had heard it and the matter was crystal clear. It would be investigated and action taken under the law, he added.

As many as 16 persons had so far lost their lives in the Jat agitation and 183 were injured, he said.

Also, 320 cases had been registered and 102 persons arrested. While blockades at several places have been lifted , efforts are on to remove the remaining 449 blockades on rail tracks and roads.

Transport Minister Krishan Lal Panwar said that Haryana Roadways had suffered a loss of Rs 15 crore as 33 buses had been set on fire and 99 damaged.

the Administration and security forces had got made the Munak canal functional this morning by getting the dharna lifted at Akbarpur to ensure supply of water to Delhi but the protesters again blocked the canal at Kabru. The protesters were now being urged to release water. As an immediate measure, the water of Yamuna canal was being supplied to Delhi through the Munak canal.
Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 23

The much-needed Expressway Corridor (flyover) from Bikram Chowk to Women College at Gandhi Nagar is set to miss its August-2016 deadline due to technical and legal impediments.

The Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA), executing agency, has now set December-2016 as the new deadline for the completion of Rs 95-crore project. Besides, there has been an escalation of project cost by Rs 4 crore due to additional construction of some structures.

We have come across a legal issue on a portion of the project as some people have approached the court that they have not been paid suitable compensation while acquiring their land for the project. We hope that we will soon get relief from the court and work will again be started there, Satish Sagar, Project Manager, ERA, told The Tribune.

He, however, said nearly 60 per cent construction work had already been completed, while the remaining work was expected to be completed by December 2016  four months behind schedule.

The work on the 1.3-km flyover having four lanes was started in May 2013 and it was scheduled to be completed by August 2016. The project also includes widening of 1.5-km road from six lanes to eight lanes. The flyover work includes construction of two subways and four bus ways.

The project is being funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB). The flyover is an elevated corridor comprising 38 pillars, two subways and four bus ways. After the construction of the flyover, the inter-state and inter-district traffic on the Kathua and RS Pura routes would be regulated through the flyover.

Sources said a total of Rs 95 crore was sanctioned for the project, which included Rs 67 crore for the construction purpose, which has now gone up to Rs 71 crore, while the remaining amount was meant for acquisition of 26 kanals of land required for widening of road to eight lanes, rehabilitation of affected businessmen and shifting of utilities of the PHE, BSNL, PDD and Forest Department.

Presently, the city of temples, which is the transit place for Vaishno Devi pilgrims and tourists to the Kashmir valley, has only one flyover which was constructed between 1993 and 1998. After the increase in the number of vehicles, the existing road network is under a huge pressure.

Keeping in view the modernisation of the existing road transport system and address frequent traffic jams, the state had approved a plan in 2009 to construct a series of flyovers at an estimated cost of Rs 7,600 crore.

Under Vision-2020 for Jammu city, flyovers were proposed to be constructed from Bikram Chowk to Panama Chowk, Bikram Chowk to Satwari and Jewel to the Canal Road.
New Delhi, February 20

A court here on Saturday granted bail to Sam Pitroda, a former chairman of the National Innovation Council, and also granted exemption to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi and others in the National Herald case as per the Supreme Court directives.

Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen granted bail to Pitroda after he appeared before him asking him to furnish a personal bond of Rs50,000 and a surety of like amount.

The court also granted exemption from personal appearance to Gandhis, Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, Gandhis family friend Suman Dubey and another party leader Oscar Fernandes, who are out on bail.

The apex court on February 12 exempted the Gandhis and others from personal appearances, noting their presence in the trial court would cause more inconvenience than convenience. The court also fixed March 21 for further hearing of the case.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has initiated the case. On June 26 last year, the trial court issued summons to the Congress leaders on Swamys complaint about cheating in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd, which published the National Herald. IANS
New Delhi, February 23

Delhi Polices report on the ongoing in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) row makes no mention of the slogan Pakistan Zindabad  a claim they had originally made when they charged eight and arrested one student leader for sedition  sources said.

Neither does the report  which cities JNUs internal committees findings to back their sedition charges  mention the names of the witnesses who heard the chants, although it claims some policemen did hear them. The report  sent to Delhi Police Commissioners office on Sunday  lists 29 unconstitutional slogans that were allegedly raised at an event in the university on February 9 but fails to identify those who actually raised them.

Proof of sedition the report provides against Kanhaiya Kumar  the student leader who was arrested for the event  is his presence when a group raised anti-national slogans and attributes it to unspecified eyewitnesses and a video clip allegedly of the event provided by a new channel.

The report also names fellow suspects Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya as the main organisers of the event but does not say whether they had been involved in raising the slogans.

The report also mentions that the police had not entered JNU without permission, sources said.

It also quotes the universitys internal inquiry to accuse the eight students of deliberately presenting the event as a cultural evening, holding the event without permission and creating a law and order problem on the JNU campus.

Polices report assumes significance since police had specifically mentioned the slogan Pakistan Zindabad previously  once when they filed an FIR and then in a status report soon after they arrested Kumar  while accusing the students of anti-national activities. Police had filed an FIR on the basis of a video supposedly of the event that it acquired from a news channel, although Police Commissioner BS Bassi said on Monday that police was trying to verify its authenticity.

Five JNU students  among them Umar Khalid  came back to the JNU campus on Sunday after evading arrested for more than 10 days, but police have yet to arrest them.

Senior officers of police claim they are waiting for the five to turn themselves in, but the five have said they would not do so.

The students were charged with sedition for organising an event to protest the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on February 9  Gurus third death anniversary.

Kumar, president of JNU students Union  a left-wing students outfit was arrested for sedition on February 9.  Agencies
For the first time since World War II, our armed forces are at risk of being ill-equipped to handle the ever-growing and dynamic threats we face abroad. Under Barack Obamas presidency, our military has faced neglect and disdain, as our weapons systems have been cut and our military leaders ignored. Marco Rubio has fought these cuts that have harmed our military and broken our sacred compact with our men and women in uniform to ensure they are never sent into a fair fight.

As president, Marco will reverse the damage President Obama has inflicted on our military and restore it to readiness levels not seen since the last decade.

For example, the Obama Administration has pursued efforts to weaken our close air support capability by attempting to retire the A-10 Thunderbolt. The A-10 is a vital piece of the American arsenal that our ground troops in Afghanistan and Iraq repeatedly call upon for rapid and overwhelming firepower from the skies. As our soldiers and marines have stated time and again, there is no other aircraft in our militarys arsenal that can provide the same type of devastating low-flying air protection.

In the Senate, Marco has consistently voted for the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the most recent of which blocked the A-10s retirement, provided platform upgrades, restored necessary personnel and support, and ensured the fleet would remain flying for years to come.

It is critically important that our warfighters are able to maintain a state of cutting-edge technological readiness through advanced operations facilities such as Nellis Air Force Base here in Nevada, where state-of-the-art unmanned aerial vehicles are remotely operated.

This installation supports some of our most important reconnaissance assets and provides our military leaders with an unparalleled ability to monitor global theaters of operation thousands of miles away. This is another reason why Marco has consistently voted for the NDAA, which also provided increased resources for training of unmanned systems pilots and joint terminal controllers. When Marco is president, he will prioritize the growth and support of our strategic reconnaissance and surveillance capacities overseas.

The 2014, 2015, and 2016 NDAAs all included provisions prohibiting the Defense Department from conducting a new round of base closuresprotecting vital facilities such as Nellis Air Force Base and Naval Air Station Fallon.

Other candidates tout their strong support for military readiness, but their records say something entirely different. For example, Senator Ted Cruz voted against the NDAA three times, effectively voting to deny funding to our armed forces and voting against these key provisions that benefited Nevada. One can only assume that if he would consistently vote against the NDAA, he would veto it if elected president. This dangerous posturing has no place in the White House.

If we continue down our current path, we are at risk of having the smallest Air Force this country has ever seen. When Marco is president, he will put an immediate stop to this trend and put our armed forces back on track to maintaining their status as the most feared military in world, able to strike anywhere at a moments notice. Marco will help ensure that Nevada continues to play an important role in ensuring that our military can fulfill this responsibility.
Dhaka, February 22

The Islamic State today claimed the brutal killing of a head priest in Bangladesh at a Hindu temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the dreaded terror group targeting the community amid a series of similar assaults on religious minorities.

US-based private SITE Intelligence Group published the IS statement in Arabic after the execution-style killing of 50-year-old Jagneshwar Roy at Sonapota village yesterday in a pre-dawn attack in northern Panchagarh district's Debiganj Upazila, some 494 km from here, that also injured two Hindu devotees.

In a security operation, soldiers of the Caliphate liquidated the priest, the founder and head of the Deviganj temple that belongs to the Hindus, read the English translation of the IS statement.

It added: "One of his companions was hurt after being targeted with light weapons in the area of Panchagar in Northern Bangladesh, and the Mujahideen returned to their positions unharmed."

The SITE Intelligence Group said the ISIS claimed responsibility for killing Roy in a communique posted by the IS-linked Amaq News Agency on Twitter.

Motorbike-borne assailants, said to be over three in number, pelted stones at the house of Roy in the premises of the Santagourhiyo Temple which prompted him to come out following which the killers pounced on him and slit his throat, according to a devotee in the neighbourhood.

Roy, who founded the temple in 1998 and served as its principal and chief priest since then, was preparing for the morning prayers, when stones were hurled at the temple. A blood-stained cleaver was recovered from the spot, authorities said, adding that the motive for the killing was not clear.

His murder is the first attack on a Hindu priest and the fifth assault on minority religious communities including Shia Muslims and liberal Sufi preachers in the past six months by suspected Islamists.  PTI
Geneva, February 23

More than 110,000 migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean to Greece and Italy so far this year, and 413 have lost their lives trying, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said today.

As of today, 102,547 people had arrived in Greece, while another 7,507 had arrived in Italy since the beginning of the year, IOM said. Last year, the 100,000 mark was only topped during summer, IOM spokesman Itayi Viriri told reporters.

He said that out of the 413 people who had died trying to reach Europe, 321 had perished on the route to Greece. "An estimated 35,000 migrants and refugees have reached the Greek islands so far in February alone," he said, adding that nearly half of them were Syrians and a quarter were from Afghanistan, while another 17 per cent were from Iraq.

Once they reach Greece, almost all attempt to move on, he said, adding that "we understand that an estimated 26,000 have already passed the Greek border with... Macedonia in February alone." Not everyone is able to move on.

Thousands of migrants have been left stranded in Greece after Macedonia abruptly closed its border to Afghans, creating a fresh bottleneck as European countries scrambled to respond to the continent's refugee crisis. Some 4,000 people remained stranded on the frontier on Tuesday as even the crossing of Syrians and Iraqis, who are allowed to pass, slowed considerably, Greek police said.

According to IOM, nearly 20,000 Afghans have arrived in Greece by sea so far this year, along with nearly 31,000 Syrians and more than 12,000 Iraqis.

UN refugee agency spokeswoman Karin de Gruijl slammed the Macedonian move and "all of these measures aimed at keeping refugees out, (which) are causing numerous hardships for the people arriving."

The arrival last year of more than one million refugees and migrants on Europe's shores, many fleeing war, poverty and persecution, has caused a chain reaction of border clampdowns, in a blow to the EU's border-free Schengen zone.  AFP

Afghan migrants stranded as Macedonia shuts border
Islamabad: Pakistan parliament has become the first in the world to completely run on solar power, a venture supported by China with USD 55 million funding. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif switched on solar-powered building of the parliament in capital Islamabad. First announced in 2014, the venture has been funded by the Chinese government as an act of friendship. Officials said there are some parliaments like the Israeli Knesset which are partly run on solar power. PTI

Sea level rising faster than ever: Report

Washington: Sea levels rose about 14 centimetres in the past century, faster than during the previous 27 centuries, due to man-made global warming, a group of scientists has said in an alarming report. Global sea levels rose by about 14 cm, or 5.5 inches, from 1900 to 2000, the scientists said in a latest report, adding that without global warming, global sea level would have risen by less than half the observed 20th century increase. PTI

US varsity returns Hindu Studies Chair grant

Washington: A top US university is "walking away" from the USD 3 million grants it received to establish endowed Chairs in Hindu and India Studies after faculty members and students alleged that the donors were "extremely ideologically driven" and have "extreme right-wing notions". As a result, question hangs on the future of the proposed Chairs at the University of California Irwin (UCI), for which it received USD 3 million from California-based Dharma Civilisation Foundation (DCF). PTI

$40,000 toilet for Thai princess unflushed

Phnom Penh: A luxury commode custom-built for a Thai princess' visit to Cambodia was left unused despite its hefty $40,000 price tag. The convenience was built for a visit on Monday by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to Yeak Lom Lake. But her two-hour visit ended without her ever having experienced the lavish water closet. The Thai side covered the construction costs. While the pricey privy has made international headlines, it has not received any media attention in Thailand, where any perceived criticism of the royal family can attract up to 15 years' prison. AFP

US artists message in bottle found in France

Saintes: A message in a bottle dropped in New York harbour in 2013 by an American painter has been found years later, and 5,700 km away, by an artist on a beach in southwest France. George Boorujy threw the bottle containing a drawing of a cormorant and a signed letter into the harbour at Staten Island in October 2013. It washed up two and a half years later on a beach in the Aquitaine region of France where it was found last week by Brigitte Barthelemy, a painter, and her husband Alain who were out walking their dog Elton. Brigitte made contact with Boorujy via his email address written in the letter. AFP
ELKO  It was standing room only for people listening to presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, who spoke about the American dream, public lands and caring for veterans Monday in the Elko Conference Center.

The Florida senator told the 800-plus crowd that the election is a lot more than a choice between two parties.

He said the 2016 election is a referendum.

What youre going to be asked to decide, starting tomorrow, is what kind of country is America going to be in the 21st century, he said. Thats whats at stake here.

He said he understands what life is like outside the U.S. because he was raised by immigrants.

In almost every country on this planet, in the history of the world, people were born into societies that said to them, you can only be whatever your parents were before you, Rubio said.  America was different. I believe it began at our very founding, when in our founding documents and in the Declaration of Independence, those incredible individuals wrote the powerful words, that all men are created equal because we are endowed by our creator with the right to life, and to liberty and to the pursuit of happiness.

He said this principle, that our rights come from our creator, led to over 200 years of exceptionalism.

Rubio said President Barack Obama wants the U.S. to be more like other countries.

He doesnt just ignore the Constitution, he undermines it, Rubio said. He violates it, habitually violates it. He views the Constitution not as a document of limitation. He doesnt view the Constitution as a document to be interpreted as originally written. He views it as a flexible document. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. If the Constitution means whatever you want it to mean, it means nothing at all.

Rubio said he doesnt believe there is a federal government answer to every problem in the country, and he got the crowd laughing as well as applauding when he spoke about public lands.

We dont need a federal government that owns literally 80 percent of this state, he said to thunderous applause. How many acres do we really need to store the alien bodies from Roswell? May need a few acres for that, but the rest, we should open it up, to not just state governments, but to the private sector. That was a joke in case the media is wondering. The aliens are actually somewhere in Texas. Elvis is in Nevada.

He also spoke about the countrys responsibility to its veterans. He asked all the veterans in the audience to raise their hands and thanked them for their service. The crowd applauded when more than 15 people raised their hands.

Rubio said 25 percent of the calls to his office as a senator are from veterans fighting with Veterans Affairs. He said there are good people at the VA, but those who arent doing a good job should be fired.

He said veterans should be put in charge of their own health care.

When I am president, our veterans will be able to use their VA benefits to go to any hospital or any doctor that they want to go to, he said.

He said many veterans come home and continue to serve by becoming firefighters and law enforcement officers. He thanked the first responders for what they do for the community.

If he is elected president, Rubio said he would be a president who embraces the Constitution and the peoples First and Second Amendment rights.

If you elect me president, youre going to have a president that defends your Second Amendment right to protect yourself and your families, he said.

During his speech, Rubio called out the Democratic presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Rubio said Sanders is a socialist and Clinton is not qualified to be president.

We dont want to be a socialist country, Rubio said. If you want to live in a socialist country, you should move to a socialist country.

He said Clinton lied to the families of the men who died in Benghazi.

Anyone who lies to the families of Americans who have lost their lives in the service of our country is disqualified from ever being the commander in chief of the United States of America, he said to applause.

He told the crowd he is the conservative candidate who can win.

I am proud of my record of turning conservative principles into conservative action, he said.

He said the Republican Party must come together to win the general election.

I can bring us together faster than anyone running, Rubio said. But I wont just bring us together. Were going to grow this movement.

Rubio said he can take the GOP message to people who are living paycheck to paycheck and to young people with student debt and parents trying to raise children, because he has experienced it all.

If you make me president of the United States we are going to embrace the principles that made us great in the first place, he said. We are going to return to the Constitution. We are going to return to free enterprise. We are going to keep you safe. We are going to empower families and parents.

 Every single day, I will be a president for all Americans. I will never pit you against each other in order to win this election. I will never ask you to be angry at one group of Americans so that you vote for me, because at the end our president must be the president of all Americans, even the people that dont like you.
Douglas Slocombe, the chameleonic British cinematographer who filmed the Nazi invasion of Poland, the adventures of Indiana Jones and the madcap farce of Ealing comedies, has died. Slocombe was 103.

His daughter, Georgina Slocombe, said Slocombe died early Monday in a London hospital. A recent fall led to setbacks that ended with his death, she said.

He said the other day that he loved every day of his work, every day on the set, said Georgina Slocombe, a photographer. He really enjoyed his work and his life.

Slocombe was one of British cinemas most acclaimed cinematographers. He shot some 80 films, working with directors as varied as George Cukor, John Huston, Norman Jewison and Roman Polanski. His career began with the famed Ealing black comedies of the late 1940s and early 50s, and ended with three Indiana Jones films for Steven Spielberg.

Dougie Slocombe was facile, enthusiastic, and loved the action of filmmaking, Spielberg said. Harrison Ford was Indiana Jones in front of the camera, but with his whip-smart crew, Dougie was my behind-the-scenes hero for the first three Indy movies.

The London-born, France-raised Slocombe was nominated for three Academy Awards and won three from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for 1974s The Great Gatsby, 1963s The Servant and 1977s Julia. The British Society of Cinematographers gave him a lifetime achievement award in 1995.

While in his 20s, Slocombe documented Germanys 1939 Polish invasion as a newsreel cameraman. His footage was used in Herbert Klines documentary, Lights Out in Europe.

I had no understanding of the concept of blitzkrieg. I had been expecting trouble but I thought it would be in trenches, like WWI, he told the BBC in 2014. The Germans were coming over the border at a great pace.

After the war, he became the house cinematographer for Ealing Studios, lensing many of its classic comedies, such as Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Man in the White Suit and The Lavender Hill Mob.

Following Ealings demise, Slocombe signed on to a number of CinemaScope releases, such as A High Wind in Jamaica and Guns at Batasi. Other credits through the 60s and 70s included The Lion in Winter, The Italian Job and Rollerball.

A lot of cameramen try to evolve a technique and then apply that to everything, Slocombe once said. But I suffer from a bad memory and could never remember how Id done something before, so I could always approach something afresh. I found I was able to change techniques on picture after picture.

Later, Spielberg, for whom Slocombe shot scenes of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, enlisted him for Raiders of the Lost Ark, as well as two Indiana Jones sequels. His last film was 1989s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
KALAMAZOO, Mich.  The Uber ride-hailing service acknowledged Monday that it received complaints about erratic driving by the suspect in the random shootings that killed six people in Kalamazoo, and a prosecutor said the man admitted carrying out the attacks.

As authorities pieced together Jason Daltons actions, the prosecutor said he picked up Uber fares after the first shooting and probably got more riders after the subsequent shootings.

Dalton, the 45-year-old former insurance adjuster, appeared briefly in court by video link and was charged with six counts of murder. A judge denied him bail.

During a talk with investigators, Dalton waived his right against self-incrimination and confessed his role in the Saturday night shootings, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said.

Dalton admitted that he took peoples lives, Kalamazoo police Det. Cory Ghiringhelli told the court. The charges carry a mandatory life sentence. Michigan does not have the death penalty.

An Uber passenger said he called police to report that Dalton was driving erratically more than an hour before the shootings began.

Matt Mellen told a Kalamazoo television station that he hailed a ride around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. He said driver Jason Dalton introduced himself as Me-Me and had a dog in the backseat.

Mellen sat in front. About a mile into the trip, Dalton got a phone call, and when he hung up, he began driving recklessly, blowing through stop signs and sideswiping cars, Mellen said.

We were driving through medians, driving through the lawn, speeding along, and when we came to a stop, I jumped out of the car and ran away, Mellen said. He said he called police and that when he got to his friends house, his fiancee posted a warning to friends on Facebook.

Uber said riders complained Saturday about Daltons driving. When alerted to unsafe driving, company policy is to contact the driver. But Uber officials would not say whether anyone at the company spoke to Dalton, deferring to law enforcement.Dalton passed a background check and became a driver on Jan. 25. He had given about 100 rides, the company said.

Since Daltons arrest, several people have come forward to say that he picked them up for Uber in the hours after the first attack. The Associated Press could not confirm those accounts.

Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said Uber is cooperating with law enforcement officials, and he believes the company will help us fill in some timeline gaps.

Investigators are particularly interested in communication between Dalton and Uber, as well as customers he might have driven, the sheriff said.

Police have not provided a motive. The victims had no apparent connection to the gunman.

Questions about motive and Daltons frame of mind are going to be the hardest to answer for anybody, Fuller said. He expects some answers to emerge in court, but he doubts they will be satisfying.

In the end, I ask people, because I keep hearing this question of why, What would be the answer that would be an acceptable answer for you? They have to think about it for a moment, and they say, Probably nothing.

I have to say, You are probably correct. I cant imagine what the answer would be that would let us go, OK, we understand now. Because we are not going to understand, the sheriff said.

The attacks began outside the Meadows apartment complex on the eastern edge of Kalamazoo County, where a woman was shot multiple times. She survived.

A little more than four hours later and 15 miles away, a father and his 17-year-old son were fatally shot while looking at cars at a car dealership.

Fifteen minutes after that, five people were gunned down in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Four of them died. A 14-year-old girl survived with a head wound and was hospitalized in critical condition.

Uber prohibits both passengers and drivers from possessing guns of any kind in a vehicle. Anyone found to be in violation of the policy may be prohibited from using or driving for the service.

Many handguns and long guns were seized from Daltons home. But there was no indication that he was prohibited from owning the weapons, said Donald Dawkins, a Detroit-based spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which was assisting police.

In a statement issued Monday, Daltons family offered condolences to the families of the victims and thanked law-enforcement officials, saying their quick and decisive action prevented any further acts of violence.

The family said it planned to help authorities with the investigation.

___

Associated Press writers Tom Krisher in Saline, Michigan; Dee-Ann Durbin in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ed White in Detroit; and Don Babwin in Chicago contributed to this report.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Some nurses would be able to cross the border into or out of Oklahoma without getting a new professional license under legislation approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Health.

House Bill 2482, authored by state Rep. Pat Ownbey, R-Ardmore, would establish the terms for a nurse licensure compact with other states that would allow for a multi-state license whose standards would exceed or match those of any of the individual states.

The problem for a multi-state license is that states have different standards, said Ownbey, R-Ardmore. The solution in the license in this compact is that it meets or exceeds the individual standards. Those who would not qualify to practice in one state would be unable to get a multi-state license.

The multi-state license would cost $150 with a renewal fee of $125 every two years. The Oklahoma license currently costs $85 with a renewal fee of $75 every two years.

Ownbey noted that telemedicine companies will not come to Oklahoma because the state is not part of a multi-state compact. Oklahoma is not part of a current compact in place between 25 states. The new compact is intended to include those 25 states and others, but all states must pass legislation to do so.

Oklahoma has a lot of health care problems and we have health care professional shortages in different parts of the state, Ownbey said. My hope is that my legislation will be able to improve the health care picture in Oklahoma.
OKLAHOMA CITY  The Legislature continued testing the legal bounds of abortion restrictions, with three bills advancing Monday.

The full House voted 78-10 to ban abortions solely because a fetus is diagnosed with Down syndrome, genetic abnormality or the potential for those conditions.

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee, meanwhile, advanced measures that would strip doctors providing abortions of their medical licenses and prohibit abortions if an embryonic or fetal heartbeat is present.

House Bill 3128, by Rep. Josh Cockroft, R-Tecumseh, is titled the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act and is described as protection for the most vulnerable.

According to one study, 60 percent to 90 percent of fetal Down syndrome pregnancies end in abortion.

HB 3128 appears similar to a law enacted by North Dakota in 2013 and several being considered in other states.

Depending on the interpretation of the word potential, HB 3128 could have a significant impact or very little. Supporters and opponents in other states have said the provision is virtually unenforceable because it only requires a reason other than Down syndrome or genetic abnormality to be given.

During brief discussion, Cockroft told Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, that the bill did not provide assistance for the care of a child born with disabilities, but that resources for that purpose are available.

Senate Bill 1118, by Sen. Joseph Silk, R-Broken Bow, would make it illegal to perform an abortion if an embryonic or fetal heartbeat is detected.

Prior to the performance or inducement of an abortion, an abortion provider shall attempt to determine, consistent with standard medical practice, the presence of an embryonic or fetal heartbeat, the measure states.

An embryonic heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks of gestation, which in many cases is before the pregnancy is even confirmed. The heartbeat is not generally heard until 10 to 12 weeks.

Silks bill appears similar to measures passed in recent years by North Dakota and Arkansas and considered in other states. Federal courts have disallowed the North Dakota and Arkansas laws.

SB 1552 by Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, would revoke the medical licenses of doctors performing abortions except in specific circumstances which endanger a womans life.
Two Broken Arrow brothers are expected in court Tuesday for a hearing to determine whether they will be held for trial on charges alleging they killed their parents and three siblings.

Prosecutors plan to present evidence showing theres sufficient reason for Robert Bever, 19, and Michael Bever, 17, to be tried in Tulsa County District Court on five counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault and battery with intent to kill.

The brothers are charged in the July 22 fatal stabbings of David Bever, 52; April Bever, 44; Daniel Bever, 12; Christopher Bever, 7; and Victoria Bever, 5. The assault count pertains to the stabbing of a 13-year-old sister, who survived.

The brothers, who were 16 and 18 at the time, were tracked by Broken Arrow officers and a police dog to a wooded area behind their home after police responded to a call for help at the residence in the 700 block of Magnolia Court.

Police arrived just after 11:30 p.m. July 22 at the Bever home where the caller  believed by police to be 12-year-old Daniel  said someone was attacking their family.

Officers found that the teenagers parents and three of their siblings had been stabbed repeatedly, and found their 13-year-old sister, whom they allege identified her brothers as her assailants. She and her 2-year-old sister, who was unharmed, have since been in foster care, records show.

The brothers have been at the Tulsa Jail without bond since the day after the killings.

Court records show that Michael Bevers public defenders are asking the judge to not allow prosecutors to use evidence gathered as a result of in-custody questioning by authorities when he didnt have a guardian present.

Michael Bevers due process and Fifth Amendment rights would be violated by a discrepancy in Oklahoma law that requires a guardian present during in-custody questioning of 16-year-old defendants charged with certain crimes, but doesnt afford that safeguard to murder defendants, his attorneys argue in a document filed Monday to support a motion filed in October.

Michael Bevers attorneys claim he is certainly in greater need of the guiding hand of a guardian during his custodial interrogation than a 16-year-old charged with joy riding who by Oklahoma law cannot be questioned without the presence of a parent or guardian, the document states.

The motion asks for a pre-trial hearing where a judge can find that the statements and any evidence obtained as a result of illegal arrest and/or search shouldnt be used at trial.

Court records related to searches conducted in the investigation of the murders have revealed that one of the brothers spontaneously uttered that plans for a mass homicide could be found on a computer thumb drive inside one of the bedrooms. Police have not commented on whether that indicates an intent for the brothers to harm others outside their immediate family.

Police have also seized boxes of ammunition addressed to Robert Bever that arrived the day after the killings, according to search warrant returns filed in Tulsa County District Court.

The records also indicate that there were multiple surveillance cameras, some of which were pointing to the bodies, connected to computers in the house  raising the possibility the stabbings may at least in part be recorded.

Prosecutors have not yet announced whether theyre seeking the death penalty for Robert Bever.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said his office does not make any decision regarding the death penalty before a preliminary hearing.

As he is under 18 years old, Michael Bever is not eligible for the punishment and would, if convicted, face life in prison either with or without the possibility of parole.

The brothers preliminary hearing was delayed in December as Michael Bever sought to apply to be tried in juvenile court or as a youthful offender, claiming that its unconstitutional for someone his age to face a possible punishment of life in prison.

His application was denied in district court, as Oklahoma law mandates that 15-to-17-year-olds charged with first-degree murder be tried as adults. Michael Bever then unsuccessfully challenged the ruling in the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

Special Judge Martha Rupp Carter will preside over the two-day preliminary hearing, court records indicate.

Kunzweiler declined to comment Monday on whether the sister who survived the stabbings will testify at the hearing. He said it would be improper for him to discuss strategies regarding the presentation of evidence on a pending case.

If Carter declares shes heard enough evidence to hold the brothers for trial, shes expected to schedule a date for them to enter their pleas before a district judge.

From Tulsa World archives:

Aug. 25, 2015: More search warrant affidavits filed in Bever family homicides

July 29, 2015: Broken Arrow city attorney says Bever homicide documents may be released next week

July 26, 2015: Information about Bever family remains scant after stabbing deaths
RATING: 2.5 STARS (4 stars = a masterpiece; 3 stars = a very good movie; 2 stars = there are better movies out there; 1 star = nothing to see here)

Consider this guy surprised by the women of How to Be Single.

The surprise is that this movie is not terrible. The women depicted can think for themselves. That doesnt always happen in romantic comedies.

One look at the trailer shows date-disaster slapstick punchlines, women partying in the New York nightlife and unaffordable apartments that have populated too many gosh-awful excuses for what has passed for a rom-com in recent years.

Everything about that says stale rehash: meet-cute, romance ensues, inevitable break-up conflict, followed by make-up before the end credits.

But How to Be Single turns out to be a rom-com that, while it embraces some of those elements, has a brain more like most of the intelligent women I know.

This ensemble comedy about women living their lives and looking for love  but on their terms and not those of a man  is far from perfect, but its an improvement over Valentines Day romances of recent years.

Leading this ensemble is Dakota Johnson, star of last years naughty Valentine Fifty Shades of Grey, as a woman breaking up with a longtime boyfriend and heading to New York to experience not being tied down.

Her Alice is not looking for a relationship, but that doesnt mean shes not looking for lust.

Hooking up is a constant of the film, along with how she and others fumble over how modern sex lives lead to romance  or dont.

The film finds no shame in casual sex, and it says that neither should todays women  or at least not any more than men do.

This is especially the case with Alices work colleague and new gal-pal Robin, played by Rebel Wilson as a hard-partying, foul-mouthed center of attention in any crowd, whos proud of being the queen of one-night stands.

Now if only Wilson wasnt so over-the-top obnoxious in doing so, essentially playing a potty-mouthed clone of her Pitch Perfect character. Or her raunchier, R-rated twin sister.

Wilson does have some jokes that work as she guides Alice on her own sexual journey (Theres no such thing as a break, Season 3 Ross from Friends).

While its a plus to see women of all shapes and sizes in How to Be Single, Wilson is so annoying that I dont know if either gender will find this character appealing. Or real.

While Johnson is still working to display shading in her characters, shes improved at awkward comedy and serious moments as she maneuvers between a randy bartender (Anders Holm of The Intern), a widower with a daughter (Damon Wayans Jr.) and her ex.

As a woman in a world of people marrying later  and whos as unsure about her employment as she is about a mate  its a relatively intelligent portrayal of a woman making decisions about her life without a man being the answer to every question.

Just as smart in this pursuit is Alison Brie (the Community actress so good in last years even-better rom-com Sleeping With Other People) as a woman whose online-love pursuit gives way to old-fashioned romance.

Best of all is Leslie Mann, whose career as a scene-stealer continues here as the sister of Johnsons character and a successful doctor whose life is all-work, no-men but whose interest in having a baby is tick-tick-ticking.

Her professional womans interplay with younger-man Jake Lacy is a delightful dance of awkward sexual chemistry, and its a how-to in depicting caring intimacy in a film full of sight-gags and raunchy jokes.

I wasnt surprised by the sheer number of those predictable go-to rom-com moments, but I was often surprised by the way that the women handled them.

Pleasantly surprised.

OPENING THIS WEEK

Gods of Egypt, Gerard Butler, PG-13

Eddie the Eagle, Taron Egerton, PG-13

Triple 9, Casey Affleck, R

NEW AT CIRCLE CINEMA

Son of Saul, foreign-film Oscar nominee, R

Theeb, foreign-film Oscar nominee, NR

Oscar Experience, awards-watching party on Sunday

Kenneth Branagh Theatre Companys The Winters Tale, Monday showing

NT Live: Hangmen, Thursday showing of Martin McDonagh play

AT IMAX

Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds, R

NOW SHOWING

Movie Rating (on 4 star scale) The Revenant 4 stars Star Wars: The Force Awakens 4 stars Spotlight 4 stars Deadpool 3.5 Stars The Big Short 3.5 Stars Youth 3.5 Stars Creed 3.5 Stars Bridge of Spies 3.5 Stars Room 3.5 Stars Brooklyn 3.5 Stars 45 Years 3 Stars Kung Fu Panda 3 3 Stars Carol 3 Stars The Hunger Games: Mockingjay  Part 2 3 Stars The Martian 3 Stars How to Be Single 2.5 Stars Joy 2.5 Stars Hail, Caesar! 2.5 Stars The Good Dinosaur 2.5 Stars The Hateful Eight 2.5 Stars Ride Along 2 2 Stars Sisters 2 Stars
OKLAHOMA CITY  A Senate panel on Monday killed a bill that would have removed the personal exemption for mandatory vaccinations for public school students.

The measure would have left intact the exemptions for medical or religious purposes.

Senate Bill 1478 died in the Senate Education Committee by a vote of 6-7.

Sen. Ervin Yen, R-Oklahoma City, said the purpose of the measure was to increase the number of children who are vaccinated. Yen is a cardiac anesthesiologist.

The measure originally was assigned to the Health and Human Services Committee. The chairman of that committee, Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, had declined to hear it. It was then reassigned to the Senate Education Committee.

Parental rights supporters packed the committee room where the measure was discussed. Many wore blue shirts that read, Oklahomans for Vaccine Choice, and stickers that said Say No to SB 1478.

Liza Greve, a co-director for Oklahomans for Vaccine and Health Choice, was pleased to see the measure fail.

We feel like it was in the right direction for parental rights, Greve said. We won today for parental rights.

If a parent opts out of the vaccinations, it is for a reason, she said, adding that it is every parents right to choose what is best for their child.

Megan Sutton of Tulsa said she was elated that the measure failed.

The senators seemed to be looking at the research provided to them rather than believing what the media has said and we are excited they are actually looking at it and taking note of what parents want, Sutton said.

Yen said the exemption rate used to be 0.3 percent, but is now 1.5 percent.

That is going in the wrong direction, Yen said.

If the state got rid of the personal exemption, the vaccination rates would go up, protecting more people from illnesses, Yen said.

Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Coalgate, said removal of the personal exemption would force people to lie because they have concerns.

Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, said he agreed that evidence shows that immunizations do more good than harm. But he agreed that the bill would force people to lie and say they had a religious concern when they did not.

Yen said most states have taken away exemptions in the past few years.

The benefits far outweigh the risks, Yen said.

He called it a public safety issue.

I will keep fighting, including during this session, he said after the bill failed.

If he is not successful this session, he said, he will continue pushing the measure next session.

I promise I am not done, Yen said. I am nowhere close to being done. I am a doctor. I have to do this.

Senators voting for the measure were J.J. Dossett, D-Owasso; Earl Garrison, D-Muskogee; Jim Halligan, R-Stillwater; Susan Paddack, D-Ada; Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee; and Chairman John Ford, R-Bartlesville.

Senators voting against the measure were Brecheen; Jolley; Marty Quinn, R-Claremore; Wayne Shaw, R-Grove; Jason Smalley, R-Stroud; Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa; and Roger Thompson, R-Okemah.
OKLAHOMA CITY  The Senate Education Committee on Monday approved a bill that would eliminate the controversial, state-mandated tests known as end-of-instruction exams.

Under current law, high school students must pass four of seven end-of-instruction exams to graduate from high school, even if they received passing grades in all required classes.

Sen. John Ford, R-Bartlesville, chairs the Education Committee and is the author of Senate Bill 1170. He said the measure passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 13-0.

Ford said eliminating the exams will save millions of dollars and help address the concern voiced by teachers, parents and students that too many tests are required.

By doing away with end of instruction exams, it allows teachers to do what they do best, and that is to teach, Ford said after the measure passed Monday.

He said there has been a lot of emphasis on teaching to the exam, with too much classroom time spent preparing students for the test.

Ford compared the end-of-instruction exams to high-stakes chess, saying the results in many cases determined whether a student would graduate from high school.

Under Senate Bill 1170, it would be up to each school district to certify that graduating high school students had mastered the curriculum requirements.

One of the biggest complaints has been that teachers dont have time to focus on teaching the curriculum because theyve had to prepare students for too many high-stakes tests, Ford said. By eliminating the end-of-instruction exams, teachers and students can focus on the classes. This also ensures greater local control for the districts.

Ford said the State Board of Education would work with higher education and CareerTech to publish a list of approved assessments that would comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act and measure mastery of the states subject matter standards. The state would pay for the exams.

Each district would choose which of those exams students would take by the end of their senior year, Ford said. It could be something like the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, SAT, or the ACT, something most students already take, but currently, parents must pay for, he said.

This will save parents money, but because these standardized tests are much less expensive than developing exams specifically for just Oklahoma, taxpayers will also see a significant savings.

The legislation moves to the full Senate for further consideration.
One of the candidates for Chairman in the People's National Movement's internal election says there is a major detachment between those in office and people at the grass root level. Kenneth Butcher says things need to change from the inside.
Outgoing ABC managing director will address the National Press Club today and is expected to argue in favour of merging parts of ABC and SBS.

Fairfax reports one proposal could see ABC and SBS continue to broadcast separate primary channels but ABC2 and SBS2 would be merged into one channel. There is also talk of them becoming online channels, joined by ABC3.

Transmission fees of $150m a year could be saved by the moves.

Meanwhile think tank the Australia Institute also argues in favour of change.

The ABC, SBS and NITV maintain separate systems and infrastructure that provide fundamentally the same service, specifically media on-demand, news article publishing, and podcasting, says author and former ABC digital manager, Fergus Pitt, says. Given the apparent poor performance of SBS online news  which should be an important part of SBS strategy and charter delivery  this seems a severe problem.

Four options for reform were addressed in the paper:

Combining the board and executive management levels;

Combining support and back-office functions;

Consolidating digital content, publishing and on-demand services; and

A comprehensive rationalisation of services, leadership and management.

High quality news, local content and multicultural broadcasting all face pressures from a changing media environment, cultural challenges and globalised markets. Its vital to provide financial and political security for both the ABC and SBS, said Pitt.

There are no easy answers. The easy reform options will achieve little, while the reforms that could reshape the public broadcasters for the 21st century carry risk.

The report identifies the potential benefits of reform to ABC and SBS:

Accelerate transition to digital-first strategies, protecting future growth;

Remove advertising from SBS;

Improve the cultural diversity of the ABC;

Strengthen the delivery of SBS multicultural charter obligations; and

Provide financial and political security for both organisations.

Save Our SBS President Steve Aujard said, In reality it would not be a merger, it would be a takeover of SBS/NITV by the ABC. We are opposed to that. If SBS became part of the ABC, aside from the loss of our identifiable multicultural broadcaster, operational costs to the ABC would sky-rocket. SBS have always found ways to work with less than the ABC does. Sometimes SBS spends only a fraction of the cost for a similar service and often with a much better outcome than the ABC. Then there are the thousand or so staff who work at SBS. They are paid a lot less than their ABC equivalents. A single public broadcaster would uniform wages to the higher level. All this adds up.

The report confuses the medium  the broadcast spectrum or platform  with the message  the broadcasters content  and in parts is critical of SBS meeting its charter obligations but it is light on examining ABC content and avoids discussion on areas where the ABC may be failing its charter.

What with ABC boss Mark Scott questioning the need for a second public broadcaster and now talk of a merger, Save Our SBS hopes that the ABC  a very worthwhile institution  will focus on its own service in its bid for greater funding, without attempting to acquire SBS as a means to bolster that funded to the ABC.
1:10 p.m., Feb. 23, 2016--Three University of Delaware engineering alumni are among 80 new U.S. members of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

Morton Collins, a 1958 graduate, was cited for accomplishments as a builder and manager of technology-based companies and as an adviser to government and universities; Teh Ho, a 1977 graduate, for contributions to catalytic removal of sulfur and nitrogen compounds from hydrocarbon fuels; and David Welch, a 1981 graduate, for contributions to high-power semiconductor lasers and photonic integrated circuits.

They will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the NAEs annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 9.

Election to NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer, says Babatunde Ogunnaike, dean of the College of Engineering. This honor places Mort, Teh and David among the worlds most accomplished engineers and recognizes their lifelong contributions to the study and practice of engineering. Their dedication to discovery makes the world a better place and brings honor to the profession of engineering.

Mort Collins

After completing his bachelors degree in chemical engineering at UD in 1958, Collins earned masters and doctoral degrees at Princeton University. He is currently managing partner at Battelle Ventures LLC, in Ewing, New Jersey. Collins has demonstrated major successes in the fields of life sciences, electronic materials, communications and software.

In 1968, Collins founded Data Science Ventures (DSV), a pioneering venture-capital firm, and for 30 years he was a managing partner in four DSV partnerships that specialized in early-stage financing of high-technology companies. In 1997, he became a special limited partner of Cardinal Partners, the successor to the DSV series of partnerships.

Collins chaired President Ronald Reagans Task Force on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and he served as technology policy adviser to President George H.W. Bush. He has served on the New Jersey Governors Commission on Science and Technology and the New Jersey Governors Superconductivity Roundtable, and he is a member of the Research Roundtable of the National Academy of Sciences.

Collins has generously given both his time and money to his alma mater over the years. For nearly 30 years, he has been a member of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Advisory Council, serving as chair from 1984-2010. He also serves as a member of the Presidents Leadership Council.

Collins supports first-year graduate student fellowships in the College of Engineering and endeavors like the Class of 1958 Scholarship and the renovations to Colburn Lab. In recognition of his many achievements, Collins was awarded the 1989 University of Delaware Medal of Distinction.

Teh Ho

Teh Ho earned his doctorate in chemical engineering at UD in 1977, with Morton Denn as his adviser. He is a retired senior research associate at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and previously worked at Halcon Research and Development Corporation. Ho was also a platoon leader with the Taiwan Marine Corps.

He is a co-inventor on more than 40 patents and the recipient of the R. H. Wilhelm Award in Chemical Reaction Engineering from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Hos wife, Wei Wei H. Ho, is also a UD graduate, receiving a degree in 1976. The couple supports a variety of initiatives on campus including the renovation of Colburn Laboratory, the construction of Harker Laboratory, the departments of Chemical Engineering and Biomolecular Engineering and Plant and Soil Sciences, and the Art Metzner Professorship.

David Welch

David Welch earned a bachelors degree in electrical engineering at UD in 1981 and then went on to complete his doctorate at Cornell University. His career spans almost 30 years of entrepreneurial leadership in fiber optic communications. Welch went to California after graduate school to join SDL, a multinational software and professional services company, as a research scientist in 1985.

After rising to the role of chief technical officer and vice president of corporate development at SDL, he successfully identified, negotiated, and completed several corporate acquisitions, culminating in the merger of SDL with JDS Uniphase. In 2001, Welch co-founded Infinera, a manufacturer of optical telecommunications systems based in Sunnyvale, California. He currently serves as its president and sits on the board of directors.

Welch holds over 130 patents in optical transmission technologies, and he has authored more than 300 technical publications in the same field. A fellow of both the Optical Society of America and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, he has been awarded the Adolph Lomb Medal, the Joseph Fraunhofer Award, and the John Tyndall Award in recognition of his technical contributions to the optical industry.

Welch has been a strong supporter of the College of Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, particularly in terms of providing faculty resources. He is currently a member of the College of Engineering Advisory Council.

These newest NAE elections reflect on the training UD engineering gives its students, Ogunnaike says. We look forward to seeing many more of our alumni receive this honor in the future.

About the NAE

Election to the National Academy of Engineering membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature and to the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.

The new elections bring the total U.S. membership in NAE to 2,275 and the number of foreign members to 232.
On Monday, February 23, 1981, Daniel Gavela was off duty. The then deputy editor of the national desk at EL PAIS had an appointment at 6.30pm at Plaza de las Cortes in Madrid. But when he got there, he found the entire area cordoned off.

Realizing that something serious was going on, he phoned the newsroom, hailed a cab and sped back to his desk. The taxi driver had the radio on and state broadcaster Radio Nacional was playing military marches.

This may be the last thing I do as editor-in-chief, but the newspaper is going to go out on the streets with an editorial against the coup plotters

It was like going back through a dark tunnel of history, he recalls.

At 6.23pm, Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero had stormed Congress gun in hand, interrupting the plenary session that was due to vote in Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo as Spains new prime minister.

Tejero had around 200 armed members of the Civil Guard with him.

A special program on the 23-F coup EL PAIS Video will be airing a special program about the newspaper's experience of the February 23, 1981 (23-F) coup on Tuesday night from 9pm. The program includes a showing of El Pais, con la Constitucion, a new documentary featuring first-hand accounts by the journalists who produced the special edition of EL PAIS that night, led by then editor-in-chief Juan Luis Cebrian, who is now the CEO of the Prisa Group, the paper's parent company. The documentary received its big-screen premiere on Monday night at the Capitol theater in Madrid. The program is part of the EL PAIS digital edition's new emphasis on self-produced audiovisual material. On November 30, the website aired the first ever election debate between the candidates for prime minister designed for the internet following a television format.

At that precise moment, editor-in-chief Juan Luis Cebrian  now the CEO of the Prisa Group, the parent company of EL PAIS  was in his office interviewing a candidate for a reporters position.

Suddenly he got a call from his deputy, Augusto Delkader, who told him to turn up the radio. He had just heard the famous words by Tejero: Quieto todo el mundo! (Nobody move!).

Cebrian and Delkader were unable to see most of the deputies scrambling under their desks. But they did hear the shots from Tejeros gun.

No doubt it was a coup attempt, and the newspaper was immediately faced with a dilemma: should EL PAIS go to print or not?

If the coup was successful, the newspaper would be a sure victim. I thought our only line of defense was the newspaper, recalls Cebrian in the documentary El Pais, con la Constitucion (El Pais, with the constitution), which was produced by Prisa Video and premiered on Monday at Madrids Capitol movie theater.

The film follows the making of that historic issue of EL PAIS, dated February 23, 1981, from its inception to its delivery to the doors of Congress.

Eduardo San Martin, the then desk chief, sat at several decisive meetings held that day.

The editor-in-chief called the union and company representatives because it was all about providing an institutional response to the event, not about a bunch of mad journalists storming the streets to fight gun-toting individuals with newsprint, he recalls.

Journalists read EL PAIS's special edition outside the Palace Hotel. Ricardo Martin

Delkader still recalls Cebrians words at the time: This may be the last thing I do as editor-in-chief, but the newspaper is going to go out on the streets with an editorial against the coup plotters.

Two hours later, a 16-page special edition came out with a size 72 font headline (twice the regular size at the time) that shook readers: Coup detat. EL PAIS, with the Constitution.

It was the first of seven editions that EL PAIS produced between the afternoon of February 23 and the early hours of February 24.

The front page of the special edition.

It was also the first daily to run the story of the February 23, 1981 coup  known as 23-F in Spain  with a clear editorial backing the Spanish Constitution.

In my opinion, 23-F was the most important moment for EL PAIS in its entire history, says Soledad Alvarez-Coto, who was the head of the national desk in charge of organizing coverage inside and outside the newsroom.

Alvarez-Coto, who played a key role in that special edition, is one of 40 people who participated in the film project, which also include writers and photographers (several of whom, such as Marisa Florez, Miguel Angel Aguilar and Bonifacio de la Cuadra, were inside Congress at the time of the failed coup).

Desk chiefs, managers and Civil Guards also contributed direct testimony to a documentary that creates a unique narrative of that day, and provides an inside look at how that historic newspaper edition came to life.

We wanted the documentary to follow the special edition of EL PAIS, respecting all the chronological steps: the presses, the newsroom, the streets of Madrid, the Palace hotel, Congress and so on, explains Maria Jose Diez, the director of the production.

Historical documents play a special role in the film. Early on during the production stage we realized that we didnt need that much archive material because the characters were telling such an incredibly interesting story. It seems like we already know everything about 23-F, but we found a story that nobody had talked about or written in the first person, says Diez.

Lawmakers leave Congress after the coup is aborted.

We didnt want to make a scientific documentary. We wanted to create a believable version based on the memories of the main participants, adds Maruxa Ruiz del Arbol, a member of the 12-person team who made the documentary a reality.

The newspaper came out at 9pm, when the newsstands were already closed. But groups of volunteers from the press and advertising departments distributed it throughout the city. But even that was not enough.

We need to get it inside Congress so Tejero will see that this is not going to be so easy, thought Cebrian. Manolo de la Rica, then the advertising director, managed the feat.

The newspaper was like a breath of fresh air inside Congress.

My moment of greatest satisfaction, in the middle of so much anguish, was when I went to the bathroom, recalls the Socialist politician Jose Bono, who was then fourth secretary in Congress.

Jose Bono holds up a copy of the EL PAIS special edition during an interview for the documentary.

In the hallway, there was a Civil Guard sitting reading a newspaper and, as I was passing by, he gestured to me in what I construed to be a friendly way, and closed the newspaper. I saw the front page; it was EL PAIS, and it said something like The coup has failed. I forgot all about peeing.

I went back and told Landelina [Lavilla, the congressional speaker in 1981]: Landelina, these guys have lost, I read it in the newspaper. Being reunited with EL PAIS on paper was like identifying with democratic Spain.

English version by Susana Urra.
This semester's Study Abroad/Global Studies Fair will present students with opportunities for global exploration both on-campus and around the world.

This semester's Study Abroad/Global Studies Fair will present students with opportunities for global exploration both on-campus and around the world.

This semester's Study Abroad/Global Studies Fair will present students with opportunities for global exploration both on-campus and around the world.

2:19 p.m., Feb. 23, 2016--The University of Delaware Institute for Global Studies and Center for Global and Area Studies will present the inaugural Study Abroad/Global Studies Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 24.

Building upon the past success of the Study Abroad Fair, the new event serves up an ever-expanding menu of global studies and global engagement opportunities for UD students.

The event will take place from 2-5 p.m. in the Multipurpose Rooms of the Trabant University Center.

Representatives from more than 50 Winter Session and semester-long study abroad programs will be present to answer questions and discuss the highlights of their programs.

Students may choose to earn course credits in locations ranging from Australia to China, England, India, Trinidad and Tobago, and beyond. The slate of programs also includes two options to travel to Cuba during winter 2017 with the Department of Art and Design or the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.

In addition to opportunities for education abroad, students can explore globally-focused academic majors and minors at UD, such as Arabic, Chinese, and many other languages and literatures, as well as international business.

Fair attendees can speak with faculty and staff from the Center for Global and Area Studies, which offers majors and minors in Asian Studies, European Studies, and Latin American and Iberian Studies, as well as minors in Global, African, Islamic and Jewish Studies.

All who attend will be invited to take free giveaways and sit in on the ARSC300 Issues in Global Studies lecture series, open to the public and offered each semester as a one-credit course.

Members of the student-run and student-led University of Delaware Alternative Breaks (UDaB) program will be present to discuss opportunities for future service learning trips during Winter Session or spring break week.

Those with inquiries on financing their global experience are encouraged to visit the Student Financial Services table or discover the Delaware Diplomats program, which allows students to earn scholarships for study abroad by engaging in on-campus events with an international focus.

Students and staff from various other campus departments, including the English Language Institute, will have information available on additional on-campus opportunities for global engagement.

In a unique highlight of the fair, at 3:30 p.m. the Art Bridging Cultures Program will present a special showcase of the Black History Month Ring Shout and Gumboot Dance workshops, led by UD student and ArtsBridge scholar Ikira Peace.

Students who are U.S. citizens and are thinking about their post-graduation plans should plan to stop by the Fulbright U.S. Student Program table. The worlds premier international education exchange program, Fulbright awards more than 2,000 grants each year for those who seek to study, research, or teach English abroad in one of more than 140 countries across the globe.

No registration is necessary and all students are welcome to attend. For additional details, contact Karen Lundin, academic program coordinator at the Institute for Global Studies.

Follow and engage with @UDGlobal on Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates on everything global happening at UD.

About the Institute for Global Studies

The Institute for Global Studies was created in 2009 to enhance the international dimensions of teaching, research and outreach at the University of Delaware. IGS provides leadership and support for programs and experiences that contribute to the education of informed, skilled, open-minded citizens of the world.

Best known for coordinating the Universitys study abroad program, IGS also awards scholarships and grants to faculty and students for a number of global opportunities, and administers internationally-recognized State Department-sponsored programs such as the UD Fulbright Initiative, Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders Institute, Mandela Washington Fellowship Program for Young African Leaders, and most recently the Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders on Womens Leadership (SUSI-WL) program.

IGS sponsors such signature events as Global Month each fall and country-specific celebrations each spring.

IGS collaborates with other global partners on campus, including the Office for International Students and Scholars, the Confucius Institute and the Center for Global and Area Studies. In addition, IGS partners with Enrollment Management to coordinate the UD World Scholars Program.

About the Center for Global and Area Studies

The Center for Global and Area Studies (CGAS) is both a hub for global learning and a support center for international research. Bringing together faculty whose expertise spans disciplines and world regions, the CGAS promotes research that increases global awareness and fosters an academic community that is increasingly connected to the "global village."

The center houses cross-disciplinary programs that train students in the crucial skills needed for understanding global issues: culture, language, analysis, and experience with other cultures.

They prepare undergraduates to tackle the international topics that are constantly seen in the news cycle: globalization, multiculturalism, international business, cooperation and conflict resolution, poverty and the challenges of development, democratic development, migration, and environmental concerns, among others.

CGAS also hosts lecture series, offers small research grants, and sponsors other programs to cultivate a community-wide understanding of global issues.

Article by Nikki Laws
The international ticket sales phase for the 2016 UEFA Europa League final at Basel's St. Jakob-Park has begun  exclusively via UEFA.com.

Ticket portal

How does it work?

You have until 18.00CET on Monday 21 March to apply for a maximum of two tickets per price category using the online application form. After the deadline, a lottery will determine which fans are allocated tickets.

Will I miss out if I leave it late?

It makes no difference when an application is made during the sales phase as all requests will be processed together.

How much do tickets cost?

Tickets come in the following price categories:

Category 4: CHF 50 (45*)

Category 3: CHF 90 (82*)

Category 2: CHF 120 (109*)

Category 1: CHF 180 (163*)

Youth package (1 adult + 1 child under 14): CHF 100 (90*)

Where and when is the final?

The 2016 UEFA Europa League final takes place at St. Jakob-Park in Basel on 18 May, with kick-off at 20.45CET. Basel is in the north of Switzerland. close to the borders with France and Germany. It is well served by rail, road and the EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg.

When will I find out whether or not I have been successful?

Successful applicants will be notified by email and have their credit cards charged (these must be either MasterCard of Visa) by 8 April. Please note that after the portal closes on 21 March, you cannot make changes to your application, including credit card details.

Ticket portal

*Approximate conversion rates as of 18 February
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
The European Union is ready to support Ukraine provided that the country's authorities ensure stability.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said this at the meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Yes, we are fully able to provide support for Ukraine under condition of stability," he said.

Steinmeier noted that the EU was closely following the developments in Ukraine and some of them caused particular concern of the Europeans.

"I hope that the Parliament of Ukraine has passed the necessary decisions to provide further stability. It is a prerequisite for following the path of reform," he added.

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American politicians have voiced their concerns about the political situation in Ukraine and emphasized the necessity for rapid reforms.

In particular, they spoke about the urgent need to reform the prosecution office and effective anti-corruption efforts.

Kyiv city mayor Vitali Klitschko made a statement following his meetings in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland, U.S. Senator John McCain, and political experts from the Atlantic Council, the press service of the mayor reports.

"All are interested and concerned about the political situation in Ukraine. All emphasized the critical necessity for rapid reforms  the changes that the people will feel. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to overcome this crisis. All American politicians talk about the need for real and effective fight against corruption and reform of the prosecutors office, on appointment of a Prosecutor [General] who would take responsibility and work independently and professionally. Because it is important for combatting corruption and, consequently, for the success of reforms in general," Klitschko said.

The fact that not the names and faces are the most important factors, but the reforms that they are able to implement, Nuland said. Senator McCain assured the Ukrainians in his support and assistance.

"I would like to tell my friends in Ukraine: our thoughts and prayers are with you. We are very concerned by the resumption of Russian aggression. I will fight so that you will obtain defensive weapons, which you need. I also hope that current political instability can be solved, and the people of Ukraine will have a better economy and government, which they can trusted. I am always with you," said McCain in his comments after the meeting with Klitschko.
About 38% of people in the Netherlands are planning to vote against the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement at a consultative referendum on Ukraine, while 32% are going to support it.

These are the findings of a research conducted by the Dutch I & O Research Company in February.

According to the survey, one third of people in the Netherlands still have not decided.

In addition, the number of people that are planning to come and vote have not increased over the last month. A month ago it totaled 34% and now it is 32%. At the same time, it is close to 30% turnout threshold required for the referendum to be declared valid.

As Ukrinform reported, a consultative referendum on EU-Ukraine Association Agreement will take place in the Netherlands on April 6.

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The updated relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union will have no negative impact on support for Ukraine.

British journalist and publisher Gary Cartwrite said this in an exclusive commentary to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"If we are to support our partners in Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, as NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow vowed in Rabat last Friday, then we should maintain a united front. At this point, only the Putin regime will benefit from the dissolution of European Union," the British expert said.

He expressed confidence that the debate on the UK's future relationship with the EU was long overdue.

"Whilst I welcome the debate, and the forthcoming referendum, I worry about the timing," noted Cartwrite, who is the initiator and author of the petition to the Government and Parliament of the United Kingdom on recognition of Holodomor in 1932-1933 as the genocide against the Ukrainian people.

He stressed that the Western values, and the very concept of liberal democracy, were under great threat from an increasingly aggressive Russia, and from the so-called Islamic State.

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Ukrainian brand Yana Chervinska presented its collection within the London Fashion Week. This is reported by Ukrainian Fashion Week.

"Ukrainian brand Yana Chervinska presented its collection within the London Fashion Week, being part of the official schedule of On|Off platform. Such an opportunity was granted to Yana Chervinska as a result of her victory at Fashion DNA project, organized by Ukrainian Fashion Week and British Council Ukraine. The implementation of this project has become possible due to the support of the international foundation Western NIS Enterprise Fund, British Council Ukraine and British-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, reads the statement.

Yana Chervinska presented 18 looks from her new FW16 collection dedicated to the transience of time and its influence on diverse objects.

The designer demonstrated heavy coats, semi-transparent woven dresses, adorned with decorative details and applications created in collaboration with artist Alina Zamanova.

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| By Alex Likowski

The Monday schedule of University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor Robert Caret, PhD, showed a full day of meeting, greeting, and listening on the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) campus. In the morning, UMBs deans and vice presidents shared accomplishments and talked about their goals for each of the Universitys seven schools. For lunch, it was a special edition of the brown bag employee lunch, hosted by UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, with attendees unaware of their star guest until he walked through the door! Later, student leaders had a chance to question Caret and express their interests and concerns.

Mondays visit is likely to be just one of many in Baltimore. Caret chose Baltimore in late 2014 as the place to announce that he would replace former Chancellor William E. Brit Kirwan, PhD. Last October, Caret conducted a four-day statewide bus listening tour  with stops in Baltimore - where he met regional leaders, community members, and representatives from all 12 USM institutions. And in November, his official inauguration took place at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology at the Columbus Center, which UMB shares with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

In his inaugural speech, Chancellor Caret spoke of the impact of his bus tour through Baltimore, what he learned, and the importance of higher education to the city.

In Baltimore, we all talked about the ways in which we can work together to provide hope  and the vision of a better future  and the means of actually achieving it: improved K-12 outcomes, increased access to postsecondary education, and a focus on increased opportunities for jobs and a better quality of life, he said. And this is why I am so passionate about public higher education and the transformational role that the University System of Maryland plays for students all over the state. And in a particular way for the people of Baltimore and so many other communities . . . communities where young people who have the ability, and desire, and perhaps the vision  but may just need the mentoring -- the guidance that I received, that probably many of us received, to put it all together and achieve a better career, a better life, and a better future than they would without that support.

Read more about Chancellor Carets vision for the University System of Maryland here.
Representatives of the Socialists, Podemos, United Left and Compromis at the meeting on Monday. CARLOS ROSILLO

The Socialist Party (PSOE) appeared to be making significant political headway on Monday night after convincing the leftist Podemos party not to block its parallel negotiations with the center-right Ciudadanos for a possible pact to form a government.

With less than 10 days before the first investiture session in Congress, Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias said he would not back out of talks with the Socialists if they also held meetings with Ciudadanos, as he had maintained in recent days.

His decision was announced after a lengthy meeting between representatives of the leftist groups PSOE, Podemos, the United Left (IU)-Popular Unity coalition and Valencian party Compromis.

The PP leader has said he will not rule out trying to form a governing alliance of his own if Sanchezs attempt fails

Another major breakthrough was Iglesias accepting to discuss the governing program before talking about how the control of government ministries would be divided up if his party agreed to join a government led by Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez.

Yet he still insisted on forming an exclusively leftist coalition without Ciudadanos.

The four sides are expected to meet later Tuesday in Congress to continue their discussions.

The Socialists, who came second in the December 20 general election, are scrambling to form a coalition after King Felipe charged Sanchez with trying to put together a government for the next four years.

Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, whose conservative Popular Party (PP) won the election but fell short of an absolute majority to continue a second tenure, told the king that he did not have enough support at that time to form a government.

But on Monday, the PP leader said he would not rule out trying to form a governing alliance of his own if Sanchez failed in his attempt.

Sanchez has said that he will not join a grand coalition, as the PP leader is proposing, with Rajoy at the helm. The two major parties are expected to hold another round of talks before the March 2 investiture session.

We agree on priorities, its been a good start, were yet to make it concrete

With a view to the session, the Socialists are looking for a deal that extends beyond leftist groups Podemos, IU and Compromis, and also includes Ciudadanos, the Canarian Coalition and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), according to PSOE spokesman Antonio Hernando after five hours of negotiations on Monday.

Nevertheless, Alberto Garzon of IU and Podemos number two official Inigo Errejon believe an exclusively leftist pact is the only one possible.

We agree on priorities, its been a good start, were yet to make it concrete, said Errejon.

But the biggest step taken by Podemos was to agree to permit the ongoing conversations between PSOE and Ciudadanos, even though Iglesias and other party members do not believe that Albert Riveras group would be able to join a government of change.

We want agreements with all parties and these should share the same values, said Hernando.

Sanchez also met with Rivera in Congress in an unannounced meeting on Monday. The Socialists and Ciudadanos are expected to expain how far their negotiations have advanced later today.

English version by Martin Delfin.
UN Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Volker Turk talks to displaced Nigerian children in Malkohi host community, Yola, Nigeria.  UNHCR/G. Osodi

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Feb 23 (UNHCR) - UNHCR's top protection official, Volker Turk, has called on the Nigerian authorities to heed the concerns of internally displaced people (IDP) in the north-east of the country.

"We all need to listen to the IDPs, their aspirations and sense of dignity and safety," he stressed during a visit at the weekend to Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, referring to organized returns to areas back under government control but still considered risky.

Earlier this month, suicide bombers killed more than 50 people and injured dozens in attacks on a site holding some 50,000 IDPs at Dikwa in Borno, the state hardest hit by the Boko Haram insurgency.

The UN Refugee Agency has long been unable to visit the Dikwa site for security reasons. Many of the IDPs in Borno come from towns and villages that have been practically razed over the past two years, lacking infrastructure, basic services and security.

Turk, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, arrived in Nigeria last Thursday to review the refugee agency's emergency operations in the north-east, where UNHCR helps tens of thousands of IDPs located in camps. He has also met Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja and government partners to discuss the challenges and areas of cooperation.

During these meetings, he appealed to the government to take advantage of UNHCR's experience in voluntary repatriation and to work closely to ensure the welfare of people of concern. The insurgency has affected about 5 million people, including more than 2.2 million Nigerians who are internally displaced and almost 180,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries. Turk offered to help neighbouring countries organize voluntary repatriation where and when the conditions were right.

While encouraging government institutions and civil society organizations to lead the response to forced displacement, he said: "UNHCR, as part of the international community, will continue to support local initiatives."

The Assistant High Commissioner also met IDPs in Borno and Yola states, listening to harrowing tales of violence and destruction and the continuing suffering and challenges facing people unable to return home. He was deeply moved by their courage and resilience.

At Malkohi, on the outskirts of Yola, capital of Adamawa state, he talked to some of the internally displaced about their concerns and situation. "We want to listen to the people in order to better assist them," Turk said. Hapsatu Amadu, a 47-year-old community leader, told him they needed clothing, food and shelter. "We are exposed to the vagaries of the weather in these grass thatched huts," she explained.

UNHCR and its partners have been providing protection, shelter, camp management training and assistance to about 10 per cent of the IDPs in north-east Nigeria, where most of the displaced live with host families. At Bakassi camp in Maiduguri, visited by Turk, UNHCR has built 450 transitional shelters.

But the needs in Borno, including Maiduguri's 17 organized and 13 informal IDP camps hosting some 125,000 people, are great and increasing. "Borno is the most devastated state; social and health infrastructures are virtually non-existent," a senior local government official, Alhadji Usman Didda Shua, told Turk. "This state should be treated on the same footing with Syria," he added of an emergency that is under-reported and under-funded as well as spreading in the region.

In Borno alone, 16 out of 38 hospitals have been destroyed or looted, and 214 primary health care centres shut. Bama was the second largest city in Borno until 2014 with a population of 600,000. Today it lies in ruins and is deserted. State authorities say it will require millions of dollars to reconstruct.

"In each crisis, there is an opportunity, which we need to seize, hopefully in the form of a new social contract," Turk concluded. He will next visit Cameroon to discuss the situation of Nigerian refugees there and to visit the Minawao refugee camp in the Far North Region before wrapping up his regional visit on Wednesday.

By Hanson Tamfu in Maiduguri, Nigeria
A UNHCR survey found that some 94% of Syrians arriving in Greece in January made the perilous journey by sea to escape conflict and violence in Syria. Similarly, 71% of the Afghans surveyed cited conflict and violence as the main reason they left their country.

UNHCR is releasing the findings of its surveys of Afghan and Syrian refugees who have arrived in Greece during January 2016. These findings are part of an ongoing study to learn more about who these refugees are, where they come from, why they are fleeing and what their particular protection needs are, so that Greek authorities, UNHCR and other partners can best support them, especially those with specific needs, such as women-headed households and unaccompanied or separated children.

UNHCR conducted this survey from 15-31 January this year, interviewing a random sampling of over 400 Syrian and Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers who arrived on the Greek islands of Chios, Leros, Lesvos and Samos that month. This exercise will be repeated over the next six months, thus providing the largest and most comprehensive data sets available on the refugee emergency in Europe.

Some of the other key findings include:

85% of Syrians interviewed were internally displaced before their journey to Greece; and 87% were traveling with family members.

65% of the Afghans and 47% who stayed in another country for more than 6 months reported having no legal documentation.

The lack of access to jobs that fit their skills, meet living expenses and avoid exploitation is the number 1 reason (41%) for Syrians to leave their last country of residence. The second reason (16%) is discrimination.

Women-headed households made up 20% of the Syrian families who were interviewed.

79% of the Syrians and 44% of the Afghans polled had a secondary, high school or university degree.

Women and children accounted for 51% of the Syrians and 40% of the Afghans interviewed.

The majority (41%) of Syrians state family reunification as reason of the choice of destination country. Together with the fact that 20% are women headed households traveling, it reinforces the desperate need for robust family reunification procedures

UNHCR will collect, analyse and share this data regularly to better inform the wider community on the profile of refugees arriving in Greece. We will add surveys of Iraqi refugees to those of Afghan and Syrian nationals in the coming months. Both immediate response and longer term planning can be greatly improved with better data and analysis.

Survey factsheets:

For more information on this topic, please contact:
A new UNHCR report has found that mixed maritime movements in South-East Asia were three times more deadly than in the Mediterranean last year - highlighting the urgency of greater life-saving cooperation among the affected States.

The latest Mixed Maritime Movements in South-East Asia report provides key numbers and trends for movements in the Indian Ocean in 2015. Across the region an estimated 33,600 refugees and migrants of various nationalities took to smugglers' boats, including 32,600 in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, some 700 across the Straits of Malacca and over 200 who were intercepted en route to Australia.

The bulk of the passengers were Rohingya and Bangladesh nationals in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The numbers tell a tale of two seasons -- the first half of 2015 saw the highest-ever estimates of departures (31,000), while the second half of the year (with some 1,600 departures) was much quieter than in previous years. Combined, the full-year departures in the Bay of Bengal were just over half of the record-setting previous year.

This decrease can be attributed to a number of factors, including the discovery of mass graves along the Thailand-Malaysia land border with the remains of over 200 presumed earlier arrivals, government crackdowns on smuggling networks and scrutiny of traditional departure and arrival points. This caused smugglers to abandon their passengers at sea, leading to a highly-publicized "maritime ping pong" of boats that ended with the rescue and disembarkation of thousands of people, and their subsequent and continued detention in some host countries. The monsoon season followed, which always reduces sailings.

Despite the lower numbers, the 2015 fatality rate was still three times higher in these waters than in the Mediterranean Sea. Some 370 people are believed to have died in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea during the year - not from drowning but from mistreatment and disease brought about by smugglers who abused and in many cases killed passengers with impunity. The toll also includes those killed in a fight over diminishing supplies on a boat that had been prevented from landing on two occasions. Some of these deaths could have been prevented with prompt disembarkation.

Elsewhere in the region, based on media reports, 263 people on nine boats tried to reach Australia and New Zealand in 2015. Departing from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam, these boats carrying passengers from Bangladesh, India, Iraq, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam were ultimately prevented from reaching Australia by Australian and Indonesian authorities.

UNHCR believes that unless the root causes of displacement are addressed, people will continue risking their lives on smugglers' boats to seek safety and stability elsewhere.

In 2015 governments in the region indicated an intention to tackle this regional challenge through a number of high-level meetings. There remains an urgent need for affected States to take concrete action to coordinate procedures for rescue at sea, predictable places to disembark passengers safely, as well as adequate reception and screening systems on arrival. People who fled their homes and cannot return due to an absence of protection should be granted temporary refuge and have access to basic rights and services while longer-term solutions are sought.

To minimize deaths at sea, safe and legal channels including labour migration and family reunification programs must be opened up for people leaving difficult conditions at home. UNHCR hopes that labour migration arrangements could also be put in place for the Rohingya already in labour-importing countries, enabling them to contribute to the economies of their host and home countries.

Next month's Bali Process Ministerial Meeting will be a timely opportunity to make progress on these issues.

Root causes need to be addressed concurrently. A lifting of existing restrictions on freedom of movement and access to services throughout Rakhine State in Myanmar would allow thousands of people to live more normal lives and be less likely to risk dangerous sea journeys.

UNHCR is also watching with interest the Bangladesh government's plans to list hundreds of thousands of undocumented Rohingya in south-eastern Bangladesh. We hope that the exercise will result in improved documentation and access to services.

Nearly 170,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshis are estimated to have made the dangerous journey from the Bay of Bengal since 2012. Some of their stories are told in this special feature

Report on Atavist

For more information on this topic, please contact:

In Geneva, Andreas Needham on mobile +41 79 217 3140
UNHCR is concerned by recent restrictive practices adopted in a number of European countries that are placing additional undue hardships on refugees and asylum-seekers across Europe, creating chaos at several border points, and putting particular pressure on Greece as it struggles to deal with larger numbers of people in need of accommodation and services.

On 17 February, Austria announced it would place a daily limit of 3,200 people to enter its territory and only accept 80 new asylum applications per day. Slovenia followed suit and announced a similar cap to restrict movements across its borders. These newest restrictive measures risk violating EU law and undermine efforts for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to deal with the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe.

In addition, on 18 February, the Heads of Police Services of Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia issued a statement announcing their agreement to jointly profile and register refugees and asylum-seekers at the border between the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Greece, as well as take a number of additional actions to manage the situation.

While coordinated action can help the management of the mixed migration movement, the statement has been interpreted differently by countries resulting in increased protection risks for refugees and asylum seekers, particularly those with specific needs, such as unaccompanied and separated children. These include lack of proper registration in line with EU and international standards, the selection of people on the basis of nationality and other criteria rather than protection needs, the heightened likelihood of pushbacks and people being stranded in the open exposed to freezing cold weather and at risk of violence and exploitation at the hands of smugglers and traffickers waiting to prey on their vulnerability.

These practices also undermine the Conclusions reached by the European Council last week recalling that to enter the European Union without adequate travel documentation, people need to apply for asylum when reaching an EU country.

The domino effect of Austria and Slovenia's daily caps and their joint approach with Croatia, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has already resulted in a buildup of refugees and asylum-seekers and migrants in Greece and in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, where nearly 700 people, mostly Afghan nationals, have been barred from accessing admission into Serbia. In order to support a joint approach and to allay fears and potential chaos, States need to inform refugees and asylum seekers of their procedures, including clear details on the criteria for access to admission, asylum or return, in line with applicable laws.

UNHCR and its partners are supporting persons of concern and States with the emergency response across Europe and have been urging countries to implement contingency planning measures and ensure adequate reception conditions, including accommodation, food, and access to asylum procedures, since the beginning of the crisis last summer. UNHCR is making good progress in providing accommodation for 20,000 asylum-seekers in Greece in order to stabilize the situation, reduce irregular secondary movements, but further support and solidarity with Greece, including support for better functioning relocation programme, is needed.

Some 85% of those arriving to Europe come from the top ten refugee producing countries. Most are fleeing war and persecution and in need of international protection. They risk their lives and the lives of their children fleeing the inhumanity and tragedy of conflicts and persecution in their homelands - places like Aleppo that is once again in the news. And yet, with every passing week, it appears some European countries are focusing on keeping refugees and migrants out more than on responsibly managing the flow and working on common solutions. Some States are shifting problems onward rather than trying to genuinely share responsibility and show solidarity with one another and with those in need of protection.

A comprehensive, coordinated strategy built on shared responsibility, solidarity and trust among all European States working together is the only way to approach the current emergency.

UNHCR will continue to provide support to States to help manage the situation humanely and in line with international standards including support to reception, asylum systems, and identifying and supporting people with specific needs, such as women-headed households, unaccompanied or separated children, elderly or refugees with disabilities. UNHCR also urges the creation and expansion of credible alternative pathways for refugees to reach safety in Europe and elsewhere in order to ensure that movements are manageable and safe, such as enhanced resettlement, humanitarian admission, family reunifications and student/work visas.

Media contacts:
Humberto Moreira leaves Soto del Real prison on January 22. REUTERS

More information Mision: salvar en Madrid a Humberto Moreira

The Mexican government used all its diplomatic and legal resources in Spain to help win the release of a former Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) leader who was arrested on January 15 in Madrid for alleged money laundering and having ties to the Zetas drug cartel, EL PAIS has learned.

Humberto Moreira, a former governor of Coahuila state, was arrested by authorities at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport as he tried to make a connecting flight to Barcelona.

As soon as it learned of the arrest, the PRI-run government of President Enrique Pena Nieto began investigating the case down to the tiniest detail. At the same time, the Mexican Embassy helped Moreiras family and tried to get him released from Madrids Soto de Real prison where he was held for nearly three weeks after he was ruled to be a flight risk.

The embassy has not responded to EL PAISs requests for an interview.

As soon as it learned of the arrest, the PRI-run government of President Enrique Pena Nieto began investigating the facts of the case

The day before Moreira was due to appear at the National High Court for the hearing at which he won his release, Mexican Attorney General (PRG) Arely Gomez Gonzalez spoke with her Spanish counterpart Consuelo Madrigal to find out more about the case and what arguments the Spanish prosecutors were planning on presenting.

She told her that the case was under seal by order of the court; that we could not give her any details; and that the prosecutors position was for him to remain in jail because the crimes he committed were very serious, explained a spokesman for the Spanish Attorney Generals Office.

At the time of his arrest, Moreira was traveling with his wife and two daughters to Barcelona, where he had been living since 2013, two years after he stepped down as governor of Coahuila state when the amount of public debt he had accumulated during his tenure was revealed.

He was studying for a masters degree and living in a 3,000-a-month luxury home. Moreira had left politics and moved to Spain a year after drug hit men killed his son.

US federal prosecutors in San Antonio, Texas  the US state that borders Coahuila  had reportedly issued an international arrest warrant against him for stealing public funds and money laundering while he served as governor from 2005 to 2011.

The same day he was arrested, the Mexican Embassy swung into action: hiring a prestigious lawyer in Spain to represent him and providing accommodation for Moreiras wife and two daughters at the Vincci Soho Hotel, situated about 100 meters from the embassy.

At the time of his arrest, Moreira was traveling with his wife and two daughters to Barcelona, where he has lived since 2013

The hotel has a special relationship with the embassy. Mexican diplomats visiting Spain are usually put up there and its parking areas are used by embassy officials.

When Moreira was brought for his initial appearance before High Court Judge Enrique de la Mata, who was on duty at the time, PGR officials began calling the National Polices Economic and Tax Crimes Unit (UDEF) to find out why Moreira was being held.

They were very interested but nobody gave them one bit of information, said a police source.

Mexican authorities thought that the tight relationship they had enjoyed with Spanish investigators in the past, especially in cases involving members of Basque terrorist organization ETA who sought refuge in Mexico, would help them. But they were wrong.

The unwillingness by judicial authorities to provide them with information on the case caused a diplomatic spat between the Mexican Embassy and the Spanish Foreign Ministry.

Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that Spain had not immediately informed the embassy that it had arrested Moreira as it normally would in the case of other Mexican citizens, sources said. Embassy officials found out about the arrest on Spanish news websites.

Mexican authorities were very interested but nobody gave them one bit of information

De la Mata ordered Moreira held after considering that he was a flight risk and had sufficient funds in other countries to seek refuge.

But the Mexican Embassy continued to push on to try to find a solution.

On January 18, the Mexican consul visited Moreira at Soto del Real. While visits by the consul to Mexican inmates are frequent, penitentiary officials said that they did not usually happen so quickly.

A few days later, an official embassy vehicle with diplomatic license plates went to pick up Moreiras lawyer in Mexico, Ulricht Richter, from Madrid airport.

The attorney has failed to return repeated phone calls by EL PAIS.

The entire embassy was involved in the Moreira case in a way that has never occurred with other prisoners, said a source close to the case.

Moreira had been instrumental to Pena Nietos election win in 2012 and was reportedly one of his biggest fundraisers.

Mexican Embassy staff sent a petition to the Foreign Ministry asking Judge Santiago Pedraz, who was now overseeing the case, to explain the specifics of the investigation, basing their position on Article 36 of the Vienna Convention.

The entire embassy was involved in the Moreira case in a way that has never occurred with other prisoners

Pedrazs answer was a strictly protocol response in which he revealed no details of the case, which was still under seal, according to judicial sources.

On January 22, Pedraz granted Moreira conditional freedom.

On February 3, Moreira left Spain with his wife and daughters, not even bothering to pick up the iPad and phone he had left behind at Soto del Real, according to a source. He has since proclaimed his innocence in Mexico.

On February 9, the case against him was provisionally dismissed. A week earlier, the judge had heard three hours of surveillance conversations recorded by a federal protected witness in San Antonio in which he allegedly linked the former governor with the Zetas. Pedraz concluded that it provided insufficient evidence.

But anti-corruption attorneys Jose Grinda and Juan Jose Rosa, who were both invited by US prosecutors to hear the same tapes, did not agree with the judge and have filed an appeal to reopen the case.

The investigation remains under seal but is still open in Spain against other persons, including some Mexicans, who may be involved in the conspiracy.

investigacion@elpais.es

English version by Martin Delfin.
Diego Torres takes the stand at the Noos trial on Tuesday. B. RAMON

Inaki Urdangarins former business partner testified on Tuesday that he believed that the business deals at the Noos Institute were legitimate because they were not only overseen by Spains Royal Household but also monitored by Finance Ministry tax officials.

Diego Torres on Tuesday took the stand in the high-profile embezzlement and public fraud case involving 6.2 million that he and Urdangarin, who is the brother-in-law of King Felipe, allegedly diverted from the non-profit institute to their own personal businesses.

Sixteen defendants are on trial, including Urdangarins wife, the Infanta Cristina, who is facing lesser tax fraud charges over allegations she used a company credit card belonging to one of the businesses owned by herself and her husband to make personal purchases and claim them as business deductions in her tax filings.

Prosecutors believed that Urdangarin used his royal connections to seal deals with the Balearic Islands and Valencia regional governments to receive public money in exchange for helping them organize sporting and tourist events through the non-profit Noos Institute.

When a prosecutor in a Palma de Mallorca courtroom asked him to explain the offshore accounts he held in Luxembourg, Torres immediately described how he believed that all the business conducted at the Noos Institute was legal because of the two levels of supervision the organization had.

Torres believed that all the business conducted was legal because of the two levels of supervision the organization had

With those two levels [the monarchy and Finance Ministry], I would never have been able to think that what was being done wasnt right, he said.

Torres described in public for the first time the alleged meetings held between former King Juan Carloss legal advisor, Jose Manuel Romero, the Count of Fontao, and ex-Noos accountant Marco Antonio Tejeiro.

They would meet regularly and go over the books, he said, adding that Tejeiro would also meet with Finance Ministry officials.

Torres also denied that Princess Cristina was used as a tax shield.

Torres had dropped a bombshell in 2012 when in court filings he included emails from Urdangarin suggesting that King Juan Carlos had helped his son-in-law to try to get a contract for the Americas Cup tournament  a deal that ultimately fell through. Other emails suggested that Infanta Cristina had been aware of her husbands business dealings since at least 2003, when Noos was just getting started,

The defendant alluded to King Juan Carlos close friend Corinna zu-Sayn Wittgenstein, who wanted to help from London

Torres, a former business lecturer, also alluded to King Juan Carloss close friend Corinna zu-Sayn Wittgenstein, who wanted to help the non-profit institute from London.

Corinna told us that for her to get paid in London it was necessary to create a special financial structure so that nobody in Spain would find out where the money was coming from, copying in the king and the head of the Royal Household. And we decided at Noos: not on your life, Torres said.

As for his offshore accounts, Torres said that they held savings from what he had earned as an international financial consultant in Andorra. He had later moved them to Luxembourg because he thought they would be safer there.

English version by Martin Delfin.
Socialist Party leader Pedro Sanchez. Kiko Huesca (EFE)

Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez has announced that his party is ready to make an agreement with center-right grouping Ciudadanos as he seeks to form a government after the inconclusive December election.

His announcement came just hours after Ciudadanos chief Albert Rivera presented a five-point non-negotiable package for Constitutional reform as his partys conditions for partnering with the Socialists.

If these are the proposals, then we say yes, said Sanchez during a news conference in Congress on Tuesday afternoon.

Rivera had said earlier that any progress for an agreement would depend on the two parties hammering out reforms to the Constitution in the first three months of the new administration.

These would include ending the practice whereby politicians and other senior state officials are immune from being tried by lower courts, known in Spanish as aforamiento; making it easier for citizens to put forward legislative proposals; depoliticizing the judiciary; removing central government representation within regional administrations; and limiting prime ministers to two terms in office.

The Socialist Party had already put forward similar proposals in its platform before the December 20 general election.

Sanchez, who came in second in the election with 90 seats, cannot hope to be voted in prime minister at the upcoming investiture sesson  which on Tuesday was moved forward by one day to March 1  without support from Ciudadanos (which won 40 seats) or the left-leaning Podemos (69 seats, although four deputies have since broken away).

We cannot have a government that doesnt undertake these reforms

Podemos had said it would not join a coalition that includes Ciudadanos, but on Monday announced that it had no problem holding discussions with the Socialists even if they continued to negotiate with Riveras party.

Podemos has also insisted on holding a referendum on Catalan independence during the first two years of the new term  something the Socialists have ruled out.

The investiture session was moved forward a day because of a miscalculation in the time frame needed to publish a decree for new elections  planned for June 26 if no government can be formed  in the official BOE gazette, taking into account the two-month countdown.

Sanchez will give his investiture speech at 4pm on March 1 and the session will be adjourned until the following day. Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will open the second session and will be followed by other party leaders.

The first vote will be taken later that evening. Support for Sanchez could take the form of a yes vote or, at the very least, an abstention.

We want a corruption-free administration, one that is sensitive, and one that is reformist

In the event of the Socialists and Ciudadanos reaching an agreement, any changes to the Constitution would require the support of the Popular Party, which has an absolute majority in the Senate and can therefore block any reforms.

We cannot have a government that doesn't undertake these reforms, said Rivera on Tuesday. I know it isnt easy, but our party can only support another that backs change.

We want a corruption-free administration, one that is sensitive, one that is reformist, and one that tackles the deficit objectives, one that doesn't impose harsh taxes on the middle and working classes, and one that guarantees the unity of Spain.

The two parties are still at loggerheads over Ciudadanos plans to reform the tax system, the labor market, and the economy.
A new study suggests that increasing your coffee intake may help reduce your chances of developing alcohol-related cirrhosis, kutv reports.

The review was published by the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics of multiple existing studies. The review, published January 25, is the first meta-analysis to show the potential protective properties of coffee.

The researchers analyzed nine studies that examined the relationship between coffee consumption and the risk of cirrhosis.

Dr. Oliver Kennedy, who conducted the research as part of a team at Southampton University in the United Kingdom said that the team combined the data of these existing studies to calculate a clearer link between coffee and the risk of cirrhosis, according to CNN.

"Cirrhosis is potentially fatal and there is no cure as such," said lead author Dr. Oliver Kennedy of Southampton University in England, according to Huffington Post.

"Therefore, it is significant that the risk of developing cirrhosis may be reduced by consumption of coffee, a cheap, ubiquitous and well-tolerated beverage."

The researchers said drinking just two more cups of coffee every day might lower the risk of developing the liver condition by 44%. The researchers found that the risk of cirrhosis was lower at higher levels of coffee consumption.

"For example, compared to no coffee, 1 cup per day was associated with a 22% lower risk of cirrhosis and 4 cups per day was associated with a 65% lower risk. However, there may be an upper limit beyond which there is no further benefit," Kennedy said.

More than 430,000 participants were a part of the nine studies. In eight of the nine studies examined, researchers found increasing coffee consumption by two cups per day was "associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of cirrhosis."

However, Dr. Hillel Tobias, a liver specialist and chairman of the American Liver Foundation's National Medical Advisory Committee, says the possible preventative effects of coffee are not new.

A 2015 report also cited a potential link between coffee's health benefits and cirrhosis preventions.

"The problem is that most professionals in the liver community find this hard to accept," Tobias told CNN.

"The physiological and biochemical basis has not been established and some experimental evidence is needed. Right now, many of these studies are based on historical information provided by patients."

Kennedy said that more research was needed in this field,

"We now need to conduct proper clinical trials, similar to those necessary for authorization of a new pharmaceutical product, so that doctors and health policy makers can make specific recommendations, he said.
Fairfield University is investigating what was termed a "ghetto-themed" party that took place at an off-campus residence over the weekend.

According to The Connecticut Post, the school also took the party as an opportunity to address racial sensitivity on campus. Fairfield officials were alerted to the party when a photo posted by an attendee was circulated on social media.

The school said in a statement it would take "appropriate action" after completing its investigation, Patch.com reported.

"There was a party on Saturday evening, at a house on the beach," Jennifer Anderson, vice president of marketing and communications, told The Post. "We are working to understand the details."

Anderson included that students are not exempt from the school's conduct code if they happen to leave campus when they go home. Both on- and off-campus residents are held to the same standard.

Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, the president of the private Roman Catholic institution, condemned the party in an email to the campus community, The New York Times reported. He also stated that he had spoken with students who had direct knowledge of it and were troubled by the party.

"Their concerns go beyond the incident this weekend," Rev. von Arx wrote. "To some within our community, this incident is symptomatic of conditions on campus that inhibit our many positive efforts to build a more inclusive, respectful and safer community."

In his letter, von Arx outlined a response to help promote inclusion and racial sensitivity on campus, The Post reported. In addition to the Office of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs extending its hours this week, the administration and student government are planning open forums for public discussion.

"Sometimes we make decisions and don't know what the outcomes are on other people," Marelyn Maces, a freshman from Bridgeport, told The Post. "We have to think twice about what we're doing. We're not just affecting ourselves, we're affecting everyone around us."
The Kappa Alpha Theta national organization has decided to close its Eta chapter at the University of Michigan, citing "serious violations" of the sorority's polices.

The KAT national office announced Tuesday its Grand Council "voted unanimously" to close UM's chapter, which had been suspended by the school for the spring 2016 semester. The KAT Eta chapter spent 137 years on UM's campus, making it the school's oldest sorority.

"Despite ongoing support and education provided to the chapter by Fraternity officers and staff, recent chapter activities constituted serious violations of Fraternity policies and were contrary to the Fraternity's basic principles," KAT said in its statement. "While Theta's presence at the University of Michigan has ended for the foreseeable future, the Fraternity values Eta Chapter's 137-year history and the many fine members who continue to be an asset to the Fraternity. Distinguished past chapter members include a Theta Foundation president and a Fraternity vice-president."

Liz Rinck, a sorority spokeswoman, gave a similar statement to The Detroit Free Press, but declined to disclose the specific nature of the disbandment. However, a school spokesman told newspaper in January, when UM handed down its suspension, the chapter was charged with hazing and underage drinking.

According to The Michigan Daily, high-ranking KAT officials visited the Eta chapter earlier this month to conduct interviews with its members. The students living in the Eta chapter house have until the end of April to move out.

"On February 10, Vice-President Mandy Wushinske and I visited campus and met with members of your cabinet and university administrators including the dean of students," KAT President Laura Doerre wrote in a letter obtained by The Daily. "At that time it was clearly stated that all members and new members of Eta Chapter were to adhere to all sanctions from the university and the Fraternity. It is disappointing that the chapter violated both the university and fraternity sanctions last week."
Aug. 19, 2022

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Hawaiian Punch Winter Tour 2016 in Laramie March 2

Alternative/reggae bands Iration (pictured) and Pepper are scheduled to play at the Laramie Gryphon Theatre Wednesday, March 2. (Iration Photo)

Free tickets for University of Wyoming students are available for the Hawaiian Punch Winter Tour 2016, featuring the bands Iration and Pepper. The bands are scheduled to perform Wednesday, March 2, at 8 p.m. at the Gryphon Theatre.

The UW Student Activities Center is giving a limited number of tickets to students with valid UW student IDs. Tickets are first-come, first-served.

Iration is an alternative/reggae band from Hawaii. The group began playing in various college towns in California, eventually recording its first album, No Time for Rest, in 2007, which topped Billboards reggae chart.

The group has since recorded three studio albums -- the most recent last August and titled, Hotting Up. The albums lead single, Reelin, debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes reggae chart.

These Hawaiian-bred musicians look forward to spreading their original sound and Aloha spirit all the while never forgetting to get a surf in when possible, the bands website says.

For more information about Iration, visit www.irationmusic.com or like the band on Facebook.

Pepper, an alternative/reggae band, originally from Hawaii, started in 1996, and moved to San Diego, Calif., in 1997.

The band has recorded five studio albums, one live album and has had a number of singles, including its hit No Control.

The bands website says the group has been known to hypnotize fans of all walks of life with their incredibly sweet harmonies, all the while keeping bodies moving on the dance floor.

For more information about Pepper, visit www.pepperlive.tumblr.com or like the band on Facebook.

Student Activities Council is looking for UW student volunteers. If interested, contact sac@uwyo.edu. Student Activities Council meetings are Mondays at 5 p.m. in the Campus Activities Center, located in Room 012 of the Wyoming Union.

For more information about Student Activities Council events, visit www.uwyo.edu/sac, like the Wyoming Union on Facebook, or follow the Campus Activities Center on Twitter and Instagram @UWYOCAC.

To receive information about future events, text CAC to 71441.
Expert: The situation in Syria may go out of control (video)

Day by day the situation is becoming tenser in Syria. During the previous days at least 140 people were killed in Damascus and Homs as a result of explosions. Islamic State terrorist group has claimed responsibility for explosions and has also taken control over the highway, which is used for supplies of Syrias government forces in Aleppo. The situation is tense also in Aleppo. Armenians living in Aleppo tell that during the recent 10 days the explosions have been continuous, material damage- enormous. Day by day it is becoming impossible to live in Aleppo. For already several months there hasnt been electricity, the residents of Aleppo have recently been deprived of water. Some days ago an explosion occurred also in the Syrian city of Idlib, as a result of which the hospital of Doctors without borders organization was destroyed. At least 7 people were killed. As a result of the bombardment of the hospital more than 40 000 people living in the neighborhood remained without medical assistance. According to the international experts, the situation in Syria may aggravate and even go out of control. Though on February 12 international Syria Support Group meeting was held in Munich, where it was proposed to decide the way of stopping the armed operations in the country, the situation hasnt changed after it. Several days after the Munich meeting Turkeys Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu informed that the Turkish forces would continue the bombardment of the Kurdish positions in Syria. The bombardment of the north of Syria by Turkey has aggravated the already complex situation in Aleppo, where the Syrian army has made significant progress with the help of the RF Air force. During this whole period the opposing forces continue blaming each other for aggravating the situation. And the experts already raise doubts that the civil war could develop into a large-scale war, where the superpowers could fight against each other.
United States and Russia agree on plans for a cessation of hostilities in Syria (video)

The United States and Russia have agreed on plans for a cessation of hostilities in Syria, a move that could pave the way for an expansion of humanitarian aid to besieged cities and set the stage for a resumption of talks on a political transition. In a joint statement Monday, the U.S. and Russia proposed the cease-fire begin on Feb. 27. It would apply to all parties in the conflict, with the exception of terrorist groups such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaida-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra. Under the plan, the parties involved in the conflict would limit any use of force to situations such as responding in self defense. The parties would also agree to provide unhindered access to humanitarian groups delivering aid to besieged areas. The U.S. and Russia are co-chairs of a cease-fire task force that is part of the 17-nation International Syria Support Group. The group met in Munich earlier this month and had hoped to implement an initial cease-fire plan by last Friday. Some of the issues linked to the cessation still appear to be unresolved. More on Voice of America
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Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

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Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

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There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

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The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

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STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan

Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement

With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building

OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border

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Spaceline company Virgin Galactic has finally unveiled its new space tourism rocket called the SpaceShipTwo last Friday 19th.

Multibillionaire Richard Branson arrived at this launch ceremony in Mojave, California, which was attended by his four-generation family, Virgin Galactic's Founder Future Astronauts, stakeholders and partners.

British physicist Stephen Hawking contributed to this new vehicle by suggesting the name of this second remake to be Virgin Spaceship (VSS) Unity.

In Hawking's recorded speech, he stated that he "would be very proud to fly on this spaceship." While Branson, in the other hand, had offered Hawking the privilege to fly into space. Bearing in mind that the professor is confined in a wheelchair and is suffering Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

The rocket named SpaceShipTwo, is due to take off at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. According to Virgin Galactic, this new and improved craft will remain on the ground as they still need to through full-vehicle tests of her electrical systems and all her moving parts, according to RT.

The company emphasized its commitment to the full testing of the craft. "Our team's job is to plan out not just the obvious tests but also the strange and inventive ones, to conduct those tests, and to use the data from those tests to re-examine everything about our vehicle to ensure we can take the next step forward," Virgin Galactic announced, as per CBC.

It was noted that the first spaceship named SpaceShipeOne was a failure due to an accident two years ago in the Mojave Desert. The accident was deemed to be a pilot error and oversights by Northrop Gumman Corp's. When it broke apart, it took great convincing for Branson to decided to not give up on the project.

The failure was soon recovered with a reconstruction of a new version, making it one of the biggest differences between the two, according to Reuters. They added a pin to prevent a pilot from unlocking the ship's rotating tail section too soon before descending which triggered the first downfall of the rocket.

Other changes were also made such as a device for pilots to prevent them from premature release of the ship's landing gear and distinct new control switches.

Virgin Galactic is among a handful of companies, including Elon Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, Paul Allen's Stratolaunch Systems and Boeing (BA.N), that plan to fly people in space.
The chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), Xiao Gang, has been dismissed from his position in the agency. CSRC was China's top securities regulator, which has been facing criticism over the year as the people place the blame on the regulator for amplifying the country's financial problems and failing to help restore the country's market turbulence.

The decision was made by China's ruling party, the Communist Party of China. The party's central committee, alongside the State Council, also appointed Liu Shiyu as the new chairman and party leader of the commission. Liu Shiyu is currently the chairman of the Agricultural Bank of China.

The New York Times explained why the CSRC was widely blamed for China's markets problems. Share prices in the country had more than doubled in a year, partly because the regulators allowed a speculative bubble to form in the markets. That hurt stocks owners across the country. After the incident, the regulator unveiled two measures to stabilize stocks. Unfortunately, the measures were also believed to have caused a weeklong rout in the country's stock markets. Consequently, that unsettled investors around the world.

According to CNN Money, The Shanghai Composite has dropped 19 percent after the regulator implemented a measure that was meant to protect small investors from big market swings. However, it created panic-selling and eventually had to be withdrawn. The crash of the composite wiped out about a third of its value in less than a month. On the other hand, The Shenzhen Composite is down 20 percent over the year.

The decision to replace the CSRC chairman has received various responses. Some believe that merely substituting one head of regulator to another will not solve any problem. Others had their hopes up for a positive change in the hands of the new chairman, Liu Shiyu.

The fact remains that Liu Shiyu is an expert banker with vast experiences in finance. The Financial Times noted that the new chief, being a former central banker, is likely to focus on structural changes. The changes will reflect the regulator's determination to develop the stock market as a more viable fundraising tool for companies, rather than a scheme to get rich quickly for retail punters, analysts say.

Liu Shiyu, as China's new chairman for the country's main securities regulator, will face a crucial task and challenge to revive China's stock markets which have been suffering over the year. Previously, the agency was widely blamed for magnifying the market turbulence as it failed to rule out efficient measures to address the market problems.
Google Translate has announced on Wednesday adding support for 13 more languages, bringing the total to 103. The service is now expected to cover 99% of the online population.

The 13 new languages are Amharic, Corsican, Frisian, Kyrgyz, Hawaiian, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Sindhi, Luxembourgish, Samoan, Scots Gaelic, Shona, Pashto and Xhosa. Google estimates bringing 120 million new people to the population capable of communicating with Translate all over the world, reports CNN Money.

Google Translate has started its journey in April 2006 offering rule based machine translation between English and Arabic. Translation between English and Russian has been followed in December 2006 while ramping up addition of languages in 2007. The service has passed 100 languages mark in just under 10 years, reports VentureBeat.
The gloomy atmosphere prevailing in the construction sector of India has led the government to take monetary steps to aid the ailing sector. The government extended its helping hands to boost the housing market in Mumbai, which has been experiencing an industrial slowdown for the past two years.

Under the plan, the Shivshahi Punarvasan Prakalp Ltd (SPPL), a firm that is fully owned by the Indian government, will offer monetary assistance for the construction activities in India at an interest level of 11.5% annum. The government has decided not to offer these loans on a 'carte blanche,' which refers to a blank cheque that has been signed already.

The building developers, who are eligible for these loans, will have to construct low budget houses and sell them at a minimal price to SPPL. This move will uplift the weaker community of India and also offers a quality lifestyle for people living in Indian slums. In addition, these loans are only available for building developers, who are interested in the Mumbai slum rehabilitation plans. The loans will be provided in instalments and will be associated with different phases in construction, according to The Indian EXPRESS.

The government is moving forward to achieve its goal of constructing nearly 11 lakh budget houses. In late nineties, a similar loan strategy hammered the government's scheme leading SPPL to a liquidity crunch. Debashish Chakrabarty, a managing director at SPPL, said that the company is confident regarding the current loan offer and that SPPL will offer the loan amount in instalments basis, which is associated with different phases of construction. He continued that only developers who can construct more number of houses at an affordable price will be eligible for loan offers.

India's ailing construction sector is being backed by government policies, overseas investments and other related technological advancement. The industry, which employs nearly 33 million workforce, is suffering from a continuous slowdown in the real estate market, which resulted in many unsold houses across the nation, opp.TODAY quoted Pride Group's managing director, Arvind Jain. He also added that the deficit in the number of skilled staffs, scarcity in the raw materials supply combined with political disturbances fuelled the slowdown in the construction sector.

Meanwhile, an International Construction and Interior fair, which is named as BuildMat 2017, has been organised by three Coimbatore-based professional enterprises and the bookings are scheduled to commence on Monday. With this BuildMat 2017 fair, the Indian construction sector is expected to step into a next stage of development, as reported in THE HINDU.

Exhibitors from construction fields like engineering, raw materials producers, construction machinery suppliers, technology providers, sanitary ware manufactures will participate in the fair. Nearly 13 national construction enterprises are backing up the fair.

The construction industry of India is facing a serious downturn, owing to economic challenges globally. The move by SPPL will stimulate growth in the construction sector and also provide job opportunity for many people in India.
Sunday marks the end of the African economic summit in Egypt. The two-day conference event was attended by leaders and bankers across Africa. At the event's closing, attendees vowed to push for trade and investments on the continent.

Boosting trade and investment has been the summit's focus as 1,200 delegates from different countries and institutions negotiate a business agreement that would attract private sector investments. As Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stated on the summit's opening, the forum was aimed at pushing forward trade and investment in the continent to strengthen Africa's place in the world economy. The conference was specifically expected to open a direct channel of communication and cooperation regarding trade and investment.

The conference was arranged by Egypt, alongside the African Union (AU), in partnership with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). Together, Egypt and the AU already has investments worth $8 billion in Africa, according to BusinessDay. The overall investment figure agreed was undisclosed, but the organizers said several memorandums of understanding were signed for projects in various sectors, including infrastructure, health, and information technology.

The economic forum, called "Africa 2016", reflects the organizers' determination to establish Egypt as a gateway for foreign investments into the African market. According to AfricaNews, the organizers are seeking to turn the spotlight on Egypt as its economy remains sluggish after years of political turbulence since 2011, after the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak. Egypt's economy also suffered setbacks on tourism as its main sector due to political instability and recent incidents.

The first move toward a change in Egypt's economy is regarded crucial for the overall improvement of the whole continent. During the summit, leading bankers revealed that despite several challenges including those emerging from "terrorism", Africa remained an investment destination. However, analysts also believed that despite the economic growth rate of more than four percent throughout the continent, Africa still accounts for about only two percent of global trade.

News24 reported that Africa Development Bank plans to invest $12 billion in the continent's energy sector. The bank's president Akinwumi Adesina said the plan will be carried out over the next five years. The energy sector was chosen because, despite growth in several areas, Africa still has 645 million people without access to electricity.

With new investment plans, Africa's economy is expected to growth by 4.4 percent this year and 5 percent in 2017. The African economic summit ended with calls for investment, whereas leaders and bankers vowed to push for more trade and investment on the continent to boost economic growth.
Typically, someone wouldn't get arrested for simply failing to pay a student loan. However, a current case of an arrest of a Houston man by the name Paul Aker proved that failing to make student loan payments may lead deputy US Marshals to show up on someone's door with guns and make an arrest.

According to Business Insider, Aker received over a $1,500 federal student loan in 1987, nearly 30 years ago. His arrest occurred last week, whereas seven armed deputy US Marshals were involved. The case went viral, creating panic, as well as drawing shock and outrage across the country.

Failing to pay a federal student loan is ruled as a civil case. And, unlike a criminal case, a civil one usually can't make someone go to jail. However, that happened to Aker under one circumstance, when he failed to show up after he was summoned to the court regarding the case.

Oregonlive explained how the arrest happened. The government filed a federal suit against Aker after The Department of Education failed to collect the man's debt. The Department of Education then handed the uncollected debts to the Department of Justice, which in turn could contract with a private lawyer to sue a loanee for the debt. In Aker's case, the private lawyer filing the suit was Butch Cersonsky, as Houston lawyer contracted by the authorities.

The federal suit against Aker was filed by Cersonsky ten years ago in 2006. When Aker didn't show up to contest the case, the federal court issued a default judgement against him. Then the federal government asked the court to order Aker to show up. When he didn't the court can issue a warrant for his arrest for ignoring a court order. Usually, arresting someone for not showing up in court happened in criminal suits, but the court can actually do that for a civil suit either.

According to Ventura County Star, the federal authorities had made several attempts to contact Aker to appear with notices and phone calls, but he refused. The warrant was made after he failed to appear in court at a December 2012 hearing.And usually, it wouldn't involve as many as seven deputy US Marshals to arrest someone for failing to meet a court order. Aker's case was rather individual regarding this. When two deputies first show up with a warrant, he told them that he had a gun. The statement spurred the Marshals to call for back-up, said the US Marshals in a statement.

The U.S have more than $1.3 trillion unpaid student loans, and the authorities are beginning to increase the efforts to collect the outstanding amount of money. Even so, the fact remains that someone can't get arrested for simply failing to make student loan debt payment, but anyone can be arrested if they ignore a court order to show up regarding the loan, or regarding anything.
Oracle has acquired Israeli startup Ravello for $500 million and was confirmed Monday. Ravello Systems develop tools that run enterprise workloads in public cloud environments. With the said acquisition, Ravello will become a part of Oracle's cloud business that is hoping to take on Google, Amazon, IBM and Microsoft by allowing corporate users to rent computers, storage and networking.

Rami Tamir, Ravello CEO confirmed the takeover and in a statement said on the company's website that, "I am thrilled to share that Ravello Systems has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Oracle. The proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Upon closing of the transaction, our team will join the Oracle Public Cloud (OPC) organization and our products will become part of Oracle Cloud. We believe this agreement will accelerate our ability to reach more customers, deliver more value, and enhance our technology at an accelerated pace in order to better serve you," reports Arutz Sheva.

Business Insider has named Ravello as one of The 27 Hottest Israeli Startups of 2015. In Israel and US, Ravello had 70 workforce and 'thousands of active users' as of September. To date, the Israeli company had already raised $54 million in venture capital funding. It had partnerships with Google, VMware and Amazon to make it easy for companies to create 'dev\test' labs on their clouds.

Oracle is a little bit behind the cloud wars. It has been concentrating on introducing cloud versions of its famous business apps and just lately has a direct competition with Amazon. The company needs its own cloud and needs to stand out from the rivalry if it hopes to hinder other companies from directing to Amazon, according to Business Insider.

Ravello began in 2011 and was based in Palo, California which is not far from Redwood City where Oracle headquarters are situated. Its customers include Brocade, SUSE, Red Hat, Symantec, and Arista. Ravello's investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, Qualcomm Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Vintage Investment Partners, Sandisk Ventures, and Norwest Venture Partners, based on the Venture Beat report.

Although Oracle acquired Ravello, the latter's service will remain available from Oracle as it tries to increase its cloud business and takes on the likes of Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services.
The Australian government has approved the acquisition of Chinese firm Moon Lake Investments of Van Diemen's Land Company. It was sold for A$280 million and the foreign firm needs to comply with the Australian tax law. Breaching of the conditions may result in fines, prosecution and possible liquidation of the asset.

Treasurer Scott Morrison stated that the approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board will create 140 local jobs. Additionally, it will boost intended additional investment of more than A$100 million and anticipated additional 95 jobs.

"In forming my view I have carefully considered the national interest test and how it applies to this case, including the likely impact on local jobs and increased investment to support economic growth," he said.

He said that Moon Lake needs to conform to the Australian Taxation Office instructions and advise of any business deals with non-residents which could downgrade tax, according to The Australian.

Foreign acquisitions are delicate political matter in Australia, strongly disagreed by nationalistic politicians as they see it as a threat to food and water security at a time where global demand rises. China is usually an argument because many Chinese firms are state owned. Presently, China is the largest investor in Australia's agricultural sector.

Mr. Morrison informs that the sale approval of the Van Dieman's Land Co. to Moon Lake's Chinese businessman Lu Xianfeng comes with conditions that they should comply with the country's taxation policy.

"It will ensure increased employment and investment in an important industry sector in Tasmania, while the safeguards we have put in place will ensure they pay their tax," Morrison said in a statement. "Australia continues to welcome and support foreign investment that is not contrary to our national interests," reports MarketWatch.

Van Dieman Land Co. is an agricultural corporation in Tasmania. It was established in 1825 and in the same year, received a royal charter and was granted 250,000 acres. The firm consisted of London merchants who planned venturing in wool growing to supply demands in British textile industry, according to Wikipedia.

The new owner of Tasmania's biggest dairy wants to even more develop the assets' potential for long periods and to improve more of the VDL brand in both national and international markets. TFGA chief executive Peter Skillern cited that the acquisition was good news for the State and industry.
Airbus Group is being flooded with orders and needs to produce more planes because China needs them. Spring Air has placed an order of 60 Airbus A320neos having a list price of $6.3 billion last December. It wants additional aircraft more than it has ordered due to the increasing demand in a country designed to become the largest air travel and aerospace market in the world in 20 years.

For Airbus Group to meet the rising demand for orders, the aircraft maker set up a final assembly facility in Tianjin, near Beijing. Aside from making a monthly average of four A320 jets in China, Airbus plans a groundbreaking ceremony next week in Tianjin for a completion and delivery service for the A330 widebody jets. Spring Airlines Co. told Airbus to manufacture more planes as China needs them, reports Bloomberg.

"Airbus isn't producing fast enough," Stephen Wang, vice president of China's biggest budget airline, said in an interview in Singapore Tuesday. "There isn't overcapacity in China. For the Chinese aviation industry, there's still at least 10 golden years that is 10 years of big growth."

Spring Air is willing to get any deferred or cancelled orders from other airline companies. The Shanghai-based carrier is waiting for the delivery of 11 A320s from Airbus this year and there will be an addition of the same number of aircraft to its fleet yearly in the coming five years.

Because of the overwhelming demand for aircraft orders, Tom Williams, Airbus chief operating officer makes sure the jets get done. He needs to get the Airbus' latest A350 production fast enough, roll out an upgraded A330 version and increase the rate at which the Toulouse-based firm produces its best-selling A320 series. As of the moment, 40 of the airliners a month are introduced in Airbus' four assembly factories located in Toulouse, Tianjin in China, Hamburg and Mobile, Alabama, according to The Telegraph.

As Spring Air wants to become the first budget airline to fly to Pyongyang, North Korea, it has submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority of China an application. However, it is not expecting approval this year because of the rising tension that North Korea made regarding the conducted nuclear test, the Business Times reports.

Spring Air also plans of increasing flights to Southeast Asia, South Korea and Japan to meet the large demand of Chinese who are willing to travel. Airbus is already having double time to increase its production at a fast pace to deliver the ordered aircrafts on time as well as to cater to other orders from other airline company such as the Philippine Airlines which ordered 6 A350-900s.
The Chinese job market looked terribly gloomy once Quanton Data put together a complete picture of a deteriorating graph. The firm that focuses on data restructuring has compiled job postings of more than 100 different job boards catering to China.

The findings look pretty alarming when Erik Haines, founder and chief executive of Quanton, disclosed a snippet to Business Insider. The big picture, as per Haines is, "that both the number of large companies (1,000+ employees) that are posting and the overall number of postings by large companies significantly decreased across almost all sectors starting in November '15. Very telling as these companies manage their inventory."

Reportedly, the manufacturing sector in China hardly produced any manufacturing jobs, as indicated by the October Quanton data, according to Daily News. The situation became gloomier when January saw the China factory scene hit its all-time low.

A scene like this is definitely not good news for the 7.7 million graduates who are about to complete higher education this summer and step into the country's job market. A lot of candidates are forced to widen their job search instead of limiting the same to just their home towns. A 26-year old who had been looking for work in the medical field said, "First, I noticed that there were fewer jobs being offered by companies, while the jobs at hospitals I was interested in required at least a doctorate," he said. "What's more, the salary offered was lower than I expected. So I had to give up on Guangzhou and shift my attention to Beijing and Shanghai."

Zhang Jingxiu, executive director of a Beijing-based employment consultancy, commented on the downward economic pressures of the country adversely affecting the overall job market outlook. "Demand for talent shrank as the economy slowed. We have also noticed slow growth in salaries across different cities since the second half of 2015," said Zhang. "When we talk about college graduate employment, we are not talking about whether they can find jobs. The key point is whether the jobs are satisfactory."

Meanwhile, the market is about to get tougher for the local candidates with the government considering lifting the restrictions for international students studying in China. In the words of Wang Huiyao, director of the Center for China and Globalization, "International talents will help Chinese companies expand their business globally."' He added that "There is always a high demand for graduates with an international background," as per China Daily.

Zhongguancun, a high-tech hub in Beijing, might be the first location to place the overseas candidates, who might even be freshers from abroad. Previously, because of the cap, overseas students studying in China were unable to find jobs or even internships in the country immediately after graduation.
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Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

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Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

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An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

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Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

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Mexico is currently aiming to accelerate its fuel purchase in order to attract investment as well as to bring down the fuel prices for buyers, sources said quoting Enrique Pena Nieto, president of Mexico at HIS CERAWeek. As part of the purchase strategy, the nations' private oil companies will be importing diesel and gasoline from foreign producers for the first time in the history of the sector since 1938.

The president has been struggling hard to lure investment into the nation following a drop in crude prices that weakened his act to renovate the nation's fuel market. The falling production in Petroleos Mexicanos, the only government owned oil producer, failed to be in line with the growing fuel demand in Mexico.

According to the president, the gasoline purchase of private firms is a "decisive action" of the government to boost investment into Mexico and to enable robust competition in the sector within 2018. John Aures, Turner Mason & Co's executive vice president, said Bloomberg that the nation need to apply lenient price policies at the pump to encourage participation among private oil firms. He added that it will become hard for the nation to receive investment if the prices at the pump are controlled.

The president also announced the date for the auction of the country's deep water oil fields that is situated in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the auction deal, which is scheduled in December, private Mexican firms will bid to produce oil and boost the growth in the oil fields at the Mexican gulf region. However, the oil firms are less interested in the tender owing to the collapse in the energy prices worldwide. President Pena Nieto still wants to proceed with the auction, as reported in Reuters.

The government announced a tender offer worth $1.2 billion in the second quarter, enabling private firms to bid on the 372 miles transmission current line carrying hydroelectricity and wind generated electric power from the southern region to the mid region of Mexico. This tender ended the monopoly enjoyed by the government owned electricity firm Comision Federal de Electricidad.

Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects the worldwide crude prices to recover from the slump in 2017. Unless the OPEC nations reduce their energy production to boost global demand, there will not be any improvement in the crude prices in 2016, the agency noted. The IEA is hopeful that the energy supply will match the global demand within 2017. Earlier in 2014, the energy prices were more than $114 a barrel, but it significantly reduced to $35 a barrel in the current period owing mainly to rising oil production and poor demand from oil buyers like China, as reported in BIDNESS ETC.

The energy reform by the president of Mexico not only end the monopoly enjoyed by the public oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos but also regulate the energy prices at the local pump. This move will indirectly boost domestic fuel demand and strengthens private competition.
Overcapacity in Chinese industry may affect the domestic market and global economy in a more negative way than ever. Easily available loans and government subsidies are resulting in industrial overcapacity in the world's second largest economy. China needs more radical measures including greater privatization to streamline the domestic industry.

European Union Chamber of Commerce in China has come out with a new report on the domestic industry. The latest report has cautioned about the possible destructive effect of industrial overcapacity on the domestic front and global economy as well. Industrial overcapacity is reducing the government's ability to implement reform process.

A report by International Business Times observes the alarmingly increasing capacity in Chinese industry since the government started providing stimulus packages from the days of 2008 financial crisis. This overcapacity situation is creating a cut-throat competition in China's domestic market.



China's foreign trade with other countries is also undergoing immense pressure due to overcapacity in industry. After witnessing a major slump in exports during 2015, the Chinese government is planning to transform its economy into more competitive. The real estate and construction sectors are also recording slowdown.

In several industry verticals, China is registering overcapacity situation. Steel production in China is totally untethered from market demand. Over 60 percent of aluminum industry is suffering from negative cash flows. Adding to this, cement production capacity reached to the level of the US during entire 20th century, as reported by Daily Nation.



The dragon country is considering to wipe out unprofitable giants in steel, coal and other segments. Considering the protective measures by local governments, it's not that easy to get rid of unprofitable companies, observes the report. The Chamber has called for radical changes including greater privatization process to bring back the industrial activity to growth path.

South China Morning Post (SCMP) further adds that overcapacity in Chinese industry would complicate European Union (EU). For Europe, it'll be difficult to say 'Yes' in voting for granting 'Market Economy' status to China. The report forecasts more job losses in Europe in the days to come. A Western business lobby is holding a view that China has failed to achieve transformation by implementing economy reforms. Concerns in EU are growing that it was losing jobs to China.



Several regions and provinces in China have been competing and conflicting interests that hinder the uniform implementation of reform process. The report further stated that local governments are against closure of unprofitable smaller companies. Instead, they're encouraged to merge and expand further. Chinese steel production is more than double than the combined capacity of the US, Japan, India and Russia.
Starbucks has made some changes to its rewards program getting customers disappointed. Instead of rewarding customers based on the frequency of their visits, they will now be rewarded according to the money they spend on their orders. The new scheme will be implemented this April.

For the meantime, Starbucks customers will still earn 1 point for every visit. Having 12 points entitles a customer for a free drink or food item. On April, customers will receive 2 points for every dollar spent and a total of 125 points provide a free treat. Starbucks said the change in the rewards program is based on customer's feedback, naming it "#1 customer request" it got in accordance to the loyalty program, Mashable reports.

Currently, customers get gold status if in a year they earned 30 stars. It would be equivalent to a 30-time visit to Starbucks if you haven't any bonus points along the way. Gold members only get free food item or beverage after they earned 12 stars.

However, when the new rewards program starts, customers need to earn 300 stars or spend around $150 to reach the gold status. In addition, they need 125 stars more which is almost equivalent to spending additional $63 to exchange for a free item. CNNMoney reports that customers who spend $5 for every visit will take advantage because they will still reach the gold status in almost 30 visits to Starbucks.

A Starbucks spokeswoman informed CNNMoney that the company knows of the reactions on social media and is "always listening to customer feedback."

Starbucks Rewards program customers were sent email on Monday regarding the outlined changes. Here's what the email says: "In April, we're launching a new Starbucks Rewards program to reflect the #1 request we heard from members: more Stars awarded based on what you buy, no matter how often you visit." It was signed by Aimee Johnson, Starbucks Rewards senior vice president, according to the Sun Times Network.

The plan comes as Starbucks has been aspiring to get more customers signed up to the My Starbucks Rewards program. The change only applies to Canada, U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Fenox Venture Capital, a San Jose based investment firm, has been ordered to pay back-wages and damages of $331,269 to 56 mislabeled interns. The US Department of Labor has served the order on Monday after detection of the non-payment issue.

The 56 workers have rendered high level services to Fenox including screening startups for potential investment, sending reports to investors in Japan and recruiting potential staff. They have served the San Jose firm during the period from September, 2011 to September, 2014.

The workers have reportedly discharged duties of regular employees and staffed the majority of the firm's investment team. But they have been treated as interns and not paid for their works, reports Siliconbeat citing a release from the Department of Labor as the source.
Big data analytic platform Qubit announced its a Series C funding of $40 million on Monday. Goldman Sachs was leading the funding for the London-based company.

The company provides product suite to collect and process large data sets. In order to improve online profitability through machine learning, statistical analysis and high performance computing. Its customers are varied from e-commerce companies, publishers and other lead generation businesses.

So far, the company has around 300 customers around the world with a global brands such as Topshop, Jimmy Choo, Emirates, DFS and Thomas Cook. The company claims to manage a 2.5 billion online customer interactions on a daily basis, and it will see a cash-flow break-even in the next 18 months.

Founded in 2010 by quartet of former Google's executives Graham Cooke, Daniel Shellard, Ian McCaig and Emre Baran. The company was listed as one of the most innovative startups in the UK in Bloomberg's Business Innovator List 2016. Its data analytics and intelligence tools enable its clients to build personalised website features.

Its tools allow company to keep update of its customers' changing expectation, as co-founder and CEO Graham Cooke told Tech Crunch, "When I started at Google at 2005 the amount of conversions that were one-click purchases was huge." Former Googlers also added the solution his company provides, "Click on a Google ad, go to the website, make the purchase and you're done. But now, without a doubt, it's harder. People are on a lot of different devices, sometimes five or six, and they are on a longer journey of discovery where they may have heard about you and just want to look a little closer."

On Monday, Qubit announced its Series C investement led by Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division. The company's previous investors Accel and Salesforce Ventures also participated in the investment, along with Sapphire Ventures. Following the investment, Goldman Sachs in Europe will join Qubit's board and named David Reis to represent the American multinational investment banking in the board.

Regarding Goldman Sachs involvement in Qubit, David Reis told PE Hub Network, "We're delighted to be a part of the Qubit story and we share its belief that the next era of commerce requires a flexible platform capable of delivering differentiated customer experience."

CEO Graham Cooke welcome David Reiss on board as quoted by Startups, "We're delighted to welcome Goldman Sachs into the Qubit family and David Reis onto our board of directors. We're also excited to have the support of Sapphire Ventures, whose significant experience scaling companies internationally and extensive connections within the enterprise ecosystem will be valuable assets to our growth."

With its new round of investment, Qubit will double its its engineering capability. As for now, the company has received a total of $76 million investment.
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By Wendy Leung of the Ventura County Star

Land use and other regulations concerning certain kinds of drug abuse treatment facilities will be discussed by the Thousand Oaks City Council on Tuesday.

The city doesn't have zoning and permitting requirements for large treatment facilities. If the council approves the proposal passed by the Planning Commission last month, such facilities would be able to operate with a special permit in land use zones designated as public, commercial office, rural and hillside development.

Community Development Director John Prescott said there are no pending applications for such a facility prompting the city to consider its municipal code.

"It was just a realization we needed something in the books," Prescott said.

Facilities that offer detox and therapy sessions on alcohol and drug recovery are regulated by the California Department of Health Care Services. But the state considers facilities with six beds or fewer different from the larger facilities.

Assistant City Attorney Patrick Hehir said when a small facility begins operation, it must obtain a state license but is not required to contact the city.

"As far as facilities with six beds or less, the state has mandated that any city or agency must treat it as a single-family use," Hehir said.

Although cities must treat a small drug treatment facility the same as an ordinary residence, local agencies have the ability to set special zoning requirements for facilities with seven beds or more.

If the council approves the proposal, larger drug treatment facilities would be permitted in four designated land use zone with a special permit. The permitting process allows the city to establish parking requirements and separation distance between similar treatment facilities.

When the matter was considered in January, a group of residents told the Planning Commission that drug treatment centers of any size causes a nuisance in the neighborhood. They said noise and parking are some of the problems that come with having treatment centers as neighbors.

Hehir said the city is limited in how it handles issues of smaller facilities and sober living homes, which do not provide treatment programs. The city can cite these facilities for public nuisance as it would any other single-family home that violates a city code, but it couldn't require parking limits or other restrictions that would single out the facility.

The meeting begins 6 p.m. at the council chambers at 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.
STAR FILE PHOTO The aftermath of the Feb. 24, 2015 deadly Metrolink crash in Oxnard.

By Mike Harris of the Ventura County Star

A year after the Metrolink crash in Oxnard that killed the engineer and injured 34 passengers and crew members, the rail agency is still awaiting the results of the National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the accident.

The findings as to why the commuter train derailed on Feb. 24, 2015 could help Metrolink institute new safety measures beyond the one it has already taken in the wake of the collision  adding second locomotives to all its lines.

"We'll look at what the NTSB finds and our board will take whatever action it can to make our trains as safe as possible for our passengers," Metrolink spokeswoman Sherita Coffelt said last week. "We'll be able to determine if we need to make modifications on any of our current cars.

"But we have to wait on their report before we can really understand what happened and what we can do to prevent these things in the future," she said.

The train slammed into a truck abandoned on the tracks near a crossing at Fifth Street and Rice Avenue about 5:40 a.m., flipping three of its five cars onto their sides.

Among the 35 people injured was engineer Glenn Steele, 62, who died a week later.

On Monday, following a nearly one-year criminal investigation conducted primarily by the Oxnard Police Department, the driver of the truck, Jose Alejandro Sanchez-Ramirez, 64, was charged by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office with vehicular manslaughter, a misdemeanor.

Sanchez-Ramirez, of Yuma, Arizona, who remains free from custody, is scheduled to be arraigned March 23. If convicted, he faces up to a year in county jail.

A NTSB preliminary report released in March found Sanchez-Ramirez had intended to turn right at the Fifth Street intersection but turned instead onto the tracks, where he got stuck and left the vehicle.

Terry Williams, a spokesman for the NTSB in Washington, D.C., said Monday that the agency has yet to release its final report.

Metrolink board member Keith Millhouse, a Moorpark city councilman, said NTSB investigations usually take about 18 months to complete.

SECOND LOCOMOTIVES



Millhouse said Metrolink's board has been proactive since the crash, not waiting for the NTSB findings to add the second locomotives as a temporary safety measure.

"When we learn of things, we try to implement fixes and not wait around or drag our feet," he said. "That highlights our commitment to safety."

The board in October approved a $23.9 million agreement to lease 40 locomotives for one year from Texas-based Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co.

The second locomotives are being added out of an abundance of caution until possible safety concerns about Metrolink's much-touted crash-resistant cab cars built by South Korea's Hyundai Rotem are resolved, the railroad said in September. The potential concerns were raised in a Metrolink internal review after the Oxnard crash.

The second locomotives will be positioned in front of all Metrolink cab cars while the NTSB answers questions about what role, if any, the Oxnard cab car played in the derailment, the railroad said.

About 10 have been added so far. Metrolink is aiming to add the remaining 30 by the end of February or early March, Coffelt said.

NEW TECHNOLOGY



Millhouse said a new safety technology Metrolink is looking at in the wake of the crash is an advance warning system at grade crossings. It is being developed by a former Conejo Valley-based company, EViews Safety Systems, in partnership with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. The company is now based in Florida, though founder Jim Davidson continues to help run it from Westlake Village.

Using sensors at grade crossings and a communications transponder in the train's cab, the technology would alert engineers to stationary objects on the tracks ahead of the train, enabling them to brake.

Davidson said it would have prevented the Oxnard crash.

"It could be a great solution," he said. "It could save a lot of lives."

With the help of Millhouse and Darren Kettle, the executive director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, Davidson is in talks with Metrolink officials about testing the technology.

"We would be the first railroad in the nation to use it," said Millhouse, who also sits on the transportation commission board.

Millhouse said the technology would compliment Metrolink's positive train control, which uses global positioning technology to override manual control of the trains to prevent crashes with other trains.

"It would kind of fill in a gap that positive train control doesn't address," he said.

Positive train control wasn't in place on the Ventura County line at the time of the Oxnard crash, but wouldn't have prevented it anyway since it is not designed to avert collisions between trains and motor vehicles.

RICE AVENUE BRIDGE



Kettle said something else that would have prevented the crash is a long-planned bridge that would lift Rice Avenue over the railroad tracks at Fifth Street, separating rail and vehicular traffic.

"That truck would not have made a wrong turn onto the tracks" if the bridge was there, he said.

But it's an expensive proposition with a $45 million price tag.

Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Westlake Village, this month announced a $1.5 million Department of Transportation grant has been secured to go toward the design of the bridge.

Kettle said a Ventura County half-cent transportation sales tax would provide about $8 million in local matching funds to potentially obtain enough federal dollars to construct the bridge.

County voters rejected such a tax in 2004, but buoyed by encouraging polling of likely voters last year, the commission is considering placing a new one on the November ballot.

In a letter to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors a month after the crash, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D- Ca., urged the board to "identify local sources of revenue and funding that the county can use to fund rail crossing safety improvements so that the tragedy that occurred in Oxnard will never be repeated."

Millhouse said the crash was devastating not only to the victims and their families, but also to Metrolink.

It was the first death of a Metrolink crew member or passenger since the Sept. 12, 2008 collision between a Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train in Chatsworth that killed 25 people, including 21 from Ventura County, he said. The NTSB concluded that the crash was caused by the Metrolink engineer, who was distracted sending text messages.

"It was very sad to have protected people for so long and then to have the crash in Oxnard happen," Millhouse said. "Property damage can always be replaced, but to lose a member of the family  and I always consider our riders and our crew family  is the most difficult part of all this. It was a tough day."
MIKE HARRIS/THE STAR In a sometimes raucous, unruly hearing, a divided Simi Valley City Council on Monday night introduced an ordinance to ban personal cultivation of medical marijuana.

By Mike Harris of the Ventura County Star

Despite impassioned, sometimes angry pleas from medical marijuana advocates to allow personal cultivation of the plant, a divided Simi Valley City Council this week took the first step to ban it.

The council introduced an ordinance after about 25 speakers implored it in a sometimes raucous, unruly hearing not to criminalize personal cultivation. Many of them were medical marijuana users who spoke of the healing powers of cannabis.

"This is insane," said Zachary Kelley, 21, who identified himself as a parolee who uses medical marijuana for kidney disease. "I grow three plants. Are you guys going to kick in my door for three plants? Please reverse this ban."

The audience erupted in applause, as it did for each speaker. At points during the hearing, Mayor Bob Huber admonished some audience members for using profanity and for shouting out comments.

"You people are dealing with people's lives," Jonathan Beck, 71, who said he is not a user, told the council. "You should be ashamed of yourselves."

Beck asked the council if any of them had ever smoked marijuana. None of the council members raised their hands.

Under California Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 that was approved by 56 percent of statewide voters, cities cannot prohibit residents from using medical marijuana if they have a serious health condition and a physician's recommendation.

But the courts have that cities can ban personal cultivation, even though it is permitted under the state health and safety code. Most other cities in Ventura County are also banning personal cultivation. It is allowed in Moorpark, Ventura and unincorporated areas.

Simi Valley's proposed ordinance would also formalize existing prohibitions on commercial medical marijuana activities in the city, including dispensaries. But it would allow qualified patients and their primary caregivers to transport medical marijuana from say, legal dispensaries in the nearby San Fernando Valley.

Simi Valley resident John Kiedaisch gave the council a petition on behalf of the Simi Valley Medical Marijuana Alliance signed by 469 people in support of allowing personal cultivation.

But a majority of the council  Huber and Councilmen Keith Mashburn and Glen Becerra  said they supported a ban. Council members Mike Judge and Steve Sojka said they did not.

Huber said that while he believes marijuana has some medical benefits, "it is a gateway drug" to harder drugs such as heroin, which Simi Valley, like many other cities, has struggled with.

Audience members mockingly laughed at his comment.

"Like it or not, that's how I feel," Huber shot back, adding that constituents who contacted him on the issue overwhelmingly favored the ban.

But Judge, a Los Angeles police officer, said the city was overreaching.

"Your medical problems shouldn't be our business," he told the audience. "So I do support personal cultivation."

In January, the council initially supported allowing personal cultivation by qualified patients, but two weeks later changed its mind. At the time, it was under a March 1 deadline to adopt an ordinance pursuant to a new state law, the California Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act.

The state on Feb. 3 dropped the deadline, prompting audience members on Monday night to urge the council to take more time to consider the personal cultivation issue. But the council decided to introduce the ordinance anyway. It will consider adopting the measure March 14.

As it became apparent that the council was going forward with the ordinance, some of the medical marijuana advocates stormed out of the chambers.
ROB VARELA/THE STAR Rio Real Middle School sixth-grader Adrianna Esparza (center) listens intently as La Tanisha C. Wright, a tobacco marketing executive turned anti-smoking advocate, speaks to Ventura County middle school students at the 18th Annual Teens Kick Ash Youth Tobacco-Free Advocacy Conference at the Ventura County Office of Education conference center in Camarillo on Monday.

SHARE ROB VARELA/THE STAR La Tanisha C. Wright, a former big tobacco marketing executive turned anti-smoking advocate speaks to Ventura County middle school students at the 18th Annual Teens Kick Ash Youth Tobacco-Free Advocacy Conference at the Ventura County Office of Education Conference and Educational Services Center in Camarillo Monday. ROB VARELA/THE STAR Rio Vista Middle School eighth grader Lindsey Colon takes notes as La Tanisha C. Wright, a former big tobacco marketing executive turned anti-smoking advocate speaks to Ventura County middle school students at the 18th Annual Teens Kick Ash Youth Tobacco-Free Advocacy Conference at the Ventura County Office of Education Conference and Educational Services Center in Camarillo Monday. ROB VARELA/THE STAR Juan Soria Elementary School seventh grader Shelby Jackson listens as La Tanisha C. Wright, a former big tobacco marketing executive turned anti-smoking advocate, answers her question "Why aren't cigarrettes illegal," as Wright speaks to Ventura County middle school students at the 18th Annual Teens Kick Ash Youth Tobacco-Free Advocacy Conference at the Ventura County Office of Education Conference and Educational Services Center in Camarillo Monday. ROB VARELA/THE STAR La Tanisha C. Wright, a former big tobacco marketing executive turned anti-smoking advocate speaks to Ventura County middle school students at the 18th Annual Teens Kick Ash Youth Tobacco-Free Advocacy Conference at the Ventura County Office of Education Conference and Educational Services Center in Camarillo Monday.

By Anne Kallas, Special to The Star

About 375 students in Ventura County are being taught this week how tobacco companies target their products to young people and how teens can fight back with their own anti-tobacco messages.

Nearly 180 middle schoolers attended the 18th annual Teens Kick Ash presentation Monday at the Ventura County Office of Education in Camarillo. About 200 high schoolers will attend Tuesday.

The students listen to speeches about tobacco use, then create their own videos, public service announcements or art projects denouncing tobacco.

"We try to have activities that engage them so they can go back to school and create outcome projects of their own," said Kelly Lara, prevention coordinator for the education office's six-person Comprehensive Health and Prevention Programs.

She said the messages are crafted toward the two different age groups.

"They are all equally receptive," Lara said of the students, "but the way they learn can have different relevance at every age. We work to make sure they all find meaning."

The featured speaker both days is La Tanisha Wright, who once had a career as a marketing expert for a tobacco company but has since become an anti-tobacco activist. According to her biography, her testimony led to a $1.5 million fine against R.J. Reynolds for predatory tobacco retail marketing.

On Monday, Wright showed 178 students from 21 schools how packaging is used to make tobacco products appealing to a specific age or ethnic group  from a Hello Kitty vape pen to cigarette packaging that looks like graffiti.

"Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs known, and it's also a poison," Wright said. "I think you guys can see how a child would look at a Hello Kitty pen and take it apart so they could get to a lethal dose of nicotine."

As Wright spoke, students were asked to fill out a quiz sheet outlining the dangers of tobacco in cigarette, chew or vape-pen form.

After the presentation, students asked Wright why she stayed on the job, even after realizing the harm she was doing marketing cigarettes to young people in the Detroit area.

Wright was honest about her reasons.

"I felt good about the money," she said. "They target young people and black people with new company cars and bonuses. But when I went to quit, they explained that the $5,500 signing bonus I received when I first started working there meant I couldn't leave.

"Big tobacco will not treat their people fairly," she added, "and a company that will mistreat their employees will mistreat other people."

Israel Lozano, who attends Lemonwood School in Oxnard, asked Wright the best way to confront a loved one about tobacco use.

Wright noted that the best way to tell someone about concerns is with love.

Israel said he worries about his older sister.

"First of all, tobacco is very dangerous," he said. "I tell my sister that I don't like it, and she understands. But I think this helps me get better information to give her."
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/MICHAEL SMITH A gray whale spotted off the coast.

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By Cheri Carlson of the Ventura County Star

Volunteers stood high on the Goleta coast last week, searching the water for an arched mottled-gray back or burst of spray.

It was the first week of the year's gray whale count, and teams already have spotted 84.

That's double the count from the same week in 2015. But Michael Smith, project coordinator of the nonprofit Gray Whales Count, said not to read too much into the numbers yet.

"The (whales) go 24/7, so we're taking a sample. Next week, we may have lower numbers," he said.

For the past 12 years, Smith and teams of volunteers have spent day after day from February to May on an overlook at Coal Oil Point Reserve.

Volunteers with Gray Whales Count in 2015.

They watch as gray whales make their way back north after spending the winter in lagoons off the coast of Mexico.

Close to 20,000 gray whales make the annual migration past Ventura County  one of the longest of any mammal.

Island Packers video via YouTube

Each fall, the whales head south from Arctic waters, where they spend summers feeding. Then, starting about mid-February, they turn around and head back.

In the first wave of the northbound trip, from mid-February through March, adults and juveniles pass by. A second wave consists of cows and months-old calves and lasts through late May.

The best time to see cows and their calves, which swim together closest to shore, is April and May. The last calf generally is spotted off the Ventura County coast in late May.

Photo of a gray whale and calf off the California coast.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also counts the whales on the northbound migration, estimating the number of calves born in the lagoons.

The counts help researchers monitor the species, which was taken off the federal list of endangered and threatened species in 1994.

To watch for gray whales, find a relatively high spot along the coast. In Ventura County, Sycamore Canyon can be a good spot, Smith said.

Gray whales don't have a dorsal fin but do have a distinctive mottled gray and white color.

Not really big as far as whales go, the gray whale weighs up to 99,000 pounds, according to NOAA. A blue whale can weigh up to 330,000 pounds.

To get involved in the count or keep track of the numbers, go to http://www.graywhalescount.org.


One of the original Tuskegee Airmen and Congressional Gold Medal Recipient Don E. Elder visited The Mike Hammer Show along with playwright, author and historian, C.B. Rice (Pictured: Don E. Elder, Mike Hammer and C.B. Rice  Photo credit: Doc Ajay Johnson).

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first group of African-American military pilots who fought in World War II. Don E. Elder was part of the 99th Fighter Squadron which was sent to North Africa in April 1943 for combat duty.

I am very excited to have had such an amazing person, such as Mr. Elder visit my show, said Mike. I wanted to give him this recognition in honor of Black History Month. This man is a part of history and it was so great speaking to him after the show.


Frankies Tiki Room, along with owner P Moss and artist Dirk Vermin, hosted a Bearded Clam Party to celebrate the introduction of the second series White Bearded Clam tiki mug on Wednesday, March 25.

Guests and collectors gathered to bid farewell and purchase the final remaining first series Brown Bearded Clam mugs.

Additionally, they had a first-look at the new White Bearded Clam signature mug and met Dirk Vermin, the creative genius behind the original artwork and design.

The Brown Bearded Clam mug is a limited edition tiki masterpiece and is one of the eight original Frankies Tiki Room collectable mugs that were introduced when the bar first opened in December 2008. Guests may purchase a set of eight Frankies Tiki Room signature mugs for $99, or individually for $15.

Frankies Tiki Room, open around the clock, invites guests to experience the one-of-a-kind tiki environment complemented by traditional carvings, original Polynesian art, a full bar and gaming.

Distant from the glitz and glamour yet central enough for out-of-towners and residents Valley-wide, Frankies provides a perfect paradise retreat from the everyday hustle and bustle of Sin City.

Every element from the authenticity of the bar, the variety of original exotic drinks like the Thurston Howl, Lava Letch and the Fink Bomb in addition to collectible souvenir mugs, tiki statues and handcrafted artwork, were carefully selected to harmonize the overall atmosphere.
Vietnams digital economy has seen significant growth over the last decade and is expected to be valued at US$57 billion by 2025. The countrys digital...
Episode 339 of Ill Drink to That! was released recently. It features Adrian Bridge, the Chief Executive Officer of The Fladgate Partnership, overseeing the Port brands Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca, and Croft from the Douro Valley in Portugal.

Adrian Bridge oversees three Port brands  Taylor, Fonseca, and Croft  that together comprise one third of what we think of as Port. One third. That is really quite something when you think about it, and there are few comparable operations anywhere in the world, really. No company in Germany, for instance, controls one third of German Riesling. So who is Adrian and how did it happen that the company he directs, The Fladgate Partnership, became so influential in the Port wine sector? In answering those questions, Adrian clearly has a firm grasp on the details of what came before his tenure at the company. He demonstrates an admirable amount of knowledge about the history involved. Hearing him talk thoroughly about the backstory of a brand, bringing in so many divergent details, paints an in-depth portrait of the Port wine market in general, and there are numerous moments in this interview where you may hear something you had no inkling of before. From what Adrian says, the Port wine scene today may be more dynamic than might be supposed, and if you were wondering about where things stand for that market this is an important conversation to hear.

This episode includes a Warm Up from Erin about Charles II and Portuguese Wine.

Listen to the stream above, or check it out in iTunes.

Ill Drink to That is the worlds most listened-to wine podcast, hosted by Levi Dalton. Levi has had a long career working as a sommelier in some of the most distinguished and acclaimed dining rooms in America. He has served wine to guests of Restaurant Daniel, Masa, and Alto, all in Manhattan. Levi has also contributed articles on wine themes to publications such as The Art of Eating, Wine & Spirits magazine, Bon Appetit online, and Eater NY. Check out his pictures on Instagram and follow him on Twitter: @levi_opens_wine
Prime Minister David Cameron warns that Britain would still have to negotiate trade ties with the EU if it left the bloc and that a departure would give an "illusion of sovereignty" AFP/Niklas Halle'n

LONDON: Prime Minister David Cameron will seek Monday (Feb 22) to persuade lawmakers that Britain's future lies in the European Union, as he squares up for a referendum fight against charismatic London mayor Boris Johnson.

The Conservative leader will present to parliament the reforms secured at an EU summit in Brussels last week which he argues give Britain "special status" and are enough reason to vote to stay in the 28-member bloc in a June 23 referendum.

But he is facing a major challenge in Johnson, a Conservative rival who manages to reach across the political divide and is tipped as a future prime minister.

Johnson electrified the political landscape on Sunday by throwing his weight behind the campaign for a so-called "Brexit", which until then had been marred by in-fighting and a lack of leadership.

"Cameron's worst fear," the right-wing Daily Telegraph said of Johnson's declaration, while the left-leaning Daily Mirror said it was a "Dagger in Cam's heart".

Five cabinet ministers have already declared themselves in favour of the "Leave" campaign and reports suggest around a third of Cameron's 330 lawmakers could back a "Brexit".

Britain, which first joined the then European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973, has long had strained relations with the bloc, opting out of key projects including the euro and the Schengen passport-free zone.

Any departure would pose a major headache for the European Union, already grappling with its biggest migration crisis since World War II. The June referendum will be Britain's second on European membership in just over 30 years after voters in 1975 backed membership of the then EEC by just over 67 per cent.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon sought to play down the impact of Johnson's defection.

"Obviously you would have liked more support from Boris but he has taken his individual view," Fallon told BBC radio. As well as being mayor, Johnson is a member of parliament and is expected to attend the House of Commons debate which begins at 1530 GMT - and where sparks could fly.

MAJOR ASSET

In a column for the Daily Telegraph, Johnson said the EU project had "morphed and grown in such a way as to be unrecognisable" and insisted there was nothing xenophobic about wanting to go it alone.

"We are seeing a slow and invisible process of legal colonisation, as the EU infiltrates just about every area of public policy," he said, adding that the referendum was a one-in-a-lifetime chance to change Britain's relations with Europe.

"There is only one way to get the change we need, and that is to vote to go, because all EU history shows that they only really listen to a population when it says No."

Johnson's intervention adds credibility to the "Leave" campaign, which includes figures as diverse as anti-immigration UK Independent Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage and maverick far-left former lawmaker George Galloway.

But analysts warned against exaggerating Johnson's influence and said his decision was partly driven by his ambitions to one day lead the Conservative party.

"Cameron is a major asset for the Remain camp," said Matthew Goodwin, politics professor at the University of Kent.

He said Cameron still had all senior cabinet ministers on his side, including the finance, defence, foreign and interior ministers. He also has the backing of three former prime ministers, the City of London, Europe's biggest financial hub, and the main centre-left opposition Labour Party.

"Boris Johnson is an important figure but on his own there's very little evidence that he can change the overall result," Goodwin told AFP.

Anand Menon, a European politics professor at King's College London, added: "If David Cameron and (finance minister) George Osborne decide to play hardball and to really go for Boris's record then the tone will change and things will get nasty.

"If they manage to keep it at a certain level of politeness then things will be very different."

STERLING WEAKENS

Cameron has defended his Brussels renegotiation by warning the country would lose power if it left the EU.

"Yes, of course if Britain were to leave the EU that might give you a feeling of sovereignty but you've got to ask yourself 'is it real?'," he said.

A Survation/Mail on Sunday poll, the first since the Brussels deal, found 48 percent of Britons did not want to leave the EU, 33 per cent did and 19 per cent were undecided.

The pound weakened on Monday as Johnson's move compounded uncertainty about the referendum outcome. It weakened to US$1.4173 compared to US$1.4392 at the close of trading on Friday, and from 78.03 pence to the euro from 77.35 pence.

"For sterling, this won't be a fun time," commented Simon Smith, chief economist at FxPro.
The southern province of Dong Nai is attracting real estate investors again, with many buying lands in attractive locations. - Photo cafef.vn

Tecco, which built the Green Nest and Tecco Tower in HCM City is one of them.

"Tecco has moved to the central province of Thanh Hoa, an emerging market with many incentives to boost the real estate market," Nguyen The Manh, chairman of Tecco, told Thoi Bao Kinh Te Sai Gon (Sai Gon Times) newspaper.

Earlier HUD Corporation, which developed many projects in Ha Noi like Greenlife Tower and Newskyline, had moved into Thanh Hoa, but FLC, another major Ha Noi developer, is the biggest investor in the province with its VND5.5 trillion (USVND5,587,125 million) FLC Sam Son project.

Vingroup, the country's biggest developer, has also invested in the province.

For many developers, Thanh Hoa's attraction is partly due to its Party Committee Secretary Trinh Van Chien's determination to develop the local property market.

Nghi Son Economic Zone with its under-construction Nghi Son Oil Refinery is another magnet for developers.

Thanh Hoa has attracted the biggest investment of Japanese projects  12 with a combined investment of VND116,212 billion.

The southern province of Dong Nai is attracting real estate investors again, with many buying lands in attractive locations.

Soon after the HCM City  Long Thanh  Dau Giay highway opened to traffic, Dat Xanh Corporation, which has developed a slew of projects in HCM City, unveiled its Gold Hill project on an area of 27 ha at a price of VND300 million (VND231,306,975) for each land plot.

It also has other projects in Dong Nai like Viva City and Sakura Valley.

Besides, it is preparing to launch projects on Phu Quoc Island and the central Quang Nam Province.

In Long An, another southern province, major developers like Phuc Khang, Nam Long, Tan Tao and Dong Tam corporations have begun to pour money and competition is likely to become fierce soon.

"Provincial real estate markets have their own potential if investors know what the strong points of the market are," Nguyen Tran Nam, chairman of the Viet Nam Real Estate Market Association, said referring to the trend.

"This is also time for strong investors with financial and management capabilities to enter the market."


Pham Hoang Hai - executive director of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam

According to chief of the Italian Trade Commission in Vietnam Bruna Santarellis opinion at the press conference on February 17 in Ho Chi Minh City, many Italian businesses have had plans to relocate traditional production bases in general and China in particular. Why do Italian enterprises choose Vietnam as an investment destination after departing from their traditional production bases in general and China in particular?

Italian enterprises consider Vietnam a new bright spot in Southeast Asia for numerous reasons. The majority of Italian enterprises have investments in North America, the Americas, and Southern Europe, as well as Asia. However, labour costs in these regions are increasing fast, forcing Italian enterprises to seek new investment destinations.

Vietnam has a competitive edge on many of its Asian competitors, including Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, due to its political stability and macroeconomic development, as well as advantages in infrastructure.

Besides, Vietnam is currently proving its wholehearted commitment to international integration through participating in numerous free trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). Furthermore, Vietnam has advantages in geographical location, human resources, fast economic growth, and the abundance of subsidies and incentives on offer.

Furthermore, the domestic market, with a population of around 90 million, presents a great opportunity for foreign producers in general and Italian enterprises in particular to increase their sales.

Which are the major sectors attracting Italian investment?

Italian enterprises are strong in the mechanical-engineering sector, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing medical equipment and agricultural machinery, as well as garment and textile. It follows that these sectors are the most likely to lure Italian investments.

93 per cent of Italian enterprises are small and medium-sized, with high specialisation and productivity. For example, in Emilia Romagna province, despite the low population of only 4.5 million, there are approximately 500,000 enterprises operating in the mechanical-engineering sector, housing famous brands, such as Ducati, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, and Pagani Zonda.

Thus, Italian enterprises relocation of their operations to Vietnam will open opportunities for technology transfer and the sharing of experiences, as well as enhancing the specialisation of Vietnamese enterprises.

Italian investment in Vietnam is currently low, currently ranking the 31st amongst foreign investors in Vietnam. What should Vietnam do to attract more investment capital from Italian enterprises?



According to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA)s statistics, as of December 20, 2015, Italian enterprises invested a total capital sum of $340.2 million in 67 projects. 47 among these are wholly-owned by Italian firms and the remaining 20 are joint-venture projects.

The investment inflow to Vietnam is still not commensurate to the two countries potentials, because Italian enterprises lack information about Vietnam. Furthermore, Vietnams supporting industry has yet to meet the demands of foreign enterprises in general and Italian companies in particular.



Almost all Vietnamese enterprises have little to show in terms of management capacity and, as a result, their products cannot meet our demands, especially when factoring in delivery time and precision.

Thus, the Vietnamese government should issue policies to stimulate the development of the supporting industries, focusing on some key sectors. Vietnamese enterprises should also take measures to their hands and be proactive in enhancing their management capacities.

The two countries must organise more business-to-business trading events to create opportunities for the two countries enterprises to understand and share information as well as explore the challenges and issues of the co-operation process.
Photo : nasa.gov

The US space agency had already pushed back the launch by a day to Tuesday.

If technicians are able to finish their repairs as planned, Discovery and its six American astronauts will now launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 3:52 pm (1952 GMT) Wednesday, NASA test director Jeff Spaulding said.

The flight to the orbiting International Space Station is the fourth and final shuttle flight of the year, and the last scheduled for Discovery, the oldest in the three-shuttle fleet that is being retired in 2011.
Aesha Duval, left, receives an Educational Program Grant from Rotary Club of St. Croix Mid-Isle President Kim DeLine for the Story Room Project at Ricardo Richards Elementary School.
Antonin Scalia

m Oct. 31, 2005 file photo, Associate Justice Antonin Scalia joins the members of the Supreme Court for photos during a group portrait session, at the Supreme Court Building in Washington. On Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed that Scalia has died at the age of 79. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Health officials in Kandal province have set up a blood-testing campaign in Mok Kampoul district, after 14 villagers there were reportedly found HIV positive.

The discovery raises the specter of a mass HIV outbreak similar to one in Battambang province, far to the north, in 2014. Health officials say for now they are skeptical of reports and are testing for more data.

Ouk Sitha, director of the program to combat HIV and STDs in Kandal, said more testing was needed before the results could be confirmed. A working group is setting up blood tests and will seek to learn the infection history of people who test positive, he said.

The Battambang outbreak, in Rorka village, Sangker district, was traced back to an unlicensed clinic whose doctor was reusing intravenous needles to treat patients. More than 280 people were found HIV positive in a small cluster of villagers in that outbreak.

Ouk Sitha said in Kandal provinces Sambuor Meas commune, 279 people were tested Tuesday and four were found HIV positive, adding to 10 already reported positive. I dont think its like the case in Rorka village, he said.

Among those who tested positive for HIV was Bou Ket, 67, a widow from Peam village. We feel ashamed, she said. We dont deserve to have this kind of disease at this old age.

Nem Yang, Sambuor Meas commune chief, said she was shocked to have 14 people test positive for the virus. It remains unclear how they contracted it, she said.

Villager Thoeun Chandara told VOA Khmer he had taken a blood test after learning the number of people already found positive. All villagers should do the same and seek treatment if they are found positive, he said. Its better to know whether we have the disease or not, in order to prepare for treatment, he said.

The prospect of another outbreak is a setback to Cambodias efforts to combat HIV and AIDS, which had progressed well in recent years, coming down from prevalence rate of 2.6 percent in 2002 to 1.8 percent in 2015.
Cambodian finance officials say they are now more closely studying membership into the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership, a regional trade pact that seeks to boost economic ties across the region.

Vongsey Visoth, secretary of state of the Ministry of Finance and Economy, told investors and others at a local forum last week that Cambodia could not afford to ignore the possibility, due to its benefits to the economy, even though Cambodia is already negotiating with China to enter the Regional Economic Comprehensive Partnership.

The study of the TPP comes following talks between ASEAN leaders, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, and US President Barack Obama, in California last week.

Vongsey Visoth said countries who have signed onto the deal have not been ratified through US Congress. Nevertheless, those countries should start working together to build compatible regulations with other TPP members, including on intellectual property and other regulations, he said. ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam have signed onto the TPP.

Chap Sothavrith, senior researcher at the Cambodia Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said Cambodia cold benefit greatly from the TPP, whose potential members would cover 40 percent of the worlds GDP. Cambodia need not worry about debt obligations to China as an impediment to joining the TPP, he said. The debt is manageable and the deal has its own criteria, he said.

Cambodia has a foreign debt load of $5.9 billion, according to government figures, about 45 percent of which are owed to China.

Ou Virak, head of the think tank Future Forum, said Cambodia should not worry about Chinese aid in considering joining the TPP. In fact, the US-led pact would help Cambodia cut its reliance on China, he said. If its affected, its affected, he said. But if we are just afraid of being affected and dont dare move well still be begging for money from China.

The TPP could force some conditions on Cambodia, however, he said, such as improving workers rights and adjusting protections for businesses and the environment. Being a part of the deal could force the government to make necessary reforms which can be beneficial to us, he added. 
A memorial procession on Saturday for murdered Russian opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov, will trace the same route as his last march - a 2014 protest against Russia's hybrid war in Ukraine.

Critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin are marking one year since the assassination of Nemtsov, who was shot in the back while crossing a bridge near the Kremlin.

Russian authorities say the investigation into Nemtsov's killing is complete, but his supporters say otherwise.

The assassination of Nemtsov is not solved, said Mikhail Kasyanov, a former Russian prime minister and leader of the opposition Parnas Party. Only the perpetrators were found, not the paymasters and the organizers of this defiant crime.

All traces lead to Chechnya, he added.

Suspicions have fallen on Chechnya's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, who was linked to the alleged killers and voiced support for the main suspect, Zaur Dadayev, calling him a true patriot of Russia.



While one of the five suspects in the murder was deputy commander of a security battalion loyal to the pro-Putin Kadyrov, Russian prosecutors completed their investigation without questioning Kadyrov, as Nemtsov supporters had demanded.

And, what we're seeing instead is that the official investigation wants us to believe that the assassination of the leader of the Russian opposition, 200 yards away from the Kremlin wall, was masterminded by a driver, said Parnas Party Deputy and Coordinator of the Open Russia Foundation Vladimir Kara-Murza. This seems to be the official position that investigators are taking in preparation for the trial of the alleged killers.

Russian prosecutors claim the mastermind behind the killing was Ruslan Mukhudinov, the driver of the leader of the Sever battalion.

Threats by Kadyrov

Meanwhile, authorities are dismissing the Chechen leader's threats against other opposition leaders.

The Kremlin dismissed a recent video Kadyrov posted on Instagram showing opposition leaders targeted in a sniper's cross-hairs. Kadyrov had earlier called Russias opposition enemies of the people who should be judged as traitors, comments that were played down by Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov as misunderstood references.

Kasyanov filed a criminal complaint over the video threat, but prosecutors rejected it.

It seems that Putin's supporters are above the law, Kasyanov said. The present situation that we face de-facto in Russia today is most awful.

Despite the threats, Kasyanov and Kara-Murza say they are not taking any special safety precautions.

During the first year after my resignation from the position of prime-minister I had bodyguards, Kasyanov said, then Putin ruled to stop it. For the past 11 years I have not got any security guards and de-facto I am the only ex-prime minister who is not guarded by the state.

Three months after Nemtsov's killing, Kara-Murza went into a sudden coma. He recovered after emergency treatment but believes he was poisoned because of his opposition to Putin.

Demonizing the opposition

Russian prosecutors in December announced an arrest warrant for Open Russias founder, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, claiming he was responsible for a 1998 murder. Kara-Murza notes the charges came after Khodorkovsky announced plans to financially support opposition candidates and monitor upcoming elections for fraud.

And we announced this project just before the new year and the official authorities announced these new criminal charges against Mikhail Khodorkovsky also just before the new year, he said. I think this was, frankly, their way of launching their own election campaign by trying to smear their principal opponent ahead of time.

Khodorkovsky, a former oil tycoon, spent 10 years in prison for tax evasion, in a case widely believed political, before Putin pardoned and released him in 2013. He is now in exile.

Nemtsovs supporters say the demonization of the opposition and legal attacks against independent civic groups, belies a weakness in Putins record high public approval ratings.

That is not the behavior of a regime that has 86 percent or whatever they say they have in the polls, said Kara-Murza. That is the behavior of a government that is weak, that is unsure of its position, and is afraid of any slightest challenge to its authority. .

And, frankly, I think they have their right to be afraid, he added.

Blocking memorials for Nemtsov

Moscow authorities have refused to allow a memorial march at the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge where Nemtsov was killed or a permanent marker there.

"In their minds, I mean in the minds of those in power, there is an idea that the symbolism of this spot must be avoided," Kasyanov said.

Nonetheless, volunteers guard the temporary memorial of flowers, candles, portraits, and messages.

He was not a typical Russian politician, said volunteer guard Pavel Tokmakov. He was open, brave, honest and an unblemished man. And, that's why we are all here to preserve the memory of this man.

Kremlin supporters frequently knock down the flowers and break the portraits - attacks that volunteers say are sometimes aided by nearby police.

Mark Grinberg contributed to this report.
Greek police have begun removing hundreds of migrants from a camp at the country's border with Macedonia.

The migrants, most of them from Afghanistan, were placed on buses bound for the Greek capital of Athens early Tuesday, where they will be housed in an army-built camp. Thousands of migrants have been encamped at Idomeni since Macedonia imposed tighter restrictions on migrants seeking to enter the country.

The deadlock along the Greek-Macedonian border is part of the biggest refugee crisis to plague Europe since World War lI. More than one million migrants and refugees, fleeing war and poverty in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere, arrived in 2015, many of them traveling from Turkey to nearby Greece.
A top Turkish official said last week that Ankara may consider closing the Incirlik Air Base, which the U.S. uses as the major hub for U.S.-led coalition airstrikes.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogans chief adviser Seref Malkoc told Bugun newspaper that Turkey could act if the U.S. does not change its stance against the Kurds.

But such a move would only escalate what has already become a major diplomatic crisis, analysts say. It also could cripple Western and Turkish efforts against Islamic State (IS) as the U.S. military operation would struggle to find a place elsewhere in the region, they say.

Robert Pearson, a former U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, told VOA that the consequences of banishing the U.S. from Incirlik would be serious.

It would produce a major crisis. There would be degrees of reactions by Washington depending on restrictions that Turkey might impose on the use of the base."

Closing Incirlik would bring Turkish-American relations to a new low, Pearson added. Americans would interpret such a move as an attempt to bully the U.S., and the reaction in the U.S. Congress would be very negative.

Importance of Incirlik

The U.S.-led coalition has conducted hundreds of missions against IS from Incirlik since Ankara gave the green light for its use in September last year. The number of American military forces in Incirlik has grown to 2,500 from 1,300 before the operation began.

"This is a very important location on the tip of the spear," Defense Secretary Ash Carter told U.S. troops when he visited Incirlik in December.

Turkey and the U.S. have tightened cooperation in recent months in the fight against IS. The U.S. has helped Turkey to seal its borders.

A Pentagon spokeswoman told VOA that Ankara has not conveyed any plans to change operations at Incirlik.

We haven't heard this from the Turkish government. U.S. and coalition aircraft continue operations out of Incirlik. This access increases our operational reach and flexibility to target IS, she said.

If the Turks follow through on closing Incirlik, it would be detrimental to the coalition efforts against IS, former diplomat Pearson said.

In terms of bringing peace in Syria, restricting the use of Incirlik would neither be in the U.S. nor Turkish interest, Pearson said.

Alternatives

Cengiz Aktar, a political scientist from Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, told VOA that the U.S., if forced, could eventually find a new base to strike IS.

The U.S. military would relocate to Iraqi Kurdistan, [the United Arab] Emirates or in the future, when the time comes, even to Syria, he said.

Kurdish forces in Syria have recently extended a runway at an airstrip in an agricultural area that would be large enough for coalition planes to land. The plans for the airstrip are for humanitarian aid and military supplies for U.S-backed Kurdish and Arab forces, Kurdish commanders told VOA recently.

'Taking a pulse'

But so far, there has been little indication Turkey will act on the Incirlik threats.

Erdogan downplayed the comments of his adviser Malkoc, saying Incirliks fate was for the government to decide. And there was no mention by Malkoc of asking other coalition partners flying from the base to leave.

But Ali Akel, a journalist-commentator from Turkey, said that Malkoc did not act independently.

They were probably taking a pulse, he said of the Erdogan administration. They may have wanted to see what kind of reactions they would get to an extremely strong statement like that.

Akel said he doubted that Ankaras threat to close the base would change U.S. policy toward the Kurds.

I believe that, as far as Washington is concerned, the Incirlik base is not a bargaining chip, he said.

Soner Cagaptay, a Turkey expert at the Washington Institute, said closing Incirlik would only bring the U.S closer to the Kurds  the opposite of what Turkey wants.

The U.S. would look for other allies, including PYD and Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), who can step in and take Turkeys place, he said.

The rupture in U.S-Turkish relations, Cagaptay said, would only leave Turkey more vulnerable politically and militarily.
Asian Americans have been described as the Next Sleeping Giant in American politics. The Asian American electorate is projected to double in the next 25 years, as the overall Asian population expands by 74 percent. The western state of California is home to about one-third of the nations Asian Americans, and some of them have chosen a political career, including immigrants who have become U.S. citizens. But these candidates have learned that running for office poses some unique challenges.

First of all Ive a different color face, said Sukhee Kang, former City Council member and mayor of Irvine, California. California state assembly member, Ling Ling Chang, describes going door-to-door asking for support and encountering a woman who said she would "never, ever vote for an Oriental."

But despite these challenges, immigrant candidates, such as Chang and Kang, have found success in American politics, especially in California. Kang immigrated to the United States from South Korea when he was 23 years old. He is a Democrat running for a seat in the California State Senate. Chang, an immigrant from Taiwan and a Republican, is also running for the same Senate seat. Chang came to the United States when she was three years old.

Dealing with stereotypes

There are some stereotypes that you have to defeat, said Chang. But she found that persistence and talking with constituents helps break down stereotypes and win elections. I always believe that theres an opportunity to change peoples hearts and minds if you just engage, said Chang.

Kang has also found that engaging with constituents works. I started walking door to door, knocking on doors, course, many times I was shut down because of my face and other party affiliations, whatever, but I kept on knocking on doors and by the time the election happened, I ended up walking to about 20,000 homes, said Kang.

Kang and Chang are a part of a growing trend of immigrant candidates who are running for office and winning elections at the local and state levels in California.

Were still in the relatively early stages of seeing how the recent influx of Hispanic American and Asian American immigrants, are beginning to move from economic, taking advantage of economic and cultural opportunities to now beginning to take advantage of political opportunities as well, said Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California.

Kang said whats happening in California is a precursor for what the rest of the United States could look like in years to come.

Asian Americans are the fastest growing community in the nation in terms of economic, social and also politically. So we need to really capitalize, said Kang. "We are just about to take off to the next level and this is what we can use, the model that we have done in California and spread out to the other states, Kang added.

Politics: an unexpected career

Kang and Chang said they never expected to pursue a career in politics, but felt it was a way to make a difference in their communities.

First generation Korean American coming to America and becoming the mayor of a major city, I see that as power," Kang said. "Theres a possibility this great country is giving to all of us."

Chang said it is important to remind Asian American families to be engaged, "because you cant change anything unless you engage,"

When asked about the woman who told Chang she would never vote for an Oriental, Chang remembered the outcome fondly. Somehow we ended up bonding over the fact that we own the same shotgun.

Chang ended up winning her vote.
Brazilian police said on Monday they obtained an arrest warrant for the architect of President Dilma Rousseff's electoral campaigns, complicating her fight to survive an investigation of her re-election in 2014 and stave off impeachment by Congress.

The investigation of campaigner Joao Santana, known as "the maker of presidents" in Latin America, was part of Brazil's corruption investigation focusing on state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras.

Santana, the former ruling Workers' Party treasurer and a top aide to former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as well as dozens of engineering executives, and a ruling party senator have been arrested for colluding to overcharge Petrobras for work in order to distribute excess funds as bribes.

The arrest of Santana could be a further blow to Rousseff, who is not being investigated in the scandal but whose popularity has plummeted as a result. She faces questions over whether her campaign was financed with bribe money skimmed off of Petrobras.

Police said they had identified $3 million in deposits for Santana in offshore accounts in 2012 and 2013 associated with Latin America's largest engineering firm, Group Odebrecht SA.



Santana bought an apartment in Sao Paulo with the payments from Odebrecht, they said. Prosecutors said they were also investigating bribes paid from contracts with shipbuilder Sete Brasil and Keppel Fels, the Brazil unit of Singapore oil rig builder Keppel Corporation Ltd.

Federal Judge Sergio Moro said in the arrest warrant that messages seized from Marcelo Odebrecht, the former chief executive of the family-run conglomerate, suggested the payments to Santana abroad were "surreptitious political donations."

"It is possible that the transfers were intended to compensate, with bribes from Petrobras contracts, Joao Santana and Monica Regina for services provided to the Workers' Party," Moro wrote, referring to Santana's wife and business partner.

Santana was not arrested because he is in the Dominican Republic overseeing the president's re-election campaign.

In a statement provided by his press representative, Santana said he was quitting the re-election campaign in the Caribbean nation to return to Brazil and defend himself from "baseless accusations."

Santana, 63, led Rousseff's 2010 and 2014 campaigns. He also advised Lula and late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in his re-election bid in 2012. A former journalist, Santana is known for producing dramatic, big-budget campaign videos appealing to poor voters.

Compensation With Bribes

Brazil's electoral court is investigating Rousseff's 2014 re-election campaign, including the suspicion of illegal funding. Congress is also trying to impeach her for manipulating government accounts in 2014, while she campaigned for re-election.

"Targeting Santana is meaningful, and reinforces our assessment that the odds of the electoral supreme court calling new elections this year are on the rise, even if still unlikely," analysts with consultancy Eurasia Group wrote in a research note.

Santana also appeared to have received bribes in 2013 and 2014 from Zwi Skornicki, a money mover who prosecutors said represented Keppel Fels.

According to Moro, former Petrobras executive Pedro Barusco said in plea bargain testimony Skornicki delivered bribes on behalf of Keppel to secure contracts for offshore oil platforms.

Police said they did not have arrest warrants for any Keppel executives. Keppel Corporation said in October it might face an investigation.

The company said in a statement on Monday it did not tolerate bribery and corruption and would take all necessary steps to eradicate such conduct if discovered.

Prosecutor Lima said an investigation of Sete Brasil was ongoing and related criminal charges should be expected soon.

Sete Brasil said internal audits had found no irregularities in the contracts and that it was collaborating.

Odebrecht, which prosecutors say may have led a cartel of engineering firms, said its offices in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and in Salvador were searched by police and that it would cooperate with authorities.

Prosecutors said the 23rd phase of the investigation had brought more incriminating evidence against Marcelo Odebrecht, who has been jailed since June. They accuse him of trying to thwart their work and have evidence the company bribed other officials abroad, citing a former transportation secretary of Argentina.

The operation may have also brought federal police closer to Lula, who is being investigated for money laundering at the state level. Newspaper Estado de S. Paulo published documents from the same operation on Monday suggesting Odebrecht had financed the construction of the former president's institute.

The Lula Institute said in a statement the allegations were wrong as it was founded in 2011, after the alleged financing from Odebrecht in 2010.
Burundi leaders said they had positive and constructive discussions with U.N. Secretary General ban Ban Ki-moon during his visit to Bujumbura.

Ban arrived in the country Monday to meet with President Pierre Nkurunziza and other politicians as part of ongoing U.N. efforts to resolve Burundis political crisis.

Foreign Minister Alain Nyamitwe said his government told the secretary general that Burundi is interested in dialogue but if such dialogue is to be truly inclusive, it must cater to as many Burundians as possible and not just a select few.

I can say that those meetings went very well and very positive, and very constructive. He has come to listen to Burundian stakeholders to get a better idea of the situation on the ground and what could be the best way possible in the search for a durable and sustainable understanding of our situation, he said.

Who should participate in crisis talks

East Africa Community-mediated peace talks with Burundi's warring factions have been led by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni but so far have failed to yield practical results.

There has been disagreement on who should participate in the inter-Burundian dialogue.

The Burundian government has said it will not negotiate with certain opposition figures who it considers as coup plotters or sponsors of acts of terrorism.

Foreign Minister Nyamitwe said any Burundian can be part of the dialogue as long as they adhere to U.N. Security Council resolution 2248 which calls on the government and all parties to reject violence and refrain from any action that threatens peace and stability.

Jean Minani, the exiled leader of the Opposition Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) told VOA recently that President Pierre Nkurunziza does not want to negotiate with the opposition because he knows hes the cause of the crisis Burundi is experiencing today.

Resistance to outside peacekeeping force

On the visit to Bujumbura later this week by a delegation of African leaders, Nyamitwe said his government welcomes the visit and looks forward to discussing with the leaders the way forward in Burundi

The French News Agency reported Monday that France had put forward a draft proposal at the United Nations to deploy a U.N. police force in Burundi to help quell the violence.

Nyamitwe said his government had not heard of the French proposal. But he said if Burundi were to be consulted it would not accept the deployment of any such force and would not accept any such force through the United Nations.

Our position has been and has remained the same. We dont favor options that would end up deploying troops or forces on the ground simply because we believe we have the capacity to protect the population on the ground, Nyamitwe said.

The political crisis and resulting violence over the past year has killed more than 400 people in Burundi and caused about 230,000 to flee the country.
Cambodian finance officials say they are now more closely studying membership in the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership, a regional trade pact that seeks to boost economic ties across the region.

Finance Secretary of State Vongsey Visoth recently told investors that Cambodia could not afford to ignore the opportunity even though the country is already negotiating with China to enter the Regional Economic Comprehensive Partnership.

The TPP study comes following talks between ASEAN leaders, including Prime Minister Hun Sen and U.S. President Barack Obama, in California last week.

Vongsey Visoth said the deal has not been ratified by U.S. lawmakers. Nevertheless, he added, member countries should start working together to build compatible regulations with other TPP members, on matters such as intellectual property and other regulations. ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam have signed onto the TPP.

Potentially great benefits

Chap Sothavrith, senior researcher at the Cambodia Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said Cambodia could benefit greatly from the TPP since potential members would encompass 40 percent of the worlds GDP. Cambodia's debt obligations to China wouldn't prove an impediment to joining TPP, he said, because the debt is manageable and the deal has its own criteria.

Cambodia has a foreign debt load of $5.9 billion, according to government figures, about 45 percent of which is owed to China.

Ou Virak, head of the Phnom Penh-based think tank Future Forum, said Cambodia shouldn't worry about sacrificing Chinese aid in considering joining TPP, as the U.S.-led pact would help Cambodia cut its reliance on China. If its affected, its affected, he said. But if we are just afraid of being affected and dont dare move well still be begging for money from China.

He also said the TPP could, however, force some conditions on Cambodia, such as improving workers rights and adjusting protections for businesses and the environment.

Being a part of the deal could force the government to make necessary reforms which can be beneficial to us, he said.
Chilean copper miners who have grown reliant on cheap outsourced workers are bringing more of them in-house or bracing for salary hikes ahead of the expected passage of a pro-worker reform bill.

The legislation, on track to be approved in March, is likely to raise labor costs and marks the latest blow to mining companies in the world's No.1 copper exporter already hit by flagging productivity and prices near six-and-a-half-year lows.

The reform is set to boost the bargaining position of unions representing outside contractors, making strikes among outsourced workers more common and difficult to break, analysts and lawyers say.

Labor activists argue the reform is needed to give workers more leverage in a country with loose collective bargaining rules, and they criticize contracting as a tool for companies to undercut bargaining rights and offer substandard pay.

Companies counter that the reform will stunt growth, and say that outsourcing is vital for increasing efficiency and offering the flexibility needed to weather the volatile copper market.

Now, however, those firms are making adjustments: some are bringing contracted workers in-house to better paid positions, so as to avoid potential labor disputes. Others are preparing to pay significantly more for the same outsourced services they have used on the cheap for decades.

"There are a lot of studies being done [by mining companies], looking at how many workers can be brought in, at what mines, in which processes," said Felipe Saez, an advisor to heavy industry group Sofofa, which represents Chilean mining among other sectors.

Outsourcing has increased in Chile over the past two decades. Seventy-four percent of workers at Chile's "large" copper miners, which account for well over 90 percent of output, were contracted out as of 2014, according to government statistics. That compares with 69 percent in 2013, and 66 percent in 2006.

However, in 2015, following years of gains, the number of mining contractors in Chile fell by 12.5 percent, far outpacing total job losses among mine workers.

That is largely due to companies getting fed up with already rising labor unrest among outsourced workers, analysts say. Last year, protesting contractors with state producer Codelco blockaded and closed a mine for three weeks.

But the proposed reform, which allows unions from different contractors to join forces and lowers barriers to creating unions in small companies, among other measures, is fueling the trend, and making companies less likely to rehire outside when prices rebound.

"Under the labor reform it would be better for [mining companies] to bring contractors with sensitive labor agreements in-house, and have those workers opt for the company's benefits, so they can better control the bargaining situation," said Fernando Villalobos, a leading Chilean labor lawyer and former advisor to the Labor Ministry.

New in-house workers, however, are costly. Government data show that average per worker remuneration costs for contracted employees at copper mining companies were only 43 percent that of direct employees in 2014.

It remains unclear how many workers mining companies are prepared to bring in.

But if just 5 percent of the 163,827 total workers at Chile's large copper mines in 2014 were made direct employees, it would cost Chilean miners approximately $370 million a year.

Though that is relatively small compared to total industry-wide costs of $25.8 billion in 2014, such numbers are significant for a sector that is now struggling to maintain razor-thin margins.

New Strategies, Increased Costs

Those that do not bring contract work in-house will instead look at new ways of outsourcing aimed at cushioning against strikes that will increase payrolls significantly, insiders say.

"We're going to have to take up new methods that basically increase the cost of having the same service," Diego Hernandez, chief executive of Chilean miner Antofagasta Plc, told Reuters in January.

One method he suggested was having overlapping contracts, whereby a worker from one contracting firm could replace a striking worker.

Mining companies say they are also concerned about additional aspects of the bill apart from contracting. Hernandez told Reuters he worried that restrictions on replacing striking workers were so strict they could put physical infrastructure at risk while mines go unmanned.

Representatives of other sectors such as agriculture, shipping, forestry, and construction have told Reuters they are also concerned about the reform and the future of contracting, which Chilean labor law has long only loosely regulated.

Business leaders have lobbied lawmakers hard to water down the bill, which has been mired in a bitter legislative fight for a year, industry insiders and a senate aide say.

Eugenio Tuma, a center-left senator, told Reuters that lawmakers had softened some stringent aspects of the reform, such as bargaining rights within small businesses.

But, like the other senators in the governing coalition calling for adjustments, he is confident the law will pass with the most significant provisions intact.

"We think there's been abuse on the part of the employers," he said. "This delivers the tools that workers need to level the playing field."
With tensions mounting over maritime disputes in the South China Sea, the cause of the problem, at least in part, is believed to lie at the bottom of the water. But it is still unclear exactly how much oil and natural gas lurk beneath the surface.

Along with fishing and lucrative shipping routes, oil and gas reserves are often cited as a major reason for the disagreements over which country owns which patch of water, including China, which claims nearly all of the South China Sea.

But how much oil and gas really exist is still a question mark, according to Carl Thayer, a Professor Emeritas at Australias National Defense Academy.

No one has done the really hard work scientifically. These are estimates, because there has been an interruption to oil exploration efforts in the past, the cable cutting incidents in the past, ships have been forced out of water by the Philippines that have been contested by China, he said.

China has said that the sea holds 130 billion barrels of oil. U.S. estimates are more conservative. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the sea likely holds just 11 billion barrels of oil, and 190 trillion cubic meters of natural gas.

Most of the oil and gas reserves are in undisputed waters, and are close to the shoreline of Malaysia, which has an estimated 5 billion barrels of oil in its waters. Vietnam is believed to have 3 billion barrels and China has 1.3 billion barrels.

There are reserves, and there are commercial grade reserves, meaning if they can be recovered profitably, or if they can be recovered and then transported at a reasonable price to be profitable. They are unproven because they are deep in the sea, and there are a lot of technical barriers for surveillance, said Yanmei Xie, a Beijing-based security analyst with the International Crisis Group.

But, he added, surveillance comes with real political risk, since many areas are disputed.

While territorial disputes have scared some oil companies away, China is seemingly undeterred. Beijing last month placed an oil rig in waters also claimed by Vietnam. The last time China placed a rig in disputed waters, it prompted mass, public protests in Vietnam.

While the vast resources in the sea are unproven, and so far inaccessible, the strategic value of the waterway is certain.

More than $5 trillion in goods pass through the waterway every year. Two thirds of South Koreas energy supplies, nearly 60 per cent of Japan and Taiwans energy supplies and 80 percent of Chinas oil imports are shipped through the South China Sea.

Wang Dong, a Professor of International Relations at Peking University, said I think first and foremost it is a matter of territorial integrity for China, and of course China has made clear it is for the defense of the security of freedom of navigation.

News last week that China had deployed missiles on an island in the waterway prompted criticism from several countries, including the United States. In an editorial last week Chinas state-run Global Times newspaper said the missiles are "a typical type of defensive weapon", and warned that the government might deploy more weapons in the future.

The U.S. has said that it does not take sides in the territorial disputes, but says it strongly backs freedom of navigation under international law. Washington has sailed its naval vessels past islands claimed by Beijing to promote the idea that the waters should be open for safe transit for all.
Republican voters in Nevada headed to caucus sites statewide Tuesday to make their choices from a narrowing field of Republican presidential candidates. Turnout, expected to be low, could have a big impact on the race.

Billionaire Donald Trump headed into the caucuses with a lead in the latest polls following primary wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Trump had about 40 percent support, while his opponents, Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, were fighting for second place with about 20 percent. Ohio Governor John Kasich and retired surgeon Ben Carson were polling in the single digits and were not considered major challengers in this caucus.

Nevada is an unusual contest for a number of reasons. State caucusgoers are historically difficult to poll, since many live in rural areas outside the three main cities of Reno, Las Vegas and Henderson. This was also only the third time Republicans have held caucuses in the state, and the unfamiliar format could affect turnout. Only 1.9 percent of registered Republican voters turned up in 2012, the last presidential election year.

People arent used to them like they are in Iowa, where its a long-running tradition, said Kevin Banda, assistant professor of political science at the University of Nevada-Reno. He said campaigns have to expend effort educating voters on a potentially time-consuming and confusing process. Trump chose not to invest in a significant ground presence in the state  a decision that Banda said was likely to hurt more in a caucus state than in a standard primary.

All three lead contenders in the Republican field, however, have personal attributes that make them attractive to Nevada voters, said Matt Dallek, an assistant professor at George Washington Universitys Graduate School of Political Management.

The rural areas have large swaths of evangelical voters, which could favor Ted Cruz. Marco Rubio spent some time living in Nevada in his youth, so he has some ties to the state. Trump obviously has some ties to Las Vegas and the world of casinos, Dallek said.

The establishment candidate

One-time favorite Jeb Bush dropped out of the race following a poor showing in the South Carolina primary, while Kasich and Carson have continued on. The diminished field of candidates potentially benefits Rubio, who received a number of party endorsements in the days leading up to the caucuses, including the backing of former Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole.

Nevada was seen as a significant test of Rubios ability to increase his poll numbers to rival Trump's. A gain of 6 to 8 percentage points puts him within striking range of Trumps 30, 33 percent of the vote that hes been receiving, Dallek said.

For Cruz, Nevada presented a way to reset the conversation after a difficult week in which he lost the evangelical vote to Trump in South Carolina and faced accusations that his campaign plays dirty tricks on his opponents. Cruz had to fire the public face of his campaign, communications manager Rick Tyler, for social media posts falsely alleging Rubio mocked the Bible.

Cruz doubled down on his approach to illegal immigration Monday when he said he would send federal agents to arrest undocumented immigrants.

Its an attempt to show that he is tougher than Trump and more willing to crack down, Dallek said.

Nevada is a multiethnic state, but the historically low turnout of caucusgoers tends to skew heavily for white voters. Despite the predicted low turnout, Dallek said Tuesdays results would have far-reaching implications if Trump ends up as the winner.

The question becomes: Where can he be stopped? Where is he deprived of a victory  or multiple victories  and who will do the stopping?

The next Republican presidential contest is the crucial Super Tuesday vote on March 1, when more than a dozen states hold primaries, awarding the bulk of delegates needed for the nomination.
The partisan fight over a U.S. Supreme Court vacancy burst onto the Senate floor Monday, as lawmakers disagreed sharply on whether President Barack Obama should nominate a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia, who died nine days earlier.



The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republican Chuck Grassley, argued that presidential election years are inappropriate for considering high court nominations.



The campaign for our next commander-in-chief is in full swing. Voting has begun, Grassley said. And a term limited Democrat in the twilight of his presidency occupies the White House.



Were seeing an unprecedented attempt to hold hostage an entire branch of government, said Democratic Minority Leader Harry Reid. This is a foolish gambit to deny President Obama his constitutional right to appoint nominees to the Supreme Court.

Scalia tribute



The Senate observed a moment of silence for Scalia, and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell paid tribute to the late justices life and lifes work, calling him larger than life.



Justice Scalia was an articulate champion of the Constitution; he was a personality unto himself. And his passing is a significant loss for the court and for our country, McConnell said.



It was McConnell who helped launch the nomination brawl by issuing a statement within hours of Scalias death saying the next president, not Obama, should pick his replacement. On Monday, however, he stayed clear of the fray by limiting his floor remarks to lauding the arch conservative jurist.



No so for those who followed McConnell.



Grassley, whose committee is tasked with holding confirmation hearings for judicial nominees, said he takes guidance from a preceding chairman: Vice President Joe Biden, who as a senator wielded the gavel at the Judiciary Committee from 1987 to 1995.



Grassley noted that, in 1992, also an election year, Biden argued against then-Republican President George H.W. Bush filling any Supreme Court vacancies that might arise. Grassley quoted extensively from Bidens speech delivered more than two decades ago.



These are the Biden rules, Grassley said. The Biden rules recognize that Once the political season is under way, action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over. That is what is fair to the nominee and is central to the process.



This Senate must do what he [Biden] said it must do in 1992, Grassley added.



I find no mention of a three-year presidency in our Constitution, countered Reid. The Founding Fathers never intended the Senate to simply run out the clock on its constitutional duties, subverting the presidents authority and leaving the judiciary in absolute limbo.



Vetting process



The White House says it is vetting potential Supreme Court picks, and that Obama is reaching out to senators to urge full consideration of the eventual nominee.

A few Republicans are backing the presidents call.

Senator Mark Kirk, who is up for reelection in Democratic leaning Illinois, wrote in an opinion piece for the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper: I recognize the right of the president, be it Republican or Democrat, to place before the Senate a nominee for the Supreme Court.

"I also recognize my duty as a senator to either vote in support or opposition to that nominee following a fair and thorough hearing, Kirk added.

Confirmation hurdles



But consideration by no means guarantees confirmation. Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who is seeking his partys presidential nomination, has pledged to block any Obama nominee to the high court.

Overcoming that procedural hurdle would require 14 Republicans to side with Democrats in order to get to a final up-or-down vote.

The outcome of the nomination battle could determine the Supreme Courts ideological tilt for a generation or more. Until the vacancy is filled, the court will operate with eight justices: four regarded as liberals and four regarded as conservatives.
Direct peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban-led insurgent groups are expected to start by the first week of March and Pakistan has offered to host the negotiations.

The announcement followed a meeting Tuesday in Kabul of diplomats from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States as part of efforts to promote the Afghan peace process.

The QCG [Quadrilateral Coordination Group] member states invite all Taliban and other groups to participate through their authorized representatives in the first round of direct peace talks with the Afghan government expected to take place by the first week of March 2016, the QCG said.

The announcement added the next QCG meeting will take place in Islamabad "immediately after the first direct peace talks.

Earlier, in a speech to the delegates, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani reiterated a call for the Taliban, the Hizb-e-Islami, and other armed factions to join the peace process.

The head of Hizb-e-Islamis political wing, Ghairat Baheer, told VOA his group is considering Rabbani's invitation.

We are seriously discussing it and considering it. Our preference is that Afghans should be allowed to settle their own problems by themselves without foreign intervention and foreign mediation. But since the new situation emerged, so we will be considering it again, Baheer said.

Hizb-e-Islami is the country's second largest insurgent group.

Taliban reaction



The Taliban has not indicated whether it intends to join the peace process. Instead, the Taliban has intensified its insurgent activities and extended its control or influence to an estimated 30 percent of Afghan territory during the past year.

Rabbani emphasized the need for a considerable reduction" in insurgent violence, among other confidence-building measures, saying it will help "our peace efforts to succeed. He again warned that Afghan security forces are ready to deal with Taliban factions that refuse to join the peace talks and continue to commit bloodshed in the country.

A Taliban spokesman, when contacted by VOA, would not directly comment on Rabbanis call for the group to join the peace process and referred to its stated public position that calls for withdrawal of all international forces from Afghanistan before starting any peace process.

The United Nations says the Afghan conflict continues to hurt civilians and documented more than 11,000 civilian casualties, including dead and wounded in 2015.

U.N. Afghan mission chief Nicholas Haysom emphasized the need for a political settlement to bring an end to suffering for non-combatants in Afghanistan.

Without peace there is very low prospect of dealing not only with civilian casualties, but an improvement in the quality of life and in the economic opportunities of the nation, said Haysom.

Persuade arms groups



Separately, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appointed and introduced the new head of the High Peace Council in charge of persuading armed groups to end violence and join the national political reconciliation process.

The councils new chief, Pir Sayed Ahmad Gilani, is a prominent Afghan jihadi leader who is respected by tribes across Afghanistan.

Former president Hamid Karzai set up the council in 2010 to assist the government in promoting peace and reconciliation with armed opposition groups.

But the panel, which consists of prominent Afghan religious and political as well as jihadi personalities, has failed to achieve a significant breakthrough amid growing demands for the council's dissolution to save critical state financial resources.



es.
Germany and France are urging Ukraine to fight corruption and pass legislation on an election in the pro-Russian east, as required by the cease-fire agreement, to help stem violence in eastern Ukraine.

Speaking Tuesday in Kyiv with his French and Ukrainian counterparts, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said there have been many violations of the ceasefire and the electoral law is being "postponed" by Ukraine, undermining the credibility of the Minsk process.

"Not just the three foreign ministers, but also the people in Ukraine, in Europe and in the world are waiting for progress to be made," Steinmeier said. "Progress in the area of security, we cannot accept that the agreed cease-fire is broken again and again. ... We need this progress for the people in Ukraine, but we also need this progress for the credibility of the Minsk process itself."

March meeting

The foreign ministers of Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia are scheduled to meet in Paris in March.

The progress of that meeting would depend on Ukraine and Russia making "constructive, concrete commitments," said French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.

"So without constructive and concrete engagement -- I repeat, in the faith of Ukraine and of Russia -- on the elections, and I say it, on the particular status of this territory, and our interlocutors have admitted this in principle, then France and Germany will lose their usefulness as mediators, we are not decision-makers, we are mediators," Ayrault said.

But Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said that Ukraine has been committed to implement the Minsk accord in its entirety and accused Russia of diverging from the original document.

'Committed' to Minsk accord

"If we fully implement the Minsk agreement, as it was written, with all details, then there is future for Donbas," Klimkin said. "We are committed to the Minsk (agreement), but not to its Russian interpretation where Donbas' integration with Ukraine will keep it under semi-Russian influence and which will be integrated in a way that would destabilize the whole Ukraine."

The France- and Germany-mediated Minsk cease-fire accord -- as agreed to a year ago by Ukraine, Russia, and separatist rebels -- has not reached its stated goals, since fighting between government troops and pro-Russian forces in the Donbas region continue and local elections have not been held.

Political tension within Ukraines ruling coalition is impeding reform efforts and has been a contributing factor in the persisting conflict in eastern Ukraine which has claimed more than 9,000 lives since April 2014, when it started.
More than 700 migrants were rescued from six leaky boats in the sea between Tunisia and Sicily on Tuesday and four were found dead, the Italian navy said.

More than 400 migrants have died in the Mediterranean this year, as people continue to try to cross into Europe despite bad winter weather in the second year of Europe's biggest migration crisis since World War II.

More than 110,000 people, many fleeing poverty and war in Africa and the Middle East, have arrived in Greece and Italy this year, a sharp increase on 2015, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The navy said one of its ships went to help three boats, recovering 403 survivors and the four bodies. Another ship rescued 219 people from two vessels and a third coordinated the rescue of 105 migrants from their sinking boat.

The navy did not say what nationality the migrants were nor did it give any other information about their identities.

Bad weather cut the number of people arriving last month in Greece, the main gateway to Europe for migrants, but the number was still nearly 40 times higher than in the previous January, European Union border agency Frontex says.

Most of those were from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, while most of those who entered Europe via Italy were Nigerian, according to Frontex.

Italy called on Monday for shared funding, including through issuing EU bonds, for a common policy to manage external borders and cope with the migration crisis.
U.S. lawmakers have expressed skepticism about Russias commitment to a new cease-fire plan for Syria and plans for a political transition in the country.

In a Tuesday hearing on the State Departments proposed budget, lawmakers sought assurances from Secretary of State John Kerry that Russia would curb its bombing campaign over Syria, which has focused largely on the Syrian regimes opponents, not terrorists.

[Russian leader Vladimir] Putin is attempting to change the battlefield dynamics to bolster the Assad regime and weaken the opposition in terms of anything related to peace, Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming said during the Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

He commented a day after the U.S. and Russia, the co-chairs of a cease-fire task force, announced plans to launch a partial cessation of hostilities in Syria on Saturday.

Kerry told lawmakers he was uncertain whether the cease-fire would work or lead to a negotiated peace settlement. But he said the plan was the best way to try to end the five-year conflict that has left as many as 470,000 dead, according to some estimates. It calls for a halt to fighting, except for continued attacks on Islamic State and al-Nusra Front fighters .

If humanitarian assistance flows, if the guns do silence with the exception of the effort against Daesh and al-Nusra on Saturday, if they do, and lives are saved, then that is to the benefit," Kerry said. But he added, "It doesnt mean that its automatically going to have a positive outcome in the political process."

Truckloads of aid

The secretary noted that in the last two weeks, 114 truckloads of humanitarian aid had been dispatched into areas of Syria that have been cut off by the fighting between Syrian government troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebel forces trying to overthrow him.

"At least 80,000 people who havent had supplies in years now have supplies for the next month at least, and we have resulted in [getting] food and medicine to places that have been under siege for months," Kerry said.

Some Senate lawmakers voiced skepticism that Russia would honor the truce, with Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer of California questioning whether the Washington-Moscow pact might turn out to be a "rope-a-dope deal" with frequent cease-fire violations.

Barrasso said Russia had been consistent in failing to keep its word. He asked Kerry what consequences the U.S. was prepared to impose upon Russia if it violated the cease-fire agreement.

There is significant discussion taking place now about Plan B in the event we dont succeed at the table, said Kerry.

Committee Chairman Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican, disagreed, saying, I think the secretary is negotiating a situation where there is no Plan B. Russia knows there will be no Plan B if it does not abide by terms of the agreement.

Support for Assad

There have been ongoing concerns about Russias support of Assad, even as Moscow continues to participate in the International Syria Support Group, which has agreed on a plan for a political transition in Syria.

Kerry said it would be a mistake to calculate that President Barack Obama would decide there were no further options if Russia backed away from commitments to a cease-fire.

Analysts say the U.S. may have little leverage to use against Russia for its actions in Syria, unless it considers military options.

As things now stand, Russia is succeeding at driving back the Syrian opposition, said Daniel Serwer, a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

It has gained advantage on the battlefield. Thats not a particularly ripe situation for a political settlement, added Serwer, who is also an analyst at the Middle East Institute.

Despite congressional doubt about Russias commitment to a cease-fire, the U.S. and other world powers are moving ahead with the cease-fire effort, which needs to be endorsed by both the Syrian government and the opposition by Friday.

We urge the maximum number of armed opposition factions to express their support and readiness to participate in the cessation, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday.

Tuesdays testimony marked the first in a series of appearance on Capitol Hill this week for Kerry, as lawmakers consider the State Departments proposed budget of $50.1 billion for fiscal 2017.

Email controversy

Senate Foreign Relations Committee members pressed Kerry on a number of issues, including the normalization of ties with Cuba and the implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement.

Political overtones factored into the hearing.

Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, questioned Kerry about the ongoing State Department email probe involving his predecessor, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Johnson said a Senate committees request for logs related to the transfer of classified information had gone unanswered for five months.

Kerry responded that he did not know the specific reason for the delay. He added that there were more than 50 simultaneous investigations underway regarding the emails and an unprecedented number of Freedom of Information requests.

Clinton is a Democratic contender in the U.S. presidential race.
Kurdish forces have rescued a Swedish teenager from the Islamic State group, the Iraqi Kurdish government said Tuesday.

The 16-year-old was rescued by forces from the Kurdish counterterrorism department near the IS-held city of Mosul on February 17.

According to the government statement, the girl was "misled" by an Islamic State member into traveling from Sweden to Syria and then over the border to Iraq last year.

Swedish authorities said the girl's family asked the Kurdish government for help. She is currently in Iraqi Kurdistan awaiting transfer back to Sweden.
World oil prices are likely to remain relatively low over the next year, but a new medium-term market report from the International Energy Agency (IEA)  the world's oil consumer body  predicts a big increase after that, with prices at around $80 a barrel, double what they are now.

The reports authors say the downturn in prices over the past year-and-a-half led to a downturn in investment, which undermines producers' ability to ramp up production again when demand increases.

Speaking at an annual energy industry conference in Houston, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said demand is still weak and supplies remain large, but cutbacks in production are beginning to have an impact.

"Global oil supply growth is plunging and seriously," he said. "At this same period of time in the last six years, it was about 11 million barrels per day and it is now four million barrels per day as a result of low prices."

Market shock

Birol said there have also been cutbacks in investment in new projects, which he said will eventually create a market shock, not simply because demand for oil will increase in coming years, but because of the need to compensate for declining production from existing fields.

"Even if there is zero growth in demand," he said, "every year we have to produce three million barrels a day in order to stay where we are today."

In the oil and gas industry, plans for new fields often take years to develop and implement, and the incentive to invest heavily is undermined by lower prices. The current slump has hit many oil-producing countries hard, especially poorer nations that rely on oil revenues to support social programs.

In the United States, private companies in the energy sector have been cutting back production, investments and jobs. Thousands of workers have been laid off in recent months in Texas, North Dakota, Louisiana, Oklahoma and other oil-rich states.

Economic growth

A slowdown in China's economic growth is one of the reason economists have cited for the drop in world oil prices. China, however, remains focused on meeting its future energy needs.

Birol said China is committed to its energy security and maintains healthy reserve supplies. He said there has also been a noticeable shift of oil trade lines in recent years, with the link between Middle East oil producers and Asia growing stronger.

The IEA director said increasing economic growth in China and elsewhere in the years ahead will boost oil demand, but he said a return to the $100-a-barrel level of mid-2014 is unlikely. He said the spike that he sees to around $80 a barrel will also be temporary, as oil demand will be tempered by increases in energy-use efficiency and the development of renewable energy sources.

U.S. production increase

The IEA's Neil Atkinson, who edited the market report, said he was surprised by both the rapid increase in U.S. production resulting from technological advances applied in shale fields and by the resiliency of the U.S. producers as prices fell.

"Nobody saw, amongst other things, the shale oil phenomenon in the United States coming and we were expecting a very different world, he said. We are now in a world where production is growing very strongly. It is having a halt at the moment because of the economics, but that will come back."

Atkinson said that if the United States starts exporting oil, it would likely have little impact on the global market partly because the amount would be relatively small. The United States is still a net importer of oil, so most of its production would stay at home.

The IEA market report shows that the Middle Eastern region remains the largest source of oil for the world market, and the decision by countries in that region to maintain production levels in the past year contributed to the drop in prices.

Russia and Saudi Arabia last week announced a plan to limit production in order to stabilize prices, but Birol said he expected that to have limited impact since the limit set is already higher than what Russia is currently producing. He also noted that the lifting of sanctions on Iran will allow that petroleum-rich Persian Gulf country to export more in the coming months, further bolstering world supply.
Adding graphic images to cigarette packages to warn of the dangers of smoking doesnt appear to be a deterrent, according to a new study.

Writing in the journal Communication Research, researchers from the University of Illinois say the main reason the warnings dont work is that they are "perceived by many as a threat to their freedom, choice or autonomy, and they respond accordingly.

"What we found is that most people don't like these warning labels, whether they are smokers or nonsmokers," said Nicole LaVoie, a doctoral student in communication and the lead author of the study.

LaVoie added that the ads anger people and make them "express negative thoughts about the packaging, that they're being manipulated."

According to LaVoie, "Ultimately, it also makes them think that the source - the government in this case, mandating these labels - is being overly domineering, is being too much in their business."

For the study, researchers focused on 435 undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 25. Smokers made up 17.5 percent of the group. Two-thirds of the group were women and 62.3 percent identified as white. The rest identified as non-white or multiracial.

Each participant was given a package of a popular brand of cigarettes. Half of the smokers and half of the nonsmokers were given a package with graphic images, while the rest were given packages with written warnings that are currently used in the United States.

The graphic images had all been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for possible use in the U.S. They were supposed to be used starting in 2012, but there have been legal challenges to their use.

After viewing the package, the participants were given a questionnaire that measured personality traits as well as their reaction to the package.

The strongest reaction against the images came from people who measured high in psychological reactance, which researchers said makes the participants more prone to negative and resistant thoughts when they perceive they're being told what to do.

Researchers said smokers tend to measure highly in reactance, and graphic images can create a boomerang effectby causing people to do what theyre being warned against.

According to the study, countries where graphic images have been used have seen a drop in smoking rates, but LaVoie said the dips could also be explained by other measures to prevent smoking, like raising taxes on cigarettes and implementing smoking bans.

"We always measure and look at the intended effects, like encouraging people to quit smoking, but sometimes we don't remember to look at what else these messages are doing that we're not thinking about, like causing reactance," she said. "Our goal is to think about what can we do, what messages can we construct, that are effective for the whole, but also target these groups that are the most in need of help."
No name resonates in Hollywood right now quite like "Chivo.''



That's the nickname of the famed cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, whose acrobatic long-takes and luminous images of natural light have made him revered like few others - and may make him a three-peat Oscar winner.



Lubezki is behind some of the most dazzling film photography in recent years: the asteroid storm hurtling through the vast 3-D space of "Gravity,'' the seemingly continuous backstage sweep of "Birdman,'' the elemental beauty of Terrence Malick's films. His audacious, real-time sequences have made him synonymous with a seamless magic not before seen in cinema.



"I think it was John Huston who said, 'When I shoot a whale, I shoot the face and then I cut and I shoot the tail. And everybody understands there's a whale,''' says Lubezki. "But sometimes when you show the entire whale and when you show the parts that seem not as important, there's a deeper connection.''



After winning Academy Awards the last two years for Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity'' and Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman,'' Lubezki is up this year for Inarritu's frontier epic "The Revenant,'' and he's expected to win. Much of the film's acclaim (it leads with 12 nominations), is owed to its lush immersion in a raw, 19th century wilderness (it was shot largely in the Canadian Rockies) and its balletic single-take sequences, most famously the single-take bear attack.



Yet Lubezki is as modest as the cinematography of "The Revenant'' is grand.



"I don't know if I'm an incredible cinematographer but I'm definitely a craftsman that is trying to find a language for each project and that's what's really exciting for me,'' he says. "When you feel that it's working, it's a very powerful feeling. Sometimes you cannot even sleep at night because you're so excited.''



Lubezki has worked with the Coen brothers ("Burn After Reading''), Michael Mann ("Ali'') and Tim Burton ("Sleepy Hollow''). But the two directors he's most steadfastly collaborated with are Malick ("He has affected me more than almost anybody,'' says Lubezki) and



Lubezki and Cuaron met as teenage film students in Mexico City. Together, they frequented a local art house theater watching films by Kurosawa, Tarkovsky and Coppola that were sometimes accidentally projected in full-screen prints that showed the apparatus of moviemaking, like boom mics and lights.



Lubezki, who first wanted to be a still photographer, was converted to movies a week into film school. Cuaron recalls it as an organic marriage: "He was one with the media.''



"He would be fascinated by light,'' says Cuaron. "What makes him among the great cinematographers is he understands film as a language. The conventional way of seeing cinematography is just a set of tools.''



In films like 2001's "Y Tu Mama Tambien'' and 2006's "Children of Men,'' Cuaron and Lubezki have pushed the bounds of long, fluid takes by utilizing smaller digital cameras and the flexibility of Steadicams.



"I remember in 'Y Tu Mama Tambien,' we started talking about just letting the shot last until the natural consequence,'' says Cuaron. "From then on, I guess, it was very difficult to go back.''



Lubezki has been at the forefront of a trend in movies that favors the visceral realism of long takes over montage. Filmmakers like Steve McQueen ("12 Years a Slave'') and Cary Fukunaga ("True Detective'') have also pushed further than the fabled long takes of Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil'' or Alfred Hitchcock's ``Rope.''



Such feats risk showiness, but in Lubezki's hands, they can be jarringly immersive, presented through a crisp digital window. Scenes like the Arikara ambush of the company of trappers early in "The Revenant'' play out in real time, smack in the middle of a 360-degree storm of action. The tense silence beforehand, the mayhem of battle and the fleeing retreat down a river all unfold without a single blink.



Lubezki cautions "this wonderful trick'' must always come out of the material, (in "The Godfather,'' he notes, it would be disastrous). And it depends on a director who knows how to block the scene. But he does sense a shift in the language of film.



"When you create these long shots, it feels to me as if I was transported there. It feels more dangerous and more mysterious,'' says Lubezki. "Cutting and shooting with multiple cameras and so on was so effective 10 years ago but is maybe not as effective anymore as a trick. Probably this trick of the long take will become old in a few years, too, and we'll need to come up with another trick.''



But Lubezki is by no means a one-trick pony. His films with Malick (including "Tree of Life'' and the upcoming "Knight of Cups'') are impressionistic and fragmented. Drawn to real environments and eschewing artificial light, he's ushered in a more naturalistic kind of moviemaking that can verge on the sublime.



"Maybe,'' he says, "there's something that suddenly trickles into the movie that feels spiritual, that feels connected to something larger.''
U.S. President Barack Obama outlined his administration's plan for closing the military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying the facility "does not advance our national security, it undermines it."

"If, as a nation, we don't deal with this now, when will we deal with it?" Obama asked at the White House, after the U.S. Defense Department delivered the plan Tuesday to Congress. He appealed to Congress to be "on the right side of history" and asked that the nation act on the "lessons" learned over the past 15 years.

Republicans already have criticized the Pentagon's proposal.

"Congress has left no room for confusion. It is against the lawand it will stay against the lawto transfer terrorist detainees to American soil," Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said. "We will not jeopardize our national security over a campaign promise."

We are at war, yet incredibly the president is more focused on relocating and releasing enemy combatants than on detaining new ones, House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul added.

WATCH: President Obama's plan faces an uphill battle

However, a senior administration official said closing the prison is a national security priority, adding that the facility has inspired jihadists and served as a recruiting tool for terrorists.

The President stressed the importance of closing the facility when he took office in 2009, but with less than a year left in his presidency, some 91 detainees remain. Obama said that when he took office there had been bipartisan support for closing the prison, but that over time lawmakers had become "worried about the politics" of it.



WATCH: Video of Sen. Mitch McConnell reacting to plan

Its purely politically driven, Gary Solis, a law of war professor at Georgetown University, told VOA. There are individuals who are so opposed to the Obama Administration, and I believe Obama personally, that they are simply unwilling to participate in any activity that might further his goals.

The Pentagon plan to close the facility includes discussion of 13 potential sites within the United States where the military could transfer a group of about 30 to 60 detainees. However, it does not recommend which U.S. site should be chosen. Potential sites include federal prisons in Kansas, Colorado and South Carolina, as well as military facilities.

US Plan to Close Guantanamo Bay Detention Center U.S. Plan to Close Guantanamo Bay Detention Center The Obama administration's efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility include: Identifying transfer opportunities for eligible detainees.

Reviewing by fall 2016 the threat posed by detainees currently not eligible for transfer and those who are not facing military commission charges.

Continuing military commission prosecutions for those currently charged. Even with these efforts, the administration expects that there will be a limited number of detainees who are deemed to dangerous to release. The administration said it will work with Congress to relocate those detainees who are not eligible for transfer or who are not candidates for prosecution to a secure detention facility in the continental United States while continuing to find other appropriate and lawful non-U.S. dispositions.

A senior administration official said moving the prisoners from Cuba to the U.S. will save the Pentagon between $65 million and $85 million per year, and would offset the initial cost needed to move the prisoners within three-five years.

As the detainee population goes down, the per-person/per-man cost goes up dramatically, of course. So, its well over a million dollars a year per person at Guantanamo now, Solis told VOA.

Obama added Tuesday that the overall savings from the move would amount to $1.7 billion over the next 20 years.

The proposal does not include an exact cost or location for the replacement facility, which Republicans, including Speaker of the House Ryan, used to slam the plan.

Senior administration officials, however, pointed to the restrictions made by Congress as to why they were unable to provide more specific costs and locations.

Of the 91 detainees, a U.S. official told VOA that 35 have been approved for transfer, and they are expected to be transferred to other countries by this summer. Another 10 are somewhere within the military commissions process, the official said.

Current U.S. law bans the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to locations within the United States. Some say those transfers could bring security concerns.

The White House has left open the possibility Obama could use an executive order to close Guantanamo.

Detention center

The Guantanamo facility opened in 2002 under the administration of former President George W. Bush following the September 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington. Nearly 800 detainees have been held there at some point since then, many for long periods without being charged or put on trial.

Most of the detainees have been transferred back to their respective home countries or other nations willing to take them in.



Mary Alice Salinas contributed to this report from the White House.
Giants of the technology industry have begun adding their voices to the dispute between Apple and the U.S. government, with Microsoft founder Bill Gates seemingly differing from the pack.

While many tech executives have voiced their full support for Apple CEO Tim Cook, Gates took a decidedly different view of the issue Tuesday.

During an interview with The Financial Times, Gates disputed concerns voiced by Cook that creating software to break into the phone of one of the killers in the San Bernardino, California, mass shooting would become a "master key" for access to any iPhone. "They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case," he said.

His comments put him at odds with other top names in Silicon Valley including Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who have stepped forward in support of Apple.

Later in the day, Gates told Bloomberg news that the courts will ultimately make the decision in the Apple case. "In the meantime, that gives us this opportunity to get the discussion, and these issues will be decided in Congress."

Planned Protests

Meanwhile, supporters of Apple planned to protest in more than 40 cities. A digital rights group called Fight for the Future is organizing the events at Apple stores in places such as New York, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Hong Kong and London. It says it is critically important to support efforts to keep personal information safe, and that devices will become more vulnerable if the government wins its legal battle with Apple.

U.S. authorities want Apple's help to unlock a phone used by Syed Rizwan Farook, who, along with his wife Tafsheen Malik, killed 14 people last year in San Bernardino, California.

Watch video report from VOA's Zlatica Hoke:

Apple has refused, saying the FBI is asking for what amounts to a backdoor around the company's security measures, and that, in the wrong hands, in the furture that software would make countless Apple users vulnerable to searches of their phones.

A federal magistrate ordered Apple to help the FBI last week, and the government filed a motion asking the court to force Apple to comply. The order says Apple must help authorities bypass an auto-erase feature that wipes out data when 10 incorrect passwords are entered. The FBI does not know Farook's password, and needs the auto-erase feature disabled so it can repeatedly try password combinations to find the right one.

Apple has until Friday to file its opposition to the government's motion, and a hearing in the case is scheduled for March 22.&

The Pew Research Center released a survey Monday of more than 1,000 people with 51 percent of them saying Apple should unlock the iPhone and 38 percent siding with the company. Eleven percent had no opinion.

A lawyer representing some relatives of the 14 people killed in San Bernardino said he would soon file a statement supporting the judge's order requiring Apple to help authorities.

Apple is continuing its fight against the order, with chief executive Tim Cook on Monday telling the firm's customers that the U.S. government's demands are "chilling."

In an open letter to millions of its customers, Cook said the technology giant has "no sympathy for terrorists." But he said building a tool to access Farook's phone would leave Apple users vulnerable to searches of their financial and health records and monitoring of their location and the pictures they take.

"No reasonable person would find that acceptable," Cook said.

'About victims and justice'

FBI Director James Comey insisted the government is not trying to set any precedent for future cases or "set a master key loose on the land," which Cook contends is exactly what would happen.

Comey said "it is about the victims and justice," and that the tensions between privacy and safety should not be resolved by corporations or the FBI, but rather the American people.

Cook said that if the FBI wins the case and forces Apple to create a backdoor into its iPhones, law enforcement agents from throughout the U.S. "have already said they have hundreds of iPhones they want Apple to unlock."

He said Apple believes "the only way to guarantee that such a powerful tool isn't abused and doesn't fall into the wrong hands is to never create it." Cook also suggested the formation of a "commission or other panel of experts on intelligence, technology and civil liberties to discuss the implications for law enforcement, national security, privacy and personal freedoms, adding that Apple would take part in such an effort.

The case is the latest to showcase the frustrations of law enforcement officials who complain that newer encryption methods used by companies like Apple make it harder to carry out investigations involving the use of technology by criminal suspects. Apple strengthened encryption of its phones in 2014 amid increased public concern about digital privacy.
The head of U.S. Pacific Command said Tuesday that China was militarizing the South China Sea despite its pledge not to do so.

"China is clearly militarizing the South China Sea, and youd have to believe in flat Earth to think otherwise," Admiral Harry Harris told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Speaking ahead of the meeting in Washington between China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Harris said China was escalating the situation in the South China Sea with new deployments. Asked about Beijing's goals, he said: "I believe China seeks hegemony in East Asia."

Harris' concerns were backed up by a report released by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies that said China was building a radar system throughout the disputed islands.

The group's Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative released satellite imagery that shows a high-frequency radar system on Cuarteron reef in the Spratly Islands, as well as a lighthouse, a helicopter landing pad, an underground bunker and other communications equipment.

The report said the radar facilities on Cuarteron would "significantly bolster China's ability to monitor surface and air traffic" in the northern part of the South China Sea.

CSIS also said China appeared to be installing radar facilities at smaller reefs in the Spratlys.

At a joint news conference with Wang, Kerry said steps by China, Vietnam and others had escalated the tension in the region.

"Regrettably, there are missiles, fighter aircraft, guns, artillery and other things that have been placed in the South China Sea, and this is of great concern to everyone who transits and relies on the South China Sea for peaceful trade, commerce and use," Kerry said.

Beijing has launched a massive effort to assert its claims over a string of islands in the South China Sea through new construction and island-building, ignoring competing claims by Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system on Woody Island, which is part of the region's Paracel island chain and is also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracel group last month. U.S. defense officials said the mission was conducted under "freedom of navigation," which gives every nation the right to sail through crucial international navigation lanes.

Beijing denounced the U.S. action as a provocation and vowed there would be consequences.
Some 1.5 million Somalis have lost access to healthcare over the last two years as around 10 hospitals have closed or cut back their services due to aid shortages, relief agencies said on Monday.

The figure includes 300,000 children under five who can no longer get vaccinated against major childhood killers like measles or treated for diarrhea, which is often fatal, the agencies said.

Donor funding for healthcare has fallen by nearly two-thirds to $29 million in 2015 from $72 million in 2011, they said, citing United Nations data.

"The Somali health system is at the moment in a state of crisis," said Abdurahman Sharif, director of the Somalia NGO Consortium, a group of local and international aid agencies including Save the Children and Norwegian Refugee Council.

Somalia has been mired in conflict since civil war broke out in 1991.

Many health facilities have been damaged or looted during the conflict and medics and drugs are in short supply. They are almost entirely dependent on donor funding, Sharif said.

"They [aid agencies] will face difficulties in continuing to provide lifesaving health services at the scale that is required as a result mainly of the declining humanitarian funding," he said in a phone interview.

Important regional hospitals in Galkayo South and Jowhar are on the verge of suspending key services, such as maternity and outpatient care, he said.

Famine triggered by drought and war killed 260,000 people in Somalia in 2011. Funding has since waned as the government, backed by African Union troops, has made gains against the Islamist militant group al-Shabab.

Although security and access to markets has improved in many parts, one in two people still need aid in the Horn of Africa nation.

Somalia is one of the most dangerous countries for relief agencies to operate in, with 17 staff killed there in 2015.

Warring parties have deliberately targeted aid workers and manipulated aid for political gain.

The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) pulled out of Somalia in 2013 because of attacks on its staff, more than a dozen of whom were killed and abducted since 1991.

It was one of the main health service providers with 1,500 staff managing more than 20 facilities.

Other agencies have struggled to fill the gap, Sharif said.

African Union troops have taken major towns from al-Shabab but the militant group still controls swathes of countryside and has laid siege to urban areas.
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday urged its citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon days after Riyadh cut $4 billion in funding to Lebanese security forces.

Carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Saudi Foreign Ministrys announcement, gave no reason for the warning aside from unspecified safety concerns. It also called on nationals residing in or visiting Lebanon to leave unless their staying is extremely necessary, SPA reported.

An unnamed Saudi official said in the announcement that the kingdom had found hostile Lebanese positions resulting from the stranglehold of Hezbollah on the state.

Saudi ally the United Arab Emirates followed suit but went further, banning its citizens from traveling to Lebanon and planning to reduce its diplomatic representation there.

The Saudi official, cited by SPA, said Friday that the country was halting deals supporting forces in Lebanon after Lebanon failed to denounce January attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran at the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Saudi-Iranian relations have worsened as the Shiite militant group Hezbollahbased in Lebanon and backed by Irancontinues to fight in support of Syrias regime.

Alleged leaders of the militant group are under sanction by Saudi Arabia.

In 2012, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar previously ordered their citizens out of

Lebanon after 30 Syrians were kidnapped in retaliation for a Lebanese

Shia kidnapping by rebels fighting in Syria.
Saudi Arabias decision to drop a multibillion-dollar arms deal with Lebanon is likely to play into the hands of Iran and Hezbollah, analysts warn.

A charm offensive was launched by sections of the Lebanese government this week amid the fallout from the decision to halt $4 billion in financial grants to the countrys army and security forces.

Lebanese politician Saad Hariri urged Saudi King Salman "not to abandon Lebanon", while Prime Minister Tammam Salam is set to visit Gulf countries in a belated effort to repair the damage.

But amid the scrambling, many have been left scratching their heads over a move that may harm efforts to contain overspill from the Syrian war and could well hand further momentum to Iran in the escalating battle for influence over the region.

Not in harmony

Announced Friday, the cut halted a $3 billion program for the Lebanese army to buy military equipment from France, and a separate $1 billion package for Lebanons security forces, though some of this money has already been spent.

Lebanons failure to back recent pan-Arab statements condemning support for terrorism by Iran and a recent ramping up of anti-Saudi rhetoric coming from Iran-backed Lebanese militia group Hezbollah are being seen as short-term causes.

Saudi Arabias troubling economic situation, fueled by plunging oil prices, may have also been a factor claimed Bilal Saab, an analyst for the Atlantic Council.

But the main trigger, he claimed, is this feeling in Riyadh, this realization that with all the investments made in Lebanon there is little to show for it.

Losing battle

Saudi Arabia, which is largely Sunni, and Iran, mainly Shia, competed for influence in Lebanon long before the Syrian war ratcheted up tensions. Money has been pumped by Saudi Arabia into the largely-Sunni Lebanese Future Movement group.

Iran, meanwhile, has funded the largely Shia Hezbollah group, which has played a crucial military role in supporting Iranian ally and Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

The wording of the Lebanese Cabinet response to Saudi Arabia reflects the delicate balance of power and is mainly cosmetic, claims Sami Baroudi.

No one group dominates in Lebanon, said Baroudi, a professor of political science at the Lebanese American University. But for the last few months, with developments in Syria, and the Russian offensive, the tide is shifting towards Hezbollah.

This growth of clout for Hezbollah reflects a broader expansion in the region for Iran, which has stung Saudi Arabia. There are signs Saudi Arabia is not yet done. Tuesday, it issued a warning to its citizens travelling to Lebanon.

Counterproductive

Analysts who spoke to VOA thought taking revenge on Lebanon would backfire. Unlike other institutions within the country, the popularity of the Lebanese Armed Forces has long crossed sectarian divides, with relatively strong support among Lebanons Sunni community, an important demographic to Saudi Arabia.

The army and security forces are battling efforts by Islamist groups like the so-called Islamic State militant group to sow discord through a campaign of bombing, the most recent of which killed more than 40 people in Lebanons southern suburbs in November.

Claims from Saudi figures that the decision to cut the aid was something beneficial that would help release Lebanon from Iranian control were pure rubbish said Saab. To hurt the only non-sectarian institution in Lebanon which is working to preserve the stability of Lebanon is counterproductive, he added.

It was a view echoed by Aram Nerguizian, an expert on Lebanons defense capabilities and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who nonetheless cautioned the decision may not be final.

According to Nerguizian, moves to undermine an institution that has been backed by the United States, a key ally of Saudi Arabia, has left a lot of Beirut-based diplomats dumbstruck.

The army has found itself the collateral in a much bigger set of decisions made by Saudi Arabia as it tried to shape events in the wider region, he said. But he warned the move was a misstep that "plays to Hezbollah interests, because the armys weakness was a continued justification for the military power of Hezbollah, and thus Iran.

Left to defend itself

Meanwhile, as Middle East watchers try to understand the move and its motivations, Lebanon will have to continue to try to cope with the impact of the Syrian war with or without Saudi backing. And with well over one million refugees in the country, resources are stretched.

For Hisham Jaber, a retired Lebanese Major General and analyst, it is one more hurdle for a country whose capabilities are being severely tested.

The country is facing terrorism in the form of Nusra Front (an al-Qaida affiliate fighting in Syria) and ISIS. Their numbers are increasing and they present a real danger to Lebanon. Lebanon is in a critical situation already, he added, it doesnt need this problem.
A British nurse who was twice treated successfully for Ebola was again hospitalized Tuesday, according to health officials.

Pauline Cafferkey, who volunteered in 2014 to treat Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, was initially admitted to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, according to a statement.

Cafferkey, however, was being transferred to London's Royal Free Hospital, Britain's only isolation ward for the deadly disease, the London medical center said. She had been treated before at that facility.

She was transferred "due to a late complication from her previous infection by the Ebola virus," the hospital said.

Previous treatment

Cafferkey was diagnosed with Ebola in December 2014 after returning to Scotland from the west African nation. She recovered from Ebola hemorrhagic fever and was sent home in January 2015; however, she fell ill again in October and doctors found the virus was persisting in tissues in her brain.

Later, doctors said she had developed meningitis caused by Ebola -- the first known case.

Jonathan Ball, a professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham, told The Guardian Tuesday it was the first case he knew of where Ebola had been associated with life-threatening complications so many months after an initial recovery.

More complex than thought

Dr. Derek Gatherer, a biomedical and life sciences lecturer at Lancaster University, also told The Guardian it was clear Ebola was a more complex disease than previously thought, with the most serious complication for survivors being meningitis.

TheEbola outbreak  the deadliest since the virus was identified in 1976  has killed 11,316 of the 28,639 people infected since December of 2013, according to the latest World Health Organization figures.

The Ebola virus is transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person.

Nearly all the victims have been in the three west African nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The WHO declared Guinea free of Ebola in December 2015; Liberia was declared free of the virus in January.

It also declared Sierra Leone Ebola-free in January, only to announce days later that Ebola was detected in the corpse of a 21-year-old woman who died January 12. Sierra Leone is again going through a six-week countdown period to be declared Ebola-free.
Authorities in Singapore say they have deported four Indonesians who were allegedly traveling to Syria to join with Islamic State forces.

The quartet were arrested Sunday and deported to Indonesia's Batam island. The city-state's Ministry of Home Affairs says they informed their counterparts in Indonesia that the men were being sent back. The four were immediately detained by police after arriving in Batam's international port.

All of the suspected terrorists -- one of them 15 years old -- were from the main island of Java. They initially traveled to Singapore from Jakarta, then traveled to Johor in Malaysia before returning to Singapore.
Confectionery maker Mars has issued a recall of its candy bars across Europe over fears that plastic pieces could be found inside.

The recall covers 55 countries and comes after a German man reported finding a small piece of red plastic inside a Snickers bar in January. The company traced the plastic to a piece of machinery found in its factory in the town of Veghel, in the Netherlands.

A spokesman said the recall only involves candy products that were manufactured at the Dutch plant. They include Mars, Milky Way, Snickers, Celebrations and Miniatures with 'best before' dates ranging from June 19, 2016 to Jan. 8, 2017.

Mars says the recall was an "isolated incident". It was unable to give the number of products expected to be removed from shelves.

The U.S.-based Mars is one of the world's biggest food companies, with 29 chocolate brands including M&M's, Galaxy, Twix, Bounty and Maltesers. The company also owns Wrigley gum, Uncle Ben's Rice, Dolmio pasta sauce and Pedigree pet food.
On its first day back at work since Justice Antonin Scalia's unexpected death, the U.S. Supreme Court plunged into a case that could profoundly influence police behavior and alter the increasingly tense relationship between law enforcement and the public in high-crime urban areas.

The eight remaining justices appeared divided along familiar ideological lines, raising the specter of what some predict could be a number of 4-4 votes without Scalia.

At issue in this case, Utah v. Strieff, is whether courts can admit evidence obtained in a police search based on an earlier arrest warrant that is discovered only after a suspect is detained without probable cause.

The justices heard an appeal filed by Utah officials of a ruling by the state's top court in favor of Edward Strieff, who was convicted in 2006 of methamphetamine possession and a related drug charge after his vehicle was stopped by police in Salt Lake City.

The state Supreme Court ruled that Strieff's rights under the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment were violated because although there was a warrant issued for his arrest at the time of the search  for a minor traffic violation  the police officer did not know that when he stopped Strieff's vehicle.

That concerned Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who linked the Strieff case to heavy-handed police tactics in minority communities like Ferguson, Missouri  the St. Louis suburb where Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed in August 2014 by a white police officer during a street confrontation.

The shooting prompted protests that shook the area for weeks.

"If you have a town like Ferguson, where 80 percent of the residents have [minor] traffic warrants out, there may be a very good incentive for just standing on the street corner and asking every citizen, give me your ID," Sotomayor said.

"What stops us from becoming a police state?" she asked Utah Solicitor General Tyler Green, who conceded that Strieff's Fourth Amendment protections were violated.

Acting in good faith

Joan Watt, representing Strieff, argued that the arresting officer lacked reasonable cause to stop him, because the officer only saw him coming out of a house under surveillance for drug activity, but did not see him enter or do anything illegal.

But John Bash, assistant to the solicitor general of the U.S. Department of Justice, countered that any taint on the evidence secured via the illegal stop was diminished because the arrest was not a flagrant violation of the Fourth Amendment and falls under a commonly cited exception to its protections.

Bash said the arresting officer, Detective Douglas Fackrell, acted in good faith and had reasonable cause to stop Strieff based on what he observed going on at the house.

Fackrell "saw short-term traffic that was consistent in his experience and expertise with drug activity. And then someone walked out of the house ... I mean, this wasn't a pizza deliveryman," Bash said.

Thirty other states  including Michigan, Oregon, Kansas, Florida and Hawaii  agreed.

They filed an Amicus Brief in support of Utah, arguing that suppressing evidence found in such circumstances would neuter the power of legal arrest warrants and frustrate police officers' ability to perform their duties.

Kagan counters

But Justice Elena Kagan countered that creating a new standard for Fourth Amendment protections would change police incentives dramatically in communities where large numbers of people have arrest warrants.

"In these very heavily policed areas  I mean, I was staggered by the number of arrest warrants that are out on people," Kagan said.

"So it's a significant possibility that you're going to find an arrest warrant and be able to admit whatever drugs or guns or whatever it is you find," she said.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito appeared unmoved, arguing that law enforcement officers have many reasons to run warrant checks, including fears for their personal safety after traffic stops.

Watt was undeterred.

"Utah's rule would have an overwhelming impact that would create a powerful incentive for police officers to walk up to people on the street and simply stop them," she answered.

The court is expected to issue a decision on the case before the end of its term in June.
Violence in eastern Ukraine is on the rise again after relative calm during the winter. Recent reports from the contested Donbas region say the death tolls since mid-February are similar to those in September of last year, before a shaky truce took hold. Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have been fighting government forces since the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych two years ago. The unrest also has returned to the capital, Kyiv, where protesters demand the resignation of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Ukrainians are marking the second anniversary of mass protests in Kyiv that led to the ouster of President Yanukovych and Russia's involvement in the former Soviet republic. During the main event on Sunday, flowers were laid in Maidan Square to honor the protesters killed there two years ago.

I came here to mark the anniversary of two years since people were killed, but found another revolution starting, said activist Oleksandr Voevudskiy.

The tents erected by activists were still up Monday, with demonstrators expressing discontent with the current government.

"We have three requests: the resignation of Yatsenyuk's government that didn't do its job and also an investigation into the killings of Maidan activists and other important cases, and no political judgment for activists," said Aleksander Misura, a protester in Kyiv.

On Saturday, protests turned violent as nationalists vandalized Russian banks in Kyiv and other cities to express anger at Moscow for annexing the Crimean peninsula in March 2014 and providing military support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

German and French foreign ministers arrived in Kyiv Monday to urge Ukrainian leaders to step up reforms needed for the implementation of a permanent peace agreement. The reforms negotiated last year in Minsk have been delayed by political squabbling in Kyiv. And Yatsenyuk's government barely survived a no-confidence vote earlier this month.

EU officials stressed the importance of stability for Ukraine's future.

"I know that you are very much committed to this course of internal reforms and I'm sure you know, we know, and regarding the last comments of the International Monetary Fund which are saying: 'in principle we can be supportive if there is stability - political stability in Ukraine,'" said German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Ukraine's economy has stalled amid political unrest and violence in the east. Kyiv also bears the burden of refugees who fled Crimea and rebel-held regions in the east.
A U.S.-Russia cease-fire plan for Syria is scheduled to take effect at midnight (local time) Friday in Syria.

The Syrian government accepted the plan Tuesday. Opposition groups have until midnight Friday to confirm their participation. The cease-fire agreement does not apply to Islamic State or al-Qaida-linked groups, and Syria said it will continue military operations against those groups.

Syrian forces and other armed opposition groups must agree to the cease-fire terms, which include:

Implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254, also known as the "Roadmap for Peace in Syria," which includes the readiness to participate in a U.N.-led political negotiation process.

Cessation of attacks by each side with any weapons, including rockets, mortars and anti-tank guided missiles.

Unhindered and immediate access to humanitarian groups delivering aid to besieged areas.

No land grabs.

Proportionate use of force by either side when responding in self-defense.

Any party to the cease-fire can bring allegations of violations to the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and its cease-fire task force. A U.S. State Department spokesman said the group may also rely in part on non-government organizations and journalists in Syria for reports on possible cease-fire violations.
The United Nations' human rights office is condemning violence and alleged human rights abuses that marred last week's presidential elections in Uganda. U.N. human rights monitors say two people were killed  one as police broke up an opposition rally, and the other as police disrupted a post-election protest.

U.N. monitors say military and police forces in the capital, Kampala, have imprisoned several opposition figures, including three presidential candidates. Among those is Kizza Besigye, head of the Forum for Democratic Change, or FDC, who was arrested and released on three different occasions last week, and arrested yet again Monday, according to human rights spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly.

"We are also concerned about the intimidating display of force used on Friday by Ugandan police and military forces to evacuate the FDC headquarters in Kampala, with tear gas and live ammunition reportedly used, Pouilly said, and by worrying information of journalists being harassed and intimidated by security forces."

President Yoweri Museveni, in office since 1986, won a fifth term by a large margin in an election which many observers describe as flawed and full of irregularities.

U.N. monitors report that the situation in Uganda has calmed down somewhat, but the possibility of further riots cannot be ruled out, Pouilly told VOA.

Her agency also is concerned by the Internet shutdown of the WhatsApp messenger service and Facebook just before the election.

"We had obvious concerns about this shutdown and the possibility for people to exchange views, Pouilly said. We understand that both applications have now been restored. We feel that the rights of the citizens to exchange information, have access to information, in this case was seriously hampered."

The U.N. human rights office says the government broke a number of its obligations under international humanitarian law throughout the election process. These include encroaching on people's rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, the use of unnecessary force by police, and the arrest of people without informing them of the charges.
The United Nations has accused Afghan and U.S.-led international forces of executing two patients and a 15-year-old boy in a joint raid on a hospital in central Afghanistan.

The operation was conducted on February 18 in the Tangi Sayedan area of Daimirdad district of Wardak province, said a U.N. statement issued in Kabul Tuesday.

Afghan Ministry of Interior Special Forces and the international military entered a government health clinic funded by the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan," the statement said. "After the manager of the facility was tied up and other medical personnel were forced with him into a room, two patients and a 15-year-old boy on visit were taken to a nearby shop and summarily executed, it added.

U.S. military officials in Kabul said they were aware of the U.N. statement regarding last weeks incident.

The Afghan Government is conducting an investigation. Our policy is not to discuss an ongoing investigation, U.S. Army spokesman Col. Michael Lawhorn said in a brief statement sent to VOA.

The U.N. allegation was part of a statement emphasizing the need for all parties to the Afghan conflict to abstain from actions that may place healthcare facilities and people inside them at risk.

Medical facilities, medical personnel, and those who are receiving treatment for disease or conflict-related injuries, must never be placed at risk, let alone subject to attack, said Mark Bowden, the U.N.s Humanitarian Coordinator.

The statement also criticized a Taliban suicide bombing on Monday in which seven civilians were killed and seven others were wounded. That attack happened in the Sia Gird district of northern Parwan province where a suicide attacker targeting Afghan security forces detonated an improvised explosive device close to the entrance of the district health clinic.

The U.N. reiterates that intentional attacks on or in the vicinity of education facilities and hospitals, or on their personnel, committed as part of the ongoing conflict, constitute violations and abuses of international human rights law, breaches of international humanitarian law, and also violate the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the statement warned.

In October, a U.S. military airstrike targeted a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in northern Afghanistan that killed 42 staff, patients and family members and wounded another 43. A U.S. military probe into the incident said U.S. forces misidentified the target that led to the attack on the hospital

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has documented an increase in the number of conflict-related incidents deliberately targeting hospitals, clinics and health personnel,

In its annual report, released earlier this week, UNAMA said the conflict killed or wounded more than 11,000 Afghan civilians, including around 3,500 dead, in 2015, the highest causality figures since it began documenting civilian casualties in 2009.
The United States has held 779 suspected terrorists at its military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since the 2001 al-Qaida attacks on New York and Washington. Now, however, the focus is on what to do with the remaining 91 people detained there, including 35 who have been cleared for release but are still being held as the U.S. searches for countries willing to accept them.

With U.S. President Barack Obama offering a plan Tuesday to close the prison, advocates who have long lobbied for the closure cataloged the status of the remaining prisoners.

A group called Close Guantanamo - a collection of lawyers, journalists and retired military personnel - says there currently are 46 Yemeni nationals at Guantanamo, 12 Saudi Arabians and eight Afghans. There are smaller numbers from Tunisia, Libya, Tajikistan, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Algeria, Russia, Mauritania, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kenya and Somalia.

Hundreds of others once held at Guantanamo after being captured while fighting U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and elsewhere have been released over the years to other countries, including 147 by Obama.

Aside from the 35 who have been cleared for release but are still being detained, U.S. officials have recommended that the others be transferred to a prison in the U.S. or prosecuted before U.S. military commissions. In announcing his base closure plan, Obama said some of the Guantanamo prisoners also could be tried in U.S. federal courts, where government prosecutors have won several high-profile convictions against terrorists and lengthy prison terms.

Interrogation techniques

U.S. legal analysts say the prosecution of some of the Guantanamo suspects is legally problematical since some were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques, either overseas when they were captured or at Guantanamo. They included waterboarding that simulated drowning. The administration of former president George W. Bush authorized the use of waterboarding, but Obama concluded it was torture and banned its use.

The detention of the suspected terrorists at Guantanamo is but one chapter in the history of the oldest existing U.S. base outside its own territory.

The U.S. has controlled the 118-square-kilometer site on the southeastern tip of Cuba since 1898, when Spain ceded control of Cuba to the United States at the end of the Spanish-American War. In subsequent treaties in 1903 and 1934, the U.S. recognized Cuba's "ultimate sovereignty" over the land, while maintaining "complete jurisdiction and control" for Washington, a perpetual lease that can be voided only by mutual agreement.

The U.S. naval presence at the site has endured for more than a century, even as Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro demanded that the U.S. return the land to the communist nation after seizing power from the U.S.-supported dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Now, even as Obama has renewed diplomatic and trade links with Havana and Castro's brother, President Raul Castro, after more than five decades of hostilities borne of the Cold War, the U.S. has not signaled any intention of giving up the site along the Caribbean coast.

In 1903, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt leased the site for the annual payment of 2,000 gold coins, less than $3,400; but, since 1959, Cuba has never cashed the check for the lease payments.

In his early years as the Cuban ruler, Fidel Castro threatened to kick the U.S. Navy off the Guantanamo compound if Washington continued to interfere with the Cuban economy, but also acknowledged that if he took military action, the U.S. would use it as a pretext to invade and overthrow him. In 1964, Castro shut off water to the base, but the U.S. responded by building its own water and power plants.

By the 1990's, the Guantanamo base was used as a refugee camp, housing 20,000 Haitians fleeing a 1991 coup in the Port-au-Prince government and 30,000 Cubans intercepted at sea as they fled the Castro regime. Many of them eventually returned to their homelands or were allowed to emigrate to the United States, where a large Cuban exile community emerged in the southeastern state of Florida, 145 kilometers off the coast of Cuba.

As al-Qaida terrorists flew commercial jetliners into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon just outside Washington on September 11, 2001, Washington quickly looked again to Guantanamo. The U.S. needed a place to detain the hundreds of terrorism suspects and battlefield combatants it was capturing in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and elsewhere in the Middle East as it embarked on what Bush described as a global war on terrorism.

Bush declared in 2002 that the detention center was not subject to the legal constraints of the Geneva Conventions, but photos and accounts from the facility surfaced that suggested the detainees were being interrogated in ways that critics said was tantamount to torture. Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the detainees were entitled to minimal legal protections under the international conventions covering the legalities of the conduct of war.

Bush, like Obama, eventually called for closing the Guantanamo prison, but Congress enacted legislation banning the transfer of the detainees to prisons in the U.S., which Obama now hopes to negotiate a way around to be able to close the facility before he leaves office in January 2017.
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) says it is urgently looking for $38 million to buy food for nearly three million people facing starvation in Malawi. The appeal comes after the WFP extended its food relief operation by a month. The U.N. and its partners have been providing food and cash assistance to hunger-stricken Malawians since last October. The country is facing its worst food shortage in a decade, largely caused by flooding and drought last year.

The WFP says without additional contributions, cash distributions will have to be suspended next month, while food distributions will be drastically reduced or even discontinued by mid-April.

Local media reported recently that some Malawians are surviving on maize husks, which are normally meant for animal feed.

Amina Khalid, a Blantyre resident, told VOA that the governments main grain marketer, the Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) is also short on maize.

As of now people are sleeping in ADMARC depots waiting to purchase maize. Last week a woman fainted in Balaka District as she was waiting to purchase maize there, so the food shortage situation is really worse now, said Khalid.

Currently ADMARC depots allow an individual to buy only 20 kilograms of maize at a time. Khalid said this is not enough.

You cant tell a family of 10 people to get 20 kilograms. That means they will only eat in the afternoon. What will happen in the evening? That means they will go back to ADMARC depot to purchase another 20 kilograms for that evening," said Khalid.

Private maize traders, the WFP says, have taken advantage of the shortage situation by raising prices - 175 percent higher - making it increasingly difficult for many people to buy food.

Opposition leader in parliament, Lazarus Chakwera, asked the national assembly on Monday to observe a minute of silence to remember people who have died because of hunger.

Food rights activist Tamani Nkhono said the food shortage situation could have been minimized.

In June 2015, there was an announcement that there was going to be El Nino. And we all know that the effects of El Nino is either going to be floods or drought. Having been told, we would have come up with a good package to prepare for that, but that package was never there. Instead, investments went into rain-fed agriculture when we knew that rain was going to be a problem, said Nkhono.

Malawi government authorities vehemently deny that there is food shortage.

Minister of Agriculture Allan Chiyembekeza said last week that the government has procured 50,000 metric tons of maize, enough to feed Malawians until the next harvest season.

He said reports of a food shortage are baseless.
Zimbabweans living in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province, have expressed mixed feelings over the security situation in the country following heightened internal conflicts in the ruling Zanu PF with factions clashing over the succession of 92 year-old President Robert Mugabe.

Some say they are now scared that Zimbabwe may plunge into a political crisis if the situation is not put under control by the party leaders.

Although the situation is calm in Chinhoyi and surrounding towns following skirmishes between war veterans and the police in Harare last week, most people who spoke to Studio 7 today said they fear that there could be some civil strife in Zimbabwe if the fighting within Zanu PF is not properly managed.

They said they are worried about President Mugabes moves to reprimand War Veterans Minister Christopher Mutsvangwa, who organized an ill-fated meeting of former freedom fighters in Harare which was crushed by anti-riot police, and recent outbursts by First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Mrs. Mugabe attacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa for allegedly attempting to topple her husband in a succession battle that is pitting her alleged faction known as Generation 40 and Team Lacoste said to be backing Mnangagwa.

Kennias Zamhindo of Chikonohono high density suburb said it is likely that Zanu PF factionalism is triggering discord in the Zimbabwe National Army, which was accused by Mr. Mugabe at a recent Zanu PF National Peoples Conference in Victoria Falls of engaging in the partys succession battles.

Banket resident Timothy Serevano concurred, adding that the factionalism indicates that there are deep-rooted divisions in both the Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans Association and national army over the person who is expected to succeed the president.

Serevano said such a situation is dangerous as Zimbabwe may end up degenerating into a civil war if the factionalism is not properly managed by Mr. Mugabe and other senior Zanu PF officials.

Dennis Kagonye, publisher of a community newspaper, The Mirrior, said some individuals within Zanu PF and the army will be side stepping each other in the succession battles, but the majority of people in the country will continue with their struggle for survival.

Kagonye said it is impossible for Zimbabweans to be drawn into a fully-fledged civil war because of their high level of literacy.

Local vendor, Clemence Tagarika, noted that the majority of Zimbabweans generally fear any form of violence and therefore it is unlikely that they can be pushed to the extent of rising up against the current top political leadership of the country.

Tagarika cited the crushing of the war veterans meeting by the police as a sure sign that the state is geared to deal with any form of rebellion.

Despite the current calm political environment in the country, some people believe that President Mugabe is no longer in control of his party, a situation that may trigger serious internal party conflicts that are likely to affect millions of Zimbabweans currently struggling to make ends meet.
Senior Zanu-PF and army officials are said to be panicking following a Harare magistrate courts ruling on Monday that Econet Wireless and Netone should release phone records of army officers who were in touch with Borman Ngwenya accused of plotting to bomb the first family business concern, Alpha Omega Dairy Farm in Mazowe.

Senior Econet and NetOne officials, who spoke to Studio 7 off the record, said they will obey court orders.

The trial is now expected to play into the factional fights in Zanu PF as First Lady Grace Mugabe recently accused unnamed army officials and party members of plotting to kill her children Bellamine Chatunga and Bona Mugabe.

Governent officials said President Robert Mugabe will shortly appoint a tribunal to investigate prosecutor general Johannes Tomana accused of criminal abuse after he allegedly released two of the suspected bombers claiming they had agreed to work as state witnesses.

Musindo Hungwe, the lawyer representing one of the suspected bomber Ngwenya, said the court records will prove the accused worked with some senior army officials in the trial which starts next month.
Friends,

I just had a telephone conversation with President of the United States of America Barack Obama. The phone call was initiated by the Russian side, but the interest was certainly mutual.

During our conversation, we approved joint statements of Russia and the US, as co-chairs of the ISSG, on the cessation of hostilities in Syria. Adoption of the statement was preceded by intensive work by Russian and American experts. We also made use of the positive experience we accumulated over the course of cooperation in eliminating chemical weapons in Syria.

Our negotiators held several rounds of closed consultations. As a result, we were able to reach an important, specific result. It was agreed that the cessation of hostilities in Syria commences at 00:00 (Damascus time) on February 27, 2016 on terms and conditions that are a part of the Russian-American statement.

The essence of these conditions is as follows: by 12:00 pm on February 26, 2016, all parties warring in Syria must indicate to the Russian Federation or our American partners their commitment to the cessation of hostilities. Russian and American troops will jointly delineate the territories where these groups are active. No military action will be taken against them by the Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, Russian Armed Forces and the US-led coalition. In turn, the opposition will cease all military action against the Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic and other groups supporting them.

ISIS, Jabhat Al-Nursa, and other terrorist organisations designated by the United Nations Security Council, are excluded from the cessation of hostilities. Strikes against them will continue.

It is fundamentally important that Russia and the US, as co-chairs of the ISSG, are prepared to launch effective mechanisms to promote and monitor compliance with the ceasefire by both the Syrian Government and the armed opposition groups.

To achieve this goal, we will establish a communication hotline and, if necessary, a working group to exchange relevant information. Russia will conduct the necessary work with Damascus and the legitimate Syrian leadership. We expect that the United States will do the same with regard to their allies and the groups they support.

I am sure that the joint actions agreed upon with the American side will be enough to radically reverse the crisis situation in Syria. We are finally seeing a real chance to bring an end to the long-standing bloodshed and violence. As a result, humanitarian access to all Syrian citizens in need should be made easier.

Most important is the creation of conditions for launching a long-term political process through a broad inter-Syrian dialogue in Geneva, under the auspices of the UN.

Unfortunately, recent history has many examples where one-sided actions not sanctioned by the UN, which favour short-term political or opportunistic interests, have led to dramatic results. These examples are on everyones lips: Somalia, Iraq, Libya, Yemen.

Against this background, Russian-American agreements on the cessation of hostilities in Syria, and their joint implementation in coordination with all nations participating in the International Syria Support Group, can become an example of responsible actions the global community takes against the threat of terrorism, which are based on international law and UN principles.

I would like to hope that the Syrian leadership and all our partners in the region and beyond will support the set of actions chosen by representatives of Russia and the US.
Rooney Mara in Pan. Photo: Warner Brothers

Before Rooney Mara was an Oscar nominee for Carol, she played Tiger Lily in Pan, last years little-loved Peter Pan origin story  a controversial choice, as Tiger Lily is Native American and Rooney Mara, for all her other splendid qualities, is not. Now, on the same day that a USC study has illuminated just how whitewashed Hollywood is, Mara has spoken out about the casting, expressing more regret for the whole situation. I really hate, hate, hate that I am on that side of the whitewashing conversation. I really do, she told The Telegraph. I dont ever want to be on that side of it again. I can understand why people were upset and frustrated. Though Mara has no unkind words for director Joe Wright, she does admit that the casting process should have gone in a different direction: Do I think all of the four main people in the film should have been white with blonde hair and blue eyes? No. I think there should have been some diversity somewhere. At this, Charlotte Rampling was heard loudly complaining about racism against white pirates.
McLennan County Justice of the Peace W.H. Pete Peterson has been cleared by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct after three complaints from attorneys and the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association over the manner in which he set bonds for 177 bikers arrested after the May 17 Twin Peaks shootout.

Peterson, who set identical $1 million bonds for each of the bikers and said he did so, in part, to send a message, declined comment Monday about the dismissal of the complaints.

Petersons attorney, David Deaconson, said he and Peterson went to Austin to meet with the commission Feb. 11.

They got to see and hear from and talk to Pete and made a decision after that to dismiss the complaints, Deaconson said. I dont think it was lost on the commission the fact that at least two of the complaints we learned about from the Tribune-Herald after a press release was issued and copies were provided to us by the Tribune-Herald, and the other two were virtually identical and filed by fellow attorneys. I think that makes clear the motives behind the filing of the complaints.

Dallas attorney Clint Broden filed the initial complaint in June, alleging Peterson violated judicial ethical canons. It appears that attorneys John Hirsch and John Moore merely got copies of Brodens complaint and signed their names, Deaconson said.

I think Judge Peterson attempted to do his job to the best of his ability given the circumstances that all were confronted with at the time, Deaconson said. I think the commission confirmed that he did nothing to violate any judicial canons.

Broden and Sam Bassett, president of the 3,000-member Texas Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, both declined comment Monday, saying they had not been notified yet of the commissions decision.

I guess I need to see what the commission said before I can comment, but it is obviously disappointing if he didnt get at least a professional reprimand because of the manner in which he set the bonds, Bassett said. He set the bonds in a rubber-stamp fashion, and we just dont think that is carrying out the proper duties of a magistrate.

Broden said at the time that his complaint was based on comments Peterson made to the Tribune-Herald, including, I think it is important to send a message. We had nine people killed in our community. These people just came in, and most of them were from out of town. Very few of them were from in town.

The complaint also alleged that Peterson set $1 million bonds for the bikers without any individual consideration for the facts of the individual cases.

Big reductions

Most of those bonds were reduced drastically after negotiations between biker attorneys and prosecutors.

Brodens complaint also alleged Peterson set bonds in mass, group hearings without considering the rules for establishing bonds under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The TCDLA complaint, filed in September, alleged that Peterson violated the law, the Constitution and judicial canons, which likely caused the unnecessary extended incarceration of many presumptively innocent individuals.

Our law specifically states that the setting of bail is not to be used as an instrument of oppression, the TCDLA complaint said.  Sending a message to anyone is not a factor to be considered in setting any bond. In setting over 170 $1 million bonds, Justice of the Peace Peterson ignored Texas law. In setting 170 $1 million bonds to send a message, Peterson abdicated his duty to follow the law.
The common-law husband of a woman who stole almost $580,000 from the Methodist Childrens Home pleaded guilty Monday to threatening a prosecutor during a hearing in the womans case in April 2015.

Roy Garcia, 54, pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony retaliation charge in exchange for a recommendation from prosecutors that he be placed on deferred probation for three years and fined $500.

Garcia is set to be sentenced April 27 after probation department officials prepare a pre-sentence report for 54th State District Judge Matt Johnson.

Garcias attorney, Melanie Walker, deferred comment until after sentencing.

Garcia pleaded guilty to brushing past prosecutor Robert Moody as Garcia was leaving 19th State District Court, pointing a finger at his chest and saying, Ill be looking for you.

Garcia was upset because Judge Ralph Strother had just revoked the bond of Garcias common-law wife, Susan Herrera, and denied a motion to delay her felony theft trial, based in part on Moodys contention that she was faking an illness to force another postponement.

Herrera, a 28-year Methodist Childrens Home employee, was sentenced to 57 years in prison last year after her trial in Strothers court. She was convicted of stealing $578,789 from the home for underprivileged children during a four-year period.

Herrera claimed to have suffered a stroke the day before her trial was set to begin, and Strother held a hearing to determine her fitness to stand trial.

Moody read from Herreras medical records, in which a doctor said she was faking her stroke symptoms or malingering.

The judge revoked her bail and declined to postpone the trial, saying he thought it awfully convenient for her to claim she suffered a stroke the day before her trial setting. He added that he thought she had been manipulating the system.

That angered Garcia, who stormed out of the courtroom, threatening Moody on the way out.

Moody, cautioned by witnesses not to take the comment lightly, reported it to the judge, who ordered a deputy to bring Garcia back to court. Garcia acknowledged what he said, but told the judge he didnt mean it as a threat.

Moody, who attended Garcias plea hearing Monday morning, declined comment on the case.
The cause of a vacant house fire warranted additional investigation after flames leaped from a home at 1910 N. 22nd St. Monday afternoon.

Fire crews were called to the home after reports of seeing flames coming out of the building at 12:49 p.m., Assistant Fire Chief Don Yeager said. Glass shattered out of window frames as firefighters acted quickly to contain the blaze roughly 10 minutes later.

When they got here, there were flames coming through the window, going up to the roof and broke out some of the living room windows, Yeager said, adding that no one was inside the home when crews arrived. Anytime you find a home that is vacant or doesnt have utilities, it can still be accidental, but it does cause you reason to pause and you see that you do need to look at this a little more closely.

The owner of the home arrived at the house and spoke with firefighters as they continued to ventilate the home and inspect the debris.

Yeager said the home had working electrical utilities, but gas service had been shut off.

Neighbors said the fire seemed suspicious after a man in a hoodie was reportedly seen running from the house. Fire officials were unable to confirm neighbors suspicions at the scene.

Last year, a string of more than 10 vacant house fires were dealt with throughout the city, but primarily in North Waco, according to the Tribune-Heralds records. Many of the previous fires occurred within Windsor and Austin avenues and North 11th and North 30th streets, but fire officials said two fires in East Waco were also labeled as arson.

No cause was immediately determined for the fire on North 22nd Street by Monday afternoon. Deputy Fire Marshal Lt. Gary Lee said the investigation remained ongoing.
State arts leaders and legislators will converge on the Waco Hippodrome on Wednesday to share pointers on running and funding arts organizations with those currently doing so or who would like to in the future.

They come as part of the Arts Funding and Leadership Development Day, a daylong informational seminar produced by Texans for the Arts. Hosting the Waco event are the Hippodrome, Creative Waco and the Waco Convention Center and Visitors Bureau.

Creative Waco executive director Fiona Bond considers the seminar an opportunity for those interested in running an arts organization or arts-releated business to learn important pointers on how to survive and grow.

This will hopefully de-mystify the process, she said.

Workshop leaders include Texans for the Arts executive director Ann S. Graham, Ballet Austin executive director and TFA board member Cookie Ruiz, San Antonio Department of Creative and Cultural Development executive director Felix Padron and Cathy Neece Brown of Fort Worths James L. West Alzheimers Center.

The afternoon will feature a panel discussion including state Reps. Charles Doc Anderson, R-Waco; and Kyle Kacal, R-Bryan, who will field questions on working with state legislators on arts advocacy and funding issues.

These are really great people to ask questions about the structure of arts organizations, sustainability and how to leverage support, said Bond, who is leading efforts to win state approval of a Cultural District for Waco. The speakers are relevant for what were doing in Waco right now.

Topics to be addressed during the daylong seminar include fundraising, philanthropy, municipal policy and advocacy. Approximately 50 people are registered for the TFA event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hippodrome.
Some years ago, I added To Kill a Mockingbird to the syllabus of my course on Ethics in Literature. I teach in a law school and the students in the seminar were as hard-bitten and hypercritical as one would expect. Most of the works we read they trashed from one end to the other, often with the easygoing savage hauteur of the young intellectual.

But not Mockingbird. They treated the classic with a respect bordering on awe. Prompting them to criticize it was as successful as prompting an evangelical to criticize the Bible.

Harper Lee, who died Friday at 89, always professed herself astounded at the role of her masterpiece in the lives of so many millions of readers. The storys images are seared into us. Those who dont read it in middle school read it in high school. The book is as firmly installed in the popular culture as a novel can be. Its inspired satires galore  including on The Simpsons  and Aaron Sorkin is now adapting it for Broadway.

Mockingbird was published in 1960. After the book quickly sold 500,000 copies, Life magazine quoted a neighbor who said to Lee: The next thing youll be getting one of those awards from across the water.

Maybe not  Lee had to settle for a Pulitzer Prize and, later on, a couple of presidential medals  but the books influence on generations of schoolchildren can hardly be overstated. The story of Scout Finchs Alabama childhood and her fathers brave but doomed defense of a black man accused of raping a white woman is not only one of the best-selling novels of all time (estimates run above 40 million copies) but also one of the most loved. As the legal scholar Thomas Shaffer has put it: The millions of people who like To Kill a Mockingbird are not analytical about their liking it. He added: The story of Atticus Finch appeals in an immediate way to people. . . . He is a hero.

The novel was published at an auspicious moment. Lee, moved by such events as the killing of Emmett Till to reflect upon the racial attitudes of the town where she grew up, at first had trouble shaping the narrative. But when she finally succeeded, she had written what Oprah Winfrey would call our national novel and the writer Jane Smiley would later call the Uncle Toms Cabin of the 20th century.

On initial publication, Mockingbird received generally glowing reviews, although the New York Times warned that some of the scenes suggest that Miss Lee is cocking at least one eye toward Hollywood. If she was, that was a good thing. The film version is one of the most beloved movies ever and in 2003 the character of Atticus Finch (portrayed by Gregory Peck, who won the Academy Award) was selected by the American Film Institute as the greatest movie hero of all time.

Meanwhile, fans waited for her next book. And waited, and waited, and waited. Lee was 34 years old when Mockingbird was published. When Go Set a Watchman finally saw the light of day in 2015, she was 88. The new novel, as it turned out, was mostly from an old manuscript, the rough original from which Mockingbird derived. Watchman was a huge commercial success, but critics were largely unkind.

Yet I wonder whether behind much of the criticism of Watchman there might not lurk a bit of disappointment that the heroic Atticus Finch turned out to be just another bigoted yokel. The anger at the second novel, in other words, might be part of the love for the first.

The Atticus we all met on first reading To Kill a Mockingbird back in grade school supplied a hero for all seasons, and we prefer to keep him that way. As Shaffer points out, An important thing about hero stories is that they appeal from life to life. Thats what Lee gave us: a hero story we cant forget. And so one modest young woman earned her place among the literary immortals.

Stephen Carter is a law professor at Yale.
It is a tumultuous time in the global energy marketplace and the trouble isnt limited to the price of oil. On top of tumbling oil prices, Texans are fending off assaults from Washington that directly threaten our nations energy security and 400,000-plus Texas oil and natural gas jobs.

President Obama recently proposed a $10-per-barrel tax on oil, a proposal that adds insult to injury and would put even more Americans out of work. Such a tax would discourage if not derail oil production in the United States just as our nations energy security gains sturdy footing.

The Environmental Protection Agency has repeatedly called for over-reaching regulations that are out of touch with Texas strong track record for protecting the environment and reducing air emissions, even as production has skyrocketed. Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court halted implementation of the EPAs Clean Power Plan while the lower court decides if the plans dramatic expansion of EPA authority is legal. Still others have petitioned the EPA to strip Texas authority to oversee important environmental regulations and to hand that authority to the federal government.

All of this matters because so much is at stake for Texans and the oil and natural gas industry, which continues to anchor our economy in terms of jobs, economic activity and state and local tax revenue  even in challenging times. In fiscal year 2015, Texas oil and natural gas industry paid $13.8 billion in state and local taxes and state royalties  the second highest such collection from the oil and natural industry in Texas history.

Besides state revenue, school districts and counties benefit from property tax revenue from oil and natural gas producing properties. In fiscal year 2015, Texas ISDs received $1.9 billion in oil and natural gas mineral property taxes. Counties received $632 million in oil and natural gas mineral property taxes.

All Texans benefit from oil and natural gas tax and royalty revenue, whether they live in an energy-producing area or not. Every year, oil and natural gas companies contribute billions of dollars in taxes and royalties that directly fund our roads, schools, first responders and essential public services. Using tax revenue from the oil and natural gas industry, Texas has been able to invest billions of dollars in infrastructure such as water projects and our State Highway Fund, as well as local investments in school construction.

Texans see the impact of these investments every day. Our Permanent School Fund, which supports Texas public schools, receives more than a half-billion dollars annually from oil and natural gas royalties and leases. That fund, worth $34.5 billion, is the second largest education endowment in the nation.

Falling oil prices remind us that this revenue isnt guaranteed. In the current fiscal year, were seeing significantly less money available for state and local tax coffers. Yet there is good news. Even with the downturn, several sectors of oil and natural gas industry remain steady and our nations dependence on imported petroleum is at a 30-year low.

In 2014, net imports of crude oil and petroleum products consumed in the United States fell to 27 percent, the lowest level since 1985.

Texas is indeed the nations No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas but our rankings dont stop there. Texas also has the largest pipeline infrastructure in the nation. Thanks in large part to pipeline infrastructure, the United States has expanded its natural gas exports and is predicted to be a net exporter of natural gas by mid-2017  which hasnt happened since 1955. Texas refineries account for 29 percent of total U.S. refining capacity with the nations two largest refineries located here. Texas ports are shipping LNG, crude oil and refined products all over the world and bringing those dollars to Texas.

All of these best of accolades spell opportunity and jobs for Texans. Todays market conditions remind us we cant take the economic contribution of the Texas oil and natural gas industry for granted. And unfortunately, grappling with the price of oil is but one of our challenges. While the price of oil is understandably on the minds of many Texans, politicians and bureaucrats in Washington have made it clear that the threat to our energy security and our economic prosperity is not confined to the price of the barrel.

Todd Staples is president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association.
Several community leaders in recent weeks have voiced outrage at comments by Waco Independent School District leaders in a Jan. 17 Trib Q&A specifying almost criminal shortcomings by at least some (but certainly not all) parents in struggling Waco ISD neighborhoods. Fair enough. Outrage duly noted.

Now its time for everyone to roll up his or her sleeves and get to work.

Today school officials will host 6 p.m. meetings at J.H. Hines Elementary School, South Waco Elementary School and Indian Spring Middle School for parents interested in bolstering relations between their neighborhoods and the academically troubled schools in them. If these alliances are successful, closure of these schools by state officials can be averted. If not, both the schools and the neighborhoods will share in the blame.

Yes, some people ranging from NAACP chapter president Peaches Henry to community activist Robert Gamboa charge Waco ISD leaders went too far in outlining the challenges that some students face at home. Some say school districts should pay more attention to their own accountability. The problem is that, under House Bill 1842, districts will be held accountable  and if they fail, these neighborhoods could find themselves bereft of the traditional neighborhood school.

In a board workshop, school trustee Angela Tekell said she hopes transformation committees of local parents can get past blame and help with solutions. She said she doesnt believe the neighborhoods around the schools are aware of how dire the situation is since House Bill 1842 went into effect: Weve got to come together as a community.

Amen. While Waco ISD voters showed their loyalties last November in approving a tax ratification election to fund intensive campus reading programs and the hiring of behavioral specialists, some of the public meetings we attended at schools last autumn were disappointing in parental engagement. One saw more reporters than parents. Another collapsed into a diatribe over what radio station Waco ISD should have used to broadcast news about the TRE and why the Cen-Tex African- American Chamber of Commerce wasnt employed to help.

Waco ISD critics have a point: Some parents in economically struggling neighborhoods are busy working two jobs and trying to head single-parent households. Only so much time remains to help local schools. But for those with time and constructive criticism to offer  not gripes, not indignation  the time to step forward is now.
Legendary lawman

I worked at the Waco Police Department for 23 years. For 17 years of my career, I was a detective in the Special Crimes Unit, serious crimes against persons. I first met Parnell McNamara and Mike McNamara in the early morning hours in the parking lot of a closed bar in East Waco in 1992 while on midnight patrol. They were hunting for serial killer Kenneth McDuff, wanted on an outstanding federal felony warrant.

In 1998, while a detective at Waco PD, I was asked to assist Parnell and Mike in recovering victims of McDuff, who had buried two of his victims in McLennan County rural areas. Recovering these victims resulted in two homicides being solved.

Also that year, Parnell and Mike assisted me in a homicide investigation in which a local businessman named Gary Patterson was lured to El Paso by his ex-father-in-law and killed and buried in the desert. Sam Urick pleaded to life.

In 2001, a murderer named Sherman Fields escaped from McLennan County Jail when it was on Columbus Avenue and abducted Suncerey Coleman from Hillcrest Hospital. Fields killed her and dumped her body near the Downsville area. He also car-jacked a Hillcrest Hospital nurse while on the run. I worked the missing person case and aggravated robbery case. Parnell and Mike began their hunt for a killer. They searched day and night, following every lead as to Fields whereabouts until his capture by Parnell and other officers. Fields received a death sentence.

These are just a few of many cases that I had the privilege of working with Parnell. Sheriff McNamara is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week lawman. He has chased criminals and cold-blooded killers since I first met him in 1992 and he is still doing so to this day. Alice January and I have voted to re-elect Parnell and encourage all of our friends to do the same.

Steve January, Waco

City push-back

In response to Waco City Councilman Dillon Meeks suggestion that the permit fee for small lots be waived, Mayor Malcolm Duncan Jr. gave what I see as a flippant response about $300 being nothing compared to the cost of building the house. Is he unaware this is an additional layer of fees: replat, building permit and now special permit? Adding $1,000 to the cost of a new home is considerable for those living in economically compromised areas of town  and this ordinance is supposed to help provide affordable urban housing. The city expresses a desire for increased home ownership, yet is unwilling to help participate in keeping costs down.

It was a disappointment both council members Wilbert Austin and Alice Flores did not support the suspension of the permit fee for economically compromised areas given they represent portions of the city that fall within these parameters. It is difficult to do good things when there is always push-back from the city of Waco.

Nancy Grayson, Waco
The New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut is set to hold one of its famous Open Cockpit Days on Saturday, March 12th. The museum is one of the rare examples which regularly allows the general public, with supervision, to get up-close and personal with some of its exhibits. Its always a thrill for aspiring pilots of any age to have the chance to sit in the cockpit of a historic aircraft and imagine what it might be like to fly in one. Open aircraft will include the Viet Nam War-era UH-1B Iroquois, North American F-100A Super Sabre, the Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard, and Lockheed F-104C Starfighter among others. Visitors may also take part in a hands-on Build and Fly Challenge, take a flying lesson on the Flight Sim Spot high tech flight simulators, or fly the Ercoupe full-motion, flight simulator built from a real aircraft. The event will be held inside the Museums three large, heated display hangars. Sneakers or rubber-soled shoes are recommended.

The Open Cockpit program runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. while the Museum and Gift Shop will be open until 5:00 p.m. Admission is $12.50 for ages 12 and up, $11.50 for seniors 65 and up and $7.00 for ages 4 to 11. New England Air Museum members and children 3 and under are admitted free of charge. For more information, visit www.neam.org or call (860) 623-3305. The New England Air Museum is located in Windsor Locks, Conn. adjacent to Bradley International Airport. Take I-91 north or south to CT. exit 40 (Route 20) to Route 75 north.

About The New England Air Museum

The New England Air Museum is the largest aviation museum in New England and is a private, non-profit educational institution that was organized in 1959. Three larger hangars and an outdoor display contain more than 80 aircraft, with permanent exhibits that include the oldest surviving aircraft in the U.S.  the 1870 Silas M. Brooks Balloon Basket, as well as an S-39 Amphibian  the first aircraft built in Connecticut by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky. Featured year-round are many historical aircraft and exhibits, including a focus on World War IIs Tuskegee Airmen, and a display about Amelia Earhart alongside a Lockheed Model 10 Electra  the same type she flew on her ill-fated round-the-world attempt. The Air Museum is dedicated to preserving and presenting historically significant aircraft and related artifacts, engaging visitors through high-quality exhibits helping them to understand aviation technology and history, and inspiring students through innovative and hands-on educational programs. It is owned and operated by the Connecticut Aeronautical Historical Association and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, with five full-time employees, 18 part-time employees, and more than 175 volunteers. The New England Air Museum is located on 36 Perimeter Road (off Route 75) on the North end of the Bradley International Airport airfield in Windsor Locks, Conn. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, and features a large gift shop. For more information, www.neam.org or (860) 623-3305 or Facebook at New England Air Museum.
Congratulations to Emilio Diaz from the F.E. Warren Teen Center on receiving the Boys and Girls Club of Wyomings Military Youth of the Year. Emilio, an 8th grader at McCormick Junior high and will receive a scholarship of $5000. He is the son of Tech. Sgt. Osman Diaz, 90th Civil Engineer Squadron, and Anderis Diaz, Cheyenne Veteran Affairs.

Since 1947, Youth of the Year has been the Boys & Girls Clubs of Americas premier recognition program, celebrating the extraordinary achievements of members. Each year, one exceptional member is selected to be the National Youth of the Year. The journey to being named National Youth of the Year begins locally and progresses to the state, regional and national levels.

The National Youth of the Year serves as both an exemplary ambassador for Boys & Girls Club youth and as a strong voice for all of our nations young people.

To achieve the title of Youth of the Year on any level, Club members must embody the values of leadership and service; academic excellence; and healthy lifestyles. They should exemplify the critical impact that Boys & Girls Clubs have on the lives of young people. In order to qualify for MYOY youth must be 14 years or older, a member of the Teen Center for 2 or more years, and a positive role model for others.

F.E. Warren Teen Center is located in Building 234 on F.E. Warren AFB. The Teen Centers is open from 3 to 6 p.m. on school days, and 1 to 6 p.m. on half days of school and days off. For more information call the Teen Center at (307) 773-3548 or (307) 773-2564.
Qantas says passengers will soon be able to access free inflight Wi-Fi delivering internet that is as fast as broadband connections on the ground.

The airline announced on Tuesday it would introduce the new service on a Boeing 737 this year in a trial that will see the aeroplane fitted with modems and antenna that can tap into the national broadband network's satellites.

The service, delivered under a deal with US internet provider ViaSat, will be rolled out to Qantas's domestic fleet of A330s and B737s from early 2017.

"Bringing high-speed Wi-Fi to the domestic aviation market has been an ambition of ours for a long time and we now have access to the right technology to make it happen," Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said.
It's now official.

The days of our big mining CEOs acting like blinged up rappers is over.

Less than two years have passed since Rio Tinto's rapper in chief, Sam 'Biggie Smalls' Walsh, was boasting to his homies about how many 'dead presidents' (rapper speak for US dollars) he was flinging out at the Rio groupies: "Do we have the cash to do what we're doing? Yes we do."

Well, no they don't. Not anymore.
BHP Billiton chairman Jacques Nasser has revealed the mining company's future dividend policy. Credit:Bloomberg Mr Mackenzie said commodity markets were now facing a period of "prolonged oversupply", and he said November's Samarco dam disaster was not a major contributor to the dividend decision. The move follows Rio Tinto's decision earlier this month to abandon the "progressive" policy and switch to a dividend policy that more closely matches profit performance each year. It also comes after ratings agency Standard & Poor's warned that BHP could face another credit rating downgrade if it retained the progressive policy.

Mr Mackenzie said the change to the dividend policy would make the miner more capable of buying assets if good opportunities come onto the market. "It allows us a lot more flexibility and optionality if you like in how we use our strong cash flow so that we can take advantage of what we think will be a number of critical opportunities at this phase in our company's development," he said. "It means we have more money to think about acquisitions as tier one assets become available, if things particularly look black we may divert more money to further strengthening of the balance sheet and we can continue to pursue our growth agenda either through inorganic options or some of our other growth options." On the topic of potential acquisitions, Mr Mackenzie said he was equally interested in copper and oil assets. Tuesday's half-year profit was dogged by asset impairments, including the previously announced $US7.2 billion pre-tax write-down against BHP's US shale assets.

There was also a pre-tax charge of $US1.18 billion to account for the impact of the Samarco tragedy on BHP's revenue, and a $US390 million charge for tax matters. The Samarco charge is not expected to be the final cost of the tragedy on the company, with talks over penalties and rehabilitation still underway in Brazil. After those impairments, the company slumped to a first-half attributable loss of $US5.7 billion. That is the first time BHP has posted a loss since 1999, before the merger with Billiton. Shaw and Partners analyst Peter O'Connor said that while the market was expecting a big slump in profits, the results published on Tuesday were "quite frankly disappointingly low".

"We may be living through the 'post China' earnings nadir," he said. Morgans analyst Adrian Prendergast said the weaker-than-expected result would probably lead the investment community to downgrade their expectations for BHP's 2016 full year profit. But Mr Prendergast welcomed the decision to cut the dividend. "We applaud the move, and consider it a reasonable measure to take to increase the flexibility of the business (and strengthening its balance sheet)," he said. "Today may see some mixed reactions to the result, but we would view any (share price) weakness as an opportunity to add to positions."

The company has completely revamped its executive ranks, with petroleum boss Tim Cutt and iron ore boss Jimmy Wilson both set to leave the company. The big winners from the revamp include former coal boss Mike Henry, who will take charge of all Australian assets, including the iron ore division, the coal division, Olympic Dam in South Australia, Nickel West and the company's fledgling coal presence in Borneo. Steve Pastor is the other big winner, rising to take the helm of the petroleum division. Commercial boss Dean Dalla Valle will remain seconded in Brazil as he manages the response to the Samarco disaster, while copper boss Daniel Malchuk will assume command of most assets in the Americas, including the Cerrejon coal asset in Colombia. BHP's Australian shares last traded at $17.18 on Monday, well above the $14.20 they were fetching as recently as January 21.

While the December half was typified by weak commodity markets, prices for some of BHP's major product lines improved in the early weeks of 2016, with iron ore rising to $US51.52 a tonne on Monday night. The steel-making ingredient was fetching just $US38.30 per tonne in mid December. Copper prices were below $US2 per pound in mid January, but were $US2.12 per pound on Tuesday morning. Oil prices are still close to their bottom, but West Texas Crude did surge by 6.9 per cent on Monday morning to be fetching $US31.68 per barrel.
There was something cheering the other night about the relaxed, facetious aspect of the BAFTA awards given the controversy that hit the Oscars a few weeks ago about the lack of diversity among nominees. Director Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith declared they wouldn't be attending the 2016 Oscars ceremony because it was all too white  "lily white," Lee said.

Well, on Valentine's Day, Sacha Baron Cohen did start to announce the award for "best white actress" but was then intercepted by host Stephen Fry. And then there was Australia's Rebel Wilson who was outrageous on the subject.

Actor/comedian Rebel Wilson is part of the Australian contingent in Grimsby. Credit:Getty Images

Wilson declared that she wasn't going to be attending the Oscars because she hadn't been invited and they were racist (against her). She also spoke in her deadly version of an all-Australian girl voice with ogling lust about Idris Elba (who laughed his head off) and made shocking remarks about how Valentine's Day gave her taste for chocolate. It was a magnificent example of Australian piss-taking. And the Brits cackled merrily.

There was also the kiss cam which compelled Leonardo DiCaprio and Dame Maggie Smith to kiss. She was a good sport about it all.
But how can Bernie Sanders be Trump's analogue? There are obvious differences. Trump, billionaire property tycoon, claims to be a hyper-capitalist. Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist. Donald Trump with his family at a South Carolina primary night rally on Saturday. Credit:Bloomberg Yet it's "what they have in common that's made them the men with the momentum" says the Chicago Tribune's Kathleen Hennessey. They are both old, white men, the most unfashionable social group in the developed world today. They are raw and angry, utterly unlike the closely scripted, well manicured political mannequins typically sent out from central casting. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, and his wife Jane, wave to supporters during a rally on Sunday. Credit:AP

And it's the anger that is the shared, defining characteristic of both. As John Leland reported in The New York Times a few weeks ago: "Trump and Sanders voters are the likeliest among their parties to be 'angry' at Washington, according to the Times/CBS News poll, with 52 per cent of Trump backers and 30 per cent of Sanders backers identifying that way. "Anger has risen steadily since 2010 among both Democrats and Republicans," Leland wrote, "and their anger appears to be one factor sweeping Mr Trump and Mr Sanders from the relative margins to the top of many polls." How much anger is there in the US today? Seven Americans out of ten say they're very angry or somewhat angry about "the way things are going" in the US, according to a CNN-ORC poll from December. What are they angry about? The same proportion, seven in 10, say they're angry because the system "seems to only be working for the insiders with money and power, like those on Wall Street or in Washington," according to an NBS-Wall Street Journal poll from November. Sanders concentrates his anger on Wall Street, while Trump aims his at Washington. Belonging to a much-derided social group presumably lends some authenticity to their outsider status.

Trump is appealing to be the fury-in-chief. He claims that he is "very, very angry" and will "gladly accept the mantle of anger". Sanders is so angry that he daily calls for a "political revolution", no less. If the people are so angry at the status quo, can it be a surprise that they are resisting swallowing, once more, the two political dynasties that have dominated the last quarter-century of US politics? Between George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, those two families have occupied the White House for 20 of the past 27 years. And Americans are refusing to meekly re-endorse them, with Jeb Bush now gone and Hillary Clinton struggling to hold off the Sanders insurrection. "America's political class is only beginning to grasp the depth of the anti-establishment mood that is gripping the US," observes Gideon Rachman in the Financial Times this month. "Almost eight years after the financial crisis, this mood seems to be growing in strength, not weakening. President Barack Obama's announcement last week that the US unemployment rate is now below 5 per cent barely registered on the campaign trail. "Instead, all the talk is of students reeling under unpayable debts; and of parents having to work at two or three low-paid jobs to make ends meet. The idea that the economy is 'rigged' in favour of insiders is now embraced, in some form, by most of the candidates in both the Republican and Democratic parties."

The "most fundamental source" of discontent is economic, according to a Brookings Institution expert, William Galston. Middle American incomes have been stagnant for a decade and a half. Shockingly, life expectancy has actually fallen for Americans with low education levels, by four years or 5 per cent. And it happened with startling speed, between 1990 and 2008, according to Jay Olshansky of Illinois University. Meanwhile, the US financial system  "Wall Street"  that is blamed for the colossal economic collapse of 2008-9 in a frenzy of greed and fraud is seen to be unpunished. Not one Wall Street executive has been jailed for fraud. So what appears to many Australians to be an inexplicable fit of American madness is actually pretty rational. If Australia had the same problems, we might have the same reaction. Americans' financial frustration then begets the quest for someone to blame. This is where Trump and Sanders handily supply the scapegoats.
Q&A hit its mark on Monday night when it went to the three Rs of modern education: reading, writing and - brace yourselves - radicalisation.

No, they are not finally teaching millennials how to use an apostrophe. It's both more and less serious than that, in the sense that no one is quite sure whether the education infiltrating our schools is a dissuasion or an encouragement - or, come to think of it, even which "ism" should properly be applied to the radical danger at hand.

Terrorism? Yes. Environmentalism? Maybe. And as we learned in the long distant past, back when the "ism" of the age was communism, black comedy can ensue when you try to warn a young mind off an idea that had never occurred to them in the first place.
There was some chance, when he left Lorengau, that Mr Sawari might be a kind of poster boy for resettlement. As one of the first to accept a job offer, he was motivated and willing to work and anxious to learn. Orphan Jacob (pictured) met Mr Sawari on the streets of Lae and took him to a church. At first, things were going well. In regular contact with Fairfax Media, Mr Sawari's voice betrayed the excitement that his mind was being challenged after he had serviced his first two motor vehicles. But he struggled to cope on a wage that was lower than the allowance of around $50 a week the refugees receive at the Lorengau transit centre, especially when he fell ill and the money charged by the local hospital was deducted from his pay. Then there was a dispute with some of the other migrant workers who, he says, bullied him. The next time he made contact, Mr Sawari revealed he was thinking suicidal thoughts.

He walked away from job and the accommodation that came with it last Saturday week, spent his first night sleeping nearby and had his first brush with "rascals" the next day, seeing a man with a gun who did not see him. After this experience, and being teased by locals, Mr Sawari's despair plumbed new depths before Jacob came to his aid and introduced him to Mr Butler, the self-described "bean counter" for the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Lae. "I'd like to help to help him but I have no money," said Jacob, who was invited Mr Sawari to eat with himself and the other "street kids" in the last week. On one day Mr Sawari says he counted 50 of them, all of them homeless "They don't have a father, no mother," he says. Mr Butler offered to take Mr Sawari in for a few weeks and help him find his feet. "He seemed to have a good, caring attitude," he said of Mr Sawari. "He was concerned about the street boys that looked after him and they were concerned about him. They said: 'If he was out on the street, we're OK, but Loghman won't survive'."
Protesters have gathered outside Australia's embassy in Dili to demand an end to the bitter dispute with East Timor over undersea oil and gas fields.

"We want Australia to come to the table in good faith," said Juvinal Dias, an organiser for the rally.

A rally outside the Australian embassy in Dili to protest Australia's stance in the maritime dispute with East Timor.

No senior Australian politician has visited East Timor since 2013 in a sign of frosty relations between the neighbours after East Timor took Australian to the international court, alleging Australian spies bugged the cabinet room in Dili to eavesdrop on deliberations over a maritime treaty.

East Timor's Prime Minister Rui Araujo has appealed directly to Malcolm Turnbull for fresh negotiations on a sea boundary, with protesters demanding Australia accept a "median line" between the two nations.
Palmer United's Zhenya "Dio" Wang claims the Coalition has "stopped governing" and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should immediately call a double dissolution election to allow Australians to decide the way forward for the federal government.

And in a bold move for a politician whose term would not end until 2019 if a double dissolution is avoided, Senator Wang said he "hopes Labor get into government" after a snap poll.

"If [the Coalition] are not negotiating, if they are not governing, then it's in everyone's interests, but mainly the public's interest, to have an election," Senator Wang told Fairfax Media in an interview on Tuesday.
Mr Shorten has accused Mr Turnbull of giving in to Cory Bernardi on the matter of the Safe Schools program.

"It is disgraceful that an Australian child may fall victim to Malcolm Turnbull's failure to stand up to the right wing of his party," he says.

"Every child has the right to go to school in a safe environment. Life is already difficult enough for young people - they shouldn't have to put up with the added stress of bullying and intimidation in the schoolyard."
The father of The Bachelorette winner, Sasha Mielczarek, has lost the right to work in his own tattoo parlours because he is an "influential member" of the Rebel bikie club.

Aleksander Gustav Mielczarek, or Sasha Snr, had been refused his tattooist licence after NSW Police deemed he was not a "fit and proper person" and against the public interest to grant him one due to links to the outlaw motorcycle gang.

The 53-year-old, whose son Sasha Jnr was chosen ahead of 14 other contestants by Sam Frost on last year's season of the hit Channel 10 reality series, established two successful parlours with his ex-wife at Picton, on Sydney's south-western fringe, and at Bowral in the Southern Highlands.

But the future of both is now uncertain after the Civil and Administrative Tribunal on Monday ruled in favour of police and with his ex-wife wanting to walk away from the businesses.
In Mel Schilling's opinion, a lack of dates is down to a lack of self-confidence and chivalry. What can you do to get on more dates? "People are saying they are finding it hard to meet. They are saying there is a 'man drought' and a 'woman drought'  but it's not about the numbers  it's how we date. We need to learn those skills," Schilling explained. Schilling's Healthy Dating Pyramid illustrates how people can go on more dates. Credit:Mel Schilling She encourages men and women to get out there and be more active with their dating lives and came up with The Healthy Dating Pyramid to better illustrate her tips and tricks:

Investing in yourself: "You need a positive relationship with yourself before you can develop a relationship with someone else. Self-respect, self-esteem and being really comfortable with who you are," Schilling explained.

"You need a positive relationship with yourself before you can develop a relationship with someone else. Self-respect, self-esteem and being really comfortable with who you are," Schilling explained. Positive dating mindset: "Leave the pain in the past and learn from those lessons. Your internal dialogue should be a positive one," she added.

"Leave the pain in the past and learn from those lessons. Your internal dialogue should be a positive one," she added. Personal dating brand: "This is something I see Australians being confused about. They should ask themselves: 'Who am I?' and 'What do I want from dating?' Show your values form the inside out. It's about your approach to dating," she said.

"This is something I see Australians being confused about. They should ask themselves: 'Who am I?' and 'What do I want from dating?' Show your values form the inside out. It's about your approach to dating," she said. Authentic dating strategy: Become "strategy rich" and put yourself in the pathway of potential interests. If one of your values is health then sign up to a swimming or running club where you will find potentials with similar interests.

Become "strategy rich" and put yourself in the pathway of potential interests. If one of your values is health then sign up to a swimming or running club where you will find potentials with similar interests. Positive communications: Don't stress when it comes to a first date. Easier said than done? Sure. But try and think of it like you are going to meet a friend. Stress hormones are a turn-off.

Don't stress when it comes to a first date. Easier said than done? Sure. But try and think of it like you are going to meet a friend. Stress hormones are a turn-off. Date tactics: Leaving a day or two to reply to messages or turning down dates because they didn't give you enough notice will get you nowhere. Schilling described this approach as "superficial", that is, don't go there. Using Tinder to date Sara-Jane Keats found love in WA with fellow Brit Joshua, who she is now married to. They have a son, Xavier, 13 months. Credit:Sara-Jane Keats The good news is that times are a-changin' and you can thank the likes of Tinder for taking the stigma out of dating and encouraging singletons to get out there and take the bull by the horns, so to speak. But the dating expert warned that although it has its positives, the app really is for those looking for casual sex. "Tinder is great and provides another option for people, but it's for people with short-term relationship goals. The problem is when I see people using mobile apps for long-term relationships  that's a problem," she added.

Now we are on the subject of S-E-X, what is the protocol to waiting? Is sex OK  even before the first date? "What about sex when you first meet, like, even before a first date?" one Date School pupil asked timidly. "Can you have sex with someone and still expect a long-term relationship? "I'm asking for a friend," she added to a gaggle of giggles. Schilling explained you need to think about what you want out of the dating experience: "If you are after sex, that's fine, and step into that scenario in a safe way, but if you are looking for a long-term thing, you need to play the long game," she said.

"There is a common view that if a man sleeps with a woman on the first date, he calls her his 'Saturday night girl' rather than 'Sunday morning girl,'" she said, elaborating that the former is someone he wouldn't bring home to his parents. "He probably thinks she does it with everyone, but that's completely double standards. Do what you feel is right." Two success stories, one still looking for love Sydney single Daniel Mills, 28, agreed with many of Schilling's points when it came to dating in the Harbour City, particularly when it comes to the pack mentality  as someone who is rarely seen without his Newcastle clique. "In my social circles, that is probably true, you don't really see men and women integrating on nights out. Even at our age, I don't see that social connectedness," he said.

Opening up about his own experiences, he said he would not usually be willing to just walk up to someone who caught his eye on a night out because she's surrounded by intimidating friends. "There have been instances where it has happened," he said, adding, "You would need to know before you go over if it is worth it. "It's not the fear of rejection, it's the lack of interest that they might have. "Plus, you are not going to get someone one on one, because they are with their friends and they are also judging what you are doing. It's not about trying to talk to the person you like, it's also about the people they are with." Coming from England  the land of gentry  Sara-Jane Keats, 31, found it wasn't as easy to meet people when she first moved to Perth in 2013: "I didn't find it as open here to dating, like home."

She was also put off by the "single, young local guys who only went out with guys in groups". After four months, she had been on only one date when she was introduced to her now-husband through friends. Travelling the whole way across the globe, Joshua Keats turned out to be a fellow Brit, who had moved with his family Down Under about eight years before. "He wasn't shy to show his feelings to me or about me to others. He was open and played no mind games  I'm too old for mind games," she said, laughing. Now based in WA, the pair were married in December 2014 and their son, Xavier, is almost 13 months old. The Australian dating experience has been an entirely positive one for Irish nurse Emma Smyth, 25, who came Down Under to travel in November 2014 and fell head-over-heels in love with a Blue Mountains local just a month later. In comparison to Ireland, she said she "found it so much easier to date over here".
As well as accusing the NHMRC of a bias that affected their approach and findings, the AHA claimed they were influenced by anti-complementary medicine campaigners, and contrasted the NHMRC's findings with those of a Swiss review which included "inter-disciplinary medical experts".

"One of the results of the Swiss report was the reinstatement of healthcare rebates for homoeopathic treatment in Switzerland," they stated, concluding:

"Homoeopathy has a two hundred-year worldwide history of clinical practice: homoeopathy is currently practised in 41 out of 42 European countries, in the Americas, the Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent. In many instances homoeopathy forms an integral part of national health programs. The World Health Organisation (WHO) promotes the 'endorsement, integration and evaluation' of traditional medicine (TM) and recognises homoeopathy as the second-most widely practised healthcare modality worldwide after Traditional Chinese Medicine."

Glasziou said he was unsurprised by AHA's response.

"Unsurprisingly there has been considerable pushback from those who use or sell homeopathic remedies. Indeed the International Council for homoeopathy is currently leading a fundraising effort: not to fund better research, but to attack the NHMRC document," Glasziou said. "I can well understand why Samuel Hahnemann  the founder of homoeopathy  was dissatisfied with the state of 18th century medicine's practices, such as blood-letting and purging, and tried to find a better alternative.
For people who have no way of repaying their debts there is now a way to stop debt collectors calling and to have the debts waived.

Debt collectors and financial counsellors have created a register for those who cannot repay their debts.

To qualify for the National Hardship Register, you need to meet with a financial counsellor.

Vulnerable consumers who are listed on the National Hardship Register will have their debts waived after three years, provided they remain on the register for that period.

Fiona Guthrie, chief executive officer of Financial Counselling Australia, says a consumer can be included on the register after being assessed by a financial counsellor in a face-to-face meeting as being in "such dire circumstances that they simply can't pay their debts".
It has been an ugly start to 2016 for shareholders in those giants of our sharemarket: the big four banks.

Shares in each of the major banks had tumbled more than 10 per cent in the year at the time of writing, after finance stocks around the world were engulfed in a wave of investor gloom.

The big four banks are being punished for the performance of banks overseas. Credit:Louise Kennerley

There have even been some comparisons to the early global financial crisis, after credit markets started to get nervous over the financial health of global banks such as Deutsche Bank.

Against this backdrop, investors might start to wonder if they should be concerned about the health of the Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, ANZ Bank and Westpac.
Elderly people are often reluctant to speak up about abuse by family members. Credit:Alejandro Moreno de Carlos Terry Lawrence, Acting Detective Superintendent, Queensland Police Service Fraud and Cyber Crime Group, said Young's actions constituted "elder abuse". The Fraud and Cyber Crime Group was contacted by the Adult Guardian and Public Trustee, which had been alerted to the situation by Centrelink. The case is listed for a committal mention in the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court this week. Elder abuse is any behaviour or action within a relationship of trust that harms an older person. It includes financial, psychological, physical, sexual, social abuse and neglect.

Once the money is gone it's very hard to get back. Rob Critchlow, NSW Police Detective Superintendent Elder financial abuse in particular is the illegal or improper use of an older person's property, finances and other assets without their informed consent or where consent is obtained it is by fraud, manipulation or duress. The World Health Organisation estimates that one in 10 older people experience abuse each month, with financial abuse prevalence rates estimated at 1 to 9.2 per cent. Australia has no national data on elder abuse. But it's an issue that is garnering increasing attention as the population ages and house price growth and rising superannuation savings are creating the wealthiest generations ever to retire. It is currently the subject of a NSW Upper House inquiry and was scrutinised by Victoria's Royal Commission into Family Violence last year.

The Financial Services Council convened a round-table discussion on the issue late last year and in January the Queensland government promised to direct more than $18 million into combating the issue. This week the fourth National Elder Abuse Conference is being held in Melbourne. Analysis by the National Ageing Research Institute of Seniors Rights Victoria's helpline data sheds some light on elder abuse. Of those reporting abuse in the two years to June 30, 2014, 61 per cent reported financial abuse and 59 per cent psychological or emotional abuse. Often the two go hand-in-hand. Mary Ciantar from the NSW Elder Abuse Helpline and Resource Unit observes: "If someone is coercing a person to sign documents or threatening to place them in residential care, withholding affection and isolating an older person from their family, friends and activities  that [psychological] abuse allows the [financial] abuse to occur." Victims are mostly women (72.5 per cent) and perpetrators male (60 per cent).

Almost all alleged perpetrators (92.3 per cent) were related to the older person, with two out of three their son or daughter. Perpetrators are often middle-aged. Calls to Queensland's Elder Abuse Prevention Unit in the five years to June 30 2015, found about 40 per cent of the perpetrators were aged between 40 and 54 years. And the amounts involved can be substantial. In 2013-14, the Elder Abuse Prevention Unit found a total of $56.7 million was misappropriated from 139 elder abuse victims. It comes in different guises: pension-skimming; using the older person's bank account or credit card without their consent; denying them access to their money or bank statements. It can involve a loan that is never paid back or the misuse of a power of attorney. Someone may be coerced into changing their will or other legal documents.

The "assets for care" exchange is often at the heart of it. As Age and Disability Discrimination Commissioner Susan Ryan observed at the Financial Services Council round-table, an older person may be persuaded to transfer their home to a child on the understanding that a granny flat and care will be provided. "When the handover happens and the elderly parent is left destitute little can be done typically because there was no proper legal agreement in place," Ryan says. "Typically, the older person did not seek independent legal or financial advice." Jenny Blakey, a manager at Seniors Rights Victoria, says adult children are most likely to become abusive if they themselves are struggling with mental illness, gambling or addiction issues, potential business failure or other financial problems. As she told the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence, in the most extreme examples older people sign over their house or go guarantor on a loan, sometimes without realising what they have been asked to sign. "This is particularly an issue when people come from a culturally and linguistically diverse background," she said.

"They may rely on adult children to translate and conduct affairs for them and if they are asked to sign something, they will. "Then suddenly later they find that the house is not theirs; it is mortgaged to the hilt for some other reason; there's been no repayments; and they have to leave." NSW Police Detective Superintendent Rob Critchlow says older people who are isolated or dependent on others  perhaps as a result of dementia  are among those most at risk. Even those with full capacity may think of the situation as "family difficulties" rather than abuse, says Blakey, adding they may wrestle with the implications of speaking up. It's a situation that makes it vital for other family members  as well as friends, neighbours, community carers and lawyers or financial services professionals  to be aware of the warning signs.

Red flags include difficulty paying bills; unexplained disappearances of possessions; significant bank withdrawals or unusual activity on their credit card or bank statement; or changes to a will. Missing items such as medications or hearing aids can be cause for concern. So can a change in demeanour and attitude. Social withdrawal can be another indicator. If someone is doing something untoward they may try to isolate the older person. Or they may dominate a meeting with a financial planner or accountant, not allowing the older person to speak. "Beware the hovering carer," warns Critchlow, advising financial professionals to get their instructions from the person who will bear the loss. "Once the money is gone it's very hard to get back," says Critchlow, adding that the ripple effect of someone being defrauded later in life is significant. "It means you probably lose your home; you lose access to medical support; you may even lose access to your community  which you rely upon for your wellbeing." Preventing elder financial abuse Prevention and early intervention can protect older people from devastating losses.

Jenny Blakey, a manager at Seniors Rights Victoria, advises people to think carefully before entering into arrangements that involve a loan or a transfer of money or property in exchange for care. Seek independent advice and put in place a family agreement, or at least document it, she says. Consider whether you can claim a property interest or be compensated later for what you contribute; how it will affect your pension and tax; and the effect a granny flat investment will have if you move into aged care later on. Make it clear whether it is a gift or a loan. A power of attorney can provide protection if a person loses capacity to manage their own financial affairs. It can include limits such as withholding the power to sell your home. You can also give powers of attorney to more than one person and either give them the power to act separately or require decisions to be made jointly. Ensure that the people appointed has the financial capacity and the time to manage your affairs. For further information, see Seniors Rights Victoria's booklet Care for Your Assets: Money, Ageing and Family or Queensland University's fact sheet Minding the Money. Each state and territory has an elder abuse helpline where people can raise issues, seek advice and obtain referrals.

How one family dealt with a tough situation "I don't think at any point my sister maliciously planned to hurt Mum. It was the circumstances that she was going through in her life which was very stressful and she lost control of her own behaviour." That is the way Susan* describes a situation that unfolded in her family when her mother was in the early stages of dementia and her sister, Diana*, moved into her mother's house to care for her. At the time Diana was going through a relationship breakdown. They agreed to add an extra bedroom to the back of the house for Diana. "It ended up being the reverse," says Susan. "Diana moved into the front of the house and Mum was out the back of the house."

Susan describes her late mother as "very outgoing", "caring" and "friendly", so she was very concerned when her mother seemed both frightened to go home and very anxious about doing something that might make Diana angry. One night her mother broke down in tears at Susan's place. Shortly afterwards, several other people  from her mother's church, relatives and a hospital social worker  contacted Susan to express their concerns about her mother's wellbeing. One person had witnessed Diana shouting aggressively at her mother. Another had heard similar verbal abuse. The possibility of elder abuse was mentioned. Susan and a concerned neighbour met with Diana and their mother to discuss the situation. Diana agreed to move out of the house. Relatives took over joint management of Susan's mother's financial affairs via powers of attorney. Her house was sold and she moved into supported accommodation. It was then that about $40,000 of unexplained expenditure was uncovered.
A man accused of the attempted murder and sexual assault of two backpackers on a remote South Australian beach had answered an advertisement the young travellers had posted on the popular classifieds website Gumtree, police will allege in court.

The women, aged in their 20s from Germany and Brazil, had been seeking a ride from Adelaide to Melbourne and had posted separate messages on Gumtree looking for someone to drive them.

Police were called to Coorong National Park near Salt Creek following reports two foreign backpackers had allegedly been abducted. Credit:Ten News

Police will allege in court that a man, aged in his 50s and who can not be named for legal reasons, answered that advertisement and offered to drive them. Instead of driving the pair to Victoria, he allegedly took them a beach near Salt Creek in the Coorong National Park, south-east of Adelaide, where he raped, assaulted and attempted to murder them on February 9.

The details of how the trio were introduced to each other were initially suppressed in the Adelaide Magistrates Court; however media organisations, including The Advertiser in Adelaide, successfully argued against that suppression order, allowing the details to be published for the first time.
Telstra will launch a 1Gbps network and compatible portable hotspot device this year, as well as a Voice over Wi-Fi product for continuous coverage in those hard-to-reach places at home or work.

Telstra executives at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona also outlined plans for building a 5G network into the future.

Telstra's new network will deliver superfast speeds, and you'll be able to take advantage with your existing phone via a new hotspot device. Credit:Craig Sillitoe

The super-fast 1Gbps network will begin rolling out in late 2016 initially in central Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with further expansion as Telstra builds out the network.

It will have maximum upload speeds of 150Mbps on compatible devices, which will include a Netgear/Telstra 1Gbps hotspot device, coming sometime this year.
Perth's much-lauded Elizabeth Quay water park has been temporarily closed after routine Health Department water sampling detected bacteria in water spray and amoeba in waste discharge pipes.

Further tests will be conducted to confirm if the amoeba are disease-causing, while the bacteria found can cause skin rashes or ear and eye infections.

WAtoday first broke the story about problems at the water park on February 5, as Perth sweltered through a heatwave.

At the time, "non-disease causing amoeba" were detected in the waste discharge pipes, however, the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority said it did not pose a risk to public health.
Supporters of a transgender prostitute accused of infecting a Perth man with HIV are outraged she has been refused bail and must remain in a male prison.

Clayton James Palmer, 38, appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday via video link from Hakea Prison after she was extradited from NSW to face a charge of grievous bodily harm.

Police escort the accused transgender prostitute from Perth Airport. Credit:Nine News

One of Palmer's male clients was allegedly diagnosed with HIV in September after having unprotected sex with her between January and August, and police prosecutors said the complainant had no other sexual partners during that time.

Palmer, who advertised her services under the name of Sienna Fox, had been told she was infected with HIV almost a year earlier but kept having sex with the man for money, police said.
Erbil, Iraq: A teenage Swedish girl being held by Islamic State militants in Iraq was rescued in a raid by Kurdish special forces last week, the autonomous region's security council said in a statement on Tuesday.

The 16-year-old travelled from Sweden to Syria last year and later crossed into Iraq, where she was rescued near the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul on February 17 by forces from the Kurdish counter-terrorism department, the statement said.

The Kurdish security council identified the rescued teenager as coming from the Swedish town of Boras and said she had been "misled" into making the journey to Syria by an Islamic State member in Sweden.

"The Kurdistan Region Security Council was called upon by Swedish authorities and members of her family to assist in locating and rescuing her from ISIL," the statement read.
Paris: Actors, artists and academics have condemned the planned eviction of migrants from a camp in Calais, but the French government has justified the move on "humanitarian" grounds.

In an open letter published in Le Monde newspaper, 175 French public figures and 85 non-government organisations said: "Bulldozers cannot take the place of politics."

Thousands of people fleeing poverty and war in Africa and the Middle East have taken shelter in the makeshift camp known as "the Jungle", after attempts to force their way into Britain via the Channel Tunnel were repelled by French police.
Beirut: The Syrian government and a major opposition group said on Tuesday hey would observe a conditional pause in fighting set to begin on Saturday, but they also made it clear they expected the exercise to make little difference in the civil war.

The doubts expressed on all sides  and the volatile state of the battlefield  underscored why even the plan's sponsors, the United States and Russia, have played down expectations ahead of the partial "cessation of hostilities".

The announcements by the Syrian Foreign Ministry and the High Negotiations Committee, which represents opposition and rebel groups, came as Islamic State seized the town of Khanaser in eastern Aleppo province, a step toward cutting off the supply route to the government-held section of the city of Aleppo.
On Saturday night, an Indianapolis man named Derek and his wife took her parents to a show at the famous Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan. As the craft beer flowed, a band called Andy Frasco and the UN belted out uplifting blues music. The group's new album title seemed to capture the mood: Happy Bastards.

As the night drew on, however, the crowd began to hear increasingly horrific news. A Kalamazoo woman had been shot outside her apartment complex. Then a father and son had been gunned down in front of an automobile dealership. Finally, a local Cracker Barrel had been turned into a bloodbath when a shooter opened fire, killing at least four.

Derek and his family were staying only a mile and a half away from the brewery, but he decided it was safer not to walk with a killer was on the loose in the college town.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 22, 2016 | 05:38 PM | PADUCAH, KY

A Boaz woman faces additional drug charges after she was arrested Sunday morning for alcohol intoxication.

Paducah police officers arrested 38-year-old Amanda L. Hill at 5:22 am as she walked in the 2900 block of Mississippi Street. Hill was reportedly unsteady on her feet, and police said she admitted she was under the influence of drugs.

Hill denied having any drugs in her possession, but when she was booked into McCracken County Jail on alcohol intoxication charges, staff found hydrocodone, clonidine and Januvia pills in her purse.

Hill was served additional warrants charging her with first-degree promoting contraband, illegal possession of a legend drug and possession of a controlled substance.
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By The Associated Press

Feb. 22, 2016 | FRANKFORT, KY

By The Associated Press Feb. 22, 2016 | 03:52 PM | FRANKFORT, KY

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce says it will pay for billboards and newspaper ads to raise awareness about Kentucky's public pension debt.



Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Dave Adkisson said Kentucky's $36 billion public pension debt would require every Kentuckian to pay $8,268 just to pay it off. He said the campaign will call for an audit of all of Kentucky's public pension systems.



Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has proposed cutting state spending by $650 million over the next two years and putting the savings toward the pension debt.



Adkisson said the campaign will not urge support of Bevin's budget proposal, which has caused controversy for its cuts to state colleges and universities among other programs.



The chamber's campaign also includes social media outreach and a website.
Rita Redmond was a true lady who felt that every pupil had something to gift to the world
American playwright Lynn Nottage received the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for female playwrights at a ceremony at the National Theatre yesterday evening.

The award, which was set up in 1978, is given annually to a female playwright who pens work for English-speaking theatre. Previous winners include Caryl Churchill and Timberlake Wertenbaker, but the majority of winners in the prize's 36-year history have been American.

Nottage won for her play Sweat, a political drama about industrial decline which she researched over two years. Nottage beat nine other finalists including Anna Jordan for Yen, Bea Roberts for And Then Come The Nightjars and Sam Holcroft's Rules for Living.

Nottage received $25,000, with all the finalists receiving $5,000. "It feels tremendous", Nottage commented, "so many people I admire have been the recipients of this prize in the past."

But she went on to say: "There's still a tremendous disparity from the number of women who are produced and the number of women who are actually writing plays. One would think that in this day and age we wouldn't have to talk about this. But it's still very much an issue. It's dismal."

The judging panel for the award included actress Tanya Moodie, who played the lead role in a UK production of Nottage's Intimate Apparel. She was joined by critic Kate Bassett, directors Jeremy Herrin and Sam Gold, playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and filmmaker Greta Gerwig.
Photo: VOV



This is the 6th branch of the company after the headquarters and branches in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Munich and Amsterdam. It is located near a shopping center, covering 175 square meters.

On this occasion, Mr. Le Trung Khoa from the Vietnamese Business Association in Germany and many partners and friends came to present flowers and congratulations.



Mr. Cong Viet Cuong said that he started business in the sector in 2008. Initially, he met various difficulties, but since then many nail salons run by overseas Vietnamese in Germany have been opened and have gained prestige, therefore his business has become more and more favorable. The products supplied by Maica Germany are German ones, so their quality is ensured.



Particularly, all wooden furniture to serve the nail sector such as tables, chairs and cabinets are designed by the company, in order to be suitable for the requirements of the German market, and produced in Vietnam. Product designs are constantly being changed to meet the demands of customers. Their quality is much better than similar products from China.



Mr. Cuong also said that the company has various methods to sell goods, such as direct sales in stores, online sales as well as regular advertising in specialized fairs in Europe.



Vietnamese-run nail salons occupy 70-80% of the market in Germany because Vietnamese people are skillful and hard-working.



Hopefully, through the companies of Vietnamese people in Germany and Europe, an increasing number of goods and products from Vietnam will find a way to be exported to Germany and Europe, like wooden furniture./.
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The best you can say of this trite skitter through a great play, adapted from Edmond Rostand by Glyn Maxwell, is that it gives you the outline if you don't know it and gives you the creeps if you do.

The irrepressible Kathryn Hunter leads an all-female ensemble of eight as the long-nosed swordsman, a gender-biased tactic of director Russell Bolam that is no more successful than the Globe's idea over a decade ago of subverting the macho-ness of The Taming of the Shrew with a bunch of wild women, or casting Vanessa Redgrave as Prospero.

If you don't want Cyrano to be about the nobility of love, the genius of poetry, the courtliness of 17th century "panache" and the magnificence of melodrama, then you're better off either leaving it alone or watching the Gerard Depardieu movie to put you right.

Cyrano, handicapped with a huge honker, is impossibly in love with his beautiful cousin Roxane who, in turn, is in love with a witless soldier, Christian; at the wars, Cyrano plays Pander by writing love letters to Roxane in Christian's name. There's no happy ending.

Nor is there a happy beginning at Southwark. The convent of the last act is the setting of the first: the nuns are "putting on a play" and handing out Ragueneau the baker's madeleines in the audience. Rostand's first act is also a theatrical set-up, but in a great hall, where Cyrano suffers taunts and insults before skewering a popinjay in a fusillade of devastating poetry and, literally, rapier wit.

There's absolutely nil sense of the power of language here - even Ragueneau's hilarious speeches are cut to ribbons - which matters even more than the absence of valour, bravery and self-sacrifice. Hunter does have a white plume, her "panache," and she has a wiry, corkscrew intensity at times, glaring down a carrot-like papier mache proboscis.

But the performance is that of a little she-devil, not a chivalrous magnifico who is also, like David Bowie, the man who fell to earth, a poet and philosopher, a sexual experimentalist and a style-setter. Hunter's Cyrano is at best a games player, and Maxwell's "jokes" - "That's d'Artagnan - he's got three friends"; "We're fresh out of baguettes," "Let them eat cake" - on that same low level.

The style of acting is suitably playful - bamboo sticks for both swords and musketry at the siege of Arras - but also too simpering. Surely the climactic encounter between Sabrina Bartlett's anodyne Roxane and Ellie Kendrick's studiously blank Christian was a chance to release some sort of radical erotic charge in this version; but the former's "I would love you if you had a nose like Cyrano" doesn't even brush against phallic fantasy.

The greatest Cyrano of our day, Derek Jacobi in Anthony Burgess's superb translation for the RSC, reached for the stars (whence he came) and broke all hearts. Even the least of productions must establish the fifteen year break before the last act. Here, they just announce it and, instead of arriving at last in the convent, we're just exactly where we started.

Cyrano De Bergerac runs at Southwark Playhouse until 19 March.
How could it have happened? That was a question most of us surely asked when the horrific scale and detail of the Rochdale child sexual abuse scandal unfurled in 2012. Phil Davies' short, sharp, and appropriately nasty debut play dares to imagine.

Fourteen-year-old Tia is certainly a victim: troubled, disadvantaged, dispossessed, whatever polite euphemism we're meant to use for having been dealt a terrible hand by life. She's out late one school night in a Rochdale kebab shop, soaked through by rain because she can't afford a coat, and in no rush to get back to her sink estate. Tia is gobby and rude to an older Asian man, AJ, who laughs at her jokes and buys her chips.

Of course it's all bluster; she's hugely vulnerable, and Davies deftly charts the development of her relationship with AJ from flirtatious banter to gut-turning financial and emotional dependency. Tia is taken advantage of in ways that are harrowing to watch or hear tell of; one scene of blood-stained desperation, as Tia bounces off the walls of the grubby flat AJ has her locked in for group sex, is absolutely eviscerating.

Callie Cook, an astonishing young actress who made her professional debut in the show when it was at Hampstead Downstairs last year, gives a vanity-free performance thick with drool and spit and snot and tears. Tia is burning up with energy, jumping on the spot with pure frustration, chewing at her knuckles compulsively; they must be raw by the end of each night.

There could be a queasiness to watching a young woman put through hell like that; Firebird runs risk of being abuse-porn, of revelling in victimhood. Luckily, Davies' writing also brims with a fierce energy - Tia actually really is very funny - and Cook finds both swagger and tenderness. Things may get a little too soggy and shrieky in the very final scenes, but this is still a blistering performance.

Phadlut Sharma is excellent as AJ - at first, you almost believe he's really seen something in this difficult firebrand. He also - spoiler alert - plays a policeman, in a wince-making piece of doubling. The actual girls in the Rochdale sex rings, we know, felt policemen ignored or even blamed them. Edward Hall's firmly directed production gives the audience Tia's point-of-view in this: every man looks the same - literally - and is just as likely to hurt her.

The inspector at first seems just tired at the end of a long day, overly officious. Yet his increasingly judgemental stance towards her, and the complete lack of support for Tia, are wearyingly believable.

If this all sounds hard-going - yep, it is. But Firebird does have a flicker of light. The action is bookended by scenes of Tia being pushed in a wheelchair by Katie, who's just moved to Rochdale from London. Tahirah Sharif's melting-centred performance is all bright-eyed innocent next to Tia. "Damaged goods," the latter calls herself bitterly, shortly before the scene hurtles towards more horror - Hall certainly knows how to keep things going at a thriller-ish pace.

Katie and Tia's friendship seems unlikely, to be honest, and is already fractious, defensive. But there's just a flicker there, the tiniest flame of hope, that Katy may help Tia rise again, phoenix-like.

Firebird runs at Trafalgar Studios 2 until 19 March.
MEADOWS STRONGLY OPPOSES CLOSING GITMO

Western North Carolina. Congressman Mark Meadows expressed strong opposition Tuesdsy to President Obama's order to close the military base in Cuba that houses some 95 9/11 and other terrorists. Some could be removed to prisons ad close as South Carolina. Others are expected to be removed outside the U.s.

Meadows said the decision is woefully misguided and creates a danger for the U.S. and our allies.

Meadows correctly points out that Obama's plan violates the National Defense Authorization Act of 1975

It is not clear what happens now. The U.S. House says the president has no legal authority to close Gitmo over congressional objections.

Meadows has opposed the closing of Gitmo since Obama brought it up almost 8 years ago. And he called on Obama to reconsider this "flawed and dangerous" decision.

By News Director Larry Freeman
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This article was published 22/02/2016 (2433 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO  A Progressive Conservative member of the Ontario legislature accuses the Liberal government of putting lives at risk by allowing industrial wind turbines near the Collingwood regional airport.

Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson says the eight 152-metre-high turbines will be the tallest structures in all of rural Ontario, and are planned for the community of Stayner, literally right next door to the Collingwood airport.

During Mondays question period, Wilson asked why the province ignored the safety of the people, pilots and local municipalities by allowing the project to proceed.

Environment Minister Glen Murray says the government extended the consultation period on the wind farm by six months to a total of 30 months, and considered over 350 submissions.

Murray says NAV Canada, the private company that owns and operates Canadas civil air navigation service, found no safety concerns from putting the wind turbines near the runway for the Collingwood airport.

He says if the province had not approved the turbines after the project met federal guidelines, it would have been open to a lawsuit and had no proper defence.

Wilson accused the government of hiding behind NAV Canada.

NAV CAN told me  a year and a half ago that they didnt have any rules for this sort of situation because they didnt think that any government would be stupid enough to build eight 500-foot wind turbines close to a regional airport, so they dont have any rules, Wilson told the legislature. NAV Canada told you: Dont put the towers there. We dont have any rules to protect you.'

A recent study by area municipalities found the wind farm project will have significant negative impacts on the airport and neighbouring lands, added Wilson.

Let me tell you if one life is lost, Ill personally hold Premier Kathleen Wynne accountable, he said.

Murray said he has asked the federal government to make its guidelines on locating wind turbines near airports into firm regulations.

The issue is one of federal regulation, not a provincial issue, he said. Mr. Wilson, as a former environment minister, knows the minister cannot politicize that. This is a director-level decision that I have no ability to interfere with.

The Town of Collingwood has decided to appeal the provinces decision to approve the Wpd Canada wind project near the Collingwood airport to the Environmental Review Tribunal, which has the power to confirm, amend or reject the decision.
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This article was published 22/02/2016 (2433 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The retail chain that already has the largest Asian food store in Winnipeg  Edmonton-based Lucky Supermarket  is further bolstering its presence here with the opening of a second store.

The new 26,000-square-foot outlet will be located in the former IGA store on Jefferson Avenue across from Maples Collegiate.

Samantha Nguyen, general manager of Luckys Winnipeg operations, said renovations are already well underway and they hope to open the store by mid-to-late April. It will employ about 100 people, and will carry the same kinds of products as the chains 32,000-square-foot supermarket at 1051 Winnipeg Ave., she added.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A former IGA store on Jefferson Avenue is being converted into a Lucky Supermarket. About 60 per cent of the products in the store are imported Asian foods.

About 40 per cent of the products in that store are what she described as western grocery items found in a typical Safeway, Sobeys or Real Canadian Superstore. The other 60 per cent are Asian food products imported from places like the Philippines, Vietnam, China, Japan and Thailand.

Nguyen said Lucky, which opened its Winnipeg Avenue store in 2010, hadnt been actively looking for a second location. But when the opportunity arose to acquire the former IGA in the Maples, it decided to take the plunge.

She noted the store is not only in the middle of a residential area, but there are also a lot of Asian families living in that part of the city.

A lot of people requested it (a second store), so we thought it was a good opportunity. It will be good for the city as well as for that whole area, Nguyen said.

She said the retail grocery sector in Winnipeg remains very competitive, and Lucky tries to compete by carrying not only regular grocery items, but also a bigger selection of specialty products  things like frozen fish and other types of seafood  than what traditional supermarkets or smaller Asian grocery stores would offer.

We dont target Asian clientele only. Weve also got European people who love it (frozen seafood) and African people love it because you cant find it in the other stores, Nguyen said.

Because it also buys some of its most popular products in large quantities, it can also sell them for less than its competitors, she added.

Weve got the best price for rice in town. Nobody beats us because we import (it) directly in containers monthly.

Kelley Main, head of the University of Manitobas marketing department, said thats how specialty grocery stores like Lucky can survive in an increasingly competitive retail marketplace.

Its going to appeal to someone who wants the specialty items because its going to have specialty things you can only get there. But if theyre also priced appropriately, they should also be able to grab some of the people who are price sensitive but not necessarily interested in the specialty foods they have, Main said.

So that allows them to sort of grow their consumer base a little bit. They dont have to just rely on someone who wants just the specialty items.

By also offering items that everyone buys  things like bread and milk  they can also hopefully attract some regular shoppers who, once in the store, may see a specialty item that catches their eye and try it out. And if they really like it, then maybe you can sort of capture that person, Main said.

Opening an Asian grocery store in a residential area with a lot of Asian families is also a smart move, Main said.

You want to open a location as close to that customer base that you feel you appeal to the best, she said.

Nguyen said the company hasnt decided if it will open any more stores in Winnipeg.

Well see how this one goes and what the supply and demand is.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 23/02/2016 (2432 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  The director of casualty support management for the military has stepped down amid an overhaul of the system that looks after ill and injured soldiers.

The Canadian Press has obtained a copy of the internal farewell address of Col. Gerry Blais, who tells Joint Personnel Support Units (JPSU) across the country that he has decided to leave, effective immediately.

There is a great deal of change ahead and I do not feel that I am prepared to lead the unit into this new method of operation, Blais wrote in a message distributed Tuesday morning.

Last month, The Canadian Press reported that National Defence had embarked on an overhaul of the oft-maligned JPSU system following an internal review that found a myriad of problems.

The support units are supposed to help physically and mentally wounded soldiers heal and return to their units  or prepare for medical release.

Maj.-Gen. Derek Joyce, who has co-chaired the steering committee overseeing the issue, confirmed Blais departure, saying he learned of it last week and the news was communicated to staff on Tuesday.

He said he doesnt see the farewell message  particularly the reference to change  as criticism or anything unusual and pointed out that Blais served for seven years as the JPSU commander and hes done an absolutely outstanding job taking care of our ill and injured.

In his message, Blais says he believes the system had accomplished great things and established a safe place for those who needed it most.

But many have complained that the support units and their subordinate Integrated Personnel Support Centres are chronically short of staff and that soldiers who are transferred into the system feel isolated from the support network of their home combat units.

The countrys top military commander, Gen. Jonathan Vance, says not all of the pieces of the overhaul strategy are in place but decisions will be made in the coming weeks.

In an interview conducted prior to Blais departure, the defence chief said his overriding objective in the review is to ensure that the wounded are cared for with dignity.

What you need to do is make sure that the culture respects a soldier, sailor or aviator who has given it their all; theyve done their best; theyve been hurt and they now need support transitioning out, Vance told The Canadian Press.

He said he is committed to putting more staff in place.

The issue of staffing at the units was the subject of a scathing report by the countrys military ombudsman a couple of years ago, but Blais  at the time  described the manning level as adequate.

Following the release of the October 2013 report, he said in an interview that most of the issues have been or are definitely in the process of being resolved.

Blais also defended a decision to ask wounded soldiers to sign a gag order, which barred them from criticizing senior officers on social media outlets or posting disparaging comments about JPSUs on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

He told a House of Commons committee in the spring of 2014 that the measure was meant for their own good.

The form is there more for the protection of the individuals because unfortunately there are occasions where people, especially when they are suffering from mental health issues, will make comments or become involved in discussions that, later on in the full light of day, they would probably prefer that they had not been involved, he testified.

Joyce said he believes much of the public criticism has been unfair.

The search for a replacement is underway, he added.
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This article was published 23/02/2016 (2432 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau refused to say Tuesday whether he would protect jobs in Manitoba when he amends a law requiring Air Canada to keep maintenance work in Winnipeg later this year.

When questioned by the Free Press after Tuesdays cabinet meeting, Garneau said it was not our intention to amend the Air Canada Public Protection Act to remove the legal requirement to maintain an operational and maintenance centre in the city.

But he later said he misunderstood the question and didnt mean to say that.

Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS Transport Minister Marc Garneau speaks to reporters following a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday.

I should have been clearer, he said in a phone interview with the Free Press Tuesday night. When Quebec decides to drop its litigation against Air Canada, then I will be looking at clarifying the law to make it clearer so it is no longer subject to litigation.

The Quebec government last week secured a 20-year contract for maintenance work on Air Canadas new Quebec-made Bombardier C-Series jets the airline intends to buy. In exchange, Quebec will drop a lawsuit it filed against the airline in 2012 for moving heavy maintenance jobs out of Montreal when the company doing the work went bankrupt.

About 1,800 jobs in Montreal were lost, as well as more than 400 in Winnipeg and some in Mississauga, Ont.

Quebec argued the protection required the airline to keep heavy maintenance work in those three cities, but Air Canada argued the presence of light mainteance work fulfilled the acts requirements.

A Quebec court sided with the province in the case, and that decision was upheld on appeal. Air Canada is currently appealing to the Supreme Court of Canada, but that appeal will not go forward once the deal between the airline and Quebec is hammered out.

Manitoba was an intervener in that lawsuit, but as of now, there is no deal to return any heavy maintenance work to Winnipeg.

Garneau said he knows the Manitoba government is in talks with Air Canada about securing maintenance jobs but said hes not part of those conversations. Premier Greg Selinger said last week the province and the airline have been in discussions for a couple of weeks. He said he made it clear to Air Canada and the federal government they did not want Manitoba ignored.

Selinger is under the impression the only intended change is to replace the names of the cities with their provinces to give the airline some flexibility, but Garneau would not give any specifics of his plan. He said the intention is to fix the act so its no longer open to interpretation.

When pressed repeatedly about whether it means the guarantee of jobs in Winnipeg would be removed, he refused to answer. I cant make any predictions, he said.

That isnt going over well with former Aveos and Air Canada heavy maintenance workers who were laid off in Winnipeg four years ago and have been hoping the government or the courts would force the airline to reinstate the jobs.

Its so frustrating, said Mike Maskell, who took early retirement when he lost his job in 2012. Again, we feel like the federal government is throwing us under the bus.

The memory of the 1986 CF-18 contract looms large in Manitoba, when the Quebec-centric Conservative government of Brian Mulroney awarded a contract for fighter jets to a Quebec firm for political reasons, instead of Manitobas Bristol Aerospace, which had a superior and cheaper bid.

Both Garneau and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau represent Montreal ridings and were practically tripping over each other Tuesday to crow about Quebecs deal with Air Canada.

This is great news for Quebec, Garneau said in the House of Commons. This is great news for the aerospace industry. Everybody should be very happy about it.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair has been pressing the government on the issue for several days. He noted Tuesday the Liberals, including Trudeau, protest the Aveos job losses in 2012, but are now abandoning those same Canadian workers, and there is no deal and no guarantee for any future jobs.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 23/02/2016 (2432 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg is home to several aid groups helping refugees and people hurt by conflict in the Middle East, and at least one company making weapons used in the fighting.

Arms experts say Winnipeg-made weapons are being used in impoverished Yemen where fighting has displaced an estimated 2.3 million people. Videos obtained by the consulting firm Armament Research Services show Houthi fighters in Yemen were armed with precision sniper rifles made by PGW Defence Technologies Inc. that were allegedly taken from Saudi Arabian forces.

No one from the company could be reached for comment Monday.

TWITTER Houthi fighters in Yemen with weapons including Winnipeg-made sniper rifles.

In 2009, the Free Press reported the export of $1.2 million worth of made-in-Manitoba weapons to Saudi Arabia, which is now involved in the war in Yemen. The guns shipped in 2008 cost an average of $10,000 each and were purportedly used for hunting and recreational shooting. Federal officials wouldnt confirm the maker but public documents showed PGW Defence Technologies Inc., a Winnipeg-based manufacturer of military-grade sniper weapons systems, sold the Canadian military $4.5 million in sniper rifles in 2005.

Last fall, the armament research consulting firm pointed to North American-made weapons  including those made in Winnipeg and sold to Saudi Arabia  ending up in Yemen. Fighting in that country has displaced 2.3 million of its 26 million people and left more than 80 per cent of the population in dire need of basic aid, the World Health Organization reports.

The Mennonite Central Committee in Winnipeg said in an email it is deeply concerned about the issue but the humanitarian organization doesnt have any MCC workers in Yemen. It referred any comment to Project Ploughshares, the Canadian NGO that promotes policies to prevent war and foster peace.

The irony of Canada exporting weapons while at the same time providing humanitarian aid to those hurt by them is not lost on Ken Epps, a retired policy expert with the Waterloo, Ont.-based group. Fighting in Yemen is ramping up to a kind of misery and human suffering we know is in Syria, Epps said Monday.

Theyre already describing Yemen as Syria in waiting, he said. We could be at very contradictory purposes supplying weapons on one hand and allowing refugees in on the other.

Saudi Arabia is the largest weapons importer in the world and has suppliers in many countries, said Epps. A few million dollars worth of weapons made in Winnipeg arent a big deal compared with the $15-billion contract Canada has said it will fulfil to provide light armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia, said Epps. Its a significant part of their overall equipment, he said.

Saudi Arabia has been labelled one of the worst human-rights abusers in the world. Its abuses include indiscriminate airstrikes killing civilians in Yemen and sending armoured vehicles to crush uprisings in nearby Bahrain, says Project Ploughshares.

Terror groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State are using the conflict in Yemen to create further chaos, and countries such as Canada selling weapons to Saudi Arabia is not helping the situation, it says.

With the Arms Trade Treaty coming into effect, more and more countries are recognizing that selling to Saudi Arabia is not a good idea, said Epps.

Canadas former Conservative government didnt sign the treaty but the Liberal government has. Article 7 of the treaty says Canada will be obliged to assess the potential that convention arms could be used to commit a serious violation of international human-rights law and other factors  and if there is an overriding risk of any of the negative consequences, the country in question shall not authorize the export.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 22/02/2016 (2433 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipegs Bear Clan Patrol sent the spirit of Cooper Nemeth on its journey home with a traditional smudge ceremony Monday night at the Gateway Recreation Complex.

Hundreds of community members joined family and friends of Cooper, the 17-year-old who was found dead late Saturday night after having been missing for a week. He had been last seen on Feb. 14 after leaving a house party.

Over the last week, Coopers family bravely faced the challenge of trying to find him by organizing searches. Steady streams of people from across the city, those who knew him and many more who didnt, including the Bear Clan, took part in searches for the teen and provided police with tips.

We are not a family who asks for help but when we needed it, you all came out in full force, said Brent Nemeth, Coopers father, who spoke briefly near the conclusion of the ceremony.

Coopers last day united the city, province and the humanity in all of us. He became not only our son, brother, nephew, grandson, great-grandson, but yours as well. Regardless of status, race or upbringing, all of you came out to help find our boy, he said.

We cried, hoped and prayed as one, as it should be and I thank you. Our entire family is in awe of the love you showed for our boy.

Brent thanked the police and the community for finding Coopers remains and a suspect arrested over the weekend.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Friends hold signs calling for justice at at a smudging memorial service for Cooper Nemeth and his family at Gateway Recreation Centre Monday, February 22, 2016. Cooper Nemeth was found dead on Saturday.

All of you shook this earth so hard and screamed from the rooftops so loud to find our boy, you made so much noise that it scared those involved in hurting Cooper and that was why he was found and justice will prevail.

The ceremony included traditional drumming and songs.

The Bear Clan is an inner city group with indigenous roots whose members volunteer their time to try to make the streets safer. James Favel, the project co-ordinator for the Bear Clan Patrol, said the Bear Clan got involved because any lost child is a concern of ours.

Favel said it was unique that a smudge ceremony on such a grand scale was done for a non-indigenous person.

This is the first time weve been asked to do something like this, especially on such a grand scale, for me its a first, said Favel.

The feeling of community is growing amongst our community and the rest of the city.

Weve been struggling for so long to make something positive come out of our community and its happening.

Supplied Cooper Nemeth was last seen Feb. 14. Vin Clarke, a member of the drumming circle, led the group in playing a travelling song, a very old song, to send off Coopers spririt.

Bear Clan member Larry Morrissette spoke at the ceremony to explain what was happening to onlookers who may not have experienced a smudge before and offered words of comfort to all in attendance.

They say when you cry, and your eyes make tears, thats your spirit and youre showing who you are in the heart. It also tells you, through the teachings of our elders, it also gives light and its a new beginning, Morrissette said. You young people who areout there, please, please be peaceful.

At the conclusion, Leslie Pritchard, a close friend of the Nemeth family, carried a basket of tobacco and gave pouches of tobacco as gifts to those who honoured Coopers memory during the ceremony.

A number of people at the event carried signs that read R.I.P. CIP Justice for Cip (Coopers nickname is Cip, pronounced Kip).

Nicholas Bell-Wright, 22, is charged with second-degree murder in Coopers death. He made a brief court appearance Monday by video link and his case was adjourned to March 4.

A gofundme page called In Honour of Cooper Nemeth has been started by a member of Coopers extended family, Julia Chrapchynski, to assist Coopers family in possibly starting a charitable organization to raise awareness of the dangers of drugs or missing teens or to donate money to a charity in Coopers name.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 23/02/2016 (2432 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland has asked her department to investigate the sale of Winnipeg-made guns to the Saudi Arabian government after an international intelligence group said the guns ended up in the hands of Houthi fighters in Yemens civil war.

Freeland was not in question period Tuesday but her parliamentary secretary, David Lametti, told the House Freeland had asked her department Monday to investigate after media reports surfaced about the guns.

I want to assure Canadians that this is an issue we take very seriously, Lametti said in French. The minister asked the ministry (Monday), details for an investigation on it. During the election campaign, we promised that we will proceed with greater transparency and accountability in this type of case. This is exactly what we will do.

TWITTER Guns used by Houthi forces in Yemen were manufactured in Winnipeg by PGW Defence Technologies and apparently sold to Saudi Arabia.

Armament Research Services, which researches and analyzes arms and munitions, studied photos on social media and a video on a Houthi-linked TV channel that showed weapons seized during a battle with Saudi Arabian border guards. ARES identified the guns in the photos and video as LRT-3 sniper rifles made by PGW Defence Technologies of Winnipeg.

PGW said it followed Canadas export laws.

Industry Canada data show more than $14.6 million worth of rifles intended for hunting and target shooting were exported from Manitoba to Saudi Arabia from 2008 to 2014. It does not identify the source of the rifles. PGW has not denied it sold guns to Saudi Arabia.

In order to sell military equipment to anyone outside Canada and the U.S., Canadian companies must apply for an end-use certificate, proving who will use the equipment.

Military equipment, including weapons, can only be sold to governments considered to be Canadas allies. Saudi Arabia is currently on that list, although critics believe it should be removed due to human rights abuses.

NDP critic Helene Laverdiere said Tuesday the government should make public its assessment that allowed the sale of the guns.

Government policy is clear: an assessment on human rights has to be conducted before allowing arms exports, she said.

Ron Koslowsky, Manitoba vice-president of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, said hes aware of PGW Defence Technologies Inc. For security reasons, they cant sell it to just anyone, he said.

There are several layers of government scrutiny when it comes to exporting that type of product outside the country Youre not allowed to just sell to anybody in the world.

In 2009, the Free Press reported the export of $1.2 million worth of made-in-Manitoba weapons to Saudi Arabia, which is now involved in the war in Yemen. The guns shipped in 2008 cost an average of $10,000 each and were purportedly used for hunting and recreational shooting. Federal officials wouldnt confirm the maker but public documents showed PGW sold the Canadian military $4.5 million in sniper rifles in 2005.

 with files from Carol Sanders

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 22/02/2016 (2433 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Customs officials seized a shipment of lethal ninja stars marked cutlery, arrested a man for giving immigrants false counselling and intercepted a chemical used to make a date rape drug.

The three items were highlights of the year in review for arrests and seizures by the Canada Border Service Agency in Winnipeg.

The 2015 review was condensed to a single page and listed the most dramatic seizures of contraband and arrests at overland borders and from commercial and passenger arrivals at the James Richardson International Airport.

daggers seized by the Canada Border Services Agency.

There were more than 300 contraband seizures, including 151 prohibited weapons and firearms, at the airport, Canadian Border Services reported Monday in its the year-end summary.

The most inventive of the lot was the package destined for an Alberta address marked Cutlery.

When customs officials opened it, they came across a treasure trove of blades, including 30 five-pointed shurikens and five knifes with push-dagger handles.

Shurikens, also known as Ninja stars, are a traditional Japanese concealed weapon, once as essential to samurai warriors as their swords.

Shurikens are a prohibited weapon in Canada, as are the push-dagger knives seized with them as concealed weapons in the illegal shipment.

The contraband also included 41 narcotics seizures.

In June, officers seized two litres of a liquid known as GBL, a key ingredient in the manufacture of a date rape drug called gamma-hydroxybutyric acid. The shipment came from China and the importer was arrested by Winnipeg police with the assistance of customs officers.

In August, a Winnipeg man, 43, pleaded guilty to counselling immigrants to make false claims but customs officials provided no details Monday on the nature of the claims. The review merely said the guilty plea was related to counselling misrepresentation under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The man was handed a fine of nearly $20,000, the review said.

He was fined $19,502 for his role in aiding up to 42 Canadian permanent residents to provide false information to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the review stated.

In November, another Winnipeg man was sentenced to two years less a day for his role in a multimillion-dollar cross-Canada steroid smuggling and distribution operation.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 22/02/2016 (2433 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg School Division may ask parents to go on the honour system to pay for their kids milk and band instruments  if they can afford it.

A $396.5-million record draft budget includes projected savings of $300,000 by dropping full subsidies for lunch program milk now provided for 10 cents, and for band instruments now handed out free of charge.

Milk is 10 cents, and thats universal across the division. We have some of the richest and poorest families in the city, finance chair Chris Broughton said in an interview following Monday evenings budget forum that drew all of four people to speak.

John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg School Division Trustee Chris Broughton

Those students who can afford to pay for milk, would pay for milk, Broughton said. Students may be required to buy their own instruments, or enter into a rental agreement with private companies, he said.

It would be an honorary system, because WSD doesnt want to spend money conducting needs test, said Broughton. Staff are still looking at logistics, and determining whether the honour system would just be tried at schools in more affluent neighbourhoods.

School boards must set their budgets by March 15.

Broughton said the provincial government incraboeased its grants to WSD by only one per cent, so trustees are now looking at a five per cent increase in school taxes, which would be about $92.63 on a home assessed at a value of $300,000.

The major proposed spending increases would come from new language programs starting in the fall in Cree, Ojibway and Spanish, and in expanding full-day kindergarten to four additional schools, after WSD introduced it in nine schools in the past two years. Broughton said there is a list of possible schools but the division is not yet ready to make it public.

Broughton did assure delegate Terry Clifford, a retired teacher who shows up every year to implore trustees to improve early childhood education, that nursery will not be touched. The half-day pre-kindergarten school year is funded entirely by taxes, with no provincial support.

The board also hopes to save $350,000 in physical education costs by shifting more of the 110 hours each student in Grade 11 and 12 must spend in logged physical activity, from in-school to external activities.

The division also hopes to hire an additional aboriginal elder, specifically a male who would bring gender balance to the aboriginal elder program, Broughton told the meeting.

St. Johns High School parent and community council member Bernice Rempel called on trustees to spend more money on the schools 16 surveillance cameras, some of which are so outdated it is hard to distinguish faces.

Money needs to be allocated on a regular basis, said Rempel.

There are some that are not working, trustee Mike Babinsky noted. Yours is not the only school that the cameras arent working.

Parent representative Dave Heaney urged the board to extend Ukrainian bilingual at Ralph Brown School to nursery, and Sisler High School parent Sharon Machinski said the five wheelchair students in Manitobas largest school need a $65,000 van so they can take part readily in workplace placements and life skills training outside the school.

Two other delegations withdrew, and two others did not show up. No employee groups addressed the public meeting.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/02/2016 (2432 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg School Division trustees are urging their provincial body to open up a provincial election debate at their annual convention to the leaders of all registered political parties.

The Manitoba School Boards Association has invited NDP leader Greg Selinger, Conservative leader Brian Pallister, and Liberal leader Rana Bokhari to the March 18 debate. It has not said so far which leaders have accepted.

The Green Party and Communist Party are also registered parties, and the Manitoba Party is trying to meet the requirements in time for the April 19 provincial election.

WSD Trustees are committed to the fairness and equality that our electoral process provides and we would like to see that fairness extended to all party leaders for this debate, board chair Mark Wasyliw said in a news release this morning. Complete representation will add dimension to the discussion on education in Manitoba.

The Board of Trustees is also prepared to speak with all political parties to discuss education issues in the province, said Wasyliw.

The debate is being be co-hosted by MSBA, Manitoba Association of School Superintendents, Manitoba Association of School Business Officials, Manitoba Teachers Society, and Manitoba Association of Parent Councils.

It will be held during the annual MSBA convention on March 18 at 10:30 a.m.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 22/02/2016 (2433 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two of Assiniboine Park Zoos Asiatic lions will be transferred to zoos in England for a species survival program.

According to the zoo, the twin brothers, Bhanu and Kamal, arrived in Winnipeg in spring 2012 from the Zoologischer Garten Magdeburg in Germany and have spent the last four years in the Pavilion of the Lions exhibit.

Bhanu will move to the London Zoo on Wednesday and Kamal will be transferred to the Chessington Zoo in mid-March. Both facilities are currently home to female Asiatic lions and the hope is to successfully breed the pairs in the future.
It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the
Question: What is the law about a disability parking certificate/tag that hangs from your rearview mirror? The instruction sheet that is mailed out by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety states, Driving with the hang tag on your mirror could result in a ticket for obstructed view. When attempting to look out the windshield with the tag on the rearview mirror I was amazed at how much visual space is obscured. I believe it is a real safety concern when people drive with the tag on the rearview mirror.

Answer: You are correct. State statute 169.71 prohibits any objects suspended between the driver and the windshield, other than: sun visors, rearview mirrors, global positioning systems or navigation systems when mounted or located near the bottom-most portion of the windshield; and electronic toll collection devices. This law does not apply to law enforcement vehicles and other authorized emergency vehicles.

Having an object either attached to the windshield or hanging from the rearview mirror, that obstructs the drivers view, can result in a dangerous situation. The driver might not be able to see another vehicle, animal, pedestrian or bicyclist because of an object is blocking their view.

For those with a disability parking tag, keep your tag in a secured location when driving, and only put the tag up when you need to park. When you need to drive, take the tag down. This should become as much of a habit as putting your seatbelt on. Those other items that people like to hang from the mirror can also cause an obstruction (air fresheners, fuzzy dice, etc.)

Law enforcement can and will conduct traffic stops when seeing an object that is blocking the drivers view. A citation or warning will be issued to the driver. With more than 400 fatalities on Minnesota roads in 2015, the Department of Public Safety/Minnesota State Patrol is committed to making our roads safer through enforcement and education.
Folks scanning the skies and wondering where the eagles are landing need not fret  the majestic birds still are hanging around southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Its just that the relatively warm winter and scattered snowfall has provided a more far-flung buffet for one of the nations iconic symbols, so eagles have not had to congregate as much around open water areas on the Mississippi River, eagle experts say.

Today, a ton of eagles are flying around and chasing each other as nesting and breeding season cranks up, Anna Christenson said Monday of the air traffic around the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, where she is a naturalist instructor.

We havent seen as big of numbers, because its such an off kind of winter, and they werent forced to migrate here because warmer temperatures and general lack of snow cover gave them access to food elsewhere, Christenson said.

Typically in the winter, the cold and snow cover forces them to be here, because the Mississippi River stays open, and it is like a buffet where we are, she said.

In past years, before Christenson came to the center, staffers recall seeing so many eagles that they quit counting on some days, she said. Now, people trekking to the center still will see plenty of eagles, just not in such huge numbers.

To the south, organizers of the annual Bald Eagle Appreciation Days in Prairie du Chien, Wis., Friday and Saturday expect plenty of eagles for people to view. Monday morning, Dennis Kirschbaum spotted about 50 eagles around Winneshiek Slough in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

Another 30 bald eagles circled in the sky over St. Feriole Slough in Prairie, said Kirschbaum, a retired warden for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources who now volunteers at Effigy Mounds National Monument and Park in Iowa, across the Mississippi from Prairie du Chien.

Eagle numbers have increased during the past couple of weeks, after late-season snow cover pushed them to congregate near the river for food, he said.

Lack of snow allows eagles and other birds of prey to see dead animals in fields and along highways, and they swoop down for a meal, said Kirschbaum, who has photographed and chronicled eagle and other bird numbers over the years and will speak about viewing possibilities at 9 a.m. Saturday during Bald Eagle Appreciation Days.

Five eagle nests exist within 5 miles of the park because of plentiful amounts of trees and food, he said. Two nests are active now, as is the eagle nest at Decorah, Iowa, where a camera allows people to watch the eagles caring for their eggs and, later, eaglets.

Bald eagles will be really close and easy to see this weekend, Kirschbaum said.
Health care for all. Its a goal that tugs at the heartstrings of Democrats, but pursuing it usually invites political peril.

Now Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are clashing over this core question for liberals, making it a wedge issue in the partys presidential primary.

Its a choice between his conviction that a government-run system would be fairer and more affordable, and her preference for step-by-step change at a time of widespread skepticism about federal power.

The late Sen. Edward Kennedy once championed a Sanders-like single-payer system, yet during nearly 47 years in office Kennedy also embraced less sweeping and more politically feasible ideas. Health care realists greeted President Barack Obamas law as vindication. But with 29 million still uninsured and deductibles of over $3,000 for taxpayer-subsidized coverage, some Sanders supporters call it the Unaffordable Care Act.

Health care for everyone remains the aim for Democrats. The differences are over the best way to get there. And the worry is about provoking a fatal backlash from the political right.

Bernie speaks to the hearts of Democrats, and Hillary speaks to the head, said John McDonough, an aide to Kennedy during the Obama health overhaul debate. Its about who is more in tune with the actual opportunity and possibility of the time.

Both candidates seem to be struggling to clearly frame the issue.

Sanders sees the destination, but hasnt been able to lay down a roadmap for getting there. Clinton cant seem to fit her menu of tweaks into a persuasive vision. Theyre talking past each other, said Yale professor Ted Marmor, in a dialogue of the deaf that leaves voters confused.

Signed almost six years ago, Obamas health overhaul is the starting point for Democrats who would succeed him. About 16 million people have gained coverage, and the uninsured rate has fallen to 9 percent, a historic achievement. Economic recovery helped, but the biggest increases in coverage came after the health laws insurance markets and Medicaid expansion got going in 2014.

Nonetheless, 28.8 million remain uninsured, and many are still struggling to pay for care even though they have coverage. A government survey estimated that 44.5 million people under age 65 were in families with problems paying medical bills. On top of that, Obamacare is mind-numbing to many consumers, a program that combines two of the most complicated areas: insurance and taxes.

Under Sanders plan there would be no premiums, no deductibles, no copayments, no hospital bills. Instead, thered be significant tax increases.

Government-run health care in the worlds richest country in theory should be able to cover everyone and keep costs manageable, but Sanders has been unable to demonstrate that the math behind his plan adds up. One analysis found he overestimates how much his proposed new taxes would raise; another concluded he underestimates the plans costs.

Former President Bill Clintons failed 1990s health plan pledged coverage for all, but it maintained a private insurance market, albeit highly regulated. A key element of Obamas law  the requirement that individuals get health insurance  comes from a Republican counterproposal to the earlier Clinton plan.

Now Hillary Clinton has pledged to build on Obamas progress, outlining policy proposals to limit prescription drug prices and out-of-pocket costs. Shed repeal Obamas unpopular Cadillac tax on high-cost health insurance plans, which is meant as a brake on spending.

But Clinton doesnt connect the dots on how her ideas might advance age-old Democratic aspirations.

Recent analysis from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation suggests that theres room to cover many more uninsured people under the framework of Obamas law. Nearly 6 in 10 of the uninsured would be eligible for subsidized private insurance, existing Medicaid programs or, if the remaining states accept it, expanded Medicaid.

But incremental progress is unsatisfying for Sanders and those committed to a single-payer plan. If elected president, the Vermont senator says, hed lead a political revolution for universal health care.
Items are listed under the day of the event, running as space permits prior to the event. To submit items, call 745-3511, email jcutsforth@capitalnewspapers.com or visit www.portagedailyregister.com. Include name and phone number.

Today

The Montello Care Center Options Project offers a free, no appointment, walk-in visit, 9 a.m. to noon, Montello Care Center, 251 Forest Lane, Montello. The visit will include three checks: Blood pressure check, diabetes test and podiatry (includes complimentary toenail clipping, if needed). For more information, call Ken at 608-297-2153.

Open Euchre, 6:30 p.m. Sajs on Main, Pardeeville. For information, call 429-3409.

Portage Public Library offers Tech Tuesdays, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Get help with computers, laptops, tablets, cell phones and more. No appointments needed. Runs every other Tuesday.

Portage Public Library Childrens Department Preschool Story Time, 10 a.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Open to children ages 3 to 5. Frog Follies will keep preschoolers engaged with stories, songs, and a craft (oh, and lots of hopping around!) New families are always welcome. Call the library at 742-4959, ext. 211 for more information or register online at www.portagelibrary.us.

Portage Family Skate Park Public Meeting, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Gerstenkorn Administration Building, 305 E. Slifer St., Portage. All interested people are welcome to attend. If the Portage Schools are closed or released early the PFSP meeting will be canceled and announced on our Facebook page with a new meeting location as soon as possible.

Zumba Toning, 4:30 p.m. Woodridge Primary School, Portage. $5 drop in or session fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

Wednesday

Endeavor Sharing Supper, Endeavor Elementary School, 414 Church St., Endeavor. Everyone is welcome. Free meal served from 5 to 6:30 p.m., with informational booths, Kids Corner with childrens activities, and an opportunity to meet and converse with your neighbors. Sponsor for February is McReath Orthodontics.

Portage Public Library Childrens Department Preschool Story Time, 10 a.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Open to children ages 3 to 5. Frog Follies will keep preschoolers engaged with stories, songs, and a craft (oh, and lots of hopping around!) New families are always welcome. Call the library at 742-4959, ext. 211 for more information or register online at www.portagelibrary.us.

St. Vincent de Paul free medical clinic, 9 a.m. to noon. Wilz Drugs lower level, 140 E. Cook St., Portage. No appointments needed. Information needed is name, date of birth and a contact number. A chiropractor is available from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays. A foot clinic is available every week. The clinic can do exams and prescribe medications. Physical therapist available. Discounted medications are available at Wilz and Walmart. Call Bonny Oestreich, RN, at 608-234-0159 for information.

Pauquette Wordcrafters, 9:30 a.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. All writers welcome.

Portage Center for the Arts presents an exhibit of by Grand River Pottery and Wolfs Vision Nature Photography, Portage Center for the Arts, 301 E. Cook St., Portage. Drury Gallery hours are from 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Call 742-5655 for more information.

Womens Civic League Board, 9 a.m. Civic League clubhouse, West Edgewater Street, Portage.

Photos at Tivoli  Portage Center for the Arts at Tivoli presents an exhibit featuring work from Rio Quilt Guild. Runs through March. Free and open to the public. Tivoli is located at 2805 Hunters Trail, behind Divine Savior Healthcare in Portage.

Columbia County Public Health Walk-In Clinic, 8 a.m. to noon, Columbia County Division of Health, 2652 Murphy Road, Portage. Use door 4. Bring childs immunization record. Call the Flu Vaccine Hotline at 608-742-9735. Visit www.co.columbia.wi.us for more information.

Texas Hold em card tournament, VFW Hall, 215 W. Collins St., Portage. Register at 6 p.m. Cards begin at 6:30 p.m. Entry fee is $20. One hundred percent payout. Open to the public. For information, call the VFW Hall at 742-5350.

Free blood pressure screenings, 1 to 5 p.m. Divine Savior Healthcare, 2817 New Pinery Road, Portage. No appointment necessary. Call 745-6405 for more information. Do not eat, smoke, drink caffeine or exercise for 30 minutes prior.

Zumba, 8:30 a.m. VFW Hall, West Collins St., Portage. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

Zumba Toning, 5 p.m. Diverse Options, Montello. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

Zumba, 5:30 p.m. 1208 Northport Road (the former Freedom Carpeting building). This is a $5 drop-in class. For more information, contact Deb at DJMACK00001@yahoo.com or Rena at 697-6713.

Thursday

Brown Bag Lunch Series, noon to 12:45 p.m. Portage Center for the Arts, 301 E. Cook St., Portage. Teresa Cracyalong, director of music at St. Mary Church in Portage, will present a musical program. Cost is $5 at the door. Bring a lunch if desired. Student groups welcome; please call 608-742-5655 for group pricing.

Divine Savior Healthcare and BloodCenter of Wisconsin blood drive, noon to 5 p.m. Divine Savior Healthcare, 2817 New Pinery Road, Portage. Make an appointment online at www.bcw.edu/divinesavior or call 608-745-6289.Walk-ins also welcome.

Girl Scouts cookie sales, 4 to 6 p.m. Gohl Post BP, Endeavor; 4 to 6 p.m. Portage BP, West Wisconsin Street, Portage. Many flavors and varieties available.

Marquette County Immunization Clinic, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Marquette County Health and Human Services, 428 Underwood Ave., Montello. Bring immunization records. Parents must accompany children younger than 18. For information, call 297-3135.

Open Texas Hold em, 7 p.m. Sport Club 22, Pardeeville. For information, call 566-9655.

Portage World War II Museum, 119 E. Cook St., Portage, offers free tours to all veterans from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The tours take 2 and a half hours. For information, call 608-697-3690.

Friday

Free blood pressure screenings, 1 to 3:30 p.m. Divine Savior Healthcare  Pardeeville Clinic, 102 Gillette St., Pardeeville. No appointment necessary. Call 745-6405 for more information. Do not eat, smoke, drink caffeine or exercise for 30 minutes prior.

Knights of Columbus fish fry, Knights of Columbus Hall, 918 Silver Lake Drive, Portage. Cocktails at 4 p.m. Dinner from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Public invited. Cost is $10.75.

Portage Public Library Childrens Department Pre-K Klub for children ages four to six, 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. This month we use math to make art with projects involving numbers and symmetry. Due to the increasing popularity of this pre-kindergarten STEM program, we encourage families to register ahead of time to ensure enough supplies. Please call the library at 742-4959, ext. 211 to reserve a spot for your student. Registration can also be done online at www.portagelibrary.us.

Portage World War II Museum, 119 E. Cook St., Portage, offers free tours to all veterans from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The tours take 2 and a half hours. For information, call 608-697-3690.
Two unique conservation summer camp opportunities are available for middle and high school students this summer in northern Wisconsin. Upper Peninsula youth are also welcome.

Middle school youth (entering 6-8th grade in fall) are invited to attend Sand Lake Conservation Camp at Camp Bird near Crivitz (Marinette County) from June 22-24. The fee is $100 ($150 after May 18) and includes room, board, T-shirt, and all activities/programs.

Visit www.marinettecounty.com (search for Sand Lake or Conservation Camp) for more information. Registrations not accepted after June 1 and are first-come, first-served; space is limited and camp usually fills quickly. Registration forms will be available online by mid-February. For more information, please call Anne Bartels at 715-732-7784 or email abartels@marinettecounty.com.

High school youth (entering 9-12th grade in fall, must be 17 or under) are invited to participate in the Wisconsin Land + Water Conservation Association Youth Conservation Camp, June 20-24 at the North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters (Vilas County, www.discoverycenter.net).

Wildlife programs, habitat restoration projects, daily field trips, team building activities, and hands-on activities provide an in-depth look at natural resources management and careers.

Registration fee is $250 and covers all programs, meals, snacks, lodging, and a T-shirt. The deadline is June 3. Register online at: http://wisconsinlandwater.org/events/youth-conservation-camps or contact Kim Warkentin at the Wisconsin Land + Water Conservation Association at 608-441-2677 or email kim@wisconsinlandwater.org.

These camps provide fun outdoor experiences, help foster an appreciation for nature, and introduce a variety of opportunities in natural resources and conservation careers. Natural resource professionals present programs on wildlife, habitat, water quality, fisheries, forestry, outdoor skills, and more. Engaging speakers and interesting topics give campers an opportunity to participate in hands-on activities, learn outdoor skills, make friends, participate in typical summer camp experiences, and enjoy Wisconsins beautiful Northwoods. Contact a local county land and water conservation or UW-Extension office for any available scholarships offered.
A former Baraboo man was sentenced to six years behind bars Monday for causing the death of one friend and seriously injuring another by drunken driving.

The term of confinement for 25-year-old Kevin J. Vaness will be followed by nine years of community supervision. But that was a more harsh sentence than what his surviving victim and the wife of the deceased asked Sauk County Circuit Court Judge Michael Screnock to impose.

We already have one family that lost a loved one, said Kortnee Brooks, widow of the late Benjamin J. Brooks. Please dont do it to another one because of a friend that made a dumb decision at a very young age.

She asked  on behalf of herself and 26-year-old Tory C. Frenzel, who was seriously injured in the September 2013 crash  that Vaness be sentenced to only one year in prison and probation to follow.

Russian roulette

Vaness, Brooks, Frenzel, and several others were drinking together at a bar south of Baraboo the night of Sept. 1, 2013, when they decided to relocate to another tavern. During the drive, Vaness crashed his Jeep into the back of a motorcycle driven by Brooks and ridden by Frenzel.

Brooks life ended when he was taken off life support and Frenzel suffered serious, life-altering injuries. Vaness was charged with homicide and causing serious injury by drunken driving, and found guilty on all counts following a jury trial in December.

Vaness mounted a defense that claimed Brooks was goofing off and performing a burnout on his high-powered motorcycle at a stop sign just prior to the crash. The smoke from that event blinded Vaness and restricted his view of the motorcycle and stop sign, the defense argued, saying the crash may have taken place even if Vaness werent drunk.

Sauk County prosecutors once referred to that argument as victim blaming, and presented evidence that suggested Vaness was speeding and ran several stop signs before he crashed into the bike.

You can call it victim blaming, or you can call it what it was, Sheboygan defense attorney Dennis Melowski said during Mondays hearing. This was Russian roulette that these people played on a weekly basis.

Melowski said the group regularly drank together and drove while intoxicated prior to the crash, and that anyone involved could have wound up in Vaness shoes. He said the circumstances of the case  and the personal transformation of his client following the tragedy  called for a lenient sentence.

Melowski asked the judge to impose a total of three years in prison and nine years of community supervision.

Calkins asks for 10 years

Sauk County District Attorney Kevin Calkins said although many have said Vaness crime was unintentional, he was not without malice. Having been convicted of two prior drunken driving offenses, Calkins said, Vaness should have known that his behavior was likely to result in serious consequences if it continued.

This event was eminently foreseeable, and this event was eminently avoidable had the defendant simply obeyed the law, Calkins said. Immense harm was done by the defendants carelessness, selfishness and disregard for others safety.

Heartfelt words from mothers

Today it feels to me like the last nail in the coffin, said Janet Brooks, the mother of Ben Brooks. I will never see him again.

Brooks said her grandson, also named Ben, will never grow to know his father. And she chastised Vaness for robbing the boy of that right as she displayed pictures of the two together before a courtroom full of people.

Vaness mother, Raedean Vaness, said her son will carry a burden in his heart for the rest of his life, and she apologized to the Brooks family as her daughter read from a statement she had prepared.

After Raedean Vaness left the podium, she approached Janet Brooks in the gallery and said: I am truly sorry.

Janet Brooks rejected the offering, put her hand up and exclaimed: No. No. I have no son.

A changed man

Those who spoke in support of Vaness during Mondays hearing said he has given up alcohol and stopped socializing with people who drink excessively. They said he is truly remorseful for his actions and has said numerous times that he would gladly trade places with Frenzel or Brooks in order to spare their suffering.

In a lengthy statement in which he apologized directly to Frenzel, Kortnee Brooks, and Janet Brooks, Vaness said he has come to realize alcohol has no place in his life. He said he hopes to someday speak to others about the dangers of drinking and driving.

No punishment to me can make me feel worse than I already do, he said. Once again, I am sorry for what happened, and I wish you and your family the best in life to come.

Following a 10-minute recess in which he considered the statements made at the hearing, Screnock said he has no doubt that Vaness is truly remorseful and has indeed changed his ways. However, he said a prison sentence was necessary because of the gravity of the offense and the hope that it would influence others not to drive drunk.

Tory doesnt wish you ill will, Screnock said to Vaness just prior to sentencing. Kortnee doesnt wish you ill will. That tells a lot about your personality  I believe you are remorseful. Theres no part of me that thinks you are a great actor.

Screnock sentenced Vaness to six years of imprisonment and nine years of community supervision on the homicide charge. He imposed a sentence of three years of prison and three years of community supervision for the charge of causing serious injury by drunken driving, although that sentence will be served concurrently.

I am aware that may appear that you get a free pass on (the serious injury charge), Screnock said. But I think its also fair to look at this as a single event.

Vaness must also serve 20 hours of community service per year while on community supervision, which he will complete when he is 40 years old. His license will be revoked for five years, and he must use an ignition interlock device for five years upon reinstatement.
The Republican food fight last weekend was a horrible embarrassment for the Republican Party.

With their childish attacks on each other, and with Donald Trumps nasty bullying, they made the Party of Lincoln and the Party of Reagan look like the Party of Brats.

Only Ben Carson and John Kasich acted like adults.

Kasich was absolutely right when he asked why the Republican Partys 2016 candidates for president were squabbling about arcane pieces of legislation that didnt pass the Senate.

Trump showed his true liberal colors repeatedly Saturday night.

He even recycled old Democrat talking points when he said George Bush was lying about Iraq and lying about weapons of mass destruction.

Yet diehard Trump fans keep telling me he reminds them of my father.

Thats not just a total insult. Its incredibly stupid.

Do you remember Ronald Reagan insulting his way to the presidency, as Jeb Bush would say?

Do you remember Ronald Reagan demeaning, disparaging or bullying the other candidates in a debate or in his campaign speeches?

Do you remember him saying nasty things about immigrant groups in America?

If thats what you think Ronald Reagan was all about, youre living on a different planet. Planet Trump, I guess.

And no, Ronald Reagan would not vote for Trump in the California primary and hed hope and pray Trump didnt get the nomination in the Republican Party.

Anyone who thinks differently is just wrong.

Trump is not a conservative. He is not a Republican.

Hes not going to blow himself up and the media cant hurt him. And nothing he says or does in the primaries can hurt him, no matter how crude or stupid.

If the GOP doesnt want to go the way of the Whig Party, its time to stand up and stop Trump now.

Its time for the chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reinhold Richard Reince Priebus, to get off his laissez-faire butt and make a stand.

Preibus  and any other real Republican he can recruit to back him up  has to come out and condemn Trump for the Republican impostor he is.

Trump doesnt represent our party or its values.

Our party doesnt stand for deporting 11.5 million people from the USA.

Our party doesnt stand for stopping an entire religious group from coming to America.

Our party doesnt trash its past president, George W. Bush, by implying he lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and saying 9/11 was his fault.

Our Republican Party is smarter and better than Trump.

Our party can solve the illegal immigration problem without resorting to deportation.

Our party can prevent terrorists from sneaking into the USA without shutting our borders to all Muslims.

Our party knows G.W. Bush is not a liar. We know he was a great president who kept us safe.

The Republican Party used to allow talk radio to define what the party is. Now the RNC is allowing the party to be defined by Trump.

The GOP has to find its spine and define itself. Party bigwigs have to rally around the partys basic conservative values and heroes, point to Trump and tell the rest of the country that his crude character, horrible values and dumb Democrat ideas dont represent Republicans.

If it cant stop Trump, it may cost Republicans the Senate as well as the White House  which means forgetting any chance of a conservative filling Antonin Scalias spot on the Supreme Court.

If Trump represents where the GOP has gone, or if party leaders are willing to accept a fraud like him, then the GOP is no longer the Party of Ronald Reagan.

To paraphrase what my father said once about why he left the Democratic Party, if Trump gets the nomination, we conservatives will be saying we didnt leave the Republican Party, the party left us.
Last Tuesdays primary results for a seat on the Supreme Court should serve as a wake up call for conservatives, whose preferred candidate, Justice Rebecca Bradley, now finds herself in a closer race with Appeals Court Judge Joanne Kloppenburg than many had predicted, political strategists say.

After an outside conservative group spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertisements promoting Bradley, she received 45 percent of Tuesdays vote in a three-way primary, 2 percentage points ahead of Kloppenburg. The two defeated Milwaukee County Judge Joe Donald, who drew 12 percent.

Voters return to the polls April 5, the same day as Wisconsins presidential primary, which could balloon turnout from Tuesdays small showing, and after outside interest groups will likely spend hundreds of thousands on behalf of both campaigns.

The good thing about primaries is it tests your organization  (Bradleys campaign) got a wake-up call and realized they need some work in certain areas, said Bill McCoshen, a Republican strategist and lobbyist.

Republicans say the race comes down to name recognition. Bradley has been in office only since October, when she was appointed by Gov. Scott Walker to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice N. Patrick Crooks. Kloppenburg, meanwhile, ran in a highly scrutinized race in 2011 against Justice David Prosser.

(Bradleys) not as well known as she and her supporters may have thought. And theyre going to have to spend a lot of time and money over the next seven weeks not only introducing her but drawing a contrast with Judge Kloppenburg, said McCoshen.

Kloppenburgs probably got higher name ID because shes already run statewide, and that race got more media attention than just about any Supreme Court race in Wisconsin history, so shes got some residual name ID whereas Justice Bradley really doesnt.

Democrats say Bradley also is being hurt by her ties to Walker, who previously appointed her to the Milwaukee County bench (2012) and then to the District 1 Court of Appeals (2015) .

Walkers approval rating among Wisconsin voters is 38 percent, according to the latest Marquette Law School Poll.

The Republicans cant underestimate how bad Scott Walker is a drag on his allies, said Sachin Chheda, a Democratic strategist who worked on Donalds campaign.

The ultimate question in this contest is probably going to come down to, Is Gov. Walker an 800-pound anvil around the neck of Judge Bradley or something less than that? said Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki, who was spokesman for Madison School Board member Mary Burkes unsuccessful challenge to Walker in 2014.

But McCoshen said the campaigns in the 2011 race between Prosser and Kloppenburg made it all about Scott Walker, and Prosser prevailed.

The Supreme Court race is officially nonpartisan, but jurists and candidates typically split along ideological lines.

Bradley said in an interview she was pleased with the primary results. She said shes committed to continue the positive campaign she started with, focused on my qualifications.

She said she doesnt expect Walker to be a factor in her race.

I dont think that the voters are very focused on the fact that Gov. Walker appointed me to the Supreme Court, Bradley said. I think people understand he was fulfilling his constitutional duties.

Kloppenburg campaign manager Melissa Mulliken said the primary results say clearly that voters want an independent judiciary and not one dominated by special interests, partisan politics and Scott Walker.

Mulliken said Kloppenburg was not available for an interview.

The 2011 race that pitted Kloppenburg against Prosser months after Walker signed the Act 10 collective bargaining law was considered a referendum on Walker.

Republican strategist Mark Graul said the race wont be affected by Walkers standing among Wisconsin voters.

I think the election will revolve around Justice Bradley and Judge Kloppenburg  I dont think it will have anything to do with external people, said Graul, who worked on the campaigns of current justices Annette Ziegler in 2007 and Michael Gableman in 2008.

Graul said that typically the candidate with the most support from law enforcement prevails, and he characterized that candidate as Bradley.

He said its tough to predict what will happen in April, since the electorate will likely be significantly different given heavy interest in the presidential primary.

Presidential turnout

The April 5 election falls on the same day as Wisconsins presidential primary, which will pump up turnout, although its unclear in whose favor.

The (turnout) in April will likely be twice the size and could even be bigger than that if these presidential campaigns are still rocking and rolling at that time, Graul said.

If GOP frontrunner Donald Trump does well on Super Tuesday March 1, Zepecki said, enthusiasm among Republicans for voting in Wisconsins primary may wane, and vice versa if one of the Democratic candidates makes big gains between now and April.

McCoshen said he expects turnout to be larger for Republicans than Democrats, especially if Trump is still the partys frontrunner, a scenario that could draw new voters.

So far in the presidential primaries the energy has been on the Republican side, he said. Wisconsin will be competitive in both races. They will not be decided by the time they get here, but I still expect to be there more energy and excitement on the Republican side that should certainly help (Bradley).

But Chheda said turnout will depend largely on whether one or both parties presidential primaries are still competitive.

McCoshen said he expects hundreds of thousands of dollars to be spent on behalf of the candidates by heavy spenders like Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, which has supported conservatives for the court, and the Greater Wisconsin Committee, which has supported liberals.

The Wisconsin Alliance for Reform, a conservative group that has run thinly veiled campaign ads to boost Bradleys candidacy, is so far the only outside group to spend heavily on the race. Chheda said groups interested in spending on behalf of Kloppenburg needed to see something to decide to make the investment.

I think they saw what they needed to see, he said. I think its hard to argue that its not worth trying, when (Kloppenburg) overperformed and Bradley underperformed.
Three people are dead and another is in critical condition at University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison after a single-vehicle crash Sunday evening in the town of Pacific.

The driver, Zia Lynn Rowin, 18, of Oxford, and two passengers, Donald K.C. Pangburn, 26, of Baraboo, and Jack W.L. Stalker, 19, of Montello, were dead at the scene when emergency responders arrived. A 19-year-old Montello man survived but is in critical condition at UW Hospital, according to authorities.

The Columbia County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call just before 9 p.m. about an overturned 1998 Buick LeSabre near Whitetail Drive in the town of Pacific, three miles south of Portage.

The passerby first alerted dispatch that there were two people trapped in a wrecked car who did not respond when the caller tried talking to them. When first responders arrived on the scene, four people were discovered trapped in the car.

The severity of the crash became much clearer when the vehicle was uncovered Monday afternoon at Blystones Towing in Portage. A Blystones employee who helped remove the tarp gave fair warning: Its pretty gruesome.

The car was totaled with the back seat mostly hidden beneath the twisted rear end of the car. The Sheriffs Offices investigation is not complete, but one thing Lt. Richard Hoege was confident in saying was that speed was a factor.

At the intersection, County Highway P has a posted speed limit of 55 mph with an advised limit of 45 mph because of the nearby railroad crossing. The area has no unique history of accidents, as far as Hoege could remember.

Hoege said that investigators think that the car was going west on County Highway P when the driver tried to negotiate a curve, then over-corrected, and the car began to slide sideways, flipped over the roadway, coming to rest against a large tree.

As the car rolled up against the tree, the force and the velocity was significant enough to actually bend the car and the tree collapsed the rear portion of the passenger seats, said Hoege. The only one that survived (was in) the front seat passenger, but all four had to be extricated from the vehicle because of the damage to the car.

As media arrived and looked at the crash site, one reporter pointed out apparently untouched snow between the road and where the car hit the tree. It was airborne, Hoege confirmed.

Rowin was the subject of a November 2014 feature story in the Daily Register after she went into her home in Packwaukee during a fire to rescue her 8- and 5-year old sisters and 7-year-old brother.

This is a very, very tragic incident from the standpoint of the families involved and the young people end up being friends, said Hoege. So the families know each other, so you dont have just one family grieving, but you have multiple families and friends grieving in a tragic death that could have been avoided, just by lower speed.
The digital revolution has forever changed the way people live, work and play.

Evidence of the disruptive power of digital technology is everywhere, including a place rooted in the technology of movable type now more than 500 years old  the local public library.

The circulation of physical print books in public libraries is down in recent years, said library consultant Bill Wilson, a former Wisconsin state librarian.

But it turns out this is no simple story about people forsaking local libraries as digital content displayed on LCD screens rapidly replaces paper.

In fact, neither of those things is happening.

In most cases, libraries are reporting that their door counts  the number of people actually coming through the doors  is up, Wilson said. Theres a mixed message there. Obviously, there are some people coming to libraries that are doing other things than simply checking out books.

Public libraries are changing with the digital times in ways that place them at the edge of technological change  and in other ways that would be familiar to library patrons of 100 years ago.

Digital library

Wilson keeps an eye on library trends from the office he shares in Milton with his wife Ethel Himmel at Himmel & Wilson, a consulting firm that advises public libraries nationwide.

The circulation of library materials in electronic form is a fast-growing trend thats bound to continue, Wilson said.

The library has still got a role to play in that, but the role is often one that perhaps doesnt involve that physical facility, Wilson said.

Thats because a public library card is a ticket to a growing body of digital content available to patrons without a trip to the library building via Wisconsins Digital Library.

Even if youre outside the state, if you have a Wisconsin library card you can log in and use it, said Mark Ibach, consulting services coordinator for the states South Central Library System.

Wisconsins Digital Library is a product of the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium, formed in 2001 to foster collaboration among the nearly 400 public libraries in the states 17 regional library systems.

Today, the digital library stores more than 138,000 e-books, 35,300 downloadable audio materials  mostly recordings of books read aloud  and nearly 1,100 videos.

Circulation data show that library patrons are warming to digital content. The combined circulation of e-materials from the seven public libraries in Baraboo, Mauston, Portage, Prairie du Sac, Reedsburg, Sauk City and Wisconsin Dells climbed from 3,817 checkouts in 2011 to 61,330 in 2015.

The total usage increase has been dramatic, Ibach said. Obviously, when you start with zero it gets pretty dramatic.

Becoming tech savvy

The change has had implications for public librarians.

Reedsburg Public Library Director Sue Ann Kucher recalled the start of her career years ago at Milwaukee Public Library, first as an intern and then as an employee.

I was not a tech person, Kucher said. I am now a tech person.

While librarians may exist in the public imagination as custodians of paper collections, librarians see themselves as information specialists whose work is about facilitating access to information and lifelong learning, not shelving books.

I like to think of books as intellectual property and not as the physical object itself, said Shannon Schultz, director of the Portage Public Library.

When it comes to which format is preferred, Shultz said, It shouldnt be about our preferences, it should be about the communitys.

The challenge for librarians is meeting the needs of the digital future while continuing to serve patrons who want and expect traditional library materials.

Our culture in general is becoming more and more technologically focused and were just trying to expand to meet those needs, said Jennifer Endres Way, director of the Ruth Culver Community Library in Prairie du Sac.

Paper vs. digital

While their duties may be changing, librarians say paper is here to day.

I do not think digital formats will ever completely replace print, but I would guess digital will one day be the majority, said Emily Judd, director of the Sauk City Public Library. It will take longer than many predicted when e-books first came out, though.

In fact, digital library materials remain just a tiny part of overall public library checkouts.

Data from the Reedsburg Public Library, the busiest libraries in the region, provide a good example.

In 2015, Reedsburg library patrons checked out 270,135 physical items  nearly 22 times their 12,458 digital checkouts.

The Reedsburg numbers are typical.

At this point our digital circulation is less than 5 percent of our total circulation numbers, Judd said regarding Sauk Citys checkouts.

However, digital circulation is growing.

Given the yearly increases, I think we can safely predict the use of digital formats will continue to rise, Judd said.

E-checkouts grew 90 percent between 2013 and 2013 among seven area libraries, but just over 19 percent from 2014 to 2015.

In part, thats because many library patrons may not know about the growing number of digital materials available.

Its really hard to get people to know that theyre there, Ibach said.

Gadgets galore

Its a familiar pattern to area librarians like Meg Allen, director of the Baraboo Public Library. Every year, around Christmastime, library patrons, new and old, visit the library with new devices.

Theyve gotten a Kindle or an iPad or some other kind of a tablet for a gift and theyre tiptoeing into this realm, Allen said.

The devices include dedicated e-readers like the Kindle or Nook, and tablets of all sizes and brands. Some library patrons are savvy about use of their new devices. Others are not.

Weve always been the answer people, the place where people come to find answers, said Cathy Borck, director of the Kilbourn Public Library in Wisconsin Dells. Up to the digital age we were the ones that would guide them through reference sections or books  the written word on page. Now, were having to deal with the new technologies but were finding that people are still coming here with their questions.

And as each generation of device is replaced with a new-and-improved version, keeping up with the demands becomes ever harder.

Theres no way we could know every Nook and Kindle a patron brings in, said Bridget Christensen, director of the Hatch Public Library in Mauston.

Schultz said it requires willingness by library staff to partner in on the fly learning with library patrons as they both experience the ins and outs of the latest hardware.

We dont have the budgets to buy every device that comes out, Schultz said.

But while the questions have changed, the librarians role hasnt.

I think we still play a similar role, its just that the medium has changed, Borck said.

Reference stacks

Some traditional library materials are better provided in digital form  especially reference materials.

For example, the Hatch Public Library in Mauston has discontinued buying the popular Chilton automotive manuals for do-it-yourself mechanics, which now run about $80 each.

So you check it out and spill oil all over those pages, were out $80 or youre out $80 but either way weve got to buy a new one, Christenson said.

The library now provides the same manuals online. Library patrons who want specific instructions  alternator replacement on a 2005 Honda Accord, for example  can print out the three or four pages they need for $1 or less and take them home.

You get it right now, Christenson said. You dont have to hope we have the right model or well order if from Reedsburg or wherever. Its here right now for you.

The same is true for many other reference materials, which tend to date quickly and, in some cases, become obsolete in paper form as soon as they leave the publishers printing plant.

The trend toward online reference materials has had visible consequences for libraries and the patrons they serve, who may find familiar materials missing from shelves when they look for them.

Our printed reference collection is considerably smaller now than when I started working in this library in 2005, Kucher said about the Reedsburg library.

The rows of encyclopedias that once lined shelves in the reference sections of libraries are rapidly disappearing.

They dont have encyclopedias because encyclopedias are all online now, Ibach said.

The decision to transition to digital resources isnt always easy.

In my heart, and as an old librarian now, I feel like you have to buy a set of World Book Encyclopedias, Christenson said. Every other year I think, Should we buy them or shouldnt we? Will someone miss them if we dont get them?

Balancing act

The encyclopedia question highlights a more general problem posed by burgeoning digital resources in a time of tight budgets.

Its a balancing act to put dollars into e-books and to have dollars left to have a nice collection here, said Cathy Borck, director of the Kilbourn Public Library in Wisconsin Dells.

Wisconsins Digital Library began with a federal grant but since then, local public libraries have paid for digital content.

Public libraries participate in a buying pool that allocates costs according to a formula that accounts for library size, service population and use.

If libraries didnt exist you wouldnt have access to it, because it is the libraries that are paying for it, Ibach said.

Local communities also are recognizing their libraries need a boost in ramping up for growing digital demand.

For example, in Reedsburg last year the nonprofit Friends of the Library group organized a fundraiser, built around a handmade quilt signed by 40 Wisconsin writers, which raised money to buy armchairs with trays specifically designed for patrons using digital devices.

In Baraboo, city officials allocated $40,000 in capital spending for technology in 2016. Among other things, Allen said, the money will purchase a laptop computer for staff and patron use in library programs as well as a 3-D printer.

I think they (city officials) see the importance of technology in the library and they are willing to put their money where their mouth is, Allen said.

Going wireless

Theres an ironic twist to the growing importance of digital resources at public libraries.

Were seeing a decline in the number of uses of the public library Internet computers, Ibach said. But were seeing a huge increase in the library Wi-Fi usage.

Library computers are seeing less use because patrons are bringing their own computers, which may be disguised as a mobile phones or tablets

We are seeing a downward trend in our use of our library workstations but wireless sessions continue to explode, Allen said.

Even in Portage, where Schultz said her patrons are still flocking to the librarys free Internet computers in the numbers they always have, Wi-Fi use is spiking.

My library is unique in that our computer usage is actually going up slightly but our Wi-Fi usage is through the roof, Schultz said.

Wilson said the popularity of the public library as a digital hub is much of the reason why library visits are up nationwide.

Thats part of it, but its not all of it, Wilson said.

Meeting place

Wilson said an idea thats a century old explains the other part of it  the notion of the public library as a venue for lifelong learning and community.

The old Carnegie model typically had a meeting space, Wilson said.

That space became home to public gatherings of all sorts, and the modern public library has expanded that role with event programming thats both high-tech and low.

Examples at the low-tech end are the traditional story hours for kids and sewing clinics for adults.

At the high-tech end are events like the recent Gmail Basics class at the library in Reedsburg and, at the library in Prairie du Sac, programs that let kids use animation software to create short movies on iPads and program LEGO robots with laptop computers.

Libraries are about creating connections, Endres Way said. How many books we check out is not the whole picture at all.

Encouraged in part by the creative possibilities offered by digital technology, Wilson said libraries nationwide are developing into maker spaces  places for interactive, hands-on learning.

It doesnt necessarily have to be something that is cutting edge, Wilson said. The thing that links them together is that creative spirit.
Almost a year after its first projected release, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials say an updated master plan for the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway is days away.

More than 25 years after the original plan was released, Lower Wisconsin Riverway DNR property manager Matt Seguin said the new proposal will focus on recreation and resource management. He said he could not discuss any highlights or details ahead of its release.

Were just finishing the draft, so it could be as soon as by the end of the month or first of March, Seguin said.

DNR planner Ann Freiwald said developing the plan took longer than expected.

When we posted the 2015 date, we were being maybe a bit too optimistic about the time it would take for us to put this extensive document together, Freiwald said. But we are very close now.

After it is released, the DNR will schedule public forums in Sauk Prairie and Boscobel to gain more input.

The state Legislature created the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway in 1989 and gave the Riverway Board authority over construction, timber harvests, utility installations and other activity with the goal of preserving the regions scenery. The Riverway stretches 92 miles from the Prairie du Sac hydroelectric dam to the Mississippi River and includes nearly 100,000 acres of public and private land along the Wisconsin Rivers shorelines.

Riverway Board executive director Mark Cupp said the board has a number of priorities it anticipates will be addressed in the new plan that are paramount for continued protection of the Riverway into future years.

Cupp said the board asked the DNR to clarify the Riverways boundaries, establish limits on what can be built within sight of the Riverway, and follow through on agreements with landowners regarding land purchases.

This year, the DNR began selling property to pay down debt in the Stewardship Fund, rather than purchasing scenic easements with Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Funds.

Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway President Timm Zumm said agreements made with landowners regarding planned purchases were breached.

The state has already broken a covenant with landowners along the riverway backing off and even stopping, not just scenic easements but also land purchases. Zumm said. Landowners were assured there was a covenant to give them a scenic easement or a serious look at buying their property.

Friends group members also expressed concern about declining water quality the Wisconsin River near Spring Green. Friends group board member Ron Grasshoff said in May the group hosted some DNR staff members on a tour of area river sloughs and backwaters.

We had a verbal commitment they would address our concerns in the backwater sloughs and come up with some sort of recommendations on habitat and water quality not just maintained, but improved, Grasshoff said.

In Prairie du Sac and Sauk City where there has been a growing, if not thriving bald eagle population, Ferry Bluff Eagle Council vice president Gene Unger said he is eager to see boundaries of the riverway clarified or enhanced to maintain eagle habitat in the area.

Our long term goal is to protect the known roosts and habitat areas and thats the riverway and viewshed adjacent to it, Unger said. I think there will be challenges if the plan narrows the viewshed. Roosts could be impacted.
A request to the Village of Lake Delton by an area businessman to vacate an alley adjacent to the Mojo Music store was denied Monday by the Planning Commission. But Bill Trevorrows proposal to build a new restaurant in that area has not been abandoned.

Trevorrow, who has owned two Subway restaurants in the Wisconsin Dells area, has an offer to purchase a vacant lot on the corner of East Adams Street and Wisconsin Dells Parkway as well as the adjacent property Mojo Music is located on at 126 Wisconsin Dells Parkway.

His plans are to build a nationally franchised HuHot Mongolian Grill on the vacant lot and use the Mojo Music property as parking space for the restaurant. A Village ordinance requires restaurants to have a 2.25-to-1 ratio of seating capacity and employees to parking spaces.

Despite one Planning Commission members doubts that the facility would have enough parking spaces, Trevorrow said in December that the adjacent Mojo property would supply 80 parking spaces and would be enough to meet ordinance standards.

At the December meeting Trevorrow and his architect Stephen Kroon of ADCI said they did not want to proceed with their February closing date on the two properties unless the Planning Commission approved the design plans. The plans were approved, but now the purchase has been put on hold because the village must approve vacating the alley between the two properties.

Trevorrows proposal to vacate the alley does not include a request to eliminate public access or car traffic, but only to redefine property lines. By village statute when a property owner applies for vacating an alley, adjacent property owners must be notified.

If only one property owner objects to the alley vacation, then the Village Board must vote two-thirds in favor of approving the vacate application. At Mondays meeting, Chris Bosshard, a property owner along the alley, told the board he objects to the vacation.

If you put this (new) building right over the edge of the alley its going to create a blind spot, he said. Anyone coming out of the parking lot is going to stick their nose out and not see any cars coming and pull out right in front of anyone coming down the alley. That makes it very dangerous.

Bosshard also said people driving north on the Parkway may initially pass the proposed restaurants East Adams Street entry and turn into what could be a blocked alley where the restaurants trucks and post office trucks are entering or exiting. He suggested this could create a traffic backup on the Parkway and potential chain-reaction crashes.

Mojo Music owner Bob Hufford told the board why he wants the alley request to be denied. Hufford said he previously tried to purchase the building and came up short. He now faces eviction if Trevorrow proceeds with his plans.

Hufford also said he has made some financial corrections and is ready to try to purchase the building again. Thats my business position. My personal position is on behalf of our customers, our students and our student families.

Hufford said over the last two weeks he has talked with hundreds and hundreds of concerned local citizens who have questions about vacating the alley.

They questioned who is in control of the alley. They questioned if the proposed development has adequate parking. They questioned if the neighborhood is moving in the right direction. And they questioned if the action would be legal, he said.

Hufford added his students want to help but are too young for their voices to be heard and dont understand vacating lots and parking ratios. But they do understand your vote is going to affect them and their families.

Mojo Music students recently posted a Facebook video of themselves playing instruments and singing a revamped version of Joni Mitchells well-known song Big Yellow Taxi that famously begins with they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

At the meeting Board President John Webb read a letter from an adjacent property owner along the alley that stated I have no objection to vacating the lot.

Trevorrow told the board Monday his plans include enough parking to satisfy the ordinance.

The reason why I am looking into this business venture is because I think it would be something new and positive for the area, he said. Other (HuHot Mongolian Grills) do fundraisers every month for the community, whether its for school or other organizations.

He noted he already has ideas to do fundraisers for Dells area organizations and schools saying this is a positive for the community.

Trevorrow concluded his talk saying he would answer any questions, which prompted a neighborhood resident to tell the board that adding a restaurant alongside the alley would further promote congestion with more trucks.

She said the neighborhood is already congested enough with traffic from the post office and two other businesses located along the alley. There are already people parking illegally along the alley and its a mess.

After the debate ended, Village Trustee Tom Diehl said my suggestion is this is a commercial piece of property and the person who owns the property has the ability to develop the property for commercial purposes as long as they meet all of the Village ordinances and setbacks.

We have people who are objecting to vacating the alley and some of them are good and valid reasons, Diehl said. My suggestion is the developer re-work his plans so that the setback on the alley is enough to accommodate our ordinances and resubmit your plans.

Diehl then motioned to deny the vacate request and asked that Trevorrow reposition his plans and meet all setbacks. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously by the board.

Trevorrow was disappointed by the decision but plans to pursue the project.

Were going to try and work with the village and take recommendations from them to see what they would like done and done differently  and also take into account what the community said and progress from there, he said.
USDA announces $1 billion debt relief for 36,000 farmers

The USDA announced a program to provide $1.3B in debt relief for about 36,000 farmers who have fallen behind on loan payments or face foreclosure.
Civil rights pioneer Diane Nash to speak at Lemon Project symposium

Update: The location for Saturday's portion of the symposium has been changed to the W&M School of Education, located at 301 Monticello Ave. in Williamsburg. Directions may be found here. - Ed.

William & Marys sixth annual Lemon Project Spring Symposium, organized around the theme of Jim Crow and Civil Rights in the Age of President Obama, will include a keynote address by civil rights pioneer Diane Nash and a performance by the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble.

The two-day event will begin with the dance performance at 7:30 p.m. on March 18 at the Kimball Theatre and continue at the W&M School of Education Saturday, where Nash will give her address at 9:45 a.m. Additionally, faculty, community members and students are expected to present on a variety of topics throughout Saturday during breakout sessions and panel discussions. The symposiums full schedule may be found online.

All of the programs, except the dance event, are free and open to the public, but attendees are asked to register online. Lunch will be provided on Saturday for registered guests. Tickets to the Friday night performance  $7 for students with ID and $25 for general admission  may be purchased by calling (888) 965-7254.

We are so excited to be able to bring two formidable women to campus to share their experiences during the struggle for civil rights, said Jody Allen, visiting assistant professor of history and managing director of the Lemon Project. Diane Nash, still a fearless advocate for social justice, will help participants explore the legacy of the era in her keynote address The Movements of the 60s: A Legacy for Today. Cleo Parker Robinson will show us the movement through her choreography.

Nash transferred from Howard University to Fisk University in Nashville in the fall of 1959. In response to the segregation she experienced in Tennessee, she helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in April 1960. The next year, she served jail time in solidarity with nine students who were imprisoned for a lunch counter sit-in, the "Rock Hill Nine. Nash went on to coordinate the Nashville Student Movement Ride, part of the Freedom Riders movement. Nash also played a key role in the 1965 Voting Rights Campaign in Selma, Alabama, and she is depicted in the recent movie Selma.

The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble is a world-renowned modern-dance company. According to the ensembles website, the group performs a dynamic body of works inspired by the African-American experience and rooted in ethnic and modern dance traditions world-wide. The American company has performed across the nation and around the world.

The Lemon Project was launched in 2009 after the William & Mary Board of Visitors passed a resolution acknowledging the universitys involvement in slavery and calling for the establishment of a project to explore that history as well as William & Marys ongoing relationship with the African-American community. The project is named after a man who was enslaved by the university in the late 18th century.

Since its inception, the Lemon Project has supported multiple research projects, courses and special programs, including the Donning of the Kente ceremony and the Porch Talks series of informal, on-campus discussions.

The first Lemon Project Spring Symposium, organized around the theme of From Slavery Toward Reconciliation: African Americans & The College, took place in March 2011. Since then, the symposium has expanded into a two-day event that includes scholars from other institutions and a performance aspect.




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Snakes and Ladders adventure playground

By: Tanya Malhotra

Police in the United Kingdom, were called to a kidas play area on a report of bullying.

The bullying incident took place at the Snakes and Ladders adventure playground in Houghton Regis.

A mother called police after a boy stripped her daughter of her clothes and then hid them from her.

Police arrived and ordered everyone to get out of the play area. They then shut down the playground while investigating the incident.

The Snakes and Ladders adventure playground is a big indoor complex that has a three-storey frame connected by slides, tunnels, climbing ropes and ball ponds for children under 12 years old.

Police said that they were investigating the case of achild on child bullyinga that occurred around 11:30 a.m.

aWe are all saddened that such an incident could occur in our playground and our thoughts are with the family,a a spokesperson for the Snakes and Ladders playground said.
David and Sharon Edwards

By: Feng Qian

A bride was arrested on a charge of murder after allegedly stabbing her husband because he was fired from his job as an attorney, police in the United Kingdom said.

Lancashire police said that they have arrested 42-year-old Sharon Edwards, after being accused of plunging a knife into the chest of 51-year-old David Edwards.

The Manchester Crown Court heard that David Edwards was the victim of continuous domestic abuse. He kept the abuse secret, and would often appear in court looking disheveled and covered in bruises.

The day the newlywed couple returned from their honeymoon, Sharon Edwards learned that her husband was fired from his job at a law firm.

On one occasion, David Edwards revealed that his wife picked up a glass coffee table and hit him on the head with it.

On the night before his death, David Edwardsa daughter discovered her father in the bathroom with a knife wound to his chest.

The daughter confronted her mother, who said that she did not mean to hurt her husband. The next day, David Edwards was found dead.

Sharon Edwards told police that her husband grabbed a knife before she took it away. He then walked into the knife, causing the stab wound to his chest.

The coroner saw evidence of regular attacks caused by a sharp object. The coroner revealed that David Edwards had a superficial wound from the day before he died.

His body was said to have been covered with bruises and abrasions. Stab wounds were also present on the thighs, knees, fingers and scalp.
Robert Chavez

By: Mahesh Sarin

(Scroll down for video) A man was arrested for shooting his nephew in the chest, police in Arizona said.

The 12-year-old boy of Phoenix, was hospitalized and is said to be in serious condition after his uncle accidentally shot him, police said.

29-year-old Robert Chavez was arrested, and faces charges of aggravated assault and misconduct after showing his nephew his weapon, said Sgt. Jonathan Howard, a spokesman for the Phoenix police.

According to court documents, the victim asked to see the gun and Chavez took it out of the holster. Chavez told officers that he thought the gun was unloaded before pulling the trigger.

The bullet hit his nephewas hand and then traveled to his chest.

Chavez is prohibited from possessing a restricted firearm, Howard said.

He admitted to officers that he bought the gun last week, even though he knew he was not allowed to have one, according to court documents.

Bail for Chavez was set at $50,000. The boys mother, Chavezs sister, was at home when the shooting occurred. She said that she is adisappointed and angrya with her brother as he was a role model to all of her children.
6M Investment to Boost Trade & Capacity at Wrexham Business

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Feb 23rd, 2016

A new 6M state of the art high speed machining facility that will increase capacity at a Wrexham business, has been officially opened.

The investment which will help service significant new orders at Magellan Aerospaces Wrexham plant was formally opened yesterday.

The Wrexham facility, a major supplier of wing components to Airbus Broughton  has undergone a rapid expansion over the past three years in line with growing global orders for the Airbus family of aircraft. In addition it has also won new business from a number of other companies including GKN, PAG and Triumph Aerospace.

It has seen a significant turnover increase since 2012 and created 100 jobs during this period, including 27 so far this year with another 22 posts to be recruited. Currently 460 people are employed at its base on Llay industrial Estate, Wrexham.

Opening the new facility the Minister, Edwina Hart said: Wales is a recognised centre of excellence for aerospace manufacturing and MRO related activities and I am delighted to hear of the investment, expansion and job creation at Magellans facility in Wrexham.

The company is a key employer in Wrexham and this investment will increase capacity and capability and ensure it is in pole position to meet the growing demand for its products in what is a highly competitive market.

Magellan Aerospace is Canadian owned and its Wrexham operation is a main supplier to Airbus Broughton for aircraft machining, treating and assembly of wing component parts.

In 2012 it was announced that the Wrexham facility had secured a multi-million pound extension to its contract with Airbus for components for the A320, A330 and A380 aircraft programmes.

Its new machining facility has the capability to machine component parts up to 22 metres long and manufacture a range of wing components and structures.

The company has invested substantially in new facilities and equipment and in 2009 was financially supported by the Welsh Government with investment towards a 5m Spar Machining Facility at Llay. The company are now looking to invest 3m in a new assembly and logistics centre of excellence.

Adrian Young, Operations Manager from Magellan Aerospace (UK) added: It is a testament to the skills and hard work of all the team and the commitment of Magellan Aerospace to invest in the UK, with the support of the Welsh Government, that has allowed the business at Wrexham to grow from the small family business it was when Magellan bought it in 2003 to the multi-million pound company it is today.
Only three months after BlueScope Steel and the trade unions pushed through a cost-cutting agreement at its Port Kembla steel operations, south of Sydney, the company yesterday announced that its statutory profit for the past half year more than doubled to $200.1 million, from $92.7 million a year ago.

BlueScope said it was on track for a $400 million annual profit. It increased its annual cost savings target for 201617 to $270 million, up from the $200 million it has already saved, at the direct expense of workers, through its deal with the unions.

BlueScope chief executive Paul OMalley attributed the result to the tough decisions the company took, adding: All those who helped deliver the $200 million in savings deserved to be thanked.

Last November, despite intense opposition from many workers, the Australian Workers Union (AWU) and other unions ultimately secured a postal vote for the shedding of 500 jobs, a three-year wage freeze, greater casualisation and the ongoing destruction of working conditions.

In a bullying operation, BlueScope and its union accomplices threatened steelworkers with the total closure of the remaining Port Kembla blast furnace and the destruction of over 4,000 jobs if they did not accept the deal to deliver the company $200 million in cost-savings.

As well as bolstering its profits at the cost of workers jobs and conditions, the companya spin-off from mining giant BHP Billitonwas also rewarded with a $60 million tax handout. The New South Wales state government agreed last October to defer payroll taxes over three years, on the pretext of helping prevent the steel plants closure.

While steelworkers and their families face increasing levels of hardship, BlueScopes big shareholders are celebrating. Over the past seven months, as BlueScope and the unions battered down workers resistance, the companys market value grew by some 77 percent.

The unions role last year was no aberration. It followed decades of union-enforced cuts to jobs and working conditions, on the basis of the lie that making the company competitive would guarantee jobs into the future. In the 1970s, about 20,000 workers were employed at the Port Kembla plant; by last year this was reduced to less than 4,000.

Despite the latest concessions dragged out of steelworkers, there is absolutely no guarantee that the plant will stay open. On the contrary, a further deterioration in global market conditions could see the company enforce a closure, having made a killing at workers expense along the way.

As market analysts noted yesterday, BlueScope still retains the option of closing the plant. In a research note, Evans & Partners analyst Ben Chan said the management team had proven it could deliver on the cost performance at Port Kembla, and still have a closure option up their sleeves if things get a lot worse.

The ongoing slowdown in world steel demand, particularly in China and Asia, has created a glut that continues to exert downward pressure on prices, unleashing a ruthless competition for market share.

Chinese companies, which produce half the worlds steel, are themselves preparing to eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs, while seeking to sell their excess output on world markets.

Tens of thousands of steel jobs are being axed globally, including in Europe and the United States. In January, Britains largest steelmaker Tata Steel said it would slash over 1,000 jobs. During the same month, steel and mining company ArcelorMittal confirmed it would idle one of its plants at Sestao in Spain. Last November, US Steel announced it would shutter its plant in Granite City, Illinois at the cost of about 2,000 jobs.

In Australia, preparations are underway for further restructuring, which will undoubtedly involve a deeper assault on jobs and working conditions, including at BlueScope.

This week, another BHP Billiton spin-off, Arrium, formerly known as OneSteel, accepted a $1.3 billion line of credit from a US group, GSO Capital Partners, which will inevitably mean a carve-up of the company. GSO is owned by Blackstone, a private equity giant that specialises in asset-stripping vulnerable companies.

Arrium had already unveiled preparations to shut down steelmaking operations at Whyalla in South Australia, threatening that plants remaining 1,400 jobs. Despite around $100 million in cost reductions in October, including the axing of 250 jobsalso backed by the unionsArrium said savings worth a further $60 million were needed to break even at current steel prices.

With the support of Labor, the Greens and Senate independents, a Senate committee set up an inquiry last November into the future sustainability of Australias strategically vital steel industry and its supply chain.

The purpose of such parliamentary hearings is to develop justifications for further cost-cutting and closures, under the fraudulent banner of rescuing the industry to save jobs. At the same time, those involved aim to convince workers they can protect their interests through appeals to the political establishment.

Above all, the aim is to prevent the popular hostility to the steel job destruction from developing into an independent fight by workers across the global steel industry against job cuts and closures. Labor, the Greens and the unions, together with the Liberal-National government, are fomenting nationalism and anti-Chinese xenophobia by claiming that the threat to workers jobs stems exclusively from cheap steel from China.

In line with this, Federal Industry Minister Christopher Pyne has initiated an urgent investigation into whether imported steel is being illegally dumped in Australia. Governments in the US and Europe are taking similar measures. These responses are aimed at dividing workers along national lines, and diverting attention from the source of the crisis, which lies in the capitalist profit system itself.

As part of this diversionary and nationalist campaign, the Senate inquiry plans to hold hearings at Port Kembla early in April. The AWU and the South Coast Labor Councilthe regions peak union bodyhave welcomed the visit. Both were central in imposing last years sell-out

Labor Council secretary Arthur Rorris claimed the visit was an invaluable opportunity for steelworkers to tell senators their concerns. AWU Port Kembla branch secretary Wayne Phillips declared: Its a time when the average Joe off the shop floor can tell a senate committee why the steel industry is important to them and important to the district.

The truth is the visiting senators, whether Labor, Liberal, National or Greens, have no interest in the social impact of job losses on workers. Any concerns they do have about the collapse of the steel industry reflect the interests of less competitive sections of business as well as its potential strategic implications amid the growing danger of war.

While the current attacks on BlueScope workers are taking place under a federal Liberal-National government, the former minority Gillard Labor government, kept in office with the support of the Greens, fully backed the companys previous round of restructuring in 2011 that destroyed 1,100 jobs.

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Australian unions force through steel job cuts and wage freeze

[19 November 2015]
Following the release of an interim report from New Democratic Party (NDP) President Rebecca Blaikie, federal NDP leader Tom Mulcair has penned a letter of apology to all party members and supporters titled Personal reflections. In this thousand-word missive, Mulcair says that he takes full responsibility for the NDPs debacle in last Octobers national election and promises to make the necessary changes so as to ensure that the mistakes of the campaign will never be repeated.

Any expectation, however, that these promised changes will alter the pro-capitalist, pro-imperialist perspective of Mulcair, his parliamentary caucus, and the NDPs array of well-heeled party functionaries should be awaited with the same anticipation as an invitation to watch a leopard change its spots.

In the October 19 federal election, Canadas social democratic NDP suffered a debacle as the big business Liberal Party of Justin Trudeau soundly defeated Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, while the NDP was reduced to an also-ran. In the rout, the NDP lost its status as the Official Opposition and more than half of its 95 MPs. Today the trade union-backed NDP holds just 44 seats in the 338-member House of Commons, after suffering losses in virtually every part of the country.

Mulcair will face a mandatory leadership review at the upcoming party convention to be held this April in Edmonton, Alberta. An ex-Quebec Liberal cabinet minister, austerity advocate, and avowed admirer of Margaret Thatcher, Mulcair has declared his intention to stay on at the NDPs battered helm. To date, no significant figure in the party or in the trade union bureaucracy has publicly challenged that plan.

The October election represented a massive popular repudiation of a decade of Conservative rule. Nevertheless, in many respects the trade union-backed NDP was the elections biggest loser. When Prime Minister Stephen Harper dropped the election writ on August 1, the NDP was atop the polls and appeared poised to lead Canadas national government for the first time ever. Yet on election day, after pointedly campaigning to the right of the Liberals on key economic issues, it garnered just 19.7 percent of the popular vote, a 10.9 percentage-point drop from the 30.6 percent share it had taken in the 2011 federal election.

Even under conditions where there was a more than 7 percentage-point increase in voter participation, the NDP lost almost a million votes (964,000) as compared with 2011. By contrast, the Conservatives lost just 54,000 votes.

Blaikies interim autopsy of the election defeat centered on the partys inability to counter the progressive image fostered by Trudeau and his Liberalsin particular the Liberals promise to kick-start a faltering economy through a deficit spending-financed infrastructure program. In contrast, Mulcair ran a Harper-Lite campaign, echoing the tired nostrums of the Conservatives about the need to balance the budget at all costs.

The NDP came out against any personal tax increases, even on the wealthiest Canadians, claiming the top 1.0 and 0.1 percent are already paying their fair share. Rejecting the growing unease and anger in the population over increasing social inequality, Mulcair declared that the greatest inequality in our society is between generations, giving credibility to the right-wing claim that older workers, even as they are stripped of quality pensions and medical benefits, have too many entitlements.

With the full backing of the NDP and trade union officialdom, Mulcair spent the entire election campaign promoting himself as a right-wing establishment politician, and otherwise distancing Canadas social democrats from any association, however remote, with the working class or significant social reform.

On foreign policy, while Mulcair reiterated the NDPs commitment to end the Canadian armed forces Mideast combat mission in the Middle East, he vowed that under an NDP government Canada would remain part of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition, which serves as a cover for Washingtons drive to dominate the Middle East, including its push for regime change in Damascus.

Mulcair emphasized that the NDP stood ready to deploy Canadian troops, including in battle, citing as examples the NDPs support for NATOs 2011 regime-change war in Libya and its spontaneous endorsement of the military assistance Canada has provided France in Mali. We understand, said Mulcair, that there will be times when we have to  use force. We wont shy away from that. The party, further, promised to implement the 10-year program of military spending increases the Conservatives announced in their last budget.

Mulcair criticized Harper for not doing enough to counter Islamic radicalization at home, then immediately touted the NDPs plan to fund the hiring of 2,500 additional police.

The party leadership, drawing on the superficial analyses offered up by the corporate media, continues to blame its loss of support in Quebec on the reactionary, Islamophobic appeal that was made by the Conservatives and the pro-Quebec independence Bloc Quebecois (BQ). Working in tandem, the Conservatives and BQ denounced the NDP for betraying Canadian and Quebec values because it opposed a ban on the wearing of the niqab at Canadian citizenship ceremonies.

The NDP leaderships claims hold no water. First, the NDPs decline in the opinion polls preceded the niqab becoming a major election issue. Second, those who deserted the NDP rallied round the Liberals, who, like the NDP, opposed the Conservatives niqab ban. Furthermore, the joint Conservative-BQ campaign over the niqab hardly proved to be an electoral winner. Their combined share of Quebecs popular vote fell by 4 percentage points from 2011.

Other NDP representatives and apologists have sought to pin the blame for the NDPs rout on strategic voting. Such explanations, however, fail to even begin to address how it was that the big business Liberals who, when they last held office, blazed the trail for Harper with their social spending cuts; revamping of the tax system to further benefit corporations and the rich; and foreign military interventions, were able to successfully pose as a progressive alternative to Harpers Conservatives.

The truth is, the pivotal role in the political rehabilitation of Justin Trudeau and his Liberals was played by the trade unions and the NDP. For years, they had promoted the Liberals as a progressive ally in the fight against Harper. In 2005, they propped up Paul Martins tottering Liberal government; in 2008, they formed an abortive coalition with the Liberals; in the run-up to the 2015 federal election, the NDP repeatedly declared its readiness to join a coalition government with the Liberals.

Meanwhile, in Ontario, the unions have for years openly supported a right-wing Liberal government in the name of keeping out the Conservatives. At the unions behest the NDP sustained a Liberal minority government at Queens Park for close to two years in 2012-14, as it slashed social spending and criminalized teacher strikes.

While encouraging the NDP in its shift still further right, the trade unions spearheaded the push for strategic votingi.e., the election of Liberalswith a year-long Anyone but Harper campaign. Millions of dollars were poured into attack ads and initiatives aimed at persuading union members to vote for the local candidate most likely to defeat the Conservative incumbent.

What changes does Mulcair now propose to right the sinking NDP ship?

In his reflections, Mulcair offers some bland organizational tropes. The next campaign will be less cautious. Policy communications should be more accessible and backed by an over-riding narrative. Caucus members will have more room to initiate projects. There will be closer connections between sitting MPs and the grass-roots. The new chief of staff, party veteran Raymond Guardia and new deputy chief of staff Jordan Leichnitz will lead the way. Here Mulcair omits to mention that Guardia acted in the last party leadership race as campaign manager for Brian Topp, a key architect of the NDPs 2008 coalition deal with the Liberals, whilst Leichnitz has been for several years at the centre of party policy-making as Deputy Director of Political Research and Issues Management.

Mulcair, stung by criticism that the NDP failed to advance policies addressing social inequality made a point of noting at the end of his mea culpa that over the past generation, economic growth of more than 50 percent has not been of any benefit to the vast majority of Canadians who built the economy. A major factor in that, one Mulcair carefully chose to ignore, has been the austerity policies the NDP has implemented whenever it has held provincial office, including in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and now Alberta.
A further step in the dismantling of environmental regulation in California was taken on February 10 when the California Coastal Commission fired its executive director, Charles Lester.

Prior to the vote, the Commission received at least 14,000 letters opposing Lesters dismissal, decrying it as a developer-led coup. This included the statements of nearly 80 environmental groups, 35 former Commission members, over 150 current and former Commission staffers, 18 members of the California State Legislature, ten US congressmen, and local politicians from all along the California coast.

On the day of the vote, a seven-hour public hearing was held in Morro Bay at which hundreds of supporters of environmental regulations had shown up to oppose the ouster. After Lester himself spoke, members of the public were allowed to speak for hours before any of the commissioners who intended to fire Lester presented any criticism of him.

The complaints publicly aired against Lester were rather vague and related to problems of communication, management style and an inadequate attention to diversity in staffing. Commissioners opposed to Lester minimized their public statements, arguing that it was a personnel issue that should have been resolved internally.

Former Commission Chairman Mel Nutter later commented, The public was asked in effect to present a defense against a set of charges that were never presented. It was totally backwards and that put the public at a huge disadvantage.

Commissioner Wendy Mitchell had taken the initiative in the move to oust Lester. Mitchell, described by the San Mateo County Times as a Democratic Party insider, was appointed to the Commission by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican. She is also the head of Wendy Mitchell Consulting, a political consulting firm whose clients include energy utility giant PG&E, the Australian oil and gas company Woodside, and Combined Properties, Inc., which describes itself on its web site as a comprehensive real estate firm.

The fact that an individual with Mitchells business ties could be on the Commission at all, let alone lead the ouster of its director, is emblematic of the thoroughly corrupt nature of state politics in California and the Democratic Party in particular.

The vote to dismiss Lester was taken in a closed session of the commission convened after the hearing. Commissioners claimed that the vote had to be held in private in order to protect Lesters privacy. However, it was Lester himself who had requested the public hearing, and the agencys chief counsel denied that there was a legal requirement for the vote to be held in private. The decision to fire Lester passed 7-5.

Following the vote, the commissioners were escorted from the building by law enforcement officers as a crowd of over one hundred people who had gathered to await the decision stood by, some of them in tears.

Commission Chairman Steve Kinsey denied that Lesters dismissal was a pro-development, anti-conservation decision. Kinsey, who had voted against the dismissal, said that it revolved around leadership and not around an issue of greater flexibility for development.

Similarly, Commissioner Mark Vargas, who had voted in favor of the dismissal, said, We need to set the record straight. There was no coup by developer interests.

Environmental groups had overwhelmingly opposed Lesters firing. Stefanie Sekich-Quinn, coastal preservation manager for the Surfrider Foundation, had said that the moves against Lester amounted to a power grab in an attempt to undermine the integrity of the coastal program, gain control over an independent staff and make the commission more developer-friendly without any public accountability or transparency.

Former Commissioner Steven Blank, who had resigned in protest over the growing influence of developers in 2013, commented, This has been a civics lesson for the public in how regulatory bodies get captured by developers.

While there had been calls, including strongly worded editorials in the Sacramento Bee and the San Jose Mercury News, for California Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, to intervene and prevent the firing of Lester, Browns staff had communicated to Commission members in advance of the hearing that he would not attempt to influence the decision. He refused repeatedly to take a public position on the issue, although his influence was eventually demonstrated in the fact that the four commissioners whom he had appointed all voted to oust Lester.

The California Coastal Commission was established in 1972 for the ostensible purpose of protecting the Californian coast from over-development, protecting public access to the shore and enforcing the Coastal Act (ironically, it was the same Governor Brown who signed the Coastal Act into law during his first term in 1976). The Commission was headed by Peter Douglas from its inception until 2011, when Douglas named Lester his successor and Lesters appointment was approved unanimously by the Commission. Douglas, whom the Los Angeles Times described as an aggressive and hard-nosed environmentalist, died in 2012.

Nutter recalled that there had been a similar move to oust Douglas in 1996 but it had failed. I'm troubled by the direction of the commission if a professional like Charles Lester is fired and replaced by a political hack, Nutter said.

In an interview on February 11, Lester, in mollifying language, supported the position that the agency was coming increasingly beholden to developer interests, and may even be undergoing a fundamental shift in direction.

Lester was by no means outside of this process. Under his leadership, the Commission approved two projects within the past two years that strongly favored developers at the expense of environmental concerns. According to the San Jose Mercury News, the Commission approves the vast majority of the permit applications it considers.

On February 16, California State Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, along with Assemblymen Mark Stone and Marc Levine, introduced proposed legislation that would require lobbyists who seek to influence the California Coastal Commission to report publicly the source of their income, the amount they are paid, and the issues on which they address the Commission. The proposal would require a two-thirds vote in both houses of the Legislature because it would amend the Political Reform Act of 1974. A similar proposal failed to pass in 2005.

Atkinss proposal, which would affect only lobbyists and not Commission members themselves such as Wendy Mitchell, is an act of damage control. It is an attempt to restore credibility to the Commission as well as to the Democratic Party after Californias Democrat governor, himself an erstwhile environmentalist, quietly enabled a political shift driven by the most powerful and environmentally destructive sections of big business.

While environmental groups continue to denounce the decision to oust the Commissions executive director and correctly identify the Commission as having been captured by the business interests it is supposed to regulate, the political subordination of environmental concerns to the Democratic Party and capitalist politics in general is the underlying reason for the ongoing dismantling of environmental regulations in California and throughout the United States.
The Obama administration on Monday escalated its drive to undermine encryption with the announcement that a lawyer for unspecified victims of the San Bernardino mass shooting would, at the behest of the federal government, file a legal brief in support of a court order to compel Apple Inc. to create a backdoor to its popular iOS mobile operating system.

The move is the latest step in a carefully orchestrated campaign by the Obama Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to use the December 2, 2015 San Bernardino attack, one of more than 300 mass shootings that took place last year, to turn public opinion against the defense of privacy rights and weaken, or even criminalize, encryption.

Stephen Larson, a former federal judge who now practices privately, told Reuters he had been approached by the Justice Department two days before the filing of its case against Apple to represent victims of the San Bernardino shooting. He refused to give any details about the brief, including the number of victims he is representing.

The announcement follows by just three days the Justice Departments filing of a separate brief demanding that Apple comply with a federal judges ruling handed down February 16 that the company create a fake operating system for the FBI capable of extracting encrypted data stored on its smartphones.

Apple has refused to comply with the courts ruling and is preparing to appeal the decision.

It is clear that the Obama administration deliberately provoked a public confrontation with Apple over access to the cell phone of one of the San Bernardino shooters in a cynical effort to play on emotions and fears of terror attacks and cast defenders of privacy rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights as disloyal, unpatriotic and selfish laggards in the so-called war on terror.

The administration had been preparing to introduce legislation to enable the government to disable encryption programs, but pulled back last year in the face of broad popular opposition and resistance from telecommunications and social media companies. The latter, including Apple, have collaborated for years with the National Security Agency (NSA) and the FBI in their illegal and unconstitutional mass spying operations, but felt obliged, following the revelations by former NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, to draw the line at openly handing over to the state the private communications of customers who use encryption precisely to prevent the state from snooping on them.

Apple and other major telecom and Internet firms have been involved in private negotiations with the Justice Department for months over the issue. It appears that after the attack in San Bernardino, which came less than a month after the mass terror killings in Paris, the Obama administration decided to use the attacks to set up a very public confrontation with Apple, hoping to overwhelm and intimidate popular opposition to yet another step in the direction of a police state.

Following the Snowden revelations, the White House had sought to posture as a defender of civil liberties and an advocate of a reasonable balance between privacy rights and national security, while in practice fully supporting the mass spying operations. But since the federal court ruling against Apple, the White House has fully endorsed the efforts of FBI Director James Comey to undermine encryption methods on the pretext of preventing terror attacks.

The FBI claims it needs full access to the cell phone of Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the attackers in the mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, who was shot dead by police following the attack, in order to determine if he was in contact with ISIS figures. This is an obvious pretext, since the NSA and other intelligence agencies already have access to so-called metadata, including the telephone numbers of incoming and outgoing calls.

The contradictions in the FBIs official narrative of the case continue to mount. In a statement issued Monday, the FBI admitted that law enforcement officials had changed the password associated with Farooks smartphone in Apples iCloud data syncing service. Apple insists that had they not done so, the FBI would have been able to extract all data from the phone simply by plugging it into a power source in the vicinity of a known wireless network, such as that in the attackers home.

The phone was owned by San Bernardino County, which employed Farook as a food inspector. It is doubtful that Farook would have kept anything of relevance to the attack in the phone, given that his employer had access to its contents. The attackers had destroyed other hard drives and phones, but made no effort to destroy the phone in question.

On Sunday, Comey issued a statement in which he declared the San Bernardino litigation isnt about trying to set a precedent or send any kind of message. Instead, he claimed, the FBI is concerned only with the victims and justice.

Contrary to the assertions of Apple and the nearly unanimous opinion of leading public security experts, Comey said the case applied only to the phone in question, declaring, We dont want to break anyones encryption or set a master key loose on the land.

These are barefaced lies.

Despite the governments efforts, there are indications of broad public support for Apples position, and protests are planned Tuesday at dozens of the companys retail locations.

Apple flatly contradicted Comeys claims Monday, declaring that the order would set a legal precedent that would expand the powers of the government, and we simply dont know where that would lead us. Should the government be allowed to order us to create other capabilities for surveillance purposes, such as recording conversations or location tracking?

In his statement Sunday, Comey declared that the case highlights the tension between two values we all treasure: privacy and safety. That tension should not be resolved by corporations that sell stuff for a living.

Comey, backed by President Obama, asserts that a question with vast implications for democratic rights should be decided by an intelligence agency that, together with the NSA, operates outside of the law and is aggressively erecting the infrastructure of a police state.
On Tuesday morning, the official death toll from Cyclone Winston, which struck the South Pacific country of Fiji on Saturday, rose to 29. The category five storm has been described as the most powerful ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere, generating winds of up to 325 kilometres an hour and leaving a trail of destruction. Some low-lying areas have been engulfed by floodwaters.

Prime Minister Frank Bainimaramas military-backed government declared a 30-day state of emergency and deployed the army to affected parts of the country.

The death toll from the disaster is expected to continue to rise in coming days as initial contact is made with the hard-hit areas in remote regions of the multi-island state. At least four people are missing at sea, while more than 8,000 have been displaced after their homes were destroyed. The countrys total population is less than a million.

The tropical cyclone made landfall on the northeastern coast of Viti Levu, the countrys main island, on Saturday evening. Coastal areas were hit with gale-force winds and massive waves, while power and phone lines were downed across the country. Some 80 percent of the population was without power within hours of the storm striking.

Communication with six islands and islets, Vanua Balavu, Lakeba, Cicia, Nayau, Taveuni and Qamea, was cut-off shortly after the storm hit. Aerial photographs taken in the past days over the islands of Taveuni, Lau, Koro and Rabi and others in the northern and eastern divisions of the country revealed the destruction wrought by the storm. Entire villages were completely flattened.

According to local witnesses, 80 to 90 percent of homes have been levelled in the southern half of Taveuni Island. At Kade village on Koro Island, all structures were reportedly felled, including the school, church and community hall. Eight bodies were found on the island early on Tuesday. Across the countrys eastern division, at least 150 homes were demolished, while more than 60 were severely damaged.

The disaster has created a mounting humanitarian crisis, with thousands of people still housed in around 735 makeshift evacuation centres. Aid groups have warned of the threat of disease outbreaks, with safe drinking water and power unavailable and food supplies tainted in many parts of the country.

The poorest are the most vulnerable. Thousands reside in improvised tin shacks. Over 250,000 people, some 35 percent of the population, live below the poverty line. Many crops have been damaged or destroyed, threatening livelihoods and imperiling subsistence farmers.

Radio New Zealand spoke to people in the Lovu squatter settlement, which is home to some 300 families on Viti Levu. One of them, Vena Chand, commented: Were afraid of having some kind of disease ... the itching has started. And the muddy water that we walk around  and the mosquitos around in the houses.

Everything was very nice before ... but now we feel like crying all the time. And no help, nothing, we have to do everything ourselves, she said. Residents have been forced to travel to neighbouring areas with buckets in search of drinkable water.

Michael Naisau, a pastor, said: This is one of the poorest settlements ... and the least supported by our business people. For some of them its back to zero, theres really nothing.

The cyclone has underscored the growing vulnerability of island nations in the Pacific to extreme weather events. According to climate scientists, warmer sea temperatures, stemming in part from climate change, contributed to the severity of the storm. The region is also affected by the El Nino weather pattern, which involves warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific, producing a host of extreme weather events.

Ocean surface temperatures were the warmest on record in 2014, while sea temperatures have reportedly risen in the Pacific this year. Climate experts have noted that records do not go back far enough to establish a definite trend, but have warned that ongoing warming will likely result in storms of greater intensity developing more frequently.

In March 2015, the South Pacific was hit with Cyclone Pam, a category five storm that affected at least 132,000 people, or almost half Vanuatus population, and left an estimated 21 people dead. In December 2012, Cyclone Evan killed at least 14 people in Samoa, and caused widespread destruction in Fiji.

In addition to heavy storms, Fiji and other Pacific island nations face rising sea levels. Last year, Bainimaramas government said it planned to relocate 45 coastal communities over the next five to ten years. It has already begun moving villages inland.

Above all, the severe social consequences of natural disasters throughout the region are a product of the endemic poverty and low-level of economic development that is the legacy of imperialist domination over the South Pacific.

Following the cyclone, the response of the two regional powers was paltry. The Australian government announced it would provide $5 million in emergency aid, while New Zealand contributed just over $2 million.

Both governments, however, are dispatching military aircraft. Australia offered to send two Orion surveillance planes and army transport helicopters. New Zealand deployed a C-130 Hercules military plane, ostensibly to deliver aid, along with a surveillance craft. As in previous natural disasters, both countries are using the disaster as an opportunity to test the waters for extending the presence of their militaries in the region, while likely cultivating contacts and gathering information that could be of future use.

Geo-strategic tensions are rising in the Asia-Pacific, stemming from the US governments pivot to Asia to confront China. Fiji has strengthened ties with China and received two shipments of arms from Russia this year, to the consternation of Washington and its allies in the region, Australia and New Zealand.
Under the cover of scholarship, an increasing number of academics and intellectuals are using the media to lend respectability to backward, right-wing conceptions.

This list already includes historian Jorg Baberowski, social scientist Rudiger Safranski and philosophers Peter Sloterdjik and Slavoj Zizek, all of whom have promulgated right-wing propaganda in recent months.

Historian Alexander Demandt is the latest to jump on the new intellectual Freikorps bandwagon. Demandt, born in Marburg in 1937, is one of the most prominent historians of the ancient world, specializing on the Late Antiquitythe period of transition from the Roman Empire to the Middle Ages. He taught from 1974 to 2005 at the Free University in Berlin and is the author of several scholarly publications on the late antique and beyond.

He is now exploiting his academic discipline to legitimise the media campaign against refugees and Muslims, making use of crude historical analogies to the Migration Period.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published an article by Demandt in late January under the headline Downfall of the Roman Empire: End of the Old Order. The nominal subject was the decline of the Roman Empire. However, Demandt, drawing on the 20th century right-wing German author Oswald Spengler, made use of the topic to comment on the downfall of the West, i.e., modern Western, not Roman, civilisation.

In the article, Demandt describes how between the fourth and sixth centuries CE, armed peoples from northern EuropeGoths, Germans and Langobardsinvaded the Roman Empire. Romes state monopoly of weapons was broken, the power centre shifted, and the old order dissolved.

Demandt concentrates on the mass migration. If one substitutes for Goths and Germans the terms Muslims and refugees, and replaces Roman Empire with Germany, one is left with an appeal for a strong state to keep refugees away from Germanys borders in order to uphold the nations power and defend its cultural identity. Under the guise of scholarly commentary, one encounters a piece of right-wing political agitation in which the Migration Period is used as a foil for the current refugee crisis.

The narrative begins in 376 CE, when the Goths pleaded to be accepted in the Empire as peaceful refugees, and the emperor decided out of Christian, neighbourly love to open the borders and allow the Goths in.

Roman state officials sought to count the new arrivals, but the operation got out of control, Demandt writes. The ferries crossed the river day by day, so that very quickly provisioning problems emerged in the Empire. The Goths began to loot, skirmishes took place.

After new multitudes repeatedly invaded the Empire and could no longer be integrated, prejudices spread against the bearded Germans in their long trousers and furs, who could not shake off the odium of barbarism.

The government lost control of the provinces, the state monopoly of weapons could not be sustained and the executive failed and the overburdened bureaucracy collapsed.

Demandt asks why it was that the rich, highly developed Romans had not stood up to the pressure of poor, barbarian neighbours? He writes, One reads of decadence, of a society that had become comfortable, striving for the good life for individuals, but having nothing with which to resist the energetic and active hordes of Germans when they flooded over the border, driven by desperation.

The authors repugnant historical parable is intended to create an intimidating scenario. A mass of refugeeslike the energetic hordes of Germans back thenare streaming towards Germany, posing a deadly threat to the state, which can no longer be defended by a society that has become comfortable in an Empire of peace.

The article was originally set to appear in the magazine Die Politische Meinung, which is produced by the Christian Democratic Union-aligned Konrad Adenauer Foundation. But Chief Editor Bernd Lohmann, who commissioned the article in the context of the refugee crisis, ultimately rejected it.

Justifying his decision, Lohmann told Demandt that the text could be misinterpreted in the context of our political magazine by undesirable sources in light of the events of New Years Eve in Cologne. From his point of view, there existed the danger that isolated parts of the text could be misused to construct all too facile parallels to the current situation that we would not wish.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung did not shrink from publishing Demandts article in full.

As if to make clear that the historian intended to stoke up sentiments against refugees by drawing a simple parallel with the current situation, it asked him what we [could] learn from the decline of Rome and what he [would] advise the chancellor today as an historian?

Demandt answered bluntly that it was necessary to pay attention to the long-term consequences of immigration and restrict the influx. He argued that the word must first of all get around that it is not worth coming to Germany. He continued: We cannot afford to give up our sovereignty. Mrs. Merkel cannot be allowed to act for the benefit of other governments and at the cost of the German people. Her oath of office suggests the exact opposite. One has to intervene for ones own peopleand not run away from this.

Demandts reactionary calls for deterring refugees and his appeals to the German people play directly into the hands of extreme right-wing forces. It speaks volumes that Demandts article was immediately seized upon and promulgated by the chauvinist Alternative for Germany (AfD) and far-right blogs such as Islamnixgut (Islam is not good).

His analogy to the Migration Period is highly dubious from a scholarly standpoint. Historian Michael Borgolte from Berlins Humboldt University explained in the Berliner Zeitung that the concept of the Migration Period was first defined by the humanists in 1557, but must be viewed critically today.

Peoples never migrated, Borgolte wrote. Even during the Migration Period, there were people from many different ethnic groups who migrated, who were consolidated into peoples only on the territory of the Roman Empire under more stable kingdoms. The Roman Empire did not collapse because of the migrants.

Migration researcher Jochen Oltmer from Osnabruck University also criticised the resort to the concept of the Migration Period in relation to the current situation in an interview with the Suddeutsche Zeitung. A term is simply being used, in part very consciously, that more or less conjures up ideas of uncontrollable mass movements.

Oltmer continued, The images we have in our head from the Migration Period are those of destruction and violence. They are pictures that point to darkness.

It is not the first time that Demandt has conjured up sinister images of the Migration Period to pursue an extremely reactionary agenda. His political motives were made clear in an interview he gave to the conservative newspaper Die Welt last September 11.

In it, he declared that the concept of the Migration Period was currently in more than one sense justified. Extent, movement and motivation were essentially the same in both the migration of peoples in the Late Antiquity and the current migration.

He claimed the issue was the pressure from poor countries with large populations on rich peoples with few children, adding that the old north-south conflict was once again breaking out.

He went on to say that the challenges today from Islamists and other religious fundamentalists were similar to the challenge faced by the Roman Empire from the Christians, who absolutely did not want to integrate, until the emperor himself recognised the cross and became Christian.

Demandt talks of migrants and Islamists in one breath. He does not seek the cause for the flight of these people in the endless imperialist wars in the Middle East, but paints a picture of the impoverished, uneducated, religious fundamentalist migrant with many childrena racist stereotype that has been embraced by the political right in Germany for decades.

Demandt refers to Oswald Spengler, one of the leading right-wing intellectuals in the Weimar Republic. Spengler stated as early as 1931 that the north-south conflict would be the great problem of the future. However, while Spengler assumed that the people would be armed, Demandt cynically writes that the fact that the refugees are arriving unarmed [makes] it all much more difficult.

Oswald Spengler (1880-1936), whom Demandt described in a 1999 article as the mastermind of the conservative revolution, represented a cultural philosophy characterised by resolute opposition to liberal democracy and socialism. His book, The Decline of the Western World (1918), achieved considerable influence among right-wing conservative circles of the day. Spengler is considered one of the intellectual precursors to National Socialism, even though he did not directly cooperate with the Nazis.

Demandts propaganda against refugees also recalls how German historian Heinrich von Treitschke made anti-Semitism respectable in bourgeois circles during the rule of the Kaiser in the Second German Empire. In his notorious essay Our Standpoints, which provoked the Berlin anti-Semitism dispute in 1879, Treitschke stated that the internal formation of the Reich was threatened by the soft philanthropism of our era, and, above all, by the German Jews. He discoursed on the national exclusivism of the Jews and claimed they were unwilling to assimilate into society.

Treitschke demanded that the Jews approach the values and thoughts of their Christian co-citizens, and show piety towards the beliefs, values and feelings of the German people by becoming German in themselves. He conjured up a flood of Jewish migrants from Eastern Europe, who at the time were given the derogatory designation eastern Jews, and wrote:

[Y]ear after year, out of the inexhaustible Polish cradle, there streams over our eastern border a host of hustling trouser-peddling youths, whose children and childrens children will someday command Germanys stock exchanges and newspapers. The immigration grows visibly, and the question becomes more and more grave: how can we amalgamate this alien people?

The text included the notorious sentence that in the 1930s appeared on the title page of the anti-Semitic propaganda paper Der Sturmer. Up to the most highly educated circles, among men who would distance themselves from church intolerance and national pride, the cry is raised today as if out of one mouth: The Jews are our misfortune!

Under conditions of deepening capitalist crisis and growing social tensions, all of the long-forgotten filth is reemerging among German academics. Historians like Demandt are openly walking in the footsteps of their right-wing conservative predecessors, of whom not a fewabove all philosopher Martin Heidegger and jurist Carl Schmittbecame enthusiastic National Socialists in the 1930s. If it was Jews who were considered the misfortune at that time, today the stereotypes and lies of anti-Semitism are being directed against Muslims and refugees to justify police-state measures, chauvinism and war.
Rallies were convened in major Australian cities last Saturday, supposedly to protest against the Liberal-National Coalition governments proposed multi-million dollar cuts to Medicare rebates. In reality, the events provided platforms for the trade unions and pseudo-left groups to promote the return of Labor and the Greens at the federal election due this year, despite their own record of slashing health spending when Labor was last in office, backed by the Greens.

Last December, as part of its mid-year budget cuts, the Coalition government declared it would save $650 million over the next four years by reducing or removing access to bulk-billing (services provided without upfront patient fees) for pathology tests, diagnostic imaging and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans, plus another $595 million by scrapping a number of health workforce programs.

The cuts will have a severe impact on working class and vulnerable patients. Doctors have warned, for example, that 1.7 million diabetes sufferers could each be forced to pay $400 a year for blood and urine tests to monitor heart and kidney disease, women would have to pay $30 for regular Pap smear tests, and patients could be charged up to $56 for X-rays. Poorer patients will inevitably delay or avoid costly testing, preventing timely diagnoses and giving rise to more serious diseases and complications.

At the Sydney rally, Labor leader Bill Shorten was the main speaker, greeted with cheers by the predominantly union and pseudo-left crowd. Shorten postured cynically as a defender of Medicare, describing it as a community standard for Australian health care. Just over a year ago, in December 2014, Shorten backed the government in freezing doctors rebates for four yearsa move to force all doctors to charge upfront fees.

Moreover, Shorten was a key minister in the previous minority Labor government as it reduced public hospital funding in 201213. That was on top of Labors introduction of casemix funding, which continuously drives down government payments for hospital procedures, causing blowouts in surgery waiting times and placing increasing strain on medical staff.

Shorten was welcomed to the stage by Amy Thomas from These Cuts Are Killing Us, who chaired the event. Thomas is a member of Solidarity, a pseudo-left organisation.

During Shortens brief address, some participants began chanting, Let them staya reference to Labors support for the removal of refugees to Nauru and Manus Island, where Labor reopened brutal detention camps in 2012. Members of Socialist Alternative, another pseudo-left group, were prominent in the chanting.

But not one of the speakers at the rally mentioned Labors record of cutting health spending.

New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association assistant general secretary Judith Kiejda painted Australias health care system as a model of efficiency. Australia had by any international measure, including the OECD, a most efficient health system, she said. A Medicare card was a ticket to access quality health care regardless of their capacity to pay.

In reality, the public health care system has been chronically underfunded for decades at the hands of Labor and Coalition governments alike. According to the Australian Medical Associations latest annual public hospitals report card, last year no state or territory achieved the national access target of seeing emergency patients within four hours.

Covering up Labors role, Kiejda claimed the Medicare rebate cuts were simply the result of ideological fervour by the Coalition and could be reversed by a small Robin Hood tax on global financial transactions.

Another nurses union representative, Kerry Rodgers, who was introduced as a union activist, repeated Kiejdas claims that Australia has a world-class health care system. Rodgers argued for funding primary care (pathology tests, diagnostic imaging etc.) not because it was socially necessary, but because it was the cheapest and most cost effective and kept people out of the expensive hospital system.

Thomas introduced Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon, saying the Greens have stood up for health care, despite the Greens role in propping up the last Labor government. Rhiannon blatantly linked the rally to the federal election, saying: The next election is about booting out [Prime Minister] Malcolm Turnbull, thats the start to saving Medicare.

Rhiannon made populist calls for higher taxes on big business and the mining sector, without any explanation of how such measures could be implemented within the existing capitalist profit system. Significantly, she praised US Democrat presidential contender Bernie Sanders for standing on a very clear platform of a publically funded universal health care system.

While falsely presenting himself as a socialist, Sanders is proposing limited reforms based on European systems that are themselves being dismantled by austerity measures. He is standing as a candidate in order to corral the seething discontent among workers and young people in the US behind the Democrats, a big business party.

At the Sydney rally, Philippe, a high school teacher, explained to the WSWS why he had attended the event. I believe to preserve Medicare is important, as a first step, he said. Hopefully it will build up into a bigger movement... I oppose any modification to Medicare. If anything, we should have more funding for Medicare. And that means maybe taxing the rich. I think they can pay, they can contribute.

The teacher pointed to parallel processes in education. School fees are increasing. School education is a big cost to society, but its one that is worth it. It is worth it to have an education, and [to be] well educated. [It is] not just getting people educated to successfully pass NAPLAN.

Philippe said teachers opposed the NAPLAN system of standardised literacy and numeracy testing imposed by the previous Labor government. The tests were used to reflect badly on teachers and students, he commented. I think it is also to gear education, curriculum-wise, toward literacy and numeracy. Im an art teacher and I find that Im doing more and more literacy and numeracy, in which Im not particularly trained.

A woman told the WSWS she could not afford to pay upfront fees for diagnostic medical tests. How can we afford to pay for them? she asked. My father was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. My mother just had her thyroid removed and she has been going for blood tests twice a week Theyre both on pensions, so if there was a cut and we have to fork out for those blood tests, and we have seven kids to fund, we are going to go into poverty.
At least 19 people have been killed as Indian police and security forces, including 10,000 Indian army troops and para-militaries, seek to force an end to an agitation aimed at securing caste-based reservations (affirmative action) for the Jat sub-caste in the northwestern state of Haryana.

The Rashtriya Jat Mahasabha (National Jat Assembly) announced that it was calling off the agitation Monday after Indias central and Haryana governmentsboth of them led by the Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)reaffirmed a pledge to give Haryanas Jats preferential treatment in obtaining government jobs and university and college places.

However, the agitation continued into the evening in parts of Haryana and security forces killed three more people when protesters tried to prevent them from removing a road blockade.

Indias BJP government first deployed Indian troops against the agitation last Friday. It massively expanded the military intervention over the weekend, after the protests escalated in response to the initial security crackdown.

On Saturday, Jat protesters seized the Munak canal, which supplies nearby Delhi with 60 percent of its water, and diverted the water flow. Within hours, Indias capital and largest urban area was facing an imminent water shortage, forcing the Delhi Union Territory government to announce water rationing and the closure of the citys schools on Monday.

The agitation has also badly disrupted socio-economic life across Haryana, with train lines and highways blockaded and some businesses attacked. Due to parts shortages, major factories in Haryanas Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt have been forced to slash or halt production.

The Indian government and ruling class have responded, as they typically do to any sign of social opposition, with repression, violence and brutality. Over the past four days, military units have been deployed across the state, with curfews and shoot-on-sight orders imposed on major population centers, including Rohtak, Bhiwani, Sonipat, Panipat, Jhajjar and Hisar.

The Haryana agitation speaks to an acute social crisis. Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi, who won election 21 months ago promising to bring jobs and development to India, claims to have returned India to high growth. The reality is Indias exports have fallen for 14 consecutive months, industrial production is stagnant and tens of millions are unemployed or underemployed. And this is true not just for unskilled laborers, but also for ever-growing numbers of university graduates.

That said, the Jat reservation agitation is both politically bankrupt and reactionary.

It is predicated on acceptance of the capitalist profit system. It seeks nothing more than a more equitable division of the misery produced by Indian capitalism, through the parceling out of the paucity of government jobs and post-secondary education places on the basis of caste identities.

Such caste-based agitations strengthen the Indian bourgeoisie, the tiny elite whose wealth and incomes have soared as a result of the past quarter-century of neoliberal reforms, by diverting social anger away from a challenge to capitalism, enflaming reactionary caste divisions and splitting the working class.

For decades the Indian bourgeoisie and its political hirelings have manipulated and incited caste and communal divisions, the better to divide the working class.

A major element in this has been the expansion of the reservation system, which was pioneered by Indias British colonial overlords then incorporated by the national bourgeoisie, under the leadership of the Congress Party, into Indias post-independence constitution.

Presented as a means of promoting social equality and eradicating caste oppression, reservations have in fact only benefited a tiny layer of Dalits (former Untouchables) and other lower castes. This privileged layer, which has been deliberately nurtured as a social prop of bourgeois rule, zealously promotes caste identities, using them to lay claim to privileges and a share of political power.

Meanwhile, 69 years after Indian independence, the Dalits continue to be grossly overrepresented among the poor, the landless and the illiterate.

Initially restricted to Dalits and Indias tribal peoples, reservation was extended to other traditionally lower caste groups, the so-called Other Backward Classes (OBCs), in 1989, when the V.P. Singh government set aside 27 percent of government jobs and higher education places for OBCs.

Such is the perverse logic of reservation that numerous sub-caste groups, or rather their self-proclaimed caste associations and leaderships, have demanded OBC status. This included some that have traditionally eschewed identification with the lower castes. Last year, Modis home state Gujarat was shaken by an agitation in the name of one such group the Patidars, or Patels.

The Jats, a traditional Hindu-Sikh subcaste of small farmers that today comprises 29 percent of Haryanas population, are another such group.

The place that caste has come to play in Indian political life and the ability of the bourgeoisie to channel social anger along caste and communal lies is bound up with the criminal role of the India Stalinists parties, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM.

For decades, they have systematically suppressed the class struggle and subordinated the working class to the Congress and various regional and caste-based parties, while portraying reservations as progressive and supporting their extension, including to the private sector.

Over the past quarter-century the Stalinists have propped up a succession of governments at the center that have pursued pro-market reforms, while in the states where they have formed the government they have implemented what they themselves term pro-investor policies.

In recent years Haryana has been the site of explosive labor struggles, including at Maruti Suzuki and Honda Motorcycles, against the use of poorly-paid temporary and contract workers. But the Stalinists and their affiliated unions invariably isolated and betrayed these struggles.

A section of the Jat elite has long been agitating for their caste group to gain a share of the 27 percent OBC quota. Their campaign was given new impetus when the then Congress-led central government, in a crass attempt to stump for votes, gave the Jats in Haryana and across north India OBC status just before Indias 2014 general election.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court struck this order down, reaffirming a previous ruling that said the Jats did not meet the caste and socio-economic criteria to be designated backward.

It appears that the current agitation was instigated with the backing of the Congress Party in Haryana and a regional party, the Indian National Lok Dal, so as to make political hay at the BJPs expense.

Under the agreement reached yesterday between leaders of the Jat agitation and the BJP central and Haryana governments, the central government will form a committee under Urban Development Minster Vankaiah Naidu to prepare a comprehensive report on the Jat reservation issue and the BJP state government will introduce a bill in the state assembly to provide for reservation for Jats in the state.

This, however, will likely lead to a new crisis. First, neither of the BJP governments have explained how they will get around the Supreme Court ruling against Jat reservation. No less significantly, other caste groups will likely forcefully oppose the 27 percent OBC share being diluted by its extension to the Jats. Already during the current agitation, a Haryana BJP MP, Rajkumar Saini, announced the formation of a 100,000 strong OBC brigade for direct action to counter the Jats.

Expressing the views of a section of the ruling elite, the Hindu published an editorial Monday that defended the caste-based reservation system, while opposing the demand for its extension to relatively well-off communities ...be it Patidars in Gujarat last year or Jats in Haryana this year.

The Jats, it continued, are a relatively prosperous land-owning community in Haryana ...high on the social ladder.

Such statements are aimed at promoting reactionary caste politics, by insinuating that caste in contemporary India is a socio-economic category. In truth Jats, like all other caste groups, are made up of people from different classes and with divergent and opposed class interests. While there is a Jat elite that is rich and politically influential and leads organizations such as the Jat Mahasbaha, the majority are small farmers who are being squeezed by rising prices, subsidy cuts and the parcellation of the land. According to press reports, 10 percent of Jat peasants in Haryana are landless. Others are workers employed in the globally-connected auto sector that has sprung up over the past two decades in the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt.

Irrespective of their caste background, for the vast majority of Indians, including the three-quarters of the population who are forced to eke out an existence on the less than US $2 per day, reservation has done nothing. But for the bourgeoisie it has proven a vital instrument, a means of entrenching caste divisions, so as to use them to divert social opposition and perpetuate capitalist exploitation.

The eradication of caste oppression like the resolution of all the other uncompleted tasks of the democratic revolution in India will only be possible through the revolutionary mobilization of the working class, leading behind it the oppressed toilers, against the Indian bourgeoisie and for the reorganization of society along socialist lines, so as to provide jobs, education and quality public services for all.

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Indias toilers should reject framework of reservation debate

[25 May 2006]
A revealing article published in the Wall Street Journal on Sunday lifted the lid on back-channel discussions between US and North Korean officials before Pyongyangs fourth nuclear test on January 6 and rocket launch on February 7.

To further its own right-wing political agenda, the newspaper suggested that Obama had made major concessions to North Korea. Days before North Koreas latest nuclear bomb test, the Obama administration secretly agreed to talks to try to formally end the Korean War, dropping a longstanding condition that Pyongyang first take steps to curtail its nuclear arsenal, the article stated.

The White House and State Department quickly scotched any notion that the Obama administration had been about to enter negotiations with Pyongyang before the January nuclear test. In an email to Reuters, State Department spokesman John Kirby declared: To be clear, it was the North Koreans who proposed discussing a peace treaty.

The North Korean regime has long demanded a peace treaty to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War and open the way for diplomatic relations, a call that Washington has repeatedly rejected. The US has exploited the lack of any formal conclusion to the war to justify the continued presence of American military forces in South Korea and the ongoing diplomatic and economic isolation of Pyongyang.

Kirby continued: We carefully considered their proposal, and made clear that denuclearisation had to be part of any such discussion. The North rejected our response. Our response to the NK proposal was consistent with our longstanding focus on denuclearisation.

In other words, the Obama administration maintained the position that has stymied any resumption of the six-party talks, initiated by China and including the two Koreas, the US, Russia and Japan. Since assuming office, Obama has consistently insisted that Pyongyang take steps to freeze its nuclear programs before any resumption of talks.

North Koreas decision to conduct another nuclear test has only heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. For all its empty anti-imperialist posturing, Pyongyangs actions are aimed at securing relations with the major powers and integrating North Korea into the global market.

Nevertheless, Pyongyang is wary about making concessions to Washington which mean giving up its only bargaining chip. North Korea has twice signed agreements with the US and frozen its nuclear facilities, only to find that Washington has not lived up to its end of the deal.

In 1994, the Clinton administration pulled back from the brink of war with North Korea and signed an Agreed Framework with Pyongyang that opened up the prospect of the resumption of diplomatic relations. In return for promises of supplies of fuel oil and the construction of two light water power reactors, the North Korean regime shut down its nuclear facilities and placed them under international inspection.

Six years later, work on the power reactors had barely begun and the only step toward formal relations was a visit to Pyongyang by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on the eve of the US presidential election in 2000. After assuming office in 2001, President George W. Bush quickly wrecked the Agreed Framework and branded North Korea part of an axis of evil along with Iraq and Iran, leading to a rapid escalation of tensions. Pyongyang pulled out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, expelled the international inspectors and resumed its nuclear programs.

In early 2007, following North Koreas first nuclear test, the Bush administration used the six-party talks to strike a second nuclear deal with Pyongyang. The agreement committed Washington to nothing other than to provide a limited amount of fuel oil and move towards full diplomatic relations. In return, Pyongyang had to freeze its nuclear facilities, allow the return of inspectors, and carry out the step-by step dismantling of all its nuclear programs.

Bushs willingness to reach any deal with North Korea was conditioned by the crises facing the US-led occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, and his preparations for a military confrontation with Iran in the Persian Gulf. In 2008, as his administrations policies in the Middle East increasingly came under fire and the first tentative steps to talks with Iran began, Bush effectively sabotaged the 2007 deal. Even though North Korea had completed its requirements, the White House unilaterally demanded tough new verification procedures.

From the outset, Obamas foreign policy was bound up with mounting criticisms of Bushs preoccupation with the Middle East and failure to counter the rise of China. The Obama administrations attitude to North Korea and its rejection of six-party talks are part and parcel of its pivot to Asiaan aggressive diplomatic campaign and military build-up throughout the region aimed at subordinating China to US economic and strategic interests.

North Koreas nuclear tests and rocket launches have played directly into Washingtons hands, by providing a pretext for the US to expand its military forces in South Korea and Japan, and to put pressure on China to rein in the North Korean regime. The US military build-up is not aimed primarily at North Korea, but at China. In wake of the last rocket launch, South Korea finally agreed to formal talks with the US over the stationing of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system in the countrypart of the Pentagons preparations for fighting a war with China.

The US and South Korean militaries are due to begin their annual war games known as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, which will be the largest ever, involving hundreds of thousands of troops and sophisticated air, ground and naval weaponry. These joint exercises have always been a thinly veiled rehearsal for war with North Korea. This year, however, they will be based on aggressive new operational planOPLAN 5015that envisages pre-emptive strikes into North Korea and decapitation raids on its senior leadership.

China is caught in a bind. Pyongyangs primitive nuclear tests are not only exploited by the US to justify a military presence but could also be used by Japan or South Korea as a pretext for developing their own nuclear weapons. At the same time, any effort by Beijing to tighten the economic screws on its ally could precipitate a collapse of the highly unstable North Korean regime, opening up the possibility of a US-backed client state in Pyongyang on Chinas northern border.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is due in Washington today for high-level talks that will undoubtedly include the Korean Peninsula and the escalating confrontation between the US and China in the South China Sea. In advance of his arrival, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying bluntly warned that North Korea should not be used as a front to install the THAAD system and undermine Chinas own legitimate [security] interests.

Speaking on February 12, Wang said China would support a UN resolution to make North Korea pay the necessary price for its nuclear test and rocket launch. However, he also declared: Sanctions are not the end. The purpose should be to make sure that the nuclear issue in the Korean Peninsula should be brought back to the channel of a negotiation-based resolution.

While one cannot categorically rule out a return to negotiations, any resumption would be on Washingtons terms and would do nothing to halt the ongoing US military build-up in Asia.
George Galloways appearance at the Grassroots Out campaign in support of Britain leaving the European Union does not merely muddy the class line. It obliterates it.

Galloway, a former Labour Party and Respect MP, was introduced as the surprise guest speaker at the QE II Centre in Westminster, London on Friday by Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing xenophobic UK Independence Party. He took the stage alongside representatives of the arch-Thatcherite wing of the Tory Party such as Bill Cash MP, Peter Bone MP and former Shadow Home Secretary David Davies.

Farage introduced Galloway as a towering figure on the left of British politics. His presence was held up as proof that differences between the left and right were inconsequential when matched against the common goal of preserving the sovereignty of parliament from the dictatorship of Brussels.

Galloways speech was a shameless endorsement of the political bona fides of Farage and the Tory right. But for Nigel Farage we would not be having a referendum on this question, he declared.

Worse still, his remarks centred throughout on the claim that divisions between left and right and between the working class and the British ruling class counted for little when compared with the shared necessity to defend British sovereignty.

Though he stated that he had little in common with Farages programme for Britain, Galloway in fact wholly embraced the rights central argument that the leave camp is seeking to prevent unelected EU bureaucrats from holding sway over the British parliament.

At several points, Galloways more overt nationalist statements won him wild applause from an overwhelmingly Tory and UKIP audiencesuch as when he asserted that the right to decide who can come and live and work in Britain, who we can deport from Britain, what level of deficit we can run in Britain, or what our Foreign Policy in Britain should be had been subcontracted to the Romanian government.

He described opposition to the EU as internationalist, a term he then defined in explicitly capitalist terms as the UK being free to trade with the Commonwealth and with Brazil, with Russia, with India, with China, with South Africa, with Iran where the sun is rising, not setting, and where most of the customers in the world actually live.  Now that is internationalism.

Galloway went on to describe David Davies as a man I greatly love and respect, whose speech and his own had supposedly prevented the UK from going to war against Syria in 2014thus proving the merits of the parliamentary sovereignty we can have if we leave this European Union. He naturally turned a blind eye to the fact that Britain is now active militarily in Syria thanks to that same parliament and the votes of Cash, Bone and others.

The claim that Farage and the Tory right are protecting democracy is false to the core.

The EU must be resolutely opposed by working people as a reactionary instrument for the subjugation of the continent to the dictates of the financial markets and a forum in which competing European states fight between themselves and conspire against the working class. It pursues policies of savage austerity and has become a mechanism for remilitarising the continent for war against Russia.

However, to suggest that the British parliament and its parties are any less an instrument for imposing the wishes of finance capital is a transparent fraud. The opposition of the Tory right and UKIP to the EU is wholly reactionary in character. It is based on demands that the City of London be freed from even minimal regulation, that all restrictions on the exploitation of the working class be removed and that migrants be kept out of the UK at all costs.

Galloway will no doubt on occasion continue to state his profound disagreements with his newfound allies, many of whom have previously condemned him for his opposition to war in Iraq, Libya and Syria and other public stands for which the World Socialist Web Site has had occasion to defend him. But this only makes his position worse. He is offering up whatever political credibility he has and placing it at the service of Farage and company. Moreover, his insistence on the primacy of national sovereignty over class and political divisions has the most dangerous implications that go far beyond the June 23 referendum.

This was underscored by his equation of the EU referendum with the Second World War, which he declared was as Mr. Churchill said, our finest hour. When we all went forward togetherMr. Churchill and Mr. Atlee and Mr. Bevan Thats what we are doing here tonight. Mr. Farage and me. Miss Hoey and Mr. Davies. Left, right, left, right, forward march.

On Twitter, he later said of Farage, we are not pals. We are allies in one cause. Like Churchill and Stalin...

To invoke Stalin as a role model speaks for itself as to Galloways politics. But given who he is speaking of forging an alliance with, a more appropriate comparison would be the Hitler-Stalin pact.

In any event, the implications of Galloways statements are politically toxic. Such an analogy invoking war and wartime sacrifice, made in the UK, is invariably an appeal to anti-European and particularly anti-German, rather than anti-fascist sentiment. Churchills image and the Union flag are a feature of every far-right gathering, including the recent Pegida UK anti-migrant demonstrations led by a former UKIP election candidate Paul Weston.

More broadly, Galloways actions bring into sharp focus the political implications of the stand taken by various Labourites, pseudo-left groups, the Rail Maritime and Transport union and the train drivers union Aslef. All seek to dress up the leave campaign for the June 23 referendum as the basis for articulating a supposedly democratic, progressive and even socialist opposition to the EUirrespective of the referendums actual origins and the character of its leadership. All of them in reality adopt the position that the EU must be opposed on the basis of a reassertion of national sovereignty.

The first responsibility of a socialist is to oppose the mixing of class banners. In the referendum, this means rejecting all appeals for working people to fall in behind one or another faction of the bourgeoisie who are fighting between themselves solely over which strategy best upholds the interests of British imperialism.

To do otherwise and to in any way endorse the nationalist and pro-capitalist agendas espoused by both the remain and leave campaigns sows dangerous political confusion, weakening the political defences of the working class at a time when the noxious fumes of nationalism, anti-migrant xenophobia and militarism are polluting the UK, Europe and the entire world.

To overcome the threat posed by austerity and war and the ongoing destruction of democratic rights requires that workers in Britain wage a unified struggle with the workers of Europe against the capitalist elites and for the construction of the United Socialist States of Europe.

The Socialist Equality Party will be publishing a comprehensive statement on the British referendum on Monday.
Last week, ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy was summoned to the Financial Department of the Paris Courts to discuss the overrun of the finances for his 2012 presidential bid, which he lost to current president Francois Hollande. The spending limit for each candidate was 22.5 million. Sarkozy allegedly spent approximately 50 million.

The judge leading the investigation, Serge Tournaire, interrogated Sarkozy for nearly 12 hours. Before Sarkozy left late that night, Tournaire informed him that he was under examination for illegal financing of an electoral campaign. Furthermore, Tournaire informed him that he will be an assisted witness (i.e., in legal jeopardy and assisted by his lawyer) in the closely linked Bygmalion case on charges of falsification, fraud, swindling and breach of trust.

In this second case, physical evidence emerged of a system of fraudulent invoices set up as Sarkozys campaign neared its financial limits. Bygmalion, a company overseeing Sarkozys campaign events, agreed with his partythen called the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and since renamed The Republicans (LR)to hide the expenses from Sarkozys campaign accounts by charging the invoices directly to the UMP.

LExpress cites Sarkozys response to Tournaire on the campaign accounts: I didnt know anything and I dont know anything.  I signed the campaign accounts, which implicates my administrative responsibility but not my penal responsibility. There is no way I can avoid signing my campaign accounts, but that does not mean at all that my signature validates the fraudulent agreements between the UMP and Event [the event agency of Bygmalion] or the absence of invoices in my campaign accounts.

Through affairs like Bygmalion, Frances famously politicised judiciary can maintain influence over Sarkozys candidacy, giving the ruling class another lever to intervene in the highly fraught 2017 presidential election campaign.

Sarkozys lawyer, Thierry Herzog, tried to paint this ruling as a victory for Sarkozy, insofar as he was not formally accused in the Bygmalion affair. He said, Being under investigation does not prevent one from being a presidential candidate. Nonetheless, in the current political conjuncture at least, this investigation is one more serious barrier that is emerging to Sarkozys ambition to seek a second term of office in next years French presidential election.

In the last couple of weeks, many of Sarkozys closest collaborators have been keeping their distance from him. The latest to defect was Gerald Darmanin, mayor of Tourcoing and Sarkozys spokesman during his campaign for the presidency of the party last year. Commenting, I prefer the Sarkozy of 2007 to that of 2012, apparently referring to Sarkozys appeals to National Front (FN) voters in the 2012 campaign, Darmanin resigned from the national leadership of the party.

Two other key Sarkozy collaborators have just resigned: election director Ange Sitbon and Jose do Nascimento, director of the party federations. They both joined the staffs of other top LR members.

The escalating crisis in Sarkozys candidacy reflects broader shifts in bourgeois parties in France since the November 13 terror attacks in Paris. Hollandes Socialist Party (PS) has led a violent move to the far rightimposing a state of emergency, rehabilitating a deprivation of nationality policy associated with the fascist Vichy regime, and pushing for a historic attack on French labor law. LR has found itself desperately trying to prevent the PS from outflanking it on the right, without however becoming indistinguishable from the neo-fascist FN.

The rising strength of the FN since its strong showing in the December regional elections has deepened the quandary facing the UMP. Tactical opposition to Sarkozy emerged from layers inside LR who fear that Sarkozys appeals to populist and chauvinist sentiment could strengthen the FN so much that it could replace LR as Frances main right-wing party.

Sarkozy remains associated with appeals to the FN. Towards the end of his term, by banning the burqa, deporting the Roma, and appealing for a debate on French national identity, he bid for support from neo-fascist voters and seeked to block opposition in the working class by cultivating racist sentiment. He ended his term as Frances most unpopular president since World War II, though Hollande has since become even more unpopular than Sarkozy was.

When Sarkozy lost the 2012 presidential elections, he announced he was leaving politics. In the last months of 2014, however, he announced a comeback. His main support was in the UMP rank-and-file. By January 2015, he was able to win the party leadershipthough with a much-reduced vote of 64 percent compared to his previous election in 2004, when he scored 85 percent of the votes.

LRs number two, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, crossed swords with Sarkozy and was removed as LR vice-president last December after criticising Sarkozys refusal to call for a PS vote against FN candidates in the regional elections.

She had previously attacked Patrick Buisson, a Sarkozy advisor. She said, His goal in my opinion is not to secure a victory for Nicolas Sarkozy but for Charles Maurras, the leader of the fascist Action Francaise in the first half of the 20th century.

In the past months, Sarkozys problems inside LR have increased. In a recent poll, the question was asked, Do you consider Sarkozy an asset or a handicap for his party, Les Republicains? In the general population, 77 percent saw him as a handicap; even among right-wing voters, 60 percent considered him a handicap for LR.

Under these conditions, a former prime minister, Alain Juppe, is emerging as a rival to Sarkozy inside LR. Juppe has boosted his position by posturing as a critic of PSs deprivation of nationality policy while simultaneously making reactionary calls for a strong state.

The FNs Marine Le Pen is expected to be one of the candidates who go through into the second round of the 2017 presidential elections. In all the scenarios tested by Harris Interactive polls, Le Pen would score 27 percent in the first round, whilst Sarkozy and Hollande would both score 21 percent. However, if right-wing ex-prime minister Alain Juppe replaced Nicolas Sarkozy as the LR candidate, the scores would be 29 percent for Juppe, 27 percent for Le Pen and 22 percent for Hollande.

Currently, in the second round, Marine Le Pen would lose in all hypotheses: Juppe would score 71 percent against her, Sarkozy 62 percent, and Hollande 60 percent.

Juppe has taken a commanding lead in the polls on the upcoming LR presidential primaries. Among potential LR primary voters, 56 percent say they will be casting their vote for Juppe, whilst only 30 percent will be voting for Sarkozy. The growing support is for Juppe in LR and the centre-right, with Francois Bayrou of the Democratic Movement indicating that his party will support Juppe.

It is considerations bound up with the evolution of the presidential campaign, and not the financial improprieties of the UMP/LR, that will determine the outcome of the investigations into Sarkozy.
Latin America

Chilean Copper Miners Protest Layoffs

Miners, members and supporters of the Mine Workers Front (FTM), responded on February 16 to a management plan for layoffs by blocking an entrance to the Soledad copper mine. The action followed the announcement on February 12 by the Anglo-American mining conglomerate that it would rationalize mining operations at the Soldado mine in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile. The rationalization plan, which would result in the sacking of 150 miners, is in response to the drastic decline in world copper prices.

Joining the Soledad miners were miners from the Escondida, Lomas Bayas, El Soldado and Mantos Blancos mines, also in the same region. Also participating were leaders of the Zaldivar Mine and of other unions in Antofagasta.

The FTM was formed only a few weeks ago in opposition to the wave of layoffs across the mine sector.

At the Serra Gorda mine, a second wave of layoffs began last week, following job cuts in November of nearly 100 workers. This time fifty jobs will be eliminated, for a total of 150.

Mexican agricultural workers intend to block auto plants

The Democratic Peasants Union (UCD) and the Union of Mexican Peasants and Emigrants (UCEM) announced their intentions last Thursday to block access to the Mazda plant in Salamanca, as well as the General Motors and Honda plants in Celaya and Silao in Guanajuato State.

At issue is the governments enforcement of legislation outlawing chocolate cars (imported directly by their owners from the United States). UCEM leader Aaron Cabanas declared his expectation that some ten thousand chocolate car owners would participate in the protests, most of them rural workers.

We are demanding that the federal government adopt a new policy on cars from other countries, most of which are owned, in 95 percent of the cases, by agricultural workers, people with scant resources. So far this year federal authorities have confiscated 100 vehicles; those cars are not returned, and their owners are threatened with the charge of trafficking. People get those cars from family members that work in the US because they cannot afford new cars assembled in the Guanajuato factories.

UCD leader Antonio Tirado Patino said that the protests will also demand that federal authorities restore payments to agricultural workers contracted out to the US between 1942 and 1964 (bracero workers) who where cheated out of their wages by government through savings accounts that have never been fully accounted for.

Argentine Central Bank workers repudiate sackings

The union that represents Argentine bank employees (La Bancaria) began a protest with no end in sight on February 16 demanding the rehiring of fifty Central Bank employees.

General Workers Federation (CGT) leader, Antonio Calo, who just last week reached an agreement with President Mauricio Macri to suppress workers struggles over wages and jobs, participated in the first day of the protest and warned that similar layoffs are to take place in other banks. Bancaria leader Sergio Palazzo blamed the local workers commission for having negotiated the sackings.

Palazzo declared that the pickets are camped-out and set to block money trucks from leaving and entering the bank headquarters until the issue is resolved.

Argentina: thousands demand Milagro Salas release

Thousands of demonstrators, belonging to some forty community, union, and left groups, mobilized demanding the release of political activist Milagro Salas. The demonstrations marked the beginning of Salas second month in jail by political authorities in the northeastern province of Jujuy, for leading protest demonstrations. Others were charged with the same crime, but so far have not been detained. Salas is the leader of Tupac Amaru, an organization named after an Inca leader and symbol of Inca resistance against the Spanish during colonial times.

This was by far the largest set of marches demanding Salas release, and the biggest protest since Mauricio Macri became president last December 10. Over 40 marches took place across Argentina, double the number of protests that took place a week after Salas arrest. The demonstrations that blocked roads and streets lasted nine hours.

Despite the peaceful nature of the protestsno incidents were reportedJujuy authorities detained eleven members of Tupac Amaru who were on the way to the march to check on their police record and for indiscriminate insults to the police.

In addition to the Jujuy marches, protests also took place in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Corrientes, Neuquen, La Rioja, Mar del Plata, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Turbio, Rosario, and Santa Fe (all industrial, mining, or port cities).

The organizations participating included the Peronist youth (Campora), Indian rights groups, Port workers (SUTAP), Public Employees (ATE).

Salas is a member of the Mercosur parliament, Parlasur, and is scheduled to be present on March 14, at the opening of this years session.

Rio de Janeiro Olympics construction workers demand back pay

On Tuesday, February 16, 75 construction workers demonstrated at the Olympic Park to protest nonpayment of wages since December 2015. Antonio Alfredo da Silva Laeber, spokesperson for the construction union that organized the protest (Sintraconst-Rio), warned of possible job actions if the workers demands are not met. These massive buildings, these monumental stadiums, will not be finished, declared Silva Laeber. It is absurd. These people are hungry, they dont have money to eat. Considering the size of this project, what is happening to us is not acceptable, he added.

Rio de Janeiro is scheduled to host the 2016 Summer Olympics this August.

The United States

Washington state meatpacking workers decertify union at Tyson plant

Meatpacking workers at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Wallula, Washington voted by an overwhelming margin to decertify the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union. The results of an NLRB election were announced last week. Out of the 1,400 employees at the Wallula facility, the final tally was 686 in favor of removing the UFCW and a mere 129 voted to retain.

The struggle of Tyson workers at the Wallula plant speaks volumes about their frustration with pro-company policies of the labor bureaucracy. In 2005, workers removed the Teamsters as their bargaining representative of 25 years.

In 2007, 500 workers were laid off. Two years later, in 2009, they accepted representation by the UFCW. In November 2010, workers defeated a decertification attempt that was aided by the right-wing National Right to Work Foundation.

The most recent election did not involve the National Right to Work Foundation and took place on November 18. Last weeks results will only be certified after a seven-day waiting period to allow for objections.

Minnesota janitors carry out 24-hour strike

Janitors who clean office buildings in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul and across the suburbs walked off the job February 17 on a 24-hour strike to demand $15 an hour for all workers and additional sick days. Some 4,000 janitors spread across the Twin Cities metropolitan area are represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 26 and work for cleaning companies such as ABM Janitorial Services, Marsden Building Maintenance, ABLE Building Maintenance and Harvard Maintenance.

Currently, full-time janitors make $14.62 an hour and negotiators for the cleaners say they will raise wages to over $15 an hour for these janitors. But they have refused to pay the same for part-time janitors who make between $11 and $13 an hour. Workers are also protesting heavy workloads.

Canada

Toronto municipal workers face more concessions

This past weekend, negotiators for 5,400 outside workers in Toronto accepted a tentative agreement with the City of Toronto. Workers will vote on the deal later this week. Although no details of the contract have been released, the city had been insisting on significant concessions from the union.

In addition, another 23,000 inside workers for the municipality continue to negotiate a separate collective agreement. The union has twice extended strike deadlines. Both bargaining units, members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have been pressured by management to surrender concessions around issues of job security and benefits.

The city, which previously was responsible for all medical benefits coverage, has demanded that employees now pay ten percent. The employer is also demanding that control of pharmaceutical selection be taken away from employees doctors and turned over to the insurance supplier. Concessions on sick pay provisions have also been tabled.

In addition, the city is seeking to further extend concessions on job security that it won in the 2012 contract negotiations. The employer is seeking further flexibility on contract language that will allow for more contracting out of work and part-time hiring.

In the 2012 contract rounds, the regime of former Mayor Rob Ford pushed through a contract that allowed for the outsourcing of hundreds of garbage collector jobs in the west end of the city. A day before the city was in a legal lockout position Ford had announced that he would unilaterally impose a new contract on the municipal workers. The union, without even organizing a strike vote, quickly buckled to Fords demands.

In statements issued earlier in the month, CUPE negotiators for both the outside and inside workers have already bowed to the City regarding the need for further cost savings and have proposed a new strategy to pool all city employees benefits, both union and non-union, to increase economies of scale. Both Tim McGuire, leader of the inside workers (Local 79) and Matt Alloway, spokesman for the outside workers (Local 416) had made it known that they did not intend to initiate a strike.
He is a man buried alive; to be dug out in the slow round of years; and in the mean time dead to everything but torturing anxieties and horrible despair.  The system here, is rigid, strict, and hopeless solitary confinement. I believe it, in its effects, to be cruel and wrong.

I believe that very few men are capable of estimating the immense amount of torture and agony which this dreadful punishment, prolonged for years, inflicts upon the sufferers.  I am only the more convinced that there is a depth of terrible endurance in it which none but the sufferers themselves can fathom, and which no man has a right to inflict upon his fellow-creature.

I hold this slow and daily tampering with the mysteries of the brain, to be immeasurably worse than any torture of the body: and because its ghastly signs and tokens are not so palpable to the eye and sense of touch as scars upon the flesh; because its wounds are not upon the surface, and it extorts few cries that human ears can hear; therefore I the more denounce it, as a secret punishment which slumbering hu manity is not roused up to stay.  Charles Dickens, Philadelphia, and its Solitary Prison, 1842

Alfred Woodfox, 69, was released on Friday, February 19, after 45 years locked behind bars. Most of those years were spent in solitary confinement at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The circumstances surrounding Woodfoxs trial and incarceration epitomize the brutality of the United States prison system, and the arbitrary and sadistic manner in which judicial authorities mete out their punishments.

Woodfox is the last of a group of three prisoners known as the Angola 3 to be released from prison. The notoriously brutal Louisiana penitentiary is known as Angola, deriving its name from the slaves who once worked its field, most of whom came from the African nation of same name. Angola is the oldest and largest maximum-security prison in the US, housing more than 6,000 inmates.

One of these prisoners is Gary Tyler, a black man from Louisiana who was arrested as a teenager in 1974 and convicted for a murder he did not commit. Now 57, he has spent more than four decades behind bars, only avoiding the execution chamber because Louisianas death penalty was ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.

Woodfox along with prisoners Herman Wallace and Robert Kingall supporters of the Black Panther Partywere targeted by prison and state authorities for their political beliefs and outspoken criticism of conditions at Angola.

Woodfox and Wallace were convicted of the April 1972 killing of prison guard Brent Miller. There was no forensic evidence or reliable witnesses linking them to the crime, but they were tried and convicted within two hours by an all-white jury. King was convicted of the death of a fellow inmate in 1973.

Wallace was set free October 1, 2013, at the age of 71, on humanitarian grounds. He died three days later of advanced liver cancer. King was released in 2001 after a court reversed his conviction. Combined, the Angola 3 spent more than a century in solitary confinement.

Woodfox, whose conviction was twice overturned on the basis of ineffective counsel, racial bias and lack of evidence, was released Friday after a negotiated deal with the Louisiana attorney general, pleading no contest to manslaughter in the Miller case. While it counts as a conviction, Woodfox did not admit guilt and maintains his innocence.

During the vast majority of his incarceration in Angola, Woodfox was held alone for 23 hours a day in a six-foot-by-eight-foot cell, with the view through metal bars of only a concrete corridor. He was allowed only one hour a day outside the cell, in order to shower, walk up and down the corridor, or have an isolated walk in the exercise yard.

Prison authorities have made the spurious claim that such conditions do not constitute true solitary confinement, as Woodfox and others have been allowed limited conversation with other inmates through the bars. But there is no other reasonable way to define this type of incarceration, which serves no other purpose than vindictive retribution by means of isolation and sensory deprivation amounting to psychological torture.

Such prolonged solitary confinement had been largely abandoned in the US at the turn of the century. However, by the 1970s, federal and state authorities began to adopt the practice on a widespread basis, having abandoned any pretense of prisons serving as places of rehabilitation.

Through the 1980s and 1990s, as prisons were filled with victims of mandatory sentencing and tough on crime laws, solitary confinement became one of the means to control and punish this growing population. Among the 2.2 million people in Americas prisons and jails today, there are more than 80,000 men, women and children in solitary confinement, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

A 2003 Human Rights Watch report found that anywhere from one-fifth to two-thirds of these prisoners are believed to have some form of mental illness, many of them finding themselves in prison as mental health facilities shut their doors, particularly to workers and the poor.

Although conditions vary from state to state, in addition to 22- to 24-hour confinement and severely restricted human contact, systemic policies for solitary prisoners include grossly inadequate medical and mental health treatment; physical torture such as hog-tying, restraint chairs, forced cell extraction; sensory deprivation, permanent bright lighting, extreme temperatures, and forced insomnia; chemical torture, such as stun grenades and stun guns; sexual intimidation and other forms of brutality and humiliation [American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)].

The effects of solitary confinement have been shown to be debilitating, including visual and auditory hallucinations, hypersensitivity to noise and touch, insomnia and paranoia, distortions of time and perception, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and an increased risk of suicide, according to the AFSC. Despite these horrifying outcomes, the use of solitary confinement continues to expand in the US today.

In a legal document in 2008, Woodfox described an attack of claustrophobia he suffered frequently in solitary: I feel like I am being smothered, it is very difficult to breathe, and I sweat profusely. It seems like the cell walls close in and are just inches from my face. I try to cope by pacing, or by closing my eyes and rocking myself.

Ironically, the first experiment in solitary confinement was initiated by a group of Quakers at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia (toured by Charles Dickens in 1842, as quoted above), believing that prisoners isolated in stone cells with nothing but a Bible would repent, pray and contemplate their crimes. But it would soon become clear that the practice, instead of rehabilitating prisoners, made them insane, drove them to commit suicide, or rendered them unable to function in society.

The practice was slowly abandoned in subsequent decades. In a US Supreme Court opinion in 1890, Justice Samuel Freeman Miller wrote of prisoners in solitary confinement in Philadelphia: A considerable number of the prisoners fell, after even a short confinement, into a semi-fatuous condition, from which it was next to impossible to arouse them, and others became violently insane; others still, committed suicide; while those who stood the ordeal better were not generally reformed, and in most cases did not recover sufficient mental activity to be of any subsequent service to the community.

In a study in the 1950s, University of Wisconsin professor of psychology Harry Harlow conducted a cruel experiment on rhesus monkeys in a solitary chamber dubbed the pit of despair, in which the animals were placed in an inverted pyramid chamber with slippery sides that made climbing out impossible. Harlow found that after a day or two most of the subjects were hunched in the corner of the bottom of the apparatus, finding their situation to be hopeless.

Harlow also found that monkeys kept in isolation wound up profoundly disturbed, given to staring blankly and rocking in place for long periods, circling their cages repetitively, and mutilating themselves. Fast-forward to today and it would seem that, in a rational societyunder conditions where 65 years earlier an experiment conducted on a group of Homo sapiens s fellow primates demonstrated that solitary confinement amounts to torturethe practice would be abandoned.

That this is not the case is an indictment of decayed capitalism in 21st century America, and a judicial system that has long-since abandoned any pretense of rehabilitating the prisoners bloating its jails and prisons.

Instead, it is a system based on deliberate vengeance, which is of a piece with the explosion of police killings across the country as well as drone assassinations, including of US citizens, and airstrikes against civilian populations in countries around the world.

Doing away with solitary confinement requires dismantling the sprawling US prison-industrial complex, something that can only be done ultimately through the socialist reorganization of society in the interests of the working class.

Asked his opinion of the US penal system on his release, Alfred Woodfox told the Advocate of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that the prisons have become industries. He said, These corporations come there and take advantage of slave labor.

The New York Times quoted Woodfox on solitary confinement: Ive seen grown men turn into babiesyou know, they just lay in their bed in a fetal position and dont talk. Ive seen guys who cant stop talking. Ive seen guys that scream all day.

In contrast to his captors, Woodfoxs continued defiance of those who unjustly imprisoned him for more than four decades is a testament to human resilience. He still has a pending civil case in federal court on the issue of solitary confinement. His plans include starting a community-based organization to aid people recently released from prison and working for progressive prison reform.
ATLANTA (AP) - A lawmaker hoping to expand Georgia's medical marijuana law is conceding defeat on a proposal to allow some pot plants to be grown legally in the state.

The Macon Telegraph reports Rep. Allen Peake says the latest revision of his bill will not include a provision to license up to six companies to grow marijuana in Georgia for making cannabis oil. A House committee was scheduled to take up the bill Monday.

Last year, the Legislature approved letting people with certain medical conditions legally possess cannabis oil in Georgia. But patients say they still must travel to states where the product can be manufactured

Peake has proposed allowing some cannabis oil manufacturers to operate in Georgia, as well as expanding the list of medical conditions eligible for the treatment.
The Suncoast is fast becoming known for plastic surgery procedures and recovery, making South West Florida destination medical tourism.

Patients travel from within the U.S. and all over the world explained Scott Engel, M.D., of Sarasota Plastic Surgery Center, and they are accommodated.

"We have some connections to some of the hotels in town," Said Dr. Engel, "We have private nurses that can come stay with patients and so we have a whole spectrum of options for patients we help take care of."

Lynn Hobeck Bates, of Visit Sarasota County explained there are choices of both boutique hotels and luxury resorts.

"They come because it's a great place, it's sunny, It's a great place not only to have work done, but it also is a great place to recover following a medical procedure." Said Hobeck Bates.

Another reason people are coming not only to the Suncoast, but to the U.S., explained James Marsh, M.D. a Sarasota plastic surgeon of more than 36-years is safety and result concerns.

Dr. Marsh cautioned poor technique and infections are real problems in some countries.

"Well, Dominican Republic is probably the most infamous, Mexico certain parts of Mexico." Said Dr. Marsh. "You get off the plain in some of the Central America countries, and you see all over the airport saying plastic surgery."

Patients are now more than ever likely to choose the Suncoast for plastic surgery because the latest FDA approved techniques and procedures are available here.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (By The News Service of Florida) -- Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in Escambia County, where a tornado touched down Feb. 15, damaging and destroying a number of homes in the community of Century.

The executive order authorizes Bryan Koon, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to coordinate the state's relief efforts.

The governor's office also noted that the order releases funding for the county through a program known as the State Housing Initiatives Partnership.
ATLANTA (AP)  Fire officials say a 37-year-old Atlanta woman has died after firefighters managed to pull her from a burning condominium.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on-ajc.com/1QcHWhf) reports the woman died Sunday night at Grady Memorial Hospital. The Fulton County medical examiner's office identified her Monday as Rachel Thorn.

Atlanta fire department spokesman Cortez Stafford says firefighters arrived at the Pharr Manor Condominiums early Sunday to find flames shooting from two condos. Firefighters were told a woman living on the second floor was missing, and they found Thorn inside her second-floor unit.

Fire officials say they suspect a grease fire in the kitchen of the unit below Thorn's condo started the blaze.
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Millions of Monday morning passengers on the London Underground were greeted with a number of ads taken out by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement accusing Israel of torturing and massacring Palestinians and slamming UK companies with links to the Jewish state.

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According to a report in the Jewish Chronicle, the campaign includes four ads purportedly put up in 500 trains.

The posters were made for what anti-Israel activists dub Israel Apartheid Week. One claims that British-made arms were used by Israel to massacre Palestinians in the 2014 Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, while another says the BBCs reporting is biased towards Israel, and a third criticizes security company G4S for working in Israel.

Notably, the BBC was recently criticized by Israel for alleged bias against it after it reported on Palestinian terrorists who were shot dead in a manner implying the terrorists were the victims.

Transport for London, the body that oversees the London Underground, said in a statement that it had not approved the ads. "These are not authorized adverts," read the statement. "It is fly posting and therefore an act of vandalism which we take extremely seriously. Our staff and contractors are working to immediately remove any found on our network.

MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) said he spoke with London Mayor Boris Johnson regarding the campaign on Monday. Since the government of Israel, as usual, did nothing, I contacted the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who is a friend of Israel and explained that the State of Israel found these things unacceptable, said Lapid. I asked him to intervene. He explained that they were put up without authorization and would give the instruction for them to be taken down immediately.

Speaking shortly after, Netanyahu said he had requested that Dore Gold, the Foreign Ministry's director-general, who was holding meetings in London, ask the British government to crack down on the ads.

"Whoever says we are not taking action is not telling the truth," Netanyahu said.

Interviewed by Israeli broadcasters, Gold gave credit to Israel's embassy in London, saying its staff had spotted the ads on Sunday and had flagged them up to British authorities as part of their anti-boycott campaigning.







Reuters contributed to this report.
The Slovenian army will be sent to guard the border with Croatia and help police control the flow of migrants into the country under legislation passed by parliament late on Monday.

The act giving the army the power to control the migrant flow was passed by 69 votes to five, parliamentary speaker Milan Brglez said.

Prime Minister Miro Cerar told a news conference ahead of the parliamentary session that the army would be assigned to the border duty for three months only.

"This will be no military action (of the army). The army will just help police in guarding the border and direct migrants who may want to cross the green border into the reception centres," Cerar said. Numbers of soldiers helping police will depend upon the size of migrant flows.
The houses of two terrorists who killed a total of five people and who carried out their attacks on the same day last November were demolished by Israeli security forces in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

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The terrorists are Raed Khalil, who killed two people in the Panorama building in Tel Aviv, and Mohammad Abed al Basset Harub, who shot and killed three people at the Alon Shvut junction as they were sitting in traffic.

The house of terrorist Mohammad Harub in Deir Samat being demolished. Harub killed three people in a shooting attack in November

Israeli combat engineers, together with Border Police soldiers destroyed the houses located in the villages of Dura and Deir Samat, both located in the Hebron area.

The two terrorists are responsible for one of the toughest days of the recent terror wave. These two separate attacks killed five people- three Israelis, an American, and a Palestinian. They were both arrested uninjured.

Khalil, who had an Israeli entry permit, moved into the Panorama building to live with his brother four days before he carried out his attack. According to transcripts from his interrogation, he decided to murder Jews in the hope that he would be killed by Israeli security personnel and become a martyr.

Raed Khalil, right stabbed two people to death in Tel Aviv in November. Mohammed Harub, left, killed three people at the Alon Shvut junction (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

He went to a nearby kabab restaurant and stole a knife, putting it in his jacket pocket. Khalil then went to the synagogue attached to the building in an attempt to find Jews to stab, and killed two people - Aharon Yesiav, 32, from Holon, and Reuven Aviram, 51, from Ramla.

Meanwhile, Harub drove his car to the Alon Shvut junction, saw the traffic which had built up there, got out of his car with an Uzi submachine gun, and started firing at cars.

He killed three in the attack - Ya'akov Don, 49, from Alon Shvut, Palestinian Shadi Arafa, and Ezra Shwartz, 18, from from Massachusetts, who was in Israel studying at a seminary. Another five people, including American citizens, were wounded. The terrorist was tackled and then arrested.
Wikileaks announced Tuesday night that the National Security Agency (NSA) eavesdropped on conversations which reveal that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned to Italian President Silvio Berlusconi to help him deal with US President Barack Obama.

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"Netanyahu pleaded with Berlusconi to help him deal with Obama," the WikiLeaks website stated . According to the leak, this conversation took place between the leaders in 2010 following Israel's decision to build 1,600 homes in East Jerusalem.

"Berlusconi promised to put Italy at Israel's disposal in helping mend the latter's ties with Washington," the NSA document read.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) and former Italian President Silvio Berlusconi (Photo: AFP)

The Americans were able to pick up the call by listening to three Italian officials, including Berlusconi's personal adviser and national security adviser.

"Speaking with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu insisted that the trigger for the dispute - Israel's decision to build 1,600 homes in contested East Jerusalem - was totally in keeping with national policy dating back to the administration of Golda Meir, and blamed this mishandling on a government official with poor political sensitivity," the document continued.

Netanyahu told Berlusconi that he wants to prevent the Palestinians from "using this issue as a pretext to block a resumption of talks or to advance unrealistic claims that could risk sinking the peace negotiations altogether."

The document also relates that Israeli officials said that Israeli construction beyond the Green Line is just an excuse for the bad relations between Israel and Washington and that the relationship is bad even without construction there.

The American administrations tapping Netanyahu is nothing new. Last December the Wall Street Journal reported that the White House ordered that Netanyahu be spied on despite US President Barack Obamas directive two years ago to stop spying on friendly countries following the discovery of wiretaps of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

US officials told the Wall Street Journal that the Obama administration wanted to keep track of friendly countries, and Netanyahu was placed at the top of the list due to the latters aggressive campaign against the nuclear deal between Iran and the great powers, which the United States led and desired to have signed.
Just like every year, the IDF is getting ready for another violent round of conflict in Gaza this summer. The IDF chief of staff has created a deadline for the IDF to be prepared, focusing on equipment updates and training. No one knows the timing or what will be the direct cause of the next flare up, but it is clear that this near-yearly ritual illustrates the inescapable reality. Yet, this is not only the Israeli mindset.

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The residents of Gaza who have left the Strip and spoken to Israelis reveal that this fatalistic mindset is also on the other side. In their opinion, a military confrontation is a certainty. They also believe that it will be a lot more aggressive, that Israel is sick of playing these games with Hamas, and that Israel will do everything to eliminate the organization.

Poverty in the Gaza Strip (Photo: Reuters)

Meanwhile, Hamas is planning to surprise Israel with its firepower, and will hit Israel's civilian population in order to break both the status-quo and the blockade. When the two populations are convinced that a flare up will happen, the leadership will not fail to disappoint.

But it seems that the next round being cooked up may surprise the leadership since they will not be in control of the events. It is likely that the confrontation won't start because of some mistake, provocation, or some sort of planned military action based on political logic. There is a high probability that the timing and the intensity of the confrontation will be determined by the Gazan population, which will blow up in Hamas's face, and will spillover onto Israel, the West Bank, and even into Egypt.

Gaza has turned into a human transit camp which every day tests the limits of its population. In Israel, we often see the infrastructure crisis in Gaza - electricity and water shortages, and broken sewage systems. But that only scratches the surface: Gazan society has started to disintegrate.

The number of suicides has reached unprecedented levels. The number of instances of murder within the family has grown: for instance, there is a phenomenon whereby women are stabbing their unemployed husbands. Every third person is on anti-depressants. There has been an increase in drug use and the overall scope of crime has increased, mainly prostitution, as well as the phenomenon of teenagers marrying much older men who are able to support them as a second or third wife. On the other hand, there is no money, young people aren't getting married, and the average age of marriage is rising.

IDF searching for Hamas tunnels into Israel on the border with Gaza (Photo:AP)

The Palestinian Authority, which is responsible for transfering aid money to the Strip, is not transfering funds for health or education in an organized fashion. In Gaza, there is no proper psychological treatment. There is a rise in the number of children born with deformities  deformities linked with incestual marriages. Due to the current world wide refugee crisis, UNWRA is receiving less money, and fewer families are able to keep their heads above water.

On top of all of this is the constant fear of Israeli airstrikes. For the Gazans, there is no sanctuary - they have nowhere to run, and they have no influence over events. They are mad that Hamas has built for themselves what amount to underground cities, while they are left without bomb shelters.

Young people who are caught trying to cross the fence into Israel say they do it because there is no food at home, or because they are escaping violence in the family. 50 percent of the youth in Gaza have said in different surveys that they want to leave Gaza forever. The IDF is keenly aware of the phenomenon: students who obtain entry permits into Israel through Erez crossing kiss the ground when they leave the Strip. For them, they are free from jail. The ethos of return has been broken - let them leave.

Until the middle of 2015, families who could afford it got themselves smuggled out through the tunnels into Egypt or Libya, and from there take a boat to Europe. Hundreds of Palestinians drowned along the way. The Egyptians succeeded in destroying most of the tunnels, and the route has been cut off.

Now, the number of people falsifying documents "proving" they are sick has grown, and these people are being taken from Gaza to the West Bank for "treatment," but never return.

Several people in Gaza have already set themselves on fire in protest. In Tunis, this action led to the "Arab Spring." Gaza is also starting flare up. While it is true that the population is religious, traditional, and more willing to accept its fate, the pot is still about to boil over. When the human time-bomb explodes, there will be no warning, and the shrapnel will hit us all.
A 24-year-old Israeli Arab from near the Green Line travelled to Turkey about a month ago, and his family is now convinced that he made his way into Syria in order to join the Islamic State (IS) terror group.

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The young man made no contact with his family after his trip, but his family said they only became suspicious after a few days, when they found a letter he had left behind explaining that he had divorced his wife and was planning to join IS.

IS fighters near the Turkish-Syrian border (Photo: AFP)

We dont know who made him think of such an idea and who supported him, said a relative. We did not notice him supporting certain groups and did not think he was capable of doing such a thing. We also didnt notice him supporting other groups. He always acted normally and without any changes in his life. We hope he sees this publication and understand that we are worried about him and waiting for him to return.

The Shin Bet confirmed Tuesday that it was aware of the young man who left for Turkey about a month ago and never returned. More than 40 Arab Israelis have joined Israel in recent years, and at least five are known to have died in battle there. Dozens of indictments have been issued against IS members who returned to Israel and against citizens who expressed support for the group.

A resident of the town in which the man lived added: Sometimes I would hear from the residents about young people who joined IS and I wasnt surprised, but its hard to believe about this guy. I know him well and there is no way he would sneak into Syria.
The Shin Bet published on Tuesday data reflecting the deterioration in the overall security situation in 2015, about six months after the murder of Eitam and Naama Henkin , the unofficial start of the ongoing wave of terror in Israel. According to official figures, 28 Israelis were killed as a result of attacks during 2015 compared to 20 in 2014, when Operation Protective Edge occurred.

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Twenty-five of those killed in terror attacks last year were civilians, including 22 Israelis, 2 foreigners, and a Palestinian. Three more are members of the security forces. Most of the fatalities were recorded in the last three months of the year (24), with four deaths occurring the first nine months of 2015. According to the Shin Bet, most of the deaths were caused by terror atttacks occurred in the Gush Etzion and Hebron area (12) and Jerusalem (10). The other deaths occurred in Be'er Sheva, Tel Aviv, and near Itamar in the West Bank.

The late Eitam and Naama Henkin. The attack that began the current terror wave.

According to the data, most of the deaths were the result of shootings, even though the vast majority of attacks were in the form of a stabbing or vehicular attack. Sixteen victims were killed in shooting attacks, while five died in attacks that combined shooting and stabbing. In addition, eight were stabbed to death, three were killed by vehicular attack and one Israeli was killed by a thrown rock.

Scene of vehicular attack next to the Chords Bridge in December 2015

The bloodiest month was in October with 11 deaths, followed by November (10) and December (3). Last year there were 239 wounded in terrorist attacks, compared to 63 in 2014, during which a war was going on in the south.

Last year, 114 people were injured in stabbing attacks, 70 were wounded by vehicular attack and 39 were wounded by gunfire. In addition, there were nine injured by Molotov cocktails, three in bomb attacks, two in physical attacks and an additional two people in stone-throwing attacks. The Shin Bet indicated that "injured" are defined only as those people who were wounded moderately or worse, hence excluding everyone who was lightly wounded.

The most common form of attack -- stabbings (Photo: Israel Police)

The data also showed that 2015 had more fatalitiesfrom terror since 2008, excluding the 73 who died in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge. In 2008, 32 deaths were recorded, but the beginnings of Operation Cast Lead at the end of the year was a favctor.

In terms of number of attacks, there was a decrease in whose that happened specifically in the West Bank compared to 2014 (1,719 attacks compared to1,793 attacks in 2014). However, there has been an increase in severity and the number of fatalities.

Hamas primarily focused on renovating their tunnels (Photo: Reuters)

The high number of attacks in 2014 was likely related to Operation Protective Edge, when there were disturbances and serious violence in the West Bank.

The fact that the Hebron area became the focus of terrorist attacks is reflected in the data, as 1,368 attacks in 2015 were in the region south of Jerusalem and north of Mount Hebron, compared to 351 attacks in the northern West Bank. In Jerusalem, last year there was a significant increase in the number of attacks, 635 in 2015 compared to 346 in 2014, but without a corresponding increase in the number of fatalities (10 in 2015 and 11 in 2014).

Contrary to what happened in the West Bank, the Gaza region had fewer terror attaks last year. In 2015, 44 attacks originated in the Gaza Strip, compared to 121 in 2014 (excluding the fighting that took place during Operation Protective Edge). The attacks originating in the Gaza Strip included 25 rocket attacks, two mortar attacks, eight small-arms fire attacks, two bombings, an anti-tank rocket attack and six Molotov cocktail attacks at the border fence during rioting.

Gaza - the calm before the storm?

None of the attacks originating in the Gaza Strip caused any fatalities, making 2015 the quietest year since the disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2005. The Shin Bet noted that Hamas maintained in 2015 the policy of keeping the peace with Israel in the Gaza Strip, while most of the rocket attacks were carried out by rogue Salafi groups such as groups associated with ISIS.

The Shin Bet also said that Hamas may have arrested these rogue operatives but released them after a warning. The Shin Bet also pointed out that Hamas is trying to direct and finance terrorist cells in the West Bank in order to encourage and carry out attacks there, with the aid of Hamas headquarters abroad headed by Saleh al-Arouri.

In addition, the Shin Bet suggested that the calm in Gaza is being used by Hamas to build the strength of its organization and prepare for the next conflict with Israel. According to the Shin Bet, Hamas is working on the manufacture of rockets, unmanned aerial vehicles, expansion and consolidation of tunnels into Israel and training special forces that intended to invade Israel's territory through tunnels.

On the Sinai front, the Shin Bet said that the main effort of the one incident of rocket fire from the Sinai at Israel, resulting in no damage and no casualties.

According to the data, security forces worked harder last year to thwart Palestinian terrorism. More than 3,100 suspected terrorists, one third of them Hamas militants, were arrested in 2015. Most of them, 1,618, were from the Hebron area. Questioning of suspects led to 1,933 indictments. According to the Shin Bet, 239 significant attacks planned for this year were thwarted.

These thwarted attacks included 19 kidnappings, 12 suicide bombings, 120 shootings, 41 IED attacks, 37 stabbings and 10 vehicular attacks.

Meanwhile, 2015 saw the seizure of 143 rifles, 34 pistols, three explosives labs, dozens of explosive devices and dozens of kilograms of explosives.

In one major incident, 25 operatives from the University of Abu Dis directed by the military wing of Hamas to carry out suicide bombings in Israel was apprehended. In addition, last April last year a broad Hamas network operating Nablus was caught.

Higher casualties from Jewish terror

The Shin Bet noted with concern the increase in the involvement of Israeli Arabs in terrorist attacks, but said their involvement in terror is fairly minor.

Regarding the involvement of Arab-Israelis with ISIS, the Shin Bet indicated that it knows of 32 Israeli Arabs fighting in Syria, of which seven were killed in the fighting. In addition, 41 Israeli citizens have been arrested and questioned for supporting ISIS since the beginning of 2015.

Regarding the issue of Jewish terrorism, the Shin Bet indicated there were 16 terrorist attacks by Jews in 2015, the same number as 2014, but that severity of attacks and fatalities had gone up. These attacks included two stabbings, one stone-throwing incident, with the remainder being arson attacks on homes or Muslims and Christians religious buildings, the most prominent among them being the murderous arson at Duma and the burning of Dormition Abbey and Church of the Multiplication.

The arson at the Dawabshe family's home in the village of Duma (Photo: Hassan Shaalan)

The Shin Bet emphasized that 90 indictments were filed in 2015 against Jewish terrorists. Four were placed in administrative detention and administrative restraining orders were issued to 45 Jewish terrorist os.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday pledged his country's cooperation with African nations against terrorism as he met Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

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"Israel is willing and prepared to work with African countries in our common battle against militant Islamic terrorism," Netanyahu said as he went into talks with Kenyatta, whose country has long been a strategic ally of Israel.

"I have to say that more and more African countries recognize what you recognize -- that Israel is a unique partner against this extremism".

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem (Photo: AP)

The Kenyan leader said "we both live in challenging neighborhoods with similar security concerns and the cooperation between our two governments since the time of our independence has been formidable".

He said he hoped his visit would further strengthen ties with Israel.

The United States, Britain and Israel have all had close military and intelligence ties with Kenya.

Israel reportedly warned of plans to attack Israeli property ahead of the 2013 massacre at Nairobi's Westgate mall. The mall was part owned by Israelis and had long been considered a prime potential target.

Israeli agents reportedly assisted Kenyan security forces in their response to the mall attack by Shebab gunmen who killed at least 67 people.

Israeli businesses in Kenya have been targeted in the past, including the Al-Qaeda claimed bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa in 2002, in which 18 people died, as well as a failed missile strike on an Israeli charter plane at the same time.
Coming Events

 Feb. 23 - Private Pesticide Training, 6:30 p.m., Fairgrounds, 4-H Building, York

 Feb. 23-24 - Central Plains Irrigation Conference, Holiday Inn, Kearney http://centralplainsirrigationassociation.org/Conference_Brochure.html

 Feb. 25 - Nebraska Cover Crop Conference, 9 a.m., ARDC, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca

 March 1 - Private Pesticide Training, 1:30 p.m., Fairgrounds, Harvest Hall, Seward

 March 2 - Business Succession & Estate Planning Workshop, 10 a.m., Fairgrounds, Geneva registration call: 1-800-464-0258 or4 02-759-3712

 March 4 - Private Pesticide Training, 1:30 p.m., Fairgrounds, 4-H Building, York

 March 7, 8, 14, & 15 - Hunter Education Classes, 7  9:30 p.m. 4-H Building, York

 March 11 - Chemigation Training, 1 p.m., 4-H Building York

 March 14 - Farmers/Ranchers College, 5:30 p.m. Stone Creek, McCool Jct. registration call 402-759-3712

 March 21, 22, 28, & 29 - Bow Hunter Education Classes, 7:00  9:30 p.m. 4-H Building, York

York County Corn Grower Varity Comparison Plot planned

Its hard to believe how quickly things can change! It was not that long ago that everything was completely white, but after this past week were all beginning to think spring. Not long ago, we sent out emails for entries to the York County Corn Grower Comparison Plot. The 2016 plot will again be on the Ray and Ron Makovicka farm located East of York.

All interested seed corn companies are invited to participate. If you know of a company that we should invite, please email me the contact information and Ill get them entry information. We want as many companies as possible represented. Entries are due March 1! If you have a company or someone youd like me to contact, please call or text me at 402-326-8185 or email me at gary.zoubek@unl.edu and I will be glad to contact them.

Private Pesticide Applicator Training

Just a reminder, my first private pesticide applicator session for the year is this Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 9 a.m. here in York in the 4-H Building. Im also doing one the following day in Seward.

The other three dates that Im conducting the training can be found in my list of coming events. Bring the letter that you received from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. If you misplaced that letter be sure to bring your old card so that you can fill out the bubble form. This training is for new applicants as well as recertification.

If these dates dont work for you, a complete list of area training sessions can be found at: http://pested.unl.edu/.

Chemigation Certification planned

Research has proven that applying nitrogen as near to crop utilization as possible will improve efficiency and help reduce potential leaching. Sidedressing is one way and chemigation is another. If youre considering chemigation, Troy Ingram, Extension Educator from Central City will be conducting the training here in York in the 4-H Building on March 11 at 1 p.m. If you need study materials stop by the Extension Office located at 2345 Nebraska Ave. to pick them up.

Participants will need to pass a 50 question test, so a little preparation will not hurt. Other chemigation dates across Nebraska can be found at: http://water.unl.edu/cropswater/chemigation.

Hunter and Bow Hunter Education Classes planned

Danny Barrett wanted me to remind outdoor enthusiasts that he will be conducting classes for hunters and bow hunters during the month of March here in York in the 4-H Building. Sessions for Hunter Education will be held from7 to 9:30 p.m. the evenings of March 7, 8, 14 and 15 while Bow Hunter Education classes will be March 21, 22, 28 and 29. Dan has been teaching these sessions for a long time and does a great job teaching safe handling of equipment and hunter ethics.

Those interested need to go online to register at: www.HuntSafeNebraska.org. For more information you can contact Dan at 402-366-4380.

Business Succession & Estate Planning Workshop

In past years weve hosted Business Succession & Estate Planning Workshops and Ive received word from Brandy VanDeWalle that they will be hosting one in Geneva at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. on March 2. This free workshop will cover business succession and estate planning for farm and ranch owners, families and beginning farmers and ranchers.

Topics will include:

 Stages of succession planning, contribution & compensation, balancing the interests of on-farm and off-farm heirs;

 Importance of communication, setting goals, analyzing cash flow, and balancing intergenerational expectations and needs;

 Beginning farmer loan and tax credit programs;

 Use of trusts, wills, life estate deeds and business entities (such as the limited liability company) in family estate and business succession planning;

Lunch will be provided. To register (and for questions) call the Rural Response Hotline at 1-800-464-0258 or the Fillmore Extension Office in Geneva at 402-759-3712.

The program presenters are Dave Goeller, Deputy Director, Northeast Center for Risk Management Education, UNL & Joe Hawbaker, Agricultural Law attorney.

Farmers/Ranchers College Program offered

Brandy also shared another upcoming Farmers/Ranchers College program planned for March 14.

The program is called Overcoming Challenges with Succession Planning for Families with Dr. Ron Hanson, Professor of Agribusiness in the UNL Ag Econ Department. This program will be held at Stone Creek in McCool Junction on March 14 with registration at 5:30 p.m., the meal at 6 p.m. with the program following. There is no charge for this program but please RSVP for a meal count to Fillmore County Extension at (402) 759-3712.
This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company.

As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism.

We hope you are equally as excited as us.

This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers.

Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited.

In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy.

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Expert Advice with Cam McLellan 23/02/2016

Im consistently asked about starting up small businesses, given that I have quite a bit of experience in this field, Im more than happy to impart what knowledge I have.

All of the businesses I have been involved in, I have started with my current business part Al Lewison. Our first business was a cleaning business. When we started this one we were working full-time and decided it would be easy to go and call on businesses and engage cleaners. The plan was that we would own the contracts and subcontract those out. Lets just say that, that one didnt work.

Then we started a window cleaning business. We would go into small shops and ask if they wanted someone to come and clean their windows. So it was the same concept and that one didnt work either.

We also started a recruitment business which cost us just under $1,000,000. Here is some advice: dont start a recruitment business three months before the GFC!

We tried our hand at an IT business, which was fast growing but we just didnt have the passion for it and we started a hairdressing business that one didnt work either!

Needless to say there have been some failures but the one thing we knew was that we wanted to be in business. It might seem ridiculous that Im telling you about the number of businesses Ive failed in but Ive also been quite successful in a number of businesses. I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad way back, sitting in a pool in Malaysia and it said, if you started 10 businesses, you only needed one to be successful and youve made it. That is true, except for the fact that it depends on how much money you have to put into those businesses and how much you can afford to lose.

We gained so much knowledge from those initial business failures and finally we cranked up our telco business. Still, I remember times early on, when Al, and I were sitting there with our heads in our hands. It was probably about five years into the business; we had about 25 staff and a reasonable turnover but our measured growth wasnt occurring. We were growing so fast and our overheads were so high that while the business was really strong in revenue, our cash flow was really affected. Cash is king! If you havent got cash in the bank to pay the bills, youre in strife.

We had poured money into this business multiple times. We had reinvested all our revenue back into the business plus taken money out of our property portfolios and we got to the stage where we had a huge amount of money owing. We probably had $1,000,000 of accrued revenue waiting to come in but we didnt have any cash in the bank and we couldnt continue on. So we were sitting there going, Do we just shut up shop, collect that $1,000,000 and get back in the clear or do we put more money into it?

We decided to give it one more go and rolled into work on the Monday without our staff and customers knowing any different. We scaled down a little bit and held on tight for a couple of years while we really built up. It was the old thing about building your sales model first, then your operations, reshaping your customer service account management, then giving up sales again and reinventing your operational.

I suppose there are two lessons Id like to pass on from that experience. A lot of people think that small businesses are the way to go but the first thing is: dont buy yourself a job because it is a big risk. Have a business that is scalable. I wouldnt start a business unless it is going to be able to deliver me $10,000,000, bottom line. If it cant do that, it isnt scalable in my eyes. So going out and buying something that might turn over $1,000,000 and deliver you $200,000 is basically like buying yourself a job. There is no point buying yourself a job, with the added risk you take on.

Looking back, there was no way any of those businesses could have worked. We didnt understand cash flow, operational efficiency, process in a business and a whole multitude of things that needed to happen, to make a business a success.

Today, people come and see us with business ideas and to be honest, some are great but Ill know within five or 10 minutes of talking to someone, whether their idea will work because we have been through it. I can see holes in certain things because a great idea doesnt always equal a great result! Usually the easiest way to tell is by working out if the person has the skills to execute the idea. You need to have been exposed to balance sheets, profit and loss and cash flow within an industry.

With our telco business, which ended up being hugely successful, we had a big market and we wanted to take a percentage of it to start with and then grow that percentage. People who want to reinvent something new and start a whole market have a lesser chance of being successful. It is really hard to create a market. It is a lot safer to get a market that is quite large and do something better than everyone else take over the market and own it!

Process is one of the most important aspects of any business. At some stage in every business someone had to sit down and put a process in place to make it work. They had to work out everything, from whose job it was to place a sales order in the system, to whose job it was to take the order from the system to the warehouse and whose job it was to package the order up and get it out. Al and I invest in two things: really good people and measured process. While we might seem quite casual, there is a written process for every aspect of our business and everyone follows that process. As a collective they choose to improve our process and change our standard operating procedures.

We would not have been able to succeed in the businesses, without property behind us! We have talked before about having a buffer and we chose to use our buffer to get some businesses off the ground. Now, if that was money out of our own pockets we would be living in a gutter somewhere but we were able to leverage the constant growth in our portfolios to open more doors. So the key thing wed say to anyone contemplating starting a business is - consider a property portfolio. It will teach you management of an asset, cash flow and balance sheet management and will most of all, build your asset based buffer so that you can go and try some other things.

Im not saying, Dont start your own business, just make sure you understand the risks youre taking and the return on your dollar. Imagine youre putting $50,000 into a property; that property might grow at 8 per cent but if youre leveraging the banks money and only putting in 10 per cent, youre getting a much larger return - as opposed to putting $50,000 into a business which might return you $100,000 a year. The risks are huge. I know which one Id choose.

...............................................................................................

Director of OpenCorp, Cam McLellan is committed to sharing his passion and property investment knowledge with everyday Australians.

After thriving in the telecommunications, technology and recruitment sectors and making six BRW Lists in 8 years, alongside accomplished OpenCorp. entrepreneurs Matthew Lewison and Allister Lewison, founded OpenCorp eight years ago.

Cam started investing in real estate at a young age and quickly mastered the art of building sustainable wealth. He has used the same wealth building strategy to develop a multi-million dollar business, sharing his knowledge and skill with ordinary Australians. Cam has personally bought, sold and developed numerous properties and has an extensive residential and commercial investment portfolio.

Read more Expert Advice from Cam here!

Disclaimer: while due care is taken, the viewpoints expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Your Investment Property.
Accoring to landlord insurance provider Terri Scheer Insurance, there are five common issues that often cause landlords to lay awake at night.

With preparation and dedication, property investment can be an attractive wealth creation strategy for Australians, Terri Scheer Insurance executive manager Carolyn Parrella said.

[But] like any investment, its not without its risks, Parrella said.

According to Parrella, the main reason that rental properties cause their owners to stress is a relatively obvious one.

Concerns over rent being paid on time can become a major stress point for property owners relying on the income. Its an issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible, Parrella said.

Landlords should refer to their local laws, and their lease agreement, as these requirements may differ in each state/territory. Landlords should complete thorough checks of potential tenants references during the screening process, specifically looking for issues with missed or late payments, she said.

Cash flow issues are common concerns for landlords, with Parrella saying landlords may now have to ensure their properties are tenanted and avoid the stress that comes with a vacant property.

Presenting a well-managed property may help to broaden your pool of prospective tenants, reduce time and money spent on advertising and decrease the number of days your property remains unoccupied between tenancies.

Items once considered luxuries are now standard requirements. Not offering these comforts can make a real difference to the propertys appeal and may impact the amount of rental income the landlord earns.

But just finding a tenant can sometimes lead to even more reasons to worry.

"While most tenants do the right thing, there is a minority that violate their lease agreement by behaving poorly or undertaking illegal activity at the property, Parrella said.

Some tenants may breach their pet policy, fail to adhere to noise requirements or smoke at the property. Although its a rare issue, other tenants may use the property to distribute or manufacture illegal drugs, she said.

While ensuring the rental money is coming in may go a long way to alleviating the stress landlords are under, Parrella said more mundane concerns can also place a heavy strain on landlords.

There is a sizeable amount of paperwork that goes with being a landlord and left unchecked it can build up and become a burden.

A good property manager can save landlords from potential paperwork headaches by managing the administrative side of the investment property for them.

Similarly, Parrella recommends landlords deal with maintenance issues in a timely and adequate manner to avoid further headaches down the road.

Landlords who skimp on maintenance with quick fix solutions often find that it actually costs them more in the long run. With the popularity of home renovation shows like The Block, landlords are given the false impression that improvements to their properties are achievable within tight timeframes and with limited practical experience or knowledge.

Do-it-yourself fixes can result in substandard workmanship and legal liability claims if there is an injury or loss resulting from a safety hazard that has not been addressed. Unqualified handymen should leave maintenance to the professionals as the expense is also tax deductible.
The Global and United States Hydrobike Market Report has been published by QY Research recently. Hydrobike Market Analysis and Insights This report focuses on...
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Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston ravaged through the islands of Fiji last weekend.

The Category 5 storm clocks in at a whopping 155 kilometers per hour with winds that reached 184 km/h. At the height of the storm, 80% of Fiji's 900,000 residents lost power. Eventually the government declared a state of emergency on February 20,2016 and a 6:00PM curfew was enacted in order to avoid further casualties.

Last Monday, the nation has begun the cleanup following one of the most powerful storms Fiji has ever experienced. According to data, 150 homes were destroyed along Fiji's Eastern Division and a whopping $39.8 million in loses has been recorded by the thriving sugar industry in the area.

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The Tropical Cyclone has taken the live of at least 28 people and currently more than 10,000 Fijians are seeking shelter in evacuation centers. Amongst the people who passed away is Atunaisa Raralevu III. According to Raralevu's uncle, Atunaisa died after he tried to save fifteen people trapped in a house during the thick of the cyclone.

"He had just returned from the farm and had already saved the woman, her three children and another girl and came to me for a hammer to try and save another 15 who were in that house, that was the last time I saw him," explained Atunaisa Raralevu II.

The country's prime minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, has since addressed his ravaged nation. Bainimarama urged citizens of Fiji to remain strong and united in the midst of the disaster.

"This is a time of sorrow, but it will also be a time of action," Bainimarama said. "We will stand united in the face of this disaster."

This was not the first time Fiji suffered through the effects of a massive storm. In 2012, the country faced the wrath of Cyclone Evan. Total damage from the 2012 storm amounted to $108.8 million.
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Cambodia is currently experiencing an HIV outbreak allegedly caused by an unlicensed doctor reusing dirty needles on patients.

Villagers from Peam have since been in a rush to get to a group of health officials who are taking blood samples for HIV screening. Most of them anxious to find out if they are infected by the virus especially considering that majority of the people go to the alleged unlicensed doctor to get vaccinated.

Kouy Bunthoeun, director of the provincial health department has since confirmed that from the past week, a significant number of people coming from the Peam village have been reported to have HIV. This led the director and his department to conduct a mass HIV screening to find out if majority of the villagers are infected and to find out the source of the outbreak

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"I received information from an organization yesterday that 14 people tested positive for HIV, but I am not sure because we are now collecting the data and testing the blood of the villagers," quipped Bunthoeun.

Following the startling discovery, the village doctor named Sok Thornn was automatically thrust into the spotlight since some reports claim that the doctor allegedly use dirty needles in vaccinating his patients.

Dr. Thornn has remained adamant about his innocence. According to him, he is a well-trained and educated doctor. By no means would he in his right mind use methods that might spread a disease like HIV.

"Please give me the names of the people you interviewed today and I will give it to my lawyer because they have defamed me," added Thornn.

World Bank figures states that Cambodia is one of the countries that have the lowest rate for health care which has the ratio of 0.2 doctors against 100,000 people which explains how easy it was for an outbreak to start.
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Job seekers attend a job fair in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province, Feb 20, 2016. The job fair offered nearly 10,000 jobs by some 800 enterprises.[Photo/Xinhua]

The weeks after the Spring Festival holiday were expected to see a job-hopping frenzy among white-collar workers.

According to a recent survey, only 5.1 percent of them said they didn't want a new job, according to Zhaopin.com, an online recruitment agency.

More than 54 percent said they had updated their resumes and were looking for new opportunities in the first quarter, compared with 47.8 percent in the first quarter of last year.

The survey, released on Monday, polled more than 21,000 white-collar workers in China. It found that their confidence in career development had reached the lowest level in three years, especially for those who work in State-owned enterprises and government-affiliated organizations, due to downward pressure on the economy.

White-collar workers born after 1990 also have the lowest confidence in career development, and were active in job-hopping. About 74.8 percent of respondents born in the 1990s said they wanted to find, or had already found, new jobs in the first quarter, while more than 60 percent of those born in the 1960s wanted to do so.

The industries with the highest numbers of job-hoppers were real estate and energy, in which more than 70 percent had already found or wanted a new job.

Wang Yixin, a senior consultant at Zhaopin, said the major reasons driving the job-hopping frenzy are salary and employment outlook.

Wang said that only employers with good financial situations and optimistic outlooks could attract more talent.

"The main reason behind the large number of people quitting in real estate and energy is that prospects are not optimistic," she said.

[ Editor: Xueying ]
SCM Politehnica a revenit pe final, dar tot a cedat in fata Stelei

SCM Politehnica a suferit un esec pe teren propriu in jocul cu CSA Steaua Bucuresti, din runda a 7-a a Ligii Zimbrilor. Alb-violetii au aratat orgoliu pe final, cand a fost aproape de egalare dupa ce oaspetii au condus si cu sase goluri diferenta. Dupa o ratare si [citeste mai departe]
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Patna: The Bihar cabinet on Tuesday formally approved a proposal to hold 10-phased elections for the 2.58 lakh panchayat posts in the state in April-May.

"The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar decided to hold the panchayat polls in April and May 2016," said an official in the Chief Minister's Office.

According to officials, the notification for the panchayat polls will be issued on February 28.

The first phase would be held on April 24 and the last and 10th phase on May 30.

The state government had earlier announced that the panchayat elections would be held on a non-party basis.

Over 5.5 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots.

In 2006, Bihar became the first state to reserve 50 percent seats for women in panchayats.
New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday joined a protest march organised at Jantar Mantar here by various students organisations to condemn the "institutional killing" of the 26-year-old dalit scholar from Hyderabad University.

While Kejriwal accused central ministers of driving 'Rohith Vemula to suicide', Gandhi demanded a law against discrimination of people from weaker sections in educational institutions across the country.

Addressing the protest march, Kejriwal said, They (students) have the right to speak. We have right to raise our voice against anything which is wrong. Everyone has the right to ask questions, and answers should be given.''

''In Rohith Vemulas case, two Union ministers interfered in the case regularly. He was suspended after that. Rohith kept saying I come from a poor family, Dalit family. If I am suspended, everything will be over'. A student (Rohith) who shouldve been appreciated by our country was forced to commit suicide,' he said.

Further hitting out at the Prime Minister, the Delhi CM said, Modiji, dont mess with students. If they get together, theyll shake your chair in such a manner that you wont forget. Same youth that made him PM are standing against him today. Government seems to be at war with students.''

Meanwhile, ANI reported that a man raised 'Aarakshan virodhi Kejriwal' slogan when Delhi CM was speaking at the protest march.

Kejriwal had earlier tweeted that he would go to Jantar Mantar to express solidarity with Rohith's family and to speak to the students.

Will go to jantar mantar sometime in the afternoon today to express solidarity with Rohith's family n to speak to students  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 23, 2016

As the march began, protesters carried placards and shouted slogans demanding a "Rohith Act" to end caste discrimination in education.

Vemula's family also took part in the "Chalo Dilli" protest.

The students took out a solidarity march here today to demand justice for Hyderabad University PhD scholar Rohith Vemula and JNU Students' Union President Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested on charges of sedition.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi also participated in the march and alleged that the RSS wants to suppress the voices of the youth whenever they talk about the future or the present state of affairs in the country.

"Rohith talked about the future of India, but the RSS doesn't support the same. The universities are being encroached upon and the country needs a law that doesn't stifle the students' voice," said Gandhi.

"Rohith's voice was muzzled. We need a law, which doesn't let students' voices in colleges and universities be stifled," he added.

"What happened to Rohith (Vemula) has not happened to him exclusively, many students across the educational institutes face discrimination. Our girls are suppressed, Dalits are discriminated against and tribals are repressed," Congress VP said.

"If you really want to fight this oppression, we need an anti-discrimination law enacted in all colleges and universities that stops any kind of prejudice and bigotry against the weaker section. I had suggested them to look at it. We in Congress party are also mulling over it to get such a law enacted that stops the student oppression," he added.

He claimed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was robbing students and thinkers of their freedom of expression and dissent.

"RSS and BJP want to impose one language one ideology on everyone throughout the country. They don't want other ideas and traditions to flourish but we don't want our India to be like this. We want crores of ideas, crores of ideologies, an India where creativity flourishes. Rohith symbolises creativity and all the youngsters with us will fight for this creativity. We will fight for it and win this battle," Gandhi said.

Carrying tricolor, blue and red flags, students, activists and intellectuals marched for about a kilometre to Jantar Mantar. Students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, who are demanding the release of Kanhaiya Kumar, have also joined in.

Delhi: Student groups hold march demanding justice for #RohithVemula pic.twitter.com/rGHzXYQWBj  ANI (@ANI_news) February 23, 2016

Rohith, 26, was found hanging on January 17, days after he was banned from the hostel and other areas on campus.
New Delhi: Former Chief Justice of India Justice Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu was on Tuesday selected as the next Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission.

A committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the name of Dattu for the post which was lying vacant for the last eight months after the retirement of K G Balakrishnan.

Besides the Prime Minister, the meeting was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha P J Kurien.

Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge did not attend the meeting.

65-year-old Justice Dattu had retired as Chief Justice of India on December 2 last year and after taking over as NHRC Chairperson he will have a tenure of five years.

The name will be sent to the President Pranab Mukherjee for his nod.

Under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the President appoints the chairperson and members of the NHRC on the recommendation of the high-powered committee headed by the Prime Minister.

Justice Dattu was Chief Justice of India from September 28, 2014 to December 2, 2015.

Justice Dattu enrolled as an advocate in 1975 and began practising in Bangalore and dealt with all types of matters -- civil, criminal, tax and Constitutional cases.

From 1983 onwards he appeared in various capacities before the Karnataka High Court including as government pleader for sales tax department, standing counsel for Income Tax department and later as government advocate.

After being designated as a senior standing counsel for I-T department in 1995, Justice Dattu was elevated as a judge of the Karnataka High Court.

He was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court in February 2007 and shortly afterwards shifted in the same capacity to the Kerala High Court.
New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar on Monday assured the teachers' association that the administration will not allow police inside the campus, while Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said the five students, who are facing sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-India slogans, should join the probe.

The decision not to allow police inside the campus came after a general body meeting between the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) and the vice chancellor, in which the teachers put forward five demands.

"The VC said he will respond to the points put forward in the meeting on Tuesday. He also assured that police will not enter the campus," JNUTA general secretary Bikramaditya Choudhary said.

The decision came after five students accused of sedition surfaced in the campus late on Sunday evening. There was speculation that they may be arrested.

The five students - Umar Khalid, Anant Prakash Narayan, Ashutosh Kumar, Rama Naga and Anirban Bhattacharya - said they escaped and hid themselves fearing mob lynching and not police.

They had disappeared from the JNU campus after the February 9 event held to mark the anniversaries of executions of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front co-founder Maqbool Bhat.

JNU has been on the boil over the arrest of its students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges following the February 9 event. Anti-India slogans were allegedly raised at the gathering.

Bassi told reporters that the five students should join the probe and prove they are innocent.

"They (the students) should join the probe. If they are innocent, they should present evidence of their innocence," Bassi told reporters.

Asked if police would enter the JNU campus to arrest the students, Bassi said: "I am confident that my team is competent enough to deal with the matter."

"The investigating officer would take the best available option. The world is full of opportunities and options," he said.

"Police have proper evidence against the one who has been arrested, and in future too arrests will be made only after proper probe," Bassi added.

Khalid, who addressed students in front of the administration block of JNU late on Sunday evening, said he was "not a terrorist", adding that the BJP government "needed an excuse to target the campus".

"My name is Umar Khalid and I'm not a terrorist," he said, condemning the media trial that branded him a terrorist.

He refuted media reports that he made 800 calls to the Gulf or Kashmir a few days before the programme was organised.

A retired professor of JNU, meanwhile, came down heavily on the vice chancellor for letting the university plunge into an "unprecedented crisis" and said allowing police inside the campus was a "disaster" by him.

"Within two weeks of your taking over as vice chancellor of JNU, the university has been plunged into an unprecedented crisis over an event, which was not very unusual in JNU or any other university," retired professor Chaman Lal, who also studied in the university before becoming a faculty member there, said in a letter to Jagadesh Kumar.

JNUTA's demands to the vice chancellor include disallowing police inside the campus, removal of the registrar, reconstitution of the committee to investigate the matter, dropping all charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy against students and release of Kanhaiya Kumar on unconditional bail.
Delhi: A Communist Party-run paper 'Global Times' has said that if a similar unrest like Jat quota stir in Haryana happened in China, it would be earth-shattering.

The paper under the official 'People's Daily', in an editorial titled 'A lesson from caste-triggered India unrest', while noting that though China was ahead of India in terms of economic development, it also "faces huge pressure to fix social unfairness".

In a sort of criticism, the editorial also pointed out that India had a relatively weak system to curb injustice.

Following is the full text of the editorial:

A protest in the northern Indian state of Haryana has evolved into violence, which has led to the deaths of 19 people and injuries of around 200. A caste known as the Jats, listed as an upper caste, is leading the unrest to demand inclusion in caste quotas for jobs and education opportunities that have been given to lower castes since 1991.



Much of Delhi's water supply has been cut off by the Jats, which has intensified the situation and authorities have deployed thousands of army and paramilitary troops to quell the violence.



The conflicts within India's castes are generally not as serious as is shown by the latest incident. Caste is not the basis for the current division of different classes. Indian society does not exclude economic and political advancement of lower castes.



But the differences between the starting line and the competition environment afterward of different castes still exist. Externally, people tend to believe caste is partly to blame for the wealth gap in India.



Although many believe the traditional caste system raised the Indian lower class's toleration of injustice or even their numbness toward injustice, more and more people think the wealth gap will eventually become a tumor that India cannot overcome.



India has been developing fast, while it has a relatively weak system to curb injustice.



But in any society, the public's will to pursue justice will be roused under certain circumstances.



China, though ahead of India in economic development, also faces huge pressure to fix social unfairness. India is regarded as having a much worse wealth gap problem. It is perhaps incorrect to think that religion can help prevent the issue from exploding before solving it.



India has more difficulties than China in distributing resources. India's democratic system allows each group to seek maximum interests while people's understanding of justice is often polarizing. The latest caste-triggered clash is rooted in Indian society. The problem will reemerge in the future in various forms of disruption.



However, it does not necessarily mean that India's modernization will be severely stymied by the wealth gap. While astonished by repeated bloody riots in India, Chinese observers are also surprised by Indian society's ability to resist turmoil. If similar unrest happened in China, it would be earth-shattering.



Through India, we can learn what the consequences of weak governance are. However, it also helps us understand the adaptability of society. There is general stability amid quite a chaotic situation in India. It defies a simple label.



China and India have some similar national conditions and they can be each other's development reference. In recent decades, China has been far ahead of India in development, but India offers us thoughts for its society's adaptability, which China must build along with its problem-solving ability.


Rohtak: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday promised strict action against those responsible for violence in the state during the Jat reservation stir, even as he was heckled and shown black flags during a visit to Rohtak.

Slogans of 'murdabaad' were also raised as Khattar visited Rohtak to take stock of the situation - the town is among the worst hit in the state due to the violence.

Strict action will be taken against those who caused loss to private property during the Jat stir, the Chief Minister said, adding a probe will also be conducted to find out who perpetrated the violence.

Action will also be taken against district and police officials for any lapses in handling the situation, Khattar added.

The CM said his government will form a committee to probe the complaints of any lapses by police, district or any other officials.

According to him, the total number of casualties in the recent violence stands at 19.

Innocent people who have been affected due to this agitation will be given compensation, he informed.

Calling for peace in the state, Khattar said his government considers the entire society as one and added, Haryana is a progressing state. There are a lot of opportunities here.

The BJP government in Haryana has promised reservation for the Jat community and assured that a Bill will be brought in the next session of Assembly. The Centre has also formed a committee to look into the demands.

Meanwhile, Khattar is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day and brief him on the situation in Haryana.

He will also attend a meeting of the committee appointed by the Centre on Jat reservation issue to be held at 3.30 pm at Union minister Venkaiah Naidu's residence in Delhi.

On Tuesday also, stray incidents of violence were reported even as the state limped back to normalcy.

Authorities continue to remain cautious about some parts which are still tense in the aftermath of the Jat agitation which paralysed life in the state in the last nine days.

As per officials, traffic had been restored on the Delhi-Ambala National Highway No 1 (NH-1). Three people were killed when Jat protesters blocked the highway on Monday, forcing security forces to open fire on them.

Traffic was also restored on the Delhi-Hisar NH-10, especially near Sampla town, police said.

Curfew was relaxed in Rohtak town, the worst hit by the Jat agitation violence.

Hisar and Kaithal districts remained tense after members of Jat and non-Jat communities headed for a clash. Army and paramilitary forces remained on high alert in both districts.

State government officials claimed that road and railway blockades by Jat protesters were being removed from various places.

(With agency inputs)
Srinagar: As Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) continues to simmer over the 'pro-Afzal Guru' event, slogans in support of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar were raised in Kashmir University on Tuesday.

While raising their voice against the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, some students were seen shouting slogans like, "Tum kitne Kanhaiya pakdoge, har ghar se Kanhaiya nikalega" and "Hum chahate azaadi".

Meanwhile, in its latest report on the JNU row, Delhi Police has cited evidence collected by the varsity's internal inquiry committee suggesting that eight students, including the JNUSU president , allegedly indulged in raising unconstitutional slogans.

The Delhi High Court today issued notice to Delhi Police and asked them file status report on a bail plea of Kumar, arrested on charges of sedition.

The court's direction came while hearing Kanhaiya's bail plea which was opposed by Delhi Police.

Kanhaiya moved the high court after the Supreme Court refused to entertain the bail plea, noting that bypassing the high court would set a wrong precedent.

Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case on February 12 after an event held on the university campus against execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during the rally.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday agreed to give urgent hearing to a plea by two Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students including Umar Khalid, seeking police protection prior to surrender before police.

Delhi HC also agreed to hear another plea seeking directions to police to arrest five JNU students.

The five JNU students are facing sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-India slogans.

The five students Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash had gone missing from the campus since February 12 after JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case lodged in connection with an event held on the campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru where anti-naitonal slogans were allegedly raised.

JNU vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar on Monday assured the teachers' association that the administration will not allow police inside the campus.

Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi has maintained that the five students should join the probe and prove they are innocent.

JNU vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar on Monday assured the teachers' association that the administration will not allow police inside the campus.

Khalid who surfaced on campus, 10-days after police began searching for him in connection with a sedition case, says in the last week he got to know things about himself which he never knew.

"My name is, of course, Umar Khalid, but I am not a terrorist. I thank all the students and 'comrades' among the faculty members who took part in what he referred to as a 'fight' by the JNU students.
New Delhi: Police on Tuesday night arrested one of the three lawyers, caught on camera beating up journalists, students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at the Patiala House Court complex last week.

According to media reports, lawyer Yashpal Singh is being quizzed by cops at Tilak Marg police station here.

The development comes hours after the Supreme Court today agreed to consider a plea seeking contempt action against three lawyers bragging and boasting that they had beaten up JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar in police lock-up for three hours at the Patiala House Court complex.

Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi had also asserted that coercive action will be taken against them. Despite being summoned many times the lawyers had also failed to present themselves before the Delhi Police.

In the latest notice to them, the two lawyers were asked to join probe on Monday, which they did not oblige.

Police had issued summons to lawyers Vikram Singh Chauhan, Yashpal Singh and Om Sharma to join investigation, following which Om Sharma presented himself before them and was arrested. But the two others were yet to appear.

India Today had aired a sting operation done on two of the three advocates yesterday in which they claimed that they had thrashed Kanhaiya Kumar and he wet his pants during the beating.

The lawyers were also seen claiming that there were plans to assault the JNUSU president again in prison.

In the sting video, the lawyers were seen claiming to have spared Kanhaiya only after they made him raise a specific slogan praising India.

One of the lawyers was seen claiming that he would not sign a bail bond only to land in jail so that he could beat up Kanhaiya again inside the jail premises. He went on to say that they had full support of police during the scuffle at the court premises.

Meanwhile, five JNU students who have been charged with sedition and resurfaced back on campus after being on a run for over 10 days today said they have nothing to hide and are open to any questioning by the police.

The said students -- Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, JNUSU General Secretary Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash -- had gone missing from the campus since February 12 after JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-India slogans during a controversial event at the campus. However, they resurfaced back on campus on Sunday night.

Accepting the demand of teachers and students, JNU earlier in the day today agreed to add more members to the high-level committee probing the Afzal Guru row even as it said that students union president Kanhaiya Kumar's release and dropping of sedition charge are beyond its control.

The teachers and students had been raising four demands including expansion of the probe panel, disallowing the police on campus and approaching the police seeking Kanhaiya's release and revoking of sedition charges against students.

While the varsity had earlier ruled out changing the composition of the high-level committee saying it had full-faith in it, today the Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar decided to add two more members to the probe panel.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday said that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is using the narcotics syndicate in India to fuel riff raffs agitation.

Swamy, a noted Supreme Court lawyer, alleged that politicians from several political parties are associated with the narcotics syndicate.

Pakistan's ISI is using the Narcotics syndicate in India to fuel riff raffs agitation. This syndicate has politicians from several parties.  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) February 23, 2016

Over the past few days, the Jat agitation in Haryana and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) row over the pro-Afzal Guru event have rocked the nation.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh claimed that the event organised inside JNU campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru had received "support" from Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed.

The drug menace has badly affected Punjab and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has called for sealing the border with Pakistan to stop smuggling of drugs.

Over 10,000 cases were registered in year 2015 in Punjab under The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the state narcotics control bureau had confiscated 63 consignments in the border areas.

Among the seizures were 12 kg heroin in district Tarntaran, 18 kg heroin in Amritsar, 13 kg heroin in Ferozepur, 25 kg heroin in Fazilka and 74 kg heroin in Ferozepur district.

He further said in 2014, a total of 14,482 cases were registered under NDPS Act and 17,001 accused arrested whereas in 2015, total 10,162 cases were registered and the 11,874 people put behind bars.
New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday said the President's address in Parliament was a "big disappointment" and there was "nothing new" to offer to the public.

"There was nothing new in the speech. It was full of slogans like 'sabka saath, sabka vikas'. There was nothing which will give any relief to the people. The atmosphere is tense in the country. There was nothing on this and also no mention of tension with neighbouring countries," Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said outside Parliament.

He said, "Every thing is cliche, same thing we are hearing again and again. It is a big disappointment."

"There are other problems like price rise, problems with neighbouring countries. There was nothing on these issues," he said.

On Swachh and Swasth Bharat campaigns, the Congress leader said, "We are hearing this for the last one year and 10 months. Even Swachh cess has been collected but nothing is visible on the ground. You will find filth in every nook and corner."

President Pranab Mukherjee today addressed the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament, outlining the government's agenda in the coming financial year.

Reacting to Shukla's comment, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "We do not need a certificate from Congress. We have to get it from the people of India and people have given us certificate that we are working on the right direction."
Delhi: BJP MLA from Ramgarh in Rajasthans Alwar district, Gyandev Ahuja courted controversy when he said that daily 3,000 used condoms, 500 used abortion injections, 10,000 cigarette 'pieces' among other things were found at JNU.

He also said that girls and boys dance naked at cultural programmes in the university.

Ahuja made the comments on Monday in Alwar.

He is reported to have said - "2,000 Indian and foreign liquor bottles are found daily in JNU. More than 10,000 butts of cigarettes and 4,000 pieces of beedis are found. 50,000 big and small pieces of bones are found and so are 3,000 used condoms... The misdeeds they commit with our sisters and daughters there..."

Following is how some of the people reacted on Twitter on BJP leader's comment:

#BJPCountsCondoms JNU Students r doing PH.D on these materials. Nobody has right to interrupt. What a situation in this cultural country.  WORD-SPA (@Word_Spa) February 23, 2016

I more surprised #BJP has people who can actually count to 3000. #BJPCountsCondoms  SonaliRanade (@sonaliranade) February 23, 2016

Jokes aside it's asking for public health disaster for politicians in 2nd most populous country to stigmatize condom use. #BJPCountsCondoms  Sonia Faleiro (@soniafaleiro) February 23, 2016

It is not #BJPCountsCondoms it is BJP Counting used Condoms *Yuck*    (@rachitseth) February 23, 2016

BREAKING: BJP declares Condoms as anti national. Anyone 'caught' using a Condom will be charged with sedition.#BJPCountsCondoms  Shailendra (@shalendra100) February 23, 2016

#BJPCountsCondoms not knowing what else to do with them  Hartosh Singh Bal (@HartoshSinghBal) February 23, 2016

BJP MLA grossly underestimated our daily beer consumption in JNU. We do better than 2000.#BJPCountsCondoms  GS SODHI (@gs_sodhi) February 23, 2016

Thank You BJP MLA For Becoming 1st "Condom Collector" of India...#BJPCountsCondoms  GS SODHI (@gs_sodhi) February 23, 2016

BJP MLA took SwachhBharat too seriously, he started collecting used condoms outside JNU.#BJPCountsCondoms  Azaz Shaikh #WithRG (@AzazShaikhIYC) February 23, 2016
Washington: A top US university is "walking away" from the USD 3 million grants it received to establish endowed chairs in Hindu and India studies after faculty members and students alleged that the donors were "extremely ideologically driven" and have "extreme right-wing notions", a media report has said.

As a result, question hangs on the future of proposed chairs at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), for which it received USD 3 million from California-based Dharma Civilisation Foundation (DCF).

The university has also decided to review another USD 3 million in gifts it received for another two chairs.

The four chairs are Thakkar Family-DCF Presidential Chair in Vedic and Indic Civilisation Studies; Swami Vivekananda-DCF Presidential Chair in Modern India Studies; Dhan Kaur Sahota Presidential Chair in Sikh Studies by Harvinder and Asha Sahota and Shri Parshvanath Presidential Chair in Jain Studies by Meera and Jasvant Modi.

Some faculty questioned why the university administration didn`t identify red flags regarding the gifts much earlier in the process.

"You didn't have to do too much due diligence," Catherine Liu, a professor of film and media studies at UC Irvine, said of the foundation.

"I went right to their website and it immediately read to me as extremely ideologically driven and of having extreme right-wing notions."

An ad hoc faculty committee in its report has recommended the University "against accepting any endowment" regardless of the changes that might be made to the gift agreement.

The committee in its report noted that the agreements related to all the four chairs included language that is not consistent with University policies related to religious and academic freedom.

Such a recommendation comes after 150 professors and educators throughout the international academic community collaborated on a petition published in early February denouncing the University of California, Irvine's decision to take this donation.

"We are troubled by news reports that the [DCF] has put forward its own list of acceptable candidates based on race and religion. Further, we are concerned about reports that the DCF has already brought their favoured candidates to the UC Irvine campus, in the absence of any advertised search for these positions," said the petition signed by professors from Yale, Cambridge, Harvard, and several UCs, among others.

In another letter, UCI students and faculty expressed concern over DCF donation, and the impact it might have on the credibility of Hindu studies at the university.

"The HEC recommends that we do not proceed with the chairs endowed by the Dharma Civilisation Foundation," Georges Van Den Abbeele, the dean of Irvine's School of Humanities, was quoted as saying by Inside Higher Ed.

The report was posted by the University on its website.

"I will support these and other recommendations and will be working actively with HEC and relevant faculty on the recommended actions," Abbeele said.

The University and the Dharma Foundation did not respond to questions send on the gifts related to the chairs.
New Delhi: Five JNU students who have been charged with sedition and resurfaced back on campus after being on a run for over 10 days on Tuesday said they have nothing to hide and are open to any questioning by the police.

The students also maintained that they will not appear before the university probe panel as they have lost faith in the varsity administration.

"We have nothing to hide. We disappeared only because of security reasons as we were concerned about what happened to Kanhaiya could have happened to us as well. When we saw normalcy returning on campus, we came back," JNUSU General Secretary Rama Naga told reporters.

"We have nothing to hide. If police wants to question us they can, we are open to it but since we have not been issued summons there is no point of surrendering," he added.

Earlier in the day, a bench of justices BD Ahmed and RK Gauba agreed to grant urgent hearing to the plea of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, which said that there is a threat to their lives and sought police protection while surrendering.

However, the Delhi high court refrained from giving any specific direction on granting any interim protection from their arrest, with Justice Pratibha Rani saying "let the matter be heard tomorrow."

Khalid and Bhattacharya who were on the campus for the entire day refused to interact with the media saying their lawyers have asked them to refrain from doing so.

Ashutosh, former JNUSU President, who was also among the five students said, " we do not believe in the university's high-level enquiry. They debarred us from academic activities even before giving us a chance to put our version. Now we will not depose before them. We have lost faith in our administration".

Asked about why only Khalid and Anirban have moved a petition and not them, Anant Prakash said, "they were among the organisers of the February event while we were just there to intervene among the two groups. However, the decision to resurface was a collective one".

The five students -- Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, JNUSU General Secretary Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash -- had gone missing from the campus since February 12 after JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-India slogans during a controversial event at the campus.

They resurfaced back on campus on Sunday night.
Bengaluru: Counting of votes cast in the first and second phase of the zilla and taluk panchayat elections in Karnataka will begin on Tuesday under the watchful eyes of the State Election Commission.

A total of 74.37 percent of voting was recorded in the first phase held on February 12.

The second phase of the zilla and taluk panchayat elections held in 15 districts of Karnataka on February 21 saw a voter turnout of 68 to 70 percent.

As per the State Election Commissioner P Srinivasachary, polling in both the phases were largely peaceful except for a minor clash in Mysuru district.

Mysuru, Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Hcivic polls, Karassan, Kodagu, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Udupi, Bidar, Ballari, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal and Vijayapura were the districts that went for polls in the second phase of polls.

Polling was held to 530 zilla panchayat seats and 1,936 taluk panchayat seats.

A total of 2,159 candidates contested the zilla panchayat polls and 6,457 candidates were in the fray for taluk panchayat seats.

Candidates in one zilla panchayat seat and three taluk panchayat seats have been declared elected unopposed.

Five villages in Basava Kalyan boycotted the polls in protest against the governments "inability" to provide them drinking water and other facilities.

After casting his vote in Siddaramanahundi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the results of these polls will not be a referendum on the performance of his government.

"Issues for civic polls are different from issues debated during Assembly and Lok Sabha elections," he said.

However, the results may indicate people's reaction to the government's performance, Siddaramaiah said.
Latur: In a controversial incident, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Yusuf Sheikh was forced to chant 'Jai Bhawani' by local goons here, as per media reports.

The cop was also paraded and assaulted.

The incident reportedly happened on February 19, 2016.

Commenting on the incident today, Ram Shinde, MoS Home, Maharashtra said, "Arrested 15 culprits, its a serious matter and investigation is underway," as per ANI.

The incident apparently happened when two policemen tried to stop locals from hoisting a saffron flag during Shivaji Jayanti festivities in Latur district in Pangaon town.

Indian Express quoted police as saying that at around 1.30 am on February 19 over two dozen locals belonging to the Shivaji Jayanti Mandal assembled near the Ambedkar Chowk in Pangaon to hoist a saffron flag.

K Awaskar, head constable attached with the Renapur police station, stopped them from doing so, as the area is said to be communally sensitive.

The group then went away but came back the next morning and started shouting slogans against the head constable and also allegedly assaulted Awaskar when he visited the spot again.

As per the Daily, when Yusuf Sheikh tried to intervene, the mob targeted him too.

Sheikh was allegedly paraded along with saffron flags.

A stone was also reportedly hurled at the ASI following which he fell to the ground.

Ambedkar Chowk is a communally sensitive area as there is a statue of Dalit leader Babasaheb Ambedkar and a masjid are on the same stretch. Therefore, locals are restrained from carrying out any activity that might create tension in the area. Sensing trouble with a saffron flag being hoisted, the policemen dispersed the crowd. While they heeded the warning at night, they returned next morning and started shouting slogans against the police and the two policemen in particular. The mob then attacked the head constable and when Sheikh tried to intervene they hurled a stone on his head from behind, Vikas Naik, DSP Latur, was quoted by the Daily as saying.

Sheikh was rushed to hospital. Based on the photographs clicked by local shopkeepers, we rounded up the suspects. After conducting a detailed probe, 17 youths, including a 17-year-old, were arrested, Naik added.

Shivaji Jayanti Mandal is apparently an independent fringe group and is not affiliated to any political party.
Jaipur: The Jat community in Rajasthan has called off its stir, a minister announced on Tuesday -- the third day of the agitation demanding reservations which saw a mob try to set afire the engine of a goods train.

"The Jat agitation has been called off following talks," Social Welfare Minister Arun Chaturvedi, who had been holding discussions with Jat leaders, said in Bharatpur, the epicentre of the stir in the state.

Prominent Jat leader and Congress legislator Vishwendra Singh said the state government accepted all the major demands of the community.

"I request my community members to lift the road and rail blockades," Vishwendra Singh said at a press conference in Bharatpur.

"We have requested the OBC Commission to visit the areas and study and assess the social and economic status of the Jat community soon in Bharatpur and Dholpur districts.

"The state government has accepted our demand and it (government) will urge the OBC Commission to visit the areas soon," he added.

The state government also agreed to give statutory status to the OBC Commssion.

"We will bring a bill in this regard in the next session of the assembly. Presently, this commission has been constituted on administrative orders," Chaturvedi said.

Jats in Rajasthan are classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC), except for Jats of Bharatpur and Dholpur districts. Jats in Bharatpur are now demanding that they also be classified as OBCs.

Earlier in the day, the protest badly affected road and railway traffic in Bharatpur district, over 170 km from state capital Jaipur.

A police officer told IANS that the protesters had resorted to road and train blockades in some places, mainly between Bharatpur to Mathura, Jaipur and Agra and roads connecting various towns in the district.

In Nadabi, Helak and Bharatpur city, protesters vandalised properties and shops, while in Khumer, they damaged two ATMS.

In Helak railway station, protesters tried to torch the engine of a goods train. They also tried to set ablaze a room in Paprera railway station.

However, police were able to douse the fire in both the cases.

Many trains in the Jaipur, Agra and Mathura sectors were cancelled while train traffic between the important Delhi-Mumbai sector was also affected.

Roads from Bharatpur to Delhi, Deeg, Alwar and Mathura were also blocked.

To maintain law and order, the district administration had earlier imposed prohibitory orders and blocked mobile internet and internet service in the district.

The protesters on Monday set ablaze a Rajasthan Roadways bus, and damaged another near Bharatpur city.


Kabul: Talks in Kabul on Tuesday between representatives of four countries trying to end Afghanistan's war with the Taliban are likely to set a date for a face-to-face meeting between the two sides, an Afghan official said.

Representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States are meeting in the Afghan capital for a fourth round of discussions setting conditions for eventual peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban.

Javid Faisal, the deputy spokesman for Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, told The Associated Press the delegates "should give a date for the first direct peace talks."

Delegates agreed at their last meeting in Islamabad on February 6 to work toward bringing the two sides together to restart a peace process derailed last summer by the revelation that the Taliban's one-eyed leader Mullah Mohammad Omar had been dead for more than two years  before the end of February.

"We are expecting a result of that agreement which should give us a date for the first direct peace talks," Faisal said. In remarks opening the meeting Tuesday, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani said details of that first meeting would be announced before the end of February.

Earlier meetings set a roadmap for formal peace talks. The insurgency is now in its 15th year.

Details have not been made public, though officials close to the talks have said Kabul demands a reduction in violence as a sign of the Taliban's sincerity.

While the process may take months or even years, these preliminary meetings which do not include the Taliban  are setting conditions for a deal, including Taliban recognition of Afghanistan's constitution and sovereignty.

The four countries have called on the Taliban to enter peace talks with Kabul and said in earlier communiques they want the two sides to work toward cutting violence that has killed thousands of Afghan civilians since the insurgency started.

Taliban leaders, who fled across the Pakistan border to escape the 2001 US invasion, are believed to be harbored by Pakistani authorities, in particular the ISI intelligence agency, in cities including Quetta, Karachi and Peshawar.

While Pakistan denies providing safe havens for the insurgents, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has led accusations that the Taliban are a proxy force for Islamabad's policy of using Afghanistan as a battleground to thwart India's regional interests, which are mostly soft power and development aid.
Dhaka: Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was today ordered to appear before a court on April 13 to face trial in a USD 1.85 million graft case over contracting out cargo handling work to a company in exchange of kickbacks, a week after the High Court lifted a stay on proceedings of the nearly a decade old case.

Dhaka's Third Special Judge's Court asked 70-year-old opposition leader to appear on April 13 as the High Court cleared ways for her trial in the case, a court official said. Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar also ordered personal appearance of 12 other co-accused of the case on the same day alongside the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief.

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case in 2007 during the military-installed caretaker regime.

It accused the former prime minister of contracting out an "unqualified" company called GATCO the task of handling containers at the country's main southeastern seaport of Chittagong and

Inland Container Depot in Dhak allegedly in exchange of kickbacks during the 2001-2006 tenure of her BNP-led four party coalition government.

According to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) charge sheet the accused incurred a loss of more than Taka 145.63 million (USD 1.85 million) to the state exchequer by contracting out the cargo handling task to the company.

Zia, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, six of her cabinet colleagues in the past BNP-led four-party coalition government, and others including officials were charged in the case.

Zia's son Koko, however, died last year.

The ex-prime minister and the co-accused were indicted in the case in September 2007 under a massive anti-graft campaign which was being spearheaded by the then interim government, installed with crucial military support after the January 11, 2007 proclamation of the state of emergency.

But the accused secured a stay order from the High Court in July 2008 on the proceedings of the case as Zia had challenged the legality of filing the case.
Kathmandu: Nepal ended months-long fuel rationing after supply from India improved, following the end of a border blockade by ethnic protesters against a new constitution, an official said on Tuesday.

Relief came as Prime Minister KP Oli visited India, where he met Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and cleared up differences over Nepal`s adoption of its first post-monarchy constitution last September.

Nepal adopted the charter in hope of bringing stability after years of civil war, but it upset the minority Madhesi community in the south who blocked key border crossings with India causing severe shortage of oil and cooking gas.

Protesters called off the blockade this month and allowed supply trucks stranded for more than four months to roll into the landlocked country after the government changed the constitution to provide greater political voice to the Madhesis and vowed to resolve other grievances through talks.

"We are now getting 70 percent of our normal fuel supply from India," Nepal Oil Corporation official Dipak Baral told Reuters. "With this there is no need to restrict distribution of fuel to the public."

India is Nepal`s sole supplier of fuel. Rationing had led to black marketeering and caused lines of motorists outside petrol stations to stretch for several kilometres.

Nepal blamed India for supporting the protesters who share close family and cultural ties with it and causing the shortage that strained ties between the South Asian neighbours.
Washington: NASA has released recording of the strange 'space sounds' heard by the Apollo 10 astronauts as their craft flew on the far side of the moon in May 1969.

The three astronauts - Thomas Stafford, John Young and Eugene Cernan, recorded the sounds, which they described as outer space type music and transmitted them to mission control in Houston.

"That music even sounds outer-spacey, doesn't it? You hear that? That whistling sound? Whoooooo," says Cernan in the recording.

Young answers in the affirmative, saying: "I wonder what it is."

This conversation between the trio, as they were orbiting the moon and a couple of months before Neil Armstrong set foot on the lunar surface, remained under wraps for over four decades.

A transcript of the discussion between the astronauts was released in 2008, but it is only now that the audio recording has been made public and will be played in an upcoming Science Channel series "NASA's Unexplained Files", says the CNN report.

Video credit: Science Channel/YouTube

The NASA History Office tweeted on Monday: Apollo 10 audio and transcripts were not classified, just no way to get them to the public before the Internet.

#Apollo10 audio & transcripts were not classified, just no way to get them to the public before the internet. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/pEAyaDbklz  NASA History Office (@NASAhistory) February 22, 2016

It also publicized links where the information could be found online.

Since it is not possible to receive radio signals on the far side of the Moon, the musical dance of frequencies and noise made astronauts wonder whether "that whistling sound" could be an "outer-space-type music".

So, what could possibly be the explanation?

In a statement released last week by NASA, Cernan said: "I don't remember that incident exciting me enough to take it seriously. It was probably just radio interference. Had we thought it was something other than that we would have briefed everyone after the flight. We never gave it another thought."

In the promo of "NASA's Unexplained Files", astronaut Al Worden says that "logic tells me that if there was something recorded on there, then there's something there", but according to cbsnews.com, Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins provided a detailed explanation about the noise in his 1974 book "Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys", which he co-authored with Charles Lindbergh.

As Collins waited for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to catch up after blasting off from the lunar surface, he too heard "a strange noise" in his headset - "an eerie woo-woo sound", Collins wrote.

"Had I not been warned about it, it would have scared hell out of me," he further wrote.

"Stafford's Apollo 10 crew had first heard it, during their practice rendezvous around the moon. Alone on the back side, they were more than a little surprised to hear a noise that John Young in the command module and Stafford in the LM (lunar module) each denied making," Collins added.

After returning to Earth, the Apollo 10 crew "gingerly mentioned it in their debriefing sessions, but fortunately the radio technicians (rather than the UFO fans) had a ready explanation for it", Collins noted.

"It was interference between the LM's and command module's VHF radios. We had heard it yesterday when we turned our VHF radios on after separating our two vehicles, and Neil said that it 'sounds like wind whipping around the trees'. It stopped as soon as the LM got on the ground, and started up again just a short time ago. A strange noise in a strange place," he wrote in the book.

It is said that on the audio recording, the astronauts are also debating about whether to tell NASA about what they heard.

(With IANS inputs)
Washington: A Pentagon plan to close the US prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, would transfer detainees to any of 13 potential sites on US soil but does not identify the facilities or endorse a specific one, administration officials said on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama has pledged to close the prison and move the detainees since before his election in 2008, but his plans are unlikely to gain traction in Congress where lawmakers are largely opposed to moving detainees to the United States.

Obama was due to deliver a statement on the issue at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT.)

The prisoners, held at a US naval station in southeastern Cuba, were detained by US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It came to symbolize aggressive detention practices in years past that opened the United States to allegations of torture.

The transfer and closure costs would be $290 million to $475 million, an official told reporters on a conference call. Housing remaining detainees in the United States would be $65 million to $85 million cheaper than at the Cuba facility, the official said, so costs would be offset in three to five years.

Some 35 prisoners will be transferred from Guantanamo to other countries this year, leaving the final number below 60, officials said.

The administration urged Congress to lift its restrictions on transferring prisoners to US soil and expressed hope that the plan would prompt a conversation over that goal. Obama is considering closing the facility by executive order if lawmakers do not back his proposal.

Our focus today is on presenting this plan and using it to work with Congress to identify a path to changing current law and proceeding toward closure," an administration official said.

"We are really urging legislators to work with us to lift unnecessary restrictions and to support this closure plan. That`s our focus, especially today in presenting this and hoping that its a key step in changing and moving forward that dialogue with legislators.

The plan would send detainees who have been cleared for transfer to their homelands or third countries and transfer remaining prisoners to US soil to be held in maximum-security prisons. Congress has banned such transfers to the United States since 2011.

The plan will also cite the possibility of sending some prisoners overseas for prosecution and trial, according to one US official.

Though the Pentagon has previously noted some of the sites it surveyed for use as potential US facilities, the administration wants to avoid fueling any political outcry in important swing states before the Nov. 8 presidential election.
Washington: President Barack Obama will deliver a statement on Guantanamo on Tuesday, the White House said, as his administration prepared to present U.S. lawmakers with his plan to shutter the controversial military prison.

Obama, who is scheduled to speak at 10:30 am EST (1530 GMT), had pledged to close the facility at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since he took office in 2009.

On Monday, the Pentagon said it expected to meet Tuesday`s deadline to submit Obama`s plan to Congress as the president seeks to make good on his plan before his term ends in January.

US officials have said the plan will call for sending detainees who have been cleared for transfer to their homelands or third countries and bringing remaining prisoners to US soil to be held in maximum-security prisons.

Congress has banned such transfers to the United States since 2011.

The plan will also cite the possibility of sending some prisoners overseas for prosecution and trial, according to one US official.

However, the White House will not name the alternative US prisons under consideration for housing detainees, US officials said. The administration wants to avoid fueling any political outcry over specific sites during a US presidential election year.
Washington: Recent satellite images show China may be installing a high-frequency radar system in the Spratly Islands that could significantly boost its ability control the disputed South China Sea, a US think tank reported on Monday.

The Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative at Washington`s Center for Strategic and International Studies said the images showed that construction of facilities at Cuarteron Reef appeared nearly complete and that the artificial island now covered an area of about 52 acres (210,500 square meters).

"Two probable radar towers have been built on the northern portion of the feature, and a number of 65-foot (20-meter) poles have been erected across a large section of the southern portion," the report said.

"These poles could be a high-frequency radar installation, which would significantly bolster China`s ability to monitor surface and air traffic across the southern portion of the South China Sea."

China`s foreign and defense ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The report said the images showed that China appeared to have constructed a buried bunker and lighthouse on the northern portion of the feature, a helipad, communications equipment and a quay with a loading crane.

The report, which based its analysis on satellite images from January and February, said China already had significant radar coverage of the northern part of the South China Sea given its mainland installations and in the Paracel Islands to the northwest of the Spratlys.

Both the US and Vietnam last week expressed concern at China`s deployment of advanced surface-to-air missiles on the Paracels.

A high frequency radar on Cuarteron Reef would increase China`s ability to monitor sea and air traffic coming north from the Malacca Straits and other important channels, the report said.

It also pointed to "probable" radars at Gaven, Hughes and Johnson South Reefs in the Spratlys as well as helipads, and to possible gun emplacements at the former two features.

China previously operated radars on Fiery Cross but the latest installations would give it far more extensive coverage, regional military analysts said.

The report comes a day before a visit to the United States by China`s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, at which U.S. concerns about China`s assertive territorial claims will be high on the agenda.

China`s Foreign Ministry said its military deployments in the South China Sea were no different from U.S. deployments on Hawaii.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Washington would "press China to de-escalate and stop its militarization" in the South China Sea.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims.
Copenhagen: Denmark`s immigration ministry said Tuesday it had extended random identification checks along its border with Germany until March 4 in a move aimed at discouraging the arrival of more migrants.

"A large number of refugees and migrants are still trying to reach Europe and many among them are heading to Denmark and other countries in northern Europe," the ministry said in a statement.

Mostly fleeing war and instability in the Middle East, more than 110,000 people have arrived in Europe by sea since the beginning of the year. About 44 percent of the arrivals are from Syria, according to the UN High Commission for Refugees.

"Against this background and on the basis of continued identity checks at the Swedish border, the government today (Tuesday) decided to extend the Danish border controls," the ministry said.

The controls were introduced on January 4, shortly after Swedish legislation went into force requiring rail and ferry companies to verify the identities of people travelling from Copenhagen across the Oresund Strait.

Danish border controls were then extended on February 2.

Since the controls were introduced, the number of migrants arriving in Denmark has dropped by about two-thirds. Some 190 asylum applications were received last week, as oppose to 639 during the first week of the year, according to police.

Denmark received more than 21,000 asylum applications in 2015, a 44 percent jump from 2014, though significantly fewer than its neighbour, Sweden.

Sweden received 163,000 asylum applications in 2015, but it has also seen the number of migrants arrivals fall sharply since the start of random border checks on 12 November. Between 600 and 700 asylum applications per week are currently being registered, compared with 10,000 in late October.
Guatemala: The Organization of American States on Monday established an ambitious new corruption-fighting commission in Honduras aimed at replicating the success of a similar, UN-backed body in Guatemala that brought down that country`s government.

The Support Mission Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras, known by its Spanish initials MACCIH, will target graft and organized crime through a corps of judges, prosecutors and police officers.

Its task will be a big one. Honduras ranks 112th out of 168 countries on a global corruption index put out by Transparency International, a watchdog.

MACCIH is led by a Peruvian lawyer, Juan Jimenez Mayor, who attended the inauguration ceremony with dozens of civil servants, leaders of unions and associations, and diplomats.

He noted that the OAS considers corruption to be "a risk factor for democracy" and said Honduras was now on a "new path" by seeking to combat it.

Guatemala`s example was illustrative of the hopes borne by MACCIH.

Last year, the president of that Central American nation was forced to stand down as a scandal over officials taking bribes to cut import duties for some companies engulfed his administration.

Guatemala`s new president, Jimmy Morales, is a former TV comedian with almost no political experience. But he rode a wave of popular disgust with corruption to take office.

In Honduras, mass demonstrations were held weekly to install a similar body, and MACCIH was agreed to under a convention signed a month ago in Washington by Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro.

Its text set out four areas of action: preventing and fighting corruption, reforming the criminal justice system, political and electoral reform, and public security.

Although helping to create MACCIH, Hernandez could end up ruing its existence.

The president has admitted his electoral campaign that brought him to power two years ago took $94,000 of some $330 million embezzled from the country`s social security agency. However, he maintains that he did not know the origin of the money at the time.
Washington DC: Military officials are poised to submit to Congress a much-anticipated report on how to close the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay, a spokesman said Monday.

Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the military would meet a Tuesday deadline to release the plan on how to shutter the controversial facility.

"We understand that the deadline`s tomorrow, and it`s our intent to meet it," Davis said.

The detention center at Guantanamo Bay was opened by then president George W. Bush in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

Inmates were called "enemy combatants" and denied standard US legal rights, meaning many were held for years without charge or trial.

President Barack Obama has been trying to close Guantanamo since taking office in 2009, arguing the facility acts as a recruitment tool for jihadists and feeds into an anti-US narrative.

About 780 inmates have been held there since it opened in January 2002; there are now 91 inmates remaining.

The United States wants other countries to take those designated low risk. But about 50 are deemed too dangerous to ever be released.

The Pentagon last year sent a team of experts to review US sites that could house those detainees following the closure of the prison.

Tuesday`s report is expected to contain details on how much it would cost to house the men at each site.

Locations considered include the Consolidated Naval Brig in Charleston, South Carolina; Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, and a federal prison complex in Colorado that is already home to Egypt`s Ramzi Yousef, who bombed the World Trade Center in 1993, and "Unabomber" serial murderer Ted Kaczynsk
Jakarta: Singapore has deported four Indonesian men thought to be followers of a leading Islamic extremist as they allegedly tried to travel to Syria, police said Tuesday.

The four, who included a 15-year-old boy, were arrested Sunday in the city-state when immigration officials became suspicious after checking their documents, and finding one of them had previously spent time in Syria.

Authorities deported them to Batam, an Indonesian island not far from Singapore, the same day, and they have since been sent on to Jakarta.

After questioning the men, Indonesian officials "suspected that these four Indonesians were heading to Syria", police spokesman Agus Rianto told AFP.

"We are now investigating the case to find out more."

National police chief Badrodin Haiti said the group were thought to be followers of radical preacher Aman Abdurrahman, who is in jail for his role in forming a militant training camp, and has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group.

There have been suspicions Abdurrahman may have helped plan last month`s gun and suicide attacks in Jakarta that left four attackers and four civilians dead.

They were claimed by IS and were the first major attack in Indonesia for seven years.

Police refused to be drawn on whether the detained men, all from the main island of Java, had been trying to join IS, which controls vast swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq.

They originally entered Singapore from Batam but left for Malaysia, where they stayed only several hours, said local police chief Helmy Santika.

They were detained as they came back into Singapore, where they planned to catch flights, he added, without giving further details.

Singaporean authorities did not immediately comment.

Indonesian police have launched a nationwide crackdown since the Jakarta attacks, rounding up dozens of alleged Islamic extremists.

Indonesia, the world`s most populous Muslim-majority country, suffered several major bomb attacks by Islamic radicals between 2000 and 2009, but a subsequent crackdown weakened the most dangerous networks.

However, IS has provided a potent new rallying cry for Indonesian extremists, with hundreds believed to have headed to fight in the Middle East with the jihadists.
Seoul: Washington and Seoul have postponed talks on deploying an advanced missile defence system opposed by Beijing, South Korea`s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday as China`s foreign minister was set to discuss North Korea with his US counterpart.

The allies had been set to sign an agreement Tuesday on setting up a joint working group to look into the roll-out of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD) against North Korea`s growing missile threat.

"The related accord is in the final stages but has been postponed by a day or two because of last-minute negotiations," ministry spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun said.

The THAAD system fires anti-ballistic missiles into the sky to smash into enemy missiles either inside or outside the Earth`s atmosphere during their final flight phase.

The interceptor missiles carry no warheads, instead relying on kinetic energy to destroy their targets.

More than two weeks ago, the allies announced their intention to begin talks on its deployment following Pyongyang`s long-range ballistic missile launch on February 7 but negotiations to launch the Joint Working Group were protracted.

The delay comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit Washington from Tuesday to meet his US counterpart John Kerry for possible talks over the controversial defence system and North Korea.

China opposes the proposed deployment of THAAD, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warning on Monday that it should not be used as a front to "undermine China`s own legitimate (security) interests".

South Korea`s defence ministry reiterated Tuesday that the US missile defence system only targets North Korea and that its deployment is an issue between the two allies.

The ministry said it expects official talks on THAAD to kick off next week once the two sides set up the joint working group later this week.
Damascus: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has announced that parliamentary elections are to be held on April 13, state news agency SANA reported, shortly after Washington and Moscow announced a ceasefire plan.

Assad yesterday issued a decree which included seat allocations for each of the provinces in Syria, which last held parliamentary elections in May 2012.

That was the first time that multiple parties -- not just the ruling Baath party -- were allowed to stand.

Still, most of the 250 members of parliament that were elected for four-year terms were Baath members.

At the time, Assad appointed then-agriculture minister Riad Hijab to be Syria's new prime minister.

Hijab has since defected and now leads the main opposition grouping to Assad's regime from the Saudi capital Riyadh.

More than 260,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions have been forced to flee their homes.

At a November meeting in Vienna, world powers agreed on an ambitious but yet to be implemented road map that foresees six months of intra-Syrian talks, leading to a new constitution and free elections within 18 months.
Beijing: China`s ambassador to South Korea warned Tuesday that the planned deployment of a US missile defence system in the country could damage Beijing-Seoul ties, possibly irreparably.

Once damaged, it would be "hard" to normalise relations between the two former Cold War enemies, ambassador Qiu Guohong said, according to a spokesman for South Korea`s main opposition Minju party.

Qiu made the remarks when he met Minju party head Kim Jong-In at parliament. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy said the Minju party`s briefing on the meeting to journalists was accurate.

"It has taken much effort to develop China-South Korea ties to this degree. But these efforts could be destroyed in an instant because of one issue," Qiu said in reference to the planned deployment of the advanced US missile defence system in South Korea.

China has repeatedly protested since Washington and Seoul announced plans to instal the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (THAAD) in the South, in response to North Korea`s recent nuclear test and rocket launch.

But Tuesday was the first time that a Chinese diplomat or official has warned of the effect on diplomatic ties with Seoul.

Qiu repeated Beijing`s argument that the THAAD deployment would "greatly undermine" China`s security interests, cause instability and spark a regional arms race.

"(South Korea) should consider whether its own security, under these circumstances, could be guaranteed," Qiu said.

China fought alongside North Korea against the South and its allies during the 1950-53 war.

It established diplomatic ties with Seoul only in 1992 but is now the South`s top trading partner.

Earlier on Tuesday South Korea`s defence ministry said Washington and Seoul had postponed the signing of an accord, originally due on Tuesday, on setting up a joint working group to discuss details of the THAAD deployment.

The delay comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit Washington from Tuesday to meet his US counterpart John Kerry for possible talks on the controversial missile defence system and on North Korea.

The THAAD system fires anti-ballistic missiles to smash into enemy missiles either inside or outside the Earth`s atmosphere during their final flight phase.

The interceptor missiles carry no warheads, instead relying on kinetic energy to destroy their targets.

The allies announced their intention to begin talks on its deployment following Pyongyang`s long-range rocket launch on February 7, which was seen by the US and its allies as a covert ballistic missile test.

China`s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warned Monday the deployment of THAAD should not be used as a front to "undermine China`s own legitimate (security) interests".

The South`s defence ministry reiterated Tuesday that the US system only targets North Korean missiles and that its deployment was an issue between the two allies.

The ministry said it expects official talks on THAAD to begin next week once the two sides set up the joint working group later this week.
I have set up this blog for my family and friends to keep in touch with me and my travels. I hope you all enjoy hearing about my adventures!
House Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday the rise of Donald Trump can be explained by voters being fed up that America is on the wrong track. Ryan blamed the liberal policies of President Barack Obama .

"You have conservatives, like myself ... who are very upset about the direction of the country," Ryan told CNBC's " Squawk Box ." "You have people in America panicked because they have economic anxiety."

Ryan, who was the GOP vice presidential candidate in 2012, is not supporting any one candidate as the 2016 nomination contests continue.

"There's nothing we can do about what's going on in the presidential election and what the outcome of that is in Congress," Ryan said. He said he's concentrating on crafting a conservative agenda that a Republican president can help execute.

Trump, the GOP front-runner, takes his weekend win in South Carolina and his victory earlier this month in New Hampshire into Tuesday's Nevada caucuses. Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are hoping to halt Trump's roll.



Read More Slow progress bridging America's economic divide

Next week's Super Tuesday contests feature primaries in Cruz's home state of Texas, Virginia, and many others. Then on March 15, the day states can award delegates on a winner-take-all basis, Rubio's home base of Florida is among states going to the polls.



Trump's home state of New York holds its primary on April 19, with the final contests coming later that month and in May and early June. The Republican Party holds its nominating convention in Cleveland in mid-July.

Ryan will play a key role at the GOP convention, which is run under the rules of the House of Representatives. The speaker presides over the convention, and typically opens and closes the gathering.

Read More Trump's like Schwarzenegger: House majority leader



While staying out of the presidential race, Ryan said he can help craft the conversation. "We can make this an ideas contest and not a personality contest ... and show where we, Republicans, can go in 2017 if you give us a president we can work with."

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With the presidency, the House and Senate, and a seat on the Supreme Court all in play, Ryan argued the nation stands a crossroads.

He said that's why he's going to soon release a five-point agenda. It will offer ideas on an alternative to Obamacare, and how to fix the economy, reform entitlements, craft foreign policy and reclaim government by consent not executive order.

On the issue of replacing the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Ryan said, "The president has every right to nominate somebody, but the Senate has equally every right not to bring someone through."

Republicans arguing against an election-year Supreme Court nomination are pointing to a 1992 speech made by Vice President Joe Biden when he was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

At the time, Biden said then-President George H.W. Bush, a Republican, should wait until after the November election to name a Supreme Court nominee, if a justice were to retire.

Flash forward to present day when Democrat Obama is faced with a vacancy created by the death of a conservative justice.

"This is a generational pick for the Supreme Court. And there is a precedent for not putting someone through in the middle of a presidential campaign," Ryan said.





In the government's attempt to force Apple (AAPL) to help unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino killers, Ryan said: "This is a serious issue that's not a one-off event. It's going to have big consequences, so we want to get this right. We want to be smart about this."



Ryan said the House is going to hold hearings on the matter. Apple CEO Tim Cook and FBI Director James Comey have been asked to testify.



"We have to remember precedents we set and what it does to civil liberties and what it does to protect personal privacy," Ryan said. "We can't kneejerk on these things."



 The Associated Press contributed to this report.





More From CNBC


KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The Australian government warned on Sunday that terrorists may be planning attacks in and around the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia has been on high alert since a bomb and gun attack in Indonesia's capital in January, which was claimed by the Islamic State militant group. Malaysia had also arrested a suspected militant who confessed to be planning an attack in the country. "Terrorists may be planning attacks in and around Kuala Lumpur. Attacks could be indiscriminate and may target Western interests or locations frequented by Westerners," read a travel advisory post on the Australian government website. It also recommended that Australians avoid travel to the coastal region of eastern Sabah, where the beaches and islands are popular with foreign tourists and diving enthusiasts. Malaysia's Foreign Ministry said it noted the travel advisories and would keep foreign missions informed on security developments. "We also acknowledge the fact that foreign missions are at liberty to provide their own assessment of the security situation in their host countries albeit the fact that it may not be accurate or gives a true reflection of the situation," a ministry spokesperson said. (Reporting by Emily Chow and Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Alison Williams)
Rumble

This video shows the incredible behaviour of a caring mother elephant on high alert, quickly stopping her adorable baby which was curiously straying away from her towards a vehicle full of safari tourists. Going on safari in the Kruger National Park is a life changing experience. Driving around multiple tarred roads, slowly scanning a massive area of wilderness is all part of the thrill. You never know what will be around the next corner or what animal will suddenly appear from the bush onto the road. Its an exciting experience and one of the must-see animals for most tourists are elephants. Not only are they the largest land mammals on our planet and fairly intimidating, elephants are also one of the most intelligent and emotionally intelligent animals that roam this planet. Seeing these giants in the wild is always a sight to remember. The video shows an incredible moment filmed in the Kruger National Park when a safari vehicle full of tourists found a large elephant cow and her adorable calf next to the road. The safari vehicle stopped and it looked like the mother elephant and her baby wanted to cross the road. The baby elephant was the cutest thing alive in the wild right at that moment. While the elephant cow remained focussed on crossing the road, her baby took notice of the safari vehicle and curiously started straying away from its mother towards the vehicle. The caring mother elephant immediately went into high alert and quickly took her trunk and stopped her baby from going any closer to the safari vehicle. The mother elephant gently used her trunk to guide her baby back and into the right direction. It was incredible to see how quickly the elephant cow became protective over her baby. The elephant calf listened to its mother and in a well-behaved manner, walking on the opposite side of its mother, continued to focus and follow its mother as it should. This is crucial for the survival of the calf in the wild. The gestation period of an elephant is twenty-two months, so it is very understandable that an elephant calf is seen as a huge investment and there will always be a mother around, ready to protect her calf from any potential danger. Even though the tourists were not a direct threat, the mother elephant knows all to well that there are humans that still pose a danger for them in the wild. The mother of such a small calf is definitely not something to mess with at all and its best never to get too close to a mother and her calf.
By Ben Blanchard and David Brunnstrom BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China's South China Sea military deployments are no different from U.S. deployments on Hawaii, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday, striking a combative tone ahead of a visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the United States this week. The United States last week accused China of raising tensions in the South China Sea by its apparent deployment of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island, a move China has neither confirmed nor denied. Asked whether the South China Sea, and the missiles, would come up when Wang is in the United States to meet Secretary of State John Kerry, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Washington should not use the issue of military facilities on the islands as a "pretext to make a fuss". "The U.S. is not involved in the South China Sea dispute, and this is not and should not become a problem between China and the United States," Hua told a daily news briefing. U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States would "press China to deescalate and stop its militarization" in the South China Sea. Toner said China's "militarization activity" only escalated tensions, and added: "There needs to be a diplomatic mechanism in place that allows these territorial claims to be settled in a peaceful way." Wang is due to meet Kerry on Tuesday. Their talks will also include the international response to North Korea's recent nuclear test and rocket launch, cyber security and climate change, Toner told a regular news briefing. China hopes the U.S. abides by its promises not to take sides in the dispute and stop "hyping up" the issue and tensions, especially over China's "limited" military positions there, she said. "China's deploying necessary, limited defensive facilities on its own territory is not substantively different from the United States defending Hawaii," Hua added. U.S. ships and aircraft carrying out frequent, close-in patrols and surveillance in recent years is what has increased regional tensions, she said. "It's this that is the biggest cause of the militarization of the South China Sea. We hope that the United States does not confuse right and wrong on this issue or practice double standards." AUSTRALIA OPERATIONS URGED On Monday, a senior U.S. naval officer was reported as saying Australia and other countries should follow the U.S. lead and conduct "freedom-of-navigation" naval operations within 12 nautical miles (18 km) of contested islands in the South China Sea. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims. Beijing has rattled nerves with construction and reclamation activities on the islands it occupies, though it says these moves are mostly for civilian purposes. The state-owned China Southern Power Grid Company will set up a power grid management station in what China calls Sansha City, located on Woody Island in the Paracels, which will be able to access microgrids in 16 other islands, according to China's top regulator of state-owned assets. In the long term, the station will be able to remotely manage power for many islands there, the statement added, without specifying which islands it was referring to. Wang is scheduled to be in the United States from Tuesday until Thursday. Hua said the minister is also expected to discuss North Korea, and she repeated China's opposition to the possible U.S. deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system following North Korea's recent rocket launch. (Reporting Ben Blanchard and Megha Rajagopalan in Beijing and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Richard Borsuk)
By Luciana Lopez and Steve Holland LAS VEGAS/COLUMBIA, S.C. (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump rolled to victory on Saturday in South Carolina in a contest that saw former Florida Governor Jeb Bush drop out, while Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton beat back a strong challenge from Bernie Sanders in Nevada. The victories by Trump, who is running as an anti-establishment outsider, and Clinton, a preeminent political insider, solidified their positions as the front-runners to win their parties' respective nominations ahead of the Nov. 8 presidential election. The night's most prominent casualty, Bush suffered a distant fourth place finish in the Republican contest and announced he had suspended his campaign, ending his dream of becoming a third Bush president after his father and brother. "The people of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina have spoken, and I really respect their decision," an emotional Bush said in Columbia. He finished far out of the running in each of the first three states. By winning both South Carolina and New Hampshire and holding leads in 13 states that hold Republican contests on March 1, Trump was arguably on track to win the nomination, an outcome that seemed astounding to contemplate when he entered the race last summer. "It's going to be very difficult for him to be derailed at this point," said Hogan Gidley, who was a senior adviser to former Republican candidate Mike Huckabee. The 69-year-old real estate billionaire and reality TV star was declared the winner in South Carolina about an hour after polls closed, and launched into a feisty victory speech. "Let's put this thing away," Trump told cheering supporters in Spartanburg. He denounced TV pundits for saying there could be enough anti-Trump votes to beat him when the race thins further. "These geniuses," he said. "They don't understand that as people drop out, I'm going to get a lot of those votes also. You dont just add them together." Trump easily defeated Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who were in a close fight for second place and the right to declare themselves the anti-Trump alternative. With 99 percent of South Carolina precincts reporting, Trump had 32.5 percent, followed by Rubio with 22.5 percent and Cruz with 22.3 percent. Cruz's inability to distinguish himself from Rubio in the state was a blow to his campaign, which had invested heavily there to rally support among South Carolina's large population of evangelical voters. Trump's victory won him at least 44 of the state's 50 delegates, bringing his delegate count to 61, compared to 11 for Cruz and 10 for Rubio, according to a tally by Real Clear Politics. Republicans need 1,237 delegates to win the party nomination. SANDERS SETBACK It was Trump's second victory in a row, an outcome that frightens establishment Republicans but thrills the "throw-the-bums-out" conservative base of the party that has long been fed up with Washington. The bellicose New York billionaire had created some last-minute drama in South Carolina after Pope Francis said on Thursday his views on U.S. immigration were "not Christian." Trump, who has also advocated a ban on Muslim immigrants to counter domestic terror threats, stirred fresh controversy on Friday when he told a crowd about a U.S. general who was said to have dipped bullets in pigs' blood to kill Muslim prisoners a century ago. Former Secretary of State Clinton's victory in the Nevada Democratic caucuses, meanwhile, could help calm worries among the Democratic establishment about the strength of her campaign. Her result denied Sanders the breakthrough win he had sought in a state with a heavy minority population, but his ability to close a one-time double-digit polling lead for Clinton suggests the Democratic nominating race will be long and hard fought. With 90 percent of precincts reporting, the former first lady was leading with 52.6 percent of the vote to Sanders' 47.4 percent. Clinton's victory gave her fresh momentum as she heads into the next contest in South Carolina on Feb. 27, where polls show her with a double-digit lead largely as a result of heavy support from black voters. "Some may have doubted us, but we never doubted each other," she told cheering supporters at a victory rally in Las Vegas. "This is your campaign." Sanders vowed to fight on and set his sights on the 11 states that vote on "Super Tuesday," March 1. He predicted that when Democrats gather for their nominating convention in Philadelphia in July, "We are going to see the results of one of the great political upsets in the history of the United States." "The wind is at our backs," the Vermont senator said. "We have the momentum." After routing Clinton in New Hampshire and finishing a strong second in Iowa, states with nearly all-white populations, Sanders had hoped to prove in Nevada that he could win over black and Hispanic voters and compete nationally as the race moves to states with more diverse populations. But entrance polling in Nevada showed he badly lost among black voters, by 76 percent to 22 percent, a bad omen for South Carolina and other southern states with big black populations. He did win among Hispanics by 53 percent to 45 percent. Clinton's campaign has argued she would assert control of the Democratic race once it moved to more diverse states with black and Hispanic populations who have traditionally backed Clinton and have been slow to warm to Sanders. (Reporting by Luciana Lopez and Steve Holland; Writing by John Whitesides, Steve Holland and Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Andrew Hay and Mary Milliken)
By Bill Berkrot and Anthony Boadle NEW YORK/BRASILIA (Reuters) - Experts on microcephaly, the birth defect that has sparked alarm in the current Zika virus outbreak, say they are struck by the severity of a small number of cases they have reviewed from Brazil. Consultations among doctors in Brazil and the United States have increased in the last two weeks, and some of the leading authorities on the condition are finding patterns of unusual devastation in scans of the newborns' malformed brains. While it's not known how representative the scans are, the early observations of these doctors point to a tough road ahead for the babies, their families and their communities and heighten the concern surrounding Zika, which is suspected of causing microcephaly. "We are in the process of very rapid information gathering on what has been seen," said Dr. William Dobyns, a geneticist at Seattle Children's Hospital. "The condition that I've been able to review, very preliminarily, is more severe than simple microcephaly." The Zika virus is transmitted by mosquito, causing mild symptoms in about 20 percent of cases, and most people experience no illness at all. But a spike in reported microcephaly cases among babies in areas of Brazil with Zika outbreaks has triggered an international effort to determine whether the virus causes the condition. The suspected association moved the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday to declare an international health emergency. Dobyns has spent 30 years researching and treating microcephaly, a condition defined by abnormally small heads in newborns that can lead to developmental disabilities, from mild to severe. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sought out his expertise in understanding the unfolding epidemic. With a small group of geneticists and other microcephaly specialists, he recently reviewed scans of a handful of babies sent by a colleague in Brazil. All the experts were struck by the scale of malformations, he said. "These children have a very severe form of microcephaly," Dobyns said. "The brain is not just small, it's small with malformations of the cerebral cortex and calcifications. It has the appearance of a very severe, destructive injury to the brain." Particularly alarming, Dobyns said, is the presence in the Brazilian cases of excess spinal fluid between the brain and skull of the babies. "If the brain is growing and then suddenly shrinks, then you'll see fluid between the brain and skull," he said. "It has a pattern that suggests that the brain has actually decreased in size." Dr. Leonardo Vedolin, a neuroradiologist and researcher at the Moinhos de Vento hospital in Porto Alegre, Brazil, shared with Dobyns scans of two more microcephalic babies this week. The doctors belong to a brain defects study group that convenes via videoconference each month. The group is now focused on Zika. Neither Vedolin nor Brazil's Health Ministry were able to provide a breakdown on the severity of confirmed microcephaly cases. In general, Vedolin said, 5 percent of microcephaly cases are severe. But the proportion appears greater among the cases in Brazil, he said. THE CASELOAD Public health officials in Brazil are investigating more than 4,000 cases of suspected microcephaly, and have confirmed more than 400. Prior to the Zika outbreak, Brazil saw on average 163 cases annually of microcephaly over the past five years, according to WHO. In 17 of the new cases, the presence of Zika was identified in the mother or the baby. A study of 35 Brazilian babies born with microcephaly during the Zika outbreak reported by the CDC Jan. 29 added strength to the suspected connection. The mothers of all 35 infants had lived in or visited Zika virus-affected areas during pregnancy, the report said. Twenty-five infants had severe microcephaly, and 17 had at least one neurologic abnormality. Dr. Frank Esper, an infectious disease expert from Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital in Cleveland, said he expects a steady wave of studies on Zika and microcephaly that will provide a much clearer picture over the first half of 2016. By the broadest definition, about 2.3 percent of all babies are microcephalic, Dobyns said. Some cases are so mild they involve no complications at all. About one tenth of one percent of the cases are so severe that lifelong care is required, he said. There are many known causes, including a wide range of genetic disorders such as Down syndrome, as well as oxygen deprivation to the fetus, cytomegalovirus and severe fetal alcohol syndrome. Lifespan in severe cases can be months or as long as 10 years, depending on proximity to good medical care, Dobyns said. Dr. Dawn Nolt, a member of the American Association of Pediatrics' (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases, and other doctors, said more severely affected children often require treatment for epileptic seizures, as well as physical, respiratory and speech therapy. They may need help with everyday activities, such as eating or walking. "It's crucial to go to a care center with good neurology and genetics teams that can evaluate the child comprehensively," said Dr. Ghayda Mirzaa, a pediatric neurologist and colleague of Dobyns at Seattle Children's. Doctors in Recife, Brazil are sending mothers with afflicted babies for therapy to help stimulate eyesight, hearing and motor skills to minimize retardation in mental and physical development. There are a handful of centers of microcephaly research and treatment in the U.S., including Dobyns' hospital in Seattle. The consultations of physicians like Dobyns in the Brazil cases is informal at this point but could form the basis for an organized exchange of expertise that will inform the ongoing care of the children of the epidemic. "We need to get the message out that this is real, and coming, without getting everybody to panic," Dobyns said. "There will be a steep curve of new information coming in." (Reporting by Bill Berkrot and Anthony Boadle; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Lisa Girion)
Federal government likely to hit target of 25,000 refugees this week

As Justin Trudeau's government prepares to bring in its 25,000th Syrian refugee, likely this week, the minister responsible says the operation will get smaller, but not stop.

"It will be a scaled-down operation. Once we get the big target, the remainder will be at a slower pace," said Immigration Minister John McCallum

That likely means an end to Syrians arriving in Canada by the planeload, he added  at least on a regular basis.

Trudeau campaigned on bringing 25,000 government-sponsored Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of 2015. Once in office, government officials said it would take more time, pushing back the deadline to the end of February and saying not all of those who came would be government sponsored.

The Liberals now seem poised to meet their revised target.

"I guess the first thing is we say is 'Isn't this nice we've hit 25,000?' After that there will be more coming but I don't know the precise number," said McCallum.

He estimated that of the 25,000, about 17,000 will be government-sponsored. The rest come through private sponsorship.

The remaining 8,000 government-sponsored Syrian refugees required to fulfil the Liberal pledge will be brought in, said McCallum, and "probably more."

In the past, he's talked of bringing in a total of somewhere between 35,000 and 50,000 Syrian refugees, though he said that number would have be discussed by cabinet.

On Monday McCallum said he'll reveal how many refugees he intends to bring in as part of a plan being presented to Parliament by March 9.
The Canadian government is scrambling to figure out how a sniper rifle made in Winnipeg may have fallen into the hands of Houthi fighters in Yemen's civil war.

"We're obviously concerned," David Lametti, parliamentary secretary to the minister of international trade, told CBC News.

"The minister for international trade met with officials in the department. She's instructed them to investigate to make sure that we illuminate all four corners of this story."

According to Armament Research Services (ARES), an international intelligence consultancy that traces arms, LRT-3 sniper rifles sold to the Saudis for self-defence appear to have been seized from Saudi forces.

The guns, made by Winnipeg-based PGW Defence Technologies, were identified in photos and video on a Houthi-linked television channel and on social media. They were held up as "modern weapons" taken during a battle with "Saudi border guards."

The case has raised new concerns about Canada's arms exports to Saudi Arabia. While Ottawa hasn't yet been able to confirm how the rifles made their way into rebel hands, Lametti said the Liberal government ran on a platform of openness and will keep to its promise in this case.

"We committed ourselves in the election campaign to greater transparency on these kinds of transactions  we intend do that," he said. "Moving forward, that's precisely the direction in which this government wants to go."

Conservative defence critic James Bezan echoed Lametti's concerns about how the Houthis got the guns, but he remains confident the original arms deal with the Saudis was done with the utmost care.

"There is some concern that maybe they were either sold on the black market, or somehow they captured these arms and that is the huge issue here  how they got a hold of them," Bezan said.

"Regardless, we have a trusted ally in Saudi Arabia. We made sure that in all the arms deals we're doing, including these arms that are made in Winnipeg  which are used by our Canadian troops as well as the British and other countries  that they are being sold for the purposes of their defence of Saudi Arabia.

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"And they passed all the tests, and foreign affairs did a very diligent job in going through the export arms control before they issued the permits."

NDP defence critic Randall Garrison said there is an easy way to confirm Bezan's claim about the nature of the initial deal with Saudi Arabia.

"If the permit was duly issued, then let's see the human rights report on which it was issued that the Conservatives used," Garrison said. "There's no reason that should not become public right now, and we can see whether these arms should've been sold to Saudi Arabia or not."

Manufacturer PGW Defence Technologies declined to confirm the guns in question came from them, saying only that all its exports follow Canadian export rules.

According to a CBC News analysis, Saudi Arabia is Canada's second largest weapons customer after the U.S. Over the past decade, Canada has shipped more than $28 million worth of Canadian-made guns and rifles to Saudi Arabia.

Whether the sniper rifles in this case were sold while the Conservatives were in power or not, Garrison said Canada needs to improve how it monitors the path and life cycle of firearms it sends overseas.

"Small arms are the scourge of these kinds of conflicts," Garrison said. "Canada can and must do better. Whether it's arms that pass through the Saudis or anybody else, we certainly had a commitment from the Liberals in the campaign to get started on better monitoring on what happens to these small arms."
A Japan Airlines flight with 165 people on board came to an emergency halt on the runway because of an engine fire.

Video of the Boeing 737 domestic flight showed passengers sliding down chutes as snow fell at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island.

One woman reportedly had a minor hip injury in the landing.

Another report said two other women had been slightly hurt.

A passenger described seeing "a bit of smoke" and told of his experience: "I smelt something so, I thought something must have gone wrong.

"So, I removed my seatbelt and waited for instruction."

The evacuation of the Fukuoka-bound plane came after smoke began entering the cabin as the plane was on the runway.

It was carrying 159 passengers and six crew members.
Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi talks to journalists before a meeting of OPEC oil ministers at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna in this file picture taken December 4, 2013. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader/Files (Reuters)

By Luc Cohen

HOUSTON (Reuters) - This week, Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi will for the first time face the victims of his decision to keep oil pumps flowing despite a global glut: U.S. shale oil producers struggling to survive the worst price crash in years.

While soaring U.S. shale output brought on by the hydraulic fracturing revolution contributed to oversupply, many blame the 70-percent price collapse in the past 20 months primarily on Naimi, seen as the oil market's most influential policymaker.

During his keynote on Tuesday at the annual IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston, Naimi will be addressing U.S. wildcatters and executives who are stuck in a zero sum game.

"OPEC, instead of cutting production, they increased production, and that's the predicament we're in right now," Bill Thomas, chief executive of EOG Resources Inc <EOG.N>, one of the largest U.S. shale oil producers, told an industry conference last week, referring to 2015.

It will be Naimi's first public appearance in the United States since Saudi Arabia led the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' shock decision in November 2014 to keep heavily pumping oil even though mounting oversupply was already sending prices into free-fall.

Naimi has said this was not an attempt to target any specific countries or companies, merely an effort to protect the kingdom's market share against fast-growing, higher-cost producers.

It just so happens that U.S. shale was the biggest new oil frontier in the world, with much higher costs than cheap Saudi crude that can be produced for a few dollars a barrel.

"I'd just like to hear it from him," said Alex Mills, president of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers. "I think it should be something of concern to our leaders in Texas and in Washington," if in fact his aim is to push aside U.S. shale producers, Mills said.

Last week's surprise agreement by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Russia and Venezuela to freeze oil output at January levels - near record highs - did not offer much solace and the global benchmark Brent crude <LCOc1> ended the week lower at $33 a barrel and U.S. crude futures <CLc1> ended unchanged at just below $30. <O/R>

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Prices fell sharply on Tuesday after Iran, the main hurdle to any production control in its zeal to recapture market share lost to sanctions, welcomed the plan without commitment. Iraq was also non-committal.

Many U.S. industry executives understand that all is fair in love, war and the oil market, but "the Saudis have probably overplayed their hand," said Bruce Vincent, former president of Houston-based shale oil producer Swift Energy <SFYWQ.PK>, which filed for bankruptcy late last year.

A PAINFUL TIME

The fact that OPEC members are talking to each other offers a ray of hope, according to some industry figures, an indication that the kingdom's own fiscal pain could prompt it to change tact and lead efforts to reach a deal. On Tuesday, Standard & Poor's downgraded Saudi Arabia's credit rating.

"The pain is at a threshold right now. People are now willing to sit down and talk about possible remedies to that pain," Mills said.

Texas, where oil production has more than doubled over the past five years thanks to the Eagle Ford and Permian Basin fields, is feeling acute pain.

The state lost nearly 60,000 oil and gas jobs between November 2014 and November 2015, according to the Texas Alliance's most recent data. Only 236 rigs are still actively drilling wells in the state, down from more than 900 in late 2014, Baker Hughes data showed.

Financial distress among U.S. producers has deepened. More than 40 U.S. energy companies have declared bankruptcy since the start of 2015, with more looming as lenders are set to cut the value of companies' reserves, often used as collateral for credit.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp <APC.N> and rival ConocoPhillips <COP.N> both cut their dividends this month, unusual moves that showed financial stress.

THE TIGER HAS TEETH

The last time Naimi spoke at CERAWeek, seven years ago, OPEC was slashing output to lift prices that sank to $40 a barrel amid the global financial crisis, and he railed against speculators who he blamed for the price plunge.

Few oil executives anticipated Naimi's willingness to let prices collapse this time around.

Some of them, such as Harold Hamm, the chief executive of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources <CLR.N>, even called his bluff.

Shortly before the November 2014 OPEC meeting, Hamm cashed in Continental's hedges, calling OPEC a "toothless tiger."

In an investor call in August, Hamm said he expected OPEC to begin cuts in September, adding, "we think that may be the first of many." Those have yet to come.

A Continental spokeswoman declined to comment on whether Hamm would attend Naimi's speech.

Continental shares have tumbled more than 60 percent during the downturn, cutting Hamm's personal fortune by more than $10 billion since 2014.

While producers may be more cautious now than before, some are still betting that OPEC will bail them out.

EOG's Thomas reckons prices will shoot up as high as $80 a barrel in the second of the year - in part, he says, because OPEC will eventually be forced to yield in the face of fiscal strains.

"The whole world is under stress," he said. "I don't care who you are. Even the Saudis are under stress."

(Reporting By Luc Cohen; Editing by Terry Wade and Marguerita Choy)
CBC

The City of Charlottetown is still in the midst of heavy cleanup operations after post-tropical storm Fiona swept away hundreds of trees, but is already making plans to keep at least some of them out of the landfill. "It's slow going. There's lots of debris, lots of downed trees that we've been cleaning up, there's a lot of roadside trees, residents have been cleaning up their private yards," said city public works manager Scott Adams. "We are still trucking away every day more and more tree deb
(Reuters) - The rand eased off its best levels in two months and South African stocks sank on Tuesday, taking their lead from other emerging markets where a rally ran out of steam. By 1500 GMT the rand had weakened 0.1 percent to 15.2100 per dollar, little changed after opening at 15.0650. But analysts said that Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's budget speech on Wednesday could ease concerns about a potential ratings downgrade and revive the currency's recent rally. The rand is nearly 9 percent up on a month ago, and a well received budget could see it extend gains, traders said. "International rating agencies are going to focus on how Mr Gordhan and his colleagues are going to reduce state spending, increase revenues without killing the already ailing economy in the process, and manage growing debt and deficit levels," analysts at NKC African Economics said in a research note. Bonds were firmer, shedding 3.5 basis points to 9.16 percent. South Africa's credit status is hovering on a precipice as ratings agencies Fitch and Standard and Poor's both have South Africa just one notch above sub-investment grade. The economy, which is barely growing, faces headwinds including power constraints and depressed commodity prices. Stocks reversed the previous session's gains as global stock markets faded, with the benchmark Top-40 index down 1.7 percent to 42,949 while the wider All-share index shed 1.41 percent to 48,422. Bucking the trend, shares in Aspen Pharmacare rose 9.4 percent to 289 rand after the drugmaker said it expected its interim earnings to be as much as 23 percent higher. Trading volumes were below average, with about 229 million shares changing hands, according to preliminary bourse data. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana and Ed Stoddard; Editing by Alexander Smith)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's opposition on Saturday said it had agreed to the "possibility" of a temporary truce, provided there were guarantees Damascus's allies including Russia would cease fire, sieges were lifted and aid deliveries were allowed country-wide. But there was no immediate sign that Moscow would drop its vow to continue its onslaught against those it views as "terrorists" among the range of armed groups pitted against President Bashar al-Assad. And Assad himself added his own conditions to any truce plan, saying on Saturday he was ready for a ceasefire on condition that "terrorists" did not use a lull in fighting to their advantage, and that countries backing insurgents halted support for them. He especially singled out neighboring Turkey. Throughout the five-year-old war, Damascus has routinely referred to all insurgents fighting the government and its allies as terrorists. To the frustration of the United States and its allies who support rebels trying to topple the president, Russian air strikes have turned the tide of the civil war in Assad's favor. Attempts to negotiate a truce in recent months have failed. The latest round of talks at the United Nations in Geneva is being jointly chaired by Russia and the United States. U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Saturday the discussions were "intensive and constructive", Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reported. On Saturday, various Syrian opposition factions "expressed agreement on the possibility of reaching a temporary truce deal, to be reached through international mediation", a statement from the High Negotiations Committee said. But the Committee, which brings together a number of rebel groups and Syria's exiled political opposition, said the United Nations must guarantee "holding Russia and Iran and sectarian militias ... to a halt to fighting". All sides should cease fire simultaneously and the Syrian government should release prisoners, it added. NUSRA FRONT IN SPOTLIGHT A source close to peace talks earlier told Reuters Syria's opposition had agreed to the idea of a two- to three-week truce. The truce would be renewable and supported by all parties except Islamic State, the source said. It would be conditional on the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front no longer being attacked by Syrian government forces and their allies, at least to start with, the source said. The Nusra Front is considered a terrorist organization by the U.N. Security Council. No halt to Russian bombardments looked immediately likely. The source close to peace talks said Russia had so far rejected the idea of halting attacks on Nusra. Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia was "sticking to its consistent policy of rendering assistance and aid to the armed forces of Syria in their offensive actions against terrorists and against terrorist organizations". The source close to talks described the opposition's insistence on the Nusra Front no longer being targeted as "the elephant in the room". "They have to deal with this very delicately or they are going to end up with a civil war (among rebel groups) in Idlib on their hands," the source said. Nusra fighters are fighting alongside other rebel groups in some areas, including Idlib. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov by phone on Saturday that Washington was deeply concerned about Russia's continued bombing of civilian targets, a State Department spokesman said. NO U.S.-RUSSIA AGREEMENT While the men restated their commitment to continued deliveries of aid, there was as yet no agreement on how a ceasefire would work, John Kirby said. In Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the two men had discussed how to implement a ceasefire that would exclude "operations to fight terrorist groups". The tangled alliances and rivalries among the states and armed groups embroiled in the war add to pessimism about the chances of success of further peace talks envisaged soon in Geneva. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Saturday called on the United States to give unconditional support in the fight against Syrian Kurdish militants, illustrating growing tension between Ankara and Washington over policy in northern Syria. An official online media outlet for the Syrian presidency quoted Assad as saying: "We have said that we are ready to stop military operations, but the issue relates to more important factors ... such as preventing terrorists from using it to improve their positions." He said any truce must ensure that "other countries, especially Turkey, are prevented from sending more terrorists and weapons, or any kind of logistical support". Fighting raged on Saturday in Syria's Aleppo province, with government forces claiming the capture of 18 villages from Islamic State. (Reporting by Tom Perry and John Davison in Beirut, Tom Miles in Geneva and Dmitry Solovyov in Moscow; Writing by Andrew Roche in London; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Donald Trump has suggested it is too early to say he will be the Republican candidate for November's presidential election.

Despite his big victory in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, the party's frontrunner in the White House race rejected the idea that the nomination was his to lose.

He told CBS' Face The Nation: "I don't want to say it's mine" as he admitted he still faces tough competition.

Earlier this month, Mr Trump finished second to Texas senator Ted Cruz in the first contest in Iowa and then won in New Hampshire .

The latest victory gave the billionaire property tycoon momentum which he will look to build on going into the next contest in Nevada on Tuesday.

That will be followed a week later by Super Tuesday, when more than a dozen states vote.

In South Carolina, Mr Trump picked up 32.5%, while Florida senator Marco Rubio was second on 22.5%, with Mr Cruz just behind on 22.3%.

Mr Rubio said he was in good shape to more directly take on Mr Trump in a smaller Republican field after Jeb Bush pulled out .

He said it was time for the frontrunner to start spelling out clear policy positions on national security matters, healthcare and more.

Mr Rubio said: "If you're running to be president, you can't just tell people you're going to make America great again."

The businessman hit back, saying he has "great knowledge of foreign policy", adding he has a better vision for how to end the fighting in Syria than those who offer themselves as "great military geniuses".

:: Sky's Amanda Walker on the Trump phenomenon

Meanwhile for the Democrats, Hillary Clinton won Saturday's Nevada caucuses with 52.6% of the vote to Bernie Sanders' 47.4% as the rivals prepare for the next contest in South Carolina on Saturday.

Mrs Clinton said she understood that independent voters in particular have questions about whether they can trust her.

She told CNN's State of the Union that voters have an "underlying question...is she in it for us or is she in it for herself?"

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She added: "That's a question that people are trying to sort through...I know that I have to make my case."

The FBI is investigating whether classified information passed through Mrs Clinton's private email server while she was secretary of state.

Vermont senator Mr Sanders said his loss in Nevada was probably caused by lower voter turnout.

:: Sky's Greg Milam on why Hillary Clinton could become unstoppable
By Rujun Shen SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Any move by China to fly jet fighters from runways on its new man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea would be destabilizing and would not deter U.S. flights over the area, a senior U.S. naval officer said on Monday. Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, the commander of the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet, also urged Beijing to be more open over its intentions in the South China Sea, saying it would relieve "some of the angst we are now seeing". "We are unsure where they are taking us," Aucoin said of China's recent moves during briefing with journalists in Singapore. "So we are going to sail, fly, operate throughout these waters....like we have been doing for so long," he said. That, he added, included "flying over that airspace." Chinese and regional security analysts expect Beijing to start using its new runways in the disputed Spratlys archipelago for military operations in the next few months. It last month tested for the first time the 3,000-metre runway built on a reclamation on Fiery Cross Reef by landing several civilian airliners from Hainan island. (Link to previous stories) Aucoin said he could not give an estimate when he expected Chinese military jets to start operating in the Spratlys. "It's a destabilizing uncertainty," he said when asked about the impact of possible Chinese jet fighter patrols. He said it would raise questions about the intentions. China claims much of the South China Sea, while Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims. International concern is growing over tensions in the waterway, which carries an estimated $5 trillion in trade every year, including oil used by northeast Asian nations. Since last October, two U.S. warships have sailed close to Chinese claimed features in the Spratly and Paracel archipelagoes in so-called freedom-of-navigation operations that Beijing has warned are provocative. Chinese officials complained last December that a U.S. B-52 bomber flew close to one of Beijing's artificial islands. Other U.S. surveillance and transport planes routinely fly throughout the South China Sea. Chinese warships and civilian vessels routinely flank U.S. naval ships in the area, but Aucoin said engagement between the two navies would continue, saying the relationship was "positive". "(The) International Law of the Sea has helped (China) for so many years. We just want them to respect those rights so that we can all continue to prosper," he said. (Reporting by Rujun Shen in Singapore; writing by Greg Torode in Hong Kong; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Burundi is to hold political talks to try to end months of violence, President Pierre Nkurunziza said on Tuesday after meeting U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Ban said Nkurunziza had also promised to lift media restrictions, and the presidency said 2,000 prisoners would be freed, although the opposition was skeptical, doubting whether it would include its supporters. Diplomatic efforts are mounting to the quell fighting in the central African nation 10 years after it emerged from an ethnically charged civil war. Three people were killed in attacks in the capital on the eve of Ban's visit. More than 400 people have been killed since April when Nkurunziza said he would run for a third term, triggering street protests and a coup attempt. Opposition parties say his election bid, which he went on to win, was unconstitutional. Burundians and U.N. agree that inter-Burundian dialogue shall bring together Burundians but the perpetrators of insecurity ... will not be involved, Nkurunziza told a joint news conference with Ban in Bujumbura. The government has in the past said it will not hold talks with anyone who was involved in the failed coup attempt in May. Ban met leaders of political parties in Bujumbura, then went to the president's office on Tuesday. "I was very encouraged that the political leaders whether they are ... in government or the ruling party or opposition, they promised that they will engage in inclusive dialogue. This is what President Nkurunziza also confirmed," Ban said. Ban said freeing prisoners was "an encouraging step". I hope again that additional measures will be taken, he added. Thacien Sibomana, spokesman for the opposition's UPRONA party, was more cautious about the announcement. We are not sure if he will free opponents. We fear that he may only release his own men. What criteria will he (Nkurunziza) use?" he said. African powers are particularly worried about the violence in a country where memories are still fresh of the genocide in neighboring Rwanda in 1994. Burundi has a similar ethnic make-up to Rwanda. South African President Jacob Zuma is heading to Bujumbura on Thursday and Friday with the leaders of Mauritania, Senegal, Gabon and Ethiopia for talks about the political situation. Nkurunziza has rejected African Union plans to send in peacekeepers, saying he would see their arrival as an invasion. In his talks with Ban, Nkurunziza reiterated his accusations that Rwanda was interfering in Burundi's internal affairs. "We have asked for their (U.N.) support to help us and regarding Rwanda, to stop provoking us, so we can go back to having good neighborly relations like we used to," he said. Burundi accused Rwanda in December of supporting a rebel group that was recruiting Burundian refugees on Rwandan soil, but Rwandan President Paul Kagame dismissed the allegations. (Additional reporting by Reuters Television; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Alison Williams)
CAIRO (Reuters) - Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi on Monday appointed a former senior figure in the country's army as deputy supreme commander of the armed forces, state media reported. General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar was a politically powerful army general who split violently with former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011 during the Arab Spring protests that eventually ousted Saleh. Since then, Yemen has descended into a civil war that pits a Gulf Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Yemeni forces loyal to Hadi against the Houthi militia, backed by Iran, and forces allied to Saleh. In an army shakeup in 2013, Hadi appointed Ahmar, a Sunni Islamist-leaning general and commander of the First Armoured Division, as a presidential adviser for military affairs. Forces loyal to Ahmar tried to stop the Houthi from taking Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. They failed, and Ahmar later fled to Saudi Arabia. It was not immediately clear how Mohsen's appointment would affect the balance of fighting on the ground. (Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari and Omar Fahmy; Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Larry King)
vote here polling place south carolina

South Carolina's Saturday primary quickly separated the six GOP presidential candidates into two groups: top-tier and second-tier candidates.

With about a quarter of precincts reporting, Donald Trump held a comfortable lead, with over 30% of the vote. Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were competing for second with about 21% apiece.

The other three candidates  Jeb Bush, John Kasich, and Ben Carson  didn't appear as if they would break into double digits.

Bush had 8.5%, Kasich had 8.4%, and Carson had 6.1%, with 22% of precincts reporting.

This total was particularly disappointing for Bush, who started the race last year as a front-runner and campaigned aggressively in South Carolina. In contrast, Kasich wasn't even in the state on Saturday: He chose to spend the day campaigning in New England.

Bush suspended his campaign later in the night.

NOW WATCH: POWER RANKINGS: Who has the best chance of becoming the next president





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A group of adorable zoo animals in a Chicago suburb enjoyed Halloween treats, video released by the Brookfield Zoo shows.The video shows tortoises, porcupines, goats, and bears savoring gourds in mid-October.The zoo said that the animals received the pumpkins for enrichment, adding that the staff are always thinking of ways to physically and mentally stimulate the animals at Brookfield Zoo. They said that one way is by providing them with enrichment items they normally do not receive on a regular basis, including pumpkins.Video provided by Lynette Kleisner/CZS-Brookfield Zoo on Wednesday shows the zoo animals enjoying the pumpkins in Brookfield. The footage shows a porcupine munching on the inside of the pumpkin and sloth bears examining the gourd before eating the filling. Credit: Lynette Kleisner/CZS-Brookfield Zoo via Storyful
By Paulo Prada Rio de Janeiro (Reuters) - Last January, long lines formed outside health clinics in Recife, a city in Brazil's northeast hit hard in recent years by outbreaks of dengue, a painful tropical disease. Doctors were on guard because federal health officials and the World Health Organization (WHO) had warned 2015 would be a bad year for dengue and possibly another viral disease, chikungunya, both spread by the same type of mosquito. But the symptoms of the hundreds of people seeking treatment did not fit dengue. Instead of high fevers and intense muscular aches that dengue is known to cause, patients were running only slight temperatures and complaining of joint pain. Many had rashes sooner than with dengue and chikungunya. "We knew this was something else," says Carlos Brito, a doctor from Recife who told state and federal health authorities in January-February last year that they were wrong to classify all the cases as dengue. "But the authorities were slow to believe, he said. Kleber Luz, a physician in Natal, a city 300 km up the Atlantic coast, says he gave similar feedback but got the same response. The two - who were part of a group of doctors discussing the odd symptoms in text messages - grew frustrated with the authorities narrow focus. They asked the federal health ministry to broaden its search beyond viruses known in the area. It took until early May for the health ministry to recognize that the Zika virus had arrived in Brazil and to alert the WHOs regional arm, the Washington-based Pan American Health Organization. And it wasn't until November that a Rio de Janeiro laboratory made a link between the virus and microcephaly, which can lead to abnormally small brains in developing babies. The WHO has been lambasted in the past couple of years by scientists, aid organizations, and public health experts for the slow way in which it initially reacted to the Ebola epidemic as it spread across West Africa in 2014. And so far, the hesitant response to the Zika outbreak, which has created the worst global health scare since Ebola, says much about the difficulties that the WHO and other health authorities face in combating unexpected public health threats. EXPLODING ACROSS THE REGION On Dec. 1, the WHO cited the lab evidence linking Zika to microcephaly in an advisory to its member countries. It will consider on Monday whether to declare an international emergency. The WHO said in Geneva on Thursday that Zika in the last few months has spread "explosively" to more than 20 other countries in the Americas and could infect as many as 4 million people. Whether the health authorities in Brazil and the leadership at the WHO have taken too long to get to this point is a subject of debate within the international health community. The Brazilian government says its response when it was first alerted by the doctors about the unusual symptoms they were seeing was driven by the evidence. It was too early," said Claudio Maierovitch, director of the health ministry's Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance. "There are so many other viral possibilities and Zika had never been seen in this hemisphere." And he said that when Zika was identified, the authorities response was based on knowledge of the disease. Previous outbreaks of Zika, a virus first identified in 1947 in Uganda, had occurred in small and scattered rural populations in Africa and Southeast Asia and the symptoms were relatively benign. "We based our response on the scientific knowledge available, that Zika caused a mild illness without major complications," said Maierovitch. "But as soon as we saw that there was an association with microcephaly, we reacted in record time." Critics say that the WHO has been slow to act after the link between Zika and microcephaly was made, and should have declared an emergency as soon as that was determined. "My chief criticism is of WHO in Geneva. After being widely condemned for acting late on Ebola, it is now sitting back with Zika," said Lawrence O. Gostin, a professor of public health law at Georgetown University, who has worked with the WHO and written extensively about pandemics and policy. WHO officials say the agency's response to Zika is driven by science, and they point out that much remains unclear, including the precise nature of any link between Zika and microcephaly. "In any unfolding crisis you're dealing with a lot of uncertainty," Bruce Aylward, the WHO's assistant director-general, told reporters on Thursday. Since October, 4,180 cases of microcephaly have been reported in Brazil but only 270 have so far been confirmed, with just six so far linked by the government to Zika. Of the rest, 3,448 are still being investigated through a long process involving clinical research, laboratory testing and monitoring of the infants' development, and 462 were dismissed as not being microcephaly. Following the spread of the disease is difficult. Many of those who get Zika can recover quickly from only mild symptoms, and across the Americas, hospitals do not have the clinical testing materials to quickly and definitively determine whether a patient is infected. I THINK ITS ZIKA Luz, the Natal doctor, may have been the first person to make a link between the symptoms his patients had shown and Zika. After poring over scientific literature about a 2013 outbreak in French Polynesia, Luz in early March sent a text to a WhatsApp group for doctors, declaring: "I think it's Zika." He compared the symptoms he had seen with those reported in that outbreak. Soon, several doctors in the same region began collecting blood samples from patients and sent them to various laboratories for analysis. On April 30, a laboratory at the Federal University of Bahia, also in Brazil's northeast, said it had identified the presence of Zika in samples from one patient. The health ministry alerted state governments. On May 2, it notified PAHO. The notification put a Zika outbreak on record at the WHO. On May 7, PAHO issued an epidemiological alert saying public health authorities of Brazil are investigating a possible transmission of the Zika virus. But concern remained limited mostly to the contagiousness of Zika, rather than whether it could be a serious threat. In its alert, PAHO wrote: "Complications (neurological, autoimmune) are rare." 'REAL ANGUISH' In late May, Brito received a call from a Recife neurologist who noticed a surge of new patients with symptoms of Guillain-Barre, a little-understood autoimmune syndrome that can weaken the muscles and cause paralysis. Brito interviewed the patients, many of whom said they had previously suffered a light fever, joint pain and rashes. He collected blood samples and by June a laboratory had used genetic testing to find traces of the Zika virus. "It was real anguish," Brito said of the patient's suffering and the wait for official confirmation of Zika's presence. But despite the results, there was no proof to show that it was Zika causing the syndrome. Neither the Brazilian health ministry nor PAHO heightened warnings. By September, the chat groups among doctors were abuzz over a spike in the number of babies born with microcephaly. Many mothers of affected babies recalled having Zika-type symptoms. In October, Adriana Melo, an obstetrician in the nearby state of Paraiba, noticed troubling signs in sonograms of a 34-year-old expectant mother. There were calcium deposits in the developing baby's brain, a possible sign of viral infection. The cerebellum, the part of the brain crucial for motor control, was shrinking. Melo phoned the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a public health institute in Rio de Janeiro, and got a lab there to test the patient's amniotic fluid. By then, the number of babies born with microcephaly was surging. The health ministry, now more alarmed, declared a national emergency on Nov. 11 and in public comments mentioned that there were possible ties between the condition and Zika. The WHO was not yet ready to draw the same parallels. On November 17, the Rio lab said it had found the virus in the amniotic fluid. On Nov. 28, after lab tests from another baby, Brazil's government confirmed the link between the virus and microcephaly. Starting Nov. 30, WHO deployed a small team of researchers from PAHO's Washington headquarters to Brazil. On December 1, PAHO issued a new advisory, warning countries in the region of the link between the virus and microcephaly. Two months later, the WHO is considering whether to declare an international emergency. "You have to gather the data," says Marcos Espinal, director of the department of communicable diseases at PAHO, dismissing criticism that the regional body or headquarters could have moved any sooner. (Additional reporting by Anthony Boadle, Brad Brooks, Stephanie Nebehay, Tom Miles and Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Kieran Murray, Lisa Girion and Martin Howell)
SWNS

<p>Americans are still waiting for their Goldilocks moment  four in five say theyve never found their perfect fit for certain items.</p><p>According to a new poll of 1,000 people 250 lbs and over and 1,000 people under 250 lbs, 52% struggle to find clothing, mattresses (40%) and bathtubs or shower enclosures (38%) that fit their body types.</p><p>In fact, about two-thirds (67%) find themselves struggling frequently with finding items that fit their body size needs.</p><p>This was especially true for those 350 lbs and over, as 41% admit they always struggle, compared to only 23% of those under 250 lbs.</p><p>Despite frequency, almost three-quarters (74%) of all respondents find themselves feeling frustrated when they are searching for an item that accommodates their needs.</p><p>Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of <a href="https://www.bigfigmattress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="1">Big Fig Mattress</a>, the survey asked respondents how they go about their everyday lives despite challenges they may face because of their body type. </p><p>Results found that seven in 10 respondents feel less confident when they struggle with finding items that fit their size needs.</p><p>When asked about other emotions respondents experience, those 250 lbs and over are more likely to feel set apart from others, citing embarrassed (59%) and isolated (53%).</p><p>While those who are under 250 lbs tend to lean towards disappointed (51%). </p><p>Even so, those 250 lbs and up were more optimistic than those under (35% vs 23%).</p><p>The average respondent has crossed off about five brands or retailers because they dont carry products that meet their physical needs.</p><p>However, for those who are 250 lbs and over, 72% have eliminated between three and eight stores.</p><p>Almost one in five (18%) of those under 250 lbs cited that all stores carry their size, compared to only 2% of those who are 250 lbs and up.</p><p>"This survey makes it clear that the 'all' part of 'one size fits all' couldn't be further from the truth," said Jeff Brown, president, Big Fig Mattress. "Almost two in five respondents haven't found something that they felt was made for them. Everybody and every <em>body</em> deserves a long-lasting and comfortable mattress to support a good night's sleep, regardless of your size."</p><p>Products made for all body types are an issue no matter what the product, with respondents needing to stand on furniture to reach something (46%) or finding that clothing is either way too long or too short (46%).</p><p>And ill-fitting items arent just an inconvenience, 61% of respondents say that clothing, vehicles (59%) and mattresses (50%) that arent made for their body type have a big impact on their quality of life.</p><p>More than half of those 250 lbs and over (53%) believe their life is more difficult than for someone who is considered normal sized.</p><p>But that doesnt mean respondents are only dwelling on the negative  almost half (44%) frequently make light of their struggles. </p><p>When asked how they do so, respondents outlined things like, I speak to myself. I'm beautiful and special. I'm impeccable," and Remind myself that if this is the biggest problem I have, then I am doing just fine in life."</p><p>The survey also asked about relationship status and how respondents are navigating integrating their lifestyles with another uniquely sized person.</p><p>Seventy-four percent of all respondents are in a relationship and living with their significant other.</p><p>Almost half (45%) are mixed-size couples, meaning they have a noticeable difference in body size or type.</p><p>Because of this, couples face challenges like finding a place to live that accommodates both people (40%), struggling to share a mattress comfortably (40%) and having items that one person uses but the other never would such as step stools (34%).</p><p>In the end, more than two-thirds (68%) of all respondents agree that its difficult to navigate a one size fits all world when people have varying body types.</p><p>We believe and support being body positive, in body acceptance, and in making positive life choices, noted Brown. Bigger figured people deserve the same level of quality products and choices as everyone else. Its important to accept that all bodies are different and require more from product manufacturers, and I think the data makes that clear.</p><p><strong>MOST DIFFICULT ITEMS TO FIND FOR A SPECIFIC BODY TYPE</strong></p><ul><li>Clothing - 52%</li><li>Mattress - 40%</li><li>Bathtub/shower enclosure - 38%</li><li>Chairs/couch - 35%</li><li>Bike/scooter - 34%</li><li>Vehicle - 31% </li></ul><p><em>Survey methodology:</em></p><p><em>This random double-opt-in survey of <strong>1,000 Americans under 250 lbs and 1,000 Americans 250 lbs and up </strong>was commissioned by <strong>Big Big Mattress</strong> between <strong>September 8 </strong> and <strong>September 21</strong>. It was conducted by market research company <a href="https://www.onepoll.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="2">OnePoll</a>, whose team members are members of the <a href="https://www.mrs.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="3">Market Research Society</a> and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (<a href="https://www.aapor.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="4">AAPOR</a>) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (<a href="https://www.esomar.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="5">ESOMAR</a>).</em></p>
DGAP-News: MAG IAS GmbH / Key word(s): Change of Personnel/Merger Dr. Reiner Beutel to leave MAG Group following successful merger with FFG and bond refinancing 23.02.2016 / 10:00 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eislingen, February 23, 2016. MAG Group has announced that Dr. Reiner Beutel, a member of the management board of MAG IAS GmbH and Deputy CEO of the combined FFG & MAG Group, is, at his own request, to leave the company at the end of February by mutual agreement and on the most cordial of terms. In September 2013, Reiner Beutel was appointed by the supervisory board to a position on the management team of MAG IAS GmbH. Acting as CFO from 2013 until March 2015, he oversaw the operational and structural reorganization of MAG Group, focusing the company's activities on the automotive division and playing a decisive role at a very difficult stage in the life of the company, during which he succeeded in transferring control of the business from the trustees back to the shareholder, and also completed the refinancing of the bank guarantee credit lines. From June 2015 onwards, in his new role as CEO, Dr. Beutel led the strategy process review that had since been initiated, as part of which a variety of equity- and debt-financed instruments, together with a possible sale of MAG Group, were evaluated as possible future options. Within a short space of time under his direction, an agreement was reached with the internationally operating Fair Friend Group (FFG) on the acquisition of MAG Group and the refinancing of the company's bond. With the combination of the two companies, completed in November 2015, MAG has gained the support of a strong partner to assist and promote the future development of the group while at the same time securing long-term refinancing through the new owner. Following closure of the deal, Dr. Beutel acted, in his role as Deputy CEO, alongside CEO Luigi Maniglio from FFG at the head of the newly formed group, which today is one of the world's Top 3 machine tools manufacturers. Following redemption, completed on February 8, 2016, of the EUR 50m bond originally issued by MAG in 2011, Reiner Beutel is to leave the company as of the end of February. Jimmy Chu, chairman and founder of the Fair Friend Group, stated: "The longstanding ties that link us to Dr. Reiner Beutel and the then shareholder, Mo Meidar, have been a very deep relationship at both the business and personal level, reinforcing us in our conviction that MAG Group is the right partner to help us significantly boost our machine tools business in the European market." Luigi Maniglio, chairman of FFG Europe and chief executive of MAG IAS GmbH, added: "Dr. Reiner Beutel made, by virtue of his industrial and financial expertise, a major contribution to the process by which the MAG machine tools group has successfully repositioned itself in the marketplace, now making it, through its portfolio of brands, one of the world's leading suppliers in the automotive segment. Shareholders, supervisory board, management, and the workforce of MAG hereby express their appreciation to Dr. Beutel for his outstanding achievements." About MAG: MAG is one of the world's largest and technologically most advanced providers of turnkey production plants and machines for the mechanical processing of engine and chassis components for the automotive industry. MAG has approx. 1,500 employees with manufacturing, sales and service locations in Germany, USA, China, India, Hungary and the UK. MAG recorded revenues of approx. EUR 500 million for fiscal year 2015. MAG offers machine tools, manufacturing systems, and services including turning, milling, honing, systems integration, automation & software, services, retrofit, core components, and e-learning. As full scale supplier, MAG manufacturing solutions include a comprehensive range of equipment and technologies, process capability and full turnkey systems. With an in-depth knowledge of applications and manufacturing requirements, MAG partners with its customers to continuously reduce their production costs. www.mag-ias.com About Fair Friend Group: The Taiwan based Fair Friend Group is a world leading industrial conglomerate, generating an annual turnover of USD 3.8 billion (including MAG Group) with over 80 companies operating in the fields of Machine Tool Technology, PCB, Industrial Equipment and Green Technology. Founded in 1979 in Taiwan, FFG developed into the largest local machine tool manufacturer with major brands like Feeler and Leadwell. From 1989, the growth strategy included international acquisitions in the USA, Italy, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland. The acquisitions included leading manufacturing technology companies like VDF Boehringer, Hessapp, Honsberg, Huller Hille, Ikegai, Jobs, MAG Group, Modul, Pfiffner, Rambaudi, Sachman, Sigma, Witzig & Frank. FFG's machine tool division covers a large variety of industries, including Aerospace, Railway, Mould and Die, Electronics, and Automotive. With MAG's seven production facilities, FFG increases the number of machine tool factories to 51 across the globe, now covering Taiwan, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Japan, South Korea, China, Switzerland, India and the USA with a total of 32 brands. With over 6000 employees, the machine tool division of FFG, including the MAG Group, generates an annual turnover of more than USD 2.3 billion. Press Contact: Joachim Jackl +49 7161 1567 210 Joachim.Jaeckl@ffg-werke.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23.02.2016 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 439355 23.02.2016
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The reduction in the number of systemic banks from seven to three is the consequence of a decline in crediting in the country caused by the deleverage of banks lower than the requirements for systemic banks, acting Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Kateryna Rozhkova has said.

"Systemic banks are defined on the basis of some indicators, and methods of defining systemic banks were designed two years ago with support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). We did not restrict their number, and due to the fact that today banks do not almost credit, large outflow of liabilities was seen, and bank balance sheets narrowed. Only three banks today can be considered systemic banks using this method," she told reporters in Kyiv on Monday.

As reported, the NBU has defined PrivatBank (Dnipropetrovsk) and state-run banks Oschadbank and Ukreximbank (both based in Kyiv) as systemic banks in the country.
Brussels (AFP) - Belgium on Tuesday said it had temporarily reintroduced border controls with France to halt the arrival of migrants from the Calais "Jungle" camp, in a new blow to the EU's passport-free travel area.

"We have informed the European Commission that we will temporarily depart from Schengen rules," Interior Minister Jan Jambon told a press conference in Brussels, referring to the 26-country borderless zone.

"We will carry out border controls at different strategic locations, at spots used by smugglers which the police have detected."

France was to evacuate residents from the refugee camp in the northern port city of Calais on Tuesday, although a French court said it was delaying its ruling on the demolition of half of the site until Wednesday or Thursday.

With most of the migrants apparently set on reaching Britain, Brussels fears many will go to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge to try another route across the English Channel.

"The dismantling of what has been called the 'Jungle' is possible and real. We have already seen a movement of migrants in transit," Jambon said.

"There is the potential for thousands of migrants coming here -- not asylum seekers but migrants in transit who do not want to stay in France or Belgium but to go to Britain," he said.

"It is an issue of keeping order."

With Belgium, there are now seven countries in the Schengen area that have reintroduced border controls in response to a record flow of migrants and refugees to Europe fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
By Arshad Mohammed and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The militarization of facilities in the South China Sea does not help resolve maritime claims there, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said before he was to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday. On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry struck a combative tone ahead of Wang's visit by saying China's South China Sea military deployments are no different from U.S. deployments on Hawaii. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims. The United States is "encouraging the peaceful resolution of competing maritime claims in the South China Sea  a goal that is definitely not helped by the militarization of facilities in that region," Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The United States last week accused China of raising tensions in the South China Sea by its apparent deployment of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island, a move China has neither confirmed nor denied. Asked whether the South China Sea and the missiles would come up when Wang meets Kerry, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Washington should not use the issue of military facilities on the islands as a "pretext to make a fuss." Kerry and Wang are due to meet at 2 p.m. (1900 GMT). The United States and China appear close to an agreement on another issue, the shape of a U.N. Security Council resolution against North Korea for carrying out its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6, Kerry said. China and the United States have not entirely seen eye to eye on how strong the response should be to North Korea since the nuclear test, with Washington urging harsh punitive measures and Beijing emphasizing dialogue. China, North Korea's most important ally and largest trading partner, has historically been reluctant to put undue pressure on its southern neighbor for fear of destabilizing the country and unleashing a flood of refugees across their border. "We are on the verge of having an agreement, hopefully, with China," Kerry said. "We have made progress in the negotiation in New York in coming up with a substantial and improved U.N. Security Council resolution." (Reporting By Arshad Mohammed and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Susan Heavey and Jonathan Oatis)
One of the top priorities of the aerospace sector of Ukraine in 2015 will be the creation of new rocket technologies, Head of the State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU) Liubomyr Sabadosh has said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Assessing the top priorities in the sector, taking into account the budget financing in 2016, he said that taking into account the current situation in the country, the top priority for us is the creation of new rocket technologies  these are new engines, new satellites, new types of rockets and the provision for the interests of the state in the national security and defense sector.

"We plan to develop the Sich national group of Earth remote sensing satellites that includes the creation and preparation for the launch of space vehicles and the further development of overland infrastructure," he said, adding that the preparations for the creation of the Ukrainian segment of the international aerospace monitoring data system has been started. It is to become a part of the general European research space in the Earth remote sensing segment.

Commenting on the positive moments of the sector budget for 2016, Sabadosh said that in 2016 the financing of the national space program is foreseen in full, which is first in the past six or seven years: UAH 223 million, which is 4.5 times up on 2015. The defense programs' share will be one third of the total financing.

The largest funds  UAH 1.85 billion or 56% of the financing  will be sent to fulfill debt liabilities on the credits taken in the previous years to realize the Cyclone 4 and National Satellite Communications System projects.
By Abdoulaye Massalaki NIAMEY (Reuters) - Niger closed its land borders and ramped up security on Sunday for an election in which President Mahamadou Issoufou is running for a second term promising to crush Islamist militants and reduce the country's deep poverty. Security forces patrolled cities and villages in case of unrest or militant attacks. Some voters said they had never experienced such a tense election. Unidentified armed men attacked two electoral commission vehicles in a rural area about 100 km (60 miles) northwest of the capital, according to security sources, but there were few other reports of trouble. "Niger needs strong democratic institutions. I hope that the presidential and legislative elections will permit us to reinforce our institutions," Issoufou said when he cast his ballot at city hall in the capital Niamey. He faces 14 candidates including Seyni Oumaru, leader of an opposition coalition. Critics say Issoufou has used political repression in the run-up to the vote, arresting opposition supporters and jailing opposition leader Hama Amadou over charges related to a baby-trafficking ring. "These are not free and fair elections. We have one presidential candidate in prison who has not been able to campaign. ... The president has manipulated the electorate and used repression," said Amadou Saidou, a voter in Niamey. The government says it respects the law and calls such criticisms politically motivated. Voting ended at 7 p.m. (1800 GMT) after a day of steady turnout in most areas but polls will reopen from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday in areas where voting could not take place on Sunday, the electoral commission said. It gave no details but local media reported problems in Tahoua region in the northeast, Zinder in the east, Diffa in the southeast and Tillaberi in the west. The country has eight regions in total and results are not expected before Tuesday. Opposition spokesman Ousseini Salatou said on a private television station, Tenere, that the election had been badly organized and he had witnessed cases of voting card fraud. Niger produces uranium and oil but is ranked last in the U.N.'s Human Development Index and has one of the world's highest fertility rates. The country ranks 114 out of 142 in the 2015 prosperity index run by the UK-based Legatum Institute. Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which is based in neighboring Nigeria, has staged a series of attacks in Niger in recent months, forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency in the southeastern region of Diffa. But Niger prides itself on being peaceful relative to its neighbors Nigeria, Libya and Mali. Issoufou, born in 1951, won an election in 2011, a year after a coup. Under election rules, a run-off will be held if no candidate secures an outright victory on Sunday. His challengers include Amadou, 2011 second-place finisher Oumaru and ex-president Mahamane Ousmane. Around 5,200 candidates also vie for 171 legislative seats on Sunday. (Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Chris Reese)
The Hague (AFP) - A passenger train derailed in the Netherlands on Tuesday after colliding with a hydraulic crane, leaving the train driver dead and six people injured, local police and officials said.

The accident happened around 8:50 am (0750 GMT) close to the northeastern town of Dalfsen, about 40 kilometres (24 miles) from the German border.

Television images showed several carriages lying on their side next to fields as emergency staff worked nearby.

"One person was killed... and I can confirm it was the driver," mayor Han Noten told a press conference. Police later said he was a 49-year-old man from the town of Kampen.

A criminal investigation has been opened into why the crane was on the track, and the 21-year-old crane driver has been arrested and is being questioned by police.

Two people were taken to hospital, while four others were treated on the spot. Seven or eight other passengers escaped unscathed.

"The crash was violent," the mayor added, saying the commuter train was "travelling at speed" when it hit the crane which was moving across the tracks over a "secure crossing".

He said there were not many people on the train, adding that the service is often full in the evening, but relatively empty in the morning.

The Dutch safety board (OVV) has now opened an investigation into how the crash happened.

A witness told Dutch broadcaster NOS the crane was on caterpillar tracks and was moving very slowly as it crossed the railway line when the train arrived.

The driver of the crane had managed to jump out before the collision.

"The front of the train is completely destroyed," one witness told NOS, adding the crane was in pieces.

Train services along the line have been cut and the disruption could last several days.

Dutch train operator NS said there had been "major damage and it's impossible to say when repairs can begin".

Infrastructure Minister Sharon Dijksma said she was "shocked" by the accident, the Dutch news agency ANP said.

Story continues

The Netherlands' worst train disaster happened on January 8, 1962, when two passenger trains crashed at Harmelen, near the central city of Utrecht, killing 93 people and injuring 52 others.

That accident happened in thick fog when a train driver missed a warning signal and the two trains hit head-on.

One person died and 117 others were injured in a collision near Amsterdam in April 2012 with reports later saying a driver failed to respect a stop sign.
An Egyptian court ordered on Tuesday the release of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri's brother, who is under investigation for calling for the creation of a "terrorist group," an official said. Mohamed al-Zawahiri, 64, was arrested in August 2013, a month after the army's ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and at the height of a crackdown against his supporters. He and dozens of other defendants were accused of having formed "a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda" and plotting attacks on government installations, security forces and Egypt's Christian minority -- all charges which defence lawyers denied. He stood trial but was acquitted of any wrongdoing in October 2015, although 10 co-defendants were given death sentences. The judge, however, remanded him in detention and ordered an investigation into remarks made by Zawahiri during the trial in which he allegedly called for the formation of a "terrorist group". But on Tuesday another court ordered his release while the investigation is underway, an official said. Zawahiri's son Abdelrahman Zawahiri confirmed the decision but said it was not clear when his father "will be actually released" from prison.
The comment came from a networking and pitching event today where Indonesian Minister of Communications and Informatics presented on the e-commerce roadmap

Rosan Roeslani, Chairman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) said today the elimination of e-commerce from Indonesias negative investment list should to be considered as a direction for foreigners to invest.

I think this is the right time  for Indonesia to aim to become the largest digital nation in Asia, said Roeslani, during his opening speech at a networking event today hosted by the Malaysian Venture Capital Management Barhad (MAVCAP) and KADIN.

He also took the moment to announce KADINs plan to partner with Indonesia Stock Exchange to launch a startup incubator in June, with the goal to prepare Indonesian startups to go public.

The event was supported by Gobi Partners and Convergence Ventures at JW Marriott Hotel in South Jakarta.

Indonesian and Malaysian startups gathered in a pitching session as part of the event, where the e-commerce roadmap took center stage.

Also Read: Revealed! 7 key points of Indonesias much-awaited e-commerce roadmap

Minister of Communications and Informatics Rudiantara gave a presentation he claimed he presented to Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai during President Joko Widodos recent Silicon Valley visit.

Rudiantara began by comparing how the US and Chinas e-commerce scene differs, and presented what Indonesia aims to achieve through the e-commerce roadmap.

He said there will be a friendlier investment environment (through the elimination of e-commerce from investment negative list), conversion of government-subsidised loan to VCs (to be distributed to startups), revision of Financial Service Authoritys policy on VCs, as well as building a Technology Board in the Indonesia Stock Exchange within the next two years.

What this country needs is not only money but also know-how, which is why we invited incubators to come to Indonesia, he said.

Story continues

We have also talked about how we can get more startups to go through seed stage. One of the possibilities is to encourage big e-commerce players to spin their people off their company  We have not come out with the conclusion yet, but the government is very open for solutions, he ended.

Also Read: Exclusive: Malaysian IoT startup Pipeline Network raises US$1M led by Helios Ventures

The event ended with a pitching session of several Indonesian, Malaysian and Chinese startups.

From Indonesia, there was Mainspring with their news aggregator app BaBe (who cited expansion plan to Malaysia and Philippines), virtual assistant service YesBoss (who will be launching a new app soon), Female Daily Network, a company hoping to be the TripAdvisor for beauty enthusiasts (who will be launching a salon and spa review and booking platform), and food and beverage platform Qraved (who presented new milestones since its last funding round).

Malaysia was represented by beauty e-commerce platform Hermo (planning to enter Singapore and Indonesia soon), restaurant booking platform Offpeak (who is seeking a new round of funding), and low-cost hotel booking app NIDA Rooms (who announced expansion plans to Southeast Asia and Latin America).

For the Chinese startups, there was presentation from camera app Camera360 (who is looking out for new potential platforms in which to collaborate).

The post Officials say Indonesias e-commerce roadmap should be directive for foreign investment appeared first on e27.
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Burundi is to hold political talks to try to end months of violence, President Pierre Nkurunziza said on Tuesday after meeting U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Ban said Nkurunziza had also promised to lift media restrictions, and the presidency said 2,000 prisoners would be freed, although the opposition was sceptical, doubting whether it would include its supporters. Diplomatic efforts are mounting to the quell fighting in the central African nation 10 years after it emerged from an ethnically charged civil war. Three people were killed in attacks in the capital on the eve of Ban's visit. More than 400 people have been killed since April when Nkurunziza said he would run for a third term, triggering street protests and a coup attempt. Opposition parties say his election bid, which he went on to win, was unconstitutional. Burundians and U.N. agree that inter-Burundian dialogue shall bring together Burundians but the perpetrators of insecurity ... will not be involved, Nkurunziza told a joint news conference with Ban in Bujumbura. The government has in the past said it will not hold talks with anyone who was involved in the failed coup attempt in May. Ban met leaders of political parties in Bujumbura, then went to the president's office on Tuesday. "I was very encouraged that the political leaders whether they are ... in government or the ruling party or opposition, they promised that they will engage in inclusive dialogue. This is what President Nkurunziza also confirmed," Ban said. Ban said freeing prisoners was "an encouraging step". I hope again that additional measures will be taken, he added. Thacien Sibomana, spokesman for the opposition's UPRONA party, was more cautious about the announcement. We are not sure if he will free opponents. We fear that he may only release his own men. What criteria will he (Nkurunziza) use?" he said. African powers are particularly worried about the violence in a country where memories are still fresh of the genocide in neighbouring Rwanda in 1994. Burundi has a similar ethnic make-up to Rwanda. South African President Jacob Zuma is heading to Bujumbura on Thursday and Friday with the leaders of Mauritania, Senegal, Gabon and Ethiopia for talks about the political situation. Nkurunziza has rejected African Union plans to send in peacekeepers, saying he would see their arrival as an invasion. In his talks with Ban, Nkurunziza reiterated his accusations that Rwanda was interfering in Burundi's internal affairs. "We have asked for their (U.N.) support to help us and regarding Rwanda, to stop provoking us, so we can go back to having good neighbourly relations like we used to," he said. Burundi accused Rwanda in December of supporting a rebel group that was recruiting Burundian refugees on Rwandan soil, but Rwandan President Paul Kagame dismissed the allegations. (Additional reporting by Reuters Television; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Alison Williams)
The Energy and Coal Industry Ministry of Ukraine has said that public joint-stock company Ukrgazvydobuvannia should be removed from ownership of national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy due to risk linked to the litigation between Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom in the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.

This is outlined in the proposals of the ministry to restructure Naftogaz Ukrainy posted on its website.

"Another key argument why the leader in gas production in Ukraine, Ukrgazvydobuvannia, should not be left in the management/ownership of Naftogaz Ukrainy, is the absence of clear understanding of the development of the situation with the hearing of a claim in the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce on the revision of gas transit contracts with OJSC Gazprom. If the court ruling is not in favor of Naftogaz Ukrainy, the company has a risk of losing some assets due to claims of creditors," the ministry said.

The ministry added that Ukrgazvydobuvannia is not protected by Ukrainian law in part of the ban to be privatized.
Reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner has called on South Dakota's governor to veto a bill that would require transgender schoolchildren to use bathrooms that correspond with their sex at birth.

Writing on her Twitter account, the Olympic gold medallist told Governor Dennis Daugaard to reject the measure, which would make South Dakota the first state to adopt such a law.

She wrote: "Tell @SDGovDaugaard to protect trans kids by vetoing #HB1008."

Jenner also encouraged followers to sign a petition by the American Civil Liberties Union that would put pressure on Governor Daugaard to reject HB 1008.

Mr Daugaard has said he will discuss the legislation with members of the transgender community before taking any action.

He has five days to sign or veto the bill before it becomes law after the South Dakota Senate passed it earlier this month.

Under the bill, people who do not want to use bathrooms of their birth sex can request that schools provide "reasonable accommodations".

Protests were staged in Sioux Falls over the weekend against HB 1008, with demonstrators holding signs reading "protect trans kids" and chanting "no hate in our state, veto 1008".
By Lefteris Papadimas and Yannis Behrakis ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece raged at neighbours and began bussing refugees and migrants back from its northern border on Tuesday, after new restrictions by countries on the main land route to Western Europe trapped hundreds behind a bottleneck at the frontier. Athens filed a rare diplomatic protest with fellow EU member Austria for excluding Greek officials from a high-level meeting on measures aimed at curbing Europe's biggest inward migration since World War Two. More than a million migrants and refugees passed through Greece last year, and nearly 100,000 have already arrived this year. Nearly all reached Greece by sea and travelled onward by land over the Balkan peninsula to richer EU countries further north and west, above all Germany. But several of the countries along that route have been taking new measures to close their frontiers, prompting those further down the chain to impose similar restrictions to prevent a bottleneck. Greek police removed migrants from the Greek-Macedonian border on Tuesday after additional passage restrictions imposed by Macedonian authorities left hundreds of people, mainly Afghans, stuck at the border. About 450 of them were loaded onto buses to be taken to reception centres in Athens, joining hundreds more fresh arrivals from outlying Greek islands who arrived on the Greek mainland on Tuesday morning. As buses headed back south, hundreds more people were still travelling north towards the frontier, hoping for a chance to cross into Macedonia. Police occasionally supervised the privately-booked buses, which staggered their journeys to avoid congestion on the border. At a petrol filling station at the community of Almyros, 270 kilometres north of Athens, up to 600 people, including Afghans, Syrians and Iraqis, waited for word on when their buses could continue the journey on to the Macedonian border. "We were told Macedonia was closed," said Fadi, a 40 year old Syrian who arrived in Greece through the island of Kos. He was on a bus which set off from Athens on Monday morning for a trip which normally lasts 7 hours. By Tuesday evening, he, his wife and three children had been on the road for 36 hours. At the border with Macedonia on Monday, witnesses said Syrian refugees who did not have all travel documents, including passports, were turned back. European countries are trying to slow the migration wave, which includes hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria and other war zones, as well as large numbers of other migrants from north Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. Austria is due to host west Balkan states on Wednesday to discuss efforts to manage and curb the flow, but did not invite Greece. In unusually heated language that shows how the migration crisis has raised passions across Europe, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias described the snub as a "unilateral and non-friendly act". "The exclusion of our country at this meeting is seen as a non-friendly act since it gives the impression that some, in our absence, are expediting decisions which directly concern us." Greece also accused its old foe Turkey of trying to "blow apart" an agreement that NATO would help patrol the porous sea border between Greece and Turkey to clamp down on human trafficking. Turkey, which is hosting 2.5 million Syrians, the largest refugee population on earth, says it is trying to stop them from sailing for Greece but needs more aid. FINANCIAL CRISIS Greece, still labouring under a financial crisis that has wrecked living standards at home, says it would not be able to cope with the influx on its own, if the onward passage of migrants through the Balkans is halted. It says it cannot turn back thousands of people arriving on its shores daily in inflatable dinghies, citing international conventions. Austria, the last country on the overland route to Germany, said last week it had imposed a daily limit of 3,200 migrants passing through, and 80 asylum claims. Further down, Hungary has said it would shut three railway crossings with Croatia used by migrants, effective Feb. 22. Slovenia has erected a fence on its southern border with Croatia to ensure that migrants can enter only through official border crossings. "The Balkan route was a humanitarian corridor. It could close after consultations and not by turning one country against the other," Greek Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas told Skai TV. "We are faced with an action that has elements of a coup." Vienna denied it had snubbed Athens by excluding it from Wednesday's talks. The meeting of West Balkan nations was an established format which had first convened in Austria last year to discuss the issue of Islamist militants, a foreign ministry spokesman said. The meeting includes interior and foreign ministers from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. (Additional reporting by Alexandros Avramidis, Alkis Konstantinidis, Lefteris Karagianopoulos, Renee Maltezou and George Georgiopoulos in Athens and Francois Murphy in Vienna; writing by Michele Kambas)
By Steven Scheer and Tova Cohen TEL AVIV (Reuters) - When engineer Rami Bone goes to work each day at his company in the settlement of Maaleh Adumim, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, he doesn't see himself as violating international law. A resident of Tel Aviv, Bone (Bon-eh) started his company over 25 years ago, before Israel and the Palestinians signed an interim peace accord. He said he was drawn to the settlement because he believed Israelis and Palestinians working together could help support peace. More than two decades later, Aluminium Construction has $65 million in annual revenue from two plants in Maaleh Adumim, near Jerusalem, that employ 150 Jews and 400 Palestinians. Israeli companies argue that they are helping Palestinians in the West Bank - employing about 36,000 - by giving them a far better salary than in Arab-owned businesses. But in a report last month, titled "Occupation, Inc.", Human Rights Watch said the 1,000 Israeli businesses, mainly manufacturing plants, in the West Bank operate in violation of international law because they were built on occupied land, and it called on them to cease settlement activities. "Settlement businesses depend on and benefit from Israel's unlawful confiscation of Palestinian land and other resources, and facilitate the functioning and growth of settlements," HRW said. Israel disputes that its settlements are illegal and says the final status of the territories it captured in a 1967 war should be determined in peace talks with the Palestinians. Most of the Israeli businesses in the West Bank are located in 16 industrial zones. They produce about $600 million of goods annually - a small amount in Israel's $300 billion economy. Such industrial parks go back to the 1970s and 1980s and were aimed at bolstering Israel's West Bank presence, while providing cheap labour and giving jobs to a wave of Russian immigrants. For Palestinians in the West Bank, where the jobless rate is 27 percent, economic concerns often trump politics when it comes to employment by Israeli plants built on land they seek for a state. "Unfortunately, there are no alternatives," said Shaher Saed, general secretary of the Palestinian Workers Union. PRESSURE Most of the world does not recognise Israeli occupation of the West Bank, and the European Union now requires origin labels on many goods produced in Jewish settlements - a measure Israel decries as discriminatory. With pressure growing on settlement firms to uproot, Bone said he does not know how much longer he will be able to maintain his two plants in Maaleh Adumim. "If there's a boycott against us and we can't export then we won't be able to work in this area and we'll have to move to the centre of the country," he said. Aluminium Construction also has two plants inside Israel, with exports the main growth engine. But Bone's last project in Europe ended three years ago, and while he blames a recession there, he said calls to boycott settlement products could also be a factor. Many Israeli businesses in the West Bank receive Israeli government incentives if they meet certain criteria. This is true for companies located in all "national priority regions" - which include Israel's northern and southern periphery and the West Bank. They pay a corporate tax rate of 9 percent compared with the standard 25 percent if they meet criteria that include exporting 25 percent of annual turnover. Approved enterprises also pay below-value prices for land and the government subsidises 20 percent of investments in fixed assets, said financial consultant Raffi Shlezinger. Another reason Israeli businesses choose to operate in the West Bank is the availability of Palestinians more willing than Israelis to do labour-intensive jobs. And while Palestinians often earn twice or three times the salary Palestinian companies would pay, they do not always receive health insurance or compensation for work accidents from their Israeli employers because of work permit issues. West Bank businesses deny exploiting Palestinian workers and say they offer much-needed employment. Near the settlement of Ariel, 5,000 Palestinians work in the Barkan industrial park, where international pressure forced companies such as Assa Abloy unit Mul-T-Lock, pretzel maker Beigel & Beigel and Barkan Winery to relocate to within Israel's pre-1967 lines. After a high-profile battle, carbonated drinks maker SodaStream moved from Maaleh Adumim, while Dead Sea cosmetics producer Ahava has said it may pull out from the West Bank. "Once we stop selling or move from here like other companies did, the Palestinian workers have nowhere to go," said Moshe Lev-Ran, head of exports at Barkan's TwitoPlast, which makes air conditioner parts and whose plant is managed by a Palestinian. Lev-Ran said his firm looked into moving from the West Bank but it was expensive and his clients aren't interested in where he is located. Nonetheless, Lev-Ran, said he wouldn't recommend opening an Israeli business in the West Bank now. "Who needs the headache?" he said. (Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, editing by Peter Millership)
The Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry of Ukraine has asked Head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) Ihor Bilous to consider the possibility of the quick transfer of agricultural companies to the fund to accelerate their privatization.

"With the purpose of accelerating the processes of privatization we ask to consider the proposal on the urgent transfer of companies that are to be liquidated, reorganized and privatized from the management of the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry to the management of the SPF," the ministry said.

Expert from the Fund for the development of Ukrainian rural areas and financial analyst Yuriy Tarasenko said that the SPF could accept state-run enterprises that are subject to privatization at the level of ministry-SPF relations, and those companies that are not subject to privatization could be transferred under a decision of the Cabinet of Ministers after lifting a ban on their privatization by the parliament.

The ministry is ready to transfer 429 economic entities to the SPF, 209 of which are in the process of liquidation, 127 are being reorganized via joining other companies and 42 (in particular, Artyomsol and Ukrspyrt) should be removed from the list of companies that are not eligible for privatization.

The ministry said that only 15% of enterprises that will be transferred to the SPF are located in Kyiv city and region, and the rest of the companies are located in other regions.
By Ulf Laessing ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria plans to train as many as 10,000 youths a year for skilled work in the Delta region to try to stop them attacking and stealing oil from pipelines, the minister for the Niger Delta, Usani Uguru Usani, said on Monday. Attacks on oil and gas facilities have become more frequent since authorities issued an arrest warrant for a popular former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo - Tompolo - who had led gangs of "boys" fighting for a bigger share of oil revenues. To help address those grievances, the government plans to build nine vocational centres, Usani told Reuters. "Between 5,000 and 10,000 will be trained yearly," he said. The first centres would train young people in leather goods manufacturing, mobile phone assembly and e-commerce. Some would also find work at a new processing plant for cassava, part of the government's plan to boost the agricultural sector, he said. He gave no launch date for the centres. Buhari was elected in 2015 on an anti-corruption ticket and promised to end Nigeria's dependency on oil by attracting investment for sectors such as farming and infrastructure. But slumping oil prices have forced him to seek loans from the World Bank, China and international capital markets to meet those promises. He has also extended a 2009 amnesty, brought in by his predecessor, under which some 30,000 former militants were to be retrained. Widespread corruption saw the funds disappearing or ending up as cash benefits for the "boys", critics say. Usani said authorities were doing their best to boost security in the Delta but that the task was difficult because the swampy terrain meant that the pipelines were hard to access. "The terrain on which the (oil) flows are running is challenging and may not always be attack proof," he said. "(But) ... effective action has been taken." He also told Reuters that the government was planning to build roads and hospitals in the Delta, where previous projects have not made it beyond the drawing board, but he said the scope was unclear due to uncertainty over the budget. Buhari was forced to withdraw his 2016 draft budget because ministers could not agree on revised public spending plans. (Additional reporting by Felix Onuah; Editing by Louise Ireland)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. special envoy to the coalition fighting Islamic State rebels said on Tuesday the group is trying to attract as many foreign fighters to Libya as possible and the United States would not hesitate to act when it sees threats emerging there. Special envoy Brett McGurk, speaking to reporters at the White House, also said the United States is preparing for all contingencies amid efforts to implement a ceasefire in Syria between the government and moderate rebels, due to go into force on Saturday. McGurk told White House reporters that Islamic State activity in Libya was particularly concerning to the United States, which carried out air strikes last Friday against a militant training camp in the country. The facility was linked to a militant blamed for attacks in Tunisia last year. (Reporting by Susan Heavey and Eric Walsh, writing by David Alexander; Editing by Eric Beech)
UIA, Dniproavia to carry out regular flights to Iran, Europe Air to fly in 188 states

The commission of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine on the issues relating to the rights to operate air routes on February 29 will consider applications from airlines for obtaining permits for new routes.

According to the agenda of a commission meeting, posted on the website of the service, Dniproavia (Dnipropetrovsk) has applied to operate scheduled flights on the Kyiv-Tehran and Dnipropetrovsk-Tehran (Iran) routes, Ukraine International Airlines applied for flights on the Kyiv-Shiraz (Iran) route.

In addition, the commission will consider the issue of restrictions on Dniproavia's right to fly on the Dnipropetrovsk-Istanbul route and that of UIA for the route Kyiv-Athens route.

Azur Air (formerly UTair-Ukraine, Kyiv) filed 21 applications for a number of routes for charter flights, while Windrose for regular flights on the Odesa-Larnaca route and charter flights on 38 routes.

Europe Air cargo airline (Kyiv) applied for air traffic in 188 countries, including Ukraine, and Air Taurus requests to amend the right to operate air lines with respect to the location of the carrier for air traffic in other states.
KKR has agreed to buy into seeds provider Advanta Enterprises in a deal which values the business at about $2.25bn.
State banks are ready to support industrial projects of Ukrainian state-owned companies to enter new foreign markets, Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.

"Right now the market diversification is in the joint presentation by Elektrotiazhmash and Turboatom of a project of component deliveries to such countries as Iran, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, India and the development of new markets... so that Ukrainian producers could enter these markets and won the world's giants such as Siemens and Alstom. Our products are high quality, well-known in the world. The Ukrainian banking system and state-owned banks are ready to support such industrial projects of Ukrainian companies' coming into foreign markets," he said at a press briefing at state enterprise Elektrotiazhmash in Kharkiv.

He emphasized that Ukrainian companies should come to foreign markets without intermediaries.

"Direct contracts, direct deliveries, an increase in government companies' revenues, additional employment and extra income for the Ukrainian state as a whole," the official added.
Ukraine should not stop reforms, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Kyiv on Tuesday.

"There is some infighting for the right political course in Ukraine. We are following this infighting very closely. This causes great concerns in Europe, because Ukraine is facing serious challenges," Steinmeier said at a joint press conference with the Ukrainian and French foreign ministers in Kyiv.

"Reforms in Ukraine should not stop. The country needs both political stabilization and the continuation of reforms," he said.

Europe is concerned that "the situation in Ukrainian politics looks like a storm" and hopes that the political forces would not turn aside from the path of reforms, he said.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said that the upcoming ministerial meeting on Ukrainian peace between Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia in Paris on March 3 will be decisive and hopefully to confirm progress made in efforts to end violence in Ukraine.

In a course of the conversation with the foreign chiefs of Ukraine and France, Steinmeier said that his newly-appointed French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault invited all foreign chiefs of the Normandy Format group to meet in Paris.

The German diplomat said he believes these will be a talk not just between three foreign affairs ministers, but between all people in Ukraine, Europe and all over the world, who will expect success and progress regarding security issues.

Steinmeier said that during a meeting in Paris the parties would try to meet a halfway, would agree on the joint position, and would be able to overcome all pits which separate us.
Modified On Feb 23, 2016 08:06 PM By Konark

The 2016-17 Union Budget will be announced on February 29 and Bosch Ltd has insisted the central government to announce new policies on labour reforms to boost India's effectiveness in the manufacturing sector.

Soumitra Bhattarcharya, Joint Managing Director, Bosch Ltd said "Labour reforms is one of the key factors which will enable multinational companies to set manufacturing activities in India on a large scale. We look forward to some practical reforms that will help in productivity improvement. The government has made a very good start last year in fiscal deficit, infrastructure project and more can be rolled out this year. We expect the new budget to further complement and drive these initiatives as well as bring in new policies to bolster India's competitiveness in the manufacturing sector.

We are optimistic, the Union Budget 2016 will focus on: roll-out of Goods and Service Tax, infrastructure improvement, labor reforms and reduction in corporate tax among others," Bhattacharya added.

Along with new policies, Bosch Ltd has also asked the government support in order to achieve 200 billion dollar turnover as defined in the Automotive Mission Plan 2026

Bosch Ltd has been facing issues related to labour in the last few years. In April 2015, the companys Jaipur plant had to declare a lockout due to labour disputes. The same plant was also shut in March by the labour union for a day due to issues regarding wage settlement. A similar scenario regarding wage settlement took place in the companys Bengaluru plant in 2014 which affected the output for more than 3 months.

Must Read- What to expect from the Union Budget 2016
Modified On Feb 24, 2016 01:17 PM By Sumit for Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2017-2021

Commemorating its twenty years of presence in India, Mercedes Benz is all set to launch the E Edition of its E Class, tomorrow. The German carmaker plans to launch 12 products this year, with E Edition being a part of it. The company successfully completed its 15 in 15 plan last year where it aimed at bringing 15 products in the Indian market.

As the name suggests, the car is most likely to be based on the existing E-Class pattern. The new special edition is inspired by AMG in many ways. The steering wheel along with front and rear bumper supports this very fact. Apart from that, the four-wheeler is likely to have attributes like illuminated three-pointed star on the front grille, side skirts and dual exhaust tip finishers. To add to its class, the car is anticipated to be offered with 18 inch alloys and bigger front discs. Edition E and Mercedes-Benz logo present at various places in the automobile provides the consumer with all that they are searching for.

The mechanical duties are expected to be carried out by 2.1-litre diesel engine and a 2.0-litre petrol mill. While the former is employed in E250 CDI, latter runs the E200 model. While the diesel powerhouse will churn out 201 bhp with a peak torque of 500 Nm, petrol is capable of generating 180 bhp and 300 Nm. Both these mills are likely to come mated with a 7-speed automatic gearbox.

Mercedes 15 in 15 was a great success, as the automaker was able to dislodge its rival Audi from the spot of Indias largest luxury carmaker. It recorded an overall sales growth of 32 percent for the year.

Also Read: Mercedes Teases Upcoming C-Class Cabriolet

Read More on : E-Class india
Modified On Feb 23, 2017 01:23 PM By Manish for Renault KWID 2015-2019

Limited production capacity and overwhelming consumer demand has resulted in long waiting period for some of the most popular car models on sale in India today. Now, it seems that automakers like Renault and Mahindra are all set to address this situation, plaguing their highly coveted models like the Kwid hatchback and KUV100 micro SUV. Shattering the standards of success set by the Duster compact SUV, Kwid proved to be one of the biggest success story for the French automaker till date. Renault will soon introduce the 1.0-liter variant of Kwid hatchback, which is expected to deliver a power output of 70PS and will be made available to the consumers with an option of an AMT gearbox.

With over 90,000 units of Kwid hatchback already booked, the waiting period of some of the variants of this entry-level hatchback have shot up to almost a year in some parts of the country. To address this, Renault is amping up the production of its Oragadam factory and it has been reported that the increase in production will result in 8,000 to 10000 units being manufactured each month as compared to the current production rate of 5000-6000 units per month.

Coming to the lone contender in the Micro SUV segment, only a month after its launch, there is already three month wait for variants of KUV100. Mahindra, who has always been predominantly considered a diesel vehicle manufacturer was amazed when 50% of its customer base demanded petrol variants of KUV100. The six-seater is manufactured out of the Indian automakers Chakan plant, which currently manufactures around 5.500 units per month. Mahindra will soon increase the production of its facility to 8,500 units per month, over the course of coming months.

Recommended Read:

Renault Kwid can take on Suzuki Ignis

Renault Kwid Waiting Period to be Slashed in Half!

How tempting is the Renault Kwid 1.0L?

Read More on : KWID 2017
The Ukrainian authorities should consolidate to alleviate the Western countries' concerns regarding the continuation of reforms in the country, says German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

"The elected government members and the elected president should communicate in such a way so that reforms in Ukraine could continue," Steinmeier said at a joint press conference with the Ukrainian and French foreign ministers in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Steinmeier also said he expected that the Ukrainian parliament has a similar view on the situation. "I see that the government has proposed several reformist bills over the past months, and the parliament should pass them," he said.

The political situation in Ukraine is "a message of concern" for Western countries, and Ukraine should alleviate this feeling, he said.
The Trilateral Contact Group for settling the conflict in eastern Ukraine should continue its meetings to ensure the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, says French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Jean-Marc Ayrault.

"The security situation should be stable. To this end, there is a need for a certain political horizon. The dialogue in Minsk should be continued between the parties involved in the conflict. But this shouldn't be seen as a goal in itself. The goal is the implementation of the Minsk Agreements," Ayrault said at a joint press conference with the Ukrainian and German foreign ministers in Kyiv on Tuesday.

The Minsk Agreements are a legally binding international document, Ayrault said.

"This concerns Ukraine, Russia, and other countries. The situation is very unstable. We want to avoid further risks, and we have clearly told the separatists and Russia that the tensions should be eased," he said.
National TV council asks Polish regulator to help to increase number of Polish TV channels in Ukraine

The National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting has asked the Polish regulator for television and radio broadcasting to help to increase the number of Polish TV channels in Ukraine, the Ukrainian regulator has reported on its website.

"The initiative is linked to obtaining many applications from Ukrainian providers and distributors who express a desire to re-broadcast Polish TV channels," the council said.

The Ukrainian regulator promises to resolve the procedural issues as quick as possible to receive a possibility of broadcasting Polish TV channels in Ukraine.

The council said that today the re-broadcasting list used by cable providers to select TV program packages includes four Polish TV channels: Polonia, VP Info, VP Historia and VP ultura.
There were some memorable moments onstage during Day 2 of #CUNAGAC. If you werent in Washington D.C. on Monday, here are 6 key things you missed.

6. The Entrance

Mondays Opening General Session featured a parade of flags, the Marine guard, and fife and drum performers. This mixture, along with Pledge of Allegiance and the fact that we were all assembled in our nations capital made it a very prideful and inspirational way to kick off the morning.

5. A message from the Speaker of the House

Speaker Paul Ryan praised credit unions for the service they provide to Americans and assured the crowd that Youre in good hands with my old friends (CEO) Jim Nussle and (COO) Rich Meade.

4. Jim Nussles Helicopter Moment

In the middle of speaking about big banks and their mission to destroy community financial institutions, the sounds of a helicopter filled the room for a quick moment. Without missing a beat, the CUNA CEO said Here they come.

The good news? Nussle said, I see an opportunity for us to be the disruptors in the financial services marketplace that Americans are looking for.

3. Susan Streifels challenge to credit unions

CUNA Board Chairwoman Susan Streifel told credit unions to set high expectations for our great association, and to share the responsibility in its performance. We are all CUNA. Our engagement and participation are vital.

2. Lisa Bodell says make the choice for change

Futurist and CEO of futurethink, Lisa Bodell said nothing comes from complacency and challenged credit unions to keep on top of trends and change so you can give your members what they need to solve their problems.

Bodell said employees of more complex companies are drowning in meetings and emails and credit unions relative lack of complexity and members-first focus provide a leg up on other financial institutions. She challenged the crowd to be in a groove and not in a rut.

1. Nussle returns to highlight a great year for CUNA

During the 82nd Annual General Meeting at #CUNAGAC, Jim Nussle returned to the stage to take a look back at the year behind us.

CUNAs purpose is to support, protect, unify, and advance the credit union movement, Nussle said. With fierce, 360-degree advocacy, we remove barriers between credit unions and their members, create awareness of the credit union difference, and foster service excellence so credit unions can continue to be Americas best financial partners.

Nussle highlighted the efforts of credit unions, state leagues, and CUNA and the successes that came from the joint efforts. One of these efforts was confronting attacks on credit union tax status in nine states.

As a result of your hard work, your hand-to-hand combat, Nussle said, no bills were even introduced challenging the credit union not-for-profit tax status.

During #CUNAGAC, in addition to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, CUNA communications will be using Periscope, a live-streaming app to broadcast behind-the-scenes updates.

Look for:

The #CUNAGAC and #CUdifference hashtag on all social media platforms;

@CUInsight, @AmandaCUInsight, @John_CUInsight on Twitter;

@cuinsight on Instagram;

CUInsight.com on Facebook; and

@CUNA on Periscope.

Check back for updates on the latest from the 2016 #CUNAGAC!

CUNA News Now:

CU Times:

CU Magazine:
People from all over the credit union community gathered last dressed to the nines for the National Credit Union Foundations Herb Wegner Awards and Dinner at CUNA GAC. The Wegner Awards are the highest honor given to people in the credit union movement.

An award is given each year to three individuals and one outstanding program. This years honorees were:

The CU 4 Reality Program, by the Americas Credit Union Museum. Financial literacy among Americas youth has been in dire straits for decades. The JumpStart Coalitions most recent survey of high-school students found that only 48.3% of respondents were financially literate. In 2004, recognizing the potentially disastrous consequences of financial illiteracy, Americas Credit Union Museum undertook an initiative to improve financial education in Americas schools. The result, CU 4 Reality, offers middle and high school students a comprehensive yet accessible look at personal finance.

CU 4 Reality is distinguished by its unique approach to instruction. The programoffered through collaboration between credit unions and schoolscombines traditional lessons with engaging activities based on real-world scenarios to communicate the importance of financial responsibility. The semester-long curriculum covers a range of issues including budgeting, tax management, credit and career exploration.

The event culminates in the CU 4 Reality Financial Literacy Fair. In this exciting event, students put their newfound financial knowledge to the test in a simulation of real-life personal finance. At the Fair, students get a job, calculate take-home pay, and visit booths staffed by volunteers to determine their monthly expenses. They do this all the while attempting to manage their finances despite unexpected hardships and temptation. At the end of the simulation, students visit a booth manned by credit union volunteers to review their performance and learn strategies to increase revenue or reduce expenses.

Since launching the programwhich has been offered to more than 87,000 students across nine statescommunities have seen increases in financially stable citizens and decreased reliance on bankruptcy, public benefits and credit card debt. Currently co-sponsored by over 60 credit unions and leagues, CU 4 Reality promotes a positive image of credit unions as reputable, secure financial institutions, helping to grow trust and interest in the movement.

Daniel F. Egan, Jr., former president of the Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island Credit Union Leagues. Egans three decades as League President have been distinguished by incredible accomplishments and triumph over adversity. In 1985, Egan facilitated the first ever multi-state League management agreement, which saw the combination of the Massachusetts and New Hampshire Credit Union Leaguesthe agreement expanded to include the Credit Union Association of Rhode Island in 1992. In combining the resources of the three states under one management structure, credit unions in all three states gained the support of a stronger organization with more resources and staff. This agreement has since been emulated by credit union leagues across the country.

Egan also led the merger of the two competing state trade associations in Massachusetts in 1997. When CUNA was founded in 1934, there was a split in the credit union community in Massachusetts over affiliating with the national organization. The leadership of the Credit Union League of Massachusetts, the first league in the country founded in 1911, disputed the voting rights and dues structure of CUNA and refused to join. Roy Bergengren turned to another group of Massachusetts credit unions that wanted to join and that organization joined CUNA representing Massachusetts. This split resulted in two credit union trade associations in Massachusetts until 1997 when Egan led the successful merger of the two organizations into the Massachusetts Credit Union League.

Throughout his tenure, Egan pushed credit unions to pursue policies and services that enhanced and improved the member experience. As League President, he oversaw the development and expansion of a $100 million Home Loan Payment Relief (HLPR) initiative to help mid and low-income residents with mortgage payments. He also encouraged his credit unions to adapt to changing times and trends, including home equity lending in the eighties, online banking in the nineties and business lending in the two-thousands.

C. Alan Peppers, former President and CEO of Westerra Credit Union. In a career spanning more than four decades in the credit union industry, Peppers has served in a number of key leadership roles, including 22 years as president and CEO of Westerra Credit Union. Peppers led Westerra through a period of incredible growth, quadrupling their membership and growing assets from $165 million to over $1.3 billion. Today, Westerra is one of the highest-performing credit unions in the state of Colorado and the United States as a whole.

Peppers success has been attributed to his members-first mentality, consistently striving to provide service that puts the convenience, peace of mind and satisfaction of members before all else. Under his leadership, Westerra was transformed into a full-service credit union and continually improved their offering to members by introducing innovative new features, such as cash services and electronic mobile banking. Peppers also ensured that Westerra was able to meet the needs of Denvers diverse community, expanding their loan program and adding HARP mortgages for first-time home buyers.

Beyond these member-focused initiatives, Peppers has also worked to extend credit union services to as many people as possible, leading Westerras comprehensive membership expansion campaign. Peppers extended the membership eligibility of Westerra to all residents in the Denver-Metro area, and encouraged growth by implementing a program that rewards current members for referring new members. By facilitating key mergers with four other credit unions between 2005 and 2009, Peppers further expanded Westerras reach and greatly improved the quality of products, services and convenience they were able to offer.

William J. Bynum, Chief Executive Officer of Hope Credit Union. As President/CEO, Bynum has led Hope Credit Union (HOPE) on an incredible trajectory. In 1995, Bynum founded the organization as Hope Community Credit Union based out of Anderson United Methodist Church in Jackson, Miss. Bynum wanted to provide a better option for members of his community  many of whom were dependent on predatory payday lenders and pawn shops for financial services. Over a 26 year period (from 1988 to 2014), HOPE was the only credit union chartered in the state of Mississippi.

After initially relying on church volunteers to maintain operations, over time, more churches joined HOPE, tripling the credit union membership to over 2,700. In 2001, Bynum made the Enterprise Corporation of the Delta (ECD)a business loan fund he had organized to create jobs in the Mississippi Deltathe primary sponsor of Hope Credit Union. With the infusion of new capital and stronger infrastructure, HOPEs membership grew exponentially; today, it is a federally chartered CDFI with over 30,000 members from across the Southern U.S.

The majority of Hope Credit Unions members come from disadvantaged communities. The Mississippi territory where HOPE was founded contains one quarter of Americas most persistently impoverished counties, where the poverty rate has exceeded 20% for three decades in a row. Eighty-one percent (81%) percent of HOPEs membership are minorities and 52% come from households earning less than $35,000 per year. Additionally, over 1/3 of HOPEs members were unbanked when they joined Hope Credit Union. With HOPE, Bynum has given thousands of Americans necessary financial services for the first time in their lives.

Throughout his career, Bynum has used financial services to create opportunities in communities that desperately need them. In 1989, Bynum joined the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, where he managed investments in various community development operations. Through Hope Credit Union, Bynum helped the Winston County Self Help Cooperativea group of small black farmerspurchase land in bulk for future projects.
The Mens Health Forum and The Farming Community Network (FCN) have collaborated to produce a unique booklet aimed at helping people stay fit and well in the countryside.

The new edition of Fit For Farming contains easy-to-follow information and advice for men  a group who can be reluctant to address health-related topics.

The mind and body of the farmer is the best bit of kit on any farm, says Professor Alan White, who wrote the foreword.

With a little care, the high-performance machine that is the male body will run smoothly for a lifetime with just basic maintenance and minimal need for spare parts.

The 40-page publication covers such topics as managing your weight, backs and bones, and cancer. Though farming is an industry that continues to be resilient and responsive to the challenges it faces on a daily basis, working under these conditions can take its toll on the health of the farmer, adds Professor White.

See also: Farmers needed to help rural dementia project

Back advice When standing for long periods: Head  keep it up and in line with your spine

Shoulders  relax and pull in your shoulder blades

Pelvis  keep your hips level while tucking in your tailbone to line up with your spine

Knees  keep slightly bent (not locked)

Feet  distribute the weight evenly

Working in isolation, in extreme weather, with hard, physical labour, animal disease, endless bureaucracy, fluctuating input costs and commodity prices that create financial pressures, can all have effects that may lead to personal health problems and mental strain.

While it is ostensibly aimed at men, we acknowledge the supreme contribution made by women and young people and we hope they will also find much of the information useful and informative.

We need a vibrant, creative and energetic UK farming community as we operate in global markets to feed a growing world population. Good health will be at the centre of success.

Charles Smith, chief executive of the FCN, says the current tough times in agriculture are contributing to a rise in health problems.

In the past 12 months, 30% of FCNs cases have involved a physical health issue, while 33% have involved mental health.

When you get busier and more tired, your health can get worse and you can be more prone to accidents, says Mr Smith.

Farmers can be notoriously bad at devoting time to look after their health, but this book could help them, he hopes.

See a free pdf of Fit For Farming or get hold of printed copies (by giving a small donation to FCN) by calling 01788 510 866.
Other Voices: Apples Encryption Battle with the FBI

Date:

Tuesday, March 01, 2016

Time:

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Event Type:

Panel Discussion

Organizer/Author:

ppjc

Location Details:

Midpen Media Center

900 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303

A conversation with Aleecia M. McDonald - Fellow, Stanford Law Schools Center for Internet and Society



Apple Corps recent vow to fight an FBI demand to break the security encryption on its own products has set up a profoundly important struggle over governments power to intrude into our lives. As the Washington Post explained it, The FBI sees this as a privacy vs. security debate, while the tech community sees it as a security vs. surveillance debate. Our guest for this months forum, Aleecia M. McDonald, an expert in online privacy and public policy, says, It is a fight for the nature of the nation. She notes the case has significant international implications, as well.



The U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. This moment calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake.

- Tim Cook, Apple CEO, in a public letter to customers



On Tuesday, February 16, a US District Court in California, responding to an FBI request, ordered Apple to write an entirely new operating system for its iPhone, one that would give Federal authorities full access to encrypted private information on those phones. Apple is strongly and publicly defying the order.



The FBI is hoping to unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino mass murderers, a task they have failed to accomplish thus far, due to the strong encryption on the phone. While the FBI insists it will use the court ordered software only on the shooters phone, Apple CEO Tim Cook, writing in an open letter to customers, noted that there is no way to guarantee such control.



Apples defiance of this FBI order may very well stand as a watershed moment in the fight over government surveillance. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has already announced it will support Apple by filing an amicus brief with the courts. Posting on Twitter, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden said, This is the most important tech case in a decade, and called on Google to publicly support Apples principled stand.



YOU are an important part of every Other Voices forum. The forum really is a conversation and that includes you. So come prepared to ask questions or share your opinions.



Other Voices Monthly Forum is held at the Midpen Media Center, where it is recorded for later broadcast on local cable television and streaming on the Internet. Previous forums (and other videos) can be seen at our YouTube Channel or the Video Page at our website.
Human Agenda invites you to a community dialogue with Dr. Richard WolffDemocracy at Work: Why We Need a Solidarity EconomyIn this compelling new manifesto Dr. Wolff argues for a democratic alternative based on workers directing their own workplaces. Whether it is secure, well-paid, and meaningful jobs or a sustainable relationship with the natural environment that we depend on, our society is not delivering the results people need and deserve. One key cause for this intolerable state of affairs is the lack of genuine democracy in our economy as well as in our politics. The solution requires the institution of genuine economic democracy, starting with workers directing their own workplaces, as the basis for a genuine political democracy. Here Richard D. Wolff lays out a hopeful and concrete vision of how to make that possible.Richard D. Wolff is professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is currently a visiting professor at the New School for Social Research in New York. Wolff is the author of many books, including Capitalism Hits the Fan: The Global Economic Meltdown and What to Do About It. He hosts the weekly hour-long radio program Economic Update on KPFA (Pacifica Radio), writes regularly for The Guardian and Truthout.org, and appears frequently on television and radio to discuss his work, with recent guest spots including "Real Time with Bill Maher," "Moyers & Company," "Charlie Rose," "Up with Chris Hayes," and "Democracy Now!." He is also a frequent lecturer at colleges and universities across the country.$10-$20 donation requestedPlease pay at http://www.humanagenda.net Reserve your space todayWheelchair accessibleEndorsers: San Jose Peace and Justice Center, Labor Studies Program at San Jose City College, NAACP of Santa Clara County, Santa Clara Valley Cooperatives Collaborative, Human Rights Program at San Jose State University, Laborers Union Local 270
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Security situation in Donbas not justify absence of work over bill on elections in Donbas  Steinmeier

Security situation in Donbas should not be a justification for no progress in preparing a draft on the elections, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter-Steinmeier said.

"The security situation should not be a justification for the absence of work over drafting the bill on the elections," he said during a joint press conference with Ukrainian and French foreign chiefs in Kyiv on Tuesday.

The minister said that they should work both over law on the elections, along with the modalities on organizing them.

According to Steinmeier, none of the items of Minsk Agreements lost its topicality for that moment and Europe still is following for consistency of their implementation.

"None of the aspects of the Minsk Agreements lost their topicalityWe very thoroughly keep an eye on the consistency of certain steps of the Minsk Agreements," he said.
Akbayan PartyList today countered Senator Bongbong Marcoss calls to elect politicians who will push for unity, saying the ambitious scion of the dictator does not fit the quality he endorses.





What unity is Bongbong Marcos referring to? asked Machris Cabreros, Akbayan President. If unity means forgetting that his father plundered the country and is responsible for the torture, disappearances and deaths of thousands, then that is not unity that is revisionism.Fact: Marcos Sr stole billions of dollars from the countrys coffers, and we have not recovered all of these amounts, reminded Cabreros. Fact: The Marcoses have not spent a single day in jail for their crimes to the people. Any call for unity should never gloss over the need for justice.Bongbong Marcos cannot sanitize his bid for the VP post by distancing himself from his father, said Cabreros. Marcos Jr was a legal-age, conscious adult at the height of his fathers atrocities, and if he will not apologize for the fathers sins then he is an accomplice to this historical injustice.Bongbong Marcos as VP would be a crime against history, said Cabreros. There can be no unity without justice.People need to be reminded that the massive theft from public coffers and the destruction of democratic institutions during Martial Law are part of the source of the systemic problems that we continue to feel today.Bongbong Marcos belongs in the dustbin of irrelevance, not in an office a heartbeat away from the Presidency, said Cabreros.
Students Express Gratitude to Donors

Students write personal notes about the opportunities made possible by the donors supporting their education at Illinois Wesleyan.

Feb. 19, 2016

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.  For the fourth consecutive year, Illinois Wesleyan students, faculty and staff grabbed pens and notecards on Presidents Day to personally thank the donors whose gifts make an IWU education possible.

Thats because Feb. 15 (falling this year on Presidents Day) marks the point in the academic year when, symbolically, financial support from donors kicks in after tuition dollars run out.

Tuition revenue covers about 70 percent of IWUs total operating budget, said Van Miller 04, director of annual giving. The rest is made up by other sources like private gifts from alumni and friends, our endowment and external grants. So one way to think about the impact of outside support is to highlight the time of the academic year  about 70 percent of the way through  when tuition dollars stop covering costs and other sources kick in.

At tables set up in locations around campus, students wrote messages of thanks. Some Titans wrote to donors about favorite IWU experiences, such as leadership opportunities, learning from committed, caring faculty, and the chance to study abroad. Others just scrawled a huge THANKS across the postcard. Students in the Language Resource Center thanked donors in Greek, French, and Spanish via a video clip.

Faculty and staff also noted their thanks this year through video clips as well.

Associate Professor of Sociology Meghan Burke reminded alumni that as students, they had been on the receiving end of the time and investment that we place in you with our time and our energy and our expertise because we care so much about our students. Thank you for giving back and continuing to support our work at Illinois Wesleyan University.

Bevin Cowie 10, now on staff with the Action Research Center, noted the scholarships she received as a student helped make her Illinois Wesleyan experience possible and made her aware of the need to help make that experience possible for future generations. In her first year as an alumna, she said she made a donation of $10. Every little bit helps, she said in her thank-you video.

IWU depends on the generosity of donors to bridge the gap between tuition and the actual cost of an Illinois Wesleyan education. To make your gift today, visit iwu.edu/give or call 1-800-689-9743.
Santa Clara, CA People exposed to certain types of toxic People exposed to certain types of toxic Lumber Liquidators' laminate flooring are potentially three times more likely to develop cancer than previously predicted, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry was notified February 13 of an error in its report released February 10, 2016, about the possible health effects from exposure to formaldehyde emitted from select laminate flooring samples.Health risks for people who have the laminate flooring are being revised to reflect greater exposure to formaldehyde, which could cause eye, nose, and throat irritation for anyone. The estimated risk of cancer associated with exposure to the flooring increased. Reportedly, the original calculations used an incorrect value for estimating the upper limit of cancer risk from exposure to formaldehyde present in Lumber Liquidators Chinese-made laminate floors. The agency stated that the value was about three times lower than it should have been.Consequently, the estimates suggest that the risk of cancer is six to 30 cases per 100,000 people. The CDC previously estimated two to nine cases per 100,000 people.While the company stopped selling the Chinese-made laminate floors in May, the CDC continues to recommend that people take steps to reduce their exposure.In California, the flooring company is facing a probe over possible charges claiming its China-sourced laminates have excessive levels of carcinogens.
Springfield, IL Despite more than 1,000 Despite more than 1,000 Propecia lawsuits filed against Merck, and mounting evidence that Propecia sexual complications can be permanent, the hair loss drug is one of the biggest sellers for many Internet pharmacies.

If a doctor isnt consulted first, the hair loss drug can be dangerous - some pharmacies are less scrupulous than others. Tony Sanders, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation , said an assistant attorney general who was pregnant was able to obtain Propecia (which is dangerous for pregnant women), which led to one of several lawsuits against online drugstores. Drugs [such as Viagra and Propecia] are in such high demand that people are willing to risk their health to get them, Sanders said. (Four drugstores sued for allegedly distributing without Illinois licenses are Mdhealthline.com, Rxclinic.com, Maleclinic.com and Expressrx.com.)Propecia is also dangerous for some men. A Propecia wrongful death lawsuit was filed last March against Merck in California federal court, claiming failure to warn of the dangerous Propecia side effects such as suicidality and suicide ideation. John Pfaffs Propecia side effects were not temporary. His wife, Kelly Pfaff, claimed in her lawsuit that Johns non-existent sex drive led to depression, which eventually led to his suicide.Propecia has changed my life for the worst, said Paul (not his real name) in an e-mail. My sexual problems started about a few years after taking the med, but I kept taking it because I had no idea Propecia caused sexual dysfunction. Paul stopped taking Propecia in 2013, ten years after he was first prescribed the hair loss drug.First my libido declined and after that I had erectile problems, Paul explained. I couldnt maintain an erection during intercourse with my wife and this led to marital problems - she thought I wasnt interested in her sexually anymore. She even thought I was cheating on her because I couldnt get aroused. These problems led to depression, memory loss and moodiness, said Paul. And his wife has suffered, but they have managed to stay together, but in a marriage without sex.When I found out that Propecia was to blame, I told my wife. Thank god she is so understanding, added Paul. And thank god she still loves me for more than sex. I believe that Merck owes us for almost destroying our family.
Defense team of inspector of the Kyiv patrol police department Serhiy Oliynyk, who was shooting at the BMW car while chasing it on streets of Kyiv at the night of February 6-7, demanded to correctly qualify actions of their defendant, as well as to hold an objective hearing of his case as a precedent.

Oliynyk's lawyer, Rostyslav Pukalo at a press conference in the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Monday said his defendant recognized that the bullet which fatally wounded BMW passenger was shot from his gun. At the same time, the lawyer said the prosecution silenced the facts that warning shots were fired and there was an attempt to murder the second policeman.

Pukalo said his defendant was entitled to regard the situation as a life threat to his partner, who actually got under the wheels of the BMW car.

Pukalo also stressed that the prosecution wrongly qualified Oliynyk's actions, as there was no intent of murder.

He said the defence would request various expert assessments to establish the truth in this case. Pukalo also said he expected a court to hear the appeal against Oliynyk's arrest next week.

In his turn, defense team's lawyer Serhiy Mitiurin said that "actions aimed at discrediting the police reform overall, and not only Oliynyk" were taking place.

As reported, on February 19 Kyiv's Pechersky district court arrested Serhiy Oliynyk until April 18.

Earlier Ukraine's Deputy Prosecutor General, Chief Military Prosecutor, Anatoliy Matios, said the suspicion with regard to power abuse was announced to Oliynyk.

The prosecution recalled that the criminal case regarding the death of a BMW car passenger during a patrol police hunt was opened under Article 365, Part 3 (power abuse) and Article 115, Part 1 (attempted murder) of Ukraine's Criminal Code.

On February 7, 2016, Kyiv policemen used weapons to detain the BMW car driver who provoked a chase on the streets of Kyiv. As a result, the passenger of the car was fatally wounded. Police officers involved in the pursuit and the detention were suspended from duty for the time of investigation.
The Verkhovna Rada leadership, heads of groups, factions, and parliamentary committees, and individual MPs will visit Brussels on February 29 through March 3 to participate in a series of events relating to the internal reform of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada, Dmytro Stoliarchuk, spokesperson of Rada's Speaker Volodymyr Groysman, said.

"The high-profile conference of the European Parliament and Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada on opportunities for reform will take place on February 29  March 3 in Brussels in the framework of the Ukrainian week in the European Parliament. The conference will be an interim result of many months of work of the European Parliament's mission led by ex-president of the EU Parliament Pat Cox. On Groysman's invitation the mission conducted an audit of Rada in order to develop further steps to reform it," Stoliarchuk told Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

He speakers at the conference will include Groysman, President of the EU Parliament Martin Schulz, Commissioner for the European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, Stoliarchuk said.

The Ukrainian week in the European Parliament will close on March 3. This day an extended meeting of the Bureau of the Ukraine-EU Parliamentary Committee and the final part of the conference will be held, he added.
Political parties in Ukraine will be funded exclusively from state budget from this year - Yatseniuk

To combat political corruption, the Ukrainian government will begin the financing of political parties, while funding from other sources will be limited, Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatseniuk has stated.

"It is unacceptable that the political parties or deputies are funded by businessmen or the so called oligarchs. We've decided that the financing of political parties exclusively from the national budget will start this year," Yatseniuk said on the air of the program "Ten minutes with the prime Minister."

The premier said that all the newly created agencies to combat corruption must firmly fight against any manifestations of political corruption - whether these are government members, deputies or other politicians.
- NCC says some Nigerians are unaware of cyber laws

- The commission urges Nigerians to use the internet with sense to avoid commuting offenses

The Nigerian communications Commission (NCC) has warned Nigerians that the cyberspace is not aan venue to promote hatred as there are laws guiding against such.

Mr Tony Ojobo

This was made known by Mr Tony Ojobo, the director of public affairs of the commission on Monday, February 22 during a discussion on what the new media has to do with cybercrime act.

READ ALSO: Senate makes clarification on social media bill

The programme which was part of the week-long Social Media Week was geared towards examining the issue of cybercrime and how it affects the new media.

Ojobo who was part of the discussant explained that a lot of laws were available which internet users have failed to familiarize themselves with. He noted that people misuse the cyberspace by making xenophobic, comments, hate speech which are contrary to what is allowed.

He cited an example that if a person receives contents that contained child pornography and shares with other persons using the internet; the person is likely to go to prison even though he did not produce the material.

Speaking with Legit.ng, The NCC public affairs director encouraged the use of the cyberspace with sense.

READ ALSO: Bill proposes tough penalty for social media abusers

Developed countries dont want regulation of the internet but it is necessary in developing countries to prevent cyber-crimes. Nigerians are not reading the law which is why media users, bloggers and journalist are sometimes sent to prison when they dont get their facts right.

Ojobo explained that the laws were not there to deny Nigerians their freedom of expression but to prevent people from inciting hatred.

Source: Legit.ng
Chinese Internet company LeEco, formerly LeTV Holdings Co Ltd, premiered its new brand and logo during the "Global Brand Upgrade" news conference held in Beijing on on Jan 12, 2015.Ablikim Ablimit, LeEco's vice-president of strategic planning and management, delivers a keynote speech on the event.[Photo/Provide to chinadaily.com.cn]

BEIJING -- Chinese online video website LeTV has filed a lawsuit against Internet giant Baidu for illicit competition, accusing the latter of blocking all advertisements while grabbing and playing the online stream of LeTV, a Beijing court said on Monday.

LeTV has been unable to acquire advertising revenue as the pre-roll, webpage and cut-in ads are blocked without authorization when users watch the LeTV online stream via the Baidu Video app, according to the Haidian District People's Court.

Because of the blocked ads, users only see videos without reference to LeTV, and will mistake Baidu as the source of the video, according to the indictment.

LeTV requested Baidu stop the illicit competition and asked for compensation of 1 million yuan ($153,400).

The court has accepted the case, without disclosing the hearing date.

Founded in 2004, LeTV, or Leshi Internet Information Technology Corp, is listed in Shenzhen, with total market value of around 100 billion yuan.
Europe's most luxurious high streets recorded another year of robust rental growth in 2015, according to research from Cushman & Wakefield. Rents on Via Montenapoleone in Milan expanded by 41.2% in a single year, making it the fastest growing high street rental market in Europe in Q4 2015, ahead of

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Green and Catella Real Estate have reached an agreement regarding the sale and acquisition of the retail property and underground parking garage located at Europaboulevard in Amsterdam, locally known as Flow Amsterdam. The purchase price amounts to over  26 million.

The building comprises ap...

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Zhang Mao, head of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, speaks during a press conference concerning China's business system reform held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 22, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

BEIJING, Feb. 22 -- China's business system reform has boosted growth of new businesses and jobs, according to a senior official on Monday.

Growth of new businesses rose from about 6,900 each day in 2013 to about 12,000 in 2015, with each new firm offering about seven job positions thanks to the business system reform, Zhang Mao, head of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, said at a press conference.

About 74.8 percent of the new businesses were in the service sector in 2015, up 1.5 percent year on year, which has helped facilitate economic restructuring, according to Zhang.

Over 90 percent of new businesses are set up by individuals as more people become entrepreneurial due to easier access and more government support, Zhang added.

China will keep cutting red tape to streamline processes such as applying for company names or trade marks, will and improve advertisement regulations, according to Zhang.

Business system reform started in 2013 to reduce administrative procedures, optimize market supervision and establish supporting platforms.
Amber Green, the manager of the London Energy Efficiency Fund (LEEF) and a division of specialist infrastructure fund manager Amber Infrastructure Limited, has invested over 83.4 million (65 million) of public funds to improve energy efficiency in over 76 public and private buildings across 9 London boroughs.

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Increased drive range will offer buyers an even better ownership experience

The 2020 Hyundai Kona EV for the European market will be offering a considerable increase in its overall drive range. From existing 449 km, the drive range of Kona EV on full charge has now been increased to 484 km. This is as per the WLTP (Worldwide harmonised Light vehicle Test Program) driving cycle. However, only the top-end variant variant equipped with 64 kWh battery pack and 204 hp electric motor will benefit from the range boost.

The Kona EV that is on sale in India employs a 39.2 kWh battery pack which supports a 136 hp electric motor. This powertrain configuration is not likely to receive any significant changes in the new model year. In its current form, the Kona EV for India has an ARAI rated range of 452 km on a full charge.

The lithium-ion polymer battery can be charged fully using a AC charger in about 6 hours and 10 minutes while a DC faster charger can charge it up to 80% in just 57 minutes. The compact electric crossover is claimed to reach 100 kmph from rest in 9.7 seconds.

Coming back to the Europe-specc 2020 Hyundai Kona EV, the automaker has not revealed how exactly the range extension has been achieved. It is believed that Hyundai has undertaken several efficiency enhancing measures including a tyres with lower rolling resistance than before to achieve the range boost. The powertrain hardware appears to be carried forward without any changes.

Hyundais Czech Republic factory will manufacture the Kona EV for the European market with an annual production capacity of 30,000 units. The South Korean brand is aiming to increase its market share (sales target of 80,000) in the old continents burgeoning electric vehicle market. Apart from the Kona, other Hyundai EVs on sale in Europe are Ioniq and Nexo (fuel-cell).

Back in India, the Hyundai Kona EV is positioned as a lifestyle product targeting affluent customers who wish to make a statement. The crossover is priced from 23.71 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The vehicle is being imported into India in the form of CKD kits from South Korea. With the government set to raise the custom duties of EVs coming via CKD route by 5% to 15% from April 1, 2020, the price is expected to increase proportionally.

Hyundai India has already started localising non-critical components like interior trim and some plastic parts for the Kona EV in a bid to off-set the raise in custom duty to some extent. Hyundai sold around 300 units of its premium EV in India last year and is aiming to sell 500 units in 2020.

The company is also actively working on establishing a local EV vendor environment to support its future sub-10 lakh electric vehicle.
The NHS could save 8.2 million a year on dental treatments -- the equivalent to 364,000 dental check-ups -- if all 12-year-olds across the UK chewed sugar free gum after eating or drinking, thanks to the role it plays in helping to prevent tooth decay.

So says a study involving researchers from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry published in the British Dental Journal.

Tooth decay is preventable but treating it is an increasing burden on the NHS and family finances. The latest Government figures show that young people in the UK experience unacceptably high levels of tooth decay and that it can have a real impact on their self-esteem as well as their health, with 35 per cent of 12 year olds reporting being embarrassed to smile or laugh due to the condition of their teeth.

New health economic research published in the British Dental Journal demonstrates that the NHS could save up to 2.8m on dental treatments per year if all 12-year-olds across the UK were to chew one additional piece of sugar free gum per day. This cost saving raises to a potential 3.3m if two pieces of sugar free gum were to be chewed per day by all 12-year-olds and to 8.2m for three pieces. This research is the first of its kind in the UK and was conducted by York Health Economics Consortium and Peninsula Dental School, University of Plymouth with support from The Wrigley Company Ltd.

Sugar free gum could be an easy and effective addition to families' oral health routines. The British Dental Health Foundation recommends that, while brushing for two minutes, twice a day is still the best way to keep teeth clean and healthy, for children over the age of seven, chewing sugar-free gum during the day can be extremely effective in breaking down lingering food, neutralising harmful plaque acids and reducing the risk of decay.

Chewing sugar free gum after eating and drinking increases the production of saliva, which helps to wash away food particles and neutralise harmful plaque acids which, over time, can weaken teeth and lead to tooth decay. It also promotes the remineralisation of tooth enamel. The important role of sugar-free gum in oral care is widely recognised and accepted by experts, dental associations and regulatory authorities around the world. The European Commission (EC) has approved five oral health claims for sugar-free chewing gum, one of the few food categories to gain such recognition. The oral care benefits of chewing sugar-free gum are also recognised by the World Dental Federation (FDI), and endorsed by the British Dental Health Foundation.

Professor Liz Kay of Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, and co-author of the study says: "The findings of this study are hugely exciting as they reveal a new and easy way of helping people improve their oral health. Crucially, whilst these figures are significant, they refer only to cost reductions for treating 12-year-olds in the UK; if this model was to be applied to the whole population then there is a real potential to create substantial NHS savings. Clinical evidence has already proved that sugar free gum can help prevent caries and now we can also see a clear financial advantage."

Dr Mike Dodds, Lead Oral Health Scientist at Wrigley comments: "This study demonstrates the role that sugar free gum can play in preventing dental decay. Wrigley is committed to supporting people across the UK to improve their oral health through the simple step of chewing sugar free gum after eating and drinking, especially while they're on the go."

The cost of dental disease in the UK

Each week, more than 1 million patients in the UK use NHS dental services -- many of them seeking treatment for dental disease, the consequences of which costs the NHS a huge 3.4bn a year. A 2013 study showed that 34% of 12-year-olds surveyed in the UK had obvious decay in their permanent teeth, while other studies have demonstrated that poor oral health as a child or adolescent can lead to poor oral health as an adult, creating a potentially vast NHS cost throughout the patient's lifetime, through the replacement of fillings and the implantation of crowns, bridges and prosthetics. A recent survey of hygienists and dentists found that they are most anxious about the state of their paediatric patients' oral health, with hygienists noting that teens were the second group of concern, making these age groups key targets for interventions.

In the UK, official oral care guidance has rarely explicitly mentioned sugar free gum. However the evidence described above suggests that the potential benefits of including sugar free gum in preventative oral health advice should be considered. With the NHS facing a huge funding gap, new solutions -- such as sugar free chewing gum -- need to be considered to help tackle the totally preventable problem of tooth decay.
The UN condemned escalating ethnic and political violence in South Sudan, especially in Upper Nile state where fighting between the Dinka and Shilluk tribes has spiked in the last three weeks. An attack on a refugee compound in Malakal killed 18 people and wounded an estimated 90 more. The UN operates this site where the February 17 attack by Dinka soldiers loyal to the government took place. UN facilities burned and looted. Two of the people killed in the attack worked for a medical NGO.

February 20, 2016: South Sudans government it was not involved in combat throughout the Upper Nile region. The government refrains from calling it Upper Nile state since the government divided it into three states. The government condemned the fighting the city of Malakal and said it was not involved in the fighting in Bahr el Ghazal. The government reiterated that they and the rebels have committed themselves to the peace agreement.

February 18, 2016: The South Sudan government ordered its soldiers to move out of the capital, Juba. Removing the army from the capital was part of the August 2015 peace agreement. Observers confirmed some troops left. There is a new army barrack area is 25 kilometers from Juba, as specified in the agreement. However, a number of troops live in the capital, so just how many have permanently left is not yet certain. A guard force remains. The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), which oversees the operational implementation of the agreement, said that both the government and the rebels have six weeks to complete the deployments. The rebels will deploy its own guard force of 3,000 fighters when rebel leader enters Juba and becomes, once again, South Sudans first vice-president. The new Transitional Government of National Unity (TGNU) cannot be formed until the deployments are completed and the rebel leader has moved into Juba.

In Sudan the SPLM-N (Peoples Liberation Movement-North) rebels claimed that the government launched three aerial bombing attacks on villages in the Nuba Mountains (South Kordofan state).

The UN condemned a bitter fight between the Shilluk and Dinka in Malakal, capital of South Sudans Upper Nile state. Some of the fighting occurred inside a UN run camp for refugees. Initial reports said that the fighting was between Dinka and Shilluk youth. However, many of the young men were armed with automatic weapons. The fighting started late on the evening of February 17 and continued through February 18. Some ethnic Nuer refugees in the camp were killed during the fighting. Witnesses said Dinka fighters killed the Nuer.

February 13, 2016: The rebels accused the South Sudan government of violating the ceasefire agreement by continuing to attack rebel bases and cantonment areas. This includes government forces attacking a base in Eastern Equatoria state on February 13 and a base in Western Equatoria state on February 12. The rebels also accused government forces of attacking Shilluk tribespeople in Upper Nile state and shelling a rebel garrison area south of Malakal (in Upper Nile state).

February 12, 2016: South Sudan rebels pointed out that government troops must be out of Juba before the rebel leader will return to the nations capital. Demilitarizing Juba is an essential step in fulfilling the August 2015 peace agreement. The rebel leader said he will not return to Juba until the government withdrawal is completed.

February 11, 2016: South Sudan announced that the rebel leader was officially reappointed to the post of first vice-president. This is required by the peace agreement. The warring parties were supposed to have formed a transitional government by January 22 but failed to do so. The rebels indicated that they believe they will succeed in forming a transitional government. However, the rebels remain bitterly opposed to the recent government decision to create 28 states in South Sudan. The rebels only recognize ten (the original states).

February 10, 2016: In Sudan the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) is no longer an effective umbrella organization for uniting all rebel groups with the goal of forcing major changes in the Sudan government. All the rebels despise Sudanese dictator Omar al Bashir. However, several of the SRFs original members have factionalized. Some have lost clout. An example of a much diminished organization is the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdulwahid Muhammad Al Nur (SLA-Abdulwahid, or SLA/A-N). Tribal divisions have weakened what was the main Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Eqwuality Movement (JEM).

February 9, 2016: UN peacekeepers report that over 23,000 people (60 percent of them children) have sought refuge from air raids and attacks in the Jebel Marra Massif region (North Darfur state). Air attacks could have only one source: the Sudan government.

February 8, 2016: In South Sudan the SSNLM (South Sudan National Liberation Movement) denied that the group has defected to the rebels. The SSNLM has around 8,000 fighters and its home base is Western Equatoria state. The SSNLM is sometimes called the Arrow Boys. The rumor that the group defected began after an armed dispute between the army and the SSNLM in January. The dispute was resolved.

February 2, 2016: In Sudan SPLM-N rebels claim it defeated Sudanese Army forces in a battle in the Kilgo Hills (Blue Nile state) suffering five wounded compared to 32 dead and 13 wounded government soldiers. If the numbers are accurate, it indicates the SPLM-N has a very thorough regional intelligence operation.

February 1, 2016: The South Sudan government and the rebels accused each other of numerous peace treaty violations throughout the country. The army said it believed the rebels were planning new attacks on the town of Lanyi (Mundri East region).

January 29, 2016: UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said that ending South Sudans civil war requires maintaining sustained political pressure on the South Sudan government and the rebels. He called on international donor nations and nations in the East African region to remain engaged.

January 28, 2016: The SPLM-N accused the Sudanese Air Force of bombing a rebel-controlled area in Blue Nile state. A Sudanese Antonov transport dropped ten barrel bombs on three villages, Malken, Ullu and Alrom.

In South Sudans newly created Sobat state armed men wearing uniforms similar to South Sudanese National Security police uniforms attacked security forces killing 24 and wounding another 25.

January 27, 2016: Rumors reported earlier this month in Sudanese media appear to be true. The South Sudan Army has acquired some shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. South Sudan wants the missiles to defend against air attacks by Sudan.
Diplomacy often operates in mysterious ways. Take, for example, the recent visit of the senior Iranian official (president Hassan Rouhani) to Italy. Rouhani trained as a cleric (like so many other Iranian leaders) but spent most of his time studying and teaching law. He earned a doctorate in law and a British university (in Scotland) between 1995 and 1999. He became quite familiar with Western culture. Since going into politics he has been working to develop better relations with the West while also trying to reduce the influence of Islamic conservatives over Iran politics and daily life. Many of the more radical of the Islamic radicals in the Iranian government consider it blasphemy for Rouhani to even visit the West. Some of these critics believed the visit makes Rouhani unfit to be president of Iran. This sort of accusation still carries some weight in Iran.

One thing Rouhani, and many Western diplomatic officials have learned from past visits by Iranian officials to the West is that if these visitors are photographed doing anything that could be interpreted (by Islamic conservatives back home) as blasphemous or un-Islamic the visiting official would face much criticism and loss of power and influence back home. Those who are many familiar about how this works, it was not surprising that when Rouhani visited (at his request) some museums full of centuries old statues and paintings the ones that showed any nudity had the naughty bits covered. While this seems absurd and demeaning to the average Westerners (and some Iranians) it is seen as a defeat by Islamic radicals in Iran waiting to pounce on Rouhani for viewing such decadent and un-Islamic art. Covering up the nakedness deprives Iranian Islamic radicals neutralizing or bringing down another Iranian reformer.

Sometimes what looks like a retreat is actually a victory. This applies in military as well as diplomatic affairs.
<p>Patty Ruiz</p>

Patty Ruiz woke up in the middle of the night to Bagheera, the family cat, clawing frantically at her head. Then she saw thick tentacles of smoke streaming into her bedroom. Her house, a mobile home in Pineville, Louisiana, was on fire. "Oh my God," she shrieked, leaping from bed. Patty Ruiz

Dodo Shows Little But Fierce Pocket-Sized Kitten Grows Up To Be A Wild Woman

Patty Ruiz

Ruiz charged out the back door. But her three young daughters were still inside. To get to them, she smashed windows with her bare hands. Jada, the 8-year-old, managed to get out through the window. Jasmine, 12, escaped too, with severe burns to her hands and face. That left Bagheera the cat inside. And Ruiz's youngest daughter, 6-year-old Jocelyn. Everybody called her Binks. Patty Ruiz

Patty Ruiz

"I just screamed for Binks to come to the window," Ruiz tells The Dodo, her voice still breaking with every breath. "Come to the window! Come to the window!" Perhaps it was fitting that they were still inside together. After all, Binks and Bagheera were inseparable. Patty Ruiz

Patty Ruiz

Abandoned as a kitten, Bagheera was adopted by the Ruiz family - and wasted little time becoming family. "You know sometimes, cats are jerks?" Ruiz asks. "Bagheera was the most loving, sweetest cat you'll ever meet." And she had no greater friend in the world than little Binks, who would push him around in a shopping cart. "He would just lay there with a blanket on him," Ruiz recalls. "He wouldn't try to jump out or get away. "When she went to her room, he would get on top of her dresser and just lay there and watch her fall asleep." He even dined at the kitchen table with the family. "We always set his bowl at the empty spot at the table," she says. Binks considered Bagheera her boyfriend. When she was mad at him, she would yell, "That's why I broke up with you!" Patty Ruiz

Patty Ruiz

But they could never really break up. There was too much love between them, Binks and Bagheera, her guardian angel. Until that night on February 3, when Patty Ruiz stood wailing outside the blazing family home. "It went up in a matter of minutes," she recalls. Binks never emerged from that fire. Her body was found by firefighters in that smoldering husk that was once their home. You can read her obituary here. And Bagheera? "For some reason, I didn't let him out that night," Ruiz says, pointing out that Bagheera liked to sleep in the rocking chair on the porch. "If he wouldn't have been there, I wouldn't have woken up. We would have all died. It was thanks to that crazy cat that we made it out." Fire investigators say his body wasn't found inside. Perhaps he fled at last through the open back door? Since the fire, Ruiz has canvassed the neighborhood relentlessly, even rallying local kids with the promise of a reward if they can find Bagheera. They set up cat traps with food as bait. They posted pictures and pleas to social media. Have you seen this cat? Patty Ruiz

Patty Ruiz
This is Mutka. Krista Aalto

He's been making funny faces ever since he was a puppy. Krista Aalto

Now, at 1-and-a-half years old, Mutka's a full-grown Great Dane, and his faces have only gotten sillier. Krista Aalto

It's because he has a level of energy that surpasses everybody around him. Krista Aalto

"He loves everyone and everything, and he's probably the happiest dog I have ever owned," Mutka's owner Krista Aalto, who's from Finland, told The Dodo. "He is always in a good mood!" Combine that high energy with a face that might as well be made of Muppet foam. That's Mutka. Krista Aalto

Dodo Shows Odd Couples Dog And Wild Dolphin Play Whenever They See Each Other

"Even though he is a huge derp, he is able to be pretty handsome, too," Aalto added. Krista Aalto

His good looks don't keep him from whipping out a ridiculous face like this. Krista Aalto

Mutka's name means "bend" in Finnish. Aalto gave him his name because he was born with a small kink in his tail. Krista Aalto

That's him and his little sis, Luna. They love each other. Krista Aalto

Even though their playtime can get a little wild ... Krista Aalto

... they always have each other's backs. Krista Aalto

Sometimes Mutka uses his funny faces to distract Luna during playtime, like in this photo, below. Krista Aalto



At times, that involves sticking out his ginormous tongue. Krista Aalto



Other times he just flaps his mouth parts around. Krista Aalto



Or his floppy ears. Krista Aalto



"Of course goofiness is understandable because he's still a young dog," said Aalto, "but there's something special in this dog!" Much of the time, Mutka's not even trying to make a goofy face. He's more focused on whatever exciting part of life is coming his way. Krista Aalto



Even when he misses. Krista Aalto



Keep on loving life, Mutka. With that kind of attitude, you've got many smiles ahead of you. Krista Aalto


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Along with China's Belt and Road Initiatives project comes huge financing needs. Funding requirements and reasonable design are two important parts of promoting and implementing the initiative.

As financing difficulties arose, the downward pressure of the Chinese economy increased. In addition, infrastructure is still inadequate in many areas of the country. Therefore, there has been skepticism over China's motives for promoting economic cooperation among countries along the proposed Belt and Road routes. Has China been disingenuously generous?

In fact, China's Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road are closely connected to the needs of the market. For domestic enterprises that want a bigger international market, the initiative provides good support and opportunities.

The economic needs and goals of China and the other states in the proposed economic belt are also complementary, according to the Chongqing Academy of Social Sciences, which conducted research on 65 countries' trade data over the course of 10 years.

As China provides a large number of loans financing "One Belt, One Road" projects, the country will indeed face economic pressure in the short term, said Zhao Xijun, deputy dean of the school of finance at Renmin University.

Zhao told People's Daily that the Chinese economy has been transforming its growth pattern from labor-intensive to capital-intensive. In the future, China can provide capacity and technology to other developing countries in exchange for market space. At the same time, China continues to introduce equipment, technology and personnel from developed countries, which will ultimately form a two-way flow of trade and investment.

American political scientist Francis Fukuyama said that if the One Belt, One Road initiatives meet Chinese planners expectations, Chinas model of development will blossom outside of China, raising incomes and demand for Chinese products in stagnating markets in other parts of the world. Rather than being at the periphery of the global economy, Central Asia will be at its core.

The article is edited and translated from the Chinese version of , source: People's Daily Overseas Edition, author: Wang Junling.
At the center of Peter Behrenss new novel, Carry Me, throbs the bloody heart of history. Whether in descriptions of men falling through the English skies from burning zeppelins or thugs marching a trouserless Jewish lawyer through the streets of Frankfurt, Germany, Behrenss prose thrills to the indelible and the irrevocable.

Consider what Hermann Billy Lange first sees and hears at the end of the Great War when hes deported from England with his Irish mother and German father: All around us people were calling Auf Wiedersehen!  the first German phrase I grasped the meaning of and would remember. How many million Auf Wiedersehens had been bawled and sobbed in Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof? The coal-smoky air was choked with Auf Wiedersehen, the impressive ironwork painted with it, the vaulting glass roof lacquered and smeared not only with pigeon s--- but also with Auf Wiedersehen. That Behrens colors Billys hopeful arrival with the taint of separation and sorrow is fitting because even if Billy will spend the better part of 20 years in Frankfurt, he  like the whole of Europe  isnt done with difficult farewells, not by a long shot.

[You may also enjoy The Law of Dreams, by Peter Behrens]

In the meantime, though, there are horses  beautiful, thundering beasts that pound down gorgeous racetracks and trot along paths through the forests of Billys idyllic new home. Its the beauty of the thing itself, their bright eyes and bright coats, the drumbeat of hooves, the squeaks and snorts of young thoroughbreds breathing hard. Under the direction of his father, Buck, and sponsored by his immensely wealthy godfather, Baron Hermann Weinbrenner, the racehorses of Weinbrenners estate flourish for a time, and so do just about all those connected to them. Billys mother helps build a magnificent art collection with the Barons wife; Billy meets and falls under the spell of the Barons fascinating daughter Karin; Buck  a former yacht captain who was accused of spying in England  doesnt just catch his breath, he thrives.

Unmitigated loveliness in 1920s Germany would be grotesque, but the reader, who has followed Billy and his family through severe challenges to get there, understands all too well that this will be only a temporary refuge. The fact that Billy and his family are gentiles, while the Baron and his family are Jews in possession of a sprawling estate, not to mention a world-class art collection, makes clear what horrors lie in store for them.

Behrens is so fine at both sweeping and granular evocations of history, so good at vividly and economically painting his minor players, that one wishes he had found a way to attend more effectively to all his characters. If Billy, who narrates, is well-rounded and compelling, the major figures around him dont always lift fully off the page. Even when they do  Billys mother, for example, is spirited, mysterious and brave in the face of Bucks imprisonment in the first half of the novel  they fade alarmingly, as if, having served their purpose, the book no longer needs them.

Most crucially, Karin, the great love of Billys life, remains a cipher all the way through Carry Me. Behrens might have done something interesting here around the subject of unrequited or even impossible love in a time of war, but he doesnt dig deeply enough. Even when Billy and Karin become lovers in 1938, she remains distant both to Billy and to the reader  not so much fascinatingly unknowable as frustratingly unknown. Her tendency to vanish for many pages of the novel after doing something striking, combined with Billys inherent reluctance to assert his desire, creates a kind of asymptote at the heart of their relationship that is never fully examined.

Something significant about their romance was apparently meant to have been suggested by their early shared love of the popular Wild West novels of the German writer Karl May and his depictions of El Llano Estacado, an actual region of the southwest United States. Behrens never makes clear, however, beyond occasional mentions, why this childhood obsession would continue to exercise Billy and Karin as rational, engaged adults. If history and Carry Me make it devastatingly clear why anyone would have wanted to get as far away from Germany as possible, Behrens doesnt convince us that El Llano Estacado would be the couples chosen destination.

Still, this doesnt keep Behrens from working more of his verbal magic or the reader from feeling a sense of vivid, if all too fleeting, hope: The past was behind us, Billy says. The Plymouth was taking us in the right direction, toward the future. Sage smelled like incense, and small, hasty, finely tuned animals were moving like our best dreams across open country.

Laird Hunt is the author, most recently, of Neverhome.
Dunya Mikhails life straddles the divide of exile. Its a divide reflected in the structure of her celebrated memoir, Diary of a Wave Outside the Sea. She published the first half in her native Iraq in 1995, but the deteriorating political climate soon forced her to leave. She picked up her story from abroad, in the United States, free but still yearning. In the first part, I could not say everything I remembered, she writes. In the second part, I could not remember everything I wanted to say.

Its a remarkable, winding work that ascends into dream visions and crawls through gory particulars of war. A childs perspective mingles freely with the poets mature voice, both baffled by the paradoxes of so much beauty and so much destruction.

Toward the end, safe in the United States, Mikhail writes:

I found a new soap with a wonderful refreshing scent,

Dunya Mikhail (Courtesy of New Directions)

but it still couldnt wash away the smell of gunpowder.

I am sorry I left you among the ruins.

I am sorry I left without saying goodbye.

I apologize to my new home, for carrying the ruins with me.

I apologize for not being able to be in two places at once.

I apologize to the war for avoiding its nightmares

by turning my face to the wall.

I apologize to the sirens

for preferring the sound of music

and the rhythm of water fountains.

I apologize for running to lose weight

instead of running to escape explosions.

I have left my friends, too

busy for their sufferings.

Life continues behind their backs.

I am sorry. Away from you,

I look at the blue spaces between skyscrapers

in the America of lottery tickets,

credit cards, and fast food.

I leave you

and I love you.

Mikhail was awarded the United Nations Human Rights Award for Freedom of Writing in 2001, and she now teaches at Oakland University in Michigan.

On March 2, Mikhail will be my next guest in the Life of a Poet series, co-sponsored by the Library of Congress, the Hill Center and The Washington Post.

[To reserve a seat, register here.]

This series, which is underwritten by National Capital Bank, offers a chance to consider a poets entire career during an hour-long conversation. In addition to asking Mikhail about her experiences in Iraq and the United States, Ill invite her to read from her three books available in English: Diary of a Wave Outside the Sea, The Iraqi Nights and The War Works Hard. The event will be followed by a reception, where Mikhails books will be offered for sale.

The event is free and open to the public, and you can register online at hillcenterdc.org to reserve seats at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington (two blocks from the Eastern Market Metro stop on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines). Come early and enjoy a light snack at the Bayou Bakery in the adjacent carriage house.

Call 202-549-4172 or contact me for details.

Ron Charles is the editor of Book World. You can follow him on Twitter @RonCharles.
On June 26, when the White House glowed rainbow colors after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, it was easy to be optimistic about the progress of gay rights. There are still deep potholes of bigotry across the landscape, of course, but the direction of history seems clear.

While writing her new novel, Tender, about a young Irishman in 1998 wrestling with his sexuality, Belinda McKeon was acutely aware of this welcome shift in attitudes. I was worried that it would seem like an old struggle that nobody wanted to listen to anymore, McKeon says from her home in Brooklyn. But no, this hasnt changed as much as you would think. Its possible to be out in Ireland the way it wasnt 15 or 20 years ago  much less 30 years ago, but theres still a way in which its hard.

[Review: What Belongs to You, by Garth Greenwell]

Tender provides a poignant look at one such conflict of desires in this progressive era. The story opens in Dublin when a college student named Catherine becomes so enamored of a young photographer that she can barely contain her wonder. James had given her so much, so many new things to think about, McKeon writes, things it had never really occurred to her to think about before. Like how little she knew about, well, everything, really. This is friendship in those fresh days of wide-eyed amazement. He was funnier than anyone shed ever met, Catherine thinks. Everything about him was so lit up by this brilliant, glinting comedy; he was so quick, and such a good mimic.

McKeon could have easily slipped into parody or riddled her narrative with dramatic irony, but instead she fills these early pages with cascading phrases that flex with the enthusiasm of young love. Inhale deeply and let your voice flow over this single indefatigable sentence that describes James meeting Catherine and her friends at an Andy Warhol exhibit: And then came the next moment, which was the moment when she saw who the person in the doorway was, and if her breath seemed to have gone as she danced under the helium pillows, as she wove and jumped and shouted in the silver stream, then it had not gone at all, there had been plenty of it, because it was gone now, and it was really gone, and she had gone still and the silver was plunging around her, and Zoe was still leaping, and James was there, a young, thin boy in the doorway, no, a boy who looked somehow at once both young and old, his red hair grown high and grown messy, into huge, tumbling curls, his skin pale, his freckles faded, his smile nervous, and hesitant, and moving, now, his lips were moving, as he said her name.

Author Belinda McKeon (Alen MacWeeney)

McKeon captures that rare germination of affection that can suddenly change the whole landscape of ones life. Just weeks after theyre introduced by mutual friends, Catherine and James have developed a stash of inside jokes from films they love and private phrases from odd things people have said to them. As an 18-year-old virgin who would rather put off sex, Catherine isnt curious about Jamess chaste demeanor. Whats to object to? Here, finally, after suffering the grunts and shrugs of high school, is a boy who could talk. In fact, outside of television, she had never heard a boy talk so sincerely, so emotionally, before.

We suspect long before Catherine does, but when James comes out to her  shattering what she worries might be a marriage proposal  she does her best to sputter, Im so glad you told me. And yet shes immediately jealous, first of other friends James has already told and then of any potential boyfriends he might pursue. Having a Gay Best Friend isnt the giddy thrill Catherine hoped it would be. As the narrative begins to break down into isolated sentences and impressions, McKeon follows her troubled and troubling behavior. While James slowly gains the confidence to come out of the closet, Catherine retreats into a dark realm of possessiveness, which, to her shame, is just as poisonous as the homophobia James is trying to escape.

Its excruciating to watch this once happy young woman devolve into such a conflicted, destructive character, and its even more unsettling to learn that her story was inspired the authors actual experience. There are layers here that raise complicated questions about the tension between autobiography and fiction, confession and art.

With her lightly inflected Irish accent, McKeon notes that she had a very close friendship when she was in college that eventually became more than a friendship. We leaned on each other in ways that turned out not to be good for each other, she says. It was always something I wanted to write about.

But how, I wonder, does one write a novel about betrayal without committing that betrayal again?

Writers are monsters, McKeon admits with a gentle laugh. You have to keep writing until you get beyond the rawness, and then you can stand over it. I had to sort of take my courage in my hands and take the risk. It took me four years. I didnt talk to anybody, except my husband, about it while I was writing it. And many times I panicked and thought, I cant do this. 

What finally saved her  and her novel  is the fact that she wasnt writing a memoir.

Even though it started from that autobiographical source, she says, having life to draw on turned out not to be enough. You still have to write the thing. Thats hard no matter how much raw material you think you might have. Later, via email, she adds, Much of the actual texture of the narrative is fictional. It had to be, in order for the story of these two characters to work as a novel: Life doesnt have the shape of story.

Still, McKeon readily admits that she was nervous about telling her old friend that she had written a book based on their painful, private experience. We met in Dublin, and he was very generous about it, she says. He was amazing about it.

McKeon brings this story to a close with such tenderness and honesty that her friends gracious response isnt entirely surprising. Anybody can feel the real life pulsing through this novel about misaligned affections. But thats not history  thats art.

Ron Charles is the editor of Book World. You can follow him on Twitter @RonCharles.
Douglas Slocombe, the chameleonic British cinematographer who filmed the Nazi invasion of Poland, the adventures of Indiana Jones and the madcap farce of English-made Ealing Studios comedies of the late 1940s and early 50s such as Kind Hearts and Coronets, died Feb. 22 in London. He was 103.

The cause was complications from a recent fall, said his daughter, photographer Georgina Slocombe.

Mr. Slocombe was one of British cinemas most prodigious cinematographers. He shot about 80 films, working with directors as varied as George Cukor (Travels With My Aunt, 1972), John Huston (Freud, 1962), Norman Jewison (Jesus Christ Superstar, 1973, and Rollerball, 1975 ) and Roman Polanski (The Fearless Vampire Killers, 1967).

He contributed to Steven Spielbergs Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and the director later hired him for three extremely popular films  Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).

Dougie Slocombe was facile, enthusiastic and loved the action of filmmaking, Spielberg said. Harrison Ford was Indiana Jones in front of the camera, but with his whip-smart crew, Dougie was my behind-the-scenes hero for the first three Indy movies.

Douglas Slocombe was born in London on Feb. 10, 1913, and he was raised mostly in Paris, where his father, George, was a highly regarded correspondent for British newspapers. George Slocombe also had been a prominent chronicler of the rise of Mohandas K. Gandhi in India.

The younger Slocombe, meanwhile, attended an international boarding school near Versailles, France, and recalled coming home on weekends to find his parents apartment filled with leading figures of the cultural world, including Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce, whom he recalled tinkering on the Slocombe piano.

He earned a degree in mathematics from the Sorbonne in Paris, but his preoccupations included photography and film. When a work permit did not come through for a French movie production, he shifted to journalism in London and rapidly established himself as a freelance photographer.

I had fallen in love with photography and was making a living doing photographic features for publications such as Picture Post, Paris Match and Life magazine, he told the BBC a few years ago. But in 1939 I saw a huge headline which I think was in the Sunday Express. It said: Danzig  Danger Point of Europe. I packed up my Leica, got on a train and went.

Meeting up with documentary filmmaker Herbert Kline, Mr. Slocombe documented the German invasion of Poland and the semiautonomous region then known as the Free City of Danzig (now the Baltic Sea port of Gdansk, Poland).

I found myself right in the middle of an absolute hotbed of Nazi intrigue, Mr. Slocombe told the BBC. All the Jewish shops had Jude daubed over the windows and the Jews themselves were attacked. The Nazi Brownshirts marched up and down the streets in formation  as did the Hitler Youth, with little daggers in their socks.

Mr. Slocombe and Kline made their way through Poland by nighttime train. He recalled that the train lurched to a sudden stop in the countryside and, correctly anticipating strafing by German airplanes, he and Kline leapt out of the carriage window and crawled under the car with their camera equipment.

They filmed a young girl being whipped by gunfire, an image that endured in his mind for the rest of his life. She died within minutes, he later said. I hated it. It was the first time Id filmed anything like that. She was so young and pretty.

They eventually escaped back to London by way of Stockholm. Mr. Slocombes footage was featured in Klines 1940 acclaimed documentary, Lights Out in Europe, about the outbreak of war.

Kline introduced Mr. Slocombe to officials at Ealing Studios, which had an arrangement with the British Ministry of Information allowing camera operators to film aboard warships for morale and propaganda films. Mr. Slocombe spent much of the war doing just that, launching his 17-year association with the studio.

Mr. Slocombe began his feature-film career in earnest with the solid wartime drama The Captive Heart (1946), the noted thriller It Always Rains on Sunday (1947) and the prestigious color production Saraband (1948).

His Ealing career reached its apex with Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), considered one of the greatest dark comedies ever made. It was a tour de force for Alec Guinness, who played multiple members of an aristocratic family all killed off by a distant relative (Dennis Price) hoping to attain a dukedom.

Mr. Slocombe continued as a house cinematographer for Ealing, working on such comic classics as The Man in the White Suit and The Lavender Hill Mob, both made in 1951 and starring Guinness.

It was rather like a school in a way, he later told the London Independent about Ealing. We all knew each other very well . . . and a lot of our discussions took place at the end of the days shooting, in the Red Lion. We would stay until closing time every night.

As you know, the comedies were only a part of the output, but it is the comedies that one remembers. Most of the serious films had this slightly artificial quality: they very much reflected the national characteristics  this strange quality that we have over here, so that every man always behaves as if his flies are undone.

Following Ealings demise, Mr. Slocombe remained extremely busy in fare that ran the gamut of quality. His credits included the moody drama The Servant (1963); The Lion in Winter (1968), starring Peter OToole as King Henry II; the crime film The Italian Job (1969), featuring Michael Caine; the 1974 adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby, with Robert Redford in the title role; and the James Bond movie Never Say Never Again (1983), starring Sean Connery.

Mr. Slocombe was nominated for three Academy Awards  for Travels With My Aunt, based on Graham Greenes novel; Julia (1977), from a story by Lillian Hellman; and Raiders of the Lost Ark. The British Society of Cinematographers gave him a lifetime achievement award in 1995.

His wife, Muriel, predeceased him. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available.

A lot of cameramen try to evolve a technique and then apply that to everything, Mr. Slocombe once said. But I suffer from a bad memory and could never remember how Id done something before, so I could always approach something afresh. I found I was able to change techniques on picture after picture.
How do you shake up the concert experience in a field that depends on you listening, with focus, to people making music? The classical music world is actively looking for an answer. In November, Mason Bates, the Kennedy Centers composer-in-residence, offered one solution when he launched his KC Jukebox series, filling three separate spaces with different kinds of music and letting the audience (with drinks) mill among them. On Monday, he presented his second concert, this time in the Theater Lab  and unwittingly demonstrated just how hard it is to break the mold.

[Composer throws the Kennedy Center a great party.]

Novembers concert was about ambient music; Mondays concert, Of Land and Sea, was more about ambiance. The idea was that all the works on the program related to specific places in the world, from Peru  evoked in the short vignettes of Gabriela Lena Franks string quartet Milagros  to the ocean, which Kevin Puts addressed in his pretty but long-winded Seven Seascapes.

The experience was mitigated through the use of dramatic lighting, videos, recorded sounds in between the works  the rush of water; the insects in a rain forest  and program notes projected onto screens behind the stage. These were meant to fill in the dead time when the stagehands were setting up for the next piece, but sometimes they seemed only to prolong it.

Had Bates not led with such a dramatic opening salvo in November, the concert might have seemed more striking. As it was, varied though the music was, the evening felt long. Not that there was anything wrong with the performance. A perk of this series so far has been the chance to see National Symphony Orchestra musicians in a different light (literally, thanks to the lighting effects playing over the stage floor). Fresh off the plane from their European tour, the young members of the Last Stand Quartet, NSO musicians all, plunged with conviction into Franks elegant evocations. Aaron Goldman and Abel Pereira, the principal flute and horn, balanced long lines against Lisa Emenheisers piano in the Puts piece; and Loren Kitt, the principal clarinet, added his voice to the propulsive rhythms in Batess own Red River, which close the program.

The concerts highlights  the things that brought most energy to the stage  were two early percussion pieces by Christopher Rouse, played by a group that included three percussionists from the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. The quartet Ku-Ka-Ilimoku evoked Hawaii; Ogoun Badagris, for five players, the spirit of voodoo, wild and exuberant and concluding with a bracing yell that sent a frisson through the room. Music, itself, can be exciting. The challenge is finding ways to bring that message across, and to capture, in the concert hall, the energy that pulsed through the foyer at the very loud after-party, with complimentary daiquiris, afterwards.

The third concert in the KC Jukebox series, New Voices, Old Muses, is April 18.
Lynn Nottage wasnt able to attend the closing matinee of her play Sweat on Sunday at Arena Stage, but she had a good excuse: The playwright was in London, accepting the 2016 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for best English-language play written by a woman.

At a ceremony attended by about 180 people at Londons National Theatre, actress Tanya Moodie, one of this years judges, announced that Nottage had won. Sweat, one of 200 plays nominated in 2015 by theaters in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa, was commissioned by Arena Stage and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where it debuted last year.

In her acceptance speech, Nottage made a point of referencing the difficulties female playwrights still face  both logistical and philosophical.

We have to continue to write fiercely, she said. This is an honor that I have waited a long time for. Thank you. I took a flight from New York and left my kids by themselves, thats how badly I wanted to be here. I hope they are still alive when I return.

Nottage wrote Sweat after spending time in Reading, Pa., a city she had been surprised to see the New York Times designate as the poorest in America. She met many residents, but she focused her play on two blue-collar women, one white and one black, who have worked together for years at the same factory. When the company seeks to downsize and move manufacturing jobs to Mexico, racial tensions flare, and families with no social safety net fall apart.

Jonathan Tuzman. (Julie Napear Photography)

Sweat was nominated for the award by Arena Stage and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The Blackburn Prize managers assembled reading groups in New York and London to evaluate scripts from their respective sides of the Atlantic. Each group picked five to seven plays and then swapped scripts to come up with 10 finalists. In addition to Moodie, the six final judges were British critic Kate Bassett, director Jeremy Herrin, actress Greta Gerwig, director Sam Gold and playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.

All the Blackburn finalists received a $5,000 prize. (Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks was a finalist for Father Comes Home From the Wars, now at Round House Theatre, but couldnt be at the ceremony.) As the winner, Nottage received $25,000 and a signed print made by the Dutch artist Willem de Kooning especially for the prize. De Kooning knew Blackburn, a British actress who died of cancer in 1977. In 1978, Blackburns sister Emilie Kilgore raised funds and began bestowing the prize in her honor.

My aunt always said that women dont need more help from society, but society needs more help from women, Kilgores son Alex said Tuesday.

[Nottage and Parks talk shop, politics as their new dramas come to D.C.]

Come sing along

For nearly 15 years, Jonathan Tuzman has been one of many tireless  but unseen  musicians in Washingtons pit orchestras.

This week, Tuzman finally takes the spotlight in his own musical undertaking, and hed like you to come sing along.

Broadway Your Way debuts Wednesday night at the Georgetown Piano Bar on M Street, with Tuzman at the piano, his iPad at the ready for requests. Just a few years ago, he would have had to lug massive binders of sheet music around to pull off a night like this. Now he can pull up scores on his iPad while people singing along can read the lyrics off their phones.

Tuzman will take requests the old-fashioned ways  hollering out a favorite or slipping him a note with a tip. But you also can use Twitter, Facebook or even PayPal to get a message to appear on Tuzmans iPad screen. Then Ill have my next song, he said.

Washington does have cabarets, including La-Ti-Dos Monday night gatherings at Bistro Bistro. But when he plays for La-Ti-Do, Tuzman cant take requests. At Broadway Your Way, he hopes to foster a special communal setting with no set list or cover charge.

There is no fourth wall at the piano bar. And I dont mean theres no fourth wall because we are doing Brecht or something, he cracked.

When hes not performing in pit orchestras  next up is a gig playing guitar in American Idiot at the Keegan Theatre in the District  Tuzman teaches voice and plays at private parties. His show-tune repertoire is wide, with everything from Sondheim to Dream Girls to Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The full score to Mirandas hit musical Hamilton may not be available yet, but Tuzman says he has just about figured out Youll Be Back, the number Jonathan Groff sings as King George. Its the most singable song in the show, Tuzman said, perhaps as a challenge.

New life for old bar

Baltimores former Hott Spott Lounge may no longer have a bar, but Center Stage hopes it will soon become a happening place for theater fans to hear new plays. The first of two free Playwright Showcases will be Monday at the former nightclub at 830 Guilford Ave., with a second set March 21.

The erstwhile Hott Spott is serving as a rehearsal space while Center Stage undergoes renovations, and dramaturge Gavin Witt is organizing the showcases between shows.

Until a week ago, there was still a bar there, but we needed to make the space as rehearsal-friendly as possible, said Center Stage spokeswoman Cassandra Miller.

The showcase Monday will feature works by local playwrights Alvin Eng, Craig S. Richie and Rachael Knoblauch. For March 21, Witt picked plays by Taffety Punk collaborator Liz Maestri and University of Maryland professor Jennifer Barclay.


Detroit-Style Pizza. (Goran Kosanovic/For The Washington Post)

Sorry, Chicago, this story isnt about you. Or, to be more accurate, Chicago has a part to play, but not with its famous deep-dish pizza, characterized by a cornmeal-and-flour dough that resembles a pie crust, filled with layers of cheese, vegetables and meat, and topped with a thick layer of tomato sauce. Comedian Jon Stewart once ranted that Chicagos deep dish is not pizza. This is tomato soup in a bread bowl.

In cities across the Midwest, there are people intensely loyal to their local pizza who might agree with Stewart. Deep dish is not necessarily king  but these Midwesterners would also say that New Yorks pizza isnt, either. In fact, although a traditional Neapolitan pizza might be the go-to recipe for homemade pies across the country on any given Friday night, it can be difficult to replicate its wood-fired thin crust in the home kitchen, while Chicagos deep dish requires more time to prep and bake. If youre looking for pizzas that are focused on flavor and highlight truly American ingredients, look to the industrialized cities of the Rust Belt, where pizza is not a tourist attraction: Its a meal.

[Make the recipe: Detroit-Style Pizza]

Greg Mohr was not necessarily intimidated by Chicagos storied pizza when he and his business partner, Scott Weiner, decided to introduce a new pizza to the Windy City. Deep dish is certainly the most popular tourist pizza but not the go-to pizza for most locals. When Mohr and Weiner opened Roots Handmade Pizza in 2011 in Chicagos Ukrainian Village neighborhood, their focus was on Quad Cities-style pizza, a pie made with a malt syrup-laced crust and spicy sauce that Mohr grew up eating in Rock Island, Ill., one of the places along the border of Iowa and Illinois known as the Quad Cities region.

I grew up on a style of pizza that I didnt know was any different than other places until I moved away, says Mohr. People in the QC dont call it Quad Cities style, they just call it pizza.



Shawn Randazzo of Detroit Style Pizza Company says Midwestern pizza styles are about to get the recognition they deserve. They all represent a unique history and style, he says. (From Shawn Randazzo)

A few hours drive away, in Detroit, Shawn Randazzo grew up with a similar experience but a completely different kind of pizza, now referred to as Detroit-style, resembling Chicagos version insofar as its baked in a pan and topped off with tomato sauce. But the similarities end there.

Randazzo says that Midwestern pizzas time has come, whether its from Detroit, St. Louis or the Quad Cities area. They all represent a unique history and style, he says. I think in the next few years theres going to be a huge awareness of these different pizzas and the stories they tell. Theres more to pizza than just cheese and sauce.

When the former pizza delivery driver and his mother bought a local pizza franchise in a Detroit suburb in 1997, Randazzo decided he needed to learn more about the pizza business, attending industry events and eventually entering a competition at the North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show in Columbus, Ohio, in 2009. I was really shocked that no one else was making the same kind of tray-style pizza that I was making, with the cheese spread all the way across the top and caramelized, he recalls. Other competitors made sarcastic remarks when he told them it was Detroit-style pizza, joking, Does it have bullets in it?

Randazzo ended up having the last laugh, winning first place out of 70 competitors, and then went on to be crowned World Champion Pizza Maker in 2012 at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Winning those competitions added fuel to my fire, says Randazzo, who opened Detroit Style Pizza Co. in Saint Clair Shores in 2012. I thought, this is a way to put Detroit in a positive light. 

[Make the recipe: St. Louis-Style Pizza]

In St. Louis, the local pizza, made with a crispy yeast-free crust and a processed cheese called Provel, tends to spark nostalgia among the natives but can be puzzling to outsiders, who may be turned off by the idea of processed cheese on pizza. The crust and Provel have to be together to make it a St. Louis pizza, says Miguel Carretero, owner of Guidos Pizzeria and Tapas in St. Louis. Provel is a St. Louis institution. We even put it on salad.

Although Quad Cities and Detroit pizza ingredients can be sourced pretty easily here in the Washington area, a St. Louis expat craving a taste of home hasnt always had it so easy. Dating to the 1940s, Provel is made from white cheddar, provolone, Swiss cheese and a touch of smoke flavor and is difficult to find outside St. Louis. Now, however, through the magic of the Internet, Provel can be shipped right to your door.

That turn of events has been a game changer for Dawn Reeves, allowing her to finally make the pizza of her childhood, 800 miles from her hometown. Now living in Takoma Park, Md., Reeves grew up eating St. Louiss famous Provel-smothered pizza, a dish that brings back taste memories. When I was a kid, we used to go to this pizza place that no longer exists called Luigis. My parents went there a lot, and they also took my sister and I there with them, she says. When I think of it, it just brings back a really good feeling. I can see its dark wood and turquoise curtains and almost taste the pizza, which my parents would always order with hamburger and onion, light on the tomato sauce.

Although pizza may be, in the general sense, just dough, cheese and tomato sauce, the truth is that there are pizzas being made in towns across the United States that reflect their origins, far beyond the well-known varieties from Chicago, New York and New Haven, Conn., evoking taste memories for locals that they take with them no matter where they settle as adults.



Traditional St. Louis-Style Pizza is topped with a unique processed cheese called Provel. (Goran Kosanovic/For The Washington Post)

In St. Louis, a big part of the taste memory is that Provel cheese, forming a gooey blanket over a sweet tomato sauce on top of a thin crackerlike crust, the whole cut into small squares, known as party-cut. A pared-down pizza, its a first-rate foil for a local commodity  beer  perfectly matched with the crisp American lager being brewed at Anheuser-Busch, just down the street from places like Guidos. Even Reevess husband, Jonathan, head brewer at Port City Brewing in Alexandria, Va., says there are things that call for a Bud, and St. Louis pizza is one of them.

When Jonathan and I got married, we had our rehearsal dinner at a place called Ciceros and served St. Louis-style pizza, Dawn Reeves says. I think I would have served pizza at the wedding if I could have gotten away with it.

At Louis Pizza just outside Detroit, Chianti is the drink of choice to accompany Detroit-style pizza, with its thick, airy crust, similar to focaccia. The local pizza, based on a Sicilian version called sfinciuni, is especially characterized by its heavy baking pans, which can be traced to Detroits auto industry. Gus Guerra, credited with inventing the Detroit style of pizza just after World War II, is said to have used an automotive parts tray (a square pan made of blue steel) that he got from a friend who worked in an auto plant. Randazzo has since worked with Lloyd Pans to develop a heavy anodized coated-aluminum version just for the pizzas, and for sale to home cooks. Investing in a specific baking pan to make authentic Detroit pizza at home seems a small price to pay once you consider that youd need to install a coal-fired oven to get that light coating of soot on a New Haven-style pizza, or that a properly fired Neapolitan crust must be blasted at 900 degrees to create the perfect crunch.

[Make the recipe: Quad Cities-Style Pizza]

Other pans work, says Randazzo, but the integrity of the pizza is better when its baked in a heavier pan, giving the color, texture and crunch that give the Detroit-style pizza that caramelized exterior.

Its not only about the pan, however. Also crucial is the cheese, a blend of traditional mozzarella with Wisconsin brick, a washed-rind cheese created in the 1870s by a Swiss-born American cheesemaker. With a somewhat higher fat content than the American cheddar that inspired the original recipe, the brick cheese helps contribute to the buttery flavor often ascribed to Detroit-style pizza: The shredded cheese is spread from edge to edge across the dough, dripping down as it bakes to form a rich, caramelized crust. People fight to get the corner pieces, says Randazzo, laughing.



Quad Cities-Style Pizza. (Goran Kosanovic/For The Washington Post)

Cold-fermenting the dough also helps to develop more flavor and texture, a process that Detroit-style pizza has in common with the Quad Cities version. Barley malt plays a role in both, as well, not necessarily a surprise in Americas heartland, where barley is a major crop. Diastatic malt powder can be used in place of sugar in Detroits pizza dough to help give the dough a better rise; a heavy dose of malt syrup gives the Quad Cities dough a decidedly rich flavor, forming the base for a pizza that also features tomato sauce and finely ground sausage, both distinctively spiced to form layers of flavor.

At first, Quad Cities native Mohr says, I couldnt judge if I was being overly nostalgic or if the pizza was really that good. But when he introduced his business partner to his hometown pizza, Weiners reaction was unequivocal, according to Mohr: His exact words were, Oh, yeah, were doing this, after his first bite.

Hartke is a food writer and editor in Washington. Shell join Wednesdays Free Range chat at noon: live.washingtonpost.com.
China will soon open 19 new duty-free shops for domestic consumers, a move aimed at catering to the increasingly sophisticated demand from Chinese citizens for overseas products, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday.

The decision about the new shops has been approved by the State Council. The 19 shops will be located in 13 airports, including Guangzhou Baiyun, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Chengdu Shuangliu and Qingdao Liuting, as well as six ports in Shenzhen and Zhuhai, Guangdong province and also in Heihe, Heilongjiang province.

Passengers can carry duty-free goods worth up to 8,000 yuan, up from the previous 5,000-yuan limit. The new shops are expected to offer a wider selection of overseas products so that outbound travelers can make purchases after they arrive at airports or ports.

The duty-free shops will sell infant formula, diapers, bags, suitcases, cosmetics and skin care products. However, each buyer will be limited to no more than four tins of baby formula.

In recent years, the number of Chinese outbound tourists has seen continuous growth. In 2014, Chinese citizens made more than 100 million overseas trips and spent more than 1 trillion yuan. During the 2016 Spring Festival travel season, outbound tourists numbered up to 6 million, hitting a record high.
Dear Miss Manners: I finally signed up with a popular social media site at the request of my two sisters, one who lives abroad and the other one 1,500 miles away. They both wanted to be updated on my family and daughters events.

However, due to my busy schedule, I want to limit the number of my friends on social media to 10 people, mostly very close family and friends of my daughter.

I have received a friend request from a person I carpool to work with. I do not want to increase my social media friends list. Should I accept the invite, even if it means having 11 friends? Or what is a polite way to decline?

Most social media sites save users the trouble of figuring out how politely to say I dont want to be your friend by allowing them to decline without actually informing the person making the request. Miss Manners does not agree with this implementation; she does agree that you are not bound to engage in unwelcome social interactions.

Dear Miss Manners: A cousin who remarried informed me that not only has she taken her husbands last name, but she has also changed her first name. A friend did this some years ago but answers to both first names, old and new.

Is it recommended to honor the new first-name identity and offensive to retain the familiar first name? Retroactive first-naming feels like losing ties that bound  especially when one interacts infrequently, over long distances!

Changing first names upon marrying is a new idea to Miss Manners. She wonders if it is the brides intention, by changing her entire name, to loosen old ties by disappearing. But assuming this is not the case, it is correct to address her by her new name.

Dear Miss Manners: I have a co-worker who is late to work almost daily. Two or three times a week, the co-worker makes herself even later by stopping to pick up coffee or breakfast sandwiches.

She calls the office while driving to pick up the items, to see if anyone would want her to get anything, with the expectation that she wishes to be repaid despite this being an effort to apologize for being late.

Im just curious, if I am ever running late myself, which would be more appropriate: to be late and empty-handed, or to be even later with a snack in hand?

Your question, even if facetious, raises a genuine issue: To whom is an apology due from a late co-worker? Her colleagues, including yourself, may feel wronged, either because their own work  or workload  may suffer in consequence, or because it is unfair that standards of timeliness are not applied uniformly. Or they may not care, and appreciate the catering.

But it is the business that is being harmed, and therefore it is the boss to whom the co-worker first owes an apology. It is also the boss to whom you and your colleagues can take their complaints. One assumes that the boss would rather have a laborer than a latte, free or otherwise.

New Miss Manners columns are posted Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays on washingtonpost.com/advice. You can send questions to Miss Manners at her website, missmanners.com.


Adi Rukun and his mother in "The Look of Silence," a film by Joshua Oppenheimer (Drafthouse Films and Participant Media)

Horror movies have nothing on the terrifying reality of Joshua Oppenheimers documentaries.

The Act of Killing, released in 2012, and last years The Look of Silence revisit the Indonesian genocide of 1965-1966. As many as 1 million civilians were slaughtered, and the killers were never prosecuted. Instead, they ascended to the highest posts in government and lorded their violence over a populace thats been scared into silence.

In Oppenheimers movies, the perpetrators are only too happy to describe strangling, beating and butchering their victims, not to mention what its like to drink the blood of the dead.

But thats only part of the story. Now that the movies are released and The Look of Silence, like its predecessor, is up for an Oscar for best documentary, Oppenheimer is ready to champion a cause  and its not the usual awards-season self-promotion.

When something as seemingly frivolous as an Oscar nomination shines a spotlight on the film, you want to use that moment to make as big a difference as possible, he explained during a recent trip to Washington. So hes spreading the word that the Indonesian genocide isnt just Indonesian history  its also American history.

You see, the U.S. government had a role in the massacre, which targeted Communists during the Cold War (although many of the murdered had no affiliation with PKI, the Indonesian Communist Party). Theres proof that the American Embassy gave Indonesias military lists of names of suspected Communists and was aware of the scale of the violence. But the dirtiest details of our countrys role will remain a mystery until secret government documents are declassified.

And thats proving extremely difficult.



Director Joshua Oppenheimer: When something as seemingly frivolous as an Oscar nomination shines a spotlight on the film, you want to use that moment to make as big a difference as possible. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

So on a recent Tuesday morning, Oppenheimer appeared at the Dirksen Senate Office Building to meet with three Foreign Relations Committee staffers. It was the next step in getting more lawmakers to support a resolution by committee member Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) to acknowledge the U.S. role in the events, unseal relevant documents and encourage Indonesia to form a truth commission.

Oppenheimer showed up a little later than expected carrying an enormous backpack. Hes almost monklike in appearance and demeanor. Bald and wide-eyed yet soft-spoken and serene, he comes across as both brilliant and a little dreamy.

But sit him in front of an audience, and Oppenheimer commands attention. He speaks in expertly honed talking points that include multiple incantations of his four-word mantra  truth, justice and reconciliation.

To his right, John Sifton of Human Rights Watch occasionally interjected with incredulous addenda.

The documents are 50 years old, Sifton said, riling himself up in support of Oppenheimer. Let it go!

And to Oppenheimers left sat Adi Rukun, the gentle, sweet-faced hero of The Look of Silence. The movie follows the optometrist as he visits a handful of perpetrators, ostensibly to check their eyes, but also to ask them about their roles in the murders.

A translator whispered into Rukuns ear as he sat motionless, his head slightly cocked. His impassive expression and slightly furrowed brow were identical to the look he bore in the movie while watching Oppenheimers video footage  footage of men describing in grotesque detail how they tortured and murdered his brother.

But how much of a difference can a movie really make?

It turns out, quite a lot. Oppenheimers documentaries have already had an effect in Indonesia, where they are available free online, although the movies are officially banned.

Indonesians who had been too afraid to talk about the genocide are finally speaking up. And those who believed the government-sponsored propaganda and whitewashed textbooks  which declared the slaughter a heroic act  are seeing things differently. Rukun, meanwhile, has become something of a celebrity, and for the first time in his life, he feels liberated.



The Look of Silence depicts an Indonesian classroom where students are being taught that the killings of 1965-1966 were a good thing. (Drafthouse Films and Participant Media)

Before making the movie, we were always afraid, he said, with Oppenheimer translating. We were always being intimidated, extorted, threatened and terrorized, and making this film and speaking out about this was a way to stop those terrifying conditions.

According to historian Bradley Simpson, an associate professor at University of Connecticut, The Act of Killing was a rather large pebble in a much longer stream of work by scholars and activists dating back to 1998.

What it has done is provide a widely available counternarrative to the state-sponsored narrative of what happened in Indonesia in 1965 and 66 that dominated public education and civic life for 32 years, Simpson explained.

Simpson has spent decades investigating the 1965 genocide, including the United States role. Just last week, he received a response to a Freedom of Information Act request he filed 12 years ago. After being denied the release of about 1,700 documents, he did receive 17 pages of meeting notes from a National Security Council oversight committee, from the archives of Lyndon Johnsons presidential library. But nearly all the text was redacted.

Oppenheimer is hoping to coast on the buzz of an Oscar nomination to make some headway. In addition to his stop at Dirksen, he had a couple of meetings at the State Department, including time with Tom Malinowski, assistant secretary for the bureau of democracy, human rights and labor, who tweeted his support.

Its a process.

You cant just waltz in and say, Hey, declassify these documents,  Sifton, of Human Rights Watch, explained. But similar documents have been declassified in the past, namely those related to the United States role in aiding coups and authoritarian governments in Latin America.

Can it happen? Sifton said. Absolutely. Is it going to be a painful, annoying, interagency battle where we need to enlist the help of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senator Udall to push the administration in the right direction? Yeah, probably.

[The Look of Silence travels back to Indonesia]

Yes, a Senate resolution would be only advisory, because the White House has the final say. And its the presidents involvement that inspires Sifton. After all, President Obama has two more trips planned to Asia during the final months of his term. And what if, on one visit, he stops in Indonesia, where he lived for four years as a child, and makes a statement about accountability or, better yet, hands over those sealed documents? Sure, it sounds like a long shot, but a guy can dream.

Other documentaries have inspired action in the past. Channel 4 in England aired Sri Lankas Killing Fields in 2011, and the resulting uproar over the depictions of atrocities during the 2009 Sri Lankan civil war was huge. American congressmen and British Prime Minister David Cameron joined the conversation, calling for an investigation and demanding accountability.

The key is getting the movie in front of people. The nomination alone could raise awareness, but a win would be even better.

Like the prognosticators, Oppenheimer has a feeling the Amy Winehouse documentary Amy may beat him.

But there are more important things to worry about than gold statuettes. He hopes the two films will continue to serve not just as a window to one particular terrible political situation on the other side of the globe but a mirror in which we see impunity all around us, Oppenheimer said. And where we recognize how were all touched by impunity.
Baltimores long battle with violent crime is about to get a little more scientific.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, top criminal-justice researchers at Johns Hopkins University and city leaders on Monday announced a partnership to apply the latest research to everyday policing. Police hope the Baltimore Collaborative for Violence Prevention will have an immediate impact on crime rates. Researchers hope it will create opportunities to advance the science of violence prevention.

Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, called it sort of a service project to answer a question that has been batted around for months: How can Hopkins help Baltimore police in being most effective in combatting violent crime and doing it in a way that repairs the relationship in the community as well?

Police have worked with the researchers  including professor Sheldon Greenberg of the Johns Hopkins School of Education  to identify six projects to prioritize.

Those projects will focus on assessing the effectiveness of the War Room and B-FED initiatives launched by Baltimore police and federal law-enforcement agencies last year to target violent repeat offenders and gun offenders. They also aim to deter illegal gun use and possession; enhance foot patrols to improve community relations and reduce crime; boost Baltimores system for rewarding residents who provide tips to police; coordinate a summit among district commanders; and improve the police departments recruitment efforts.

The partnership has been funded for a year with $250,000 from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and $250,000 from the Abell Foundation. The Annie E. Casey Foundation has committed another $250,000 for 2017.

We all have to come together to look at this epidemic of violence  including police, academics and the community  and thats what the new collaborative facilitates, said Patrick McCarthy, president and chief executive of the Casey Foundation.

Clearly, the uptick in violence is one of the issues that we care deeply about, McCarthy said. Often victims of these acts of violence are young people, sometimes young parents. It affects children, it affects families, it affects communities  and those are all areas that the Casey Foundation focuses on. The communities across Baltimore are asking for new approaches and for help ending this epidemic.

Baltimore had 344 homicides last year  apparently the citys most homicides per capita ever.

The new partnership will be informed with insights of individuals closest to the problem of violence, according to the outline. Community and neighborhood organizations will be consulted.

While the goal will be to facilitate large reductions in violent crime, the means to that end must be acceptable to the individuals and communities most impacted by violence, the outline reads.

Webster said he is excited about the work in part because Davis has been so open to the idea of improving the department based on research.

What I said was, We want to do this, but the ground rules are, were going to produce the data, and even if you dont like it, you cant push it under the rug,  Webster said. And he said, Absolutely. He did not bat an eye. Hes not afraid of what the status is.

Davis said he wouldnt expect Webster to do anything other than to give him the good, the bad and the ugly, and he looks forward to learning from the data.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that it will make us better in the crime fight and better our capacity to interact with the community, he said. I love these types of partnerships.
State Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) center, speaks at a news conference to announce a gun deal with Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), right. Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran is at left. (Steve Helber/AP)

A package of bills tied to Gov. Terry McAuliffes surprise gun compromise with Republicans cleared its last legislative hurdle on Monday and headed for the governors desk.

McAuliffe (D), who endured fierce pushback over the deal from erstwhile allies in the gun-control movement, promised to sign the bills.

Today the General Assembly finalized its work on a bipartisan public safety agreement that will save lives, he said in a written statement. I look forward to signing this legislation into law.

The measures expand the rights of concealed-carry handgun permit holders in Virginia in exchange for tighter restrictions on gun ownership by domestic abusers and voluntary background checks at gun shows.

McAuliffe, who ran for governor bragging about his F rating from the National Rifle Association, has billed the deal as a pragmatic compromise on a difficult issue.

But some of his allies in the gun-control movement renewed their criticism. Governor McAuliffe let his constituents down, striking a deal with the NRA that will allow concealed-carry permit holders from across the country to avoid Virginias laws on who can carry hidden, loaded weapons in the commonwealth, said Jennifer Herrera, Virginia director of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. It was a giveaway to the gun lobby, and as a mother and a Virginian, I expect more from my leaders  and once again urge Governor McAuliffe to veto the concealed-carry bill.

McAuliffes secretary of public safety, Brian Moran, hammered out the compromise with lobbyists for the NRA and one of the groups chief allies in the legislature, Sen. Bryce E. Reeves (R-Spotsylvania).

[Five things that (kind of) explain Terry McAuliffes gun deal with the GOP]

The negotiations began after Reeves, often mentioned as a lieutenant governor candidate in 2017, and Sen. J. Chapman Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) approached the governor. Reeves and Petersen were looking for a way to counter action taken by Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D), who had revoked reciprocity rights with 25 states that have looser standards than Virginia.

Their eventual compromise not only reverses Herrings move but extends reciprocity to every state but Vermont, which does not issue concealed-carry permits.

Gun-rights legislators and activists have roundly cheered the deal  underscoring the feeling among some gun-control advocates that they gave up more than they got.

This bill not only restores Virginias existing concealed-carry reciprocity agreements, but will also expand such agreements with additional states, Reeves said in a statement.

McAuliffe has said he was willing to expand concealed-carry rights in exchange for prohibiting people convicted of domestic abuse from possessing guns. They will have to give away or sell their guns within 24 hours of conviction but are not required to surrender their weapons to law enforcement. Gun-control advocates said that creates a dangerous loophole, because guns could be given to friends or relatives and then be reclaimed.

McAuliffe has emphasized another aspect of the compromise, which calls for posting a state trooper at every gun show to conduct criminal background checks for private sellers. The checks would remain optional, and critics note that federal law already allows private sellers to run checks through licensed dealers. Moran has said the new procedure will be simpler and quicker.

McAuliffe said the troopers attendance will change the culture at gun shows in Virginia by providing all sellers with access to criminal background checks.

Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control group launched by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I), has been especially critical of the compromise, launching a media campaign against McAuliffe in recent weeks.

[Bloomberg gun-control group has new target: Terry McAuliffe]

Just a few months ago, Everytown was so firmly in McAuliffes camp that it answered his call for help in the fall Virginia Senate races by bankrolling $2 million in attack ads. Republicans nevertheless held onto the chamber.

The governor has dismissed Everytowns criticisms by characterizing his former ally as a group of meddling out-of-towners.

On Monday, rather than comment directly, Everytown issued the statement from Herrera of the Moms Demand Action group, an Everytown affiliate. The statement noted that Herrera is a volunteer and a Virginian.

Also weighing in was Jasper Hendricks III, director of Brown Virginia, which he described as a statewide network of organizations representing people of color.

Our voices matter, our lives matter, and our relationship with your administration matters too, he wrote in a letter to McAuliffe. It is vital that in this debate you see communities of color as more than just photo opportunity props.
Prince Georges Countys has created a task force to independently examine policies and practices designed to keep students safe following the arrest of an elementary school volunteer accused of making pornographic videos of children at school during the school day.

Leading the new panel will be Charlene Dukes, president of Prince Georges Community College and onetime president of the Maryland State Board of Education.

I want parents, students, and all who care deeply about the welfare of children to know that the Student Safety Task Force will be methodical, exhaustive, and swift in our work. We will focus on bringing forth recommendations that keep our children safe, Dukes said in a statement.

Others on the task force include representatives from universities, a nonprofit group, the private sector, local government, public safety and the school district.

The task force was formed about two weeks after the arrest of Deonte Carraway, 22, of Glenarden, who remains jailed on 10 counts of felony child-porn charges. Carraway admitted to creating videos of children between ages 9 and 13 performing various sexual acts, according to charging documents. Police say the victims in the case now number 17.

The task force will begin meeting March 1 and move to review policy, procedures and practices to make recommendations by or before May 2, officials said. The school system outlined four phases of work, starting with expert presentations on key strategies for protecting children and a review of policies on background checks, reporting of abuse and volunteers, among other things.

Besides Dukes, other task force members include:

 Joshua Sharfstein, associate dean at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

 Gloria Brown, the countys director of social services.

 Renee Battle-Brooks, assistant states attorney in Prince Georges.

 Judy Bresler, a lawyer with a private firm.

 Kristina Kyles-Smith, assistant state superintendent with the Maryland State Department of Education.

 Brenda Jones-Harden, associate professor in the department of human development and quantitative methodology at the University of Maryland at College Park.

 Michele Booth Cole, executive director of Safe Shores, the D.C. Childrens Advocacy Center.

 Blanca Abrico, a parent of a student at Robert R. Gray Elementary School.

School officials said the newly formed group will be supported by county and school staff members including George Margolies, chief of staff for the school system; Monique Davis, deputy superintendent; Shawn Joseph, deputy superintendent; Adrian Talley, executive director of the office of student services; Erica Berry, executive director of the school boards office; and Tehani Collazo, education policy adviser in the office of the county executive.

Schools chief Kevin Maxwell said in a statement that he had formed the task force to carefully scrutinize every single policy and procedure we have in place.

We will leave no stone unturned, but we will also act quickly, he said.
One of the bald eagles found dead in a farm field on Marylands Eastern Shore over the weekend. A total of 13 were found. (Courtesy of Maryland Natural Resources Police)

The carcasses of 13 bald eagles that were found over the weekend in a field on Marylands Eastern Shore have been sent to a forensic laboratory in Oregon thats been dubbed the CSI lab for animals, where they will undergo a thorough analysis to figure out what caused their deaths.

The eagles were discovered Saturday by a man who told authorities he was out on the property looking for antlers deer had shed when he saw what he thought was a dead turkey. Turns out it wasnt.

It was four dead eagles, and after wildlife officials searched the area, they found nine more dead eagles in the field near the intersection of Richardson and Laurel Grove roads in Federalsburg.

There were no obvious signs of trauma to the birds. And it was not immediately known what exactly killed them, said investigators from the Maryland Natural Resources Police and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But there are several theories, including that they died from some sort of poison. It is the largest single such incident of dead eagles in 30 years in the state, experts said.

[Thirteen bald eagles were found dead on a Maryland farm]

The 13 dead bald eagles found in a field on Maryland's Eastern Shore have been sent for analysis to the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Lab, the CSI of labs for animals, in Ashland, Ore. (Courtesy of National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory)

The carcasses were sent Monday night to the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory in Ashland, Ore., , officials said. The federal lab has been dubbed the CSI for Animals in an article by Bostons NPR station. In its promotional information, the lab bills itself as a crime lab that is very much like a typical police lab, except the victim is an animal.

The rare forensic lab was founded in the 1980s. Officials there have told of how they often get a wide range of evidence from eagle talons to decomposed boa constructors, wolves and skunk carcasses.

Officials at the lab said the 13 eagles from Maryland will go through the same process as other carcasses: Theyll be physically examined by vet pathologists, X-ray images will be taken, and samples of liver, stomach, kidney, urine and blood will be collected and analyzed. Screenings will also be done to look for possible poisons, and a necropsy will be conducted.

The lab has about 30 employees and a $5 million annual budget. It examines 100 to 1,000 cases a year that involve about 15,000 items ranging from feathers to carcasses.

In Maryland, there are theories  lots of them.

One is they were poisoned. An area landowner may have sprayed a chemical on a field and that could have adversely impacted the eagles. Or poison used to kill rodents could be the culprit. The rodents may have died outdoors, then the eagles ate the carcasses and were poisoned in turn.

Ed Clark, president and founder of the Wildlife Center of Virginia, said there are two most likely scenarios of how the eagles died. They may have eaten carcasses left from a euthanized horse or cow. Or they ate bait that was laced with poison that was intended for coyotes or other predators  a practice that Clark said is illegal.

Whatever killed those birds, they didnt get far, and that means it was extremely toxic, Clark said.

Eagle experts recalled other cases involving large-scale deaths of eagles.

In 2008, authorities tried to get rid of a hefty rat population on an island in Alaska by using poison. But gulls and eagles were attracted by the scent of the dying rodents, and 46 eagles ended up dead, according to Ellen Paul, executive director of the Ornithological Council.

Another theory is there could be something like botulism or a naturally occurring blue-green algal toxin that got into area vegetation. Waterfowl eat that vegetation and then the eagles may have eaten the waterfowl and died.

Thirteen [eagles dead] in one spot is either something natural occurring, or there was some type of poison involved, said Bill Bowerman, an eagle expert and head of the Department of Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Maryland.

Experts say that vehicles are one of the biggest killers of bald eagles these days. As development has encroached on their habitat, eagles are eating less fish and are scavenging more. They often are hit by vehicles as they eat carcasses on roads or are sickened from eating out of dumps or landfills, experts said.

[Watch live: Mr. President and The First Lady nest at National Arboretum]

In Maryland, there is a $10,000 reward being offered from several agencies and groups for any information in the recent Eastern Shore case.

The 13 dead bald eagles that were found this weekend included at least three mature birds, with the signature white heads and brown bodies. Two of the birds were close to maturity, officials said, and the rest were considered immature, with no white feathers.

Bald eagles are no longer on the endangered species list, but they are considered a protected species, according to the Natural Resources Police.

Last year, 18 raptors died from gunshot, poisoning or getting entangled in fishing lines or landscape netting, according to the Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research. Raptors include eagles, hawks and owls. An official with the organization said that 13 other raptors who suffered similar incidents were rehabilitated and returned to the wild.

Thirty years ago, eight bald eagles were found dead in Maryland. Officials said they think those birds may have been poisoned.

And two years ago, two bald eagles were shot and killed in one week in Montgomery County. It is illegal to shoot eagles without a permit from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

[Bald eagles shot and killed in Montgomery County]
A controversial bill that would have given Maryland lawmakers a role in selecting the state superintendent was essentially killed Tuesday after its sponsors concluded they did not have enough support in the Democratic-controlled legislature to withstand a veto by Gov. Larry Hogan (R).

Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince Georges), the bills sponsor, decided Tuesday to send the measure back to the Senates Education Committee for further review. The action, taken halfway through the 90-day session, means a likely end to the legislation, which would have required the nominee for state superintendent of schools to be confirmed by the Senate.

Mixing politics with education was an incredibly bad idea, and its great to see that the Senate came down on the right side of this issue, said Hogan spokesman Doug Mayer.

Under current law, the schools superintendent is appointed by the Maryland State Board of Education, whose members are appointed by the governor.

[Some Maryland lawmakers want a say in who is states next schools chief]

The Senate initially planned to vote on the bill last Friday but postponed action after opponents questioned whether the measure was constitutional. On Monday, after being reassured by the states attorneys office that the bill did not violate the separation of power provision in the state Constitution, the Senate scheduled a vote for Tuesday.

On Tuesday morning, however, Pinsky said those plans have been shelved.

Could I count 34 votes? Probably not, Pinsky said, noting the number of votes that would have been needed for an override if the bill, which was submitted as emergency legislation, had passed and Hogan had chosen to veto it.

[Md. Senate delays vote on giving itself a say in state superintendent selection]

Hogan and other Republicans questioned why Democrats wanted to make a change in the century-old process of selecting a superintendent.

Its not broken, Sen. George C. Edwards (R-Washington) said last week during a lengthy debate on the bill. I think its worked over the last 100 years.

Guffrie M. Smith Jr., the president of the state education board, told lawmakers recently that a new process could hurt the states ability to attract the best candidate for the position.

Pinsky said nearly a dozen other states, including New Jersey, have the same process he tried to create in Maryland. I understand we havent done it this way in the past, but that doesnt mean that its wrong to do it, Pinsky said. If the Senate buys in, they are more likely to support the person than if they dont have buy-in.

Del. Anne R. Kaiser (D-Montgomery), who sponsored the House version of the bill, noted that the Senate already confirms members of the governors cabinet and some 1,300 other positions in state government. It is not so unusual, said Kaiser, who called the bill a good governance measure.

The state board plans to name a new superintendent later this year. The position is held by interim superintendent Jack Smith, who took over when Lillian Lowery resigned in September. Smith was recently chosen as the new Montgomery County superintendent.

Hogan has pushed some education policies that have not been received well by the legislature, including a measure last year to give charter schools greater authority and a proposal this year to provide tax credits to businesses that donate to schools. The tax credit is expected to help non-public schools more than public schools.

Pinsky said Tuesday that the General Assembly would take a more active role in education policy if a new superintendent goes off the rails. Pinsky said he worries about vouchers and any effort to privatize public schools.

If they move forward with a superintendent who is not in the mainstream, who starts to promote policies not in keeping with the legislature, well just have to be more actively engaged, he said.
Twenty-five years ago, Zhang Xuexia's 3-year-old son Zhizhi was kidnapped while he was playing by himself. Since then, she and her husband have spent many years looking for Zhizhi. However, Zhang's husband committed suicide on the third day of the Chinese Lunar New Year in 2006 due to depression after their fruitless 15-year search. He left a note saying: "I just want my son, Song Yanzhi."

Ten years after her husband's death, Zhang is still looking for Zhizhi. "Zhizhi, can you hear your mother? Have you had a girlfriend? How is everything going?"

In 2009, Zhang Xuexia learned how to go online and began to publish information about her missing son on the Internet. In 2012, Chen Shiqu, director of the anti-human trafficking department in the Ministry of Public Security, began to focus on the case. Local police also set up a special task force to investigate.

Up till now, Zhang and her husband have left their footprints in nine provinces and 40 different cities. Zhang said she will keep looking for her son as long as she is alive.
Gov. Larry Hogan prepares to give the State of the State address on Feb. 3. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan remains highly popular in heavily Democratic Maryland, despite recent spats with lawmakers who say the Republican chief executive is combative and doesnt collaborate enough.

A Goucher College poll released Tuesday found that 63 percent of Marylanders approve of the job Hogan is doing, an increase from 58 percent in an October poll by the same group. The governor had the approval of 86 percent of Republicans surveyed, but he also did well with Democrats, with 50 percent approval.

The poll results were less positive for Marylands Republican Party as a whole, with respondents favoring Democrats on several measures of trust and willingness to compromise. There are more than twice as many registered Democrats in Maryland as registered Republicans. The General Assembly, where Democrats hold commanding majorities in both chambers, had a 44 percent approval rating.

Sixty-nine percent of Marylanders polled said they think the state is heading in the right direction; 24 percent said the state is on the wrong track. Forty-two percent said they would leave the state if they had the opportunity, a modest drop from the 47 percent who said the same two years ago, when Martin OMalley (D) was governor.

The results are positive news for Hogan, whose approach to governing has come under attack from legislative Democrats in recent weeks.

[Hogan has been deft at side-stepping criticism]

Mileah Kromer, director of the Goucher polling team, said the rancor is not surprising, considering the political dynamics in Maryland. A very popular Republican governor and a heavily Democratic state is perfect fodder for a fiery legislative session, she said.

Regarding the Republican Party as a whole, 29 percent of respondents said the party is more responsive to the needs of people like you, compared with 55 percent for the Democratic Party. Fifty-two percent said Democrats are more willing to work with the other party; 26 percent said the same of Republicans. And 42 percent said the Democratic Party governs in a more honest and ethical way, compared with 26 percent who said the same of Republicans.

Democrats had a smaller advantage when it came to views about which party can better manage the state government. Forty-five percent of respondents said the Democrats can do better, while 35 percent identified Republicans.

Kromer credited Hogan with keeping the gap close in that category.

He talks about things that are really popular in a lot of ways, she said, pointing to the governors efforts to decrease retiree income taxes, his plans to address blight in Baltimore and a proposal to control gerrymandering by requiring that an independent panel draw the states voting boundaries.

I think those are things that resonate with people, Kromer said. It goes back to the idea of Hogan as a manager, with ideas he can actually implement.

Hogans approval rating was high among African Americans, at 49 percent, but far better among whites, at 71 percent.

The poll also measured Marylanders views on various policy issues.

Education ranked as the top concern. Two-thirds of respondents said the state spends too little to fund public education, while 24 percent said the state spends about the right amount.

Jobs and unemployment were next among key concerns, followed by economic growth and development and then taxes.

Fifty-four percent of respondents said they support legalizing marijuana, nearly identical to the support found in a poll in February 2015.

The vast majority of respondents  75 percent  said they prefer a system in which the boundaries of voting districts are determined by an independent commission, but 20 percent said they prefer that the states elected officials handle the process.

More than three-quarters of Marylanders said they support Hogans proposal to boost economic development in Baltimore by funding the removal of vacant buildings and replacing them with new developments or green spaces. Democratic lawmakers have expressed strong support for the plan, and they raised concerns when the money did not appear in the governors initial budget. Hogan has since added it.

In transportation, 56 percent of respondents said the state should focus more on improving roads and highways, while 39 percent said public transportation should be the focus.

There were stark differences between blacks and whites on issues involving police.

Forty-nine percent of Marylanders polled overall said they think people of all races receive equal treatment from law enforcement in their communities, but the number dipped to 38 percent among African Americans.

Similarly, 58 percent of respondents said police in their communities are held accountable for misconduct, but only 39 percent of African Americans agreed.

Eighty-five percent of residents said that police should be required to wear body cameras.

The Goucher poll was conducted Feb. 13-17 among a random sample of 545 residents of Maryland, including landline and cellphone respondents. Full results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
Officers in the streets of Baltimore amid protests in April over the death of Freddie Gray. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Marylands ambitious proposals to improve police training and expand officer oversight drew strong praise and pointed criticism Tuesday at a hearing of the Judiciary Committee in the House of Delegates.

Lobbyists and lawyers for the police union called the bills unnecessary and in some cases misguided, and said some of the changes would be unfair to police officers who have done nothing wrong.

Supporters of the bills said they would help prevent abuses of the type that allegedly led to the death of Freddie Gray in the custody of the Baltimore Police Department, while expanding citizen opportunities to lodge misconduct complaints against police.

Im really hoping this is a start for changing the culture of law enforcement in Maryland and ending police brutality and police misconduct, said Larry Stafford Jr., executive director of the advocacy group Progressive Maryland. We have an opportunity to lead the nation in taking on police misconduct and abuse.

The hearing room was packed with witnesses and onlookers, including family members of people killed by police officers, and Baltimore Police Officer William G. Porter, one of six officers charged in the Gray case. The overflow crowd watched a live video feed in a separate room.

[Full coverage of the Freddie Gray case]

The sweeping legislation being considered by the General Assembly includes 21 recommendations by the Public Safety and Policing Work Group, a panel created by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-Calvert) and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) after riots erupted in Baltimore last year following Grays funeral.

The proposals include giving officers periodic psychological evaluations, allowing the public to attend police trial boards, and providing residents more time to file brutality complaints, extending the window from 90 days to 366 days.

[Maryland panel recommends major changes to police practices]

The proposals also call for reducing the 10-day rule, the amount of time given to officers accused of misconduct before they are required to cooperate with an internal investigation, to five days.

I think this is an excellent way for us to be a role model for the rest of the country in dealing with the relationship between law enforcement and our communities, Busch said Tuesday.

The legislation would create an independent Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission that would focus on setting standards and training for all police agencies. The group would be required to develop anti-discrimination and use of force de-escalation training for all officers. It would also set up a confidential early intervention policy for officers who receive three or more citizen complaints within a 12-month period.

The measures also would require annual reporting of serious officer-involved incidents, the number of officers disciplined and the type of discipline given.

Under the bills, a hearing board that investigates brutality complaints would consist of three members from another law enforcement agency  one person chosen by the chief, one by the officer against whom the complaint is filed and one person that the chief and the police officer agree on.

During the hearing, police supporters objected to a provision in one bill that would allow citizens with no law enforcement experience to sit on administrative hearing boards.

Frank Boston III, a lobbyist for the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police, said that no changes are necessary to the 10-day rule or any other aspect of the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D) testified in support of legislation that would double the amount of time, from 30 days to 60 days, that a police chief has to review the recommendation of a hearing board.

She also spoke in favor of separate legislation that would allow police chiefs to suspend without pay officers charged with misdemeanors that carry sentences of more than one year. Rawlings-Blake pointed to a 2014 case in which a Baltimore officer repeatedly punched a man at a bus stop and said, contrary to video evidence, that the man had attacked him first.

The public is right to be outraged that the city has to continue to pay a police officer that not only brutally assaulted someone but then lied about it, she said.

Herbert R. Weiner, an attorney for the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police, countered that the bill would diminish due-process rights for police and cause financial duress to potentially innocent officers.

Sometimes when you go to court, you dont get convicted, Weiner said. We owe it to these dedicated law enforcement officers who are making these decisions in good faith not to put the cart before the horse.

The surprise appearance of Porter at the hearing unnerved some people in the room whose families have been affected by police violence, said Garland Nixon, a former police officer who works on law enforcement accountability issues and is a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland.

The mothers . . . saw it as a slap in the face, Nixon said.

But Vince Canales, the president of the state Fraternal Order of Police, said Porter  who did not speak at the hearing  had the right to be there. Hes a citizen, he said, and should be afforded the opportunity to watch the process at work.

Porter was the first officer to face trial; his case ended with a hung jury in December. He faces a second trial in June.
Correction: Earlier versions of this article misstated the number of Republicans in the Maryland Senate and the number who voted in favor of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act of 2016. There are 14 Republican senators, and six of them voted in favor of the bill. The article has been corrected.

The Maryland Senate on Feb. 23, 2016, approved a new goal for limiting greenhouse gas emissions. The bill heads to the House. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

A bill to accelerate Marylands efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions sailed through the state Senate on Tuesday and was hailed by environmentalists as one of the nations strongest state requirements for tackling carbon pollution.

The Senate voted 38 to 8 to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 2006 levels by 2030.

The bill reauthorizes and sets new targets for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act, a landmark bill passed in 2009 that required Maryland to slash greenhouse gas emissions to 25 percent below 2006 levels by 2020. That requirement will end in December if the General Assembly does not pass a new bill.

This bill is not only important, its urgent, Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery) said after voting in favor of the measure.

The legislation heads to the House for consideration.

[Md. panel calls for faster cuts to greenhouse gas emissions]

This vote sends a resounding message that climate action is a bipartisan, economic and health imperative in the state of Maryland, said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, which fought for the 2009 bill and worked with lawmakers on this years measure.

Environmentalists said Tuesday that California and New York are the only states with stronger emission-cutting requirements. Last year, California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed an executive order for the state to act to drop its greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2030.

While there was a contentious battle over the version of the bill that Maryland passed in 2009, Tidwell said, this years version was approved with relative ease.

I believe what you are seeing in Maryland and to a lesser degree in Virginia  two states whose coastlines are being so traumatized by sea-level rise  that it is bringing the business community and, increasingly, Republican leaders to support climate-change solutions that were previously beyond their orthodoxy, Tidwell said.

He credited Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince Georges), a member of a state climate-change panel, and Ben Grumbles, secretary of the state Department of the Environment, with building bipartisan support for the legislation.

The states Commission on Climate Change, which Grumbles chaired, was made up of legislators, representatives of labor groups, businesses and environmental organizations. It suggested the new target after reviewing the impact of the 2009 law.

The Department of the Environment said the state is on track to meet its 25 percent goal by 2020 and is likely exceed it. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, according to the state, is largely the result of increased reliance on natural gas, which burns cleaner than coal, and coordinated efforts to reduce driving by encouraging telecommuting, mass transit and other options.

The department also said the state could create about 30,000 jobs as it works toward the new goal, largely through growth in the renewable-energy sector and by protecting industries that could be harmed by climate change, such as agriculture and tourism.

This is a job creator, Sen. James C. Rosapepe (D-Prince Georges) said on the floor on Tuesday.

Six of the Senates 14 Republicans voted for the bill, along with 32 Democrats. Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery) did not record a vote. Several of the Republicans who voted against the bill said they were doing so because they oppose mandates.

Pinsky countered that climate change can lead to expensive problems if it goes unchecked, noting that one of the few times the New York City subway system has shut down was during Hurricane Sandy.

Do we want to pay for this on the back end, or do we do the paying now? Pinsky asked before the vote was taken. The commission and the committee felt the time is now.
Corrosion was found on a gas service line in the 14000 block of Franklin Street in Woodbridge after an explosion at a home on Feb. 7. (State Corporation Commission)

More than 800 gas service lines to homes in Prince William County are expected to be replaced in the coming year, officials said, after a leak is believed to have caused an explosion in the basement of a home.

No one was reported injured in the Feb. 7 incident in the 14000 block of Franklin Street in Woodbridge. Drywall and windows were blown out, but the residents, having smelled the gas odor, reported it and got out safely, according to officials.

The incident prompted Washington Gas to investigate pipes in the area. At least a dozen leaks were found, and now a long-planned replacement of pipes will happen sooner. The work will start in the coming months and is likely to take up to 18 months, the utility said.

Last weekend, a Virginia state senator helped organize a town hall so residents of the Marumsco Hills neighborhood could get more details from utility officials on the project.

State Sen. Jeremy McPike, who helped organize a town hall with Marumsco Hills residents and utility officials last weekend, said at first residents heard there were three gas leaks.

Then we heard it was five, he said. And then it was seven. And then it was 15 leaks.

Officials with Washington Gas would not confirm exactly how many gas leaks there are in the neighborhood. Jim Monroe, a spokesman for Washington Gas, said there is no danger to anyone living in the area.

In a statement, Monroe said there is no immediate requirement to replace these service lines and we are confident in the safety and integrity of the system after a review of the Feb. 7 incident.

Many of the homes in the Marumsco Hills neighborhood were built in the 1950s and 1960s.

Officials said such projects typically take 12 to 18 months, although they said no exact time frame has been made for the project. They said they expect to start work in the next few months.

Residents will not have to move out of their homes as the repairs are done, but McPike said it would still create hassles for residents.

Were talking now about months and months of digging up streets, McPike said. This is going to be a major, major undertaking.

McPike, who also serves as a firefighter in the area, said he is concerned about the safety of area residents if the leaks and pipes arent dealt with soon.

Something like this where you have uncontrolled leaks, he said, you can have catastrophic events.

WJLA was one of the first media outlets to report on the gas pipe problems.
A 29-year-old man accused of fatally shooting two men inside a District house last week was one of their roommates, according to court documents.

Both victims were clients of a nonprofit group that helps people in urgent need of housing and had placed the men in the home, according to the group. The suspect, David Joshua Bright, was not involved with the nonprofit but also had been staying there.

Bright has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Clifton David Francis, 51, and David Aumon Watkins Jr., 45. Authorities have not commented on a motive for the shootings or said what preceded the gunfire.

Police said five men lived at the home, in the 500 block of 58th St. NE. A witness, who was in the home at the time of the shootings, told police that one of the roommates was called Day-Day and that he arrived at home Thursday, exited and then returned shortly before the witness heard several loud bangs, according to the court document.

The witness then looked into the living room and saw Day-Day holding a black handgun and shooting Francis at close range, the document said.

This will teach you, the witness told police he heard the gunman shout. Moments later, the witness said, Watkins yelled at the gunman and asked what he was doing and said, Youre crazy! The witness then heard more gunshots, according to the court filing.

The gunman then walked toward the witness and pointed a gun at that persons head but did not fire, according to the document. The witness ran to another room, closed the door and called police.

Despite the account given to police from inside the home, the witness failed to identify Brights image from a photo array, according to the court document. The witness gave police Day-Days Maryland phone number, which they traced to Bright, police said in the charging document.

Investigators said an extended family member of Brights later called them and said that Bright had called from that phone number. During the phone call, the second witness told police that Bright had said that he had just killed two people on 58th Street and had unloaded his thirty on both of them.

Police said the family member identified Bright through photos and told police he goes by the nickname Day-Day.

Bright filed a theft report in early January, stating that a PlayStation 4 and other items were stolen from the home, according to a D.C. police report. Bright told police that two roommates said they did not take his property, the report said.

The two victims and a third roommate were placed in the home through Friendship Place, a District-based nonprofit organization that mostly works to help the homeless find temporary and permanent shelter.

The homes owner said in an interview that Bright did not have a lease, and he had no idea that the house was being subleased.

Bright has not yet made an initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court. The court docket says he is being treated at George Washington University Hospital, but the reason was not disclosed.
A team of officers clad in black ran down a long white corridor, halting at cell No. 102.

Hands behind your back! one barked through the door. Hands behind your back!

As an inmate in an orange jumpsuit complied, the officers rushed in, handcuffed him and quickly got a disturbance under control.

Cameras  clipped to the protective vests of the team members who responded inside a Prince Georges County jail  caught it all.

As in-jail deaths such as those of Sandra Bland in Texas and Natasha McKenna in Virginias Fairfax County attract the same scrutiny as police-involved fatalities, a growing number of agencies nationwide are bringing body cameras behind bars. It is the latest bid to improve transparency in law enforcement and takes the devices into a world where interactions almost always happen away from the public eye.

A view of a Prince Georges County emergency response officer's body camera. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

This not only protects detainees or inmates, said Lt. J.A. Gordon of the Prince Georges County Department of Corrections. It also protects our officers.

The scene at the cell is one of about 350 incidents captured on video since county corrections officers were issued the devices in August.

Similar to their police counterparts, corrections departments want body cameras to deter false claims and aggressive behavior on the part of both officers and inmates. But the privacy debate surrounding police body cameras  which may capture embarrassing or intimate moments when officers answer domestic calls or enter homes  also surfaces in jails despite the lower expectation of privacy.

A lot of very private things happen in jails, from people using the showers and using the toilets to people having meetings with their legal counsel or with social workers, said Eileen Hirst, chief of staff for the San Francisco Sheriffs Department, which is developing a body-camera pilot program. At what point do body cameras in jails become too intrusive?

[As police body cameras catch on, a debate surfaces: Who gets to watch?]

In Prince Georges, the cameras are issued only to the 34 members of the jails emergency-response team. Unlike officers who patrol the detention centers housing units and interact with inmates day to day, the emergency-response team handles urgent situations such as fights that break out at mealtime, unruly detainees or medical emergencies and suicide attempts.

The team previously recorded incidents at the facility, which houses about 900 inmates, using a handheld camera, said Gordon, the jails tactical operations commander. But with the new body cameras, the team has an extra set of hands to help during each situation.

The technology can be imperfect. Because the cameras  slightly bigger than a saltine cracker  clip onto officers vests at their shoulder or chest, the devices sometimes tilt up, capturing ceiling tiles or a stray helmet strap instead of an incident. But if one view fails, there should be five others available as backup, Gordon said.

This has six different versions of what happened, Gordon said.

Prince Georges began rolling out the body cameras last summer, purchasing 40 and a warranty for about $105,000.

The cameras start when officers press a button as they are dispatched to an incident and stop when they again hit a button. Each recording is downloaded and reviewed daily, and the footage will generally be stored for five years.

Gordon said he initially resisted the idea of body cameras because he worried that people would criticize officers performances without understanding the split-second decisions that go into the work. But after six months, Gordon said, he has noticed differences in the behavior of inmates and officers. Inmates are beginning to show a little more restraint in their interactions with officers, and officers are constantly reviewing footage to learn how they can improve, Gordon said.

We can tell an officer they were going too slow or too fast or handcuffing someone wrong, Gordon said. We respond more methodically now.

Body cameras in Dallas have led to the dismissal of a corrections officer who was recorded kicking an inmate in the stomach.

And in San Francisco, the sheriff in April announced a body-camera pilot program for corrections officers after allegations emerged that deputies had been forcing inmates in a county jail to fight one another in staged matches.

But the body cameras have not become the norm.

Its very seldom used, said Kevin Murphy, executive director of the U.S. Deputy Wardens Association. Primarily the most resistance you have is because of the expense involved.

Hirst said San Francisco is looking for ways to pay for the technology, and lawyers are drawing up policies for its pilot program. The cameras are important tools for transparency and accountability, she said, but they also present complex legal questions as confidentiality, criminal history and cameras intersect.

Lets say youre in custody today and youre out of custody tomorrow, Hirst said. How long is the image of you at the booking counter available and to whom is it available?

[Police body cameras spur privacy debate]

Public pressure to outfit police with body cameras has intensified, but the ways in which guards can abuse prisoners present an equally serious concern, said David Rocha, a lawyer with the ACLU of Maryland.

What happens behind prison walls almost always remains a secret, Rocha said. And the independent witnesses who arent guards are subject to easy accusations of not telling the truth because, by their very nature, prisons are filled with people who have been convicted a crime.

Body cameras in jails can increase openness, Rocha said, but use of the devices must be paired with thoughtful policies to protect the inmates who are being recorded.

Police body cameras are necessarily going to capture all kinds of things that are embarrassing and invasive and could victimize victims all over again, and that needs to be guarded against, Rocha said. In prison, the cameras are far more likely to do that because of the nature of prison life.

Yolanda Evans, a spokeswoman for the Prince Georges County Department of Corrections, noted that surveillance cameras already are deployed throughout the detention center, with signs in many places informing people they are being recorded. And when people get arrested, she said, they lose some privacy rights.

In some cases, inmates want a video trail.

Corporal F.K. Caldwell, a member of the Prince Georges agencys emergency-response team, said inmates have begun welcoming the cameras, requesting that their actions be properly recorded in the middle of an incident.

We push the button and its picking up on all angles, Caldwell said. When the inmates see us, theyll ask, Did the camera pick this up? Is the camera picking this up? 
D.C. police on Tuesday arrested a woman in a hit-and-run crash that occurred in Southeast Washington on New Years Day, killing a father of four who was in a crosswalk, authorities said Tuesday.

Sophia R. Palmer, 31, of Southeast, was charged with involuntary manslaughter. A D.C. Superior Court judge ordered her released pending a preliminary hearing March 16. She was put into a high intensity supervision program.

According to the police arrest affidavit, at the time of the crash Palmer worked as an armed special police officer providing security at the D.C. Water and Sewer treatment facility in Southwest Washington. Police said it was there they found her damaged personal vehicle parked.

The crash occurred Jan. 1 between midnight and 4 a.m. in the 3500 block of Minnesota Avenue SE. D.C. police said the victim, Ian Jerome Butts, 36, was crossing the street in a crosswalk, when he was struck. A police officer on patrol spotted his body lying along the side of the road.

[Victim of fatal hit and run recalled as family, religious man]

Police said in the affidavit that based on debris and a frame-by-frame analysis of surveillance video of the crash that the suspects 2006 silver Chevrolet Equinox SUV was traveling 49 mph when it struck Butts. The speed limit is 25 mph on that stretch of road.

The affidavit says when found by police on Jan. 2, the vehicles windshield, hood, front headlight and grill were damaged. The affidavit says Palmer told police, I hit something, but I dont know what I hit.

Palmer was at the time employed by Allied Barton Security Services. A spokesman for the water treatment plan referred questions about her employment to Allied, which did not return messages on Tuesday. Palmer did not return a call to her house.

Buttss wife, Tjamanquie Moody, 32, told The Washington Post in January that her husband had been celebrating New Years Eve with his brother and friends. She believes he was walking to his fathers home when he was struck.

He had called to wish me a happy new year, and he told me that he loved me, and I told him that I loved him, said his brother, the Rev. Henry Lockamy, 63. That was the last time I heard from him.

Buttss wife described her husband as drummer, a poet and an occasional sketch artist. She said he had earned his GED a few years ago and was preparing to take classes in mortuary studies He had a 2-year-old, a 3-year-old and 5-year-old twins.

Lockamy, the assistant pastor at Gods Shepherds for Salvation Church in Northeast Washington, said of the death in January, Im numb. Im numb. . . . If they have a conscience, and Im pretty sure everybody have a conscience, theyre gonna turn their self in.
D.C. police have arrested two teenagers in connection with an attack this month on a Marine veteran who said he was beaten outside a downtown Washington McDonalds in a racially motivated incident.

The arrests, confirmed by D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier and a department statement, come five days after the surveillance video was released showing the veteran, Christopher A. Marquez, being struck in the back of the head and then robbed as he lay face down on a sidewalk. Another man is seen kicking him before the attackers run away.

Marquez, 30, is a student at American University who served eight years in the Marines and fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was awarded a Bronze Star Medal.

Police said in a statement that a male 17-year-old was charged with aggravated assault and a female 17-year-old was charged with robbery. Their names were not made public because they were charged as juveniles. A third suspect has not been arrested.

Marquez said Tuesday morning that police told him they had made arrests and that he was on his way to talk with detectives. I am happy and hopeful they got them, Marquez said.

The incident occurred the night of Feb. 12 at the McDonalds in the 900 block of E Street NW near Gallery Place and the FBI headquarters building.

[Watch video of attack outside McDonalds restaurant]

In an earlier interview, Marquez said the attack was unprovoked and occurred after the group approached him in a booth and asked him whether black lives matter, calling him a racist when he ignored the question. Marquez is Hispanic; his assailants are black.

The video shows a man striking Marquez as he walked out of the restaurant. It shows a man rifling through his pockets; police said $400, credit cards and Marquezs student ID were taken.

Police said they have not been able to verify the motive as described by Marquez, but they said they continue to investigate. A police report describes an argument between Marquez and at least one of the attackers.

Dustin Sternbeck, a D.C. police spokesman, said that police were able to identify the people who appeared in the video with the help of tips from residents.

Keith Alexander contributed to this report.
There are at least three ongoing investigations into Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's time as Secretary of State. Here's an explanation of who is investigating, and why. (Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)

There are at least three ongoing investigations into Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's time as Secretary of State. Here's an explanation of who is investigating, and why. (Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that State Department officials and top aides to Hillary Clinton should be questioned under oath about whether they intentionally thwarted federal open records laws by using or allowing the use of a private email server throughout Clintons tenure as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of Washington came in a lawsuit over public records brought by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal watchdog group, regarding its May 2013 request for information about the employment arrangement of Huma Abedin, a longtime Clinton aide.

Officials with the State and Justice departments said that they were aware of the order but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing litigation. Discovery orders are not readily appealable. An attorney for Abedin declined to comment.

Sullivan set an April 12 deadline for parties to litigate a detailed investigative plan--subject to court approval--that would reach well beyond the limited and carefully worded explanations of the use of the private server that department and Clinton officials have given.

Sullivan also suggested from the bench that he might at some point order the department to subpoena Clinton and Abedin to return all emails related to Clintons private account, not just records their camps previously deemed work-related and returned.

1 of 9 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Takeaways from Hillary Clintons e-mails View Photos Clinton has come under fire for using a private e-mail address during her time as secretary of state. The emails are being screened and released in batches. Here are some things weve learned from them. Caption Clinton has come under fire for using a private email address during her time as secretary of state. The emails are being screened and released in batches. Here are some things weve learned from them. Top-secret information in e-mails Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has previously stated that classified information never traveled across her private server. However, the State Department has acknowledged that "top secret" information was in seven email chains sent or received by her. Richard Drew/AP Wait 1 second to continue.

There has been a constant drip, drip, drip of declarations. When does it stop? Sullivan said, This case is about the publics right to know.

In granting Judicial Watchs request, Sullivan said that months of piecemeal revelations about Clinton and the State Departments handling of the email controversy created at least a reasonable suspicion  that public access to official government records under the federal Freedom of Information Act was undermined.

Sullivan noted that there was no dispute that senior State Department officials were aware of the email set-up from time Clinton took office, citing a January 2009 email exchange including Undersecretary for Management Patrick F. Kennedy, Clinton chief of staff Cheryl D. Mills and Abedin about establishing a stand-alone network email system.

Sullivan said the State Departments inspector general last month faulted the department and Clintons office for overseeing processes that repeatedly allowed inaccurate and incomplete FOIA responses, including a May 2013 reply that found no records concerning email accounts Clinton used, even though dozens of senior officials had corresponded with her private account.

In a statement, Judicial Watch President Thomas J. Fitton called the ruling a major victory for the public, and did not rule out that Clinton could become one of the current and former department officials whose testimony his group would seek.

The court-ordered discovery will help determine why the State Department and Mrs. Clinton, even despite receiving numerous FOIA requests, kept the record system secret for years, Fitton said. While Mrs. Clintons testimony may not be required initially, it may happen that her testimony is necessary for the Court to resolve the legal issues about her unprecedented email practices.

Suttons group in court filings did not ask to depose Clinton by name, but targeted requests at those who handled her transition, arrival and departure from the department and who oversaw Abedin, a direct subordinate.

Sullivans decision came as Clinton seeks the Democratic presidential nomination and three weeks after the State Department acknowledged for the first time that top secret information passed through the server.

[State Department says Hillary Clintons email correspondence contained top secret material]

The FBI and the departments inspector general are continuing to look into whether the private setup mishandled classified information or violated other federal laws.

For six months in 2012, Abedin was employed simultaneously by the State Department, the Clinton Foundation, Clintons personal office and a private consulting firm connected to the Clintons.

[How Huma Abedin operated at the center of the Clinton universe]

The department stated in February 2014 that it had completed its search of records for the secretarys office. After Clintons exclusive use of a private server was made public in May, the department said that additional records probably were available.

In pursuing information about Abedins role, Judicial Watch argued that the only way to determine whether all official records subject to its request were made public was to allow it to depose or submit detailed written questions about the private email arrangement to a slew of current and former top State Department officials, Clinton aides, her attorneys and outside parties.

Justice Department lawyers countered in court that the State Department is poised to finish publicly releasing all 54,000 pages of emails that Clintons attorneys determined to be work-related and that were returned to the State Department at its request for review.

The case before Sullivan, a longtime jurist who has overseen other politically contentious FOIA cases, is one of more than 50 active FOIA lawsuits by legal groups, news media organizations and others seeking information included in emails sent to or by Clinton and her aides on the private server.

The State Department has been releasing Clintons newly recovered correspondence in batches since last summer with a final set due Monday.

Meanwhile, former Clinton department aides Mills, Abedin, Jacob Sullivan and Philippe Reines have returned tens of thousands of pages of documents to the department for FOIA review, with releases projected to continue into at least 2017.

The State Department also has asked the FBI to turn over any of an estimated 30,000 deleted emails deemed personal by Clintons attorneys that the FBI is able to recover in its investigation of the security of the private email server.

There can be no doubt that [the State Departments] search for responsive records has been exceedingly thorough and more than adequate under FOIA, according to filings by Justice Department civil division lawyers, led by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer.

They argued that FOIA requires the agency to release records only under its control  not under the control of its current or former officials  and that federal employees routinely manage their email and self-select their work-related messages when they, quite permissibly, designate and delete personal emails from their government email accounts.

Sullivans decision will almost certainly extend through Election Day an inquiry that has dogged Clintons campaign, frustrating allies and providing fodder to Republican opponents.

FOIA law generally gives agencies the benefit of the doubt and sets a high bar for plaintiffs requests for discovery. However, one similar public records battle during Bill Clintons presidency lasted 14 years and led to depositions of the presidents White House counsel and chief of staff.

Because of the number of judges hearing the FOIA cases, there is likewise a chance that the fight over Hillary Clintons emails could take on a life of their own, not ending until there are endless depositions of top [agency] aides and officials, and just a parade of horribles, said Anne L. Weismann, executive director of the Campaign for Accountability. Weismann also is a former Justice Department FOIA litigation supervisor who oversaw dozens of such fights from 1991 to 2002.

Still, she said, such drawn-out legal proceedings could be valuable if they shed light on whether the State Department met its legal obligations under open-government laws or systematically withheld releasable records.

Last month, one of Sullivans colleagues, U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, dismissed lawsuits brought by Judicial Watch and the Cause of Action Institute that sought to force the government to take more aggressive steps to recover Clintons deleted emails under the Federal Records Act.

Plaintiffs cannot sue to force the recovery of records that they hope or imagine might exist, Boasberg wrote Jan. 11, adding that, to date, recovery efforts by the State Department and the National Archives under that law cannot in any way be described as a dereliction of duty.

The servers existence was disclosed two years after Clinton left, in February 2013, as secretary of state and as the department faced a congressional subpoena and media requests for emails related to scores of matters, including attacks that killed a U.S. ambassador in Benghazi, Libya, and fundraising for the Clinton familys global charity.

[Clinton receives key endorsement, but faces new questions]

In seeking records related to Abedins employment, Judicial Watch asked to be allowed to depose or submit written questions to current and former State Department employees and Clinton aides, including Kennedy; John F. Hackett, director of information services; Executive Secretary Joseph E. Macmanus; Clintons chief of staff, Mills; lawyer David E. Kendall; Abedin; and Bryan Pagliano, a Clinton staff member during her 2008 presidential campaign who helped set up the private server.

More broadly, the groups motion targets who oversaw State Department information systems, Clintons transition and arrival at the department, her communications, and her and Abedins departure from the agency.

What emails . . . were deleted . . . who decided to delete them, and when? Judicial Watch asks in filings.

The group also asks whether any archived copies of sent or received emails on the private server existed, including correspondence with Clinton technology contractors Platte River Networks and Datto.

Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report.
China firmly upholds her sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. [Photo/Xinhua]

The U.S., which has sent military vessels and planes to areas in the South China Sea to conduct close-in reconnaissance, is the source of tension and militarization of the South China Sea, a China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a press conference Monday.

The U.S. last week accused China of raising tensions in the South China Sea by its deployment of surface-to-air missiles on Yongxing Dao which raised tensions there especially at the current time and stage.

However, at the same time, U.S. media questioned U.S. navy's so-called freedom of navigation operation because a U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Zhongjian Island in the Xisha Islands chain in the South China Sea on Jan. 30, 2016.

In response to this issue, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' spokesperson Hua Chunying said that there is no difference between China's deployment of necessary national defense facilities on its own territory and the defense installation by the U.S. in Hawaii.

Hua said that the frequency of the U.S. sending vessels and planes to the South China Sea increases year by year. It has intensified tensions in the region, and is most likely to cause regional militarization.

China hopes that the U.S. would not confuse right and wrong on this issue, still less play up and create tensions in the region, said Hua. China urges the U.S. to play a constructive role for regional peace and stability.
Tammy Weeks provided this photo of her daughter, Nicole Lovell, in Blacksburg, Va. (Tammy Weeks/AP)

Nicole Madison Lovell, the 13-year-old Blacksburg middle-schooler slain in January, died from stab wounds to the neck, according to the official results of an investigation by the Virginia medical examiners office.

Two Virginia Tech students have been arrested on charges related to her disappearance and death. Tracie Cooper, the administrator for the Roanoke office of the Virginia medical examiner, said that Lovells death was a homicide.

[Va. Tech freshman was said to be excited to be part of something secretive]

Police have said that David Eisenhauer, 18, was a studious engineering student at Virginia Tech and competitive cross-country runner when he began an inappropriate relationship with Lovell, a seventh-grader at Blacksburg Middle School. Lovells mother, Tammy Weeks, said that her daughter met Eisenhauer online.

Prosecutors allege that Eisenhauer lured Lovell out of her home and killed her in a remote spot near Blacksburg. Police arrested Eisenhauer on charges of abduction and first-degree murder and charged a second Virginia Tech engineering student, Natalie Keepers, 19, with helping Eisenhauer plan the killing and dispose of Lovells body off a rural two-lane road just south of the Virginia border in North Carolina.

[Slain teen Nicole Lovell was stabbed, prosecutors say]

During a court proceeding in February, Montgomery County Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt said that the two Virginia Tech students bought a shovel and other supplies before deciding to kill Lovell by slitting her throat.

Cooper, the medical examiner administrator, confirmed to The Washington Post that Lovells cause of death was stabbing to the neck.

Two Virginia Tech students are charged in the death of a seventh grade girl. Here is what you need to know about the investigation. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

Eisenhauer and Keepers are being held in a jail in Christiansburg, Va., awaiting trial.
Alexandria's Ramsey Homes, which house 15 families, are subject of a major controversy. The public housing authority wants to demolish and replace them. The City Council said no Saturday. (Patricia Sullivan/ThWashington Post)

A bitter dispute over whether to replace 15 decrepit apartments in Alexandria with more than 50 new units has exposed a growing rift in the small Northern Virginia city over the merits of affordable housing, historic preservation and high-density growth.

The strife reflects both continuing tension over the leadership of the new mayor, Allison Silberberg, and a deep split over a question of competing interests: Can Alexandria house its poorest residents while maintaining the quality of life treasured by the more affluent and preserving its history, including artifacts from the era of segregation?

After an acrimonious six-hour hearing Saturday, the City Council was unable to muster the supermajority it needed to rezone the 74-year-old Ramsey Homes property to accommodate a 53-unit project for low- and moderate-income residents. Six out of seven council members would have had to support the project because of a petition circulated by neighbors who oppose the size of the development.

[Affordable housing project fails in Alexandria]

Silberberg and the rest of the all-Democratic council clashed openly with the local public housing authority and each other during the council session, trading accusations of secret meetings and failure to solve long-existing problems. The discord has continued since Saturday, with critical and angry posts on social media.

Wow! Still trying to find the words for how disappointed I am in my new mayor. . . ., council member John Taylor Chapman wrote Saturday night on his Facebook page, triggering dozens of responses.

Vice Mayor Justin Wilson, who supported the rezoning, said Monday that he remains profoundly disappointed that the council was unable to save the project. I think Saturday was a leadership moment, not just for the mayor, but for all of us, Wilson said. And I think we all failed.

Silberberg (D), chairing just her second meeting since taking office, repeatedly asked for advice from the city attorney on how to proceed, allowed back-and-forth questions during the time when residents each normally get three minutes to make their statements and ignored three requests from council members to call for a vote.

It devolved into something Ive never seen before, said Jody Manor, a native Alexandrian who owns two cafes in Old Town and supported former mayor William D. Euille over Silberberg last year. Apart from the issue of affordable housing, the other issue is governance, and I was frankly appalled by what transpired.

By midafternoon Monday, 1,520 people had viewed the archived video of the council meeting on Alexandrias website, more than three times as many views as a council meeting usually gets, city officials said.

Former state delegate and city council member Rob Krupicka said the reaction was bigger than the waterfront controversy, which consumed the city government for more than two years.

This goes to the competency and ability of the government to do its job, Krupicka said. Theres been a lot of trust thats been destroyed in this process. I worry about the city government going off the rails.

Later this year, the housing agency is expected to propose the redevelopment of five other properties it owns. Manor and other council observers said the recent vote does not bode well for how that will go.

The four mustard-colored buildings that make up the Ramsey Homes are in bad shape, everyone agrees. There is no air conditioning, dishwashers or garbage disposals; the heating is inadequate; the bathrooms are not accessible to the disabled; and laundry water backs up into neighboring units. Nearby are handsome condominium units worth close to $1 million.

I see new developments going up around us, Ramsey Homes resident Marion L. Mealing told the council Saturday. We deserve a change as well.

The two-story structures were built as segregated housing for African American defense workers during World War II. The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) bought them in the early 1950s and turned them into public housing. Now the agency wants to replace the buildings with a much larger project that would generate more money for operations while preserving 15 very low-income public units.

The agency first proposed a four-story, 63-unit structure, then modified that to a three-story, 53-unit building after complaints that the project was too large. Preservationists called for keeping some of the existing buildings to preserve the Jim Crow-era history.

The council in September told the housing agency to come up with a compromise by years end. But city officials said ARHA officials stopped communicating with them in October and resumed only in January, after a meeting with Silberberg that other council members were not informed about.

ARHA board members said Saturday that they could not find a financially viable way to further reduce the number of units. A third-party analyst hired by the city found that statement questionable.

Michelle Krocker, executive director of the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance which is not involved in this project, said what residents misunderstand is that affordable housing does not work without increased density.

You cant build 10 or 15 units of affordable housing, she said Monday. You need a certain number to make it work. . . . More and more, we have to build mixed-income units so that the higher-income units can make up for the cost of the lower-income units.

Faced with the neighbors petition requiring a super-majority vote, ARHA asked the council late Friday afternoon to defer any action on its project. The council refused, which means it will be at least six months before ARHA can refile a rezoning request  something that housing officials said they might not do at all because they do not want to expend more agency resources.

Council member Paul Smedberg, who with Silberberg voted against the rezoning, blamed the ARHA for its defeat, saying the agency has not exercised good financial oversight.

Silberberg said her concern stemmed from the higher-density zoning, which she believes could prompt the housing agency to try to sell its land to a private developer. ARHA officials on Saturday noted that even if the agency wanted to do that, the council and the federal housing authority could veto it. But Silberberg wasnt convinced.

She said she remains committed to maintaining civility at council meetings and blamed the citys legal team for some of Saturdays procedural chaos. I think there was confusion because the legal advice was not consist. There was a mixed message, she said.
Voters in Virginia right now are seeing television ads in support of only two candidates: Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Marco Rubio.

Clinton has bought $148,905 worth of time in Richmond and $60,025 in Roanoke, according to a Virginia Public Access Project analysis of Federal Communication Commissions data. Shes running two ads in the state: one focused on her record, the other on criminal justice reform.

Conservative Solutions, a super PAC supporting Rubio, is on the air with a $87,825 buy in the Richmond area and a $52,610 buy in Hampton Roads.

Virginia holds its Democratic and Republican primaries on crowded Super Tuesday, March 1, so voters wont get the one-on-one interaction with candidates that early-voting states enjoyed.

Polling suggests that most voters in the state are drawing their opinions from national coverage. Advertising could give Clinton and Rubio a boost in a state that has yet to get much attention even though the primary is a week away.

No one is on the air in Northern Virginia, the densest part of the state and the most expensive media market.
Paige Comstock Cunningham helped pioneer an approach to fighting abortion that emphasizes protecting women from harm. You cant just focus on the child and not on the mother and her needs, she says. (Joshua Lott/For The Washington Post)

When the Supreme Court meets next week to hear its first abortion-related case in nearly a decade, the justices will consider the most significant challenge to an argument that has become central to the antiabortion cause: that abortion hurts not just a fetus but also its mother.

That idea wasnt always at the heart of the movement, which for years spent more time highlighting what it considered the plight of the unborn child. But as the social and legal landscape has changed, the focus on women has taken center stage. And that shift has paid dividends, with state legislatures across the country enacting laws in the name of protecting women from allegedly unsafe conditions at abortion clinics.

At issue in the court case is part of a Texas law that imposes strict new requirements on clinic facilities and the doctors who work in them.

But regardless of how the court rules, antiabortion activists say the woman-centered emphasis isnt going away.

You cant just focus on the child and not on the mother and her needs, said Paige Comstock Cunningham, a lawyer and longtime antiabortion activist who is a professor at Trinity International University in Illinois. She is a former president of Americans United for Life, a Washington-based nonprofit that helped pioneer the woman-focused approach to antiabortion advocacy.

In this 2013 photo, an anti-abortion rights supporter holds a crucifix and prays while opponents and supporters of abortion rights gather in the Texas State Capitol as lawmakers debated abortion restrictions. The U.S. Supreme Court will soon weigh in on the legality of the law. (Tamir Kalifa/AP)

The group also helped promote an incremental strategy to opposing abortion, advocating a host of restrictions at the state level over wholesale targeting of the Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationally in 1973. Today, versions of its model legislation on matters from parental notification to guidelines for medication-induced abortion have been adopted in many states, including Texas.

Abortion rights groups call these regulations disingenuous attempts to severely limit and ultimately end access to legal abortion, which these activists call one of the safest medical procedures available.

Cunningham had retired from the brutal abortion wars when, she said, in 1993 she was called by her Christian faith to return to the work. I came with a fresh vision that, for 20 years, we had really focused on abortion from the perspective of the fetus, she said. The vision I laid out was a desire that we wake people up to the fact that abortion hurts women, too.

Others were coming around to the idea as well. Frederica Mathewes-Green, former vice president of a group called Feminists for Life, said she had long doubted that the American public would be swayed only by arguments focused on the suffering of the fetus.

It took a long time [for the movement] to realize nobody is listening when you say that, she said. Its what they already know. What they want to know is, how is the woman going to get past that?

The shift to a more incremental, woman-focused approach was strategic as much as anything, said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at Florida State University and the author of After Roe: The Lost History of the Abortion Debate.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, abortion rights groups were gaining support with their message emphasizing a womans right to choose. Americans had become increasingly concerned with womens equality. The 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey  the last time the court considered an abortion case this consequential  allowed states to limit abortion but dashed hopes that Roe v. Wade would be overturned altogether.

From left, women's reproductive rights supporter Elisa Gonzalez speaks with Planned Parenthood volunteer Barbie Hurtado during a tour of the Whole Womans Health clinic in San Antonio, Texas earlier this month. As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to consider the legality of strict Texas abortion restrictions, womens healthcare providers in the state have launched a campaign to win support to keep their clinics open. (Darren Abate/Reuters)

Moreover, polling showed that, in the face of clinic bombings, attacks on clinic staffers and aggressive protests, the public was beginning to view the antiabortion movement as hardhearted, Ziegler said.

Antiabortion leaders started recognizing this was a pretty serious public relations issue, she said. Many were women who actually believed pretty deeply that abortion hurt women, and the reason that wasnt getting out was that women didnt have as much of a voice in the pro-life movement.

Not everyone in the movement favored the new focus, particularly those who saw the women as complicit in the killing of their unborn children, Cunningham said. I had someone who called me and said: Why are you doing this? I think every abortion should be fatal to the mother,  she recalled. I was horrified.

Groups such as Americans United for Life went on to amplify arguments that abortion causes a litany of harms to women and claimed the existence of a disorder called post-abortion syndrome  a version of post-traumatic stress disorder. They also began highlighting dangers they said women faced as a result of unsafe conditions and a lack of regulations in abortion clinics.

Abortion rights groups counter that abortion is one of the safest medical procedures available, citing research showing that abortions in the first trimester, when the vast majority of abortions occur, have very little risk of major complications that might require hospitalization.

Since a Republican sweep of legislatures and governors mansions in 2010, states have enacted nearly 300 abortion restrictions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights think tank. Many of those laws are predicated on possible harms that may come to women from unsafe conditions at abortion clinics.

The restrictions range from multi-day waiting periods and state-approved counseling to mandatory ultrasounds and regulations governing the physical nature of abortion clinics.

Among the questions the Supreme Court will ponder in the Texas case, Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt, on March 2 is: When considering such laws, do courts have to look at the scientific evidence supporting them? A lower court concluded that they do not and that legislatures have broad leeway to make these decisions.

One of the Texas provisions at issue requires abortion clinics to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers. Typically, abortions early in pregnancy are performed in settings more closely resembling doctors offices.

Supporters of this rule say the invasive nature of surgical abortions suggests they must be done in hospital-like environments. Critics, however, with the backing of major medical groups such as the American Medical Association, argue that such requirements are unnecessary. They call this regulation a smokescreen to force clinics, particularly low-volume clinics in rural areas that cant afford to comply, to shut down.

The other provision in question requires doctors to obtain admitting privileges at local hospitals, which would allow the doctors to treat patients there in case of emergency. Supporters call this another common-sense measure to protect women. But opponents note that hospitals will accept any patient in an emergency. Moreover, they say abortion providers often cant get such privileges because they live too far away or because hospitals are unwilling to jump into the abortion debate, among other reasons.

Abortion rights activists say they have watched the evolution of the antiabortion strategy with deep skepticism.

I think those who oppose abortion have been consistently opportunistic since the 80s and will promote whatever argument gets them closer to overruling Roe and, as a practical matter, making abortion unavailable, said Dawn Johnsen, a law professor at Indiana University and a former Clinton administration official who long worked in the abortion rights arena.

These activists call the idea that women need protection from their own decisions condescending and deeply offensive.

Women see right through it, said Amy Hagstrom Miller, chief executive of Whole Womans Health, a chain of abortion clinics that is the plaintiff in the case before the Supreme Court.

She said 70 percent of the women who come to her clinics are mothers, meaning they are well aware of what it means to terminate a pregnancy. As they go through the hoops necessary to obtain an abortion in Texas  a state-approved counseling session, followed by a 24-hour waiting period and a mandatory ultrasound  they often become upset, she said.

They get super-offended, she said. And its because they know women are completely capable to face the moral and ethical ramifications of what theyre doing. They dont need coddling or protection.

Even as this strategy is being litigated, abortion foes are pushing a new raft of state bills, many of which echo the days when the fetus was more often at the center of their arguments. These measures gained momentum last summer after an antiabortion activist mounted an undercover sting targeting Planned Parenthood, the large womens health nonprofit and abortion provider, purporting to show that the organization illegally sells fetal tissue for a profit.

So far, state and federal investigations have turned up no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Planned Parenthood, but a grand jury in Texas indicted the activists behind the project for falsifying government documents as part of their ruse.

Several states are considering bills to require humane disposal of fetal tissue, in some cases mandating that the material be buried or cremated.

Other states, citing concerns for the fetus, are considering bans on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy or earlier. Some states are cutting off funding to Planned Parenthood.

At least two states are considering bills that would bar women from obtaining abortions if the reason is a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. If enacted, these bills would create a paradox  allowing abortion if no reason is given but barring the procedure if the reason is the fetal anomaly.

The return to these types of laws is by no means a radical departure for the antiabortion movement, said Ziegler, the Florida law professor.

The movements ultimate focus has always been fetal rights, she said. The anti-Planned Parenthood videos simply reminded the movement of how much leverage they can get from fetal rights arguments.

Cunningham and others acknowledge that, in their hearts, they believe in the full humanity of the fetus from the moment of conception and would like to see abortion ended in this country. But they object to the idea that the regulations are simply a means to that end.

Why could we not care about how women are being hurt in abortion clinics and still be pro-life? said Charmaine Yoest, current president of Americans United for Life. Its designed to shut our voices down.
During the two years before the disastrous opening of HealthCare.gov, federal officials in charge of creating the online insurance marketplace received 18 written warnings that the mammoth project was mismanaged and off course but never considered postponing its launch, according to government investigators.

The warnings included a series of 11 scathing reviews from an outside consultant  among them a top-10 list of risks drawn up in the spring of 2013 that cited inadequate planning for the websites capacity and deviations from usual IT standards. A few months before, then-Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius had hired another consultant to review the project and recommend ways to improve its management, but its advice was never shared with the technical staff working on the website.

[HealthCare.gov timeline: Final countdown to a flawed launch]

The long trail of unheeded warnings is among the findings from an exhaustive two-year inquiry by HHSs Office of Inspector General into the failings of HealthCare.gov, which crashed within two hours of its launch on Oct. 1, 2013. The failings tarnished the start of a central aspect of the Affordable Care Act  new insurance marketplaces for Americans who cannot get affordable coverage through a job  and embarrassed the White House, which championed the law.

The findings are contained in a case study to be released Tuesday. It represents the most penetrating look ever into what went wrong with the building of the federal insurance exchange and what was done to fix it. It is based on interviews with 86 employees of HHS, its Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and companies that worked on the project, as well as on several thousand emails, memos, government contracts and other internal documents.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) asked Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius who was responsible for failures in the rollout of the Affordable Care Act's Web site. (The Washington Post)

Many of the basic contours laid out in the 84-page report are, by now, familiar: Federal health officials failed to recognize the enormity of the undertaking, were disorganized and fragmented, were hampered by late and shifting ACA policies, had too little money, used poor contracting practices, and ignored problems until it was too late.

But the inquiry unearthed vivid details that have not been public. And it concludes that the central reason for the problems rested not with the shoddy work of vital IT contractors but with mismanagement by federal health officials carrying out this part of the law.

CMS didnt need a technical surge, they needed an organizational surge, an agency employee told the investigators. A lack of leadership, the report says, caused delays in decision-\making, lack of clarity in project tasks and the inability of CMS to recognize the magnitude of problems as the project deteriorated.

The investigators also concluded that once the crisis erupted (only six people nationwide managed to select health plans through HealthCare.gov on its first day) the initial repair blitz was not primarily the result of the tech surge ballyhooed by the White House  the talent quickly imported from Silicon Valley and other leading IT firms. The turnaround was fostered mainly by an abrupt culture shift in which government workers, contractors and the tech imports worked hand in hand, initially at a command center in Herndon, Va, Va. Within two months, about 4 in 5 consumers could use the website.

Over the past two years, top federal health officials have apologized for HealthCare.govs troubled start, and President Obama has called it a well-documented disaster. CMS spokesman Aaron Albright said the problems cited in the report taught the agency lessons about leadership, accountability and prioritization that it has applied to its work since.

Among the reports revelations:

In the summer of 2013, CMS officials asked CGI Federal, the main contractor building HealthCare.gov, to demonstrate a simple feature called Account Lite, intended to let consumers create accounts before enrollment began. CGI was behind schedule and, when it finally did the demonstration, federal workers found 105 defects.

The Obama administration's Affordable Care Act headache was comedic gold for late night hosts in 2013. (The Washington Post)

On Sept. 26, five days before the launch, CMS officials discovered that the website had capacity for just a fraction of the planned number of consumers who could shop for health plans and fill out applications. That afternoon, CMS officials drove to the Laurel, Md., offices of a contractor, Terremark, and ordered its managers to double the capacity within 72 hours.

Another contractor, QSSI, which was building the system for consumers to create accounts and verify their identities, underestimated the capacity required because its leaders did not know that consumers would not be able to browse health plans unless they first created an account. Just after midnight on Oct. 1, when HealthCare.gov began to run, QSSIs staff members were in their office, watching as everything was turning red on our screens, indicating that people couldnt get onto the site, the report says.

Before the site opened, CMS had not tested it end to end to see how the parts worked together. You cant test what is not built, a contractor told the investigators.

Such last-minute chaos stemmed from decisions and dynamics that had begun much earlier, the investigators said. The ACA provided HHS with $1 billion for the administrative expenses of implementing the law, but the department ceded over half these funds to the Internal Revenue Service and other agencies carrying out parts of the law, aggravating its own financial strain.

And delays occurred, in part, because of close scrutiny of the CMSs work by the White House staff, even on relatively minor issues. CMS employees were frustrated, the report says, with the discussion around changing the term nationwide health insurance to health insurance in official documents.

Work was hampered, too, by turnover of key staff at the CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, which oversees the marketplace.

As the launch date neared, the report says, CMS officials and workers became desensitized to bad news about progress, doing little to respond to warnings and remaining too optimistic.

By the next spring, that had changed. On April 1, 2014, the day after the first enrollment season ended, the agencys leaders met for three days of ruthless prioritization for the second sign-up period that fall. They listed the unfinished work on the website and, after considering what each item would require, cut the list in half.

Even today, after 9.6 million people nationwide signed up during the third enrollment for ACA coverage, HealthCare.gov faces ongoing challenges, the report says, including the completion of the website. One last part is an automated payment system with insurers. CMS began to use the system last month, starting with insurers whose own IT systems were ready for it.
President Obama on Monday asked Congress to set aside $1.9 billion to respond to the Zika virus abroad and to prepare for it in the United States, saying the funds are necessary to halt the spread of the disease and protect the health and safety of Americans.

The White House had detailed the outlines of the request earlier this month, arguing that new resources are needed to help ramp up surveillance efforts, control the mosquitoes spreading Zika, accelerate research into new vaccines and diagnostic tests, and help countries already battling the virus.

This request supports the necessary steps to fortify our domestic health system, detect and respond to any potential Zika outbreaks at home, and to limit the spread in other countries, Obama wrote in a letter to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.).

The White House also is seeking flexibility to use some of its unspent funding for the Ebola crisis to respond to Zika or other infectious diseases.

Republicans on Capitol Hill have suggested that the administration first tap unused funds set aside in late 2014 to fight the Ebola epidemic in West Africa before asking for additional money to fight Zika.

In a letter late last week to White House budget director Shaun Donovan, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) detailed an array of Ebola funds that remain unused. That includes more than $1.4 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as funds for the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Before the submission of an emergency supplemental request, it seems incumbent upon the Administration as well as Congress to pursue the use of unobligated funds, including unobligated Ebola funds, which are substantial, to meet the needs of responding to the Zika outbreak, Rogers wrote.

The bulk of the money the administration is requesting for Zika, about $828 million, would go to the CDC, which has dedicated hundreds of staffers to responding to the outbreak.
Lawmakers on Monday cleared the way for the confirmation of Robert Califf as the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, despite ongoing objections from senators who have criticized his ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

The Senate overwhelmingly backed a procedural motion to prevent any legislator from blocking a vote on Califfs nomination and to limit debate on the decision to 30 hours. A final vote could come as early as Tuesday.

In recent months, several senators have held up the confirmation of the longtime cardiologist and Duke University researcher.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) has argued that Califfs background  pharmaceutical companies funded many of the research studies he oversaw at Duke  would prevent him from standing up to drug companies and looking out for ordinary consumers. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) briefly held up Califfs nomination because she wanted the FDA to put in place labeling requirements for genetically engineered salmon.

But perhaps the most severe criticism has come from Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), who sought to block Califfs confirmation vote because of their frustration with what they see as the FDAs lax approach to opioid painkillers amid an epidemic of prescription-drug abuse.

Right now, FDA is part of the opioid problem, when America is counting on it to be part of the solution, Markey said at a news conference with Manchin.

The pair criticized the FDAs recent vow to overhaul its opioid protocols  the agency promised to strengthen follow-up studies on painkiller use and convene outside expert panels before considering new opioids without abuse-deterrent properties  as hollow and unlikely to slow the addiction crisis.

The FDA, now more than ever, needs a champion whos committed to changing the way the agency approaches opiates, Manchin said.

Despite their opposition, Manchin and Markey acknowledged that they faced an uphill battle in blocking Califf, who last month sailed through an initial vote by a Senate health committee and has wide support on Capitol Hill.

In addition to Markey and Manchin, senators who voted against the measure were Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio).
The Dunhuang Research Academy released some ancient documents and frescos on Monday, which feature the celebration of the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907) and the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar, marking the last day of the Chinese New Year celebration. On that day, ancient Chinese people will light thousands of colorful lights. This year's Lantern Festival falls on Feb. 22. (CNS Photo)
BRITISH PRIME Minister David Cameron declared Saturday that we are approaching one of the biggest decisions this country will face in our lifetimes, in a June referendum on whether to remain in the European Union. Hes right, unfortunately: A British vote against the E.U. would be a step into the dark that most likely would greatly harm Britains economy, its global influence and its ability to be a strategic partner of the United States. It could deal a crippling blow to the already staggering 28-nation union and lead to Britains own dissolution.

Most disturbingly, these enormous risks were unnecessary. In promising three years ago to renegotiate Britains E.U. membership and then put it to a vote, Mr. Cameron embraced a shortsighted and politically motivated maneuver that now will force him to wage the fight of his life to avoid a disaster and the likely end of his political career. In the four months before the vote, his government is likely to be a weak and distracted international player at a time of multiple crises, in and outside of Europe.

Mr. Cameron claims that his negotiation of new terms for Britains E.U. membership has made it possible for the country to enjoy the best of both worlds within and outside the union. But even the strongest supporters of a yes vote in the June 23 referendum say the deal offers only modest changes in the status quo. British governments will now be able to limit some welfare payments to workers who migrate to the country from elsewhere in the E.U. and will be able to challenge new financial rules that could negatively affect Britains economy. London will be exempted from a largely symbolic E.U. pledge to seek ever-closer union.

Some of those who favor a Brexit say it would restore British sovereignty and democratic accountability for governmental decisions. That no camp includes a half-dozen members of Mr. Camerons cabinet and London Mayor Boris Johnson, one of the countrys most popular politicians. Their argument is more nostalgic than practical. To sustain its global financial center and export economy in this century, Britain will have to be bound by many regulations and norms set elsewhere, just like every other advanced country. If it leaves the E.U., it will merely lose influence in shaping some of those rules.

In all likelihood, the referendum will turn on far cruder questions, such as whether resentment of immigrants, the asylum-seekers flooding into Europe and the political establishment will drive voters to cast a negative vote. As in the United States, populists who feed on the frustrations of the traditional working class are on the rise in Britain; for them, the E.U. is an ideal scapegoat.

The best-case scenario is that Mr. Cameron will, with great effort, manage to preserve the status quo. He can plausibly paint a grim picture of the alternative: an economy that spins into recession, the possible secession from the United Kingdom of pro-E.U. Scotland, and a weakening of Britains ability to partner with Europe against such threats as terrorism and Russia. The countrys U.S. friends can only hope that at a time of anti-institutional feeling, voters will be swayed by that conventional common sense.
Donald Trumps shocking transformation from reality-show host to Republican presidential front-runner is not some random and bizarre twist of fate. It grows from the failure of our political system to adapt to demographic change, economic disruption and a reorganizing world.

Trumps victory Saturday in the South Carolina primary appears to have cleared away the cobwebs of denial. However improbable, outlandish or frightening it may be, Trump has a very good chance of becoming the nominee. He can still be beaten, but the debilitated Republican establishment does not seem up to the task; poor Jeb Bush bowed out after winning less than 8 percent of the vote.

Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz essentially tied for second place, 10 points behind Trumps winning 32.5 percent. Since John Kasich and Ben Carson turned out to be non-factors, the Republican race is left with three leading candidates  none of whom offers viable solutions. Trump is a wrecking ball, Cruz is a conservative ideologue, and Rubio tries to be all things to all people.

None addresses the nation and the world as they really are. Rubio promises an aggressively interventionist foreign policy of the kind that gave us more than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cruz pledges to double down on failed economic policies  deregulation, tax cuts, tight money  and turn back the clock on social changes such as same-sex marriage. Neither offers much that sounds new or promising.

So it should be no surprise that substantial numbers of Republicans are seduced by Trump, who proposes knocking the house down and starting over. His demagoguery succeeds not just because of his fame and charisma. In sometimes appalling ways, he addresses the hopes and fears of much of the Republican base.

Hot off the heels of a South Carolina victory, Donald Trump is casting a long shadow over the GOP party. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are battling hard to emerge as a candidate who can defeat Trump heading into the Nevada caucus and Super Tuesday. (Alice Li/The Washington Post)

His pledge to build a physical wall along the border with Mexico hits a nerve with white voters worried about the browning of the nation. His disparagement of free-trade agreements gives hope to blue-collar workers left behind by the flight of manufacturing jobs. His advocacy of restraint in the deployment of U.S. troops, even with the Middle East in flames, draws nods from war-weary military families and veterans.

And Trumps diagnosis of what is wrong with our politics  that the politicians are bought and paid for by special interests  is essentially correct. His supporters may disapprove of his extreme rhetoric, some of which is racially tinged, but still appreciate the fact that he is beholden to no one.

Can either Cruz or Rubio stop him? It looks doubtful. Trumps support in the party may be well short of a majority, but he is far ahead of the others. Cruzs showing in South Carolina was a disappointment; the evangelical Christian vote, which he desperately needs if he is to stay competitive, went narrowly for Trump. Rubio would seem to have wider appeal and thus be the more potent challenger, but there is no guarantee that he will scoop up all of Bushs support  or that of Kasich and Carson, assuming they eventually drop out. At least some of those votes will go to Trump. And perhaps most ominously for the others, a majority of Republicans now believe Trump will be the nominee.

If he is, however, his appeal to independents should be limited. The Democratic nominee  and that is likely to be Hillary Clinton, following her decisive win over Bernie Sanders in the Nevada caucuses  would begin the general election campaign with a big advantage.

To be sure, Clinton has exploitable weaknesses  notably the fact that so many voters do not consider her trustworthy. But her long record leaves no doubt that she would be a steady hand in the White House, as opposed to Trump, who would be anything but. Passionate anti-Trump sentiment could boost turnout and give Democrats a sweeping victory.

Such a result would not mean, however, that the Democratic Party has done a significantly better job of responding to new realities than the GOP has. It would just mean that most Americans believe putting someone with Trumps views and temperament in the White House would be unthinkable.

Sanderss core message is the same as Trumps: that the system is rigged to favor the rich and powerful. Trump offers himself as an autocratic strongman; Sanders promises a political revolution. Together, they have shown that the establishments of both parties have lost touch with big segments of voters.

Many Americans seem to be questioning the traditional liberal-vs.conservative paradigm. The parties might want to pay attention.

Read more from Eugene Robinsons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A.
Models of FC-20 fighter, the export version of J-10, are on display at the booth of China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation during Singapore Airshow 2016. (Photo/Huanqiu.com)

Developing countries that do not have close military attachments with Western countries will be potential buyers of China's FC-20 fighter jet, an expert said in an interview with People's Daily Online.

According to the report on Britain IHS Jane's Defense Weekly, Pakistan had shown willingness to buy FC-20 fighters, but this bill did not take effect. It is reported that Iran is also in favor of this type of fighter vehicle.

Du Wenlong, a military expert, stated that the export of FC-20 fighters is constrained by various conditions. First of all, member countries of NATO will not only pass on the fighter jet but will also go against it since China's fighter jet export takes market shares from U.S. F-16 fighters. Secondly, extremely wealthy countries will prefer more expensive and comprehensive fighters to the FC-20. However, it is undeniable that countries that do not have access to American fighters or look down on Russian ones will be potential buyers of China's FC-20.

State-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has confirmed that it is actively seeking international sales for the Chengdu FC-20 multirole fighter aircraft, the export version of the Chengdu J-10, according to the report on Janes Defense Weekly.

According to the report, an AVIC official said the corporation only received official approval to export the FC-20 "in the past few years." He confirmed that the aircraft is being targeted for sale to customers in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America, but did not disclose details.

Speaking about the differences between the FC-20 and its prototype, J-10, Du stated that the two versions mainly differ from each other not in appearance and basic performance but in functions. The J-10 fighter is a combat aircraft designed for the People's Liberation Army Air Force, while the export version of the fighter can adjust its configuration and performance to the demands of potential clients.

As for the advantages of the FC-20, Du stated that the aircraft is cheaper than its American and Russian counterparts. China is good at cost control when it comes to weapons manufacturing. Furthermore, China's export of weaponry will not be hampered at all by political pretexts. The U.S. regards arms export and military cooperation as important diplomatic indicators for friends and enemies; China, on the other hand, conducts military and technological cooperation with other countries as equals. Whats more, if China sells an aircraft to another country, that country will provide technological or personnel support for application and maintenance.

Du also said that China's export of fighters still falls behind that of the U.S., Russia and other European countries, especially when it comes to main force fighters. The American F-16 and Russian Mikoyan MiG-29 are superior to China's FC-20 in terms of market shares. At present, the export of advanced Chinese weaponry is struggling to expand its market share in the face of established patterns.
I may never forgive Donald Trump for what he said about Mexicans. I may never forgive him for what he said about Muslims or that smutty crack he made about Megyn Kelly. I may never forgive him for his lies and his bravado and his nasty personalizing of political differences. I may never forgive him for all these things, but I draw the line at Serge Kovaleski, the reporter with a congenital condition that limits mobility . Trump mocked him. I will never forgive him for that.

This happened in November, and Im sure you know about it, but it has been left in the dust kicked up by further Trump outrages that include a denial that he ever did what in fact he did. He twisted his body in approximation of Kovaleskis. Trump not only denied doing it, but he denied knowing about Kovaleskis condition, despite having been interviewed by him on several occasions.

Kovaleski now works at the New York Times, but he was once a colleague of mine at The Post. I used to see him in the vast newsroom and wonder about him and admire him as well. His disability, called arthrogryposis, is instantly noticeable. It forces him to hold his arms in a distinctive way.

My guess is that he could have done anything he wanted. Hes a graduate of the College of William and Mary and talented enough to have worked at two of the best American newspapers. He could have been a lawyer or an accountant or a hedge-fund honcho  you name it. What Im saying is that he could have made a pretty good living sitting behind a desk and not, on a daily basis, confronting people who are unprepared for his appearance. Every day as a reporter, he must see the double take of the surprised.

Trumps other outrages arguably had an element of political calculation to them. The stuff about Mexicans, about immigrants in general, and about Muslims was popular among his supporters. Its not that I think these insults were disingenuous  the mans bigotry was evident when he insistently questioned whether Barack Obama was a natural-born American  but they applied to large groups, momentarily unpopular, and no single person either had to bear a stigma or feel the hurt. Trump came closest to showing his innate cruelty with his remark that John McCain, who spent five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, was no hero. Trump has an adolescents contempt for the suffering of others.

At a rally in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump mocks New York Times reporter, Serge Kovaleski who is disabled. (Reuters)

With his recent victory in South Carolina, we have to face the prospect that Trump could be the Republican nominee, possibly the next president of the United States. Its a depressing thought. Hes crass and dishonest, a bully in a bespoke suit. But hes also cruel, as evinced by his crack about McCain and, more particularly, his mocking of Kovaleski. After all, McCains heroism is beyond question and a personal attribute. His captivity, his tortures, may not be fully behind him, but it is in the past. Not so Kovaleskis condition. Its with him every day.

Trump has his charms. But hes a towel-snapper  a rich kid who has always had it easy. He has never had the character-building setbacks that sometimes season the callow  Franklin D. Roosevelts polio or Robert F. Kennedys loss of his brother John, for instance. These are the sorts of things that reduce the rich to the powerlessness of the poor. Trump has none of that. He lives in a pre-Copernican world of his own. The sun revolves around him.

Brett Duncan Smith, a University of Georgia student, drove 90 miles last week to see John Kasich in Clemson, S.C. Smith was distraught. A year before, the man who was like my second dad, he killed himself, Smith told Kasich. And then a few months later, my parents got a divorce, and then a few months later, my dad lost his job. Smith went on like this, and finally asked Kasich for a hug. The Ohio governor stepped forward and threw his arms around him.

I contrast Kasich to Trump not because I think the willingness to hug is the measure of a great president, but because empathy is. The cliche about feeling someone elses pain cannot be applied to Trump. He does not appreciate the difference between fortunate and entitled. The only pain he feels is his own. He never apologized to Kovaleski and he never seemed to appreciate why he should. You may conclude that hes merely rude. I think hes dangerous.

Read more from Richard Cohens archive.
A makeshift memorial outside a Cracker Barrel restaurant, one of the sites of a series of shootings over the weekend that killed six in Kalamazoo, Mich. (Mark Kauzlarich/Reuters)

ON SATURDAY, it was Kalamazoo, Mich. A gunman shot six people to death. Police said he randomly selected his victims as they went about the ordinary business of a winter weekend.

On Sunday, it was Hazelwood, Mo., where a gunman killed a 37-year-old mother as she rode in her car.

And Yazoo City, Miss., where a 25-year-old man in a nightclub was shot in the chest and died.

And Merrillville, Ind., where a relative murdered a husband and wife in their 60s and then turned the gun on himself.

And near Houston, where a 17-year-old murdered a 25-year-old, apparently a rival in love, and then shot himself in the head.

All that is far from a complete accounting of the people killed or injured in gun violence in the United States over the weekend. So routine are shootings that only the particular horrors of mass shootings like a Kalamazoo or San Bernardino or Charleston attract any national attention  and even then not for long. Kalamazoos senseless deaths, sympathy for the families, speculation about what drove the accused gunman  sorry, thats old news. Time to move on.

After Octobers rampage at a community college in Oregon in which a gunman killed 10 people, including himself, and wounded seven others, President Obama lamented that mass killings have become routine in the United States. I hope and pray that I dont have to come out again during my tenure as president to offer my condolences to families in these circumstances. But based on my experience as president, I cant guarantee that, Mr. Obama said.

The United States loses far more people to gun violence  homicidal, suicidal, accidental  than almost any other country, and there is one reason: the easy availability of guns. Other countries struggle with mental illness. In other countries, teenagers play violent video games. Uber does or does not perform adequate background checks in other countries, the particular distraction of the Kalamazoo case. Those may be interesting issues. But it is guns that make the difference.

So far in this very young year, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive, there have been 6,886 incidents of gun violence in the United States, killing 1,781 people and injuring 3,475, as of Monday afternoon. Of those killed or injured, 74 were under age 12. We hope that voters keep those numbers in mind when they make decisions this year about who should represent them in public office.
ON SUNDAY, ABCs George Stephanopoulos asked Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus whether the party would back Donald Trump should he win the GOP nomination. Yes, we will support the nominee, the Republican chairman replied. To me, its a no-brainer. Mr. Stephanopoulos asked if a Trump nomination would split the party. Winning is the antidote to a lot of things, Mr. Priebus responded.

Winning can quiet many complaints, it is true. But it cannot and will not be an antidote to the moral poison of Mr. Trumps campaign. Party leaders who support and celebrate his victory will be accomplices to an attack on the fundamental values of American democracy. Winning will not wash away the stain.

Mr. Trumps campaign is based on suspicion and unreason. He revels in policy proposals that make no sense. He stirs bigotry against Muslims, Hispanics, Jews, people with disabilities and more. He demeans war heroes. His latest turn is indirectly questioning Sen. Marco Rubios (R-Fla.) eligibility to be president, a suspicion rooted in pure prejudice.

Mr. Trump appears to have turned illogic into a virtue for his supporters, asking his audiences, Whos going to pay for the wall? The reply is as enthusiastic as it is bizarre: Mexico! How might that happen? The answer, or rather the absence of one, is irrelevant to the candidate. How will he respond when, having reached the Oval Office, his simplistic promises proved unachievable, he encounters opposition in the form of legitimate checks and balances from the courts and Congress? Which ethnic group will he pick on to explain away his failures to deliver? What actions would he take to distract people from his lack of substance?

Like many GOP leaders, Mr. Priebus has shown that he knows that Mr. Trump is a problem. He condemned Mr. Trumps plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States. But, also like many top Republicans, the party chairman has nevertheless given Mr. Trump a wide berth to run a flamboyant insult of a campaign.

1 of 45 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Trump captures the nations attention on the campaign trail View Photos The Republican presidential candidate dominated the Super Tuesday contests. Caption Businessman Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee at the partys convention in Cleveland. Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Trump Doral golf course in Miami. Carlo Allegri/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

There are several pretexts Republican officials might offer to avoid giving Mr. Trump the public thrashing he deserves: condemnations from establishment politicians might only make him stronger; the results of the GOP nominating process deserve some respect, and Republicans must abide by the rules; maybe Mr. Trump would beat the Democrats in November.

None of these excuse silence. Particularly not the third. The argument that any Republican would be better than any Democrat is a depressing reflection of irrational partisanship. Mr. Priebus and everyone else leading the GOP are Americans before they are Republicans. They should act like it.
Democrats face a dilemma in 2016: How do they deal with the Obama presidency, and particularly the Obama economy? As the early primaries have shown, Americans are in a surly mood, with the economy at the center of their concerns. The Obama administration naturally wants Democrats to brag on its record. Republicans, of course, blame President Obama for everything under the sun. My Post colleague E.J. Dionne Jr. argues that Democrats will undercut their chances of holding the White House if they dont defend the progress made under Obama and proclaim that the United States is in far better shape economically than most other countries in the world. But this morsel of conventional wisdom ignores what is going on in the country.

No doubt Obama deserves some credit. He inherited an economy that was in free fall and turned it around. Topline unemployment has been cut by more than half by a record number of consecutive months with job growth. Weve witnessed the first indications of wages ticking up. Health-care reform has provided health protections for millions who lacked them before, particularly with the expansion of Medicaid. Financial reform has at least provided consumers with their own cop on the beat with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And all was accomplished in the face of unrelenting Republican obstruction.

But the anger of American voters isnt unfounded. This economy still doesnt work for most Americans. Most households havent recovered from the financial collapse. The median household wealth of black families  now a bleak $11,000, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center report  was cut almost in half by the collapse and hasnt recovered. Working families know that they have been savaged by ruinous trade policies that Obama supports. Banks got bailed out, and they are bigger and more concentrated than ever, but homeowners were abandoned. Insurance and drug companies and private hospital complexes still force Americans to pay obscene sums for their health care.

And this economy could get worse before most Americans feel the recovery. Gross domestic product growth last quarter was estimated at 0.7 percent. Across the world we see Japan in decline, China slowing, Europe stagnant at best and Russia and Brazil headed into depression. Whether the United States can remain an island of slow growth in a troubled world remains to be seen.

What Democrats better learn  and learn fast  is that more and more people get that the rules have been rigged for the very few. They see the corrupted politics, the revolving door between Wall Street and Washington. They see that entrenched interests clean up while average Americans get cleaned out. And increasingly, Americans are in revolt against the establishments of both parties that have led us down this road.

That is the power of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Donald Trump. Sanderss populist challenge, of course, is clear. Sanders always praises Obama for bringing the economy out of its free fall, but his focus is on the rigged economy and corrupted politics that remain. And his surge in the polls is startling. Six months ago, Nevada was a walk for Hillary Clinton. Two months ago, she led by nearly 25 percent. Her campaign manager wisely threw operatives into this caucus state six months ago. And on Saturday, Sanders nearly beat her, once more racking up stunning margins among young voters. He even won a majority of Hispanic voters, to whom he was just introducing himself.

On the Republican side, Trumps message is equally clear. In his victory address, he touted his self-funded campaign, independent of the special interests and lobbyists and donors who tell politicians what to do. He assailed our trade policies  with China, the greatest single theft in the history of the world  and promises to bring the jobs back. In his stump speech, he frequently scorns the big banks and promises to protect Social Security and Medicare. Its a movement, he proclaims, to make America great again.

In South Carolina, Trump took on his opponents, former president George W. Bush, the pope, the governor and both senators, and legislators  and still won by double digits. He even won a plurality of evangelical Christian voters. One of the top issues for voters was the economy, and Trump led there by double digits. Voters embraced him because they saw him as someone telling it like it is, as an outsider, as someone who would bring change.

In the wake of her drubbing in New Hampshire, Clinton chose to wrap herself in Obama, attacking Sanders for criticizing him. This move to bolster her strength among black voters seemed to pay off: Three-quarters of African American voters supported her, saving her from defeat in Nevada.

But like a good politician, Clinton also made her message far more populist. In her victory speech, she railed against so much that isnt working the way it should, invoking grandparents who have to choose between rent and the medicine they need because of rapacious prescription drug companies. Shes revved up her opposition to unaccountable money in politics, promising to ensure that Wall Street can never be allowed to threaten Main Street again. And then she added her tailored appeals to various constituencies  equal pay for women, an end to systemic racism (without indicating how that will happen) and immigration reform.

In politics, plagiarism is a compliment; rhetorical theft a practiced art. And Clinton has learned, even as she sought to embrace Obama, that she had to develop her version of Sanderss populism and call for a popular movement.

Democratic candidates enjoy a natural demographic advantage in this falls elections, as Republicans continue to offend the rising American majority  people of color, young people, single women.

The one challenge for any Democratic candidate is that he or she must be the candidate of fundamental change, not the candidate of continuity. The rules are still rigged; our politics still corrupted. Republicans stand in the way. Democrats will win if their voters come out to vote. And the only way to inspire that is to champion the change we need, not the progress weve made.

Read more from Katrina vanden Heuvels archive or follow her on Twitter.
Sen. Ted Cruz speaks with his wife, Heidi, by his side during a primary night campaign event in Indianapolis. Cruz ended his presidential campaign, eliminating the biggest impediment to Donald Trumps march to the Republican nomination.

May 3, 2016 Sen. Ted Cruz speaks with his wife, Heidi, by his side during a primary night campaign event in Indianapolis. Cruz ended his presidential campaign, eliminating the biggest impediment to Donald Trumps march to the Republican nomination. Darron Cummings/AP

Ted Cruz fired his communications director, Rick Tyler, for smearing rival Marco Rubio with the false allegation that Rubio had disparaged the Bible. And Tylers transgression is indeed inexcusable: He forgot that his boss prefers to do the smearing himself.

There is something amusing in watching Rubio and Donald Trump come to the shocking discovery that Cruz is a scoundrel.

Biggest liar in politics! Trump tweeted Monday. Accusing Cruz of fraud and dirty tricks, Trump offered a diagnosis: This guy is sick.

Rubio, too, detected a very disturbing pattern of deceptive campaigns and flat-out just lying to voters.

Where have these guys been?

Just a few months ago, Trump was calling Cruz a friend of mine and a good guy. But Cruz has been smearing and fabricating since he arrived in Washington three years ago. As early as April 2013, I observed a perplexing tendency at the Capitol: Republicans are willing to look the other way when Cruz assaults the facts. One of his first acts as a senator was to spread the slander that Chuck Hagel, the incoming defense secretary, may have been on the payroll of the North Koreans.

Now that Cruz is concentrating more of his neo-McCarthyism on Republicans, his fellow conservatives have suddenly awakened to the notion that Trusted Ted, as his campaign logo would have it, is actually Tricky Ted. And they are  at long last  calling him what he is.

They just scream, liar, liar, liar,  Cruz complained Monday night to Fox Newss Bill OReilly, saying this is because Trump and Rubio will not defend their record.

Or maybe its because Cruz is lying.

There are signs that the charge is starting to stick. A few weeks ago, when Ben Carson demanded that Cruz fire somebody for spreading the false rumor that he was quitting the race, Cruz declared that he doesnt make a habit of doing such things. But this time he did  even though Cruz firing a staffer for being underhanded is like President Obama firing a staffer for having big ears.

Dont cry for Cruz, though. Even before the latest flap, the primary map made it almost impossible for him to win the nomination. But he still has the ability to cause havoc in the two-man race between Trump and Rubio. He is, in other words, exactly where he likes to be.

My Post colleagues David A. Fahrenthold and Katie Zezima, writing last week about the 2013 government shutdown that Cruz orchestrated, reported that many Republicans suspect Cruz always knew his plan would fail but went ahead with it anyway  expecting that he would personally benefit from the exposure, even if his party lost a damaging fight. His current bid for the nomination is much the same: doomed but damaging.

Republicans could have seen Tricky Ted coming, if they had observed the early signs. In early 2013, he helped torpedo a compromise on background checks for gun owners negotiated by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)  not on the merits but with the false allegation that it would lead to a national gun registry. He would go on to allege, among many other things, that the IRS handed over confidential taxpayer records to an Obama political operative, and that Obama supported the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

During his campaign for the Republican nomination, his stump speech has become a long string of untruths. In a single speech in New Hampshire this month, he misrepresented numerous things said by Trump, Rubio and Obama, but also half a dozen other public figures. When I found nothing to substantiate Cruzs claims, I asked Tyler, the now-fired staffer, for supporting material. Is it incumbent upon our campaign to do your basic research? he replied.

Then, in South Carolina, Cruzs campaign was caught using a (badly) doctored image showing Rubio in a jubilant handshake with Obama and the words The Rubio-Obama Trade Pact. Coming at a time when pro-Cruz groups were doing shady robocalls against Trump and Rubio, and following the Iowa campaign in which Cruz sent out bogus voting violation letters, Cruz was not in good shape to weather the Tyler episode. The staffer posted a link to a college newspapers false account of Rubio saying the Bible doesnt have many answers.

Back in the 1950s, Joe McCarthy rose during the Truman years with his smears about communists in the government. But when he began to go after fellow Republicans in the Eisenhower administration in 1953, he quickly lost support and within two years was censured by the Senate. Now that Republicans are suffering from Tricky Teds smears, perhaps they will come to a similar conclusion about the damage he does.

Twitter: @Milbank

Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
On the Senate floor on June 25, 1992, then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) urged President George H. W. Bush not to name a nominee to the Supreme Court until after the November election. (C-SPAN)

On the Senate floor on June 25, 1992, then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) urged President George H. W. Bush not to name a nominee to the Supreme Court until after the November election. (C-SPAN)

Senate Republicans determined to block President Obamas promised Supreme Court nominee embraced an unlikely ally Monday: Vice President Biden.

More precisely, they embraced a fourth-term Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) who, while serving in 1992 as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered a sprawling, 90-minute floor address that included a call for halting action on Supreme Court nominees in an election year.

Biden delivered his remarks in late June, as the court approached the end of its term  the traditional season for retirement announcements  and as President George H.W. Bush waged an uphill campaign for a second term amid an economic slowdown and sinking approval ratings.

[[In 1992, Joe Biden called for an election-year blockade of Supreme Court nominations]]

Were there a vacancy, Biden argued, Bush should not name a nominee until after the November election is completed, and if he did, the Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until after the political campaign season is over.

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Senate consideration of a nominee under these circumstances is not fair to the president, to the nominee, or to the Senate itself, he continued. Where the nation should be treated to a consideration of constitutional philosophy, all it will get in such circumstances is partisan bickering and political posturing from both parties and from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Biden, as vice president, has called in recent days for the Senate to take up the nomination Obama promises to make to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who was found dead Feb. 13 in Texas.

To leave the seat vacant at this critical moment in American history is a little bit like saying, God forbid something happen to the president and the vice president, were not going to fill the presidency for another year and a half,  he told Minnesota Public Radio on Thursday.

Biden said Monday in a statement that the 1992 speech pertained to a hypothetical vacancy and that the excerpt Republicans highlighted was not an accurate description of my views on the subject.

In the same statement critics are pointing to today, I urged the Senate and White House to work together to overcome partisan differences to ensure the Court functions as the Founding Fathers intended, he said. That remains my position today.

Republicans wasted no time highlighting Bidens long-forgotten remarks. The current Judiciary Committee chairman, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), rose on the Senate floor Monday afternoon to deliver fulsome praise for Biden and the newly unearthed speech.

Grassley set out what he called Biden Rules: There ought to be no presidential Supreme Court nominations in an election year, and if there is such a nomination, the Senate ought to seriously consider not holding hearings on the nominee.

In the 10 days since Scalias death, politicians of both parties have been forced to square their current positions on whether or not to confirm Obamas promised nominee with their past statements on judicial nominations.

For instance, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who now favors leaving the nomination to Obamas successor, has been confronted with a 45-year-old law review article in which he suggested that political matters should not be relevant to the Senates consideration of a Supreme Court nomination.

But Bidens remarks were especially pointed, voluminous and relevant to the current situation. Embedded in the roughly 20,000 words he delivered on the Senate floor that day were rebuttals to virtually every point Democrats have brought forth in the past week to argue for the consideration of Obamas nominee.

Biden anticipated, for instance, that he would be accused of blockading an embattled Republican presidents nominees out of political expediency. That would not be our intention, he said. Instead, it would be our pragmatic conclusion that once the political season is under way, and it is, action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over. That is what is fair to the nominee and is central to the process.

And he dismissed fears that an eight-member court could not effectively function: The cost of such a result  the need to reargue three or four cases that will divide the justices four to four  are quite minor compared to the cost that a nominee, the president, the Senate, and the nation would have to pay for what would assuredly be a bitter fight, no matter how good a person is nominated by the president.

As Bidens remarks circulated Monday, one Republican senator broke with his colleagues to call for hearings and an up-or-down vote on Obamas nominee. Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who faces a difficult campaign this year in a Democratic state, said in a Chicago Sun-Times op-ed that he could support a nominee who can bridge differences, a nominee who finds common ground and a nominee who does not speak or act in the extreme.

But, by and large, Kirks GOP colleagues have held the line and have refused to even entertain the possibility of confirming a justice this year. One Judiciary Committee Republican who has backed some Obama nominees, Jeff Flake of Arizona, said Monday he would not vote to confirm a replacement for Scalia this year.

This is not about the potential nominee, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said Monday. This is about who chooses.

At the White House, press secretary Josh Earnest said President Obama made additional phone calls in recent days to lawmakers from both parties, including some on the Senate Judiciary Committee, to discuss his ongoing deliberations and plans for selecting a nominee. But Earnest declined to offer specifics on the timeline or whom Obama is considering.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), one of just two currently serving Republicans who supported both of Obamas previous Supreme Court picks, said the White House has so far made no outreach whatsoever to discuss a path forward for a nominee.

David Nakamura and Kelsey Snell contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 -- The United States and Russia on Monday announced a plan for a cessation of hostilities in Syria starting from Saturday, which the UN described as "a signal of hope" for an end to the nearly five-year-old conflict.

Yet, the agreement, which excludes the Islamic State (IS), the Nusra Front or other terror organizations designated by the UN Security Council, still awaits commitment from Syria's warring government and armed opposition groups. It also leaves questions open on how to respond to breaches of the ceasefire.

The United States and Russia said in a joint statement that any party engaged in conflicts in Syria will indicate to Russia or the U.S. their commitment to the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12:00 (Damascus time) on Saturday.

The cessation of hostilities was largely envisaged in Munich on Feb. 12 during a meeting of the International Syrian Support Group(ISSG), which comprises the Arab League, the European Union, the United Nations, and 17 countries including China.

However, the ceasefire failed to take effect within a week as planned, given deep rifts between the United States and Russia, which are the main backers of the opposite warring sides in the Syrian conflict that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced several million.

Further complicating the situation, the United States has had a hard time persuading Turkey and Saudi Arabia, two major allies in the region, to come to the negotiating table. Saudi Arabia have been threatening to send combat troops to Syria, while Turkey has started shelling IS-fighting Kurdish positions in northern Syria.

Ankara has called on coalition partners to launch joint ground operations in Syria, insisting it is the only way to end the neighboring country's civil war.

The Monday announcement of the truce deal capped weeks of intense diplomatic efforts to end the violence. But it left major unresolved questions over where the fighting must stop and where counterterrorism operations can continue.

The joint U.S.-Russian statement said the two countries and others would work together to delineate the territory held by the Islamic State, Nusra Front and the other militant groups excluded from the truce.

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon welcomed the agreement. "It is a long-awaited signal of hope to the Syrian people that after five years of conflict there may be an end to their suffering in sight," he said in a statement.

The UN chief cautioned that "much work now lies ahead to ensure its implementation," calling on the the international community, the ISSG and the Syrian parties to "remain steadfast in their resolve."

Ban strongly urged the parties to abide by the agreement, which, if respected, would constitute "a significant step forward in the implementation of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015)."

In a televised speech on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the ceasefire agreement "a real step" towards ending five years of bloodshed in Syria.

"It is essential that Russia and the United States, co-chairs of the International Syrian Support Group, are ready to run an effective mechanism for the implementation and monitoring of the ceasefire by both the Syrian government and armed opposition groups," Putin said in the address posted on the Kremlin's website.

Moscow and Washington will establish a hotline and, if necessary, a working group to exchange information after the cessation of hostilities has gone into effect, he said.

Putin said Russia will do whatever necessary to influence the Syrian leadership, adding that "We are counting on the United States to do the same with its allies and groups it supported."

U.S. President Barack Obama, in a telephone call with Putin on Monday, emphasized that the priority now was to ensure positive responses by the Syrian government and armed opposition as well as faithful implementation by all parties, the White House said.

While hailing the announcement of the agreement as "a moment of promise," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the fulfillment of the promise depends on actions, admitting that "we are all aware of the significant challenges ahead."

The announcement of the ceasefire agreement came a day after five deadly bombings killed at least 150 people in central and southern Syria, marking one of the highest death tolls in a single day during the years of conflict.

Both the United States and Russia condemned the Sunday bombings for which the Islamic State has claimed responsibility.
Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders opened a new phase of his campaign Monday, pledging to more aggressively lay out his differences with Hillary Clinton, an opponent whose views on some issues, he said, are guided by hastily adopted campaign rhetoric.

Speaking at a news conference here, the senator from Vermont drew distinctions with Clinton on campaign finance and trade  the start of what he said will be a series of differences detailed in coming weeks  and pledged to contest the Democratic nomination through the convention.

I have to say that I am delighted that Secretary Clinton, month after month after month, seems to be adopting more and more of the positions that we have advocated, Sanders said, adding that the former secretary of state is beginning to use a lot of the language and phraseology that we have used.

[Despite what his critics say, Bernie Sanders insists he is not championing a radical agenda]

The feistier performance by Sanders comes on the heels of his loss to Clinton in the Nevada caucuses Saturday and in advance of an expected loss this Saturday in the South Carolina primary, in which polls have shown Clinton with a comfortable lead.

Bernie Sanders denies Hillary Clinton's claims that he's a "single-issue candidate." Here's why his opponents say he needs to branch out. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

With 11 other states holding nominating contests March 1, Sanders is fighting to show that he is not running out of momentum after strong performances in the first two contests, in Iowa and New Hampshire, where the voters were largely white.

He chose to hold his news conference in Massachusetts, one of the Super Tuesday states where he appears strongest against Clinton. Sanders also unveiled an endorsement from a new multi-state, racially diverse coalition of progressive groups called Peoples Politics.

Clinton held no public campaign events Monday, spending a second day in California at a series of high-dollar fundraisers.

Earlier Monday, Sanders campaigned in South Carolina, where, during a stop in Sumter, he sought to push back against Clinton and other critics who have said that his agenda is utopian and unachievable.

In recent weeks, Clinton has cast herself as the more pragmatic candidate who could implement a progressive agenda while arguing that Sanderss plans for universal health care and other bold policies would never be implemented.

Sanders countered, saying, One of the things that is going on in this campaign is that Bernie Sanders is too ambitious, hes thinking too big. Well, I dont think so. I mean virtually every idea that we are bringing forth not only is the right idea, its what our country needs, its what the American people want.

Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, ticked off some of his proposals, including ushering in a state-of-the-art, cutting-edge child-care system, each time telling his audience that the idea wasnt as radical as its been portrayed.

As a presidential candidate, Sanders has toggled back and forth a couple of times when it comes to drawing contrasts with Clinton.

[Actor Danny Glover and activist Ben Jealous size up Bernie Sanderss outreach to black voters]

For the first months of his bid, he barely mentioned his opponent. Last fall, however, he considerably stepped up his efforts to draw policy distinctions, and during the first part of the year, he was openly critical of Clintons acceptance of large speaking fees from Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street interests.

More recently on the campaign trail, Sanders had returned to only infrequent mentions of the former secretary of state, even as she and her surrogates attacked him on a range of issues, including gun control, immigration and womens reproductive rights.

The issues Sanders chose to highlight during his news conference Monday were not new ones, but his critique of Clinton was more pointed.

The people of Massachusetts and the people of the United States need to know that difference between hastily adopted campaign rhetoric and the real record and the long-held ideas of the candidates, he said.

He asserted that the two candidates have a very profound difference on campaign finance, noting that a super PAC supporting Clinton raised $15 million from Wall Street interests during the most recent reporting period.

Clinton has sought to distance herself from the donations, saying they were to a super PAC originally established to support President Obama but has since chosen to back her.

I know that every candidate who has ever received special-

interest money always says that the millions and millions of dollars they receive will never influence them  never, never, never, he said.

Sanders sought to contrast his method of fundraising, saying his campaign has received 4 million donations averaging $27 apiece, most of them online.

Sanders also highlighted his long record in Congress opposing trade deals, including the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership, a deal being pushed by Obama.

After declining to take a position on the pact for months, Clinton announced her opposition far more recently. At his news conference, Sanders shared comments made in January by Tom Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, predicting Clinton would eventually support the deal if she won the Democratic nomination. Sanders later opened the floor to reporters questions, answering two before he said he had to leave to make it to a scheduled rally in Amherst.

The first dealt with whether he has a viable path to the Democratic nomination. The short, three-letter answer is Y-E-S, Sanders said.

He then chided reporters for placing too much emphasis on the importance of each nominating contest, noting that the primaries and caucuses are not winner-take-all and saying he is in the race for the long haul.

In Nevada, Sanders said, Clinton won 19 delegates to the national convention, while he received 15. (An updated count released Monday put the tally at 20 to 15). It takes about 2,400 delegates to secure the nomination, Sanders said. He predicted that the race with Clinton will be a slog fought state by state by state.
Jennifer Schultz didnt realize how popular Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) had become here until she didnt endorse him. In late January, when Sanders brought his presidential campaign to Duluth, Schultz, a Democratic state representative, wrote a quick Facebook post welcoming him to northern Minnesota. Welcoming, not endorsing. Just being nice.

That wasnt how her constituents read it.

It was shared, like, 8,000 times, Schultz said. I was amazed by that  by thank yous rolling in for something I didnt even say.

That, and the subsequent rally of 6,000 cheering voters, convinced Schultz that Sanders had started to conquer Minnesota. It seems like Bernies doing better than Hillary here, she said. I think Trump and Bernie are both doing well, because youve got a lot of people who are low income and feel left behind.

The flip side of Hillary Clintons triumph with black voters in the Nevada Democratic caucuses Saturday was her weakness among whites. For the third time, she lost an electorate that had backed her strongly in 2008. Although Clinton is building toward an expected win in South Carolina this weekend, her vulnerability with white voters could reappear three days later, on Super Tuesday, when the primary contest moves to 11 states, including Minnesota. Even more states come after that with large populations of union members and people who lack college degrees.

The evening before the Democratic Nevada caucus, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke to an excited outdoor rally crowd in Las Vegas. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Clintons strategy in the March 1 contests is to win landslides among black voters in the South. But there are no Southern primaries after March 15. Before the race gets to Clintons home state, New York, it runs through Idaho, Utah, Alaska, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Her campaign will not be caught sleeping in Minnesota  but that may not be enough to surmount Sanderss advantage here. She drew hard lessons from 2008, when Barack Obama won the caucuses in a landslide. She sent a full-time state director to Minnesota in the summer of 2015 and opened four offices; she booked TV time in advance of March 1.

If there was a place where Clintons message of building on the Obama legacy might click, might make converts, it was surely Minnesota, where unemployment had sunk below 4 percent and health-insurance coverage had reached 95 percent. It was surely Duluth and the Iron Range, with its critical mass of white, working-class voters holding union cards.

But that doesnt appear to be happening. Instead, many voters are skeptical of just how good the Obama years have been for them. And they are disappointed in what they see as Clintons less-ambitious ideas about what is possible.

I dont want to say anything negative about Hillary Clinton, because shes not a bad candidate, said Sharla Gardner, a former Duluth city council member who is now running for the state Senate and who backed Clinton at first. But shes not the best candidate. She doesnt start from a place of can-do. Her campaign is No, we cant, and that attitude is actually harming the working poor. Its forcing the working poor to buy insurance policies they cant afford, because the deductibles are so high.

Sanderss buzzer-beating loss in Nevada revealed the limitations of his appeal, notably among minorities, who chose Clinton 76 percent to 22 percent, according to entrance polling reported by CNN. And its unclear how much more momentum a Clinton win in South Carolina would give her heading into Super Tuesday.

[Sanders sharpens message, attacks after Nevada loss]

On Feb. 20, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton thanked supporters for her win in Nevada while rival Bernie Sanders predicted victory for his campaign at the Democratic National Convention in July. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

But Minnesotas rapid transformation into a battleground echoes another thing that happened in Nevada: White voters there went for Sanders by two points; white voters who lacked college degrees went for him by eight points. Working-class voters who seemed friendly to Clinton are now seen as locked in for Sanders. Jeff Weaver, Sanderss campaign manager, describes Minnesota as the place where the candidate will start winning the industrial Midwest.

Weve gone from possibility to probability, said Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who represents Minneapolis and is one of just two federal legislators to endorse Sanders. Weve gone from We hope, we pray, maybe, maybe to Hey, we can do this. I mean, there were a lot of people who believed in everything Bernie was saying but didnt believe he could win. Now, hes neck-and-neck in national polls.

In Minnesota, like Nevada, the late-building Sanders campaign now has more offices than Clinton  six  and is more visible on television.

Bernies really popular up in the range, super-popular, said Rep. Rick Nolan (D-Minn.), who came out of retirement in 2012 to win the district that includes Duluth and the Iron Range. He projects an authenticity that resonates with the people whove grown up there.

For months, the unofficial street team for Sanders was Twin Ports for Change, activists working in Duluth and the Wisconsin border town of Superior. The group was run by Mike Kuitu, a 59-year-old retired operating engineer, who would gather activists together in the bar above the Duluth AFL-CIO hall.

We tend to be born with a little bit of glass in our guts around here, said Kuitu, by way of explaining Sanderss appeal. Id say northern Minnesota is one of the last holdouts of labor liberal politics.

If everything was going Clintons way, those voters would see her as the next step in a change campaign that was clearly working.

Duluth in some ways is the epitome of the accomplishments of the Obama years, said Joel Sipress, a city council member. This city, which was hit hard in the 1990s, has finally found its bearings. Thats all great and theres optimism, but half the workers here dont have paid sick leave. A lot of us were sort of resigned at Hillary being the candidate  not thrilled, but accepting.

[Did Bernie Sanders win the Latino vote in Nevada? It depends on whos talking.]

The disconnect was evident at the previous weeks Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party dinner, down in St. Paul, where every major statewide officeholder grabbed a microphone to endorse Clinton. Gov. Mark Dayton (D), a workmanlike politician who served one Senate term alongside Clinton, asked Democrats to consider all the incremental changes theyd made because they settled for him: same-sex marriage. Universal pre-kindergarten.

I wish you could see the Hillary Clinton that I know, Dayton said. I wish you could see how she has fought again and again. Then I remember how some people thought I wasnt progressive enough when I ran for governor in 2010. In fact, some of them even locked me out of the state convention  literally, locked me out of the convention hall! Fortunately, we united together that fall. Otherwise a Republican governor would have been elected and signed all those bills that I vetoed.

This is the argument for continuing the Obama years; it assumes they were successful  and for some, thats a leap. At a Thursday gathering of Sanders supporters, they shared story after story about how the safety net they were supposed to be so grateful for had proved too unwieldy and costly.

Sally Jackson, a 41-year-old postal worker, expressed her regret that shed jumped into the job market without an advanced degree and now had an insurance co-payment too expensive to use. Tom Furman, 47, had taken another path and earned an MBA  for which, he said with a rueful laugh, he still had $100,000 in debt to pay off.

The insurance industry decided that they had to start whipping their profit horse ever since Hillary was tasked to reform this in 1993, explained Larry Sillanpa, 67, the editor of the local Labor World newspaper. To some extent, perhaps theyve done that to discredit the Affordable Care Act.

At the gathering, there was a pervading sense of distrust in Clinton  that, in the words of 22-year-old Kate Dayton, she would say anything. Shes calling for breaking up the big banks, and her top five donors are big banks, Dayton said.

If that distrust sinks in  and there are indications it already has  Minnesota will not be Clintons only problem state. But its also possible that her strong showing in Nevada, and her expected victory in South Carolina, will reverse that tide.

Last week, Clintons reinforcements gathered at a union office in Duluth to ramp up and fight back. Eight volunteers made the journey and got pep talks and call sheets. Zack Filipovich, 25, Duluths city council president, grabbed a phone and bemoaned how voters seemed to respond to concrete problems with fantastical hopes.

At each level of government, its like a different mentality that people have, Filipovich said. In city government, there are things in peoples back yard  the streetlights, the garbage. When you move up the ladder to a big nationwide campaign, you sort of lose that tangibility. Free this, free that, free this  you start to lose the tangibility and think, Oh, I want that! Its a problem.

Katie Humphrey, the staffer running the call session, flipped through a series of displays about how to talk to voters. Republicans could be struck from the list. It was not advised to argue things out with dedicated Sanders supporters. One volunteer expressed concern about a suggested line  something about how Minnesotas race was going to be close. Was that really true?

The polls have indicated that the race is very close, Humphrey said. We know the Sanders campaign is focusing on Minnesota.
Donald Trump swept to a convincing victory in the Nevada presidential caucuses here Tuesday evening, building a broad coalition that left his top two rivals trailing far behind and accelerating his march to the Republican nomination.

An angry electorate hungry for a political outsider in the White House catapulted Trump to his third straight win in the GOP primary race as the billionaire mogul used visceral rhetoric to tap into anxieties about the economy, terrorism and illegal immigration.

The breadth of Trumps support was staggering, with Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Ted Cruz (Tex.) running more than 20 percentage points behind him in second and third place respectively, despite their aggressive campaigning across Nevada in the closing days. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who did not mount a serious campaign here, were far behind in single digits.

If you listen to the pundits, we werent expected to win too much  and now were winning, winning, winning the country, a triumphant Trump declared to supporters at his Las Vegas victory party.

Vowing to continue his streak and quickly secure the nomination, Trump added: Its going to be an amazing two months. We might not even need the two months, folks.

The Nevada results underscored the challenge for Trumps opponents to slow his momentum heading into next weeks Super Tuesday, when 11 states will hold primaries and caucuses in a single day.

Cruz and Rubio, who have been fighting bitterly to become the chief alternative to Trump, were dealt a serious blow by Nevadas voters.

After watching with disappointment as returns rolled in, Cruz all but ignored Rubio as he addressed supporters at his Las Vegas caucus night party. He argued that the real race for the nomination had come down to him and Trump.

The undeniable reality that the first four states have shown is that the only campaign that has beaten Donald Trump and the only campaign that can beat Donald Trump is this campaign, Cruz said, referencing his win in the kick-off Iowa caucuses.

Rubio, who jetted out of Nevada Tuesday morning for campaign events in Minnesota and Michigan, made no public comments on the results. His advisers had been hopeful that he might finish strongly here, perhaps even win, considering that he spent part of his childhood in Las Vegas and enjoyed the support of much of the states political establishment.

High voter turnout apparently overwhelmed organizers at some caucus locations. There were isolated reports of double voting, dwindling supplies of paper ballots and what a Republican Party official described as chaos at a couple of caucus sites here in Clark County, the states biggest population center.

Some volunteer caucus officials collecting ballots wore Trump campaign T-shirts and hats, sparking an outcry and allegations of voter intimidation on social media.

The Nevada Republican Partys caucus rules allow precinct workers to wear campaign paraphernalia. Volunteers went through extensive training & are doing a great job, read a statement from the party.

Early entrance polling reported by CNN showed that Trumps victory here was commanding, across most demographic groups and among voters of every ideology. Nearly six in 10 caucus-goers said they were angry at the federal government, and a similar percentage wanted the next president to be a political outsider.

Trump reveled in the breadth of his winning coalition.

We won the evangelicals, we won with young, we won with old, we won with highly educated, we won with poorly educated  I love the poorly educated, Trump said, referencing the network entrance polls. And you know what I really am happy about, because Ive been saying it for a long time? Forty-six percent with Hispanics. Number one with Hispanics! Im really happy about that.

Trump, who visited caucus sites Tuesday night to motivate his supporters, had led every recent public poll by double digits. Enormous crowds packed his rallies, including one Monday night in Las Vegas that drew an estimated 8,000 people.

Trumps nationalist call to deport illegal immigrants and wall them off resonated with Nevadas working-class whites resentful of the booming Latino population.

But a Trump win was not seen as a done deal. The states caucuses are peculiar and unpredictable  and Cruz and Rubio labored to spring a surprise.

Cruz worked Nevada harder than any other candidate, flying immediately to the state after South Carolinas primary Saturday and making nine crowded campaign stops.

Yet a message seemingly tailored to Nevadas libertarian-leaning Republicans  with a particular focus on the federal control of land in the state  did not appear to resonate as Cruz might have hoped.

And the day before the caucuses was squandered when Cruz fired his communications director, Rick Tyler, who had published a false smear of Rubio on Facebook.

The Cruz roadshow had a slapdash feel, recycling video endorsements from Iowa, one of which ended with: People of Iowa, it is time to believe again. In Carson City, when state Attorney General Adam Laxalt needed to stall for Cruzs arrival, he announced a short video  and the audience groaned.

In a television ad and in speeches, he promised to hand over to the state the 85 percent of Nevada land controlled by the federal government. The idea drew applause  and some protesters  but did not move votes.

Like the Cruz campaign, Rubios thought it could exploit Trumps weak state-level organization with a carefully tailored strategy. Rubio targeted Nevadas well-organized Mormon community, which propelled Mitt Romney to victory here in 2012, as well as seniors who populate the many retirement communities around Las Vegas.

He also played up his local roots. He lived briefly as a child in Las Vegas, where his father tended bar at a casino and his mother cleaned rooms at a hotel. During that time, his family temporarily converted to Mormonism.

Dozens of extended family members still live here. He has more family members in Nevada than in Florida, Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison, Rubios state campaign chairman, said Sunday night at a rally in North Las Vegas.

[Donald Trump is on course to win the delegates he needs for the GOP nomination]

All along, however, Nevada was Trumps to lose. He focused on big rallies in Las Vegas and the Reno area  the states two main population centers  but he had a ground organization, as well.

Trumps campaign bought limited television advertising time in Las Vegas. In its main spot, which also ran in South Carolina, a man whose son was murdered by an undocumented immigrant said that Trump is the only one he trusts to secure the border.

Rubio campaigned across Nevada with a broader message, trying to appeal to a more diverse cross-section of the electorate, and entrance polls suggested he won among voters who decided in the final days.

Many of the states top elected officials backed Rubio, including Sen. Dean Heller. Gov. Brian Sandoval, who has angered conservatives over a state tax increase, decided to stay on the sidelines, though he caucused for Rubio on Tuesday night.

Rubio attracted some star power, too. Donnie Wahlberg, a founding member of New Kids on the Block, a boy band popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s, endorsed him at his Sunday night rally.

I have never, ever voted for a Republican presidential candidate  that is, until this year, thanks to Marco Rubio, Wahlberg said.

Rubio also had the support of Rick Harrison, a celebrated Las Vegas pawn shop owner and host of the Pawn Stars reality-television show. I really think hes got a shot at winning on Tuesday, Harrison told the Sunday night crowd.

Scott Clement in Washington contributed to this report.
A human skull was found in April 2013 after heavy rains destroyed a section of the Great Wall of Kabul. Tests have determined that the skull is about 460 years old. (Courtesy of Mohammad Younas Nawandish)

Nearly everyone here knows the legend. Kabul residents recite it at random moments, whenever they catch sight of Sher Darwaza Mountain in the distance. Look closely, they tell visitors, and you will see an ancient wall running along the mountains edge like the teeth of a saw.

This is the Great Wall of Kabul. And according to local lore, it holds terrible secrets.

The legend is usually dated to the 6th or 7th century, when Kabuls ruthless king allegedly forced his male subjects to build the Great Wall to protect the city from invaders. Those who would not work on the wall were sealed inside it.

Maybe something like that happened, said Aziz Ahmed Panjshiri, a historian. We have many legends about the cruel king. But it belongs to history to make clear what was the reality.

A few years ago, history got some help.

The discovery of a nearly 500-year-old skull in a destroyed section of the Great Wall of Kabul in 2013 has renewed speculation about the fate of the countrys cruel king. (Courtesy of Mohammad Younas Nawandish)

In April 2013, heavy rains caused a section of the wall to collapse. Amid the damp dirt shone something smooth and pale.

It was a human skull.

The discovery added some weight to what previously had been a tall but rather thin tale.

[Kabuls car-bomb graveyard is a monument to years of bloodshed]

This skull shows that the stories were true, said Abdul Ahad Abassy, director of Afghanistans Department of Historical Monuments.

Science, however, has added another twist to the legend of Kabuls cruel king.

Experts in Germany determined that the skull is not, in fact, 1,500 years old. Instead, it is about a third that age. The revelation has thrown the legend for a loop.

They sent it back and said, This is not old,  Panjshiri said.

Only in a country like Afghanistan, which is so layered with history that it wears its invasions like rings on a tree, could a nearly 500-year-old skull be scoffed at.

Afghanistan is a very ancient country, Panjshiri said. It was the citadel of central Asia, the center of the Silk Road.

The city of Balkh, in northern Afghanistan, is almost 5,700 years old, he said proudly. Known as Bactra, it was once one of the greatest cities on Earth  the center of a vast empire stretching from Greece in the west to India in the east.

Kabuls Great Wall has its own long history. It was once used to keep out Muslim invaders, then Muslims used it to thwart their own enemies. In 1879, during the second Afghan-Anglo war, British colonialists destroyed a fort, Bala Hissar, connected to the wall. A century later, Afghan mujahideen backed by the United States and Britain used the wall in their efforts to resist Soviet occupiers. Today, only a fraction of the wall is still standing.

[Kabuls blast walls protect a powerful few while causing misery for many]

Debate over the walls history has proved almost as intense as the history itself. Some scholars say it was built in the 5th century A.D. Most believe it was erected about 200 years later, but Panjshiri claims it is much older.

This wall was a contemporary with the Great Wall of China, he said, dating both structures to about 200 B.C. As evidence, he cites the ancient Greek geographer Strabo, who allegedly mentioned the wall in a book written 2,000 years ago.

Panjshiris research, however, is no match for the power of legend. In one popular parable, the wall was built in the 6th century by Zamburak Shah, a ruler so ruthless that his overworked subjects revolted, killing the king and burying him inside his own wall. Sometimes, the tale includes the flourish that it was a beautiful slave girl who fatally tricked the king.

The most common legend says the king entombed his tired or rebellious subjects in the wall with impunity. In true Afghan fashion, this version has no happy ending.

Three years ago, spring showers exposed the skull and other bones. In April 2013, Mohammad Younas Nawandish, then the mayor of Kabul, sent Panjshiri and a photographer to investigate.

Word spread around Kabul that the legend was true. But when German scientists analyzed the skull, and dated it to about A.D. 1550, a millennium after Zamburak Shah, it showed that at least that section of the wall had been built, or rebuilt, long after the ramparts original construction, Panjshiri said.

The discovery of the skull has  disconcertingly to some  shifted attribution for the legendary act of cruelty to a line of popular Mughal kings who ruled Kabul in the 16th century. The greatest of these kings, known as Babur, was a hard-drinking warrior poet who loved Kabul so much that he was buried here.

But Thomas Barfield, an anthropology professor at Boston University, warned against using the skull to assign blame ex post facto, especially until more research is completed.

When skeletons or skulls come up, its easy to weave stories around them, he said, adding that such stories can be more useful and interesting in what they reveal about the present than the past. Often they are comments on what is happening now, sometimes directly, but sometimes it is almost subconscious.

Painting past kings as either good or evil  when the reality is usually somewhere in between  may serve moral or political agendas in a country that continues to be racked by war, he said.

Or it may just make for a good yarn.

Sometimes archaeologists are considered spoilsports because they figure out that the story doesnt quite fit, Barfield said with a laugh. Once again, science ruins a really good story.

Read more:

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Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
U.S. delegation leader David E. Lindwall, right, listens during talks Tuesday with Afghan, Chinese and Pakistani officials on reviving peace talks. The group announced that direct talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban will resume next week. (Jawad Jalali/European Pressphoto Agency)

The Afghan government is expected to resume face-to-face talks with Taliban leaders next week in Pakistan, reviving a peace process that stalled this past summer after it was revealed that the insurgent groups leader had been dead for years.

After meeting here in Kabul on Tuesday, U.S. diplomats and representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and China issued a joint statement inviting all Taliban and other groups to travel to Islamabad to participate in the talks.

Representatives of the four countries began meeting last month to explore ways to end a 14-year insurgency that Brown Universitys Watson Center says has killed more than 90,000 Afghans.

[Four-way talks on Afghanistan start, with much to overcome]

In July, an initial round of talks quickly broke down after it was confirmed that Mohammad Omar, the Talibans leader, was dead and could not have authorized the meeting.

Some Taliban commanders installed Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, Omars longtime senior aide, as his successor. But the insurgent group is increasingly fractured, and analysts say it is impossible to tell how much power Mansour really wields.

On Tuesday, it remained unclear which factions of the Taliban will participate in next weeks talks. But the meeting in July included a number of then-leaders of the insurgency, including a representative of the Haqqani network, a closely allied group that is responsible for some of the bloodiest attacks against coalition forces here.

Other factions within the broader insurgency have insisted that they have no plans to negotiate with the Afghan government. Taliban militants and Afghan security forces continue to battle each other in at least half a dozen provinces.

But in recent weeks, Pakistan has been stepping up back-

channel negotiations with Taliban representatives.

Two weeks ago, Pakistans Express-News reported that a delegation from the Talibans political office in Doha, Qatar, had traveled to Islamabad this month. On Monday, Pakistans powerful army chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif, traveled to Doha to brief Qatari military and political leaders on the likely resumption of the talks.

Even if talks resume as scheduled next week, however, they are expected to drag on for months.

One should not attach high hopes for a possible outcome soon, said Mahmood Shah, an Islamabad-based security expert. The Afghan Taliban is not weak . . . so these issues will have to be resolved step by step.

Last month, a senior Taliban representative set a list of preconditions for a negotiated settlement, including the withdrawal of all U.S. troops, the end of U.N. sanctions, the creation of an Islamic emirate and the release of Taliban inmates from Afghan prisons.

But the statement also suggested that the Taliban, or at least its Doha-based political leadership, may be prepared to soften its views on some issues.

The Islamic Emirate is committed to civil activities; to the freedom of speech; and to the womens rights in the light of Islamic rules, national interests and values, it said.

Haq Nawaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

Read more:

Outgoing Afghanistan general: U.S. military needs to do more to beat back Taliban

The U.S. was supposed to leave Afghanistan by 2017. Now it might take decades.

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Man filmed pulling a shark out of the sea in Florida before posing for pictures with the struggling animal

They may be one of the most feared predators in the ocean, but it seems that this Flordida man couldn't resist the temptation to get up close with a shark.

Shot on Palm Beach, where thousands of blacktip sharks were recently filmed migrating through the warm waters, the video shows a shirtless man pulling the two-meter long beast from the waves.

But, rather than trying to rescue the powerful animal, the man instead takes a pause to pose for a quick selfie with bystanders.

A Florida man has been pictured dragging a shark from the sea along Palm Beach in order to pose for pictures with onlookers who gathered to watch

For around a minute the man can be seen pinning the shark to the sand while posing for the cameras, pushing out his chest in a show of bravado.

Despite the shark writhing around underneath his arms, the man continues to hold it, lifting up its tail to get a better angle.

Eventually another man can be seen dragging the fish back into the waves, though it doesn't get very far before washing back up.

According to a Facebook post by WPTV journalist Ashleigh Walters, the shark was eventually placed further out to sea, where she says 'it did not resurface for several minutes.'

It is unclear what the eventual fate of the creature was.

The man pins the struggling creature down for at least a minute while posing for the cameras, before eventually returning the shark to the water
Former Royal Navy test pilot Eric Brown poses for a photo aboard the HMS Illustrious on May 7, 2009, in London. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

As a pilot in the British navy, Capt. Eric Brown mastered the Sea Otter, Starfighter, Swordfish, Spitfire and Sea Vampire  and almost every other type of military plane manufactured from the propeller era to the jet age.

Soaring in the de Havilland Hornet of the 1940s and 50s, he said, was like flying a Ferrari in the sky. And in the faster-than-sound F-86 Sabre, he said, you feel youre part of the air.

A test pilot nonpareil, Capt. Brown flew 487 different types of aircraft and made 2,407 landings on an aircraft carrier  both world records that will never be equalled, not in a million years, said the writer and World War II historian James Holland. First Sea Lord George Zambellas, who heads the Royal navy, called Capt. Brown the most accomplished test pilot of his generation, and perhaps of all time.

Capt. Brown  whose small build earned him the nickname Winkle, after the thumbnail-sized mollusk  died Feb. 21 at a hospital in Redhill, England. He was 97.

The cause was not yet known, said a friend, Paul Beaver.

Eric Winkle Brown as a young man. (Courtesy of family)

Though he handled gliders, fighters, bombers and amphibious craft, Capt. Brown was perhaps most renowned for his skill in landing jets on carriers.

He became the first person to successfully take off and land a jet on a carrier when he guided a de Havilland Sea Vampire onto the Royal navy ship Ocean in 1945. With the Ocean in constant motion, landing the plane was like being a matchbox floating in a bath, he told BBC Radio 4 in 2013.

Explaining the difficulty of the maneuver, Capt. Brown noted that in wartime, the plane must make it back to the ship in radio silence, without guidance, to prevent the ship from revealing its position to the enemy.

When you get back, he continued, thats only the beginning of your problems. Youve got to land maybe on a pitching ship in heavy seas. At one stage we had one incident in every nine landings. I call it a game of Russian roulette.

Capt. Brown considered carrier landings among a pilots most demanding maneuvers. He recalled that the U.S. Navy once gave a pilot the job of breaking his record of 2,407 landings: To his everlasting credit he got up to 1,600 and then had a nervous breakdown.

With characteristic good humor, Capt. Brown added: I can see his problem. Being given a job to beat a record is very different from just accruing along.

Eric Melrose Brown was born in the port town of Leith, Scotland, just outside of Edinburgh, on Jan. 21, 1919. His father, a pilot, served in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and later in the Royal Air Force. He took Capt. Brown flying for the first time at age 8, in an open-cockpit biplane.

On June 26, 2015, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (L) talks to (R-L) Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, Captain Eric Brown and Doreen Levy during her visit to the Belsen concentration camp in Germany. (Julian Stratenschulte / Pool/EPA)

He was instantly smitten with flight. In 1936, he accompanied his father to the Summer Olympics in Berlin, where a teenage Capt. Brown was invited to fly with Ernst Udet, a German ace who downed 62 Allied planes during World War I.

Udet, impressed that Capt. Brown failed to lose his lunch after their acrobatic flight, told him he ought to learn German and, just as important, learn to fly.

So he did.

At the University of Edinburgh, he studied modern languages and trained in flight through a Royal Air Force program. His studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II in 1939, when Capt. Brown volunteered for the navys Fleet Air Arm. He returned to Edinburgh after the war and graduated in 1947.

Capt. Brown was on board the escort carrier Audacity when the ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat in the Bay of Biscay in 1941. He and the ships other pilot, buoyed by inflatable Mae West life jackets that had not been given to the ships 22-person sailing crew, were the only survivors of the attack.

The next year, he married Evelyn Lynn Macrory while on survivors leave from the Audacity. She died in 1998. Survivors include a companion, Jean Kelly, and a son from his marriage.

In 1942, Capt. Brown was selected as a test pilot for the Royal Aircraft Establishment, a now-defunct research and development office.

Fluent in German, he traveled to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the close of the war, where the Nazis killed about 50,000 Jews and other prisoners.

While in Germany, he interrogated aviation experts such as Wernher von Braun, who invented the V-2 rocket and later helped engineer NASAs Apollo space program, and Hermann Goring, a World War I ace who led the Luftwaffe under Hitler and became one of the Nazi Partys highest leaders.

Within a year of their meeting, Goring was condemned to hang as a war criminal at the Nuremberg trials. He committed suicide in 1946.

Capt. Brown served as a test pilot until retiring in 1970. In a 2013 interview with BBC Radio 4, he credited his longevity in a job that killed many of the finest pilots of the day to his meticulous preparation and his height, a relatively short 5-foot-7.

On at least three occasions, he said, he would have lost his legs had he not been able to curl them beneath his seat.

Where other pilots would say, Kick your tires, light your fires, and the last one offs a sissy, Capt. Brown took a far less cavalier attitude to his job. He made a point of studying planes before stepping into the cockpit and of planning his response to possible worst-case scenarios.

Capt. Brown retired to the town of Copthorne, England, and was appointed a commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1970. He became the director general of what was then the British Helicopter Advisory Board, a trade association, and in 1982 was named president of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

He told BBC Radio 4 that he took his last flight in 1994 and found it difficult to stop, comparing the experience to that of a drug addicts withdrawal.

Its an exhilarating world to live in, he said. Theres always that aura of a risk. You come to value life in a slightly different way.
 Nations along Europes refugee route are taking the boldest steps yet to clamp down on migrant flows, trapping thousands of asylum seekers and potentially blocking countless war-weary families from finding sanctuary in the West.

The crackdown in recent days, aid groups say, comes at the worst possible time  just as new arrivals are rapidly increasing and the majority of migrants, once single men, are now women and children. An even larger surge from the Middle East and beyond is expected in the coming weeks, with tens of thousands more migrants set to land in Greece and start the long trek northwest to Europes core.

But crisis-weary countries from Austria to Macedonia are now moving to bar the doors. Since Sunday, Macedonia and Serbia, for instance, have blocked passage to virtually all Afghans  a group accounting for roughly a third of all migrants. Even many Syrians and Iraqis without proper documentation are being turned away, aid groups and U.N. officials say, leaving a quickly increasing number of desperate asylum seekers stranded in nearly bankrupt Greece.

[Spring could bring a fresh surge of refugees. But Europe isnt ready for them.]

There were other signs that the main route traversed by more than 1 million migrants last year was breaking down, with aid groups saying Croatia and Slovenia are also refusing entry to more asylum seekers. Slovenias parliament voted late Monday to dispatch the army for border control. And in yet another blow to the cherished ideal of free movement in Europe, Belgium said Tuesday that it would set up border controls on its frontier with France to block migrants recently cleared from a sprawling camp in Calais from entering its territory.





Afghans, meanwhile, were being stranded at various points along the 1,000-mile route from Athens to Vienna, as observers warned of an impending humanitarian crisis that could rival the peak of Europes refugee emergency this past fall.

The situation isnt good for us; there are no proper bathrooms or medical care. Its very cold, said Teimoorshah Yousefi, 40, one of 600 Afghans stranded at a northern Macedonian border crossing this week. He, along with his wife and two sons, ages 10 and 13, were being refused entry by Serbia. The family, he said, was getting frantic.

I dont know exactly what our final destination will be, he said. We want to go to any country that accepts us.

In Europe, though, that list is getting shorter and shorter, and a war of words between nations was breaking out over the new rash of restrictions. Greece filed an official protest with Austria, which appeared to set off the domino effect of restrictions by introducing strict asylum caps last week. Athens decried what it called a unilateral and non-friendly act that could add a full-blown domestic refugee crisis to its already long list of financial woes. Germany and Austria also exchanged terse words.

[More European nations are barring their doors to migrants]

On Tuesday, frustrated Greek police cleared hundreds of protesting Afghans from railroad tracks where they were staging a sit-in. In videos and photos, Afghan children held signs begging Macedonian authorities to please help us cross border.

Were going to see the backlog of people grow exponentially now, and youll have upward of 20,000 to 40,000 people getting stuck over the next few days, said Kirk Day, Europe representative of the International Rescue Committee. This is a continent that says it is founded on the principle of human rights, he continued. But right now, all we see is a race by countries that dont want to be the last one to close their borders.

Afghan migrants who have no permission to cross the border between Greece and Macedonia stay behind a fence near Gevgelija, Macedonia on Feb. 23. (Georgi Licovski/EPA)

Such countries say they have no choice, citing a building resentment against asylum seekers at home, overburdened refugee systems and heightened concerns that militant extremists are blending in with migrants. Already, more than 100,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean this year, far outpacing the same period in 2015. And yet, the Austrians and other nations enacting fresh controls say, Europe has failed to put in place a working plan to tackle the crisis, leaving them with no other option but to act.

[In Europe, the refugee crisis as art: 14,000 bright orange life jackets]

On Wednesday, amid mounting criticism from the European Commission, Austria and other nations that are slapping new restrictions on migrants were set to meet to discuss the crisis. It remained unclear whether charges that some of the new moves may violate European and international law would compel those nations to change course.

As long as there is no European solution, we will have to take national measures, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said in an interview published Tuesday by Germanys Rheinische Post.

Indeed, Austria appears to have touched off the new round of border tightening, shocking many of its neighbors by introducing caps on Friday that limit the number of migrants who can enter and claim asylum there to 80 per day. It will also allow a maximum of 3,200 migrants a day to transit to Germany, the single-largest destination for asylum seekers.

[Could Europes refugee crisis be the undoing of Angela Merkel?]

Berlin immediately charged Vienna with effectively creating a pipeline that would funnel migrants to Germany while Austria shouldered little burden itself. At the same time, nations south of Austria scrambled to make sure blocked migrants would not get stuck on their territories.

The moves followed a little-noticed deal struck last week by the police services of Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia to get tougher on migrants.

The changes include the barring of asylum seekers who have lived for long periods in safe countries such as Turkey and Iran, a group that includes many Afghans, Iraqis and Syrians. On Tuesday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees strongly condemned the new moves, warning of the heightened likelihood of pushbacks, of people being stranded in the open, exposed to freezing cold weather and at risk of violence and exploitation at the hands of smugglers and traffickers.

The new steps taken by Macedonia, however, marked only the latest in a string of measures meant to choke off the single-busiest migrant route. In November, Macedonia began barring all but Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans in an effort to weed out economic migrants. The decision now to exclude Afghans, critics say, is a dramatic escalation.

Not only are their numbers huge, but unlike migrants from North Africa and Pakistan, asylum seekers from Afghanistan have high acceptance rates in nations such as Germany  raising the prospect that legitimate refugees are now being restricted.

The last I checked, peace had not suddenly come to Afghanistan, Day said.

The move raised fears that more migrants would hire unscrupulous smugglers or risk the more dangerous routes out of Greece. In Bulgaria, for instance, migrants have been detained and beaten, while Albania presents rugged terrain that is harder to cross than Macedonia, where temporary visas were being granted so migrants could legally take trains and buses north.

Fear was also mounting that more migrants may switch back to the treacherous route to Europe that runs through violent Libya and across a far greater expanse of sea to Italy.

At the same time, pressure was growing in Germany for Chancellor Angela Merkel to drop what has been a humanitarian posture that did not set a limit on the number of asylum seekers her nation would accept. In recent days, Germans have watched as two viral videos showed more outbursts of anti-migrant rage. On Thursday, for instance, a busload of terrified migrants was surrounded by an angry German mob chanting Go home in the eastern city of Clausnitz.

Calls for a migrant cap in Germany  something activists say would amount to the final blow for asylum seekers  were growing.

The federal government . . . has the clear responsibility to take care of border security and reinstate the rule of law, Bavarian Justice Minister Winfried Bausback, a member of the Christian Social Union, sister party of Angela Merkels Christian Democrats, said Tuesday.

Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin and Elinda Labropoulou in Athens contributed to this report.

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A Kurdish peshmerga fighter stands guard in July 2015 as new equipment arrives at an oil refinery outside Irbil, Iraq. (AP)

Kurdish special forces have rescued a 16-year-old Swedish girl from Islamic State militants near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, Kurdish authorities said Tuesday.

The operation to free Marilyn Nevalainen, who went missing with her boyfriend last year, took place Feb. 17 after Sweden requested assistance in finding and rescuing her, the semiautonomous Kurdish regions security council said in a statement. She will be transferred to Swedish authorities to return home once necessary arrangements are made, it said.

Some 300 Swedes have left to join extremist groups in Iraq and Syria over the past three years, according to Swedens security agency. Recruiters often prey on teenagers, grooming them online or in their communities.

In an interview with Kurdish television channel K24, Marilyn said she dropped out of school at age 14 and then met her boyfriend, who persuaded her to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State, a radical al-Qaeda offshoot also known as ISIL and ISIS.

First we were good together, but then he started to look at ISIS videos and started to speak about them, and I dont know anything about ISIS or Islam, she told K24. She said that when her boyfriend suggested leaving to join the Islamic State, she agreed, departing from Sweden on May 31 last year.

[A heartbreaking letter to Swedens king from 12-year-old Syrian migrant]

Swedish news reports after the couples disappearance said Marilyns boyfriend was 19 at the time and that she, then 15, was six months pregnant. The girl, from Boras, near Gothenburg, was living in a foster home at the time, the reports said. The Kurdish statement and interview made no mention of a baby.

The couple traveled by train and bus through Europe before crossing from Turkey into Syria, Marilyn said.

When the couple arrived in Syria, the Islamic State took them by bus to Mosul, where they were given a house. In the house we didnt have anything, she said. No electricity, no water, nothing. We didnt have any money, either. It was a really hard life.

Marilyns disappearance has been widely covered by the Swedish news media, but there were discrepancies in the account her family relayed to the media and the girls television interview Tuesday.

Her mother told the Swedish media after her disappearance that Marilyn had joined the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria but was kidnapped by the Islamic State in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. The Islamic State did not recognize the couples marriage and separated them, the mother told Swedens Expressen newspaper.

Marilyn, who looked relaxed and smiled during the television interview, said that after she arrived in Mosul, she began making contact with her mother by phone, telling her that she wanted to come home.

The rescue was a purely Kurdish operation, according to a Kurdish security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details of a sensitive security operation.

In October, Kurdish and U.S. Special Operations forces carried out a joint raid near the Iraqi town of Hawijah, freeing 69 prisoners but failing to find Kurdish soldiers they hoped to rescue. One U.S. soldier was killed in the operation.

Read more:

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
A 2013 photo shows Apple CEO Tim Cook preparing to testify before a U.S. Senate committee. The tech giant has refused a judge's order to help the FBI access data they believe is stored on the iPhone linked to the San Bernardino terrorists. (Shawn Thew/EPA)

The public dispute between the Justice Department and Apple continued Monday as the tech giant called on the government to withdraw its demand for help in unlocking a phone used by one of the shooters in Decembers terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., and instead let a commission of experts discuss the issue.

Apples chief executive, Tim Cook, told employees Monday that the case is about much more than a single phone or a single investigation and risked setting a precedent that threatens everyones civil liberties  the latest salvo in a war of words between the federal government and one of the worlds most valuable companies.

[ Why Apple is in a historic fight with the government over one iPhone]

FBI Director James B. Comey issued his own message to the public late Sunday, asking people to take a deep breath and describing the governments request as quite narrow. He insisted that authorities were not asking Apple to create a master key, as the company has asserted, and that the governments demand was not trying to set a precedent that will invade user privacy, but was about the victims and justice.

Comey added: Maybe the phone holds the clue to finding more terrorists. Maybe it doesnt. But we cant look the survivors in the eye, or ourselves in the mirror, if we dont follow this lead.

FBI Director James Comey , shown here in a 2015 photo, said the federal agency owes it to the victims of the San Bernardino terror attacks to try to gain access to a cellphone used by one of the gunmen. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

The two sides are waging a high-stakes battle on two fronts  in the courts of law and public opinion  on the controversial issue of how far the government can go to require companies to provide help in unlocking encrypted phones. It is part of a much larger debate over balancing privacy and security in a digital age.

As individuals and as a company, we have no tolerance or sympathy for terrorists, Cook said in a letter emailed to Apple employees around the world and released by the firm. When they commit unspeakable acts like the tragic attacks in San Bernardino, we work to help the authorities pursue justice for the victims. And thats exactly what we did.

Cook asserted that the government is essentially seeking to have Apple roll back data protections to iOS 7, an operating system launched in September 2013 that enabled Apple to extract data for the police in criminal investigations.

But beginning in September 2014 , Apple began issuing iPhones with a different operating system, first iOS 8 and now iOS 9, which do not allow the company to extract data because the information is encrypted with a key derived from a password set by the user, and which Apple does not know.

[As encryption spreads, U.S. grapples with clash between privacy, security]

The iPhone the FBI needs help in unlocking was used by Syed Rizwan Farook, one of two shooters in the Dec. 2 attacks that killed 14 people and wounded 22. It runs on iOS 9. Last Tuesday, the Justice Department got a court to order the firm to design software that would disable a feature on the phone that wipes all the data after 10 incorrect tries at guessing the password.

We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorists passcode without the phone essentially self-destructing, and without it taking a decade to guess correctly, Comey said. We dont want to break anyones encryption.

A 2014 photo shows San Bernardino shooters Tashfeen Malik, left, and Syed Farook, as they passed through the Chicago airport. A U.S. magistrate has ordered Apple to help the Obama administration hack into an iPhone belonging to Farook to help with its investigation into the Dec. 2 shootings. (Uncredited/AP)

He said the tension in the case should not be resolved by corporations that sell stuff for a living, alluding to a line of attack made in a Justice Department filing Friday and one he has voiced on Capitol Hill: that Apple is digging in its heels on encryption for marketing reasons.

The firm has positioned itself in recent years as a champion of consumer privacy and data security. Although it quietly began strengthening encryption on its products years ago, it began to publicize its efforts in the wake of disclosures by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden about U.S. government surveillance and spy agencies reliance on U.S. tech firms.

The tension also should not be resolved by the FBI, Comey said, but rather by the American people.

So far, the public appears to be siding with the Justice Department. In a survey conducted by Pew Research Center, a little more than half of Americans  51 percent  said Apple should help the FBI unlock the iPhone, compared with 38 percent who said Apple should not.

Apple on Monday urged the Justice Department to drop its request and instead form a commission or a panel of experts on intelligence, technology and civil liberties to discuss the implications for law enforcement, national security, privacy and personal freedoms.

A federal magistrate judge in Riverside, Calif., will hear oral arguments next month on whether Apple should be forced to comply with the court order. A group of victims and victims families are planning to file a brief in support of the government. And several major tech firms are planning to file briefs in support of Apple.

A key legal issue is whether the basis for the governments court order is lawful. The Justice Department cited a 1789 law, the All Writs Act, as providing the authority to issue the order directing Apple to provide assistance. Apple is contesting that authority in this case and in a separate case in Brooklyn involving a different type of iPhone.

In the latter case, the government is seeking help to extract data from a phone running on iOS 7  and not asking Apple to build new software. But in both cases, the courts must decide whether that colonial era law can be used to direct a company to provide the technical assistance. A decision in the Brooklyn case has been pending for months.
BEIJING, Feb. 23 -- President Xi Jinping has called for improved birth, employment and elderly policies to cope with the country's aging population in a "timely, scientific and comprehensive" manner.

Xi made the remarks in a written instruction made public Tuesday.

"Coping with our aging population is crucial for development and hundreds of millions of people's well-being," Xi said, calling for better top-down design based on current situations and future expectations.

Xi stressed this issue should be put on high agenda and relevant work should be carried out during the 2016-2020 period.

China has well over 200 million people aged 60 or above, more than 15 percent of the population, and the figure is expected to reach 243 million by 2020. Geriatric care lags far behind demand and varies greatly between regions.

In a separate written instruction, Premier Li Keqiang urged authorities to take a scientific approach to policies and suggestions on the aging issue.

On Tuesday, Wang Yong, head of the National Working Commission on Aging, presided over a meeting on the issue, urging related departments to get down to work.

"The focus should be on pressing issues for the elderly, so they feel the benefit," Wang told the meeting.
President Obama sent his plan to close the Guantanamo prison to Capitol Hill, where it was met with immediate condemnation. (Jason Aldag,Julie Vitkovskaya/The Washington Post)

President Obama sent his plan to close the Guantanamo prison to Capitol Hill, where it was met with immediate condemnation. (Jason Aldag,Julie Vitkovskaya/The Washington Post)

President Obama urged lawmakers on Tuesday to help him close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, making his case for a White House plan to shutter a detention facility he said symbolizes excesses that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

This is about closing a chapter in our history, said Obama, flanked by Vice President Biden and Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, in remarks at the White House. It reflects the lessons that weve learned since 9/11, lessons that need to guide our nation going forward.

[Read: Obamas plan to close Guantanamo]

Obamas blueprint, which added some detail to earlier White House plans to move as many as 60 prisoners to the United States for trial or continued detention, was met with immediate condemnation from Capitol Hill.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), one of the few senior Republicans who has expressed openness to closing the detention center, said the nine-page plan failed to address basic questions. In a statement, McCain said Obama had missed a major chance to build support for closing the prison before he steps down in January.





What we received today is a vague menu of options, not a credible plan for closing Guantanamo, let alone a coherent policy to deal with future terrorist detainees, he said.

The instant rejection makes it unlikely the plan will advance in the Republican-controlled Congress, meaning Obama must use executive action and further incense his opponents if he intends to achieve one of his core national security goals.

At the heart of the debate is whether the U.S. government can securely house or try on American soil any of the 91 prisoners remaining at the prison.

[Saudi inmate repatriated as protesters mark Guantanamo milestone]

Whether Obama can make good on his long-standing promise to close Guantanamo will also shape his legacy and provide an important measure of how far he was able to go in distinguishing his presidency from that of George W. Bush, who opened the prison in 2002 and filled it with nearly 800 suspected militants.

Obama argued Tuesday that Guantanamo remains a rallying call for terrorists.

I dont want to pass this problem on to the next president, whoever it is, Obama said. If, as a nation, we dont deal with this now, when will we deal with it?

To allow the closure plan to move forward, lawmakers would have to alter current laws that prohibit the administration from spending any money on bringing detainees to the United States or even making plans for doing so.

Since he took office in 2009, Obama has resettled overseas 147 Guantanamo prisoners who were deemed to pose a minimal security risk. Of the 91 remaining at the prison, 35 have been cleared for transfer to other nations. Ten more are in some stage of a slow-moving military trial process.

Previewing the closure blueprint Tuesday morning, senior Obama aides said that 30 to 60 detainees are expected to be brought to U.S. facilities if the plan is approved. In the document, the administration said it had reviewed 13 potential facilities in the United States that might be used to house detainees, but it did not name them.

If brought to the United States, some of those detainees would continue through military commissions; others might face trial in civilian courts. Early in the Obama administration, officials planned to bring a number of Guantanamo prisoners to stand trial in federal court but backed down amid political objections.

[Guantanamo population to fall below 100 for first time in 14 years]

In instances where prosecutors lack evidence or see potential evidence as problematic, other detainees, deemed too dangerous to release, would probably be detained indefinitely without trial.

Laura Pitter, senior national security counsel at Human Rights Watch, said Guantanamo has been a blight on the United States reputation worldwide. It is well beyond time to shut it down, she said in a statement. But transferring some detainees to the U.S. for continued detention is not a solution. Most detainees at Guantanamo have been held there for nearly 14 years without charge or trial in clear violation of international law.

White House officials have also tried to make a fiscal case for closing the prison.

According to the plan, it would cost between $290 million and $475 million to prepare a facility in the United States and transfer detainees there. But officials estimated that within three to five years, the lower annual costs of a U.S. facility with fewer detainees would generate at least $335 million in net savings over 10 years and up to $1.7 billion in net savings over 20 years.

[Afghan courts said these ex-U.S. detainees should be freed. Why werent they?]

It costs almost $450 million a year to operate the prison at Guantanamo.

Officials conceded that their budgetary estimates were rough, saying the lack of precision was a result of the congressional prohibition on planning for the prisons closure.

The Obama administration must also grapple with objections from critics who argue that Guantanamo detainees are too dangerous to release.

According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, six detainees released since Obama took office were confirmed as of July to have returned to militant activity.

Each suspected case has made the White Houses argument harder to make. On Tuesday, Spanish authorities said they had arrested a former Guantanamo inmate who they believe was involved in recruiting fighters for the Islamic State.

President Obamas determination to move some of the worlds most dangerous terrorists to U.S. soil is inexplicable and unacceptable, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.

Obama declined to address whether he will try to close the prison even if Congress opposes his plan. For months, the presidents top advisers have hinted that the White House may try to take executive action on Guantanamo, essentially going around Congress.

While military leaders have signaled that they do not currently believe they have the authority to take steps to close the prison, the White House or the Justice Department could issue a new interpretation of existing law and instruct the Pentagon to do so.

A former senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss administration deliberations, said that ordering officials to defy Congress would require the mother of all [Justice Department] opinions.

The blueprint did receive support from some lawmakers, including Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), who urged fellow lawmakers to consider it.

Lets be clear, Reed said in a statement. Closing GITMO does not mean releasing anyone, setting bad guys free, or doing anything other than putting them in a highly secure prison and on trial under the right military tribunal system or legal process.

Obamas announcement immediately became fodder for the presidential campaign trail. On Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) called for expanding Guantanamo, not closing it.

Speaking at a rally in Nevada, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) promised that, if he is elected, future captured militants will not be granted a federal court hearing. They are going to Guantanamo, and we are going to find out everything they know, he said.

Republican presidential candidates have already promised that if elected, they would overturn any executive action Obama has taken.

Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report.

Read more:

Former Guantanamo prisoner demands Obama close a facility meant to destroy people

Use of psychologists at Guantanamo Bay prison reduced with generals order
Prosecutors ordered the arrest of a top media strategist for the governing Workers Party on Monday, on allegations that he received illegal offshore transfers from a firm suspected in the massive bribery scheme that has shaken the political establishment here.

Joao Santana, who advised the election campaigns of President Dilma Rousseff and her predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was out of the country when police searched his home in the northeastern state of Bahia. After declaring in a statement that he had just quit work on a political campaign in the Dominican Republic, Santana was set to return to Brazil late Monday.

Prosecutors cited evidence that Santana had received $3 million from Odebrecht, Brazils largest construction firm, through a Panamanian shell company. Odebrecht allegedly skimmed the funds from contracts awarded by Petrobras, the state-controlled oil company, as part of a conspiracy to funnel billions of dollars in bribes to the Workers Party, its allies in Congress and other officials, according to prosecutors.

Santanas attorney Fabio Toufic declined to comment, but the media strategists company has previously denied that it received undeclared funds. In a statement, Odebrecht said it is cooperating with investigators, declining to comment further.

The Petrobras scandal had lost steam in recent weeks as the outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus captured headlines. After a year of political gridlock and economic recession, Rousseff appeared in a fresh role leading the efforts to fight the epidemic, which is suspected of causing birth defects in hundreds or thousands of babies.

[Brazil says a third adult has died of Zika]

For Rousseff, Mondays operation raises the stakes in the wide-reaching corruption probe known as Lava Jato, or Car Wash, which erupted in the months leading up to her reelection in 2014. No evidence has implicated her directly, but she faces two separate proceedings that could lead to her ouster.

One, an impeachment case to be decided by Congress, focuses on whether Rousseff violated budget rules. The other, before Brazils electoral court, accuses her reelection campaign of taking bribes from the Petrobras scheme.

While the political will for impeachment has weakened, Joao Augusto de Castro Neves, a political analyst at the Eurasia Group consulting firm, says the arrest order for Santana increases the chances that the electoral court could invalidate her 2014 victory, causing new elections to be called.

Todays operation shows that the risk that the president will be removed from office is still reasonably high, Neves said. Theres not much she can do to react. The judiciary, police and prosecutors all enjoy a certain degree of autonomy.

The Car Wash probe has little precedent in Brazil, where impunity has typically been the norm for the wealthy and powerful. A judge has handed down convictions for a former Workers Party treasurer and top executives at construction firms that were major campaign donors to governing and opposition parties.

[Brazils new hero is a nerdy judge who is tough on official corruption]

Santana, 63, helped Lula win reelection in 2006. He also worked on the presidential campaigns of Venezuelas Hugo Chavez and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, and for the campaigns of presidents in El Salvador, Angola and, most recently, the Dominican Republic.

In a document made public as part of Mondays operation, police cited notes said to be from Marcelo Odebrecht, the former head of the construction giant, suggesting that his company covered about $3 million in construction costs for the headquarters of Lulas foundation. It is one more indication that Lula  who left office in 2011 as the most popular president in Brazils history  may have received favors from construction firms that won lucrative government contracts and subsidized loans.

Last year, prosecutors began investigating whether Lula had engaged in influence peddling by giving paid speeches abroad for Odebrecht and promoting the company with foreign leaders. If confirmed, the allegations could change the face of politics in Brazil. Lula remains a power broker and political mentor to Rousseff, his handpicked successor, and many speculate he could run for the presidency again in 2018.

Lulas foundation, Instituto Lula, has previously denied allegations of influence peddling and said that its headquarters was acquired in 1991. Rousseffs office declined to comment on Mondays operation.

Read more:

Brazilians panic as mosquito-borne virus is linked to brain damage in babies

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Fernando Cardenal, a Catholic priest who defied the church to serve as education minister in the Marxist Sandinista government of Nicaragua in the 1980s, a stand that he said reflected his pact with the poor and that resulted in his temporary banishment from the Jesuit order, died Feb. 20 in Managua, Nicaragua. He was 82.

His death was reported by the Associated Press, citing an announcement by Fe y Alegria, an international Jesuit educational organization for which Rev. Cardenal served as national director for Nicaragua. The reported cause was complications from surgery.

During the social upheaval in Nicaragua in the 1980s, when leftist Sandinista revolutionaries took power after overthrowing the authoritarian Somoza regime in 1979, Rev. Cardenal landed in the center of a divisive conflict in the Catholic Church.

At the time, a contingent of Catholic priests and theologians, particularly in Latin America, championed a concept known as liberation theology, which envisioned a role for the church to deliver not only spiritual but also economic liberation to the poor. Much of the Catholic hierarchy rejected the theology, judging it as overly influenced by Marxism.

Rev. Cardenal had ministered to the poor during his Jesuit novitiate in Medellin, Colombia, and adhered to liberation theology. As a professor in Nicaragua in the 1970s, he organized a group of students  14 of whom would die, he told the National Catholic Reporter last year  to protest the Somoza dictatorship and promote a society that they hoped would better serve the needy.

When a member of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) asked him to join the group, Rev. Cardenal agreed.

I told him that he could count on me, Rev. Cardenal told the National Catholic Reporter. And he said, From now on, your name will be Justo,  meaning just. I liked that a lot, he said.

After the installation of the Sandinista government, Rev. Cardenal led a national literacy campaign in which he described himself as the general of an army of 100,000 volunteers. They moved into the homes of campesinos, or poor farmers, he once told an interviewer from Georgetown University, and taught them to read.

The campaign reduced the illiteracy rate in Nicaragua from approximately 50 percent to 13 percent in five months, according to figures cited in a UNESCO report.

In 1984, Rev. Cardenal became education minister. He was one of several priests to join the Sandinista government, including his brother Ernesto Cardenal, a poet who served as culture minister. By accepting governments positions, they defied the wishes of Pope John Paul II, under whose leadership priests were prohibited from holding public office.

Popular opinion in Nicaragua appeared to be on the side of the priests. When the pope visited the country in 1983  a trip in which he memorably wagged his finger at Ernesto Cardenal as the culture minister kneeled before him  the pontiff was heckled during a Mass in Managua.

In August 1984, the Vatican issued a communique reporting that it had requested that Rev. Cardenal and the other priests step down from their government offices. In December 1984, Rev. Cardenal was expelled from the Jesuit order and was suspended from conducting sacerdotal duties until further notice.

I consider before God that I would commit a grave sin if I abandoned in the present circumstances my priestly option for the poor, which currently takes its concrete form in Nicaragua in my work in the Popular Sandinista Revolution, he said in a statement.

He said that he and his supporters perceived that the Vaticans policy toward Nicaragua coincides with that of President Reagan, who had sought to support the Contra rebel groups opposing the Sandinistas.

Rev. Cardenal also said that the Holy See is a prisoner of political concepts reached as a result of the conflicts in Eastern Europe, an apparent reference to John Paul, who was credited with helping to end the decades of communism in his native Poland.

Rev. Cardenal stepped down in 1990, when the Sandinistas, represented by Daniel Ortega, were voted out of office. In 1995, the priest left the Sandinista National Liberation Front, denouncing a small minority of Sandinistas, including a few high-ranking leaders, who committed acts of corruption that broke the Sandinista tradition of honesty and did the FSLN the worst damage in its history.

He was reinstated as a Jesuit in 1997.

Fernando Cardenal Martinez was born in Granada, Nicaragua, on Jan. 26, 1934. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available, but it includes his brother Ernesto.

Rev. Cardenal told the National Catholic Reporter that he never spoke with one poor person or indigenous person in all of my 16 years of study to be a Jesuit before being sent to a poor neighborhood outside Medellin.

Buying bread for the Jesuit community, I came into contact with small boys and girls, he recalled, and I could see the hunger in their faces, and they began to ask me for bread. He gave away his food.

He later saw a family eating from the Jesuits trash. When he left Colombia, he said, he told those neighbors, I want to leave you a promise, a very solemn promise in the face of God, that I will dedicate my life to the liberation of the poor and to the struggle for justice.

He later worked at institutions including the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, where he organized students to protest the Somoza government.

He told the National Catholic Reporter that when he learned the Somoza government had been defeated, he did two things, which werent really correct. He ran into the street in his pajamas, shouting Long live the Sandinista revolution and fired his Soviet rifle into the air.

After clashing with the Vatican over his government job, he told Time magazine that there is no basic religious problem between the church and the revolution.

What exists, he said, is a political confrontation.
LIBYA

Troops clear port, hospital in Benghazi

Libyan troops loyal to the internationally backed government have made major advances against Islamist extremists, clearing a strategic port and a main hospital in the eastern city of Benghazi, the army spokesman said Monday.

Khalifa al-Obeidi said the port of Mraissa had served as the largest supply line for the terrorists but is now held by forces led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter. He said that the troops were supported by fighters defending their own neighborhoods and that at least 30 rival militants were killed.

Another military official said the breakthrough came after the troops received weapons and ammunition from Egypt, a strong supporter of Hifter over the past two years. Egyptian warplanes struck Islamic State positions in the eastern city of Darna last year after the extremists beheaded several captured Egyptian Christians.

Libya is currently split between an Islamist-backed government based in the capital, Tripoli, and an internationally recognized government that convenes in the countrys east.

 Associated Press

ITALY

U.S. gets green light for drone flights

Italy has agreed to allow U.S. drones to be armed and take off from an air base in Sicily, but only to defend U.S. forces while they target Islamic State extremists in Libya, Italian officials said Monday.

A Defense Ministry official, speaking on the condition of anonymity as the government hadnt announced the deal, said Rome and Washington reached the agreement last month. Permission will have to be asked of Italy each time, and decided on a case-by-case basis, for the drones to take off from Sigonella air base to protect military personnel deemed at risk during anti-Islamic State operations in Libya and elsewhere in northern Africa. Permission will not be granted for offensive missions.

 Associated Press

BOLIVIA

Moraless attempt for 4th term looks shaky

Voters eagerness for new blood in Bolivian politics and thinning patience with government corruption may make President Evo Moraless current term in office his last.

Partial results Monday and unofficial quick counts indicated that Moraless bid to extend his presidency by amending the constitution appeared headed toward defeat.

Morales has governed for a decade. A yes vote in the referendum held Sunday would allow Bolivias first indigenous president to seek a fourth term in 2019 and potentially remain

in power until 2025.

Morales said in a brief televised news conference Monday that he was not giving up hope  calling celebrations by his opponents premature  and had faith in the slower-reporting countryside.

They dont like us much in the city, but the first results give me hope, he said.

With 47 percent of polling stations reporting Monday afternoon, the no vote stood at 59 percent. Turnout was high at around 87 percent, the nations electoral commission said.

Morales said that whatever happens, he will respect voters will. He said that if the ballot question loses, life will go on. I wont get desperate, he said.

 Reuters

Six migrants sentenced in Calais ferry incident: A court in northern France sentenced six migrants to one month in prison and slapped $330 fines on two activists over an intrusion on a British ferry in the port of Calais last month. But because the six migrants  four Afghans, one Syrian and one Sudanese 

had been in prison for a month awaiting trial, they were freed Monday, prosecutor Jean-Pierre Valensi said after the proceedings. The six were arrested Jan. 23 when 150 to 300 people made their way to the fenced port site in Calais as a demonstration by migrants and activists was ending. A few dozen managed to get on a docked ferry before being escorted off by police.

Fiji cyclone toll rises to 29: The death toll from a powerful cyclone that hit Fiji climbed to 29 as officials said Tuesday that 10 people had died on a single small island. Government spokesman Ewan Perrin said most buildings on Koro Island, with 4,500 residents, had been heavily damaged or flattened. Winds from Cyclone Winston, which tore through the Pacific Island chain Saturday and early Sunday, reached 177 miles per hour, making it the strongest storm in Fijis recorded history. Home to 900,000 people, Fiji has more than 100 inhabited islands.

 From news services
Ben Carson, top left, and his wife Candy, top center, pose for a selfie with a young supporter after a town hall meeting Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, in Reno, Nev. (Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)



Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson says that President Obama cannot truly understand the African-American experience because he was raised white.

Hes an African American. He was, you know, raised white. Many of his formative years were spent in Indonesia, Carson said to journalist Glenn Thrush. So, for him to, you know, claim that, you know, he identifies with the experience of black Americans, I think, is a bit of a stretch.

During an interview for Politicos Off Message, which aired Tuesday, the retired neurosurgeon suggested that his upbringing reflects the black experience in the U.S. more than Obamas.

Carson was born in Detroit to African-American parents. His rise from childhood poverty to resounding success as a neurosurgeon served as an inspirational story that propelled him into the national spotlight and, ultimately, the race for the White House.

Barack Obama speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. (Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)



Obama was born in Honolulu to a white mother and a black Kenyan father. He spent several years of his childhood in Indonesia before returning to Hawaii.

Carson told Thrush that he did not derive much joy or pride from watching Obamas inauguration as the nations first black president because of his life story.

You know, I did not. I mean, like most Americans, I was proud that we broke the color barrier when he was elected, but I also recognize that his experience and my experience are night-and-day different. He didnt grow up like I grew up by any stretch of the imagination, he said.

Later Tuesday morning, MSNBC host Thomas Roberts asked Carson to elaborate on his controversial comments about Obama.

The fact of the matter is, you know, he did not grow up in black America. He grew up in white America, he said. Doesnt mean theres anything wrong with that. Its just that when a claim is made that he represents the black experience, its just not true.

Story continues

Carson, a soft-spoken, devout Christian, appealed strongly to the Republican Partys socially conservative and evangelical bases and surged to number two in the polls last autumn. But his numbers have been flagging in recent months as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio have been picking up steam.

His campaign has not been focused on racial issues and he dismisses the notion that the Republican Party is in any way racist  saying that he has not been treated differently as a black man.

Caron told Thrush that he is 64 years old and has had the chance encounter real racism in his lifetime. Nowadays, he continued, real racism is more common among liberals than conservatives.

They assume because youre black, you have to think a certain way, he said. And if you dont think that way, youre Uncle Tom, youre worthy of every horrible epithet they can come up with; whereas, if I werent black, then I would just be a Republican.



Listen:
A file photo of a gated residential building [Photo: Xinhua]

A newly released guideline on urban planning has triggered heated public discussion in China.

The government wants to see roads within gated residential communities opened up and added to the public road system. But some residents have expressed concern for their safety, their health and their property rights.

For more on this, CRI's Huang Shan reports.

1018xiukvisit.mp3

The government guidelines released on Monday are aimed at tackling problems associated with urbanization and the growing city sprawl in rural areas.

A key aspect of the guideline calls for roads in newly built communities to be opened up to the wider public, and be added to the urban road system, with older communities also gradually being connected to the public road network.

Niu Fengrui, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, supports the policy. He believes its a better way to utilize urban land, and improve the road network in built-up areas.

"The central government wants to gradually open up all the communities in cities, and refine the traffic layout of blocks. This decision complies with the demand for urban development in China. People want the traffic to become more convenient, but gated residential communities have been cut off from the traffic network, which can impede overall urban efficiency."

However, according to an online poll on Sina.com, over 75 percent of the 20,000 participants, opposed the idea of opening up gated communities.

One citizen, surnamed Zhang, expressed his concern over the potential risks arising from such a decision.

"The government wants to expropriate the land in gated communities to widen the roads, but we home owners have to pay for that. Moreover, people and cars from outside will be able to freely enter the communities, which may cause some security problems. As things stand, owner committees can turn to the property management company if any problems occur. After the gates are removed, then who would be in responsible?"

The poll also showed that 65 percent of those asked, cited concerns for their health and assets as the top issue in opposing the new guideline.

And 85 percent of participants said home owners in older communities opened up to public access should get compensation.

Gu Yunchang, vice-president of China Real Estate Association, believes in promoting this opening-up policy, but says newly-established communities may face different issues than more established ones.

"For new communities, home owners don't know how much they paid for the public space. Before settling the land transfer issues, it's essential to clarify which roads or spaces are to be opened to the public. And for older, more mature communities, the associated problems would seem tougher. The policy should be rolled out step by step, and the priority should be given to ownership distribution."

Some experts have suggested, in the future, the government should clearly tell developers which roads are to be in the public system, and which are to be private.
LAS VEGAS  At a press conference immediately before his rally here in the gymnasium of the Durango Hills YMCA, Ted Cruz announced that he had fired his longtime campaign spokesman Rick Tyler for posting on his Facebook page a false news story that purported to show rival Marco Rubio making a disparaging remark about the Bible. Cruz called Tylers action a grave error of judgment.

Ive spent this morning investigating what happened, and this morning I asked for Rick Tylers resignation, Cruz said. We are not a campaign that is going to question the faith of another candidate. Even if [the story] was true, our campaign should not have sent it.

The erroneous story was originally published by student publication the Daily Pennsylvanian along with a video in which Rubio said, Got a good book there, to a Cruz staffer he spotted reading the Bible. At this point the audio in the video becomes hard to understand, and the video used subtitles to allege that Rubio continued, Not many answers in it.

In reality, what Rubio said was, Got a good book there. All the answers are in there.

Rick Tyler, former communications director for Sen. Ted Cruzs presidential campaign, in Storm Lake, Iowa, in January. (Photo: Scott Bauer/AP)



Cruzs decision to fire Tyler, who was one of his earliest hires, was widely seen by the media as an effort to turn the page on the narrative that his campaign has been engaging in dirty tricks. In the wake of Iowa, where Cruz staffers misleadingly suggested that Ben Carson was about to drop out of the race, the Rubio campaign has repeatedly claimed that Cruz is willing to do or say anything to get elected, and GOP frontrunner Donald Trump has been even more direct, calling Cruz a liar at nearly every campaign stop. The charges seem to have resonated with evangelicals in South Carolina, where Cruz delivered a disappointing third-place finish despite the states conservative reputation and favorable demographics.



Story continues

Trump immediately took to Twitter to crow that the Tyler incident reinforced what hes been saying about Cruz all along. Ted Cruz has now apologized to Marco Rubio and Ben Carson for fraud and dirty tricks, Trump tweeted. No wonder he has lost Evangelical support!

The Rubio campaign soon piled on, with spokesman Alex Conant insisting that it was actually Cruz, not Tyler, who was at fault and using the fracas as an opportunity to repeat his teams favorite line about Cruz.

Rick is a really good spokesman who had the unenviable task of working for a candidate who is willing to do or say anything to get elected, Conant said in a statement, adding that there is a culture in the Cruz campaign, from top to bottom, that no lie is too big and no trick too dirty.

The Cruz campaign disputed Conants accusation. Marco Rubios attacks have been misleading from the beginning, and well continue talking about that, said Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier. We believe voters are smart enough to recognize the difference.

What isnt clear is whether Tylers firing will change anyones impression of Cruz  or whether, in fact, Nevadans will care at all. In the Durango YMCA gymnasium, television reporters from NBC and Fox News rushed in front of their cameras to do standup reports about Cruzs decision, speculating on the air about how it will impact the race. But most voters interviewed by Yahoo News had no idea who Tyler was.

Im not familiar with him, said Ronald Solomon, a precinct captain for Cruz. Tell me who he is.

No, I dont know him, said Jim Butman, a Cruz supporter from Las Vegas. I guess its good that Cruz is getting rid of the disreputable people on his staff?

Asked if Tylers name rang a bell, Brian Davis Carter, another Vegas resident, simply shook his head no.
Maria Hamilton, Sybrina Fulton, Lucy McBath, Geneva Reed-Veal and Gwen Carr appear at a forum supporting Hillary Clinton in Sumter, S.C., on Monday. (Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images)



The mothers of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Sandra Bland are expected to join Hillary Clinton at a campaign event in South Carolina on Tuesday as the Democratic frontrunner looks to maintain her advantage over Bernie Sanders among black voters in the Palmetto State.

Sybrina Fulton (the mother of Martin), Gwen Carr (the mother of Garner), and Geneva Reed-Veal (the mother of Bland) will appear alongside the former secretary of state at a town hall in Columbia.

The death of their children sparked protests around the country. Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, in Sanford, Fla., in 2012. Eric Garner, 43, died after being placed in a police chokehold on Staten Island in 2014. Bland, 28, was found dead in her jail cell in Waller County, Texas, in July three days after she was arrested for allegedly failing to use her turn signal. Officials said she hung herself.

The mothers of Dontre Hamilton  a 31-year-old black man who died after being shot 14 times by a white police officer in Milwaukee in 2014  and Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old African-American who was fatally shot by a white man in Jacksonville, Fla., in 2012  are also expected to appear with Clinton at the event.

Both Democratic candidates have made the treatment of minorities by law enforcement part of their campaign platforms.

In December, after a Texas grand jury decided not to indict anyone in Blands death, Sanders blamed what he called Americas very broken criminal justice system.

Theres no doubt in my mind that she, like too many African-Americans who die in police custody, would be alive today if she were a white woman, the Vermont senator said.

While Garners mother is endorsing Clinton, his eldest daughter, Erica, has endorsed Sanders and is campaigning on his behalf in South Carolina.

Story continues

Earlier this month, the Sanders campaign released a four-minute ad featuring Garners daughter.

I believe that Bernie Sanders is a protester, Erica Garner says in the ad, which has been airing in South Carolina this month. Hes not scared to go up against the criminal justice system. Hes not scared.

The ad was released the same day Georgia Rep. John Lewis endorsed Clinton while casting doubt on Sanders involvement in the civil rights movement.

I never saw him. I never met him, Lewis said. I was involved in the sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, the march from Selma to Montgomery, and directed a voter education project for six years. But I met Hillary Clinton. I met President Clinton.

Sanders did land one high-profile black endorsement on Tuesday: filmmaker Spike Lee, who endorsed the Brooklyn-born Vermont senator in a radio ad produced for the campaign.

Wake up, South Carolina! Lee says in the minute-long ad. And I know that you know the system is rigged!

Lets go to the tale of the tape, he continues. Marched with Dr. King. Arrested in Chicago for protesting segregation in Chicagos public schools. Fought for wealth and education equality throughout his entire career. Consistency people. No flip-flop.

Thats why I am officially endorsing my brother Bernie Sanders, Lee adds. Bernie takes no money from corporations. Nada. Which means he dont owe nobody nothing. When he gets into the White House, he will do the right thing.

According to a Monmouth University poll released last week, Clinton holds a decisive lead among black voters in South Carolina. The survey found that 60 percent of African-Americans under 50 support Clinton, compared with 26 percent who support Sanders. Among black voters over 50, Clintons lead over Sanders (69 percent to 12 percent) is even larger.

In a recent interview with BET, Sanders suggested that the former secretary is pandering to African-American voters by highlighting her support of President Obama.

Hillary Clinton now is trying to embrace the president as closely as she possibly can, Sanders said. Everything the president does is wonderful. She loves the president, he loves her and all that stuff.  And we know what thats about. Thats trying to win support from the African-American community, where the president is enormously popular.

On a conference call Tuesday, South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn fired back.

When she came to work in South Carolina in the 1970s, was she pandering? Clyburn said.
File photo of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (Photo/cnr.cn)

BEIJING, Feb. 22 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to the United Statesfrom Tuesday to Thursday, at the invitation of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday.

"We hope that China and the U.S. will arrange high-level exchanges and dialogues for 2016, discuss practical cooperation and the handling of sensitive issues to promote the sustainable, healthy and stable growth of bilateral relations through the visit," Hua said at a regular news briefing.

Responding to looming UN sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for missile launches, Hua said "China and the U.S. are expected to exchange views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue during Wang's visit," adding that the two sides have been in communication over the issue recently.

The UN Security Council is discussing sanctions against the DPRK over its recent nuclear test and satellite launch using ballistic missile technology.

China supports the UN Security Council adopting a new and strong resolution against the DPRK while urging relevant parties to avoid actions that could escalate tensions, Hua said.

She renewed the call for dialogue and promoting the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a truce-to-peace mechanism in parallel.

When asked about the message that China will send to the U.S. on the South China Seaissue, Hua said the U.S. should honor its commitment of taking no position on competing territorial claims and stop playing up the issue or creating tension.

Hua pointed out that the U.S. is not a party involved in the South China Sea dispute and the South China Sea issue is not, and should not become, a problem between China and the U.S..

She called on the U.S. to play a constructive role on the issue as maintaining peace and stability on the sea serves the common interest of China and U.S. as well as all parties concerned.

Hua criticised the U.S. for stirring hype over the "militarization" of the South China Sea. "The U.S. side is misusing the concept. The deployment of defense facilities on China's own territory is no different from what U.S. does in Hawaii."

The U.S., which has sent military vessels and planes to areas in the South China Sea to conduct close-in reconnaissance, is the source of tension and militarization of the South China Sea, Hua said.

China's construction on its own islands in the South China Sea is for civilian purposes and providing better international public goods. The deployment of limited defence measures is granted by international law to sovereign states, and has nothing to do with "militarization", according to Hua.
Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Hong Liang (R) shakes hands with Myanmar Deputy Minister for Construction Dr. Win Myint during the handover ceremony of China Aid Assembled Board House for Flood Recovery Construction to Myanmar in Yangon, Myanmar, Feb. 22, 2016. The Chinese government donated 1,160 sets of prefabricated houses Monday for Myanmar's flood victims and the donation, valued at some 30 million yuan (4.6 million U.S. dollars), was delivered ceremonially to the Myanmar side at Myanmar International Terminals Thilawa. (Xinhua/U Aung)
Freedom of navigation in South China Sea not U.S. vessels' "muscle show": China

BEIJING, Feb. 23 -- China on Tuesday refuted once again the United States' claim that China has threatened the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, urging it to stop sowing dissension among South China Sea littoral countries.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a senior U.S. naval officer's recent call for more naval operations in the region.

"I must point out that the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea entitled under international law does not mean U.S. naval vessels or airplanes' freedom to flex their muscle," Hua said.

Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, the commander of the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet, said on Monday that Australia and other countries should follow the U.S. lead and conduct "freedom-of-navigation" naval operations within 12 nautical miles of contested islands in the South China Sea, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

As the world's largest trade in goods nation and the largest South China Sea littoral state, China "cares more about navigation safety and freedom in the South China Sea than any other country," said Hua.

In fact, there has never been any problem with navigational freedom in the South China Sea, said Hua, adding it was unfair to "put such a label on China."

She urged the United States to stop sowing dissension and deliberately stirring up tension, and stop deeds and actions that undermine peace and stability in the region.

When asked to comment on some U.S. media saying that China is creating a "great wall of sand" in the South China Sea, Hua said China's sovereignty and claims in the South China Sea are grounded in history and upheld by successive Chinese governments.

The position has adequate historical and legal basis, Hua said.

"We have no intention to expand (the sovereignty), nor allow it to shrink," she said.

"If the word 'great wall' must be used, we suggest those media pay more attention to Chinese people's 'great wall of will' to firmly safeguard territorial sovereignty and legal rights," Hua said.
After Chinese President Xi Jinping chatted online with villagers of Chixi Village in Ningde, southeast Chinas Fujian province during his recent research tour of Peoples Daily, the village, dubbed China's first poverty reduction village, soon began receiving attention nationwide.

Upon learning that the poverty rate in the village had dropped to 1 percent from 92 percent in the last century, Xi spoke highly of the villagers achievements, noting that the villages success proves that the poverty alleviation philosophy of the Chinese government is correct.

Poverty alleviation depends largely on self-reliance and strong internal motivation, he added.

Two main factors contributed to the great importance attached to the village by President Xi. One is that he hoped for a better life for local residents, and the other is that the village sets a good example for future poverty reduction work.

Chixi Village was dubbed Chinas first poverty reduction village for the first time in 1984, when Peoples Daily published a reader letter and article describing the poverty in the village. It soon drew attention from the CPC Central Committee and State Council.

Three months later, the central government issued an announcement about the launch of a nationwide poverty reduction campaign. Chixi Village was one of the first villages to join the campaign.

Located at the corner of Taimu Mountain, a 5A-level scenic spot, Chixi Village had failed to translate its tourism potential into profit due to its inaccessible location.

But in recent years, authorities allocated more resources for local road construction, connecting the village with outside world.

Meanwhile, starting from 2005, the village devoted more efforts to the development of tourism by cooperating with tourism companies and organizations to increase investment.

The village also developed special tourism offerings like rafting, camping and a rare flora exhibition. Improved infrastructure also boosted the local tourism industry.

In 2015, the number of tourists in Chixi village reached 150,000. Once an impoverished outpost, Chixi Village was finally crowned as a model tourism village in China.

By utilizing its natural advantages, the village integrates tourism with ecology. Thanks to this new model, villagers income has also increased significantly, said Wu Yiguo, the head of the village.

According to Wu, the per capita income of the village in 2015 was 13,649 yuan ($2,093.8), among which tourism income accounted for 40 percent.
Stolen ancient Buddha head to return to the mainland after 20 years

Master Hsing Yun prays for blessings during a returning ceremony of an ancient Buddhist sculpture at Fo Guang Shan in Kaohsiung, southeast China's Taiwan, Feb. 21, 2016. (Photo/Xinhua)

The head of an ancient Buddhist sculpture stolen in 1996 from Youju Temple in north China's Hebei province will return to the mainland with the help of Master Hsing Yun, the founding abbot of Fo Guang Shan Temple.

The sculpture, made of white marble, dates back to the North Qi (550-557 A.D.) of South and North Dynasties. It was originally worshipped at Youju Temple until the head disappeared in 1996.

During the 20 years, the stolen Buddha head was shipped to overseas and bought by a private collector who donated it to Fo Guang Shan Temple in Taiwan.

Master Hsing Yun prayed for blessings during a returning ceremony held for the sculpture at Fo Guang Shan Temple in Kaohsiung, southeast China's Taiwan on Feb. 21.

The National Museum in Beijing will organize a ceremony on March 1 to welcome back the sculpture piece, which will be returned to the permanent collection of the Hebei Museum.
China's third batch of pilot free trade zones (FTZ), which may include five to eight new locations, is expected to be finalized after the upcoming "two sessions," the Economic Information Daily reported on Tuesday, citing industry insiders.

Insiders disclosed that since the first two batches of FTZ are located in coastal areas, considering balanced regional development, some of the new batch may be located in inland regions, and one possibly in a border area.

The final decision will come out in the first half of this year, maybe as early as mid-March when the two sessions conclude.

Compared with the previous FTZ in Shanghai, Guangdong, Fujian and Tianjin, the inland zones will focus more on synergy with Chinas national strategies, including building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The new zones will also need to explore new development modes for other inland areas.

The Economic Information Daily source also said that it is hard to choose the final locations since many places are competing for the privilege.

So far, 21 provinces, autonomous regions and cities have filed applications, and at least 16 included the application in their working plan for 2016.

Experts estimate that Hubei, Shaanxi, Henan, Sichuan and Chongqing will probably be selected since their schemes highlight the characteristics of inland areas while also bringing their own individual advantages into play.

Hubei, for example, is located in the key area of the Yangtze River economic belt, and emphasizes innovation-driven development.

Shaanxi, a major province along the Belt and Road area, is trying to make use of transportation and technology to build itself into a new heartland along those routes.

Lu Jinyong, professor at the University of International Business and Economics and also one of the drafters of the Tianjin FTZ application, said that the inland free trade zones should draw inspiration from but not be identical to the existing coastal zones.

He further explained that new FTZ should help promote the reforms in all inland areas. They should also be closely connected with national strategies like the Belt and Road initiative, supply-side reform and de-capacity.
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Tehran, Iran, Feb. 23

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iranian and Azerbaijani officials signed 11 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in Tehran Feb. 23, Trend's correspondent reported from Tehran.

The two sides signed documents for cooperation in various sectors including transportation, electricity swap, health and medical sciences, oil, gas, and petrochemical, as well as customs, social and women affairs in Tehran's Saadabad Palace.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Azerbaijani president arrived at Tehran today, on Feb. 23, at the invitation of President Rouhani.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif signed a document for cooperation in eliminating and mitigating the consequences of emergency situations.

Chairman of the Azerbaijan State Customs Committee Aydin Aliyev and Iran's Deputy Minister for Industry, Mine and Trade Mehdi Karbasian signed a document for mutual administrative assistance in customs issues.

Also, Azerbaijani and Iranian agriculture ministers Heydar Asadov and Mahmoud Hojjati signed a document for cooperation in veterinary and livestock health.

A framework document for selling electricity was also signed by Azerbaijan's Economy and Industry Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Iran's ICT minister Mahmoud Vaezi. The fifth signed document was also a framework agreement about linking the two countries' railways, which was signed by Mustafayev and Abbas Akhoundi, Iran's transportation minister.

Javid Gurbanov, head of Azerbaijan Railways and his Iranian counterpart Mohsen Aghaei signed a document for a border railway bridge between Iranian Astara and Azerbaijani Astara.

A MoU also was signed for cooperation between the Azerbaijan State Committee of Family, Women and Children Affairs and Iran's vice-presidency for women and family affairs. Azerbaijani Economy and Industry Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Shahindokht Molaverdi signed the MoU.

The two sides also inked a MoU for cooperation in health and medical sciences. The document was signed by Minister of Healthcare of Azerbaijan Ogtay Shiraliyev and Iran's Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi.

The ninth document which envisages cooperation between Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare of Iran was signed by Mustafayev and Ali Rabee'i, Iranian labor and social welfare minister.

Head of State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Rovnag Abdullayev and Roknoddin Javadi, managing director of National Iranian Oil Company, also signed a memorandum for cooperation. SOCAR also signed cooperation MoU with Ghadir Investment Company in the fields of oil, gas and petrochemical products.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Azerbaijani parliament considered it inappropriate to adopt amendments to the "Law on Currency Regulation" at its plenary session on Feb. 23.

The amendments stipulate 20-percent mandatory fees on the foreign currency transfer abroad.

Earlier, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev didn't sign the amendments to the "Law on Currency Regulation" and sent them back to the parliament.

The amendments to the law envisaged a mandatory payment of 20 percent of the foreign currency transferred abroad for direct investment, acquisition of securities, real estate and land plots.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

Trend:

TEAS Press published "Khojaly Witness of a war crime - Armenia in the Dock" book in French, The European Azerbaijan Society said.

The book was first published in English in 2014 by ITHACA PRESS in London and in Russian in 2015 by Vestnik in St. Petersburg.

The initiator of the international awareness campaign "Justice for Khojaly", Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva wrote the foreword to the book.

Published as a part of this campaign, the book is the first edition documenting the February 26, 1992 Khojaly events based on initial sources to have been published in English in the West.

This book is the first collection of witness statements from Khojaly massacre survivors interviewed by western authors.

The book includes articles as well as scientific researches published in Russian and western media.

The book also includes the reports of international human rights organizations (Memorial and Human rights Watch/Helsinki) on Khojaly genocide.

Rare photos of foreign photo correspondents were also included to the book.

The materials included in the collection were acquired from international media (The Washington Post, Le Monde, The Times, Trud and Komsomolskaya Pravda Russian newspapers) and published for the first time.

"Khojaly Witness of a war crime - Armenia in the Dock" book is a report reflecting objective situation regarding the Khojaly genocide and one of rare editions thoroughly informing the international community in this regard.

On Feb. 25-26, 1992, the Armenian military, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops stationed in Khankendi, committed genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly. Among those 613 killed in the massacre, there were 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people.

Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. A total of 487 civilians became disabled as a result of the onslaught. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people still remains unknown.

The event became the largest massacre in the course of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

Trend:

Billboards with information about Khojaly genocide were placed in Kyiv's center - Khreshchatyk street in Ukraine.

The billboards were placed by Azerbaijan-Ukraine International Alliance on the initiative of the Alliance's chairman Elmar Mammadov.

The billboards inform about the Armenian invaders' crimes and Azerbaijani population's kill in Khojaly on February 25-26, 1992 by Armenians.

"Our aim is to bring information about the Khojaly genocide to Ukraine's citizens and foreigners staying in Kyiv," said Mammadov.

Billboards with information about the Khojaly genocide is planned to be placed in other cities of Ukraine, according to him.

On Feb. 25-26, 1992, the Armenian military, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops stationed in Khankendi, committed genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly. Among those 613 killed in the massacre, there were 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people.

Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. A total of 487 civilians became disabled as a result of the onslaught. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people still remains unknown.

The event became the largest massacre in the course of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Anakhanum Hidayatova - Trend:

A meeting of the Permanent Representatives of GUAM member states was held in Kiev, GUAM's press service reported Feb. 23.

The organization's activity and perspectives of the sides' future cooperation were discussed during the meeting.

During the meeting participants were informed about the draft program on Azerbaijan's chairmanship in GUAM in 2016.

GUAM Secretary General Altay Efendiyev told participants about the results of his working visit to Baku, as well as provided a brief report on the organization's activities during the current and previous months.

Meanwhile, participants of the meeting exchanged views on how to intensify the organization's work and improve its efficiency.

GUAM Secretary General Altay Efendiyev paid a working visit to Azerbaijan on Feb. 5-12.

GUAM includes Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova.

GUAM was established by post-Soviet countries in 1997 during the summit of heads of states of the European Union in Strasbourg.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum
Tehran, Iran, Feb. 23

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who arrived in Iran with an official visit on Feb. 23, has expressed gratitude to his counterpart Hassan Rouhani for the invitation to visit Tehran and for hospitality.

Azerbaijani president said he is glad to visit brotherly Iran again.

"I take this opportunity to once again congratulate you and the whole Iranian people with the lift of sanctions imposed on Iran," President Aliyev said in his statement for the press in Tehran Feb. 23.

The statement was broadcast live on Iran's state IRINN TV channel.

He added that Azerbaijan has always opposed these sanctions and has always voiced its opinion from all high tribunes.

"Mr. President, you very well informed the media representatives about all the issues we discussed," said President Aliyev, adding that the sides exchanged views on many issues and expressed unanimity of opinions.

"We, in Azerbaijan are very glad that the Iranian-Azerbaijani relations are developing successfully and intensively," said Ilham Aliyev.

"Our relations have a very solid foundation," said the president, adding that the peoples of the two countries have lived together throughout centuries.

"We are bound by the history, culture, common past and religion," he said. "Our relations are being built on this solid basis and today, the Iranian-Azerbaijani relations have grown into the strategic cooperation."

President Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan and Iran always support each other in the international organizations, where they cooperate.

"Our trade relations have great prospects," said the Azerbaijani president, adding that today, the sides discussed the developments on the international arena and the bilateral relations.

"We agreed to even more strengthen the joint efforts in fighting the international terrorism," said President Aliyev. "We will continue to support each other on the international arena."

The president went on to talk about the situation in Syria.

"Yesterday, it was declared that the US and Russia have agreed on a truce in Syria. We welcome this agreement. We have repeatedly stated that in order to normalize the situation in Syria, first of all, it is necessary to achieve ceasefire and then sign a peace treaty," said the president.

He noted that the Syrian people should determine their future, their fate by themselves.

Ilham Aliyev further said that all countries should respect each other and shouldn't interfere in each other's internal affairs, adding that thereby, wars will end and there will be less confrontations.

He went on to say that Azerbaijan and Iran signed many documents during the visit and the fulfillment of these documents will even more strengthen the relations between the two countries.

Ilham Aliyev said that the documents signed in many spheres show the way to the future.

"The essence of these documents is quite positive. One part of them will serve for bilateral relations and the other part - for multilateral and regional cooperation," he added.

"Today, very important steps were taken in creating the North-South transport corridor," said the president. "By commissioning this road, we will link the continents with the wonderful transport infrastructure."

Ilham Aliyev went on to add that Azerbaijan will fulfill its obligations by late 2016 and build a railway to the Iranian border.

He then spoke about the oil and gas sector, saying there are good prospects for cooperation. Noting that Iran makes investments in Azerbaijan's oil and gas fields, the president said that the sides have exchanged views on the future cooperation.

Ilham Aliyev said the two sides discussed the joint development of oil and gas fields in the Caspian Sea, adding that good results are expected from this.

"Caspian Sea is our common heritage and it should continue to be the sea of cooperation, security and peace," said the president.

Further, the Azerbaijani president said that great work is underway in the sphere of energy and there are good prospects in this field.

"Cooperation in this sphere is not confined to the Iranian-Azerbaijani cooperation. Neighboring countries can also join this project," said the president, adding that as a result, it will turn into a wonderful transnational and regional project.

There are good opportunities for mutual investing, both countries are carrying out very serious reforms and the business environment is improving, according to the Azerbaijani president.

In this case, there will be new good opportunities for mutual investing, he said, adding that the two countries have great conditions for the future activities in the financial, banking spheres, insurance, tourism and pharmaceuticals.

"President Rouhani noted that we already participate in trilateral formats as well and gradually, the geography of these formats will expand," said Ilham Aliyev. "It is a valuable contribution jointly made by us in the regional cooperation and it shows the intention of the two countries."

"We want peace, harmony and cooperation in the region. Today, Iran and Azerbaijan play a stabilizing role in the region we live," President Aliyev said.

"The stronger our unity, the higher level of security will be ensured in the region," he added.

"President Rouhani said that it is our fifth meeting in the last two years. I take this opportunity to invite You, Mr. President, to an official visit to Azerbaijan, so that the number of our meetings would grow and our peoples would be together," said the Azerbaijani president.

"I once again express gratitude to You for the hospitality," Ilham Aliyev added.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

Trend:

Georgia's President Giorgi Margvelashvili will arrive in Azerbaijan to participate in the IV Global Baku Forum to be held March 10-11 in Baku.

The forum is organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center with the support of the Azerbaijan's State Committee on Work with Diaspora, the Committee told Trend Feb. 23.

The forum will be dedicated to the topic titled "Towards a Multipolar World".

A number of issues of global concern, as well as the role of interreligious dialogue in conflict prevention, issues of migration, multiculturalism and integration, prospects for energy and global governance and other important issues will be discussed at the forum, and an exchange of views on finding solutions to these problems will be held.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held talks in Tehran Feb. 23 in an expanded format with participation of delegations.

The expanded meeting took place following a one-on-one meeting on the same day.

During the meeting, Rouhani said the official visit of Azerbaijani president to Iran is very significant and will make an important contribution to further development of cooperation between the two countries.

Today, cooperation develops rapidly and covers all areas, he said.

Iranian president also stressed that the documents to be signed during the Azerbaijani president's visit to Tehran will contribute to the development of relations.

He went on to praise the work of the Azerbaijan-Iran state commission on economic, trade and humanitarian cooperation.

Rouhani added that the current development of relations between Iran and Azerbaijan is based on friendship and historical closeness of the two countries and their peoples.

He added that the relations have already reached the level of strategic partnership and further promotion of relations in all spheres is an important task.

Stressing that Iran is committed to the principle of territorial integrity of states, President Rouhani said his country recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, adding that it is unacceptable to interfere in the internal affairs of states in international relations.

Iranian president also highlighted the importance of cooperation between the two countries in the area of security.

In turn, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said the relations between the two countries have a long history and are built on a solid base. He also congratulated the Iranian president and the people of Iran with the lifting of sanctions.

Saying the positions of Azerbaijan and Iran coincide on many issues, President Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan and Iran are a model of stability, despite the tensions in the region.

Azerbaijani president also noted the importance of fair approach, stability and security in international and interstate relations, and stressed the importance of cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

During the meeting, the parties also stressed the need to step up efforts to develop cooperation in the economic area, including energy, investment and banking sectors, commercial and transport sectors, transportation, infrastructure, culture and others.

It was also stressed that the Caspian Sea is a sea of friendship and cooperation.

The sides also discussed possibilities for Azerbaijan and Iran to cooperate together with other countries.

At the meeting, the parties also expressed concern over the increase of Islamophobic tendencies and also held discussions on prevention of such cases.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 24

Trend:

Azerbaijan`s first lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva has visited Pius-Clementine Museum as part of her trip to the Vatican.

The first lady viewed the art samples and monuments restored with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

The museum was commissioned by Popes Clement XIV (1769-1774) and Pius VI (1775-1799) to collect the most important Greek and Roman masterpieces in the Vatican.

Valuable samples of architecture related to the Antique and Renaissance periods are preserved at the museum. Located in the Belvedere Palace, the museum is included in the Vatican museums complex and is distinguished by universal richness in terms of the number of exhibits and historical significance.

The museum is comprised of a courtyard, an animals room, a statues gallery, the Rotonda room, the Greek cross room, the gallery of busts and other divisions. Antique statues related to the time of Pope Julius II are displayed in its courtyard. Restoration works were carried out here in 1775, following the instructions of Pope Pius VII. Among the valuable exhibits of the museum, statues such as "Laocoon and His Sons", "Apollo Belvedere", "Hermes" and others are considered to be art works of universal significance. There are statues of about 150 animals in the animals room. A number of famous sculptors and artists were involved in the restoration of these statues. Part of the exhibits in the hall - second to none in the world by the richness - accommodates copies of antique works preserved in Greece and Rome. A summer pavilion of Pope Innocent VIII was located in the statues gallery. Over 100 works related to the Renaissance period have been gathered in the busts gallery of the museum.

Director of the Vatican Museums Antonio Paolucci thanked the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, especially Azerbaijan`s first lady Mehriban Aliyeva and applauded her role in preserving the pieces of world culture.

President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State Giuseppe Bertello expressed gratitude to the Azerbaijani state and president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva. He stressed the importance of continuing such dialogues in terms of the development of Azerbaijani-Vatican relations.

Mehriban Aliyeva said Azerbaijan was interested in continuing this cooperation.

First lady Mehriban Aliyeva viewed cupboards in Sala Sistina Grand Hall of Apostolic Library. The restoration of the cupboards is being carried out with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Azerbaijan`s first lady Mehriban Aliyeva then met with President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal of the Catholic Church Gianfranco Ravasi.

Following the meeting, Cardinal Ravasi spoke about the projects to be implemented as part of the future cooperation with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. He said this cooperation contributed to intercultural and interreligious dialogue, and applauded Azerbaijan`s role on this front.

First lady Mehriban Aliyeva highlighted the importance of the restoration of the catacombs of Saints Marcelline and Peter.

The president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation noted that this cooperation played an important role in improving inter-civilization dialogue.

Azerbaijan`s first lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva and President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, cardinal of the Catholic Church Gianfranco Ravasi signed the agreement for the restoration of St. Sebastian Sarcophagi.

The signing ceremony was followed by a question-and-answer session. Responding to questions from journalists, Mehriban Aliyeva said Azerbaijan was a crossroads of religions and cultures. "There has never been any religious or ethnic conflict in Azerbaijan." She highlighted the projects of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Azerbaijan and various parts of the world. "Restoration of the catacombs of Saints Marcelline and Peter is a perfect example of excellent cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Vatican," Mehriban Aliyeva said.

Cardinal Ravasi highlighted the cooperation between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Vatican. "This cooperation includes ties with Vatican museums, restoration of ancient manuscripts and other issues," he added.
Tehran, Iran, Feb. 23



By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:



Iran is going to launch airplane-leasing companies through cooperation with international companies, the country's Minister of Transport Abbas Akhoundi said referring to earlier talks with Omani officials.



"These companies will be able to procure about 200 airplanes and support the Iran Aviation Company," he added, IRIB news agency reported February 21.



In another part of his speech, the minister said Iran is ready for cooperation with Oman in civil aviation as well as investment in a railroad that connects Chabahar Port to Zahedan, Khaf, and Herat.



"Iran is also ready for cooperation with Oman in launching international airplane-leasing companies, joint airline, and relegating parts of the land of Imam Khomeini Airport," Akhundi further noted.



Oman and Iran, which share control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, maintain friendly relations. Oman has mediated between Iran and the US on a number of cases including the three U.S. citizens who were arrested in Iran in 2009 on illegal entry and espionage charges and were released during 2010 and 2011.



Muscat also played an important role in talks between Iran and the six world powers that led to July nuclear deal, then removal of anti-Iran sanctions on January 16.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.22

By Orkhan Guluzade - Trend:

Turkey can provide assistance to Azerbaijan in urban development sphere, Mehmet Ceylan, Turkey's deputy minister of environment and urban planning, told Trend Feb. 22.

"Turkey gained great experience in urban planning sphere after the earthquake in Istanbul in 1999 and Van province in 2001," he said.

The deputy minister noted that urban planning has developed in Azerbaijan in recent years.

Further, Ceylan said that the agenda of the Congress of Engineering, Architecture and Urban Planning of the Turkic World to be held in Baku in 2016, will include the issues related to Turkey's assistance to Azerbaijan in the sphere of urban planning.

Azerbaijan's development in the last 15 years has increased the significance of the integrated land assessment, coordinated use of lands, countrywide and regional land planning and land use.

Realizing the importance of the issue, Azerbaijani government decided to start working on the Greater Baku Regional Development Plan project in 2009. The plan will cover the next 25 years.

The project mainly focuses on the process of reorganization of land use on Absheron peninsula.

The population growth in Baku is expected to reach 745,000 people, while the total population will be 3.35 million people by 2030. Accordingly, it is expected that the housing stock will double and reach 64.147 million square meters.

Edited by SI

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Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Azerbaijan and Ukraine begin consultations at the level of experts on issues of cooperation activation in agricultural sphere.

Deputy Minister for European Integration Vladislava Rutytska made this statement during a meeting with participation of department directors of the Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food and representatives of the State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service, said the ministry.

"Azerbaijan is one of the strategic trade partners of Ukraine," said Rutytska.

"In 2016-2017, Azerbaijan will pay special attention to the development of international cooperation in the agrarian-industrial field as the leading non-oil sector of the economy," she added.

"In a short time we will form a delegation to Azerbaijan, which will include the representatives of the ministry management, the competent authorities, the leading agricultural companies and research institutions," noted Rutytska.

She finds promising the cooperation between Azerbaijan and Ukraine in all sectors of the food industry including confectionery, alcohol, oil, milk, meat, tobacco and others.

In addition, the issue on prospects of cooperation expansion in the food and processing industries on the issue of food products supply to the Azerbaijani market is under discussion, said Rutytska.

The deputy minister noted that Ukraine's processing enterprises of meat and dairy industry are interested in the export of domestic products.

Ukraine's export potential on meat products amounted to 255,000 tons in 2016, according to the ministry.

"We are also interested in logistics offerings," noted Rutytska adding that these are large investment projects, in particular within the creation of a logistics center.

The Azerbaijani side offers to create a joint logistics center for the mutual supply of products of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine and Azerbaijan, she said.

In 2015, the trade turnover with Ukraine amounted to $333.13 million, some $309.65 million of which accounted for the Ukrainian products imports, according to Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

A contract on establishment of ferroalloy production plant in Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park was signed Feb. 23 in Baku.

Baku Non-Ferrous Metals & Ferroalloys Company and Turkish Demora company signed the contract.

The contract's signing ceremony took place within the framework of the "State support for development of the industry" conference held in Baku organized by Azerbaijan's Economy Ministry.

Baku Non-Ferrous Metals & Ferroalloys Company became the fifth resident of Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park. The company will be engaged in the production of ferrosilicon and ferrosilicon manganese (FeSiMn).

A plant for the annual production of 20,000 tons of ferrosilicon and 36,000 tons of ferrosilicon manganese will be built within the project.

Opening of the plant will create 150 new jobs. The plant's products will be directed both to the domestic market, and to export.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23



By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Azerbaijan has defined the main directions in the industry's development, Niyazi Safarov, Azerbaijani deputy economy minister, said in Baku Feb. 23.

He made the remarks at a conference titled "State Support for Development of the Industry."

"This development is based on a rational use of natural resources, creation of technological chains until the output of final goods, modernization and innovation, increasing competitive industrial production volumes, as well as expanding non-oil export," he said.

Safarov also said comprehensive measures are being taken in the country.

He added that these measures are aimed at the growth in economic activity, promotion of non-oil export and increasing investments made in the economy through domestic and foreign sources.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:

Azerbaijan and Iran historically have close relations and the potential for cooperation between the two countries is very high.

In this regard, the visit of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev to Iran is a catalyst for the two countries to bring their positions closer on a number of political and economic issues.

Baku and Tehran are bound by a large number of oil and gas projects. Iran participated in developing Azerbaijan's largest gas field Shah Deniz and has even expressed intention to increase its share in the project which means additional investments from this country.

Moreover, the two countries have gas swap infrastructure via which Azerbaijan supplies its fuel to Iran's northern provinces. Iran, for its part, ensures the gas demand of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Currently, the sides discuss the possibility of transporting Iranian gas through Azerbaijan to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor. Moreover, Iran's Oil Ministry is going to sign a memorandum with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR).

The most important issue in Azerbaijani-Iranian relations is the disputed status of the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan have an agreement on the status of the Caspian Sea for developing the offshore fields. This agreement can significantly speed up the process of resolving the issue related to the status of the Caspian Sea.

Baku can propose Tehran investment projects in various spheres to attract Iranian companies and businessmen to working in Azerbaijan. Taking into account the economic reforms carried out in Azerbaijan, the investment promotion measures, including tax and privileges and in general, the improvement of the business environment, Iranian investors will be very interested in making investments in Azerbaijan's economy. By the way, the sides have already reached an agreement on attracting Iranian investors to Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park.

To date, the volume of Iranian investments in Azerbaijan's fixed capital has reached $760 million. This is while the investments in Azerbaijan's non-oil sector stood at $145 million.

It is the right time for investors to take the advantage of all privileges offered by the Azerbaijani government.

Due to the fact that Azerbaijan will play a role of a railway bridge between Europe and Asia, investors can take advantage of these transit opportunities to export their products on reasonable terms.

We should also mention the North-South international transport project that will link Russian, Azerbaijani and Iranian railways and create opportunities for trade turnover between North Europe and South-East Asia.

Its implementation was significantly accelerated in 2015 on the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev.

The construction of the railway's Iranian section has already started. Therefore, the visit of Azerbaijan's president to Iran suggests that the project's implementation can be even more accelerated.

Edited by SI

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Maksim Tsurkov is Trend Agency's staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Aygun Badalova - Trend:

The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts OPEC oil production to be increasing gradually in the mid-term reaching 33 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2017 and 2018, 33.2 million bpd in 2019, 33.5 million bpd in 2020 and 33.6 million bpd in 2021.

In 2016, OPEC oil production will amount to 32.8 million bpd, according to the IEA's Medium-Term Oil Market Report.

The report mentioned that in mid-February some OPEC members and Russia agreed to freeze production and they indicated that further policy initiatives may follow.

Rising oil production in 2015, notably from Iraq and Saudi Arabia, will now be joined by Iran, freed from nuclear sanctions, the report said.

In mid-term IEA does not expect a major increase in the production capacity of either Iran or neighbouring Iraq due to political uncertainties.

In other OPEC countries IEA sees one of the downsides of low oil prices: massive economic retrenchment in countries such as Algeria, Nigeria and Venezuela will reduce their ability to invest in the oil sector.

For OPEC as a whole oil export revenues slumped from a peak of $1.2 trillion in 2012 to $500 billion in 2015 and, if oil prices remain at current levels, this will fall in 2016 to approximately $320 billion, according to the IEA's estimates.

According to OPEC's monthly report, released on Feb.10, cartel's 13 members produced 32.335 million bpd in January, about 130,700 bpd more than December 2015.

Crude oil output increased mostly from Nigeria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran, while production showed a decrease of from Angola, Venezuela and Algeria, the report said.

Demand for OPEC crude in 2015 is estimated to average 29.8 million bpd, representing an increase of 0.1 million bpd over the previous year and lower by 0.1 million bpd compared to the previous report.

The official quota for OPEC oil production is set at 30 million barrels per day.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23



By Anakhanum Khidayatova - Trend:



The agreement among Russia and a number of OPEC countries concerning the oil production freeze will not result in a sharp rise in prices, Alexander Murinson, a senior fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies and Bar Ilan University, told Trend Feb. 23.



Murinson said that with the Iranian oil coming online, he does not believe the oil prices will bounce back.



Iran, meanwhile, plans to increase its current oil production by 500,000 barrels after most of international sanctions against the country were lifted Jan. 16.



Iran increased production up to 3.37 mbd in January (from 3.35 mbd in December 2015), according to the latest OPEC report.



Currently, OPEC countries and non-OPEC countries are discussing possible freezing of oil production to stabilize the market situation.



On February 16, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela agreed to maintain oil production in 2016 on average at a January level, if other oil producers join this initiative. Later, the Venezuelan oil minister said that this offer was supported by Ecuador, Algeria, Nigeria, Oman and Kuwait.



Murinson said that this situation can change, if a major conflict erupts in the Middle East involving Russia, Turkey, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Mehdi Sepahvand, Dalga Khatinoglu - Trend:

Tehran and Baku are still in discussions over cooperation between Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR and Iranian Oil Ministry, said an Iranian oil minister.

"We are still working on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation between SOCAR and Iran's Oil Ministry," Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia told Trend agency's office in Tehran.

Speaking with Trend previously, Jafar Pourfarjoudi, an Iranian Oil Ministry spokesman, said that a MoU was prepared and expressed hope that it will be signed.

Meanwhile, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived in Tehran this morning at the official invitation of his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani to discuss bilateral ties.

Several agreements on a range of political and economic issues are expected to be signed between the presidents.

An informed source has told Trend that the MoU on cooperation between SOCAR and Iran's Oil Ministry is on the swap of oil products and gas, joint onshore cooperation, creating a joint venture, joint cooperation in the third countries as well as joint cooperation in the Araz-Alov-Sharg block (the block was allegedly located at the same area with the Iran's Alborz oil block).

The source said that the cooperation on the oil block is the sticking point in the MoU, as both Iran and Azerbaijan have differences over its ownership.

Iran is expected to put up a proposal for Azerbaijan regarding the cooperation on the oil block, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on Feb.23.

Prior to President Aliyev's visit, Iranian oil ministry expressed its readiness for resuming oil and gas swap with Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:

In December 2015, Azerbaijan supplied 594.34 million cubic meters of gas to Turkey versus 586.92 million cubic meters in December 2014, a report on the website of Turkey's Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) said Feb. 23.

In total, Azerbaijan supplied 6.17 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey in 2015 versus 6.07 billion cubic meters in 2014.

In December 2015, Turkey imported 5.34 billion cubic meters of gas, some 4.29 billion of which were imported via pipelines, other 1.05 billion cubic meters accounted for import of liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to the report.

Azerbaijan's share in Turkey's total gas import amounted to 11.13 percent in 2015, said the report.

The remaining part of the imported gas volume via pipelines accounted for Russia (2.82 billion cubic meters) and Iran (872.16 million cubic meters).

In December 2015, Algeria (398.5 million cubic meters), Qatar (216.63 million cubic meters), Nigeria (350.47 million cubic meters) and Norway (88.73 million cubic meters) became the LNG suppliers to Turkey.

Turkey imports gas from Azerbaijan via South Caucasus gas pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum).

Turkey has a contract for annual purchase of 6.6 billion cubic meters of gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz offshore gas and condensate field.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:

Kazakhstan expects over 700 international observers for the parliamentary election, which will be held on March 20, Kazakhstan's Central Election Commission (CEC) said Feb. 23.

In particular, it is expected that over 400 representatives from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), over 300 representatives - from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as well as over 10 observers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will observe the parliamentary election in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan's CEC accredited 40 observers from the OSCE ODIHR and 12 observers from the CIS.

As of today, Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry accredited 99 representatives of foreign media outlets.

In total, 234 candidates from six parties will run for the MP seats: The Nur Otan Democratic People's Party - 127 candidates, the Ak Zhol Democratic Party of Kazakhstan - 35 candidates, the Aul Democratic People's Patriotic Party - 19 candidates, the Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan - 22 candidates, the Nationwide Social Democratic Party - 23 candidates, the Birlik Party - 8 candidates.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has said talks were held with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev Feb. 23 on jointly producing oil and gas resources in the Caspian Sea.

"Regarding energy [sector], we held constructive talks on the issues of oil and gas, power exchange, as well as joint production of oil and gas resources in the Caspian Sea," Rouhani said after a meeting with President Aliyev in Tehran, Trend's correspondent reported from the event venue.

Rouhani, however, didn't specify which oil and gas fields were discussed during the talks with President Ilham Aliyev.

Iran's NICO has a 10-percent share in the development of the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field located in the Caspian Sea.

The contract for the development of the Shah Deniz offshore field was signed June 4, 1996. The field's reserves are estimated at 1.2 trillion cubic meters of gas.



Apart from NICO, the agreement parties are: the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR, 16.7 percent), BP (28.8 percent), Norway's Statoil (15.5 percent), France's Total (10 percent), Russia's Lukoil (10 percent) and Turkish TPAO (9 percent).



Rouhani further said talks were held with Azerbaijani president for further cooperation regarding insurance, banks and joint investment, particularly in the Araz, Anzali and Maku free trade zones.

He added that economic and political issues, as well as cultural and tourism topics, including shipping and aviation, were also discussed during the talks.

Calling for expansion of bilateral ties, President Rouhani welcomed President Aliyev and said that over the past 2.5 years this is the fifth time that Iranian and Azerbaijani presidents meet each other.

Apart from that, Rouhani said trilateral cooperation within the Iran-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan, Iran-Azerbaijan-Russia, Iran-Azerbaijan-Georgia, and Iran-Azerbaijan-Turkey frameworks was discussed during the talks.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Igor Crnadak has called on Iran to expand bilateral ties, particularly in the energy sector.

"We want expansion of ties with Iran and we can have cooperation in energy sector," IRNA news agency quoted Igor Crnadak as saying at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran.

Calling for the further expansion of Iran-Bosnia cooperation in various areas, Crnadak said Sarajevo welcomes Iran's involvement in developing the infrastructure sectors of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He also vowed to make efforts for normalizing banking ties between his country and Iran.

Speaking about extremism, Bosnia and Herzegovina's foreign minister said Tehran and Sarajevo share common views over fight against terrorism.

He further called for putting an end to Syrian crisis and establishing ceasefire in the Middle Eastern country.

For his turn, Mohammad Javad Zarif also called for ceasefire in Syria and expressed Iran's support for any measures that would help to stop bloodshed.

Earlier on Feb. 12 during a meeting in Germany, the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) discussed "cessation of hostilities" in Syria and implementation of a ceasefire.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

A new chapter has been opened in the Tehran-Baku relations by signing 11 memorandum of understandings (MoU), Iranian president's Chief of Staff Mohammad Nahavandian told Trend's office in Tehran.

Nahavandian said that in the light of the signed documents, the perspective of bilateral relations is getting brighter. The high-ranking official further said that bilateral and multilateral cooperation among Iran, Azerbaijan and other regional countries, especially in energy projects have a fruitful perspective.

Iranian and Azerbaijani officials signed 11 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on the sidelines of a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in Tehran Feb. 23.

The two sides signed documents for cooperation in various sectors, including transportation, electricity swap, health and medical sciences, oil, gas, and petrochemical, as well as customs, social and women affairs in Tehran's Saadabad Palace.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Azerbaijani president arrived in Tehran today at the invitation of President Rouhani.
Tehran, Iran, Feb. 23

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran and Azerbaijan support political solution to end the crisis in the region, said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

After meeting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Tehran Feb. 23, Rouhani said Iran and Azerbaijan share common views on the necessity of ending crisis in the region and Syria through political solutions, Trend correspondent reported from the event venue.

Both presidents called for expansion of security and intelligence cooperation against extremism, according to Rouhani.

A UN Security Council resolution was approved last December on peace process in Syria. Under the resolution, Syrian government and opposition groups should attend peace talks to find a solution to put an end to the crisis.

Meanwhile, during a February meeting in Germany, the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) discussed "cessation of hostilities" in Syria and implementation of a ceasefire.

So far, the talks between Syrian government and opposition groups haven't yielded any positive results, with both sides blaming each other for the collapse of the talks.

Over 250,000 people have died and at least 11 million have been displaced in Syria, since the crisis broke out in 2011.
The United States and Russia announced plans for a 'cessation of hostilities' in Syria that would take effect on Saturday but exclude groups such as Islamic State and al Qaeda's Nusra Front, a flaw immediately highlighted by Syrian rebels, Reuters reported.



Monday's agreement, described by a U.N. spokesman as "a first step toward a more durable ceasefire", is the fruit of intensive diplomacy between Washington and Moscow, which back opposing sides in the five-year-old civil war that has killed more than a quarter of a million people.



Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin discussed the accord by phone, and the Kremlin leader said it could "radically transform the crisis situation in Syria". The White House said it could help advance talks on bringing about political change in Syria.



To succeed, the deal will require both countries to persuade their allies on the ground to comply. And it leaves a significant loophole by allowing continued attacks, including air strikes, against Islamic State, Nusra and other militant groups.



Bashar al-Zoubi, head of the political office of the Yarmouk Army, part of the rebel Free Syrian Army, said this would provide cover for President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian allies to continue to attack opposition-held territory where rebel and militant factions are tightly packed.



"Russia and the regime will target the areas of the revolutionaries on the pretext of the Nusra Front's presence, and you know how mixed those areas are, and if this happens, the truce will collapse," he said.



Since intervening with air strikes in support of Assad in September, Russia has helped pave the way for significant advances by government forces in a conflict that has sucked in a host of world and regional powers.



The Syrian army is backed by Moscow, Iran and fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah; ranged against them are rebels supported by the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.



A joint US-Russian statement said the two countries and others would work together to delineate the territory held by Islamic State, Nusra Front and the other militant groups excluded from the truce.



But rebel officials said it was impossible to pinpoint positions held by Nusra Front.



"For us, al-Nusra is a problematic point, because al-Nusra is not only present in Idlib, but also in Aleppo, in Damascus and in the south. The critical issue here is that civilians or the Free Syrian Army could be targeted under the pretext of targeting al-Nusra," said a senior opposition figure, Khaled Khoja.



He said the cessation would be for an initial two weeks and "could be extended indefinitely if the parties commit to it."



In a separate development, Assad called a parliamentary election for April 13. The timing was not a surprise, as elections are held every four years and the last one was in 2012.



TALKS "VERY SOON"



U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon welcomed the US-Russian announcement, which follows a failed attempt by his Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura last month to restart peace talks in Geneva.



"The Secretary-General strongly urges the parties to abide by the terms of the agreement," Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. "Much work now lies ahead to ensure its implementation."



De Mistura told Reuters the cessation accord could allow a resumption of negotiations. "We can now relaunch very soon the political process which is needed to end this conflict," he said.



U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told Reuters he was "not pessimistic".



"There has to be a de-escalation, that we need to make sure that we go in the direction of the talks. That means that any military activity should now be reduced," he said.



Under the terms of the cessation, parties would indicate their agreement to the United States and Russia by noon on Friday Damascus time (1000 GMT), and the truce would go into effect at midnight, the two countries said.



Syrian government and allied forces will cease attacks against armed opposition forces, and vice versa, with any weapons including rockets, mortars, anti-tank guided missiles.



US Secretary of State John Kerry said there were "significant challenges ahead" but urged all parties to accept the terms of the deal.



"If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people," he said in a statement.



Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon, in a speech aboard a US navy ship visiting Israel as part of a joint military drill, said: "It is difficult to see a stable ceasefire in actuality, with all players agreeing to it ... I cannot see a comprehensive ceasefire on the horizon."



The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, said fighting and air strikes continue unabated across Syria on Monday.



Islamic State attacked the Syrian government's main supply route from Damascus to the northern city of Aleppo, a day after the group targeted Damascus and Homs in some of the bloodiest car bomb attacks of the war.



A U.N.-backed panel said war crimes were widespread, and Syrian government forces and Islamic State militants continued to commit crimes against humanity in the face of inaction by the international community.



"Flagrant violations of human rights and international humanitarian law continue unabated, aggravated by blatant impunity," the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry said in its latest report.
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz fired his main spokesman on Monday on the eve of the Nevada caucuses over a video that falsely showed rival Marco Rubio dismissing the Bible, Reuters reported.



The spokesman, Rick Tyler, had apologized on Sunday for posting "an inaccurate story" on a video purporting to show Rubio referring to the Bible and saying, "Not many answers in it."



Cruz, who was campaigning in Nevada for the state's caucuses on Tuesday, fired Tyler the next day.



The senator from Texas said his campaign did not question the faith of other candidates. "That's why I'm asking for Rick Tyler's resignation."



The apology and firing come amid intense criticism of Cruz's campaign as dishonest from both Rubio and Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination.



Rubio, a senator from Florida, and Cruz are locked in a battle to become their party's alternative to the New York billionaire.



Opinion polls show Rubio and Cruz running close in Nevada, the next Republican contest after South Carolina's primary on Saturday.



In that state, Trump was the big winner, finishing ahead of his nearest challenger by 10 percentage points. Rubio came in second, ahead of Cruz by fewer than 1,000 votes. The result led former Florida Governor Jeb Bush to drop out of the race.



Trump seized the opportunity to pile onto Cruz, whom he has repeatedly bashed as a liar.



"Wow, Ted Cruz falsely suggested Marco Rubio mocked the Bible and was just forced to fire his Communications Director. More dirty tricks!" Trump said on Twitter.



"Ted Cruz has now apologized to Marco Rubio and Ben Carson for fraud and dirty tricks. No wonder he has lost Evangelical support!," continued Trump, who has derided Cruz for failing to live up to expectations he would enjoy the solid support of evangelical Christians in South Carolina.



Both Rubio and Cruz came out of South Carolina with sharper criticism of Trump and an eye to March 1, when 12 states hold primaries or caucuses. Super Tuesday is the crown jewel in the state-by-state nominating contests to pick the Republican and Democratic candidates in the Nov. 8 presidential election.



Rubio assailed the former reality TV star's credentials on foreign policy and healthcare. He racked up a number of endorsements from party leaders on Monday, including Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah and former presidential candidate Bob Dole, boosting his efforts to become the candidate who can unite Republicans.
The Italian government agreed on Monday to allow armed US drones to be flown out of an American base in Sicily, in an attempt to bolster the fight against Daesh in Libya. The agreement comes as the violent extremist group expands its territorial presence throughout the Middle East and North Africa in spite of efforts by a US-led coalition to limit and eventually eliminate terrorism in the region, Sputnik reported.



The agreement will be strictly enforced, with Italians authorizing drone flights from Sicily's Sigonella air base on a case by case basis. Under the agreement, armed drone flights cannot be used for offensive purposes, only to protect personnel on the ground.



Over the last 18 months, Washington has reached out to Italy with repeated requests to conduct armed drone operations from Sigonella, citing the risk of Daesh extremists spilling into Europe in the ongoing Middle East refugee crisis.



The agreement signals a potential turning point for Washington's European counterparts in combating Daesh in Libya. European officials have remained reticent to intervene more fully in the highly factionalized and destabilized country.



America's 2011 intervention in Libya, to depose the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi, left a power vacuum with two rival governments, both suspected of terrorist affiliations, warring for control. Daesh has exploited this instability, turning Libya into a primary military training outpost.



The gains in Libya by Daesh have spilled over into neighboring Tunisia, a moderate nation in perhaps the world's most volatile region, and recent attacks have killed scores, including civilians. In response to these terrorist strikes, the U.S. launched a raid last week on a Libyan base in Sabratha, near the Tunisian border, targeting Noureddine Chouchane, a Tunisian-born militant who masterminded two terrorist attacks in his home country, killing dozens of tourists. The US looks to escalate containment strikes in coming weeks.



For their part, the Italian government has stated that it refuses to take part in military strikes in Libya until a legitimate Libyan government requesting assistance should arise. Further, despite increasing pressure from Washington for offensive operations to be launched from Sigonella, Italian officials continue to refuse to escalate, for fear of becoming embroiled in another country's civil war, and the unpopularity of Middle East intervention among the domestic electorate.

Washington hawks would like to view the move as a first step toward an expansion of Italy's presence in Libya.






Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

In February 2016, over 20,000 Syrian refugees entered the territory of Greece, Turkish Hurriyet newspaper reported Feb. 23.

This figure will grow unless a new structure for fighting illegal migration is not created in Turkey, said the newspaper.

The Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala said Feb. 2 that a new structure for fighting illegal migration will be created under the Turkish Interior Ministry.

He said that the Interior Ministry will appeal to Turkey's Cabinet of Ministers for approval of the new structure.

Currently, Turkey is hosting more than two million Syrian refugees on its territory. The Syrian refugee camps in the country accommodate about 300,000 people. The rest of them are spread across the provinces and cities of Turkey.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Turkey's leading defense system producer ASELSAN has handed over its newly developed and locally produced land based radar electronic attack system called KORAL to the Turkish Air Force, Anadolu agency reported.



A handing over ceremony was held at the defense company's Golbasi facility in capital Ankara, which was attended by Abidin Unal, commander of Turkish Air Force.



The transportable attack system has the capability to jam, deceive and paralyze hostile radars.



It also "analyses multi-target signals and automatically or manually generates an appropriate response," according to ASELSAN.



"We are happy that we developed this system -- which a limited number of countries in the world have, in their inventories -- for our army though our domestic possibilities," the defense company's General Manager, Faik Eken, said during the ceremony.



Defense Industry Undersecretary Ismail Demir highlighted the importance of electronic systems amid crises in the world.



"We've seen how important electronic warfare is in the recent wars," he said, adding: "We have full determination to continue existing efforts to equip our security forces with the most modern weapons".



Turkey has increased its efforts in recent years to eliminate dependency on external suppliers for its defense industry.



Ankara spent over $1 billion on defense, research and development in 2014, making defense the sector with the largest research and developmental investment in the country.



The top export items are aircraft, helicopter parts, engines, armored-land vehicles, speed boats, missiles, rockets, launching platforms, light weapons and electronic systems, including transmitters, simulators, sensors and software.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Orkhan Guluzade - Trend:

Turkey is ready to receive a new wave of the Syrian refugees, Turkish Office for the Prevention and Elimination of Consequences of Emergency (AFAD) told Trend Feb. 23.

It is expected that over 30,000 Syrian refugees can come to the country, according to AFAD.

Ten refugee camps, which can accommodate up to 100,000 people were built in Turkey's border areas with Syria, said AFAD.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country has spent over $10 billion to upkeep Syrian refugees.

At present, over 2 million Syrian refugees are in Turkey. The Syrian refugee camps in the country accommodate about 300,000 people. The rest of them are spread throughout the provinces and cities of Turkey. In Istanbul alone, there are currently 40,000 refugees from Syria.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Normalization of relations between Russia and Turkey depends on Moscow, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

He said that Turkey earlier attempted to normalize the relations with Russia, but the latter rejected it.

"We, as before, stand for normalizing the relations with Russia. Meanwhile, Ankara intends to protect its airspace," said Davutoglu.

The relations between Russia and Turkey have deteriorated following the SU-24 incident. Following this, Russian president signed a decree on measures to ensure the national security and special economic measures against Turkey.

Edited by SI

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23



By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Syria has turned into a terrorism exporting country, Turkish TRT Haber TV channel reported Feb. 23 citing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying.

The president said that first of all, terrorism in Syria poses a threat to Turkey.

President Erdogan also urged the world countries to join efforts in combating terrorism.

Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed the lives of over 220,000 people. Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The "Islamic State" and Jabhat al-Nusra are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23



By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Situation in the South Caucasus won't be stable unless Armenian armed forces withdraw from Azerbaijani lands, TRT Haber quoted Devlet Bahceli, chairman of Turkish oppositional Nationalist Movement Party, as saying Feb. 23.

He also said the OSCE Minsk Group's all efforts for resolving the conflict are futile.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.



The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Two women stroll by a branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in Madrid, Spain, on Jan. 24, 2011. (Photo : Getty Images)

A court in Madrid on Saturday has ruled that six executives of the local branch of Chinas largest state-owned bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), should be detained pending a judicial probe into suspected money laundering and tax fraud.



Three ICBC officials--the branch's first general manager, current general manager and vice general manager--were sent to jail without bail, while three others were given the option of paying 100,000 euros ($111,300) for bail, according to a court statement released on Saturday.



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Five of the executives were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of money laundering, violations of Spain's tax laws, and forgery.



The sixth, who once worked in ICBC's Madrid offices but now works in its Luxembourg branch, was caught on Friday, according to the Washington Post.



All six employees waived their right not to testify.



As of press time, the bank continues to operate normally and Wednesday's search of its Madrid premises "took place within the strict framework of pre-trial investigations," the court statement said.



The Madrid branch is cooperating with the police investigation and people should not conclude that the bank was guilty as the local court has yet to reach a verdict, an anonymous ICBC official told the Xinhua News Agency.



The Chinese embassy in Madrid issued a statement on Friday saying the Chinese government "requires Chinese companies to maintain a strict compliance of the law" and that the ICBC uses the latest anti-money laundering system provided by Spanish authorities.



The head of ICBC Europe arrived in Madrid "to help" as soon as he had been informed of the search, the statement said.



The Chinese government hopes that Spain would deal with the issue according to law, protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and personnel, and safeguard the ties between China and Spain, Hong Lei, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Thursday.



Police said Spain's National Fraud Investigation Office and the European Union's Europol agency were collaborating in the investigation.



According to Spanish law enforcement authorities, the search was a follow-up of an operation done in 2015 that targeted gangs using the bank to launder to China around $40 million euros ($45 million) taken from illegal activities.


Trial Of NYPD Officer Peter Liang (Photo : Getty Images)

Although Asian Americans are divided on the indictment of NYPD police officer Peter Liang, majority support effort to help the embattled rookie cop be freed from criminal liability for the death of Akai Gurley.



One effort to help the 27-year-old who was dismissed from the police force is an online petition addressed to the White House to withdraw Liangs indictment. The petition has more than 120,000 signatures, but Yahoo pointed out that the decision is outside President Barack Obamas powers.



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Amid protests over the indictment, which many Asian Americans see as racist because white officer who shot to death unarmed black men are not charged, while Liang was indicted, the Brooklyn DA stood by its second-degree manslaughter charge. In an email statement in Friday to NBC News, Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said, While we know that Peter Liang did not intend to kill Akai Gurley, he was convicted because his reckless actions cost an innocent man his life.



Thompson insisted the case is about the incident in Brooklyn and not in Ferguson or Staten Island in reference to other black men deaths involving white officers. He stressed that Liang was convicted based on unique and tragic facts.



City Comptroller John Liu, who addressed the estimated 10,000 protesters who gathered on Saturday in a Brooklyn plaza, said he was not surprised by the Brooklyn courts action. What happened to the young officer, he said, is an example of the popular phrase Chinamans chance which means if you are a Chinese in America, theres no hope for you.



The New York Post describes the verdict on Liang as a failure of the justice system for Asian-Americans. The ethnic community in New York is angry and outraged, but united, by the miscarriage of justice. Carrying a Chinese surname such as Chen, Chin or Liang means that the pain and humiliation of people with such names dont register which the Brooklyn court just affirmed.






Thousands joined the protest in New York to show their support for Peter Liang. (Photo : REUTERS)

More than 15,000 people came to Cadman Plaza, just outside the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, on Saturday, Feb. 20, to protest the conviction of police officer Peter Liang on manslaughter charges, in relation to Akai Gurleys death in the 2014 accidental shooting incident.



The Brooklyn protest also reflected the sentiments of people in similar gatherings in other cities. In downtown Philadelphia, an estimated 5,000 people marched, while thousands more rallied in Chinatowns in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Other protests occurred at the Washington Monument and in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver and Miami.



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A total of 30 protests were held across the U.S., according to the Coalition of Justice for Liang, the national group that organized the protests.



A report by the Daily Mail said that many of the protesters spoke out against the unfair treatment received by the Chinese-American police officer as they wave American flags and hold signs with slogans such as "No scapegoating" and "No selective justice," among others.



Liang was convicted on Feb. 11 for accidentally killing Akai Gurley in a Brooklyn housing project last year.



According to the protesters, Liang was convicted because he is a minority, and that it was intended to appease the public outcry on other shootings of minorities by police in the U.S.



Protesters shouted "No scapegoat! No scapegoat!" and expressed their anger that Liang was fired immediately after a jury convicted him. He now faces up to 15 years in prison. Liang is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14.



During trial in court, Liang testified that he had drawn his gun as he entered a Brooklyn housing project and that he fired after being startled by a noise. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit Gurley, who died eventually.



Liang did not deny the killing, but said that it was an accident, not a crime, the report said.



Several Brooklyn protesters echoed this sentiment as they held up signs with pictures of Liang's face and text that read, "Tragedy not crime" and "An accident is not a felony!" A woman held a sign that read: "One tragedy, two victims!"



'We're here today to let people know that Chinese-Americans count as well," Don Lee, a candidate for New York's State Assembly from Lower Manhattan, told the Associated Press. "It is a tragedy that Akai Gurley was shot and killed. . . . But this tragedy's been compounded by another tragedy, that Peter Liang, in an accident, is going to go to jail for up to 15 years."



Liang's attorney, Robert Brown, who also attended the Brooklyn rally, said that the community's support was "very uplifting" to Liang, adding that he has filed motions to have the verdict set aside.



The report, however, said that a few dozen people held a counter-protest across the street from the Brooklyn protest as officers stood between the crowds with plastic handcuffs and batons.



During the trial, prosecutors faulted Liang for recklessly drawing his gun, placing his finger on the trigger, and for doing nothing to help Gurley as he lay dying on the floor.



Soraya Soi Free, one of those counter-protesting, said she did not approve of the protest and that Liang was tried by a jury of his peers, so he could not have been a scapegoat. "This protest is definitely an insult to Akai Gurley's family," she said.



Gurley's shooting occurred at a time when there was a nationwide debate over police killings of black men. Activists looked to Liang's trial as a counterweight to cases where grand juries have declined to indict officers, such as the cases of Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in New York. Like Gurley, Brown and Garner were also black and unarmed.


Liu replaced 57-year-old Xiao Gang, who served as the former head of the Bank of China. (Photo : Getty Images)

Eradicating illegal activities and transforming the equity market into a more market-oriented place are two daunting tasks that the newly appointed security chief, Liu Shiyu, faces, China Daily reported.



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For many experts, being the chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission requires expertise and bravery.



"I think the China Securities Regulatory Commission chairman has a challenging role," said Dong Dengxin, a finance research from the Wuhan University of Science and Technology, in an interview with China Daily.



"The Chinese capital market has not reached a high market-oriented and law-based level, so the public relies heavily on the government and this puts pressure on the job," Dong added. "Therefore, launching registration-based IPO reform and refining the Securities Law can be two focuses for the new chairman."



Lu Shugang, a law professor from China University of Political Science and Law, believes that Li's appointment just before the start of the legislature and advisory body's annual sessions next month indicates that the central government has not forgotten the capital market, a vital piece in transforming the Chinese economy.



According to Lu, Liu is highly fit for the role thanks to his vast experience in the financial market regulation and risk control.



"For Liu, cracking down on illegal activities and protecting small and medium investors' interests can be important tasks," said Li, who knows Liu personally.



With Liu spearheading the securities watchdog, the commission should be able to play a more active role in the amendment and implementation of the Securities Law.



Financial experts and analysts across the globe are also optimistic that Liu's appointment will bring a positive change to the equity market.



"The replacement of the stock market watchdog head announced over the weekend can be mildly positive for the stock market this week, as the market hopes for a new supportive policy," said Hong Hao, chief strategist and managing director at BOCOM International. "But in the long term, fundamentals will determine market direction."



Liu replaced 57-year-old Xiao Gang, who served as the former head of the Bank of China. Xiao has been head of the securities watchdog since March 2013. During his term, equity prices jumped, affecting government stock purchases and restrictions.


Insurance policies in Hong Kong attract many mainland residents with their scope of protection, product innovation, and quality of service. (Photo : REUTERS)

A growing number of Chinese mainland residents are going to Hong Kong to buy insurance products and services, as latest statistics show that mainlanders have paid more than one-fifth of new office premiums in the first three quarters of 2015, according to a report by CRIENGLISH.com.



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The report said that although Hong Kong insurance agents are prevented from selling their products on the mainland, mainland travelers are allowed to buy policies when they visit the city.



Data from Hong Kong's office of the Commissioner of Insurance showed that insurance premiums worth $2.7 billion in the city were bought by mainlanders in the first three quarters of last year, accounting for 22 percent of new office premiums in Hong Kong in that period.



According to the commissioner's office, the data represent nearly a five-fold increase from 2011.



Mainland buyers were primarily attracted to the cheaper prices and higher returns of insurance products in Hong Kong, said Hong Hao, an analyst working for the local BOCOM International Holdings Company.



"Insurance products sold in Hong Kong are, in general, cheaper than those sold in the mainland market," Hong said. "In some extreme cases, we've seen 50 percent discount between Hong Kong products and mainland products."



Hong added: "For example, in the past 10 years, the average expected return for Hong Kong insurance products is five to nine percent. I think on the mainland it's probably less than five percent. So if you assume the currency exchange rate is stable, then the return of the Hong Kong insurance products here can be a lot more attractive."



Analysts said that insurance products offered on the mainland are surpassed by those provided in Hong Kong in many other aspects, such as scope of protection, product innovation, and quality of service.



The report said that local insurance policies attract mainlanders due to the wider variety of currency and investment choices as Hong Kong can offer products in U.S. or Hong Kong dollars denominations as well as in yuan. In addition, HK policies offer a wide range of investment choices and available terms.



Compared to HK policies, insurance policies on the mainland are denominated in yuan and are mainly invested in bank deposits or bonds.



Hong, however, warned about the danger for investors who want to hedge risks by diversifying investment tools, especially when it comes to currency fluctuations.



"In the past 10 years, the Hong Kong dollar has depreciated against the mainland currency by about 24 percent," Hong noted. "So even if you get a more attractive return from the Hong Kong insurance product, you stood to lose 24 percent over the past five to 10 years. So in that way, from the investment perspective, you may not be able to get the expected yield you are getting from the Hong Kong insurance product after factoring in the currency fluctuation."



The report said that the insurance market in Hong Kong has been expanding rapidly in recent years.



Hong Kong, with a population of around 7 million, has about 160 insurers and the largest number of authorized insurance companies in Asia.


Xiaomi to Use Self-designed Smartphone Chips on Its Low-priced Handset

Xiaomi plans to use self-designed smartphone chips for its lower-priced handsets. (Photo : REUTERS)

Xiaomi Inc. is planning to use smartphone processor chips designed in-house on some of its lower-priced handsets in the second half of this year, a source privy to the matter told Reuters.



According to the Reuters report, it would be the first time that Xiaomi will use chips designed in-house, which could put pressure on the company's suppliers such as industry leaders Qualcomm Inc. and MediaTek Inc., analysts said.



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The source said it was not yet clear how many in-house smartphone application processor chips Xiaomi is planning to make this year as the chips are designed for the company's mid- to low-priced smartphone model RedMi Note series.



The report said the move came as the country is investing billions of dollars into home-grown chip companies in an effort to end China's dependence on foreign semiconductors.



Xiaomi, the world's fifth largest smartphone vendor, has reportedly hired 200 to 300 people to work on smartphone chip design in cities such as Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai.



"Xiaomi is copying the model of designing processor chips in-house from Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.," the source said, referring to the only three smartphone vendors who have made commercial use of self-designed smartphone processor chips.



The report said that Xiaomi, which has long been interested in making in-house chip, declined to comment when contacted on Friday, Feb. 19.



In 2014, Chinese chip designer Leadcore Technology Ltd., a subsidiary of state-backed Datang Telecom, signed an agreement with Beijing Pinecone Electronics to jointly design 4G multiple mode chips.



Industry analysts said that Xiaomi controls Beijing Pinecone Electronics, although Xiaomi declined to comment on its ties with the company.



Analysts said that one of the major strategies of Chinese smartphone vendors to maintain market share and margins amid intense competition is to design smartphone chips.



MediaTek, which supplied most of Xiaomi's mid- to low-priced smartphone chips, will likely come under pressure, analysts said. The Taiwan-based company shipped about 20 million processor chips to Xiaomi last year, according to a report by Jefferies.



"Designing chips in-house actually costs more if the scale of smartphone vendors is not enough to support the cost of R&D," MediaTek said. "In the end, they still have to outsource that to professional chip suppliers."



Qualcomm did not respond to Reuters' request for comment, the report said.


Chinas growing economy is a testament to its rising development over the past 30 years, but Michie contends that China must employ a number of people to sustain the countrys improvement. (Photo : Getty Images)

"China simply cannot buy up the world," says Alistair Michie, who works for strategic consultancy NICG. He has also advised the China State Administration for Foreign Experts Affairs, China Daily reported.



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For Michie, the portrayal of Chinese firms buying up the world is not true or even remotely feasible.



"It creates a false impression," he says.



"Chinese money in terms of the country's GDP, or its government reserves, is only a tiny portion of the wealth in North America or Europe."



The solution he offers is that companies must be humble, while flexible enough to quickly adapt to shifts in global markets.



China's growing economy is a testament to its rising development over the past 30 years, but Michie contends that China must employ a number of people to sustain the country's improvement. He also mentions of hiring competent people with international experience to lead its Belt and Road initiative at an operational level.



Thus, Michie sees China's development of its international profile while at the same time learning from other countries. Another aspect of it is that many other companies, despite their expansion abroad, had yet to focus on learning English or their host countries' languages, and had not built trust with the local elites.



According to Michie, China's growing economic ties with the world are a natural offshoot of its reform and development over the past 30 years. Some mergers and acquisitions, he said, are perceived or presented as having political significance when in actuality they are nothing more than business deals.



For him, the idea that China is buying up the world "is not real" and by the same token, owning a factory in a foreign land can only be the beginning for Chinese firms looking to do business in an international environment.



There is still much to be learned about the local market and laws, culture and people, Michie said.



Overall, he believes that companies must be humble and quick to adapt to local realities; few companies he knew of exhibited these traits.


The size of an individual workers suitcase during the Spring Festival travel rush can also be highly indicative of his purchasing power: less money is spent on bigger bags. (Photo : Getty Images)

Younger migrant workers pack smaller suitcases on their return trip home for the Spring Festival, according to a report by China Daily. The trend nowadays is to give out expensive digital gadgets as New Year presents, instead of the usual gifts like snacks and winter clothes.



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Such is the case with 19-year-old Shi Jiawen, who is employed as a decorator in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. He splurged 3,200 yuan ($500) on a smartphone. He also bought a tablet computer to give to his sister back in Sichuan Province. In contrast to Shi, his father only spent 500 yuan for local tea as a present.



He is one of the 12 out of 20 young migrant workers in Fuzhou railway station who have purchased digital gadgets to give for the holiday.



"Electronic products aren't so expensive," said Shi in an interview with China Daily. Such devices are also practical and convenient, as more areas in the countryside are now being serviced by Internet connectivity.



The size of an individual worker's suitcase during the Spring Festival travel rush can also be highly indicative of his purchasing power: less money is spent on bigger bags.



Middle-aged workers, who are more likely to prescribe to tradition, were commonly seen around lugging huge luggage at the station.



For example, 47-year-old Li Rongcai, a construction worker from Jiangxi Province, had his hands full with bags of tea and cigarettes that cost him 1,000 yuan.



It's almost the same situation with 40-year-old nanny Li Lan, from Hunan Province, who had two large suitcases packed with winter clothes that cost her 2,000 yuan.



While other workers shopped for presents in the city, others opted to pack light on their trip home and make their shopping in their rural hometown.



"Fancy goods that you get in big cities are also available back home at reasonable prices, so why exhaust yourself dragging them all the way home," reasoned Xiao Pengyuan, a 22-year-old factory worker from Sichuan Province.



According to China Daily, China's total retail sales of consumer goods rose 10.7 percent year-on-year last 2015 despite the slow economy.


Selfie-Takers at Yunnan Zoo (Photo : Weibo)

Dolphin Selfie (Photo : Facebook)

The Yunnan Wild Animal Park in China lost on Feb. 12 two peacocks because of selfie-taking visitors.



The zoo visitors picked up the birds and roughly handled it. Peacocks usually do not approach zoo visitors, but they lured the peacocks with food and then grabbed the bird by the tail. Zookeepers who saw the incident rushed to stop the visitors, especially when they not only took selfies with the bewildered birds but also violently plucked the peacocks feathers as souvenir, reported Mashable.



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The park visitors then posted the photo on Sina Weibo, the biggest microblogging site in China, and it became viral. The Yunnan park confirmed on Sunday that the incident happened on Feb. 12. Thirty minutes after the incident, a 5-year-old peacock died of fright, said Bai, the zoo spokesperson.



According to Dr. Li, a veterinarian at the Kunming East Hospital, the peacock could die because of fright or suffer heart attacks if it is exposed to big shocks. The zoo has yet to file charges against the visitors, but their behavior was criticized on social media and mainstream media.



The New York Daily News commented, Hope your selfie gets 0 likes, while Humberto Fernan Mandirola Brieux, who shared the dailys article, added, First a dolphin. Now peacocks. Please Help animals!!!



Oboth Timothy Edwards call the photo taking shameless selfies, while Ryu Khurosawa wrote, Selfie is a tumour in human race. Chandan Das asked, Argentina & china wtf is this ??? Are u humans


Samsung may have recently revealed their new flagship smartphones - Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge - on the recently held MWC 2016, but another Samsung device is quite shaking up the Internet. (Photo : YouTube/Marques)

Listing (Photo : Zauba)

New details about upcoming Samsung smartphones were released, regarding a new metal-bodied Samsung Z5 plus Galaxy Note 6's release, specs and features.



Samsung may have recently revealed their new flagship smartphones - Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge - on the recently held MWC 2016, but another Samsung device is quite shaking up the World Wide Web. Although, the said Samsung device does not carry an Android operating system, instead, it runs on Tizen OS. This move by Samsung clearly suggests that the Korean-based tech giant does not have any plans on abandoning their homegrown OS.



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According to Sam Mobile, Samsung's upcoming Tizen-based smartphone will be called Samsung Z5. Samsung Z5, which has an SM-Z510 model number, was seen in Zauba import database. The said upcoming Samsung Z5 will be undergoing its testing phase in India, as 310 units have already been imported to the country.







Based on the Zauba listing, Samsung Z5 may be a full metal bodied smartphone, which would give a premium feel and look to the handset, unlike Samsung's previous Tizen-based smartphones made out of plastic builds - Samsung Z1 and Z3.



No clear information yet on Samsung Z5's release date, but if we base it on Z1 and Z3's launch, the tech titan might unveil its new smartphone pretty soon. In terms of the smartphone's specs, no information yet was revealed; however, Samsung previously hinted that they would want to offer more mid-range smartphones to their consumers.



If the Korean tech giant would stick to its idea, possible specs of Z5 as a decent mid-range smartphone may include having a 5.0 inch display, 2GB of RAM, 8GB built-in storage (expandable up to 128GB), 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, 8MP rear camera, 5MP front snapper and 3000mAH battery with Ultra Saving mode feature. The said features are just pure speculations and just based on an upgraded version of the previous Samsung Z3 offering.



On other Samsung news, the next model of Samsung Note series - Samsung Galaxy Note 6 - is speculated to be released by the end of 2016, PC-Tablet reported. The Galaxy Note 6 is rumored to be equipped with 6GB of RAM, which will definitely boost the smartphones performance and give users smoother multitasking.



Other rumored specs of Samsung Galaxy Note 6 includes having a 5.8 inch screen display, 12MP rear camera with Super OIS, 64 to 128 storage capacity and will be sporting two different SoCs.



To know more about Galaxy Note 6 rumored features, watch the video below:






Military forces loyal to Libya's eastern government said on Sunday they had pushed back Islamist fighters in several areas of Benghazi, seizing the strategic port of Marisa.

The Libyan National Army said it had also taken control of the town of Ajdabiya, about 150 km (90 miles) south of Benghazi, another city where it has been battling Islamist groups.

Libya has been riven by conflict since the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, as armed factions supporting rival governments in Tripoli and the east have fought for power and a share of the country's oil wealth.

Islamist fighters have used a security vacuum to expand their presence, and militants loyal to Islamic State goup's control of the city of Sirte, to the west of Ajdabiya.

Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, has seen some of the worst fighting, with violence escalating when military commander Khalifa Haftar launched a campaign in 2014 against Islamists and other armed groups.

Munthir al-Khartoush, a spokesman for the army's Battalion 309, said that as well as Marisa port, the army had taken control of the nearby neighbourhood of Al-Halis, and had advanced in the district of Boatni, which also saw heavy fighting on Saturday.

At least three soldiers and 15 Islamist fighters were killed in Sunday's clashes, the military said.

Marisa would be a significant gain for the army as the groups it has been fighting have been receiving weapons deliveries through the port.

"We have completely cut off the supplies coming to the front line for the Islamist groups in the west of Benghazi by capturing Marisa Port," Khartoush said.

In Ajdabiya, military spokesman Akram Bouhaliqa said the army had forced Islamist fighters from the area around Galouz Street and the industrial zone, the last positions they held.

A resident also confirmed to Reuters that the army was in control of the city.

Three soldiers were killed in Sunday's clashes, Bouhaliqa said. A hospital source in Ajdabiya said 65 people had been killed and 140 wounded in fighting there over the past two months.

The violence comes as a unity government nominated under a United Nations-backed plan is trying to win approval from Libya's internationally recognised parliament in the east.

It also comes two days after a US air strike targeting a suspected Islamic State training camp in the western city of Sabratha killed nearly 50 people, including two Serbian embassy staff abducted in Libya in November.

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Egypt's FM spokesperson said the agreement is a step forward in resolving the Syrian crisis

Egypt's foreign ministry said Tuesday that the "cessation of hostilities" agreed upon by the United States and Russia is an important step to facilitate delivery of UN humanitarian aid to the Syrian people and is necessary to reach a political settlement.

The United States and Russia agreed on Monday to the terms of the partial ceasefire, which will come into effect Saturday 27 February.

As per an agreement between the two countries on 12 February, the Syrian regime and opposition groups, who will announce their agreement by Friday at noon, would commit to a "cessation of hostilities."

The foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement that the agreement is necessary in order to "end violence and provide a suitable environment for a political solution under the auspices of the UN in order to reach a full agreement for a ceasefire."

Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry reiterated this month that there is no solution to the five-year Syrian conflict other than a political settlement through the United Nations.

The spokesperson said the next phase will require the commitment of all parties to put the agreement into effect, as it is necessary to put the Syrian people's interests first.

The statement emphasised the importance of fighting "terrorist organisations" in Syria.

The agreement does not include the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Al-Nusra.

"The last hours have seen intense calls by the American and the Russian sides," the foreign ministry's statement read.

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The 11 demonstrators were arrested on October bridge in Cairo while commemorating the fourth anniversary of the Mohamed Mahmoud clashes

A Cairo misdemeanor court acquitted on Tuesday 11 people on charges of illegal protesting and blocking traffic last November on the fourth anniversary of the deadly Mohamed Mahmoud clashes.

Cairo prosecution referred the 11 demonstrators to misdemeanor court after they were arrested on October bridge for illegal protesting.

Prosecution accused the defendants of protesting without authorisation, illegal assembly, and blocking traffic.

Egypts protest law, passed in November 2013, stipulates jail sentences of one to three years and fines for those participating in unauthorised protests.

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Egyptian parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Al seized Tuesday's morning session to express "deep respect" for journalists after two MPs attacked reporters covering parliament the day before.

Abdel-Al's statement came one day after the two MPs  businessman Mahmoud Khamis and high-profile TV anchor Tawfik Okasha  attacked two reporters who were covering parliament news on Monday.

Abdel-Al urged Journalists Syndicate chairman Yehia Qalash not to boycott parliament news, highly praising journalists for their robust coverage of parliament.

Khamis assaulted Mohamed Tarek  a photographer with the private Al-Watan newspaper  when he tried to take a photo of MP Okasha after he was expelled from parliament's meeting hall.

Khamis told Tarek that "it is impolite behaviour of you to take such a photo."

Tarek filed complaints with syndicate chairman Qalash and parliament speaker Abdel-Al, urging them to take action against Khamis.

MP Okasha also attacked some parliamentary reporters with a private newspaper, accusing them of "working as police informers rather than journalists."

Okasha was expelled from Monday's session after he insisted on interrupting speaker Abdel-Al, and will be questioned by a special committee on Tuesday over charges of insulting the speaker.

The Journalists Syndicate condemned the assault on Tarek and called on reporters to stop covering the parliament immediately until investigations are conducted into the matter.

"The Journalists Syndicate will not accept the humiliation of any colleague," the syndicate said in a statement. "The role of the people's representatives is to defend citizens' rights, not to assault them and those who transmit the truth," adding that the syndicate will not tolerate the repetition of such violations.

The syndicate said the incident was part of a general atmosphere where the work of journalists is being obstructed and which limits their role in reporting on parliament.

It emphasised that journalists "have the right to monitor MPs' behaviour," as they have been elected by the people.

The syndicate's deputy Gamal Abdel-Reheem told Ahram Online that the union will "suspend" its call for boycott "as long as the involved colleagues accept the apology."

A meeting between the syndicate's board and the parliament's speaker will be held within a few days over the matter.
Some 150 writers and artists signed a statement condemning a recent jail sentence against an Egyptian novelist over an "sexually explicit" text

Dozens of authors and intellectuals have signed a statement condemning the jailing of an Egyptian author over what authorities deem a "sexually explicit" novel.

Ahmed Nagy was sentenced to two years in prison earlier this week over charges of violating "public decency" after excerpts of his novel "The Use of Life" was published in a literary magazine in 2014.

A case was brought against him last year by an individual who claimed to have experienced health issues after reading the excerpt.

Nagy was acquitted in January but the prosecution appealed the verdict and he was sentenced in a retrial on Saturday.

A group of 150 writers, intellectuals and artists signed a statement condemning the ruling against Nagy, saying it violates "general and private freedoms."

The signatories, who include writer Alaa El-Aswany, poet Sayed Hegab and director Ali Badrakhan, say the sentence "completely disregards the country's constitution," which prohibits jail sentences over publishing issues.

They expressed concern over what they say is "frivolity and disregard in dealing with freedoms" and the use of "repressive discourse that pays lip service to words like 'ethics'."

The excerpt of Nagy's novel contains explicit descriptions of sexual acts and the use of hashish by the characters.

"Our defence for Nagy... is not just advocating the right of opinion makers and artists to express their views... without being harassed... but is a warning bell against a terrifying path the regime is taking," the statement read.

They say the sentence, which can still be appealed, is part of a multi-dimension assault on a number of writers and journalists over their beliefs.

Several human rights organisations have expressed solidarity with Nagy, demanding the sentence be dropped.

Egypt's Journalists Syndicate announced on Tuesday it was organising a press conference on Thursday to show solidarity with Nagy and journalists.

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Court orders the release of Mohamed El-Zawahri on parole, the brother of current Al-Qaeda leader

A Cairo criminal court ordered on Tuesday the release of prominent jihadist Mohamed El-Zawahri on parole pending trial.

According to El-Zawahri's lawyer Adel Moawad, his client should be released soon as he is not detained in any other case. The prosecution has the right to appeal the court decision.

A judicial source told Ahram Arabic website that the decision to release El-Zawahri pending trial was due to his poor health condition.

According to Judge Hussein Farid, the head of the Cairo Criminal Court that released El-Zawahri, the defendant must show up to court every 45 days and be under police surveillance.

El-Zawahri is officially accused of joining a terrorist organisation  Al-Qaeda  as well as other charges including attempting to overthrow the regime and promoting radicalism.

El-Zawahri, the brother of current Al-Qaeda leader Ayman El-Zawahri, was arrested in August 2013 on charges of membership of a terrorist organisation.

In October 2015, El-Zawahri was acquitted of operating a terrorist organisation in what was dubbed the "Al-Zawahri cell" trial, which involved 17 other defendants, 10 of whom were sentenced to death for running a terrorist organisation connected to Al-Qaeda.

In 1999, Mohamed El-Zawahri was sentenced to death in absentia for a handful of terrorist attacks in Egypt.

In June 2011, a military court accepted El-Zawahri's appeal against the death verdict. The case was closed and the 63-year-old jihadist was released.

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is set to launch the governmental development programme "Egypt's vision 2030" on Wednesday in a public speech in Cairo's Al Galaa Theatre, state owned news agency MENA reported on Tuesday.

The programme, which was organised by the planning ministry, aims to formulate a vision of sustainable development based on the country's youth that would be implemented regardless of any changes of government or leadership.

The project also aspires to revive Egypt's historical role leading the Arab region and to provide a decent standard of living for citizens, according to MENA.

Wednesday's event will be attended by many public figures including youth representatives and top state officials, the news agency reported.

On 13 February El-Sisi addressed the newly convened parliament and listed some of his achievements since his inauguration in June 2014, including on the economy, infrastructure, and foreign policy.

The president also urged for education, health, and media  in addition to renewed religious discourse  to be at the top of the parliaments agenda, adding that "hope is a patriotic duty," as well as calling on the MPs to build a "strong, youthful country."

Egypt's cabinet was supposed to present his cabinet's programme to the parliament either by the end of February or in early March. However, some press reports suggested that it might be postponed until a further date because the parliament is still reviewing its internal bylaws.

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According to an interior ministry statement, the lower-ranking policemen accidentally shot the taxi driver following a financial dispute while attempting to disperse an angry crowd

The trial of a lower ranking policeman on charges of the deliberate murder of a civilian in Cairos working-class neighborhood of Darb Al-Ahmar is set to begin on 5 March, a Cairo court said in an official statement.

On Sunday, the prosecution referred the lower-ranking policeman, Mostafa Mahmoud Adel Hassib, to criminal court only days following his arrest.

A judicial source within the general-prosecution told Ahram Online that both the police interrogations and the forensic authoritys report indicate that Hassib killed taxi driver Mohamed Sayed Ali Ismail.

Hassib confessed to the prosecution that he fired his gun following a financial dispute with the driver.

Following the incident, hundreds of residents converged outside Cairo Security Directorate to protest the killing.

On Monday, Egypt's Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar said currently underway legal amendments would not only be relevant to lower ranking policemen, but to the whole police force.

"The aim of the amendments is to regulate the relationship between the policeman and citizens, which would ensure the citizen the protection of his rights," Abdel-Ghaffar said.

The amendments come following an order from Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Friday that legislative changes, aimed at ensuring the regulation of security services' performance and guarantees that those who unjustly violate citizen rights be punished, are presented to the parliament for discussion within 15 days.

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In November, the human rights activist and Mada Masr contributor was detained for four days on charges of 'publishing false news aimed at harming national security'

Egyptian investigative journalist Hossam Bahgat was banned on Tuesday from travelling by an order from the country's top prosecutor, according to a post on Bahgat's Facebook account.

"I was just told that my name was included among those banned from travelling outside of the country by an order from Egypt's top prosecutor without providing me with more details or a court case record," Bahgat's post read.

Bahgat was supposed to travel "to Jordan to participate in the United Nations meeting on justice in the Arab world."

Prominent Egyptian activist and lawyer Gamal Eid  who is in contact with Bahgat  told Ahram Online that Bahgat is still at the airport.

Last November, the human rights activist and Mada Masr contributor was detained for four days by military prosecutors on charges of "publishing false news aimed at harming national security."

However, Bahgat explained in his online post that since his release he was able to travel twice without any problems.

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During a one-day conference organised by the Egyptian tourism ministry, British ambassador John Casson said UK will not leave Egypt to stand alone in fighting terrorism and strengthening tourism

British ambassador to Egypt John Casson has pledged his countrys support for Egypt and called on the international community to stand by the country in its fight against terrorism and economic problems.

"The world cant leave Egypt to deal with these problems alone  to beat terrorism we have to keep Egypts economy strong," statement by the British embassy read on Tuesday.

During a one-day conference hosted by Egypts Ministry of Tourism called Planning for Growth  Egypts Tourism 2016, Casson, along with top aviation and tourism officials, discussed the government's ongoing security enhancement initiatives with a focus on airport security.

The conference was also attended by Russian ambassador to Egypt Sergey Kirpichenko.

There remains great interest in Egypt and in Britain in the work to restart flights to Sharm El-Sheikh. I know how important this is to Egypts tourist industry and indeed the whole economy," said Casson, referring to the UKs suspension of flights to Sharm El-Sheikh following the crash of a Russian plane in Sinai late last year.

The British official praised the commitment and professionalism of the Egyptian government in cooperating with the UK and in understanding that the number one priority of any government is to protect its citizens.

"As a result we have together made great progress along this road to solving the problem, and contacts are continuing at the highest level every day to finish the journey and restart flights as soon as possible, says Casson.

Britain, Germany, Russia and other countries are taking concrete steps with the Egyptian government at the highest level to make Sharm El-Sheikh Airport a model for airport and aviation security, according to Casson.

The tourism sector suffered a number of setbacks in 2015, including several terrorist attacks by Sinai-based militants affiliated with the IS group, which claimed responsibility for the downing of a Russian airliner travelling from Sharm El-Sheikh in October, which claimed 224 lives.

The incident prompted the UK, Russia and other countries to suspend flights to Egypt, leading to losses of LE2.2 billion ($283 million) a month, with tourists and tourism revenues halved in November and December, according to a tourism ministry statement.

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The official Israeli army radio channel announced on Tuesday that Israeli forces are now ordered to carry personal weapons while off duty, Gaza-based Palestine Online website reported.

Israeli military chief of staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot has "ordered that soldiers carry their weapons even outside of their service," including while going home for leave, an army spokeswoman told AFP.

An Israeli official TV channel explained that the soldiers are also allowed to carry their personal weapons if they take a vacation that lasts up to three days.

The broadcast added that the decision was made following the killing of an Israeli soldier in a stabbing attack in the occupied West Bank last Thursday.

In the most recent cycle of violence that began in early October, Israeli forces have killed over 160 Palestinians, many of whom were unarmed or posed no threat.

Meanwhile, frequent stabbings and car-ramming attacks by Palestinians have killed 25 Israelis and a US citizen.

Israeli occupation soldiers had not previously been allowed to take their guns with them while on leave out of fear they could be stolen or used to commit suicide.

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Mauritania has confirmed its readiness to host the 27th Arab Summit expected to be held this April, Egypt's state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram reported.

Nabil El-Araby, secretary-general of the Arab League, announced the confirmation in a brief statement to reporters on Tuesday.

"The general secretariat of the Arab League received official notification from the government of Mauritania regarding its readiness to host the Arab summit," El-Araby said.

Mauritania suggested the summit be held in July, according to El-Araby, who added that the Mauritanian foreign minister is visiting Cairo next week to discuss the date of the summit.

Morocco was slated to host the Arab Summit in April, but Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Salaheddine Mezouar called El-Araby last Friday and informed him of his country's decision to "to give up its right to host the 27th summit," a statement issued by the Moroccan FM said.

"This summit will only be an occasion to take ordinary resolutions and deliver speeches that give a false impression of unity and solidarity between Arab states," the statement read.

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Saudi Arabia on Tuesday urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave, after Riyadh halted a $3 billion programme funding military supplies to Beirut in response to "hostile" positions linked to Hezbollah.

Saudi ally and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member the United Arab Emirates followed suit but went even further, banning its nationals from going to Lebanon and reducing its diplomatic representation there.

In Riyadh, the foreign ministry issued a statement calling on "all citizens not to travel to Lebanon, for their safety, and asking citizens residing in Lebanon or visiting not to stay unless extremely necessary," the official SPA news agency reported.

Announcing the Saudi aid halt on Friday, an official said the kingdom had noticed "hostile Lebanese positions resulting from the stranglehold of Hezbollah on the state".

Riyadh was making "a comprehensive review of its relations with the Lebanese republic", the unnamed official said, cited by SPA.

Alleged leaders of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah are under sanction by Saudi Arabia.

The Shia militant group is fighting in support of Syria's regime and is backed by Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran, with whom relations have worsened this year.

Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran last month after demonstrators stormed its embassy and a consulate following the Saudi execution of a prominent Shia cleric.

Syria's war has exacerbated political rivalries within Lebanon, which has been without a president for almost two years because of fierce disagreements between Hezbollah and its rivals.

The Saudi official quoted on Friday said Lebanon had not joined condemnation of the attacks on its diplomatic missions in Iran, either at the Arab League or the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The official also denounced "political and media campaigns inspired by Hezbollah against Saudi Arabia", as well as the group's "terrorist acts against Arab and Muslim nations".

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week accused Turkey and Saudi Arabia of dragging the region into war and said "victory" was imminent for his group and its Syrian regime allies.

Saudi Arabia supports rebels opposed to Syria's government, and says it is ready to send special forces under a US-led coalition to fight the Islamic State group.

In a statement, Hezbollah said Saudi Arabia stopped the military aid because of economic pressures from the war in Yemen, where it leads an Arab military coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels, and lower oil revenues.

On Friday Saudi Arabia also stopped the remainder of a $1 billion financing package for Lebanese internal security forces, in a separate decision.

The $3 billion deal funded military equipment provided by France and was to ship vehicles, helicopters, drones, artillery and other equipment to Lebanon.

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Secretary of State John Kerry told Congress on Tuesday that he can't be sure the cease-fire agreement in Syria will work and lead to a political resolution in the war-ravaged country.

But in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry said that the cease-fire is the best way to try to end the conflict and is the only alternative available to the U.S. and its allies if a political settlement in Syria is the goal.

"I'm not going to vouch for this," Kerry said. "I'm not going to say this process is sure to work because I don't know."

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said she's concerned Russia won't honor the truce and it will become a "rope-a-dope deal."

"It may be," Kerry said.

But he said that if the cease-fire leads to the flow of humanitarian assistance, if the "guns do silence" and lives are saved, "then that's a benefit."

Kerry said if Syrian President Bashar Assad were to step down, the war would be over quickly. "Four words could end this war: I will not run," Kerry said.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the committee's chairman, said he has no confidence Russia would abide by the cease-fire agreement. Corker also said Russia is using refugees as a "weapon of war" against Europe. Corker and other Republican senators chided Kerry for the lack of leverage the U.S. has against Russia if Moscow violates the terms of the agreement.

"Russia knows there will no Plan B," Corker said. But Kerry said it would be a mistake to underestimate President Barack Obama's potential for taking punitive action against Moscow.

Kerry appeared before the committee a day after the United States and Russia agreed on the new cease-fire for Syria. Nagging questions remain over enforcement of the truce and how violations of the agreement will be handled. The cease-fire is to go into effect Saturday.

Five years of violence in Syria has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced 11 million more from their homes.

The truce will not cover the Islamic State extremist group, the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front and any other militias designated as terrorist organizations by the U.N. Security Council. Both the U.S. and Russia are still targeting those groups with airstrikes.

The Syrian government and the main umbrella for Syrian opposition and rebel groups announced Tuesday their conditional acceptance of the cease-fire.

But even if the cease-fire is implemented, the fighting and violence in Syria won't stop.

Despite the agreement, Russia is almost certain to continue an air campaign that it insists is targeting terrorists. But the U.S. and its partners said Russia is mainly hitting moderate opposition groups and killing civilians.

While IS tries to expand its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and neighboring Iraq, al-Nusra is unlikely to end its effort to overthrow Assad. The Kurds have been fighting IS group, even as they face attacks from America's NATO ally Turkey. And Assad has his own history of broken promises when it comes to military action.

In congressional testimony two weeks ago, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper said Russia's campaign in Syria "has eclipsed its aggression in the Crimea and Ukraine as the most serious flashpoint in U.S.-Russian relations."

"Unlike Russia's obscured hand in Ukraine, its actions in Syria are being played out in daily headlines that report on Russia's indiscriminate bombing and its support of the Syrian regime in areas where moderate forces are aiming to get out from under the rule of the Assad regime," Clapper said.

As objectionable as Russia's involvement in Syria is, the only prospect for peace is through a negotiated cease-fire, humanitarian relief and a serious attempt at a negotiating a political resolution, said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. That approach is "far preferable to our deploying tens of thousands of American troops in an attempt to move the balance of the battlefield back against Assad," he said.

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Four people were killed in clashes near the Libyan capital on Tuesday between the Islamic State (IS) group and fighters loyal to the Tripoli-based government, a local official said.

The four dead men were members of the Sabratha military council which backs the Fajr Libya militia alliance in control of the capital, said Hussein al-Dawadi, mayor of Sabratha, west of Tripoli.

Fajr Libya is a coalition of Islamist militias that backs the non-recognised parliament in Tripoli and which is battling IS group militants who have spread their influence across Libya.

Last week a US air strike targeted an IS group training camp in Sabratha, killing dozens of people.

The Pentagon said a senior IS group operative behind attacks in Tunisia was probably among the dead, while Serbia said that two diplomats abducted in Libya were among those killed in the air strike.

Dawadi said that fighters from the Sabratha military council launched raids in the suburbs of the city on Tuesday searching for IS group militants.

During one assault on a farm in the Al-Nahda area clashes erupted in which four Sabratha military council fighters were killed, he added.

The Sabratha military council meanwhile posted a message on its Facebook page urging civilians and medical staff to mobilise and help them battle IS group.

The oil-rich North African country has had rival administrations since the summer of 2014 when the internationally recognised government fled Tripoli after Fajr Libya overran the capital.

IS group has exploited the turmoil in Libya since the overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi five years ago, raising fears that it is establishing a new stronghold on Europe's doorstep.

Last June, it captured the coastal city of Sirte, east of Tripoli, and has since attacked coastal oil facilities and staged a string of suicide bombings.

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Republican presidential contender Ted Cruz said Monday he has asked his national spokesman to resign for a "grave error of judgment" in distributing a video that falsely suggested rival Marco Rubio was dismissive of the Bible.

The move comes on the even of the Republican caucuses in Nevada and as rival campaigns have piled on Cruz for his alleged lies and "dirty tricks."

Cruz's national spokesman Rick Tyler had shared on Facebook a story from University of Pennsylvania student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian, which reported that Rubio told a Cruz staffer reading the Bible that the holy book did "not have many answers in it."

The story was accompanied by a video, though the audio was unclear.

Tyler later deleted the post and apologized to Rubio for posting the "inaccurate" story.

The issue strikes to the heart of Cruz's support among evangelical Christians. The Texas senator has also spoken openly about his own faith.

"This was a grave error of judgment," Cruz said during a campaign event while also praising his spokesman as "a good man."

"It turned out the news story he sent around was false. But I'll tell you, even if it was true, we are not a campaign that is going to question the faith of another candidate.

"Even if it was true, our campaign should not have sent it. That's why I've asked for Rick Tyler's resignation."

Rubio told reporters he accepted the Cruz campaign's apology, but called for more "accountability."

"It's every single day something comes out of the Cruz campaign that's deceptive and untrue," Rubio said, calling the Bible video "perhaps the most offensive" Cruz tactic to date because it questioned his faith.

"I know exactly what I said to that young man," Rubio told reporters. "I said the answer to every question you'll ever have is in that book."

Cruz's campaign has come under fire from other rivals as well.

Leading Republican candidate Donald Trump was quick to jump on the latest controversy to attack "crazy" Cruz and calling for him to be "disqualified."

"Just saw the phony ad by Cruz - totally false, more dirty tricks. He got caught in so many lies - is this man crazy?" Trump tweeted.

"Ted Cruz should be disqualified from his fraudulent win in Iowa. Weak RNC and Republican leadership probably won't let this happen! Sad."

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has accused Cruz of spreading false rumors that he had dropped out of the race during the Iowa caucuses, the voting that kicked off the 2016 presidential nomination process.

And Cruz's campaign was also accused of posting a digitally manipulated image of Rubio shaking hands with President Barack Obama on its "The REAL Rubio Record" website.

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Afghanistan expects a date for direct talks with the Taliban to be set by the end of February, the foreign minister told an international group seeking to relaunch the peace process at a meeting in Kabul Tuesday.

Delegates from Afghanistan, China, the US and Pakistan met in the capital for a fourth round of talks aimed at forming a path back to the nascent peace process, which was interrupted by last summer's announcement that Taliban leader Mullah Omar had died.

Taliban representatives have been notably absent from the process so far.

"We want this group to draft the details of direct talks between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban before the end of February," foreign minister Salahuddin Rabbani told participants.

"To end the conflict and bloodshed in the country, the government of Afghanistan once again calls on Taliban groups to take part in peace talks," Rabbani added.

The historic first round of direct talks with the Taliban took place in the Pakistani resort town of Muree last July, but came to a standstill after the insurgents confirmed Omar's death, which had been kept secret for two years.

The announcement, and appointment of his successor Mullah Akhtar Mansour, accentuated divisions among the militants, with many holding Mansour responsible for lying to them about Omar's death.

In 2015 a splinter group formed under Mullah Rasool and challenged Mansour's leadership.

But the disunity has not dented the Taliban's fighting ability.

The fresh peace initiative comes as the insurgents wage an unprecedented winter campaign of violence across Afghanistan, underscoring a worsening security situation more than 14 years after they were driven out of power by US-led NATO forces.

The first round of attempts to bring the militants back to the negotiating table began in Islamabad in January, followed by two more meetings in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Also on Tuesday, President Ashraf Ghani announced he is replacing Rabbani as head the High Peace Council, the government body responsible for negotiating with the insurgents, without specifying the reasons.

Pir Sayyed Ahmad Gailani, an influential leader among the Pashtun who make up a large number of the Taliban, will take his place.

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Protesters rallied Tuesday outside the Australian embassy in the East Timor capital Dili, demanding Canberra come to the table "in good faith" to end a long-running dispute over major oil and gasfields in the Timor Sea.

Hundreds of protesters, including students, activists and former resistance fighters, gathered peacefully outside the diplomatic mission to urge Australia to "respect East Timor sovereignty", rally organiser Juvinal Dias told AFP.

"We are asking Australia to negotiate the maritime boundary based on good faith," Dias said.

Ties between the neighbours have soured since East Timor took Australia to the International Court of Justice to settle a dispute over the maritime boundaries governing lucrative undersea oil and gas reserves.

The tiny, half-island nation, which has a sluggish economy heavily dependent on oil and gas, wants a treaty which was signed in 2006 and set the maritime borders to be torn up. It claims Australia spied on ministers to gain commercial advantage.

The protesters want permanent maritime boundaries drawn up along the "median line" between Australia and East Timor, Dias said. He urged Australia to abandon its "invalid" claim in the Timor Sea and promised further rallies if it refused to negotiate.

The 2006 treaty was signed between Canberra and Dili, four years after East Timor won independence following years of brutal Indonesian occupation.

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Wrangling over terms for sales to Egypt and slow demand from Middle Eastern buyers hit by low oil prices have dampened hopes for a rush of European Union wheat exports to trim large stockpiles, traders and analysts said.

Competition from Russia, Ukraine and Argentina in a world awash with record wheat supplies has also limited the scope for EU exports to accelerate after a tepid start to the July-June marketing season.

EU exports have picked up in the past couple of months as benchmark prices approached five-year lows, but soft wheat export licences show the volume exported so far in 2015-16 is still 15 percent below last season's pace.

After a record 2015 soft wheat harvest, the slow exports mean the EU is on course for its biggest end of season stocks in seven years while top producer France its facing its biggest stockpile in 17 years, according to official forecasts.

"The driver is now clearly demand whereas until recently it was supply," one export trader said. "The question for the market has become, who is going to buy and at what price?"

Weeks of tensions between Egypt and its suppliers have put a brake on trade. Egypt, the world's largest wheat buyer, has sent contradictory messages about whether or not it would accept wheat shipments with any presence of the ergot fungus.

Wrangling over what ergot limits to apply has left a French wheat cargo stranded and disrupted Egypt's tenders, while payment delays have also put off traders.

Despite a tender purchase on Friday that included one French wheat cargo, France so far this season has sold only a quarter of the 2 million tonnes it shipped to Egypt in the 2014-15 season.

French agricultural agency FranceAgriMer last week cut its forecast for French wheat exports outside the EU by 300,000 tonnes to 11 million, in view of the situation in Egypt and despite a recent run of sales to Morocco.

"Exporting 11 million tonnes is still a fair task and means selling much more to Asia than France has done so far," Sebastien Poncelet of consultancy Agritel said.

"There could be a helping hand from the euro. If the euro falls back to $1.08 tomorrow we'll have the cheapest wheat in the world," he said.

But a drop in the hryvnia currency has made exports from Ukraine cheaper too and curbed immediate prospects for France in feed wheat markets in Asia.

The outlook for EU countries such as Germany, Poland and the Baltic states, which supply higher-quality wheat to Middle Eastern markets, has been clouded by signs oil-dependent states are slowing purchases.

Ongoing tensions over terms of tenders from Jordan have also weighed on EU exports.

Traders are especially waiting for Saudi Arabia to return to the market after falling behind in its usual tender cycle.

"The fall in crude oil prices means governments do not have anywhere near the amount of funds they expected only a few months ago," one German trader said.

"The weak wheat price trend since November has encouraged delayed purchasing, but importers cannot delay for ever."

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Egypt has largely depended on Gulf states to help limit its ballooning budget deficit after providing the country with billions of dollars since 2013

Egypt lowered its economic growth forecast to a range of 4 to 4.25 percent for the current fiscal year ending on 30 June, down from 5 percent, Finance Minister Hany Kadry Dimian told reporters at an economic conference in Abu Dhabi, according to Bloomberg.

The downward revision for growth was attributed to the consequences of the downing of a Russian plane in October on tourism, a vital source of foreign currency.

Egypt's economic growth for the first quarter of the current fiscal year slowed to 3 percent, down from 5.6 percent in the same period a year earlier, a recent central bank bulletin revealed.

Tourism is one of the major sectors, not just as a driver of growth and one of the biggest sources of current-account receipts but because it has a higher multiplier impact on other industries, Dimian was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.

Company operations in Egypt have been restrained by a foreign currency crunch as sporadic violence and attacks following the 2011 uprising have driven away tourists and investors.

Dimian added that the lower growth rates contribute to a higher budget deficit target, seen now at 11 to 11.5 percent of GDP, up from 8.9 percent.

Egypt has depended on Gulf states, who have showered the country with billions of dollars since the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi on the back of popular protests against his rule, to limit its ballooning budget deficit.

While they still give Egypt credit facilities for oil products, what we are focusing on now is how to foster direct investments from the Gulf states, Dimian was cited as saying by Bloomberg.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund pledged in December investments worth 30 billion riyals ($8 billion) for the country's housing, energy and tourism sectors.

The finance minister said the government plans to proceed with the economic reform programme, reform the state budget and tackle the foreign currency shortage.

Egypt cut fuel subsidies in July 2014, raising prices at the pump by up to 78 percent. A property tax was also introduced as part of a fiscal reform programme seeking to clench on to a growing budget deficit which hit 11.5 percent in 2014/15.

The implementation of a stalled value-added tax awaits parliamentary approval, he said.

The central bank has raised a foreign currency deposit cap for some importers, excluded manufacturing input from import restrictions and allocated EGP 5 billion ($647 million) to lenders for small and medium enterprise in an effort to boost growth.

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Deutsche Boerse and the London Stock Exchange are taking a fresh run at a merger that would create a large European exchange operator potentially capable of facing down strong competition from the United States and Asia.

The LSE said in a statement it was holding detailed discussions on an all-share merger under a new holding company that would give Deutsche Boerse shareholders a 54.4 percent stake and LSE shareholders 45.6 percent.

The talks, using code names Delta for Deutsche Boerse and Luna for the LSE, are at an early stage, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier.

Shares in both exchange operators jumped on the news, with LSE shares up 18.7 percent and Deutsche Boerse up 8.3 percent by 1406 GMT.

Deutsche Boerse, which had worked on a joint venture called iX with the LSE in 2000 before making a full-blown but failed attempt to take over its British counterpart in late 2004, was not immediately available for comment.

Deutsche Boerse Chief Executive Carsten Kengeter, on taking the German exchange operator's helm in June, said he had an "open mind" on both bolt-on and large acquisitions as part of his strategy to boost growth and revenue.

He has since spent around $1.5 billion buying out equity index joint ventures from Switzerland's Six Group and taking over foreign exchange trading platform 360T.

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Three Egyptian photographers were shortlisted for the 2016 Sony World Photography Award, competing in the biggest international competition.

Nader Saadallah was shortlisted in the Open competition Arts & Culture category, Ahmed Gaber in the Youth competition Portraiture category and Armand Tamboly in the Professional competition Portraiture category.

Selected by a panel of experts, all three are now in competition to win in their categories, and Tamboly, who is in the professional competition, is qualifying for the $25,000 prize and the LIris dOr/ Photographer of the Year title. Saadallah is competing for Open photographer of the year, with a $5,000 prize, and all winners will receive the latest digital photography equipment from Sony.

The shortlist includes over 270 photographers from nearly 60 countries being represented, the most in the awards nine-year history, according to World Photography Organization press release.

Winners of the Open and Youth categories will be revealed on 29 March, while overall winners are to be announced on 21 April in London.

Saadallah is a theatre graduate from the University of Alexandria, the city where he is based and works as a photographer and filmmaker.

His photograph titled Cultures Soul is shot in China, and captures the traditional Lijiang show of the Naxi, Yi and Bai people.

Gaber is also based in the Mediterranean city and is currently studying at the Faculty of Commerce at the University of Alexandria. The 19- year- old hopes to pursue a career in photojournalism after he graduates.

His photograph titled Rasheed captures young children playing in the city with the same name.

Tamboly is based in Berlin, after studying advertising and photography at Cairos Helwan University. With an interest in merging art and design, his photograph Stereotypes confronts the perception of masculinity and femininity with a series of men adorned with feminine hairstyles.

"It's a great honour to be shortlisted in the Sony World Photography Awards, the most prestigious photography competition in the world. It's a dream come true and I dedicate my success to my parents," the photographer reportedly said.

Somerset House in London will host the winning and shortlisted photos in an exhibition running between 22 April and 8 May.

The exhibition will also include the first major European exhibition of the artistic duo and fine art photographers RongRong & inri (China/Japan), recipients of the Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize at the awards, according to the press release.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Four days of Hassan Khans multidisciplinary work organised by Alexandrias Gudran Association for Art and Development

A four-day programme titled Three Attempts to Approach Hassan Khan takes an in-depth look into the works of the artist, musician and writer.

Taking place between 25 and 29 February, each day will focus on one of Khans projects in an attempt to approach and engage with [his] diverse artistic & intellectual practice, according to the events statement.

The first day will tackle Khans recent music project titled Phone Tone Generator and Pedals, where he uses contact mics, a cell phone, a mixer and pedals in his live improv performance.

The second day will feature a discussion of Khans essays, centring on "The Corrupt Intellectual" as a central figure within the workings of the modern state; while the following day will screen his 2012 film Blind Ambition, which includes nine episodes of phone-footage shot in public spaces. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A session.

The last day of the programme will be a discussion of his work The Nineties from Another Perspective that touches upon Khans practices as a student.



Programme:

Thursday 25 February, 7pm: Hassan Khan Live: Phone Tone Generator & Pedals

El-Cabina, 11 San Saba Street, behind Cinema Rialto, Mahatet Raml, Alexandria

Friday 26 February, 7pm: Discussing The Corrupt Intellectual

El-Cabina, 11 San Saba Street, behind Cinema Rialto, Mahatet Raml, Alexandria

Saturday 27 February, 7pm: Screening of Blind Ambition

Wekalet Behna, 1 El Kenisa El-Marounia Street, Orabi Sqaure, El-Mansheya, Alexandia

Monday 29 February, 7pm: Nineties  from another perspective

El-Cabina, 11 San Saba Street, behind Cinema Rialto, Mahatet Raml, Alexandria

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Al-Kahera, one of Egypt's major weekly cultural newspapers, was released on Tuesday 23 February with a blank cover featuring only one line: "No to taking imagination to court." Al-Kaheras cover is part of a larger solidarity campaign to release journalist Ahmed Naji from prison, after the writer was sentenced to two years in prison last Saturday for publishing a chapter of his novel Using Life that the courts say "violates public morality."

The editorial board of Al-Kahera newspaper, which is issued by the Ministry of Culture but operated independent of ministry policies, decided to leave the cover blank and publish the issue it in black and white only, despite the packed issue they prepared this week, which included pieces on renowned journalist and writer Mohammed Hassanein Heikal, novelist Alaa El-Deeb, Italian philosopher Umberto Eco, and Harper Lee, all of whom passed away last week.

A North Cairo appeals court handed down a two-year sentence to Ahmed Naji and fined Tarek El-Taher, the chief editor of Akhbar Al-Adab newspaper EGP 10,000 for publishing the chapter. Naji and Taher were cleared on all charges by the misdemeanors court last January, but the prosecution appealed the verdict. Naji still has a chance to appeal to the Court of Cassation.

Naji is incarcerated in Boulaq Abul-Ela's police station and has not yet been transferred to prison. He was allowed visitation and, according to one of his visitors, Naji is not being mistreated and is kept in a cell separate from other detainees.

The case has led to public outcry on social media and Al-Kaheras cover was widely shared, hours before it hit the stands.

Sayed Mahmoud, the editor-in-chief of Al-kahera told Ahram Online, "Our cover isnt a surprise or an act of protest. It is a very normal cover, like any other that weve had. The main idea is that the ministry of culture is a state entity that is built on the principle of respecting the constitution. Our newspaper is directed at an audience of intellectuals and writers, an audience that demands the defense of the constitution.

The constitution is the highest document that regulates the relationship between the state and its citizens and it guarantees, very clearly, freedom of expression and belief. What we want to point out here is the danger of violating the constitution."

A crowd of intellectuals, writers, and artists held a meeting at Merit center for culture in solidarity with Naji. They expressed their refusal of the sentence, condemning the minister of culture, Helmy Namnam, for not protecting freedom of expression and being silent on the imprisonment of writers and artists.

The meeting concluded that an intellectual body should be formed to defend artists and writers, and that laws should be reviewed to ensure that no one is imprisoned due to their creative work.

A number of intellectuals signed a petition to release Naji, saying "We have been following the decline in the performance of Egypts state apparatuses, and the increase of repression and its consequences on personal, academic and creative freedomWe have also [witnessed] incidents that have put Egypt in a very sensitive position on the world stage in a time when we need the acceptance and support of the global community."

The petition described imprisoning Naji as part of an attacks campaign targeting writers and journalists for their opinions. Up until the publication of this piece, 150 people have signed the petition until the publication of this piece including novelists Alaa Al-Aswany, Ahdaf Soueif and visual artists Hala El-Koussy, Adel El-Siwi, and ex-minister of culture, Shaker Abdel-Hameed.

Three requests have been filed to the general prosecutor, Nabil Sadiq, to suspend Naji's sentence. No reply has yet been received.

Dar Al-Tanweer, the publisher of Naji's novel Istikhdam Al-Hayat (Using Life), will hold a solidarity conference on Wednesday 24 February at 5:00pm at its headquarters in downtown Cairo. The conference will be attended by ex ministers of culture Gaber Asfour and Shaker Abdel-Hameed, artist Adel El-Siwi, writer Mahmoud El-Wardani, renowned novelist Sonalla Ibrahim, novelist Mohamed Salmawy, and publisher Ibrahim El-Moallem.

The Egyptian publishers association expressed its concern and demanded that the sentence be suspended saying that such verdicts restrict freedom of expression and negatively affect Egypts cultural and creative sphere.

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The United States and Russia have agreed on plans for a cessation of hostilities in Syria, a move that could pave the way for an expansion of humanitarian aid to besieged cities and set the stage for a resumption of talks on a political transition.

In a joint statement Monday, the U.S. and Russia proposed the ceasefire begin on Feb. 27.

It would apply to all parties in the conflict, with the exception of terrorist groups such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra.

The White House said President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone Monday to discuss the agreement.

The joint U.S-Russian statement said a "communication hotline" would be established to help promote and sustain a ceasefire and that a working group would be set up for an exchange of information, if necessary.

"Over the coming days, we will be working to secure commitments from key parties that they will abide by the terms of this cessation," said Secretary of State John Kerry.

"This is a moment of promise," he said, but added that fulfillment depended on actions.

 Syria Support Group

The U.S. and Russia are co-chairs of a ceasefire task force that is part of the 17-nation International Syria Support Group.

The group met in Munich earlier this month and had hoped to announce an initial ceasefire plan by last Friday.

Word of the potential truce comes a day after Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Damascus and Homs left over 100 people dead.

Earlier Monday, State Department spokesman Mark Toner condemned the attacks, and said it would take a "united and global effort to destroy this terrorist organization."

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement the terror attacks need an adequate reaction from the international community.
The European Chamber of Commerce in Beijing said the European Union is unlikely to lift trade barriers later this year because of growing fears Chinese exports are leading to untold losses of jobs on the continent.

Regardless of whether it is on the campaign trail in the U.S. presidential elections or city streets in Europe, concern that China is stealing jobs is spreading.

Earlier this month, workers representing trade unions in 17 countries demonstrated in Brussels carrying banners that read: "Stop China Dumping" and "Say No to MES (Market Economy Status) for China."

The unions blame both China and Russia for creating joblessness, which has dogged Europe for 19 straight months up to last December.

Such unrest is making it extremely difficult for European politicians to support China's demand for being granted the status of a market economy, said Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Chamber of Commerce in China.

 Dumping of Goods

The European Parliament recently began discussing China's demand for market economy status, which, if granted, would reduce trade barriers and make it even easier for Chinese exports to flow to Europe.

Critics warn that could lead to even more dumping of goods at unfairly low prices and potential job losses of as much as 10 million.

"My personal observation of the parliament is that it is pretty much unified that China is challenging jobs in Europe and it doesnt matter whether you are a north or south (of Europe) parliamentarian, you are pretty much against it," Wuttke said.

Chinese companies are plagued with machine overcapacity and low demand. The firms have tried to export their surplus steel, plunging global prices, which has triggered the closure of plants in Europe.

It has also resulted in a growing number of anti-dumping investigations into Chinese products, the European business lobby noted.
British Prime Minister David Cameron says the results of a referendum on Britain's exit from the European Union will be final.

"This is a vital decision for the future of our country and I believe we should also be clear that it is a final decision," Cameron said during an address in Parliament Monday.

He dismissed calls for a second referendum by London Mayor Boris Johnson who suggested the vote to leave could help Britain renegotiate its terms with the EU.

"An idea has been put forward that if the country votes to leave we could have a second renegotiation and perhaps another referendum. Mr. Speaker, I will not dwell on the irony that some people who want to vote to leave apparently want to use a leave vote to remain," Cameron said.

Johnson, one of Britain's most popular but unconventional politicians, is the highest profile Conservative to split with fellow Conservative Cameron over staying in the 28-nation European Union.
A deal to freeze oil production could help buoy depressed crude prices by $10 to $15 dollars a barrel, according to Venezuela's Oil Minister Eulogio Del Pino, who called on OPEC and non-OPEC countries to join the agreement.

Leading OPEC member Saudi Arabia, non-OPEC member Russia, Qatar and Venezuela agreed last week to freeze output at January levels if others joined in. Iran welcomed the move but stopped short of pledging to act itself and it is unclear whether the freeze will actually happen.

"This (deal) will help reach an equilibrium price," Del Pino told state television VTV on Monday morning. "We estimate that there will be a recovery around the middle of the year of some $10, $15 dollars, it's not convenient that oil return to over $100 because then that produces a cycle of falls."

International benchmark Brent crude futures were at around $34.06 a barrel at 1134 GMT on Monday. "We're calling on the rest of producer countries, OPEC and non-OPEC, to join this measure until June and create a monitoring committee to see how prices and supply volumes evolve," added Del Pino, who is also president of state oil company PDVSA.

Venezuela has been pushing for an oil deal to offset a brutal recession that cost the leading Socialist Party its legislative majority in a December election.

Del Pino has called the deal clinched in Doha the "first step" towards a wider pact, but there are doubts the Doha agreement itself will be successful.

A senior U.S. energy official said he was "highly skeptical" of the deal's ability to revert an oversupplied market.

Russia and OPEC were both pumping oil at near-record volumes last month, with Russia reaching another post-Soviet high of 10.88 million barrels per day (bpd).

Del Pino said lack of action could lead to a price collapse due to record crude stocks.

Venezuela, which has the world's largest oil reserves, is currently producing around 2.9 million bpd per day, Del Pino said, with some 500,000 bpd going to the domestic market. "We're going to maintain that through to June," he added.
Google has been named the best foreign employer in Korea among young prospective workers.

The tech giant received over 70 percent of the votes in a poll of 2,007 college students and jobseekers by job search portal Job Korea from Feb. 11 to 18, making it almost three times more popular than second-place Apple Korea with 25.9 percent.

Starbucks Coffee came in third with 17 percent, followed by Nike (15 percent), Yuhan-Kimberly (14 percent), BMW Korea (12 percent) and Louis Vuitton Korea (8 percent).

The main strengths of these foreign employers are the benefits they offer and an open corporate culture rather than high salaries.

Google offers free breakfast and lunch at a cafeteria and has a massage parlor and a game room for its employees. It also gives employees up to 18 weeks of paid maternity leave and a month of paid paternity leave.
The U.S. and North Korea in unofficial exchanges in New York last year discussed the possibility of concluding a peace treaty between the two Koreas, according to a source on Sunday.

The North proposed talks through its permanent mission to the UN headquarters, the source in Washington said. But the talks came to nothing because the U.S. gave priority to denuclearization.

The North has long called for a peace treaty ending the Korean War that was halted by a ceasefire. It claims it is only developing nuclear weapons because of the U.S.' "hostile policy."

Seoul and Washington believe that Pyongyang's ulterior motive is to get U.S. troops to withdraw and take over the entire peninsula. They therefore insist that the North must first give up its nuclear weapons program.

"Days before North Korea's latest nuclear-bomb test, the Obama administration secretly agreed to talks to try to formally end the Korean War," the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

"Instead the U.S. called for North Korea's atomic-weapons program to be simply part of the talks. Pyongyang declined the counter-proposal, according to U.S. officials familiar with the events. Its nuclear test on Jan. 6 ended the diplomatic gambit."

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said, "To be clear, it was the North Koreans who proposed discussing a peace treaty. We carefully considered their proposal, and made clear that denuclearization had to be part of any such discussion."

The Foreign Ministry here said, "Seoul and Washington maintain consistency in focusing on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in any kind of talks with Pyongyang."

"North Korea and the U.S. frequently exchange opinions through the New York channel," a government official here said. "It's an exaggeration to say that the U.S. has 'secretly agreed to talks' with Pyongyang."
A think tank on Monday said no sanctions against North Korea can bite unless its exports of natural resources to China are blocked.

The Korea Economic Research Institute said North Korea's exports to China amounted to US$2.91 billion in 2013, with natural resources making up $1.84 billion.

It added the harshest blow to the Norths efforts to earn hard currency would be blocking these exports.

To put the earnings in perspective, the North's annual anthracite exports alone exceed $1 billion, while it has earned just W100 million per year by supplying workers to the joint Kaesong Industrial Complex.

The North's economic growth in the 2010s was possible thanks to increasing exports of its abundant natural resources to China.

Stopping these exports would make the North much more vulnerable to sanctions aimed at discouraging it from developing nuclear bombs and missiles, the institute said.
Cosmetics store Nature Republic in Myeong-dong, remains Seoul's most expensive piece of real estate for the 13th straight year with 3.3 sq.m valued at W275 million (US$1=W1,235).

The values of the new Lotte World shopping mall in Jamsil and Hyundai Motor headquarters plot in Samseong-dong also soared around 10 percent compared to last year.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Monday that Nature Republic's Myeong-dong store jumped 30 percent compared to 2015 and up around two-fold compared to 2004, when the property first rose to the No. 1 spot.

The top 10 most expensive pieces of real estate remained unchanged, with nine in Myeong-dong and one in Toegyero, downtown Seoul, all costing more than W200 million per 3.3 sq.m.

They are all occupied by cosmetics or clothing stores in areas of the capital frequented by Chinese and Japanese tourists.
Samsung hosted a launch event for its new Galaxy S7 smartphone series in Barcelona on Sunday on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress. But the real showpiece was the virtual reality headset Gear VR distributed to some 5,000 visitors to view the main functions the phone immersively. Samsung hopes that VR technology can help it overcome the deteriorating profitability of smartphones in a saturated market and growing competition from Chinese rivals. Koh Dong-jin, the new president of Samsung's mobile communications business, claimed it intends to "redefine" and "reimagine" the purpose of the smartphone with virtual reality gadgetry.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (left) shakes hands with Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsungs mobile communications business, at the launch of the Galaxy S7 series smartphones in Barcelona, Spain on Sunday. /AP-Yonhap

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a cameo appearance at the event. "Pretty soon we're going to live in a world where everyone has the power to share and experience whole scenes as if you're just there, right there in person," Zuckerberg claimed. "And that's why Facebook is investing so much early on in virtual reality. So we can hope to deliver these types of social experiences." Samsung has been developing VR headsets in partnership with Oculus VR, a start-up Facebook acquired in 2014. Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge phones, as well as the Gear 360 camera which enables 360-degree filming to create virtual reality content. The filmed images can be sent to the smartphone for editing, storing and viewing later through the Gear VR. At present, the Galaxy S7 series, as well as S6 and Galaxy Note 5 can be connected to the Gear 360.

Participants wear virtual reality headsets at Samsungs launch of the Galaxy S7 series smartphones in Barcelona, Spain on Sunday. /Yonhap

Ben Wood, an analyst at UK-based market researcher CCS Insight, recently pointed out that the field of virtual reality is one of Samsung strengths that it should pursue to get ahead of Apple. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have managed to eke out some hardware improvements over other models in an increasingly samey market. The S7 Edge's screen is 5.5 inches, while the S7's is 5.1 inches. The camera has also been bolstered to feature a dual-pixel image sensor for the first time. The S7's battery cannot be removed, but battery life has allegedly been increased by 18 percent for the S7 and 38 percent for the S7 Edge, while wireless recharging is also possible. Still, critics were underwhelmed. The Wall Street Journal said Samsung's latest smartphone lacked "showstopping" power. The new phones go on sale on March 11 in Korea, the U.S. and other major markets.
Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the BJP-led Centre of trying to divide society with its insistence of Hindi.
#Navy plans Navy eyes creation of unmanned command in 2040s South Korea's Navy is seeking to create a new command running unmanned ships, submarines and aircraft in the 2040s, the armed service said Friday, in an effort to address a potenti...

#SK data center fire SK C&C's data center raided over massive server outage Police on Friday raided regional offices of SK C&C, the host of the data center for Kakao Corp., in an investigation into a data center fire last week that caused massive servi...
The Grand Social in Dublin is hosting a free screening of new Michael Jackson documentary 'Michael Jackson's Journey: From Motown to Off the Wall' this Friday.

Directed by Spike Lee, the film collates "material from Michaels personal archive, interviews with contemporary talents and family members, and Michaels own words and image to create this insightful chronicle from the stars early rise to fame through the release of this seminal album".

It features contributions from The Weeknd, Pharrell Williams, Kobe Bryant, Mark Ronson, John Legend, Questlove, Katherine Jackson, Joe Jackson, L.A. Reid and more.

The Grand Social is hosting a free screening at 7pm on Friday, which will be followed by a 'Michael Jackson Disco Party' that will run til the wee hours.

Entry is free, but you must register for tickets via [email protected], or by calling into the venue to ask for tickets.

The documentary is also being released in a special CD/DVD bundle featuring 'Off the Wall' on Friday, and attendees will be given the chance to win copies, too.
AWARD 1







I won the second prize in policy category of the African Information society Initiative ( AISI) awards 2004 which is annually organized by the United Nations- Economic Commission for Africa ( UNECA) based in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. On the first photo above standing with other awardees after the Ceremony at the National Settlers monument in Grahamstown, South Africa.This was during the 8th Highway Africa Conference.The second photo shows the cross section of Jounalists from different African countries who attended the ceremony.



AWARD 2



I also won the AISI-GKP/SDC Media Award special reporting on WSIS process and Africa, and conferred with the award in Tunis, Tunisia during WSIS summit in 2005. See the photo above.



AWARD 3



Winner on the Media Competition on writing about " Stigma denial and Discrimination " associated with HIV/AIDS . This was organized by the Association of Journalists Against Aids in Tanzania ( AJAAT ). On the Photo above President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania, ( then the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) was the guest of honour during the award giving ceremony.This was at Maelezo auditorium in Dar-es-Salaam September 2005.



AWARD 4 Winner on the Media Competition on writing about " Vulnerable Children " associated with HIV/AIDS This was organized by the Association of Journalists Against Aids in Tanzania ( AJAAT)



AWARD 5



Winner of the National ICT Media Award organized By SWOPNET in the Country. On the photo above Morogoro Regional Commissioner, Brigadier General ( Rt) Saidi Kalembo was the guest of honour during the award giving ceremony which was held at New Sarvoy Hotel in morogoro town.I was awarded a Mobile phone and a tape-recorder.



AWARD 6



I participated in the Media Competition in writing about VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) in Tanzania which was held between July 15th and October 30th 2008 whereby I emerged among the top five winners. The competition was under the program known as Tanzania bila Ukwimwi inawezekana which literally means, Tanzania without AIDS disease transmission is possible. This is a program which was organized by the Association of Journalists Against AIDS in Tanzania (AJAAT) under TACAIDS funding. In the photo, I am being presented with a certificate of participation by the Chairman of the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) Dr. Fatma Mrisho in a colorful ceremony which was held on 22nd December 2008 at Tanzania Information Centre in Dar es Salaam.

AWARD 7



AWARD 8



AWARD 9



Google Site Translator Get the Google Site Translator widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox!
Experts call for greater awareness of anti-money laundering laws Updated: 2016-02-23 14:24 By Jiang Xueqing(China Daily)

Academics and lawyers said Chinese financial institutions that expand globally must know very well the anti-money laundering laws, regulations and common practice of the countries they are in and improve their AML internal control system accordingly.

Wu Qing, deputy director of banking research at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said China attaches great importance to anti-money laundering but its laws and regulations in this field are different from those in other countries, thus requiring the overseas branches of commercial banks to be familiar with the rules of their host countries.

A Hong Kong-based lawyer, who declined to be named, said anti-money laundering is extremely complicated that even banks from the United States and Europe often face such problems.

"Banks should be careful about entering the market of another country and they need to have a good knowledge of the new market, including its companies and the state of society," he said.

That task is easier said than done. Sometimes a bank does not know a problem has occurred until it breaks out. Everything goes well before that, he added.

The Madrid branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd, the nation's largest commercial lender by assets, was raided by Spanish law enforcement officers last week as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering, Agence France-Presse reported.

The bank told Xinhua News Agency in a written interview on Saturday: "The case is still in the process of investigation. As no judicial conclusion has been reached so far, people should not deduce the ICBC Madrid branch is guilty. We reserve the right to take legal action against those who maliciously scandalize our bank."

The bank said it strictly abides by the anti-money laundering regulations in its host countries and has built a tight AML management system.

It "conscientiously fulfills statutory duties such as client identification and the monitoring and reporting of suspicious transactions, constantly improves risk control over money laundering, and keeps strengthening the integrity, rationality and effectiveness of internal control".

"We established an anti-money laundering system for overseas branches with clear division of labor at the head office level. Each of our overseas branches built an AML mechanism led by the compliance department and participated by various business departments, with the executives taking responsibility. They also set up organization frameworks and operation mechanisms that are compatible with the regulatory requirements of local authorities," the bank said.

China has expressed its concern over the case. The Chinese embassy in Madrid issued a statement on Thursday, reiterating that the Chinese government always demands that domestic companies operating abroad strictly abide by the laws, both of China and the country they are working in.

"The Madrid branch of ICBC told its headquarters it used the latest anti-money laundering system provided by the Spanish authorities for strict supervision," the embassy said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on the same day: "We hope Spain will handle relevant issues fairly according to the laws, guarantee the legal rights of Chinese companies and staff there, and maintain good development of Sino-Spanish relations."

jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn
Americans continue to view China as top economic power: poll Updated: 2016-02-23 14:30 (Xinhua)

WASHINGTON - Americans continue to believe that China, rather than the United States, is the world's leading economic power, finds a Gallup poll released Monday.

The poll, conducted on Feb 3-7, finds that 50 percent of Americans view China as the leading economic power, compared to 37 percent who believe their country is the top economy in the world.

In the year 2000, when the US economy was booming, nearly two-thirds of Americans saw their own country as the leading global economic power. Japan was viewed as second at 16 percent, and China was third at 10 percent, according to Gallup.

However, by the next time Gallup asked about this in February 2008, when the United States was in recession and China's economy was growing at nearly 10 percent annually, China edged ahead of the United States to 40 percent, while the latter gained 33 percent. By 2011, the majority of US adults believed China was the world's No 1 economy.

Whether China or the United States is the largest economic power is not entirely straightforward. Data from the US Department of Commerce shows that the US annual gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014 was $17,348 billion, while China's GDP in the same year was 63,591 billion yuan ($9,740 billion), according to China's National Bureau of Statistics.

Although China's GDP now counts for a little more than half of that of the United States, the International Monetary Fund recently declared China to be the biggest on the basis of purchasing power.

Meanwhile, Gallup finds more Americans predicting that the United States will be the world's leading economic power in 20 years.

Forty-four percent expect the United States to be No 1 at that time, eclipsing the 34 percent who name China as the world's future No 1 economy in 20 years.

This is nearly a reversal of attitudes from 2011 and 2012, when more Americans named China than the United States. Still, it is a long way from 2000, when the United States was the dominant response.

Americans viewed Japan as more powerful a decade and a half ago, at a time when its economy was the world's second-largest, a position the island nation lost to China in recent years.

But today, no other country really competes with China and the United States for the distinction of global economic power in the minds of Americans. In terms of the current leading economic powers, only 5 percent name Japan, 4 percent name the European Union, 2 percent name Russia and 1 percent name India.

China's rapid economic growth over the past decade or more, along with the US economic struggles, likely contributed to Americans' perceptions that China had overtaken the United States.
Supply-side reform a recipe for China's economic rebalancing Updated: 2016-02-23 15:06 (Xinhua)

BEIJING - Kocel Machinery Company, a State-owned enterprise (SOE) that had been struggling in the anemic foundry industry, is recovering amid a wave of economic reforms in China.

After piloting an employee stock ownership plan and introducing 3D printing techniques, the 50-year-old manufacturer, located in Yinchuan in west China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, has seen improved productivity and worker morale.

A computerized production system has cut the time needed for casting engine parts from over a month to just 10 hours. Precision machinery has narrowed sample errors to 0.3 mm from 1 mm. Workshops are no longer filled with powders and fumes.

"The company has been reborn," said Kocel president Peng Fan. "I am confident profits will double this year."

Given that the foundry sector is still dominated by old techniques globally, Kocel is aiming to become an industry leader, Peng said.

The SOE's transformation is a remarkable example of ongoing upgrades in sluggish traditional industries, as China promotes an ambitious economic overhaul to achieve rebalancing amid downward pressure.

"Supply-side structural reform" was proposed by China's policymakers in Nov, 2015 as the latest remedy for economic ills caused by breakneck growth.

It quickly became a buzzword among economists and will likely be a highlight of the upcoming legislative session to convene on March 5.

Analysts expect the reforms will be prioritized in this year's government work report to be delivered by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and further elaborated in the 13th Five-Year Plan to be approved by legislators.

The country's most significant annual political event, the Fourth Session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) is expected to focus on economic issues this year due to grim domestic and global outlook.

Around 3,000 deputies to the NPC, including those from Ningxia, where Kocel is based, will gather in Beijing to map out economic development over the next five years.

For nearly three decades, China's economic miracles were envied and admired, until a slowdown in recent years left many jittery. In 2015, the country's GDP growth dipped to its weakest level in 25 years.

What lies behind the sagging growth appears to be structural ills, according to policymakers.
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WASHINGTON -- The United States and Russia announced Monday the plan for a cessation of hostilities in Syria that will begin on Feb 27, the US State Department said.

In a joint statement, the two countries said the ceasefire agreement will not apply to "Daesh", also known as the Islamic State, "Jabhat al-Nusra", or other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council.

Any party engaged in conflicts in Syria will indicate to Russia or the US their commitment to and acceptance of the terms for the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12:00 (Damascus time) on Feb. 27, said the joint statement issued by the State Department.

"I am gratified to see the final arrangements concluded today for a cessation of hostilities in Syria and call on all parties to accept and fully comply with its terms," US Secretary of State John Kerry said.
featured the article by,  Neda: The Voice of the Iranian People , as one of the first three blogs worldwide to bring the fate of Neda to the public.
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"Real talk: Daniel Rubin has a great little piece up wherein he chats with The Field Negro, the Philly-based blogger who sharply ponders all things black on a daily basis. (Seriously, if youve never checked in with TFN, you should: Its author, Wayne Bennett, is a fantastic read who can cut through bullshit like a hot knife through butter, which is a far grosser analogy than I wanted to make, but there you have it.)"

~Philebrity~



"One of the most precocious and hilarious Black political minds on the net. Ive been a long-time fan!" ~Asad Malik~









"..While most of what he writes is tongue-in-cheek, his space is a safe house for candid discussions about race, especially in the comments section, where people of all colors meet."



~~Daniel Rubin, "The Philadelphia Inquirer"~~



"To white people, Bennett's musings are like kitchen-table talk from a kitchen they may otherwise never set foot in. To African Americans, he is part of a growing army of black Internet amateurs who have taken up the work once reserved for ministers and professional activists: the work of setting a black agenda, shaping black opinion and calling attention to the state of the nation's racial affairs."



~~Richard Fausset, "L.A. Times"~~~











~Erik Hare, "The Twin Cities Daily Planet"~



"That's why I love the blog " Field Negro " so much. Field, as he's known to his fans, has the sense of reality that it takes to call out the ( CowPuckey ) of blame beating by those who are in positions of power and their lackeys. Because of his handle and his unabashed way of writing about racial issues, Field is often cited as a "Black blogger." What he is, however, is a first-class detector of blame deflection and an excellent student of history. If you want to write about the past and future of repression there's really no other perspective to take - which is why everyone should read Field."~Erik Hare, "The Twin Cities Daily Planet"~





411 On The Field field negro Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Raised in the house, but field certified. Jamaica is the land of my birth, but I consider myself a citizen of the world. I currently practice law in the city of "brotherly love". View my complete profile



"Half a century after Little Rock, the Montgomery bus boycott and the tumultuous dawn of the modern civil rights era, the new face of the movement is Facebook, MySpace and some 150 black blogs united in an Internet alliance they call the

AfroSpear.



Older, familiar leaders such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, are under challenge by a younger generation of bloggers known by such provocative screen names as Field Negro, thefreeslave

and African American Political Pundit. And many of the newest struggles are being waged online."



~Howard Witt-The Chicago Tribune~



"I had no idea, for example, of the extent of the African-American blogging world out there and its collective powers of dissemination.But now, after reading thousands of anguished, thoughtful comments posted on these blogs reflecting on issues of persistent racial discrimination in the nation's schools and courtrooms, what's clear to me is that there's a new, "virtual" civil rights movement out there on the Internet that can reach more people in a few hours than all the protest marches, sit-ins and boycotts of the 1950s and 60s put together." ~Chicago Tribune Reporter, Howard Witt~

IF YOU ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO FLAUNT IT. Come visit my store on CafePress!




































Investors interested in a tax-free stable income may consider municipal bond mutual funds. Municipal bonds or munis are preferred by investors seeking a steady stream of tax-free income in a volatile market. Though munis come with lower yields than taxable bonds, they fetch better returns for investors in high tax brackets if we consider after-tax returns.

California municipal bond mutual funds form one of the main segments in this category. These funds invest in municipal debt obligations of the issuers from the state. These mutual funds are expected to offer the states investors a steady income which is exempted from federal income tax and California state income tax.

Below we share with you three top-rated California muni bond mutual funds. Each has earned a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and is expected to outperform its peers in the future. To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all muni bond mutual funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of muni bond funds .

Franklin California High Yield Municipal A (FCAMX) seeks a high tax-free income. FCAMX invests a large share of its assets in municipal securities that pay interest, which is exempted from taxes collected by the government and the state of California. The fund may also invest all of its assets in instruments that provide return which is not exempted from federal alternative minimum tax. FCAMX may invest a maximum of 35% of its assets in municipal bonds approved by the U.S. territories including Puerto Rico. The Franklin California High Yield Municipal A fund returned 3.1% in the past three months.

John S. Wiley is one of the fund managers of FCAMX since 1993.

American Century California High Yield Muni A (CAYAX) invests a large chunk of its assets in municipal securities that are believed to provide interest income free from federal and California income taxes. CAYAX focuses on acquiring California municipal securities that are rated below investment grade. The fund may also invest in securities that are unrated. American Century California High Yield Muni A is a non-diversified fund that returned 3.2% in the past three months.

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As of December 2015, CAYAX held 371 issues, with 3.61% of its assets invested in Foothill/Eastern Transn Corr Ref Re 6%.

Invesco California Tax-Free Income Y (CLFDX) seeks tax-exempted high income. CLFDX invests the major portion of its assets in California municipal securities that provide interest income exempted from federal and California state income taxes. The fund focuses on acquiring securities that are considered investment grade. CLFDX may also invest not more than 20% of its assets in junk bonds. The Invesco California Tax-Free Income Y fund returned 2.8% in past three months.

CLFDX has an expense ratio of 0.61% compared with the category average of 0.90%.

To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all muni bond mutual funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of muni bond funds .

About Zacks Mutual Fund Rank

By applying the Zacks Rank to mutual funds, investors can find funds that not only outpaced the market in the past but are also expected to outperform going forward. Learn more about the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank at https://www.zacks.com/funds.



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Iwo Jima

The raising of the US flag atop Mount Suribachi on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima 71 years ago is perhaps the most iconic image of World War Two.

No other picture so succinctly and evocatively captures the triumph of the Allied forces, while also highlighting the critical role that US troops played in the Pacific. The picture has also become one of the enduring symbols of the US Marine Corps.

Joe Rosenthal, at the time an unknown Associated Press photographer, is the man behind the photo. Although it was technically the second flag raising on Iwo Jima, which shows five Marines and a Navy Corpsman, it is no less important. The first flag planted was replaced, as it was too small to be seen from the coast.

Rosenthal, in an attempt to position himself properly for the shot, almost actually missed the flag raising. In a desperate attempt to capture the scene, Rosenthal shot the image without the use of his viewfinder. His gut instinct certainly hit the mar. He went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for his image.

Almost immediately, though, the overall quality of the framing led to accusations that Rosenthal had framed the picture.

This controversy still remains. Fortunately, an official video of the flag raising by a Marine photographer shows that the events transpired naturally, and exactly as Rosenthal had claimed.

Rosenthal's photo has gone on to become a deeply ingrained cultural image for America. The US Marine Corps War Memorial, in Arlington, Virginia, is modeled after this photo. President Franklin D. Roosevelt also used the image to promote war bonds at the end of the war, and it was featured on stamps.

USMC_War_Memorial_Night

It's important to note that while the image evoked a feeling of American victory, it was shot only five days into the Iwo Jima campaign. The battle went on for many more weeks, and three of the Marines who raised the flag were later killed in action.

Story continues

Although Rosenthal's image has become synonymous with the courage of the Marines, many still debate the value of invading Iwo Jima.

The battle was particularly bloody and was the only battle in which the US Marine Corps suffered more casualties than the Japanese Army. The Japanese were well entrenched on the island when the US decided to invade. Iwo Jima is also a mountainous island, and its topography proved extremely difficult for US troops.

Once taken though, Iwo Jima proved of significant tactical importance as the US military pursued its strategy of "island hopping" to the Japanese mainland. For pushing the US deeper into Japan's Pacific holdings, the military command decided that the 26,000 American casualties was worth the island.

Both the cost and the accomplishment of the campaign is forever immortalized in Rosenthal's photograph.

Iwo_Jima_Suribachi_DN SD 03 11845.JPEG

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By Dmitry Zhdannikov

LONDON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Azeri state oil firm Socar's trading division is looking to reactivate deals with Iran, as well as expanding into new markets ranging from North American crude to natural gas in Europe, its chief executive told Reuters.

Neighbours Azerbaijan and Iran have been strengthening ties since the removal of sanctions against Tehran in January and on Tuesday Iran's national oil company NIOC and Socar signed a memorandum of understanding as part of a visit by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev to the Islamic Republic.

"We have been actively trading with NIOC in the Caspian Sea region, until international sanctions forced us to discontinue such deliveries. There is a great potential to explore," Arzu Azimov, the chief executive of Socar Trading, said.

Other possibilities include trading refined products with Iran in the Gulf, where Socar has storage facilities in the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah. One option was to supply Iran with gasoline and to buy naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), Azimov said.

Geneva-based Socar Trading was set up in 2007 as the trading arm of Socar to market Azeri volumes. It expanded into crude processing and paper trading for hedging purposes before gradually trading third part crude and products.

Azimov said Socar Trading, which currently employs less than 200 people globally sees its role as somewhat different from the trading arms of many national oil companies.

"Where the market is oriented towards direct deals between producers and consumers, there is no space for trading houses. We need to be customer oriented. I see us as a services provider," Azimov told Reuters.

He said about 90 percent of its profit was from outside trading of its parent company's oil or products and it was expanding in new markets beyond oil, such as LNG.

"We decided that buying and selling LNG wasn't terribly attractive. So we started looking at other options. We looked at Malta, an interesting case as it is not connected to an EU gas grid and has been burning fuel oil for heating needs," he said.

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Socar Trading won a tender with a consortium including Germany's Siemens to supply LNG and build a re-gasification facility for the Mediterranean island, with supplies due to begin next year.

Socar Trading plans to open an office in Houston to trade and arbitrage oil and products in and out of the United States. It already has a business unit in Calgary, where it is actively exploring trading opportunities between the U.S. and Canada.

(Editing by Alexander Smith)
ben carson

In a new interview published Tuesday morning, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson compared President Barack Obama's background with that of most African-Americans.

Politico's Glenn Thrush asked Carson about his reaction to Obama becoming the first black president.

"I was proud that we broke the color barrier when he was elected, but I also recognize that his experience and my experience are night-and-day different," Carson replied, according to a transcript.

"He didn't grow up like I grew up by any stretch of the imagination," the acclaimed neurosurgeon added.

Obama was born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and a white mother. He was also partially raised in Indonesia. Carson was born in Detroit, Michigan, to two black parents. Both Carson and Obama were primarily raised by their mothers.

"He was, you know, raised white," Carson told Thrush. "Many of his formative years were spent in Indonesia. So, for him to, you know, claim that, you know, he identifies with the experience of black Americans, I think, is a bit of a stretch."

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bernie sanders

On Sunday evening, Hillary Clinton's campaign released a video of staffers celebrating the former secretary of state's five-point win in last weekend's Nevada caucuses.

"H-R-C! Twenty-sixteen!" they chanted, jumping up and down.

Clinton only picked up four more delegates than Sanders in a state long seen as more favorable to her. But the campaign had good reason to be relieved.

Sanders' failure to break through Clinton's so-called "firewall" in Nevada represented a key rupture in the senator's campaign strategy, at a time when the electoral map becomes far more favorable for Clinton.

According to recent polls, Clinton has a significant advantage in the 12 states set to hold contests over the next two weeks. Those states will award a sizeable chunk of the 2,383 delegates needed to secure the Democratic presidential nomination.

"She could effectively end the race in less than two weeks' time on Super Tuesday," David Wasserman, an analyst with The Cook Political Report, told The New York Times.

Clinton retook the lead from Sanders in pledged delegates after the Nevada caucuses. She now has a 52-51 advantage. And many of the southern states weighing in over the next week appear, at the moment, like virtual locks for Clinton.

She leads in every major recent poll in South Carolina, where the state's majority-black Democratic electorate is overwhelmingly in favor of Clinton. Democrats in the Palmetto State vote Saturday.

Meanwhile, a series of Public Policy Polling surveys from earlier this month showed Clinton with almost 30-point leads over Sanders in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Clinton also held a comfortable lead in a late-January poll in Minnesota, where Sanders told NBC's Chuck Todd on Sunday that the senator would be competitive. Voters in those states all weigh in on "Super Tuesday," March 1.

There are a few bright spots on the map for Sanders, however.

Story continues

The senator is likely to rout Clinton in his home state of Vermont, where the latest poll showed Clinton with just 10% support. At least one recent poll found the senator running ahead of the former secretary of state in Colorado, where he's also secured a congressional endorsement. And polls have shown the two candidates running neck and neck in Massachusetts and Oklahoma.

Until contests in mid-March, Democratic delegates in Democratic primaries are awarded proportionally, based on wins in certain districts. So victories in big states matter more in terms of perception than as a means to securing the nomination.

But as The New York Times reported, even Sanders' campaign recognizes that the delegate math may not play to Sanders' advantage. Senior Sanders campaign adviser Tad Devine suggested to The Times that Sanders' path to the nomination would likely require a string of upsets  as well as a lobbying campaign to convince already-pledged Clinton "superdelegates" to support Sanders.

"The Clintons can get a delegate lead quicker than we can, and they have a way to gut out the delegate fight," Devine told The Times. "We have to turn victories in state after state into big momentum that can change the numbers."

After Super Tuesday, the senator's uphill March battle could get even tougher.

If Clinton maintains her large leads among older and minority voters, particularly black voters, exit polls from 2008 suggest she would have a demographic advantage in winner-take-all states like Ohio, Illinois, Florida, and Missouri.

And as Politico reported Monday, event the dates of the primaries are bad luck for Sanders.

Many of the major nominating contests in March fall during spring break for large universities, making it difficult for the campaign to organize a large turnout from major college campuses.

Though students don't typically make up a large percentage of voters, they can make the difference in key districts.

Former staffers on Sen. Rand Paul's failed presidential bid suggested to Business Insider earlier this year that former Rep. Ron Paul, Rand's father, may have won the popular vote in the 2012 Iowa caucuses if several major universities hadn't been on winter break.

Instead, he was outpaced by Republican candidates Rick Santorum, the eventual winner of the caucuses, and Mitt Romney, the eventual nominee.

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By James Regan SYDNEY (Reuters) - Top global miner BHP Billiton slashed its interim dividend by 75 percent on Tuesday, abandoning a long-held policy of steady or higher payouts as it braces for a longer-than-expected commodities downturn. The end to BHP's so-called progressive dividend policy came as the world's biggest diversified miner slumped to a net loss of $5.67 billion (4.02 billion) for the six months to Dec. 31, its first loss in more than 16 years. "We need to recognise we are in a new era, a new world and we need a different dividend policy to handle that," Chief Executive Andrew Mackenzie said on a media call, warning of a prolonged period of weaker prices and higher volatility. The dividend cut to 16 cents was more severe than market expectations for a payout as high as 35 cents. BHP pledged a minimum 50 percent payout of underlying profit going forward. "Given months of anguish and market debate regarding the dividend, we expect that 16 cents while disappointing, is a cash flow positive and therefore will likely be absorbed by the market," said Shaw and Partners analyst Peter O'Connor. Mackenzie said the shift was part of a broader strategy to help BHP Billiton manage volatility. "The financial flexibility we will gain as a company from this move ... will allow us to invest counter cyclically," he said. "It will allow us to look at tier one assets in distress." Standard & Poor's cut BHP's credit rating to 'A' from 'A+' this month and warned it might downgrade again if the company failed to take more steps to preserve cash and review its dividend policy. "I can't see (the ratings agencies) downgrading. They probably would have if the commodity outlook was still poor, but I think the outlook is starting to turn in BHP's favour," said Fat Prophets mining analyst David Lennox. Mackenzie also announced a revamp of BHP's corporate structure in a bid to simplify operations, creating U.S. and Australian mineral divisions in a move that will see its iron ore chief Jimmy Wilson and petroleum head Tim Cutt depart. BHP shares rose 2.5 percent to $17.62 by early afternoon in a slightly weaker overall market.<.AXJO> Australian Shareholders Association director Geoffrey Bowd said the dividend cut was "very prudent" in light of the commodities outlook. Shares in close peer Rio Tinto have risen some 9 percent since it swapped its progressive dividend policy for a payout ratio on Feb. 11. PROFIT MISS Underlying attributable profit plunged to $412 million from $4.89 billion a year earlier, missing analysts' forecasts for around $585 million, as commodities prices plummeted to multi-year lows. "While the miss looks big in percentage terms, the numbers are quite frankly disappointingly low anyway," said Shaw's O'Connor, pointing to BHP's $100 billion asset base. Despite the tough outlook, Mackenzie said BHP was still generating EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) margins of 40 percent, which is ahead of the reported figure of around 34 percent for Rio Tinto. At today's spot prices, the company would expect to generate $10 billion in operating cash flow for the year, he said. BHP's results included an after tax charge of $858 million following a dam disaster in Brazil at its Samarco joint venture with Vale , which killed 17 people in that country's worst environmental disaster. A total of $6.1 billion of exceptional items included an impairment charge of $4.9 billion against the carrying value of its U.S. onshore oil and gas assets and $390 million for global taxation matters Mackenzie said there were no immediate plans to expand shale operations in the United States, but BHP remained committed to the business. (Reporting by James Regan; Additional reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Richard Pullin)
BRASILIA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Brazil posted a current account deficit of $4.817 billion in January, up from a shortfall of $2.460 billion in December, central bank data showed on Tuesday.

The country was expected to post a current account deficit of $5.9 billion, according to the median forecast in a Reuters poll of 18 analysts.

In the 12 months through January, the deficit was equivalent to 2.94 percent of Brazil's gross domestic product, down from 3.32 percent of GDP the previous month. Brazil attracted $5.455 billion in foreign direct investment last month, the central bank said.

(Reporting by Alonso Soto and Marcela Ayres; Writing by Silvio Cascione)
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's state-run Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4.SA) plans to shut down onshore drilling rigs in at least six states because of the low price of oil, newspaper Valor Economico reported on Tuesday, citing a source with knowledge of the operations.

The paper said Petrobras, as the company is known, would suspend rig operations and other equipment in the states of Espirito Santo, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Rio Grande do Norte and Ceara.

Petrobras is struggling to bring down its debt and has already pared back over the past year its massive five-year investment plan by nearly a quarter to $98 billion.

The source said the cuts in exploration in these states would "eventually affect production," Valor reported.

The company told Reuters in an email on Monday that it was trimming back its drilling operations in Bahia but did not elaborate on other states.

Petrobras representatives could not confirm or deny the report and were unable to provide further information on Tuesday morning.

(Reporting by Reese Ewing; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
SANTIAGO, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The Chilean arm of Brazilian financial group BTG Pactual said Tuesday that it had fired 16 percent of its workforce, as part of cost-cutting restructuring in the wider company following the arrest of its billionaire founder.

BTG Pactual Chile said that the reduction of 58 workers was aimed at cutting costs by around 25 percent.

Last month, the Brazilian parent fired some 18 percent of its Brazil-based staff. It is seeking to sell assets and raise cash following the arrest of its billionaire founder Andre Esteves in November, which triggered massive client money outflows.

Esteves was detained on suspicion of obstructing the largest graft probe in Brazil's history.

BTG Pactual Chile said the job cuts would not affect business operations. Despite press speculation about an impending sale late last year, the Chilean business has not been formally put up for sale.

(Reporting by Felipe Iturrieta, Writing by Rosalba O'Brien, Editing by W Simon)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 23, 2016 / California Cannabis Business Expo offers all the legal cannabis business information fit to know, along with five of the cannabis industry's biggest must-attend events in three days at the Hilton Union Square, San Francisco, March 3-5, 2016.

In addition to multiple educational seminars, CCBE celebrity guest appearances include Julian Marley and Alan Thicke, and a Friday night after-party and concert featuring tribute bands Zep Again and House of Floyd.

The Great Marijuana Debate

The Great Marijuana Debate, co-sponsored by MJIC Media and Procon.org, tackles the thorny topic: "Marijuana Policy: Which Way Should It Go?" and features Ethan Nadelmann, (Pro), Executive Director DPA and David Evans, (Con), Executive Director, Drug Free Schools Coalition.

CannaPitch IPO

CannaPitch IPO, the legal cannabis industry's premiere pitch event, will be open to the investing public, bringing true crowdfunding to cannabis companies. Four of the industry's hottest and fastest growing companies that are planning and in the process of going public via Regulation A+ will share their stories onstage in front of a panel of five professional investors and a crowd of private investors. The "crowd" will have the opportunity to reserve shares in upcoming IPOs at this one-of-a-kind cannabis roadshow. Participants include a custom packaging company, a real estate industrial park and an online technology platform.

@420 Pitch

CCBE has partnered with Weed Club for an @420 Pitch event, bringing together the Bay Area's best and brightest entrepreneurs and investors. Get an early look at the top 10 emerging cannabis startups as they compete for the interests of the investor panel.

Oaksterdam University

Dale Sky Jones, Executive Chancellor of Oaksterdam University, will facilitate a Business Prerequisites for the Cannabis Industry course. Designed for both entrepreneurs and investors, the course will provide critical information about federal and state laws, along with appropriate legal entities for cannabis businesses. The course also will include the basics of cannabis horticulture.

Story continues

Legislative Voices of Change

Rob Bonta, Fiona Ma and Tom Lackey will represent the voices of legislative change in three separate sessions. In separate keynote speeches, Bonta will discuss the new California regulations, Ma will address the state of cannabis banking; and Lackey will be interviewed by Bruce Barcott.

About the California Cannabis Business Expo

The 2nd Annual Cannabis Business Expo, produced by MJIC Media, is the leading forum in one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. This event is the focus for decision makers in the cannabis industry including; current business owners and managers, entrepreneurs starting a cannabis business, investors providing private equity & resources, and professional and business service providers. This year our expo moves from Colorado, the first state to legalize adult use marijuana to California - the largest legal cannabis market in North America.

CONTACT:

Kristin Fox

kfox@foxinspires.com

708-267-2584

SOURCE: MJIC Media, Inc.
* Brookfield, Qube may make joint bid - Asciano

* Move could circumvent regulatory hurdles - lawyers (Recasts, adds quotes, shares)

By Byron Kaye and Swati Pandey

SYDNEY, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Canada's Brookfield Asset Management Inc and its Australian rival are weighing a joint A$9 billion ($6.5 billion) bid for Australia's biggest rail and port operator, an unusual measure aimed at ending the fiercest takeover battle now raging in the Asia Pacific after seven months.

Target firm Asciano Ltd revealed on Tuesday that Brookfield and the company it has been bidding against, Australian cargo handler Qube Holdings Ltd, have entered talks about a possible joint offer.

The ceasefire, if it leads to a concrete offer, would deny the rival firms full control of the Australian freight giant but would spare further delays in clinching a deal as they outbid each other.

It could also circumvent a run-in with regulators, particularly the Foreign Investment Review Board, as the proposal under discussion involves giving Brookfield and Qube joint ownership of Asciano's ports - which the government views as strategic assets that should remain in Australian hands - while their foreign bid partners would own the railways.

Reuters previously reported that Brookfield has partnered with the Qatar Investment Authority and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, while Qube has teamed up with government-owned China Investment Corp.

"Any proposal for more Chinese interest in ports would be likely to be sensitive," said an M&A lawyer who also asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.

"Provided this aspect is managed well, I expect that FIRB would be fine with what I understand to be predominantly Canadian and Australian interests taking control of these assets," they added.

Qube shares rose more than 10 percent on hopes that a joint offer might end the stand-off. Asciano shares rose 1.5 percent.

Brookfield declined to comment on the proposal while a Qube spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Story continues

A week earlier, Asciano quit its support for the stand-alone bid Brookfield made last July after Qube upped its counter-offer and added CIC to its consortium. Brookfield responded that it would raise its bid and take in outside investors.

On Tuesday, a source familiar with that situation told Reuters that since then, Brookfield and Qube had started talks aimed at a joint proposal that would give Brookfield and Qube joint ownership of the ports and their bid partners the railway.

The proposal would also distance Brookfield from Asciano's railways, as Brookfield already has rail assets in Australia.

"It's just about short circuiting what was going to be a long and involved and potentially costly process between two parties who clearly wanted the asset badly," said the source, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Asciano said the discussions remained preliminary and that it would continue to recommend Qube's proposal in the absence of a higher bid. ($1 = 1.3833 Australian dollars) (Additional reporting by Elzio Barretto in HONG KONG; Editing by Stephen Coates and Miral Fahmy)
(Adds quotes, break-up details)

SYDNEY, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Consortiums led by Canada's Brookfield Asset Management Inc and Australia's Qube Holdings are considering joining forces to make a A$9 billion ($6.5 billion) bid for Asciano Ltd, the Australian port and rail giant said.

A new deal would deliver a higher value to Asciano shareholders and speed up approval from the competition watchdog, the two bidding parties said in separate letters to the Asciano board.

The discussions remained preliminary, non-binding and there was no formal agreement yet, leading Asciano to continue to recommend Qube's A$9.01 billion ($6.51 billion) offer.

The joint proposal, which would involve splitting Asciano between the various prospective buyers, marks yet another twist in what would be Australia's biggest buyout from an overseas entity in half a decade. Earlier this month, Asciano dumped an A$8.9 billion bid from Brookfield after Qube upped its offer.

In a letter to Asciano Chairman Malcolm Broomhead, Brookfield Chief Executive Officer Sam Pollock said the revised buyout would improve the chances of approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which has said it is concerned by elements of Brookfield's and Qube's bids.

Under the new proposal, several of Brookfield's and Qube's bid partners, including China Investment Corp, would take Asciano's national rail freight business, while Qube and Brookfield would join to buy its ports business.

"The basis for the discussions is to seek to develop a proposal that ... is capable of achieving expeditious ACCC review and provides greater certainty as to timing of completion," Pollock wrote in his letter, published by Asciano.

Asciano said it remained committed to Qube's proposal "in the absence of a superior proposal capable of acceptance".

($1 = 1.3826 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Byron Kaye and Swati Pandey; Editing by Stephen Coates)
Visitors walk past a model of the C919 aircraft, presented by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China,Ltd. (COMAC) during the 49th Paris Air Show at the Le Bourget airport near Paris, in this file photo dated June 20, 2011. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

By Siva Govindasamy

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd (Comac) aims to conduct the first flight of its much-delayed C919 passenger jet around the end of 2016 to early 2017, people close to the aircraft programme told Reuters.

The timing will allow engineers at the state-owned aerospace company to complete ground tests beforehand without undue haste, said the people, who were not authorized to speak with media on the matter and so declined to be identified.

Comac's C919 represents China's attempt to challenge Airbus Group SE (AIR.PA) and Boeing Co (BA.N) in the market for narrow-body aircraft. It is scheduled to reach its first buyers in 2018 after a series of production delays pushed deliveries back four years, though industry observers expect delays into the 2020s.

The company unveiled the airplane in November and said it had received 517 orders, mainly from Chinese lessors. However, the plane will not be airborne until around a year after its unveiling while Comac conducts ground tests.

"This will allow them to go through the tests gradually, and iron out as many kinks as possible in the aircraft's structure and design," said one of the people who is in regular contact with Comac officials.

"Their executives keep emphasizing that they would rather the aircraft be late than unsafe."

Officials at Shanghai-based Comac, which oversees the plane's development and production, declined to comment.

OUT OF DATE

The C919 is a single-aisle plane akin to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 used on flights of up to five hours, with seating for up to 168 passengers.

Single-aisle planes account for over half of all aircraft in service. They also make up 62 percent of all planes on order in the 20 years from 2015, with orders reaching 25,354 units, said consultancy Flightglobal Ascend.

The C919 is built with parts from such global suppliers as Honeywell International Inc (HON.N), United Technologies Corp (UTX.N) subsidiary Goodrich, Rockwell Collins Inc (COL.N) and Parker-Hannifin Corp (PH.N) unit Parker Aerospace.

Story continues

Its engines are by CFM International, a joint venture of the aviation unit of General Electric Co (GE.N) and Safran SA (SAF.PA) subsidiary Snecma.

Production delays, however, mean the C919 is likely to be only as good as current A320s and 737s at best, and that it will be technologically behind upgraded versions of those rival planes, industry analysts said.

Airbus has started delivering A320neo planes to customers, while Boeing will begin deliveries of the 737 Max next year.

(Reporting by Siva Govindasamy; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Legal hassles mount at Credit Suisse Group AG CS as the Swiss banking giant is reportedly under investigation by Milan prosecutors to ascertain whether the bank was engaged in money laundering and helped clients in tax evasion. According to a release by Bloomberg, the probe involves billions of euros of insurance policies sold to Italian clients to hide funds from authorities.



Citing people familiar with the matter, the release stated that beginning 2005, Credit Suisse allegedly helped around 4,000 clients to hide 8 billion of funds that were earned illegally, primarily as income that was undeclared to Italian tax authorities.



Credit Suisse sold insurance policies to its Italian clients through its subsidiaries in Lichtenstein and Bermuda. The arrangement helped them evade a Swiss withholding tax on deposits in foreign-held accounts. At the same time, such clients retained access to their cash that could be managed from Swiss accounts.



The Italian probe in Credit Suisse that began around two years ago, led to the detection of 13,000 private and corporate clients with billions of euros of funds in Swiss accounts including clients who purchased 8 billion insurance policies.



Without commenting on the investigation, the bank noted Credit Suisses business with private clients is systematically focused on declared assets and we have clear internal rules and processes in place to ensure that we conduct our business in accordance with the applicable laws in Italy.



Notably, the bank could face penalties including fines or suspension of business in Italy in the event the accusations are proved.



Separately, Italys tax agency and financial police are reviewing whether the clients, who followed the procedures as recommended by Credit Suisse, dodged taxes.



Amid international pressure on Switzerlands secrecy laws, Swiss banks have been under investigation related to their transactions with wealthy clients and hidden offshore accounts. Regulatory authorities have claimed billions as settlements and fines from several banks. Notably, in May 2014, Credit Suisse pleaded guilty to criminal charges of assisting its U.S. clients to evade taxes and shelled out $2.8 billion as settlement charges to the U.S. authorities. In 2009, another Swiss banking behemoth UBS Group AG UBS paid $780 million to regulators as settlement related to U.S. criminal and civil investigation and admitted that it had helped clients evade taxes.



Credit Suisse currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). A couple of better-ranked foreign banks include Banco Macro S.A. BMA and Nordea Bank AB (publ) NRBAY, each sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).



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Labor unions, once a key part the American workforce, have been on the decline for decades.

As jobs have moved to "Right-to-work" states, the number of Americans that are a member of a labor union has gone from around 30% of the population in the 1950s to just over 10% in 2010.

Whether or not this is good news, one thing is for sure  the decline in unions and their ability to force work stoppages has been precipitous.

This point was further emphasized in a chart from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing the drop-off in major work stoppages since 1980.

"In 2015, there were 12 major work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers," said a post from the BLS' Economics Daily blog.

"From 2010 to 2015, the number of major work stoppages ranged from 11 to 19. In 2009, there were 5 major work stoppages recorded, the lowest of any year since the series began in 1947. In general, the number of major work stoppages has declined over time."

And so as the membership of labor unions has declined so too has the frequency of a major negotiating tactic.

Feb 23 COTD 2016

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Do Spirit Airlines' 4Q15 Earnings Suggest Sunnier Skies Ahead?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Current valuation

As of February 5, 2016, Spirit Airlines (SAVE) was valued at 4.65x its forward EV-to-EBITDA ratio. This is lower than SAVEs average valuation (since 2012) of 6.6x. It is, however, slightly higher than the industry median valuation of 4.12x.

Analysts are expecting SAVEs EBITDA to grow by only 7% in the next four quarters. This is substantially below peers Southwest Airlines (LUV) and JetBlue Airways (JBLU), whose EBITDAs are expected to grow by 11% and 26%, respectively. Legacy carriers Delta Air Lines (DAL), Alaska Air Groups (ALK), and United Continentals (UAL) EBITDAs are expected to grow by ~10% in 2016.

As can be seen from the chart above, Spirit Airlines valuation has been above the industry median since the start of 2014. However, it has also been in a steady decline since then. Spirit Airlines has enjoyed a historical premium of over 30% compared to its peers. This has narrowed to only 9%.

Our analysis

Some of the reasons for Spirit Airlines (SAVE) premium to its peers were its industry-leading growth, high traffic growth, high margins, and low leverage.

However, SAVEs growth seems to have come at a cost. It has seen one of the fastest declines in yields during 2015. Aggressive capacity expansion has also led to declining utilization since 2014, when most airlines utilization was improving.

To top the concerns over Spirit Airlines, fears of overcapacity in the industry and fuel price increases seem to be concerning investors. Because fuel is a major expense for the airline industry, rising fuel costs should have an immediate impact on profitability if airlines cannot pass on these costs to their passengers. This would adversely affect valuations.

On the other hand, improving global travel and economic outlook would be a huge positive for the airline. Investors should watch out for those signs by following our industry insights. Investors should keep an eye on how SAVEs future capacity expansion affects utilization, yields, and future margins, especially as analysts are now expecting airlines margins to have peaked.

Story continues

Investors can gain exposure to airline stocks by investing in the iShares Transportation Average ETF (IYT), which invests ~24% of its portfolio in airlines.

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Peter Vincent 60 Minutes El Chapo

When vaunted Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman slipped out of a high-security prison and disappeared in July, most observers expected a protracted search, as happened during the 13 years he spent on the run after his first escape in 2001.

But, it turns out, Guzmans pursuers had a little help from the drug lord himself, former US law-enforcement officials told CBS' "60 Minutes" in an episode that aired Sunday.

"He became drunk on his own wine," said Peter Vincent, who served as a senior official and legal adviser of the Justice Department and Homeland Security during the latest hunt for the Mexican drug lord.

"He started to believe the hype that he was special, that he was almost a demigod, that he was truly magical," Vincent added. "And he became so incredibly arrogant that he thought he was untouchable."

The suggestion that hubris led to Guzman's recapture just six months after his escape was echoed by Jim Dinkins, who, as former chief of Homeland Security investigations, was part of the joint task force that recaptured Guzman in 2014 before the drug lord escaped a second time.

Guzman had "definitely" gotten sloppy, Dinkins told "60 Minutes." "There were more sightings of him in the last six months than there was in the  last 10 years of before he was captured in 2014," he said.

Guzman was ultimately recaptured on January 8 in the city of Los Mochis, in northwest Sinaloa state. The month before, Mexican officials had become aware the house was being prepped for Guzman's arrival.

el chapo home

As Mexican marines were moving into position to raid the house, an armored truck left to pick up a big order of tacos  a sign, according to "60 Minutes," that Guzman was having a party.

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Though he helped build and manage a sophisticated drug-trafficking organization, Guzman "ultimately was done in by very simple tastes," Vincent said.

'He just couldn't help himself'

Guzman's often brazen behavior, and his careless communications, appear to have helped bring him down.

The Sinaloa kingpin reportedly dispatched associates to retrieve his daughters' pet monkey from their former home near the prison that held him. The henchmen's efforts attracted attention from authorities, who reportedly tracked the monkey and its handlers to northwest Mexico, a region called the Golden Triangle where Guzman was hiding out.

Guzman's sordid relationship with Mexican actress Kate del Castillo and his meeting with American actor Sean Penn appear to be the most damning signs of the drug lord's carelessness.

el chapo kate del castillo sean penn

After Guzman's rearrest on January 8 and the publication Penn's Rolling Stone story about his meeting with the Sinaloa boss on January 9, Mexican officials said the meeting between the two had been monitored.

"Mr. Penn's meeting with Mr. Guzman led to a raid on a compound in the state of Durango," sometime in October, The New York Times reported on January 10. Guzman escaped that raid but suffered a face wound and a leg injury.

The Mexican military, in its search for Guzman in Durango, also reportedly shot up homes and displaced hundreds of residents.

Mexico's attorney general, Arely Gomez, also said the day after Guzmans arrest that authorities had been able to hunt him down because of his meetings with actors and producers regarding a film about his life  a film Guzman is reportedly still in favor of making.

"He had all the cards in his hand to go off into the sunset," Dinkins, who was part of the force that caught Guzman in 2014, told "60 Minutes."

"But he just couldn't help himself," Dinkins said. "And he remained in the public eye."

Watch the entire "60 Minutes" segment below:

View More: Newsmakers News|Live News|More News Videos

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For James Gregory, a graduate of the University of South Carolina's adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner master's degree program, online education seemed like a natural choice, as he was able to attend class on a more flexible schedule, he says. Then, when he was applying for jobs, some employers asked him during interviews whether the quality of his online degree was equivalent to what he would have received in person. He says it was.

The online degree program was "very challenging and far different, of course for me, than the days of going and having to be at class at 8, 10:15, or whatever, but the expectation was the same," says the 54-year old, who now works as an acute care nurse practitioner in South Carolina.

Like Gregory, nurses today, who often work on erratic schedules, turn to online learning to boost their careers and attain greater authority over patient care, experts say. One 2015 survey conducted by Aslanian Market Research and the Learning House identified nursing as the second most popular major among both undergraduate and graduate online learners, following business administration at both levels.

As with any application process, employers evaluate nursing job candidates based on more than just where -- and in what format -- they earned their degree. But an applicant's education still plays a large role in the process, and most employers have favorable views of degrees earned online.

However, online nursing degrees are generally geared toward those who already have their licenses, as the initial training needed to become a registered nurse should be completed in person in order to build a foundation of clinical experience, experts say.

[Discover questions employers ask about job applicants with online degrees.]

However, employers who don't know as much about online degrees may ask an applicant for information to verify a degree's legitimacy, says James Kinneer, vice president of people and organizational development at the Indiana Regional Medical Center in Pennsylvania.

Story continues

"I think most employers are accepting of them," he says. "I think most employers are looking at the candidate as a total package. And really, they're less concerned with where did the degree come from than just what are their overall skills and their ability to perform."

Still, employers who are aware that a degree was earned online may have some additional questions.

For instance, they will likely want to verify an online program's accreditation, especially for institutions that don't have a physical campus or aren't well known. Programs should be accredited by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

"Accreditation is essential because a third-party agency assures the quality and integrity of a program," says Ruth Tarantine, dean of nursing at Colorado Technical University, which offers online nursing degree programs.

[Know how to tell if an online program is accredited.]

An employer may also ask job candidates with online degrees about their in-person clinical experience -- an essential component in a field that requires a lot of hands-on work. Online programs may allow students to complete the clinical requirement on the school's physical campus or in a location of their choosing.

"When you look at what people's concerns are with online degrees for nursing, it's really about what kinds of hands-on clinical experience was part of the program," Kinneer says. "It's an area where awareness can help acceptance of those programs."

From a human resources standpoint, Kinneer says, an employer may also wish to determine whether a student gained skills such as human interaction, teamwork and problem solving.

"I think often they're just trying to understand exactly what was this process and how did it work," he says, "and how did you obtain an experience that is equivalent to that face-to-face experience."

Nurses have historically worked shifts at hours around the clock, so many employers understand that an online program may be the only possibility for them to advance their career, experts say.

But there are very few institutions that offer what they consider an online prelicensure program. In prelicensure programs, nurses are essentially learning "how to take care of other people" through clinical experience, Tarantine says.

Sharon Roth Maguire, chief clinical quality officer at the health services staffing agency BrightStar Care, says that it's a very different scenario when nurses pursue online education to further their career when they already have their license, compared with if they have no experience at all and still need to build that foundation.

"They would want to know, where are you getting this practical hands-on experience which is so important in nursing?" she says, of employers.

[Learn about what to ask when choosing an online graduate nursing program.]

When it comes to employers' views of online nursing degrees for candidates who already have their licenses, institutions generally hope that employers view these programs no differently from on-campus education, which is typically the case.

In fact, many faculty and career advisers in online programs encourage students to simply put the name of the institution on their resume without necessarily emphasizing the "online" aspect, though it likely wouldn't be an issue either way, especially in the digital age, Roth Maguire says.

Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.





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Aquila

From Mark Zuckerberg popping up at Samsung's press conference on the Sunday to talk VR, to delivering the Monday night keynote the next day, and announcements from its connectivity team about how it plans to connect the next one billion people around the world to the internet, Facebook has had a huge presence at Mobile World Congress this year.

Speaking to a room of journalists at the event on Tuesday, Jay Parikh, global head of engineering and infrastructure and Yael Maguire, engineering director and head of Facebook's Connectivity Lab, talked through the huge progress the company's teams have made in its mission to bring the internet to every part of the world. But they admitted there's still a long way to go.

The duo explained how they collaborated with Columbia University and used Facebook's own infrastructure to assess satellite images in 20 countries to estimate that 1.7 billion people live in areas where there is no internet connection. The company is now sharing these new maps and datasets with other companies and academic institutions to use and research, with the hope of speeding up the connectivity of these regions to the internet.

One of Facebook's most ambitious plans to bring the internet to these cut-off areas is through a network of solar-powered internet drones, which autonomously fly above the regions at high altitude for up to three months at a time. The Aquila aircraft, created in the UK, has a wingspan roughly the size of a Boeing 737 but is about a third of the weight of a typical car.

The aim is to create a network of drones that connect to each other using laser communications to spread internet connectivity as far away from base stations on the ground as possible. The team say they have managed to supply "tens of gigabytes per second" between aircraft, which they say is a 10X increase on the other technology currently available in the market.

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Maguire explained that the laser connections are actually the relatively easy part from a regulation standpoint  "light is not regulated," so the spectrum is completely open for Facebook to use. That suits Facebook because it is "absolutely not going to be an operator," according to Parikh. Facebook wants to provide the technology and back-end solutions for internet service providers and mobile carriers to operate at a ground level.

And that's where there is some delay. Maguire said on the regulatory side, Facebook needs to overcome hurdles surrounding spectrum and the airworthiness of its drones.

Maguire said Facebook made some progress on the spectrum side last year, when the company was represented by the US government at the World Radio Congress in Geneva where it was granted the ability to study high-frequency millimeter wave spectrums that can be used for platforms like Aquila.

But Facebook is still "three years out" from getting the authorization to actually use the spectrum practically. So even though, as Zuckerberg confirmed on Monday, Facebook will begin test flights of Aquila this year, the commercial deployment of the aircraft will take some time.

The company also needs to convince governments of the merits of its connectivity plans. Earlier this month, for example, India took a pro net-neutrality stance by blocking Facebook's Free Basics program, which allows mobile users to access certain basic internet services (including Facebook) for free. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) announced it had issued the "Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016," which "disallow[s] service providers to offer or charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content being access by a consumer."

Parikh echoed Zuckerberg's sentiments in his Mobile World Congress keynote, saying too that the setback was "disappointing" but adding that the company is still having discussions with the Indian government about how to get the scheme off the ground.

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European Stocks and Mutual Funds: Don't Go Overboard

(Continued from Prior Part)

The Fidelity Advisor Europe Fund: Overview

Well be analyzing the Fidelity Advisor Europe Fund  Class A (FHJUX) in this article. The Fidelity Advisor Europe Fund (all asset classes) was managing assets worth $1.3 billion as of January 2016. As of December 2015, its assets were spread across 79 holdings and included stocks of Shire (SHPG), Novozymes (NVZMY), Publicis Groupe (PUBGY), Lloyds Banking Group (LYG), and Sanofi (SNY). Its top ten holdings formed a shade less than a quarter of the funds assets.

The Fidelity Advisor Europe Funds performance

From a purely NAV (net asset value) return standpoint, the FHJUX emerged as an above-average performer for both the one-year period until February 16, 2016, and for the year of 2015. It placed fourth for both periods among the group of 12 funds chosen for this review. For a returns comparison, weve chosen two ETFs: the ALPS STOXX Europe 600 ETF (STXX) and the SPDR EURO STOXX 50 ETF (FEZ).

Other metrics

The FHJUXs standard deviation, or the volatility of returns, in the one-year period ended February 16 was 17.7%. This is lower than both the STOXX Europe 600 Indexs 18.7% and the peer groups average of 18.0%.

The funds risk-adjusted returns, calculated by the Sharpe ratio, were -0.53, compared with the STOXX Europe 600s -0.69 for the one-year period ended February 16. Rather than evaluating a negative Sharpe ratio, lets look at its ratio for 2015. It stood at 0.41 against the indexs 0.02, performing better than the index.

The information ratio, calculated with the STOXX Europe 600 Index as the benchmark, was 0.9 for the one-year period ended February 16, ranking the fund fifth among all the funds in this review. The information ratio measures the fund managers consistency and ability to generate excess returns over a benchmark. The higher the reading, the better the consistency. Investors should remember that we cant evaluate a negative information ratio.

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A note to investors

The FHJUXs information ratio placed it in the top half of the funds in this review. However, its alpha for the one-year period ended February 16 was in the bottom half. For 2015, its alpha helped it rank fourth among 12 funds while the information ratio placed it third. If you intend to spread your assets across several Europe-focused funds, the FHJUX may make your shortlist. However, you should know that the funds volatility has been the highest so far in 2016. In the next article, well look at the Henderson European Focus Fund  Class A (HFEAX).

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By Amy Sawitta Lefevre SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra warned Thailand's ruling generals on Tuesday that a prolonged stay in power will only worsen economic hardship in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. The junta, which took power following a May 2014 coup, has struggled to revive Southeast Asia's second-largest economy amid falling exports and high household debt and critics say economic mismanagement is the biggest threat to its hold on power. Speaking to Reuters in Singapore, Thaksin, 66, said the junta lacked the vision and talent to fix an economy in disarray. "It is a government with no freedom and no pool of talent to drive the economy," Thaksin told Reuters. "The longer they stay, the longer economic hardship is going to be there." A decade of turbulent politics has pitted Thaksin and his sister, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose government was ousted in the 2014 coup, against a royalist-military establishment that sees the Shinawatras as a threat. Thaksin on Tuesday denied long-standing reports he had struck a backroom deal with the military to leave his personal and family interests untouched in exchange for a retreat from politics. "We are not talking. I have never telephoned anyone. I don't know why I would get in touch with them and I have no need to," Thaksin said. Thaksin has lived in self-imposed exile for nearly eight years, mainly in Dubai. In 2010, he urged his "red shirt" followers to mobilise protests calling for elections that ended in a bloody confrontation with the military in which more than 90 people died. His legacy of village welfare and cheap rural loans made him a hero in red shirt country in the rural north and northeast where he still commands huge respect. But critics, including the urban elite, accuse Thaksin, a former police colonel turned telecoms tycoon, of widespread corruption. He was sentenced to two years in prison in 2008 for graft in a land purchase case, which he says was politically-motivated. The May 2014 coup was the latest instalment in more than a decade of bitter power struggle that has weakened an economy that was once a shining beacon of progress in Southeast Asia. Thailand has gone through six prime ministers since Thaksin was removed in a 2006 coup and finds itself once again at a crucial political juncture. The junta has promised elections next year. But some critics are sceptical, saying the military's objective is to block Thaksin's allies from returning to power and to consolidate the military's own powers by writing them into a new constitution. Another undercurrent of the crisis is a deep anxiety over the issue of royal succession. Ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88, the world's longest reigning monarch, has been in hospital since May and has been treated for various illnesses. His heir, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, does not command the same respect as his father. Ensuring a smooth succession will be a daunting task for whoever is in power. Thaksin was reputed to be close to the prince but said he has not seen him since 2007. "There is no relationship with him, only that I respect him," he said. Thaksin's decision to speak to media this week has riled the junta. "He remains a person without credibility who thinks he is above the law," government spokesman Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd told reporters. The government has rejected Thaksin's offer to hold formal talks on the country's political future. "They said they can't talk to me because of the cases against me but a coup is a bigger crime," Thaksin said. Thaksin, who said he spends his time meeting up with old friends including former heads of state, said he has adjusted to his nomadic life and makes, on average, 120 landings a year in his private jet. He believes he will return to Thailand one day but won't go back to face charges or live under house arrest because of previous assassination attempts. "I am confident I can return," he said. "I am not the bad person I am accused of being." (Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat Editing by Bill Tarrant)
The Business Climate Index posted monthly by Germany's Ifo Institute has dropped "sharply" according to the organization. It fell to 105.7 in February from 107.3 in January. It is another example of slowing in the global economy, which has led many think tanks and investment banks to lower their gross domestic product (GDP) forecasts for the year.

According to Ifo:

Sentiment among German businesses continued to weaken in February. The Ifo Business Climate Index for German industry and trade fell to 105.7 points this month from 107.3 points in January, marking its third consecutive decrease. The majority of companies were pessimistic about their business outlook for the first time in over six months. Assessments of the current business situation, by contrast, were slightly better than last month. German businesses expressed growing concern, especially in manufacturing.

ALSO READ: 4 Ultra-Secure Dividend Stocks on Sale to Buy Now and Hold Forever



The trend is among several that have caused the central banks to either drop rates or hold them steady in a year during which they were expected to increase.

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A screen displays a chart on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange January 14, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

LONDON (Reuters) - Equity funds that can profit from both rising and falling markets and rivals betting on macroeconomic trends are expected to outperform in 2016, a Deutsche Bank survey of investors managing $2.1 trillion in assets showed.

When asked to name their three top strategy picks for the year, 40 percent of 504 global hedge fund investors surveyed backed the so-called fundamental equity long-short strategy to lead the performance charts.

In second place, with votes from 35 percent of investors, was the discretionary macro strategy, which involves bets on markets including rates, currencies and commodities, the survey released on Tuesday showed.

On the flip-side, 27 percent of investors surveyed expected distressed credit to be among their three worst-performing strategies come year-end, followed by activist investing, which 25 percent felt would underperform the most.

On a regional basis, 57 percent of investors felt western Europe would be in their three best-performing regions, followed by the United States/Canada, which received the backing of 55 percent of investors, and Japan with 31 percent.

Latin America, with 35 percent of investors, and Russia, with 30 percent were expected to perform worst during the year.

(Reporting by Simon Jessop; Editing by Mark Potter)
Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos looks on during a news conference at the ministry in Athens, Greece, January 18, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

ATHENS (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund is making too big a demand on Greece in a pension reform required to complete its first bailout review, finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos said on Tuesday.

Negotiations between the heads of the EU/IMF mission reviewing progress on Greece's pensions overhaul, fiscal targets and the handling of bad loans, took a break earlier this month. It is unclear when the lenders will return to Athens and whether the latest impasse can be broken.

"The IMF is pushing us far too much. It's not socially sensitive," Tsakalotos told an event organised by the BBC in Athens. "It is asking us to do more than we agreed in the summer."

Under a third bailout of up to 86 billion euros (67.5 billion) signed last summer, Greece was asked to cut pension spending by 1 percent of gross domestic product this year. Athens has refused to cut pensions and says it will increase social security contributions instead.

But IMF's director for Europe, Poul Thomsen, has said that Greece will need to implement extra measures worth about 9 billion euros to meet its fiscal targets by 2018 and that the Fund could not see how Athens could do so without major savings on pensions.

Without the lenders' acknowledgement of the reforms, the government cannot start relief talks it needs to show austerity-weary Greeks their sacrifices are paying off.

(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas, Writing by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
A man looks at gold bangles displayed at a jewellery showroom at a market in Mumbai October 21, 2014. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui/Files

By Rajendra Jadhav

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's overseas gold purchases are likely to hit a more than two-year low in February, as rising prices and hopes for a cut in import taxes keep buyers away, industry sources said.

While lower purchases by the world's second-biggest consumer could dent the current rally in global bullion prices, it would mean relief for the government which has been struggling to curb gold imports that cost the country $36 billion in 2015.

India's imports of the metal are expected to drop to 25 tonnes in February, according to a median of estimates from five industry participants, including bank dealers and traders.

That would be about 67 percent below month-ago levels and the lowest since September 2013, when arrivals were hit by a government mandate to export a fifth of all gold imports.

"Banks and trading agencies have scaled down imports. They are being forced to offer heavy discounts (to global prices) to clear inventory," said Bachhraj Bamalwa, director at All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation, pointing to weak demand.

Global spot gold prices hit a one-year peak of $1,260.60 an ounce this month amid volatile financial markets, and are currently at $1,216. Prices have risen 15 percent over two months, their biggest such rally since August 2011.

Dealers in India are offering record high discounts of up to $50 an ounce to the spot benchmark to lure buyers, but there are no takers, the industry participants said.

Jewellers and retail consumers are delaying purchases in the hope prices will correct and that India will cut its import duty by 4 percentage points in this month's budget, said Sudheesh Nambiath, a senior analyst at consultancy Thomson Reuters GFMS.

BUDGET HOPES; MORE DORE

India imposed a record high duty of 10 percent in 2013, but instead of curbing imports, the duty revived smuggling networks that brought an estimated 175 tonnes of gold into India in 2014 - or about a fifth of total annual arrivals.

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Industry groups, which have been urging a tax cut, are now eyeing the 2016-17 Indian budget on Feb. 29 to see if any reduction will come through.

Domestic gold prices swung into deep discounts before the previous budget as well, but the government surprised the market with no cut in duty.

Given the uncertainty on taxes and prices, India's purchases this month will mainly be in the form of "dore", an alloy of gold and silver that is refined to get pure gold, Nambiath said.

India charges a lower import duty on dore than pure gold.

Dore purchases, together with rising supply of scrap as people sell coins and bars bought when gold was cheaper, are further cutting India's need for pure gold imports.

Already, rural gold demand, which accounts for about two-thirds of India's total consumption of the metal, has suffered a setback as the first back-to-back drought in nearly three decades has crimped farming incomes in the country.

"Consumers are not sure about price trends. They are waiting for prices to stabilize before making purchases," said Bamalwa.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
TEL AVIV, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Team8, an Israeli firm the creates cybersecurity companies, said on Tuesday it has raised $23 million from strategic partners, bringing the total amount raised so far to $40 million.

The latest funding adds Accenture, Nokia, Japan's Mitsui, and Singapore's Temasek to Team8's existing partners Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent, Bessemer Venture Partners, Marker LLC and Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors.

Team8 was co-founded by three veterans of the Israeli army's 8200 unit, the equivalent of the U.S. National Security Agency.

Accenture, a professional services firm, will work with Team8 to provide its clients with tailored cybersecurity solutions while Team8 and Nokia Bell Labs will collaborate on research initiatives to support telecom infrastructure.

Trading and investment firm Mitsui will work with Team8 to develop cybersecurity solutions for Japan, the second-largest security market outside of the United States. Investment company Temasek will help extend Team8's reach into Asia.

Since its launch a year ago Team8 founded Illusive Networks, a provider of deception technologies, and plans to launch two more companies in 2016.

(Reporting by Tova Cohen)
By Alexandria Sage and Mary Wisniewski

NEW YORK/CHICAGO, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The deaths of six people in Kalamazoo, Michigan, who authorities say were shot by a driver for Uber Technologies Inc, have revived scrutiny over how the ride service vets its drivers, an issue that has plagued it for years.

Uber, which said it is cooperating with the police investigation, said its safety protocol is robust and adequate. The San Francisco company will not change the way it vets its drivers in the aftermath of the shooting, Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan said Monday.

"If there is nothing on someone's record, no background check will raise a red flag," Sullivan told reporters on a conference call.

Jason Dalton, 45, who is being held without bail, had no prior criminal record and passed the company's background check.

But critics, including taxi companies that compete with Uber, say the car service could do more to protect passengers.

Uber has been criticized over allegations of rapes and other assaults by its drivers around the world, and on Friday a former Uber driver in Boston was convicted of assaulting a passenger, according to the Boston Globe.

The company argues it takes safety seriously and has recently put more effort into discussing safety enhancements on its website.

Police are investigating reports that Dalton picked up fares in between the shootings, and Uber confirmed that one man had called 911 and the company over the "dangerous and erratic driving" of the suspect.

The company said in the United States, riders should call 911 in case of emergencies. It did not disclose the steps it took after the man contacted Uber.

Some critics wonder if Uber should have a more effective response system in real time.

"This driver was acting irrationally and operating his vehicle erratically ... in the hours leading up to and between these senseless shootings," said Gary Buffo, the president of the National Limousine Association.

Uber said that drivers found to be violent are immediately suspended. But because many riders complain about bad driving, which is subjective, reporting an incident will not immediately lead to suspension.

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Uber said riders can have what it describes as "instant contact with Uber Support 24/7" for incidents between a rider and driver. But that contact is not in real time, and riders must call after the ride ends.

An "Incident Response Team" can also answer urgent issues, Uber said, regarding a "driver or rider (who) has acted dangerously or inappropriately" but again, this service is only available after the ride ends.

Uber rolled out a real-time "SOS button" late last year in India to allow riders to contact local law enforcement directly from the app in emergencies.

But in the United States, Uber said, that was not necessary because of the nation's robust 911 system.

Critics also object to Uber's online application process, which has no face-to-face interview. Competitor Lyft conducts a "welcome ride" with a mentor to provide extra screening.

Uber "never meets (drivers) in person to see if they get a strange vibe," said Dave Sutton, a spokesman for Who's Driving You, an arm of the Taxicab, Limousine and Paratransit Association.

Finally, unlike most major taxi-cab companies, Uber and Lyft's background checks do not include a fingerprint check. Uber Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick has said these can be discriminatory, because the databases used for the check often include arrests and not just convictions.

Instead, Uber uses private companies for background checks, coupling that with feedback from riders to monitor drivers' behavior. Uber rejects drivers with convictions in the previous seven years for drunk driving or reckless driving infractions and for felonies or misdemeanors involving theft, violence or drugs.

Sullivan said Dalton had "very favorable feedback" since beginning with Uber on Jan. 25.

Uber is being sued by the district attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles, who alleged last August that registered sex offenders, a kidnapper and a convicted murderer had passed its screening.

Earlier this month, Uber agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit for $28.5 million over allegations the company misrepresented the quality of its safety practices and fees.

As part of that settlement, Uber can no longer advertise its services using terminology like "strictest safety standards possible" and "background checks that exceed any local or national standard." (Writing by Alexandria Sage; Additional reporting by John McCrank in New York and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Stephen R. Trousdale and Lisa Shumaker)
A man walks in the "Jungle" migrants and refugee camp in Calais on February 22, 2016 (AFP Photo/Denis Charlet)

Calais (France) (AFP) - Six migrants were given a month in prison on Monday for occupying a ferry in northern France, while charities warned thousands could be affected by plans to evict half of the "Jungle" refugee camp in Calais.

The migrants from Afghanistan, Sudan and Syria were convicted alongside two activists, who received fines from the court in Boulogne-sur-Mer for their part in a protest last month calling for Britain to allow asylum seekers in.

Towards the end of the protest in the northern port of Calais, some 150 people broke through a barrier around the port and about a third managed to board the "Spirit of Britain" ferry. Several hours later, police removed them, arresting 24 migrants and 11 members of the No Borders activist group.

The convictions came a day before a deadline of 1900 GMT Tuesday set by local authorities for people in the southern half of the Jungle migrant camp to leave.

The local government says the demolition will affect between 800 and 1,000 residents of the grim camp, which stands on a former toxic waste dump on the outskirts of Calais.

It estimates there are currently some 3,700 people living there, all of whom are hoping to sneak aboard lorries heading for Britain.

But according to charities working in the camp, who say they have done a census, there are around 3,450 people living in the southern part -- including 300 unaccompanied children.

The demolition "risks displacing migrants to other camps in the region, which is only moving the problem somewhere else," said Vincent De Coninck, a volunteer with Caritas.

Conditions in other camps along the northern French coast are even more dire than those in the Jungle.

- 'By persuasion' -

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the eviction would be done "progressively, by persuasion and with respect for people's dignity".

But several charities are challenging the eviction order, and a judge is due to visit the Jungle on Tuesday before giving a verdict later in the day.

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"I don't have anywhere else to go," said John, a 28-year-old Sudanese migrant in the camp.

"We don't want to leave Calais because we don't want to get further away from England, which is still our goal."

His friend Ahmed added: "We know we won't be here forever, thank God, but for the moment we don't have any choice."

Local government head Fabienne Buccio said Sunday that "everything will be done" to avoid the use of force in clearing the camp.

"The dismantling should start on Wednesday and security forces will not be used if everyone plays their part," Buccio said.

In an earlier statement, the Calais town hall claimed it was acting in response to "abuses" committed by migrants that had led to "an aggravated level of tension" in recent weeks.

It said camp residents were throwing stones and other projectiles at lorries and security forces on a daily basis, but also condemned members of far-right groups who loiter outside the Jungle to beat up migrants.

- Celebrity support -

The French authorities have been gradually trying to shut down the Jungle, encouraging residents to head for proper centres elsewhere in France.

However, many of the residents have family or community ties to Britain and are reluctant to give up their dream of crossing the Channel.

A campaign spearheaded by celebrities such as actors Jude Law and Benedict Cumberbatch has called on the British government to let children from the camp be reunited with families in Britain and take responsibility for the "humanitarian crisis" in the Jungle.

Those being pushed out of the camp can go to one of around 100 accommodation centres elsewhere in France, or into refitted shipping containers set up nearby.

The containers have not proved popular with migrants, who say they lack communal spaces and restrict their movements, while local charities say they fail to meet international standards.
Nepalese and Indian bystanders look on as cargo trucks pass through the India-Nepal border at Birgunj, after a blockade was lifted (AFP Photo/Manish Poudel) (AFP)

Nepal has lifted its months-long rationing of fuel following the end this month of a border blockade by people protesting against a new constitution, officials said Tuesday.

The months-long blockade caused a crippling shortage of fuel and other vital supplies in the landlocked Himalayan country.

But members of Nepal's ethnic Madhesi community decided to call off their protest at a key border post which began last September, allowing trucks to resume crossing over from India.

The Nepal Oil Corporation said limits on sales, of five litres for motorcycles per petrol pump and 15 litres for cars, would now be lifted after supplies improved.

"A decision to remove the quota system was made Monday evening to allow vehicle owners to refill fuel according to their needs," corporation spokesman Deepak Baral told AFP.

"The supply is only still just 70 percent of our demand. The borders have opened but the blockade of fuel still hasn't been fully lifted," Baral said.

The easing comes as Nepal's prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli visits India to repair strained ties caused by the blockade.

The impoverished country is heavily dependent on India for fuel and other supplies.

Kathmandu accused New Delhi of imposing an "unofficial blockade" at other border crossings in support of the Madhesis, who share close cultural, linguistic and family links with Indians -- a charge Delhi denies.

More than 50 people were killed in clashes between police and members of the Madhesi community protesting against the new federal constitution, which they say leaves them politically marginalised.

The Madhesis called off the blockade after Nepali and Indian businessmen and locals dismantled protesters' tents to clear the border.

The constitution, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to cement peace and bolster Nepal's transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability and a 10-year Maoist insurgency.

Discussions between the government and protesters over the charter adopted in September have so far failed to yield an agreement to change it.
Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou leaves after voting at the Hotel de Ville in Niamey during the country's presidential and legislative elections on February 21, 2016 (AFP Photo/Issouf Sanogo)

Niamey (AFP) - Counting began in Niger's presidential poll Sunday in an election that has seen incumbent Mahamadou Issoufou promise a first-round "knockout" blow to his opponents, who are already crying foul after a tense campaign.

A vast nation endowed with an abundance of uranium, gold, coal and oil but among the poorest on the planet, Niger is electing a head of state, as well as a new parliament, with Issoufou hoping for a second five-year term.

"Everything has gone well in an atmosphere of calm and serenity. There are some shortcomings but Ceni (the electoral commission) is taking measures to allow voters to exercise their right to vote," commission president Ibrahim Boube said, adding that voting in some areas had been pushed back to Monday after electoral material did not arrive in time.

A total of 7.5 million people were eligible to vote at 25,000 polling stations across the country on the edge of the Sahara desert, where security is a growing concern after attacks by jihadists from neighbouring Nigeria, Mali and Libya.

The election results are expected within five days.

Security was tight with forces on patrol across the country, including the capital Niamey, where voting got off to a delayed start in many parts of the city due to the late delivery of ballot papers and other materials.

Interior Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou said earlier Sunday that the vote was going smoothly "especially in Diffa, where voting material arrived on time", referring to a border region that has been hit by frequent Boko Haram Islamist violence, and where some 200,000 displaced people were eligible to vote.

After voting in Niamey, Issoufou said "there will be only one winner, and that will be Niger", saying he hoped the election would reinforce the country's democratic structures.

In an interview with AFP on Thursday, the 63-year-old said he was "absolutely" confident of victory.

Issoufou said he had met his pledges on boosting growth and infrastructure, while shoring up security in the face of jihadist attacks.

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Defence remains a top budget priority in Niger, with the remote north threatened by jihadists operating out of Mali and Libya while the southeast tries to fend off attacks by Nigeria-based Boko Haram.

In December, the government said it had foiled an attempted military coup.

Known as the "Zaki" or "Lion" in Hausa, the majority language in Niger, the former mathematician and mining engineer faces 14 competitors, including an ex-president.

Should he fail to win a first-round victory, his rivals, who have accused him of planning to rig the result, have agreed to unite behind whoever scores highest among them for the second round.

- 'Grossly unfair' -

Niger's opposition denounced the election late Sunday as "grossly unfair", saying there had been vote rigging and a problem with duplicate voter cards.

"In many places the opposition ballots were missing," said Moussa Harouna, a representative of Seyni Oumarou, a runner-up in the 2011 presidential race.

"We discovered voter card duplicates with prefabricated family books for these cards," he said, adding that in some places voting did not start until the end of the day.

"The system is going very badly," he said.

Aside from Oumarou, there are several others challenging the incumbent for the top position.

Heading the opposition pack is 66-year-old Hama Amadou, who campaigned from behind bars after being arrested in November over his alleged role in a baby-trafficking scandal.

Amadou, a former premier and parliament speaker, heads the Nigerien Democratic Movement (NDM) whose members were tear-gassed by police in a protest earlier this month.

Niger's first-ever democratically-elected president, Mahamane Ousmane, 66, is also running. The threat of unrest hangs over the vote.

"If Issoufou wins in the first round, it's because he has cheated. If this happens we will go on strike and there will be clashes," an Amadou activist said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Tensions edged higher after Niger's top court approved a controversial plan to allow voters to cast their ballots without identity papers, sparking an opposition outcry.

"This could pave the way for fraud," Moussa Tchangari, a leading civil society and opposition figure, said ahead of the vote.

Niger, which has a history of military coups, has only had multi-party democracy since 1990.

"It's been a long time since we've seen such interest (in the election). It reminds me of the early days of democracy," said one voter, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb 23, 2016) - Northair Silver Corp. (TSX VENTURE:INM) (the "Company" or "Northair") is pleased to announce positive sampling results at the La Colorada Zone ("La Colorada") on its flagship La Cigarra silver project (the "Project") located in Chihuahua State, Mexico.

Recent surface exploration work conducted by Northair included 15 channel and rock samples taken from veined faults traced over a distance of approximately 100 metres near the eastern margin of the La Colorada intrusive center. This work returned 125 g/t silver over a 1.5 metre channel width with 7 samples reporting values greater than 10 g/t silver. Additionally, 7 rock chip samples returned greater than 0.10 g/t gold, with 3 samples reporting over 1.0 g/t gold. The highest grade channel sample returned 6.92 g/t gold over a 2.0 metre width.

Andrea Zaradic commented, "We are very pleased with these latest sample results at the La Colorada Zone which supports our belief that additional exploration potential exists on the project in close proximity to the La Cigarra resource area. The Company will continue its field studies with the objective of defining additional targets with economic potential"

The La Colorada Zone is expressed on surface as a northwest-southeast trending silver and gold soil anomaly measuring 1,400 meters in length and 300 to 400 metres in width. The Company believes La Colorada represents a mineralized zone on the margin of the La Colorada intrusive center which is situated approximately 300 meters west of the Ram Zone and 1,200 meters west of the La Cigarra deposit. To view a map highlighting the sampling results at the La Colorada Zone please click the following link: http://www.northairsilver.com/i/maps/2016-02-23_NRM_INM_yrRn7s.jpg

La Colorada Zone - Recent Channel and Rock Chip Sampling

Sample East North Type Width (metres) Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Pb ppm Zn ppm 232326 408329 2991831 Channel 2 125.00 0.464 35100 1460 232327 408330 2991836 Channel 2 80.30 0.271 30700 1390 232322 408328 2991832 Channel 2 72.90 0.168 22000 1400 232323 408323 2991823 Channel 1.5 30.70 0.336 5950 1040 232334 408288 2991774 Channel 1.5 28.00 6.920 3200 706 232328 408331 2991828 Channel 1.5 25.90 0.085 5500 1080 232332 408246 2991758 Channel 1.5 11.15 1.870 4140 4730 232336 408285 2991770 Rock N/A 6.05 1.030 492 189 232324 408321 2991831 Channel 1.5 0.69 0.008 149.5 525 232333 408370 2991730 Channel 2 0.68 0.030 25.9 437 232335 408288 2991776 Channel 1.2 0.66 0.047 31.2 298 232325 408328 2991827 Channel 1.5 0.64 0.009 276 559 232329 408329 2991833 Channel 1.2 0.59 0.009 399 599 232330 408329 2991831 Channel 1.2 0.47 0.008 399 408 232331 408387 2991890 Channel 1.2 0.28 0.058 37 66

Sampling and QA/QC

All technical information for the La Cigarra exploration program is obtained and reported under a formal quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") program. Samples are taken under the direction of qualified geologists and stored in sealed bags. Samples are delivered by the Company via courier to ALS Minerals ("ALS") in Chihuahua. The samples are dried, crushed and pulverized with the pulps being sent airfreight for analysis by ALS in Vancouver B.C. Systematic assaying of standards is performed for precision and accuracy. Analysis for silver, zinc, lead and copper and related trace elements was done by ICP four acid digestion, with gold analysis by 30 gram fire assay with an AA finish.

Qualified Persons

Mr. David Ernst, a professional geologist and VP Exploration of Northair is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Ernst has reviewed the technical information in this news release and approves the disclosure herein.

About Northair Silver Corp.

Northair is focused on advancing its flagship La Cigarra silver project located in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, 26 kilometres from the historic silver mining city of Parral. The property boasts nearby power, good road access, gentle topography, established infrastructure and currently hosts a NI 43-101 Resource estimate of 51.47 million ounces of silver in the Measured & Indicated categories grading 86.3 g/t silver and 11.46 million ounces of silver in the Inferred category grading 80 g/t silver. The mineralized system at La Cigarra has been traced over 6.5 kilometres and is defined at surface as a silver soil anomaly and by numerous historic mine workings. The La Cigarra silver deposit is open along strike and at depth and is approximately 25km north, and along strike of Grupo Mexico's Santa Barbara mine and Minera Frisco's San Francisco del Oro mine.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, NORTHAIR SILVER CORP.

Andrea Zaradic, P. Eng., President & CEO

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward looking statements which are statements that are not statements of historical fact, such as statements regarding the mineral resource estimates, results of the sensitivity analysis, anticipated production or results, sales, revenues, costs, or discussions of goals and exploration results, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, metal price volatility, volatility of metals production, project development, mineral reserve estimates, future anticipated reserves and cost engineering estimate risks, geological factors and exploration results. See Northair's filings for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected results.

Cautionary Note Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources

This news release uses the terms "Measured and Indicated Resources" and "Inferred Resources", which have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of a Measured and Indicated and/or Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. Northair advises U.S. investors that while this term is recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize it. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that part or all of a Measured, Indicated and Inferred resource exists, or is economically or legally minable.
Federal agencies were overwhelmed in 2014 by a flood of unaccompanied children from Central America who crossed illegally into the U.S. hoping to be reunited with family members escaping poverty and violence in their countries -- or both. Nearly 57,500 children traveling without parents or guardians during that year alone raised the question of how well the Obama administration would cope with the influx and how well the children would be housed and treated while awaiting a legal disposition of their cases.

A Government Accountability Office report issued on Monday provides some important insights into the governments performance, and overall it is not a reassuring picture.

Related: Most of the 51,000 Child Immigrants Are With Their U.S. Families

While the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) managed to funnel most of the young refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and other Central American countries through a series of temporary shelters to family members or guardians, there was no effective oversight of how the children were treated and whether they were afforded all the necessary medical, educational and legal services.

According to the GAO study, first reported on Sunday by The Washington Post, there is no system for tracking the children once they leave government-sponsored shelters. The rapid increase in children entering ORR care from 20111 through 2014 has at times strained ORRs capacity to find shelter beds and raised questions about ORRs management of its program for unaccompanied children, the report states. There are reports that the increase has also created challenges to communities in which these children are eventually placed.

Agency officials stressed that they generally are not required by law to track or monitor the well-being of these children once they are released to their parents, sponsors or guardians, although they try to keep tabs as best they can through post-release services, including a national call center. However, during visits to nine government shelters for the children, GAO investigators doing random checks of case files found woefully incomplete documentation that services had been rendered  including informing children of their legal rights to representation.

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Related: Immigration Update: 5 Myths on the Border Crisis

Based on the findings in this report, its no wonder that we are hearing of children being mistreated or simply falling off the grid once they are turned over to sponsors, said Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-IA), one of three Republican senators who requested the report last year, according to The Post. The Obama administration isnt adequately monitoring the grantees or sponsors whom we are entrusting to provide basic care for unaccompanied children.

The 64-page report was released one day before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Grassley chairs, hears testimony from the administration about its handling of the massive influx of unaccompanied children and some mothers with young children. The ORR has come under sharp criticism following reports that some of the children thrust into the system were abused or exploited.

In late January, for example, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations issued a report that revealed examples of sponsors abusing the children. In one case, eight Guatemalan teenagers were released to labor traffickers who forced them to work grueling hours at an egg farm in Ohio for as little as $2 a day.

After getting a tip, authorities found the boys living in cramped, filthy trailers about an hour outside of Columbus. The boys, who had thought they were being reunited with relatives, instead found themselves working at Trillium Farms, a major egg producer, debeaking hens and cleaning cages nearly 12 hours a day, six days a week.

Related: Obama to Illegal Immigrants: Happy Holidays  Now Leave the Country

More than 125,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America have been caught and detained along the U.S.-Mexico border since 2011. Many of them traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles under dangerous and very harsh conditions. The children have been held in federal facilities for periods ranging from an average of 72 days in 2011 to 34 days in 2015. Once the children are released to sponsors, the refugee resettlement office has no full-proof system for tracking their whereabouts, according to the GAO.

While children who were victimized by traffickers are entitled to receive mental health treatment, only 19 percent of children released by the agency to sponsors received that treatment in 2014, according to the GAO.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
obama

President Barack Obama on Tuesday unveiled a plan to make good on one of his earliest campaign pledges: to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention center before his term ends in January.

In a statement from the White House on Tuesday, Obama announced a proposal to close the US military prison in Cuba, which was opened in 2002 by President George W. Bush.

"When it becomes clear that something is not working as intended, when it does not advance our security, we have to change course," Obama said on Tuesday.

"For many years it has been clear that the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security  it undermines it ...When I talk to other world leaders they bring up the fact that Guantanamo is not resolved." Obama continued.

"Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law."

Guantanamo

Obama's intent to close Guantanamo dates back to the 2008 presidential campaign. In one of his first official acts as president, he signed an executive order to close the facility within one year.

"I will keep working to shut down the prison at Guantanamo: it's expensive, it's unnecessary, and it only serves as a recruitment brochure for our enemies," Obama said last month in his final State of the Union address.

Despite vehement opposition from Republican members of Congress, Obama has still vowed to shut down the center.

"Despite the politics, we've made progress, with the nearly 800 detainees once held at Guantanamo, more than 85% have already been transferred to other countries," Obama said on Tuesday.

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"This is about closing a chapter in our history  it reflects the lessons we've learned since 9/11."

The price of Guantanamo

A U.S. Army soldier closes the gate at maximum security prison Camp Delta at Guantanamo Naval Base August 25, 2004 in Guantanamo, Cuba. REUTERS/Mark Wilson/POOL

About 2,000 military and civilian personnel are assigned to Guantanamo, with 91 inmates held there.

The holding of the prisoners, coupled with operating expenditures, costs the US close to $180 million a year.

According to the Department of Defense, annual recurring costs at Guantanamo are $65 million to $85 million higher than those of any other US facility.

Therefore closing Guantanamo could generate at least $335 million in net savings over the next 10 years and up to $1.7 billion in net savings over 20 years, according to the Department of Defense.

Obama's proposal

Guantanamo Bay

In short, here are a few key points of Obama's plan to close Guantanamo.

1. Securely and responsibly transferring to foreign countries detainees who have been designated for transfer by the president's national security team;

2. Continuing to review the threat posed by those detainees who are not currently eligible for transfer through the Periodic Review Board (PRB);

3. Identifying individualized dispositions for those who remain designated for continued law of war detention, including possible Article III, military commission, or foreign prosecutions;

4. Working with the Congress to establish a location in the United States to securely hold detainees whom we cannot at this time transfer to foreign countries or who are subject to military commission proceedings.

Ahead of Obama's announcement, the Pentagon sent assessment teams to facilities including a high-security federal prison in Florence, Colorado, and a military jail at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to determine whether the facilities were capable of housing high-profile inmates.

The White House's plan to close the US prison in Guantanamo Bay lists 13 potential sites for detainees to be transferred to US soil but does not endorse a specific facility.

And here's the full plan:

GTMO_Closure Plan 2016 by Anonymous 2H6h7hTA0m

NOW WATCH: Obamas plan to close Guantanamo Bay will include moving some detainees to the US





More From Business Insider


By Shadia Nasralla VIENNA (Reuters) - Vienna, Austria's grand capital on the Danube river, offers the highest quality of life of all cities in the world, while the Iraqi capital Baghdad, once more took its place at the bottom of a liveability list compiled by consulting firm Mercer. The survey of 230 cities helps companies and organisations determine compensation and hardship allowances for international staff. It uses dozens of criteria such as political stability, health care, education, crime, recreation and transport. Global centres London, Paris, Tokyo and New York City did not even make the top 30, lagging behind most big German, Scandinavian and Australian cities. Vienna's 1.7 million inhabitants benefit from the city's cafe culture and museums, theatres and operas. Rents and public transport costs in the city whose architecture is marked by its past as the centre of the Habsburg empire are cheap compared with other western capitals. Switzerland's Zurich, New Zealand's Auckland, Germany's Munich and Canada's Vancouver followed Vienna - which reached the best position for the seventh time in a row - in the top five of most pleasant cities to live in. The best African entry on the list was South Africa's Durban at 85. Baghdad was again ranked lowest in the world. Waves of sectarian violence have swept through the city since the American-led invasion in 2003. Damascus, five year's into Syria's bloody war, ranked six places above Baghdad, with Bangui in the Central African Republic, war-torn Yemen's capital Sanaa, Haiti's Port-au-Prince, Sudan's Khartoum and Chad's N'Djamena in between. (Reporting By Shadia Nasralla Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
By David DeKok

SCRANTON, Pa., Feb 23 (Reuters) - Cabot Oil & Gas Co contaminated drinking water for two Pennsylvania families in its rush to begin fracking operations during the state's natural gas boom, a lawyer told a federal jury in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday at the start of a civil trial.

Leslie Lewis, who represents two families from the town of Dimock, told a six-member jury that Cabot had shown "reckless disregard" for the safety of her clients and other local residents.

But Stephen Dillard, a lawyer for the Houston, Texas-based energy company, said in his opening statement that the town's groundwater already contains naturally occurring methane and that experts would testify humans cannot be harmed by methane-laced water.

"The issues they have are cosmetic and aesthetic," Dillard said. "Those can be treated, but it's not toxic."

Dimock figured prominently in the 2010 Oscar-nominated documentary "Gasland," which examined the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to extract natural gas from underground shale formations.

The movie showed tap water in Dimock that could be set on fire due to the methane it contained.

Scott Ely and his wife, Monica Marta-Ely, and Ray and Victoria Hubert are seeking compensatory and punitive damages from Cabot. They are the last of approximately 40 plaintiffs who sued Cabot in 2009; the others have all settled with the company.

The trial is one of the first lawsuits alleging water contamination from fracking to reach a jury.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin Carlson rejected Lewis' request to introduce a bottle of coffee-and-cream colored water drawn from the Ely well on Tuesday morning as evidence. He said the deadline for submitting new exhibits had passed and that jurors could view photos of the turbid water already in evidence.

Dillard told jurors that scientific evidence would show there is no underground pathway between nearby gas wells and the families' water wells.

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The trial is expected to last two weeks.

The enormous Marcellus formation, which stretches underground across Pennsylvania and into several other states, prompted a massive natural gas boom starting in 2008.

(Editing by Joseph Ax and David Gregorio)
WALTHAM, MA--(Marketwired - Feb 23, 2016) - A new political survey from Alignable, the social network for small business owners, reveals that we are a nation divided. In fact, a whopping four out of five small business owners believe that politicians do not understand them, and are deeply divided on specific candidates and issues, like gun control.

The survey provides insight into small business owners' opinions on hot-button issues and presidential candidates. Alignable is the new town hall -- it's a community with business owners in all fifty states and more than 7,000 communities, sharing information, debating issues, and voicing key political and business concerns.

Together We Stand, Divided We Vote

Small businesses are overwhelmingly united in their skepticism of politicians, with 81% indicating that politicians don't understand them. However, their views vary on who they think would be best for their business as president. Among the front-running candidates, 29% chose Donald Trump, 23% gave the nod to Bernie Sanders and 19% chose Hillary Clinton as the number one candidate. Ben Carson and Marco Rubio were ranked the least likely to help small businesses (4%) as was Jeb Bush, who just dropped out of the race. In addition, interestingly, Carly Fiorina, who also dropped out of the race, ranked higher at eight percent, as did Ted Cruz.

Fear me, Fear me Not?

While Donald Trump's business credentials appealed to many, 38% selected him as the most feared candidate for their business, compared to 29% for Hillary Clinton, followed by Bernie Sanders (18%) and Ted Cruz (15%). Trump, clearly the most polarizing candidate, is considered the most helpful to small businesses, and also the most feared. To paraphrase Machiavelli, is it better to be loved than feared, or feared than loved? Trump has both covered.

"Each candidate is trying to appeal to small businesses, promising everything from simplifying tax filings to decreasing regulation. Yet, the data is clear: there is no definitive front-runner and there is no one- size-fits-all candidate," said Eric Groves, CEO of Alignable. "To appeal to small businesses, candidates need to convey that they understand the issues business owners face on a daily basis and are willing to act to drive positive change. Small businesses will be watching closely and will be voting accordingly -- and not necessarily along party lines."

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Agreement on Immigration Reform, Differ on Solutions

Half (50%) of small and medium business owners would support a path to legal status for unauthorized immigrants. Evenly matched in support were build a U.S. - Mexico border fence (36%), a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants (35%), and make e-Verify mandatory for immigrants (35%) indicating support for these reform measures. Thirty-three percent (33%) would support President Obama's Deferred Action Orders, perhaps signifying the strong emphasis that small businesses place on family.

It's Complicated: Minimum Wage and Small Business

The race is still open with respect to minimum wage, according to small business owners. On the one hand, more than half (56%) of small business owners support a minimum wage increase. On the other hand, 38% say it should stay the same.

Second Amendment: It's Had a Good Gun Run

One thing small business owners do agree on is gun control, specifically regarding an overhaul of the second amendment. A majority support expanding background checks to include gun sales made online (72%) and at gun shows (70%). Seventy-one percent (71%) are in favor or prohibiting suspected terrorist from purchasing guns and 47% support the complete ban of assault rifles.

When it comes to open carry though, there is a 50/50 split on this issue with half permitting and half banning the carrying of guns by patrons in their businesses.

Bears, Bulls and Small Business Sentiment

Rising healthcare costs (45%) and taxes (43%) are the top two issues small businesses are most concerned about with respect to hurting their business over the next year. Yet only one in five (19%) listed stock market instability as a business pain point for the next year. Despite recent stock market dips, small businesses aren't panicking quite yet -- only 12% are extremely concerned, 62% are moderately or a little concerned and 21% aren't concerned at all.

Blood Pressures Rising With Anxiety over Health Care Premiums

The Affordable Care Act is taking a beating in the political election with Republicans, but 29% of small businesses fully support it. However, about half (49%) are worried about rising premium costs in 2016. A mere 11% are concerned about new compliance requirements.

Right to Bear Arms in Public

In Texas and other states, handguns in holsters are becoming a familiar site, but 44% of small business owners do not support states passing open carry laws. Thirty-six percent (36%) were in favor and 20% were indifferent.

No or Yo Quiero Donald Trump?

If Donald Trump wins the presidency, 27% are making like the Taco Bell Chihuahua and running for the border, while 28% expect big changes that will have a positive impact on their profitability. From the playbook of losing gracefully, 20% will not give Trump their vote but would respect his leadership.

About the Alignable Small Business Political Survey

Alignable commissioned Survey Monkey to conduct an online poll of 438 small business owners across the United States between January 26 and February 10, 2016. The margin of error is +/- 5 percentage points. An infographic of the survey results can be found here.

About Alignable

Alignable is the free social network for small business owners. Using Alignable's platform, small business owners connect with others nearby, within their industries, and across North America based on their interests. More than 7,000 communities across North America are using Alignable to build business networks to grow their businesses and succeed. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, Alignable is a privately held company with the backing of prominent investors in small business, networking and data, including Mayfield, Saturn Partners, NextView Ventures, Boston Seed, CrunchFund, Kensington and Lead Edge Capital.
By Andrei Khalip

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's leftist-dominated parliament approved in the first reading the minority Socialist government's 2016 budget, which envisages an EU-imposed cut in the deficit through higher indirect taxes, while easing austerity for households.

The budget was passed by 122-107 votes in the 230-seat parliament. The government's allies - Left Bloc and the Communists - backed the bill despite concessions Lisbon had to make after pressure from Brussels for a bigger reduction of the deficit in a country with one of Europe's heaviest debt burdens.

The centre-right Social Democrats and the rightist CDS-PP party, whose coalition government was ousted in November by the centre-left Socialists and their far left allies, voted against. The previous government imposed tough austerity to meet the terms of an international bailout for Portugal in 2011-2014.

The budget bill, which has been delayed by an inconclusive general election last October, now goes to committees for in-detail discussions and possible changes, with the final vote scheduled for March 16.

The budget promises to cut the deficit to 2.2 percent of gross domestic product from 2015's 4.3 percent, which included a one-off bank rescue. It projects a slight pickup in economic growth to 1.8 percent from 1.5 percent last year.

The government had initially proposed a cut to 2.6 percent, but Brussels threatened to reject the plan and insisted on a tighter budget, forcing the administration to adopt a set of measures - mainly indirect tax hikes - worth 900 million euros (706.7 million).

The European Commission has warned that even after those changes the budget was at risk of breaching its fiscal rules and told Lisbon to stand by with new measures if need be.

During Tuesday's budget debate, Finance Minister Mario Centeno said contingency measures would be prepared, but they would not entail wage cuts or income tax hikes in order to meet the government's commitments with their allies in parliament.

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"Nobody says that they will have to be carried out... Turning the page on austerity does not mean ruling without rigour. This budget promotes economic and social stability, generating confidence," he said, pointing to a growth-friendly 3.6 percent increase in disposable income.

The government has already reversed salary and pension cuts for the public sector, raised the minimum wage and reintroduced public holidays scrapped during the bailout.

(Reporting By Andrei Khalip, editing by Axel Bugge)
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI--(Marketwired - Feb 22, 2016) - ProGreen Properties, Inc. (PROGREEN) (OTC PINK: PGEI) is pleased to announce that the company has entered into a subscription agreement with three individuals. Frederic Telander, CEO of Soltech Energy Sweden AB, Ulf Telander, CEO of EIG Venture Capital Ltd and Jan Telander, President of the company, are each investing $100,000 in exchange for 100,000 Preferred Shares with a stated value of $1.00 per share. Amounts subscribed for will be invested by April 30, 2016, with the first $100,000 already funded.

The company is now upgrading its online image by building a new website, and is setting up its corporate communications to be disseminated through social media to be better able to inform the public about news and developments for PROGRESS.

"Management is upbeat about the direction the company has taken recently and for the confidence shown from important players, through this financial injection," says Jan Telander, CEO of PROGREEN.

About ProGreen Properties, Inc.

PROGREEN PROPERTIES, INC. (PROGREEN) (OTC PINK: PGEI) based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is engaged in the business of acquiring, refurbishing and upgrading residential real estate into modern affordable homes, some being aimed at the local real estate market and some sold to European Property Investors. The company has also recently entered into property investments in Baja California, Mexico. The company expects this will be a sustainable and growing activity for the company for many years to come.

This press release might contain information, which may constitute 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 'Forward-looking statements' are based upon expectations, estimates and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of uncertainties.
(Adds Odebrecht bond price performance in paragraph 3)

By Pedro Fonseca

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The architect of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's 2010 and 2014 campaigns, Joao Santana, landed in Brazil from the Dominican Republic on Tuesday and was taken in a police jet to the city of Curitiba, the epicenter of a massive corruption probe, his spokesman said.

The arrest of Santana is a threat to Rousseff, who is facing questions over whether her 2014 campaign was financed with bribe money skimmed off of state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras.

Police said on Monday they had a warrant for Santana's arrest after evidence showed engineering conglomerate Grupo Odebrecht had paid him funds siphoned from Petrobras in offshore accounts.

They said Santana also appeared to have received bribes in 2013 and 2014 from Zwi Skornicki, a money mover whom prosecutors said represented Keppel Fels, the Brazil unit of Singapore oil rig builder Keppel Corporation Ltd.

Santana said in a statement he was quitting the re-election campaign of Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina in order to defend himself from "baseless accusations."

LULA

Known as "the maker of presidents," Santana, 63, led Rousseff's 2010 and 2014 campaigns. He also advised former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in his 2012 re-election bid, producing dramatic, high-budget campaign videos appealing to poor voters.

Santana's arrest may have also brought the federal police closer to Lula, who is being investigated for money laundering at the state level.

Police notes in court documents made public on Monday suggested Odebrecht had financed the construction of the former president's institute. The Lula Institute said in a statement the allegations were wrong as it was founded in 2011, after the alleged financing from Odebrecht in 2010.

Odebrecht's 7.125 percent global bond due in June 2042 slumped 2.5 cents on the dollar to 44 cents, near an all-time low.

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Federal Judge Sergio Moro also blocked the bank accounts of Santana, who allegedly received a total of $7.5 million in bribes, and of his wife and business partner, Monica Moura.

Brazil's electoral court is investigating Rousseff's 2014 re-election campaign, including the suspicion of illegal funding. Congress is also trying to impeach her for manipulating government accounts in 2014, while she campaigned.

Political risk consultancy Eurasia Group said Santana's investigation increased the odds of the electoral court calling new elections, though it said that was still unlikely.

(Writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Chris Reese and Sandra Maler)
After a second place finish in South Carolinas Republican primary on Saturday, is Marco Rubio The Boy Who Lived? A pro-Rubio super PAC would like you to think so.

In a fundraising memo to donors Sunday night, Conservative Solutions challenged the notion that billionaire Donald Trump is now the inevitable Republican nominee after his wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina. In making its case for the freshman senator from Florida, the Super PAC compared the current political duel between Trump and Rubio to the one between boy wizard Harry Potter and the evil wizard Lord Voldemort.

Related: Rubio, the Unlikely Establishment Candidate, Is Now Trumps Main Rival

"In Harry Potter lore, Voldemort, the Dark Lord, had a secret to his strength. His secret was his horcruxes," the email said. "As each horcrux was destroyed, Voldemort became increasingly vulnerable, not increasingly strong. When all of the horcruxes were gone, Voldemort lost his one-on-one battle with Harry Potter."

Therefore, each opposing candidate who leaves the GOP field, like former Florida Jeb Bush did this weekend, leaves Trump more exposed as the last choice of more voters than any other Republican by far.

"Like Voldemort's horcruxes, the large candidate field shields Trump from harm. At each step of the primary process, Trump is losing his shields, and that is making him more vulnerable, the memo argues.

Related: Rubio sharpens attacks after latest Trump win in White House race

Extending this analogy puts Marco Rubio in the role of Harry Potter.

For the record, a horcrux is an object in which a dark wizard or witch has hidden a fragment of his or her soul in the hopes of attaining immortality. To date, there is no evidence that Trump has instilled part of his soul into Sen. Ted Cruz (TX), Ohio governor John Kasich or retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, the former reality TV stars other remaining rivals.

Even the super PAC admits its pushing the limits of its analogy by comparing the real estate mogul to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

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"Note: we are not calling Donald Trump evil. This is an analogy, not a direct comparison, the memo says.

Related: With South Carolina in Hand, Trump Continues His War with the GOP

The message concludes with a vow that Conservative Solutions will be "active in nearly every state that votes in March," and a solicitation for donations from muggles and wizards alike.

Rubio, who has yet to win a Republican primary, certainly could use help as questions arise about if and when hell come in first. The GOP will hold its caucus in Nevada on Tuesday, followed a week later by Super Tuesday, when a slew of states host their nominating contests.

Rubio would do well to practice his Patronus Charm between now and then in order to better ward off his political rivals. What shape might Rubios Patronus take? Our guess is the Florida panther, the official animal of Rubios Sunshine State.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Members of Lebanon's powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah attend the funeral of Hassan Hussein al-Hajj, a leading commander in southern Lebanon, who was killed during battles in Syria, on October 12, 2015 (AFP Photo/Mahmoud Zayyat)

Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia on Tuesday urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave, after Riyadh halted a $3 billion programme funding military supplies to Beirut in response to "hostile" positions linked to Hezbollah.

Saudi ally and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member the United Arab Emirates followed suit but went even further, banning its nationals from going to Lebanon and reducing its diplomatic representation there.

In Riyadh, the foreign ministry issued a statement calling on "all citizens not to travel to Lebanon, for their safety, and asking citizens residing in Lebanon or visiting not to stay unless extremely necessary," the official SPA news agency reported.

Announcing the Saudi aid halt on Friday, an official said the kingdom had noticed "hostile Lebanese positions resulting from the stranglehold of Hezbollah on the state".

Riyadh was making "a comprehensive review of its relations with the Lebanese republic", the unnamed official said, cited by SPA.

Alleged leaders of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah are under sanction by Saudi Arabia.

The Shiite militant group is fighting in support of Syria's regime and is backed by Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran, with whom relations have worsened this year.

Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran last month after demonstrators stormed its embassy and a consulate following the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Syria's war has exacerbated political rivalries within Lebanon, which has been without a president for almost two years because of fierce disagreements between Hezbollah and its rivals.

The Saudi official quoted on Friday said Lebanon had not joined condemnation of the attacks on its diplomatic missions in Iran, either at the Arab League or the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The official also denounced "political and media campaigns inspired by Hezbollah against Saudi Arabia", as well as the group's "terrorist acts against Arab and Muslim nations".

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Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week accused Turkey and Saudi Arabia of dragging the region into war and said "victory" was imminent for his group and its Syrian regime allies.

Saudi Arabia supports rebels opposed to Syria's government, and says it is ready to send special forces under a US-led coalition to fight the Islamic State group.

In a statement, Hezbollah said Saudi Arabia stopped the military aid because of economic pressures from the war in Yemen, where it leads an Arab military coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels, and lower oil revenues.

On Friday Saudi Arabia also stopped the remainder of a $1 billion financing package for Lebanese internal security forces, in a separate decision.

The $3 billion deal funded military equipment provided by France and was to ship vehicles, helicopters, drones, artillery and other equipment to Lebanon.
The July deadline requiring genetically modified organism labeling on packaged foods sold in Vermont is fast approaching. But some members of Congress and players in the food industry are still trying to stop this new law from taking effect.

Recently, Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced a draft bill that's essentially the Senate's version of the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 (H.R. 1599)which has also been called the DARK (Deny Americans the Right to Know) Act by consumer groups, including Consumer Reports. That bill was passed by the House of Representatives this past summer.

Like the DARK Act, Roberts version would preempt any state GMO labeling laws, such as Vermonts new law, and calls on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to set voluntary GMO labeling standards. It also directs the USDA to promote GMOs. The Senate Agriculture Committee passed the bill this week, and it could soon come to the full Senate for a vote.

But on March 2, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley introduced a bill that would require companies to label their products as containing GMOs, but offers them several options for doing so. Manufacturers could indicate an ingredient was genetically engineered in parentheses after the ingredient; identify GMO ingredients with an asterisk and provide an explanation at the bottom of the ingredient list; or simply put a catch-all statement at the end of the ingredient list stating the product was produced with genetic engineering" (which is how the Campbell Soup Co. says it will label its products).

The bill would also give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to develop a symbol, in consultation with food manufacturers, that would clearly denote on the packaging that the product contains GMO ingredients.



Consumer Reports has long been a supporter of mandatory GMO labeling, believing consumers have the right to know what is in their food and make informed choices based on what is disclosed on labels.

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"We urge senators to support the Merkley proposal as they move forward on GMO labeling legislation," says Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives for Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports.



One of the food industrys arguments against mandatory GMO labeling is that it would raise food prices. Most recently, a study released by the Corn Refiners Association (corn grown in the U.S. is largely genetically modified) concluded that consumers would spend an extra $1,000 per year at the supermarket.

But a previous analysis by Consumer Reports, conducted by an independent economic research firm, found that GMO labeling would add just $2.30 per year to the average consumers grocery billor less than a penny per day. See the full report (PDF).

Why such a large difference in the numbers?

Like previous industry-funded studies, the Corn Refiners Association study lumps the cost of changing food labels to list GMO ingredients together with the cost of producing products using non-GMO ingredients, says Halloran. Our findings are much more realistic because we looked at the labeling costs only, which is all the Vermont law requires.

Indeed, in January when Campbell announced that it would label its products as containing GMOs, the company made it clear that there would be no increase in the price of its products.

More than 90 percent of consumers want GMO labeling on food packaging, says Halloran. Increasingly, consumers are looking for more transparency from food companies, not less. If the Roberts bill passes, it will be a big step backwards. The Merkley bill gives manufacturers options while still giving consumers the information they want.

If you support GMO labeling, now is the time to alert your senators. We make it easy by providing a form that lets you send your message instantly.

Editor's note: This is an update of a previous article published Feb. 23, 2016.







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Get the Best Cell Phone Plan for Your Familyand Save up to $1,000 a Year





Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright  2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S.
Spanish authorities escort a man arrested in a police operation against China's biggest lender, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), at a court in Parla, near Madrid on February 19, 2016 (AFP Photo/Pedro Armestre) (AFP)

Madrid (AFP) - Six officials of Chinese megabank ICBC have been placed in detention by Spanish authorities on suspicion of laundering tens of millions of euros, judicial sources said on Saturday.

They were detained overnight and while three of them can be freed if they post bail of 100,000 euros ($111,000) each, the others will remain in custody for the time being, the Madrid appeals court said.

The suspects were arrested on Wednesday at the bank's central Madrid branch as part of a probe into the suspected laundering of at least 40 million euros ($44.5 million).

They were questioned from Friday afternoon through to early Saturday.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is accused of allowing traders to move money earned through smuggling and tax fraud out of the country, to China, "in a way that appeared legal", Spanish police said in a statement.

Spanish prosecutors said the employees were being sought for "economic crimes" but did not elaborate.

The raid was a follow-up to an operation last year that targeted Madrid-based Chinese syndicates suspected of importing huge amounts of goods from China without declaring them, to avoid duties and taxes.

The groups allegedly deposited the proceeds in ICBC accounts, with the lender accused of sending the funds to China without checking their origin as required by law.

ICBC is the world's largest bank by market capitalisation. It entered the Spanish market in January 2011 with the inauguration of its branch in Madrid. A year later it opened a second branch in Barcelona.

The Chinese lender's foreign operations accounted for about 10 percent of its total assets at the end of last year.
Damascus (AFP) - The United States and Russia have announced plans for a partial truce in Syria but there were serious doubts it could take effect on Saturday as planned.

The agreement does not apply to jihadists like the Islamic State group and the Al-Nusra Front, putting up major hurdles to how it can be implemented on Syria's complex battlefield.

It calls for President Bashar al-Assad and opposition forces to agree by noon on Friday to comply with a "cessation of hostilities" that would then take effect at midnight.

The leading opposition group gave its conditional acceptance to the deal but there was no word yet from the regime, after the agreement was announced late on Monday.

Moscow and Washington have been leading the latest diplomatic push to try to resolve Syria's nearly five-year civil war, a brutal conflict that has left more than 260,000 dead and forced millions from their homes.

The two countries are on opposing sides of the conflict -- with Russia backing Assad and the United States supporting the opposition -- but in recent weeks have joined forces to press for the ceasefire.

"This is a moment of opportunity and we are hopeful that all the parties will capitalise on it," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said after US President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the deal by phone.

Putin said Moscow would do "whatever is necessary" to ensure Damascus respects the agreement.

"We are counting on the United States to do the same with its allies and the groups that it supports," he said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the deal a "long-awaited signal of hope" and urged all sides to abide by it.

- Truce deal 'likely doomed' -

Moscow and Washington are both pursuing air wars in Syria. A US-led coalition launched air strikes against IS positions in both Syria and Iraq in 2014 while Russia began its own aerial raids in Syria in September.

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Russia says it is targeting "terrorists" in its strikes but has been accused of hitting non-jihadist groups in support of Assad, a longtime ally.

Iran has also sent military advisers to Syria and the Tehran-backed Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah has deployed at least 6,000 militants to fight alongside Assad's forces.

Analysts say that given the facts on the ground -- in particular the complicated make-up of Syria's opposition forces and frequently shifting frontlines -- the ceasefire may already be doomed to fail.

While IS control over territory is relatively clear and stable, its jihadist rival Al-Nusra Front, the local affiliate of Al-Qaeda, works closely with many other rebels groups.

"'Cessation of Hostilities' allows attacks on Nusra. That likely dooms it, since Russia/regime tend to hit others & call em Nusra (or IS)," Noah Bonsey, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said on Twitter.

"To have any chance of addressing this, US/Russia must delineate Nusra areas BEFORE implementation."

The ceasefire plan was announced by top diplomats in Munich earlier this month, but failed to take hold last week as initially planned.

As well as reducing violence and expanding humanitarian access, it aims to pave the way for a resumption of peace talks that collapsed earlier this month in Geneva.

The talks had been scheduled to resume on February 25, but the UN Syria envoy has already acknowledged that date is no longer realistic.

The opposition High Negotiations Committee said its commitment to the truce was conditional on the lifting of sieges, the release of prisoners, a halt to bombardment of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

"We agreed to respond positively to international efforts to reach a truce deal" if the conditions are met, the Riyadh-based HNC said in a statement.

It quoted HNC head Riad Hijab as saying he did not have high expectations that the regime and its allies "would be able to commit to stopping their hostile acts".

- Elections set for April -

A convoy of 44 trucks carrying humanitarian aid overseen by the Red Crescent and the United Nations had entered Moadamiyet al-Sham, near Damascus, on Monday, state news agency SANA reported.

Once the cessation of hostilities takes hold, the UN would work to secure "access to as many places as possible in order to deliver humanitarian aid", UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

The ceasefire announcement came just a day after IS claimed responsibility for two deadly attacks in regime-held areas, which a monitor said killed 134 people near a shrine south of Damascus and at least 64 in central Homs.

The shrine bombings marked the deadliest jihadist attack since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Shortly after the truce was announced, Assad issued a decree for parliamentary elections to be held on April 13, as the four-year term of the current legislature comes to a close.

The last such elections were held in May 2012 and although multiple parties were allowed to stand, most of the 250 lawmakers who were elected were from the ruling Baath party.
The AT&T logo is pictured by its store in Carlsbad, California, April 22, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Blake

By Harro Ten Wolde

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Commitments AT&T Inc made to build out fixed high-speed Internet services to gain regulatory approval for its $48.5 billion purchase of DIRECTV will give it the edge over U.S. rival Verizon Communications Inc in the roll-out of the next generation of cellular technology, AT&T's strategy chief said on Monday.

So-called 5G wireless networks are expected to offer 1,000-fold gains in capacity over existing networks, giving the potential to connect at least 100 billion devices with download speeds that can reach 10 gigabits per second (Gb/s).

AT&T completed its acquisition of DIRECTV last July. As part of the deal, regulators required AT&T to commit to building out high-speed Internet to more than 12 million customer locations and expanding broadband access in rural areas.

AT&T bet on DIRECTV's satellite TV business aiming to beef up its bundles of cellular, broadband, TV and fixed-line phone services.

AT&T has said it will begin testing 5G technology in labs before fixed 5G trials at residences and businesses. As opposed to wireless mobile service, "fixed" refers to wireless services delivered to fixed locations and devices in homes and offices.

Its 5G trials could help AT&T fulfil its commitment to bring broadband to more U.S. locations.

"That early use case in fixed is actually very interesting" because of AT&T's DIRECTV merger commitments, AT&T Chief Strategy Officer John Donovan said in an interview at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. "We are in a better position because we have a fixed line proposition, which is becoming much more interesting now with 5G."

Verizon spokesman Jim Gerace said: "AT&T has followed us in every turn of technology - wireless and wired - and they will again with 5G."

The global telecom industry will release official standards for 5G in 2018 but some players have begun planning test runs.

AT&T said this month it planned to have trials of 5G technology by the end of this year, while Verizon said late last year it would kick off trials in 2016.

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Donovan also said AT&T would continue to oppose a proposal approved by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to let consumers swap pricey cable boxes for cheaper devices and apps.

The FCC has opened up a discussion on the plan for the coming months.

"We will continue to be very vocal in our opposition," Donovan said, adding AT&T would plead for a software-oriented solution.

(Additional reporting by Malathi Nayak in New York; Editing by David Evans and Matthew Lewis)
concealed carry gun

Public colleges and universities in Texas are now required to adopt policies that allow concealed weapons on campus.

Texas colleges are beginning to grapple with the ramifications the decision may have on students and faculty.

Concerned professors at The University of Houston (UH) appear to have held a meeting addressing some of their concerns and offering somewhat troubling solutions to fears that classrooms may become violent, Gawker reported.

A Ph.D student at UH tweeted a slide from a meeting that addressed concealed carry laws on campus. The slide advises students and faculty to "be careful discussing sensitive topics and "not 'go there' if you sense anger."

Slide from recent campus carry dialogue at UH, in response to faculty concerns about dangers from armed students: pic.twitter.com/610RyhDZlf  Jeff (@JeffintheBowtie) February 22, 2016

"This is not a slide of the Campus Carry Workgroup at the University of Houston, and it is not official policy," a spokesperson for UH told Business Insider. The slide was written by the UH Faculty Senate, according to the spokesperson.

UH is the third-largest university in Texas. It has about 43,000 students. "The faculty, staff continue to express serious concerns. Some have said they will leave the university," University of Houston System Chancellor Renu Khator told the Houston Chronicle.

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BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's civil aviation authority ordered all Thai-registered airlines on Tuesday to submit reports on their financial positions by March 31 to avoid the risk of having their operating licences revoked.

The move is part of the military government's attempt to improve the country's aviation standards after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration downgraded Thailand's safety ratings in December.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) examined the financial status of Thai airlines late last year and found four small airlines had debt levels that could affect safety standards, Chula Sukmanop, the head of CAAT told reporters.

(Reporting by Manunphattr Dhanananphorn; Writing by Khettiya Jittapong; Editing by Mark Potter)
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and former campaign publicist Joao Santana (R) is arrested upon his arrival in Sao Paulo, Brazil on February 23, 2016 (AFP Photo/) (AFP)

Sao Paulo (AFP) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's former campaign strategist, Joao Santana, was arrested Tuesday in Sao Paulo after returning to Brazil to face allegations that he received payments linked to funds from a massive corruption network.

Prosecutors are investigating $7.5 million in payments to Santana in foreign bank accounts.

The funds were connected to Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht and engineer Zwi Skornicki, who have both been implicated in a huge probe into embezzlement and bribery at state oil company Petrobras.

Santana arrived in Sao Paulo from the Dominican Republic, where he had been working for President Danilo Medina's reelection campaign.

He and his wife and business partner Monica Moura were then immediately flown in police custody to Curitiba, the southern city where the Petrobras-related corruption is headquartered.

His arrest is an embarrassment to Rousseff and her fellow Workers' Party predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, just two of the many presidents in the region that Santana has helped elect.

The country's electoral court is investigating whether Rousseff benefited from illegal funding in her 2014 reelection. She also faces an impeachment drive in Congress over her government's allegedly illegal accounting practices during her first term.

Odebrecht is one of the key players in a network where bribes were paid to Petrobras to win lucrative contracts.

Kickbacks were then allegedly used to pay off prominent politicians in a scheme estimated to have cost Petrobras some $2 billion over a 10-year period.

Rousseff chaired the company's board during much of that time. She has not been directly accused in the scandal, but it has ensnared top leaders of her Workers Party.

Santana is a campaign star in Latin America, having also worked for Venezuela's late president Hugo Chavez and his successor Nicolas Maduro, among others.

A police spokesman in Curitiba said that Santana would be held in detention for up to five days.

Story continues

"In principle, that can be extended or transformed into preventative detention," he said.

Prosecutors say there are "clear indications" that the funds paid to Santana originated in stolen Petrobras money.

However, his lawyers say that any money paid to Santana abroad was for work done outside of the country.
Cold Weather Subdued Natural Gas the Week Ended February 19

(Continued from Prior Part)

Natural gas inventory report

On February 18, 2016, the EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration) published its weekly natural gas inventory report. The US weekly natural gas inventories fell by 158 Bcf (billion cubic feet) to 2,706 Bcf for the week ended February 12. Likewise, natural gas inventory fell by 70 Bcf for the week ended February 5.

Inventories fell for the 12th straight week due to the peak winter season. To learn more about the latest weather update, please read Part 1 of this series.

Natural gas inventory consensus

Industry surveys estimated that US natural gas inventories would fall 154 Bcf for the week ended February 12. The better-than-expected decline did not support natural gas prices. Natural gas prices unexpectedly tumbled and declined 8% in the last two trading sessions due to a widening gap between supply and demand.

Impact

The current natural gas stocks are 25% higher than last years level of 2,174 Bcf. They are also 26% more than the five-year seasonal natural gas stocks of 2,151 Bcf. The weekly natural gas inventory fell by ~50 Bcf in the Midwest, Eastern, and South Central storage regions of the US. This suggests these regions experienced colder-than-normal weather conditions during the week ended February 12.

However, record inventories and record supplies continue to put pressure natural gas producers such as Cabot Oil & Gas (COG), Rice Energy (RICE), Rex Energy (REXX), QEP Resources (QEP), Anadarko Petroleum (APC), and Gulfport Energy (GPOR). These stocks natural gas production mix is more than 50% of their natural gas production portfolios.

ETFs and ETNs such as the Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF (RYE), the VelocityShares 3X Long Natural Gas ETN (UGAZ), and the PowerShares DB Energy ETF (DBE) are affected by the volatility in the natural gas market.

Read the next part of this series to learn about the latest update on the US natural gas rig count.

Story continues

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
(Adds economy, oil officials)

By Eyanir Chinea and Deisy Buitrago

CARACAS, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA is in talks with international banks over refinancing the company's debt, its president said on Tuesday, as the OPEC member country grapples with major bond payments amid an oil price rout.

"If the conditions are favorable, of course we're interested," Eulogio Del Pino said about potential refinancing as he exited the country's National Assembly on Tuesday, adding the company was talking to international banks.

Del Pino had previously said PDVSA was mulling a proposal to extend payment for bonds that mature in 2016 and 2017 until 2018 and 2019, when the company has a lighter load.

Venezuela faces some $10 billion in debt payments this year amid a tumble in oil prices and a brutal recession, leading to speculation of default.

"No, we're not going to do that, we're taking all the measures for this not to happen," Del Pino said of a possible default.

Economy Vice-President Miguel Perez, also at the legislature, told reporters Venezuela was making a "big effort" to pay debt and did not plan a sovereign debt refinancing.

"The state is going to comply with its debt ... to keep a level of solvency in international markets," he said.

Government officials have dismissed default speculation as a right-wing smear campaign. President Nicolas Maduro has noted the country last year covered roughly $10.5 billion in debt payments, even reducing imports in the scarcity-hit country.

Regarding PDVSA's plans, it remains to be seen whether bondholders would be interested in a potential swap.

"You have to work on this right now, because it's a complex operation," said Luisa Palacios, managing director at consulting firm Medley Global Advisors.

"And for it to have any success, it has to be presented within the context of a more credible economic policy framework," added Palacios, who tracks Venezuela.

Maduro last week devalued the currency and raised fuel prices, though critics dismissed the moves as insufficient.

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It remains unclear whether what Maduro announced as a new "floating" exchange rate would actually be allowed to float, or become fixed like previous mechanisms and fail to satiate dollar demand.

Perez said details of the new exchange mechanism would be given next week. The country's weakest exchange rate, known as SIMADI, is thought to be the one which the government said would float. Its rate on Tuesday weakened to 205.1 against the dollar, compared to 203 last week, but still a far cry from the black market level.

(Additional reporting by Alexandra Ulmer; Writing by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Girish Gupta, Andrew Cawthorne and Alistair Bell)
* Unisplendour pulls out due to CFIUS investigation

* Western Digital to buy SanDisk for $15.78 bln

* Offer cut by more than $3 bln

* Western Digital shares down 2.1 pct; SanDisk down 1.5 pct (Adds analyst, investor comments, updates shares)

By Arathy S Nair

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Western Digital Corp cut its offer for rival hard-disk maker SanDisk Corp by over $3 billion after China's Unisplendour Corp Ltd scrapped a deal to buy a stake in the company amid concerns about U.S. national security.

Unisplendour, a unit of China's state-backed Tsinghua Holdings Co Ltd, said in September it would buy a 15 percent stake in Western Digital for $3.78 billion.

The Chinese company scrapped the proposal after a decision by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to investigate the deal, Western Digital said.

"In some ways, not having the Chinese own 15 percent is a good thing for the combined business," an investor who has stake in both Western Digital and SanDisk said.

Western Digital shares were down 2.1 percent in early trading. Shares of SanDisk, which the latest offer values at $15.78 billion, were down 1.5 percent.

SanDisk did not immediately reply to requests for comment and Western Digital did not provide further details on the reason for the Chinese company's withdrawal from the deal.

Western Digital's move to proceed with the SanDisk deal comes after shareholder Alken Asset Management urged the company to scrap it, saying the price was too high.

Western Digital, which agreed to buy SanDisk for $19 billion in October, had said then it would revise the cash-and-stock offer if the Unisplendour investment fell through.

"Since the deal had been announced, Western Digital stock has underperformed significantly ... I think if you are a Western Digital shareholder the deal makes a lot of strategic sense," said Pacific Crest Securities analyst Monika Garg.

Based on Western Digital's Monday close, the company said it would now pay $78.50 per share in cash and stock for SanDisk, compared with its previous offer of $86.50.

Story continues

Western Digital said regulators in the United States and European Union, among others, had approved the SanDisk deal.

CFIUS, an inter-agency panel led by the Treasury Department, assesses potential mergers to ensure they do not endanger national security. The agency's objections have created roadblocks for some Chinese deals.

Fairchild Semiconductor rejected an offer from China Resources Microelectronics Ltd and Hua Capital Management Co Ltd this month, citing concerns about U.S. approvals.

(Reporting By Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; Additonal reporting by Sweta Singh; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
By Michael Flaherty and Arathy S Nair (Reuters) - The U.S. hard-disk maker, Western Digital Corp, said on Tuesday that China's Unisplendour Corp Ltd had scrapped its planned $3.78 billion investment in the company, a move that in turn alters the terms of Western's deal for rival SanDisk Corp. Unisplendour, a unit of China's state-backed Tsinghua Holdings Co Ltd, dropped its plan to buy a 15 percent stake in Western Digital after the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) said it would investigate the transaction. As a result Western Digital will now present an alternative offer for SanDisk consisting of more Western Digital stock and less cash, the companies said, giving the deal an overall value of $15.78 billion. The original agreement, struck in October, valued the deal at $19 billion. The collapse of the Unisplendour deal comes during a wave of Chinese takeover interest in U.S. corporations that has already hit a record of $23 billion in announced offers this year, according to Thomson Reuters data. That is nearly double the full-year record reached in 2013. But China's ambitions in the U.S. are receiving increased scrutiny from U.S. politicians, who are concerned about putting certain national businesses in the hands of Chinese executives and government officials. Western Digital said last October that it would revise the cash-and-stock offer for SanDisk if the Unisplendour investment in Western Digital was not successful. "It was understood that there was a possibility that the Unis investment in WDC may not happen," says Sumit Sadana, SanDisk Executive Vice President. Sadana said that the value of the deal for Sandisk is now $78.50 per share, down from $86.50 when it was originally struck. Both companies have said they are committed to the agreement, which is expected to close in the first half of this year. Western Digital's stock price has fallen from around $80 per share last October and fell another 7.0 percent to $42.77 on Tuesday. "I think if you are a Western Digital shareholder, the deal makes a lot of strategic sense," said Pacific Crest Securities analyst Monika Garg. ACTIVIST SHAREHOLDER Western Digital's move to proceed with the SanDisk deal comes the day after shareholder Alken Asset Management urged the company to scrap it, saying the price was too high. "We have laid out our case in reasonable details in the letter so there is not much to add," Alken analyst Vincent Rech said in an email. The London-based fund is pleased with the support it has received, he added. Western Digital said U.S., European Union and other regulators had approved the SanDisk deal. CFIUS, an inter-agency panel led by the U.S. Treasury Department, assesses potential mergers to ensure they do not endanger national security. The panel rarely kills the deals, but several times a year it has informally urged companies to scrap merger plans and they have complied. China led the countries whose planned U.S. acquisitions and investments for 2014 were probed for security issues, according to a government report. In January, Philips dropped a plan to sell an 80 percent stake in its Lumileds division to a group that included Chinese investors because of pressure from CFIUS. Fairchild Semiconductor International Inc said last week that it rejected an offer from a Chinese takeover group, citing concerns that U.S. regulators would stop the sale. U.S. lawmakers are also pushing for the rejection of a Chinese company's plan to buy the Chicago Stock Exchange. (Additonal reporting by Sweta Singh in Bengaluru and Diane Bartz in Washington; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Lisa Von Ahn)
army guns

As international conflicts continue unabated, international transfers of arms continue to rise.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the sale of arms and munitions increased by 14% between the time periods of 2011-2015 and 2006-2010. This increase in military acquisitions was largely driven by just five countries.

SIPRI notes that the countries that bought the most weapons in 2011-2015 were responsible for 34% of all arms imports between 2011-2015.

India was far and away the largest arms importer. During the 2011-2015 timeframe, it was responsible for 14% of all total international arms imports globally. India's imports, according to SIPRI, increased 90% as compared against the 2006-2010 timeframe.

By these measurements, New Delhi imports close to three times more than its closest regional rivals, Pakistan and China. India's reliance on imports is largely due to the country's slow start at creating a domestic arms industry.

Saudi Arabia is the second largest importer, with the country being responsible for 7% of all global imports. This import rate spiked 275% compared to the 2006-2010 timeframe, with the country pledged to continue receiving high numbers of imports from the West over the following five years.

A Saudi soldier fires a mortar towards Houthi movement position, at the Saudi border with Yemen April 21, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer

China, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia round out the top five importers. The countries were responsible for 4.7%, 4.6%, and 3.6% of global weapons imports respectively. Whereas Australia's numbers largely held steady from previous years, both the UAE and China saw fairly large differences.

China's imports fell by 25% compared to the 2006-2010 timeframe, largely due to the country's burgeoning technical ability which has translated to a growing domestic weapons market.

The UAE, on the other hand, increased imports by 37%.

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The largest arms import increase came from Vietnam, however. The country went from being the 43rd largest importer in 2006-2010 to becoming the eighth largest importer, with a 699% increase in arms imports.

Vietnam's imports overwhelmingly came from Russia. The country is currently trying to upgrade its naval and aerial capabilities as it continues to butt heads against China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

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What Are 10 Tips for Creating Wealth in the Stock Market?

Making money is the stock market is easy if you can just follow one simple piece of advice: Buy low, sell high. Of course, that advice is far easier said than done. While fortunes can be made or lost overnight in the stock market, creating wealth typically requires planning, patience and a long-term commitment to sound investing principles.

Self-Assessment Nobody else in the world is just like you, so it follows that there is no one-size-fits-all investment plan that works for everyone. Before you make your first investment in the stock market, sit down and do an honest self-assessment. Determine how you relate to money and how much risk you feel comfortable taking. The best stock market investment in the world does you no good if you can't sleep at night worrying whether it will lose money.

Investment Objective If you don't care where you end up, any road will get you there. It's the same with your investments. You must know where you want to end up financially before you can make a decision about the proper investment to achieve that end. It doesn't matter if your investment objective is to create current income, to preserve your capital or to generate tax-free interest, as long as you know what your investment objective is.

Determine Your Starting Point You can't get to Point B from Point A if you don't know where Point A is. Where your investments are concerned, Point A is your current financial situation, or your starting point. Determine your financial starting point by creating a net worth statement. A net worth statement is a two-column form with all of your assets, the things you own, in one column and all of your debts, the things you owe, in the other. Total each column, then subtract your debts from your assets. Whatever is left is net worth.

Determine Your Resources If you have a positive net worth, you might have assets that you can use to invest in the stock market, but many of your assets might be tied up in your home or other investments that are not readily accessible. Other resources for investing might come from your regular cash flow. Determine your cash flow by creating a cash flow statement. This is a two-column form with all of your monthly income from all sources in one column, and all of your monthly expenses in the other. Total both columns, then subtract your expenses from your income. Whatever is left is your cash flow. If the result is a positive number, you have disposable income that you can use to invest in the stock market.

Find a Broker Most stocks are traded through major investment exchanges or over-the-counter. In either case, you need an investments broker to handle your stock transactions. If you don't feel confident in your ability to make your own investment decisions, you might need the services of a full-service broker. This is the most expensive way of trading stocks. If you want to go it alone, you can trade through an online brokerage firm. Some companies allow you to bypass a broker altogether by investing in their direct stock purchase plans. A number of mutual fund companies offer their shares directly to the investing public as well. This is the least expensive option. In between are discount brokerage firms that provide limited services and charge discounted fees and commissions.

Know Your Investments Whether you do your own research or rely on the services of an investments professional, you should have a clear understanding of how the investment you are buying works. Never invest in anything that you don't understand.

Diversify Your Investments The bedrock of investment advice is, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." In other words, diversify your stock holdings, so if one stock craters you don't lose all your money. There is no better long-term risk management strategy than diversification of your stocks, says the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Don't Marry Your Stocks It can be easy to get emotionally attached to a particular stock, especially if that stock has done well for you over a number of years. But there might come a time when it is advisable to sell that stock, either to lock in a gain or to cut your losses.

Cut Your Losses The stock market fluctuates, both up and down. While there is no need to panic if your stock investment takes a slight dip in market price, you need to have a plan in place to cut your losses if the trend continues downward. Marketing hype to the contrary, there is no tried-and-true method of timing the market. If you don't have a predetermined loss threshold, you could find yourself chasing the market down and end up selling at the bottom.




I wrote a post on shelter/food and transportation in Iceland if you require some feedback on these items: http://financegirltoronto.blogspot.ca/2016/02/iceland-mode-of-transportation-shelter.html





We had originally planned to visit the Glacier Caves the second day of our trip. You need to drive approximately 5 hours from Reykjavik to reach either the office of the tour company or the Jokulsarlon Lagoon where you are picked up from for most of the Glacier Cave Tours. We had bought tickets (4 of us) ahead of time from Canada from one of the tour companies for the 2nd day of our trip in February of 2015. We choose to do this, because it appeared most of the Ice Cave Tours in January and February were sold out. We wanted to visit in one of these months to maximize our chance of seeing the Northern lights, and as such needed to buy the tickets ahead of time.





As we explored the town on the day we landed we heard of a wind and snow storm warning for the next day for the area south east of Reykjavik. The area we would need to drive past to get to the Jokulsarlon Lagoon for our tour the next day. This made us sad, and the four us debated back and forth on whether we can drive through the storm to get to the Lagoon. The four of us were from Toronto and Ottawa in Canada. We were comfortable driving in heavy snow and in slippery conditions. We also had a 4 wheel rental.





We tried calling the tour company to see if they will be able to give us a different day tour (we were planning to be in Iceland for 7 days) . They didnt have any other openings and they mentioned they may not be able to provide us a refund. This made us even further depressed. The tour cost approximately $200 CAD each. We decided we will wake up the next morning and see how the weather is.





The Day of the Storm





The next morning we got up early and tried driving toward Jokulsarlon Lagoon from Reykjavik. It was quite windy and it was snowing. We were used to the snow, but we were not used to winds of that speed. The combination of snow and wind made driving treacherous. Also the road was blocked. We were only able to drive out for 20 minutes before we found the road to be blocked. I guess the Icelandic authorities trying to protect the silly tourists who drives around in unsafe conditions? So we turned back and did other activities closer to Reykjavik that day. I also called and emailed the tour company explaining the situation and requesting a refund. We did get a refund, but it required a lot of follow through and negotiations on our part. I dont think you would normally get a refund for a missed glacier tour. Most companies highlight when you book one line, that you will not get a refund due to bad weather conditions near where you are staying. This is because Iceland has different type of weather for different regions. You can drive in and out of a storm in an hour, and you may run into summer like conditions driving out of the storm. One of our fascinating discoveries during our time in Iceland.





That day I looked up other Glacier Tour companies to see if I can find another spot for the 4 of us. Luckily for us there was another opening with a different company. This time around we booked our tour with : http://www.iceguide.is/ . I had initially wanted to book with them based on all the reviews and research I had done, but at that time they didnt have any openings. Luckily for us we were able to find a time slot for the 4 of us after we had to cancel our tour with another operator due to weather.

Our plan was to drive to Jokulsarlon Lagoon from Reykjavik early morning, do the tour and came back in the evening. This is what we did. I would actually recommend staying near the Lagoon for one night. This way you can do the drive at a slower pace and enjoy the drive itself more, and it gives you the oppourtunity to plan around bad weather conditions. Lesson learned for next time.





The Day of the Ice Cave





The drive between Reykjavik and Jokulsarlon is beautiful. It is one of the most diverse and beautiful drives I have done. The day of our tour, the weather was sunny which made the drive much more enjoyable. We saw beautiful snow covered mountains, stunning coast line, pulled over at waterfalls, black beaches, glacier pieces on a beach and just rugged, undeveloped scenery all throughout the drive. I think I enjoyed the drive as much as I enjoyed the blue glacier caves!





On the way to Jokulsarlon

On the way to Jokulsarlon

On the way to Jokulsarlon

On the way to Jokulsarlon

On the way to Jokulsarlon

On the way to Jokulsarlon









Our glacier tour was around 3:15 pm. We left Reykjavik around 7:30 am so we could have some time at the Jokulsarlon Lagoon prior to the tour. We made some stops along the way, and made it to the lagoon. The Lagoon itself is stunningly beautiful. See some photos below. The Lagoon is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a road and a bridge. We crossed over the road to the beach on the other side. The beach with big chunk of ice is one of the most unique sights I have seen. Photos below.

We drove back toward west to the iceguide office. It is about 15 minutes from the Jokulsarlon Lagoon. Ice guide is a family run company owned by Oskar Arason and his wife Heiour Johannsdottir. Heiour registered us and provided us with the equipment needed to walk on the glacier. Oskar picked us up and another six people and drove us to the Crystal Cave on the Vatnajokull glacier.





Black Beach

Black Beach

Jokulsarlon Lagoon

Seals @ Jokulsarlon Lagoon

Black Beach

Glacier Piece on Black Beach

Jokulsarlon









It was a beautiful drive, and the crystal cave was just magical. It was worth going all the way to Iceland. Inside the cave it is actually blue with so many patterns in the ice. The ice has been frozen for thousands of years. It is a truly unique sight and a must do if you have the opportunity to do so. I believe glacier caves like this where you have guided tours are rare! At least based on my searches. What we visited was a glacier cave. A glacier cave is formed by water flowing through the melting glacier in the summer. An Ice cave is a normal bedrock cave with ice inside it. I didnt know this till I started researching the glacier caves in Iceland. The brilliant blueness is only seen in a glacier cave.

See below for some photos of the beautiful glacier caves. We walked/crawled into the cave for about an hour and half and went back to our tour vehicle for the drive back to the office.





Vatnajokull Glacier

Crystal Glacier Cave

Crystal Glacier Cave

Crystal Glacier Cave

Crystal Glacier Cave

Crystal Glacier Cave





We thanked everyone, and headed back to Reykjavik. That night we were lucky enough to see the Northern lights! More on that in another post!
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Taipei, Feb. 23 (CNA) A project to upgrade the Bonriki International Airport in the South Pacific country of Kiribati is set to be completed in the second half of this year, with the assistance of a loan from Taiwan, according to the government-funded agency that is providing the money.
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Taipei, Feb. 23 (CNA) A long-stalled cooperation plan between a local school and the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu, the largest network of culinary and hospitality schools in the world, might finally get off the ground after a Taiwanese official said Tuesday that the necessary procedures will be completed soon.
How naive Merkel was in letting all these "refugees" into Germany. She was warned by the more sensible amongst us yet still she opened the floodgates. And now she must be seriously regretting her decision. Germany, and much of continental Europe, will be suffering the consequences for years to come. Europe is heading for a huge societal disaster.



And it isn't just Germany. Nearly all of our Western leaders (with exceptions such as Ukip politicians and Trump) have such naivety and just can't see the blindingly obvious that ordinary people can see.



And this naivety and failure to see the blatantly obvious by our politicians isn't going to end soon. The EU is going to give Islamist-supporting Turkey membership within the next five years and that will be 79 million Muslims, many of the Islamists, being given freedom of movement to anywhere within the EU. It's another reason why we must all get behind Brexit. Brexit needs to happen. Otherwise 79 million Muslim Turks would be allow to live in Britain.








I know eh.you might already have some idea as to what this story is gonna be about.seems some underlying principles at work here to have set this nonsense in motion.like liberal retardation. it's a contagious brain disease in which white liberals believe that the white race has caused the inferior intellect and violent behavior of black people, and that they have an opportunity to fix the wrong. or something. or not.I could be wrong.Danielle Jones hasnt woken up since her birthday on Valentines Day.The 23-year-old has spent the last week in a coma, and her family said it was at the hands of the roommate she found on Craigslist.The graphic pictures on the familys GoFundMe page show Jones bloodied, bruised and stitched-up face as she lies, intubated and wearing a neck brace, in a hospital bed.Jones, whose Facebook lists her as an HR manager at Bison Business Consulting, found her new roommate, whom NBC6 identifies as Byron Mitchell, two weeks ago.NBC6 reported that Mitchell claimed self-defense and said Jones came after him with a knife.Reached on Saturday, Lt. Freddie Cruz, spokesman for city of Miami Police, said he did not have details on the Feb. 14 attack that left Jones in critical condition.There are conflicting statements, and its up in the air if there was a relationship between the two, he said.Mitchell, 35, is being held without bond at the Metro West Detention Center on an attempted murder charge.If and when she wakes, she will need extensive care and rehabilitation, her family wrote on the GoFundMe page. Please help her any way you can. Even if just with prayers...
A long read through the Great Books of the Western World series.
LINCOLN  Weeping Water has scheduled an American Red Cross Blood Drive 1-7 p.m. Thursday, March 3, at the Weeping Water Community Building on Eldora Avenue.

During Red Cross Month in March, the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to join in its lifesaving mission by giving blood.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt first proclaimed March as Red Cross Month in 1943.

Each year since the President of the United States proclaims March "Red Cross Month again.

Red Cross Month is a celebration of the everyday heroes, like Karla Essmiller, who are the face of the Red Cross in their communities. Essmiller began donating blood and even coordinated a few blood drives when she was in college. Donating blood is a simple gift that I can make that may help up to three people live another day, she said. That makes me feel like a hero!

Make an Appointment to Donate Blood this March.

Make an appointment to become a hero to patients in need by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or by reserving a spot with Barb at 267-7375 or 267-5318.

Be sure to complete a RapidPass and complete the pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online on the day of donation from the convenience of a computer at home or work. To get started, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions.

The Red Cross depends on blood donor heroes across the nation to collect enough blood to meet the needs of patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals nationwide. Donors of all blood types are needed to help accident and burn victims, patients undergoing organ transplants, those receiving cancer treatments and others who rely on blood products.
Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation is honoring their namesake author again with a special showing of Cheers for Miss Bishop at the Lofte Theatre, near Manley.

The movie, based on Aldrichs book, Miss Bishop, will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 12, at the Lofte. Admission is $10 with proceeds going to the Aldrich Foundation. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m.

The movie is about Miss Ella Bishop, a teacher at a small town Midwestern college. The story is told in flashback and takes place from the 1880s to the 1930s. It covers incidents in her life from her freshman year to retirement. At the beginning, she lives with her mother and her vixenish cousin Amy. Ella reminisces about her father and a farm he had near the town. Ella is an inhibited girl whose frustration grows as she approaches womanhood. Her ambition to teach causes her to lose her only opportunity for true love, and her life becomes one of missed chances and wrong choices.

However, the years are not without glory; and her moment of triumph arrives late in life when her numerous now-famous students from over the years return to a testimonial dinner at the school to honor their beloved Miss Bishop.

Aldrich was one of Nebraska's most widely read and enjoyed authors. Her writing career spanned 40-some years, during which she published over 160 short stories and articles, nine novels, one novella, two books of short stories and one omnibus. In her work, she emphasized family values and recorded accurately Midwest pioneering history. In addition to Miss Bishop becoming a movie, Aldrichs short story, "The Silent Stars Go By," became the television show, The Gift of Love, starring Lee Remick and Angela Lansbury. Aldrich also served as a writer and consultant in Hollywood for Paramount Picture.
Plattsmouth, Offutt Air Force Base and Murray firefighters quelled flames in a home on First Street in Plattsmouth Feb. 22.

Upon arrival just before 2 p.m., smoke and flames were shooting out of the second floor of the residents. Crews aggressively attacked the interior and contained the fire to one bedroom. The second floor also retained smoke damage.

Plattsmouth Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) members responded with its Chief 801, Engine 831, Utility 861, Aerial 850, Support 860, two EMS Squads along with Murray Engine 731.

A mutual aid request for an engine crew was also sent to Offutt Air Force Base fire department. According to information on the PVFDs Facebook page, Offutt Engine 9 responded to the call.

No occupants or responders were injured. Nebraska State Fire Marshalls office is investigating the cause of the fire.
A Fremont woman was sentenced to serve prison time Monday morning in Dodge County District Court for assaulting a member of law enforcement.

Kayla Ewing, 27, pleaded no contest and was found guilty of assaulting an officer, a Class IIIA felony, and resisting arrest, a Class I misdemeanor.

District Court Judge Geoffrey Hall sentenced Ewing to serve 18 months in the Lincoln Correctional Facility for assault of an officer, and one year for the disorderly conduct offense.

Ewing was credited with serving 172 days in jail and under the Nebraska Good Time Law, Ewing is required to serve nine months on the first charge, and six months on the second. The sentences are being ran concurrently.

Court records show that Ewing was arrested Sept. 3, 2015, after officers responded to a residence she was residing at in reference to a disturbance that was escalating.

While officers were conducting an investigation, records show that Ewing was uncooperative and combative, so much in fact, that she was tased by officers.

Her young son was at the home during the altercation.

Prior to making a plea agreement, Ewing faced charges of two counts of third-degree assault of a police officer, two counts of making terroristic threats, resisting arrest, obstructing a police officer, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, assault of an officer with bodily fluids and two counts of child neglect.

Defense Attorney James Drake asked Hall to consider handing down a stiff probationary sentence, one that would be allowed to be carried out in Oklahoma where Ewings son is living with his father.

Drake said that Ewing would serve her probation sentence there, where she would be held accountable by her sons father.

Hall said he didnt believe that was a viable option in this case, that Ewing likely would not be held accountable and would likely reoffend.

To me that sounds like a wish and a hope, and thats not something that this court is going to do, Hall said. I take very seriously charges that deal with the assault of an officer, so I will not grant you the privilege of probation.

In other District Court news:

*Armando Lee, 33, of Fremont was sentenced to serve prison time for an assault on his pregnant wife stemming back to July 1, 2015. Judge Hall handed down a sentence requiring Lee to serve not less than three years and not more than five years in the Lincoln Correctional Facility for false imprisonment, a Class IIIA felony, and one year for third-degree assault, a Class I misdemeanor. Lee was credited with 236 days served and under the Nebraska Good Time Law, Lee must serve 1  years for the first charge, and six months for the assault.

*Henry Brinkley, 41, of Lincoln was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of first-degree false imprisonment of his intimate partner, a Class IIIA felony, making terroristic threats, Class IIIA felony, and third-degree domestic assault, a Class I misdemeanor. Brinkley was credited with serving 134 days in jail and under the Nebraska Good Time Law, he must serve a minimum of one year for both Class IIIA felonies, and six months for the third-degree assault.
Every year, Grant Elementary hosts a community-oriented event to raise funds for the schools Parent Teacher Association.

In 2015, a community carnival was held on the property, and this year, a garage sale is being hosted March 5 in the schools auditorium.

Kristy Pafford, PTA president, said these types of fundraising events not only provide the public with a chance to network with one another, but that they really do make a huge difference by providing the association with the necessary funds to make a positive difference in the lives of students.

The idea for the fundraiser was generated by a Grant teacher who had some household items that she was looking to get rid of. Instead of tossing them out, she thought a school/community fund raiser would be the perfect place to sell the items for an inexpensive price to somebody who could use them.

I think she thought that this was a great way to engage the community, and also to support the PTA, Pafford said. Its a great thing, because we do utilize the funds and put them directly back into the school.

In 2014, proceeds from the garage sale went to help all children receive year books  some might not have been able to get one without the help, she said.

While the garage sale is open to the community from 8 a.m. through noon on March 5, parents of students are encouraged to attend March 3 following parent/teacher conferences, Pafford said.

Pafford said that there will be a large assortment of items to choose from at the sale.

Certain items include: clothing for all ages  infant through adult, toys, children and adult books, movies, games and household items.

Additionally, the K-Kids  comprised of students in grades one through four  are hosting a bake sale to raise funds for fieldtrips and their annual end of the year party.

Teachers, school board members and PTA members have been saving up items for the garage sale, many for more than one year, she said.

The event not only is a great way to raise money for the school, but also a way to demonstrate how dedicated the PTA is to get as many parents involved with their childrens academics as possible.

The PTA tries to get parents involved in school and to help these kids reach their full potential, Pafford said. It all starts at home with the parent or parents, and if they are engaged and getting involved, you really see how much of a difference it makes with the kids.
New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
Father Lawrence Farley holds an M.Div.from Wycliffe College, Toronto School of Theology, and also completed a Certificate program at St. Tikhon's Seminary.

Since 1987 he has served as the pastor of St. Herman's Orthodox Church, OCA (Archdiocese of Canada) in Langley BC. Several priests, deacons, and lay members of new missions have emerged from the membership of St. Herman's.

Fr. Lawrence is the author of the Orthodox Bible Study Companion Series from Conciliar Press, and of a number of other books and articles, and appears in regular weekday podcasts on Ancient Faith Radio.

He also was an occasional contributor to Pemptousia, the online journal of Vatopaidi Monastery on Mount Athos.


PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 22, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chemtura Corporation (NYSE:CHMT) (EURONEXT:CHMT) announced that, in accordance with the selection made by Evercore Trust Company, N.A. (Evercore Trust), the independent fiduciary for the Chemtura Corporation Retirement Plan (the Plan), it has entered into a purchase agreement with Voya Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company (Voya), a member of the Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VOYA) family of companies, for a group annuity contract that will transfer payment responsibility to Voya for retirement pension benefits owed to approximately 5,000 Chemtura retirees in the U.S. (who are receiving monthly payments from the Plan as of September 1, 2015 and whose pension benefits were less than $2,000 per month) or their designated beneficiaries.

Starting May 1, 2016, Voya will begin making benefit payments to the affected retirees along with providing administrative services. Retirees will continue to receive the same monthly benefit they were receiving from the Plan. By irrevocably transferring the obligations to Voya, Chemtura will partially mitigate the Companys financial exposure to its defined benefit pension plans and estimates a reduction in its overall projected pension benefit obligation in the range of $350 million to $375 million, based on the valuation date of February 17, 2016. The annuity purchase price will be funded directly by the assets of the Plan.

Chemtura expects to make a cash contribution to the Plan in the first quarter of 2016 of between $30 million and $40 million in order to maintain the Plans funded status. The Company expects to incur a non-cash pension settlement charge in the range of $150 million to $170 million before tax during the first quarter of 2016 in connection with this group annuity purchase.

The retirees whose benefits are included in this transaction will receive personalized communications with more details by February 29, 2016 including call center information should they have any questions.

Willis Towers Watson served as strategic advisor to Chemtura in this transaction.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including the expected benefits of the pension annuity contracts, anticipated contributions to the Plan and expected charges related to the pension annuity contracts are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, potentially inaccurate assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict. If known or unknown risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, our actual results could differ materially from past results and from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, economic, business, competitive, political, regulatory, legal and governmental conditions in the countries and regions in which we operate. These factors are discussed more fully in the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly our latest annual report on Form 10-K. We assume no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

Chemtura Corporation, with 2015 sales of $1.7 billion, is a global manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals. Additional information concerning Chemtura is available at www.chemtura.com.
English Icelandic

Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2015 of HS Orka hf. (the Company) were approved at a Board of Directors meeting on 22 February 2016. The financial statements of HS Orka hf. are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union and are stated in ISK. The financial statements can be found on the Companys website: http://www.hsorka.is

Company EBITDA increased by 1% to ISK 2,774 million (2014: ISK 2,738 million), despite a 2% reduction in annual operating revenues to ISK 7,350 million (from ISK 7,479 in 2014). Both revenue and operating cost decreased by 723 million year on year, due to the transfer of certain employees directly to HS Veitur, when formerly the employees costs were recharged and recorded in income. Excluding the impact of the transfer, revenue increased year on year largely due to increased retail sales.

Loss for the year was ISK 247 million (2014: profit of ISK 736 million), due predominantly to the non-cash fair value change of embedded derivatives in power purchase agreements (linked to aluminum price) which resulted in a loss of ISK 3,248 million compared to loss of ISK 1,556 million in 2014.

A total comprehensive profit of ISK 2.633 million was recorded against ISK 679 million in 2014. The increase was largely driven by recognition of ISK 3,040 million as a result of the revaluation of the Svartsengi Power plant on 31 December, 2015 based on projected cash flows resulting from current plant output and projected power prices.

The Companys equity ratio is 58.6% compared to 59.7% at year-end 2014.

Further information can be provided by Asgeir Margeirsson, Managing Director of HS Orka hf., tel. 520 9300 / 855 9301.
Jes Bjerregaard will leave his position as Managing Director at Danpo to continue his career outside the Group. The process of recruiting a replacement has begun. Jes Bjerregaard will stay with the company during the notice period and will stop at the latest May 31, 2016. For further information, please contact Leif Bergvall-Hansen, CEO +45 22100544 Scandi Standard is the largest producer of chicken-based food products in the Nordic region with leading positions in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The company produces, markets and sells chilled and frozen products under the brands Kronfagel, Danpo, Den Stolte Hane, Vestfold Fugl, Ivars, and Chicky World, as well as for private labels. In Norway, eggs are also packed and sold under the brand Den Stolte Hane and for private labels. For more information, see www.scandistandard.com
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) will host its 12th Annual Gala & Leadership Awards on Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The commemoration will take place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel located on 1150 22 ST NW, in Washington, D.C. 20037.



CHLI awards are presented to exceptional leaders who support the advancement of the Hispanic community in the United States. This year CHLI will be honoring Congressman Jeff Denham (CA-10) and Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-5) with its 2016 Leadership in Public Service Award.

Venezuelan opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez, currently a political prisoner, will be recognized with CHLIs 2016 International Leadership Award. His wife, the distinguished human rights activist Lilian Tintori, will accept the award on Mr. Lopezs behalf if he is still imprisoned on April 20th.

CHLI is privileged to be honoring U.S. Congressmen Jeff Denham and Mike Quigley, and Venezuelan pro-democracy leader Leopoldo Lopez. Our three honorees truly embody the spirit of democracy, and make us all proud, said Lincoln Diaz-Balart, former Member of Congress and CHLI Chairman.

For sponsorship information, please contact Mary Ann Gomez, CHLI President & CEO at mgomez@chli.org.

Stay Connected with CHLI:



Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Google+

YouTube

About CHLI:

The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) is the premier organization founded by Members of Congress and corporate executive leaders to advance the Hispanic community's economic progress with a focus on social responsibility and global competitiveness. Founded in 2003, CHLI is a 501(c)3 non-profit and non-partisan organization. CHLI is dedicated to fostering a broad awareness of the diversity of thought, heritage, interests, and views of Americans of Hispanic and Portuguese descent.


sayanbhattacharjya wrote:

Hi,

First of all greetings to all.



This is Sayan from India.

My profile is as follows:

Name: Sayan Bhattacharjya

Nationality: India

Gender: Male

Age: 31+

Secondary: 83%

High school: 65%

Graduation (Biomedical engineering from tier 2 college): 7.2 CGPA IN 10

Post graduation (PGDBM in Marketing from tier 2 college): 72%

Work experiance: 6 yr 10 months in FMCG brand management. Currently working at Unilever as Assistant Brand Manager. Rated high consistently in work.

Current salary 16 lacs p.a. which is equivalent to 95,000 USD on PPP terms.



Extra curicullam activity:

- Worked for NGO in teaching unprivileged children b for a year.

- Currently working on a personal project of aggregating photographers on a single platform.



I am feeling that my education from tier 2 colleges is slowing down my career progress and reducing my earning potential. Thus want to pursue further education. Moreover I am keen on having my career in Consultancy.



Appeared for GMAT last week with one month preparation. Scored low (660 q47 v34).



Now my questions are:

1. What kind of course should I look at and from which kind of colleges to fulfill my objectives? I am not keen on doing 2 year MBA.



2. Should I aim for second attempt in GMAT? I am sure I can score at least 20-30 points better than my current score.



Thanking u in advance.



Regards,

Sayan B

Namita Garg,

http://www.mbadecoder.com



Some of our most recent admits are going to: Wharton. Kellogg, NYU Stern, LBS, INSEAD, Ross, UCLA, Tepper, IESE, HEC Paris, Emory and ISB.

Among the profiles we regularly work with are: Consultants, Finance specialists, Marketeers, Lawyers, Operations Managers, Product Managers, Social Impact Fellows, Software Engineers, Marine Engineers and Doctors



Book a contact@mbadecoder.com Book a FREE profile evaluation with us OR write to us at: Signature Read More

Hi Sayan,I don't see a problem with the second MBA - as I understand, you have done it just after college. With six years of work experience after that, you can justify that your course has served its purpose in getting you to X level, but now you need to retool your self with an international MBA for XYZ reasons. Do note however, that you will have to address the why second MBA issue for sure.To answer your questions,( I will have to ask you a few questions myself):1. Which geographies/regions are you willing to stay in? There are a whole of one year MBA options.2. Yes do take the GMAT again.3. When you say consulting what exactly do you mean? Are you interested in a marketing consulting kind of role?If its something more broad based such as strategy consulting then I see a change as highly unlikely as you are older to make that transition. Moreover, your next role has to tie in with your current skill set._________________
Ben and Julie's Blog

Welcome to our blog and our lives. As you read you will discover very quickly that our lives revolve around our faith in Jesus Christ. We are not perfect-- simply two ordinary, average people trying to follow God's will for our lives. Hope you enjoy this journey that we are on.


Not too long ago I decided to look into the matter of the CBGB awnings. There wasn't a specific "matter" to investigate, but I had my reasons. They were twofold: 1) I wanted to know how many real CBGB awnings existed, since replicas have popped up everywhere from Los Angeles to Newark Airport; and 2) I wanted to know where the others (not in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame) were located today. My quest revealed that there were at least three authentic awnings: the original, one or more replacements, and the final awning that's now in the museum. Only the location of the latter was known... until now.

An awning (likely a replica) in Angelino Heights, Los Angeles Photo by Navid Baraty / Gothamist

But let's back up first. During my initial dive into the matter of the awnings, Louise Staley, who was head booker and basically ran the club from 1986 until the last day, told me it's long been believed that the band Jody Foster's Army (JFA) stole the original awning after their gig in the 1980s"rumor has it they hung it in their backyard." This was backed up by others at the club, though JFA never responded to my request for comments and confirmation (no one's going to arrest you guys!). Read More: The Original CBGB Awning & The Conspiracy To Cover Up Its Location The second awning, I was told by one of the club's bookers, Brendan Rafferty, was thrown out by the late owner Hilly Kristal, but "rescued from a dumpster by a former CBGB employee. Its exact wherabouts are unknown." Well, we found it. Or rather, it found us.

Photo by

Drew Bushong is the employee that found the awning, sometime around 2004, which he took home. "I worked there for six years as the manager," Bushong told me, "The story's pretty uneventful. Went to Mars Bar after a long Monday night audition of 6-7 forgettable bands... and on way back to my motorcycle parked out front of club, I saw the box [with the awning] that had been sitting above my desk for five months on the street next to the trash bags. Put it on back of my bike and drove home... Thought one day maybe I'd open a home bar with it. It's pretty dirty and dingy." Also, Bushong believes there may be four or five awnings, not just the three we have been tracking down. "I think four or even five total," he told me. "I have the one that was around for Joey [Ramone]'s memorial," circa 2001. As to where those other ones are, if they exist, Bushong told me there's a rumor that "Spike Lee had one at some point, [and] another rumor is that Freddy Madball stole the left corner of the 4th awning." Read More: A History of the CBGB Awnings Little Josh Lozano, Hilly and Louise's old assistant, believes there were four awnings, and that Spike Lee actually put a replica up (perhaps during filming Summer of Sam in the late '90s). He told me, "I started there in '97 and the one up there had been there for a long time. That's the one that I was most familiar with in pictures. At some point I remember Hilly replacing the second one... I'm not sure if it was because Spike Lee gave him the replica he made... I think the Spike one was up for a little bit. I know the one that was up during the closing years was only up there for a brief period. Maybe two years or less. It was a softer material than the previous ones." Along with Staley and Rafferty, Bushong also believes JFA has that original awning, telling me, "I heard there's a pic of them under it, in their back yard and barbecuing." Until they decide to confirm and send me a photo of the original awning, Bushong has come through in a big way with his piece of Old Bowery history.

Photo by

Recently Bushong and Little Josh very briefly returned the CBGB awning to its old home to capture photos for this article. Little Josh says this one has some hand painting"there were tags in the 'C' so Hilly asked me to paint it, but I couldnt match the color so I painted all the letters." He had to paint the awning more than once when bands tagged it, "which infuriated Hilly," he told me. "I remember getting up there several times and painting it." During their time holding the awning up, the "Varvatos fashionistas" asked if they could bring it inside for some photos"I imagined we'd be there for hours watching 'em do selfies so we brushed 'em off pretty good. Some Australian guy walking by said he missed it and loved seeing it again."

Photo by Photo by Rainer Turim
New City Council legislation that would require landlords to sign a "certificate of no harassment" before renovating or demolishing a buildingeffectively barring notorious landlords from pressuring tenants to vacatewas met with considerable pushback Monday from city housing officials who described the proposed law as "overly broad, poorly targeted, and considerably costly."

As the Council approaches its final vote on Mayor de Blasio's controversial affordable housing planone that could rezone some of the city's poorest neighborhoods to allow for taller residential buildings with a percentage of affordable apartmentsthe bill discussed today aims to protect tenants in the city's hundreds of thousands of rent regulated apartments. These tenants are often subject to harassment tacticssuch as dangerous construction in neighboring apartmentsas new market-rate apartments pop up in their neighborhoods, bringing wealthier New Yorkers to the neighborhood and driving up property values.

Brothers Joel and Aaron Israel of JBI Management made headlines in 2014 for such tacticsblasting a crater-sized hole in the middle of one family's Bushwick apartment at 98 Linden Street, for example, and taking an axe to the boilers at 300 Nassau Street. The Israels were arrested last April, but many of their tenants endured barely-livable conditions for over a year.

Mayor de Blasio's affordable housing plan calls for the preservation of 120,000 currently-affordable apartments. However, in extending longstanding rent laws last Junewith a few minor adjustmentsthe state maintained loopholes that motivate landlords to vacate low-income tenants. For example, under rent stabilization, vacancy allowance lets landlords increase the rent in rent-controlled apartments between tenants. A stipulation called vacancy decontrol insures that a rent stabilized apartment is no longer protected once the rent reaches $2,700.

The Alliance for Tenant Power has estimated that the city will lose as many as 100,000 rent-regulated apartments in the next four years as a result.

"This law would flip the existing incentive structure, so that harassment is discouraged instead of rewarded," testified Emily Goldstein of the advocacy group Tenants and Neighbors.

"Harassment is an unwritten part of the business plan in neighborhoods like Bushwick," echoed Ezra Kautz, a supervising housing attorney for Make the Road NY.



An apartment at 98 Linden, after the Israel brothers had their way with it. (Lauren Evans/Gothamist)

According to the city, tenant evictions decreased 5.5% in 2015. However, about 22,000 tenants still lost their homes to evictions last year. While HPD administrators testified repeatedly on Monday that it is interested in "having a conversation" with the City Council about reducing this number, the administration deemed the no-harassment certificate legislation unfeasible.

Vito Mustaciuolo, deputy commissioner for HPD's Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services, testified that the bill would slow construction and development across the city, in the name of punishing a "small percentage of bad actors." Mustaciuolo argued for "a much more surgical approach," such as prioritizing landlords with properties in at-risk neighborhoods like East New York and East Harlem.

"The emphasis should be on preventing harassment and the tools should not impose costly delays on development and rehab," Mustaciuolo said. "The bill would cause administrative delays impacting construction of apartments all over the city... some areas of the city have [many] unregulated buildings, where the landlord doesn't need to harass tenants, because it isn't illegal to raise the rent."

"We know that under the current system a lot of buildings are slipping through," Mustaciuolo added, after more than an hour of fielding questions from the council. "A lot of landlords are getting away with it."

HPD also argued that the de Blasio administration has invested considerably in tenant protection serviceslast September, the Mayor announced $46.3 million in anti-eviction legal services in the 2016 budget. According to the city, this funding can serve 32,000 apartments. The city also formed the Tenant Harassment Prevention Taskforce last summer to target the city's worst-offending landlords.

Councilmembers on Monday also made repeated reference to a November ProPublica investigation which found that at least 50,000 apartments city-wide are not officially registered as rent-regulated, even as their landlords reap the benefit of government subsidies. One current HPD employee, whose responsibilities include counting units registered for stabilization, put the number closer to 200,000 apartments.

"HPD knows it doesn't have the resources to deal with these issues," testified Urban Justice Center attorney Harvey Epstein. "They say we don't need legislation to deal with this, but unless we have legislation, we're never going to have structures in place to deal with unaffordability in this city."

Update: An earlier version of this article incorrectly defined vacancy allowance and vacancy decontrol.
Weeks of pissy letters between city and state homeless officials reached maximum pique yesterday morning when Steven Banks, commissioner of the city's Human Resources Administration and interim co-director of the Department of Homeless Services, penned a blistering missive to his state counterpart Samuel Roberts. The latest letter accuses Roberts's office of a "political media hit" for publicizing a gang rape at a homeless shelter that the NYPD says never happened.

Banks wrote that "notwithstanding the lack of evidence" of a gang rape in which a Bellevue Men's Shelter resident was hogtied, the NYPD investigated. Police, he wrote, found not only that the rape didn't happen, but the security guard who allegedly told state inspectors about it "did not make such a statement." Banks explained that in 2014, there was a robbery at the shelter in which the victim was tied up, and that early this month three men threatened a fourth with rape, but Banks said the man targeted was transferred to a Queens shelter immediately upon reporting the threat. Moreover, the state was "reckless" in its response, because instead of calling city homeless officials or police, Roberts wrote a letter and copied the New York Post, Banks wrote.

The "hit," Banks said, was "harmful to our efforts to bring people in off the streets," and the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance [OTDA], which Roberts heads, may have broken the law by making a false report to police and circulating that report.

"If you want to have a serious conversation about the drivers of the homeless situation that are under your control," Banks writes, citing the state's meager $215 rental allowance, lack of psychiatric beds, and dumping former prisoners in city shelters, "we are ready to have that conversation."

He concludes:

If you want to keep writing letters with false allegations so they can be released to the media, we will continue to respond. But this is not helping homeless children and adults in New York City. We hope you will reconsider your course of conduct. We remain willing to work together in partnership.



(Bryan Thomas/Getty)

At the heart of this bizarre conflict is Governor Cuomo's newfound interest in New York City homelessness, a condition that spiked dramatically after he and former mayor Michael Bloomberg ended the Advantage rental assistance program in 2011. The campaign is one of many fronts of Cuomo's feud with de Blasio, and has played out in Cuomo's unenforced January edict calling for police to forcibly remove homeless people from the streets in cold weather, his announcement a week later of a sweeping review of conditions at homeless shelters, in the middle of the city's own three-month review, and now the series of letters in the wake of violent incidents, alleged and actual, at city shelters.

Those incidents include a quadruple stabbing that left a mother and two of her daughters dead and a two-year-old girl injured on February 10th at a Ramada Inn hotel being used to house homeless families on Staten Island. The day of that bloody crime, OTDA Executive Deputy Commissioner Sharon Devine wrote to Banks demanding the removal of homeless people from the hotel, the certification of security at other hotels, and a review of the Ramada security measures and incident. Devine also suggested that the adult victim, Rebecca Cutler, should have been housed in a domestic violence shelter.

Banks's response to that letter, made available to Gothamist, indicates that the letter went out after Banks had called state officials and after Mayor de Blasio had announced the relocation of Ramada shelter residents, leaving Banks's office "surprised" by the stern note. Banks also wrote that Cutler's domestic violence shelter eligibility was "contrary to the information that we have" and asked to review whatever the state was looking at. That letter of Banks's ended more politely, but his patience for Cuomo's political games is evidently wearing thin.

In an appearance on WNYC this morning, Banks emphasized his 30+ years advocating for homeless people at the Legal Aid Society before taking a job with the de Blasio administration, and said the problems with rising homelessness and the shelter system long predate this mayoralty:

This isn't something that's happened overnight in terms of problems in shelters. I know this through litigation over many years. There are issues that have built up, and the mayor is owning them, and we want to work in partnership with the state. Exchanging letters isn't moving us forward. What is going to move us forward is working in partnership, addressing the conditions, and putting in the resources that are needed.

Along with helping fix up and providing additional security at shelters, Banks said the state should authorize rent assistance payments at the federally advised level$1,515 a month for a family of three, as opposed to the $1,050 currently available under the Family Eviction Prevention Supplement programand to fund repairs, and do inspections in tandem with the city, rather than communicating through letters and headlines.

An OTDA spokeswoman wouldn't answer questions regarding why people should view her office's actions as anything other than politically motivated meddling, or whether administrators would consider Banks's pleas. She did provide a statement saying that recent audits "showed the shelters to be wholly unsafe and mismanaged. This is compounded by a series of recent unprecedented violent incidents, that have resulted in a loss of life. The obvious issue is the citys failure to provide adequate security at its own facilities."

The statement further questions the credibility of the Bellevue security guard and calls it "ironic that the city protests that OTDA informed the press, when in fact, today a New York Times reporter was provided the citys letter before OTDA had even received it."

The dysfunction of the city's homeless services systems is not in question, but the Cuomo administration's will to do anything about it seems to be.

Several of the letters between Banks and his frienemies in state government are below.

New York State Demands Security At NYC Homeless Shelters In Response To Ramada Inn Stabbing

NYC Homeless Commissioner Accuses State Of Lying About Ramada Inn Murder Response

New York State Alleges Gang Rape At NYC Homeless Shelter

NYC Homeless Commissioner Denies Occurrence Of Gang Rape At Shelter

NYC Homeless Commissioner Decries "Political Media Hit" By Cuomo Administration
Students at Fairfield University, a predominantly-white Catholic university in Fairfield, Connecticut, are under investigation by school administrators after allegedly hosting a "ghetto-themed" party at an off-campus beach house on Saturday. In the days since, Fairfield undergraduates have described photos they saw posted to social mediastudents wearing baggy clothing and holding 40oz Coors Light. Others told us on Monday that they had seen pictures of students with fake teardrop and "thug life" tattoos.

Some students reportedly saw pictures of party attendees wearing brown face makeup. However, the University said on Wednesday that there had been no confirmation of this. In an e-mail to the student body on Monday afternoon, Fairfield President Father Jeffrey von Arx said that the party "perpetuated racial stereotypes... that only serve to offend and devalue people."

Multiple anonymous sources said that another party may have been hosted on Saturday, with a Jersey Shore or "Guido" theme. While a university spokeswoman said that she could not confirm a second party, students cautioned that circulating photos could have been taken at either event.

"I just got out of class, and it was mostly white people in there, and they were saying it was 'just a joke,'" a sophomore, who asked to remain anonymous, told us by phone on Tuesday. "But people were really offended, and that's not a joke. Most of the people here are white, and are blinded by their white privilege."

The NY Times reports that 78% of Fairfield's undergraduate full-time students identify as white. About 2% are black and 7% are Latino, according to the Department of Education.

A spokeswoman for the University confirmed on Monday that the so-called "ghetto party" had taken place off campus, but that students who live off campus "are still required to adhere to the University code of conduct and are subject to University disciplinary action."



(via Facebook)

In a tongue-in cheek apology posted to the Fairfield Class of 2017 Facebook group after the party, Fairfield undergrad Dan Radel, who is listed on the University website as a Junior on the lacrosse team, implicitly accused the party's critics of being overly sensitive. "In light of the recent backlash towards the 'ghetto party,'" he wrote, "I would like to take this time to apologize... I wore a hot dog costume to this party and now feel that my actions have caused emotional harm to all of the hot dog community."

Student Dan Cartolin echoed the sentiment, posting that "We should cancel clam jam too... the clams might get a little upset." Student Sammi Bongo wondered why "this is such a big deal," posting that, "for all you know the party could have been a white trash bash. Changes the story a lot doesn't it?"

Fairfield University Student Association President Anif McDonald stated on Monday that the party "does not reflect the Jesuit mission of Fairfield University or the deep cultural values that the university stands for."

Father von Arx confirmed that an investigation into the party is underway, and conceded that the party may be indicative of a deeper-seated problem on campus. "To some within our community, this is symptomatic of conditions on campus that inhibit our many positive efforts to build a more inclusive, respectful and safer community," he wrote.

According to the University, Fairfield's Office of Student Diversity and Multiculturalism has been holding extended evening office hours for students hoping to discuss the party, and its ramifications. An emergency student forum is also being planned for this week, and faculty are planning a "dialogue" for the community at large.

Some students posted on Facebook that they were not surprised by the weekend's events. "Unfortunately I'd be lying if I said I was surprised at all... especially with the way students responded to the Black Lives Matter assembly," posted student Aubrey Sierer on Monday.

After a Black Lives Matter protest on campus in December 2014, several students used the internal chat platform Yik-Yak to criticize the protestors. According to the blog Her Campus, students posted comments including "If you want to meet the only liberals on campus, go to the stag now! It's a rare find," and "#whitelivesmatter."

Father von Arx reportedly addressed the protest in a campus-wide e-mail, urging students to "resist the tendency toward angry rhetoric or personal attack."

The sophomore we spoke with on Tuesday, who identifies as a member of the minority population on campus, said that the undergraduate community has felt particularly divided since this past weekend. "In my circle I have Hispanics, African Americans, Asians. I do talk to the white people, but it's kind of divided now because of that party," she added. "People are getting segregated from each other."

Students and community members are planning to hold a rally on campus this coming Saturday to support minority students at Fairfield "who must live within this hostile environment."
The prominent emergency room physician who is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a patient is due in criminal court todaya day after his victim filed a lawsuit against him and Mount Sinai Hospital.

The 22-year-old woman alleged that during a visit to Mt. Sinai on January 11, a nurse treated her for shoulder pain with various medications, including morphine. The patient then took off her shirt and bra and put on a gown for an X-ray. According to the Daily News' sources, "Newman walked into her room following the X-ray.... 'Im going to give you a shot of morphine,' the doctor told her... The patient says she told the doctor that a nurse had already administered the drug, but she then felt a burning sensation in her arm that convinced her that Newman gave her more morphine anyway."

The visit turned creepy when the patient, while the doctor was examining her back, told him she felt pain on the right side of her chest. Newman started fondling her breasts, she alleged, according to sources.

The doctor then moved her bed away from the wall and positioned himself with his back toward the patient. The woman heard the sounds of someone masturbating  and then felt semen on her face, she claimed. All the while, she was unable to move because she was heavily medicated, sources said.

Newman allegedly wiped some of the semen off her face, but when the patient woke up, she apparently found more on her face and chest and wiped it off with her gown. She saved the blanket and gown as evidence.

According to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by the NY Times, the swabs from the patient's face "tested positive for semen. Her lawyer, Katherine E. Smith, said on Monday that the district attorneys office told Ms. Newman, who is not related to the doctor, that the DNA matched Dr. Newmans."

Newman was arrested on January 19 and charged with sexual abuse and forcible touching.

The patient is seeking unspecified damages.

Update: According to the lawsuit, when the patient woke up from the additional dose of drugs, nurses appeared "alarmed" by her condition, but nurses told her that she was only given the dose before the X-ray. Later, after telling physician assistant Andrew Lapsley that she was assaulted and drugged, Lapsley allegedly said, "Do you want me to call the police or something?" before recommending that she "think about it" and go home and "sleep on it," suggesting "you could always come back tomorrow."

The patient also allegedly saw Newman pacing outside her room, appearing distraught.
My Journey to the Pyramids
Sport

Former No. 1 Simona Halep suspended for positive doping test

The ITIA announced the suspension on Friday for Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion who is currently No. 9 in the WTA rankings. She won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019, beating 23-time major champion Serena Williams in the final.
MISSOULA -- The Missoula filmmakers, who pleaded guilty in a plea agreement to almost 50 federal and state violations that occurred while they were producing commercial videos about bull trout fishing, have blamed faulty information from other people for their legal problems.

In a weekend posting on Facebook, Montana Wild owners Zack and Travis Boughton noted that the Montana Film Office told them they didn't need to obtain a permit to film in and near the Bob Marshall Wilderness in 2013 -- a charge the film office commissioner denied Monday.

The brothers also said in the months leading up to their trip into the Bob, they sought advice from many people, including fly shop owners, outfitters and past guides about where to fish during our trip. Not once were we ever told that fishing for bull trout in the tributaries was illegal.

Nor were Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks bull trout regulations clear, they argued, saying that the agency added wording to its 2014 regulations to clarify rules that were easy to misunderstand.

FWP Warden Capt. Lee Anderson and criminal investigator Brian Sommers say the 2013 regulations were very clear about where and how anglers could legally target bull trout, listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

Fisheries managers only re-emphasized those rules by repeating some of them in another part of the 2014 regulations, Sommers said, and The reason it was added was just because of these guys.

The Boughtons called their violations an honest mistake on Facebook.

In our minds we did everything legally during this trip, they wrote.

Zack and Travis Boughton pleaded guilty to 11 federal citations involving illegal commercial filming in and near the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The Boughtons and a third companion on the 2013 trip, Anthony Von Ruden of Missoula, pleaded guilty to 38 more state violations for intentionally fishing for bull trout in closed waters, failing to immediately release bull trout and failing to report a bull trout on the required FWP bull trout catch card.

The three were fined a total of $5,950, and avoided the potential loss of fishing, hunting and trapping privileges by entering into the plea agreement in Powell County.

The Boughtons said that even though they felt they had an advantageous case to make in court, they entered into the plea agreement because they wanted to begin work on their next feature film.

(W)e are filmmakers and not lawyers -- we feel more comfortable behind a lens than in a courthouse, they wrote.

Although they did not respond to interview requests last week, the Boughtons posted their side of the story on Montana Wilds Facebook page on Saturday night.

They said they spoke multiple times with Montana Film Office Commissioner Deny Staggs, although they did not identify Staggs by name, and were advised that a special permit would not be necessary for our production.

This was our first year filming as a business and (we) naively believed that the Film Office was the best source for this guidance, they wrote. We later found out that the advice we were given was not true to the law.

I remember the conversations specifically, Staggs said Monday. Their main issue was, would they be considered a commercial production?

Staggs said he asked the Boughtons if they were receiving financial compensation for the filming they did, and when they told him they received gear from outdoors companies in exchange for exposure in the videos, he told them that would be considered a commercial venture and require a commercial filming permit from the U.S. Forest Service.

If youre just going up in the backcountry and documenting your trip so friends and family can watch it, you can show it on YouTube, Staggs said. But if youre monetizing it on a YouTube channel, and accepting money or merchandise from clients, thats commercial, and you have to go through the permitting process.

The Boughtons never told him they also intended to produce a fly-fishing film from the trip for film tours and to enter in film festivals, Staggs added, which would also make it a commercial venture.

From my point of view, they were trying to find a way to not get a permit, said Staggs, who noted his office is a promotional entity, not a permitting one. They also didnt tell him they had a YouTube channel where some of their videos received hundreds of thousands of views, according to Staggs.

The only commercial filming the U.S. Forest Service has ever allowed in the Bob Marshall Wilderness that hes aware of, Staggs said, is 3 Miles an Hour, a Montana PBS documentary about legendary outfitter and guide Smoke Elser that is offered for $19.95 on the Montana PBS website.

An FWP news release announcing the plea agreement last week indicated bull trout had been mishandled by the Boughton brothers and Von Ruden during the trip, including an instance where one of the fish was caught, reeled in, netted, handled and then released with the hook and line still attached so they could film it under water being reeled in, netted and handled again.

Some bull trout were over-handled by the three men for periods of 12 minutes or more, Sommers had charged, and FWP Region 1 fisheries manager Mark Deleray said what the men did with the fish after catching and before releasing them will no doubt have negative impacts on the bull trout fishery.

We believe some of our practices could have been handled better during this trip with what we now know, the Boughtons wrote, but we believe FWP misrepresented this part of their case in their press release about our handling practices. Never was a fish out of water for more than a few breaths and then back into the net quickly. We feel strongly that we had no negative effects on the fishery and we never intentionally released a fish to replay it for the camera. That practice would violate the fish-handling ethos we hold dear.

They can deny it all they want, Sommers said Monday. I have the videos.

Sommers said the men were not charged for any instance where video evidence showed a bull trout was released within four minutes of being netted.

But there were times in unedited video -- FWP obtained via a search warrant more than 2,200 videos shot by the Boughtons during the Bob Marshall trip -- that showed the three messing with the fish for 15, even 20 minutes, Sommers said. There were some theyd release, that would just go right to the bottom and lay there.

Each and every fish handled during the filming of this project was carefully released to see another day, the Boughtons maintain.

A map of the South Fork Flathead in the regulations that showed the tributaries may have confused the Boughtons and Von Ruden.

In our mind, the tributaries were located in an area of the drainage that was open to bull trout fishing, Zack and Travis Boughton wrote.

FWPs Anderson and Sommers said showing the tributaries on the map is necessary to give anglers a way to physically identify the portion of the main stem of the river where bull trout can be targeted. The written regulations make it clear the tributaries are off limits, they said.

Text next to the map was added in 2014 that reads Angling for bull trout is NOT allowed in South Fork tributaries or Big Salmon Lake.

In announcing the plea agreement last week, FWP also said the Boughtons and Von Ruden intentionally and illegally fished for bull trout on the Spotted Bear River and North Fork Blackfoot River during the trip.

The Boughtons did not address those statements in their social media response.

We are sorry if weve disappointed any of our supporters and we are excited to put this behind us, the filmmakers concluded. Our hope is that a look at our body of work and actions will speak louder about our intent and values as outdoorsman (sic) than a simple and honest mistake.

Sommers, the FWP criminal investigator, said he was not surprised the Boughtons were pointing to FWP regulations, the film office and outfitters, guides and fly-fishing shops as the reasons they wound up charged with 49 federal and state violations.

From Day One, its always been somebody elses fault, according to them, Sommers said.
In June, the Department of Labor proposed increasing the salaries test used to determine if an employee is eligible for overtime from the current threshold of $23,660 to $50,440 annually. This means that employees -- such as managers, supervisors and other professionals who are exempt under the Federal Labor Standards Act -- would need their annual salaries elevated to $50,440 or be treated as hourly employees that are eligible for overtime. This proposal, which more than doubles the current standard, would set the salary threshold at a level that is nearly $10,000 and $15,000 higher than what is mandated by the state laws in California and New York -- states where the cost-of-living is relatively high compared to the rest of the country. What works in New York City or San Francisco doesn't necessarily work in Rapid City, South Dakota or Ames, Iowa.

Let me be clear, the current salaries test -- which hasnt changed since 2004 -- should be increased. But, addressing a decade of inaction with an immediate 102 percent increase in the salary threshold will result in unintended consequences that will ultimately hurt current employees.

A recent survey of NAA member newspapers found that the newspaper industry would have to spend more than $130 million annually to raise the salaries of exempt employees.

Such a drastic and sudden increase in the salary threshold also would significantly and unfavorably impact our local retail advertising customers. According to the National Retail Federation, retailers would experience a $745 million impact with more than 2 million employees affected.

Given the well-documented financial challenges of our industry, many newspapers will not be able to meet the new standard. According to the NAA survey, most newspapers said that they would either have to replace full-time employees with those working part-time or convert current exempt employees to an hourly wage. The unintended consequence of the proposed rule is that employees would see a reduction in benefits and workplace flexibility and would be required to fill out timesheets. This is particularly challenging for journalists who need flexibility to cover news stories in their communities that are not constrained by timetables. No journalist wants to be pulled back from a story. The potential impact on local journalism is real. According to the aforementioned survey, 46 percent of the newspapers surveyed said that the proposed salary requirements would force cuts to newsroom staff. If this becomes a reality, it would reduce the journalistic resources needed to keep local communities informed.

A change to the current salary threshold is welcomed and supported if it can, in fact, sustainably meet the needs of both the employees and businesses. A rule that is reasonable will encourage businesses to raise salary levels. But a rule that goes too far, too fast, will simply force businesses to restructure operations to avoid unsustainable costs. This will hurt existing employees.

Congress should encourage the Obama administration to recalibrate this rule into one that is practicable, particularly in light of continued headwinds in our nations economy.

David Chavern is the president and CEO of the Newspaper Association of America.
Mihran Poghosyan, Chief of Armenias Compulsory Enforcement Service, continues to hide his true income in his financial disclosure filings mandated by the government.

His wife, Karineh Mkhitaryan, who officially claims no income at all, recently purchased a $70,000 Range Rover in the familys 2015 financial disclosure.

In their joint disclosure for last year, Poghosyan declared 22.359 million AMD ($45,193) in revenue, 12.5 million of which was wages.

In 2014, Poghosyan declared revenues of 16.150 million AMD. He declared 26 million AMD in cash deposits for 2014 and 22 million for 2015.

Thats a pittance compared to the US$250,000 he declared in cash assets for 2014. These assets dropped to $200,000 in 2015.

Poghosyan heads the CES, akin to the top bailiff in the land. If a court verdict finds that such and such an individual, or company/organization, must pay some other individual or legal entity a certain amount in compensation, fines, or fees, and fails to do so, the CES is called in.

In certain cases, its the government that needs to be paid.

Poghosyan, in addition to his official job, is also something of a money lender. We know this based on several court cases hes filed when the debtor has failed to pay up. Were talking of millions of AMD hes received due to favorable court verdicts.

Where Poghosyan has gotten this money to lend, given his monthly salary of 661,400 AMD ($1337) is anybodys guess.

The millions hes received back, of course, hasnt been declared in the financial disclosures hes filed for the past two years.

Armenias Ethics Commission of High-Ranking Officials, established in 2012 by presidential decree specifically to look into such matters, remains oblivious to the inconsistencies staring it in the face.

It appears Poghosyan is well aware that the commission exists on paper only.

Photo: Mihran Poghosyan
The Legend.....

but should danger ever come, then Holger Danske will rouse himself, and the table will burst asunder as he draws out his beard. Then he will come forth in his strength, and strike a blow that shall sound in all the countries of the world.



- Hans Christian Andersen


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News, commentary, and analysis of current events in Honduras where cultural forms intersect with political interests, with links to the work of Honduran writers and scholars.
Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump, speaks to the media in the spin room after the CBS News Republican presidential debate at the Peace Center, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)
Tri-State Ambulance paramedic Eric Ellis encounters a drug user on every shift.

One could be an overdose; the next could be a negative reaction, usually to methamphetamine or heroin.

Heroin users are unconscious, or close to it. Meth users are the opposite: Theyre stimulated, unpredictable and combative.

Its really frustrating seeing the same people over and over again, Ellis said. It makes we wonder if we have enough resources.

Most users survive.

Others dont.

Hundreds of people in dozens of professions are fighting La Crosse Countys drug problem, but arrests are increasing, more users are hospitalized and one local clinic last year alone distributed hundreds of thousands of needles to addicts.

Some needles end up littered across the city, exposing the public to deadly infections.

The drug problem is a problem that isnt easily solved, Gundersen Health System Dr. Chris Eberlein said. Weve tried to arrest our way out of it and clearly thats a component. The others are prevention and treatment.

Methamphetamine is the most abused and available drug in La Crosse, although the market remains saturated with heroin thanks to an influx of out-of-town dealers preying on addicts, said La Crosse police Sgt. Andy Dittman, who heads the agencys narcotics unit.

Meth killed two men last year, ages 31 and 36, the first methamphetamine-related overdoses in La Crosse County since 2011, according to the medical examiners office. There were 24 fatal heroin overdoses from 2010-15 and one likely this year.

La Crosse police in 2014 and 2015 arrested more than three times as many adults for possessing and delivering meth than heroin, according to data provided by the agency. Officers arrested 191 people last year on meth charges, compared to 57 on heroin charges.

La Crosse County prosecutors charged 220 meth cases and 77 heroin cases last year, while the county ranks among the highest in the state for the number of homicide cases filed against drug dealers to hold them accountable for fatal overdoses.

Authorities in October disrupted a massive drug trafficking ring that police estimate was responsible for two-thirds of the meth distributed in the region.

Several of the 17 people connected to the case moved hundreds of pounds of crystal meth manufactured by Mexican drug cartels from the Twin Cities to La Crosse, where other players distributed it to surrounding counties during a four-year span.

The investigation lasted more than one year and more arrests are possible.

This was a major case when you consider that hundreds of pounds of meth were creating all these addictions and impacting all those lives, said Tom Johnson, who heads a regional drug task force.

Methamphetamine has reached a crisis level in Trempealeau County, where prosecutors charged 32 possession and delivery cases last year, up from just one case in 2012 and 2013, District Attorney Taavi McMahon said.

Burglary and theft cases are rising as desperate addicts turn to crime to support their habits, while four pregnant women addicted to meth were jailed or forced into treatment last year to protect their unborn children, he said.

The impact of meth on the community is terrible, McMahon said.

Heroin use, considered an epidemic in 2012, reached a plateau in early 2015 after a wave of fatal overdoses, Johnson said.

They saw their friends dropping dead, and it got their attention, he said.

Eberlein, who co-chairs the countys Heroin and Other Illicit Drug Task Force, earlier this month warned users that a potentially potent strand of heroin he suspects is cut with fentanyl, a powerful painkiller, had hit the local drug market.

Police are investigating, but noted that doctors may be the first to see drug trends when users seek treatment for an overdose.

By the time its proven, often times there are multiple deaths, Eberlein said.

He cautions against using any form of heroin  You never know what youre getting, Eberlein noted  but those who do should reduce doses and use with a sober friend equipped with Narcan.

You need the antidote, he said. When these people overdose, the clock is ticking.

Heroin, a sedative, kills users by respiratory depression. Meth is the opposite, speeding a users heart rate until they suffer cardiac arrest, Eberlein said.

Hospitalizations for overdoses are increasing, while doctors also are treating addicts for dangerous side effects of drug use. Needles can break and become embedded in a users arm, which could lead to a fatal infection without treatment. In other cases, users who pass out in awkward positions face amputation if blood supply is severed from limbs, Eberlein said.

The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin in La Crosse distributed 218,895 clean needles last year, most to heroin users, to prevent the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C, said Scott Stokes, the organizations director of prevention. The center handed out 138,959 needles in 2014 and just 31,000 in 2010.

Used needles littered across the city expose the public to diseases from an accidental prick. The citys firefighters are picking up needles daily from bus stops, alleys and parking ramps and lots, Assistant Chief Warren Thomas said.

Theyre everywhere, he said.

Enforcement, prevention, treatment

Police remain focused on enforcement, targeting dealers to sever supply lines in complex investigations that take patience and strategy through controlled buys, informants, surveillance and public tips.

But addiction is a public health problem and users need access to treatment centers, said McMahon, who argues that  even with treatment courts  the criminal justice system is not the best place to deal with addiction.

Treatment centers are, and I dont think there are enough of them, he said.

AMS of Wisconsin treats heroin addicts with medication to curb withdrawal symptoms and cravings, while meth users have to rely on willpower and coping skills.

There is no treatment with medication for meth at this time, said Pat Ruda, the agencys executive director. That drug is really just awful.

Expanded state and federal healthcare programs allowed more addicts to access treatment. The agency treats hundreds of patients annually, most between 20 and 35 years old.

About 90 percent of addicts relapse, said Eberlein, who advocates for better research into the science of addiction.

Every day they are struggling with sobriety because addiction is a disease that is not understood by many people in the community, said Cheryl Hancock, executive director of Coulee Council on Addictions.

The agency provides counseling to addicts in a clean setting where they can interact with others in recovery and prevention services.

Curbing the drug problem involves early and expanded access to treatment, especially for dealers peddling drugs to support their own habit, and focused awareness and prevention efforts, Hancock said.

Once theyve taken that first hit, if theyre an addict, she said, it doesnt matter anymore.
A Racine man was charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide for allegedly stabbing his brother in the neck on Thursday in the presence of two young children, ages 3 and 2.

On Thursday, police responded to the 800 block of Wolff Street for a report of a man stabbed in the neck with a bowing knife.

There they learned that Samuel D. Valdez, 24, who lives there, allegedly stabbed his brother.

According to the criminal complaint, the two were arguing as they always do, and then Valdez went into the kitchen and grabbed a large hunting knife and swung the knife at his brothers face.

The victim was able to block the first swing but not the second, which resulted in a 3-inch long wound just below the victims right ear, according to the criminal complaint.

After the stabbing, a witness was able to wrestle the knife from the defendant, the complaint states.

On Friday in Racine County Circuit Court, Samuel D. Valdez was charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide and second-degree recklessly endangering safety. A $100,000 cash bond was set for him and a preliminary hearing was set for Feb. 24. He remained in custody as of Friday night, Racine County Jail logs showed.
After months of delays, Festival Foods has picked an opening date for its first Dane County store.

The Onalaska-based company announced Monday that it will open its 57,000-square-foot store at 810 E. Washington Ave. on April 8.

The supermarket, originally scheduled to open in August 2015, brings another addition to the developing corridor and is on the ground floor of Gebhardt Developments $65 million, 4.5-acre project on the site of the former Don Miller car dealership.

Madison represents a key opportunity to expand our business and to better serve our growing customer base throughout southeast Wisconsin, Mark Skogen, Festivals president and CEO, said in a statement. We are honored to become a member of this wonderful Wisconsin community.

Festival operates 21 stores, but its entry into Madison brings another chain into one of the most competitive grocery markets in the Midwest.

The Madison store, just blocks from the state Capitol, will bring a full-service grocery to one of the fastest-growing parts of the city.

The new store will offer natural and organic foods, fresh sushi, a salad and hot food bar, and deli and catering services. It also features a seating area above the deli, a community conference room and in-store child care service.

The store will operate from 5 a.m. to midnight and employ an estimated 200 people, the company said.

The store features LED and motion-sensor lighting and timbers from Madison-based WholeTrees Architecture & Structures. The ceiling joists include red pine trees from the Wisconsin River Valley of southwest Wisconsin while the support columns consist of 18-inch-diameter ash trees removed from the city of Madison due to emerald ash borer disease.

The trees have been stripped of bark and branches, treated and fabricated with patent-pending steel connections. The 295 parallel chord trusses and 34 support columns used about 600 trees that ranged in size from 30 to 50 feet long. The project is the first in which WholeTrees used its expanded commercial product line after spending the last eight-plus years in the residential and custom commercial market.

The store will be unlike any of Festivals other stores, including a Janesville store that opened in October. Brian Stenzel, a company spokesman, said its unclear if the Madison stores design will be used in future projects.

The Madison store is a brand new layout, Stenzel said. Its a more urban feel with more glass and more natural light. Its set up more custom for Madison.

Festival enters a Madison grocery market that includes major players like Woodmans Market, Copps, Hy-Vee, Metcalfes Market and Willy Street Co-op, which recently announced it is studying a third location to replace the Pierces Market in Sherman Plaza on the citys North Side.

But it has also been a market in change. In 2003, Kohls sold most of its stores to Milwaukee-based Roundys, which converted the businesses into Copps stores. In November, Ohio-based Kroger purchased Roundys. No major changes have been announced for the Madison stores, but some experts have said some stores in Madison could be ripe for closing.

In the last 10 years, Cub Foods has left the Madison market while Metcalfes added a store at West Towne. Costco has built in Middleton and Sun Prairie and Walmart Supercenters have opened in Monona and Sun Prairie. Hy-Vee operates two stores in Madison and one in Fitchburg while Janesville-based Woodmans added a Sun Prairie location and Roundys added stores in Sun Prairie and Middleton and a Metro Market in Madisons Grandview Commons. Near the UW-Madison campus, Jeff Maurer opened in 2010 the 18,000-square-foot Madison Fresh Market aimed at students and downtown residents.

Festival Foods was founded in 1946 as a Skogens IGA and began operating as Festival Foods in 1990.

It employs 5,500 people at its 21 supermarkets, all in Wisconsin. In 2014, the company purchased Vos Sentry in Fort Atkinson and converted the store to a Festival. The company will also open stores this year in Green Bay, Somers and Menasha.
A man who was arrested in December after police said he robbed or tried to rob 10 businesses over a two-day period, most of them at knifepoint, was charged Monday with 10 counts of armed robbery or attempted armed robbery.

Rodney K. Bland, 24, of Madison, is now back in the state prison system for a suspected violation of his extended supervision from a 2012 robbery conviction.

He allegedly went on a spree Dec. 13-14 in which workers at businesses that included restaurants, gas stations and drugstores were threatened unless they turned over money from cash registers, according to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court.

The alleged robberies happened in Madison, Monona and Shorewood Hills. Bland was arrested Dec. 15 after a traffic stop in Fitchburg.

Police searching the SUV that Bland was driving found bandanas, a knit cap and a black folding knife, all described by victims and witnesses of the robberies, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, Bland is charged with armed robberies on Dec. 13 at Papa Johns Pizza, 2604 E. Washington Ave.; Pizza Pit Extreme, 1614 Monroe St.; Little Caesars Pizza, 700 S. Gammon Road; Walgreens, 606 S. Whitney Way; and an attempted armed robbery at BP, 4222 E. Washington Ave.

Bland is also charged with an armed robbery on Dec. 14 at Walgreens, 5300 Monona Drive in Monona; and attempted armed robberies at World Buffet, 2451 West Broadway in Monona; McDonalds, 4500 University Ave. in Shorewood Hills; and BP, 5445 University Ave. in Madison.

Bland is also charged with second-degree reckless endangerment for one of the robberies on Dec. 13.

In December, police said that a description of an SUV being driven erratically, given by a dog-walker near the Papa Johns robbery on Dec. 13, helped officers track down Bland.

The same vehicle was seen by a Fitchburg police lieutenant in the parking lot of a McDonalds restaurant at 4687 Verona Road on Dec. 15, which led to the traffic stop during which Bland was arrested.
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-23 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Gov't spokeswoman: Government's and institutions positions converge [02] Farmers close and alternative route at Tempi Valley [03] Deaths from flu rise to 129 [04] EU Commissioner Avramopoulos inaugurates new European Migrant Smuggling Centre [01] Gov't spokeswoman: Government's and institutions positions converge "The contacts with technical staff of the European institutions continue and our estimate is that the government and the Europeans' positions are converging however, the IMF's stance must become clear," government spokeswoman Olga Gerovassili on Tuesday said referring to the course of the negotiations adding that the government does all the necessary contacts towards this direction. On the so-called Borjans list, the government spokeswoman referred to the Finance Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia Norbert Walter-Borjans' statement to ANA-MPA on Tuesday and noted that after the recent revelations it is crystal clear that in 2012 the then government rejected Rhine-Westphalia Finance Ministry's proposal for cooperation and offering of know-how in matters related to tax evasion and money laundering. [02] Farmers close and alternative route at Tempi Valley Farmers of the Tempi Valley blockade escalated their mobilisation and closed on Tuesday Stomio interchange implementing the decision they took late Monday at their meeting during which they evaluated the result of their meeting with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday. Twenty five tractors from Tempi Valley blockade on the Athens-Thessaloniki motorway moved to Stomio bridge and blocked the alternative route indefinitely. Farmers said that they will not block the regional roads in the area adding that Larissa-Kozani road at Argyropouli will also close from 16:00-24:00. The proposal for the blocking of the railway tracks is also on the table. The member of the coordination committee of Tempi Valley blockade, who also participated at the meeting with Tsipras, Panagiotis Kaloyiannis stated to ANA-MPA "we are waiting for the government's proposals on the requests we tabled and not on the proposals the government made us yesterday that do not allow us to cultivate". On their part, the farmers of Nikea blockade are still waiting the government to respond to their request for a separate meeting with the prime minister. Farmers of Macedonia decided on Tuesday to close Promachonas customs point at the Greek-Bulgarian borders indefinitely. The decision was taken at a meeting held at 14:30 where they decided to initially close the crossing point only to trucks and lorries. At the customs point of Exochi, the farmers will hold a meeting at 19:00 and according to information the Greek-Bulgarian border will close at 22:00 on Tuesday. [03] Deaths from flu rise to 129 Five more people died in Greece in the last 24 hours from complications caused by the influenza A (H1N1) virus increasing the number of deaths to 129. Moreover, 101 patients are hospitalized in intensive care units, the country's center for disease control and prevention (KEELPNO) said. According to KEELPNO, a total of 363 persons have been hospitalized in intensive care units since the outbreak of the influenza. [04] EU Commissioner Avramopoulos inaugurates new European Migrant Smuggling Centre EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship inaugurated the new European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) during the 2nd Business Forum of Europol and Interpol on migrant smuggling. Avramopoulos said that "the Commission has pledged to support the European Migrant Smuggling Centre in order to become the information exchange hub in the fight against migrant smuggling". As he said, the EU has declared war against smugglers and expressed the view that the fight would be victorious. According to the Greek Commissioner, more than 1 million people sought refuge in the EU in 2015 and as he noted "the smuggling of migrants is a phenomenon that transcends national borders and for this reason can only be eliminated effectively by a collective effort." Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
The movie Thank You, Dad by Hrach Keshishyan tells a story of an American-Armenian girl, named Virgy. Although, she had hardly ever see...
MUNDELEIN - With less than three weeks until the November 8th election that most pundits say will be an anti-Biden Republican Wave nationwide, Illinois is such a strong blue political island among Midwestern red states that it appears the state's Republicans are bracing to be crashed as it is once again passed by.

The IL GOP simply cannot raise money - although Chicago financiers are a favored place for out-of-state Republicans to visit and fill their coffers to win races elsewhere. Why that is a reality is another story - but the fact is that while they are wooing qualified conservatives into the process, the IL GOP has a history of abandoning candidates that jump in to help the cause.

Take, for instance, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kathy Salvi. She's challenging Democrat incumbent Tammy Duckworth, whose voting history and comments show she is as Leftist and radical as the US House's "Squad" - which supports defunding police, unrestricted abortion through and including birth, Marxist ideology and - on and on.

Yesterday, the Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet wrote about the $18 million Duckworth has raised in this campaign and the meager $1 million Salvi has raised.

Salvi, who saved the Illinois GOP ballot from being headed by downstate conspiracy theorists Peggy Hubbard and Bobby Piton, has been abandoned and shunned by not only US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his leading fundraiser Senator Rick Scott, but the National Republican Senatorial Committee which raises funds for Republican candidates.

Salvi has run almost half of her campaign on her personal retirement funds that she's loaned to run for the U.S. Senate. She's energetic, enthused, passionate and well-spoken. Her arguments and strategy are well-thought-out. She does well in discussions with supporters and opponents.

There's no one than Salvi that could be a better challenger to Duckworth at this time. Kathy Salvi is a hard-working candidate. And still, she's unable to get support from either the NRSC or the IL GOP.
For the 180,000 retired Teamsters and 30,000 surviving spouses in the Central State Pension Fund, the day of reckoning is scheduled to begin July 1st of this year. Their pension checks, they were told via letter from the union last fall, will be cut 50 to 60 percent.

PEORIA - Who in Illinois hasn't heard the threats of state lawmakers, the governor and even the state comptroller that Illinois' mounting unpaid pension obligations could someday collapse and bring the entire state's budget and retired employees down in a financial avalanche?

Last Tuesday, retirees - many of whom worked over 30 years for their benefits - shared at a town hall meeting in Kansas City the financial ruin they would suffer if their pension payments were slashed so drastically.

The Teamsters' Central States Pension Fund told members last fall that for every $3.46 they pay out, they take in $1.00. At that rate, the badly underfunded plan would go broke in 10 years.

But a little known law that passed Congress in 2014 is now allowing pensions to propose cuts, many of them by half or more, as a way to save the fund, the Kansas City Star wrote.

A similar hearing of those affected by the Central State Pension Fund proposed cuts was held in January in Peoria, Illinois. That meeting was also overseen by U.S. Treasury official Kenneth Feinberg  the attorney who supervised the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the program compensating families of 9/11 victims.

Feinberg told the downstate Illinois meeting that hes heard three main responses from the public: Kill the proposal, the planned cuts are inequitable, and the procedure to permit participants to vote on the measure are unfair, the Canton Daily Ledger reported.

Under the Kline-Miller Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014, a multiemployer pension plan sponsor that believes benefit reductions are needed must submit an application to the Treasury Department showing that reductions are necessary to keep the plan from running out of money. The law requires the Treasury Department to approve an application if it meets the conditions established by Kline-Miller.

Whats happening to us is a microcosm of whats going to happen to the rest of the pensions in the United States, Jay Perry, a longtime Teamsters member, told the Star.

Among the unions that lobbied for the Kline-Miller reform were the two million-member Service Employees International Union and the 1.3 million-member United Food and Commercial Workers.

However, the Teamsters are the first to attempt to slash its members' pension funds. The Treasury Department has until May to determine whether the cuts will be allowed.
The southern port city of Karachi in Pakistan saw intense fighting between insurgents and police where 12 militants were killed when the police launched raids at all militant hideouts in the area.

By India Today Web Desk: The southern port city of Karachi in Pakistan saw intense fighting between insurgents and police where 12 militants were killed when the police launched raids at all militant hideouts in the area.

Eight militants were killed during the firing while four others died while being chased after they fled the scene. Xinhua quoted the official saying.

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The slain militants belonged to the outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan militant group.

The police also recovered arms and ammunition from the militant hideouts.

Two policemen were also injured during the fighting. They were rushed to a nearby hospital. Their condition was described to be stable, a senior police official said on Monday.



Also Read:

Pampore encounter: Militants may have done recce of the area



Pampore encounter ends after 48-hours, 3 terrorists killed







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Yadav, a former minister who represented Nawada constituency in the state assembly, has been on the run for nearly a fortnight since he was accused of raping a minor girl from Nalanda district.

By Giridhar Jha: Raj Ballabh Yadav has kept Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his government on its toes. Arresting the absconding legislator has become the biggest challenge for the state.

Yadav, a former minister who represented Nawada constituency in the state assembly, has been on the run for nearly a fortnight since he was accused of raping a minor girl from Nalanda district.

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Bihar police have carried extensive raids on Yadav's residence, questioned his son and even seized his property after an FIR was lodged against him for rape of a 15-year-old girl at his house on February 6. But, the police have been unable to nab him so far.

The police are also unable to trace the whereabouts of a woman named Sulekha Devi who allegedly took the victim to the MLA's house in the pretext of a birthday party. Sulekha was allegedly paid Rs 30,000 for handing the minor over to Yadav.

Nitish Kumar also asked the police to arrest the legislator after he went into hiding while the RJD suspended him from the party.

The Bihar police subsequently set up a special team which has been conducting raids in Patna, Nalanda, Gaya and Nawada to arrest him. On Sunday, the police raided the house of Nalanda District Board chairman Dharamshila Devi, who is believed to be close to Yadav. Police also conducted raids on the houses of Sulekha Devi's relatives but to no avail. The raids followed the rejection of his anticipatory bail by the district court on Saturday.

Also Read:

Bihar RJD legislator Raj Ballabh Yadav, accused of raping a minor, suspended from party



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The Budget session of Parliament is all set for a stormy start today. Jawaharlal Nehru University crackdown, Rohith Vemula suicide and Pathankot terror attack are some of the issues that are likely to make things difficult for the NDA government.

By India Today Web Desk: The Budget session of Parliament is all set for a stormy start today. Jawaharlal Nehru University crackdown, Rohith Vemula suicide and Pathankot terror attack are some of the issues that are likely to make things difficult for the NDA government. On the other hand, the government has assured Opposition parties that it is ready to discuss all issues.

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The Congress, however, is unlikely to allow a smooth sailing for the ruling BJP during the session which will continue till May 8. Speaking at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, held at her residence yesterday, Sonia said, "Government seems hell-bent on destroying the spirit of inquiry, the spirit of questioning, the spirit of debate and dissent.

Here are the latest updates:

Party has given proposal to move adjournment motion in Rohith Vemula case: BSP chief Mayawati

The government will strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliament: President Pranab Mukherjee says concluding his address

I urge all MPs to discharge their solemn responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation. Let noble thoughts come from all directions should be the spirit behind debate in this temple of democracy: President

Our Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people. Democratic temper calls for debate and discussion, and not disruption of obstruction: President

Terrorism is a global threat and strong counter-terrorism measures are necessary worldwide to eradicate it completely: President Mukherjee

My government's mission of skilling India has gained momentum. 76 lakh people have been trained last year: President Pranab Mukherjee

Assistance to farmers afflicted by natural calamity has been increased by 50 per cent and eligibility norms have been relaxed: President Mukherjee

The Make in India initiative has achieved 39 per cent increase in FDI inflow despite adverse global investment climate: President Mukherjee

Rural development is one of our top priorities: President Mukherjee

Well being of our farmers is vital to nation's prosperity: President

Poverty eradication, social security top priorities of the government: President

Government is committed to provide housing for all by 2022: President

Poverty eradication is the top priority of the government: President



My government in particular is focused on 'Garibon Ki Unnati', 'Kisano Ki Samridhi' and 'Yuvaon Ka Rozgar': President Mukherjee

President Mukherjee Subsidies now reaching the poor: President

Development philosophy is captured in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' : President Mukherjee

: President Mukherjee My government is planning to make this goal possible through financial inclusion and social security: President Mukherjee

My government in particular is focused on the welfare of poor, farmers and jobs for the youth: President Mukherjee

President Pranab Mukherjee addressing both of Houses of Parliament

I wish that the Parliament session will be fruitful and there is constructive criticism as well: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Parliament

The government is ready to discuss all the issues in Budget session: Venkaiah Naidu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach Parliament shortly

President Pranab Mukherjee to address both houses of Parliament

President Pranab Mukherjee leaves for Parliament house

Watch full video here:





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The Munak canal, which was extensively damaged by Jat protesters, supplies water to Delhi, and to ensure that there was no water crisis, twenty companies of CRPF were deployed to guard the water canal located 100 km from Delhi in Sonepat district of Haryana as repair work was done.

By Abhishek Bhalla : The breach in Delhi's water lifeline, the Munak canal, was plugged by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in a meticulous midnight operation. The canal, damaged by Jat protesters, had brought Delhi under the spell of a water crisis, but the painstaking effort by some 2,000 CRPF personnel ensured that the supply to the Capital would be restored fully by Tuesday evening.

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Twenty companies of CRPF were deployed to guard the water canal located 100 km from Delhi in Sonepat district of Haryana to repair the damage. "We had to airlift personnel from Bhopal, Hyderabad and Coimbatore who were rushed in to secure the canals supplying water to Delhi. There are 20 companies that have been deployed at Munak canal alone," a CRPF officer said.

Apart from the Munak canal, around 6,500 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces were deployed across Haryana to tackle the violent Jat agitation for reservation. Among this, 18 companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), which is a wing of CRPF, were also pressed into action. Officials said the RAF teams include women personnel who are being put to use for engaging with Jat women protesters who are also taking part in the demonstrations in large numbers.

Top government sources said 35 per cent of the canal repair work has been completed. "Repair work is going on and we hope that by Tuesday it will fully be operationalised with its maximum capacity," a government official said.

Sluice gates at Khubru and Gadbidroli, part of the Munak canal, were badly damaged and repair works were going on in full swing, sources said, adding all protesters who were squatting at the site, were evicted.

CRPF Director General Prakash Mishra said part supply has been restored by security forces from the Munak canal by joint forces led by a CRPF Deputy Inspector General (DIG), who took control of the canal early on Monday at about 4am. The force has also taken control of the Saifabad water plant in Delhi's Narela area.

With protesters cutting off roads leading to violence-hit areas, the security personnel also repaired over 50 km of roads damaged in patches to facilitate troop movement. "We repaired roads on the Delhi-Rewari-Jhajjar stretch leading to Rohtak and the Sonepat to Panipat stretch that was damaged and blocked in three places," a CRPF official said.

Later in the evening on Monday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Haryana arising out of Jat agitation for reservation and violence. During the half-anhour meeting, Singh gave a detailed presentation about the agitation and subsequent violence as well as the steps taken to restore normalcy in Haryana, official sources said.

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The home minister also told the Prime Minister about the meeting he had with a delegation of Jat leaders on Sunday and the decisions taken in it, sources said. On Sunday night, Singh had announced that a committee headed by Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu has been formed to look into the demand for reservation in central government jobs for Jats.

The security forces were asked to use force to clear all the places where the protesters were squatting affecting communication network and water supply, the official said. As the National Highway 1, lifeline of Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh was blocked for the third consecutive day, the Central government has given topmost priority to clear the vital road link. Railway link between Delhi and Ambala and beyond was also snapped due to the protests and subsequent violence by the agitating Jats, who have been demanding reservation in jobs.

Also Read:

Jat quota stir: Govt promises jobs, Rs 10 lakh to kin of those who died



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Jat quota stir: Violence rages on in Haryana, 3 more dead

Delhi's water woes far from over, may continue for next few days



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The incident took place when the girl and her sister were on their way home from work when two men on bikes began troubling them. When she fought back, the men shot her at point-blank range and fled. The two girls worked as a domestic help in Sitapur.

By India Today Web Desk: A young girl was shot dead by two men in Sitapur, UP, after she fought back when the two men began eve-teasing her.

The incident took place when the girl and her sister were on their way home from work when two men on bikes began troubling them. When she fought back, the men shot her at point-blank range and fled. The two girls worked as a domestic help in Sitapur.

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The girl died on the spot, while her sister suffered injuries in the attack.

The girl's body has been sent for post-mortem and the police is investigating the matter.

The surviving victim, however, claimed that the police had ignored their earlier complaints about the accused and a few others who had been eve-teasing them for a couple of months.

Watch full video here:

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Greece issued a complaint to Austria after neighbouring Macedonian police restricted hundreds of Afghan migrants to cross the borders.The Austrian initiative prompted Macedonia at the weekend to stop Afghan migrants at the border, and slow the rate at which asylum-seekers from Syria and Iraq were allowed to cross the border.

A girl stands in front of Greek policemen as they block the Greek-Macedonian borderline near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, Monday, Feb. 22, 2016( Photo: AP)

By India Today Web Desk: Greece issued a complaint to Austria today, after neighbouring Macedonian police restricted hundreds of Afghan migrants to cross the borders.

In an early morning operation, police at the Greek-Macedonian border ordered mostly Afghan migrants on to buses bound for Athens and took them to an army-built camp near Athens. The camp was set up last week, following European Union pressure on Athens to complete screening and temporary housing facilities.

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Austria had decided last week to impose restrictions on the daily number of asylum applications and migrants crossing the country.

Athens flaked Austria for tightening the borders as it has left scores of migrants stranded in already austerity-hit Greece, reported Associated Press.

The complaint was handed over to the Austrian ambassador to Greece after Austria invited officials from western Balkan countries to a meeting on migration in Vienna,excluding Greece.

The ministry described the meeting as a "unilateral move which is not at all friendly toward our country."

More than 1 million migrants and refugees reached the EU last year, with more than 80 percent of them traveling from Turkey to nearby Greek islands. Arrivals have continued this year at an average of 4,000 each day, reported Associated Press.



The Austrian initiative prompted Macedonia at the weekend to stop Afghan migrants at the border, and slow the rate at which asylum-seekers from Syria and Iraq were allowed to cross the border.

In France, hundreds of migrants camped in the port of Calais face a deadline Tuesday evening to move out. , However, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve insisted the evacuation would be "progressive."

Mirwais Amin, a 20-year-old Afghan migrant, said he was separated from relatives after being stopping from reaching the border and camping out at a nearby site.

"Macedonia isn't letting migrants through. I can't understand why," he said.

"I can't get to the (border) camp, and members of my family are there. It's cold here and we have no food."

The relief agency International Rescue Committee late Monday said Macedonia's decision to turn Afghans away was "yet another example of arbitrary, unilateral decisions by individual states threatening to cause serious humanitarian consequences for desperate refugees."

Bill Frelick, refugee program director at Human Rights Watch, accused EU countries of turning a blind eye to plight of Afghan asylum-seekers.

"Once again, Europe is resorting to closing its borders to asylum-seekers, instead of coming up with realistic policies to address the plight of those fleeing war and repression, he said.

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"By pushing the refugee crisis back into Greece and Turkey, other European and EU countries are ignoring their obligations toward legitimate asylum-seekers."

ALSO READ:

At least 37 migrants drown trying to reach Greece





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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed hope of a fruitful Budget Session amid clear indications from Opposition that it will not allow a smooth sailing for the BJP-led government as issues like the Jawaharlal Nehru University crackdown, Rohith Venula suicide and Pathankot terror attack are likely to dominate the proceedings.

By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed hope of a fruitful Budget Session amid clear indications from Opposition that it will not allow a smooth sailing for the BJP-led government.

"Hope there will be extensive discussion on issues of people during Parliament's Budget Session. Let there be strong criticism of government and its shortcoming be highlighted. It will strengthen democracy. The world is also focused on India's economy," Modi told reporters outside Parliament

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"The opposition has shown a positive attitude," the prime minister added.

While the government is keen on ensuring a disruption-free Budget Session, issues like the Jawaharlal Nehru University crackdown, Rohith Venula suicide and Pathankot terror attack are likely to dominate the proceedings.

"Our priority is get the union budget, railway budget etc. passed," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said.

The minister said that the government too wants to discuss issues like JNU.

BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi has given notice for discussion in Lok Sabha on the JNU controversy and Ishrat Jahan case.

The Congress has already indicated that the NDA government will not have it easy in the session starting today. Sonia Gandhi, during a meeting of Congress Working Committee held at her residence yesterday, said, "Government seems hell-bent on destroying the spirit of inquiry, the spirit of questioning, the spirit of debate and dissent."

Also read:

Budget Session 2016: Democratic temper calls for debate, discussion not disruption: President Pranab Mukherjee

Budget 2016: Railways may introduce an extra compartment in trains



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Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asserted that he is not an atheist, but at the same time he is against superstition.

By Aravind Gowda: Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asserted that he is not an atheist, but at the same time he is against superstition.

For a long time, Siddaramaiah had not visited any temples other than that of his village deity. There was a general impression among the politicians that he was an atheist. But on Monday, he took part in the Kumbh Mela celebrations in T Narasipura near Mysuru.

"Word has spread that I am an atheist, which I am not. I am spiritual? I have participated in festivities as child. I have visited some of the popular pilgrimage centres. But I am definitely against superstition, as I view everything from science point of view," he told journalists.

Also Read:

Inebriated man throws 'chocolate bomb' at CM Siddaramaiah

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Siddaramaiah should declare his gifts: BJP




India Today investigation had exposed how lawless lawyers took law into their hands. The lawyers had revealed how the Patiala House conspiracy was planned well in advance and how the cops stood around and did nothing when Kanhaiya and the journalists were being beaten.

The three lawyers mentioned in the sting operation are Vikram Singh Chauhan, Yashpal Singh and Om Sharma

By India Today Web Desk: The government and the Supreme Court have taken note of the India Today's sting operation which exposed the lawyers who attacked JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar. India Today sting - Operation Patiala House - showed three lawyers, who led the February 15 attack on Kanhaiya Kumar inside Patiala House court complex, bragging that they thrashed Kanhaiya for three hours while he was in police custody. Read: Kanhaiya wet his pants while we beat him up: Lawyers behind Patiala House assault



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The lawyers claimed that they thrashed Kanhaiya Kumar so hard that he "wet his pants".

The government has agreed to discuss the sting operation in Parliament during the ongoing Budget Session.

Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan mentioned Operation Patiala House in the Supreme Court. The top court has asked Prashant to file a proper petition soon. The court will look at the India Today story after the petition is filed.

India Today investigation had exposed how lawless lawyers took law into their hands. The lawyers had revealed how the Patiala House conspiracy was planned well in advance and how the cops stood around and did nothing when Kanhaiya and the journalists were being beaten. On camera, the lawyers even threatened more attacks in the future and talked about using petrol bombs the next time.

The investigation is also creating a buzz in Parliament with MPs cutting across parties reacting to the story and demanding that immediate action be taken against the lawyers. The government has agreed to a debate in Parliament on the sting.



Watch full video here:





Also Read:

JNU row: Delhi High Court to hear Kanhaiya Kumar's bail plea tomorrow

In JNU, students dance naked, use 3,000 condoms and eat meat, says BJP MLA Maharashtra Police reveals JNU, DU's dark Maoist secre

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj followed up on an India Today report about a Kerala woman who has been stuck in Kuwait since 2012. "Our Embassy in Kuwait has got in touch with her and will provide all help," she tweeted. In a letter to the government, Sanitha's 12-year-old daughter Sreekutty had appealed to get her mother back to India.

By India Today Web Desk: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today followed up on an India Today report about a Kerala woman who has been stuck in Kuwait since 2012.

Swaraj tweeted to say that the Indian Embassy in Kuwait was in touch with the woman and she will be provided all help.

"Our Embassy in Kuwait has got in touch with her and will provide all help. @MEAQuery @Gen_VKSingh @indembkwt," she tweeted.

Our Embassy in Kuwait has got in touch with her and will provide all help. @MEAQuery @Gen_VKSingh @indembkwt https://t.co/4gp3UdbMEV&; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) February 23, 2016

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Sanitha had ran away from her sponsor's house in Kuwait after they tortured her and refused to let her return to India. She handed over her documents to the Indian Embassy in good faith, but they allegedly handed it over to the sponsor, who then filed a case against Sanitha.

In a letter to the Kerala government, Sanitha's 12-year-old daughter Sreekutty had appealed to get her mother back to India.

"Please bring my mother back. I want to see her," Sreekutty said.

Sanitha, who has been hiding in Kuwait since 2012, had spoken to India Today over the phone. She had expressed her disappointment with the Indian Embassy and requested officials to have some mercy on her.

"I was tortured and not allowed to come back. I lied to them that my daughter met with an accident. But they still didn't let me go," Sanitha had said.

Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy had said he will make arrangements for Sanitha's return to India.

"We will inform today itself to the Malayali organisations. From them I would like to get the first-hand information of what is happening there. Then I will contact the embassy and make arrangements for her return," he had said in July 2015.

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Sushma Swaraj: Indians taken hostage by ISIS in Mosul are alive



Sushma Swaraj helps distressed Indian woman in Germany

--- ENDS ---
A day after India Today TV aired the sting, Operation Patiala House, one of the lawyers shown in the video clip has been arrested. Yashpal Singh was among the three lawyers shown in the video claiming the attack on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in Patiala House court premises.

By India Today Web Desk: A day after India Today TV aired the sting, Operation Patiala House, one of the lawyers shown in the video clip has been arrested. Yashpal Singh was among the three lawyers shown in the video claiming the attack on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in Patiala House court premises.

Singh was arrested and interrogated at the Tilak Marg police station after the government and the Supreme Court today took note of the India Today's sting operation.

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Yashpal Singh featured in our sting opeartion. Here is what he had said

Yashpal Singh, Lawyer: We will not leave him. We'll beat him up. I will get a petrol bomb. No matter what cases are filed against me. I will not leave him even if I'm charged with murder.



Yashpal Singh: No, not one, we'll do it on everyone. I have not been presented yet. Sharma has returned after his bail. I will go to jail. If you read, there are lot of things. In my interview, I had said that I will go to jail if I'm arrested. I want to go to the same jail and visit Kanhaiya's cell, and beat him up there itself.

India Today: In the cell?

Singh: Yes, I will go to his cell and beat him up. Most probably, I will not give my bail bond. I will go to prison for 1-2 days.



Yashpal Singh: We beat up journalists. We thrashed JNU professors.. everyone. If you live in the country, you will have to talk about the country. That's all we know. Then Kanhaiya came. To tell you the truth about Kanhaiya, the police was supporting us fully.

IT: Police was supporting you?

Singh: Yes

+++



Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to discuss the Jawaharlal Nehru University controversy in the Parliament during the Budget Session.

In the sting operation recorded by our cameras, lawyers in Delhi's Patiala House court had owned up to the brazen assault. In the video, they admitted gleefully that Kanhaiya was beaten up even when he was in police custody.

The three lawyers mentioned in the sting operation are Vikram Singh Chauhan, Yashpal Singh and Om Sharma. The three led the attack on journalists and Kanhaiya supporters at the Patiala House court on February 15. The video indicates that the attack inside the court premises was not a spontaneous one, but a well-planned conspiracy to teach 'anti-national' elements a lesson.



To uncover the truth about the Patiala House conspiracy, India Today's special investigation team first went to meet Vikram Singh Chauhan, the 38-year-old Patiala House lawyer from Rewari in Haryana. Chauhan has emerged as the face of the attack on journalists and JNU students. Far from being afraid about getting locked up in prison for leading the brutal attack, he seems to be enjoying his new found infamy in this conversation.

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Also Read

Operation Patiala House: Latest developments after India Today sting exposed lawyers who beat Kanhaiya



India Today Impact: Govt to discuss Patiala House attack sting operation in Parliament

EXCLUSIVE: Kanhaiya wet his pants while we beat him up in police custody, say lawyers behind Patiala House assault



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A day after an India Today probe revealed how lawyers, with the support of the Delhi Police, attacked JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar in Patiala House court, the government today said that it was willing to discuss the report in the Parliament. Also Read: India Today Impact: Govt to discuss Patiala House attack sting operation in Parliament

By India Today Web Desk: India Today Television's sting operation exposing lawyers who thrashed JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar inside Patiala House court complex has forced both the government and the Supreme Court to take cognizance.

A day after an India Today probe revealed how lawyers, with the support of the Delhi Police, attacked JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar in Patiala House court, the government today said that it was willing to discuss the report in the Parliament .

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The expose, which showed the three lawyers bragging about how they thrashed Kanhaiya for three hours while he was in police custody, has seen leaders cutting across political lines demanding action against them.

Leading newspapers and websites have also given prominent display to India Today's sting operation story. The Indian Express headlined the sting story - 'Lawyers 'admit' to beating up Kanhaiya for 3 hrs till he wet his pants'. 'Fanatic lawyers admit to hitting Kanhaiya Kumar, say Umar Khalid next target' said Firstpost .



Here are the latest developments:

Taking note of Operation Patiala House, the government has said it was ready to discuss the issue in Parliament. BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi has approached Lok Sabha Speaker to schedule a debate on the JNU row. Minister Jitendra Singh said the government is ready to discuss the issue on the floor of the House. "India Today investigation is very serious. Those lawyers must be immediately arrested. Can't allow lawless lawyers to go free," said BJP MP and former Home Secretary RK Singh. Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan mentioned Operation Patiala House in the Supreme Court. The top court has asked Prashant to file a proper petition soon. The court will look at the India Today story after the petition is filed. The Supreme Court will look into the content of the sting operation after the petition is filed. India Today investigation had exposed how lawless lawyers took law into their hands. The lawyers had revealed how the Patiala House conspiracy was planned well in advance and how the cops stood around and did nothing when Kanhaiya and the journalists were being beaten. On camera, the lawyers even threatened more attacks in the future and talked about using petrol bombs the next time. The lawyers, Vikram Singh Chauhan, Yashpal Singh and Om Sharma, claimed that they thrashed Kanhaiya Kumar so hard that he "wet his pants". The three led the attack on journalists and Kanhaiya supporters at the Patiala House court on February 15. Om Sharma was arrested last Saturday in connection with the Patiala House court brawl. However, he was released on bail. Sharma had then rejected allegations of beating up Kanhaiya and journalists and claimed the journalists got into a scuffle with the students. Kanhaiya Kumar's medical examination report showed that he received external injuries during the attack on him while he was being taken for hearing on the sedition case slapped on him.

Also Read

India Today Impact: Govt to discuss Patiala House attack sting operation in Parliament

EXCLUSIVE: Kanhaiya wet his pants while we beat him up in police custody, say lawyers behind Patiala House assault

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Iranian state-run media outlets have added $600,000 to a bounty for the killing of British author Salman Rushdie imposed in 1989 over the publishing of his book "The Satanic Verses".

Author Salman Rushdie at the Frankfurt book fair in Germany on October 13, 2015. Photo: Reuters

By Reuters: Iranian state-run media outlets have added $600,000 to a bounty for the killing of British author Salman Rushdie imposed in 1989 over the publishing of his book "The Satanic Verses".

The leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa, or religious edict, that called on Muslims to the kill the author after his book was condemned as blasphemous, forcing him into years of hiding.

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Iranian hardliners say Khomeini's decree is irrevocable and eternal after his death. A wealthy Iranian religious organisation offered $2.7 million reward to anyone carrying out the fatwa and in 2012 it increased the amount to $3.3 million.

The semi-official Fars news agency published a list of 40 news outlets adding to the pot. Fars itself earmarked $30,000.

"These media outlets have set the $600,000 bounty on the 27th anniversary of the historical fatwa to show it is still alive," Mansour Amiri, organiser of a digital technology exhibition at which the money was announced this month, told Reuters.

Amiri is the head of the Seraj Cyberspace Organisation, which is affiliated to the Basij volunteer militia, allied to the elite Revolutionary Guards established to defend the values of the revolution.

The head of the militia visited the exhibition, Farsi said.

Rushdie's agent said he had no comment. Iran's Foreign Ministry was not immediately available to comment

In 1998, Iran's pro-reform government of President Mohammad Khatami distanced itself from the fatwa, saying the threat against Rushdie was over after he had lived in hiding for nine years. The book's Japanese translator was stabbed to death in 1991 and other people involved in publishing it were attacked.

But Khomeini's successor as Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in 2005 that the fatwa was still valid and three hardline clerics called on followers to kill Rushdie.

With the landmark nuclear deal with world powers sealed last year, followed by lifting of international sanctions, pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani is trying to end Iran's isolation with the West.

However, despite the government's willingness for wider engagement, hardline allies of Khamenei fear that opening up to the West will eventually weaken their influence and the legitimacy of the Islamic Revolution.

The deal has intensified Iran's political infighting ahead of two crucial elections on Friday.

A hardline watchdog body, the Guardian Council, has disqualified thousands of Rouhani allies, barring them from entering the race for parliament and Assembly of Experts, which has power to appoint the supreme leader.

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Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar was shown black flags by a section of traders and residents during his visit to Rohtak. The protesters questioned Khattar on his government's failure to deal with the violent Jat agitation.

By India Today Web Desk: Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, was heckled by angry residents and shown black flags during his visit to Rohtak, the epicentre of Jat protests. Haryana has witnessed massive violent protests by Jats, who are demanding their inclusion in the OBC category.

Khattar, who arrived at Rohtak by helicopter as most areas of Haryana are still struggling for normalcy, was shown black flags by a section of traders and residents.

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The protesters questioned Khattar on his government's failure to deal with the violent Jat agitation.

"There are some forces behind the recent incidents. We will get it probed," said Khattar.

The chief minister said that the role of officers, especially from the police, would be probed and strict action will be taken if they were found slacking in carrying out their duties during the agitation.

Khattar also assured the people in Rohtak that the role of "conspirators" behind the mindless violence would be probed.

"We will fully compensate the losses of people who have suffered," Khattar told the traders whose shops were looted and torched by the rioters.

Meanwhile, officials have claimed that the traffic on the Delhi-Ambala national highway (NH-1) and on the Delhi-Hisar NH-10 has been restored.

While curfew was relaxed in Rohtak town and some other places,Hisar and Kaithal districts remained tense after members of Jat and non-Jat communities headed for a clash. Army and paramilitary forces remained on high alert in both districts.

The Jat community is demanding reservation under the OBC category in government jobs and educational institutions.

The Haryana government has decided to give full compensation for the damage caused to private property, residential or commercial.

It has also decided to give an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of those innocent people killed in the agitation and employment to a member of the family of the deceased.

Despite the BJP promising reservation for the Jat community in Haryana and assuring that a bill will be brought in the next session of Haryana assembly, Jats have not ended their agitation at some places in Rohtak, Hisar, Sonipat and Jhajjar districts.

The army and paramilitary forces are still stationed in the violence-hit districts.

The violence led to 19 deaths, including three people killed in firing by security forces on rioters blocking the NH-1 in Sonipat district on Monday.

Over 200 people have been injured and the loss of property has mounted up to hundreds of crores in the Haryana turmoil.

ALSO READ:

Audio tape controversy: Congress issues notice to Bhupinder Hooda's aide

CRPF carries out midnight operation to secure Delhi's water lifeline

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Listen to this catchy dubstep version made from the slogans raised by Kanhaiya Kumar during a protest inside JNU on February 11.

By India Today Web Desk: What is a revolution without a soundtrack?

The mayhem at and post the cultural event organised to protest against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru at the Jawaharlal Nehru University on February 9 is known to all by now.

Also read: JNU campus row: The 'movement' has a protest song as well!



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We all are aware of the sedition charges against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.





Now that you have decided for yourself if that was 'anti-national' or not, here's a brilliant dubstep version created by Chandigarh-based composer Siddharth "Dub" Sharma.

Siddharth posted the dubstep version that combines the slogans by JNU protesters with a catchy beat and meaningful lyrics on his YouTube channel Dub Sharma. The song has received more than 16 thousand views in two days.

Listen to it here:

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The Delhi High Court today rejected the plea of JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who have been charged with sedition, to be allowed to choose the place of their surrender. The Court in its order made it clear that they cannot go by student's "whims and fancies " and the legal procedure has to be followed.

By India Today Web Desk: The Delhi High Court today rejected the plea of JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who have been charged with sedition, to be allowed to choose the place of their surrender.

The Court in its order made it clear that they cannot go by student's "whims and fancies " and the legal procedure has to be followed.

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"There are procedures under the statute which have to be followed," said Justice Pratibha Rani.

"One should not exceed the scope of any petition and the prayer made in it" which included that the accused on surrender be sent to judicial custody by the High Court itself instead of producing them before a trial court," the judge added.

Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya had filed a plea with the Delhi HC under which they sought a safe passage and be allowed to choose the place of their surrender.

Considering the security of the two accused under the given heated atmosphere over the entire JNU issue, the court asked the two to mention a place for their surrender, other than the high court. The court assured to maintain the confidentiality.

"The moment the accused are arrested, he or she has to be produced within 24 hours before a trial court judge, who will decide the remand of the accused persons," the judge said.

ALSO READ:

JNU row: This groovy dubstep 'Azadi' captures the essence of the protest

Operation Patiala House: Latest developments after India Today sting exposed lawyers who beat Kanhaiya





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In a report submitted to the Delhi High Court, the Delhi Police has reiterated their stand that JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was present with a group shouting anti-national slogans and he was involved in many anti-national activities on campus.

By India Today Web Desk: In a report submitted to the Delhi High Court, the Delhi Police has reiterated their stand that JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was present with a group shouting anti-national slogans and he was involved in many anti-national activities on campus.



The court has now asked the police to submit a detailed report in an unsealed envelope tomorrow so that Kanhaiya Kumar can have access to the report.

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The report says that Kanhaiya is seen in a footage that shows a group shouting anti-national slogans. The report also mentions that Kanhaiya and other students raised pro-Afzal slogans in spite of the fact that they did not have any permission to do so.

The Supreme Court had last week quashed the plea to take up Kanhaiya's bail plea and had asked him to go to the Delhi High Court for relief. Also, the top court asked for proper security arrangements to be made to avoid a repeat of two incidents of violence by lawyers at a lower court.

Yesterday, in an exclusive chat with India Today, the family members of Kanhaiya Kumar, who is facing sedition charge, asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "break silence" over the row, saying "a lot was expected" from him.

They also expressed concern over the attack on Kanhaiya at Patiala House court, and the roles played by a section of lawyers, media and the Delhi Police in the matter.

Also read:

Kanhaiya wet his pants while we beat him up: Lawyers behind Patiala House assault



JNU row: Bassi urges students to join probe and prove their innocence

JNU row: PM Modi should break his silence, says Kanhaiya's family



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Putting an end to all the speculations, Sony Pictures Networks India CEO NP Singh has confirmed that Kapil Sharma's new show will start airing on Sony TV in a couple of months.

By India Today Web Desk: It's official. Kapil Sharma fans will get to see him in a brand new avatar, in a brand new show on Colors' rival channel Sony TV. Sony Pictures Networks India CEO NP Singh has confirmed that the ace comedian will make a comeback in a few months' time on their channel.

"You will see Kapil soon on Sony TV in a few months' time," Singh told Indiantelevision.com.

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According to Indiantelevision.com, the weekend show is slated to launch in May. Frames Productions and Kapil's K9 will produce the new show. Earlier reports said that the show would be announced on March 1, and the promotions would start thereafter.

Also read: Kapil Sharma and his Comedy Nights team is reuniting. Here's proof

As per buzz, Shah Rukh Khan will grace the first episode of the show to promote Maneesh Sharma's next Fan; Arjun-Kareena, Virat Kohli and Saina Nehwal have also been finalised as guests. It is being said that Kapil will not be part of the promo shoot as the channel doesn't want to reveal his new avatar so soon.

Also read: After SRK, Arjun-Kareena might appear on Kapil Sharma's new show



Kapil's CNWK team members, Sunil Grover, Ali Asgar, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sumona Chakravarti and Kiku Sharda, will join him on his new show.

Also read: Kapil Sharma wants to retain popular characters on new show, but Colors won't let him



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The 16-year-old travelled from Sweden to Syria last year and then crossed the border into Iraq, where she was rescued near the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul on Feb. 17 by forces from the Kurdish counter-terrorism department.

By Reuters: A teenage Swedish girl being held by Islamic State militants in Iraq was rescued in a raid by Kurdish special forces last week, the autonomous region's security council said in a statement on Tuesday.

The 16-year-old travelled from Sweden to Syria last year and then crossed the border into Iraq, where she was rescued near the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul on Feb. 17 by forces from the Kurdish counterterrorism department, the statement added.

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The Kurdish security council identified the rescued teenager as coming from the town of Boras and said she had been misled into making the journey to Syria by an Islamic State member in Sweden.

"The Kurdistan Region Security Council was called upon by Swedish authorities and members of her family to assist in locating and rescuing her from ISIL," the statement read.

The teenager is currently in the Kurdistan region and will be handed over to Swedish authorities so she can return home once necessary arrangements are put place, it added.

Also read:

ISIS claims murder of top Hindu priest in Bangladesh





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The Inspector General of Police of Nagpur Range, Ravindra Kadam, has told Mail Today that a few students of the university had joined the underground Maoist cadre at the behest of arrested Delhi University professor GN Saibaba, currently lodged in Nagpur jail.

By Siddhartha Rai: Maharashtra Police's startling revelations may bring further infamy to the already-embattled Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Nagpur Range, Ravindra Kadam, has told Mail Today that a few students of the university had joined the underground Maoist cadre at the behest of arrested Delhi University (DU) professor GN Saibaba, currently lodged in Nagpur jail.

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The Maharashtra Police have also said those students who joined the Maoists in their anti-state struggle were members of the Democratic Students' Union (DSU), the same students' body Umar Khalid, who the Delhi police want to question in relation to the Afzal Guru show case, had once been associated with.

Khalid was one of the organisers of the event to commemorate Parliament attack convict Guru and is also one of the five accused in the sedition case pertaining to the February 9 show on the JNU campus. At that event, hanged terrorist Guru was lauded as a "martyr" while anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans were allegedly raised.

Kadam told Mail Today that Professor Saibaba had been active with Left-leaning students of both JNU and DU and had been indoctrinating and recruiting them for the Maoist movement. Gadchiroli Police had arrested Saibaba in 2014 for his alleged links with Maoists.

"While Professor Saibaba was working in DU, he was also associated with students' activities in JNU and DU, especially the DSU. Saibaba used to guide students from these universities. In course of time, Saibaba had prepared and recruited four students as Maoist cadre," Kadam said.

Incidentally, the professor's name had cropped up during the interrogation of another JNU student, Hem Mishra, who was arrested by the Maharashtra Police from Gadchiroli district. Mishra too was a member of DSU.

The IGP also told Mail Today that one of Saibaba's recruits was Ritupan Goswami, a JNU scholar.

"One of them is Ritupan Goswami, a scholar who completed his PhD from JNU. He has already joined the underground cadre of CPI (M-L). He is not just a cardholder of the underground party, but also a functionary; he is the general secretary. All this has been corroborated in our investigation," Kadam said.

The police, however, refused to divulge the names of the other three. "We do not know who the three others are yet, but they also seem to be from DSU. Probably, all four are from JNU, but so far we are sure of Goswami having been a student of JNU. All this has been corroborated in our interrogation," the top cop said.

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Meanwhile, Saibaba's wife denied that her husband had anything to do with recruiting or indoctrinating students on behalf of any organisation. "My husband did not indoctrinate or recruit students for any organisation. He was extremely popular among students across the country, students from both JNU and DU used to visit him. But, there was no recruitments for the Maoist movement," Saibaba's wife Vasantha Kumari told Mail Today.

According to the Maharashtra police, a parallel investigation has also been undertaken by the special cell of the Delhi police to look into the Saibaba case, but when Mail Today tried to get details, Special CP (Special Cell) Arvind Deep said he was not familiar with the case. Additional CP (Special Cell) did not respond despite multiple calls and messages.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Maharashtra government to look for an alternate arrangement to house the wheelchairbound Saibaba at Gadchiroli. He is currently lodged in Nagpur jail. The SC also directed the state to provide sufficient medical facilities to him. The bench fixed the matter for further hearing on February 29. By then the state government has to inform the SC about the facilities to be provided to Saibaba. During the hearing, the counsel for the state government said it would conclude the trial in a period of two months and asserted that he had not been kept in solitary confinement.

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Also Read:

JNU row: Patriotism is sacrosanct, sedition law can't be scrapped, says Santosh Hegde



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A man working as an Uber driver admitted to the fatal weekend shootings of six people in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a police detective testified on Monday in a case raising questions about how the car service vets its drivers.

Jason Dalton is seen on closed circuit television during his arraignment in Kalamazoo County, Michigan on February 22, 2016. Photo: Reuters

By Reuters: A man working as an Uber driver admitted to the fatal weekend shootings of six people in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a police detective testified on Monday in a case raising questions about how the car service vets its drivers.

Jason Dalton, 45, was denied bail as he made his first court appearance on 16 charges including six of murder that can bring life in prison.

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Dalton told detectives "he took people's lives," Kalamazoo Public Safety Detective Cory Ghiringhelli testified in a county district court ahead of the suspect's arraignment.

Dalton appeared via a video link and was seen on a monitor at the Kalamazoo County court wearing glasses and dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit.

When asked if he had anything to say, Dalton, who appeared emotionless through the proceedings, said he preferred to "remain silent."

The judge denied bail and set March 3 for the next hearing.

After the hearing Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Getting told reporters Dalton had been cooperative with authorities but possible motives for the shootings were still unclear.

"No one understands why it happened, and that adds to the fear and the sorrow," Getting said.

Prosecutors alleged Dalton randomly shot multiple times at people during a five-hour period on Saturday at an apartment complex, a car dealership and a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Kalamazoo, about 150 miles (240 km) west of Detroit.

Police were investigating reports Dalton drove customers of the Uber car-hailing service the night of the rampage. Two people were wounded in the shootings, including a teenage girl who was initially thought to have died.

Initial checks with a key federal agency indicate Dalton was unknown to both law enforcement and counterterrorism agencies for having any known connection to extremist groups.

President Barack Obama said on Monday he had spoken to the mayor and top law enforcement in Kalamazoo about the shootings and pledged whatever federal support they need.

"Earlier this year, I took some steps that will make it harder for dangerous people like this individual to buy a gun. But clearly, we're going to need to do more if we're going to keep innocent Americans safe," Obama said in remarks before the National Governors Association at the White House.

Uber said on Monday it would not be changing the way it screened its drivers following the weekend shooting spree. It also said Dalton had received "very favorable" feedback from riders.

"There were no red flags, if you will, that we could anticipate something like this," said Uber's chief security officer, Joe Sullivan.

Uber drivers use their personal vehicles to ferry customers at prices generally below those of established taxi companies. Critics contend vetting is inadequate and the company never meets potential drivers in person.

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"A background check is just that - a background check. It does not foresee the future," Ed Davis, of the Uber Safety Advisory Board, told a teleconference with reporters.

The Dalton family said in a statement: "There are no words which can express our shock and disbelief, and we are devastated and saddened for the victims and the families of the victims,"

Michigan State Police said the shooting began at about 5:30 p.m. (2230 GMT) on Saturday with a woman wounded outside an apartment building. At about 10 p.m., Richard Smith and his son Tyler were killed at the car dealership.

About 15 minutes later four women identified as Mary Lou Nye, 62, of Baroda, Michigan; and Dorothy Brown, 74; Barbara Hawthorne, 68; and Mary Jo Nye, 60, were fatally shot outside the restaurant.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were spotted visiting the Guru Ravidas Temple separately. Sant Ravidas, born in Kashi (now Varanasi) in 1377 CE, has a huge following among the Dalits across north India.

By Kumar Vikram: Hoping to win over Dalits, Varanasi saw a beeline of political visitors at the Guru Ravidas Temple at Seer Goverdhanpur in Varanasi. Leading the pack was Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, the two states where polls are due next year, have a sizeable Dalit population which can make or break electoral prospects of any party.

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Poll position

Forming 31 per cent of the population, Punjab has the highest percentage of Dalits in the country. In Uttar Pradesh, dalits are considered to be voters of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) but the Congress, the BJP, the SP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are working hard to bolster their presence among the community.

Sant Ravidas, born in Kashi (now Varanasi) in 1377 CE, has a huge following among the Dalits across north India. Kejriwal, who had contested against Modi in Varanasi, also attended the birth anniversary celebration. While Modi visited the Sant Ravidas Temple during early hours, Kejriwal also visited the same temple later in the day.

Taking a dig at other political parties, BSP supremo Mayawati, who is defending her turf, said apart from paying obeisance, leaders should also try to adopt the saint's ideology.

Attacking the ruling Samajwadi Party government in the state, Mayawati said it did not have a moral right to celebrate Ravidas Jayanti as immediately after coming to power, it had changed name of district Ravidas Nagar to Bhadohi. "The SP has no right to celebrate Ravidas Jayanti as it did not respect him and had changed the district's name to Bhadohi again after coming to power," she added.

The PM and AAP chief's visits to the city is seen as an attempt to woo the saint's followers know as Ravidasia Sikhs, which mostly include Sikhs from several parts of the country, ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls next year. Leaders' visit are significant as thousands of Dalit Ramdasia Sikhs from Punjab were in Varanasi on Monday to offer prayer at the Ravidas Temple.

The BJP is trying to send out a positive message to the dalit community as it had organised a special debate in both the Houses of Parliament on November 26 last year as 'Constitution Day' as a mark of respect to Dr BR Ambedkar.

The Congress has its own strategy as its Vice President Rahul Gandhi had addressed a Dalit Conclave in Lucknow. Gandhi had attacked the BSP chief for being dictatorial and destroying the dalit leadership in UP.

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Also Read:

Modi launches Rurban Mission, says his government is for poor and Dalits



--- ENDS ---
The company took to the ongoing MWC 2016 event to demonstrate the new technology it calls Super VOOC, which is currently in the prototyping stage.

By India Today Web Desk: Chinese smartphone company Oppo has unveiled a new insane battery tech that claims to fully charge your smartphone in just 15 minutes. The company took to the ongoing MWC 2016 event to demonstrate the new technology it calls Super VOOC, which is currently in the prototyping stage. The company was able to successfully charge a prototype smartphone fully within its total presentation time period.

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"By applying a newly developed low-voltage pulse-charge algorithm, along with Oppo's customised battery, multiple technical innovations, as well as first-class hardware and software, Super VOOC Flash Charge can bring your device to a 45% charge in just five minutes of charging (for a 2,500 mAh battery). This means that a full charge can be achieved in just 15 minutes," the company said.

Oppo's take on Qualcomm's quick charging feature is still in the prototyping stage and is backward-compatible meaning none of the current breed of Oppo smartphones will be able to make use of this functionality. This means, Super VOOC will be exclusive to future Oppo phones.

"The newly innovated low-voltage pulse-charge system, coupled with Oppo's customised battery, dynamically regulates the current, ensuring a safe, sustainable charging experience and preventing overheating. The Super VOOC Flash Charge adapter, cable and connector have all received a full redesign using premium and extremely reliable military-grade materials. Super VOOC Flash Charge supports Micro-USB and USB Type-C, in line with the global standard, the company added.

Charging using Super VOOC will be different from using some high-voltage solution in that there will be lesser heating involved, according to the company. "VOOC Flash Charge-enabled devices will heat up by a maximum of only 3.3. degrees Celsius," it said.

Oppo plans to have an actual phone hit the shelves with Super VOOC battery tech by the end of this year.



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Leonardo DiCaprio's contemporaries Matt Damon and Eddie Redmayne have praised the actor and his role in The Revenant. The two actors have been quite vocal about Leonardo's win at the Oscars this year. Leonardo has swept all major awards this year, including the Golden Globe, Critics' Choice Award, Screen Actor Guild Award and BAFTA.

By India Today Web Desk: Not only Leoanrdo's fans want him to win an Oscar this year, even his contemporaries have joined the #OscarForLeo brigade.

The recent actor who praised Leonardo DiCaprio's performance in The Revenant is Matt Damon.

ALSO READ: The Revenant to release without cuts in India - Celebrate, Leonardo DiCaprio fans!

ALSO READ: Oscar for Leonardo DiCaprio - Want to get Leo the elusive trophy? This is what you need to do



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The 45-year-old seems to have been smitten by DiCaprio's acting talent. The Martian star went on to say in a recent interview, "F*** Leo. F*** that dude. F*** his talent and his handsomeness."

Matt Damon is also nominated in the best actor category at the Oscars this year for his sci-fi film, The Martian.

Damon's remarks come shortly after another nominee, The Danish Girl star Eddie Redmayne, who said that DiCaprio will definitely win the best actor Oscar on February 28.

"(Leonardo is) definitely going to win and should. I feel excited just to be invited to the party, frankly," the actor said in an interview.

This is the first time that an actor has been backed by his fellow nominees.

Apart from Redmayne, Damon and DiCaprio, the other nominated actors are Michael Fassbender for his role in Steve Jobs and Bryan Cranston for Trumbo.

A few days back, Leonardo DiCaprio received much appreciation for his role as Hugh Glass in The Revenant from Academy member Harvey Weinstein.

Weinstein gave a shoutout to Leo during the amfAR New York Gala and said, "As an Academy member, you're not supposed to endorse anyone up for an Academy Award, but I have to say Leo DiCaprio is so amazing in The Revenant."

"His devotion and the way he rolls it all up into something beautiful is amazing. I've never worked with anyone who's so wonderful and so classy," he added.

(With inputs from ANI)



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According to reports in Pakistani media, raids were conducted in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Jhelum and Dina. Those picked up by Pakistani authorities have been shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation, The News reported.

By India Today Web Desk: Pakistani agencies have conducted country-wide raids and arrested several terror suspects in connection with the Pathankot attack.

According to reports in Pakistani media, raids were conducted in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Jhelum and Dina. Those picked up by Pakistani authorities have been shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation, The News reported.

The report claimed that Pakistani agencies are looking for those allegedly involved directly in the Pathankot attack or the facilitators of the attackers.

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Earlier, in an exclusive interview with India Today's Karan Thapar, Sartaj Aziz, Advisor to Pakistan PM had rejected India's charge of no action over Pathankot and claimed that Masood Azhar has been under detention since January 14.

Last week, Pakistan registered an FIR in connection with the Pathankot terror attack. The FIR, however, had no mention of Jaish-e-Mohammad boss Masood Azhar, who masterminded the January 2 strike.

"The FIR is only a first stage report and subsequent FIRs will definitely carry names," Aziz said.

Also read:

Masood Azhar has been under detention since January 14, claims Sartaj Aziz

No mention of JeM, Masood Azhar in Pakistan's FIR on Pathankot attack



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The horror of human nature is prevalent in our world, and I appreciate that some people want to turn on the telly for escapism - but if that's what you want, don't watch Game of Thrones, says Natalie Dormer.

We don't do young people any favours by sheltering them, says Natalie Dormer. Picture courtesy: Reuters

By India Today Web Desk: Actress Natalie Dormer thinks fantasy drama TV series Game of Thrones is not for people who watch TV as a form of escapism.

The 34-year-old British actress, who stars as Margaery Tyrell on the show, knows it is unlikely to appeal to people who wish to put their everyday concerns behind them, because of its graphic depiction of sex and violence, reports mirror.co.uk.

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"All I know is that I turn on the news, and it's covering a boy drowning off the coast, or children being shown beheading videos. The horror of human nature is prevalent in our world, and I appreciate that some people want to turn on the telly for escapism - but if that's what you want, don't watch Game of Thrones," she told Sunday Times magazine.

"I choose fantasy to vent, to process complex political, sexual and social politics at the safe distance of fiction. For me, that's what art should be," she added. Watch: The new, eerie Game of Thrones season 6 teaser hints that everyone's dead



Natalie feels it is also important to highlight issues like rape, saying "we don't do young people any favours by sheltering them".

Picture courtesy: HBO

The HBO fantasy series written by George RR Martin, is often criticised for gratuitous scenes of sex and violence. A few scenes in the fifth season, including a brutal rape scene and another in which a teenage girl was burnt alive, were widely panned.

Natalie herself was a part of a shocking sequence in season five, in which her character Margaery had to seduce the 12-year-old brother of her dead husband in a bid to remain the queen. SEE: 20 brand new stills from Game of Thrones season 6



When asked whether she objects to any of the story lines, the 34-year-old, said it wouldn't matter if she did.

"You sign on the dotted line, give them seven years and don't get to alter the writing."

"I can't, as Natalie, defend everything Margaery does, as that's not my job, " she added.

Game of Thrones sixth is set to premiere internationally on April 24 on HBO and Sky Atlantic. In India it will be available from April 26 on Star World Premiere.

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In this rare Amul advertisement from the eighties we get a glimpse into Neerja Bhanot's life as a model.

By India Today Web Desk: Amul, a Gujarat based co-operative milk brand, recently posted an old advertisement from the eighties featuring the brave and charming Pan Am flight attendant and model Neerja Bhanot.

In this clip of a chocolate ad Neerja Bhanot makes a brief appearance and we get a peek into her life as a model. Neerja used to work as a model before joining Pan Am and had featured in ads for Benzer sarees, Binaca toothpaste, Godrej Besto detergent, Vaporex, Vico Turmeric cream, etc.

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The Amul ad has gone viral in social media circles since its release.

"I am too old for tricycles, too young to be a pilot," a young boy tells Neerja in the ad. "But you're just right for Amul chocolate," replies Neerja who plays the mother in the ad.

In honour of Neerja Bhanot who was killed in the 1986 hijacking of a Pan Am flight and in celebration of the film Neerja based on her life, Amul released this nostalgic video.

Neerja Bhanot is the first civilian and the youngest person to receive the Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.



This video will move you to tears:





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The Chhattisgarh Police has denied it had any role in the attack on Soni Sori, who had an acid-like chemical thrown at her face.

Soni Sori was attacked with a dark coloured liquid which was presumed to be acid. Photo: ANI

By India Today Web Desk: The condition of tribal activist Soni Sori, who on Saturday was attacked by three unidentified men in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-hit Dantewada district, is stable said doctors at a hospital in Delhi.

The men, who were on a motorcycle, had thrown an acid-like chemical on her face, following which she was flown to Delhi for treatment.

The Chhattisgarh Police has denied it had any role in the attack on her, and said that they are actively searching for the culprits.

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"This is not an acid attack. Someone threw black ink or grease on Soni Sori's face in Dantewada. She is suffering pain because the black material rubbed on her face made scratches," Special Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal operations) DM Awasthi told PTI.

"An FIR has been lodged and we trying to locate the mischief-mongers. Police are actively searching for them," he said.

Rejecting allegations of police's involvement in the incident, Awasthi said, "Police has no role in the incident which is a bodily offence. The incident is deplorable and we condemn such an incident taking place with any individual, whatever be their leanings or affiliations. Sori is entitled to all rights and protection like any other citizen."

Sori, who is an Aam Aadmi Party leader, was admitted at the Indraprashta Apollo Hospital in Delhi as local doctors could not identify the substance smeared on her face.

Also Read:

Acid thrown on tribal activist and AAP leader Soni Sori in Chhattisgarh



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A 23-year-old hearing-impaired boy got a heart-warming surprise with his Frappuccino from a barista at Starbucks in Virginia, US.

By India Today Web Desk: For some time now, we have been coming across incidents of people who are trying to make the world a better place.

Sometime back we came across the story of an 11-year-old girl who is battling life-threatening stage 3 cancer and whose lifelong wish was fulfilled when she was invited to walk the ramp for Naeem Khan's fashion show during NYFW 2016.

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Also read: This 11-year-old cancer patient's wish came true when she walked the NYFW ramp like a true supermodel



Surprising us yet again is this story about a hearing-impaired boy, Ibby Piracha, who is from Leesburg, Virginia.

Ibby's Twitter image.

Last week, the 23-year-old went to the Starbucks he usually goes to, to get his regular Frappuccino, when a female barista handed him a note.

The note, that Ibby later shared on his Facebook page, said, "I've been learning ASL (American Sign Language) just so you can have the same experience as everyone else." (sic)

Also read: How a bread seller earned a modelling contract after photobombing a celebrity's shoot



Isn't that sweet? The barista then went on to ask him, "What do you want to drink?" in sign language.

A shocked and touched Ibby asked his friends to share the post so that people could learn about the "hearing community supporting the deaf community." The post has been shared more than 2,500 times.

Ibby, who visits Starbucks three times a week, wrote of the employee on his Facebook account, "I am so blessed with her."

The 23-year-old later told a local news station WJLA how touched he was by the woman's determination to teach herself sign language via YouTube videos.

"I was just so moved that, oh my gosh, she actually wanted to learn sign," he said. "She actually wanted to learn a different language?sign language is really a totally different language and it was something that she wanted to do because of me? Because I was a deaf customer? I was very, very impressed.

She became motivated to learn sign because I was customer there and that has really, really touched me."

It's touched us too!



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Rahul Gandhi today joined Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's family and friends who are holding a protest march in Delhi to seek justice for him. Vemula committed suicide inside University of Hyderabad hostel room on January 17 after being reportedly targeted by right wing organisations.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with Rohith Vemula's mother Radhika and brother during a protest rally over the Dalit students suicide at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: PTI

By India Today Web Desk: Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's family and friends are holding a protest march in Delhi to seek justice for him. Vemula committed suicide inside University of Hyderabad hostel room on January 17 after being reportedly targeted by right wing organisations. BJP's student unit - the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad - was blamed for Rohith's suicide.

Hundreds of students, including those from the Jawaharlal Nehru University joined the protest march organised under the banner of Joint Action Committee for Social Justice of University of Hyderabad from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar.

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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also joined the protesting students at Jantar Mantar. Addressing the crowd, Rahul Gandhi attacked the Modi government, saying voices for new ideas are being suppressed in the country.

"Our universities are being encroached upon. Rohith's voice was muzzled. We need a law which doesn't let students' voices in colleges and universities be stifled," he said.

"Rohith talked about future of India, but RSS doesn't support that but only support talking about the past," Rahul added.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who also joined the protest later, said accused Central ministers of driving Rohith Vemula to suicide.

"This government seems to be at war with the students of this country," Kejriwal said addressing the protesters.

The organisers of the march want punishment for central ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatrya, vice chancellor Appa Rao, BJP legislator Ramchandra Rao, university official Alok Pandey and ABVP leader Susheel Kumar for what they called 'institutional murder' of Rohith.

The JAC is also seeking removal of Appa Rao from the post of vice chancellor, job for a family member of Rohith in the university, a minimum compensation of Rs 50 lakh, withdrawal of false police cases against the five research scholars, appointment of a special public prosecutor in the case and a judicial inquiry into all cases of discrimination and harassment of Dalit, Adivasi, OBC, religious minority students in all higher educational institutions.

Watch full video here:

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Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi today hit out at critics questioning in posing sedition charges against JNU students. Speaking exclusively to India Today Television's Managing Editor Rahul Kanwal, Bassi said that questioning invoking sedition charges against anti-nationals is a blasphemous act.

By Rahul Kanwal: Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi today hit out at critics questioning in posing sedition charges against JNU students. Speaking exclusively to India Today Television's Managing Editor Rahul Kanwal, Bassi said that questioning invoking sedition charges against anti-nationals is a blasphemous act.

Sparking a major debate, Bassi said that there is an urgent need to expand the scope of the law of sedition. Citing the examples of US, UK, France and Belgium, the Delhi Police Commissioner said that worldwide nations are redefining what constitutes an anti-national act in light of how technology is enabling terrorists in their actions.

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"The sedition law needs to be rewritten to remove all scope of ambiguity so that citizens have no doubt about what constitutes an anti-national act," Bassi said.

Reacting to the India Today expose, Operation Patiala House, Bassi said that the lawyers will be arrested soon if they fail to honour the police summons and the law will come down on them.

He also defended the actions of the cops at Patiala House court.

Also Read

Operation Patiala House: Latest developments after India Today sting exposed lawyers who beat Kanhaiya

JNU row: Delhi High Court to hear Umar Khalid's bail plea on Wednesday

JNU row: Students should surrender and join the probe, says BS Bassi





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This is also an approach that only Apple has been able to sustain even though a number of other companies have tried it.

By Javed Anwer: On Monday as Gionee unveiled its Elife S8 phone at Mobile World Congress, it not only took inspiration from Apple for product features but also product philosophy. The Elife S8 comes with 3D touch, just like the iPhone. But at the same time, it also comes with features like support for two WhatsApp accounts, features that are sure to delight users.

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The "delight" is all part of Gionee's attempt to reinvent its brand identity. The company on Monday unveiled a new logo which looks like the happy smiley and promised that it would be focusing more on user experience and not just on the hardware.

"The smiling face on new logo shows our desire to create happiness by developing built-in user-friendly technology and easy-to-use communication tools," said William Lu, president of Gionee. "By adding emotional elements to our smartphones, we believe our 'smilephones' will allow us to maintain a place in the hearts of our consumers and gain a stronger position in the industry."

This is the kind of approach that Apple often takes for its products, something that Lu acknowledged as he spoke to media at MWC. However, this is also an approach that only Apple has been able to sustain even though a number of other companies have tried it.

For Gionee, rebranding makes a lot of sense. With all smartphones, particularly those made by China-based companies, looking more or less same, Gionee is hoping that adding the emotional element to its devices may give it an edge over its Chinese competitors.

Gionee said that "Make Smiles" is the company's new tagline. It said that the new logo combines the letters "i" and "j" to form a "G" which represents Gionee and subtly conveys the message, "I am joyful".

Disclosure: Gionee sponsored the writer's travel and hotel expenses for the launch event in Barcelona, Spain.

You may also like to read:

Samsung unveils Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge at MWC

LG launches first modular phone G5, comes with 4GB RAM and Snapdragon 820



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By Javed Anwer, Amir Haque : Samsung launched the Galaxy S7 two days ago at the Mobile World Congress. In terms of looks and design it is a very incremental update. There is very little difference between the S7 and the S6. But the big changes are inside. And one of these changes is the camera.

Unlike the S6 that had a 16-megapixel camera, the S7 has a 12-megapixel shooter. 12 megapixels camera? Yes, you read that right. Samsung has taken a step back as far as the megapixels are concerned. But there is a reason. By opting for an image sensor that is probably as big as the one in the S6 but with fewer megapixels, Samsung's is choosing quality over quantity. The pixels in the S7 camera are bigger, which means better low light performance. It also has an aperture of F1.7, which is very wide and should help during low light photography.

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Samsung says that the camera in the S7 is the best ever put in a phone . It compared the S7 images with those shot with the iPhone 6S Plus and showed that its phone clicked better photos. We got a chance to try out the camera on the S7 at the Mobile World Congress and we have to say that it is impressive. Whether it is the best in the business or not is something we will be able to say only after trying it in various shooting conditions but in low light, it is amazing. The best bit about the S7 camera is the amount of detail it captures. Even in low light, there is lots of good detail and punchy colours in photos. It also handles dynamic lighting, or in other words shadows and highlights, like a boss. Dont believe us? Check these image samples.

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This also pretty much means that the phone will likely launch in India on March 11.

By Sahil Mohan Gupta : Samsung's Galaxy S7 smartphone which was unveiled recently at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain will initially launch in 60 countries reports GSM arena. The phone initial launch wave for the phone was confirmed by Samsung's head for mobile Koh Dong-Jin.

This also pretty much means that the phone will likely launch in India on March 11, when the sales of the phone are expected to start.

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"The Galaxy S7 is slated to go on sale in 60 countries on March 11. We expect sales to surpass shipments of the previous model, the Galaxy S6," said Dong-in on the sidelines of the MWC event in Barcelona.

According to some estimates, Samsung shipped 38 million units of the Galaxy S6.

The Galaxy S7 refines the Galaxy S6 design and is overall a big upgrade. It also brings back a number of features which were absent in the Galaxy S6, but were known to be hallmark features of Samsung's hardware.

With its glass and metal body, the Galaxy S7 is said to have a more rounded design from that of the Galaxy S6. While doing so, Samsung has seemingly not sacrificed the build of the device and at the same time come up with a solution that adds IP68 water and dust resistance and also a microSD card slot.

The phone will either ship with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor or Samsung's Exynos 8890 processor. The company claims that the phone is 30 per cent faster than its predecessor. It also is coupled with 4GB RAM and is offered in 32GB or 64GB memory variants.

Samsung has optimized the phone for gaming. In fact, so much so that Samsung has worked with Unreal for the Vulcan API for the phone. To ensure that the phone doesn't run too hot, Samsung has also come up with a liquid cooling solution for the phone.

Many believed that Samsung would follow Apple's lead and add a pressure sensitive display to the device, but that hasn't happened. Instead, the phone has a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display which has a quad-HD resolution. The screen is secured with Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

There's another model called the Galaxy S7 Edge which has a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a quad-HD resolution. The screen on this phone is curved from both the sides, and Samsung has made several software additions that take advantage of the curved edges.

The camera on the Galaxy S7 is said to be an improvement over the Galaxy S6. Samsung talks up dual-pixel technology, which it claims is a first in a smartphone. According to the company the 12-megapixel camera on the Galaxy S7 can absorb 30 per cent more light than the iPhone 6S Plus camera. It also comes with a wide f/1.7 aperture and an optical image stabiliser. The front camera has a 5-megapixel resolution. It also has a wide f/1.7 aperture and the screen of the phone can light up like a flash.

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Samsung is running a modified version of Android Marshmallow. It is also offering a 3,000mAh battery in the standard Galaxy S7 and a 3,600mAh battery in the larger Galaxy S7 edge. The phone comes with wireless charging capabilities and also supports quick charging technology through a microUSB slot.



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Investigative reporting from the inner city to Wall Street to the United Nations This is the blogspot version InnerCityPress.com
Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Groysman, and the foreign ministers of France and Germany, Jean-Marc Ayrault and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, have discussed in Kyiv the implementation of the Minsk agreement ahead of the meeting of foreign ministers of the Normandy Four in Paris on March 3.

Groysman assured that the Ukrainian side complied with the Minsk agreement, but the other party violated its obligations. "When we see the absolute disregard for all the obligations that have been taken by the Russian Federation, it is clear that this complicates the whole process, and even more so when the situation is escalating," the Ukrainian parliament's website quoted the speaker as saying.

The Verkhovna Rada chairman urged for the continuation of the policy of pressure on Russia due to its non-compliance with the Minsk agreements. "We expect the policy of pressure on the aggressor to be maintained, and the European Union to remain united about the matter of the expulsion of troops, weapons, mercenaries and Russian career military from the territory of Ukraine, restoring the border, taking all the necessary measures for the reintegration of these territories (temporarily occupied territories) to a normal, peaceful life in the sovereign, independent, European country," Groysman said.

In turn, the ministers of foreign affairs of France and Germany pledged that their countries were willing to continue to support Ukraine. "Since the annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the military conflict in eastern Ukraine, France and Germany are working together to support you on the path to a pluralistic, democratic, independent and united Ukraine," Steinmeier said.

The foreign ministers of France and Germany stressed the importance of further implementation of reforms in Ukraine. They noted that the European Union needed a clear signal from Ukraine that the reforms would continue, despite the difficult political situation in the country.

In response, Groysman assured that Kyiv didn't consider any changes in the course of reforms the country.
Foreign Ministers of Germany and France, Frank Walter-Steinmeier and Jean-Marc Ayrault, have stressed that the Minsk agreements are the only path to bringing peace to Ukraine, however the conflict hasn't been yet resolved by peaceful political means.

"The struggle for the right political course in Ukraine is the subject of close attention not only for people inside Ukraine, but all over the world. Everyone who takes the floor in the Verkhovna Rada or appeals to Ukrainians should know that he or she simultaneously speaks to the European public. Ukraine is now facing unprecedented challenges. Its sovereignty is questioned by the neighboring state in a manner that many thought was impossible in the XXI century Europe," German and French foreign chiefs wrote in their joint article issued by Yevropeiska Pravda (European Truth) online publication on Monday.

The ministers also deplored the fact that they were still far from a peaceful, political solution to the conflict.

"Even 12 months after the adoption of the Minsk agreements their implementation remains a complicated task. However, it is extremely important for Ukraine's future and stability. Since Minsk agreements are the only way to ensure that Ukraine restores its sovereignty over its entire territory and can finally live in peace," Steinmeier and Ayrault said.
[February 22, 2016] Fitch Rates UnitedHealth Group's Planned Issuance 'A-(EXP)'

Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'A-(EXP)' rating to UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's (UNH) planned issue of between $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion of senior unsecured notes. The ratings are equivalent to Fitch's ratings on UNH's outstanding senior unsecured notes. UNH's 'A' Issuer Default Rating currently has a Negative Rating Outlook. Fitch anticipates UNH using proceeds from the planned issuance to pay down outstanding commercial paper balances, making the issuance neutral to financial leverage ratios. KEY RATING DRIVERS The 'A-(EXP)' rating reflects expectations that UNH's financial leverage ratios will be unchanged by the issuance. The company reported debt-to-EBITDA and debt-to-total capital ratios of 2.5x and 49%, respectively at Dec. 31, 2015. Fitch expects a reduction in debt levels during 2016 consistent with UNH's forecast for debt-to-total capital at year-end 2016 to be in a range between 42% and 44%. UNH's EBITDA-based interest coverage was 15.9x in 2015, but is estimated to be approximately 11x using run-rate 2016 interest expense. The company had issued $14 billion in debt in July 2015 to partially fund the Catamaran Corp. (CTRX) acquisition and consequently, full year 2015 interest expense does not fully reflect current debt levels. RATING SENSITIVITIES Key rating triggers that could result in a downgrade include: --Lack of meaningful progress over the next 12-24 months towards debt-EBITDA and financial leverage ratios approximating 1.5x and 37% respectively; --EBITDA-to-interest coverage below 10x. Key rating triggers that could result in a return to a Stable Outlook include: --Significant progress toward deleveraging targets of debt-to-EBITDA ratio below 1.8x and financial leverage ratio below 41%, while maintaining a double-digit EBITDA-to-interest coverage ratio. FULL LIST OF RATING ACTIONS Fitch has assigned the following rating: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated --Senior unsecured notes 'A-(EXP)'. Additional information is available on www.fitchratings.com



Applicable Criteria Insurance Rating Methodology (pub. 16 Sep 2015)

https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=871172 Additional Disclosures Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=999801 Solicitation Status https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=999801 Endorsement Policy https://www.fitchratings.com/jsp/creditdesk/PolicyRegulation.faces?context=2&detail=31 ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON (News - Alert) THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE 'WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM'. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE 'CODE OF CONDUCT' SECTION OF THIS SITE. FITCH MAY HAVE PROVIDED ANOTHER PERMISSIBLE SERVICE TO THE RATED ENTITY OR ITS RELATED THIRD PARTIES. DETAILS OF THIS SERVICE FOR RATINGS FOR WHICH THE LEAD ANALYST IS BASED IN AN EU-REGISTERED ENTITY CAN BE FOUND ON THE ENTITY SUMMARY PAGE FOR THIS ISSUER ON THE FITCH WEBSITE. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160222006105/en/

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[February 22, 2016] Boosted by Leading Anti-PHISHING Technology, Vade Retro Continues Record Growth

Vade Retro, a privately-held, global leader in Anti-phishing solutions, announced today a record growth of revenue in 2015 supporting more than 250 million email accounts around the world exceeding a 67% year over year growth. These companies rely on Vade Retro's protection software for anti-phishing, anti-spear phishing, anti-malware & anti-spam and intelligent email classification. A strong growth on all strategic fronts of development especially on international scale: Vade Retro continued its international expansion especially into American and Asian markets where it opened its first offices in 2014 and 2015 (San Francisco in 2014 followed by Hong Kong and Tokyo in 2015 respectively). Vade Retro achieved a significant growth in international revenue that reached 78%.

A growing success on corporate markets and large accounts: Vade Retro signed over 600 new customers in 2015 thus reaching a total around 3000 customers worldwide.

in 2015 thus reaching a total around 3000 customers worldwide. The legacy business of ISPs and OEMs turned out to be a major area of development where sales increased by over 55% in 2015. Key wins and partners signed in 2015: Cisco (News - Alert) Systems integrated Vade Retro's complete anti-spam filter, anti-phishing, anti-malware and graymail management (detecting and classifying non-priority (bulk) emails & unsubscribing) in its anti-spam ESA 9.5 appliance. Dreamhost, a Los Angeles based hosting company, is about to completely reorganize its webmail by integrating Vade Retro's email security suite and Graymail management with the intent of empowering their email users while maintaining the highest level of security. Rediff.com the free webmail from India handling more than 25 million accounts chose Vade Retro as its filtering engine. Broadband Security (Japan) moved its entire corporate customer mail accounts onto the full Vade Retro Cloud solution hosted in their own data center. CEO of Vade Retro Georges Lotigier announced: "the strategy of development initiated by Vade Retro in 2014 started bearing fruit extremely quickly. Our physical presence on high potential markets, whether they be the US, Japan or even India; and of course the advancement of our technology and our capacity for innovation, allowed us to sign important contracts with major actors in the "email ecosystem", such as Cisco for instance."



Advanced and efficient technology by Vade Retro is taking on the increasing threat of phishing and spear phishing As mentioned Gartner (News - Alert)1, 65% of cyber attacks start by a phishing email. The threat of phishing and spear phishing through email is a growing problem for companies: data loss, reputation, etc. This results in attacks attempting to steal sensitive information, sending of fake documents and/or links, or malware infection which will infiltrate companies' networks. In the face of this high increase in attacks, Vade Retro offers the most advanced solutions of protection for anti-phishing and anti-spear phishing allowing to efficiently prevent these attacks. Vade Retro launched the most comprehensive anti-phishing program in 2015, from the detection of the email to the takedown of the malicious webpage.

Vade Retro patented two technologies against the phishing threat. The "Time-of-Click" explores webpages in real time, at the time of click of the users in order to prevent the safety of the webpage and that no matter the environment (smartphone, webmail, software). Also patented, the "Identity Match" detects when a hacker mimics the message of a trusted source by studying the trusted sender to detect small variations in their day to day communications. Growing success in Ecosystem Integration Vade Retro continues to integrate itself in the "email ecosystem" in order to guarantee a reliable service in all aspects of email reading and to provide the most comprehensive anti-phishing solution. Webmail software vendors are key players in the ecosystem who are primed to gain significant market shares: Vade Retro is on the verge of finishing the plugin for OpenXchange and will continue to develop on other platforms. The plugins for Zimbra (News - Alert) (Zimlet), Bluemind and Atmail are already available. Vade Retro will continue its growth during 2016 followed by an increase in its worldwide headcount, from R&D to sales and foresees an acceleration of the growth thanks to several new opportunities. Within its domestic market, new customers and opportunities are expected in the medium and large enterprises who need more efficient anti-phishing and anti-spear phishing solutions. In Europe and in the new promising markets of the United States and Asia-Pac, Vade Retros sees an increase in the number of partners and direct sales opportunities. CEO of Vade Retro Georges Lotigier: "We even predict an increase in growth rates for 2016 because of signed contracts of 2015, but also because of the new acquisitions in the market towards big accounts who increasingly seek us out to improve their security against increasing well crafted phishing." About Vade Retro Our mission is to keep email safe and convenient. Vade Retro Technology protects inboxes against phishing, malware, and spam while also managing low-priority emails. Independent of the language, our filter analyzes individual emails and the attachments in order to detect all threats including targeted attacks in zero day. The result is that your users have a secure and organized inbox. Vade Retro solutions are already protecting over 250 million email inboxes in 76 countries. Vade Retro is a global company with 5 international offices (San Francisco, Montreal, Hem, Hong Kong and Tokyo). For more information on Vade-Retro, please visit http://www.vade-retro.com/en/ 1 Email Security Gateway (News - Alert) - Magic Quadrant July 2015 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160222006155/en/

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[February 22, 2016] SecurityScorecard Anticipates Explosive 2016 Demand for its Security Rating Platform

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SecurityScorecard, the most accurate benchmark of security risk across the entire business ecosystem, today announced it achieved record growth in 2015more than 430 percent. The company is receiving tremendous demand for its ability to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities and is on pace to far exceed that growth rate for 2016. The SecurityScorecard proprietary SaaS platform helps enterprises gain operational command of the security posture for themselves and across all their partners and vendors. The platform offers a breadth and depth of critical data points not available from any other service provider and in a completely self-service and automated tool. Only SecurityScorecard discovers and computes security ratings based on end-of-life products, patching cadence, hacker chatter, dorking, social engineering, cubit score, on top of malware, and other data points to provide the most accurate risk assessment on the market. The platform also provides continuous, non-intrusive monitoring for any organization including third parties and fourth parties. A broad range of risk categories are observed such as application security, IP reputation, patching cadence, network security and passwords exposed. Key SecurityScorecard 2015 milestones include: A $12.5 million Series A round from Sequoia Capital earlier last year, with Michael Goguen , managing partner of Sequoia joining its Board of Directors.

Series A round from Sequoia Capital earlier last year, with , managing partner of Sequoia joining its Board of Directors. More than 110 enterprise customersover 28 of which are Fortune 500 companies, including Zurich Insurance Company; which partnered with SecurityScorecard to monitor and evaluate third party risk of its vendors. "As we looked to further fortify our defensive layers against threats, it was clear that nobody else had the capabilities of SecurityScorecard's benchmarking and security intelligence service," said Troy Mattern, Zurich's Deputy Head of Cyber Security.

An increase in employee count by more than 25x with extended sales coverage nationally and expanded operations to Europe .

. Market penetration into the financial and legal services sectors; with more than one-third of its new customers within these vertical industries.

Expansion into cyber insurancegiving brokers the power to reduce the financial, reputational, and legal impacts of breaches and other security events.

Release of Instant Security Scorecard, a free summary risk assessment for organizations where you can immediately benchmark your company agains others.

Being first to market to launch Automatic Vendor Discovery module to automatically discover risks associated with fourth party and fifth party risks. "A company's exposure to cyber risk extends to the network vendors they work with," said Brad Gow , Senior Vice President at Endurance. "SecurityScorecard's Automatic Vendor Detection augments their traditional offering by identifying critical third and fourth party network dependencies, giving us additional clarity into the quality of their IT management as well as identifying potential hotspots over our entire cyber portfolio."

, Senior Vice President at Endurance. "SecurityScorecard's Automatic Vendor Detection augments their traditional offering by identifying critical third and fourth party network dependencies, giving us additional clarity into the quality of their IT management as well as identifying potential hotspots over our entire cyber portfolio." Launch of the Collaborative Security module, which allows customers to engage directly with their third parties via the SecurityScorecard platform.

SecurityScorecard Labs released numerous studies including "2015 Retail & eCommerce Security Research Report," "Banking Malware Research Report 2015" and "2015 Higher Education Security Report."

The development of its channel program, which includes more than 30 partners worldwide with the top resellers and technology partners in the world including Optic, GuidePoint, Brinqa, and Venminder.

The formation of a 12-member executive board comprised of top Chief Information Security Officers from around the world, including Edna Conway , Chief Security Officer, Global Value Chain at Cisco.

, Chief Security Officer, Global Value Chain at Cisco. Named a top 16 winner from SINET, the Security Innovation Network. SecurityScorecard was one of the youngest companies on the winning roster.

Robust API layer with integration into common SIEM and GRC platforms such as Archer.

Collaboration with ESG on "Vendor and Supplier Security." As analyst Jon Otlsik wrote about SecurityScorecard, "To be truly actionable, enterprises need a multi-dimensional assessment approach across all key security risk factors like SecurityScorecard provides rather than a single-dimensional security rating."

Named one of the hottest companies to work for in NYC by Symmetry50.

Expansion into additional verticals including benchmarking and reporting to Board of Directors, M&A & Private Equity, and Legal.

Demonstrated that a D or F grade in SecurityScorecard IP Reputation category is 3x more likely to result in a breach of a company.

Expanded the breadth and depth of the executive team with the addition of Paul Poh , CTO (board member of Shared Assessments) and Sean Goldstein , Vice President Marketing (formerly at CA Technologies). Promotion of Bennett Morrison to Vice President of Product.

, CTO (board member of Shared Assessments) and , Vice President Marketing (formerly at CA Technologies). Promotion of to Vice President of Product. Continued innovation in SecurityScorecard R&D Labs. The company sinkholed more than 40 new malware families, including Tinba, Ranybus, Bedep and Alureon. SecurityScorecard also further developed pathing cadence to include end-of-life products used by companies, expanded hacker chatter monitoring capabilities, and established a P2P file sharing user behavior risk factor.



Aleksandr Yampolskiy , co-Founder & CEO of SecurityScorecard. "Our mission is to empower companies with accurate security ratings and to enable them to collaborate with one another. We have made great progress this year in seeing SecurityScorecard ratings used by the world's leading organizations to monitor themselves and report to Board of Directors, and to monitor risk of their suppliers and partners. We are seeing great demand in the market for our critical threat indicators not available in alternative solutions including product end of life, patching cadence, and hacker chatter." About SecurityScorecard

SecurityScorecard provides the most accurate benchmark of security risk across the entire business ecosystem. The SaaS platform helps enterprises gain operational command of the security posture for themselves and across all their partners and vendors. It offers a breadth and depth of critical data points not available from any other service provider and in a completely self-service and automated tool. It's based on the ThreatMarket data engine which collects over 30 million daily security risk signals from the entire Internet. SecurityScorecard was founded in 2013 by two former Chief Information Security Officers, Dr. Aleksandr Yampolskiy and Sam Kassoumeh. It is made up of veteran security researchers, cryptographers, data scientists, and software engineers. The company is privately held with headquarters in New York City. Security Scorecard investors include Sequoia Capital, Evolution Equity Partners, Boldstart Ventures, and others. For further information, please visit www.securityscorecard.com, Email [email protected] or call Lauren Epstein, +1 800-682-1707. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/securityscorecard-anticipates-explosive-2016-demand-for-its-security-rating-platform-300223795.html SOURCE SecurityScorecard

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[February 22, 2016] Knowles Ships More than 8 Billion MEMS Microphones Globally; Sets New Industry Record

Today, Knowles Corporation (NYSE: KN) celebrates a new industry milestone with the successful shipment of more than eight billion SiSonic microphones, globally. Knowles is a pioneer in the MEMS microphone industry, and is leading the industry to intelligent audio solutions that merge high-performance microphones with best-in-class audio software and signal processing. Knowles' newest innovations will be on display at Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) in Barcelona, Spain for customers, partners, analysts and the media in Hall 2, booth 2B23MR. "As consumer applications continue to evolve, we are seeing increased adoption of higher performing audio solutions for new use cases that are enabled by our microphones," said Greg Doll, vice president of product management, Mobile Consumer Electronics, Performance Audio. "Our recent achievements signify Knowles' ongoing advancement of MEMS microphone technology and our commitment to remain the turnkey enabler of market-leading products and scle to serve our customers' needs."



Voice is quickly becoming the preferred user-interface as new IoT applications emerge, and is redefining how consumers interact with technology. As a result, more intelligent audio solutions will be needed to enable a seamless experience across platforms for consumers. "Building intelligent audio solutions around our high-performance microphones is a critical initiative for Knowles, and has significant implications for the mobile consumer industry," said Thibault Kassir, vice president of product management, Mobile Consumer Electronics, Intelligent Audio. "As the developer of the world's first smart mic, our intelligent products enable manufacturers to offer consumers the best voice quality and voice wake experiences."

About Knowles Corporation Knowles Corporation (NYSE: KN) is a market leader and global supplier of advanced micro-acoustic, audio processing, and specialty component solutions, serving the mobile consumer electronics, communications, medical, military, aerospace, and industrial markets. Knowles uses its leading position in MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) microphones and strong capabilities in and audio processing technologies to optimize audio systems and improve the user experience in smartphones, tablets, hearables and wearables. Knowles is also the leader in acoustics components used in hearing aids and has a strong position in high end oscillators (timing devices) and capacitors. Knowles' focus on the customer, combined with unique technology, proprietary manufacturing techniques, rigorous testing and global scale, enables it to deliver innovative solutions that optimize the user experience. Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, Knowles has nearly 12,000 employees in 15 countries around the world. For more information, visit knowles.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160222006198/en/

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[February 22, 2016] Jay Leno to Keynote at Apttus Accelerate 2016

SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Apttus, the category-defining Quote-to-Cash solution provider, today announced Jay Leno as a guest of honor and keynote speaker at Apttus Accelerate 2016, the Quote-to-Cash event of the year. The event is scheduled for April 12-14, 2016, in a custom-built event center located at San Francisco's Pier 48. Leno's wit and passion have cemented his status as a global icon and fueled a decades-spanning career in comedy. His entrepreneurial spirit aligns perfectly with Apttus' innovation and vision. At the event, thought leaders in the Quote-to-Cash space will discuss the impact and future of revenue-focused cloud technologies. Featuring tracks designed specifically for legal, IT, finance and sales operation professionals, alongside Salesforce administrators, Accelerate 2016 attendance is essential for anyone with an interest in improving their organization's mission-critical business processes. Jay Leno and Apttus CEO Kirk Krappe will be joined by over 50 additional speakers including: Executives from fast growth and well-known companies: Peter Ostrow , Research Group Director, Aberdeen Jim Steele , President and CCO, InsideSales.com Elay Cohen , Author, CEO and Co-founder of Saleshoo Kara Haspel Lind , President, Kara's Cupcakes

Sales experts: Craig Rosenberg , Chief Analyst, TOPO Nancy Nardin , Founder, Smart Selling Tools Steven A. Rosen , Executive Coach and Sales Leader Tibor Shanto , B2B Prospecting and Sales Execution Specialist Amy Slater , SVP WW Sales Operations, Rovi Corporation Chris Papadakis , COO, Courion Coporatio Deb Calvert , President, People First Productivity Solutions

Legal luminaries: All Legal Sessions at Accelerate 2016 offer CLE certification credits Ari Kaplan , Author and Founder, Ari Kaplan Advisors Richard Levick , Chairman and CEO, LEVIC Prashant Dubey , Author, CEO, The Sumati Group

Salesforce evangelists: Geraldine Gray , Endiem Michael Farrington , Qando Greg McLaughlin , AppNexus

Influential writers from publications including Fast Company, Forbes, CMSwire and Inc.



Confirm your attendance today to take advantage of early-bird pricing and receive live updates and information leading up to the event Attendees can join the conversation with Apttus on Twitter using the hashtag #AccelerateQTC. For more information visit Apttus Accelerate 2016.

Tweet This: Join @JayLeno at #AccelerateQTC for the world's biggest Quote-to-Cash conversation, 4/12-14 in SF, CA: http://apttus.com/accelerate

Did you hear about this? @JayLeno is the keynote speaker at @Apttus #AccelerateQTC, 4/12-14 in SF, CA: http://apttus.com/accelerate

[email protected] #AccelerateQTC, #QuoteToCash Event of the Year! April 12-14, 2016 . Register Now! http://www.apttus.com/accelerate Additional Resources Learn about Quote-to-Cash automation: http://info.apttus.com/Quote-to-Cash-Video-Request.html

Become a fan of Apttus: http://facebook.com/ApttusCorporation

Follow Apttus on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Apttus

See customer success interviews: http://www.apttus.com/customers/overview/

View conference agenda and register: http://www.apttus.com/accelerate About Apttus

Apttus, the category-defining Quote-to-Cash software company, drives the vital business process between the buyer's interest in a purchase and the realization of revenue. Apttus is delivered on the Salesforce App Cloud, the world's most trusted and comprehensive cloud delivery infrastructure. Applications include Configure Price Quote (CPQ), E-Commerce, Renewals, Contract Management and Revenue Management. Additionally, Apttus' patent pending X-Author technology enables Microsoft Office to be a user-interface with full interaction and control between Salesforce and Microsoft Office. Apttus is based in San Mateo, California, with additional offices located across the globe. For more information visit: apttus.com. Trademark footnote: All corporate names and trademarks are the property of their respective companies. This news release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's expectations with regard to future events. Actual events could differ from those anticipated in this document. Alex Cohen

[email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151207/293789LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jay-leno-to-keynote-at-apttus-accelerate-2016-300223918.html SOURCE Apttus

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[February 22, 2016] IEEE Computer Society and IEEE-USA Support President Obama's Education Funding Request

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., Feb. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The IEEE Computer Society and IEEE-USA today issued a joint statement in favor of President Obama's budget request for computer education. "On behalf of America's technology and computer professionals, we request that you make computer education a priority in the FY2017 budget. Computer literacy needs to be considered a basic competency that all students need, and next year's federal budget must reflect this. With each passing year, from cell phones to the smart grid to autonomous vehicles, computers and information technology play a larger and larger role in our society. All signs suggest that they will continue to play an increasing role in the future. Therefore, it is imperative that American students  all students  have a basic understanding of how computers work. Students need to be exposed to computer programming and basic computer engineering concepts to be able to pursue careers in the IT fields of course. But they will also need this exposure for virtually all careers and to be effective citizens in an increasingly computerized world. In the 21st century, basic computer literacy ought to be viewed the same way basic literacy and numeracy was in the last century. Congress took the first step last year when passing the Every Student Succeeds Act, which made it clear that states could use federal education funds to add computer programming to their curricula. In doing so, you allowed America's schools to take an important step towards upgrading our schools. Now Congress needs to help our schools take this step. IEEE represents 400,000 engineering and computer technology rofessionals of all types around the world, including 200,000 in the United States. The IEEE Computer Society members address the full spectrum of computing, from hardware processor design and programming to artificial intelligent systems. On behalf of the men and women who have created and are creating our country's IT infrastructure, economy and industry, we ask that you take aggressive steps to prepare the next generation of Americans for the world we are building.



Please provide additional funds in the FY2017 budget to help K-12 schools teach computer programing to all students." To view the complete statement, including signatures of Peter A. Eckstein, President, IEEE-USA, and Roger Fujii, President, IEEE Computer Society, please visit: Joint.Letter.Supporting.Computer.Education.pdf

About IEEE Computer Society

IEEE Computer Society is the world's leading membership organization for professionals in all aspects of modern computing  from cloud to big data, security to mobile, robotics to software defined systems, wearables to IoT. A true community for technology leaders, Computer Society provides resources to keep its members current in technology and moving forward in their professions  publications, a renowned digital library, a vast program of conferences, technical committees, and much more. The Computer Society also serves the profession at large through establishment of standards, professional qualifications and certifications, training and education programs, events on leading-edge technologies, conference publishing, and a wealth of other services and programs focused on advancing the science and art of computing. More information on IEEE Computer Society can be found at www.computer.org. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ieee-computer-society-and-ieee-usa-support-president-obamas-education-funding-request-300223951.html SOURCE IEEE Computer Society

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[February 23, 2016] Frost & Sullivan Lauds Centile's Commitment to Service Providers' Success and Customer Value in the Cloud Communications Industry

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the cloud communications industry, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Centile with the 2015 European Frost & Sullivan Award for Price/Performance Value Leadership. Centile stands out among cloud communications platform vendors with its entrepreneurial spirit and strong focus on technology innovation. It enables service providers (SPs) to deliver compelling cloud communications solutions to business customers with its feature-rich, multi-tenant ISTRA platform. The platform supports a broad set of unified communications and collaboration (UCC) capabilities, including private branch exchange (PBX), unified messaging, auto and away attendant, audio and video conferencing, desktop sharing, call center, interactive voice response (IVR) and recording. Through flexible application programing interfaces (APIs), Centile ISTRA aids integration with third-party services and applications, including Microsoft Lync/Skype For Business, and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, such as salesforce.com. This allows providers to deliver greater value to customers by helping them communicate and collaborate from the interfaces of their choice. Designed as an "Any3" user-centric, value-added services (VAS) platform, Centile ISTRA supports any service over any terminal and network. SPs can deliver services using different numbers, including public switched telephone network (PSTN), public land mobile network (PLMN), and email numbers. Unlike most platforms, Centile delivers tailored ISTRA software to SPs. For instance, the ISTRA SP is a session initiation protocol (SIP)-based telephony and UCC solution for fixed-line networks, while the ISTRA Mobile lets mobile operators and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) provide business telephony and UCC features on users' mobile devices. The ISTRA FMC Router is a mobile integration component that allows providers to interconnect ISTRA SP or a third-party VAS platform with a mobile operator or a MVNO mobile service to enable fixed-mobile convergence (FMC). "Centile ISTRA provides all the flexibility and cost-efficiency benefits of a high-density, multi-tenant platform. As a turnkey solution with off-the-shelf portals and self-care tools, Centile ISTRA reduces SPs' time to market with new cloud communications solutions," said Frost & Sullivan Program Director Elka Popova. "The end-user and admin interfaces are also flexible and intuitive, which results in faster adoption as well as lower training and ongoing solution management costs." Centile is uniquely positioned among cloud communications platform vendors with its ISTRA Mobile platform and ISTRA FMC router. For most competitors that are primarily focused on fixed-line operators and desk-bound workers, mobility has been an afterthought. Centile's innovative platforms, on the other hand, providefeature-rich and cost-effective business solutions for mobile-centric users and organizations.



Using ISTRA Mobile, operators deliver business-grade communications solutions natively on mobile devices, without the need to deploy additional network infrastructure or download clients on users' mobile devices. ISTRA Mobile provides such operators with an additional revenue stream and an opportunity to stand out in the market. In addition, Centile offers several purchase options to SPs. Apart from affordable upfront software access license fees, providers pay highly competitive monthly per-user fees. Competitive usage-based software pricing helps providers to scale more cost-effectively, operate more profitably, and pass some of the cost savings to end customers. Furthermore, Centile offers a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) model, whereby the platform is managed jointly with a partner.

"Through continuous innovation, Centile ensures SPs deliver the most advanced features and capabilities that their customers require," noted Popova. "Additionally, Centile works with SPs to improve the platform's reliability and scalability, and address any potential issues." Overall, with more than 15 years of experience in technology development as well as a large SP and business customer base, Centile has demonstrated the ability to deliver superior price/performance value and thrive in a highly competitive environment. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that has developed a product to suit the market and client needs. The award lauds the price competitiveness, features, ease of use of the product, as well as the service effectiveness of the recipient company. "Smart customers make smart economic decisions when choosing to partner with a firm, and that is especially true in the cloud communications industry. Centile has greatly enhanced customer loyalty and retention with its focus on maximizing price/performance value in the cloud communications industry, and we are pleased to recognize its leadership position in that regard," said Frost & Sullivan Global President & Managing Partner Krishna Srinivasan. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. About Centile Telecom Applications SAS Centile Telecom Applications is the leading European developer of unified communications platforms for operators and integrators. The Centile Any3 architecture  Any service, over Any network, on Any terminal  addresses the needs of businesses and operators seeking to deliver advanced professional communications services to fixed and mobile users independent of the device they're using or the network they're connected to. In the fast-moving market for fixed and mobile communications, Centile ISTRA solutions offer customers the flexibility and agility to rapidly develop innovative new services in response to ever-changing customer requirements. For more information, please visit www.centile.com About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure. The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.

provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation. The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies? Contact Us: Start the discussion Join Us: Join our community Subscribe: Newsletter on "the next big thing" Register: Gain access to visionary innovation Contact: Mireya Espinoza

P: 210. 247.3870

F: 210.348.1003

E: [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160218/334837LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/frost--sullivan-lauds-centiles-commitment-to-service-providers-success-and-customer-value-in-the-cloud-communications-industry-300222429.html SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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[February 23, 2016] New Security Research from Cylance SPEAR Team Uncovers Multi-Year, Multi-Attack Campaign Targeting Japanese Critical Infrastructure

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cylance SPEAR team, the security research arm of Cylance, today released a report titled "Operation Dust Storm," which reveals a multi-year, multi-attack campaign against Japanese commercial interests and critical infrastructure. The research uncovers how a well-organized and well-funded threat group, likely associated with a nation/state, has used a variety of attack vectors and techniques to infiltrate and gather sensitive information from companies in electric utilities, oil and gas, finance, transportation and construction. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160222/336103LOGO "Since 2010, a threat group with considerable resources has been using various exploits to attack commercial interests around the globe, with a specific focus on Japan," said Jon Miller, vice president of strategy, Cylance. "Whereas early activity by the group showed less sophistication and a broader set of targets, SPEAR's current research indicates the group's present focus has shifted specifically and exclusively to Japanese companies or Japanese subdivisions of larger foreign organizations. The group has also shown an ability to exploit Android-based mobile devices, illustrating that these types of attacks are more prevalent in the mobile-centric business cultures in Asia. The campaign continues to this day." Specific findings of Operation Dust Storm include: Exclusive Focus on Japan in Later Stages : Recent activity has shown an exclusive focus on Japanese companies or Japanese divisions of larger organizations not headquartered in Japan .

: Recent activity has shown an exclusive focus on Japanese companies or Japanese divisions of larger organizations not headquartered in . Sustained Attack Campaigns : The campaign spans more than five years of persistent, multiple cyber attacks against companies in Japan , South Korea , the U.S. and Europe .

: The campaign spans more than five years of persistent, multiple cyber attacks against companies in , , the U.S. and . Long-term Purpose : After evaluating the malware at the first stages of attack on the hacked networks and systems, the SPEAR team found evidence showing that the prime motives are long-term data exfiltration and theft.

: After evaluating the malware at the first stages of attack on the hacked networks and systems, the SPEAR team found evidence showing that the prime motives are long-term data exfiltration and theft. Variety of Critical Infrastructure Targets : Critical infrastructure targets iclude electric utilities, oil and gas, finance, transportation and construction.

: Critical infrastructure targets iclude electric utilities, oil and gas, finance, transportation and construction. Increasing Focus on Japanese Commercial and Energy Interests : The campaign is most likely being directed by a nation/state attack group growing in sophistication and focus, who are specifically targeting Japanese companies or Japanese subsidiaries of multinational corporations.

: The campaign is most likely being directed by a nation/state attack group growing in sophistication and focus, who are specifically targeting Japanese companies or Japanese subsidiaries of multinational corporations. Continuous, Undocumented Threats : Last year SPEAR discovered two more waves of attacks that started in July 2015 and October 2015 . One of the primary targets was a Japanese subsidiary of a South Korean electric utility.

: Last year SPEAR discovered two more waves of attacks that started in and . One of the primary targets was a Japanese subsidiary of a South Korean electric utility. Wide Range of Attack Types and Vectors : Attacks have employed spear phishing, waterholes, unique backdoors and unique zero-day variants, among others, to breach corporate networks and Android-based mobile devices.

: Attacks have employed spear phishing, waterholes, unique backdoors and unique zero-day variants, among others, to breach corporate networks and Android-based mobile devices. Targeted Corporate Attacks: The campaign has made use of malware that is customized for particular target organizations; one 2015 attack involved the use of an S-Type backdoor variant designed specifically to compromise the investment arm of a major Japanese automaker.



downloaded here and includes more detail on the types of attacks, targets and a complete timeline of attacks between 2010 and 2015. Future Cylance SPEAR research focused specifically on the mobile-based attacks covered in Operation Dust Storm will be released later this year. Through Cylance research and analysis work, previously undocumented attacks indicate that this activity is directed by one threat actor or entity, and there is undoubtedly more to discover. Cylance analysis is ongoing and there will be more updates as new aspects and new attacks are uncovered. About Cylance Inc.

Cylance is the only company to offer a preventive cybersecurity solution that stops advanced threats and malware at the most vulnerable point: the endpoint. Applying a revolutionary artificial intelligence approach, the Cylance endpoint security solution, CylancePROTECT, analyzes the DNA of code prior to its execution on the endpoint to find and prevent threats others can't, while using a fraction of the system resources associated with endpoint anti-virus and detect and respond solutions that are deployed in enterprises today. For more information visit www.cylance.com. For More Information

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Ventings from a guy with an unhealthy interest in budgets, policy, the dismal science, life in the Upper Midwest, and brilliant beverages.
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Formerly "No Coffee, No Workee." a blog about my big adventures around the home, and the even bigger adventures at home.




Job Description

Brief description:

Bocconi University offers need-based scholarships to international students applying to a Bachelor Program, Law Program, or Master of Science Program at the University for AY 2016-2017.

Host Institution(s):

Bocconi University in Milan, Italy

Field(s) of study:

Bachelor Program, Law Program, or Master of Science Program offered at the University

Number of Scholarships:

Not specified

Target group:

International students

Scholarship value/inclusions:

Full tuition waiver worth approximately  11,000 per year for maximum of 3 academic years (for Bachelors Programs) or 5 academic years (for the Law Program) OR  12,000 per year for a maximum of 2 years (for Master of Science Program).

Eligibility:

Applicants for the first year of a Bocconi Bachelor, Integrated Masters of Arts in Law Program, or Masters of Science program for specific admission sessions, who are neither a resident or citizen of Italy nor have earned an Italian High School diploma or Undergraduate Degree in Italy or abroad are eligible.









Your rating: none



Rating: 0  0 votes



How to Apply

Application instructions:

The application must be submitted online by the same date as the online admissions application. The specific deadlines can be found in the 2016-2017 scholarship guidelines but falls around January to July 2016.

It is important to visit the official website (links found below) to access the online application form and for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.

Website:

Official Scholarship Website (Undergraduate): http://www.unibocconi.eu/wps/wcm/connect/Bocconi/SitoPubblico_EN/Navigation+Tree/Home/Campus+and+Services/Services/Student+Assistance/Bocconi+Scholarship_Bracco+2010+03+26+03+29

Official Scholarship Website (Graduate): http://www.unibocconi.eu/wps/wcm/connect/bocconi/sitopubblico_en/navigation+tree/home/campus+and+services/services/student+assistance/bocconi+scholarship+for+international+students+graduate

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Job Description

SNV is a not-for-profit international development organization. We have built a long-term, local presence in 38 developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, providing innovative solutions in Agriculture, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, and Renewable Energy. Our advisors work with local partners to equip communities, businesses, and organizations with the tools, knowledge, and connections they need to increase their incomes and gain access to basic services. SNV works to empower people to break the cycle of poverty and guide their own development through market-driven development innovations.

SNV seeks a WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Advisor for an anticipated USAID-funded nutrition and WASH project in Ethiopia. The objectives of the project include working with the Government of Ethiopia and other partners to implement multi-sector nutrition interventions to reduce malnutrition in Ethiopia.

The WASH Advisor will oversee the quality of all WASH interventions implemented through the program. S/he will be responsible for achieving expected WASH outcomes and the integration of WASH into nutrition and agriculture activities. This position will work with the projects Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Advisor to coordinate and systematically disseminate lessons-learned with other USAID-funded WASH activities.

Job Requirements

 An advanced degree in a relevant field of study (e.g. civil or environmental engineering, public health, international development, economics, business administration)

 A minimum of 7 years of experience in the WASH sector, in areas related to successful activity implementation, such as provision of technical expertise for WASH, demand creation, and sanitation marketing

 Demonstrated experience in building private sector capacity to provide WASH products and services

 Prior experience in the Ethiopian WASH sector is desirable, preferably including experience with national level coordination under the One WASH Program (OWNP)

Other Qualifications:

 Fluency in English is preferred

 Extensive experience in Ethiopia (local candidates strongly encouraged to apply)

 Demonstrated organizational skills and a strong track record in meeting deliverable and deadlines.

Closing date: Feb 26, 2016









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Rating: 0  0 votes



How to Apply

Candidates should apply by sending:

i) A motivation letter; ii) An updated Curriculum Vitae, and iii) Names and contact details of at least two professional referees.

THE TITLE OF THE POSITION YOU ARE APPLYING FOR MUST BE MENTIONED ON THE SUBJECT OF YOUR EMAIL.

Only applicants who meet the above requirements are invited to send their applications and CVs through e-mail at SNVEthiopiaRecruitment@snvworld.org not later than 26th February 2016. Only shortlisted candidates shall be contacted.

127 total views, 2 today
Tuesday, February 23, 2016 Another Economic Sinkhole Opens, The Famous King Family Cashes Out, APS Taxes Saving Private Construction And Still Waiting For A Post-Pizza Party Susana Poll



. . . Year to date, the city of Roswell is short $1.4 million in gross receipts taxes. Poor economic trends with the states gas and oil prices take much of the blame for the financial imbalance. I think this is related to gas and oil as well as our overall state economy, said (Roswell City councilor Caleb) Grant.



Roswell joins Santa Fe in seeing the bottom drop out of its budget. In the capital city they are $18 million short and it looks like they are going to raise taxes rather than downsize to resolve the deficit. The state budget is also in perilous shape with everything now depending on the price of oil rebounding to near $40 a barrel. Right now it's in the low 30's.



The famous King ranching family that gave us Bruce King as governor is ready to



The massive King Brothers Alamo Ranch northwest of Rio Rancho is up for sale with a $33 million price tag. . . Since its purchase in 1961 by the late Gov. Bruce King and his brothers, the property is considered to be one of New Mexicos legacy ranches. The working ranch encompasses 60,000 deeded acres and 14,000 leased acres of state land. . . I think the family just feels its a good time to sell, given the ranch market, said Jeff Buerger, a broker for Hall and Hall.



Reader Deryle Perryman sends this in:



Panelist Gary Goodman, owner and president of the Goodman Realty Group, which is developing ABQ's Winrock Town Center, had a slightly different take on the question of money. Everywhere I look, capital seems to be a major problem, Goodman said,A lack of venture capital, a lack of capital to invest in our basic infrastructure and a reluctance to invest. . .



Well, Goodman has it right but until the business community starts putting the blame where it belongs--at the feet of the Republican Governor, Republican House and conservative Senate austerity Democrats, he and his brethren are getting no boost in capital.



If Goodman and other biz leaders do decide to speak out about the lack of political leadership, they will have a sympathetic audience. ABQ voters recently gave resounding approval to that big ABQ Public Schools $575 million bond and mill levy measure. And here's



Construction workers, plumbers, electricians, engineering firms, decorators, architects and contractors all depend on Albuquerque Public Schools, which dominates the local construction industry. Since 2009, the district has accounted for 65 percent to 85 percent of all building permits in the city and Bernalillo County, according to an APS analysis of city and county data. That percentage is so high because New Mexico is still struggling with the aftermath of the economic crash that hit in late 2007 and slowed other sources of commercial construction.



And the austerity hawks put their beaks in the air when it comes to government spending? Geez. . .



WHAT ABOUT HER?







We blogged last month of glimpsing some regional polling conducted in the western part of the state that showed her sinking below the critical 50% approval level. What's the story statewide? NM's presidential primary is June 7 and will likely have no role in choosing either party's prez nominee. Knowing who the state's voters prefer for the White House is titillating but not particularly relevant. Knowing Martinez's approval rating, however, has real policy consequences--consequences we're guessing her protectors in the media don't want to know or consider.



This is the home of New Mexico politics.







Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.



( c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2016 Another economic sinkhole just opened. This time it's in Roswell in the SE NM oil patch were the bear market in oil prices is now crushing the budget of that city of 50,000:Roswell joins Santa Fe in seeing the bottom drop out of its budget. In the capital city they are $18 million short and it looks like they are going to raise taxes rather than downsize to resolve the deficit. The state budget is also in perilous shape with everything now depending on the price of oil rebounding to near $40 a barrel. Right now it's in the low 30's.The famous King ranching family that gave us Bruce King as governor is ready to call it a day Reader Deryle Perryman sends this in:Well, Goodman has it right but until the business community starts putting the blame where it belongs--at the feet of the Republican Governor, Republican House and conservative Senate austerity Democrats, he and his brethren are getting no boost in capital.If Goodman and other biz leaders do decide to speak out about the lack of political leadership, they will have a sympathetic audience. ABQ voters recently gave resounding approval to that big ABQ Public Schools $575 million bond and mill levy measure. And here's a partial reason why:And the austerity hawks put their beaks in the air when it comes to government spending? Geez. . .The newspaper decided to poll Republicans on what Democratic presidential candidate they prefer. That's off the beaten path. What politics watchers and interested citizens really want to know is the polling numbers for Republican Governor Susana Martinez. What is the view of her in the post-pizza party era and with a still rocky economy? The December pizza party gone bad went viral and may have forever redefined perceptions of the governor thus impacting how she conducts business in the remaining years of her term.We blogged last month of glimpsing some regional polling conducted in the western part of the state that showed her sinking below the critical 50% approval level. What's the story statewide? NM's presidential primary is June 7 and will likely have no role in choosing either party's prez nominee. Knowing who the state's voters prefer for the White House is titillating but not particularly relevant. Knowing Martinez's approval rating, however, has real policy consequences--consequences we're guessing her protectors in the media don't want to know or consider.This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com)
If things fall into place, NioCorp Developments Ltd. hopes to start construction of a mine to extract rare metals from a site near Elk Creek by the end of the year.

But that's a big "if" for the little company that's now based in the Denver area.

NioCorp held its annual shareholder meeting Tuesday and also gave an investor presentation that was accessible by phone and webcast.

CEO Mark Smith told his audience that the company has made a lot of progress to this point, but "2016 is going to be a pretty big year."

NioCorp needs to raise another $5 million to $10 million to complete a feasibility study that it can present to lenders and investors in hopes of convincing them to help it raise the nearly $1 billion it will need to build and operate a mine and processing facility on the Johnson County site, which is about 70 miles southeast of Lincoln.

A preliminary economic assessment produced favorable results, estimating that -- once operating -- the mine would extract 2,700 tons per day of niobium, scandium and titanium, producing a pre-tax cash flow of $438 million a year.

Smith said NioCorp is in a good position because most of the niobium in the world -- about 85 percent -- is produced by one Brazilian company, and customers have told him they want more supply diversity. Also, because of growth in demand, by the time the company actually started producing Niobium, its entire supply would likely be absorbed by the market.

Niobium is used to harden and lighten steel and also make it more heat- and pressure-resistant.

Smith said the addition of scandium and titanium, which were discovered at the site last year, make the project even more valuable.

Overall, Niocorp estimates the mine would have a 32-year lifespan with a potential pre-tax content value of more than $3 billion.

Such an operation would give a huge boost to the area. Previous estimates have put the number of jobs at 1,000 during construction with about 300 permanent positions.

Residents of the area will get a chance to learn more about the project during a couple of events next month.

NioCorp is hosting a town hall meeting March 16 at 6 p.m. at the Hartman Cattle Co. north of Tecumseh. The next day, the company will host an open house at noon at its offices in downtown Tecumseh.
Nebraska senators advanced a bill Monday that would help foster kids to have more normal life experiences.

The bill (LB746), introduced by Lincoln Sen. Kathy Campbell, would adopt 2014's federal Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act.

It includes provisions for a reasonable and prudent parent standard to allow for participation in appropriate extracurricular, enrichment, cultural and social activities.

A report last year from Nebraska Appleseed pushed the idea that foster children and youth should, as much as possible, have the same access to experiences that all kids should have in order to thrive, learn, develop socially and grow up with confidence.

For example, Campbell said, they need to learn how to drive a car, apply for a job, socialize at sleepovers with friends.

The bill also would require that biological parents be consulted in making decisions about the appropriateness of activities, and that that appropriateness be considered at family team meetings.

The bill would also require youths 14 and older be able to consult on their case plans, and that they have certain records and documents they might need when they are discharged.

"The act lays out that these youth have rights. They need to know them. They need to have it posted so they can clearly see it," Campbell said.

And their attorneys and judges need to check in and ensure that the youths are involved in the planning, she said.

Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue praised former foster care youth who advocated on behalf of the bill and told senators how important having normal experiences is in foster care.

Crawford said former foster youth who are now lawyers or have professional careers talked about how something had happened that had allowed them to be part of a school event, and how that in turn showed them what they were able to do and that they could succeed at school and at life.

Campbell said the Department of Health and Human Services, under the new leadership of CEO Courtney Phillips, is being a good listener for foster children and child welfare issues.

People in the department are trying to solve problems for children and families in the system, she said.

The bill advanced to a second round of consideration on a 37-0 vote.
A state senator from Lincoln is calling for an investigation into whether faith-based adoption agencies in Nebraska are violating federal law by discriminating against potential adoptive or foster parents based on religion.

The move by Sen. Adam Morfeld comes after three Nebraska child placing agencies said they would refuse to work with families who are not active in their local churches.

Representatives of Christian Heritage of Lincoln, Compass Nebraska of Kearney and Bethany Christian Services of Omaha made the comments in recent media interviews and during a public hearing Wednesday before the Legislature's Judiciary Committee.

"All of these admissions raise serious questions about whether these contractors are in violation of state law, federal law and executive orders," Morfeld wrote Monday in a letter to Courtney Phillips, CEO of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Morfeld said he plans to notify the federal government of his concerns as well.

The three agencies are supporting a measure (LB975) by Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward which would protect them from adverse action by the state  including denials of funding  if they decline to serve certain people based on the agencies' sincerely held religious beliefs.

Advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people have said the bill would encourage discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Supporters of the bill say its protections are critical for the agencies to continue serving children while remaining loyal to their religious principles. State officials say faith-based agencies handle about 17 percent of Nebraska's child welfare cases, and the agencies collectively receive millions of dollars in government funding to do so.

A spokesman for four faith-based agencies, called Freedom to Serve in Faith Coalition, said the group wasn't immediately prepared to comment on Morfeld's letter.

Morfeld's call for an investigation further complicates an already convoluted debate over whether passing Kolterman's bill would cost the state millions of dollars in federal support.

That could prove critical as state lawmakers grapple with a tight budget and members of the Judiciary Committee consider whether Kolterman's measure is ripe for consideration by the full Legislature.

Kolterman said he is pondering whether to request a legal opinion on the matter from Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson.

An original estimate by state HHS officials predicted the bill could endanger up to $30 million in federal aid, shifting that burden onto state taxpayers. That original fiscal note cited two federal statutes and an executive order which the bill might violate.

But a revised estimate from the state  submitted a day before the hearing on Kolterman's bill  pegged its cost at $0.

Doug Weinberg, HHS director of child and family services, also testified in favor of the bill. Gov. Pete Ricketts appointed Weinberg last year.

Morfeld's letter asks HHS to immediately begin severing contracts with agencies that discriminate, and to report any findings to his office within 90 days.

"I believe no one should be subject to discrimination based on their religion, particularly with the use of taxpayer dollars," he said Monday.
Lincoln Police Assistant Chief Brian Jackson has been named interim chief effective Saturday.

Chief Jim Peschong is retiring after 40 years in law enforcement, and the city is looking for a permanent successor. Applications for the chief's position will be closed at the end of the month.

Assistant Chief Jackson has more than three decades of law enforcement experience and is managing several large projects at LPD, Mayor Chris Beutler said in a news release. His education and wide variety of assignments with LPD have prepared him well to lead the Police Department as the selection process for a permanent chief proceeds.

Jackson is not applying for the permanent position, the release said.

He has been assistant chief for four years, commanding the operations and support divisions. His career began in 1985 with the Hastings Police Department, and he joined LPD in 1987, where his assignments have included management of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Drug Task Force, shift commander, technical criminal investigations and community services.

Jackson has a bachelors degree from Doane College and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is an adjunct instructor for the University of Nebraska, teaching criminal justice classes in Lincoln and Omaha. Jackson also attended the 233rd FBI National Academy, is a past president of the Police Officers Association of Nebraska and is on its executive board.

It is an honor to serve as a police officer, Jackson said in the release. It is a greater pleasure to be able to serve in that capacity in a community such as Lincoln where the police and citizens work cooperatively to make the city safe and quality of life high. The men and women of LPD are true professionals, and I am honored to lead them in this capacity."

The city is also searching for a new fire chief. Applications for that position are also open until the end of the month, Lincoln Public Safety Director Tom Casady said.

Tim Linke has been interim fire chief since John Huff retired in June.

The city is being assisted in the search process by Greg Prothman of Prothman Group, a Washington firm specializing in executive searches for governmental entities. In November, the mayor announced that Jerome Schirmer of Arizona was offered the fire chief job but declined the offer, citing family reasons.
Ali has vocalized his experiences in the U.S., working as a journalist, writer, U.S. State Department consultant and more. He is responsible for launching several projects documenting the experience of Muslim Americans including Al-Jazeera America networks daily news show, The Stream, and the post-9/11 off-Broadway production, The Domestic Crusaders. He is the lead author and researcher of Fear Inc., Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America, the seminal report from the Center for American Progress.
The U.S. Supreme Court did all Nebraskans a favor: putting a temporary hold on the Environmental Protection Agencys sweeping new carbon regulation. With a final ruling not expected until at least 2017, any continued work by Nebraska agencies on implementation plans risks wasting millions of taxpayer dollarsand its why they should halt work on it immediately.

First, some background. The EPAs carbon rule would fundamentally restructure the nations power gridand force every American to pay for it. It requires states to cut emissions from power plants by varying amounts. Nebraska is required to cuts emissions by 40 percent by 2030.

About the only way to accomplish such dramatic cuts would be to shutdown affordable energy sources that Nebraskans have already bought and paid for. Their replacements would largely come from wind and solar, which can be up to three times more expensive than traditional sources already in use.

Those higher costs will be passed on to Nebraska families in the form of higher energy bills. Economists at NERA Economic Consulting estimate it will increase annual electricity rates by up to 44 percent between 2022 and at least 2033. That will amount to hundreds of dollars per year for families who are already living paycheck to paycheckexpenses they cannot afford.

Those higher energy prices will hit employers, too, driving up the cost of doing business. Thats especially true for manufacturers, which require abundant energy usage. Combined with other new carbon regulations, the Heritage Foundation estimates this will cost up to 4,000 manufacturing jobs in Nebraska alone.

These crushing costs are part of the reason why 29 statesincluding Nebraskajoined a federal lawsuit against the regulation. The other is that it is an unprecedented federal overreach into states rights. This bipartisan coalition is backed by liberal Harvard Law School professor Laurence TribePresident Obamas own law school professorwho argues that it amounts to burning the constitution.

This is where the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in. In temporarily halting the regulation until this lawsuit is resolved, the Court ruled that moving forward with its implementation could irreparably harm the states, and that they have a likelihood of succeeding in federal court. This is an extremely rare move that speaks volumes to the regulations shaky legal ground.

So, what does that mean for Nebraska? Testifying before Congress after the stay was issued, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy made it clear: Nothing is going to be implemented while the stay is in place. It is clearly on hold until it resolves itself through the courts.

In other words, there will likely be no further action on this regulation until at least 2017, which is the earliest the Supreme Court could make its final ruling. And even with Justice Scalias recent passingwhich many EPA supporters say improves their chances before the Courtthe future of the regulation remains in jeopardy, as evidenced by the bipartisan legal opposition to it.

Therefore, during that time, it simply makes no sense for Nebraska state authoritiesincluding air and environmental quality boards, public utility commissions, and individual utilitiesto proceed with implementation plans. Doing so risks wasting millions of taxpayer dollars if the regulation is ultimately ruled illegal, which as the stay suggests, is likely.

President Obama has spent much of his eight years in office passing regulations that push constitutional boundaries. Now the Supreme Court has put a check on his authority, with a more decisive ruling to come next year. Nebraska state officials should heed the Courts warning and move to minimize any loss to taxpayers between now and then.
WASHINGTON -- On Thursday, Donald Trump called Pope Francis a "pawn" of the Mexican government and accused the leader of the world's Catholics of "disgraceful" rhetoric.

On Friday, he approvingly retold an apocryphal story about a U.S. general ordering Muslims shot with bullets dipped in pig's blood.

On Saturday morning, he wondered on Twitter whether President Obama would have attended Justice Antonin Scalia's funeral "if it were held in a mosque."

And yet, on Saturday night, Trump won the South Carolina primary, affirming him as the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.

Are Republican voters really choosing as their standard-bearer a man who preaches such hatred and spews such vitriol?

No, they aren't -- at least not yet. But they may get Trump anyway.

The good news is only 32.5 percent of South Carolina Republicans voted for Trump. The bad news: Trump may not need the support of a majority of Republican voters to secure the nomination.

Five months ago, I wrote that I was so sure Trump wouldn't win the nomination that I would eat a column -- 18 inches of newsprint -- if he did. I argued that he "won't prevail in the Republican primary because voters, in the end, tend to get it right."

Trump's inability to rise above about 35 percent of the vote vindicates -- so far -- my faith in the voters. But even if that holds, I may be soliciting recipes for wood pulp anyway, because, given the three-way race emerging between Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, Trump could clinch the nomination with minority support.

The Cook Political Report, handicappers par excellence, observed over the weekend that Trump's 35 percent "ceiling" of support could be enough to win a five-person race (including John Kasich and Ben Carson) and even enough to "squeak out a victory" in a three-way race.

Cook's Dave Wasserman explained that 38 percent of the 2,472 Republican convention delegates are from winner-take-all contests, which means Trump can get them with a slim plurality of the vote. And in a number of the other states that award delegates proportionately, Cruz and Rubio are in danger of slipping below the 20 percent threshold required to get a share. This increases the odds that nobody will get the 1,237 needed, or that somebody will without winning a majority of votes.

The long-awaited consolidation behind a consensus alternative to Trump has finally begun. Jeb Bush has joined Chris Christie on the sidelines, and Rubio, after his sound-bite disaster in New Hampshire, appears to have returned as the consensus anti-Trump.

But Kasich remains, potentially denying Rubio a huge haul of delegates from Ohio on March 15. And while the primary map gives Cruz no plausible path (none of his strongest states is winner-take-all), Cruz can remain in the race and deny Rubio a clean shot at Trump.

On Sunday, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told ABC's George Stephanopoulos that it would be a "no-brainer" to support the nominee, even if it's Trump. "Winning is the antidote to a lot of things," he reasoned.

Perhaps the most disturbing of Trump's latest outrages -- beyond lashing out at the pope or again implying that Obama is Muslim -- was his decision to validate a hateful Internet hoax.

In South Carolina on Friday, Trump was defending torture (he said the United States should "go much further" than waterboarding) when he told a story of Gen. John Pershing, who allegedly dipped bullets in pig's blood before executing Muslim prisoners in the Philippines.

"He lined up the 50 people, and they shot 49 of those people, and the 50th person, he said, you go back to your people and you tell them what happened," Trump proclaimed. "And for 25 years there wasn't a problem."

Historians and others have found no substantiation for this allegation and plenty of evidence that Pershing wasn't that sort of man. When a Massachusetts state senator floated a version of the Pershing claim in 2003 in a flier, the Anti-Defamation League called it "incendiary and bigoted" and an "offensive caricature of Muslim beliefs."

And now, in 2016, the front-runner for the Republican nomination floats the same vile libel, and the chairman of the RNC says it would be a "no-brainer" to support him?

The voters may yet get it right, but that doesn't mean the Republican Party will.
Its a relief that Nebraska wont be adding its name to the list of states that have passed a resolution calling for a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution.

The danger of such an event is that its delegates would run amok. No one can say with certainty what the government would look like after they got done reinventing the country.

The Legislature voted 25-18 Monday to send Sen. Laura Ebkes proposal back to the Government, Military and Veterans Affair Committee. Thats a virtual guarantee that it wont be back on the agenda for the rest of the session.

Dont expect the proposal to go away, however.

In recent months five states  Florida, Georgia, Alaska, Alabama and Tennessee -- have officially voted for Americas second constitutional convention.

The movement has some high profile adherents, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is a GOP presidential candidate. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, also a GOP presidential contender, said recently, On my first day in office I will promote the Convention of States Project.

A prime goal of the project is passage of a balanced budget amendment. Theres money behind the movement. Common Cause reports that the American Legislative Exchange Council, whose corporate donors include AT&T, Pfizer, UPS, Koch Industries, Comcast, Altria, and Chevron, is a source of funding. (Theres also a push on the left side of the political spectrum for a constitutional convention to overturn the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Citizens United which struck down limits on corporate political spending, but its a much smaller effort, according to Common Cause.)

Last summer Ebke held 33 town halls throughout the state to promote the idea, and earlier this month former Sen. Tom Coburn came to Nebraska to promote the Convention of States Project, arguing that a convention of states would give a spinal transplant to elected officials in Washington.

Members of the Journal Star editorial board met with Coburn during his visit, and earlier this year met with opponents of the project including Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln.

In November Morfeld attended a three-day meeting of the Assembly of State Legislatures as something of a fifth columnist. The meeting of more than 100 state legislators in Salt Lake City was supposed to draft rules for a constitutional convention, but the effort broke down when some legislators walked out.

The event left Morfeld impressed with the amount of funding that organizers had at their disposal.

Article V of the U.S. Constitution gives a convention of states power to propose amendments to the constitution. That hasnt happened since 1787. Since the Bill of Rights was ratified all amendments to the U.S. Constitution have been added by amendments originating in Congress and sent to the states. Thats a better approach than trying a convention of states, where, as Morfeld says, everything would be on the table.
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is not revealing who he might endorse in the Republican presidential race, but it's a safe bet presidential candidate Donald Trump isn't on the short list.

Although Ricketts wouldn't talk about the candidates specifically at a news conference Tuesday, he did say what the country needs is someone like former President Ronald Reagan, who could pull people together.

"Somebody who shares that uplifting vision of America like Ronald Reagan did. That's how he brought groups of people together, and that's what I'd like to see" in a presidential candidate, he said.

Ricketts isn't sure he'll make an endorsement, he said. He's waiting to see how the campaign unfolds.

He addressed comments Trump made on Monday when he tweeted: "I hear the Rickets family, who owns the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $'s against me. They better be careful; they have a lot to hide."

Trump was referring to a report in the New York Times identifying Marlene Ricketts, the governor's mother, as the donor who contributed almost $3 million to Our Principles PAC, which is almost entirely funded by the Ricketts family.

"Certainly I've got a very politically active family who care very much about this country," Ricketts said when the question came up of what he thought of Trump's comments.

"So my family does get involved in the different aspects of our public policy debate, and of course we want to make sure that we have the best nominee here on both sides of the aisle," he said.

The governor said he couldn't begin to guess what the Twitter feed was referring to when Trump wrote the Ricketts have a lot to hide.

"I know that he didn't even spell my name right," he said.

When asked, Ricketts said he didn't feel threatened by the tweet.

The Ricketts super PAC has spent roughly $4 million on Trump attack ads in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, according to The Hill, a political news website.
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While it may seem a bit eager to be looking ahead to Aug. 27 and 28 when spring has yet to arrive, I cant help but be excited about a new arts event set to take place in Milwaukee then.

Its called the Milwaukee Fringe Festival  a two-day, city-wide performance and visual art event that aims to celebrate Milwaukees vibrant arts scene.

Milwaukees art scene is as diverse and prolific as any in the nation, says the Fringe Festival mission statement. And while that may seem like bravado, consider the experience of the festivals directors, who include renowned film and television actor Willem Dafoe; and local actor, director, writer, musician and Marquette University theater professor John Schneider. Those of you who can recall the 1970s might remember that both Schneider and Dafoe were early members of Theater X  an experimental theater company that grew out of a workshop at UW-Milwaukee and went on to tour professionally throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan.

Fast forward to 2016, when they have joined forces with Eric Engelbart of the Shepherd Express; Matt Kemple of the Milwaukee Comedy Festival; Karen Raymond and Katie Rhyme of MKE Follies; and Brian Rott of Quasimondo Physical Theatre to produce the Fringe Festival. It will take place in Milwaukees Pere Marquette Park, the Marcus Centers Vogel Hall and surrounding downtown venues and will showcase live theater, music, dance and comedy performances, as well as visual art and keynote speaker presentations  by both regional artists and national performers with a connection to the greater Milwaukee area. Additional sustenance will be provided by food trucks, breweries and other culinary delights.

I am especially anxious to tell you about this now because organizers are offering a discount  good through the end of February  to artists wanting to be a part of Fringe 2016. All it takes is answering a few questions about your art, sharing a few examples of past work, and letting organizers know any important details about your proposal. You can apply at www.mkefringe.com and, if you do so before March, the application fee is just $15 (goes up to $20 March 1). Whether you have an idea for an original theatrical production, a newly choreographed dance routine, an interactive art exhibit, or a great new set of songs  we want to hear from you, organizers say.

Art all around

Meanwhile, Being There, an exhibition of plein air artwork by four area artists, will open March 4 in the Racine Arts Councils ArtSpace Gallery, 316 Sixth St. It will feature work by Robert Andersen, Jerrold Belland, Paul Burmeister and Doug DeVinny, created during the last few years, while the artists spent time in the plein air (open air) environment of Southeast Wisconsin.

In addition to works they created on-site, through direct observation during numerous road trips, the artists will show process-oriented pieces that provide insight to the progression of images after the work leaves the field. Included will be sketchbooks, field notes, watercolors, drawings and paintings, through which viewers can see each artists unique approach to the visual and technical problems involved in working outside, creating artwork with immediacy and spontaneity.

An opening reception for Being There will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 4, in the gallery. The show will continue through April 23. For more about this and other RAC shows, go to www.racineartscouncil.org.

The work of Racine artists is also being celebrated in other areas of Wisconsin.

At the Milwaukee Art Museum, for example, work by more than 300 student artists (grades seven through 12) from throughout the state  including Park High School students Andres Baca and Chelsea Barlow  is on display in the 2016 Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition through March 13. Baca and Barlow are among the winners of the Scholastic Art Awards-Wisconsin, which is the regional arm of the Scholastic Art Awards National Program  a nationwide competition for artistic excellence, conducted by the Alliance for Youth Artists and Writers Inc. This years winners were selected from more than 2,000 entries, submitted in categories including architecture, ceramics, glass, comic art, drawing, fashion, film, animation, graphic design, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, product design and sculpture. For more about the exhibit and the MAM  which has hosted this competition for the past 40 years  go to www.mam.org.

If you are headed to Door County this weekend or next, be sure to check out the You Draw and Paint on What? show at the Miller Art Museum in Sturgeon Bay. Racine-based artists Bill Reid and Gabriela Pettit are among the 10 whose work is featured in this exhibition, which celebrates experimentation and the exploration of unconventional media.

The shows curator  printmaker and museum assistant Michael Nitsch  also has Racine ties, having lived and created here before moving to Door County. In addition to Pettits artist books and Reids painted steel sculptures, the show features airbrushed textiles by Kenosha artist Dennis Bayuzick; video and stop-motion animation work by James Barany (Waukesha); found-object creations by Polly Sills and Jim Rericha (Sturgeon Bay); collages/rubbings/prints by Steve Vande Zande (Milwaukee); and mixed media work by Pipka Ulvilden and Tom Seagard (Sister Bay), and Cynthia Wolfe (Fish Creek).

The exhibit runs through March 8 and the Miller Art Museum is located in the Sturgeon bay Public Library, 107 S. Fourth Ave. Admission and parking are free. For more information, go to www.millerartmuseum.org.
MOUNT PLEASANT  A Racine County judge on Monday imposed a fine on a Kenosha man who pleaded no contest to a theft involving a former business partner.

Sang V. Tran, 43, was fined $1,000 plus court costs, according to court records, in connection to the burglary last year at Polish Nail Salon, 7115 Durand Ave., Mount Pleasant.

An iPhone, security camera system, wireless Internet unit, drill machine, credit card machine and nail dryers were reportedly taken in the burglary. Tran allegedly admitted to the burglary, which he said he committed after drinking about nine beers, according to a criminal complaint.

He reportedly took the items to Milwaukee and threw them away in an unknown location, according to court records.

Tran, of the 5500 block of Washington Road in Kenosha, pleaded no contest in December to a felony charge of theft, according to court records. He was also charged with burglary of a building or dwelling and criminal damage to property; those charges were dismissed but read into the record during his hearing Monday.
RACINE  College Goal Wisconsin, an effort that can help students and potential students navigate the financial aid process, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, in the Conference Center on the Racine campus of Gateway Technical College, 1001 S. Main St.; and 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 27, in the North Building of the Elkhorn Campus, 400 County Road H, Elkhorn.

Those who participate will be entered in a drawing for a $1,000 scholarship at each site.

College Goal Wisconsin is an event designed to be an approachable way of learning how to apply for financial aid and get individual assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the federally required form for students seeking financial aid such as grants and loans. Students and parents are encouraged to attend together, where needed.

For the entire list of paperwork needed to make the event a success, and more information, go to www.collegegoalwi.org.
"We're never going to use our guns to solve our problems," said one of the students signing the pledge in Starbuck Middle School's hallway Wednesday afternoon before one of her friends added, "We're gonna solve them ourselves."
RACINE COUNTY  State Sen. Bob Wirch is warning residents of a telephone scam that targeted a Racine woman.

The woman contacted Wirch, D-Somers, after a she received a call Monday from someone telling her she won $6.5 million in a sweepstakes associated with Medicare, according to a news release.

Before claiming her prize, she would have to pay a $195 fee, the caller reportedly told her. The woman was also told someone from the company would escort her to the bank to withdraw the amount, according to the release.

The woman did not provide any money or personal information, according to the release.

Wirchs office learned that the same scam was reported in Kansas earlier this year.

If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, said Wirch, whose district includes part of Racine County. If you get a letter saying that youve won something but need to pay any amount to claim your prize, make sure its on the up and up. You never know what they will come up with next to make a buck.

Anyone suspicious of a scam should call their local law enforcement agency, Wirch advised. Residents can also contact the states Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection at 800-422-7128.

Wirch earlier this year introduced a bill tackling fraud against the elderly. The proposal creates a civil cause of action for financial exploitation of a vulnerable person  defined as someone who is elderly, incapacitated or living with certain disabilities  and provides for financial penalties.
RACINE  An attempted homicide took place in the 1800 block of Franklin Street late Monday night, according to a Racine Police Department news release sent out Tuesday afternoon.

Officers responded to a report of shots fired at about 11:42 p.m. Monday in the 1800 block of Franklin Street and found that a home had been struck multiple times by gunfire, police said. While they were processing the scene, officers learned that a victim, 19, had arrived at Wheaton Franciscan-All Saints hospital with a nonlife-threatening gunshot wound, according to the release.

Police said the victim was stabilized at All Saints before being transported to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa.

According to the release, the occupants of the home reported no injuries when police arrived on scene. Police said they located several shell casings in the block.

The release did not indicate possible suspects in the shooting or the gender of the victim. Investigators conducted a neighborhood canvas for evidence and witnesses, police said.

Racine Police investigators are interested in any additional information that anyone may have about this crime. Any witnesses, or citizens with information are encouraged to call the Racine Police Department Investigations Unit at 262-635-7756.

Those who wish to remain anonymous may contact Crime Stoppers at 262-636-9330, or text 274637 (CRIMES). Text message should begin with RACS.
RACINE  Even Marines  the few, the proud, the first to fight  can cry.

More than seven decades have passed since Racine resident Marvin Roslansky endured exhausting slave labor, intentional malnutrition, filthy living conditions and brutal beatings as a prisoner of war in a Japanese labor camp during World War II.

While the physical pain has subsided, the emotional wounds still sting. Tears well in Roslanskys eyes when he even thinks about his three long years of captivity in Zentsuji prison camp.

I still cant really talk about Japan, says Roslansky, now 93 years old, his eyes red and watery. We did what we could. We lived one day at a time. There was no place for us to go. We couldnt escape. We were in hell and you had to have a lot of faith.

Faith and dreams of returning home to his native Lakeview, Minn., for the next holiday kept Roslansky alive for his 45 months of hell.

You could be beaten at any moment for any reason at all, he remembered. We knew you would have to do what they said or you would never go home.

Roslansky was one of 147 Marines based on the island of Guam in September 1941. Guam was an idyllic, sought-after destination: tropical climes, white sand beaches, cheap beer. The peace was shattered Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed the island as part of their coordinated attack across the Pacific, including Pearl Harbor.

Two days later, 6,000 soldiers from the Imperial Japanese Army waded ashore. Roslansky helped the short-lived defense before the island was captured.

Roslansky and the rest of the Marines were loaded aboard the MS Argentina Maru, a luxury liner turned into a warship. They were sent to Shikoku, Japan, a small island about 400 miles from Tokyo, and imprisoned in Zentsuji.

For long hours each day, Roslansky and his fellow prisoners loaded and unloaded railroad cars in the Sakaide rail yards. Guards beat prisoners without provocation or reason, he said. By night, prisoners tried to survive on starvation rations, and sometimes no food at all. They got English language newspapers, but those had more paper than news.

They were cut full of holes, he said.

The most frightening time was the final months of the war. Prison officials knew the end was near. The Army issued orders to not feed prisoners, then directed guards to execute them.

Our graves were already dug, Roslansky said.

After almost a year of bloody fighting  Marines raised the flag on Iwo Jima 71 years ago Tuesday  Japan surrendered in August 1945. But it took Allied forces another month to liberate all the prison camps. The now-free Marines from Guam hung on for 30 more days without food and little water.

Post-war reconciliation

Miraculously, 103 of the 147 Guam Marines survived their ordeal. They spent months in Guam and San Diego recovering. Roslansky then spent six months at Great Lakes Naval Training Base near Waukegan, Ill., before moving to Racine in 1946.

He used GI Bill money to learn automotive work. In 1949, he purchased Sturtevant Auto Sales and Salvage and operated the yard for 32 years. He retired in 1981. He spent a few years in Arizona, and in 2013 traveled to Japan with a contingent of former POWs.

At first I refused to go, he said. But I actually had never seen Japan. They appreciated us being there. They were sorry it happened. They were bad, bad people during the war.

During the war, the Japanese held 2,274 Marines in prison camps across Asia, according to the POW Research Network. By the end of 2014, only 200 of those Marines were still alive.

Roslansky is one of them. His story has appeared in several books about World War II. At 93, his mind, eyes and hearing still sharp, he volunteers at various veterans groups and visits veterans hospitals. Each Thursday he gathers with local veterans at the Piggly Wiggly, 5201 Washington Ave., to drink coffee, listen to music and just talk.

There are not many like him left, said Racine resident David Kramer, a Racine Marine who is active in the Fourth Fest parade. He has been a part of history. We owe these men like him so much.
RACINE  A Racine teen dropped his head down, fighting back tears, as a judge on Tuesday sentenced him to 10 years behind bars for shooting a 17-year-old boy in the chest last winter at the Corinne Reid Owens Transit Center in Racine

Lamont C. Koker, 18, is one of two Racine teens accused in the shooting of the rival gang member, who reportedly has made a full recovery. Koker also was sentenced to 10 years on extended supervision in the Jan. 21, 2015, shooting that injured the then-17-year-old boy.

Like pocket change you had a gun in your pocket; drugs in your pocket. In your young life you said youve been shot at at least 20 times in Racine and Chicago. You and (the victim) had exchanged gunfire in the past, Racine County Circuit Judge John Jude said. The cycle of violence must end. No one needs to die.

Koker, who was charged as an adult, pleaded no contest on Dec. 14 to attempted first-degree intentional homicide. The charge is punishable by a maximum of 40 years in prison plus no more than 20 years on extended supervision.

Assistant District Attorney Dirk Jensen recommended 15 to 18 years in prison plus 10 years on extended supervision for Koker, saying society must be protected from him.

At 17 years old, hes lucky he didnt kill (the teen), Jensen said. He shot him in the chest.

Defense attorney Patrick Cafferty called for four years in prison and six years on extended supervision, saying Koker doesnt fully understand his actions because of his youth.

I think they, Mr. Koker and his friend thought this was a decent idea to go confront (the victim) ... and the harassment was going to stop.

Koker had no prior criminal record, Jude said. He will receive credit for about 13 months already spent in jail, during which time he became a father.

A second chance

During the hearing, Koker said he was hoping for a second chance, and knows he was destined to do better.

Im sorry for my actions and the hurt that I brought. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, he told the victims family.

The teen didnt attend the sentencing and is in jail. But during the hearing, Kokers father, Jeremy Koker, of Chicago, also apologized to that teens relatives for his sons behavior, adding that his son doesnt deserve to be a throwaway case in society.

Naceir M. Mayes, 16, also of Racine, is charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, possession with the intent to deliver marijuana and possession of a firearm by a felon in relation to the incident. He also is charged as an adult.

While Koker and Mayes both are charged in the Case High School students shooting, Kokers bullet reportedly struck the youth, who is now 18.

They reportedly fired at the teen at about noon on Jan. 21, 2015, in the area of bus terminal 3M at the Transit Center, 1409 State St., according to their criminal complaints. The teen was shot in the left lung area and received a graze mark on his sleeve.

Mayes allegedly admitted that he and Koker are gang members and had conflicts with another gang to which the 17-year-old boy belongs, the complaints state. Koker and Mayes reportedly went to the bus terminal to confront the teen, knowing Case students rode that bus, the complaints state.

Mayes is due back in court on March 11 for a bail bond hearing before his April 5 trial.
A Dane County biodigester that holds millions of gallons of animal waste was built without a containment berm encircling an above-ground pipe that burst last month and let loose one of the largest Wisconsin manure spills on record.

It was the second 300,000-gallon release this year at a manure storage facility with no berm to hold all the spillage, no employees on duty to notice the rupture and no automated shutoffs or alarms that worked.

Both spills happened at night, so manure spewed for hours until employees came to work in the morning, and the waste spread until it entered waterways that flow into Madisons chain of lakes where farm runoff is already the major source of excessive, smelly weed and algae growth.

State regulations dont specifically require berms or automated safeguards, but the two spills will prompt a reexamination of standards, said Pat Murphy, the U.S. Department of Agricultures resource conservationist for Wisconsin.

Weve kind of entered into a new phase, and this is just emerging as an issue, Murphy said. Theres a little bit of a learning curve going on.

Great quantities of manure have become more concentrated geographically with the rise of larger dairy farms, Murphy said. Farmers spread it on fields as fertilizer, but it cant be done year-round, so millions of gallons must be stored  pumped through pipes into lagoons or tanks, or sent for processing at biodigesters  creating new hazards when a system fails, he said.

It creates a whole new category of opportunity and risk, Murphy said. The ultimate answer is cost. You must do things in the most cost-effective method for the businesses.

While building berms could be costly, simple shutoff devices and alarms arent very expensive, said Rebecca Larson, a UW-Madison biosystems engineering professor.

Much less than the cleanup cost, Ill tell you that, Larson said.

Still, when experts from the USDA, the university, the state Department of Natural Resources and others come together to discuss changes, they weigh benefits of any change against the cost, especially to small farmers, Larson said.

The DNR can require containment berms or monitoring of leaks or groundwater contamination in certain cases  even automated shutoff valves  but it relies heavily on the skill and integrity of private engineers who submit plans before a project is permitted, said Mark Cain, a wastewater engineer for the agency who helps write the rules, issue permits and oversee cleanups.

This year Cain was assigned to oversee cleanups of two of the four largest manure spills in the last 15 years  at the biodigester site near Waunakee last month and at UW-Madisons Arlington Agricultural Research Station in February.

Cain said once the latest cleanup is complete, he and others at the agency will talk about possible changes in anti-spill measures.

Two of the biggest

Three 1.25-million-gallon digester tanks have generated electricity from methane released by farm manure since 2010 at the Clear Horizons facility north of Waunakee. A protective berm surrounds the digesters.

But the Nov. 24 spill occurred 200 feet outside the berm where a section of pipe emerges from a pump house and runs about three feet down through insulated housing and then into the ground, said Monte Lamer, assistant plant manager. The pipeline continues underground to the digester.

A pump usually pushes manure through the pipe to the digester tank, but after the short, above-ground pipe section ruptured around 11 p.m., the material washed back out of the tank, Lamer said.

For roughly six hours, until an employee arrived for work in the morning, the manure drained onto the ground. As much as half of it pooled in a low area designed to capture and filter stormwater, Lamer said, but the rest flowed off the site, finding a series of ditches that carried it more than a mile. Some ended up in Six Mile Creek in Waunakee.

The company is investigating why the pipe burst and why an alert system failed to notify off-duty workers through their cellphones, Lamer said.

At the university agriculture station about 20 miles north of Madison, at about 3 a.m. Feb. 5, a fitting failed on a pipeline that carries manure-laden water from a storage lagoon to a dairy barn, where it sluices more manure into another line back to the lagoon, said Richard Straub, a dean at the UW agriculture college.

By the time an employee appeared for work about three hours later, the waste had spread toward the Yahara River. Barriers were set up, but in the days that passed before the manure could be collected, rain and snowmelt washed an unknown amount into the river, Straub said.

The farm responded by building a berm that would channel any future spill into the lagoon and by installing a $3,000 automatic shutoff valve, Straub said.

No fish kills were reported with either spill.

Costly controls

On farms, manure is typically pumped by pipe to a storage tank or pit until the fields are dry and thawed enough to absorb it.

Manure digesters not only generate electricity, they also can reduce the volume and nutrient level of the material so that when farmers apply it as fertilizer it causes less harm if it runs off fields into lakes and streams.

Digesters are usually equipped with sophisticated sensors and controls and are managed more closely than typical storage structures on farms, said Larson, the UW-Madison agricultural engineer.

Steven Sell, an engineer at BIOferm Energy Systems in Madison, said three biodigesters the company has designed in Wisconsin are equipped with a variety of sensors, including some that send cellphone messages if something needs attention.

The measures are designed to prevent costly downtime, Sell said.

Many types of spill safeguards may be available, but costs may not be justified, said Stephen Dvorak, whose Chilton-based DVO Inc. has designed and built digesters in 16 states.

Whether you can remove that risk 100 percent, thats not easy to do, Dvorak said.

Seeking assurances

Jim Ditter, CEO of PPC Partners, which owns the Clear Horizons biodigester near Waunakee, said the company wont make any decisions about additional safeguards until it is sure about what went wrong last month.

After the spill, about 30 pounds of the nutrient phosphorus was detected by monitors in Six Mile Creek from Nov. 26 through Nov. 28. Thats more than the 12 pounds expected for a normal three-day period but far less than during heavy rain or snowmelts, said Josh Wescott, chief of staff to county executive Joe Parisi.

Wescott estimated that the digester has prevented 5,100 pounds of phosphorus from entering the lakes as it reduced the nutrient level in 80 million gallons of manure since it started operating.

Still, county officials want the facility to ensure systems are in place to control any future spills, he said.
[JURIST] Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] warned [press release, in German] Tuesday that Austria is violating the human rights of asylum seekers by putting caps of 80 requests per day through the main migrant route. Heinz Patzelt, of Amnesty International Austria said on ORF radio [media website, in German] [t]he Geneva Convention does not know the terms quota or admission limit  and the Geneva Convention is binding law in Austria. We are breaking international law. The government has maintained that they are working completely within their laws. Austria accepted more than 90,000 asylum seekers last year, and government officials have said they are responding to inaction by other European countries.

The rights of migrant populations has emerged as one of the most significant humanitarian issue around the world, as millions seek asylum from conflict nations. Last week a top EU official warned Austria not to go ahead with plans to cap the asylum-seeker numbers, stating that any such move would be unlawful [JURIST report]. Earlier this month the German Cabinet approved new asylum laws [JURIST report] in response to the hundreds of thousands of refugees that have entered the country since the beginning of 2015. The bill will speed up asylum procedures and related legal appeals and will bar entry into the country for some asylum seekers families for a period of two years. In January Danish lawmakers approved a controversial bill that will allow Danish authorities to seize assets [JURIST report] from immigrants seeking asylum in order to cover their expenses. In December the EU opened an infringement case [JURIST report] against Hungarys new asylum law and the countrys response to the refugee situation.
Apple Inc. [official website] on Monday asked the US government to create a panel of experts to discuss issues of security versus privacy [Bloomberg report], stemming from the emergence of a legal conflict between law enforcement and the company last week. News quickly broke through an online Message to Our Customers [statement] on Apples website that Apple intended to oppose a demand for assistance from the US government in unlocking an iPhone in law enforcement custody that belonged to one of the San Bernadino, California shooters. As questions poured in from the public about this situation, Apple has published answers [FAQ page] with the final one detailing their proposed resolution:

Our country has always been strongest when we come together. We feel the best way forward would be for the government to withdraw its demands under the All Writs Act and, as some in Congress have proposed, form a commission or other panel of experts on intelligence, technology, and civil liberties to discuss the implications for law enforcement, national security, privacy, and personal freedoms. Apple would gladly participate in such an effort.

This statement from Apple came after the Justice Department called Apples move strictly a marketing strategy [NYT report].

US Magistrate Sheri Pym of the US District Court for the Central District of California [official website] gave the order that would require Apple to create and give the FBI software to get past a so-called self-destruct feature that destroys phone data if an incorrect password is entered too many times [JURIST report]. Apple opposed the order for personal privacy reasons as well as security in general. While we believe the FBIs intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products. And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect. Additionally, Apple stated the fear of introducing a digital key to this security feature that could be used for accessing any iPhone, posing a serious threat in the wrong hands. After Apple opposed the initial order, the Department of Justice filed a motion to compel Apple to comply [JURIST report]. The emergence of new technology, such as cellular phones and GPS tracking devices, has challenged modern courts to adopt appropriate standards for obtaining a search warrant and executing a constitutional search under the Fourth Amendment. In an article published earlier this month, JURIST guest columnist Veronica Reyes of St. Johns University School of Law argues [JURIST op-ed] why warrantless searches of cell phones by the police may not be the best solution in protecting our Fourth Amendment rights.
The Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) [advocacy website] released a report [report, PDF] today urging Australias political parties to stop eroding the foundations of Australias democracy. The report goes on to say that the foundation of democracy [press release] includes an active civil society, a free press, informed and diverse public debate, protest rights and the checks and balances provided by courts and other institutions. HRLC argues these foundational laws have been consistently chipped away at through the passage of recent laws in Australia. The report states, However, more than simply arresting this trend, we must use this opportunity to truly strengthen our democracy.

This report was published in the context of several actions taken by the Australian government that relate to human rights. The High Court of Australia [official website] ruled [judgment, text] earlier this month that the countrys offshore detention policy for asylum seekers is legal, rejecting a challenge that it violates the Australian constitution [JURIST report]. The challenge was brought by lawyers for a female Bangladeshi detainee who was brought to Australia for medical reasons. Under the controversial policy, those who seek asylum in Australia arriving by boat are detained [VOA report] on the island of Nauru or on the Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. The policy has generated outcry from human rights advocates and some senators, who argue that Nauru is unsafe for children, as the ruling is set to allow more than 250 people [BBC reports], including 37 babies, to be deported to detention camps. In addition, the Australian government violated the rights [press release] of former Guantanamo detainee David Hicks [JURIST news archive] when they continued to detain him after a transfer deal with the US [JURIST report].
[JURIST] A Cairo-based rehabilitation center for torture victims filed an application to the court on Sunday to postpone its pending closure. Last Wednesday, Egyptian police officers advised the Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence [official website] that they will shut down the center [JURIST report] on Monday due to unspecified health ministry violations. Aida Seif el-Dawla, the Nadeem Centers director, expressed [Reuters report] that the government should specify the violations and offer more time to rectify the situation. Furthermore, she accused the crackdown as a political decision to preserve the influence of a government infamous for its human rights abuses. The Nadeem Center previously reported [ABC report] that Egyptian security forces were responsible for 474 deaths and 600 tortures in 2015. Despite their uncertain future, the center plans to continue its services for torture victims even if the closure is fully implemented.

Of particular concern with Egypts constitutional and human rights is the prosecution and imprisonment of journalists by the Egyptian government, which has garnered widespread criticism from governments and rights groups worldwide. Last month 13 non-governmental organizations issued a joint statement [JURIST report] to the Egyptian parliament giving recommendations to ensure the enforcement of constitutional and human rights. Last year Egyptian lawyer Nasser Amin challenged a law [JURIST report] that allows writers to be jailed for writings that violate Egyptian morals. In August Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi approved [JURIST report] a 54-article counter-terrorism law that has been met with significant controversy, as many believe it infringes on the freedom of the press. Many have said that the law defines terrorism too broadly and imposes harsh sentences and fines on violators. Human Rights Watch criticized [JURIST report] the law saying it infringes on freedom of the press.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled [judgment; press release] Tuesday that Russia violated the right of Alexei Navalny and Pyotr Ofitserov to a fair trial. Navalny was convicted of organizing and Ofitserov of facilitating large-scale embezzlement, including timber worth $500,000 from the state-owned company, Kirovles. The two defendants were tried after an anonymous co-accused party who served as a witness during the defendants trial. Specifically, the prosecutor was allowed to read the statements of the co-accused during the defendants trial. The court found that this violated their rights and that the criminal law had been arbitrarily construed to the defendants detriment. The ECHR ordered [Moscow Times report] the Russian government to pay USD $8,834 each for moral damages and $52,881 and $25,333 to Navalny and Ofitserov, respectively, to compensate them for their legal costs.

In May a Moscow court declined [JURIST report] authorities request to convert Navalnys suspended sentence into a prison term. He had been convicted of fraud and sentenced to three-and-a-half-years suspended sentence. Last February Navalny was handed [JURIST report] a 15-day prison sentence for distributing leaflets attempting to publicize an anti-crisis demonstration. In 2014 Navalny and his brother, Oleg Navalny, were charged [JURIST report] with embezzling approximately 30 million rubles (USD $518,000) from French cosmetics company, Yves Rocher Vostok, and the Multidisciplinary Processing Company (MPC) by a fraud scheme between 2008 and 2012.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) [official website] on Tuesday condemned Italy for their role in the 2003 kidnapping situation in connection with the US extraordinary rendition program. The court stated [Reuters report] that Italy failed to perform their duty to protect someone in custody from torture or inhumane punishment, which was said to occur after Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, and Egyptian Musclim cleric, was kidnapped. The court also determined that Italy knew Nasr was subjected to extraordinary rendition. An order was given for Italy to pay over 100,000 euros combined to Nasr and his wife.

The developments of this case have been unfolding for years. In January, a Portuguese court ordered a former US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) [official website] operative to be extradited to Italy to serve a sentenced after being convicted in absentia for her involvement in the situation [JURIST report]. In October 2013 the European Parliament [official website] said that EU member states complicity with the CIA rendition program [JURIST news archive] has led to violations of fundamental rights and must end immediately [JURIST report]. In December 2011 two international human rights organizations accused European countries of suppressing evidence of their roles [JURIST report] in the CIA rendition program. In 2010 an Italian appeals court upheld the convictions [JURIST report] of 23 former CIA agents convicted in the 2003 kidnapping and rendition of terror suspect Nasr, increasing their sentences. Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, was seized on the streets of Milan in 2003 by CIA agents with the help of Italian operatives, then allegedly transferred to Egypt and tortured by Egypts State Security Intelligence before being released [JURIST reports] in February 2007.
Lawyers for Julian Assange on Monday requested that a Swedish Court overturn an arrest warrant the court had issued against Assange. The request follows a report released by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the United Nations (UN) [official website] that found [press release] Assanges three-and-a-half years in the Ecuadorian embassy amount to arbitrary detention. A spokesperson for Assange said that if investigations into the UNs report find that the standard[s] for arbitrary detention [are] met, we would expect his release and compensation.

WIkiLeaks, and its founder Assange, have created significant controversy since the website began openly publishing government secrets. In May 2015, the Swedish Supreme Court rejected [JURIST report] an appeal by Assange seeking to overturn a 2010 arrest warrant for alleged sexual assault that was reissued [JURIST report] by a lower court in late 2014. The warrant requires Assange to leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he has found asylum and travel to Sweden in order to be questioned about the allegations. The WikiLeaks trials [JURIST op-ed] have also garnered much debate in the US. Last year US Army Major General Jeffery Buchanan upheld [JURIST report] Private Chelsea Mannings conviction and prison sentence for turning over classified information to WikiLeaks. In September 2013 Manning filed for a presidential pardon of the 35-year sentence [JURIST reports] she received in August. The sentence came a month after she was found guilty [JURIST report] of violating the Espionage Act but was acquitted of the more serious charge of aiding the enemy.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) [official website] said [press release] Tuesday that new measures put in place by many European countries are too restrictive and place undue hardships on refugees and asylum-seekers. The measures at issue include daily acceptance limits for refugees, daily limits on accepted asylum applications and profiling people in ways that create protection risks. The concern is over buildups at borders and additional pressure on Greece as more people turn to them for assistance. In order to support a joint approach and to allay fears and potential chaos, States need to inform refugees and asylum-seekers of their procedures, including clear details on the criteria for access to admission, asylum or return, in line with applicable laws, the UN agency said. The hope is a united approach to helping people who need it, rather than shifting pressure from state to state. The UNHCR also hopes for the development of safer pathways for refugees to maneuver.

The rights of migrant populations has emerged as one of the most significant humanitarian issue around the world, as millions seek asylum from conflict nations. Also Tuesday Amnesty International warned Austria that they are violating human rights through their daily cap on asylum applications [JURIST report]. The country had previously received a warning from an EU official not to go ahead with these plans, stating that any such move would be unlawful [JURIST report]. Earlier this month the German Cabinet approved new asylum laws [JURIST report] in response to the hundreds of thousands of refugees that have entered the country since the beginning of 2015. The bill will speed up asylum procedures and related legal appeals and will bar entry into the country for some asylum seekers families for a period of two years. In January Danish lawmakers approved a controversial bill that will allow Danish authorities to seize assets [JURIST report] from immigrants seeking asylum in order to cover their expenses. In December the EU opened an infringement case [JURIST report] against Hungarys new asylum law and the countrys response to the refugee situation.
[JURIST] A spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) [official website] expressed concern [press release] Tuesday over the tense situation in Uganda after Thursdays election where President Yoweri Museveni [BBC profile] apparently won a fifth term in office. At least two people have been reported killed with an unknown number injured, and military and police have been occupying the streets. Four other presidential candidates were arrested since the elections, including Kizza Besigye [BBC profile; JURIST report] of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) [party website], Amama Mbabazi [personal website] of the Go Forward party and Abed Bwanika [personal profile] of the Peoples Development Party. The organization stated:

We remind the Government of Uganda of its obligations under international human rights law not to unduly restrict freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Law enforcement officials shall avoid the use of force or, when that is not possible, restrict it to the minimum extent necessary. Anyone who is arrested shall be informed of the reasons for the arrest and shall be promptly informed of any charges against him or her.

The spokesperson also expressed concern over the police use of force to evacuate the FDC headquarters the day after the election.

Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, belongs to the ruling National Resistance Movement [party website] party. Museveni has been accused of being an authoritarian since he took office by force in 1986, using security forces to retain power. His government has also been criticized for proposing an anti-homosexuality bill, limiting public gatherings and not allowing [JURIST reports] for an independent judiciary. Last month Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] reported that the use of force and intimidation of Ugandan authorities limited the chances [JURIST report] of the election being fair and unbiased. Besigye lost to incumbent President Museveni in previous elections that were criticized by the opposition as fraudulent. Besigye also ran for president in 2002 and 2006, and, prior to that, he was Musevenis personal doctor.
[JURIST] The Utah Senate [official website] on Monday voted to advance Senate Bill 73 [materials], which would legalize the use of medical marijuana in various forms such as vapor or edible form. The bill allows [AP report] for dispensaries to operate legally as long as they abide by statutory guidelines concerning licenses, inventory, inventory control, health requirements and general operating requirements. The bill further provides for fines for violations of the bill. Two weeks ago, the Mormon church cautioned against the bill [press release], stating that while they were aware some could benefit from the medical use of compounds found in marijuana they felt that Senate Bill 89 [materials] was more equipped to deal with the issue of medical marijuanas legalization and asked for more research to be done on the matter. However, in a statement released Monday, they seemed to soften their stance. If given final Senate approval, the bill will go before the House of Representatives.

In recent years there has been a movement to decriminalize marijuana both domestically and abroad, which has resulted in at least 20 US states allowing various forms of medical marijuana and four states decriminalizing [CNN report] marijuana altogether. In December Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos signed a decree fully legalizing medical marijuana [JURIST report] in the country. Santos said the new regulations, which make it legal to grow, process, import and export marijuana for medical and scientific use, would put Colombia at the forefront in the fight against disease. Last November New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed two bills [JURIST report] in order to expedite the distribution of medical marijuana to citizens with critical health conditions. Earlier that month New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed [JURIST report] a bill into law that would allow for the administering of edible medical marijuana to sick and disabled children on school grounds without triggering the arrests of parents or educators. Also in November the Mexico Supreme Court [official website, in Spanish] ruled that four members of the nonprofit Sociedad Mexicana de Autoconsumo Responsable y Tolerante would be allowed to grow and smoke marijuana. In June of last year the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a law restricting the use of medical marijuana was unconstitutional [JURIST report].
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Bahundangi feels safer after electric fence installation

Villagers of Bahundangi, Jhapa, have been relieved after the government constructed an offset electric fence to prevent wild elephants from entering their properties and wreaking havoc.
China signals no S.China Sea backdown as foreign minister goes to U.S.

China's South China Sea military deployments are no different from U.S. deployments on Hawaii, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday, striking a combative tone ahead of a visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the United States this week.
Fire guts property worth Rs 1 million

Property worth Rs 1 million gutted in a fire that broke out at Bathanaha VDC in Saptari district last night.
Govt removes restrictions on fuel distribution

The government on Monday removed restrictions on the distribution of petroleum products with immediate effect.
Green economy key to Nepals success: Experts

Experts have suggested Nepal to promote and implement green economy immediately to graduate to a developing country from least developed one.
Missing migrants

Lack of data to understand migration process is hurting policies governing labour migrants
Nepali woman rescued from Saudi Arabia

A Nepali woman migrant worker, who was held captive by her Saudi Arabian employer, has been rescued and sent back to home.
Officials put through wringer over VLN Nepal

The International Relation and Labour Committee of Parliament has grilled government officials for failing to implement its order issued two years ago to scrap the licence of Malaysian agent VLN Nepal for not abiding by the Nepals Company Registration Law.
Pancheshwar daydream

India has dragged its feet on the Mahakali-based multi-purpose project with a strong hydropower component
PM Oli in Gujarat to observe post earthquake reconstruction

Prime Minister KP Oli, who is on a six-day state visit to India , went to Bhuj in Gujarat state on Tuesday.
Shattering stereotypes

Miss Tanahun 2015, Sujana Shrestha, is not your run-of-the-mill beauty queen.
Too early for unification of communist parties: MK Nepal

Former Prime Minister and CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal has remarked that although unification between communist forces in the country is necessary but it would take some time.
Traders elated at opening of Visakhapatnam Port

Traders and industrialists in Birgunj, one of Nepals key industrial zones, are elated that they will be allowed to use Indias Vishakhapatnam Port for third country trade.
US embassy to organise Regional Model UN Conference

The US Embassy, in partnership with the Youth Thinkers Society, is organising regional Model United Nations Conference this coming August in Kathmandu.
The family of Kule Muzamiru, a thirteen year old boy who was shot three times by soldiers at the Kasese tally centre last week wants government to compensate them for the loss

The boy was shot during protests over the delay to declare the winners in the Presidential and Parliamentary polls.

Government has pledged Shs 4 million for burial arrangements but the deceaseds father Ali Wabiswa says their sons life was priceless and government should offer more than just covering burial expenses.

The deceased was a primary four pupil at Basecamp primary school and a resident of Binyonyi village Kasese district.

The Rwenzori East regional police commander, Mr Bob Kagarura regretted the incident, explaining that it was an accident since the police and soldiers were shooting in the air to quell the riot.

He has sent a condolence message to the family of the deceased.

Story By Morris Mumbere
Former Coordinator of Intelligence Services Gen. David Sejusa has been denied bail and sent back to Luzira prison till 11th march when hearing is expected to kick off.

Prosecution led by Col. Asingura Kagolo says investigations are complete.

The General Court Martial chaired by Maj. General Levy Karuhanga says bail could not be granted because the two sureties Sejusa presented that is Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and Dr. Deo Kizito Lukyamuzi are civilians.

Court says at least one of Sejusas sureties should be an army officer who can be apprehended in case he jumps bail.

The surety or sureties must also be soldiers at Gen. Sejusas rank or close to his rank.

Sejusa faces five counts relating to insubordination and engaging in partisan politics.

One of Sejusas lawyers David Mushabe says they will go to the Appellate court of the Court martial and appeal because bail is a constitutional right which cannot be denied.

Story By Ruth Anderah
The Commercial Court has ordered that government recovers 1.2 million Us Dollars from Imperial Royale Hotel management.

This is after the Hotel failed to offer facilities and accommodation to visitors during the 2007 CHOGM meeting in Kampala.

Justice Henry Peter Adonyo also ordered that the Hotel pays government 800 million shillings as damages for breach of contract and lowering the countrys esteem and renowned global hospitality.

The award comes after government successfully won a case against Imperial Royale Hotel for failing to accommodate its visitors at a crucial time yet it had paid an advance of 2.5 million dollars for the Hotel services.

Government says after payment of the said money in June 2007, it contracted an independent firm to audit the hotel facilities which established that the Hotel rooms were not ready for accommodation by 18th November 2007, a few days to the CHOGM conference.

However in his judgement delivered this morning, Justice Adonyo condemned the manner in which the hotel accessed public funds at the detriment of tax payers.

The judge therefore ordered that Imperial Royale Hotel pays costs of the suit.
The opposition Forum for Democratic Change(FDC) party has rejected declaration forms with results from last weeks presidential elections.

The electoral commission has this evening made an attempt to deliver declaration forms to the FDC office in Najjanankumbi, a Kampala suburb.

The declaration forms were delivered by the commission spokesperson Mr. Jotham Taremwa but the gates to the FDC offices remained closed wit no one to receive them.

However, the FDC national Chairman Amb Wasswa Biriggwa told KFM in a telephone interview that they could not receive the forms because they had not been informed in advance.

One of the FDC officials Harold Kaija declined to receive the declaration forms saying they had been delivered at 6:00pm which was past official working hours.

Kaija also advised Taremwa to hand the forms to either the presidential candidate himself, Dr. Besigyes lawyer or the National Chairman Amb Biriggwa.

This is after the opposition Forum for Democratic Change party vowed not to pick forms and tally sheets used to declare incumbent President Yoweri Museveni winner of last weeks elections until their candidate, Dr.Kizza Besigye is free from detention.

Besigye has been under house arrest punctuated by regular police detentions since last Thursday.

He is still detained at Naggalama police station in Mukono district after he was again arrested on Tuesday morning at his home in Kasangati. This is the 5th time Besigye has been arrested in just one week.

Story By Benjamin Jumbe
Government has declared tomorrow the 24th of February 2016 a public holiday throughout the country.

The announcement has been made by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Public Service Ms.Catherine Bitarakwate.

She says this will help Ugandans participate in the election of Local Government leaders.

Various Local Council 5 leaders including Kampala Lord Mayor are to be voted tomorrow.

Key among the elections to watch out for will be the Kampala mayoral race that will see Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago battling to retain his position.

He will be up against the NRMs Ragga Dee alias Daniel Kyeyune as his main challenger.

Story By Ali Mivule
Prosecutors raided the home and office of a confidant to a former chief of South Korea's rail operator on suspicions of alleged bribery in connection to a now-scrapped urban development plan in Seoul, officials said Tuesday.



The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said they had seized computer hard disks, documents and account books during the raid that targeted a man identified only by his surname Sohn, who's a close aide to Huh Joon-young, the former president of the Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL).



KORAIL was behind the now-defunct development project in Yongsan, located in the heart of Seoul. The 31 trillion-won (US$25.1 billion) project was meant to transform the area near a key railroad station into an international business hub. The project fell through in 2013.



The raid came after the prosecutors found evidence of corruption while investigating an alleged breach of trust by Huh when he led the Yongsan project during his three-year term at KORAIL.



"We are raiding places related to the Yongsan development project," said a prosecution official, who did not elaborate further.



Huh took charge of the megaproject when he was the KORAIL head between 2009 and 2011 during the previous Lee Myung-bak government.



The investigation into the alleged corruption is said to have centered on a period during which Huh was in charge of the train operator.



Huh served as South Korea's police chief before becoming the head of the rail operator. (Yonhap)




South Korea on Tuesday stressed the need for parliamentary approval of a bill aimed at improving North Korea's dismal human rights conditions in response to the North's condemnations.



The bill is still pending in a parliamentary committee, a move that underscored challenges in passing the bill through the National Assembly.



Similar bills on North Korea's human rights were scrapped in South Korea in recent years, as liberal lawmakers have shied away from the issue of the North's human rights out of concern that it could strain inter-Korean relations.



The bill calls for efforts to improve the North's human rights situation and set up a center tasked with investigating the North's human rights situation and relevant archives.



The Unification Ministry stressed the need for parliamentary passage of the bill, saying that the protection of human rights is a universal value of mankind.



"The law is needed for the improvement of inter-Korean ties and the future of the two Koreas over the long haul," said a ministry official, asking not to be named.



Earlier in the day, North Korea condemned South Korea for making efforts to approve the bill, calling on Seoul to focus on its own human rights violations.



"South Korea is sticking to a farce over North Korea's human rights in a bid to justify its confrontational scheme and create a favorable atmosphere (for its conservatives) ahead of the April parliamentary election," said Uriminzokkiri, the North's main propaganda website.



Pyongyang has long been labeled one of the worst human rights violators in the world. The communist regime does not tolerate dissent, holds hundreds of thousands of people in political prison camps and keeps tight control over outside information.



In December, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution for the second consecutive year that calls for referring the North to the International Criminal Court for human rights violations. (Yonhap)




South Korea will dispatch its 6th batch of peacekeeping troops to South Sudan as part of its mission to help the civil war-torn African country's rebuilding efforts, the Army said Tuesday.



The 270-strong contingent will depart for the United Nations peacekeeping operations based in Bor, located in the Jonglei State of South Sudan, in two groups in late February and mid-March, it said.



South Korea first stationed the rotational PKO forces with the U.N. Mission in South Sudan in March 2013 and has replaced them every eight months to assist the newly independent country's recovery from a destructive civil war.



South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011, but political instability still abounds in the new country, with tens of thousands of people killed or displaced in the ongoing civil war that started in 2013.



The Army said the outgoing 6th group of troops has undergone seven weeks of intense preparations, which focused on training in military engineering and transporting. They also completed drills in countering military and non-military threats in a prompt manner, according to the Army.



The forces are specially equipped with construction, agricultural and solar energy generation skills for the PKO unit's civilian mission designed to reach out to South Sudanese civilians.



"The unit will carry out various rebuilding assistance projects, such as those to repair a bridge connecting Bor to Pibor and to upgrade the runway of Bor Airport," the Army said in a statement.



The Hanbit unit is one of the two contingencies that South Korea currently retains overseas as part of the UN's PKO. (Yonhap)




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DEAR AMY: I am an alcoholic in remission. I am not recovering  I have a disease that I fight daily.

For almost 17 years, I have not had alcohol in any form. Also on the no-no list are painkillers. You cannot imagine how this has been.

This is my sore spot: I have family and friends who bemoaned my drinking for the first half-century of my life. These people have never  and I mean never  hosted an alcohol-free event.

It doesnt matter what it is: funeral, wedding, barbecue, birthday party, Christmas, Thanksgiving, whatever. They have never honored me, or my journey, by saying, Hey, we arent going to allow any drinking at this event  just for you.

I have requested that they do so, and they have flat-out said no.

There are times that I can actually ignore the booze. But there are times when the walls start to close in and I panic because the mere smell of a deep red wine makes me lose all reasoning, and all I want to do is flee (or have a drink). So  I flee. Then I sit in the car and cry.

I want to still be part of the crowd, to laugh, to joke and eat good food. I want to enjoy the camaraderie of the group energy, but I cant. I always have to be on guard. Thats so unfair and just once and a while it would be nice not to worry about it when Im around Normies. Is that too much to ask?  Sober

DEAR SOBER: First let me express my admiration for 17 years of one-day-at-a-time. It might be a good idea to find a local sober/recovery group where you can check in and share your story, strategies and frustrations.

It is unfortunate that your family and friends dont support your sobriety more fully. Either they simply have no idea of the magnitude of the challenge for you, or they are being blatantly disrespectful of your reasonable request to attend an alcohol-free event occasionally. My instinct is that alcohol is an important part of your familys culture.

However, guess what? Just as they couldnt prevent you from a half-century of drinking, you cannot prevent them from continuing to drink. Its the age-old Serenity Prayer challenge  to cope with those things (and people) you cannot change.

I hope you have at least one friend who is willing to host alcohol-free dinners and parties along with you so that you can enjoy food and fellowship without the constant worry that you will relapse.

DEAR AMY: There is an email discussion group in our community that my wife is a member of. My wife and I each have our own desk with our own computers. At her request, I always turn on my wifes computer in the morning before she gets up.

Ive been reading my wifes email, scanning the group message subject lines, to see if there was anything interesting enough to read.

My wife got up early one morning and saw me doing this. She didnt know I had a habit of reading her emails in the morning.

She is now angry with me. She says she feels Ive crossed the line and invaded her privacy. I feel that Im not invading her privacy because the only emails I look at are from the community discussion group. Am I off base?  S in California

DEAR S: I agree with your wife. If you think of email as postal mail, then any letter that is addressed to both you and your wife could be opened and read by either of you. Any email addressed to your wife and sent to her computer should be considered her property. If you want to learn what the members of your community discussion group are communicating about, then it is very easy for you to get yourself on the listserv.

DEAR AMY: At a Loss wondered why her addict dad faded away from the family. You do not seem to know much about addiction. Sadly Im also an addicted parent. The main reason I chose to fade away was because it became very hard to deal with a spouse and kids and still try to get my life on track.

It took almost three years to get sober. Kids, unfortunately, were neglected. But there isnt a day gone by where I dont wish to be able to turn back the clock and be a better dad to my children.  Sober Now

DEAR SOBER: Thank you for your insight.
Criminal charges are pending against a La Crosse man accused of threatening a woman with a knife.

La Crosse police heard the victim yelling for help inside her Charles Street apartment about 4 a.m. Monday and found Phillip Madison Jr. straddling her on a bed, armed with a knife, according to reports.

He complied with orders from officers to drop his weapon before telling police to shoot him.

The woman said she woke to Madison, 24, striking her in the face and slamming her head against the headboard. He ordered a man staying at her apartment for her protection to leave, strangled her and held a knife against her throat and threatened to kill her, according to reports.

Madison faces charges of first-degree reckless endangerment, strangulation, battery and criminal trespass when he appears Wednesday in La Crosse County Circuit Court. He is jailed on a $1,000 cash bond.
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis.  State Rep. Kathy Bernier, R-Lake Hallie, walked out of a Monday meeting with representatives of three local school districts, upset when an Eau Claire School Board member stated that Wisconsins economy compared unfavorably with Minnesotas.

Fundamentally, Minnesota is beating us, said Wendy Sue Johnson, citing a Jan. 20 article written by state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, who also attended the meeting.

Our (school) funding formula is broken, Johnson added.

Bernier then got up to leave the Breakfast with Our Legislators session involving the Chippewa Falls, Altoona and Eau Claire School Districts at the Avalon Hotel and Conference Center in Chippewa Falls.

It is not helpful to compare Minnesota and Wisconsin, Bernier said, remarking that this is what she experiences with Altoona, Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls each time she attends the districts breakfast.

Bernier later said she hears the same theme when she meets with representatives of the three districts: We want more money, we want more money and we dont like this or that.

She compared that with her meetings with rural superintendents in her Assembly district, where she said she receives helpful suggestions.

This vile political speech is not helpful, Bernier said before leaving.

Johnson said she checked with other school board members to see if she had made an offensive comment by making the comparison.

They didnt feel that I had, Johnson said. Its clearly disappointing when our representatives are not willing to engage in conversations about the issues.

She thanked the two other Republican legislators, state Sen. Terry Moulton, R-Chippewa Falls, and state Rep. Warren Petryk, R-Eleva, for staying another 35 minutes to the end of the meeting and discussing issues.

Sweeping partisan statements coming out of a nonpartisan member just ticked me off, Bernier said.

She was upset when Williams stated thar Minnesotas prison system was faring better than Wisconsin, because that wasnt on the agenda.

This is not productive, Bernier said. I want to have a conversation on how we can work together to make a difference.

She said she favors school choice, and hopes at some point the three local districts will accept that it is part of state law and work to make it better.

Comparisons

Petryk said some comparisons are worthwhile and some are not. He pointed out that Wisconsin has Milwaukee while Minnesota has two major metropolitan areas, St. Paul and Minneapolis.

He said he was told by school officials in 1994 that the state school district funding formula was broken.

Scrapping it might be an option, but I dont think so, Petryk said.

Democratic state Rep. Dana Wachs of Eau Claire said: The bottom line is that we have a state thats being run on a theory (of tax cuts expanding the economy) and the theory doesnt work.

Minnesota has a surplus, Wachs said.

When you build a tax policy where you are not afraid of taxing the wealthy, thats what you can do, he said.

The area school district representatives briefly talked about a bill that did not pass that would have prohibited districts from holding a referendum for two years after having a failed referendum.

Petryk said he was against that bill.

It will probably rear its ugly head in future terms, he predicted.

Moulton, however, did not believe the bill was going to go anywhere.

New tests

Some school district representatives complained about having to give out three state standardized tests in three years. Having new tests makes it hard to compare results from year to year.

Why are we doing this when we arent getting valid results anyway? Moulton asked.

Eau Claire Superintendent Dr. Mary Ann Hardebeck said that every time the test changes, there is an additional cost to school districts.

There doesnt seem to be financial support for supporting these changes, she said.

Shortly after Monday mornings meeting started, Bernier noted that state Rep. Tom Larson (R-Colfax) was absent. Larson is recovering from chemotherapy he received Friday for lung cancer.

Chippewa Falls Superintendent Dr. Heidi Eliopoulos also did not attend the session. She instead was part of an effort to console students at Chippewa Falls Senior High School after senior Joshua Pampuch was killed in a snowmobile crash Saturday.
A University of Wisconsin-La Crosse professor is taking a two-year leave to head a national project improving the first-year experience for college students.

Political Science Professor Jo Arney is one of two project leads for the three-year American Association of State Colleges and Universities project called Re-Imagining the First Year of College. More than 40 universities across the country are participating, Arney said, including UW-L.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the funders of the project, which focuses on sharing strategies and programs that help first-year students succeed. Participants met for the first time in early February, when participating campuses sent teams of four to discuss strategies they could bring back to their institution.

Arney said research shows the first year is critical for students both academically and socially, with most students who leave college doing so between their first and second years. Something as small as attending just one on-campus event will increase retention, she said, highlighting the impact these programs have.

We want to help catch students, she said, and keep them from falling through the cracks.

Some of the things that improve the first-year experience include using data analytics to track student progress. Other things campuses are doing include redesigning courses to be more friendly to first-year students or working on student belonging and the campus culture.

As a project lead, Arney said her role is to communicate and support universities as they work to adapt some of these ideas to their campuses. Participants will have to have a plan for implementing their strategies by the summer, she said, with the new programs in place by the fall semester.

The project is all about student success, Arney said. If you give them the tools they need in their first year, they will be successful in all four of their years at university.

Tim Dale, a professor of political science at UW-L and coordinator of UW-Ls first-year student course, is co-chair of the universitys Re-Imagining the First Year of College committee. He said the university gets a lot right when it comes to first-year student programming which includes extra mentoring and advising resources in first-year resident halls, orientation programs, an academic success institute and first-year research experiences geared toward students in science, technology, engineering or mathematical fields.

The university does very well with first-year students, Dale said. But we can always do more to bring programs together to better serve students.

That sentiment is backed by data from the Department of Educations Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System. UW-L has an 86 percent retention rate for first-year students, higher than the 82 percent average for 15 peer institutions which include Winona State University and UW-Eau Claire.

Dale said his group brought back a few ideas from the projects first meeting, including strategies to better coordinate the experiences students have in their residence halls with those in the classroom. He also said the group is thinking about ways to target specific populations of students such as first-generation college students and improve their success.

We are really committed to the idea that college is for everyone, Dale said. Everyone who walks through our doors should have an opportunity to succeed.
WASHINGTON  There was a time when gentlemen didnt read other gentlemens mail. That, of course, was when spying was considered a dirty business and some were punished by death for doing so. But without the allies code breakers of World War II, the result might have been considerably different or at least prolonged.

The technological revolution has changed the gentlemens unspoken truce. The government not only cant seem to protect its secrets, it finds itself unable to convince one of the nations major corporations to unlock the private communications of a major terrorist even on a limited basis.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has decided that it is more important to preserve the privacy of its customers and the principles of a society free of government surveillance than to allow the FBI access to the encrypted messages on the iPhone of a mass murderer. The bureau has possession of the phone Syed Rizwan Farook used before he and his wife unloaded on a banquet hall full of his fellow workers, killing 14 in San Bernardino, Calif., in December. But it hasnt been able to open the devices secrets. A judge last week was persuaded to order Apple to create software that would accomplish that. Apple is challenging that order in court.

Apples stance as a defender of security is in many ways admirable. The Big Brother aspects of potentially unfettered government intrusion into our lives make the technological giants concerns real. Americans already must deal with the prospect of less and less privacy in their daily activities.

But Farook was a terrorist, motivated by the distorted beliefs that have produced death and destruction by fanatics in the Middle East. This is not just a routine criminal case and it needs to be examined in a different light. How must one deal with the threat of unfettered communications and plots by those who would try to destroy our social fabric if those designated to stop such acts are denied the tools to thwart them?

Increasingly sophisticated technology has made that among the most difficult questions we must solve. The answer must come initially not from the courts but from the White House and Congress.

President Obama said last year he would not seek legislation to force tech companies to open encrypted data to law enforcement agencies, obviously fearing ultimately unfettered access that would be misused not only by official government bureaus but by our enemies and competitors abroad. Apple, for instance, sells more of its iPhones in China than in the United States and one of Cooks arguments is that foreign powers would find and misuse the key to the private business of its customers.

That may be well and good, but it doesnt solve the current problem of ferreting out those who would harm us who can be linked to the likes of Farook and his wife. There has to be a solution to this quandary. The FBI has said it wanted only to crack the code to this one device. The bureaus defenders argue that the narrowness of the FBI request makes Apples resistance unreasonable if not downright un-patriotic.

Donald Trump, the front runner for the Republican presidential nomination has suggested boycotting Apple products until it complies with demands. That hardly seems a viable or fair solution. However, a knowledgeable friend of mine proposes that Apple crack the encryption itself and deliver the contents of the phone to the bureau. No bureau person would be present and the Apple technicians would not be allowed to review the material under strict supervision of the companys top officials.

This sounded like a reasonable suggestion to me, but I am also sure that there would be any number of arguments against it and certainly it doesnt provide a long-term answer. What happens next time?

Whether Obama or the next president likes it or not, there needs to be some sort of solution provided by legislation that protects our rights to privacy at the individual and corporate levels while setting up supervised access to information necessary to track and derail those with murderous intent.

It is one of the thorniest problems we face and no solution is likely to be infallible. In some instances the price we pay for our freedom from intrusion may be quite high. But it always has been.
The Clinton political dynasty is still alive. The Bush dynasty has been routed. Their contrasting fates, to this point at least, tell us much about our two parties, the nature of this years presidential election, and the dueling legacies themselves.

The Republican and Democratic contests are very different, beginning with the fact that Hillary Clinton did not have to deal with Donald Trump, who targeted Jeb Bush with a viciousness rarely seen in contemporary politics. For months, the self-contained former Florida governor responded ineffectually to an opponent who flouted all the norms. This only made it easier for Trump to mock him as low energy and weak.

Bush was also entitled to a certain bitterness as he watched Marco Rubio, his ambitious and impatient protege, seize his natural base in the party: voters who loathe both Trump and Ted Cruz. Rubios definition of loyalty did not include yielding to his one-time mentor.

Bush finally found his voice toward the end of his campaign, and he often stood alone in denouncing Trumps brutal Islamophobia. He thereby bravely upheld the most estimable parts of his familys public service tradition. But his efforts came too late, and were, in any event, out of tune with so many in a party eager to respond to angry and exclusionary rhetoric.

Clinton now faces only one opponent, and Bernie Sanders, especially in contrast to the often thuggish behavior of Republican candidates toward each other, has been positively courtly. Building a durable progressive wing of the Democratic Party clearly matters more to him than scoring points off Clinton.

Still, Sanders has exposed real weaknesses in Clintons long-term position. The issues he has used against her  particularly her ties to Wall Street and her acceptance of large speaking fees from financial firms  are matters Republicans will surely bring up again should she secure the Democratic nomination.

In a party whose election victories are increasingly dependent on heavy turnout among younger voters (when they dont show up, the Democrats lose, as they did in 2010 and 2014), Sanders has overwhelmed Clinton among those under 45. He did it again in Nevadas caucuses on Saturday.

Clintons trust deficit is a cliche. But, like her weakness among the young, it remains part of her own ongoing legacy problem. According to the entrance poll reported by CNN, a quarter of Nevada caucus-goers listed honesty and trustworthiness as the most important qualities they were seeking in a candidate; they backed Sanders by about 6-to-1.

Clinton prevailed anyway and her Nevada victory dealt Sanders a serious blow. The states caucus system gave Sanders energetic followers a real chance at victory. He fell short.

Endurance under trial is a defining characteristic of a Clinton brand that also has the benefit of being less established than the Bush trademark. The Clintons have been in the public consciousness since 1992. Bushes have been in presidential politics since 1980 and on the national stage since 1952, when Prescott Bush, Jebs grandfather, entered the U.S. Senate. If the Clintons arent exactly Facebook, neither are they General Motors or Studebaker.

And while frustration on the Democratic left with Bill Clintons pro-business policies has fed support for Sanders, the antipathy to both Bush presidencies on the Republican right runs far deeper. As Laura Ingraham, the conservative talk radio host, told The Washington Post in 2015: The Bushes have always underestimated the depth of the bases dissatisfaction with their policies. Moreover, even some of Bushs natural allies among Republican professionals worried that public memories of the peaceful and prosperous Bill Clinton years were much fonder than those of a George W. Bush presidency characterized by an unpopular war and a financial meltdown.

These problems fed an ambivalence in the Bush circle about the legacy issue itself. Both the Bush and Clinton logos highlighted their first rather than last names. But the exclamation point in Jeb! paradoxically underscored his awareness of the lack of enthusiasm for another Bush presidency.

Jeb can console himself that his son George P., a Texas politician, is already in the family business, and that being scorned by fellow Republicans is part of the familys tradition. When Prescott Bush successfully sought re-election to the Senate in 1956, his biographer Mickey Herskowitz recounts, some in the party hoped hed lose because of his stands in favor of immigration and higher taxes.

I was amazed, Prescott Bush said, that they would take so small a view as that of a man who was trying to do his damnedest for the Republican Party.

Jeb can relate.
A new biodigester that is being loaded with millions of gallons of manure is designed differently from one that leaked 300,000 gallons of animal waste near Waunakee last month.

Dane County officials say they feel confident in safeguards at the new 3-million-gallon digester in the town of Springfield that is scheduled to start generating electricity this month.

Meanwhile, state and local regulators said that now that the cleanup near Waunakee is complete, they expect to learn how the older Clear Horizons digester plans to minimize damage from any future messes like the one that went undetected for hours and ended up tainting Six Mile Creek.

They said they were looking into and exploring the capabilities of their system, said Josh Wescott, chief of staff to County Executive Joe Parisi. Were going to want to make sure there is adequate alarm capacity.

Wescott said the county also wants assurances that the Clear Horizon facility is adequately staffed.

The spill occurred when a pipe outside the digesters

containment berm ruptured for undisclosed reasons when no employees were present, no alarm system was triggered and no automatic shutoff valve stopped the flow.

It was the second spill in the Lake Mendota watershed this year. After a spill of similar size at UW-Madisons Arlington Agricultural Research Station in February, UW officials added a containment berm and a $3,000 automated shutoff valve after the failure of a pipe fitting resulted in pollution of the Yahara River.

State and federal officials said they would begin reexamining regulations around manure storage because of the spills. Data released by the state showed only one larger leak has been reported in the past 15 years.

The new biodigester was built in the town of Springfield by the LaCrosse-based Gundersen Health System and US Biogas.

We have a high level of confidence with the Biogas digester, Wescott said.

The county assisted in planning and finding financing for both digesters.

They are designed to generate electricity and reduce the nutrient level and volume of cow manure, which eventually goes back to nearby farms to be spread on fields as fertilizer. Runoff of farm nutrients are the major source of smelly overgrowths of weeds and algae in lakes.

The Gundersen-Biogas facility is equipped with a 15-million-gallon storage structure that can receive manure in case of a spill, said Kevin Connors, director of the county Land and Water Resources Department.

It took about two weeks for crews to clean up the Waunakee spill. Several farmers agreed to spread manure on fields or deposit it in storage lagoons, Connors said.

The Gundersen-Biogas storage structure is built partly below ground and partly above ground, Connors said.

Connors said there are other safety precautions, but he deferred to Gundersen officials to describe them.

A company spokesman didnt respond to phone and email messages.

A strong safety design is needed because a section of the North Fork of Pheasant Branch creek flows within a few hundred feet of the site, Connors said.

Meanwhile, County Board members said the Waunakee spill has prompted them to take a second look at the design of a proposed private digester in the town of Bristol before they grant it final approval.

About 25 people attended a meeting Monday night of the County Boards Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee in Waunakee to ask questions about the Clear Horizons spill.

Nila Frye, who operates a child care center in the village, said the public should have been notified more quickly about the spill.

If it had been summer, children could have been exposed to the manure while playing in the creek, Frye said.

Clear Horizons sent out a press release about the spill several days after it occurred.

Company operations manager Monte Lamer said he should have notified the chairman of the town of Vienna, where the facility is located, but he dropped the ball.

The first priority was the cleanup effort, Lamer said.

DNR regional director Mark Aquino said the state would have made an announcement if the spill posed a potential health risk.

Six Mile Creek had an odor and it was discolored near where the spill reached it, but no fish kills have been reported, DNR officials said.

Preliminary monitoring of the creek has found elevated phosphorus levels, but the levels arent nearly as high as they are during heavy rain or snow melts, Wescott said.
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Caveat lector

This blog is an evening and weekend project, and its content reflects my own opinions and, occasionally, the opinions of other people. It does not in any way officially represent the views of my employer or any professional organization in which I am involved. Moreover, it is a perpetual work in progress. Older posts may not reflect my current views or level of knowledge.




Good Morning!!! As much as I'd like to be able to say we are fully funded & set to go financially...I can't quite say that yet....


The European Union is unlikely to lift some trade barriers on China later this year because of worries that Chinese exports will lead to job loss in member nations.

That is what the European Chamber of Commerce in Beijing said in a report announced Monday.

Earlier this month, workers representing trade unions in 17 countries demonstrated in Brussels. Some carried signs that read: Stop China Dumping and Say No to MES for China. MES means Market Economy Status.

The unions blame both China and Russia for creating job losses. Job growth in Europe has been slow for 19 straight months up to last December.

Joerg Wuttke is president of the European Chamber of Commerce in China. He says unrest is making it extremely difficult for European politicians to support Chinas request for being granted the status of a market economy.

Dumping of goods is one concern

The European Parliament has discussed Chinas market economy status request. If it is granted, the move would reduce trade barriers and make it easier for Chinese exports flow to Europe.

Critics warn that could lead to the dumping of goods at unfairly low prices. In trade, dumping is defined as selling a product in a foreign country at below its price at home.

My personal observation of the parliament is that it is pretty much unified that China is challenging jobs in Europe and it doesnt matter whether you are a north or south (of Europe) parliamentarian, you are pretty much against it, Wuttke said.

The group says Chinese companies have machine overcapacity and low demand. Companies have tried to export surplus steel, which has pushed down global prices. Factories in Europe have closed.

It has also resulted in a growing number of anti-dumping investigations into Chinese products, the European business group said.

Job losses remain a worry in EU and China

The European Chamber of Commerce released a report entitled, Overcapacity in China. Wuttke said researchers estimate job losses in Europe could be between 100,000 and 10 million.

However, China needs to export more goods to save jobs at home. The group of countries that make up the European Union is Chinas biggest trade partner. But, the EU has introduced anti-dumping cases that can block the flow of Chinese goods.

China has been open about the problem as it has offered a plan to close down so-called zombie corporations. These companies continue to make more than they sell, and keep workers on wage rolls though their machines are idle.

The governments plans include cutting 100 million to 150 million tons of low-end steel capacity and 500 million tons of coal production.

But the government is reluctant to follow through on its own plans because of the massive job losses that would follow. Preserving jobs remains a key concern.

Last year, a state-owned coal company laid off 100,000 workers over a three-month period. Hundreds of thousands in the coal and steel sector could lose their jobs in the coming months.

Government still supports growth

Wuttke said some government agencies are encouraging some businesses to grow even as they struggle with overcapacity.

According to the chamber, only one of the eight industry sectors it studied was not affected by overcapacity. All others were suffering from extremely low demand for the amount of goods they can produce.

Regional governments and local banks are encouraging such companies because they continue to chase economic growth. They are also blocking mergers and acquisitions because they are worried about the tax losses that could bring.

I'm Mario Ritter.

Bill Ide and Saibal Dasgupta reported on this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted their report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

overcapacity n. the situation in which a company or industry produces more of something than it can sell

dilemma n. a situation in which you have to make a difficult choice

idle adj. not being used, not working

challenging adj. difficult, often in a way that can be rewarding

encouraging adj. causing a hopeful feeling

sectors n. a part of the economy

merger n. the act of combining two or more businesses

acquisition n. when a business buys or acquires another business


Engineers are working to restore water supplies in New Delhi.

Water was cut off to large portions of the Indian capital over the weekend. Protestors damaged a canal that supplies water to the city of 18 million.

The canal, in the neighboring Indian State of Haryana, provides about 60 percent of New Delhis water, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Water returned to some northern and central parts of New Delhi on Tuesday, the AP said. The citys water ministry said it hoped to return service to western neighborhoods Tuesday night.

Indian government officials said they also sent 70 water tanks to western areas of New Delhi.

The protestors from the impoverished Jat community damaged the Haryana canal during violent protests, according to the AP. Protestors are demanding more government jobs and admissions to leading Indian schools.

A battle between protestors and police over the last several days left 12 people dead. Jat leaders agreed to end the protests on Monday after negotiations with government officials.

The damage of the Haryana canal demonstrated problems with New Delhis water supplies. Shortages are common in New Delhi during the dry season.

The shortages are worst in New Delhis riverside slums and shanties, according to the Future World Project. The project works on environmental issues related to climate change.

I'm Bruce Alpert.

Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. His report was based on stories from the Associated Press and the Future World Project. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

restore  v. to put or bring something back into use

cut off  v. the act of stopping the movement or supply of something

impoverished  adj. very poor community

admission  n. the act of admitting or allowing something


United States President Barack Obama announced on Tuesday his proposal to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But leaders of the Republican-controlled Congress quickly criticized and re-stated their opposition to the plan.

Obama said at the White House that Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security, it undermines it. He asked "If, as a nation, we don't deal with this now, when will we deal with it?"

The president appealed to Congress to be on the right side of history and asked the nation to act on the lessons learned over the past 15 years.

Paul Ryan is the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Republican speaker said, "Congress has left no room for confusion. It is against the lawand it will stay against the lawto transfer terrorist detainees to American soil."

Michael McCaul is the House Homeland Security Chairman. He said, We are at war, yet incredibly the president is more focused on relocating and releasing enemy combatants than on detaining new ones.

Guantanamo Bay opened after 9/11

The Guantanamo Bay prison opened in 2002 under the administration former President George W. Bush. Its opening followed the September 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington.

Obama promised during his 2008 presidential campaign that he would close the prison. The center has become known for its aggressive treatment of detainees. Some accused the United States of torture.

This week, Obama said that Guantanamo is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law.

Almost 800 detainees have been held at Guantanamo Bay. Many of them remained there for long periods of time without being charged with a crime or put on trial. Many of the detainees have been sent back to their home countries. Others have been sent to nations willing to take them in. Fewer than 100 detainees remain there.

Obamas plan to close Guantanamo

On Tuesday, the U.S. Defense Department delivered Obamas plan to close Guantanamo to the United States Congress.

The plan proposes 13 sites within the United States where the military could transfer a group of about 30 to 60 detainees. The proposal does not recommend which U.S. site should be chosen for the transfer. The proposed sites include federal prisons in Kansas, Colorado and South Carolina, as well as military centers.

Current U.S. law bans the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to locations within the United States. Some say those transfers could bring security concerns.

However, a top administration official said closing the prison is important to national security. The official said that the facility has inspired jihadists and served as a recruiting tool for terrorists.

Obama said that when he took office, there was Congressional support from both Democrats and Republicans for closing the prison. But, over time, lawmakers have become "worried about the politics" of it, he said.

With less than a year left in his presidency, 91 detainees remain.

Im Caty Weaver.

Carla Babb reported this story from Washington. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English, with additional materials from Reuters. Hai Do was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

confusion - n. a situation in which people are uncertain about what to do or are unable to understand something clearly

stain - n. something that causes people to have less respect for someone

transfer - v. to move (someone or something) from one place to another

inspire - v. to make (someone) want to do something

recruit - v. to find suitable people and get them to join a company, an organization, the armed forces, etc.


Turkey asked the United States for unconditional support in the fight against the Syrian Kurdish YPG.

The United States supports the YPG, also known as Peoples Protection Units, in the battles against the Islamic State in Syria. The Turks believe the YPG was responsible for Wednesdays bomb attack in Ankara that killed scores of people.

The YPG is a section of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party. Turkey says they are terrorists. The U.S. does not agree.

American officials could not confirm nor deny that the YPG was behind the bombing. A Kurdish militant group based in Turkey  the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK)  claimed responsibility for the bombing. A Turkish government official rejected TAKs statement as a false claim last week.

President Barack Obama spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by telephone Friday. Obama shared his concern about the fighting in Syria. Obama promised the U.S.s support for the Turks.

The two NATO members said they would remain united against the Islamic State.

Im Jim Dresbach.

Information for this story came from VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted this report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

unconditional -- adj. without limits, complete

scores of - adj. a large number; many

section - n. part of a larger group of organization

NATO  n. short for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization


The death of a member of the United States highest court has politicians arguing over who will take his place and when.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died February 13 at age 79. He served on the court for nearly 30 years. He was one of its most conservative members.

Scalia was nominated in 1986 during the presidency of Ronald Reagan.

The Supreme Court is now split between four justices who often take liberal positions on legal issues, and four others who are said to be conservative.

Scalias replacement could shape the high courts decisions for years to come.

Discussion about a new justice is heated with the court considering cases on issues such as immigration and affirmative action.

Liberals want President Barack Obama to name another justice before he leaves office. Conservatives do not. They hope a Republican is elected president in November. They believe that person would then appoint a conservative justice.

Experts say Obama is considering at least five scholars from diverse backgrounds as a possible replacement for Scalia.

Choosing a New Supreme Court Justice

So, who has the power to name the next Supreme Court Justice: The president or the people?

Power to nominate the Justices is vested in the President of the United States, and appointments are made with the advice and consent -- or approval -- of the Senate, according to supremecourt.gov. Those powers are guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.

Once confirmed, a justice can serve on the Supreme Court for the rest of his or her life.

David Savage has reported on the court for 30 years for the Los Angeles Times, and written a book about it.

He says it is possible, but unlikely that a new justice will be seated on the court before the next president takes office.

The U.S. Supreme Court was created in 1789. Since then, 40 presidents have made 160 nominations to the court. The Senate confirmed 124 of those nominees. Seven others refused to serve.

Worldwide, the Supreme Court serves as a model for the fair and democratic treatment of legal disputes.

It is one of the three parts of the U.S. government: Congress, the Judiciary, and the President.

The Power of the Court

Savage explains why some Americans think the Supreme Court has more power than the president.

Because it decides major Constitutional issues that, once decided, have a huge impact across the country, and basically cant be changed by the president.

The court, he says, decides big issues that affect many people in important ways.

You know, matters like abortion, the death penalty, affirmative action, gay rights, gun rights. When the court decides a Constitutional issue and says there is a right to have a gun, and there is a right to equal rights for same sex marriages, thats a big change in the law, affects a lot of people and it goes well beyond, you know, one presidents term.

Overturning the Court's Rulings

If the president or American citizens do not like a Supreme Court ruling, it is very hard to change. There are several ways to do it, but they are difficult and require time.

One way, says Savage, would be to pass a constitutional amendment. But that would need two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states approval. This is pretty unlikely to happen, he says. And it is almost impossible in todays politically divided country.

Another way to overturn a ruling would be if new justices were appointed to the Supreme Court. Then a similar case could move through lower courts and be heard by the Supreme Court, where the new justices could overturn the earlier ruling.

From time to time, the Supreme Court does overturn some of its earlier rulings. One such example came in 1954 in a case called Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. This ruling declared racial segregation unconstitutional.

Brown overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, which in 1896 supported segregation or inequality among races.

Supreme Court History

Over time, the court has ruled on equality for blacks, women and gays; legalized operations for ending pregnancies; and approved use of the death sentence as a form of criminal punishment. It has supported the right to carry a gun, and the right for people of the same sex to marry.

Savage explains the courts decisions follow changes in American thinking and beliefs over time.

"Well, I think it reflects American society in the sense that the big changes on the court really tend to flow out of big changes around the country, and in thinking.

Major Supreme Court Rulings

Here are some other important cases the court has decided:

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

States must provide defense lawyers to criminal defendants charged with serious crimes when the defendant does not have enough money for a lawyer. The Supreme Court ruled that the defense attorney must be paid for by the public.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

The court ruled that police must inform a suspect that they have the right to remain silent during questioning. Suspects must voluntarily give up those rights before police can use their statements in court against them.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

The court recognized that a womans choice to end her pregnancy is protected by her right to privacy. The legalization of abortion continues to be debated in the U.S. today.

United States v. Nixon (1974)

This case showed that the president is not above the law, says Savage. President Richard Nixon had refused to give investigators tape recordings of him discussing the Watergate scandal with his aides. The Supreme Court ruled he must surrender those tapes. He did so, and resigned as president 16 days later.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

The court ruled that the First Amendment allows individuals, corporations and organizations unlimited spending on political elections. Since then, individuals or organizations have spent large amounts of money on candidates and causes of their choice.

Im Anne Ball.

And Im Mario Ritter.

What is the high court in your country? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page.

Anne Ball and Christopher Jones-Cruise wrote this story. Kathleen Struck and George Grow were the editors.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

affirmative action  n. an policy designed to help those who suffer from discrimination, especially in relation to employment or education

vested  adj. fully guaranteed as a legal right

abortion  n. the medical operation for ending a pregnancy

gays  n. homosexuals
There are a number of fast-charging technologies that let you top off a smartphone battery quickly. Qualcomms Quick Charge technology gets a lot of attention. But MediaTek has its own solution, and as we noted when reviewing Googles latest Nexus phones, just adding a USB Type-C port to your device can enable support for fast charging.

Chinese device maker Oppo also introduced a fast charging system called VOOC in 2014.

Now Oppo is introducing Super VOOC Flash Charge, which the company says could let you fully charge a phone in just 15 minutes.

More specifically, heres what Oppo is claiming:

Fully charge a 2,500 mAh battery in 15 minutes.

Get 10 hours of talk time from just a 5 minute charge.

Super VOOC Flash Charge works with USB Type-C or micro USB ports, but youll need a customized battery and adapter. The company says its 5V charging technology uses a low voltage pulse-charge algorithm that keeps the hardware from overheating while charging quickly.

Oppo says its also safe to watch videos, play games, or use your phone for other things while its charging.

While its likely that future smartphones from Oppo will include Super VOOC support, I wouldnt hold my breath waiting for it to show up in devices from other companies.

As smartphone screens have gotten bigger, screen resolutions have gotten higher, and processors have gotten faster, battery technology hasnt really kept up at least not in terms of capacity. If you want a phone with long battery life, it needs a big battery. But fast charging technology like Super VOOC provides another option: dont worry if your phone battery doesnt always make it through the day, because it only takes a few minutes to recharge.

Of course, that doesnt help if youre not in a place where you can recharge your phone but thats why theres such a booming cottage industry for portable external battery packs.
Paul and Lucy Spadoni periodically live in Tuscany to explore Pauls Italian roots, practice their Italian and enjoy la dolce vita. Paul is the author of "An American Family in Italy: Living La Dolce Vita without Permission," an Amazon bestseller. All work is copyrighted and may not be reprinted without written permission from the author, who can be contacted at www.paulspadoni.com
Russia is waging a disgraceful war on Ukraine. Stand With Ukraine!
Mumbai: A Mumbai restaurateur will offer a special culinary delight named 'Chicken Sanju Baba' free of charge to all patrons and fans to celebrate Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt's release from prison on Thursday.

Mughlai eatery Noor Mohammadi Hotel in south Mumbai will offer the signature recipe, created by Dutt himself and gifted to restaurant owner Khalid Hakim.

"I had invited Sanjay Dutt Sa'ab to inaugurate the new family section of my restaurant in 1986. Since then, he visited regularly to relish the special non-vegetarian and other food items we served here, especially his favourite Nalli Nari," Hakim told IANS.

Dutt also loved other lip-smacking specialities like White Chicken Biryani, Chicken Hakimi, Dal Ghee, Zafrani Tangdi Kabab, Shami Kabab, Tiranga Kabab etc. on the menu, which Dilip Kumar, late M.F. Husain and Sunil Dutt also loved.

"It was only much later, in 2010, on one of his visits that he created a special gravy-based chicken dish for us and we named it after him as 'Chicken Sanju Baba' on the menu card.

"He also gave me his written consent to prepare and sell it to our patrons," said Hakim, who is the third-generation owner of the restaurant opened in 1923.

Over the years, 'Chicken Sanju Baba' ranks among the top customer choice on the menu along with other traditional favourites.

Dutt even credited the hotel for the dish named after him in a television interview, Hakim said with a tinge of pride in his voice.

"He is a big star, he could have easily sold the recipe to some five-star hotel and earn royalty for his whole life. But he gave it to our humble place. The least we can do is celebrate his release differently along with his fans and patrons on Thursday," Hakim said.

As per plans, the restaurant will serve 'Chicken Sanju Baba' to all patron and fans free from noon till midnight on Thursday as Dutt walks out to freedom after nearly three years in Yerawada Central Jail in Pune.

Incidentally, iconic painter late M.F. Husain, who was a regular patron at the restaurant, had created a special painting at his favourite eatery which enjoys a place of pride, said Hakim.

IANS
New Delhi: Vidya Balan believes that unlike earlier, audiences are willing to accept older actresses as films now are depicting different stages of life instead of just focussing on the allure of youth.

The National Award-winning actress said, "things are no longer same for 30-plus actresses now as all kinds of films are being made depicting different stages of life."

"I think audiences are very ready," Vidya told IANS when asked about the changes that she has noticed regarding 30-plus actresses in Bollywood.

"There were times when there were only love stories and, however, old the male actor is, the actresses were becoming younger and younger but that's no longer the case now. People are accepting women at every stage. We are accepting that they can be interesting and desirable even when they are in their 30s."

"So I feel acceptability has really increased for actresses," added the 37-year-old.

Having made her cinematic debut in 2005 with Parineeta, an adaptation of a 1914 eponymous Bengali novel, Vidya has proved her versatility with many of her roles. Whether it was the manipulative Krishna of Ishqiya; the strong-willed Sabrina in No One Killed Jessica; Vidya Bagchi, a woman with a vengeance in Kahaani; an unwed mother in Paa; and the bolder than the boldest Silk in The Dirty Picture, she impressed audiences and critics alike with her acting.

Her last released film was Mohit Suri's Hamari Adhuri Kahani in which she played a married woman, also a victim of domestic violence.

Married to producer Siddharth Roy Kapur, Vidya also feels that marriage is no longer a hindrance in getting film offers.

"If I talk about my experience as an actor, then by God's grace lots of work are coming my way. There is no dearth of work. Things are changing for married actresses in Bollywood. Even I used to think that once you get married, you get lesser number of films, but that's not true. I have been getting a lot of exciting roles in the past three years since the time I got married," said Vidya.

The actress will next be seen in Sujoy Ghosh-produced TE3N and Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani sequel.

But it's not just films that Vidya is engaged with. She is equally voicing her opinion on women's rights as a brand ambassador of hair care brand Nihar Naturals. She has joined hands with the brand to encourage women in overcoming stereotypical judgments to achieve their capabilities.

This time, Nihar took upon the task of making Indian women realise that, "Appearance cannot be a tool to judge a woman's capability". In order to sensitise women about their inner capability through a powerful medium that would immediately resonate with them, Nihar Naturals launched the #IAmCapable report, a national study commissioned to Nielsen.

Talking about this, she said: "Change won't happen overnight but over time."

She also remembered the time when she judged for choosing sari as her favourite outfit for almost all her public appearances.

"I was judged on the basis of my appearance. I remember the time when I started wearing saris; I was told that young actresses should not wear saris. Also, media started putting me on trials then I realised that across the country there are all kinds of people; so I stopped thinking about the negative things and now it doesn't bother me anymore," she said.

She also suggested that young girls should not get affected by criticism.

"I feel that nowadays we are very unkind to ourselves and that is something we need to change. We tend to bracket things according to clothes, but I think we need to be more relaxed in terms of approach," she added.

IANS
Mumbai: Training actress Priyanka Chopra for the role of an IPS officer in Jai Gangaajal benefited her international television show Quantico, says director Prakash Jha.

"Priyanka Chopra has done all the action by herself. And the action in our films is very realistic, and realistic is much more difficult... She was completely fit, the muscles she built for Mary Kom benefited us," Jha said at the launch of the song Maya Thagni from the film.

"How we prepared her, taught her to salute, made her wear khaki and made her IPS officer Abha Mathur, benefited Quantico'. She is doing good work because of that, on the basis of our training. And now she is doing Baywatch," Jha said.

Priyanka's role in television show Quantico sees her playing an FBI agent, which also required skilled action.

Manav Kaul, who plays the negative character of an MLA in the film, quipped that for one of the action sequences, a soft punch by Priyanka gave him much pain, which lasted for a month.

Priyanka is currently in the US, where her recent announcement with Dwayne Johnson about her being a part of the Baywatch film created a frenzy.

But Jha denied that her professional commitments in the US were hindering promotions of Jai Gangaajal.

"She is all the time promoting. Today also, she gave an interview through Skype. She is tweeting all the time, what else is the promotion?"

"She has done print and media interviews for music channels, news channels even while sitting there. What would she have done if she was here? We are happy that she has been offered the kind of job that is the dream for everyone, so we are with her dreams."

"As far as her responsibilities are concerned, she is doing the best that is possible. Unfortunately in our film, there is no dance or item number in uniform that we could've made her do."

Jai Gangaajal is releasing on March 4.
For Finance minister, Arun Jaitley, the 2016 Union Budget will be the biggest challenge he has ever handled in finance ministry so far. Jaitley has had more critics than admirers ever since he took over the finance portfolio in the Narendra Modi-government.

The lawyer-turned-politician is faced with task of convincing sceptic investor that his money is still safe in this country. Already foreign investors are on an exodus mode with portfolio outflows down by cumulative $2 billion so far this year, a fifth last years total flows, according to a report by DBS Bank.

A budget that lacks bold reforms and promise of big spending boost can further turn off global investors and, thus, widen the trust-deficit on the Modi government. To convince the investor, Jaitley needs to show that government is well under control of its finances and has the intent to stimulate growth by pushing public spending and fast-tracking the reforms process (tax, land and banking).

But, achieving this balance is even more difficult for Jaitley now for both political and economic reasons.

For one, the budget session holds no promise of productivity in the backdrop of an agitating opposition on various issues JNU row, Jat agitation and Rohit Vemula suicide issue. The Congress party, the main opposition, has already given a battle call. If other opposition parties too join the protest, there arent many chances for Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to take ahead the reforms process in Budget Session.

In particular, the fate of crucial Goods and Services Tax (GST) hangs in balance in the backdrop of this government projecting the 1 April deadline for long. If GST doesnt get passed in the budget Session, it is sure to miss the 1 April deadline. The bankruptcy code can happen since that was introduced in Lok Sabha as a money bill.

Secondly, a key challenge for Jaitley is how to outline the governments intent and roadmap to deal with the public sector banks (PSBs) neck-deep in bad debts, huge capital requirement and eroding market capitalization. The total bad loans of state-run banks (gross non-performing assets in technical parlance), at Rs 4,00,000 crore at end December, has exceeded their total market capitalization of these banks. The March, 2017 deadline by RBI for banks to clean up their balance sheets, has opened a Pandoras box in the banking industry, since much dirt will now emerge from bank balance sheets. This would require a great deal of additional capital for banks since for every Rs 100 rupee that turns bad, they need to set aside Rs 15 rupee as provisions. Total provisions made on bad loans by banks in the December quarter alone stood at Rs 49,604 crore as compared with Rs 23,904 crore in the corresponding period last year.

This means that the government will have to infuse a significantly higher chunk of capital in these banks in the approaching years as against what they have promised already (Rs 70,000 crore). A capital starved government will find it extremely difficult to feed these banks eventually forcing it merge some of the banks and sell off a few others. Presently, the government holds over 70 per cent stake in at least 13 banks. Clearly, governments Indrdhanush package hasnt changed life much for state-run banks so far. Its time for this government to go for radical reforms steps and lay out a clear agenda on the privatization of at least a few state-run banks. On these reforms-steps, investors will look for cues in the budget.

In the wake of higher spending required for next fiscal year (implementation of a 23.6 percent rise in 7th pay commission, OROP), lower-than-expected nominal GDP growth and poor show on the disinvestment-front, managing the fiscal consolidation roadmap (already delayed by one year), will be difficult for Jaitley as he will miss the targets in percentage terms (3.9 per cent in fiscal year 2016, 3.5 percent in fiscal year2017 and 3 percent by 2018). Jaitley will be forced to relax the deficit target. The pace of fiscal tightening is likely to slow in FY16/17, with the deficit target to be adjusted higher at -3.7% of GDP (vs roadmaps -3.5%), given the need to accommodate higher spending commitments, especially a bigger public sector wage/pension bill and rising banks recapitalization needs, said Radhika Rao, chief economist at Singapore-based DBS Bank.

The biggest question for Jaitley, is whether to cut down spending and appease the global rating agencies with a healthy balance sheet or give the fiscal consolidation agenda a slip by making room for more fresh investments. The option to cut spending drastically to adhere to the fiscal roadmap isnt a wise option at this stage when growth is facing serious challenges. Thats a mistake which P

Chidambaram did in the later years of UPA-II. Jaitley should, instead, shore up the revenue channels and boosting exchequer through better tax collections and aggressive divestments. Jaitley shouldnt be obsessed with the fiscal deficit figure alone as happened in the UPA regime, where sharp spending cuts were done even when the economy was reeling under economic slowdown, thus worsening the problem.

But, this doesnt mean the government should target unachievable disinvestment figures as it did in the previous years, when it has fallen well short of the target in successive years. The government has so far raised Rs 13,391 croe amount this fiscal year through this route, compared with a target of Rs 70,000 through. Jaitley should refrain from giving too high a target for him to achieve else he would run the risk of facing backlash from investors and rating agencies.

The short point is its time for the NDA-government to aggressively push spending to spur growth, even if it means overshooting the fiscal deficit targets and even though it would mean the wrath from rating agencies and RBI (which has already warned the government on growth driven by fiscal deficit). The fact is that there isnt really a choice to get the economy back on the growth path. Most economists agree that the 7.6 per cent growth projected at this stage is a mirage. Jaitleys task is to revive the animal spirits in the economy and boosting the investor confidence. Only a bold, reformist budget can silence his critics.

Data from Kishor Kadam
The Bengali heartthrob Durjoy Dutta is all set to get hitched with his long-time girlfriend and muse Avantika Mohan. Dutta, 29, author of novels like Our Impossible Love, Till The Last Breadth, Hold My Hand and screenwriter of television shows like Sadda Haq- My Life, My Choice and Million Dollar Girl - From Banaras to Paris proposes to Avantika in the most unique fashion.

On Tuesday at about 12pm, Dutta appeared on social media platform  Twitter, and proclaimed his desire to convert his four-year-long relationship into marriage. Instead of the traditional approach of a ring, he uses the hashtag #marrymeavantika.

What followed were a series of tweets by the nervous Bengali author where he seeks supports from his followers and tries to justify his proclamation. All this time Avantika is on a flight and the plan is to overwhelm her with support and bully her into marrying him.

Hi! I'm online for the next two hours. Because i need to tell you guys something. #marrymeavantika  Durjoy Datta (@durjoydatta) February 23, 2016

I'm in love with a girl. Not surprisingly her name is. @avanttika! She has inspired almost every woman character of mine!  Durjoy Datta (@durjoydatta) February 23, 2016

She's on a flight that's going to land in another two hours. Let's bully her into saying yes to my proposal? #marrymeavantika  Durjoy Datta (@durjoydatta) February 23, 2016

This is the drab text i sent her this morning. Didn't work.. #marrymeavantika pic.twitter.com/nwYltmi182  Durjoy Datta (@durjoydatta) February 23, 2016

In a confessional mood, Dutta launches into his reasons for doing this over Twitter. He writes in a post on Instagram, She (Avantika) alleges Im too busy with my books, my readers, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to formally propose her. Though thats true, a part of the reason is also my overwhelming shyness to do something grand. So Im doing what I do best. Hiding behind my phone and asking my readers for help! Okay, I know a lot of you will tell me Im breaking your heart but seriously you girls can do better.

*Awww*

The Perfect Girlfriend

The tweets that follow explain the reason why she would make for a perfect life-partner.

Of course shes the reason why all my female characters' name start from A! And always will.. #marrymeavantika  Durjoy Datta (@durjoydatta) February 23, 2016

Why her? Why not her! She's only like the best person ever. #marrymeavantika  Durjoy Datta (@durjoydatta) February 23, 2016

Even relatives and friends feature in this proposal party.

Let's be honest. You like me parents more than you like me. #marrymeavantika pic.twitter.com/Tm7kViwTwV  Durjoy Datta (@durjoydatta) February 23, 2016

The acid test! My friends love her. Often more than me. That's why I'm always holding the camera. #marrymeavantika pic.twitter.com/SdQP3KE3j1  Durjoy Datta (@durjoydatta) February 23, 2016

Twitteratti Love

Such love can hardly go unnoticed by fans on Twitter. Various people re-tweeted this adorable proposal and urged Avantika to say yes to this hunk. Some just gave ultimatums to their future husbands!

Dear Future Husband

either propose me like @durjoydatta or get ready to hear my NO @avanttika its #marrymeavantika  Pragati (@SandhirKiBaby) February 23, 2016

@avanttika u got to give it to this man @durjoydatta say yes to him #marrymeavantika  shubh zantye (@princess_shub) February 23, 2016

@durjoydatta definitely calls in for a Twitter celebration once you guys are hitched  @avanttika - land already! #marryhimavantika   Yamini. (@FarziKaSadu) February 23, 2016

@durjoydatta we are as excited !!

Waiting to see her reaction #marrymeAvantika pic.twitter.com/jImvpuLfVE  Surya John (@suryavkhanna) February 23, 2016

Verdict!

Avantika did catch up on the tweets after she landed. Is it a happy ending? See for yourself!
Patna: Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday demanded a probe alleging financial and other irregularities in the empanelment of 524 technical institutes from across the country for admission of Dalit students from the state under a government post-matriculation scholarship programme.

"It appears financial and other irregularities have been committed in the empanelment of 524 technical institutes across the country in 2015-16 without doing physical verification of the institutes," he told reporters.

Claiming collusion between the state government officials and the empanelled institutes for "mutual benefits", Modi said the "beneficiary colleges" were initially asked to deposit a draft of Rs 5 lakh each and later to furnish bank

guarantee of the said amount in lieu of the admissions.

He also charged the state government of delay in the release of scholarship funds.

He said the scholarship amounts, including fees for 30 out of 63 Dalit students of a private engineering college in

Odisha that threatened action for non-payment of dues were released earlier this month only after much hue and cry.

Another incident has come to light in which scholarship for 100 students studying in Rajasthan has not been released as yet and they were being threatened by the college to deposit money or leave, he alleged.

The senior BJP leader also lashed out at the delay in the arrest of the suspended RJD MLA Rajballabh Yadav, accused

of rape of a minor girl in Nalanda district, and urged the inspecting judge of the Patna High Court for intervention.

Alleging that "mishandling" of the rape charge has brought disrepute to the state, he said his party would raise the issue during Budget session of the state legislature beginning February 25.

PTI
The JNU row escalated on Tuesday as a group of IIT-Madras faculty expressed concern on institutions of higher learning being converted into "war zones". They also said that calling for the country's "dismemberment and ruin" in the name of dissent is not acceptable.

In a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee, the 56 faculty members said educational institutions need to be saved from the scholarship of abuse and hate. They also sought the President's intervention in the issue.

"We feel concerned about the situation in the country where institutions of higher learning are being converted into war zones by some academicians, politicians and sections of media.

"We support intellectual freedom, and alternative views are a must for democracy and creativity. However, there is a deep distortion of the meaning of academic freedom which is leading to a vitiated atmosphere in the campuses," they said.

Petition to President

They have requested the President to take steps for saving educational institutions from the "scholarship of abuse, hate and discord" and restoring the atmosphere of sobriety, reflection and harmony necessary for genuine scholarship, Shreepad Karmalkar, a professor and one of the signatories, said in a statement.

"In the name of academic autonomy, angry academics should not wage their ideological wars, nor can an institute campus be beyond the norms of the society outside in matters of abusive and hateful expressions. Calling for dismemberment and ruin of our country in the name of dissent is not acceptable, even in a university," the letter said.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: In the second such protest in less than a week, thousands of students from various universities across the country took to the streets in the national capital demanding justice for Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula and protesting the JNU crisis.

The students marched from Ambedkar Bhawan in central Delhi's Jandewalan to Jantar Mantar, the capital's protest hotspot, where they were first joined by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and then by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The protesters, including hundreds of students from University of Hyderabad and Osmania University, raised Ambedkarite slogans and demanded justice for Vemula, alleging that the Centre was responsible for his suicide.

Students from universities in the national capital, such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Jamia Milia and Ambedkar University, joined the march condemning the police action in JNU while demanding immediate release of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.

Vemula's mother Radhika and brother Raja also participated in the march.

In his address, Rahul mounted a shrill attack on the Modi government and RSS, accusing them of crushing voices of dissent of college and university students across the country.

He also pitched for a law to protect them from "discrimination" and "suppression".

"We need a law to ensure that students in colleges and universities do not face discrimination and their voice is not stifled," he said.

Accusing the Centre of muzzling the voice of students across universities in the country if they differ with ideology of RSS, Rahul said Congress will fight for bringing a law to check such "suppression".

He alleged that government was trying to suppress not only the youths but also the Adivasis, Dalits and other weaker sections.

In his address, Kejriwal said the Centre was at "war" with the students of the country and asked the Prime minister to "mend his ways". Otherwise, he said, students will "teach him a lesson".

"If Modiji does not mend ways then very soon the youth and students will come together to teach him a lesson," Kejriwal said, adding "I had said earlier, 'Modiji students se pange mat lena' (don't mess with students). Otherwise they will rock your government and you won't have a clue," he said, amid loud cheers.

A major protest against the JNU row was organised in the city last week where a large number of students, academia, intellectuals and rights activists had participated.

PTI
Internationally acclaimed linguist and critic-activist Noam Chomsky has apparently played a crucial role in the ongoing JNU stalemate by putting a valid question to vice chancellor M Jagdeesh Kumar: Why did you allow entry of police on the campus?

Though Kumar this week denied the police an entry to arrest Umar Khalid and four others wanted on the charge of waging a war against India, the question that ought to be asked is: how long can he hold on to this untenable and ambiguous position?

If Chomskys question reflects pusillanimity of the VC, the second question pertains to his timid conduct and abject abdication of responsibility. There is no doubt that Khalid and his associates have violated law in the states perception. They are not declared fugitives. Yet their status is quite akin to that.

In this context, the VC must be more worried than the rest of the world about reaffirmation of the stereotype that the JNU has turned into a sanctuary of anti-nationals and Naxalites, mutually interchangeable terms in a section of medias perception. There are all indications that the VC is not only a worst shirker of his responsibility but also a collusive partner of the state to defame JNU.

With Khalid and his associates safely ensconced in the campus in the midst of his caring friends who, in a fit of emotion, vow to accompany them to jail, the university administration seems to have deliberately left the students to their fate.

There are indeed elements of surrealism that have been playing out in front of the administrative building every day in the JNU. Hundreds of students gather every day, deliver monologues, and stage street plays to regale the audience and infuse in them a false sense of triumphalism.

That most of these students are cut off from the harsh reality of todays times is evident if one visits the campus. Every evening hundreds of student gather and sing revolutionary songs written by poets long dead and gone.

Yesterday, students sang in chorus a song penned by revolutionary Bhojpuri poet and a JNU alumni Gorakh Pandey, Samajwad udat udat ayee babua (My dear, socialism will come flying). A group of students was intimately engaged in explaining the rationale of nation-state and etymology of sedition. Just adjacent to the campus, there are localities like Berserai where the language, idiom and grammar of the JNU would appear to have come from moon if not Mars.

What appears to be disturbing is not the indulgence of students into a largely sterile idealism. The most disconcerting is the fact that a section of the faculty has been egging them on to pursue a dream which may end up in the worst kind of nightmare.

For instance, it serves perfectly well for the police if students hold out for a longer period with Khalid and others in their protective custody. This situation enables the police to perpetuate the story that the JNU is a safe haven for seditionists. This impression is already firmly etched in the home ministry.

In such a situation of mutual distrust and lack of dialogue, the role of the VC is quite significant. Kumar could have taken a firm stance against those who organized the event on February 9 in which anti-India slogans were raised.

In reality the university administration and the VC are more culpable than Kanhaiya Kumar in letting the 9 February event happen inside the campus. While Kanhaiya was picked up for the sedition by the police, Kumar and his administration in the JNU were let off the hook.

Perhaps Kumar would have done well to introspect and take a leaf out of the history of his illustrious predecessors. Forget about stalwarts like Dr S Radhakrishnan and his legend of not letting the British police enter the BHU campus at the height of Quit India movement, would any state have dared take such an antagonistic position with the university headed by likes of Kalulal Shrimali and Rafique Zakaria?

Before becoming VCs of BHU, Shrimali served as education minister. Zakaria also held various posts in the government before serving briefly in the Aligarh Muslim University. More recently, in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime, hardcore RSS ideologue and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, who served as faculty of the Allahabad university before becoming HRD minister, rarely let his ideological predilection affect his influence on the campuses.

Kumars capitulation before the state authorities is nothing but a symptom of a malignancy that has taken hold of the India's higher education system.

Kumar belongs to a new genre of VCs for whom pliability is valued more than academic excellence and courage of conviction. This was amply demonstrated when union HRD minister Smriti Irani admonished 42-odd VCs of central universities like truant boys in a conference at Surajkund on 18 February.

What shocked me is not her impunity and arrogance but sheer meekness of the flock, said one who attended the conference. Chomsky may not be aware of these facts when he wrote a missive to the JNU VC.

In such a situation, it would be too naive for JNU students to engage with the government in war of attrition. As long as they hold onto the stalemate and resist the surrender of Khalid and others, the perception about them being anti-national in popular discourse would gain ground and credibility.

With a VC like Kumar and a hostile state, the students refusal to read the writing on the wall would pave the way for a situation in which the JNU as we know it would be a thing of the past.
By Tarique Anwar and Shishir Tripathi

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, facing sedition charges for allegedly raising "anti-India" slogans, have surrendered before police at a secret location in New Delhi after the Delhi High Court refused to provide safety until they surrender. JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar is already behind bars in Tihar Jail, again for sedition, while the basis of the charge itself is a question mark - a video clip that has gone into a black hole for "tests".

JNU students union vice president Shelha Rashid Shora told Firstpost that Khalid and Bhattacharya's surrender has come after a series of legal discussions keeping their safety in mind. Both these students travelled to the 'secret' location in a JNU private security vehicle. They were accompanied by several students, their lawyer and members of the JNU teachers association.

Shehla Rashid is a student leader from Jammu and Kashmir, studying law and governance at JNU.

"We hope that Kanhaiya gets bail and we will fight politically and legally thereafter," Rashid told Firstpost.

"Comrade Umar and Comrade Anirban have surrendered themselves to police. It's a moment of sadness for the campus because we have seen these activists for years standing with the students," Rashid said.

"They have placed their faith in the law and we hope that they will be released soon. We also hope that Comrade Kanhaiya gets bail tomorrow," she said.

A case against Khalid and Bhattacharya was registered at Vasant Kunj police station.

According to the police sources, both have been taken to an undisclosed location. Both the students were accompanied by their lawyers and the representatives of JNU teachers association.

After the surrender of the students, their supporters gathered at Sabarmati Dhaba in the campus to take stock and decide on next steps.

Khalid and Bhattacharya had moved petitions seeking permission to surrender before the High Court and safe passage from the JNU campus to the court premises, alleging there was threat to life and limb.

The Indian Express reports that in their petition, Khalid and Bhattacharya referred to the attacks last week on journalists and JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, at Patiala House Courts by lawyers. They said they feared they would be attacked if they were taken to the Patiala House Courts, that they were more vulnerable to unprovoked attacks than Kanhaiya Kumar.

Read:

All you need to know about Umar Khalid, the man they are calling Kashmiri traitor

#JNURow, #KanhaiyaKumar: Social media tools of historic election win come back to haunt Modi govt

The location of the surrender has been kept off bounds, following a Delhi High Court directive and after the week long debate has spilled over into Delhi's streets and protests worldwide.

Earlier on Tuesday, The Delhi High Court asked JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya to "secretly" provide the place and time where they want to surrender. Following through on this, Delhi Police decided not to enter the JNU campus, reports Times of India.

It also issued notice to Delhi Police, asked to file a status report on bail plea of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested on charges of sedition.

Justice Pratibha Rani refused to provide safety to the students till they surrender, and declined to allow them to surrender in the high court.

On providing safety in police custody, the court said: "It is for the trial court to decide."

After advocate Kamini Jaiswal, appearing for the students, told the court that students need safe passage to surrender, Justice Rani retorted: "What do you mean I should give you safe passage? Why this court (not trial court)? Let us go by the procedure. Everything can't be at your whims and fancies."

"Tell me where you want to surrender. Just give me the place (other than the high court) and time (details of which will be between petitioners' advocate, and court)," said the court, adding that she will appoint an officer for their surrender.

Lawyers of Khalid and Bhattacharya provided the details to Justice Rani, and the court then asked the deputy commissioner of police, present there, about his views, but he objected to it. Thereafter, she called the police officer and petitioners' counsel to her chamber.

After around 15 minutes hearing inside her chamber, Justice Rani came out and said she will hear the case on Wednesday.

Seeking safety passage to surrender, Jaiswal told the court that the students are constantly receiving "life threats" and police are doing nothing to protect them, while citing the violent incident took place during the remand proceedings of Kanhaiya Kumar, where lawyers attacked him, JNU student and teachers and journalists.

In their plea, the students said they are "law abiding citizens" and a "doctored video were shown on some channels to portray them in the worst possible light".

Khalid and Anirban, along with three others, had gone missing from the JNU campus since February 12 when Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case after an event held at February 9 on the university campus against hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. They all had allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during the rally.

The five surfaced in the JNU campus late Sunday night.

In Kanhaiya Kumar's case, Justice Rani sought status report on the investigation by Wednesday.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi Police, said since it was a pre-chargesheet bail application, police should be allowed to file the status report in a sealed cover.

However, the court rejected the request, saying petitioners have the right to know why police has opposed the bail.

It also directed a copy be given to Kanhaiya's counsel Rebecca John.

During the brief hearing, Aam Aadmi Party's senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra sought to represent Delhi Police in Kanhaiya's bail case but ASGs Tushar Mehta and Sanjay Jain opposed it.

Mehta told the court that he and advocate Shailendra Babbar were appointed as special public prosecutor in the case by the lt. governor.

"They (ASGs representing Delhi Police) have crossed all 'Lakshman rekha'. As a standing counsel, I am not allowed to argue and they are here on LG's unofficial order," Mehra said.

Justice Rani, however, said: "Let us not distract from the main issue. This is not a place to settle personal scores."

Mehra said Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi had said Kanhaiya's bail plea will not be opposed, but after the court's hearing, Jain told reporters that police will oppose it.

Kanhaiya moved the high court after the Supreme Court refused to entertain the bail plea, noting that bypassing the high court would set a wrong precedent.

The security at the high court was beefed up for the hearing and entry to the courtroom of Justice Rani was restricted to lawyers involved in the case and six media persons.

With IANS
By Himadri Ghosh and Nikhil Babu/ IndiaSpend

Square-jawed, cleft chin and hair untidily spiked, Vikas Thakaran glowered as he explained why he was here in this scrum of young men blocking Bakhtawar Chowk, 30 kilometres southwest of Indias capital, part of a violent week-long agitation that has left 12 dead, vehicles and railway stations burnt, and the Army deployed.

Thakaran, 24, is a computer science engineer, but he is unemployed. I applied for government jobs four-five times, many times elsewhere, but I didnt get through, he said. We found many educated, angry and either unemployed young men like Thakaran, or those unable to find a job commensurate with their aspirations and education, among the thousands of protesters from a caste group that many say has no reason to protest.

Traditional landowners, the Jats are a powerful Hindu caste now demanding classification as a backward castea contention rejected last year by the Supreme Courtso that government jobs can be reserved for them.

However, an IndiaSpend analysis of employment data and an evaluation of aspirations of young Jats revealed that the protests are manifestations of Indias slow, inadequate job-creation and a failing education system creating thousands of unemployable graduates.

This disconnect between education, aspirations and jobs explains similar demands to be classified as backward and other-backward-castes (OBC) by socially powerful caste groupsGujjars (Rajasthan), Marathas (Maharashtra), Patels (Gujarat) and Kapus (Andhra Pradesh), among othersas they are struggling to find satisfactory employment.

Organised industry added 500,000 jobs in 2014; India needs more than a million a month.

Saurabh Rangi, 24, a native of Rohtak city, scored 75% in the All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE), but he is on the streets of Haryanas Gurgaon city30 km northwest of Delhibecause he did not get admission to a government college and had to pay lakhs to graduate from a private college. Rangi is angry; he holds a public-relations trainee job at cardekho.com, an automobile website, but wants a government job.

I got a B.Tech in 2013, but I am unemployed even after two years, said Keshav Lather, as he protested in Gohana, Sonepat, 43 km west of Rohtak. I have applied for a central government job. But I always lose out because of reservationa professional education does not necessarily mean a good job. We were surprised at the type of jobs and money offered to many of our friends.

Labourers, guards and maids form the majority of the jobs available to more than a million Indianssome estimate it is nearly two millionwho join the workforce every month, as IndiaSpend reported. As we explain later, over 30 years, India generated no more than seven million jobs every year, with only a fraction being the kinds of jobs the young Jats desire.

This is why protesters across India demand secure government jobs; it is why engineers and doctors throng job openings for peons, clerks and constables (as they did in Uttar Pradesh last year, when 2.3 million applied for 368 positions of peons).

As we also reported, new employment data indicate two disquieting trends.

One, a slowdown in employment in the formal, organised sector (which in any case employs only 12% of Indias labour force), the prime staging ground of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Make-in-India programme. In Indian factories, more than 400,000 people lost their jobs during the financial year 2012-13, according to government data.

Two, this slowdown hides a larger, long-term trend: India Inc is automating and squeezing more output from its workers and so needs fewer of them.

In isolation, the latest government data show that organised industry added nearly 500,000 jobs in 2013-14. Unemployment in India, according to labour ministry data, is less than 5%, but these data do not reflect under-, partial- or disguised-employment, such as Rangis.

No more than 17% of all Indians were wage earners, as this 2013-14 labour ministry report acknowledged, with no more than 60% of those above 15 years old who sought work over the year getting it (more than 46% in urban India did not find work).

With so many unemployable, how will reservations solve the jobs problem?

We heard similar stories of unemployment and resentment among many Jat youth in Haryana and UP. Amit Neniwal, 26, of Malikpur, Jhajjar, 72 km west of Delhi, studying to be a company secretary, spoke of the constant mental strain of ending up like his friendsunemployed.

On the other side of Delhi, in UPs Muzaffarnagar district, Manish Balyan, 23, said the Jat demand was completely legitimate. He said: Some within our community have remained socially and economically backward for generations.

Much of this under-achievement and frustration is a result of a growing population and shrinking farmland. Those who move off the farm often find that an education isnt enough.

For instance, no more than 3% of engineers who want software or core engineering jobs are good enough for such jobs, with 74% poor in English skills and 58% lacking adequate analytical or quantitative skills, according to this study by Aspiring Minds, an employability solutions company.

The Centre, on 21 February, acceded to some reservation demands by the Jat community, but will reservations alone solve the larger problem of unemployment? That is unlikely.

India needs 23 million jobs annually, according to a Kotak Securities report, but over the last 30 years, the country has created about 7 million jobs every year.

In 2012, India created 9.9 million jobs. A Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 9%the government expects a GDP growth rate between 7% and 7.5%will create no more than 12.9 million jobs, falling short by almost half.

In 2012, India created 9.9 million jobs. A Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 9%the government expects a GDP growth rate between 7% and 7.5%will create no more than 12.9 million jobs, falling short by almost half.

In the banking sector, net hiring, by government and private banks, fell from 124,857 in 2012 to 33,224 in 2015.

Jat youth on the streets do not want informal-sector jobs, as our interviews indicated, but here too, as IndiaSpend has reported, employment declined by 6% since 2004-05and this is the sector that offers the most jobs, 340 million.

Ranade said the government should focus on small and medium enterprises, revamp infrastructure, rationalise tax structures, revive skills in traditional industries, set up technical training institutes producing skilled workers and ensure ease of doing business.

Developing new skills and re-skilling older workers is a key approach, but the Modis massive skill-development effort needs to do much more.

The plan, massively ambitious in scale, aims to train over 40 crore (400 million) Indians by 2022, which equates to approximately one million people per week! researchers from Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government wrote for IndiaSpend in December 2015.

For perspective: only 7 million Indians were trained in 2014, and the National Sample Survey shows that as of 2012, fewer than 5% of all Indians had ever received formal skills training. To succeed, this plan must identify and target eligible youth with a desire for skills training. However, it is not clear that current recruitment strategies cast a wide enough net to reach these hefty goals.
New York: On 10 February, I had just logged in and was scouring the wires when this news agency report came in: Anti India slogans in JNU, disciplinary enquiry ordered. It was half past 11 in the morning in New York where I work, 10 pm in India.

Do we have this? I asked my colleague in Mumbai. Nahin, le lo, he said. We picked it up. The name Kanhaiya Kumar meant nothing.

Barely 10 days later, this young man, who has gone from JNU student to top hashtag, is the emblem of a withering 500 word editorial in The New York Times on who might be responsible for Indias lynch-mob mentality.

The same social media tools that powered the Modi government to a historic election win in 2014 are snapping back. With elections coming up in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Uttar Pradesh this summer, the Indian government has just elbowed young Indians to march on from campuses to polling stations.

In the US, Donald Trump has mastered Twitter's power to settle scores, attack and promote his White House run like no one ever has, turning his 'good, bad, stupid' brand of social media into his campaign's mainstay, backing it with money and a ground game that is yet unmatched. Early on in the race, he called his rival - the ultimate establishment candidate Jeb Bush, a guy with no energy. Bush did not hit back, the label stuck, Bush is out of the White House race this week.

What sticks on social is not always true, ditto for the converse. Many 'false' messages have stuck. Wharton school professor Jonah Berger uses the KFC example to explain: "Especially in the US, a lot of people believe that Kentucky Fried Chicken changed its name to KFC because it's not chicken, many believe that wearing seat belts leads to death...none of this is true but the messages have stuck."

In India, Kanhaiya Kumar came to be the #Sedition poster boy because someone, maybe even unwittingly, got the messaging right on the free, urgent and visceral platforms of television and Twitter. They said Kanhaiya chanted Pakistan Zindabad. This sits well with at least three of the six accepted rules of stickiness on social - simple, unexpected, and emotional. #KanhaiyaKumar has trended beyond India at least 3 times in the last week, with cities like Delhi spending more than 40 minutes on Twitter at a time on this hashtag. Over the last two weeks, Kanhaiya's name has popped up in the sedition and/or JNU context once every 40-50 seconds on social and there are more positive than negative mentions. While Kanhaiya is in Tihar, his ground game is the grassroots revolt that has spilled out on the streets.

Within days, retired DU professor SAR Geelani was behind bars, again for sedition, lawyers beat up journalists before Kanhaiya Kumars court hearing, then they beat up Kanhaiya too. But when the time came for Kanhaiya to be transported to Tihar, perfect law and order prevailed, with Kumar dressed in riot gear and protected by shields - this Indian Express Page One picture nailed it.

Stuff that goes viral on social media is chaotic and not, its algorithmic and not, and to get on top of it, it helps to accept both versions and proceed. Trigger communities are different from 'passion' communities. From last September on, many such trigger communities and hashtags have boiled over, starting with #DadriLynching and now on to #RohithVemula, #KanhaiyaKumar and #Sedition. Many of the same rules that work in the real world work on social  consistency is one such. Posting regularly and going underground when a crisis is brewing just makes it worse for the government. Many PR disasters have been avoided by just showing up, speaking up as the storm gathers momentum.

Like every word has more than one meaning, every tweet does many things at once, and every such engagement powers either a forest fire or a damp squib. Kanhaiya Kumar is a trigger event, the national tricolour is a passion topic. Announcing a 207 ft tall and 135 kg heavy mast in all varsities during the raging #JNURow will not silence trigger communities which are discrete and unstoppable.

The #JNURow is a trigger event that has come to embody the network dynamics behind what a young man said after the Arab Spring which he sparked off turned on him: If we want to liberate our society, we must first liberate the internet.

By 13 February, Kanhaiya Kumar went from regular guy in JNU to anti-national, and thrown behind bars for sedition.

By 16 February, when Firstpost put out this video of Kanhaiya Kumar with a full transcript, a lot of folks asked us the simple question - fair enough too - Why now? Whats this video, what about the other one?

Which other one?

The answer came yesterday, on 22 February, when a news producer with a private TV channel sent a stinging resignation letter and quit over the way the company handled the original video.

In his letter, Vishwa Deepak writes: Are we the BJP or RSS mouthpieces, for us to do whatever they say? A video which did not even have the slogan of Pakistan zindabad was still aired continuously. How did we blindly believe that these voices which came in the dark were of Kanhaiya or his friends? Instead of Bhartiya Court zindabad, they heard 'Pakistan zindabad' and spoilt some peoples career, hopes and led their families to destruction. It would have been good if we would have let the investigating agencies conduct a probe and then waited for the results.

Read: Delhi top cop says 'circumstances have changed', opposes Kanhaiya Kumar bail plea

When the Firstpost video of Kanhaiya Kumar caught fire, the questions why this video, why now is a good indication of how chaotic social media conversations are. The video we put out may turn out to be the only video that matters, because the 'other one - the earlier one' has reportedly been fixed, from what Vishwa Deepak says.

News is no longer breaking on traditional media, the pyramid has upturned and news often breaks on social and then percolates. News aggregators are somewhere in the middle between social on top and community influencers populating the bottom of the pyramid. But governments and those in power cannot be seen to be taking decisions based on how social media informs them or how television may report the #JNURow. Social media is not an arbiter of truth. After the Paris Attacks and San Bernardino shootings in California, the New York police got a social media message that schools will be attacked. NYPD analyzed the message and decided it was an empty threat, all schools stayed open.

I once said that if you want to liberate a society, all you need is the internet. I was wrong," says Wael Ghonim, who, back in 2011, started an anonymous Facebook page that sparked the Arab revolution. "The same tool that united us to topple dictators eventially tore us apart, Ghonim says in a TED talk that is appended on this page.

Ghonims caveat is not just for Egypt, it informs the network effects that have kicked in for every hashtag thats ever gone viral. #DadriLynching? #JNURow? Of course.

If I write a one-sided, angry post, I am certain to get more readers, says Ghonim who talks about how conforming to biases rewards social media users with more follows and readers. Just like this story may get trolled because it does not sing pro-establishment praise. Online henchmen, paid or not, are an almost primitive strategy - not very different people who spill out from state transport buses into stadiums for political rallies. These hordes don't make a rock star, great content does.

Ghonim argues that this eco-system must be changed to reward and analyse how many people are changing their minds after reading a post rather than how many are thrilled about their own biases being mirrored in a tidal wave.

Ted Talks introduction of Wael Ghonim resonates with so much of whats going on in India, and indeed polarised societies everywhere: Ghonim helped touch off the Arab Spring in his home of Egypt ... by setting up a simple Facebook page. As he reveals, once the revolution spilled onto the streets, it turned from hopeful to messy, then ugly and heartbreaking. And social media followed suit. What was once a place for crowdsourcing, engaging and sharing became a polarized battleground. Ghonim asks: What can we do about online behavior now? How can we use the Internet and social media to create civility and reasoned argument?

Swedish author and journalist Andreas Ekstrom takes the same, powerful thread forward and provides the counterweight that society must factor in that an unbiased search result is an algorithmic and philosophical impossibility.

If an elected government of the worlds largest democracy which is home to the youngest population worldwide informs arrest/s based on social media chatter, a fake tweet or worse, a grainy video with poisoned astons, well, what do you say?

The Farce Awakens?
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday commenced final hearing on various appeals including the one filed by Karnataka against the acquittal of AIADMK Chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and others in a disproportionate assets case.

A bench, comprising justices PC Ghose and Amitava Roy, asked senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Karnataka government, to start arguments in the matter.

The Karnataka government is arguing the case as the trial was shifted from Tamil Nadu and a Bangalore court had convicted the accused including Jayalalithaa who had succeeded in her challenge before the High Court there.

Opening his arguments, Dave said there were glaring mistakes in the order of the Karnataka High Court acquitting Jayalalithaa and others which needed to be set aside.

"There are glaring mistakes in the order of the Karnataka High Court acquitting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, which has to be set aside. The trial court has given a very reasoned order holding them guilty and needs to be upheld," Dave said.

He said the approach of the High Court was "very casual and troublesome" and would defeat the very motive of Prevention of Corruption Act (PC ACT).

Besides Jayalalithaa, others accquited by the High Court were her close aide Sasikala and her two relatives, VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi.

Dave said Jayalalithaa was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 24 June, 1991 to 13 May, 1996 and Sasikala and her two relatives had acted in conspiracy to amass huge wealth of Rs 53.60 crore disproportionate to their known sources of income. Dave said Sudhakaran had moved to Jayalalithaa's house in 1992 and was her foster son and his marriage was termed as a marriage of the century.

The bench, however, said "you must stick to the merit of the case and we are not concerned whether its marriage of the century or not. It is none of our concern," the bench said.

Dave continued with the arguments and said, "Case of the prosecution is that they all conspired together to properly utilise the disproportionate assets acquired by Jayalalithaa through a web of companies and firms." Dave further said that Karnataka government was aware of the fact that Jayalalithaa is a public figure and if she is right and innocent, she is liable to be acquitted.

"The High Court has never bothered to go into the reasoning and findings given by the trial court. It adopted a very casual approach. It went all together in a different tangent. Hence its order needs to be reversed," the senior advocate said.

Dave said the High Court's approach was not in consonance with the approach advocated by the Supreme Court all these years while dealing with the issue of corruption.

The FIR was lodged in 1996 but "the powerful people involved in the case subverted the system to their advantage" and eight companies were registered in a single day, he said.

"There are arguments that these companies are independent companies and you can't look into the transaction of these firms. Question is whose companies are these and who are the people running these companies," Dave alleged.

He said AIADMK chief and Sasikala were partners in two companies--Jaya Publication and Sasi Enterprise, and several transactions have taken place between these companies and other firms to "legitimise the disproportionate assets".

"It has now become a fashion for the politicians nowadays to accept ten's of crores from their cadres on birthdays to avoid Income Tax lense but here we are dealing with Prevention of Corruption Act.

"She was taking Rs 1 as salary and on the other hand she takes ten's of crore from her cadres as birthday gift. Is this a way? These are their defence and sometime these defence are even accepted by the court. Suitcase full of money are taken out of the house and deposited in various banks," he alleged.

He claimed that all the four accused were not blood relations and yet they were staying under a single roof just to manage everything through their web of companies.

The arguements of Dave remained inconclusive and will continue tomorrow.

On 27 July, last year the apex court had issued notices on Karnataka government's appeal seeking stay of the high court judgement to Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and her relatives VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, asking them to file their replies within eight weeks.

The apex court had earlier allowed an intervention application by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in the matter and asked him to file the issues he wished to press before it.

The Karnataka HC had on 11 May, 2015 ruled that AIADMK supremo's conviction by special court suffered from infirmity and was not sustainable in law, clearing decks for her return as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

Karnataka government, in its plea against the 11 May last year order, claimed that HC had erred in computing disproportionate assets of the AIADMK leader.

The Karnataka government also asked whether the high court had "erred in law" by according benefit of doubt to Jayalalithaa in pursuance of a Supreme Court judgement holding that accused can be acquitted if his or her disproportionate assets were to the extent of ten percent.

The state government had also claimed that the high court has erred in overruling preliminary objections raised by it and added that the accused had filed their appeals against conviction without impleading Karnataka as a party.

The special court had in 2014 held Jayalalithaa guilty of corruption and sentenced her to four years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore.

PTI
Editors note: Last year, Yasmin M Khan, a Paris-based researcher whose area of interest is Muslim education, visited a collection of small and largemadrassas in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. She spent three months interviewing administrators, students, former students, and local Muslim leaders. Her inquiries ended in September, by which time she had gathered a large quantity of information and opinions on the relevance of madrassas, their role in Muslim radicalisation and the impact the government's madrassa modernisation programme has had on these institutions.

Khan found Muslim opinion divided. Many thought madrassas were being unfairly targeted because of anti-Muslim prejudice and that the debate ignored the role they played in providing Islamic learning and providing free education to poor Muslim children. Others argued that these institutions were an anachronism and called for greater regulation around their sources of funding and their curriculum.

There was near unanimity on one issue: it was all very well to modernise madrassas by introducing computers, but not at the expense of mainstream secular schooling. Parents in rural areas told Khan they were forced to send their children to madrassas owing to the lack of proper schools in villages.

Firstpost invited Khan to write a series of four articles drawing from her travels. We commissioned pencil drawings by Maitri Dore, a Bengaluru-based architect, to serve as visual elements accompanying Khans pieces; she was not allowed to photograph her subjects.

_

By Yasmin M Khan

The Deoband brand of madrassas, which has mushroomed all over Asia and beyond, preaching an orthodox version of Islam and radicalising Muslim youth, is one of Indias most popular exports.

Recently, the Financial Times reported that the word Deobandi (a graduate of Darul Uloom, Deoband) has become shorthand for a Sunni Muslim extremist. The ubiquitous Deobandi madrassas, described as dens of jihadism and violence, it said, were everywhere  estimated to run into tens of thousands. Wave after wave of Deoband graduates have gone on to found their own madrassas across [the] region, wrote the papers South Asia bureau chief Victor Mallet in a comprehensive survey of madrassas on the subcontinent.

Despite its progressive role in the freedom struggle and during the Partition debate, when it rejected Jinnahs two-nation theory, Deoband always preached a hardline and exclusivist version of Islam based on a narrow literal interpretation of the Quran as opposed to the syncretic Sufi Islam that came more easily to Indian Muslims.

Compared to their counterparts in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, Indian madrassas have been relatively benign in that they don't teach violent jihad and their boys have not been directly involved in terrorism. But their radicalising influence is very real. By propagating a narrow and selective interpretation of Islam and its texts that portray women as inferior to men and non-Muslims as kafirs, they sow seeds of extremist thinking. They promote a harsh and intolerant version of Islam and insist that their understanding of the Quran and Sharia alone is authentic  and those who don't accept it are not true Muslims.

Indian madrassas are unfamiliar with what Europeans call non-violent extremism. But it is a slippery slope. Those brought up on a heavily sectarian discourse and bogey of Islam under threat are known to become easy prey to al-Qaeda and Islamic State style propaganda and instigation to violence.

The cultural alienation that madrassas breed make their boys sitting ducks for jihadi groups who are able to exploit for their own purposes, said a former member of the National Commission for Minorities, who wished not to be named.

Experts in the West call it the conveyor-belt effect whereby madrassas initiate the process of radicalisation putting them on the path to further  and often violent  radicalisation. A friend of mine who lives in Meerut decided to send her ten-year-old son to a madrassa during summer vacation to learn the Quran and something about Islam, told me she was shocked when after a few weeks the child started asking strange questions like why she didn't wear burqa; and was it haram to watch movies and have photographs in the house? When she asked him who had told him these things he said his maulvi saheb at the madrassa had. But I was really upset when one day he asked if our Hindu maid was a kafir. I told him to stop talking such nonsense and decided that he was not going back to the madrassa, my friend told me.

And this brings us back to Deoband. Over the years it has become a sort of a franchise, with its graduates setting up their own madrassas based on its teachings and producing some of the most virulent extremists in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Most of these madrassas are funded by those Saudis intent on promoting their fundamentalist and ultra-conservative Wahhabi Islam  it draws its name from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, an 18th century scholar who launched a movement to revive pure Islam purged of other non-Islamic cultural influences and practices such as visiting shrines of saints or even constructing concrete graves.

But it isnt just Saudi money that is propping up Wahhabism. Several other rich Arab countries are ploughing in millions of petro-dollars intomadrassas to promote conservative Islam in the name of protecting and preserving Islamic culture, said Sultan Shahin, editor of the progressive New Age Islam website.

Along with funds, the petro-dollar rich Arab countries also provide the core curriculum and textbooks for these madrassas. This teaching provides basic grounding in an extremist religious outlook that keeps children from interacting with other communities, even other Muslim sects...They are brainwashed in madrassas by semi-literate mullahs and then thrown out without any means or skills for survival, he told the UN Human Rights Council in a submission.

Meanwhile, Deoband takes pride in the fact that its old boys are broadcasting its message far and wide. There's not a single city which doesn't have a Deobandi madrassa, boasted an Ulema. I have visited Darul Uloom several times and every time it felt like being on another planet which doesn't bear any resemblance to the real world outside. The atmosphere  from the orthodox dress code, restricted individual freedoms to a discourse rooted in the idea of a separate Islamic identity reeks of a world sealed off from modern society and outside influences. Students are discouraged from talking to outsiders except with the permission of the authorities, and in the presence of an authorised minder.

Its vice-chancellor Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani makes no bones  in fact declares it with pride  that its mission is to preserve Islamic culture, as he put it in a newspaper interview. He denied that this meant teaching a hate for other cultures insisting that it preached only love and peace.

Deoband's influence goes beyond madrassas: one of the country's most divisive right-wing groups, the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board is dominated by Deobandis and has close links with Deoband. Progressive Muslims including Professor Tahir Mahmood, a former chairman of the National Minorities Commission and a member of the Law Commissioned have called for it to be banned because of its toxic agenda.

Moderate madrassas are struggling to resist the tide of radicalisation even as the government has launched a programme of modernisation ofmadrassas. Introduction of computers and courses in modern subjects have had no effect on the core curriculum which is teaching Islamic theology and training imams of the future. And that curriculum remains unreformed; and it is taught by maulvis whose own worldview has been shaped by fundamentalism.

According to Maulana Waheeduddin Khan, noted progressive Islamic scholar, traditional maulvis have no understanding of the complexitites of the contemporary world and so cannot address modern problems or interpret Islam in a way that would appeal to modern minds" (interview with Yoginder Sikand in Islamopedia Online). His views are echoed by another Muslim scholar and historian S Irfan Habib. He said, madrassa education, the way it is structured, is not relevant for the mainstream employment opportunities.

It is important to stress that Indian madrassas don't preach violence and there is no suggestion that they are involved in anti-national activities. In fact, Deoband is intensely nationalistic  always has been. The violence is embedded in the ideology of intolerance, misogyny, homophobia and anti-Semitism they preach. The fact that most madrassas practice gender segregation even in state-funded institutions as highlighted in the first part of this series, speaks for itself.

The key to modernising madrassas in the real sense lies in reforming the core theological curriculum  the guts of Muslim education  and bringing it in line with the changes brought in several Islamic countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt and Tunisia. Some madrassas in Kerala and West Bengal have taken the lead on this and hopefully others will follow their example. Any attempt by the government to force the issue will be seen as interference but perhaps a start can be made by initiating consultations with Ulemas.

Part 1: Misogyny, and the beginning of reform in north Indias madrassas
Forget, for a moment, that Narendra Modi as prime minister has been nothing like the market-friendly, business-friendly reformer that one expected him to be. In the 21 months we have seen him at 7, Race Course Road, we have witnessed nothing remotely resembling a Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher in him.

However, this is no reason to rubbish his record, for we tend to notice the big failures (the land acquisition bill, and possibly GST), but not the little successes, which have been more frequent, but have largely gone under the radar. A small list: The successful coal and spectrum auctions, the insurance bill, the rise in coal production, the rise in FDI, the deregulation of diesel, the Jan Dhan financial inclusion scheme, the implementation of direct cash transfers in lieu of LPG subsidies, the Uday scheme to fix discom debts, and the steady improvement in public investment and infrastructure in terms of road and railway projects, among other things.

Overall, the economy  aided by benign oil prices  is set for a cyclical turnaround.

The real thing you can fault Modi on is not his refusal to play Thatcher or Reagan or even a Lee Kuan Yew, but his reluctance to lead visibly when confronted by a crisis  real or manufactured. If he fails in 2019, it will not be because his efforts in the area of economics were found wanting, but because his politics has been disastrous. His political leadership has been underwhelming. Maintaining radio silence when the country is going up in flames, even assuming the flames are being fanned by his political rivals, is not a golden virtue.

His opponents, as he lamented the other day, may be digging a pit for him, but the consistency with which he has allowed himself to be dragged into it is due to his own unwillingness to speak with sincerity and clarity on hot-button issues.

Lets take three recent instances: The violent Jat agitation, no doubt hatched by the Congress party; the JNU anti-national slogan-shouting affair; and the Rohith Vemula case in the Hyderabad Central University. In all three cases, he let things slide when a small intervention and/or statement from him would have helped at least correct the impression that he does not care.

In the Vemula case, where a Dalit commit suicide, he stayed mum for nearly a week while the Congress and other politicians were lighting the fire. It was only when, at one of his own public meetings, some people created a ruckus over it, that he spoke of the mothers loss of a son  and quite emotionally at that. It was too little, too late. This is inexplicable given the lengths to which he has gone to woo Dalits to vote for the BJP  and with considerable success so far.

In the Jat agitation, his party had an even greater stake, as this community had only recently warmed to the BJP in 2014 in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. What happens in Haryana is bound to have an impact in UP next year, when Assembly elections are due. Modi needed to be active early, when things were beginning to spin out of control, and offer the promise of jobs through skilling or the setting up of industrial units in those areas. That Jats do not qualify for OBC reservations is obvious, but despite this, the prime minister had no solutions and options with him. Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar, a non-Jat, was all-at-sea before seeming to capitulate.

Or take JNU. The BJP has a big claim to the nationalist position, but at the very least, the stick of nationalism needs to be used sparingly to be effective. Instead, when the Delhi Police acted with haste and arrested Kanhaiya Kumar, the JNU Students Union President, possibly on the basis of doctored video evidence, the nationalism card was wasted.

Not only that, Modi did not comprehend the reality that if he does not speak, those who do  and crudely  will be deemed to have spoken for him. And this is what happened. Lawyers at Patiala House, apparently linked to the BJP or its ideals, went on the rampage against Kanhaiya and the media, and embarrassed the government. Not only that, the polices reluctance to register a case against them  all caught on camera - made it seem as if the government was holding their hand.

How can this not affect Modis credibility?

The simple reality is this: Nature abhors dead air. If Modi is silent, someone else will fill the silence and build the wrong impression. This is how Sangh hotheads repeatedly undermined even the good things that Modi did to reach out to estranged communities  like his speech to a convocation of bishops in Delhi last year after the alleged church attacks. This conciliatory gesture got overtaken by the RSS chiefs blunt and negative views on Mother Teresa.

Not that Mohan Bhagwat was wrong or not entitled to his views, but when the left hand negates what the right hand is doing, it is Modi who pays the price.

Modi is also making a mistake with the media. Granted, large sections of the Lutyens media is hostile, having been pampered by the Congress and left-wing forces for 50 years, but that is no reason to make it even more hostile by ignoring them. Small favours to limited sections of this media would have helped counter the growing negative perceptions about the BJP government. Moreover, it is not as if Modi courted the regional media to counter-balance this bias. The media, in a media-driven national agenda, is a factor in building perceptions, positive or negative. Modi needlessly dropped this card while playing his hand.

Another mistake is for Modi to believe that what worked in Gujarat would work equally well in Delhi.

Not by a long chalk.

Delhi is where the international and national media intersect, and this is why a small-time city mayor like Arvind Kejriwal has become a national figure. The national and international media seldom bother about what happens in states other than Delhi. Tyranny of the worst kind goes unnoticed, or abandoned after a few perfunctory efforts at coverage. Consider how quickly the Lalit Modi and Vyapam and Sarada scams have vanished from the headlines. But the spotlight on the prime minister, and his real or imagined failures, will be relentless. Modi has to change his gameplan for the media.

If Modi has to rescue the remainder of his three-years-plus term from ignominy, he has to adopt two parallel strategies: Develop a communication strategy that scans and develops positive narratives early for issues that can blow up in the governments face; and two, develop a more effective communication strategy for various stakeholders  from the Opposition parties to his own MPs and the broader Sangh parivar, among others. He needs a strategy even for his bhakts on social media.

Even if the Congress is reluctant to play ball, it is not clear why the regional parties are not regularly talked to. Unleashing a Venkiah Naidu on them is not enough. It is his persona that will make a difference.

The Sangh  and the bhakts on social media  have become unguided missiles because Modi has left them to their own devices. Bhakts without a clue on what Modi is thinking can quickly turn into abusive kambakhts. Modis inability or reluctance to communicate regularly with them is making them talk nonsense, making it seem all their talk has Modis nod. It is through engagement with them in formal forums that Modi can hope to channel their enthusiasm in positive directions. An army of bhakts without direction can go berserk.

In two lines, the message for Modi is simple: He is a great communicator in broadcast format (in public speeches or his Mann ki Baat), but if he does not use these skills and his personality to address other stakeholders in closed-door interactive sessions where there is a real dialogue, he will lose control of the narrative. And his troops.

Politics is about engaging several constituencies at the same time, and it is in politics that Modi is seen to be failing. Good economics needs good politics at the base.
New Delhi: BJP on Tuesday alleged that Congress had a role in the extensive violence in Haryana during the Jat's stir for quota and asked Rahul Gandhi to stop his "divisive politics". The party referred to an audio tape, which has a close aide of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda allegedly inciting more violence, as it trained its guns on Congress. "It is clear from them (tapes) that there was a big conspiracy against the Haryana government. The way destruction was done, people were harassed and looting was done, it is very unfortunates.

"We will expect Rahul Gandhi to not indulge in divisive politics in the country. If you have so much lust for power, then go to the people with your account. If Congress conspires against us, then we are in the court of people and they will do justice," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma told a press conference.

On allegations that Haryana government failed to handle the crisis, he said it was aware of its duties and doing its work.

To a question about massive arson targeting properties, he said law will take its own course. Congress last night sought explanation from PCC delegate Virender over the audio clip in which he is accused of talking to a Khap leader in order to allegedly incite violence amid the ongoing Jat agitation. Virender, a close aide of Hooda, said the voice in the clip was his, "but the conversation has been doctored".

PTI
The Budget session begins on Tuesday (23 February) in an atmosphere of intimidation and hate, with the JNU imbroglio and Rohith Vemula's suicide casting doubt whether any meaningful businesses are possible in this crucial session too.

The earlier two sessions had gone without any meaningful businesses being taken up as the Opposition vehemently disrupted the House raising issues including the rising intolerance. The situation is not different even now.

In his customary address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday strongly criticised disruption and obstruction of Praliament. He called upon all MPs to discharge their responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation.

"Our Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people. Democratic temper calls for debate and discussion, and not disruption of obstruction.

"My government will constantly strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliamentary business. I urge all Members of Parliament to discharge their solemn responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation. Let us all collectively endeavour to build a flourishing and prosperous India," he said.

However, it remains to be seen whether the Houses will be able to discharge any of their responsibilities.

According to PRS Legislative, there are 31 sittings, with the session divided into two parts with a recess from 17 March to 24 April.

The session crucial for there is a biting global slowdown that is crippling the demand condition, while the domestic consumption is also not picking up as expected. A slowdown in legislative business will only hamper the wobbly recovery in the economy presently visible.

PRS Legislative reckons that there are 12 bills to be considered and passed, 4 bills, including the Finance Bill, listed to be introduced, considered and passed, 2 new bills to be introduced and other 2 to be withdrawn.

Here's all you need to know about the key bills to be taken up by Parliament sourced from PRS Legislative:

The Constitution (122nd Amendment) (GST) Bill, 2014:

The bill pertains to long-pending Goods and Services Tax. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha and is now stuck in Rajya Sabha. The Congress has demanded that the rate of 17-18 percent GST rate recommended by the expert panel, has to be included in the constitution, which is not acceptable to the government. The GST is aimed at reforming and streamlining tax system. It envisages the country as a single market and absolves various taxes into one. Economists have said the GST will help lift the GDP growth by about 2 percent in the long run.



The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013:

This regulates transactions between buyers and promoters of real estate projects and sets up state-level regulatory authorities to oversee the sector. Once in place, it is expected to boost consumer confidence as it is expected to ring in transparency in the sector. At present, a slowing down home sales is taking a toll on the economic revival. According to consultancy firm Knight Frank, home sales have declined 4 percent in 2015, with an unsold inventory of about 7 lakh units. The Rajya Sabha Select Committee Report was submitted on 30 July 2015.

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas and other related Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014:

The bill modifies the composition of the Selection Committee to include the leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha, and the manner of declaration of assets of public servants. As per the existing Act the Leader of the Opposition is included in the panel. The Bill warrants an amendment as there is no leader of opposition in the current House. The amendment will pave the way for senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge to be its member. The standing committee report was submitted on 7 December 2015.



The Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2014:

This bill replaces the Anti-Hijacking Act, 1982. It defines hijacking and awards death penalty for hijacking in cases where the offence results in death of hostage or security personnel. In all other cases, the accused will be accorded life imprisonment and moveable and immoveable property may be confiscated. Hijacking has been defined as "seizing control of an aircraft in service, unlawfully and intentionally, by technological means or by exercising force, coercion, or any other form of intimidation". The Standing Committee Report was to be submitted on 11 March 2015.

The Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015:

The Bill seeks to dilute the The Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, 2014, which has already got President's approval. According to this article in the Indian Express, the proposed changes will remove some of safeguards the original bill accorded to whistle blowers from the Official Secrets Act. PRS notes that the Bill prohibits reporting of corruption if it falls under any 10 categories of information such as (i) economic, scientific interests and the security of India; (ii) Cabinet proceedings, (iii) intellectual property; (iv) that received in a fiduciary capacity, etc. The amendments have been passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha. The government needs to speed up operationalising the bill if it is indeed serious about ending corruption.

The High Court and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2015:

The bill seeks to ensure uniformity in pensions and other conditions of service of Supreme Court and High Court judges. The bill has been passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha.

The Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill, 2015:

The bill seeks to repeal 295 Acts which have ceased to be in force, and amends two Acts. PRS notes that the repealed onces include over 20 Acts that were passed prior to 1947. "Further around 200 laws are amending Acts, where the changes made by these laws have already been incorporated into the relevant principal Acts," says PRS.

The Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, 2015:

This bill seeks to repeal 758 Appropriation Acts. "The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill states that these laws have ceased to be in force after one year of their enactment, and are hence obsolete. The Bill seeks to repeal 758 Appropriation Acts, including Appropriation Acts for the railways, passed during the period of 1950-2012. Of the 758 acts, 111 state appropriation acts enacted by Parliament during 1950 to 1976 are to be repealed," says PRS. The bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha and is pending in the Rajya Sabha.

The Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015:

This Bill seeks to amend the 1951 Act which supports development and regulation of select industries such as metallurgical, telecommunications, transportation, fermentation (which includes production of alcohol) among others. This amendment clears a long standing confusion about the jurisdiction of the Centre and states on potable and industrial alcohol. The amendment is aimed at conforming to a Supreme Court order issued in 1997, which clearly vested the authority to regulate production of alcohol for industrial purposes with the Centre and that for potable use with state governments. The amendment will exclude production of alcohol for potable purposes from the ambit of the Act. The bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha and is pending in the Rajya Sabha.

The Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015:

This bill replaces the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986. It seeks to establish BIS as the national standards body and addresses mandatory standardisation of products. The Bill also proposes to introduce mandatory hallmarking of precious metal, prevent misuse of Standard marks and provide for recall of ISI marked products not conforming to relevant standards. Once the Bill is approved by Parliament, the BIS would get the legislative backing to formally represent India abroad. At present, the BIS is not formally recognised as a national standards body of the country, though it has been representing India in various international bodies. The bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha but pending in the Lok Sabha.

The National Waterways Bill, 2015:

The Bill, passed in the Lok Sabha, provides for declaring certain inland waterways as national waterways. It identifies additional 101 waterways as national waterways and repeals five Acts that govern the existing national waterways. Once the Bill gets operationalised, India will have 111 waterways in total. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill notes that though inland waterways are fuel efficient, cost effective and environment friendly mode of transport it has received lesser investment compared with roads and railways. The Bill is aimed at evolving a policy for integrated development of inland waterways. "It will help, trade, industry, farmers, fishermen," transport minister Nitin Gadkari had said introducing the Bill in the Lok Sabha. The Bill is pending in the Rajya Sabha.

The Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, 2015:

The bill introduced by civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju would enable the government to revise the liability limits of air carriers in line with the Montreal Convention, which was acceded to by India in May 2009. As per the revised compensation package, the bill intends to review the liability limit for damage in case of death or bodily injury for each person from 1,00,000 SDR (special drawing rights) to 1,13,100 SDR. As per the Bill, the liability for delay in carriage for each person is proposed to be raised from 4,150 SDR to 4,694 SDR, while the liability in case of destruction, loss, damage or delay of baggage is proposed to be raised from 1,000 SDR to 1,131 SDR. The liability in case of destruction, loss or delay in relation to the carriage of cargo has been raised from 17 SDR to 19 SDR. The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha but pending in the Rajya Sabha.

Apart from these, the bills that to be introduced, considered and passed the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016; The Finance Bill, 2016; The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016; and The Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016.

The two bills listed for introduction are the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and The Indian Institute of Management Bill, 2016.

The two bills listed for withdrawal are The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2014, and The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

With inputs from agencies
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday accused central ministers of driving Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, of the University of Hyderabad, to commit suicide.

"Rohith kept saying that if you suspend me, my career will be ruined. He pleaded with the university not to suspend him. But our system compelled a talented student like him to commit suicide," said Kejriwal, addressing a protest meet at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Hundreds of students and faculty members of various universities took out a march from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar to condemn the "institutional killing" of 26-year-old Vemula. Kejriwal too joined them to express solidarity with the student's family.

"The central ministers drove Rohith to suicide. But even today, the two ministers have not been questioned. The ministers who drove Rohith Vemula to commit suicide are roaming freely and no action taken against them. The culprits should be immediately arrested and investigation initiated against them," he demanded.

Kejriwal also warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi about tangling with students. "Modiji, dont mess with students. If they get together, theyll shake your chair in such a way that you wont forget ever."

Vemula committed suicide on 17 January, triggering widespread protests demanding action against central ministers Smriti Irani, Bandaru Dattatreya and others, blaming them for the suicide.

Five Dalit students, including Vemula, were suspended in September following a clash with a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Dattatreya, who is the MP from Secundrabad, had written to Irani, the human resource development minister, seeking action against the students, following which they were suspended.

IANS
New Delhi: Opposition leaders have thrown the ball in the government's court over the smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha in the Budget session which will be having the first working day on Wednesday, insisting that the government needs to be "more articulate" in floor management.

"House belongs to the Opposition as per democratic norms and Opposition leaders should be allowed to have their say," Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who had a meeting with Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, said.

In an apparent criticism of the floor management of the Narendra Modi dispensation, he stressed that it needs to be "more articulate".

Citing an instance, Bandyopadhyay told PTI that the issue regarding the resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was taken up sometime back by the Opposition, but the government responded only a fortnight later.

At the same time, he said his party agreed with the Speaker's suggestion for allowing smooth conduct of the question hour. This, he said, needed to be observed except when a national issue comes up. He said that the meeting was at the Speaker's request.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi too had a meeting with Mahajan on Monday. Congress leaders have been insisting that they needed to be allowed to have their say in the Lok Sabha like in the Rajya Sabha where the party has got the Leader of the Opposition status due to its numbers.

25 Congress members were suspended by the Speaker some time back following frequent protests over the Lalit Modi controversy.

Concerned over the frequent disruptions in the Lok Sabha during the last two sessions, the Speaker has held consultations with a number of senior leaders including BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab.

Mahajan had meetings with Gandhi and Trinamool Congress leader Bandyopadhyay on Monday ahead of the all party meeting.

Parliament sources said that the Speaker has been in touch with leaders of other parties too.

On Monday, after an all party meeting, Mahajan had said a consensus has emerged among political parties that Parliament should run smoothly and the Question Hour should not become a victim of disruptions.

PTI
Following several incriminating tweets of February 20, and a Firstpost expose on 21 February, the Congress Party was forced to issue a show cause notice to Prof. Virender, former political advisor to ex-Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda  tacitly admitting to a political conspiracy to give a sudden and violent twist to the Jat quota stir in Haryana that has already claimed no less than 16 lives.

It is highly unlikely that Prof. Virender acted unilaterally or alone. But in picking him for action and limiting it to him, the Haryana Congress made clear its intent to deflect fire from Prof. Virenders boss, Hooda, who was on a 'fast for peace' in New Delhi at precisely the time that his home town Rohtak was burning.

The violent Jat quota stir comes at a time when Hooda faces a CBI inquiry for the illegal allotment of a plot in Panchkula. His role in the allotment of a plot to National Herald is also under scrutiny, with sources revealing that an FIR could be lodged against him any moment.

Show cause notice

Issued on 22 February by the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee President, Dr Ashok Tanwar, the show cause categorically states: It has come to our notice through media and social media that an audio clipping circulated on the evening of 21st February, 2016, it has been alleged that you are responsible for instigating the protestors to start violent agitation in other districts of the state which were comparatively peaceful and that too with the support of our rival political party namely INLD and their student wing INSO."

This audio tape of Prof. Virender, advising a captain to stir up fresh violence, came into the public domain late on Sunday, 21 February, 2016.

In the audio, the professor is heard asking the captain to stir up trouble in Sirsa, while commending the work achieved in the Deshwal belt which comprises parts of Rohtak, Jind and Sonepat. Rohtak is Hoodas political constituency and hometown and has had to face the worst of the mob arson and plunder.

The BJP has been forced to deploy 33 army columns in 9 districts of Haryana with maximum deployment in Rohtak. Additional columns are on standby.

The professor, who had earlier admitted on a local Haryana news channel (also reported by the Indian Express) that it is his voice in the tape, later stated that his words were twisted out of context. He also now claims that the captain he was speaking to was a random caller and he does not know his name.

Unfortunately for the professor, Captain Maan Singh, President of the Dalal Khap Chaurasi, has admitted that it was he who was in conversation with Prof Virender in the audio tape.

Motivated violence

The on-ground evidence of Congresss role is even more damaging than the audio, pointing to a well calibrated attack to loot and settle personal scores in the guise of a quota-led agitation hijacked by mindless mob fury.

For example, the maximum carnage was witnessed in Rohtak and Jhajjar areas, Hoodas political strongholds. The mob went on a rampage all along a 7-km stretch from the IG Polices office to Quila Road.

Curiously, Hoodas house and properties were untouched while neighboring houses were torched. The BJPs state finance minster, Capt. Abhimanyus house was completely looted and burnt while his family, who were home when the mob attacked, had to flee to safety. The same treatment was meted out to BJP MLA, Manish Grover.

Hooda and his family, including his son and Congress MLA from Rohtak, Deepender Hooda, however, were nowhere to be seen in their hometown because they had been able to make a timely exit from the scene. A perfect act of political Hooda-ni!

The motivated violence on display in the ongoing agitation has taken 16 lives so far, while injuring another 183. Around 102 persons have been arrested and 320 cases registered.

There has been widespread damage to public and private property with the torching of homes, schools, offices, shops and public and private transport. Rail services in the northern states impacted around 1,337 trains, which includes 527 trains cancelled, besides serious damage to rail property.

The overall damage is estimated at over Rs 34,000 crore. Curfew has been imposed in Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jhajjar and Hisar.

The more dangerous long-term social impact is the planting of a strong seed of enmity between Jats and non-Jats in Haryana. Interestingly, like Hooda, Rohtak is also Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattars hometown, except that Hooda is a Jat and Khattar is not.

This politically sponsored violent quota stir is further strategically timed to sabotage the state governments Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) which was scheduled to be held on 7-9 March, 2016. It has succeeded in achieving this objective, by putting a burning Haryana in the global spotlight.

Congress accountable

Yet, the Congress Party continues to attribute the escalating quota violence to the BJPs incapability to govern the state. The BJP, on its part, while anticipating some violence, admits to being unprepared for the scale and ferocity of the politically sponsored mob violence unleashed on the state.

According to sources in the state administration, the priority of the government is to cool tempers and bring the state back to normal before it investigates the Congress role in the quota stir. Khattar is visiting Rohtak today to appeal for peace and restraint.

Despite all this mayhem, the show cause notice attempts to allow wiggle room to Prof Virender by adding: As you are a member of the Congress party, such outright irresponsible behaviour is not expected from you, therefore, you are directed to reply within three days of receiving this letter. If no reply is received within three days from today then disciplinary action shall be initiated against you.

Normally, disciplinary action involves the sacking of a party member, but in this case, mere dismissal from the party would be a token soft touch reprimand considering the destruction that has been wreaked on the State of Haryana.

Media apathy

Despite Rohtak being a part of the National Capital Region (NCR), the national media, blinded by a collective hatred for the BJP, has remained apathetic to the fact that the Congress, with the possible help of the BJPs political rivals in Haryana, has wreaked such unholy destruction upon Haryana. The BJPs inability, in Haryana and at the Centre, to pin the Congress down for playing with the lives of Indian citizens is another story altogether.
New Delhi: On Tuesday, the Parliament paid tributes to soldiers killed in terror attacks or while securing the nation's boundaries, as Budget Session commenced with the joint address to both Houses by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Paying homage to the seven security personnel killed in Pathankot terror attack, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari said, "Such dastardly attacks and acts of senseless violence deserve to be condemned in the strongest terms and must be confronted with determination and firmness".

Rajya Sabha MP of BJP from Uttarakhand Tarun Vijay had, over a week ago, called for every parliament session to begin with homage to soldiers who gave up their lives for the country. Parliament sessions currently begin with offering homage to prominent figures who have passed away between sessions and to victims of calamities around the world. Vijay's argument was that martyred soldiers too must be remembered for their brave efforts. He had raised the matter during the winter session of parliament and claimed that he had received support from several politicians.

On Tuesday, when Ansari paid homage to prominent persons, including former MPs of the Upper House,

Vijay rose to speak and demanded that tributes be paid to martyred soldiers.

In his obituary references, Ansari also talked about four jawans, who lost their lives in an avalanche in Ladakh, and

eight jawans of Madras Regiment, who were killed in an avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman also paid homage to Lance Naik Hanumanthappa, who was rescued alive after being buried under

35 feet of snow for six days but later succumbed at an Army Hospital.

"The country will always remember the sacrifices of these soldiers in securing the international border. The loss of precious lives and injury to people in all these tragic incidents is indeed painful and unfortunate," Ansari said. The House observed silence as a mark of respect to the slain soldiers.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who termed the attack on the Pathankot air base as a "cowardly act", led the Lower House in paying tributes to the security personnel killed in the incident.

The House also condoled the demise of personnel in the avalanche which struck an army post in Siachen recently. Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha Chairman also expressed sorrow over passing away of former MPs of the House including Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, former Lok Sabha Speaker and ex-Governor Balram Jakhar, former General Secretary of CPI A B Bardhan, former journalist turned Parliamentarian Kapil Verma, M Sankaralingam and Mrinalini Sarabhai, a classical dancer.

PTI
New York: Disgraced American comedian Bill Cosby's wife Camille was called to testify in a deposition in Massachusetts, where her husband is suing seven women who accuse him of sexual assault.

Camille was called to give evidence in a hotel in the northeastern state where the star turned pariah has accused seven women of lying in alleging that he assaulted them  in order to damage his reputation and exact financial reward.

More than 50 women have come forward nationally to accuse the 78-year-old television legend of sexual assault in allegations spanning decades, and yet Camille has stuck by her man. The couple have been married 52 years.

Yesterday's deposition marks the first time that his 71-year-old wife has been forced to give evidence in cases against her husband despite a last-ditch attempt by his legal team to get her off the hook.

Cosby's defense team told AFP the deposition was private and said it would be making no further comment. In addition to being Cosby's wife, she is also his former business manager. In December 2014, as the onslaught of allegations built up, Camille leapt to defend her "wonderful husband" and criticised the media coverage.

"None of us will ever want to be in the position of attacking a victim. But the question should be asked  who is the victim?" she said in a statement.

Earlier this month, a judge paved the way for Cosby to stand trial in the state of Pennsylvania for the first time on a criminal sexual assault charge, throwing out an attempt by his lawyers to dismiss the case.

AFP
KALAMAZOO, Mich. The Michigan Uber driver charged with murdering six people switched vehicles after sideswiping a car at the start of the shooting spree, authorities said on Tuesday, adding that they hoped his phone would help establish a motive for the killings.

It also was revealed that the driver, Jason Dalton, visited a gun shop shortly before the rampage and bought a heavy duty jacket that could conceal a small pistol.

Dalton, 45, was denied bail on Monday after a court hearing in which a detective testified that he admitted to the five-hour shooting rampage over the weekend in Kalamazoo, Michigan, about 150 miles (240 km) west of Detroit.

Less than three hours before the first shooting occurred on Saturday evening, Dalton and a friend visited Southwick's, a gun shop he frequented in nearby Plainwell, a shop employee told Reuters.

While Dalton is a regular customer who usually spends time chatting with the staff, he bought the jacket and left the crowded store within about 10 minutes, said the employee, who asked not to be identified.

"Hes in here enough for me to know he talks to the guys about guns and different stuff, she said.

Searching for a motive for the violence, investigators are now focusing on a gun and a cell phone seized from Dalton and reports that he drove fares for the Uber car-hailing service in between the shooting episodes, said Paul Matyas of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department.

Prosecutors say Dalton randomly shot at people at an apartment complex, a car dealership and a Cracker Barrel restaurant, killing six and wounding two.

"Right after the first shooting at the apartments, he left the scene and sideswiped a car," Matyas said. The accident prompted him to switch cars, moving from a silver Chevrolet Equinox to a darker colored Chevy HHR, both vehicles belonging to his family, Matyas said.

One of the Uber customers he picked up just before the shootings started told WWMT-TV that Dalton got a call on his cell phone and subsequently "he started driving erratically, running stop signs."

Matyas said investigators were focusing on Dalton's contacts with Uber and working to "track his phone calls, track his whereabouts" in the hours before his arrest early on Sunday.

Dalton had no prior criminal record, authorities said.

"We are no closer to a motive two days later than 10 minutes after he was arrested," Matyas said.

The two surviving victims include a 14-year-old girl, Abigail Kopf, who is in critical condition and Tiana Carruthers, 25, who was seriously wounded but is expected to recover.

(Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; editing by Tom Brown)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Calais (France): People fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa, the Mideast and Asia are facing an evening deadline to move out of a camp in the French port of Calais that has become a flashpoint in Europe's migrant crisis.

Authorities, arguing that the slum-like site presents sanitary risks, warned camp residents last week that they have until 8 p.m. (1900 GMT) Tuesday to leave.

A decision is expected Tuesday in a last-ditch effort by charity groups to delay the evacuation.

Officials estimate 800 to 1,000 currently live there, but humanitarian groups contend the figure is more than 3,000.

Regional administration head Fabienne Buccio said on Europe-1 radio Tuesday that the expulsion order doesn't mean authorities will use force to evacuate the site. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve insisted the evacuation would be "progressive."

AP
SYDNEY Fijian authorities were still trying to reach remote areas of the country's archipelago on Tuesday to assess the damage, two days after a powerful cyclone tore through the Pacific island nation, killing at least 29 people.

There are fears the death toll could rise in the nation of 900,000 people when communication resumes with the smaller islands where thousands of people live in tin or wooden shacks in low-lying areas.

Aerial footage of outlying islands taken by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and posted on the Fiji government's official website, showed whole villages flattened and flooded after tropical cyclone Winston tore through late on Saturday with wind gusts of up to 325 kph (200 mph).

Authorities have warned of "catastrophic" damage to Koro Island, Fiji's seventh-largest island.

"I am concerned by the devastating impact on Fiji of Tropical Cyclone Winston," Stephen O'Brien, the United Nations' Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement after speaking with Fijian authorities.

"Whole villages have been destroyed, homes and crops have been damaged, power lines have been cut and more than 8,100 people are currently sheltering in over 70 evacuation centres."

The Fijian government said it would send boats to remote locations in the archipelego of 300 islands on Tuesday to provide urgent aid, amid growing fears of a widespread health crisis following destruction of crops and tainted water supplies.

An Australian government emergency response team arrived in Fiji overnight over the main airport at Nadi was reopened. An aeromedical evacuation team is being sent to the outer islands on Tuesday to provide urgent support and supplies, including water and hygiene kits, medicines and access to shelter.

Both Australia and New Zealand are deploying aerial surveillance flights on Tuesday.

Food and water supplies are a growing concern even in areas such as the capital of Suva that did not suffer as much damage as the more remote regions. The Consumer Council of Fiji has urged traders not to sell food and other perishable items that have gone bad due to the effects of the cyclone.

Winston has weakened to a tropical storm as it heads toward Vanuatu, which was devastated almost a year ago by Category 5 Cyclone Pam.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Washington: In a call initiated by Kremlin, US President Barack Obama today spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss efforts to establish a nation-wide "cessation of hostilities" between the Syrian regime and its armed opposition, the White House said.

During the call, Obama welcomed that an understanding was reached between the US, Russia, as well as other partners in the International Syria Support Group on the terms and modalities for such a cessation of hostilities in the war-torn country from 27 February. "Obama emphasised that the priority now was to ensure positive responses by the Syrian regime and armed opposition

as well as faithful implementation by all parties in order to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, galvanise UN-led political process, and focus on defeating the Islamic State," the White House said.

Obama also stressed the importance of the fulfilment by combined Russian-separatist forces in eastern Ukraine of their obligations under the Minsk agreements, particularly honouring the ceasefire and permitting the Special Monitoring Mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) full access to the conflict area including the international border, the White House said.

Obama underscored the importance of quickly reaching agreement on modalities for holding free and fair elections in eastern Ukraine that meet OSCE standards, the White House said.

In a landmark announcement, the US and Russia today said that the Syria ceasefire would begin at midnight Damascus time (2200 GMT Friday; 3.30 am on Saturday IST) and would apply to parties to the conflict that have committed to the deal - but not to the Islamic State group or Al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Will ceasefire hold?

There was no immediate reaction from Damascus, but the main grouping of opposition factions said it "agreed to respond positively to international efforts to reach a truce deal".

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said he was sceptical that the ceasefire would succeed.

"It is difficult for me to see a ceasefire while Daesh (the Islamic State group) and Al-Nusra Front (the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate) are not part of the process and the Russians say they will strike both organisations," he said in a statement.

The rise of IS, which has seized large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq and become the preeminent global jihadist group, has focused attention on the need for a solution.

Analysts also had reservations about the deal.

"This depends entirely on the good faith of Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime, none of whom have shown much good faith in the last five years," Frederic C Hof, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who formerly worked on US Syria policy, told the New York Times.

Russia began air strikes in Syria last September against what it said were "terrorists", but has been accused of bombing non-jihadist rebel forces in support of Assad, a longtime ally.

Iran has sent military advisers to Syria and the Tehran-backed Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah has deployed at least 6,000 militants to fight alongside Assad's forces.

The 17-nation International Syria Support Group backing Syria's peace process agreed at a meeting in Munich earlier this month to implement a ceasefire by last week, but that truce never materialised.

Hopes for humanitarian aid

The opposition High Negotiations Committee said its commitment to the truce was conditional on the lifting of sieges, the release of prisoners, a halt to bombardment of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

A convoy of 44 trucks carrying humanitarian aid had entered Moadamiyet al-Sham, near Damascus, overseen by the Red Crescent and the United Nations, on Monday, state news agency SANA reported.

Once the cessation of hostilities takes hold, the UN would work to secure "access to as many places as possible in order to deliver humanitarian aid", UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

The ceasefire announcement came just a day after IS claimed responsibility for two deadly attacks in regime-held areas, which a monitor said killed 134 people near a shrine south of Damascus and at least 64 in Homs.

The shrine bombings marked the deadliest jihadist attack since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Shortly after the truce was announced, Assad issued a decree for parliamentary elections to be held on April 13.

The last such elections were held in May 2012 and although multiple parties were allowed to stand, most of the 250 lawmakers who were elected were from the ruling Baath party.

With inputs from agencies
A terrorist attack in Australia is inevitable and government agencies cannot guarantee the public's protection, a counter-insurgency expert says.

On Monday night's Q&A, military strategist David Kilcullen reaffirmed his prediction that terrorists would successfully strike a target on Australian soil.

"Yes, it is inevitable that we are going to see at least some kind of terrorist attack here in Australia," said Dr Kilcullen, former special advisor to the US secretary of state and chief strategist for the US state department's counter-terrorism bureau.
Over a few beers at a Sydney bowling club, a set of keys enclosed in a white envelope was handed to accused killer Roger Rogerson.

These were the keys to storage unit 803  the garage unit where aspiring gangster Jamie Gao walked into and never left alive.

It was at the Club Grandview at Peakhurst where a friend told Mr Rogerson about a unit he had hired to store his furniture in, the NSW Supreme Court heard on Tuesday.

The friend, Michael McGuire, told police that Mr Rogerson was interested in looking at the furniture in early March, 2014.
Refugees squatting in a shanty town outside Calais in northern France ignored an official order to evacuate part of their camp, hoping a court hearing Tuesday will halt its demolition.

Thousands of people fleeing poverty and war in Africa and the Middle East have taken shelter in the makeshift camp known as the "jungle" after attempts to force their way into Britain via the Channel Tunnel were repelled by French police.

The migrants are drawn by the English language, friends or relatives in Britain, as well as better job prospects and living conditions, but their presence has caused tension with some of the local population and forced a permanent police deployment.

Under pressure to reduce the migrant presence, local authorities said on Feb. 15 that up to 1,000 people out of an estimated total population of 4,000 would have to leave the southern part of the camp within a week.

The deadline expires Tuesday at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT), after which authorities will be empowered to remove remaining tents and trash, if necessary by force.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said residents would be evacuated in a "humanitarian operation" and there was sufficient alternative accommodation for all either in the region or elsewhere in France.

"We have nowhere to go so we will just wait," Aziz, 42, from Pakistan, told Reuters. He and 16 other refugees sleep on the floor at the rear of a wooden hut converted into a shopping booth.

Mohammed, 33, fled Afghanistan five months ago and works in a small coffee house nearby with a sign marked "Kabul cafe."

"I hate it here, but at the same time this is where we live now, where we socialize, we don't want to go to a closed space that will be like a prison," he added, referring to a state-run shelter made of converted shipping containers opened last month.

Numbers understated

Charity activists on the ground say the official numbers are understated and closing half of the "jungle" will force some 3,400 people to leave, including women and some 300 to 400 unaccompanied minors.

"We have used a strict methodology based on waste and water consumption," said Maya Konforti, who works with local association Auberge des Migrants (Migrant Hostel).

"An evacuation of the southern part of the jungle will put an end to most of the services migrants enjoy in the camp such as bars, shops, but also schools and churches, places of life," she said.

Local authorities say migrants will be offered places in other refugee centers across France, or moved to the state-run shelters which have no toilets and no direct water access.

The container park has around 500 spare places out of a capacity of 1,500, the authorities say.

Eight NGOs filed a request for a temporary injunction to halt the evacuation with the administrative court in regional capital Lille last week. A hearing is due Tuesday afternoon.

Regional government representative Fabienne Buccio told journalists Sunday that she would comply with any judicial ruling but that the "jungle" had to diminish in size.
Chinese state media plan to boycott the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony in April, purportedly over the politically-charged movie 10 Years, which has been nominated for best picture.

Derek Yee, Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association, confirmed that CCTV and mainland online content juggernaut Tencent are refusing to broadcast the 35th annual ceremony, slated for April 3, after both outfits had obtained live broadcast rights. Tencent had even signed a contract and made a deposit.

According to news reports, Beijing's office of network security issued an order to block 10 Years, an independent movie comprising five fictitious vignettes depicting a bleak Hong Kong, set in 2025, after ten years under mainland China's control. China's state-controlled Global Times slammed the movie as "totally absurd" and "promoting despair."

According to some reports, mainland China will also ban live broadcasts of Taiwan's 2016 Golden Horse Awards, following the election of President Tsai Ingwen, the leader of Taiwan's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The executive committee of the Taiwanese film awards show, however, said it had not heard of the ban and it is still in talks with mainland Internet media about broadcast contracts.

Some analysts in Hong Kong criticized China's ban as "not helpful in winning hearts and heads."

"It will deepen China's rift with Hong Kong and Taiwan," said Deng Xiaohua, a Hong Kong-based writer and critic. "The distance between cultural creativity and reality makes us think. Beijing should not have such a big political reaction, as it will just provoke greater resentment."

Taiwan Minister of Culture Hong Mengqi on Monday called upon Beijing to have confidence in itself, not to interfere in cross-strait cultural exchanges from an ideological point of view.

He said that Taiwan Golden Horse has always adhered to the spirit of openness and freedom, and that mainland policies won't change that. Only with freedom, can there be creativity and good works, he said.

Mainland China's CCTV began live broadcasts of Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards in 2001.
Numerous Senate Republicans have hardened their stance against any Supreme Court nominee put forth by President Barack Obama for the remainder of his term in office.

No [confirmation] hearings, said Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma as he emerged from a weekly gathering of the Republican caucus.

Im not going to meet with the nominee, said Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. There will be no hearing, no vote. Well let the next president decide.

For more than a week, most Republicans had argued that the next president, not Obama, should pick a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia, who died earlier this month. But until Tuesday, few had spelled out whether that meant voting to reject a nominee after confirmation hearings or an absolute refusal to grant any consideration whatsoever to an Obama nominee.

Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky confirmed the prevailing sentiment after the caucus meeting.

My view, and I can now confidently say the view shared by virtually everybody in my conference, is that  this vacancy should not be filled by this lame-duck president, McConnell said.

Democrats: Obama should appoint

Democrats met separately behind closed doors and signaled no retreat from their insistence that Obama is both entitled and duty-bound to fill judicial vacancies throughout his term, which ends in January 2017.

I would hope that Republicans will relent from a position that is unconstitutional and unsupported by the vast majority of the American people, said Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. My message to Republicans is: Do your job.

Ive talked with the president, and I know he will fulfill his constitutional duty. He will nominate an individual to bring the Supreme Court back to full strength. And of course, he should, said Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The next nominee to the Supreme Court deserves full and fair consideration by the Senate. That includes a timely hearing and then an up-or-down vote, Leahy added.

Hoping for moderate pick

Obama could name his pick for the high court any day. Some of his Senate allies are urging a moderate jurist who will be difficult for Republicans to stonewall.

Justice Scalia was one of the most conservative justices in American history, said Democrat Chris Coons of Delaware. I do not think President Obama should seek to replace him with a comparably outspoken progressive nominee. I dont think this moment calls for that. I think this moment calls for balance and for challenging Republicans to put principle and our Constitution ahead of partisan advantage.

Asked whether a moderate selection would alter his opposition to confirmation hearings, Republican Inhofe gave a succinct response: No.

A few Republican senators have said an Obama nominee deserves Senate consideration and an up-or-down vote. But they are too few to help Democrats overcome a filibuster of the nomination, if it ever reached the Senate floor.

Banking on public support

For now, both sides appear to be banking on public support for their stances, with Republicans seemingly eager to cast this years elections as a referendum on the future of the Supreme Court.

Who will Americans trust to nominate the next Supreme Court justice? McConnell said. Will we allow the people to continue deciding who will nominate the next justice, or will we empower a lame-duck president to make that decision on his way out the door instead?

Well see what the American people cause them [Republicans] to do, said Democrat Blumenthal. The American people hold the ultimate hammer, and lets hope they use it.
Scientists in Africa say they are a step closer to prevention of HIV transmission.

Researchers have been studying a vaginal ring containing an antiretroviral drug called dapivirine. Their findings show the dapivirine ring, inserted into a womans genital tract and used for a month at a time, reduced the risk of HIV infection by 27 percent.

The study, known as ASPIRE (A Study to Prevent Infection with a Ring for Extended Use), was conducted in Malawi, Uganda, South Africa and Zimbabwe by researchers from the University of Zimbabwe-University of California San Francisco Collaborative Research Program. The U.S. National Institutes of Health funded the research, and more than 2,600 women took part between 2012 and 2014.

Zimbabwean researcher Felix Mhlanga has coined a phrase about the antiretroviral product: "There is hope in ASPIRE.

"There is hope in the sense that we got a prevention agent that is able to avert one in three infections," he said. "We also have hope in the sense that, if funds permit, this ring can be taken into full production for use.

"A lot of the infections are occurring in young women, 60 percent of them. For once, they have a product they can use and you do not really have to explain it to other people. It is not like a condom, which you have to negotiate with your partner."

In a second trial, called the Ring Study, HIV risk was reduced by 31 percent overall, and by 37 percent among participants older than 21. HIV activist Tariro Kutadza said those results left her concerned about whether those under 21 would use the ring effectively.

"I think it is their attitude," she said, wondering whether younger women would use the ring for a while, then want to move on to another option. "We have a lot of work to do" to promote use of the product, she said.

Any progress in defeating HIV transmission would be welcome in Zimbabwe and nearby countries. Estimates say out of the 34 million HIV-positive people worldwide, 69 percent live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Syria said Tuesday it accepts a cease-fire plan proposed by the United States and Russia that would begin Saturday.

A Syrian government statement said the military will continue its operations against Islamic State and al-Qaida-linked groups.

The U.S.-Russia plan also does not apply to those militants, and any other groups have until Friday to confirm their participation.

The main Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee said late Monday it agrees to the cease-fire as long as its demands for the lifting of sieges, delivery of humanitarian aid, and an end of bombings of civilians are met.

Cease-fire deal

In a joint statement Monday, the U.S. and Russia said that under the plan parties involved in the conflict would limit any use of force to situations such as responding in self defense. The parties would also agree to provide unhindered access to humanitarian groups delivering aid to besieged areas.

The U.S. and Russia are co-chairs of a cease-fire task force that is part of the 17-nation International Syria Support Group. The group met in Munich earlier this month and had hoped to implement an initial cease-fire plan by last Friday.

Some of the issues linked to the cessation still appear to be unresolved.

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said over the next few days, the task force will work out standard operating procedures.

He also said the group may rely in part on non-government organizations and journalists in Syria for reports on possible cease-fire violations.

No one is denying that this is going to be a challenging environment to monitor, said Toner.

The group is also seeking assurances from the Syrian government, the opposition and other parties involved in the conflict.

"Over the coming days, we will be working to secure commitments from key parties that they will abide by the terms of this cessation," said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

In an interview with Al Arabiya, Syrian opposition leader Khaled Khoja expressed concern that the Syrian government could use the presence of al-Nusra terrorists as a pretext to continue hitting rebel targets in areas near the terrorist group.

Earlier, the White House said President Barack Obama and Russian Leader Vladimir Putin spoke by phone Monday to discuss the plan.

The White House said Obama emphasized that the priority was to ensure positive responses by the Syrian regime and the armed opposition.

Russian and American military will jointly define the territories on the map where such groups are active, said Putin.

IS attacks

Word of the potential truce comes a day after Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Damascus and Homs that left over 100 people dead.

Toner, of the State Department, condemned the attacks and said it would take a "united and global effort to destroy this terrorist organization."

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement the terror attacks need an adequate reaction from the international community.

A U.N. spokesman said Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon welcomed the cease-fire plan and "strongly urges" all parties to abide by terms of the agreement.

U.N.-facilitated talks between the Syrian government and opposition broke off earlier this month, partly due to opposition concerns about the Russian-backed Syrian government's continued bombings around Aleppo.

U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura initially planned to resume talks by February 25, but last week, the U.N. announced the talks would be further delayed.

Russia's airstrikes have been blamed for increasing the war's toll on Syrian civilians, prompting more of them to leave their homes as refugees and try to flee across the border into Turkey.

UNICEF welcomed word of a cease-fire plan Monday, which could allow relief organizations to expand deliveries of aid.

If implemented, a cessation of hostilities represents an opportunity to begin the work of repairing a country that has suffered far too much for far too long, said Anthony Lake, the agencys executive director.
A one-year-old baby of an asylum-seeking family from Nepal was discharged from an Australian hospital on Monday, ending a 10-day standoff between medical staff and the government over whether she should be sent back with her parents to the Pacific island nation of Nauru.

Australian-born baby Asha was flown from an Australia-run immigration camp on Nauru 3,300 kilometers to a hospital in the Australian city of Brisbane in late January for treatment of scalding burns from hot water.

She was treated at the Lady Cilento Childrens Hospital, but doctors said on Feb. 12 that they would not discharge her if she was to be immediately sent back to Nauru.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said Monday that the baby had been released from the hospital to live temporarily with her parents in private rental accommodation paid for by the government. Dutton said they were in community detention, which usually means asylum seekers are able to move freely in the community but must reside at a designated address every night.

The government still intends to send the family back to Nauru after a court hears their challenge against deportation, Dutton said.

We are not going to allow the message to get out that people can come to Nauru, come to Australia for medical assistance, and that will be their ticket out into Australian society  that is not going to happen, Dutton told Nine Network television.

The family is among 267 asylum seekers facing deportation to Nauru after coming to Australia for medical treatment or to support a sick relative. The familys name has not been released.

Hundreds of protesters calling for Australia to accept these asylum seekers have maintained a vigil outside the hospital since the doctors announced they would not send Asha back to Nauru.

Australia has all but stopped asylum seekers from the Middle East and Asia attempting to reach Australian shores on boats from Indonesia in the past three years by refusing to allow boat arrivals to ever settle in Australia. They are sent to immigration camps on Nauru and Australias closest neighbor, Papua New Guinea. Rod McGuirk, Canberra , AP
Chinas Foreign Ministry yesterday reasserted Beijings right to develop its South China Sea island outposts following a U.S. think tanks report that China has built new radar facilities in the disputed Spratly Islands.

Citing commercial satellite imagery, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS, said the radars on the outposts of Gaven, Hughes, Johnson South and Cuarteron reefs could be key to helping China establish effective control over the strategically vital areas sea and airspace.

China has been building islands on top of reefs and atolls it controls, then adding air strips, harbors and other infrastructure that would help consolidate its control. Five other governments also hold maritime claims that overlap with Beijings, and the U.S. has said it is concerned about Chinas militarization of the area.

Beijing rejects the accusations, saying it is merely installing defensive measures on islands, primarily for civilian purposes.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had no specific information about the CSIS report, but said China had undisputed sovereignty over the area.

Its within Chinas sovereignty to carry out constructions on its own territories, Hua told reporters at a regularly scheduled news conference. By deploying some necessary defensive facilities on the relevant islands and reefs it defends in the South China Sea,China is exercising the right of self-preservation that every country enjoys according to international law, which is beyond reproach.

Hua reiterated charges that international media were paying too little attention to Chinas construction of lighthouses, weather stations, fishermens shelters and other civilian infrastructure that Beijing portrays as public goods and services for the benefit of the international community.

She said Chinas pursuit of peaceful development and good neighborly relations shouldnt be called into question. China wants to make joint efforts with each side to keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable, Hua said.

CSIS said the new radars would significantly bolster Chinas ability to keep an eye on ship and aircraft traffic in the southern portion of the South China Sea, complementing its monitoring of the seas northern areas from existing facilities.

Improved radar coverage is an important piece of the puzzle  along with improved air defenses and greater reach for Chinese aircraft  toward Chinas goals of establishing effective control over the sea and airspace throughout Chinas South China Sea claims, the CSIS report said.

The report comes a week after it was revealed that Beijing had deployed surface-to-air missiles on an island in the Paracel group, northwest of the Spratlys. The U.S. said the presence of missiles provided increasing evidence of militarization of the area by China.

China subsequently accused the U.S. of militarizing the region, saying patrols by U.S. Navy vessels and military aircraft had escalated tensions and raised concerns about stability in the area.

The South China Sea and ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula dominated talks yesterday in the U.S. between Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

In an editorial yesterday, Chinas official Xinhua News Agency said divisions over Korea and the South China Sea had been amplified thanks partly to Washingtons hidden agendas and recklessness.

It is also noteworthy that it is Washington that is fanning up the flames by flexing its muscles in the South China Sea and by emboldening nations in their territorial disputes with China, the editorial said. AP
An investment seminar was held yesterday at the Grand Lapa Hotel by the Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macau as part of their Pop-Up Canada! in Macau event.

The seminar, titled Invest in Canada: your partner and platform to the world, presented Canada as an ideal destination for outbound Chinese investment. It outlined, through reference to other Group of Seven (G7) countries, Canadas comparative advantage in case of business policies, availability of talented workforce and education levels, and the countrys forecasted GDP growth rates in the years ahead.

Among those presenting were Lynn McDonald, Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner, and Janice Vogtle, Consul and Trade Commissioner, both from the Consulate General.

Representatives from Canadian law firm McMillan were scheduled to present alongside members of the Canadian Consulate General, however the companys presenters were unable to attend for reasons not disclosed at the seminar.

The presenters also emphasized Canadas easy access to important export markets, such as the U.S. and Mexico, under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Additionally, since major population centers in Canada lie in close proximity to the countrys border with the U.S., in some cases Canadian manufacturing areas are actually closer to northern U.S. cities than their U.S. counterparts, providing a comparative advantage in terms of transportation costs.

A Hong Kong-Canada Tax Treaty was signed in November 2012 and has now become formally ratified. It is designed to encourage cross-border business and investment and provide protection against tax discrimination and double taxation. Staff reporter
Cambodia is holding its biggest-ever joint naval training exercise with China this week, a senior Cambodian officer said yesterday.

Deputy navy chief Vice Admiral Vann Bunneang said 70 Cambodian sailors will join 737 Chinese counterparts on three Chinese warships that have already docked at Cambodias Sihanoukville port.

He said the exercises today and tomorrow will cover rescue activities and emergencies at sea.

China is eager to project its influence in Southeast Asia as it presses its extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea. Cambodia, which has close economic and political ties with Beijing, has offered little support for rival claims made by its Southeast Asian neighbors.

The Chinese naval visit follows by just a few days a goodwill visit by three ships from Japans Maritime Self-Defense Force. Japan has maritime disputes of its own with China, with which it competes for influence throughout Asia.

The arrival of the Chinese warships and the Japanese vessels was a matter of pride for Cambodia, and shows that our country has peaceful and good relations and cooperation with all countries, Vann Bunneang said.

When asked whether China was making a show of strength to project its influence, he said it was not strange for powerful countries to show off their modern military equipment.

It is like a clothing company: After they make a new product, they often advertise. So the presence of Chinese warships in Cambodia or other places is because China is a big country and wants to show off to the world their modern technology, he said. AP
Greeces government warned yesterday it expected a growing number of stranded migrants and asylum seekers after neighbor Macedonia further restricted border access at the weekend.

Ioannis Mouzalas, a deputy minister for migration said the European Union was failing to deal with unilateral actions and an outburst of scare-mongering from individual member states.

Macedonia imposed the restrictions at the weekend after Austria imposed a cap on transit and asylum applications.

The action  blocking Afghans from crossing the border and generally restricting access  from left thousands of migrants stranded in Greece, at the border and the port of Piraeus, near Athens, where regular private services to the border were suspended.

Once again the European Union voted for something, it reached an agreement, and a number of countries who are lacking the culture of the European Union, including Austria, unfortunately, violated this deal 10 hours after it was reached, Mouzalas told state-run ERT television.

The European Union cannot act in a united way to this outburst of scare-mongering from various countries. And that is creating problems, and these problems also involve our country.

Nearly 100,000 migrants and refugees have traveled to Greek islands from nearby Turkey so far this year.

Police said about 2,000 people were stranded at the border camps near the Greek border town of Idomeni, including some 600 Afghans who staged a peaceful protest, holding up Afghan flags and hand-written banners.

Among them was 25-year-old Shafiulahh Qaberi who traveled to Greece from the northern Afghan city of Kunduz.

Weve been here for three days, and no one knows why they have closed the border, he told the AP. I dont need food and I dont need water. What I need is to get over the border. Why are they stopping us? Costas Kantouris, AP

Nationalist leader rejects criticism of rhetoric

The leader of a rising German nationalist party is rejecting accusations that her rhetoric has helped stoke anti-migrant hatred, and says her party offers a very necessary option for disgruntled conservatives as regional elections near.

Frauke Petrys upstart Alternative for Germany party has climbed in polls as Germany faces a migrant influx. It advocates much tougher controls and has faced criticism over various comments made, including an interview last month in which Petry herself suggested police could shoot refugees trying to enter Germany.

Yesterday, the mayor of the town of Bautzen, where onlookers celebrated as a former hotel being turned into a refugee home burned over the weekend, accused Petry of spiritual arson a phrase often used in Germany to denounce incitement.

Petry rejected that as cheap polemics.

hungary catches 500 migrants trying to enter

More than 500 people were caught trying to enter Hungary last weekend, the highest figure since the construction last year of fences on the borders with Serbia and Croatia meant to stop the flow of migrants reaching the country.

According to police statistics, 501 people were caught between Friday and Sunday, including 237 on Sunday, the highest one-day figure so far in 2016.

Hungarian police caught 598 migrants in January, but more than 1,550 have been caught so far this month.
Her connection with Thomas A. Dorsey ushers in a whole new era of gospel music, says Eric Abercrumbie, UC executive director of diversity and community relations. "It becomes more upbeat. It moves away from the hymn-style of music and that was very controversial, because many black people felt the music was too 'clubby.'"



Born the daughter of Alabama sharecroppers and the granddaughter of slaves, Gamboa says Louise Shropshire moved to Cincinnati in 1917 and spent much of her life in the Queen City before moving to California to be with her ailing mother in 1967. Her husband, Robert Shropshire Sr., ran a successful bail-and-bonds business, which Louise also turned to when raising funds to bail out fellow activists jailed for civil disobedience. The family business remains in operation in Cincinnati.

So, the collection is not just about the song, but also about her life and the most influential civil rights activists that she called her friends," says Gamboa. "Its an extraordinary body of work that I liken to King Tuts tomb. I think little by little, the world will start to recognize what is here. She was a woman in her day who was one of the unsung heroines of the church during a period when you only heard about the contributions of men.


October 7, 1925-February 22, 2016

WENDELL | Darlene Stevenson, 90, of Wendell, passed away Monday February 22, 2016, at her home. She was born October 7, 1925, in Montpelier, Idaho, the daughter of Rudolph William Sutter and Zella Bird Meeks Sutter.

She spent her youth and school years in Montpelier where she loved attending local dances and swimming in Bear Lake. On August 25, 1943, she married Lynn Stevenson in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. To this union was born four sons. Darlene and Lynn started out in the Weston area then moved to the Magic Valley, eventually settling in Wendell. She was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in a variety of callings including, Primary and Relief Society presidencies and as a Visiting Teacher.

Darlene is survived by her sons, Michael Lynn (Barbara) of Willows, CA, Keith William of Wendell, and Allen Abel (Merrilee) also of Wendell; her grandchildren, Joanna (Josh), James (Tiffany), Scott (Richelle), Breezi and Skylar; her great-grandchildren, Aliyah, Hunter and Charlotte. She is preceded in death by her husband, Lynn, their son, Ronald Gary and her brother, Glen Sutter.

A visitation will be held Friday evening, February 26, 2016, at Farnsworth Mortuary, 1343 South Lincoln, Jerome, where family and friends may call from 6-8 p.m. Funeral services will be conducted at 1:00 p.m., Saturday February 27, 2016, in the Wendell LDS Chapel, 605 North Idaho Street, Wendell, Idaho, with Bishop Brad Nebeker officiating. A visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow in the Wendell Cemetery. www.farnsworthmortuary.com
TWIN FALLS | The City Council is entering the refugee issue after unanimously voting Monday to appoint a liaison to a local advocate group.

The Council heard from the Magic Valley Refugee Advocates, a fledgling group that intends to establish services for refugees in Twin Falls if it's able to land a grant and hire staff.

While council members did not offer support for the groups efforts  and in fact were opposed to being listed as a supporter in a letter of intent for the grant being sought  they agreed an exchange of information with the group was appropriate. It marks the first time the city has formally engaged in a months-long heated debate over refugee resettlement in the Magic Valley.

Were just going to participate in the dialogue, Councilman Don Hall said.  We need to be sensitive to every perspective of this issue.

The Council voted unanimously to send Councilman Gregory Lanting, and supporting staff as needed, as liaisons to the advocate groups steering committee.

Several Council members were not pleased, however, the city was listed as a partner agency in a grant being pursued by the local advocacy group from the Partnership for a New American Economy, an immigration advocacy organization formed by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Vice Mayor Suzanne Hawkins noted the Magic Valley Refugee Advocates listed the city as a supporter before it had agreed to be a partner.

Even if I support what were doing here tonight, it really sets a bad precedent for anybody whos filling out an application before it comes to us to submit our name, she said.

Erika Willsey, presenting on behalf of the advocate group, agreed that it was pre-emptive and told council members that, regrettably, mistakes had been made in the letter. The Council asked the Magic Valley Refugee Advocates to remove its name as a supporter.

I am adamant that the city of Twin Falls should not be listed as a supporter of this group, Councilman Chris Talkington said.

Hall also stressed the importance of being careful, since the letter labeled an anti-refugee group as notorious.

Willsey said her group does not have a solid plan in place but would create a steering committee to determine what direction it needs to take. The group intends to approach other governments, nonprofits and businesses.

We dont know what were doing, quite frankly, she said.  Were trying to gather the experts.

Residents speaking at the meeting were largely opposed to bringing refugees into Twin Falls. Calling it a war on the American people, Vicky Davis opposed refugees taking American jobs.

They are not cultures that will integrate into the American system, Davis said.

Elizabeth Niccum said integration is not currently required, but it should be. Another resident asked for an end to the refugee program altogether.

Lanting, however, said these sentiments have come up throughout history.

Some of these concerns are the same concerns weve had in the past because we are all immigrants, he said.

Lanting is a direct descendant of a recent immigrant, and he noted that the city could not control or intercede on a federal program.

Rick Naerebout, speaking on behalf of the Idaho Dairymens Association, asked for the citys engagement.

I think only good things will result if you do participate and they reach out to other (groups), he said.

Naerebout told the Times-News his association supports efforts to provide services to refugees and immigrants that would allow them to integrate and become productive members of society.

Immigration reform has been our No. 1 focus for a number of years, he said.

As many area dairy producers hire refugees and immigrants, the association also wants a visa program that would allow temporary workers to become permanent in its industry.

This issue is divisive no matter where you slice it, Mayor Shawn Bariger said after the public comment.

Barigar noted that the city is responsible for assisting all citizens who live in Twin Falls, no matter where they come from.

Im concerned that the decision-making is about politics instead of about service to our citizens, he said.  This is about identifying gaps in service.
BUHL | Federal prosecutors want to seize property owned by Saul Farms in Buhl, under suspicion it was purchased with $1.7 million of fraudulent proceeds. No charges have been filed against owners Bernard and Roza Saul, but the FBI conducted a lengthy investigation stemming from a routine inspection at a Caldwell company.

Federal investigators believe a routine inspection by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture last year turned up a case of organic-farming fraud in Southern Idaho.

Prosecutors are seeking to seize vehicles, farming equipment, cash and other property belonging to Saul Farms and its owners, Bernard and Roza Saul, of Bliss, under suspicion the property was purchased with fraudulent proceeds. They say the Sauls repeatedly bought nonorganic seed and resold it as organic, which commands higher prices.

Prosecutors also want a federal judge to grant them access to a $1 million property that includes a residence and 438 acres in Buhl purchased by the Sauls, though they are not seeking to seize that property.

No charges have been filed. The Sauls did not respond to Statesman attempts to obtain comment.

The owners of businesses in other states that bought what they thought was organic alfalfa seed told the Statesman they now are scrambling to find new suppliers. Farmers and seed-handlers that bought from Saul Farms or its sister company, Bliss Seed, supply dairy and beef operations across the Midwest, the East Coast and the southeastern U.S.

The U.S. Attorneys Office on Feb. 11 filed a legal complaint in U.S. District Court in Twin Falls County to seize the property, based on events Boise-based FBI agent Drew McCandless recounted in an affidavit.

Since May 5, 2015, I have been investigating what appears to be a scheme to defraud farms and seed companies that purchase organic alfalfa seed for use or resale, McCandless wrote, adding that he found probable cause of mail and wire fraud.

How It Began

Here is what happened, according to the complaint and affidavit:

Since at least January 2010, Saul Farms regularly bought conventional alfalfa seed from suppliers that it then sold as organic seed to customers.

Although alfalfa grown from conventional seed might not be treated with fertilizers or pesticides, those or other synthetic chemicals in the seed itself can carry into the alfalfa plants. To qualify as organic, the seed must be grown with only organic inputs.

Saul Farms delivered organic seed to Summit Seed Coatings, a seed-coating business in Caldwell, for nearly three years, supplying about 75 percent of the organic alfalfa seed going through Summit. Summits manager told the Statesman that Summit does not own any of the seed that it handles on its way to customers.

The deliveries included an estimated 300,000 pounds over eight months before the State Department of Agriculture sent an inspector to Summit last March 26 to conduct an organic-handler inspection. The inspector noticed several loads of alfalfa seed that had come from Bliss.

State Gets Suspicious

A manager told the inspector the seed was provided by Bernard Saul. But the shipments did not seem to match state records showing Saul Farms could grow only 38,400 to 43,200 pounds of the seed each year.

Inspectors took samples of the Saul Farms seeds on April 15 and Aug. 20 and sent them to a laboratory in Portland. They both tested positive for pesticides and fungicides.

Investigators later talked to the owners of Andrews Seed Co. in Ontario and United Seed Service in Caldwell. They said they had sold conventional, nonorganic alfalfa seed to Bernard Saul for up to five years. They sold Saul up to 170,000 pounds per year or growing season.

A review of Bernard and Roza Sauls personal and business bank accounts held at Columbia Bank from January 2010 through September of 2015 revealed numerous outgoing checks to seed distributors for the purchase of conventional alfalfa seed, McCandless wrote.

Money Trail

The affidavit lists about $7.6 million in checks deposited to various bank accounts between January 2010 and August 2015 from sales of conventional seeds Saul Farms said were organic.

Among them were checks totaling more than $500,000 deposited in the Saul Farms account in November and December 2013 from wholesalers that specialize in organic seeds. Ledgers the Sauls provided to inspectors in 2014 included neither those sales nor the Summit Seed Coatings shipments.

Saul Farms sold the organic seed for an average of $3.75 a pound, McCandless wrote. Saul Farms purchased nonorganic seeds for an average of $2.50 a pound, he wrote.

Strange Names

McCandless wrote that Bernard Saul was interviewed at the U.S. Attorneys Office last October. Three days later, the Sauls filed paperwork to transfer the Buhl property into the name of Cascade Investments, a company whose address matched the Sauls.

The people listed in records from 2008 as president and secretary of Cascade Investments were G. William McName and R.R. Podmareva. The latter name corresponds with Roza Sauls name on the couples 2004 marriage license.

After reviewing other records relating to Bernard and Roza Saul and their business entities in the Idaho Secretary of States database, I found the name McName numerous times ... including George MacName, George MacNamee, George Mac Name, and G. William McName, all connected to the Sauls addresses, McCandless wrote. Attempts to locate George William McName have been unsuccessful. A search of database records for individuals in Idaho with that name or similar phonetic names turned up negative results.

The Sauls could not be reached for comment, and the Statesman was unable to determine whether they have legal representation.. A voicemail box belonging to Bernard Saul was full and could not accept messages. The Statesman left a message at a separate phone number that was listed for Saul in court documents from an unrelated lawsuit several years ago. A third phone number listed for Saul in a public-records database rang to a fax machine.

Local companies named in the complaint declined to comment.

U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson said the investigation continues. She acknowledged that forfeitures not associated with a criminal charge are unusual, though civil forfeitures are legal when authorities suspect property was involved with illegal activity.

A lot of times you see forfeiture involved more often with a criminal case, and thats probably the bulk of the forfeiture work that we do, Olson told the Statesman. But this is another tool available to the government, and as the matter unfolded, we decided that this was an action that needed to be taken at this time.

Unfortunately, at this time I cant really go into any more of the details than are set out in the complaint, she said. I can say its an ongoing matter, and well take the additional steps that are necessary as we reach that point in the case.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Tapi Gas Pipeline: Hopes And Challenges

by R.G. Gidadhubli

It is indeed a historic event that leaders of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India broke ground on the December 13, 2015 giving a big push to the long awaited TAPI gas pipeline project linking Central Asia and South Asia. This ceremony was held in Turkmenistans southern city of Mary in the Karakorum desert which is an important location on this proposed pipeline route. Some basic facts are as follws: the project will be costing about $ 10 billion; the total length of the TAPI pipeline will be 1735 km and the project is estimated to be completed by 2019. In fact the pipeline would start from the Galkynysh gasfield, formally known as the South Yolotan-Osman field, near the town of Yoloten in Turkmenistans eastern province of Mary.

There are high hopes and expectations that, when completed, it might significantly ease the energy deficit of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan since the pipeline will carry 33 billion cubic metres of gas per year alongside Afghanistans Herat-Kandahar highway, then via Quetta and Multan in Pakistan ending up at Fazilka that is Indias town bordering Pakistan. Hence it is of great relevance that the Vice-President, Moham-mad Hamid Ansari, attended the function. And he was joined by the Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, apart from the Turkmen President, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, and the Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani.

Secondly, looking back, this project was conceptualised almost two decades ago in the 1990s after the Soviet disintegration when Turkmenistan became sovereign and indepen-dent. India joined the project in 2010. India imports about 80 per cent of its energy needs of which natural gas constitutes about 46 per cent. Hence this project has great relevance for meeting Indias energy needs. Moreover, as this international pipeline reaches Indias territory, it will reduce the import cost. Indias major gas firm, GAIL, will represent India in the project.

Thirdly, there are high hopes and benefits for Turkmenistan as well since energy export by this pipeline will give an additional dimension to enter into the South Asian market and specifically the huge and growing market of India. Moreover, Turkmenistan seems to be rightly considering the desirability of reducing its over-dependence on China, which has become a major importer of natural gas from Central Asia.

It is worth noting that in 2009 the Turk-menistan-China pipeline was undertaken passing through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and that has already materialised. There is, however, a difference between this pipeline and TAPI, because the latter passes through a difficult terrain and region which poses security concerns. Moreover, in the Turkmenistan-China pipeline, China actively participated in technical, financial and infrastructural aspects of the pipeline in addition to providing personnel support in the project.

Fourthly, coinciding with this event, Turk-menistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan have entered into an agreement for laying a power transmission line along with the TAPI pipeline route. In a way clubbing these projects might give a major hope and advantage for successful completion of projects.

Challenges

As opined by some Western analysts, there are many challenges facing the TAPI project. Firstly, there are high hopes expressed on this event which might be somewhat misplaced. This is possibly because not even one section of the proposed pipeline has been laid so far, even as the TAPI pipeline consists of four parts passing through four countries.

Secondly, the security issue of the pipeline is important and, as opined by US analyst William Byrd, the situation on the pipeline route in several regions of Afghanistan is highly insecure. Some regions of the pipeline are under the control of the Taliban and in some areas the warlords have great influence. For instance, in 2015 the Taliban and militant groups of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan briefly captured villages right on the border with Turkmenistan. Similarly, the pipeline passing through Balochistan in Pakistan is pretty insecure as there have been separatist move-ments prevailing there for many decades. Hence the security arrangement is most essenteal. While it is siginificant that the Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, has pledged a 7000-strong force to guard the pipeline and its construction, it is being speculated as to whether any measure has already been undertaken in order to involve the Taliban and local power-holders by taking them into confidence including offering economic incentives. In that case it may be asked if the TAPI might help the peace process in the region.

Thirdly, the cost factor of the project is important. As per information at present, Turkmenistans state gas company, Turkmengaz, has promised to contribute 85 per cent of the cost of constructing the $ 10-billion pipeline. The rest (of 15 per cent) will be shared equally by the three other partner countries, that is, five per cent each. GAIL will represent so far as India is concerned. But there is every possibility that the cost might go up. In fact the initial cost of the project in 2008 was estimated at $ 7.6 billion and it has increased by nearly 25 per cent already. Hence the possibility of hike in funding of the project could be a reality which will have to be borne by all the stakeholders of the project. In fact some critics question the economic viability of the TAPI for Turkmenistan itself, which will be bearing 85 per cent of the estimated cost of the project, since the total GDP of the country is about $ 45 billion. Under conditions of sharp decline in global energy prices during the last over a year, the Turkmen economy is already facing a major financial crunch being over-dependent on income from energy export-earning petrodollars. Hence it will be a challenge for Turkmenistan to bear the cost of this project.

Fourthly, funding of the project is partly linked to the security issue. In fact it appears that in the initial stage some international companies such as Unocol, Delta, which had showed their interest to participate in the project, withdrew mainly due to security reasons. Hence it is now to be seen how international energy and financial institutions will respond to the TAPI. As per reports, while the French major Total company has withdrawn, there are expectations that the Dubai-based Dragon Oil firm might be interested. Moreover, the issue of production-sharing is important for participation by global energy firms for any investment, which may pose a challenge for the project.

Fifthly, Turkmenistan proposes to export 90 million metric standard cubic metres (mmscd) of gas through the TAPI over 30 years. Hence as far as sharing of oil is concerned, India and Pakistan are expected to get 38 mmscd each annually, while Afghanistan will get 14 mmscd every year. Thus India will have great benefit as and when the TAPI becomes operative. While there seems to be an understanding on this issue at present, much depends upon the intergovernmental agreement on a longterm basis. But consistency and continuity of the agreement between India and Pakistan will be a major challenge to ensure that gas is supplied to India as per the agreement. Hence institutional and legal issues are also involved for India to take the benefit of energy supplies by the TAPI when it becomes operative.

Sixth, at present the price for natural gas is expected to be $ 4 per unit from the TAPI which is almost half of the prevailing price which is an indication that it will be very economical for the three importing countries. But if the overall cost goes up, then the price charged by the TAPI might also go up.

Seventh, as announced by the Turkmen President, the TAPI project will be completed by 2019 which seems over-optimistic. In fact as per reports, Turkmenistan had taken seven years to complete the East-West domestic pipeline, which is half the length of the TAPI, linking the eastern part of the country with the Caspian Sea initiated in 2008. Hence the declaration that the TAPI will be operative by 2019 is highly unrealistic; this is all the more when it involves three foreign countries and the security and geographical conditions are very adverse. Moreover, a mega project like the TAPI needs highly qualified specialists and experts for organisational design and construction of the pipeline. Turkmenistan lacks such expertise.

In lieu of conclusion, it may be stated that the challenges need to be addressed by the leadership of the participating countries to ensure that the vision of the TAPI project will become a reality and strengthen the economic and political ties between Central Asia and South Asia.

Dr R.G. Gidadhubli is a Professor and former Director, Centre for Central Eurasian Studies, University of Mumbai.
A solar farm ( Image credits- VOA/ Author0





Author- Aniket Bhavthankar





Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande laid the foundation stone of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) headquartered in Gurgaon during the latters visit to India as a chief guest for 67th Republic Day. Modi and Hollande jointly announced formation of the ISA during Conference of Parties-21 in Paris the last year. The ISA visualizes building a partnership between more than 120 countries situated between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn as they receive sunshine in abundance for around 300 days in a year. Currently, 121 countries across the world are part of the ISA. Renewable and non-traditional energy sources are one of the ways to confront the challenges of the climate change.





Indias Intended Nationally Determined Contribution has set an ambitious target to scale up capacity of renewable energy from 30 GW in 2015-16 to 175 GW by 2021-22. In this, the share of solar energy is expected to be about 100 GW. ?Indian governments goal of electricity to all can be achieved chiefly through solar energy and, hence, the government has launched a scheme for development of 25 solar parks, Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects and solar pumps for farmers.





Private players are also coming to the forefront to assist in the generation of solar energy. Hero group has asked many commercial groups and individuals to rent their rooftops for solar installations and in return gain power at cheaper rates. In India, investment in the solar energy is increasing and this is indicative that the country is emerging as a lucrative market for the solar energy. The price of solar energy has fallen sharply from 17 in 2010 to 4 in 2016. However, achieving the target of 100 GW of solar energy is a daunting task. There is a need to increase efficiency of solar photo-voltaic (PV) cells to 30-40 percent and this requires research and development in the field of solar PV cells. The ISA can anchor and take lead on this front. India has provided 5 acre land for the campus of the ISA and promised USD 27 million for constructing building, other infrastructure and meeting recurring expenditure for the next five years.





President Hollande suggested that the ISA is a gift of India to the world in its struggle to fight climate change. France will allocate USD 336 million over the next five years. France will also mobilize its companies, research organizations and diplomatic network to achieve goals set by the ISA. France is already involved in solar energy projects in India. Hollande also expected that the ISA should work at pooling demand of solar energy to bring down financing costs and open their markets to reduce cost of investment and obtaining new technologies. Participation of developing countries from Asia, Africa and South America is the important feature of this alliance but developed economies are also enthusiastic about the ISA. This may help in facilitating technology transfer, an important hurdle between developing and developed group of countries.





Importantly, Morocco, poised to become a solar superpower with the launch of worlds largest concentrated solar power plant is not part of this initiative. Same is true for Germany, which produces 80 percent of its energy from renewable resources and almost 7 percent from solar energy, is not part of this alliance. Though Morocco is not situated between two tropics it receives ample amount of sunshine. It will be great to tap in expertise of both Germany and Morocco in the area of solar energy.





There are several challenges ahead of this courageous initiative. First and foremost challenge is to decide about tangible targets for the working of this alliance. A countrys specific legal commitment about export of solar panels and cheap solar technology needs to be discussed while signing formal agreement by June 2016.





Next, it is necessary to build a robust governance structure to realize the objectives of the ISA. The ISA needs to work on several innovative financial mechanisms to reduce the cost of capital and make the investment in solar energy more attractive. It is pertinent to note that investment worth USD 1 Trillion is required to realize the goal of installing 1000 GW solar energy by 2030. Private sector is envisaged to play an important role in this initiative as they are expected to contribute USD 500 billion. The ISA needs to establish formal links with the corporate sector. At present few corporate like Areva, Engie, Enel, HSBC France and Tata Steel are part of the ISA.





In September 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This agenda states that renewable energy must be given priority. However, the UN has not created any specialised agency to focus on solar energy. The ISA may fill this vacuum and also satisfy the Indian ambition to spearhead as the global powerhouse in the domain of solar energy. Through the ISA, India also wants to send a signal to the larger world community that it can think and act beyond coal in a proactive manner. The ISA is a bold initiative and we need to wait and watch to assess its success.





About the author - Aniket Bhavthankar is a Senior Research Associate at the Society for Policy Studies. He can be contacted at - Aniket Bhavthankar is a Senior Research Associate at the Society for Policy Studies. He can be contacted at aniketb@spsindia.in





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Prime Minister Sharif Ismail and Interior Minister apologized to Egyptians for the police brutalities that have been making the headlines since the beginning of the year.

We apologize for the acts of some policemen, we kiss the head of every citizen subjected to abuse or insult or any unkind act by policemen, the two officials said in a joint press conference broadcasted live on state TV.

President Sisi on his part said he would urge the parliament to review sanctions for police abuses.

Egyptians criticize Sisi for running the country with an iron fist and the security services for using the crackdown on terrorism to abuse the population.

The Prime Minister assured that police violations will not be hidden and those who commit them will be held accountable while admitting that the image of the police needs to be transformed.

Police brutality has triggered a series of public demonstrations. Several police officers also protested at the Security Directorate in Sharqiyah province against the arrest of 7 of their colleagues while they were heading for an interview with a private TV channel on the killing of a driver by a low-ranking police officer.

Last week, a police officer allegedly shot dead a driver following a disagreement over the fare for a delivery. In January, policemen attacked two doctors in Matariyah General Hospital. An Italian student also disappeared in Cairo before he was later on found dead with signs of torture. The Italian media claim that it was the work of Egypts security services.
The head of the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) Mustafa Sanalla stated that the countrys oil facilities would come under frequent attacks if a national unity government is not formed. His warning comes after the Fida oilfield in eastern Libya with a capacity between 360,000 and 370,000bpd was attacked and two tanks set on fire at the end of last week by a group believed to be affiliated to the Islamic State.

Spokesperson for the Petroleum Facility Guard in Eastern Libya, Ali al-Hassi, said the attack was carried out by a small group loyal to the Islamic State. The group members fled before a larger force arrived on the spot to track them.

The Torbuk-based House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the approval of the Government of National Accord (GNA) proposed by the presidential council under the Libya Political Agreement this Tuesday. The government will be based in Tripoli.

Amid fears that the countrys oil sector could suffer long term damages from attacks, NOC has limited production capacity to protect infrastructures. Repeated assaults left major damages on Es Sider and Ras Lanuf.

At the humanitarian level, the situation is no better. UN official for humanitarian issues for Libya, Ali Al Zatari, told the Arab League that the funds available for the country would dry up next month. He said the funds to be received from the UN would only last for the first quarter of 2016 as the agency continues to manage with the $4.4million it received out of the estimated need of $166million.

With the war still ongoing and actions against the Islamic State group in Libya expected to be intensified, civilians will face very hard times if aid is halted for insufficient funds.
King Mohammed VI who is on a visit to France visited on Tuesday the Kingdoms consulate general in Orly, in the vicinity of Paris, where he met the sixteen Moroccan Consuls General in the European country and enquired about the measures taken to improve consular services.

The Kings visit to the consulate is a premiere but it was expected since July last year when the Sovereign had drawn a bleak picture of the consular services provided to Moroccan expatriates.

Several members of this (Moroccan) community expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment they were subjected to in some consulates and complained about the poor services provided, both in terms of quality and deadline, and about administrative obstacles, the King had angrily said in his Throne Day Speech on July 30.

The King who had renewed his keen interest in the situation of Moroccan citizens living abroad and his endeavors to strengthen their commitment to their identity and to get them involved in the nations development process, had denounced the consuls who neglect the mission they are entrusted with and focus on personal and political issues.

He had urged the Foreign Minister to take firm action and remedy the problematic situation in some consulates and to dismiss those found to be guilty of neglecting their duties, flouting the interests of the Moroccan community abroad or mistreating its members.

The King had insisted that even if the consulate staff cannot meet the requests of citizens, they should at least treat them with respect and courtesy.

In any event, communication and interaction should be improved and services made more readily available to citizens, while procedures should be simplified and upgraded, and human rights and dignity preserved, King Mohammed VI had said.

During his visit to the Orly Consulate General, the Sovereign was briefed by the Foreign Minister, Salaheddine Mezouar, on the measures taken to improve consular services and on the action plan and projects designed by his department to this end.

Among these measures, he mentioned the improvement of the reception of the Moroccan expatriates within the premises of consulates, the simplification and modernization of consular services, and the facilitation of administrative procedure in addition to the promotion of cultural and social actions.

After he visited the various departments of the Consulate and enquired about the staff working conditions, King Mohammed VI held a meeting with representatives of the Moroccan community settled in Orly.

At the start of his visit to France last Wednesday, King Mohammed VI held a meeting at the Elysee with President Francois Hollande and attended in the Arab World Institute the presentation of the project related to the construction of Moroccos House of Culture in the French capital city. The French President had also attended the presentation of this Moroccan cultural project.
Libyas internationally recognized House of Representatives (HoR) based in Tobruk is resuming debate over the proposed Government of National Accord on Monday after the Sunday session was called off to allow UNSMIL Chief Martin Kobler to talk to key political figures in Tobruk.

Monday session is to discuss the new line-up proposed by Prime Minister-designate Faiez Serraj who is present in the city too.

HoR President Ageela Salah postponed the Sunday session as he met with Martin Kobler and Serraj to discuss the pertinence of a vote for the proposed line-up.

Reports say Kobler arrived in Tobruk to persuade lawmakers still divided over the unity government as the first session on Saturday was marred by haggles and disputes between rival sides.

The eyes of the people of Libya are on Tobruk. They expect a GNA. I am here in Tobruk today to help, not to interfere, Kobler tweeted as he visited Tobruk.

Libyan online daily Libya Herald pointed out that there are still strong opposing voices against the GNA in the HoR. Anti-GNA group alleges that the unity government is controlled by Muslim Brotherhood. It also reportedly raps the Presidency Council which it deems too large and should be downsized to the Prime Minister and his two Deputies.

There are fears that the HoR may want to amend the Constitutional Declaration to incorporate the Libyan Political Dialogue Agreement into Libyan law. Kobler had already warned HoR that it had no legal right to do so.

In a separate report, Libya Herald indicated that an unidentified warplane destroyed an IS boat carrying fighters off the Libyan coast near Sabratha, site of US Friday air raids that killed dozens of IS fighters, mostly Tunisian jihadists, that were planning terrorist attacks in Tunisia, according to Libyan authorities in Tripoli.

Neither Tripoli authorities nor the Libyan National Army linked to the Libyan internationally recognized government in the East claimed air raid on the boat.

Armed forces linked to Tripoli have also reportedly launched air raids against IS positions in late Col. Gaddafis hometown, Sirte. Tripoli authorities said war planes from Misrata airport struck jihadists positions and hideouts in the town.

IS has since last June took control of the town after it drove out Tripoli-backed militiamen. It has since then established the town as its new base wherefrom it launches sporadic attacks.
Tunisia could soon be welcoming German troops on its territory as part of its fight against the Islamic state group with talks between the defense and foreign ministers of the two countries expected to finalize the agreement.

The German forces are not expected to take part in military combat since defense commissioner Hans-Peter Bartels stated in a report last month that the military has reached the limit of its capacity for interventions. German forces are currently engaged in the coalition against the Islamic State group and the training of Kurdish forces in northern Iraq.

Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported that Germanys forces will only help train Tunisian forces inside Tunisia and the project could be extended to Libyan forces if the war torn country is able to form a unity government. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said Islamic State group has developed to become a terror group threatening all of North Africa.

A press release from the Tunisian interior ministry on Sunday stated that a five-member dangerous terror cell from Sabratha in Libya was dismantled by National Guard units in Ben Guerdane on Saturday. The ministry said they were planning attacks in Tunisia.

The previous day, the US launched airstrikes on Sabratha targeting militants of the Islamic State group. Most of those killed in the raid were Tunisian jihadists who were undergoing training in the Libyan town and preparing to launch attacks in Tunisia.

According to press reports relaying the Pentagon, Noureddine Chouchane, a terrorist wanted by Tunisian authorities for his involvement in the attacks against the Bardo Museum and Sousse resort was among those killed in the US raid.

Tunisia is battling against terror attacks and has built a wall along its border with Libya as attackers reportedly received training there.

On Saturday, a military patrol unit opened fire on an off-road vehicle coming from Algeria after the driver refused to obey orders and warning shots to stop. Defense ministry spokesman Belhassen Oueslati said ten people from Morocco and Algeria were in the vehicle and claimed to be heading to Libya in order to travel illegally to Europe.
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Iran cancels visa regime for Georgia

The visa regime imposed for Georgia has been abolished; a visa free regime will take effect from February 15, Irans Deputy Ambassador has told reporters.According to him, economic relationships develop when there is free travel between people. Iran and Georgia have the potential to increase trade flow, he said.According to Georgias Foreign Ministry, the corresponding official note of Georgias Foreign Ministry was handed over to the Iranian side.According to the decision, citizens of Irans Islamic Republic that own ordinary passports will be allowed to be in Georgia without a visa for 45 days after crossing the border, stated the Ministry.
Medvedev to NATO: Terminate relationship if you want!

By Messenger Staff

NATO always takes offence when Russia tries to intervene in world politics and that is exactly what happened after the events in Georgia, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told Euronews.When something happens on the world agenda and Russia participates in it, the North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation immediately takes offences and says 'We are suspending our relationship with you'. That is what happened after the events developed in Georgia. Now the same is happening as a result of developments in Ukraine. We say: its up to you. Terminate relations if you want to, Medvedev said.According to him, Russia wants to have good relations with the U.S. and EU, and Russia is ready to improve ties with the West.Russia has already proved several times how it ignores international conventions or legislation.It always tries to shift blame onto other countries and brands itself as the only peacekeeper.The reality is that Russia hides behind the mask of international security to interfere in the domestic business of other nations.The most negative result is that the international community - NATO in particular - always takes into account the possibility of angering Moscow, which often causes them to do nothing.Georgia is consistently praised for fulfilling its obligations to fully integrate with international Western bodies, but the process of Georgias integration into the EU and NATO is still slow.The excuse voiced every time the West denies Georgia entry into either body is a lack of political goodwill.Exactly what is meant by this is unclear, but it is likely that it refers to repercussions of provoking the Russian Federation.
written to entertain my American friends in Freiburg's sister city Madison, WI, with odd stories from Freiburg, Germany, and tales about my travels.
@PatriciaMazzei

On what turned out to be the last full day of Jeb Bushs presidential campaign, a man with a distinctively English accent stood to ask him a question.

Can you vote? Bush interrupted with amusement.

I dont think so, the man responded. Ive had the privilege of reporting for the Times of London  

Oh, youre a reporter, too! Bush cut in again. (The man was a columnist.)

And then, there in Greenville, South Carolina, Bush said something that left no doubt he was still Miami Jeb: This is going from Guatemala to Guate-peor!

I laughed, but few others did. Besides Bushs wife and son, a Colombian-born voter, and another bilingual reporter present, no one else seemed to get it. From bad to worse, Bush had said  using a Spanish-language colloquialism.

Moments like this made covering Bushs candidacy particularly endearing for a Miami reporter. When I least expected it, Bush would show flashes of his inner Hispanic  even in places where his biculture couldnt possibly fit, in a Republican primary year dominated by a front-runner who wants Mexicans to pay for a beautiful border wall.

On New Hampshire radio, Bush called his wife, Columba, mi querida. A staple of his stump speech involved telling voters, in perfectly accented Spanish, he met her in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. His two granddaughters, he bragged, will someday check off not applicable as their ethnicity in Census forms  because theyre Texan-Mexican-Canadian-Iraqi-Americans.

I looked for that Bush because thats when he appeared most energized and passionate and raw. Claro que si, he said about going to a same-sex wedding. Barbaridades, he said of Donald Trumps insults.

More here.

Photo credit: Roberto Koltun, El Nuevo Herald
via @learyreports

Bob Dole today joined parade of mainstream Republicans backing Marco Rubio. A one-time Jeb Bush ally, Dole singled out Rubio's work for his campaign in 1996. Rubio was then a young and intensely energetic field worker and soon he'd be eying a spot on the West Miami City Commission.

He worked for my 96 campaign in Dade County, Florida, and so Ive had an acquaintance with him way back in 96 when he was a hard worker," Dole told ABC News. "As much as I love John Kasich, you know, Rubio is probably a better candidate. And hes young, Dole added. He wants to grow the party as opposed to [Ted] Cruz. I dont know what he wants to grow."

--ALEX LEARY, Tampa Bay Times
The Florida House is inching closer to passing legislation to reform how the state hands out economic incentives to businesses to create jobs, but they still are not ready to commit to a dollar amount for the program, which has been one of Gov. Rick Scott's top priorities.

"That's a conversation for another day," State Rep. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, told House members when pressed about whether the House was going to give Scott the $250 million he has requested for the job incentive program.

There are 17 days remaining in the Legislature's annual regular session, and how much ultimately is set asside for the program is a key sticking point going into the final weeks of the session.

Scott has run television ads and held a statewide bus tour to promote the incentive package he says the state needs to draw more companies to move to Florida and diversify the state's economy.

The Senate has proposed giving Scott the $250 million, but has made a large portion of that money contingent upon the state getting its share of settlement money from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The House has taken a different approach, first passing legislation with a series of reforms to assure better oversight of the program. The House measures include one that would require job incentive deals over $2 million to go to the Florida House Speaker and Senate President for their approval before a deal could be struck.

The House bill, without the funding amount, is expected to be back before the full House for a vote on Wednesday.
@MichaelAuslen

Judges could be required to presume that it is best for children to split time equally with both parents under a change to the states divorce laws passed Tuesday by the Florida Senate.

Under current law, judges are supposed to consider 20 criteria and the best interests of the child when they write an order. But Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, who sponsored the legislation (SB 250) says the childs wellbeing is an end goal and that to accomplish that, its in the best interests of kids to split time evenly with both parents whenever possible.

The majority of senators agreed, passing Lees bill on a 23-15 vote.

As we look at other child welfare polices that we enact, we always start with the assumption that if its in best interest of the child, we want both parents involved and that we want both parents to take responsibility, said Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville.

Opponents raised concerns that creating a 50/50 starting point for court orders could prejudice judges and that it meddles too much with judicial discretion.

Each case is different, Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa said. Each comes with its own unique dynamics, and conceivable, someone could come in not being equal to the other.

Lee, however, disagrees. The legislation allows judges to deviate from the 50/50 timesharing based on the 20 criteria judges use under current law and two additional issues.

Whats more, he said its a civil rights issue.

We have legislation moving year in and year out, some this year, that is designed to create equal rights, but somehow when it comes to the courts its not important? Lee said.

An identical bill in the House was not heard by any committees, but an omnibus reform of divorce laws that includes a similar provision is ready for a House vote. That legislation must clear two more committees in the Senate.
@ByKristenMClark

Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the U.S. Senate, today began campaigning for Patrick Murphy in Florida's contentious U.S. Senate race and is doubling-down on his call for Murphy's Democratic opponent Alan Grayson to drop out.

Murphy and Grayson, both Florida congressmen, are competing in the August Democratic primary, and Reid has essentially endorsed Murphy. His political committee previously donated to Murphy and today Reid had this to say:

"We need strong leaders in the Senate -- middle class champions dedicated to working hard and getting things done. People like Patrick Murphy," Reid wrote in a campaign email sent out by Murphy's team this afternoon.

He added in reference to Grayson: "What we DON'T need is a disgraceful hedge fund manager masquerading as a 'progressive.'"

Grayson has been under fire -- and is the subject of a congressional ethics investigation -- for his management of hedge funds that were previously based in the Cayman Islands.

Reid two weeks ago issued a statement from his Senate office calling on Grayson to end his bid for Marco Rubio's Senate seat. In the Murphy campaign's email blast today, Reid repeated his statement and urged Murphy supporters to sign an online petition calling on Grayson to drop out of the race.

Grayson's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
@PatriciaMazzei

When a presidential candidate gets to debate in his hometown, that's cause for his friends to celebrate.

Marco Rubio plans to gather supporters to watch the Republican primary debate March 10 at the University of Miami. He will join them afterward at the Newman Alumni Center in Coral Gables, according to an invitation obtained by the Miami Herald.

The event is not a fundraiser. But donations are "welcome," if attendees feel like opening up their checkbooks.

Rubio is not the first 2016 contender who'll stand on stage with home-field advantage. Ohio Gov. John Kasich was the crowd favorite during an August debate in Cleveland.
Inside, she explained, was the reason why she and other Republicans  in Florida and across the country  were lining up to endorse Marco Rubio less than 48 hours after the South Carolina primary.

On this ballot, there are 13 names, she said.

But most of them arent actual candidates anymore  including her first choice, Jeb Bush, who quit the race Saturday and left his supporters up for grabs three weeks before Floridas March 15 primary.

Which means there is no time to waste for Bush backers to brush off the defeat and urge voters  especially the ones with ballots already in hand  to make a new choice.

And, increasingly for the mainstream GOP, that choice is Rubio.

Hes ready, hes effective, hes brilliant, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart said. He illustrates the best of the American Dream, and he will unify and strengthen this country.

More here.

Photo credit: Emily Michot, Miami Herald staff
The Jeb-to-Marco shift will continue on Tuesday as Miami-Dade's Republican legislative delegation, and several Republicans legislators from across the state who endorsed Jeb Bush, will announce their new allegiance to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.

"The prudent thing to do is to support our senator, our hometown guy but, it comes with a heavy heart,'' said Rep. Jose Oliva, R-Miami, who was among those from the Miami-Dade Republican delegation who campaigned for Bush in New Hampshire.

He said the Miami-Dade GOP legislators made the decision they will make the announcement together. Their announcement will follow the announcement today by Miami's congressional delegation -- Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, -- who also had endorsed Bush but announced Monday they will now Rubio.

"I'm terribly disappointed,'' Oliva told the Herald/Times. "I felt Gov. Bush was head and shoulders the most qualified for that job. It's still amazing to me that we have someone like Gov. Bush out of the conversation."

Oliva said he had been approached by supporters of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and by "a plethora of Marco people" but he has not heard from frontrunner Donald Trump.

"Marco was a lot of people's second choice because Jeb Bush was in the race but those who were behind Bush will probably shift to Marco Rubio,'' he said.

Oliva said he can't support Trump because "while he says a lot of things, I don't see any policy."
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A California man is in jail on $100,000 bail after being arrested on three felony charges, including two drug counts and endangering the welfare of a child.

Rory Lee Osburn, 45, was arrested Thursday at the Motel 6 on East Broadway by Missoula police officers and the U.S. Marshals Service. The marshals had an arrest warrant for a woman who was traveling with Osburn.

Osburn is charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute, criminal possession of dangerous drugs and endangering the welfare of a child, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to an affidavit, a third person in the motel room was a 17-year-old boy from Sacramento, California, who said he met Osburn online.

The boy lied to his father about where he was going, saying he was vacationing with a family friend, and instead drove to Montana with Osburn and two other adults, the affidavit stated.

The boy allegedly said the adults used methamphetamine during the drive and in Missoula, and said Osburn told him he was coming to the state to sell marijuana.

The next day, officers obtained a search warrant for the motel room and found small amounts of methamphetamine, 4 pounds of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

In Missoula County Justice Court on Monday, Justice of the Peace Karen Orzech set Osburns bail at $100,000  twice what prosecutors requested  after she was made aware of his criminal history and his status as a registered sex offender in California.
CORVALLIS  Lisa Ludlow Votaw of Corvallis passed away Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. She was born in Bristol, Pennsylvania, to William and Dawn Ludlow. Lisa spent her early years in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, attending Pennridge High School and later went on to Moore College of Art & Design, Tracy Warner School of Design, Bucks County Community College, Cite Internationale Universitaire de Paris and Studio Seven Fashion Career College. She also created a dress design company called Luna Kitty.

Lisa loved traveling and was happiest at the beach. In addition to her studies in Europe, she enjoyed time in Jamaica, Mexico, Peddlers Village, Atlantic City as well as many other places. In 2004, she met the love of her life, Dave. They had shared dreams of travel, and although she was a city girl and he a mountain man, their love for each other prevailed. They married in 2011 in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and honeymooned in Negril. Two years later, they traveled to Mexico. Both trips were highlights of their lives. In the following years as Dave battled cancer and infections that nearly took his life, Lisa never left his side. Her love and devotion carried him through what seemed at the time to be the most difficult challenge he would face.

Lisa loved gourmet cooking and fine dining. She spent time relaxing by shoe shopping and soaking in nearby hot springs! Even through struggles, Lisa could bring a smile to others and always find humor in every situation.

Lisa is survived by her husband, Dave of Corvallis; mother, Dawn Ludlow of Hilltown, Pennsylvania; brother, William J. Ludlow; sister, Cindy Cluff; as well as numerous other family members and friends. She will be greatly missed and forever in our hearts.

Visitation will be held 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at Crossroads Christian Fellowship with a reception to follow. Interment will take place at Corvallis Cemetery. Condolences may be left for the family at dalyleachchapel.com.

A celebration of her life will be held at noon Sunday, March 6, for friends and family at the Silverdale Firehouse on Route 113, Silverdale, Pennsylvania.
The Missoula filmmakers who pleaded guilty in a plea agreement to almost 50 federal and state violations that occurred while they were producing commercial videos about bull trout fishing have blamed faulty information from other people for their legal problems.

In a weekend posting on Facebook, Montana Wild owners Zack and Travis Boughton noted that the Montana Film Office told them they didn't need to obtain a permit to film in and near the Bob Marshall Wilderness in 2013  a charge the film office commissioner denied Monday.

The brothers also said in the months leading up to their trip into the Bob, they sought advice from many people, including fly shop owners, outfitters and past guides about where to fish during our trip. Not once were we ever told that fishing for bull trout in the tributaries was illegal.

Nor were Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks bull trout regulations clear, they argued, saying that the agency added wording to its 2014 regulations to clarify rules that were easy to misunderstand.

FWP Warden Capt. Lee Anderson and criminal investigator Brian Sommers say the 2013 regulations were very clear about where and how anglers could legally target bull trout, listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

Fisheries managers only re-emphasized those rules by repeating some of them in another part of the 2014 regulations, Sommers said, and The reason it was added was just because of these guys.

***

The Boughtons called their violations an honest mistake on Facebook.

In our minds we did everything legally during this trip, they wrote.

Zack and Travis Boughton pleaded guilty to 11 federal citations involving illegal commercial filming in and near the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The Boughtons and a third companion on the 2013 trip, Anthony Von Ruden of Missoula, pleaded guilty to 38 more state violations for intentionally fishing for bull trout in closed waters, failing to immediately release bull trout and failing to report a bull trout on the required FWP bull trout catch card.

The three were fined a total of $5,950, and avoided the potential loss of fishing, hunting and trapping privileges by entering into the plea agreement in Powell County.

The Boughtons said that even though they felt they had an advantageous case to make in court, they entered into the plea agreement because they wanted to begin work on their next feature film.

(W)e are filmmakers and not lawyers  we feel more comfortable behind a lens than in a courthouse, they wrote.

***

Although they did not respond to interview requests last week, the Boughtons posted their side of the story on Montana Wilds Facebook page on Saturday night.

They said they spoke multiple times with Montana Film Office Commissioner Deny Staggs, although they did not identify Staggs by name, and were advised that a special permit would not be necessary for our production.

This was our first year filming as a business and (we) naively believed that the Film Office was the best source for this guidance, they wrote. We later found out that the advice we were given was not true to the law.

I remember the conversations specifically, Staggs said Monday. Their main issue was, would they be considered a commercial production?

Staggs said he asked the Boughtons if they were receiving financial compensation for the filming they did, and when they told him they received gear from outdoors companies in exchange for exposure in the videos, he told them that would be considered a commercial venture and require a commercial filming permit from the U.S. Forest Service.

If youre just going up in the backcountry and documenting your trip so friends and family can watch it, you can show it on YouTube, Staggs said. But if youre monetizing it on a YouTube channel, and accepting money or merchandise from clients, thats commercial, and you have to go through the permitting process.

The Boughtons never told him they also intended to produce a fly-fishing film from the trip for film tours and to enter in film festivals, Staggs added, which would also make it a commercial venture.

From my point of view, they were trying to find a way to not get a permit, said Staggs, who noted his office is a promotional entity, not a permitting one. They also didnt tell him they had a YouTube channel where some of their videos received hundreds of thousands of views, according to Staggs.

The only commercial filming the U.S. Forest Service has ever allowed in the Bob Marshall Wilderness that hes aware of, Staggs said, is 3 Miles an Hour, a Montana PBS documentary about legendary outfitter and guide Smoke Elser that is offered for $19.95 on the Montana PBS website.

***

An FWP news release announcing the plea agreement last week indicated bull trout had been mishandled by the Boughton brothers and Von Ruden during the trip, including an instance where one of the fish was caught, reeled in, netted, handled, and then released with the hook and line still attached so they could film it under water being reeled in, netted and handled again.

Some bull trout were over-handled by the three men for periods of 12 minutes or more, Sommers had charged, and FWP Region 1 fisheries manager Mark Deleray said what the men did with the fish after catching and before releasing them will no doubt have negative impacts on the bull trout fishery.

We believe some of our practices could have been handled better during this trip with what we now know, the Boughtons wrote, but we believe FWP misrepresented this part of their case in their press release about our handling practices. Never was a fish out of water for more than a few breaths and then back into the net quickly. We feel strongly that we had no negative effects on the fishery and we never intentionally released a fish to replay it for the camera. That practice would violate the fish-handling ethos we hold dear.

They can deny it all they want, Sommers said Monday. I have the videos.

Sommers said the men were not charged for any instance where video evidence showed a bull trout was released within four minutes of being netted.

But there were times that unedited video  FWP obtained via a search warrant for more than 2,200 videos shot by the Boughtons during the Bob Marshall trip  showed the three messing with the fish for 15, even 20 minutes, Sommers said. There were some theyd release, that would just go right to the bottom and lay there.

Each and every fish handled during the filming of this project was carefully released to see another day, the Boughtons maintain.

***

A map of the South Fork Flathead in the regulations that showed the tributaries may have confused the Boughtons and Von Ruden.

In our mind, the tributaries were located in an area of the drainage that was open to bull trout fishing, Zack and Travis Boughton wrote.

FWPs Anderson and Sommers said showing the tributaries on the map is necessary to give anglers a way to physically identify the portion of the main stem of the river where bull trout can be targeted. The written regulations make it clear the tributaries are off limits, they said.

Text next to the map was added in 2014 that reads Angling for bull trout is NOT allowed in South Fork tributaries or Big Salmon Lake.

In announcing the plea agreement last week, FWP also said the Boughtons and Von Ruden intentionally and illegally fished for bull trout on the Spotted Bear River and North Fork Blackfoot River during the trip.

The Boughtons did not address those statements in their social media response.

We are sorry if weve disappointed any of our supporters and we are excited to put this behind us, the filmmakers concluded. Our hope is that a look at our body of work and actions will speak louder about our intent and values as outdoorsman (sic) than a simple and honest mistake.

Sommers, the FWP criminal investigator, said he was not surprised the Boughtons were pointing to FWP regulations, the film office and outfitters, guides and fly-fishing shops as the reasons they wound up charged with 49 federal and state violations.

From day one, its always been somebody elses fault, according to them, Sommers said.
When Greg Gianforte recently appeared on "Face the State" with Dave Parker and Mike Dennison, he slipped up and let us in on his plans for undercutting middle-class workers. When asked about Right to Work, Gianfrote dodged the question and simply stated that imposing Right to Work on private sector unions wasnt one of his top priorities. That answer is very telling.

Gianfortes response sounds very much like the answer Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker gave while running for re-election. He signed Right to Work into law the second he took office, of course. He had already pushed through and signed legislation that took away the collective bargaining rights of most public sector workers.

What Gianforte didnt say is even more important; he didnt mention public sector unions: firefighters, police, teachers, snow plow drivers, county workers, school cooks, nurses, etc. - the people who help hold together the fabric of communities. Public sector employees are in the crosshairs and should be on high alert. At least we now know where Gianforte stands when it comes to the rights of working Montanans. Its unfortunate, especially given the recent news regarding the National Right to Work Committees illegal activities in Montana elections. This would have been a perfect opportunity and time for Gianforte to disavow Right to Work and pledge never to sign any such extremist legislation.

The fact of the matter is that Right to Work laws hurt working middle-class families. Facts are the facts. People in Right to Work states make almost $6,000 a year less than people in other states. Right to Work laws lower the wages of everyone. Just compare Wisconsin to its neighbor Minnesota. Most importantly, Right to Work puts the safety and dignity of workers in danger. In fact, workers in Right to Work states have a 43.8 percent higher risk of dying on the job. Why would we want to bring that kind of legislation to Montana?

Gianforte talks about raising wages in Montana, so why he supports an attack on private and public sector unions is beyond me. If elected governor, he would turn worker against worker and neighbor against neighbor.

Montana doesnt need Right to Work and we dont need to elect someone to office who wont give us a straight answer even though his agenda is transparent. The fact of the matter is that you either think Right to Work is wrong or you dont. Those of us in the private sector should take no comfort in Gianfortes non-answer.
Recently the Missoula County commissioners wrote a letter giving their support to allowing 100 Syrian refugees to settle in the Missoula area. The agreement allows the refugees to be housed within 100 air miles of Missoula.

Thus, in the years to come, the following cities and towns will see their schools, housing, crime rates and tax levies increased to care for Muslim Middle Eastern refugees who will be on welfare most of their lives: all Bitterroot cities and towns; all communities along Interstate 90 to the Idaho border; all I-90 communities east to Butte; all communities along Highway 200 to Trout Creek; all communities north of Missoula to Kalispell; all communities east along Highway 12 to Helena.

The experience of other locales that have done this is to open the floodgates. Next year it will be 200 followed by 400 then 800, etc. Meanwhile the seed refugees are bringing in as many relatives as possible. Thus, thousands of Middle Eastern refugees are headed for western Montana.

Out of 847 Middle Eastern refugees only one Christian and one Jew were admitted, yet these are the minorities being slaughtered.

Why would Democrat Gov. Steve Bullock allow this disaster to befall most of western Montana? He is going to use subsidized housing to move these future Democrat voters into predominately Republican voting districts to flip the legislature to Democrat control. He doesnt care about the rape epidemic that follows or the law enforcement/justice system costs. He doesnt care about the cost to local school districts to provide for interpreters, special lunch meals for Muslims, nor dedicated prayer rooms. Nor does he care about the cost to local health departments to treat exotic Middle Eastern diseases. All he cares about is signing these folks up as welfare recipients and expanding his Medicaid/Medicare program to create future Democrat voters.

Norm Johnson,

Polson
Charity begins at home. Once the needs of all Montanans deserving assistance in securing proper shelter, nutrition, education and employment have been met, it may then be time to review accepting undocumented and unvetted individuals from foreign lands into our state.

Ravalli County commissioners understand that, since being purged of liberals in past elections. Yet, a band of the usual suspects from Hamilton are in the process of securing signatures in support of Syrian refugee settlement in our area, via a MoveOn.Org-type petition. Politics at the county commission in Missoula are different than Ravalli, as is the city council thought process and other liberal agenda in that community.

A strong voice to accept refugees from unknown backgrounds into our area is both disgusting and disturbing, but what else can be expected from the liberal Democrats, in any community? Let each county take care of the needs of those less fortunate within their boundaries, before accepting those from out of country. Most certainly, charity begins at home.

Dave Hurtt,

Florence
A sort of tongue-in-cheek letter.

Will we blunder into World War III? And what kind of war would it be? America does not seem to be prepared, nor is the world, to handle a war against terrorist groups. So let's leave that one alone for now.

But how about the saber-rattling going on with Russia? Now that sort of war would be the "conventional" kind we are used to, right? This is where one large nation fights another. Or how about just invading Russia and getting Vladimir Putin out of power? I mean, it's been well over 10 years since we have invaded a nation. And it seems so sensible to get the Putins, the Gaddafis, the Husseins and other dictatorial types "out of there" so the world can be peaceful, secure and well-run.

But, let's wait until after the November elections to determine whether we carpet-bomb, launch superior troops on the ground or try to convince NATO to join us in bringing law and order to the world.

There is so much at stake here. Let's just make sure it is not America that is tied to that stake, begging for mercy.

Bob McClellan,

Polson
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HELENA  A crime lab in eastern Montana that officials had hoped to open by January still isnt up and running, but progress is being made.

Contracts and construction costs are the cause of the delay, said Mike Milburn, deputy chief of staff to Attorney General Tim Fox. The state is placing the lab for testing and identifying drugs at Billings Clinic, which has to do some construction to accommodate the facility.

Were trying to wrap up some of the loose ends, Milburn said Monday.

Some of the work to make the lab secure, such as adding special doors and locks, as well as moving some entrances, will cost more than expected. Milburn added that because Billings Clinic is new to state leases, its taken more time to negotiate the contract than expected.

The state does things different with leases, he said. Its a back-and-forth process that has been lengthy, not complicated, but it just takes time."

If all goes as planned, the lab could open in a month and a half. Milburn said that the lab itself is ready to go  only the renovations to address security need to be done.

Its pretty minor construction time-wise, he said. Were hoping its not going to take very long.

The lab has hired an analyst who is ready to start once the facility opens and has made a job offer to a second analyst who would start in mid-March. An evidence technician will be hired once the lab opens.

Rep. Dale Mortensen, R-Billings, carried the bill for the new lab in the 2015 Legislature. A former law enforcement officer, Mortensen said at the time the lab was needed because of long distances between eastern Montana and the state lab in Missoula.

The Legislature authorized, but didn't budget, the Department of Justice to spend up to $310,000 to secure a lease for two years and $476,000 to pay employees and run the lab. That means the money to start up the lab will come out of the existing DOJ budget and the agency will ask the 2017 Legislature for supplemental funding.

Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito said earlier this year an eastern Montana crime lab was his top priority because of the backlog of cases at the lab in Missoula.








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BY most measures, Americas public schools are now more racially and socioeconomically segregated than they have been for decades.

In the Northeast, 51.4 percent of black students attend schools where 90 percent to 100 percent of their classmates are racial minorities, up from 42.7 percent in 1968. In the countrys 100 largest school districts, economic segregation rose roughly 30 percent from 1991 to 2010.

In some ways, its as if Brown v. Board of Education never happened. Increasing residential segregation and a string of unfavorable court cases are partly to blame. But too many local school officials are loath to admit the role that their enrollment policies play in perpetuating de facto segregation.

While Mayor Bill de Blasio has supported several recent grass-roots efforts to integrate individual schools in New York City, district officials have avoided taking a stand on school integration amid controversy. Carmen Farina, the schools chancellor, recently declined to support parent proposals to merge attendance zones for two highly segregated schools just nine blocks apart on Manhattans Upper West Side. She instead placed the responsibility for integration on individual parents. Parents make choices, she said.
The State General Assembly has given final approval to legislation that would allow more holders of concealed-weapon permits to carry guns in the state. Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, who reached a deal on the legislation with top Republicans, is expected to sign it this week. The legislation would expand the number of reciprocity agreements that Virginia has with other states to allow more out-of-state holders of concealed-handgun permits to carry guns in Virginia. It would also prohibit people subject to a protective order from carrying firearms and require a police presence at gun shows for voluntary background checks. Michael R. Bloombergs gun-control group has sharply criticized the governor over the deal, saying it makes Virginians less safe.
Automatic enrollment in retirement accounts counts as the most successful nudge yet tested on a large scale. It also underscores the limitations of the strategy.

Americas shortcomings are serious. The United States has the deepest poverty rates among rich countries. It is at the bottom of the pile in terms of infant mortality, obesity and diabetes, and has the highest teenage pregnancy rate among rich members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the club of advanced industrial nations. The death rate from drug overdoses among young white adults is now about as high as the death rate from AIDS was at its peak in the mid-1990s.

Its great to know that there are promising ways to improve society by developing a smarter email or changing the default choice on an application form. But if the question is whether policy makers can cheaply nudge Americans out of destitution onto a path to prosperity, the answer must be no.

The limits of nudging come into focus in an evaluation by the research firm MDRC of a set of behavioral nudges intended to increase poor fathers payment of child support for their children.

In Franklin County, Ohio, careful reminders increased the share of noncustodial parents who paid support, to 51.5 percent from 48.5 percent. In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, text message reminders increased the payment rate to 49.8 percent from 47.3 percent. In both cases, the researchers observed, the payments were quite small.

If the governments objective was to change the landscape of child support  a critical policy question considering there are 25 million children living with a single parent  this will not be enough.

Policy experimentation is always welcome. But the approach taken in this instance seems to spring from a shaky assumption: Poor noncustodial fathers can afford child support but choose not to pay it. As the MDRC researchers put it, the modest findings suggest that the targeted noncustodial parents may have a limited ability to pay. Dealing with that, however, might cost taxpayers real money.
Manlai Baatar Damdinsuren with two of his adjutants. Damdinsuren was Mongolian patriot and nationalist who took part in revival of Mongolian...
Motoring-Malaysia.blogspot.my is an award winning Malaysian motoring / automotive / car news & reviews website or auto blog. It is where we rant and rave about cars, trucks, buses, motoring, motor vehicles and any interesting automotive industry related stuff. Unswayed in our point of view and darn proud of it! It's not about the numbers...it's about passion. Since 2006 and going strong.
As an environmental engineering student at Montana Tech, Westley Lund spends much of his time hitting the books.

But for the past week, Lund and his friends and fellow college students Craig Smith and Lorissa Renfro have been busy running a campaign  positing on social media, shaking hands and meeting people face-to-face.

At first glance, it may appear as though the trio is running for office. However, theyre actually trying to promote a video they submitted to RedBulls annual video competition, Can You Make It?

In Can You Make It? teams from around the world submit videos documenting their sense of adventure. By doing so, they hope to win a chance to compete in a pseudo reality-TV competition that involves traveling across Europe and using cans of RedBull as currency.

During the reality competition  which is a bit like an episode of The Amazing Race mixed in with a RedBull advertisement  teams earn points by generating a following on social media, taking part in challenges at various checkpoints and doing daring activities like skydiving along the way. The team with the most points wins and gets to attend all RedBull-sponsored events at no cost for a year.

In all, 165 teams from around the world will compete.

To make it into the running, Lund, Smith and Renfro must win votes from spectators online. If their video (which theyve dubbed Our Bulls Are Bigger) makes it into the top 18 in the Northern U.S., theyll move on to a semi-final round in which representatives from RedBull choose their favorite 18 videos from across the country.

Currently Our Bulls are Bigger is coming in at 20, so Lund, Smith and Renfro have been driving hard to get into the top 18 by posting on social media and talking with people at community events.

Lund couldnt say how many people have submitted videos, but he said he believes that thousands of teams have submitted worldwide. He estimated that about 150 to 250 have submitted in the Northern U.S. alone.

Lund said his teams video depicts the adventurous spirit of Montana, showcasing scenes of ski slopes, backpacking trails and cliff diving.

We are proud of our state, said Lund. We are competing against huge colleges in the Northern U.S., and we want to prove Montana is better than all of them.
College isnt for everyone.

Despite the cultural push for new high school graduates to attend a four-year college, a movement is afoot for students to consider studying trades in order to meet their true interests and, in many cases, earn a better wage than their bachelor-degreed counterparts.

The annual free Butte High Career Fair runs from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, at Ross Richardson Gym at the high school. It exposes students to a variety of technical career avenues.

Students like seniors Shalia Tadday and Marissa Harvey already know what they want to study, but they plan to attend the fair anyway to network.

Tadday has her heart set on studying nursing  most likely at Montana Tech. Harvey is passionate about studying culinary arts  an 18-month course at Flathead Community College. Both benefit by various career club organizations offered at Butte High.

But the career fair is not only for seniors looking forward to spring graduation.

This career fair is for all students  for all grades, said Judy Bryant, head of the Career and Technical Education Department at Butte High School. Our goal is that the underclassmen will take the right classes to prepare them. A lot of the seniors already know what they want to do.

Parents are welcome to attend, too, said Bryant, stressing the high demand for apprentices in various trades.

The economy has changed, and with it the demand for skilled workers.

Construction workers, diesel mechanics, plumbers, electricians, welders, heavy equipment operators, automotive specialists  none need a traditional four-year degree to get into the work force quicker and make a good living.

A lot of kids dont look at those kinds of degrees  at the expense of these programs, she added. Theres a huge demand for the trades and apprentices. I cant stress enough (the value of) those apprenticeship programs  they are hands-on instead of students sitting in the classroom.

In the current workforce, a two-year trades degree or fast-track certificate can often earn a hands-on graduate a better living than, say, a four-year college graduate with a philosophy, English or history degree.

Forbes Magazine, in the Sept. 1, 2015, issue, wrote that despite the growing evidence that four-year college programs serve fewer and fewer of our students, states continue to cut vocational programs.

While other states are making cuts  like California's urban Los Angeles Unified School District which plans to cut most of its Career and Technical Education programs  Montana is investing in them  and so is Butte High.

Highlands College thrives with its lineman, carpentry, welding and automotive programs, plus Montana is investing heavily in the trades industries through Gov. Steve Bullocks recent statewide workforce initiative.

About five years ago, Bryant and her staff noticed students not interested in going to a four-year college were not well-prepared for the job market.

The Butte High Career Fair was born.

She wants parents to check out the fair with their teens and to take advantage of the 40-or-so apprenticeship programs, government agencies, private businesses and two-year colleges that will set up shop on Wednesday.

We really need to point these students in a direction where they can get training after high school so they can make a living, said Bryant.

Forbes reported that in a situation in which 70 percent of students do not attend college, nearly half of those who do fail to graduate  and over half of the four-year graduates are unemployed or underemployed.

Hence the current push for certificate or two-year associates degree trades majors.

Forbes writes that the college-for-everyone mentality has pushed awareness of other possible career paths to the margins.

If we want everyones kid to succeed, we need to bring vocational education back to the core of high school learning.

But (for) the subset of high school students who graduate with vocational training  those who go into well-paying, skilled jobs  the picture of non-college graduates looks much rosier.
Folks who have lived in Butte-Silver Bow County for many years remember when, not so long ago, dogs had their way.

It used to be unbelievable, said Chief Executive Matt Vincent, who grew up in Butte. We used to refer to Daly Street in Walkerville as dog heaven because in the summer, if you went up there, you would literally have to dodge the dogs laying in the middle of the street.

Ed Randall said it wasnt much better when the countys animal control efforts were folded into Community Enrichment in late 2009. Thats when he became responsible for running both departments, although Buttes animal control ordinances had been rewritten with more teeth in 2006.

When I started it was so out of control that we received so many phone calls from angry people saying, Jesus, you guys havent done anything.

Vincent and Randall said dogs often ran in packs.

They werent terrorist packs but I remember walking my kids in their strollers in the neighborhood and we knew where not to go because of the dogs, Randall said. You saw people walking and they had sticks with them.

SLOW BUT SURE

Improvements didnt happen overnight, but those days are gone.

Yes, stray dogs and cats still get picked up. Some of the really old or sick or frail ones are euthanized, but it occurs much less often today. There are still feral cats and if left unchecked, they can do a lot of damage to property.

But its nothing like it used to be.

There used to be about 200 dogs and cats at the Butte animal shelter, now called the Chelsea Bailey Animal Shelter, 699 Centennial Avenue, on a given day. Now its usually between 55 and 68.

Butte-Silver Bow used to sell only 200 to 220 dog licenses every year. They are required by ordinance, mostly to ensure that dogs have their rabies shots, at a cost of $25 for five years or $75 for a lifetime license. There are discounts for seniors.

Randall said the county now issues about 800 dog licenses a year and as of last week, there were 3,480 dogs registered with the county.

Animal Services used to bring in about $12,000 a year through fees for licenses, boarding and adoptions but that climbed to about $30,000 the year after Randall took over, then about $50,000, he said. Now it takes in more than $100,000 a year.

The money is used to help pay expenses, not make money for the county, he said.

This is about enforcing the rules and making sure the public is safe and making sure the animals are properly vaccinated and safe, he said.

ENFORCING LAWS

There are a lot of reasons for the turnaround, but one of the biggest is simply enforcing ordinances on the books.

People who came to pick up their dog or cat from the shelter could no longer get by without paying shelter fees, Randall said. The charges are higher for second, third and subsequent times the same animal ends up at the shelter, plus daily boarding fees and any veterinary bills that were incurred treating the animal.

Animals cannot be picked up without proof they have been vaccinated for rabies and cannot be adopted unless they are spayed or neutered. Those that arent claimed immediately and don't have records are taken to vet offices to get rabies shots. There are no exceptions.

Leash laws are enforced, barking and nuisance complaints are investigated and the departments two animal control officers work closely with police and county health officials, Randall said.

But the department and its staff try to work with people.

Control officer JD Santifer says, for example, that citations are issued in cases of nuisance barking offenses only as a last resort.

Mainly what we do is let people know there is an issue, he said. A lot of times they dont realize it. We do check on licenses and vaccinations while we are there and suggest things like bringing them (dogs) inside or looking into bark collars. But we usually just have to remind them to pay more attention.

About half the time, he said, people who call with complaints have other issues with their neighbors and are using dogs as an excuse, so officers must be cognizant of those situations, he said.

STREET-WISE DOGS

They dont pick up stray dogs every single day, he said, but it is a common occurrence. Some dogs are street-wise and as soon as they see the animal control truck, they high-tail it home.

Then there are a handful that just jump right in the back seat with you, he said.

Those that do end up at the shelter are in good hands because the staff of four  Jacki Casagranda, Dorothy Hockaday, Lynette Hogart and Colin Jemmings  have an obvious love for animals.

Casagranda, who oversees day-to-day management of the shelter, won scholarships in 2014 and 2015 from the Humane Society of the United States that paid all her expenses to attend the organizations national convention. Last year, the county won the Animal Rescue Site-Greater Good Shelter of the Year award for Montana.

She and the others know all the shelter animals by name  sometimes after they give them one  as well as their mannerisms, temperaments, quirks and whether they get along with other cats or dogs. All that helps them match them with the right individuals and families who want to adopt a dog or cat.

And, of course, theyre only human.

Sometimes they get attached to us and we get attached to them, Hogart said while petting a little 4-month-old boxer pup they named Vivvi. This puppy here is kind of shy with other people. He kind of clings to us.

Sometimes staff has to leave meet and greet gatherings outside between potential adopters and the pets so they can truly visit.

Its scary for them to meet new people sometimes, Hogart said.

The shelter is open Tuesday through Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m., but times can be stretched a little here or there to accommodate someone when needed. Telephone is 406-497-6528.

We do work with people, said Hockaday, who usually works the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift on Sundays. The shelter is closed to the public on Sundays and Mondays, but it is staffed at some point every day, 365 days a year.

The department works with animal-care groups and departments in other cities to help get pets adopted, Randall said, as well as groups and people here. It also teams with Petco to find new homes.

Its not all dogs and cats, of course.

The department investigates animal bites and abuse or neglect complaints, often working with police, health officials, St. James Healthcare and veterinary offices. And they sometimes have to deal with other animals.

Santifer said they have picked up skunks, snakes and raccoons, among other critters, and they assist state wildlife officials when bear or moose mosey into town. There is the occasional fox and even bats, but they usually dont come around or stick around unless there is something wrong with them, he said.

Vincent said animal control had already turned the ship around when he was first elected in November 2012. Randall summed up the difference this way:

We used to call other cities in Montana and say, How are you doing animal control? Randall said. Now people are calling us.
"Breaking news," said the local anchorman (who looked a lot like Marco Rubio). "Donald Trump has promised to avoid profanity." It's a shame really, because his use of the p-word, the s-word and all the other vulgarities has been one of his most endearing qualities, which isn't saying a whole h-word-uva lot.

Apparently, with more Southern primaries coming up -- a region where it's OK to cheat, lie, backstab and be a racist as long as you're polite about it -- Trump has decided to swear off swearing, although with his track record on good manners, or lack thereof, that's probably total b-word s-word, and I don't mean Bernie Sanders.

Given his erratic impulse control, it might be interesting to do an MRI to see if his brain even has a frontal cortex. It doesn't seem to matter, according to his horrified critics, because no matter how brainless his rhetoric, he's riding high, fresh off a win in South Carolina. To the establishment types in the Republican Party, it doesn't matter whether The Donald cusses or not; in their calculating minds, his very existence is a huge curse.

He's riding roughshod over them and their more traditional candidates. The most traditional of them all, Jeb Bush, has folded his tent. His exclamation point has been replaced by a simple period at the end of his sentence. Even his huge silver spoon couldn't dig him out of his hole. Not that the fam didn't try. Former President George W. wasn't able to accomplish his mission of rescuing brother Jeb. Not even Mom could save him. It probably didn't help that she had said early on that "We've had enough Bushes." That probably won't go down as a triumph in impulse control either.

The fat rats already were abandoning Jeb's sinking dynasty. He had squandered millions upon millions of the big bucks they contributed to buy the government when he looked like he might have a chance of heading it. Now that he's blown it, they're deciding whom to purchase next. Will it be Ted Cruz? Probably not. Even in a political game that encourages lying, cheating and stealing, Cruz looks unduly smarmy. In addition, he couldn't even dominate the religious-fanatic voters in South Carolina, a state that's crawling with them. Right now, the party leaders seem to be gravitating to Marco Rubio, who is toe-to-toe with Cruz, and is ever so slightly less of a right-wing extremist. After that, it's slim pickings. John Kasich's bright optimism isn't selling in a year of dark despair, and Ben Carson has convincingly shown that brain surgery isn't campaigning.

Over on the Democratic side, the party-establishment types and their moneyed enablers are breathing a sigh of relief. Nevada seemed to show that their bets on Hillary Clinton stand a better chance of paying off. Bernie Sanders' attempt to beat the odds fell short. She managed to pull out an important win in the state's caucus. Maybe it was because of support from Hookers for Hillary, a group of Nevada working girls. I mean real ones, not her political consultants. So her struggling campaign has been rejuvenated. The Bern has been cooled a bit. Sanders is the one who again has the uphill battle, at least until some new Clinton credibility issue levels the playing field. If that doesn't happen, she will attempt to continue her careful, methodical march to the nomination. How boring. It might be refreshing to hear her drop the f-bomb in public.

At the moment, the real drama is playing on stage right. One of the most frequently asked questions these days is whether it's at all possible that Donald Trump can not only win the Republican nomination but also ride the wave of irrational anger and become the next president. To keep the church ladies happy, let's just answer it this way: emphatically yes. That frightening prospect might be the ultimate obscenity.

(c) 2016 Bob Franken

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Montana Sen. Steve Daines is so worried about the federal court system's backlog and Americans' access to justice that he really must insist that no new Supreme Court justice be confirmed until after the election of the next president.

Sometime next year.

Confused?

So are we.

The hot air from Daines about the backlog of federal court cases had hardly cooled before he had hopped on a political bandwagon insisting that we go for almost a year without replacing Justice Antonin Scalia, who died Feb. 13.

Days earlier, Daines fretted on the floor of the U.S. Senate about the terrible backlog in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the federal circuit of appeals which includes the Montana District. In fact, he's so concerned that's he's supporting a bill to make a brand new federal circuit court of appeals. He worries, maybe rightfully so, that the backlog is robbing Americans of timely justice. Daines correctly points out that the backlog is three times more than that of the next busiest federal court of appeals. His solution is to create another circuit to split up the workload so that courts can make rulings in a more timely fashion.

But this week Daines apparently changed his mind, advocating that the Senate not consider Scalia's replacement until after a new president is sworn in. Apparently, timely justice stops somewhere near the U.S. Supreme Court.

As Daines jumps on the predictably polarizing Senate Republican bandwagon, he not only stands to be derelict in his duties, but his grasp of history seems suspect as well.

ADVISE AND CONSENT

His obligation  his oath  to uphold the Constitution says that he will advise and consent on judicial nominations. Nowhere does it say delay and deny. If Daines is so worried about equal access and so concerned about the backlog, then wouldn't he want to ensure the highest, most powerful court in the land be ready and able to handle the caseload?

If Daines and fellow Republicans get their way, it could set up a loggerheaded court with split decisions. This could set the court back years, on top of already backlogged courts. It seems almost unbelievable to us that Daines could sponsor legislation to speed up the courts while simultaneously wanting to stall and delay.

It's typical, though. The Republican-led Senate has more than 140 confirmation hearings to conduct, many of them for openings on the federal bench. Maybe instead of sponsoring new legislation, Daines should be urging Senate leadership and his own party to uphold their Constitutional duty to give these nominees an up-or-down vote.

Daines' contrary and confusing statements shouldn't surprise anyone. It's the kind of doublespeak that Americans have come to expect from federal leaders. Daines is just joining the group.

The gridlock and partisan discord brought about by Scalia's death epitomize the kind of frustration and lack of trust the public has for its elected leaders. The talk of making government work is just that, talk.

REAGAN'S APPOINTMENT

Daines also disregards President Ronald Reagan's appointment of Justice Anthony Kennedy to the high court in an election year, confirmed by a Democratic Senate. It's amazing how Reagan has become the standard-bearer of modern Republican politics and yet even the party is unwilling to follow his example when it doesn't fit its political wishes.

It's also a sad day when Senate Republicans are vowing to stop a nomination before there is a nominee. That close-minded approach without considering the judical bona fides is a poor example of leadership and a terrible way to run the country.

Sen. Daines, if you can't at least uphold your constitutional duty, will you at least manage some political consistency: Do the courts need quicker justice or slower justice?

-- The Billings Gazette
I attended Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianfortes Town Hall Meeting at the Metals restaurant in Butte last week. I was surprised by the dialog that followed on the Standards opinion pages. Since neither of the letter-writers actually attended Gianfortes Butte meeting, Id like to provide a clarifying view.

There were significant distortions between Michael Kenisons account (Standard, Feb. 19) and reality. First, Kenison indicated he was at a gathering on Park and Main opposed to Gianforte. He said, There were also many people from the gathering who were inside asking questions. In fact, there were only two people inside from the gathering. Two is not many.

And inside, Gianforte told those two that he wished the entire group would have come in so we could have had an open discussion. The one question posed by these representatives was: If Gianforte were elected governor, would he sign a right-to-work bill? Gianfortes answer was that he was focusing on high-paying jobs for Montanans and that right-to-work wasnt a priority and it wouldnt be if he were governor.

Given the hypothetical nature of the question, Gianforte gave a good honest answer. Here's my take: His priority is more high-wage jobs in Montana; and, if (and this is a big if) the Legislature passed a right-to-work bill that was bad policy for higher wages, he would veto it. If the Legislature presented him with a right-to-work bill that was fully debated, had public approval, and paved the way for higher-wage jobs, then hed likely consider it.

Kenison also noted that the street gathering was voicing their opposition to Gianfortes documented views. Where are these documented views?

At the meeting, Gianforte talked about the need to expand choices for Montana children and young adults to meet their individual needs for making a good living in Montana and the needs of a community and its businesses to thrive with more high-wage jobs. He praised Montana schools and teachers. He supports public education; yet, he acknowledges the many benefits of providing school choice. He also applauded good union trades training programs.

Gianforte is not afraid to discuss his religious beliefs, which were never an issue when he was CEO of a multi-national corporation with operations in parts of the world with very different religious beliefs, such as China, India, and the Middle East.

As a successful businessman, Gianforts record clearly shows he is not a bigot. He hired based on skills and performance to further the objectives of the business. And, he said hell run state government the same way. An individuals personal beliefs, attitudes, and proclivities are just that -- personal.

Regarding Bozemans Non-Discrimination Ordnance, he was asked by the city commission for his views, which, for the record, he responded to in writing. Gianforte advised the commission not to let the ordnance burden businesses with additional regulations that would put another brick in an already heavy regulatory backpack. Gianforte didnt publically comment on the ordnances philosophy, nor did he testify at the meeting when the ordnance came before the Bozeman City Commission. Thats all on the record.

Further, Gianforte favors keeping federal lands in Montana public. He would favor an option with increased state management responsibilities; but, he opposes deed transfer to the state.

And furthermore, he said he is not against retirement or Social Security.

The protestors should have attended the open meeting just a few feet off Park Street. Then, they could have asked Gianforte all the questions they wanted. Next time, dont remain in the dark outside on the sidewalk.

With misinformation rampant in politics today, more of us need to get involved. Participate by asking questions, doing research, and learning the truth.

-- Suzzann Nordwick, Butte, is a past Republican candidate for House District 78 in the state Legislature.
This blog is an english language blog for people wishing to know about recent bird sightings in the region of Murcia, Spain, and in particular the Cartagena area.



The photographs in it are all taken by the author who holds copyright to them, apart from photos otherwise specifically mentioned.



The author does not claim to be a photographer, only a birdwatcher who likes to take photos of what he sees and share them (this is my way of saying I KNOW none of them would win a photography competition!).



The equipment I use is the following:



Camera NIKON D7200 with an

AF-S NIKKOR 200-500 mm f/5.6 ED telephoto lens.



Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ72 (for more distant birds, as I can't hack digiscoping!)



Telescope SWAROVSKI HD90 with 20-60 zoom eyepiece



Binculars SWAROVSKI EL 10x42


MUSCATINE, Iowa  Manley Beasley, originally from Dallas, Texas, recently moved to Muscatine to take his first position as head pastor at the Muscatine Baptist Chapel.

Beasley's first Sunday preaching in Muscatine was Dec. 6.

"I feel like God's hand was in it," Beasley said, "the process that led to me coming here only left them without a pastor for about six months, which was really a short time."

Beasley explained that the pastoral search process can be extensive for churches, but he felt that he was meant to come to Muscatine. He applied through the Southern Baptist Convention, which sends pastors to any area they might be needed. He explained that the church makes the final decision, and held a vote after he came to preach for the first time.

"I had never been to Iowa before, but I really like it," Beasley said. "It's really picturesque with the rolling hills and the Mississippi River."

He said he enjoys photography, so the beautiful scenery he encountered made him happy to move to Muscatine, as did the friendly Iowans.

"If you're from the south, I recommend moving to Iowa because people are just as friendly, warm, and inviting," Beasley said.

Although this is Beasley's first experience as head pastor, he has been in the ministry for 18 years, and has a Bachelor's degree from Liberty University in Biblical and theological studies. He is currently working on a Masters in Divinity from Criswell College online, where he has an historical and theological focus.

"My responsibility is to see people grow in their faith and scripture," Beasley said, "and I look forward to that experience as pastor."
David Hurd was known for many things, and one of them was his love of rivers. He birded, fished, paddled and rowed  his rowing shell was even on display at his memorial service Tuesday at Capital Square.

The former Principal Financial Group CEO also advocated for rivers. On Dec. 22, 2014, he wrote a Register op-ed headlined, "It's time to fix the 'drowning machines'." He called for "widespread community conversations" over the future of the low-head dams on the Des Moines River in downtown Des Moines. He noted their dangers  15 people have been killed at the Center Street Dam  and the opportunities to remove or modify the dams to improve boating and allow fish to move freely.

"Fortunately, we now have ways to make our rivers safer, and it is high time we take action," he wrote.

Hurd, who died Feb. 6, won't see it, but his wish may come true.

The dam debate is expected to grow over the next few months as local planners ask: How we can turn the metro area's 150 miles of creeks and rivers into an attraction that people of all ages can use?

Central Iowans can contribute in the conversation, as Hurd wanted.

The potential for river recreation is significant and largely untapped, according to "State of the Rivers," a new report from the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. The report finds that central Iowans have limited access to rivers and creeks through boat launches and equipment rentals. Improving water quality and safety will also attract more people to rivers.

The report is part of a larger effort to develop a Greater Des Moines Water Trails and Greenways Plan. MPO plans to release a draft plan in early summer and a final plan by late 2016.

A big question in the plan will be the fate of the Center and Scott street dams, and powerful voices are recommending change. Rick Tollakson, the president and CEO of Hubbell Realty Co. and chairman of the MPO's Water Trails Steering Committee, said in a video in the online report:

"We're going to have look at ways to mitigate those dams, and there have been a couple examples throughout Iowa where they've taken dams and broken them down and create rapids that you could kayak through. Or maybe eliminate them altogether."

he report recognizes that the answer isn't simple, however. The dams support boating and other upstream recreation. They create a pool of water high enough so that intake pipes at Prospect Park can draw water for treatment by the Des Moines Water Works. The dams also provide popular fishing spots downstream.

Hurd recognized those challenges, and that's why in the op-ed he called for a discussion that involves all residents. As he wrote: "We can become a community that celebrates our connection to the natural world and the pure joy our rivers can bring."

Draw your dream

What do you want to see along central Iowa rivers: Fishing piers? Boat ramps? Bike and walking trails? Boat-accessible bars and restaurants? Wildlife areas?

The Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is asking the public to share ideas on a Water Trails Input Map, an interactive tool at www.dmampo.org/water-trails/ You can sketch out your ideas for preservation and development on the map. The map will remain open through March 30.

Des Moines Register
In the days following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia on Feb. 13, conservative religious and political leaders have lavished praise on the long-serving justice as a champion of religious freedom.

Alan Spears, head of the Christian advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom, hails Scalia as "the most vocal and passionate voice on the Supreme Court for religious freedom." Sen. Ted Cruz warns, "We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that would undermine the religious liberty of millions of Americans."

But surely this is either a case of selective amnesia or wishful thinking.

Justice Scalia was, of course, a devout Catholic who vigorously opposed abortion and LGBT rights at every turn. And he was, without question, an advocate of a lower wall of separation between church and state  a porous wall that would allow affirmations of God by government. All of this endeared him to religious and social conservatives.

But Justice Scalia was no defender of religious freedom.

On the contrary, Scalia authored Employment Division v. Smith, the landmark 1990 Supreme Court decision that all but erased the Free Exercise clause from the First Amendment.

Before Smith, religious Americans could invoke the First Amendment to seek relief from laws or regulations that substantially burdened the practice of their faith. Government could not deny religious exemptions without demonstrating a compelling state interest  and showing that it has pursued that interest in the manner least restrictive, or least burdensome, to religion.

Under this "compelling state interest" test  fully articulated in the 1963 Supreme Court decision Sherbert v. Verner  religious individuals enjoyed a high level of protection for the freedom to practice their faith openly and freely without governmental interference.

In the Smith decision, Justice Scalia, joined by four other justices, radically re-interpreted the Free Exercise clause by ruling that burdens on religious freedom no longer had to be justified by a compelling state interest. Although the government cannot pass laws targeting religious practice, it can pass laws that burden religious exercise if the law is "neutral" and "generally applicable."

Consider, for example, the question at issue in the Smith case itself: Can the state of Oregon ban the use of peyote  a cactus with hallucinogenic properties  without providing a religious exemption for members of the Native American Church who ingest small amounts of peyote in worship ceremonies (a practice that may date back thousands of years).

Two Native Americans challenged the law after being denied unemployment benefits because they were fired for using peyote in their religious practice. Most legal experts expected the outcome to turn on whether or not Oregon could demonstrate a compelling reason for prohibiting peyote without exceptions. Instead, Justice Scalia used the case to sharply curtail the use of the long-standing free-exercise test.

In his majority opinion, Scalia ruled that government no longer has to show a compelling state interest for denying religious exemptions  as long as the law in question applies generally to everyone.

Thus, Oregon cannot pass a law stating that Native Americans are prohibited from using peyote, but it could accomplish the same result by prohibiting the use of peyote by everyone. Either way, a central religious ritual for some Native Americans would be illegal.

If religious groups want an exemption from a generally applicable law, said Scalia, they should seek a legislative remedy. This, of course, turns the First Amendment on its head: Free exercise of religion is protected by the First Amendment precisely because it is a fundamental right that is not subject to a majority vote. Seeking religious accommodation through legislation is especially difficult for religious minorities and unpopular faiths  and keep in mind that most of us are a religious minority somewhere in the country.

Leaders of many faiths were stunned by Scalia's evisceration of the Free Exercise clause. After Smith, it would become difficult  if not impossible  to get relief from laws and regulations that seriously burdened the practice of religion. In the three years following Smith, more than 50 reported cases were decided against religious groups and individuals.

That's why more than 60 religious and civil liberties groups  from the ACLU to the National Association of Evangelicals  joined together to "restore" the compelling interest test by getting Congress to pass the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.

Although the Supreme Court struck down RFRA as applied to the states, it continues to apply to the federal government (as we saw in the 2014 Hobby Lobby decision). Many states have passed their own RFRAs  mostly without controversy until recent years when opponents of same-sex marriage decided (mistakenly, in my view) that RFRA could provide religious exemptions to non-discrimination laws.

The current confusion and contention surrounding the meaning of "free exercise of religion" is the fallout from Justice Scalia's decision in Smith. Without First Amendment protection, religious individuals and groups are left to seek accommodation through the political process  a messy, divisive arrangement that puts matters of conscience up for a vote.

If you agree that the First Amendment as applied by the Court for decades went too far in protecting free exercise of religion, then by all means celebrate Justice Scalia's legacy on religious freedom.

But if you are appalled, as I am, that in far too many cases courts no longer treat religious freedom as a constitutional right, then hope for a replacement on the Supreme Court who will vote to overturn Justice Scalia's disastrous decision in Employment Division v. Smith.

Charles C. Haynes is vice president of the Newseum Institute and founding director of the Religious Freedom Center. Readers can email him at chaynes@newseum.org.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
A storm that has been brewing over the Department of Energys (DoE) nuclear energy programme and PetroSA could erupt at its portfolio committee meeting on Tuesday, after Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson snubbed the session last week.

Tomorrows (Tuesday) committee meeting will present the minister with a real opportunity to deliver on her promise of transparency and provide the South African public much needed and vital information on South Africas proposed nuclear deal, according to Democratic Alliance MP Gordon Mackay on Monday.

Last week, the committee asked Joemat-Pettersson to explain the implications of President Jacob Zumas State of the Nation (Sona) address in which he cautioned that the country would only procure nuclear on a scale and pace that our country can afford.

The minister, who arrived an hour late, dodged addressing the issue by saying she is going to be part of a parliamentary debate on Wednesday and couldnt pre-empt this in a portfolio committee meeting, according Liz McDaid, spokesperson for environmentalist group Safcei.

The chair then promised that the committee would hear what the minister planned to do given Sona and also for her to account for her own parliamentary comments, she said. This is all meant to take place on Tuesday 23rd.

During her Sona debate on February 17, Joemat-Pettersson said the country had to go nuclear because of the water situation in the country.

We simply have to go the nuclear route, said Joemat-Pettersson, because we dont have enough freshwater. Koeberg recycles 22bn litres of seawater, while Medupi (coal-fired) power station uses 17bn litres of freshwater.

Gordon, who heads up the DAs energy portfolio, told Fin24 that the committee has been clear.

We want all pertinent documentation relating to SAs proposed nuclear new build programme, he said. Specifically, the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Programme (an assessment of SAs readiness for civil nuclear expansion), all financing options and economic impact assessments.

Without these documents any decision to proceed with nuclear must be seen to be irrational, he said.

McDaid said Parliament has failed to hold Joemat-Pettersson to account. At one stage, the chair told the public that there would be a discussion on the nuclear deal, but it never happened, she said. Then last year, the minister arrived at the meeting with a classified document, which could not be discussed.

Nuclear train steams ahead

At the end of last year, during the budget review process, the DoE failed to account for Necsa (SA Nuclear Energy Corporation), which did not report and asked to be exempt from reporting to parliament.

Necsa has major liabilities for its failure to address nuclear contamination, she said. There is no information on the extent of the contamination, the amount of the liability and the timeline to fix this. Now Necsa is saying that the government must pay and that it is not liable.

Despite the lack of the accountability, the nuclear train steams ahead.

In October 2015, Safcei took government to court for failing to put the necessary processes in place to ensure that the nuclear procurement deal is concluded lawfully and meets the requirements of the constitution for a fair, equitable, transparent, competent and cost-effective process.

Energy portfolio committee chairperson Fikile Majola said in his recommendations report for 2014/15, that he wants Tina Joemat-Pettersson to, without prejudicing the interests of the country in the process, present the key nuclear procurement documentation (including) the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (including details of the action plans), finance options, models and solutions for the nuclear build programme and economic impact of localisation of the nuclear programme.

PetroSAs R14.5bn loss explanation

Mackay said the DA is also anxious to hear the ministers response regarding the portfolio committees demand for a full forensic investigation into the R14.5bn loss at PetroSA.

Majola also wants the minister to reveal how the financial challenges, especially the shortfall, around the rehabilitation of the PetroSA onshore and offshore liabilities are to be addressed, by end of the financial year on March 31, 2016.

He also wants her to initiate a forensic investigation into the reasons for the financial challenges at PetroSA including the R14.5bn impairment. The full findings must presented to the (committee) when completed.

This is the biggest for any state-owned enterprise ever, and (the DA looks forward to an update on) developments on PetroSAs newest turnaround strategy, Mackay said.

Should the minister conceded to the committees demands, this will mark a real victory for Parliament and a victory for the South African people  who are tired of being used as a piggy for vanity energy projects.

Tomorrows committee meeting will be the first significant test of President Jacob Zumas commitment to transparency and accountability promised in his response to the State of the Nation debate, he said.

Fin24

More energy news

We have nothing to hide: Eskom CEO

Tesla getting Cape Town office  new employees wanted
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge at its Unpacked event in Barcelona on 21 February  just ahead of the start of Mobile World Congress 2016.

The Korean company had a few surprises up its sleeve, one of which was setting up part of its presentation in virtual reality.

This saw thousands of Gear VR headsets being put to use, while the event was also streamed in 360-degree video on YouTube.

A surprise appearance from Mark Zuckerberg also had the whole venue abuzz.

Here are some behind-the-scenes photos from the event.

As with many keynote events, Samsung Unpacked attracted a large queue of people.

Sangria was offered upon entering.

When in Spain, drink as the Spaniards do. Naturally, they collected the drinks at the entrance to the venue  for reasons that will become clear.

Inside the main hall, rows upon rows of Samsung Gear VR headsets were placed on seats.

Do not unplug the headset. Do not sit on the headset. Please, please, please do not kick the Gear VR headset.

At specific times during the presentation we were asked to don the Gear VR headsets. Thousands of people all experienced a single virtual reality simulation at the same time.

Not only was this ambitious, it seemed to go off without a hitch.

What we didnt know until the end was that under each seat there was a Gear VR for each of us to take home.

Mark Zuckerberg made a surprise appearance to talk about Facebooks partnership with Samsung through Oculus.

This triggered a stampede from every photographer in the room. A lone ushers cry of Sit down! was quickly drowned in the noise of snapping shutters.

He also talked about the technology Facebook was developing to push everyday use of virtual reality and 360-degree video.

After the keynote, media could get some hands-on time with the new toys.

From there we were taken back to our hotel to work, and rest up for the next busy day of MWC.

We partied until dawn (this is Barcelona, after all).

Jan Vermeulen is a guest of Samsung at Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona.

More on Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S7 pre-registrations in South Africa open  everything you need to know

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S6  specifications and features comparison
About the blog

This blog will reflect my personal thoughts and/or analysis on various global issues and scenarios.








As owner of this blog, I bear no responsibility to what other contributors/bloggers may post. I encourage all to speak freely without indulging in libel or defamatory content. Anyone who feels offended by any posting can email me and I will remove the offending article if appropriate. Contact me at redbeansg@yahoo.com redbean
Iran called a proposal by Saudi Arabia and Russia to freeze oil production ridiculous as its seeks to boost its own output after years of sanctions constrained sales.

The proposal by Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar for oil producers to cap output at January levels puts unrealistic demands on Iran, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Tuesday, according to the ministrys news agency Shana.

It is very ridiculous, they come up with the proposal on freezing oil production and call for this freeze to take place in their 10 million barrels a day production vis-a-vis Irans 1 million barrels a day planned production boost, he said. If Irans crude oil production falls, it will be overtaken considerably by the neighboring countries.

The three OPEC members and Russia are seeking to stop the 40 percent drop in oil prices over the past year caused by a global crude glut. Iran is seeking to boost output by 1 million barrels a day this year after international sanctions on its oil industry were lifted last month.
Peter Mondavi Sr., a Napa Valley innovator who steered his familys Charles Krug Winery through more than a half-century of revolutionary change in the industry, died Saturday at his St. Helena home on the Charles Krug estate surrounded by his family. He was 101.

A private service for family members will be held at the St. Helena Catholic Church.

Mondavi began his career in wine when Napa Valley was chiefly known for inexpensive jug wine, or vin ordinaire, as he would refer to it. In 1943, his parents purchased Charles Krug Winery, which even then enjoyed a long pedigree. Prussian immigrant Charles Krug founded his eponymous winery in 1861, making it the oldest operating winery in the Napa Valley. Mondavi worked the property with his family and eventually assumed the role of president and CEO upon his mothers death in 1976.

Linda Reiff, president and chief executive officer of the trade association, Napa Valley Vintners, released the following statement on Sunday:

Peter Mondavi Sr. was a winemaking pioneer, helping to establish early standards for wine quality in the Napa Valley. We are grateful for his quiet leadership, his dedication to our community and his stewardship of one of our valleys longest-running family wineries. Charles Krug was one of the seven founding winery members of the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) trade association in 1944 and Mr. Mondavi was the last of the NVVs Living Legends, named in 1986. He will be deeply missed and we extend our most sincere sympathies to the entire Peter Mondavi family.

Known for introducing a number of significant advancements to California winemaking, Mondavi earned legendary status among Napa Valley vintners. As a student, he studied the effects of cold fermentation on white and rose wines, which were then being fermented at higher temperatures and losing their distinct characteristics through oxidation. His revolutionary research and practical methods resulted in the production of exceptionally crisp, fruity white wines.

A winemaker above all else, Mondavi was quoted in the Wine Spectator speaking to his joy, which was to linger in the laboratory, testing and experimenting. A recent review in sommelier Kelli Whites tome, Napa Valley Then & Now, refers to his 1959 Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon as: Simply stunning, this impossibly youthful wine is incredibly vibrant and powerful.

To advance his wine knowledge and winemaking prowess, Mondavi toured the wine regions of Europe with fellow vintners. Under Mondavis tutelage in 1963, Charles Krug was the first winery in Napa Valley to import French oak barrels for aging, a common practice among todays winemakers. In addition, he was among the pioneering vintners who planted pinot noir and chardonnay where dairy cows had previously dominated in the Carneros region of the valley.

Mondavi was proud of his insight and drive to amass prime land parcels for vineyard production. He acquired more than 800 acres of premium Napa Valley land in the late 60s and early 70s. This established the foundation for the winerys estate-driven wines.

Fiercely determined to keep the winery family-owned in the midst of corporate buyouts, Mondavi led an effort to preserve the familys estate vineyards. During a nine-year period ended in 2010, Mondavi invested $22 million in replanting 400 prime acres of vineyards with primarily red Bordeaux varietals, instituting sustainable farming practices and implementing state-of-the-art winemaking equipment in the process.

Mondavi invested a lifetime in building, growing and protecting his familys business. Asked late in life to note his proudest accomplishment, he replied, Never losing control of our family winery. If I could, I would tell my father: I did the best I could during the difficult years. I was determined and we held on.

In 2011, still spry at age 96, he hosted a Tasting on the Lawn to commemorate the winerys 150th anniversary, telling the gathered crowd with a twinkle in his blue eyes, I tell my sons this gives us a good job. Mondavi officially retired in 2015 but he was a fixture at the winery years after he turned over the day-to-day operations to his sons, regularly climbing two flights of stairs to his office to settle in to work. When asked by a group of visiting Nike executives about his stamina, he credited it to living a good life and drinking great wine.

Mondavi left an indelible impression on the California wine industry, but also on the legacy that passes to the next generations of winemakers within his family. He took steps to preserve the history of Charles Krug, overseeing the restoration of two landmark buildings  the 1872 Redwood Cellar and the 1881 Carriage House  that are now registered on the National Registry of Historic Places and considered California historical landmarks. His efforts were recognized with the Governors Historic Preservation Award in 2010.

The family business, C. Mondavi & Family, founded by and named after patriarch Cesare Mondavi, continues to thrive and includes third and fourth generations of the family. Today, Mondavis sons, Marc and Peter Jr., lead the vision of the family winery with his grandchildren in the wings.

Mondavi was born in Virginia, Minn., on Nov. 8, 1914, to Cesare and Rosa Grassi Mondavi, natives of Sassoferrato in the Marche region of Italy. He was the youngest of four children, and his parents originated from very modest means and had no winemaking lineage. As characteristically hardworking immigrants, Rosa ran a boarding house for Italian iron miners while Cesare, after working briefly in the iron mines, opened a saloon and parlayed it into a grocery store at the onset of Prohibition. Prodded by the local Italian community, Cesare became a wine-grape buyer, traveling to California to purchase fruit for his home-winemaking neighbors in Minnesota. The burgeoning success of his wine-grape shipping business brought the family to Lodi in 1922. In a paradoxical way, Prohibition introduced the family to the beginnings of winemaking.

Mondavi got his start as a boy nailing boxes for his fathers wine-grape shipping business. He went on to earn a degree in economics from Stanford University in 1938, but was drawn to winemaking, performing research in oenology at UC Berkeley. World War II interrupted his career, and he served in the military overseas, returning in 1946. Four years later he married his beloved Blanche Hurtzig, a union that lasted until her death in 2010.

In 2002, he graced the cover of the Wine Spectator as one of the Napa Mavericks who were the wine regions trailblazers.

In 2009, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Napa Valley vintners from the California State Fair.

In 2011, Gov. Jerry Brown honored him, along with the legacy of the Charles Krug Winery, with a proclamation for his contributions to the wine industry. Congress acknowledged him and the winery on his 97th birthday in the Congressional Record. His lifetime achievements were recognized in 2012 when he was inducted into the St. Helena-based Culinary Institute of America Vintners Hall of Fame for his industry contributions in cold fermentation and sterile filtration. I share this award with my parents, a characteristically modest Mondavi said at that time.

Mondavi was an avid fisherman and enjoyed fishing with his family, friends and colleagues.

Mondavi was preceded in death by his wife, Blanche, and his siblings, Robert, Mary and Helen. He is survived by a daughter, Siena, two sons, Marc and Peter Jr., nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to support one of the following foundations:

UCSF Foundation

Attn: Sarah Krumholz

Lockbox 45339

San Francisco, CA 94145-0339

In the memo line or on an accompanying note, please indicate Maurice Galante Research Fund

St. Helena Hospital Foundation

10 Woodland Road

St. Helena, CA 94574

In Memory of Mr. Peter Mondavi  Surgical Unit

Queen of the Valley Foundation

1000 Trancas St.

Napa, CA 94558

In Memory of Mr. Peter Mondavi  Cardiac Care
With its green lawn and canopy of trees, Tulocay Cemetery appears as an idyllic resting place for Napas dead, yet thieves sometimes prowl even here.

The cemetery was hit hard one weekend near the end of January when memorial flowers, vases and even plants were reported missing from grave sites.

Napa Police took reports of nearly $12,000 worth of brass and plastic vases stolen, said police Capt. Jeff Troendly.

Peter Manasse, Tulocays funeral director, said the scope of the thefts was unprecedented. This is the first time this has ever happened, said Manasse, who called it a one-time incident.

However, one woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said thefts have happened at her husbands site multiple times. She has bought expensive silk flowers to place in front of his crypt, she said, but over and over again they have been stolen.

Its heartless, she said.

She has since been bringing less expensive flowers to Tulocay and sometimes doesnt leave any at all. When she goes to visit her husbands crypt and the flowers are gone, it makes her want to cry, she said.

Im trying to get through every day as it is  I dont need this drama, she said.

Manasse explained that although there are cameras throughout the cemetery as well as caretakers on site, sometimes silk flowers are taken. The mass thefts, though, are something new. He said he received at least 10 phone calls about flowers being missing. The sudden lack of flowers even caught his attention.

It really disturbed us, he said.

The Registers anonymous tipster thought that whoever stole the flowers was reselling them elsewhere, but Manasse said it could have been someone who was irritated by things left behind in the cemetery.

We have had people complain about  junk that people put on graves, he said. Apparently, he gets as many complaints about decorations by graves as he gets about things being missing.

But flowers, vases, decorations and keepsakes arent the only things that have been stolen from the cemetery. Even flowers in the ground have been uprooted, Manasse said. The theft of living flowers has been reduced since cameras were installed, but it still happens occasionally, he said.

It goes on in all cemeteries, said Buck Kamphausen, who owns five cemeteries in the Bay Area including Napa Valley Memorial Park Cemetery. He said that people might steal flowers from the cemetery to decorate their own dining room tables.

Little girls, he said, will often take flowers from around the cemetery  sometimes they take them home, sometimes they put them somewhere else in the cemetery.

Most people that bring flowers out on a regular basis, theyre somewhat familiar with problems. You just hope that whoever stole them must have needed them worse, Kamphausen said.

But people arent the only perpetrators. Animals, such as deer, raccoons or birds, may eat or tamper with things left in the cemetery, he said.

Even the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Santa Rosa has had missing flowers, said Yanet Peralta, family service adviser. Peralta said that families complained about artificial flowers being stolen; however, you cant accuse people if you dont witness the theft, she said. Deer or even the wind could be responsible.

Flower thefts from cemeteries around the United States and Canada have been reported in the media for several years. In 2013, media reports said that flowers, pictures and flags had been stolen from 500 grave sites in a Santa Cruz cemetery.
BOGOTA, Colombia

Colombia hastens search for 28,000 bodies in unmarked graves

Colombia is intensifying efforts to identify some 28,000 victims of the countrys long-running conflict whose bodies were dumped in unmarked graves.

Judicial authorities in coming weeks will visit seven towns hit hard by a half-century of fighting and take testimony and blood samples from local residents to help forensic teams identify bodies.

The chief prosecutors office said Monday that over five years they have identified 897 of 1,017 bodies exhumed from unmarked graves in public cemeteries. The burial spots of some 28,000 bodies have been found throughout the country but the remains have not been retrieved.

Prosecutors say they can speed up the work because of an agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia during peace talks last October to compensate victims.

VIENNA

Vienna visitors beware: Burping too loud could be costly

Vienna visitors beware: Burping too loud could come at a price.

Vienna bartender Edin Mehic found that out when fined 70 euros ($77) after belching in the proximity of a policeman while enjoying the scene at the Prater fun park area.

Displayed on Mehics Facebook page, the ticket notes that Mehic violated public decency with a loud belch next to a police officer.

Police spokesman Roman Hahslinger on Monday confirmed that Mehic had been fined for the offending burp.

Though it was emitted earlier this month, the belch continues to resonate.

By Monday, 118 people said they will attend a flash mob posted on Facebook and planned for next Saturday near the scene of the crime. Another 298 were interested in the Loud Belch Flashmob.

Mehic plans to appeal.

HELSINKI

Assange lawyers request overturn of arrest warrant

A Swedish court says Julian Assanges lawyers have requested an overturn of his arrest warrant, in light of a UN panel finding that the WikiLeaks founder should be freed.

Stockholm District Court spokeswoman Camilla Murray says the court wont consider the request  made in a letter by Assanges two Swedish lawyers  because it was not made in the correct manner.

Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012, is wanted for questioning by Swedish police over rape allegations when he visited the country in 2010.

Earlier this month, a U.N. panel said Assanges stay at the embassy constitutes arbitrary detention and that he should be set free and compensated for lost time. The British and Swedish governments have rejected the non-binding findings.

KINSHASA, Congo

Congo says 159 kids to be united with adoptive parents

Congos ambassador to the United States says 159 children will be united with their adoptive parents after the government agreed to grant long-stalled permits to the children whove been stuck in the African country for more than two years despite having been adopted by international families.

Ambassador Francois Balumuene said in an emailed statement Monday that Congos government is working to resolve the remaining cases.

The Congolese government halted international adoptions in 2013, saying the nations adoption system was beset by corruption and falsified documents. The move affected already-approved adoptions for more than 400 U.S. families, and hundreds more families from Canada and Europe.

Last year, Congo authorized some departures, but the justice minister said no further cases would be considered until the government approved a new adoption law.

VIENNA

U.N. warns of nuclear material falling into terrorist hands

The head of the U.N. nuclear agency is warning of the dangers of nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists and is urging world nations to apply an agreement meant to minimize such dangers.

Yukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency says 11 more nations must agree to adhere to the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material before it can enter into force.

He said Monday that its application would reduce the likelihood of terrorists being able to detonate a ... dirty bomb, which can spread radioactivity over a wide area. It would also reduce the risk of an attack on a nuclear power plant.

He notes that nearly 2,800 incidents of radioactive material going missing have been reported to his agency since 1995.
It says something sad about Steve Villanos judgment that he dismisses Antonin Scalias admirers as a rabid cult following ("In death, as in life, Scalia picks a president," Feb. 17).

That rabid cult following included Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whom Villano himself stumbles into applauding, and who said of Scalia: He was a jurist of captivating brilliance and wit, with a rare talent to make even the most sober judge laugh.

It included leftist legal scholar Cass Sunstein, who said of Scalia: He was not only one of the most important justices in the nations history; he was also among the greatest.

And it included Stephen Colbert, who described Scalia as an intellectual giant with a great sense of humor. Villanos inability to evaluate Scalia indicates an inability to evaluate other figures -- and even ideas.

For example, Villano describes President Obama as a legal scholar and constitutional law professor. Obama was a lecturer, not a professor, at the University of Chicago Law School. If hes published any significant legal scholarship, he and Villano are the only ones who know about it.

President Obama is a stunningly accomplished politician -- but a great brain he is not. Why do you think he depends on a teleprompter? Why do you think his academic records are still a closely guarded secret?

In like manner, Villano refers to the brainless brayings of Ted Cruz, among others. It so happens that Cruz, like Obama, attended Harvard Law School. One of this professors there was Alan Dershowitz, who describes Cruz as a terrific student, always capable of expressing brilliant insights. Dershowitz, a leftist, would not say such a thing of Cruz if it were not true. And he sure isnt saying it about Obama.

As for Villanos confidence that Scalias death will galvanize the Democratic Party in support of Hillary Clinton, political wife turned candidate, well, I invite Bernie Sanders to have a good laugh. The absence of Scalia will galvanize the political right, not the left -- since Scalia is perceived as a right-wing voice. Replacement with an Obama appointee will skew the High Court to the left. Replacement with a conservative justice will leave the balance as it is.

Unfortunately, Roe v. Wade is not in danger right now. And gun control is one of the most unpopular causes that Hillary could espouse. Early this year, Rasmussen found that Americans oppose stricter gun control 50 to 45 percent.

By the way, I encourage my fellow right-to-lifers to contribute at this time to the National Rifle Association, whether or not theyre really in favor of gun rights. If any organization can stop a crazy left-wing Obama appointment to the Supreme Court, its the NRA.

Villanos partisan gloating over the death of a great man is really quite shameful. Still, I dont object to your reprinting these paragraphs of irrational salivation. On the contrary, youve done a public service by showing us just how small-minded a leftist can be. Im glad that Ginsburg, Sunstein, and Colbert  gracious leftists, and people of actual authority and influence  were not cast from the same degraded mold.

Tom Riley

Napa
I have known Diane Shepp since we served together on the Napa County Grand Jury several years ago and greatly benefited from her deep and critical interest in the Napa Valley and her profound concern for its citizens' well-being.

Diane is a mature, reasonable and intelligent leader who will bring thoughtful and balanced ideas to the political process and policy positions of the Napa County Board of Supervisors. My experience on the Agricultural Preservation Advisory Committee and in other political matters in the county since my family moved to Napa in 1949 prompts me to vigorously advocate her credentials, experience and expertise.

Diane has also served as chair of the Napa County chapter of the California Grand Jurors Association as well as its state organization and is an active member and officer of Protect Rural Napa. Most importantly, perhaps, Diane has been involved in virtually all of the important land-use issues in the county as an environmental leader and spokesperson.

I believe that her election as supervisor will significantly advance the virtues of Napa County for and on behalf of the local citizens and the community at large. She will do her very best to ensure that the folks who live and work in Napa County will continue to enjoy the benefits of life in this beautiful part of the world.

Please join me in supporting Diane's candidacy for Supervisor, District 4.

Carl Bunch

Napa
Members of a construction union protested outside the Boys & Girls Clubs St. Helena clubhouse on Monday, but club representatives say the unions claims are based on misinformation.

The protest involved a dispute between Carpenters Local 751 and Ledcor Construction Inc., which is in negotiations to build the new Boys & Girls Club facility in Calistoga.

According to the fliers the protesters were handing out, the Boys & Girls Club had failed to require Ledcor and all its sub-contractors to pay the Carpenters Area Standard Wages and Benefits and to provide apprenticeship and training on all jobs all the time.

However, Jay Templeton, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Helena and Calistoga, said that while the clubs construction project manager, Pound Management, is negotiating with Ledcor on a possible agreement, no contract has been signed.

Any contract will have to require prevailing wage, since the project is on public land next to the Calistoga Community Pool, Templeton said.

Ledcor didnt return a call requesting comment. The three protesters referred the Stars questions to the union office in Santa Rosa, which also didnt return a call requesting comment. Two of the protesters refused to provide their names, and the third did provide his name before asking that he not be identified.

Templeton confronted the protesters on Monday morning, asking them why they were involving the Boys & Girls Club in a dispute between the union and Ledcor over previous dealings that didnt involve the club.

Your entire premise for being here is wrong, Templeton told them, emphasizing that the club has not hired Ledcor and will require prevailing wage for the Calistoga clubhouse.

Theyre using us to make a point, I guess with Ledcor, said Trent Yaconelli, the clubs associate executive director. Theres no reason for us to be dragged into the middle of this.

The protesters arrived at about 9:30 a.m. and left at 2 p.m. After the police were called out in the morning, the demonstrators agreed to move their protest by a few feet so that it was off school district property, said Officer Fil Bianco of the St. Helena Police Department.

Union members held a similar demonstration on Monday outside Pound Managements office in Oakland, Templeton said.

Their fliers read Community breware and Shame on you, accused the Boys & Girls Club of turning their back on the community by hiring Ledcor, and included Templetons contact information, some of it incorrect. Banners accused Ledcor and the Boys & Girls Club of hurting workers, families and the community.

Templeton chided the protesters for misspelling beware and warned them that they were using the trademarked Boys & Girls Club logo without permission. He later issued a statement apologizing for any inconvenience the protesters caused children, parents and the community.

The clubs 14,000-square-foot, $12.7 million Calistoga facility is scheduled to open in September 2017.
(As delivered)

Thank you so much Chairman and ladies and gentlemen.

It's really a great pleasure and honour to be back here in the European Parliament.

And to meet with so many distinguished parliamentarians.

And as some of you know I served as a member of the Norwegian parliament for 20 years so I know how important parliaments and parliamentarians are for the nations you are representing.

And I also know how important the European Parliament is for the European Union.

And moreover, I also know that 90 percent of the people living in a European Union country are also living in a NATO country.

Underlining how much NATO and the EU depend on each other.

So the relationship between NATO and the EU is of vital importance.

Today, Europe's security environment is more complex and more unpredictable than for a generation.

We live in an age of instability.

With complex and interconnected challenges.

We face a more assertive Russia which is destabilising the European security order.

And we face extremism and violence across the Middle East and North Africa.

Fuelling the worst refugee and migrant crisis in Europe since World War Two.

These challenges affect us all.

And NATO is responding.

Our response is building on three pillars

The need for more strength.

The need for more dialogue.

And the need to invest more in prevention, through our partners.

For each of these pillars, a strong relationship between the EU and NATO is essential.

Let me address all three of them and then I'm happy to answer your questions afterwards.

First, strength.

NATO is implementing the biggest increase in our collective defence since the end of the Cold War.

Not to wage war, but to prevent war

To send a clear signal.

That an attack on any NATO Ally will be met by forces from across the whole Alliance, including from North America.

This link between North America and Europe is crucial.

NATO binds the United States and Canada to the security of Europe.

The United States accounts for more two thirds of defence spending in NATO.

And has around 70,000 troops and essential equipment deployed in Europe.

After Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine, America responded with a multi-million dollar reassurance initiative for Europe.

Earlier this month, US Defence Secretary Ash Carter asked the Congress to increase that funding four times, to $3.4 billion in 2017.

This will mean more forces, more training and exercises, and more prepositioning of equipment and infrastructure here in Europe.

It is a clear demonstration of America's enduring commitment to European security.

And it is a solid base for NATO's recent decision to increase our forward presence of troops in the eastern countries of the Alliance.

This presence will be persistent, multinational, and underpinned by robust exercises.

European Allies are also stepping up to the plate.

In 2014, NATO leaders agreed to stop cuts in defence spending.

And to increase spending to at least 2% of GDP over the next decade.

One year in, the picture is mixed, but it is encouraging.

In 2015, defence cuts were close to zero.

Five Allies now meet our guideline on spending 2 percent of GDP or more on defence.

16 Allies actually increased in real terms their defence spending in 2015.

These are promising first steps.

But we have a long way to go.

My second point is that while NATO is strong, we are also open for dialogue.

NATO does not seek confrontation.

We do not want a new Cold War.

And there is no contradiction between defence and dialogue.

On the contrary, strong defence creates the basis for political dialogue.

We continue to strive for a more constructive and more cooperative relationship with Russia.

We want dialogue because dialogue can increase predictability and transparency.

Dialogue that reduces the risk of incidents or accidents. And if incidents do happen, avoids further escalation.

The downing of the Russian fighter plane over Turkey underlines how urgent this is.

My third point, is to invest in prevention, by building local capacity.

NATO has to be ready to deploy large numbers of combat forces to manage crises. As we have done in the Balkans and in Afghanistan.

But in the long run, it is better to prevent crises than to manage them.

Better to build local forces than deploy foreign troops.

The crises we face clearly show that the security of Europe depends on the stability of its neighbours.

NATO's partnerships are an essential tool in the promotion of stability, respect for the rule of law, and human rights.

In the east, NATO is working with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, so they can better resist outside pressure.

Helping them in different ways to build their defence capacity, modernise their institutions and strengthen their reforms.

In the south, our partnerships extend across the Middle East and North Africa.

We are supporting the defence capacity of Jordan.

Next month, we will start to train Iraqi officers.

We are also working with Tunisia on Special Forces and intelligence.

And we stand ready to support Libya if requested by the national unity government.

On Syria, I would like to state that I welcome the agreement reached yesterday on the cessation of hostilities in Syria.

NATO supports all efforts to reach a negotiated end to this terrible conflict, and to set the conditions for a peaceful political transition.

What is important now is that all sides respect the terms of the agreement.

And ensure that it is both implemented, and effectively monitored.

All our 28 Allies are part of the Global Coalition against ISIL.

The success of the coalition is based on the ability of nations to work together.

Which NATO has developed over decades, from Kosovo to Afghanistan and through extensive exercises.

Two weeks ago, NATO Defence Ministers decided that NATO would join international efforts to deal with the refugee and migrant crisis.

NATO's Standing Maritime Group was immediately deployed to the Aegean.

Our ships will provide information to help NATO Allies, Greece and Turkey, as well as Frontex.

Supporting them in their efforts to cut the lines of illegal trafficking and illegal migration.

In recent days, I have spoken to President Tusk, President Juncker, the High Representative Mogherini and to Commissioner Avramopoulos.

We are now developing the necessary framework of cooperation between the EU and NATO.

NATO is strong.

We are open for dialogue.

And we are working with our partners.

The European Union is an essential partner for NATO.

Since becoming NATO Secretary General, I have made a special effort to bring NATO and the EU closer together.

Our efforts are complementary.

Each organisation brings its own unique blend of expertise, experience and capabilities.

I fully support the EU's plans for a stronger defence industry.

In particular, the European Commission's Defence Action Plan.

It addresses issues that are important to Allies on both sides of the Atlantic.

So a close dialogue will be mutually beneficial.

We are also looking at ways in enhancing our cooperation to address hybrid threats and hybrid attacks.

In key areas such as early warning, strategic communications, civil-military cooperation and cyber.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Separately, we are already making a difference.

But together, our impact could be much greater.

This summer offers important opportunities.

The meeting of the European Council in June and the NATO Summit in July will be a chance to cement our unity and our practical cooperation.

To show that, by working together, NATO and the European Union can add real value.

This will be a big year for cooperation between NATO and the EU.

A chance to set the course for the years ahead.

And to demonstrate how we are working not just side-by-side, but also hand-in-hand.

Thank you so much for your attention.

ELMAR BROK (Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament): We have a long, long list now. Perhaps you agree that if people were on the last list this morning that they had a superiority, that they have a chance to speak. The first stop is Mister Alli, from Italy National Parliament.

PAOLO ALLI (European Parliament, Italy): [In Italian] Grazie, Signore Secretario Generale, la mia domanda e sui reporti colla Russia. Noi abbiamo visto che gli interventi della Russia in Siria hanno reso molto  ce la traduzione? Ci siamo? Abbiamo visto che gli interventi della Russia in Siria hanno complicato una situazione gia difficile con effeti destabilizanti senza combattere il vero enemico che da [Inaudible] alimentando il radicalismo islamico, complicando i problema legati allimmigrazione e con un compleeso reporto con lIran e vediamo anche nueva attenzione al dombasso.

La settimana scorsa ci siamo incontrati qui a Bruxelles con il Consiglio Atlantico, lassemblea parlamentaria de la NATO e la preoccupazione di una nuevo crescente tenzione colla Russia e apasso molto chiara. La mia domanda e: in questo contesto complesso, dove anche ce il tema dellassenzioni da parte da lUnione Europea delle contrasanzione della Russia che dameggiano il, anche, gli aspetti legatti di scambi commerciali. Quali reali possibilita lei vede di reprindere un dialogo colla Federazione russa, un dialogo reale non basato sul riccati ma su un rispeto reciproco? E lei ha parlato di il forte rapporto tra la NATO e lUnione europe; in che termini? Como conciliare loperazione di su la deterrenza che la NATO sta facciendo con relazione diplomatica di lUnione Europea? Grazie.

ANGELIEN EIJSINK (European Parliament, Netherlands): Thank you, Mister Chair. Thank you very much. Thank you, Secretary General for being with us today and for your introduction. You touched upon different very important items. I would like to cut it short [?] into the Inter-Parliamentary Contacts. We do see you and meet you, luckily, in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, in the Inter-parliamentary Contacts, the IPC, and now in the European Parliament.

What we also discussed, and besides you already mentioned, is of course the direct response; we also discussed the spearhead, the VJTF a long time. And it also means that all of us, either in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, either in the IPC or in the European Parliament, we all have our own decision-making. How do we get there together, or as you mentioned, side-by-side, hand-in-hand?

And my question towards you is the following: would it be actually concerning to the Inter-parliamentary contacts, would it advisable to set up a network of permanent parliamentary committees, so-called standing committees, and that they could be called together at short notice when their governments decide to take part in a crisis management operation in faulting [?] either EU battle groups, EU-NATOs response force, or as we call the spearhead of the NRF, the VJTF? Looking forward to your answer. Thank you.

ANNA ELZBIETA FOTYGA (European Parliament, Poland): Secretary General, welcome. I certainly share your opinions that strong collective defence enhances dialogue. Weve been briefed by High-Rep Vice-President Mogherini this morning, many facts of discussions, deliberations, agreements during the Munich conference. And certainly during this conference, weve been able to listen to extremely harsh Russian speeches  both Prime Ministers Medvedev and Minister Lavrovs speeches. What actions actually you envisage to change this language of dialogue in our eastern flange? What is your expectation concerning the collective difference in this region?

Q: [Speaking in German] "By building resilience together with our neighbours and in the area of Defence investment". [Speaking in German]

MARIETJE SCHAAKE (European Parliament, Netherlands): Thank you very much, Chair. Thank you, Secretary General for your clear words, especially on not wishing to see a cold war. It's a very different message from  Im over here  a very different message from what we heard from the Russian Authorities, unfortunately, also in Munich. But I think we are already confronted with a hot war in Syria where, unfortunately, Russia plays a very active role. And I understand your words of support for the agreement, but I think were quite far from a resolution on the ground. Another important actor for NATO as well as the situation in Syria and internally increasingly is Turkey, I wanted to ask whether you are in conversations with Turkey about how to deescalate the violence and tensions in the South East and whether you considered this of importance for the Alliance? Thank you.

SABINE LOSING (European Parliament, Germany): [Speaking in German] "Their deterrence and defence posture review." [Speaking in German]

FABIO MASSIMO CASTALDO (European Parliament, Italy): [In Italian] Si, grazie, grazie Presidente, grazie Secretario generale. Diceva prima que non ce una guerra fredda, vogliamo sviluppare forse dialogo, pero una discrezione di questo discorso, francamente e ancora di piu nelle scelte politiche recente delle [Inaudible] molta forza e poco dialogo.

Voglio chiederle per quanto riguarda lalargamento, si come sul agenda resultano in perspettiva futura potentiziali candidati, qual e la Giorgia e lUcraina che [Inaudible] sembranno essere rafforzate anche dal andamento recento dei fatti. Secondo lei, lingreso di i due paesi che hanno dei gravissimi problema di conflict in questo momento presente nei loro territorio  scusatemi  [Inaudible] del sud, in un caso dombasso e, nel altro, non finire pero per ascerbare ancora di piu questo contrasto e questa potenziale tenzione colla Russia al posto invece di lanciare un proceso politico ed aspettare, magari, valudare veramente con una maggiore, in tempi migliori, operazione di queste genere?

Seconda domanda, rapporti della Turchia nella NATO, colla NATO: secondo lei, loperazione e anche lappogio, certa milizia della Turchia in Siria e sopratutto le operazioni militari che sta conduscendo nei confronti dei Kurdi in Rojava sono coherenti colle finalita di favorire la transizione e il dialogo che lei mencionaba prima, perche purtroppe non disse che stanno arrivando. Mi sembra, invece, molto preocupante che vadanno in tuttaltro senso.

ELMAR BROK: [Speaking in German]

MICHAEL GAHLER (European Parliament, Germany): Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Secretary General. Im here, over here. Over here. Thank you. Certainly our group and myself, we agree with you that we should not talk about a new call order. This is not the language that would be conducive to solving our problems, either on these or in the south or in any direction actually. What my question would be, rather specific: Im sure you have also read the RAND report which asked for, or actually recommended, a deterrent force of a magnitude of seven brigades to be deployed in the eastern flange of NATO and specifically in the Baltics which would enable NATO to prevent, or act as a deterrent, against a quick Russian overrun of the Baltics. Now, this is not local enabling, this is not crisis-prevention with local capacity-building. Is this, or something similar, in the plans? Because this is of a different magnitude than the few thousand troops you were talking about so far. Thank you.

ELMAR BROK: The floor has now Mister Klich. No, Mister Borghezio first.

MARIO BORGHEZIO (European Parliament, Italy): [In Italian] Grazie Presidente, Grazie Signore Secretario generale. Una cosa ha stubido certamente molte persone durante gli attachi terroristici in Europa di il Daesh, che la centrale del reclutamento dei terroristi e Bruxelles, proprio la sede de la NATO. Non [Inaudible] corti come dal tronde, purtroppo non si ha cortato tutta la dilligenza politica europa che immigrazione significava anche porte aperte cio e i [Inaudible] di Allah. Secondo, avete aperto una inchiesta sui contacti fra il camp familiar di Erdogan e i traffici di petroleo proveniente dal Daesh, dallo Stato Islamico?

Terza cosa, la presenza molto positiva delle navi della NATO sullEgeo sicuramente contribuanno a bloccare, su quel versante, laffluso degli immigrati e, in mezzo dessi, magari, anche di potenziali terroristi perche queste e una realta innegabile, piacia o non piacia. Ma, non ci sara, per conseguenza, un afflusso, una ripresa, degli sbarchi di infiltrazioni di questo genere sullaltro fronto? Non e che, in questo modo, riprendera il flusso degli sbarchi vercio [Inaudible]. Per esempio le coste meridionali dellItalia, e avete preso in esame questa hipotesi tuttaltro che dascartare in questa ottica che cosa prevede la NATO? Volete difendere solo le coste dellEgeo o siete disponibili, interessati e prevedete di difendere anche il nostro paese?

ELMAR BROK: Thank you. Mister Klich.

BOGDAN KLICH (European Parliament, Poland): [Speaking in Polish]

ELMAR BROK: [Inaudible] Miss Gomes.

ANA GOMES (European Parliament, Portugal): Secretary General, welcome. How do you deal with the complicated member of NATO, but as well complicated for us as a candidate country, Turkey, and with its sections where we have reports that some of its actions has been actually enabling ISIS and of course fighting the Kurds, not just the Kurdish from Turkey, but as well the Kurds who have our main alliance in fighting ISIS in Syria and in Iraq? Also, if there is to be cooperation with the EU, how do you assess the problems because of Cyprus, the talks about Cyprus is dis-improving or do you anticipate further problems in the relationship between NATO and EU because of Cyprus?

And finally, do you contemplate, if youre going to the Aegean, do you contemplate going to Libya and is this just on the seas or could this be also a ground operation? Are you articulating with the U.S. for the bombing that has being taking place in Libya?

ELMAR BROK: [Inaudible]

Q: [Speaking in Dutch]

ELMAR BROK: The floor has now Karel Schwarzenberg.

UNIDENTIFIED: Karel Schwarzenberg, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED: It's a mission.

KAREL SCHWARZENBERG (European Parliament, Czech Republic): Oh, yes. Please. Just, I wonder, why were are afraid of the word Cold War if you have all mildly said Lukewarm War in the Ukraine where they laser [?] shootings and people killed. And so, which in the cold classic Cold War didnt happen. So, why do we complain about the expression Cold War when we have this Lukewarm War [?]. [Audio cuts] have heard about NATO troops in Eastern Europe. I would be very glad if that would happen. But in a classical geographical division, Eastern Europe, as Byelorussia, Ukraine and Russia, Poland, become states of Central Europe. So, I would like to know if you really already achieved the progress that NATO could be the Eastern Europe or will be there only in Central Europe. Thank you very much.

ELMAR BROK: Herr Hellmich.

WOLFGANG HELLMICH (European Parliament, Germany): [Speaking in German]

ELMAR BROK: [Inaudible] Van Orden [?].

GEOFFREY VAN ORDEN (European Parliament, United Kingdom): Thank you very much, Chairman. [Inaudible] Secretary General. Dont you think its rather ridiculous we have to go through this elaborate fan dance of cooperation between NATO and the European Union when, after all, they are more or less the same member states, and all, at least, weve done is really reabsorb the EU's defence structures into NATO?

Might I just ask you, though, what was the reaction that NATO of Frances implication of Article 42.7 of the EU Treaties rather than Articles 4 or 5 of the NATO treaty in reaction to the Paris atrocities? Could I also ask you whether you have continuing concerns about the revitalization of NATO and the willingness of allies to improve defence capabilities? And finally, really another aspect of the Turkey question: I mean, what more can NATO do to assist Turkey in the defence of her borders? And what particular difficulties do you foresee? Thank you.

ELMAR BROK: [Inaudible] NATO Secretary General.

JENS STOLTENBERG (NATO Secretary General): Thank you so much. Ill try to answer the questions. These are partly all bloc-based, so some of them I will group together. First, Alli and several others of you asked me about dialogue and how its possible to have a dialogue with Russia when they are behaving in the way they are behaving in Syria, in Ukraine and in Georgia and other places. And then, I think its extremely important to, first of all, understand that we never suspended our political dialogue with Russia.

What NATO did in the spring of 2014 after the illegal annexation of Crimea was to suspend practical cooperation, but we decided to keep chance for political dialogue open. Because, actually, when tensions are high, when the times are difficult as they are now, then its actually more important to have a chance for political dialogue, to try to avoid the situation from escalating and try to provide as much predictability, transparency and risk reduction as possible. Because, for instance, with increased military presence, with more exercises and also with, of course, with the Russian military presence and airstrikes in Syria, the risks have increased.

And therefore, there is no, as I said, no contradiction between military strength, a strong and predictable military answer from NATO and that we continue to strive for a political dialogue because thats a way to reduce risks and try to avoid incidents, accidents before it spirals total out of control.

Let me also add that Russia is a member of the UN Security Council. Russia is a nation which many NATO allies, or all NATO allies, relate to, for instance, in the OSCE framework. And many NATO allies, and European Union members are cooperating or working with Russia on the bilateral level. And I think that we have to understand that its not a question about isolating Russia, but its a question of how we convey a very clear message to them. And thats what we do, partly by our military orientation, but partly by keeping open the chance for political dialogue, addressing many different issues: everything from NATO allies working with Russia on the Iran nuclear deal or trying to reach or implement an agreement on cessation of hostilities in Syria and many other issues. But again, this has to be based on strength and predictability. Dialogue is not a sign of weakness, dialogue is a sign of self-confidence: as long as we are strong, as long as we are united, then youre also able to engage politically with Russia on different issues.

Then, Eijsink, Miss Eijsink, on whether I should be in favor of establishing permanent joint parliamentary committees linking the European Parliament with the NATO parliamentarians. Well, its an interesting idea, I havent heard it before. I have an open mind for good ideas. But at the same time, I dont think its up to me to decide, but up to the parliaments to decide what they want to do. And I remember, from domestic politics in Norway, that we should always be very careful when we are in executive positions to try to tell the parliaments how they should organize their work. But, well, thats a possibility. To some extent, these are exactly the same parliamentarians, coming from the same countries; but there are some countries which are not members of both the European Union and NATO at the same time, and I know one of them very well. And they can also be good nations. So, they have to be respected, also those countries which are not members of both the European Union and NATO.

Then, Miss Fotyga, language or dialogue? Well, I think to some extent, Ive explained it. But again, just to underline: dialogue, political chance, is an all-weather approach. And the need for a political engagement is bigger, not smaller, when times are difficult. And my own experience from Norway, being a Norwegian politician, in a country neighbouring Russia, was that actually we were able to develop a practical, pragmatic operation with Russia on energy, on border issues, on fishery and many other issues, military issues. Norwegian and Russian military authorities commands meet regularly up in the North. We were able to develop that kind of practical cooperation with Russia, not despite of Norways membership in NATO, but because of, because NATO provided the strength, the collective security which enabled a small country as Norway to engage with a big neighbour, the Soviet Union  and later on, Russia. So, again, the need for strong defense and dialogue is more urgent now, or more obvious now when the times are more difficult than they were some years ago.

Then, Mister Gahler, a military presence in the east. And let me say, it may be that sometimes, in eastern part of the lines; well, we have all increased our presence, we have more exercises, we have assurance missions, we have air policing, we have more naval presence in the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and we have air policing  I think I mentioned. What we are doing now is that we are looking into how we can further increase our military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance.

I was also asked by one of you about exact numbers. I cannot give you exact numbers now. What we decided, at our Defence ministerial meeting a couple of weeks ago, was on the principle of our increased presence. Then, we will come back to the scale and the scope of that presence later on. At least, at our Summit in Warsaw in July. But what I can say is that the presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, the increased military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance will be multinational. Because thats one of the key aspects, meaning that we have, if we have or when we have, forces from different NATO allies, presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, then we are also underpinning their credibility, of our collective defense, of a collective security, meaning that an attack on one ally will be an attack on the whole Alliance. And that credibility increases as soon as we have a multinational presence in the eastern part of the Alliance and thats the reason we have decided to increase the presence, being it multinational. And then, of course, the size is important, but just the character, multinational forces, is important in itself.

Then, I was asked about, not Cold War, Hot War, yeah. This was Miss Schaake. And yes, of course, in Ukraine, in Eastern Ukraine, in Syria and all the places, this is not a question of whether we have a Cold War, theres hot war, real war going on. And this is also of course affecting us, because its in our neighbourhood and if our neighbourhood is unstable, that of course also affects our security.

Then I was asked by several of you questions related to Turkey. Turkey is the ally, the NATO ally most affected by the crisis, the violence, the turmoil in Syria and Iraq. They are Turkey is hosting 2.5 million refugees and they are contributing to the coalition fighting ISIL, in many ways, but not least by providing infrastructure, air bases in support of the coalition fighting ISIL. Turkey has also seen several terrorist attacks, and nothing can justify the kind of terrorist attacks we saw in Turkey, in Ankara, just a few days ago.

At the same time I think that the instability and the obvious challenges we see in Syria, and also spilling over into Turkey, just underlines the importance of calm de-escalation and that the Turkish response is proportionate. And thats one of the reasons why we are underlining so strongly the NATO support for all efforts to try to find a political negotiated solution. And at least the first step is the agreement between Russia and the United States to create the framework for cessation of hostilities.

Hopefully, that will then be implemented and that will create the basis for, also, to reassume [sic] or to start again the peace negotiations, having a more lasting ceasefire and a political agreement, political transition and I think all the dangers and the risks in that area. Also related to the situation for the Kurds just underlines how important it is to support all efforts to find a political negotiated solution.

Let me also add, when it comes to Turkey, that of course what NATO does is that we have assurance measures in Turkey, meaning that we have military presence, AWACS increased naval presence, we have air policing and so on, to make sure that we are able to defend all allies against any aggression, of course also including Turkey.

Then, Miss Losing, deployment Yeah, I think Ive already answered that about the numbers. Mister Castaldo, dialogue, I think I also, to some extent, answered that and also Turkey, asked me about that. I think thats that.

Then, from Hungary, the question about the RAND, the report. Well, we are addressing exactly what they are analyzing in their report, and that is a risk for any kind of military aggression against any NATO ally in the eastern part of the Alliance. And thats exactly the reason why NATO has adapted and why we have responded and why we will continue to do so. We will do so partly by increasing our presence in the east. And as I mentioned, we have increased our presence with assurance missions with more exercises. We are now establishing eight small headquarters, also in Hungary. NFIUs, we call them, and they are critical because they provide the important link between national forces and possible reinforcement if needed.

We have tripled the size of the NATO response force. So I think we have to understand that the deterrence, the collective defence that NATO provides is based partly on national forces, partly on the deployment of multinational NATO forces, but partly also on our ability to reinforce if needed. And thats exactly the reason why we have increased the preparedness and the readiness of our forces. By tripling the size of the NATO response force from around 13,000 to 40,000, by establishing the spearhead force, which can move within hours, so at least a couple of days, and the reason why, also, were now partly inside the NATO framework but also partly on bilateral basis, the United States, is prepositioning more equipment, investing more in infrastructure, establishing the small headquarters in eight allied countries in the eastern part of the Alliance. All of this enabling us to deploy forces quickly if needed.

So, we are responding to the challenges which are outlined in the RAND report and we will continue to adapt, to be able to guarantee the security of all allies.

Then, it was a question of many terrorists recruited in Belgium. Well, I think the terrorists are recruited from many different countries. Belgium is hosting NATO and we are grateful for that and I think because Belgium is very much aware of that, they have to focus on how they can also work together with other allies in Europe to counter terrorist networks and to be able to also do something with the recruitment of foreign fighters. So I welcome therefore the Belgium government and Im very grateful for them hosting NATO and the NATO headquarters.

I was also asked about  several questions about NATOs presence in the Aegean Sea. And we, as you know, what we have decided is to assist, is to help with tackling the migrant and refugee crisis in the Aegean Sea. NATO will not turn back to boats; we will not do police activities in the Aegean Sea. We will help local authorities, meaning the Turkish coast guard, the Greek coast guard, Frontex to do their job. We will not do the job for them. That would be wrong. That's not our mission according to what we decided at the Defence ministerial meeting.

We will do reconnaissance, surveillance, monitoring and provide this critical information to the local authorities. Then, they have to do the rest. But, of course, everything well do with NATO capabilities  vessels, ships in the Aegean Sea  will be according to international law, meaning that, if a NATO ship is close to people in distress, a boat with refugees which is sinking, then all nations are obliged, all vessels, wherever they come from, are obliged to help those people. And of course that also applies for NATO vessels. Then, we will rescue the people.

And what we agreed with Turkey at the Defence ministerial meeting was that if the people who are rescued by NATO, if they come from Turkey we can return them to Turkey. So, thats what we agreed and now we are sorting out the technical and the legal details on how we are going to implement this decision made by NATO Defence ministers a couple of weeks ago.

Cyprus, Miss Gomes asked me about that. Ill just say that I welcome the efforts to try to find a political solution. I think actually there has been some progress. We never know, theres a lot of uncertainties, there have been many attempts before. But I think theres a real possibility now for an agreement which can solve the conflict in Cyprus and I very much welcome those efforts.

I was asked about whether all the nations, and then United States, will provide support for the enhancing of NATOs collective defence and presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, and the answer is yes. All allies are already contributing to assurance measures, air policing and allies are in different ways going to contribute both in the increased readiness and to the increased presence in the eastern part of the Alliance.

Libya: we stand ready to help to do capacity building, provided that there is a national unity government in Libya that requests our help. Were not going to Libya, but we will help if we are invited.

Then, the last thing I was asked about is where is East Europe and where is Central Europe? Well, I what I tried to say is that we have increased our presence in the eastern part of the Alliance. And the eastern part of the alliance, that is for instance the Baltic countries. So, thats a way to not be too precise on where East and Central starts and begins, or ends and begins.

Then, what we're going to decide in Warsaw? Well, its too early to say because heads of states and governments have to decide. But I expect them to make decisions on how we can further strengthen our collective defense, how we can respond to both the challenges emanating from the South, but also from the East, with more presence and readiness of our forces.

The last thing was about Paragraph 42.7 and not Article 5 of the NATO treaty. Well, I would say that the NATO article 5 has been invoked only once and that was after the terrorist attacks against the United States, 9/11 2001. There has been many terrorist attacks, regrettably, in Europe since then with a high number of casualties without invoking Article 5. So I think we have to understand that Article 5 is something which is very, very seldom invoked. We are able to respond to terrorist attacks, we are able to provide support to countries fighting terrorism without invoking Article 5. And we are supporting the coalition fighting ISIL. All NATO allies are part of the coalition. We provide support by building local capacity. We are in Jordan, in Tunisia, helping Iraq. But also, for instance, by our activities in Afghanistan, is highly related to fighting terrorism, because actually the reason why we went into Afghanistan and the reason we are in Afghanistan is to prevent Afghanistan becoming a safe haven for international terrorists. So NATO is fighting terrorism, supporting the international coalition fighting ISIL without invoking Article 5, so I dont depend on Article 5 to be able to act.

There may be some questions I didnt answer, but I think I answered at least most of them. And I know there are more questions to come. So I think we should continue now with the questions.

ELMAR BROK: Thank you very much. The floor has named Mister Kelam.

TUNNE KELAM (European Parliament, Estonia): Vielen Dank. Secretary General. Id like to recognize your resolve and clear message. And Im among those whos a tenor, who support for the strengthened governators, multinational capacity and presence in eastern part of Europe.

[AUDIO CUTS]

TUNNE KELAM:  Significant because its still a vulnerable area and Mister Putin may be tempted to discredit NATOs credibility to defend efficiently its smallest members. So my question is about deploying collective defense in case of hybrid aggression and hybrid war: are there

[AUDIO CUTS]

TUNNE KELAM:  collective defense and support mix cases? Thank you.

ELMAR BROK: Thank you. Mister Kaili. Misses Kaili, my apology.

EVA KAILI (European Parliament, Greece): It's O.K. Thank you so much. Thank you.

ELMAR BROK:  for delegation for the NATO Assembly.

EVA KAILI: Thank you, Chair and thank you Secretary General. Some months ago, at the NATO PA in Stavanger, I had the chance to address you in my capacity as the Chair of DNAT. One of my points was exactly that, if NATO would participate in the refugee crisis, and you said that it wasnt the role of the NATO to do so, which I hear that you say almost the same now, but then it will be involved, it will actively participate overseeing procedures. So, I understand that the contribution is important and ensures the capacity of NATO and the Youth for Future Corporation, as you said. However, I would like for you, if its possible to be more specific. If you could share some details on the operational planning and the coordination among the national authorities, from [Inaudible] NATO forces in the Aegean Sea.

So, what kind of  how many ships will be there, for how long, what time and how will the coordination happen? You said its going to be just gathering information and exchanging data, but then if you say refugees then you will have to return them back to Turkey. At the same time, given the fact that only yesterday we had 36 violations of the airspace and we also have the sea borders being violated by Turkey.

How do you think NATO could respond in case this thing continues to happen the time you will be there, with your presence there and in case Turkey uses NATO operation as a vehicle to question Greek sovereignty over the Aegean? And  Im sorry just a last one  if an active participation of the European Parliament would be possible, since we face common threats. Thank you very much.

ELMAR BROK: Equal disposition.

[LAUGHTER]

ELMAR BROK: Mister Jurek has the floor.

UNIDENTIFIED: Selective [inaudible]. Selective.

[LAUGHTER]

ELMAR BROK: Mister Jurek. Mister Jurek, still here?

UNIDENTIFIED: No.

ELMAR BROK: No. Then has the floor Hmm-hmm, sitting there. Zurich.

UNIDENTIFIED: Jurek!

ELMAR BROK: Jurek. Ive said Jurek, but the translation of Jurek into Polish was wrong.

[LAUGHTER]

MAREK JUREK (European Parliament, Poland): [Speaking in Polish]

ELMAR BROK: Mister Artini may have to remind you on the "Fotyga limit", 1:15?

MASSIMO ARTINI (European Parliament, Italy): [Speaking in Italian]

ELMAR BROK: Michele Alliot-Marie.

MICHELE ALLIOT-MARIE (European Parliament, France) : [In French] Merci monsieur le President. Monsieur le Secretaire-general, quelques questions tres precises dont je comprendrai queventuellement vous ne puissiez pas me les donner tout de suite et quon nous a envoyees par la suite. Elles concernent les participations respectives des differents partenaires de lOTAN. Jaimerais savoir quelle est letat actuel des contributions en matiere dhommes participant aux operations et de financement des Etats-Unis, des differents etats europeens et des autres etats non-europeens mais participant a lOTAN.

Dautre part vous nous avez indique, en vous en rejouissant, que des depenses militaires ont augmente dans plusieurs pays pour atteindre deux pour cent. Je serais interessee a savoir quels sont ces pays, si ces montants incluent ou non les pensions des militaires  car ce sont des variables importantes  et ensuite vers quel type de depenses ces augmentations sont orientees. Est-ce que cest vers le recrutement des hommes, vers leur entrainement, est-ce que cest vers les equipements, et si cest vers les equipements, vers quel type dequipement  lOTAN manque-t-elle toujours autant dhelicopteres dans ses operations, ce que sont ses operations. Et dautre part quels sont les pays dorigine de ces equipements, c'est-a-dire par quel pays sont-ils fabriques.

Q: Thank you very much, Mister Chair. Mister Secretary General, you are talking about interconnected challenges. At the same time, you know, European Union and NATO are two organizations that are promoting and defending the same values. Recently, NATO came, on my opinion, quite late to support the European Union to monitor and guard its external border on the Aegean Sea. Dont you think that, to the next NATO Summit and NATO-European Council, we should have to propose a permanent mechanism of cooperation on security and defence issues between NATO and European Union?

And secondly, the Russian authorities are undermining, you know, and everybody knows that the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia  three countries very important for the Euro-Atlantic area security and defence on Eastern Europe. What NATO is envisaging in the next future to support these countries, eventually to raise their status with NATO? Thank you.

DANIEL DALTON (European Parliament, United Kingdom): Thank you. Mister Dalton, representing Great Britain here. Im delighted that we are one of the countries that are fulfilling out two percent of GDP obligation to defence spending. Im delighted to hear you, Sir, actually talk about dialogue with Russia. In our own Parliament, there is merely hostility, antagonism and suspicion towards Russia.

Im keen to find out from you, Sir, what reaction you are getting in your capacity, representing us, with your dialogue with Russia and how you are trying to build up personal relations with your counterparts in Moscow to try to take some of the tension and strains out of the ever-increasing deterioration of relations between our two areas. Thank you.

ELMAR BROK: [Inaudible]

UNIDENTIFIED (European Parliament, Greece): [Speaking in Greek]

ELMAR BROK: Thank you. The floor has now Mister Halleraker.

YVIND HALLERAKER (European Parliament, Norway): Thank you. Mister Secretary General. Id like to draw your attention to the North. We are facing military strategic changes in NATOs maritime area of the responsibility also in the northern area. So, Norway has stepped up its maritime presence in response with increased patrolling by submarines and maritime Petro aircrafts. How is NATO planning for the maritime domain in the North Atlantic, in the process towards Warsaw? Thank you.

Q: Thank you very much, Mister Chairman. Mister Secretary General, I welcome very much your participation and your contribution. I have two short questions. First, how do you assess the security situation into the Black Sea region and what is the NATO response to it? And the second: were speaking about the EU defence developments now. What, from a NATO perspective, should be done in order to guarantee the complementarity and compatibility between the two developments, EU Defence and NATO? I thank you very much.

ELMAR BROK: Mister Obreja.

UNIDENTIFIED: Mister Obreja from Romania National Parliament. Has he gone?

ELMAR BROK: The white hair.

UNIDENTIFIED: Has he gone?

MARIUS-LUCIAN OBREJA (European Parliament, Romania): [Speaking in Romanian]

ELMAR BROK: Thank you. I would like to propose you that everyone has now only one minute and we have perhaps a chance that everyone gets the floor, perhaps the chance. And therefore we have to do that in order and take mostly people first who have not yet spoken today. That is also one of the reasons that people who have already one or two times spoken should be now not in this round again the first ones. So I would like to give the floor now to Ms. Gill.

NEENA GILL (European Parliament, United Kingdom): Thank you, Chair. I did want to ask a question on the side of warfare, and I know that Deputy Artini has already asked for it, which is around that it's becoming increasingly a big threat and as much as a conventional conflict. And it's important too that it is used by the Russians in Ukraine and China also are using it. So I think there's a critical role for NATO in addressing this. But NATO is focused on resilience against cyberattacks.

What I would like to ask you, Secretary General: What is the scope for opening up the mandate to include a more proactive approach to improving overall deterrence?

And secondly, can I just say quickly I welcome your words that a strong Britain and a strong Europe is contributing to stability. Could you share with me your views as possible negative consequences of Brexit, given that threats are increasingly occurring cross-border and where we need greater cooperation within NATO? Thank you.

ELMAR BROK: Mister Papadakis.

KONSTANTINOS PAPADAKIS (European Parliament, Greece): [Speaking in Greek]

ELMAR BROK: Mister Androulakis.

NIKOS ANDROULAKIS (European Parliament, Greece): [Speaking in Greek]

ELMAR BROK: [Inaudible]

DORU-CLAUDIAN FRUNZULICA (European Parliament, Romania): Secretary General, I think one of the most valuable tools of our alliance after 1990 was definitely the open-door policy, the enlargement process, and I think the new allies coming from the Central-Eastern Europe represent the best examples.

Recently, we welcomed also in my country Romania the decision on Montenegro. What about Georgia? And I'm speaking on this subject beyond the substantial package that was adopted by the alliance for Georgia and after many years of talks after the NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008 on this subject, I'm perfectly aware the situation, it's a complex one. But within a very honest discussion, first of all among the allies, this is a friendly challenge addressed to you. What should be the miraculous solution on Georgia's path towards the alliance, having in mind a principle that all the time we have stated all together Russia should not have a veto right on our enlargement policy? Thank you.

SOFIA SAKORAFA (European Parliament, Greece): [Speaking in Greek].

ELMAR BROK: [Inaudible] is longer than you should. Now, as the highlight of late afternoon, Mr. Khan.

AFZAL KHAN (European Parliament, United Kingdom): Thank you, Chair. I cannot believe this. [Laughing]. Secretary General, thank you. Just two quick questions. I know you talked about the announcement of a ceasefire in Syria. Now, if this doesn't take effect and there are countries talking about moving troops there's, what would be NATO would be involved in this or not?

And the second one is in December, Montenegro was formally invited by allied foreign ministers to become the 20th member of the Atlantic alliance. What are the prospects for another NATO-aspiring country such as Bosnia-Herzegovina? Thank you.

Q: [Speaking German].

JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you so much, thank you for all the quest Thank you so much, thank you for all the questions. And let me again try to answer at least most of them.

First, to Mr. Khan on hybrid. Hybrid is really an important issue because hybrid is something which we really have to be prepared for. This combination of military and non-military aggressive actions, deception, covert and overt operations, cyber and many different kinds of threats which, as as I say, aim to be able to attack a country without having a full-fledged war but destabilizing the country, and also being able to reduce warning times so it's too late to act when you are aware that you are under attack. That was to some extent what happened in in Ukraine or when when Russia annexed Crimea. They did in a way admit that they were responsible for aggressive actions in Crimea and they suddenly have annexed the whole peninsula.

So we have to be prepared for responding to hybrid threats. And that's exactly what we are doing and we have all done a lot; we have to do more. It's about for instance early warning, the ability to understand better what is going on. And that's the reason why we are increasing and improving the way we share intelligence inside the alliance. We are increasing our capacity to do intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

We will next year have the new drones, the alliance ground surveillance system in place with new drones which are an important NATO capability which will increase significantly NATO's ability to look, to see, to understand what is taking place on the ground. And that is an important part of a response to many different kinds of hybrid threats and hybrid challenges.

We have to be able to be very flexible and tailored when we respond. So, more special operation forces is part of a response to hybrid threats. We are expanding our special operation capabilities.

To be able to act quickly and also to be able to deploy forces before the crisis really become dangerous is also a part of response to hybrid threats. And that's the reason why we have increased substantially or significantly the readiness of our forces with a new Spearhead Force and the tripling of the size of the NATO Response Force. So we can deploy if we see that there is a danger or a threat for any kind of hybrid situation.

Cyber is part of that too. And I was asked by several of you about cyber. Cyber, well, we are partly stepping up what to do to protect our own systems, which is important. We are also doing more when it comes to NATO's ability to help allies in protecting their systems. We have established teams, emergency teams which can be deployed and help protecting the networks of allied countries which are under cyberattacks.

And we also decided that a cyberattack can trigger Article 5, can also be regarded as serious as a conventional attack because a cyberattack can actually have devastating or very serious effects. And, therefore, we now regard cyberattacks as something which can trigger the full response of the alliance collective defence, the Article 5.

Then, Ms. Kaili of Greece asked me about the refugee crisis. Well, NATO, again, we are responding, we are assisting, we are helping, but NATO's role is more a support role. So, again, NATO will not stop the boats. NATO will not turn back the boats with the migrants. What we will do is that we will help local authorities to do their work, and Frontex. And of course, then the success is absolutely dependent on Turkey, Greece, Frontex. It's not it's not our mandate to do policing in the Aegean Sea.

I think that the strength of what NATO is doing in the agency is partly that that, of course, the European Union is playing a very important role, but Greece is member of the European Union but Turkey is not. So NATO is bringing in a way two countries, Turkey and Greece, together. That is important in itself.

The other thing which is important with the NATO presence in the Aegean Sea is that we established a cooperation between NATO and the European Union. But, again, it's up to Frontex, Greek and Turkish authorities to, in a way, use the support they get from NATO. We will not stop, we will not turn back the boats.

Then, of course, there are challenges, there are problems, there are legal issues. These are the issues we are discussing and addressing as we speak. So we have made the decision and now we are in the in the business of, as I say, solving all the practical and legal issues. But I have seen Greek Greece and Turkey working together in the alliance for years.

And since I became Secretary General I have seen how the two countries are able to stand together, to work together. And it was actually NATO 28 ministers, including the Greek and the Turkish defence ministers present at our meeting two days two weeks ago, that made this decision. So this is not some people in Brussels developing an idea and then try to force NATO allies to implement it. It's 28 allies seating together in Brussels and making the decision together.

And then we are now, as I say, working on how to implement. So therefore, I'm not able to answer all the questions about operational details, but I feel very certain about that when we have made a strong political decision, when we all see the need for doing more to cope with, to tackle the migrant and the refugee crisis, and this is taking place in the Aegean Sea, affecting both Turkey, Greece, the whole of Europe, then we should show also the political strength to implement that decision as soon as possible.

And we have already deployed ships in the area, and I can you also wanted to know about the number of the number of ships. Well, that varies a bit, but so far there have been between two and five ships in the area monitoring the situation because they already have the mandate to do monitoring and, of course, they have done so in the Aegean Sea already.

Then then, yeah, just to underline, NATO's presence in the Aegean Sea is is we are there to deal with a migrant and refugee crisis, not to do police work or not to monitor the air space of any nation. So we will do we will focus on our mandate, and that is to help deal with the migrant and refugee crisis.

Then yeah, actually [inaudible] the North Stream. Mr. Jurek, you asked me  as you also spoke Aegean Sea, I think I all answered. But then the North Stream. Well, I think it's something which has to be decided by the nations involved and to to the extent it affects the European Union, decided by the European Union. It's not for NATO to decide whether it's it's good or bad to develop North Stream too, so I think I have to leave that to the countries which are part of the project and to the extent it affects EU regulations, also the European Union.

Then I would like to add about Syria, because you also asked me about that. NATO decided both to increase or to assist with the migrant and refugee crisis in the Aegean Sea, but we also decided to step up our support for Turkey monitoring surveilling surveillance along the Turkish/Syrian border. So we are also looking into how we can do that because, of course, that's also part of the migrant and refugee crisis, the very open border between Syria where all the migrants crossing the border between Syria and Turkey. At least, that has been a challenge for a long time. Now, the border is closed, but at least we will continue to monitor the border.

Then I was asked about Mr. Artini on cyber. Yeah, I think I have already answered about cyber. Then Ms. Alliot-Marie, you asked me about defence spending. First, which nations? Well, it is the United States, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Poland and Greece. They are the five nations spending more than two percent. France is very close to two percent and many allies have now started to increase, but those are the five which have which are at two percent or above.

What they will spend money on? Well, that differs, but more and more nations are investing more in equipment, and we welcome that because part of the decision we made in Wales was not only to increase defence spending but also to increase more on equipment, modern equipment, quality. We have to spend more but also to spend better.

The two percent includes pension, and that's just in a way a standard. So that's the way we compared. We could of course have taken pension out, but then have to take pension out from all nations and also dating it back, because if you are going to compare figures over time and between nations, you have to compare the same kind of figures. So as a NATO standard, that we include pensions.

Then Ms. Frunzulica, sorry, from Romania, what we do for no, it's Mr., I think what we do for for our Eastern partners. Well, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia. Fundamentally, we do three things. We provide strong political support for their independence, for their integrity, for their territorial integrity. So we provide strong political support for all the three nations. And, of course, Georgia, Ukraine being close partners, and Moldova also, we have defence capacity building. So we work close with them.

The other think we do is to provide practical support in different ways. For Ukraine, we have trust funds. We do capacity building. We help them with with command and control, with logistics. And in different ways we provide practical support, also on a bilateral basis; for instance, training of forces in Ukraine done on a bilateral basis of NATO allies.

And then we also support the efforts to try to find political solutions to the conflicts and especially in Ukraine we, of course, strongly support the efforts of to implement the Minsk Agreements and to find a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

Then I was asked about, Mr. Folsinsky [Phon.], dialogue also takes place. Yeah. And whether is a first of all, dialogue takes place already. As I mentioned, in the framework of the UN Security Council-OSCE bilateral level, Iran nuclear deal, or now on the cessation of hostilities in Syria, it's something we have reached through dialogue, political contacts also with Russia. It's not easy and we don't know whether we will be able to hold a NATO-Russia Council meeting, but at least Mr. Lavrov and I agreed when we met in Munich that we will explore the possibilities of holding or convening a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council.

Then I think I have spoken a lot about Aegean Sea, so that's already answered. Mr. Halleraker from Norway. I agree, NATO has to be able to also look to the North, and NATO has to have a presence in the North. But then, as a Norwegian, you know and I know that NATO's main presence in the North is Norway. So actually Norway has to, as I say, be there with military capabilities. Denmark is also there, but there is Norway and a very important part of NATO presence in the North. And Norway has just invested in new excellent frigates, and the reason why we bought very expensive frigates is that they increase our ability to to show presence in the Bering Sea, the Norwegian Sea and in the North.

We are going to, or Norway is going to invest in in new F-35 fighter planes, also to increase Norway's and NATO's ability to be present in the North. Hopefully, Norway will also buy new submarines and and other key capabilities. So NATO is present in the North, not least through the presence of Norway.

Then of course, I also welcome more exercises. I know that next week there will be a multinational exercise in Norway underlining that, of course, Norway, as no other ally, is alone. Norway is part of a collective defence, also then supported by many other, all other allies.

Hybrid was the next question. I think I already answered that. Cyber, I think I also answered. Aegean Sea, already answered.

Then Georgia. Well, we will continue to support Georgia. Georgia is making progress. It is important that they continue to implement the reforms. We will help them. We had a substantial package and I think it's important to know that NATO is present in Georgia. I just some months ago I participated in the inauguration of the new Training and Evaluation Centre. We have exercises so we are supporting Georgia on their way towards a closer relationship with NATO and on the way towards membership.

Then then Ms. Sakorafa from Greece. Sakorafa from Greece. Well, I I agree with you. I understand that for most politicians, or actually all the politicians I know, they would prefer to spend money on health, on education, on infrastructure instead of defence. So it's always difficult to mobilize money for defence. On the other hand, when and I, when I was minister of finance in the 1990s, I reduced defence spending in Norway.

Q: Oh!

JENS STOLTENBERG: Yeah, I did. But not tell anyone, but I did. Promise to keep it a secret.

[LAUGHING]

JENS STOLTENBERG: No, but that was actually after the Cold war. And tensions went down and it was actually a peace dividend. So I think it's quite logical that when tensions are going down, it's possible to decrease defence spending. But then you have to show the ability to increase defence spending when tensions are going up. And now tensions are increasing, so then we have to increase defence spending.

And to be honest, I also increased defence spending in Norway. We started to do that in 2008. So I have both decreased and increased defence spending in my national capacities.

And Greece is actually one of five countries which allocate two percent to defence. So Greece is actually another country which has been able to prioritize defence spending, even in a very difficult fiscal situation.

The last thing I will say about NATO, the Aegean Sea, Greece, Turkey and all these, is that it's not the end. NATO is not someone else and then 28 allies, many of them members of the European Union, are some other. NATO, we are the allies. So it's not me inventing the idea that NATO should move into the Aegean Sea. It was 28 allies agreeing. And all decisions taken in NATO are taken by consensus, so we will never do anything which is contradicting the wishes of any NATO ally.

So we are based on consensus and therefore, of course, whatever we do in the Aegean Sea will be agreed by Turkey, by Greece and by all the other 26 allies. And I'm certain that we have a way to agree because this is important for Greece, for Turkey and for the whole of Europe and the whole alliance.

That's, I think no, Mr. Khan, troops in Syria. NATO doesn't have any troops in Syria. There is no NATO military presence in Syria and there are no plans for any NATO military presence in Syria. But NATO is present in Turkey, being able to help Turkey defend itself against any aggression against Turkey. But we are not present in Syria, but we are augmenting the air defences of of Turkey. We are so we have AWACS planes. We are doing other kinds of military activities in Turkey to protect Turkey against aggressions, not to go into Syria.

Bosnia-Herzegovina, well, they still have way to go when it comes to reforms to meet NATO standards. So I think it's not possible for me to say anything about when we can make progress on Bosnia-Herzegovina's ambitions to join the alliance.

It's always a pleasure to meet you. As parliamentarians in all countries, you have a lot of questions and I tried to answer them as, as I say, as good as possible. So thank you again for your attention.

[APPLAUSE]

ELMAR BROK: Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Secretary General, and also on the applause. We very much appreciate the time that you have taken and also how do you explain to us the situation. I think it was both for the European Parliament, national parliaments, joint information which is most valuable for the proceedings. Thank you very much. And I hope we can call you in some time again to a similar event. Thank you.

JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you.
Governor of Gegharkunik province receives representatives of OSCE fact-finding mission

Penny Mordaunt runs for Prime Minister of Great Britain

Sweden expects ratification of NATO membership application by Hungary and Turkey to be completed soon

European Union will allocate 1.5 billion euros per month to Kiev in 2023

An Israeli-built flight school opened in Greece

Russian Railways is negotiating with Azerbaijan and Iran to launch the Rasht-Astara route

Overchuk: Construction of road through Meghri, whose sovereignty is not in question, depends on Armenia's position

Armenian Defense Minister's working visit to India is over

Hungary will not agree to limit prices for imported gas

Iranian Foreign Minister: Iran considers Armenia one of most important transit countries

Naribekyan participates in meeting of secretaries general of PACE parliaments

Dollar, euro drop in Armenia

Iran consul general in Armenias Kapan: We do not accept any change of borders

Baza: Mobile military registration and enlistment offices will be removed on Russian-Georgian border

Iranian Consul: Countries of region do not need presence of foreign armed forces

Armenia FM: Iran consulate general in Kapan will be important for regional security

Iranian Consul General advises Kapan residents not to worry anymore: Iran is here for Armenian people

FM reaffirms Armenia plan to open consulate general in Irans Tabriz

Turkey to open consulate in occupied Armenian Shushi city of Artsakh

Turkish Ministry of Finance: Ankara can buy Russian oil without Western funding

Armenia Security Council chief briefs European Parliament rapporteur on recent Azerbaijan military aggression

British bookmakers name favorite for post of prime minister

Erdogan: Armenia-Azerbaijan relations progress will contribute to Armenia-Turkey relations normalization

Iranian Consulate General opens in Kapan

Erdogan: Turkey is looking for alternative to American F-16 fighters

Iran consul general: We are here for Armenian people

Turkey FM slams OSCE decision to send needs assessment mission to Armenia

Peskov reacts to Erdogan's words about Putin's softening on Ukraine negotiations

European Parliament rapporteur on Armenia visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

European Parliament rapporteur on Armenia to legislature speaker: Attack was from Azerbaijan, naturally

Armenia President to EEU PMs: We will manage to take another confident step by respecting mutual interests

EUSR Toivo Klaars exclusive interview with NEWS.am on EU Monitoring mission,Nagorno Karabakh future and violence videos

Explosions rock Ukraines Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia

President meets with newly formed Artsakh Public Council members

Armenia PM: We need understanding in price horizon, at least in medium term

Lawyer: 20 of fallen solders parents detained from Yerevan military pantheon are recognized as injured party

PM: Armenia trade with other EEU countries increased by 74%

France region to provide 300,000 to Armenias Syunik Province affected by Azerbaijan military aggression

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council extended meeting underway in Yerevan

MOD: Armenia did not fire at Azerbaijan positions, vehicle

MPs in Strasbourg, present threatening dangers: Armenia has powerful support in European Parliament

Years first snow falls in Armenias Shirak Province

World oil prices on the rise

Newspaper: Russia dismisses Armenia PM's news on Karabakh

Russia PM in Yerevan, to discuss with EEU colleagues single oil, natural gas markets formation

Newspaper: Why is Iran in hurry to open consulate in Armenias Syunik Province?

France, Spain, Portugal agree to build Barcelona-Marseille natural gas pipeline

Admiral: U.S. should now prepare for Chinese 'invasion' of Taiwan

Harutyunyan: I cannot imagine Artsakh's future without presence of Russia

Harutyunyan: Without questioning path of our independence, we must meet with Baku

Prime Minister of Finland does not think that Hungary and Turkey will block country's application for NATO membership

Iranian FM: U.S. made hasty statements in connection with protests

Former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim involved in car accident in Karabakh

Arayik Harutyunyan: Artsakh people's right to self-determination is non-negotiable

Iranian MFA calls it important to form platform with Armenia and India on North-South corridor

Details of EU monitoring mission in Armenia are known

Foreign Ministry: It seems Ankara is more interested in opening corridor through Armenia than Azerbaijan

Mirzoyan: Unexpected third countries support Azerbaijani interpretation of road to Nakhchivan

Foreign Ministry: Armenia, Iran and Bulgaria initial agreement on creation of Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor

Israeli Defense Minister to visit Ankara

Armenian Foreign Minister names main obstacle to solving problems with Azerbaijan

Erdogan once again raises issue of so-called 'Zangezur corridor'

Armenian and Iranian FMs to open Iranian Consulate General in Syunik province tomorrow

Abdollahian: Aliyev assured that he does not want border changes, Iran will prevent implementation of such idea

Iranian Foreign Minister in Yerevan supports '3+3' platform

Iranian Foreign Minister recalls Tehran's 'red lines' in regional issues

Mirzoyan: We highly appreciate Iran's principled position regarding territorial integrity of Armenia

UK imposes sanctions against Iran for alleged delivery of drones to Russia

Yerevan hosts meeting of Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in narrow composition

Armenian and Iranian Foreign Ministers meet in Yerevan in extended format

Charles Michel: EU energy deal possible, but difficult

Erdogan says Baku should demand 'compensation' from Yerevan

Pashinyan: EEU mechanisms are of great help, trade turnover between Armenia and Belarus has doubled

Yair Lapid: Russia-Iran relations are serious problem for Ukraine, Europe, and whole world

Amir-Abdollahian: Iran is against presence of foreigners in this region, both in Azerbaijan and Armenia

Pashinyan at EAEU meeting: Fundamental principles of world economic system in question

Iranian Foreign Minister's official visit to Yerevan begins

Macron says Germany should not isolate itself in Europe

EU begins deployment of mission on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Trump's son made fun of Zelenskyy's ability to ask West for money

EU to provide emergency aid for Armenia residents affected by recent Azerbaijan military aggression

Azerbaijan army units fire at Armenia positions

Mikhail Mishustin arrives in Yerevan

EU approves new sanctions against Iran over alleged drone deliveries to Russia

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting begins in Yerevan

Baku calls OSCE mission to assess situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border 'private visit'

On fourth day of IRGC military exercises on border with Azerbaijan, artillery destroys planned targets

Liz Truss quits as UK Prime Minister

Turkey parliament to consider extending Turkish militarys mandate in Azerbaijan

Dollar falls, euro rises in Armenia

Russias Putin ratifies agreement on simplification of payments for goods transit within EEU territory

Stoltenberg: Almost all NATO countries have agreed to Sweden and Finland joining the alliance

Ombudswoman of Armenia: Azerbaijan prevents removal of remains of fallen soldiers

Zakharova: Matter of holding CSTO Collective Security Council meeting being worked out

Ombudswoman of Armenia: I received video materials from EU special representative about Azerbaijanis

Armenia Security Council chief, UK army general discuss cooperation in security

Armenia and Kazakhstan discuss bilateral military cooperation

Iran says U.S. and Israel won't be able to split the republic

201 bodies are identified of Armenia soldiers who died as result of September military aggression by Azerbaijan

Iran FM to arrive in Armenia today
YEREVAN.  The Ambassador of Armenia to Canada, Armen Yeganian, on Monday met with the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship of Canada, John McCallum.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that Ambassador Yeganian stressed the need to establish a Canadian embassy in Armenia, and informed the minister that several thousand Canadian citizens visit Armenia each year, and they sense the need for consular and immigration services of an embassy.

Also, the interlocutors reflected on the refugees who have recently arrived Canada. In this connection, Minister McCallum noted that he is well aware of the challenges facing the Syrian Armenians who are arriving in Canada, and that the Canadian government is conducting numerous respective aid programs. Ambassador Yeganian, in turn, expressed his gratitude to the Canadian government for its assistance.

In the ensuing talk, they exchanged views on the present-day visa policy between Armenia and Canada.

Separately, Yeganian summed up the Armenian Genocide Centennial commemorations that were held throughout 2015 in Armenia and abroad, including in Canada.

In addition, Armen Yeganian and John McCallum discussed the results of the 31st Session of the Ministerial Conference of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), which the Armenian capital city of Yerevan hosted in October of the year past.
2016022311:54 :wired.com

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Art Streiber

This week, inside Facebooks California headquarters, Mark Zuckerberg spent twenty minutes playing zero-gravity ping pong with the president of Indonesia.

This is how it works at Facebook. Earlier this month, the prime minister of Singapore visited Facebooks new Menlo Park HQ, and he too dropped into the virtual-reality room near Zuckerbergs office so he could strap on the Oculus Rift. But the prime minister of Singapore was more interested in the virtual dinosaurs. As Zuckerberg describes his Oculus-powered ping pong match with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, his point is that the two of them spent twenty minutes in a virtual world

doing something together.

What people care about, Zuckerberg says, sitting just down the hall from Facebooks VR room, is interacting with another person.

'When you have another person there, the whole thing inherently becomes social.' Mark Zuckerberg

Ever since Facebook acquired Oculus in the spring of 2014, Zuckerberg has described virtual reality as a social platform of the futureas the way well not only play games and watch movies, but actually interact with each other. Were making a long-term bet that immersive virtual and augmented reality will become a part of peoples daily lives, he told reporters the day Facebook announced the $2 billion deal, saying it had the potential to be the most social platform ever. That day, these claims seemed a bit of a stretch. I was among the skeptics. But over the last two years, the VR landscape has shifted, moving at least a little closer to the world Zuckerberg has long envisioned.

Part of whats changed is the Oculus Rift itself, offering sensor-lined hand controllers that let you, well, play zero-gravity ping pong. The Oculus can track the movement of not only your head but your hands. The controllers give your body a way to be present in the virtual world. As Zuckerberg and Widodo played virtual ping pong, they could see each other and interact with each otherat least in part.

Virtual ping pong is part of an Oculus demo that Facebook calls Toy Box. It provides a kind of free-form virtual environment where you can not only toy with ping pong paddles and balls but light firecrackers and play with blocks. And yes, more than one person can enter this alternate universe. Zuckerberg calls it a demonstration of how we can interact with the (real) world through virtual reality. The thing thats really striking is that when you have another person there, the whole thing inherently becomes social, he says. Its not a game. Theres no points. Theres no score. Theres no objective. But people find ways to interact. And theyre novel ways of interacting.

Social Apps for VR

But perhaps more importantly, Zuckerbergs vision now seems closer to reality because so many other tech giants have embraced much the same idea. In October 2014, Google led a $500 million investment in the augmented-reality startup Magic Leap, a cousin of Oculus-style virtual reality. The following January, Microsoft unveiled its own augmented reality headset, the Hololens. All the while, Google was building its own VR effort from scratch, not only offering a cardboard headset that could deliver VR via your smartphone, but secretly building more advanced hardware. And now, it seems, Apple is doing much the same. This is a thing that people were laughing at two years ago, Zuckerberg says.

Those wordssocial apps for virtual realitydon't sound quite as strange as they did back in 2014.

This morning, in Barcelona, just before the annual Mobile World Congress, Zuckerberg will appear at a big press event organized by hardware maker Samsung, whose Gear VR headset is based on Oculus technology. Among other things, hell announce that a new Facebook team, led by designers Daniel James and Michael Booth, will start building social apps for the Oculus. He declines to say what these apps might look like. The big new thing is that were doing it, he says. And since were still waiting for the Oculus itself to reach the market, theres reason to wonder how important this effort will really be in the near to medium-term. But those wordssocial apps for virtual realitydont sound quite as strange as they did back in 2014.

Chris Dixon, a partner with the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, was an early investor in Oculus, and even he was surprised that Facebook swooped in for the startup when it did. When we invested, that was not our expectation, he says. It wasnt an area that was hot. Now the landscape has shifted to the point where he too sees VR as the next big platform. Once the prices come down and the quality goes up and developers get hold of it and are able to be creative and create all sorts of new things, he says, well discover that its for a lot more than just games.

This Could Be Possible Now

When he was eleven or twelve, Zuckerberg says, his parents bought him his first computer. And he was obsessed. Sitting in his middle school math class, as the teacher lectured, he would write computer programs on notebook paper in languages like C and Pascal. And sometimes, he would go further. He was would sketch out a kind of VR interface for his computersomething that wasnt yet possible. Computing shouldnt be this thing where you pull up a webpage or some 2-D thing, he thought. You should physically feel like youre going to a place.

It was the kind of thought many youngsters have. But then his circumstances changed. Maybe when I was a kid, it didnt make sense to work on this, he says. But now, we have this big company, and we kinda like make these bets that are far off into the future. Indeed, in 2014, after reading a lot science fiction and kicking the tires on several VR and AR technologies under development in both the commercial world and across academia, he and Facebook spent that $2 billion on Oculus. The Oculus demo was a turning point in my thinking, he remembers, explaining that the device was so much lighter and, potentially, cheaper than existing VR gear. It was like: This could be possible now.'

'The Oculus demo was a turning point in my thinking. It was like, this could be possible now.' Mark Zuckberg

But Facebook bought the technology as much for what it could do tomorrow as today. Zuckerberg describes it not only as a social platform, but as the next fundamental computing environmentthe step after the smartphone. There was the PC, then web, then phone, he says. I think that something like VR and AR is going to be next platform. In other words, its another way of interacting with our computersand a way of interacting with the world.

Theres a kid-in-a-candy-store vibe to Zuckerbergs $2 billion bet on this virtual future. But Dixon agrees with him, comparing the Oculus deal to Googles acquisition of Android back in 2005. I remember thinking Wow, thats a futuristic investment,' Dixon says of Googles Android buy. I remember admiring Google for that, but also thinking: Its a little strange. It turned out to be genius. But that genius wasnt obvious right away. Android needed time to mature. Virtual reality does too.

More Virtual Reality

The Best Oculus Experience Yet Is a Gray Room Full of Junk

Google Cardboards

New

York

Times Experiment Just Hooked a Generation on VR

Facebook Never Wants You to Wait to Stream Its VideosEven In VR

Facebook says that since the launch of Gear VR in November, people have used the headset to watch over a million hours of video. And Google says that over 5 million Google cardboard headsets have reached the market, with people downloading more than 25 million apps for the device. Virtual reality is, well, real. But Dixon will tell you that these devices stop well short of the experience the Oculus can provideparticularly when paired with its new Touch controllers. This is something, he adds, that the general public hasnt really witnessed.

You can witness it, he says, when you try Facebooks Toy Box demo. Its a really amazing demo, he says. And the fact that you could have another person in it made it dramatically more impactful. As Zuckerberg says, its social.

When VR Meets AR Meets Reality

Indeed it is, at least in a small way. The big question that remains is how social VR will dovetail with the rest of Facebook. The company is already adding 360-degree videos into the Facebook News Feed, and Zuckerberg sees this as a step towards virtual reality. Indeed, you can watch them with the Gear VR. But these videos dont require a headset that wraps around your eyes. Virtual reality does. It shuts you off from the rest of the world, and that doesnt necessarily jibe with Facebook, which is really something you use on a phone, while youre doing other stuffwhile youre riding on a train to work or waiting for someone to meet you for dinner.

Zuckerberg doesnt quite know how these two paradigms will meld. Or if he does, hes not letting on. But the end game, he says, is a pair of super-lightweight eye glasses that can instantly shift you from the virtual world to the real worldand back again. These could immerse you in virtual reality or they could add digital stuff to what you see in the real world, augmented reality-style. Using these glasses, you could play virtual chess with someone on the other side of the world, he says. Or you could look at still photos someone just sent you on Facebook.

Today, that seems a stretch. At this point, lightweight digital glassesthink: Google Glassstill look like a failure. But in a couple of years, this will all sound a lot more real.
Yuying Tsong, assistant professor of human services, is embarking on a pilot study this spring focusing on the mental health of Vietnamese American seniors in Orange County.

Tsong received two grants, totaling $30,000, from UCLA/Charles Drew University (CDU) Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research/Center for Health Improvement of Minority Elderly (RCMAR/CHIME) and UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI).

Her project will assess Vietnamese American seniors understanding of mental health challenges, as well as how their cultural background may affect their willingness to seek professional help. Past studies have shown that Vietnamese American older adults often suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, Tsong said. Additionally, their limited English proficiency could prevent them from seeking help from mental health professionals.

The project will provide opportunities for Tsong and her students to learn more about issues important to ethnic minority older adults from a multidisciplinary perspective. Tsong and her research assistant Vi Pham, a counseling graduate student, will present preliminary findings at the American Psychological Association annual conference in August.

To effectively reduce mental health disparities in the Asian American communities, we must understand the specific cultural factors that contribute to these disparities to provide culturally appropriate and effective prevention and intervention programs, Tsong said.

For more about Tsong, continue reading here.
11:40





Her Twitter bio, incidentally, identifies her as 'columnist@foreignpolicy'.

Foreign Policy magazine has since issued this statement: 'A recent tweet by a freelance contributor to Foreign Policy, Rupa Subramanya, questioning the authenticity of a photograph of Aam Aadmi Party member Soni Sori -- the apparent victim of an acid-like attack on Saturday, Feb 20 -- has been brought to our attention. Foreign Policy disavows any association with this comment and is currently investigating the matter.'





Subramanya has also put up a lengthy post on her Facebook page explaining her action:





'1. Yesterday I sent out a tweet trying to make a serious point about a complex issue, linked to the alleged attack on Adivasi activist and Aam Aadmi Party politician, Soni Sori.

'2. Even for someone who enjoys the cut and thrust of Twitter, I was shocked and dismayed by the response, much of which has wilfully mischaracterised my intentions and my statement.

'3. Still, I wanted to say that I am sorry for any offence caused by the tweet and the image to which I was reacting. I am therefore deleting the tweet. In retrospect, it was not the best way to make the point I was trying to make. That point was simply to question the authenticity of one of the two images in the tweet to which I was reacting. However, the way in which I chose to do that was open to misunderstanding and misrepresentation.

'4. Anyone who knows me or just my work or even just my activity on Twitter, knows that I am 100 per cent against racism, bigotry, sexism, and hateful prejudice of any kind. Indeed, I often call out such prejudice loudly and publicly. In particular, in the context of Soni Sori, I condemn violence against women in all of its forms.

'5. I support the rights of Adivasis and all disadvantaged groups in our society. I find the attack on Soni Sori to be abhorrent, and, as noted above, was simply trying to highlight legitimate issues about the authenticity of part of a widely shared image, as others have also done. Those who know my work or even my activity on Twitter, know that the tweet in question was entirely in keeping with my overall philosophy of asking difficult questions where I believe that is required. However, as noted above, in retrospect, I could have made that point in a better way which would not be prone to misunderstanding and mischaracterisation. Let me reiterate my apology for any hurt that the tweet has inadvertently caused.

'6. In the past twenty four hours or so since sending out the tweet, I have been inundated with racist, sexist, and other forms of vile and hateful abuse. Even so, I will continue to tweet and make my point of view on Twitter, and will not be intimidated by such abuse.'

On Monday, columnist Rupa Subramanya posted a tweet, since deleted following a barrage of criticism and abuse, questioning the authenticity of the photograph of activist Soni Sori.
12:39





'In the first week of August 2008, Arvind Kejriwal learnt that the government had decided on the names of four persons whom they would appoint as Central Information Commissioners. These were Satyananda Mishra, M L Sharma, Annapurna Dixit and R B Sreekumar,' writes Gandhi.





Kejriwal, after discussing the names with Gandhi, suggested that they suggest four names from civil society for the post.





On August 17, the four names were sent to L K Advani, then leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, then a minister in the UPA government.





A meeting of the selection committee was called on the 21st, and the previous night the government's four names were shown to Advani.





'Advani strongly objected to Sreekumar's name since he had been a senior police officer in Gujarat at the time of the Godhra riots and had openly criticised Narendra Modi. He said he would oppose Sreekumar's selection and casually said, 'Why not one of the names suggested by civil society in their letter'?'





In the face of Advani's opposition, the selection committee meeting was not held on that day. It met instead on August 27 at which Gandhi's name was put in Sreekumar's place.





'Though there was no political patronage involved, there was no logical process and my selection was a random occurrence,' writes Gandhi. Hence, 'There is a great need to introduce a transparent process to select the information commissioners, who are expected to oversee transparency.'





This happened in 2008. Considering how Advani has been sidelined by the very man whose interests he had so zealously guarded then, makes us wonder whether he will still do the same thing in similar circumstances today?

In his column on, 'How India must select information commissioners', Shailesh Gandhi spills the beans on how he came to be made the CIC in 2008.
Poll: Kirk, Duckworth lead U.S. Senate primaries

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk and Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth are the clear early leaders in Illinois upcoming March 15 primary to be their partys nominee for Kirks seat, according to a poll by Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

Both Republicans and Democrats feature contested primaries for their nominations, and the November Illinois contest is widely regarded to be one of the most competitive and pivotal contests in the fierce national battle for majority control of the U.S. Senate.

Republicans

In the GOP race, the incumbent Kirk is challenged by Oswego business owner and conservative, James Marter. The poll found that 53 percent of likely Republican primary voters said they would vote for Kirk, compared to 14 percent who said they were for Marter. This left one-third, or 33 percent, who were still undecided.

The sample of 306 Republicans was part of a statewide poll of 1,000 registered voters taken Feb. 15-20. The Republican sample has a margin of error of 5.6 percent.

Democrats

Duckworth, from suburban Chicago, is the leader with 52 percent of self-identified Democratic primary voters, compared with 6 percent who said they would vote for Andrea Zopp, head of the Chicago Urban League, and 4 percent who said they would vote for Illinois state Sen. Napoleon Harris of Harvey. The remaining 37 percent said they were still undecided in this race.

The sample of 1,000 Illinois registered voters contained 422 who said they would vote in the Democratic primary and those findings have a margin of error of 4.7 percent.

These results provide just a snapshot of public opinion in Illinois at this juncture, but it is a good indicator of where the races stand with three weeks to go before the vote, said John S. Jackson, a visiting professor at the institute and one of the designers of the poll. Sen. Kirk and Rep. Duckworth were widely considered to be their parties leading candidates for the nomination, and so far they are living up to those expectations.

U.S. Senator Job Approvals

The poll asked all respondents how they felt about the states two U.S. senators, Kirk and Democrat Dick Durbin.

Thirty-nine percent of the total sample of 1,000 respondents approved of the job Kirk is doing, while 31 percent disapproved. Twenty-five percent of respondents said they did not know and 5 percent who said they neither approved nor disapproved.

Durbin won approval from 51 percent for the job he is doing, while 34 percent disapproved. Only 12 percent said they did not know what kind of job Durbin was doing, and 4 percent neither approved nor disapproved.

Jackson said, These results indicate that Sen. Kirk does have his critics, and that there is an unusually large number who say they do not know what kind of job he is doing. This is probably indicative of why he is being challenged in his own party.

Poll results are available here.

For more information, contact Jackson at 618/303-1240 or Charles Leonard at 618/303-9099.

On March 8, the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute will present results and analysis of these and other survey questions from the latest Simon Poll of Illinois voters. Topics will include the Illinois presidential primary; public opinion on the direction of the nation and state; the state budget and taxes; government reform; treatment of veterans; and other social issues. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the program will begin at 7 p.m. at the Varsity Center for the Arts, 418 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required by noon on March 4, to Leslie Brock, at 618/536-7751.

The sample of 422 Democrats has a margin of error of 4.7 percent. The sample of 306 Republicans has a margin of error of 5.6 percent. Each is reported at the 95 percent confidence level. This means that if we conducted the survey 100 times, in 95 of those instances, the result would be within plus or minus the reported margin for error for each subsample.

Live telephone interviews were conducted by Customer Research International of San Marcos, Texas. Cell phone interviews accounted for 40 percent of the sample. A Spanish language version of the questionnaire and a Spanish-speaking interviewer were made available. Fieldwork was conducted from Feb. 15 through Feb. 20. No auto-dial or robo polling is included. Customer Research International reports no Illinois political clients. The survey was paid for with non-tax dollars from the Institutes endowment fund. Crosstabs for the referenced questions will be on the Institutes polling website, http://paulsimoninstitute.siu.edu/opinion-polls/index.php.

Simon Institute polling data are also archived by three academic institutions for use by scholars and the public. The three open source data repositories are: the University of Michigans Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (OpenICPSR; http://openicpsr.org/repoEntity/list), the University of North Carolinas Odum Institute Dataverse Network (http://arc.irss.unc.edu/dvn/dv/PSPPI), and the Simon Institute Collection at OpenSIUC (http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/ppi/).

Note: The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Poll, the Simon Poll and the Southern Illinois Poll are the copyrighted trademarks of the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University. Use and publication of these polls is encouraged -- but only with credit to the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU Carbondale.
President Obama to host Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2016 at Stanford University

L.A. Cicero Stanford President John Hennessy meets with Rick Stengel, U.S. State Department undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, at Monday's announcement that the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit will be held at Stanford June 22-24.

Stanford University will be a partner and will serve as the venue for the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit with over 1,000 global delegates and hosted by President Barack Obama, the U.S. State Department and the White House announced today.

"President Obama has decided to hold the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in the heart of American entrepreneurship: Silicon Valley," said Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Rick Stengel, who appeared with Stanford President John L. Hennessy at an announcement ceremony on campus. "Today I had the pleasure of joining President Hennessy to announce that the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, hosted by President Obama, will take place on the Stanford campus. As one of the world's great innovation laboratories, Stanford is an ideal partner to showcase the world's leading entrepreneurs."

The summit will be held from June 22-24 in various locations on the Stanford campus. Each of the world's six regions will be represented by 100 entrepreneurs and will be joined by 100 more from the U.S. The State Department announced that it already has received some 4,500 applications from more than 150 countries.

"We are honored that President Obama has chosen to convene the summit at a university where we share his dedication to finding solutions to global challenges," Hennessy said. "We are proud that Stanford will be a partner and serve as the venue for this important global event. Stanford plays a role in the supportive ecosystem that encourages and inspires innovation and creative problem solving. We look forward to welcoming the summit entrepreneurs to what will be a transformative experience."

Beginning with the first Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in 2009, President Obama has made the promotion of entrepreneurship a goal of U.S. foreign policy. Last summer, more than 600 entrepreneurs from 120 countries attended the GES in Nairobi, Kenya.

"The idea of entrepreneurship is one of most potent aspects of brand USA around the world. But it's also much more than that: it is a tool for development, for empowering marginalized groups and for combating violent extremism. It's vital to creating the conditions for global growth and prosperity, particularly in regions where chaos and war have shattered dreams," said Stengel.

The Kenya 2015 summit "was one of the best and most inspiring events I've participated in during my time in government," Stengel said. "From the Nigerian educator who has started a peace curriculum that combines Islamic studies with modern science to the Canadian grad students who are devising an algorithm that brings two sides closer in a negotiation, the summit brought together an amazing collection of creative, courageous people, all of whom are working to make the world a better place."

Stengel spoke at a campus event Monday, "Empowering the World: Entrepreneurship and the Future of Foreign Policy," together with Professor Michael McFaul, director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI).

Stengel talked about this year's GES, which will create new opportunities for investment, partnership, and collaboration; enable American entrepreneurs and investors to connect with international counterparts to form lasting relationships; and highlight entrepreneurship as a means to address some of the most intractable global challenges.

Discussions will focus on "ideas that benefit society, not just trying to become the next Silicon Valley billionaire," Stengel said. It is an opportunity for "synergy" across different borders and countries and industries, he added.

Innovation and creativity are the qualities of the American brand that resonate around the world today. That and critical thinking are examples of the type of U.S. "soft power" that the State Department can help promote, Stengel said. "We try to make sure there is a level playing field" for entrepreneurs in regard to laws and commerce in the international arena.

The June summit, which will be held in and around the Knight Management Center and the Gunn-SIEPR Building over the course of three days, will put innovative global entrepreneurs together with each other and with entrepreneurs from throughout the Silicon Valley and the United States in numerous workshops and hands-on sessions. McFaul of FSI; Jesper Sorensen, faculty director of the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (SEED); and the Office of Public Affairs are involved in early planning for the event, which is expected to involve a number of Stanford faculty members and students.

"The summit represents what I think of as perhaps the most important power of public diplomacy in the 21st century: the power to convene," Stengel said. "We look forward to welcoming all the amazing entrepreneurs out there for a gathering that will advance our shared goals of stability, development and peace."
UF to hop into hops varieties for microbreweries

University of Florida researchers hope to help farmers hop into the beer business by cultivating hops.

Scientists with UFs Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will work with a $158,000 grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services to develop a viable hops crop. Hops, which have a long history of use in Chinese herbal medicine, are currently used to make beer.

What started as a personal experiment turned into a trial of four hops varieties at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, said Brian Pearson, an assistant professor of environmental horticulture at the center. Pearson has been growing hops for two years at his lab.

I was looking to help homeowners augment what they were growing. It was just a labor of love, Pearson said. Then it dawned on me that this might have some serious potential.

Pearson will work on the hops research project with Zhanao Deng, a principal investigator and professor of environmental horticulture, and Shinsuke Agehara, an assistant professor of horticultural sciences, both with the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm.

We hope to find out how well these hop varieties can grow in Florida, their yield potential, resistance to downy mildew disease and insect problems, Deng said.

Hops would not only help growers looking for another alternative crop, it would help quench the thirst of the microbrewing industry, which is growing by leaps and bounds in Florida and across the United States.

Most of the calls Pearson gets about hops are from Central Florida growers whose citrus crops are not growing well and who have tried other alternative crops. But they also want to know whether they can make a profit from hops. Pearson tells them he cant answer that yet, but hes hopeful.

Craft beer produced and sold in Florida accounted for $875.9 million in 2013, Deng said. Production of Florida craft beer has increased nearly 10-fold in the last two years, from about 100,000 barrels per day to more than 1 million, Pearson said. Craft breweries have nearly tripled in Florida in the last two years  from 66 in 2013 to 182 in 2015.

Those craft breweries will probably import about 2 million pounds of hops and hops products this year from places like Washington, Oregon and Germany, said Simon Bollin, agribusiness development manager with the Hillsborough County Economic Development Department, whos working with UF/IFAS researchers on the hops project.

The craft beer consumer typically likes a product that is local and unique, Bollin said. If we could produce locally grown hops, it would give the craft beer a unique flavor produced by Floridas soil and climate. It could be another value-added crop option for Florida farmers to help diversify their operations.

Like high-end wines, craft beers tend to appeal more to the 26-to-49 age group and those with college degrees, Pearson said. With the college degrees, the younger demographic has more purchasing power, he said.

A microbrewery produces a maximum of 15,000 barrels, or 460,000 gallons, of beer per year, and at least 75 percent of that beer must be sold outside the brewery. A craft brewery brews no more than 2 million gallons per year and is independently owned. Another distinction is that craft breweries beer must contain at least 50 percent traditional malt, rather than oats, barley and wheat.

The industry has a $2 billion-a-year impact on Floridas economy, according to the Brewers Association (https://www.brewersassociation.org/statistics/by-state/).

The UF/IFAS-led study will include surveying microbreweries to see what hop varieties interest them, testing 10 to 30 hop varieties, testing chemical and sensory qualities  all of which will give researchers a good idea whether the crop is viable in Florida.

As it stands, about 70 percent of American hops is grown in the Yakima Valley in Washington. UF/IFAS researchers hope to bring locally grown hops to microbreweries in Florida. The Sunshine State doesnt grow wet hops, and theyre the key, Pearson said.

High-end breweries like wet hops, he said. We want to show that you can have a Florida wet-hopped beer.

Im excited. I know the home brewers are excited.
The export volume index stood at 121.67 in January, down 7.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).

It marked the biggest fall since May 2009 when the global financial crisis dampened the global economy, including South Korea, Xinhua reported.

The export volume drop came amid growing concerns that the South Korean economy, which depend on exports for about half of its growth, may falter further due to the weakening of global demand and geopolitical risks on the Korean peninsula.

The import volume index came in at 114.04 in January, down 5.9 percent from a year earlier. It was the fastest fall in more than six years.

In terms of value, exports tumbled 17.8 percent in January on a yearly basis, with imports plunging 20.9 percent.

The net terms-of-trade index for goods came to 101.34 in January, up 5.6 percent from a year ago thanks to faster fall in imports than exports.

The index gauges how many products can be imported with money earned from an export unit.

--Indo-Asian News Service py/dg

( 215 Words)

2016-02-23-15:13:43 (IANS)
Oscar winning actor Eddie Redmayne thinks his wife Hannah Bagshawe is a "wonder" for the way she supports him and his career. "She is an absolute wonder. Because the work I do is all encompassing, when I am prepping for it she is a massive part of that," Redmayne told Daily Telegraph magazine, reports femalefirst.co.uk. His wife has been by his side throughout award season and the "Theory of Everything" actor appreciates her support. "It is so lovely to do it as a team," he said. Bagshawe, 34, is an expert in antiques and gave up working for a prestigious dealer and set out on her own so that she could be available to travel with her spouse at the drop of a hat, which he is thrilled by. "Working for her old boss, it used to complicate things if we had to go to LA for the day; it is wonderful she can now travel all the time," he said. The couple announced last month that they are expecting their first child in June and the "Danish Girl" star is now preparing for his new role as a parent and will be "taking some time out" from movies after a busy and successful period. He said: "I'm looking forward to the breather to take it all in." --Indo-Asian News Service dc/nv/ ( 230 Words) 2016-02-23-04:19:34 (IANS)
The new imaging technique has been combined with the testing of natural sugar as a replacement for metal in contrast agents.

The results showed that malignant tumours (cancerous cells) show higher sugar consumption than surrounding tissue.

"If sugar replaces metal as a contrast agent in the body, it can also have a positive psychological effect and make patients calmer," said Linda Knutsson, lecturer at the Lund University in Sweden.

Further, sugar-based contrast agents are cheaper than metal-based agents, leading to a reduction in medical care costs.

However, sugar-based contrast agents cannot be used in examinations of diabetic patients who may have cancer, the researchers explained in the study published in the journal Tomography.

The tests were carried out on three people with a brain tumour and four healthy people.

Scientists found that a tumour's properties can be examined by injecting a small amount of sugar into it, and then measuring how much sugar the tumour consumes.

The more sugar the tumour consumes, the more malignant it is, they noticed.

--Indo-Asian News Service rt/na/bg

( 204 Words)

2016-02-23-16:19:44 (IANS)
Police said Kamlu Korram, Dasruram Mandavi and Budhu Korram were apprehended during a search by the Chhattisgarh Armed Force and district force personnel. Interrogation revealed that the Maoists were involved in a series of incidents in the region.

In Dantewada District, a team comprising Central Reserve Police Force and district force personnel seized the landmine along with a detonator and wire while conducting a search in Jagargunda beside the Aranpur-Kondagaon road. The device was defused on the spot. UNI SS AC PY AJ AN2234

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-603566.Xml
Australian mining and agricultural companies will join the country's first official trade mission to Cuba, which leaves for Havana on Wednesday.In 2015, Australia-Cuba trade totalled only A$14.1 million ($10.20 million), less than 1 percent of Australia's total trade."Several countries are looking at Cuba in order to leverage new opportunities," Special Trade Envoy Andrew Robb said in a statement, citing opportunities in tourism and medical service sectors. "In this regard Australia is an early mover."Robb's office declined to name the companies joining the trade mission.Australia does not have an embassy in Cuba. In 2008, Cuba opened one in Canberra.The trade mission comes in the wake of thawed ties between the United States and Cuba. They restored diplomatic relations last year after a 54-year break, but the U.S. trade embargo remains in place.In March, President Barack Obama will become the first U.S. leader to visit Cuba since 1928.REUTERS PS RAI1026 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-603796.Xml
Militants later entered EDI building, forcing authorities to close the highway between Pantha Chowk and Pampore for security reasons.

Though additional security forces remained deployed on this portion of the highway, traffic has now been allowed from 0830 hrs today, a traffic police official told UNI.

Earlier in the morning, road diversion continued, he said adding after the area was declared safe, normal traffic has been resumed now.

Vehicles, including those carrying passengers, which left Srinagar for Jammu and south Kashmir early in the morning, had to take alternate route.

Now, traffic is plying from both sides though additional security forces remained deployed.

Three PARA commandos and an employee Abdul Gani of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), where the militants were holed up, were also killed.

Three unidentified militants were killed after about 48 hours of operation yesterday afternoon. However, the area was still being searched to make sure no explosive was left there.UNI BAS SV RAI1011

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-603785.Xml
Thailand's military-led government on Tuesday approved about 87 billion baht ($2.43 billion) in loans to help farmers who have been hit hard by falling commodity prices and widespread drought.The scheme is aimed at developing the farming sector, Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting.The junta has introduced several measures to help the ailing rural economy since seizing power in May 2014 to end months of street protests. But billions of dollars in public spending have failed to reach farmers. REUTERS PS AS1329 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-604066.Xml
A sick passenger fell from a running train and sustained serious injuries even as the agitation for a separate Cooch Behar state entered the fourth day today. A resident of Tinsukia in Assam, Motiur Hossain, aged about 28, fellfrom the Up Secunderabad while the train was entering Raja Bhat Khawa station in Alipurduar, north Bengal. He was rushed to the Alipurduar Hospital with multiple injuries, including those on the head.Eye witnesses said the youth was feeling giddy and as he came towards the door for fresh air he fell from the speeding train. On Sunday and Monday two commuters from Assam died of heart attack as the agitation disrupted train services, affecting the entire north east and parts of West Bengal from Saturday.The Greater Cooch Behar Peoples Association (GCPA),demanding statehood for Cooch Behar in north Bengal, chose to target railway tracks to press the Centre and state to concede to their demands. Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu, who was in Kolkata on Sunday, had appealed to the parties not to disrupt the locomotives in the greater interest of the country.The protesters squatted on the tracks at New Cooch Bhehar station and refused toleave despite appeals from the authorities. Cooch Behar district administration today invited the leader of GCPAto come to the negotiation table for an amicable solution.UNI XC-PC PL SV AS1341 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0211-604039.Xml
BJP state secretary V Saminathan today demanded a thorough probe into the issue of the Congress legislators giving gifts to the voters to lure them in view of the assembly elections here. Talking to mediapersons, Mr Saminathan said with elections round the corner, Congress legislators are indulging in such acts to get votes. He alleged that they are utilising the black money in their possession to give the gifts.Mr Saminathan said the BJP had written to the Income tax and to the Home Ministry to initiate action on the issue. To a question, he said the BJP would contest the assembly elections here in a strong alliance and added that the party had already identified 15 seats where the party could win the elections.UNI PAB JW AE 1433 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-604089.Xml
A 3-year-old boy from Vikroli Park, who had lost his mother (a police Naik with Mumbai police) in a road accident in 2012, has been awarded a compensation of Rs 25 lakhs by the Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. In his recent order the Judge at the Tribunal K D Vadane, said that the owner of the offending truck Mohammad Nazir Khan and the insurance company, The Oriental Insurance Company (Thane branch) will jointly and severally make the payment with interest at 8 per cent from the date of filing of the petition till the realization of the compensation. On January 3, 2012 the deceased was proceeding in her scooter from Naigaon to Nehru Nagar police stationand on Sion Junction overbridge, a truck came from behind in very high speed and rammed into her vehicle. As a result of the accident she sustained severe wounds and was rushed to the Sion Hospital where she died the next day. A crime was registered with the Sion Police station. The owner of the truck appeared but failed to submit his submission but the insurance company appeared and contested the claim on various grounds. The judge stated that of the total amount of Rs 35,85,248 which will be paid by the respondents along with the interest a sum of Rs 25 lakhs be invested in any nationalised bank in FD in the name of the boy till attaining of maturity under the guardianship of his father. Rs 5 lakhs be invested in FD account in the name of the father for a period of five years and balance be paid to the father, the order stated.UNI XR RB ADG AS1403 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-603984.Xml
Mr Chavan told reporters there was a practice of holding MPs meeting in New Delhi before Budget Session to discuss various issues related to the state.

But this year, Mr Fadnavis has broken the practice considering the fact that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance partner have 42 MPs of total 48 MPs in the state.

He asked, ''Why all project accounts are opened with Axis bank, is it because of Mr Fadnavis's wife working with the Axis Bank or because of any other reason?''. UNI ST RB SW CS1419

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-604096.Xml
The overriding goal of the government is poverty eradication and the poorest of the poor have the first claim on the nation's resources, President Pranab Mukherjee told the joint sitting of the two houses of parliament on Tuesday. The essence of progress lies in bringing a sense of fulfilment to the poor, deprived, marginalised and vulnerable sections of the society, he said in his address that marks the start of the budget session of parliament. The president said "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas" (Taking along everyone, progress of everyone) was the fundamental tenet of the government. "The overriding goal for my government is poverty eradication. The poorest of the poor are entitled to the first charge on the nation's resources. Removing the scourge of poverty and destitution is our most sacred moral responsibility," he said. Financial inclusion and social security were the key instruments to reduce poverty, said Mukherjee. "To this end, my government has placed great emphasis on food security, housing for all and subsidies that reach those who need them the most, when they need them the most," he said. Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojna was the world's most successful financial inclusion programme and of the over 21 crore bank accounts opened, 15 crore were operational with an aggregate deposit of over Rs.50,000 crore, Mukherjee said. The programme, he said, has gone beyond mere opening of bank accounts to becoming a platform for poverty eradication by offering basic financial services and security to the poor. He said new insurance and pension schemes - Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana - allow insurance cover to uncovered sections of society. The president hoped that the deliberations during the budget session will live up to the trust reposed by the people. Referring to 'Ekatm Manav Darshan' (the philosophy of integral humanism expounded by Deen Dayal Upadhyaya), the president said the concept of 'Antyodaya' (the uplift of the most downtrodden) guides all the programmes of the government. "My government, in particular, is focused on "Garibon ki Unnati" (poverty eradication), "Kisaano ki Samriddhi" (farmers' prosperity) and "Yuvaon ko Rojgaar" ( employment generation for youth)," the president added. The president said that social justice with inclusion was the first promise of the Constitution and the poor and the backward were the focus of the government. He said the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been further strengthened by suitable amendments. He said the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (the main architect of India's Constitution) was being celebrated across the country to foster the spirit of social inclusion and the government was working to preserve "Panchatirthas" - the five sites of Ambedkar's legacy. --Indo-Asian News Service ps/kb/bg ( 465 Words) 2016-02-23-15:06:19 (IANS)
A 43-year-old sculptor has brought laurels by making a memorial of Neerja Bhanot who was murdered while saving passengers from terrorists on board Pan Am flight 73 which was hijacked. During the last four days more than 2500 people from Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Delhi visited the village and paid tributes to her. Neerja had already immortalized the Ashok Chakra awardees who has been credited with saving over 300 lives aboard the pan American flight hijacked on September 5, 1986 . About a week back only 200 people used to visit the village but when people came to know about the memorial of Neerja people from far off places started visiting the house of sculptures. The village had already immortalized sculptures like that of former president APJ Abdul Kalam, Milkha Singh, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Dr. B R Ambedkar. Now it is Neerjas sculpture that attracted the people to visit the house of sculptures. The village panchayat was also proud that the village remembered Neerja and paid her tributes even before the release of film based on her life.UNI XC ADG AE AS1600 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-604041.Xml
According to Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), over three dozen trains, including the Awadh Assam Express and the North East Express, have been cancelled on account of agitations by Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) as well as by the members of the Jat community in Haryana.

GCPA has been conducting a 'rail roko' (trains blockade) agitation to press for its demand for 'C-category' statehood or union territory status for Cooch Behar in northern West Bengal.

GCPA activists have laid blockades across railway tracks, demanding dialogue with union home ministry officials to resolve the issue.

"Unless our demands are met, we will continue with our agitation. Despite submitting memorandums to the central government, including the home ministry, we haven't received any kind of reply," GCPA chief Bangshi Badan Barman said.

"Our demands are age-old and a result of the treaty between the government of India and Maharaja Jagadipendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur, the then king of Cooch Behar princely state. So, unless our demands are met, we will continue to agitate," added Barman.

The demands include official recognition for Rajbanshi language, induction of special regiment called Narayani Sena of the erstwhile king of Cooch Behar, and the details of funds, the erstwhile king donated to the people of Cooch Behar.

--Indo-Asian News Service and/ssp/kb/vt

( 248 Words)

2016-02-23-16:17:41 (IANS)
The Congress on Tuesday demanded a law against discrimination of people from weaker sections in educational institutions across the country. "What happened to Rohith (Vemula) has not happened to him exclusively, many students across the educational institutes face discrimination. Our girls are suppressed, Dalits are discriminated against and tribals are repressed," Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said. Gandhi was addressing a protest march organised here by various students organisations to condemn the "institutional killing" of the 26-year-old scholar from Hyderabad University. "If you really want to fight this oppression, we need an anti-discrimination law enacted in all colleges and universities that stops any kind of prejudice and bigotry against the weaker section. I had suggested them to look at it. We in Congress party are also mulling over it to get such a law enacted that stops the student oppression," he added. He claimed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was robbing students and thinkers of their freedom of expression and dissent. "RSS and BJP want to impose one language one ideology on everyone throughout the country. They don't want other ideas and traditions to flourish but we don't want our India to be like this. We want crores of ideas, crores of ideologies, an India where creativity flourishes." "Rohith symbolises creativity and all the youngsters with us will fight for this creativity. We will fight for it and win this battle," Gandhi said. Hundreds of students and faculty members from various universities gathered at the Ambedkar Bhawan earlier in the day and took out a march till Jantar Mantar to condemn Rohith Vemula's killing. Members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), Bahujan Samaj Party and the Aam Aadmi Party students' wing Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) also participated in the solidarity march along with students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Delhi University (DU). --Indo-Asian News Service vin/ruwa/ksk/vt ( 323 Words) 2016-02-23-16:26:13 (IANS)
As many as 100 volunteers of the French India Viduthalai Kaala Makkal Iyyakkam were arrested when they attempted to picket the residence of the Chief Minister N Rangasamy here. The agitation was to press their demand that freedom fighters pension be granted to the people who opted Indian citizenship at the time of the merger of Puducherry with the Indian union. The volunteers took out a procession from the Gorimedu road to the Chief Ministers residence and police stopped them in the middle and arrested them.UNI PAB KVV ADB1630 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-604558.Xml
Meghalaya Editors and Publishers Association (MEPA) today welcomed the decision of the Assam Cabinet to give financial support to the working journalists of the state. In an official statement issued here today, the MEPA said the Assam Government is committed to the welfare of Journalists in Assam, by granting Journalists Family Benefit Fund amounting to Rs 2 lakh to those who are in the profession for more than three years. Besides that, the Assam Government will also give monthly pensions to those who are above 60 years of age.We hope that the Government of Meghalaya, will follow the good example shown by the Government of Assam and do something for the welfare of our friends in the fraternity, MEPA president RM Shabong said. Meanwhile, Mr Shabong also urged the Meghalaya government to immediately release all pending advertisement bills amounting to about Rs 5 crore which have not been paid for years together. Moreover, the MEPA president also informed that few journalists, who have applied for financial supports from the Government of Meghalaya, known as Journalists Welfare Fund (JWF), but the same has not been released so far.UNI RRK AD AE AS1650 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-604472.Xml
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today paid a visit in the violence-hit Rohtak to review the situation and said inquiry will be ordered into the allegations of police inaction. Mr Khattar told the mediapersons that during the agitation the protesters who damaged public and private property has promised that his government will provide relief to those whose property has been damaged during the protests. However, traders of Rohtak showed black flags to the Chief Minister in the city. Meanwhile, the situation remained tense in some areas of Rohtak, while curfew was lifted in Jind district, as security personnel cleared blockades put by protesters at various state highways. Sonipat District Magistrate Rajeev Ratan today immediately ordered that curfew has been lifted at Sonipat and Gannaur. However, curfew at Gohana will remain in force. Road traffic was resumed today on NH-1 at Delhi-Ambala-Chandigarh following the lifting of blockades. Barring a relief of one-hour, curfew remained in force in Rohtak, which has been the epicentre of pro-quota agitation in Haryana and has seen loss of lives and maximum damage to property. "During the last 24 hours, there has been no report of any untoward incident in the district," said a senior official of Rohtak Police. He said curfew will continue to be imposed in the Jat-dominated district till there is complete normalcy. "We are giving relief in curfew for like one hour depending upon the situation to allow people to buy essential items," he said. The body of a 24-year-old youth, a resident of Lalpura village near Hansi in Hisar district, was recovered from fields today. There were also reports of firing in Hansi town. No fresh incident of violence has been reported in the district so far, SSP Ashwin Shenvi said. In Jind, another Jat dominated area, the district administration has lifted curfew. According to reports there is 80 per cent normalcy in the district. The agitation has thrown normal life out of gear with road and rail traffic on key routes, including the Delhi-Ambala and Delhi-Hissar-Fazilka national highways even as security personnel were making efforts to clear the blockades. Yesterday, sporadic incidents of arson were reported in Sonipat, Kaithal and Hissar which derailed the normalcy process, commenced after the BJP announced setting up of a committee to examine the quota demand of the community. Three people were yesterday killed in Sonipat during a clash when security personnel trying to clear a road blockade were attacked by stone-pelting mobs, raising the death toll to 19 in the stir so far. The All-India Jat Aarakshan Sanghursh Samiti (AIJASS) yesterday had announced lifting of dharnas on national and state highways in view of the BJP announcing setting up of a committee under a Union minister to examine the quota demand. Industry body PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry has pegged the loss of economic activity due to the Jat agitation at Rs 34,000 crore.UNI NC SW AE VN1619 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-604332.Xml
The first national Safety Security India 2016 will be jointly organised by Kenes Exhibitions and HITEX with active support from Cyberabad Police at HITEX Convention Centre from March 17-19. The three-day conference will cover topics on Safety & Security in India, ranging from human safety, to workmen , fire and disaster management, industrial and electrical, control among other relevant areas. The keynote speaker is Michael C Mullins, Consul General US Consulate, Hyderabad and a bevy of security experts like K. C. Reddy and former Chief Security Advisor at the United Nations, Swaranjit Sen, former DGP of Police, Andhra Pradesh, Kanneganti Ramesh, Founder & Executive Director (Centre for Human Security Studies) will share their expertise. K Padmanabaiah, Chairman, ASCI and former secretary to Union Home Ministry will deliver the Valedictory address, a statement said here today. As Hyderabad is emerging as an important investor destination with a huge industry and employee workforce, it is pertinent to hold a national exposition to understand issues and challenges to keep the factories & workmen safe & secure. The Safety & Security industry in India is estimated to contribute 0.06 per cent of GDP annually and nearly 2 per cent of a firm expenditure is on the above requirements. Over 50 lakh personnel are employed in security industry and four lakh coming from the twin States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, making this 3-day exposition relevant and important. The latest threats on safety & security of Government & Private establishment is on the rise and while Technology and Automation aims to improve process and efficiency, it also opens a lot of threats of being hacked. Cybercrime is rated among top 5 risks in country, since 2012 and growing at four per cent annually and nearly 15-20 per cent corporate espionage cases were detected. UNI VV KVV ADB 1730 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-604653.Xml
Demanding immediate release of JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar , the Research Scholars of University of Kashmir (KU) today organised a Signature Campaign to express their support for the JNU students. The scholars opened the campaign with an eleven-point memorandum to question the "fascist politics" against the minorities in India and the emerging ''anti-secular and pro-fascist nationalism" in the country under the RSS ideologue. The memorandum also raised the issues of Rohith Vemulas suicide, arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar and suspension of JNU students. Condemning the attacks on students, teachers and journalists at Patiala House Court, New Delhi, the memorandum termed such incidents as the state-backed fascist propaganda aimed at terrorising the common people. The campaign expressed the support for promoting the voice of dissent in universities and condemned the attempts to curtail the freedom of speech and expression. Talking to reporters, Ashfaq Ali, the coordinator of the programme said "Signature Campaign" has been organised in solidarity with the JNU students who are being "targeted by the fascist agencies" in India. "We stand by the student community for their voice against autocracy. We condemn Kanhaiyas arrest and demand his release. We are against the propaganda of RSS who are targeting JNU students. We stand for strengthening the Voice of Dissent in universities with due recognition to the freedom of speech and expression", he said. Shouting anti-RSS and anti-BJP slogans, Parvaiz Ahmad, a university scholar said, "We demand the release of Prof S A R Geelani and Kanhaiya Kumar, who became victims of political vendetta." UNI BAS ADG VN1723 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-604381.Xml
Uttar Pradesh government today announced in the state assembly that a consideration is underway to frame new stringent laws to keep track on the cyber crimes. State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mohammad Azam Khan informed the house that after the Supreme Court's order not to put the offenders in the jail, the number of cyber crimes have increased and the offenders are threatening the law and order situation and communal harmony in the state. " It is now common that some anti-social elements are using foul languages and even posting objectionable photographs on the social media but as there are not stringent law hence they are being let off," he said to a question of BSP member Dharampal Singh. On the matter, a senior BSP member Indrajeet Saroj too said his fake Facebook account has been in circulation and abusive languages are being posted and police is yet to track the offenders. Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey too expressed concern saying that he too had faced such thing in the past. However, Mr Khan said stringent law is required to nail these cyber crimes and said the government has already decided to set up 8 cyber crime police stations in the state with all modern gadgets. Meanwhile to another question,the Minister said 13 custodial deaths were reported during the past four years while the number of attacks on the security forces during the period was 1044. BJP member Radha Mohan Das Agarwal,on whose question the minister was replying, alleged that it was surprising that the incident of people outrage against police has increased by 100 per cent in the Samajwadi Party regime from the previous Bahujan Samaj Party government. He said while the number of incidents of peoples outrage in the five years of BSP rule was 547 but it doubled during the SP regime. Mr Khan, however, clarified that during the BSP regime, all such incidents were not taken in record but the present government was functioning through a transparent manner. The government also informed the house that 28 cases of fraud in 2015 have been reported through which the youths were lured for jobs in which 28 people have been arrested after lodging 72 FIRs. The Minister also disclosed that during 2015, five traders have been killed for ransom while government has decided to set up anti-extortion cells under the UP police. To another question on the management of traffic in the UP cities, Mr Khan said that 11 cities besides Lucknow will get ultra modern traffic management system.UNI MB AE GC1655 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-604399.Xml
Police fired tear gas canisters after their miking failed to convince them to clear the tracks, virtually sieged by them from Saturday morning causing disruption to entire northeastern states and major parts of north Bengal.

Scores of police personnel were injured when the protesters pelted stones on them.

GCPA top leader Banshi Badan Burman announced withdrawal of Rail Roko after four days following the crackdown.

The Rail Roko agitation resorted by GCPA activists since Saturday morning disrupted train services to entire northeastern states, including Assam and north Bengal.

The agitation has taken three lives of commuters from Assam in past two days after they suffered heart attacks due to exhaustion.

The RPF and state police began the crackdown on the protesters after they refused to leave the tracks. After miking and verbal requests failed to convince them about the importance of maintaining locomotives on move, police fired tear gas shells to disperse the people.

The GCPA demanding the statehood for Cooch Behar in north Bengal, chose the railway tracks to press the Centre and state to concede the political demands.

Railways Minister Sruesh Prabhu, who was in Kolkata on Sunday, had appealed to the political parties not to disrupt the locomotives for greater interest of the country. The protesters squatted on the tracks at New Cooch Behar station and refused to leave despite appeals from the authorities.

Cooch Behar district administration today invited the leader of GCPA to come to the negotiation for amicable solution.UNI XC-PC BM SB AN1835

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-604721.Xml
Congress today said the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were misleading the people of the country and both the outfits should remain away from teaching nationalism to the Congress party. Addressing a press conference here, AICC spokesperson Ajay Kumar said after 50 years of Independence the RSS did not hoist the national flag at its headquarters in Nagpur and what role the founders of BJP have played in the freedom struggle is known to everyone. "On the other hand Congress is the party of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi who sacrificed their lives for the country and of Beant Singh who gave up his life for Punjab while on the other hand BJP and its leaders were just confined to blood donation camps," he said, adding that given the circumstances, if BJP teaches nationalism to the Congress it is nothing but worth just laughing. The Congress leader said action should be taken against those who indulged in raising anti-national slogans inside the JNU Campus but attempt should not be made to malign the entire institution. He accused the BJP of being a party of double of standards as while in Jammu and Kashmir it was sitting in the lap of the PDP. "We all know what the PDP's stand was over hanging of Afzal Guru," he said, adding that the Modi Sarkar should tell what arrangements they have made with the PDP. Mr Kumar said the incident in JNU took place on February 9 and till February 16 the BJP government was not able to catch four students. "Prime Minister Modi claims to have a chest of 56inches but if the government could not catch four students how the entire country can be protected I wonder...," he said. He said the party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has always said action should be taken against the culprits, but the Congress party would not allow the voices of the poor, the Dalits, tribals and the students to be suppressed. The spokesperson said as per legal procedure, action should be taken in the JNU incident. He said his party wanted the alleged students to surrender and an impartial inquiry be held in the issue.UNI AK BM AE SB AN1858 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-604746.Xml
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a three-day Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation on April 12, which is likely to give momentum to the animal conservation at global level. This would be the third such conference on tiger conservation. According to an official statement yesterday, the Environment Ministry held a meeting as a prelude to the conference. The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, was attended by representatives of four Tiger Range Countries -- Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Russia among others.Speaking on the occasion, Mr Javadekar said there were only 13 countries that have the pride of having tigers in the wild and tiger-bearing areas in the world. Organising the conference was a proud moment for India, where all TRCs could share their good practices and success stories, thereby contributing towards the cause of conservation of the magnificent species and the national animal of India. During the meeting, it was highlighted that the biggest threat to tiger conservation was poaching, due to the existing market and demand for tiger body parts and derivatives in other countries. There was a need for a sustained effort from all TRCs and other partners outside the government system. UNI RBE SW SB 1954 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0379-605111.Xml
The three-day Asia ministerial conference on tiger conservation will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 1. This is the third such conference on tiger conservation. The Environment Ministry held a meeting as a prelude to the third Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation, here yesterday. The meeting was attended by the representatives of four Tiger Range countries (TRCs) - Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Russia, besides senior officers of the ministry, including Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Joint Secretary, East, Ministry of External Affairs.The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar. UNI PRA AJ 2012 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0384-605202.Xml
Over 400 workers of Tata Motors today went on flash strike demanding re-instatement of 28 of their suspended co-workers at the companys facility in Sanand from where the new hatch back Tiago was to roll out in near future. In all 422 employees of the 2,200 working in the plant are on strike since late Monday night, M S Patel, deputy labour commissioner, Ahmedabad, told mediapersons outside Tata Motors plant in Sanand. They want management to re-instate their colleagues.According to Patel trouble began about two months ago when two of the workers were suspended allegedly on disciplinary grounds. While one was alleged to have abused his supervisor, the other was suspended as he had gone to some other department. The workers went on flash strike then too but we had immediately intervened and got both the workers and management to reach a compromise, Patel said.However, when the management failed to keep its promise of reinstating the two suspended workers, their remaining colleagues began demanding immediate reversal of suspension order. The management says that the workers scratched and damaged over 50 vehicles in the plant and so they had to suspend 26 more people last night. This saw remaining workers go on a flash strike, Patel said.Tata Motors Sanand plant had become a symbol of industrial friendly governance in Gujarat, after Ratan Tata, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then chief minister of Gujarat, moved the plant to manufacture his Rs 1 lakh dream car Nano from Singur in West Bengal in 2008. Tata Motors Sanand plant does not have an organized labour union. Though all of them are salaried and permanent employees of the plant, there is no single leader. They have a panel of seven people with whom we are now trying to have a dialogue, the deputy labour commissioner said. A Tata Motors in its statement said that around 300 workmen at their Sanand plant had gone on an illegal strike on February 22, 2016 "demanding re-instatement of the workmen suspended (pending enquiry) for serious misconduct. While the Management team is continuing to make efforts to talk to the workmen on strike and convince them to restore normalcy, Plant operations are simultaneously continuing."The company further stated, "There have been continued agitations for further monetary increases as well as protests against disciplinary actions against those instigating the workmen, resulting in serious threat to company personnel as well as losses due to tampering. Viewed as attempts to coerce the Management, around 20 workmen have been suspended (pending enquiry) on various changes of serious misconduct."Beginning its operations in 2010, the Sanand plant of Tata has seen ups and downs in production of Nano. Against the installed capacity of 250,000 cars per annum, it is reported to have produced roughly 42,560 Nano cars in the two years between January 2014 to December 2015. UNI ND CJ SB 1956 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-605124.Xml
Ittehad-e-Millat Council president Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, who is known for his controversial statements, today announced a statewide agitation for full prohibition of sale of liquor in Uttar Pradesh. "How the people and the government are selling liquor in the state of lord Ram. Hindus worship both Ram and Krishna and it is unfortunate that liquor is being sold in this state where these gods have taken birth," he questioned. Talking to reporters here, the Maulana said on February 25 he will join a peaceful dharna at the Laxman Mela ground along with other religious leaders of different religions. He announced that other religious leaders who would join his campaign are Gurudwara Samiti's Rajendra Singh Bagga, Mahant Divya Giri of Mankameshwar temple and Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad. The Maulana said during the dharna, further strategy would be chalked out to launch the agitation demanding total ban on sale of liquor in the state. "The people of Gujarat are happy for total ban in liquor but in UP it is different where government itself is promoting liquor sale for getting more revenue," he stated. The Council chairman added that the Ram bhakts who are demanding a grand temple at Ayodhya should first force the state to go for total prohibition."Both Hindu and Muslims would be happy if prohibition comes in force in UP," he claimed. Criticising the Akhilesh Yadav government in UP for reducing the price of liquor from next fiscal, the Maulana said if the Samajwadi Party government goes for total prohibition then no one can stop it from returning to power in the state after 2017 assembly polls. He also advocated for total ban on export of beef from the country. " If the export of beef is not stopped then in coming days, the country will face severe problem of milk as there would be no cow or buffalo," he added. The Maulana also condemned the terrorist acts in the world and claimed that those who are supporting it are not Muslims as Islam only teaches the ideology of love.UNI MB AE SB AN1958 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-605013.Xml
The students were protesting saying the mark-sheets given to them by the university, were allegedly full of 'errors'.

The police sued batons when the agitating students tried to break the barricades and university gate.

The situation was tense but under control.

Around 20 students were injured, some of the them were hospitalised, official sources added. The students alleged that the Part II undergraduate mark-sheets, which were already delayed had full of errors, including missing of numbers in subjects.

The students also demanded the postponement of the final year Part III examination due to late declaration of results for Part II.

Burdwan University vice-chancellor Smriti Kumar Sarkar said, "We have locked the gates for security reasons and called the police to protect university's properties and to maintain law and order situation. We did not direct the police to lathicharge. Police officials took that decision."

Denying the allegation of lathi-charge, one senior official of Burdwan district police said, "Police yet to lathicharge in the University campus. Cops chased the agitators and dispersed them from the area."

However, condemning of the incident, SFI's West Bengal state general secretary Debajyoti Das said "Police committed an 'unprovoked' lathicharge there. At least 20 SFI activists were injured in the clash. Men cops beat up our female protesters. We are demanding the resignation of Burdwan University's VC Smriti Kumar Sarkar and punishment of Burdwan's SDPO Soumik Sengupta and IC of Burdwan police station Priyabrata Bakshi, who led the brutal lathicharge there."

The SFI will hold protest rallies everywhere across West Bengal tomorrow, Mr Das informed.UNI XC-BM AKM SB GC2021

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-605041.Xml
In a joint operation of the CRPF and district police a zonal commander of the CPI (Maoists) was killed in Keorkatta village under Palkot police station of the neighbouring Gumla district of the state.Police headquarter sources here said the deceased ultra has been identified as Sanjay Yadav alias Mantriji alias Yatin who was a resident of Purana Hindiya village under Manatu police station of Palamu district. Yadav was wanted in several cases of attacking policemen and several other criminal offences.Meanwhile, Gumla SP Bhimsen Tuti said acting on a secret tip off a raid was carried out in the area early in the morning. Upon seeing the police, Yadav tried to escape on a two-wheeler and later opened fire in his desperate attempt to escape. However, in the encounter he was killed. A carbine, a pistol, 66 live rounds of ammunition, Rs 2 lakh in cash collected as levy, besides receipts and Maoist literature have been recovered from the spot. The maoist also carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head.UNI AK AKM PY AJ BD2044 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-605157.Xml
A decision in this regard was taken in a meeting of the state cabinet, which was held at the Project Building here, chaired by Chief Minister Raghubar Das.

A total of 15 proposals were cleared in the meeting.

An official press statement issued said a proposal to form a special purpose vehicle named Jharkhand Urban Transport Corporation Limited for running the monorail in the state capital has been approved.

A proposal was also approved to extend the retirement age of homeguards from 58 years to 60.

A proposal worth Rs 282 crore regarding use of microdrip method of irrigation in horticulture which is aided by Japan International Corporation Agency was also approved.

It has sanctioned a sum of Rs 21.20 crore as its share under the Pradhan Mantri Aadarsh Gram Yojana for the fiscal 2015-16.

The cabinet also approved a proposal by which the land registration taxes and other taxes deposited in the registration offices will now be collected through banks. The cabinet approved building sub-law-2016 for the state and gave administrative approval for sanction of Rs 106,47,75,208 for Jharkhand Accelerated Road Development Corporation for development of Patratu Dam-Ramgharh road.

It also approved amendments in Jharkhand Factories Act 2015.UNI AK BM DJK SB AN2009

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-605024.Xml
Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala was greeted with 'go back' slogans by the people when he, alongwith Minister of State Naib Saini visited the town today to review the situation after the Jat agitation on reservation. After addressing a press conference, Mr Barala, Mr Saini and Guhla MLA Kulwant Bajigar came on the gates of rest house . The impatient and agitated crowd, waiting to meet BJP leaders for over two hours, initially raised slogans against the local SP and police but when Mr Barala started speaking he was interrupted repeatedly and soon the crowd raised slogans like 'Barala Go back'. People said they had faced the worst time during the last couple of days as the police remained mute spectator when hooligans carrying gandasis and lathies indulged in arson and looting shops. As the tampers cooled down, Mr Naib Saini intervened and assured them that their sentiments had been noticed and the government will take action against the officials found guilty dereliction of duty. After that the State BJP chief addressed the crowd and said the incidents of violence during agitation had shaken the whole state. Now there was a need to bridge the gap between various communities which had widened during the agitation. He said people whose properties had been burnt or damaged and have suffered losses had been asked to file their claims for compensation with respective district administration which will assess the losses and government will pay compensation to those affected. The BJP leader said the role of officials at district-level during agitation would be inquired and any one found guilty would face strict action. Earlier, media persons had to wait for long time to enter the rest house which was cordoned off by the Army and police. MLA Kulwant Bajigar took the media inside however media persons expressed their resentment when they were searched by security personnel.UNI XC DB AE GC1844 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-604944.Xml
Haryana government today asked the insurance companies to settle the claims of the persons whose insured establishments were damaged in arson, loot and vandalism during the recent Jat agitation within 15 days. Stating this at a meeting with representatives of various government insurance companies here, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance and Planning Sanjeev Kaushal asked them to settle the claims of the affected persons at the earliest. The representatives of insurance companies said that they had already taken up the matter with their headquarters and that efforts would be made to settle the claims at the earliest. They asked the owners of insured establishments, including malls, showrooms, medium and small shops, to immediately inform the representative of their insurance company so that a surveyor may be sent to assess the losses. They should not disturb the scene until the surveyor has conducted the survey and taken photographs of the damage. The owners should also provide copies of the FIR, policy certificate, accounts bills, bills of sale and purchase, bank statements, stock and other necessary documents to the surveyor, they added.UNI DB DJK SB AN1951 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-605023.Xml
The Army restored water supply to the national capital by taking control of the important regulators along the Munak canal. Intensive patrolling by the Army along the stretches of the canal also ensured that the no further damage was caused to the canal. Repair to Khubru Headwork has also been completed, a defence release said here today.

The Army deployment in riot affected areas of Haryana has entered the fourth day today. Columns of the Kharga Corps are deployed in Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Kaithal, Rohtak and Bavana and flag marches are being conducted along all sensitive areas in these districts.

National Highway-1 has been cleared and groups of protestors at various stretches of the Highway have been dispersed.

The Western Command has contributed a lot towards restoring normalcy especially in Rohtak which has been one of the districts worst affected by the ongoing agitation.

Rapid deployment of Internal Security Columns was done by employing helicopters.

This enabled the Command to overcome the problem of blockade at Delhi-Rohtak highway by the agitators and build up sufficient strength before the situation turned worse.UNI DB DJK SB AN2012

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-605043.Xml
Mr Hooda was accompanied by his son and Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda and some other senior party leaders when the incident took place just 50 meters from his house here.

The traders also raised anti-Congress and 'Hooda Go Back' slogans. They hurled shoes at Mr Hooda when he came out of his vehicle to express his sympathy with them.

Following the incident, the district authorities deployed heavy police force to provide security cover to Mr Hooda.

The Congress leader sat on a fast along with other Congress leaders at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Sunday and returned to his home town this evening.

Earlier in the morning, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was heckled by angry crowd and his vehicle was gheraoed in the town. The protesters also showed black flags to Mr Khattar and raised anti-Haryana Police slogans to lodge their protest.

Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala was also greeted with 'go back' slogans by the crowd when he alongwith Minister of state Naib Saini and MLA Kulwant Bajigar visited Kaithal town to review the situation after the Jat agitation on reservation.UNI DB/NC PY AJ BD2102

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-605229.Xml
Both surrendered outside the west gate of JNU on Tuesday, sources said.

"Comrade Umar and Comrade Anirban have surrendered themselves to police. It's a moment of sadness for the campus because we have seen these activists for years standing with the students," Shehla Rashid, vice president of JNU Students Union (JNUSU) said in a statement.

"They have placed their faith in the law and we hope that they will be released soon. We also hope that Comrade Kanhaiya gets bail tomorrow," she said.

A case against Khalid and Bhattacharya was registered at Vasant Kunj police station.

According to the police sources, both have been taken to an undisclosed location. Both the students were accompanied by their lawyers and the representatives of JNU teachers association.

After the surrender of the students, their supporters gathered at Sabarmati Dhaba in the campus.

--Indo-Asian News Service ar-kd-am/pgh/

( 181 Words)

2016-02-24-01:35:37 (IANS)
Iran negotiated with Russia at the weekend over buying an upgraded version of the S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system, which it requires to meet its military needs, a foreign ministry spokesman in Tehran was quoted as saying.Iran was blocked from obtaining the S-300 before it reached a deal with world powers last July on curbing its nuclear programme, with Russia having cancelled a contract to deliver an older version of the system in 2010 under pressure from the West.Russia now hopes to reap economic and trade benefits from the nuclear deal and the lifting of sanctions on Iran last month.Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Tehran yesterday.Commenting on the visit, ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari told state news agency IRNA: "Iran is negotiating with Russia for providing its military needs... One of the main issues is buying the next-generation S-300 missile system."Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan was quoted as saying by the Fars agency on February 10 that Iran would start taking delivery of the S-300 within two months.Iran has also shown interest in buying the more advanced S-400 system, though no negotiations were being conducted at the moment, Russia's RIA news agency reported last week.It was not clear if by "next generation" Ansari was referring to the S-400, which Russia says can hit missiles and aircraft up to 400 km away.Israel has expressed "dismay" at Russia's decision to lift the ban on supplying S-300 missiles to Iran, which does not recognise Israel as a nation and has said it will use all its power to destroy it.Ansari also said Shoigu met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani yesterday to convey "President (Vladimir) Putin's special message ...regarding bilateral relations and some regional issues." REUTERS JW AS1606 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-602750.Xml
Nepal ended months-long fuel rationing after supply from India improved, following the end of a border blockade by ethnic protesters against a new constitution, an official said today.Relief came as Prime Minister K.P. Oli visited India, where he met Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and cleared up differences over Nepal's adoption of its first post-monarchy constitution last September.Nepal adopted the charter in hope of bringing stability after years of civil war, but it upset the minority Madhesi community in the south who blocked key border crossings with India causing severe shortage of oil and cooking gas.Protesters called off the blockade this month and allowed supply trucks stranded for more than four months to roll into the landlocked country after the government changed the constitution to provide greater political voice to the Madhesis and vowed to resolve other grievances through talks."We are now getting 70 per cent of our normal fuel supply from India," Nepal Oil Corporation official Dipak Baral told Reuters. "With this there is no need to restrict distribution of fuel to the public."India is Nepal's sole supplier of fuel. Rationing had led to black marketeering and caused lines of motorists outside petrol stations to stretch for several kilometres.Nepal blamed India for supporting the protesters who share close family and cultural ties with it and causing the shortage that strained ties between the South Asian neighbours. REUTERS PS RAI0856 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-603756.Xml
The exhibition "Green Citizens: Pathfinders for Change", which opened on Monday, was in part inspired by the conviction that "without education, climate change will be invisible," Xinhua quoted Armelle Arrou, Unesco's head of public relations, as saying.

The show also "aims to inspire others... to achieve change on the ground at the local level," said Arrou.

The photographs tell stories of everyday people doing their part for sustainable development around the world.

They include the story of a fisherman in Erquy, France, who realised that he had to make the difficult decision to reduce fishing to preserve the precious resource for the future.

In Erquy, fishing has been limited to two periods of 45 minutes each week, from October to May.

In Sidou, Senegal, the exhibit documents the stories of a farmer who realised it was important not to cut down trees in his fields if he wanted to protect the pastures where his cows graze, and of the woman who are helping plant trees to reforest the area.

"Each of those projects come from very different backgrounds treating not only environmental issues but also sustainable development," said Arrou.

The exhibition also has an online educational component for teacher and students, she said.

--Indo-Asian News Service py/vt

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2016-02-23-12:01:50 (IANS)
Satellite images show China may be installing a high-frequency radar system in the Spratly Islands that could significantly boost its ability control the disputed South China Sea, a US think tank reported.The Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies said the images showed that construction of facilities at Cuarteron Reef appeared nearly complete and that the artificial island now covered an area of about 52 acres.China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than 5 trillion dollars in global trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims."Two probable radar towers have been built on the northern portion of the feature, and a number of (20-meter) poles have been erected across a large section of the southern portion," the report said."These poles could be a high-frequency radar installation, which would significantly bolster China's ability to monitor surface and air traffic across the southern portion of the South China Sea."Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, asked about the report today, said she didn't know any details, but that China had every right to build on its own territory and deploy "limited" defensive means there.The world should pay more attention to the civilian facilities China has built like lighthouses, Hua told a daily news briefing.China's Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.The report said the images showed that China appeared to have constructed a buried bunker and lighthouse on the northern portion of the feature, a helipad, communications equipment and a quay with a loading crane.The report, which based its analysis on satellite images from January and February, said China already had significant radar coverage of the northern part of the South China Sea given its mainland installations and in the Paracel Islands to the northwest of the Spratlys.Both the US and Vietnam last week expressed concern at China's deployment of advanced surface-to-air missiles on the Paracels.A high-frequency radar on Cuarteron Reef would increase China's ability to monitor sea and air traffic coming north from the Malacca Straits and other important channels, the report said.It also pointed to "probable" radars at Gaven, Hughes and Johnson South Reefs in the Spratlys as well as helipads, and to possible gun emplacements at the former two features.China previously operated radars on Fiery Cross but the latest installations would give it far more extensive coverage, regional military analysts said.The report comes a day before a visit to the United States by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, at which US concerns about China's assertive territorial claims will be high on the agenda.Beijing has been angered by air and sea patrols the United States has conducted near islands China claims in the South China Sea.Hua said the United States was pushing "groundless worries" about freedom of navigation to carry out such patrols."The United States talks about freedom of navigation, but I fear in its heart what it's thinking about is absolute maritime hegemony," she added. REUTERS DS AS1509 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0177-604287.Xml
Burundi's president promised today to hold talks, free prisoners and lift arrest warrants to try and end months of violence, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said after the two men met in the capital.Ban told reporters Pierre Nkurunziza had also assured him media restrictions would be lifted during their session - part of a mounting diplomatic push to quell fighting in the central African nation, 10 years after it emerged from an ethnically-charged civil war.More than 400 people have been killed since April when Nkurunziza said he would run for a third term, triggering street protests and a coup attempt. Opposition parties say his election bid, which he went on to win, was unconstitutional.Ban met leaders of political parties in the capital Bujumbura after arriving last night, then went to the president's office today."I was very encouraged that the political leaders whether they are ...in government or the ruling party or opposition, they promised that they will engage in inclusive dialogue. This is what President Nkurunziza also confirmed," Ban said.Nkurunziza had also promised to free 1,200 prisoners, Ban added. "This is an encouraging step. I hope again that additional measures will be taken," he said. The presidency later put out a statement saying 2,000 people would be freed.Other African powers are particularly worried about the violence in a country where memories are still fresh of the genocide in neighbouring Rwanda.South Africa said President Jacob Zuma would fly to Bujumbura on February 25-26 with the leaders of Mauritania, Senegal, Gabon and Ethiopia to "assist with addressing the political situation".Nkurunziza has already rejected African Union plans to send in peacekeepers, saying he would see their arrival as an invasion.REUTERS DS CS1702 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0177-604633.Xml
Three men have been jailed for spying for Russia, Estonia's state prosecutor's office said today, an unusual case targeting low-level smugglers that comes amid heightened concern over muscular Russian foreign policy in eastern Europe.Relations between Estonia, a north-eastern Baltic country and a member of the EU and NATO since 2004, and Russia, its eastern neighbour and former ruler, are increasingly tense after Russian special forces occupied Ukraine's Crimea region a year ago.The three men, whose ages range from 21 to 42, received sentences ranging from two years to four years and ten months for supplying information to Russian security services on the movements and operations of Estonia's security service, defence forces and border guards.The men, described as smugglers by the prosecutor's office, were sentenced in closed trials for collaborating with Russian security services between October 2015 and February 2016.There have been several high profile trials in Estonia of officials accused of spying for Russia in the last decade, but the prosecution of low-level informants with no access to state secrets indicates a heightened level of vigilance."The information on the trials and sentencing was released now as two of the trails were held behind closed doors, due to the nature of the crimes committed," Ilmar Kahro, spokesman for the state prosecutor's office told Reuters.The Estonian Internal Security Service spokesman told a news conference in the southern Estonian town of Tartu that the men were not public servants and had no access to Estonia's or any other country's state secrets. REUTERS DS BD1726 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0177-604693.Xml
The leader of Bangladesh's biggest opposition party today issued a rare condemnation of a recent Islamist killing, a sign the party may be trying to avoid accusations that it is sympathetic to the Islamists as violence increases.Begum Khaleda Zia, chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, said this Sunday's killing of a Hindu priest was "evil"."I, in the possible strongest terms, condemn and deplore the attack and the killing of a member of a minority religious community. They are also peace loving citizens of this soil and have the right to live in this country," Khaleda said.The government accuses Zia's party of being sympathetic to violent Islam, charges the party denies. But the party has mostly remained silent as a wave of Islamist attacks have swept the country.In Sunday's incident, five or six attackers cut the throat of priest Jogeshwar Roy, 55, as he was organising prayers at the Deviganj temple near Panchagarh, 494 km (308 miles) north of the capital, Dhaka.They also shot and wounded a devotee who went to his aid.Islamic State claimed responsibility in a statement issued via social media but police said the attack was perpetrated by a local militant group.The government denies that Islamic State has a presence in the Muslim-majority country of 160 million people and police have blamed earlier attacks on home-grown Islamist militants. Foreigners, secular writers and publishers have been killed in recent months and mosques and Hindu temples have been bombed.On Tuesday, three men appeared in court accused of the priest's murder and possessing firearms and explosives.They were remanded for 15 days, police said, and were suspected members of the banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a group that wants to establish a sharia-based Islamic caliphate.REUTERS PY BL2200 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-605340.Xml
Jeremy Deaton writes about the science, policy, and politics of climate and energy for Nexus Media. You can follow him at @deaton_jeremy. Deaton contributed this article, a response to "10 Reasons NY is 'Greener' than California" to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

"Go West, young man," wrote Horace Greeley. "No, seriously. They have burritos over there." When Greeley penned those words (the first few, anyway), he fired the first shot in a bicoastal battle for supremacy that still rages today. Some young Americans did indeed head west, to California, where they enjoyed surfing, sunshine and salsa. Others stayed east, in New York. I assume they went into banking. From then on, it was New York versus California. Knicks versus Lakers. Bagels versus burritos.

A new front has opened up in this ongoing war. Both California and New York are tackling big problems like climate change, air pollution, safe transit and access to renewable energy. But while the Golden State sails to a greener future on a tide of cutting-edge clean-energy technology, New York is caught in the doldrums, struggling to catch up.

Here are 10 reasons why West is best.

1) Electric cars

Don't like paying for gas? Want to get an electric car? Move to California. ChargePoint, a network of electric-vehicle charging stations, put out a list of the best places to drive such a car. The results speak for themselves. Three of the top four regions are in California: the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego. New York didn't even crack the top 10. Californians are paving the way for electric cars and trucks. In 2012, California Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order to fund the construction of 200 fast-charging stations and 10,000 plug-in units across the state. [The Energy Debates: Electric Cars ]

2) Super-quiet and -clean buses

Can't afford an electric car? Try an electric bus! The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) recently became the first major transit property in the country to start upgrading to an all-electric fleet. In April, LA Metro rolled out its first five electric buses, with more to come. At last, Angelinos can re-enact the final scene of "The Graduate" without the din of an internal combustion engine to muddy "The Sound of Silence."

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3) Wind power

Californians know that wind is for more than caressing your golden locks while you cruise down Sunset Boulevard. The Golden State is churning out roughly four times as much wind power as New York, despite having just twice as many residents. California ranks as the No. 2 state for wind-generating capacity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Wind-rich New York doesn't even break the top 10.

4) Solar energy

Californians have long associated sunshine with warmth, tanning and anthropomorphic raisins, but now Golden Staters are also looking to the sun to generate electricity. Today, the solar-generating capacity of California dwarfs that of every other state, including New York, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Observers can expect California to widen its lead. In October, Gov. Brown signed a law requiring the state to generate half of its energy from clean sources like solar by 2030.

5) Starting a green business

It should come as no surprise that the state at the forefront of solar power is also leading the country in venture capital funding for green technology. Whether you're electric car magnate Elon Musk or solar technology magnate Elon Musk, you know that California is the best place to hunt for investor cash. In 2014, California accrued roughly half of all U.S. venture capital dollars for clean technology, upward of $2.5 billion, according the Clean Edge 2015 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index. New York barely made the list of top 10 states  anyone else seeing a trend here?

6) Hyperefficient homes

With the ongoing drought out West, water conservation has become a moral mission. Californians have resorted to"Game of Thrones"-style shaming for water wasters and put additional effort into saving energy. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimate of state-by-state per-capita residential energy use, Californians consume less energy at home than do residents of nearly every other state, including New York. Now, California is mandating that homes and businesses double their energy efficiency by 2030.

7) Wind-powered subways

This fall, the NY subway system landed a supporting role in a viral video of a rat dragging a slice of pizza into an underground station. That was fun, but while New York City transit authorities test out rodent-powered pizza transport, LA Metro is experimenting with placing wind turbines along subway tracks to produce power from the wind moving trains create. No news yet on how this technology might be implemented, but it's a promising development that wind produced by underground trains could be used to generate more than just iconic moments with 1950s starlets.

8) Bikes

Forget what you've heard about fixie-bound Brooklynites; New York isn't the place for cyclists. According to a report from the League of American Bicyclists, California ranks among the most bike-friendly states in the nation (8th out of 50). New York came in at a pitiable 29th. California's success is due in large part to investments made in bike infrastructure. In 2014, Gov. Brown signed into law legislation that encourages the construction of protected bike lanes and bike paths.

9) Sustainable cities

Last year, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio committed to ambitious reductions in carbon pollution  possibly in an effort to distract from Pizzagate, wherein de Blasio consumed the city's signature dish with a knife and fork. Now, New York is now charting a path to 100 percent clean energy, though it's unclear when New York expects to reach this goal. Meanwhile, in California, San Diego has made a legally binding commitment to 100 percent clean energy by 2035. San Jose expects to go completely renewable by 2022, while San Francisco is aiming for 100 percent clean energy by 2020.

10) High-speed booze train to Vegas

Las Vegas may not be the most environmentally friendly city on the planet, but the way there is about the get a whole lot greener. If you live in Los Angeles, you're no stranger to the spur-of-the-moment Friday-night trip to Vegas. You're probably also no stranger to the full-of-regret Sunday afternoon drive home. Soon, that drive may be a thing of the past. In September, XpressWest and China Railway International USA announced a joint venture to build 230 miles (370 kilometers) of high-speed rail connecting LA to Las Vegas. It won't be long before you can nurse your hangover at 150 mph (240 km/h) without worrying about the radiator overheating. [What Are the World's Fastest Trains? ]

Is there hope for the Empire State? Of course. Both California and New York are aiming to lower greenhouse gas pollution to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. The two states will remain at the forefront of the clean energy revolution, and their rivalry will continue to push them toward their shared goal: fostering cities that are the best places in the world to live, work, play and write songs about. Whether California or New York comes out ahead, in the competition between East and West, everybody wins.

Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates  and become part of the discussion  on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Live Science.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Phil Newell writes on the intersection of climate, science and clean energy for Nexus Media. Newell contributed this article, a response to "10 Reasons California Is 'Greener' Than New York," to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Frank Sinatra, the epitome of cool, said that if you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere. But what if you can't make it there? Well, then, you'll probably run away to California, like so many others before you.

With its ample sunshine and eco-friendly reputation, California does provide New York with some stiff competition when it comes to doing what's right for the environment. But while Cali may have the, like, totally organic-free-range-vegan-gluten-free reputation, New York has done more to lead the way to a cleaner future. With its no-nonsense attitude and nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic, New York has been turning the Golden State green (with envy) by making serious greenbacks and by doing a great job of going green.

Here are the top 10 reasons those who <3 the Earth <3 New York most.

1) No fracking

In December 2014, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation published its report on fracking. It provided all of the reasons necessary for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to ban fracking in the state of New York  something activists in California are still hoping Gov. Jerry Brown will do, as well. From polluting the air, to polluting our water, to warming our climate, to potentially causing earthquakes, the report was clear that fracking is a significant threat to health and the environment. But maybe Cuomo was just worried about making the Hulk angry.

2) Public transit trumps EVs

To its credit, California is trying to ramp up electric-vehicle (EV) use  which is great, since the electricity that powers them in Cali is pretty clean. (Elsewhere, where coal powers the grid, the issue's less clear-cut.) But California has to go big on EVs because the state is utterly dependent on cars, whereas New York City has one of the biggest public transit systems in the world. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority keeps 700,000 cars off the road every day. As writer David Owen, for Yale Environment 360, noted, New York's per capita gas consumption is equal to the national average  in 1920! And while California may brag about its clean buses, the fact is that eight times as many New Yorkers take public transit , bikes or walk to work as Angelinos.

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3) Solar Gigafactory

Cali may be installing more solar, but once SolarCity's new Gigafactory is running this year, the panels will be made in Buffalo, New York! The factory will be more than a million square feet, making it the largest facility of its kind not just in the United States but the entire Western Hemisphere. Once fully operational, it will pump out as many as 10,000 solar panels a day and will create an estimated 5,000 jobs across the state.

4) Lowest emissions per person

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), New York state has the lowest per capita emissions in the country (except for Washington, D.C., which doesn't really count because it's not officially a state, despite how much the residents may resent that.) This means that while New York is home to a little more than 6 percent of the U.S. population, it emits a little less than 3 percent of the country's greenhouse gases and consumes only 1 percent of the nation's industrial power. So California's efforts at green energy are commendable  but they're still playing catch-up to the Empire State.

5) Biggest emissions cuts

Again, New York beats California in actually cutting emissions. According to the EIA, New York achieved the greatest absolute decline in fossil fuel emissions between 2000 and 2013, shrinking its footprint by a full 25 percent for a total of 52 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions cut. How much is 52 million metric tons of carbon dioxide? That's about a trillion miles driven in an SUV that gets 17 miles per gallon, which is a lot, even for a Californian!

6) New York gets its money's worth

In addition to making the biggest cuts and leaving the smallest footprints, New York also proves that a thriving economy doesn't need to be dirty. New York has the most energy-efficient economy in the country, boasting the best GDP-to-emissions ratio (how much wealth is produced per amount of greenhouse gasses emitted) of any state, according to the EIA. California is close, but New York still wins, producing half the emissions per GDP as the U.S. average.

7) Bringing activism home

When the People's Climate March became the largest climate action in history, with more than 300,000 participants, its home base wasn't California; it was New York City. That's because New York is home to a broad coalition of activists from diverse backgrounds and with varied goals, all of which tie into climate change. Out of that success, the NY Renews coalition has emerged as a powerful force for change  the good kind, not the climate kind. California may have activists, but apparently, they're not as good at drawing a crowd as New York!

8) Cleaner electricity

Cuomo's 2016 budget proposes phasing out all coal power plants in the state. This would put New York even farther in front of California when it comes to fossil-fuel-free electricity. According to the EIA, just half of New York's electricity comes from fossil-fuel sources, whereas almost 65 percent of California's electricity comes from dirty fuels  primarily natural gas. [The True Costs of Renewable Energy ]

9) Better buildings

Heating, cooling and lighting New York City are big tasks, and account for almost three-quarters of the city's emissions. So, Mayor Bill de Blasio's Built to Last policy, which will retrofit 3,000 city-owned buildings to be more energy efficient and spur improvements in private ones, is a huge step to a cleaner future. That's why C40, a cities-based initiative for climate action, gave New York the Building Energy Efficiency Award last December. Over the next 10 years, NYC will spend a billion dollars on making buildings more efficient, saving 3.4 million metric tons of emissions a year  the equivalent of taking more than 700,000 vehicles off the road.

10) Cuomo's $5 billion for clean energy

To replace fossil fuels in New York's power mix, Cuomo has launched a whopping $5 billion for clean energy investments. That's huge  equivalent to the total amount the U.S. federal government spends on all energy research and development, according to a report from the American Energy Innovation Council. So, that size investment would not only secure New York's place as a clean energy leader, but by investing so much in renewables, the state would go a long way in helping to make the technologies cheaper and easier for others to adopt.

It's obvious, then, that New York is greener than California. New York's people have smaller carbon footprints, the state's electricity is cleaner and its buildings are just plain better. But please, don't paint us as hippie greens. We're perfectly happy letting California have the hippy dippy reputation  we're too busy getting the real work done.

Either way, with two of the biggest economies in the US ramping up clean energy efforts, its clear that the renewable energy revolution is underway. By bringing prices down as clean tech scales up, regardless of which state goes further faster, this beef benefits all of us.

Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates  and become part of the discussion  on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Live Science .

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
What makes a great foodie destination?

More and more travelers are planning their vacations around the eateries they want to visit in any given destination. After all, a large part of a city's culture lies in its cuisine. But what makes a place worth visiting for the food alone? The answer depends on who you ask.

Some would say it's a distinct, authentic cuisine that the city does best, while others value a wealth of options that range from ethnic to innovative. Others say it's placing heightened importance on using only fresh, local ingredients. No matter the definition, the 15 cities that appear on U.S. News' first-ever Best Foodie Destinations in the USA ranking share one common factor: they offer unforgettable gastronomic experiences that travelers keep coming back for.

15. Pittsburgh

Home to hearty Eastern European classics like Polish sausages and cabbage rolls, plus french fry-topped sandwiches and salads (which aren't going anywhere anytime soon), the Steel City is graduating to a more sophisticated culinary style. The gastronomic resurgence in recent years has caught the attention of publications like Zagat, Bon Appetit and Food & Wine Magazine. While critics are singing Pittsburgh's praises, locals are embracing the edible renaissance with open arms.

14. Asheville, North Carolina

This small mountain town may be known for its laid-back, hippie vibe, but it still packs a palatable punch in its 45 square miles. While the Appalachian Trail may seem like a strange place for a culinary hot spot, chefs and curious eaters have started congregating in western North Carolina in pursuit of inventive, offbeat creations. Aside from its impressive restaurant lineup, Asheville boasts more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the country, meaning you'll have plenty of interesting suds to pair with your meal.

13. Las Vegas

High rollers have to eat too, right? And in Vegas, they expect to eat well. Sin City has raised the stakes when it comes to dining, dazzling tourists with whimsical, over-the-top decor and celebrity chef-backed restaurants from the likes of Wolfgang Puck and Pierre Gagnaire, whose only U.S. restaurant is in the Mandarin Oriental. And if you lose in the casinos, don't worry: Sin City still boasts plenty of affordable options and cheap all-you-can-eat buffets to keep you going.

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12. Philadelphia

In 2015, Philadelphia was named the first World Heritage City in the United States. Though the City of Brotherly Love is certainly home to a fair amount of history, that doesn't mean its food scene is stuck in the past. While classics like cheesesteaks and soft pretzels still reign supreme, Philly balances those hallmark dishes with vegetarian and vegan eateries, as well as a wealth of genuine Italian and Jewish fare. Plus, the city originated the BYOB policy and now boasts more than 200 bring-your-own-bottle restaurants.

11. Seattle

No visitor to Seattle can pass up a trip to Pike Place Market, but there's more to the Emerald City than watching people throw and catch fish. The city's abundance of fresh seafood (namely salmon and oysters) along with its Asian culinary influences have shaped its gastronomy. Seattle's selection of sushi and rice bowls, along with its unique Seattle teriyaki, known for its thick, Korean-inspired sauce, have been recognized by critics and discerning food lovers as some of the best in the country.

10. Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston put low country fare at the forefront of the foodie scene. The regional cuisine, known for relying heavily on seafood with a mix of Southern, Caribbean and African flavors, is what this quaint South Carolina city does better than anywhere else. Though the city is proud of its well-preserved history, its chefs have started reinventing staple dishes (like shrimp and grits and she-crab soup) to fit the needs of 21st-century palates.

9. Miami

Miami's vibrant nightlife and scantily clad beachgoers often overshadow the city's rich culinary scene. But its cuisine shouldn't be overlooked. The city whips up the best Cuban food outside of Havana, and the proximity to the Caribbean also brings a multitude of full-bodied island flavors. Plus, the restaurant scene is full of young chefs who continue to bring something new to the table.

8. Houston

Houston has the savory chops that only the largest city in the Lone Star State can claim. Business travelers from around the world are continually surprised by the culinary diversity here -- from mom and pop takeout shops that locals line up for to fine dining pioneers that attract a more upscale clientele. The city is also home to a large Vietnamese and Chinese immigrant population, allowing Asian dishes like spring rolls and pho to intermingle with area classics like barbecue and Tex-Mex.

7. Washington, District of Columbia

A city that attracts everyone from small-town tourists to international diplomats has to provide ample options to satisfy them all -- and the nation's capital measures up to the task. Boasting an all-encompassing restaurant scene that offers some of the best ethnic food (especially Indian and Ethiopian), as well as area staples like bottomless brunches and happy hour specials, D.C.'s food landscape is anything but boring. When you're touring the monuments, don't forget to stop and grab a half-smoke (the half-beef, half-pork cousin of the hot dog that's a D.C. specialty).

6. Chicago

Deep-dish pizza. Distinctively dressed hot dogs. Italian beef. Cheese and caramel popcorn. Plantain encased sandwiches called jibaritos. Plus the Greek answer to grilled cheese, saganaki. The Windy City's calling card lies largely in its hearty, gooey and iconic dishes. But Chicago's culinary power extends from those staples into a toothsome and ever-evolving dining culture that's as big on innovation as it is on flavor. Plus, Chi-Town beckons talented chefs (40 James Beard Award winners call Chicago home) who ensure that this Midwestern authority presents a robust offerings, so no one goes hungry.

5. San Francisco

Regularly lauded by critics and visitors for its culinary chops, San Francisco is a hotbed for foodies of all kinds. The City by the Bay is also known for its knack of modernization and invention, meaning gourmands who flock here expect to be at the forefront of dining trends -- and chefs here deliver. But with the influx of tech money and the constant rising of rental rates, the city isn't known for cheap eats.

4. Portland, Oregon

Portland might as well have invented the word "foodie." From its emphasis on ingredients (the fresher and more unusual the better) to its affinity for low-cost, high-quality food carts, Portland has emerged as the foodie capital of the Pacific Northwest. The city has become a favorite of industry experts for its eagerness to present unique yet affordable options, from doughnuts to craft beer.

3. New Orleans

The Big Easy has an identity all its own -- a mix of Cajun, Creole and French -- that has always made its food distinct. Now, 10 years after Hurricane Katrina, the city has retained its unmistakable character while pushing forward to become something entirely new. Aside from the mouthwatering dishes, the deeply rooted sense of community that's attached to the food here makes it a must for any self-declared epicurean.

2. Los Angeles

Los Angeles presents the ultimate in culinary mashups. The city that tailors to celebrities and wealthy patrons with fine dining establishments that boast big price tags also delivers some of the best street food in the country. And since the City of Angels is home to large immigrant populations -- namely Hispanic and Asian communities -- the opportunities to please your taste buds with globally inspired cuisine are endless. From food trucks to strip malls to trendy eateries, local establishments churn out creative dishes with high-quality ingredients, helping LA stay at the top of the gastronomic food chain.

1. New York City

A visit to New York City can include meals inspired by just about every continent, country and culture. Simply put, the Big Apple has it all. It's the premier stage for chefs looking to gain notoriety, and the restaurant scene progresses at breakneck speed, meaning the eateries that stick around have earned the stamp of approval from notoriously opinionated locals. Whether you're craving a pastrami sandwich from the corner deli or a meal on white tablecloths prepared by a celebrity chef, New York City has you covered.

Gwen Shearman is an editor/analyst for the Travel section at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at gshearman@usnews.com.
The US Office of the Secretary of the Defense has released its annual report to Congress on North Korea's military, and the findings are chilling. Included in the report are the following three maps, which outline North Korea's military might.

north korea military map

North Korea's ground forces make up the primary thrust of the rogue nation's military. Nearly 70% of its ground forces are forward deployed to within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the South Korean border.

The ground forces are a mix of infantry corps, which are predominantly comprised of regular and light-infantry units. In general, these forces are housed in fortified underground facilities facing toward South Korea.

In addition to infantry, the ground corps also has large armor and artillery corps. Although corps make use of old technology, their forward-deployed nature remains a threat to South Korea. North Korea's artillery, in particular, is worrisome as the long-range cannons and rockets are capable of hitting South Korea's capital, Seoul, from over the border in the event of a war.

But aside from North Korea's special forces, its ground forces are generally underfed, ill-equipped, and poorly trained.

Screen Shot 2016 02 23 at 10.04.26 AM

North Korea's second-largest military branch is its air force. Like Pyongyang's ground forces, these airframes are largely based against the South  50% of North Korea's air force is within 62 miles of the South Korean border.

Although North Korea maintains a large air force, its fleet is estimated at having 1,300 aircraft, consisting almost entirely of legacy Soviet airframes. Pyongyang's most capable aircraft are MiG-29s that were likely procured in the late 1980s from the Soviet Union.

The hermit kingdom also has a few US-made MD-500 helicopters that were obtained in the 1980s by circumventing export controls that are capable of ground-attack missions. But the majority of North Korea's air assets are aging and the country has taken the route of improving its ground forces and hardening the country against air strikes than trying to modernize its air force.

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Screen Shot 2016 02 23 at 10.04.37 AM

The smallest of the military branches, Pyongyang's navy is also largely based against South Korea, with 50% of the navy's assets within 62 miles of the border. The navy is largely comprised of aging patrol boats, submarines, and air-cushioned hovercraft and amphibious vessels.

Of these assets, North Korea's submarine fleet is the most potentially dangerous. Although extremely old, the fleet of an estimated 70 submarines are capable of hiding around the Korean coast and harassing or possibly sinking South Korean vessels.

Additionally, in 2015 North Korea debuted a new submarine that it said was domestically built and capable of firing a ballistic missile.

But the three maps do not show North Korea's continued drive to create a nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile program. The following chart highlights the known number of missiles in North Korea's missile forces.

north korea missile

The largest confirmed threat that North Korea is known to possess is the KN-08 missile.

It would be able to target portions of the West Coast of the continental US. Additionally, the missile is believed to be able to carry miniaturized nuclear warheads, should Pyongyang develop such a capability, and it's road mobile, making it difficult for the US to track.

NOW WATCH: Meet THAAD: Americas answer to North Korean threats





More From Business Insider


The 88th Oscars ceremony is due to be held February 28 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, presented by actor and comedian Chris Rock. Here's a look at the numbers behind this year's event with 10 key figures.

12: the number of nominations received by the Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu movie "The Revenant". Named in three of the main Oscars categories (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor), the epic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio in its lead role, falls short of matching the record 14 nominations for "Titanic" and "All About Eve," the Joseph L. Mankiewicz classic from 1950.

$200,000: the equivalent value of the "Oscars Gift Bag" for Best Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, and Best Director nominees. Gifts in this year's goodie bag include a first-class ten-day trip to Israel, a two-week holiday in Japan, a year of Audi car rentals, beauty products, fitness sessions, laser beauty treatments, vodka, personalized M&M's and even a sex toy.

40: "Mustang" is the 40th French movie to be nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, a record in the category. The last French movie to win the gong was Regis Wargnier's "Indochine" in 1993. Since 1948, France has notched up 12 Oscars in various fields, including three Honorary Awards.

29: the number of years between Sylvester Stallone's two nominations for playing Rocky Balboa. In 1977, the actor was nominated for the first time in his career for his role as the famous boxer. Although success eluded Stallone first time around, he could score a win on Sunday by beating Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Mark Ruffalo and Mark Rylance to the title of Best Supporting Actor for "Creed."

6291: number of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members with voting rights in this year's Oscars, compared with 230 when the ceremony first started back in 1927. According to a study published at the end of 2013 by the Los Angeles Times, these movie industry representatives are on average 62 years old, 77% are men and 93% are white. These stats do nothing to help the current debate about the lack of diversity at the Oscars.

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50: the total number of Oscar nominations for musician John Williams, the record for a living person. Since his first nomination in 1968, Steven Spielberg's composer of choice has won five Oscars with music written for "Fiddler on the Roof," "Jaws," "Star Wars," "E.T." and "Schindler's List". On Sunday, the American composer could bag a sixth statuette for his work on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

81: the number of countries that submitted a feature film for the Best Foreign Language Film award. Paraguay sent a movie to the competition for the first time in history. However, the country's entry wasn't picked for the finalists' shortlist, which includes "Mustang" (France), "A War" ("Denmark), "Embrace of the Serpent" (Colombia), "Theeb" (Jordan) and "Son of Saul" (Hungary), the hot favorite for the gong.

4: the number of times Jennifer Lawrence has been nominated for an Oscar, a first for an actress aged 25 or under. In 2010, aged just 20, the "Hunger Games" star picked up her first nomination for Best Actress with "Winter's Bone." Thanks to director David O. Russell, the Hollywood star bagged three more nominations for "Silver Linings Playbook," "American Hustle" and "Joy." On Sunday, she could walk away with the second Oscar of her career, four years after her first win.

30: the total number of nominations received by "Star Wars" movies. With five nominations for the latest installment, "The Force Awakens," the intergalactic adventure is edging closer to Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. All in all, "The Lord of the Rings" movies have bagged 17 Oscars, with the third movie, "The Return of the King," winning 11 alone. The six movies in the George Lucas saga have won a total 10 Oscars, with seven for the original "Star Wars" movie, "Episode IV: A New Hope."

9: the number of times Steven Spielberg has been nominated for production. After "E.T.," "The Color Purple," "Schindler's List," "Saving Private Ryan," "Munich," "Letters from Iwo Jima" -- directed by Clint Eastwood -- "War Horse" and "Lincoln," this year sees "Bridge of Spies," directed by Steven Spielberg, in the running for Best Picture.
From a February 4, 2016 note from Center for Public Integrity CEO Peter Bale.

Facts are still sacred

Comment may be free and facts sacred, as a former editor of The Guardian once said, but I have been encouraging some of our most experienced journalists to step a little more briskly into news events in their areas of responsibility or to write curated pieces in which they can pull together the main elements of a subject they know well and use their decades of experience to shed light on current trends.

A couple of good examples lately include R. Jeffrey Smith, our National Security managing editor and a Pulitzer Prize winner formerly of the Washington Post, with a small item  really a blog entry  about the outlook for U.S foreign policy this election year, while deputy executive editor and long-time Money & Politics leader John Dunbar wrote a timely commentary on dark money and the anniversary of the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court.

Jim Morris, the managing editor of the Environment team, stepped into the horror story of Flint Michigan, the kind of story his team specializes in across the country and on which it is holding the EPA and others to account.

Jeff, for me, was one of the inspirations behind this push  which I stress is not a huge shift in approach, more an attempt to use the great minds of the Center more visibly and topically  when at the turn of last year he stepped into the row over who presided over bringing torture into the armory of the U.S military. It wasnt an investigation as such but Jeff had the attitude and the expertise to shed fresh light on it.

Our multi-media editor Eleanor Bell is going to put some of these pieces to music like this short video analysis of John Dunbar on Super-PACs and dark money on YouTube.

This shouldnt be considered a huge shift. Political lead Dave Levinthal had his bottom practically welded to the chair at C-Span today and is a regular on Al Jazeera. Today, Carrie Levine and Cady Zuvich built on the excellent work weve done on tracking the advertising spending to produce a piece on why nice ads worked better than attack ads in Iowa. It also comes together in the superb ad-tracker by Chris Zuba-Skees. Michael Beckel showed that nearly a billion dollars has been raised so far without even an actual vote cast in the race to the White House. The team did a nice job looking at where some of the money goes, including to the Trump hat obsession.

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Fire in the belly

I was struck talking with a major donor yesterday talking about giving to groups with fire in their belly. We may not be advocates but we do want reaction to our work.

Jim Morris notes that the investigation into the failure of the EPA to counter environmental racism, a series by Kristen Lombardi and Talia Buford, reverberates as the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights convenes in Washington Friday to take testimony from an Alabama resident and a New York lawyer featured in our stories.

A quite controversial story last year from Jared Bennett which looked at what happened to homeowners whose mortgages were sold by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in large packages to asset management firms on Wall Street has prompted two senators to ask HUD to explain the program. We and the New York Times and others have looked at the issue, some of us from the perspective of the firms packaging large numbers of mortgages as a legacy of the financial crisis and others  us included  for what it meant to have your house to some extent bought and sold underneath you, with significant numbers leading to foreclosures.

ICIJ  teaching by doing

In the ICIJ, Africa editor Will Fitzgibbon has been in Nigeria teaching a workshop on investigative journalism for local reporters. It's one of a handful of trips (funded independently by various NGOs) Will has made in the past 18 months that have combined training and hands-on reporting, and that have also become an important outreach tool for ICIJ as we build our network in Africa. Will led the remarkable Fatal Extraction project on the ground.

ICJJ reporter Hamish Boland-Rudder points out the ICIJ has also had some terrific ongoing impact over the course of January: European competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager publicly thanked the Luxembourg Leaks reporters and whistleblowers for their integral role in shedding light on questionable corporate tax maneuvers practiced by some of the world's largest companies; and U.S authorities announced a new clamp down on anonymous buyers using the luxury real estate market in cities like New York and Miami to hide "dirty money" - ICIJ reported on this in 2014 (long before the New York Times took on the same subject.).

New recruit

A great new recruit to the Centers Money & Politics state team started this week. Michael Mishak joins the team from the National Journal. We believe our state reporting work and the consortium of state reporters involved in it combined with the huge State Integrity Investigation is a rich area to grow for us.

This story is part of Inside Publici. Stories were working on, the impact of our investigations, news about our fundraising efforts, and other issues that shape our work. Click here to read more stories in this topic.

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What were reading and thinking about

A great write-up from an important ICIJ member. Gerardo Reyes from Univision wasn't the first reporter to write about why they turned down an interview with notorious drug lord 'El Chapo' Guzman, but Gerardo's write-up is from the perspective of a dedicated investigative journalist who has spent years telling important stories from Mexico's drug wars. An excellent read about a journalist who ultimately 'chose not to trade his ethics for a scoop,' as recommended by Marina Guevara Walker.

Rafat Ali, an old friend of mine who founded PaidContent.org, wrote a highly personal account of his travel news start up Skift. For me there are huge lessons for us and anyone trying to create or turnaround a media organization and how to focus on what matters.

The rise of the news product manager has been the story of my business life for the past 15 years and was well described in a Nieman report this week.

I welcome feedback on this note.

This story is part of Inside Publici. Stories were working on, the impact of our investigations, news about our fundraising efforts, and other issues that shape our work. Click here to read more stories in this topic.

Related stories

Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
Africa's tropical forests are threatened by a palm oil bonanza that has already razed millions of old-growth hectares in Southeast Asia, Greenpeace France warned Tuesday.

The NGO called on European palm and rubber plantation giant Socfin, which controls vast tracts of tropical land in more than half-a-dozen African nations, to join other multinationals in adopted so-called "zero deforestation" policies.

Dozens of global companies -- GAR, Cargill, and Agropalma among commodity producers, and Nestle, Unilever and L'Oreal among makers of consumer products -- have made pledges, though some are more stringent than others.

So far, Socfin -- majority controlled by Belgian businessman Hubert Fabri, with French billionaire Vincent Bollore holding 38.8 percent of the company's shares -- have failed to make similar commitments, Greenpeace said.

The stakes are high: palm oil, soy, paper pulp, and beef drive nearly three-quarters of deforestation in tropical areas, according to studies.

Deforestation from all sources is responsible for 12 percent of the greenhouse gases driving global warming.

Indonesia and Malaysia account for more than 90 percent of palm oil production today.

Clear-cutting and burning to make way for palm oil plantations causes health-wrecking air pollution, exacerbates climate change, and destroys some of the planet's richest "hotspots" for biodiversity.

The transformation of great swathes of rainforest to monoculture farming is also a mixed blessing for local populations, providing a source of low-wage employment but often displacing indigenous peoples and disrupting established livelihoods.

- Africa is the new frontier -

Currently, only a small percentage of palm oil comes from Africa, but Socfin operates numerous plantations there with others in the pipeline.

"Africa has become the new frontier for palm oil, the new battleground of oil palm and rubber tree companies," the Greenpeace report said.

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The company has sought a 150 million euro ($165 million) loan via the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an entity of the World Bank, to finance certification under environmental norms upheld by the IFC.

But Socfin does not meet even these modest standards -- described by Greenpeace as "insufficient to prevent deforestation" -- according to the IFC, which signalled "major gaps" between the palm and rubber giant's operations and "good international industry practice."

"The IFC must urgently suspend the ongoing corporate loan procedure and condition the granting of this loan on the company's publication of a credible zero deforestation commitment," Greenpeace said.

Made aware of the contents of the report, a spokesperson for the Groupe Bollore said that the company was "only a shareholder" of Socfin, and thus "can not be held directly responsible for the actions or decisions of Socfin."

"Nonetheless," Elodie Le Rol said by email, "the Groupe Bollore carries out it duty to be vigilant, and is an active shareholder and administrator of Socfin."

The core provision of a zero deforestation policy is to identify and protect so-called "high carbon stock" areas.

These are forest regions that store huge quantities of carbon dioxide in living wood mass. Once it is cut down and burned, CO2 is released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

Another key provision is the protection of peatlands which -- when drained to make way for a plantation -- also spew CO2 into the air.

Due to the rapid expansion of palm plantations and logging, Indonesia has become the sixth largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world.

Zero deforestation likewise includes guarantees that local populations are fairly compensated for lost land, and not otherwise adversely affected.

Socfin currently has 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres) in rubber plantations, and 80,000 hectares (198,000 acres) in palm oil trees in Africa.

The forests in the Congo basin cover some 200 million hectares (500 million acres) across six countries, and are home to more than 500 species of mammals, 400 reptiles and thousands of plants.

Between 1990 and 2010, at least 3.5 million hectares of natural forests were converted into palm oil plantations, mainly in Southeast Asia.
After working with thousands of families over my years as a family psychologist, Ive found that one of the most common predicaments parents face is how to get kids to do what theyre asked. And one of the most common questions parents ask is about tools they can use to help them achieve this goal.

One such tool is the sticker chart, a type of behavior-modification system in which children receive stickers in exchange for desired behaviors like brushing their teeth, cleaning their room, or doing their homework. Kids can later spend their accrued stickers on prizes, outings, and treats.

Though data on how widely sticker charts are used (and when and why they became so popular) is difficult to find, anecdotal evidence suggests that these charts have become fairly commonplace in American parenting. Google searches for sticker chart, chore chart, and reward chart collectively return more than 1 million results. Amazon has more than 1,300 combined product results for the same searches. Reddit, too, is teeming with forums for parents asking each other about the merits of the charts and discussing specific strategies.

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Its easy to see how busy parents would be drawn to sticker charts ability to produce quick results. With the right incentives and structure, the system can be an effective way to get kids in the habit of brushing their teeth, for example, or unpacking their school bags. Proponents of sticker charts say that these types of reward systems help prevent power struggles and reduce parents need to nag, making the routines of everyday family life easier.

In many ways, they do. The problem with sticker charts and similar reward systems is not that they dont work. Rather, they can work too well, creating significant negative and unintended long-term consequences for both the kids and their families. Sticker charts are powerful psychological tools, and they can go beyond affecting childrens motivation to influence their mindset and even affect their relationship with parents.

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But advocates of sticker charts often neglect to mention their potential hazards, leaving parents surprised when the method backfires. Not surprisingly, I frequently hear complaints from parents about sticker charts gone awry. One mother who was initially pleased with the results of her sticker-chart system said that when she asked her 8-year-old son to stop what he was doing and help his younger brother clean up a spill, he responded: What will you give me?

Another couple in one of my parenting classes also struggled when their reward system stopped working. We told our daughter that she could earn extra points toward her goal of getting a new phone if she would help us clean the kitchen after dinner, but she just said, No, thanks. Now what?

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Many of these parents who began a reward system with the worthy goal of making family routines easier became so pleased with the outcome that they kept adding more items to the sticker chart. Children reluctant to help with laundry or share their toys? Give them a sticker for it.

Offering children tangible rewards in exchange for caring behavior can erode their innate tendency to help others.

I like to call this phenomenon, in which reward systems become pervasive in family life, a reward economy. In reward economies, kids learn to trade desirable behavior for a reward. Sometimes the reward comes directly, in the form of toys, ice cream, or books; sometimes its value is stored, like currency, in stickers or other objects that can be exchanged at a later date. Whatever the system, reward economies promote a transactional model for good behavior: Children come to expect a reward for good behavior and are hesitant to give it away for free, like the 8-year-old boy who wanted a reward for helping his brother.

Some of the hazards of sticker charts include the much-discussed risk of undermining kids intrinsic motivation, or the need to offer more and better rewards as the original ones lose their appeal. But perhaps more distressingly, reward economies also affect how children think about relationships.

In some cases, children are offered rewards not only for mundane tasks like tooth-brushing, but also for what social scientists call pro-social behavior: things like helping, cooperating, and sharing. Studies have shown that offering children tangible rewards in exchange for caring behavior may diminish future helpful behavior and can erode childrens innate tendency to help others.

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Insights from behavioral economics help explain this effect. From that perspective, the problematic attitude of children raised in a reward economyWhats in it for me?is a predictable response to the collision of social norms (the invisible forces that shape how humans act) with market norms (a system of payments, debts, contracts, and customers).

In experiments studying the effects of these two norms, the behavioral economist and Duke University professor Dan Ariely has found that when the two come together in the same situation, market norms tend to overpower social norms, shifting the focus from relationships to commerce.

In one real-life example from his book Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, Ariely describes the experience of a daycare business trying to reduce the number of parents who arrived late to pick up their children. The center decided to implement a fine to penalize parents who came late. After the fine was instituted, however, the daycare noticed that there was actually an increase in the number of parents who were late. Why? It had inadvertently eclipsed social norms by introducing the fine, which belongs to the world of market norms. Before, parents had tried not to be late because they felt badly about inconveniencing the daycare staff (a social norm); now, being late was governed by a market norm, meaning they could just pay the fine with a clear conscience. The daycare had put a price on lateness, and many parents were willing to pay it.

Similarly, when parents compensate children for good behavior, they are introducing market norms into family life, a setting in which social norms traditionally reign. When I spoke with Ariely about the application of his research to reward systems like sticker charts, he advised parents to consider the long-term implications: [Reward systems] provide a short-term satisfactory solution, but at what cost? he said. What happens if [kids] think of [their] existence in the family as a job?

Ariely offered a personal example about how a transactional mindset can diminish goodwill. He once worked at a university that used a point system to ensure that faculty members met their teaching requirements. Once he learned the formula for receiving points, Ariely figured out how to maximize it, effectively doing as little as possible to get the most points. I managed to get 112 points by teaching just one class a year. I had one class with lots of students and lots of [teaching assistants], he said. So I just optimized [the formula].

In contrast, the university at which he now works simply expects that everyone pitches in. This has meant that I actually teach more, he added. Every year I volunteer to teach a class for the undergrads, but its not part of my official contract. The point system [at the other university] basically eliminated any goodwill.

Parents might see little difference between giving their children a sticker for brushing their teeth and giving them one for helping a younger sibling. However, given the negative effect of rewards on pro-social behavior, and the harmful influence of market norms on relationships, a troubling question arises: What is the impact on families when parents choose the short-term expediency of using rewards to promote good behavior?

If you created a relationship [with your kids] that is very transactional, what do you expect when everyone gets older? Ariely said. Im not saying that giving kids a sticker is going to make them send their parents to assisted living, but if you think about the idea, its a step in that direction.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
By Lianne Back DOLEV, West Bank (Reuters) - Overlooking picturesque villages, the rental property listed on Airbnb is nestled in what seems like a peaceful setting of birdsong and sunshine. But political reality can cloud the view. Shimon Yitzhaki's wooden cabin is located in the Jewish settlement of Dolev, in the occupied West Bank that is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "This is our land, this is our country," said Yitzhaki, a retired business executive who owns two cabins in Dolev. He said he and his wife hoped foreign tourists would "enjoy the view" and take home a new perspective on settlement life. Across the way from Dolev, Ayed Mathloum, a resident of the Palestinian village of Al-Janiya, said promoting accommodation in settlements contributed to an Israeli effort "to stay on the Arabs' lands". Mustafa Bargouthi, a West Bank-based Palestinian politician, called any bid to direct tourism toward settlements a violation of international law. Most countries view settlements that Israel built on territory occupied in a 1967 war as illegal. Israel disputes this and says their final status should be determined in any future talks on Palestinian statehood. San Francisco-based Airbnb, which offers "unique places to stay from local hosts in 190+ countries" on its popular website, did not respond to Reuters' request for a comment. There are dozens of Israeli and Palestinian listings in the West Bank, and the territory's pre-1967 war boundary with Israel is marked on a map dotted by rental properties with a wide range of prices. Miri Maoz-Ovadia, spokeswoman for a regional settler council in the West Bank, said about 250,000 foreign tourists visit what she described as the "biblical heartland of Israel" every year. "Everybody can come here, even Christians, Muslims, everybody. The only thing that they have to know is that they are coming to a settlement here, religious, so you cannot be free," Yitzhaki said, in apparent reference to guest behavior that could clash with its Orthodox Jewish lifestyle. Business has not been great: in the two years since Yitzhaki built the cabins, only a Jewish family and a Christian family, both from the United States, have come to stay. Another settlement property, a house in Tekoa that sleeps eight near Bethlehem, offers "privacy and amazing view of the Judean desert", as well as a kosher kitchen for $200 a night. (Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Human rights group Amnesty International vowed Tuesday to push ahead with a planned "Ghost Protest" in Seoul after police threatened a crackdown on the virtual rally consisting of holograms of protesters.

The group is set Wednesday night to show holograms of about 120 people chanting slogans and waving banners on a giant screen set up in central Seoul.

Amnesty said the virtual march -- the second in the world after a similar event in Spain last April -- would protest against what it called the growing erosion of freedom of assembly and expression in South Korea.

Seoul police chief Lee Sang-Won vowed a "stern response", saying organisers had described it as a cultural event.

"If they show holographic images of people chanting slogans or voicing their opinions collectively, it is a public protest and has to be cracked down on," Lee told reporters Monday.

"We... will take a stern response to prevent such illegal activities," he said without elaborating.

Amnesty vowed to go ahead, describing the police warning as another sign of the erosion of freedom of assembly.

"We find the police response ridiculous and ironic," Ahn Se-Young, a campaign coordinator at Amnesty Korea, told AFP.

"The police can't crack down on virtual images of people just because they are chanting together and voicing opinions," she said, adding the event would be held as planned.

The holograms are expected to show people -- whose images were videotaped earlier -- waving banners and chanting slogans such as "Don't stifle voices of the people".

Critics say the conservative government of President Park Geun-Hye, daughter of the late autocratic ruler Park Chung-Hee, is slipping into authoritarian rule.

Police have come under fire for what critics describe as excessive use of force, with one South Korean left in a coma after being hit by a jet from a water cannon during an anti-government protest last November.

An UN envoy last month accused Seoul officials of using potential traffic jams and public inconvenience as an "excuse for unduly limiting rights" to publicly demonstrate.

UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai also voiced concern at a "gradual regression" on rights, noting violent police tactics used against protesters including water cannon.
Across the Middle East and North Africa, there are more women attending universities than men, according to the World Bank. But the workplace tells a different story: Arab women still lag behind in employment.

To address this gender disparity, many Arab region universities, programs and organizations are working to empower Arab women to succeed by preparing them for the workplace.

[Check out how Arab region STEM programs are drawing women.]

One such success story is Egyptian national Marian Nasr Hanna. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in business with concentrations in banking, finance and economics from Lebanese American University, Hanna found employment in Egypt. Hanna works as an export team leader for UnipakNile Ltd., which manufactures corrugated carton containers and exports part of what is produced. In her role, she supervises a team of two and manages the company's Ireland account.

After she graduated in 2012, she joined the company as a cost analyst. She worked on projects to reduce the company's expenses in both Egypt and Lebanon and moved up the ranks. The company is part of Indevco Group, which Hanna was introduced to in her first year at university. The corporation held a workshop as part of a program organized by the Middle East Partnership Initiative Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarship Program, in which Hanna was a scholarship recipient.

The initiative's collaboration with the university supports future leaders, particularly women -- most of the scholarship recipients are young Arab women. Hanna says the activities, workshops, community service and leadership classes she had at LAU "opened new opportunities for me and gave me a sense of what I want to do."

But finding employment isn't always easy for grads. While gender equality in education has advanced, fewer than one in three women is in the MENA region's labor force, according to a 2015 report.

When Iraqi national Ola Fathallah graduated with a bachelor's degree in architecture from German Jordanian University in 2014, it took a while for her to find a job, she says, mainly because she was not a Jordanian citizen. But eventually, things turned around.

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"A previous professor of mine, who taught me design classes at university, hired me in his office, and I've been working there for 10 months now," says Fathallah, who works at architecture firm OMB as a junior architect.

Fathallah is helping design a residential compound in Amman, producing computer drawings of plans, sections, elevations and architectural details for the project.

Universities and civil society institutions can play a big role in helping female Arab international students understand their local labor market, says Jamie McAuliffe, president and CEO of Education for Employment, which provides professional and technical training to job seekers in the MENA region.

[See how Arab universities are offering opportunities to women.]

For example, he cites mentorship programs that connect students with experienced professionals and their networks, and orientation sessions on the local labor market. McAuliffe says equipping women with "skills for tapping their personal networks, negotiating salaries and inquiring about workplace benefits can address key barriers that young women often face," like lack of flexible working hours and transportation to work.

McAuliffe says prospective students should evaluate a school's career support services, as "universities that track the employment rate of their graduates are more accountable than those that do not." He says these types of schools are more likely to offer hands-on training in CV writing, interviewing and job search skills.

For students planning to remain abroad, he says to consider if that country's economy is growing and offers job opportunities that match their strengths. Finally, he says students should remember that "your first position out of university may not be your dream job, but it's the crucial first step to getting there."

Employment not only offers Arab women financial independence, but has the potential to boost the economy of the region. The report on female employment, which was co-produced by McAuliffe's organization, notes that if women's participation in the region's workforce equaled men's, the regional gross domestic product could rise some 47 percent, resulting in the Middle East and North African economy reaching $600 billion annually, or $2.7 trillion by 2025.

Many schools have sought to empower their female Arab students, like Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, originally founded to educate Emirati women. Fatima AlDarmaki, the university's assistant provost for student affairs, says the school provides services to all students ranging from career counseling to soft skills training to job placement of seniors and interns.

The university's College of Communication and Media Sciences, for example, has an internship program orientation for women that includes a workshop that prepares them to work in a coed environment. "Those who graduated from the university are also provided with training programs to increase their employability," wrote AlDarmaki, in an email.

[Learn how online courses can help women in the Arab region.]

Lina Abirafeh, director of LAU's Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World, says the institute provides support and access to internships, informal mentoring and support and career-building skills for female students seeking assistance. She says these and other services provided by the institute can help "prepare women to enter the workforce and advance gender equality and human rights in the Arab world and beyond."

Fathallah says in the architecture firm where she works, women and men are treated equally. She says her boss is "open-minded and very intellectual." And, the female-to-male ratio in the firm is already challenging the norm.

"The number of women who are working in my office is higher than the number of men. Seven women and four men," says Fathallah, also proudly noting female architects outnumber male architects 3-2 at the firm.

See the complete rankings of the Best Arab Region Universities.

Anayat Durrani is a Los Angeles-based freelance education reporter for U.S. News, covering Arab region universities.




Buenos Aires (AFP) - Argentina aims to borrow $15 billion when it returns to debt markets so it can pay off international creditors who have sued it in a US court, the government said.

The new market-friendly center-right government of Latin America's third-biggest economy is seeking to settle a 15-year dispute over debts dating back to its 2001 default.

Its new US-trained Economy Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay told reporters the government would issue $15 billion in new bonds to raise the amount it expects to pay off the creditors.

That amount includes a $6.5 billion payment agreed in a deal this month between Argentina and some of the investors in the US court case.

The remainder of the cash raised by the bonds will be used to pay off various other creditors including bondholders who refused to join in that deal in the US case.

"We estimate that we will pay $15 billion dollars" overall, Prat-Gay told reporters.

"That implies a reduction of about 40 percent in the interest" due on the original loans overall, he said.

The New York judge hearing the case brought against Argentina by the so-called "holdout" investors offered Argentina partial respite last week.

He agreed to lift an injunction that had blocked it from paying off other bondholders until it settled with the holdouts.

Argentina hopes that move will enable it to start borrowing again on capital markets so it can start clearing all its debts.

To do so, President Mauricio Macri's government must repeal certain existing debt laws by passing reforms in a congress still dominated by his opponents.

Macri told AFP in an interview on Monday that he was confident he could gain a consensus by winning over "those who share our view that Argentina must end its conflicts, that it must come back to the world and gain access to financing."

Since taking over as president in December from his leftist predecessor Cristina Kirchner, Macri has made it a priority to mend relations with foreign powers and investors.

Prat-Gay said the new bonds would be issued once the reforms were passed after congress reconvenes on March 1.

Argentina's Finance Secretary Luis Caputo added: "All the banks we have spoken with are confident that we can raise the money we need on the market."
SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian government inquiry into child abuse has said it has found a suitable public venue in Rome where victims will be able to watch the Vatican's Australian-born treasurer testify about his knowledge of molestation within the church. Cardinal George Pell, a former archbishop of Sydney and Melbourne, is the star witness in the long-running inquiry but angered victims last year when he delayed traveling from the Vatican to Australia to testify because of heart problems. The inquiry said in a statement on Tuesday that Pell would testify at the Hotel Quirinale in Rome for an expected four hours per day over three to four days. This month, the inquiry allowed Pell to stay in Rome and testify via videolink, prompting an Australian radio station to help 10 victims and five supporters raise A$204,000 to travel to Rome to watch the cardinal testify in person. Pell, 74, is expected to be asked about his knowledge of measures taken by the Roman Catholic Church to handle child abuse complaints in the country town of Ballarat, where he was born and served as a priest from 1973 to 1983. The cardinal has meanwhile called for an investigation into a suspected leak by Victoria state police after the Herald Sun newspaper reported that police were investigating abuse complaints concerning Pell himself. Pell emphatically denied those allegations. (Reporting by Byron Kaye and Jarni Blakkarly; Editing by Nick Macfie and Paul Tait)
Vienna (AFP) - Austria lashed out Tuesday at Germany's "contradictory" refugee policy after Berlin sharply criticised Vienna's new daily cap on migrants allowed to pass through the Alpine country.

"Germany should decide which number is acceptable to it," Chancellor Werner Faymann told reporters. A statement added that he wished for a "respectful treatment of Austria's political decisions."

Austria, which last year took in 90,000 asylum-seekers and let almost 10 times as many travel through, last week imposed a daily limit of 80 claims and said only 3,200 migrants could transit to neighbouring states.

The European Union has slammed the asylum cap and on Sunday German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the transit number was too high and that Austria's "unacceptable" move put "extra weight on Germany's back".

But Faymann said Tuesday de Maiziere's attack showed that Germany had a "senseless position", with Berlin tolerating other countries -- notably Greece -- "waving migrants" through.

"Until (the migrants get to) Austria, (Germany) unfortunately looks the other way. Once in Austria it wants to start giving out advice. This kind of advice we can do without," Faymann said.

Reinhold Mitterlehner, vice chancellor, echoed Faymann in a joint news conference, saying that German policy was "contradictory" and that Austria had "no alternative" but to impose its measures.

Faymann reiterated that Austria's unilateral "Plan B" steps were necessary because common efforts by the EU were failing to bear fruit.

"We have to introduce these measures because a timely implementation of the EU's Plan A is not yet in sight," Faymann added.

This was a reference to a deal between Brussels and Ankara, backed by Germany, for Turkey to stop migrants crossing the sea to Greece in exchange for billions of euros in aid.

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A group of EU countries -- derisively dubbed the "coalition of the willing" by German media -- would then take in migrants flown directly from Turkey.

Mitterlehner said that the number of migrants -- only a few hundred -- shared out so far under a separate EU scheme agreed last year to relocate 160,000 people was "laughable".

Austria's moves have also led to concerns about a dangerous backlog of migrants along the well-trodden path from Greece through countries in the western Balkans.

On Wednesday Austria hosts a meeting of interior and foreign ministers from these countries -- but not Greece, much to Athens' annoyance -- a day before EU interior and justice ministers gather in Brussels.
[Warning: This story contains spoilers from Season 20 of ABC's The Bachelor.]

Four women left. Three roses to go.

This week on The Bachelor, tension was high and things got very personal as Ben Higgins went home with the four remaining women  Amanda (the sweet esthetician and divorced mother of two), Caila (the confusing software sales representative), JoJo (a real estate developer with perfect hair) and Lauren (a flight attendant who captured Bens heart when she stepped out of the first limo). Here's a breakdown of the highs and lows on each hometown date.

Amandas Hometown: Laguna Beach, Calif.

Is there anything more adorable than seeing Ben in dad mode? The bachelor headed to sunny Southern California for quality time with cute mama Amanda. The two had quite the romantic reunion, literally running up to each other along the sandy shore to share their first kiss back in the Golden State.

Finally, it was time for the moment Amanda and Bachelor diehards have been waiting for  Ben met her cute daughters, Kinsley and Charlie. Though the girls initially gave him the cold shoulder, Ben won them over making sand castles and playing a fun game of tag. Take a look at how they got along in the clip below.

Ben got a thumbs-up from the little ones, but would the bachelor get parental approval? Amanda's dad seemed pretty skeptical, asserting, Theres a big difference in thinking you want children in your life and actually having children in your life. Meanwhile, her mom also shared her concerns, He seems like hed be a great dad. But is he ready to be an instant dad? Regardless, the date ended drama-free! At the end of the night, Amanda confidently said in her private interview, I feel like I am in love with him. I can 100% see him being a great dad to my kids and being a great husband.

Do you think Amanda is right in thinking Ben would make a great dad? Lets hope he would be better than her ex-husband, who Amanda says cheated on her and did not make their kids a priority. (Her ex, Nick Buonfiglio, at least shows love for one of his daughters in his LinkedIn profile picture.)

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Laurens Hometown: Portland, Ore.

Ben said goodbye to SoCal and headed up North to pay Lauren and her family a visit in Portland  ironically, nicknamed the City of Roses. Upon laying eyes on his blond crush, Ben lit up and gave her a smooch on the spot. Later, the two walked hand in hand to grab a bite to eat from a food truck, and Ben did the cheesiest thing; he hand-fed her a grilled cheese sandwich.

After sitting down for a chat in a whiskey library (happy hour, anyone?), Lauren brought Ben home to meet the fam. Immediately, Laurens sister kept it real, expressing her concerns for LoLo bringing home someone she barely knows. She stole Ben away to ask a big question: What makes Lauren stand out? Bens reaction might surprise you. The thought of how much he cares for Lauren made him tear up! See for yourself:

Could this mean Ben is in love with Lauren?

Caila's Hometown: Hudson, Ohio

With her typical so-happy-your-cheeks-hurt smile, Caila greeted Ben in her hometown of Hudson. To Ben's surprise, she had quite the unusual date planned. First, she took him to her high school, where she said she "became [her] own person" and first "felt like [she] was home." (Did this strike anyone else as odd to take him back to school? Well, it got even weirder.) Caila introduced Ben to what she considered a very special...bench, even telling him he was the first person "worthy of the bench."

The date took a stranger turn when Caila asked Ben to design a home with her. After coloring an imaginary house, Caila surprised Ben by revealing they would build a real toy house, courtesy of her Dad's toy company. Check out a clip of their date below, which ended with a kiss in a hard hat and a weird round of applause.

Once Caila brought Ben home to meet her family, she shared the full range of her feelings with her mom and dad. The sweetest moment had to be when she whispered the words, "Daddy, I know this is it." But does Ben feel the same way?

JoJo's Hometown: Dallas

Finally, the drama of tonight's episode kicked in when JoJo's hometown date began. It started off with a promising start; JoJo came home to a bouquet of roses and a love note. She began to eagerly read it out loud  but to her surprise and horror, the letter and flowers were from her ex-boyfriend! (A prime reality TV moment, indeed.)

Upon realizing her ex, Chad, was trying to get back together, JoJo called him to break it off. He kept pouring out his affection, saying, "Its taken me this time apart to mature and think about what I want for the future...and its you...I dont want to lose you." She seemed to end it right then and there, but do you really believe she's over him?

With the worst timing, Ben showed up while she was still in tears from the tough phone call. After the Texan admitted she'd received a romantic surprise from her ex, Ben said, I feel very uncomfortable with this. But for whatever reason, he decided to shake it off, comfort her and introduce himself to her parents and siblings. (Um...an ex is still in the picture and Ben felt that confident?)

Things only got worse once Ben met JoJo's family, especially when he sat down with her overprotective brothers. Her bros became very critical of JoJo actually falling in love after just two one-on-one dates and only about a month of knowing Ben. But their criticism screamed hypocrisy: One of the brothers, Ben Patton, had his own moment on a reality dating series. He was on the short-lived show Reality for Love on NBC. So can he really judge? Tension hit a breaking point when JoJo's older brother accused Ben of "brainwashing" the contestants to fall in love with him.

The Rose Ceremony

After four intimate dates, it was time for Ben to say goodbye to one woman. This week, he sent Amanda home. As he walked her to the limo, she called him out for bringing her back just to dump her: "If you were having any doubts it would have been nice to have let me know instead of sending me back to L.A. just to say goodbye at a rose ceremony." (You tell him, girl.)

In front of Amanda, Ben kept quite the poker face. But once she drove away, he broke down in tears.

Do you love or hate that Ben's a crier? Were you sad to see Amanda go? Do you think Ben will break JoJo's heart? Share your thoughts below in the comments.
The Republican presidential race moves from South Carolina to a pit stop Tuesday night in Nevadaalso known as the land of the political unknown.

Donald Trump is once again the favorite in the Silver State caucuses. After two consecutive double-digit victories, how could he not be? But because of its caucus process and its relatively recent entry into the early voting rotation, Nevada is a graveyard for polling. Only two surveys on the Republican race have been publicly released in the last month, according to RealClearPolitics, and while Trump has led them both comfortably, a victory for the front-runner is far less assured than it was in New Hampshire or South Carolina.

Marco Rubio has undeniably captured some momentum in the days since his second-place finish in South Carolina. He has won a slew of endorsements following the withdrawal of Jeb Bush from the racefrom national Republican figures like Bob Dole and Tim Pawlenty, from a number of current U.S. senators, and, perhaps most importantly for Tuesday night, from Nevada Senator Dean Heller and two of the states congressmen. Rubio now has the support of the states entire Republican congressional delegation. And the Florida senator already had the deepest Nevada roots of any of the GOP contenders: His family lived in Las Vegas for six years when Rubio was a child, and they briefly joined the Mormon church. (One quarter of Republican caucusgoers in Nevada in 2012 were Mormon, according to entrance polls.)

Recommended: Ben Carson Suspects His Campaign Was a Scam

Ted Cruz finished just about 1,000 votes shy of Rubio in South Carolina, but he has had a rough aftermath, and if anyone truly needs a strong showing in the caucuses, its him. Under fire for playing dirty in Iowa and South Carolina, Cruz abruptly fired his chief spokesman, Rick Tyler, on Monday night after Tyler spread a false story suggesting that Rubio had disparaged the Bible. Cruz usually speaks in front of a banner that says TrusTED, and the incidents were clearly giving him a reputation. At the same time, Cruz has devoted considerable resources to organization, which paid off handsomely in Iowa, when he overcame a polling deficit to overtake Trump in the caucuses. Organizational strength is just as important in Nevada, so its possible Cruz could surprise again.

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With Super Tuesday just a week away and just 30 delegates at stake, its unlikely that the results in Nevada will dramatically shift the trajectory of the GOP race. A Trump win would further solidify the front-runner status he has gained in the last few weeks. A Rubio upset would only speed up the Florida senators momentum as the establishment-favored alternative, and it could be an early indication that hes benefiting most from Bushs departure. A Cruz victory clearly would slow Rubio and stabilize Cruzs campaign. Ben Carson, meanwhile, hasnt been much of a factor in months, and John Kasich has already looked beyond the early states to the Midwest, which will make or break his hopes in March.

The Nevada caucuses are really a three-man race, and more than anything else, its one of the last chances for Cruz or Rubio to stop the runaway train named Trump.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
The seed of what is now known as Black History Month was planted in the doctoral thesis of Carter G. Woodson, a noted scholar, author, and co-founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. The son of former slaves, Woodson received a Ph.D. in 1912 from Harvard University, where he studied under renowned historians who minimized the importance and vitality of black history. But Woodson would not be deterred. He believed the heritage and contributions of black Americans was excluded from history, and he saw this knowledge as essential to social change.

Woodsons dedication to the research and promotion of black history has been memorialized by his actionsin 1926 he declared the second week of February Negro History Weekand his words:

If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.

Today Woodsons brainchild is the entire month of February. First celebrated in 1976, Black History Month was the result of a growing racial pride and consciousness of black Americans and Woodsons association pushing to expand the weekly celebration. Now a well-entrenched, nationally recognized observance, Black History Month is a commemoration that might be short in days but is increasingly long on controversy. In the last monthin examples that cross racial boundariesthe black actress and conservative commentator Stacey Dash called to eliminate Black History Month, labeling it a vestige of segregation, while Republicans in the Kansas legislature questioned if an entire month dedicated to honoring black history was too long.

Recommended: The Dangers of Using a Sticker Chart to Teach Kids Good Behavior

In one corner, advocates of Black History Month argue that a special month is needed to celebrate and recognize the achievements of black Americans in a country where European history dominates historical discourse. In the other corner, critics cast doubt that Black History Month is still relevant with the gains made in race relationsa black U.S. president the most visible signand detractors charge it is detrimental in the long term to pigeonhole black history into a month-long observance. Somewhere caught in the middle are educators and schools.

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A driving force behind Woodson setting aside time to study and reflect on black culture was his frustration that childrenblack and nonblack studentswere deprived of learning in Americas schools about black achievements. Yet according to the NAACP, even the creator hoped the time would come when a black history week was unnecessary. Woodson was optimistic that America would willingly recognize the contributions of black Americans as a legitimate and integral part of the history of this country. But research shows this goal is far from complete.

Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, in 2014 graded all 50 states and the District of Columbia on how well their public schools taught the civil-rights era to students. Twenty states received a failing grade, and in five statesAlaska, Iowa, Maine, Oregon, and Wyomingcivil-rights education was totally absent from state standards. Overall, the study found less teaching of the civil-rights movement in states outside the South and those with fewer black residents. The report paints an unfavorable picture of schools where a crucial event in black history is largely ignored. Having a month for black history compartmentalizes the issue, as if once the month is over we can turn our attention away from it again until the next year.

As a former student in Rockville, Maryland, Zia Hassan recalls February as the time when students were encouraged, or sometimes even mandated, to read the work of black authors, which he found meaningful. His view of Black History Month is more nuanced as an adult. I believe that having a month for black history compartmentalizes the issue, as if once the month is over we can turn our attention away from it again until the next year, said Hassan, a fourth-grade English language-arts teacher at Truesdell Elementary School in Washington, D.C.

Explaining his teaching philosophy, Hassan said a worthwhile history curriculum is one that would have slavery and racism ingrained within it, just as it is in American society. It would not be discussed as a side issue. He values a month when black authors and historical figures can be studied exclusively, but Hassan believes Black History Month as observed in many schools sends a troubling message to students that were allowed to grapple with [black issues] less in, say, March or April  It is important to discuss issues of race in the context of current events throughout the year, no matter the unit topic.

The classroom Hassan describes, however, is hardly the norm. Teacher materials produced for Februarys celebration of black history are often limited to the most-celebrated black AmericansMartin Luther King, Jr., George Washington Carver, Rosa Parkswith a smattering of black athletes and entertainers tossed in. Raquel Willis, a writer and racial-justice activist in Atlanta, remembers annual Black History Month school displays in her hometown of Augusta, Georgia, as neither memorable nor notable. There was always a focus on the civil-rights movement and it was as if black history stopped once Dr. King died, Willis said. We rarely learned about anyone new from year to year, and we also didnt get a context of different time periods. I wouldve loved to have delved into African history, the Harlem Renaissance, black life in the 1970s, and beyond.

The problem lies not with specialized months to commemorate marginalized groups and communities, said Willis, but with schools that fail to incorporate the full range of diversity as part of their mission. If there is a concerted effort to approach Black History Month in new ways each year, then we can combat some of the issues of only highlighting certain movements, figures, and events, she said. Also, learning more about black women and LGBTQ individuals in her formative years would have put her more at ease identifying as a transgender woman.

It shouldnt have taken 20 years for me to learn about Audre Lorde, Bayard Rustin, and Marsha P. Johnson, said Willis. As well, I think its of the utmost importance to highlight the figures of today. We tend to only highlight contemporary celebrities and politicians, ignoring that we have activists and community organizers that are still making an impact on a daily basis.

One person who fits that description is Blake Simons, the deputy communications director for the Afrikan Black Coalition, a statewide collective of black students in California. Before Simons was a student organizer he was a high-schooler in the California Bay Area, and his memories of Black History Month are still sharp. I was the elephant in the room, or rather the token Negro, who was supposed to represent the entire race when students had questions about black history, said Simons, who was often on the receiving end of questions and awkward stares as the only black child in predominately white classrooms.

Recommended: Why Teachers, Parents, and Society at Large Have Destroyed Kids Love of Learning

He said growing up it was always confusing why black history was only limited to one month. Since schools he attended never taught Simons about Woodson, it made me feel as if my ancestors worth was only valuable in the shortest month of the year. Recalling his schooling, Simons now rejects the one-dimensional portrayals of black historical figures. Teachers often times painted Rosa Parks as only an activist who protested segregation on buses. When this is done, it erases the fact that Rosa Parks organized against sexual assault, he said.

Moving forward, Simons would like to see black history taught every day, in his view the only legitimate way to build racial and cultural understandingand reflecting the spirit of Woodsons words and intentions. Black history should be celebrated every day, because all history begins with black history. When black history is not taught throughout the year, it is reinforcing anti-blackness.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
TORONTO (Reuters) - A book by one of Canada's most infamous serial killers, Robert Pickton, who was convicted in 2007 of killing drug addicts and prostitutes and butchering their remains at his pig farm, has been pulled by its publisher. News of the book and its availability through online retailer Amazon.com Inc had sparked outrage in Canada and government officials had pledged to stop Pickton, 66, from profiting from its sale. Colorado-based Outskirts Press said it has ceased publication of the book and has asked Amazon to remove the book from its website. "We have a long-standing policy of not working with, nor publishing work by, incarcerated individuals," the publisher said in a statement emailed on Tuesday. "Outskirts Press apologizes to the families of the victims for any additional heartache this may have caused." The publisher said Pickton misrepresented himself by seeking to publish the book using the name of a different person as the author. The memoir was no longer available on Amazon. The book had been listed as a memoir by Pickton, 66, who is serving a life sentence at a prison in the Canadian province of British Columbia Calling himself "the fall guy" on the book's jacket, Pickton had noted he is accused of murdering "between 6 and 49 women" and is finally telling his story. Negative reviews of the book had piled up on Amazon's website, with many urging publisher Outskirts Press and Amazon to withdraw the book. British Columbia Premier Christy Clark told reporters on Monday the province was looking at legislative options that would stop "anybody like Robert Pickton from profiting from their crime." Amazon could not be reached for comment. Pickton was convicted of killing six women whose partial remains were found on his ramshackle property near Vancouver. Government prosecutors dropped charges for an additional 20 murders after he was sentenced to life in prison. The victims were among more than 60 women who disappeared from Vancouver's poor, drug-infested Downtown Eastside neighborhood over more than a decade until Pickton's arrest in early 2002. (Reporting by Andrea Hopkins; Editing by Andrew Hay)
By Stephen Eisenhammer RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian police in the state of Minas Gerais on Tuesday accused six Samarco executives and one contractor of murder in connection with the deaths of 19 people caused by a burst tailings dam at a mine in November. The Samarco chief executive at the time of the incident, Ricardo Vescovi, was among those accused. In Brazil only prosecutors, and not police, can formally bring criminal charges but public accusations often anticipate charges being filed. The police, in a statement, accused the mine executives of "qualified homicide," the murder charge that carries the heaviest sentence in Brazil of 12 to 30 years in prison. They said the rupture had been caused by over filling the dam, combined with a lack of monitoring and faulty equipment. Samarco, a joint venture of Vale SA and BHP Billiton, said in a statement it considers the accusations "misguided" and will wait for a court decision before taking appropriate action. The company is still investigating what caused the breach. The deadly dam burst is considered Brazil's worst environmental disaster, polluting a major river with thick red sludge which reached the Atlantic Ocean. It also destroyed the village of Bento Rodrigues, forcing hundreds to flee their homes and killing 17 people. Two people are still missing but the police said they are now considered fatalities. (Reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing by W Simon and Sandra Maler)
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazilian police charged six executives and another suspect Tuesday over the deaths of 19 people when a wastewater dam collapsed at an iron ore mine last year, media reported.

The CEO of Samarco at the time of the November 5 tragedy, Ricardo Vescovi, was among the seven charged with homicide, Brazilian national media reported.

The others were five executives and an engineer who had certified the stability of the fatal structure, police said.

In Brazil, homicide convictions can result in prison sentences of 12 to 30 years. Police are asking for all 19 deaths -- 17 confirmed killed and two listed missing -- to be sentenced separately.

Police and representatives of Samarco, which is jointly owned by Brazil's Vale and Anglo-Australian giant BHP Billiton, did not respond to requests for comment.

The breaking of the tailings dam, which unleashed a massive flood of mud into the River Doce, was described as Brazil's single worst environmental disaster.

Drinking water supplies were cut for hundreds of thousands of people, a village was flattened, and local fishing and tourist businesses were badly impacted.

The government has signaled that Samarco is ready to pay 20 billion reais (nearly $5 billion) in a settlement.
By Anjuli Davies and Jane Merriman LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's financial industry stepped up its campaign against the country leaving the European Union on Monday after Prime Minister David Cameron named a date for the referendum on membership of the bloc. London's banking sector is among the industries with the most to lose if Britain leaves the EU, according to many economists who say an exit could hamper its ability to operate in the single European market and lead to thousands of jobs being shifted to the euro zone. A deal struck by Cameron to reform Britain's relationship with the bloc last week was welcomed by some executives as it ensured UK regulators would continue to be the main supervisors of the country's banks, rather than control being ceded to euro zone officials. But that relief was tempered by London Mayor Boris Johnson's announcement on Sunday that he would back the campaign to leave the EU, a day after the referendum date was set for June 23. The mayor's decision, widely regarded as increasing the chance of a Brexit, saw sterling and British bond prices fall. HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, has already said it could move around 1,000 jobs to France if Britain quit the EU - and on Monday it warned a Brexit could make it harder to process large payments denominated in euros and affect its transaction volumes. Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver said some trading activity of securities like stocks that come under the EU's 'Mifid' rules, might have to be shifted to continental Europe. HSBC Chairman Douglas Flint said every big company in Britain would be analysing the impact of a vote for Brexit. "The UK has a disproportionate number of large companies headquartered in it, thanks to its legal system and access to the single market," he said. "Every one of those would have to review what impact it would have on their particular business model." "That period of uncertainty would be very damaging to the UK." The policy chief for the City of London Corporation - the municipal governing body of London's financial district - said businesses had benefited from Britain's membership of the EU and there was strong opposition to Brexit among companies. "The one thing we are saying very clearly is businesses need to speak up," Mark Boleat said. "If they've got a view they should express it - it doesn't mean they have to play a campaigning role or spend a lot of money - they need to set out their position as they see it for their business." Several major global investment banks have donated money to the campaign to keep Britain in the EU. REGULATORY UNCERTAINTY Britain's financial and professional services sector employs around 7 percent of the country's workforce and produces almost 12 percent of the country's economic output according to industry group TheCityUK. The wording over the industry's regulation was one of the final sticking points during last week's negotiations on Britain's relationship with the EU, with Cameron seeking to ensure the Bank of England would remain the main supervisor of British banks. But lawyers said in practice the text on regulation did not come with enough safeguards to ensure that would remain the case in the long term. "The provisions for the protection of the City's rights are pretty vague, and the UK will have no clear EU rights to enforce them," said Simon Morris, a financial services partner at law firm CMS. "When the time comes for treaty negotiation, how will these provisions fare in the EU legal hierarchy and the new structure for a euro zone dominated EU?" Several bankers told Reuters they wanted Britain to stay in the European Union, but said this could nevertheless leave them facing some regulatory limbo. "The issue is, if the UK votes Yes (to leave), the uncertainty goes away. But if the UK votes No, there's even more uncertainty," said one senior London-based banker at a Wall Street bank. (Additional reporting by Simon Jessop and Lawrence White; Writing and additional reporting by Rachel Armstrong; Editing by Pravin Char)
London (AFP) - Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will visit Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo next month, where they will undertake engagements "to celebrate peace, reconciliation... and restoration", the palace said.

The heir to the throne will begin the visit in Croatia on March 14, where he will be officially welcomed by President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in Zagreb, according to a statement from Charles's Clarence House office.

The royal couple will visit Zagreb's historic Upper Town to see the restoration of buildings damaged during bombing in the 1991 Balkans conflict.

The next day, Charles and Camilla will visit Osijek, the largest city in Slavonia which was on the front line of the war between Croatia and the Yugoslav Army between 1991 and 1995.

Other engagements will include a wreath-laying ceremony in Belgrade to remember the British, Commonwealth and Serbian soldiers who fought in World War I and a trip to Montenegro to mark the 10th anniversary of Montenegro's independence.

The visit concludes on March 19 in Kosovo, where the prince will take part in a memorial ceremony for those missing since the war.

It will be Charles's eighth visit to the Balkans, and Camilla's first official trip.
EDINBURGH (Reuters) - The British government and the devolved government of Scotland have reached agreement on how much spending power will be put in Scottish hands, fulfilling a promise made on the eve of Scotland's 2014 independence referendum. The agreement ends a dispute over how much money the devolved government will receive in future from the British Treasury. That paves the way for new tax and spending powers to be handed to Scotland as part of a major devolution deal. The British government thus complies with a last-minute promise to Scotland made by the major London-based political parties before the independence vote, when polls indicated that Scots might vote to leave the United Kingdom. Voters in Scotland ultimately rejected independence by 55 percent to 45 percent. But the success of the pro-independence Scottish National Party in Britain's general elections in May 2015, when it took 56 out of 59 seats in parliament, revived speculation it might push for another referendum. The Treasury said the new agreement laid the ground work for the Scottish parliament to become "one of the most powerful of its kind in the world," while ensuring the deal was fair to taxpayers in the rest of the UK. "The Scottish Government will get new borrowing powers  so that it can manage its budget effectively and invest up to 3 billion pounds in vital infrastructure, while being accountable to the Scottish people for its decisions," the Treasury said in a statement. The Scottish government also welcomed the deal, saying it was fair, and ensured that the budget would not be reduced during a six-year transition period in which new tax powers would be handed over. Scotland holds elections for its devolved parliament, Holyrood, on May 5. (Reporting By Elisabeth O'Leary)
(Adds quotes, background)

SOFIA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Bulgaria sealed a deal with Royal Dutch Shell on Tuesday to explore for oil and gas in an offshore block in the Black Sea in a bid to end its almost total dependence on Russian natural gas.

Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) won a tender for a five-year permit for deepwater exploration at the 1-14 Silistar block that covers 7,000 square km in September and pledged to invest 18.6 million euros ($20.5 million) in seismic surveys.

"The licence that we have been awarded today allows us to evaluate the potential for oil and gas in offshore Bulgaria. This process can be quite a long process and with much uncertainty," said Eileen Wilkinson, regional director at Shell International Exploration and Production, after the signing.

French oil company Total (Other OTC: TTFNF - news) , together with its partners Austria's OMV (Other OTC: OMVJF - news) and Spain's Repsol (Amsterdam: RP6.AS - news) , plans to start drilling for gas and oil in Bulgaria's biggest offshore block in the Black Sea, 1-21 Han Asparuh, by June.

Silistar is near a block in Romanian waters where OMV has said it could produce up to 84 billion cubic metres of gas, raising Bulgaria's hopes it will be able to exploit reserves off its coast to diversify its energy supplies.

Bulgaria is building a gas pipeline with Greece and is overhauling its gas transport network in the hope of becoming a regional gas hub and transporting Russian and Caspian gas, as well as gas it finds at its Black Sea blocks, to central Europe.

At present, the EU's poorest country meets over 95 percent of its gas needs with imports from Russia's Gazprom, which also come only via one route - a situation that its allies in Brussels and Washington want to see changed.

"Now (Other OTC: NWPN - news) nobody can say that Bulgaria is not working actively to diversify its supplies of oil and gas," Prime Minister Boiko Borisov, who attended the signing, said.

($1 = 0.9094 euros) (Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova; Editing by Radu Marinas and Mark Potter)
Bujumbura (Burundi) (AFP) - Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza has agreed to hold talks to end a 10-month-old crisis, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday, but the main opposition group dismissed the plan as a "false opening".

After meeting with Nkurunziza as well as government and some opposition politicians, Ban said that all sides had agreed to "inclusive dialogue" and that the president "confirmed, that he would engage in political dialogue."

But hours later the influential CNARED umbrella opposition group -- whose leaders are in exile -- dismissed the talk of talks, angered by Nkurunziza's apparent attempt to choose who should participate.

"This dialogue concerns all Burundians, except those engaged in acts of destabilisation," Nkurunziza said after Ban's visit, prompting CNARED to accuse the president of being disingenuous.

"It is a false opening because, in effect, the president told the UN Secretary General that he accepts inclusive dialogue and then immediately afterwards wants to choose his interlocutors, accusing some of disrupting security," CNARED chairman Leonard Nyangoma told AFP.

"He says one thing and then its opposite," Nyangoma said. "It is clear Nkurunziza does not want real negotiations to bring peace to Burundi."

Nyangoma added that the International Criminal Court should open an investigation into the "numerous crimes against humanity committed by Nkurunziza's forces".

While in Burundi the UN chief had called on the country's political leaders "to summon the courage and the confidence that will make a credible political process possible," Ban said.

- Grenade attacks on the increase -

Ban's visit coincided with an uptick in grenade attacks with at least four killed just ahead of his arrival and at least a dozen injured in a series of overnight grenade attacks in several city neighbourhoods.

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"Last night, ten grenades exploded in several districts of Bujumbura, leaving a dozen people wounded," a senior police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The officer said two soldiers were among the injured as well as civilians after the series of explosions in outlying parts of the capital.

Burundi's crisis was triggered by Nkurunziza's controversial decision in April last year to run for a third term which he went on to win in a July election.

Over 400 people have been killed, more than 240,000 have left the country and violent attacks have become a daily routine in the months since, raising fears of a return to the civil war fought between 1993-2006.

Nkurunziza has faced down an African Union threat to send peacekeepers to his country.

Ban's visit -- his first since the start of the crisis -- was intended to revive stalled efforts to end the dispute and comes after the Burundi government appeared to soften its position towards opponents by agreeing to receive a delegation of African heads of state, expected later this week.

It also cancelled international arrest warrants against some exiled opposition leaders and on Tuesday said 2,000 prisoners would be released in what Ban described as a "goodwill gesture".

Nkurunziza said he had appealed to Ban to help end Rwandan support for Burundian rebels alleged by Burundian authorities and UN investigators.

"We also discussed regional problems and we explained how Rwanda is trying to destabilise us," Nkurunziza said. "We told (Ban) that we had evidence and we asked for UN intervention to push for Rwanda to give it up, so that Burundians and Rwandans can live in harmony as in the past."
(Reuters) - The Zika virus may have been sexually transmitted in 14 new U.S. cases, including several involving pregnant women, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday about the disease linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil. In two of the suspected cases, the infection has been confirmed in women whose only known risk factor was sexual contact with an ill male partner who had recently traveled to an area where the virus is present, the agency said. The reports suggest sexual transmission may be a more likely means of spreading Zika than previously considered, the CDC said. Testing of the male partners is still pending, the CDC said. Mosquito bites remain the primary way the virus is spread, although sexual transmission from men to women is possible, the agency added. Condoms can help prevent transmission. There is no evidence that women can transmit Zika virus to their sex partners, CDC said. There is no cure or treatment for Zika and much remains unknown, including whether the virus actually causes the birth defect microcephaly, a condition marked by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems. Brazil on Tuesday raised the number of microcephaly cases linked to Zika. It has confirmed 583 cases of microcephaly, up from 508 a week earlier. Suspected cases rose to 4,107 from 3,935. The first known case of Zika virus transmission in the United States was reported in Texas in early February by local health officials, who said it likely was contracted through sex and not a mosquito bite. Zika has caused outbreaks in at least 29 countries in the Americas. The CDC added Trinidad and Tobago and Marshall Islands to its travel advisory on Tuesday. The agency in early February revised its guidelines for pregnant women to include a recommendation that even those without symptoms of the Zika virus should be tested after returning from affected areas. (Reporting by Natalie Grover and Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Bernard Orr)
Ambassador-At-Large Tommy Koh, speaking at a book launch on 23 Feb. Photo: Nicholas Yong

Ambassador-At-Large Professor Tommy Koh urged China to exercise wisdom and self restraint in Southeast Asia, as its assertive diplomacy has sparked off tensions in the region.



Koh was speaking at the book launch of Singapore-China Relations, 50 Years on Tuesday (23 Feb) at the National University of Singapores Bukit Timah Campus.

Edited by Zheng Yongnian and Lye Liang Fook, the book tracks relations between the two countries since 1965. It is part of World Scientific Publishings celebratory series of 25 books commemorating Singapores Jubilee.

Koh, who is also Special Adviser of the Institute of Policy Studies and Chairman of the Centre for International Law, noted that relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have been on a downward trajectory since 2009.

Two factors at play

Firstly, Koh noted the territorial disputes in the South China Sea between the Middle Kingdom and four ASEAN claimant countries, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. In 2009, China submitted to the United Nations a map of the South China Sea with nine dashed lines, which outlines its claims on a major part of the disputed waters. This map has caused a lot of misunderstanding because China has not adequately explained the legal significance of the lines or the precise nature of Chinas claims, said Koh.

China has been reclaiming land and increasing its naval presence in the South China Sea. Media reports on Tuesday said China may be installing a high-frequency radar system in the Spratly Islands, which could significantly boost its ability to control the body of water.

Secondly, Chinas new policy of assertive diplomacy ended its 30-year charm offensive towards ASEAN.

While stressing that ASEAN wants to be on good terms with China, Koh added that the regional bloc had decided to take a collective position on the South China Sea disputes. This was centred on several principles, including the principle that the conflicts should be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law.

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It was therefore not possible to accede to Chinas demand that ASEAN should not take a group position on the issue, especially since the South China Sea is in ASEANs neighbourhood.

As the current ASEAN coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, Singapore will do its best to keep the relationship on an even keel, but China needs to do its part too, said the diplomat.

We can only succeed in our quest if China acts with wisdom and self-restraint towards ASEAN, bearing in mind the asymmetry in power and size between China and ASEAN, said Koh.



Last month, Koh moderated a dialogue with Daniel R. Russel, Americas top diplomat in Asia. Russel had said that China is undermining its relationships with neighbouring countries by its coercive and threatening behaviour in the South China Sea, and its activities are generating alarm and fear.

Ambassador Tommy Koh with World Scientific Publishing chairman Professor K.K. Phua (3rd from right) and some of the contributors to Singapore-China Relations: 50 Years



Singapore-China relations

Koh also praised the excellent diplomatic relations between China and Singapore, which were first established in 1990. There are substantial economic ties and extensive cooperation in many other areas.

For example, since 2013, Singapore has become the largest foreign investor in China. And in the last 23 years, more than 55,000 Chinese cadres and officials have attended various programmes and study visits in Singapore. The two governments also recently concluded an agreement to launch a third flagship project in the western region of China, centred on Chongqing.

This was not always the case, due to Chinas policy of exporting revolution during the Mao Zedong era. Relations were acrimonious from 1949 to 1979, until Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping put an end to this policy. His landmark heart to heart meeting with Singapores late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1978 eventually led to goodwill and mutual trust between the two countries.

Koh concluded that while Singapore is close to China, it has good relations with, among others, the United States, Japan and the European Union. At the same time, he pointed out that a deficit of trust between China and the US, between China and Japan, and between China and India, has led to misinterpretation of each others policies and intentions.

As a small country, we wish to be close to all the major powers but not to be aligned with any of them. We wish to be relevant and useful to each of the major powers, said Koh.

Singapore-China Relations: 50 Years is now available in major bookstores. The hardcover version is priced at $58 and the paperback at $26.
The United States and China made progress Tuesday toward a draft UN sanctions resolution to punish North Korea for its recent nuclear tests and push it to the negotiating table.

After talks in Washington, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State John Kerry said the draft was still being "evaluated" by officials before being submitted to the UN Security Council.

But both powers vowed that they would not accept a nuclear-armed North Korea and expressed confidence the resolution would be strong enough to force Kim Jong-Un's isolated regime to reconsider its strategy.

China wants its neighbor to halt its weapons program -- most recently shown by the January 6 test of an atomic bomb Pyongyang claims was a new thermonuclear device -- and return to six-party international talks.

But Beijing has been more cautious than Washington in its approach, fearing that too severe a response could trigger the collapse of the pariah regime and a political and humanitarian crisis on its border.

Nevertheless, Wang said his talks with Kerry had made progress in agreeing on a draft sanctions resolution to be presented to the full UN Security Council.

"We do not accept the DPRK's nuclear missile program and we do not recognize the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state," he said, using the abbreviation for North Korea's official name.

"Important progress has been made in the consultations and we are looking at the possibility of reaching agreement on a draft resolution and passing it in the near future."

Both men said the goal of the resolution is not to worsen the standoff with Kim Jong-un's isolated regime, but to persuade it to resume talks on ending his nuclear program.

"We have made significant progress, it has been very constructive in the last days," Kerry said.

"And there is no question that if the resolution is approved, it will go beyond anything that we have previously passed," he added.

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"I believe that what we are considering is significant but, as I say, it is in the appropriate evaluative stages and we both hope that this can move forward very soon."

- Peace treaty explored -

Pyongyang has done nothing to moderate its tone since January's test caused international outrage, and on Tuesday promised a "strategic" response if it felt threatened by an upcoming joint US-South Korean military exercise.

Kerry said a denuclearized North Korea could one day enter talks with Washington to negotiate a formal peace deal to officially end the hostilities that began with the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950.

On Sunday, the State Department had confirmed that Pyongyang had reached out to the United States in a tentative bid to discuss a peace treaty, but added that the January test had derailed the initiative.

"We carefully considered their proposal, and made clear that denuclearization had to be part of any such discussion. The North rejected our response," spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Kerry also said that there would be no need for the United States to deploy its THAAD missile defense system in its ally South Korea, as planned, if the North's weapons were not threatening the region.

China has expressed concern that sending he system to South Korea could upset regional power balances and strain its ties with Seoul, despite US insistence it would be aimed at countering Pyongyang.
A Chinese investor was Tuesday given the green light to buy Australia's largest dairy farm company, with the finance minister saying he welcomed foreign investment "not contrary to our national interests".

The sale of farmland to foreigners including to Australia's biggest trading partner China has been a sensitive issue, with Canberra in November blocking the sale of one of the world's largest cattle estates to Chinese companies.

Chinese businessman Lu Xianfeng, who owns an Australian window blind maker and founded a Shenzhen-listed engineering company, made a Aus$280 million (US$202 million) bid for the Tasmanian-based and New Zealand-owned dairy business in November.

Australian Treasurer (finance minister) Scott Morrison said the Tasmanian Land Company (TLC) Group -- which owns the 190-year-old dairy business Van Diemen's Land Company -- had always been held by foreigners.

"I am satisfied that the Moon Lake proposal to purchase TLC is not contrary to the national interest," Morrison said in a statement, referring to Lu's company.

"It will ensure increased employment and investment in an important industry sector in Tasmania, while the safeguards we have put in place will ensure they pay their tax.

"Australia continues to welcome and support foreign investment that is not contrary to our national interests."

Van Diemen's current owner, New Zealand's New Plymouth District Council, welcomed the approval.

Lu said in a statement he was committing to expanding the business, which owns and operates 25 dairy farms including some 30,000 livestock, and increasing its workforce.

Some independent politicians had opposed the sale to Lu, saying prime dairy land should be in Australian hands.

Federal Independent MP Andrew Wilkie from Tasmania said the decision was "disappointing and not in the public interest".

"Today's news just confirms the fact that the government either doesn't understand or doesn't care about the importance of Australian ownership of strategic assets," he said in a statement.

Australia's TasFoods Limited had made a failed bid for the company, while a Tasmanian businesswoman had also expressed interest.
It's official. Pack your bags and head to Vienna.

According to Mercer's 18th annual Quality of Living survey, Vienna is the best city in the world to call home.

Sadly for diehard London and New York dwellers, their beloved cities barely registered as also-rans, coming in at 39th and 44th respectively, out of 230 spots.

European cities claimed eight of the top ten spots, with the exception of Vancouver (No. 5) and Sydney (No. 10).

Read more: Money Buys a Minister of Happiness for the United Arab Emirates

"Despite recent security issues, social unrest and concern about the region's economic outlook, European cities continue to offer some of the worlds' highest quality of living," reads the ranking summary.

The business consulting firm considers a number of variables to measure quality of life. "[The rankings are] based on internal stability, crime figures, performance of local law enforcement and the home country's relationship with other countries."

The analysis is designed to help companies decide where to base their outposts and how to best compensate employees around the world.

Check out where your city falls on the list and whether or not you should consider a move:
The U.S. Congress has grappled, on an unprecedented level lately, with the question of how best to fight cancer. Lawmakers have debated how the federal government should fund medical research, and Vice President Joe Biden has been in their ears promoting his moonshot to end the disease. Now, one of their own announced Monday that she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer: Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill.

In a short afternoon post on the social network Tumblr, McCaskill wrote that she will be in St. Louis for the next three weeks getting treatment. It was detected through a regular mammogram, the two-term senator wrote. Its a little scary, but my prognosis is good and I expect a full recovery.

McCaskill herself has supported breast-cancer-related legislation. She was one of more than 20 senators to cosponsor the Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act of 2015, which would require breast density reporting to physicians and patients by facilities that perform mammograms. Breast density can mask cancer during screenings, and if patients have access to density reports, they can follow up with their doctors and figure out if they need more tests.

That legislation wasnt the only occasion lawmakers took to unite around combating cancer in 2015. Last year saw a renewed, bipartisan push to fund medical research. Congressional appropriators allocated the biggest funding bump for the National Institutes of Health in more than a decade in the 2016 omnibus spending package, and in the House, members overwhelmingly supported the 21st Century Cures Act, which would increase funding for and remove barriers to research, on a bipartisan basis.

The vice president has had a big impact in this area as well. When he announced in the fall that he wouldnt be running for president, Biden launched a moonshot effort to ramp up work into fighting cancer, and he and his staff have been holding meetings with stakeholders to figure out where investments can best be made. His efforts followed the death of his son Beau Biden from brain cancer in the summer. At a visit to Duke Cancer Institute earlier this month, Biden suggested he could marshal federal government resources and use his office to bring together disparate parties, my colleague David Graham reported at the time. During last years omnibus negotiations, he lobbied appropriators to give the NIH more money. President Obamas 2017 budget includes dedicated funding for the moonshot as well, though some advocates are worried about the overall funding levels for research and how the president plans to pay for initiatives like Bidens project.

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Lawmakers have been so dedicated recently to medical-research issues, in part, due to their own firsthand experiences: Beyond personal diagnoses like McCaskills, lawmakers have family members, friends, and constituents who are affected by disease. One research advocate told me late last year that lawmakers have been affected by the steady drumbeat of loss of life. Illnesses like cancer have no partisan affiliation, and while fighting them might involve, say, squabbles over how best to fund research, the merit of fighting them in the first place isnt up for debate.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Towards the end of seventh grade, my middle-school band took a trip to Cedar Point, which was pretty much the theme park to which Midwestern middle school bands traveled. (I imagine it still is.) They had this indoor rollercoaster there, called the Disaster Transport. My friends and I were standing in line for this rollercoaster, winding up the dimly lit cement steps, when we turned a corner and came across a huge pile of money.

We picked it up and counted it; it was a very specific amount of money. I dont remember now exactly how much, but for the purposes of this retelling, lets say it was $134. That sounds close.

We had barely had time to whiplash from marveling at our good fortune to guiltily suggesting we should find somewhere to turn it in before a group of older kids ahead of us snatched the cash wad out of our hands. They claimed it was theirs; it was not theirsthey counted it in front of us and exchanged Whoas and high fives. We were hapless, gangly middle schoolers (I was growing out my bangs; it was a rough year). They were confident we would do nothing to stop them, and they were right. So that was the end of that.

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Until, Part Two:

A little more than a year later, I went to a summer program at Michigan State University, a nerd camp where you take classes like genetics for fun. One evening, as we were sitting around in the common area, chatting and doing homework, I overheard a kid telling his friends how hed lost a bunch of money last year at Cedar Point.

With very little attempt at chill I interrupted their conversation and grilled him on the particulars.

Was he there on May whatever date I was also there? He was.

Did he lose the money in line for the Disaster Transport? In fact, he did.

How much money did he lose? $134, exactly.

* * *

Though What are the odds? is pretty much the catchphrase of coincidences, a coincidence is not just something that was unlikely to happen. The overstuffed crate labeled coincidences is packed with an amazing variety of experiences, and yet something more than rarity compels us to group them together. They have a similar texture, a feeling that the fabric of life has rippled. The question is where this feeling comes from, why we notice certain ways the threads of our lives collide, and ignore others.

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Some might say its just because people dont understand probability. In their 1989 paper, Methods for Studying Coincidences, the mathematicians Persi Diaconis and Frederick Mosteller considered defining a coincidence as a rare event, but decided this includes too much to permit careful study. Instead, they settled on, A coincidence is a surprising concurrence of events, perceived as meaningfully related, with no apparent causal connection.

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From a purely statistical point of view, these events are random, not meaningfully related, and they shouldnt be that surprising because they happen all the time. Extremely improbable events are commonplace, as the statistician David Hand says in his book The Improbability Principle. But humans generally arent great at reasoning objectively about probability as they go about their everyday lives.

For one thing, people can be pretty liberal with what they consider coincidences. If you meet someone who shares your birthday, that seems like a fun coincidence, but you might feel the same way if you met someone who shared your mothers birthday, or your best friends. Or if it was the day right before or after yours. So there are several birthdays that person could have that would feel coincidental.

And there are lots of people on this planetmore than 7 billion, in fact. According to the Law of Truly Large Numbers, with a large enough sample, any outrageous thing is likely to happen, Diaconis and Mosteller write. If enough people buy tickets, there will be a Powerball winner. To the person who wins, its surprising and miraculous, but the fact that someone won doesnt surprise the rest of us.

Even within the relatively limited sample of your own life, there are all kinds of opportunities for coincidences to happen. When you consider all the people you know and all the places you go and all the places they go, chances are good that youll run into someone you know, somewhere, at some point. But itll still seem like a coincidence when you do. When something surprising happens, we dont think about all the times it could have happened, but didnt. And when we include near-misses as coincidences (you and your friend were in the same place on the same day, just not at the same time), the number of possible coincidences is suddenly way greater.

A coincidence is in the eye of the beholder.

To demonstrate how common unlikely-seeming events can be, mathematicians like to trot out what is called the birthday problem. The question is how many people need to be in a room before theres a 50/50 chance that two of them will share the same birthday. The answer is 23.

Oh, those guys and their birthdays really get me mad, says Bernard Beitman, a psychiatrist and visiting professor at the University of Virginia, and author of the forthcoming book Connecting With Coincidence. Thats not the way the average person would frame that question, he says. When someone asks What are the odds? odds are they arent asking What are the odds that a coincidence of this nature would have happened to anyone in the room? but more like What are the odds that this specific thing would happen to me, here and now? And with anything more complicated than a birthday match, that becomes almost impossible to calculate.

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Its true that people are fairly egocentric about their coincidences. The psychologist Ruma Falk found in a study that people rate their own coincidences as more surprising than other peoples. Theyre like dreamsmine is more interesting than yours.

A coincidence itself is in the eye of the beholder, says David Spiegelhalter, the Winton professor for the public understanding of risk at the University of Cambridge. If a rare event happens in a forest and no one notices and no one cares, its not really a coincidence.

* * *

I told Spiegelhalter my Cedar Point story on the phoneI couldnt help it. He collects coincidences, see. (A thriller novel called The Coincidence Authority has a professor character based on him.) He has a website where people can submit them, and says hes gotten about 4,000 or 5,000 stories since 2011. Unfortunately, he and his colleagues havent done much with this treasure trove of information, mostly because a pile of freeform stories is a pretty hard dataset to measure. Theyre looking for someone to do text-mining on it, but so far all theyve been able to analyze is how many coincidences fall into the different categories you can check off when you submit your story:

Common Types of Coincidences

David Spiegelhalter

He says hed categorize mine as finding a link with someone you meet. But its a very different sort of connection, he says, not like having lived in the same house or something like that. And its a very strong one, its not just like you were both at the theme park. I love that. And you remember it after all this time.

And the craziest thing is not that I found someones money and then that I was in a room with him a year later, but that I found out about it at all. What if he hadnt brought it up? Or you might not have heard him if youd been somewhere slightly away, Spiegelhalter says. And yet the coincidence would have been there. You would have been six feet away from someone who lost their money. The coincidence in a sense would have physically occurred. It was only because you were listening that you noticed it. And so thats why the amazing thing is not that these things occur, its that we notice them.

This is my big theory about coincidences, he continues, thats why they happen to certain kinds of people.

Beitman in his research has found that certain personality traits are linked to experiencing more coincidencespeople who describe themselves as religious or spiritual, people who are self-referential (or likely to relate information from the external world back to themselves), and people who are high in meaning-seeking are all coincidence-prone. People are also likely to see coincidences when they are extremely sad, angry, or anxious.

Coincidences never happen to me at all, because I never notice anything, Spiegelhalter says. I never talk to anybody on trains. If Im with a stranger, I dont try to find a connection with them, because Im English.

Beitman, on the other hand, says, My life is littered with coincidences. He tells me a story of how he lost his dog when he was 8 or 9 years old. He went to the police station to ask if they had seen it; they hadnt. Then, I was crying a lot and took the wrong way home, and there was the dog  I got into [studying coincidences] just because, hey, look Bernie, whats going on here?

For Beitman, probability is not enough when it comes to studying coincidences. Because statistics can describe what happens, but cant explain it any further than chance. I know theres something more going on than we pay attention to, he says. Random is not enough of an explanation for me.

Random wasnt enough for the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung either. So he came up with an alternative explanation. Coincidences were, to him, meaningful events that couldnt be explained by cause and effect, which, so far so good, but he also thought that there was another force, outside of causality, which could explain them. This he called synchronicity, which in his 1952 book, he called an acausal connecting principle.

Meaningful coincidences were produced by the force of synchronicity, and could be considered glimpses into another of Jungs ideasthe unus mundus, or one world. Unus mundus is the theory that there is an underlying order and structure to reality, a network that connects everything and everyone.

For Jung, synchronicity didnt just account for coincidences, but also ESP, telepathy, and ghosts. And to this day, research shows that people who experience more coincidences tend to be more likely to believe in the occult as well.

This is the trouble with trying to find a deeper explanation for coincidences than randomnessit can quickly veer into the paranormal.

* * *

* * *

Beitman, like Spiegelhalter, is interested in sorting and labeling different kinds of coincidences, to develop categories like an early botanist, he says, though his categories are more expansive and include not only things that happen in the world but peoples thoughts and feelings as well. In our conversation, he divides coincidences into three broad categoriesenvironment-environment interactions, mind-environment interactions, and mind-mind interactions.

Environment-environment are the most obvious, and easiest to understand. These coincidences are objectively observable. Something, or a series of things, happens in the physical world. Youre at a gin joint in Morocco and your long-lost love from Paris shows up. I found some money and a year later I met the person who lost it.

A nurse named Violet Jessop was a stewardess for White Star Line and lived through three crashes of its ill-fated fleet of ocean liners. She was on the Olympic when it collided with the HMS Hawke in 1911. In 1912, she was there for the big one: the Titanic. And four years later, when White Stars Britannic, reportedly improved after its sister ships disaster, also sank, Jessop was there. And she survived. That one, I guess, is an environment-environment-environment.

Mind-environment coincidences are premonition-esqueyoure thinking of a friend and then they call you, for example. But unless you happen to write down I am thinking of so-and-so [timestamp] before the call happens, these are cool for the person they happen to, but not really measurable. We banned premonitions from our site, Spiegelhalter says. Because, wheres the proof? Anybody could say anything.

The things on our minds seem to bleed out into the world around us.

Another sort of mind-environment interaction is learning a new word and then suddenly seeing it everywhere. Or getting a song stuck in your head and hearing it everywhere you go, or wondering about something and then stumbling onto an article about it. The things on our minds seem to bleed out into the world around us. But, though it makes them no less magical, lifes motifs are created not by the world around us, but by humans, by our attention.

This is an effect that the Stanford linguistics professor Arnold Zwicky calls the frequency illusion, and its not the same as a premonition. Its just that once youve noticed something, your brain is primed to notice it again the next time you encounter it. A word or a concept youve just learned feels relevant to youyou may have seen it hundreds of times before and just never noticed. But now that youre paying attention, its more likely to pop out at you the next time it whizzes by.

And then the final category, mind-mind, of course, is straight-up mystical. One example of this is simulpathity, a term Beitman coined to describe feeling the pain or emotion of someone else at a distance. His interest in this particular type of coincidence is deeply personal.

In San Francisco, in 1973, February 26, I stood at a sink uncontrollably choking, he says, clarifying, There was nothing in my throat that I knew [of].

It was around 11 oclock in San Francisco. The next day my brother called, and told me my father had died at 2 a.m. in Wilmington, Delaware, which was 11 in San Francisco, and he had died by choking on blood in his throat. That was a dramatic experience for me, and I began to look to see if other people had experiences like this. And many people have.

* * *

This is where we start to leave the realm of science and enter the realm of belief. Coincidences are remarkable in how they straddle these worlds. People have surprising, connective experiences, and they either create meaning out of them, or they dont.

Leaving a coincidence as nothing more than a curiosity may be a more evidence-based mindset, but its not fair to say that the people who make meaning from coincidences are irrational. The process by which we notice coincidences is part of a general cognitive architecture which is designed to make sense of the world, says Magda Osman, an associate professor in experimental psychology at Queen Mary University of London. Its the same rational process we use to learn cause and effect. This is one way to scientifically explain how coincidences happenas byproducts of the brains meaning-making system.

People like patterns. We look for them everywhere, and by noticing and analyzing them we can understand our world and, to some small degree, control it. If every time you flick a switch, a lamp across the room turns on, you come to understand that that switch controls that lamp.

When someone sees a pattern in a coincidence, theres no way I can say Yes, that was definitely a chance event, or There was an actual causal mechanism for it, because Id have to know the world perfectly to be able to say that, Osman says.

Instead what we do is weigh whether it seems likelier that the event was caused by chance, or by something else. If chance is the winner, we dismiss it. If not, weve got a new hypothesis about how the world works.

Take the case of two twins, who were adopted by different families when they were four weeks old. When they were later reunited, their lives had  a lot of similarities. They were both named James by their adoptive families, were both married to a Betty and had divorced a Linda. One twins first sons name was James Alan, the others was James Allan. They both had adoptive brothers named Larry and pet dogs named Toy. They both suffered from tension headaches, and both vacationed in Florida within three blocks of each other.

To me, thats a key part of what makes something a coincidencethat it falls in that realm between being certain that something is false and being certain that something is true.

You could hypothesize from this that the power of genetics is so strong, that even when identical twins are separated, their lives play out the same way. In fact, the twins were part of a University of Minnesota study on twins reared apart that was asking just that question, though it didnt suggest that there was any gene that would make someone attracted to a Betty, or likely to name a dog Toy.

Drawing inferences from patterns like this is an advantageous thing to do, even when the pattern isnt 100 percent consistent. Take learning language as an example. There isnt going to be a dog, or even a picture of a dog, nearby every time a child hears the word dog. But if dad points at the family Fido enough times while saying dog, the kid will learn what the word means anyway.

Small children are justified in being conspiracy theorists, since their world is run by an inscrutable and all-powerful organization possessing secret communications and mysterious powersa world of adults, who act by a system of rules that children gradually master as they grow up, write the cognitive scientists Thomas Griffiths and Joshua Tenenbaum in a 2006 study on coincidences.

We retain this capability, even when were older and have figured out most of these more obvious patterns. It can still be very useful, especially for scientists who are working on unsolved questions, but for most adults in their daily lives, any new coincidental connection is likely to be specious. From a scientific perspective, anyway. If we realize that, then we wave it off as just a coincidence, or what Griffiths, a professor of psychology and cognitive science at the University of California, Berkeley, calls a mere coincidence.

On the flip side, for someone who believes in ESP, thinking of a friend right before she calls may not be a coincidence to them at all, but just more evidence to support what they already believe. The same goes for someone who believes in divine interventiona chance meeting with a long-lost lover may be, to them, a sign from God, not a coincidence at all.

You really come across a question of just what belief system you have about how reality works, Beitman says. Are you a person who believes the universe is random or are you a person who believes theres something going on here that maybe we gotta pay more attention to? On the continuum of explanation, on the left-hand side weve got random, on the right-hand side weve got God. In the middle weve got little Bernie Beitman did something here, I did it but I didnt know how I did it.

In the middle zone lie what Griffiths calls suspicious coincidences.

To me, thats a key part of what makes something a coincidencethat it falls in that realm between being certain that something is false and being certain that something is true, he says. If enough suspicious coincidences of a certain nature pile up, someones uncertainty can cross over into belief. People can stumble into scientific discoveries this wayHmm, all these people with cholera seem to be getting their water from the same wellor into superstitionEvery time I wear mismatched socks, my meetings go well.

But you can stay in that in-between zone for a long timesuspicious, but unsure. And this is nowhere more obvious than in the coincidences that present as evidence for some kind of hidden but as-yet undiscovered ordering principle for reality, be that synchronicity or a sort of David Mitchell-esque Everything Is Connected web that ensnares us in its pattern. Meaningful connections can seem created by designthings are meant to be, theyre happening for a reason, even if the reason is elusive. Or as Beitman puts it, Coincidences alert us to the mysterious hiding in plain sight.

I suppose no one can prove there isnt such a thing, but its definitely impossible to prove that there is. So youre left with  not much. Where you fall on the continuum of explanation probably says more about you than it does about reality.

* * *

In The Improbability Principle, Hand cites a 1988 U.S. National Academy of Sciences report which concluded that there was no scientific justification from research conducted over a period of 130 years for the existence of parapsychological phenomena.

One hundred thirty years! Hand writes. The fact that people kept trying to find proof for the paranormal was A testament to the power of hope over experience if there ever was one.

But I disagree. It may be that researching the paranormal is partly an act of hope that youll find something where no one has found anything before. But it seems like often, experiences are the building blocks of belief in the paranormal, or in an underlying force that organizes reality. Even if theyre not doing formal research, people are seeking explanations for their experiences. And structure is a much more appealing explanation than chance.

Where you fall on the chance-structure continuum may have a lot to do with what you think chance looks like in the first place. Research shows that while most people are pretty bad at generating a random string of numbers, people who believe in ESP are even worse. Even more so than skeptics, believers tend to think that repetitions in a sequence are less likely to be randomthat a coin flip sequence that went heads, heads, heads, heads, tails would be less likely to come up randomly than one that went heads, tails, heads, tails, heads, even though theyre equally probable.

So we have psychology to explain how and why we notice coincidences, and why we want to make meaning from them, and we have probability to explain why they seem to happen so often. But to explain why any individual coincidence happened involves a snarl of threads, of decisions and circumstances and chains of events that, even if one could untangle it, wouldnt tell you anything about any other coincidence.

Jung seems to have been annoyed by this. To grasp these unique or rare events at all, we seem to be dependent on equally unique and individual descriptions, he writes, despairing of the lack of a unifying theory offered by science for these strange happenings. This would result in a chaotic collection of curiosities, rather like those old natural-history cabinets where one finds, cheek by jowl with fossils and anatomical monsters in bottles, the horn of a unicorn, a mandragora manikin, and a dried mermaid.

This is supposed to be unappealing (surely these things should be put in order!), but I rather like the image of coincidences as a curio cabinet full of odds and ends we couldnt find anywhere else to put. It may not be what were most comfortable with, but a chaotic collection of curiosities is what weve got.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
By Keith Coffman BOULDER, Colo. (Reuters) - A Colorado jury on Tuesday convicted a woman of attempted murder and assault for stabbing a pregnant stranger and cutting her fetus from her womb, after luring the victim to her home with an online advertisement for free maternity clothes. Dynel Catrece Lane, 35, was also found guilty in a Boulder courtroom of a charge of unlawfully terminating a pregnancy stemming from the March 2015 attack on Michelle Wilkins, 27. Wilkins, who was seven months pregnant, survived the stabbing at Lane's home in Longmont, 30 miles (56 km) north of Denver, but Wilkins' unborn baby girl died. The case renewed discussion of whether termination of a pregnancy can ever be considered murder. Prosecutors filed a charge of unlawful termination of a pregnancy, and not murder, against Lane after the Boulder County Coroner ruled the unborn child was a fetus rather than a baby because it had not taken a breath outside the womb. Lane showed little emotion in court on Tuesday, after the jury deliberated for seven hours, starting on Monday. Wilkins also was present for the verdict and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue as it was read. "I do hope she finds the time to reflect on what she did," Wilkins told reporters outside court. Prosecutors said Lane faked a pregnancy and then, after her husband became suspicious about whether she in fact was carrying a child, she took out an advertisement on the website Craigslist to lure a pregnant woman with an offer of maternity clothes. Wilkins testified that when she went to Lane's home, responding to the advertisement, the older woman bludgeoned, stabbed and choked her until she passed out. Lane's weapons included a lava lamp that she used to bash Wilkins on the head and two kitchen knives that she cut the fetus from the victim's womb, according to police and testimony in the trial last week. When her husband returned home, Lane told him that she suffered a miscarriage and he rushed her to a hospital along with the deceased fetus, police said. Wilkins, who was slipping in and out of consciousness, called 911 from the basement of the home where police later found her, clinging to life. Boulder County District Court Judge Maria Berkenkotter set sentencing for April 29. Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett said prosecutors have not determined the prison sentence they will seek but it could amount to more than 100 years. (Reporting by Keith Coffman, editing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Lyle Denniston, the National Constitution Centers constitutional literacy adviser, looks at comments from Pope Francis on the death penalty, and the dynamics at the Supreme Court in its consideration of the issue.

popesfrompodium

THE STATEMENT AT ISSUE:

I appeal to the conscience of those who govern so that international consensus is reached for the abolishment of the death penalty. And I propose to all those among them who are Catholic to make a courageous and exemplary gesture: may no execution sentence be carried out in this Holy Year of Mercy.In effect, modern societies have the possibility to efficiently repress crime without taking away definitely the possibility to redeem oneself from those who committed the crime. Even criminals hold the inviolable right to life given by God.

 Excerpt from a statement from Pope Francis, on February 21, speaking to tourists and pilgrims gathered in St. Peters Square at Vatican City in Rome. The Roman Catholic Churchs commemoration of the Holy Year of Mercy continues until November 20.

WE CHECKED THE CONSTITUTION, AND

Americans clearly have it within their power, as a constitutional matter, to abolish the death penalty. The power to end it in one move, under the Eighth Amendment, lies with the Supreme Court, and two of its Justices have suggested that the court take up a test of that very possibility. The nations people, of course, also would have the power to end it through their role in initiating or in ratifying constitutional amendments, but that would involve a multitude of actors operating from different perspectives about the issue.

State legislatures, governors and other officials also have the authority to either eliminate the penalty by passing repeal measures, or to put a moratorium on executions while the prospect of ending the practice is further studied.

Neither of those state-level efforts is out of the question. The legislature in Nebraska became the nations 19th state to abolish capital punishment, when it passed a repeal measure last year and then overrode the governors veto of the repeal. Now, the governor is leading an effort to get the voters of Nebraska, in a referendum that will be on the ballot on November 8, to reinstate the penalty. In Pennsylvania in February of last year, the governor imposed a moratorium on all executions until a legislative commission completes a study of how the penalty system is working.

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Some pressure on elected officials is now being felt, although its effectiveness is hard to measure, by the fact that public opinion polls have begun to show that support among the people surveyed for capital punishment has been coming down slightly, from the 60-plus support it had for several years in a row.

The most recent figures available show that America has just over 3,000 prison inmates under death sentences  2,959 state prisoners, and 62 federal prisoners. The death penalty remains in force in 31 states, and for federal crimes and for military crimes. The Supreme Court has steadily eroded the options for imposing the death penalty, so that now the only crime for which it can be imposed by the states is for murder, and, for the federal government, for murder or treason.

The Supreme Court has abolished the death penalty for individuals who commit murders when they are still minors (and is also steadily moving toward the point where lengthy prison sentences even for juveniles who commit murders may no longer be a practical possibility).

At the federal level, the president would have the authority to grant sweeping relief from the death penalty, even reaching all 62 now under that sentence in federal prisons. But that seems an unlikely prospect, because politically it would be difficult to justify such a remedy except on a case-by-case basis.

The political hazard of moving toward abolition, by elected public officials, probably suggests that the sentence is going to be retained, at least in some states and at the federal level.

All of these complications, then, would appear to suggest that the one chance of abolition that may actually exist would be to persuade the Supreme Court that it is unconstitutional as a form of cruel and unusual punishment  the kind of punishment outlawed by the Eighth Amendment.

From time to time, Justices of the court have lined up against the imposition of any death sentences  as Justices William J. Brennan, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Harry A. Blackmun and John Paul Stevens did, at least in their later years on the bench. So far, though, such opponents have never been a part of a majority against executions.

At this point, the one hope that the abolitionists have is that there could be, in time, a group of Justices who would at least agree to reconsider the constitutionality of death sentencing. Without saying outright that the penalty does violate the Eighth Amendment, Justice Stephen G. Breyer last June urged the court to arrange for a review of that question. He was joined in that suggestion by one other Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Those two, however, would have to attract the votes of two other Justices even to get the issue on the courts docket for review, and would have to have the votes of three other Justices to actually reach a decision favoring abolition, if that is what the two seek as an ultimate outcome. Justice Breyer has laid out, at length, all of the reasons why he (along with Ginsburg) regards the penalty as so flawed and so riddled with exceptions that it actually functions only in a very arbitrary, and unfair, way.

Since that position was announced at the end of the courts last term, however, it has had at least three requests to take up that very question, and the four votes have not been available to actually do so.

With the court having only eight members, at least for the time being, it would appear that the fate of the death penalty probably rests in the hands of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, should the court ever be ready to consider ending it. It is far from clear, though, that the strong opposition that Kennedy has expressed to the penalty in cases involving juveniles would translate into opposition to it for adult murderers.

The court now has five Justices who are of the Roman Catholic faith, including Kennedy, but it is by no means predictable that they would judge how to vote on the issue according to what Pope Francis has recommended.

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Washington (AFP) - Republican presidential contender Ted Cruz said Monday he has asked his national spokesman to resign for a "grave error of judgment" in distributing a video that falsely suggested rival Marco Rubio was dismissive of the Bible.

The move comes on the even of the Republican caucuses in Nevada and as rival campaigns have piled on Cruz for his alleged lies and "dirty tricks."

Cruz's national spokesman Rick Tyler had shared on Facebook a story from University of Pennsylvania student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian, which reported that Rubio told a Cruz staffer reading the Bible that the holy book did "not have many answers in it."

The story was accompanied by a video, though the audio was unclear.

Tyler later deleted the post and apologized to Rubio for posting the "inaccurate" story.

The issue strikes to the heart of Cruz's support among evangelical Christians. The Texas senator has also spoken openly about his own faith.

"This was a grave error of judgment," Cruz said during a campaign event while also praising his spokesman as "a good man."

"It turned out the news story he sent around was false. But I'll tell you, even if it was true, we are not a campaign that is going to question the faith of another candidate.

"Even if it was true, our campaign should not have sent it. That's why I've asked for Rick Tyler's resignation."

Rubio told reporters he accepted the Cruz campaign's apology, but called for more "accountability."

"It's every single day something comes out of the Cruz campaign that's deceptive and untrue," Rubio said, calling the Bible video "perhaps the most offensive" Cruz tactic to date because it questioned his faith.

"I know exactly what I said to that young man," Rubio told reporters. "I said the answer to every question you'll ever have is in that book."

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Cruz's campaign has come under fire from other rivals as well.

Leading Republican candidate Donald Trump was quick to jump on the latest controversy to attack "crazy" Cruz and calling for him to be "disqualified."

"Just saw the phony ad by Cruz - totally false, more dirty tricks. He got caught in so many lies - is this man crazy?" Trump tweeted.

"Ted Cruz should be disqualified from his fraudulent win in Iowa. Weak RNC and Republican leadership probably won't let this happen! Sad."

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has accused Cruz of spreading false rumors that he had dropped out of the race during the Iowa caucuses, the voting that kicked off the 2016 presidential nomination process.

And Cruz's campaign was also accused of posting a digitally manipulated image of Rubio shaking hands with President Barack Obama on its "The REAL Rubio Record" website.
By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Republican Ted Cruz asked a federal court in Houston to throw out a lawsuit questioning whether he is eligible to be president of the United States because he was born in Canada, saying the case against him "suffers from fatal deficiencies." Lawyers for Cruz contend in the filing made on Monday that the U.S. senator from Texas meets the constitutional requirements to serve as president and that the Houston lawyer trying to have the court block his bid does not have standing to bring the case. "Senator Cruz is a 'natural-born citizen' eligible to serve as President of the United States," the motion to dismiss said, adding, the "plaintiff is essentially implicating the Court in a political dispute that it lacks authority to adjudicate." The lawsuit brought in January by Newton Schwartz, an 85-year-old self-described liberal, also cited Cruz's stance on issues such as abortion rights, gay marriage and the Bible in a 27-page argument against the senator's eligibility. The lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Texas is a class action, meaning others can join. It requests a ruling before the Nov. 8 presidential election. Lawyers for Cruz also argue he has yet to be the Republican Party's nominee and it would be premature for a court to address the issue. "Nowhere does Plaintiff, who acknowledges that he is a Democrat ... explain how he is harmed by Senator Cruzs presence on the Republican primary ballot," the Cruz filing said. Billionaire Donald Trump, the front-runner in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, has repeatedly questioned whether Cruz is eligible and warned that his winning the nomination could throw the party into chaos and hand the election to the Democrats. Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1970. At the time, his mother was a U.S. citizen and his father was Cuban. He has dismissed attacks on his eligibility and noted in the filing that 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain and 1968 Republican candidate George Romney also were born outside the United States but were considered eligible to be president. The U.S. Constitution says a president or vice president must be a "natural-born citizen" but does not say whether the term means the candidate must be born on U.S. soil or just be a citizen at birth. According to legal experts, any child born to an American mother or father, no matter where, is considered a U.S. citizen. The case is Schwartz v. Cruz, 4:16-cv-00106, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas (Houston). (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
By Daniel Trotta HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's tourism boom continues at a record pace but is expected to cool off during 2016 with the government forecasting nearly 6 percent growth this year after a 17 percent increase in 2015. Amid the international buzz surrounding the country's detente with the United States, Cuba received a record 3.5 million visitors in 2015, then set another record for any single month in January 2016, officials said. The influx has pushed capacity to the limit and forced many tourists to scramble for hotel rooms, raising questions about how Cuba will absorb additional visitors when scheduled U.S. commercial airline service starts this year. The Communist government is rushing to increase hotel capacity in the capital Havana and the beach resort Varadero, the two markets under the most strain, said Dalila Gonzalez, deputy director of marketing for the Tourism Ministry. Cuba has forecast 200,000 additional visitors this year, or 3.7 million total, which would be less than a 6 percent increase, Gonzalez said. The January record of 417,764 visitors was up 12.7 percent from a year earlier. "One of our priorities for this year is the construction of four- and five-star hotels, especially five-star hotels," Gonzalez told Reuters. "All you have to do is walk the streets of Old Havana to see a lot of construction under way." Projects remain months or years from completion, meaning the hotel crunch is likely to continue, especially during the high season from November to March. The Manzana de Gomez, an ornate building being converted into a luxury hotel, is due for completion by early 2017. It is a joint venture between the venerable Swiss chain Kempinski and the Cuban state tourism company Gaviota. Construction recently began on a Sofitel luxury hotel on a prime parcel fronting Havana's famous malecon, or boardwalk. Refurbishing of out-of-commission rooms in aging hotels is also under way. Occupancy rates at four- and five-star hotels in Havana and Varadero surpassed 80 percent last year, Gonzalez said, a figure that includes the low season. Because Americans are still banned from tourism under the U.S. trade embargo and only allowed on officially sanctioned visits, Americans concentrate in the capital rather than at forbidden beach resorts. That makes finding a hotel in Havana during the high season a challenge. American visits last year rose 77 percent to 161,000, not counting hundreds of thousands of Cuban-Americans, and Gonzalez said a similar percentage increase was possible in 2016. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by David Gregorio)
By Khalid Abdelaziz AL-FASHIR, Sudan (Reuters) - Haroun Idris wants nothing more than to trade his life in a Darfur refugee camp for one in Europe. Like many young victims of Sudan's forgotten conflict, he has lost hope of ever returning home. "My only dream, the one thing I live for, is to escape this camp and immigrate to Europe to start a new life after years of misery," said Idris, 27, who has been living in refugee camps for eight years. The Darfur conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced 2.6 million, the United Nations estimates, since mostly non-Arab tribes took up arms against the Arab-dominated government in 2003. Darfuris are a constant presence in the ranks of the more than 1 million refugees and migrants who spilled into Europe last year, mostly to escape war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. While violence in the western Sudanese region has ebbed over the past decade, the insurgency continues. The Khartoum government has escalated attacks on rebel groups in the past year, pushing a new wave of migrants to desolate camps in the relative calm of North Darfur. Most young men in the camps are unemployed and too poor to go to university. They sit during the day playing cards in the narrow streets, where dust stirred up by horse-drawn carts fills the stifling air. NO WORK They say the war and the long years spent in the camps have robbed them of their traditional farming and herding livelihoods, and given them little option but to leave. "I have been at the refugee camp for seven years after my village was burned and many of my family killed," said Adam Hamed, 31, sitting on a decrepit chair under a roof made of dry grass in Zamzam camp. "We have no work and live off aid. We used to work as farmers or shepherds in my village, like the rest of Darfur's youth, but now we don't own any farmlands or animals." The camp of 215,000 people is composed of thousands of small straw and mud houses that cling to each other, ringed by dirt roads. An overwhelming smell pervades the air; there are no proper sewage facilities and no electricity. Flies cover every exposed surface, and residents buy water from primitive manual pumps on the streets. Many of the camp's youth have fled to neighbouring countries seeking jobs in gold mining so they can make enough money to pay off human traffickers and get to Europe via Libya, which shares a large desert border with Darfur. Last year a Sudanese man from Darfur crossed the 31-mile (50 km) Channel Tunnel from France to Britain on foot, dodging high-speed trains in the dark, in an extreme example of the desperate measures some are prepared to take. "Dozens of my friends from the camp worked for long whiles mining gold and then made enough money to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Europe," said Sulieman Hussein, 22, with anger in his voice. "That is also what I plan to do. Life is good in Europe, whereas here we are not even human." NOTHING TO OFFER Elders at the camps say the sense of injustice and loss of hope has led to drug abuse or violence. "Some have turned to crime and armed gangs, others have joined militias... There is nothing we can do for them because we have nothing to offer them," said Ishak Adam, 53, sitting in a house built from mud, grass and empty bottles. "The years of their youth fly by while they do nothing; they cannot work or get married and they live like prisoners in these camps." Each day some young men go to Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, to look for jobs as day labourers, wash dishes or polish shoes. But there are many jobless migrants and few jobs. "Drug use is rampant in the camp but it is hard to even find enough money to buy drugs. As you can see, I am unemployed and have had nothing to do for over 10 years in this camp," said Abdallah Ibrahim, 31, at the Abu Shok camp south of Al-Fashir. Even in the camps, many migrants still don't feel safe, especially at night. Several residents of Zamzam said there were militias and armed gangs just to the north, and migrants were sometimes attacked and robbed. "The women cannot gather firewood from outside the camp to use for fuel because they could get raped by militiamen," said Sulieman Ibrahim, 39. "We are in a constant state of fear." (Addtional reporting by Tom Miles in Geneva; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Lin Noueihed and Mark Trevelyan)
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Women are breaking glass ceilings worldwide and the next one to be shattered may well be at the United Nations, the world body's top-ranking woman says.

Helen Clark told AFP in an interview that she had yet to decide on whether to enter the race to be the next UN secretary-general and succeed Ban Ki-moon, who steps down in 10 months.

"Every country, every major organization like the UN should expect in the fullness of time to have a woman leader," Clark said.

"But it's still too rare a thing around the world. So for sure, the UN's day will come."

The former prime minister of New Zealand, who heads the UN's largest agency, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), also warned that climate change could wipe out gains in fighting poverty over the coming decades.

The challenge for UN development experts is to help countries "build resilience" so they can confront turbulent eco-systems and extreme weather, she said.

Clark will lead a ministerial-level meeting Wednesday to take stock of the UN's development agenda at a time when raging crises in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan are making a dent in global aid funding.

Development aid from the world's big donors totalled $135.2 billion in 2014, but some of those funds have since been diverted in Europe to refugee resettlement or fallen victim to austerity cuts.

UN humanitarian appeals have hit record levels in recent years as agencies struggle to address the world's worst refugee crisis since World War II and growing humanitarian needs.

"The countries that are not in severe conflict do worry about how much is left for development after all the major needs of the conflict crises are met," said Clark, 65, who served as prime minister from 1999 to 2008.

The meeting attended by some 80 ministers will seek to build on a summit in September during which the United Nations agreed on a new set of global goals to end poverty by 2030.

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- Making a difference -

At the helm of UNDP for nearly seven years, Clark has been tipped as a possible candidate to succeed Ban and become the first woman in the top UN job, after eight men.

But Clark said she hadn't "offered an opinion" on whether to present her candidacy and sidestepped questions about her being naturally considered for the job as the UN's number three.

"I think there would be a difference," she said of a woman in the top job.

"How big it would be would very much depend on who the personality was and what the leadership style was, but I think people would notice a difference."

Clark went on to cite research that "points to women being better listeners, more consultative -- not less decisive, but more likely to take a broader range of opinions into consideration."

One of the high-profile women vying for the job is UNESCO chief Irina Bokova, who as a Bulgarian national would satisfy calls that the next secretary-general come from eastern Europe, the only region that has yet to be represented in the job.

Six candidates including three women have officially applied to become the next secretary-general but more will likely come forward ahead of hearings expected in April at the General Assembly.
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called a meeting on Tuesday night of party leaders who back his minority government to assess whether he has enough support in parliament to stay in office, after one party withdrew support for his environment minister. Rasmussen, who heads the Liberals, wrote on Twitter that he had called a meeting to see "if the government retains a majority to be the government". The Conservatives, who support Rasmussen's government in parliament, said on Tuesday they could no longer back Environment and Food Minister Eva Kjer Hansen after she was accused of misleading the house over the environmental impact of a series of planned agricultural reforms. The Conservatives say that they support the legislation but not the minister and that Rasmussen therefore needs to fire her or face losing their support in parliament, meaning he may have to call fresh elections. As a result, Hansen is expected to become the second minister to quit since Rasmussen formed his minority government after an election last June. The Liberals hold only 34 seats in the 179-seat parliament, but they are supported by the Conservatives with six seats, the Danish People's Party with 37 and the Liberal Alliance with 13. (Reporting by Ole Mikkelsen; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
F the first time ever, NASA has released audio recordings from the crew of the 1969 Apollo 10 mission that conclusively reveal that astronauts Eugene Cernan and John Young heard bizarre music come over the radio as their spacecraft passed the far side of the moon, CNN and others reported.

While the network reported that transcripts of the conversation have been available since 2008, the newly released audio recording, which will also air on the

Science Channel show "NASA's Unexplained Files," offers a striking reminder of how little we really know of the final frontier.

While the network reported that transcripts of the conversation have been available since 2008, the newly released audio recording, which will also air on the Science Channel show "NASA's Unexplained Files," offers a striking reminder of how little we really know of the final frontier.

" You hear that? That whistling sound?" Cernan said. "Whoooooo."

The two NASA spacemen discussed telling mission control about the recording but ultimately decided against it.

"

Space  believe it or not  can produce a lot of strange noises that can literally be called otherworldly. A very similar sound to what the astronauts experienced was also intercepted in 2002 by the Cassini spacecraft. As the small probe hurtled toward Saturn, it heard the music once again. This time, however, the sounds were e as the result of "charged particles moving through Saturn's magnetic environment."

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On the very next Apollo mission, astronaut Michael Collins reported also hearing the sounds.

"Had I not been warned about it, it would have scared the hell out of me," he wrote in his book Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys, CNN reported. " Fortunately the radio technicians (rather than the UFO fans) had a ready explanation for it: It was interference between the LM's and Command Module's VHF radios."

So yes! The truth is out there  but so far, it's still pretty boring.
A Vampire Breast Lift. A laser skin-tightening procedure. A 10-day first-class trip to Israel.

Those are a few of the services included in the $230,000 gift bags that one marketing firm has promised for celebrities attending the Oscars ceremony on Feb. 28.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the awards, wants the public to know that it hasnt approved any of those items. In a federal lawsuit filed recently in Los Angeles, the organization accused Distinctive Assets of promoting the gift bags as official Oscars swag.

The fact remains that these bags are flat-out ridiculous, so let us take you inside them and see what we can find.

Last years bag, worth $168,000, had a $1,200 designer bike, $20,000 worth of Audi A4 car rentals, $800 worth of chocolate, two $12,000 vacations, and a $20,000 astrology reading, among other things. Pretty much everything but an Oscar.

But thats nothing compared to this years bag, which includes a $5,000 certificate for plastic surgery, a $1,900 Vampire Breast Lift, a $250 laser vibrator, a $250 marijuana vaporizer, and a 10-day luxury trip to Israel, funded by the companys own government.

Oh, by the way, a Vampire Breast Lift is where they extract blood from you, separate the platelets, stimulate the growth factors, then inject that right back in your bosom. Gross.

Its worth noting that good has come out of these stupid expensive gift bags. George Clooney auctioned his off for charity twice.

So well wait to see if the lawsuit by the Academy will put a full stop to future bags or if next years will hold a deed to a small country and maybe a crown and scepter.

What do you think about these gift bags? Do they tarnish the spirit of the Oscars? Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Khail Anonymous.

Want to get a leg up in your Oscars pool? Find out where you can stream all five nominees for Best Documentary.
Paris (AFP) - Western states should legally permit immigrant communities to surgically "nick" young girls' vaginas as an alternative to genital mutilation, a pair of US gynaecologists argued in a hotly-challenged paper Tuesday.

Such a "compromise" could allow groups to honour cultural or religious prescripts while saving millions of girls from invasive and disfiguring genital slashing practised in some African and Middle Eastern cultures, the two doctors stated in the Journal of Medical Ethics.

"We are not arguing that any procedure on the female genitalia is desirable," said Kavita Arora of the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and Allan Jacobs of Stony Brook University in New York state.

"Rather, we only argue that certain procedures ought to be tolerated by liberal societies", which have outlawed such practices but host immigrants for whom it is part of their culture.

Efforts to enforce an outright ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) have often had the opposite effect -- driving the practice underground and putting women at even greater risk, said the duo.

But many peers immediately dismissed the idea.

According to Arianne Shahvisi of the University of Sussex ethics department in Britain: "One must not cause irreversible changes to the body of another person without their consent."

Arora and Jacobs, however, contended that a one-size-fits-all approach ignored that many people believed the procedure to be a means of achieving "moral or ritual purity" for their child.

Vaginal cutting is widely regarded as a libido-reducer, intended in certain cultures to keep a woman chaste.

According to the World Health Organization, about three million girls a year fall victim to genital mutilation.

It can cause urinary difficulties, cysts and infection, infertility and complications in childbirth.

- Like dental work -

Arora and Jacobs have proposed new sub-categories of genital cutting.

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Category One would entail procedures with no long-lasting effect on the appearance or function of the genitalia, such as a "small nick" in the skin.

Procedures under Category Two may affect appearance, but not reproductive capacity or sexual enjoyment, they said. This could include removing the "hood" or skin-fold covering the clitoris or trimming the labia (labiaplasty).

The first two categories, they said, should be reclassified as female genital "alteration" (FGA) rather than "mutilation".

"These procedures are equivalent or less extensive than male circumcision in procedure, scope and effect," they wrote.

"Indeed, they are equivalent or less extensive than orthodontia, breast implantation or even the elective labiaplasty for which affluent women pay thousands of dollars."

Unclear is whether this type of procedure would be considered valid by communities who perform FGM.

Categories Three to Five should remain outlawed, said the pair.

These included procedures to remove the clitoris or other parts of the vagina, often to be stitched closed with only a small hole for urine, menstrual blood and intercourse.

Brian Earp of the Bioethics Research Institute in New York said Arora and Jacobs erred in using male circumcision as a benchmark for what is permissible.

"Ultimately, I suggest that children of whatever sex or gender should be free from having healthy parts of their most intimate sexual organs either damaged or removed, before they can understand what is at stake in such an intervention and agree to it themselves," he wrote in a commentary.

Earlier this month, the United Nations said at least 200 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to FGM -- some 44 million aged 14 and younger.

In the 30 countries where the practice is most widespread, the majority were cut before their fifth birthday, according to the UN.
By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - Court records released on Tuesday show the U.S. Justice Department has in the last four months sought court orders to force Apple Inc to help investigators extract data from 15 iPhones in cases across the country. The disclosure comes amid a heated dispute between Apple and federal investigators over access to a locked iPhone belonging to one of the killers in December's mass-shooting in San Bernardino, California. In a letter unsealed on Tuesday addressed to a federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, overseeing one such case, Apple said it had received requests since October to assist law enforcement in accessing 13 other locked iPhones. Prosecutors said they were aware of a 15th case filed in Massachusetts, in their own letter filed late on Monday ahead of the unsealing of Apple's Feb. 17 list of cases. Those cases include one announced last week in which a federal magistrate judge ordered Apple to unlock the iPhone belonging to one of the killers in the San Bernardino shooting, which has escalated into a high-publicity showdown between Apple and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to Apple's letter, the technology company has objected to providing law enforcement assistance with regards to at least 12 of the 15 iPhones so far. The letter was addressed to U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein, who since October has been weighing whether to order Apple to provide authorities access to data on a locked iPhone in a narcotics-related case. Prosecutors earlier said that before the Brooklyn dispute emerged, Apple had since 2008 received 70 court orders requiring it provide similar assistance to which it complied without objection. In contrast to the San Bernardino case, many of the cases listed by Apple and the Justice Department appear to involve iPhones using an older Apple operating system, which has fewer security barriers to surmount. The Justice Department on Friday filed a motion seeking to compel Apple to comply with a judge's order to unlock an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters, portraying the tech giant's refusal as a "marketing strategy." Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has refused to do so, and sent a letter to employees Monday morning making clear the company's hardline stance refusing to make software to unlock the phone addresses broader issues, not just a single device linked to a grisly attack. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; additional reporting by Rishika Sadam in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair and Bill Rigby)
The lights went out on Donald Trump during a rally in Atlanta. The Republican front-runner played the moment for laughs after a protestor pulled the plug.

Read: Big Night For Trump and Hillary While Bush Calls It Quits After Embarrassing Loss

"And because the lights didn't work, I won't pay the rent, so we get better lighting, and we don't pay the rent, right?" Trump said. "That's the way we have to negotiate for our country."

When the lights come back on, Trump decided he liked it better darker.

Trump even insisted on keeping the lights off, telling the venue: Get those lights off! Off! They're too bright, turn them off!" He even led a chant with the crowd during the Sunday afternoon really.

The event at Georgia World Congress Center, where Trump spoke to a crowd of 6,000, came just hours after winning the South Carolina primary.



Meanwhile, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is confirming that he's serving as an advisor to the GOP front runner on national security and other issues.

Read: Donald Trump Tells Followers to Boycott Apple Over Terrorist's Locked Phone

Its clear that he has an exceptionally good understanding of how the economy affects our foreign policy. He understands whats happening with China, how they could stop North Korea in a heartbeat. This idea that hes only familiar with slogans, its not accurate at all, Guliani told The Washington Post.

The former mayor also revealed he has been aiding Trump in some of his rhetoric.

Weve been talking. Donald and me, Donald and a few other friends who know politics. He calls to check things out or Ill call him to say, Donald, youre going too far or What you said was great or maybe Change it a bit. Its nothing formal. Its kind of a running conversation. There is candor and there is trust.

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Watch: Donald Trump Says If He Barked Like Hillary Clinton He'd Be Ridiculed

Related Articles:
Cairo (AFP) - An Egyptian court ordered on Tuesday the release of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri's brother, who is under investigation for calling for the creation of a "terrorist group," an official said.

Mohamed al-Zawahiri, 64, was arrested in August 2013, a month after the army's ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and at the height of a crackdown against his supporters.

He and dozens of other defendants were accused of having formed "a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda" and plotting attacks on government installations, security forces and Egypt's Christian minority -- all charges which defence lawyers denied.

He stood trial but was acquitted of any wrongdoing in October 2015, although 10 co-defendants were given death sentences.

The judge, however, remanded him in detention and ordered an investigation into remarks made by Zawahiri during the trial in which he allegedly called for the formation of a "terrorist group".

But on Tuesday another court ordered his release while the investigation is underway, an official said.

Zawahiri's son Abdelrahman Zawahiri confirmed the decision but said it was not clear when his father "will be actually released" from prison.
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's state-owned Middle East Oil Refinery Company (Midor) has signed an initial loan agreement with three banks for $1.2 billion, the state news agency said on Tuesday. The loan represents around 80 percent of the cost of its $1.4 billion Alexandria refinery lab expansion, while the remaining $230 million will be self-financed, Midor Chairman Mohamed Abdel Aziz said. The agreement was signed by Abdel Aziz with the heads of a banking consortium that includes French banks Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas and Italy's CDP. The expansion at Midor aims to increase the company's refining capacity to 160,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 100,000 bpd. Egypt has struggled with soaring energy bills caused by high subsidies it provides on fuel for its population of more than 80 million. (Reporting by Asma Alsharif; editing by Jason Neely)
For James Gregory, a graduate of the University of South Carolina's adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner master's degree program, online education seemed like a natural choice, as he was able to attend class on a more flexible schedule, he says. Then, when he was applying for jobs, some employers asked him during interviews whether the quality of his online degree was equivalent to what he would have received in person. He says it was.

The online degree program was "very challenging and far different, of course for me, than the days of going and having to be at class at 8, 10:15, or whatever, but the expectation was the same," says the 54-year old, who now works as an acute care nurse practitioner in South Carolina.

Like Gregory, nurses today, who often work on erratic schedules, turn to online learning to boost their careers and attain greater authority over patient care, experts say. One 2015 survey conducted by Aslanian Market Research and the Learning House identified nursing as the second most popular major among both undergraduate and graduate online learners, following business administration at both levels.

As with any application process, employers evaluate nursing job candidates based on more than just where -- and in what format -- they earned their degree. But an applicant's education still plays a large role in the process, and most employers have favorable views of degrees earned online.

However, online nursing degrees are generally geared toward those who already have their licenses, as the initial training needed to become a registered nurse should be completed in person in order to build a foundation of clinical experience, experts say.

[Discover questions employers ask about job applicants with online degrees.]

However, employers who don't know as much about online degrees may ask an applicant for information to verify a degree's legitimacy, says James Kinneer, vice president of people and organizational development at the Indiana Regional Medical Center in Pennsylvania.

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"I think most employers are accepting of them," he says. "I think most employers are looking at the candidate as a total package. And really, they're less concerned with where did the degree come from than just what are their overall skills and their ability to perform."

Still, employers who are aware that a degree was earned online may have some additional questions.

For instance, they will likely want to verify an online program's accreditation, especially for institutions that don't have a physical campus or aren't well known. Programs should be accredited by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

"Accreditation is essential because a third-party agency assures the quality and integrity of a program," says Ruth Tarantine, dean of nursing at Colorado Technical University, which offers online nursing degree programs.

[Know how to tell if an online program is accredited.]

An employer may also ask job candidates with online degrees about their in-person clinical experience -- an essential component in a field that requires a lot of hands-on work. Online programs may allow students to complete the clinical requirement on the school's physical campus or in a location of their choosing.

"When you look at what people's concerns are with online degrees for nursing, it's really about what kinds of hands-on clinical experience was part of the program," Kinneer says. "It's an area where awareness can help acceptance of those programs."

From a human resources standpoint, Kinneer says, an employer may also wish to determine whether a student gained skills such as human interaction, teamwork and problem solving.

"I think often they're just trying to understand exactly what was this process and how did it work," he says, "and how did you obtain an experience that is equivalent to that face-to-face experience."

Nurses have historically worked shifts at hours around the clock, so many employers understand that an online program may be the only possibility for them to advance their career, experts say.

But there are very few institutions that offer what they consider an online prelicensure program. In prelicensure programs, nurses are essentially learning "how to take care of other people" through clinical experience, Tarantine says.

Sharon Roth Maguire, chief clinical quality officer at the health services staffing agency BrightStar Care, says that it's a very different scenario when nurses pursue online education to further their career when they already have their license, compared with if they have no experience at all and still need to build that foundation.

"They would want to know, where are you getting this practical hands-on experience which is so important in nursing?" she says, of employers.

[Learn about what to ask when choosing an online graduate nursing program.]

When it comes to employers' views of online nursing degrees for candidates who already have their licenses, institutions generally hope that employers view these programs no differently from on-campus education, which is typically the case.

In fact, many faculty and career advisers in online programs encourage students to simply put the name of the institution on their resume without necessarily emphasizing the "online" aspect, though it likely wouldn't be an issue either way, especially in the digital age, Roth Maguire says.

Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.

Jordan Friedman is an online education editor at U.S. News. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at jfriedman@usnews.com.


TALLINN (Reuters) - Three men have been jailed for spying for Russia, Estonia's state prosecutor's office said on Tuesday, an unusual case targeting low-level smugglers that comes amid heightened concern over muscular Russian foreign policy in eastern Europe. Relations between Estonia, a north-eastern Baltic country and a member of the EU and NATO since 2004, and Russia, its eastern neighbor and former ruler, are increasingly tense after Russian special forces occupied Ukraine's Crimea region a year ago. The three men, whose ages range from 21 to 42, received sentences ranging from two years to four years and ten months for supplying information to Russian security services on the movements and operations of Estonia's security service, defense forces and border guards. The men, described as smugglers by the prosecutor's office, were sentenced in closed trials for collaborating with Russian security services between October 2015 and February 2016. There have been several high profile trials in Estonia of officials accused of spying for Russia in the last decade, but the prosecution of low-level informants with no access to state secrets indicates a heightened level of vigilance. "The information on the trials and sentencing was released now as two of the trails were held behind closed doors, due to the nature of the crimes committed," Ilmar Kahro, spokesman for the state prosecutor's office told Reuters. The Estonian Internal Security Service spokesman told a news conference in the southern Estonian town of Tartu that the men were not public servants and had no access to Estonia's or any other country's state secrets. (Reporting by David Mardiste; editing by Katharine Houreld)
Barcelona (AFP) - The European Union and Brazil signed an agreement Tuesday to cooperate on developing ultra-fast 5G mobile networks, aimed at massively speeding up Internet connections on either side of the Atlantic.

The agreement signed in Barcelona by EU Digital Commissioner Guenther Oettinger and Brazilian Communications Minister Andre Figueiredo sets out goals on common 5G standards and research as well as timeframes for introducing the new technology.

"Neither Europe, nor Brazil can afford to lag behind in the digital era. With today's agreement we have notably committed to cooperating on the take-up of 5G in so-called vertical industries such as transport or energy," Oettinger said in a statement after the signing at the Mobile World Congress, the world's biggest mobile fair.

In a joint statement, Brazil and the European Commission said communications infrastructure was "the backbone of the future digital economy and society, creating more and better jobs, and contributing to a sustainable economic growth" in both the Brazilian and EU economies.

Lightning fast 5G networks are seen as central to the development of the Internet of Things, a growing array of intelligent web-enabled objects used in everyday life.

By delivering data at much faster speeds 5G networks could enable services such as driverless cars and remote surgery -- whereby a surgeon performs an operation remotely with the aid of a robot -- and allow customers to experience video and virtual reality with greater ease.

The International Telecommunication Union, a UN agency which works on interconnection among global carriers, said its member countries had approved a plan detailing how to harmonise standards for 5G, with the rollout expected for 2020.

Besides Brazil, the EU has also signed agreements on 5G cooperation with China, Japan and South Korea.
Strasbourg (France) (AFP) - The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday condemned Italy over the 2003 kidnapping by the CIA of an Egyptian imam who had been granted political asylum by Italian authorities.

Imam Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr, better known as Abu Omar, was "abducted" while walking down a street in Milan and taken to a US air force base in Germany and then to Egypt, it said, finding Italy guilty of numerous human rights violations over the case.

These include violating a ban on torture and inhuman or degrading treatment under the European Convention on Human Rights.

"The Court found it established that the Italian authorities were aware that the applicant had been a victim of an extraordinary rendition operation which had begun with his abduction in Italy and had continued with his transfer abroad," it said.

The court also ruled that "the legitimate principle of 'state secrecy' had clearly been applied by the Italian executive in order to ensure that those responsible did not have to answer for their actions.

"The investigation and trial had not led to the punishment of those responsible, who had therefore ultimately been granted impunity," it added.

Italy has denied any involvement in the rendition of Abu Omar, who now lives in Egypt and was also convicted in absentia and sentenced to six years by an Italian court in 2013.

Twenty-three Americans, including 22 CIA agents, were convicted in absentia 2009 by an Italian court over the 2003 abduction, after which the cleric was flown to Egypt where his lawyers say he was tortured.

The trial in Italy was one of the world's biggest to take aim at Washington's controversial extraordinary renditions programme, which was set up in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks to capture and interrogate Islamist terror suspects.

Under the programme, suspects were sent to countries where they were detained, interrogated and possibly subjected to ill-treatment.
Athens (AFP) - Tensions reached boiling point between European states worst affected by the migrant crisis ahead of a meeting of Balkan states on Wednesday, as new figures showed no let-up in the influx of people.

With migrant and refugee arrivals in Europe surpassing 110,000 in the first two months of the year alone, the United Nations warned border restrictions being imposed by some states could cause chaos.

A diplomatic spat broke out between Greece and Austria, while Vienna lashed out at Germany's "contradictory" refugee policy.

The European Union voiced concerns about the risk of a "humanitarian crisis," particularly in Greece, which lies on the frontline of Europe's greatest migration challenge since World War II.

Thousands of people have been left stranded in Greece after Macedonia abruptly closed its border to Afghans, creating a fresh bottleneck on the Balkans route to northern Europe.

Athens also hit out at Vienna for failing to invite Greek representatives to a meeting on the crisis with ministers from western Balkan states on Wednesday.

Greece's foreign ministry blasted the meeting as "one-sided and not at all friendly", and has accused Austria of undermining efforts to reach a joint European response to the crisis.

Austria retorted that it was a "fixed" meeting format and its summary would be available to EU interior and justice ministers when they meet on Thursday.

- Tempers flaring -

Austria lashed out at Germany's "contradictory" refugee policy after Berlin sharply criticised a daily limit introduced by Vienna on migrants registering and passing through the Alpine country.

"Germany should decide which number is acceptable to it," Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann told reporters. A statement added that he wished for a "respectful treatment of Austria's political decisions".

New figures published by the International Organization for Migration showed 102,547 people had arrived in Greece and another 7,507 in Italy so far this year.

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Another 413 lost their lives trying, including 321 who perished on the journey to Greece, the IOM said.

The Mediterranean was the scene of another tragedy on Tuesday, with Italy saying it had found four bodies off the coast of Libya and rescued more than 700 migrants.

Amnesty International on Wednesday hit out at Europe's "shameful" response to the crisis, saying most EU countries had "simply decided that the protection of their borders is more important than the protection of the rights of refugees".

In the latest in a series of measures by European states, Macedonia closed its border to Afghans and introduced more stringent document checks for Syrians and Iraqis seeking to travel to northern and western Europe.

The move caused a bottleneck at the Greek-Macedonian border -- where nearly 4,000 people were waiting to get through on Tuesday -- and forced Greek police to keep hundreds of others from travelling to the frontier.

On the Greek side, Afghan families boarded nearly a dozen buses for the long trip back to the capital, where they will be temporarily housed in relocation camps, local police said.

- 'What Europe have we built?' -

"We are concerned about the developments along the Balkan route and the humanitarian crisis that might unfold in certain countries, especially in Greece," EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and Dutch Migration Minister Klaas Dijkhoff said in a statement.

Their sentiment was echoed by Filippo Grandi, the head of the UN refugee agency.

"I am very worried about the news that we are getting about increasing closures of European borders along the Balkans route because that will create further chaos and confusion," Grandi said on a visit to the Greek island of Lesbos.

"We have said to European states... that they should take more refugees through legal ways, to accept them directly so that they don't go through smuggling rings," he said.

"If Europe can't do this, what Europe have we built?"

The arrival last year of more than one million refugees and migrants on Europe's shores, many fleeing war, poverty and persecution, has caused a chain reaction of border clampdowns, in a blow to the EU's border-free Schengen zone.

Skopje's move followed decisions by countries further up the migrant route to turn back groups of Afghans.

"Everything we are doing is in coordination with the agreement from Zagreb," a senior government source in Skopje told AFP.

On February 18, police chiefs from Austria, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia agreed to created a joint refugee registration point on the Greek-Macedonian border.
ROME (Reuters) - Europe's top human rights court condemned Italy on Tuesday for its role in the 2003 kidnap by the CIA of an Egyptian Muslim cleric under the U.S. "extraordinary rendition" program. Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, was snatched off a street in Milan in 2003 and flown to Egypt, where he said he was tortured during seven months as a captive. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said in a statement that Italy, which had granted refugee status to the imam, was aware that he had suffered extraordinary rendition. "Italian authorities had a duty to take the appropriate measures to ensure that the persons within their jurisdiction were not subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," it said. Italy's foreign ministry declined to comment on the ruling. The ECHR ordered Italy to pay 70,000 euros ($77,000) to Nasr, saying national authorities had "knowingly exposed him to a real risk" of treatment contrary to anti-torture laws. It ordered a further 15,000 euros be paid to Nasr's wife, who it said suffered a lengthy period of "severe mental suffering and distress" when her husband disappeared, and a further 30,000 euros to the pair to cover their costs. The couple have still not received combined payments of 1.5 million euros provisionally awarded to them by a Milan court, the ECHR said. In 2009 Italy convicted 22 CIA officials and an army officer for Nasr's kidnapping in a case that led to diplomatic tension between Rome and Washington, although none of the 23 was ever detained in Italy. The trial was the first of its kind against "renditions" practiced by former U.S. President George W. Bush's administration in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in Washington and New York. Former CIA Milan station chief Robert Seldon Lady received a partial pardon from Italy's president in December, and the sentence handed to a more junior official was effectively canceled. (Reporting by Isla Binnie; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
(This February 15 story was corrected to remove reference to first use of chemical agents since Saddam Hussein era from first paragraph) By Anthony Deutsch AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Islamic State militants attacked Kurdish forces in Iraq with mustard gas last year, a diplomat said, citing tests by the global chemical arms watchdog. A source at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed that laboratory tests had come back positive for sulphur mustard, after around 35 Kurdish troops were sickened on the battlefield last August. The OPCW will not identify who used the chemical agent. But the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because the findings have not yet been released, said the result confirmed that chemical weapons had been used by Islamic State fighters. The samples were taken after the soldiers became ill during fighting against Islamic State militants southwest of Erbil, capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. The OPCW already concluded in October that mustard gas was used last year in neighbouring Syria. Islamic State has declared a "caliphate" in territory it controls in both Iraq and Syria and does not recognise the frontier. The matter is expected to be raised at the next meeting of the OPCW's 41-member Executive Council in a month, an official said. If Islamic State used chemical weapons, experts are still uncertain of how the group might have obtained them, or whether it could have access to more. Another diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Syrias stockpile was a possible source of the sulphur mustard used in Iraq. That would mean Damascus had failed to fully disclose its chemical weapons programme, which was dismantled under international supervision in 2013-2014, the diplomat said. "If Syria has indeed given up its chemical weapons to the international community, it is only the part that has been declared to the OPCW and the declaration was obviously incomplete, the diplomat told Reuters. Syrian officials could not immediately be reached for comment but have previously denied any part of the country's former stockpile remains undestroyed. Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons stockpile after hundreds of people died in an attack with Sarin nerve gas in a Damascus suburb in 2013. Western countries blame that attack on the government of President Bashar al-Assad, which denies it. Iraq's chemical arsenal, part of a "weapons of mass destruction" programme used to justify the U.S.-British invasion of 2003, proved to have been mostly destroyed and dismantled in the Saddam Hussein era, although U.S. troops occasionally encountered old Saddam-era chemical munitions during the 2003-2011 occupation. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a specialist in biological and chemical warfare, said Islamic State fighters may have developed their own chemical weapons capability, and could be preparing to use it again. Im pretty convinced that the mustard IS are using in Iraq is made by them in Mosul," he said, referring to the main city in northern Iraq, which Islamic State fighters have occupied since 2014. "They have all the precursors at hand from the oil industry and all the experts at hand to do it. Sulphur mustard is a Class 1 chemical agent, which means it has very few uses outside chemical warfare. Used with lethal effectiveness in World War One, it causes severe delayed burns to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; editing by Peter Graff)
By Eric Auchard BARCELONA (Reuters) - Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Monday tried to extend an olive branch to mobile phone companies, on which the popular social network company increasingly relies, but which are also among his biggest critics. Speaking for the third straight year to an annual gathering of telecoms executives at the Mobile World Congress here, Zuckerberg sought to show his company could be a valuable, if truculent, ally to the wireless industry. He described a new project Facebook is working on with major telecom players, including Nokia , Deutsche Telekom , SK Telecom <017670.KS> and Intel to help rapidly build far faster mobile networks at lower costs. But while listing the various ways Facebook was prepared to help network operators contend with spiraling consumer appetites for data, he also criticized and made more demands on the industry. Zuckerberg challenged the priorities for next-generation 5G networks, which the industry is gearing up to deliver around 2020. He called them "faster connections for rich people" and said the companies should make more effort to "finish the job of making sure that everyone in the world gets Internet access." More than 4 billion people have no access to the Internet, he noted. Telecom operators complain that companies like Facebook and Google Inc that offer data-heavy mobile services are effectively free-loading on the big investments they must make to keep fixed-line and mobile networks from becoming overloaded. "Facebook has always had a love-hate relationship with carriers," Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson said after Zuckerberg's comments. Further complicating his relationships with the telecom industry, Zuckerberg said video would be the next big driver for Facebook growth, putting more pressure on existing networks. Its users watch more than 100 million hours of video daily. While criticizing the industry for failing to do more to reach unconnected populations, Zuckerberg is a leading proponent of new virtual reality cameras that he said could be a killer app for 5G but which would place vast new demands on networks. He also defended Facebook's Free Basics program, through which the company works with operators in emerging markets to offer a pared-back free Internet service to reach consumers who cannot afford data plans. The Indian government introduced rules blocking Internet services from having different pricing policies for accessing different parts of the web, effectively shuttering the Free Basics program in that country, one of Facebook's most important emerging markets. Zuckerberg is kicking off a tour of Europe on Monday that includes a town hall meeting in Berlin on Thursday. Facebook has faced criticism in Germany in recent months from politicians and regulators over its privacy practices and a slow response to anti-immigrant postings by neo-Nazi sympathizers on the popular social network. (Additional reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb in San Francisco; Editing by Dan Grebler)
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said Monday he was "sympathetic" with Apple's chief executive Tim Cook in his stand-off with the US government over breaking into the iPhone of a mass shooter.

"I don't think that requiring back doors to encryption is either going to be an effective thing to increase security or is really the right thing to do. We are pretty sympathetic to Tim and Apple," Facebook's chief executive told delegates at the world's biggest mobile congress in Barcelona.

"At the same time we feel we have a really big responsibility running this big networking community to help prevent terrorism and different types of attacks.

"If we have opportunities to basically work with the government to make sure there are not terrorist attacks, obviously we are going to take those opportunities," he added during an address at Mobile World Congress.

The controversy emerged earlier this month when Apple refused to help the FBI break into an iPhone belonging Syed Farook, who along with his wife went on a deadly shooting rampage, killing 14 people in California's San Bernardino in December.

Apple claims that cooperating with the probe would undermine privacy and security for its devices, while the US government counters it is a one-time request that will aid an important investigation.

Until now, Zuckerberg -- who has been at pains to plug privacy features on the social networking site in recent years -- has not spoken publicly about the spat although last week, Facebook issued a statement in support of Apple.

- A dangerous precedent? -

In the statement, it pledged to continue "to fight aggressively against requirements for companies to weaken the security of their systems," saying such demands "would create a chilling precedent".

Apple has vowed to fight a judge's order that it should create an operating system that would allow the FBI to force entry into the iPhone.

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Last week, Apple's Cook also warned that complying with the order would set a dangerous precedent and open the door for governments and even criminals to access sensitive data in the future.

"Facebook and other large tech firms are global, and one of the things that they are concerned with is that when they make policy in the US, that policy is cited by other regimes, including non-democratic ones," Avi Greengart of Current Analysis research firm told AFP.

"There is also the real fear that once you ensure that encryption can be broken, it will be broken, because the tools for doing so will inevitably leak out -- and that imperils security for personal information, business information, and transactions."

- Consumer privacy 'most important' -

Other major firms at the Barcelona congress have also sided with the iPhone maker.

Richard Yu, consumer devices chief for Chinese electronics giant Huawei, said Sunday that privacy was "the most important thing to the consumer."

"We should really protect the consumer's privacy and security. Personally, I support... Tim Cook's idea," Bloomberg quoted him as saying.

Facebook was long accused of brushing aside users' privacy concerns, and although Zuckerberg has strived to win back trust with a flurry of features, the social network is still in the eye of the storm.

Earlier this month, it was given three months by France's CNIL privacy watchdog to stop storing data on people who do not have an account with the social network.

The decision comes after Facebook lost a similar fight with Belgium's privacy watchdog in November when a court ordered it to stop storing personal data from non-users.

On a regional level, the European Union's 28 privacy watchdogs have been coordinating probes into possible violations of EU law by Facebook's policy for handling personal photos and data.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron has said a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union will be held on June 23. Below are the key details of how the vote will work: WHO CAN VOTE? As with a parliamentary election, British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens aged over 18 who live in Britain, and British nationals who have lived overseas for less than 15 years will be allowed to vote in the EU referendum. In addition, members of parliament's upper house and citizens of Gibraltar who are eligible to vote in European Parliamentary elections will also be able to vote. Citizens of EU countries living in Britain, other than those from Ireland, Malta and Cyprus, will not get a say. WHAT IS THE QUESTION? The question on the ballot paper will be: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?". Voters will then choose one of two answers: "Remain a member of the European Union" or "Leave the European Union". HOW LONG WILL THE CAMPAIGN LAST? The EU referendum law requires a campaign period of at least 10 weeks before the vote takes place. Before that official campaign period can begin, legislation will need to pass through parliament setting out the details of the vote, including the date. The government expects that process to take about 6 weeks. HOW MUCH CAN THE CAMPAIGNS SPEND? For the official campaign period, Britain's electoral watchdog can designate a lead group on each side of the debate. The lead group can spend up to 7 million pounds ($10 million), receives a public grant of up to 600,000 pounds, gets campaign broadcasts and one free mail distribution to voters. All other groups can spend up to 700,000 pounds each. Anyone intending to spend more than 10,000 pounds must register with the electoral watchdog, and all groups must declare any donations of more than 7,500 pounds received after Feb. 1. The spending limit for political parties is dictated by the percentage of vote they won in last year's national election. Cameron's Conservatives can spend up to 7 million pounds, the Labour Party can spend 5.5 million pounds, the anti-EU UK Independence Party can spend 4 million pounds, the Liberal Democrats 3 million pounds and all other parties 700,000 pounds. The Conservative Party has said it will remain neutral however, with no party funds, personnel or facilities to be used by either side of the campaign. HOW WILL THE GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN? Cameron has said he will campaign with all his "heart and soul" to persuade Britons to vote to remain in the EU, warning leaving the bloc would be a "leap in the dark". While the official government position is to back staying in, six of Cameron's team of top ministers have said they will rebel and campaign to leave the bloc. Influential London Mayor Boris Johnson has also thrown his weight behind the 'out' campaign. The government will be subject to a period of 'purdah', barring it from publishing anything in the 28 days before the referendum that could influence the outcome of the vote. WHAT HAPPENS ON THE DAY? Polls will be open from 0600 GMT (01:00 a.m. EST) to 2100 GMT (04:00 p.m. EST). Counting will begin as soon as polls close and will carry on overnight. There will be 12 centres across Britain where counts are collated, and the final result will be declared in Manchester in northern England. ($1 = 0.6970 pounds) (Compiled by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Anna Willard)
(Reuters) - Global health officials are racing to better understand the Zika virus behind a major outbreak that began in Brazil last year and has since spread to many countries in the Americas. The following are some questions and answers about the virus and current outbreak: How do people become infected? Zika is transmitted to people through the bite of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same type that spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Aedes mosquitoes are found in all countries in the Americas except Canada and continental Chile, and the virus will likely reach all countries and territories of the region where Aedes mosquitoes are found. How do you treat Zika? There is no treatment or vaccine for Zika infection. Companies and scientists are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine for Zika, but the World Health Organization (WHO) said it would take at least 18 months to start large-scale clinical trials of potential preventative shots. How dangerous is it? The PAHO said there is no evidence that Zika can cause death, but some cases have been reported with more serious complications in patients with pre-existing medical conditions. The virus has been linked to microcephaly, a condition in newborns marked by abnormally small heads and brains that may not develop properly. It also has been associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system. Research is underway in Brazil to confirm the suspected link to microcephaly, with initial findings expected within months, according to public health officials. How is Zika related to microcephaly? Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly. Brazil said 583 cases of microcephaly have been confirmed, while 4,107 suspected cases were still being investigated. Research in Brazil indicates the greatest microcephaly risk is associated with infection during the first trimester of pregnancy. Recent studies from other countries have shown evidence of Zika in amniotic fluid, placenta and fetal brain tissue. What are the symptoms of Zika infection? People infected with Zika may have a mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and fatigue that can last for two to seven days. But as many as 80 percent of people infected never develop symptoms. The symptoms are similar to those of dengue or chikungunya, which are transmitted by the same type of mosquito. How can Zika be contained? Efforts to control the spread of the virus focus on eliminating mosquito breeding sites and taking precautions against mosquito bites such as using insect repellent and mosquito nets. U.S. and international health officials have advised pregnant women to avoid travel to Latin American and Caribbean countries where they may be exposed to Zika. How widespread is the outbreak? Active Zika outbreaks have been reported in at least 34 countries or territories, most of them in the Americas, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brazil has been the country most affected. (http://1.usa.gov/1ovAJyh) Africa (1): Cape Verde Americas (29): Aruba, Barbados, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, U.S. Virgin Islands and Venezuela Oceania/Pacific Islands (4): American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Samoa, and Tonga What is the history of the Zika virus? The Zika virus is found in tropical locales with large mosquito populations. Outbreaks of Zika have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Southern Asia and the Western Pacific. The virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys and was first identified in people in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania, according to the WHO. Can Zika be transmitted through sexual contact? The U.S. CDC said on Feb. 23 it was investigating 14 new reports of possible transmission, in addition to a previous case in Texas. In two of those new suspected cases, the infection was confirmed in women whose only known risk factor was sexual contact with an ill male partner who had recently traveled to a Zika outbreak area, the agency said. The reports suggest sexual transmission may be a more likely means of spreading Zika than previously considered, the CDC said. All cases involve possible transmission of the virus from men to their sex partners. British health officials reported Zika was found in a man's semen two months after he was infected, suggesting the virus may linger in semen long after infection symptoms fade. The WHO has advised women, particularly pregnant women, to use condoms. The PAHO said Zika can be transmitted through blood, but this is an infrequent transmission mechanism. There is no evidence Zika can be transmitted to babies through breast milk. What other complications are associated with Zika? The WHO says because no big Zika outbreaks were recorded before 2007, little is known about complications caused by infection. During an outbreak of Zika from 2013-14 in French Polynesia, national health authorities reported an unusual increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome. Health authorities in Brazil have also reported an increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome. Long-term health consequences of Zika infection are unclear. Other uncertainties surround the incubation period of the virus and how Zika interacts with other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes, such as dengue. Related material from the World Health Organization: (http://www.who.int/features/qa/zika/en/) (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/) (Compiled by Will Dunham and Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Frances Kerry and Bernard Orr)
The entire legal battle between the FBI and Apple over the San Bernardino shooters locked iPhone could have completely been avoided with just a simple $4 piece of software. According to an article on CBS News, the shooters iPhone 5c could have been unlocked remotely had the county government which owned and issued the phone installed mobile device management (MDM) software.

All the more frustrating is that the county actually paid for MDM services but failed to install the requisite software.

DONT MISS: Have Apples rivals finally stopped copying the iPhone?

The county government that owned the iPhone in a high-profile legal battle between Apple Inc. and the Justice Department paid for but never installed a feature that would have allowed the FBI to easily and immediately unlock the phone, the report reads in part. The service costs $4 per month per phone.

MDM framework tools are built right into iOS and are often used in corporate environments so that organizations can more readily configure devices, manage important settings, monitor compliance, distribute and install apps, and even remotely wipe and lock devices that have been stolen.

Alas, a problem that could have easily been avoided has since resulted in a standoff between the FBI and Apple that doesnt seem likely to end anytime soon. Even though Apple has been ordered by a U.S. magistrate judge to help the FBI get into the shooters locked iPhone 5c, Apple has adamantly refused, with Tim Cook arguing that creating a new piece of software to skirt around built-in iPhone security measures would set an extremely dangerous precedent.

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By Emma Batha LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Countries that have banned female genital mutilation (FGM) should allow less invasive practices such as small surgical nicks to girls' genitalia as a compromise, two American gynecologists said on Monday. But campaigners against FGM strongly criticized the proposal, saying it would undermine global efforts to eradicate the internationally condemned ritual. At least 200 million girls and women have been subjected to FGM in over 30 countries, according to U.N. estimates. The ancient practice usually involves the partial or total removal of a girl's external genitalia. In some cases the vaginal opening is also sewn up. But some communities practice less invasive rituals such as pricking or nicking the clitoris. The U.S. gynecologists, writing in the Journal of Medical Ethics, argued that permitting more minimal procedures could allow families to uphold cultural and religious traditions while protecting girls from more dangerous forms of cutting. Communities which support FGM often consider it a prerequisite for marriage. Many also see it as a religious obligation although it is not mentioned in the Koran or Bible. But FGM can cause a host of physical and psychological problems. Gynecologists Kavita Shah Arora and Allan Jacobs said procedures that slightly changed the look of a girl's genitalia without damaging them were comparable to male circumcision or cosmetic procedures in Western countries like labiaplasty. Laws against mild modifications were "culturally insensitive and supremacist and discriminatory towards women", they wrote in the specialist journal, which is published by the British Medical Journal. "BEHIND THE TIMES" FGM is practiced in a swathe of African countries, pockets of Asia and the Middle East, as well as by diaspora communities living in the West. The gynecologists suggested that global attempts to stamp out FGM with legislation had failed and may by driving the practice underground. "We are not arguing that any procedure on the female genitalia is desirable," they said. "Rather, we only argue that certain procedures ought to be tolerated by liberal societies." They said the term "female genital mutilation" should be replaced with the less emotive "female genital alteration" (FGA) to avoid "demonizing important cultural practices". But experts on medical ethics, commenting on the proposal, said procedures to modify girls' genitals could not be compared to male circumcision because they are designed to control women and curb their sexual desire. They also predicted that legalizing more minimal procedures would generate a litany of legal, regulatory and medical problems. Global campaigners against FGM said doctors should challenge harmful social norms, not condone them. "Any form of FGM is a violation of a child's rights," said Adwoa Kwateng-Kluvitse, head of global advocacy at the charity FORWARD which campaigns against FGM in Africa and Europe. "Why would you put a little girl through that? There should be no medicalization of FGM. They (the gynecologists) are completely behind the times. "This is very different to male circumcision. With male circumcision there is no intention to attenuate sexual desire, control sexuality or enforce chastity." Rights group Equality Now said the "medicalization" of FGM remained one of the biggest threats to its elimination. It said FGM prevalence rates had fallen significantly in many countries and that properly implemented laws had been very effective in countries like Kenya. (Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, which covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories.)
Washington (AFP) - Five men accused of planning the September 11, 2001 attacks are among the 91 detainees still held at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Here are short profiles of the five:

-- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, 50: Born in Pakistan, raised in Kuwait and later educated in the United States, he has publicly said he was the principal planner of the September 11, 2001 attacks. He is suspected in a string of other crimes, including the beheading of US reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002. Known as KSM, Mohammed underwent repeated waterboarding between his capture in Pakistan in March 2003 and his transfer to Guantanamo in September 2006.

-- Ramzi Binalshibh, 43: A citizen of Yemen, he co-rented a flat in Hamburg, Germany, with suspected 9/11 ringleader Mohammed Atta. US officials say he tried but failed four times to obtain a US visa to become a pilot-hijacker. Captured in Pakistan in September 2002, Binalshibh is accused of serving as the primary link between the hijackers in the United States and Al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan during the eight months before the attacks.

-- Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, 38: A Pakistani raised in Kuwait who is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's nephew and a cousin of jailed 1993 World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Youssef. Also known as Ammar al-Baluchi, he is believed to have played an important role in helping facilitate 9/11 logistics by transferring funds to US-based operatives and helping hijackers travel from Pakistan to the United States. He was captured in April 2003 in Pakistan.

-- Walid bin Attash, born in 1978 or 1979: Raised by Yemeni parents in Saudi Arabia, he is accused of helping coordinate the 2000 attack on the USS Cole destroyer that killed 17 US soldiers in Yemen. Also known as Khallad, he lost his right leg during a 1997 battle in Afghanistan and supervised training at an Al-Qaeda camp there where he trained two of the September 11 hijackers along with other operatives. Allegedly chosen by Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden at the outset to become a 9/11 hijacker himself, he was captured in April 2003 along with Ali in Pakistan.

-- Mustapha al-Hawsawi, 47: A Saudi associate of bin Laden accused of holding the group's purse strings in its first years of existence, and of having arranged funding for the September 11 plot. Both Hawsawi and Ramzi Binalshibh are said to have served as a communications link between Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the 9/11 hijackers. He was captured in Pakistan in March 2003, when special forces stormed the villa in which he was hiding along with Mohammed.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - All European Union nations except for France and Italy have replied to the European Commission's request for information from member states in connection with Volkswagen's emissions scandal, an EU source said on Tuesday. The European Commission, the EU executive, has asked all 28 EU countries to investigate breaches of vehicle emissions rules after Volkswagen admitted last year it had used banned software to mask nitrogen oxide emissions and had also in Europe understated carbon dioxide levels. At the same time, it sent a letter to Volkswagen asking for information, which European Environment and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said on Tuesday was so far unanswered. Meanwhile, he said 26 of the 28 EU member states had replied to a letter particularly related to the irregularities on CO2 emissions he sent together with Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska, but "two big countries" had not. He did not name the countries, but an EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were Italy and France. Contacted by Reuters, French and Italian government officials had no immediate comment. As vehicle testing to approve cars in the EU is overseen by national authorities, the Commission is reliant on each country to enforce rules. In January, it proposed a tougher regime that would give the Commission more power and diminish the role of national authorities. However, the draft law needs to be approved by member states. The Commission can impose fines on manufacturers for breaking EU emissions laws, but says its first priority is to establish the facts. (Reporting by Barbara Lewis; Additional reporting by Agnieszka Flak in Milan and Gilles Guillaume in Paris; Editing by Tom Pfeiffer and Mark Potter)
Calais (France) (AFP) - A French court will on Tuesday examine whether it is legal for local authorities to evict hundreds of migrants from the notorious "Jungle" camp in Calais, ahead of a demolition deadline.

Several migrants rights organisations and 250 migrants are putting the case before a court in the northern town of Lille, according to their lawyer Julie Bonnier.

The local government has set a 1900 GMT Tuesday deadline for people in the southern half of the grim camp to leave, saying the demolition will affect between 800 and 1,000 residents.

But according to charities working in the camp, who say they have done a census, there are around 3,450 people living in the southern part -- including 300 unaccompanied children.

"This is about the violation of fundamental migrant rights," Bonnier said.

"The proposed solutions do not meet their needs at all. It would be better that they stayed here until other solutions are found," she added.

The judge in the case is due to visit the Jungle Tuesday morning to meet residents and assess the situation before giving a verdict later in the day.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has said the eviction will be done "progressively, by persuasion and with respect for people's dignity".

But Christian Salome, who heads a migrant aid group, said making them move in the middle of winter showed a total disregard for refugee rights.

"This is a terrible step backwards," he said.

The state wants to eventually reduce the population of the Jungle to 2,000 people.

Those being pushed out of the camp can go to one of around 100 accommodation centres elsewhere in France, or into refitted shipping containers set up nearby.

The containers have not proved popular with migrants, who say they lack communal spaces and restrict their movements, while local charities say they fail to meet international standards.

Conditions in other camps along the northern French coast are even more dire than those in the Jungle.

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The French authorities have been gradually trying to shut down the Jungle, encouraging residents to head for proper centres elsewhere in France.

However, many of the residents have family or community ties to Britain and are reluctant to give up their dream of crossing the Channel.

A campaign spearheaded by celebrities such as actors Jude Law and Benedict Cumberbatch has called on the British government to let children from the camp be reunited with families in Britain and take responsibility for the "humanitarian crisis" in the Jungle.

Calais town hall has claimed the eviction is in response to "abuses" committed by migrants that had led to "an aggravated level of tension" in recent weeks.

It said camp residents were throwing stones and other projectiles at lorries and security forces on a daily basis, but also condemned members of far-right groups who loiter outside the Jungle to beat up migrants.

On Monday, six migrants were each given a month in prison for occupying a ferry in northern France in a protest calling for Britain to allow asylum seekers in.
EXCLUSIVE: Peyton List (The Flash, Mad Men) has landed the sought after female lead opposite Riley Smith in Frequency, the CWs drama pilot based on Toby Emmerichs sci-fi thriller.

The TV series, written by Supernatural showrunner Jeremy Carver, centers on Raimy (List), a female police detective in 2016 who discovers that she is able to speak via a ham radio with her estranged father, Frank Sullivan (Smith), also a detective, who died in 1996.

Seen in 1996, Frank Sullivan has been undercover for two years. The strain of the assignment effectively destroyed his marriage and separated him from his little girl, Raimy, but he gets a new chance at building a relationship with her when she begins communicating with him from 20 years in the future. The two forge a new relationship while working together on an unresolved murder case, but unintended consequences of the butterfly effect wreak havoc in the present day. Mekhi Phifer co-stars as Lt. Satch DeLeon.

Emmerichs feature took place in New York in 1999 and starred Jim Caviezel as homicide detective John Sullivan who strangely makes contact with his late father Frank Sullivan (Quaid) exactly 30 years in the past on the day before his death.

The CWs Frequency, from WBTV and Lin Pictures, is executive produced by Carve, Emmerich, John Rickard, and Lin Pictures Dan Lin and Jennifer Gwartz.

List, repped by Innovative Artists and Schreck Rose, was a lead on the CW/WBTVs The Tomorrow People and recurred on the CW/WBTVs The Flash as well as ABCs Blood & Oil.

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When Full House star Andrea Barber hung up Kimmy Gibler's colorful socks in 1995, she thought she was leaving Hollywood behind for good. After the family comedy's sudden cancelation, Barber went to college, then grad school, got married, had kids and was content living a life far away from show business, working in academia.

Then she got a call from original series creator Jeff Franklin about reprising her role as D.J. Tanner's outrageous, slightly obnoxious but lovable best friend for a sequel series, and those plans went out the window. "This is getting to relive my childhood all over again," Barber tells The Hollywood Reporter.

She now returns as one of the series' three leads  a major promotion from what was only supposed to be a one-episode part when she originally landed the role of Kimmy in 1987. Instead of simply trading barbs with Mr. T or admiring Uncle Jesse from afar, Kimmy is now a single mom and businesswoman trying to help out her newly widowed BFF while also figuring out her own complicated marital status.

Ahead of Fuller House's Friday premiere, Barber spoke with THR about when she knew Kimmy "had arrived," leaving Hollywood and her "moment of panic" about coming back.

Read More: 'Fuller House': Netflix Behind-the-Scenes Video Shows Fans "We Still Got It"

Do you remember a moment on the original Full House when you knew Kimmy was really catching on with fans?

Oh gosh, I was so young. I'm not sure I had any awareness of just how big this show had gotten and iconic these characters had become. Really, it's taken 30 years to develop that kind of perspective, seeing now how the fans are still here and there's still a huge demand for this show. It's kind of hitting me now, really, 30 years later. (Laughs) I wasnt a full-time cast member the first few seasons. I was a recurring character, and it was somewhere during the middle of the run of the show, around season five, when I became a full-time cast member, so by then, Kimmy was involved in more of the storylines. Then, by the time we got to Kimmy's 16th birthday that D.J. forgets and they kind of throw together a haphazard happy birthday with a hash-brown cake and toiler paper streamers, by then, I finally got an A storyline and I knew, "This is fantastic. Kimmy has arrived into the hearts of the viewers."

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Do you remember what the original description of the character was?

I originally auditioned for the role of D.J. and got turned down. Fortuitously, they called me back and said, "Well, we want you to read for the role of the wacky neighbor Kimmy Gibbler," and it was supposed to be just like a one-time appearance and it turned into this major role in my life. I think Kimmy was just supposed to be a quirky neighbor at first, but it kind of developed into this really eccentric personality. I think that took a few years, to develop all of her eccentric quirks and her one-liners and her unapologetic insulting of everyone around her. (Laughs) That took some time to develop that character. At first she was just D.J.'s best friend, and then the character took on a life of her own.

Were there certain things that the writers started writing toward for you as they saw you on-screen?

It was a collaborative process once the writers could see the chemistry between the cast. The chemistry was there in the beginning but it just became stronger and stronger as the years went by. Once they saw that I could spar with Bob Saget and we could throw some one-liners back at each other, and Kimmy and Stephanie have always had a good frenemy-ship, as I call it. (Laughs) So I think it was really the chemistry with other cast members that bled into the development of Kimmy's character and her great zingers. One of my favorite parts of playing the character is the one-liners they give me.

Is there one line you hear a lot in particular from fans?

Well, people love the catchphrases. It's so cliche, but people love "Hola, Tanneritos." They want me to say that everywhere I go. (Laughs) We get made fun of for the catchphrases, but people want to hear them. The audience, they lose their shit every time.

Read More: 'Fuller House' First Look: The Tanners Reunite in Netflix Series Photos

Going back to Full House, what was it like when you knew the show wasn't going to come back for a ninth season? What was that transition like for you?

The series ended kind of abruptly. We didn't know we were being canceled for sure until about three weeks before our last taping, so the writers had to throw together a finale and it ended very suddenly for all of us. That last taping was really sad, because we were a family.

But my sadness was mostly about not seeing the castmates again, or at least not seeing them as often. Of course we kept in touch, but it's not the same as working together every day and getting to see each other every week. Actually, the finale of Full House happened at a perfect time in my life personally because I was in my first year of college, so I went straight from the Full House set into the college dorm. I did four years at college and got my bachelor's degree, and then I went on and got a master's degree and I worked in international education, or study abroad, for several years at a university, and that was very fulfilling for me. I left Hollywood, so no sadness about that whatsoever. I was very content to pursue other interests in my life. And I then had kids and was a stay-at-home mom for several years when my kids were babies and toddlers and I found that very fulfilling as well  right up until [creator] Jeff Franklin called me a few years ago asking about reprising the role of Kimmy Gibbler, and that happened at a perfect time too. My kids were entering the elementary school stage and I was ready to go back to work, so the timing has actually been fantastic for me personally. (Laughs) It's all worked out really well. I had never planned to come back to Hollywood, but I came back just for this show. I couldnt say no. I love this show, I love the legacy and I love the people most of all.

How did you come to that decision to step away from Hollywood?

I think I knew pretty quickly.... I started acting when I was four, so from ages 4-18, that's 14 years, and so that was my extracurricular activity for the entirety of my childhood. I felt, OK, been there, done that, what's next? There's a lot more out there for me. Over the years, I realized I loved acting; it was the business that I didn't necessarily like. The business side of it and the publicity side of it and marketing yourself and going out on auditions, it's hard. It's a really tough business, and it's tougher now than it was 30 years ago, just because the competition is even more intense than it was back when I was four years old. So I was definitely ready to leave the business behind, even though I've always enjoyed the craft of acting.

What were those initial conversations with Jeff like? Did you have hesitations about stepping back in acting after so many years away?

There was no hesitation for me about coming back, because Jeff Franklin was involved and he was our original creator and executive producer, and I trusted him 100 percent. What we didn't want to do was a cheesy reunion movie that just didn't live up to the hype and was poorly done and poorly written and it was just something that people could make fun of. We wanted to do the legacy proud.

The only hesitation I had was right before the first taping last summer for Fuller House, I had a moment of panic and I thought, "Oh my God, can I do this? It's been 20 years. What if I lose it? What if I blank out there and I can't do this anymore?" But as soon as I got into the character wardrobe, those lines just came out of me. This character, it's like muscle memory. Kimmy Gibbler never really left me. It's been an effortless return, and I'm really relieved and happy about that.

Read More: Cut It Out! 'Fuller House' Official Trailer Brings Old Gags, New Faces

Kimmy started as a one-time role so there had to have been some fleshing out that needed to happen since she's now one of the three main women on the show. What was that part of the process like?

There's been some slight changes. Kimmy's profession changed a little bit, but Jeff wanted the three of us to be very involved in the character development, and that's how you know, hey, we're the adults now because we get [to have] a lot of feedback. (Laughs) Jeff early values our opinions and he wanted us to be very involved, and that means a lot to me. He would call me on random afternoons and say, "You know what? I think we should dot this differently with Kimmy. How do you feel about that?"

I love that Kimmy is still confidently quirky. She makes no apologies for who she is, but there's definitely a maturity about her, being a mom and being a single mom, and she just wants to raise her daughter right and she wants her daughter to be happy. And Kimmy's an entrepreneur. She's a party planner and owns her own business, and she takes that very seriously too. Despite the quirkiness, Kimmy has grown up, I think, and I hope that the viewers will be able to see that and appreciate it.

What was her original profession supposed to be?

We thought at first maybe she should have a very eclectic background that nobody would expect, like maybe she is a translator for the United Nations and she speaks like four different languages. So she comes in speaking Russian and French and she's a translator for all of these international ambassadors. We thought nobody would see that coming.

Another idea we threw around was Kimmy having a snack-making business at home, like Gibbler's Nibblers. She ran her own cookie business out of the basement of the home. And eventually we settled on party planning just because it fits so well with the character -- there's so much potential there for elaborate parties and parties gone wrong and parties gone right and theme parties. I'm glad we settled on party planner.

Another interesting part of Kimmy's backstory is her complicated relationship with her estranged husband  which is something you don't usually see on a family sitcom.

When they announced the casting of Juan Pablo Di Pace as Fernando, I could practically hear the collective jaw-dropping of Internet about how did Kimmy land such a hot guy as her husband?! (Laughs) So there is some interesting backstory there that the viewers will see on Fuller House.

He's an estranged husband. He's not quite an ex-husband yet, but they're headed that way, but are they headed that way? There's a lot of great storylines coming up for Kimmy and Fernando, and I can't wait for everybody to see it because those are my favorite scenes.

What has it been like to play some of these more adult storylines on Fuller House?

Fuller House is definitely a contemporary show. It's not just Full House 2.0. It's a modern show. Before on the original show, our storylines were all about the first day of middle school and making friends and just say no to drinking and things like that, and it's more complicated now as an adult. Our storylines are now about dating and dating while being moms and having exes in our lives. It's more multi-layered, but they're great storylines. I'm 39 in my real life, and so is Kimmy Gibbler, so I can relate to all of this stuff.

Fuller House's entire first season premieres Friday on Netflix.
By David Beasley

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Concealed handguns would be allowed on Georgia's public college campuses under a measure that cleared the state's House of Representatives and now heads to the Senate over the objections of university leaders.

The bill, which was approved by the Republican-dominated House on Monday, would let anyone 21 or over with a concealed weapons permit take their handguns on public college campuses but not into dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses or sporting events.

"The House took a very clear position that the Second Amendment does not stop at the edge of a college campus," Speaker David Ralston, a Republican, said following passage of the bill, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

A Democratic opponent of the bill, State Representative Robert Trammell, said in a phone interview on Tuesday that he believed the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment allowed handguns to be barred from "sensitive" places such as college campuses.

"In addition to the question of public safety, a weapon in a classroom environment is antithetical to the idea and mission of post-secondary education," Trammell said.

Supporters of the measure have cited several recent armed robberies of students in the library at Georgia State University in downtown Atlanta as evidence that students should be allowed to arm themselves.

But Trammell said there is no data showing that campuses would be safer if students were allowed to carry weapons.

The Georgia Board of Regents, which governs the state's colleges and universities, opposes the bill, spokesman Charles Sutlive said.

The measure's chances in the Republican-controlled state Senate are unclear. A similar "campus carry" provision failed in 2014 when senators stripped it from a broader gun bill.

A spokeswoman for Republican Governor Nathan Deal said the governor does not comment on pending legislation, giving no indication of whether he supports the bill.

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Last week, the president of the University of Texas reluctantly approved plans that would allow licensed concealed handgun holders to bring pistols into classrooms, after the Texas legislature last year approved a campus carry law similar to the one proposed in Georgia.

Georgia's bill covers only public colleges. Texas allows private colleges to opt out of campus carry, and most of the best-known private schools have.

(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Bill Trott)
Frankfurt (AFP) - Clouds loomed over the German economy on Tuesday as business confidence in Europe's economic powerhouse fell to its lowest level in over a year.

According to the closely-watched business climate index calculated every month by the Ifo economic institute, business sentiment slumped to its lowest level since December 2014 in February.

The index fell to 105.7 points in the third consecutive monthly decline and the sharpest drop since October 2014.

"The majority of companies were pessimistic about their business outlook for the first time in over six months," said Ifo, with manufacturers in particular voicing deep concerns.

"Manufacturers' business expectations declined steeply, marking their largest downswing since November 2008," Ifo said.

"With production levels falling at the end of 2015, manufacturers fear that the downturn will continue," it added.

Official data had shown production declining in December as domestic and eurozone demand for German-made goods fell.

- Financial market shock -

But analysts said the latest Ifo reading also showed that Germany's powerful export industry was starting to wake up to global concerns roiling international markets.

"We think that business managers were hit by a financial market shock in the form of the latest turbulence on international equity markets," said UniCredit economist Andreas Rees.

"Furthermore, the risk of a Schengen break-up may have increasingly been noticed by German exporters," he said.

"Tighter border controls may lead to disruptions and higher costs," Rees said.

The day before, a study by the Prognos institute estimated that ending Europe's open-borders Schengen agreement would cost EU economies at least 470 billion euros ($520 billion) over a decade.

Rees said that while the economic fundamentals were solid, he had "to acknowledge the increasing downside risks which emerged recently.

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"Persistent volatility on financial markets and geopolitical risks could weigh on exports and trigger a less favourable wait-and-see mode among German companies," he said.

- 'Solid and consistent growth' -

Commerzbank economist Joerg Kraemer said that "most economists who expect rising growth for the first half of the year ... will have to lower their growth forecasts for Germany and probably also for the eurozone."

The probability was growing that the European Central Bank would have to roll out more stimulus measures at its policy meeting next month, Kraemer argued.

ING DiBa economist Carsten Brzeski said the Ifo data showed that "global events have finally reached German companies' boardrooms".

"Expectations have taken another sharp hit from recent market turmoil, the adverse impact of low oil prices and renewed concerns about a slowing of the Chinese economy," he said.

Earlier, the federal statistics office Destatis confirmed a preliminary estimate that the German economy grew by 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter last year, the same rate of growth as in the preceding three months.

And over the whole of 2015, Germany's gross domestic product (GDP) notched up "solid and consistent growth" of 1.7 percent, Destatis said.

And there was good news with regard to the country's public finances, which showed their biggest surplus since unification in 1990.

Domestic demand is the main growth driver, with public and consumer spending both rising in the fourth quarter and investment also on the increase.

Natixis economist Johannes Gareis felt "there are reasons to believe that the first quarter of 2016 can see another round of rather solid domestic demand performance, while export growth is likely to be weak."

Falling exports had weighed on growth in the period from October to December.

"Overall, we expect the pace of growth to maintain at 0.3 percent going into the first quarter," said Gareis.

"With oil prices and inflation being down, private consumption should grow markedly, also reflecting solid employment and wage growth. Also, we expect that public consumption continues to provide a stimulus due to more spending on refugees," he said.

BayernLB economist Stefan Kipar insisted that the German economy "remains in an upturn."

However, "since weak demand from a number of key exports won't disappear immediately, growth in the first quarter is unlikely to come out much higher than at the end of last year."

And his forecast for growth of 1.8 percent for this year "could be a little optimistic," Kipar added.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A German national was killed on Tuesday in Syria while fighting against Islamic State with the Kurdish YPG militia, the seventh Westerner to die fighting with the group, a YPG official said. He was killed in the town of al-Shadadi in the northeastern province of Hasaka and would not be identified until his family had been informed, the official told Reuters. One American, one Briton, two Germans, two Australians, and a Canadian have died fighting with the YPG, the official said. The YPG has received air support from a U.S.-led coalition in its fight against Islamic State in northern Syria. The YPG official declined to be identified because he is not an official spokesman for the group. (Reporting by Tom Perry; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Kiev (AFP) - Germany and France on Tuesday urged Ukraine to root out corruption and quickly adopt a law on elections in the pro-Russian east that may help end the region's separatist war.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in Kiev in the midst of a bout of political turmoil that has seen ministers in the pro-EU government trade accusations of influence peddling and graft.

The ruling coalition has been breaking at the seams since Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk won a no-confidence vote last Tuesday that came only hours after President Petro Poroshenko urged Yatsenyuk to step down.

The tumult has sparked worry among Ukraine's Western allies that the government may be failing to follow through on the hopes for change of Ukrainians, whose protests brought down the country's Russian-backed leadership in February 2014.

Adding to EU concerns are continued clashes among Ukrainian forces and pro-Moscow insurgents that Kiev and the West accuse Russia of backing -- a charge the Kremlin denies.

"We arrived in Ukraine during a storm. There is much unrest," Steinmeier admitted during a joint press conference with Ayrault and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin.

Both he and Ayrault insisted that Ukraine's leaders needed to set aside their squabbles to put the country on the path to sustainable and peaceful growth.

"We need the economic reforms to be pushed forward," said Steinmeier.

"But it is essential that this policy is based on a principle of zero tolerance for corruption," he stressed.

His French counterpart said the European Union "will continue to support your country".

"However, to be clear, we need for (Ukraine's) policies to be determined, credible and sustainable," Ayrault said.

A report by Fitch Ratings warned Tuesday that the tensions between the president and prime minister "combined with the influence of vested interests and popular opposition, have already delayed reforms and held up" foreign aid.

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- Sealing Russian border -

Berlin and Paris have been spearheading Western efforts to end a 22-month revolt in eastern Ukraine that has claimed more than 9,000 lives in the European Union's backyard.

But a peace plan signed one year ago that was meant to find a permanent solution by the end of 2015 has expired with few of its commitments met.

One of those involves Ukraine adopting a law on elections that grants rebel-run regions temporary special status -- a step at which Kiev has balked.

That refusal has fanned daily exchanges of mortar and artillery fire that has already driven more than 1.5 million Ukrainians from their homes across the industrial war zone.

Steinmeier said it was unacceptable "that there are so many violations of the ceasefire and that the electoral law is being postponed" by Ukraine.

Such a law "would be the basis for elections to be organised in the east."

But Ukraine has insisted that it cannot conduct polls in separatist regions under international laws unless its porous border with Russia is secured first.

Poroshenko said Monday he had held talks with Ayrault and Steinmeier on their arrival about the possibility of deploying an international monitoring mission in rebel-held territories -- a proposal stiffly opposed by insurgency leaders.

"The parties discussed an opportunity of deploying an international mission in (the east) as an important precondition for holding local elections under the Ukrainian legislation and the OSCE principles," Poroshenko's official website said.

US President Barack Obama also told Russia's Vladimir Putin on Monday about the importance of "permitting... the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) full access to the conflict area, including the international border."

Ukraine has recently backed off its earlier idea of asking the United Nations to deploy a peacekeeping force in the east because of Russia's likely veto of the plan.
Dublin (AFP) - Once the political voice of the IRA, then a peacemaker, now a top anti-austerity candidate in this week's elections in Ireland: Gerry Adams has gone through an apparent transformation over four decades.

Striding through crowds at a march against budget cuts and tax hikes in a country still scarred by the economic crisis, the Sinn Fein leader said that the thousands taking part heralded winds of change.

"It's the government's worst nightmare," Adams told AFP at the Dublin protest as supporters vied to shake his hand ahead of the vote on Friday.

Ireland is "embracing an alternative," he said.

The outgoing government led by Prime Minister Enda Kenny could struggle to form a majority and Sinn Fein could emerge as the main opposition party, hoping to gain as much as double its previous seat count of 14.

"The last election was a big breakthrough for us so hopefully we'll build on that this time around," the 67-year-old Adams said, his bright red scarf tied up under his greying beard against a wet and wintry day.

His new image is a far cry from the bloodiest years of the sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland when he would defend the actions of paramilitaries and his voice was banned from British airwaves.

- Manifesto for a united Ireland -

Sinn Fein's priorities are to scrap a property tax and controversial water charges that have crystallised anger towards austerity.

Sinn Fein's manifesto also includes a commitment to a referendum on a united Ireland, ending the division between British-ruled Northern Ireland and the republic.

"We would love to see it as quickly as possible but that's work in progress at the moment," Adams said.

Adams first took the helm of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland three decades ago when it was seen as the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and in recent years has led a push by the party for power in the neighbouring republic.

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He became involved with politics as a teenager and was imprisoned without trial in the midst of The Troubles -- 30 years of violence in which 3,500 people died, with the IRA waging a campaign of violence to drive Britain out of Northern Ireland.

Adams helped broker a landmark 1998 peace deal that largely ended the conflict, and has since sought broader popular support across the whole island, cultivating a kindly image with whimsical comments about teddy bears and chocolate on Twitter while retaining a bedrock of republican support.

He has served in the Irish parliament since 2011 after resigning as an MP for West Belfast -- a seat he never took up in Britain's parliament because Sinn Fein do not recognise Westminster's jurisdiction over Northern Ireland.

- 'Support is only rising' -

Although Adams has always denied being a member of the IRA paramilitary group, his association with Northern Ireland's decades of conflict has been repeatedly targeted by rivals to undermine his election campaign.

In a pre-election debate, he was challenged on IRA kneecappings, disappearances and sexual abuse -- with Micheal Martin, leader of the Fianna Fail party, accusing him of being a member of the IRA.

"If you look at the trajectory of support for Sinn Fein, their support is only rising," said University of Limerick politics lecturer Maura Adshead.

"Which is why all parties are keen to suggest that Sinn Fein is not really democratic, it can't really be trusted, and will take every occasion to link the current Sinn Fein with the past Sinn Fein, to link them with violence."

Commentators have questioned whether Sinn Fein might be in a stronger position if Adams stepped aside for a fresher face such as Dubliner Mary Lou McDonald, the party's 46-year-old deputy leader.

"I would imagine in the not too distant future he'll decide it's time to bow out, but as long as he wants to remain as leader he has the pretty much unanimous support of the party," Sinn Fein justice and equality spokesman Padraig Mac Lochlainn told AFP.

For now, Adams shows little signs of slowing and insists it is now a question of "when, not if" Sinn Fein will get into government in Dublin.

His message for Kenny's government?: "Adios amigos."
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece has filed a formal protest with Austria over its decision to call a meeting of Balkan states on the migrant crisis without including Greece, its Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, calling it an "non-friendly move" by Vienna. The Austrian ambassador to Athens was summoned to the ministry on Monday where the diplomatic protest was filed, it said. The move was a "unilateral and non-friendly act" towards Greece on a matter in which Athens had a direct interest, the ministry said. Vienna has invited Balkan states to a meeting on the migration crisis on Wednesday, following the country's move to limit asylum applicants last week. The meeting includes interior and foreign ministers from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Austria's Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz will attend the meeting, hosted by Vienna's Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner. Greece is also on the Balkan peninsula and any attempts by its neighbours and countries nearby to close their borders could have a domino effect back to Greece, leaving thousands of migrants arriving by sea from Turkey stranded there. Austria has largely served as a conduit into Germany for the migrants who have streamed through the Balkans but has limited asylum applicants to 80 per day. Asked about the meeting, Greece's Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas told Skai TV the move was anti-European, violating decisions taken by the EU. "It wounds Europe and will burden our country with something it does not deserve. The Balkan route was a humanitarian corridor. It could close after consultations and not by turning one country against the other." (Writing by Michele Kambas and George Georgiopoulos; Editing by Alison Williams)
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece on Tuesday called on NATO to implement a plan to deploy a task force into the Aegean Sea to clamp down on criminal networks smuggling refugees into Europe, with its defense minister accusing Turkey of trying to undermine the deal. "I sent a letter to the Secretary-General of NATO today asking him to implement the unanimous agreement," Defense Minister Panos Kammenos told journalists. "In this letter I am asking that the NATO force be moved east of the Greek islands," he said. Turkey, he said, had raised fresh demands for the task force to be deployed. "Turkey is trying to blow (the agreement) apart," he said. (Reporting By Lefteris Papadimas, writing by Michele Kambas)
Christchurch (New Zealand) (AFP) - Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood pleaded guilty to dissent on Tuesday following a profanity-laced confrontation with the umpires in the second Test against New Zealand, an Australian team spokesman said.

Tempers flared after a Hazlewood lbw appeal for the wicket of Kane Williamson was turned down. Hazlewood was heard to use a swear word as players angrily converged on the umpires.

The team spokesman said there was no immediate word on a penalty for Hazlewood.

The stumps microphones at Hagley Oval picked up the obscenity from Hazlewood and others when the Australians converged on umpires Richard Kettleborough and Ranmore Martinesz.

Hazlewood's appeal for the wicket of Williamson on 88 was rejected by Martinesz in the last over before lunch and the third umpire Richard Illingworth, after reviewing a replay, agreed Williamson was not out.

Australian fast bowler Jackson Bird said the angry reaction was down to frustration after a tough morning in the field in which they failed to take a wicket.

"We bowled pretty well in the first session and we probably thought it was out, but those 50-50 calls either go your way or they dont," he said.

"It was probably the frustration of the whole session. Wed bowled pretty well and hadnt got a wicket and wed been pretty close a couple of times."
From Popular Mechanics

Last December, NASA received an enormous cash boost for 2016-bringing their funding to well over 19 billion dollars. Shortly after, the administration announced it was ready to cash in with some big plans.

"This increased funding will allow us to do something that NASA has not done in decades, to partner with industry and build a new series of experimental aircraft, or X-Planes." reiterated Charles Bolden, NASA's chief administrator, at a press conference at the NASA Ames's Research Center yesterday.

The majority of these new experimental aircraft will be focused on pursing an increasingly important goal: producing greener commercial airliners. During the press conference, NASA gave reporters a peek at the first design of one such X-Plane. It's a commercial airliner with some very strange wings, which NASA hopes could replace the Airbus 320 or Boeing 737 by 2030. It could carry 150 passengers and travel at 75 percent of the speed of sound.

"It would knock the socks off a Boeing 737. It'll cut fuel use by more than 50 percent," says Bolden.

The airliner, currently unnamed, has truss-braced wings, the need for which wind-tunnel testing made evident. In addition to the cut fuel consumption, the plane "would also be at least six times quieter and cut emissions by 80 percent" compared to an Airbus 320 or Boeing 737, says Nateri Madavan, a project manager of NASA's air transport technology division. The design was co-developed by Boeing, and has been a work in progress for roughly 7 years.

Madavan explains that this "revolutionary plane" owes it's insane boost in fuel efficiency to incredibly slender wings. The slenderness of the plane's wings increases the jet's aerodynamical properties-cutting down on drag-while the truss keeps those flimsy wings from snapping clean off.

The balance between slenderness and strength is one that aerospace engineers have juggled for decades, but have yet to master. The key issue is finding a way to develop a strong truss that doesn't create any unintended aerodynamical wackiness that might eliminate the efficiencies of the slender wings in the first place. Madavan says that all evidence suggests that this new design cleanly solves that puzzle.

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Right now NASA is currently testing a scale model of the truss-braced jetliner in their 11 by 11-foot transonic wind tunnel. The last few weeks have focused on trying the dynamical properties at the joint where the truss meets the wing, "which we affectionately call the armpit," says Madavan.

Godspeed.
Fresh off a decisive win in the Nevada caucuses, Hillary Clinton returned to Los Angeles on Monday to raise money for her presidential campaign.

Among her stops: The set of Scandal, where she posed for a selfie with Tony Goldwyn and Scott Foley, who was directing an episode. He posted on his Instagram account.

At an event at the Hancock Park home of producer Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and her husband, Marketshare CEO Jon Vein, Clinton was introduced by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to a crowd of about 350 people, where she talked about the negativity coming out of the Republican party and of Donald Trump, according to attendees who were there.

Clinton cited comments about Muslims, and how it has posed a danger for the U.S. because it has made it difficult for U.S. officials to put together a coalition of Arab nations.

According to attendees, among those at the $2,700-per-person event were Jim Parsons, Courtney Love, George Takei, media mogul Haim Saban, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Rep. Tony Vardenas (D-Calif.), former White House social secretary Jeremy Bernard and music mogul Clarence Avant and his wife, Jackie. The event sold out by Sunday night, sources said.

The host committee included producer Lawrence Bender, Will Ferrell and wife Viveca, investor Sim Farar and his wife Debbie, producer Emmy Ellison and director Peter Sattler, fundraising consultant John Gile, attorney Carol Hamilton and fundraising consultant David Wolf.

Clinton also talked about how she wanted to improve on Obamacare, rather than try to establish a single-payer system, as is proposed by her chief rival for the Democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders.

Earlier, Clinton attended an event in Studio City at the home of Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, who co-hosted along with Anita Hirsh.

Clinton was making her seventh fundraising visit to the region since announcing her candidacy, Sanders draws on a bonanza of small-dollar online contributions.

At the Hancock Park event, those who raised $10,000 got a photo with Clinton, while those who raised $27,000 got a photo and membership on the Hillary for America finance committee.

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French President Francois Hollande on Monday acknowledged that three decades of nuclear tests in French Polynesia had had "an impact" on health and the environment and promised to revamp the compensation process.

Hollande's remarks, made on a visit to the French Polynesian capital, are the clearest admission yet of the damage caused by the French testing programme.

"I recognise that the nuclear tests between 1966 and 1996 in French Polynesia have had an environmental impact, causing health consequences," Hollande said in Papeete during a tour of the Pacific.

France carried out the 193 nuclear tests on the atolls of Mururoa and Fangataufa until then-president Jacques Chirac called a halt to the programme in the 1990s.

For decades, it denied its responsibility for fear the admission would weaken its nuclear programme during the Cold War.

Only around 20 people have received compensation for the spread of cancers allegedly linked to the tests from among some 1,000 plaintiffs, and Hollande said the process would now be reconsidered.

"The processing of applications for compensation for victims of nuclear tests will be reviewed," he said.

Hollande said he wanted to "turn the page" after the three decades of nuclear tests in the area.

The president also said France would provide financial assistance to the oncology department of Tahiti's hospital, in line with demands from local politicians.

From next year, France will pay more than 90 million euros ($99 million) a year to assist the facilities.

"The environmental consequences of the tests must also be dealt with," Hollande said.

He pledged France's assistance in dismantling the facilities used in the tests and Hollande said the sites on Mururoa and Fangataufa "will be the subject of meticulous care".

It was above Fangataufa that France launched its first H-bomb in August 1968.

Hollande paid tribute to the contribution made by French Polynesia, saying that without the tests there "France would not have nuclear weapons and therefore would not have a nuclear deterrent".

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Some 150,000 civilian and military personnel took part in 210 nuclear tests carried out between 1960 and 1996 by France in the Pacific and the Sahara desert. Many of them later developed serious health problems.

It was only in 2010 that France passed a law authorising compensation for military veterans and civilians whose cancer could be attributed to the test programme.

French Polynesia, with a population of about 280,000, is one of three French territories in the Pacific.
PRISTINA (Reuters) - Hundreds of Kosovars put up tents in Pristina's main square on Tuesday demanding snap elections and the suspension of a parliamentary vote that will bring in a president who helped broker a deal giving more powers to the ethnic Serb minority. Opposition parties accuse presidential candidate, Hashim Thaci, deputy prime minister and the head parliament's biggest party, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), of nepotism and corruption. The former prime minister denies the accusations. They have been protesting since October last year against the EU-brokered agreement with Serbia and have organized street protests, clashed with the police several times and last month set the government building on fire. They have also frequently released tear gas in parliament over the last few months. "We will stay here until the government goes home," the president of the biggest opposition party Vetevendosje, Visar Ymeri, said as supporters around him set up red and green tents in front of the main government building. "Kosovo cannot be governed by politicians who have endangered the countrys sovereignty," he said. Last Friday, the opposition released tear gas in parliament to protest against the deal with Serbia and to demand the cancellation of a border deal with Montenegro. The government says opposition party leaders are provoking violence and trying to drag Kosovo into "crime and anarchy". Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, almost a decade after NATO air strikes drove out Serbian security forces accused of killing and expelling ethnic Albanian civilians during a counter-insurgency war. Many Kosovo Albanians believe last year's accord with Serbia represents a threat to that hard-won sovereignty, though its status is unclear after the constitutional court ruled in December that parts of it breach the country's laws. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Louise Ireland)
The Bosnian Muslim women camping out in the cornfield were shattered. Some sobbed, while others sat silently, staring into space. It was a baking hot summer in July 1995, and the town of Srebrenica had just fallen to the Bosnian Serbs. They were completely traumatized, recalls the British journalist Julian Borger, who was covering the war in Bosnia for The Guardian and the BBC. He is now the diplomatic editor of The Guardian. They had just had their husbands, fathers and sons torn away from them and executed in a series of mass killings. I remember one woman remonstrating with another: How could you have let him out of your sight?

Borger had been covering the war for two years, but he had never seen anything like the scenes in this cornfield or heard stories like those told by the women there. He saw the body of one woman, Ferida Osmanovic, whose husband had been executed; she hanged herself from a tree.

Srebrenica, a city in eastern Bosnia, was a U.N.-declared safe area. A civil war that began in 1992 had largely divided the former Yugoslav republic by ethnic group. That part of the country was home to Muslims. Serbs, whom most Western nations consider the aggressors in the war, held the territory on all sides of it. A unit of Dutch peacekeepers was posted in the town, where the people relied on U.N. aid convoys for food. But the outnumbered, frightened peacekeepers had stood by when the Bosnian Serbs moved to gain control of Srebrenica in July 1995. And they stood by as the Serbs then took away more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

The scenes that followed were reminiscent of the Einsatzgruppen, the Nazi extermination squads that massacred hundreds of thousands of Jews in Eastern Europe during World War II. Day after day, the prisoners were bussed to execution sites, where they were shot and then buried in mass graves. Western spy satellites monitored some of the burial grounds, and a mornings worth of airstrikes could have saved thousands of lives. But the airstrikes never came.

NATO airstrikes against Bosnian Serb forces finally began in August 1995, a month after the Srebrenica massacre. Soon after, the warring sides struck a complex peace deal in Dayton, Ohio, that divided Bosnia into three parts and intended to give equal representation to the three ethnic groups: Bosnian Muslims, Serbs and Croats. The agreement put an end to a three-year war that claimed around 100,000 lives.

Shamed by its policies during the war and its failure to stop what happened at Srebrenicathe worst atrocity in a war that was not short on themthe West resolved to address its failures. In May 1993, the U.N. Security Council had established the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). It couldnt stop the violence in the Balkans, but it ruled that Srebrenica was genocide and set about trying to bring those responsible to trial. Borger s new book, The Butchers Trail, is an account of what became the most extensive hunt for war criminals since the end of World War II. We failed, pathetically, to stop that crime we could so easily have prevented, but at least, belatedly, we went after the killers, Borger says. It was an important thing to do.

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Other Press

The book had its genesis in an article about the hunt Borger wrote for The Guardian in August 2011. He quickly realized that there was much more to tell. I felt like I was coming across a scene of untold history. The ICTY was also partial redemption for the worlds failures in Bosnia.

Borger, who was part of The Guardian reporting team that won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for public service journalism for the papers coverage of the surveillance files revealed by former American intelligence operative Edward Snowden, handles the complicated story with flair and confidence. Vividly written, packed with lively character sketches of spymasters, lawyers and diplomats, The Butchers Trail is a deeply researched account of the hunt for some of the worst war criminals of the late 20th century.

In some places, it reads like a spy thriller, as the narrative takes us to isolated mountain villages, the offices of high-level government officials and inside intelligence agencies. Along the way, Borger reveals new details of the operations to arrest the ICTYs most wanted. He tells the story of how Slavko Dokmanovic, the first indicted war criminal arrested by U.N. troops, was captured by a small group of Polish special forces soldiers, hooded and put on an airplane to the Hague. He also describes for the first time how Goran Hadzic, a former leader of the Croatian Serbs and the last indicted suspect arrested, was tracked down after French spies infiltrated the Balkans black market in stolen art.

Borger is especially strong on the international intrigue, as rival intelligence services intervened in investigations, governments backtracked on their financial commitments and ICTY officials faced obstruction and resistance from some Western officials opposed to a new U.N. court over which they had no control.

Some of the most fascinating material in The Butchers Trail concerns Borgers revelations about the ICTYs ultra-secretive tracking unit. In the period immediately after the 1995 Dayton Accords, the international community showed little interest in arresting high-level perpetrators. Western powers were more concerned with keeping Bosnias fragile peace than arresting war criminals. NATO soldiers deployed in Bosnia would pretend not to see those wanted by the ICTY as they traveled freely in the country.

Although Western intelligence services were not interested in arresting perpetrators, the ICTYs tracking unit, staffed by former spies and investigators, was. And it had a powerful mandateU.N. member states were obliged to cooperate, but the CIA and MI6 were not tasked with finding suspects until 1997.

This was a small group of people that was instrumental in finding suspects, says Borger. They were very dedicated, light on their feet and much more efficient than the CIA or MI6. People talked to the ICTY who would not talk to the CIA or MI6. Some of the techniques used by the tracking unit to locate suspects were later used, and honed, in the pursuit of terrorism suspects after 9/11.

There is occasional humor in a book filled with the depraved stories of men who clearly took pleasure in dehumanizing their victims. Borger describes how U.S. special operations forces shipped a full-size gorilla suit to Bosnia in their hunt for Radovan Karadzic, the leader of the Bosnian Serbs. The plan was to dress a soldier in the costume, which would distract Karadzics convoy enough for the psychiatrist-turned-demagogue to be snatched without bloodshed. (Karadzic was arrested in Belgrade in 2008, where he had been living under a false name and working as a faith healer.)

03_04_ICTY_02

Sava Radovanovic/AP

Over 20 years, the ICTY indicted and arrested 161 individuals for war crimes and genocideonly a tiny fraction of the perpetrators. Fourteen of those involved in the Srebrenica massacre were convicted on charges of genocide and other war crimes. Cases against Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serbs military commander, are ongoing.

But many of the low-level perpetrators of the massacre and other crimesthe drivers, the guards, the men who pulled the triggerhave escaped justice. Thousands of people were intimately involved in what amounted to criminal enterprises. Take Srebrenica: The operation took place over several days in July 1995 and required detailed planning, logistics and transport, as well as burial squads. Victims were hunted down as they tried to escape through the woods, incarcerated in makeshift prison camps, and beaten and tortured before they were murdered. Witness O, whose name and identity the ICTY withheld out of concerns for his safety, said in testimony against Radislav Krstic, a Bosnian Serb general, From all of what I have said and what I saw, I could come to the conclusion that this was extremely well organized. Two whole brigades of Bosnian Serb soldiers took part in the operation, along with additional troops and police officers.

With that level of killing, there would never be full justice; it could only be partial, says Borger. War crimes investigations units have been set up in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, but the legal process inside the former Yugoslavia, already slow and uncertain, often falters under pressure. In January, the Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina was forced to issue a statement calling on politicians, journalists and lawyers to immediately cease attempts to politicize the institution and degrade the work of its judges.

The Butchers Trail can sometimes feel relentless; the book would have benefited by varying its pace, stepping out of the Balkans and adding more historical context. Nonetheless, it is an important work that adds greatly to our understanding of how international criminal justice has evolved and offers lessons for future war crimes investigations. International justice for mass killers can be enforced when the international community agrees on the benchmarks and to cooperate, Borger says. Impunity for mass killers is not inevitable.

It was the prospect of European Union membershipand the torrent of funds that would follow acceptance into the union for countries such as Serbiathat also helped nab Yugoslavias killers. Some of the most ardent nationalists, on all sides, soon tempered their enthusiasm for sheltering indicted suspects once it was made clear that EU membership was dependent on cooperation with the ICTY. Others escaped justice. Dokmanovic hanged himself in his cell. Slobodan Milosevic, the former Serbian president, died in his during his trial.

The ICTY, despite its early problems and limited mandate, achieved much, says Borger. The way to look at it is, What if there was no ICTY, and the tribunal had not gone after people? What would that mean for international justice? Yes, the glass is half-full, but that half is significant.

Julian Borger is the author of The Butchers Trail: How the Search for Balkan War Criminals Became the Worlds Most Successful Manhunt. Adam LeBor is the author of Complicity With Evil: The United Nations in the Age of Modern Genocide.
Yes, you read that correctly: Yue Zhang was hanging out in downtown Nashville, Indiana, on Thursday when a strange man suddenly charged at her and swung at her with a hatchet.

The 18-year-old Chinese exchange student  who was taking photos near the local courthouse with her Brown County High School class at the time  suffered a large cut down her back, but was otherwise unharmed and got discharged from the hospital.

Now her attacker, 59-year-old Dana Ericson, has pleaded "not guilty" to charges of attempted murder and "aggravated battery causing serious permanent disfigurement and battery by means of a deadly weapon," FOX 59 reported.

"The guy didn't act right," one witness told FOX 59. "He wasn't normal."

"The guy didn't act right. He wasn't normal."

Ericson, who is white, reportedly has a history of psychological problems. He's spent months in at least two psychiatric facilities in Indiana, and has faced prior criminal charges for stalking, battery, resisting law enforcement and a host of others, according to WBIW.

On Thursday, Ericson spotted Zhang with her class downtown and dashed across an intersection to get to her. After cutting the teen with a small Gerber hatchet  which measured four inches wide and six inches long  he fled the scene, as Zhang fell to the ground and witnesses looked on in horror.

When Ericson was apprehended by police later, he identified himself as a white supremacist and said he intended to kill Zhang. He added that he "hates these people," wanted to "make a point" and was trying to "perpetrate [an act of] ethnic cleansing."

"I don't believe in your law," Ericson shouted at the judge at his court hearing on Friday. "Your laws are a bunch of crap." Judge Judith Stewart has since ordered that Ericson undergo a psychiatric competency evaluation.

Ericson will not face hate crime charges because the state of Indiana does not recognize the term "hate crime" for criminal purposes, according to WTHR. But his actions come at a time when xenophobic violence is making headlines across the country.

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Acts of aggression toward Muslim and Sikh Americans in particular have increased since November, when a pair of attackers killed 14 people at a social services center in San Bernardino, California. In Bloomington, Indiana  18 miles west of Nashville  a 19-year-old white man tried to strangle a Muslim woman outside a cafe in October, yelling, "White power!" throughout the attack.

"We're a very peaceful place to live and we're proud of that heritage, and we just want you to know that there's no malice toward anyone in this county."

According to FBI data, 52.4% of known perpetrators of hate crimes in 2014 were white. These incidents have prompted lawmakers to renew their push for anti-hate crime laws in the state. "It's not just an attack against one individual, it's an attack against the whole society," State Rep. Greg Porter (D-Ind.) told WTHR.

Meanwhile, residents of Brown County  where the attack on Zhang occurred  maintain it is a friendly place that regularly hosts exchange students without incident.

"We're a very peaceful place to live and we're proud of that heritage, and we just want you to know that there's no malice toward anyone in this county," Norbert Garvey, a Brown County resident, told WTHR. "Toward anyone from abroad or from another place. Everyone is equal and welcome here."

h/t Angry Asian Man
Tehran (AFP) - Iran's oil minister on Tuesday dismissed an output freeze deal between the world's top two producers Saudi Arabia and Russia as "a joke", the ISNA news agency reported.

"Some neighbouring countries have increased their production over the years to 10 million barrels per day and export this amount, then say let's all freeze our oil production," Bijan Zanganeh said.

"They freeze production at 10 million bpd and we freeze at 1 million bpd. This is a very funny joke."

In a bid to stabilise an oversupplied market, Russia and OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Qatar announced Tuesday that they had reached a preliminary deal to freeze output at January levels, provided that other major producers followed suit.

The news sparked hopes the market would stabilise after sinking to near 13-year lows last week on the stubborn supply glut -- but disappointed those looking for an output cut.

Iran, which has the world's second-largest crude reserves, has increased production since a deal with Western powers ended sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme.

Zanganeh said in response to the freeze announcement that "there is room for discussion" but that it "won't relinquish" market share.Iran's oil minister on Tuesday dismissed an output freeze deal between the world's top two producers Saudi Arabia and Russia as "a joke", the ISNA news agency reported.
Arbil (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraqi Kurdish forces have rescued a 16-year-old Swedish girl who was tricked into travelling to areas controlled by the Islamic State group, a statement said Tuesday.

Kurdish counter-terrorism forces rescued the girl near Mosul, the jihadist organisation's main hub in Iraq, the statement from the Kurdistan Regional Security Council (KRSC) said.

"She was misled by an ISIL member in Sweden to travel to Syria and later to Mosul," the statement said, using another acronym for the jihadist group.

"The Kurdistan Regional Security Council was called upon by Swedish authorities and members of her family to assist in locating and rescuing her from ISIL," it said.

The teenage girl from the Swedish town of Boras was rescued on February 17, the statement said, without specifying exactly where that happened.

But a senior Kurdish security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the operation took place in Mosul instead of near the northern city.

"The operation was carried out secretly in the centre of Mosul... without clashes or the arrest of any gunmen," according to the official.

"Swedish authorities were in continuous contact with the girl and organised the operation to rescue her in cooperation with regional authorities," the official said.

There was no immediate confirmation of the incident from the Swedish authorities, to whom the KRSC said the teenager would shortly be transferred.
Jerusalem (AFP) - An Israeli court on Tuesday extended the detention without trial of a Jewish extremist suspected of attacks, after a request from the Shin Bet internal security agency, his lawyer said.

Meir Ettinger, a 23-year-old accused of being a key figure in a loose band of youths suspected of a string of nationalist hate crimes targeting Palestinians, Christians and even Israeli soldiers, has already been in administrative detention for seven months.

He was placed under the controversial measure in August, just days after a lethal firebomb attack on a Palestinian home in the West Bank which resulted in the death of a couple and their toddler.

Israel has charged two Jews over the attack but Ettinger has not been directly linked to the incident, which prompted a crackdown on Jewish extremists.

A number of Jews were arrested following the attack, but as of Tuesday only Ettinger is still in administrative detention after some were released and others charged, a legal group said.

A statement from Honenu, a legal organisation which defends right-wing Jewish extremists, said a District Court judge approved the Shin Bet's request -- also accepted by Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon -- to extend Ettinger's detention by four months.

Ettinger's lawyer, Yuval Zemer, said the extended detention "just because of one's opinions" marked "a sad day for democracy."

"Today Ettinger's opinions don't have a pleasant ring to the regime's ears, tomorrow it could be my opinions or those of any citizen," he said in a statement relayed by Honenu.

Ettinger's grandfather Meir Kahane founded Kach, a far-right movement that wanted to chase Arabs from Israel. Kahane was assassinated in New York in 1990.

Administrative detention is intended to allow authorities to hold suspects while continuing to gather evidence, with the aim of preventing further attacks in the meantime. It also allows authorities to avoid divulging sensitive intelligence in court proceedings.

Rights group B'Tselem said at the start of the year that Israel was holding 584 Palestinians under the controversial measure, including journalist Mohammed al-Qiq, who is three months into a hunger strike to protest his arrest.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli army bulldozers on Tuesday demolished the homes of two Palestinians who killed five people in attacks in the occupied West Bank and Israel last year, the military said. Mohammed al-Haroub shot at cars near an Israeli settlement bloc in the West Bank on Nov. 20, the military said, killing an Israeli, an American student and a Palestinian. On the same day, Raed Masalmeh stabbed and killed two Israelis in a Tel Aviv office building, according to the military. Both alleged assailants were arrested. Bulldozers tore through Haroub's home in the village of Dir Samt and Masalmeh's house in Dura, both in the West Bank. Israeli officials say such demolitions could deter other Palestinians from launching attacks in a wave of stabbings, shootings and car rammings that have killed 28 Israelis and a U.S. citizen since October. Palestinians and international critics call the destruction of family homes collective punishment. Local residents said the demolition displaced 12 of Haroub's relatives. It was not immediately known how many people lived in Masalmeh's house. In the past five months, Israeli security forces have killed at least 168 Palestinians, 111 of whom Israel says were assailants, while most others were shot dead during violent anti-Israeli protests. The recent violence has been stoked by various factors, including a dispute over Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound and the failure of several rounds of peace talks to secure the Palestinians an independent state in Israeli-occupied territory. Palestinian leaders have said that with no breakthrough on the horizon, desperate youngsters see no future ahead. Israel says young Palestinians are being incited to violence by their leaders and by Islamist groups calling for Israel's destruction. (Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Jeffrey Heller/Jeremy Gaunt)
By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The mayor of Haifa implored Israel's prime minister on Tuesday to remove an industrial chemical depot from the northern city, saying a veiled threat by Lebanon's Hezbollah militia to shell the site put as many as a million people in danger. Israeli worries about the toxic risks posed by the four-storey ammonia vat in Haifa port were stoked by Hezbollah rocket salvoes in the 2006 Lebanon war. In 2013, Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet said the depot would shut down as part of a planned new ammonia storage and production plant in the southern Negev desert. Lags in the plan's implementation, and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's description last week of the Haifa depot as a makeshift weapon of mass-destruction should it be attacked, prompted Mayor Yona Yahav's call on Netanyahu to take action. "We are alone in this battle," Yahav told Israel's Army Radio. "There are a million people around this depot here. It is a gaseous material. It is very, very dangerous material." Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond. The Environment Ministry referred Reuters to a statement it put out after Nasrallah's threat, in which it said that by the end of next month it expected bids for construction of the Negev site. "Currently, the main issue delaying construction of the plant is the high price of gas, since the plant needs gas to produce ammonia," said the statement, which also acknowledged the Haifa depot was "an environmental and security risk". Yahav argued that it was incumbent on the Netanyahu government "to put up the money and not wait for the business sector. Health and danger are more important, the residents are 100 times more important, than any economic consideration." The depot belongs to Haifa Chemicals Ltd., a private company, the Haifa municipality said. The company was unavailable for comment. A decade ago, Israel relocated a gas depot from Pi Glilot, near Tel Aviv, after a bomb set off by Palestinian militants at the site almost caused a major conflagration. Yahav said the Pi Glilot move also freed up lucrative real estate -- a motive that would not apply for the Haifa depot. "They (government authorities) don't really take us into account, because we are talking about a depot that is in a port and to my regret there is no great property value," he said. Haifa is home to many other large industrial plants including Oil Refineries, Israel's biggest refinery. In his Feb 16 speech, Nasrallah said Hezbollah had spared the Haifa depot in 2006 but might not do so in the future. "We don't have a nuclear bomb," he said. "The intended 'nuclear bomb' is the combination of several rockets and the ammonia storage tanks in Haifa, the result of which would be like a nuclear bomb." (Writing by Dan Williams; editing by Katharine Houreld)
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli soldiers have been ordered to take their guns with them when off duty to allow them to intervene in the event of Palestinian attack, the military said on Tuesday.

The decision comes after off-duty soldier Tuvia Weissman, 21, was stabbed to death at a supermarket in an Israeli industrial zone in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.

His wife told Israeli media that Weissman, who was a dual Israeli-American citizen, had asked his superiors if he could carry his gun with him to protect himself, but they refused and required him to leave it at his base's armoury.

Israeli military chief of staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot has now "ordered that soldiers carry their weapons even outside of their service," including while going home for leave, an army spokeswoman told AFP.

Soldiers had not previously been allowed to take their guns with them while on leave out of fear they could be stolen or used to commit suicide.

All Jewish Israelis are required to perform military service after they reach the age of 18.

Thursday's attack was part of a wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming assaults that erupted in October.

The violence has claimed the lives of 27 Israelis, as well as an American and an Eritrean.

In addition, 176 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, most while carrying out attacks but others during clashes and demonstrations.
By Isla Binnie ROME (Reuters) - Italy has agreed to let armed U.S. drones take off from an air base in Sicily on a case-by-case basis for defensive missions against Islamic State militants in North Africa, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Tuesday. "If it is a matter of operations against terrorists, against potential Islamic State attackers, there is a close relationship between us and the other allies, above all the Americans," Renzi said in an interview with RTL radio. The prime minister, who has repeatedly said Italy would not take part in military strikes in Libya without the express request of a recognized government, said they would be authorized "case by case". An Italian defense ministry official said late on Monday the agreement would allow defensive missions and not offensive action, such as the attack on a suspected militant training camp in Sabratha, Libya, that killed dozens last week. Italy will authorize departures from the Sigonella base near Catania only if each mission's aim is to protect personnel, the ministry official said, adding that no request had yet been made. LIBYAN CHAOS Sigonella, in eastern Sicily, is home to a U.S. Naval Air Station as well as a base for the Italian Air Force. It is sometimes used for logistical support for American and other NATO forces. Renzi said he preferred a diplomatic response to Islamic State, which has faced U.S.-led air strikes on the caliphate it has proclaimed across swathes of Iraq and Syria since 2014. "But then, if we have proof that there are 'kamikaze' attackers preparing potential strikes, naturally Italy will do its part along with all the others," he said. Islamic State is exploiting chaos in Libya, where two rival governments have been vying for power since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011, to establish bases and conduct raids both in Libya and in neighboring Tunisia. U.S. officials have been trying to persuade Italy to let them conduct such operations from the Sigonella air base for more than a year, the Wall Street Journal reported. The U.S. attack last week on a base in Sabratha, near the Tunisian border, targeted Noureddine Chouchane, a Tunisian militant linked to two raids in Tunisia that killed dozens, mostly tourists. The aircraft that carried out that attack took off from a base in Britain. U.S. officials are pushing for drones destined for offensive operations like the Sabratha strike to take off from Sicily, but Italian officials have balked at that step, fearing domestic opposition, the Wall Street Journal reported. (Reporting by Isla Binnie, additional reporting by Yeganeh Torbati in Washington, editing by Philip Pullella and Ralph Boulton)
MILAN (Reuters) - A judge in Italy on Tuesday set a trial date for an Italian woman who converted to Islam and is thought to have joined Islamic State militants in Syria, a legal source said. Maria Giulio Sergio, 28, left Italy for Syria with her Albanian husband shortly after they married in 2014. Both remain at large but are believed to be in Syria. A Milan prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for both of them last July, along with eight others. They face charges in an investigation into the planning of militant activities. Like many other European countries, Italy has stepped up surveillance of people suspected of supporting Islamist militants in Syria and Iraq, as Europeans began traveling to the region to fight. Prosecutors suspect Sergio convinced her family through Skype conversations to embark on jihad and join her in Syria, where Islamic State has seized swathes of the country and uses an extreme interpretation of Islam to justify attacks on its foes. The judge said Sergio's father, who is under house arrest in Italy, her husband, mother-in-law, and a Canadian woman suspected of encouraging her radicalization should all stand trial. It was not clear where her mother-in-law and the Canadian woman are now. Her elder sister was sentenced to five years and four months in jail after choosing a fast-track trial process. Erika Galati, a lawyer for Sergio's father, said she was unhappy with the decision to hold a trial, which she said was not justified, but would try to convince the court of her client's innocence. It was not immediately possible to reach the other suspects' lawyers for comment. The hearings will start on April 13 in Milan. Fewer Italians are thought to have become "foreign fighters" than nationals of European countries ,including France, Britain, Germany and Belgium. Last year, Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti put the total of Italian foreign fighters at 12, including six with dual nationality. (Reporting by Manuela D'Alessandro, additional reporting and writing by Isla Binnie, editing by Larry King)
Rome (AFP) - Italy's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it had summoned the US ambassador to Rome over reports of widespread US surveillance of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi, among several other European leaders.

US ambassador John Phillips was called in "for clarification on the media reports that allege Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi and some of his close associates were subjected to wiretapping in 2011," it said in a brief statement.

According to Italy's La Repubblica and Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung, classified documents released by WikiLeaks reveal the National Security Agency (NSA) spied on leaders from German Chancellor Angela Merkel to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, as well as the party-loving Italian billionaire.

Among the WikiLeaks documents were details of a 2011 meeting Merkel held with Berlusconi and then French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

In the meeting Merkel and Sarkozy pressured Berlusconi to reduce public debt and strengthen Italy's banking sector.

The meeting was tense and unfriendly, according to a Berlusconi advisor, who was painted by the newspapers as the probable target through whom the NSA obtained the information.

Another document showed the NSA listened in on talks between Berlusconi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which Netanyahu asked Berlusconi to help him improve relations with Washington that were strained by plans for Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem.
ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Tuesday called on his Democratic Party (PD) to water down a hotly contested bill on gay civil unions by stripping out all provisions on adoption rights. Renzi said his decision was the only way to push the bill quickly through parliament, according to PD senators who adopted their leader's proposal at a meeting. Gay rights organizations were angered by the move, which Renzi said was forced by divisions in his left-right coalition and hundreds of amendments tabled by the opposition. Italy is the only major Western country that has not yet recognized civil unions for same-sex or heterosexual couples, continuing to withhold from them legal protections such as inheritance rights. Renzi, who took office in 2014, promised to enact the law last year but has faced implacable opposition both within parliament and from the Roman Catholic Church, which continues to wield great influence in Italy. A clause giving unmarried couples limited opportunities to adopt their partner's children was the most fiercely contested part of the bill, opposed by Renzi's main coalition partner and many members of his own party. Gay rights group Famiglie Arcobaleno (Rainbow Families) said the decision to remove the adoption rights from the bill was "unacceptable" and amounted to the "emptying out" of a bill that already a modest compromise. Critics say the so-called "stepchild adoption" provision would encourage surrogacy parenting, which is illegal in Italy. Renzi said he was ready to put the new version of the bill to a vote of confidence to have it approved in the upper house Senate by Friday, PD senators said. The bill would then pass to the Chamber of Deputies, where the government has a more comfortable majority. The rights granted by the bill fall far short of the marriage status allowed for same-sex couples in the United States, Britain and many other countries. The legislation will give gay and unmarried heterosexual couples rights such as to take each other's names and to inherit each other's residual pension rights. (Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte, writing by Gavin Jones)
By Yuka Obayashi TOKYO (Reuters) - A decision by Japan's environment ministry to abandon its opposition to building new coal-fired power stations casts doubt on the industry's ability to meet targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions, experts and environmental activists said. The environment ministry's recent reversal puts Japan further out of step with other industrialized economies that have been restricting coal to meet commitments on carbon emissions agreed between 200 nations in Paris two months ago. The power industry accounts for 40 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. The environment ministry issued rare objections to five new coal-fired stations last year but has been pushed by the powerful industry ministry to accept voluntary steps by power companies to curb emissions. As Japan gets ready to open up its power retail market in April, companies are rushing to build 43 coal-fired plants or 20.5 gigawatt of capacity in coming years, about a 50 percent increase. [L3N1612RS] "Global opinion is increasingly shifting away from coal but Japan's environmental ministry is switching sides to approve new coal power plants. This runs counter to the global action," said Kimiko Hirata international director of lobby group Kiko Network. As part of the agreement, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is set to tighten its rules over coal-fired power stations from April 1, including issuing new non-binding requirements on the heat efficiency of new and existing plants to curb emissions. [L3N15Y2LY] "We will also monitor and check annually on progress. If we find the power industry cannot reach its goal, we will consider new measures," Environment Minister Tamayo Marukawa said this month after meeting with industry minister Motoo Hayashi to thrash out an agreement. Coal is attractive because it is the cheapest fossil fuel source and prices have slumped in recent years. Japan has turned to the energy source in record amounts since the Fukushima disaster in 2011 led to the shutdown of reactors. A group of 36 power companies, which supply 99 percent of the country's electricity, have also formed a new body to take measures to trim emissions and meet the industry's voluntary goal to cut emissions by 35 percent in 2030, compared with 2013. "I'm not convinced that these steps to be taken by the industry ministry will ensure the power industry achieves its 2030 goal," said Yukari Takamura, professor at Graduate School of Environmental Studies at Nagoya University, citing a lack of specific milestones between now and 2030. (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Aaron Sheldrick and Richard Pullin)
NAIROBI (Reuters) - A $144 million Kenyan wind power project backed by a joint venture between Macquarie Group and Old Mutual Investment Group has been cancelled due to opposition from local landowners and farmers, developer Kinangop Wind Park said on Tuesday. Kinangop's 60.8 megawatt (MW) project in Nyandarua County in central Kenya was due to come online by mid-2015 but progress was hobbled by disputes with residents over compensation for land. Last year, local farmers also opposed the project, saying they would be forced to sell their land. They also said the turbines could cause health problems, which the developer denied. Kinangop in a statement seen by Reuters on Tuesday said protests by locals had made it difficult for workers to build the wind farm. "Due to the consequent material delay, project funds have been depleted and the project can no longer be completed by the shareholders," it said. The project had aimed to provide electricity to an estimated 150,000 Kenyan homes by 2018. Its failure is a setback for the East African nation's drive to increase its power generation capacity by 5,000 MW in the five years to end-2017. Kenya's other wind power projects include the 300 MW Lake Turkana Wind Power site in the north of the country. Kinangop's main investor is Africa Infrastructure Investment Fund II which is advised by African Infrastructure Investment Managers, a joint venture between Macquarie and Old Mutual. The rest of the stake is held by Norway's investment fund for developing countries, Norfund. General Electric had won the contract to supply the plant's turbines. (Writing by George Obulutsa; editing by Duncan Miriri and Jason Neely)
Belgrade (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday offered his condolences to Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic over the two kidnapped Serbian diplomats believed to have been killed in a US air strike in Libya, Belgrade said.

Last week the US targeted a jihadist training camp near the Libyan coastal city of Sabratha, killing dozens of people including an Islamic State group operative the US said was behind the mass murder of tourists on a Tunisian beach.

However, Belgrade said the strike's victims also included two officials from Serbia's embassy in Libya, Sladjana Stankovic and Jovica Stepic, who had been taken hostage in the area in November.

The Pentagon said Saturday it had "no information" indicating that the attack had led to the deaths of two Serbians and that the circumstances of their deaths "remained unclear."

In a telephone conversation on Monday Kerry "expressed condolences to Vucic and the families over the death of Sladjana Stankovic and Jovica Stepic," the Serbian government said in a statement.

Kerry "told the prime minister that he would inform the Serbian government... about all the details of an investigation conducted by the US and its services, about the murder of Serbian diplomats," it said.

Vucic on the weekend said that the pair "would have been released, had they not been killed".

US officials said the raid likely killed Noureddine Chouchane, also known as "Sabir," who along with other jihadists had been planning attacks against American and other Western interests.

Chouchane is suspected of being behind both the beach attack in July 2015 near the Tunisian city of Sousse that killed 38 tourists, including 30 Britons, and an attack on the National Bardo Museum in Tunis that killed 21 tourists and a policeman in March 2015.

Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group.

Sabratha, which lies 70 kilometres (42 miles) west of Tripoli, is considered a stronghold of extremism in lawless Libya, where militants are trained in jihadist camps before launching deadly attacks in other countries.

The country spiralled into chaos after longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi was ousted and killed in October 2011, with two governments vying for power and armed groups battling to control vast energy resources.

Belgrade maintains an embassy in Tripoli, and Serbian citizens -- mostly doctors, other medical staff and construction workers -- have been working in Libya for decades due to close bilateral relations during Kadhafi's regime.
Washington (AFP) - Secretary of State John Kerry warned Tuesday that Washington is considering a "Plan B" to deal with Syria if Damascus and Moscow are not serious about negotiating a political transition.

Briefing US lawmakers, Kerry said he had told Russia's President Vladimir Putin the United States would not wait more than a few months to see whether Moscow's ally Bashar al-Assad is serious about talks.

But he would not be drawn on details of any "Plan B" that he would advise President Barack Obama to adopt if efforts to mediate a political deal to end the Syrian civil war fail.

Diplomatic sources and US press reports suggest the new plan would involve more direct US and allied military involvement, but Washington remains very cautious about being drawn deeper into the conflict.

"When I met with President Putin, I said to him very directly that the test is not going to be proven in six months or a year and a half, when the election is supposedly scheduled," Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,

"We're going to know in a month or two whether or not this transition process is really serious."

Kerry met Putin in Moscow in December, and Obama spoke with his Kremlin counterpart on Monday to agree a plan for a "cessation of hostilities" to begin in Syria from Saturday.

The ceasefire will not include actions by or against the Islamic State jihadist group nor Syria's Al-Qaeda offshoot, but Kerry hopes it will halt Russian and Syrian attacks on opposition rebel factions.

If it sticks, Kerry and Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergi Lavrov -- joint organizers of the 17-nation International Syrian Support Group -- will push Assad and the rebels to negotiate a political transition, with a new constitution and elections.

Some of the US senators expressed skepticism about the plan, but Kerry insisted Putin would not want to see Russian forces bogged down in a drawn out war if his ally Assad refuses to engage politically.

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"There is a significant discussion taking place now about 'Plan B' in the event that we don't succeed at the table," he said, implying that such a plan would involve stepped up support for the rebel groups.

"I think President Putin is smart enough to understand that if he just sits there over a period of time, those people who have supported the opposition will get different weapons, more weapons, and they will continue this fight," he said.

Saudi Arabia, reportedly with the help of the CIA and other US allies, has been supplying arms to some rebel factions and Saudi officials have suggested in certain circumstances they could deploy troops.
Washington (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday he plans to travel to Cuba in the "next week or two" for talks on human rights.

Kerry, who went to Cuba last August to raise the US flag over the reopened American embassy, acknowledged to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the United States still has concerns about the human rights situation there.

"I may be down there in the next week or two to have a human rights dialogue, specifically," he said.

That would put Kerry on the communist-ruled island just ahead of US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, who announced plans last week to visit Cuba March 21-22.

"The president hopes to press forward on the agenda of speaking to the people of Cuba about the future and obviously he is anxious to press on the rights of people to be able to demonstrate, to have democracy, to be free, to be able to speak and hang a sign in their window without being put in jail for several years," Kerry said.

The last American leader to visit Cuba while in office was Calvin Coolidge in 1928.

Obama and President Raul Castro surprised the world in December 2014 by agreeing to restore relations that had been severed for more than half a century.

Diplomatic relations were formally restored on July 20, 2015.

Obama on Saturday touted the opening as "a new chapter in our relationship."

"I believe that the best way to advance American interests and values, and the best way to help the Cuban people improve their lives, is through engagement - by normalizing relations between our governments and increasing the contacts between our peoples," Obama said in his weekly radio address.
Washington (AFP) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday unveiled a much-anticipated Pentagon roadmap aimed at finally closing Guantanamo Bay. Here are the key facts on the controversial military prison:

- History -

The Guantanamo Bay military prison was opened in January 2002 on a US Naval base on a coastal spit of land in southeastern Cuba, leased from Havana under a treaty dating back to 1903.

It was set up after the September 11, 2001 attacks under the administration of then-president George W. Bush to deal with prisoners who were termed "enemy combatants" and denied many US legal rights.

Obama has pushed for Guantanamo's closure since taking office in 2009, but his efforts have been thwarted by Republican lawmakers, many of whom see it as a useful tool in combating terror. Obama says the opposite is true, and that the facility feeds into anti-US, jihadist propaganda.

The US leader has also faced opposition from within his own administration, with the Pentagon accused of slow-pedaling transfers and overstating closure costs.

- 91 remaining inmates -

Currently, 91 inmates remain in Guantanamo; the facility has housed about 780 detainees since the start of 2002.

Of the remaining inmates, 35 have been "approved for transfer," meaning they can be released to another country willing to take them, assuming certain security and rehabilitation guarantees can be met.

The rest are divided into different legal categories but face ongoing, indefinite detention. Only 10 of them currently face criminal charges.

- Possible US sites -

The Pentagon has privately identified 13 venues in the United States to possibly house the remaining inmates. Officials have previously listed the Naval Consolidated Brig in Charleston, South Carolina; Fort Leavenworth in Kansas; and a federal prison complex in Florence, Colorado as sites under consideration.

The Colorado prison comprises medium, maximum and supermax facilities. The Pentagon also considered a state prison in Colorado's Canon City.

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- Notorious inmates -

Guantanamo houses five accused plotters of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Among them is the self-proclaimed mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Its inmates also include the man accused of masterminding the attack on the USS Cole in 2000, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. He was captured in 2002 and transferred to Guantanamo in 2006.

All six face the death penalty if convicted.

- Costly prison -

Guantanamo costs the US taxpayer around $455 million annually. The Pentagon said a US site would reduce that amount by up to $180 million.

Most of the savings would come from a decrease in the number of troops guarding the reduced population on the US mainland, but it could cost as much as $475 million in one-time expenses to move the men and build or update a facility to hold them.

"However, within three to five years the lower operating costs of a US facility with fewer detainees... could fully offset these transition costs," the closure plan notes.

- 'Enteral feeding' -

Among the controversies to emerge from Guantanamo was the practice of force-feeding inmates on hunger strike. The military has defended the practice as a necessary medical treatment, but critics likened it to torture.

Dubbed "enteral feeding" in military parlance, the process involves inserting a tube up an inmate's nose and into his stomach, then pumping in liquid nutrient.

- Recidivism -

The US keeps a "very close eye" on those who have been released from the facility. Some figures have estimated that up to 30 percent return to militant groups with the aim of carrying out attacks on Western targets.

But a US official said that figure includes both confirmed and suspected cases. He said 16 percent of freed inmates were confirmed to have returned to the battlefield, while about 12 percent are suspected of having done so.
By Emily Chow KUANTAN, Malaysia (Reuters) - Malaysian farmers of the famously pungent durian fruit are calling for tighter regulations on mining they say is destroying arable land and tainting the water they need to churn out their yellow, spiky-shelled crop. Farmers in major growing state Pahang plan to spend nearly two weeks marching over 250 kilometers to parliament in Kuala Lumpur to protest the impact of bauxite mining on output of the food, sometimes described as Southeast Asia's 'King of Fruits'. Parts of Pahang have been transformed over the last few years by a mining boom to feed China's appetite for bauxite, a key ingredient of aluminium. There has been a public outcry over environmental damage, however, with mining blamed for polluting land and turning waters red near the state capital Kuantan. That has piled pressure on the government, prompting it to impose a three-month ban on bauxite mining in early January, but durian growers such as Che Long Che Ali fear what will happen when the moratorium is lifted on April 15. "We will march to submit a memorandum to parliament ... I'm doing this for myself and all future generations to fight for our environment," he said, adding that farmers wanted tougher regulations on bauxite mining or even a permanent ban. "My durian trees didn't fruit last year. Our rivers and the air we breathe are polluted. People have fallen sick," Che Long said, with the march expected to begin around the middle of next month. Bauxite miners contacted by Reuters declined to comment on the issue. After Thailand, Malaysia is the world's No.2 producer of durian, banned in many hotels and airports due to the sulphurous smell of its sticky flesh - although many consider that scent part of the eating pleasure. China is its key market for frozen durian and related products. Malaysia's durian industry is not huge - government figures show 2014 frozen shipments to China were worth just over $1.2 million - but the crop is a source of national pride. Koh Yen Boon, a durian seller in Kuantan, said his sales volume dropped by about 30 percent last year due to lower output, driven by environmental damage and as more land was given over to mining. "There was less produce to sell ... The remaining trees were covered in red and brown dust," he said. Farmers blame ore dust for disrupting pollination, while environmentalists note that the habitat of birds, bees and bats - natural pollinators of the durian flower - are destroyed when land is cleared for mining. The Malaysian Nature Society also said that land used for mining would likely become infertile due to heavy-metal contamination, meaning rehabilitation for agriculture would be long and expensive. Bauxite mining in Kuantan boomed over the last two years as China shifted its sourcing of the material to Malaysia after former top supplier Indonesia banned exports. Despite calls from residents and environmentalists to bring mining in Kuantan to a complete halt, mining industry officials expect activity to resume after the three-month ban. "We expect to recommence mining, and we hope for adequate regulations to be in place to suppress any further impediment to the environment, especially from illegal mining," said Keith Vaz, Malaysian Mining Club president. (Reporting by Emily Chow; Editing by Joseph Radford)
Updated on February 22 at 2:57 p.m. ET

The Uber driver who is accused of a shooting spree in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Saturday night apparently chose his victims at random and may have picked up passengers in between killing six people.

The shootings, which occurred at three locations in Kalamazoo County, lasted about seven hours. The first victim was shot at an apartment complex at 5:42 p.m. on Saturday. State police said the gunman, whom they identified as Jason B. Dalton, 45, shot a woman in the parking lot, then drove away (the womans name was not released). Four hours later, authorities said there was another shooting at a car dealership, where Tyler Smith, 17, and his father, Richard Smith, 53, were killed. About 15 minutes later, police said Dalton shot five woman as they waited in their cars outside a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Four of the women died. They were Mary Lou Nye, 62, Mary Jo Nye, 60, Dorothy Brown, 74, and Barbara Hawthorne, 68. A a 14-year-old girl who was in the passenger seat was in critical condition. The victims were apparently picked at random, and seem to have no connection to the accused shooter.

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How do you go and tell the families of these victims that they werent targeted for any reason other than they were there to be a target? said Jeff Getting, the Kalamazoo County prosecutor.

Police arrested Dalton at 12:40 a.m. on Sunday. He was still driving the dark-colored Chevrolet HHR that had been described by someone from the Cracker Barrel shooting. An officer spotted the car, and on Dalton they found a semi-automatic handgun, police said. Investigators were looking at Daltons cellphone to understand what happened in those seven hours, but several people told media Dalton picked up passengers before, after, and during the killing spree.

One passenger, a man named Matt Mellen, said Dalton picked him up around 4:30 p.m.an hour before the first shootingbut introduced himself as Me-Me. Dalton had his dog in the back of the car, Mellen told WWMT, a local news station. Soon after he climbed in, he said, Dalton sped up to 80 mph.

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We were driving through medians, driving through the lawn, speeding along and when we came to a stop, I jumped out the car and ran away, Mellen told WWMT.

Mellen said he posted a warning to Facebook about the ride, and also called Uber to complain.

He was surprisingly calm, Mellen said of Dalton. I was freaking out.

Daltons very last ride, just after midnight, was with a man who would only identify himself as Derek. The man told local station WOODTV that during the seven-minute ride to a hotel, he and his father-in-law brought up the news of the shootings.

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I kind of jokingly said to the driver, Youre not the shooter, are you?, the man told WOODTV. He gave me some sort of a no response. I said, Are you sure? And he said, No, Im not, Im just tired. And we proceeded to have a pretty normal conversation after that.

Dalton reportedly has a wife and two children, and had previously worked for Progressive Insurance, which the company has confirmed. Police said he had no prior criminal record. He told one passenger hed only recently begun working as an Uber driver. Daltons neighbors said he was quiet, kind, shy, and liked to work on cars in his garage. They also said Daltons house had been broken into, and it seemed to have shaken him. After the burglary, Dalton bought a guard dog and a gun, and he periodically shot his gun out the back door, one neighbor told The New York Times. He would shoot randomly into the air.

Dalton, who was charged with six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, was arraigned Monday. He was denied bail.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Organisers of a car show in eastern Germany's Leipzig on Monday scrapped the bi-annual gathering after several exhibitors dropped out.

"In there last few days there has been an unprecedented development -- many car manufacturers cancelled their participation in quick succession," said Martin Buhl-Wagner, who heads the Leipzig exhibition.

"That leaves us with no other option but to cancel the show," he added.

Twenty-two car manufacturers were registered for the AMI exhibition in early February, but 13 of them withdrew their participation two months before the show.

Volker Lange, who heads the association VDIK that represents car manufacturers in Germany, said the sudden cancellations may have come as "many car manufacturers are developing new sales and marketing strategies, which include alternative communication concepts".

French car maker Renault told AFP that it had dropped out because of the weak attendance of other manufacturers.

The exhibition, which was launched 25 years ago, attracted 242,000 visitors during its previous edition in 2014.
By Se Young Lee SEOUL (Reuters) - Smartphone maker LG Electronics Inc plans to boost marketing spend in a bid to lift sales of its new flagship handset, the South Korean firm's mobile division chief said. LG is trying to establish itself as a top smartphone player with the G5, which was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Sunday and praised by industry experts for its creative design. The phone's modular set-up allows users to enhance functions such as camera or audio by plugging in accessories. The device is also key to LG's efforts to turn around its mobile division, which lost money last year on slower-than-expected sales of its flagship G4 smartphone. "We're at a point in time when we need to overspend a bit in order to get the word out and create fans," division chief Cho Juno told reporters at a briefing in Seoul ahead of the Mobile World Congress trade show. He declined to give further details. Cho said he expected profitability to improve this year, adding that LG plans a global launch for the G5, breaking from its past practice of debuting flagship products in South Korea. The G5's unveiling has helped push LG shares up 3 percent so far this week, with investors and analysts saying the model was distinct enough to drive a pick up in sales. Daishin Securities said in a report the company could sell 10 million units or more by year-end, which would be a record for an LG handset. "The G5 gets LG back on the radar in the smartphone market," CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood said. Separately, Cho said the firm could start using organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens for some of its key phones starting in the second half of 2017. LG Electronics relies on affiliate LG Display Co Ltd, which is investing heavily in OLED technology, for its displays. (Editing by Tony Munroe and Miral Fahmy)
By Michael Georgy CAIRO (Reuters) - Libya faces severe shortages of life-saving medicine and about one million people will soon be in dire need of help, a U.N. humanitarian official warned, as warring factions hamper efforts to end chaos and form a unity government. "Our estimation is that by the end of march, Libya may run out of life saving medications which will impact about one million people. said Ali Al-Za'tari, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for the North African country. "If there is no medication and medical supplies coming in that will be a real issue for Libya." Al-Za'tari was due to meet Arab League delegates on a visit to Cairo to try and win support for U.N. efforts to ease what he calls a humanitarian crisis in Libya. His main concern at this point is scarcity of medicine needed to combat diseases like cancer, and the state of hospitals in Libya, which has descended into anarchy since the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi five years ago. Compounding the many problems are about 435,000 internally displaced people living in schools and other public places and some 250,000 migrants and refugees who had hoped to pass through Libya and find a better life abroad. Since 2014, Libya has had two competing governments, one based in Tripoli and the other in the east, both of which are backed by loose alliances of armed brigades and former rebels. STRUGGLE TO FORM A GOVERNMENT The U.N. plan under which the unity government has been named was designed to help Libya stabilize and tackle a growing threat from Islamic State militants. It has been opposed by hard-liners on both sides from the start and suffered delays. Instability has taken a heavy toll on healthcare facilities. In Benghazi, for instance, only one or two out of about a dozen hospitals are functioning, said Al-Za'tari. A few days ago, he was notified that the psychiatric care hospital in Benghazi has no resources. Scores of patients lack proper care. "It is really difficult for a hospital to continue like this in a town that is witnessing constant daily fighting in certain parts," he told Reuters in an interview. Al-Za'tari said 1.3 million people in Libya need humanitarian assistance. "Today we are receiving requests from NGOs for food. That is not a good sign. It means you have a sizeable portion of the community requiring food intake that is stable food intake," said Al-Za'tari. Focusing attention on their plight will be difficult in a region with multiple crises, from Syria to Iraq to Yemen. "The perception is Libya is rich and can fend for itself. Libya is rich but it cant fend for itself today," said Al-Za'tari, in reference to Libya's status as an oil producer "It is not an easy story to sell and I admit it. I am living it. Telling people that Libya has a humanitarian situation makes them go back in their seats and say no way." (editing by Janet McBride)
London (AFP) - Manuscripts, portraits and even a pair of cloth boots belonging to English author Charlotte Bronte went on display in London on Monday to celebrate the 200th anniversary of her birth.

The small exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, which runs until August 14, offers glimpses into the life of the novelist who lived between 1816 and 1855 and is best known for "Jane Eyre".

It revolves around a famous portrait by her brother Branwell Bronte with Charlotte, her sisters Emily and Anne, and his own ghostly shadow in the middle.

"We wanted to illustrate her literary career and success but also her home life which perhaps is lesser known to some of our public," Lucy Wood, an assistant curator at the National Portrait Gallery, told AFP.

Through her private correspondence, her drawings and her journals, the exhibition invites visitors into Bronte's tragic personal life, marred by the deaths of her two older sisters and her own poor health.

Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell developed rich imaginations since early childhood, helping each other's spirits with poems, plays and novels.

"We wanted to bring her life to life because we are the museum of biographies, the museum of people and she is one of the most important people in British literature," Wood said.

"We wanted to capture her life and celebrate that. It's a celebration really."
London (AFP) - A new commuter railway spanning London will be renamed the "Elizabeth Line" in honour of Queen Elizabeth II when it becomes operational in 2018, the London mayor said Tuesday.

The queen visited works for the "Crossrail" project in central London on Tuesday with mayor Boris Johnson, who announced plans to rename the east-west line when it opens through central London.

"As well as radically improving travel right across our city, the Elizabeth line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest-serving monarch," Johnson said.

The line, costing A14.8 billion ($20.1 billion, 18.9 billion euros), will link Heathrow Airport in the west to the financial city in the capital's east.

The queen plunged 28 metres on a lift to inspect works deep under the Bond Street station in the heart of London's shopping district.

She met workers on the mammoth project, which began in October 2009, and unveiled its purple logo -- the same colour she was dressed in.

The London Underground, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2013, is the world's oldest rapid transit system and Elizabeth was the first British monarch to visit it, in 1969, to open the Victoria Line.

Her son Prince Charles inaugurated the Jubilee Line -- named in recognition of the queen's Silver Jubilee -- in 1977.

When completed, the Elizabeth line will be 136 kilometres (84.5 miles) long and will have 40 stations, linking Reading to the west of the capital with Shenfield in the eastern county of Essex via the city centre.

Around 200 million passengers per year are expected to use the service, which it is hoped will relieve pressure on London's creaking transport network.
London (AFP) - London Stock Exchange Group, which owns the London and Milan exchanges, said Tuesday that it was in merger talks with Deutsche Boerse about creating a pan-European titan.

"The board of LSE and the management board of Deutsche Boerse confirm that they are in detailed discussions about a potential merger of equals of the two businesses", a statement said, calling a tie-up "a compelling opportunity for both companies".

It added that the talks were about "creating a leading European-based global markets infrastructure group" that "would be expected to deliver an enhanced ability to provide a full service offering to customers on a global basis".

With rumours swirling that talks were ongoing, LSE's share price had risen sharply recently. Once LSE put out a statement, its share price rose further and was up almost 20 percent in early afternoon deals before easing back slightly.

Deutsche Boerse won nearly 8.0 percent in Frankfurt.

"Although negotiations seem to be at a very early stage, a tie-up would make sense in regard to possibly synergies and overall improvement of competitiveness versus their main rivals," Markus Huber, analyst at stockbroker City of London Markets, told AFP.

If the merger happens, Deutsche Boerse shareholders would end up with 54.4 percent of the new holding company's capital, and LSE shareholders with 45.6 percent. Both the London and Frankfurt financial markets would continue doing business under their respective current brand names.

Deutsche Boerse now has until March 22 to launch the operation, pending shareholder approval and the green light from regulators.

Deutsche Boerse had previously sought to link up with NYSE Euronext, which operates the New York, Brussels, Amsterdam and Lisbon stock exchanges, but that move was blocked by the EU Commission in 2012 on competition grounds.

It then turned to Asia for partnerships but chief executive Carsten Kengeter, who took over Deutsche Boerse in May 2015, brought the focus back on Europe with the acquisition of a foreign exchange platform and two specialist stock index companies.
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's economy will grow 6 percent this year, bolstered by agricultural and mining production, the ministry of economy and finance said on Tuesday, up from an expansion of 4.9 percent in 2015. According to preliminary figures, the West African nation produced 8.04 million tonnes of grain this season, up from 6.98 million in 2014-2015, and 550,370 tonnes of cotton, an increase from 548,000 tonnes in 2014-2015. "The prospects are good," Oumar Diall, head of Mali's forecasting and economic analysis division, told Reuters. "The growth performance will be particularly in agricultural cotton but also gold exports," he added. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said last month that Mali produced 50 tonnes of gold in 2015 and hopes to produce more in 2016 as new mines comes online, though no specific forecast has been given. The projected economic growth this year would represent a turnaround for Mali, one of the region's leading cotton producers, whose growth slipped to 4.9 percent last year, down from 7.2 percent in 2014. Malian government forces are embroiled in a conflict with Tuareg separatists in the north of the country. Although a peace deal was signed last June, mediators have struggled to enforce it and militants have continued to stage deadly attacks including at a hotel in the capital Bamako in November. (Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo, writing by Edward McAllister; editing by Gareth Jones)
The Hague (AFP) - US chocolate giant Mars Tuesday ordered a massive international recall of Mars and Snickers bars made at its Dutch factory after a piece of plastic found in one snack was traced back to the site.

Millions of chocolate bars were deemed possibly unsafe for consumption in 55 countries after a customer in Germany found a piece of red plastic in his Snickers bar last month.

The recall of the chocoholic snacks also affects Milky Way minis and some boxes of Celebrations, and hit most European countries. But it also extended as far as Vietnam and Sri Lanka in Asia.

"As far as we know there are 55 countries involved," Eline Bijveld, Mars corporate affairs coordinator for the Netherlands told AFP, refusing to divulge the whole list.

The recall "only involves the products that are made in the Netherlands" at the Mars factory in the southern town of Veghel, she said, adding the products were mainly sold in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe.

Chocolate lovers in the United States need not worry as the recall does not extend to the company's home base.

Bijveld could not give the exact number of chocolate bars produced daily at the factory, but said about four million items were being recalled in The Netherlands alone.

The move comes after a customer found a red piece of plastic in a Snickers bar -- billed by the company as "the world's biggest selling candy bar" -- bought on January 8 in Germany.

After he complained to Mars, the plastic was traced back to Veghel which determined that it came from a protective cover used in the plant's manufacturing process.

"We are currently investigating exactly what's happened, but we cannot be sure that this red piece of plastic isn't in any other of our products from the same production line," Bijveld said.

- 'Just a precaution' -

So the food giant has decided in a "voluntary" fashion and "out of precaution" to go ahead with the recall.

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Mars prides itself on having five billion-dollar brand names in its stable of 29 separate chocolate products, including M&Ms, Twix and Dove.

It is the first time it has had to recall products made at its Veghel factory, which opened in 1963 and employs some 1,200 people.

In a statement announcing the recall in Germany, the US chocolate giant said: "We would like to prevent consumers who have purchased one of the above-mentioned products from consuming it".

The shelves of one supermarket chain in Frankfurt were still stuffed with Mars and Snickers confectionary late Tuesday.

But mother Paula Medina, 43, and her daughter, Sophie, clutching a red basket were not taking any chances.

"Our trust has been shattered that's for sure," Medina told AFP, before adding wryly that they had indulged quite a bit over the recent Carnival festivals.

"But there's so much choice. I think we'll take a break, and maybe go for something else in the future."

Mars said it was recalling items from Britain, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain, after it already withdrew products from sale in Germany and Netherlands.

It added that the recall was an "isolated incident and strictly limited, and concerns only the products mentioned".

Manufacturing dates for the different products vary, but in general those with a "best-before" date of between June 19, 2016 and January 8, 2017 are being recalled.

"This is a very special situation," Bijveld said. "At this moment maybe the risk is not that high, but we cannot say this is in line with our quality requirements."

So Mars had taken the decision to "recall all products that may be involved, but that's only because we cannot be 100 percent sure that they are not."

The US-based company, which also makes Wrigley's chewing gum, said a full list of affected products could be found on its national websites. But after being down for much of the day it was still hard to find any information in the early evening.

Mars, a family-owned company since it was founded in 1911, reported annual net sales of around $33 billion at the end of 2014.

The rival of Kraft Foods and Nestle employs more than 18,400 people in Europe alone and operates in 74 countries worldwide.
What's the secret to making the Obamas' day? Bring 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin to the White House.



On Thursday, the Washington, D.C., resident visited the White House to celebrate Black History Month. She had visited two other times with the Corporation for National and Community Services' Foster Grandparent Program. But on her third visit, she had an unforgettable encounter with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.



A video taken of the trio's meeting shows McLaurin dancing with Barack and Michelle, who commented that she wanted to be like McLaurin when she grew up.





Meet the 106-Year-Old Woman Who Danced with the Obamas at the White House  Plus, Why She Wants Hillary Clinton to Be the Next President| politics, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama

For McLaurin, this was a lifelong dream that she never imagined would happen. After doing a little happy dance and two-stepping with the Obamas, the beaming McLaurin raved to PEOPLE about her time with them.







"I didn't think I'd ever be able to get into the White House and meet the president," she says. "I loved that a I just loved it."





Meet the 106-Year-Old Woman Who Danced with the Obamas at the White House  Plus, Why She Wants Hillary Clinton to Be the Next President| politics, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama

What wasn't shown on camera: all the smooches McLaurin received from the Obamas.



"He kissed me," she says of her introduction to Barack. "I think she did, too. So she hugged and kissed me. And when he got to speaking, I was sitting, and he came back and gave me another kiss."





Meet the 106-Year-Old Woman Who Danced with the Obamas at the White House  Plus, Why She Wants Hillary Clinton to Be the Next President| politics, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama

At one point in the video, McLaurin expresses how happy she is to meet the first black president. Growing up in South Carolina, she says she dealt with racial discrimination throughout her life.



"They'd come in our restaurant, but we couldn't go in their restaurant," she says of living in the Segregation era. "They said that wasn't for us."





Meet the 106-Year-Old Woman Who Danced with the Obamas at the White House  Plus, Why She Wants Hillary Clinton to Be the Next President| politics, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama

Meet the 106-Year-Old Woman Who Danced with the Obamas at the White House  Plus, Why She Wants Hillary Clinton to Be the Next President| politics, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama

Viewers of the video saw the president, first lady and McLaurin with high energy and big smiles. At one point, Obama yells to McLaurin, "Slow down!"



But McLaurin refuses to stop moving. As a volunteer through the Foster Grandparent Program, she spends 40 hours per week working with preschoolers and kindergarteners at a public charter school.





Meet the 106-Year-Old Woman Who Danced with the Obamas at the White House  Plus, Why She Wants Hillary Clinton to Be the Next President| politics, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama

"Foster Grandparents are role models, mentors and friends to children with exceptional needs," the Corporation for National and Community Service website says.



Sporting a blue vest, McLaurin spends eight hours playing with and "hugging and kissing" the little ones, whom she fondly calls her "children."



"Oh, my children. I have 14 kids in my class and they are beautiful," she says. "We play and [they call me] Grandma Virginia and I tell you, I just love those kids. And they love me."



As for the next president she'd love to meet in the White House?



"Hillary Clinton," she says. "I think every human being means something in her life, and she tried to help the person that's less fortunate than the rich person or the person with a lot of money."



With all the dancing and volunteering and kissing, it's easy to forget that McLaurin is well over 100 years old. So what's her secret to staying young at heart?



"I don't know anything other than treat people like you want to be treated, live the best in your heart and serve the Lord."



You can learn more about McLaurin's story, from her South Carolina roots to her White House invite, on her Tumblr, Facebook and YouTube pages.
Given the intense partisan rancor surrounding the vacancy on the Supreme Court, its difficult to imagine anyone wanting to subject herself to a drawn-out, potentially bruising confirmation process. Enter Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, a Republican.

The former district court judge told Morning Consult that he has spoken with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) about the possibility of succeeding Justice Antonin Scalia. It would be a privilege, Sandoval said this weekend while he was in Washington for an annual meeting of the National Governors Association.

Related: Will Senate Republicans Chose Flight or Fight Over the Supreme Court?

Sandoval, 52, was unanimously confirmed to the federal bench in 2005, after receiving a personal recommendation from Reid. Prior to that, he served as the Silver States attorney general and in the state legislature, mirroring somewhat the biography of former Justice Sandra Day OConnor, who held several elected offices in Arizona and was a judge before being appointed to the Supreme Court in 1981.

The governor would be a legacy pick for Obama, given that hes Republican, Hispanic, a former federal judge and moderate on certain issues like abortion, immigration and same-sex marriage.

Given his resume, Sandoval would likely be a shoe-in under a moderate Republican administration, but given todays hyper-partisan electoral climate, the country isnt likely to see moderation as plus any time soon.

In a statement last week, Heller made a clear reference to Sandoval when he encouraged Obama to use this opportunity to put the will of the people ahead of advancing a liberal agenda on the nations highest court. But should he decide to nominate someone to the Supreme Court, who knows, maybe itll be a Nevadan.

Related: Heres Why the SCOTUS Battle Could Get So Much Worse

Democrats want Obama to pick a liberal jurist, one who could possibly tilt the direction of the nations highest court for a generation. Even if the president, a former constitutional law professor, did pick a moderate Republican like Sandoval, it remains unclear if he or she would even receive consideration after many Senate Republicans fell in line behind Majority Leader Mitch McConnells position that the next president should make the pick.

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But some in the GOP, fearful that a head in the sand approach will hurt them at the polls next in November, argue they at least need to hear Obama out.

The president, photographed late Friday walking out of the Oval Office with a several inches thick binder of materials on possible Scalia replacements, likely wont make any announcement for a few weeks. White House press secretary Josh Earnest on Friday said Obama directed his staff to cast a wide net for candidates.

Related: Supreme Court Battle Tests These Vulnerable GOP Senators' Reelection Chances

Earnest said the president called a bipartisan group of Capitol Hill lawmakers over the weekend, including some who serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would have the first say on any nominee.

Analysts believe U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch one of the more likely candidates Obama could choose. Other possible picks range from D.C. Circuit Judge Sri Srinivasan and Patricia Millett, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to the more far-fetched, like Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT).

The path forward, at least on Capitol Hill, should come into focus on Tuesday after Senate Republicans hold their weekly, closed-door policy lunch to strategize about how best to proceed on the Supreme Court vacancy.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
(Reuters) - Residents of Flint, Michigan, one of the poorest cities in the United States, will get $30 million to help pay their water bills after a lead contamination crisis, under a bill unanimously approved by the Michigan Senate on Tuesday.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, plans to sign the bill, which had been passed unanimously by the state's House last week.

"The safety and well-being of Flint families remains our top priority," said Snyder, whose administration has faced harsh criticism for its response to the contamination crisis in the city of about 100,000 residents.

As a cost-cutting measure in 2014, Flint switched its water system from Detroit to a local river. The more corrosive water from the river leached lead from water system pipes, leading to unacceptably high levels of lead in hundreds of homes.

The funding would provide Flint residents credits to cover residential water bills from April 2014 through this April or until the water is clean, Snyder's spokeswoman Laura Biehl said.

Flint residents have been using bottled, rather than tap, water because of the lead contamination. Snyder said the state will work with city leaders on how the credits are applied.

Children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which could cause developmental problems.

The contamination, which could have been prevented with anti-corrosion treatment of the water, has become a political scandal as emails and documents have emerged showing that Michigan officials tried to play down and cover up the problem for months.

Snyder said in a statement that the newly approved bill would bring total emergency state funding for Flint to $70 million.

Snyder has been called to testify on the matter before a U.S. congressional committee next month. The issue has also become a focus of the U.S. presidential campaign.

Also on Tuesday, Michigan Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof and House Speaker Kevin Cotter, both Republicans, announced the creation of a joint committee to review the Flint water crisis.

The committee will hear testimony on mistakes that led to this situation and explore ways to prevent such a disaster in the future, the Michigan Legislature said in a statement.

(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Richard Chang)
LONDON (Reuters) - Montenegro will have to close its borders to refugees and migrants to avoid being overwhelmed if other nearby countries do so, the country's prime minister told Reuters on Monday. Europe is suffering its biggest migrant crisis since World War Two. More than a million migrants entered the European Union last year via the Balkan route, crossing through Greece, Macedonia and Serbia towards wealthier western Europe. Montenegro, a tiny ex-Yugoslav republic sandwiched between Serbia, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, is not on the main Balkan route, but fears that Macedonia may shut its border with Greece, possibly diverting many migrants into Albania and Montenegro. "If the European countries dealing with the consequences of the migrant crisis opt to close their borders, what else is there for a country like Montenegro to do," said Djukanovic, in London for a conference of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. "Of course" Montenegro would have to shut its borders, he said, if Macedonia shut its frontier with Greece and further north countries such as Hungary and Austria tightened their own border restrictions. On Monday thousands of migrants were stranded in northern Greece after Macedonia demanded additional identification from people seeking to cross the border and head to western Europe, witnesses said. Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia are all official candidates for European Union membership, though they are unlikely to join the bloc for many years. Austria has invited the Balkan states to talks on migration in Vienna on Wednesday following its own move to limit asylum applicants to 80 per day. EU justice and home affairs ministers will also discuss the migrant crisis again in Brussels on Thursday ahead of a summit of the bloc's heads of state and government on March 17-18. (Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Cape Town (AFP) - The mother of a newborn baby kidnapped from her hospital bedside 18 years ago broke down and wept in a South African court Tuesday as she described how she awoke to find the girl had vanished.

Celeste Nurse, 36, gave evidence in the Cape Town High Court in a case of astonishing coincidence which saw her finally reunited with her daughter only last year.

Standing in the witness box, just metres from the 50-year-old woman accused of kidnapping her baby, Nurse kept her composure before bursting into tears when she was asked what she had named the girl.

"Zephany Joy Nurse," she replied.

The accused woman, who has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, cannot be named as this would reveal the stolen girl's new identity.

The kidnapped girl, who is now 18, asked for court protection from the media storm which greeted her discovery in February last year.

That came about when a younger daughter of the Nurses, Cassidy, began attending high school and pupils pointed out her remarkable likeness to a final year student.

The younger girl told her parents, who met the older girl and immediately believed she was their long-lost baby.

Her parents called the police, and DNA tests confirmed that the girl was indeed Zephany.

In court, Celeste Nurse, in a checked skirt and black T-shirt, described how Zephany had been stolen at Cape Town's Groote Schuur hospital on March 30, 1997, when she was just three days old.

Nurse, who was 18 when the child was born, said she was sleeping under medication in a bed closest to the ward door with her baby in a cot next to the door, when she woke groggily to hear the girl crying.

"I saw a person sitting at the door" dressed as a nurse, she said.

"She asked me 'can I pick up the child?' I said yes. That's all I can remember until a nurse woke me and asked where the baby was.

"I asked 'what do you mean, the nurse was just here with the baby'.

"We ran everywhere in the hospital. The baby was nowhere to be found. Missing. Gone."

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- Never gave up hope -

The accused woman, dressed in slacks and a striped top, listened intently at times and at others gazed down into her lap.

In a 35-page explanation of her plea of not guilty, which was handed to the court, she described being abused as a child and raped and beaten by boyfriends before having a series of miscarriages.

After a miscarriage in December 1996, she said she did not tell her husband about it and began exploring options to adopt a child.

She says she paid a woman who promised to find her a child to adopt, and in April 1997 she was handed a baby wrapped in a blanket at a train station in Cape Town "by an unknown female".

The baby turned out to be Zephany, who she presented to her husband as her own child.

Without knowing it, the Nurse family lived within a couple of kilometres (miles) of their kidnapped daughter, celebrating her birthday every year and never giving up hope of finding her.

Zephany is now approaching her 19th birthday after reportedly being raised with love and kindness by the accused woman and her husband, who she believed were her real parents.

In a statement read on her behalf by a lawyer shortly after Zephany discovered the truth about her past, she said: "I want to say thank you to all the people who supported me through this, for continuously praying and never giving up on looking for me.

"Under the circumstances I am doing fine."

The accused woman has been free on bail on condition that she does not contact potential state witnesses -- including her own husband and Zephany.

She faces a minimum of five years in jail if convicted of kidnapping.

The trial is expected to last at least a week.
Yangon (AFP) - Visitors to Myanmar's ancient capital Bagan will no longer be able to climb the venerated pagodas for a view of the country's most famous archaeological site, following a government edict railing against "disgraceful" tourist behaviour.

The ban, which starts March 1, will end the daily ritual that sees hundreds of tourists and local pilgrims scaling the ancient structures to watch the sun set over a vast plain dotted with more than 2,500 Buddhist monuments.

Myanmar's Ministry of Culture said the move would protect the buildings, considered holy sites by many locals, while also averting potential danger for those climbing.

"Furthermore, despite warnings, people who climb the pagodas often behave badly, in a way that is culturally disgraceful such as wearing inappropriate clothing, dancing and sleeping (on the monuments)," the ministry said in a post on its official Facebook page.

"We would like to announce that no one will be permitted to climb on the pagodas for any reason from March 1 onwards," it concluded in the statement published on Monday.

Built between the 10th and 14th centuries as part of a powerful early kingdom, Bagan's temples are deeply revered in the Buddhist-majority nation and are also one of the country's most popular tourist destinations.

After years in the wilderness under an isolationist junta, Myanmar was quickly embraced as a hot choice for holidays after outright military rule ended in 2011.

The country began appearing on lists of must-visit destinations, often accompanied by bird's eye view images of Bagan's pagodas scattered across a mist-drenched landscape.

Even the Ministry of Tourism has declared that "a panoramic view of this land at sunset will leave you with a lingering sense of awe and wonder".

According to its figures, nearly half a million foreign tourists, including package tourists and independent travellers, arrived through Myanmar's main city gateway Yangon last year, more than double the number in 2011.

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Many make a beeline for Bagan, a trend that is expected to continue despite the new rules.

"Bagan can offer other pleasures for tourists," said Naung Naung Han, of the Union of Myanmar Travel Association, which represents private tour operators.

But he said those not able to climb the structures to see a sunset at Bagan would be missing out.

"For a foreign tourist, such an experience could be an unforgettable moment in their life," he told AFP.

Tour operator Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, who heads the Myanmar Tourism Marketing industry group, said there was likely to be an impact on business.

"Tourism is a way to display our cultural heritage and this news of a ban in the way heritage is shown will affect the tourism business," he told AFP.

Myanmar is eager to see Bagan designated as a UNESCO world heritage site.

But experts say haphazard renovation work on some of the temples under the junta, including building hundreds of new structures over ancient foundations, has irreversibly damaged the landscape.
By Courtney Sherwood PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) - An unexplained high-pitched tone has kept residents of a Portland suburb awake at night for at least a week, confounding the best efforts of police and firefighters to pinpoint its source, officials in the community said on Monday. Adding to the mystery is the fact that the noise, a steady, whistle-like note resembling a flute, has only been reported after dark in Forest Grove, a rustic community of 22,500 located about 25 miles (40 km) west of Oregon's largest city. Former residents say they remember a similar sound echoing through the night air several decades ago, according to reports filed with Forest Grove Fire and Rescue, an agency spokeswoman said. The tone is unusual for its combination of high pitch and ambiguous point of origin, said audio engineer Tobin Cooley, president of the company Listen Acoustics, who agreed to informally assess the phenomenon for Reuters on Monday. "Higher frequencies like this tone are very directional sounds, versus low-frequency sounds which can seem to come from anywhere or everywhere at once, Cooley said, cautioning that he had listened to poor-quality recordings but not made a thorough investigation. What surprises me is that neighbors have not been able to locate where this is coming from, he said. Cooley speculated that the sound could be coming from a release of compressed air or natural gas, but officials with the local gas company said they had ruled out any of the utility's equipment or pipelines as a source. We sent a tech out, and he spent the whole day investigating, said Melissa Moore, spokeswoman for Northwest Natural Gas. She added that a gas leak would also produce an odor, which has not been reported. Although the Forest Grove fire department is collecting information about the sound, firefighters do not know what to do about it, a spokeswoman for the agency said. We arent waiting for it to make a noise. We are going about our duties," she said. (Editing by Steve Gorman and Cynthia Osterman)
Iranians will go to the polls on February 26 to elect members of the 290-seat parliament and the 88-seat Assembly of Experts. A parliament that will continue to be dominated by hardliners is thought to be an obstacle to President Hassan Rouhanis reforms. Elections to the Assembly of Experts will be closely watched because the body will likely select a successor to the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. The 76-year-old Khamenei is persistently rumored to be in poor health.

Yet a closer look at both institutions reveals that neither election will be as meaningful as they are often portrayed in the international press. In the aftermath of elections, the parliament is unlikely to act with much decisiveness and the Assembly of Experts probably will not in fact choose the next leader, but rather, rubber stamp a selection made by unelected others.

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Council on Foreign Relations

The dichotomy often made by foreign observers of an Iranian polity divided between hardliners and reformers is an oversimplification. Rouhani has never been part of the reform faction as the term is properly understood in its Iranian context. The reform movement evolved in the early 1990s by calling for accountability and pluralism. The descendants of that movement were the participants in the Green Revolution of 2009, which was brutally repressed with Rouhanis blessing. (He served in the Supreme National Security Council at the time.) Since the purges of 2009, Iranian politics have been reduced to a coalition of hardliners and centrists who agree far more than they disagree. On crucial foreign-policy issues, such as projection of power in the Middle East and aiding the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, there is a rough consensus across the political spectrum. As such, elections are unlikely to usher in a new direction in Irans international relations.

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The parliament has proven a boisterous but largely inconsequential debating chamber. In the complex Iranian system, the parliaments laws can be overwritten by various institutions, such as the unelected Guardian Council, whose job is to vet legislation to make sure it conforms to religious standards. This function has regularly been abused by the Guardian Council, which has vetoed bills that have little to do with religious matters. It routinely sends budgets back to the parliament for greater deliberation even though it is unclear how they violate Islamic law.

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Rouhani has faced little opposition from the parliament due to his close collaboration with the powerful speaker, Ali Larijani. Although a conservative himself, Larijani is very much a man of the system who is interested in the government functioning smoothly. The Rouhani-Larijani partnership has ensured that the firebrands in the parliament do not interfere with the executive branchs agenda.

The parliament has proven a boisterous but largely inconsequential debating chamber.

In the run-up to the current parliamentary elections, the Guardian Council has, predictably, disqualified hundreds of reformist candidates. In addition to overseeing legislation, the council is responsible for vetting candidates for political office to ensure their loyalty to the Islamic Republic. Even in the context of Irans circumscribed elections, the councils wholesale rejection of a slew of candidates appears excessive and arbitrary. Although some of the candidates are likely to be reinstated on appeal, the council has ensured that there will be a conservative majority in the next parliament. The council is signaling to the nation that the Islamic Republic will allow only its most ardent supporters to assume any office.

The Democracy Report

The Assembly of Experts is another institution that looms larger on paper than in real life. An elderly clerical body dominated by conservatives, it meets periodically to listen to briefings by various officials. Its membership is controlled with as much zealousness as other elected offices.

The Guardian Council has been even more rigorous in its vetting process for the assembly than for the parliament, even denying the candidacy of Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The Guardian Councils moves signaled that a qualified candidate must possess both theological erudition and political reliability.

The most stark dichotomy in Iran today is not between hardliners and moderates, but rather, between the state and society.

Yet the assemblys role as power broker is exaggerated. In any succession crisis, the assembly is more likely to provide the venue for announcing the next supreme leader than actually selecting one. The last time the Islamic Republic faced a succession was in 1989, after Khomeinis death. At that time, backroom deliberations ensued, with Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, then speaker of the parliament, and Khomeinis son Ahmad orchestrating the selection of the new leader. Once regime insiders settled on Khamenei they began a bizarre campaign to justify their choice. Leaders claimed, without evidence, that Khomeini had sanctioned the selection of Khamenei. Rafsanjani embellished further, claiming in an interview that in one of the supreme leaders last meetings with the heads of the branches of government he dismissed concerns regarding his succession. In Rafsanjanis account, Khomeini pointed to Khamenei as his most suitable successor. Then the Assembly of Experts met and, in a perfunctory session, ratified a choice already made.

A similar process can be expected the next time the Islamic Republic faces the prospect of selecting a new supreme leader, though Rafsanjani is unlikely to play such a prominent role. The leading actors in choosing Khameneis successor are likely to be the leaders of the Revolutionary Guards and the conservative clerics they look to for ideological cover. The backroom deliberations are likely to be as intense as the last time due to fears in conservative circles that a restive Iranian population, particularly the youth, will see Khameneis demise as an opportunity for political and cultural liberalization. The most stark dichotomy in Iran today is not between hardliners and moderates, but rather, between the state and society. Khameneis passing will make the state vulnerable to an uprising or breakdown of order, a risk that the regimes guardians, including Rouhani and Larijani, take seriously. This will lead them to quickly select a replacement, to project the impression of continuity and strength. The Assembly of Experts will play a convening role in such a succession, but not an essential one.

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As Iran enters its first election cycle since the advent of the nuclear deal, what is striking is how little either the Assembly of Experts or the parliament will affect national affairs. A conservative parliament will prove a cantankerous, but, under the steady hand of Larijani, largely compliant body. And the Assembly of Experts mostly octogenarian clerics will meet occasionally to play a mostly ceremonial role. The Islamic Republics most crucial political maneuvers will continue to be managed by a cast of fewincluding Khamenei, Larijani, and Rouhanias opposed to the elected institutions of government.

This post appears courtesy of the Council on Foreign Relations. Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
By Joseph Ax

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Five firefighters and their families have been awarded $183 million by a New York City jury following a trial stemming from a deadly 2005 apartment building blaze on a day that became known as "Black Sunday."

The fire, which tore through a tenement in the borough of the Bronx on Jan. 23, 2005, killed two firefighters and severely injured four others. One of the injured men died in 2011.

The city will shoulder $140 million of the award. The building's former owner, who settled with the families before the verdict was announced, will pay the remainder through its insurer.

The family of one of the six firefighters separately reached a settlement with the city before the verdict, which was delivered on Monday in Bronx state Supreme Court.

The firefighters became trapped on the fourth floor of the building, in part because of temporary walls that had been installed within the apartments.

In a statement, a spokesman for the city's law department said the jury had placed too much blame on the city and that it would consider an appeal.

"The city has always viewed this incident as a tragedy for the firefighters and their families, but we believe that the jury's verdict does not fairly apportion liability in view of compelling evidence that established that the landlord's numerous building code violations were directly responsible for this horrible event," the spokesman, Nick Paolucci, said.

But the five firefighters' lawyer, Vito Cannavo, said the fire department had failed to provide the men with ropes, forcing all six firefighters to jump out of the building. Two of the men, Lieutenant Curtis Meyran and Firefighter John Bellew, died on impact after a 50-foot leap from the building.

"They have grieved for 11 years," he said of his clients in a phone interview. "Finally, they got a chance to tell their version of what happened."

Darrell Whitely, a lawyer for the building's owner, said the absence of safety ropes was the "key factor" in the tragedy.

"I think it's very gratifying that the jury found the landlord was only 20 percent at fault in the case," he said, adding that the owner, Leslie Berman, felt empathy for the firefighters and had always hoped their families would receive proper compensation.
From Popular Mechanics

NASA's hunt for the next class of astronaut has drawn to a close, and a record number of applicants applied. In 1978, the last time the record was set, 8,000 people applied. In the latest round, NASA reported that 18,300 applicants applied. That more than doubles the previous record and is three times the amount of applicants from the last round of applications in 2012.

Now comes the process of winnowing down that giant application people to a few good women and men. "A few exceptionally talented men and women will become the astronauts chosen in this group who will once again launch to space from U.S. soil on American-made spacecraft," NASA admin Charles Bolden said in a press release. Of those 18,300, only 8 to 14 will have the right stuff to train to be some of the first astronauts to use the Orion capsule as it explores deep space for the first time since the 1970s.

The final candidates won't be announced until summer 2017. Between now and then, NASA will have to reduce the list down to a handful of finalists, who will then be interviewed in person. If if funding comes through for a manned mission to Mars, one of those astronauts could very possibly be the first person to set foot on the fourth planet.

The record number of applicants may have been helped by NASA's social media outreach through the #BeAnAstronaut campaign, though it may have resulted in a few thousand people who don't quite qualify. So don't feel too bad if you don't make the cut-thousands of other people won't, too.
Science

NASA sees record number of astronaut applications

NASA announced Friday it received a record number of applicants  some 18,300  for its next astronaut class. Thats more than double the previous record of 8,000, for the first space shuttle astronaut class in 1978. Social media likely helped get the word out, along with a boost from Hollywood blockbusters like The Martian.

Its not at all surprising to me that so many Americans from diverse backgrounds want to personally contribute to blazing the trail on our journey to Mars. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, a former space shuttle commander

Since the retirement of the space shuttle fleet five years ago, NASA has had to rely on Russian rockets to get its astronauts into space. But now the U.S. is preparing to return to the fold with manned launches from home soil, and the current selection process is lining up to help it achieve the ambitious task at hand. The future astronauts will train to fly to the International Space Station on capsules under development by SpaceX and Boeing, as well as on NASAs Orion spacecraft, intended for deep-space exploration. NASA aims to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s.
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal ended months-long fuel rationing after supply from India improved, following the end of a border blockade by ethnic protesters against a new constitution, an official said on Tuesday. Relief came as Prime Minister K.P. Oli visited India, where he met Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and cleared up differences over Nepal's adoption of its first post-monarchy constitution last September. Nepal adopted the charter in hope of bringing stability after years of civil war, but it upset the minority Madhesi community in the south who blocked key border crossings with India causing severe shortage of oil and cooking gas. Protesters called off the blockade this month and allowed supply trucks stranded for more than four months to roll into the landlocked country after the government changed the constitution to provide greater political voice to the Madhesis and vowed to resolve other grievances through talks. "We are now getting 70 percent of our normal fuel supply from India," Nepal Oil Corporation official Dipak Baral told Reuters. "With this there is no need to restrict distribution of fuel to the public." India is Nepal's sole supplier of fuel. Rationing had led to black marketeering and caused lines of motorists outside petrol stations to stretch for several kilometers. Nepal blamed India for supporting the protesters who share close family and cultural ties with it and causing the shortage that strained ties between the South Asian neighbors. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Michael Perry)
Managua (AFP) - Nicaragua has released more than 8,000 convicts on parole and sent 94 foreigners to finish sentences in their home countries since 2014, easing overcrowding in prisons, the government said Monday.

All the 8,149 Nicaraguans given conditional release had been put behind bars with light sentences of five years or less, the government said in a statement.

It gave no details on the foreign convicts deported beyond the figures: 58 sent home in 2014, 31 in 2015 and five so far this year.

The releases were approved by the justice ministry, national prosecutors and the police, and were part of "a humanitarian and reconciliation policy."

Authorities did not say what the remaining prison population was in the Central American nation.

However, according to the non-governmental Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, there were more than 10,500 Nicaraguan and foreign prisoners last year -- double the capacity of the country's penitentiaries.

Last week, the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua criticized rights violations in the prisons, citing abuse, long periods of incarceration without right to sentence review and overcrowding.
DAKAR (Reuters) - Opposition parties in Niger on Tuesday rejected initial results from Sunday's presidential election that showed incumbent Mahamadou Issoufou in the lead, calling them fraudulent. Provisional results from 20 of the West African country's 308 municipalities gave Issoufou 40.18 percent of the vote, more than 10 percentage points ahead of his closest rival. "These results are completely contrary to what was expressed at the ballot box," said Amadou Boubacar Cisse, an election candidate and spokesman for the Coalition for Change group of opposition parties. Issoufou, who has vowed to crush Islamist militants and tackle deep poverty in his country, ran against 14 other candidates in a tense vote on Sunday. The voting spilled over into Monday because of logistical problems. The provisional results showed Hama Amadou, a one-time ally of Issoufou who has been jailed since November, received 29 percent of the vote. Seyni Oumarou, leader of the opposition, got 12 percent and Cisse less than two percent. Critics accuse Issoufou of seeking to suppress dissent and of ordering the arrest of opposition supporters in the run-up to Sunday's vote. The government has dismissed such criticism as politically motivated. (Reporting by Abdoulaye Massalaki, writing by Edward McAllister; editing by John Stonestreet and Gareth Jones)
Niamey (AFP) - Niger's opposition parties on Tuesday said they did not recognise the first partial results of the weekend presidential election despite claims by the authorities that the vote met "international standards".

"We cannot recognise them such as they have been proclaimed so far," said Amadou Babacar Cisse, spokesman for the COPA 2016 opposition coalition in response to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).

A total of 7.5 million people were eligible to vote across the country on the edge of the Sahara desert, where security is a growing concern after attacks by jihadists from neighbouring Nigeria, Mali and Libya.

President Mahamadou Issoufou, known as the "Zaki" or "Lion" in Hausa, the majority language in Niger, is seeking a second term and faces three main challengers.

The 63-year-old leader told AFP last week that he was "absolutely" confident of a swift victory in the first round of the poll.

Should he fail to clinch an outright victory, his rivals, who have consistently accused him of planning to rig the result, have agreed to unite behind whoever scores highest among them for the run-off vote.

Opposition spokesman Cisse said Tuesday that the opposition was ready to ask supporters "to resist" should Issoufou claim victory, but refused to say what the opposition exactly planned to do.

He said that in Niger's second biggest city, Zinder, and in other places "results are coming in from fake polling stations" with "the grave complicity of CENI".

But Interior Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou denied allegations of vote-rigging, saying the poll met "international standards."

"If we lose we will leave without any problem, if we win we will stay," he said.

- No trend clear yet -

CENI so far has announced results from only around 10 percent of more than 300 communes, making it impossible to estimate a trend.

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The African Union, which deployed 40 observers, said it was generally satisfied with the organisation's handling of the vote despite noting some delays.

On Sunday, polling stations stayed open late into the night due to voting delays.

After ballot papers failed to be delivered in some areas on time, voting took place for a second day in parts of the vast nation, such as Agadez in the north, Zinder in the south and Tahoua in the west.

In the capital Niamey, a bastion of support for jailed former prime minister Hama Amadou, several sources said he picked up the most votes in Sunday's first round.

Amadou had campaigned from behind bars after being arrested in November over his alleged role in a baby-trafficking scandal.

"As promised, he will go from prison to the presidency," a spokesman for Amadou said.

Though blessed with an abundance of uranium, coal and oil, Niger is one of the poorest nations on the planet.
Riyadh (AFP) - The Nigerian and Saudi leaders on Tuesday supported efforts to stabilise the oil market but Africa's top producer did not commit to a production freeze.

After talks in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari and Saudi King Salman "committed themselves to doing all that is possible to stabilise the market and rebound the oil price," Buhari's office said in a statement.

Buhari was in Riyadh a week after Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar agreed at talks in Doha to freeze production at January levels in a bid to stem the dramatic fall in oil prices.

The agreement is conditional on other major producers joining in, as oil heavyweights seek to ensure others do not take advantage of output limits to win market share.

The statement after Tuesday's talks made no mention of Nigeria joining the freeze but analysts say the OPEC member is likely to eventually support the move.

The official Saudi Press Agency also reported that talks between Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the Saudi deputy oil minister, and his Nigerian counterpart, junior oil minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, focused on "the best way for (market) stability" and "the cooperation of producing countries inside and outside OPEC" to achieve this.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries had been refusing to limit or reduce production, leading to a supply glut that has seen prices fall by 70 percent since mid-2014.

Poorer OPEC members, including Nigeria, have been hard hit by the price drop but even the wealthy Gulf states have been forced to adopt austerity measures to cope with falling oil revenues.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see them voice their support to the freeze agreed in Doha," Abhishek Deshpande, lead oil market analyst at Natixis in London, said of Nigeria.

But he said that unless Iraq and Iran also commit to limit production such talks "carry very little weight".

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The two countries are OPEC's second- and third-largest producers.

Iran, returning to world markets as sanctions are lifted under its nuclear deal, has insisted on boosting production to pre-sanctions levels.

"Some neighbouring countries have increased their production over the years to 10 million barrels per day and export this amount, then say let's all freeze our oil production," Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Tuesday.

"They freeze production at 10 million bpd and we freeze at 1 million bpd. This is a very funny joke."

Saxo Bank analyst Christopher Dembik told AFP that Nigeria's position is "a bit ambiguous," supporting the mooted freeze but at the same time wanting to increase its production to respond to domestic market needs.

- Nigeria could be 'crucial' -

"In the longer term, there is no reason why the country won't align itself with the position of Saudi Arabia and Russia," Dembik said.

Nigeria and Saudi Arabia would also discuss their position towards Iran and Iraq, he added.

"Nigeria could have a crucial role in this respect because of its measured position" that Iran and Iraq should elevate their production before envisaging freezes, Dembik said.

"It is probable, then, that Nigeria meanwhile establishes a bridge for negotiations, notably between Riyadh and Tehran."

According to OPEC's Monthly Oil Market Report, Iraq produces about 4.4 million barrels a day, followed by Iran at more than 2.9 million.

Saudi Arabia's output is close to 10.1 million barrels a day, according to January data.

Kachikwu, who is head of Nigeria's state-run oil firm, also discussed joint oil and gas investments during his meeting with Abdulaziz, SPA reported.

Oil prices nudged higher Tuesday as the two OPEC members met.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for delivery in April was up one cent at $33.40 a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for April rose 18 cents to $34.87 compared with Monday's close.

After the Saudi visit, the Nigerian delegation was to travel to Qatar for more oil talks.
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea warned on Tuesday of harsh retaliation against South Korea and its ally the United States, which are preparing for annual joint military exercises next month amid heightened tensions following the North's nuclear test and rocket launch. The North calls the annual exercises preparations for war and routinely vows to retaliate. "All the powerful strategic and tactical strike means of our revolutionary armed forces will go into preemptive and just operation to beat back the enemy forces to the last man if there is a slight sign of their special operation forces and equipment moving to carry out the so-called 'beheading operation' and 'high-density strike,'" the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army said in a statement carried by state media. It said its first target would be South Korea's presidential Blue House, while U.S. military bases in Asia and on the U.S. mainland would be its secondary targets. About 28,500 U.S. troops are based in South Korea. Last week, South Korean President Park Geun-hye warned of tough measures against the North following its January nuclear test and its long-range rocket launch this month, saying Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear weapons would speed the collapse of the regime. South Korea and the United States say both actions were violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions, and are pushing for further sanctions. Days after the rocket launch, South Korea suspended the operation of the Kaesong industrial zone just north of the border, which had been run jointly with the North for more than a decade. Isolated North Korea and the rich, democratic South are still technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty. (Reporting by Tony Munroe and Ju-min Park; Editing by Nick Macfie)
In the Gulf Islands, a short ferry ride south of Vancouver, there lives a population of distinctly un-raccoon-like raccoons. Their mainland cousins are nocturnal animals that stick to forested areas but these island residents are active throughout the day, wandering out in the tidal flats, far away from the nearest trees. And unlike normal raccoons, they forage intently, rarely raising their heads to search for danger. If a predator came along, theyd be screwed, says Liana Zanette from the University of Western Ontario. They seem completely fearless.

Their boldness is justified. Around a century ago, people wiped out all the large predators on the islands, including bears, pumas, and wolves. Their only remaining threat is the domestic dog. For Zanette, this utopia of fearless raccoons was the perfect setting for testing how fear shapes the natural world.

Predators kill, obviously. But even without baring a tooth or lifting a claw, they can affect their prey. Their very presence, manifesting through tracks, smells, growls and glimpses, produces a state of vigilance, apprehension, and stress. From their preys point of view, there will be safe areas where lines of sight are long, and danger zones where hiding places are more common and escape is trickier. The result is a landscape of feara psychological topography that exists in the minds of prey, complete with mountains of danger and valleys of safety.

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This concept came to attention in the 1990s, when gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park after having been exterminated seven decades prior. Ecologists showed that the parks elk would spend so much time watching out for the re-emergent wolves that they spent less time eating and sired fewer young. They died in numbers way beyond what the wolves were actually killing, and their losses rippled throughout Yellowstone. The trees they ate grew taller, providing more wood for beavers and nesting sites for songbirds. The entire park changed, and all thanks to fear of the big, bad wolf.

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Or did it? Writing in The New York Times, Arthur Middleton said, This storythat wolves fixed a broken Yellowstone by killing and frightening elkis one of ecologys most famous  But there is a problem with the story: Its not true. Follow-up studies suggested that the elk arent as afraid of the wolves as previously thought, and that other factors could have led to the elk declines including humans and drought and bears, oh my. And this dispute has fueled a broader controversy about whether it was a good idea to reintroduce the wolves at all, and whether its worth re-wilding other areas with other large predators that once patrolled them.

Meanwhile, the landscape of fear concept has since moved beyond correlative observations of wolves and elk, and into the world of experiments. In 2011, Zanette showed that song sparrows in the Gulf Islands raise 40 percent fewer chicks if they hear the calls of hawks, owls, and other predators through speakerseven if their nests are surrounded by protective nets and fences. A year later, Dror Hawlena showed that spiders with glued mouthparts can still terrify grasshoppers enough to change their metabolic rates, the chemical composition of their bodies, and the amount of nutrients they return to the soil when they die.

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These studies unambiguously showed fear could affect populations and landscapes, but spiders and hawks are a far cry from the wolves, lynx, and bears at the heart of re-wilding debates. Zanette wanted evidence that these large carnivores could trigger the same kinds of effects that she saw among her songbirds. Hence: the raccoons.

Her team, including graduate student Justin Suraci, traveled to the Gulf Islands and lashed speakers to trees facing the raccoon-infested shoreline. For a month, they blasted out the sounds of either barking dogs (which kill raccoons) or seals and sea lions (which do not). For another month, they swapped. And all the while, they kept an eye on the raccoons with cameras, and combed to beach to count other tidal species.

Their results were stark. When the raccoons heard the dogs, they became more vigilant and abandoned the shorelines, spending 66 percent less time foraging in the tidal zones. This had a huge effect on their prey. After the month of barking, the team found 81 percent more fish in the rock pools, 59 percent more worms, and 61 percent more red rock crabs. And that meant falling numbers of staghorn sculpin fish (which the crabs compete with) and periwinkle snails (which they eat). Fear rippled through the entire beach, affecting everything from raccoons to snails.

We did an experiment and showed just what has been claimed in Yellowstone, adds Zanette. Introduce fear of predators, and the prey get so scared that they eat less. This actually can happen. Thats not to say that it did in Yellowstone, but people there can go out there and do these experiments and resolve these debates, adds Zanette. We showed thats possible.

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The experiment is elegant, inarguable, and far-reaching, says Joel Brown from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I shall certainly use it as a landmark example of the ecology of fear.

Zanettes team is now trying to see if they can reduce populations of deer by scaring them with the sound of dogs. If they can, their results have important implications for debates elsewhere in the world. If you want to reintroduce wolves in, say, Scotland, these fear effects mean that you dont need a huge number of large carnivores to keep the ecosystem balanced, says Zanette. You dont need a million wolves running around to restore an ecosystem.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Washington (AFP) - President Barack Obama presented a long-shot plan to shutter the Guantanamo Bay detention center, hoping to fulfill an elusive campaign promise before he leaves office next year.

Describing the jail as a stain on America's reputation and a catalyst for jihadists, Obama said "I don't want to pass this problem on to the next president."

"For many years, it's been clear that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security. It undermines it," Obama said from the White House's Roosevelt Room.

He outlined a $290-475 million plan to move the 91 remaining detainees abroad and to one of 13 possible -- unnamed -- facilities in the United States.

Obama has tried for almost eight years to close the jail, but has been thwarted by Congress, the Pentagon, some in his own party and foreign allies who refuse to host the terror suspects abroad.

As a candidate and as president, Obama has argued that the indefinite detention without trial of Guantanamo inmates harms America's image and its national security.

"It undermines our standing in the world," he said. "This is about closing a chapter in our history."

Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Congress have blocked the most obvious path to closing the facility by banning the transfer of detainees to the United States, and there is little prospect of Republicans changing tack in the runup to the November presidential election.

House Speaker Paul Ryan immediately rejected the proposal, saying bringing "Guantanamo terrorists" to the United States was neither smart nor safe.

"It is against the law, and it will stay against the law, to transfer terrorist detainees to American soil," he added.

Obama appealed for the closure plan to be given "a fair hearing, even in an election year."

But Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican presidential candidate, doubled down on opposing it, promising to increase the Guantanamo population if elected.

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"Not only are we not going to close Guantanamo -- when I am president, if we capture a terrorist alive... they are going to Guantanamo and we are going to find out everything they know," he said.

Obama also has faced opposition from within his own administration, with the Pentagon accused of slow-pedaling transfers and overstating closure costs.

The president could still try to force the closure through an executive order, but such a move would expose him to accusations of ruling by decree.

Obama got strong backing from one prominent Democrat, presidential contender Hillary Clinton.

"Closing Guantanamo would be a sign of strength and resolve," she said, urging Congress to implement the plan "as quickly and responsibly as possible."

Her campaign also pointed to her efforts to help close the facility while serving as Obama's secretary of state.

- 'Dangerous precedent' -

The Guantanamo Bay closure plan, which took months to produce, offers no specifics on the potential location of a US facility.

But military officials have previously listed Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, or the US Navy brig in Charleston, South Carolina, among possible destinations for inmates.

Those locations, however, face objections from local politicians.

Obama has long argued that many Guantanamo prisoners should be transferred overseas and some should be tried by military courts.

A small number -- those deemed too dangerous to release but too difficult to prosecute -- would be held in the United States.

Human rights groups worry this would only extend detentions without trial and create a "Guantanamo North."

"The possibility of a new, parallel system of lifelong incarceration inside the United States without charge would set a dangerous precedent," Amnesty International said in a statement.

The plan says a US facility would save money over time. It currently costs about $455 million each year to run Guantanamo, and a US site would reduce that amount by up to $180 million.

Most of the savings would come from a decrease in the number of troops guarding the reduced population on the US mainland, although it could cost up to $475 million in one-time expenses to move the men and build or update a facility to hold them.

Efforts to transfer prisoners overseas have been stymied by unrest in Yemen -- a likely destination for many -- and by recidivism among those already released.

- 'Enemy combatants' -

Still, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has in recent weeks signed off on a flurry of transfers, and last month, the prison's population dropped below 100 for the first time.

Today, 91 inmates remain. Of them, 35 have been approved for release. The rest face ongoing, indefinite detention.

Perhaps the most notorious prisoner is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who along with four co-defendants is charged with plotting the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Guantanamo opened in January 2002 on a US naval base on a coastal spit of land in southeastern Cuba leased from Havana under a treaty dating back to 1903.

It was set up after the 9/11 attacks under then-president George W. Bush's administration to deal with "enemy combatants" denied many US legal rights.
By Karolin Schaps LONDON (Reuters) - British oil and gas production could halve by 2025 if oil companies do not spend enough to squeeze every last drop out the North Sea, industry group Oil and Gas UK warned on Tuesday. Oil and gas companies, including former North Sea heavyweights BP, Shell and Statoil, have slashed their budgets by billions of dollars as they grapple with a 70 percent fall in oil prices. Britain, one of the oldest oil and gas basins, has been hit especially hard as low revenue prospects are coupled with some of the world's highest exploration and production costs. New investments in the UK Continental Shelf, Britain's offshore oil and gas production area, are expected to sink to less than 1 billion pounds this year, compared with an annual average of 8 billion pounds over the past years. "The outlook where we're seeing little fresh investment coming is the scary bit in all of it," Mike Tholen, Oil and Gas UK's economic director and author of its annual report, told Reuters. "We're a very simple industry: if you don't keep investing, you're not likely to see a good future in the North Sea." The British government last year cut oil and gas taxes to prevent companies from leaving the North Sea and established a dedicated oil regulator to help them maximise output. Oil and Gas UK said more tax relief is needed in next month's annual budget to ensure companies continue investing, echoing demands from the Scottish government, whose economy is heavily oil and gas dependent. The oil price fall has accelerated the permanent shutdown of some fields, with 21 ceasing production in 2015, and Oil and Gas UK said as many as 80 could follow by the end of 2020. Almost half of Britain's oil and gas fields will be loss-making this year if oil prices remain at current levels around $30 a barrel, the lobby group said. "Were a number of these fields to cease production, their interconnectivity would mean many more could become sub-commercial, known as the 'domino effect'," the report said. As oil prices are expected to remain weak, the group expects more job losses in the sector this year after a fall of around in employment in 2015. (Editing by Alexander Smith)
Oscar-winning Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov says that even though the Academy Awards once again failed to nominate any people of color for acting honors, the idea of a boycott by black actors is "ridiculous."

"Okay, for two years in a row, there was no black actor who could compete with others in the best actor or best actress category," said the filmmaker, according to local news agency Interfax. "Things like that happen," he went on to say. "So, next year, there should be just black actors? Then white ones will be upset."

Mikhalkov, who is one of the two living Russian directors who have won Oscars, has been recently critical of the Academy Awards, saying they have become too politicized.

Still, he said Russia shouldn't boycott the awards, as some politicians and officials here suggested.

Mikhalkov's film Burnt by the Sun won the 1995 best foreign-language film Oscar. His most recent feature, Sunstroke, was Russia's foreign-language entry this season, but didn't make the shortlist.

Last year, Mikhalkov was among the proponents of the idea of "alternative Oscars" for the BRICS region, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

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Just how shortsighted and obtuse can some of our fellow humans be? A recent Reddit thread at /r/cringepics seemed to answer that question by posting screenshots of a Facebook conversation in which a grandmother alleged that the Make-A-Wish Foundation was discriminating against her grandson by refusing to grant him a wish. Oh, and did I mention that her grandson is healthy and isnt suffering from a terminal illness?

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Here is how the conversation starts. Were in train wreck territory right from the beginning:

You would think that such a simple response detailing the foundations purpose would have been enough. After all, most people who were ignorant of Make-A-Wishs overall mission should be sympathetic to it once its explained to them, right?

Well, yes. But this grandmother isnt most people:

I mean, wowsers.

The reason that the Make-A-Wish Foundation arranges for trips to Disneyland for dying children is because they are dying. They dont just pick some random kid out there and give him a trip to the Happiest Place On Earth just because it would be a nice thing to do. They do it for kids who arent going to be alive much longer and who would love to have one major wish come true.

At any rate, I would like to think that this person has realized the error of her ways but given the nature of most Internet conversations, Im sure by now shes doubled down, compared all her critics to Hitler while comparing herself to Martin Luther King, Gandhi and Jesus Christ as the first great martyr of the 21st Century.

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Washington (AFP) - Military officials are poised to submit to Congress a much-anticipated report on how to close the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay, a spokesman said Monday.

Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the military would meet a Tuesday deadline to release the plan on how to shutter the controversial facility.

"We understand that the deadline's tomorrow, and it's our intent to meet it," Davis said.

The detention center at Guantanamo Bay was opened by then president George W. Bush in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

Inmates were called "enemy combatants" and denied standard US legal rights, meaning many were held for years without charge or trial.

President Barack Obama has been trying to close Guantanamo since taking office in 2009, arguing the facility acts as a recruitment tool for jihadists and feeds into an anti-US narrative.

About 780 inmates have been held there since it opened in January 2002; there are now 91 inmates remaining.

The United States wants other countries to take those designated low risk. But about 50 are deemed too dangerous to ever be released.

The Pentagon last year sent a team of experts to review US sites that could house those detainees following the closure of the prison.

Tuesday's report is expected to contain details on how much it would cost to house the men at each site.

Locations considered include the Consolidated Naval Brig in Charleston, South Carolina; Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, and a federal prison complex in Colorado that is already home to Egypt's Ramzi Yousef, who bombed the World Trade Center in 1993, and "Unabomber" serial murderer Ted Kaczynski.
By Yeganeh Torbati and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon is expected to submit to Congress on Tuesday President Barack Obama's long-awaited plan for closing the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, setting up a battle with lawmakers who oppose his efforts. Obama, whose pledge to shut the facility at the U.S. naval base in Cuba dates back to the start of his presidency in 2009, is seeking to make good on his promise before he leaves office next January. Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the administration intended to meet Tuesday's deadline to present its detailed proposal for closing the facility. There are still 91 prisoners detained there. "We understand the deadline is tomorrow and it's our intent to meet it," Davis told reporters. U.S. officials have said the plan would call for sending to their homelands or third countries detainees who have been cleared for transfer, now numbering 35, and bringing remaining prisoners, possibly several dozen, to U.S. soil to be held in maximum-security prisons. Congress has banned such transfers to the United States since 2011. Another option that will be cited in the administrations blueprint will be the possibility of sending some prisoners overseas for prosecution and trial, one U.S. official said. The closure plan could also serve as a template for how to deal with future terrorism suspects captured in the fight against the Islamic State militant group. However, the document will not name the alternative U.S. prisons under consideration for housing detainees, U.S. officials said. The administration wants to avoid fueling any political outcry over specific sites during a U.S. presidential election year. Still, Pentagon officials have already surveyed a federal prison in Florence, Colorado, a military jail at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Navy brig at Charleston, South Carolina. An effort will also be made to speed up parole-style reviews to determine whether more prisoners can be added to the group cleared for release, officials said. The plan will include costs for upgrading U.S. facilities and housing the inmates there, according to a source familiar with the matter. The White House last year rejected one Pentagon proposal as too expensive, sending it back for revisions. Republicans and some Democrats in Congress largely oppose proposals to move any of the prisoners to the United States. Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte said on Monday the Obama administration refused to "level with the American people regarding the terrorist activities and affiliations of the detainees who remain at Guantanamo." White House spokesman Josh Earnest reiterated Obama's view of Guantanamo as a terrorist "recruiting tool" and urged lawmakers to look at the plan "with an open mind," although he expressed doubt about whether they would do so. The White House has left open the possibility that Obama might resort to executive powers to close the facility. The prison was opened in 2002 by former Republican President George W. Bush to house foreign terrorism suspects rounded up after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. The United States quickly drew criticism from human rights activists and foreign governments over Guantanamo, where most prisoners have been held for more than a decade without trial. (Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Peter Cooney, Bernard Orr)
LIMA (Reuters) - Ruptures in Peru's main oil pipeline have spilled 3,000 barrels of crude in an Amazonian region, operator Petroperu said Monday, and the oil has polluted two rivers native villages rely on for water, according to government officials. Two breaks in the pipeline have halted transportation of 5,000 to 6,000 barrels of oil per day, state-owned Petroperu said. The oil has poured into the Chiriaco and Morona rivers in northwestern Peru, said national environmental regulator OEFA. At least eight native Achuar communities rely on the rivers for water, said Edwin Montenegro, a local indigenous leader. Peru's health ministry declared a water quality emergency in five districts near the spill. State-owned Petroperu faces some 60 million soles ($17 million) in fines if tests confirm that the spills, in late January and early February, hurt the health of locals, said OEFA. It could take "some time" to resume operations, said Petroperu president German Velasquez. Petroperu operates the pipeline and also refines the oil it transports, which had slowed in recent months to between 5,000 and 6,000 barrels per day amid slumping oil prices. The pipeline mostly transports crude from block 192, operated by Pacific Exploration & Production Corp. Heavy rains upended Petroperu's initial efforts to contain the damage as oil burst from retaining walls and spread into nearby rivers, said Montenegro. TV images showed thickets of jungle sopped in black sludge and clean-up crews lifting buckets of crude from rivers. Velasquez said a landslide likely triggered the first leak but the cause of the second rupture was unclear. The spills come as Petroperu has been preparing to take part in oil production with a private partner after more than two decades of mostly refining, commercializing and transporting crude. The company had also planned to put up to 49 percent of its actions on the Lima stock exchange. OEFA ordered Petroperu to replace parts of the pipeline and improve maintenance. "It's important to note that the spills...are not isolated cases. Similar emergencies have emerged as a result of defects in sections of the pipeline," OEFA said in a statement. Velasquez said the company was conducting an evaluation of the pipeline, built in the 70s, to prevent any future spills, a process that could take up to two months. He denied reports the company paid children to clean up the oil but said he was evaluating firing four officials, including one who may have allowed children to collect the crude. He said neither Petroperu or Pacific have declared force majeure - a clause in contracts which frees parties from obligations or liabilities due to an unavoidable accident or occurrence. Pacific did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Reporting By Mitra Taj and Marco Aquino; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Los Angeles (AFP) - Peter Mondavi, a trailblazer in developing Napa Valley's wine industry and owner of Charles Krug Winery, has died at 101, his family said Monday.

The businessman died at his home in St Helena, California, on Saturday, a family statement said.

He was the brother of Robert Mondavi, founder of a wine empire full of innovation and marketing savvy that inspired the documentary "Mondovino" in 2004.

Their modest family -- with Italian immigrant parents who had not worked in the industry -- moved from Minnesota to California in the 1940s, after father Cesare started visiting California to bring, and later ship, wine grapes to the colder central United States.

Back then, Napa was known for fruit growing but inexpensive, poor quality wine.

Peter Mondavi, who worked with his father as a boy nailing grape crates shut, ultimately pioneered cold fermentation. He also began importing French oak barrels for aging wines, and was among the first to use vintage years on varietal wines.

In 1943, Cesare bought Charles Krug, now one of the oldest vintners in Napa Valley. In the 1960s, a disagreement between Peter and Robert led to the latter starting his own businesses.

Peter took the reins of the family winery after his mother died in 1976.

California Governor Jerry Brown in 2011 honored him, and the legacy of the Charles Krug Winery, with a proclamation on his contributions to the wine industry.
If death and taxes are the only two certainties in life, phishing-scam emails are becoming a reliable third. The Internal Revenue Service is warning American taxpayers that online scams related to tax season are on the rise, and that if users are not careful, their financial information could wind up in the hands of cybercriminals rather than the U.S. government. (Some might argue that's an academic distinction, but still.)

The IRS warning was posted as an advisory on the agency's website last week, and the mechanics of the scams will be familiar to anyone who's spent a few hours online anytime in the past 20 years or so. Unassuming taxpayers receive an email (or sometimes a text message) informing them that they can file their taxes online, or that said filing information is incomplete. The links in the emails lead not to the official IRS page, but rather to convincing facsimiles that proceed to ask for users' names, addresses, Social Security numbers and other identifying information.

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Tax scam emails are nothing new, although the IRS has observed that they've been on the rise  not only as tax season approaches, but also year-to-year. The IRS observed 254 such scams in January 2015, but a staggering 1,026 in January 2016. To date, the government agency has observed 1,389 scams in 2016, which is already halfway to 2015's yearlong total of 2,748. With more aggressive tactics on the part of cybercriminals, the number of victims may increase as well.

Giving attackers your name, address and Social Security number is troublesome enough on its own, but if you give them all of your tax information, they can cause some additional mischief. If you're entitled to a refund from the federal government or your state government, a crafty criminal could file a return on your behalf, modify a few address details and collect the refund on your behalf. Given that tax refunds often amount to hundreds, or thousands, of dollars, it's not hard to see how a few well-placed phishing schemes could make someone very wealthy without much effort.

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The IRS advises Americans to report suspicious emails to phishing@irs.gov and to generally disregard any unsolicited emails that appear to be from the organization. (While the IRS does correspond with taxpayers via email, it almost always initiates contact via snail mail.)

If you've already fallen prey to a tax-time scheme, get in touch with the IRS as quickly as possible. Doing your taxes may not be any fun, but having a criminal do them in your stead is probably even less enjoyable.

Copyright 2016 Toms Guides , a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's ruling Law and Justice party wants central bank chief Marek Belka to move on at the end of his term and stand as the new president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Puls Biznesu newspaper said on Tuesday.

The conservative party declined to comment and Belka, who was Poland's prime minister in the leftists' government in 2004-2005, was not immediately available to react to the report, which the paper cited to unnamed sources.

Parliament, which is controlled by the Law and Justice (PiS), and Poland's president, a PiS ally, have already replaced almost all of the central bank's 10-strong Monetary Policy Council since the beginning of this year.

The European Union has accused the nationalist-minded party of trying to increase controls on key national institutions, a criticism that was echoed in Standard and Poor's (S&P) unexpectedly cut to Poland's credit rating last month.

Belka has not publicly said whether he wants to stay on in the job or move on when his current term at the central bank comes to an end in June.

The paper said he had expressed an interest in the EBRD job, again without giving any more details or sources. The end of Belka's term at the central bank would coincide with the with the end of the tenure of current EBRD president Suma Chakrabarti.

"In Poland we have only one person around whom we can build domestic and international support - Marek Belka," the daily quoted a government source as saying.

The paper said PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, prime minister Beata Szydlo, deputy prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and finance minister Pawel Szalamacha had all signaled their would back Belka's candidacy.

There was no immediate comment from the central bank, which Belka has led since 2010.

(Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko and Pawel Florkiewicz; Additional reporting by Pawel Sobczak; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
By Marcin Goclowski WARSAW (Reuters) - President Andrzej Duda, an ally of Poland's new euroskeptic government, accused Lech Walesa on Tuesday of collaborating with the communist-era secret services, further stoking a revived debate about the former pro-democracy leader's past. Poland's state history institute said this month it had confirmed as genuine some documents offered to it by the widow of a communist interior minister suggesting Walesa, ex-leader of the Solidarity trade union movement that toppled communism in 1989, had been an informant for the regime in the 1970s. Walesa, 72, has said he will defend himself in court against the allegations. "I am sorry that Mr. President Lech Walesa was not able at the right time to bring himself to make a gesture to Poles ... Just speak out and tell the truth," Duda told reporters from the Polish online news website wp.pl. "I can express my personal sadness as a person who in the past definitely supported Lech Walesa and who respects Lech Walesa as a president," he added. Walesa, who served as Poland's first post-communist president from 1990 to 1995 and retains influence in Poland, acknowledged years ago he had signed a commitment to be an informant for the communist security organs but insisted he never did anything to carry it out. A special court exonerated him in 2000, saying it found no proof of collaboration. While insisting the new documents are authentic, the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) has not been able to confirm that Walesa signed them or whether any signatures were forged, as was sometimes the case in secret service files. OLD FEUD WITH KACZYNSKI The IPN is close to Poland's new ruling party, Law and Justice (PiS), and the new allegations against Walesa have surfaced two months after he accused PiS of seeking to undermine Polish democracy since it won a parliamentary majority in an election last October. Walesa's relations with the leader of PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, have long been acrimonious. Kaczynski and his twin brother Lech, who died in a plane crash in 2010 when he was president of Poland, had been Solidarity members but fell out with Walesa in the 1990s over jobs. Critics accuse Kaczynski and his party of waging a vendetta against Walesa, a man still revered by many Poles as a national hero, and say this is in keeping with what they see as an intolerant and divisive mindset in the new government. PiS rejects such charges and says it is upholding democracy and transparency. Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said the documents authenticated by the IPN raised the possibility that the communists had guided Poland's transition to democracy. "Mr. President Walesa could have been a controlled puppet and this should be clarified," he told the TVN channel. (Reporting by Marcin Goclowski; additional reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Paris (AFP) - Major questions remain over whether a partial truce in Syria, announced by the United States and Russia, will take hold as announced on February 27.

What are its prospects and what should the world expect from the key players in the conflict?

- Will the cessation of hostilities hold? -

The deal does not include the jihadist Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, providing a loophole for the Syrian regime and its Russian backers to continue attacks.

"Russia will fully exploit the loophole," said Firas Abi Ali, a Middle East analyst for IHS in London.

"They are going to pick and choose battles, probably some kind of strategic town under the claim that it is controlled by al-Nusra, and force the population into either accepting an advance by the government or being counted among the terrorists."

The regime may continue to encircle the rebel positions in the city of Aleppo, warned Yezid Sayigh, analyst at Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, so a monitoring system will be needed to clearly establish which side is violating the truce.

For the US and Europe, the real measure of success will be if Russia and the regime stop the indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas, said Abi Ali.

If Russia does push Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stick to the truce, his regime will be forced to "engage in real negotiations over transition, which it does not wish to do at all even if the terms are very favourable," said Sayigh.

- Why are the Russians pushing the Syrian government to accept a truce? -

The agreement is a way for Russia and President Vladimir Putin and the Syrian government to lock in its military advances, said Bertrand Badie, an international relations professor at Sciences-Po University in Paris.

"Putin had two options -- transform a military success into a diplomatic success, or offer Bashar the possibility of fresh military gains. He chose the first option because he needs to score points on a diplomatic level," said Badie.

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The deal also creates a very difficult choice for the so-called "moderate" opposition groups fighting Assad's regime.

"They still have friendly borders with Jordan and Turkey which they can choose to withdraw behind and live to fight another day," said Abi Ali.

"Or they can stand alongside the Islamists and take their chances. Or they can try some kind of negotiation with Assad's forces, but none of these are very appealing options."

- Has the West abandoned the opposition rebels? -

Despite its virulent opposition to Assad and his regime, the West is equally worried about letting the Syrian state collapse completely, especially after witnessing the dangerous chaos that engulfed Libya after the overthrow of its dictatorship in 2011.

There is also frustration with the opposition.

"It has spectacularly failed to produce s credible leadership even after five years of support from Saudi Arabia and Turkey," said Abi Ali.

"It has not produced national bodies that are disconnected from a dangerous jihadist ideology, and that make it easier for the rest of the world to accept an agenda that eliminates the Islamists."

- What role will Turkey play now? -

Turkey has been one of the key backers of the opposition rebels and one of the most vocal opponents of Assad.

However, its primary concern has been the advance of Syrian Kurds, which it fears has emboldened Kurdish separatists in Turkey.

The truce deal puts Turkey in an "impossible situation," said Badie.

"Either they'll be the losers in all this and will be forced by the Americans to stop bombing the Kurds, or they will carry on and will be completely isolated."

Unlike the Cold War years, he added, these days US allies often do whatever they want, meaning it is "far from certain" the Turks will obey the Americans.

- What does the truce mean for the war against the Islamic State group? -

"No one needs the Syrian war to continue as much as the Islamic State," wrote the Washington-based Soufan Group in a briefing note.

Any steps towards a truce allows Russia and the US to increase pressure on the IS strongholds in Raqa and elsewhere.

"When the ceasefire map is drawn, the areas that will be easiest to define -- and thus, to continue to target by air -- will be those held by the Islamic State," said the Soufan Group.

The jihadist group sought to complicate the ceasefire process with a string of bomb attacks on Sunday near a Shiite shrine south of Damascus that killed 120 people, the deadliest attack since Syria's war began.
Sharp hikes in fuel prices take effect today as the likelihood of oil production cuts by Saudi Arabia arrested the plunge in global crude costs.

In a text advisory, SeaOil Philippines Inc. said it increased gasoline prices by P0.95 per liter, diesel by P1.30 per liter and kerosene by P1.30 effective at 6 a.m.

This is to reflect movements in the international market, the oil firm said.

In separate text advisories, Eastern Petroleum, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc. and PTT Philippines also implemented similar price adjustments in diesel and gasoline prices also at 6 a.m.

Speculation by traders over Russia and Saudi Arabia talks on possible output cut drove fuel prices higher in the international market, Department of Energy-Oil Industry Management Bureau director Melita Obillo said.

Russia asked Saudi to freeze production to January levels. But Saudi agreed only if all oil producing countries will freeze production, she said.

This weeks increase has eroded the net decrease recorded for each petroleum product. Since the start of the year, gasoline prices have seen a net decrease of P2.30 per liter, diesel P0.60 and kerosene P0.65.

Prior to todays price adjustments, diesel prices ranged between P18.15 per liter and P21.55 per liter while gasoline prices hovered around P29.90 per liter to P37.70 per liter.  Danessa Rivera
Rome (AFP) - Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Monday said he is planning to hand out copies of "Fire at Sea", a harrowing documentary about Europe's refugee crisis, to fellow EU leaders when they meet next month.

The film, directed by Renzi's compatriot Gianfranco Rosi, won the top Golden Bear prize at the Berlin festival Saturday for its unflinching look at life on the Italian island of Lampedusa, the landing point for thousands of asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East.

Renzi congratulated Rosi for the win in a regular news post on his website, saying: "I am for Italian cinema, which deserves all our attention. But so does the chosen theme."

Ahead of a special summit between the EU and Turkey on the migrant crisis in early March, Renzi said he would be travelling "with 27 DVDs for the 27 heads of state and government. I hope they will find the time to watch it, and that after having seen it, it will be possible to discuss immigration in a different way."

Eritrean-born Rosi spent several months on Lampedusa making the film.

It is told through the eyes of a 12-year-old local boy, Samuele Pucillo, and a doctor, Pietro Bartolo, who has been tending to the dehydrated, malnourished and traumatised new arrivals for a quarter-century.

In chilling footage, Rosi accompanied coastguard rescue missions answering the terrified SOS calls of people on boats, most of them arriving from Libya. Many of the vessels are packed with corpses of people who suffocated from diesel fumes.
By Amy Tennery (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John Kasich drew scorn on Monday after a video emerged in which he told a crowd that early in his career, he gleaned support from women who left their kitchens to campaign. The comments were made in reference to his 1978 run for Ohio's state Senate, according to a spokesman, and not his current presidential campaign, in which he is running fifth nationally for the Republican nomination, Reuters-Ipsos polling shows. "We just got an army of people who, and many women, who left their kitchens to go out and go door-to-door and to put yard signs up," Kasich says in footage of Monday's event in Virginia. Kasich, 63, added his first campaign took place in an era in which "things were different." "Now you call homes and everybody's out working," Kasich said. He apologized for the remark later on Monday. "Of course, Im more than happy to say Im sorry if I offended somebody out there but it wasn't intended to be offensive and if you hear the whole thing, youll understand the context of it," Kasich told CNN. In the video, an unseen audience member seems to criticize the Ohio governor for his comment. "I want to say, your comment earlier, about the women came out of the kitchen to support you: I'll come to support you but I won't be coming out of the kitchen." The response on social media was swift and negative, with many Twitter users decrying Kasich's anecdote as sexist. "It's 2016. A woman's place is...wherever she wants it to be," wrote Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) on Monday, in a quotation retweet that refers to Kasich's comments about his first campaign. Kasich press secretary Rob Nichols told Reuters the governors political campaigns have always been homegrown affairs. Many of his early campaign teams were made up of stay-at-home moms who believed deeply in the changes he wanted to bring, Nichols said. Hes proud of that authentic support. To try and twist his comments into anything else is just desperate politics." Some social media users compared Kasichs comment to former Republican candidate Mitt Romneys binders full of women moment from the 2012 presidential campaign, when he described receiving many resumes from women. The comment struck many at the time as tone deaf. Mitt had binders full of women, and Kasich has kitchens full of women, tweeted Chicago Jesus (@Patriot_Musket). (Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Additional reporting by Eric Beech in Washington; Editing by Andrew Hay and Peter Cooney)
By Susan Cornwell and Eric Beech WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, facing a tough re-election fight in Illinois, said on Monday the Senate should vote on whomever President Barack Obama nominates to the U.S. Supreme Court, breaking with his party's leadership. In another defection among Republicans, Senator Susan Collins of Maine called for hearings on the eventual nominee. A political fight has erupted over filling the court's vacancy left by the Feb. 13 death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, with many top Republicans threatening to block any nominee put forth by the Democratic president. Obama's nominee could shift the court to the left for the first time in decades. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the seat should remain vacant until Obama's successor takes office in January so voters can have a say on the selection when they cast ballots in the November presidential election. Kirk wrote in a Chicago Sun-Times opinion piece that he recognized the right of any president to choose a Supreme Court nominee and he looked forward to Obama picking one for the Senate to consider for confirmation. "I also recognize my duty as a senator to either vote in support or opposition to that nominee following a fair and thorough hearing along with a complete and transparent release of all requested information," Kirk added. Kirk, who holds Obama's old Senate seat, said he hoped the president would pick a nominee "who can bridge differences, a nominee who finds common ground and a nominee who does not speak or act in the extreme." Kirk's stance illustrates that McConnell may have trouble keeping Senate Republicans fully united over filling Scalia's seat. Some senators like Kirk are seeking re-election this year in states where Democrats are competitive. Collins, who is not facing re-election until 2020, said on Monday the Senate had an obligation to hold public hearings on Obama's nominee. "The kind of thorough process that a hearing allows is the best way to evaluate a nominee," Collins told reporters, according to the Hill newspaper. But it appeared unlikely that enough Republicans would peel away from McConnell to allow a vote on the Senate floor. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah said on Monday it was up to McConnell and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to decide whether to hold confirmation hearings. "I feel like we ought to put it off and get it out of this harsh atmosphere," Hatch told reporters. (Reporting by Eric Beech, Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan; Writing by Will Dunham; Editing by Howard Goller and Peter Cooney)
By Megan Cassella (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio aimed to outpoll rival Ted Cruz in Nevada's caucus on Tuesday to bolster his position as the establishment favorite for his party's nomination for the Nov. 8 election. Looming over the tight race between the two first-term Cuban-American U.S. senators is Republican front-runner Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman who has won two of the first three state nominating contests and is expected to dominate the field in Nevada. With Trump, a blunt-spoken political outsider, commanding a double-digit lead in a handful of Nevada opinion polls, political strategists in the state said Rubio and Cruz had a more modest goal: a clear win over the other, which could propel them through the busy voting month of March. "They're playing for second," said Nevada political analyst Jon Ralston. A recent CNN/ORC poll put Trump ahead by 26 percentage points in Nevada, at 45 percent, followed by Rubio, from Florida, at 19 percent, and Cruz, from Texas, at 17 percent. Lagging behind were retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who on Tuesday stoked controversy by suggesting that President Barack Obama, the first African-American U.S. president, was "raised white," and Ohio Governor John Kasich. Carson was at 7 percent and Kasich was at 5 percent. Kasich, who finished second to Trump in the Feb. 9 New Hampshire primary, kept his focus on bigger states, including Michigan and Virginia. The rivalry between Rubio and Cruz, who won the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1, has intensified as both seek a boost going into the nominating contests in a dozen states on March 1, known as Super Tuesday. On Saturday, Rubio beat Cruz by fewer than 1,000 votes for second place in South Carolina's Republican primary. Strategists said Rubio is benefiting from the withdrawal from the race of one-time establishment favorite Jeb Bush, some of whose donors were preparing to shift to Rubio immediately after Bush dropped out on Saturday night. TRUMP BLASTS CRUZ Rubio has picked up endorsements from several Nevada party leaders, including U.S. Senator Dean Heller and Nevada Lieutenant Governor Mark Hutchison. His campaign staff was due to be joined by Marc Short, a senior political adviser to the billionaire industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch, Politico reported on Tuesday. The influential brothers, who have not endorsed any candidates, spend tens of millions to advance their libertarian brand of politics, which would sharply limit the role of government. The Cruz campaign, meanwhile, lost a key staffer on Monday when the candidate fired his main spokesman, Rick Tyler, for posting a video that falsely showed Rubio dismissing the Bible. Complicating the already bumpy path to victory for Cruz, lingering questions over the Texan's birthplace continue to dog his campaign. He was born in Canada, in the western city of Calgary, to a Cuban father and U.S. citizen mother. Cruz on Tuesday asked a federal court in Houston to throw out a class-action lawsuit questioning his eligibility to be president. Trump, known to verbally savage rivals, including fueling questions over Cruz's birthplace eligibility, appeared to continue to focus his venom on Cruz. Cruz "lies like a dog," Trump wrote on his Twitter account, saying in a separate message that Cruz fired his spokesman "like a dog." "Ted panicked," Trump wrote. Rubio, the son of former casino workers who spent six years in Nevada as an adolescent, is playing up his ties to the region. "He's not pushing it hard, like, 'I'm really a Nevadan,'" said Eric Herzik, a political science professor at the University of Nevada-Reno. "But both he and his surrogates have highlighted he has the best understanding of Nevada because he actually lived here." Ralston estimated only 8 percent to 10 percent of eligible voters may turn up to caucus on Tuesday - or somewhere between 33,000 and 42,000 people, according to data from the Nevada secretary of state on registered Republican voters. (Reporting by Megan Cassella in Washington; Additional reporting by Alana Wise; Editing by Peter Cooney, Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler)
Las Vegas (AFP) - US Republican presidential candidates faced off in Nevada with Donald Trump poised for a third straight victory ahead of next week's all-important "Super Tuesday" votes.

As the caucuses got underway, the billionaire real estate mogul was all but certain to triumph, with the big question being which candidate would come in second.

Voting got underway in the early evening, with initial results expected after the polls close at 9:00 pm (0500 GMT).

The contest is the fourth for the Republican presidential candidates, with Trump so far winning in New Hampshire and South Carolina. He came in second in Iowa.

Although the caucus in Nevada is not expected to have a significant impact on the overall race -- only 30 delegates or slightly more than one percent of the total are up for grabs -- it is the first contest for the Republicans in the US West.

It is also the first test of Republican voter sentiment after Jeb Bush pulled out of the race last week following a poor showing in South Carolina.

And candidates here are facing the most diverse electorate thus far in the race, more representative of the US population as a whole.

Experts said the focus was on whether Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Texas Senator Ted Cruz would be able to slow Trump's momentum and which of the two candidates would come in second.

"Who is going to be the strongest guy to go against Trump... is going to be more clear after today," said Dan Lee, assistant professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"Today we are going to see whether voters are going to move over more in support of Rubio."

He noted that the Nevada caucus was taking place as mainstream Republicans are grudgingly accepting the fact that the bombastic Trump may well end up the party's nominee given his seemingly unstoppable winning streak.

"A lot of Republicans -- especially the Republican establishment, professionals, governors -- don't really want Trump to win the nomination," Lee said.

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"They want to get Cruz out and have Rubio go against Trump," he added.

"A lot of people think it's the best chance to beat Trump."

- 'Conservative of convenience' -

Katie Packer Gage, who heads Our Principles, a political action committee aimed at derailing Trump, said in a memo that "it's critical we come together to prevent Donald Trump from becoming the GOP nominee."

"He is, to put it simply, a conservative of convenience -- as his own words and actions over the past 30 years have made abundantly clear," she wrote.

The real estate magnate dished out his trademark rhetoric against his rivals ahead of the vote Tuesday, comparing Cruz to a "soft, weak, little baby" at a rally.

"But for lying, he's the best I've ever seen," he added.

Cruz fired back, accusing Trump of consistently vacillating on issues and saying his insults showed how rattled he was.

"@realDonaldTrump, showing class & grace, calls me a 'soft weak little baby,'" Cruz tweeted. "Hope he doesn't try to eat me!"

Rubio, who has received a flood of endorsements from fellow lawmakers who see him as the mainstream candidate who can topple Trump, for his part urged registered Republicans in Nevada to turn out in force for the caucus.

The Republican field, which once stood at 17, has shrunk to five, with Bush the latest to pull out on Saturday.

Apart from Trump, Cruz and Rubio, the remaining two candidates in the race are retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Ohio Governor John Kasich.

After Nevada, the real test on where the presidential candidates stand will come on March 1, when 12 states go to the polls in what is known as "Super Tuesday."

Unlike primaries, caucuses allow participants to openly engage with one another and hear arguments from candidates' supporters or surrogates, in meetings at schools, community centers and churches.

Republicans then vote by secret ballot, in 130 caucus sites across Nevada.

The results will be used to determine the number of Republican delegates who represent the state at the party's nominating convention in July.
At next month's Geneva Motor Show, the world's leading luxury carmaker will be saying "goodbye" to the Phantom coupe and its drophead counterpart with a special "highly desirable" Zenith editions, strictly limited to 50 examples.

After 13 years, Rolls-Royce is getting ready to cease production of its current flagship limousine, the seventh-generation Phantom. However, an eighth-generation model, due for reveal in 2017 and a 2018 launch, is already well into its development stage.

Company CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos, said: "I am proud and excited to announce that a new Phantom is on the way -- a contemporary and beautiful Phantom enhanced with cutting-edge technologies and design innovations. Any new Phantom is an historic and important moment in automotive history and we are working hard on perfecting the Phantom VIII."

While the flagship will continue, the coupe and convertible models that shared its platform have reached the end of the road. The final cars will be hand assembled in November.

However, the cars are going out with a bang rather than a whimper and at the Geneva motor show, visitors will get a taste of the special Zenith editions that Rolls-Royce has planned.

"As the name promises, Zenith will be the pinnacle; the best of its kind; the highest standard achievable by which everything else is judged," said Director of Design Giles Taylor. "Zenith will be the sum of all the best features of Phantom Coupe and Drophead Coupe, with a few surprises added. We expect huge demand for these 50 fine motor cars as we shall not look upon their like again."

Although the company is keeping some details a secret, it has confirmed that the models will come with a tailgate hosting area, which suggests that seating, picnic hampers and drinks chillers will be integrated into the trunk.

Instrument dials will also be bespoke to the Zenith series, as will the treatment and coloring of the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine, and every client commissioning a coupe or drophead coupe will also receive a "money cannot buy" portable memento of his or her purchase.

The Phantom limousine will also be getting the special edition treatment as production winds down towards the end of 2016. However, Rolls-Royce won't reveal what to expect other than that it will "Continue to set the benchmark for luxury motoring with a number of limited-run collector's pieces, each of which will be the last of their line."

The Geneva Motor Show opens its doors to the world's press on March 1 and to the public from March 3-13.
By Mirwais Harooni KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan government and Taliban representatives are expected to meet in Islamabad by the first week of March for their first direct talks since a previous round of the peace process broke down last year, officials said on Tuesday. Following a meeting in Kabul, the so-called Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), made up of officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China, "expressed strong support for the upcoming direct talks between the Government of Afghanistan and authorized representatives of the Taliban and other groups." In a joint statement released by the Afghan foreign ministry, they said the first round of direct peace talks is expected to take place by the first week of March in the Pakistani capital. On Monday, the powerful chief of the Pakistan army, Gen. Raheel Sharif met officials from Qatar, where the Taliban maintains a political office, to prepare the way for Tuesday's meeting, the fourth in a series of quadrilateral encounters aimed at laying the ground for full peace talks. However the Taliban has been riven by factional infighting since last year's announcement of the death of the movement's founder Mullah Mohammad Omar some two years earlier. The Taliban has not yet clearly indicated whether it will take part in any talks with the Western-backed government in Kabul. New leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour has laid down preconditions for taking part in any talks, including the withdrawal of all foreign forces, while a breakaway faction that opposes him has rejected any negotiations. But officials in Kabul have expressed hopes that at least some parts of the movement and other insurgent groups affiliated with it can be persuaded to join. "I think there's a lot of Taliban that want to come," the outgoing commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan Gen. John Campbell said earlier this month. "That's what's going to be hard, to get all the right people to the table." Tuesday's four-way talks in Kabul came against a backdrop of continuing violence and increasing military pressure from the Taliban, which has stepped up its insurgency since the withdrawal of most international troops from combat in 2014. Over the weekend, Afghan officials confirmed that troops had pulled out of two key districts in Helmand, leaving the entire northern half of the volatile province in the hands of the insurgents. Insurgents have also kept up their suicide bombing campaign, with 14 people killed in an attack on a clinic in Parwan province north of Kabul on Monday. (Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Michael Perry and Katharine Houreld)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A coordination center to facilitate talks between opposing parties in Syria has been opened at Russia's Hmeymim air base in the country, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. "In accordance with the Russian-American agreements from Feb. 22 on the cessation of hostilities in Syria, to implement a monitoring mechanism for the ceasefire a coordination center has been opened for the reconciliation of warring parties," Russian news agencies quoted ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying. Konashenkov said the center's purpose was to facilitate talks between the Syrian government and opposition representatives, excluding Islamic State and the Nusra Front. (Reporting by Jack Stubbs; editing by John Stonestreet)
LONDON (Reuters) - British actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen unveiled his latest fictional alter-ego at the premiere of "Grimsby" on Monday night, an English beer-drinking soccer fan called Nobby. Cohen, known for his satirical characters Ali G, Kazakh reporter Borat and Austrian fashionista Bruno, walked the chilly London red carpet as Nobby drinking from a beer can and without trousers -- just a polo neck and underwear. In the film, Nobby, a resident of the northern English town Grimsby, is caught up in a world-saving mission when he reconnects with his long lost brother Sebastian, a spy portrayed by "Kingsman: The Secret Service" actor Mark Strong. The action comedy has sparked some controversy over how it paints the town. In a tongue-in-cheek answer, Cohen as Nobby said that he was more concerned about the film's rating. "You know, a lot of them (Grimsby residents) are very upset because it's got rated a 15, so that means almost 80 percent of the mothers aren't old enough to see it," he said. "But you know we're going to show the film there and I think, you know, probably people will be throwing stuff at the screens, screaming, literally chucking bricks at the cinema. And if they don't like the film then it's going to be chaos." Director Louis Leterrier said he was hopeful Grimsby residents would enjoy the movie. "I think they will love it," he said. "I think, you know, Grimsby is an idea. There is a Grimsby in every country, there are many Grimsbys in England, there are many types of Grimsbys in France or in America ... It bashes people of London more than it bashes people of Grimsby." "Grimsby", which also stars Cohen's wife Isla Fisher, Australian comedienne Rebel Wilson and Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, is released in the UK on Feb. 24, and in U.S. cinemas as "The Brothers Grimsby" on March 11. (Reporting By Helena Williams; Editing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Dominic Evans)
SEOUL (Reuters) - Tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Tuesday denied a report that it planned to sell its majority stake in medical equipment maker Samsung Medison Co Ltd, saying it was groundless. ChosunBiz, a South Korean online publication, said Samsung Electronics will formally start the sales process for its 68.5 percent stake in unlisted Samsung Medison in March and has already begun searching for potential buyers. Samsung Medison's weak earnings are driving the decision to sell the company, it said. Samsung Electronics first bought a stake in Samsung Medison in 2011 as it sought new growth and a more diverse business portfolio. It bought additional shares and assigned a book value of 478 billion won ($388 million) to its stake as of end-September. Samsung Medison booked an operating loss of 15 billion won for the first nine months of 2015, hurt by higher operating and research costs as well as weak sales growth amid fierce competition from rivals such as GE and Siemens . The Samsung Group has been divesting its stakes in some businesses such as chemicals and defense units in recent months as part of a group-wide restructuring to focus on technology and pharmaceuticals. (Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
Parenthood alumna Sarah Ramos is returning to NBC as one of the leads in another drama series project, pilot Midnight, Texas, which is based on the bestselling trilogy by Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse books that were adapted into HBOs vampire drama True Blood.

Written by Monica Owusu-Breen and directed by Niels Arden Oplev, Midnight, Texas is described as Twin Peaks meets True Blood in Midnight, Texas, a remote town where your neighbor could be a vampire, a witch, a werewolf, or even an angel. Mystery, horror and romance combine to both enthrall and frighten any outsiders who decide to venture into this unusual place.

Ramos will play Creek, a girl next door beauty who works two jobs  a waitress at the local restaurant and working the counter at the Gas and Go convenience store her dad owns. She is bright, funny and dreams of more but lives at home to protect her teen brother from their oppressively strict and protective father.

Owusu-Breen, Oplev and David Janollari executive produce for Universal TV.

American Dreams alumna Ramos, repped by Gersh and Anonymous Content, played Haddie Braverman on NBC/Uni TVs family drama Parenthood, starting off as a regular for the first three seasons.

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Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia on Tuesday urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave, after Riyadh halted a $3 billion programme funding military supplies to Beirut in response to "hostile" positions linked to Hezbollah.

Saudi ally and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member the United Arab Emirates followed suit but went even further, banning its nationals from going to Lebanon and reducing its diplomatic representation there.

In Riyadh, the foreign ministry issued a statement calling on "all citizens not to travel to Lebanon, for their safety, and asking citizens residing in Lebanon or visiting not to stay unless extremely necessary," the official SPA news agency reported.

Announcing the Saudi aid halt on Friday, an official said the kingdom had noticed "hostile Lebanese positions resulting from the stranglehold of Hezbollah on the state".

Riyadh was making "a comprehensive review of its relations with the Lebanese republic", the unnamed official said, cited by SPA.

Alleged leaders of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah are under sanction by Saudi Arabia.

The Shiite militant group is fighting in support of Syria's regime and is backed by Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran, with whom relations have worsened this year.

Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran last month after demonstrators stormed its embassy and a consulate following the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Syria's war has exacerbated political rivalries within Lebanon, which has been without a president for almost two years because of fierce disagreements between Hezbollah and its rivals.

The Saudi official quoted on Friday said Lebanon had not joined condemnation of the attacks on its diplomatic missions in Iran, either at the Arab League or the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The official also denounced "political and media campaigns inspired by Hezbollah against Saudi Arabia", as well as the group's "terrorist acts against Arab and Muslim nations".

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Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week accused Turkey and Saudi Arabia of dragging the region into war and said "victory" was imminent for his group and its Syrian regime allies.

Saudi Arabia supports rebels opposed to Syria's government, and says it is ready to send special forces under a US-led coalition to fight the Islamic State group.

In a statement, Hezbollah said Saudi Arabia stopped the military aid because of economic pressures from the war in Yemen, where it leads an Arab military coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels, and lower oil revenues.

On Friday Saudi Arabia also stopped the remainder of a $1 billion financing package for Lebanese internal security forces, in a separate decision.

The $3 billion deal funded military equipment provided by France and was to ship vehicles, helicopters, drones, artillery and other equipment to Lebanon.
New York (AFP) - Saudi Arabia's oil minister Ali al-Naimi said Tuesday he hoped additional producers would join a potential deal to freeze output next month, saying it could help address a global glut.

But Naimi again ruled out a cut in output that many had hoped for to shore up crude prices.

"Freeze is the beginning of a process," Naimi said at a Houston energy conference. "That means if we can get all the major producers to agree not to add additional barrels, then this high inventory we have now will probably decline in due time."

"It's going to take time."

Naimi's comments helped press crude prices lower. Near 1730 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate dropped $1.69 to $31.70 a barrel, while the London standard, Brent crude, was down $1.41 to $33.28.

At a meeting last week, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela agreed to freeze output at January levels on condition that other major producers followed suit.

"We had one meeting, four countries agreed," Naimi said. "We sent emissaries to other countries. There is a lot of talk, and hopefully sometime in March, there will be another meeting and probably gather more agreements on freezing."

Naimi said freezing output was more realistic than cutting because "not many countries are going to deliver, even if they say they will cut production."

"There is a common sense and there is a need for more money, and I think those two things will cause, maybe not all of the countries, but most of the countries that count to freeze," including Iran, Naimi said.

But in Iran, oil minister Bijan Zanganeh on Tuesday dismissed an output freeze as "a joke", the ISNA news agency reported.

"Some neighbouring countries have increased their production over the years to 10 million barrels per day and export this amount, then say let's all freeze our oil production," Zanganeh said.

"They freeze production at 10 million bpd and we freeze at 1 million bpd. This is a very funny joke."

Iran has increased production since a deal with Western powers ended sanctions over its controversial nuclear program.
The Boulder Valley School District in Colorado, where I am director of food services, is building a central kitchen, which will eventually cook upwards of 20,000 meals per day for our students, faculty and staff. These scratch-cooked meals will be made from fresh whole ingredients, with a priority on locally sourced food. We're going to be partnering with local farmers, producers and ranchers, and we plan to procure a significant portion of our food from these partners. Sounds like a recipe for amazing school food -- every school food advocate's dream -- and yet this dream keeps me up at night. I'm not sleeping, wondering how we can do all this, make the most delicious, nutritious food possible, and keep our children healthy and safe.

One of the things keeping me up is Chipotle and the media storm around the foodborne illness outbreaks plaguing this restaurant chain. I respect Chipotle's values, and its founder cares deeply about "real" food. Yet the company has been investigated by both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the illnesses its restaurants have served up to customers. Here's a company that has made sourcing local and fresh ingredients a priority, a company that cooks from scratch, a company that prides itself on "sourcing the very best ingredients and ... preparing them by hand." Yet Chipotle finds itself in the unenviable situation of having made people sick, seeing its stock value plummet and facing a crisis of trust with its customers. This company, whose values are similar to many of mine, a restaurant chain that I often recommend to students as fast food that is leagues above the rest, this company that hasn't been able to keep their customers safe, is the reason I'm not sleeping at night.

To be clear, I believe Chipotle will come out of this situation a better company, with better food handling procedures in place. As stated on their website, they now have a "Focus on Food Safety." But if Chipotle, with all of its money, systems and procurement policies couldn't assure food safety, what's a food service director like myself to do? In the school food world we lack money, training, facilities and often procurement protocols and policies. In school food, with often little more than $1 to spend per meal, payroll budgets that often do not allow for adequate staff training and equipment that is often ancient at best -- the answer to food safety concerns has been "heat and serve," processed food.

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During my 17-year tenure in school food, my mantra has always been that we need to segue from processed food towards meals cooked from scratch, made from fresh, whole ingredients, with a priority on local procurement. That mantra has been the cornerstone of our central kitchen plan. The design, the menu and recipes, our training and our food safety protocols will all be based on that idea. Yet as I lay awake at night and think about Chipotle's struggles, I wonder how we're going to succeed. Here's what I have come to believe.

I know that we all want healthy, delicious food for all of our children. I believe that it should be every child's birthright in this country to have access to healthy, delicious food in school and to never go hungry. To make that happen, we as a nation need to place a higher priority on school food -- and for that matter our food system in general. We're in an election year, and I've yet to hear any candidate in any debate even mention the word food, other than a passing remark on the obligatory "local" food stops that they make on the campaign trail.

To ensure fresh, delicious, local, healthy food in schools, we need more money for the food, more money for training, more money for equipment and resources to help support it all. We as a nation spend approximately $3 on a school lunch, half as much as a burrito at Chipotle, and much less than a typical adult beverage. So it's no wonder that school food tends to consist of highly processed, "heat and serve" meals.

We need to demand that our elected officials -- those currently in power and those soon to be elected -- make healthy food, and especially healthy school food, a priority. We need to allocate more money to school food, staff training and equipment, and support school food professionals all across the country who are working tirelessly to bring healthy scratch-cooked meals to our children. We need a food system based on fresh-cooked, whole food, and a system that gives us the tools to ensure its safety. These are all lessons we should learn from Chipotle. If we take these lessons to heart, we can ensure we have the best possible food for our children -- and maybe, just maybe, I'll start sleeping at night.

Chef Ann Cooper is a celebrated author, chef, educator and enduring advocate for better food for all children. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Ann has been a chef for more than 30 years, over 15 of those in school food programs. She currently serves as the director of nutrition services for the Boulder Valley School District. Known as the Renegade Lunch Lady, Ann has been honored by The National Resources Defense Council, selected as a Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow and awarded an honorary doctorate from SUNY Cobleskill for her work on sustainable agriculture. In 2009, Ann founded the nonprofit Chef Ann Foundation to focus on solutions to the school food crisis. CAF's pivotal project is The Lunch Box -- a web portal that provides free and accessible tools, recipes and community connections to support school food reform.
Come September, Satellite West Middle School, a small, troubled school in New York City, will have moved from its shared brick building in Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn, into a sparkling glass condominium building at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. Nestled in the heart of the chic Dumbo neighborhood, the redesigned school will focus on science and art, enlist local tech workers as mentors, and go by a new name, The Dock Street School for STEAM Studies. The admissions process will also change: Instead of using a lottery, the school will begin handpicking its students.

This transformation is one of New York Citys answers to the vexing riddle of how to convince middle-class families in gentrifying areas to send their children to local schools with less-than-stellar reputations. The potential rewards are high, as the influx of middle-class students and funding could help revitalize the district, keep newcomers from decamping to private schools or moving, and create newly diverse classrooms, which research shows is beneficial to students.

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But the move raises some prickly questions: Must a struggling school become selective before middle-class families will give it a chance? And is the cost of wooing those families excluding others?

An ever-growing number of middle-class families are choosing to settle in this particular Brooklyn district, which stretches from the rapidly redeveloping neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Fort Greene to solidly upper-class Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights. And while many are choosing to send their children to increasingly popular local elementary schools, most of the districts dozen middle schools have not caught on in the same way. Most serve primarily low-income students of color and earn test scores far below the city average.

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Satellite West epitomizes the challenges facing these schools: dwindling enrollment, low test scores (though they are comparable to those at other schools with many high-needs students), and a spot on the states list of most dangerous schools. Nearly 90 percent of its students come from low-income families, and not one is white.

Because families can apply to any middle school in the swiftly gentrifying Brooklyn district where Satellite West is located, the city cant just redraw zone lines to nudge more families into certain middle schools. Instead, the schools must entice parents to applya vital task for a school like Satellite West, which currently serves just 74 students, and needs more applicants to stay afloat.

After hosting forums and focus groups to ask families exactly what they are looking for in a middle school, the Brooklyn district modeled the new school according to their tastesa community-driven redesign process that could provide a blueprint for other similarly floundering middle schools. This is a unique, beautiful way to design a school, the Satellite West Principal Melissa Vaughan told parents at a recent presentation.

That makes the Dock Street School a window into what some middle-class families seekin this case, a trendy theme, modern facilities, and a progressive bent. But it also reveals the types of students they want their children surrounded by. It was during the planning process that many parents said they wanted the new middle school to screen its applicants. The redesign team consented. While students who apply to Satellite West now are randomly selected, Dock Street will likely pick its students based on several criteria, including test scores, grades, attendance records, and their performance on a group project, aiming to assess the students holistically, according to the district superintendent.

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If I stick around and take a leap of faith on a middle school [in my district] that doesnt have great test scores, I at the very least want to make sure theres a peer group for my kid, said Maggie Spillane, a parent and redesign-team member.

But the new admissions policy, while appealing to middle-class families, could simultaneously shut out other families.

The lessons of the redesign could also benefit the other schools struggling to capitalize on the influx of new families.

Halley Potter, a fellow at the Century Foundation who studies school diversity, said that middle-school programs that screen students can disadvantage those who attended less-rigorous elementary schools. In practice, this often means that students end up sorted by class and sometimes race.

Id be really cautious of screening students, she said, if integration is one of the potential goals.

In fact, the 99 total white students enrolled at the two highest-performing schools is more than double the number of white students at the districts other 10 middle schools combined, according to an analysis of state data by Rob Underwood, a member of the districts community-education council.

The model for Dock Street is the Salk School of Science, a prestigious school in Manhattans Gramercy neighborhood. Salk screens applicants based on their test scores, grades, writing samples, and a science exercise, among other factors.

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Cynthia McKnight, an elementary-school parent and member of the redesign team, said her older son attended Salk. While she loved the first-class education he received there, she said it came at the expense of diversity: He was the only black boy in his class.

Last year, 85 percent of Salk students were white or Asian and only 10 percent received subsidized lunch, a measure of poverty. In the district where Salk students must live, 72 percent of students are white or Asian and 42 percent receive free or reduced-priced lunches.

While Dock Street plans to strive for greater diversity, McKnight said, many parents also made clear that they would not consider the school if it continued to admit any student who applied.

A lot of parents wouldnt send their children here if they didnt have a screen, she said.

Other parents said the desire for a selective school reflects the scarcity of local options for high-performing students. In addition, it could help assuage concerns that Dock Street is just Satellite West rebrandedespecially since the redesigned school would keep the same principal and teachers.

Barbara Freeman, the district superintendent, and some members of the redesign team insisted that Dock Street can screen applicants and still enroll a diverse mix of students. And the lessons of the redesign could also benefit the districts other middle schools, she added, which are struggling to capitalize on the influx of new families.

As the district continues to go forward with gentrification and the changes, how are we equipped to answer these big questions? she said.

For now, it appears that some parents are still unaware of Satellite Wests pending transformation into a selective school. Faraji Hannah-Jones, a parent at the school that Satellite West currently shares a building with, said he was surprised to learn about the change, which he called a recipe for disaster. He said that in attempting to draw in more middle-class families, the policy risked excluding the neediest ones.

If youre going to have something like this thats supposed to be special, he said about the revamped school, it should benefit the kids who need it most.

This post appears courtesy of ChalkBeat New York. Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
A pair of elongated, whiplike legs that are actually sophisticated environment sensors distinguish an unusual arachnid known as the whip spider, also called the tailless whip scorpion. Scientists recently described eight new species of this long-legged spider that are native to Brazil, nearly doubling the number of known species in the genus Charinus.

Whip spiders use only six of their eight legs for walking, reserving their "whips"  which can reach several times the spiders' body length  for exploring the world around them and locating prey, through a combination of touch and chemical signals.

Thanks to the new species discoveries, Brazil now boasts the greatest diversity of whip spiders in the world. But the forest ecosystems where these new species live are threatened by human development, and the researchers suggested that stronger conservation measures are urgently required in order to protect the whip spiders' habitats, and to discover more species before their habitats are destroyed. [Ghoulish Photos: Creepy, Freaky Creatures That Are (Mostly) Harmless]

There are 170 known species of whip spiders found all over the world, mostly in tropical areas in the Americas. According to the researchers, the Amazon region  known for its diverse habitats, plants and animals  was long suspected of hiding many more whip spider species than were previously known. Though some whip spiders measure up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) at the fullest extension of their "whips," most are less than 2 inches (5 cm) and are hard to spot, hiding in leaf litter, under stones and tree bark, and in caves.

To identify the new species, the researchers turned their attention to specimens from the collections in four Brazilian natural history museum collections: the Butantan Institute, the National Museum of Brazil, the Museu Paraense Emi?lio Goeldi, and the Museum of Zoology of the University of Sao Paulo.

What does it take to describe a new whip spider species? Days, weeks and ultimately months of scrutinizing the spiders' body parts under a microscope and comparing them with other known species in order to find unique and differentiating characteristics, said study co-author Gustavo Silva de Miranda.

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De Miranda, a graduate student at the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate at the University of Copenhagen, told Live Science that he and his colleagues performed exhaustive inventory of the spiders' features, including the number of segments in the whiplike limbs, the prey-catching spines at the tips of their legs, the groupings of their eyes, and the shape of the females' genitalia, called gonopods.

"If we compare all these things and see that it's very unique, then we consider it a new species," de Miranda said.

Genital structures turned out to be quite an important point of comparison, de Miranda explained. In each whip spider species, the female's gonopod shape corresponded very specifically to the shape of the male's sperm sac, for perfect alignment.

But even as new whip spider species are described, their behavior and habits in the wild remain elusive, de Miranda said. One study, he said, detailed confrontations between males competing for females or territory  the spiders extend and display their head appendages, squaring off without actually fighting, and the loser (the one with the smaller display) retreats after a 20-minute stare-down.

"But there is still a lot to be discovered," de Miranda said. "We're trying to understand the evolution of the group, their relationships, how they are so widespread, their morphological evolution." He said this makes it imperative not only to find new species, but to preserve the fragile ecosystems where these spiders live.

"If they are not protected, they will vanish from nature," de Miranda said.

The findings were published online today (Feb. 17) in the journal PLOS ONE.

Follow Mindy Weisberger on Twitterand Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Ariel Zimman is taking a decidedly grassroots approach to supporting Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. But the legality of her handiwork is hazy, at best.

The 29-year-old resident of Portland, Oregon, is marketing homemade ceramic pipes emblazoned with decals of Sanders head and campaign logo.

Her pro-Sanders smoking ware  targeted at the Burners for Bernie set  sells for $60 apiece. And she advertises that 10 percent of her proceeds will benefit the self-described socialist from Vermont who has emerged as an unexpectedly serious challenger to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Partys presidential nomination.

It was really just a way to show my support for him as a candidate, Zimman told the Center for Public Integrity. People love [the pipes], and once they hear they are contributing in some way to the campaign, they are all about that too.

But artists like Zimman looking to make a buck off Bernie best beware: While most observers say political campaigns are unlikely to take legal action against their own supporters, attorneys say entrepreneurs open themselves to risk by using candidates names, likenesses or logos  especially when promising to donate a specific portion of their sales.

You cant promise to pass the money along to the candidate, said Joe Birkenstock, an attorney at Sandler Reiff who previously served as the chief counsel of the Democratic National Committee.

If I was advising one of these vendors, I would probably advise them to be a little less specific in their solicitation, echoed Larry Noble, a former top lawyer for the Federal Election Commission who now works at the Campaign Legal Center.

Thats a step that Sanders-supporting artist Jackie Dandelion of Beacon, New York, has already taken.

Dandelion sells her Another Mermaid for Bernie Sanders bumper stickers for $8.50 apiece. She used to advertise that shed donate 25 percent of each sale to Sanders. Now she simply notes that a portion of the proceeds  an unspecified figure greater than 25 percent  goes to his campaign.

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Just know when you purchase from me, you're purchasing from someone who actively supports Bernie Sanders for president, she wrote on the peer-to-peer e-commerce website Etsy.com.

That website, and others like it, offer Bernie fans a number of imaginative ways to show their support, including pendants, makeup bags and candles.

Other lawyers contacted by the Center for Public Integrity didnt find these activities as troubling.

Ken Gross, who leads the political law practice at Skadden Arps, noted that such artists are actually doing good for the campaign, even if the products they make are not licensed or authorized.

I cant imagine the campaign going against them, Gross said. Theyre supporters. They dont want to turn them off.

This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation.

Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email.

Dan Backer, an attorney at DB Capitol Strategies, said pro-Sanders artists pledging to donate a portion of their profits are attempting to entice sales from a target audience and are saying what they will do with their revenues, not engaging in formal fundraising.

It only becomes a problem if they say they will forward the money  not the profits  to the campaign, Backer continued. If they specifically say Give me $10, I will send $2 to the campaign in your name, and the other $8 will go towards this stuff, thats a problem.

Like any donor, artists cannot exceed the $2,700 limit on political contributions to federal candidates. And donations must also be made from personal funds, not a corporate account  although some limited liability companies are allowed to give so long as the money is attributed to a living, breathing human being.

Kenneth Pennington, Sanders digital director, told the Center for Public Integrity that the Sanders campaign doesnt authorize or condone volunteer fundraising through the selling of products with the intent of passing along money to the campaign.

He declined to comment on the specific examples raised by the Center for Public Integrity, although he noted that its not okay to sell things with the campaigns logo.

Zimman, the Portland-based pipe-maker, said she hasnt heard one way or the other from Sanders campaign. But, she added, If they need me to stop and they ask me to stop, Ill stop.

To date, Zimman said shes contributed about $150 to Sanders. She plans on donating another $200 within a month. That amounts to about $3,000 worth of pipe sales, she said.

To hit the legal limit on how much she could donate to Sanders, she would need to sell about 400 more  likely a stretch for her one-woman operation.

There is profit on my side of the business, but Im also doing it for their profit as well, Zimman said.

Its not a huge profit scheme that Im working on, she continued. I would hope that Mr. Sanders would be like, Yeah, youre a small business, and youre doing something that obviously is filling a need in the marketplace.'

This story was co-published with Huffington Post.

Related: Ken Gross quote

This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation.

Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday said the Republican-led chamber will refuse to consider anyone President Barack Obama nominates to become a Supreme Court justice. Citing "overwhelming" consensus among Senate Republicans that the next president, who will take office in January, should select a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, McConnell told reporters there will be "no action taken" on Obama's pick. McConnell also said he would not be "inclined" to even meet with whomever Obama picks to replace Scalia. (Reporting By Richard Cowan; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Monday moved closer to confirming Dr. Robert Califf to lead the Food and Drug Administration, overriding opposition from several senators who had sought to block a vote on the issue. In a procedural move designed to prevent the opponents from blocking the confirmation indefinitely, the Senate voted 80 to 6 in favor of limiting further debate on the matter to no more than 30 hours, meaning a confirmation vote could take place as early as Tuesday. Democrats Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Joe Manchin of West Virginia among others had sought to block the confirmation vote citing disagreements with the FDA's process for approving opioid painkillers. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders also placed a hold on the nomination, saying he objected to Califf's close ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Under pressure, the FDA recently agreed to a number of changes to its opioid approval process, and said it would convene an advisory panel meeting before approving new opioid painkillers that do not include an abuse-deterrent feature. The opponents said the measures do not go far enough and that advisory panels should be called before any opioid is approved. "The FDA has to be the cop on the beat," Markey said. Before the vote opponents, including Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, took to the floor to berate the FDA for approving opioid products such as Zohydro over the objections of its advisory committee. The FDA, Manchin added, "must break its cozy relationship with the pharmaceutical industry." He said more people die of legal prescription drug abuse in West Virginia than any other cause. (Reporting by Toni Clarke; Editing by Eric Beech and Andrew Hay)
By Joseph Nasr and Matthias Sobolewski BERLIN (Reuters) - One of the rare economic success stories in eastern Germany, the state of Saxony is growing worried that a racist backlash against refugees could tarnish its image and deter investments that have turned it into a high-tech hub. The state capital Dresden is the birthplace of the anti-Islam PEGIDA movement, and the town of Heidenau became infamous last summer when anti-refugee riots broke out and Chancellor Angela Merkel was heckled by far-right activists as a "traitor" for her welcoming stance towards migrants. But a series of recent incidents have deepened concern among businesses, politicians and the tourism industry in Saxony that the state could soon pay an economic price for these eruptions of xenophobia. "The headlines, which are raining down on us as citizens and entrepreneurs every day, make it clear that we have a problem," said Heinz Martin Esser, president of Silicon Saxony, a trade association that represents 300 high-tech companies in Europe. "In our high-tech industry we have people from many countries, who play a huge part in our economic community." Last week a video posted online showed a group of about 100 chanting right-wing protesters in the Saxon town of Clausnitz blockading a bus full of refugee families to prevent them from entering a shelter. Children on the bus were seen crying in fear and policemen were seen manhandling the migrants as they pulled them off the bus. The incident, which was condemned by Merkel, was followed by an arson attack on a former hotel in the town of Bautzen that was to be used as a shelter for migrants. Locals applauded as it burned and some tried to obstruct firemen. The technology sector employs some 50,000 people in Saxony, many working for semiconductor firms Infineon and GlobalFoundries, which is owned by Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Investment Co (ATIC). BMW, Volkswagen and Porsche have plants in Saxony that employ many foreigners. At the entrance to BMW's plant in Leipzig, Saxony's largest city, a placard reads: "Respect! No place for racism." The presence of such business heavyweights has helped Saxony post growth of 1.9 percent in 2014, the third-highest yearly rate among Germany's 16 states. It also has an unemployment rate of 8.2 percent, compared with 9.6 percent in the whole of the former east. 'MORE FOREIGNERS THAN GERMANS' "For us, it is important that Saxony and the city of Dresden have a reputation as being open to the world and tolerant - a city where our foreign clients, partners and workers feel comfortable," said a spokesman for Infineon, whose global workforce has more foreigners than Germans. Marketing Dresden, which promotes tourism to the city famous for its imposing Cathedral by the Elbe River, said on Tuesday that the number of visitors last year fell by 3 percent, the first drop since 2008. This was driven by a fall in domestic visitors, put off by anti-Islam rallies. "The damage to the image of our city because of the xenophobic slogans at PEGIDA protests has had a negative impact on tourism," said the group's head Bettina Bunge. Marcel Fratzscher, the head of the Berlin-based DIW economic institute, told German daily Handelsblatt: "Saxony's economy will pay a high economic price for the xenophobia of some of its citizens." State premier Stanislaw Tillich, a member of Merkel's conservative party, has vowed to tackle right-wing extremism with more police and help from social groups. The German federal police told Reuters on Tuesday that 151 crimes against asylum shelters were committed in Germany this year, including 25 arson attacks. Last year, the total was 1,029. (Additional reporting by Caroline Copley, Michael Nienaber, Jens Hack, Jan C. Schwartz, Rene Wagner, Andreas Rinke and Ilona Wissenbach; Editing by Noah Barkin and Caroline Copley)
jack dorsey

Silicon Valley leaders believe the government has overstepped its bounds, once again.

In the shadow of the very public Apple-FBI fight over encryption, tech titans have been coming together to lend a voice to another issue: discriminatory travel restrictions.

In an open letter published today, more than 30 industry leaders, including Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Mark Cuban, and venture capitalist Michael Moritz, voiced their disagreement with a law passed in late December.

Under the Visa Waiver program, the US used to allow travelers from 38 countries, largely in Europe, to visit the United States for a short period without needing a visa. This allowed employees of Silicon Valley giants like Google or Facebook from other countries to freely visit their headquarters. Customers looking to buy American tech products could easily fly to the US for a demo, argues Ali Partovi, a noted angel investor and one of the supporters of the letter.

These travel freedoms was cut short in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, and was intended to block European jihadists from coming to the US.

But Silicon Valley leaders believe the new law goes too far.

"In the balancing act between fighting terrorism and upholding American liberties, these provisions go too far," the group wrote.

In the balancing act between fighting terrorism and upholding American liberties, these provisions go too far.

The amended law bars people who traveled to Syria, Iraq, Iran, or Sudan in the last five years to enter without a visa. Most controversially, those who are dual citizens of Syria, Iraq, Iran, or Sudan are also forbidden from entering the country without documentation.

This becomes especially tricky given the countries' views on what qualifies as a citizen. Iran, for example, counts children of male Iranian nationals, regardless of their place of birth, and their spouses as citizens of the country, according to a UNICEF report. British citizens of Iranian heritage who have never set foot in the country would have to apply for a visa just because of their birth parents, Partovi explained.

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"Discriminating based on national heritage is inconsistent with American values. In effect, certain provisions of the new law require visas for Europeans and other citizens with Iranian, Sudanese, Syrian, or Iraqi heritage," the group wrote. "We protest this just as vigorously as if Congress had mandated special travel papers for citizens based on their faith or the color of their skin."

Business leaders are also concerned about the economic impact.

Some tech employees and customers have already been blocked from entering the country because they didn't realize their parents' nationality played a role in their travel plans, Partovi told Business Insider.

"Restricting travel handicaps American companies from being as competitive they want to be in the international marketplace," Partovi said.

Beyond just voicing concerns, the Silicon Valley heavyweights are also throwing their power (and in some cases, likely money and influence) behind the Equal Protection in Travel Act (H.R.4380/S.2499) that would remove the restrictive dual nationality clause. The group released its letter Tuesday on a Change.Org to gain signatures for a petition as a show of support.

A new bipartisan bill introduced in January would eliminate the dual nationality clause, but would not lift the restrictions on those who traveled to other countries.

Here's the full letter and list of supporters:

Discriminatory travel restrictions: bad for business and for America Dear Speaker Ryan, Leader Pelosi, Leader McConnell, and Leader Reid: In December, the United States enacted a law that ends visa-free travel for individuals based on their Middle Eastern or African heritage. While the law contains other important measures to enhance national security, we urge Congress to undo the discriminatory provisions: they are harmful to the economy and to America. Until now, citizens of the U.S., Europe, Japan, South Korea and others (38 countries in total) enjoyed a reciprocal arrangement to travel visa-free. The new law ends this right for travelers to the U.S. based on discriminatory criteria. This invites reciprocal measures restricting U.S. citizens traveling to Europe and the other countries, potentially weakening the power of the U.S. passport for millions of U.S. citizens. Discriminating based on national heritage is inconsistent with American values. In effect, certain provisions of the new law require visas for Europeans and other citizens with Iranian, Sudanese, Syrian, or Iraqi heritage. We protest this just as vigorously as if Congress had mandated special travel papers for citizens based on their faith or the color of their skin. In the balancing act between fighting terrorism and upholding American liberties, these provisions go too far. These restrictions also harm U.S. business interests. Millions of European, Japanese, and Korean citizens travel as employees, customers, and suppliers of American firms. Requiring many of them to get visas imposes bureaucratic delays on U.S. firms. This reduces the agility and liberty of U.S. firms, makes us less competitive in the global economy, and will ultimately cost jobs. We support the bipartisan Equal Protection in Travel Act (H.R.4380/S.2499), which mitigates these problems. We encourage Congress to enhance security via technology leadership and international cooperation without creating barriers that isolate us from our global partners. Sincerely, Scott Banister, Co-founder, Ironport; Investor, Paypal, Postmates, Uber Rich Barton, Chairman, Zillow & Glassdoor Gina Bianchini, Co-founder & CEO, Mightybell, Ning Joanne Bradford, COO, SoFi Ed Catmull, President, Pixar, Disney Animation Studios Mark Cuban, Owner, Dallas Mavericks, Magnolia Pictures, Landmark Theatres Jack Dorsey, CEO, Twitter, Square Arash Ferdowsi, CTO & Co-founder, Dropbox David Friedberg, Founder, Climate Corp, Metromile, Eatsa Adriana Gascoigne, CEO & Founder, Girls In Tech Paul Graham, Co-founder, Y Combinator Julia Hartz, President & Co-founder, Eventbrite Kevin Hartz, CEO & Co-founder, Eventbrite Drew Houston, CEO, Dropbox Leila Janah, CEO & Founder, Sama, Laxmi Omid Kordestani, Chairman, Twitter; Former Chief Business Officer, Google Aileen Lee, Founder, Cowboy Ventures Max Levchin, Co-founder, Paypal, Affirm Joe Lonsdale, Co-founder, Palantir, Eight Partners Mohsen Moazami, Founder & MD, Columbus Nova Technology Partners Hamid Moghadam, Chairman & CEO, Prologis Brit Morin, CEO & Founder, Brit + Co Michael Moritz, Chairman, Sequoia Capital Kimball Musk, Co-founder, The Kitchen Pejman Nozad, Founder, Pejman Mar Ventures Ali Partovi, Co-founder, LinkExchange; Investor, Airbnb, Dropbox, Uber Mark Pincus, CEO & Founder, Zynga Vipul Ved Prakash, Founder, Topsy, Cloudmark Hooman Radfar, Partner, Expa; Founder, AddThis Ali Rowghani, Partner, YCombinator; Former COO, Twitter; CFO, Pixar Kevin Ryan, Founder, Business Insider, Gilt, MongoDB Lawdan Shojaee, CEO, Axosoft Ben Silbermann, CEO, Pinterest Jeff Skoll, CEO, Participant Media; Former President, EBay

NOW WATCH: Tim Cook: Apple wont hack iPhone used by the San Bernardino shooter





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Singapore (AFP) - Singapore's Roman Catholic archbishop has expressed concern at an upcoming concert by pop diva Madonna in the city-state and warned his flock against supporting those who "denigrate and insult religions".

Archbishop William Goh said in a statement posted on the diocese website on Saturday that he had met various government officials to express the church's concerns about the February 28 concert, part of her global Rebel Heart Tour.

The concert, at the 55,000-seat National Stadium, will be Madonna's first-ever in largely conservative Singapore.

She was barred from performing in Singapore in 1993 after police said her performances bordered on the obscene and were "objectionable to many on moral and religious grounds".

Goh said that in a multi-ethnic society like Singapore "we cannot afford to be overly permissive in favour of artistic expression at the expense of respect for one's religion".

Authorities have assured the archbishop that restrictions have been placed to ensure that content deemed offensive to religious beliefs would not be allowed on stage, the church statement said.

The Media Development Authority has restricted the concert to those aged 18 and above because of sexual references.

Local media reports said Madonna would not be performing a controversial tour segment called Holy Water, which includes dancers dressed as scantily-clad nuns performing on cross-shaped stripper poles.

The church statement said many Roman Catholics have voiced outrage at Madonna's "disrespectful use of Catholic and other Christian symbols" in her performances.

"There is no neutrality in faith; one is either for or against. Being present (at these events) in is itself a counter-witness," the archbishop said.

He warned his flock against supporting "the 'pseudo arts' that promote sensuality, rebellion, disrespect, pornography (and) contamination of the mind of the young".

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Some Catholics said they supported the archbishop's decision and would not attend the concert.

Student Kevin Koh, 24, said he would not go but would not pass judgement on fellow Catholics who attend.

"Singapore as a society has to start being open to these things because we can no longer live in our own shells," he told AFP.

Some online comments were critical, with one commentator saying the faithful should be allowed to make their own decisions.
Singapore has deported four suspected Indonesian extremists allegedly heading to Syria to fight with the Islamic State (IS) group, authorities said Tuesday.

The four, who included a 15-year-old boy, were arrested Sunday in the city-state when officials became suspicious after checking their documents and finding one of them had previously spent time in Syria, Indonesian police said.

Authorities deported them to Batam, an Indonesian island not far from Singapore, the same day, and they have since been sent on to Jakarta.

"Four Indonesians were deported to Indonesia after investigations revealed that they had plans to make their way to Syria to fight for ISIS," a spokesman for Singapore's ministry of home affairs said, using an alternative name for IS.

"Singapore authorities informed their Indonesian counterparts before the deportation.

After questioning the men, all from the main island of Java, Indonesian officials also concluded that the group were likely heading to Syria, Indonesian police said.

IS has provided a potent new rallying cry for Islamic extremists in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, with hundreds believed to have headed to fight in the Middle East with the jihadists.

National police chief Badrodin Haiti said the detained men were also thought to be followers of radical preacher Aman Abdurrahman, who is in jail for his role in forming a militant training camp, and has pledged allegiance to IS.

There have been suspicions Abdurrahman may have helped plan last month's gun and suicide attacks in Jakarta that left four attackers and four civilians dead.

They were claimed by IS, which controls vast swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq, and were the first major attack in Indonesia for seven years.

The detained men originally entered Singapore from Batam but left for Malaysia, where they stayed only several hours, said local police chief Helmy Santika.

They were detained as they returned to Singapore, where they planned to catch flights, he added, without giving further details.

Indonesian police have launched a nationwide crackdown since the Jakarta attacks, rounding up dozens of alleged Islamic extremists.

Indonesia suffered several major bomb attacks by Islamic radicals between 2000 and 2009, but a subsequent crackdown weakened the most dangerous networks.
TORONTO (Reuters) - Eight people were injured and a female student was in custody after a stabbing at a Canadian high school east of Toronto, police said on Tuesday. One of the people had serious but not life-threatening injuries, while the others had minor injuries, Durham Regional Police said in a series of posts on Twitter. Dunbarton High School, in the Toronto suburb of Pickering, was locked down for several hours but students have since been allowed to leave. Police said four people were taken to hospital to be treated, and the wounded included two staff members. "It was two staff members who were actually able to stop the attack from happening," Durham Regional Police Sgt. Bill Calder told reporters. "There is no known motive right now," he added. Four people, including two students and two teaching staff, were killed in January during a school shooting in a remote northern community in Saskatchewan in Canada's worst school violence in a decade. A teenager has been charged in the incident. (Reporting by Andrea Hopkins; Editing by Bill Rigby and Alan Crosby)
By Wendell Roelf CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa will relax some of its tough rules on genetically modified crops so it can ramp up maize imports from the United States and Mexico to avert a potential food crisis amid a severe drought, officials said. Almost 90 percent of maize in South Africa is genetically modified and the country bans commodities with strains not approved by the government and does not allow imports to be stored, stipulating they must be transported immediately from ports to mills. Makenosi Maroo, spokeswoman at the Department of Agriculture, told Reuters on Tuesday that the government planned to permit importers to temporarily store consignments of GM maize at pre-designated facilities, to allow much bigger import volumes. "In anticipation of the volumes expected to be imported into South Africa, the (GMO) Executive Council has approved the adjustment of a permit condition which relates to the handling requirement," Maroo said. "There is therefore no intention to relax safety assessment or risk management procedures prescribed." The government, however, has not said when the rule changes would come into effect or whether they would be permanent. The worst drought in a century has scorched vast swathes of croplands, affecting around 2.7 million homes in Africas most advanced economy where shortages of white maize - a staple food for the black majority - could reach crisis proportions by October if expected summer rains do not fall, analysts say. The country needs to import about 1.2 million tonnes of white maize and 2.6 million tonnes of yellow maize, according to the government, based on the current conservative domestic crop estimate of 7.4 million tonnes, with only Mexico and the United States able to plug the shortfall. South African maize producers called for much more far-reaching rule changes to cope with the situation. Maroo said the government was also considering applications to register additional GMO varieties that would boost maize trade between the United States and South Africa. The South African National Seed Organisation, which represents firms such as Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer, said it has six such applications pending approval. Advocates for GM crops argue it boosts yield and productivity in tough climate conditions and pestilence-prone regions, but critics say its effects on humans and the environment remain unproven. As U.S. crops have significantly higher numbers of GM strains, fears of contamination during handling means suspect cargoes could be rejected as illegal at South African ports due to a "zero tolerance" policy. "We want the zero tolerance regulation changed to at least one percent; to have it relaxed and help prevent bottlenecks occurring when we need to import," Heiko Koster, a feed mill owner and member of the maize steering committee. Most of the maize imports could come from the United States rather than Mexico because U.S. maize is cheaper and supplies more abundant, analysts said. (Editing by James Macharia and Susan Fenton)
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African logistics company Imperial Holdings Ltd reported a 6 percent increase in half-year profit as lower demand for the vehicles it imports and a weakening currency ate into its earnings at home. The company on Tuesday reported headline earnings per share of 801 cents for the six months ended December, compared with 759 cents a year ago. Headline EPS is the most widely watched profit gauge in South Africa and strips out certain one-off items. Sales of both directly imported vehicles and pre-owned vehicles were lower than the previous year, the company said. Imperial, which imports auto brands such as Mitsubishi and Kia, said it was making progress to decouple the group's performance from the weakness of South Africa's rand as it expands its business in the rest of Africa. The company, which last year sold its stake in a short-term insurance unit in its home market and disposed of assets in Germany, said it would continue sale of non-core and underperforming assets. (Reporting by TJ Strydom; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
As economic and political instability rocked Egypt, looters increasingly plundered the country's archaeological sites, leaving holes across the nation's ancient landscapes.

That's the trend reported today in the journal Antiquity by archaeologists who used satellite images to monitor sites in Egypt from 2002 to 2013.

For the last several years, "space archaeologist" Sarah Parcak, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has pored over satellite images to discover lost pyramids, tombs and cities buried in Egypt. (She's even detected the network of streets and houses of ancient Tanis, the city featured in the Indiana Jones movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark.") In her latest study, Parcak didn't analyze ancient features, but rather looked at modern ones in Egypt: the holes in the ground left by tomb robbers and antiquities thieves. [Reclaimed History: 9 Repatriated Egyptian Antiquities]

"Simply staggering" pits

Parcak and her colleagues looked at satellite images for 1,100 archaeological sites in Egypt's Nile Valley and Delta between 2002 and 2013. The researchers found that the first spike in looting actually came before the political uncertainty of the Arab Spring, the wave of uprisings that began the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. Looting levels at least doubled from 2009 to 2010, in connection with the global economic crisis, and then doubled again from 2011 to 2013, following the revolution that began in Egypt in January 2011.

If looting rates continue at their current rate, all 1,100 sites examined in the study will be looted by 2040, Parcak and her colleagues wrote in the new study.

"The number of looting pits dug during 2009 and 2010 is, in our opinion, simply staggering," Parcak and her colleagues wrote. They counted 15,889 looting pits in their 2009 satellite data, and 18,634 in the 2010 data. For comparison, just 3,247 pits were visible in the satellite data from 2008.

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Looting thengrew even worse after the onset of the Arab Spring. On average, the researchers counted 38,000 annual looting pits from 2011 to 2013. Nearly three-quarters of the total damage the archaeologists documented in the study took place during this three-year period.

This trend was borne out at individual sites, such as the area around the crumbling Middle Kingdom pyramid of Amenemhet III at Dahshur, south of Cairo. The site showed no signs of looting in 2009. But by May 2011, satellite images of the same area show a dozen or so looting pits. By September 2012, the site was pockmarked with holes, and by May 2013, the situation was even worse.

When Parcak and her colleagues went to examine the site on foot in December 2014, they saw the looting pits up close. Some of holes were up to 30 feet (10 meters) deep, the researchers said.

What happens after looters find treasure?

Parcak and her colleagues aren't the only ones tracking looting from space; other researchers have applied the same technique to sites in Syria and Iraq, where conflict has left archaeological sites vulnerable to destruction.

"What satellite imagery has done is show us the scale of the problem," said David Gill, a professor of archaeological heritage at the U.K.'s University Campus Suffolk. Gill, who was not involved in the study, noted that the striking images of looting holes should prompt some further questions: How much material must be coming out of these sites, and what's happening to these objects? Are they being stored in warehouses? Or are they entering the market? [In Photos: Amazing Egyptian Artifacts]

Auction data compiled by Gill shows that the total value of Egyptian antiquities sold at Sotheby's in 2002 was about $3 million, but then during the 2009-2010 period, this value was more than $13 million. Parcak and her colleagues noted that the increase in the market mirrors the increase in looting evidenced by the satellite data, which suggests there might be a connection.

"My hunch is that what we need to do is more analysis of what's coming onto the market," Gill said, adding that auction houses and galleries need to have more rigorous "due diligence" tests to authenticate Egyptian antiquities and make sure these objects have legitimate collecting histories. A stricter market might also discourage looters. "If you can't sell it, it's not worth looting."

Satellite imagery could also play a role in the search for illicit antiquities on the art market, Parcak and her colleagues wrote. For instance, if the data from space show that an Egyptian New Kingdom site has been heavily looted, a generalized international watch list could be created to make dealers and auction houses aware of the kinds of mummy masks and other antiquities that should raise suspicion.

The researchers mentioned another needed area of study: on-the-ground ethnographic work to understand who is looting these ancient sites and why. (For instance, are the looters desperate locals or members of opportunistic crime cartels?)

Citizen space-archaeologists

Parcak also wants to enlist members of the public in her fight against art crimes and her quest for undiscovered monuments. She was awarded the 2016 TED Prize, and last night at the TED Conference in Vancouver, she announced what she plans to do with her $1 million award: turn citizens into space archaeologists with a platform called Global Xplorer.

"I believe there are millions of archaeological sites left to find," Parcak said, according to TED. But searching vast areas with satellite data takes a long time. Parcak said she hopes to tackle this problem with a citizen-science platform. Her plan for Global Xplorer is to give citizen archaeologists an online tutorial on how to look for never-before-studied ancient features as well as signs of looting. Then, these participants would be sent a series of satellite images to analyze.

"We'll be treating sites like human patient data, and not revealing GPS points or showing you where your image is on a map," Parcak said. "The data will only be shared with vetted authorities, to create a global alarm system to help protect sites around the world."

The model sounds similar to other crowdsourced projects that have emerged in recent years that ask citizen scientists to do things like count craters on the moon, identify features on Mars, transcribe British war diaries and categorize animals in camera trap photos from the Serengeti. (Those are just some examples from the dozens of projects that can be found on the citizen science portal Zooniverse.)

"A hundred years ago, archaeology was for the rich. Fifty years ago, it was mainly for men. Now, it is primarily for academics," Parcak said in her talk. "Our goal is to democratize the process of archeological discovery and allow anyone to participate."

Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish and Moroccan police arrested four people accused of recruiting potential militants to fight in Syria and Iraq or to carry out attacks in Spain or Morocco, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. Three Spaniards were detained in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in northern Africa and one Moroccan in Nador, Morocco, as part of a joint operation between the two countries, the ministry said. Including the arrests on Tuesday, Spain has detained 12 people with suspected links to Islamic militants so far this year. In 2015, Spain arrested 102 people accused of connections to the Islamic State, more than twice that in the previous year as police stepped up security measures after attacks in Paris. Authorities also arrested nine people accused of belonging to and collaborating with a criminal and terrorist organization due to connections with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Ceuta is one of two Spanish territories on the Moroccan coast - the other is Melilla - and has been a focus of Spanish anti-militant investigations. In March 2015 Spain said it had dismantled a militant Islamist cell in the enclave that it said was ready to attack either Spain or other targets in Europe. (Reporting by Paul Day; Editing by Sonya Dowsett and Dominic Evans)
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek recently sat down for a Q&A session on Quora where the founder of the popular music streaming service answered a wide array of questions from users. For anyone who has followed the company closely, one of the reasons why its so beloved is that Ek and his team are bonafide music lovers who care just as much about delivering a superb listening and user experience as they do about the bottom line. In conjunction with this, Ek has historically been rather candid and upfront about most issues pertaining to Spotify.

That being the case, Eks Quora session was, as you might expect, refreshingly honest and informative.

DONT MISS: Galaxy S7 vs. iPhone 6s: The 5 most important ways Samsung outshines Apple

For instance, one of the posed questions focused on what Spotify is planning to do to compete with the likes of tech giants like Apple and Google who are now interested in the music streaming space.

I believe in focus. All of the companies you mention have music as a hobby, a very small part of their overall business. We do one thing and try to do it really well. This means we have a company 100% dedicated to finding the right content, personalizing it for you and serving it up with partners who are specialized in what they do. The big platform companies dont generally like partnering. We do. This opens up lots of doors. To put it another way, we are really focused on delivering the best possible music experience you can find. Im not saying we dont think about the competition  of course we do, it would be crazy not to. But we think about them more in terms of how to make Spotfy so easy, so fun, and so relevant for our users that whether you wait on lines for every new Apple device, get your groceries from Amazon Prime, or use every Google mail and workplace app, you still want to listen to music on Spotify because its the best experience there is.

Another interesting question asked what decisions Spotify made early-on that would later prove helpful in the companys success. To this question, Ek responded that Spotify made the strategic decision to launch the service in a narrow market  Sweden. As a result, Ek intimated that the company was able to hash out usability issues without having to worry about major blowback similar to what Apple experienced last summer with Apple Music.

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We spent an insane amount of time focusing on latency, Ek explained, when no one cared, because we were hell-bent on making it feel like you had all the worlds music on your hard drive. Obsessing over small details can sometimes make all the difference.

The entire question and answer series is well worth checking out in its entirety via the source link below. For those interested in either the technical or business aspects of music streaming, Ek is an open book and always revealing.

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More from BGR: Galaxy S7 vs. iPhone 6s: The 5 most important ways Samsung outshines Apple

This article was originally published on BGR.com
Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered said Tuesday it swung to a surprise $2.36 billion net loss in 2015 against a backdrop of global market volatility, restructuring costs and bad loans.

Chairman John Peace described the performance as "poor" in what he called a watershed year, which saw the company announce it would axe 15,000 jobs under new CEO Bill Winters.

The company's stock plunged as much as 12 percent in London on the news, but recovered to sit 4.73 percent down by mid-morning.

Pre-tax profits fell 84 percent to $834 million in 2015, well short of the estimates by 20 analysts polled by Bloomberg, who forecast $1.37 billion.

The bank's underlying loan impairment nearly doubled, soaring 87 percent to $4.0 billion -- the highest in its history, according to Bloomberg.

Standard Chartered said the bad loans were driven by "falling commodity prices and deterioration in financial markets in India".

Like many global banks, Standard Chartered is battling turmoil in global financial markets that has seen stocks and commodities plunge.

"While our 2015 financial results were poor, they are set against a backdrop of continuing geo-political and economic headwinds and volatility across many of our markets as well as the effects of deliberate management actions," said Peace in a statement.

Winters added that the bank's 2016 performance would remain "subdued".

Analysts said the extent of the bad loans had come as a surprise hit.

"Nobody expected such a large loan impairment loss, that's really quite a lot," financial analyst Francis Lun of Geo Securities told AFP.

"They have two areas -- India and oil related loans -- that are going to hurt them in the coming years."

Revenue also dropped 15 percent to $15.44 billion for the year, short of the $15.9 billion expected by analysts polled by Bloomberg.

Simsen Financial group analyst Jackson Wong also attributed the loss to bad loans.

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"If oil prices can go back up to around $40 (a barrel) quickly then that will solve a lot of problems," Wong told AFP.

- No executive bonuses -

There will be no bonus payments to executive directors for 2015, the report said, with overall incentive payments for the year down by 22 percent.

The bank also confirmed that there would be no final end-of-year dividend for shareholders.

Standard Chartered announced in November that it was refocusing on "affluent retail clients" rather than corporate and institutional banking businesses and would exit or restructure $100 billion of assets.

It said it would cut 15,000 jobs around the world -- the bank had already announced last January plans to axe 2,000 jobs in 2015 and also cut 2,000 jobs towards the end of the previous year.

In a further blow, Winters said in November that Britain's financial watchdog had opened investigations into dealings at Standard Chartered.

It was also being probed by "an ongoing US sanctions-related investigation", he said. Tuesday's report said the investigation was connected with transactions conducted by "clients with Iranian interests".

Standard Chartered paid $667 million in 2012 to settle charges it violated US sanctions by handling thousands of money transactions involving Iran, Myanmar, Libya and Sudan.

In Tuesday's statement, Winters said the bank would "continue to cooperate fully with the US authorities and the Financial Conduct Authority in their ongoing investigations".

"We remain unable to determine when these investigations will conclude or the size of any potential fines that might result," he said.

In August 2014, the bank was hit by US regulators with a $300 million fine and restrictions on its dollar-clearing business for failing to detect possible money-laundering.
Zurich (AFP) - Switzerland-based reinsurance giant Swiss re said Tuesday its chief executive was retiring, and posted a 31-percent hike in net profit in 2015 as the costs linked to natural disasters slid.

Swiss Re said its chief executive Michel Lies, 62, was set to retire after 35 years in the company and would be replaced on July 1 by the 46-year-old head of the company's reinsurance unit, Swiss citizen Christian Mumenthaler.

The change at the top was announced as the company, the world's second largest re-insurer, jubilantly announced strong results for 2015, as well as a planned new share buy-back of up to 1.0 billion Swiss francs ($1.0 billion, 911 million euros).

For 2015, Swiss Re said it had raked in a net profit of $4.6 billion (4.2 billion euros), boosted by lower costs linked to natural disasters.

Premiums however ticked in at $30.2 billion -- a full billion less than a year earlier, the company said, blaming mainly the negative impact of shifting exchange rates.

Not counting currency fluctuations, it said its income from premiums was up four percent last year.

Lies hailed the company's performance in 2015 as the culmination of several years of strong results.

"We have delivered a strong performance based on our underwriting discipline over the past five years and end this period with one of our highest-ever profits," he said in the earnings report.

Citing its "strong business performance and the very strong capital position", Swiss Re said it aimed to hike the dividend it pays to shareholders by 8.2 percent to 4.60 Swiss francs per share.

Following the announcement, Swiss Re meanwhile saw its share price dip 1.18 percent to 92.35 Swiss francs a piece in mid-morning trading, as the Swiss stock exchange's main SMI index was down 0.70 percent.
ZURICH (Reuters) - Overnight stays in Switzerland fell 0.8 percent in 2015 as European demand plummeted to its lowest since 1958 amid a strong Swiss franc, data released on Tuesday showed. Demand from Europeans outside Switzerland dropped by nearly a tenth, definitive results released by the Federal Statistics Office showed, led by more than half a million fewer overnights from German visitors. Overnights by foreign visitors declined an overall 1.7 percent. "We expect further declines for Europe in 2016 before a stabilization toward the end of the year," Swiss Tourism Director Juerg Schmid told reporters. A rise in Asian demand and steady Swiss demand helped soften the blow in 2015. Schmid said Swiss Tourism expected Asian demand to continue rising this year and Swiss demand to firm. (Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; Editing by Michael Shields)
Lima (AFP) - French President Francois Hollande said Tuesday the Syrian ceasefire must be fully and promptly implemented, after discussing it with the leaders of Britain, Germany and the United States.

"A ceasefire has been announced. It must be fully respected and the sooner, the better," Hollande told reporters during a visit to Peru.

He said the four Western powers would join forces to push for "discussions on a real political transition" in Syria.

All four countries called for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and urged the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to cooperate in the aid effort for those affected.

"Pressure must be exerted on the Syrian regime and its supporters, in this case Russia, so that the bombings cease and so humanitarian aid can be transported" to hard-hit spots such as Aleppo, he said.

"It is high time for this, otherwise refugees will continue to come and there will be an unbearable humanitarian situation in Turkey," one of Syria's neighbors where countless refugees have fled.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing fighting in Syria have risked their lives trying to reach Europe.

Syria's regime agreed Tuesday to the ceasefire deal announced a day earlier by the United States and Russia, aimed at halting its nearly five-year civil war.

Hollande's office said in a separate statement that the four countries would closely monitor implementation of the truce, "particularly the halting of strikes by Russia and the Syrian regime on moderate opposition groups and the civilian population."

There were widespread doubts about whether the truce could take effect by the weekend as hoped.

The agreement does not apply to jihadists such as the Islamic State group and Al-Nusra Front, putting up major hurdles to how it can be implemented on Syria's complex battlefield.

The deal calls for a "cessation of hostilities" between forces loyal to Assad and opposition groups that would take effect at 2000 GMT Friday.

In a new toll released Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said that 271,138 people -- including nearly 80,000 civilians -- had lost their lives in the war.
DAMASCUS (Reuters) - The Syrian government said on Tuesday it accepted a halt to "combat operations" in line with a U.S.-Russian plan and said it would coordinate with Russia to decide which groups and areas would be included. The Syrian government said in a statement it stressed the importance of sealing the borders and halting foreign support to armed groups, and "preventing these organisations from strengthening their capabilities or changing their positions, in order to avoid what may lead to wrecking this agreement". (Reporting by Kinda Makieh; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
By Tom Perry and Patricia Zengerle BEIRUT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and rebel groups accepted a plan for a cessation of hostilities to begin on Saturday and the United States warned it would be hard to hold the country together if the fighting did not stop. With hostilities reported on several fronts, rebels backed by Saudi Arabia expressed doubts about the proposal, which excludes attacks by the Syrian army and its Russian backers on the jihadist groups Islamic State and the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. Saudi-backed rebels said Russia had stepped up air strikes since the plan was announced on Monday. For its part, the government in Damascus has made clear that continued foreign help for the rebels could wreck the deal. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would soon know if the plan would take hold. "The proof will be in the actions that come in the next days," he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington. If a political transition to a government to replace the current administration does not unfold in Syria, there are "Plan B" options, Kerry said, in a reference to undefined contingency plans believed to include military action. The next month or two would show if that transition process was serious and Assad would have to make "some real decisions about the formation of a transitional governance process that's real," Kerry said. "It may be too late to keep it as a whole Syria if we wait much longer," Kerry said. France said the leaders of the United States, France, Britain and Germany hoped the cessation deal could take effect soon. The plan is the result of intense diplomacy to end the five-year-long war that has killed 250,000 and forced millions to flee their homes helping to cause a refugee crisis in Europe. But rebels say the exclusion of Islamic State and Nusra Front will give the government a pretext to keep attacking them because its fighters are widely spread in opposition-held areas. WAR OF WORDS The Syrian government, backed by Russian air strikes since September, said it would coordinate with Russia to define which groups and areas would be included in what it called a "halt to combat operations". The terminology reflects the difficulties of getting peace efforts under way, with talks in Geneva making no headway and the failure amid further fighting of a cessation of hostilities announced on Feb. 12. The United Nations describes a cessation as something that would precede the more formal ceasefire it is hoping to establish at some future date. U.N. spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said: "A ceasefire implies a whole mechanism and agreements, signed agreements between the parties etc. This is a cessation of hostilities that we hope will take force very quickly and provide a breathing space for the intra-Syrian talks to resume." Assad objects to the word "ceasefire", saying it is something concluded between armies or states. "It does not happen between a state and terrorists," he said last week. Instead, he has offered a "halt to combat operations". The Russian intervention in the fighting has turned the momentum Assad's way in a conflict that has mostly reduced his area of control to the big cities of the west and the coast. U.S. Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he did not believe Russia was convinced it would suffer any consequences if the plan fails. He said he expected Assad's forces, backed by Russia, would continue to seize territory. "I don't think Russia believes that anything is going to happen. And I think that's why they continue to make the gains," Corker said. ALEPPO SUPPLY ROUTE On Tuesday, Islamic State fighters were reported to have tightened their grip on a supply route to Aleppo that had been used by the Syrian government in its campaign to seize the city. Heavy Russian air strikes in support of the army were also said to be targeting one of the last roads into opposition-held parts of Aleppo. Damascus, backed by ground forces including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is making significant advances near Aleppo, which is split between rebel- and government-control. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which reports the war using a network of sources on the ground, said Islamic State fighters had seized the village of Khanaser on the road, which remained closed for a second day. A Syrian military source told Reuters that army operations continued to repel the attack. In a statement on the proposed cessation of hostilities, the government in Damascus stressed the importance of sealing Syria's borders and halting foreign support for armed groups whose activities it said could wreck the agreement. BLOCKADES, AID AND AIR STRIKES The Syrian military reserved the right to "respond to any breach by these groups against Syrian citizens or against its armed forces", the government statement added. The main, Saudi-backed Syrian opposition body said late on Monday it consented to international efforts, but said acceptance of a truce was conditional on an end to blockades of rebel-held areas, free access for humanitarian aid, a release of detainees, and a halt to air strikes against civilians. The opposition High Negotiations Committee also said it did not expect Assad, Russia or Iran to cease hostilities. The powerful Kurdish YPG militia, which is fighting both Islamic State and rebels near Aleppo, is "seriously examining" the U.S.-Russian plan to decide whether to take part, a YPG official told Reuters. Turkey, a major sponsor of the insurgency against Assad, said it welcomed plans for the halt to fighting but was not optimistic about a positive outcome to talks on a political transition. A rebel fighter in the Aleppo area said he did not expect the ceasefire plan to work and Russian warplanes "will not stop bombing". (Additional reporting by Kinda Makieh in Damascus, Orhan Coskun in Ankara, Guy Faulconbridge in London and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by Giles Elgood and Andrew Hay; Editing by Peter Millership and Peter Cooney)
By Yeganeh Torbati

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 30 U.S. business leaders urged Congress on Tuesday to undo visa restrictions that make it harder for citizens of some countries to visit, saying they were discriminatory and made U.S. companies less competitive.

A law passed after last year's Paris attacks by Islamic State requires citizens of 38 countries to obtain a visa to visit the United States if they are dual Iranian, Iraqi, Sudanese or Syrian nationals, or have visited those countries since March 2011.

Previously, citizens of countries in the Visa Waiver Program could travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa.

Twitter Inc Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey, Pixar President Ed Catmull, former eBay Inc President Jeff Skoll, billionaire Mark Cuban and about 30 other mostly technology executives and investors signed on to a letter delivered to legislators on Tuesday that said the changes amounted to discrimination based on national heritage.

"We protest this just as vigorously as if Congress had mandated special travel papers for citizens based on their faith or the color of their skin," the letter said. "In the balancing act between fighting terrorism and upholding American liberties, these provisions go too far."

The changes would result in "bureaucratic delays" that would make U.S. companies less competitive with their global counterparts, the letter said.

The signers included prominent political donors, including PayPal Holdings Inc and Uber investor Scott Banister, who has supported libertarian causes.

Several Iranian-American executives and investors also signed, including Twitter Chairman Omid Kordestani and former Chief Operating Officer Ali Rowghani, and Dropbox co-founder Arash Ferdowsi.

Ali Partovi, an Iranian-American investor and start-up advisor who organized the letter, said those who signed on were particularly offended by discrimination against the Iranian-American community, an influential and prosperous population in the tech world.

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"Silicon Valley's top ranks and bottom ranks and middle ranks are filled with Iranians," Partovi said. "It's very awkward and very offensive to have a discriminatory law like this affecting a group that so many people work closely with."

The Visa Waiver Program came under scrutiny in Congress after the Paris attacks because some of the militants behind the attacks were European nationals theoretically eligible for U.S. visa waivers, who had become radicalized after visiting Syria.

Tuesday's letter expressed support for the Equal Protection in Travel Act, a bill introduced last month that would reverse some of the limitations.

(Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
Private software giant Infor is not as much a household name as competitors like SAP and Oracle, but the third-largest supplier of enterprise solutions had $2.9 billion in revenue in the last 12 months, employs 14,000 people, and operates in 200 countries and territories around the world.

CEO Charles Phillips stopped by Yahoo Finance to discuss a host of issues in and around his business.

Into the cloud

Phillips says his company takes care of a lot of the behind-the-scene processes that the end user never really thinks aboutperhaps automating a manufacturing company or a hospital or even some governments.

"More and more of our customers are asking us to run the software for them as opposed to give it to them to run, Phillips notes. And so now we have about 45 million customers in the cloud running on Amazon [Web Services].

Apple vs. the FBI

Technology and the software behind it have been in the news of late as Apple, the federal government, and the public have begun a debate over the line between privacy and security.

The government is right on this one, Phillips says, noting that his past as a Marine captain causes him to think differently of the topic. We certainly seem to be sanctioning that its OK to waterboard people, but its not OK to open their iPhones? This is a very narrow case where hes asking for one phone, no new technology to be developed. A federal judge gave a subpoena  I think the government is on the right foot here.

He believes most of the public is on his side as well, and a new Pew Research poll backs up that opinion, reporting that 51% of Americans think Apple should unlock the phone for the FBI.

Diversity in tech

The people employed by tech companies have long fallen into some specific categories, and while Infor is based in New York and not California, Phillips is trying to change the makeup of his companys workforce, and hes starting early. Rather than hoping colleges and universities spit out a more diverse group of tech-minded graduates, Infor is going to the schools themselves.

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Were providing our software to about 24 universities right now and training their professors to give classes around our technology, Phillips says. If you graduate and get certified in that course, we will guarantee you a job at Infor. But were going to non-traditional universities: Hampton University, CUNY, Pace. And so were going to some places where people normally dont get access to these technologies and training them ourselves.

Consumer technology

Being the CEO of a tech company, its no surprise that Phillips is a fan of consumer tech. We asked him what his favorite gadgets were, and he quickly backed the Samsung ecosystem, noting that the company is "innovating a lot faster than most other phone companies right now.

Phillips is also excited about the rise of virtual reality, but not just because of the implications for the consumer. I think theres a lot of applicability in business, he adds. I could see us demo-ing our software in virtual reality. So if were automating things like asset management, where you go out and fix something in the field or fix a pipe, Id love a customer to walk through that in real time to show how our asset management systems work.

IPO on the horizon?

When youre the CEO of a large and successful private company like Infor, its only natural to talk IPO. Phillips sees the merits of a move, but is in no hurry to file with the SEC anytime soon. We make hundreds of millions of dollars a year and raise money privately, probably at better valuations than in the public market right now, he says. But we want the option to be there, because its a branding event and theres other advantages. But were not pressed to do it right away.
Today is the 70th anniversary of George Kennans Long Telegram (pdf), one of the most influential documents of the 20th century. On February 22, 1946, Kennanthen stationed at the U.S. embassy in Moscowresponded to a query from Washington as to why the Soviets were not supporting the newly created World Bank and IMF. In the preface to his 8,000-word reply, Kennan apologize[d] in advance for this burdening of telegraphic channel:

Answer to Depts 284, Feb. 3,13 involves questions so intricate, so delicate, so strange to our form of thought, and so important to analysis of our international environment that I cannot compress answers into single brief message without yielding to what I feel would be a dangerous degree of oversimplification.

He would have hated Twitter. (Kennan died just a year before the company was founded in 2006.) The Long Telegram, outlined here, was expanded into a July 1947 essay in Foreign Affairs and became the foundation for the containment strategy that would guide U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. In April 1989, about six months before the Berlin Wall came down, The Atlantic ran a cover story on Kennans soon-to-be-published diaries. From the editors note to The Last Wise Man:

Through most of his time in public life, Kennan has been known as farsightedalmost as a seer. During the early forties, when many Americans, including our President, had warm feelings toward the Soviets, Kennan repeatedly warned his superiors in the government that this outlook was based on wishful thinking and on a total misunderstanding of Russian politics, Russian intentions, and Russian history. Soon after the nation finally heeded his warnings, he began to warn against seeing containment solely in military terms, and against extending it beyond the prudent task of protecting American vital interests into a grandiose promise to police the world. ... America has never known quite what to make of this prophet, especially because he cannot be placed securely on either the right or the left of the political spectrum in the making of foreign policy.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
In a somewhat rare interview, Fortunes Adam Lashinsky sat down with Apple CEO Tim Cook for a wide-ranging discussion that touched on a number of topics, from Apples floundering stock price, the proliferation of Apple Pay and the notion that weve reached peak iPhone. But without question, the most interesting portion of the interview centered on Apples somewhat mythical Apple Car.

DONT MISS: 15 Galaxy S7 features the iPhone 6s doesnt have

As has become plainly evident over the past few months, Apple seems incredibly and genuinely interested in developing an electric car. Over the past few months, Apple has hired a number of auto executives and engineers with vast technical and business experience across all areas of the car development and manufacturing process. Notably, many of these hires have come from companies such as BMW, Tesla and other luxury automakers. Not only that, but weve also seen reports that Apple has a secret automotive testing facility up and running in Sunnyvale, California.

Typically, when theres a lot of smoke theres fire. But Tim Cook, as is to be expected, did his best to say a lot without saying anything at all when pressed for more information about Apples car plans.

When asked flat-out why Apple doesnt just admit that theyre researching an electric car, Cook coyly answered:

Yeah, Im probably not going to do that. The great thing about being here is were curious people. We explore technologies, and we explore products. And were always thinking about ways that Apple can make great products that people love, that help them in some way. And we dont go into very many categories, as you know. We edit very much. We talk about a lot of things and do fewer. We debate many things and do a lot fewer.

Lashinsky, to his credit, didnt simply digest Cooks non-answer and move on. Instead he asked if Apple would really spend huge sums of money on a project (developing a car isnt cheap, after all) if it wasnt actually planning on commercializing it. In his next answer, Tim Cook was a tad more forthcoming.

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Well, could we? Yes. But would we? We dont have to spend large amounts to explore. So I cant talk about this certain area that youre talking about. But when we start spending large amounts of money, were committed at that point. But we explore things with teams of people. And thats a part of being curious. Part of exploring technologies and picking the right one is becoming so familiar with it you can see ways that it can be used. And for us, weve never been about being first. Weve been about being best. So we explore many different things, many different technologies. And at first we might not know what product it might wind up in. And then later well see that that really cool technology enables maybe things that were doing today to take on something bigger, maybe something new. But once we start spending gobs of moneylike when we start spending on tooling and things like thatwere committed.

Whats more, Cook also explained that he can envision a day where manufacturers make an automobile on a contract basis for someone else.

Hit the source link below for Cooks full interview. Its not necessarily mind blowing, but given how infrequently Apple executives tend to grant public interviews (relative to other tech companies), its always worth seeing what they have to say when they do decide to speak up.

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As resident mean girl of the Republican primary field, Donald Trump has never been reluctant to poke and prod at his opponents weak spots, and when hes been able to find one that resonates with the GOP electorate, the effect has been dramatic. Low-energy Jeb Bush is only his most recent victim.

Now, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is about to find out what a full-on Trump assault can do when it is coupled with a coordinated attack from another key player in the GOP field.

Related: With South Carolina in Hand, Trump Continues His War with the GOP

Cruz on Monday fired his communications director, Rick Tyler, after he publicized a video that  however improbably  appeared to show Florida Sen. Marco Rubio insulting the Bible in a crowded hotel lobby. The details are here, but the short version is that the video included misleading subtitles that were promptly refuted by the Rubio campaign.

Under different circumstances, the Cruz campaign might have been able to sweep that particular mistake under the rug, but the Texas senators opponents, arguably without real evidence, have been working hard to paint him as a dirty campaigner.

And his campaign has played into their hands. Surrogates in Iowa incorrectly spread a rumor that retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson was ending his campaign even as that states voters were caucusing, and a Cruz-supporting super PAC in South Carolina financed controversial robo-calls in advance of that states Saturday primary.

On balance, its created the impression  one that opponents have been anxious to reinforce  that Cruz is a cheater. And while his decision to get rid of Tyler was an obvious effort to blunt that criticism, Trump and Rubio dont appear to be ready to let it go.

Related: Rubio, the Unlikely Establishment Candidate, Is Now Trumps Main Rival

Not long after Cruz took the all-but-inevitable pro-active step of requesting Tylers resignation, the Trump assault was launched.

This time, though, it was coupled with an attack from the Rubio campaign as well.

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Considering how recently this most story broke, its unlikely that it will have much effect on tonights Nevada caucus. But with Super Tuesday just a week away, attacks on Cruzs honesty are likely to be a daily feature of the campaign until next Wednesday  the day both Trump and Rubio are hoping will be the first without the Texas senator as a major competitor.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Ankara (AFP) - Turkey insisted on Tuesday there was an indisputable link between Syrian Kurdish fighters and last week's deadly attack in Ankara, despite final confirmation that the bomber was born on Turkish territory.

After the February 18 suicide car bombing of a convoy of military buses in the capital that left 29 people dead, Turkish officials said the bomber was a Syrian Kurd working on behalf of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).

Fearing the ambitions of the PYD and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, Ankara has been keen to play up the links between the Syrian Kurdish fighters and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

But the radical Turkey-based Kurdish group that claimed the attack said the bomber was a Turkish Kurd, an assertion supported by DNA tests.

"Whatever the judicial inquiry concludes over the identity of the bomber, it is clear that the bomber came from Rojava, the area of the PYD," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters, referring to Kurdish-controlled northern Syria.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had said the bomber was a Syrian Kurd named Salih Necar who had entered Turkey under the guise of being a refugee.

But the group which claimed the attack, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), said the bomber was a homegrown Turkish Kurd named Abdulbaki Somer with the nom de guerre Zinar Raperin.

"We are trying to work out if this person is a Turkish citizen or not. It appears not to be the person who was initially presented" as the bomber, Kurtulmus acknowledged.

"But this does not change at all the base fact that this was an attack committed in collaboration between the PKK and YPG," he said.

Later, the state-run Anatolia news agency said DNA testing had now confirmed that the bomber was indeed Abdulbaki Somer.

Kurtulmus argued that the bomber had indeed entered Turkey from PYD-controlled Syria in the summer of 2014.

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Security forces meanwhile detained 10 people attending a condolence ceremony for Somer -- including his father and brother -- in his home region of Van in eastern Turkey.

The Hurriyet daily said that while the bomber's real name was Abdulbaki Somer, he had re-entered Turkey with false papers under the name Salih Necar.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the attack rose by one to 29 after another victim died in hospital, media reports said.

Turkey's insistence that the PYD and YPG are the Syrian branch of the PKK has provoked a rare rift with its NATO ally the United States.

The United States works with the YPG as the most effective fighting force on the ground against jihadists in Syria. Washington has also shown no sign of giving into Ankara's pressure to list the organisation as a terror group, as it does the PKK.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's ruling AK Party remains determined to forge a new constitution and a cross-party parliamentary commission which collapsed last week after the opposition walked out should continue work, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Tuesday. The main opposition CHP pulled out of the commission, meant to draft the new constitution, in protest at attempts by the AKP to strengthen the role of the presidency, something keenly sought by President Tayyip Erdogan. (Reporting by Ercan Gurses; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Daren Butler)
By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The commander of U.S. troops in South Korea told a Senate committee on Tuesday that he was concerned about North Korea's steps to "aggressively develop nuclear weapons" and it could lead to a miscalculation in the region. "My top concern remains the potential for a North Korean provocation to start a cycle of action and counteraction which could quickly escalate," General Curtis Scaparrotti told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Scaparrotti's comments come after North Korea this month launched what it said was an Earth observation satellite but what the country's neighbors and the United States called a missile test. North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January, although experts doubt Pyongyang's claim that it exploded a hydrogen bomb. The commander of the 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea added that in addition to Pyongyang's nuclear capability, he was also concerned about its cyber and air defense capabilities. "All of those things, in about five or six years, are going to be a more formidable problem," Scaparrotti added. North Korea warned on Tuesday of harsh retaliation against South Korea and ally United States, which are preparing for annual joint military exercises next month amid heightened tensions following the North's nuclear test and rocket launch. The head of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris, said North Korea posed a threat to Hawaii and other parts of the United States and it would "soon" be a threat to the entire United States. Harris said it was "preposterous" for China to try to "wedge" itself between the United States and South Korea because those two countries are expected to begin talks on a missile defense system. U.S. military officials have said the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system is needed in South Korea, but Seoul had been reluctant to openly discuss its deployment given the risk of damaging ties with China, its biggest trade partner. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers introduced legislation on Tuesday to counter President Barack Obama's bid to close the Guantanamo detention center, underscoring the difficulty he faces keeping a promise to close it before leaving office next year. Republican Representative Ed Royce, the chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced a measure that would force the Obama administration to publicize plans for transfers from Guantanamo. Currently, the administration must inform Congress of plans for any transfers, but those notices are classified. Public notice of plans to move detainees would allow opponents more time to marshal opposition and potentially stop any transfers. "This legislation will bring much needed public scrutiny to the administration's mad rush to transfer detainees out of Guantanamo Bay before President Obama leaves office," Royce said in a statement. Four other Republicans, Senators Richard Burr, Kelly Ayotte, Tom Cotton and Marco Rubio, a 2016 presidential hopeful, introduced a bill late on Monday that would bar Obama from returning the naval base at Guantanamo to Cuba without authorization from Congress. A similar bill was introduced in the House by Republican Representative David Jolly. "It's clear that the threats to the United States are increasing, not decreasing, and we need every available military asset. As President Obama continues to court the Castro regime, I believe it is important that Congress makes clear that he cannot give up our base in such a strategic location," said Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. "President Obamas aggressive push to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay is dangerous," Burr said. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Richard Chang and Chris Reese)
GENEVA (Reuters) - The top U.N. human rights official welcomed President Barack Obama's plan announced on Tuesday to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, but stressed that no detainee should remain in indefinite custody without charge or trial. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the U.S. facility in Cuba had been a "serious blot on the human rights record, and reputation, of the United States for the past 14 years". "All Guantanamo detainees should either be transferred to regular detention centers in the U.S. mainland or other countries where fair trials before civilian courts and due process guarantees can be provided in accordance with international norms and standards," he said in a statement. "If there is insufficient evidence to charge them with any crime, they must be released to their home country, or to a third country if they risk persecution at home." (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Tom Hals WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) - Within weeks, two low-profile legal disputes may determine whether an unprecedented wave of bankruptcies expected to hit U.S. oil and gas producers this year will imperil the $500 billion pipeline sector as well. In the two court fights, U.S. energy producers are trying to use Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to shed long-term contracts with the pipeline operators that gather and process shale gas before it is delivered to consumer markets. The attempts to shed the contracts by Sabine Oil & Gas and Quicksilver Resources are viewed by executives and lawyers as a litmus test for deals worth billions of dollars annually for the so-called midstream sector. Pipeline operators have argued the contracts are secure, but restructuring experts say that if the two producers manage to tear up or renegotiate their deals, others will follow. That could add a new element of risk for already hard-hit investors in midstream companies, which have plowed up to $30 billion a year into infrastructure to serve the U.S. fracking boom. "It's a hellacious problem," said Hugh Ray, a bankruptcy lawyer with McKool Smith in Houston. "It will end with even more bankruptcies." A judge on New York's influential bankruptcy court said on Feb. 2 she was inclined to allow Houston-based Sabine to end its pipeline contract, which guaranteed it would ship a minimum volume of gas through a system built by a Cheniere Energy subsidiary until 2024. Sabine's lawyers argued they could save $35 million by ending the Cheniere contract, and then save millions more by building an entirely new system. Fort Worth, Texas-based Quicksilver's request to shed a contract with another midstream operator, Crestwood Equity Partners , is set for Feb. 26. The concerns have grown more evident in recent days, raised in law firms' client memos and investment bank research notes. Last week, executives from Williams Companies Inc and Enbridge Inc , two of the world's largest pipeline operators, sought to allay growing investor fears, saying they were reviewing contracts or securing additional credit guarantees to minimize the impact of the biggest oil bust in a generation. MORE VULNERABLE THAN THOUGHT So far, relatively few oil and gas producers have entered bankruptcy, and most were smaller firms. But with oil prices down 70 percent since mid-2014 and natural gas prices in a prolonged slump, up to a third of them are at risk of bankruptcy this year, consultancy Deloitte said in a Feb. 16 report. Midstream operators have been considered relatively secure as investors and analysts focus on risks to the hundreds of billions of dollars in equity and debt of firms most directly exposed to commodity prices. That's because firms such as Enterprise Products , Kinder Morgan and Plains All American relied upon multi-year contracts -- the kind targeted in the two bankruptcies -- that guarantee pipeline operators fixed fees to transport minimum volumes of oil or gas. Now, with U.S. oil output shrinking and gas production stalling, many of the cash-strapped producers entering bankruptcy will be seeking to rid themselves of pricey agreements, particularly those with so-called minimum volume commitments that require paying for space even if it is not used. "They will be probably among the first things thrown out," said Michael Grande, director for U.S. midstream energy and infrastructure at Standard & Poor's. RUN WITH THE LAND In bankruptcy court, Sabines lawyers argued for undoing a pipeline and gathering contract with Cheniere unit Nordheim Eagle Ford Gathering that is worth tens of millions of dollars in coming years. Instead, a different midstream operator would be hired to build a new system that Sabine's lawyer told the bankruptcy court would literally "wrap around" Nordheim's existing infrastructure. If Sabine gets the ruling it wants, it would immediately save the $35 million owed to Cheniere as a "deficiency fee" for failing to meet minimal volume commitments since the gathering system went into effect in September 2014. Ryan Bennett, a Kirkland & Ellis attorney representing Sabine, told Bankruptcy Judge Shelley Chapman at a Feb. 2 hearing that Sabine had plenty of options once it shed the Cheniere contract. "Maybe we do renegotiate with Nordheim. Maybe we buy their gathering system after this is all over," he told Chapman. Nordheim, like many midstream operators, has long considered its gas gathering and transportation agreements to be nearly bankruptcy-proof. The Cheniere affiliate argued the contracts with Sabine went beyond a typical commercial agreement and transferred to Nordheim Sabine's ownership right to collect and transport the gas collected within a certain area. The midstream operator's lawyer compared it to a property deed restriction that forever limited the height of building. Such restrictions are said to "run with the land," and generally cannot be rejected in bankruptcy. Sabine's lawyers seemed to sway the judge when they countered that the contract language never transferred ownership rights, and if it did, it applied to mineral rights, not land rights. Judge Chapman did not say when she would rule but told the hearing she was "inclining" toward ruling in Sabine's favor. She encouraged the parties to reach a deal. ALL IN THE FAMILY NO MORE Lawyers told Reuters some gathering agreements did not appear well protected against bankruptcy, in part because the contracts were written when one company owned both energy production and midstream operations. In recent years, the industry has undergone significant reshuffling and many energy producers spun off gathering systems. For example, the Quicksilver agreement was struck when the midstream operator was part of the Quicksilver corporate family. In October 2010, Quicksilver sold its gas gathering and processing operations in Texas to a master limited partnership -- a once-popular type of tax-advantaged corporate structure -- affiliated with Crestwood Equity Partners for $700 million. The gathering operations included a pipeline agreement with Quicksilver that expired in 2020. Earlier this month, Quicksilver asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Silverstein to end that deal in order to save the sale of its U.S. assets to BlueStone Natural Resources for $245 million. If Quicksilver fails to break the pipeline agreement, it would have to settle for a lesser bid that includes just $93 million in cash, according to court documents. PAIN SPREADING The infrastructure that midstream firms have built remains in high use so far, including the more than 12,000 miles of new pipelines commissioned since 2010. U.S. oil production is expected to fall only modestly, and most analysts expect prices to rebound somewhat in coming years. Still, the pain is accruing already. Plains All American said this month that it expected a default from one unidentified customer who contracted for 10 percent of its BridgeTex pipeline, which transports crude from west Texas to the Houston area. Reuters later identified the customers as a little-known, privately held merchant called Stampede Energy. [IL2N15W14Z] Analysts at Credit Suisse said Williams Partners could lose up to $400 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, if Chesapeake Energy Corp , the second-largest U.S. natural gas producer, uses creditor protection to shed its minimum volume agreements. While Chesapeake has denied any plans to file for bankruptcy, the head of the general partner of Williams took time on Thursday to explain to analysts and investors why he believed their deals were bankruptcy-proof. "We believe gathering contracts such as ours are not the type of contract that would be rejected," said Alan Armstrong, President and CEO of Williams Companies Inc. But he also said they were following the Sabine case closely. (This story has been refiled to correct paragraph 15 show Michael Grande works for Standard & Poor's, not Moody's) (Additional reporting by Joshua Schneyer; Editing by Jonathan Leff)
San Francisco (AFP) - Uber said it was devastated by a deadly shooting spree by one of its drivers but had no plans to change its background check methods.

In a phone briefing with reporters, Uber expressed confidence in how well it probes whether aspiring drivers have pasts that signal trouble ahead.

Uber's chief security officer Joe Sullivan said the ride-sharing company was "devastated" and has been working "around the clock" with police since Saturday night's killing spree in Kalamazoo in the US state of Michigan.

"No background check process would have made a difference in this case because he did not have a criminal history," Sullivan said during a media conference call.

"If there is nothing on someone's record, a background check is not going to raise a flag."

Suspect Jason Brian Dalton, 45, sat stony-faced in an orange prison jumpsuit, thick glasses shielding his downcast eyes, as a judge on Monday read the charges against him in a Kalamazoo court. Dalton appeared via videoconference from the jail.

Dalton was formally charged with six counts of murder after he allegedly went on the weekend killing spree -- possibly picking up passengers along the way.

Prosecutors said they were still trying to determine why Dalton began firing -- seemingly at random -- as he drove through Kalamazoo.

- 4.73-star rating -

Kalamazoo's public security chief described Dalton, a former insurance adjuster, as "an average Joe" who had no criminal record and had not come to the attention of law enforcement before the murders.

Dalton cleared a background check to become an Uber driver on January 25, and was at the wheel for slightly more than 100 trips by users of the smartphone-based ride-sharing service during the following weeks, according to Uber.

Dalton had a rating of 4.73 based on a five-star system that passengers use to rate Uber drivers and "generally speaking" had received favorable reviews, Sullivan said.

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Uber got some complaints on Saturday, and earlier, about Dalton's driving but nothing regarding violence or weapons, according to the San Francisco-based company.

Uber automatically suspends drivers after accusations of violence, but opts to discuss driving gripes because "we get a lot of complaints about bad driving and they are not all accurate," Sullivan said.

Uber did not see a need to modify its driver security screening process.

- 'Extremely safe' system -

While Uber does not have fingerprints of aspiring drivers checked against US criminal databases, it obtains extensive personal information including social security numbers to dig into records on local, county and national levels, according to the company.

"When it comes to understanding what criminal record someone has, we think we do a pretty good job," Sullivan said of Uber background checks, which involve going to courthouses and digging through files by hand if they are not available online.

Uber can also assess drivers with help of rider reviews and GPS tracking of each trip.

"As it stands right now, the system that Uber has is extremely safe," said Uber safety advisory board member Ed Davis, whose 35-year career in US law enforcement included serving as Boston police commissioner.

"A background check is just that; it does not foresee the future. After an incident like this, we all struggle for answers."

- No US 'panic button' -

Uber also said it did not plan to bring to the US a "panic button" being tested in the company's smartphone application in India to let riders quickly connect with police.

"People with smartphones here could just call 911," Sullivan said, referring to a special number that connects callers directly with police dispatchers.

"We can't hope to compete with that."

Uber shrugged off questions related to why the shooting spree made the firm a target for scrutiny instead of Dalton's prior employer or even the accused killer's ability to get a gun.

"I do think the fact that Uber is a technology company and a company that has been expanding so rapidly has made more of the media attention directed on Uber," said Uber safety advisory board member Margaret Richardson, a former advisor in the office of the US Attorney General.
By Nigel Hunt BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Britain's farming and environment minister Liz Truss on Tuesday backed continued membership of the European Union, saying it would be "wrong to take a leap in the dark" at a time of severe price volatility and global market uncertainty. The country's farmers, traditionally strong supporters of membership, are divided ahead of the June 23 referendum, with support eroded by what some see as heavy-handed regulation and bureaucracy which has stifled innovation. "I believe that by voting to remain we can work within a reformed EU to reduce bureaucracy and secure further reform while still enjoying the significant benefits of the single market which gives access to 500 million consumers," Truss said at the annual conference of the National Farmers Union. "We are able to export our high quality products freely without the trade barriers we deal with elsewhere and with a say in the rules," she added. Truss said 60 percent of Britain's food and farming exports were to the European Union, bringing in 11 billion pounds. "At a time of severe price volatility and global market uncertainty - I believe it would be wrong to take a leap in the dark," Truss said. "The years of complication and risk caused by negotiating withdrawal would be a distraction from our efforts to build a world-leading food and farming industry that brings jobs and growth to Britain." Critics argue that EU membership has held the sector back, for example through what they see as an overly cautious and lengthy approval process for new crop protection chemicals and a reluctance to embrace genetically modified crops. And while the EU farm budget is declining following reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy, pressure from environmental groups has led to increased regulation on issues such as pesticides and waste disposal. Truss' predecessor Owen Paterson warned last month that the EU's "obstinate refusal to adopt advanced technology means Europe has become the museum of world farming." NFU president Meurig Raymond told the conference that farmers had "vastly different opinions" on continued EU membership. "Whatever your view is, there is no denying that this is a huge area of uncertainty for farming. And if the vote is to leave the EU there will be at least another 2 years of uncertainty as new arrangements are negotiated," he said. (Reporting by Nigel Hunt, editing by David Evans)
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN aid convoys headed to two Syrian towns besieged by government forces on Tuesday to deliver life-saving food and medicine to some 30,000 people, a UN spokesman said.

The deliveries to the towns of Moadamiyeh and Kafr Batna, near Damascus, came after aid reached five besieged towns last week, part of a major push to reach civilians facing starvation.

"These are the first of what we hope to be a series of deliveries to meet the needs of people that humanitarian workers have not been able to reach for a long time," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The convoys carried enough food and medical supplies to help some 20,000 people in Moadamiyeh and 10,000 in Kafr Batna, he said.

The humanitarian aid came a day after the United States and Russia agreed on a cessation of hostilities as of Saturday that could pave the way to more deliveries.

The United Nations is calling on all sides to lift starvation sieges across Syria, where it estimates that 487,000 people live, although some non-governmental organizations say the figure is much higher.

Last week, 114 trucks loaded with food and other basic goods reached 80,000 people in five besieged areas.

The United Nations is calling for "unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access" to all hard-to-reach areas, said Dujarric.

More than 260,000 people have died in Syria's conflict, which began in March 2011 with anti-government protests but has since imploded into a multi-sided proxy war.
By Heide Brandes OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - A fight over an impressionist painting at the University of Oklahoma that was looted by the Nazis during World War Two came to an end when the university announced a settlement on Tuesday to return it to the Jewish family it was stolen from. Title to the 130-year-old painting, "Shepherdess Bringing in Sheep" by Camille Pissarro, will be transferred to the family of Leone Meyer. The settlement calls for the painting to be displayed at the university's Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art and a yet-to-be-named museum in France on a rotating, five-year basis. Under the settlement, the university will recognize the painting was stolen. When Paris fell in World War Two, German troops looted museums, galleries and personal collections across France, including artwork owned by Parisian Jewish businessman Raoul Meyer, who had a large collection of French impressionist paintings including the Pissarro now in Oklahoma. His daughter, Leone in 2013 filed a lawsuit in federal court against the university, its foundation and art galleries that said the painting was registered as plundered artwork that entered the United States without the family's knowledge in 1956. The university has claimed the school was honoring a court decision made in 1953 in Switzerland that allowed the painting to remain in the United States. It argued the painting passed through many hands and was purchased in good faith from a New York art gallery by oil tycoon Aaron Weitzenhoffer in 1956. When his wife died in 2000, the Pissarro painting was among 33 pieces of art donated to the university museum. State Representative Paul Wesselhoft, involved in the campaign to return the painting, hailed the settlement. "This is a wonderful victory, but it is unfortunate that it took so long," Wesselhoft told reporters. "They (the university) should have known and must have known that it was the moral thing to do to give back something that has been stolen." (Reporting by Heide Brandes; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Alistair Bell)
The following factors are likely to influence Malaysian palm oil futures and other vegetable oil

markets.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Malaysian palm oil futures fell on Monday, handing back gains earlier in the session, sealing

a third consecutive day of losses due to an unexpected rise in production numbers.

* U.S. soybean futures rose to their highest in nearly three weeks on Monday, supported by

technical buying and signs of stronger-than-expected export demand, traders said.

* Oil markets settled up as much as 6 percent on Monday as speculation about falling U.S. shale

output and a rally in equities fed the notion that crude prices may be bottoming after a

20-month collapse.

MARKET NEWS

* Asian shares rose to a seven-week high on Tuesday as investors took heart from signs of life

in battered energy and commodity markets while European currencies are hampered by worries

Britain could exit the European Union.

RELATED

> Noble Group to take $1.2 bln impairment, Q4 loss on weak commodities

> Sugar deficit forecasts to rise on reduced Indian and Thai output

> Chinese driven aluminium overhang to foil price bulls

> UPDATE 3-Shale resurgence to boost U.S. oil output to record high by 2021

> China Jan distillers' grains imports up fourfold y/y -customs

> Malaysia's Feb 1-20 palm oil exports fell 12.6 pct -SGS

DATA/EVENTS

> Cargo surveyor ITS releases Malaysia's Feb 1-25 palm oil export data on Feb 25.

> Cargo surveyor SGS releases Malaysia's Feb 1-25 palm oil export data on Feb 25.

* For a table on Malaysian physical palm oil prices, including refined oil, Reuters Terminal

users can double click on or type.

* To view freight rates from Peninsula Malaysia/Sumatra to China, India, Pakistan and

Rotterdam, please key in and press enter, or double click between the brackets.

* Reuters Terminal users can see cash and futures edible oil prices by double clicking on

the codes in the brackets: To go to the next page in the same chain, hit F12. To go back, hit

F11.

Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 0039 GMT

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Contract Month Last Change Low High Volume

MY PALM OIL MAR6 0 +0.00 0 0 0

MY PALM OIL APR6 0 +0.00 0 0 0

MY PALM OIL MAY6 0 +0.00 0 0 0

CHINA PALM OLEIN MAY6 5022 -6.00 5010 5050 391622

CHINA SOYOIL MAY6 5754 -18.00 5744 5776 160472

CBOT SOY OIL MAR6 31.49 -1.00 0.00 0.00 0

INDIA PALM OIL FEB6 484.30 -1.00 482.30 488.00 1076

INDIA SOYOIL MAR6 625.75 -1.30 622.50 630.70 48780

NYMEX CRUDE APR6 33.30 -0.09 33.19 33.45 5509

Palm oil prices in Malaysian ringgit per tonne

CBOT soy oil in U.S. cents per pound

Dalian soy oil and RBD palm olein in Chinese yuan per tonne

India soy oil in Indian rupee per 10 kg

Crude in U.S. dollars per barrel

Vegetable oils --

Malaysian palm oil exports --

CBOT soyoil futures --

CBOT soybean futures --

Indian solvent --

Weekly Indian vegetable oils --

Dalian Commodity Exchange --

Dalian soyoil futures --

Dalian refined palm oil futures --

Zhengzhou rapeseed oil --

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(Reporting by Praveen Menon)
New York (AFP) - Media-entertainment giant Viacom said Tuesday it was seeking a minority investor for its Paramount studios in Hollywood to adapt to a shifting industry landscape.

Viacom's chairman and chief executive Philippe Dauman said the company had "received indications of interest from potential partners" and that it would explore these options.

Viacom and Paramount have been under pressure to adapt to changes in the industry as power shifts to streaming media giants like Netflix and Amazon.

Dauman took on the title of chairman earlier this month, replacing 92-year-old Sumner Redstone amid concerns the company was failing to keep pace with its rivals.

"In this time of change and enormous opportunity in our industry, a partnership will bring significant benefit to Paramount and Viacom, both strategically and financially, provide new opportunities for Paramount's employees and talent, and enhance long-term value for all Viacom shareholders," Dauman said in a statement after he unveiled the plan at a conference in New York.

The comments suggested that Viacom and Paramount are looking for ways to get more value for their vast library of content.

"Paramount Pictures has been a leading motion picture studio for more than a century and is among a select few that has significant reach and scale, a deep library, a robust pipeline with proven global franchises, and a high potential television production operation," Dauman said.

"In addition, the value of motion picture content continues to increase with the explosion of screens and the rapid expansion of the global theatrical market. This is the perfect time to explore new strategies to capitalize on Paramount's content expertise and global platform."

Viacom owns the large Paramount studios in Hollywood and cable networks including MTV and Nickelodeon, but its stock has been hit by growth concerns, as well as by the uncertainty surrounding Redstone, who had remained in firm control despite failing health until recently.

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One fund, SpringOwl Asset Management, called last month for the replacement of the entire Viacom board, claiming it was underperforming compared with rival media groups.

SpringOwl said in a statement Tuesday that the move by Viacom "is an important step and something we've specifically urged the company to pursue" and added that "the positive reaction in (Viacom's) share price illustrates the support we have among shareholders."

Viacom shares rose one percent to $41.01 at the close but remain around half the level of two years ago.
It's no secret that Americans are big foodies. Not only does the U.S. consume the most food of any country in the world, but in 2015, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported that Americans spent more money on eating out than dining in. Over the years, Americans' appreciation for food has seeped into their travel itineraries, with many adding culinary activities on their lists of things to do when visiting a new destination. Between 2006 and 2013, Americans who traveled specifically for food-related experiences rose 11 percent, according to Mandala Research, a travel and hospitality research firm. And in 2012, a report published by the University of Florida found that tourism expenditures on food services totaled $201 billion, making food the highest travel spending category.

It's safe to say that the U.S. is not just a foodie destination, but one that teems with culinary adventures. Although epicurean excursions of all kinds can be found from coast to coast, the question of affordability tends to linger on some travelers' tongues. With tickets to big-time culinary festivals typically ranging in the hundreds of dollars, and some food tours averaging the cost of multiple meals, is it possible to pull off a delectable foodie trip on a budget? Yes, according to top food experts. We asked experts to reveal their top tips for enjoying the full flavor of the USA's 15 Best Foodie Cities without putting a sizable dent in your wallet.

Do Your Research

The last thing you want to do on vacation is wander from restaurant to restaurant scanning menus and wondering if the $20 plate of pasta at some swanky bistro is really worth the cost. Robert Firpo-Cappiello, editor-in-chief of Budget Travel and veteran food writer, suggests going beyond popular review websites to find the most delectable eateries. "It'll be best to do your research on the local level, reading weeklies and Web sources," Firpo-Cappiello says. Laura Siciliano-Rosen, co-founder of Eat Your World, a site dedicated to finding the best regional dishes around the globe, recommends starting conversations with the people who know the city's food best -- its residents. "There are apps and websites like ours that exist to help you find these foods, but tracking them down on the ground is often as simple as chatting up regular people," she says. "Ask your waiter, your cab driver, the guy next to you on the bus -- where do they like to eat?" Chances are, you're more likely to find the city's most authentic -- not to mention most affordable -- fare from regular Joes than your hotel concierge.

Venture Off the Beaten Path

Being in the heart of any new city can be exhilarating, but it's best to take your dining plans elsewhere. Siciliano-Rosen strongly suggests getting out of the downtown area and exploring the outer edges of the city (eating in North Charleston rather than the pricey city center, for example). "Look for informal, hole-in-the-wall kind of spots. They are generally not aimed at getting tourist dollars, and the prices reflect this," she says. "What you lose in atmosphere you may very well gain in cost and authenticity," she adds. If you're in New Orleans (ranked No. 3 on the Best Foodie Destinations in the USA list) and looking for Cajun cuisine, Siciliano-Rosen suggests Coop's Place, a restaurant located just outside the French Quarter. Firpo-Cappiello also proposes travelers look to East Asian communities for some budget-friendly fare. "Check local sources for reviews of Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesian and Singaporean restaurants where you'll often find great dishes for a shockingly good price," Firpo-Cappiello says. "This is especially true of expensive cities, such as New York City or Los Angeles," she adds. Speaking of the Big Apple, both Siciliano-Rosen and Firpo-Cappiello suggest heading to Queens -- an "ethnic enclave" as Siciliano-Rosen puts it.

Take to the Streets

Grabbing a meal at sit-down restaurants, especially for dinner, can be a pricey venture. Luckily, many of our top foodie destinations offer alternatives that are both delicious and affordable. The catch? You probably won't be able to sit. Food trucks can be found in many metropolises, including Washington, D.C., New York City and Seattle, but are especially huge in Los Angeles. There are currently about 200 gourmet food trucks in Los Angeles, but some have become so popular over the years that they've turned into full restaurants. LudoTruck -- now LudoBird in LA's Staples Center -- is headed by Ludo Lefebvre, a chef who spent 13 years cooking in Michelin star-rated restaurants. At LudoBird, you can order a gourmet-caliber plate of buttermilk chicken with a side of honey lavender biscuit for just $15. Food carts in Portland, Oregon, are even more prevalent than LA: The City of Roses boasts more than 500. Like Los Angeles, some of Portland's food carts have become so successful they've evolved into brick-and-mortar restaurants. El Cubo De Cuba and Fifty Licks, for example, have earned a few extra tables from charging fewer dollars.

Consider Eating in

We don't mean cooking. Rachelle Lucas, founder of The Travel Bite, advises travelers to take part in the relatively new "eating like a local" trend. "There are several websites now dedicated to pairing travelers with locals for the sake of eating dinner in their home," Lucas says. Among her recommendations are BonAppetour and EatWith. Some of our top-ranked foodie cities, including Seattle, Asheville, North Carolina, Chicago and Houston, all offer BonAppetour experiences, which allow travelers to get a home-cooked meal from a local, with the goal that they'll be able to experience the true culture of the city they're visiting. EatWith is similar, but operates in more than 150 cities around the world, including Los Angeles, Miami and Philadelphia, to name a few destinations. A quick scroll through either site can yield some pricey results, but look hard enough and you'll be able to find three- to five-course meals for less than $50. If you would rather be at the helm of the kitchen (or book accommodations that allow you to cook), consider hitting up food markets for the freshest local ingredients. Pike Place Market in Seattle is one of the country's oldest farmers markets and welcomes some of the freshest Pacific Northwest seafood, including crab, shrimp and various shellfish, to the market daily. Meanwhile, San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, which is regularly visited by the city's top chefs, prides itself on offering ingredients (think: herbs, meat and produce) from certified organic regional farmers and ranchers.

Be Flexible

If you don't mind spending a little coin on a great foodie experience, there are ways to get around the triple-digit bill often associated with fine dining establishments. It just depends on what time of day you go. If you've decided on a sit-down meal, Siciliano-Rosen suggests seeking out lunch menus. Breakfast or Sunday brunch menus can also yield cheaper results. For example, James Beard Award semifinalist Marcel's by Robert Wiedmaier in D.C. offers a three-course Sunday brunch menu for $65, while four- to seven-course menus range from $95 to $155. Firpo-Cappiello also says that top chefs with high-end restaurants often open cheaper eateries to appeal to their more cost-conscious customers. "Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro, several of David Chang's Momofuku restaurants and Tom Colicchio's 'wichcraft, are just a few examples," Firpo-Cappiello says. "You'll get a really nicely thought-out menu and top-notch food preparation for a fraction of the price," he adds.

If all else fails, travel to cheaper destinations. "I would note that Charleston, Philadelphia and Asheville are undervalued as foodie destinations and, therefore, offer more bang for the buck than other cities on the list," Firpo-Cappiello says. He also suggests that anyone who travels to Charleston try a Coca-Cola cake(a chocolate cake with a carbonated spin).

Siciliano-Rosen says no matter where you go, if you're looking to save money, stick strictly to local cuisine. "Local food is, generally speaking, the food of the people, so it's often a good bet for affordability," she says. "The specific dishes a city is known for -- they tend to be inexpensive stand-alone meals that make a great quick lunch or dinner while giving you a real taste of the city. Think: pizza and bagels in NYC, half-smokes in D.C., Mission burritos in San Francisco, fritas (Cuban hamburgers) in Miami, barbecue in Asheville, Italian beef sandwiches in Chicago ... I could go on!" she says.

Rachel Center is an Associate Editor for the Travel section at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at rcenter@usnews.com.
Dubai (AFP) - Stan Wawrinka needed a set and a half to get comfortable on his return to the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday but he pulled out a 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 first-round win over Sergiy Stakhovsky.

The double Grand Slam-winning Swiss last played the event eight years ago and looked to be ready for the first flight back out as he trailed by a set and a break to his Ukrainian opponent.

The meeting between the pair was the second in as many weeks after Wawrinka saved two match points before beating the world number 92 in Marseille.

The Swiss admitted he found it tough to adjust to fast night conditions, and had his troubles in the early stages. But he suddenly found enough form to win five games in a row, levelling at a set each with an ace.

Wawrinka earned victory in the third, breaking for 6-5 and finishing off a game later with his first match point after two hours and more than 50 unforced errors.

"It's good for confidence but it was a tough match first match, I wasn't playing well at all," Wawrinka said. "I was struggling with the conditions, with my game. The court is fast, the balls were flying.

"I was hesitating, always being behind. It's tough to play especially against him, who doesn't give you too much rhythm.

"It's a good win, a great win for me. Not playing well, still winning, still fighting, still finding a way, playing a little bit better at the end, trying to be the aggressive player on the court.

"It's good to have a chance to play better tomorrow."

Wawrinka faces unknown Croatian qualifier Franko Skugor, who beat Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-2, 6-3.

- Quirky Kyrgios -

Australian Nick Kyrgios was at his quirkiest against seventh seed Martin Klizan, putting all of his distractions on display in a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win to mark his Dubai debut.

Last week's Marseille champion played at lightning-quick pace, barely sat down during changeovers and even complained about music coming from the nearby player party on the lawns outside the stadium.

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The Australian, who only arrived in Dubai in the morning, at times looked not to be working too hard in the first set. But his performance proved to be too much for Slovak Klizan, who by the end of the contest was muttering to himself in frustration.

Kyrgios said his form was not totally there after arriving from Europe. "I was not feeling 100 percent, but I competed today.

"I left it all on court, I'm happy I got through. Conditions here are so different, so much quicker. I couldn't even adapt during practice."

Third seed Tomas Berdych marked his tenth appearance at the event with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Joao Sousa.

The Czech, who arrived in the Gulf after a Marseille semi-final, has twice finished beaten finalist at the Aviation Club.

He will next face 144th-ranked Thomas Fabbiano after the Italian defeated Argentine Leonardo Mayer 6-3, 6-4.

Berdych double-faulted on a first match point but fired over an ace on the second to advance.

"He was struggling in the first set, he could only get better," the winner said.

"He started to play a little bit more solid, a little bit more aggressive from his forehand side, his stronger one.

"He pushed me a bit more, but overall my performance was quite good. it's good to go through and not make things too complicated."

Spanish fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut kept up the winning pace he has established this season as he claimed his 15th victory of 2016, defeating Italian Simone Bolelli 6-2, 6-4.

Spain's number three has made his best career start and already owns trophies in Auckland and Sofia.

German eighth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber beat Marsel Ilhan 6-1, 7-5, while Croatian youngster Borna Coric defeated Czech Jiri Vesely 6-4, 6-4.
President Obama hugs Carey Dixon, who spoke at a community discussion on drug addiction hosted by the president during a visit to Charleston, W.Va., on Oct. 21, 2015. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

In this series, Yahoo News takes a closer look at the current opioid epidemic, its roots and demographics, the increasing acceptance of medication-assisted treatment as a supplement to 12-step programs and the remaining obstacles to combating widespread addiction. This series also highlights ways in which the current crisis is unexpectedly forcing a larger shift toward treating addiction more like other chronic illnesses.

This month, President Obama announced a proposal for $1.1 billion in federal funding to combat the countrys heroin and opioid abuse epidemic  $1 billion of which is to be used in the expansion of access to treatment.

A study published in October 2015 by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that despite the drastic rise in fatal opioid deaths over the past 10 years, the number of people receiving treatment for heroin and prescription painkiller abuse had not changed.

We found that 80 percent of people with an opioid addiction are not getting treatment, said the studys leader Brendan Saloner, PhD, who pointed to limited access to medication assisted treatments like buprenorhine as one explanation for this major disparity.

Buprenorphine has been highly restricted since it was first approved for treating opioid addiction as part of the Drug Treatment Act of 2000. Minor legislative actions have helped loosen these restrictions somewhat over the years. In 2005, an amendment to the Controlled Substances Act repealed the original laws provision that prohibited medical practices, regardless of how many qualified physicians they employed, from prescribing maintenance medications such as buprenorphine to more than 30 patients at a timea limit intended prevent doctors offices from turning into buprenorphine mills. A 30-patient limit was instead imposed on each individual physician qualified to prescribe the drugs.



With the passage of the Office of National Drug Control Police Reauthorization Act in 2006, the maximum number of patients increased from 30 to 100, where it remains today.

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Ive had hundreds on the waiting list for years, said Dr. Stuart Gitlow, president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Gitlow treats patients for substance use disorder at his private practice in Rhode Island and said hes been prescribing buprenorphine for opioid addiction for about 10 years.

The problem with the patient cap, Gitlow explained, is that buprenorphine is a maintenance drug. You get to your limit pretty quickly and, if you have stable patients on medication for years, how can you add?

Like Phoenix Houses Andrew Kolodny, Gitlow likens medication for opioid abuse to that of other persistent conditions, like diabetes or hypertension.

When youre talking about a chronic, lifelong disease, the expectation is you're going to have to be in treatment forever, Gitlow said. The disease is not about the use of heroin or narcotics, the disease is how you feel when youre not using them.

According to the department of Health and Human Services, 40 percentor 1 millionof the 2.5 million people in the U.S. who need treatment for opioid abuse are getting it. The Presidents recent $1.1 billion proposal was an effort to redirect resources to making addiction treatment more available.

In September New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill to allow medication-based treatments for drug defendants in judicial diversion programs.

The New York law was prompted by the White House Office on National Drug Control Policy, which announced earlier last year that the federal government would no longer provide funding to drug courts that penalize addicts for using such treatments.

The warning to drug courts and judges around the country echoed other recent efforts to use federal funding as an incentive to increase access to opioid abuse medication.

In August 2015, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, revised its grant language to promote the use of medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction.

Then, in September, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced a plan to loosen restrictions on doctors prescribing buprenorphine. It was the biggest victory yet for physicians like Gitlow and Kolodny, who advocate in favor of removing barriers to the medication.

Nearly six months later, however, Burwell has yet to implement any specific changes to the current restrictions.

Updating the regulation around the prescribing of buprenorphine is an important step to increasing access to evidence-based treatment - helping more people get the treatment necessary for their recovery, an HHS spokesperson told Yahoo News when asked for a timeline on Burwells proposed changes. This is a priority for the Department and we are working to move forward as quickly as possible.

Read more from this series:

This is your brain on opioids

How buprenorphine, or bupe, changed opioid addiction treatment

Abstinence vs. medication-assisted treatment: Traditional 12-step programs embrace a new model

The menace in the medicine cabinet: The opioid epidemics pharmaceutical roots

The rise of Narcan, the life-saving opioid antidote that can stop an overdose in its tracks

Why the new face of opioid addiction calls for a new approach to treatment

Facing an epidemic of overdoses, Obama rejects governors' proposal to limit painkiller prescriptions
Photo illustration: Yahoo News, Photos: Getty Images

In this series, Yahoo News takes a closer look at the current opioid epidemic, its roots and demographics, the increasing acceptance of medication-assisted treatment as a supplement to 12-step programs and the remaining obstacles to combating widespread addiction. This series also highlights ways in which the current crisis is unexpectedly forcing a larger shift toward treating addiction more like other chronic illnesses.

The epidemic of opioid addiction currently raging in the United States had a precursor in the 1960s and '70s, but with significant differences. The majority of victims back then were African-American, mostly in cities; today they are white, and typically small-town or rural. The culprit then was heroin, a street drug that has been illegal since at least the 1920s, while for the last couple of decades  starting in 1995, when the FDA approved the original, easily crushed and inhaled version of OxyContin  it has been prescription painkillers, a different but no less dangerous form of opioids.

And those differences, in turn, require a different approach to treatment, a realization that has been slow to take hold across the country.

A 2014 study on the changing demographics of opioid addicts by the JAMA Psychiatry Network found that while 80 percent of those who began using opioids in the 1960s got started with heroin, 75 percent of recent opioid users were initiated by prescription drugs.

In an article from 1986, the New York Times cited an estimate by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that said the U.S. saw the number of heroin addicts increase from 242,000 to 558,000 between 1969 and 1974.

Almost half of those people lived in New York City. By the mid-1970s, the same Times article noted, "the New York City Health Department was reporting more than 650 heroin-related deaths a year."

Because New York was at the epicenter of this crisis  which, in addition to causing a spate of fatal overdoses, also fueled the spread of infectious diseases  it was the birthplace of the solution.

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In the mid-1960s, researchers at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research began developing a protocol for methadone maintenance therapy  the clinical treatment of heroin addicts with regular doses of methadone, a synthetic painkiller that could both ease the symptoms of heroin withdrawal and block the effects of other opiates in the brain.

Methadone clinics soon began popping up across the city and, eventually, the rest of the country. As part of its war on drugs, which mostly involved law enforcement efforts to keep heroin out of the country, in the early 1970s the Nixon administration also funded expanded access to methadone maintenance programs. Between 1971 and 1973, the number of patients receiving methadone treatment in the U.S. skyrocketed from 9,000 to 73,000.

As recently as 2011, more than 300,000 people were still receiving methadone through federally-regulated opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Yet experts argue that what may have worked for the city-centered heroin epidemic of the 1960s and '70s is not a practical solution for the widespread outbreak occurring today.

When we had an epidemic that was disproportionately impacting urban communities, it was easier to pop in a methadone maintenance clinic, said Andrew Kolodny, chief medical officer at Phoenix House and executive director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, or PROP.

Todays opioid epidemic, however, is disproportionately rural, Kolodny said, arguing that methadone therapy is probably not as helpful in an epidemic where people might have to travel an hour a day to a clinic.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Midwest has seen the biggest increase in the rate of heroin-related deaths between 2000 and 2013. Last month, the CDC released a series of maps and charts detailing national trends in drug poisoning deaths by age, race, county and state from 2002 to 2014, which showed the rates of fatal overdoses in rural communities now surpasses those in more urban parts of the country.

Its these characteristics that make maintenance medications like Suboxonethe brand name for a prescription dissolvable tablet that combines buprenorphine and naloxone and can be picked up at the pharmacy  or Vivitrol, injected monthly at a doctors office, more conducive to dealing with the current crisis.

Not only are these drugs more convenient for the today's opioid addict than methadone, Kolodny said, theyre safer.

Methadone as a drug is not as good as buprenorphine. Its got more side effects, its more dangerous, he said. While like other opioids, too much methadone can be fatal, its impossible to overdose on buprenorphine.

The growing use of maintenance medications that can be taken at home or in the privacy of a doctors office rather than at a public clinic is reflective of more than just the changing landscape of opioid addiction in the U.S. It is part of a larger, slower-moving shift toward treating addiction more like other chronic illnesses.

Everybody out there knows if you have HIV, you see a specialist; if you have breast cancer, you have a specialist; if you break a bone; you go to an orthopedist, said Stuart Gitlow, president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and a psychiatrist who treats patients for opioid abuse and other kinds of addiction at his private practice in Rhode Island. Most people think if you have an addictive disease, you have to go to a rehab center in a warm place and then you come back all better. And thats all wrong.

Gitlow noted that while the specialty of addiction medicine has been around for nearly 60 years, the vast majority of people with addictive disease I think dont know that.

Its not like breast cancer, we don't have a pink ribbon, Gitlow continued. We don't have a march for alcoholics. We dont have a raffle or Girl Scout cookies or anything that really raises public awareness that other diseases have.

Kolodny suggested that, if the tragic spate of opioid-related deaths in the U.S. over the past few years had a silver lining, its perhaps that  for completely politically incorrect reasons  it has raised awareness about the realities of addiction and helped accelerate that greater shift.

When you have an epidemic thats affecting white people, its affecting the children of lawyers and doctors and judges and policemen and firemen and politicians, said Kolodny. I think that helps remove the stigma and helps increase awareness that this really is a disease, that its not a moral failing.

Read more from this series:

This is your brain on opioids



How buprenorphine, or bupe, changed opioid-addiction treatment



Abstinence vs. medication-assisted treatment: Traditional 12-step programs embrace a new model



It's easier to get a prescription for drugs that cause opioid addiction than those proven to treat it



The menace in the medicine cabinet: The opioid epidemics pharmaceutical roots



The rise of Narcan, the life-saving opioid antidote that can stop an overdose in its tracks

Facing an epidemic of overdoses, Obama rejects governors' proposal to limit painkiller prescriptions


The audience cheers for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on Monday. (Photo: Jim Young/Reuters)

Heres a part of the political calendar that nobody in the Republican Party seems to have noticed: This spring, just as the GOP nomination battle enters its final phase, frontrunner Donald Trump could be forced to take time out for some unwanted personal business: Hes due to take the witness stand in a federal courtroom in San Diego, where he is being accused of running a financial fraud.

In court filings last Friday, lawyers for both sides in a long-running civil lawsuit over the now defunct Trump University named Trump on their witness lists. That makes it all but certain that the reality-show star and international businessman will be forced to be grilled under oath over allegations in the lawsuit that he engaged in deceptive trade practices and scammed thousands of students who enrolled in his university courses in response to promises he would make them rich in the real estate market.

Although the case has been winding its way through the courts for the past five years  and Trump has denied all wrongdoing  the final pretrial conference is now slated for May 6, according to the latest pleadings in the case. No trial date has been set, but the judge has indicated his interest in moving the case forward, the pleadings show.

This is pretty amazing, said Scott Reed, a veteran Republican Party consultant, about Trumps upcoming due date in federal court. Usually, you clean this stuff up before you run for president.

Trumps new lead lawyer in the case, Daniel Petrocelli, best known for representing one of the slain murder victims in a civil suit against O.J. Simpson, did not respond to emailed questions about Trumps upcoming testimony, including how long he expects his client to be on the witness stand.

As noted by Yahoo News last week, the Trump University case has already intruded on Trumps political schedule. On Dec. 10, 2015, during a day he was making international headlines over his pledge to ban Muslim immigrants from the United States, Trump managed to escape any press attention and give a closed-door pretrial deposition in the case, according to court filings reviewed by Yahoo News. Exactly what he said in the deposition remains under seal, but lawyers for Tarla Makaeff, a California yoga instructor who is the lead plaintiff in the case, cited portions of his testimony (blacked out in her pleadings) to support their contention that Trump has threatened to ruin her financially for bringing the lawsuit and that she needs protection from his retaliation.

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But the upcoming civil trial could be a much bigger burden on Trumps time. If it takes place in May, that would put it in the middle of the final phase of the GOP primary schedule: Nebraska and West Virginia vote on May 10, Oregon on May 17, and Washington state on May 24. Then on June 7, the biggest prize of all: the California primary (with 172 delegates at stake). New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota vote the same day.

While it is unclear how long the trial over Trump University will take, both sides have submitted lengthy witness lists: 72 individuals have been identified as prospective witnesses by the two sides. The case shows little sign of being settled. Trump just last December hired Petrocelli, a master litigator, and he recently identified 965 trial exhibits he expects to use at trial, including PowerPoint presentations, course curriculums, emails, letters, videos and other material. Picking jurors who have neutral views on Trump could present another time-consuming hurdle.

The core case revolves around the operations of a school Trump launched in 2005 with a promotional You Tube video, as well as ads that proclaimed, I can turn anyone into a successful real estate investor, including you, Are YOU My Next Apprentice? and Learn from my handpicked experts how you can profit from the largest real estate liquidation in history. The plaintiffs, former students at Trump University, allege they were misled into maxing out their credit cards and paying up to $60,000 in fees for seminars in hotel ballrooms and mentoring by Trumps hand-picked real estate experts. The lawsuit against the school, which is no longer in business, alleges the seminars turned into little more than an infomercial and the Trump mentors offered no practical advice and mostly disappeared. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a separate suit in 2013 alleging fraud on the part of the university, which was never an accredited institution and awarded no degrees.

Trumps lawyers have adamantly denied the charges. None of it is true. No one was defrauded, said Alan Garten, the Trump Organizations general counsel, in an interview about the allegations last year. The people that take these classes go into it with their eyes open. A lot of people did very well [with Trump University]. A lot of people enjoyed it. But like everything else, if people dont put the effort into it, they dont succeed.
Aden (AFP) - Yemen's president has appointed a veteran general as armed forces deputy commander in a bid to rally support from tribes and troops in the rebel-held Sanaa region, military sources said.

President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's decision to appoint Saudi-based General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a northerner known for his close ties to Sunni Islamists, was published on the government's official sabanew.net website late Monday.

Hadi himself is supreme commander of the armed forces.

Ahmar's troops played a prominent role in the 2011 uprising that ousted strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose loyalists are now allied with Iran-backed Shiite rebels who control the capital.

In 2013, Hadi named the influential general his military and security affairs adviser after dramatically restructuring the military to curb the influence of those linked to Saleh.

Military sources explained Hadi's decision as an attempt to gain the confidence of tribal dignitaries and senior army commanders in the Sanaa region, where Ahmar wields much influence.

His Al-Ahmar clan has historically led the influential Hashid confederation in northern Yemen.

Hadi's move comes as loyalist forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, try to advance on Sanaa which the rebels captured in 2014.

Earlier this month, pro-government forces took the town of Nihm, within 40 kilometres (25 miles) of Sanaa, after overrunning the headquarters of a renegade pro-rebel army brigade, loyalist military sources said.

Coalition forces have meanwhile intensified their air strikes against rebel positions around Sanaa over the past week, military sources added.

Since the coalition intervened in support of Hadi last March, his loyalists have ousted the rebels from five southern provinces.

In the north the insurgents have been largely confined to Marib, east of Sanaa, and Jawf on the border with Saudi Arabia.

Progress has been slow, partly because of mountainous terrain and partly because of determined backing for the rebels from army units still loyal to Saleh.
European fans of the "Yo-Kai Watch" franchise can finally get involved with a localized version of the hit creature-catching game from April 29 on Nintendo 3DS.

The multimedia franchise kicked off in Japan with a July 2013 debut, soon followed by an anime and manga series, spin-off games, and sequels.

Similarities in gameplay, reach, and quality, as well as two near-identical versions of "Yo-Kai Watch 2" (three by the end of 2014) aided comparisons to blockbuster franchise "Pokemon."

A North American release of the original "Yo-Kai Watch" followed in November 2015, with the most ardent European fans able to import an Australian release from December onwards.

The European launch news follows a day after publication of the region's "Yo-Kai Watch" anime series schedule, set for April and May depending on territory and TV network.
New York (AFP) - The New York Police Department announced Tuesday they were making crime data more accessible, offering online access to what goes on in neighborhoods down to a specific date, time and location.

CompStat 2.0 -- accessible at https://compstat.nypdonline.org -- makes it possible to look up murders, rapes, robberies and other crimes in the largest US city.

Other details that can be culled include the number of shooting incidents and victims.

Updated every week, the NYPD site makes it possible to select a specific New York City borough and precinct and to see the location, date and even time a particular crime took place.

Users can also compare data.

For example, 36 murders were committed since the start of the year in the city of over eight million, compared to 52 for the same period last year, representing a drop of 30.8 percent.

A map shows that they mostly took place in Brooklyn. Users can zoom in and see the spots where the murders occurred. By clicking on them, they can find out the date and time they were committed.

"The transparency we are attempting ... is in many respects unprecedented," Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said at a news conference.

"CompStat 2.0 changes the way crime data is reported."

"It provides the ability for anyone to search what matters to them: their street, their neighborhood, their borough. This sort of clarity is not merely about useful information, it also builds relationships between the police and the community."

Mayor Bill de Blasio lauded the New York Police Department as the "most technologically advanced in the country."

In a related initiative, some 25,000 smartphones have been distributed to police officers, with a goal of expanding that number to 36,000.

These efforts are part of an ongoing modernization of the police, a technological revolution that according to Bratton is just starting.

By the end of the year, the goal is to be able to see in real time where police cars are located in the city to allow for a quicker deployment.

Up until now, the public could consult NYPD statistics on the force's website where the data was listed in a weekly chart split up into major categories without any specific data on location, date or time.

The NYPD has some 34,450 in uniformed officers and 51,000 employees overall.
By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - Young women are less likely than men to have returned to work a year after a heart attack, mostly due to social and economic factors, suggests new research. "When you adjust for (those factors), men and women actually return to work at a similar rate," said Dr. Leslie Cho, who directs of the Cleveland Clinics Womens Cardiovascular Center. Cho was not involved with the study. The researchers write in a special issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes focusing on women's heart health that returning to work after a heart attack is an important indicator of recovery. Returning to work also has important economic and health implications, they add. People who are unemployed are more likely to die prematurely, have heart disease and have depression or anxiety. For the new study, the researchers analyzed data on 1,680 heart attack patients from the U.S., Spain and Australia. All were working full time before their heart attack and were between ages 18 and 55 years. Fifty-seven percent were women. Overall, 89 percent of men and 85 percent of women were back at work a year after their heart attack. There was no difference between men and women returning to work once the researchers accounted for factors such as the patients' ages, country, education and health. "There is a lot of social demographic factors that makes (women) disadvantaged and I think thats why theyre returning to work less," Cho told Reuters Health. "Its a touchy subject, because its so socially sensitive." Factors tied an increased likelihood of returning to work included being married, engaging in professional or clerical work and having no prior history of cardiovascular disease. The researchers say their study may help find ways to increase the number of people returning to work after a heart attack. For example, people who work manual labor jobs may need additional support in returning to work. One thing that might help improve outcomes, Cho said, is adjusting the schedule of cardiac rehabilitation programs to meet the needs of people who work 9-to-5 jobs or have other responsibilities at home. "This kind of paper is interesting because it creates a lot of discussion about the social things we can do," said Cho. "Not just putting stents in but other things that we can do." Rachel Dreyer, the study's lead author from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, could not be reached for comment before press time. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1HAB89r Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, online February 23, 2016.
Brasilia (AFP) - The head of the World Health Organization warned Tuesday that the fight against Zika, a mosquito-transmitted virus linked to serious birth defects, will be long and complex.

"The Zika virus is very tricky, very tenacious, very difficult. And so is the Aedes aegypti mosquito," WHO chief Margaret Chan said in the Brazilian capital Brasilia.

"We have learnt lessons from dengue and from chikungunya outbreaks in the past, so we should expect to see more cases, we should expect this is going to be a long journey."

Brazil is at the center of a Zika outbreak and the virus is strongly suspected of causing a spike in microcephaly, a congenital condition that causes abnormally small heads and hampers brain development.

Cases of active Zika transmission have been reported in 28 countries and territories in the Americas and Caribbean, with 1.5 million in Brazil, the hardest-hit country.

Countries throughout the region have launched massive operations to eliminate pools of stagnant water where the mosquitoes, which also spread dengue and chikungunya viruses, can breed.

There is currently no cure or vaccine against the Zika virus.

The WHO had previously warned that the virus's spread could be "explosive," infecting up to four million people.
Chinese manufacturer ZTE is at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to present its latest range of devices, including one curiosity -- the Spro Plus -- a hybrid gadget that's a portable projector and a touchscreen tablet all rolled into one.

As a successor to the Spro 2 -- ZTE's Android pico projector with built-in touch screen -- the ZTE Spro Plus has the form factor and power of an Android tablet. Presented at the Barcelona trade fair and due to go on sale by summer 2016, the device has an 8.4-inch screen (2560x1440 pixels), 3GB of RAM, 32 to 128GB of memory (depending on the version) and a microSD card slot. The

The Spro Plus has a built-in laser projector with brightness up to 500 lumens, which can project an 80-inch image from a distance of 2.4 meters. The projector will be available in WiFi and 4G/WiFi models but there's no word yet on how much this two-in-one might cost. Note that ZTE counts over 500,000 unit sales of its Spro 1 and 2 projectors.

Alongside the Spro Plus, the Chinese manufacturer unveiled its new generation of Blade smartphones -- the V7 and V7 Lite -- at MWC 2016. These are stylish 5.2-inch and 5-inch mid-range Android handsets, expected to land in the spring in selected countries.

ZTE also presented an original accessory, in the form of a connected ring. Dubbed the iCharming, this micro wearable can be used for activity tracking or to take photos via a smartphone camera, and has an SOS function to send an emergency message to a selected contact. As yet, no official release date has been announced.

Mobile Word Congress runs February 22-25, 2016, in Barcelona. Website: mobileworldcongress.com
Athens (AFP) - Manchester City midfielder Bruno Zuculini's loan spell to AEK Athens has been cut short by injury, the Greek Super League team said on Monday.

The 22-year-old Argentine fractured his left foot in training on Monday and AEK doctors said Zuculini must undergo surgery and will then need at least two months recuperation.

AEK said they had informed City of the injury and that the English Premier League side wants to bring Zuculini back to England for his treatment.

Zuculini, who only joined AEK at the start of February on a six-month loan, played two matches for the club, who sit second behind Olympiakos in their domestic league.

Zuculini, an Argentina under-20 international, joined City from Racing Club in 2014 but has made only one appearance for the Citizens, in the Community Shield last season.

He has spent the rest of his time in Manchester being loaned out, joining Valencia, Cordoba and Middlesbrough before AEK.
Night Watch: KATHMANDU  Every nation is currently facing the crisis of small arms. Administrative mesaures have failed to control illegal arms trade, making illicit small arms a huge global threat.

During the last decade more than 5 million people have been killed by small arms used in conflicts. Because of illegal arms trafficking any nations ability to sustain development and maintain security is undermined. Small arms did enormous damage to innocent people beyond death, injury and causing forced displacement.

Terrorists routinely recruit children and youths for combat and often forced to become fighters, human shields, and sex slaves. Many children are abducted and more than half of the armed groups are under 12. Many youths are unemployed, when someone promises them money and gives them a weapon, we cannot prevent these young men from murdering.

Socio-economic development and employment promotion policy would help those jobless youths to resolve their problems and would never join the terrorist force. Thus, political, socio-economic, corruption and ideological factors that must be addressed for the terroism to be finally resolved in any nation.

People who have suffered from direct attacks by small weapons, experience emotional trauma. Terrorists violence has a devastating impact on tourism, which, for many of these nations, is the leading source of revenue.

The last decade was seen terrifying abuses of human rights in armed conflicts around the world including Nepal. More factories and more countries throughout the world are legally producing small arms and developing countries are exporting them. There are around half a billion military small arms around the world.

According to the UN report there are at least 639 million firearms in the world today, of which 59% are legally held by civilians. The report further states that one half billion small arms are circulating in the world and these arms are not expensive, easily available and easy to use. UN also said unlike nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, there are no international treaties or other legal instruments for dealing with these weapons, which States and also individual legal owners rely on for their defense needs.

The Inter-American Development Bank has estimated the direct and indirect costs of small arms violence at $140 to $170 billion per year in Latin America alone. According to the Independent Small Arms Survey 2002, small arms are implicated in well over 1,000 deaths every single day.

According to the findings of an independent study commissioned by the UNDP and IOM in Congo, an estimated 70,000 small arms and light weapons fell into the hands of terrorists during the conflicts of 1993-1999. Of these, 40,000 are still though to be in circulation, constituting a serious threat to security and sustainable development.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council  France, Russia, China, the UK, and the USA  together account for 88% of the worlds conventional arms exports; and these exports contribute regularly to gross abuse of human rights, as a report from the control arms campaign, Shattered Lives, mentions.

The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) describes that, in effect, small arms are weapons of mass destruction.

For the first time in the United Nations history, the issue of small arms was finally a topic of conversation at a UN Security Council meeting in 1999, where Kofi Annan also noted the efforts of NGOs in this. Even in Oslo, Norway, July 1998, there was a meeting where representatives from a number of countries were present to tackle and control the spread of small arms.

UN must impose, monitor and enforce in situations where civilians are targeted by terrorists, where widespread and systematic violations of humanitarian and human rights law are committed by terrorists, and where children are recurited by terrorists.

The most effective ways to prevent small arms are strict export and import controls, strong laws, and secure stockpiles.

In this critical context, can the UN play an effective role controlling arms especially in South Asia and resolve terrorist violence?

Kamala Sarup in an editor of http://peacejournalism.com/

The Crossfire War site mentioned on July 7, 2005 similar situations with weapons trafficking in the Balkans and Central Africa. In another article, April 26, 2005, Crossfire War reported that Iran was exporting weapons to 60 countries.

Night Watch Information Service

http://www.crossfirewar.com

Based in Flossmoor,IL 60422.

ph:708-957-9651/fax:708-798-2929.

e-mail:[email protected]
East River Commedia will present The Magnificent Cuckold (Le Cocu magnifique), the astonishing classic farce written in 1920 by the Franco-Belgian playwright Fernand Crommelynck, at the Connelly Theater, 220 East 4th Street, from September 14 to October 6 to debut a lively new translation by Ben Sonnenberg and Amiel Melnick. Paul Bargetto, Artistic Director, will direct the piece.

Crommelynck (1886-1970) was among the most celebrated playwrights of his time, known for farces in which commonplace weaknesses are developed into monumental obsessions. The Magnificent Cuckold lives today primarily in the long shadow of Meyerholds famous biomechanical production of 1922, a radical adaptation that made the play famous but partially accounts for why it is seldom attempted today. East River Commedia, with its emphasis on international theater and its expertise in gestural theater, aims to rediscover this overlooked masterpiece with an approach that is primarily farcical.

The play is a penetrating study of sexual jealousy. Its protagonist is a young man whose inability to calm his suspicions about his wifes fidelity makes him force her to betray himshe must do so in front of him, and with the whole village.

Bruno, the village scribe, is married to a beautiful and utterly devoted young woman named Stella. He makes a good living composing love letters for the uneducated villagers, many of which are addressed to his wife. He is also the kind of man whose eloquence can lift him off into rhapsodies of brilliant exaggeration. As a character verging on the manic, his paranoia is easily excited. Bruno convinces himself that his fear of being cuckolded can be appeased only by the certainty of knowing he is a cuckold. Therefore, he offers his wife first to his best friend and then, when that fails to appease him, to all the young men of the village. This demented decision disrupts village life: the town turns violently against him and the women of the village with torture, degradation and expulsion threaten Stella.

The play is crammed with caricature, mockery, masquerade and betrayal. It is also a psychological drama of unusual depth: a tragicomedy of delusional jealousy and a piercing look at love and power. Henry Miller called the play the most beautiful thing ever written about jealousy and deemed it even higher than Shakespeares Othello.

Crommelyncks excesses were entirely in line with his theme: that love is not far from jealousy, nor is passion from mania. These extremities reflected the context in which the play was written, only two years after WWI and the flu pandemic of 1918. It was a post-apocalyptic time, bursting with artistic invention (Dada, Surrealism, Absurdism, Futurism, and more), yet overshadowed by threats of totalitarianism and economic crisis. Director Paul Bargetto contends that although our present world is not quite that of the play, a pervasive sense of dread still afflicts us, making the play pertinent to our time.

According to co-translator Ben Sonnenberg, the play is quite unlike any other farce of the period, being at the same time realistic and farcical. It is actually a tragedy in farcical form. In the mantle of farce, it presents unimaginable cruelty in a domestic situation. (Farce, Sonnenberg notes, has often been described as speeded-up tragedy.) It also draws connections between paranoia, neuroses and homosexuality that have made it a favored resource for doctoral dissertations. These heady considerations aside, the play is wonderfully theatrical. The characters punish each other like Punch and Judy, speaking in a combination of burly everyday speech and lyrical prose reminiscent of Jean Genet.

The production will employ a fusion of presentational and naturalistic acting styles, in what has become the signature style of East River Commedia, which uses the entire body as an expressive tool without giving up the subtleties of textual analysis, character and psychology. There will be an original score by award-winning composer Nico Muhly. The design draws upon works of James Ensor, the Flemish painter whos grotesque, leering figures show terror in the gaiety of crowds, Duchamp, and Louise Bourgeois.

Troy Lavallee, winner of the 2005 New York IT Awards for Best Actor, plays Bruno. The cast also includes Morgan Lynch, Tuomas Hiltunen*, Reet Roos Varnik, Jeffrey Woodard*, Jorge Rubio, Eric Dean Scott*, Laura Wickens*, Meredith Napolitano, Joe Sevier, Dan Cozzens, Max Woertendyke, Jessica Bates, Ishah Janssen-Faith, Ashley Avis and Kayla Lian (*indicates member of Actors Equity Association). Set Design is by Mimi Lien. Costume Design is by Amanda Bujak. Composer is Nico Muhly. Lighting Design is by Tim Cryan.

East River Commedia, under the direction of Paul Bargetto, came to prominence with its productions of plays by Slawomir Mrozek: Striptease and Out at Sea (La MaMa, 2002) and Serenade and Philosopher Fox (Collective:Unconscious, 2005; National Theater of Constanta, Romania, 2006). Past productions also include Hecuba by Euripides in Turkey, The Taming of the Shrew at National Theater of Constanta, Bucharest, Necessary Monsters with National Performance Network, A Midsummer Nights Dream at Riverside Church, and plays by Dante, Rozewicz, Strindberg and Witkiewicz. Reviewing Striptease and Out to Sea, The New York Times (Margo Jefferson) wrote, Paul Bargetto directs with a keen sense of this visual truth; the truth of cartoons on the page, and of commedia on the stage. In the first Innovative Theater Awards in 2005, East River Commedias Serenade and Philosopher Fox won Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role (for Troy Lavallee) and Outstanding Director (for Paul Bargetto). Composer Nico Muhly, Translator Amiel Melnick, set designer Mimi Lien and leading actor Troy Lavalee, as well as most of the cast, are company members.

The translation is by Ben Sonnenberg and Amiel Melnick. Ben Sonnenberg started the magazine Grand Street in 1982 and gave it up in 1991. He has translated several plays from French, including Mussets The Firescreen (Le Chandelier) and Eugene Labiches The Three-Figure Man (Celimar le Bien-Aime). His memoir Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy, has been reprinted by Counterpoint. Amiel Melnick has translated Marivauxs LIle des Esclaves (HERE, 2004). Her critical writing has been published in Pluriel 12, Africultures and Slavic and East European Performance Studies Journal. She recently returned from Fulbright fellowship in Slovenia where she worked as an assistant dramaturg in the National Theater, and will begin doctoral studies in Anthropology in fall of 2007. The pair have other projects in progress, but this is their first collaboration to make it to the stage.

The show will run September 14 through October 6 at the Connelly Theater, 220 East 4th Street (between Avenues A & B) at 7:30 pm. The running time is 2:30 with intermission.
The Egyptian Knowledge Bank Draws Western Publishers



With more than 20 educational and scientific publishers providing content, the Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) is up and running.

Obviously, it will be a while before consistent user traffic figures are known for this new digital library from the Egyptian government, but enterprise software and systems specialist ASSET Technology Group, which implemented the EKBs portal, records that on the first day the EKB was available (Jan. 9, 2016; Jan. 23 was the full launch), 5,000-plus users registered on the site, and there were more than 8 million sessions, with 13,400 running concurrently.

The EKBs reach will be limited, because most of the content is in English, which is spoken by about one-third of Egypts more than 80 million residents. (How many of these people speak English at the level needed to understand scientific texts is another matter.) Nevertheless, the EKB is providing commercial opportunities for many Western publishers.

Whos Providing Content

U.K.-based Emerald signed a 4-year agreement with the EKB that offers access to its eJournals Premier collection, eBook Series, and Emerging Markets Case Studies collection. There are 25 other publishing houses providing content to the EKB, which is availablein theory at leastto all Egyptian citizens. They include Elsevier, Springer Nature, Thomson Reuters, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, National Geographic, and SAGE Publications (through its company Adam Matthew). Adam Matthew is providing EKB users with access to two of its primary source collectionsConfidential Print: Africa, 1834-1966 and Confidential Print: Middle East, 1839-1969.

The former comprises papers and records held by the U.K.s The National Archives, which were generated by the countrys foreign and colonial departments. They include telegrams, texts of treaties, dispatches from local officials, and other details related to the European powers 19th-century rush to colonize Africa, the apartheid era in South Africa, and local independence movements. The Middle East archive includes material related to issues that resonate loudly today: documents on the mandates for Palestine and Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq), the 1947 partition plan for Palestine, and the 1956 Suez crisis.

Adam Matthews EKB deal is a multi-year one. Oliver Stacy, head of international sales, says the agreement is very exciting, and we look forward to being part of this drive to inspire learning and innovation in Egypt. Otherwise, Adam Matthew is saying little about the deal.

Springer Nature is more forthcoming. William Mahfoud, corporate communications manager, says its deal with the EKB will run for 4 years and may be renewed if both parties agree. The access rights will be expired [sic] if not renewed at the end of the  period. He would not disclose how much the deal is worth.

Springer Nature will provide the majority of its publications to the EKBjournals, ebooks, and digital archives. This includes all Nature journal content and all Springer e-books platforms, Mahfoud says.

U.S. digital content supplier EBSCO Information Services is giving EKB users access to several of its content databases: Arab World Research Source, Academic Search Complete, MAS Ultra, Middle Search Plus, and PrimarySearch. Its deal with the EKB is for 4 years, which appears to be the standard term for content providers.

Training on How to Use the EKB

Of course, its not simply a matter of providing content and access to it. Interested Egyptians will have to learn how to use the EKB, and providers will play a role in this. Egypts Specialist Council for Education and Scientific Research will oversee the learning process.

Springer Nature says it will offer a range of services to help the council support the Egyptian scientific research community. Mahfoud says this means, among other efforts, supporting relevant events and conferences organized by the Council as a sponsor; organizing workshops in collaboration with the Council to help develop scientific publishing, and assisting in developing the role of the Council in Egypt as a major supporter of scientific research, awareness and understanding; training members of the Egyptian scientific community and providing advisory support to the Council to promote and publish its journals.

Springer Nature will help Egyptian scholars understand contemporary academic publishing. This will involve providing educational, training, and support services as well as advice on various topics, such as authoring tools, measuring research, the peer review process, how to submit works, publishing models, and guidelines on presentation. The schedules and timings of these additional services will be announced later in co-ordination with the EKB, Mahfoud says.

Emerald will provide help to EKB users through workshops. [They] will be designed, says corporate communications executive Nicolle Czternastek, to help Egyptian researchers and authors improve their research and writing skills. The objective of these workshops will be to increase the impact of the research produced by the Egyptian scientific research community. Dates, content and locations for these workshops have not yet been finalized.

Looking Ahead

According to the World Bank Group, Egyptian researchers published 2,515 scientific and technical articles from 2011 to 2015. This number is all well and good, but there is no getting away from the fact that much more Arabic content will be needed if the EKB is to be relevant for all Egyptians.

It remains to be seen what Western publishers will do on this front; its hard to believe they will translate huge banks of content into Arabic anytime soon. Springer Nature announced the launch of an online version of Scientific American in Arabic, so thats a start.

This freely accessible online Arabic Edition of Scientific American will bridge the gap between academia and the interested general public in Egypt, and the Arabic-speaking world, and will help to disseminate the voices of its most influential thinkers, Springer Nature notes. The editorial operations for this new edition will be based in Cairo.
EDUCATION FAILING

There is a recognition that we are not doing as well as we should be doing in education in Trinidad and Tobago, Rowley told the gathering at the Magdalena Grand just outside of Scarborough.

In fact, as a person who has benefitted from serious public policy in education, who has been responsible for a number of persons over a very long period of time and who is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, I can say to you, that it is my view that the education system is failing. What we are really achieving is putting our children through school but not educating them, the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Ministers comments came even as students - both male and female - in one of the countrys largest government secondary schools found themselves subject to scanning and searches by security personnel yesterday as a follow-up to a threat revealed last Friday by Minister of Education Anthony Garcia and the head of the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) Devanand Sinanan, and also on the reported arrest of a male student from that same school yesterday for making death threats against a teacher.

Both Garcia and Sinanan, who were also at the consultation exercise in Tobago yesterday, are scheduled to visit the school in question, Chaguanas North Secondary, today to review the increased security that was instituted at the resumption of classes yesterday. (See Page 7) Looking back on his history as he spoke at the consultation in Tobago yesterday, Dr Rowley indicated that, what appears to me is that we have been mired in the basis of our education system and that is to become overly concerned about certification and not education. He added that a lot of false papers are washing through Trinidad and Tobago and a lot of money is being spent on education, but lamented that no significant returns for this expenditure are seen.

What is the purpose of education, Rowley asked rhetorically.

And if we set about to answer that question, well be able to solve a lot of the problems that we are facing today because you see its set about to educate and to accept that you have educated because we can provide certificates.

But what kind of citizens have we been producing as a result of our education system? The average citizen has to look for more in education. The teacher who teaches has to teach more than what is coming for the exams, and the students who come out of school have to come out benefitting from a moulding that places them on the pathway to a better life. The Prime Minister said that out of these (consultation) exercises he is expecting not only reports but more so recommendations, adding, it is the nature of these recommendations that would indicate the issues set about to be solved. Garcia, in delivering the feature address, stated that if we are to change our education system, we must not change our traditions, as they are the foundation of the society. One such tradition cited by the Minister is the church and the role it plays in education, an issue he raised at the other sessions of the consultation in Trinidad last week.

It is my belief, he reiterated in Tobago yesterday, That we need to strengthen those roles that the church has played and continues to play in education, and therefore, the churches need not fear. What we certainly need to do is to ensure that what changes we make in education and by extension the education system, that the churches continue to play their role and play their role effectively. The TTUTA president indicated that the goals and objectives of the new national agenda (on education) must be in sync with the overall vision of the Government.

Having participated in the first two sessions, Sinanan expressed disappointment with the feedback thus far.

He said: Most of the contributions have been advocating for minor changes to the system here and there, but many contributions are coming from a purely selfish perspective, having regard to the fact that ours is a colonial elitist system that can truly cater to the diverse needs of each child notwithstanding their socio-economic backgrounds. We cannot afford to continue to perpetuate the system that prevents thousands of students on an annual basis from becoming decent, productive citizens. In her opening remarks, Administrator in the Tobago House of Assemblys (THA) Division of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport, Dianne Baker Henry, urged all educators to understand the impact the consultation will have on performance.

THA Secretary of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport, Assemblyman Huey Cadette, in his remarks, quoted a saying by Malcolm X that, Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today. The question we must, therefore, ask ourselves, Cadette continued, Is how we move from dialogue, discussion and ideas to implementation. Our work is to consider what our quest for special education is. Is it integration or separation? How do we ensure that we strengthen our teacher/ student support systems?
Chaguanas North Sec schoolboy arrested, charged

The hit was foiled by police who retrieved conversations between the student and his accomplice stored in his (the student) cellular phone. In a context message, the student was reminded to carry out the hit by the accomplice shortly after midday. Dont forget to kill the security guard. And what is the best time to kill? During class hours, the accomplice instructed in text messages saved in the phone.

At the time, the student was in the office of the schools principal.

Also, unknown to the accomplice, police officers were also monitoring the conversation. Immediately, police officers sprung into action and beefed-up security at the school compound. Only last week, two members of the Defence Force infiltrated the school on learning of plans between gangsters to shoot a teacher and students. However, plans for such an invasion were scuttled when a pupil who is a gang-member flagged down a teacher who was driving to school and told him what was to come.

Since then, teachers and students have been fearful. Yesterday, a team of police officers of the Chaguanas 500 Control Unit prevented possible death and obvious mayhem in the school. Newsday was told that one of the conversations between the student and an accomplice surrounded the discussion of the best time to murder the security guard at the school.

Sources said that shortly after midday, a team of officers including ASP Sooker, Sgt Thompson, Cpl Joseph, PCs Villafana, Rangley and WPC Samuel among others, were continuing enquiries at the school when a teacher spoke to them saying her life was being threatened by a 16-year-old Form Five student. The student resides in the Enterprise, Chaguanas area.

Police officers detained the student at the compound and contacted his parents. It was while questioning the student in the principals office, police officers retrieved messages on his cell phone of the plot. Newsday learnt that the schoolboy is actually the mastermind behind the plan to kill teachers and students. The teenager was charged with assault by threatening to inflict bodily harm on a 39-yearold teacher.
Couple ambushed, gunned down

The double murder has sent the nations toll to 70 so far, this year. Newsday understands that 28-year-old Andre La Touche and his girlfriend 25-year-old Abiola Noel, a mother of two, were leaving Noels home at Eastern Quarry Road, Laventille in his silver-coloured Nissan Tiida car at about 8.30 am.

At the same time, gunmen from the area surrounded the car and fired several shots at the couple who were hit repeatedly. The car rolled forward for about 100 metres before crashing into a concrete dumpster off the road. As the gunmen ran off, La Touche and Noel lay slumped inside the car, in the drivers seat and front passenger seat respectively. By the time officers arrived, minutes later, both of them were already dead.

Noels mother Michelle Andrews would later tell Newsday that if police had acted a little quicker, her daughter might have been saved.

Abiola asked me to wake her up in the morning for work, but I woke up late. I still woke her up at about 7.40 am. I had some clothes to open out (dry) so I hung the clothes and then I went inside my room, Andrews said as she sat on a plastic chair near the crime scene while detectives processed the scene and awaited the arrival of the undertakers.

It was then I heard a set of gunshots.

Leon, my youngest son, came out and I asked him, where Abiola? He said she had just left. I asked him to go outside and see what was going on. As he ran downstairs, I heard him bawl out, Oh God! Ma! I ran downstairs and later realised what took place, Andrews added.

The anguished woman told reporters that minutes after the shooting, she ran outside to the crashed car to see if her daughter was alright.

But was stopped by police officers who told her that the area was a crime scene.

She was alive when we rushed to the car. Her feet were on the dashboard and we saw it moving, Andrews recalled. It is possible that they could have saved her life had they responded quicker. What I am saying is, the police said it was a crime scene and I could not go by the car. But if you see someones finger or toe moving, that means they are still alive. If they acted quicker they might have saved her, she insisted.

Police sources told Newsday that when they arrived, minutes after they were contacted by residents, the first thing they did was check on the two occupants in the crashed car and determined that the couple was dead as no vital signs such as a pulse were found.

Andrews described her daughter as a saltfish who had a good relationship with everyone in the area.

She added that they have been living in the area for the past 16 years and never had any altercation or quarrel with anyone. She said the entire family remain baffled as to why someone would want to kill Noel. Police sources told Newsday that the killing may have been in retaliation to an altercation between La Touche -originally from Barataria- and men from the Eastern Quarry area. No arrest has been made and investigations are continuing.
$$ for retrenched steel workers

Additionally, although some headway has been made with regards to securing pay for the temporarily retrenched workers, the union and the company remain at loggerheads as the union refuses to acquiesce, pay or not, to the laying off of its members .

Baptiste-Primus explained, I was able to talk to the employer (Arcelor/Mittal) and move them from a position of laying off workers without any pay to 40% of basic wages, and to move the employer further to 50 percent of basic wages plus the worker who has vacation leave can encash up to ten days, so in encashing the ten days, plus the payment of the 50 percent, gives the worker about 90 percent of the basic wage he or she would have gotten during this period. The Minister explained that the problem was not with the payment, but with the mechanism in place. Adding that the unions position is that you the company has laid off its members and therefore the union would be unwilling to sign an agreement to lay off its members. She said on the other hand the employer is saying listen, I have placed this on the table, but you have to sign an agreement, because I have my principals to report to; so I am waiting for both parties to recognize a situation existsUnder the aegis of the Ministry of Labour, both parties have been meeting with the officers of the Ministry of Labour. Just last week, we facilitated a meeting with Arcelor/ Mittal and the Union. On the topic of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill, 2015, Baptiste-Primus expressed that the meeting represented the beginning of the consultation process involving the government, labour and business sectors. She affirmed that she will take into consideration the suggestions of the Industrial Relations Advisory Committee Report - including the consideration of all workers, including domestic workers, as workers; protection for workers who are not represented by the Industrial Relations Act by enacting a Consolidated Employees Rights/ Standards Acts, and the reviewing of the process of selection and required qualifications of members of the courts  and is especially concerned about the politicization of the appointment process of judges to the Industrial Court .

One of the recommendations that I am particularly attracted to, is the deep politicization of the appointment process of judges to the Industrial Court, because in my political position in the party as the labour relations officer, the Labour Relations Committee developed a position paper on this exact issue, the deep politicization of the appointment process, and the General Council of the PNM accepted it; so when I read the report, and I saw the identical representation being made .

It gave me that pivot to go in the direction of bringing all the parties together: labour, business, government, so that we can sit and have a discussion on the way forward. Baptiste-Primus hopes that by April/May/June of this year, a draft of the bill will have been completed
Saying yes to referendums

I commend Antigua and Barbuda for, in fact, embarking on this process, Barrow, the Caricom chairman, said. I hope that at the end of the process that the people will approve Antigua and Barbudas accession to the appellate jurisdiction of the court. He added, Nobody can point to any instance in which there has been even the slightest suggestion that this is a court that would allow itself to be influenced. Stuart further said, I do not subscribe to the school of thought that believes that because we produce something here in the Caribbean that by that factor it is necessarily flawed. He said judges are appointed by politicians in the United States, Britain and, indeed, some parts of the Caribbean.

While no date is set for the referendum, it is interesting that the people of Antigua and Barbuda are being allowed this opportunity to have a say in a key matter of reform.

The CCJ referendum leaves us to question why Trinidad and Tobago is yet to enact provisions to allow for referendums should an executive government desire to hold one.

As early as 1962, Jamaicas constitution included a provision for a referendum (applicable in cases where the Senate blocks legislation from the House of Representatives).

In the case of Antigua and Barbuda, that country passed an Act of Parliament in 1997 making provision for the manner in which a referendum is to be held. Ironically, the United Kingdom, the seat of the Privy Council, moved since 2000 toward referendums through the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act.

The UK Parliament can also pass laws to hold specific referendums, as demonstrated by the passage of the European Union Referendum Act 2015 which has laid the groundwork for this years major referendum exercise in that country which UK Prime Minister David Cameron triggered yesterday after last weeks conclusion of a major European Union summit.

Locally, there have been calls for a referendum to be held on the CCJ.

The issue of Trinidad and Tobago making the Caribbean Court of Justice its final court of appeal should be put to a national referendum, was the finding of the TT Constitution Reform Commission in 2013. But though clear in relation to the CCJ, the commission was vague in relation to establishing a mechanism for referendums.

Proposals were also advanced before the commission for the inclusion of a right to have a referendum on significant constitutional changes and policy measures, the commissioners said. This was advanced as a means of promoting greater citizen participation in the making of public policy on significant measures. The manner in which such referenda should be activated for the measurement of the popular will in respect of selected public policy matters of a significant nature will have to be carefully determined. Further, The commission was also mindful of the fact that there would be considerable cost involved in this process, and that significant resources would have to be given to the Elections and Boundaries Commission to ensure that the registration of electors and the holding of these referenda could be handled with the integrity that would be expected of such a process. These matters have now been left to be worked out by the Peoples National Movement administration, which desires to make the CCJ the final court. They should be.
Asamis body flown to Japan

The body is expected to arrive in Hokkaido today in time for a funeral service. According to well-placed sources, Asamis body was at a funeral home for several days and was embalmed in preparation for the four-day flight to Japan.

Newsday understands that the Japanese Embassy in this country made all the arrangements for the womans body to be flown to Japan. Her relatives were unable to travel to this country because of financial constraints. It remains unclear whether the Trinidad and Tobago government assisted in paying the expense to transport the body to Japan.

Asami was strangled, an autopsy, done by forensic pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov showed. Her body was found under a large tree at the Queens Park Savannah on Ash Wednesday.

Hours earlier, she played mas during Carnival revelry.

The body was found still clad in a Carnival bikini and beads costume under the tree near Queens Royal College. She was found by a CEPEP worker.

The body bore marks of violence around the face and lips as well as hands and legs. Asami, 31, had visited this country annually for the Carnival for the past seven years. She spoke of her love for Trinidad and its culture on her Facebook page. She was last seen alive at about 6 pm on Carnival Tuesday in company with a man walking along Picton Court in Newtown, Port-of-Spain. Four persons have been interviewed by police with respect to her murder, but they have all been released pending further investigations
Classes resume at Chaguanas North Secondary

As students turned up for classes yesterday, they first had to present their school identification badges and then were bodyscanned by guards while their bookbags were also checked for weapons and other illegal items.

Both male and female students were searched by male and female guards respectively. Students not properly attired or not having their ID badges were not allowed to enter the compound.

Classes were suspended last Friday after news leaked of a plan by some students with help from gang members to shoot a teacher and other students at the school.

The plan was reportedly foiled when a soldier from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force accompanied by some of his colleagues just happened to turn up at the school to collect his childs report book.

At least seven soldiers remained on the compound after learning of the plot. The Chaguanas police arrived an hour later.

In the statement, Education Minister Anthony Garcia confirmed that school security would be beefed up considerably and also reiterated that any form of school indiscipline or violence would not be tolerated.

He observed that the matter had been discussed with National Security Minister Major General Edmund Dillon, who confirmed that there would be regular police patrols close to the school to ensure the safety of both students, staff, parents and residents in close proximity to the school.

Meanwhile, an increased security presence, which included plain clothes police officers and regular mobile police patrols, greeted students as they arrived fort the start of the new school week yesterday.

A number of items were seized including what appeared to be a water gun while students who arrived without wearing the requisite apparel, including black shoes, were denied entry into the school.

Garcia, together with a high-powered team from the Education Ministry are expected to visit the school today.
Take charge of your school

He has also called on the Ministry of Education to be careful when selecting persons for administrative positions in schools, and to ensure teachers are trained specifically to handle the problems of todays youth.

Ishmael came to the school (it was called Chaguanas Senior Comprehensive at the time, and the name changed when the school was de-shifted a few years ago to Chaguanas North Secondary) in 1976 as its first principal from the St Augustine Senior Comprehensive where he had worked alongside Osmond Downer as a vice principal. He said it was the largest senior comprehensive school at the time with an enrolment of 1,440 students.

He would continue as principal for the next 18 years.

If I have to live my life all over again, I would like to be the principal of a senior comprehensive school, instead of a prestige school.

At the comprehensive schools you have all the challenges, and you have to mould the children.

As principal I did not focus on winning scholarships, but on all-round development of the students, to prepare them for life. Speaking directly to the recent plan to attack the school , Ishmael admitted he was very concerned about what was taking place at the school.

He acknowledged that indiscipline was a worldwide problem in schools, but it depends on how it is handled..

He said teachers have to be prepared to go the extra mile....He recalled as principal he never used corporal punishment, and does not believe in it.

He said back then like now the students came from the same rough catchment areas such as Longdenville and Enterprise, but he never had a major problem because of the manner in which he and his teachers worked with the students.

I never called any police into my school, and mind you, there was hardly any support from the Ministry of Education, but I had serious teachers at the school...I had a good team and we worked together adding the only person who could solve the problem in the schools are the principals and the teachers.

They need to understand the students, they must have a cordial relationship with them, the students need to know that you care about them, he insisted .

As he continued to press his point that teachers have a serious responsibility on their hands, Ishmael an educator for over four decades, declared that society has undergone tremendous changes, and the young people are not what one could expect them to be in years gone by.

He insisted: You have to listen to the children , if their parents are failing them, they look to the teachers, and if their teachers fail them, where does that leave the child, but to gravitate towards the gang member...You have to be tactful , patient and understanding, firm yet loving and caring...

children will appreciate you as someone who wants to help them develop...if the teacher is harsh and critical they will gang up on him/her. He called as well for teachers to be taught conflict resolution, as in addition to problems with the students they also have to deal with difficult parents ...

And as efforts continue to be made to return the Chaguanas North Secondary to a level of normalcy, Ishmael is recommending that teachers at the school receive counselling for trauma.

In addition he said support from the school supervisors is critical at this time to work with the principal and teachers to manage the current crisis.
Arima Shopping Plaza coming soon

Public Utilities Minister, Ancil Antoine, speaking yesterday at the sod-turning ceremony for the $45 million plaza at Leotaud Lands, OMeara Road, Arima, said ever since he became Member of Parliament for DAbadie/ OMeara, he has been passionate about the development of the constituency.

This sod turning marks just that, continued and further development in our constituency.

The construction of this facility signals development and opportunity for employment for a number of burgesses.

Our hope is that they would be able to source entrepreneurs from within the constituency, he said. Antoine said it was hoped that the constituency of DAbadie/ OMeara would continue to expand and grow as the country continued to face tough economic times.

It is in the area of development and entrepreneurship that we must turn to stimulate that much needed boost. And a word to the developers. Be mindful of the communities around you, and be mindful of your environment to ensure that their practices are in keeping with responsible environmental and community management, the minister said.

Owner and chairman of Endeavour Holdings Ltd, John Aboud, said their group was confident that in the not too distant future, we would be able to overcome this dark cloud over us, and continue to prosper as a nation.

Our group has in excess of $1 billion in current investments throughout Trinidad, and we are not partial to any sector. We are very optimistic about the future of our country, and we are playing our part to ensure that the development continues, and the employment and all economic activity that come as a result of that development, he said.

Aboud said it was his companys decision to do community development and this plaza was one of the few projects that they have already started.

This will help alleviate traffic and and make it more convenient for householders around the area to come and get what they need without the hustle and the traffic that they will normally have to go through in such a busy borough as Arima.

The focus is to build small strip centres that are community based and community oriented.

We will also be building a play park next door, and that is part of our promise to the people.

Aboud said he expected the plaza, which would house 15 stores, would be completed before Christmas this year.

We havent selected tenants yet, but we have a long list of people who are interested. We also want to have a proper mix available for the people, he said.

Arima mayor George Hadeed said while the plaza would not be a massive structure, shoppers would be guaranteed quality instead of quantity.

It will enhance the economic activity in the Borough. We just want to thank the developers for showing the confidence in Arima in terms of bringing this project here. It shows that developers have the confidence, not only in Arima, but in TT, that we continue with the success that is Arima and continue to develop borough, Hadeed said.
Childrens Court coming

Attorney General Faris Al Rawi last Friday tabled legislation to establish the new court, and the new division in Parliament, days after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced that amendments to the suite of legislation governing childrens matters would be next on his governments legislative agenda.

The bill proposes to establish a Childrens Court which will handle any matter in which a child is charged with an offence. The new court will also have jurisdiction over any application that is being made, saying that a child is in need of care and protection; any application for an order under Section 61 of the Children Act, 2012; any matter where, the primary issue in the matter is the care and protection of the child; or any application relating to a child at which the attendance of the child is required.

The Childrens Court will also oversee: children drug matters; children mental health matters; and any matter in which a child is required to appear in court.

Clause 60 of the Family and Children Division Bill calls for the Chief Justice, as chairman of the the Rules Committee, to make rules for the new division subject to negative resolution of Parliament.

The legislation, if passed, would come into operation on such date as is fixed by the President by proclamation.

The bill, as drafted, does not seek a special majority.

According to the bill, the policy objectives of a new division  which will also feature a Family Court (entrenching a 2004 pilot project)  would include bringing about the highest quality service to its customers, and to the community.

It aims to have courts featuring the employment of dedicated judicial, administrative, professional and support staff specifically trained, and having the suitable temperament for dealing with children and to oversee a simplification of the process of hearing children matters. There is to be a strong emphasis on diversionary programmes and rehabilitative programmes to assist in the rehabilitation of children who are in conflict with the law.

The State hopes the new division will aid in the early and credible assessment of the risk level of children who come before the court, with a strong emphasis on programmes, policies and procedures which may divert children away from conflict with the law. The new approach to criminal justice matters involving children would also feature, a focus on trauma-informed child justice; a solutions-based approach to childrens matters; and, providing an environment conducive to the resolution of children matters and appropriate services and programmes.

Cases which are the least serious, where a child pleads guilty, will also be subject to a peer resolution process which would, seek a recommendation as to the appropriate measures, or sanctions, which should be employed for the offence. The Childrens Court will also have the power to refer adjourned matters, and refer them to a Children Drug Treatment Court Process if the child is pleading guilty, and is the subject of a pending drug-related matter or, has a history of alcohol or substance abuse.

The court will also refer the matter if, the child agrees to participate.
Minister Dillon assures TT: Plenty Water

Speaking with members of the media yesterday at a sod-turning ceremony for the new Arima Shopping Plaza at Leotaud Lands, OMeara Road, Arima, Antoine said the Meteorological Services, since before the last General Election, had alerted the Public UtilitiesMinistry and the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to a severe dry season in 2016.

We have access to different types of water.

We have surface water that we have in our reservoirs, ground water that we have access through wells, and we have desalination water so we have adequate amount of water in Trinidad and Tobago to provide for the citizens and the industries.

The key to it is management, how we manage the distribution of this water to the citizens both corporate and residential.

The responsibility is on WASA to carry out their dry season plan as they put out every year, and ensure that adequate amount of water reaches the citizens of TT, he said.

The minister also said there would be fines issued to those who misuse and waste water by watering lawns and washing vehicles while leaving hoses running.

That is definitely part of the dry season plan. Also, I have instructed WASA to revisit their leakage policy so that they could deal with leakages in a more timely manner, also their water distribution services of truck-borne water.

We well know there is a lot of corruption from the residents about the selling of water, and so on.

So Ive asked WASA to tighten up both the leakages and the water distribution of truck-borne water so the citizens would have access to the water resources available to them, Antoine said.

The minister also said he was awaiting the reports from the Fire and Police services on the fire which occurred at the authoritys St Joseph administration building.

We are still awaiting the police report.

The Fire Service report is complete, but I have not been given a copy of that report as yet.

That matter is being investigated by the police, and we are still awaiting that report, he said.
POLITICS F.B.I. Evidence Is Often Mishandled, an Internal Inquiry Finds By MATT APUZZO and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT DEC. 19, 2014 Photo The J. Edgar Hoover F.B.I. building in Washington. Auditors have found many problems with how the bureau handles evidence. Credit Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times Continue reading the main story Continue reading the main story Share This Page Email Share Tweet Save More Continue reading the main story F.B.I. agents in every region of the country have mishandled, mislabeled and lost evidence, according to a highly critical internal investigation that discovered errors with nearly half the pieces of evidence it reviewed. The evidence collection and retention system is the backbone of the F.B.I. s investigative process, and the report said it is beset by problems. It also found that the F.B.I. was storing more weapons, less money and valuables, and two tons more drugs than its records had indicated. The report
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili used his visit to RFE/RLs Prague headquarters today to affirm his governments commitment to Europe, amidst fraught relations within the region and between the West and Russia over European security, Ukraine, and Syria. The visit, part of an official two-day trip to the Czech Republic that included meetings with political counterparts, business leaders, and students, came just days after the prime minister spoke exclusively with RFE/RLs Georgian Service in Tbilisi in his first major interview with any media since assuming office on December 30, 2015. The interview was cited by dozens of media outlets in both Georgia and Russia, and reached 200,000 people via the Georgian Services Facebook page and website. In the interview, Kvirikashvili declared, We are not moving towards Europe, but we are Europe, removing any ambiguity about his governments political vision. He said, We will do everything in our power to make sure that every citizen of Georgia, every business entity, every single small-scale entrepreneur becomes aware of the benefits of European integration. He then described how his government would reconcile its European aspirations with the challenges posed by Russia. We are doing everything we can to bring our message to Russian politicians  that Georgia, with its Western values, pro-Western orientation and its desire to integrate with the West, is not opposing Russia and is not seeking any confrontation with Russia. At the same time, Kvirikashvili flatly rejected the possibility of political normalization with Russia absent its recognition of Georgias territorial integrity, calling this principle "fundamental" and beyond compromise. Kvirikashvili spoke warmly of Georgia's relationship with the U.S., characterizing it as one of our best, and recognized the U.S. as "a very solid supporter of Georgias sovereignty and territorial integrity." About RFE/RL and its Georgian Service RFE/RL is a private, independent international news organization whose programs -- radio, Internet, television, and mobile -- reach influential audiences in 23 countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus. It is funded by the U.S. Congress through the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). RFE/RLs Georgian Service, Radio Tavisupleba is a rare, and award-winning, source of balanced journalism in a country where much of the press openly supports, both editorially and through the selection of news, either the government or the opposition.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the number of displaced people around the world has never been higher and the international community needs to improve the way humanitarian support is provided.

NATO diplomats are working to head off a disagreement between Greece and Turkey that threatens to derail the mission to deter migrants from traversing the Aegean Sea to reach the European Union.

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mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WARSAW (Reuters) - President Andrzej Duda, an ally of Poland's new euroskeptic government, accused Lech Walesa on Tuesday of collaborating with the communist-era secret services, furth...

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mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. ANKARA (Reuters) - A DNA report from a suicide bombing that killed 29 people in the Turkish capital Ankara last week suggests the main perpetrator was Turkish-born, not Syrian as initi...

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mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Canada's Justin Trudeau is to become one of the first world leaders to take part in a gay pride march, say organisers of the Toronto event.

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mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. The Afghan army is setting up a protective ring around the capital of Helmand province to defend it from possible Taliban attacks after losing control of more remote districts.

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mikenova shared this story from World. The Italian foreign ministry has summoned the American ambassador in Rome for clarifications after Italian media reported a U.S. intelligence agency intercepted phone calls by then-Premier Silvio ...

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mikenova shared this story from World. It remains unclear which Taliban factions will travel to Pakistan for the talks, which stalled last summer.

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mikenova shared this story from World. Another week, another round of stories about the Nazi leader's genitals.

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mikenova shared this story from World. Prosecutors say a court in Estonia has sentenced three cigarette smugglers to prison for spying for Russia in a rare low-level espionage case.

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mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. Vienna, Austria is the city with the highest overall quality of life in the world, according to a survey released on Tuesday. Mercers 18th annual Quality of Living survey evaluates liv...

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mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. Fourteen more people have caught the Zika virus in the U.S. without traveling to affected zones, federal health officials said Tuesday  strong evidence that the virus is sexually trans...

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mikenova shared this story from World news. Pilot Alistair Llewelyn, 41, captured on camera shouting at and pushing a female police officer for apparently failing to control a crowd around a helicopter he was using to fly the country's d...

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The European Union says it is making plans to deal with a possible humanitarian crisis as new border restrictions are halting migrants traveling across the Balkans.

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The Strasbourg-based court ruled on February 23 that Russia had violated various rights of a Moldovan man arrested in Transdniester in 2008 and that he was subject to inh...

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The U.S. special envoy to the coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) militants says the group's ranks of foreign fighters have dropped to about 25,000 from a peak of 35,000.

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The head of the United States delegation, David E. Lindwall, left, with Salahuddin Rabbani, Afghanistans foreign minister, during the fourth round of four-way peace talks at the presidenti...

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mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 2:19 p.m. EST. PLAINWELL, Mich. (AP) -- A gun shop owner says the man charged in the Kalamazoo shootings came into his store hours before the rampage and bought a jacket with an inside pocke...

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mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 2:19 p.m. EST. WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court won't get a hearing or a vote from the Republican-led Senate, GOP members of the Jud...

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mikenova shared this story from World news. New figures show more migrants reached Europe in the first six weeks of 2016 than the first six months of last year.

    



mikenova shared this story from golosamerikius's YouTube Videos. From: golosamerikius Duration: 02:34      :      ,      Originally published at - ht...

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > Russia. A partial truce in Syria capped something of a foreign policy trifecta for President Vladimir V. Putin, but his goals are uncertain for all three.

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mikenova shared this story from james b. comey - Google News. New York Times Bill Gates Weighs In on Apple's Clash With the FBI New York Times The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James B . Comey Jr., made the case in a p...

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mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. A former Guantanamo Bay prisoner was reportedly among four individuals arrested Tuesday by authorities in Spain and Morocco for alleged ties to terror group ISIS. The Associated Pre...

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. For the last decade, Russia has systematically bolstered its position in the Black Sea region, redrawing international borders and pouring billions of dollars into milita...

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that Washington is considering a "Plan B" to deal with Syria if Damascus and Moscow are not serious about negotiating a poli...

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > Europe. A partial truce in Syria capped something of a foreign policy trifecta for President Vladimir V. Putin, but his goals are uncertain for all three.

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mikenova shared this story from Europe. Nations are moving to block migrants, dashing the hopes of countless families seeking sanctuary in Europe.

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mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Daily Mail FBI director James Comely pens open letter to Apple over San Bernardino iPhone Daily Mail The American people should expect nothing less from the FBI . The particular legal is...

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mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. Washington Post He was fired from the CIA and jailed for a leak. Now he's trying to hang on. Washington Post Locked away in federal prison, Jeffrey Sterling is struggling to keep his dem...

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mikenova shared this story from www.washingtontimes.com stories: Security. Russian President Vladimir Putin has thrust a much-modernized air force into the civil war in Syria, but the U.S. military says his bombers still drop mostly grav...

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mikenova shared this story from www.washingtontimes.com stories: Security. VIENNA (AP) - The head of the U.N. nuclear agency warned Monday of the dangers of nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists and urged world nations to...

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mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Cuban President Raul Castro announced Monday that he is dispatching 9,000 soldiers to help keep the Zika virus out of Cuba, calling on the entire country to fight the mosquito that ...

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mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. NBCNews.com Trump Needs His 'Own Damn Bucket' to Waterboard: Ex- CIA Chief NBCNews.com If Donald Trump is serious about wanting to waterboard terrorists, he'd better bring his own bucket...

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mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. Two Congressional Democrats joined the chorus of lawmakers opposed to the Obama administrations wide-ranging overtime regulations that could cut jobs. Rep. Brad Ashford (D., Neb.) ...

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mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. Press TV US leaving CIA -trained militants at Russia's mercy: Ex-Obama aide Press TV Separately, the CIA has also been running a similar program aimed at pressuring Assad to step down. T...

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mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. The Pentagons Inspector General has launched an investigation into the response by American troops to allegations that Afghan military and police officials were involved in the sexual a...

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mikenova shared this story from Cyber Warfare - Google News. Reuters Obama: China knows it cannot sustain export-driven growth model Reuters Speaking to state governors at the White House, Obama urged them to press the U.S. Congress to a...

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mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Suicide and brain injury have long been linked by scientists, but just how many people who have had a brain injury end up committing suicide? A new study has a grim answer: It found...

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mikenova shared this story from Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation. A ceasefire in Syria, which appeared possible if not probable in early February, has again turned out to be unreachable. And in hindsight, it is rather obv...

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mikenova shared this story from Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation. Chechnya is gearing up to establish control over its oil-extracting business. The procedure for handing over the Rosneft affiliate Chechenneftekhimprom to ...

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mikenova shared this story from Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation. The steady build-up of Italys long-term economic partnership with Azerbaijan is adding an important geopolitical dimension to Romes foreign policy. Sitti...

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mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Atlanta Journal Constitution FBI : Embezzled $20 million funded life of jets, mansions and gambling Atlanta Journal Constitution Nathan E. Hardwick, 50, and Asha R. Maurya, 40, were char...

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mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. Amid a maelstrom of sectarianism and extremism, the Arab democrats represent the Middle Easts best hope. But they are often ignored these days in Washington.

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mikenova shared this story from Cyber Warfare - Google News. ABC News US Commander: China Seeking Control of East Asia ABC News The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific says China is seeking control of East Asia. Adm. Harry Harris, Jr...

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mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said that it is illegal for President Obama to transfer terrorists from Guantanamo Bay into the United States Tuesday. [Obamas] At...

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mikenova shared this story from Intelligence Analysis and Reporting. Title: Dealing With The Devil Author: Donal OSullivan OSullivan, Donal (2010). Dealing With The Devil : Anglo-Soviet Intelligenc...

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mikenova shared this story from www.washingtontimes.com stories: Security. Donna Seymour, the chief information officer for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, announced her resignation on Monday, two days before she was scheduled t...

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mikenova shared this story from Vox - All. Today is Defenders of the Fatherland Day in Russia, a public holiday and a celebration of all things military: triumphalism about the latest weapons, about operations in Syria, about the seizure...

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mikenova shared this story from Google News. Kerry says Syria truce may not lead to political solution Daily Mail - 29 minutes ago WASHINGTON (AP)  Secretary of State John Kerry told Congress on Tuesday that he...

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mikenova shared this story from Cyber Warfare - Google News. Vox Don't buy the hype: Russia's military is much weaker than Putin wants us to think Vox Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) reacts after a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb...

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mikenova shared this story from Current.  Washington, D.C.

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mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. President Obama botched the name of the Boston Marathon bomber on Tuesday while making a statement laying out his plan to close the military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba...

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mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. Secretary of State John Kerry says he can't be sure the cease-fire agreement in Syria will work and lead to a political resolution in the war-ravaged country.

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mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. February 23, 2016, 7:45 PM (IDT) A major incident with casualties was declared as British police and emergency services rushed to the Didcot Power Station in southeast England Tues...

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mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. Drone users can be fined nearly $30,000 for failing to register with the government, according to rules that can even apply to toy drones. Beginning Feb. 19, all owners of Unmanned ...

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mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. Dozens of people have gone on trial in Istanbul accused of being part of the Islamic State group's Turkish network.

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mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged Tuesday on Capitol Hill that neither he nor his staff uses a private email server because of the vulnerability of our system in today&#...

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mikenova shared this story from US national security | The Guardian. Apples battle with the FBI is not about privacy v security, but a conflict created by the US failure to legitimately oversee its security service post Snowden The show...

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > United States Defense and Military Forces. As U.S. intelligence agencies say the number of Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria has dropped, the groups ranks in Libya have roughly doubled.

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > United States Defense and Military Forces. Russia has requested to upgrade the cameras it uses on sanctioned surveillance flights across the United States, which are part of a treaty.

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > United States Defense and Military Forces. Mr. Hayden, a former director of the C.I.A., gives his opinions and settles some scores in his new book.

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). A retired Marine colonel analyzes how a partition of Iraq could come about. Readers are invited to respond.

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The cease-fire is to begin Saturday, but officials acknowledge that obstacles remain in getting the Syrian government and the armed opposition to comply.

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Italy has agreed to allow American armed drones to take off from an air base in Sicily to fight Islamic State extremists in Libya.

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The Russian president, eager to restore glory to his nation, holds many of the cards in Syria but should not confuse that for respect for his power.

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). President Bashar al-Assad and the umbrella group of opposition and rebel groups in Syria announced they would accept a new cessation of hostilities.

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > Federal Bureau of Investigation. Is the companys primary moral obligation to the help the government, protect its customers privacy or maximize profits for its shareholders?

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > Federal Bureau of Investigation. The company has proposed that federal prosecutors withdraw demands that it unlock an iPhone belonging to a gunman involved in the San Bernardino, Calif., shooting.

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > Federal Bureau of Investigation. Apple argues that helping the F.B.I. gain entry to an iPhone will put customers privacy at risk. But they are undermining those customers safety.

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mikenova shared this story from NYT > Federal Bureau of Investigation. Apples challenge is still in court, but in the court of public opinion, 51 percent of respondents backed the F.B.I., as 38 percent sided with Apple.

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mikenova shared this story from In Homeland Security. A county government The Justice Department paid for, but never installed, a feature that would have allowed the FBI to easily and immediately unlock the iPhone.

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mikenova shared this story from In Homeland Security. FBI Director James Comey has weighed in on the controversy over whether Apple should help unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists.

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mikenova shared this story from In Homeland Security. The man accused of killing six people in a Michigan shooting spree is an Uber driver who reportedly picked up passengers before and after the murders.

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mikenova shared this story from In Homeland Security. Edward Snowden told an audience of supporters that he is willing to be extradited to the U.S. if the federal government would guarantee him a fair trial.

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mikenova shared this story from In Homeland Security. It has used a tiny, needle-like probe to wipe out entire cities over the centuries - and it's arguably the most relentless killer on Earth.

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mikenova shared this story from In Homeland Security. Bill Gates on Apple and the FBI: "They're [Apple] just refusing to provide the access  you shouldn't call the access some special thing."

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mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, is becoming known here as a voice of moderation.

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mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. The US has increased its dominance in arms sales due in part to big exports to Asia and the Gulf.

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mikenova shared this story from Defense Intelligence Agency News. In this Beyondthe Beltway episode, DIA takes a behind-the-scenes look at U.S. SouthernCommand

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mikenova shared this story from world news - Google Blog Search. We have reached a provisional agreement in principle on the terms of a cessation of hostilities that could begin in the coming days, Kerry told a news conference in Amman...

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mikenova shared this story from World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News. Washington fears Moscow is trying to exploit a surveillance treaty to gather vital intelligence on the United States.

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mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. The US State Department says President Barack Obama has discussed terms for a ceasefire in Syria with Vladimir Putin. Spokesman Josh Earnest says that the truce would not...

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mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. A group of hard-line Iranian news organizations have raised over half a million dollars to add to a bounty calling for the killing of British novelist Salman Rushdie. Irans supreme lea...

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mikenova shared this story from World. Historians had previously warned that the book was "too dangerous for the general public."

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mikenova shared this story from World. US chocolate maker Mars recalls candy bars in 55 countries after finding plastic in product .

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mikenova shared this story from World. The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Romania to pay compensation to 17 Romanians whose relatives were shot dead during the 1989 anti-communist revolt.

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mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. There are bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. There are Mosques, markets and hairdressers. In the so-called Jungle of Calais, Francethe camp where nearly 3,000 refugees and migrants fro...

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A four-nation group says direct peace talks between the Taliban and negotiators from Kabul are expected to begin in Islamabad by the first week of March.

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. As owners of small businesses demonstrated against new government regulations in the Belarusian capital, a fleet of snow plows drove up close by, setting off scuffles wit...

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Residents of Ingushetia are remembering the victims of the Soviet Union's 1944 deportation of Chechens and Ingush from the North Caucasus.

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Ukraine is attempting to build a barrier along the whole of its 2,000 kilometer land border with Russia, to thwart any potential attack. "Project Wall" is ambitious and, ...

 Macedonia Bars Afghan Asylum Seekers, Stoking Violent Clashes



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. An Afghan man pushing against the border fence during a demonstration on Monday near the Greek village of Idomeni, against Macedonias refusal to allow Afghans to pass the border.

 The Latest: UN: New Balkan border changes pressure Greece



mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 11:05 a.m. EST. CALAIS, France (AP) -- The Latest on the migrant influx into Europe (all times local):...

 Man pulls shark from Florida waters for photographs



mikenova shared this story from World news. Shark is the latest sea creature dragged on to beach for pictures - days after baby dolphin dies in similar circumstances

 British tourist 'fighting for life' after stab attack in San Francisco



mikenova shared this story from World news. British national stabbed in the head as he struggled to keep attackers from taking his bag

 Hitler 'had tiny deformed penis' as well as just one testicle, historians claim



mikenova shared this story from World news. Hitler suffered from a condition called hypospadias which left him with an abnormally small manhood, according to historians Jonathan Mayo and Emma Craigie

 Chill out in the world's coldest city, Yakutsk in Russia's Siberia region, in pictures



mikenova shared this story from World news. The remote city in Siberia where winter temperatures hover around -40F (-40C)

 Syria war: US and Russia agree new truce 'to start at weekend'



mikenova shared this story from World news. United States and Russia agree on new ceasefire in Syria starting Saturday that would exclude attacks on Isil and al-Qaeda's local affiliate

 US ambassador to South Africa: 'If I tried to organise a coup it would look like Mardi Gras'



mikenova shared this story from World news. Envoy hits back "with sarcasm" at suggests by ANC chief that his diplomats were acting "irregularly" and plotting "regime change"

 Hollywood facing 'inclusion crisis', new report says



mikenova shared this story from World news. Study follows race diversity row over the Oscars and declares "Hollywood is so white"

 Uber driver accused of murderous rampage in Kalamazoo appears in court



mikenova shared this story from World news. Jason Dalton allegedly picked up passengers before killing six people in three separate incidents, with one victim's mother saying "my heart is shattered"

 Brazil plans to zap mosquitoes with radiation to halt spread of Zika virus



mikenova shared this story from World news. Authorities want to release sterilised males so that females lay inviable eggs, eradicating the Aedes mosquito that carries the virus blamed for surge in babies born with microcephaly

 Passengers describe riding with 'Uber gunman' during shooting spree in US



mikenova shared this story from World news. Customers claim Jason Dalton picked them up before he was arrested over the murders of six people in Kalamazoo

 'At least one dead' and ten injured after train 'crashes into crane' in the Netherlands



mikenova shared this story from World news. Passenger train derails after hitting crane in the Dutch town of Dalfsen

 EU referendum: Business advisers to David Cameron and major UK companies decline to sign pro-EU letter - live



mikenova shared this story from World news. Letter backing EU membership circulated by Downing Street not expected to be signed by string of leading FTSE 100 companies as Tories descend into war over Brexit fears - latest updates

 Chinese Move Money Abroad as Economy Slows



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The Chinese have been moving money abroad at record levels as Chinas economy continues to slow, boosting real estate prices around the world while raising concerns. In places like New Y...

 Russia Wants to Fly Over US with Advanced Digital Camera



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Russia will ask permission on Monday to start flying surveillance planes equipped with high-powered digital cameras amid warnings from U.S. intelligence and military officials that such o...

 Turkey's Pro-Kurdish Party Accuses Security Forces of Massacre



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party is calling for an investigation into what it says was a massacre of dozens of people by Turkish forces during recent security operations against the Kurdis...

 A Year After Nemtsov's Assassination, New Threats Emerge



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. A memorial procession on Saturday for murdered Russian opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov, will trace the same route as his last march - a 2014 protest against Russia's hybrid war in Ukrain...

 Tensions, Violence Rise in Ukraine



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Violence in eastern Ukraine is on the rise again after relative calm during the winter. Recent reports from the contested Donbas region say the death tolls since mid-February are similar ...

 Protesters Set to Back Apple in FBI Fight



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Supporters of Apple in its objections to helping the FBI break into an iPhone used by a mass shooter are planning demonstrations protests in more than 40 cities Tuesday, including at the ...

 Syria Agrees to US-Russia Cease-fire Plan



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Syria said Tuesday it accepts a cease-fire plan proposed by the United States and Russia that would begin Saturday. A government statement said the military will continue its operations a...

 Bill Gates Sides Against Apple in FBI iPhone-unlocking Case



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Bill Gates is siding against Apple  and many other technology companies  in saying the firm should help the U.S. government to hack into a locked iPhone as part of an investigation into...

 Kerry Going Before Senate Foreign Relations Committee



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to face questions Tuesday about a Syrian cease-fire plan as he appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Monday the U.S. and Ru...

 Terms of Syria Cease-fire Agreement



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. A U.S.-Russia cease-fire plan for Syria is scheduled to take effect at midnight (local time) Friday in Syria. The Syrian government accepted the plan Tuesday. Opposition groups have until...

 Report Blames Chechen Leader Over Killing of Kremlin Critic



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. A Russian opposition activist released a report Tuesday accusing Chechnya's Moscow-backed regional leader of involvement in the killing of a prominent Kremlin foe. Ilya Yashin said he h...

 Rousseff campaign chief Santana surrenders to Brazilian police



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Joao Santana, the architect of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's 2010 and 2014 campaigns, returned to Brazil and police are taking him to the city of Curi...

 Putin ally is threat to Russian national security, says Kremlin critic



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. MOSCOW (Reuters) - The hardline leader appointed by President Vladimir Putin to maintain order in the turbulent Chechen region has created his own caliphate that may one day unleash an...

 Islamic State tightens grip on Syrian government road to Aleppo



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters were reported to have tightened their grip on a Syrian government supply route to Aleppo on Tuesday as the army battled to retake the road, wh...

 EU fears new migrant crisis in Balkans



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. The EU says it is making plans for a possible humanitarian crisis as new border controls halt migrants moving through the Balkans.

 Government in Syria and Main Opposition Agree to Partial and Conditional Truce



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. President Bashar al-Assads and the umbrella group of opposition and rebel groups in Syria announced they would accept a new cessation of hostilities.

 Letter From Europe: Russia and Germany Cling to Fragile Business Ties



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Prime Minister Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia during an interview on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference this month.

 Azerbaijani President To Visit Iran



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will make an official visit to Iran on February 23.

 France, Germany Urge Ukraine To Push Forward On Reforms



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The German and French foreign ministers have praised Ukraine for its reforms thus far but is urging Kyiv Ukraine to push for greater progress in battling corruption.

 Firebomb Attacks Target Russian Banks In Ukraine



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. In Ukraines western city of Lviv, an office of the Russian Sberbank was torched late on February 21 shortly after would-be arsonists failed to set ablaze another Sberban...

 Saudis Start Spy Trial Against 32 Shi'ites, Including Iranian and Afghan



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Saudi Arabia has put 32 people on trial, including 30 members of its own Shi'ite Muslim minority, on charges of spying for Iran.

 Kazakh Authorities Detain Head Of Journalists Union And His Son



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The chairman of Kazakhstan's Journalists Union and head of the National Press Club in Almaty has been detained, together with his son, on charges of embezzlement and tax ...

 Briefing: Exposing Kadyrov



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. What will we learn about Ramzan Kadyrov this week?

 The Daily Vertical: Ukraine Deserves Better (Transcript)



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The Daily Vertical is a video primer for Russia-watchers that appears Monday through Friday.

 Russia & Me: Viktor Yushchenko



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko says his country hasn't had a day of peace in 350 years. But he says "truth and God" are on Ukraine's side. He sat down for a...

 Syrian Opposition Meets In Riyadh As U.S., Russia Reach 'Provisional' Deal



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Syrias main opposition umbrella group was meeting in the Saudi capital on February 22 as Washington and Russia continued diplomatic efforts aimed at brokering a cease-fi...

 Russia & Me: Arnold Ruutel



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Former Estonian President Arnold Ruutel oversaw his country's entry into NATO and the EU. For now, he says, Baltic security is "guaranteed." He made the statement in an i...

 Tajiks Detained After 'Liking' Islamic State Video



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Fourteen residents of Tajikistan's Yovon district have been detained for questioning after they clicked a "like" button on an Islamic extremist video that had been posted...

 Chechen Leader Does U-Turn Over 'Spiritual-Moral Passports'



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov has formally denied that all young males in Chechnya will be required to obtain a "spiritual-moral passport" registering details of t...

 Russia Reportedly Plans To Ask For Spy-Plane Flights Over U.S.



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russia is planning to ask permission on February 22 to start flying surveillance planes equipped with high-powered digital cameras over the United States, the Associated ...

 Russian Bank Attacked In Kyiv



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Right-wing Ukrainian nationalists attacked a branch of privately-held Alfa-Bank in Kyiv on February 20. It was just one of a series of attacks on Russian banks in the cap...

 UN Inquiry: War Crimes 'Rampant' In Syria



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A UN commission of inquiry says war crimes in Syria are "rampant," and government forces and the Islamic State extremist group continue to commit crimes against humanity.

 German, French Foreign Ministers In Ukraine



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The foreign ministers of Germany and France have arrived in Kyiv for a visit aimed at reaffirming EU support for Ukraines leadership.

 Iranian Appeals Court Gives Filmmaker Year Sentence, Lashes



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. An Iranian filmmaker says an appeals court had sentenced him to a year in prison, reducing his initial sentence of six years for "insulting sanctities" and "spreading pro...

 Pentagon To Submit Plan To Close Guantanamo Bay Prison



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The Pentagon is preparing to submit to Congress a long-awaited report on closing the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Cuba, on February 23.

 Chongqing Journal: China Maintains Respect, and a Museum, for a U.S. General



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. A bust of Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell of the United States Army outside the Stilwell Museum in Chongqing, China. William J. Perry, who was then the secretary of defense, came for the opening of...

 Taxi driver held over Kalamazoo deaths



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. A taxi driver is being held over the deaths of six people in an apparently random shooting spree in the Michigan city of Kalamazoo.

 Kalamazoo killings baffle US police



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Authorities in the US state of Michigan search for a motive after a taxi driver went on a random shooting spree on Saturday, killing six people.

 'Two dead' as Dutch train derails



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. A passenger train derails near the Dutch town of Dalfsen, reports of two dead

 German recall of Mars and Snickers bars



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Chocolate maker Mars recalls Mars and Snickers bars in Germany after bits of plastic are found in a product

 Libyan Islamist militias in 'key losses'



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Islamist militias in Libya lose two major areas in the eastern city of Benghazi, including the port, military sources and residents tell the BBC.

 VIDEO: Dutch train crash: Aerial view



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. A train driver was killed when his train hit a crane on a level crossing near the Dutch town of Dalfsen.

 Obama in bid to close Guantanamo prison



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Plan to close Guantanamo Bay prison and move some detainees to US submitted by President Obama to Congress.

 AP Poll: Social Security, joblessness top economic concerns



mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 9:40 a.m. EST. WASHINGTON (AP) -- Finally, something that polarized Americans can agree on....

 Artist Replicates Sistine Chapel---15 Years and Counting



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. For 15 years, Miguel Macias has tried to replicate on the ceiling of his local church what the Italian master did in four at the Sistine Chapel.

 Police Arrest Militants Over Bangladesh Beheading



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Police arrested three people they described as local militants over the beheading of a Hindu priest in northern Bangladesh.

 Lech Walesa Documents Released By Poland's State Archive



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Polands state archives released documents it says show Lech Walesa had been a paid informant of communist-era secret police in the 1970s, before leading the Solidarity movement that h...

 Ukraine Fighters Bridle at Idleness



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. President Petro Poroshenko sees the best path for Kiev to regain control of its borders from Russia-backed separatist is to stick to the terms of the Minsk peace deal, a passive stance...

 U.S., Russia Agree to Implement Syria Cease-Fire



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. The Obama administration and Russia agreed to implement a cease-fire in Syria beginning Saturday, in whats hoped to be a crucial step in ending the countrys five-year civil war.

 Syrian Government Accepts U.S.-Russia Cease-Fire Deal



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. The regime of President Bashar al-Assad says Islamic State, the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and other terrorist groups connected to them will be exempted from the truce and will be t...

 Russian Opposition Leader Calls on Chechnya's Kadyrov to Step Down



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. One of Russias most prominent opposition leaders has called for the resignation of Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen strongman who is a staunch loyalist of Russian President Vladimir Putin,...

 Pentagon, CIA Chiefs Skeptical of Syria Cease-Fire



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. U.S. military and intelligence advisers dont believe Russia will abide by a cease-fire in Syria and want the Obama administration to ready plans to increase pressure on Moscow.

 Child sex abuse victims to hear cardinals testimony in Rome



mikenova shared this story from World. Victims of clergy abuse have won permission to be present next week when Pope Franciss finance minister testifies from Rome to an Australian inquiry into child sex offenses within the Roman Catholi...

 Concerns in Saudi Arabia over signs of more military involvement in Syria



mikenova shared this story from World. Saudis are already feeling the sting from war in Yemen and worsening economic problems at home.

 Across Europe, gay migrants face abuse in asylum shelters



mikenova shared this story from World. Alaa Ammar fled Syria to escape not just civil war but also the threat of persecution as a gay man. Yet when he arrived in The Netherlands last spring, he did not find the safe haven he craved.

 Polish state archive releases secret file on ex-president



mikenova shared this story from World. A Polish state archive has released documents which allegedly show that democracy leader and former president Lech Walesa collaborated with the communist secret police in the 1970s, before he took l...

 Saudi Arabia to put 32 on trial for spying for Iran



mikenova shared this story from World. Saudi-owned media report that 32 people have been accused of spying for the kingdoms regional rival Iran and now face trial.

 The Latest: Turkey: Ground troops in Syria not on agenda



mikenova shared this story from World. The Latest on the civil war in Syria (all times local):

 France, Germany push Ukraine to implement reforms



mikenova shared this story from World. Germany and France are pushing for Ukraine to move ahead with reforms needed in order to implement the year-old Minsk peace agreement.

 World arms sales up 14 percent in past 5 years, led by US



mikenova shared this story from World. A Swedish think-tank says global arms exports increased 14 percent during the five years to 2015, with the U.S. retaining top position after its sales grew 27 percent from the previous five-year per...

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mikenova shared this story from World. UKs Cameron: June vote on EU membership is final decision with no 2nd referendum possible.

 UN on Syria: Major powers feeding military escalation



mikenova shared this story from World. War crimes are rampant in Syria, and the conflict has become a multisided proxy war steered from abroad by an intricate network of alliances, U.N. investigators said in a new report Monday.

 Trump's outrageous 'pig blood' comments are a reminder of an often forgotten history



mikenova shared this story from World. U.S. troops occupied the Philippines for nearly half a century.

 Russias Putin calls the cease-fire agreement on Syria a real step that can stop the bloodshed



mikenova shared this story from World. Russias Putin calls the cease-fire agreement on Syria a real step that can stop the bloodshed .

 The Latest: Syrian government says it accepts proposed truce



mikenova shared this story from World. The Latest on the conflict in Syria and the provisional cease-fire proposed by the U.S. and Russia (all times local):

 European court: Trial against Putin foe Navalny was unfair



mikenova shared this story from World. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Russia violated opposition leader Alexei Navalnys right to a fair trial, and has ordered the government to pay him 56,000 euros ($61,700) in legal...
What you need to know about the Octagon Art Festival on Sunday in Ames

news
Health Minister inaugurates 3-day international conference on Antimicrobial Resistance

New Delhi, Tue, 23 Feb 2016 NI Wire

I reiterate Indias commitment, leadership and resolve to combat AMR: Shri J P Nadda

"India is committed to combatingAntimicrobial Resistance (AMR). However, a collective action is required by all stakeholders within a country and by all countries within a region. India,will be very happy to work with other Member States towards this common goal", said Shri JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare. He was speaking at the inauguration of the 3-day International Conference on Combating Antimicrobial Resistance, here today. Also present at the function wereMr. TandinWangchuk, Health Minister of Bhutan;Mr. Ram JanamChaudhary, Health Minister of Nepal;Mr. Mohamed Habeeb, Minister of State for Health, Maldives; Dr. PoonamKhetrapal Singh, Regional Director, World Health Organization, South East Asia Region and Dr. Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director General, World Health Organization.

Noting that AMR has emerged as the number one public health challenge faced by the world today, the Union Health Minister stated that the first step in addressing the problem of AMR is to avoid the need for antibiotics at all in the first place. He further added that this is best done through improved water and sanitation, in the absence of which the proliferation of diarrheal diseases results in inappropriate antibiotic use. Through the Swacch Bharat programme, the Government has taken active steps to improve hygiene and sanitation and reduce the environmental spread of pathogens, he said. Vaccination is an equally important public health measure. Through Mission Indradhanush, India has set itself an ambitious goal of increasing routine immunization coverage to 90% within just a few years.

ShriNadda stated that the complexity of AMR is also fuelled by numerous stakeholders impacting and impacted by AMR. These include the consumers or the patients who take the medicine, doctors who prescribe, pharmacists who dispense, the industry which manufactures, the Government which regulates, the research organizations which innovate, the animal and agricultural sector which contribute to the food chain, the hospitals which treats the patients, the Civil Society which articulates the peoples perspectives, and the media which can focus attention on this important issue. Given this scenario, the Health Minister pointed out that it is imperative that all stakeholders connected with AMR contribute to pave the way for effective action to combat AMR.ShriNadda also pointed out to the grave economic consequences that countries across the world are facing due to non-rational use of antibiotics. He emphasized on correct prescription practices, prescription audits and digital repository of patients medical history among other important measures to be taken to combat the growing misuse of antibiotics. ShriNadda extended Indias commitment and resolve to work with other countries towards combatting this problem.

Drawing attention to the importance of surveillance and monitoring, Shri B P Sharma, Secretary (HFW) laid emphasis onthe role of regulatory authorities.He informed that the Ministry has undertaken an exercise for mapping health facilities in the private and public sectors across the country which shall be complete in the next three years. This shall provide a useful database to analyse the various determinants and impacts of non-rational use of antibiotics.

Dr.SaumyaSwaminathan, DG, ICMR, said that community based surveillance will play a very major role in finding solutions to Anti-TB drug resistance and other viral diseases. Noting the AMR is a top priority at ICMR, there is need to study how resistance spreads and what are the drivers for AMR, she stated.

Providing a regional perspective on AMR, DrPoonamKhetrpal Singh, Regional Director, WHO, said that by 2050 AMR will contribute to around 10 million deaths worldwide. Therefore, urgent action is needed to combat AMR globally. This will need policy commitment from the governments, sustained investment, technical assistance and regional cooperation. She applauded India commitment to combat AMR and the steps India has taken in this direction.

Dr. Mohamed Habeeb, MOS Health, Maldives stated that AMR is a major public health issue globally that is challenging several advances made in health sector. DrHabeeb further said that awareness programme for containment of AMR is the need of the hour.

Bhutan Health Minister,Mr. TandinWangchuk, called AMR a public health challenge and priority. He said that the inappropriate use of antibiotics is leading to high mortality and morbidity resulting in serious social and economic consequences.

Mr. Ram JanamChaudhary, Health Minister of Nepal extended full cooperation for countering AMR. He said his government will be happy for cross border collaboration on this issue. He also emphasized on the need for rational use of antibiotics.

Appreciating the need for media campaign for raising awareness about antibiotics, Shri J P Naddalaunched the Medicines with the Red Line media campaign at the function which creates awareness regarding rational usage of medicines which carry a red line on their strip. He also unveiled the Infection Control Policies for Hospitals handbook.

Also present on this occasion were, Dr. (Prof) Jagdish Prasad, DGHS, Dr. Arun Panda, Additional Secretary (Health) ShriAnshuPrakash, Joint Secretary, and other senior officers of the Health Ministry, representatives of WHO, UNICEF and representatives from various countries

Source: PIB
Political, Situational, and other News Affecting Wentzville, St. Charles County, St. Louis Metropolitan, Missouri, and the Nation as a Whole.
A three-story row house in Brooklyn is going to stay that way for the time being. On Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission did not approve a proposed addition to 75 St. Marks Avenue, near the corner of Flatbush Avenue in the Prospect Heights Historic District. The problem for the commissioners was fairly simple: visibility.

The structure, complete with storefront, was designed by Octave A. DeComps and built in 1878.

The presentation was made by Lower Manhattan-based Ogawa Depardon Architects. It called for a two-story rooftop addition and a single-story year yard addition at the ground level. It also called for restoration of the facade to historic condition. The proposed end product would include a restaurant at ground level and two two-bedroom residential units above.

The rooftop addition would be one story on the front and rise to two stories on the back, for a master bedroom complete with a wet bar. It would be clad in glass and zinc.

Commissioner John Gustafsson said this structure has the unfortunate circumstance of being in a position that makes it, and any modifications to it, very visible. But that doesnt give it a pass. The proposed additions were simply too much for him, especially given their visibility. LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan agreed, though she said some visibility could be allowed. She said the first step for the applicant should be removal of the second story of the rooftop addition.

Commissioner Michael Goldblum agreed that the second story of the addition should be lopped off and he suggested a straight mansard addition. Commissioner Diana Chapin said the proposal was inappropriate and Commissioner Frederick Bland called echoed his colleagues, saying any addition needs to be minimally visible.

Christabel Gough of the Society for the Architecture of the City testified that there just isnt room for two full-size apartments in the building. She said the proposal destroys the original massing.

The Historic Districts Councils Kelly Carroll also objected to the proposal. While perfectly fine the way it has existed for 138 years, suddenly, in 2016s real estate market, no. 75 now has the misfortune of being half of a story shorter than its brownstone neighbors along this stately block. Thus, this space above its roofline must be maxed out, and its proposed enlargement is an affront to the block, the house, and the district. Visible rooftop additions are not a hallmark of the Prospect Heights Historic District, and further, this pseudo-studio configuration is unprecedented here, she testified. While the front is proposed to be expanded as tall as the other buildings, the rear of the building will grow to be taller than the rest of the row. The rooftop addition should be eliminated from view, and the rear addition should be scaled down to one story, not two.

Danae Oratowski of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council said approving this addition would be a dramatic departure from previous commission decisions and that if they said yes, anything goes from here on out.

In the end, the commissioners told the applicant to come back with a revised proposal, one that would certainly include the removal of the second story of the rooftop addition.

See the full presentation slides below:

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Jerry Hendrix believes that the next stage in the South China Sea conflict will have the Chinese Navy in ship sumo pushing matches with US Navy ships.

Jerry Hendrix is the director of the Defense Strategies and Assessments Program at the Center for a New American Security. A retired U.S. Navy captain, he is a former director of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Ramming or shouldering ships at sea has been a common practice throughout the modern era. During the Cold War, Russian and American ships went skin-to-skin more than once, often denting or damaging each other as they contested territorial claims or protested close surveillance during critical exercises

A new chinese coast guard cutter will be over 500 feet long and displace more than 10,000 tons. The ship will be lightly armed, with two 76mm guns and other small arms, but these are not important to its true mission. This ship and its follow-on sister ships are built for one purpose: to move other ships out of the way.

There are a set of well-established rules of the road for ships at sea, rules that delineate who is to give way to the other when two vessels meet in order to avoid going bump in the night. But there is also an unwritten law of gross tonnage that recognizes that larger ships are less maneuverable and that smaller ships should maneuver to avoid them. Physics, it seems, has a place on the worlds oceans, and China intends to take advantage of some very hard science.

It is clear that China intends to use its monster white-hulled Coast Guard ships to respond to future US freedom of navigation operations by shouldering smaller U.S. Navy vessels.

Such operations would force the U.S. to either accede to Chinese demands or climb the ladder of escalation by forcibly defending themselves with arms, allowing China to play the victim of U.S. aggression. The United States should give some thought to modifying the design of the 60,000 ton afloat forward staging base ships being built in San Diego to allow them to serve as blockers for U.S. combatants upholding innocent passage missions.

China does have the largest container ships in the world

The Globe is more than 400 meters (1,312ft) long, the equivalent of eight Olympic-size swimming pools. It is 56.8m (186ft) wide and 73m (240ft) high, its gross tonnage is 186,000  the equivalent of 14,500 London buses
Peter Shumlin asks a question of President Barack Obama during a meeting with governors in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 22, 2016.

She says she was just so happy she couldn't help herself from dancing.

The African-American said in the petition that she never thought she'd live to see a black president.



YOUTUBE 'YOU CAN: Michelle Obama asks if she can be like Virginia

Virginia McLaurin, who turns 107 next month, wanted more than anything to meet President Obama.

On the occasion, she also danced with them.

A 106-year-old woman named Virginia McLaurin shook leg with the President of the United States Barack Obama and the first lady.

Uh Oh, Delonte West Isn't Doing So Hot Right Now

West, 32, earned over $14 million during his career, which included stints in Boston, Seattle, Cleveland , and Dallas. We break balls on this site all the time, but this sounds like a guy that legitimately needs some help.

Ms Obama told Ms McLaurin: "I want to be like you when I grow up".

Michelle Obama is in disbelief when her husband mentions McLaurin is 106. McLaurin was invited as part of a Black History Month celebration.

She told WJLA that she didn't have anything new to wear to meet the president, so she chose to sport a suit she wore on her birthday. "My hearing is kind of bad".

Virtual reality 'the next platform' says facebook's mark zuckerberg

The official release date in major countries including South Korea and the United States is March 11. You can place your order for one of Samsung's new devices through T-Mobile tomorrow, February 23.

Her video made her an overnight Internet sensation, and her mouth dropped open to see herself dancing with her beloved president and reliving the moment the next day.

Although the governors did not commit to a specific number of pills that patients should be given, Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, who pushed for the proposal, said that for nonchronic conditions, it should be no more than 10, noting that 250 million doses of opioids were prescribed in 2012.

McLaurin spent 40 hours per week for the past 20 years volunteering with students who have severe mental and physical disabilities at the Melvin Sharpe Health School. "I'm in here. I said thank the Lord I'm in here". "I walked up and said I'm here".

Louis van Gaal says he convinced Manchester United to buy Bastian Schweinsteiger

They sit six points behind Manchester City with 12 games to go, while Arsenal, Tottenham and leaders Leicester sit further clear. Van Gaal agreed when it was put to him that United's best chance of reaching the Champions League is to win the Europa League .

It's safe to say a lot of Americans would react very differently should they ever meet President Barack Obama or his wife, Michelle.
Either way, it's bad news, and obviously it did not succeed in stopping North Korea's January 6 nuclear test, or the February 7 test-launch of a long-range missile - the latest step in North Korea's program to build nuclear-tipped missiles that could target the United States. South Korea has a particularly crucial role to play.

"It also demonstrates USA duplicity in withholding information about the exchange which puts North Korea's actions in an entirely different context than first reported by the Western media. The North rejected our response", he said in an e-mail statement.

One issue that complicates the effort is the need to establish parameters for any negotiations before they begin, in particular to ensure that North Korea's conventional threat to the South is defused before there's any demand to remove some of the 28,500 USA troops in South Korea.

Taiwan's Zika virus infection drills to be completed by month-end

Zika virus is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito in tropical regions. The virus typically results in mild illness.

According to the U.S. State Department on Sunday, talks on a peace treaty to officially end the Korean War, which concluded with an armistice agreement, fell apart because Pyongyang refused to address denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

Australia, Canada and a number of other countries that fought with the USA during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 will also likely either participate or send observers.

Seoul has insisted that the drills, supervised by the United Nations, are proceeding in accordance with plans made months ago, but officials have called them "a strong warning to the Kim Jong-un regime", which has been acting belligerent in recent weeks.

Meet The Voice contestants hoping for Eurovision victory

The 25-year-old, from Nottingham, was a member of girl group Parade, and has supported Shakira and The Black Eyed Peas on tour. The BBC have clearly thought better than to repeat the approach that provided the sacrificial lambs that were Electro Velvet .

The report cited the case of another Chinese bank, which informed a customer - a businessman from Liaoning with investments in North Korean mines -that it would not make any transactions into or out of North Korean accounts.

The U.S. has already deployed four F-22 stealth fighters and a nuclear-powered submarine, the USS North Carolina, to South Korea.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesSouth Korean President Park Geun-hye answers reporters' questions during a news conference with U.S. President Barack Obama in the East Room of the White House October 16, 2015 in Washington, DC. "And North Korea will continue with its nuclear, missile and rocket programs, further advancing its capabilities over time", Tariq Rauf, director of the Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Program at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), told DW. "Following the demise of the USSR however North Korea became more vulnerable to attempts by the U.S. to destabilize the country, leading to the development of its nuclear arms program as a deterrent".

Burundi's leader agrees to talks: United Nations chief

Burundian opposition has repeatedly deplored "arbitrary arrests" of thousands of its activists by security forces. Since then, clashes between loyalists and the opposition have turned increasingly violent.

"Through the GSOMIA, the two countries can share their valuable information and better ensure each other's safety", Nakatani said.
The new funding would pay for pipe replacement in several hundred homes, but the Flint City Council and the city's chief financial officer still have to take action to receive the grant funding.

"On the property losses side, compensation will be recovered for the replacement or fix of service lines damaged by the highly corrosive Flint River water, cost of bottled water, water filters and water filter replacements, medical expenses, compensation caused by lost time at work, cost of hotel and accommodations and loss of property values", the Flint class action website also noted. Snyder is seeking to direct another $195 million toward the crisis, including $30 million to cover a portion of residents' and businesses' water bills for two years and $25 million to replace service lines.

Mining giant BHP Billiton posts $5.7 billion half year loss

Lower commodity prices slashed revenue by 37% to $15.7bn, sending underlying profit down 92% to $412m. On a per share basis, loss was $1.07 per share, compared to a profit of $0.80 per share a year ago.

Snyder came under fire after it was revealed that the state failed to make the public aware of the health hazards associated with drinking the water, allowing the continued consumption of water tainted by lead. "Mayor (Karen) Weaver has stressed that removing the pipes is a priority and we are working with our partners in the city".

"In light of the recent controversy regarding Flint water, (we) would like to emphasize that for decades, Detroit's water has not only met, but exceeded EPA standards for lead control", the statement read.

BWW Recap: Jesus (Literally) Takes the Wheel on THE WALKING DEAD

Enid asks why are they in the woods and Carl says they're kids, it what they do, but Enid is adamant they aren't kids any longer. Wily and crafty and clearly skilled in martial arts and the art of deception, Jesus was finally captured by Rick and Daryl .

Flint has become an issue in the presidential primary and Snyder, a Republican, has agreed to testify before congress about his role in the catastrophe.

"Some of the poorest people in the USA are paying the highest price for the worst quality water in the United States", Flint reverend Allen Overton said. But not without attempts by Democrats to add money to forgive all of Flint residents' water bills, instead of just 65 percent. The $30 million dollar appropriation is on a fast track to be approved by the entire state House. The governor said Tuesday other resources could be potentially tapped for additional funds to replace pipes.

OPEC Sec-Gen says further action could follow output 'freeze' deal

USA production is expected to reach an all-time high of 14.2 million barrels a day by 2021, after declining in the near term. Shale oil business in particular, who are saying, "Look guys, you're hurting at $30/bbl and we aren't very happy either".

Brent Fewell, attorney and founder of the Earth & Water Group, a legal and strategic advisory firm, told Bloomberg BNA Feb. 17 that the EPA could have used its emergency powers earlier than it did. "We want them to get tested and to educate themselves, because when you educate yourself, you arm yourself and you better prepare yourself to deal with the situation". The report noted that treating river water on a daily basis was going to be challenging and more expensive than treating lake water, but concluded it could be done if improvements to Flint's water treatment plant were made.
"Once the political season is underway and it is, action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over", Biden said at the time on the Senate floor, according to a C-SPAN recording of his remarks.

Biden said Monday in a statement that the 1992 speech pertained to "a hypothetical vacancy" and that the excerpt Republicans highlighted was "not an accurate description of my views on the subject".

He notes he also said in that speech that the Senate and White House should work together to overcome differences.

Biden, who was serving as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, just wanted to be sure that the Senate was united in opposing any potential nominee, five months before Bill Clinton won the election and seven months before he was inaugurated. The claim here will be that when Biden said "once the political season is underway", he meant the general election, not the primary.

Upcoming US-South Korean Military Exercise to be Largest Ever

Ko defected to South Korea in 1991 after serving as a North Korean diplomat at the North's embassy in the Congo. After the nuclear test in January, the US sent a B-25 bomber to fly over South Korea in a show of strength.

"There is no unwritten law that says it can only be done in off-years", Mr. Obama said, asserting that he has the right to appoint a judge even though it's an election year and Republicans say the next president should have that privilege.

Kornacki then added that if a Republican senator said that Biden said back in 1992, "you would have outrage from Democrats. they would say, this Senate - and yet that was the Democratic posture back in 1992". Most Republican senators and all of the presidential candidates have said the same thing.

"The Supreme Court is an essential institution of government, whose efficient functioning depends on having a full complement of justices".

"While some say that my comments in June 1992 contributed to a more politicized nomination process, they didn't prevent the Senate from fulfilling its constitutional duties, because there was no vacancy at the time", he said in the statement.

Honeywell, United Technologies held merger talks

United Technologies has staggered through a tumultuous 24 months that included the abrupt departure of its former CEO in 2014. He has promised to spend $16 billion on share buybacks and outlined a three-year cost-cutting program to boost profits.

Conservatives quickly pounced on the clip and used it as evidence to argue that Congressional Republicans are following long-standing precedent in refusing to consider President Obama's nomination to fill the seat of Justice Antonin Scalia until a new president takes the oath in January of 2017. "This is about who chooses".

The Biden Rules recognize that under these circumstances, '[the President] should consider following the practice of a majority of his predecessors and not name a nominee until after the November election is completed'. But Earnest declined to offer specifics on the timeline or whom Obama is considering.

Obama's two Supreme Court picks, Elena Kegan and Sonia Sotomayor, were confirmed when the Senate was controlled by Democrats.
But they soon dropped back as traders took note of higher supplies of gasoline, a rise in stocks at the key Cushing, Oklahoma trading hub and a scant drop in oil production.

"Announced capex cuts by global oil companies, the fall in active drilling rigs in the USA and Canada, and a heavy annual decline in older fields" explains the deeper slump in non-OPEC supply, the organization's Vienna-based secretariat said Wednesday in its monthly market report.

Oil prices have fallen nearly 75 percent since mid-2014 as competing producers pump 1-2 million barrels of crude every day in excess of demand, just as China's economy grows at its lowest rate in a generation.

Authorities investigate the deaths of 13 bald eagles in Maryland

Bavin National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory in Ashland, Ore., where a cause of death will be determined, Hibbard said. The man had been out looking for deer antlers when he came across the deceased birds near a farm in Caroline County.

OPEC will maintain its market share of around 40 percent, increasing output by 7 million barrels per day (bpd) to 44 million bpd by 2035, according to BP Energy Outlook. "That's keeping pressure on the oil market right now". The EconoTimes content received through this service is the intellectual property of EconoTimes or its third party suppliers.

Oil prices have made gains on the strength of speculation on OPEC's willingness to consider output cuts in a bid to ease the global supply glut.

Commenting on reports that OPEC members were discussing the possibility of collaborative production cuts with non-OPEC members, the IEA said the likelihood of coordinated cuts "is very low".

Eating chocolate improves brain function, study says

The researchers say further investigations are needed to establish how chocolate appears to boost brain power. The study has appeared in the journal Appetite .

Prices were supported by comments from Iran's oil minister that Tehran is ready to negotiate with Saudi Arabia over the current conditions in global oil markets.

Despite oil prices reaching levels not seen in more than 10 years last month, OPEC also cut its oil-demand growth forecast by 10,000 barrels a day for this year.

The U.S. crude production only lost 28,000 barrels to 9.186 million barrels a day last week, which is disappointing, according to the EIA report.

It's National Margarita Day!

As these things tend to go, the origin of the margarita is lost to the ages. To celebrate the day, let's start with above recipe.

Venezuela has lobbied Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and other producers to arrange a meeting between members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-Opec states in an attempt a global agreement to restore balance to an oversupplied market.
Tribune Publishing Co., the troubled owner of the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers around the country, announced Tuesday that it is replacing Jack Griffin as CEO less than two years after he joined the company. Last summer IBM acquired Merge for $1 billion - resulting in a huge payday for both men, especially Ferro.

A Tribune Publishing spokesman could not be reached for comment early Tuesday. It has underperformed by 43.07% the S&P500.

Mr. Ferro's Merrick Media LLC, became the largest single shareholder with 16.6% of the company's shares, and he was named Tribune Publishing's nonexecutive chairman. It operates daily and weekly newspapers; and digital platforms online and on mobile, as well as provides a suite of digital marketing services for local, regional, and national marketers.

Ferro's installment as top Tribune Publishing shareholder sent shockwaves through the Chicago media scene.

Greektown Casino Hotel in Detroit getting new name

Each letter of the word "JACK" will represent a different program level. The company also announced a new rewards program. Thistledown Racino will become JACK Thistledown.

In an address to Tribune Publishing employees in early February, Ferro said he would help address revenue issues that have plagued newspapers industrywide, focusing on the moneymaking potential of data and logistics capabilities rather than simply subscription revenues.

Under terms of the February 3 transaction, Ferro's firm can not acquire more than 25 percent of the outstanding shares and can not sell its stake in Tribune Publishing for three years.

"The board thanks Jack Griffin for his significant contributions and wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavors", Ferro said in a printed statement.

March 2 could be a key date as the story unfolds. Griffin was embarking on a controversial strategy to expand the company's Southern California holdings. Last summer, Los Angeles billionaire Eli Broad tried to buy the newspaper along with the San Diego Union-Tribune, a person with knowledge of the matter said at the time.

Israel razes homes of two Palestinians accused of attacks

It was one of the deadliest days for Israelis since a wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks erupted in October. The Israel Defense Forces razed the West Bank homes of two Palestinian assailants who killed Israelis .

Attention now turns to what Ferro and Dearborn will do with Tribune.

"I'm proud of all that we have accomplished to reorient the Company and position these premium brands for the future", said Griffin.

The Los Angeles Times interviewed Doctor, who was the first to report on the change of leadership.

"I believe Tribune Publishing has a significant opportunity to leverage technology to increase the value of its content and distribution channels", Dearborn said in a statement.
According to CNET, the Galaxy S7 will be priced at AU$1149 while the S7 Edge will be available for AU$1249 in Australia.

The Android 6.0.1 update is also available for the unlocked version of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones, but it is not known yet when the unlocked variants of these two devices will receive it.

Like the predecessor, the Galaxy S7 is dismantled from the back.

"Although there are significant improvements under the bonnet with the camera, the chipset, the removable storage and the water resistance, Samsung will have to make sure that's visible to consumers", opined IHS technology analyst Ian Fogg, speaking to BBC.

On the software side, the Edge panel is now wider and supports third party integration so expect to see widgets for news and sports. The public have had a year to recognize the Galaxy S6, and now when they spot an S7 they'll instantly know it's a Samsung phone. Samsung also gave it an even bigger battery, a whopping 3600mAh unit.

The Weeknd Wins Best R&B Performance at the 2016 Grammys

Also, he has been nominated for six Juno Awards, the most for any other artist this year. The Weeknd , whose name is Abel Tesfaye, attended high school in Scarborough.

The S7 comes with a 3,000 mAh battery, while the S7 Edge comes with a 3,600 mAh battery.

Samsung have however chosen to use its own octa-core Exynos 8 Octa processor in the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in markets outside of US, China and Japan.

"With Galaxy Forever, our customers can easily swap out their new GS7 or GS7 edge for the next generation after just 12 payments of less than $26 per month - that is less than a dollar a day". Samsung has also brought back the MicroSD slot in a hybrid tray that can either support dual SIM cards or a SIM card with an SD card. With its 5.3-inch Quad HD IPS display, high end specs and all-metallic chassis, it meets the typical premium quality standards we expect for a device in this class.

Pre-orders, beginning Tuesday for the Galaxy S7 and the larger S7 Edge, will get you a free Gear VR - that's Samsung's virtual reality headset.

All the major carriers are offering deals for the new phones.

Kanye West blames big dreams for $53m debt

The 38-year-old rap star took to Twitter moments before he was due to appear on "Saturday Night Live" to make the {bizarre But you're not alone, as his wife Kim reportedly gets annoyed by his weird outbursts to the point the couple fall out.

The total for this contract over the two years is 900. AT&T has set the starting price for the S7 at $23 a month for 30 months.

The new Galaxy devices have also improved upon the technology and design that debuted previous year with the S6 models.

Both phones come in black and gold color options.
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Posted by Nogger - a legend in his own mind at | Categorized as





At the finish, front month Mar 16 London wheat was down GBP1.80/tonne at GBP103.40/tonne, Mar 16 Paris wheat fell EUR2.75/tonne to EUR150.25/tonne, Mar 16 corn was EUR1.00/tonne lower at EUR145.50/tonne and May 16 rapeseed was down EUR1.75/tonne to EUR354.00/tonne.



The pound remains "fragile" as the BBC puts it on concerns over a "leave" vote on the question of Brexit in the June referendum. That keeps sterling hovering around a 7-year low versus the US dollar (falling close to $1.40 today), and it's worst since the beginning of the year against the euro.



Citibank said that the chances of a Brexit are now as high as 40% after Boris Johnson declared that he'd be backing a "leave" vote. Goldman Sachs are saying that the pound could fall to $1.15 if we do vote to leave the EU, according to the Telegraph.



The uncertainty of it all at the very least could support London wheat a little across the next few months. That's the theory at least, although this was a new near 5-year lowest close for a front month tonight.



As far as the fundamentals go though nothing much has changed, very large/record world and EU wheat stocks and slack demand currently lead to the potential for a vary large carryover from 2015/16 into new crop.



There are a few lingering concerns that a late hard freeze could damage EU wheat. "In most regions of western and central Europe, the hardening status of winter cereals has not improved, and remains lower than usual due to the persistence of above-average thermal conditions," said MARS.



"In the region between eastern Germany and central Ukraine, as well as in southern Russia, a slight increase in frost tolerance was simulated during the second half of January; whereas in central Europe and western Ukraine, the process of de-hardening started in early February due to well above-average daily temperatures," they noted.



"As a consequence, winter crops are practically not hardened in western and southern Europe, Germany, Romania, southern Poland, and western Ukraine," they added.



In Ukraine, sharply lower wheat production is already expected this year, regardless of what the weather does between now and harvest time. UkrAgroConsult are predicting production 30% lower at 17.3 MMT, following reduced plantings in the autumn and an unfavourable start to the growing season.



Much of the land that didn't make it into winter wheat will probably go into sunflower and corn production this spring.



In other news, Saudi Arabia said that it has 1.8 MMT of state-owned wheat reserves, up from 1.6 MMT a year ago, and sufficient to last it 6 months. Despite current low prices this has been keeping them out of the import market lately, but they expect to return fairly soon, according to an article on Reuters. 23/02/16 -- EU grains closed mostly lower again. Having traded mixed earlier, late weakness in US grains spilled over into European trade.At the finish, front month Mar 16 London wheat was down GBP1.80/tonne at GBP103.40/tonne, Mar 16 Paris wheat fell EUR2.75/tonne to EUR150.25/tonne, Mar 16 corn was EUR1.00/tonne lower at EUR145.50/tonne and May 16 rapeseed was down EUR1.75/tonne to EUR354.00/tonne.The pound remains "fragile" as the BBC puts it on concerns over a "leave" vote on the question of Brexit in the June referendum. That keeps sterling hovering around a 7-year low versus the US dollar (falling close to $1.40 today), and it's worst since the beginning of the year against the euro.Citibank said that the chances of a Brexit are now as high as 40% after Boris Johnson declared that he'd be backing a "leave" vote. Goldman Sachs are saying that the pound could fall to $1.15 if we do vote to leave the EU, according to the Telegraph.The uncertainty of it all at the very least could support London wheat a little across the next few months. That's the theory at least, although this was a new near 5-year lowest close for a front month tonight.As far as the fundamentals go though nothing much has changed, very large/record world and EU wheat stocks and slack demand currently lead to the potential for a vary large carryover from 2015/16 into new crop.There are a few lingering concerns that a late hard freeze could damage EU wheat. "In most regions of western and central Europe, the hardening status of winter cereals has not improved, and remains lower than usual due to the persistence of above-average thermal conditions," said MARS."In the region between eastern Germany and central Ukraine, as well as in southern Russia, a slight increase in frost tolerance was simulated during the second half of January; whereas in central Europe and western Ukraine, the process of de-hardening started in early February due to well above-average daily temperatures," they noted."As a consequence, winter crops are practically not hardened in western and southern Europe, Germany, Romania, southern Poland, and western Ukraine," they added.In Ukraine, sharply lower wheat production is already expected this year, regardless of what the weather does between now and harvest time. UkrAgroConsult are predicting production 30% lower at 17.3 MMT, following reduced plantings in the autumn and an unfavourable start to the growing season.Much of the land that didn't make it into winter wheat will probably go into sunflower and corn production this spring.In other news, Saudi Arabia said that it has 1.8 MMT of state-owned wheat reserves, up from 1.6 MMT a year ago, and sufficient to last it 6 months. Despite current low prices this has been keeping them out of the import market lately, but they expect to return fairly soon, according to an article on Reuters.
Only two minutes after I had listed a dresser online for sale, someone was interested. I was ecstatic that the dresser would not only be off our hands, but wed get a little cash besides and in such short time. The buyer must have been searching for dressers for months, I thought, judging by
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Papua New Guinea is one of many states which retain the death penalty on their books, but does not ever apply it. But for the past few years, their government has been pushing to start executions, even voting in 2013 to expand its application to new crimes. Nut now, they've officially given up on those plans:



The reactivation of the death penalty in Papua New Guinea is looking less likely, after Prime Minister Peter O'Neill decided to hold off on the reforms indefinitely.



The PNG government has been actively pursuing a return to capital punishment for some time, mainly in response to the outcry over sorcery related violence and violent attacks on women.



As recently as February 5th, Attorney-General Lawrence Kalinoe indicated that 13 prison inmates on death row had exhausted all avenues of appeal, and were likely to be executed before the end of the year.



But PNG's tough stance actually began to shift last year, with the government mindful of the bad publicity surrounding the execution of two Australians in Indonesia, and subsequent pressure from religious leaders and non-government organisations.



Its good news, but they can obviously do better, by permanently repealing the death penalty from their books and joining the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to outlaw it forever.
The Libyan internationally recognized parliament based in Tobruk is due to meet Tuesday to approve the Government of National Accord said to tackle Libyas numerous problems.

After days of tumultuous debates, the House of Representatives (HoR) is finally going to hold a vote of confidence on the government list proposed by the Prime Minister-designate Faiez Serraj.

Serraj on Monday told lawmakers that after endorsement, his government will get to work from wherever it can as it appears impossible for it to operate from the capital Tripoli where rival administration has established itself.

UN-backed Presidency Council led by Serraj saw its first government line-up turned down by the HoR last month on the grounds that it was too large.

UNMISL Chief Martin Kobler travelled to Tobruk on Sunday to persuade lawmakers to endorse the new proposed government. Furthermore, seven states namely France, UK, US, Spain, UAE, Italy and Germany also last week issued a joint statement calling on the HoR to back unanimously the proposed unity government if it wants Libya to solve its humanitarian crisis, economic problems and the thorny security issue posed by the Islamic State.

Meanwhile, reports point out that the vote may not be easy as there are still strong opposing voices in the parliament which reject Prime Minister Serrajs proposed team.

The anti-government lawmakers argue that the GNA line-up is controlled by Muslim Brotherhood while others criticize the Presidential Council for its large size. For them the Council of nine members should be downsized to three; the Prime Minister and his two deputies.

In addition, separate and contradictory reports announced that Libyan National Armys Chief Commander Khalifa Hafter narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on Monday.

Reports based on the Libyan army accounts indicate that Hafters convoy travelling to Al-Marij collided with an oil tank, which caused a blast leaving three of his bodyguards dead while he was himself reportedly injured.
The Tunisian Interior Ministry announced Monday it arrested 16 jihadist suspects in the governorate of Jendouba who were planning to set up a training camp.

A group of seven was first arrested in the town of Ouez Meliz after security forces were tipped about the presence of suspicious people.

Investigation and interrogation of the seven individuals revealed that the men were planning to set up a training camp on Jendouba Mountains.

The interrogation led to the arrest of eight other takfirists, one of whom was shot at the shoulder after he fired at security forces, said the Ministry, adding that guns and ammunition were seized. During the operation, a 60-year old civilian was accidently shot dead.

Also on Monday, the Defense Ministry indicated a terrorist had been killed in an exchange of fire with a military unit in a mountainous area of central Tunisia.

Tunisian security authorities are on high alert after it appeared that the Tunisian jihadists killed in Libya last Friday were planning terrorist attacks in the country.

Tunis has become the second country in the Maghreb that has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks after Libya.

Three terror attacks bearing the Islamic States signature hit the North African country last year. The three attacks killed 72 people most of whom were foreign tourists.
The United Nations former Secretary General Kofi Annan on Monday called for the legalization of cannabis and other personal drugs.

In a column first published in Der Spiegel International, Kofi Annan explained that the legalization of cannabis would curtail its abuse and governing the legalization with regulations is to caution on its excessive use.

In the column published on the eve of a United Nations General Assembly special session on drugs to be held between April 19 and 21, Kofi Annan said during the session the world will have a chance to change course.

As we approach that event, we need to ask ourselves if we are on the right policy path. More specifically, how do we deal with what the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has called the unintended consequences of the policies of the last 50 years, which have helped, among other things, to create a vast, international criminal market in drugs that fuels violence, corruption and instability? he wrote.

Affirming that the war on drugs has not succeeded and that prohibition has had little impact on the supply of or demand for drugs, the former UN Secretary General pointed out that some 300 million people now use drugs worldwide, contributing to a global illicit market with a turnover of $330 billion a year, one of the largest commodity markets in the world.

He deplored further that the West African region has now become not only a major transit point between producers in Latin America and consumers in Europe, but an area where consumption is increasing. Drug money, and the criminality associated with it, is fostering corruption and violence. The stability of countries and the region as a whole is under threat, he wrote.

After he underscored that the widespread criminalization and punishment of people who use drugs, the over-crowded prisons, mean that the war on drugs is, to a significant degree, a war on drug users  a war on people, Kofi Annan deemed that drugs have destroyed many lives, but wrong government policies have destroyed many more.

Initial trends show us that where cannabis has been legalized, there has been no explosion in drug use or drug-related crime. The size of the black market has been reduced and thousands of young people have been spared criminal records, he argued.

He however insisted that legalization of drugs should be accompanied by a set of regulations precisely because they are risky.

It is time to acknowledge that drugs are infinitely more dangerous if they are left solely in the hands of criminals who have no concerns about health and safety, Annan said.

Kofi Annans call adds him to the list of many figures like Ghanaian musicians Blakk Rasta and Dada KD who have also called for legalizing the use of the substance.
An anti-terrorism operation jointly conducted by Moroccan and Spanish intelligence services in the enclave of Sebta and in the town of Nador led Tuesday at dawn to the arrest of four men suspected for recruiting fighters for the Islamic State terrorist group.

According to the announcement made in both countries, the four men built up a terrorist recruiting and radicalization cell which sends fighters to the Islamic State and recruits individuals ready to perpetrate terrorist attacks in any of the two countries on behalf of the Islamic State.

The Moroccan Interior Ministry additionally points out that the four-member cell includes a former Guantanamo inmate who fought in Afghanistan as well as the brother of a suicide bomber who blew himself in Syria in 2013 when he attacked a barrack of the army of Bashar Al Assad.

According to Spanish daily ABC, the suicide bomber, Rachid Wahbi, is a Moroccan jihadist who was working in Sebta as a taxi driver. He allegedly joined Al Qaeda in Syria in 2012. His suicide attack aboard a truck packed with explosives killed at least 130 people.

The Tuesday operation is, according to Moroccan security authorities, part of the two countries cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

In a separate development, Moroccan authorities have raised the security level at foreign diplomatic missions, institutions and schools across the kingdom following the dismantling last Thursday of a dangerous ten-member terror cell that was planning the following day, Friday, a series of attacks against political and economic institutions, the assassinations of politicians and military ranking officers as well as attacks against police and military posts to steal weapons.

Security authorities who fear that IS militants may plan attacks against areas frequented by foreigners have beefed up security at foreign schools and missions across the country and banned any gathering in front of schools at the end of classes or during breaks.

Investigations conducted following the arrest of the ten-member cell that included a French national and a 16-year old minor, suggest that IS has changed its tactics. So, rather than recruiting young Moroccans among the foreign fighters in its training camps in Syria, Iraq or Libya to perpetrate attacks in their home country, the group recruits, indoctrinates and trains local militants to carry out its deadly schemes.
The Secret to Happiness is the Joy of the Lord;

and the joy of the Lord is His manifest presence in your life.





It is our Privilege and Responsibility to Glorify God;

and we glorify God by manifesting His character every moment and in every situation.





Humility and Pride

You can tell a humble man that he has a problem with pride and he will agree with you;

but if you tell a proud man that he has a problem with pride, he becomes your enemy.





This one thing I know for sure, that whenever there is a problem with my relationship with the Lord, it is not His fault.





Some people are just plain lazy;

some people are just overly sensitive to gravity;

others are simply economical with their energy.





It's not enough to preach the Gospel; you must be the Gospel.





If you can describe your life in a nutshell, there's a good probability that you're a nut.





As a good Canadian, I'd like to apologize in advance for anything I might say that offends you; sometimes my mouth hits high gear while my brain is still in low.





Never allow the thought, "I am of no use where I am"; because you certainly can be of no use where you are not. Oswald Chambers





We cannot even begin to approach the Truth until we are willing to go wherever the Truth leads us.





The newest object of idol worship is 'my opinion'!





Suffering is the only experience we have in common with every other human who ever lived.




 Lucy Nicholson / Reuters

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - More people have registered to vote in California since the last major election in 2012, but the number of Republicans in the Democrat-dominated state continues to drop, according to state data released.

Democrats hold all statewide elective offices and large majorities in both houses of the legislature in the most populous U.S. state.

There were just under 4.8 million Republicans registered in the state as of Jan. 3, down from nearly 5.2 million in early January 2012, the last presidential election cycle, Secretary of State Alex Padilla said Monday.

Republicans accounted for 27.62 percent of registered voters in California, down from 30.36 percent in 2012, according to the data, which was posted on Padilla's state website.

Most of that change was reflected in the number of voters registering as independents, which went up by just under 3 percent. In January 2016, the number of Californians indicating that they preferred not to state a party preference was 4.1 million, up from 3.6 million in 2012. Independents accounted for 24 percent of all registered voters in 2016, up from about 21 percent in 2012.

The number of Democrats remained about the same at roughly 7.4 million.

The number of people registered to vote in California rose by about 231,000 since 2012 to 17.3 million.

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

This article was funded in part by SAP. It was independently created by the Reuters editorial staff. SAP had no editorial involvement in its creation or production.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Tuesday the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia was taking orders from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group waging an insurgency for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey's southeast.

Speaking in parliament, Davutoglu said blaming the PKK for a car bomb attack which killed 28 people last week in the capital Ankara was an attempt to exonerate the YPG. The groups worked together in carrying out the bombing, Davutoglu said.

(Reporting by Ercan Gurses; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Daren Butler)

This article was funded in part by SAP. It was independently created by the Reuters editorial staff. SAP had no editorial involvement in its creation or production.
Just as we move past Pope Franciss epic feud with Donald Trump, a Democrat is dragging the pontiff back into the U.S. presidential race. In a newly released interview with Reverend Thomas Rosica of the Canadian Catholic network Salt and Light, Bernie Sanders says the accusations that Pope Francis is a socialist are all true. Well, what it means to be a socialist, in the sense of what the pope is talking about, what Im talking about, is to say that we have got to do our best and live our lives in a way that alleviates human suffering, that does not accelerate the disparities of income and wealth, he explains.

Sanders, who recorded the interview back in September, goes on to note that the pope does not believe in trickle down economic theory, or that if we give more tax breaks to the rich, we deregulate Wall Street, we deregulate industry, that somehow all of the benefits of that deregulation will filter on down to ordinary people.

That sounds like another case of politicians imposing their views on the pontiff, but he actually criticized the conservative economic theory by name back in 2013. Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories, which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world, Francis wrote. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system.

Pope Francis has also declared the Marxist ideology is wrong, palled around with marriage-equality foe Kim Davis, and rejected claims that he is left-leaning, saying, I am certain that I have never said anything beyond what is in the social doctrine of the church. Its like he thinks hes too holy to simply conform to one of the major U.S. political ideologies.
Jason Brian Dalton in a video arraignment on Monday. Photo: Jessica J. Trevino/2016 MCT

Good morning and welcome to Fresh Intelligence, our roundup of the stories, ideas, and memes youll be talking about today. In this edition, we learn more about Uber driver and alleged killer Jason Dalton, John Kasich is sorry, and your floor is killing you. Heres the rundown for Tuesday, February 23.

WEATHER

Severe storms are set to batter the South, with a tornado outbreak possible. New York should be calmer but colder, with rain and dropping temperatures throughout the week. [Weather.com]



FRONT PAGE

Kalamazoo Shooting Suspect Admits to Killings

Police in Kalamazoo are saying Jason Dalton has admitted to killing six people and wounding two others in a shooting rampage over the weekend. Dalton, who allegedly shot people at random in between picking up fares in his capacity as an Uber driver, has been described by police as stoic, cooperative and conversational. He was charged with six counts of murder on Monday and faces life in prison. His motives remain a mystery. [USA Today]



EARLY AND OFTEN

Claire McCaskill Shares Cancer Diagnosis

Missouri senator Claire McCaskill revealed her recent breast-cancer diagnosis on her Tumblr yesterday. McCaskill reported my prognosis is good and I expect a full recovery. She also said she would continue to enter votes into the congressional record during her treatment and submit questions for the Senate hearings she will miss.



Judicial Inactivity Celebrated

Yesterday marked the ten-year anniversary of Justice Clarence Thomass silence. The Supreme Court judge has not asked a single question from the bench in a decade but that hasnt stopped him from rendering judgments that affect millions of Americans. Congratulations? [CNN]



Surprise! Politician Makes Sexist, Tone-deaf Remark

John Kasich has officially apologized for saying women left their kitchens to support him in a statehouse race in the 70s. He also defunded Planned Parenthood in Ohio over the weekend, but so far only that kitchen comment has warranted an apology to American women.



Cruz Campaign Loses Scapegoat

Ted Cruz has fired one of his top staffers for spreading a lie about Macro Rubio. Communications director Rick Tyler apparently shared a story on Facebook alleging that Rubio made fun of a man reading a Bible. Ted Cruz has a well-known zero tolerance policy toward dirty politics, and spreading falsehoods. [Politico]



THE STREET, THE VALLEY

Top Tech Official Pushed Out

Donna Seymour, the chief information officer for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, has resigned under sustained pressure from Republican lawmakers who blame her for last years data breach that exposed the personal information of more than 22 million federal employees. [Reuters]



United in the News  Twice!

United is much in the news today: Dennis Muilenburg has been tapped to replace outgoing chairman Jim McNerney, and the company has announced a big new order of planes to the tune of $2 billion. Still, dont expect anything about flying with them to be pleasant; its called the news not the miracles. [USA Today]



Add Your Floor to the List of Things That Cause Cancer

Maybe make it the two-second rule. The CDC has announced people exposed to a certain type of flooring from Lumber Liquidators are three times more likely to get cancer than previously thought. This probably isnt good for the companys stock pricing, which has been in sharp decline since concerns over its cancer-causing laminate emerged in March. [NBC]



Even Facebooks Good Ideas Are Obnoxious

Facebook is adding a birthday cam, which is just what it sounds like: Now your friends can record short video messages for your birthday. Were not sure why this development makes us so uncomfortable; it just sounds like a lot. [CNet]



MEDIA BUBBLE

ExNew York Times Public Editor Joins Washington Post

The Washington Post announced that Margaret Sullivan, the public editor of the New York Times, will be joining the Post as its new media columnist later in the year. [WaPo]



Holtzclaw Reporter Apologizes, Spreads Around Blame

Freelance journalist Jeff Arnold, whose overly sympathetic profile of convicted rapist Daniel Holtzclaw received widespread condemnation, released a statement yesterday in which he acknowledged making a grave mistake by not reaching out to Holtzclaws victims and said his story had massive shortcomings even though it was signed off on by at least four editors prior to its publication. [Jezebel]



Mystery Surrounds Cheezburger Sale, Ongoing Popularity

Cheezburger, the groundbreaking comedy site that helped define the Zeitgeist of the internet generation more than anything since Veronica Mars, has been purchased by an undisclosed media company or secret cabal. [Geek Wire]



PHOTO OP

This photo, snapped at a Trump rally in Las Vegas the day before Nevadas GOP caucus, is so American it actually hurts to look at.

Photo: Ethan Miller/2016 Getty Images

MORNING MEME

If you overhear a teen saying Damn, Daniel theyre talking about this Alex-From-Target-esque video clip, which went viral in the past few days. If you have any further questions, sorry, we dont know whats going on either. [BuzzFeed]

OTHER LOCAL NEWS

Operation Renders Awesome Piercing Impossible

A Houston woman is filing suit after waking up from a routine tummy tuck in December only to discover her belly button was missing. Facing litigation, the surgeon responsible has said  were paraphrasing  he can make her a new belly button, so just chill, okay? [Newser]



Everybody Wins

A Portland Girl Scout had a very good idea: setting up shop outside a marijuana dispensary. Is there anyone legalization doesnt help? Come on New York, think of the children. [UPI]



HAPPENING TODAY

Apple Store Crowds Politicized

Demonstrations in favor of Apples stance on privacy, and against the company helping the U.S. government unlock the San Bernardino shooters iPhone, are expected at Apple Stores all over the world today. Probably not the best day to hit up the Genius Bar or pick up a new pair of Beats. [ArsTechnica]



America Reminded Gitmo Still Exists

The Pentagons plan for closing Guantanamo Bay will be revealed today, though Republican lawmakers already say theyre against it. Under the plan prisoners would be transferred to open host countries or to military prisons in the States. And just when Cuba was getting cool again.



Crazy Train Nevada-Bound

The Nevada GOP caucus is today and it looks like Trump is going to win. Whatever the news is it should be depressing. Thats the only kind of news there is this primary season. [USA Today]




Since 2006, firefighters carry a hook, a rope, and a sliding mechanism. Photo: Gregory Bull/AP

On what came to be known as Black Sunday, in January 2005, six New York City firefighters were trapped on the fourth floor of a Bronx apartment building on East 178th Street. Two jumped to their deaths; the other four were seriously injured, and one has since died. It gradually emerged that this was an avoidable tragedy, and, on Tuesday, a State Supreme Court jury in the Bronx awarded $183 million in damages to be distributed among five of the firefighters and their families. (The sixth one settled out of court.) The New York Times reports that the city will pay $140 million of that total, or 80 percent, because it failed to supply the firefighters with ropes with which to escape. (Ropes had been standard-issue until 2000, then discontinued; they have since been reissued.) Further, unspecified damages will be paid by one of the buildings owners, who came to an agreement with all six families before the trial ended.

In 2006, the owner and two tenants were indicted on manslaughter and reckless-endangerment charges after investigators found that illegal partitions on the third and fourth floors had exacerbated the fire, which started when a loose wire sparked near a mattress. The tenants were acquitted in 2009, after the judge found that the FDNY and the city had supplied faulty hoses and discontinued the safety ropes. The building owners case was thrown out the next year.

Even in a city that paid out more than $1 billion in lawsuit settlements last year, $183 million is a lot: Its more than the city paid for pothole-related damage (which is common and persistent) altogether.
Photo: Daniel Barry/Getty Images

The New York City subway system is having a rough couple of months. Riders are on alert over the recent string of slashings (and at least one needle), and the NYPD is ramping up efforts against subway sex crimes. These headline-grabbers aside, felony subway crimes were up 36 percent in the first month of 2016 compared to January of last year. And now the MTA thinks it has a solution: create a database of repeat subway offenders, and ban them from the trains.

On Monday, the MTA board voted in favor of a measure that would assemble a team to track the underground thieves, masturbators, and blade-wielders with long rap sheets, and share information with the NYPD and the district attorneys office to help bar those convicts from riding the rails. MTA board member Allen Cappelli, who proposed the plan, told Daily Intelligencer that the focus is on those who use the subway system to perpetuate crimes  whether theft or lewd acts  over and over again. The initiative, he said, will require close coordination with prosecutors so that keeping an offender off the transit system is part of a plea deal or sentencing for those convicted at trial. The only way we can do that effectively is keep track of who these people are and maintain a record of what is going on, he said.

Its a necessity that the MTA do this on the behalf of this riding public and our employees, Cappelli added. We know who these people are, and it behooves us as an agency to push to ensure that our public is protected in the future. MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz told Daily Intelligencer that the agency is taking that goal into account and actively trying to figure out how to achieve it.

The MTA has discussed such measures in the past, and NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton even suggested banning repeat subway criminals earlier this month. Some of the career recidivist criminals use the subways to prey on victims, the commissioner said. We must find some way of excluding them from the subways as a condition of their parole.

There are still legal questions at play, however. A Daily News report based off NYPD data lists about 70 subway perps who are barred from underground transit. If an offender violates that order, usually a term of probation or parole, he cant get arrested for merely being on the train; as long as hes not actively doing something else illegal, hell get reported to probation or a parole officer. The new measure wants to make it an actual crime for those people to enter the subway system, so police can step in and arrest them straightaway.
Does a pile of endorsements mean anything anymore? Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Tonights Nevada Republican caucuses are generally being treated as a mere teaser for March 1, a.k.a. Super Tuesday, when 14 states will hold primaries or caucuses. Nevadas gatherings wont conclude until midnight EST, and the sparse polling (just two public surveys this calendar year) indicates a ho-hum walkaway for Donald Trump, whose name appears nightly on the neon landscape of the Las Vegas Strip via his branded hotel.

But Nevada also represents a microcosm of this weeks big Republican development: the beginning of a consolidation of elected officials behind Marco Rubio. Three of the four Republican members of Nevadas congressional delegation endorsed Rubio over the weekend, including Senator Dean Heller, a former Bush supporter. Lieutenant Governor Mark Hutchison heads up a potentially important contingent of Mormon supporters for Rubio, who was a Nevada Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints member as a child. Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah has been campaigning for Rubio in Nevada, and Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah has backed his campaign as well; if LDS turnout comes even close to the numbers that Mitt Romney drew in 2008 and 2012 (about 25 percent of the total vote), that could be an ace in the hole. Rubio also has a well-regarded Nevada organization, which typically matters in low-turnout caucuses.

Could Rubio manage an upset tonight? The odds arent good, per the one Nevada journalist Washingtonians consult on these matters:

It would take a miracle for him to finish any higher than second, said veteran Nevada journalist Jon Ralston. Hes got a very, very good ground game run by some very smart people.  They know what theyre doing.

Aside from Trumps big lead in the polls, theres this little matter of Ted Cruz, who also has a well-regarded Nevada organization, along with the backing of Attorney General Mark Laxalt, the closest thing the state has to an insurgent conservative leader. And Cruz has skillfully tied himself to the conservative side in two local disputes: a controversial tax increase being pushed by Republican governor Brian Sandoval, and Cliven Bundystyle opposition to federal land policies, which Cruz is using to blast Trumps robust defense of eminent-domain proceedings.

The bottom line is that Rubios Establishment Republican supporters, hopeful for any sign that a consolidation of support behind him can halt Trumps momentum and push Cruz out of the race, would go absolutely wild if the Floridian somehow won Nevada. Indeed, even a strong second-place finish would earn some hype, combined with Rubios by-an-eyelash No. 2 finish in South Carolina. On the other hand, if Trump wins and Cruz is second, Nevada will for the most part be allowed to resume its status as a 2016 footnote. Either way, we may learn a lot about the actual value of Rubios growing stack of endorsements.
Trump messes with a hostile super-pac donor. Is nothing sacred? Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

On one level this story is a nothing-burger. Campaign-finance reports Monday revealed that the very wealthy and politically active Ricketts family (one of them is the sitting governor of Nebraska) is the principle source of funding for a new super-pac opposing Donald Trumps nomination. Trump had some dark words on Twitter about that: They better be careful, they have a lot to hide! Sure sounds like standard-brand Trump intimidation, right? The sort of thing he does to rival candidates and unfriendly writers and media figures every single day.

But its important to remember that Republicans these days are extremely solicitous and protective of rich donors like the Ricketts clan. Their funding prerogatives are treated routinely as the very heart and soul of the First Amendment  almost up there with the sacred rights of faith-based discrimination by bakers and florists of conscience. And the idea that even disclosure of their identities is inviting government jackboots kicking down their doors is central to the so-called IRS/Lois Lerner scandal, whereby donor anonymity for nonprofit groups is regarded as roughly equivalent to the Magna Carta.

Noted Trump-hater and National Review editor Rich Lowry was very quick to make the connection:

does @realDonaldTrump already have an enemies list, and is this the man we want in charge of the IRS?https://t.co/WTzlB9KAJ6  Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) February 22, 2016

I can tell you that progressive writers every day chafe against the temptation to use the F-word  you know, that word roughly synonymous with right-wing authoritarianism  with respect to Trump. Looks like conservatives may soon be giving them cover.
Supporters of proposed legislation allowing doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill patients hold up signs of support during a hearing on the bill in the Senate Health Committee at the Capitol in Sacramento, California, Wednesday, March 25, 2015. Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/AP

When should the state help someone die? Thats the question at the heart of the most recent episode of VICE, Vices mini-documentary series on HBO. Heres the trailer:

In the episode, correspondent Vikram Gandhi explores the issue at the policy level, running down the legislative battles that have raged on in the U.S. where only a handful of states have legalized physician-assisted suicide  and on a personal level, interviewing several people who plan on taking their own lives and bringing us inside the home of one woman on the day she does.

In most of the States, physician-assisted suicide is illegal, and a growing group of nationwide advocates are seeking to change this. In those states where it has been legalized  Oregon is the most famous example  the rules are pretty strict. Only those who face terminal physical illnesses can qualify, and there is a pretty careful process in place in which an overseeing physician has to approve the patients wishes. Often, patients who seek this route have diseases that are degenerative, and they choose to end their lives rather than face months or years of increasing helplessness, immobility, and pain  many of them speak of wanting to avoid putting a burden on their family.

Something like 70 percent of Americans support this version of physician-assisted suicide, according to Gallup, and that number has risen steeply in recent years. Things get a little trickier in parts of Europe. Belgium and the Netherlands, for example, take a much different stance on the question of euthanasia. Not only is euthanasia legal in cases of hopeless physical illness there, but there are also fairly liberal policies governing euthanasia in cases of psychological distress.

In July, a wonderful New Yorker article by Rachel Aviv explained the differences between the situation in the U.S. and in these European countries:

Opponents have warned for years that legalization will lead to a slippery slope, but in Oregon fewer than nine hundred people have used lethal prescriptions since the law was passed, and they represent the demographic that is least likely to be coerced: they are overwhelmingly white, educated, and well-off. In Belgium and in the Netherlands, where patients can be euthanized even if they do not have a terminal illness, the laws seem to have permeated the medical establishment more deeply than elsewhere, perhaps because of the central role granted to doctors: in the majority of cases, it is the doctor, not the patient, who commits the final act. In the past five years, the number of euthanasia and assisted-suicide deaths in the Netherlands has doubled, and in Belgium it has increased by more than a hundred and fifty per cent. Although most of the Belgian patients had cancer, people have also been euthanized because they had autism, anorexia, borderline personality disorder, chronic-fatigue syndrome, partial paralysis, blindness coupled with deafness, and manic depression. In 2013, Wim Distelmans euthanized a forty-four-year-old transgender man, Nathan Verhelst, because Verhelst was devastated by the failure of his sex-change surgeries; he said that he felt like a monster when he looked in the mirror. Farewell, everybody, Verhelst said from his hospital bed, seconds before receiving a lethal injection.

The most striking and sad character in Avivs piece is mentioned in the very first sentence. Godelieva De Troyer was a middle-aged woman who taught anatomy to nurses for a living and who had been in therapy since she was nineteen. She divorced her first husband, and he ended up killing himself, leaving her as a single parent of a boy and a girl. She suffered from depression for decades, enjoying a brief span of what seemed to those close to her like happiness when she found a loving boyfriend in her 50s, only to have that man break her heart. Godelievas condition seriously interfered with her relationships with her son and daughter, leading to estrangement and a lack of trust.

In mid-2011, Godelieva saw Dr. Wim Distelmans, a leading proponent[] of Belgiums 2002 euthanasia law. She visited him at his clinic in September, and four months later she notified her children via email that she had filed a request to be euthanized. Three months later, her wish was carried out  without either of her children having been notified or consulted by Distelmans. Her son, Tom, found out via a short letter from his mother that was written in the past tense. He eventually met with Distelmans to ask why he had approved the request without looping him or his sister into the process, and the encounter didnt go well. You went along with the madness of my mother! Tom shouted at Distelmans, according to the doctor. You went along with her tunnel vision, her defeatism. Youve just taken away the suffering of one person and transposed it to another!

The VICE episode contains a similar case (spoiler alert, I guess). Gandhi meets Antoinette Westerink, an older Dutch woman who has suffered from anxiety, depersonalization, and PTSD for years but doesnt have any terminal physical illness bearing down on her. Westerink has decided she doesnt want to live anymore and has scheduled the date of her death. Neither of her children are happy about this  shes surprised to see her son even show up the day of her death, when she has a small gathering at her home. In a pretty difficult scene, we watch as she is injected with the chemicals that will kill her, surrounded by friends.

These two cases involving mental illness are so much trickier than ones involving a terminal illness with a clear, devastating course. In both of them, the women involved had suffered for decades with unrelenting psychological pain. Even though their bodies worked fine, they had simply given up on the idea of their lives ever improving. Should a doctor respect their wishes to die in the same way he or she might respect the wishes of a patient with stage IV cancer? Should a doctor factor in the wishes of adult children who will be affected by a parents choice, but who cant know exactly what that parent is going through, especially given that in any other instance, the children of a competent adult patient dont get to make major medical decisions for them? And these cases, in which the women had suffered for decades, are in a sense easier than some of the others that have gained attention  theyre less prickly than, say, the case of Nathan Verhelst, who opted for euthanasia in the wake of his sexual-reassignment surgeries.

But in all of them, the medical Establishment is carrying out a wish  I want to die  that is generally only fully respected in the case of terminal illness, and sometimes not even then. The question of whether thats something we in the United States would want the medical Establishment to do is really, really complicated.

That said, its important not to buy too easily into slippery-slope arguments: At the moment, in most of the United States even terminally ill patients are ineligible for physician-assisted suicide. And as weve seen from the small handful of states that have passed laws legalizing the practice, these laws can be written in a way that respects the wishes of terminally ill patients without turning pockets of the U.S. into Belgium or the Netherlands. So maybe the first step is bringing other state laws in line with national opinion on the issue.
A woman in Recife, Brazil, feeds her son, who was born with microcephaly. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Brazil is the epicenter of the Zika virus outbreak, and as experts try to figure out if the mosquito-borne disease is really whats causing the concurrent spike in the terrible birth defect microcephaly, its conservative government is scrambling. First, Brazilian health officials told women not to get pregnant for at least six months, then Catholic Church officials helpfully reminded people that contraception is a no-no. (Cool pontifex Pope Francis allowed that contraception might be condoned in this case but said abortion is still an absolute evil. Not helping clear up the confusion!)

Lawmakers are now proposing stricter punishments for women who have abortions in Brazil, where terminating a pregnancy is already illegal except in the cases of rape; when the mothers life is at risk; or if the fetus has anencephaly, a life-threatening defect where parts of the brain and skull are missing. (That last provision was only legalized in 2012 following a lawsuit.) Currently, women prosecuted for having abortions can face one to three years in prison and doctors who perform the procedure can also be jailed. Time reports that the draft law extends the maximum sentence to 15 years.

The move is a slap in the face to groups like the United Nations, which called on Latin American countries to repeal policies that restrict womens access to reproductive-health services. It also serves to specifically counter an appeal from the Institute of Bioethics to Brazils supreme court to allow women to abort fetuses with microcephaly and give women access to contraceptives and Zika tests. But since microcephaly isnt usually diagnosed before 24 weeks and sometimes not until the third trimester, the group also wants abortion legalized for any pregnant woman diagnosed with Zika.

But what we do know is that despite Brazils ban on terminating pregnancies, about 850,000 women have illegal abortions every year and, in 2013, about 200,000 were hospitalized from complications. This was before Zika. A country that frowns upon birth control and outlaws abortions even in the face of a health crisis will only see more unsafe, illegal procedures.
Erdem at the Selfridges Hotel. Photo: Imaxtree

Were recapping our five favorite moments from each day of London Fashion Week. Below: The best, weirdest, and craziest things we saw on Day Three.

Photo: Imaxtree

1. Erdem took us to Manderley again, with a sweeping show set to lines from the Hitchcock classic Rebecca. His sweeping, high-necked gowns evoked the era perfectly, and the setting  an atticlike space at the Selfridge Hotel filled with antiques and taxidermy  felt appropriately haunted.

Christopher Kanes plastic rain bonnet. Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images

2. In their first collaboration together, Christopher Kane and milliner extraordinaire Stephen Jones made the plastic rain bonnet (something we always associated with Queen Elizabeth IIs off-duty look) newly street-style-ready. That might sound crazy, but in concert with his pastel furs and neon sweaters, it actually seemed like something that Susie Bubble and her ilk could pull off.

3. Some of the London shows are open to public viewing: A crowd gathered by the windows at Emilia Wickstead, while the Mary Katrantzou show was held at Central Saint Martins in view of students. But the cutest moment had to be at Roksanda yesterday morning. Located at a leisure center, a.k.a. a gymnasium, the show devoted an entire upper section to the local kids. They watched in rapt attention, and when the pretty princesses came out at the end, you could see their eyes widen with joy. It was enough to melt even the coldest hearts.

4. The best way to kill time before the Burberry show: popping into a little place called Cafe Diana located in Notting Hill. Pictures of the late Princess Diana line the walls, proving that the British still love her. Considering one of us was named after her, we had to stop for a few photos. Oh, and the falafels arent too bad, either.

5. We ended the night with Ashishs rainbow-attired band of disco ravers and dinner at London fashions social hub, the Chiltern Firehouse. In the few hours we were there, we saw editors from Vanity Fair, Vogue, Glamour, InStyle, and pretty much every publication under the sun dining cheek by jowl. Why leave that one Marylebone block when everything you need is right there?
The billion dollar question for investors these days is what to do about oil stocks. Analysts and traders diverge on their views over the future of oil, with many analysts expecting a rebound before traders do.

Yet, its clear that even with the minor rebound that oil has seen of late, prices are still dirt cheap. Its almost inconceivable that oil prices could stay below $20 a barrel for very long, and even prices below $25 for more than a few weeks would likely lead to a rapid curtailment of supply. All of this is a way of saying that if the market is not at a bottom for oil prices, its probably close.

Of course, even if the oil market has bottomed, there is no way to know how long it will take for prices to recover. The world could be looking at a V-shaped oil price recovery or a bathtub-shaped recovery. Either way, for investors with a long-term mindset, these are clearly interesting times full of opportunity. That point was recently made by Norwegian Bank DNB. The bank is forecasting a dramatic rise in M&A deals over the next year as stronger and better positioned companies look to swallow weaker and more poorly positioned firms. Related: OPEC Has Never Had As Much Power As People Think

DNB is certainly not the first firm to espouse the view that M&A deals are likely to rise in 2016, and the hiccups in the forecast rise in M&A have been discussed before. But DNBs broader point is a good one.

The bank is really saying to investors that things cannot get much worse, so for those with a long enough time horizon, its better to start looking for investments now rather than wait. Thats axiomatically true whether you are an individual investor looking to buy into oil companies before stock prices rebound, or a firm looking to acquire a target before it is scooped up by a competitor. 2016 will be a momentous year, and more firms will go bankrupt, but it will also be a year of opportunity. Related: ExxonMobils New Reserves Fall Short For First Time In 22 Years

DNB is particularly excited about opportunities in the oil service sector, which has been absolutely decimated by oils slide. Thats an interesting approach on the part of the bank and perhaps a good one. While many oil companies continue selling their product at a price that is likely far below the long-run average price of oil over the next twenty years, oil service companies are selling a service which is non-rivalrous in consumption. This essentially means that for many of the big oil field service companies today, they can sell the same software, consulting, and drilling services at both the low oil prices of today and the (likely) higher oil prices of the future. Related: Texas Oil Production Remains Resilient In Light Of Low Oil Prices

The key of course is that these service companies have to survive the drought of work at present. And that survival is by no means guaranteed. A perfect example of this is offshore services company Paragon. PGN was spun off of Noble (NE) at perhaps the worst possible time, just as the downturn in the offshore drilling industry turned into a full blown collapse across all methods of oil production. Paragon had a low cost, though an old fleet of drilling rigs. In a normal environment, the firm probably would have been able to carve a nice niche for itself in low-cost low-risk offshore production. The current market environment proved too tough though, and Paragon declared bankruptcy earlier this year.

These are certainly risky times for oil investors and potential acquirers. The most distressed oil firms offer the biggest possible rebound if they can manage to come out the other side of the current Crisis. For those investors that choose badly, they may find their entire investment lost in a bankruptcy filing. With great risk comes great rewards and vice versa.

For more insights into energy investing from the author, visit www.MorningInvestmentsCT.com

By Michael McDonald Of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Republicans who support either Donald Trump, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) or Senator Rafael "Ted" Cruz (R-TX), for the GOP presidential nomination are overlooking the immigration problems these three candidates present.





In fact, the only two GOP candidates who can prove they are in complete compliance with the US Constitutional requirement for natural born citizenship are Dr. Ben Carson and Governor John Kasich. Obviously, Carson and Kasich are not GOP front runners, at this time, but they're qualified by the Constitutional standards to run for president. On the other hand, the three who are front runners for the 2016 nomination have issues. In fact, the Trump-Rubio-Cruz standards for running seem to apply to everybody else, but not to each of them individually. Each one will tell the media how they're qualified because they are American citizens but, in fact, maybe they aren't. What's more important than whether or not they reach the "natural born" standard, their citizenship ambiguities demonstrate hypocrisy about immigration.

Trump-Rubio-Cruz are three immigration-amigos, except they won't stand up for their heritages, to support immigration reforms.

Here's the truth:



Donald Trump is the son of a Scotswoman. His mother, Mary Anne MacLeod was from the hebridean Island of Lewis, off the west coast of Scotland, from where she emigrated to America and met and married Frederick Trump, of German origin. Donald Trump was on June 14, 1946 in Queens, New York. In other words, Donald Trump is second generation born with immigrant parents.





Senator Marco Rubio - Marco was born in on May 28, 1971, in Miami to Cuban-born parents who came to America following Fidel Castro's takeover. When he was eight years old, Rubio and his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where his father worked as a bartender at the Sams Town Hotel and his mother as a housekeeper at the Imperial Palace Hotel. In 1985, the family returned to Miami where his father continued working as a bartender, until 1997, at the Mayfair House Hotel. Thereafter, his father worked as a school crossing guard, until his retirement in 2005. His mother worked as a Kmart stock clerk until 1995, when she retired. In other words, Senator Rubio is an "anchor baby", born in the US to immigrant parents who secure their residency. He's also born of immigrant parents. Nevertheless, Senator Rubio's position on immigration reform makes no sense at all, he seems to slip slide along on this issue. In fact, given Rubio's family's history and their working class origins, he should be a star shining in favor of immigration reform, allowing a path to citizenship for people who qualify under the law. Unfortunately, Senator Rubio won't clearly state what his immigration positions are, but certainly his family's history should influence his opinion.



Senator Rafael "Ted" Cruz was born on December 22, 1970, at Foothills Hospital, in Calgary, Canada. His parents are Eleanor Elizabeth (Darragh), an American,Wilson and born on December 22, 1970, at Foothills Hospital, in Calgary, Canada. His parents are Eleanor Elizabeth (Darragh), an American,Wilson and Rafael Bienvenido Cruz , a Cuban. In fact, Cruz's father was born in Cuba , and his grandfather was from the Canary Islands in Spain . His mother was born in Wilmington, Delaware , and is three quarters of Irish descent and one quarter of Italian descent. Clearly, Senator Cruz is the son of an immigrant father and born when his mother was living in Canada. Therefore, it makes no sense whatsoever for Senator Ted Cruz to oppose immigration reform and prevent a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrant people living in the US, obeying our laws, paying taxes and contributing to the growth of our nation's economy.



Nevertheless, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz speak about immigrants as though they were somehow born as descendants of the 1620, Pilgrims who arrived in Massachusetts, on the Mayflower.



Hypocrisy reigns in the Republican party.Yet, the issue shows up like a failed blot on a Rorschach Test, an image gone wrong, when the leading candidates are direct descendants of America's growing ethnic melting pot.

Labels: Calgary, Canada, Cuba, NewYork, Queens, Scotland
The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of OnMilwaukee.com, its advertisers or editorial staff.

Between now and when Wisconsin voters go to the polls next on April 5, the rest of the country will probably pick some of our winners and losers for us. The national presidential primary will be what does it.

This is new territory for Wisconsin. In 2008 and before, the presidential primary was held on the same day as the spring election primary, in February, rather than in concert with the spring general. In 2012, after the presidential primary had been moved to April, there was no Supreme Court race and fewer hotly contested Milwaukee races  Mayor Tom Barrett and County Executive Chris Abele faced no serious opposition.

Consider the state Supreme Court race this year, though. In the primary last Tuesday, incumbent Rebecca Bradley eked out a plurality of votes, but the majority of voters opted for one of her two challengers. This has to be worrisome to Bradley and her conservative supporters; it's been years since any court incumbent has failed to get a majority of the primary votes.

However, imagine a scenario where Hillary Clinton  who is currently favored to win the South Carolina primary this weekend and most of the Super Tuesday states next week  has the Democratic Party's nomination wrapped up before April 5, and Bernie Sanders has conceded and dropped out of the race. Democratic voters here in Wisconsin will have no incentive to vote in the presidential primary and, despite the local races on the ballot, may stay home.

In that case, Bradley's path to victory gets much easier. Conservative and Republican voters are more likely to vote in off-year and non-partisan elections anyway, and without a mobilized liberal bloc of Sanders or Clinton supporters, Bradley could find herself winning in a cakewalk, especially if the Republicans are still trying to pick a presidential nominee from among frontrunners Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.

But the opposite scenario is just as likely, since Sanders has been closing the gap against Clinton and may well poll better than expected in the March contests, making a real race out of it. On the Republican side, Trump is winning big, and though the GOP field is thinning out, as I write, no one alternate candidate is clearly emerging to beat him. If Trump runs the table on Super Tuesday, the GOP contest will probably be over then.

If that happens, it will could be farewell Justice Bradley and hello Justice JoAnne Kloppenburg, as Clinton's and Sanders' galvanized voters will overwhelm Bradley's conservative base.

The same kind of thing will play out locally in Milwaukee. Think about the race for mayor, where there is a clear partisan divide between former Democratic congressman Tom Barrett and the archly conservative Bob Donovan. While it's true Barrett, like Bradley, was held under 50 percent in the primary, I can't imagine more than a relative handful of Milwaukee's majority Democratic voters will support Donovan in the April election.

But what if there's no real Democratic primary left, while the Republican one is still heated? Then all bets are off, as the city's Democrats may stay home in greater numbers while every Republican in town comes out to vote.

On the other hand, if the Democratic race is still on and the Republicans are finished, Barrett may end up with 75 percent or more of the vote (all else being equal, I'm predicting a 60/40 Barrett win).

County Executive Chris Abele, a nominal Democrat, will undoubtedly earn the votes of Milwaukee County's more conservative voters against Chris Larson, who for a time was the firebrand leader of the Democratic caucus in the Wisconsin State Senate. Larson slightly outpolled Abele in last week's primary.

Again you can imagine how what's happening  or not  in the state's presidential primary can affect the county executive race as well. There probably aren't many Trump-Larson voters, but Trump-Abele ticket-splitters could make a huge difference if the Sanders-Larson voters stay home after Sanders drops out.

To be fair, there are other, more local things that will undoubtedly influence the results too. For instance, there are several hotly contested aldermanic races, like the one between current school board President Michael Bonds and current County Supervisor Khalif Rainey, that will bring out voters regardless of the state of the presidential race. For the most part, those contests help Barrett and Larson, as it seems just as unlikely that voters will split their tickets Bonds-Abele or Rainey-Donovan as Clinton-Donovan or Sanders-Abele.

And I guess it's entirely possible that both party's presidential primaries will be decided by April 5, leaving only the local races and the Bradley-Kloppenburg match-up to draw voters to the polls.

The smart money, though (well, my money, anyway), is on at least one of the parties' contests to still be going strong when the spring election rolls around. We just have to wait until Super Tuesday to see which.
Theres always a story behind the foods that chefs create in their kitchens. In the case of Chef Aaron Patin, owner of Iron Grate BBQ Co., the story begins in the South.

Patin happens to have been born in Houston, Texas, where barbecue is about as ubiquitous as it gets. But, it was his experience of southern cooking, more generally, that helped to shape the vision for Iron Grate BBQ.

"When I was 19 or 20, I worked for a restaurant on the South Side of Chicago, the Maple Tree Inn," notes Patin. "Back then, I didnt appreciate it because I really wanted to get into fine dining. But, it was there that I learned how to smoke meat, and how to get to that rich, soulful piece of Southern cooking."

The experience also set a bar for what Southern fare should look like.

"From that point on, if Id go out to eat at places that did Southern cuisine, it was never as good," he says. "From grits to crawfish etouffee, I became infatuated with showing people the difference between good Southern dishes and the rest of what was out there. And I spent time cooking it and really working on the flavor profiles."

Along the way, Patin also found himself working in Nashville, a city not yet famous for its food but where a restaurant called Arnolds Country Kitchen  a restaurant serving up "meat and three" (a protein with the choice of three sides)  was the first place of its kind to receive a James Beard Award.

"There were only a handful of good restaurants in Nashville at the time, and they really stood out. They were the staple and its where everyone said to go for barbeque," says Patin. "It wasnt this chef driven place that would blow your mind. But, it was comfort food. Nothing was over thought; but everything was consistent and solid and done right."

"Butcher & Booze"

Fast forward 10 years and Patin found himself involved with a chef networking event called "Butcher & Booze." Hosted by farmers Kim Snyder and Roger Marcotte, the event created an opportunity for chefs to connect with the farmers, while learning more about their craft.

"The event was always on Kims farm. Each year wed kill and butcher an animal, and then there would be a potluck," notes Patin. "Every year Id come a little earlier and stay a little later, and eventually I got involved with the planning for the event."

Marcotte, who has an eye for building, eventually came up with an a-frame rig for smoking meats, which was used for cooking meat on the farm. Subsequently, he worked with Patin to come up with a stove/oven/grill combo which allowed the chefs to cook everything for the meal outdoors.

"As we started building the rigs on Kims farm, thats really where my love for live fire cooking came to be," says Patin. "Being a part of all of that  particularly the family dinner that came at the end  I learned that there werent a whole lot of chefs out there who could cook a whole meal on a fire. And thats when I really started to pay attention, and I made up my mind to perfect the art of wood-fired cooking."

The love of fire

At home, Patin uses three tools to assist him in the endeavor: a small smoker, a wood burning oven and a five-foot rotisserie spit. At Iron Grate, he uses "Edna," a large outdoor smoker Marcotte built for the restaurant.

"Cooking in the wintertime on a live fire made me realize how much I loved it," says Patin. "Rain or shine, winter or summer, its just where I want to be."

And, despite the number of "how to" guides and books on wood smoke that exist in the world, Patin says the technique isnt as easy as it seems.

"Its actually extremely difficult because its not like an oven where you set the temperature and walk away," he notes. "You really need to pay attention. And equipment matters. The length of the tank, the height of the smokestack, theyre all things that impact the cook."

And, despite what youve heard, great smoked meat isnt about the "smoke ring."

"People look at a smoke ring and say good barbecue," says Patin. "But, using nitrates and water and you can get a smoke ring in the oven. So, thats really not an indicator of quality."

Flavor and moisture content is, however. And thats something Patin is working to master. He notes that, although hes gained a great deal of comfort with cooking with live fire, hell always be in the midst of a learning process.

"Every day is an adjustment," he says. "I have to learn the wind, the ambient temperature, the moisture of the wood. I love the challenge of it all, the goal of which is producing really great food."
If the idea of a book written by third grade students conjures images of a cute little stapled set of photocopied sheets, "Explore MKE: Your Neighborhood, Our City," will rock your world.

Written by Adam Carr and illustrated by Anu Murthy, the book  a project of SHARP Literacy, which works, in its own words, "to provide elementary school students with an imaginative learning experience that builds confidence, self-esteem, and a greater awareness of the world"  was researched by and created with 123 students from five Milwaukee schools.

The book uses the story of two third-graders who become friends despite their differing backgrounds. Fact and details about Milwaukee  including landmarks, government, business and more  are interwoven into the book, which was professionally printed. Hopefully, the book will lead to greater understanding and appreciation of diversity, says SHARP President and CEO Lynda Kohler.

"In the story, we see Milwaukee through the eyes of two children who view it quite differently. Through these dissimilar perspectives, the story teaches students about Milwaukees diverse population, helps them gain a greater appreciation for cultural differences, and encourages an atmosphere of open-mindedness and acceptance."

We talked with Carr to find out how the book came to be and what the process was like for him and for his collaborators.

OnMilwaukee: How did the idea come about?

Adam Carr: In the summer of 2014, I spent a lot of time on Mitchell Street as part of my public art collaboration with Sonja Thomsen, "Listening to Mitchell." As we engaged and conversed with a huge variety of people on Mitchell Street, I found myself more and more impressed by how attentive, curious, and open children were. When they walked the street, they werent just getting from point A to point B  they could see all the amazing depth and texture in between, not to mention that they almost always saw our artworks that were scattered throughout the seven blocks of the thoroughfare. So, as that project was winding down, I knew I wanted to find a project with young people.

As kismet would have it, at the same time, SHARP was looking for an author to refresh their last book about Milwaukee, which they published in 2006. SHARP produces and publishes their own literacy materials, often tying their books to a topic thats relevant in Milwaukee. The timing couldnt have been better  theyd just wrapped a collaboration with MSOE Professor Michael Carrier to create an urban agriculture book named "There Grows The Neighborhood" and looking for an author that could bring an interesting spin to "Milwaukee."

During our first conversation, before they even finished describing the project, I knew I was in. In my professional and personal life, Ive worked hard to embrace a panorama and kaleidoscope of our city and its many facets, and I thought this project would be a great one to continue with curious young Milwaukee minds.

How did the book come together?

Once we decided to officially collaborate, we immediately began planning what SHARP calls their Young Authors Workshop. The structure of the project was up to me, as long as it brought students into the research process. My goal from the outset was to challenge students to author their own version of Milwaukee and for each student participating in the project to create something that only they could have created.

We ended up selecting five of their collaborating schools for the project  BEAM Academy, Forest Home, Hmong American Peace Academy, Kluge, and St. Anthonys. We were very intentional about including a mix of geographies, cultures and school types. Plus, I had some personal ties to the schools  I went to summer school in the building where BEAM is located, Forest Home and St. Anthonys were both schools near Mitchell Street, and HAPA is in the old Morse Middle School building. In fact, the classroom I worked with was in the same room as my sixth grade homeroom, which was a thrill.

With the students, I gave them visual-heavy presentation, featuring photographs Ive taken over the past few years  I have a mountain of them from Milwaukier-Than-Thou (project)  as well as photographs I was taking concurrently to the project. In particular, the students joined me on explorations of community starting close and telescoping out. So, our progression went  home, block, neighborhood, city. For each topic, they got an assignment that they took home to complete, and then shared what they found in the next session.

For each schools block and neighborhood presentation, I tailored all the material to the school. So, I wandered around on the block around the school, taking photos and hunting down interesting details. For the neighborhood presentation, I researched and shared information about each schools neighborhood. The response from the students was thrilling  seeing the neighborhoods and communities they recognized presented as something of significance, the students were often jumping out of their seats to say, "I know what that is!" or "I recognize that!"

At the end of the Young Authors Workshop, I wanted to get all the students together to share what they discovered about their own communities with each other, and also have a big celebration. It felt a little unfair that I had the pleasure and privilege of visiting all their classrooms, but they werent getting to engage with each other. So, with a lot of help from SHARP and their classroom teachers, we managed to get all the students together for the 2016 All-City Young Authors Summit at the U.S. Bank Center. The students were greeted by Mayor Barrett, Judge Derek Mosley, Megan McGee from Ex Fabula, and a police lieutenant (whose name slips my mind right now). Then, they were mixed up in small groups, where they read a prepared assignment to each other about their own home/block/neighborhood/city. Also, we went up to the top of the building in two big shifts, which was probably one of the most thrilling experiences of my life.

What do you think about the finished project?

I didnt start writing the book until the Young Authors Workshop was totally completed. While the students work isnt directly in the book, the experiences we had together throughout the YAW shaped every facet to my approach to producing the book. I tried to translate some of their insights, honesty and spirit of their curiosity into the text.

The two main characters are a perfect example of this.

Jayden and Anya reflect two prominent types of voices that I found in each school. There were some students who relished the opportunity to explore and learn about Milwaukee. For others, their experience of the city was harsh, and Milwaukee didnt feel like an exciting, fun place. It took awhile for me to figure out how to ask the right questions, but eventually, we were able to connect and students shared some of the more difficult parts of their experience of the city. Those were some of the hardest, most poignant, most important moments of the project.

When I got to writing, I was determined not to sugar coat the city, but also not to focus solely on the challenges. I was hoping to take a more "asset based" approach to the whole project, but not at the expense of honesty. In truth, that duality drives the dialogue in my head on a daily basis, and it was also interesting to find those perspectives in five classrooms in Milwaukee schools. In the books narratives, and also its informational sections, I was hoping to capture that spirit without having to declare a winner between those two, often opposing voices.

Also, I love the way the book looks. I worked closely with the illustrator, a young artist and designer named Anu Murthy who is from the Milwaukee area but recently relocated to the Bay Area. Im a big fan of hers and I love the way Milwaukee looks through her hand and eye.

I also was fortunate to work with Laci Coppins, who came on as SHARPs VP of education midway through the project. She was basically my editor, and she was a huge contributor to the book.

Also, while I dont consider myself a photographer, it was cool to see my photos in the book. I never imagined the Milwaukier-Than-Thou project would lead to published photos, but there they are.

What you hope it has and will achieve for the students and readers?

Milwaukee is a city with a rich history that is also constantly reinventing itself. These two things are not at odds, but sometimes we seem to posture like they are.

Ultimately, Id hope that students and readers can learn what I learned from the students I worked with throughout the YAW  how to let go of our more childish tendencies while embracing a childlike curiosity.

Purchase "Explore MKE: Your Neighborhood, Our City" from Sharp Literacy or Amazon for $19.99 for hardcover or $14.99 for paperback.


Mad man with a country - Turkish President Erdogan

(Image by thierry ehrmann) Details DMCA





Thierry Meyssan

Voltaire Network

Damascus, Feb. 22, 2016

Creative Commons 3.0



Russia questioned the future of Turkey when it delivered to the Security Council an intelligence report concerning Turkey's activities in support of jihadists. The document includes about ten revelations which implicate the activities of the MIT. The problem is that each of the operations listed refers back to operations in which the same actors worked with the United States or their allies against Russia. This information adds to that which is already available concerning the personal connections between President Erdogan and the Al-Qaida banker, and the information about Erdogan's son and the illegal use of the oil stolen by Daesh.

Russia delivered to the members of the UN Security Council an intelligence report concerning the activities of Turkey which support the jihadists operating in Syria [1]. The document lists about ten facts, each one of which violates one or several Council Resolutions. (Image:thierry ehrmann)

By doing so, Russia puts the Council, and, by extension, several other inter-governmental organisations, face to face with their responsibilities. By law, the Council should ask for corresponding proof of these assertions and pressure Turkey for explanations. In the event that Turkey should be found guilty, the Council would have to decide which sanctions should be adopted under chapter VII of the Charter, in other words, by resorting to force. From their side, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation would have to exclude this gangster-state from their ranks, while the European Union would have to halt Turkey's negotiations for membership.

However, a close examination of the Russian intelligence report reveals that the alleged infringements are susceptible to open a number of other case files implicating other powers. Consequently it is unlikely that this report will be discussed publicly, but that the future of Turkey will be negotiated behind closed doors.

Born in Libya in 1973, Mahdi al-Harati emigrated to Ireland and founded a family there.

In May 2010, he was aboard the Mavi Marmara, the flagship for the Freedom Flotilla , organised by the Turkish non-governmental organisation IHH to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The ships were attacked on the high seas by the Israeli army, provoking an international scandal. The passengers were kidnapped by Tsahal, imprisoned in Israel, and then finally liberated [2]. Then Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, paid a visit to a hospital to comfort the wounded militants. His cabinet issued a photograph showing one of the militants kissing him as if Erdogan was his father. He was described as being Turko-Irish, and named El Mehdi El Hamid El Hamdi -- but in reality, he was the Libyo-Irish Mahdi al-Harati.

In July 2011, al-Harati's house in Rathkeale (Ireland) was burgled. His companion, Eftaima al-Najar, alerted the police and told them that the thieves had taken costly Egyptian and Libyan jewellery and 200,000 Euros in 500-Euro notes. Contacted by telephone, Mahdi al-Harati confirmed to the police that he had recently met with authorities from Qatar, France and the USA, and claimed that he had received this sum from the CIA to help in the overthrow of Mouamar el-Kadhafi [3]. However, he recanted these original declarations when the Libyan Resistance took control of the affair [4].

In July and August 2011, he commanded the Tripoli Brigade -- of which his brother-in-law, Hosam al-Najjair, was also a member. The Tripoli Brigade was a unit of Al-Qaida supervised by French legionnaires and tasked by NATO with taking the Hotel Rixos [5]. Officially, the hotel was the international Press centre, but NATO had been informed by the hotel's Turkish builder that it included a furnished basement accessible to the exterior, where several members of the Kadhafi family and the leaders of the Jamahiriya were hiding. For several days, al-Harati fought with the French against the soldiers of Khamis Kadhafi [6]

In September 2011, NATO named him as the assistant to Abdelhakim Belhaj, the historical chief of Al-Qaida, who had become the military governor of Tripoli . He resigned this post on the 11th October, allegedly due to a difference with Belhaj [7]

Nonetheless, in November 2011, at Abdelhakim Belhaj's side, he commanded a group of between 600 and 1,500 Al-Qaida jihadists in Libya -- formerly known as the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) -- who were registered as refugees and transported by sea to Turkey under the responsibiliy of Ian Martin, the ex-General Secretary of the Fabian Society and Amnesty International, who had become Ban Ki-moon's special representative.

Once arrived in Turkey, the jihadists were transferred by bus into Syria, under MIT escort (Turkish secret services). They settled in Jabal al-Zouia where, on behalf of France, they created the Free Syrian Army (FSA). For almost two months, Abdelhakim Belhaj and Mahdi al-Harati received all the Western journalists who passed through Turkey in order to cover the event, in what they transformed into a Potemkin village [8]. The cabinet of Prime Minister Erdogan put them in contact with "passers" who transported them by motor-bike to Jabal al-Zouia. There they saw with their own eyes thousands of people demonstrating against the dictatorship of Bachar el-Assad and for democracy . Bedazzled, the Western Press concluded that a revolution was under way, at least until a journalist from the Spanish daily ABC, Daniel Iriarte, noticed that the majority of the demonstrators were not Syrian, and only obeyed their Libyan commanders, Abdelhakim Belhaj and Mahdi al-Harati [9]. However, the spectacle of the Falcons of the Levant Brigade (Suqour al-Sham Brigade) had its effect. The myth of a Free Syrian Army composed of deserters from the Syrian Arab Army was born, and the journalists who fed the fire will never admit that they had been tricked.

In September 2012, Mahdi al-Harati returned to Libya for medical reasons, after having formed, with his brother-in-law, a new jihadist group - Liwa al-Umma (the Ummah Brigade) [10].

In March 2014, Mahdi al-Harati escorted a new group of Libyan jihadists who travelled to Turkey by sea. According to the Russian intelligence report, the group was taken over by the regime's number 2, Hakan Fidan, the head of the MIT (secret services), who had just re-assimilated his functions. The group joined Daesh via the frontier post at Barsai. This decision was consecutive to the meeting organised in Washington by the US National Security Advisor, Susan Rice, with the heads of the secret services from the Gulf states and Turkey, with a view to handing over the continuation of the war against Syria, in order to maintain the pretence of not using Al-Qaida and Daesh [11].

In August 2014, Mahdi al-Harati was elected Mayor of Tripoli with the support of Qatar, Sudan and Turkey. He is dependent on the government of Tripoli, which is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, and rejects the government of Tobruk, which is supported by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

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Freedom Flotilla Demands Immediate Release Of Humanitarian Cargo The Freedom Flotilla Coalition demands the immediate release of the 116 boxes of medical supplies for the health services of Gaza that were carried on the Al Awda and Freedom boats of the 2018 Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, recently seized by Israeli forces. As Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister Margot Wallstrom has stated, the ship's cargo must be released, according to international law. Friday, August 10, 2018The Freedom Flotilla Coalition demands the immediate release of the 116 boxes of medical supplies for the health services of Gaza that were carried on the Al Awda and Freedom boats of the 2018 Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, recently seized by Israeli forces. As Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister Margot Wallstrom has stated, the ship's cargo must be released, according to international law.

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FreedomFlotilla boat carrying medical supplies for #Gaza hijacked by Israeli forces Al Awda is sailing under a Norwegian flag, carrying 22 people and a cargo of medical supplies, including #Gauze4Gaza. There are people from 16 nations on board, including human rights supporters, journalists and crew, along with 13,000 worth of medical supplies. The boat itself, a former fishing vessel from Norway, is a gift to Palestinian fishers in Gaza. Sunday, July 29, 2018Al Awda is sailing under a Norwegian flag, carrying 22 people and a cargo of medical supplies, including #Gauze4Gaza. There are people from 16 nations on board, including human rights supporters, journalists and crew, along with 13,000 worth of medical supplies. The boat itself, a former fishing vessel from Norway, is a gift to Palestinian fishers in Gaza.

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Left Forum 2018 Is Almost Here Jane Sanders, Juan Gonzalez, Silvia Federici, Cathy Dang, Ajamu Baraka and more to discuss strategies to galvanize the left in the Trump era Wednesday, May 30, 2018Jane Sanders, Juan Gonzalez, Silvia Federici, Cathy Dang, Ajamu Baraka and more to discuss strategies to galvanize the left in the Trump era

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Warren Unveils New Investigative Report Uncovering Equifax's Failure to Protect Americans' Personal Data Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today released a new 15-page report containing the findings of a four-month long investigation into how Equifax failed to protect the personal data of more than 145 million Americans. Senator Warren's report demonstrates that credit reporting agencies like Equifax need much stronger financial incentives to adequately protect consumer data. Wednesday, February 7, 2018Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today released a new 15-page report containing the findings of a four-month long investigation into how Equifax failed to protect the personal data of more than 145 million Americans. Senator Warren's report demonstrates that credit reporting agencies like Equifax need much stronger financial incentives to adequately protect consumer data.

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Warren, Brown, Colleagues Call on EEOC to Address Rampant Sexual Harassment of Tipped Workers Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and 17 of their colleagues sent a letter to Acting Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Victoria Lipnic requesting information on the commission's efforts to address sexual harassment in the food and hospitality industries, which have high numbers of tipped workers. Saturday, December 16, 2017Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and 17 of their colleagues sent a letter to Acting Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Victoria Lipnic requesting information on the commission's efforts to address sexual harassment in the food and hospitality industries, which have high numbers of tipped workers.

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Sanders, Colleagues Unveil Legislation to Rebuild Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands More than two months after Hurricane Maria, much of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands remain devastated. More than half of Puerto Rico is still without power. In both territories, clean drinking water is difficult if not impossible to find in many areas and thousands of people are still living in temporary shelters. Wednesday, November 29, 2017More than two months after Hurricane Maria, much of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands remain devastated. More than half of Puerto Rico is still without power. In both territories, clean drinking water is difficult if not impossible to find in many areas and thousands of people are still living in temporary shelters.

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Progressive Democratic Party Veterans Win New Caucus Election "This is a true victory not just for progressive veterans in California but for all progressive Democrats. The Party listened to us and responded appropriately. Now, our mission is to elect a new slate of officers for the Executive Board and carry our progressive platform forward throughout the Veterans community in California," said Robert Leahy, president of the Los Angeles County Veterans Democratic Club. Monday, August 7, 2017"This is a true victory not just for progressive veterans in California but for all progressive Democrats. The Party listened to us and responded appropriately. Now, our mission is to elect a new slate of officers for the Executive Board and carry our progressive platform forward throughout the Veterans community in California," said Robert Leahy, president of the Los Angeles County Veterans Democratic Club.

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Vault 7: CIA Hacking Tools Revealed Today, Tuesday 7 March 2017, WikiLeaks begins its new series of leaks on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Code-named "Vault 7" by WikiLeaks, it is the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency. Tuesday, March 7, 2017Today, Tuesday 7 March 2017, WikiLeaks begins its new series of leaks on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Code-named "Vault 7" by WikiLeaks, it is the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency.

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12 reasons why Cameron will lose on Brexit The pundits have got it wrong: The Brits will vote themselves out of Europe. By DENIS...
In a further sign of its ramping up its military muscle, Saudi Arabia has become the biggest arms importer in the Middle East, and the second biggest in the world, after India, with an increase of 275 percent in 2011-5 compared to 2006-10.

Between 2011-15 Saudi Arabia was the world's second largest arms importer, with an increase of 275 per cent compared to 2006-10. In the same period, arms imports by the United Arab Emirates rose by 35 per cent and those by Qatar went up by 279 per cent.According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), during 2011-15, 27 per cent of arms transfers to the region went to Saudi Arabia, 18 percent to the UAE and 14 percent to Turkey. The USA accounted for 53 percent of total arms supplies to the region, the UK for 9.6 percent The Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen by a coalition of Arab states, which began in 2015, was boosted by high levels of arms imports to several of the states leading the intervention, including Egypt, Qatar and the UAE."Although concerns have been raised in arms-supplying states over Saudi air attacks in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is expected to continue to receive large numbers of major arms from those states in the next five years," the SIPRI report said."Arms on order include 150 combat aircraft and thousands of air-to-surface missiles and anti-tank missiles from the USA, 14 combat aircraft from the UK and an undisclosed but large number of armored vehicles from Canada with turrets from Belgium," the report stated.The London-based Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) says the UK government has licensed US$9.5 billion (6.7bn) of arms to Saudi Arabia since David Cameron took office in 2010, including US$4 billion (2.8bn) since the bombing of Yemen began in March 2015."The humanitarian situation is getting worse and the UK government has been complicit in it. We agree that arms sales need to stop, but they should never have been allowed in the first place. Saudi Arabia has a terrible human rights record and has been supported by governments of all political colors for far too long," said Andrew Smith of CAAT.In January 2016, Law firm Leigh Day, representing CAAT, issued a pre-action protocol letter for judicial review challenging the government's decision to export arms to Saudi Arabia despite increasing evidence that Saudi forces are violating international humanitarian law in Yemen. At the time of writing the government was yet to respond."The [UK] government is always telling us how rigorous and robust its arms export system is. This is further evidence that nothing could be further from the truth. The UK has continuously armed some of the most abusive regimes in the world," said Smith.A recent study by Opinium LLP for CAAT found that 62% of UK adults oppose arms sales to Saudi Arabia, with only 16% supporting them.Source: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160222/1035172806/saudi-biggest-arms-importer.html
12 militants shot dead in Karachi

KARACHI: At least 12 suspected militants were shot dead in two separate encounters in the metropolis on Monday, police claimed.



Malir SSP Rao Anwar claimed that eight suspected militants were gunned down in Pipri area of the city, while four others were killed in Gadap. Rao said that taking action over the information provided by two under-interrogation terror suspects, Naeem Bukhari and Farooq Bhatti, the police and law enforcement agencies conducted a joint operation in Pipri area of the provincial capital.



During the raid, the extremists hiding in the area started firing at the law enforcers which led to an encounter. In cross-firing, eight terrorists were killed while two policemen sustained bullet wounds. The bodies and injured were moved to the hospital. Weapons, suicide jackets and uniforms of sensitive agencies personnel were also seized from them.



The killed suspects are stated to be hailing from banned Al-Qaeda Subcontinent and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). A few of them were identified as Sohail Chishmatoo, Khalil, Bilal, Talha and Abdul Salam. Arms including five kalashnikovs, three pistols, suicide jackets and uniforms of sensitive agencies were seized from their possession.



Sindh Rangers also arrested several suspected extortionists belonging to banned Peoples Amn Committee in a separate raid in the city.
Mobile numbers of Pathankot incident found in Bahawalpur: Sartaj Aziz

NEW DELHI: Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has revealed that one of the mobile phone numbers linked to those who attacked the Pathankot airbase had been traced to the Jaish-e-Mohammed groups headquarters in Bahawalpur.



Mr Aziz called the lodging of the FIR in connection with the Pathankot assault a logical and positive step in bringing the perpetrators to justice.



JeM chief Masood Azhar has been named by India as the mastermind of the airbase attack and Mr Aziz confirmed media reports that he (Azhar) had been under protective custody since Jan 14.



The adviser told India Today news channel it was for India to decide on dates for foreign secretary-level talks, postponed in the wake of the airbase attack.



He said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Pakistan may visit Pathankot in the first few days of March to probe the attack and that his country was pursuing the investigation seriously.



Speaking to Karan Thapar of Headlines Today, Mr Aziz said that Azhar, along with a few other operatives of JeM, had been kept under protective custody and that some of the JeMs premises had been sealed. He said action would follow against Azhar and others the moment evidence became available.



Mr Aziz said the FIR filed four days back in the Pathankot attack case had created legal basis for a Special Investigation Team of Pakistan to visit India to collect evidence.



He said India had agreed to the SIT visit.



Asked about Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikars comment that SIT would not be allowed to go inside the airbase in Pathankot, Mr Aziz said access to crime scene always helped investigators.



On holding of the foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries, Aziz said the ball is in Indias court.



The answer to it lies entirely with India, he said, adding he hoped Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif would meet on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington next month.
Nawaz Sharif termed honour killing a despicable act

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday termed honour killing a despicable act, saying it was his governments highest priority to empower women and end violence against them in the society.



Addressing at the launch of a documentary by Oscar award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the prime minister expressed his firm resolve to build a progressive Pakistan by giving an equal and respectable status to women.



The film, A girl in the river: The price of forgiveness, which has been nominated for 88th Academy Awards, was screened at the Prime Ministers Office to highlight the issue of honour killing at the government level.



The prime minister said the launch of documentary from his office was a manifestation of the governments firm resolve to address the issue of honour killing, which had nothing to do with religion. He mentioned a saying of Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) that regards the most honourable man as the one who shows respect towards women. There is no honour in honour killing, he said, adding that he was proud that a daughter of Pakistan through her art of filmmaking was contributing towards the betterment of society by working on challenging themes. Sharmeen is a proud daughter of Pakistan. The struggle for women rights has always been challenging, but nothing can justify the oppression against women, he said.



The prime minister reiterated that there should be no discrimination on the basis of creed, colour or caste in the Pakistani society. It is the governments priority to ensure women rights, and the government will take administrative measures against honour killings, he said.



Later talking to journalists after watching the film, the prime minister said the societys mindset about honour killings must be changed. The issue needed to be highlighted at various platforms to create awareness among the masses, he added. Nawaz Sharif said he was keen to provide women a level-playing field in accordance with the vision of the Quaid-e-Azam for the development and prosperity of country.



Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy told the gathering that women were the greatest assets of Pakistan with their diverse potential ranging from scaling highest peaks of the world to proving their mettle in sports, or working strong as parliamentarians, lawyers and scientists.



Despite all these strides, she said the women were being subjected to the incidents of honour killing and acid throwing. She stressed working hard together to pave the way for strong legislation against honour killing, which she termed as premeditative murder.



Talking to APP, Chinoy said in the patriarchal society, the women were being killed in the name of honour by their blood relatives, mostly fathers and brothers. She said Islam gives rights to women to choose their partners for the sacred act of marriage and mentioned that the Nikkah (nuptial agreement) emphasizes on seeking the consent of the bride thrice to ensure that the marriage is not against her wishes.



She strongly recommended prosecution of murderers involved in honour killing so that the killers of a daughter or a sister do not go scot-free. She dismissed the impression that her movies are generally meant for international audience and said highlighting the issue related to the women of Pakistan was very much relevant with this society.



Sharmeen said her film would be screened in April at a national television channel and said she was optimistic that her efforts would go a long way in bringing a positive change in the society.



Bella Evidente, Country Programme Manager of UN Human Settlement Programme who attended the event, told APP that a critical subject had been addressed for which Sharmeen deserved commendation.



The documentary film A Girl in the river: The price of forgiveness is about a young girl who is shot and thrown in river by her father on marrying a boy of his choice. The girl who survived by chance is forced to forgive her attackers owing to the social pressure.



The event was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khwaja Asif, ministers of State for Information Technology Anousha Rehman and of health Saira Afzal Tarar, Prime Ministers Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, envoys including Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong and human rights activists.
Pakistan tenth largest arms importer in the world

BEIJING: Pakistan was the tenth largest arms importer in the world in 2015, down one spot from number nine the previous year, a military think tank database reveals, while Saudi Arabia was the leading arms importer in the world, followed closely by India.



The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) database shows India was the top arms importer in 2014.



Pakistan spent $735 million on arms imports in 2015. In comparison, India imported arms worth $3,078m.



The largest exporter of arms to Pakistan in 2015 was China, with arms transfers worth $565 million, followed by the United States (US) with $66m in arms transfers.



Pakistan is also China's largest buyer for arms, accounting for 35 per cent of total arms sales in the country, followed by Bangladesh and Myanmar.



Close military ties between Pakistan and China have sometimes stoked tensions with India, which is seeking to boost its own homegrown weapons industry and has long objected to other countries forging defence deals with Pakistan.



Earlier this month, India raised concerns regarding the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets from the US to Pakistan, saying, "We disagree with their rationale that such arms transfers help to combat terrorism".



The US rejected India's concerns, claiming the transfer was made in the interest of regional stability and counter-terrorism efforts.



The largest exporter of arms to India is Russia with arms transfers worth $1,964m, followed by Israel and the United States (US) with $316m and $302m in transfers respectively.



A SIPRI report on global arms transfers shows China has almost doubled its weapons exports in the past five years as the world's third-largest weapons exporter poured capital into developing an advanced arms manufacturing industry.



Chinese exports of major arms, which excludes most light weaponry, grew by 88pc in 2011-2015 compared to the earlier five-year timeframe, SIPRI said.



The country still accounted for only 5.9pc of global arms exports from 2011-2015, well behind the US and Russia, by far the world's two largest arms exporters. The US exported $10,484m in arms in 2015, while Russia exported $5,483m during the same time period.



The US and Russia saw weapons exports grow by 27pc and 28pc respectively, while exports of major arms by France and Germany, the fourth and fifth largest weapons exporters, fell over the same period.



"The Chinese until ten years ago were only able to offer low-tech equipment. That has changed," said Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. "The equipment that they produce is much more highly advanced than ten years ago, and attracts interest from some of the bigger markets."



China has invested billions developing its homegrown weapons industry to support its growing maritime ambitions in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, and also with an eye toward foreign markets for its comparatively low cost technology.



Its total military budget in 2015 was 886.9 billion yuan ($141.45 billion), up 10pc from a year earlier.



In 2011 to 2015, China's arms imports fell 25pc compared with the previous five year period, signalling a growing confidence in the country's homegrown weaponry despite key areas of weakness, the report said.



China still needs to import weapons including large transport aircraft, helicopters as well as engines for aircraft, vehicles and ships, according to the report.
President security increased

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussains family has confined itself to the Presidency for fear of a backlash, as he is expected to decide the clemency plea of Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer. Qadri, a former police commando, assassinated Taseer in Islamabads Kohsar Market on January 4, 2011 for his support to a blasphemy accused. An Anti-Terrorism Court convicted and condemned him to death  a ruling also upheld by the Islamabad High Court and Supreme Court.



A review petition of Qadri was also turned down by the top court on December 14 last year, leaving him with the last option of filing a clemency appeal to the president. Religious parties have threatened nationwide protests if Qadri is hanged. In view of a possible backlash, the presidents family has been moved from Karachi to the Presidency in Islamabad. Currently, only the president and the prime minister are provided security under the Blue Category  the highest security protocol for anyone in Pakistan.



Despite these heavy protocols, security of the president has been further beefed up as he is about to decide the mercy appeal of Qadri, said an official privy to the development. The president has three sons. And the official said last year one of his sons, Salman Mamnoon, escaped a bomb attack on his convoy in Hub, near Karachi.
Raheel Sharif met Qatari leadership

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Monday met the Qatari leadership to discuss Afghan reconciliation process.



The army chief, who is in Doha on an official visit, held separate meetings with Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad and Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Naseer and discussed the Arab countrys cooperation in Afghan reconciliation, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.



The two sides deliberated upon matters relating to regional security and enhanced bilateral defence cooperation, the statement said.



Qatari leadership reiterated that Pakistan and Qatar shared brotherly relations which over a period of time were transforming into strategic and mutually beneficial ties. While expressing their satisfaction at the level of defence relations between armed forces of both countries, both sides underscored the importance of further enhancing the cooperation. The leadership of Qatar acknowledged Pakistans role in bringing about regional stability and appreciated Pakistan Armys efforts in countering terrorism and bringing peace in the region.



The visit is seen as crucial as it came just a day before the next round of the quadrilateral meeting in Kabul that is likely to set a date for formal talks between the Taliban and Afghan government.



The Taliban have their political office in Qatar and leaders of the movement insist the office has been authorised to hold political negotiations.



General Raheel also held meetings with Minister for Defence Affairs Doctor Khalid Bin Muhammad and Major General Muhammad Bin Ali al Ghanim, commander Qatari Emiri Land Force (QELF) during his visit.



The army chief has been involved in consultation with Afghan leaders about the peace process during his series of visits to Kabul. Last week, he received Afghan ambassador Dr Omar Zakhilwal and assured his full support to the peace process.



On February 6, the third round of the four-nation process in its meeting in Islamabad had agreed to approach the Taliban office in Qatar to encourage them to join the reconciliation process.



The date for resumption of direct talks between Kabul and Taliban is likely to be announced this week when senior officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States sit together as part of ongoing efforts to strike a peace deal in the war-torn country.



The fourth meeting of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) is set to take place in the Afghan capital on Tuesday (today).
It has taken a watchdog outside group, the Parents Coalition of Montgomery County, to ferret out this waste. The coalition, driven by its sharp curiosity, frequently uses the Maryland Public Information Act to request public records and keep track of district decisions and spending.

We commend the coalition for its important work on this front. It is saving county residents money as inappropriate spending has been uncovered.

July 16, 2014
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Victoria Smith, killed by black adoptive parents at age 3







(Isaiah 62:1)





A 19th century Democrat political poster below:

















Leftist tolerance







African immigrants in the Western world





Bloomberg







JFK knew Leftist dogmatism





Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner once turned down a dinner invitation to the Kennedy White House because it was a hundred miles away. Thats a long distance to travel only to get some food.







-- Geert Wilders







The most beautiful woman in the world? I think she was. Yes: It's Agnetha Faltskog





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A beautiful baby is king -- with blue eyes, blond hair and white skin. How incorrect can you get?





Kristina Pimenova, once said to be the most beautiful girl in the world. Note blue eyes and blonde hair







Enough said







A face of Leftist hate: Cory Booker, (D-NJ)







There really is an actress named Donna Air. She seems a pleasant enough woman, though





What feminism has wrought:



There's actually some wisdom there. The dreamy lady says she is holding out for someone who meets her standards. The other lady reasonably replies "There's nobody there". Standards can be unrealistically high and feminists have laboured mightily to make them so





Some bright spark occasionally decides that Leftism is feminine and conservatism is masculine. That totally misses the point. If true, how come the vote in American presidential elections usually shows something close to a 50/50 split between men and women? And in the 2016 Presidential election, Trump won 53 percent of white women, despite allegations focused on his past treatment of some women.





Political correctness is Fascism pretending to be manners





Political Correctness is as big a threat to free speech as Communism and Fascism. All 3 were/are socialist.





A good thought from Thomas Sowell: "The phrase "glass ceiling" is an insult to our intelligence. What does glass mean, except that we cannot see it? In other words, in the absence of evidence, we are expected to go along with what is said because it is said in accusatory and self-righteous tones."





The problem with minorities is not race but culture. For instance, many American black males fit in well with the majority culture. They go to college, work legally for their living, marry and support the mother of their children, go to church, abstain from crime and are considerate towards others. Who could reasonably object to such people? It is people who subscribe to minority cultures -- black, Latino or Muslim -- who can give rise to concern. If antisocial attitudes and/or behaviour become pervasive among a group, however, policies may reasonably devised to deal with that group as a whole





The American Psychological Association is generally Left-leaning but it is the world's most prestigious body of academic psychologists. And even they (under the chairmanship of Ulric Neisser) have had to concede a large gap (one SD) in black vs. white average IQ.





Black lives DON'T matter -- to other blacks. The leading cause of death among young black males is attack by other young black males





Leftist logic: There are allegedly no distinctions between groups of humans, yet we're still supposed to celebrate diversity.





Identity politics is a form of racism





'White Privilege'. .. Oh yes. .. That was abundant in the Irish potato famines. ... And in the Scottish Highland Clearances. ...And in transportations to Australia. ... And in Workhouses. ... 'White privilege' was absolutely RIFE!





Psychological defence mechanisms such as projection play a large part in Leftist thinking and discourse. So their frantic search for evil in the words and deeds of others is easily understandable. The evil is in themselves. Leftist motivations are fundamentally Fascist. They want to "fundamentally transform" the lives of their fellow citizens, which is as authoritarian as you can get. We saw where it led in Russia and China. The "compassion" that Leftists parade is just a cloak for their ghastly real motivations





Occasionally I put up on this blog complaints about the privileged position of homosexuals in today's world. I look forward to the day when the pendulum swings back and homosexuals are treated as equals before the law. To a simple Leftist mind, that makes me "homophobic", even though I have no fear of any kind of homosexuals.



But I thought it might be useful for me to point out a few things. For a start, I am not unwise enough to say that some of my best friends are homosexual. None are, in fact. Though there are two homosexuals in my normal social circle whom I get on well with and whom I think well of.



Of possible relevance: My late sister was a homosexual; I loved Liberace's sense of humour and I thought that Robert Helpmann was marvellous as Don Quixote in the Nureyev ballet of that name.



Bible references on homosexuality: Romans 1:27; Jude 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; Mark 10:6-9; Matthew 19: 4-16; 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11; 1 Corinthians 7:2; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Genesis 19:4-8





One may say that the person who gets in trouble with drugs is just as dumb without them





I record on this blog many examples of negligent, inefficient and reprehensible behaviour on the part of British police. After 13 years of Labour party rule they have become highly politicized, with values that reflect the demands made on them by the political Left rather than than what the community expects of them. They have become lazy and cowardly and avoid dealing with real crime wherever possible -- preferring instead to harass normal decent people for minor infractions -- particularly offences against political correctness. They are an excellent example of the destruction that can be brought about by Leftist meddling.





I also record on this blog much social worker evil -- particularly British social worker evil. The evil is neither negligent nor random. It follows exactly the pattern you would expect from the Marxist-oriented indoctrination they get in social work school -- where the middle class is seen as the enemy and the underclass is seen as virtuous. So social workers are lightning fast to take children away from normal decent parents on the basis of of minor or imaginary infractions while turning a blind eye to gross child abuse by the underclass





"In the end every feminism ends up being a machismo with a skirt" -- Pope Francis, February 23, 2019





Racial differences in temperament: Chinese are more passive even as little babies





The genetics of crime: I have been pointing out for some time the evidence that there is a substantial genetic element in criminality. Some people are born bad. See here, here, here, here (DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12581) and here, for instance"





Gender is a property of words, not of people. Using it otherwise is just another politically correct distortion -- though not as pernicious as calling racial discrimination "Affirmative action"





Postmodernism is fundamentally frivolous. Postmodernists routinely condemn racism and intolerance as wrong but then say that there is no such thing as right and wrong. They are clearly not being serious. Either they do not really believe in moral nihilism or they believe that racism cannot be condemned!





Postmodernism is in fact just a tantrum. Post-Soviet reality in particular suits Leftists so badly that their response is to deny that reality exists. That they can be so dishonest, however, simply shows how psychopathic they are.





So why do Leftists say "There is no such thing as right and wrong" when backed into a rhetorical corner? They say it because that is the predominant conclusion of analytic philosophers. And, as Keynes said: "Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back





Children are the best thing in life. See also here.





Juergen Habermas, a veteran leftist German philosopher stunned his admirers not long ago by proclaiming, "Christianity, and nothing else, is the ultimate foundation of liberty, conscience, human rights, and democracy, the benchmarks of Western civilization. To this day, we have no other options [than Christianity]. We continue to nourish ourselves from this source. Everything else is postmodern chatter."





Consider two "jokes" below:



Q. "Why are Leftists always standing up for blacks and homosexuals?



A. Because for all three groups their only God is their penis"



Pretty offensive, right? So consider this one:



Q. "Why are evangelical Christians like the Taliban?



A. They are both religious fundamentalists"



The latter "joke" is not a joke at all, of course. It is a comparison routinely touted by Leftists. Both "jokes" are greatly offensive and unfair to the parties targeted but one gets a pass without question while the other would bring great wrath on the head of anyone uttering it. Why? Because political correctness is in fact just Leftist bigotry. Bigotry is unfairly favouring one or more groups of people over others -- usually justified as "truth".





One of my more amusing memories is from the time when the Soviet Union still existed and I was teaching sociology in a major Australian university. On one memorable occasion, we had a representative of the Soviet Womens' organization visit us -- a stout and heavily made-up lady of mature years. When she was ushered into our conference room, she was greeted with something like adulation by the local Marxists. In question time after her talk, however, someone asked her how homosexuals were treated in the USSR. She replied: "We don't have any. That was before the revolution". The consternation and confusion that produced among my Leftist colleagues was hilarious to behold and still lives vividly in my memory. The more things change, the more they remain the same, however. In Sept. 2007 President Ahmadinejad told Columbia university that there are no homosexuals in Iran.





It is widely agreed (with mainly Lesbians dissenting) that boys need their fathers. What needs much wider recognition is that girls need their fathers too. The relationship between a "Daddy's girl" and her father is perhaps the most beautiful human relationship there is. It can help give the girl concerned inner strength for the rest of her life.





A modern feminist complains: "We are so far from having it all that we barely even have a slice of the pie, which we probably baked ourselves while sobbing into the pastry at 4am."





Patriotism does NOT in general go with hostilty towards others. See e.g. here and here and even here ("Ethnocentrism and Xenophobia: A Cross-Cultural Study" by anthropologist Elizabeth Cashdan. In Current Anthropology Vol. 42, No. 5, December 2001).





The love of bureaucracy is very Leftist and hence "correct". Who said this? "Account must be taken of every single article, every pound of grain, because what socialism implies above all is keeping account of everything". It was V.I. Lenin





"An objection I hear frequently is: Why should we tolerate intolerance? The assumption is that tolerating views that you dont agree with is like a gift, an act of kindness. It suggests were doing people a favour by tolerating their view. My argument is that tolerance is vital to us, to you and I, because its actually the presupposition of all our freedoms. You cannot be free in any meaningful sense unless there is a recognition that we are free to act on our beliefs, were free to think what we want and express ourselves freely. Unless we have that freedom, all those other freedoms that we have on paper mean nothing" -- SOURCE





RELIGION:



Antisemitism in the Koran





Although it is a popular traditional chant, the "Kol Nidre" should be abandoned by modern Jewish congregations. It was totally understandable where it originated in the Middle Ages but is morally obnoxious in the modern world and vivid "proof" of all sorts of antisemitic stereotypes





What the Bible says about the transexual craze: The male-female distinction is the only innate human distinction God cares about: God created mankind in his own image . . . male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). He created them male and female and blessed them (Genesis 5:2). No ethnic or racial distinction matters in Genesis, only the male-female distinction.





What the Bible says about homosexuality:



"Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; It is abomination" -- Lev. 18:22



In his great diatribe against the pagan Romans, the apostle Paul included homosexuality among their sins:



"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.... Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" -- Romans 1:26,27,32.



So churches that condone homosexuality are clearly post-Christian





Although I am an atheist, I have great respect for the wisdom of ancient times as collected in the Bible. And its condemnation of homosexuality makes considerable sense to me. In an era when family values are under constant assault, such a return to the basics could be helpful. Nonetheless, I approve of St. Paul's advice in the second chapter of his epistle to the Romans that it is for God to punish them, not us. In secular terms, homosexuality between consenting adults in private should not be penalized but nor should it be promoted or praised. In Christian terms, "Gay pride" is of the Devil





The homosexuals of Gibeah (Judges 19 & 20) set in train a series of events which brought down great wrath and destruction on their tribe. The tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out when it would not disown its homosexuals. Are we seeing a related process in the woes presently being experienced by the amoral Western world? Note that there was one Western country that was not affected by the global financial crisis and subsequently had no debt problems: Australia. In September 2012 the Australian federal parliament considered a bill to implement homosexual marriage. It was rejected by a large majority -- including members from both major political parties. The tide turned in 2017, however, with a public vote authorizing homosexual marriage in Australia





Religion is deeply human. The recent discoveries at Gobekli Tepe suggest that it was religion not farming that gave birth to civilization. Early civilizations were at any rate all very religious. Atheism is mainly a very modern development and is even now very much a minority opinion





"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" - Isaiah 5:20 (KJV)





I think it's not unreasonable to see Islam as the religion of the Devil. Any religion that loves death or leads to parents rejoicing when their children blow themselves up is surely of the Devil -- however you conceive of the Devil. Whether he is a man in a red suit with horns and a tail, a fallen spirit being, or simply the evil side of human nature hardly matters. In all cases Islam is clearly anti-life and only the Devil or his disciples could rejoice in that.



And there surely could be few lower forms of human behaviour than to give abuse and harm in return for help. The compassionate practices of countries with Christian traditions have led many such countries to give a new home to Muslim refugees and seekers after a better life. It's basic humanity that such kindness should attract gratitude and appreciation. But do Muslims appreciate it? They most commonly show contempt for the countries and societies concerned. That's another sign of Satanic influence.



And how's this for demonic thinking?: "Asian father whose daughter drowned in Dubai sea 'stopped lifeguards from saving her because he didn't want her touched and dishonoured by strange men'



Islamic terrorism isnt a perversion of Islam. Its the implementation of Islam. It is not a religion of the persecuted, but the persecutors. Its theology is violent supremacism.



And where Muslims tell us that they love death, the great Christian celebration is of the birth of a baby -- the monogenes theos (only begotten god) as John 1:18 describes it in the original Greek -- Christmas!





No wonder so many Muslims are hostile and angry. They have little companionship from women and not even any companionship from dogs -- which are emotionally important in most other cultures. Dogs are "unclean"





Some advice from Martin Luther: Esto peccator et pecca fortiter, sed fortius fide et gaude in christo qui victor est peccati, mortis et mundi: peccandum est quam diu sic sumus. Vita haec non est habitatio justitiae





Latina est immortalis





On all my blogs, I express my view of what is important primarily by the readings that I select for posting. I do however on occasions add personal comments in italicized form at the beginning of an article.





I am rather pleased to report that I am a lifelong conservative. Out of intellectual curiosity, I did in my youth join organizations from right across the political spectrum so I am certainly not closed-minded and am very familiar with the full spectrum of political thinking. Nonetheless, I did not have to undergo the lurch from Left to Right that so many people undergo. At age 13 I used my pocket-money to subscribe to the "Reader's Digest" -- the main conservative organ available in small town Australia of the 1950s. I have learnt much since but am pleased and amused to note that history has since confirmed most of what I thought at that early age.



I imagine that the the RD is still sending mailouts to my 1950s address!





Germaine Greer is a stupid old Harpy who is notable only for the depth and extent of her hatreds





Even Mahatma Gandhi was profoundly unimpressed by Africans







http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/42197/20121106-1520/jonjayray.comuv.com/

There are also two blogspot blogs which record what I think are my main recent articles here and here . Similar content can be more conveniently accessed via my subject-indexed list of short articles here or here (I rarely write long articles these days)If the link to one of my articles is not working, the article concerned can generally be viewed by prefixing to the filename the following: Selected pictures from blogs (Backup here Another picture page (Rarely updated)(My frequent reads are starred)Email me here (Hotmail address).The archives provided by blogspot below are rather inconvenient. They break each month up into small bits. If you want to scan whole months at a time, the backup archives will suit better. See here or here
Origin: Per the Seller`s option.

Destination: Still, "Open Ended" / either Istanbul, Turkey, or Um Al-Qasr, Iraq.

Packaging: 1L; 1.5L; 3L; & 5L.

Delivery Conditions: CIF ports Iraq.

Quantity: A Trial Order of 5,000 MT`s (Metric Tons), And...

Total Quantity: 100,000 MT`s, per month, with a contract of twelve months at a time (for a grand total of 1,205,000 MT`s (for the initial contract period).

Schedule of the Deliveries:

The seller shall deliver the total quantity of the goods in accordance with the pre-arranged agreement.

Payment Terms & Conditions:

Payment for the goods under this contract will be made out in US dollars as follows:

Guaranteed Payment:

In order to be able to guarantee the timely payments for the goods, the buyer will issue an Irrevocable, Non - Transferable L/C equal to the amount of one monthly delivery. The validity period of that L/C will be sixty (60) days. The remainder will be paid in the same form (Irrevocable, Non - Transferable L/C (without the Bank Guarantee).

Shipping Documents:

(1) Commercial Invoice.

(2) Inspection Certificate by SGS,

(3) Weight Quality and issued by SGS,

(4) Certificate of origin.

Transactions Procedure:

(1) Buyer & Seller will review and sign the contract and exchange the signed copies by electronic mail.

(2) After signing the contract, the seller will issue and deliver, to the buyer, the Proof of Product.

(3) After receiving the Proof of Product, from the seller, the buyer will issue and deliver, to the seller, Non - Operative, Irrevocable, Non - Transferable L/C (Letter of Credit). I am not comfortable with allowing the seller to issue a Non - Operative L/C. (In my own view, the L/C will have to be Operative).
" " These irons are getting red-hot for some cattle branding. The procedure for branding people is not that different.  Dewitt Jones/CORBIS

Human branding has a sordid past. In Colonial America, burglars had their hands branded with a "B" to mark them as thieves [source: Cox]. Drifters in 16th-century England were often branded on their chests with a "V" for vagabond, announcing their low social status. In that same era, English slaveholders might brand the cheeks of runaway slaves [source: Parman].

In so-called "civilized societies," human branding has almost always stood as punishment, but that's just part of the story. Some ancient tribal cultures used branding, and other "scarification" methods like cutting, in initiation rituals, often to mark young men as full, adult members of their tribes; in some areas of Papua New Guinea, the practice continues today [source: Guynup]. A number of all-black U.S. fraternities, too, have for decades practiced body branding to signify allegiance and brotherhood, though the practice is consistently condemned by their fraternal parent organizations [source: Battle].

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Indeed, many body-modification outsiders see human branding as rather horrific, and most people are shocked to see burn scars in the shape of Greek letters  or in any obviously intentional design. Of late, though, the shock has begun to subside. As happened with face tattoos and ear stretching, the once rare, jarring body brand is slipping slowly into a more general "alternative" status.

A growing number of eager volunteers are paying professional body artists hundreds of dollars to be branded. Others, unwisely, are branding themselves and their buddies at home with the likes of wire hangers or soldering irons, saving money and dramatically increasing the risk of serious infection, all to bear the scar-tissue design of their dreams.

Hopefully.

If they can bear the second strike, manage the complex aftercare, and endure the extended healing period, and if their bodies' response to burn damage is ideal for the intended aesthetic, the results can be striking. Still, with so many ifs, why not just get a tattoo?

Because the act of branding itself is a big part of the appeal. Of course, what exactly that appeal is depends a lot on who you ask.
" " Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during an event in Fort Dodge, Iowa, two before the Iowa caucus. Al Drago/Getty Images

Every four years, television news crews from New York to Los Angeles set up camp in the frigid cornfields of rural Iowa. The Iowa Caucuses, held in early February, represent the first chance for regular Americans from both major political parties to show support for a presidential candidate. The national press covers every minute of pre-caucus excitement as presidential hopefuls spread out across all 99 Iowa counties to shake hands at local diners and give stump speeches in elementary school gyms.

As the earliest event of the primary election season  you know, the free-for-all that determines the nominees in each party  Iowa serves as a bellwether of national sentiment, helping to launch or sink candidacies and separate the wheat from the chaff  or in Iowa's case, the corn from the husk. But what exactly is a caucus? And how is it different from a primary?

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Caucuses and primaries are the two ways in which the Democratic and Republican parties choose the delegates who will attend the parties' national conventions. The national convention is where the delegates officially choose the party's nominee for the presidential race.

Primaries offer a relatively straightforward way of assigning delegates to the national convention. Voters from each party cast their vote for one of the candidates on the primary ballot. Like the general presidential election, primary voting is done on an assigned day at an assigned polling place. Voting is private and anonymous. Depending on the state's rules, delegates are either distributed in proportion to the amount of votes received by each candidate (known as a proportional primary), or all delegates are given to the candidate who gets the most votes (called a "winner take all" primary).

Caucuses, on the other hand, are far from straightforward. (Interestingly, before the 1960s and 1970s, most states chose their delegates through caucuses, not primaries.) For one thing, caucuses aren't exclusively for presidential elections. In addition, caucuses were traditionally held every two years so that local members of each political party could meet, discuss the issues of the day, and help to shape the political platform of the state and national party [source: Redlawski et al].

How do caucuses and primaries function today? Find out next.
Jillian Kestler-D'Amours More than 70 percent of the guests had their visa applications denied [Marc Braibant/AFP] T...
February 22nd, 2016

Paymentwall includes Konbini, PayEasy, and BitCash to the list of supported payment methods in Japan alongside JCB, Visa, MasterCard, SoftBank, WebMoney JP, and MINT.

TOKYO, JAPAN  February 23, 2016  Paymentwall has recently integrated with Konbini (), local convenience stores in Japan, PayEasy bank transfer, and BitCash prepaid card, connecting international businesses to the Japanese market. Payments processing in Japanese Yen (JPY) improves user conversion rate and makes it more convenient for them to pay.

Paymentwall already has local presence in Japan, allowing international businesses to accept online payments made with JCB, the main credit card brand in Japan, along with Visa and MasterCard, WebMoney JP and MINT prepaid cards, and SoftBank mobile payments made via Mobiamo.

More payment methods in the worlds fourth largest e-commerce market means more ways for international businesses to monetize users in Japan, said Irina Agieieva, payment systems project manager of Paymentwall. This ultimately means more revenues for businesses who choose to integrate Paymentwall.

Furikomi (), bank transfers in Japan, are the third most preferred payment method in the region, only next to credit cards and cash-based payments. The latest integration with PayEasy bank transfer will allow customers to pay using their online bank, ATM, or through post office branches.

For those who have no bank accounts, there is also a cash-based payment method where users can order online and pay at convenience stores (Konbini) for digital goods and services. Konbini is the second most popular payment method in the region with over 55,000 convenience stores, throughout the country as of 2015, including 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart branches.

Aside from cash-based payments made in Konbini stores, users in Japan can also choose prepaid card payments with BitCash, WebMoney JP, and MINT. Prepaid cards can be bought online or in convenience stores all over Japan.

About Paymentwall

Paymentwall Inc. is the leading global payment and content distribution platform for a wide range of digital goods and online services. Paymentwall partnered with over 130 payment option providers worldwide to offer global payments coverage for users in more than 200 countries and territories with credit and debit cards, mobile payments, e-wallets, bank transfers and prepaid cards. Paymentwall is headquartered in San Francisco, USA with 10 more offices around the globe. Read more: http://blog.paymentwall.com/press/pressreleases/paymentwall-opens-japanese-digital-market-to-international-businesses/

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Welcome

Welcome to Conservative Musings. The purpose of this blog is to discuss with everyone (conservatives, moderates, independents and progressives) the issues of the day in an intelligent discussion. We believe that discussion can lead to agreement or an agreement to disagree but it must be held in a mutually respectful environment. We learn nothing from name calling or argument for argument's sake therefore we will not allow that to happen here.







We will post our point of view and want a spirited discussion of the issues. Please express your opinions, hopefully we all can learn.




Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association

Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America.
A look at Korean society, history, urban space, cyberspace, film, and current events, among other things.


QUEENSBURY | A Corinth woman was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison for fleeing the area while free on bail on criminal charges.

Giselle M. Barnes, 47, pleaded guilty to second-degree bail jumping, a felony, in Warren County Court. She also admitted violating probation on a felony criminal possession of stolen property charge.

Warren County Judge John Hall sentenced her to a year in Warren County Jail for violating probation, with that jail term to be served concurrently to the bail jumping sentence.

Barnes was put on probation last July in connection with a November 2014 arrest, in which she was charged with criminal possession of stolen property as well as four misdemeanor drug counts for possession of prescription drugs for which she didn't have a prescription, court records show.

Barnes was re-arrested on misdemeanor assault and criminal contempt charges in Hadley in August, which led to her being charged with violating probation. But she absconded for months, which led to a Warren County grand jury filing a felony bail jumping count against her earlier this month.
FORT ANN  In 10 years of working for Bohler Engineering of Albany, Chris Boyea said he has rarely seen the kind of support the proposal for a Dollar General store is getting in town.

I want to thank the people who are supporting this. You dont usually see the supporters coming out to these meetings. They usually stay home and watch TV, Boyea told a crowd of more than 50 people Monday night at the Fort Ann Fire Company.

During the meeting, several residents asked the Planning Board why it didnt just go ahead and approve the project, which will bring about a dozen jobs to town. Boyea drew applause several times when he spoke about the details of the plan to demolish a house and barn on the property at 11350 Route 149. and build a 9,100-square-foot store.

After the meeting, which ended with the board asking for more information, Boyea, whose company represents developer Pirmax Properties, stood among supporters, talking about the project.

There is some opposition, especially from residents of Mountain View Road and the neighborhood behind it. Mountain View comes out on Route 149 across the street from the site.

The board will meet again at 7 p.m. March 28 at the fire company for what could be the final decision.

The town does not have zoning laws, so the focus of the boards decision will be on the environmental impact of the building and whether the state Department of Transportation approves the plans.

The board asked its lawyer, Mary-Ellen Stockwell, for a letter to the Department of Transportation asking for input on traffic.

Bohler will provide written information to the board from Ecological Solutions LLC, which researched wetlands and other water issues on the 10-acre site. The board will use that to perform the required State Environmental Quality Review Act process at its next meeting.

Several topics came up at Mondays meeting, including a suggestion from the Washington County Planning Board that the entrance to the store be located directly across the street from Mountain View Road, rather than staggering it as planned. The county boards suggestion is not binding, and no one in the room spoke in support of it.

A lack of sidewalks in the area was also discussed, but several people pointed out the site is hundreds of feet from other sidewalks.

Claudia Braymer, a lawyer who said she represents local resident Andrew Winchell, told the board the proposal does not comply with town ordinances for several reasons.

The project would not be a re-use of the site, but involves demolition of the house and barn and a new use of the site as a store, she said. While the town has no zoning, community plans do call for specific setbacks from the road. She also said the landscaping plans are inadequate.

Several opponents said they are not against the store, but would prefer it be put in a different location.

I dont understand why it has to be there, Winchell said. Theres no way for people to walk there from the village. It would have made more sense for it to be on Route 4.
They share a border and one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region, and now Warren and Washington counties have begun to share tourism promotion resources.

The two counties have agreed to begin assisting one another on some tourism promotion efforts, as Warren County offers to help out its undermanned neighbor, at least temporarily.

Lake Luzerne Supervisor Gene Merlino, chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors Tourism Committee, said he was among a group that met with Washington County leaders twice in recent months to discuss how the counties could help each other after Washington Countys tourism director was let go.

Merlino said Warren Countys Tourism Department will include information about Washington County attractions in some of its electronic marketing, such as email blasts going to registered email addresses.

Washington County can in turn market the lodging availabilities in Warren County.

We have different things to offer people, Merlino said. They dont have the hotels we have, but they have agriculture, historical sites, the canals that we dont have.

Washington County Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Henke was among those involved in the discussions, Merlino said. Henke could not be reached Monday, but county Administrator Chris DeBolt said Monday details are still being worked out. Warren County may help with promotion of Washington Countys fiber tours, he said.

Were trying to look for opportunities where we have something to offer that Warren County doesnt, he said.

Washington County is in the process of hiring a consultant on how it wants to market the county as a whole for tourists. DeBolt said he is putting together the request for proposals.

The mindset has changed from years ago, when the counties viewed each other as competitors, Merlino said. Now, they realize that they have different things to offer, and that cross-county marketing can bring more visitors to the region.

He said Warren and Saratoga counties have been working together for years on cross-promotion to visitors to the region on bus tours.

Warren County supervisors also learned that concerns raised last week about a lack of Warren County promotion at Glens Falls Civic Center is being addressed. Former Queensbury at-Large Supervisor David Strainer raised the question last week, pointing to $250,000 a year the county gives to the Civic Center annually.

Civic Center Executive Director Jeff Mead attended a Tourism Committee meeting Monday to let supervisors know he read Strainers comments in Saturdays edition of The Post-Star, and responded by offering space in the arena for marketing materials as well as on the buildings new electronic marquee for events promotion.

If there are any promotional materials or banners we can put up, were happy to do it, he said.

Merlino said Mead will work with the county Tourism Department to come up with a plan.

Staff writer Michael Goot contributed to this report.




Strap yourselves in, folks. Were hurtling toward peak Illya-mania at reckless and irresponsible speeds.





Illya is thrown from a plane, naked, in the arms of a dazzling stewardess. Really, that says it all. That preposterously high-concept story idea is padded out into a traditional plot, of sorts, but the plot isnt very good, and anyway, its beside the point. Concepts like good and bad (and plot) dont apply to this episode. Illya is thrown naked from a plane: Either youre going to want to see that, or you wont, and nothing I write here is likely to sway your judgment one way or another. Im at a loss as to how to even start recapping this episode. Part of me thinks I should just give you the first sentence of Amazons summary and leave it at that:Really, that says it all. That preposterously high-concept story idea is padded out into a traditional plot, of sorts, but the plot isnt very good, and anyway, its beside the point. Concepts like good and bad (and plot) dont apply to this episode. Illya is thrown naked from a plane: Either youre going to want to see that, or you wont, and nothing I write here is likely to sway your judgment one way or another.

Illya skulks around a THRUSH compound located inside a casbah somewhere in Sudan. He breaks into a safe and photographs a document known as the Triad, which is the key to cracking THRUSHs latest top-secret cipher. A patrolling guard discovers him and opens fire; Illya shoots him and escapes.





The dying guard gives the regional THRUSH leader, Lucienne Bey (Michael Pate), a description of his attacker: He was blond. Very blond. Not very tall. Slim. He fails to add boyishly handsome, with biceps of steel and eyes like the Aegean, probably because hes too busy hemorrhaging from a gunshot wound to the gut. Lucienne whips out his wallet and shows the guard a fetching posed photograph of Illya. Is this the man? he asks.









wouldnt Lucienne be toting around a wallet-sized photo of Illya? Even THRUSH agents are susceptible to Illya-mania. I mean, sure. WhyLucienne be toting around a wallet-sized photo of Illya? Even THRUSH agents are susceptible to Illya-mania.





Illya takes a chartered plane to Cairo to deliver his Triad photographs to the local U.N.C.L.E. office. The plane comes equipped with a glamorous flight attendant from Marseilles named Barbara (Danielle De Metz), who flirts outrageously with Illya even as she gushes about her upcoming nuptials to some dude named Bob in Akron, Ohio. In the face of her flirting, Illya is his usual brusque self. Because Illya is a tiny, weird, prickly volcano of seething sexual charisma beneath a chilly and implacable Soviet demeanor, this charms the socks off of Barbara.





Mid-flight, Lucienne and a henchman jump out of the cockpit, having replaced the pilot and copilot before takeoff. They attack Illya and strip him down to his underwear to search for the photos. Sharing a single parachute, Illya and Barbara leap from the plane and land safely in the Sahara between Casablanca and Marrakech.









very unlikely to land in Morocco. Thats more than three thousand miles (and multiple countries) out of the way of your flight path. Even assuming Lucienne had diverted the plane toward his lair in Casablanca, surely Illya wouldve noticed theyd been in the air for several hours longer than necessary. Geography lesson! If you parachute from an Egypt-bound plane that departed from Sudan, you areto land in Morocco. Thats more than three thousand miles (and multiple countries) out of the way of your flight path. Even assuming Lucienne had diverted the plane toward his lair in Casablanca, surely Illya wouldve noticed theyd been in the air for several hours longer than necessary.













seems like were meant to assume they shagged on the sand, like a pair of glorious tawny-haired lions in heat. All in the name of survival, of course. Illya and Barbara spend the night in the desert, snuggling together under the parachute. In the morning, a giggling Barbara wonders how she can ever explain this to her fiance. Illya gravely informs her, In the desert, nights are cold, and the days are hot. It was the survival instinct. Ah did they shag? Even though sex isnt usually Illyas thing, even though he typically regards any suggestion of physical intimacy with a mixture of exasperation, bewilderment, and mild alarm, itlike were meant to assume they shagged on the sand, like a pair of glorious tawny-haired lions in heat. All in the name of survival, of course.









Barbara, Illya discovers, has a weird habit: In times of stress, she tends to bite people. Hard. Barbara is gorgeous, but shes definitely an odd bird.





Back at U.N.C.L.E. headquarters, Mr. Waverly tells Napoleon his partner is missing and presumed dead. Napoleon has exactly the right reaction to this bit of news.









Waverly sends Napoleon to Casablanca to find Illyaor his bodyand retrieve the photographs of the Triad. He suggests Napoleon question Lucienne Bey to find out what happened to Illya. At the mention of Lucienne, Napoleon says, Yes, I know the gentleman. We have, ah, crossed swords before. Sure, obviously, were supposed to assume this means Napoleon and Lucienne are old enemies, but Robert Vaughn, being Robert Vaughn, delivers the line with so much lurid insinuation that my brain automatically leapt to inappropriate and vulgar places . Vaughns performance as Napoleon is the gift that keeps on giving.





Illya swaddles himself in the parachute and carries Barbara across the desert. Exhausted and heat-dazed, Barbara babbles deliriously about wanting a cold, cold glass of champagne. As a die-hard champagne aficionado, I find Barbara very relatable and down-to-earth.









Pretty sure this episode came about as a dare between executives at NBC to see how much footage of David McCallums bare thighs could be jammed into a single episode.





Illya collapses in exhaustion in front of the ruins of an old French Foreign Legion outpost, which is now manned by an insane former commander, Captain Basil Calhoun (Howard Da Silva), and his still-loyal aide, Corporal Remy (Rupert Crosse). Suspecting Illya and Barbara of being Arab spies (and mistaking Barbaras snazzy flight attendant outfit for a military uniform), Calhoun proclaims them his prisoners of war. When Illya politely mentions that the Legion was dissolved five years ago, Calhoun flies into an unstable rage.









ideas. This is happier than weve seen Napoleon all episode. In Casablanca, Napoleon breaks into Luciennes lair, where hes captured and tossed into a cell to await execution. Napoleon discovers his jailor is a beautiful woman, Aisha (Vivienne Ventura), which gives him. This is happier than weve seen Napoleon all episode.









Meanwhile, back at Calhouns fort, Illya finally puts some pants on.









At night, Illya and Barbara attempt to sneak out of the fort. The attempt is unsuccessful, mostly because Barbara keeps biting Illya at inappropriate moments.









So Calhoun punishes Illya by tying him up outside in the hot sun, because what this episode really needed was a spot of gratuitous bondage.









Lucienne arrives in a small plane and opens fire on the fort. After freeing himself, Illya grabs a gun and drives him away, but Calhoun is wounded in the fracas. Illya and Barbara nurse him to health, whereupon a grateful Calhoun offers to have his close friend, Sheik Ali Tchard, escort them to Marrakesh.





Back in Casablanca, Aisha agrees to smuggle Napoleon out of his cell in exchange for sex. Napoleons cool with this.









Napoleon heads across the desert, hitching a ride with a nice Irish lady named Macushla OShea (Elizabeth Fraser), who turns out to be Calhouns former lover. Newly widowed, shes come to bring her old flame back to Ireland.









Lucienne pays Sheik Ali Tchard (Edmund Hashim) a generous bribe to smuggle him into Calhouns fort. THRUSH goons capture Barbara and threaten to kill her unless Illya surrenders the Triad photographs.









At Illyas urging, Barbara bites her captor and frees herself. Illya gets the situation under control just as Napoleon triumphantly arrives on the scene, ready to save his partner.









As Macushla and Calhoun have a tender reconciliation, Illya snarls at Napoleon for taking too long to rescue him, whereupon Napoleon flounces off in a huff. He returns and attempts to put the moves on Barbara, then seems shocked to discover Barbara and Illya have some kind of thing going on. Id feel sorry for Napoleon, but its not like hes been starved for romantic attention this episode.









Well! If were forced to consider such mundane concepts as coherence and logic, then obviously this is a very bad episode. By all standards that matter, however (namely, NBCs cheerful willingness to exploit David McCallum to capitalize on the Illya-mania that was sweeping the world in 1966 ), its a blazing success.




Inventory needs to be managed and managed well, or you are going to get in recurring trouble, and lose your credibility and hard-earned conversions, whether 

Read more
ANOTHER BLOG FROM NEVILLE STEPHENS ON BIBLICAL ESCHATOLOGY.
He made the disclosure when minority MPs demanded to know from him the reason behind the shutdown of Cocoa Processing Company.

Ecobank predicted cocoa production in Ghana to fall to between 730,000 and 750,000 tonnes following an outbreak of fungal black pod disease last year.

Ghana is the world second largest producer of cocoa after Ivory Coast.

Ghana produced 900,000 tonnes of cocoa in the 2013/2014 season, according to Cocobod.

Cocobod took steps this month to improve production by distributing free cocoa seedlings to farmers from 50 million to 60 million across the country.

The move was to ensure that every farmer get access to these seedlings free of charge to replant as well as raise the countrys cocoa output from the current 850,000 tonnes to 1.5 million tonnes.

READ MORE

Cocobod says it will continue to introduce incentive packages and provide strong technical and extension services support to raise production levels and returns to the farmer.

Poor harvest in Ghana is driving up price of the commodity in the world market.

"There has been a crop failure and the latest indication is that our best (output) is around 690,000-700,000 tonnes," a government source who declined to be identified told Reuters.
Zimbabwes Minister of Mines has ordered all diamond producers operating in the diamond-rich Marange area to halt mining immediately, after the government did not renew their licences.The firms are meant to leave behind equipment and vacate their premises and a newly-created state-owned company, Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Co., is expected to take over, The Independent reports.The governments decision follows a refusal by six mining companies, including Anjin Investments, Diamond Mining Co., Jinan Mining Ltd., Kusena Diamonds, Marange Resources Ltd. and Mbada Diamonds, to accept the nationalisation of their assets.Minister Walter Chidhakwa said private firms affected, which include Chinese and Russian firms, may negotiate joint ventures with the state mining company. He also said they had 90 days to vacate the area.Most of the companies in Zimbabwe, one of the worlds top diamond-producing nations, concentrate on alluvial diamond mining, which requires less capital as they are easily extractable through open cast mining.But the country has practically run out of alluvial gems deposits and existing local miners had argued they had neither the expertise nor the resources to search for new deposits underground.Last year, Chidhakwa said the decision to merge all diamond miners aimed to bring more transparency and accountability in the sector. It is also supposed to enable small and medium-scale miners to extract kimberlite diamonds, which are capital intensive.Source: Mining.com
This, the GES said forms part of efforts to sanitise the countrys educational system to ensure that only qualified persons are employed to teach.

According to the affected teachers, the GES Director cannot be innocent as the process of recruitment was under his watch.

A press statement signed and issued by its secretary, Owusu Baffoe Daniel, on Tuesday, February 23, 2016, said "We are calling for the immediate arrest of the Director General for recruiting teachers with fake certificates, and going ahead to confirm and upgrade them whilst he knows they are having fake certificates. Other than that, we are demanding an unqualified apology from him for fabricating lies in the name of freedom of speech and expression to mislead the public and for defamation of the teaching profession."

See related: Teachers to lay down tools over unpaid arrears

The Ghana Education Service (GES) says the payment of the salary arrears of some category of teachers had delayed because some of them submitted fake documents and certificates.

According to Mr Jacob Aaworb-Nang Maabobr Kor, the Education Ministry identified the culprits and according to him, the number is likely to increase because more than 200 of them were identified in one district.

Addressing the press on Friday, February 19, 2016, Mr Kor said 14,575 input forms that were initially submitted by teachers for processing and payment, only 6,268 were found to be attached with genuine supporting documents.

Read more: GES to hand over teachers with fake certificates to BNI

He said out of the remaining 8,307 input forms, some were queried by the Audit Service on the grounds of non-inclusion of certificates, establishment warrants, assumption of duty letters and acceptance letters.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) said the admittance of recruitment of fake teachers is an indictment on the GES.

"Is the Director General is admitting that the Ghana Education Service has been recruiting teachers with fake certificates all these years?" asked the Vice President of NAGRAT, Angel Cabonu in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM.
According to the NSS, this can be done through the NSS website www.nss.gov.gh and by going to the Applications menu.

A statement signed by the acting Executive Director, Dr. Michael Kpessa-Whyte, said April 30 is the deadline for the enrolment processes, adding that " Scheme would not enroll anyone after" the date.

However, enrolment pin codes for NSS applicants who for one reason or the other could not undertake their service obligations in the previous years would be released later after various processes of verification are completed, the statement added.
Angela Hallmon stabbed her brother, Edward Hallmon, 55, on Dec. 21, 2013, during an argument about YouTube videos and disparaging comments about Minaj, court records say.

Read more: Monkey dies after maggot infestation

The siblings were intoxicated when Angela Hallmon, now 55, stabbed her brother in the chest at their home in the 5300 block of Northland Avenue, leaving him in a coma until his death March 8, 2015.

After being stabbed on an upper floor of the home, Edward Hallmon ran downstairs and sought help from relatives, who called 911. As other relatives were helping him, Angela Hallmon hid the knife and sopped up her brothers blood in an upstairs hallway. Police showed up and arrested her.

Read more: American man Photoshopped across the world

On Monday, she pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter, armed criminal action and evidence tampering as part of a plea agreement.
According to the finance minister, DKM was registered as a savings and loans company in 2013 but breached the Bank of Ghana's regulations concerning the operations of microfinance companies, a situation that forced the Central Bank to close down the company.

The finance minister could not give details on what the GHS77 million cedis was used for.

Officials of the Bank of Ghana are scheduled to brief parliament in camera with details on the issue.

The Bank of Ghana in October 2015 froze accounts of DKM Microfinance after the central bank placed a 120 day moratorium on the company for flouting the Banking Act.

An audit report by the Bank of Ghana released to the Brong Ahafo Regional Security Council (REGSEC) established that DKM has no investment in the country and beyond after it collected huge amounts of money from numerous customers.

DKM, contrary to Bank of Ghana (BoG) regulation, set up subsidiary companies and lent peoples money to themselves, the report said.

About fifty persons were said to have committed suicide in the Brong Ahafo Region after several months of failed efforts to get back their monies.
According to the aggrieved nurses, various petitions they have sent to the Ministry of Health over the years are yet to yield results.

They have therefore decided to petition President John Mahama on February 29, 2016 if the Health Minister does not respond immediately to their demands for postings.

The Coalition is a group of qualified but unemployed Registered General Nurses, Psychiatric Nurses, Midwives and Community Health Nurses who had completed their various training programmes and licensed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana in March 2014 to practice in the country under a bond of at least five years after a mandatory National Service.
The other panelist will be Professor Raymond Osei of the University of Cape Coast.

The event which marks the 50th anniversary of the infamous 1966 Coup sponsored by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States of America will be chaired by comrade Kwesi Pratt, Jnr of the Socialist forum of Ghana (SFG).

It is being co-sponsored by the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and the SFG and is scheduled to start at 4:00pm.

This years anniversary has been marked with seminars on the emancipation of women and womens organizations and Trade Union Movement, the role of youth and students in the national development effort and the promotion of arts and culture.

The speakers are highly respected left wing intellectuals and activists with a long history of participation in the struggle against neo-liberalism.

Organizers say they have invited diplomats from progressive countries, all political parties, members of Parliament, workers organizations, youth and student, as well as Ministers of state.

There is now conclusive evidence that the coup was master- minded by the CIA with active support of other western intelligence agencies.

Nkrumah is universally acknowledged as the foremost advocate of national liberation in Africa and one of the loudest voices in the anti racism campaign.
Briefing journalists on Monday, the Tema Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Juliana Obeng, said the police patrol team at about 7 p.m. on January 22, 2016, had information that some young men were carting sacks of Indian hemp into a canoe at the Ayetepanya Beach near Old Ningo.

The team, she said then proceeded to the beach area and met the suspects, who were about 50, briskly loading sacks full of wrapped substances into a waiting canoe.

Some of the young men however jumped into the sea upon seeing the police, ASP Juliana Obeng added.

The police managed to seize the Toyota vehicle, with registration number BB 0267-RB, which was left behind without the ignition key.

The said vehicle, ASP Obeng added, was found to be loaded with the 13 sacks of the substance, in addition to vehicle documents bearing the name of Bodjou Ambroise, a Benin national.

On the second case, ASP Juliana Obeng said about 10 p.m. on Friday, February 19, 2016, the police received information that some people were loading a canoe at the Djange Beach with goods suspected to be Indian hemp which were suspectedly meant to be transported to Nigeria.

A team of policemen were therefore dispatched to the scene where some young men numbering about 20 were spotted busily loading the canoe with sacks full of a substance believed to be Indian hemp, she added.

The young men however managed to escape leaving behind the canoe and its contents.

The police found other items at the scene and these included mobile phones, one Yamaha outboard motor, two jerry cans of premix fuel, sacks of charcoal and a coal pot.

Meanwhile, a 32-year-old man, Joseph Nartey, was arrested after allegedly attempting to bribe the policemen at the scene with GHc2,630.
According to him, his plan sets up a last-year confrontation with Congress about a campaign promise made eight years ago. Terrorists use Guantanamo as propaganda to recruit, and maintaining it harms U.S. national security.

"It's been clear that the detention center at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security," Obama said from the Roosevelt Room at the White House. "It undermines it."

"Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values," Obama said. "It undermines our standing in the world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law."

See related: Two Gitmo prisoners to resettle in Ghana

He added: "Fifteen years after [the September 11 attacks] were still having to defend a facility where not a single verdict has been reached in those attacks. Not a single one. When I first ran for president it was widely recognized that this facility needed to close ... There was bipartisan support to close it."

Gitmo 2 in Ghana

The government of Ghanas decision to accept the two detainees, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih, who are believed to have ties to Al Qaeda, has provoked a firestorm of controversy and outrage among Ghanaians, with many expressing fear that the move would undermine Ghanas internal security and expose the country to attacks from religious extremists.
According to him, "The conduct of using subjective criteria to tag public office holders for purposes of destroying their reputation and hounding them out of public office reminds me of the case of Sallah v Attorney General arising from the removal of hundreds of public officers from the public service on purely subjective political party considerations leading to the then Supreme Court declaring their dismissals as unconstitutional. Public officers were similarly removed and others transferred across departments after the change of Government in 2001."

The EC has come under pressure from some political over the composition of an 18-member election steering committee meant to help the election management body conduct smooth elections in November 2016 polls.

Some parties and pressure groups raised concerns about the membership of the committee, some of whom were said to be members of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

But Martin Amidu believes it is unfair for the reputation of an individual to be attacked simply because they had been nominated to represent their respective public institutions on the now well-known Electoral Commissions Steering Committee for Election 2016.

Below is the full statement by Martin Amidu:

I am shocked and personally disappointed at the fact that the Let My Vote Count Alliance which I perceived to be a non-partisan civil society organization stooped so low in making unsubstantiated charges of political bias against named constitutionally protected public officers simply because they had been nominated to represent their respective public institutions on the now well-known Electoral Commissions Steering Committee for Election 2016.

The Let My Vote Count Alliance was later joined by the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) and later still by Mustapha Hamid, described as Spokesperson of the flagbearer of New Patriotic Party (NPP)and later still by Samuel Abu Jinapor whose full blooded brother is a Deputy Minister of the Republic of Ghana and confidant of the President of Ghana. My shock and disappointment is compounded by the fact that there are more objective credible and cogent reasons for kicking against the imposition on the people of Ghana by the Electoral Commission of a Steering Committee that includes representatives from independent constitutional and statutory bodies whose independent functions might be compromised by such inclusion.

I am not aware that the Constitution prohibits any citizen of Ghana from holding any public office merely because he had previously exercised his constitutional right to freedom of association and associated with a political party whose existence the very Constitution guarantees.

The base qualification for the most important public offices including the presidency is that a citizen of Ghana should first and foremost be qualified to be a member of parliament. Ones inability to exercise his civic responsibility including voting at elections and referenda is in my view a disqualification for holding the most important public offices under the Constitution of Ghana. Joining a political party of ones choice and exercising the civic responsibility of assisting it to contest for political power is not only a guaranteed political right to every citizen but the very foundation of multiparty democracy guaranteed by the Constitution.

The only safeguards I know is that the Constitution prohibits named public office holders from participating in politics or political party activities while holding those offices.

One may be removed from such public office for breach of these constitutional prohibitions of not engaging in political party activities or allowing overt political party considerations to influence the discharge of ones duties under the Constitution.

Unfortunately, the Let My Vote Count Alliance, the Alliance for Accountable Governance and the young NPP office holders have not adduced any credible evidence to show that while holding their present public offices the named public officers have breached their oath of office or exhibited any unlawful or unconstitutional conduct as a basis of disqualifying them from being nominated to the Electoral Commissions Steering Committee, assuming that the composition of that Committee is constitutionally justifiable. They could not even provide such proof of present political bias in the case of the representative of the National Service Scheme who was later withdrawn.

The conduct of using subjective criteria to tag public office holders for purposes of destroying their reputation and hounding them out of public office reminds me of the case of Sallah v Attorney General arising from the removal of hundreds of public officers from the public service on purely subjective political party considerations leading to the then Supreme Court declaring their dismissals as unconstitutional. Public officers were similarly removed and others transferred across departments after the change of Government in 2001.

I bear witness to the fact that Professor Mills consciously tried to prevent any such vindictive conduct upon his assumption of office after the 2008 elections.

The signal that is being sent out  that some public officers may suffer in the future for unproven allegations of the past exercise of their civic responsibilities under the Constitution  does not do any of the Presidential candidates any good so far as canvassing the votes of floating voters are concerned. The earlier it is stopped the better.

There are several examples globally including a number of them in Ghana to demonstrate that the mere appointment of persons to hold independent public office is no guarantee that they will do the bidding of the appointing authority. The most notorious and frequently cited examples are two appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States of America by President Eisenhower.

Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower is famously quoted to have said that his two biggest mistakes in his presidency were the appointment of Justice William Brennan and Chief Justice Earl Warren the leading forces behind the aggressive liberal court of the 1960s. We ought to learn that good and strong institutions with institutional cultures dictate what persons appoint to those offices do and not where they are coming from and stop subjectively attacking personalities unless we have credible supporting evidence.

In my opinion there were and are very objective reasons why each of the institutions to which objection was raised should not be on a Steering Committee of the Electoral Commission. The Commission for Haman Rights and Administrative Justice, the National Media Commission, the National Commission for Civic Education and the National Peace Council as independent constitutional and statutory bodies will be compromised should their members or Executive Secretaries serve on the Committee of another independent constitutional body specifically charged with the conduct of the elections.

Would the framers of the Constitution not have added the mandate of collaboration with the Electoral Commission in the conduct of elections to their respective functions if it was intended that they should partner the Commission in supervising elections in Ghana? I believe this is why others have pointed out that the Electoral Commission has no constitutional mandate to set up such a Steering Committee to share its electoral functions with it.

The Electoral Commission has held several elections without inviting representatives of other independent constitutional and statutory bodies to partake in the constitutional functions entrusted to it.

The Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) has maturely and unanimously questioned the basis of the formation of the Steering Committee and disagreed with its formation.

It is my hope that the independent constitutional and statutory bodies will do the proper thing in withdrawing their representation from the Steering Committee on constitutional objective grounds and not on the grounds of the subjective, dangerous, speculative and unproven allegations being peddled around.

Martin A. B. K. Amidu
Prof Martey added that the EC boss must work behind the scenes, she must not come and answer all queries; she should really minimize her mistakes. This is very important.

His concerns come on the back of complaints by some opposition groups and other civil society organisations that the EC's election steering committee is biased towards the National Democratic Congress.

According to pressure group, Let My Vote Count Alliance, some personalities on the committee including Dr. Karl Max Arhin, a Deputy Director of International Affairs of the NDC and Francis Azumah of the National Peace Council must be removed from the committee for allegedly being NDC activists.
Measuring the quality of life inhabitants can expect while living in each city, the study used access to health, housing and education as markers, plus environmental, social and economic conditions.

For the seventh year in a row, Austrian capital Vienna came out on top, followed by Zurich, Auckland and Munich. London scored 39th out of 230 cities.

Used by big businesses to help plot expansion plans, and to inform decisions about how much members of staff should be paid, the annual Mercer Quality of Living survey also takes crime rates and personal safety into account.

From Vienna to Munich, Dusseldorf and Sydney, take a look at the world's 10 best cities to live in, and what makes them so special.

Vienna scores highly in a number of categories, explains the Mercer report. It provides a safe and stable environment to live in, a high level of public utilities and transport facilities, and good recreational facilities.

As well as coming in second place overall, Zurich was also named as one of the safest cities in the world by the study, outperforming even Vienna in the personal safety category.

Beating capital city Wellington, New Zealands Auckland ranked higher in Mercers quality of life categories than all other cities in the Pacific region, as well as coming in at number three overall.

Yet another Western European city in the top five, Munich also outperformed its homeland capital city in the rankings.

Trumping Ottawa by an impressive 12 places, Vancouver with its surrounding mountains and coastline completed the worlds five best cities.

With its impressive art scene, Dusseldorf is primed to be the next European hot spot, as well as the one of the best cities to live and work in.

Ranked as the fifth best city to live in within Western Europe and the seventh overall across the globe, Frankfurt's strong financial hub makes it a prime location for business expansion.

Switzerland has long been famed for its low crime rates and high standard of living, so its little surprise to see Geneva backing up Zurich in the top 10 places to live.

One of the few capital cities to make it into the top 10, colourful Copenhagens impressive ranking adds to Denmarks reputation as one of the happiest countries in the world.

With its rare mix of beach and city life, Sydney ranked second only to Auckland in the best cities to live in within the Pacific region, completing the overall top 10.
After Beyonces pro-black performance of 

In his address on February 21, 2016 Minister Farrakhan addressed 14,000 NOI followers in Detroit and stated that the Fruit of Islam (the security arm of NOI) will offer protection to Beyonce when she goes on tour.

Read: Beyonce wears a wedding gown to the Grammys

She started talking that Black stuff and White folks say, 'Well, we don't know how to deal with that. Well, you taught us everywhere we went about the Holocaust, but we have sympathy for you. But when one of us shows some independence, look at how you're treating Beyonce now. You're going to picket. You're not going to offer her police protection. But the FOI will said Farrakhan the leader of the Nation of Islam.

Minister Farrakhan also praised rapper Kendrick Lamar for creating a new path in Hip Hop.

He freed rappers to come on up. He's the boss. He's the boss. Now when the rappers are free to say it like it is and say what they feel and teach their people through music and Rap and song and dance, the cultural revolution is on said the 82-year-old Farrakhan.
Men are getting more conscious about their style and are showing diversity and range through their choice of clothing. According to the statistics from Mr Porter, their mobile traffic is up from 12% a few years ago to 25% presently, which could mean that men are no longer just going on short focused shopping trips. Theyre going online too.

Also, marketing agency Ogilvy stated that 94% of American men declare their personal style to be defined. That they think about their personal style is worthy of note. In addition, according to Euromonitor, 11% of men started using facial cleanser in the last three years and 6.1% of men said they now buy it a couple times a month.
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Christopher, the name of the boy, disclosed this to his mother at their residence located at Coker Alhaja Street, Old Akute Road, Iju, mentioning that Isiaka had raped him through his anus when he was sent on errands to his kiosk.

The boy was taken to Mirabel Centre for tests where it was confirmed that he was actually raped, with further tests done to make sure he has no infection as a result of the incident.

His mother then reported to the case to the Police Station leading to the arrest of Isiaka on Saturday, February 20, 2016.

According to Punch Metro, Christopher mentioned to his mother that Isiaka told him that he would die if he should report the matter to his parents.

Reports also stated that his parents became suspicious when the boy was sent on an errand and returned with his pants soaked after staying longer than usual.

A neighbour who gave accounts of the incident is quoted as saying, Isiaka sells items across the road in his shop. The boys parents used to send him on errands to the shops. He bought household items like sugar, milk and biscuits from Isiaka. We call him mallam.

It was on Saturday that the boy got the courage to open up on the incident. The boy said mallam had been raping him in his shop anytime he ran errands for his parents.

The boy said the mallam warned him that if he opened up to his mother, he was going to die. The mother calmed him that he was not going to die as the mallam threatened.

About two Mondays ago, the boy came back from school and he was asked to go and buy items from the shop. He came back with his pants soaked. He later confessed that the mallam had raped him about eight times.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Tajudeen Elias, ordered that the accused be remanded in Kirikiri Prison and adjourned the case till Feb. 29 for bail application.

Emeruwa, a trader, of No.13, Africa Road, Ifako Ijaiye, a suburb of Lagos, is facing a two-count charge of rape and assault.

The prosecutor, Insp. Benedict Aigbokhan, told the court that the offences were committed between 2013 and Feb. 8, 2016 in the residence of the accused.

Aigbokhan said Emeruwa is the step father of the 15-year-old victim, who lives with him and her mother.

"One of their neighbours heard the victim crying at midnight and suspected something must be going on. She then called the victim in the morning to ask her about it.

"The victim narrated how the accused defiled her when she was 12 years old and since then, had continued to have his way with her, Aigbokhan said.

The prosecutor also told the court that the victim told her mother, who is a wife to the accused but she instructed her not to tell anyone.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravene Sections 168 and 259 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
According to , Dr Adenike Odewabi, Chairman of the South-West division of the association said that the current crisis could have been avoided if the government had engaged the doctors formally.

During the meeting that held in Ile-Ife, Osun state, Odewabi emphasized that the government of Osun state was unjust to the doctors of the state and that The Rauf Aregbesola led administration had an obnoxious tax regime.
This time, the

According to Premium Times, the Ekiti state PDP spokesman, Diran Odeyemi said Now that all the ill-conceived measures to cow the doctors have failed and the Plan B of replacing them with new intakes had been frustrated by the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Governor Aregbesola, wants to experiment with the use of native doctors.

Adding that the Governor Aregbesola has a rich history of odd actions all in a bid to be unique. If a governor could unilaterally change the education system in Osun from the 6-3-3-4 operating across the country to 4-6-3 by recategorising primary and secondary schools in the state to Elementary, Middle and High Schools, then his plans to replace orthodox medical doctors with native doctors in this modern age cannot be dismissed with a wave of hand.

Odeyemi also accused the Governor of disrupting the educations system in the state.

He said It is truly depressing that a once shining light among states of the federation could be reduced to the least in every aspect that is noble in the space of five years.

Osun in the last WAEC rating was 29th and least in the entire South West of Nigeria. In 2010, this same state was 9th in the entire country according to WAEC rating.
Read the post below:

Nigeria's elected leaders are legally entitled to paid holiday and typically they take these holidays in exotic foreign holiday destinations.

But the world is changing. Nigeria is changing. And as Nigerians, we have to adjust our behaviours so that they make economic sense in today's world.

Instead of vacationing overseas, why can't our leaders vacation at scenic and beautiful Nigerian locations such as Yankari Games Reserve in Bauchi, Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River or Mambilla Plateau in Taraba or even the Gashaka Gumti Games Reserve, also in Taraba?

I have holidayed in these places and they are as beautiful as any holiday location anywhere in the world. Our economy is facing challenges.

We need to be looking at non-oil resources and tourism is one area we can make a honest buck. But which tourist would come to Nigeria if our own elite refuse to holiday here? Consider the history of The US and The UK.

Their leaders habitually spend their vacations within their nations. It is a rarity for them to holiday overseas. US President Barrack Obama recently returned from his vacation to Hawaii while British Prime Minister had his last vacation in Cornwall in The UK.

Our leaders, be they the President or any of the 36 state governors, are the chief marketing officers for the nation and their states.

Their presence in a local holiday resort or attraction draws the attention of the world. Since they have such capital, should they not spend it in Nigeria rather than abroad? And it is not just leaders who should so act.

All of us should begin to patronize local tourist attractions. Tourism fetches South Africa over $5 billion annually and $1 billion in Kenya. In Nigeria, tourism is so insignificant because we do not make enough efforts to attract tourists.

Our Naira is nose diving and the only way to salvage the situation is to#BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira.
The group's National Director of Information, Sunny Okereafor, made threat while speaking to Vanguard on Monday, February 22.

MASSOB also threatened to drag the Muhammadu Buhari administration to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Hague, over the killings of pro Biafra protesters.

MASSOB is worried at the rate at which defenceless pro Biafra agitators are being killed. It is unheard of to have soldiers shoot people who were gathered for prayers. We believe it is a strategy to incite the people of the South East and South-South to war," Okereafor said.

"These are antics we know too well. We refuse to be deceived. The people of the former Eastern region have been thoroughly provoked. MASSOB will not keep quiet at these senseless killings and have decided to let the international community know about the atrocities being committed by Nigerian security agents.

MASSOB have concluded plans to take our case to the International Court of Justice, Hague. We have compiled our evidences on the killings and the dramatis personae. Our group will not keep quiet on these acts of killings of innocent citizens.
Citing a reliable source at the EFCC, the report said Moro was arrested today, February 22, in connection with the 2014 immigration recruitment scam.

At least 20 job seekers were reported dead across the country in the March 15, 2014 recruitment exercise.

Abba Moro is currently with us, the source was quoted to have said. "And most likely he will be charged to court.

According to Premium Times, a former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Anaesthesia Nwaobia, and a deputy director who allegedly facilitated the scam, were also arrested.

Report says they will be arraigned on a 12-count charge in the Federal High Court Abuja tomorrow, February 23.

The charges against Moro and the two other former staff of the ministry include, obtaining by false pretence, procurement offences, money laundering and other corrupt practices.

Following the tragedy, Nigerians had demanded the resignation or dismissal of Moro and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, David Parradang, as well as their criminal prosecution for involuntary homicide.
Briefing to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, February 23, ASUU President, Dr Nasir Isa, said the Union is concerned at the way the Federal Government, both immediate past and the current dispensation, is disregarding due process in the University stystem.

The Federal Government had on February 12, announced the sacking of the vice-chancellors and named replacement.

READ: He said the same illegality played out in the Goodluck Jonathan administration, as he appointed the vice chancellors on personal whim.

Isa said: Going by the provisions of the Nigerian University Miscellaneous (Amendment) Act 2003, only the Governing Councils are bestowed with the powers of appointing and removing vice-chancellors.

The latest action in these universities has justified our consistent demand for proper governance structure and process in Nigerian University System.

In the first place, vice-chancellors were arbitrarily appointed into these institutions and the governing councils instituted without making their enabling law public.

We are worried that the same cycle of illegality is playing out again.

In a university where there is the law, only the governing council is empowered to remove a vice-chancellor from office for a good cause."

In accordance to the law, Isa said, only a council has the power to appoint a vice-Chancellor

He quoted the University Amendment Act of 2003, 4 (b) as saying; "the council shall select and appoint as vice-Chancellor , one candidate from among three candidates recommended to it and thereby inform the visitor."

The ASUU president added that the vice chancellor could only be removed from office by the governing council on grounds of conduct or inability to discharge the function of the office.

This could be as a result of infirmity of the body or mind, at the initiative of the council, senate or the congregation after due process.

We, therefore, call on the Federal Government to tow the path of legality and due process by gazetting the law appointing the councils, he said.
A statement signed by Turaki Hassan, Special Adviser, Media/Public Affairs to the Speaker, said Dogara gave the assurance when received a delegation from the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR).

The statement was issued to newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

Dogara said that efforts were on top gear by relevant committees in the House to ensure that Nigeria domesticate and ratify the UN Kampala treaty on the rights of refugees.

He said that the committees would soon conclude work on the document and submit it at plenary for further legislative action.

He said that the bill for the establishment of the proposed North-East Commission and the Kampala Commission were also before the committees.

He added the report of the committees would be brought before the House during plenary for consideration.

"Hopefully we will pass it and in no distant time, it will be ratified," he said.

The speaker told the delegation that in recognition of the plight of IDPs and the need to rehabilitate and resettle them, the House constituted a committee on IDPs.
Rep. Abdulrazak Namdas (APC-Adamawa), the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said this when he visited the Headquarters of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Namdas expressed concern over conflicting figures discovered in the budget proposal, saying that the legislature was committed to addressing the anomalies.

He said that the sacking of some personnel in the Budget Office had vindicated the lawmakers from the misconception that the National Assembly was responsible for padding the budget.

"This problem is not with the National Assembly, so the padding is not done by the National assembly.

"In fact, we should be commended for identifying some areas that became problematic and we are working hand in hand with the executive to see how we can solve this problem in the best interest of this country.

"And that is why we had to shift the idea of passing the budget by Feb. 25, because we realised there were conflicting issues, Namdas said.

According to the lawmaker, NASS must tinker with the budget to address the issues of conflicting figures.
Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky has been missing since the December 2015 attack in which the islamic movement in Nigeria claimed over 800 of their members were killed while others are still missing.

But counsel to the commission, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Yusuf Ali said he has been asked to find out the whereabouts of the leader of the Shiites and report back to the commission.

The commission's chairman also assured all parties involved that they will conduct a true, fair and impartial investigation on the matter.

The judicial panel chairman also informed the Army who were present at the inaugural sitting to ensure they attend every sitting.

The Shiite group had before now faulted the 13-man composition of the panel on the ground that it was one sided.
The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Abiodun Tobun, spoke with newsmen in Lagos after an inspection of some dredging projects in the state.

"It is tax payers' money that is being spent on the projects; government fund has been appropriately apportioned, so the money must be judiciously spent.

"Those who abandon government projects should pay the contract money back to the government and we will bring them to the chamber of the House if they fail to do that.

"We will expose such persons and let Lagos residents know them. They have been given enough money to make profit and if you put the capital and profit in your pocket, you will be brought to book and dealt with.

"We will write our reports and bring the person to the floor of the House, then take a decision and send it to the governor to take action on such contractors," he said.

Tobun said that the committee went on oversight functions to see some of the projects in the state and see their level of development.

He said that they went to see what was on ground with a view to reviewing the projects.

"We were able to visit two projects including the channelisation of Ajegunle-Ilo Aboru that was awarded to Dolly Dredging that is on-going and another project in Egbe, which is also on-going.

"As far as I am concerned, the project in Aboru is not encouraging. The rate at which the project is going is questionable and it is not encouraging at all," he said.

According to him, a contractor, Dolly Dredging has been summoned to tell the House what their challenges are following the slow pace of the work.

He said: "It is giving us a setback. So, we need to see them and see how far they have gone because they are delaying the development of the state.
This was contained in a statement signed by Mr Alade Lawal, the Secretary General of the association and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos.

The association made the call in reaction to the recent allegation made by Mrs Kemi Adeosun that 23,000 ghost workers were discovered in the pay roll of the Federal Civil Service.

Alade stressed the need for the government to investigate the allegation in order not to jeopardize the jobs of several civil servants who use micro finance banks as points for payment of their salaries.

"This is the reason why we are calling for due diligence on the matter to establish if truly thousands of ghost workers exist in the Federal Civil Service.

"The Federal Government must set up a joint government-labour investigation panel to establish the authenticity of the claim.

"We want to reiterate our stance that if in the final analysis, some workers are found culpable, the full weight of the law should be applied, he said.

The ASCSN scribe said that a few years ago, a similar alarm was raised about ghost workers in the Federal Civil Service, but after investigation it was discovered to be a hoax.
Some elders in the state made up of: Ahmed Uthman, Abdullahi Adamu, Justice Badamasi Maina, Justice Ahmed Ubangari, Hussaini Zanuwa Akwanga, Anthony Sani, Dauda Kigbu, Jonah Ogbole, Anthony Yamusa and A.B Tanko had swung into action following many weeks of strike by Nasarawa State workers.

With the help of the elders, the state government and the workers agreed that salaries would be paid through the use of the usual template.

We have agreed on the implementation of CONMESS as is receiving attention by the state Government. The Head of Service, Organized Labour and Intervention group will submit it report within two months. A committee on the 500 Housing Units consisting of members of organized labour and the State government will be set up Adeke said.

According to him, part of the agreement reached was that the State Government will constitute members of the state Civil Service Commission.

He said they urged the government to liaise with Skye Bank to submit the report of screening exercise and the payment of full salary to Local Government workers.

The State Government shall keep Local Government salary in case of shortage till next month was paid. Council chairmen should as matter of urgency suspend the proposed Council screening exercise. Approved the payment of salary by Local Government Education Authority while the disbursement of would be made by Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board.

That Government should process all promotions from January but without benefit due to economic crunch. All increment from 2007 to date is waived. Government should address omission of names of civil servants. State Government should ascertain the numbers of pensioner in the state. A committee be set up at the point of agreement part of the agreement stated.

The Union also redirects the government to ensure autonomy for tertiary institutions and released N20 million for retirees. Nassarawa State Head of Service, Joseph Ancho, commended the Union and the workers for their patient during the strike action.
According to Vanguard, following the shootout, some students of the Kenule Beeson Sarowiwa Polytechnic in Bori said on getting to class, they discovered that academic activities had been suspended indefinitely.

"We were told the school said it was lecture free day from yesterday till further notice. We are sure they dont want to announce closure for now, they are studying the situation, they said.

The tension arising from the clash also forced motor parks, the market and major stores in the area to shut down, the newspaper gathered.

Report said community sources saw five corpses on Taabaa street, adding that people were living in fear.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was prolonged exchange of gun fire on Monday between soldiers and suspected militants defending the home of Ndigbara.

But addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt, Brig.-Gen. Stevenson Olabanji, the Commander of the 2 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, said there was no loss of life during the incident.

"Around 12 noon on Monday, we received reports of gun fire in Yeghe community, Gokana Local Government Area and I immediately dispatched my Commanding Officer to investigate the incident.

On reaching the house of Solomon Ndigbara, who had been declared wanted by the army for gun running, some hoodlums fired at the commanding officer.

The attack on the commanding officer led to a gun battle between our forces and hoodlums which resulted in them (hoodlums) being chased out from the community.

We learnt that the hoodlums, who fled Yeghe community, later went to Bori community in Khana Local Government Area and burnt down a campaign office belonging to APC,'' he said.

Olabanji said that the command had assessed the situation in Bori and was currently "conducting a stabilisation operation with focus on arresting criminals who committed that heinous crime.

No soldier was killed or sustained gunshot injury nor was there anybody (civilian) killed during the operation, he said.

Olabanji also denied accusations that the army was being used by some powerful individuals and groups to influence political interest in the state.

The accusation, he said, was propaganda as no personnel in the brigade would be involved in such activities.

Olabanji also paraded seven suspected cultists accused of masterminding the killings of civilians a fortnight ago in Omoku community in Onelga Local Government Area of the state.

He said that the vehicle used by the suspected cultists had been recovered, adding that they had provided useful information to aid further investigation.

The army commander further said that his officers had recovered arms and ammunitions during a two- month mop-up operation in the state.

During our two-month operation against illegal bunkering and other criminal elements, we recovered 10 AK-47 rifles, three G3 rifles, eight pump action rifles, 14 dane guns and nine locally made pistols.

We also recovered one sub-machine gun, two Berretta pistols, 1,073 assorted live ammunitions, two boat engine lines, several military camouflage uniforms among others.

Several suspects were also arrested during the period and handed over to other security agencies for further investigation and prosecution,'' he said.

He gave an assurance that the state would no longer be a safe haven for criminals as the brigade would hunt down perpetrators of crime.
Magistrate Mohammed Auwal Yusuf of Magistrate Court II, Gabasawa, Kaduna, in his ruling struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction and proper representation.

The court said the complainant and the respondents are not known to law and that Gidan Daji community has no low-cost standing to file such a case.

Council to Uba Sani, Barrister Abdulrauf Atiku, said the court has struck out the matter in the basis that it has no jurisdiction to entertain the matter since they have not filed the matter with proper parties and a court cannot adjudicate on a matter without proper parties.
The group had earlier claimed responsibility for an attack on the Forcados Terminal Pipeline in Delta State, Vanguard reports.

The latest threat was made via a statement released by the group and obtained by Vanguard.

It reads:

Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, Forcados terminal is our latest casualty. There are many more to follow in the days and weeks ahead.

The same factor that brought about the Niger Delta arms struggle is fast resurfacing as the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is poised to exterminate Niger Delta people for being benevolent enough to allow the nations mono-economy thrive on our oil.

We are being oppressed, pushed to the wall on various fronts, which is why we have picked up the challenge to be the outlaws this government will have to contend with till daily production of oil is reduced to zero in the Niger Delta, so government can use the oil from the North to run Nigerias mono-economy.

We believe that Nigeria can practice true federalism where our resources will be controlled by us and used for our own good. The reverse is the case today, where the goose that lays the golden egg is killed along with the egg.
In a statement signed by Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant-Media and Publicity to the Vice President, he said Osinbajo and his wife were in Abuja on the said date, describing the reports as "erroneous and mischievous."

"For the avoidance of any doubt, the Vice President and his wife were in Abuja on the said date. In fact, they both attended worship service earlier in the day-a Sunday- at the Aso Rock Villa Chapel alongside several other Nigerians including my humble self", Akande said.4
The demonstrators can be seen holding placards which ask Saraki to leave the Senate and face his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

The protesters are also demanding that Senator Kabiru Marafa, who is facing a suspension, be left alone.

Marafa attracted controversy after he criticized the Senate and accused Saraki of blackmailing Buhariwith claims that the 2016 budget was padded.

The Senate subsequently instructed its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate Marafa.

The Senator has however said that nobody can suspend him from the legislative chamber.

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It's different, original, and is set to bring something new to the Nigerian film industry this 2016.

Thanks to its official Instagram page, we have 10 important and interesting facts you would love to know about the war film before it hits cinemas.

ALSO READ: undefined

Starring Ramsey Nouah, Rita Dominic, Ibinabo Fiberesima, Chidi Mokeme, "76" is inspired by events which led to and followed the botched 1976 coup detat.

Check out 10 things you should know before "76" hits cinemas.

1. "76" was shot in the ancient city of Ibadan.

2. A total of 11 vintage cars were used in the movie.

3. The movie is set 6 years after the Nigerian civil war.

4. 118 cans of film were used during shoot.

5. The cast were trained for 21 days by the Nigerian Defence Academy.

ALSO READ: undefined

6. 76 was shot in 16mm.

7. The war film is the first film in Nigerian history to be shot inside the barracks.

8. "76" features real life and archived footage.

ALSO READ: undefined

9. The film was shot with the approval and support from the Nigerian Army.

10. About 200 cast and crew members were on set of the movie.

Synopsis. Six years after the civil war, a young officer from the middle belt gets entangled in a romantic relationship with a beautiful O-Level student from the Southeastern part of Nigeria.

Their budding romance was almost ruptured by endless military postings. Now heavily pregnantt her walls came crumbling when the news of her husband's involvement in a botched coup attempt hits the headlines.
The PDP BoT also decided, after a long meeting on Monday, February 22, 2016, that Sheriff is not fit to run the party, The Nation reports.

The trustees position was disclosed by Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, who presided over the meeting in Abuja

We are going to propose viable solution to this problem after we must have consulted with other organs and relevant stakeholders in the party, Jibrin said.

PDP chieftains who attended the meeting include Professor Jerry Gana, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Senator Jonah Jang and Senator Adolphus Wabara among others.

Meanwhile, Sheriff has said that he will not resign as PDP Chairman.

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In response, the former minister said that hes waiting to see what Sheriff will do to him.

We are more than ready to meet Senator Ali Modu Sheriff in court. It would be a pleasure to expose him for what he is. The days of intimidating, silencing and threatening others are long over, he said.

If Sheriff is a Goliath, let him be rest assured that he has finally met his David. Needless to say we stand by everything that we have said, he added.

Sheriff has also said that he will not resign from the position of PDP Chairman despite the controversy caused by his appointment.

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According to Leadership, the town hall meeting was scheduled to address the security situation in Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni council area of the state.

Wike said the chairmen, through their action, showed that they were not concerned about the security situation in the region.

He also said It is our duty to protect the lives and property of our people; I must tell you that we are also prepared to do so.

We have directed security agencies to do the needful to ensure that calm returns to the affected communities.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, recently accused Wike of acting like a dictator.
The tenure of the current president of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor will come to an end in July this year so plans for choosing his successor is already underway.

The National Director of CRU, Dr. Ebenezer Abednego, has said that the union will resist any plans by the president to install anyone in the CAN presidency.

While speaking to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Abednego said, Our determination to resist Buhari and APC in determining who becomes President of CAN is a battle of no retreat, no surrender. A top official in the Presidency, who is spearheading the campaign, has started deploying resources for logistics towards ensuring the emergence of a church leader in the Northern part of the country believed to be friendly to Buhari.

The government official funding some religious leaders in the North who have been recruited as foot soldiers to perfect the strategy. There is tension now in CAN and the action of the Presidency has polarised the association along North  South dichotomy as Northern religious are being lobbied to support the plot, he added.

Olusola alleged that the APC government is desperate to ensure the emergence of its candidate in CAN who will lead the Nigerian Christians community.

We have it on good authority that any leader being installed by the Presidency in CAN would avoid any virulent criticism of the Buhari government and this has informed their desperate to install a leadership that will not be critical.

But we are vehemently opposed to government meddling into a purely religious affairs and should the Presidency succeed in installing an APC/Buhari stooge in CAN, we will pull out of CAN. We are ready for them, we have it on good authority that some Muslim leaders from the North are behind the plot. But by the power in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, every knee shall bow and they wont succeed, he said.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communications, Mr. Femi Adesina has however, dismissed this allegations.

He said, "It means that some Nigerians do not know their President; Your President, does not interfere in things like that; so they need to know the person who is their President.
Leadership reports that the CAN President is also nursing the idea of being a lifetime Chairman of Board of trustee should the third term agenda fail to scale through at next week Tuesdays meeting in Abuja.

According to an unnamed source, Already, the CAN President and his team have drafted the constitution to create more blocks in CAN so that the third term bid for Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor can be realized or he becomes life Board Chairman of the CAN.

If the agenda does not go through, they (CAN officials) would postpone the election till further notice.I am saying this so that Christian leaders would know the antics of the CAN President.Pastor Ayo is scared of facing trial over his involvement in the Arms deal and other financial scandals and wants to hide under CAN, that is why he does not want to leave office.

He does not want to be investigated by President Buhari and wants to remain in CAN to get Christians support and sentiment that is why he is pushing for constitutional amendment now knowing that his tenure will soon expire in less than five months.

Already, there is clause in the current constitution that forbids any amendment until a six-month notice is given to all the blocs of CAN. So, there is no way we can review the constitution now.

Some Christian leaders have threatened to take legal action should Pastor Ayo insist or use money to buy states representatives to vote in favour of his illegal and unpopular constitution amendment during Tuesday meeting, the source added.

Another option according the source is to mobilize like minded Christian leaders to form a new Christian body that will stand for truth and righteousness.

Chairman of the northern chapter of CAN, Professor Daniel Babaye, has however said that while the amendment of the constitution is being considered, there are no plans to approve a third term clause.
The students were enraged after 8 buses registered with the union were vandalised by NURTW for refusing to pay a N200 fee.

The clash began at about 10am. Students reportedly barricaded both lanes of the LASU-Isheri Road.

Policemen and some senior officers of the NURTW were able to prevent the clash from escalating but motorist in the area had to endure traffic jam while the fight was going on.

One witness said, He said, There are two kinds of vehicles plying the Iyana Iba Road. We have the normal yellow commercial buses, and those registered with the LASU SUG, and are painted white.

Once you are registered with the students, you are mandated to be paying a monthly due of N2,000 and your vehicle is re-painted for identification.

Problem started when the touts, who collect N200 from the yellow buses, mandated the students buses to be paying the same amount, which they said was unfair to them. They said their buses were supposed to be paying N100 at most.

A student of LASU, who asked not to be named, said the road was blocked so that some vehicles seized by the NURTW could be recovered.

He said, The NURTW attacked the students union buses this morning and vandalised their windscreens. It was the students that trooped out to avenge the damage. The officials of the SUG came out later to meet the NURTW and the police to resolve the issues.

Chairman of the NURTW, Lagos State, Tajudeen Agbede made a few things clear regarding the issue, saying, "what happened was that the students have their buses, which they use on the campus. But suddenly, they decided to convert some of the commercial buses to students buses by re-painting them. And these vehicles still ply the normal routes, which is wrong.
At a panel themed Access Nigeria: Connecting Citizens To the Government Using Technology hosted by BudgITNigeria, panelists including a representative from the EFCC and the Head, Police Complaint Response Unit, Mr. Abayomi Shogunle, and a representative of BudgIT Nigeria, discussed the many ways in which the crime-fighting organizations were engaging the citizens via technology.

The panel was moderated by Ugochi Ekpeme, a representative of a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) based out of Abuja.

The BudgIT representative who identified himself as Stanley, revealed that the organization wants to collaborate with government and is already collaborating with the government in certain key areas.

He further went on to explain that Access Nigeria is a group of civil society organizations that aim to bridge the gap between the citizenry and the government in terms of keeping track of the activities of the government and provide the public with the necessary information.

Mr. Abayomi Shogunle spoke on the establishment of the Citizen Response Unit (CRU) of the Nigerian Police Force revealing that the CRU is the first of its kind in sub-saharan Africa, adding that more than 3,000 cases were reported and handled by the CRU in the first 60 days.

Shogunle further revealed that the Police was actively finding ways to communicate with the public better via all possible channels including telephone calls, WhatsApp, BBM, Twitter and so on.
The Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies said the images showed that construction of facilities at Cuarteron Reef appeared nearly complete and that the artificial island now covered an area of about 52 acres (210,500 square meters).

"Two probable radar towers have been built on the northern portion of the feature, and a number of 65-foot (20-meter) poles have been erected across a large section of the southern portion," the report said.

"These poles could be a high-frequency radar installation, which would significantly bolster China's ability to monitor surface and air traffic across the southern portion of the South China Sea."

China's foreign and defense ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The report said the images showed that China appeared to have constructed a buried bunker and lighthouse on the northern portion of the feature, a helipad, communications equipment and a quay with a loading crane.

The report, which based its analysis on satellite images from January and February, said China already had significant radar coverage of the northern part of the South China Sea given its mainland installations and in the Paracel Islands to the northwest of the Spratlys.

Both the U.S. and Vietnam last week expressed concern at China's deployment of advanced surface-to-air missiles on the Paracels.

A high frequency radar on Cuarteron Reef would increase China's ability to monitor sea and air traffic coming north from the Malacca Straits and other important channels, the report said.

It also pointed to "probable" radars at Gaven, Hughes and Johnson South Reefs in the Spratlys as well as helipads, and to possible gun emplacements at the former two features.
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
The Gathering of the Green will return to downtown Davenport next month, bringing more than 2,500 antique John Deere tractor collectors and enthusiasts to the Quad-Cities.

Planned for March 16-19 at the Davenport RiverCenter, the Gathering of the Green draws John Deere two-cylinder and New Generation tractor collectors, restorers and enthusiasts for a four-day conference with three days of workshops, speakers, tours and other activities. Founded in 2000, the biennial event draws visitors from coast to coast as well as abroad.

"It takes hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours to put this event together over a two-year period," said Tony Knobbe, the event's chairman.

The gathering is a chance for enthusiasts to come together, share stories, learn about tractor restoration and other topics and shop vendors for everything from replacement parts to John Deere manuals, signs, toys, clothing and other memorabilia.

Founded and led by an all-volunteer committee, Knobbe said, "It's like a family reunion, where you go to see your friends. They are all collectors and enthusiasts in one fashion or another."

The biennial event came to life in 2000 when members of four regional John Deere tractor clubs recognized the need for a national conference for collectors. Those founding clubs  Deer Valley Collectors from the Quad-City area, Valley Two-Cylinder Club, Northeastern Illinois Twin-Cylinder Club and Northwest Illinois Deer Collectors  remain active in staffing the event with volunteers.

Knobbe said Deere & Co. itself is not involved in the planning.

"The company does provide enthusiastic support of us," he said.

With a theme of "Forge to Farm," this year's lineup includes more than 60 technical and historic workshops, including sessions for spouses and evening programs; 70 vendors; John Deere factory and ag-related tours; and an auction. Extensive displays will include tractors and implements owned by collectors as well as a vintage barn, early 1900s corn crib and an old-time livery stable.

This year's event will include these featured speakers:

 Don McKinley will speak at the opening event at 7 p.m. March 17. McKinley and his son-in-law, Marvin Huber, have created a 1930s agricultural museum in Quincy, Ill., filled with early farm implements they have been collecting. He will trace the evolution of farm equipment from the early settlers to present day.

 Dr. Jerry Apps, Wisconsin author, historian and PBS broadcaster, will be the keynote banquet speaker at 6 p.m. March 19. His presentation is titled "Rural Wit and Wisdom."

Workshop topics will include plows, combines, planters, decals, cooling systems, fine tuning a two-cylinder tractor, New Gen hydraulics and diesel repair and more.

With an estimated 2,500 visitors, Knobbe said the event traditionally has more than a $1 million economic impact on the Quad-City economy. To date, registrations indicate visitors from 40 different states and three foreign countries.

For more information or to register, visit gatheringofthegreen.com.

If You Go What: Gathering of the Green conference When: March 16-19 Workshop hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., March 17-19. Vendor hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., March 17 and 18; and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 19. The event opens with check-in and registration March 16 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and an opening night reception at 7 p.m. Where: RiverCenter, 136 E. 3rd St., Davenport Cost: $10 for a single day; $40 for full conference. Future Farmers of America and 4H students can attend for free by wearing clothing with the clubs logo. More information: info@gatheringofthegreen.com or call/text 563-886-7383.
MUSCATINE  Office furniture maker HNI Corp. has been awarded $579,523 in tax benefits from the state of Iowa to help modernize some of its Muscatine manufacturing plants.

The funding, awarded Friday by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, will assist HNI in its plans for a $23 million modernization project.

Tina Hoffman, spokeswoman for the state authority, said HNI's capital investment will add capability, capacity and productivity to its Muscatine operations. The award was made through the state's High Quality Jobs Program.

HNI was awarded tax benefits based on a $17.8 million capital investment, she said. The project is expected to retain 175 jobs at $17.60 per hour.

Hoffman said the credits include a $200,000 investment tax credit; a $259,523 sales, service, use tax refund; and a $120,000 research activities credit.

Gary Carlson, HNI's vice president of community relations, said the company is planning a three-year modernization project at multiple facilities in Muscatine. The updates will primarily be made in equipment with new advanced manufacturing equipment, robotics and programmable controllers.

"This allows us to increase our efficiency and productivity, and (retain) strong employment in Muscatine," he said.

HNI employs 3,700 people in Muscatine.

According to Carlson, the projects will be phased in and will include the company's Oak Steel plant, Central Region Distribution Center, Highway 61 facility, its technical center and its Geneva plant, which are all part of HNI's office furniture facilities.

The project also will receive a 10-year loan for $240,000 from the Revolving Loan Fund of the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Work is slated to begin as early as late February and continue in 2017 and 2018.

The state board approved assistance Friday for a total of $53 million in new capital investments across Iowa, which will create 159 jobs and retain 675 jobs. The other projects were in West Des Moines, Johnston, Cedar Falls, Centerville and Orange City.
Victoria Volk entered St. Ambrose University in Davenport three years ago as a nursing major.

But soon she found her true passion in a field that traditionally has been geared more toward men.

The 21-year-old junior now is a mechanical engineering major focused on biomedical engineering, which allows her to stay in the medical field but also gives her a chance to use her math and science skills.

And that is why she is especially excited to participate in this week's National Engineering Week activities at the Davenport university.

Among them is a major event Tuesday where 550 girls ages 3 to 13 will participate in hands-on activities to get them excited and educated about the engineering field.

I like it, Volk said. "It's great, especially to get kids involved in these fields."

The St. Ambrose Engineering and Physical Science Department hosts its fourth annual event Introduce a Girl to Engineering on Tuesday. The program is a carnival of STEM  science, technology, engineering and math  activities for girls only.

The event began in 2011 as a spinoff of an event previously held by the department for female high school-age students that had lost momentum. In the initial year, the event brought in nearly 200 participants and ignited what school officials said was an excitement in not only the high schoolers but also in parents, teachers and the faculty.

In addition to the high schoolers, dozens of company sponsors and supporting volunteers participated.

Dr. Jodi Prosise, chair of the school's Engineering and Physical Science Department, said careers in STEM-related fields will make up much of the future job growth in the U.S. and worldwide, citing statistics from the National Academies in 2010.

Engineering is one of the most exciting and rewarding career fields out there, Prosise said. Above all else, engineers are problem-solvers. They use math and science to solve problems in all different types of areas. Engineers help design systems in buildings, improve processes at hospitals, and they can design medical devices or automobiles or spaceships.

Nearly every single thing we use today, from our toothbrush in the morning to the chair you sit in at work, have been touched by an engineer in some way.

She said there is a great need for engineers, including in the Quad-Cities.

The Quad-City area has many employers that hire engineers, she said. According to the city of Davenport website, of the top 100 employers in the Quad-City area, 40 are engineering companies.

Prosise said the Quad-Cities was ranked 16th best metro area for high-tech employment growth from 2006 to 2011.

Gender gaps in science and math performance have been closing, but gaps in STEM self-concept and aspirations remain large, she said. Several factors influence whether a young girl chooses to pursue STEM careers, including parental influence and involvement as well as peers. If STEM subjects are taught with interesting hands-on projects, students, especially girls, find it more interesting, appealing and meaningful.

Volk did not get involved in engineering until after she was referred to Prosise.

We talked a little bit about the field, said Volk, who is from Tremont, Ill. "There are so many options available."

Last year, she worked on a team that created a neurally controlled arm prosthesis that is being used by a man in Brazil who has no arms or legs. Volk was among a group from St. Ambrose who visited him last year.

It was a great experience, she said. "It was amazing."

This year, her group is working to perfect another arm prosthesis at an affordable price that the same man will be given. Ultimately, she said they hope to create an affordable product that can be manufactured.

Meanwhile, Prosise said the school's Society of Women Engineers and Women in Science and Engineering groups are helpful in the entire process.

They are two terrific ways to support and promote women in STEM fields, she said. These groups foster a sense of belonging for young women majoring in biology, chemistry, mathematics, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science by creating a network of peers who mentor each other, mentor younger girls, and are mentored by women faculty or industry experts."
The Davenport fire union forced a conversation with city leaders over staffing levels after filing a complaint with the state days ahead of the City Council approving this year's budget.

The budget aldermen are poised to approve at Wednesday's City Council meeting includes $255,000 in cuts to the fire department with the elimination of several top-level staff positions.

The Davenport Association of Professional Firefighters Local 17 filed a prohibitive practice complaint Friday with the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board.

The union's president, Ryan Hanghian, said Interim City Administrator Corri Spiegel and Aldermen Jason Gordon, at large, and Jeff Justin, 6th Ward, agreed to meet with him and other union members on Monday. Hanghian considered the discussion "uneventful," but he believes the aldermen at least have a better understanding of the union's concerns over staffing levels.

"We're working toward a solution," Hanghian said. "It may not be the best solution. It may not be one we're OK with or we can agree with, but it might be one we can live with."

Spiegel declined to comment Tuesday.

Justin and Gordon also declined to comment. Justin said that aldermen have been advised by the city's corporate counsel not to comment on the issue.

Fire Chief Lynn Washburn said she arranged for Monday's meeting.

"It was a normal, scheduled union management meeting," the fire chief said. "I asked the union if it would be OK to invite Corri and the aldermen. We had a very good discussion."

Washburn said that she and city staff are talking about "a couple of solutions" to cut the fire department's budget, but she declined to elaborate what those solutions are.

Hanghian said the complaint was filed after Washburn told him that six staff personnel  a district chief, a captain, two lieutenants and two engineers  will be demoted this year, four of whom were just promoted to those posts in December.

The complaint alleges the city blames the union for the demotions and has ordered union representatives to stop posting signs around town about the issue.

"I didn't stand up at a mayor's press conference that we were OK with the current level of staffing," Hanghian said. "Because of that, our membership was thrown back on the table for demotions. That's not fair. We don't make department policy."

The union originally agreed to leave three positions open. But, Hanghian said, he backed out of agreeing to the deal because the city would not assure him that future open positions in the department would be filled.

He said that union members have gotten pushback on the signs, which have popped up on yards around the city.

"Our membership has a right," Hanghian said. "This community has the right to know what they're getting for their tax dollar."

Hanghian added that a union member was "verbally reprimanded" by the fire department's non-union management staff "for contacting his alderman."

Complaints filed with the Public Employment Relations Board typically take "weeks to months" to process, said the board's legal secretary Nancy Anders. Once one is filed, a complaint is assigned to an administrative law judge to review.

Even as the council takes up the vote on the budget Wednesday, cuts will not take effect until July 1, when the next fiscal year begins.

Spiegel has said all of the city's 11 departments have had to propose 2 percent in cuts, adding the budget "maintains the same number of funded front-line Fire Department positions as exists today."

Public sentiment for Davenport's firefighters has extended beyond yard signs, with a handful of local businesses posting messages on their boards saying "We love our firefighters."

Hanghian said the timing of the complaint is not due so much to the council vote on the budget as a response to the treatment of union members by city officials.

"We want our guys to be treated fairly," he said. "They're allowed to do certain things. Freedom of speech is allowed."
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, confirmed Tuesday there will be no Judiciary Committee hearings on whomever President Barack Obama nominates to succeed Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Grassley had left the door open to a hearing, albeit only slightly. But in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee chairman, along with other Republicans on the panel, said they would hold no hearings.

"We intend to exercise the constitutional power granted the Senate under Article II, Section 2 to ensure the American people are not deprived of the opportunity to engage in a full and robust debate over the type of jurist they wish to decide some of the most critical issues of our time," the letter said.

Scalia died on Feb. 13, and since then debate has erupted over a successor. The president has said that he intends to nominate somebody to replace Scalia. But Senate Republicans, including Grassley, have said they want the new justice to be picked by the next president  and that the 2016 election is a forum for debating what type of justice should be picked.

Grassley had left the door open to a hearing last week, when in answer to a question from an Iowa reporter, he said he would take the process "a step at a time." But before the week was done, he was saying that it would not make sense to hold hearings given his preference that the next president pick Scalia's replacement.

Tuesday's letter leaves no doubt.

Grassley has been under pressure to move ahead with hearings. Democrats have said he's shirking his duty. Also, a group called Justice Not Politics, which is led by former Iowa lieutenant governors Sally Pederson, a Democrat, and Joy Corning, a Republican, has begun airing television ads in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines urging that he hold hearings.

Republicans, though, have seized on comments by Vice President Joe Biden in defending themselves. In a floor statement Monday, Grassley pointed to a June 1992 floor statement from Biden, then chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who said at the time that if there was a vacancy on the higher court that President George H.W. Bush should not nominate a successor. If he did, Biden said, the committee should consider not holding hearings "until after the political campaign season is over."

Grassley referred to the remarks as "Biden Rules."

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid criticized Grassley for his decision Tuesday, saying the Iowa Republican would be remembered as the "most obstructionist" judiciary committee chairman in history.
After months of debate, the fate of a plan to build a 72-bed psychiatric hospital in the Quad-Cities could be known Wednesday.

Iowa's State Health Facilities Council is scheduled to hear the application by Memphis-based Strategic Behavioral Health to build the hospital at Tanglefoot Lane and Golden Valley Drive in Bettendorf.

Since Strategic announced its plans last summer, it has been met with vigorous opposition from the area's two largest hospitals, Genesis Health System and UnityPoint Trinity.

The hospitals have argued their plans to expand behavioral health services in the Quad-Cities are sufficient and would be threatened by this new competitor  and that Strategic can't be relied on to provide care for the long term.

Strategic, which operates facilities in five states and plans to open sites in two other states this year, has argued that competition is good  for institutions and patients. It has said it hopes to open its $14 million facility in Bettendorf in the spring of 2017.

The dispute was to be resolved last fall, but an illness on the facilities council pushed consideration of the matter to this week. The facilities council is slated to meet Wednesday in Ankeny, with a decision expected the same day.

Since last fall, there have been some changes to behavioral health services in the area. Genesis and UnityPoint have added new in-patient beds for children and adolescents, and they say that more services are on the way, for both children and adults.

But proponents of Strategic's plans say it's not enough.

"The need is desperately there," Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conard said. Every day, he said, his department deals with mental health crises.

Conard cited the case of a 7-year-old who was the subject of a commitment proceeding Friday in Scott County but had to be transferred to Council Bluffs over the weekend.

"That's a prime example of how the system is not fixed," Conard said Tuesday.

However, a Genesis official said that since December, when the hospital opened a five-bed child/adolescent unit, there have been just two transfers to other locations, and only one of those was for mental health reasons.

Genesis plans to add three more adolescent beds and expand its adult inpatient capacity from 18 to 28 this summer.

With the expansion, "we do not expect there to be a need for anybody to travel," said Ken Croken, vice president for communications, marketing and advocacy at Genesis.

Croken said that competition is a good thing, but not when there are negative consequences for consumers and taxpayers.

The area's hospitals have argued Strategic will cherry-pick patients and compete for scarce psychiatrists and other professionals.

UnityPoint also has made changes. The Robert Young Center for Community Mental Health, which is affiliated with UnityPoint, said it has increased its capacity of in-patient beds for adolescents and children.

The mental health center also has signed a contract that will provide a range of mental health services, including a crisis hotline, to the area's five-county mental health region. It also is boosting its program to hire behavioral health professionals.

"I think all of those things are going to contribute to meeting the needs," said Dennis Duke, the president of Robert Young.

The president of Strategic declined this week to comment before the state's hearing, but the company has argued previously there is enough need in the area to accommodate its operation and the two hospital systems.

It also has dismissed arguments that it will pick off the most profitable patients. And, it adds, it has been able to work in other communities collaboratively with existing providers, while attracting staff.

"Where there are more providers to compare approaches and results, there is greater opportunity for finding best practices," Strategic said in its application to the state last summer. "When consumers have greater choice, particularly in a patient-centered environment, healthcare providers offer care and services that is more effective and provides greater satisfaction and, therefore, very likely better outcomes."

Quad-City area health groups and facilities have been split on the matter, or have taken steps to remain neutral.

Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch, who was elected last fall, wrote a letter last month supporting Genesis' current expansion of its behavioral health services. Klipsch did not mention Strategic in his letter, and in an interview he said he was not voicing opposition to its application. But the mayor did write he has "complete confidence" that Genesis "will continue to do all that is necessary to meet our community health needs, including behavioral services."

Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher said last week he continues to support the plans for Strategic's new hospital. "There's still a strong present need," he said.

The five-member state health facilities council oversees the state's "certificate of need' process, which is designed to ensure that growth and expansion in the health care system occur in "an orderly and cost effective manner," according to the state department of public health's website.
In a move that stunned nearly everyone in the Rock Island City Council chambers, Mayor Dennis Pauley on Monday night pulled from the agenda the issue of whether to sell the historic Hauberg mansion.

Following a public hearing two weeks ago in which Bridges Catering of Princeton, Iowa, made a strong pitch to buy the property, Pauley said he would poll council members to see if there was enough support to bring the issue to a vote.

He found that there was, so the issue was put on Monday's agenda.

But as the meeting began shortly before 7 p.m. in front of a nearly packed chambers, Pauley announced that two council members had changed their minds within two hours of the meeting, so the issue would not be discussed.

His announcement drew applause from the audience.

Now the future of Hauberg is in the hands of residents who opposed the sale, who said they would form a nonprofit organization called Friends of Hauberg Civic Center to provide support for the maintenance and programming needs of the property through private fundraising and a public-private partnership.

Friends representative Deb Kuntzi said people recognize the property needs help and are willing to provide it.

Alderman Joshua Schipp, 6th Ward, reiterated the need for a strong private-public partnership going forward and said that Hauberg will need "significant investment" not just in dollars, but in time and commitment.

He also thanked Bridges for its interest, but said that residents had raised sufficiently valid concerns "to put a period on this for right now."

"We have seen a very strong affirmation of this community's values and promise to preserve the past," Schipp said.

Alderman Virgil Mayberry, 2nd Ward, said reaction to the proposed sale "shows that this community cares."

He said he was sorry the issue did not come to a vote and that people in the audience did not get a chance to speak. "Even if it lasted till 11 o'clock, where else have you got to be?" he asked. "This is Rock Island. We cannot destroy our history."

Alderman P.J. Foley, 3rd Ward, asked whether pulling the resolution means that the issue of selling Hauberg is dead and that it won't be brought up anytime in the future.

Pauley said that "for now it's a dead issue unless someone else wants to bring it up."

Bridges Catering had said the purchase would bring to the city 12 full-time and 105 part-time jobs, property taxes and annual sales taxes in the six figures and elimination of the need to spend tax dollars to maintain the property.

The city was interested in selling because public use had decreased over the years while expenses increased.

General maintenance costs about $57,000 annually, "and capital refurbishment projects would be double or more every year," Jeff Eder, the city's community and economic development director, wrote in a memo supporting the sale.

Bridges owner Bill Healy had said his company would refurbish the mansion and keep it open to the public.

The 20-plus-room brick mansion at 1300 24th St. was built between 1909-11 on a bluff for Susanne Denkmann, an heir of lumber baron Frederick Denkmann. The home became known as the Hauberg mansion after Denkmann married John Hauberg, a lawyer and major philanthropist.

After their deaths, the property was donated to the city in 1957 for use as a civic center. The property includes the mansion, a carriage house and 10 acres of land.
Members of the Davenport School Board continued to express strong feelings Monday over the next district budget as they face the possibility of making up to $5.5 million in cuts.

Cuts would have to be approved by the board before April 15, when the district is required to submit a balanced budget to the state.

Davenport Superintendent Art Tate said he is budgeting without definite information because the Legislature is still debating the amount of state aid that will be given to districts, based on the per-pupil formula.

He advanced a draft that is based on 2 percent state aid, the amount approved by the Iowa House. The Senate approved a 4 percent state aid increase, and the issue is now in conference committee, Tate said.

Tate's list of proposed budget adjustments takes $1.7 million from the health insurance reserve fund, which has a balance of $31 million. The board has already approved closing J.B. Young K-8 School, at a savings of $1.5 million. In addition, Tate proposed cutting 10 percent from all department budgets, increasing class sizes in elementary and intermediate schools, and making administrative reductions.

Board members said they are tired of considering budget cuts and, especially, are not interested in closing yet another school, potentially for the 2018-19 year. "That one bothers me the most," board member Linda Hayes said.

Board member Jamie Snyder decried cuts to extracurricular activities, athletics and music. Those activities keep students connected to and invested in their schools, he said.

Board president Ralph Johanson called it "miserable" to think of the budget cuts. "Every one of these has to be tough," he said.

In other business, the board learned that the newest board member, Clyde Mayfield, will not be formally seated until March 14.

Mayfield won election to the board in a special election held Feb. 16.

According to Johanson, state code requires that a canvass of the vote be held before a new member joins the board. That vote canvass is to be delivered today.

That means Mayfield will be informally sworn in at a committee-of-the-whole session on March 7. A reception is set for 5:45 p.m. Monday, March 14, when he will formally join the board.
Jon Alexander Editorial Page Editor Editorial Page Editor, Quad-City Times Follow Jon Alexander Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Ben Sanders has rights.

Do we send the serial rapist to an island reserved for the sexually deviant? Do we line him up in front of a firing squad? Do we ship him off to a neighboring town and let them deal with him?

What do we do with serial rapist Ben Sanders?

The daughter of Sanders's first known victims is justifiably incensed that the man who, in 1965, stuck a gun in her mother's face and forced himself upon her, is about to be set free. Davenport Alderman Ray Ambrose, in a recent letter to the editor, lambasted state Corrections officials, who, under court order, are next month placing the three-time rapist in Davenport.

Anyone who ascribes to American jurisprudence has little choice but to acknowledge the rights of Sanders, an American citizen. And the 68-year-old has done his time.

Cases such as the Sanders' play out throughout the country each and every day. It's emblematic of a constantly evolving, wholly imperfect human system of justice grappling with offenders who, many psychologists will admit, are genetically programmed to behave outside of what's permissible.

Many "sexual offenders," data say, are one-time actors. They abused a family member or someone else close to them. A lot of them were abused, at some point. Their chances of re-offending are slim. And then there are men on the far side of the continuum, like Sanders, who at least one pathologist concluded in 2010, is automated to desire non-consenting women.

Clearly, the sweeping term "sexual offender," doesn't capture the complexity of an issue so deeply rooted in the ancient and unconscious mind. Court officials try to score a predator's chances of again offending, employing a battery of tests. They post their faces and addresses on the Internet. In extreme cases, including Sanders', the felons are confined to a psych ward following their prison sentence. Clearly, sexual criminals -- in often unique ways -- are labeled by a society seeking retribution and security. And prosecutors have, thus far, constructed arguments that survive legal scrutiny to do so.

Sanders will be barred from nearing schools, under a judge's ruling ordering his release. He'll wear a GPS tracking device. He's banned from booze and porn. He will be tracked, monitored, visited and counseled. No doubt, he will never be "free," in any sense resembling the average citizen. Because of his status, society has already stripped Sanders of many of his rights.

The U.S. isn't going to clear out Guam and establish a colony for the most broken and depraved. Alderman Ambrose's "don't send him here" argument would shift one community's problem to another, a never-ending game of screw your neighbor. Locking him up and throwing away the key isn't an option. He was sentenced by a court, time he has now served.

Calls among the enraged to "just kill him," which so often come with situations like this, rise from the gut, the native home of lawlessness and instinct.

And that's the point, here.

This isn't a defense of Sanders. It's not a criticism of the legitimate rage felt by children who watched their mother's torment following an unforgivable invasion of her rights. Nor is it a shot at Ambrose's right-minded desire to safeguard his constituents.

This is about rising above the base, instinctual impulses that drive men like Sanders.

Ours is a system propelled by neocortical reason, not the mid-brain compulsion that sent Sanders into his victims' homes. Either certain privileges are held by everyone, or no one at all.

Sanders might indeed be a monster. But he's a monster with rights. And he's done his time.
DES MOINES  The Iowa House kicked off the seventh week of the 2016 session by approving bills to make buying lottery tickets easier and another bill to make pond fishing free.

Touch-screen lottery machines should result in an additional $30.5 million in revenue for Iowa Lottery the next two fiscal years, increasing total revenue to $321.5 million, according to a fiscal note from the Legislative Services Bureau. That will mean about $6.2 million more transferred to the state general fund.

The self-serve kiosks will replace older pull tabs and scratch ticket vending machines and allow lottery players to buy Powerball tickets, too, according to Rep. Quentin Stanerson, R-Center Point, who floor managed House File 2146. The kiosks will not dispense cash.

It passed 87-10.

Pond fishing

Pond fishing ran into rougher waters as Rep. Phyllis Thede, D-Bettendorf, warned that allowing people to fish for free, as long as they had the pond owners permission, would put a hole in the Department of Natural Resources budget.

Currently, the owners and minor children can fish free. Everyone else is required to have a license.

The DNR told lawmakers the Fish and Game Protection Fund would lose about $808,000 year in fishing license fees if the law was changed. Thats based on a fiscal note estimating a 10 percent loss in fishing license sales.

Were literally ridding ourselves of the DNR, Thede said.

Floor Manager Rep. Norlin Mommsen, R-DeWitt, said there is no data to support the fiscal note. Allowing people to fish for free on private lakes and ponds will act as a recruitment tool for fish license sales later, he said.

Its a question of fairness, Rep. Scott Ourth, D-Ackworth, argued: If people can fish for free on private lakes and ponds, why require them to buy a license to hunt on private land?

Representatives voted 55-42 largely along party lines to approve the bill. One Republican voted against the bill.

Cremated remains

The House voted 97-0 to allow funeral directors to forward information about cremated remains that have not been claimed within 180 days to the Department of Veterans Affairs to determine if the deceased is a veteran.

If the remains are those of a veteran, the funeral director shall transfer them to a veterans organization for internment.

Electioneering

Representatives also voted 96-0 to change rules about electioneering near satellite absentee voting station and absentee voting sites. Current law prohibits electioneering within 300 feet of those voting sites. The bill expands the prohibition to include voting sites at the offices of the county commissioner of elections.
DES MOINES  The Iowa Senate voted Monday to expand the states voluntary preschool program to cover 5-year-old children who previously have not enrolled in a preschool program.

Backers said the change provided in Senate File 2009 to the program established in fiscal 2008 to cover eligible 4-year-old children potentially could cover between 2,200 and 5,400 students at a cost between $7.1 million and $17.4 million in the fiscal 2018 budget year.

This bill helps parents to make good educational choices for their children, said Sen. Rita Hart, D-Wheatland, who noted the change will aid parents of a child with a late birthday facing a dilemma the child may not be eligible if they wait a year to send them to preschool.

The bill, which passed on a 49-0 vote, will allow 5-year-olds to be eligible under the voluntary preschool program as long as they have not enrolled previously in the preschool program. S.F. 2009 now goes to the Iowa House for consideration.

Also Monday, senators voted 45-4 to approve a measure requiring students in grades 7-12 to be immunized against meningococcal disease to attend classes.

Backers said the requirement would be covered by Iowa law that grants religious exemptions under certain circumstances. However, Sen. Rich Taylor, D-Mount Pleasant, floor manage of Senate File 2136, said students not immunized could be excluded from school should a disease outbreak occur.

Your student will not be denied education, but they will be treated in a way to make sure that their health and safety is of the utmost concern to the people of Iowa, said Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, who supported the measure.

However, Sen. Dennis Guth, R-Klemme, one of four Republicans who opposed the bill, said there were other objections beyond religious conflicts to immunizations, such as adverse reactions from various vaccinations.

I have some concerns about the one-size-fits-all type of vaccination program, Guth said during floor debate on a measure that now goes to the Iowa House for consideration.

I dont think that we should deny anybody the right to be vaccinated, but we should also not force them to be vaccinated in this regard, he said. I think one of the liberties that our Constitution stands for is the right to make this sort of decision for ourselves and not have the state do that for us.

In all, senators approved 19 bill during Mondays floor debate.
Though it is only February, spring has been in the air this past week.

Temperatures soared into the 60s at one point and the snow is virtually gone. While the warmer air felt great, the prairies and trees are a lifeless, dull color of dormancy.

We will have to wait a bit longer for color.

The political climate is in the forefront with both Republican and Democrat primaries taking place one state at a time. The Republican field is narrowing and the Sanders/Clinton contests are tight. In South Dakota there has been tension mounting about raising the sales tax to enhance teacher pay.

An increase in taxes requires a 2/3 vote and the bill lost in the SD House by one vote. The next day they voted to reconsider with only a majority vote needed to do so. This will be taken up once again on the House floor this week. One will be able to cut the tension with a knife, so this is an interesting time in Pierre.

Last Wednesday, Sandy Rhodens fifth-grade class of little legislators headed to Pierre with their name badges and SD pins. They visited committee meetings and were able to get on both the Senate and House floors. Larry Rhoden gave them some facts on the Senate floor, most of which they knew previously.

After a photo with the Governor and Lt. Gov., they met with Lt. Governor Matt Michels privately for about 30 minutes. They were briefed at the Secretary of States Office and all were allowed to stamp their own special card with the SD State Seal! Tom Brunner, Dean Wink and Gary Cammack all greeted the students at some point. The class was introduced on the House floor and were shown on Statehouse. They enjoyed lunch at Pizza Ranch, finding special tiles and hidden key, the Casey Tibbs Museum and feeding the fish and ducks. They are currently holding their own legislative session and have several bills on the Principals desk who is acting as governor.

This week they will finish up hearing and debating bills and will be anxiously awaiting the signing or VETO from the (Governors) principles desk.

Students are Madison and Lanny Brooks, Kaylee Jordan, Canyon King, Matthew Gray, Waycee Nelson, Tristan Kennedy, Garret Schenbeck, Daniel Gerbracht, Jess Harper, Cord Capp. Callie Capp and Darci Harper.

There was a 90th birthday celebration for Zora Barry on Sunday after church services. Friends and former neighbors came to celebrate her birthday with her and all four of her children and families were in attendance. A potluck dinner, fellowship and birthday cake were enjoyed by all who came.

Gary Cammack and Tom Brunner were in attendance for the legislative crackerbarrel in Union Center on Sunday afternoon. The event was sponsored by the Meade County Farm Bureau.

The tax increase for teachers salaries, medical marijuana, gender bills and others were discussed. Refreshments were held afterward.

The boys Faith Longhorns were in Philip on Saturday night for a basketball game. It turned out Faith, 61, Philip, 46. The boys will play in Wall on Friday night for their last regular game. The First Round of Districts will start on Monday, Feb. 29. The first round of girls District Tournament began on Monday and Tuesday with the championship on Thursday night TBD at 7 p.m.

We wish the Faith Longhorns all the best.

As a reminder, there will be a Supper and Auction Benefit for Darrel Wilcox on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will take place at the Central Meade County Community Center in Union Center. Supper starts at 4 p.m. and the auction begins at 5 p.m.

For questions or to drop off donations please contact Chris Oster: 605-515-0201 or Megan Spring: 985-5540.

Donations may be dropped off at Cammack Ranch Supply.
Seth Jeffs, head of a polygamist Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints compound in Pringle, was arrested at the compound in Custer County today, according to a federal Justice Department official.

The arrest comes as federal prosecutors are indicting top leaders and members of Warren Jeffs' polygamous sect on accusations of food stamp fraud and money laundering.

Melodie Rydalch, spokeswoman with the Department of Justice in Utah, confirmed to the Rapid City Journal this afternoon that Seth Jeffs was arrested.

Seth Jeffs, brother of Warren Jeffs, leads a branch of the FLDS at the compound near Pringle in Custer County.

Custer County Sheriff Wheeler assisted in arrest of Seth Jeffs, who appears to be the only South Dakota resident charged.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release Tuesday that the leaders of the Utah sect diverted funds from Utah's nutrition assistance program for inappropriate use.

Eleven people are charged in the scheme, including Lyle Jeffs and Seth Jeffs, who are brothers of imprisoned polygamous leader Warren Jeffs.

Lyle Jeffs runs day-to-day operations in the polygamous community of Hildale, Utah, on the Arizona border. Hundreds of law enforcement agents have been raiding businesses in the town Tuesday.
UGLY: While no one likes to pay any more taxes than they have to, some residents of Meade and Custer counties are taking it farther than most of us. The Journal reported last week on the steady stream of residents from those counties who come to Rapid City to get their 2016 license plates in order to avoid paying a wheel tax that is collected in their home counties. Pennington County, on the other hand, does not have the wheel tax the Legislature requires counties to charge if they want to apply for bridge grant funds. In most counties, the wheel tax does not exceed $4 or $5 per tire. In any case, these vehicle owners were not able to avoid the long arm of the law and were sent on their way by the Pennington County Treasurers Office hopefully feeling a bit embarrassed by their efforts to skirt the law.

GOOD: Well, here is one idea that didnt bomb. The visitor center for the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site helped attract a record number of visitors to its location in Jackson County. According to the National Park Service, the site of Cold War history attracted 100,488 visitors in 2015, a 62 percent increase from the previous year. The visitor center, which opened at the end of 2014 and can easily be seen on the north side of Interstate 90, includes exhibits about the many nuclear missiles housed in underground silos in western South Dakota. From there, visitors can take tour of a missile silo.

BAD: What happens if a pet owner cant afford to reclaim a dog or cat taken and held by the Black Hills Humane Society? A Rapid City resident and single mother has watched her bill grow to $1,500 after her teen-aged sons dog was seized on Dec. 30 after a tenant she was having a dispute with made a complaint. In addition to a $60 reclaim fee, the Humane Society charges $20 a day to house a pet that will not be released until the owner pays up. In this case, the woman also is facing an animal neglect charge that could cost her another $500 and 30 days in jail. It seems the charges and mounting fees far exceed the alleged misdeed in this case, and one wonders if the dog will ever be reunited with its family.

GOOD: In 28 years Walt Swenson of Rapid City has logged nearly 965,000 miles delivering blood and blood supplies to hospitals, labs and airports in South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming. What makes his contributions even more remarkable is that Swenson is now 87 years old and plans to keep on trucking until he reaches the million-mile mark. As a result of his dedication and extreme volunteerism, he was recently inducted into the 2015 Donation Hall of Fame along with 11 others. Donating and delivering blood saves lives, which makes the entire hall of fame class quiet heroes who deserve our thanks. You never know when you or someone you love might need them.
They accused the media of building a bogus narrative about why Lesters job was in jeopardy, falsely insisting they were not at liberty to discuss their complaints about his performance in public. And they spoke of their commitment to accountability and transparency, then refused to conduct their business in public, retreated into privacy, papered over the window and dropped the guillotine on Lester in a 7-5 vote.

They accused the media of building a bogus narrative about why Lesters job was in jeopardy, falsely insisting they were not at liberty to discuss their complaints about his performance in public. And they spoke of their commitment to accountability and transparency, then refused to conduct their business in public, retreated into privacy, papered over the window and dropped the guillotine on Lester in a 7-5 vote.

They infuriated a whos who of Californias longest-serving stewards of coastal preservation and access, along with hordes of public officials, current and former Coastal Commission staff, and former commissioners and citizens who had traveled from up and down the coast to speak glowingly of Lesters integrity and diligence .

They infuriated a whos who of Californias longest-serving stewards of coastal preservation and access, along with hordes of public officials, current and former Coastal Commission staff, and former commissioners and citizens who had traveled from up and down the coast to speak glowingly of Lesters integrity and diligence .

They fired their staffs executive director, Charles Lester, who knows more about the 40-year-old voter-approved Coastal Act that protects our 1,100-mile shoreline than anyone in the world. They devastated and demoralized the agency staff, so much so that some employees wept when the firing was announced.

They fired their staffs executive director, Charles Lester, who knows more about the 40-year-old voter-approved Coastal Act that protects our 1,100-mile shoreline than anyone in the world. They devastated and demoralized the agency staff, so much so that some employees wept when the firing was announced.

If youve got a clothespin handy, you should clip it to your nose. Im now going to tell you about the 12-hour California Coastal Commission meeting I sat through Wednesday in Morro Bay. When the spectacle was over, members of one of the most powerful regulatory agencies in the country had racked up a number of accomplishments .

If youve got a clothespin handy, you should clip it to your nose. Im now going to tell you about the 12-hour California Coastal Commission meeting I sat through Wednesday in Morro Bay. When the spectacle was over, members of one of the most powerful regulatory agencies in the country had racked up a number of accomplishments .



* * *



What follows is intended to help us see precisely why the recent California Coastal Commission meeting made a complete mockery and mess of representative democracy, at least in the Millian sense.

As Nadia Urbinati [1] well explains, J.S. Mill (leaving aside the other Mill of the East India Co. or the Irish Famine [2]) argued that the key feature of representative government is that it evaluates all governmental proposals and decisions and ensures that both the peoples decisions and political decisions, get public visibility [emphasis added]. Indeed, opinion and consent formation, not decision, is the defining feature of representative government, the former exemplified in the mode of deliberation and the circular relation between institutions and citizens.

Mill in fact had a keen appreciation of the necessity of democratic deliberation because it is relevant to both the moral legitimacy of democratic decisions and the character of political action. Concerning the former, its value is owing to its encouragement of citizens and representatives alike to think of policymaking in terms of what can be publicly justified [emphasis added]. And representative government generally in a democratic polity, referring both to those who are empowered to act in the public interest or for the common good in judicial, administrative and regulatory bodies and capacities, and legislative bodies, must adhere to the imperatives of open government, that is, the principle and practices of visibility and transparency, thereby ensuring at least the indirect participation of citizens in the political order. Such participation allows citizens to make meaningful the notions of consent and dissent, as well as enable them, as individuals (and standing participants), to make informed political judgments: the activity of standing participants (the electors) in a representative democracy is wholly mediatednot only in terms of speechbut along dimensions of time and space as well. And the vote of standing citizens is both future-oriented: regarding promises and proposals of candidates, and retrospective: assessing the outcome of those theyve elected to represent them.

Transparency and various rights and freedoms, like free speech and a free press are essential to the what Urbinati terms the deferred democratic dimension of the public realm (in contrast to the simultaneous character of decision making by actual representatives), a dimension that makes it necessary to develop an articulated public sphere that can create symbolic simultaneity; citizens must feel as if they are standing, deliberating, and deciding simultaneously in the assembly. This deferred assembly, as it were, is wholly reliant on various forms of civic participation by way of supplementing and monitoring the organs of government, including its bureaucratic and regulatory agencies. On this model, representation is on a continuum with participation, one in which the space for political discussion beyond governmental institutions is ever expanding, as the people are learning and honing the skills necessary to properly scrutinize political decisions. Civic participation and monitoring, in turn, are dependent on an open government in the Millian sense, such visibility serving to impede the potential misuse of politics.

Notes:

[1] Nadia Urbinati, Mill on Democracy: From the Athenian Polis to Representative Government (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2002): 69-75.

[2] Mill of course worked as a senior civil servantcolonial administratorfor the East India Company from 1823 until 1858 (when the Company was abolished in favor of direct rule by the British crown over India). For a somewhat sympathetic discussion of his tenure with the East Indian Company, see chapters 16, Utilitarianism and Bureaucracy: The Views of J.S. Mill, and 18, Bureaucracy, Democracy, Liberty: Some Unanswered Question in Mills Politics, in Alan Ryans marvelous volume, The Making of Modern Liberalism (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2012). On the historical and ideological context and character of Mills work as the most sophisticated advocate of the ideology of empire, please see, in no particular order, Raghavan Iyers Utilitarianism and All That: The Political Theory of British Imperialism (London: Chatto & Windus, 1960; reprint: Santa Barbara, CA: Institute of World Culture & Concord Grove Press, 1983); Thomas R. Metcalf, Ideologies of the Raj (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1995); Edward R. Said, Culture and Imperialism (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993); Nick Robins, The Corporation that Changed the World (London: Pluto Press, 2nd ed., 2012); and Partha Chatterjees The Black Hole of Empire: History of a Global Practice of Power (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2012).
MILES CITY  Water can be hard to come by on Mark Fixs southeast Montana ranchland this time of year, which is why dams punctuate the creek across this acreage.

The small pools of water assure Fixs thirsty livestock have a place to drink. Lately though, the dams have gone dry. Drought conditions in southeast Montana are off to an early start that doesnt speak well for the rest of winter. Its a problem thats spreading across the state.

We just got an inch or two of snow last night. So it helps a little, but we really havent got the snow you guys got in Billings, Fix said. Were just going to have to watch it and see what the heck.

Moisture in the Tongue River drainage, where Fix lives, is just 46 percent of average. In nearby Miles City, the community will close out the year 4 inches below normal.

The state winter and spring outlook also is poor.

The National Drought Information System, which does long-term forecasting for the United States, gives Montana the worst drought outlook of any state from now through March. Western Montana is the largest pocket of forecasted persistent drought in the U.S., while all of Montana east of Helena is in for likely drought development over the next three months.

Montana is kind of the bulls-eye for below-average levels of precipitation for the rest of winter. That is our concern, said Tom Frieders, National Weather Service meteorologist in Billings.

Theres the possibility of a storm or two pulling parts of Montana out of drought risk, but the overall trend is for a dry winter, Frieders said. El Nino weather conditions have formed over the Pacific Ocean, meaning that near the equator, ocean surface waters are warming.

Those warming surface waters create warmer-than-average temperatures in Canada and the northern continental United States. Drier-than-average weather then sets up over the northern and western United States. Wetter conditions set up in the Gulf Coast.

Not all of eastern Montana is edging toward drought.

In Glasgow, where the snow is 6 inches deep, the National Weather Service is reporting moisture levels 1.3 inches above average for 2015. Jordan was a full 2 inches above average. Mountain ranges in southwest and southcentral Montana were at or near average for snowpack.

However, the U.S. Drought Monitor through Tuesday shows a seven-county region stretching from Carbon County in south-central Montana to Dawson County in the east. Comparatively, none of the counties in eastern or central Montana were in drought trouble at this time last year when western Montana began showing moderate drought.

There are now 472,103 Montanans living in drought areas, according to the Drought Monitor.

Back at Fixs place, the rancher is thinking about the possibility of hauling water to livestock this winter if conditions dont improve. Fix is no stranger to dry conditions  less than a foot of water falls on this southeast Montana landscape every year.

But when dry conditions hit, salt begins building up in what water there is. Across the border in Wyoming, the residual effects of a now-bust coalbed methane operation are trapped in the soil. The dryness tends to bring those problems to the surface, where the water runs foul for several weeks every spring before the Tongue River Reservoir clears up.

The reservoir has a fair amount of water left in it, Fix said. Its just going to be nip and tuck.
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PEOPLEaS UNION FOR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS

Open letter to the Chief Justice of India for immediate intervention into physical attacks and eviction drives against women activists by police and vigilante groups in Chhattisgarh



Honourable Sir,

We wish to draw your attention to the recent incident of physical attack on AAP leader, Soni Sori, by unidentified men near Geedam town on the night of 20th February 2016. The attackers threw some black substance on her face which caused immediate burns and pain. Consequently, she has had to be hospitalized. This attack comes close on the heels of the eviction drives against lawyers Shalini Gera and Isha Khandelwal of Jagdalpur Legal Aid Group (JagLag) and journalist Malini Subramanium. All three have been given notice to find alternate accommodation. There is also news of a similar eviction drive against Bela Bhatia, an independent scholar and activist.

It is obvious that these attacks are part of a wider campaign launched by the police along with state sponsored vigilante groups such as the Samajik Ekta Manch and Naxal Peedit Sangharsh Samiti. Undoubtedly, such harassment is not new and these incidents fall in line within the longer history of intimidation that have been carried out against inconvenient individuals who have spoken against the state. Soni Sori has personally experienced this brutal history, and the honourable apex court had intervened in her matter and granted her permanent bail in February 2014. Like in the past, the present attacks are part and parcel of the stateas strategy of silencing dissent, particularly since there is an accelerated offensive in South Bastar. In the last six months the war strategies have escalated and even the air force has been roped in for astrafingaaa technique of aerial bombingaover a specified area in Bijapur on 13th October 2015. As area domination exercises, the security forces have raided villages and arrested people. The coming months have been dubbed as aMission 2016a and intensified operations are expected in Bijapur, Sukhma and Darbha districts. Already the statistics are staggering as the police has reported 23 encounter deaths and 50 arrests for the month of January alone.

The fallout of this amissiona is not easy to assess as the affected villages are remote and the residents are brutalized and intimidated. A WSS (Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression) team which visited Bastar in November 2015, highlighted repeated acts of gang rapes, looting and other acts of physical violence in five villages in Bijapur district between 19th and 24th October 2015. A recent team of WSS and CDRO (Coordination of Democratic Rights Organization) members have documented similar incidence of sexual violence and physical attacks in Sukma and Bijapur districts and instances of fake encounter and shooting of minors in Bijapur district, between 11th and 16th January 2016. Most importantly, anyone questioning the war or investigating the atrocities committed by men in uniform is being silenced. It is a manifestation of our times that while the adivasis residing in the shadow of security camps have been attacked, plundered, thrown behind bars and left to fend for themselves, those who question and counter, are harassed and silenced. The administration has adopted the time-tested method of labelling critics as sympathizers in a bid to intimidate them. aListsa have been created and watches and vigils have been mounted. The recent eviction drives and physical attacks fit in with this larger design aimed against all human rights defenders who have assisted victims and families in filing complaints.

For almost a year, the pressure has been mounted on these activists to desist them from questioning the state. In April 2015, when the present IG Bastar Range, SRP Kalluri, held a press conference he warned that certain aNGOsa and individuals were aiding Maoists in the name of helping adivasis. On 1st August 2015, he issued an excommunication call against AAP leader, Soni Sori and activist Linga Kodopi after they had done a detailed fact-finding into a fake encounter in Nahadi village in Dantewada district on 29th July 2015. He particularly blamed Soni Sori for the murder of a local trader in Geedam town on 1st August as he alleged that she was passing on the names of traders to the Maoists who were behind the attack. The defamation campaign gathered force when two journalists, Someru Nag and Santosh Yadav, were arrested for aiding Maoists. The flagrant disregard for the rule of law is evident from the fact that Nag, an adivasi journalist, was kept in illegal detention for three days before being shown as arrested in July 2015 and Yadav was harassed and even stripped and threatened with torture, well before he was arrested in September 2015. In tandem, the JagLag lawyers were victimized by the bar association of Bastar district which illegally tried to prevent local lawyers from assisting them on the pretext that they were not registered with the local Bar Council. The brazenness with which they attempted to pass this illegal resolution speaks volumes about the situation in South Chhatisgarh where most lawyers have closed ranks with the administration.

While the present context is a worrying one, we believe that it is a logical consequence of the undeclared war which the state has been waging for over a decade. In this context, we would like to reiterate our reasons for seeking your immediate intervention.

1. As a war-zone, South Chhattisgarh has witnessed innumerable cases of state excesses and the administration has taken all steps to prevent journalists from investigating and writing about them. Towards this end, Mr SRP Kalluri has played significant roles as SP and SSP Dantewada, from 2009 to 2014 and as IG Bastar Range from 2014 onwards. In 2010, when three journalists were publicly named and threatened in a pamphlet issued by an organisation, Danteshwari Adivasi Swabhiman Manch, Mr Kalluri defended the warning and stated that the organization had been formed by the police for the benefit of adivasis. On account of vigilantism and police harassment, two of the three journalists were forced to relocate. Hence, the present harassment of Malini Subramanium is not new; it is part of the process that began half a decade ago when a woman video journalist was evicted from her residence in 2011 for documenting how villagers were seeking compensation for development work in Rajnandgaon district.

2. Lawyers have been prime targets for defending adivasi rights, not only in Bastar but also elsewhere, especially Surguja. In March 2008, advocate Satyendra Chaubey of Ambikapur was arrested from his residence as the police alleged that he was a Maoist supporter and had taken up the case of a Maoist undertrial. Equally, lawyers who choose to defend adivasi villagers against state atrocities are harassed. Advocates Amarnath Pandey and DP Yadav of Surguja were foisted with a false case when they represented a victim of custodial rape in 2007. Since Mr Pandey had also filed a petition against the fake encounter of Narayan Khairwar who had been dressed in uniform and shot dead by police in 2006, he was targeted by SRP Kalluri, the then SP of Balrampur, the respondent in the above cases. Also, since the unofficial Operation Green Hunt is as much about hunting of resources as about finishing the Maoists, lawyers like Girju Kashyap, have been harassed for defending the rights of adivasis against corporate greed in Lohandiguda. Similarly, JagLag lawyers have been accused of aiding Maoists when they took up the case of Bhima Madkam, an adivasi villager who had been shot at by the security forces while protesting against the arrests of fellow villagers on 17th April 2015. Thus, the present eviction attacks are part of a larger history of hostilities against lawyers who are also human rights defenders.

3. In this all-out offensive against the adivasi population which includes children and elderly persons, women have been particularly singled out and sexually targeted. Given their poverty and lack of resources, adivasi women of Bastar have little control over their destinies. Most of their menfolk have been killed, arrested or forced to become fugitives in a bid to escape state terror. Along with having to build their precarious lives, these women have been left to fight repeated sexual attacks perpetrated on them by men in uniform. Justice eludes them entirely as sexual offences have been institutionalized and routinized. Impunity is structured at all levels as sexual offences are never acknowledged and perpetrators are never punished. Accusing a man in uniform of sexual offence is not easy and till now only one FIR has been filed in Bijapur PS, on 1st November 2015, under S.376(2)(c) of the amended IPC (punishment for rape by personnel belonging to the armed forces in their deployed areas), for the 2015 October gang-rapes in Bijapur district. In such a context where assaults on women abound, the present orchestrated attacks point to the stateas desperation in silencing women activists who have challenged the manufactured lies and untruths.

4. Greater force has been used in evicting and intimidating activists who are either local or who have worked among the adivasis for a long time. The present attack on Soni Sori recalls the eviction of Himanshu Kumar from Dantewada in 2010. A Gandhian who had worked extensively among the adivasis for long years, Kumar earned the ire of the state and of the Salwa Judum after he filed 522 complaints on behalf of villagers (between 2005 and 2009). First, his ashram was razed to rubble in May 2009 and he was told that he had illegally occupied government land. No records were ever proffered to prove this illegality. Next, Kumar rented a house but his landlord, a government employee, was threatened. Despite this, Kumar continued to raise his voice against Operation Green Hunt. Soon, his aides Kopa Kunjam and Sukhnath Oyami were arrested in December 2009 and compelled to leave. Finally, his planned Padyatra was cancelled and Kumar found himself on the run, particularly since he had petitioned the apex court against the excesses committed by the security forces and Judum members, in October 2009. Kumar was forced to flee Dantewada once and for all. Since nothing has deterred the state from committing these excesses, the technicians of war have had the time to master the strategies of harassment, intimidation and eviction.

For over a decade, the state has held that unless the Maoists abjure violence, it will continue to unleash its violence. This monopoly over violence is gilt edged and guilt free as it is accompanied with rewards and promotions and unattended with any punishments. Since this war has never been acknowledged, the gamut of illegalities committed by the custodians of law and order has rarely been prosecuted. It is in this context that the activism of lawyers, journalists, social and political activists located in the war-zone becomes important as they not only provide the much needed support to victims of war, but also create the democratic space for debating and discussing the validity of this war. They remain our channels of information as their documentation, litigation and social activism provide the bulwark for the democracy that has been eroded and corroded by the war. If the state officials and their collaborative forces choose to harass and evict them, then the price of this war will be much greater. It will cost us our democracy.

We urge you to take exemplary steps to ensure safety of lawyers, journalists and activists in these lawless times where the state has failed the adivasis entirely. But for the exemplary work done by these activists, the adivasis would have little hope in claiming their right to legal redress.

Deepika Tandon and Moushumi Basu

Secretaries, PUDR

23rd February 2016

www.pudr.org
sacw.net - 23 February 2016

Citizens Committee for the Defense of Democracy

The Citizens Committee for the Defense of Democracy strongly condemns the clampdown in Jawaharlal Nehru University. We deplore the targeting of students and teachers and condemn the culture of authoritarian menace that the Central Government has unleashed. We strongly believe that dissent is not sedition and invoking sedition laws against students, ordering the police to enter the campus and unlawfully arresting a student leader, issuing warrants against many others on charges of inciting violence, attacking students, teachers and arrested student in the court premises, are serious assault on the fundamental rights of the citizens of this country. The right to dissent is fundamental to maintaining democracy and the recent developments have shaken the foundations of democracy. We condemn the indiscriminate use of the colonial law of sedition on dissenting voices.

The attack on JNU is an attack on our diversity, on public funding of universities and access to higher education for the common people. The vicious campaign of atax-payersa monies funding the anti-nationalsa is highly regressive and malicious. It is only through public funding and reservation policies that access to higher education has been expanded for students from all backgrounds, especially girl students from poorer backgrounds. It is public funding which makes higher education accessible to many.

We are pained and angry that a public institution of higher learning has been attacked with such viciousness, systematically and calculatedly. JNU offers a vibrant space for learning, questioning, debating and developing a political understanding of structural injustices.

We are extremely concerned that the police is completely turned into a silent spectator as students, teachers and activists are publicly assaulted and abused, and hate and violence is incited against agitating students. The police is openly issuing such loaded statements, which law abiding citizens perceive as threatening. To disagree and question is every citizenas right and the JNU students are only exercising their right, peacefully and with utmost restraint and civility.

We are particularly concerned about the safety of our young women and men students who are being intimidated by the University administration, police and the marauding mobs which have been unleashed on the students in the vicinity of JNU and in and around the Court where cases against accused student is being heard.

We deplore the labeling of aanti-nationala of those who are exercising their democratic right of challenging the majoritarian orthodoxy. We believe that this will render this country intellectually poorer if critical thinking is pushed to a space which is reserved for the enemy.

We condemn sections of the visual and print media for their open partisanship, irresponsible coverage, misreporting, and blacking out news and views of the striking students.

We feel it is time for all thinking people of this city to come together and raise our collective voices in defense of academic freedom, right to dissent and defend the spaces for democratic dissent.

We unequivocally demand that

All cases and charges should be withdrawn against all JNU students immediately and unconditionally. The matter should have been handled by a responsible committee internal to JNU, with a fair representation of teachers, rather than calling in the police. The administration of JNU should be held accountable for dereliction of duty, collaborating with the Police in falsely charging the students, enabling the police to search university premises and hostels and arrest students at the expense of internal processes and without consulting the university faculty and office bearers. The University administrationas bowing to the government pressure compromised University autonomy with serious implications for the careers of students and prospects of pursuing degrees. No police should be allowed to enter the campus and all plainclothes police be removed from the campus immediately. No University premises including the hostels should be checked by anyone other than the university administration and only in the presence of the wardens. Delhi police should restrain the menacing gangs roaming about in the vicinity of JNU intimidating the students, teachers and solidarity groups. We demand that rather than unleashing these mobs on the University community with a malicious intent, effective steps should be taken to prevent such mobs from indulging in mischief. Police should act responsibly, performs its duty and ensures safety of the students, teachers and solidarity groups in courts and in public spaces and allow them to exercise their lawful rights of voicing their concerns.

Romila Thapar, Krishna Sobti, Harbans Mukhia, Harsh Mander, Navsharan Singh, Nalini Taneja, Asad Zaidi, Mangalesh Dabral, Subhash Gatade, Uma Chakravarty, Syeda Hameed; Sukumar Muralidharan, Prabir Purkayastha, Puneet Bedi, Rahul Roy, Saba Dewan, Urvashi Butalia, Tapan Bose, Nandita Narain, Peggy Mohan, Farah Naqvi, Neeraj Malik, Javed Malik, Jawrimal Parakh, Devaki Jain, Dinesh Mohan, Prabhat Patnaik, Bharat Bhushan, Dunu Roy, Jean Dreze, Tanika Sarkar, Sumit Sarkar, Warisha Farasat, Seema Mustafa, Farida Khan, Salil Mishra, Madan Gopal Singh.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is expected next March 7 in Algiers for a three-day visit, part of his first tour in the Maghreb region in the quest for a consensual solution to the Western Sahara conflict.

As to Ban Ki-moons visit to Morocco, initially scheduled in March during his Maghreb tour, it has been postponed to July, at Rabats request because the date coincides with the official visit King Mohammed VI is to pay to Russia, says a diplomatic source in the capital of the Kingdom.

Besides Rabat and Nouakchott, Algeria is the most important leg of the UN Secretary Generals trip in the region, commented on condition of anonymity a Spanish diplomat in Rabat.

Its Algiers that holds the key to the settlement of the conflict, the diplomat said, adding that Algeria hosts and finances the Polisario Front, which it created with the assistance of Khadafis regime during the cold war era.

So, if there really is a solution to this conflict, Ban Ki-Moon should look for it in Algiers, to avoid making the same mistakes as his Personal Envoy, Christopher Ross, said the diplomat. He added that the Polisario leaders cannot even express a viewpoint or make a decision without the blessings of their Algerian mentors.

The Spanish diplomat went on saying that King Mohammed VI has anyways announced that his country will not make any further concessions other than the proposed autonomy for the disputed part of its Sahara.

Ban Ki-Moon, whose term as UN chief ends by years end, should use all his influence to convince Algerian leaders to abandon their old claim about a self-determination referendum to push forward the negotiations and reach a consensual solution, said the Spanish diplomat.

He argued that Ban has every interest to go back to New York with concrete proposals in his suitcase, proposals that he could submit to the Security Council in his annual report on the Sahara in April.
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Feb-22-2016 15:45 TweetFollow @OregonNews Brazil Refuses to Accept New Israeli Ambassador "This is the first time in the world that an Israeli ambassador is not accepted due to his ideological performance and positions and this trend is dangerous." - Tzipi Hotovely, deputy foreign minister of Israel

Israeli ambassador Dani Dayan

Photo courtesy: timesofisrael.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - After four months, Brazil still declines Dani Dayan as the new ambassador of Israel. Not surprisingly, this has caused a political crisis between Rio de Janeiro and Tel Aviv. According to Times of Israel, Brazilian MP Carlos Marun considered the appointment of Dayan an insult to Brazil and said "Settlers have hijacked other people's lands and we do not accept their choice as the representative of Israeli as people and state". The 60-year-old Dayan was the Chairman of the Yesha council from 2007 to 2013, in this role he managed all Jewish settlements in the West Bank of the Jordan river. Marun further stated, "This is similar to the German government appointing one of its former officers of the Nazi camps as its ambassador in Brazil or the Chile government appointing a warder of General Pinochet times or South Africa apposing one of its apartheid era prison torturers". The sensitivity of leftist and pro-Palestinian groups in Brazil intensified after the Israeli attack on Gaza and with increasing domestic pressure, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, adopted a tough stance against Israel that led to diplomatic tensions and after a while the former ambassador left Brazil and Reda Mansour (the current ambassador) replaced him. The selection and introduction of Dayan takes place only a year after delegating Reda Mansour. The majority of Brazilian people are against appointing Dayan as the new ambassador of Israel in this country and this has proven to be one of the main headlines of Brazilian newspapers and media. The Hebrew newspaper YNET (Yedioth Ahronoth) wrote the president of the Brazilian government, demanding the cancellation of Dayan's appointment. Rousseff pointed out in this letter that the appointment of this ambassador means a tacit Brazilian approval of West Bank settlement buildings, despite all United Nations disagreements. YNET also wrote that while Israel sees Brazil as a strategic country, if Netanyahu insists on the appointment of Dayan, Tel Aviv-Brasilia relations will worsen and canceling the appointment of a new ambassador will be like slapping Israel and the cabinet. Tzipi Hotovely, the deputy foreign minister of Israel, said: "This is the first time in the world that an Israeli ambassador is not accepted due to his ideological performance and positions and this trend is dangerous." In her news conference Hotovely said that Brazilian government is affected by pressures and influences of organizations and institutions supporting Palestine and this is why they have refused to accept the new Israeli ambassador. According to the Israeli Maariv newspaper, an influential Jewish Brazilian resident has asked the state of Israel to keep its rights and requests to present an Israeli ambassador at any cost because the current crisis is an opportunity to test the power of Israel in the world. In this regard and following the rejection of the Israeli ambassador in Brazil, Israel fears that this becomes an innovation in other countries in Latin America that may lead other countries to also reject Israeli diplomats who are settlers. Failure to determine a new ambassador in Brazil is a major blow to Israel. Given that Dayan is an opponent of establishing a Palestinian state and is on the record about that belief, Brazilian newspapers that are aware of this have written that an objection to his designation as ambassador is not limited to the field of diplomacy and will have broader dimensions. _________________________________________

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Feb-22-2016 16:02 TweetFollow @OregonNews Iraqi Oil in Turkey-ISIS-Israel Transit to Europe Report says ISIS has extended oil production in oil fields in Iraq and Syria and are exporting around the clock.

Courtesy: osnetdaily.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - The London-published Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper has provided information about sales of Iraqi oil to Turkey and Israel through ISIS, in a report provided by an Iraqi intelligence colonel. Alwaie News quoted Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, saying ISIS is funded by 40 countries including some 20G member states, emphasizing that the world is again looking at ISIS' largest revenue source: selling Iraqi and Syrian oil. In its report, Al Arabiya newspaper noted that this information has been provided by the Iraqi Kurdistan regional government, security officials and the personnel who operate the Ibrahim Khalil border located on the border of Turkey with Kurdistan, as well as oil firms buying ISIS oil. According to this report, ISIS has extended oil production in oil fields in Iraq and Syria around the clock,and tankers transfer a part of the oil of these areas to the city of "Zakho" located 88 kilometers east of Mosul, and sell to the highest bids. In these deals buyers usually pay 10 to 25 percent of the oil money in cash and the rest is paid upon delivery in Turkey. In this location tanker drivers leave their tankers to other drivers who can pass through to Turkey and return to ISIS areas with empty tankers. Oil bought from ISIS is sent to Turkey as the oil bought from Iraq and after arriving in Turkey, is emptied in silos, and in coordination with the Turkish Intelligence Service (MIT), sold at cheap prices on Mediterranean shores to European and Israeli consumers as northern Iraq oil. Three exporting companies transfer ISIS oil from Mersin, Dortyol and Cihan ports to Ashdod port in occupied Palestine. Given the number of oil tankers traveling daily from Iraq to Turkey, it seems that ISIS produces about 55 to 60 thousand oil barrels per day and sells for the price of $15-$13 dollars per barrel. According to a report from Greenwich University, there is a significant relationship between ISIS military gains and its oil exports through Turkey ports. According to the Israel international oil company, officials working with Turkish companies say they sell every ISIS oil barrel for $30-$35 dollars to European countries. This Israeli authority claims "If there was no Israel, most ISIS oil remained in Syria, Iraq and Turkey." _________________________________________

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Feb-22-2016 16:45 TweetFollow @OregonNews Israeli Defense Forces' Inability to Contain Intifada III Zionist regime's defence minister says Operation Defensive Shield has been a futile plan.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon photo courtesy: Wikipedia

(SALEM, Ore.) - Emphasizing the Israeli defense forces' inability to control Intifada III, Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon, said there is no need for Israel to log in to the defense shield 2 plan; as "street protests in the West Bank will annihilate our regime." According to the Tel Aviv Times, Moshe Ya'alon said, "We have taken several steps, the first of which was adding reinforcement and equipment to soldiers conducting defensive actions such as vehicle inspection in main routes leading to Palestinian villages so that no vehicle can enter Israeli settled territories without inspection. Unfortunately their actions and protests do not end and we fail to deal with them." Later, Ya'alon said security forces must use all the tools of violence in this way. He also added, "I have heard some believe that it is better to implement Operation Defensive Shield 2 in the West Bank", but after Operation Defensive Shield, officials realize how futile the plan has been. Most attacks from protesters take place individually and under present conditions, forces launch reciprocal operations every night. Yaalon added that it is unknown what happens at the end of this wave of protests, "not only in this place, but throughout the West Bank and all of Israel." _________________________________________

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Feb-22-2016 16:08 TweetFollow @OregonNews Turkey the Center of Equipping Terrorists and Causing Europe's Tsunami Migration Increasing scrutiny leaves Turkish officials facing persecution for alleged violations of international law.

Courtesy: uprootedpalestinians.wordpress.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - A European member of Parliament has announced that they have recently obtained documents that testify to Turkey's support of terrorist groups in Syria and ISIS. According to AWD NEWS, in an interview with Lobelog news agency, KatiPiri, an EU MP and a member of EU Turkey parliament friendship group, said ISIS oil purchase by Turkey is quite serious, Turkish intelligence agencies have a pivotal role in conspiring for Syria's refugees EU migration tsunami and this has actually undermined European national security. The European Parliament will not let go of these problems and it has been suggested that Turkey should be held accountable in this regard. This EU MP also said Turkey's EU accession process is faced with very serious problems and has become almost impossible. Based on this report, in another interview in Europe with Sacad Kerim, another member of EU Turkey parliament friendship group, also known as the Saudi lobby in Europe, the Lobelog website confirms Kati Piri's statements about Turkey's pivotal role in equipping extremist terrorist groups in Syria and also quoted him as saying: "EU parliament will legally persecute Turkish officials and those of the justice and development party and will call for a EU MP's strict crackdown on granting visas to Turkish citizens for possible terrorist incidents." _________________________________________

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KNOWLES' FIRST LAW:Whenever a controversy over symbolism erupts in the media, it's usually disguising a completely different symbolic message altogether.

KNOWLES' SECOND LAW:

The old state cults will be re-established under the cover of Woke.

KNOWLES' THIRD LAW:

The old statues and symbols currently being torn down will eventually be replaced by the icons and idols of the new/old state cult.

KNOWLES' LAW ON UFOS:

The probability that a UFO story is a deliberate hoax is correlative to the amount of mainstream media coverage it receives.
About the Segaar-Kings

Zach and Sharon have served ministries in Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Allendale (MI), Kalamazoo, Waterloo (ON), and Grand Rapids (MI). In July of 2005, Zach and Sharon were appointed to serve as Church and Leadership Developers in Haiti. Zach and Sharon partner with Haitian churches to develop Christian leaders and ministry capacity. They are ordained ministers in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. They have four children: Hannah, Isaiah and Vivian (twins), and Esther.


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Blogger's Note: This is from the latest edition of my e-newsletter, From Just Outside the Roundhouse

I couldnt help but think of our departed David Bowie this winter as I watched the legislature from just outside the roundhouse. Its been four years since Ive been out of that fray, and it looks, like Major Tom, untethered, disconnected and headed for parts unknownin spite of the false display of accomplishment and good feelings on the final day. I feel the same way about the national political scene, where each party seems to be in denial that its grassroots are demanding an overhaul.



Is it just me or do you find these items disconcerting?



Item #1 The lack of meaningful action on the elephant in the room, i.e. an economy that continues to tank, making us first in unemployment, last in job creation. Its fueling an exodus to neighboring states and leaving boarded-up buildings and For Rent signs in once thriving commercial centers like Nob Hill. The tired toolssmokestack chasing, tax breaks-- are not working. Its obvious, but were stuck in political gridlock. Both the Governor and the divided legislature are to blame. Alan Weber had it right. The solutions are at hand: cellular phone service and high speed internet for the whole state; more flights at the Alb. Airport; diversification away from oil and gas to renewable energy; legalization and taxation of marijuana; investments in infrastructure and education; the use of unspent state funds identified by Auditor Tim Keller in his recent report.



Instead, the legis killed a measure that would have extended a tax credit for rooftop solar, dismissing an industry that is one of the few bright spots in the economy. And it made sure the voters would not have the opportunity to weigh in on legalizing (and taxing) marijuana, a proposition that brought $70 million into Colorados tax coffers last year.



Item # 2 In the wake of a major scandal involving the states chief ethics officer, the Secretary of State, the legislature, once again stuck its head in the sand and said the details werent quite right yet on the Ethics Commission, or on making lobbyist expenditures or independent PAC donors public. Really? Dont we have a right to know? Shouldnt lobbyists and elected officials be held accountable? Members of the Senate Rules Committee have had ten years to deliberate on this one, as bill after bill has come before them (I know, I was there), and their excuses are wearing thin. Many of the veterans are all for transparencyexcept when it applies to them. Then, as Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino said, a certain paranoia takes over that the elected officials will be victimized by the media or political opponentsand that-- with very few exceptions-- trumps the publics right to know.



Almost all of the ethics initiatives were victims of a short sessionand political moves designed to kill them. The Governor didnt give messages or gave them too late, and House members got to vote for measures they knew would never make it through the Senate. Such is life in a divided body. The legislature, may be able to save itself at the 11th hour from Real ID, but cant enact systemic reform to address deep-seated problems like declining public trust or economic stagnation.



Item #3 The unexpected rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. The way we have constructed the primary system has magnified the extreme wings of each party. but, whoa, is there some realignment going on here? Some of the polls say that theres crossover between Sanders and Trump supporters. Theyre so disaffected that theyre for anyone whos against the establishment. Think of what would happen if they somehow united. There are lots of institutional barriers of course, but just saying. Our two-party system has created stability, but change is very difficult, especially without the reforms that would open it up. Its gratifying to hear Bernie rail vs. Citizens United and dark money, just as it is to hear Trump tell a few truths about the power of moneyed donors on the Republican side. Without reform in this area, theres going to be even more frustration from the shrinking middle class and who knows, maybe even a push for deeper changes like independent redistricting (killed by the leg), ability for independents to vote in primaries (also killed) and even. perish the thought, term limits or statewide voter initiatives.
 Highlighting that, despite lots of talk and a little action, Prez Obama remains a clemency grinch | Main | "On first day without Scalia, Supreme Court faces a possible tie vote" ... in a criminal procedure, Fourth Amendment case 

February 22, 2016

Because Michigan lacks the death penalty, can and should feds consider capital charges against admitted Uber mass murderer?

This new AP article, headlined "Uber driver admits to fatal Michigan rampage," prompts the question in the title of this post now that it seems there were be no questions about guilt in the latest horrific mass shooting. Here are the disturbing particulars:

The Uber driver suspected in a series of three random shootings in Michigan admitted carrying out the seemingly random attacks that killed six people, a prosecutor said Monday. Jason Dalton waived his right against self-incrimination before making the statement to authorities, Kalamazoo County prosecutor Jeff Getting said. Dalton's statements to police were used to file charges of murder and attempted murder Monday, two days after the shootings in the Kalamazoo area. Dalton appeared briefly in court to hear the charges. He was ordered held without bond and will get a court-appointed attorney. The shootings occurred in a restaurant parking lot, outside an apartment building and at a car lot. Two victims remain hospitalized. Meanwhile, an Uber passenger said he called police to report that Dalton was driving erratically more than an hour before the shooting rampage began. Matt Mellen told Kalamazoo television station WWMT that he hailed a ride around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. He said driver Jason Dalton introduced himself as "Me-Me" and had a dog in the backseat.... "I'm upset because I tried contacting Uber after I had talked to the police, saying that we needed to get this guy off the road," Mellen said.... Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said Uber is cooperating with law enforcement officials, and he believes the company will "help us fill in some timeline gaps." Investigators are particularly interested in communication between Dalton and Uber, as well as customers he might have driven, the sheriff said. Questions about motive and Dalton's frame of mind are "going to be the hardest to answer for anybody," Fuller said. He expects some answers to emerge in court, but he doubts they will be satisfying. "In the end, I ask people, because I keep hearing this question of why, 'What would be the answer that would be an acceptable answer for you?' They have to think about it for a moment, and they say, 'Probably nothing.' I have to say, 'You are probably correct.' I can't imagine what the answer would be that would let us go, 'OK, we understand now.' Because we are not going to understand." If Dalton is convicted, the murder charges carry a mandatory life sentence. Michigan does not have the death penalty. Authorities allege that he shot the first victim outside of an apartment complex and that he shot seven others over the next several hours. Police have not provided a motive. The victims had no apparent connection to the gunman or to each other. The attacks began early Saturday evening outside the Meadows apartment complex on the eastern edge of Kalamazoo County, where a woman was shot multiple times. A little more than four hours later and 15 miles away, a father and his 17-year-old son were fatally shot while looking at cars at a car dealership. Fifteen minutes after that, five people were gunned down in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Four of them died.... A man who knows Dalton said he was a married father of two who never showed any signs of violence. Gary Pardo Jr., whose parents live across the street from Dalton in Kalamazoo Township, described him as a family man who seemed fixated on cars and often worked on them.

I do not know enough about federal jurisdiction in capital cases to feel entirely confident that the feds would have a sure-fire jurisdictional basis to take over the prosecution of Jason Dalton. But if one looks at the crimes that have landed some others on federal death row (listed here thanks to DPIC), most involve many fewer murders than Dalton committed. And the fact that Dalton was apparently "on the job" for a notable national (internet?) company when he randomly slaughtered six innocent people and critically wounded two others.

February 22, 2016 at 06:00 PM | Permalink

Comments

The number of victims criteria is more a SL&P rule than a good reason by itself under existing rules to warrant federal prosecution. The list cited generally has a better federal hook than found here on face value. Under state law, he would get a mandatory life sentence. And, though it very well might not be enough to escape prosecution, it wouldn't surprise me if the guy was somewhat deranged, mitigation enough to warrant the feds not to get involved simply because he won't get the death penalty.

For the feds to step in here, I think, they would need to have a compelling federal interest that the state prosecution does not meet. Mandatory life imprisonment, especially for this crime and criminal (granting he is criminally liable) is not likely too little to meet that standard.

Posted by: Joe | Feb 22, 2016 6:26:38 PM

A fairly comprehensive list of federal murder statutes is found at http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/usao/legacy/2012/01/26/usab6001.pdf and none of the facts available to date make this case particularly compelling for a federal homicide case, although details could emerge which would support that finding. Murder in connection with a kidnapping is perhaps the most plausible, but I suspect that the kidnapping must involve crossing state lines to be a federal offense.

Posted by: ohwilleke | Feb 22, 2016 6:40:13 PM

Another fairly comprehensive list of federal homicide statutes with less detail is found here: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/federal-laws-providing-death-penalty

Posted by: ohwilleke | Feb 22, 2016 6:42:15 PM

Query if the facts that the Defendant in this case had no prior criminal record and that he confessed to the crimes in open court after receiving Miranda warnings (with confessions corroborated by at least two independent sets of eye witnesses to the killings) who were unharmed in addition to a third eye witness in critical condition) reduces the desirability of a federal death penalty prosecution in this case.

One of the main reasons to seek the death penalty is to get a death qualified jury and to pressure the defendant to make a plea in exchange for life in prison. The lack of dispute over commission of the crime makes both of those factors far less of a concern, and the mandatory minimum and maximum sentences for the offenses is life in prison, so sentencing discretion by either judge or jury is not an issue either. There could be an insanity defense, but there are really no indications thus far that there is any basis for such a defense or that it will be raised by the defense. It would be very rare for someone who genuinely qualifies for the insanity defense to make it to age 45, married with kids, and have no criminal record and was able to get a job despite a minimal background check at Uber. Then again, it is hard to see how such an extreme crime could come out of nowhere.

Posted by: ohwilleke | Feb 22, 2016 9:42:39 PM

This case is why the Supreme Court was wrong to remove the power of the states to impose a mandatory death penalty..

Posted by: federalist | Feb 23, 2016 7:28:35 AM

Uber took over from taxis so the feds can take over from the states-- when it comes to killing.

Posted by: HaroldRectum | Feb 23, 2016 10:26:34 AM

Meanwhile in death penalty news: http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/utah-senate-committee-led-by-republicans-passes-bill-to-end?utm_term=.jh0vMoBwE#.mflqdxp2l

Posted by: Joe | Feb 23, 2016 9:24:56 PM

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 "On first day without Scalia, Supreme Court faces a possible tie vote" ... in a criminal procedure, Fourth Amendment case | Main | Latest notable comments by Attorney General Lynch about sentencing reform developments 

February 23, 2016

Federal district judge in Nebraska calls 10-year mandatory prison sentence for drug offender "absolutely ridiculous"

This local article from the Lincoln Journal Star, headlined "Judge: 10-year sentence is 'absolutely ridiculous'," reports on a notable comments from a federal district judge as he sentenced a seemingly low-level drug offender to a decade in federal prison. Here are the basics from the start and end of the lengthy article:

On a recent Friday in a federal courtroom in Lincoln, a federal judge spoke critically about the 10-year sentence he was on the verge of handing down to the Lincoln man, a nonviolent, recovering meth user. U.S. District Judge John Gerrard's hands were tied. "The only reason I'm imposing the sentence that I am imposing today is because I have to," he told Leo Guthmiller III on Feb. 12. "That's what Congress mandates." He called Guthmiller, the man at the defense table, Exhibit A for why Congress should pass the Smart on Crime Act. Last June, in a similar case, he called Robyn Hamilton the poster child for it. In both of the cases, Gerrard, a former Nebraska Supreme Court justice nominated to the federal bench by President Barack Obama in 2011, said the sentence didn't fit the crime. There should be imprisonment, he said, but 10 years in cases like these is ridiculous, draconian even.... [O]n Feb. 12, federal public defender John Vanderslice said Guthmiller got arrested June 20, 2013, at a Lincoln Walmart with a small amount of methamphetamine on him, got accepted into the Lancaster County Drug Court on the state charge and has been clean and sober ever since. Guthmiller thought drugs were in his past, then, in 2015, he was federally indicted for being part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Lincoln back in 2013 for introducing people who were buying and selling it and sometimes getting a cut for it. He pleaded guilty. "This war on drugs that we are waging in this country with mandatory minimum sentences as applied to a person like Mr. Guthmiller, it's tragic," Vanderslice said at the sentencing. He said it's turned Guthmiller's life upside down. An emotional Guthmiller apologized for all his past transactions "and everything that's led me to this moment in my life." "I have worked really hard to turn my life around," he said. "And I'm proud to say that even with all this present stuff facing me that I will continue to do so." Then, Gerrard handed down his sentence, saying there "should be just punishment, respect for the law. But a 10-year sentence is absolutely ridiculous in a case like this. But there may be another day in court at some point in time." He allowed Guthmiller to report to prison in April.

February 23, 2016 at 10:43 AM | Permalink

Comments

When you have a sentencing regime, there will always be those who are arguably overpunished. And the reason for this is that legislatures want to be certain that X crime will result in at least X time.

What is interesting to me though---the outrage leveled at an arguable overpunishment with no concomitant outrage over too lenient sentences.

Posted by: federalist | Feb 23, 2016 12:07:36 PM

"No concomitant outrage over too lenient sentences"??????? Is that sarcasm?

Posted by: Thinkaboutit | Feb 23, 2016 12:52:19 PM

Federalist, are "too lenient" sentences all that common? Do "too lenient" sentences explain why U.S. has highest per capita incarceration in the world?

Posted by: onlooker | Feb 23, 2016 2:37:38 PM

No outrage over "too lenient" sentences? Google "Ethan Couch."

Posted by: vachesacree | Feb 23, 2016 6:37:01 PM

ah vachesacree is back. The point, vachesacree, is that the "over incarceration" crowd never seems to care about systemic lenience to criminals in urban areas or elsewhere.

But hey, bring it on.

Posted by: federalist | Feb 23, 2016 7:55:13 PM

Instead of "conspiring" and using meth , he should have been checking the water supply in Flint, MI, as an employee.

He could then say, Oops. , and suffered the loss of a gold star in his HR file .

A Draconian punishment does not reach the level of cruelty in this case !

An easy way to lower the prison population and concurrently reduce recidivism is to summarily execute the prisoner upon conviction or release from prison ; thereby eliminating the cost of confinement , the risk of future criminal conduct , and an elevated unemployment rate due to out of work ex-prisoners looking for work 

 Johnathan Swift would  it  

Respectfully and kindly submitted , DJB

As always , Nemo Me Impune Lacessit

Cum capitibus suis 

Posted by: Docile Jim Brady  the Nemo Me  Impune Lacessit guy in Oregon  | Feb 24, 2016 4:00:02 AM

Federalist decries "systemic lenience to criminals in urban areas or elsewhere." I ask Federalist what planet he is living on?

Posted by: onlooker | Feb 24, 2016 9:32:22 AM

Pardon me Ray.

Posted by: HaroldRectum | Feb 24, 2016 10:19:32 AM

Washington DC. Wonder what those racists who assaulted and robbed a US marine are going to get---um not much.

Posted by: federalist | Feb 24, 2016 8:34:00 PM

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 Federal district judge in Nebraska calls 10-year mandatory prison sentence for drug offender "absolutely ridiculous" | Main | Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan explains "Why It's Time to Legalize Drugs" 

Via email alert,I received notice that AG Loretta Lynch is giving this lengthy speech today in DC at the at the National Association of Attorneys General Annual Winter Conference. The speech covers a lot of federal and state criminal justice issues, and this section concerning sentencing policies and reform seemed worth spotlighting here:

Through the Smart on Crime initiative  launched by my predecessor, Eric Holder, in 2013  were directing our prosecutorial resources at the most serious crimes, while investing in diversion and treatment programs like drug courts and veterans courts. And were placing a renewed focus on rehabilitation and reentry in order to reduce recidivism, promote public safety and ensure that formerly incarcerated individuals can return to their communities as productive citizens with a meaningful new chance at a better life.

As we all know, improving rehabilitation programs and reentry outcomes doesnt just help formerly incarcerated individuals; its also good for our communities as a whole. More than 600,000 people are released from federal, state and local prisons every year and their ability to stay on the right path and stay out of the criminal justice system has a tremendous impact on the safety of our neighborhoods and the strength of our nation. Thats why the Federal Interagency Reentry Council, which I am proud to chair, has brought together more than 20 federal agencies to curb recidivism and foster better prospects for employment, education, housing, healthcare and child welfare. Its why the Department of Justice is forging partnerships with the Departments of Education, Labor, Housing and Urban Development and others to boost opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals and eliminate unnecessary collateral consequences of incarceration. And its why our Office of Justice Programs has offered nearly 750 Second Chance Act grants since 2009, totaling more than $400 million to support reentry efforts in 49 states.

Beyond these and other efforts at the Department of Justice, we are working with Congress to support meaningful legislation that combines front-end sentencing reforms and back-end corrections reforms. Over the past several months, weve seen important progress: sentencing and corrections legislation has been reported out of both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees and both Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate have spoken out about the pressing need for reform. The Department of Justice will continue to support federal sentencing laws that reduce the overreliance on mandatory-minimum sentences and improve federal probation and supervised-release programs.

Of course, the Department of Justice and the Obama Administration cannot do this work alone. As the chief law enforcement officers of this countrys states and territories, you have the ability to bring about much-needed change. Over the past several years, many of you have led the way in helping enact justice system reforms in your own jurisdictions. This Administration has supported your work through efforts like the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI), which helps states identify the drivers of rising corrections costs and develop solutions to reduce spending and increase public safety. JRI is currently active in 24 states and the experiences of states like Georgia and North Carolina demonstrate that JRI-involved states can both achieve significant reform  including reductions to incarceration rates  and produce savings while simultaneously enhancing public safety. Since 2011, Georgias prison population has dropped by 8 percent, instead of growing by 8 percent as projected, saving funds and reducing crowding. North Carolinas prison population has decreased by almost 3,400 people since 2011 and the state has used savings from the closure of 10 prisons to add 175 probation and parole officers and to invest in intervention and treatment programs. At the same time, North Carolinas crime rate has plunged 11 percent.

We will continue to support programs like JRI  and additional efforts that seek to make our criminal justice system more efficient, more effective and more fair across the board. In fact, President Obamas budget for this coming fiscal year would invest $500 million in states comprehensive criminal justice reform efforts as part of the 21st Century Justice Initiative  supporting a range of projects, from improving policing, to reducing unnecessary incarceration, to bolstering re-entry services. This is an exciting and groundbreaking initiative and I am hopeful that Congress will move forward in support of its goals.
 Because Michigan lacks the death penalty, can and should feds consider capital charges against admitted Uber mass murderer? | Main | Federal district judge in Nebraska calls 10-year mandatory prison sentence for drug offender "absolutely ridiculous" 

February 22, 2016

"On first day without Scalia, Supreme Court faces a possible tie vote" ... in a criminal procedure, Fourth Amendment case

The title of this post is drawn in part from this USA Today article's headline reporting on oral argument today in the Supreme Court in a Fourth Amendment case, Utah v. Strieff. I thought to flag this story not only because it suggests the now-short-staffed Supreme Court may be unable to resolve tough criminal procedural cases, but also because Strieff might provide an early clue in the coming weeks concerning how the Chief Justice and his colleagues may try to handle divided cases while short-staffed. Here is how the press report starts:

Without Antonin Scalia's potential tie-breaking vote, the Supreme Court appeared split down the middle Monday in a case that could impact the way police stop and search suspects. The court's liberal and conservative members took opposite sides in the case  a relatively frequent occurrence, but one that now could produce 4-4 deadlocks in the wake of Scalia's unexpected death Feb. 13. Such verdicts would uphold decisions reached by lower courts without setting any national precedent. The case involves a Utah police officer's detention of a man leaving a house that was under observation for possible drug-dealing. Based on the discovery of an outstanding arrest warrant for a minor traffic infraction, the man was searched and found to have illegal drugs. The Utah Supreme Court ruled that the initial stop was illegal and the discovery of the arrest warrant insufficient to justify the search and arrest, prompting Utah to appeal.

Of course, there are many times when, even after the Justices appeared deeply divided at oral argument, they ultimately do not split 5-4 (or in this case 4-4) when it comes time to vote on a case's resolution. And folks interested in reading for themselves how divide the Justice were this morning can find the argument transcript for Utah v. Strieff at this link.

February 22, 2016 at 07:01 PM | Permalink

Comments

I wonder where Justice Scalia would have gone with this. On the one hand, I think he'd do a good job cutting through the sophistry, imo, that's at the heart of Utah's argument. On the other hand, his voting pattern has been great for the Fourth Amendment when phrased as a search or seizure question, he hasn't been great when it's phrased as an exclusionary rule question.

Reading the transcript in this case, I felt like how I did when the Court decided to hear Rodriguez. There was an obvious, easy rule that I learned in law school and it looked like the Court may somehow change course from that rule and adopt something entirely different. I was relieved that the Court eventually said no and adopted the rule from cases like Florida v. Royer.

Here, I keep feeling the same way. You look at the basic exclusionary rule cases and it seems straightforward (but for the stop, there is no way they would have discovered the warrant). You look at the independent source cases and see they don't apply. You look at attenuation in Wong Sun and it's obvious that case involves genuinely independent intervening circumstances and a chain of events (and, today, there would be no standing anyway so Wong Sun's analysis would have been superfluous). This case is exactly the evil that lead to Delaware v. Prouse. No one would argue the fact that the driver in Prouse actually was unlicensed justifies stopping him to find out. Oh well, if the Court would otherwise have been inclined to side with Utah, a four-four affirmance might be the best result.

Posted by: Erik M | Feb 22, 2016 7:13:26 PM

The somewhat shocking fact revealed in the briefing of the case that is quite relevant to this blog is that more than 75% of the population of Ferguson, Missouri had outstanding warrants according the U.S. Justice Department, there as in this Utah case, mostly on minor traffic matters.

Posted by: ohwilleke | Feb 22, 2016 9:35:08 PM

I still don't understand why anyone is shocked at that ohwilleke. Where I live that too is norm. It's so bad that the local court runs "abstinence days" where if you come in and pay your fines they eliminate all the interest and wipe away the warrant. No one pays the fines, they are too poor.

FWIW I think this case is a very difficult case because I'm not convinced that the initial stop was illegal. I think that is a very close question. However, I am a huge fan of the exclusionary rule so if the initial stop was illegal the evidence has got to go.

Posted by: Daniel | Feb 22, 2016 9:52:23 PM

SCOTUSBlog notes the question presented being: "Whether evidence seized incident to a lawful arrest on an outstanding warrant should be suppressed because the warrant was discovered during an investigatory stop later found to be unlawful."

So, the stop is being deemed unlawful. That being a close question isn't an issue, is it?

Also, I think "shocking" is not necessary the same as "surprising." Plus, what those in the know realize when it comes to the criminal justice system is not always clear to the population at large. I gather though those in the affected community -- like those dealing with stops in a neighborhood as a regular thing -- might be well aware.

Posted by: Joe | Feb 22, 2016 10:01:26 PM

The question takes as a given the trial court's finding that the stop was not supported by reasonable suspicion. From the argument, it seems like the local prosecutor -- for whatever reason -- conceded this issue or that the assistant attorney general who handled it in state court did not challenge that finding.

On the facts as recited by the Justices and the parties, it seems like the finding in the trial court was debatable and perhaps should not have been conceded. For the purpose of attenuation, the question is the significance of how close that finding was. In other words, if there were some suspicious facts that a reasonable officer might think was enough but the courts disagree with that officer's conclusion, should the fact that there was some justification for the stop allow the discovery of the warrant to attenuate the stop. Utah seemed to be arguing for a standard that would require the trial court to consider how strong the suspicions were even if they were not adequate to rise to the level of reasonable suspicion. The defendant seemed to be the arguing that there were not gradations of unreasonable suspicion.

Some courts around the country (including some of the circuits) have found that a warrant is a per se break in the causal chain of events for the purposes of attenuation analysis, but it did not seem like there were five justices for that per se approach.

Posted by: tmm | Feb 23, 2016 9:43:39 AM

"Attenuation analysis"????

Posted by: HaroldRectum | Feb 23, 2016 10:25:40 AM

@joe

"So, the stop is being deemed unlawful. That being a close question isn't an issue, is it?"

Don't be coy. You know as well as I that the reason the question was framed that way is because that is what the Utah court found. That doesn't mean that SCOTUS is bound by that legal holding and the orals in this case make clear not everyone on the court thinks such a finding was correct.

Posted by: Daniel | Feb 23, 2016 12:12:10 PM

Questions are framed that way, especially during the Roberts Court, to decide narrow things. The Court can get around it if it wants, but not being coy.

Posted by: Joe | Feb 23, 2016 3:16:54 PM

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Over his lifetime, Allen Ginsberg may have most espoused the cultural freedom and social mores of San Francisco and New York. But by 1983, the poet associated with the Beat Movement had also come to admire the attitudes of Burlington, Vermont, where he would travel to commune with his Buddhist teacher, Chogyam Trungpa.

It was here that Ginsberg met with mayor Bernie Sanders, the current senator and democratic presidential candidate, and now a newly resurfaced image from Yoga Journal photographer Phyllis Segura recalls the brief relationship between these two alleged socialist agitators.

Ginsberg scholars, particularly those who fetishize the writer's every piece of ephemera, are more than familiar with the poem that resulted from impressions of Sanders' Vermont. But the work, "Burlington Snow," didn't make its way to a larger audience until last summer when it was included in a Guardian profile of the White House hopeful. The poem, handwritten and signed, is contained in Sander's mayoral archive, and you know, it's quite sweet. It's from 1986, so a few years after the above photo.

Socialist snow on the streets

Socialist talk in the Maverick bookstore

Socialist kids sucking socialist lollipops

Socialist poetry in socialist mouths

aren't the birds frozen socialists?

Aren't the snowclouds blocking the airfield

Social Democratic Appeasement?

Isn't the socialist sky owned by

the socialist sun?

Earth itself socialist, forests, rivers, lakes

furry mountains, socialist salt

in oceans?

Isn't this poem socialist? It doesn't

belong to me anymore.

Ginsberg's admiration for Sanders, however, may not have been entirely mutual, as Forward now learns. Once, Sanders introduced Ginsberg to the public before a reading, only to reportedly leave when the poet took a graphic turn.

According to Steven X. Taylor, who accompanied Ginsberg both literally and musically for many years, "What happened was we gave a show in some big municipal building and Bernie got up and introduced Allen.. Bernie was proud to present Allen and Allen was then in the habit, if he had a new poem, he'd try it out on people... and he had a very graphic poem about anal sex. He had this kind of dirty streak, and he liked to talk dirty in public. It was partly gay activism and it was also something that he did."

Sanders stood up and turned and walked out," according to Taylor. "You know I thought (at the time), What a nightmare for a politician. I thought, Oh, God, hes a socialist. Already hes got problems. But now hes got Allen up here reading about anal sex. It was not a good thing for Allen to do. He should not have done it. He should have been more careful, but he got excited. He got excited when he performed, and he was a great performer..."

The name of that fateful poem, by the way, is "What You Up To." It is probably not about Bernie Sanders.

Related: Beat Scholars And Historians Rejoice As Lost 18-Page Neal Cassady Letter Is Discovered Intact In Oakland
It may have been but a matter a time. A February 18 statement by the Consumer Product Safety Commission asserts that tweens' favorite mode of transportation, the hoverboard, poses a fire hazard and is in fact unsafe at any speed. And it's not just the cheap knock-offs drawing government ire: It's all of them.

The self-balancing scooters colloquially known as 'hoverboards" have been in the news following a series of fires resulting from overcharged lithium ion batteries and substandard parts. Indeed, the mobility devices have been blamed for at least two fires in the Bay Area, and were banned from the campus of SF State earlier this month as a precautionary measure. The CPSC statement asserts that reports of 52 scooter fires over the course of two and a half months drove it to ban the dangerous transportation device.

The statement from the government agency is addressed to "manufacturers, importers, and retailers of self-balancing scooters," and claims all hoverboards currently being manufactured fail its basic safety tests. Should the agency "encounter such products at import, [it] may seek detention and/or seizure" and continues that if the agency "[encounters] such products domestically, [it] may seek a recall of these products."

But don't expect hoverboard manufactures like Swagway to take this lying down. Although no current scooter meets the basic safety requirements, that doesn't mean that a brand won't quickly design one that does. And can today's youth really be kept from their hovertoys forever? Nah.

I stand for our generation and our generation is gonna be riding hover boards so if you don't like it eat a dick!  KOE (@wizkhalifa) August 23, 2015

Related: Hoverboards Set To Get Even Dorkier With Mandatory Helmet Law, Other Regulations Taking Effect
The popular but ultimately failed San Francisco soda tax may be bubbling back up. A petition calling for the addition of such a tax to the 2016 November ballot is circulating and appears poised to receive the requisite number of signatures. The measure would add a 2-cents-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks sold in San Francisco, mimicking a similar measure passed by Berkeley in 2014.

That same year, the San Francisco soda tax  placed on the ballot by the Board of Supervisors  failed to capture the two thirds of the vote it needed to become law, garnering just 56 percent support. But this time around, the Chronicle reports that the proposal has been tweaked in order to lower the voter approval threshold to 50 percent, likely guaranteeing success.

Im pretty confident this measure will pass, Supervisor Malia Cohen told the Chronicle. Were approaching this completely differently.

As the 2014 proposed tax would have seen revenue go to a specific purpose (city-wide nutrition and wellness programs), the measure required the aforementioned two thirds approval. This time around tax revenue would go into the general fund.

Regardless of the Supervisor's confidence in the ultimate success of the soda tax, Larry Tramutola, a political strategist leading the soda tax effort, expects the soda industry to dump tons of money into fighting it.

The [soda] industry will spend an ungodly amount of money in ungodly ways to convince people this isnt going to do any good, he told the paper.

If passed, this would be only the second soda tax in the nation.

Related: SF's Failed Soda Tax Was More Popular Than Ed Lee


In an effort to restore trust in the San Francisco Police Department in the wake of the killing of Mario Woods, Police Chief Greg Suhr and Mayor Ed Lee announced Monday that some major reforms would be coming to the department, including new training about de-escalation, the creation of a new bureau focused on "community-oriented policing," and changes in use-of-force protocols and equipment  like Tasers and body cameras. But at the district attorney's blue-ribbon panel discussion Monday, which was focused on police bias and misconduct, DA George Gascon referred to the ongoing trouble of the SFPD's "old boy's club" that had only grown worse, and more entrenched, since he served as chief in 2009.

As the Chronicle reports, Gascon said he was "much more worried today" than he was in 2009 about the state of the department, and part of this has to do with the Old San Francisco mentality that has long headed up the department. "Most of the command staff were born and raised in the city," Gascon said. "Many went to the same schools. There was a tremendous amount of camaraderie... [and] there was a really tight-knit structure that precluded an objective look into the organization.

Gascon and Suhr are basically at war at this point, with Gascon having said publicly that Suhr had been engaging in "a dizzying array of stonewalling tactics" to avoid cooperating with this blue-ribbon panel. Gascon also raised the issue of the text-message scandal, saying it "taints the entire criminal justice system" in the city, and undermines his ability to do his job, as the Examiner reports.

And, as has been discussed before, Suhr is trapped between the political forces in the Mayor's Office and those in the Police Officers' Association, whose president Marty Halloran came out swinging the moment anyone questioned the actions of officers in the December shooting of Woods  which Mayor Lee has referred to as a "firing squad."

The new Bureau of Professional Standards and Principled Policing, as the Examiner explains, will be led by Deputy Chief Toney Chaplin and will focus on implementing any and all recommendations from the upcoming Department of Justice review.

Said Suhr in a Monday news conference, "The main goal in everything that weve been talking about is the sanctity of life, and the sanctity of life for everybody  that everybody walks away whenever that can be possible."

KRON 4 has some video from the news conference below, and adds that Suhr told the assembled crowd, "For years weve been working as a police department with community members to foster trust. Without trust in the community we cant do our jobs."

Union president Marty Halloran said that some of these sweeping changes will only put some of his officer members "in harm's way."

And if you care to read it, here is the full press release.

Chief Suhr, Mayor Lee going over police reforms in San Francisco since fatal shooting of #MarioWoods pic.twitter.com/EoZVLXg7YB  Michael Barba (@mdbarba) February 22, 2016



Previously: Mayor Ed Lee Reportedly Describes SFPD Shooting Of Mario Woods As 'Horrifying' 'Firing Squad'

Autopsy: Mario Woods Shot 17 Times From Behind, Had Drugs In System
For several years now, filmmaker and extremely rich person George Lucas has been working to create a massive museum dedicated to showcasing his collection of movie memorabilia, illustrations, and graphic art. After his efforts to build the museum in San Francisco were twice rejected, he then took the project to Chicago where he was greeted with open arms and lived happily ever after. Er, well, except for that last part, as we now learn that his Chicago efforts have stalled due to a lawsuit regarding the proposed lakefront location. Seizing on the reported difficulties, Oakland officials are hinting that a second attempt to convince the Californian to bring his museum to the Bay Area may be in the future.

So reports the SF Business Times, which notes that the office of Oakland's Mayor Libby Schaaf appears eager to have another shot at wooing Lucas.

If plans for a museum in Chicago do not come to fruition," noted Schaaf spokesperson Erica Terry Derryck, "wed be thrilled to explore the possibility of this exciting project coming to life in Oakland."

Oakland initially proposed an East Bay location for the museum last year, but at the time Lucas still seemed set on Chicago. According to the Times, pro-business advocacy group The Bay Area Council is also considering reaching out to Lucas again.

"We'd be very eager, very interested in facilitating a meeting," BAC vice president for communications Rufus Jeffris told the publication.

So could the museum actually end up back in the Bay Area? Well, that depends on what happens next in Chicago. The Chicago non-profit Friends of the Park is suing to prevent construction on the 17-acre site near Lake Michigan, but city officials are looking to begin construction regardless. A judge is set to decide on April 21 if work can go ahead while the lawsuit moves through the court. If the judge finds in the favor of Friends of the Park, and construction is delayed indefinitely, Oakland may suddenly start to look a lot more appealing.

Previously: Middle Finger Raised To S.F., George Lucas Takes His $700 Million Museum To Chicago
The San Francisco Police Department is asking for the public's help to find an elderly area woman who lost touch with her family over a week ago.

According to SFPD spokesperson Officer Albie Esparza, 73 year-old Lani Uchida "usually stays at SROs in San Francisco" and "typically calls her family every Sunday from a payphone located on the Embarcadero."

When they didn't hear from her this Sunday, her family grew worried and asked police to investigate, saying that Uchida has a medical condition that requires medication.

Her family last spoke with her on Sunday, February 14th, and "have not heard from her since," Esparza says.

Have you seen Uchida? If so, please call SFPD's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 with SFPD at the beginning of the message.
Bob Mercer had this very interesting piece on inside iunformation this morning on his report regarding the sales tax increase:

A legislator who asked to be unnamed said Saturday that Schoenbeck, who doesnt have a formal leadership position, is the clear House leader for the majority of the mainstream Republican caucus. The legislator said Schoenbeck has been involved in countless behind-the-scenes organizational meetings in preparation for the teacher tax-hike vote, and even today (Saturday) is communicating and preparing for Monday. The legislator added that during the past week the legislator participated in my first joint-party (Republicans and Democrats) caucus to prepare for the vote.

Mercer also reports on the high levely bullying these totalitarian liberals direct at those who disagree with them:

The tech-institutes amendment appeared critical to changing Schoenbecks position from somewhat of a critic regarding the governors original plan last month. He became one of the hardest-arguing supporters behind the scenes and the most aggressive during the House debate Thursday. Schoenbeck didnt let up after the narrow lost Thursday. That night he continued to push against Gosch and the House Republican assistant leader, Steve Westra of Sioux Falls. He posted an Internet message and, at about midnight, he issued the second of two messages on Twitter regarding them specifically. Tonight, after the chicken behavior by Steve Westra and Brian Gosch, Im still so mad I cant sleep. South Dakota deserves better, Schoenbecks tweet said.

Cory Heidelberber has more details on Schoenbeck's bullying:

Rep. Schoenbeck says Majority Leader Brian Gosch has barred him from the GOP caucus. Well, that should make for fun debate on sales tax and teacher pay when the House convenes at 2 p.m. Central. This incident comes after Rep. Schoenbeck continued to lambaste Rep. Gosch over the weekend as pond scum who lied to the group of clowns who followed Rep. Gosch in voting against House Bill 1182, the Governors funding mechanism for raising teacher pay. Rep. Schoenbeck also appears to have called Rep. Gosch something even stiffer in a Thursday evening text message that Rep. Gosch was reportedly sharing with his fellow Republicans in the Capitol Friday.

Clearly the liberal tax and spend Democrats are aligned with the SDGOP establishment. True conservatrives are now being bullied more than ever. Looks like a couple of themn have caved in to the persecution and changed their vote on HB1182.
BARCELONA, Spain | Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg vowed Monday to press on with his 3-year-old effort to bring the developing world online, even after Indian regulators banned one of the pillars of the campaign.

He said the banned service, Free Basics, was only one program in his Internet.org campaign, so he could proceed with other initiatives. Indian regulators banned Free Basics this month because it provided access only to certain pre-approved services  including Facebook  rather than the full Internet.

"Facebook isn't a company that hits a roadblock and gives up," Zuckerberg said at the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain. "We take the hits and try to get better."

Though Zuckerberg termed the regulatory defeat "disappointing for the mission and a major setback," he said every country was different, and "the model that has worked in one country may not work in another."

This was his third appearance at the Barcelona show to promote Internet access to everyone in the world. He has argued that online connections can improve lives and fuel economic development.

To achieve that goal, Zuckerberg has high-flying dreams for someday providing Internet connections through a network of drones, satellites and lasers. Zuckerberg said Monday that Internet.org would launch its first satellite over Africa this year and "we are about to test flying Internet drone solar planes that can fly three months a year."

While the drones may someday connect people in areas too remote for cables or cell towers, Free Basics is intended for people who live in areas with Internet service but still can't afford it. Facebook works with wireless carriers in poorer nations to let people use streamlined versions of Facebook and certain other online services, without paying data charges.

A low-income resident of urban Manila, for example, can use Free Basics to view the Philippines' GMA News site. "He can be informed. He can research. He can read the news," Ederic Eder of GMA News said.

The program varies by country, in offerings and effectiveness.

In South Africa, for instance, Facebook partnered with the third-largest wireless carrier, Cell C. But Johannesburg resident Priscilla de Klerk said she couldn't get Free Basics to work on her phone.

"Cell C is much cheaper as far as everything else is concerned, but their free Facebook is not a reality," she said.

Last fall, Facebook announced a major expansion in Africa, where another regional carrier, Bharti Airtel, said it will offer Free Basics in 17 countries.

"They're getting a lot of traction in Africa," said Danson Njue, a Kenya-based telecom analyst with the Ovum research firm. Tech rivals Google and Microsoft also have programs to expand Internet access, he noted, but their approaches are content neutral and involve extending networks to underserved areas.

Facebook doesn't pay wireless companies for the cost of Free Basics. Carriers make money if new users eventually move to a paid data plan. Facebook also says it makes no money, as it doesn't show ads, though Zuckerberg has conceded it benefits from gaining users in the long run.

While the company hasn't released detailed usage figures, Facebook says Free Basics has brought more than 19 million people online for the first time. That counts any user who didn't have Internet access before, regardless of whether they're currently active.

On the Internet.org website, mixed in with videos about impoverished students using Free Basics to study and laborers starting small businesses, Facebook boasts more than 1 billion people "have access" to the service. That's the combined population of regions where it's available, not the number of users.

Free Basics is now in 36 countries. It was suspended last year in Egypt, on the anniversary of anti-government protests that were organized partly on Facebook. An earlier version of Free Basics, known as Facebook Zero, was shuttered three years ago in Chile, after authorities said Internet providers couldn't offer discounts for accessing some content but not others.

Similar concerns turned India into the program's biggest battleground.

Free Basics enrolled more than 1 million Indians in its first year, according to Facebook's wireless partner, Reliance Communications. But critics, including many in the country's growing tech community, complained it was a predatory scheme: If low-income users couldn't afford anything besides Free Basics, opponents said, that meant Facebook was deciding which online services the nation's poor could use.

"The government should not allow big players to monopolize the Internet," said Manu Sharma, who runs a software development company in New Delhi.

Facebook responded last fall by announcing it would open Free Basics to any app that met its technical requirements for systems with limited capacity. Zuckerberg also changed the program's name to Free Basics, after critics complained "Internet.org" sounded like a nonprofit, when it's part of a for-profit company (the overall campaign is still called Internet.org).

But opponents still worry that Facebook could change requirements at any time, force competitors to pay higher rates to get into the program, or even block services that run afoul of powerful politicians.

"The fact that it could decide what apps could be hosted ... was a huge problem for me," said Basit Zaidi, a New Delhi attorney.

As Indian regulators began studying the issue, Facebook drew more resentment with a public-relations blitz that critics called heavy-handed and patronizing. The regulators effectively banned Free Basics after concluding Internet providers shouldn't be allowed to charge different rates for certain services, because that discriminates against other content.

U.S. regulators have endorsed the concept of "net neutrality," which says all websites and apps should be treated equally by Internet providers. They're now studying whether "zero rating" programs, which offer some content for free, should be allowed. Net neutrality supporters are hoping India's decision will influence other nations.

Facebook has also launched a program that helps Internet providers offer reliable Wi-Fi service in underserved areas at affordable rates and without limits on content. The program's been limited to tests in a few countries.

The giant tech company could use its resources and clout with carriers to offer a similar wireless service, perhaps at limited speeds or volume, but without any restrictions on content, said Josh Levy of Access Now, a nonprofit that supports net neutrality. Zuckerberg has suggested in the past that such a service would be too expensive and difficult to offer.

Some Indians, meanwhile, say their country could have benefited from Free Basics.

"Ultimately, something is better than nothing, even if that something is flawed," said Uday Singh Tomar, a software engineer in New Delhi. "If a person is hungry and getting nothing, a free meal is good enough."
SIOUX CITY | A group of Country Club Boulevard residents ushered the City Council into an hour-long discussion Monday about rebuilding the north side street.

A half dozen neighborhood residents expressed concern that the city's $4 million plan to reconstruct the the street doesn't go far enough to promote public safety.

Country Club Boulevard homeowner Greg Gregerson, 54, called the current design of the street "a bad situation." He said he was concerned about drivers speeding down the street early in the morning while children waited for the bus.

"The traffic is very heavy," Gregerson said.

Some neighbors urged the council to explore building two traffic circles, or roundabouts, where Country Club Boulevard connects with 44th and 40th streets.

Ultimately, the council asked the project engineer, Sioux City-based DGR Engineering, to include the traffic circles in its plan. The council then voted unanimously to delete from Monday's agenda an item that called for adoption of construction plans for the street.

The council's decision Monday could delay the reconstruction project by a month or maybe longer, said Bryan Wells of DGR Engineering. The project has a two-year completion date, with work to be done in 2016 and 2017.

Mayor Bob Scott criticized the city's engineering staff, citing the safety issues should have been addressed before the project reached the City Council.

"Why are we here?" Scott said. "Why weren't all these things worked out?"

City Engineer Glenn Ellis said the city held public meetings about the project in October. He added Country Club Boulevard is a 6,000 feet stretch that bears the load of about 1,700 vehicles per day.

Councilman Dan Moore defended the city's engineering staff, adding the city was aware of the desire to have traffic circles during those public meetings.

However, Moore also said some residents were opposed to adding them. City officials said citizens were nearly split on installing traffic circles on the street.

"I was embarrassed because I was all for circles," Moore said.

Ellis said traffic circles would not necessarily slow down drivers.

"The circles themselves won't eliminate speeding," Ellis said.

Other residents said they were concerned about the use of asphalt to repave the street. Many of them wanted the city to use concrete instead. City officials said both materials last about 50 years.

In other action Monday, council members also accepted a recommendation from the Board of Adjustment to move forward with construction of a Verizon Wireless tower near the 900 block of South Rustin Street.

In January, council members sent the item back to the board after about 15 neighborhood residents voiced concerns about the location of the 150-foot tower.
DES MOINES | Legislative leaders are exchanging ideas regarding tax law changes that would yield $96 million in tax relief for certain Iowans but also would mean that much less money in the states coffers during a tight budget year.

The state is faced with deciding whether to couple with recent changes in federal tax laws. What it boils down to:

If the state couples for tax year 2015, some Iowa taxpayers who bought supplies or equipment for business use will receive $96 million in tax relief. It also means that $96 million would not be collected for the states general fund, the pie that feeds the states $7 billion-plus budget.

If the state does not couple, that tax revenue is collected and the state budget gets $96 million healthier, but those taxpayers are hit with an unexpected tax expense.

Leaders from both political parties are exchanging proposals with a deadline fast approaching: Farmers must file their taxes by March 1.

Republicans have been pushing for coupling to provide that tax relief. Democrats have been hesitant to embrace coupling, given that they are pushing for more funding for the states public schools.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, the Statehouses top Democrat, said Monday he is willing to support coupling if legislators can make the revenue balance.

Ive made a good-faith offer to the Republicans that we felt provides some countervailing revenue measures. So, were open to considering it, Gronstal said. I would rather do the coupling than some of the other things that are on the table.

House Republican leaders held a news conference Monday at the Capitol with Iowa farmers, a teacher and a tax professional, all advocating for coupling.

The farmers told stories of how they will be hit with an unexpected tax bill on recent equipment purchases, and the teacher told a similar story regarding supplies she bought for her classroom.

Im sure Im not the only farm family example. Its definitely hitting home for me, said Laura Cunningham, a grain farmer from Nora Springs, Iowa. Cunningham said that without coupling, she will get hit with an extra $62,000 in taxes on a new grain bin.

Wendy Garton, a first-grade teacher from Bondurant, Iowa, said she uses the tax rule in question to lessen the cost of supplies she buys for her classroom. Garton said teachers already do not feel supported by the state and failure to approve the tax relief would reinforce that perception.

We need the tools, and we need to be able to support ourselves and our students, Garton said. The only individuals being hurt by this are the students.

Gov. Terry Branstad on Monday expressed his support for Republican-supported legislation on coupling. Previously, Branstad included in his budget plan partial coupling that would not have included relief for business purchases.

The governor supports (the Republican legislation) given we can still fund the budget priorities of Iowans. Those priorities were clearly laid out in the budget the governor proposed: on-going education funding, fully funding the property tax and teacher leadership commitments, and not underfunding Medicaid, Ben Hammes, the governors spokesman, said in an emailed statement. The governor believes this is possible and will work with the House and Senate through the budgeting process.

Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, the leader of the Senates tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, on Monday issued a statement that expressed doubt in the states ability to afford the tax change.
Todays top picks from our online calendar. Find more events at siouxcityjournal.com/calendar.

Hike the Wild: Ainsworth-Orleans Beach: Come hike the trails around the State Fish Hatchery and learn a little about how to stay safe on the ice this winter 9:30-11 a.m. Meet at Dickinson County Nature Center, 2279 170th St., Spirit Lake. Call 712-336-6352 or visit www.dickinsoncountynaturecenter.com for more information.

Coffee with the Curators: The curators at the Sanford Museum & Planetarium, 117 E. Willow St., Cherokee, Iowa, will feature the letters of Wesley Vandercook to his young cousin, Helen Green 10-11 a.m. We will also discuss the Vandercook family history and why they were important to the area. Visit sanfordmuseum.org or call 712-225-3922 for more information.

The Art of the Brick: The exhibition at the Sioux City Art Center, 225 Nebraska St., features unique large-scale sculptures created out of iconic LEGO bricks by New York-based artist Nathan Sawaya. Also on display is a unique multimedia collaboration with award-winning Australian photographer Dean West, entitled In Pieces. Visit www.siouxcityartcenter.org or call 712-279-6272 for more information.
PENDER, Neb. | Age-old agriculture practices continue to fade into our memories, often kept alive by those old enough to remember how things were once done.

They remember when the term horsepower applied to actual horses and when much of the work was done by hand or with simple tractors and pieces of equipment.

And the rural horizon was interrupted by the spinning wheels of the windmills that brought life-giving water out of the ground for both humans and livestock.

For around 30 years, Marvin Baker has brought windmills back to life. Amidst the saws, drills and piles of wood shavings that fill his garage, replicas of machines that date back to the 1800s have taken shape.

Since he retired from farming in the 1980s, his creations, as well as restorations, have brought back the days when the wind, not a faucet, furnished a family's water.

"I had given up farming, and I needed a hobby," Baker said.

His nephew, Jeff Steinhoff, of Griswold, Iowa, worked on them. Baker thought it looked like a neat hobby to take up.

"He had them up, and I thought they looked pretty nice," Baker said. "He got me started on them."

Baker looked up the old wooden models -- steel was too hard to work with, he decided. He found photos of old Dempster No. 3 and No. 4 models, the Baker L model. He set to work building his own patterns and forms to re-create these machines or restore broken ones. He learned just how to cut the flexible cypress wood for the blades, how to attach them at the right angle to cross pieces, then paint and join sections of blades into heads that open and close to catch the wind.

"I would take pictures at trade fairs and figure out how to build them," Baker said. "You learn as you go along."

Baker built a few and put them in the yard in front of his rural Pender home. It turned out other people thought they looked pretty nice, too.

"I used to have cars go by," Baker said. "They wouldn't stop in, but they'd get out and take pictures."

He's built windmills for people in Northeast Nebraska and Northwest Iowa. His windmills have gone to Texas and New Hampshire. Those attention-grabbers that were once in his yard were sold a few years ago to Leonard Gill, who displays them in a collection at his landfill along U.S. Highway 20 near Jackson, Nebraska. Baker has worked on about 20 of the windmills in that collection, and he's currently making new heads to replace ones that have broken over the years.

Baker doesn't restore the pumps and iron workings, although some windmill owners have chosen to do that on their own. For the most part, Baker's windmills spin in the breeze, reminders of days gone by. People buy them "just to look at, I guess," he said.

Baker understands.

"I like to see them go up, too."

Baker's slowed down some over the years. He quit building the windmill towers when the heavy lumber became too much for him to handle.

Like the windmills, one more expert who knows how to build them, how to work with them, will soon cease working.

At age 86, Baker said his health doesn't allow him to work as well as he once did. He'll probably finish the orders he has and then retire from his hobby.

"It's kind of a business. I wouldn't mind selling it to someone, but there's not much of a call for it," he said.

Just as there's not much of a call, or need, for windmills, though some ranchers still depend on them.

They may not be vital to life in rural parts anymore, but craftsmen like Baker have proven a vital link between past and present.

If not for them, our history would blow away in the wind.
SIOUX CITY | Two longtime Woodbury County employees are facing termination in the wake of a continuing battle over a state mandate to move toward a regional method of delivering mental health services.

As Iowa counties formed new regional groups to deliver mental health services to low-income people, Woodbury County joined a three-county agency, with Plymouth and Sioux counties as partners in 2014.

What duties lie with Woodbury and which have gone to the new regional entity, named Sioux Rivers Regional Mental Health and Disability, continue to be a sparring ground. Matthew Ung and Mark Monson, who are members of both the county supervisors and also the Sioux Rivers board of directors, have sought to protect Woodbury's interests as regionalization proceeds.

Details involving employees and funding have been contentious at times. One key in the latest disagreement is whether employees who handle mental health work are Woodbury County, Sioux County or Sioux Rivers employees.

Matters escalated in the Woodbury County supervisors meeting on Feb. 16, when Lisa Wilson, one of the employees who faces termination by the county, used the public comment portion of the meeting to blast Ung and County Supervisor Jeremy Taylor.

During those comments, which were also summarized in a letter, Wilson said, "I am not a ping pong ball or a pawn in whatever game you're playing when it comes to our office and the region. It takes a lot to make me angry, but I've had it with your games."

The Woodbury employees who worked in the mental health services field for years were part of the Social Services Department. The Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 in December to eliminate the department at the end of 2015. That's because the number of employees has dwindled from 20 to a handful as the state hands over management of its Medicaid program to private companies.

Human Resources Department Director Ed Gilliland on Friday went to the office of Wilson and Theresa Jochums, handing them termination notices. That personnel issue will be aired during the county board's weekly meeting Tuesday, which starts at 4:30 p.m. at the county courthouse, 620 Douglas St.

Gilliland's letter said Wilson and Jochums chose to become employees of Sioux County on Jan. 1 so the Woodbury supervisors will consider terminating them as Woodbury employees. The letter said they could continue to work in a Woodbury building to have limited access to some county information while processing some Sioux Rivers paperwork.

Their supervisor, Patty Erickson Puttmann, was present Friday and told Gilliland that it was indefensible that personnel details between the county and Sioux Rivers were still unresolved months into regionalization.

Erickson Puttmann said the Sioux County board "honored their commitment to Sioux Rivers" and agreed to pay the two so they would not lose pay while Woodbury and Sioux Rivers worked out which one was the employer of record.

As Wilson, Jochums and Erickson Puttmann criticized Gilliland's delivery of the notices, he responded, "It is something that has to be resolved between the (Woodbury County) Board and the (Sioux Rivers) Governance Board."

"The current board (of supervisors) is presently hesitant to embrace the regional concept," Erickson Puttmann later told the Journal.

Wilson and Jochums have a combined 42 years of helping low-income people with mental health issues line up services.

"Since October, we have had so much turmoil, it is not funny ... The communication is horrible," Jochums said.

Monson did not immediately return a call late Monday afternoon.
Republican hawks are aflutter over China's installation of anti-aircraft missiles on Woody Island in the South China Sea.

But do these Republicans, good free-traders all, realize their own indispensable role in converting an indigent China into the mighty and menacing power that seeks to push us out of Asia?

Last year, China ran up the largest trade surplus in history, at our expense, $365 billion. We exported $116 billion in goods to China. China exported $482 billion worth of goods to us.

Using Census Bureau statistics, Terry Jeffrey of CNSNEWS.com documents how Beijing has, over decades, looted and carted off the greatest manufacturing base the world had ever seen.

In 1985, China's trade surplus with us was a paltry $6 million. By 1992, when some of us were being denounced as "protectionists" for raising the issue, the U.S. trade deficit with China had crossed the $10 billion mark.

In 2002, it crossed the $100 billion mark. In 2005, the $200 billion mark. In each of the last four years, Communist China has run an annual trade surplus at the expense of the United States in excess of $300 billion.

Total trade deficits with China in the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama era? $4 trillion. Total U.S. trade deficit in 2015 -- $736 billion, 4 percent of our GDP.

To understand why Detroit looks as it does, while the desolate Shanghai Richard Nixon visited in '72 is the great and gleaming metropolis of 2016, look to our trade deficits.

They also help explain America's 2 percent growth, her deindustrialization, her shrinking share of the world economy, and the stagnation of U.S. wages as manufacturing jobs are replaced by service jobs.

Those trade deficits also explain the rise of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump.

Yet, with the exception of Trump, none of the GOP candidates seems willing to debate, defend or denounce the policies that eviscerated America -- and empowered the People's Republic.

Workers, however, know what our politicians refuse to discuss.

They are being sold out for the benefit of corporate elites who pay off those politicians with the big cash contributions that keep the parties flush.

Politicians who play ball with Wall Street and K Street know they will be taken care of, if they are defeated or when they retire from public office, so long as they have performed.

Free trade is not a zero-sum game. The losers are the workers whose jobs, factories and futures are shipped abroad, and the dead and dying towns left behind when the manufacturing plants shut down.

America is on a path of national decline because, while we have been looking out for what is best for the "global economy," our rivals have been looking out for what is best for their own nations.

Consider OPEC, which is reeling from the oil price collapse. Russia is colluding with Saudi Arabia and Iraq to cut production to firm up the market and prevent prices from falling further.

This is pure price fixing, but we all understand self-interest.

What might a U.S. national-interest-based trade policy look like?

Controlling the largest market on earth, we might impose on foreign producers a cover charge, an admissions fee, a tariff, to get into our market.

Example: Impose a 20 percent tariff on foreign cars entering the USA. This might raise the cost of a Lexus or Mercedes produced and assembled abroad from $50,000 to $60,000.

However, if Lexus or Mercedes buys or makes all their parts in the USA and assembles all their cars here, no tariff. Their cars could still sell for $50,000. This would be a powerful incentive to shift production here. As an added incentive, all tariff revenue could be used to reduce or eliminate corporate taxes in the USA.

Between the Civil War and World War I, under Republicans, the U.S. became the world's greatest industrial power and a wholly self-sufficient nation. How? We taxed foreign goods entering the United States, but did not tax the profits of U.S. companies or the incomes of U.S. workers.

The difference between economic patriots and globalists who inhabit corporate-funded think tanks and public policy institutes is that the latter think of what is best for their corporate benefactors and the global economy. The former put America and Americans first.

Academics revere Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Richard Cobden.

But none of them ever built a great nation. Patriots look to Alexander Hamilton and those post-Civil War Republicans who built the greatest national industrial powerhouse the world had ever seen.

Indeed, what great nation did free trade ever build?

As father of a united Germany, Chancellor Bismarck said, when he decided to build Germany on the American and not the British model, "I see that those countries which possess protection are prospering, and that those countries which possess free trade are decaying."

So it is true today. Unfortunately, it is America, now wedded to the fatal dogma of free trade, that is decaying.
When I began my career in education (1960) I started to pay attention to teacher salaries and how much they varied from one state to another. I found that the lowest state averages were in the southeastern states, i.e., Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, etc. Those states have since raised their salaries significantly and South Dakota has fallen to last place. Iowa was near the middle and remained there almost every year until the mid-'80s when Terry Branstad was elected. During Branstad's 16-year gubernatorial stint (1983 to 1999), schools experienced a steady decline in state aid.

Governor Tom Vilsack followed by Chet Culver determined to improve teacher salaries. During their administrations (1999 to 2011), state funding for public schools averaged 3.3 percent annually, bringing Iowa closer to the national average again.

Branstad returned for a fifth term in 2011. In the past five years, aid for schools dropped to 1.9 percent on average with a low of only 1.25 percent for 2015-2016. Per-pupil funding in Iowa is now $1,000 below the average of other states.

In 2015, state lawmakers negotiated a one-time $55.7 million for school projects, thinking they had Branstad's approval. Lawmakers and school officials were very disappointed when he vetoed the money.

Under Branstad's administration, Iowa's per-pupil funding has slipped significantly. Some legislators believe that public education should be funded at 4 percent for the 2017 fiscal year since they were so underfunded last year.

If we would elect Branstad to one more term we might bump South Dakota out of plast place. - Norm Ashby, Sioux City
For some of us at least, to be a Calvinist today also means that we will have to work at keeping alive the memories of older sayings and teachings in the hope that there will soon come a day when many others will want to learn such things again.







Richard Mouw. Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport.








Deciding on a franchise to purchase can be a difficult task, but securing franchise financing to get your startup off the ground and growing  that can be harder.

Franchise lending came to a grinding halt during the global economic crisis of 2008, but since that time there has been a gradual upturn in franchise financing.

The latest evidence of this comes from the online lending website BoeFly that released a new Franchise Lending Index in partnership with 1851 Franchise, showing an increase in franchise opportunities during the month of January 2016.

If youre wondering where most franchisees are getting financing, BoFly and 1851 Franchises January 2016 Franchise Finance Index may provide the financing information you need.

BoeFly and 1851 Franchises Finance Index for January

BoeFly has been educating future business owners on the process of financing a franchise since 2009, and offers a Fundability App to find out how fundable you are. Meanwhile, 1851 Franchise runs an online franchising community and works with more than 50 franchise brands around the U.S. The two organizations introduced the new monthly Franchise Finance Index to leverage transparency and make successful franchising easier, according to Nick Powills, Chief Brand Strategist and publisher for 1851 Franchise.

This partnership between 1851 Franchise and BoeFly has resulted in this incredibly useful data, and for the first time, itll all be visible to the public, Powills said in a press release.

By exposing these numbers, he continued, were helping franchisors better identify the right candidates, and conversely, were giving candidates the information they need to determine if theyre ready to take the next step into franchise ownership. In the end, it could lead to faster openings for new business owners, while allowing the franchisor to eliminate financially unqualified candidates sooner, freeing up time to work with more qualified prospects.

The January 2016 Franchise Finance Index (PDF) collected and analyzed data from BoeFlys bQual, a tool that it says provides individuals with vital financial details including their business credit score (SBSS by FICO). This data is often required for Small Business Administration loans. The data provided also includes FICO consumer credit scores, copies of Equifax credit reports, and an overall fundability assessment regarding loan eligibility.

The Franchise Lending Index represents financing statistics from approximately 9,000 franchise units across the country, including data from brands like Checkers, Firehouse Subs, Jamba Juice, Lennys Sub Shop, Smoothie King, Wayback Burgers, and Papa Murphys. These franchise brands reportedly use bQual to educate their prospective franchisees on their unique funding situations.

The report reveals the average FICO score crrently is 748.15 while the average SBSS score is 191.38. The index also shows that Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan, South Carolina and Georgia are the most active states for franchise leads today.

Sources of frachise financing include the International Franchise Association (IFA) and its affiliated programs like Vet Fran for military veterans, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which provides loans that are partially guaranteed by the government, and conventional lending institutions like banks and credit unions.

Almost all U.S. franchisors also provide debt financing. While some provide a fraction of the financing you need for your business, others carry the entire loan through their own financing companies. Not surprisingly, therefore, the first place small business owners and aspiring franchisees traditionally turn to for franchise financing information is the franchisor they are interested in.
Thanks to Dwi for the link!

In 2015, during the Independence Day parade, while African-American troops wearing NATO uniforms marched on the main street of Estonias capital, local racists shouted all kinds of racial slurs, including, Go back to your grandparents in Nigeria!

Since then, there has been evidence of racism against American NATO troops in restaurants, hotels and on the streets of Estonia, where Go back to Nigeria! has become a widely used attack toward dark-skinned American soldiers.

The situation has become so intolerable that the Estonian Air Force Supreme Commander Jaak Tarien addressed it publicly on his Facebook page last October, apologizing on behalf of his countrymen to his NATO counterparts.

He wrote that his fellow Estonians, with their racist attitude toward dark-skinned NATO soldiers serving in the country, made him feel both ashamed and embarrassed.

Today, my countrymens behavior embarrassed and ashamed me, he posted on October 28, 2015. Mr. Tarien became aware of the intolerable attitude toward African-American NATO troops during the observation of test flights by the newly arrived American squadron, when he asked his black colleagues from the U.S. Air Force Command, How are the more than 300 troops from your squadron feeling in his beautiful country?

If you're black and in Eastern Europe you don't go on liberty. Its wrong, it sucks, it shouldn't be that way....but it is.

This shit was happening before the influx of immigrants into Eastern Europe but since its happened....Force protection officers better get their shit together. Reality is a bitch and unless they eventually want to see a black serviceman killed then they should take steps to give them the awful truth.My spill would be to take the pain but live and prevent an international incident because some hoodlum there got stupid. AND THEN I'd do my best to get the Battalion Commander to arrange space available air travel courtesy of whatever govt and have my guys taken to France, Germany, or Denmark for a good time.This is life for black servicemen in certain countries....and life isn't fair...so you just deal.
On February 14, the "Northern Thunder" military exercise began, involving troops from 20 countries.

Saudi Arabia's state newsdescribes Northern Thunder as"the largest military exercise of its kind in terms of the number of participating countries and qualitative military equipment."

The substance of the drill

On Sunday, troops from the Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Senegal, Sudan, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Chad, Tunisia, the Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Malaysia, Egypt, Mauritania, and Mauritius gathered for a military drill to last until March 10.

The drill involves 20 countries, amongst whom, Egypt and Pakistan, both of whom have sizable and equipped armies. Egypt has the largest army in Africa; Pakistan is a nuclear power.

Military substanceThe military substance of the drill is inter-operability, in a fighting force with a wide range of military equipment in anyting from fighter jets and tanks, to air defense systems and naval forces. Of those states engaged, only the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members  Saudi, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait  have developed interoperability in the so-called Peninsula Shield fighting force. This is an operation much greater in scale.

Strategic messaging

The political and strategic substance of the drill is the show of an army with 350,000 strong troops, 2,500 warplanes, 20,000 tanks and 450 helicopters, under Saudi leadership. The 20-member coalition makes part of a broader 35-member Arab and Muslim (Sunni) coalition put together by Saudi Arabia.

via Business Insider.Then this from NewEurope.The alternate news media is going APE SHIT over this exercise. I'd ordinarily dismiss it except we're seeing a tremendous number of men and material participating.Two things. First the Saudi's have taken notes and are doing their own form of coalition warfare. Second they're attempting to reduce dependence on US military leadership/power and become the de facto leaders of the region.Considering everything that we've seen in the Middle East, I think the alternate media has it right and wrong. I don't think this is going to lead to WW3. I do think its only a matter of months or at most a couple of years till we see a major regional war.
There are many fitness goals out there that we desire. Some of us want to be leaner and others wish to put on muscle mass. The thing is, for you to achieve your fitness goals, you need to
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
They fled religious hatred, rape and violence in their homelands for the safe haven of Germany -- only to encounter the same, brutal conditions in their new accommodations: the refugee hostel.

Violence in refugee centers became a national topic in Germany last October, only weeks after Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel invited into Europe one million, mainly Muslim, refugees. But exposure of this disgraceful situation appears to have had little effect, as German newspapers are reporting this month that conditions remain unchanged.



In fact, life in German refugee hostels has now become so unbearable that religious minorities, women traveling alone or with children, and homosexuals are fleeing their accommodations. For them, according to one paper, the word "hostel" has become synonymous with "defenselessness".

The constant harassment and mistreatment at the hands of Muslim male refugees is not only becoming intolerable and dangerous, but, for some, life-threatening.



Torn bibles and insults, ripped off crosses and even blows to the face, the complaints about violence in the refugee centers do not let up, the German newspaper, Die Welt, stated recently.



According to Rainer Wendt, chairman of the German Police Union, outbreaks of violence in German refugee centers were occurring before last August. In the first six months of 2015, police were called out 1,288 times to refugee asylums and registered 499 crimes. One problem is definitely the overcrowding, Wendt said, but there are also knallharte (very brutal) criminal structures among the refugees.



Most violent incidents occur between Muslims themselves. They form groups, Wendt says, according to ethnicity, religion or clan structure and go at one another with knives and self-made weapons. And the fights, which can involve dozens on each side, concern power struggles and are above all, religious or politically motivated. Numerous violent disputes have ended in death.



Here the Sunnis fight the Shiites, there are Salafists of different brands women are forced to wear the veil. Men are forced to pray. Islamists want to install their values and order there, said Wendt.

But among the mistreated minority groups, one is especially targeted for abuse: Muslim converts to Christianity. Many are from Iran and Afghanistan where Christians are a persecuted minority and Islamic law demands that they be put to death for leaving the faith.



One human rights organization official says the chances of a Muslim convert to Christianity, unwilling to hide his faith, being subjected to violence or mobbing in a refugee center is nearly 100 percent. And the situation is only going to get worse.



Among those arriving now, a not insignificant portion is at least on the level of the Muslim Brotherhood in its religious intensity, he said.



Pastor Gottfried Martens, who counts six hundred Christian converts from Islam in his Berlin parish, agrees. Martens, who baptized many of them himself, said, it is above all Christian converts from Islam who have to suffer as a minority in the hostels. Christians are not allowed to prepare their meals in the kitchens and whoever does not pray five times a day in the direction of Mecca is mobbed.

Almost all of them have huge problems in their hostels, said Martens. Strictly believing Muslims there convey the view: Where we are, sharia rules, our law rules.



Which causes one to wonder: What does this situation bode for Germanys future once these refugees are let loose in society?



One Christian refugee from Iran is probably also asking himself this same question. In an anonymous interview with Die Welt, he said he would never have thought he would face religious persecution in Germany like that in Iran. There, he had belonged to an underground church and fled after the secret police had arrested his brother for attending one too. After crossing Turkey on foot, he made it to Germany where he thought he could finally live out a Christian life without fear.



But he was wrong. Placed in a hostel with mostly strictly believing Sunni Syrians, the young Iranian says he cannot openly profess his faith or then I will be threatened.



During Ramadan, they wake me up before dawn and say I should eat before the sun comes up, he told Die Welt. When I decline, they say Im an infidel." They spit at me. They treat me like an animal and threaten to kill me.



The one other group suffering equal, and possibly worse, abuse in German refugee asylums is women traveling alone. Overall, women make up 25 percent of the migrant population. And they, as well as children, are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence. The federal official responsible for this area in refugee asylums nation-wide says reports of such violence reach him daily from around Germany.

As regards the number of such incidents, no one knows for sure. But according to the Psychosocial Center for Refugees, there are many. In a center in Giessen, there were 15 reported cases of sexual abuse of women in one month, leading police to investigate cases of rape and forced prostitution. The situation there is described as a second- or third-world situationlike a UN refugee camp in Africa.



But the dark number regarding sexual assaults is thought to be high.



It is difficult to bring a refugee woman to make a statement to the police, states one article on the subject. There often exists cultural inhibitions or the fear an act of violence could negatively affect their asylum application.



Women are usually greatly outnumbered by men in the hostels. In one center, of the 600 residents, only 87 are women and 34 are underage girls. Such is their fear, they rarely go out their doors, keeping to themselves. As a result, women refugees often feel like fair game for the male residents and of having been abandoned to them.



For many women in their accommodations, it is like a co-ed visiting a mens prison, said one woman, a former hostel employee.



In some hostels, men are reported to be always lying in wait. One Iranian Christian woman said male residents in her hostel are constantly trying to grab her between the legs or touch her hair, a foreshadowing of the mass sexual assault of women in Cologne on New Years Eve. And, again, a foreshadowing of what is in store for women once these savages descend in large numbers on all of German society.



A female Russian journalist, who fled to Germany after running afoul of the Putin government, said after living in four different refugee hostels that she would never have thought such conditions are possible in Germany.



In one asylum, the violence between two groups of men, she relates, was so severe that many police came every evening. She also lived in fear her door could be broken open at any time. Once, conditions were so bad, she did not shower for five days. And women only went to the washroom in pairs.



But it was in the womens washroom that the Russian journalist witnessed the most humiliating occurrence. In three of the hostels, a man was constantly there, as if standing guard, changing his watch regularly with others. The intruder may have been charging money to use the facilities, as sometimes happens in refugee centers, although she never had to pay. Nevertheless, she believes these men wanted to show women by their unwanted presence we despise you, you have nothing to say.

I comprehended that this had system, she said. The women there are worth nothing, nothing at all. They are being treated like dogs.



When the Russian refugee asked one asylum administration why it wasnt doing anything about the danger women face, she got the impression it was being silently accepted. The ten thousand private security men stationed in refugee hostels around Germany are obviously providing insufficient protection. Refugees have also sometimes complained about their behaviour.



Some politicians and German police chiefs, like Wendt, demanded last October, after receiving the initial reports of violence, that religious minorities, women traveling alone and unaccompanied children should have separate accommodations. Which would be the sensible solution. But little has been done despite the federal officials admission that abusers have it very easy establishing closeness to women and children and committing acts of sexual violence.



The reason for such inexcusable, and perhaps criminal, indifference, as for much else that is destroying Western civilization, is political correctness. By separating the refugees by gender, religion and ethnicity, liberals believe one would already be setting up parallel societies in the hostels. As well, separation would represent a victory for the Islamists as it repudiates Western values regarding equal treatment, thus hindering integration. Such liberals believe that intensively religious Muslims must learn to live with other religions.



Good luck with that.



Incredibly, some liberals have convinced themselves the hostels problems are not gender, religion or ethnicity related but rather are owed only to organizational factors like cramped living conditions or better staff training. For example, one woman, who researches gender-specific violence with a German human rights organization, sees no special connection between the hostels, the residents origin and the potential for violence.



What happens there also happens to German women outside the accommodations, she said.

With the existence of such indifferent and shameful attitudes among some of those involved with the hostels, it is not surprising one female observer has concluded that women refugees have no hope for help and understanding.



And in their dangerous naivety liberals, as usual, fail to recognize the true reality: Strictly believing Muslims, upon crossing the German border, do not automatically become potential human rights activists who are suddenly filled with the spirit of Western tolerance. Instead, they shout out ISIS slogans in the refugee hostels and threaten Shiites with beheadings. Tolerating and respecting women, different ethnic groups and religions is not high on their list of things to do in Germany.

Thus, the real tragedy of the refugee asylums is that people, living human beings, are being heartlessly and needlessly sacrificed on the leftists altar of utopian ideas, offerings to their multicultural god. Little account is taken of the naked fear women, children and religious minorities are experiencing. Once again proving that Liberal humanitarianism only extends as far as its politically correct beliefs.
Marc Wise, 25, of Lusby, and Andre Broussard, 20, of Lusby.

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: http://so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at http://so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at http://so.md/expungeme.

Jennifer Perricone, 27, and Jordan Hangliter, 19 of Montross, Virginia.

(Feb. 22, 2016)The Calvert County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.WEEKLY SUMMARY: During the week of February 16 through February 21, deputies responded to 1,287 calls for service throughout the community.CDS VIOLATION CASE #16-9560: On February 19, 2016 Deputy S. Moran conducted a traffic stop on Cove Point Road, Lusby, and discovered the passenger to be in possession of an illegal substance. Marc Wise, 25, of Lusby, was arrested for possession of a Synthetic narcotic (Oxycontin) and for possession of paraphernalia (straw).CDS VIOLATION CASE #16-9245: On February 17, 2016 Deputy S. Rediker conducted a traffic stop on the Southern Connector/Margaret Taylor Road and made contact with the driver, Andre Broussard, 20, of Lusby. He discovered Broussard to be in possession of a large quantity of marijuana. He was arrested for the intent to distribute marijuana, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. He was transported to the Detention Center and processed accordingly.CDS VIOLATION CASE #16-8883: On February 16, 2016 Deputy V. O'Donnell conducted a welfare check on a driver who had pulled over at the intersection of Chelsey Court/Lancaster Drive in St. Leonard. He discovered Jennifer Perricone, 27, to be driving a vehicle that was reported stolen. She was transported to the Detention Center where it was discovered she was in possession of an illegal substance. She was charged with possession of Contraband in a place of confinement (cocaine), possession of a controlled dangerous substance (cocaine), unauthorized use of a rental vehicle and driving on a suspended license.DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY CASE #16-9488: On February 18, 2016 Deputy T. Mohler responded to Weeping Willow Lane, in Huntingtown, for the report of a hit and run. The victim advised sometime on February 18, between 6:30pm - 7:30pm, someone drove into their mailbox and fled the scene.DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY CASE #16-9046: On February 17, 2016 F/Sgt. R. Naughton was dispatched to the (Brownie's Beach) parking lot on Bayside Road, Chesapeake Beach, for the report of a destruction of property. The complainant reported that upon returning to his vehicle, he discovered his passenger window to be broken. It did not appear anything was stolen from the vehicle.THEFT CASE #16-10003: On February 21, 2016 Deputy T. Marshall was dispatched to the Prince Frederick Walmart for the report of a shoplifter. He discovered Jordan Hangliter, 19 of Montross, Virginia to be in possession of stolen merchandise. Hangliter was transported to the Detention Center and charged with theft less than $100.00.THEFT CASE #16-9526: On February 19, 2016 Deputy J. Curtin responded to Devin Court, in Huntingtown, for the report of a theft which took place between 6:00pm February 17 - 6:00pm February 18. The complainant stated their vehicle was entered through an unlocked door and a black "31" bag was stolen.THEFT CASE #16-9366: On February 17, 2016 Deputy G. Gott responded to Bandit Al Lane, St. Leonard, for the report of a theft. The complainant noticed someone had stolen a validation sticker from their license plate. Due to the victim having traveled various places, it is unclear when or where this theft took place.THEFT CASE #16-9307: On February 18, 2016 Deputy J. Migliaccio arrived at the Verizon store in Dunkirk in response to a theft that occurred earlier on February 14 at the Dunkirk Walmart. The complainant stated that while shopping, they had inadvertently left their LG Optimus cell phone in the shopping cart and upon returning to retrieve it, discovered it missing.THEFT CASE #16-9218: On February 17, 2016 Deputy B. Robinson was dispatched to Three Brothers Restaurant in Prince Frederick for the report of a theft. The manager reported an unknown male had stolen the tip jar before leaving the restaurant.THEFT CASE #16-9192: On February 17, 2016 Deputy A. Woodford was dispatched to Paulyn Drive in Owings for the report of a theft. Someone entered the victim's unlocked vehicle, which was parked in their driveway, and stole a tan, cross chest Michael Kors purse, workout equipment (Ab wheel, work-out bands, perfect push-up handles) and a case of water.THEFT CASE #16-9057: On February 17, 2016 Deputy C. Ward was dispatched to Bear Claw Court in Owings for the report of a theft. Someone had entered the victim's vehicle and stole a gym bag containing a Spyder winter coat, 2 sets of Beats headphones, an elevation mask, cross fit shoes, credit cards and multiple other items.
LEONARDTOWN, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: http://so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at http://so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at http://so.md/expungeme.

(Feb. 22, 2016)The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.02-05-2015 ASSAULT: Deputy A. Schultz responded to the 45000 block of Indian Walk in Lexington Park for the report of an assault. The victim alleged the suspect, Robert Anthony Elam, age 38, of Lexington Park, assaulted the victim during a fight. The victim displayed injuries consistent with the allegations. Elam was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. He was charged with Second Degree Assault. CASE# 6186-1602-05-2015 ASSAULT: Deputy A. Schultz responded to the 21000 block of Liberty Street in Lexington Park for the report of an assault. The victim alleged the suspect, Brian Alan Hicks, age 34, of Lexington Park, scratched the victim's ear after placing his hand over the victim's mouth. Hicks was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. He was charged with Second Degree Assault. CASE# 6240-1602-04-2016 POSSESSION: Deputy T. Snyder responded to the 46000 block of Midway Drive in Lexington Park for a fight inside a residence involving multiple people. Upon his arrival, Sgt. Safford observed two females and two males fighting each other in separate locations within the living room. The deputies successfully separated the males and females from fighting each other. Further investigation revealed the suspect, Patrick Shawn Daly, age 26, of Lexington Park, grabbed a knife from the kitchen and demanded the two females to stop fighting. Subsequently, Daly became involved in a separate fight with the male who attempted to take the knife from Daly. During the investigation, a witness alleged that Daly stole Xanax medication from the victim's prescription bottle. A search of Daly during the arrest revealed a prescription medication bottle with suspected Xanax pills. Daly was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. He was charged with First Degree Assault, Second Degree Assault, Theft Less than $1000, and CDS Possession: Not Marijuana. CASE# 6047-1602-05-2016 THEFT: Corporal D. Corcoran responded to the 45000 block of Miramar Way (Wal-Mart) for the report of a theft. The suspect, Patrick Leon Short, Sr., age 48 of, Lexington Park, attempted to exit the store with a cart full of merchandise without paying for the items. When approached by loss prevention, Short fled the store. He was located a short distance from Wal-Mart and deputies escorted short back to the store to be identified by the prevention officer. Short was arrested and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. He was charged with Theft Less than $1000. CASE# 6313-1602-07-2016 ASSAULT: Corporal D. Corcoran responded to the 48000 block of Compass Circle in Lexington Park for the report of an assault. The victim alleged the suspect, Geary Allen Bish, age 37, of Lexington Park, kicked the victim several times, struck the victim with a bar stool, and slapped the victim. The victim displayed injuries consistent with the allegations. Bish was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. He was charged with Second Degree Assault. CASE# 6612-1602-10-2016 DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Corporal D. Corcoran responded to the 21000 block of Morris Drive in Lexington Park for the report of an assault. The victim stated, Delante Anthony Moore, age 33, of Mechanicsville, arrived at the victim's residence uninvited and requested to see his daughter. Moore sustained a cut on his hand from a fight with another male who was also visiting the victim. At the request of the victim, Moore was asked to leave by Cpl. Corcoran. After being asked to leave several times and refusing, Moore was placed under arrest. After resisting arrest, Moore was transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center and charged with Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest. CASE# 7272-1602-11-2016 NEGLECT OF MINOR: Deputy R. Roszell responded to the 44000 block of Dry Creek Lane in Leonardtown for a welfare check. A delivery driver came in contact with a young child in their pajamas while delivering oil at the child's residence. The driver suggested the child go inside their house because of the cold temperatures. After exiting the residence for a second time, the driver attempted to make contact with the homeowner which yielded negative results. After several attempts, the driver made contact with the child's mother who was sleeping in the bedroom. Deputy Roszell observed what appeared to be bottles of liquor and wine scattered throughout the house. Child Protective Services was contacted and Meads was placed under arrest. She was transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. Meads was charged with Neglect of Minor. CASE# 7381-1602-12-2016 POSSESSION: Deputy D. Potter responded to the McKay's in Hollywood for the report of a female slumped over the steering wheel of a car. Deputy Potter made contact with the suspect, Melissa Jill Mirfield, age 28, of Hollywood, who appeared to be under the influence. Potter asked Mirfield to step out of the vehicle for a sobriety test. While she was exiting her vehicle, Deputy Potter observed a large bump in Mirfield's shirt. The suspect removed three needles from her shirt that contained suspected heroin. A search of the vehicle revealed a plastic wrapper containing a powdery substance consistent with heroin. Mirfield was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. She was charged with CDS Possession: Not Marijuana and Paraphernalia. CASE# 7605-1602-16-2016 MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY: Deputy R. Steinbach responded to the Vulcan Materials Company quarry located on Abell's Wharf Road in Leonardtown for the report of a burglary to a set of the buildings located on the quarry grounds. A witness discovered that two buildings on the property, a warehouse and shop, were being broken into by unknown suspects. The suspects forced entry into the buildings by cutting the master padlocks. Three individuals arrived at the property to retrieve their personal property from the buildings when they saw two pick-up trucks flee the area. Using the license plate numbers, deputies were able to make contact with the operators of the trucks. The drivers, Matthew William Baumann, age 19, of Leonardtown and Philip Charles Weiser, age 19, of Leonardtown, were both identified as suspects in the thefts. On scene, investigation revealed that a large black gate was destroyed in an attempt to gain access to the second warehouse. Both Weiser and Baumann were placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. Baumann was charged with Two Counts of Second Degree Burglary, Theft Less Than $100, and Malicious Destruction of Property $1000+. Weiser was charged with Four Counts of Second Degree Burglary, Theft Less Than $1000, and Malicious Destruction of Property Value $1000+. CASE# 8404-16
Joe Pallant wants a Tri-Rail station in Wilton Manors. So much so that he might even be willing to pay more in taxes to get it.

Along with a possible raise in taxes, Pallant, a property owner through his insurance company, located in the city, suggested a grant could be used to help pay for the station.

I dont know the answer. But Pallant said hes sure of the benefit  increased business for local bars, restaurants and other businesses.

If picked, Wilton Manors would be one of the cities with a Tri-Rail station along the FEC railway. State officials want to create the Tri-Rail Coastal Link, an extension of what is currently operating west of I-95.

Right now, 25 stations are planned from Miami to Jupiter. Florida Department of Transportation officials hope to have those station locations picked by this Spring but no definitive answer is available yet.

If chosen, the Wilton Manors station would most likely be east of Dixie Highway and south of Five Points. Oakland Park could also be chosen for a station. If Wilton Manors is not chosen in the first round, it could be given a station in the second round.

A study touted by Reconnecting America, an organization that advocates for public transportation, showed a mixed bag in terms of positive and negative impacts on the area surrounding a train station. Businesses near stations saw a benefit because of the increased number of visitors. Depending on the proximity to the station, some commercial properties experienced an increase in property values while others saw no benefit. For residential, some properties experienced an increase in values while others saw a drop.

But station location may depend more on ridership and area density than any funding the city might provide. FDOT officials have stated that maximizing ridership will help the project obtain federal funding. The addition of Wilton Station and the Metropolitan, an apartment complex adjacent to the railway and now under construction, have improved the density of the area. Wilton Manors officials have also taken steps to make the area more attractive, including designating Dixie Highway as a Transportation Oriented Corridor.
Its tax season. Do you know where your receipts and pay stubs and 1099s are? Do you even know what you can and cannot deduct?

Well good news: The National LGBTQ Task Force has launched a handy new income tax preparation guide for the LGBT community. Despite all the help you may receive from a trusted advisor or handy program like Turbo Tax, it wouldnt hurt to take advantage of this free guide.

The new publication is part of their Queer Our Taxes effort, a public education and advocacy campaign focused on securing economic justice for LGBT people.

LGBTQ people are disproportionally more likely to live at or below the poverty line  they are also often the most in need of income tax information and least able to access it. The straight forward information in this guide will empower LGBTQ people to get credits and deductions that lift millions of people out of poverty, said Meghan Maury, criminal and economic justice director at the Task Force in a statement.

Most LGBTQ people dont know that you can deduct out-of-pocket costs for transition-related care including surgery, she added. Many of us also dont know that you may be able to claim a large credit for adoption related expenses.

Even as the U.S. Supreme Courts Obergefell decision on marriage equality streamlined the process for joint filings, adoption forms and other barriers to access  and tax deductions  Maury said the guide should benefit all members of the LGBT community.

Jon Chester, who owns Sterlings Bookkeeping and Tax Service, a full-service bookkeeping firm in Dallas and Hurst, said marriage equality ushered in a lot of excitement.

Newly married couples have access to more tax deductions and credits than before. But some couples still dont know the challenges facing them.

Couples want to file separately, but they forget its a community property state, Chester said. Community property states like

Texas require both people in a couple have a claim to one-half of the property acquired or owned.

First-time couples may also encounter either a hitch or a gift while filing: According to the Tax Policy Center, a couple may receive a marriage penalty if they pay more income tax filing jointly as a couple than they would if they had remained single and filed as individuals. Conversely, a marriage bonus occurs if a couple pays less tax filing jointly than they would if they were not married and filed individually.

According to a checklist compiled by TurboTax, married couples may be able to take advantage of the marriage bonus since tax rates are typically lower for couples who are married, filing jointly.

Despite how it may seem, not a whole lot has changed since the Obergefell decision.

There may be no change in the law, but the Internal Revenue Service is looking to clarify the stipulations concerning charitable gift giving.

Charitable contributions over $250 now require a letter from a charity acknowledging the gift, Chester said.

The clarification was requested after numerous instances of taxpayers abusing the charitable gift donation system, mainly by claiming deductions without proof.

The last day to file taxes is April 18.
Regulations on vacation rentals will be sent back to the commission after the Planning and Zoning board approved them at its Feb. 8 meeting.

The commission unanimously approved the regulations on Jan. 26 and will vote on them again. Possibly as soon as Feb. 23.

The regulations include registering with the city as a vacation rental, providing contact information of the person responsible for overseeing the property, waste disposal, occupancy limits and compliance with inspections.

Recently, residents have become more vocal about their opposition.

Noise, litter and parking problems are some of the concerns of those who live near or next to vacation rentals. Theres also concern that homes not being rented can become tempting targets for criminals.

We dont know who are neighbors are, said Constance Ruppender, a resident and member of Planning and Zoning. She voted no.

Her main objection is the lack of a cap on the number of total vacation rentals allowed in the city. I think it should be first come, first served.

She suggested that no more than 10 to 15 percent of single family homes be vacation rentals. It didnt go far enough to address the issue of density. The commission is afraid of getting sued and not willing to go out on a limb for residents.

Ruppender said four out of the 10 homes on her street are vacation rentals. Thats too many for one block . . . and we have good ones. Ive heard nightmare stories [from other neighborhoods with worse rentals].

City Attorney Kerry Ezrol has advised city commissioners that the tighter the restrictions on vacation rentals the more likely they are to be sued. The legislature has also barred local governments from prohibiting vacation rentals or regulating the duration or frequency of rentals.

Jeffrey Hill, who owns some vacation rental and manages 18 of them, said the city should do more to work with vacation rental owners. Hes also opposed to any regulations that would negatively impact the good along with bad owners.
BERLIN (AP) -- Alaa Ammar fled Syria to escape not just civil war but also the threat of persecution as a gay man. Yet when he arrived in The Netherlands last spring, he did not find the safe haven he craved.

He and four other gay travelers had to face newly arrived asylum seekers at a migrant center in the remote northern town of Ter Apel.

``After five minutes, they started looking. After 10 minutes, they started to talk. After one hour, they came to us,'' said Ammar, a slender 28-year-old in tight jeans and with a diamond-like stud in each ear. ``After three hours, they started fighting with us.''

Across Europe, gay, lesbian and transgender migrants say they suffer from verbal, physical and sexual abuse in refugee shelters, and some have been forced to move out. The AP found out about scores of documented cases in The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, with the abuse usually coming from fellow refugees and sometimes security staff and translators.

The cases suggest a possible cultural clash: Many migrants are coming from conservative Muslim countries where homosexuality is taboo into European societies that are more open to it. In Syria, for example, homosexuality is illegal, and the militant Islamic State group has killed more than 30 gays in Syria and Iraq over the past two years, activists say.

A similar debate, this time over cultural attitudes toward gender, was sparked after young men assaulted and robbed hundreds of women in several German cities on New Year's Eve. Police described the men as of North African and Arabic origin.

The number of migrants accused of gay abuse are just a tiny fraction of the hundreds of thousands of refugees streaming into Europe. However, most abuse is likely not reported because of European privacy laws and the stigma felt by gay migrants, and there is no official tally across the continent.

In Germany, the Lesbian and Gay Federation counted 106 cases of violence against homosexual and transgender refugees in the Berlin region from August through the end of January. Most of the cases came from refugee centers, and 13 included sexual abuse.

Joerg Steinert, head of the federation in Berlin-Brandenburg, said refugees have been asking gay groups for help all over the country, reluctant to approach police for fear of jeopardizing their asylum applications. Last year, the federation placed 50 people in private homes because the migrant centers were too dangerous.

``These asylum shelters are law-free areas,'' he said. ``When I come to our office on Monday morning, there's usually a bunch of refugees waiting outside in the hallway who need help immediately.''

Charities and private shelter operators say they've simply been too overwhelmed by the huge influx of migrants to attend to some refugees' special needs. Masses of people often live in one big hall, without lockable rooms or gender-separated washrooms.

In Berlin, where four hangars at the former Tempelhof airport were turned into a reception center for 2,100 people, four cases of gay abuse were reported. Maria Antonia Kipp, spokeswoman for private center operator Tamaja, said it's very difficult to create safe spaces for homosexuals when hundreds of bunk beds are separated only by thin wooden boards.

``When we see a dangerous situation or people tell us about it, we'll get the people out and transfer them to smaller shelters,'' she said.

The German Red Cross said it had a code of conduct banning violence at its shelters. And the Arbeiterwohlfahrt, or Worker's Welfare charity group, said it is trying to create safe spaces in new centers but cannot implement the highest standards it would like.

``We've been somewhat overrun by reality,'' said spokeswoman Mona Finder.

Some critics say it is up to the German government to protect migrants. But last month, a proposal to increase the security of asylum shelters was taken out of a government bill, despite official reprimands from the European Commission that Germany is not implementing EU safety guidelines.

Without the government, the protection of gay migrants has largely fallen to rights groups and local communities. On Tuesday, gay rights group Schwulenberatung Berlin will open a new home with 122 beds for gay refugees in cooperation with the city of Berlin and another shelter with 10 beds was recently opened in Nuremberg. Berlin has also appointed a counselor as contact person for the registration of gay and transgender migrants.

Schwulenberatung Berlin's Mahmoud Hassino said the new Berlin shelter would be a big improvement for gay, transgender and lesbian refugees.

``Gay refugees live in constant fear in the big shelters,'' said the 40-year-old Syrian refugee.

Hassino came to Germany in 2014 and had to move out of a Berlin shelter himself because of the hostility of fellow refugees.

``Even if they don't get abused right away, they're always afraid their identity will be revealed and then they'll be targeted,'' he said.

The situation for homosexual refugees is difficult all over Europe. In Spain, for example, two migrants from Cameroon and a third from Morocco were physically abused after their sexual orientation was discovered by others at shelters, according to the Pueblos Unidos nonprofit. The men now have asylum petitions pending before the Spanish government citing their homosexuality as a reason why they deserve refugee status, the nonprofit said.

In Sweden, a court sentenced an asylum seeker to five months in prison last summer for making death threats, along with spitting in the face and grabbing the throat of a fellow refugee in a center in Jonkoping. When the victim collapsed onto the floor, the attacker kicked him unconscious. Witnesses and a surveillance video backed the claims.

The motive was the victim's homosexuality. The attacker was ``outraged that Sweden protects homosexuality and all should be killed by slaughtering,'' according to court documents.

In Finland, cases of gay harassment and downright abuse have also been recorded at refugee centers, according to SETA, a nationwide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group. As a result, some of the centers have separated a secure section for those afraid of sexual harassment.

Other migrants have contacted SETA after fleeing their designated refugee center because of abuse. Earlier this month, a Finnish court gave an asylum seeker a three-and-half-year prison sentence for raping another migrant man at a southern Finnish center.

In Denmark, there have been at least 10 cases of harassment, according to Mads Ted Drud-Jensen from the LGBT Asylum group. He stressed that those figures represent only victims who have been in contact with the group.

``Stepping out of the closet may be hard to do, and not everyone is talking to us,'' he said.

In the Netherlands, a Dutch human rights group reported earlier this month on regular abuse of gays and lesbians at a large camp that can house up to 3,000 asylum seekers near the city of Nijmegen. The group, The College for Human Rights, said one asylum seeker ``has repeatedly found excrement and food in his bed. He is threatened and abused by fellow residents.''

The asylum seeker, whose identity was not disclosed, said he feared for his safety because some other refugees carried knives. The report said he often found notes in his bed such as ``kill gay'' and ``we don't want gay in the camp.''

When Ammar reported abuse in Ter Apel, he and other gay refugees were put up on the floor of a restaurant for a night. Then they were transferred to another shelter in Apeldoorn.

There too, Ammar said, three fellow refugees attacked him and another man in the communal washroom and slashed them with a knife.

``You could see from their eyes that they wanted to hurt me,'' he said.

Again, Ammar was transferred, back to a caravan in Ter Apel. Employees with the COA asylum organization advised them to close the doors and windows, he said, but other asylum seekers ``opened the windows and said bad things to us.''

Spokesman Jan-Willem Anholts said COA does not keep records of complaints of gay abuse, but does have ``protective'' measures for people at risk. Anholts also raised concerns that creating safe houses for specific groups could lead to a type of ``segregation'' in Dutch society.

It was only after Ammar received asylum and moved in with a private host in Amsterdam a few weeks ago that he started to feel really safe.

``Who wouldn't like Amsterdam?' Ammar said as he looked carefully left and right before crossing roads _ already seasoned at watching out for speeding bicycles in the Dutch capital. ``People don't care if I'm gay or not. I can scream `I'm gay!' and they will say, `Welcome.'''
Education system cannot be imported from abroad; Slovakia needs to find its own way

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Without higher salaries for teachers, no other measures can help the Slovak education system, says Vladimir Burjan, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the magazine for teachers Dobra skola (Good School) and one of Slovakias most cited experts on education. In an e-mail interview with The Slovak Spectator, Burjan talks about the quality of schools in Slovakia, but also explains why most teachers at Slovak schools are women and why the celebrated Finnish school system cannot simply be imported to Slovakia.

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The Slovak Spectator (TSS): Slovakia is preparing for elections. Soon there will most likely be a new education minister. If it was you, what is the first thing you would do?

Vladimir Burjan (VB): I wouldnt accept such a post, but lets think hypothetically. As for the inside of the department, I would start by putting in order the management of education. Nowadays its just one non-transparent, clumsy, and almost uncontrollable bureaucratic colossus that many people interfere with but none of them have sufficient executive powers, not even the minister. One of the first things would thus be some sort of internal audit of competencies, information flows, and control structures within the ministry, and between the ministry and the organisations that it directly controls. I would also start working as soon as possible on changing the spirit and the culture of the department. We need to put an end to micromanagement, dirigisme, mistrust in teachers and headmasters, etc. On the outside, I would start intensively communicating my vision of a modern education system and win allies for it. And I would find some good experts on management of change.

TSS: Slovak teachers are on strike. The publics simplified understanding is that they want higher salaries. Would the government solve the problems of Slovak education systems by simply pouring a large amount of money in it?

VB: Its not only about the salaries of teachers, although those are most discussed right now. Our education system has been underfinanced for many years. Every year we invest hundreds of millions of euros less into the system than our possibilities and mainly our needs are. And the EU funds changed nothing about it too, because most of them have been wasted on overpriced, formal and little effective projects whose real aim was probably different than helping education. It is necessary that salaries are significantly raised, although that alone will not bring an immediate effect on increasing the quality of education. Other steps will have to follow. But without higher expenditure on education and higher salaries no other measures can help us.

TSS: Slovaks like to say that there used to be a good schooling system in Slovakia. Is that true?

VB: I dont know what the grounds for such a claim are, since before 1989 we never participated in any international comparative study and we had very little non-deformed information about how the schooling in western Europe looked like. The socialist education was full of collective hypocrisy and ideologically motivated absurdities. We were cut off from modern pedagogical and psychological trends; we uncritically implemented Soviet methods, some of which were twisted. Traditional, frontal teaching and memorising prevailed. The truth is, however, that some things worked much better before 1989 than they do today. I myself taught back then at a grammar school in classes for mathematically gifted students and it is a fact that nowadays we can only dream about a system of care for talented pupils like the one we had back then. As a whole, the education system wasnt any better, however. Also, even if we admitted that it was better, it would be of no help, because we cannot go back. We live in a different world now.

TSS: Finland is often mentioned as a positive example of how schools should function. Would Slovakia solve its problems simply by importing the Finnish system into our conditions?

VB: Nuclear power plants can be imported, education systems definitely cannot. We would also need Finnish teachers, parents, and politicians as part of the imported package. Its definitely useful to study and compare schooling systems abroad. But we need to find an optimal way to set up education in Slovak circumstances, with our financial possibilities, cultural habits, character traits, values and historical experiences. And besides, the Finnish fairy tale seems to be over. Their most important company failed in global competition, their economy is currently the worst in the EU, and their pupils have been pushed down from the top ranks in PISA by the Asian dragons.

TSS: Slovak schools are often called over-feminised. Is the balance between men and women really so poor?

VB: In primary schools, women make up 86 percent of the faculty and men 14 percent, at grammar schools there are slightly more men. The fact is that everywhere in the world women are more inclined to choose working with children, mainly in the early grades of primary school. In our circumstances, however, two more significant reasons should be added. Men are still perceived as the breadwinners in families and therefore they need to look for better paid jobs.

Another reason is the culture and climate that prevails in our schools. Most men want to have more autonomy and space for self-realisation. At school they feel too limited, burdened by bureaucracy and various fiddle-faddles and that is why they often opt to leave.

TSS: Some parents nowadays look for a good school for their children even dozens of kilometres from home in order to secure quality education. Is this a problem or rather a standard in other countries too?

VB: This depends on the age of the child. For the first four grades of primary school, the school should ideally be close to the childs home. Not just to make sure parents dont need to drive their kids to and fro, but also to make sure classmates live close to each other and are able to meet also outside school. Also, at that point of education one single person decides about the quality of education  the teacher that the children spend most of their time with. So for a first-grader parents should pick a good teacher rather than a good school. The older and more independent a child is, the wider space opens for the selection of a school. Parents should pay more attention to this issue, to know the various possibilities the system provides, to have clear personal preferences and be able to choose a school for their child that best fulfils their idea of a sensible preparation for life. Unfortunately, our education system is still too uniform and doesnt offer a wide enough selection to parents. They are ever more dissatisfied, but the management of the department somehow refuses to see that.

TSS: If we look at pupils as clients of the schooling system, how do the schools manage to fulfil their needs and requirements? Does the Slovak education system even reflect the needs of pupils and their parents?

VB: Good schools do take that into consideration, many others however dont. The state doesnt see parents and pupils as clients of education services. It doesnt show interest in their preferences, doesnt request their feedback, and doesnt react to their calls for a more varied offer and the right of free choice of the education path for their children. Children are only numbers, items, carriers of the normative for the state, and for some schools just passive bystanders, objects rather than subjects. Parents are often perceived as biased and permanently dissatisfied amateurs who only make teachers lives more complicated. Even some experts on education sometimes say things like where would we end up if pupils and parents were to say what they should learn. Personally Im convinced that in many respects we would make it further than where we stand now. Unfortunately, the state does not think that too, and that is why it does not allow such experiments (not even on a small scale).

TSS: One specific problem that doesnt concern only education is the integration of Roma from excluded communities. How should education respond to this problem?

VB: Education alone cannot solve this problem. I think the state approaches the problem wrongly at all fronts, not just in education. Im afraid our education system is completely inappropriate for Roma children; inappropriate in principle, not when it comes to details. As long as we keep trying to force Roma children into the same pattern as the others, we cannot succeed. They would need to learn different things, in a different time, different place, and different way. The problem is that if it is put like this, some see it as an attempt for segregation or making differences between the majority and some ethnic group. Weve got historical experience that differentiating can lead to evil. Probably as a society we still need to learn that accepting certain differences might also be for the benefit of those concerned, that it might be an expression of respect towards their otherness, that it might open the way for them to achieve the same as the others, just with different methods. The aim should be the same result, not the same way.

TSS: Slovakia is still facing brain drain, some of the best people remain abroad. How is this connected with the quality of education in our country?

VB: The fact that our secondary-school graduates leave en masse to study in the Czech Republic and other countries is definitely connected with the low quality and bad reputation of our universities. Primary and secondary schools have little to do with that. But the fact that many clever people go abroad and stay there after finishing their studies is a wider problem, not connected only with education. They feel they would have low pay here, be limited and burdened with nonsense bureaucracy. Many argue with the low quality of life in our cities, poor health care, the overall lack of culture in our society, or the unacceptable public administration.

TSS: How do Slovak schools use modern technologies? Is education able to keep up with the development in IT, and the way it changes the world?

VB: Its not that bad with the equipment of our schools regarding technology. Our governments have in the long run preferred investment into technology to investment into people, which, by the way, is a serious mistake. Technology is neither a remedy for all the problems of education, nor a guarantee of higher quality. American psychologist Alan Lesgold wisely calls the computer an amplifier that encourages both the best teaching practices as well as the worst ones. And thats exactly it. A boring text full of useless facts will remain such even if pupils read it on a tablet. Many teachers (mainly in social sciences) themselves havent yet discovered the potential of technology. Only a few years ago you could hear teachers say We do not need computers in history [classes], we dont compute anything. To some extent it is also because many teachers dont have money to buy their own laptop or tablet, so they do not use it outside school either.
Prime Minister Robert Fico announced the arrival of an investor supported by a generous state subsidy, yet information about the company is lacking.

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Only two weeks before the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5, PM Fico announced that the secure identity document production company RKN Global Europe will build in Banska Bystrica a plant to manufacture products with security features for 89 million and employ 1,200 people. Three days before the elections the cabinet will decide about 20 million in investment incentives.

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But it is not possible to check whether the investment is real, the Sme daily points out. It is also not possible to find any references on the companys website and even though the company claims that it manufactures payment cards MasterCard and Visa, these firms do not mention any of RKNs product among authorised technologies. But the daily admits that RKN can theoretically buy chips and magnetic strips for cards from other authorised suppliers.

RKN Global Europe also does not hold, as of now, an industrial security review by the National Security Office (NBU), which in case of production of clean copies of personal identification documents is a necessity, Sme recalls.

Based on its website, Ronald Kenneth Noble is the sole owner of the company. Noble led Interpol, the international criminal police organization, between 2000-2014. It is impossible to check this as the owner of the Banska-Bystrica based Ltd company is a company from Dubai and the UAE does not disclose owners of companies, Sme wrote.

Fico admitted that he negotiated the investment with the former Interpol secretary general.

Sme recalled the tarnished reputation of Noble. When Noble led Interpol, the organisation started to admit contributions for its operation from private companies with these making up as much as 40 percent of all its incomes. In 2014, when Noble was leaving his post in Interpol, commentator of the British paper The Telegraph Peter Oborne wrote: He leaves office with a dismal record of having allowed the international crime-busting organisation to collaborate with regimes with no regard for the rule of law. His comment referred to cooperation of Interpol and Russia during investigation of the death of Sergei Magnitsky who died in a Russian jail after he complained about inhumane conditions. Investigation of his death was halted with the explanation that no crime was committed.

Veronika Remisova, running on the slate of Ordinary People-Independent Personalities (OLaNO), pointed out on her blog that the technological partners of RKN Global are three Ukrainian companies linked to extensive corruption.

Economy Minister Vazil Hudak has stressed that apart from state aid the investment must be covered also by the money of the business person or a loan. The company will receive the incentives only after it invests its own money and employs the promised number of people, according to the ministry.
Among evidence from purchases of alleged gifts for children there are also bills for mens pyjamas and a pair of driving gloves.

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Money granted to an orphanage in Nove Mesto nad Vahom by sponsors for purchasing gifts for children might have been misused for a few years. Employees, who uncovered the case, point to Kamila Kusendova, director of the facility. She refuses the accusations of embezzlement and remains in the post.

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The police have been investigating the case, while the headquarters of social affairs is reviewing the handling of money from sponsors donations.

The investigation was initiated by employees of the facility who wrote a letter to the headquarters and filed a complaint with the prosecution. The employees claim, among others, that the orphanage has signed four 1,000 contracts with the Manz company from Nove Mesto nad Vahom about contributions for Christmas presents for children, especially shoes, clothes or toys. But most of the money has not gotten to children. When asked, the director initially said that she does not know anything about it, but later she submitted some bills, for example for purchase of sunglasses, mens pyjamas or driving gloves. Yet none of them was from goods purchased for children.

Kusendova perceives the accusation as revenge by employees with whom she has been in conflict with.
Marches took place in several Slovak towns with the lecturers on strike beating out the truth on Slovak education.

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TOGETHER 504 lecturers from 19 universities have taken part in the strike organised by the Initiative of University Teachers (IVU), according to the February 22 data.

The strike was recently joined by staff from the Faculty of Informatics and Information Technologies of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences of Comenius University in Bratislava and the Pedagogical Faculty of Trnava University.

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More than 15 gatherings and cultural events related to the strike will take place this week, said Juraj Halas of IVU, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

For example, marches in several Slovak towns are scheduled for February 24, with the lecturers on strike planning to beat out the truth on Slovak education.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/4Mazvyr-Zyg

If this government remains in place until March 5, then it still makes sense to put pressure on it or on any government that will emerge from the general election, Halas added, as quoted by TASR.

IVU claims that the strike does not immediately concern university education at all. It is rather about supporting the demands of teachers from nursery, primary and secondary schools, who were on strike between January 25 and February 15.

Nevertheless, we realise that without improving their situation and without more funds being allocated to these schools, we wont see any significant improvements in university education, either, said Halas, as quoted by TASR.

University students are also set to take action.

Commencing on Tuesday [February 23], well interrupt lectures at noon for five minutes each day, gathering in front of our faculties and on courtyards to express our support for teachers claims, said students representative Ina Secikova, as quoted by TASR.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Juraj Draxler views the strike by university lecturers as a mere symbolic gesture by individuals. Earlier, the Slovak Rectors Conference (SRK) also described the activities of individual IVU members as their own private initiatives. IVU rejects such views, however, pointing out that as many as one quarter of staff at several faculties have joined the strike.
IT IS not clear when the tenants will be allowed to return to the Apollo Business Centre 1 building, which had to be closed due to problems with its stability.

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After a stress analysis indicated that the building was overburdened by 10-50 percent in some parts, its owner started reconstruction work. But while it firstly intended to do the work during normal operation of the building, the building instead closed in mid-October forcing tenants to move out and look for new premises within days.

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The original plan was to reopen the premises in the beginning of 2016, but the owner has not decided what to do with the building yet, the Magazin.reality.sme.sk website reported.

The building is currently secured from the point of stability, said Michal Donath, spokesperson for Hannover Leasing, the buildings owner, as quoted by the website.

The developer of Apollo Business Centre 1 was company HB Reavis.

The future of the building will depend on many factors which need to be carefully analysed, Donath said.

Thus we currently cannot give you a definite answer, he told Magazin.reality.sme.sk, when asked in which state the reconstruction is.

The company also does not answer the questions concerning compensation to tenants who were forced to move out. The negotiations are still underway, Donath explained. It is, however, clear that the tenants still cannot return.

Since no definite decision on the buildings future has been made yet, we cannot provide any information about potential costs, Donath told Magazin.reality.sme.sk.
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Is there something cyberpunk about Ziferblat? Could we find characters from a William Gibson novel in the Manchester branch? Sitting around, drinking coffee, and pondering a cafe, which is not a cafe, a coffee chain which is nota coffee chain?

Actually, people often say to us, are you a cafe? Ben Davies, Ziferblats Head of Marketing, explains. No, actually we are not, he says. What we are trying to do is create a shared sitting room space. It is as if you can rent space in a giant flat, sharing with other people.

Whats different about Ziferblat (Russian for clockface) is that you dont pay for anything consumed on the premises. Coffee, tea, cake, and biscuits are all freeyou only pay for the time you hang around.

Average stay per customer is 1 hour 15 minutes, and the average spend, at a rate of six pence per minute, is 4.50 in Manchester and London. Rates differ a little by locationthe Liverpool Ziferblat must charge eight pence per minute to help fund the expansion of the Liverpool premises.

Founded by CEO Ivan Meetin in Moscow in 2011, Ziferblats origins are found in a band of wandering poets. Having formed a collective in the Russian capital, the poetry group held meet-ups in bars and cafes. Facilities were often crowded and unsuitable, and members of the group had to pay and consume to stay. Eventually, they decided to rent their own independent space. Each of the members paid a donation to cover the cost, and individuals provided coffee, tea, cake, and biscuits. Meetin saw the potential, Ziferblat was born.

Our plan is to open lots of these, Davies told me. But not in a chain fashion, he insists. In [cafes like] Costa, there will be people clinging to a lukewarm latte because they need Wi-Fi. People having business meetings, that probably should be confidential, in the middle of Costa. Thats why we have meeting rooms.

Ziferblat uses a self-serve model. Its transitory micro-tenants are given a clock which they take to their table with them where they can work, chat with friends, read their newspaper, create, make coffee, eat cake, or play board games. Returning the clock after their stay, they only pay for the time that has elapsed during their residence.

But, despite Davies protests, in Ziferblat you will still find some pretty impressive coffee chain comforts. The kind of syrups and dustings found at any Costa or Starbucks are freely available, if thats your thing, allowing customers the judgement-free luxury to enjoy their favorite drink the way they want it. Buy time in Ziferblat and you are welcome to use all the facilities: coffee machine, ice machines, microwaves, kettles.

We get a lot of professionals, a lot of freelancers who need a place to work, Davies says of the typical customer at the Manchester Ziferblat, located in the Northern Quarter of the city. People coming out for a coffee, students, a lot of people who live and work in the area, tourists. We are becoming strangely popular with bands before they go and play gigs, people from Corrie [Coronation Street] and Hollyoaks [another British soap opera].

Coffee at the Manchester and Liverpool Ziferblats is roasted locally by Ancoats Coffee Company. Their Ziferblend is a mixture of Brazilian and Colombian beans, along with other seasonal varieties. Other Ziferblatsthey emphasize again they are not a chain in the traditional sensesource coffee from other roasters selected for quality and ethics.

Cafe, coffee chain, or something remotely etherealwhatever Ziferblat is, it now operates 14 European branches, including three in the United Kingdom, with plans for more. Edinburgh, for example, is now on their radar.

In his 2010 novel Zero History, William Gibsons protagonist Milgrim, needed Wi-Fi. He arrives at a place called Bless, mistaking it for a bar. A bit like arriving at Ziferblat and mistaking it for a cafe

So, will the economic model work? Only time will tell, and Ziferblat will assuredly be watching the clock.

Ziferblat has multiple locations. Visit their official website for more information.

Sergio Burns is a journalist at Ayrshire Magazine and an author based in Glasgow. This is Sergio Burns first feature for Sprudge.com.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The clashes took place on February 9 in the Mong Kok district after a conflict between local merchants and representatives of the food and hygiene department during an inspection turned violent. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the rioters. Some 130 were injured.

"Officers could only identify them when their masks were removed and they were captured by surveillance cameras. That is why we have to seize hundreds of CCTV recordings from different channels to check They were on the site, hurling bricks, setting fires, assaulting police, damaging public properties and involved in the clashes with officers," a source familiar with the investigation told the South China Morning Post newspaper, adding that there were 100 suspects.

According to the media outlet, so far 74 people were arrested, with over 40 receiving rioting charges.
"All the powerful strategic and tactical strike means of our revolutionary armed forces will go into preemptive and just operation to beat back the enemy forces to the last man if there is a slight sign of their special operation forces and equipment moving to carry out the so-called 'beheading operation' and 'high-density strike,'" the Supreme Command of the Korean Peoples Army said in a statement.

The statement added that North Koreas first target would be South Koreas presidential Blue House, followed by US military bases in both Asia and the US mainland.

These kinds of threats from the North Korean government have become commonplace, and are easy to dismiss as overreactions.

But Pyongyangs anxieties havent sprung from nothing. Speaking to Radio Sputniks Loud & Clear, Daniel Jasper, advocacy coordinator for Asia at the American Friends Service Committee, explained how North Korea has felt continuously threatened by the United States, particularly after the invasion of Iraq.
"If on June 24th we wake up and the UK decided to leave, there is not going to be a mad rush of German companies saying fine we are out of here. Business doesnt work like that," he said.

Watson reminded that Germany was UK's biggest single trading partner in the European Union.

Moreover, Watson thinks that the UK risks losing access to the EU single market in the long run, if the Britons vote for leaving the European Union.

"I think for most UK businesses, the value is access to the single market," Stephen Watson said.

"And overtime, clearly being outside, there will be complexities, there will be barriers and in ten years from now, British companies like the automotive sector which is very successful here, with many German players involved, could find their businesses on the wrong side of that single market and denied access to it," he explained.

Watson underlined that the United Kingdom was behind the establishment of the European single market, as well as its key player. He also stressed that many German companies operating in the UK are very worried because in the end, if Britain exits the EU, it would not be able to influence the decisions regarding the single market operations.

Last week, UK Prime Minister David Cameron and 27 of his European colleagues negotiated a deal to grant the UK special status within the bloc.

Cameron sought to revise the terms of his country's EU membership, focusing on four main issues: shifting power away from EU authorities to the UK national legislature, exempting Britain from the EU "superstate" principle, stripping the euro of the single official EU currency status, and protecting the British economy by keeping eurozone members away from non-eurozone countries affairs.
"We need to be bold. You have to show them that you are serious," he told friends according to a report in the Sunday Times.

Addressing the House of Commons for the first time since calling the date of the referendum, Cameron wasted no time in dealing with Johnson's idea. He told British lawmakers:

"An idea has been put forward that if the country voted to leave, we could have a second renegotiation and perhaps another referendum. I will not dwell on the irony that some people who want to vote to leave apparently want to use a 'leave' vote to remain, but such an approach also ignores more profound points about democracy, diplomacy and legality."

'For The Birds'

"On the diplomacy, the idea that other European countries would be ready to start a second negotiation is for the birds. [] And we should be clear that this process is not an invitation to re-join; it is a process for leaving. Sadly, I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings, but I do not know any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows," Cameron said.

The latter remark is taken to be a reference for previous issues within Johnson's own marriage and it is a continuation of what many saw as a very personal attack on Johnson by Cameron, who was deeply angered by Johnson's decision to text the prime minister his decision just seven minutes before going public.
Former lawmaker Taras Chornilov explained that the most vulnerable spot in terms of security is the building of the Verkhovna Rada.

"The windows at the Rada don't even have grids," Chornilov said.

Looks like the government in Kiev is getting ready for another coup as the citizens of Ukraine aren't happy with the current situation in the country. But this time, knowing what might happen when radicals occupy central Kiev, the current government is actively getting ready to keep its leadership safe if things get hot.

Ukraine underwent a regime change in February 2014, following mass protests at Kiev's central Independence Square, known as the Maidan. Many Ukrainian citizens, including those from southeastern regions of the country refused to recognize the new government that had come to power after what they considered to be a coup.

According to official information from Ukraine's Health Ministry, the clashes on the Maidan resulted in the deaths of 104 people. According to other sources the Maidan death toll was at around 780 people.
ROME (Sputnik)  On Tuesday, WikiLeaks published a batch of classified documents detailing the NSA bugging world leaders during their negotiations.

"Italy's Foreign Ministry summoned US Ambassador to Italy, John Phillips, to request clarifications over rumors in the press that former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and some of his closest advisors were subjected to wiretapping in 2011," the ministry said.

According to the statement, Phillips assured the ministry he would being the matter to the attention of US authorities.
However, the parallel escalating conflict between Turkey and the Kurds added a new level of danger and instability to the region at the same time Russia and the United States were trying to finally end the Syrian bloodshed, Paul cautioned.

"Turkeys recent artillery attacks on Kurdish forces in the north of Syria adds a further complexity to this very complex civil war that involves many foreign powers with different and conflicting interests, causing so much death and destruction in Syria," he continued.

The Kurdish dimension of the conflict is confusing because the Kurds are part of a population group spread between four countries: Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran, Paul recalled.

"Since the beginning of the rebellion in Syria in late 2011, Syrian Kurds have taken military control of Syrian Kurdistan. They have an effective fighting force that has received arms (and limited training) from Western powers for more than a year as part of the war against Daesh, the Islamic State," he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heightened tension with the Kurds on both sides of the boarder by backing the Islamic jihadist rebels in Syria, beginning in late 2011, and by allowing them to bring in arms and fighters through the Turkey-Syria border, Paul recollected.
By interest I mean Daesh radicals and other groups which are creating chaos in Syria. He is not trying to defeat or combat terrorism but actually he is trying to weild terror as a weapon of mass destabilization in Syria because he is trying to recreate the Ottoman Empire, maybe not in the way it used to be but to create colonies of countries that would heed to the will of Ankara and that is the new reality that we are living in today.

She further spoke about how Turkey is willing to conduct military strikes outside its border in the name of national security and that is completely absurd.

It goes back to this idea of American exceptionalism and now you have the likes of Turkey and Saudi Arabia trying to justify their own imperialism, their own violation of international law. You cannot argue that it is okay to attack the sovereign nation of Syria, just because you are allegedly threatened by terrorism. You would need to work with this country; you would need to create alliances with this country. You cannot step outside the law to fight terror groups, which themselves are sitting outside the law, because then you become a terror state, Shakdam told Sputnik.

The analyst talked about how realities have been so twisted and distorted. She said that the only reason why there is war in Syria in the first place is because there is a war against terror, and this terror has been helped and funded by foreign powers.

If Erdogan was still keen on helping Syria, then why doesnt he try and engage with Damascus? Why doesnt he try and do what Russia has done, which was actually abiding by the rule of law and doing things by the book.
CAIRO (Sputnik)  In early January, a diplomatic row erupted in the Middle East, with Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia severing diplomatic ties with the regions main Shiite power, Iran,, triggered by Riyadh's execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr

Bahrain, Sudan, Somalia, Comoros and Djibouti in solidarity with Riyadh also severed relations with Iran, Kuwait and Qatar decided to pull out their ambassadors to Iran while the United Arab Emirates downgraded level of diplomatic relations with Tehran.

"The ministry advises all citizens not to travel to Lebanon and demands that all citizens residing or visiting Lebanon to leave the country, not to stay there unless necessary, take care and caution while being there and contact the Saudi embassy in Beirut to provide the necessary facilities and care for their safety," the source was quoted by the official SPA news service as saying.
Just last year the Chinese signed an order with Turkey for a long range air missile system in competition with two Western and one Russian company. That in itself said a lot about Chinese technology in the end the contract didnt go through; however that was for political reasons.

Talking about how long it would take for China to catch up with the global leaders, Wezeman said that the Chinese leaders about fifteen years ago said that they would produce everything themselves. But producing helicopters, combat engines etc. are more difficult than they expected. You can learn from technology that you import from Russian, Ukraine or France but its another thing just to copy it. You cannot just copy an engine; you have to make sure that you understand what the bits and pieces are actually made of. What type of metal is and thats more difficult than it looks.

The expert further spoke about how China has a lot of bright engineers and how the government is putting a lot of money into the development of civilian and military products.

Wezeman then spoke about the arms race in general and how the current monitoring of arms trafficking is related to human rights. He spoke about the situation in Yemen and the rumors that Saudi Arabia has been using the US made cluster bombs in attacks.

Human rights are only one issue that you look at when you supply weapons. Other issues like access to natural resources, strategic alliances play an extremely big role. In the end you may hope that you get sort of a global rule on what you can or cannot do in these types of conflicts.
The corporation has around 170 thousand employees. The revenues for 2015 amounted to more than 96 billion dollars with a profit of 5.2 billion.



MITSUBISHI

Mitsubishi Group is one of the most powerful and the world's oldest industrial and financial corporations. In 1870, 35-year-old descendant of samurai Yataro Iwasaki founded a shipping company Tsukumo Shokai Shipping, subsequently renamed Mitsubishi Mail Steamship Company.

Yataro started with the rental of three ships in Tosa, in the ship-owning company which he worked for. The famous logo was created on the basis of family coats of arms of Tosa and Iwasaki. The name Mitsubishi is translated as three diamonds.

By the beginning of the XX century sphere of interests of Mitsubishi already extended far beyond the shipbuilding industry. The company was engaged in metallurgy, oil refining, production of everyday goods, insurance, real estate and even owned a brewery.

Currently, Mitsubishi Group brings together dozens of companies producing ships, planes, cars, trucks, buses and electronics. They have assets in metallurgy and logistics and financial institutions.

Sales for Mitsubishi Motors for the first half of 2015 amounted to 8.9 billion dollars, the profit was 435 million. The aggregate turnover of all the Mitsubishi group of companies was up to 10 percent of Japan's GDP.



ROLLS-ROYCE

Rolls-Royce Company primarily is known for cars of manual assembly. The history of the famous brand began in May 1904, when in one of the luxurious restaurants of Manchester, a meeting was held between an engineer, an industrial company owner Royce ltd Henry Royce, and the owner of one of the first in Albion automotive interiors, wealthy aristocrat Charles Rolls.
HOUSTON (Sputnik)  Commercial cooperation between Norway and Russia has been affected by US and EU sanctions against Moscow, but the two countries continue to collaborate in many areas including on fisheries and seismic activity, Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy Tord Lien told reporters on the sidelines of the IHS Energy CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas.

"Obviously, the commercial cooperation between Norwegian companies and some Russian companies is obviously influenced by the ongoing sanctions," Lien said on Monday.

Lien stressed, however, that the cooperation between Norway and Russia is still working in many areas, adding that it could improve in a multitude of sectors.
Assuming that this works, this means that Obama and Kerry recognize that Assad will stay in power. They also recognize that the pro-Western rebels they said that they would support are in fact doomed, he explained.

However, the United States, like Russia, would benefit in the long term from the agreement, Schirach continued.

"This is not such a horrible outcome. Unlike the jihadists, Assad never represented an existential threat to the US homeland. He may be an unpalatable autocrat, but he is not a global menace," he suggested.

Schirach noted that in agreeing to the deal, Kerry was also acknowledging the real military weakness of the groups it had supported for nearly five years in the Syrian conflict.

"Simply stated, the Obama administration has no bargaining power on the ground. The pro-Western anti-Assad rebels Washington supposedly supports are weak to begin with; and they have been mercilessly bombed by the Russians," he recalled.

Schirach observed that the only US reaction to these developments had been to complain that the Russians were not solely attacking the Islamic State (ISIL, or Daesh), which is outlawed in Russia, the United States and many other countries.

"All in all, as Washington negotiated from a weak position, a ceasefire that may allow a real refocus on Daesh may be a good thing. Looking ahead, it may be possible that, with a Syrian cease fire, the US and others may finally coalesce against Daesh in Syria and Iraq," he argued.

Defeating Daesh in the region would not signal the end of the global jihad, but it would represent a major symbolic defeat for this millenarian movement, Schirach concluded.

Paolo von Schirach is also a Professor of International Relations at BAU International University in Washington, DC, and publisher and editor of the Schirach Report.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Monday, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that an agreement on cessation of hostilities between the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad and the armed opposition factions had been reached. The agreement will come into force on February 27.

"The cessation of hostilities in Syria can be characterized as an indicator of their [Russia and the United States] ability to start reformatting the whole system of the international relations," Franz Klintsevich, the first deputy chair of the upper-house Committee on Security and Defense, told journalists.

The lawmaker expressed hope that both Russia and the United States would do their best for the ceasefire regime to be observed.
Indeed, Turkish leadership is enraged by Russia and Syria's latest success in northern Syria.

The Syrian Arab Army, backed by the Russian Air Forces, is close to liberating Syria's largest city of Aleppo. In this light an opportunity to free Daesh's stronghold Raqqa also emerges for the Damascus-led forces.

How soon will the Syrian army set its course for the Daesh "capital" of Raqqa, English writer and journalist Robert Fisk asked in his article for Independent.

"The everlasting Sunni 'Islamic Caliphate' in Syria doesn't look so everlasting any more. Is this why the Sunni Saudis have suddenly offered to send ground troops to Syria? And why the Turks are so flustered? I doubt if anyone is weeping in Shia Iran," Fisk emphasizes.

The journalist echoed Pillar's concerns regarding weird resemblances between the current conflict in Syria and the beginning of the First World War.

He warned that NATO member Turkey may unleash a new world war by launching a ground operation in Syria: "we'll find ourselves in another Gavrilo Princip moment  and we all know what happened in 1914."

"It is a reason to give high priority to efforts to secure ceasefires and to realize that tamping down this still-local war is more important than prosecuting the war to obtain a particular local result," Pillar underscores.

Meanwhile, the US and Russia have finally agreed on a Syria ceasefire starting on February 27.

"The United States and Russia, as co-chairs of the ISSG [International Syria Support Group] and ISSG Ceasefire Task Force, announce the adoption on February 22, 2016, of the Terms for a Cessation of Hostilities in Syria attached as an Annex to this statement, and propose that the cessation of hostilities commence at 00:00 (Damascus time) on February 27, 2016," the official statement reads.

The decision has received high praise from the international community.
Butler calls attention to the fact that between 1960 and 1980 Yugoslavia boasted one of the most vigorous growth rates in the world with its free medical care and education, a guaranteed right to a job, one-month vacation with pay, decent standards of living and a literacy rate of over 90 percent.

The Yugoslavia GDP in 1991 positioned the country as 24th among world nations, the analyst stresses.

Furthermore, Yugoslavia had been struggling for the Non-Aligned Movement's ideals, summoned by Cuba's Fidel Castro as:

"The national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries [in their] struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and all forms of foreign aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony as well as against great power and bloc politics."

It was that economic prosperity and ideological independence that caused Western powers to seek to curtail the rapid growth of the European competitor.

"The county could not be allowed to compete with Germany, France, and especially Britain, and the London and Luxembourg bankers could not extract their billions in a socialistic system. Yugoslavia had to die, and the Reagans, the Bush family, and Clintons helped make it happen," Butler narrates, citing Michael Parenti, Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC.
Kerry acknowledged the difficulty of a preliminary cessation of hostilities, noting that even if international stakeholders are able to deliver needed humanitarian aid, and the warring parties in Syria are able to halt fighting, "it doesnt mean that it is automatically going to have a positive outcome in the political process."

All stakeholders involved in the Syrian peace process agree that the UN Security Council should draft a resolution on a political solution that Russia supports.

"Everybody who is a stakeholder [in] Syria [agrees] to get a UN Security Council resolution outlining a framework for a political settlement  and Russia voting for it," Kerry stated.

The United States, Russia, Iran and other allies hope the peace process in Syria culminates in a secular, independent nation whose leadership is chosen by the people, US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

"Russia, the United States and Iran and our allies all say that we want a united Syria," Kerry stated. "The vast preponderance of the players say they want a non-sectarian  even secular  Syria, the status quo ante, in which all minorities are protected."

All countries agree that the Syrian people have the right to choose their own leadership and their own future, Kerry added.

In January, the UN Security Council, backed by the ISSG members, agreed on a measure to establish a political transition process in Syria over the course of the next 18 months.

The 17-member ISSG includes a diverse group of nations including Iran, Saudi Arabia and all the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Ankara is faced with the dilemma of choosing between pursuing its present foreign policy and returning to the more peaceful strategy it once followed, former vice chairman of the National Intelligence Council (NIC) at the CIA Graham E. Fuller underscores.

"What does Turkey need to do to overcome its present foreign policy fiasco, one of the worst in modern Turkish history? The irony of all this is that those directly responsible for this mess  the team of Recep Tayyip Erdogan (now president) and Ahmet Davutoglu, (former foreign minister and now prime minister)  is exactly the team that one decade ago had made extraordinary steps in creating a new, creative and successful foreign policy," Fuller writes in his analysis for Consortiumnews.com.
"Because Russia doesnt believe the United States, under this president [Barack Obama], is going to take any action," Corker said.

On Monday, the United States and Russia, co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group, announced they had reached an agreement to halt hostilities among the warring sides in Syria.

The agreement excludes terrorist groups like Daesh, also known as ISIL, and the Nusra Front; seeks to ensure humanitarian access to besieged cities; and advances a political resolution to the crisis.

Corker further noted that Russia "consolidated their gains" and "made additional gains" in Syria over recent weeks.

The ISSG was initially working to implement a cessation of hostilities at the beginning of February, but lacked sufficient buy in from all the stakeholders.

Russia committed its armed forces to combat the terrorist threat in Syria in September 2015 at the request of the Syrian President Bashar Assad. Over recent months, the rate of Russian airstrikes against terrorist targets inside Syria have exceeded those of the US-led coalition against Daesh.
"I think it's very remarkable, despite the liberal corporate media being very much for Hillary Clinton," Gloria La Riva, 2016 presidential candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, told Loud & Clear's Brian Becker. "The democrats on the other hand are doing everything they can with their superdelegates, with the media coverageAll the media is saying she [Clinton] won really strongly in Nevada, which is not true."

According to La Riva, the main reason for the media games is a threat coming from Sanders, of the specter of socialism. She opines that he is "re-popularizing issues that were never even on the lips of any candidate in the last 30 years," including free public education, strengthening a student movement that is now "on a roll and is not going to stop," even if Clinton receives the nomination.

Members of the corporate, financial and economic elite feel threatened, she asserts, because calls for reform could actually become reality, instead of the return to somnambulance that normally follows elections.

"The expectations will be raised highly if Sanders were to win, that's part of the reason why they don't want him to win," La Riva said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On February 16, a California judge ordered Apple to help the FBI unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers after the agency was unable to do so. Apple refused to do so, citing privacy concerns.

"This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case," Gates told the Financial Times in an interview published Tuesday.

Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained the FBI had asked Apple to build a new version of the iPhone operating system and software that would allow authorities to unlock any iPhone in someones physical possession through a "back door."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to WikiLeaks, NSA had bugged meetings between UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, as well as talks of key EU and Japanese trade ministers on "trade red-lines."

"Today we showed that UN Secretary General Ban KiMoon's private meetings over how to save the planet from climate change were bugged by a country intent on protecting its largest oil companies WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said in a statement as quoted by the organization.

According to Assange, Washington signed a deal with the United Nations vowing to not engage in such activities against the organization.
Sending Applications to US With No Light, During Bombings

During her life in Aleppo, Mariela studied business administration and obtained a university degree. However, she has always been dreaming of music and worked as a violin teacher. She also dreamt of coming to the United States to get a degree in music performance.

"We didn't have electricity, and I was struggling to send my applications to US universities. I was running between internet cafes, sometimes during bombings, to send them. I applied to 50 or 60 institutes until I got my magical acceptance letter from Monmouth College, liberal arts," Mariela explained.

The scholarship that the college provided did not cover board. So just after finding hope, Mariela was in a precarious position because both of her parents lost their jobs during the war, and could not help "even if board in the US college cost one dollar."

Finding Sponsors, Having No Hope Left

Mariela then started struggling to secure sponsors. She found an organization called Jusoor, an NGO of Syrian expatriates who help Syrian students and refugees, and sent several emails to them. However, she never heard back.

"So I went to their website and searched for their donors. I searched everywhere, and I found one of them, one man from Saudi Arabia, on Facebook. I wrote him an email and sent him artistic videos and the acceptance letter from Monmouth. But he said he just supported people from the sciences."

However, the Saudi donor could not forget the story of the young girl and was so impressed with her performance that one day he changed his mind.

"One day later on he told me: you are going to the United States," Mariela shared.

Leaving Family in War Time

However, Marielas sense of happiness for being in a safe place and performing with great success in the United States has been marred by the fact her parents continue to live in a war-torn country.

"My family is still living in Aleppo, struggling for the basic necessities of life There is nothing worse than experiencing it every minute. I try to call them every day to be sure they are still alive. But I am glad I was able to fulfill my mom's only wish  to see her two children in a safer place," Mariela maintained.

She recently sponsored her older brother to cross the Mediterranean and come to the Netherlands, where he now lives in a refugee camp.

Becoming American

Being on a full-tuition scholarship in a Masters program and having experienced life in the United States, including being able to plan for the future, Mariela started considering herself American.

"I now consider myself not only a Syrian citizen, but also a new American. This country gave me a new life I have never had any problems with Americans here, I have never felt uncomfortable," she said with gratitude.

Mariela had come to the United States on a student visa, but later realized it was impossible to return home. So Mariela applied for asylum, and last year she was granted a green card.

In 2015, the US government resettled in the United States about 70,000 migrants from around the world. To help Europe tackle the massive influx of migrants from the Middle East and beyond, President Barack Obama announced last year that his administration will resettle 85,000 refugees in 2016, including 10,000 from Syria.

According to the UN refugee agency, 6.6 million Syrians are displaced inside the conflict-torn Arab republic, while about 4.6 million people fled the country, triggering a massive refugee crisis in Europe.
According to sources familiar with Japan-Russia relations, Obama, disgruntled with Moscow's actions in Syria and Ukraine, asked Abe to postpone his approaching trip to Russia until after the Group of Seven summit in Japan in late May. But the Japanese Prime Minister has said that he will disregard the request, striking another blow at Washington's plans to isolate Moscow.

With the move, Abe appears to be putting the resolution of a long-standing dispute between Russia and Japan, regarding four Pacific Ocean islands, Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai group of islets, ahead of the US president's request.
A female Standardbred breeder who was recently inducted into a Hall of Fame has said that, decades ago, a lot of the old men that were running the industry didnt like it when females came in and started making names for themselves.

The female breeder in question is Patti Gira, who was inducted into the Michigan Harness Horsemens Hall of Fame in late January.

Gira broke into the industry in the mid-1980s and along with her husband purchased Oldfield Farm Inc. from her parents in 1985. According to an article by the Toledo Blade, Gira said that is when the business took off.

The article explains that at the height of the farms business, the breeding operation was home to roughly 300 horses and grossed about $1 million a year.

If anything, we made it a little easier for another woman to come in and start up a farm and be successful at it, Gira said. It was all run by old men. A lot of them didnt like it when us women came in and started making names for ourselves in Michigan racing.

(With files from the Toledo Blade)
Congratulations to Trish Dooling, of Portugal Cove, Newfoundland, who has been named the I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Clubs Ambassador of the Year for 2015.

I try to help promote our racing any way I can, she explains, We may only have a ten-race season here, but we make the most of it. Through writing my columns and submitting photos, I try to show the rest of Canada that we have quite the picturesque track along with some great horsemen and women.

In addition to her writing and photography, Trish is a walking, talking spokesperson for bringing new people to visit the track and introducing them to racing and behind the scenes. According to her father, James, I have seen her skip work functions, and even family weddings because she refused to miss a single race. We may have a small operation here but she works so hard to show the rest of Canada what beautiful horses and good horse people we have.

Trish has also been a regular contributor to the Fan Clubs Heart of Harness Racing Calendar since its inception, as well as the Fan Clubs Zoom contests, a contributor to TROT Magazine and TROT 4 Kids.

Photography is one of her passions and one of the ways she promotes racing in Newfoundland. On race days, she can be found getting her horse ready to race, taking win photos, and then running around tryinig to find good positions to take other photos from. She has also been the photographer for the Newfoundland Harness & Labrador Harness Horse Owners Association Awards in the past, capturing the presentations and assembling beautiful tributes to the provinces top contenders, and also helps fellow horsepeople in PEI gather photos to honour the annual family selected as an honouree for the Atlantic Breeders Crown weekend.

Born into harness racing with both of her parents families heavily involved, her horses stand out thanks to their custom pink harnesses and halters.

I spent many school nights cheering on my dad while other kids were tucked away doing math homework. It never occurred to me at the time how lucky I was to be born into this industry I have grown to love. I never actually owned my first race horse until 2007.

The horse that started Trishs serious involvement in racing was a little mare named Yuste. My father and I raced her for a few years. While we didn't break any records or make any headlines we had the best of times with her. Even if I go on to own hundreds of horses she always has that spot in my heart as #1. Yuste has been featured in the Heart of Harness Racing Calendar and TROT 4 Kids.

Doolings passion for photography started thanks to her father, who wanted to see how the horses looked when training  now she can be found taking over 1,200 photos on any given race day. A full-time hairstylist when shes not promoting racing or photographing horses, Trish also finds time to write for Atlantic Post Calls where shes been a contributor for the PEI-based harness racing news publication for a few years.

When we asked Trish why she loves Canadian Harness Racing, heres what she had to say:

I love Canadian Harness Racing because.....I was born with harness racing in my blood. I have met some of the greatest people through harness racing. This sport has taught me so much on a personal level. I love doing what ever I can to show what beautiful animals and passionate people that make up our indusrty. With the uncertainaty in Newfoundland surrounding our future in this sport, sometimes I feel like I may have been born in the wrong province to be involved in harness racing. There is a big part of me trying to remain optimistic that Newfoundland will have a future in racing. I love the excitement, the rush, the hard work and the good times that only Canadian harness racing can give me. I am very thankful that blood runs through me because I just can't imagine not being a part of it all.

As Ambassador of the Year, Trish will receive:

100 gift card to the racetrack of her choice

Fan Club swag bag worth over $50

In addition, a special presentation will be made to Trish at an upcoming racing event in Atlantic Canada later this year.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to send in submissions!
Post Time with Mike and Mike has sent out a preview of its upcoming episode.

Joining the program this week is Hall of Fame Driver John Campbell, who will talk about the career accomplishments of the great Mack Lobell, who recently passed away.

Driver Tony Morgan, who has won over 15,000 career races, will join the show as well. Morgan has gotten off to a fast start in 2016, and he will talk about his career in harness racing.

Ryan Macedonio, the host of Fantasy Trot Cast, will join as well to discuss his unique interview style, as well as talk about how he got started in the industry.

The executive director of the Maryland Horse Industry Board, Ross Peddicord, will talk about the Maryland Horse Industry Day, which took place on Wednesday.

Winnie Morgan Nemeth will also be joining in the continuing series on New Vocations, and how it works.

The episode will air on Thursday (February 18) at 1 p.m.

(With files from Post Time with Mike and Mike)
Er is iets heel griezeligs aan de gang in Nederland. Dat wij geleidelijk aan in een totalitaire 'democratie' wegzinken wordt steeds ...
BALTIMORE  Soon after John OMalley began working as a hospice nurse he was checking on a patient who told him he thought it was time. The mans family wasnt there, so OMalley pulled up a chair, joined him in a prayer and kept hold of his hand until he died.

He wasnt alone, and what a privilege it was that I was the one there, said OMalley. I knew I was where I belonged.

Hospice care is about providing comfort at the end of life, and OMalley knows that what he does helps ease the suffering of his patients and the burdens of their families. It wasnt that long ago that he was on the receiving end of that comfort and support when his wife was in the end stages of cancer. The nurses at Gilchrist Hospice Cares Towson, Md., inpatient center not only attended to her physical and emotional needs, they cared for him and helped him prepare for her dying.

He was so impressed and inspired by the experience that he began taking classes to become a nurse two months after his wife died in late 2010.

Five years later, OMalley is dispensing the same compassionate care to dying patients and their families that he received; easing pains both literal and figurative, transforming death from a dark and frightening experience into a peaceful and sometimes even spiritual one.

Many people like OMalley have been moved by the illness of friends or family to make nursing a career, and many do it as a late or second career, say observers and administrators in the profession. Even so, OMalley stands out. At 66, hes been on the job less than two years.

OMalley had a decades-long career as a high-ranking federal immigration official and retired a year after his wife was diagnosed with cancer in 2005. When she died he told his three grown children that he planned to return to school.

He already had a bachelors degree in biology from Fordham University in New York, and had made it most of the way through a doctorate when the pressures of family life led him to take his government job in immigration for a steady paycheck. Retired and with no particular hobbies, he went back to school in early 2011 at Howard County Community College, where seniors attend classes for free. He began a year and a half of prerequisites and then entered a two-year nursing program. He never wanted to work anywhere but at Gilchrist, where his wife, also a nurse, spent her last days.

A tall, robust man with a thatch of curly silver hair, OMalley said he found course work a bit easier the second time around, and after working as a nursing aide at Gilchrists smaller hospice in Columbia while still a student, he landed a job when another nurse retired.

National statistics on the number of people who have followed similar career paths and become nurses later in life are tough to come by. Available data suggest its out of the ordinary.

In California, for example, fewer than 1 percent of nursing graduates in the 2013-2014 graduating year were 61 and older, according to a study by Joanne Spetz, director of research strategy in the University of California, San Franciscos Center for Health Professions.

The average age of nurses nationally is 50, according to the 2013 National Workforce Survey of RNs conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and the Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers. The average age at graduation has remained steady for years at about 31, but the workforce as a whole aged as nurses worked longer and younger women, who still dominate the field, chose other professions, said Christine Kovner, professor of geriatric nursing in New York Universitys College of Nursing.

Kovner spent years studying the nursing profession and said the decline began reversing slightly in the last five years as the recession made some students reconsider nursing as a stable profession. Flexible work hours and meaningful work also have drawn people back to nursing, she said.

Many turn to nursing after having worked as home health aides or in related positions, she said. Often men, who still make up just 10 percent of the workforce, become nurses after first working as police officers, emergency medical technicians or military medics.

Hes still unusual, Kovner said of OMalley, given his age, successful government career and personal experience with hospice. Not unheard of, but unusual.

Until recently, Gilchrist employed another nurse who entered the field after her spouse died in hospice. She was in her 50s.

Kerry Avant, clinical manager at Gilchrists Howard center, said nurses there tend to be in the 30s, 40s and 50s, and they all feel some kind of calling to hospice care because of a personal or professional experience. She typically doesnt hire nurses directly from nursing school, rather she prefers them to get a bit of technical experience in a hospital first before choosing a specialty.

OMalley brought certain traits to the table, such as his commitment to hospice care and his life experiences. His age wasnt a factor.

Its important to know how to start an IV, but its also important to know while starting an IV how to make someone comfortable, she said. Thats just who John is. Its how all the hospice nurses are. Thats not to say John isnt unique. Were lucky to have him.

Richard Gottal agrees. Hes been a patient of OMalleys since Nov. 24, when he was sent to Gilchrist from the hospital that treated his cancer.

He got along well with everyone at the hospital but hes more comfortable here because his pain is managed better here, said Pat Gottal, Richards sister, who has shared their family home in Pigtown with him since their birth. He really likes it here. He thinks the world of John.

She said OMalley spends time talking to her brother about New York and their common Irish heritage. Even Sweetie Pie, the Gottals loyal Maltese, who spends her days curled up in the hospice bed, is warming up to OMalley.

Richard Gottal called OMalley an excellent nurse, and said its a shame he cant be on for 24 hours.

OMalley said sometimes its tempting to stay past his shift. He normally works three 12-hour shifts a week, and has a short commute from his home in Ellicott City, Md.

He said becoming a nurse was always in the back of his mind, perhaps because he was married to one for 38 years. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native also briefly worked as a politician and a cab driver.

So far, hes not regretted abandoning retirement  even on his first day at Gilchrist, when he went to visit his first patient and felt no pulse. He thought hed done something wrong, and then he realized the patient had died. On Day 1, he was faced with telling a family of a loved ones death.

His goal is to make everyone in the room feel more comfortable, even patients who are only briefly there.

OMalley said he usually doesnt volunteer that his wife died at Gilchrists center in Towson, but he said if they need to know, I can tell them how comfortable the reclining chair is because Ive slept in it.

When he leaves the job for the day, he said he always feels like he did something good.

When the time comes to leave the job for good, he said, itll be because they have a bed here for me.
Aiming to lower its suspension and expulsion rates, the Kelso School District is trying out a new way to discipline its students.

Its called restorative justice, and its one of several methods the district has introduced in the last several years to improve school climate and decrease out-of-school suspensions and expulsions.

In restorative justice, offending students face the people theyre accused of hurting, be it peers, teachers or other staff. Students talk through their actions in an attempt both to restore their relationship with people theyve hurt and to better understand the consequences of their actions.

Though the aim is to reduce out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, punishment may still follow a students meeting with their peers. Restorative justice can be applied to anything from bullying to marijuana use.

Its another way of bringing peace, said Director of Student Services Chris Rugg, who used restorative justice in Colorado when he was a middle school assistant principal. It helps the victim and the perpetrator.

Two schools, Beacon Hill and Catlin elementaries, are using restorative justice this year, though Rugg said one person at each Kelso school has some training in it  30 staff in total.

In the 2013-14 school year, the Kelso School District had the third highest suspension/expulsion rate (measured as the percentage of students suspended or expelled)  6.3 percent  among Washington schools with 4,000 to 8,000 students. Statewide, Kelso ranked 18th among 198 districts for its discipline rate.

However, over the last four years, the district has made significant progress in reducing its out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. Between September and December 2013, the district had 835 expulsions and out-of-school suspensions. During the same period in 2015, the district had 236.

Recent studies point to the damage out-of-school suspensions and expulsions can have on a students academic and emotional well-being.

After a suspension, some students struggle to get caught up with schoolwork and transition back into their daily routine. For some, being out of school increases the risk theyll get into more trouble.

Restorative justice aims to change all of that.

We try to do everything we can to keep kids in school, Rugg said. I think the most important thing we have with our kids is relationships.  Restorative justice helps repair them when damage has been done.

And if anything, it keeps them in school.

With suspensions, no ones learning anything, Rugg said.
No to Citizens United

Our president has contributed to the diversity of both the executive and judicial branches of the government, and should continue to do so in his next nomination of a Supreme Court nominee. The nominee should have impeccable judicial experience  not political  and understand that the Citizens United decision was a mistake.

Donna McLain

Longview

Un-Pleasant news

I am writing this letter in regard to the most recent electric bill received by Pleasant Hill Grange. The range of the bill was for the middle of December to the middle of January. Because our organization has limited funds, we are diligent about shutting our heat off when the Grange hall is not in use. During that particular time period, we had one day of usage. Despite that, the bill we received indicated a much higher kilowatt hour use than last year at this same time and, of course, the price was substantially more expensive than we have ever seen.

From reading TDN, we know that there have been questions regarding the accuracy of the new digital meters installed by the PUD. We must join in our voices in questioning the accuracy of these devices and are hoping that a thorough investigation is being completed by the PUD, and that The Daily News will continue to listen to the concerns of community members as well.

Our nonprofit organization is devoted to helping local charitable causes, including the Progress Center, Community House, the Emergency Support Shelter, veterans and schools, to name a few. Our ability to help is greatly impacted by unprecedented and questionable increases in costs such as these.

Zula Bryan, secretary

Pleasant Hill Grange No. 101, Kelso

Stretching Longviews boundaries

Georgia Department of Natural Resources Division (the government branch that manages their states historic districts) guidelines for historic consideration are as follows: Age of home (generally 50 years), integrity (buildings, structures, and landscape remain relatively unchanged), and significance (through association to an individual, event/activity, or developments which shaped our history). Additionally, the houses must have distinct physical and special characteristics of an architectural type of fine craftsmanship, or the house yields potential important information to understand the past through investigation or analysis.

While a portion of houses in the Old West Side meet guidelines, the majority have been vastly changed or offer little historic value. If designation occurs on the local level, these homeowners too may need board approval to work on the house they own without having the ability to opt out.

Considering Longview was a planned city, homes in the Highlands meet these criteria, too. Many of these houses are 50 years old, maintain their integrity, and shaped local history through the working families, which grew this area. Does it need a historic designation too?

Kelly Johnsen

Longview

Beyond the big top

Bravo to Rev. Steppert on his letter regarding Obama Bashing (TDN, Feb. 20). I too feel much pride in President Obama. My heart soars when I hear this articulate, intelligent man speak to our nation on issues concerning us all. He has demonstrated a higher level of morality, intelligence, humor and kindness not seen for many years. I believe in the majority of common sense American voters and have faith that they will look past this circus of presidential candidates and pick the person with the most experience and knowledge of leading our country.

Nancy Harris

Kelso
WASHINGTON  Why does the Democratic establishment so dislike Bernie Sanders? Consider this statistic:

Hillary Clinton has raised more than $26 million for the Democratic National Committee and state Democratic parties so far this campaign. And Sanders? $1,000.

Thats no typo. Clinton is doing more to boost the partys 2016 prospects than Sanders by a proportion of 26,000 to one.

This is the source of the panic that Sanders causes the much-maligned Democratic elites. Its not about ideology; it comes from a fear that having Sanders as a nominee will decimate progressive candidates down the ballot  and leave Republicans in control of the House, and state capitals, for another decade or two.

The Obama presidency has been a disaster for the Democratic Party nationwide. Clinton has pledged to rebuild the party, and has begun to make good on that promise. Sanders, by contrast, has shown little concern for the very real crisis the party faces beneath the presidential level.

Since Obamas election in 2008, Democratic losses at all other levels have been staggering: 69 House seats, 13 Senate seats, 910 state legislative seats, 30 state legislative chambers and 11 governorships. Democrats are at their weakest position in state capitols in nearly a century; they have unified control of only 11 legislatures, while Republicans control 30 (31 if you include nominally nonpartisan Nebraska).

There are many reasons for this, but one is Obamas decision to bypass the Democratic Party apparatus in favor of his own, parallel network, now known as Organizing for Action. Under the theory that Obama could directly rally supporters (and therefore didnt need to rely as much on party operatives or on congressional Democrats), this outgrowth of Obamas 2008 campaign apparatus competed with the party and wound up starving the party for funds.

The Democratic National Committee, in triage, made Senate and House races its top priority, and state efforts suffered badly. The amount the DNC spends on state parties today is roughly half what it was in 2007. A decade ago, Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean had the party paying for 183 state party workers; thats down to 115.

Meanwhile, Republicans have made a big push at the state level, and conservative donors such as the Koch brothers boosted the effort. One indication: The Republican State Leadership Committee, the party arm responsible for state legislative efforts, raised $39.2 million in 2012 and $38.2 million in 2014, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The Democratic equivalent, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, raised $13.5 million in 2012 and $16.2 million in 2014.

The consequences of the Democrats atrophy at the state level are potentially catastrophic for progressives. If the party doesnt make major gains in the next couple of election cycles, Republican majorities in state legislatures will control redistricting after the 2020 census, virtually guaranteeing that the party retains control of the House for another decade. Thanks in part to the 2010 redistricting, Republicans now can lose the popular vote by several percentage points but keep control of the House.

A DNC task force after the 2014 midterm wipeout called for urgent action at the state-party level. The task-force recommended a three-cycle plan with allied groups that wins back legislative chambers in order to prepare for redistricting efforts. It is, in essence, an attempt to revive Deans 50-state strategy of building up local parties. That was controversial at the time, but a study of the 2006 midterm election by Harvards Elaine Kamarck argued that in congressional districts where the DNC had paid organizers in place for at least a year, the Democratic vote was more than double what it would have been.

Sanders threatens this effort. Like Obama did in 2008, he sees his support coming from outside the party structure. Like Obama, he has a principled disdain for the big-dollar contributions that Clinton is helping to bring in for the party.

Sanders seems to think he doesnt need a robust partys backing to enact his multitrillion-dollar proposals, which Austan Goolsbee, Obamas former top economist, told The New York Timess Jackie Calmes last week are as realistic as magic flying puppies with winning Lotto tickets tied to their collars. But if Sanders leaves the Democratic Party for dead, as he is now doing, the odds against his success are even greater.

Id put them at 26,000 to one.
Editors note: Todays editorial originally appeared in The Columbian. Editorial content from other publications is provided to give readers a sampling of regional and national opinion and does not necessarily reflect positions endorsed by the Editorial Board of The Daily News.

As the presidential campaign plods along, mercifully being whittled to eight contenders, one question lingers: Where are the adults?

Oh, this isnt solely about Donald Trump, whose adolescent insults long ago morphed from humorous into something trite and tiresome. Its also not about Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio or Hillary Clinton. Because while we could write a masters thesis examining the shortcomings of any of the remaining candidates for the most powerful office on earth, today we come to talk about Bernie Sanders.

The self-avowed democratic socialist from Vermont has made great inroads in his campaign for the Democratic nomination. And the mere fact that somebody, anybody, is pressing Clinton rather than allowing the Democratic race to be little more than a coronation has enhanced the process.

But the growing grassroots support for Sanders leads to the most pressing question of the 2016 campaign: Where are the adults?

Sanders primary platform, or at least the one that has garnered the most attention, calls for free tuition at Americas public colleges. When we need the best-educated workforce in the world, yes, we are going to make public colleges and universities tuition-free, he has said, an exhortation that resonates with young voters who have become the foundation of Sanders constituency.

Sounds great! And it will be wonderful when we pair free tuition with a unicorn in every yard and gold-plated streets!

Yet there is a problem with this, and it is a problem that I learned about in college. That is when a friend insisted that we couldnt be considered adults until we were supporting ourselves and paying taxes.

Secure in the insulated world carefully provided for by my parents, I thought this was absurd. But now I understand the wisdom behind it; now I understand that you dont really know how the world works until you are paying to help keep it turning.

Anyway, the idea of free tuition has gained some traction, and last week Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., was in town talking to students at Clark College about that very notion. What Im overwhelmed with in hearing everyones stories, is how complex their lives are in terms of what they are going through to get an education, Murray told The Columbian. They have multiple jobs; they are trying to get through college and do three or four jobs.

Shiny promises

Certainly, getting through college can be a financial burden  either for parents or for students who are paying their own way. But in the end the students are making a personal financial decision, weighing whether or not those burdens pass the long-term cost-benefit analysis.

Creating free tuition would remove that analysis; its easy to decide to go to college when taxpayers are footing the entire bill.

And all of that points out another shortcoming of the plan: It would subsidize the wealthy to a greater extent than the working poor it professes to target. Family income is the single best predictor of who goes to college; the wealthier the family, the more likely they will attend. And, as Matt Bruenig writes for New Republic: At public colleges, students from the poorest fourth of the population currently pay no net tuition ... Richer students currently receive much fewer tuition and living grant benefits.

Do you really think Bernie Sanders could get Congress to approve a plan for free college tuition, paid for by tax hikes on the rich? Do you really think Donald Trump could build a border wall and get Mexico to pay for it?

The promises are outlandishly absurd, yet the American public is buying them. And that makes me wonder where all the adults went.
"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844
Between January 2003 and September 2006, out of 138 letters to the editor that I sent to the Financial Times before I placed them on this blog they published these 15 . Not bad! Thank you FT!Unfortunately, since then and until the very last day of the decade, out of some 1.000 letters that you can find here, FT published none, zero, zilch. Of course FT is under no obligation whatsoever to publish any of my letters and of course one should not exclude the possibilities that my letters might have quite dramatically gone from bad to worse yet one wonders.My usual suspects are:1. Someone in FT with a delicate ego feels his or her importance diminished by giving voice to a lowly non PhD from a developing country daring to opine on many issues of developed countries.2. That FT has some sort of conflict of interest with the credit rating agencies that makes it hard for them to give too much relevance to someone who considers they have been given too much powers.3. The FT establishment had perhaps decided there were only macro economic problems and not any financial regulation problems, and wanted to hear no monothematic contradictions on that.4. That FT feels slightly embarrassed when someone repeatedly asks the emperor-is-naked type question of what is the purpose of the banks and realizing this was something FT should have itself asked a long time ago.5. It is way too much oversight for FT to handle.6. Or am I just supposed to be a living example of one half of the Financial Times motto, namely that of "without favour"Which one do you believe is closest to the truth?
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Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook said in an early Monday morning email to employees that the US government should withdraw its demand that Apple help the FBI hack a locked iPhone used by a shooter in the San Bernardino attack.

The message, subject-lined "Thank you for your support," is accompanied by an online question and answer page that reiterates many of the comments Cook made in a public letter after a magistrate judge's order last week. His communication to staff also brushes aside several key government claims made in Friday's filing, including an assertion that the company was acting out of business interests in saying it would not cooperate with an investigation of the California shootings by the FBI.

The comments from Apple and its CEO cap a week of back-and-forth filings and statements involving the Justice Department, FBI and Apple, after a US magistrate ordered the company to break its iPhone security protocols to assist federal officials probing the San Bernardino shootings.

The emerging legal fight has sparked a debate on government power, privacy, digital rights, public safety and security set in connection with the December 2 shootings.

The county-owned iPhone was used by Syed Farook, who along with his wife Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people during the attack. Cook states in the letter to employees that the company has "no tolerance or sympathy for terrorists" and believes abiding by the judge's order would be unlawful, an expansion of government powers, and would set a dangerous precedent that would essentially create a backdoor to the encrypted iPhone.

"This case is about much more than a single phone or a single investigation," Cook wrote, "so when we received the government's order we knew we had to speak out."

"At stake is the data security of hundreds of millions of law-abiding people and setting a dangerous precedent that threatens everyone's civil liberties."

The question and answer posting acknowledges that it is technically possible for Apple to do what the judge ordered, but that it's "something we believe is too dangerous to do."

Apple also points to the difficulty of keeping such a "master key" safe once it has been created. The government has said that Apple could keep the specialized technology it would create to help officials hack the phone - bypassing a security time delay and feature that erases all data after 10 consecutive, unsuccessful attempts to guess the unlocking passcode. This would allow the FBI to use technology to rapidly and repeatedly test numbers in what's known as a brute force attack.

If the company's engineers were to do as ordered, Apple would do its best to protect it the technology, but Cook said the company "would be relentlessly attacked by hackers and cybercriminals."

"The only way to guarantee such a powerful tool isn't abused and doesn't fall into the wrong hands is to never create it," Apple states in the memo. The company has until Friday to formally protest the ruling in court.

FBI Director James Comey said in an online post Sunday that Apple owes investigative cooperation to the San Bernardino victims and said the dispute wasn't about creating legal precedent. The FBI "can't look the survivors in the eye, or ourselves in the mirror, if we don't follow this lead," Comey said.

"We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorist's passcode without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly. That's it," Comey wrote. "We don't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land."

Cook said the government should withdraw its demand to the judge and form a group to discuss the issues brought up by this case. He said Apple would participate in such an undertaking.

Apple said it has continued to cooperate and has tried to help the government since the Justice Department court filings.

Much of the rhetoric has focused on whether the Justice Department would actually focus its investigation on a single phone, or whether its move in court represents an attempt to set a precedent for technology sharing that would ultimately be used on multiple phones. This high-profile case would not have existed if the county government that owned the iPhone had installed a feature on it that would have allowed the FBI to easily and immediately unlock the phone.

San Bernardino County had bought the technology, known as mobile device management from MobileIron Inc., but never installed it on any of the inspectors' phones, including Farook's, said county spokesman David Wert said. There is no countywide policy on the matter and departments make their own decisions, he said. The service costs $4 per month per phone.

AP
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Apple Inc, fighting a demand by the US government that it unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, has called for the creation of a government commission or panel of experts to discuss the implications of the demand on issues such as national security and personal freedoms.

"Apple would gladly participate in such an effort," the iPhone maker said in a question and answer session published on its website.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking the company's help to access shooter Syed Rizwan Farook's phone by disabling some of its passcode protections.

The company has argued that such a move would set a dangerous precedent. On Sunday, China's Huawei said it backed Apple's chief executive Tim Cook in his stand-off with the United States government over breaking into an iPhone, but stopped short of saying explicitly it would adopt the same stance.

"It is very important, we agree with that," Richard Yu, chief executive of Huawei's consumer business group, told reporters in Barcelona gathered for the Mobile World Congress. "Privacy protection is very important for Huawei, we put a lot of investment into privacy, and security protection is key, it is very important for the consumer.

"Apple is resisting US government demands that it unlock an iPhone used by Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, shot and killed 14 people and wounded 22 others at a holiday party in San Bernardino in December.

Reuters
tech2 News Staff

The Rs 251 smartphone has gripped the nation, and how. Ashok Chadha, the President of Ringing Bells, the company that builds the smartphone has claimed over five crore registrations already. Now, the smartphone is in news as some malicious minds have reportedly started selling vouchers across Noida that promise the delivery of the device soon after the launch.

Chadha told The Times of India that he is unaware of such coupons, and the company is taking orders only online. The company has also made it clear that it will be shipping the device by courier to only the first 25 lakh who pay up for the phone and those consumers registering for the phone after that will not get the device. The distribution will begin on April 10 and all devices will be shipped in roughly three and half months from now by June 30.

In the press release, Cadha also spoke about the controversy around all the icons of the built-in app being almost a replica of Apples iOS icons. He said these are just samples during the launch and were from some other brand, but the final units will adhere to all the promises made by the company.

The Freedom 251 site crashed even before the company started taking orders. On day 1, it managed to take only 30,000 bookings, in spite of the claimed 6 lakh hits per second. While the Freedom 251 is a novel idea to pave way to a Digital India, it has just too many creases to iron out.

The mobile industry body ICA had reportedly written to Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to get into depth of the issue asking the rate could not be below Rs 3,500 even after a subsidized sale. Chadha has already cleared the air about the subsidy and also put forth the plan how the company plans to achieve the Rs 251 pricing.

(Also read: Here's why the Freedom 251 costs only Rs 251)

The company has made some tall claims stating they want to capture nearly 30 percent of the smartphone market by the end of the year. The company apparently has two pilot plants in Noida and Uttarakhand, claiming a capacity of 5 lakh phones and they are looking at an investment of Rs 230-250 crores on these plants. Check out the Freedom 251 first impressions, to know more about the device.
tech2 News Staff

DeitY (Department of Electronics & Information Technology) is reportedly looking to summon the Noida-based company Ringing Bells for a meeting, which claims to sell the world's cheapest smartphone Freedom 251 at a price tag of only Rs 251. Many doubts have been raised regarding the price tag which is said to be "too good, to be true." The meeting is likely to happen this week.

According to a report by the The Economic Times, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had asked IT Secretary Aruna Sharma to check the credentials and claims of the company, Ringing Bells, after it made the offer. The ministry has asked Sharma to seek help from state chief secretaries wherever needed as well.

BJP MP Kirit Somaiya believes that the Freedom 251 is a huge scam. Somaiya has said that there is a huge scam involved in Freedom 251. After going through all papers of the company, he found out that the Freedom 251 doesnt even have a licence.

The BJP MP has approached telecom ministry, telecom regulator Trai, Consumer Ministry, SEBI, Corporate Ministry Finance Ministry, RBI and state governments to check various concerns that he has on the company offering mobile phone at Rs 251 which is the worlds cheapest.

Ringing Bells President Ashok Chaddha had earlier said manufacturing cost of the phone is about Rs 2,500 (now claimed to be Rs 1500), which will be recovered through a series of measures like economies of scale, innovative marketing, reduction in duties and creating an e-commerce marketplace.

By going for Made in India components, we can save on the 13.8 per cent duty. Also, we will be selling online first and thus save the costs incurred on large distribution network, he said. Chaddha also rejected speculations of the handset being subsidised by the government. The phone will be manufactured in Noida and Uttaranchal. Two plants will be set up for Rs 250 crore each with a capacity of 5 lakh phones. The money will come in the form of debt and equity (1.5:1), he said.
Naina Khedekar

The Unpacked event is when Samsung expects undivided attention for its flagship devices. But this year's been different. It let its upcoming flagships, which pretty much decide the company's fate, share stage with another tech category  Virtual Reality. The company not only decided to bundle the $99 Gear VR for some regions, but also announced a new VR camera  the Gear 360. That's not all. The real surprise was Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg showing up at the event. Now, that's a big deal. Here's why!

Zuckerberg spoke about VR as the 'most social platform'. Soon after Zuckerberg delivered a small speech, Samsung's mobile chief DJ Koh re-entered the stage and almost stopped Zuckerberg for a quick photo-op. So, Samsung finding a new BFF in Zuckerberg isn't entirely strange. Given the most recent events and the manner in which the year has been for both, we believe that's the most practical thing to do.

Zuckerberg's Free Basics plans have gone kaput, at least in the Indian market for now. The way forward ought to be expanding its user base. Or, bringing a new innovative experience in the most popular social network on the planet. In comparison, Samsung spent quite a while trying to bounce back to the dominant position it once shared.

Anshul Gupta, Research Director at Gartner India tells us, "Samsung is at a juncture where it needed a device which can turn around its fate of slowing smartphone sales. Its new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are much better and a refined version of its previous version. There are some really nice enhancements like camera, dual SIM/ expandable memory. However with similar look & feel and changes mostly inside it will be difficult to draw customer to retail for replacement. In this highly competitive and tough economic environment, customer expect more innovation per extra dollar spent. Trick is in emphasizing the benefits of enhancement to end users."

After years of ground work, it seems the battlefield for VR is finally gearing up as Google, Samsung and Facebook are racing to be the first in this new and promising category. Microsoft has already wowed many with the Hololens, and others such as HTC are all set to put their best foot forward as well. Besides, Apple is thought to be building its own armour for the VR battle as well. Soon after reports around its first sales drop in over a decade, analysts predict it may phase out iPhone for virtual reality devices.

With markets betting big on VR, both Samsung and Facebook are set out on a new journey to take on this next-gen technology. Evidently, VR is still at a nascent stage and nothing exceptional is expected this year. Considering the probable shift in pattern in the coming years, it is the right time to watch each other's back.

"As Samsung has a huge marketing budget and wants to maintain leadership in the smartphone high-end segment, it will invest a lot more than its competitors on promoting Virtual Reality. No doubt it will help to create buzz among media, gamers, and the niche audience demanding immersive experiences. But will it offer consumer benefits for the masses? The short answer is: no. In 2016, reach for VR platforms will remain more than limited," said Forrester consumer mobile analyst Julie Ask.

Zuckerberg was out there to promote how VR can help deliver social experience such as 'hanging out with friends anytime you want', 'holding a group meeting or event anywhere in the world' and so on. He also announced to bring dynamic streaming technology for 360 video to Gear VR. The technology enhances the performance by playing back only what's in the view, and not the entire 360 degree sphere of the video. He also spoke about reducing the bandwidth while still delivering high quality 4X videos. Samsung's hardware capabilities and Facebook's outreach and popularity could help drive in VR content extend the horizon for this new category.

It should be noted that Samsung and Facebook had teamed up to launch the Gear VR soon after Facebook acquired Oculus for around a hefty $2 billion in 2014. In fact, a VR headset at $99 was the first step towards upping the proposition of a VR device going mainstream. But looks like, putting on a headgear, and being transported into a different world hasn't been extremely appealing to masses yet. There has been concern over huge VR headsets going mainstream, and Samsung just pulled out the best trick to combat that.

What could be more feasible than a small, circular, GoPro-like camera that can easily go mainstream over a huge, bulky head gear. It also turns out to be the great step towards creating immersive content as the camera, available in two models, allows complete 360-degree videos or traditional videos in 180-degree using a single lens mode. There's NFC, Wi-Fi Direct support to enable quick interaction with Galaxy smartphone, PC editing, stitching panoramic views and also sharing on social media platforms.

"The VR experience feels a little like Wi-Fi in the early days  sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. My VR headset experience didn't work at all. Seems super cool; when  or if working. It wasn't until Mark Zuckerberg got on stage that the energy picked up in the room," adds Ask.

The whole event was an example of how serious Samsung is about VR. As one entered the conference hall, a VR headset was attached to each chair. It looked like a gigantic dark chamber with thousands glued to the headgear as Samsung unveiled its new smartphones  Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge  in VR for an immersive experience. The company event launched the Unpacked 360 View app so that people across the world could feel they are right there.

Some others also believe that the new Galaxy flagships - which saw a big overhaul last year  had a little to deliver this and the new devices are just to divert the attention from its flagships.
Naina Khedekar

Back in 2011- 2012, the government's ambitious pet project Aakash was almost synonymous to creating a Digital India, and so it's not very surprising that parallels are being drawn between the budget tablet and uber-cheap Freedom 251. However, this hasn't gone down well with Datawind, the makers of Aakash.

The success of Datawind and growth of the tablet market proves that Rs 251 phone is nothing like the Aakash tablet, Datawind chief Suneet Singh Tuli states. He calls the 251 a consumer offering, and the subsidized price is a marketing promotion. On the other hand, Aakash was never a consumer offering. It was a 100,000 units government project for educational purposes, he adds.

Ringing Bells was an unknown company until 15 days ago. Well, Datawind also wasn't that popular until it bagged the tender to build the tablets. However, Datawind was still decently popular for its cheap tablets. It is not a company that cropped up overnight and considered among the top 50 smart companies and successfully delivered 100000 units to IIT Bombay. It also paved way to a plethora of cheap tablets from BSNL, Micromax, and so on. Moreover, Aakash was an educational project to judge low cost devices' viability in the education sector, he states.

(Also read, Freedom 251 first impressions)

Now, one of the most obvious questions lingering on everyone's minds is how feasible it is to build the device. In a presentation made by the Datawind chief, he states that even the basic memory for the device costs over Rs 251. So, how is it possible to build and sell a complete device at the said price?

In the presentation, Tuli states that Aakash tablet was a 'real product' and larger quantities were made and delivered, which had a huge impact on the industry. Freedom 251 is a marketing promotion of an existing Chinese Chinese product already being sold in Nehru Place, he states. According to him, consumers are being misled as it is not possible to make the device at that price.

Meanwhile, Ringing Bells director Mohit Goel goes on to claim that the company will make Rs 31 profit on each unit sold. President Ashok Chadha has said that the price per unit is around Rs 1500, and not Rs 2500 disclosed during the launch.

In an interview with The Times of India, Goel has said, Has there ever been a case of income-tax evasion against me or my company, or has there been an FIR filed against me in any police station? Why am I being called a bhagora (wholl run away with the money)? I intend to do a valid business, just like any other startup, and I have a business plan ready."

Ringing Bells successfully caught the country's attention with the launch of the Freedom 251 at the ridiculously low pricing of Rs 251. Goel also states that the delivery will begin on April 15. Well, only time will tell.

The mobile industry body ICA had reportedly written to Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to get into depth of the issue asking the rate could not be below Rs 3,500 even after a subsidized sale. Chadha has already cleared the air about the subsidy and also put forth the plan how the company plans to achieve the Rs 251 pricing.

(Also read: Heres why the Freedom 251 costs only Rs 251)
tech2 News Staff

The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks has issued an order dated 19 February publishing the revised Guidelines for Computer Related Inventions (CRI). The current guidelines are in line with the provisions of the Patents Act, 1970.

The guidelines published by the patent office on 21 August last year, was widely regarded as limiting developers. According to a statement by the Software Freedom Law Centre and could have resulted in a flood of patents being granted in the field of software. Various organisations, including SFLC.in, ISPIRIT (Indian Software Product Industry Round Table), among others, petitioned the Prime Ministers Office and Patent Office, requesting a recall of the guidelines. After a consultation and meeting, the Patent office issued an order dated 14 December, 2015, keeping the guidelines in abeyance.

Prasanth Sugathan, counsel at SFLC.in, who represented the organisation at the consultations said: The legislature by limiting the scope of patentable subject matter in the field of software wanted our software professionals and industry to innovate and not be stifled by companies holding a stockpile of patents. We are grateful to the Government and the patent office for listening to our feedback and suggestions and preserving the freedom of our coders and entrepreneurs to innovate without shackles.

In other words, the patent office is effectively saying no to all patents that are purely software-based. However, software will continue to be protected by the copyright law, but cant be patented in India under very specific conditions which have been specified as shown below.

According to SFLC, the patent office has accepted its three-part test to determine the patentability of CRIs:

1. Openly construe the claim and identify the actual contribution;

2. If the contribution lies only in mathematical method, business method or algorithm, deny the claim;

3. If the contribution lies in the field of computer programme, check whether it is claimed in conjunction with a novel hardware and proceed to other steps to determine patentability with respect to the invention. The computer programme in itself is never patentable. If the contribution lies solely in the computer programme, deny the claim. If the contribution lies in both the computer programme as well as hardware, proceed to other steps of patentability.

Such a test will ensure that applications for patents in the field of software will be rejected and only genuine applications claiming a novel hardware component along with software will be eligible for patent protection.
tech2 News Staff

As reported earlier, makers of the worlds cheapest smartphone, Ringing Bells were to meet Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and other officials from the department of telecommunications regarding the pricing of their device Freedom 251.

A government official has stated that the company will import the first 50 lakh smartphones, as pointed out by The Hindu. The company promises to deliver the first 50 lakh devices by June 30 out of which, 25 lakh will be online orders while the other 25 lakh would be those received offline respectively.

Ringing Bells President Ashok Chaddha and Promoter Mohit Goel also explained their 'business model' during the meeting held with he Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY) officials. The company also has plans to set up at least two manufacturing plants in the next 6-8 months with an initial investment of Rs 350 crore.

According to a previous report, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had asked IT Secretary Aruna Sharma to check the credentials and claims of the company, Ringing Bells, after it made the offer. The ministry has asked Sharma to seek help from state chief secretaries wherever needed as well.

The ministry official also said during the meeting that the company has confirmed that they have received a payment for 30,000 handsets, which has been parked in an escrow account.
tech2 News Staff

Samsung's pride and joy the Galaxy S7 and its curvy sibling the Galaxy S7 Edge will apparently go on sale on 11 March. After a massive launch at the MWC 2016, everything about the not so secret smartphones was finally revealed apart from the launch date and pricing.

For now its just the launch date that has been revealed by Korea's Yonhap News who got into a conversation with DJ Koh, head of Samsung Mobiles Communication. The Samsung head also pointed out that they are expecting the Galaxy S7's sales to top those of the S6, "The Galaxy S7 is slated to go on sale in 60 countries on March 11. We expect its sales to surpass shipments of the previous model, the Galaxy S6,".

So far, Samsung is planning to go all in and will even be offering a free Gear VR headset to those who have pre-ordered or bought the smartphones between February 23 and March 18.

(Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge first look)

This year Samsung indeed seems to have missed out on nothing, delivering a flagship smartphone with flagship specs and the features that it missed out on last year like dust and waterproofing and more. Clearly, with the smartphones checking off all the boxes for spec hungry Android buyers, the sales expectations will be high as well.

With the launch date out of the way, it is just the pricing that remains a mystery. While Samsung remained mum on topic, a few retailers in the US, UK have already listed the smartphones to be sold at around EUR 700 (approximately Rs. 53,200) for the Galaxy S7 and the EUR 800 (approximately Rs. 60,800) for the Galaxy S7 Edge.
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Samsung has unveiled two new flagship devices - S7 and Galaxy S7 edge - as it looks to bolster sales to buck the slowdown in smartphone industry growth.

The smartphones, featuring sleek design and advanced camera features, are expected to hit the Indian market in the second week of March, according to sources.

Technology giant Samsung has unveiled two new flagship devices - S7 and Galaxy S7 edge - as it looks to bolster sales to buck the slowdown in smartphone industry growth.

The smartphones, featuring sleek design and advanced camera features, are expected to hit the Indian market in the second week of March, according to sources.

(Also read, Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge first impressions)

The South Korean tech giant, however, did not mention the prices. It will start rolling out the handsets starting mid-March.

India is an important market for handset makers as it is witnessing strong sales growth rates at a time when global sales are waning.

According to research firm IDC, the global smartphone market saw shipment growing 10.1 per cent to 1.43 billion units in 2015 from 1.30 million units in 2014.

Shipments in India grew 28.8 per cent in 2015 to 103.6 million units over the previous year, making it one of the world's fastest growing markets globally.

Samsung is a leader in both global and Indian market. At the end of December 2015 quarter, it had a global market share of 21.4 per cent, while in India it had 26.8 per cent share.

"We believe in a world that's brighter, sharper, more convenient, and more fun. We strive to deliver on that vision with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge by marrying elegant design with functionality and providing a seamless mobile experience," Samsung Electronics President Mobile Communications Business DJ Koh said.

With Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung has introduced the first dual pixel camera on a smartphone, which delivers brighter and sharper images, even in low light.

The 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 edge are constructed with 3D glass and metal and are water and dust resistance.

The hybrid SIM card tray allows users to insert a microSD card for up to 200GB of additional storage and in some select countries, the tray can be used with a dual SIM card.

PTI
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Government on Monday launched a mobile app, which will enable travellers to send pictures of dirty spots at tourist places to the authorities for immediate action as part of Clean India Mission.

The Swachh Paryatan Mobile App, launched by the Union Ministry of Tourism, has been made available for 25 heritage monuments, including Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri and Humayuns Tomb, Qutab Minar, Red Fort, among others.

The ministry plans to extend the App to include other tourist destinations across the country, Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said at the launch function here.

People can send the picture of dirty places on which immediate action will be taken. Besides, people can also send their suggestions in bringing improvement at the tourist places, Sharma said.

He said nodal officers have been appointed to take immediate action to clean up the place shared by the tourists.

The cleanliness of the place would be restored in 1-2 hour duration. If the nodal officer fails to perform, action will be taken against them, Sharma said.

Tourists have many suggestions for improving the places they visit but they do not know how to put it across to the officials, he said, adding, now they can share the suggestions with us through the App.

Initially available on android phones, it will be accessible on Apple and Microsoft also. This mobile app shall be monitored by the project monitoring unit of Swachh Bharat Mission in Ministry of Tourism, an official statement said.

Sharma also said the 24-hour multi-language information service Infoline launched by his ministry early this month has received a good response, getting an average of 11,800 calls per day.

The toll-free Infoline service, available in 12 languages including English and Hindi, provides information relating to travel and tourism in India to domestic and international tourists/visitors. It also assists the callers with advice on action to be taken during times of distress while travelling in the country and if need be alert the concerned authorities.

PTI
ABI says 4.33 billion SIM cards will be shipped globally in 2022, which is down 8.5% YoY as supply chains are still being imp
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Suspected criminal killed in Jhenidah 'shootout'

A suspected criminal was killed in a 'shootout' with police at Haldipara in Maheshkhali upazila early Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Santu, son of Rowshan Miah, a resident of Lalpur village of the upazila, and an accused in a number of cases, including that of murder. Aminul Islam Biplob, officer-in-charge of Maheshkhali Police Station, said police recovered the body of Hakimul Islam Pinu, a resident of Gopalpur village on February 18, after he had gone missing on February 15. Santu went into hiding after he had been made the prime accused in the Pini murder case. Tipped off, a team of police conducted a drive at Mirpur upazila in Kushtia district and arrested Santu on Monday evening. Acting on Santu's information, the law enforcers conducted another drive in a field of Haldipara area around 4am. Sensing the presence of police, Santu's cohorts reportedly opened fire on the police prompting the law enforcers to retaliate. After a brief gunfight, police rescued Santu with bullet wounds and admitted him to Maheshpur Upazila Health Complex, where doctor declared him dead. Altaf Hossain, superintendent of Jhenidah police, said three cops -- assistant sub-inspector Kazi Shamsul Alam and constables Ahsan Habib and Masud - were also injured in the gunfight. They were also admitted to the health complex. Police also recovered a shutter gun and three bullets from the spot, he said. -- Jhenidah, Feb 23 (UNB)
Gatco graft case: Court orders Khaleda, others to surrender on April 13

UNB, Dhaka: A Dhaka court on Tuesday ordered BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and 12 other BNP-Jamaat leaders to appear before it on April 13 in Gatco graft case filed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC). Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of Dhaka Special Judge's Court-3, passed the order after receiving a copy of a High Court verdict in this connection, said ACC lawyer Mosharaf Hossain Kajal. Earlier on February 15, the High Court ordered Khaleda to surrender before the trial court in two months as the Court (HC) released the full text of its verdict rejecting her two writ petitions filed by the BNP chief challenging the legality of the graft case and its inclusion under the Emergency Powers Act. On August 5 last year, a High Court bench comprising Justice Md Nuruzzaman and Justice Abdur Rob rejected the two writ petitions. On September 2, 2007, the ACC filed the Gatco graft case against Khaleda, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami and 10 others for causing a loss of Tk 145.64 crore to the national exchequer by allegedly awarding the contract of container handling at the Chittagong port and the Dhaka's Inland Container Depot to Gatco. Khaleda on September 27, 2007 filed a petition with the HC challenging the legality of the inclusion of the case under the Emergency Powers Act and seeking a stay order on the trial proceedings. In 2008, an HC bench issued a rule and stayed the trial proceedings after hearing the petition of the BNP chief. In the same year, the proceedings of the graft case were stayed again as Khaleda filed another petition challenging the legality of the case.
Kerry, Wang Yi meet to mend relations

US Secretary of State John Kerry, right, shaking hands with China\'s Froreign, Minister Wang Yi, during a meeting in Munich, Germany.

AP, Washington :The top diplomats of the U.S. and China meet Tuesday in Washington at a fraught time in relations between the two world powers.It's been seven weeks since North Korea conducted a nuclear test and they still haven't agreed on how to censure Pyongyang. Also, tensions are rising in the South China Sea after Beijing deployed anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed island.Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi sparred over much of the same territory a month ago in Beijing. But as they sit down for more talks at the State Department, both situations have only grown more serious.North Korea followed up its Jan. 6 underground nuclear explosion with a Feb. 7 rocket launch that was condemned by the U.N. Security Council because such rockets use technology that could be applied to ballistic missiles.While China has joined in the international criticism, it has balked at imposing the kind of tough economic sanctions that the U.S. wants, fearing it could threaten the stability of North Korea, a neighbor and traditional ally of Beijing.In the meantime, the U.S. has taken tougher steps of its own.Congress passed the most stringent U.S. sanctions yet that aim to restrict North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's access to hard currency. The restrictions could hit Chinese banks and companies that do business connected to the North's nuclear and missile programs and its human rights abuses. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law last week.And on the security front, the U.S. and close ally South Korea have begun talks on deploying a missile defense system that China fears could be used against it as well North Korea.The U.S. and China are expected, eventually, to fashion a compromise over a U.N. resolution, as both sides oppose North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them.But they appear leagues apart on the South China Sea.Washington and Beijing have been trading accusations of "militarizing" those waters, an important thoroughfare for world trade where six Asian governments have competing territorial claims.The accusations intensified last week following reports that China had deployed anti-aircraft missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel chain, which is occupied by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.The U.S. and its Asian allies are watching now whether China puts military assets on artificial islands it has built in the Spratly island chain, further south.The Obama administration is under congressional pressure to step up the U.S. response. Lawmakers are expected to raise their concerns at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday with the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific.State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Monday that the U.S. would continue to press China to stop its militarization in the South China China. He called for a diplomatic process to settle territorial claims peacefully.A couple of U.S. Navy operations close to disputed land since October have already riled Beijing.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Monday that "reconnaissance" by U.S. ships and planes, not China's actions, were responsible for stoking tensions in a region where the U.S. is not a claimant."The deployment of defense facilities on China's own territory is no different from what U.S. does in Hawaii," she said.
President asks agriculturists to ensure food, nutritional security

President Abdul Hamid on Tuesday addresses the 7th convocation of Bangladesh Agricultural University.

Mahdi Hasan, BAU :



President Abdul Hamid on Tuesday said towards the agriculture graduates to work together for ensuring the food and nutritional safety of the country.

He also called upon the farmers, agriculturists and agriculture researchers to work along with the government to expedite development in agriculture sector, saying that there is no alternative to develop the agriculture and farmers to ensure sustainable growth of the country.

The president made this statement while addressing the 7th convocation of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) on its campus.

At the convocation, a total 4,909 students received degrees while 93 students got gold medals and 28 students received prize for their outstanding academic performance.

President Abdul Hamid said the present government has announced 'vision-2021' for turning Bangladesh into a middle income country by decreasing the poor people by 15 percent in which agriculture sector has the top priority.

He also said that there is no alternative to development of agriculture and farmers to ensure sustainable development in agriculture.

"It is a huge challenge for Bangladesh to face the negative impact on agriculture due to global climate change. There is a possibility of increase in salinity in coastal areas, fall of productivity, inundation of low-laying area sand major changes might take place in the lifestyle of the people in the region," he said.

He went on saying, "Keeping the matter into consideration, we have to strengthen research activities with a view to developing salinity tolerant varieties of crops, particularly rice. We have to keep in mind that the country's overall development depends on the development of agriculture."

Lauding the role of agriculturists, especially the BAU graduates for the development of the potential agriculture sector, the President appreciated the Inter-Disciplinary Centre for Food Security (ICF) that offers post graduate degrees on food safety and sustainable agriculture, one of the recent major BAU research initiatives.

He also said that establishment of 'Haor and Char Development Institute' has just started and development works of 'Marine Fisheries Field Laboratory and Education Center' indicate the dynamicity of the university.

Religious Affairs Minister Principal Motiur Rahman, University Grants Commission Chairman Abdul Mannan and Vice-Chancellor of BAU Prof Dr Md Ali Akbar also spoke on the occasion. Vice-Chancellor of University of Asia Pacific Prof Dr Jamilur Reza Choudhury delivered convocation speech.
IMA celebrates fifth batch passing out ceremony of pre-sea cadets

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, State Minister of Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki, Secretary of Shipping Ministry Ashok Madhob Roy, Commodore M Zakiur Rahman Bhuiyan, Director General of Shipping pose for photo session with the fifth batch

Economic Reporter :

International Maritime Academy celebrates the passing out ceremony of the fifth batch of pre-sea cadets with pomp and grandeur at its own campus at Pubial, Gazipur on Tuesday.

Shajahan Khan, Minister for the Ministry of Shipping attended the occasion as the Chief Guest. Meher Afroze Chumki, State Minister for Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and Ashok Madhob Roy, Secretary, Ministry of Shipping was the special guest.

Commodore M Zakiur Rahman Bhuiyan, Director General of Shipping attended as guest of honor.

Beside this Ruben Arosemena, Ambassador or the republic of Panama to Republic of Korea, Tsuneo Watana, Managing Director, Tokyo Marine Ltd, Mr Koje Yamada, Managing Director, Unix Line, Junji Kimoto, General Manager, Santako Senkako ship management co ltd and Abani Mohapatra, General Manager of Unix Line Singapore.

One hundred and fifteen cadets have passed out this year from Nautical and Engineering division.

This is the first permanent installation for maritime training in the private sector.On 1st March 2010, the International Maritime Academy celebrated the passing out ceremony of its first batch of cadets. Subsequently the second batch passed out from this academy on 28 July 2011, third batch on 30 Jan 2014 and fourth batch cadets on 18 Feb 2015, beside that the 1st batch ratings passed out from this academy on 11 Dec 2014. Presently, 76 cadets of 6th batch and 30 Ratings of 2nd batch is undergoing training.

The training was conducted as per the syllabus approved by the Department of Shipping. On completion of two year training at the institute, the trainees will join as cadets on foreign going vessels managed by M/s Haque and sons Ltd.

In reputed companies such as UNIX Line Pte Ltd. Singapore, Bernard Schute Ship Management, V-Ships Asia Pte Ltd, First Marine Services, Tokyo, K-Line Ship Management, OSM Hong Kong, Eurasia Ship Management, Santuko Ship Management etc. They will also earn their salary as per international scale. These cadets will join the ship for one-year prior sitting for their certificate of competency examination.

Gold Medal for overall best performance was awarded to Cadet Md Abu Bakar Siddique, he received the silver medal for the best Nautical Cadet as well. Cadet SM Asif Mustafa received the Silver Medal as the best Engineering cadet.

A ceremonial march past by smartly turned out contingent of cadets was followed by an oath taking ceremony.

The Commandant of the Academy, Capt, Zaki Ahad in his welcome address appraised the audience of the progress being made by the academy to enhance maritime education and training in the private sector. He also stated about the training facilities of the installation.

The Minister in his speech stated the importance of private sector in the development of the nation and applauded the role of International Maritime Academy for its contribution to the maritime education and training sector.

Meher Afroze Chumki, the State Minister, who is also the local MP for Gazipur-5, the locality where the permanent campus of the Academy is taking form welcomed the concept of human resource development initiative of the Academy and assured the owners of the Academy of her whole hearted support and expressed the hope that in years to come, the International Maritime Academy would continue to generate more trained manpower in the maritime sector.

The passing out ceremony ended with slow march past by the cadets in line with tradition of the merchant marine.
Kuwait envoy in BD hosts reception



On the occasion of the 55th National Day and the 25th Liberation Day of the State of Kuwait, the Ambassador of the State of Kuwait in Bangladesh, Adel Mohammed A H Hayat, hosted a reception at Dhaka Westin Hotel on Tuesday.

The reception was attended among others by ministers, members of parliament, judges, politicans, high civil and armed forces officials, educationists, journalists, business personalities and other elite of the society.

Nurul Islam B. Sc., Minister of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment was Guest of honour at the reception.
Sheikh Jamal concede 0-4 defeat to Tampines Rovers



Bangladesh Premier League champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club conceded a 0-4 goals defeat to Tampines Rovers of Singapore at the Tampines Stadium in Singapore on Tuesday afternoon.

The Bangladesh champions were went down by 0-2 goals in the first half.

B Mehmet put the hosts Singapore team ahead in the very 2nd minute while Abu Sujad doubled the margin in the 33rd minute.

A Yunos scored the 3rd goal for Tampines Rovers in the 52nd minute while Bangladesh conceded a suicidal goal in the 53rd minute to leave the field with a frustrating defeat.
Arrested 4 JMB men put on remand

Court Correspondent :

A Dhaka court here yesterday (Tuesday) placed four suspected members of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) on remand of different durations.

Magistrate Abdullah Al Masud of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court of Dhaka passed the order after Sub-Inspector of Detective Branch (DB) of Police Abul Bashar produced them in the court with a 10-day remand plea for each suspect. The court also rejected the bail pleas of the defence lawyers.Of the accused, Hafez Jafar Ahmed, Russel Ahmed Rinku and Abdullah Al Munju alias Jahangir were placed on a five-day remand each while Russel Uddin on a three-day remand.

The newly-formed Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested the JMB men from Ambagan area of Moghbazar adjacent to Hatirjheel of the city on Monday night.

On a tip off, a team of the CTTC conducted a drive in the area around 9:35pm and arrested the four JMB men, said Deputy Commissioner (Media) of DMP Md Maruf Hossain Sarder.

During preliminary interrogation, the accused reportedly revealed that they gathered on the spot to plan subversive activities in the capital, he said. The case was filed against them with Ramna Model Police Station under the Anti-terrorist Act.


Many BNP aspirants not allowed to file nomination: Rizvi

Staff Reporter :

The BNP has said that its at least 100 chairman candidates in the first phase of the Union Parishad (UP) polls faced obstruction from the ruling party men during submission of nomination papers. Many of the candidates could not submit nominations finally. As a result, ruling Awami League's candidates in many UPs are going to be elected uncontested.

BNP Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed said it at a press conference in the party's Nayapaltan central office in the city on Tuesday. He said that the ruling party men intimidated the BNP aspirants and tore their nominations.

The first phase of UP polls to 739 unions is slated for March 22 and the last date for submission of nominations expired on Monday.

Rizvi Ahmed named several unions where the BNP aspirants could not submit nominations. These are all unions in Chitalmari Upazila and Baroipara union of Bagerhat, sadar union and Raripar union of Kachua Upazila, Mollarhat, Rana Poisha and Phulkathi unions of Nalchhiti Upazila, sadar union and another five unions of Terakhada Upazila in Khulna, Jugikhali, Sonabaria, Koila and Keralkata unions; and Jainsha union of Munshiganj's Sirajdikhan Upazila.

Rizvi Ahmed alleged that their party men did not get any remedy after seeking help from local administrations. "Newspapers have reported that the ruling party chairman candidates think that their victory is certain as they got party's nomination. So, no one has any doubt that the government has made a plan to manipulate the polls," he said.

The BNP leader said that the government and the Election Commission are now 'working together like twin brothers, aiming at making the upcoming UP elections an instance of rigging'. He observed that the aggressive attitude of the current government is growing gradually, as it has exiled all the basic elements of democracy, including election, public opinion, accountability and tolerance.

"People know it very well what will be the consequences of the UP polls. People won't get their rights back, and the rights of all political parties to join political activities won't be established as long as this government is in power," he said.

Rizvi Ahmed said that a strong movement is the only way to resist this government. He alleged, the government is repressing opposition leaders and activists by using law enforcers. Police are not only suppressing the opposition, the innocent people are also being subjected to repression, abduction, extortion and arrest trade by law enforcers.
CJ unhappy over state prosecutors` role in war crimes trial

"Your document says Mir Quasem was in Dhaka during Lib War'

Staff Reporter :Chief Justice SK Sinha on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction that the prosecutors and investigators of War Crimes Tribunal (ICT) could not discharge their respective duties efficiently and properly in the war crime cases lodged against the 71 war criminals.He showed his anger in the court during the appeal hearing against Mir Quasem Ali when the Attorney General was making arguments on the day."We are shocked by the way you are conducting cases of war criminals. It is evident from your documents that Mir Quasem Ali was in Dhaka during the Liberation War," said SK Sinha.UNB adds: The five-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha, vented their anger when Attorney General Mahbubey Alam was placing arguments during hearing on the appeal of war crimes convict Mir Quasem Ali against his death sentence. Talking to reporters, Mahbubey Alam said as some irrelevance were found during the appeal hearing, the court expressed the dissatisfaction.On February 9, the Supreme Court started hearing the appeal filed by condemned war criminal Mir Quasem Ali challenging the death penalty. Mir Quasem Ali on November 30, 2014 filed the appeal with the SC challenging the death penalty awarded to him by the International Crimes Tribunal-2 for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.On November 2 in the same year, the tribunal had condemned Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali to death for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
Obama reveals plan to shut Guantanamo camp

The White House has revealed its plans for closing the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention facility, one of the president's long-standing goals.The Pentagon has proposed transferring the remaining 91 detainees to their home countries or to US military or civilian prisons.But Congress is deeply opposed and expected to block the move.The prison costs $445m (316m) to run annually and closing it was an early promise from President Barack Obama.Senior administration officials told reporters on Tuesday that closing the prison is a national security imperative."Implementing this plan will enhance our national security by denying terrorists a powerful propaganda symbol, strengthening relationships with key allies and counterterrorism partners, and reducing costs," said Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook in a statement.President Obama has tried for years to close Guantanamo. He and his deputies say that it hurts the reputation of the US and that militants use "the infamous orange jumpsuit", as one senior administration official described it, as a recruiting tool.But members of Congress have baulked at Mr Obama's plan to close the prison, saying they believe it should remain open - and they don't want any detainees to be transferred to the US. Representative Mike Pompeo of Kansas, for example, said the prisoners should "stay right where they are".Lately, though, White House officials said that lawmakers, or at least some of them, seem more receptive to the idea.A senior administration official told reporters that there's "room for conversation". That's important since Mr Obama has less than a year to close the prison - and for him time is of the essence.
Khaleda sees `sign of ominous future`

Staff Reporter :BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia smells rats at the attack on Debiganj temple and killing of its priest. In a press statement issued on Tuesday, she said that the frightful incident of killing of the Hindu temple priest with a sharp machete and gun attack on other devotees bear a sign of ominous future. She termed the incident as a perverted brutality. On Sunday morning, priest Jogeshwar Roy, 50, of Sonto Gourir Moth in Deviganj upazila of Panchagarh district was hacked to death and a devotee shot in an attack by some miscreants. Strongly condemning and protesting the incident, Khaleda Zia demanded immediate arrest of the attackers and exemplary punishment to them. She also prayed for salvation of the departed soul of priest Jogeshwar Roy. The BNP chief blamed the rise of militancy in the country during the current 'one-party misrule of the Awami League government'. "The rise of barbaric and nonsense extremist groups has been seen as a side-effect in the countries where one-party rule is on. The current government came to power through a voter-less election and established one-party rule in the country," she said.Mentioning some civil society members' recent observation, Khaleda Zia said that the worried civil society members repeatedly warned that there is a possibility of emergence of extremist, blind radical forces and the militancy because the current government enforced a 'one-party rule in the country'.She alleged that the government has snatched peoples' democratic rights. Today, people have lost their rights to debate, criticism or protest. On the other side, extremist and radical forces are being powerful in absence of good governance, she added. Khaleda Zia termed the killing of foreigners, bloggers and publishers as well as attackers of priests as a force 'against humanity, civilisation and modern state'. The cruel plan has first been executed with the recent killing of Italian citizen Cesare Tavella, she said. She further said, "The current situation gives us an impression that we are moving towards the nation's graveyard. At this very bad time, a question has risen in public mind what is doing the government?" The BNP chief alleged that the government did not take any initiative against the killings of people one after another over the last few months. It even couldn't unearth the mystery behind the murders.She criticised the government for shifting blame on the opposition and implicating them in false and fabricated cases in the incidents instead of tracking down the offenders and resisting their dangerous attacks. The government, however, is repeatedly trying to convince the international community and the country's people that there is no militancy in the country. But people are now deeply worried about existence of militancy in the country, she said.
"There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bou...
Ireland is having a general election on Friday.I would refer you to the following considerations.The present Fine Gael Labour Party combo government have legalised the murder of unborn children through abortion.Before the last election they promised not to do so of course.Then once elected, they did it.This in spite of the fact that the people of Ireland have twice passed referendums requiring that abortion may not be legalised without a full plebiscite of the people.The Gaelers legalised it anyway.Ain't they wunnerful.Prime Minister Enda Kenny not content with legalising abortion in direct contravention of the Constitution, has also turned a blind eye to the illegal distribution of abortion pills by the self styled Irish Pharmaceutical Union to children, (no minimum age, no legislation, no questions asked) from Irish pharmacies.So in Ireland, children are now being routinely turned into the murderers of children through a pill.And health board workers in Ireland who routinely rape children in their care (I'm not joking) are able to conceal the results of their rapes, by murdering the babies so conceived just by popping down to the pharmacy and picking up a few pills.Oh brave new world that has such Gaelers in it.Not the worst part of this but certainly worth noting, is that the pharmacies have been permitted to give abortion pills to children over the counter without parental consent.If you could listen to our television programmes bold travellers of the internet, and read our newspapers, you would think Irish people were wholly unconcerned with the barbarism and betrayal implicit in Fine Gael and Labour's promotion of abortion culture.You'd think our sole concerns related to social welfare entitlements, footpaths, water charges, free education, and gimmy-a-grant-for-my-sore-toe-misther.Here is the news.I am predicting that Fine Gael and Labour face wipe out in the election on Friday.They are passing away.They will be gone forever.Not because of their fiscal policies.But becaue they legalised the murder of unborn children.There will be nothing left of Fine Gael and Labour, save a rump of plush bottomed twitterers with verbal diarrhoea bemoaning the fact that they might have won the election if they'd only built more footpaths in skanger estates.It's the closest they get to morality.Unfortunately, there is no clear alternative to them.We are about to go from the atheistic abortionist frying pan into the marxian mafioso fire.I am predicting that the IRA mafia's parliamentary proxies Sinn Fein may actually find themselves in government courtesy of an alliance with a concatination of coffee shop socialists styling themselves variously People Before Profit, the Anti Austerity Alliance, the Green Party, and so on.(Particularly And So On, I hate them.)These coffee shop socialists are united by the deeply felt political principle that the German government will pay our debts in perpetuity.I'm not optimistic about the efficacy of their vision.So here it is folks.The IRA mafia's proxies Sinn Fein, with the help of romantic wide eyed Oi-Know-Moy-Roights coffee shop socialists are about to subvert parliamentary democracy in the Republic of Ireland.They are in the process of doing to Ireland right now what Cosa Nostra and the Russian Mafia did to Italy and Russia fifty years ago.They are turning our country into hell on earth.In my own little town of a few thousand people, we have witnessed a corrupt cop running the town for gangland for fifteen years, a drug dealer living beside me poisoning generations of children so that he can preserve the illusion of wealth for himself and his offspring, various IRA factions up to their necks in all of this filth, and the Hutch mob, yet another IRA faction, moving out of Dublin, which they have already destroyed, to live among us and wreak the same havoc here in our little village as they brought with gay abandon to the great city they ruined and then left behind.To call any of them scum would be to libel protozoan life forms.The IRA and its proxies Sinn Fein already control segments of the trade union movement, the broadcaster RTE, and the Judiciary.The IRA and its proxies Sinn Fein have also substantially infiltrated the mainstream parties Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fail, as evidenced by the former government of Fianna Fail looting the treasury to bail out the IRA front bank Anglo Irish Bank, which was the single biggest loss making bank on earth during the world wide banking collapse of 2008.IRA agents within the bank's management Sean Fitzpatrick, David Drumm et al, had systematically burglarised their own bank by giving billions of dollars to IRA proxie businessman Sean Quinn disguised as loans, who then laundered the money into Russia using the Russian mafia.I kid you not.Fianna Fail impoverished us for the next hundred years and put Ireland in the Third World overnight in order to cover up an IRA Sinn Fein bank job.We should not forget that in order to creat a veneer of cross party non partisanship for their decision to bankrupt Ireland on behalf of an IRA front operation disguised as a bank, Fianna Fail appointed Alan Dukes a former leader of Fine Gael the present party of government, to run Anglo Irish Bank.And Alan Dukes took the job.Nor should we forget that Chris Andrews, a member of the Andrews family, a Fianna Fail political dynasty famous for its anti Israel rhetoric and blatant advocacy on behalf of Muslim terror armies in Palestine, is now openly standing for election on behalf of the IRA's proxies Sinn Fein.Mr Andrews was hilariously unmasked recently using a fake identity to place criticisms on the internet of Fianna Fail political dynasties with a red herring thrown in criticising his own family to boot.Nor should we forget that Fine Gael and Labour when they succeeded Fianna Fail in government extended exponentially the public bailout of the IRA's aforementioned shell corporation Anglo Irish Bank.Nor should we forget that Fianna Fail Councillor Mark Dalton is a brother of Des Dalton the leader of an IRA splinter group styled Republican Sinn Fein. (Plot Spoiler re Republican Sinn Fein: The IRA was too moderate for them.)The wheel is rigged and it's the only game in town.Whoever we vote for, everything just keeps coming up Rah.And now we're about to allow Sinn Fein into government.They've already all but subverted everything that moves in our country, mind.But they never quite got their hands on parliament before.The abortionists and the coffee shop socialists have led us to this;These are dark days for Ireland.
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Monet rahapelien ystavat ovat viime vuosina loytaneet netticasinot ja olleet ihmeissaan. Verrattuna kotimaisen Veikkauksen kivijalkarahapeleihin puhutaan aivan eri tason palautusprosenteista ja lisaksi pelaaminen on aarimmaisen helppoa ja turvallista. Netticasinoiden maara on tana paivana todella suuri ja niita loytyy jokaiseen lahtoon, suurin ongelma aloittelevalla pelaajalla onkin tehda valinta siita, minka netticasinon valitsee. Kaikkien netticasinoiden mainospuheet naet lupaavat kauniita asioita ja niiden lapinakeminen on tietysti tarkeaa. Nyrkkisaantona voidaan kuitenkin jo kattelyssa todeta, etta jos valitsemasi netticasino on lisensoitu ETA-alueella, sen kanssa ei tule olemaan ongelmia, ellei niita itse jarjesta. Kay tutustumassa parhaisiin netticasinoihin osoitteessa www.ilmaiskierroksia.info!

Ensimmainen nyrkkisaanto on siis varmistaa, etta valitsemallasi netticasinolla on ETA-alueen lisenssi. Suurimmassa osassa tapauksista se on Maltan eli MGA:n lisenssi. Myos Viron, Englannin ja Gibraltarin lisensseja nakyy ja naissa valvonta on jopa Maltaa tiukempaa. Lopputulema on kuitenkin se, etta ETA-alueen lisenssi takaa suomalaisille verovapaat voitot seka sen, etta niita valvotaan kontrolloidusti. Maailmalla on iso nippu Curacaon lisenssilla toimivia netticasinoita ja niistakin suurin osa on laadukkaita. Ne eivat kuitenkaan ole suomalaisille asiakkaille verovapaita, joten emme suosittele niita.

Tana paivana markkinoille on ilmaantunut paljon ETA-alueella toimiva netticasinoita ilman rekisteroitymista. Jos tarkoitus on vain pelata yksittaisia pelikertoja, on varsin helppo suositella naita. Netticasinot ilman rekisteroitymista tarjoavat palvelun tunnistautumisen verkkopankin avainlukulistan avulla ja saman palvelun kautta tapahtuvat talletukset ja mahdolliset voittojen nostot silmanrapayksessa. Normaaleihin netticasinoihin pitaa asiakkaan rekisteroitya, tehda talletukset ja tunnistautua dokumenttien avulla. Tama on lisenssiehtojen mukainen kaytanto, eika kovinkaan monimutkainen, mutta silti monet asiakkaat haluavat yksinkertaista ja nopeaa palvelua. Toki normaalit netticasinot tarjoavat usein asiakkailleen laadukkaita talletusbonuksia ja erilaisia kampanjoita, joten kannattaa tarkkaan punnita, kumman ratkaisun valitsee. Kannattaa myos muistaa, etta tunnistautuminen tehdaan vain kerran, joten mikaan jatkuva riippakivi se ei ole.

Suomalaiset asiakkaat ovat netticasinoille tarkeita, joten kaikilla vahankin laadukkailla netticasinoilla on suomenkieliset sivut seka suomenkielinen asiakaspalvelu  suomenkielisyys kannattaakin ottaa netticasinoa valittaessa nyrkkisaannoksi. Vaikka tana paivana englanninkielisyys on harvoille ongelma, on suomenkielisten netticasinoiden maara niin valtava, etta suosittelemme niiden kayttoa. Rahansiirrot ovat tana paivana niin hyvassa mallissa, etta niiden kanssa tuskin tulee mitaan ongelmia. Kolme tarkeinta segmenttia: Suomalaiset verkkopankit, luottokortit (Visa, Mastercard) seka nettilompakot (Skrill, Neteller) loytyvat jokaisesta laadukkaasta netticasinosta. Viime vuosien trendiksi noussut verkkokauppa on kehittanyt rahansiirrot niin laadukkaiksi ja nopeiksi, etta niiden suhteen ei ole enaa vuosiin ollut ongelmia. Luonnollisesti netticasinot kayttavat naita samoja palveluita ja hyotyvat kehityksesta.

Naiden isojen linjojen jalkeen netticasinon valintaan vaikuttavat luonnollisesti tarjottavat tervetuliaisbonukset  uudet asiakkaat saavat tana paivana kovan kilpailun myota merkittavia etuja netticasinoilta ja niita kannattaa luonnollisesti vertailla. Erilaiset talletusbonukset, ilmaiskierrokset seka ilmaiset pelirahat tuovat suuriakin rahanarvoisia etuja ja niiden vertailu on ehdottomasti kannattavaa. Myoskaan useampien tilien avaaminen ja tervetuliaistarjousten kayttaminen ei missaan nimessa ole huono idea.

Kun edella mainitut asiat ovat mieleisia ja vaihtoehtoja on vielakin jaljella, mennaan jo nyansseihin. Toki pelivalikoima on yksi kriteeri, mutta taman paivan netticasinoissa tamakin asia on paasaantoisesti varsin samanlainen. Toki useamman samantasoisen netticasinon vertailussa kannattaa yleensa valita se, jossa on eniten peleja tarjolla. Vaikka omat suosikit loytyisivatkin useammasta, voi tulevaisuudessa mielenkiinto nousta joihinkin muihin peleihin ja silloin on tietysti mukavampaa, etta ne loytyvat valikoimista. Viimeisena voidaan nostaa esiin kaytettavyys  joidenkin netticasinoiden sivut ovat vilkkuvia, valkkyvia ja epakaytannollisia. Omaan silmaan ja kaytettavyyteen sopiva sivusto on luonnollisesti aina se paras valinta. Tarjonta netticasinoissa on tana paivana valtava ja jokaiselle loytyy varmasti se oma netticasino  onnea matkaan!
Pre-purchase property inspection is a relatively new thing in the United Kingdom. Its not something that most people have heard about, but it has become increasingly popular over the last few years with the rise in property prices and increased demand for high quality homes.

What are the benefits of pre-purchase building inspection? What can you expect to find out when you pay someone else to inspect your home before you buy it? And what should you look for during an inspection?

Many people want to know if theyre buying a house thats been well maintained or if its had any serious problems. If youve found a place on the market that seems attractive, but then discover some issues after moving in, you may not be as excited about buying it as you thought you were.

Its important to do your due diligence when looking at properties. A lot goes into making a property appealing to potential buyers, from the landscaping to the flooring to the kitchen appliances. The same applies when inspecting a property  there are many things that need checking over to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Here are some of the benefits of performing a pre-purchase inspection:

You get to see exactly what will happen to your money

When you go shopping for a new car, youll probably be shown several different models. You might even be shown one that looks like a great value, but doesnt fit around all of the extra features that you want. When it comes time to actually buy the vehicle, however, you wont have seen how your money will be spent on it once you drive it off the showroom floor.

Likewise, when you shop for a new home, you dont really know what youre getting yourself into until you move in. In order to get a feel for whether the home youre considering is what you want, you normally have to spend quite a bit of time inside it. This allows you to learn more about everything that youre going to be spending your hard-earned cash on.

A pre-purchase building inspection gives you much the same kind of experience without having to spend thousands of dollars. Since youre paying for the service, you can expect to see exactly what youre paying for, instead of just seeing a vague idea of what you might end up with.

You find out about potential major repairs

Some buildings are very expensive to maintain, which means that owners often neglect them for the sake of saving money. While youre paying for a building inspection, youre also paying for a professional who knows how to spot signs of trouble and repair work that needs doing.

If you notice that a particular area of your new home needs fixing right away, you can call in an expert to take care of it quickly. If you find that theres something wrong with your boiler, you wont have to wait weeks for a plumber to come over and fix it. Instead, youll have access to a solution immediately.

You can save hundreds of pounds by finding out about potential problems early on

One of the biggest expenses when you first buy a home is the cost of moving in. Many people dont realize this until its too late. Buying a home involves not only paying for the actual house, but also for moving costs, furniture, and other items that have to be moved along with the home.

Having a good idea ahead of time of what youre likely to encounter can help you avoid these kinds of costs. If you know youll need to replace the plumbing system, for example, youll be able to put together a budget for the expense and plan accordingly.

You can protect your investment by finding out if the homes been well cared for

While there are plenty of people who think that houses always look better when theyre newly built, youd be surprised at how well maintained older residences can still look nice. Sometimes, though, those homes need some additional maintenance to keep them looking their best.

This could involve repairs that arent so noticeable or small improvements that you wouldnt consider otherwise. Even worse, some houses have fallen into disrepair without anyone noticing. This is why having a professional perform a building inspection prior to purchasing a home is such a big benefit.

Not only will it give you insight into the state of the property, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing youre not getting taken advantage of. As long as youre aware of the potential pitfalls, youll have less reason to worry about the state of your new home.

You can use information gathered during a building inspection to negotiate a lower price

If youre worried about buying a home because you suspect that it may need extensive renovation work, you may already have a rough idea of how much work youll need to do to bring it up to scratch. That knowledge can come in handy if you decide to buy the home.

You can use all of the details that you gather during a building inspection to present a realistic picture of what the home is worth to prospective buyers. If a potential buyer thinks that the home is worth more than what you paid for it, you can try negotiating a lower price.

You can sell your home faster and for more money

If you decide to list your home on the market soon after buying it, youll need to price it accurately in order to attract buyers. But if youve already done a thorough building inspection, youll know exactly what work is needed and what the current market conditions are.

In other words, youll be able to make a more accurate estimate of the amount of money youve invested in the home and how much its worth. If you find that youre selling your house for close to its full market value, you can use this information to convince the potential buyer that your home is worth the asking price.

Even if youre planning to stay in the home for a while before you decide to sell, the fact that you did a thorough building inspection will give you more confidence when listing it. Prospective buyers will know exactly what theyre paying for.

Your home will hold its value longer

As mentioned earlier, the value of a home depends heavily upon the condition of the building itself. If your home is in bad shape, potential buyers wont be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if youve performed a thorough building inspection and know what sort of repairs are necessary, you can offer your prospective buyer a compelling reason to invest in your property.

When you buy a home, youre essentially agreeing to have it inspected periodically to ensure that it stays in top shape. Not only does this allow you to avoid expensive repairs down the road, but it can also increase the value of your home.

You can make smart decisions about property investments

Buying real estate isnt as simple as just driving a couple of minutes to pick up a house. There are lots of considerations involved, ranging from location to cost. The same is true when youre investing in property.

If you find a house that meets all of your requirements, youll want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of where it stands with regards to the rest of the market. If you havent spent enough time researching the area, you could inadvertently end up with a bad deal.

There are lots of resources available online that can help you determine the overall level of competition in your area. They can also help you figure out if there are any properties that meet your requirements that you didnt know about.

If you own rental property, you can use the information to identify tenants who might cause damage

If you own rental property and youve noticed that certain tenants consistently cause damage, you can use the results of a building inspection to identify them. You can then contact them directly to let them know that youre watching them closely and that you dont appreciate the problem theyre causing.

They might start taking better care of their homes, which would be good news for everyone. It could also be the case that youll find out that theyre responsible for previous damages that werent caught during a previous visit.

You can make smarter decisions about hiring contractors

If youve hired contractors to build or repair your home, you might want to ask them for references. However, unless you perform a thorough building inspection, you might not know exactly what to look for.

For instance, maybe you only checked the roof for leaks or the walls for cracks. You might not have looked underneath the foundation for anything that could cause a future issue. By performing a building inspection, you can ensure that you hire reputable contractors who will be trustworthy with your money.

You can avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition

Of course, the main benefit of structural inspections perth is that it helps you avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition. Before you make the decision to buy a home, you should do whatever you can to find out about the state of the building.

You can also ask your realtor about what sorts of inspections are typically recommended. Some agents say that its standard practice to check the heating system, the roof, the electrical wiring, and the floors. Others will tell you that they recommend that you check the entire structure.

Either way, if you choose to hire an inspector, youll find out exactly what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost to do so.

As a result, it can be concluded that a pre-purchase building inspection is highly important for the buyers because it provides transparency regarding the current conditions of the structure. Additionally, the building owner is made aware of any upgrades or repairs that are required, which could lead to a fair deal throughout the purchasing and selling process.
By AM Tuesday, February 23, 2016 Share Tweet Share Share Email

a Tyrone republican, is smiting bigots wherever he can find them.Across the water and further afield international events have usurped the number one spot from Arlene and the Bigots.George Osborne as Chancellor of the Exchequer, not only finding himself having to deal with a serial sexual deviant for a brother, never mind having to work with a Prime Minister who practised bestiality, and who was struck of the medical registrar for such activities, Georges brother that is not the Prime Minister, but has also had the much more embarrassing revelation to deal with that his family wallpaper business had not paid any corporation tax for the last seven years. To rub salt in the wounds of the taxed, according to reports, George received a dividend pay-out worth 1,230.Cameron stressed and anxious over his EU reforms for Britain might not succeed and in particular his proposals on migrants and welfare, due to Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and some other EU state, whowant his reforms revised before they will pass them, found solace and comfort in the knowledge that his old family profession of slavery is still alive and flourishing within the UK.Two people have been charged with slavery after a woman was found held against her will in Rochdale.Spies like us, GCHQ, has been given the green light to spy on whoever the hell they feel like and use whatever the hell means they wish to do so. Within the confines of the UK....for now!All to keep us safe from those such as Daesh, whose origins can be traced back to Britains antagonistic, unwelcome and uninvited foreign policies.Turkey and Saudi Arabia, realising that ISIS/Daesh are being hammered by the Russians and that their sponsored Caliphate is shrinking rapidly, and the faint possibility of Assad winning in Syria is now looking like a distinct possibility have thrown their hat in the ring by publicly announcing their propensity to invade Syria to help.....well help..mmmm...help those who.....to help those who are not Kurds, Syrian rebels, Assad supporters, Iranians, Hezbollah, Shia or anyone else who isnt Daesh. Which presumably would include America, Russia, Britain and France! But they will only invade with the full approval of America. Quite evidently a war without clarity!A recent negotiated ceasefire, the first of its kind in history that doesnt contain a clause where the protagonists dont have to stop using their weapons, agreed between Russia and America, who are not actually at war, has been given a slightly less than 50 % of success, by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Maybe the clause about being able to continue fighting should be re-evaluated as Im sure this would impact on the success rate!So, as the Syrian ceasefire hots up on the ground while those not at war negotiate peace we can rest in our beds knowing that GCHQ is playing solitaire on our PCs and not watching those Fenians who in turn are watching Willie Frazer.Fenians who are similar to Jihadist Muslims in Britain, in that they are easily identified simply by their presence. Thus making them one of the larger groupings or factions of dissident republicans.Fosters concern for victims rights and justice is only applicable to those of a British Unionist persuasion who suffered at the hands of Irish Republicans ... in Ireland!Make no mistake Mr Hamilton, British unionist lust for revenge and recrimination of Irish Nationalist/Republicans is insatiable and should not be viewed otherwise.The British through Villiers have now publicly stated their intention of never ever admitting their role here in countless murders - most likely due to the fact that they were involved. Conflict related murders or not.Just three of the 58 suspects arrested in connection with the mass sex attack on women in Cologne on New Years Eve were refugees thus underpinning the hysteria against immigrants.And dozens of angry church-goers in San Valentino Basilica in Terni in central Italy held hands to form a human barrier around the glass coffin containing the bones of St Valentine to block plans for their removal. Albeit a temporal removal to another basilica a few miles away, as part of a special Valentines Day celebration of the Vaticans Holy Year of Mercy.Dozens of parishioners rather than hundreds, not due to a fall in attendances at church services but more to do with a steep population decline in recent years due to economic circumstances, refused to allow his removal as the village had lost everything else and the possibility of losing St Valentine was too great to contemplate! As the local bishop, Monsignor Giuseppe Piemontese approached the Basilica, the villagers were heard to chant, Roses are red, Violets are blue, St Valentino is dead, one more step and so are you!No they didnt, like Foster and her call for a more robust watchdog on MLAs expenses I just made that up!
CAIRO  With a team of six HUD officials reporting to work in Cairo on Monday, The Alexander County Housing Authority became the 19th housing authority to be taken over by the federal government in the past 30 years.

It is one of five housing authorities, which are entities of local government, that the federal government currently has charge of, joining housing authorities in East St. Louis; Lafayette, Louisiana; Wellston, Missouri; and Gary, Indiana.

Paul Lambert, who has lived in the ACHAs Elmwood Place complex since 1978, said he hopes this rare decision by HUD leads to positive change for residents living in rundown apartments besieged by infestation and violent crime.

It cant be worse, he said. Something had to give. Ive seen problems come and go and problems and problems on top of problems. I could write a book on it.

Those problems, which include allegations of lavish spending to send former executives on junkets, fancy meals and benefits while residents went without, apparently reached a tipping point for federal officials.

Brian Sullivan, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said the agency loathes taking over local housing authorities, and only does so as a last resort. The takeover is related to HUDs determination that the Alexander County Housing Authority violated the contract under which it receives congressionally appropriated federal dollars administered by HUD, as well as other federal laws and obligations.

We only do it in the most extreme cases and only when its required to protect the health and safety of family who, like all of us, are looking for a decent place to call home, Sullivan told the newspaper in an interview Monday afternoon.

Takeover is immediate

HUD, in a news release published just after 10 a.m. on Monday, stated that the federal agency had immediately taken possession of the housing authority headquartered in Cairo that has nearly 500 housing units in its inventory. That means the five members of the ACHA board have been relieved of their duties, though no employee has been dismissed.

The release stated the action followed a years-long pattern of financial and operational mismanagement, poor housing conditions, and alleged civil rights violations against the households the housing authority was responsible for assisting.

In a letter addressed to Andy Clarke, the former ACHA board chairman, HUDs Lourdes Castro Ramirez, a deputy assistant secretary, outlined a variety of areas in which the federal government alleges the ACHA has failed to perform its duties to a reasonable standard. Clarke declined comment to The Southern Illinoisan.

Noting citations that date back to 2013, as well, Ramirez said the ACHA has failed to follow through on agreements to correct cited problems, including discriminatory practices against black residents and employees, and therefore also is in violation of its obligations under the Civil Rights Act.

The letter from Ramirez continues, HUD has determined that ACHA has substantially and materially violated its contract with the federal government. Further, ACHA has demonstrated that it is not capable of correcting these violations and ensuring that they do not recur. These serious and numerous violations pose an imminent threat to the life, health, and safety of the public housing residents in all of the ACHA public housing projects.

HUD team reports to Cairo

In the turnover, two HUD officials, Stephen Schneller of San Francisco, and Towanda Macon of Chicago, were named co-administrators, and also will make up a two-person board. The other four members rounding out the six-member HUD team, all with experience in various aspects of working with troubled housing agencies, are from San Antonio, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky; Kansas City; and Washington, D.C. They are temporarily lodging in Paducah, Kentucky.

The team reported to ACHAs headquarters at 9:15 a.m., accompanied by federal agents from HUDs Office of Inspector General for security purposes, as ACHA workers were not aware of their pending arrival, Schneller and Macon said in a phone interview with the newspaper on Monday. They said the transition was without incident, and followed by a meeting with employees.

Durbin representatives meet with Cairo residents, Ashmore working without pay CAIRO -- Shanice Hardamon pointed to the two bullet holes in her apartment door.

We met with the employees today, and notified them that, at this time, theres no changes to anyones terms and conditions of employment, Schneller said. No one has been dismissed. That includes Jason Ashmores position as executive director, they said, a role he has held for about a month without pay because his contract was never approved by the board. He still functions in that role but hes reporting to us, Macon said. Ashmore, who also is the mayor of Sesser, declined comment to the newspaper, saying he was not allowed to speak to the media per HUDs orders.

After the employee meeting, memos announcing the takeover were delivered door-to-door to residents. It also informed residents of a meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday for them to ask questions of the new HUD managers of their housing authority.

Macon said the team will be in Cairo for an undetermined amount of time  until we feel progress is being made  but the ultimate goal is to turn the agency back over to local control. The first step, she said, is for the team to gain a thorough understanding of the condition of units and the ACHAs financial picture. From there, issues needing attention will be prioritized, Schneller said. But as for specific details and timelines, Schneller noted Monday was their first day on the job.

Bost, Durbin respond

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, whose district includes the area, said his office was informed of the decision Monday morning. He said aides in his office as well as those from the offices of Sens. Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk have been in close contact with HUD since August, when The Southern Illinoisan published its first story on the topic titled Chaos in Cairo.

Bost credited the work of The Southern Illinoisan with bringing issues to light, in addition to the public outcry and organization of citizen activists in Cairo that followed, with pushing HUD toward the significant step the federal government took on Monday to seize governance of the ACHAs operations.

We have been talking with HUD on the issue ever since (The Southern Illinoisan) broke the story to try to figure out the best way to handle this, Bost said.

In a statement, Durbin said his office is committed to continuing to work with HUD, community officials and residents to see that swift changes are made to improve housing for the residents and that local control is restored as soon as possible.
On my list of favorite people from American history, the Populists rank near the top. Composed largely of farmers, especially in the South and Midwest, the Populists formed one of the greatest mass democratic movements in American history when they rose up to challenge the economic power structure of Gilded Age America. Building an interracial movement, the Populists sought to escape the vicious cycle of ever-increasing debt that was the crop-lien and sharecropping systems ensnaring millions of farmers, black and white.

So I take it personally when the term populist is misused and applied to self-aggrandizing billionaires and their followers. In popular usage, the term seems to mean little more than politicians attempts to tap into white working-class anger and xenophobia. In a recent New York magazine, Jonathan Chait wrote that Donald Trump is getting serious about populism, though the primary examples he cites are Trumps vague promise to replace Obamacare with something terrific and his comment that I dont get along well with the rich. Given that the list of people with whom Trump doesnt get along is lengthy indeed, such statements hardly seem evidence of a thoroughgoing challenge to the power elite.

Hanging the populist label on anyone associated with the modern GOP requires a willful ignorance of the political culture of the original Populists. In contrast to the current Republican philosophy of shrinking the role of government and decreasing taxes, the Populists called for a drastic increase in the size and scope of government to help farmers, workers and the unemployed, as well as public ownership of railroad, telegraph and telephone companies, and a graduated income tax.

The pseudo-populism offered by Trump stands in stark opposition to the ideology of the agrarian revolt of the late-nineteenth century. As farmers became more fully enmeshed in the developing international economy, they found integration into larger market networks drove crop prices down. In an era of spectacular economic growth, the irony was not lost on farmers that their desperate straits existed in the midst of economic abundance. Meanwhile, the dominant free-market theory offered no sympathy for debt-ridden farmers.

The warnings sounded by the Populists continue to resonate. In an era in which the growth of corporate power had come to dominate government and the courts the Populists viewed its fundamental impact as even more pernicious in that it established greed as the foundation of social relations. As Texas Populist Thomas Nugent said in 1892, The spirit of plutocratic capitalism is the dominating force in our organized social and industrial life.... It robs genius of its glory, makes of intellect a drudge and a slave, and utilizes the achievements of science to raid the stock markets and enlarge the margin of profits. Thus it wipes out as with a sponge the distinction between right and wrong, makes merchandise of the noblest ideals, sets gain before the world as the highest end of life, and converts men into predatory human animals.

The Populists project of building bridges to overcome the deep social divisions in Gilded Age America represents the antithesis of Trumps xenophobia. From their agrarian origins, farmers reached out to industrial workers and the unemployed, fellow victims, in their view, of the war between the classes. As they formed a third political party, they confronted the sectionalism and regional hold the two main political parties had on American politics.

In the South especially, this split involved even more basic social issues, as existing party politics intermingled at a fundamental level with the regions racial divisions. Populists in the South, then, confronted directly the ideology of white supremacy. As Georgia Populist Tom Watson said, regarding white and black farmers, Now the Peoples Party says to these two men,  You are deceived and blinded that you may not see how this race antagonism perpetuates a monetary system which beggars both.

The ultimate defeat of the Populists provides the context in which the term populism can be so widely appropriated and misunderstood. But the warnings of the original Populists continue to speak to us across time in our neo-Gilded Age. In the words of William Jennings Bryan, who bridged the gap between Populists and Democrats and stood as the 1896 presidential candidate for both parties, The poor man is called a socialist if he believes that the wealth of the rich should be divided among the poor, but the rich man is called a financier if he devises a plan by which the pittance of the poor can be converted to his use."
BAMBERGA group of nurses from across the country gathered in Bamberg on Monday to say Sen. Bernie Sanders is the presidential candidate who will fight against the forces that led to the closure of the local hospital.

People who live in areas with closed hospitals arent going to get where they need to be if they have a heart attack or stroke, said Amy Glass, a registered nurse from California.

People in these communities  its like their lives have been decided that theyre not worth anything, but we as nurses know that they are, Glass said.

The National Nurses Uniteds registered nurses visited the closed Bamberg County Memorial Hospital and other locations to share their stories and explain to voters why they support Sanders, a senator from Vermont. National Nurses United, with 185,000 members, was the first national union to endorse Sanders in August 2015.

The Democratic presidential primary is Saturday.

The National Nurses United Bernie Bus has been reaching out to voters at historically black college campuses, community gatherings, union halls and Walmart parking lots throughout South Carolina and Georgia within the last few weeks.

Martese Chisholm, a registered nurse of 23 years from Chicago, has been traveling on the Bernie Bus through South Carolina for a week, assessing various rural communities.

The different counties in South Carolina, including Bamberg County, were finding that the people are suffering. Theyre in need of healthcare and in poverty, Chisholm said.

A lot of them can barely make ends meet, she added.

During their visits, Chisholm says the nurses listen to the citizens concerns and inform the public about why they support Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders supports our values and the compassion. He met that requirement, Chisholm said.

She highlighted Sanders plan to increase minimum wage to $15 an hour.

That will stimulate the rural areas economy, Chisholm said. She also referred to Sanders Medicare for All plan.

She said it would bring funding needed to open Bamberg County Memorial Hospital back up.

Sanders plan to increase the minimum wage and his Medicare for All plan will also stimulate the economy, Chisholm said.

Chisholm said Sanders has also voted against trade agreements that have decimated communities.

People need to connect the dots between trade agreements and jobs leaving the rural area. It has hurt the rural areas, she said.

Sanders knows that he has to fight Wall Street, she said.

He knows that the only way that you can take on Wall Street, you have to have a movement  a political revolution, Chisholm said. The laws will not pass without a movement. Bernie has the movement behind him.

Glass said Sanders is the only candidate that is out there for the people  not just the 1 percent on Wall Street, but the actual people.

Glass says the nurses support Sanders so that they can make sure that everyone has healthcare.

We have a system, Medicare. It works. We just need to expand it. Bernie is the only candidate who wants to do that, she said.
In recent months, things have been a little tense in my household. Ive been getting pressure from several of the women in my family to get behind the candidate who could be our first woman president.

Although their sentiments were heartfelt, as assistant Democratic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the only Democrat in the South Carolina congressional delegation, my head told me that I owed it to the S.C. Democratic Party and my constituents not to do anything that might jeopardize our First in the South Democratic Primary status.

But my heart and my head have converged, and last Friday I made public my support for Hillary Clinton. I honestly believe Hillary will fight to protect and preserve the progress we have made under President Barack Obama.

In the early 1970s, my job in the office of Gov. John West took me to some of the most remote corners of South Carolina. I didnt know it at the time, but Hillary wasnt far away. She had just graduated law school, and instead of going to a big law firm, she worked with Marian Wright Edelman  a native of Bennettsville  and the Childrens Defense Fund, coming to South Carolina to investigate the conditions juvenile offenders faced while incarcerated in adult prisons.

Her efforts helped change the system, so young people who made mistakes would have a better chance for the second chance they deserved. She even went to Alabama to expose segregation in schools and started a legal aid program at the University of Arkansas.

Since then, much has changed. But not all those changes have been for the better. Today, in South Carolina, many of our students and teachers spend their days in dilapidated classrooms and using malfunctioning restrooms. Health disparities in communities of color are worse than ever. Many diseases  including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer and infant mortality  more severely impact minority communities and kill African-Americans at much higher rates than their white counterparts.

Our state is still scarred with too many pockets of poverty and the I-95 corridor is not our only Corridor of Shame. In rural areas, many poor and minority residents have been neglected for decades and are struggling against nearly impossible odds trying to pull themselves out of poverty.

Hillary agrees this is not right and has gone on for too long. Thats why her campaign has repeatedly shone a spotlight on cities like Flint, Michigan, and towns like Denmark, S.C.  places where African-Americans have faced neglect and indifference for generations. Last week, she went to Harlem, New York, and spoke out against the systemic racism that still exists in our society. She challenged white Americans to interrogate their own privilege and perspectives, in a way that Ive never heard a public figure do before.

She has matched her words with concrete plans, including a serious strategy for creating jobs in struggling communities. Her Breaking Every Barrier agenda will invest $125 billion in jobs, infrastructure and housing, specifically in places where people have been left out and left behind. Its a strategy modeled on my own 10-20-30 plan (direct at least 10 percent of investment to places where 20 percent or more of people have lived in poverty for more than 30 years). This formula was tested in the Recovery Act and it worked beautifully. In making higher education more affordable, she will not jeopardize the stability and viability of HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities).

Disparities in wealth, jobs, education, health care and access to justice cut across racial and ethnic lines in profound ways. We cant put all our faith and efforts in just one solution.

Hillary agrees we need to rein in the excesses of Wall Street, but she also understands that alone wont solve the problems of systemic racism. It wont fix deteriorating schools, or cure chronic disease, or reduce rampant gun violence. For those problems, we need different solutions. We need a presidential candidate who has been fighting to make progress against all these issues for her entire career.

Although the problems we face sometimes seem insurmountable, progress is still possible. Just look at the 18 million people who can afford to see a doctor, thanks to Obamacare. Look at the millions of Americans who have found new jobs since the Great Recession and the record- setting sales in the automobile industry, thanks to President Obamas policies. Hillary Clinton will build upon Obamas tremendous record of economic growth and progress.
Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office

The sheriffs office is seeking a Santee man in drunk driving and drug-related cases.

Bench warrants have been issued for Tirrell Myers of Ladd Street in Santee. Myers turned 32 on Sunday.

The warrants indicate Myers was tried and convicted in his absence of driving under the influence in July 2015 and also possession of marijuana in October 2015.

Anyone with information on Myers whereabouts is asked to call the sheriffs office at 803-534-3550 or Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

In other reports:

Someone burglarized the Quick Pantry convenience store on Five Chop Road on Feb. 17. An estimated $10,000 was stolen.

An Orangeburg woman claims a mechanic has been driving her Nissan for the past year.

The woman said she purchased the vehicle in May 2015. When the vehicle began to give her problems, she gave it to the mechanic to repair.

The woman said the mechanic has been telling her that he was still working on the car and that it needs additional parts, according to an incident report.

An Orangeburg man Friday said three pick-up trucks, two pieces of farm equipment and a disk harrow were stolen from a Lean Lane property in Norway.

The vehicles and equipment were valued at $21,000.

A Cordova man reported someone stole several items from his Carver School Road residence.

Items stolen included a .357-caliber Taurus pistol, Dewalt tool set, 50 Nintendo Wii games and original Nintendo and Sega systems.

The items were valued at $4,119.

Orangeburg

Department

of Public Safety

Police say a 17-year-old threatened a juvenile with a BB gun Saturday after the juvenile mocked the teens girlfriend.

The 17-year-old has been charged with second-degree assault.

The two confronted one another at the Dogwood Crossing around 4 p.m. Saturday when the teen held up the BB gun to the boys head and said, I will kill you, an incident report says.

The teen reportedly ditched the gun at a Hampton Chase Apartment playground without any further incident.

The juvenile told law enforcement he thought the gun was real and he was very afraid and did not know what to do, the incident report states.

In a separate incident, a Rowe Street womans storage shed caught on fire early Monday morning.

When fire procedures were being performed, officials noticed an extension cord running from the main residence to the storage shed but the cord was not connected to either the residence or the shed.

The fire appeared to have started at a mattress.

Officials say the fire appeared to be suspicious. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The shed was valued at $3,200.
HOLLY HILL  I cried on her shoulder, Maria Hamilton said.

Hamilton said she told Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton about the difficulty she faced getting answers from local and state government and the demonizing of her late son, Dontre Hamilton.

Her son was 31 when he was shot and killed by a Milwaukee police officer on April 30, 2014, at a park.

Hamilton said the U.S. Department of Justice sat on the case for 10 months before they took a look at it.

I told Hillary I was losing my mind and I wanted to go forward, she said

Hamilton told the crowd of about 30 community members who met in the educational building at Lovely Hill Baptist Church that it took 22 months and a conversation with Clinton  who then spoke with U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch  to get the answers her family was seeking.

They werent the answers we wanted to hear, but Hamilton said if it wasnt for Clintons compassion and concern, the answers wouldnt have arrived when they did.

Hamilton and four other mothers whose children died as a result of gun violence or at the hands of police spoke Monday about their support for Clinton during the Holly Hill event.

They came to Holly Hill in advance of the states Democratic presidential primary, which will be held on Saturday, Feb. 27.

Along with Hamilton were:

Lucy McBath, mother of Jordan Davis, who was 17 when a man fired 10 times at a vehicle full of teenagers playing loud music. Davis was in the backseat and was fatally shot.

Geneva Reed-Veal, mother of Sandra Bland. The 28-year-old Bland was discovered hanged in a jail cell three days after a traffic stop near Houston. She was found dead on July 13, 2015.

Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, 43, who was placed in a chokehold by New York City police officers on July 17, 2014. Garner told police multiple times, I cant breathe. I cant breathe.

Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old who was shot to death by a neighborhood watch volunteer on Feb. 26, 2012.

Each of the mothers explained to those in attendance why they support Clinton as the next president. They say Clinton, a former senator and secretary of state, will tighten gun laws and revamp the criminal justice system once shes elected.

The five mothers met privately with Clinton in Chicago several weeks ago.

She told us she was implementing policies and procedures that were all of our concerns. She asked for our opinions and thoughts, Hamilton said.

And our concerns are implemented in her policy, she added.

McBath, a self-described longtime, avid Clinton supporter, said that the candidates call for reforming the criminal justice system is a top priority.

In our minority communities, criminal justice isnt always just, McBath said.

McBath said the countrys relaxed and very loose gun laws are addressed in Clintons gun violence prevention platform.

Shes going toe-to-toe with the NRA (National Rifle Association) lobby, McBath said.

And shes going to expand on measures President Obamas put in place, she added.

McBath said shes in favor of Clintons proposals to hold gun manufacturers and gun dealers accountable; require background checks on gun buyers and keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, to name a few points.

She does care about whats happening in this country as far as gun culture, criminal justice reform and she does care about making sure our communities are safe, she said.

Reed-Veal said when she met Clinton, She immediately just walked up and she held my hand and she said, you know, What is it that you want? What do you want to see happen here?

Reed-Veal said she told Clinton that the U.S. Department of Justice needed reform.

She explained to Clinton that she hadnt been getting answers about her daughters jail death, which still remains a mystery.

Reed-Veal called Clinton genuine, saying she listened and followed through for us. You cant fake that.

As for what Clinton will do for the criminal justice system once elected president, Reed-Veal said, Its going to be a massive overhaul. I just feel it. I just know its going to happen. Theres going to be a massive overhaul of the criminal justice system.

Carr said Clinton reached out to her, rather than her pursuing Clinton.

She has a lot shes pushing to get done for African Americans, and we need it. And gun reform, Im with that, Carr said.

Like Carr, Fulton said it was Clinton who reached out and listened.

Not only does she care about the victims of senseless gun violence, but she cares about women, she cares about African Americans. She cares, Fulton said.

Fulton said Clinton was the first presidential candidate who mentioned Black Lives Matter, the movement that rose in the wake of Trayvon Martins death.

The five mothers will continue their campaign for Clinton throughout South Carolina.
Musings of an unabashed liberal about how the current administration of the US government is performing.
Rambling Thoughts about the World of Music.
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
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Ukraine and Azerbaijan will bolster the cooperation in agricultural industrial,

quoted PressORG. "We are starting the Ukrainian-Azerbaijani consultations at expert level to boost cooperation in the agricultural sector. In the nearest future we will define the structure of our delegation in Azerbaijan," said Ukrainian Deputy Minister for European Integration Vladislava Rutitskaya. Perspective directions of Ukrainian-Azerbaijani cooperation include sub-sectors of the food industry including confectionery, alcohol, oil, milk, meat and tobacco as well as the expansion of cooperation in the processing industry. The Azerbaijani side proposes the creation of a joint logistics center for mutual supplies of products. The domestic companies are expected to deliver of fruits from Azerbaijan to Ukraine, provide their storage and distribution throughout Ukraine, she said.
Azerbaijani Ganjabank JSCB has been declared bankrupt by the decision of the Baku Administrative Economic Court No.1 from February 15, 2016, said the message released by the liquidator Feb. 23.

In accordance with the decision of the court, Azerbaijan International Consulting Company has been appointed the liquidator of the bank.

The bank's creditors have to submit their claims within 60 days to the Gandjabanks liquidator.

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) revoked the license of Ganjabank JSCB Jan. 22, 2016.

This decision was made because the total capital of the bank didnt correspond to the CBAs minimum requirement of 50 million manats.

The bank also couldnt fulfill its obligations to creditors.

Ganjabank JSCB has been operating in Azerbaijan since 1994.

/By Trend/
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has been interviewed by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

- What is the purpose of Your visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran and what programs you have to expand relations with Iran?

- My official visit to Iran will be paid at the invitation of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr. Hassan Rouhani. I want to note that I met with the president of Iran four times in the past. Both during my official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran in April 2014 and during the official visit of Mr. Rouhani to Azerbaijan in November of the same year, we conducted a sincere debate on all aspects of bilateral relations between our two countries and signed a number of documents contributing to the development of relations in political, economic, humanitarian and other spheres.

Within the framework of this visit, we will also hold discussions related to the events occurring in the region and the world, examine a wide range of bilateral political, economic, social and cultural relations, and sign a number of documents. I am sure that this visit will create a solid foundation to develop and achieve a qualitatively new level of relations between the friendly and the neighboring Iran and Azerbaijan.

- Iran and Azerbaijan cooperate closely in the economic sphere. However, despite the long borders, the fact that we have a lot in common and a good economic potential between the two countries, the trade is not particularly high. What programs do you have to enhance trade?

- After Azerbaijan regained its state independence, the relations between our countries in all areas, including trade and economy, have been on the rise. At the same time, the existing trade is significantly lower than the existing potential. Of course, measures will be taken to overcome this situation in trade relations and further develop bilateral cooperation.

Azerbaijan has further accelerated wide-ranging economic reforms to reduce the impact of negative trends observed in the global economy and maintain the dynamic development trend. At the moment, we are working on large-scale investment programs and privatization, improving the business environment for both local and foreign businessmen. We believe that this will usher new opportunities for Iranian business people in Azerbaijan. At the same time, the joint state commission on cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran in economic, trade and humanitarian spheres is working hard. It has made a number of new proposals that are currently being examined.

In recent years, Azerbaijan and Iran have become very important partners of the North-South transport corridor. Having taken the necessary measures to expand the transit opportunities of our republic, we have reorganized our transport infrastructure in line with the latest standards. We are confident that the commissioning of the railway between the Iranian and Azerbaijani Astara will significantly revitalize the North-South transport corridor. In general, transport and communication corridors are of great economic and geopolitical importance for all participating countries, including us. These corridors, on the one hand, will substantially increase the share of our countries in international freight traffic and, on the other, strengthen our bilateral cooperation in the economic sphere.

- Given the attempts of Takfiri (extremist Sunni groups  as described by Iranian officials) groups to expand terrorism in the region, how would you assess the cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the fight against this ominous phenomenon?

- At present, terrorism is one of the most serious problems posing a threat to the system of civilized international relations, regional security and stability of countries. The expanding geography of international terrorism is and should be a major concern for all countries of the world, including our region and every country separately. As a result of wars and local armed incidents in Africa, the former Soviet Union and the Middle East, millions of people were driven away from their homes. National economic systems have actually collapsed. Humanitarian disasters have become a bitter reality of the day.

I should note that Azerbaijan, which regained its state independence in the early 1990s, was subjected to the aggressive policy of neighboring Armenia, the ensuing humanitarian disaster and a wave of Armenian terror. Armenian terrorist organizations have committed over 300 terrorist acts in Azerbaijan, destroyed our cities and villages in Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories. As a result, thousands of our citizens have been killed, wounded and went missing. Occupation, religious and ethnic discrimination, and terror have been part of Armenias state policy. Unfortunately, it is still the case today. Therefore, we can identify with the countries and people faced with terror.

Azerbaijan supports tangible initiatives and measures to combat international terrorism. Both within the framework of international organizations and in bilateral relations, we attach great importance to cooperation in the sphere of security, because any country can overcome the difficulties and develop only in the conditions of stability, security and peace. The example of Azerbaijan clearly confirms this. Together with Iran and other states, Azerbaijan is ready to continue making its contribution to fighting international terrorism.

- How would you assess the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict? Do you intend to use the opportunities of Islamic countries and countries in the region for the settlement of the conflict?

- In the early 1990s, in the aftermath of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, 20 percent of our countrys internationally recognized territory was occupied, our people were subjected to a policy of ethnic cleansing, and more than a million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs. All our economic and social infrastructure on the occupied lands, as well as cultural monuments, including mosques, were destroyed. Armenia has failed to fulfill the decisions and resolutions of leading organizations of the world led by the United Nations, which demand liberation of the occupied lands.

Unfortunately, the world community has yet to apply a tangible mechanism to Armenia to achieve a settlement of the problem within the norms and principles of international law. The activities of the OSCE Minsk Group, which was established to resolve the conflict, remain inconclusive to this day. We can say with confidence that the occupation, which has been ongoing for more than 20 years, is largely due to double standards currently observed in the world.

Facts prove that the international community demonstrates a selective approach to similar events taking place in certain parts of the world. In some cases, the fact of occupation gets not only a harsh response. In fact, major mechanisms of action are put in place and applied in the shortest time to solve a problem. Unfortunately, there is a passive approach to parties of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict  the occupier and the victim of occupation are treated in the same way. This injustice also stems from a different approach  the religious discrimination of Azerbaijan due to the fact that we are a Muslim state. We cant comprehend such outright contempt for international law and such a frank attempt to justify aggression.

I would like to note that Muslim countries, including Iran, have always supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in international organizations and in a bilateral format. We express our appreciation to the Islamic Republic of Iran for that and regard this as a manifestation of fraternal and friendly relations between our countries, as well as Irans attitude to international law.

The numerous decisions and resolutions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have condemned the aggressive policy of Armenia and stated a demand to end the occupation. We support and appreciate all the efforts, as well as the proposals and initiatives of Muslim countries and the countries of the region, aimed at a fair settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the norms and principles of international law. We believe that we will see even greater support for the fair resolution of the conflict.

- There are rumors that Muslims, especially Shiites, are faced with restrictions in the exercise of their religious activities in the Republic of Azerbaijan. What can you say about this?

- As you noted, such information can only be a rumor. Azerbaijan has historically never experienced discrimination on religious and ethnic grounds. Representatives of different nationalities, religions and religious movements have always lived in peace, tranquility and mutual understanding. The Constitution and existing laws of the country fully guarantee the freedom of conscience and religion, and do not hinder believers in their everyday activities.

During the Soviet period, there were only 17 mosques in Azerbaijan. In the years of independence, the number of religious temples and mosques has significantly increased. Currently, there are more than 2,000 mosques in Baku and other cities. The biggest mosque of the country, the Heydar Mosque, was built by my order with public funds and was handed over to the believers.

Azerbaijan shows great attention and allocates funds for the promotion of Islamic culture all over the world. As an example, we can cite campaigns and exhibitions our country has held in Europe and other regions of the world. Azerbaijan adheres to the most civilized norms of ethnic and religious coexistence. There is a tolerant environment. The relations between the state and religious relation in the country are perceived as exemplary around the world. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has always appreciated the status of Islamic religion, inter-religious and inter-confessional relations in Azerbaijan.

At a time when several countries are faced with contradictions between Sunnis and Shiites, Shiites and Sunnis prayed together at Heydar Mosque in Baku in January this year.

In the current period of growing Islamophobia in the world, we have contributed to the strengthening of solidarity and unity among Muslim countries. Mutual understanding, confidence building, the rule of common interests, the joint fight against Islamophobia and other negative trends should serve as a foundation of Islamic solidarity. Azerbaijan intends to continue to pursue its efforts in this area.

/By Trend/
Georgias Minister of Energy Kakha Kaladze will visit Azerbaijan on Feb. 29, the Georgian news agency IPN reported Feb. 22.

As Kaladze said, he would hold meetings with SOCAR officials, as well as the Shah Deniz consortium leadership, according to the report.

I have been actively working in order to attract additional [gas] volumes from Shah Deniz. Our mood is very optimistic and we suppose we will achieve some kind of agreement, he said.

Then we will decide how to end negotiations with Gazprom, added Kaladze.

As for a meeting held several days ago in Vienna with Gazprom officials, Kaladze said no particular agreement was reached.

/By Trend/
Azerbaijan`s Embassy in Kuala-Lumpur has organized a commemorative event on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the Khojaly Genocide at the University Putra Malaysia. The event brought together teaching staff and students of the university, as well as Azerbaijani students studying in the country.

The event started with a minute of silence for Khojaly Genocide victims.

The Embassy employees provided information on the aggressive policy of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, occupied Azerbaijani territories and Khojaly Genocide.

Visitors were presented with books and journals in English and Malay languages on the Khojaly Genocide and Armenia`s aggression against Azerbaijan.

The event participants also watched a documentary on the Khojaly Genocide.

/By Azertac/
/By Azernews/

By Nazrin Gadimova

Armenian lobby exerts strong pressure upon the co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Former Turkish Ambassador to Russia, Halil Ak?nc? made remarks in his interview to the dailykarabakh.com website. Ak?nc? stressed that Russia should make a sincere support to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

The OSCE Minsk Group has been criticized by Azerbaijan repeatedly. Established in 1992 for the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the organization failed to solve this long-lasting issue. Thus, Armenia controls over Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions for over 24 years, using the resources of these rich lands.

The efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group on resolving the problem were ineffective from the very first day, Ak?nc? believes. Participation of such regional powers as Russia and Turkey is needed to resolve the problem.

At the same time, serious support of Iran is needed to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, the diplomat noted.

Ak?nc? stressed that Turkey provides necessary assistance to resolve the problem.

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict evolved in 1988 after Armenia territorial claims to neighboring Azerbaijan, whose 20 percent of lands it occupied in an unneighborly way.

The OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, proceeding talks based on the renewed Madrid principles. The statements promising a sincere contribution to the peaceful resolution of the conflict have become frequent, but declarative in essence. That, unfortunately, ruined confidence in success of the mediators representing the U.S., Russia and France.
President of the Rep ublic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has completed his official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran.





A guard of honor was lined up for the Azerbaijani President at the Mehrabad Airport in Tehran .





President Ilham Aliyev was seen of by high-ranking state and government officials of Iran .





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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held talks in Tehran Feb. 23 in an expanded format with participation of delegations.





The expanded meeting took place following a one-on-one meeting on the same day.





During the meeting, Rouhani said the official visit of Azerbaijani president to Iran is very significant and will make an important contribution to further development of cooperation between the two countries.





Today, cooperation develops rapidly and covers all areas, he said.





Iranian president also stressed that the documents to be signed during the Azerbaijani presidents visit to Tehran will contribute to the development of relations.





He went on to praise the work of the Azerbaijan-Iran state commission on economic, trade and humanitarian cooperation.





Rouhani added that the current development of relations between Iran and Azerbaijan is based on friendship and historical closeness of the two countries and their peoples.





He added that the relations have already reached the level of strategic partnership and further promotion of relations in all spheres is an important task.





Stressing that Iran is committed to the principle of territorial integrity of states, President Rouhani said his country recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan , adding that it is unacceptable to interfere in the internal affairs of states in international relations.





Iranian president also highlighted the importance of cooperation between the two countries in the area of security.





In turn, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said the relations between the two countries have a long history and are built on a solid base. He also congratulated the Iranian president and the people of Iran with the lifting of sanctions.





Saying the positions of Azerbaijan and Iran coincide on many issues, President Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan and Iran are a model of stability, despite the tensions in the region.





Azerbaijani president also noted the importance of fair approach, stability and security in international and interstate relations, and stressed the importance of cooperation in the fight against terrorism.





During the meeting, the parties also stressed the need to step up efforts to develop cooperation in the economic area, including energy, investment and banking sectors, commercial and transport sectors, transportation, infrastructure, culture and others.





It was also stressed that the Caspian Sea is a sea of friendship and cooperation.





The sides also discussed possibilities for Azerbaijan and Iran to cooperate together with other countries.





At the meeting, the parties also expressed concern over the increase of Islamophobic tendencies and also held discussions on prevention of such cases.





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President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Sayyed Ali Khamenei.





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An official dinner reception was hosted by President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani in honor of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev Feb. 23.





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Following a ceremony of signing documents, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani have made statements for the press.





/By Trend/





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17:58





After the expanded meeting, a ceremony of signing the documents has been held with the participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani.





Azerbaijan`s Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov and Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif signed The Agreement on cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in eliminating, limiting and reducing the impact of consequences of emergency situations.





Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan Aydin Aliyev and Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Masoud Karbasian signed The agreement on mutual administrative assistance in customs issues between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.





Azerbaijan`s Minister of Agriculture Heydar Asadov and Iranian Minister of Agriculture Mahmoud Hojjati signed The Agreement on cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of veterinary and animal healthcare.





Azerbaijan`s Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev and Iran'sMinister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi signed The Framework Agreement on the sale of electric power between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.





Azerbaijan`s Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev and Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi signed The Framework Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the coordination of railways of Azerbaijan and Iran.





Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CSC Javid Gurbanov Iran`s Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and President of Iranian Railways Mohsen Pour Seyed Aghaei signed The Agreement between Azerbaijan Railways CSC and the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways on construction of a railway bridge over the Astara river on Azerbaijan-Iran state border.





Azerbaijan`s Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov and Iran's Vice-President for Women and Family Affairs Shahindokht Molaverdi signed The Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the State Committee for Family, Women andChildren Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.





Azerbaijan`s Minister of Health Ogtay Shiraliyev and Iran`s Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education Seyed Hassan Hashemi signed The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran on cooperation in the field of healthcare and medical science.





Azerbaijan`s Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev and Iranian Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare Ali Rabiei signed The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare of the Islamic Republic of Iran.





President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic Rovnag Abdullayev and Managing Director of National Iranian Oil Company Roknoddin Javadi signed The Memorandum of Understanding between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic and National Iranian Oil Company.





President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic Rovnag Abdullayev and President of Iranian Ghadir Investment Company Soleimany Amiri signed The Memorandum of Understanding between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic and Ghadir Investment Company.





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17:30





Following their private talk, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani have held an expanded meeting.





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17:27





Following the official welcoming ceremony, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani have held a one-on-one meeting.





/By Azertac/





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15:32





Iranian and Azerbaijani officials signed 11 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on the sidelines of a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in Tehran Feb. 23, Trend's correspondent in Tehran reported.





The two sides signed documents for cooperation in various sectors, including transportation, electricity swap, health and medical sciences, oil, gas, and petrochemical, as well as customs, social and women affairs in Tehrans Saadabad Palace.





Heading a high-ranking delegation, Azerbaijani president arrived in Tehran today at the invitation of President Rouhani.





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13:13





An official welcoming ceremony was held in Tehran Feb. 23 for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.





Accompanied by cavalry, President Aliyev arrived to the Saadabad Palace .





A guard of honor was lined up for Azerbaijani president on the square, in front of the Saadabad Palace decorated with the national flags of Azerbaijan and Iran .





President of Iran Hassan Rouhani welcomed Ilham Aliyev.





Then, the national anthems of the two countries were played out.





The head of the guard of honor reported to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Then the presidents passed by the guard of honor and later posed for photographs.





Iranian state and government representatives were introduced to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and the Azerbaijani delegation members were introduced to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.





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12:21





President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived in Iran on an official visit Feb. 23.





A guard of honor was lined up for President Aliyev at Iran s Mehrabad airport decorated with the national flags of Azerbaijan and Iran .




Syrian President Bashar Assad issued a decree on Monday calling for legislative elections in the Arab republic to be held on April 13 this year, according to Sputnik.

President Assad issued Decree No.63 deciding Wednesday, 04.13.2016 as the date for the election of members to the Peoples Council, the decree published on the Syrian Presidency social media accounts stated.

The announcement comes minutes after Russia and the United States reached an agreement on a ceasefire between Syrian government and rebel forces effective 22:00 GMT February 26.

/By Trend/
Normalization of relations between Russia and Turkey depends on Moscow, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

He said that Turkey earlier attempted to normalize the relations with Russia, but the latter rejected it.

We, as before, stand for normalizing the relations with Russia. Meanwhile, Ankara intends to protect its airspace, said Davutoglu.

The relations between Russia and Turkey have deteriorated following the SU-24 incident. Following this, Russian president signed a decree on measures to ensure the national security and special economic measures against Turkey.

/By Trend/
War and Peace

This is a forum for the discussion of Russian literary, musical and cinematic themes. The title is drawn from Tolstoy's epic novel of Napoleon's March on Moscow, but the topics draw from a broader cultural spectrum. Feel free to join in any one of the discussion topics.


Bahraini authorities will discuss with the US Treasury the problem of international banks becoming reluctant to deal with banks in Bahrain and the Gulf because of tight US regulation, Bahrain's central bank governor said on Tuesday.



"Many international banks have curtailed their correspondent services with regional and local banks. Some of the banks have refrained from dealing with exchange houses," Rasheed Mohammed Al-Maraj told a business conference.



"This has affected a wide sector of the population, especially the expatriates."



Al-Maraj said officials in Bahrain, one of the Gulf's financial centres, had met US Treasury officials last November and planned another meeting on the issue in April.



US regulations, part of a tougher regime introduced since the financial crisis, include scrutiny of potential tax avoidance and anti-money laundering rules.



These have imposed extra costs on US banks, prompting many to reduce the number of foreign institutions with which they do business, and making international banks operating in the US more wary of ties with the Gulf.



UAE central bank governor Mubarak Rashid Al-Mansouri complained of the problem in December, saying it had become harder for UAE banks to obtain dollar clearance services - the processing of transactions in the US currency.



Al Maraj said Bahrain was engaging with US authorities including the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, as well as with international banks, to convince them that the compliance standards of Bahraini and Gulf banks were in line with global practices.



"We are hoping they will give us some flexibility ..." he said. "This is a serious issue for us." - Reuters
During periods of recession, companies face two options: they could either retrench in order to try and save their way out of the recession or invest their way out of a recession. Which one should they choose and why? An expert explores.



Companies should choose the latter by investing in their intangible resources in the form of innovation capability and stakeholder relations, advises Dr Ioannis Ioannou, assistant professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy at London Business School, based on his research with C Flammer of Ivey Business School.



During the Great Recession, companies in the US significantly reduced their workforce and capital expenditures. Yet, and this is the remarkable finding, they maintained the same level of investments in R&D and CSR, said Dr Ioannou, as he addressed alumni at an event at London Business Schools Dubai Centre.



This result is a non-barking dog: the interesting finding is not so much what companies did, but rather what they did not do: they did not cut back on R&D and CSR investments, despite the cost-cutting pressures and other disruptions that are inherent in periods of recession.



Therefore, by maintaining their investments in intangible resources during turbulent times, companies can become more adaptable to shifting stakeholder demands and expectations that are brought about by the crisis, and they can fall back on their organisational resilience to buffer the adverse conditions that are prevalent during recessionary times, said Dr Ioannou.



Efficiency and innovation, adaptability, and organisational resilience, are the underlying processes that are reinforced by maintaining strategic investments in intangibles and hence allow organisations to invest their way out of a downturn. For example, investments in stakeholder relations enable companies to obtain timely, relevant and accurate information thus, they are more likely to take better informed decisions, and tackle the pervasive uncertainty during the crisis. When it comes to innovation capability, finding novel ways to do more with less and to maintain or even increase firm value without unnecessarily risking firm survival is vital," Dr Ioannou explains.



If you explore how companies fared after the recession in terms of their return on assets or their net profit margins, you find that the ones that did not reduce R&D (i.e. innovation capability) and did not reduce CSR (i.e. stakeholder relations) investments, did significantly better in the recovery period, said Dr Ioannou. You cannot just have CSR activities in good times and then forget about them in the bad times and hope to get any results.



Speaking about the current situation in the UAE and how companies here can benefit from these insights, he said: Interestingly, the current situation in the region, because of the oil prices, does resemble in some ways the situation of a major economic crisis. I believe that saving, retrenching and becoming more conservative in terms of investments do not appear to be the way forward, in fact, quite the reverse.



This is particularly important for industries in which innovation capability and stakeholder relations are key drivers for firms' competitive advantage. Such industries should not cut their investment in those intangible resources. It is sometimes easy to make the argument that these are the soft issues - and therefore the first thing to go during a crisis is the company's CSR program. However, as our research suggests, that is not the how a company will do better after the recession.



Our overarching argument is that firms investments in strategic resources need to balance the development of sustainable competitive advantage in the long term with the adaptation to short-term business disturbances, said Dr Ioannou.



So my suggestion is that in the UAE, these three underlying processes - efficiency and innovation, adaptation and organisational resilience  should be the focus of policies and potential regulations when attempting to help the business environment or the business community to overcome any crisis or a major economic adjustment.  TradeArabia News Service
This was sent to me from my mom yesterday. I don't know who wrote it, but it's worth reading. If you Google this, you will see a...
CHEYENNE  The Wyoming Legislature appears to be entering the debate over genetically modified food, with a resolution that calls for allowing companies to choose whether to label their food as genetically altered.

Senate Joint Resolution 4 asks Congress to enact consistent and standard labeling rules on genetically engineered food that companies can voluntarily follow if they want to notify consumers that their food contains or does not contain genetically modified organisms.

The resolution is non-binding, meaning it contains no punishment if Congress chooses to ignore Wyoming.

A similar resolution in the House failed introduction on the second day of the Legislature, Feb. 8. It was sponsored by the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee.

Genetically modified seeds are engineered in laboratories to have certain traits, such as resistance to herbicides, according to the Associated Press. The food industry states about 75 to 80 percent of foods contain genetically modified ingredients.

While the FDA says they are safe, advocates for labeling say not enough is known about their risks, the AP reports. Congress is discussing a bill preventing states from enacting separate labeling standards. Vermont is expected to require such labeling this summer.

In Wyoming, the state Senate advanced the bill Monday without discussion. That indicates the proposal is not controversial, as bills with strong opposition tend to be debated. It faces one more round of voting in the Senate before heading to the House.

On Thursday, bill sponsor Sen. Fred Emerich, R-Cheyenne, explained the measure during the first round of voting.

Theres genetic engineering, theres genetically modified organisms, theres laboratory-enhanced, you can think of all sorts of names, he said. This is just the mechanical methodology of doing what Gregor Mendel discovered in the (1800s) with genetics.

Emerich said if local and state labeling laws change, there will be a patchwork of rules that will be expensive to food manufacturing, labeling and distribution companies. They will have to pass the costs of the regulation to the consumer.

That will result in higher prices for everyone, he said.

The resolution states the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the American Medical Association, Health Canada and others have concluded foods with genetically altered ingredients are just as safe to grow and consume as non-genetically engineered foods.

Throughout the country, a number of citizen ballot measures requiring labeling have recently been defeated, said JT Stepleton of the National Institute on Money in State Politics, which tracks campaign contribution data.

Stepleton found the food industry spent $113.7 million campaigning against the measures in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and California. Supporters of the measures only spent $24.4 million.

In Wyoming, Stepleton didnt find any contributions to sitting legislators from the food industry, which includes companies such as Monsanto, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, with one exception: Monsanto gave $250 to Sen. Eli Bebout, R-Riverton, in his bid for governor in 2002.

This isnt surprising to me because I dont think these companies view the Wyoming Legislature as a threat to their interests, he said. Plus, a few of these senators didnt even have general election opponents in their last election, (for example) Sen. Geis in 2012.

Sen. Gerald Geis, R-Worland, is a co-sponsor of the resolution.

But Stepleton found the industry has contributed to Wyomings all-Republican congressional delegation: $9,215 to Sen. John Barrasso, $9,000 to Sen. Mike Enzi and $2,500 to Rep. Cynthia Lummis.

The food industrys desires, combined with urging of the Wyoming Legislature if the resolution passes, may cause Congress to act, as SJ4 is effectively sending a message to Congress to deal with this issue, he said.
beloved wife, sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, died February 18, 2016. She resided in Tucson, AZ, and Little Point Sable, Shelby, MI. She was preceded in death by husband, Gideon; sister, Ann Manger and her parents, Leland and Ruth Edwards. She is survived by daughter, Ann Byl (Larry) of Shelby, MI; sons, Jim Davenport (Becky) of Tucson, Tom Davenport (Marcia) of Denver, and Paul Davenport (Patricia Sallen) of Phoenix; 11 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Mary was born November 6, 1922, in Passaic, N.J., and raised in Montclair, N.J. where she met Gideon Davenport in tenth grade at Montclair High School. They began their 61-year marriage when they wed March 9, 1943 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, while Gideon trained there in the Army during World War II. Mary worked in a radio factory during part of the war while Gideon served overseas in the South Pacific. Mary attended the University of North Carolina before the war and Cornell University after the war. They lived in Upper Montclair and Bridgewater, N.J., while raising their family. She and Gideon moved to Tucson upon Gideon's retirement from Rutgers University in 1984. They moved in 2003 to the Forum at Tucson, where Mary made many friends. Mary and sister, Ann were avid birders and she and Gideon enjoyed hiking, canoeing and taking their children on camping and sightseeing trips. They summered at Little Point Sable where they provided a beautiful and relaxing setting for visits and gatherings that fostered family ties that will last for generations. They belonged to hiking groups in Arizona and New Jersey, and Mary's volunteer work included the Girl Scouts and Tucson Food Bank. They belonged to St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Tucson and Mary was active in the church's Mental Health Support Group. Mary's family gratefully thanks the kind and helpful staff of The Forum at Tucson and of TMC Hospice. A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 27, 2016 at The Forum at Tucson, 2500 N. Rosemont Blvd. (main entrance). Donations may be made in honor of Mary to TMM Family Services Inc. (http://www.tmmfs.org). Arrangements by BRING'S BROADWAY CHAPEL.
A year ago, February 21, 2015, 250 or so of Pat's closest friends descended on The Westward Look Resort in Tucson to pay their respects to Pat, who passed on January 15, 2015. Pat became known as the "Escrow Goddess!" because of her unending dedication to improving each and every escrow person's knowledge, professionalism and job performance. (Whether they liked it or not!!!) Not only had she an infinite wealth of escrow procedure, she also began the organization of the escrow trade associations from Southern Arizona to the American Escrow Association. Pat was so intellectually and emotionally connected to her fellow escrow and title colleagues that she often cried, giving lectures and classes throughout the country. Pat is a continuing presence in the escrow and title industry, and will remain so, far, far into the future.
A man wanted in connection with a Monday night shooting near the University of Arizona campus was arrested Wednesday night in Coolidge.

Marcus G. Webster, 30, was taken into custody by federal marshals and the Coolidge Police Department, said Sgt. Kimberly Bay, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.

An arrest warrant was issued for Webster who is one of three suspects connected to the shooting at a house across the street from the UA Police Department headquarters, said authorities.

He was last seen near Coolidge and was considered to be armed and dangerous.

It's unclear if any other suspects have been identified.

The maroon 2015 Nissan Altima associated with the shooting was located Tuesday by police, said Officer Daniel Lucas, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.

Investigators did not release where or under what circumstances the vehicle was found.

The other two men officers also were looking for are between 20 and 30 years old. Webster and the two men were seen leaving the scene in the Altima, Lucas said.

Investigators ask that anyone with information about the shooting, or the other two men call 911 or 88-CRIME.

Shortly before 10 p.m. Monday night, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of North Campbell Avenue to a reported shooting, said Sgt. Kimberly Bay, a TPD spokeswoman.

Detectives learned that a woman and man associated with the residence had gotten into a confrontation in the front yard with three men, during which the woman was shot, Bay said.

Officers with the University of Arizona Police Department heard the screams from the station, and responded to the scene. They rendered first aid until Tucson Fire Department paramedics arrived and transported the woman to a hospital, Bay said.

The victim is in serious condition, but is expected to survive. No other injuries were reported.
PHOENIX  Invoking the name of a store clerk shot to death, the state Senate voted Monday to require those not here legally who are convicted of certain crimes to serve their full sentences without the chance of parole.

But they quashed two other measures aimed at illegal immigration.

In a surprise move, the Senate refused to approve legislation that would have financially penalized cities and counties that the attorney general determined offer sanctuary to those in the country illegally.

The move came despite a last-minute plea from Senate President Andy Biggs, who said local governments should be required to comply with the laws and policies enacted by the Legislature.

They also defeated a separate measure that would have prohibited local governments from issuing identification cards unless applicants could produce certain documents  documents not generally available to those who are here illegally.

But the sponsors of both measures still have the chance to try to change some minds and resurrect both of them.

The measure that was approved, SB 1377, was dubbed Grants Law by Sen. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa.

That is for Grant Ronnebeck, who was working the graveyard shift at a Mesa convenience store in January 2015 when he was shot, apparently for not giving someone his cigarettes fast enough. According to police, the man arrested was in the country illegally, had been convicted of burglary in 2012 and was placed on probation. A judge had ordered immigration officials notified of his conviction.

SB 1377, approved on a 19-11 vote, says if someone is in the country illegally and commits a crime under certain circumstances, that person must be sentenced to prison for the full term allowed. Those conditions range from use of a weapon and committing a crime for financial purposes to whether the victim was a senior citizen.

Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Phoenix, said theres no reason to single out people not in this country legally for special treatment.

It doesnt serve to further protect our community, he said. It only serves to make a political point.

Quezada and others had better luck blocking SB 1378.

That measure, also sponsored by Smith, was designed to block the state treasurer from giving any shared revenue dollars to any sanctuary city.

Smiths legislation defined that as providing any public benefits without first getting proof of citizenship or lawful presence. That requirement for both state and local governments was approved by voters in 2004.

The Senate also narrowly defeated SB 1017.

It is aimed mainly at the city of Phoenix, which is considering whether to issue municipal ID cards to residents. Proponents say those cards will make it easier for those people to get certain services as well as have dealings with police.
As a citizens committee works to frame potential changes to the citys charter, voters are divided on the issues theyre discussing, including elections and taxing limits.

Among the findings of a voter poll:

52 percent of city voters would oppose a half-cent sales tax if they didnt know where the money was going.

74 percent would be more likely to support it if the money went to road repairs.

71 percent would be more likely to support it if the money went to keep the city from cutting police and firefighter jobs.

The results also show city voters are confused about their election system.

About 36 percent said the mayor and City Council should be elected citywide, while 26 percent said they should be elected only by the ward they represent, 16 percent like the citys current hybrid system, and 23 percent said they arent sure.

The poll was conducted by phone to landlines and cellphones belonging to registered voters who live inside Tucson city limits. The demographic information provided by the pollster shows the voters surveyed were mostly older than 50 with no children living at home.

It was commissioned by the mayor and paid for by the Southern Arizona Leadership Council.

Citizens group moving slowly

The Charter Review Committee is responsible for advising the City Council on what changes to the city charter should be taken to voters in November, including possible changes to the election system and possible changes to self-imposed limits on taxes. The charter is the citys constitution.

The group is on a tight deadline but moving slowly on complex issues.

In October the City Council asked the group to have recommendations by April 1 to meet the timeline to put questions for voters on the August ballot. To send questions to voters in November, the group would need to have recommendations by July.

Since the councils instructions, the committee has met six times .

Some committee members said Monday they are confident they can finish their recommendations by the April 1 deadline.

In January the group considered a motion to keep the 2 percent sales-tax cap in place but allow the city to ask voters to approve an increase in a one-step process, but the group decided to wait for the poll results made public Monday  even though the committee has previously approved a similar proposal last year.

On Monday the committee members received the results they had been waiting for and decided to wait to discuss the results until members had time to think about the the results.

Chair Bonnie Poulos said progress is being made. Committee members are getting educated on the issues and developing their opinions.

The next meeting is March 7 and they intend to take preliminary votes .

The committee has had problems starting on time and meeting quorum requirements. Two meetings this month began with eight of 15 members present and more members arriving later.

The tax limit question is urgent because of the citys budget crisis and the election-system question is urgent because of a November opinion from the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals saying the citys system unconstitutionally favors Democrats.

Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said he can assure the public there will be a question on the ballot no later than November, because there will be a City Council election in 2017 and voters and candidates need to know what system will be in place.

While the decision to send questions to the ballot ultimately lies with the City Council, Rothschild said the council is wise to let the group spend substantial time working on the issues.

Democrats dominate group

The Charter Review Committee also faces criticism from political minorities about being a committee of Democrats.

Poulos is a registered independent, one member is a registered Republican, and 13 members are registered Democrats. The members are appointed by the Democratic mayor and City Council members and by the city manager.

You really dont represent the people of Tucson, you represent a partisan political faction, Pima County Libertarian Party First Vice-Chair Christopher Cole told the committee during a public comment time at a January meeting. It will be seen that youre working as partisan Democrats to keep the Democrats in power.

Poulos said, It makes for dysfunctional democracy to have every elected official from the same party. But even among Democrats on the committee, opinions are all over the map.

A three-judge panel on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 2-1 split opinion that the citys election system unconstitutionally favors Democrats.

The city is appealing the decision and asking for a review by an 11-judge panel.

City Attorney Mike Rankin said the city could hear from the Ninth Circuit this month or next about whether the request for an en banc hearing is granted, and the hearing process would then take a couple of months.

Tucsons election system uses a ward-specific primary election and a citywide general election. Tucson voters chose this system in 1929, and it has survived many legal challenges. Voters have turned down proposed changes at least three times.

The lawsuit was brought by a group of Republicans, including national Republican committeeman Bruce Ash and several former candidates, who wanted the city to change its election system to a ward-only primary and a ward-only general election.

Ash has said one factor in his bringing the lawsuit was the Charter Review Committees inability to make a decision on the issue. The committee split on whether to recommend changes to the election system last year.
PHOENIX  A group of political independents is making a last-ditch effort to get a voice in Arizonas presidential preference election.

Cathy Stewart, national vice president of Independentvoting.org, said Monday that state lawmakers are half right in objecting to the fact that all Arizonans pay for the quadrennial event, even though more than a third of those registered to vote cannot participate.

The state House voted 37-22 earlier this month to wipe out the primary after this years March 22 event. That would leave it up to each party to decide how it wants to choose delegates to the national convention.

And that could be anything from party caucuses to privately run primaries and even, if the parties want, letting party leaders make that decision.

But Stewart said theres a better idea: Keep the primary but let independents participate.

She noted there are more than 1.2 million independents in this state, making up close to 37 percent of all registered voters. By contrast, there are just slightly more than 1.1 million Republicans and fewer than 920,000 Democrats.

So her solution is to keep the primary  and the state funding  and just open the doors to everyone.

We dont think its right for private organizations to use taxpayer dollars to fund an election that excludes 50 percent of young people who are registered, Stewart said.

Thats the same argument being made by Secretary of State Michele Reagan. But she supports HB 2567 to wipe out the state-run primary entirely rather than open it up.

There is an alternative for independents  or, at least, there was one: Re-register with one of the major parties. The deadline for doing that for the March 22 event, however, was Monday, Feb. 22.

But Stewart said thats not an answer.

Thats the exact point independents are making, she said.

They dont want to join a political party in order to be able to exercise their fundamental democratic right to vote, Stewart continued. Independents view that as a form of coercion.

That, however, goes to the question of political association. The issue of taxpayer funding aside, should independents be able to affect who becomes the standard-bearer for each party?

Tim Castro, state campaign director of Independent Voters for Arizona, said independents are not asking to make the decision for the parties on who will be their candidates, even if they do outnumber party faithful.

Were asking for access to the voting box, he said. And Castro said being able to weigh in at the general election in November is not sufficient.

The problem that proponents of an open presidential primary are facing is that if HB 2567 becomes law, the state-run presidential primary goes away along with any state oversight of the process. And that leaves nothing left in statutes to amend to open up the process to independents.

But Stewart insisted that does not end their efforts.

Were not going to stop our call for the Democratic and Republican parties, who actually have the ultimate authority to do this, to open their presidential primary process to 1.2 million voters in the state, she said.

Matt Roberts, spokesman for Reagan, said his boss would support opening up the presidential preference election to independents  but only if the Republicans and Democrats were to ask. And to date, they have not.

There is precedent in Arizona for giving independents a role in selecting partisan candidates.

Prior to 1998, the primary elections for federal, state and local offices were like the presidential preference: limited to those registered with that party. That year, voters agreed to allow independents to participate to a limited degree, permitting them to choose the ballot of either major party.

That measure was supported by both Democrat and Republican officials as preferable to plans for a wide-open primary where voters would get to pick and choose among races, for example, casting a ballot in the Republican gubernatorial race while wanting a voice in a Democrat legislative race.

The push comes as a group is pushing to create an open primary system in Arizona for federal, state and local offices  but not the presidential primary  where all candidates run against one another.
This is a Blog about student mobility experience  study, internship or just a vacation!
Help India!

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Latur (Maharashtra): Renapur police have arrested 16 accused so far out of 150 mentioned in the FIR for beating and parading on duty a policeman in Pangaon village of Latur district.

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On Friday, ASI Shaikh Yunus Pashamiya, 56, was beaten up by 200 men after he opposed a group from tying a saffron flag in Ambedkar Chauk sighting superior officers orders of not allowing flags in sensitive areas after which he was beaten up badly and asked to hold saffron flag, parade and dance.

Following this disorderly incidence FIR was registered by Renapur Police station under section 307, 353, 332, 427, 34 of IPC and other sections of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act against 150 offenders.

Speaking with TwoCircles.net Latur SP Dnyaneshwar Chavan told, 60 out of 150 offenders were mentioned with name in the FIR and we have rounded up 16 so far. Our investigation is progressing.

As per Chavan another ASI Awaskar was also injured in the incidence and suffered head and knee injuries, but is out of danger.

He declined to acknowledge that the incidence was communal and told, The mob that attacked policemen comprised not only of people belonging to a particular community and another constable Awaskar was also beaten up therefore there was no communal angle is ruled out in the case.

However, a video uploaded online on Sunday, on a YouTube channel called Gallinews, seems to suggest that there might have been a communal aspect to the incident.

The video shows Pashamiya being made to hold a saffron flag and walk down a street with a mob of men shouting Jai Bhavani. At one point, Shaikh can be heard saying, Arrey, jari mi Musalman tar Bharatiya aahe mi (even if I am Muslim, I am an Indian).
Help India!

By TCN News,

Mumbai: The renowned writer, commentator and human rights activist Ram Puniyani was awarded by National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (NCHRO) Mukundan C Menon Award 2015 for his note worthy works in upholding human rights.

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The Mukundan C Menon Award is instituted by NCHRO in the memory of late Mukundan C Menon, the noted journalist and human rights activist who died in 2005. Since last ten years Mukundan C Menon annual award honors activists who have made outstanding contributions for the protection of human and civil rights India.

Ram Puniyani receiving Mukundan C Menon Award 2015

On Wednesday the annual function was organized at Al Karimi Library Hall of Anjuman-E-Islam, CST, Mumbai where Ram Puniyani was honored with the award recognizing his extraordinary achievements in contributing to human rights in India.

The function was presided over by Justice Suresh Hosbet, retired Judge Bombay High Court and was attended by many noted advocates and activists.

After receiving award Ram Puniyani referred to the Babri Masjid Demolition as a big attack on the democracy of India said there was deeper politics behind it. Communal disturbances through such acts are just tools at the hands of RSS and their main agenda is to reinstate the Hindu authoritarian rule, caste hierarchy and gender discrimination system in India, he told the gathering.

In his Presidential Speech, Justice Suresh Hosbet, appreciated the work of NCHRO and stressed the need for such awards to encourage people who are devoted to rights activism.

Justice Suresh Hosbet addressing the gathering on the occasion of Mukundan C Menon Award 2015

He warned that our country is being dragged towards fascism by communal and sectarian forces and he raised deep concerns by saying, the fact that RSS and its fringe groups have managed to instill communal poison in every department and have installed their people even in judiciary.

Referring to Rohit Vemula case and the JNU issue he said that today we are the victims of internal sabotage of the constitution that is taking place in one hand and external aggression in the form of intolerance and disturbances in this country.

Claiming that people in power have no allegiance to the constitution, he said,Today the actual situation is worse than even emergency and if it continues this way we will have to fight another struggle for freedom.


Help India!

By Ram Puniyani,

On the back of the death of Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad Central University (HCU), one of the most prestigious University of the country Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been targeted by the ruling Modi Sarkar. The frightening things which happened in HCU were just the beginning of attack on autonomy of universities, on the free thinking in a democracy. Rohith was forced to kill himself by the machinations of ABVP, which had brought pressure through a BJP MP on the ministry to get Rohith expelled from hostel and to stop his fellowship. Similarly the local ABVP unit brought pressure through its usual channels to intimidate and stifle the democratically elected student union in JNU.

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It is alleged that in JNU some anti India; Pro-Pakistan slogans were shouted. There are confusing versions as to who did it. Truth of the video has come out, it was doctored. On the pretext of that Kanhiaya Kumar, the president of the JNUSU was arrested and the charges of sedition were slapped on him. Now Kumar is a member of AISF, the student wing of CPI, which is opposed to the separatist-pro Pakistan stance and in no way can he be part of type of slogan shouting which is supposed to have taken place. The original video also makes it clear. He neither shouted the slogans nor can anybody be arrested on the charge of shouting slogans. The constitutional position as clarified by noted lawyer Soli Sorabjee is that incitement to violence alone can be termed anti-National.

How come Delhi police enter the campus? The Vice chancellor, a BJP appointee, is indulging in double speak on the issue. On TV he stated that he will be the last person to call police in the campus. The investigation shows that he wrote letters to police calling them to take suitable action. Delhi police, working under Home Minister Rajnath Singh; went on recklessly to put the charge of sedition against Kumar. The lawyers in the court indulged in violence against those who looked like JNU students. One BJP MLA is involved in mercilessly beating up a CPI activist. This MLA also said that had he got the gun he would have shot those raising anti India slogans. One journalist was also attacked by BJP supporters. The same violence was repeated by lawyers the next day also and when Kanhaiya was being brought to court he was also beaten.

Now what is happening is a blatant attack by RSS controlled ABVP-BJP to crush the democratic secular voices in the country. As in Rohith Vemula case the ABVP, has become emboldened to call all those opposing their politics as anti national and are getting the state support to intimidate the voices for social justice; the progressive voices. BJP related organizations are creating a mass hysteria around Anti national. All those who dont endorse the RSS promoted Hindutva nationalism are being called as anti national. Prashant Bushan calls it a fascist onslaught.

All this is a big erosion of the values and practices which India has been nourishing. RSS combine is seeing this as an opportunity to wipe out all the norms and ethos of democratic culture and dissenting voices. It is a matter of shame that the police lacks the spine and professionalism and arrests the likes of Kanhaiya Kumar.

Rahul Gandhi who went to the campus and showed solidarity with the students was shown black flags and stones were thrown at him in Lucknow. Those agitating said that they are very angry as Rahul is sympathizing with anti Nationals. The MLA who beat up the CPI worker also said that anti national activities are going on and so he is showing his anger against those who shouted the pro Pakistan slogans. In TV debates the BJP spokespersons are harping on the same slogans and social media is resorting to the similar language.

The argument has been uniformly spoken by the Delhi lawyers taking law in their hands to those indulging in violence, from the ministers and top BJP leaders to those indulging in street violence. The second observation is that JNU students have been demonized through the propaganda as being anti National, and JNU being the den of anti India activities. One recalls that all this demonization of JNU has started with this Government coming to power. The RSS affiliates, VHP etc have been taking the marches to JNU gate to protest against the anti National JNU students and faculty.

Both these arguments show the deeper agenda in a way. The anti national rhetoric has been created to generate a mass hysteria against those disagreeing with BJP politics. The resorting to violence on this pretext clearly shows that this is a concerted effort to browbeat the practices and ideas which are not in keeping with the RSS-BJP mindset. This hysteria has been created to distract the attention from the social movement building up around the death of Rohith Vemula. The all round anger on the Rohith issue had put the BJP on the back foot. This creation of mass hysteria around anti India slogans has been created and is leading to street violence. This is an attempt on the part of BJP associates to wrest the initiative away from the movement which is building around Rohith. Apart from the attempt to abolish autonomy of universities this is also an attempt to sidetrack the issue of Dalits. The latter has also been reflected in the resignation of three office bearers of ABVP of JNU. These office bearers in their letter point out their dissatisfaction with the Government-BJP-ABVP interference in JNU affairs and their attitude of undermining the dalit issue as reflected in their attitude to the death of Rohith.

The demonization of JNU again is on purpose. This institute has reflected the democratic spirit, the freedom of thought, and the progressive values, all of which are an anathema to the agenda represented by ABVP-BJP. They want to abolish the autonomy of academic institutions as reflected in their policies in case of FTTI, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and HCU to name the few. JNU was a particular target due to its outstanding contribution to high level of scholarship and adherence to progressive secular values. The concerted move by the ruling dispensation and its political associates to create a mass hysteria around anti-Nationalism and to erode the image of a progressive institution like JNU is as such an attack on the principles of democracy in the country.

While hopefully Courts may give some relief to Kanhaiya Kumar, the issue remains whether the mass hysteria and the street violence which has been unleashed on the pretext of anti India slogans can be brought under control. The massive rallies of the students demanding the release of Kumar, demanding that government should not interfere in autonomy of universities and opposing the demonization of JNU drew a massive response. ABVP and family in a recalcitrant manner is mobilizing all through the country to protest against Anti nationalism. Those who were part of the JNU students meeting and of JNU have condemned the anti-India pro Pakistan slogans. The need is to take up the struggle for preserving democratic values to the masses.

(The author can be reached at [email protected])
On February 16, 2016, residents of Dollard des Ormeaux in Quebec, Canada heard a strange noise in the sky.Two days later, an eerie sound is heard in the sky over Forest Grove in Oregon.It is loud and annoying; that is how many residents in Forest Grove are describing a noise that is disrupting their peaceful neighborhood.Its hard to identify what angle its coming from because it just kind of encompasses the area, were just hoping somebody might be able to identify it so we can report it and have it stop happening. Paula Lynch told KOIN. In fact, Lynch says it is so loud she has to cover her ears to protect her hearing.Fire officials believe it sounds like an air compressor, but city officials have no idea where it is coming from exactly. Residents say the sound is random, but there is no escaping it.It seems the noises intensify as more and more people at various places reporting hearing unexplained strange sounds and booms.Does the uptick in mysterious sounds and booms foretell a Mega-Quake?The Seneca Guns:For those unaware of this phenomena, the Seneca Guns, are described by the USGS in the following manner: The term Seneca guns is just a name, not an explanation. It does not tell us anything about what causes these noises and shakings.The name originated in a short story that James Fennimore Cooper wrote during the 1800s. The name refers to booms that have been heard on the shores of Lake Seneca and Lake Cayuga in New York State. The name has been applied to similar noises along the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.Similar booms are called Barisol guns in coastal India. These phenomena have also occurred in three widely separated places around the world.The nature of the Seneca Guns: We do know that such sounds and vibrations have been linked to earthquakes, with some of these booms occurring during earthquakes with varying intensity, with others occurring before or after the earthquake actually takes place.These exact kinds of sounds were heard either before, during, or after the two of the biggest geological events on the East Coast to have occurred in American history  The 1886 Charleston Earthquake and the 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquake.
By Sunny Ikhioya It is said that no matter how far you have journeyed on the wrong route, it is never too late to turn back, otherwise yo...
Personally, I found Gilles approach extremely productive and I believe she is fundamentally right in her description of the phenomenology of power and materiality in the EU. However, I actually believe that the intellectual history of the European Union shows that the approach that she describes is not so much an unintended consequence of unplanned evolution, as the desired course given to European integration by Jean Monnets functionalism. As in the case of the inclusion of Eastern European countries in recent years, the European communities were designed to bring together nations that had been at war with each other in the recent past. Those who had observed the rise of fascism in Europe knew all too well that various forms of radical and authoritarian nationalism had been very successful among Europeans. Confronting the problem of bypassing both the resistance of national governments to giving up power and the attachments of populations that had been successfully nationalized, the European communities turned to things that could create automatic, impersonal spillover effects. In this perspective, Jean Monnet should be regarded as one of the early proponents of ANT. Unfortunately, the intellectual history of the process of European integration is also a victim of this impersonal movement and only a few scholars are willing to research this history which is so tied to the nonhuman.
FACTS which contradict what is taught in the universities and which even run counter to the assumptions made by critics of misandry.
Korean nuclear issue on agenda for foreign minister's visit to US Updated: 2016-02-22 21:07 By Wang Xu(chinadaily.com.cn)

Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to the United States from Tuesday to Thursday.[Photo from CCTV NEWS]

Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to the United States from Tuesday to Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday.

Wang's visit is expected to set the agenda for high-level communication between China and the US this year, Hua said, and he will discuss with counterpart John Kerry deepening pragmatic cooperation and constructively handling sensitive issues between the nations, she added.

Regarding the Korean nuclear question, Hua said Beijing and Washington maintained "close communication over the issue" and Wang will propose the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a truce-to-peace mechanism be pursued at the same time to solve major concerns of all parties in a balanced way.

China supports a new and more powerful resolution on Pyongyang from the UN Security Council, Hua said but she also called for relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and stick to the direction of resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation.
China rejects US charge of raising South China Sea tensions Updated: 2016-02-22 21:09 By Wang Xu(chinadaily.com.cn)

China's military deployments in the South China Sea are no different from US deployments on Hawaii, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday, rejecting a US accusation of raising tensions in the area ahead of a visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Washington this week.

"China deploying necessary, limited defensive facilities on its own territory is not substantively different from the United States defending Hawaii," Hua said.

The US last week accused China of "militarizing" the South China Sea by deploying surface-to-air missiles on Yongxing island.

Asked whether the South China Sea, as well as the missile deployment, will be raised during Wang's meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Hua said Washington should "stop using the issue to make a fuss".

It is the US frequently sending military planes and vessels to the South China Sea to conduct close-up military surveillance against China that heightened tensions in the area, Hua said, and that is the biggest cause of the militarization of the South China Sea.
Xi's speech on news reporting resonates with domestic outlets Updated: 2016-02-23 00:15 (Xinhua)

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping's speech at a symposium on news reporting and public opinion on Friday has generated discussions across domestic media outlets.

According to Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Party's media work should guide the public, serve the country's overall interests, unite the general public, instill confidence and pool strength, tell right from wrong and connect China to the world. Xi delivered the speech following his visits to the People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television, the country's three major news providers.

Loyalty to the party

The People's Daily, in one of its two commentaries published since Sunday said Xi had directed the route along which the journalism industry should develop, and provided fundamental principles to follow.

The article said that media outlets run by the Party and the government must follow the party's leadership, reflect the Party's will, and be the mouthpiece of the party and the people.

The Overseas Edition of the People's Daily said in an article Monday that Xi's speech has clearly defined the responsibilities and missions of news reporting in a new era.

Meanwhile, Xinhua News Agency published commentaries on three consecutive days expounding Xi's speech, vowing to stick to the CPC's leadership and focus on positive coverage.

Following the Party's leadership was the fundamental principle for journalism, Xinhua said, adding the Party's leadership over the media would never change despite the development of time and transformation of media patterns.

Guangming Daily, another major media outlet, called the speech a source of encouragement in a front-pate commentary on Monday. It said the speech signalled historic opportunities for journalists, and it called on them to pay attention to the political direction of their articles in addition to truthfulness of details.

The chinese dream

News outlets lauded Xi's speech regarding their role in the realization of the Chinese dream.

Guangming Daily said news reporting and public opinion work is closely related to the party's mission and has played an important role in the construction of the People's Republic of China.

The newspaper said while the nation was deepening overall reform, news media should guide public opinion to rally support for achieving the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the nation.

The view was echoed by the People's Daily, which said positive coverage should dominate reporting, and unity, stability and encouragement should feature prominently in stories.

The People's Daily added to realize the Chinese dream, news media must create a public opinion that is conducive to sticking to the party's leadership and socialism, to promoting reform and development, to enhancing national unity, and to maintaining social harmony and stability.

Acknowledging public opinion serves as an important force that impacts on social development, Xinhua called on journalists to study Xi's speech and play their part in improving the news reporting and public opinion guidance capability of the party's news media, thus, providing strong spiritual force for the realization of the Chinese dream.

Connecting china with world

Calling for new concepts, content and methods, Xi told media groups to make use of new media's edge in publicity, amplify their voices on the international stage, tell stories about China well and build flagship media groups with strong global influence.

The requirements demonstrated that the CPC Central Committee commanded deep understanding of news communication rules and media development trend, according to an article released by Xinhua.

Official new outlets must tell Chinese stories well to the outside world and make the Chinese voice better heard, Xinhua said.

"There are so many voices about Tibet worldwide, thus, we are required to write quality work with thought and warmth, showing the world the prosperity of new Tibet and reflecting the success of the central authorities' governing and the new life of people living in Tibet," said Dorje Dramdui, deputy head of Xinhua's branch in Tibet Autonomous Region.

The Overseas Edition of the People's Daily said in an article on Saturday that Xi's speech raised an important issue: how a nation's image should match its strength.

Zhao Suisheng, a professor with the University of Denver, told the Overseas Edition of the People's Daily that Xi had raised new requirements for Chinese media, suggesting they report on China's achievements of reform and opening up and its stories of tackling difficulties in development.
Beijing set to double air monitoring stations Updated: 2016-02-23 08:08 (Agencies/chinadaily.com.cn)

A couple tackle the pollution in a shopping district amid heavy smog after the capital issued its first ever "red alert" for air pollution on Dec 8, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

China's capital will almost double the number of air monitoring stations to give a better idea about the true state of the city's air quality, Xinhua state news agency said on Monday.

An extra 30 monitoring stations will be added to the 35 already in operation in places like schools, said Zhang Dawei, director of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Centre. The stations will cover middle schools, mountainous areas and rural areas, and there will also be more monitor vehicles. Currently, the 35 existing stations monitor six categories of pollutants including PM2.5.

"After the upgrade ... we will have more data about the city's air quality," said Zhang.

The technical selection of the new monitor stations has been completed, though there is no timeframe for when the new stations would come online.

For Beijing and its surroundings, the government has set a target for 2020 of reducing pollution by 40 percent from 2013 levels. A senior environment official said on Friday the city's air quality has improved over the last two years.

The authorities have increased efforts to reduce air pollution in the wake of the city's first "red alerts" in December last year, when smog engulfed the city.
Paella power Updated: 2016-02-23 08:52 By Liu Zhihua(China Daily USA)

A Spanish chef brings his way with rice to China at his popular Beijing eatery, Liu Zhihua reports.

Spanish chef Alex Sanchez came to live in the Chinese capital about 11 years ago, because at that time his girlfriend was a Chinese and they decided to seek their future in the land they saw overflowing with opportunities.

Years later, their relationship long ended, the 56-year-old finds his life and career unfolding successfully in the increasingly internationalized city.

He is the owner and head chef of Niajo, a Spanish eatery that is widely loved among Beijing diners since it opened in 2009. Located on the third floor of Nali Patio, a hotspot in the Sanlitun area where Spanish eateries dominate, it has a low-key and cozy atmosphere stemming from the simple decor and furnishings, characterized with light colors.

Many comments on restaurant-review websites are raves about the restaurant's paella, a rice dish with ancient roots that originated in its modern form in Sanchez's native city of Valencia.

The dish is named for the specialized shallow pan used for cooking paellas, which is traditionally round, shallow and made of polished steel with two handles.

In Valencia, the city's namesake "paella Valencia" is made of rice seasoned with saffron, green beans, chicken, rabbit and other ingredients, Sanchez says. The city's location on the Mediterranean coast means there is delicious shellfish available for a seafood version as well.

After cooking paella, the chef will briefly turn up the heat to create a layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the pan, which is considered a delicacy among Spaniards, many of whom regard paella as Spain's national dish.

Other signature Spanish foods, such as tapas and Iberian ham, are also popular and praised on both Chinese restaurant-review websites such as Dianping.com and English-language city magazines in Beijing.

Sanchez says his secret for success is "being authentic".

Learning cooking as a teenager in a family that has been in the catering business for five generations, he has his secret recipes. He also obtained some recipes while working in restaurants in Spain since the 1990s, before he came to China, including the one-Michelin-starred restaurant Oscar Torrijos.

It doesn't hurt that his hometown is Spain's third-most famous city, after Madrid and Barcelona, or that Valencia gave paella to the world.

"All I offer to customers is traditional and modern Spanish food, all authentic and no fusion," Sanchez says about the eatery's thick menu.

"Customers love my restaurant, because they know what real Spanish fare tastes like."

Sanchez claims he never changes the authentic recipes to appeal to local palates, although Chinese people traditionally steam rice as a staple and generally prefer it softer than it's cooked in Spain.

"As more and more Chinese people travel abroad, including in Spain and (other parts of) Europe, they know what real Spanish food is and love to find the taste they've had abroad in my restaurant in Beijing," he explains.

"Even if some have never eaten Spanish cuisine before, they will come back if they like the food."

In the beginning, most of his customers were expats in Beijing, but now nearly half of the customers are Chinese, he says.

Sometimes when it is difficult to get certain authentic ingredients in Beijing - for example, rabbit - he would make the dish without the missing ingredients but he avoids inappropriate substitutes. In other cases, when the loss of a key ingredient would make a dish not authentic, he will simply not serve that dish, Sanchez says.

He adds that good service has been essential the restaurant's success. He likes to talk with customers to answer questions in person, and devotes a lot of time to training a professional staff.

For people working around Sanlitun, the restaurant offers a two-course lunch menu for 78 yuan ($12) a person, with three options for each course. You can add a dessert or beverage for an additional 20 yuan per head when ordering the business-lunch set menu. (Paella, which requires about 35 minutes of preparation time, is available a la carte but not as part of the lunch set.)

Contact the writer at liuzhihua@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 02/23/2016 page8)
"Parachute kids"  the nickname given to Chinese children who are sent to the US for study at probably too young an age  have been making a lot of not so good headlines recently.

Some observers blame the bad news on the kids' psychological immaturity, their ignorance of local laws and codes of conduct or their ingrained waywardness and disrespect for parents and teachers.

Whatever the root cause, members of this group have been behind too many tragedies.

As sending young children to the US for school becomes more and more fashionable in China, wealthy parents should think carefully about one question before they rush to follow the fad: Is your child really ready to live in a foreign country and assimilate to a completely unfamiliar culture without proper supervision and hands-on guidance?

On Feb 17, three 19-year-old students from China who had been studying in a private school in southern California were sentenced to multiple years in prison after being convicted of kidnapping and assaulting two classmates last March.

Yunyao "Helen" Zhai was sentenced to 13 years; Yuhan "Coco" Yang got 10 years; and Xinlei "John" Zhang got six years.

Zhai, the ringleader in the case, apologized for her actions in a letter of repentance read to the court. "I hope they (the victims) do not carry the wounds from what I did for the rest of their lives," she wrote.

The three were charged with assaulting an 18-year-old classmate by kidnapping her and taking her to a park where she was stripped, beaten, punched, kicked, spat on, burned with cigarettes and forced to eat her own hair during a five-hour assault.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Thomas C. Falls said at an earlier hearing in the case that it reminded him of Lord of the Flies, William Golding's 1954 novel about boys stranded on a deserted island without adult supervision who become bloodthirsty and savage enough to kill each other.

"This is a wakeup call for the 'parachute kid syndrome,'" said Yuhan Yang, in a statement read to the court by her attorney. "Parents in China are well-meaning and send their kids thousands of miles away with no supervision and too much freedom. That is a formula for disaster."

The case has attracted widespread attention back in China, heightening concerns among parents with children studying abroad.

According to the Institute of International Education, more than 23,000 teens from China are currently enrolled in middle and high schools across the US, most hopeful of bettering their chances of getting into an American college. The majority of these "parachute" teens are alone, their parents remaining back in China.

In her statement, Zhai said living so far from her parents affected her in many ways. "They sent me to the US for a better life and a fuller education," she said. "Along with that came a lot of freedom, in fact too much freedom. Here, I became lonely and lost. I didn't tell my parents because I didn't want them to worry about me."

"I'm sure they suffer loneliness," Rayford Fountain, Yang's attorney, said of parachute kids. "So they bond with other kids in the small Chinese circles with no supervision, no one to turn to for assistance. So these things can get out of control."

Xinlei "John" Zhang's father said he deeply regretted sending his son to the US at such an early age. "This was a wrong decision we made several years ago and now it's a tragedy for the whole family," he said, adding that he had spent $400,000 on legal fees and travel back and forth for hearings.

"Chinese parents who want to send their young children abroad should learn a lesson from our case," he said.

Contact the writer at junechang@chinadailyusa.com.
More economic transition and opening up urged by experts Updated: 2016-02-24 00:43 By CHEN WEIHUA in Washington(China Daily USA)

US officials and pundits spoke positively of Chinas economic transition and reforms while calling for faster and bolder steps.

The Importance of Chinas Transition to Smarter Growth, a Sunday op-ed by Nathan Sheets, Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, came as his department announced that Jack Lew, the Treasury secretary, will travel to China this week.

Lew will be in Shanghai from Feb 26-27 for the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, followed by trips to Beijing and Hong Kong.

Noting that the Chinese economy has climbed well above $10 trillion, or five times that number when China hosted the last G20 finance ministers meeting in 2005, Sheets described China as a key driver in commodities markets, a critical link in global supply chains, and increasingly a source of end demand for the exports of other countries goods and services.

We have long known that Chinas move from an economy dependent on manufacturing and investment toward one more reliant on services and household consumption would not be easy. But the transition is necessary for the economy to rebalance toward more sustainable engines of demand, he wrote on medium.com.

Chinese leaders have repeatedly voiced their determination to make such a transition to achieve a more sustainable development model.

Important progress has been made, Sheets said, citing faster growth in Chinas services sector than in the industrial sector in the past three years.

Investment in services and more consumption-led sectors has remained strong, even as overall investment has slowed. And the number of new businesses registered in 2015  many in the services sector  totaled 4.4 million, a 22 percent annual increase, Sheets wrote.

Household and government consumption accounted for two-thirds of last years GDP growth. In 2015, 13 million jobs were created in urban areas, far exceeding the government target, while retail sales grew more than 10 percent. And auto sales have been robust, with China recently becoming the worlds largest auto market, according to Sheets.

He said that the US continues to believe that if China implements the market-based economic reforms it has committed to, it has the necessary tools to support domestic demand and succeed in its economic transition.

Sheets believe the challenges to reform and sustaining domestic demand are real. Chinas service sector remains underdeveloped relative to other economies, and Chinas households have low consumption rates.

Sheets welcomed the messages sent by Chinese leadership that it has committed to not using the exchange rate to boost exports; it is transitioning to a market-determined exchange rate; and that Chinese economic fundamentals support a basically stable yuan.

He talked about the need of reallocating productive resources in the Chinese economy away from heavy industry, the reforms of inefficient state-owned enterprises and industrial overcapacity, further opening up the economy, including the service sector, and strengthening the social safety net.

He believes such a transformation would allow China to solidify its status as a driver of global demand and offers the best formula for it to achieve an orderly transition and put its economy on a more sustainable footing for healthy growth.

We want to see China make this transition, because we recognize that Chinas success ultimately benefits our own, he wrote.

David Dollar, a senior fellow at the John L Thornton China Center of the Brookings Institution, said that the Chinese economic transition to a new normal is moving in the right direction.

He does not believe there will be a hard landing for the Chinese economy. But he stressed the importance of addressing issues such as corporate debt and industrial efficiency and the need to further open up the economy.

There are still a lot of sectors of the Chinese economy closed and uncompetitive, and opening up those will create a new area of dynamism, Dollar said.

chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
More than 1,500 people attended a rally in Houston on Feb 20 in support of Peter Liang, convicted of manslaughter. May Zhou / China Daily

Thousands of people rallied across the country over the weekend to protest the conviction of Peter Liang, a former New York City police officer who was convicted of second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of an unarmed black man.

The protesters  primarily Chinese Americans  gathered in 40 cities across the US to demonstrate what they see as an unfair conviction of Liang, now 28, who was a rookie cop on patrol in a Brooklyn housing project in 2014 when he fired his gun. A stray bullet ricocheted off a wall, fatally striking Akai Gurley, 28, on a lower floor.

Many protesters in New York  which saw a turnout of approximately 10,000, the largest rally in the country  expressed support for both Gurley and Liang, both of whom they saw as victims of a tragedy.

The protesters carried signs that read, No Scapegoating, One Tragedy, Two Victims and Condolences to Akai Gurley, Justice for Peter Liang.

Last weeks conviction of NYPD officer Peter Liang in the accidental shooting of Akai Gurley has ignited a vigorous debate across New York City and throughout the country. But one thing is clear in this tragic case  the system failed. It failed both Peter Liang and Akai Gurley, said US Congresswoman Grace Meng at the New York rally on Feb 20.

The elevator in the Pink Houses should not have been broken; the lights should not have been out in the stairwell, Meng said. Two rookie cops should not have been patrolling by themselves in New York City, and public housing residents should not have to deal with crime that makes these police patrols necessary. These systematic failures make me so angry and must be addressed. Another tragedy like this must not be allowed to occur ever again.

Liang, who was convicted on Feb 11, could face up to 15 years in prison on the manslaughter count. Sentencing by Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun is scheduled for April 14 in Brooklyn.

Members of the Chinese community said after Liang was charged that they believe he was being scapegoated for past instances of fatal police actions around the country, and that Liang had not intended to kill Gurley and should not have been placed on patrol at the housing project as a rookie officer.

John Chan, president of the Coalition of Asian-Americans for Civil Rights and one of the organizers of the nationwide rally, said Liang was a victim of the selective prosecution that failed to resolve the long-standing distrust and tension between US minority communities and law enforcement.

Sacrificing Liang is not the correct way to resolve systematic problems of the government, Chan said. Justice for all means justice for everyone.

Chan appealed to Chinese Americans to fight political manipulation, selective prosecution and scapegoating.

Vivien Chiang, another rally attendee, said she had never met any Chinese individuals calling for civil rights in public during her three years living in New York, and it was the first time she witnessed such unity in the Chinese community.

Chinese Americans were thought to be a politically passive group, she said, This time we really voice the deep feelings of ourselves and let the society know our need for equal justice.

I believe everything that Peter says, and I think he was let down by everyone, starting with his partner, said Gia Vita, a stylist from Harlem. What kind of coward is he? Ive never felt this strongly about anything else.
Skys the limit for Hainan Airlines Updated: 2016-02-24 00:42 By AMY HE in Boston(China Daily USA)

Chen Feng, chairman of HNA Group, which is the parent company of Hainan Airlines, gives a lecture at Harvard University on Monday. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

HNA Groups purchase of Ingram Micro for $6 billion demonstrates the companys strength and enormous potential growth, said Chen Feng, chairman of HNA Group Co, parent company of Hainan Airlines.

This purchase shows that our company takes a broad and long-ranging view of expansion, and that we can take advantage of great opportunities, Chen told China Daily on Monday on the sidelines of a lecture by Chen at Harvard University.

The Ingram acquisition isnt the only big purchase, he said. We also acquired Swissport Group, one of the biggest service companies to airlines and airports, so the Ingram purchase is just one part of this expansion.

Chen was in Boston as part of HNA Groups visit to the Harvard Business School.

Hainan Airlines, based in Haikou, Hainan province, is the largest privately owned air carrier in China and the fourth-largest overall behind the countrys three airlines  Air China, China Southern and China Eastern.

HNA recently made headlines by acquiring several Western companies, including Ingram Micro  the worlds largest wholesale technological products distributor  and the $2.8 billion acquisition of Swissport.

At the end of January, Hainan Airlines launched its newest US-China direct flight, operating between Los Angeles and Changsha, Hunan province. Because only one state carrier can operate flights between each international route, pathways between major US and Chinese markets are already being serviced by Chinas state-owned air carriers.

Hainan Airlines strategy has been to operate between smaller US markets and major Chinese cities, or set up routes between big US cities and second-tier cities in China.

At the Harvard lecture, Chen emphasized HNAs focus on developing an international brand that can represent Chinas rapid development over the last three decades since reform and opening up.

Our revenue has increased 1,600-fold and our assets increased 500-fold. This is a miracle for our industry, he said. Every 20 seconds there is a Hainan Airlines jet taking off.

In the future, I could buy another 1,000 planes and Im in a position to negotiate the price with sellers like Boeing and Airbus, he said. Over the last 100 years, China never had any say. When President Xi Jinping announced a deal to buy 300 Boeing jets, I bought one-third of those  thats how much I contributed to the US economy.

Chen emphasized the strength of Chinas tourism market, saying that China has developed from a country that was starving to one that has the No. 1 export tourism market in the world.

If theres a country with no Chinese tourists, then theres a problem with that country, he said.

Founded in 1993 by Chen, Hainan Airlines serves more than 500 routes connecting 100 cities within China.

The air carrier has a fleet of more than 150 aircraft and began operating in the US in 2008.

amyhe@chinadailyusa.com
Lancang-Mekong river meeting to be held in Hainan Updated: 2016-02-23 19:36 By Wang Xu(chinadaily.com.cn)

The third Senior Diplomatic Officials' Meeting of the Lancang-Mekong River Dialogue and Cooperation organization will be held on Wednesday in Sanya, Hainan province, the Foreign Ministry said.

Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin will co-host the meeting with his counterpart from Thailand, said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying during a daily press briefing on Tuesday. Diplomats from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam will also attend the meeting, she added.

The meeting will prepare for the first leaders' meeting of the organization, which will be held in March, Hua said.

It will set agendas and prepare the outcome documents for the meeting, Hua added.
Facebook founder Zuckerberg calls for universal access to Internet Updated: 2016-02-23 23:49 (Xinhua)

Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 22, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

BARCELONA -- Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said on Monday the "whole world deserves to have access to the Internet," to a packed crowd at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

Zuckerberg's appearance was one of the most eagerly expected event of the opening day of the congress, which began Monday and runs until Thursday.

"Everyone deserves access to the Internet and I don't understand how we can still be like this in 2016... if there are more and more people with Internet access, it is a business model which works," said Zuckerberg, who highlighted that more clients for Internet providers would then lead to "investment in infrastructure."

He also spoke about the move towards 5G, questioning why the industry was moving so quickly to this level of connectivity when the important thing is that all the world can afford an Internet connection, "not just those who have money to pay for expensive connections."




Book Reviews, give-aways, stories about my kids and fun things to do--just a little of what you'll find on Utah Mom's Life.





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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the government's 'limitations' must be discussed in the Parliament as it was the only way to strengthen the democracy and lead to a 'fruitful' Session.

"The should be criticized and our limitations should also be discussed as that's the only way to strengthen a democracy and fulfil the aspirations of the nation," Prime Minister Modi told the media in New Delhi ahead of the President's address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament.



Read our full coverage on Union Budget 2016

Stating that 1.2 billion citizens have their eyes on the Session, he said India's current economic condition has drawn the world's attention, thereby making this session significant.

"Discussions were also held on a one-to-one basis and we are sure that the time spent in the Parliament this time will be in a constructive manner," the Prime Minister said.

Asserting that all meetings with the Opposition leaders so far have been fruitful, he said that dreams and aspirations of the citizens will also be discussed in the Parliament, adding the nation will feel the positive developments.

Meanwhile, President Pranab Mukherjee said that his government's philosophy is captured in the idea 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and it is striving hard to eradicate poverty.

"Mahatma Gandhi said poverty is the worst form of violence. My is striving hard to eradicate poverty. Well-being of our farmers is vital to nation's prosperity," said President Mukherjee.
Indian citizens had a higher exposure to average particulate matter than their Chinese counterparts, an analysis of satellite data on particulate matter has shown, environmental group Greenpeace has claimed.

It said while Chinas strong measures to curb pollution have contributed to the biggest year-on-year air quality improvement on record, in contrast, Indias pollution levels continued a decade-long increase to reach the highest level on record.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), India is home to 13 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, with air pollution levels deteriorating during the past decade, particularly in north India.

Greenpeace, in its National Air Quality Index (NAQI) ranking report had revealed that as many as 15 of the 17 Indian cities with NAQI stations showed levels of air pollution that far exceeded prescribed Indian standards. The report also revealed 23 of the 32 stations across India showing levels which were more than 70 per cent higher than national standards, putting public health at risk.

Indias NAQI network, with 39 operating stations, compares poorly with the 1,500 stations in China. The satellite images until 2005 showed Indias pollution, while serious, was lot lower than eastern Chinas. However, as of 2015, Indias particulate pollution stands higher than of Chinas, after increasing at an average rate of two per cent over the past decade.

In China, particulate pollution levels rose an estimated 20 per cent between 2005 and 2011 due to growing dependence on fossil fuels. However, after adopting a comprehensive National Action Plan in 2013 along with strong policies and stricter enforcement, Chinas particulate trend started bending, as 2015 witnessed a fall of 15 per cent as compared to 2014.

Looking at the change in particulate levels in the past 10 years, very significant reductions are seen across Eastern and Central China, testimony to the national scale of the key measures to tackle air pollution. In India, while the pollution levels are highest in the north, the trend of worsening pollution levels is seen across the subcontinent, with West Bengal, Bihar, UP and AP displaying the largest increases, and the NCR also seeing a significant increase.

Greenpeace has urged the government to issue red alerts during bad air days and take policy decisions in the long term.

Air pollution monitoring only covers one quarter of the population in China and only a few percent of the population in India, and in both countries, PM2.5 monitoring networks have only been created very recently, so long-term trends cannot be assessed.
Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, on a fence-mending mission, asserted on Monday that the new Constitution of the Himalayan nation was a dynamic document providing inclusivity to all sections of the Nepali society.

Assuring once again the disgruntled sections in Nepal -- particularly the Madhesi parties of Nepal's southern Terai region -- about the government having an open mind towards their grievances, if any, Oli said: "We are ready to listen and ready to address if there are any genuine problems."

Oli, who arrived at New Delhi on Friday on a six-day visit -- the first state visit by a prime minister from the Himalayan nation since 2011, declared that he has succeeded in clearing up "all misunderstandings" with New Delhi about the alleged discriminatory character of the new statute.

"The main mission of my visit was to clear misunderstandings that surfaced in the past few months and to take back our relations to the same level of enthusiasm when (Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji visited Nepal in August 2014," said Oli.

The visiting Nepali premier was delivering the 21st Sapru House Lecture at the Indian Council of World Affairs here. Present on the occasion, among others, were Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa.

Oli, who is making his first foreign visit after the Himalayan nation adopted a new Constitution in September last year, said, India and Nepal shared a lot in common and their relations were beyond formalities.

Nepal, he said, was keen to share in the economic progress achieved by India and wanted to lend impetus to the development of its abundant water resources through India's participation.

"We are working on hydro projects with combined capacity of 7,000 MW and their quick and successful completion can be a gateway to Nepal's economic prosperity," Oli said, adding that a just-inaugurated power line would initially provide 80 MW electricity to energy-starved Nepal but within the next two years it would provide up to 600 MW of power.

The two countries inaugurated a power transmission line between Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Dhalkebar in Nepal during Oli's visit here.

Oli also thanked India for all the support it provided to Nepal over the years for developmental work in various fields, and specially for the spontaneous support after the April 2015 earthquake that claimed 8,800 lives and destroyed property worth crores of rupees.

"The support and solidarity shown by our friends from India turns the heads of Nepalese people," he said, adding that "we equally appreciate the support of India in our reconstruction drive".

Referring to the contentious issue of the new Constitution and its alleged discriminatory character vis-a-vis the Madhesis and the indigenous groups of the Nepal Terai, Oli said "some of the issues have already been addressed and some others are still being addressed".

On January 23, the Nepal parliament approved two amendments to the then four-month-old Constitution in an effort to address the agitating Madhesis' demands for proportionate representation and allocation of seats in parliament on the basis of population.

The Madhesi agitation, that continued for almost six months, claimed more than 55 lives in violent protests which erupted following the adoption of the new Constitution on September 20 last year.

Crucial entry points from India to Nepal were blocked by the agitators leading to shortage of essential supplies and medicines in the land-locked Himalayan nation.

Nepal blamed the Indian establishment for instigating the trouble, a charge New Delhi firmly and constantly denied.

Oli said the constitutional amendments were brought within a short span of time and it proved that his government was very flexible and wanted to address genuine demands.

"It proves that the Constitution is dynamic, can be changed, amended according to demands," he said.

Referring to India nudging Nepal to address concerns of sections of its people concerning the Constitution, Oli said: "The government of Nepal and people of Nepal are ready to address the genuine concerns and we understand the sensitivities of our neighbours. We are always addressing these."

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is also ICWA vice president, described as historic and characterised by emotional bonds rather than geographical proximity.

Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Kamal Thapa, who also addressed the gathering, said the main purpose of Prime Minister Oli's visit was to clear the air of mistrust and misunderstanding that had overshadowed bilateral ties in the past few months.

"The air of mistrust and misunderstanding has been fully cleared... the relations have come back to normal," he said, adding that it was a new phase in .
Syria's main opposition grouping said it has accepted a ceasefire deal announced by the United States and Russia if humanitarian "conditions" were met.

The statement by the Riyadh-based High Negotiations Committee came hours after Moscow and Washington said a ceasefire in war-torn was set to begin overnight Friday-Saturday.

Read more from our special coverage on "SYRIA" UN envoy says February 25 Syria talks unrealistic

"After HNC general coordinator Riad Hijab presented the results of his discussions with opposition factions across all fronts, we agreed to respond positively to efforts to reach a truce deal," the HNC said.

But its "commitment to the truce is conditional" on the lifting of sieges, release of prisoners, a halt to bombardment of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The statement said the ceasefire "should be announced simultaneously by all sides".

It quoted HNC head Hijab as saying he did not have high expectations that the regime and its allies "would be able to commit to stopping their hostile acts".

In a joint announcement earlier yesterday, the United States and Russia said parties in that wanted to commit to the cessation of hostilities should do so by noon Damascus time (1000 GMT) on Friday.
With the threat of cyber crimes and terrorism looming, the government as well as industry is reaching out to firms in the US and Israel to boost their internal systems. From Microsoft to companies such as Black Duck Software are having talks with the Indian government to address and fulfil the latters concerns and needs.

The industry needs smart and powerful tools to protect their networks, which need to be fully secured. Special protection is required, said Peeyush Agrawal, member (technology) at the Department of Telecommunications.

The communications and information technology (IT) ministry pegs the Indian cyber security market at Rs 1,500 crore. While the country has made enormous progress in IT and e-commerce, cyber-security in India is at a nascent stage. Israel, the biggest player in the sector after the US, exported $6 billion worth of cyber-related products in 2014.

The Indian government and major private players are working together at multiple levels to boost cyber security in various agencies. While at present it is working with software giants such as Microsoft, it is also holding talks with companies from Israel and the US.

According to Microsoft, it is working with the government on setting up the Cyber Security Engagement Centre under the digital crimes unit of the company. The centre will work with law enforcement agencies as well as customers and help stakeholders fight cyber crimes, said Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer at Microsoft Corporation.

The company said it would offer cyber security services to various agencies of the Indian government, including the defence forces and power plants in the country. It is also holding talks with many companies.

According to private firms such as US Black Duck Software, India is a huge untapped market.

The Indian cyber security market is significantly large and it is growing at a fast pace as there is a national economic dependency on it. Indian economy is IT-centric and the performance of these sectors depends heavily on cyber security. We are just starting to have conversation with the Indian government and are meeting the national cyber security group, representatives from defence as were seeing a lot of demands coming from these areas, said Adam Clay, vice-president of worldwide sales at Black Duck Software.
Coroners tragic conclusion on mystery disappearance of teen backpacker A coroner has handed down her findings on the Belgian backpacker who disappeared almost without trace in an idyllic New South Wales tourist town more than three years ago.

Jim Chalmers warns disaster floods will weigh on GDP growth Treasurer Jim Chalmers has revealed the "initial estimate" the recent flooding would have on the economy but warns costs associated could be "even more significant" ahead of his first federal budget on Tuesday.

Limited value: Liberal Senator against royal commission into COVID Liberal Senator Jane Hume acknowledged the long-term effects of lockdowns and school shutdowns but said Australia fared well compared to other countries.

Heavy rain, hail and more flood warnings for four states this weekend Millions of residents along the east coast have been told to brace for more wet weather this weekend, with warnings of large hailstones for Friday and severe thunderstorms bringing heavy rain to already flooded river systems.


(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) In this September 28, 2016 file photo, Uganda's President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni speaks during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters. Uganda's long-time president is attending a televised debate Saturday Feb. 13, 2016 night, in which he faces seven challengers, including his former prime minister.

Because local media houses are very scared of the regime, we have used Twitter and Facebook to break stories about opposition arrest and published images of voters being beaten by the military on polling station.

As Ugandas ruling party arrested opposition leaders and shut down social media in the midst of a disputed presidential election, a Toronto scholar is among those the charge to circumvent media controls using the same technology that Canadians use to watch American Netflix.We are like ninjas, Gerald Bareebe told thein a Twitter direct message from Uganda.There is a feeling you get that I cannot even describe. You feel more powerful than the mighty state. You feel like you have broken the chains that have been holding you captive, Bareebe added by email.On Thursday, Ugandans went to the polls in a presidential election that will decide the future of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who first took power in a 1986 coup.But as voting began Thursday morning, Musevenis government cut off access to social media platforms including Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter.The president explained that the shutdown was ordered as a security measure to avert lies  intended to incite violence and illegal declaration of election results.Ugandan police were showing a similar suspicion of free media in the lead up to the vote. I fear the camera more than the bullet  because it distorts the truth, Kale Kayihura, head of the Uganda Police Force, told domestic media earlier this week.However, the blockage can be circumvented via the use of a virtual private network, a method that can be used to hide a users identity and location. Commonly used by Canadians to view international versions of Netflix or Hulu, VPN services are also popular in China to access websites blocked by government firewalls.Born in Western Uganda, Bareebe is a PhD student at the University of Toronto and a former Jeanne Sauve Scholar at McGill University.After voting first thing Thursday morning, Bareebe said he noticed the outage, immediately installed a VPN to bypass it and then joined other Ugandans in using phone calls and text messages to alert others to the workaround.Once I tried and it worked for me, I started spreading information to my colleagues, he said.According to Google Trends, Ugandan web searches for VPN went up dramatically on Election Day. By Friday, one VPN provider, Trust.Zone, reported 300,000 downloads of its software coming from Uganda on the first days of the election.Other counts had Ugandas total number of VPN downloads reaching more than 1.5 million, although this number could not be confirmed.Because local media houses are very scared of the regime, we have used Twitter and Facebook to break stories about opposition arrest and published images of voters being beaten by the military on polling station, said Bareebe.These guys came to power through a guerrilla war, it is no surprise that they want to rule like bandits.Images have emerged appearing to show ballot boxes being stuffed and of heavy military presence in opposition areas. One particularly widely shared image showed a soldier appearing to seize a ballot box before voting had finished.A hashtag #1986pictures was also started to mock Musevenis three decade hold on power. Amid images of boxy cathode ray tube televisions and a pre-pubescent Leonardo di Caprio, one 33-year-old Ugandan wrote I was three years old when these rebels took power.Weve mocked them online!! said Bareebe, noting that in some cases, government Twitter accounts have started responding to the avalanche of criticism coming by way of Ugandan VPN users.After configuring their VPNs to show their location as being in Canada, some Ugandans even openly touted being virtually in Canada on election day.Tweeting from Canada, voting in Uganda, wrote Twitter user Samuel Gaamuwa.The internet crackdown attracted swift condemnation from international sources, particularly the United States mission in Uganda.On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called Museveni to demand that the internet blockage be removed immediately and added that the United States stands by the Ugandan people as they undertake this most essential democratic endeavor.A statement from Amnesty International called the shutdown nothing but an exercise in censorship.Museveni remained poised to win as of press time, although amid the chaos of the voting observers had severe doubts as to the legitimacy of the result.Most notably, Thursday saw the arrest and brief detention of opposition leader Kizza Besigye as he was leading reporters to a house where he alleged that ballot stuffing was taking place.
Death toll hits 29

in Fiji cyclone

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  An island in Fiji took a direct hit from a deadly cyclone as the death toll climbed to 29.

A government spokesman said Tuesday Koro Island had been pretty much flattened by Cyclone Winston over the weekend and eight bodies were found there Monday.

He said there were very few buildings left on the island, which is home to about 4,500 people.

Winds from Cyclone Winston, which tore through the Pacific Island chain Saturday and early Sunday, reached 177 miles per hour, making it the strongest storm in Fijis recorded history.

States take aim

at service pets

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)  People who falsely pass off their pets as service animals have frustrated people with legitimate needs to such an extent legislators in several states are considering laws to restore the animals credibility.

Legislatures in Maine, Virginia, Arizona, Hawaii, New York and Puerto Rico are considering bills that would either establish such a program or penalize people who fraudulently claim to have service dogs.

Some lawmakers want to weed out the fakers by giving people with disabilities the option of obtaining a state-issued card that verifies their animal is a service dog.

14 astronauts sought, 18,300 people apply

WASHINGTON (WP)  In 2014, Harvards acceptance rate was 5.9 percent. NASAs latest round of astronaut candidate applications is going to be just a little tougher: With a record-breaking 18,300-plus applications and just 14 spots, applicants have less than a .08 percent chance of getting picked for training.

Until now, the record for astronaut applications was a relatively puny 8,000and hadnt been challenged since 1978. Only 6,300 applied in 2012, and that was the second biggest application pool of all time.

Boy, 6, fires gun placed in diaper bag

TAMPA, Fla. (AP)  Tampa police have arrested a 37-year-old man after a 6-year-old boy found the mans gun in a diaper bag and fired a round.

According to a news release from the police department, Ricardo Candelario Marquez put his gun in his girlfriends diaper bag Sunday and then walked to a fishing pier, leaving the bag unattended.

The boy found the gun and fired it. Police said he suffered a small abrasion on his upper lip from the recoil. A responding officer saw Marquez trying to dispose of the gun in the bay.

Treblinka revolt survivor, 93, dies

MOSHAV UDIM, Israel (AP)  The death of 93-year-old Samuel Willenberg marks the passing of the last known survivor of the daring revolt at Treblinka, the notorious death camp in occupied Poland that is perhaps the most vivid example of Nazi Germanys attempt to destroy European Jewry.

But the death of Willenberg, who was buried Monday, also symbolizes a looming transition in the field of Holocaust commemoration, as historians and educators prepare for a world without survivors and the challenge of maintaining the memory of the Nazi genocide without the aid of witnesses.

Willenberg, one of just 67 men known to have survived Treblinka after a revolt, devoted his final years to preserving the memory of more than 875,000 people systematically murdered in a one-year killing spree there at the height of World War II.
WATERLOO  A search in Waterloo for a man wanted in the killing of a grade-schooler in Chicago as part of a gang retaliation turned up empty, but authorities did find a man wanted in Texas.

Chicago police are looking for 22-year-old Kevin Edwards for his role in the November shooting death of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee.

Officials said Tyshawn was lured away from a park and killed by a members of a street gang in retaliation for an Oct. 13 shooting.

That shooting left 25-year-old Tracy Morgan dead and injured Morgans mother. Tracy Morgans brother, Cory Morgan, 27, vowed revenge, stating that since his brother was killed and his mama was shot, he was going to kill grandmas, mama, kids and all, police said.

Court records allege Cory Morgan, Edwards and another man were seen around Dawes Park in Chicago where Tyshawn was playing Nov. 2. One of the men took the child to a nearby alley, where the boy was shot a number of times at close range.

Cory Morgan was arrested in November in Tyshawns death.

Agents with the U.S. Marshals Service said Edwards also is wanted on homicide charges in connection with Tyshawns slaying.

On Friday afternoon, the search for Edwards led marshals and officers from Chicago and Waterloo to a home at 411 Randall St., said Capt. David Mohlis with the Waterloo Police Department. Edwards wasnt located, but police detained Ryan Edward Ellis, 24, Mohlis said. Ellis was wanted on an unrelated arrest warrant for theft out of Dallas County, Texas, according to officials at the Black Hawk County Jail, where he remains in custody.

Marshals said Edwards has known ties throughout eastern Iowa, and they are offering $5,000 for information leading to his arrest. Edwards is described as a 22-year-old black male, about 6 feet, 1 inch in height and weighing 200 pounds. Authorities believe he recently cut his hair.

He should be considered armed and dangerous, according to the Marshals service.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Marshals Service communication center at (800) 336-0102.

The Randall Street address was the scene of a shooting Feb. 6. A gunman showed up at the home around 10 a.m. and began chasing a person in the house, firing a number of shots outside. No injuries were reported, and no arrests were made.
DECORAH  Court officials and attorneys on Monday began trimming a large field of potential jurors, cutting the number down to those who will evenutally weigh evidence and testimony in Alexander Fazzinos murder trial. The process is taking a bit longer than expected, and the session concluded for the day without quite reaching that goal.

Of those summoned, 86 people appeared for possible duty at the Winneshiek County Courthouse in Decorah.

Prosecutors Scott Brown and Daniel Kolacia allege Fazzino killed his 32-year-old wife Jan. 29, 2012, in the couples home in Boone.

The trial will last at least two full weeks and may go into a third, according to Judge Michael Moon.

Because of that fact, attorneys and Moon will eventually seat 15 in the jury. They will all hear the case, but only 12 people will deliberate and reach a verdict.

Three are alternates and will be dismissed if not needed for deliberations. They do not know who they are because, as Judge Moon said, we want everyone to pay attention.

Moon apologized in advance for court officials who might mispronounce potential jurors names. He noted folks from Boone County are more familiar with Swedish and Finnish names. Decorah, however, is known for its strong Norwegian heritage and family names.

There are some combinations (of letters) here Ive never seen before, Moon said.

Brown later acknowledged the mood in the courtroom may at times not match the serious nature of the alleged offense. Jurors should not interpret those lighter moments as trivializing the case, he said.

We charged Mr. Fazzino with first-degree murder. We make no apologies for that, and we intend to prove hes guilty, Brown added.

Defense attorney William Kutmus, though, later emphasized what he described as a core value in the American judicial system: His client, Alexander Fazzino, is innocent until the state proves otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt.

Presumption of innocence sticks with him all the way to the jury room, Kutmus said.

During examination of a 37-person panel called forward in the courtroom, Brown questioned the group and individuals about their exposure to information related to the case. He also asked where they got the information.

Many of the potential jurors had heard about a murder case out of Boone County moving to Winneshiek County. A few had discussed the case with friends or colleagues, and others had read news accounts more thoroughly, they said. One man said he had done a Google search for information Sunday.

Brown during questioning also revealed who the jurors may eventually meet. Witnesses for the state may include Boone police officers, medical examiners and agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Jurors also may hear from Rick Beckwith, Emily Fazzinos father; her sister, Ammie Dighton, and Ammies husband, Jeff Dighton; and Jody Beckwith, Emily Fazzinos aunt.

Based on Browns questions, the state will apparently also raise the issue of domestic violence. He asked potential jurors if such an issue had ever touched them or anyone close to them.

According to court records, Boone police responded to Emily and Alexander Fazzinos home Jan. 22, 2012, because of a domestic dispute. They made no arrests and no one reported any physical assault.

Emily Fazzino filed for divorce the next day, according to court records.

That week, Alexander Fazzino allegedly took the couples three children out of the state without his wifes knowledge or permission, according to an affidavit filed by investigators with Fazzinos arrest warrant. Fazzinos family lives in Missouri.

Fazzino returned to Iowa on Jan. 24, 2012, after being served a court order from Emily Fazzinos attorney.

Emily Fazzino spoke to her father, Rick Beckwith, at 5:10 p.m. on the day she died, Jan. 29, 2012, according to court records. Beckwith told investigators his daughter said she was afraid to go home.

Alexander Fazzino placed a 911 call about 8 p.m. telling a dispatcher his wife was attempting to kill herself by drowning in the bathtub, according to the affidavit.

Kutmus also provided a list of potential witnesses for Fazzinos defense. They include Fazzinos parents, Nick and Joanne Fazzino, and several siblings. Kutmus also listed Emily Fazzinos parents.

The courtroom Monday morning was nearly filled to capacity. Fazzinos brother, Nick Fazzino, was among the crowd, and the two brothers spoke several times during recesses.

Alexander Fazzino previously posted bond and has not been in police custody since 2013. He left the courtroom Monday with his attorneys and his brother.
WATERLOO  Two bullets hit Orintheo Campbell Jr. as he stood in a convenience store parking lot in December 2014.

Either of the projectiles alone could have killed him, jurors heard Monday as trial for the man accused of pulling the trigger entered its second week.

James Robert Ernst II, 26, is charged with first-degree murder in Campbells death, and his defense attorneys said he acted in self defense.

Campbells friends and family members wept and covered their eyes, looking down as Chief State Medical Examiner Julia Goodin referred to photos projected on a screen to outline injuries Campbell suffered.

One bullet struck Campbells chest from the front, piercing a lung and tearing part of the heart before breaking the eighth rib and exiting out his back, said Goodin, who conducted the autopsy.

The other gunshot wound was to the neck. It entered from the front, striking the trachea and esophagus and slamming into a vertebra skidding downward where it lodged just underneath the skin of his back, Goodin testified.

On their own, each of the gunshot wounds would have been fatal, she said. She couldnt tell which wound came first.

Dr. Nik Nikoueiha, an emergency room physician at Unity Point-Allen Hospital, told jurors Campbell had some light breathing but no signs of life when he arrived.

He was unresponsive. He was pale, no pulse, no vital signs, Nikoueiha said.

Staff performed CPR for 17 minutes and gave him blood as they tried to revive Campbell, he said.

Was there ever a pulse that was regained? Black Hawk County Attorney Brian Williams asked.

Briefly, yes, Nikoueiha said. He said the vague and weak pulse lasted about one or two minutes.

Experts said it appeared the gunshots came at a distance beyond 3 to 6 feet away. Goodin said there were no powder burns in the skin that would indicate the weapon was near its target when it fired, and Carl Bessman, a firearms examiner with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said there were no signs of gunpowder patterns on Campbells clothing that would suggest the same.

Bessman also said all five spent .40-caliber shell casings had the same markings, indicating they were fired by the same weapon. Bullets recovered from the scene also shared similar characteristics but not enough to determine if they were fired from the same gun, he said.

Authorities said the gun used in the shooting was never recovered. Bessman said the spent casings had markings that appeared to have been made by a Glock, early generation Smith & Wesson Sigma or a Springfield XD-S pistol.

Testimony is scheduled to continue Tuesday in Black Hawk County District Court.
DES MOINES  Rep. Jake Highfill just wanted to correct an injustice in Iowa Code by allowing parents to let their children younger than 14 handle handguns in the same way state law permits them to use rifles and shotguns.

However, Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, called House File 2281 an abdication of lawmakers responsibility to protect children from poor parenting.

The bill passed 62 to 36.

HF 2281 would allow a parent to let their child handle handguns and ammunition. Under current law, children 14 and older may handle handguns under the supervision of a parent or guardian.

While most parents would not allow their two-year-old wield a revolver, we pass laws for those parents who lack the parenting skills needed to protect their own children, Mascher said. We have done that with seat belts laws, car seats, smoking, drinking, driving (and) many other areas where we felt the state needed to intervene to protect children.

The bill was not about whether young children should be handling handguns the same way the law allows than to use long guns under parental supervision, according to Highfill.
BETTENDORF (AP)  A national company wants to build a large psychiatric hospital in eastern Iowa, but current hospitals and the state's largest health-insurance company oppose it.

The Iowa Health Facilities Council will vote on whether to issue a "certificate of need" on Wednesday for a proposed $14 million, 72-bed psychiatric hospital in Bettendorf. Their role is to decide whether large health-care projects are economically feasible or whether they'd drive up costs by duplicating what's already available.

Tennessee-based Strategic Behavioral Health, the company that proposed the project, notes that Iowa, like most of the nation, faces a severe shortage of psychiatric services. But local hospitals say the real shortage is mental health professionals, not the number of beds.

UnityPoint Health, which runs the Trinity hospital system, says the proposal is the "wrong plan" to meet Quad-Cities mental health patients' needs.

UnityPoint lawyer Doug Gross says in a letter to the state council that the new, for-profit hospital would damage existing nonprofit organizations. He said that Trinity, which has 54 psychiatric beds in the Quad Cities area, is planning to expand and reorganize its mental health efforts.

Ken Croken, a vice president of the Genesis health system, said that the hospital plans to have 60 beds by the end of 2017.

"Does it really make sense to add a 72-bed hospital to the mix?" Croken said.

Strategic Behavioral Health is urging regulators to consider the value of competition.

"Where there are more providers to compare approaches and results, there is greater opportunity for finding best practices," it wrote in a letter to the council. "When consumers have greater choice, particularly in a patient-centered environment, health care providers offer care and services that is more effective and provides greater satisfaction and therefore, very likely, better outcomes."

Strategic Behavioral Health owns or is building 11 mental hospitals across the nation.
DES MOINES  Children with speech, language or hearing disorders currently enrolled in Iowas Hawk-I health program would continue to receive therapy as a medically necessary benefits if the state switches to a privately run Medicaid managed care program under a bill approved 50-0 by the Iowa Senate on Tuesday.

Senate File 2145 requires that the Hawk-I covered speech therapy benefit under Medicaid managed care provide for coverage of both habilitative and rehabilitative services for children with speech, language, and hearing disorders as medically necessary.

The bill  which would take effect upon enactment retroactive to March 1 -- prohibits the determination of a service as medically necessary from being interpreted to require loss or impairment as the result of a stroke, accidental injury, or surgery to the head or neck as a prerequisite to coverage of services.

Senate President Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, told senators to expect to see other similar measures come before them for consideration if federal officials approve Gov. Terry Branstads plan to implement privately run managed care for Iowas 560,000 Medicaid enrollees effective March 1.

We need to make a very strong statement to the managed care organizations and to the Department of Human Services that we arent going to stand by idly and let services be ripped away that our children desperately need to remain healthy or to get healthy, said Jochum during Tuesdays Senate floor debate.

Sen. Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines, who is an ex-officio member of the Hawk-I board, said its just wrong to turn over the care of Iowas children to out-of-state private companies that won DHS contracts.

I have deep concerns that this is just the start of a number of bills that we will have to take up to insure that our children are getting the care that they need, Petersen said. We had a top-notch program for our children in this state with more than 26,000 providers who offered care to kids that were part of Hawk-I, she added, but noted that number now has dropped dramatically.

Im outraged that the administration has basically ruined our outstanding child health care program and I think were going to see a lot more pieces of legislation like this trying to protect our kids, Petersen said in comments during Tuesdays floor debate on a bill that now must win approval by the Iowa House and be signed by Branstad to become law.
TOLEDO  The state will spend nearly $250,000 on a consultant to help three Iowa cities find new tenants for empty, state-owned buildings.

The Iowa Economic Development Board voted Friday to hire a national company, Matrix Design Group, to help seek new tenants for recently closed facilities in Toledo, Clarinda and Mount Pleasant.

Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, closed the Iowa Juvenile Home, a juvenile detention facility in Toledo, in 2014. Branstad also opted not to fund state mental health hospitals in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant, causing their closures in June 2015.

The Clarinda facility has shown to be particularly tough sell as the building is 128 years old with entire floors that have havent been used in decades. But the juvenile home has been shuttered for longer and remains sitting empty.

Iowa lawmakers representing the area around Toledo have been working with the community since the juvenile homes closure to try to find a replacement tenant without success.

Ive talked to several different entities, a Bible college, an elderly housing nonprofit, another rehabilitation group; none of them have been willing to step forward and take it on, said Iowa Rep. Dean Fisher, R-Garwin. They came out, looked at it and said, Thanks but no thanks.

Iowa Sen. Steve Sodders, D-State Center, said hed like to see the regions housing shortages addressed by selling off some of the 27 acres that make up the grounds surrounding the juvenile home.

But while the building sits empty, the lawmakers are split on the wisdom of hiring a consultant.

There has not been a plan. Since he shut the place down, zero plan, Sodders said. Everything was unilaterally closed by the governor, and this just again shows he had no idea what to do with the facilities prior to closing; now, youve actually got to hire out-of-state people to figure out what to do with the facilities that in my view he should not have closed and he shouldnt have done it unilaterally with our taxpayer dollars.

Sodders, who was one of four state lawmakers to file a lawsuit against the governor for the closure of the juvenile home, said he had not been contacted about the decision to move toward hiring a consultant firm to find a tenant for the shuttered facilities.

He also noted, despite being shuttered, the facilities still have costs associated with them. The 2015 spending on the Iowa Juvenile Home totaled $509,286 for mostly maintenance and utilities. The 2016 cost is expected to be about $350,000, and the governor has proposed zero dollars in his 2017 budget.

Sodders added, however, as the process gets underway, hed like to see Matrix Design Group work with the local community to find a tenant that best suits local needs.

Fisher, meanwhile, is pleased to see the process move forward to fill the vacant building.

I knew itd be a long process. Im not surprised its taking this long, but I certainly welcome having this professional help step in and broaden the search, Fisher said.

Fisher said the process for finding a tenant is expected to take about 12 months.

The money to hire the consultant came from a federal community development fund.

The scope of their work, as laid out in the request for proposals, is to create a toolkit for IEDA that can be used in other Iowa communities that have vacant or underutilized facilities; hold strategic planning meetings in the three communities regarding potential tenants; and based on those meetings, develop individual reports for each community to outline strategies and reuse opportunities.
WATERLOO -- The city will not renew a liquor license for a downtown nightclub with a history of attracting violent criminal activity.

Waterloo City Council members voted unanimously Monday to reject a liquor license request for Club 319 at 229 E. Fourth St.

License applicant William Micou Jr. did not attend the meeting and could not immediately be reached for comment. Club 319 is closed Mondays.

City Clerk Suzy Schares said neither city fire safety inspectors nor the Black Hawk County Health Department had signed off on the license for the business, while police officials also recommended denying the request.

Police Sgt. Brian Hoelscher, in a memorandum to council members, said officers are dispatched frequently to the nightclub for reports of disorderly conduct, fights, assaults, weapons violations, drug violations, robberies and more.

He noted police were called to Club 319 on Jan. 1 for a crowd that refused to disperse. A man was shot in the alley and shots were fired at club patrons and police.

It is the opinion of the Waterloo Police Department that William Micou Jr. has been negligent and ineffective in providing a safe atmosphere for the general public that frequent or even come into proximity with the business, Hoelscher said.

The police also noted Micou did not disclose in his application Club 319 had been issued a chronic nuisance property citation March 22, 2014.

During the trial on that citation, which was later dismissed, Micous son, William Micou III, testified he undertook all of the recommendations made by city officials to stem problems. He installed cameras, added security and a dress code and prohibited people younger than 25.

Micou has a right to appeal the license denial to the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. If a timely appeal is filed, the nightclub can continue to operate pending the outcome of the case.

In other business, council members unanimously approved:

The first of three required readings of a zoning request from House of Hope to establish a new transitional group home for homeless mothers and their children at the former Ross Christensen dentistry office at 845 W. Fourth St.

The first of three required readings of a site plan request from Loves Travel Stops and Country Stores to build a truck stop, convenience store and restaurant just east of the former Waterloo Greyhound Park.

There were no objections to either zoning request. The second readings are scheduled for the March 7 council meeting.
Black Hawk Co. Farm Bureau

WATERLOO  Black Hawk County Farm Bureau will offer up to $4,000 in scholarships this year.

These county scholarships are available to any son or daughter of Black Hawk County Farm Bureau members. The county scholarship is open to high school seniors regardless of what their area of study will be in college.

Farm Bureau memberships are not limited to farmers.

The application is available at local guidance offices and the Farm Bureau office. Applications must be postmarked by March 1 to be eligible. The completed application and all necessary papers must be returned to Black Hawk County Farm Bureau at 3315 W. Fourth St., Waterloo 50701.

If a student is considering an ag or ag-related field of study they are eligible for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation state scholarship. They only need to complete the state application to be considered for both the state and county scholarships. For more information, go to www.iowafarmbureau.com.

ISU Alumni

WATERLOO  The ISU Alumni Club of Black Hawk County will award two scholarships this spring.

The Black Hawk County Scholarship is to a junior or senior at ISU and is awarded based on scholastic excellence and involvement in the university and community outside the classroom. The David Juon Scholarship is for a high school senior planning to attend Iowa State this summer or fall. Again, high scholastic and community service records are the basis.

Students for either scholarship must be a resident of Black Hawk County.

Deadline for application is March 15. Go to www.isualum.org/en/students/student_awards_scholarships or check with your high school counselor.

Forever Young

EVANSDALE  Applications are being accepted through March 31 for the Forever Young Memorial Scholarship Fund, which memorializes Kelsey Lee and Lindsay Nichols.

This scholarship fund has been established to assist at least two students annually in a health science field. There will be two $1,000 scholarships awarded this year to students residing in Black Hawk or Buchanan counties.

Graduates must be full-time students at an accredited public or private university, college, vocational, technical or post-secondary institution in Iowa for the 2016-17 school years. Priority will be given to individuals with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Applicants must exhibit leadership qualities through involvement in extracurricular and volunteer activities in school, community or church.

To apply, complete the scholarship application and submit academic records, essay and three letters of recommendation. Winners will be notified in May. Application materials may be obtained at local high schools or by contacting the Forever Young Committee at bhc755@msn.com.

Send completed scholarship packet to Forever Young Memorial Scholarship, 616 Grand Blvd., Evansdale 50707.
There may be some middle ground when it comes to keeping some juvenile court records private, as would be the case in a bill alive in the Iowa Legislature.

But when it comes to serious crimes  felonies of any kind  we believe the public has a right to know, for safety reasons if nothing else.

In North Iowa, juveniles have been convicted in several sensational murder cases.

Most recently, vivid memories were rekindled by a ruling in a Charles City murder case. Edgar Concepcion Jr., now 21, was 14 at the time of the murder of his cousin, Krystel Banes, in July 2009. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in November 2010.

But because of recent changes in the law regarding penalties for those convicted of serious crimes committed as juveniles, he recently was resentenced  this time to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Life with parole does not necessarily mean you are ever going to get out of prison, District Court Judge James Drew told Concepcion during the resentencing hearing.

The Iowa Board of Parole will make that decision, the judge said, adding, None of us has got a crystal ball.

So, say a law like the one being proposed was in effect during the Concepcion case. And say he is eventually released. Should his records be kept from the public? Doesnt the public have the right to know a convicted murderer is in their midst?

None of us has that crystal ball to know if itll ever happen, but if it does, its our opinion the public absolutely has a right to know, not for gossip reasons or to sell newspapers, but for public safety.

But that wouldnt be the case if the bill in the Legislature is passed and signed by Gov. Terry Branstad, who tasked a work group last summer to examine potential criminal justice reforms.

As of 2014 nine states totally protected juvenile records while another 33 made only certain types available.

Proponents say minor offenses on juvenile criminal records can hinder an individual later in life from gaining employment or housing.

It unduly harms childrens futures. It can keep them from getting jobs. It can hurt their prospects for college, said Julie Smith, a lobbyist for the Middleton Center for Childrens Rights. Once this information gets out, its really hard to pull it back.

But what if the juvenile has a string of minor offenses on his or her record? Clearly, a pattern of behavior has been established. Whos to say one person is dangerous while another isnt? Thats why the public needs to know.

At a Statehouse hearing on the proposal to keep records secret, only media representatives opposed it. Their arguments were valid, such as by Lynn Hicks, opinion and engagement editor for The Des Moines Register, who said the bill swings the pendulum too far toward secrecy.

There is a reason why the court system and juvenile system is open. It needs to remain transparent and accountable, Hicks said.

We and our colleagues who believe the system should remain transparent will continue to monitor this legislation closely. We believe its important our communities know if there are potentially dangerous people among us. And we believe the public needs to know how and if the justice system is working.

In the meantime, well give tacit support to a suggestion by Kelly Meyers, a lobbyist for the Iowa County Attorneys Association, who suggested the bill should exempt felonies.

We believe thats the least Iowans should know  when and if there are potentially dangerous people among them.

Were as willing as the next guy to believe in second chances. But not when it comes to violent crimes. Thats why we strongly oppose keeping juvenile criminal records confidential.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 23, 2016 | 03:25 AM | PADUCAH, KY

A man who reported that he was assaulted on I-24 last week has now been arrested for filing a false report.

The McCracken County Sheriff's office received word on February 19 that three men had assaulted a good Samaritan on the shoulder of I-24 between Exit 3 and the Ohio River bridge. He was taken to Massac Memorial Hospital in Metropolis, then flown to a St. Louis hospital.

As deputies investigated the allegations reported by the victim, searches from the 3-mile marker to the I-24 bridge found no evidence indicating that an assault had occurred. Also, no motorists had called in reporting any altercation or stranded motorist.

On Monday, detectives spoke with a witness that knew the victim, Robert M. Pena. The witness stated they had personally followed Pena from the mall all the way to the Metropolis exit, and said that at no time did Pena pull off to the side of the road.

Pena came to the sheriffs department for further questioning, and again claimed that he had been assaulted on the side of I-24 while assisting a stranded motorist. When confronted with evidence indicating that his report was false, Pena admitted that he had made the story up.

Pena was arrested and charged with falsely reporting an incident, and was lodged in the McCracken County Regional Jail.

Detectives do believe Pena was assaulted, but cannot comment due to an ongoing investigation.
10. Bruce Wayne

Batman and Robin... it just kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? As much as the Boy Wonder's presence has been debated and derided over the years (how come comic books' most famous lone wolf needed to become part of a dynamic duo?) - Robin is arguably, even more of a Batman institution than such essential villains as The Joker, Two-Face or Catwoman. Like all comic book characters, Robin has been transformed and adapted to suit the times he finds himself in; unlike many comic book characters, however, Robin has had more than a change of attitude. Superman has always been Clark Kent; Batman has always been Bruce Wayne (except for brief fill-ins); but Robin has been many different people at many different times, over the course of many different media. You get the sense there will be more Robins in future, and whoever it is will inherit a proud legacy. Every Robin has added something different; some have stood the test of time as interesting characters in their own right, while others are notable only for their historical place in Batman lore. Here, ranked according to completely scientific criteria are the one and only Robin(s), the Boy (and Girls) Wonder...No, your eyes have not deceived you: there was, in fact, a brief period in comics history when Bruce Wayne himself was clad as Robin, the Boy Wonder. And boy did it suck. In his original golden age/pre-crisis/Earth One origin story, Bruce Wayne wished to learn principles of deduction from master detective Harvey Harris. Rather logically, Wayne felt it would be smart for him to disguise his face and identity from Harris; rather less logically, Bruce ended up disguising himself in the same costume Dick Grayson would later wear. Bruce's "stint" as Robin would be a brief one - only lasting as long as his training with Harris did - but still, it happened, and is lame on so many levels it's almost physically painful. Having Bruce don any kind of specific costume before discovering the Batsuit arguably robs some of the potency of the inevitability of Bruce taking up the symbol of the bat. Here it almost feels as though Bruce's decision to dress as Batman has less to do with fate or even an attempt to scare criminals, and more to do with a simple fashion choice.More importantly, Bruce's stint as Robin steals a lot of the individuality of Dick Grayson when he finally appears on the scene. Dick's Robin costume - the bright red, green and yellow a stark contrast to Batman's moody gray and dark blue - was a perfect expression of that character's ebullience and individuality, as well as paying tribute to his background as a circus performer. Now the Robin costume is (apparently) just something Bruce Wayne had sitting in the back of his closet somewhere, and conveniently pulled out and shoved at Dick Grayson when he joined Batman's war on crime. Even calling Bruce Wayne Robin feels like an insult, and something of a degradation, mostly because it clearly has nothing to do with logic and everything to do with gimmicky storytelling. Robin's name originally referred to Robin Hood, the merry freedom fighter who battled injustice; later iterations of the character added a backstory for the name as Dick Grayson's moniker at the circus, because of his skill on the trapeze (he "flew like a Robin"). But in this version, Harris simply (awkwardly) tells Bruce that he's "as brilliant as a Robin redbreast in that outfit", and that's it - that's all the significance there is.
Blog on all things cars or "wheel to wheel"...... - new car comments - special vehicles - model cars - automobile history - auto racing .....and the Car Modelling Cat
Come with me on a journey of discovery through Southeast Asias old war zones. This ground breaking travel blog has photos of post-war life, and stories introducing you to fascinating people living there today. Meet American war vets, former Viet Cong, Khmer Rouge and civilian survivors. All have incredible stories. Follow me to these mysterious lands on the far side of the world, and gain unique insight into a region long misunderstood. Comments welcome.
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If youre looking to try out an online casino, there are several things that will help you make a decision. Heres what you should look for when choosing an online casino

 Are they regulated? A lot of the larger ones have licenses issued by the authorities in their respective regions, so its worth checking this first.

 Do they offer games from different software providers? Some casinos just use one software provider and limit your selection. This is fine if you like playing those types of games but you may want to check other casinos as well.

 What does their payout percentage look like? The payout rate refers to how much money you can expect to win after every bet. A high payout rate means youll be able to play more often without having to worry about losing all your money. Its also important to know the minimum and maximum bets allowed on each game. If youre going to play roulette, for example, then you probably dont want a casino with a minimum bet of less than $2.50 or even lower than that.

The players used to play the game slot online in the land based casinos in the past time. But now with time after the invention of the online casinos players play the game slot online. Online platform provide the players with the convenience in playing and even better winning. Even after keeping a good percentage of the profits, they distribute good funds to players.

 How many games do they offer? There are lots of different types of games to choose from. Roulette, blackjack and poker are some of the most popular options, but you might find slots, video pokers, video bingo and others as well. You can usually filter these games down to only show the ones that interest you best, so make sure that your list isnt too long!

 Is there a bonus offer? Many online casinos offer free bonuses as part of their welcome package  which includes new players being awarded 100% up to $10 instantly, for example. These offers are great but not everyone has access to them all the time (and some require you to deposit real money). If youd prefer to avoid paying a fee, some casinos offer no-deposit bonuses where you can get a certain amount of funds before you need to put any actual money into the account. These are usually offered alongside welcome bonuses, so make sure you read both parts of the terms and conditions carefully before signing up.

 Does it offer live dealer games? Live dealers are much preferred by many over regular virtual versions, so it pays to check this option out too. Most online casinos now offer live dealer games in addition to their regular offerings, allowing you to experience the thrill of the real thing without needing to leave home.

Now that youve got an idea of what to look for when choosing an online casino, heres some tips for making the right choice

It really comes down to personal preference. No two people are exactly alike, so everyone has an opinion on what they like and dislike about each casino. That said, here are some things to consider in order to narrow down your choices

 Popularity. Check out reviews, forums and Facebook pages to see what other people think of the casino. Also, ask around at work or friends houses who they would recommend to you. You could always take a look at the casinos website too, to see what kind of information they provide about themselves.

 Reputation. Find out what the general public thinks about the casino. Check out any customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot, Amazon and Google Play to find out more. As far as gaming goes, you can also check out the Better Business Bureau to see whether there have been any complaints against the casino.

 Security. Make sure the casino uses SSL encryption to secure its transactions, meaning that your private data stays safe during transactions. Other than that, look for security seals on the site itself and verify that theyre legitimate. You can also check out the casinos privacy policy to see how they handle confidential information.

 Payment methods. Its good to have multiple payment options available, especially if you plan to play frequently. Its also nice to find a casino that accepts cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. If youre worried about safety, you can always opt for a credit card or PayPal instead.

With all those criteria in mind, heres our top picks

Betway:

Betway is a relatively new UK casino offering online gambling to residents of the United Kingdom and European Union. They offer hundreds of games across both land based and digital platforms, with plenty of top software providers like Net Entertainment, Microgaming and Yggdrasil Gaming Network. With a generous welcome offer that gives players 100% up to 100, you really cant go wrong with Betway.

Coral Casino:

Coral Casino is operated by the same company that runs the famous Caribbean casino, Grand Reef. Like many casinos, Coral Casino offers a wide variety of games, including plenty of video slots and table games. New players can benefit from a huge 100% match bonus up to 1000, while existing customers enjoy 25% cash back on deposits made within 48 hours of opening an account.

Ladbrokes Casino:

Ladbrokes Casino is owned by the same company as the famous bookmaker that started life in 1921. With more than 500 games from leading software providers such as Amaya, NetEnt and Microgaming, you wont be disappointed by the quality of the games here. New players get a 200% match bonus up to 500, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits.

Paddy Power Casino:

Paddy Power is another Irish-owned casino that operates throughout Europe. Not only does Paddy Power Casino offer traditional casino games like blackjack, roulette and slots, but it also provides a full range of sports betting, including football, tennis, boxing and horse racing. New players can receive a massive 100% match bonus up to 200, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits.

William Hill Casino:

William Hill Casino is one of the biggest names in the industry, operating in Europe, Asia and North America. Founded in 1984, this online casino has more than 400 games to choose from, including slots and table games, with a wide array of software providers like WagerLogic, Big Time Gaming and Rival.

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If youre interested in trying out an online casino but arent quite ready to commit to one, why not try out one of the many no deposit casinos weve reviewed? You can test drive various casinos completely risk-free, so you can feel confident about your choice before you make a single penny deposit.
Cuban President Raul Castro announced Monday that he is dispatching 9,000 soldiers to help keep the Zika virus out of Cuba, calling on the entire country to fight the mosquito that carries the disease.

In a rare front-page message on the state-run newspaper Granma, Castro said Cuba's fight to prevent the arrival of the virus had been hampered by "the inadequate technical quality" of efforts against the mosquito, insufficient work to clean up areas where the mosquito propagates and poor weather conditions.

He wrote that the active and reserve military personnel and 200 national police officials would reinforce the Public Health Ministry's efforts to spray neighborhoods for mosquitoes and eliminate breeding spots. He said Cuba has yet to report a case of Zika, which is suspected of causing birth defects in Brazil.

Cuba prides itself on its system of free, neighborhood-level health care, which has included intensive efforts to limit the Aedes aegypti mosquito that also carries the tropical diseases dengue and chikungunya. Those efforts include door-to-door fumigation of homes and offices by young army recruits and civilian workers who are supposed to maintain a careful record of places they've fumigated.

Castro didn't elaborate on his criticism of anti-mosquito efforts, but the young workers can frequently be seen marking locations as fumigated even when they encounter no one home, or the residents say they are allergic or asthmatic to the chemical fog used in the anti-mosquito effort.

The military is widely perceived as more effective and disciplined than Cuba's civilian state workers, who earn about $25 a month on average.

"Once again, the real protagonist in the fight against the menace of epidemics is our people, so it's essential to be able to count on their conscious participation in order for this important and necessary work to be successful," Castro wrote.

The Associated Press
Donald Trump's recent telling of a likely false story about a past American general executing Muslims with bullets soaked in pigs' blood has prompted the sister of a Muslim man shot to death last year to call on the GOP front-runner to chat with her in person about Islam.

Trump made the statement to a cheering crowd in South Carolina on Friday, just a day before he won the states Republican primary contest. His words drew immediate condemnation from Muslims and civil rights groups, who decried it as the type of rhetoric is partly responsible for a rise in Islamophobic attacks in recent months.

The woman requesting the meeting is San Francisco physician Suzanne Barakat, 28. Police say her brother Deah, 23, was killed Feb. 10 last year in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, along with his wife, Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, and sister-in-law Razan, 19, by a non-Muslim neighbor, Craig Stephen Hicks, then 46. Although Hicks' family said a dispute over parking sparked the tragedy, the victims families maintain the act was a hate crime.

On Saturday, Barakat posted the following message on her Twitter account: .@realDonaldTrump Meet me in person and tell me my brother, Yusor & Razan were deserving of the bullets.#SCPrimary #OurThreeWinners."

Barakat said she believes that Trumps tale of U.S. Gen. John Pershing executing Muslim fighters in the Philippines after the Spanish-American War could inspire acts of violence against Muslim Americans.

It allows for the average Joe to see Muslims the way Craig Hicks saw my brother and his wife of six weeks and her sister, The New York Times quoted her as saying. She fears his audience will view Muslims as subhuman, because of their faith.

Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group, welcomed Barakats invitation to Trump as a way of reaching the outspoken candidate.

I think Trump's inflammatory rhetoric is based on his lack of knowledge, or lack of interaction with American Muslims and the American Muslim community, Hooper told Al Jazeera.

Hooper said his organization has seen people abandon their Islamophobic views once they have a conversation with a follower of Islam.

When people actually interact with each other, Islamophobia cant help but go down, when youre seeing people face to face as human beings, Hooper said.

So far, many interactions between Trumps supporters and his critics have been far from friendly. Trumps rousing, rock-concert-like rallies have seen his fans lash out physically against people of color protesting the candidate. Critics charge that his Twitter account serves up incorrect, even racist statements.

After last Decembers mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, carried out by a Muslim couple, Trump urged a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. In South Carolina, that specific proposal resonated with a majority of the states GOP primary voters, polls show.

Trump speaks as if he is the authority on American Muslims, Barakat said, according to the Times. Well, if you mean it, then call me up and meet with me and lets have a chat.

The apocryphal story Trump told is a rumor that is circulating online, and that historians have rejected as false. It is set during the U.S. occupation of the Philippines in the early 20th century, following capture of the islands from Spain in the Spanish-American War. U.S. forces encountered resistance from Filipinos, including some Muslims.

Trump asserted that Gen. Pershing ordered his soldiers to execute 49 of 50 captured Muslim insurgents, using bullets dipped in the blood of a pig, an animal considered ritually unclean in the teachings of Islam and Judaism. Pershing then told the sole survivor, Trump claimed, to go back to your people and you tell them what happened.

And for 25 years there wasnt a problem with the insurgency, he said. We better start getting tough, and we better start getting vigilant and using our heads, or were not going to have a country, folks.

Trump's campaign spokeswoman didnt reply to Al Jazeeras request for comment on Barakats interest in meeting or the authenticity of his story about the Philippines. The real estate mogul turned political juggernaut said at the Friday rally that the story appears in history books, but not a lot of history books, because they dont like teaching it.
Canl Bahis siteleri sektoru son derece onu ack ve farkl ozelliklere sahip bir sektordur. Elbette bahis secenekleri arasnda yuksek kazanc getiren alan kuskusuz canl bahistir. Peki, canl bahis nedir?

Canl Bahis Nedir?

Canl bahis adndan da anlaslacag gibi devam eden musabakaya bahis yapmaktr. Bu bahis musabaka devam ederken de yaplabilir olmasdr. Basta futbol olmak uzere voleybol, tenis, hentbol, basketbol, buz hokeyi ve masa tenisi gibi spor organizasyonlarna canl bahisler yaplabilmektedir. Canl bahis siteleri bu oyunlarn hepsine yuksek oranlara bahis yapmanza imkan tanr. En fazla tercih edilen futbol canl bahisleri diger alanlara gore daha fazla on plandadr. Siteden siteye degisen sartlar ve uygulama esaslar soz konusu olsa da kurallar sabittir.

Canl bahisi populer klan ve heyecan katan en onemli ozellikle musabakann basladg ana dek bahis yapabilmedir. Canl bahis icerisinde yer alan secenekler kazanma sansnz da dogrudan arttrmaktadr. Ilk korneri kim kullanr, ilk tac, gol, sar kart, krmz kart gibi futbol musabakas icerisinde olabilecek hemen hemen her seye bahis yaplabilmektedir. Normal bahisegore de son derece yuksek oranda olmas avantajl yonlerini ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim dogru secenek ksa surede kazancl ckmanza etki edecektir.

Strateji ve dogru analizle 90 dakika gibi bir surede anaparanzkatlayabilirsiniz. Tabi bunu basarabilmek icin mutlaka musabakaya dair ayrntlar iyi degerlendirmek gerekir. Soz konusu musabakann detaylarn inceleyip, cezal, sakat oyuncu veya performans dusen takm oyunu gibi detaylar bilmek canl bahiste kazanc belirleyen onemli unsurdur. Guvenilir Canl bahis hem heyecanl zaman gecirmeyi hem de musabakalar takip ederken para kazanmay saglamaktadr.

Canl Bahis Nasl Oynanr?

Bahislerinizi guvenilir sitelerden gerceklestirdiginiz zaman herhangi bir sekilde para cekme de sorun yasamazsnz. Guvenilir bahis siteleri tespit edip sonrasnda da uyelik islemlerini tamamlamanz gerekmektedir. Belirlenen uyelik sartlarn yerine getirip hesabnza da paray aktardktan sonra bahis islemlerini sorunsuz yapabilirsiniz. Peki, canl bahis nasl oynanr?

Oncelikle bahis konusunda mutlaka dogru site arastrmas yapmalsnz. Yapacagnz arastrma neticesinde buldugunuz site uzerinden canl bahisislemlerini gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Bunun icin uye olup, hesaba para atp, canl bahis bolumune girmelisiniz. Sonrasnda dahil olmak istediginiz musabakann saatini ogrenip, gerekli analizleri yapmalsnz. Tahminlerinizi belirledikten sonra karsnza ckacak olan bahis sayfasndan istediginiz hamleyi yapmalsnz. Bahis tutarn belirledikten sonra musabaka baslayacaktr.

Canl bahis diger normal bahis esaslarna gore farkllklar icermektedir. Bunlardan en onemlisi musabakann gidisatna gore islem yapabilir olmaktr.Ayrca musabakann 2. Yarsna gore hamle yapp ayr bir bahisin soz konusu olmas da ciddi avantajdr. Dogru hamle ile sizde istediginiz bahisi yapp kazanc elde edebilirsiniz. Nitekim canl olarak yapacagnz bahis icin mac oncesi raporlara gore hareket etmek onemlidir. Cunku takmlarn durumlarn analiz etmek tahmin gucunu arttracaktr. Misal tamnn en iyi oyuncusu sakat ya da kart cezals ise takmn performansnda dusus yasanacaktr. Buna ek olarak takmn deplasman performans ile evinde ki performans ayr olacaktr. Burada da takmn musabakay nerede yaptgna bakmak gerekir. Bu ayrntlar da iyice analiz ettikten sonra bahsinizi yapp kazanmann keyfini yasayabilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri

Son derece yuksek getiriye sahip bahis sektoru uzun zamandr faaliyet gostermektedir. Cok ciddi rakamlarn soz konusu oldugu bu sektor zamanla sanal ortamlara donusmustur. Elbette guvenli ve bir o kadar da avantajl olan bu siteler cok yonlu frsatlar sunmaktadrlar. Canl iddaa siteleri gerek yeni uyelere gerekse de hali hazrdaki uyelerine bolca bonus frsatlar vermektedir. Yatracagnz tutara gore belirlenen bonuslar site icerisinde rahat hareket etmenizi de saglayacaktr.

Canl bahis sitelerini kullanmadan once mutlaka guvenli olup olmadgna goz atmalsnz. Zira baz kullanclar guvenli olmayan sitelerden yaptklar islemlerden dolay magdur olmaktadrlar. Nitekim guvenli ve sorunsuz hizmet sunan yurt ds site tercih etmek en dogru secenektir. Sektorde uzun yllar faaliyet gosteren siteleri tercih edebilirsiniz. Bu alanda yer alan yabanc siteler musteri memnuniyetine onem vermektedir. Oncelik site kullanclarn sorunsuz sekilde bahislerini yapabilir olmasn saglamaktr. Bahis sitelerinde amac hem daha fazla kullancya hizmet vermek hem de sektorde emin admlarla ilerlemek onceliklidir. Dogru site tercihi ile sizde canl bahislerinizi sorun yasamadan gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Sizler icin hazrlams oldugumuz canl bahis siteleri listesi su sekildedir;

Mobilbahis Tempobet Bets10 Bahigo 1xbahis Betboo Youwin Superbahis

Sralams oldugumuz bu siteler sektorde basarl islere imza atms sitelerdedir. Canl bahis konusunda beklentileri karslayacak olan bu siteler sizlere kolaylk sunmaktadrlar. Bol bonuslu secenekle de sizlere farkl bahis yonlerini sunacaklardr. Sistemsel etki icerisinde her zaman etkin sonuc alabilmek icin surekli olarak faaliyet icerisindedirler.

Canl Bahis Taktikleri

Bahis sektorunun en fazla dikkat edilmesi gereken hususu dogru taktik ve dogru tahmindir. Elbette dogru tahmini yapabilmek icin analizi cok iyi yapmak gerekir. Canl bahis taktikleri arasnda ilk sra analiz gelmektedir. Analiz yapamadgnz zaman basarl tahminlerde bulunmanz pek de mumkun degildir. Cunku bahiste onemli olan konu musabakann analizini cok iyi yaplmas gerektigidir. Canl bahisin ozelliklerini iyi bilmek ve nasl bir hamle yapacagnz bilmek gerekir. Ozellikle riskli maclarda yaplacak degerlendirmeler cok daha onemlidir.

Canl bahis yapacaklarn takip edecegi degerler takmlarn durumlar ile alakal olmaldr. Performans uzerine kurulu bahis sisteminde takm degerlendirmesine iyi bakmak gerekir. Iki takmn son 5 macta nasl bir sonuc ortaya koyduguna bakarak hareket etmek onemlidir. Ayrca hangi takm evinde daha iyi performans sergiliyor diye de ayrca bakmak gerekir.

Analizlerle alakal puan durumlarna da goz atmak cok onemlidir. Puan degerlendirmesinde oncelikle takmlarn ihtiyaclar ile dogru orantl hareket etmek gerekir. Cunku olusturulan performans takmn da durumunu ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim istenilen sonucu elde edebilmek icin tum ayrntlar bilmek gerekir. Takm ici duzenden tutunda da takmn son durumuna kadar her ayrnt onemlidir. Iki takmn birbirleri arasnda ki sonuclar da incelemek gerekir. Burada dikkat edilecek detaylarn basnda maclarda kac gol oldugu ve gollerin hangi dakikalarda atldgdr. Cekismeli gecen musabakalarda bazen goller ilk yarda daha fazla olurken baz maclarda da ikinci yarda daha cok gol olmustur. Iki takm arasnda ki maclarda gollerin cogunlugu ilk yarda geliyorsa buna gore bahis yapabilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Bonuslar ve Kampanyalar

Bahis yapanlar veya yapmay dusununler sitelerin sunmus olduklar frsatlar merak etmektedirler. Cunku siteler daha fazla kullancya erismek icin her donem kampanyalar duzenleyerek kullanc odakl hamleler yapmaktadrlar. Canl bahis bonuslar ve kampanyalar oldukca populer olup, siteler bu konuda adeta birbirleri ile yarsmaktadrlar. Birbirinden farkl ozelliklere sahip olan kampanyalar size frsatlar sunmaktadr. Daha cok kazanma ihtimalinizi arttran bu bonuslar daha cesur olmanza da dogrudan etki edecektir. Nitekim bonuslar sitelerin cekiciligini ve avantajlarn arttrmaktadr. En cok kazandran canl bahis siteleri bedava bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin http://www.milano2018.com/canli-bahis-siteleri-2022/ linkinden yardm alabilirsiniz.

Hos geldin bonusu ile baslayan ve sonrasnda para yatrdkca bonus veren cok sayda site bulunmaktadr. Canl bahis bonusu veren siteler yeni uyelere sunduklar frsatlar farkl kampanyalarla mevcut uyelerine de sunmaktadrlar. Hali hazrda siteyi kullananlarn da bonus frsatlarndan yararlanmalar icin donemsel kampanyalar olusturmaktadrlar. Boylece baska sitelere gidisler olmayacag gibi site de daha keyifli zaman gecirmek mumkun klnmaktadr. Bu tur eklentiler yapan sitelerde musteri memnuniyeti daha fazladr.

Bahis siteleri ozellik ve uygulama bakmndan farkllklar bunyelerinde bulundurmaktadrlar. Verilen bonuslarn olusturulmas ve kullanclar aktarlmasnda yatrlan para miktarlar belirleyici olmaktadr. 1.000 TL yatran bir kullanc yuzde 20 bonus frsat olan bir kampanyadan 200 TL bonus kazanabilmektedir. Yatracag tutar 10.000 TL oldugunda bu bonustutar 2.000 TL olabilmektedir. Gerceklesen ve uygulanan esaslar tamamen donemsel olarak yaplan kampanyalarla alakaldr. Iyi Canl bahis siteleri bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin sitelerin vermis oldugu oranlar takip edebilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Yatrma

Online Canl bahis yapacaklarn merak ettigi konulardan bir digeri de para yatrma islemleridir. Oldukca onemli olan bu konuda hata yapmamak cok onemlidir. Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemi sanlann aksine son derece basittir. Oldukca basit ve uygulama esas dogru etki olusturan bu yapda sizde islemi rahatca tamamlayabilirsiniz. Para yatrma konusunda su yolu izleyebilirsiniz.

Guvendiginiz ve herhangi bir sekilde aklnzda soru isareti kalmayan bahis sitesine uye olmanz gerekmektedir. Uyelik islemini sorunsuz sekilde tamamladktan sonra para yatrma islemine gecebilirsiniz.

Kullanacagnz siteye uye olduktan sonra karsnza kullanc ad ve sifresini gireceginiz yer gelecektir. Buraya giris yaptktan sonra site icerisine islemlere devam edebilirsiniz.

Sitede yer alan para yatrma sekmesine tklayp sonrasnda karsnza gelen sayfay inceleyebilirsiniz. Para yatrma bolumunde yer alan ksma ne kadar para yatracagnz yazp devam tusuna basmalsnz.

Yatrmak istediginiz tutar girip sonrasnda da devam tusuna bastktan sonra karsnza kart bilgilerinizi gireceginiz sayfa gelecektir. Kredi kart kullanarak para gondermek isteyenlerin tercih ettigi bu sayfa tum bilgiler girilip islem onaylanmaldr.

Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemini gerceklestirmek icin hesaba havale secenegini de kullanabilirsiniz. Site icerisinde musteri hizmetleri ile iletisime gecerek banka hesap numaralarn ogrenebilirsiniz. Belirtilen IBAN numarasna istediginiz tutar havale edebilirsiniz. Havale ederken acklama ksmna yazlacak bilgilere dikkat etmelisiniz.

Kredi kart veya banka havalesi ile gerceklesen para yatrma islemi sonucunda site hesabnzdan bakiyenize bakabilirsiniz. Bakiyenize gore dilediginiz sekilde bahislerinizi gerceklestirebilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Cekme

Canl bahiste dogru hamleler ve dogru tahminler sonucunda kazandgnz bedeli geri almak isteyebilirsiniz. Kazanclarnz istediginiz banka hesabnza cekebilmek icin uymanz gereken kurallar soz konusudur. Oncelikle bahis sitelerinden para cekebilmeniz icin uye olurken dogru bilgi paylasmnda bulunmanz gerektigidir. Cunku canl bahis sitelerinden para cekme islemi icin kullanc hesab ile talep edilen banka hesap bilgilerinin ortusmesi gerekir. Yani uye olurken verilen bilgi ile banka hesab kime ait ise o bilgiler ayn olmaldr. Bu uygulama sitenin hem kullancsn hem de kendisini guvene alma politikasdr. Ayrca frsatclarn onune gecerek yeni bir uye olusumunun da onune gecmek amac gutmektedir. Uye olan kisi farkl para cekilme talebi verilen hesap farkl oldugunda para cekme islemi gerceklesmeyecektir.

Bahisleriniz sonucunda kazanc elde edebilir ve bu kazancnz da hakknz olarak almak isteyebilirsiniz. Burada son derece basit uygulama soz konusu olurken siteler aras farkl gorunumler soz konusu olabilir. Fakat yine de tum sitelerde uyenin site icerisinde para cekme bolumune girmesi yeterlidir. Burada cekilecek olan tutarn belirlenmesi ve hesap numarasnn girilmesi ile birlikte islem onay gerekecektir. Para cekme taleplerinde sizden gerekli bilgiler istenmekte ve havale islemi istenilen bilgiler esliginde yurutulmektedir. Dogru bilgi paylasmak sorunsuz para cekebilmeniz en onemli kuraldr. Istenilen bilgiler girildikten sonra site sorumlular gerekli kontrolleri yapp herhangi bir sorun yoksa ksa surede hesabnza gerekli paray aktaracaklardr.

Canl Bahis Sitelerinden Para Cekmek Icin Istenen Belgeler

Bahis sitelerine uye olduktan sonra baz kullanclar para cekme taleplerinin karslanmadg konusunda sikayetlerde bulunmuslardr. Bu sikayetlersektorde uzun zamandr bulunan guvenilir bahis siteleri de yer almaktadr. Fakat sikayetlerin dayanaklarna bakldgnda ise islerin tamamen farkl oldugu gorulmektedir. Yasanan bu durum kullanclarn hatal bilgi girmesi ve uyelik bilgileri ile banka bilgilerinin uyusmamas ile dogru orantldr. Birde canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler eksik ya da hatal olarak sunulmus olabilir. Ortaya ckan karsklar neticesinde para cekme talebinde bulunan kisi istedigini alamadg icin sikayetci olmaktadr. Oysa ki istenilen bilgiler dogru ve istenilen evraklar eksiksiz sunulsa para cekme islemi sorunsuz olacak.

Sitelerin para cekme konusunda dikkatli hareket etmesi hilelerin ve illegal faaliyetlerin onune gecmek adnadr. Cunku baz kullanclar farkl bilgiler vererek ikinci hesap acabilmektedirler. Bazen de bilincsizce hatal bilgi girilebilmektedir. Hatal islemlerin cozumu konusunda islem yaptgnz sitenin musteri temsilcileri ile gorusebilirsiniz. Talepleriniz dogrultusunda para cekme islemlerinde ki sorunlar giderilecektir. Canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler listesi su sekildedir;

Kullanc bilgileri ile banka bilgilerini karslastrmak icin kimlik fotokopisi

Banka hesap bilgileri

Ikametgah ve kisiye ait herhangi bir fatura.

Kacak Iddaa

Turkiyede dogrudan bahis yapmak icin resmi kanallar kullanlabilmektedir. Fakat tercih edilen ve oran olarak cok daha fazla frsatlar sunan kacar iddaasiteleri bulunmaktadr. Bu siteler kanunlara aykr sekilde yaplmakta olup, yasal bir dayanag yoktur. Elbette bu sitelerin kurulus merkezi Turkiye olmayp, ds ulkelerdedir ve faaliyetler belirlenen siteler uzerinden yaplmaktadr. Kacak Iddaa oldukca riskli olup, cok dikkatli olunmas gerekir.

Kacak Bahis

Kanunlar cercevesinde istediginiz gibi bahis yapamayabilirsiniz. Bahis yapabilmek icin ya kanuni olarak sorun olmayan ulke dsnda ki kumarhanelere gitmeniz veya kacak bahis sitelerinden islem yapabilirsiniz. Zira bu durum tehlikeli olsa da cok sayda site guvenli sekilde bu alanda hizmet vermektedir. Kacak bahiste oldukca fazla secenek bulunurken yuksek oranda kazanc sunuyor olmas da ragbeti arttryor.

Illegal Bahis

Bahisin bircok alanda yasak oldugu Turkiyede bu alanda cok sayda yabanc merkezli siteler hizmet vermektedir. Illegal bahis sektorunde faaliyet gosteren siteler guvenli hizmet anlays ile kullanclarna frsatlar sunmaktadr. Yurt ds merkezli bu siteler sorunsuz sekilde hizmetlerini surdururken bulunduklar ulkelerde kanunlara uygun sekildedir. Elbette faaliyet noktasnda bulunduklar ulkelerde sorun teskil etmese de Turkiyede faaliyet gostermeleri kanunin yasaklanmstr.

Yasads Bahis

Gerek olusturulan etkenler gerekse de ortaya konulan riskler yasads bahis de oldukca tehlikelidir. Kanunlarn mudahil olduklar bu alanlar da hem kullanclar hem de populer bahis yaptranlar tum riskleri goze almaktadrlar. Fakat yasaklardan uzak sekilde guvenli hizmet sunan siteler de bulunmaktadr. Takipler neticesinde kapatlan sitelerin muhakkak alternatifleri kurularak yollarna devam etmektedirler.

Canl Iddaa Siteleri Nelerdir?

Dunya genelinde kabul gormus cok sayda guvenli hizmet veren populer bahis siteleri bulunmaktadr. Elbette bu siteler dunyann bircok ulkesinde faaliyet gosterse de Turkiyede yasaktr. Sektorde yer alan cok sayda legal iddaa siteleri bulunmaktadr. Herhangi bir kanunsuzlugun olmadg bu sitelerden hzl ve guvenli islem yaplabilmektedir. Tabi bu sitelerde uygulanan oranlar yasal olmayan sitelere gore daha dusuktur. Illegal sitelerin tercih edilme sebeplerinin en onemli etkeni de olusturulan oranlardr. Peki, Iddaa siteleri nelerdir? Faaliyetleri ve uygulama esaslar nelerdir?

Turkiyede faaliyet gosteren yasal iddaa siteleri listesi su sekildedir;

Iddaa

Bilyoner

Tuttur

Birebin

Oley

Nesine

Misli

Iddaa

2004 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslayan Iddaa Spor toto tarafndan kurulmus olup, ilk etapta bayilik seklinde calsmaya baslamstr. Elbette zamanla gelisen teknolojiye ayak uydurarak internet uzerinde de populer bahis severlerin hizmetine sunulmustur. Kuruldugu donemde devletin resmi kurumu olarak faaliyet gosterirken gelinen yeni donemde ozellestirilmistir.

Bilyoner

Turkiyede faaliyetine 2006 ylnda baslayan Bilyoner ilk ozel yasal bahis sitesi olma ozelligine sahiptir. Guvenilir bahis siteleri Turkiyede bunlardr. Ksa surede populer olan site halen faaliyetlerini sorunsuz sekilde surdurmektedir.

Tuttur

Ksa surede adndan bahsettirmeyi basaran Tuttur 2009 ylnda faaliyetlere baslamstr. Guvenilir bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almstr. Gunumuze dek bircok alanda populer bahis yapanlara frsatlar sunarken avantajlar ile de begeni toplamstr.

Birebin

Kullanc odakl calsmalar surdurse de 2011 ylnda sektore giren Birebindiger sitelere gore daha az ragbet gormektedir. Bahis oynamak ise bu sitede oldukca kolaydr. Elbette farkl yaklasmlara sahip olmasndan dolay ilerleyen sureclerde adndan sklkla bahsettirecek gibi gorunuyor.

Oley

2009 ylnda Dogus yayn gruplarnn istiraki olarak kurulmus olup yasal olarak herhangi bir sorunu olmayan sitelerdendir. Bahis siteleri arasnda hzl cks yapms bir sitedir. Oley yapms oldugu yenilikler ile kullanclarn da dikkatini ksa surede cekmeyi basarmstr.

Nesine

Birbirini takip eden surecte Nesine de yine 2006 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslamstr. Yasal bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almay basaran firma ksa surede sevilen ve ragbet goren bir site olmustur.

Misli

2009 ylnda sektore cok hzl giris yapan Misli cok sayda reklam filmi ile on plana ckmay basarmstr. Internet uzerinden hem yasal hem de sorunsuz hizmet veren bahis sitelerinden bir tanesi olmustur.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Kayt ve Uyelik Islemleri

Her zaman populerligini koruyan ve surekli gelisim gosteren canl bahis gun gectikce daha da gucleniyor. Bahis oynamak icin ise sitelere uye olunmas gerekir. Yuksek getirisi ve begeni toplayan faaliyetleri ile cok sayda site bu alanda faaliyet gostermektedir. Elbette sorunsuz sekilde uye olmanz ve faaliyetler gostermeniz de oldukca kolaydr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri dakikalar icerisinde gerceklestirilecek yapya sahiptir.

Uye olacagnz siteyi belirledikten sonra siteye girmeniz gerekmektedir. Girdiginiz sitenin ana sayfasnda uye ol ya da kayt ol bolumu bulunacaktr. Siteler arasnda degiskenlik gosteren bu alanda temel unsurlar bulunmaktadr. Elbette farkllklar olsa da temelinde benzer bilgiler uye olmak isteyen kisilerden talep edilmektedir.

Uye ol bolumune tkladktan sonra karsnza uyelik bilgi formu ckacaktr. Bu formda sizin kim oldugunuzu ogrenmek ve sitenin guvenligini saglamak adna islemler yaplmaktadr. Uyelik formunda yer alan ad soyad bolumunu eksiksiz ve dogru sekilde doldurmalsnz. Sizden bu formda istenen bilgilerin tamamn girmeniz istenecektir. Istenen bilgiler mutlaka dogru ve eksiksiz sekilde olmaldr. Eksik veya hatal bilgi uyelik islemlerinde sorun teskil edebilir. Yine de yanls bilgi girisine ragmen uyelik islemleri tamamlanabilir. Fakat boyle bir yol izleyenler sonrasnda buyuk skntlarla karslasabilirler. Bu skntlarn basnda da para cekme islemlerinde yasanan sorunlardr.

Uyelik islemleri dikkatli ve ozenle doldurulmas gereken yapdadr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri gerceklestirilirken verilen bilgiler site yonetimi tarafndan muhafaza edilmektedir. Herhangi bir sekilde 3. Sahslarla paylaslmas gibi bir durum soz konusu degildir. Bu faaliyetleri surduren sitelerin guven unsurlar arasnda bu nokta onceliklidir.

Bahis sitelerine uye olurken hatal bilgi paylasmnda bulunmak size faydadan cok zarar verecektir. Diyelim ki bilgileri hatal girdiniz ve uyelik onayland. Uyelik tamamlandktan sonra siteye para yatrdnz ve kazanc elde ettiniz. Kazancnz sonrasnda hesabnza almak istediginizde karsnza banka bilgileri bolumu gelecektir. Para cekme talebi gerceklestikten sonra site uyelik bilgileri ile banka hesap bilgileri ortusmez ise paranz alamazsnz. Boyle bir durumla karslasmamak adna bu hususa ayrca dikkat etmelisiniz.
It was rewarding because the bear seemed to be using the network of protected lands that had been pieced together for conservation purposes, Nolin said.

The bear sightings were exciting for us at Five Rivers MetroParks. There were a dozen or so solid reports over a two-to-three-year period. The bear was sighted at Germantown and Twin Creek MetroParks, and I found some scat along Twin Creek between the two parks. I don't know if this was one animal, or more than one, Nolin said, adding that the bear was doing exactly what the parks mission is: connecting parcels of land to create corridors for wildlife to live.

Dave Nolin is the director of conservation at Five Rivers MetroParks, which oversees most of the protected lands in the Twin Valley.

In the Twin Creek watershed, where the visitor was surprised, there is actually evidence that a bear  or possibly two  took up permanent residence in the valley for a while.

But, either way, they are making a comeback. Now officials believe scores of bears could be living in the state, running up against a human population that is long used to living without them.

By the mid-1980s things began to change. An occasional black bear would amble in from neighboring Pennsylvania, which boasts a population of 40,000 black bears. As early as the 1990, an Amish teenage girl in Adams County, Ohio reported seeing a little honey bear in the woods while she was out picking berries, according to news reports. Its possible among the remote rocky ridges and deep hollows of this rural slice of near-Appalachian Ohio that the bears never left.

Black bears were once common in the state, foraging in forests and lumbering through river bottomlands. But by 1850 the state had largely been eradicated of North Americas largest mammal as hunters became more prevalent and farmers settled the land, reducing bear habitat.

It turns out Twin Creek is more than a haven for humans: Bears have returned to Ohio.

But what one park visitor encountered a few years ago was startling. He simply wasnt expecting to come face to face with a black bear, according to local news reports.

GERMANTOWN, Ohio  Sandwiched between the urban sprawls of Dayton and Cincinnati are 7,000 protected, largely wooded acres known as the Twin Valley, spliced by the creek of the same name. The rugged land is a haven for humans to explore and enjoy.

The bear sightings were exciting for us at Five Rivers MetroParks. There were a dozen or so solid reports over a two-to-three-year period.

The work of stitching together protected patches of land into forested byways has acted as a magnet for a panoply of wildlife.

The Twin Valley lands have many species not found in other Metroparks. When I was a kid we did not have wildlife like deer, beaver, otter, turkey, geese, bobcat, Coopers hawk, and pileated woodpecker. Their return to our fragmented and changed version of nature is a testament to the adaptability of nature, and the importance of local conservation I think, Nolin says, adding that he reckons the bears were attracted to the area because of the hospitable environment.

But the Twin Valley isnt the only area in the Buckeye State that is hospitable to bears. Vast tracts of land in south-central and southeast Ohio are prime potential bear locales. In fact, Ohio has enough of a bear population that the state launched its first (and what may well be, at the moment, the smallest bear radio collar program in the U.S.) that will track black bear.

A black bear was sighted in rural Vinton County last fall by USDA workers trying to eradicate a colony of feral hogs. Ohio wildlife officials were able to collar the bear and send it on its way; the collar should yield a trove of information over the months ahead about the state of Buckeye bear, as some call it. Current Ohio Department of Natural Resources put the number of resident bears in Ohio at 50 to 75, but there is still some uncertainty about the numbers.

In Adams County, where the Amish girl reported the honey bear years ago, reports of bears are now commonplace. Ohio Division of Wildlife officer Scott Cartwright reports three sightings of bear last year and thinks the states habitat is ripe for more.

It will be a learning curve for the residents and present a whole new set of challenges  one of the main problems people have with black bear is leaving trash out. People are used to leaving their trash cans outside and the bears will be interested in those and that will be a change people have to deal with, Cartwright said.

Perhaps even more challenging than rural garbage cans are the bears that interlope into the city. A young male black bear lumbered into Cincinnati in the summer of 2014, causing quite a stir.

The challenges we face when they are in the city is everyone wants to see it and that frightens the bear, Cartwright said.

The bear, which ambled through some of Cincinnatis affluent eastern suburbs, did cause fears that Jimmy Carnes, an ODNR wildlife officer in neighboring Highland County, had to help quell.

Bears are a new thing in Ohio, we are still learning. Typically people dont understand the habits of the black bear, they are typically not aggressive. And the bears return is a chance to educate about the positive. When they see a black bear, embrace the moment, get photographs and steer clear. You have to respect them and enjoy them, but they are still a wild animals, Carnes said. Carnes was on the duty the day the bear arrived in Cincinnati but by the time he arrived the bear had moved on.

But not everyone is keen to see bears return to the state.

Julie Zickefoose is an author, NPR commentator, and contributing editor to Bird Watchers Digest who lives on an 80 acre spread in prime bear country in southeastern Ohio. She is on alert for bears.

I have never seen a bear on my property. But every couple of falls or so people in town (Marietta) see a young male loping through a cemetery, or raiding apples off a tree. It rarely ends well. My opinion on bear suitability of wooded Appalachian Ohio? High. Bobcats have absolutely exploded here. If bobcats can do that, bears can't be far behind. And you know what? It's the one animal I really don't want around! Much as I love all wildlife, coons are bad enough. Imagine trying to protect bird feeders from a bear. Which is just a huge coon. And coons are tiny bears."

But regardless of how people feel about the bears return, biologists believe that their numbers will only grow in the coming years.
Feb 23, 2016 | By Andre

The content of museums around the world are designed and curated to be vessels that share with local populations the wonders, beauty and history that surrounds us all. Art museums share with us the beauty of the human spirit whereas natural history museums bring to light elements birthed within nature itself.

Sometimes however, the extraction of an artifact from its original habitat to a foreign museum or gallery can lead to controversy. A good example of this is the iconic bust of the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti. After existing, for the most part, uninterrupted in Egypt since roughly 1345 BC, the prized sculpture was discovered and subsequently dealt to a German based archeological company in 1912 before leaving Egyptian soil for the Neues Museum in Berlin.

Since then, there has been enough controversy surrounding the validity of the transfer that TIME magazine has the bust at number two in their Top 10 Plundered Artifacts list.

It is with this sense of historical betrayal that two artists, Nora Al-Badri and Jan Nikolai Nelles took matters into their own hands to free the bust by secretly 3D scanning the artifact in an attempt to free the 3D imagery of Nefertiti back into the public domain.

As you can see in the video below, the duo went Mission Impossible with a Microsoft Kinect and what I presume to be a portable computer to capture relevant 3D data from the bust without being noticed.

This covert operation was part of an artistic intervention they titled The Other Nefertiti. To them, it was an act to free information by means of making cultural objects publicly available to all.

And thats exactly what they did. Three months after the 3D scan was taken, they released both a high resolution downloadable torrent and a direct download link to their 3D scan of the ancient queen on their project website. Within 24 hours, over 1,000 people had downloaded the file and have since continued sharing it with other digital art collectors, academic institutions and businesses around the world.

In addition to making the 3D digital copy available online to download and remix, the duo also 3D printed a high-resolution copy of the bust using a resin 3D printer and put it up for display at the American University of Cairo.

The effort, something I deem to be a balance between political protest and artistic expression, is meant to bring to light to the idea that history and its artifacts should be available to all. Al-Badri has said that we appeal to [the Neues Museum] and those in charge behind it to rethink their attitude. It is very simple to achieve a great outreach by opening their archives to the public domain, where cultural heritage is really accessible for everybody and cant be possessed.

The pair suggest that while the museum has a scanned copy of the bust in their possession, it isnt anything that theyve ever made freely available to the public. Additionally, while the artists believe the museum knows about their project, the Neues Museum has yet to make any public statement regarding the digital heist.

In the end, it might be efforts like these that persuade the freeing of historically relevant artifacts, if only in a 3D printable form, to wider audiences. Other museums around the world have already embarked on similar digitizations of their collections. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, for example has 75 scanned pieces freely available on Thingiverse. The British Museum in London has has also taken part in a similar digitization process.

In the end, these efforts may not resolve the ongoing discussion of where the bust of Nefertiti really belongs, but the availability of a high resolution 3D file that allows physical copies to be made with the help of 3D printing is a start.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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DinoNuggets.com wrote at 3/24/2016 5:57:54 PM:To speak to the other commenters- Yes, it clearly wasn't done with just a Kinect. That is obvious. The point of doing what they are doing, is more an expression of taking action to free cultural artifacts and make a public display of the whole event to bring awareness to their cause.Fredini wrote at 3/7/2016 7:05:34 PM:My thoughts: There's Something Fishy About The Other Nefertiti http://wp.me/p3jPKp-bSQ95Keisar Betancourt wrote at 2/24/2016 11:19:17 PM:They could have combined the scan with thousands of online images to reproduce it in far greater detail than Kinect alone, or they could have averaged many scans. There are ways.Mike 3 wrote at 2/24/2016 2:29:28 PM:I agree! it is impossible to get that level of detail with a Kinect scan. They must have acquired the high res files that the museum generated and faked a Kinect scan.Fredini wrote at 2/23/2016 9:06:41 PM:I call BS on this being a kinect scan! There is no way this detail was pulled off of a Kinect. Period. IMO, this looks like a photogrammetry scan, given the level of detail in the model. It appears to me that this may be the same data generated by Paul S. Docherty here http://www.amarna3d.com/project/3d-modelling-bust-nefertiti/ , or that they used the same technique. I have scanned a LOT of items using a variety of techniques and don't believe for a second that this is a kinect scan.




Feb 23, 2016 | By Andre

Producing multi-color 3D printing for your typical FDM desktop 3D printer has been a tremendous hurdle for years now. Solutions such as multiple extruders have been tried and marketed with some success, but reliability and output quality remain major issues to this day. So back in 2014, when I received an email from a product development team based out of Kingston, Ontario about wanting to discuss a filament splicing stand-alone unit called the Palette, I was a little bit skeptical about the reality of their expectations.

Fast-forward a year and I learned that Mosaic Manufacturing, the Canadian team behind the Palette, ran a Kickstarter campaign and broke the $100,000 mark within the first 12 hours before rounding out with a total of $230,000 in campaign pledges. This success was a clear indicator that interest in alternative approaches to multi-filament 3D printing was something people were keen to explore.

One of Mosaic's goals right from the start was to provide an answer to multi-filament 3D printing that was clean, accurate and compatible with just about any FDM-based 3D printer already on the market today. So, another year later, after receiving an invite to visit the new headquarters of Mosaic Manufacturing for a sneak peak of all the progress thats been made since those early days, how could I say no?

Producing 1000 Palettes

After arriving at their downtown Toronto office, I was treated to a quick bite and cold beverage with core members of the Mosaic Manufacturing team before getting a tour of their space. It was immediately obvious that a lot of work and planning had gone into moving their operation to the big city.

The first room I was shown was the Palette production area that was fully stocked with the necessary components and tools to piece the Palette together. Their productions operations engineer and small assembly team are now preparing to fulfill the first 40 Kickstarter units by March with the goal of producing an additional 100 units per month from that point on. As things stand, they plan on using this space to manufacture at least 1000 units before moving on to another system.

As the tour continued I was shown the hardware development room that included a laser cutter, CNC mill, lathe and just about every tool you would need to optimize and test product revisions in a speedy manner. These tools play into the long-term strategy for Mosaic Manufacturing.

To them, the success of their Kickstarter campaign was just the beginning. As Mitch Debora, co-founder of Mosaic Manufacturing put it, Kickstarter doesnt build a company. It helps you build a product, but we need to ensure we have a company to support all of our backers. Its exciting to be able to be here to support Kickstarter, and then keep going.

Multi-Machine, Multi-Color 3D Printing in Action

Next on the tour was the Palette itself. While it was situated and hooked in to a Makerbot Replicator 2 for testing, it could very well have been hooked into any number of the 3D printers they had available to them. This focus on cross-platform compatibility is very important to what the Palette represents. Mitch stated that because its a universal product, having as many printers as we can have, from the Deltas to the massive, to the cheap to the expensive, the quick to the slow, were trying everything. Basically, as long as youre 3D printer uses 1.75mm filament and runs from a gcode or x3g file, you're Palette compatible.

It wasnt long thereafter that Mosaic revved up the Palette for me to see the process from start to finish. By getting a peek under the hood of the demo unit, I was able to see how the four attached filament spools pulled through the merger unit. This is where a cutter accurately snipped the different filament strands before being pushed through to the splicing section of the unit. From here, the filament is fused back together, tested for consistency and then sent up along to the outgoing drive before getting pulled through the 3D printer like any single-color filament would.

This process takes roughly five minutes, about the same time as warming up the heated bed on a 3D printer, so there isnt much difference in terms of preparation vs. what you might already be used to while setting up your 3D printer. The print time itself is generally a bit longer than what you would get with a one color 3D print. For example, the custom 3Ders stand that was 3D printed while I watched clocked in at 1 hour and 55 minutes with the Palette and would have come in at 1 hour and 20 minutes if printing in one-color directly through the Makerbot.

The extra time is almost entirely the result of the want for clean 3D prints. As evidenced in the photo below, something called transition towers are formed next to the model being 3D printed to allow for crisp color switches instead of a messy transition.

It was quickly becoming evident to me that Mosaic is developing a unique technology compared to anything else on the market today. So its no wonder the team has been keeping their ear to the ground listening for anybody else coming out. Until now, they havent seen anything similar to the Palette but welcome any friendly competition when it does arrive.

Patents Filed, but Competition Welcome

That being said, it seems the team is prepared and has already secured a number of patents for a version of the Palette that is still in the development stage. The difference is that this one allows for a more seamless integration with 3D printers being developed around the world today.

Mitch has suggested that reception has been insane for the palette and that the amount of OEMs (3D printer companies) that have said 'I need this in my printer because dual extruders arent going to be happening, and I cant invest two years to develop a solution,'" has been fairly consistent.

It was at this point that Mitch made clear that he was no longer talking about the Kickstarter standalone device but instead of their early-stage, fully integrated version of the Palette that is connected directly to a 3D printers controller. This means if the 3D printer is wifi-enabled, so is the Palette and that only one file is necessary to produce the multi-color or multi-material results.

This new product development strategy will run in parallel with the current stand-alone Palette for the foreseeable future, but is important for the growth of the company as the 3D printer vendors theyre partnering up with ship hundreds upon hundreds of 3D printers every month.

Mitch hinted at the fact that just about every 3D printing partner theyve already secured relations with had approached them after hearing about the Palette during the Kickstarter campaign and the buzz that it generated. He later used the analogy that Mosaic Manufacturing hoped to become the Intel of 3D printing by stating that when you focus on something, you can be the expert on it." Adding that, "from day one, we were never building a multi-color 3D printer.

Regarding their patent applications, Mitch admits that they can be a sensitive topic in the industry, but sees patents as an a necessary enabling tool for company growth. Again, we dont want to build a product, we want to be building a company. And this is very important to users because people need more than a product. They need support, they need warranty, and they want it to keep on going. In order to deliver that, we need to build a company. They have already grown their staff to 10 members as of this writing.

The patents shown to me during our discussion (titled "Mosaic's Mega-patent") included the Palettes core mechanism based around what they call Series Enabled Extrusion of Materials (SEEM) and a filament purge system that is to be built directly into 3D printers using the aforementioned integrated Palette system. This diverting system is essentially an extruder-based garbage can that collects color transitions waste material in place of having to create the transition towers described earlier on.

All said, my visit with Toronto's Mosaic Manufacturing gave me a chance to see just how far theyve come since my early interactions with the company in 2014. Additionally, seeing the fruits of their labor in the fully-functional Palette unit while getting a sneak peak of their next-generation device (due out some time in 2017) made the wait well worth it. For the majority of 3D printing enthusiasts, myself included, the ability to add multi-color capabilities to just about any desktop 3D printer is a game-changer. And if wanting it is half the battle, the sheer enthusiasm and expertise exhibited by the team at Mosaic has me convinced that they are ready to bring multi-material, multi-color, multi-machine 3D printing to the masses.

Posted in 3D Printing Technology



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Sandra Coady wrote at 2/24/2016 6:01:26 PM:Very, very impressive. Great advances being made in the world of 3D colour printing. Awesome!!DamienHorst wrote at 2/24/2016 1:58:19 PM:@Max: Look at the Frog ;)Gorgon H wrote at 2/24/2016 5:32:36 AM:Max, I think your right about the geological relief. That is a clever use of colored layers but most of the other prints have more then colored layers. The 3ders name plate has 3 colors in each layer. The floor plan has 4 colors with many colors per layer. The biggest difference that I notice is how crisp the color definition is on those prints. Never seen anything like it.Johnny wrote at 2/24/2016 12:26:21 AM:Open your eyes Max.. the Frog, the Globe, the living room scene are all examples or true multi color 3d printing.. with vertical as well as horizontal color changes..Max wrote at 2/23/2016 9:13:55 PM:Where is this different from a normal dual or triple extruder system? The examples and test prints are rather meaningless. Look at that geological relief. It only has differently colored layerd that are stacked together. I don't see true multi-color 3d printing here.Lois and John Place wrote at 2/23/2016 7:56:39 PM:CONGRATULATIONS to MOSAIC and it's team. Your make your families and friends very proud to be associated with such a group of inventive young folks. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK.




Umberto Eco at The Paris Review (1994):

My recent journey was brief: one day in Stockholm and three in London. In Stockholm, taking advantage of a free hour, I bought a smoked salmon, an enormous one, dirt cheap. It was carefully packaged in plastic, but I was told that, if I was traveling, I would be well-advised to keep it refrigerated. Just try.

Happily, in London, my publisher made me a reservation in a deluxe hotel, a room provided with minibar. But on arriving at the hotel, I have the impression of entering a foreign legation in Peking during the Boxer rebellion.

Whole families are camping out in the lobby; travelers wrapped in blankets are sleeping amid their luggage. I question the staff, all of them Indians, except for a few Malayans, and I am told that just yesterday, in this grand hotel, a computerized system was installed and, before all the kinks could be eliminated, it broke down for two hours. There was no way of telling which rooms were occupied or which were free. I would have to wait.

more here.
The Pentagon is expected to submit to Congress on Tuesday President Barack Obama's long-awaited plan for closing the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, setting up a battle with lawmakers who oppose his efforts.

Obama, whose pledge to shut the facility at the U.S. naval base in Cuba dates back to the start of his presidency in 2009, is seeking to make good on his promise before he leaves office next January.

Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the administration intended to meet Tuesday's deadline to present its detailed proposal for closing the facility. There are still 91 prisoners detained there. Of those, 35 are expected to be transferred out by this summer.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest reiterated Obama's view of Guantanamo as a terrorist "recruiting tool" and urged lawmakers to look at the plan "with an open mind," although he expressed doubt about whether they would do so.

The White House has left open the possibility that Obama might resort to executive powers to close the facility.

The plan provides few details, and may only further antagonize members of Congress who have repeatedly passed legislation banning any effort to move detainees to the United States mainland.

Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, chairman of House Armed Services Committee, has said that his panel would hold a hearing on a closure plan. But he sent a letter to Obama warning that Congress has made clear what details must be included in any plan and that anything less than that would be unacceptable.

U.S. officials say the plan considers 13 different locations in the U.S., including seven existing prison facilities in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas, as well as six other locations on current military bases. They say the plan doesn't recommend a preferred site and the cost estimates are meant to provide a starting point for a conversation with Congress.

More detailed spending figures, which are considered classified, will be provided to Congress, said the officials, who were not authorized to discuss the plan publicly ahead of its release, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

Members of Congress have been demanding the Guantanamo plan for months, and those representing South Carolina, Kansas and Colorado have voiced opposition to housing the detainees in their states.

The administration is currently prohibited by law from moving Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States.

Wire services
Melissa and Wilbur Goodblanket and their son, Ahk-ta-na-hi, stand with a flag calling for justice in the killing of their other son Ma-hi-vist, outside their home in Clinton, Okla., Feb. 13, 2016. Garett Fisbeck for Al Jazeera America

After family members of several Native Americans with mental illness asked authorities for help, their relatives were later killed by law enforcement. The scenario has played out in Custer County and elsewhere in Western Oklahoma at least three times in recent years. This is the second in a three-part series exploring the case of Mah-hi-vist Goodblanket, an 18-year-old member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, shot by sheriff's deputies after his father called 911. Parts 1 and 3 can be found here.

A small group of Native Americans hoisted signs into the air on a searing hot Oklahoma day as the president's motorcade rolled on in the distance.

Justice for Mah-hi-vist Goodblanket, read one. It featured a reproduction of a wood lithograph of a placid, bespectacled young Native American man in braids.

Barack Obama was in Oklahoma on July 16, 2015, to visit the federal penitentiary in El Reno, west of Oklahoma City. In a bid to highlight criminal justice reform, he planned to talk to inmates there. The motorcade turned in to a maze of red-roof buildings a half mile or more down the road, barely visible to the 100 or so people gathered by a police barrier and a grassy pasture to witness this rare spectacle  a Democratic president in Oklahoma, a state with politics as deep red as the states signature dirt.

Melissa and Wilbur Goodblanket, Mah-hi-vists parents, made the hourlong drive to El Reno from their home in rural Custer County because they wanted to bring attention to the shooting by local sheriffs deputies of their 18-year-old son, Mah-hi-vist, the young man on the sign.

But Obama was too far away to see the familys signs.

Frustration has become a familiar feeling in the years since Mah-hi-vist died.

Mah-hi-vist, whose name in English translates to Red Bird, had oppositional defiant disorder, a little-understood condition that he controlled with the help of therapy and medication. He was in the midst of a mental episode, thrashing around the home and breaking windows, when Wilbur called 911, worried his boy was going to hurt himself.

The family wanted help from medical personnel and law enforcement calming down Mah-hi-vist. Thats not what they got.

Custer County Sheriff Bruce Peoples told reporters that on Dec. 21, 2013, Mah-hi-vist threw knives at sheriffs deputies and Oklahoma highway patrolmen in the home before two deputies fired seven shots, including one to the back of Mah-hi-vists head. Peoples declined to discuss specifics in a phone call with an Al Jazeera America reporter in early February.

One deputy had to have a finger amputated after shooting his hand during a confrontation with the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Mah-hi-vist, Peoples said in multiple media reports.

An autopsy report showed Mah-hi-vist had a blood alcohol level of 0.1.

According to Melissa, Noami Barron  Mah-hi-vists girlfriend, who was by his side moments before his death  told the family members that night that he had calmed down by the time lawmen arrived. He was crying and asking for his parents when the officers entered the home, not confrontational and throwing knives. Barron could not be reached for comment.

The Goodblankets want the investigation reopened and believe the scales of justice tip too heavily toward law enforcement in close-knit Custer County.


Announcement Date/Conference Call

Perth, Feb 23, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Cash Converters International Limited ( ASX:CCV ) advises that the Company intends to release its half-year result for the period ending 31 December 2015 on Monday 29 February 2016.



Following the lodgement of Appendix 4D and the Investor PowerPoint presentation to the ASX, the Company's Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer will host an earnings teleconference for investors and analysts on Monday 29 February 2016 at 9.00am Western Australian time.



Conference Call Details



Date: Monday 29 February 2016



Time: 9.00am AWST, 12.00 pm AEST



National Toll Free Number: 1800 280 741



Overseas Toll Free Number: +61 3 8687 0650



Participants are requested to dial in 5-10 minutes prior to the start time.



To register your attendance, please email general.enquiries@cashconverters.com



For further information regarding the 2015 half-year result please refer to the Cash Converters Appendix 4D and the Investor PowerPoint presentation both of which will be lodged with the ASX on 29 February 2016.





About Cash Converters International Ltd





Cash Converters International (ASX:CCV) is a franchised retail network listed on the ASX. It specialises in the sale of second-hand goods. The Cash Converters group employs modern retailing practices, professional management techniques and high ethical standards to the management of its stores throughout the chain which appeal to a wide cross section of the community. As a result, Cash Converters has been able to position its outlets as credible retail merchandise stores, resulting in a profitable market for the group.


Half Year Accounts

Perth, Feb 23, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - During the half year ending 31 December 2015, Goldphyre Resources Ltd ( ASX:GPH ) explored its 100% owned Lake Wells Potash Project.



In December 2015 the Company announced that it had entered into a Sale and Split Commodity Agreement with a company controlled by successful WA prospector Mark Creasy. The agreement grants the Company rights to all potash minerals on two tenements adjoining its existing Lake Wells Potash Project tenure, effectively tripling the Project. Within 6 months of completing the transaction, the Company will in turn issue to Mr Creasy's entity Yandal Investments Pty Ltd shares equalling 19.9 percent of its issued ordinary share capital at that time and a total of 6.8m options with exercise prices of 10 and 15 cents.



During the period ending 31 December 2015, the Company was awarded a $108,000 grant by the WA Government to co-fund exploration drilling at the Lake Wells Potash Project. The funding, which will be provided under the Exploration Incentive Scheme administered by the Department of Mines and Petroleum, will be put towards the core drilling program planned as part of the Company's strategy to establish a maiden potash Resource at Lake Wells by mid-2016.



To view the full financial report, please visit:

http://media.abnnewswire.net/media/en/docs/ASX-GPH-753643.pdf





About Australian Potash Ltd





Australian Potash Limited (ASX:APC) is an ASX-listed Sulphate of Potash (SOP) developer. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Lake Wells Potash Project located approximately 500kms northeast of Kalgoorlie, in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields.

Following the release of a Scoping Study in 2017, APC has been conducting a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) into the development of the Lake Wells Potash Project. The Company is aiming to release the findings of the DFS in H2 2019.

The Lake Wells Potash Project is a palaeochannel brine hosted sulphate of potash project. Palaeochannel bore fields supply large volumes of brine to many existing mining operations throughout Western Australia, and this technique is a well understood and proven method for extracting brine. APC will use this technically low-risk and commonly used brine extraction model to further develop a bore-field into the palaeochannel hosting the Lake Wells SOP resource.

A Scoping Study on the Lake Wells Potash Project was completed and released on 23 March 2017. The Scoping Study exceeded expectations and confirmed that the Project's economic and technical aspects are all exceptionally strong, and highlights APC's potential to become a significant long-life, low capital and high margin sulphate of potash (SOP) producer.
In North America, Atlantic salmon migrate up rivers and streams to reach spawning grounds in New England and Canada.  Design Pics Inc / Alamy Stock Photo

By the fall of 2015, the salmon of the Connecticut River were supposed to be doomed. The silvery fish that once swam the Northeasts longest river, 407 miles from the mountains of New Hampshire to Long Island Sound, went extinct because of dams and industrial pollution in the 1700s that turned the river deadly. In the late 1800s a nascent salmon stocking program failed. Then in 2012, despite nearly a half-century of work and an investment of $25 million, the federal government and three New England states pulled the plug on another attempt to resurrect the prized fish. But five Atlantic salmon didnt get the memo. In November, fisheries biologists found something in the waters of the Farmington River  which pours into the Connecticut River  that historians say had not appeared since the Revolutionary War: three salmon nests full of eggs. Its a great story, said John Burrows, of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, a conservation group, whether its the beginning of something great or the beginning of the end. The quest to resurrect Atlantic salmon in the Connecticut River began anew in the mid-1960s when the federal government and New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut joined forces. They worked to curb pollution in their shared river and also build passageways around some of the 2,500 dams that plugged the river and its feeder streams in the 11,250-square-mile Connecticut River watershed. The streamlined wild Atlantic salmon, genetically different from their fattened domesticated counterparts, which are mass-produced for human consumption, are so rare that anglers spend small fortunes chasing them across Canada, Iceland and Russia. Robert J. Behnke, the preeminent salmon biologist of the 20th century, wrote that Salmo salar (Latin for leaping salmon) has inspired in people an emotional, almost mystical attachment to a species they regard as a magnificent creation of nature. Through the Connecticut River restoration program, a few thousand 2-year-old Atlantic salmon raised in a fish hatchery were stocked in the river in 1967. But they all soon died or swam out to sea and never returned. Program leaders knew they needed to survive not just for the sake of the species, but also to get the public to support the program. Before European colonization, biologists estimate, the Connecticut River teemed with annual runs of 50,000 Atlantic salmon, the most in North America. But, as the Boston Globe noted, the fish had been gone so long there werent even great-grandparents who remembered them. Kenneth Sprankle, a coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wrote that the salmon lost their level of relevance. All the stocked salmon continued to die off through the early 1970s. Gradually, scientists began to learn the importance of different strains of salmon and their close relatives, trout. In 1976 the program was able to acquire Atlantic salmon eggs from the Penobscot River in Maine, the closest surviving population both physically and genetically. This strain was still different from the lost native strain of the Connecticut River, but less so than their Canadian cousins, previously stocked there. In 1978, 90 fish from the Maine strain managed to make the two-year, 6,000-mile migration out to the food-rich Labrador Sea off of Greenland and then return to the Connecticut River.

If you want a dog that jumps in the water, keep breeding ones that do and eventually youll have a Labrador retriever. Steve Gephard fisheries biologist

In 1981, more than 500 salmon returned  the most yet. Biologists hoped they were on the verge of re-creating one of the most fragile, complicated and increasingly rare natural phenomena on earth, a long-distance animal migration. By the mid 1990s, all of the salmon that found their way back to the Connecticut River were caught and bred at the Richard Cronin National Salmon Station, a fish hatchery in Sunderland, Massachusetts. Their eggs were then incubated at the White River National Fish Hatchery in Vermont. The biologists wanted to use a technique known as reproductive isolation, commonly known as inbreeding, to redevelop a strain of salmon that followed genetic commands to migrate out from and back to the Connecticut River, a facsimile of what nature had done a million years earlier. Stephen Gephard, senior fisheries biologist for the state of Connecticut, compared the process to dog breeding. If you want a dog that jumps in the water, keep breeding ones that do and eventually youll have a Labrador retriever, he said. The other part of salmon migration, biologists learned, is trained behavior. Salmon remember the isotopes and chemical elements of the waters where they live as juveniles so they can return as adults. Biologists then began stocking Connecticut River waters with the youngest salmon they could in order to give them the maximum environmental imprint. We knew we were never going to do as well as Mother Nature, Gephard said. But thats what we were trying to do. By combining reproductive isolation with early imprinting, the scientists increased the rate of salmon returns tenfold from the beginning of the program. One U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist boasted in the early 1990s that they had achieved a miracle recovery. But then wild Atlantic salmon around the world began to die off. So did cod, lobster and winter flounder. Scientists found that capelin, a small fish that salmon feed on in the Labrador Sea, had on average become significantly smaller in size in just a few decades, suggesting that salmon were not finding the calories they needed to survive their migrations. By turn of the 21st century, cycles of ocean currents that had historically made fish populations fluctuate grew erratic and unpredictable. More ominously, researchers found that while much of the Atlantic Ocean had gone up in temperature, around Greenland the water had turned both colder and less saline  symptoms consistent with the theory that the ocean was changing because of global warming. Things are really variable now, said John Kocik, a fishery biologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Mickey Novack, hatchery manager at Cronin National Salmon Station, with a female Atlantic salmon that returned to the Connecticut River in the spring, now in a giant hold until the fall. Joanne Rathe / The Boston Globe / Getty Images

In 2001, only 40 Atlantic salmon returned to the Connecticut River. The next year there were 44. The George W. Bush administration cut the budget of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and some Atlantic salmon restoration proponents began to question whether the anemic returns justified the annual cost of around $2 million  tens of thousands per fish. Meanwhile, the general public mostly ignored the program, because the salmon had not yet returned in large enough numbers to be seen or caught. What happened next, Gephard said, was a perfect storm. Hurricane Irene, its gale winds pulling extra energy from the warmed waters of the mid-Atlantic, wrecked the White River National Fish Hatchery in Vermont in August 2011. The damage to the facility, where 65 percent of all Connecticut River Atlantic salmon eggs were raised, was estimated at as much as $14 million. As only 54 salmon returned to the Connecticut River in 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pulled out of the restoration program. New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts followed. Connecticut opted to continue stocking a small number of salmon, but it lacks the resources to continue the breeding program, which had made such progress. While the restoration program failed for salmon, it boosted a suite of other species. American shad, gizzard shad, sea lamprey, striped bass, sea-run brown trout, white perch, alewives, yellow lamp mussels and endangered American eels in the Connecticut River all jumped in population. Then in the fall of 2015, biologists found five adult Atlantic salmon swimming past the Rainbow Dam on the lower Farmington River. On a hunch, they searched likely upstream spawning habitat and there found the three nests full of eggs. In the spring of 2016 they will hatch the first wild salmon into that river in two centuries. (In 1991 a few salmon spawned for the first time in centuries in Connecticuts nearby Salmon River.) The phenomenon was so extraordinary that the nests location was kept a tight secret. Some local fishermen refuse to even speak about them for fear attention might do them harm, and some state officials even opted for plausible deniability. I dont know where they are, and I really dont want to know, said Neal Hagstrom, inland fisheries biologist for the state of Connecticut. Sometimes its better that way.
GOTHENBURG, Sweden  The first amplified call to prayer in Sweden was not publicly broadcast until 2013, when it reverberated out from a minaret of the Fittja Mosque in southwestern Stockholm on a Friday morning. In the run-up to that historic moment, local Muslims faced a wide range of opposition, including accusations that the azan violated noise regulations and claims from the far right that broadcasting the call amounted to disseminating Islamic propaganda. While Sweden is deeply attached to its reputation as a democratic, secular, humanitarian superpower  having provided safe haven for refugees from Chiles Pinochet regime, secular leftists fleeing Irans Islamic revolution and a massive influx of Syrians and Afghans escaping their present crises  historically speaking, Swedens experience of other cultures and religions is still in its infancy. In the 1970s and 80s, Swedes spoke in terms of assimilation (a term they have since updated to integration) and its companion concept, mangfald, roughly equivalent to diversity. Swedens dedication to mangfald is promoted in work and employment opportunities and lauded in the countrys daily papers. Yet while equal opportunity exists in theory, many of Swedens immigrants feel a pervasive sense of societal exclusion. Gothenburg, a port city and former industrial powerhouse on Swedens rain-swept west coast, is probably most comparable to Seattle or Baltimore. In the wake of the 1970s oil crisis, its world-class shipbuilding, ball bearing and automobile industries fell into decline, leaving behind a burned-out landscape of factories and warehouses that in the late 1990s began to be reimagined as a gritty hub for the creative class. Today, Gothenburg is one of Swedens most diverse cities, its working-class heritage celebrated in a new much-vaunted Volvo commercial that portrays immigrant residents going about their early morning rituals before heading in to the assembly plant  mangfald, equal opportunity, a new Gothenburg, for everybody.

The northern neighborhood of Gardsten is home to many of Gothenburgs immigrants. Per Karehed for Al Jazeera America In reality, the citys experience of integration has been more complex. While about a third of the citys population consists of non-ethnic Swedes, as people from immigrant backgrounds are called, nearly 80 percent of them, including some of the 160,000 asylum seekers who arrived Sweden last year, live in the northeastern suburbs of Angered and Bergsjon as well as nearby Backa and Biskopsgarden. Swedens massive housing shortage and years-long waits for rent-controlled apartments near the center of town mean that many immigrants start in and stay in these outlying neighborhoods, where residents are subject to more frequent gang violence, worse schools, longer commutes and discrimination in job placement. We have a divided picture. You have certain people getting the top jobs, the best education, but then you have another group who are left over, so to speak, said Zan Jankovski, a longtime social worker in the suburbs and the Gothenburg coordinator for the National Center Against Violent Extremism. These northern neighborhoods have supplied the highest percentage of ISIL foreign fighters per capita in all of Sweden and perhaps in all of Western Europe. Though Swedens national security agency, the SAPO, officially estimated that 299 Swedish nationals have traveled to fight with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the actual number is widely suspected to be higher. As it stands, the official figure makes Sweden the second-largest per capita supplier of foreign fighters in Europe, just behind Belgium. (Brussels Molenbeek neighborhood was a known hot spot for ISIL recruiting before it was the focus of an enormous manhunt after the Paris attacks in November.) By way of comparison, an estimated 250 foreign fighters have come from the U.S., which has a population more than 30 times Swedens. As a city, I think we were caught by surprise by the numbers going down there to fight, said Jankovski. Groups of young Swedes started leaving Angered and Bergsjon as early as 2012, joining factions affiliated with Free Syrian Army. In 2013, he said, the neighborhoods started to feel the first effects of combat deaths. If youre a young man in Angered and you die in combat in Syria, everybody knows  both people who like it and people who dont. The following year, he said, ISIL started to gain popularity. Our social workers started to notice more and more young people talking about ISIL. ISIL was the winning team. They were fighting for good things. In the youth centers, we saw IS flags were being downloaded. Some of the young people had [Anwar] al-Awlaki speeches on their phones. Many of the Swedish nationals killed while fighting in Syria were honored on Facebook as martyrs and portrayed as role models.

Last February, Swedens national job agency dismissed its staff of migration resettlement assistants after it began to suspect that some of them were doubling as ISIL recruiters.

Sweden and Gothenburg in particular are now reckoning with this problem. Most people who go fight with ISIL from Malmo, Stockholm or other cities in Sweden arrange their travel with people from Gothenburg, said Karwan Faraj, a longtime Angered youth organizer. The reason is that there are a few big families here in Gothenburg who have good networks down in Syria with these groups  sons, cousins, nephews, relatives already down there fighting. Gothenburg is the strongest base for these recruiting networks. But the foreign fighter issue, isnt just a local one: Last February, Swedens national job agency dismissed its staff of migration resettlement assistants after it began to suspect that some of them were doubling as ISIL recruiters. In late November, Swedens prime minister admitted that the country had been naive about domestic threats and its foreign fighter problem. The absence of a law prohibiting people from fighting for armed groups abroad has meant that many people have traveled, fought and returned to Sweden, like Michael Skramo, a blond Islamic convert from Gothenburg who returned from Syria to late last fall in order to pick up his wife and four children before heading back. One local journalist said that a common joke in the Gothenburg suburbs is that if you live with your parents and want a job and your own apartment, you should go to Syria and fight for half a year, then return to Sweden  the implication being that returning fighters are fast-tracked at the jobs and housing agencies. Yassin Ekhdahl, the committee secretary of the National Center Against Violent Extremism, denied that any such fast-tracking exists but says returning fighters are given coordinated support and suggested that they might be traumatized and dealing with stigma, shame and guilt. I think in some groups around Gothenburg, they have this idea that We can do whatever we want, no one can catch us, they cant sentence us, Jankovski said. In December, Sweden concluded its first foreign terrorism case: Hassan al-Mandlawi and Al-Amin Sultan, Swedish nationals from Gothenburg, were sentenced to life in prison for a beheading and a separate murder they allegedly committed while fighting with an ISIL-affiliated group in Syria. The key evidence in the case, pictures and videos saved on a USB stick, were discovered during a drug raid in Gothenburg. Despite the trial, ISILs pull in Sweden has not shown signs of abating. Earlier this month, a known Swedish Islamic fighter from the Gothenburg area who had just been released early from prison was arrested in Greece en route to Syria. In mid-February, five Swedes appeared in an ISIL video announcing the death of 20-year-old Anas Khsassi from Angered. The Swedish paper Expressen reported that his 17-year-old brother, Abdelkarim Khsassi, was killed in 2014 while fighting with ISIL. Like many other European countries watching their youths run away to join ISIL, Sweden is basically fumbling in the dark for ways to intervene in what is often obliquely described as the radicalization process.

From the ground up

There are 550,000 people in Gothenburg, and we are the city that has the most ISIL fighters. How come? Because we have different centers of very strong Wahhabi leaders and they work like religious engines, said Ulf Bostrom, a middle-aged Swede with twinkling eyes and a mellifluous baritone who left his position as a beat cop in Gothenburg 11 years ago to become Swedens only integration police inspector. Now he works in the suburbs and is charged with getting to know the areas religious leaders, having meaningful conversations with them and stopping problems before they start. The religious engines to which he referred are the Wahhabi-style religious schools that are heavily concentrated in the northeastern suburbs of Gothenburg  a result of a controversial school voucher program Sweden passed in the early 1990s. The program gave students the option of attending religious and private schools and has been widely blamed for the declining quality of Swedens once lauded educational system. In Bostroms office on the second floor of Angereds podlike police headquarters, Palestinian and Kurdish flags adorned the wall, and a hefty edition of the Quran lay half-buried on his cluttered desk. The recruiters work 24 hours a day, seven days a week at many places where newcomers and refugees stay and live, he said.

Ulf Bostrom, Swedens only integration police inspector, whose aim is to help integrate immigrants into the community. Per Karehed for Al Jazeera America In mid-December, he was struggling to find a place to stay for a young homeless Somali boy who has been repeatedly approached by ISIL recruiters. In many ways, Bostrom is paradigmatic of the Swedish police, who are attached to their reputation as enlightened and restrained good cops and want to avoid racial profiling at all costs. At a weekly lecture he gives to younger officers on integration, he began by saying, When I first got to Angered, I asked, How the fuck do you integrate immigrants? But then the immigrants helped me to integrate. After laying out a litany of statistics about the violence of the northeastern suburbs  which he said have the most shootouts and gang violence per capita in Scandinavia  Bostrom went into a long presentation on the composition of the Quran and the meaning of the hadiths and charted various branches of Islam on a scale of democratic to theocratic. Not many people believe in God in Sweden. We are kind of secularized. That makes us very weird for the rest of the world, he said. He tried to break down the profile of a stereotypical recruiter. These guys have an extreme warmth and compassion. Theyre trying to do something good. A few days later at a public gathering space in a northern suburb, he gave a lecture on democratic law for 150 prospective asylum seekers, mostly refugees from Syria. As-salaam alaikum (peace be upon you), he said walking onstage. Integration means part of. You are part of your family. You are also part of Sweden. What followed was an introduction to Swedens government, judiciary and rights. In many of your countries, there is a lot of crime and corruption and undemocratic systems, he said at one point. The right to free speech means I have the possibility to say anything I want about religion or politics or other questions. He got people up from their seats to act out issues they might encounter in Sweden, such as someone speaking ill of the Prophet Muhammad (He has the right to speak his mind), abuse of women (Democracy starts at home) and gay marriage (The Environmental Minister Andreas Carlgren is gay, and he signed a pro-immigration law).

Bostrom makes his rounds in the northern neighborhoods of Gothenburg. Per Karehed for Al Jazeera America After the lecture, Bostrom insisted on taking me around to meet local shop owners. At our first stop, a clearly uncomfortable elderly Arab shopkeeper shook my hand and politely answered questions with a smile. This neighborhood? Oh, there are so many nationalities here. I like it so very much. Extremist groups like ISIL? Theyve have gone down. People are nice to each other now  but I guess you cant really tell what hides in a persons heart. As soon as we left, Bostrom nudged me, saying, See? Gothenburg is a fine place, not so many terrorists. What he didnt say is that his son spent two or three weeks in the hospital and almost lost an eye after he was beaten by a radical young Islamic person. The next place we went was a grocery store run by Arab Christians. When they heard what we wanted, the owners nodded yes, but said they couldnt speak freely in the store and took us out back. On a loading dock behind the shop, the men railed against what they viewed as a growing number of Islamic extremists in the neighborhood. You cant live here as you did before. There are many things to think about. For instance, if youre Christian, can you show youre a Christian? One man jerked his gold crucifix out from under his sweater. We live in a democratic country, and I cant show my religious belief. They dont stand here with machine guns, but you see the way they look at you. We cant sell pork here anymore. The other man, who was from the Middle East and has lived in Sweden for 25 years, said, It used to be more mixed here in the 90s. There were more Swedish people living here, and they moved away. Some people I know here agree with ISIL 100 percent. I do business with them every day. They could do something here in Sweden. I lived through war, and now I am so worried, I dont know where I would take my three kids. Standing in the cold, Bostrom smiled. See? After a while, the mixed areas become segregated areas. Theyll eventually be segregated by religion, and youll have your Christian area and your Muslim area. Seeming somewhat self-conscious, he asked for my honest view of the Swedish situation. I told him that I admired Swedens high-minded, gentle approach to counterterrorism but I also worried that this was being taken advantage of by affiliates of ISIL and could ultimately hurt social democracy. He nodded. Have you ever heard of Pippi Longstocking?  She says if youre strong, you have to be kind. They know you have power. You just have to wield power carefully.

Looking to the future

I think one of the big problems is that Swedes dont believe in religion. They think that because they dont believe in religion, they dont need to respect religion, said Faraj, the youth organizer. A peshmerga devotee and a co-author of a novel about the Kurdish-Swedish diaspora, he went with his family to Angered from Kirkuk, Iraq, after the Persian Gulf War. As he walked through a crowded mall in the suburbs, it was clear that he was known and respected, with a number of people pulling him aside to shake hands and chat. In recent years, he has dedicated his time to cataloging and interviewing men and women from Angered who have gone to Syria to fight and live in ISIL territory. Sweden is open market for recruiting people to ISIL, especially Gothenburg, he said. Almost all of the recruits from here were born in Swedish hospitals. One woman who went on a grim odyssey to ISIL territory before returning home to Gothenburg told him that she was motivated in part by her bad experiences wearing a niqab in Sweden  people were swearing at her, trying to take it off her head. Faraj said that after the Paris attacks and the sentencing of the two Gothenburg men for murder in Syria, somewhat open recruiting has more or less gone silent and has been increasingly hard to penetrate, even for him. There is no special manual. [People get involved through] social media, friends and relatives who are fighting  There are basement mosques. A lot of people initiate contact with ISIL from their side. Sometimes there are seminars where maybe five guys talk about stuff but not in an open way. In a similar manner, Bostrom compared ISIL recruiting to Scientology. They have their bible at their headquarters, but to read it, you have to be fully in, he said.
Claudia Paz y Paz, Guatemalas first woman attorney general, who oversaw the genocide trial and conviction of former dictator Jose Efrain Rios Montt, has been ousted through a combination of legal maneuvering and a manipulated re-election process. Paz y Pazs removal represents the countrys dangerous regression away from accountability and back toward impunity. In March, Guatemalas Constitutional Court ruled in favor of a technical challenge brought by Guatemalan businessman Ricardo Sagastume Morales that forced Paz y Paz out of office seven months before her four-year term was to expire. Sagastume convinced the court that Paz y Paz was appointed only to complete the term of her predecessor, Conrado Arnulfo Reyes, which would have expired this month. Reyes was removed from office in June 2010 amid a corruption scandal. Paz y Paz was appointed to replace him that December. Last week, Guatemalas Comision de Postulacion, a 14-person committee tasked with selecting six candidates from whom President Otto Perez Molina must pick her successor, blocked Paz y Paz from reappointment without any justification. During the nomination process, she received the second-highest score from the committee. Her exclusion from the finalists rightly elicited domestic and international uproar. Paz y Paz faced formidable challenges in her efforts to bring the rule of law to Guatemala; to curb rampant crime, corruption and endemic poverty; and to strengthen weak institutions. She is internationally acclaimed for relentlessly pursuing justice for atrocities committed during Guatemalas civil war from 1960 to 1996 that claimed more than 200,000 lives and left hundreds of thousands displaced. But she also made powerful enemies along the way.

Selection process

The attorney general selection committee was made up of two members of Guatemalas bar association, the president of the Supreme Court and the deans of 11 law schools. In order to ensure a fair and democratic process, the committees deliberations were opened to the public and televised live. But despite this ostensible transparency, political maneuvering to control the groups composition made it susceptible to undue influence. An audio recording released last month by Guatemalan daily the Prensa Libre buttressed concerns about rigging. Two members of the selection committee and officials from Perez Molinas administration were heard allegedly discussing details of the process including references to an orchestrated plan to influence the vote. Asked about the integrity of the process, Supreme Court Justice Jose Arturo Sierra, who presides over the commission, tepidly suggested that interference was possible but that he cannot confirm or deny it. Prior to the vote, Milton Argueta, the dean of Universidad Francisco Marroquin Law School and a member of the commission, reported receiving death threats. Only four of the commissions 14 members ultimately voted to include Paz y Paz on the short list of candidates, despite her high ranking, stellar record on reforms, experience and professional qualifications for the job. The unjustifiable outcome points to meddling by the political elite to curtail her inroads against impunity. The selection process has always been rife with corruption and cronyism, favoring candidates aligned with Guatemalan elites. Paz y Paz was a vocal critic of the government, a former law professor and human rights officer. Even her initial ascent to the nations highest law enforcement post was improbable. Over the years, she gathered anguished testimonies from survivors of that countrys brutal civil war, an experience that solidified her resolve to pursue justice for the victims. But her commitment to justice vexed those who preferred to keep that countrys grisly past buried. Former President Alvaro Coloms selection of the soft-spoken Paz y Paz from a list of six nominees stunned many observers.

Paz y Paz has antagonized economic and business elites, who are disenchanted by her support for land tenure activists, who oppose extractive and other large-scale industrial projects.

Over the past six years, most of it during her tenure as attorney general, impunity (the percentage of crimes that occur without being charged) dropped 23 percent. In 2013 she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for professionalizing the top prosecutors office, instilling integrity and independence, and confronting pervasive crime and impunity. On April 28, the Center for Justice Studies in the Americas lauded Paz y Paz for notable progress in prosecuting serious crimes, enhancing accountability and transparency and instituting institutional reform within the prosecutors office. Shes also credited for a number of other reforms, including making the justice system more accessible to marginalized groups and targeting violence against women and children. Paz y Pazs critics cite lack of progress on common crime and corruption and administrative inefficiencies. But the animated opposition to her reappointment has more to do with her prosecutorial agenda, which threatens the impunity of exmilitary officers, organized-crime bosses, drug traffickers and gangs. In addition, she has antagonized economic and business elites, who are disenchanted by her support for land tenure activists, who oppose extractive and other large-scale industrial projects.

Slide toward impunity
Christine Ann Botosan, an accounting professor at the University of Utahs David Eccles School of Business and a former president of the American Accounting Association, has been appointed as the newest member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

Her term will begin on July 1, 2016 and conclude on June 30, 2021, when she will be eligible for appointment to an additional term of five years. She will replace Thomas J. Linsmeier, who joined FASB in July 2006 and whose second and final term concludes on June 30, 2016.

The board of trustees of the Financial Accounting Foundation, FASBs parent organization, announced Botosans appointment Tuesday.

Christines deep understanding of the relationship between high-quality accounting standards and the capital markets will make her a valuable addition to the FASB, said FAF chairman Charles H. Noski in a statement. The combination of her extensive background in academia and her expertise in financial statement analysis and valuation will bring a unique perspective to the FASBespecially as it continues to serve users of financial reports by improving financial accounting and reporting standards.

In addition to her tenure as a professor at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, she currently serves as a leadership fellow in the office of the vice president, and as the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Presidential Chair in Ethical Financial Reporting. She was previously the associate dean of graduate affairs, and an associate professor of accounting.

Im very pleased to welcome Christine to her new role as a FASB member, said FASB chairman Russell G. Golden. Christine has a broad knowledge of accounting issues, and her wide experience provides her with an understanding of financial accounting from various perspectives. We look forward to working with Christine, and know she will be a great asset to the organization.

Prior to joining the University of Utah in 1999, Botosan was an assistant professor of accounting at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the immediate past president of the American Accounting Association (having been president from 20142015). A certified valuation analyst, Botosan received her Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Michigan and a bachelors degree in business administration from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada.
OConnor Davies Administration, a subsidiary of New York-based accounting and consulting firm OConnor Davies LLP, has merged with VBK+CO, a global administration firm headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Earlier this month, OConnor Davies rebranded itself as PKF OConnor Davies, as it became the lead North American firm in the PKF International network of accounting firms (see OConnor Davies Rebrands as PKF OConnor Davies). The firms expansion to Switzerland will add a combined 70 years of experience in the family office and alternatives space to PKF OConnor Davies financial services team.

I am very excited about our new opportunities with VBK+CO, said OConnor Davies Administration CEO Marc L. Rinaldi, partner-in-charge of OConnor Davies Financial Services, in a statement. We have created a truly global accounting, administration and advisory firm with unequaled experience and professionals in family offices, alternative assets, innovation and scalable shared resources. Together we are in a unique position to serve the complex accounting, administration, tax and compliance needs of institutional investors including family offices, private foundations and endowments and private funds seeking another alternative.

PKF OConnor Davies ranked 30th on Accounting Todays 2015 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $107.5 million in annual revenue. The firm has done a number of other mergers since last year. Last month, OConnor Davies merged in Flackman Goodman & Potter, a New Jersey-based firm, and last November it added Stanley Marks & Company in Newburgh, N.Y. (see OConnor Davies Merges in Flackman, Goodman & Potter and OConnor Davies Merges in Stanley Marks). Last May, the firm added McEnerney, Brady & Co., in Livingston, N.J. (see O'Connor Davies Merges in McEnerney, Brady & Co.) and last January it acquired Daniel J. McMahon Company in Chappaqua, N,Y. (see O'Connor Davies Acquires Daniel J. McMahon Company).

We believe that joining forces with PKF OConnor Davies brings together two partners that understand the constant changes in the industry and its complicated and evolving regulatory framework, said Anuschka Cova, director of international business development of VBK+CO. Both of us are completely aligned in our view that our clients are our greatest partners. We understand that each client wants tailored solutions instead of a one-solution-fits-all approach. Our new affiliation allows us to add expertise in other product lines so that we can continue to add value to our clients, while keeping our current expertise in each area intact.
A former New York tax preparer was sentenced to nine years in prison for filing thousands of fraudulent tax returns using the stolen identities of minors.

Noel Cuello, 32, the former operator of a tax preparation business with multiple names and locations in the Bronx, N.Y., was sentenced Monday in Manhattan federal court for leading a large-scale identity theft and tax fraud scheme through which identifying information of minors, including Social Security numbers, was obtained through corrupt payments to a former fraud investigator with the New York City Human Resources Administration. The Human Resources Administration is the largest social services agency in the country and administers 12 major public assistance programs.

The identifying information was then used to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns, resulting in millions of dollars in loss to the U.S. Treasury. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Sullivan imposed the nine-year sentence.

Noel Cuello ran a criminal tax preparation business, raking in big fees by helping thousands of taxpayers to commit tax fraud, said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara in a statement. Using identity information stolen from the citys Human Resources Administration, Cuello enabled taxpayers to falsely claim dependent children, resulting in millions of dollars in lost tax revenue for the government.

According to prosecutors, between at least approximately 2009 and spring 2014, Cuello and his associates charged taxpayers for preparing and filing tax returns falsely claiming they had one or more minor dependents, to take fraudulent advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit. The business filed thousands of such returns, resulting in refunds totaling millions of dollars. To obtain Social Security Numbers and other information of minors to be used in the scheme, Cuello repeatedly bribed Francisco Abreu, who worked at the time as a fraud investigator with the New York City Human Resources Administration.

The business, which used several names over the years, was principally operated by Cuello and his girlfriend, Luz C. Ricardo, with the assistance of his brother, Arismendy Cuello, and Jonathan Orbe, Catherine Ricart, and Joel Vargas, who played various roles, including bringing taxpayers to the business, preparing fraudulent returns, and receiving cash payments from clients.

The scheme continued even after law enforcement executed multiple search warrants of the business, with Orbe claiming to have purchased the business from Noel Cuello, and Ricart establishing new electronic filer accounts with the Internal Revenue Service, and opening new bank accounts.

In addition to accepting cash in return for assisting other taxpayers to file fraudulent returns, Ricardo, Arismendy Cuello, Orbe, Ricart, and Vargas filed their own fraudulent returns in multiple years, falsely claiming to have one or more minor dependents.

Noel Cuello, who previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced to three years of supervised release in addition to his nine-year prison term. He was also ordered to forfeit $3.5 million, and ordered to pay $3.5 million in restitution.

Cuello, 32, was indicted last April, along with Ricardo, 34, Arismendy Cuello, 29, Orbe, 26, Ricart, 38, and Vargas, 29, all from the Bronx. They all subsequently pled guilty and were sentenced last month by Judge Sullivan. Ricardo was sentenced to 66 months in prison, Vargas to 24 months in prison, Arismendy Cuello to 36 months in prison, Orbe to 60 months in prison, and Ricart to 36 months in prison.

Abreu, 44, who had previously been indicted separately for unrelated robbery and firearm offenses, pled guilty in August 2015 to those unrelated offenses, along with accepting bribes, fraud, and theft counts related to his participation in the scheme. He is scheduled to be sentenced at a future date by U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald.
In the past five years, the West African nation of Mali has suffered through a military coup, an attempted countercoup and the eruption of a major insurgency in the northern part of the country. But the capital, Bamako, still pulses with the culture of music, from traditional kora and ngoni to slow Songhoy Blues jams and from Touareg rock to West African hip-hop. Two festivals ran concurrently there last month, the Festival Acoustik de Bamako and a Dogon heritage festival.

Meanwhile, Egypt is in the midst of the most invasive crackdown on citizens in its modern history, five years after the overthrow of the dictator Hosni Mubarak. Thousands of people have been killed, and tens of thousands have been imprisoned, tortured and disappeared. Police are breaking into peoples homes around Cairos Tahrir Square and searching their Facebook and email accounts, looking for anyone who might still espouse the goals of the Jan. 25, 2011, revolution. On once occupied streets, the music has gone silent. In the Sinai desert, an anti-government insurgency rages on, but the government has little incentive to end it, since it functions as a justification for suspending freedoms.

Why are these two countries in opposite circumstances five years after what should always have been understood as an Afro-Arab Spring? In theory, the situation should be the reverse. Egypts GDP per capita is triple Malis; its human development index rating, literacy rate and level of industrialization are almost double; and its life expectancy is 20 years longer. Egypt has a relatively educated population and a historically strong state that at least has the potential to govern and develop the country. For its part, Mali remains by almost every measure one of the poorest countries on earth.

The two countries both contain ungoverned desert regions, home to disaffected and marginalized populations who for centuries have been engaged in long-distance trade outside the bounds of state control. More recently, as the level of state neglect and broken promises became intolerable, foreign-influenced religious insurgencies have been able to infiltrate and take over some of these areas.

Mali is certainly not the economic African success story it was once described as, and its government and security forces are not free of corruption and abuse. Yet it is experiencing a renewed democracy and a cultural renaissance, both pitted against the religious extremism that nearly ripped the country in half. In Mali some of the most beautiful, complex and virtuosic music on earth is being weaponized in the struggle against Islamist extremism.

Minister of Culture NDiaye Ramatoulaye Diallo explained why her government is so interested in supporting music, saying, Our way to be back onto the world stage is our music  our oil. Music is at the heart of Malis attempt to secure international support; there are over 10,000 troops from 47 countries as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali. The government wants to ensure the pacification of Islamic rebels, a continued peace process with potential separatists in the north, a reduced degree of alienation between the elite and the mass of citizens, a strengthening of civil society and a diminishing of regional cleavages.
Industrybuying.com, an online platform, featuring an exclusive range of utility products for all industrial purposes, fortifies its leadership team by hiring veterans in the marketing and business development verticals. The key hires who joined Industrybuying as part of the expansion are Mr. Ravi Verma as VP Marketing and Mr. Anuj Tiwari as the Head of Business Development.

Elaborating further on the hires, Swati Gupta, Co-Founder, Industrybuying.com commented, As our focus continues to be building a robust and profitable business, filling up the senior management positions was the next logical move after the fund raising. We are happy to be able to rope in the experts behind some of the Industry giants and are really looking forward to the value, innovation and transformation they bring in to the company. I sincerely hope that this association is a lasting one and is able to meet the bottom line of the company.



Ravi has around 8 years of rich Technology, Digital Marketing and Analytics experience and has majorly worked for high-growth early stage E-commerce Start-ups. He was a core member of the marketing team at Snapdeal and has also led Digital Marketing at Apollo Munich Health Insurance. Ravi is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and IIM Lucknow.

At Industrybuying, Ravi heads the marketing team armed with rich experience in E-commerce, Online Consumer Buying Behavior and Disruptive Marketing. His profound understanding of this space enables Industrybuying to continue growing at a rapid pace and gradually cement the companys position as the Market leader in B2B Ecommerce market.

Similarly, with more than 16 years of work experience, Anuj has been a start-up specialist and has been a part of multiple new business creation. (ITC Foods start-up team, India country start-up for Randstad Holding, Honeywell Connected Homes) He has significant managerial experience in creating, scaling up and managing sustainable businesses, which is critical to the current growth phase of Industrybuying.

Thriving on his strong B2B customer understanding, he is responsible for product distribution, portfolio management, pricing and customer marketing in the organization. His has held a broad range of leadership roles across sales, operations, technology innovation and brand marketing, which helps him to provide cross functional leadership required in the company, as it rapidly climbs the growth gradient.
Havas Media Group has made some senior level appointments and further strengthened its team in the West.

Kunal Jamuar, re-joins the group as Managing Partner, Havas Media, West & South. He was earlier with the group as Executive Director-West and is back in the country following a stint handing the West and Central African markets as Chief Planning Officer, mediaReach OMD. Kunal is a seasoned media professional having worked across many leading agencies at senior positions.

Besides Kunal, the group has also appointed Chanchal Shaktawat as Vice President Planning, West. She was earlier General Manager at OMD. Having worked with leading agencies like OMD, Allied, Mindshare Fulcrum and Carat her brand experience portfolio includes Nissan, Toyota, Standard Chartered Bank, Unilever, Future Group, Medimix, amongst others.

Speaking on the appointments, Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media Group, India & South Asia said, We have had a great 2015 and aspire to have a greater 2016. Kunal has the rare blend of leadership, knowledge and relationship management. We are very glad to have him back. Chanchal too comes with rich experience and is a high performance diligent professional. The mandate for the team is to consolidate and grow the Western operations which Im sure they will successfully achieve.

Mohit Joshi, Managing Director, Havas Media Group India, explained, Its homecoming for Kunal. He is a great leader and an even greater human being. Am very sure he will steer our operations to newer hights of success. Chanchal is also a thorough professional and will provide a lot of stability to the team in Mumbai with her professional skills.

It is great to be back. India is an exciting business country today. My experience in multiple emerging markets will come into play to strengthen and expand the Havas Media operations, said Kunal Jamuar, Managing Partner, Havas Media India, West & South.

Havas Media is in an interesting phase of growth. I look forward to contributing to further drive this growth by creating value for our clients, continued Chanchal Shaktawat, Vice President Planning, West, Havas Media India.
As the budget date is approaching, everyone is busy speculating the new reforms and changes it will bring with it. Recently, the Indian government rolled out initiatives like Start up India and Digital India.

AskmeBazaar feels that these are steps in the right direction as such initiatives will help to create a favorable environment for budding entrepreneurs in the country. They are hopeful that such campaigns will aid the economic growth and increase in overall consumption. Also, it is the hope that the government will continue giving thrust to various reforms in this sector in the forthcoming Union Budget 2016-17.

The budget will be looked upon keenly by startups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the ecommerce sector in particular which is presently on a growth trajectory and expected to grow the fastest globally in the next 3 years as per a latest Morgan Stanley report.

Mr. Mohit Dubey, Co founder & CEO, Carwale says, "The budget is one of the most important tools available to thegovernment to address the current debate on vehicular pollution. In this weeks Auto Expo, car manufacturers have put their best foot forward in terms of offering hybrids and advanced technology to dramatically increase fuel efficiency. Now it is for the government to do their bit by making these cars highly attractive by offering incentives and rebates. We are also hoping that they will address fuel policy - by moving us to global quality standards as soon as possible and using pricing to encourage lesser polluting fuels, rather than a partial ban on diesel-engined vehicles as is currently imposed.

"Budget 2016 is highly awaited where everyone is expecting policy level changes to promote growth. At the juncture where global growth is not so promising, everyone is eying on Indian Growth story and we have to leverage this situation. Government has started great initiatives like Make in India, Startup India Initiative, the budget has to support at monitory, infrastructure and policy level to realise these dreams. Some of the expectation we have is further easy FDI investment norms, licensing and startup support (tax, documentation, licensing, legal). Entrepreneurs should feel protected and supported on ground level to make actual difference," adds Mr. Vipin Pathak, Co Founder & CEO, Care24.

Mr. Manu Agarwal, Founder & CEO, Naaptol believes, This budget should have some favorable reforms for the emerging industries like e-commerce. There is still a lot of ambiguity with respect to the taxation laws for marketplace companies like ours. I expect this budget to give some clarity on it. Additionally there should be more plans of development of infrastructure. Our industry rely heavily on imports and having good infrastructure and logistic muscle like larger ports and transit systems will help us to get goods faster for our customers.

Mr. Hitesh Doshi, CMD, Waaree Energies says that given the rising demand and the fluctuating supply of coal and petroleum products,the Government of India has underlined the vital role it expects the solar industry to play in the countrys continued growth. He adds, "Boosted by this vote of confidence, the industry expects a clear business opportunity of at least $70 billion in the next five years through sale of solar equipment. Keeping this in mind, there are certain expectations from the upcoming budget that can help the Indian solar industry realize this huge potential. On the manufacturing front, there must be a push for producing a major portion of the industrys material requirements within the country.Currently, a major chunk of the Indian solar industrys requirements is being fulfilled by China owing to the difference in pricing, manufacturing capabilities and insurances.The Government must make similar incentives available to the indigenous manufacturers or implement anti-dumping policies along the lines of USA and Europe. If these measures are put into effect, we envisage a target of at least 60% material production taking place within India, which amounts close to $42 million.This ties in well with the Prime Ministers ambitious Make in India project and will serve to drive the national economy and GDP. Moreover, by decreasing the dependence on imported goods, it will serve to improve the countrys balance of trade quotient.Insurance companies need to step up to the plate and deliver viable schemes for insuring solar panels, while there must also be a dedicated effort made to position India as the global R&D hub for solar power.To achieve this, at least 3 percent of the potential investment made into the solar industry will need to be funneled through for R&D and technology. These measures will revitalize the manufacturing sector, and will encourage it to meet the equipment demands made by the developers. The development segment, on the other hand, is also in need of an urgent revamp. This can be achieved by policy reforms that are aimed at reinvigorating the sector. One such policy reform that comes to mind is that of depreciation benefits. Currently, most of the projects and tenders relating to the solar industry see no differentiation between the developers who avail the depreciation benefit and those that do not.Making depreciation trad able can address this gap and will lead to more players playing an active role in the solar development sector. This measure will directly result in better competition and improved service delivery".
Panasonic India launched its new ADcampaigncommunicating how a Panasonic Life Conditioner gives oneHealthier, Smarter & Faster air. Themed - A Better Life, A Better World, the campaign resonates the companys commitment to improve the quality and the standard of living, creating a better world for the entire communityto live in.

The new range of air conditioners  LifeConditionerenhances the consumer experience by providing them with prerequisites cooling features and empowers them with the latest Japanese technology. LifeConditioner is the amalgamation of the healthier, smarter and faster technology. The range offers 99% purer air, 65% energy saving and 35% faster cooling.Panasonic Life Conditioners are equipped withNanoe-G & PM 2.5 Air Purification which eliminates airborne particles and serves purer air in your home. EconaviInverter technology monitors the operations of the product as per requirementand iAUTOX delivers faster cooling.

The advertising campaignfeatures Panasonics brand ambassador -Katrina Kaifwho has a strong youth appeal which connects with the brands techno-savvy consumers looking for products with global standards.

The campaign gives an insight into the life of consumers across Indian geographies taking a closer look at the need for cool and pure air that can help them have a healthier lifestyle. With this campaign, Panasonicaims to establish a strong connect with its audiences by showcasing the smart innovations which make for A Better Life, A Better World.

Announcing the new campaign, Mr. Sarthak Seth, Head -Brand & Marketing Communications, Panasonic India, said,We are truly excited to launch our new AC campaign as it is in line with our commitment towards creating A Better life, A Better World. Panasonic has always ensured on pursuing a better life for each individual customer with its products across spaces and fields, such as the home, the community and in business. The new TVC brings alive the essence of pure air and highlights the Healthier, Smarter & Faster technology of Panasonic LifeConditioners.

Mr. Sartaj (Saints & Warriors) said, The story attempts to give an insight of consumers across Indian geographies seeking technology which satisfies their need for a faster, healthier and smarter technology in Air Conditioners. Actress Katrina Kaif brings credibility and freshness to the otherwise serious technology product offering. The story telling ensures that the characters are a reflection of the Indian consumers mindset.

Link to the TVC:

https://fileshare-ap.bm.com/dl/2xJxxwRL3l
Pascal Houdayer, currently Corporate Senior Vice President in the Laundry & Home Care business unit, will be appointed member of the Henkel Management Board as of March 1, 2016. He will succeed Hans Van Bylen as Executive Vice President for the Beauty Care business as of May 1, 2016. Effective the same day, Hans Van Bylen will become CEO of Henkel. He will succeed Kasper Rorsted, who will leave the company on April 30, 2016.

Pascal Houdayer joined Henkel in 2011. He is responsible for the International Marketing of the Home Care business. In addition, he is also responsible for the digital activities and the Asia-Pacific region for the Laundry & Home Care business unit. Before joining Henkel, since 1993 he held various international management positions at Procter & Gamble in Europe, North Africa and the US in the Laundry and Home Care business as well as Body Care. The appointment of Pascal Houdayer as new member of the Henkel Management Board as of March 1, 2016 will allow a seamless transition of the business responsibility for Henkels Beauty Care business.

Im very glad that Henkel has appointed an internal successor to Hans Van Bylen. Pascal Houdayer has long-standing, international experience in the consumer goods industry. This appointment is testament to our strong talent pipeline and people development at Henkel, said Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board and the Shareholders Committee.

Pascal Houdayer was born in Eaubonne, France, in 1969. He graduated from the ESSEC Business School in Paris with a degree in Mathematics and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He is married with three children.

In fiscal 2014 the Henkel Beauty Care business generated sales of around 3.5 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of 544 million euros. The portfolio include Hair cosmetics for consumers and professional hair dresser as well as well-known brands for Body, Skin, and Oral Care. Among the largest and most successful brands are Schwarzkopf, Dial and Syoss.
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Mildenhall KC-135s support French operation

Three KC-135 Stratotankers, along with 50 Airmen from the 100th Air Refueling Wing at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, temporarily deployed to Istres-Le Tube Air Base, France, in support of Operation Juniper Micron.



The U.S. has been supporting the French government in Operation Juniper Micron at their request since 2013, providing air refueling and airlift support of French operations in Mali and North Africa.



Since December 2015 alone, the 100th ARW has flown more than 750 sorties, refueled more than 2,900 French aircraft, and off-loaded nearly 28 million pounds of fuel while supporting French operations.



The strategic decision to temporarily deploy the KC-135s to Istres is the result of the continual evaluation of how to best support French ally forces in the air and on the ground.



The long-standing relationship between the U.S. and France enables operational success by allowing a forward-based presence of U.S. Air Forces in Europe  Air Forces Africa assets and the ability to move forward quickly in support of French operations.


Pacific partners practice humanitarian assistance during Cope North

Military members from six nations joined together for a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief deployment throughout the region of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Feb. 14-18.



The deployment is part of Cope North 16, a multilateral exercise, including the U.S. Air Force and air forces from across the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.



Col. Brian Toth, the CN16 lead for the U.S. Air Force, said the HA/DR portion enhances regional capabilities to respond to crises and lays the foundation for the expansion of regional cooperation in the face of real-world contingencies.



Humanitarian assistance and disaster response is an awesome capability we can provide, Toth said. The ability to have our forces train together allows us to understand what each part brings to the response and what we can provide together to provide the aid any country in the region may ask for.



It demonstrates our commitment to working together with our coalition partner countries across the Pacific, he continued. We work well together and provide a strong presence  and we know we can rely on each other in a time of need.



Members from the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard -- partnered with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Royal Australian Air Force, South Korean air force, Royal New Zealand Air Force and Philippine Air Force -- reacted to a fictional, yet realistic, disaster scenario that was said to affect the Marianas region.



What were focusing on is interoperability, learning from one another how to better respond to disaster situations, said Sharon Rohde, the CN16 HA/DR lead planner. Its about overcoming not only language barriers but differences to how we do business, whether thats regulatory in nature or based on our understanding of the situation. We open up communication and derive lessons learned to be better prepared in response to disaster.



The exercise scenario posed a severe impact from a typhoon traversing between the islands of Tinian and Rota, prompting Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to issue a simulated request for immediate assistance to Guams neighboring islands. During the HA/DR response, Guam acted as the hub for all aid efforts. From Guam, crews traveled to two deployed operation centers on spoke locations on Rota and Tinian.



Upon notification of the emergency, coalition units responded in a phased approach based on real-world response plans by deploying Royal Australian Air Force combat controllers and Andersen AFBs 36th Contingency Response Group teams to the islands to survey airfield conditions and establish security for incoming aid flights.



The notional disaster tested the main training objectives of airfield assessment team insertion and substandard airfield operation. Bringing together Airmen from varying Air Force specialties, multilateral contingency teams demonstrated their ability to assess and operate previously inaccessible airfields within 12 hours of notification.



Contingency response of this type is one of our major functions, said Lt. Col. Glenn Rineheart, the 36th Mobility Response Squadron commander and exercise mission commander on Rota. Cope North provides the ability for our Airmen to respond to a foreign location and operate only with those assets which were brought in order to surmount challenges with equipment and personnel and the environment. There is a lot to be gained from operating away from main base.



After declaring the airfields as safe, contingency teams provided continued communications and aerial port support to allow aircrews to deliver aid. Within hours of the airfield opening, coalition teams began set up of an expeditionary medical support health response team mobile hospital, which stands ready on Guam to deploy to real-world disasters.



Expeditionary medical teams deploy to save lives



From emergency resuscitation to life-preserving surgery, the teams are well-equipped and trained to handle a large variety of possible ailments, yet the priority for medics and nurses lies with triage and initial stabilization of patients.



The EMEDS-HRT is the first-line response package in the region, said Staff Sgt. Carlos Rance, a 36th Medical Group medical logistics contracting officer. We set up the ER tent first, and within a 12-hour period we have a fully operational medical facility that allows our teams to treat more than 300 patients. During this exercise we get the opportunity to not only complete a full setup, from the box up, but doctors and medics also get valuable hands-on experience on what its like to operate exclusive with the equipment we carry.



Receiving a steady stream of typhoon victims who were hypothetically transported from Tinian for medical care, medical technicians and military doctors practiced real-time care procedures on simulated injuries ranging from burn wounds and open fractures to psychological distress and child delivery.



Focused on the patient



When patient condition required a higher echelon of care, a team or flight nurses and medical administrators ensured expedient aeromedical evacuation to a location with a fully functioning hospital.



The focus of this whole exercise is the patient, said Australian Flight Lt. Emma J. Dingle, a Royal Australian Air Force flight nurse and CN16 aeromedical evacuation liaison. It is really important for us to understand how each country functions, so that when we do have to come together for joint disaster responses, we can do it smoothly and effectively and have the best outcome for the people who are in need of help.



The aeromedical evacuation exercises culminated with a joint rescue event Feb. 17. Coalition search and rescue aviators located simulated downed aircrew in open waters off the coast of Guam and performed a subsequent rotary wing evacuation by U.S. Navy's Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25.



Planning success through past lessons learned



For the first time, international HA/DR mission planners gathered during a two-day subject matter exchange and tabletop exercise before kickoff. Airmen from three nations shared their experiences, failures and successes during responses as far ranging as the 2011 tsunami in Japan and the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal.



This year we added a tabletop exercise, which allowed participants to collaborate before exercising, Rhode said. This facilitated discussion about actual disasters that occurred in the Pacific and to hear that firsthand experience from somebody who was actually there and could speak to specific issues that occurred.



Experts also discussed the integration with civilian agencies that would take important roles in real disaster response situations, such as international civic aviation authorities and USAID coordinators.



Typically the civilian response agencies can handle most emergencies, even large once, said Scott Aronson, the senior USAID humanitarian assistance adviser to U.S. Pacific Command. But the U.S. military has unique abilities that either no one else has or nobody can deploy as quickly. We know, for instance, the CRGs capabilities during an HA/DR event are likely one of the unique abilities we might call on.



As the lead federal agency for disaster response, we participated to make sure the exercise is realistic from our perspective and to have that face-to-face time with the people and agencies we will see in the field, Aronson continued. The biggest challenge is understanding each others capabilities and Cope North allows both sides to see what the other brings to the table and how those things work together. Maintaining those relationships is essential.



Following the tabletop exchange, the teams practiced multinational interoperability during the stressful team building required during mission planning.



The planning group this year was incredible to see, said Royal Australian Air Force Squadron Leader Chris OByrne, the Australian HA/DR scenario planning lead and exercise mission commander on Tinian. When you see service members come together and realize that theyre talking about the same thing, while calling it by a different name, and we notice that all the time; its an amazing thing to see.



International interest rises



Because of the resounding successes of HA/DR exercises in the past, an increased number of medical subject matter experts from Bangladesh, Canada, India, Indonesia, Malasia and Thailand visited the HA/DR portion as observers this year to witness operations firsthand and gather information on how to improve or establish their own contingency programs.



Natural disasters are the when not the if of contingency scenarios and HA/DR is becoming more and more important and recognized as a critical capability, which is why our partner nations have sent their observers to the tabletop and field training exercises, OByrne said. During the conduct of the field training, the observers saw the U.S.-led CRG in Rota and the Australian Contingency Response Squadron on Tinian, which will allow them to see how different agencies would react.



Success in numbers and increased interoperability



Through effective use of its hub-and-spoke relief plan, the coalition teams successfully evacuated approximately 40 patients, moving more than 180 passengers, conducting 30 airdrops and transporting more than 438,600 pounds of cargo from island to island, Rhode said.



Each year, this exercise has been getting more advanced, she said. We are learning more about what types of cargo can go on what types of aircraft or what type of communication capability each country uses. We learn it in the exercise and then when things really kick off, we are not starting from square one. Were working in the interest of saving lives and no one country can do it all themselves, so its a lot easier to get on board and figure out the problem together.



Currently ongoing, this year marks the 87th iteration of exercise Cope North, which includes a long-standing, multinational HA/DR event designed to increase interoperability and develop a synergistic disaster response capability between the U.S. Air Force, Japan Air-Self Defense Force and Royal Australian Air Force. The second half of Cope North will shift the focus to air combat training, which will include air-to-air and air-to-ground combat and large force employment training.
Disbrow confirmed as under secretary of the Air Force

The U.S. Senate recently confirmed Lisa S. Disbrow as the new under secretary of the Air Force to ensure efficient and effective management of Air Force resources.



In this position, Disbrow oversees the Air Forces annual budget of more than $120 billion and serves as the co-chair of the top Air Force corporate decision-making body, the Air Force Council.



Being prior Air Force and having walked in those shoes helps me understand and appreciate the challenges and stresses our Airmen face on a daily basis, Disbrow said. I know when we are creating visions of how it will be implemented in the field, because I have been there. We have incredibly bright people in the Air Force and I get a sense of how valuable every single person is and how hard they work.



Working with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the vice chairman prior to her current position, Disbrow gained a lot of understanding of the issues the service leaders faced.



That insight will help me enormously in my new position because I saw things across the full spectrum of issues, and to see and understand the joint operations side is a huge benefit for me, Disbrow said. The insight to processes like (Office of the Secretary Defense), budgeting and programming, (just to name a few) is invaluable to me here and I am completely amazed at the people who come from outside and can do this job; its a lot of complex, moving pieces.



Disbrow discussed her top priorities, starting with ensuring Airmen know and feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves.



The work we do is important and I want every Airman to know how much they matter, Disbrow said. The vice chief and I want to make sure Airmen who are separated or retired with symptoms of (post-traumatic stress disorder) get what they need.



Taking care of Airman has been the number one priority for the secretary of the Air Force since she took charge and one of the best ways to do that is by growing the force.



We just got approval to plus up our numbers so the question we need to ask is, as we grow, how do we bring capable and diverse people into our ranks? Disbrow asked. We need a wide range of skills and a diverse group of people with different ways of thinking. It will help our Airmen out enormously to grow quick, but we need to make sure we are growing with the right people.



She also wants to push hard for top-line dollars the Air Force needs to support the Defense Department and the nation.



I want to make sure we get what we need to focus on getting the mission done, Disbrow said. I also want to invest in our IT infrastructure because it supports every mission we have. We need to be able to modernize that so it can continue to support the growing needs of the Air Force.



As under secretary of the Air Force, Disbrow is also charged with providing for the welfare of more than 664,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian Airmen and their families.



Every morning when I walk in through the (Pentagon) River Entrance, I pause and think about the enormity of the things going on here and how I play a role in all of that  its very exciting, Disbrow said.



Disbrow also discussed the role every Airman plays in the overall Air Force mission.



Every person, no matter the rank, (has) a critical role to play in the mission and we need them to think about ideas on how they can make things better for the next person or for the next mission, Disbrow said. Our people are highly valued. Airmen for life  thats what I want them to think. I want them to know they are part of something really important and we need their ideas. Every single person is mission critical.


Breaking news: Having a uterus doesnt qualify you to be president. Thats the message rapper Killer Mike, quoting feminist Jane Elliott, sent to supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders when Killer Mike said, to great applause, A uterus doesnt qualify to you to be president of the United States. To which students of history everywhere basically said, No shit. There has never been a president of the United States who also had a uterus. Until just a few decades ago, most Americans believed femaleness was a disqualifying factor for the presidency. Yet to suggest that it would be important to have a female president, to suggest that perhaps someone like Hillary Clinton, who has lived for 68 years in a female body in a sexist culture, could be valuable  well, youre voting with your vagina. Killer Mike, to his credit, refused to apologize, telling critics to listen to the full context of his uterus line, which emphasized the need for a president who advocates for social justice. Sanders backed him up, saying gender shouldnt matter in politics and No one has ever heard me say, Hey guys, stand together. Vote for a man. Of course, gender does matter in politics. Women are sorely underrepresented at every level of elected office, while older white men dominate. Perhaps one reason is that we enjoy making spectacles of prominent women, holding them to a higher standard than we do men. Killer Mike refused to apologize and Sanders supported him. Compare that to the brouhaha over feminist leader Gloria Steinems statement that young women are dedicated and active feminists but may be leaning toward Sanders because thats where the boys are and, well, guy stuff is just generally treated as cooler and more relevant than girl stuff. Or compare that to the firestorm that erupted when former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, in support of Clinton, said, Theres a special place in hell for women who dont help other women  a line shes been dropping for a decade. Steinem and Albright were both swiftly bullied into saying sorry. Gender, it turns out, matters as much in politics as anywhere else  maybe even more. And there is a strong feminist case for Clinton, and that case is made not only on gender but also on efficacy and policy. Aside from a handful of dustups, this Democratic primary season has been a joy. Theres a lot to like about Sanders, starting with his dogged commitment to income inequality. What a relief it is to see the two Democratic front-runners having incisive, intelligent, challenging conversations and debates about one of the most pressing issues in America. What a relief to see politicians who are dedicated and passionate and above the schoolyard-style squabbles and insult lobbing of their GOP counterparts. Im not throwing my support behind either candidate in the Democratic primary. But I do think its healthy for feminists to argue a case, advocate without apology and take unpopular or even dogmatic positions to force a more thorough reckoning with the issues at stake in our movement. So with that in mind: If the rights and interests of women are your primary concern, Clinton is the candidate who will be more effective in making a significant difference for women and girls. Were currently being bombarded with stories about how feminists are voting for Sanders (a claim not backed up by any actual data) or how Clinton isnt a feminist or killed feminism (often upheld by people long hostile to feminism, making one wonder about their sudden investment in its fate). But lets not forget that before Clinton was an insufficient feminist, she was too much of a feminist. She contorted herself into the roles demanded of her throughout her husbands scandals, then hers, staying solidly left-of-center but tamping down the feminist bombast. She downplayed gender in her 2008 campaign, perhaps not wanting to marginalize voters uncomfortable with a woman in power. Today shes running for president not just as a woman but also as an advocate for womens rights  and yet shes still portrayed as somehow lacking. Remember a few years ago when young feminists embraced boss lady Secretary of State Clinton, with her black sunglasses and her Blackberry and the Texts From Hillary meme? That era ended as soon as Clinton sought power also sought by a man.

Clinton has been an advocate for paid family leave, a child care tax credit and universal prekindergarten, all issues that would make an enormous difference in the lives of women and their families.

Her legislative style is to quietly get things done. (That is, shes a prototypically female legislator.) Unlike Sanders, shes not making big promises or campaigning on revolution. Her message is more constrained, with thoughtful, careful policy positions shes reasonably confident can be put into action. True, Sanders puts forward a more expansive, exciting vision  free college for everyone, health care for everyone, an executive order to allow 9 million immigrants to stay in the United States with the sweep of a pen. But hes light on details. Lighter still is his track record of passing and implementing significant pieces of legislation. Hes a dreamer, and thats lovely, especially in a primary. In the long run, though, for women in the United States, it may be a smarter bet to take the candidate who can pass female-friendly laws than the one who promises them along with a panoply of social programs he is unlikely to deliver. When it comes to womens rights specifically, Clinton has real experience and a track record. She has long been in favor of abortion rights, occasionally moderating her rhetoric to capture a wider audience. (Despite what some might contend, embracing her husbands line that abortion should be safe, legal and rare is hardly an anti-abortion stance.) She came out in support of both repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal funding for abortion care for low-income women, and for U.S. funding for abortion care for rape victims in conflict zones  not exactly positions with a ton of historic popularity among mainstream politicians. She has the backing of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and NARAL Pro-Choice America, the biggest pro-abortion-rights groups in the country. If youre still not convinced, watch this video of Clinton testifying before Congress about reproductive rights. Those are hardly words of an inadequate pro-abortion-rights candidate. Clinton has also been an advocate for paid family leave, a child care tax credit and universal prekindergarten, all issues that would make an enormous difference in the lives of women and their families  especially low-income women, including working-class millennial women who, unlike their wealthier counterparts, are more likely to forgo college or have children earlier or without a husband. Sanders, for all of his talk of inequality, doesnt fold gender or race into the equation that often. His promise of free college is great but wont do much for the many women for whom college isnt a priority or isnt on the radar. And while Sanders also supports a bevy of family-friendly policies, he rarely mentions them. Ive followed his campaign closely as a political writer, and I had to research what, exactly, his platform on pre-K and child care was. Even his health care plan made no mention of reproductive health care and rights  a stunning omission after abortion and contraception were central points of debate in President Barack Obamas signature Affordable Care Act. Clinton, on the other hand, is upfront about her positions on these topics, even if those positions arent quite as far left as many, myself included, would prefer. Political rhetoric doesnt necessarily have a direct relationship with policy priorities, of course, but its tough to argue it doesnt signify a real commitment, and in that respect, Clinton comes out on top. In her time at the State Department, she appointed the first U.S. ambassador for global womens issues. The Clinton Foundation has funded millions of dollars worth of projects benefiting women and girls worldwide, from programs promoting family planning and combating maternal HIV transmission to ending child marriage and fostering womens economic security. The foundation has been criticized for accepting donations from countries with notoriously woman-unfriendly policies; by this logic, it would be allowed to accept money only from Norway or Sweden. But this contention has been used as a talking point in favor of Sanders, as if an imperfection amid decades of work is somehow worse than not doing much of anything for women abroad at all. Policy aside, having a female president matters. Would it fix sexism? Not any more than having an African-American president fixed racism. That is, it didnt, and in some ways it brought long-simmering ugliness and bigotry to the surface. But watch Obamas eulogy in South Carolina after the vicious murder of black churchgoers there. Look at this picture of a little boy meeting a president who looks like him. Survey Obamas track record  vastly expanded access to health care, more diverse judicial appointments than any other president in history, massive student loan overhaul  and say having a black president after 200 years of white leaders didnt matter.

Women have not climbed the ranks as far as we should have or as far as we seem to think, and womens work is routinely ignored, derided, underappreciated and rendered invisible.
Soon after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, the then chief of Pakistans ISI conceded that some of the powerful spy agencys retired members were engaged in training those involved in the heinous crime but refused to take action, a former CIA chief has said in a new book.

In his latest book Playing to the Edge, Michael Hayden, the former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director, expressed his deep frustration of the duplicity of the Pakistani leadership when it came to taking action against terrorist groups in particular al Qaeda, Taliban, LeT and the Haqqani network.

Arguing that the Pakistan Army is built to fight against India and not terrorists, the top leadership in the country, in particularly those from its military in the past one decade, have repeatedly expressed its inability to take on the terrorist groups in the tribal regions as desired by the US, he wrote.

Referring to the Mumbai terrorist attack, Hayden, who was the CIA chief till 2009, said it was very clear that there seemed to be so many Pakistani fingerprints on the atrocity.

I began routinely harassing my counterpart in Pakistan, now Ahmed Shuja Pasha (the former director general of Military Operations, the Pakistan Army`s top operational post), on the phone, urging him to get to the bottom of the attack and to discuss it frankly with us, he wrote.

We had no doubt that the attack was the work of LeT, and there was mounting evidence that preparation for and direction of the attack took place from within Pakistan, where LeT enjoyed the protection and support of ISI, Hayden said.

Pasha, who had come to ISI only a few weeks earlier and had no previous intelligence experience, came to the US on Christmas Day and spent most of the next afternoon in his office.

He worked carefully from notes. His investigation had revealed that some former ISI members were involved with Lashkar-e-Toiba (no surprise there). Pasha admitted that these unspecified (and still uncaptured) retirees may have engaged in some broad training of the attackers, but he was characteristically vague about any detailed direction the attackers had gotten during the attack via cell phone from Pakistan, Hayden wrote in the book.

I took to passing sufficiently sanitised intelligence to Pasha on what we believed was going on in order to try to goad him into action. If he knew that we knewPerhaps we could get some movement. We didnt have a whole lot of success, Hayden wrote.

Narrating an incident when the then Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf refused to fill up gas in the airplane that flew him to Islamabad, where he had gone to press him to take action against terrorists, Hayden wrote: One more bit of evidence that these guys really were the ally from hell.

The crew had forgotten their government credit card, you cant make this stuff up and the Pakistanis wouldnt budge, he wrote.

Musharraf refused to take action, despite some crucial evidence being provided to him.

And every time he was pressed, the response was his Army was built to fight India, not tribal insurgents, and he wasn`t going to bleed it in Waziristan`s mountains chasing Pashtun, Uzbek or Arab jihadists, Hayden said.
The Bombay High Court deferred till February 29 the hearing on a petition seeking second autopsy of Gurgaon resident Sandeep Gadoli who was killed in an alleged encounter with the police in Andheri two weeks ago.

The petition, filed by Gadolis brother Kuldeep, came up before the bench of Justices V M Kanade and V L Achilya. The judges said they would wait for a Supreme Court order about this case to be uploaded on the apex courts website.

The apex court has directed the HC to make Gurgaon police a party to the petition.

Gadoli, who faced criminal cases in Haryana, was killed in an alleged encounter with a team of Gurgaon police at a hotel in Mumbai on February 7.

His brother has moved the HC, alleging it was a fake encounter and an FIR for murder should be registered against the Gurgaon police.

The petitioner says the autopsy report of J J Hospital here ignored several post-death injuries on the body. When he saw the body, he noticed that the neck was swollen but the report doesnt mention it. Also, it doesnt give details of entry and exit points of bullets.

Kuldeep has sought a fresh autopsy and examination of call data records of Gurgaon policemen involved in the operation and a woman who was with Sandeep at the time.

The SC last week stayed the Bombay High Court order which asked the Mumbai police to register an FIR against Gurgaon police. The apex court asked the HC to give a hearing to Gurgaon police by making them party to the petition.
The Delhi High Court made it clear that Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who have been accused of allegedly raising anti-national slogans, have to surrender and follow the due process of law. During the hearing, Umar Khalids lawyer told the court that his client was willing to surrender at a time and location, but the Delhi Police objected to the place. The Delhi Police made strong objection against surrendering on undisclosed location and the time suggested by Umars lawyer. Meanwhile, the High Court has also dismissed another plea filed by a lawyer seeking direction to the Delhi Police to enter the JNU campus and arrest the accused students.

Earlier, two more students of the varsity  Rama Naga and Anant Prakash Narayan  filed anticipatory bail plea in the Delhi High Court. The five students Umar Khalid, Anant Prakash Narayan, Ashutosh Kumar, Rama Naga and Anirban Bhattacharya returned to the campus on Sunday night. Delhi High Court directed the city police to file a status report of its investigation in the sedition case in which JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested. The courts direction came while hearing Kanhaiyas bail plea which was opposed by Delhi Police. Delhi police claimed that they have enough evidences to prove that JNU students are anti-national. Lets see, which extra ordinary proofs they have. In the plea, Kumar has also claimed that no case is made out against him because there is no evidence that he had raised any anti-national slogan during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on February 9. Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung ordered the removal of Kanhaiyas counsel Rahul Mehra and appointed four lawyers.

Amid of all these JNU developments, there was protest march in support of Rohit Vemula in Delhi. Mounting a fresh attack, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi accused Modi government and RSS of crushing voices of dissent of college and university students across the country and pitched for a law to protect them from discrimination and suppression. He demanded law to ensure that students in colleges and universities do not face discrimination and their voice is not stifled, he said lending his support to hundreds of students who took out a march demanding justice for Hyderabad University research scholar Rohith Vemula, and Kanhaiya Kumar. Gandhi and Kejriwal slammed the government for not including issues like Rohiths death and difficulties being faced by students of universities in the Presidents address to Parliament. Accusing the Centre of muzzling the voice of students across universities in the country if they differ with ideology of RSS, Rahul said Congress will fight for bringing a law to check such suppression.

He alleged that government was trying to suppress not only the youths but also the Adivasis, Dalits and other weaker sections.

No one wants the country where an ideology is imposed upon them, everyone is fighting for it. Opposition thinks RSS are imposing their ideology on others, but we want an India of multiple voices and multiple ideologies. Students too want aazadi (freedom) from saffron ideology. Everyone wants to have freedom of expression for them. Anyway, this was the second such protest in less than a week; thousands of students from various universities across the country took to the streets in the capital protesting against the death of the Dalit student Rohith Vemula and the ongoing row at JNU. The protesters included students from various universities including Hyderabad Central University, from where Vemula belongs. On one side, think tanks and students are fighting for liberties and rights and on the other side BJPs motor mouth leaders dont want to take a pause.

Amidst the ongoing unrest in JNU, BJP MLA who has gone one step forward in defaming the varsity and its students. According to BJP MLA, those studying in JNU are involved in activities including sex and drugs among others. Listing out the statistics over the illicit activities been conducted at JNU, he said, more than 10,000 butts of cigarettes and 4,000 pieces of beedis are found. 50,000 big and small pieces of bones are found. 2,000 wrappers of chips and namkeen are found, and so are 3,000 used condoms  the misdeeds they commit with our sisters and daughters there. And 500 used contraceptive injections are also found. Im wondering, why he came up with this revelation now and why not when he noticed these things there? Why and for what he was waiting? Butts of cigarettes, beedis, chips and namkeen, liquor and other things are common, he should go in flashback during his students life. Accusing students to prove them wrong should not be there. Anyway, lets see when and how this controversy will end and how the students of India will deal with the issue.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com)
Chinas ambassador to South Korea warned Tuesday that the planned deployment of a US missile defence system in the country could damage Beijing-Seoul ties, possibly irreparably.

Once damaged, it would be hard to normalise relations between the two former Cold War enemies, ambassador Qiu Guohong said, according to a spokesman for South Koreas main opposition Minju party.

Qiu made the remarks when he met Minju party head Kim Jong-In at parliament. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy said the Minju party`s briefing on the meeting to journalists was accurate.

It has taken much effort to develop China-South Korea ties to this degree. But these efforts could be destroyed in an instant because of one issue, Qiu said in reference to the planned deployment of the advanced US missile defence system in South Korea.

China has repeatedly protested since Washington and Seoul announced plans to instal the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (THAAD) in the South, in response to North Koreas recent nuclear test and rocket launch.

But Tuesday was the first time that a Chinese diplomat or official has warned of the effect on diplomatic ties with Seoul.

Qiu repeated Beijings argument that the THAAD deployment would greatly undermine Chinas security interests, cause instability and spark a regional arms race.

(South Korea) should consider whether its own security, under these circumstances, could be guaranteed, Qiu said.

China fought alongside North Korea against the South and its allies during the 1950-53 war.

It established diplomatic ties with Seoul only in 1992 but is now the Souths top trading partner.

Earlier on Tuesday South Koreas defence ministry said Washington and Seoul had postponed the signing of an accord, originally due on Tuesday, on setting up a joint working group to discuss details of the THAAD deployment.

The delay comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit Washington from Tuesday to meet his US counterpart John Kerry for possible talks on the controversial missile defence system and on North Korea.

The THAAD system fires anti-ballistic missiles to smash into enemy missiles either inside or outside the Earths atmosphere during their final flight phase.
Todd: "We've been politicizing science in the last decade. ...[Politicians] ought to stay out of this debate. ...If you're a political leader and you care about this issue, you ought to step back and push forward medical experts on this. Because at the end of the day, the more politicians weigh in, the more this ends up splitting along political lines, and that's going to solve nothing."

Lauer: "There are pockets of affluent America where parents don't want their kids vaccinated."

Lauer quoted the New York Times. 'The vaccination controversy is a twist on an old problem for the Republican Party: How to approach matters that have largely been settled among scientists but are not widely accepted among conservatives.'

Todd: "It's a combination of a few things that have all come together. Number one, you have the issue of religious freedom... The second thing is the rise of social media. And you throw in the combination of the scare about ten years ago ...the thought that there might be a connection between vaccines and autism, and how that spread like wildfire in social media. ...This is the perfect storm of what happens when the credibility of politicians goes badly. You have the spread of misinformation so easily on the Internet. ..."

Matt Lauer talked to Chuck Todd, moderator of Meet the Press, about why vaccines are a political issue.

(From the "Did you ever think you'd miss Nancy Snyderman" files...._ By Anne Dachel Today Show: Chuck Todd: Politicians should leave measles alone

Chuck Todd is NBC's "chief political director" and moderator of "Meet the Press." On February 3, 2016, Todd was interview by Matt Lauer on the Today Show. The topic was vaccines as a political issue.

Todd, backed by Lauer, warned candidates not to discuss vaccines. They should leave this subject to the "medical experts." The science has been settled.

This brief two minute conversation is extremely frightening. Todd called for censorship. The debate that won't go away, would essentially be shut down. Why? Because we're not qualified to discuss it. It's clear that Todd (and Lauer) doesn't want to go where this controversy leads. As a journalist, he's failing us all. The reason the issue doesn't go away, no matter how many "conclusive studies" they came up with, is because the evidence of damage, corruption and cover-up is everywhere.

Chuck Todd needs to wake up and realize that VACCINES ARE A POLITICAL TOPIC.

State governments mandate these vaccines.

The federal government oversees the vaccine schedule.

The U.S. Congress indemnified both the vaccine makers and those who administer vaccines.

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims hears vaccine injury cases (because yes, vaccine injury is real).

The government has compensated over 80 cases of vaccine injury involving autism.

In 2008 we learned that medical experts at HHS compensated vaccine-induced autism in the case of Hannah Poling.

State governments, after strong lobbying from a pharma-backed interest group, ALEC, are pushing for an end to exemptions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency that runs the vaccine program, has stood by unconcerned and clueless as the autism epidemic consumed more and more of our children.

The CDC has long been in bed with the pharmaceutical corporations. Hundreds of individuals at the CDC have conflict of interest waivers because of direct financial ties to the industry they regulate.

The CDC has ignored thousands of studies by well-credentialed experts from leading universities showing our one-size-fits-every-child vaccine schedule is not safe.

Two years ago, news of corruption and cover-up regarding a study that showed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism in African-American boys surfaced, yet nothing has been done.

The CDC literally has oversight over itself. They produce the studies, all connected to the vaccine industry, that are used to show vaccines are safe.

When is Chuck Todd going to get up to speed and know what's really going on?

What does Todd want politicians to do?

Should we let Dr. Paul Offit have the last word on vaccine safety? He's everywhere in the news, usually described as an infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. What we're not told is that Offit made millions by developing a vaccine for rota virus.

How bad do things have to get before newsmen like Todd take an interest? The U.S. autism rate is at 2 percent of children. The predictions are that things will get worse. Our children are the most vaccinated in the world and some of the sickest.

Does it bother Chuck Todd that we have an ever-expanding vaccine schedule that is mandated for school attendance, yet there are absolutely no tests to determine which children might be at risk for a vaccine reaction? Every parent is expected to line up their child for vaccine roulette, hoping that the barrage of vaccines at each well-baby visit won't do permanent damage.

Chuck Todd and Matt Lauer need to explain why they want politicians to shut up about vaccines. The only people who benefit from the rest of us NOT TALKING ABOUT VACCINES, are those making money off of them.

Where do Todd and Lauer stand? On the side of the best possible health care for our children---or the profit-making of the vaccine industry?

And if Todd and Lauer don't know about the things I've talked about, what good are they as journalists?
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2016 - New guidance from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) seeks to streamline the process of extending nonregulated status to genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products derived from known plant pests, or regulated articles.

Entitled Extension Guidance for Developers, the APHIS document said it anticipated the process being applicable in the following cases:

1) Where a previously reviewed trait is introduced into different varieties of the same crop. For example, various apple varieties genetically engineered with the same non-browning trait as in one of the antecedent Arctic apple events in Golden Delicious and Granny Smith varieties (10-161-01p).

2) Where traits previously reviewed separately in a particular crop are stacked into the same crop by introducing them together through genetic engineering. For example, a stacked corn line is created by introducing both a mepsps gene (previously reviewed in corn) and a cry gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (previously reviewed in corn). In this case there will be two or more antecedents.

3) Where phenotype categories have been reviewed previously in the crop but a mechanism-of-action new to the crop has been reviewed in another crop. For example, if the hppd gene, which confers resistance to mesotrione herbicide, is introduced in corn (hppd was previously reviewed in soybean and many herbicide-resistant corn lines have been reviewed). In this case there will be two or more antecedents.

The guidance said that while each of the three cases is eligible for the extension process, the similarity of the product being considered for an extension (potential extension) to the antecedents decreases from case 1 to case 3. Consequently the timelines for review may become longer as the degree of similarity decreases.

There may be instances in case 3 where issues are different enough between the potential extension and the antecedent organism(s) that APHIS determines that the extension process is not appropriate and the petition process should be used. Also, because the potential extension is somewhat different, previous NEPA analyses may not be sufficient and additional analyses may be required. Nevertheless, APHIS believes that most products that meet one of the three criteria are likely to qualify for the extension process, and that the review will be completed within eight months after receiving a complete dossier.

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The Biotechnology Innovation Organization reacted favorably to the announcement by APHIS. We are pleased that APHIS has published new guidance on the expanded use of the extension process, BIO spokesperson Karen Batra said. The new guidance encourages developers to use this regulatory review mechanism for faster, more predictable review of products with which APHIS already has a great deal of familiarity, while still ensuring a rigorous safety review.

#30

For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com
Australian MP Addresses Assyrian Persecution in Parliament

Chris Hayes, member of the Australian Parliament. Sydney -- Mr Chris Hayes MP, Federal Member for Fowler and Chief Opposition Whip, made a statement in the Federal Parliament on 22nd February 2016, about the current situation of the Assyrians in the Middle East and the advocacy role of the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) in the local community. On behalf of the Assyrian universal Alliance and the Assyrian Australian community, we would like to thank Mr Hayes for his inspiring speech and support for the Assyrian community. Below please find the full Statement:

Since the 1980s, Australia has seen a growing number of Assyrian migrants enter its shores under various humanitarian, refugee and family reunion visas. A high population of the Assyrian community in Australia, numbering around 40,000, actually resides in Western Sydney. Most have migrated from countries like Iraq, Iran and Syria, with a smaller number from Lebanon and Turkey. Since the involvement of the 'coalition of the willing' in Iraq in 2003, over one million Assyrians, Christian minorities and Mandeans in Iraq have been murdered or forced to flee the country, with all hope of returning to their homes lost. And there has been no improvement since. Minority groups in Iraq particularly the Assyrian and Mandean populations have been marginalised constantly and face annihilation. According to the Assyrian Council of Australia, Assyrians are threatened by total annihilation due to the dire and unstable situation in Iraq and Syria. Before the military involvement in Iraq in 2003, the Mandean population, for instance, numbered 60,000. Now that number is down to 3,000. There has been real and ongoing persecution of all of these minority groups in Iraq and Syria, and it is not just from the forces of ISIS. Over the last decade, the Assyrian people have been forced to abandon the region where their culture and traditions have flourished over the past 6,000 years. Many Assyrians who have been displaced in Iraq have fled from the cities to settle in remote villages, where there is limited access to aid organisations. These families are living in very harsh conditions, with no resources and little hope of ever returning home. Last year, together with the member for Berowra, I visited refugee camps in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon and was able to see the situation firsthand, much of which is not reported in the media. The refugees I got to speak to were mainly women and children. They were living in crowded tents or shipping containers which very much would only be expected for short-term occupancy. Many of them had already lost all hope. But the thing is that these were not Assyrians, not Mandeans and not members of the Christian minorities; for them, even living in a refugee camp is still very unsafe. With the growing threat of ISIS taking hold in Syrian and Iraqi cities, Assyrians and Mandeans have been subject to ongoing torture, kidnap, rape and complete displacement. Assyrians and other minority groups lack the proper funding and resources needed to combat ISIS. The House would remember that a number of us called on Iraq, only two years ago, to establish an autonomous province on the Nineveh Plain to accommodate the Assyrian people. While the Iraqi government appeared to give favourable consideration some two years ago, regrettably it's now just a distant dream. In fact, Nineveh--once considered to be ancient Assyria in Iraq--which flaunted beautiful sites, and sculptures housed in the Mosul Museum, has now largely been destroyed by ISIS, leaving nothing for the Assyrians to go back to. Their everyday lives, their homes and evidence of their history have all been wiped out. I acknowledge the great work of friends of mine: Hermiz Shahen, the Deputy Secretary General of the Assyrian Universal Alliance, and David David, the President of the Assyrian Australian National Federation, for their tireless work in bringing these issues to the attention of the international community. We have a duty to advocate for these minorities; people whose voices are not being heard over the Islamic nature of the Middle Eastern conflict. The very identity of the Assyrian culture is now under serious threat. Assyrians and minorities from the Middle East conflict have made Western Sydney their home. These persecuted minorities have made first-rate Australian citizens. They have embraced Australia as their new home and value the freedom and democracy that it offers. I greatly enjoy getting to know these communities and vow that I will continue to work with them. Reports released by the UNHCR, the Assyrian International News Agency, Amnesty International and the minority groups themselves make the same point: that persecution is happening, and there are not enough resources being directed to assist in these concerns. The Assyrians and other minorities deserve a homeland--a place where it is safe to live, to raise a family, to enjoy the right to live and to practice their religion.
Al-Qosh: A Reminder of the Uncertain Future of Assyrians in Iraq

Directly on the Kurdish frontline that stretches from Syria to Kirkuk lies Telskuf, a Christian town that has been abandoned by its inhabitants. ( Florian Neuhof/Al Arabiya) The inhabitants of al-Qosh, a town 50 km to the north of Mosul, hastily fled when trouble first approached in 2004. But after the radical extremists withdrew without entering the town, many townsfolk returned, keeping alive a Christian presence that stretches back to the religion's early days. The rise of ISIS is the latest threat to the minority, and their advance in 2014 uprooted some of Iraq's largest and oldest Christian communities. Thousands of Christians streamed out of Mosul when it fell to ISIS in June that year, and out of nearby Assyrian villages and towns. They now live in refugee camps in the autonomous Kurdish region, biding their time until their homes are liberated. (Given the pace at which Iraqi and Kurdish forces are rolling back the ISIS, they could be waiting a while.) Iraq's Christians have had a tough time since the second Gulf War plunged the country into continuing chaos fueled by religious fanaticism. Repeatedly the target of terror, most have left, shrinking a once sizable community estimated at 1.5m in 2003 to as little as 200,000 now. Time running out? Situated on the edge of the lush fields of the Nineveh plains, at the foot of the Bayhidhra mountains, al-Qosh looks like a town with its back to the wall. Nevertheless, it flourished for centuries, as the dilapidated, once-proud stone houses in its historic core testify. Several churches speak of a rich Chaldean Catholic tradition, and the ruins of a synagogue reminds of a long-departed Jewish community. A monastery lies on the edge of town, and another is nestled in the craggy mountain range a couple of miles to the east. Established in the seventh century, the Rabban Hormizd monastery has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Carved out of the steep slope of the mountain, its continued existence points to the resilience of the faithful. Yet most people in al-Qosh believe that their time in Iraq might be drawing to a close. Abuna Jibrail, the head priest of the monastery in the town, is pessimistic about Christianity's future in the country. For him the ISIS onslaught only continues a long and sad tradition of religious intolerance. Mistrust runs deep. The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) is now trying to extend its control over parts of Nineveh, but it is hard to forget that its militia fled the area without a fight when ISIS approached, leaving Christians and Yazidis exposed. Only a hundred years ago the Kurds were willing accomplices in the genocide of the Armenian Christians that left a million people dead. What does the future hold? Many of al-Qosh's residents have already migrated to Europe, the U.S. or elsewhere, and many of those left behind are preparing to leave. A twenty minutes' drive towards Mosul offers a glimpse of what al-Qosh could look like if the exodus continues. Directly on the Kurdish frontline that stretches from Syria to Kirkuk lies Telskuf, a Christian town that has been abandoned by its inhabitants. Held by the Kurdish Peshmerga and a smattering of Christian militia, the town shows few signs of destruction, and no signs of life. An eerie silence cloaks the streets lined with neat residential houses, shops and restaurants. In a church in the town Centre, a thick layer of dust has descended on the wooden benches and the prayer books still stuck in the back rests. Ceramic Jesus statures have been smashed up and back rooms have been plundered by Peshmerga looking of valuables. The altar remains untouched, and as does the wooden cross rising behind it. A few rays of light shine through the upper windows, in search of a congregation that may never return.
February 22, 2016

A reluctant, barely visible ray of light has begun to penetrate the ruins of the peace process over the past few weeks, gently illuminating the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians. Two people can be credited for that: Israels Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bishara. On Feb. 18, the two men met for the third time, and Kahlon will soon be presenting a bundle of economic measures that will benefit the Palestinian public. It is hoped that this package will generate a change of mood on the ground, tempering perhaps the cycle of difficult events that continue to unfold, including the wave of terror by individuals, which will soon mark six months since it began. So far, the casualties in this current round of violence have included 30 Israelis, a foreign resident from Eritrea and a Palestinian from Hebron, not to mention more than 200 Palestinian terrorists, most of them very young.

I will not be the one to bring peace, and I am not dealing with the diplomatic process, Kahlon told Al-Monitor in January. On the other hand, I think that it is possible to advance economic issues and help change the lives of the Palestinians. This is not some lofty goal. Its entirely possible. There can be much better, more effective economic ties between us and them, and this in turn may help break the deadlock, increase trust and change the overall mood.

Kahlon has put quite a bit of thought into this effort and considerable means as well. On Feb. 21, Israels Channel 10 reported that he will soon be putting the finishing touches on a package of economic measures, which he will then present to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu is subsequently expected to proudly show off these measures to the Americans and Europeans. It has been a long time since the prime minister first made a commitment to US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry that Israel would take a series of steps to improve the lives of the Palestinians, but he never kept his promise. Efforts to allow Palestinians to build in West Bank Area C (under full Israeli control) were thwarted by the right-wing base of his coalition, while other initiatives also came to naught. Given the current mood in Israel, which is confounded by this new wave of terrorism, it is now impossible to make any diplomatic gestures. There is a vacuum, and Kahlon has been sucked into it. Even if there can be no diplomatic gestures, there can at least be economic ones.

A second meeting between the two men took place in January. Bishara and senior members of his staff were received at the Finance Ministry by Kahlon, who was also surrounded by senior staff members. The Palestinians discussed the economic difficulties they face, including problems of liquidity and credit, which threaten the Palestinian Authoritys (PA) economic stability. In an interview with Israeli daily Haaretz in March 2015, Bishara was extremely critical of Israeli policies, which delay the transfer of taxes it collects for the Palestinians and impose as many difficulties as possible on the Palestinian economy. These policies, it should be noted, are all in response to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas diplomatic offensive against Israel in the United Nations and other international organizations.

It now seems as if Israels tone is changing, and that Kahlon is at the forefront of this new mood. Israel is less bothered by diplomatic attacks in the international arena than it is by physical attacks on Israelis, committed by dozens of young Palestinians, usually armed with knives. Jerusalem now recognizes the urgent need to shift its priorities and bring some hope to young Palestinians, many of whom set off on heroic suicide attacks against Israeli border patrol officers out of sheer frustration, hatred and the sense that they have reached a dead end.

During last months meeting, Kahlon told Bishara that he would look into all the figures and requests and get back to him with more comprehensive responses. As aforementioned, on Feb. 18 the reciprocal meeting took place. Kahlon responded positively to several requests from his Palestinian counterpart and offered an additional series of trust-building measures intended to instill hope. He promised to allow Palestinian real estate developers and contractors to work in infrastructure and even construction in Israel, hoping that this would help lower the astronomical cost of housing, while increasing the Palestinians ability to engage in construction projects. This, in turn, would be a boost to Palestinian employment and the PAs economy in general.

Another step involves the integration of Palestinians in jobs and internships at Israeli high-tech companies. According to Kahlon, it is time for the Palestinians to start to benefit from the roaring Israeli high-tech engine, too. A third step is to allow Palestinian physicians to do their internships and ultimately work in Israeli hospitals. The goal is to raise the level of medical care in the PA, which now needs a steady flow of assistance from Israel. Even now, Israeli hospitals provide Palestinians with most of their more complicated medical treatments. Kahlon contends that there is no reason why we would not allow them to develop advanced medical care.

Behind closed doors, Kahlon says that his goal is to establish economic trust between the two sides. Instead of banging their heads against the wall trying to reach breakthroughs in ''the core issues,'' it is time for the leaders to start talking about life itself, and this includes the quality of life. According to Israels top experts, part of the frustration felt by young Palestinians results from a lack of hope and the dim future that the PA offers its young people. They look westward, to Israel, and see the abundance, the advanced society, high-tech industry and the quality of living. Once they realize that they will never be able to live like that, some of them undergo radicalization, a senior Israel security official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.

Kahlon is now trying to change all that. He hopes to take it to the next level by setting up joint economic enterprises in industrial zones that he plans to establish in West Bank Area B (civil Palestinian control, joint Israeli-Palestinian security control) and Area C, reducing custom payments, decreasing the time needed by Israel to transfer tax moneys to the Palestinian authorities and increasing the number of permits to work in Israel. The latter is subject to real drama, with the Israel Defense Forces applying endless pressure on politicians to increase the number of Palestinians with permits to work in Israel or the settlements. As one senior security official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, We want young Palestinians and Palestinians with families who work in Israel to be able to make a decent living and support their families with dignity. We do not want them throwing rocks on the highways, demonstrating on Fridays or taking a knife and charging a border patrol policeman on duty at the Damascus Gate [in Jerusalem]. Statistics prove that ever since the current wave of violence erupted, there has been just one single case of terrorism committed by a Palestinian with a permit to work in Israel. People who work in Israel are content and do not commit attacks. Thats a fact.
February 22, 2016

CAIRO  The Nour Party is certainly a unique case in Egyptian political life, as it is the only party representing the Islamic movement within parliament. Its parliamentary bloc is composed of only 11 members  a challenge in light of the ongoing attacks on the part of liberal and leftist parties in parliament.

Al-Monitor interviewed Ahmed Khalil, head of the Nour Party parliamentary bloc, to shed light on the isolation of the party and the nature of its legislative agenda in parliament, as well its position vis-a-vis the Support Egypt alliance.

The text of the interview follows:

Al-Monitor: How do you assess the performance of the Nour Party parliamentary bloc?

Khalil: The performance of the Nour Party parliamentary bloc is based on three criteria, starting with the period the party has been participating in parliament, as the latter has yet to effectively start its supervision and monitoring functions. The second criterion is the number of parliamentary bloc members of parliament and thirdly the performance of these parliamentarians in parliament and in their constituencies. During the short period of [the bloc] participation in parliament, the speaker has praised its commitments, which is proof of our [good] parliamentary performance. This is not to mention the Nour Partys decisive stance on several laws such as the civil service law and the law on organizing prison affairs. The party was alone to reject said law, demanding its amendment.

Al-Monitor: The Nour Party ran by itself in the elections and in parliament has not taken part in any alliance. Is this by choice, or have other parties and coalitions refused to ally with it?

Khalil: There are three types of alliances: ideological, administrative and organizational  as is the case of the Support Egypt alliance  and the voting alliance, which is what the party does. For instance, the party had coordinated with the Minya governorate members of parliament to unify positions on the quarries law. Therefore it is difficult to isolate us, as the Nour Party does not face complete mandatory isolation within parliament.

Al-Monitor: Has there been any coordination between the Nour Party and any other party during parliamentary sessions?

Khalil: Yes, there has been much coordination to unify stances to vote on the quarries law.

Al-Monitor: Does the Nour Party intend to establish a parliamentary coalition that would include independent MPs?

Khalil: We will not establish any coalition.

Al-Monitor: How do you view concerns expressed by political parties with regard to the Alliance to Support Egypt that is accused of reproducing the same experience of the National Party?

Khalil: So far, the performance and positions of the Alliance to Support Egypt prove the contrary. The alliances members of parliament are independent, and the loss of their candidate in the parliamentary under-secretary elections is proof of this. They had also rejected the civil service law, while the alliance approved it.

Al-Monitor: You were the spokesman for the Nour Party parliamentary bloc in 2012. What are the main differences between the 2012 and 2016 parliaments?

Khalil: The conditions prevailing [today] in Egypt are different, and so are the regional circumstances. Therefore, the priorities of the current parliament are different as well as the parliamentarians' ideas and affiliations. The 2012 parliament had an overwhelming majority from the Islamic movement, while today the Nour Party is the only representative of this movement.

Al-Monitor: The Nour Party parliamentary bloc included 107 members of parliament in the 2012 parliament, while the current parliament only has 11 representatives from the party. Does this mean your popularity has declined among the public?

Khalil: Certainly, the Nour Party has lost part of its popularity as well as some seats in parliament, but it did not lose its presence in the street despite the fierce wars against it. In the last parliamentary elections, the Nour Party list was second in Cairo and Alexandria. The party gathered more than 1.3 million votes. The major obstacle it had to face was the elections law. Had the [electoral] lists been based on proportional representation, the number of its members of parliament would have been the same as in 2012.

Al-Monitor: Does the Nour Partys participation in the parliament provide immunity against lawsuits calling for the party to be dissolved?

Khalil: The judiciary has no political calculations. There have been judicial rulings confirming that the party is not religious.

Al-Monitor: What are the main laws that the Nour Party intends to put forward in parliament?

Khalil: We have set forth an economic agenda, especially with regard to investment laws and ways to encourage investment. Parliament ought to be more concerned with economic laws in the initial phase. [The partys] motto is to keep an eye on citizens and [another] on workers.

Al-Monitor: What is the partys stance on Sherif Ismails government?

Khalil: It is difficult to assess the governments performance as we have yet to directly deal with it in parliament. We are still waiting for its statement to take a clear position.

Al-Monitor: President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has constantly called for a renewal of religious discourse. Could your party play a role in such change?

Khalil: The mere existence of the Nour Party serves as a renewal of the religious rhetoric. It is an Islamic party pursuing a peaceful approach to express its views. The survival of the party is a response to the violent extremist groups. The Nour Party is what prevents young people [from joining] extremist movements.

Al-Monitor: However, some see that the party had contributed to distorting the image of religious discourse with atypical fatwas, such as the fatwa forbidding wishing greetings to Copts during their festivities?

Khalil: The party had been crucified in the media during the election period. We have gotten used to continuing working despite all the attacks on us. We call for peace and democracy.

Al-Monitor: Is there any coordination with Al-Azhar to help it renew the religious rhetoric?

Khalil: The Nour Party is always supportive of and cooperative with Al-Azhar in all the issues it espouses.
February 22, 2016

It was February 1988, about two months after the first intifada erupted. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops in Gaza and the West Bank were confronted by complicated and violent encounters with Palestinian civilians. Chief of Staff Dan Shomron wrote a letter to IDF commanding officers reminding them to maintain the principles of law, ethics, and discipline. He also wrote that he expected the troops to display assertiveness and decisiveness, along with self-control, restraint and sensitivity. He concluded by emphasizing, Force must not be used as a means of punishment, nor should it be used once the objective has been achieved.  The population must not be abused, shamed or humiliated, and no intentional damage should be caused to their property.

Two months later, Shomron stunned politicians by declaring that the intifada could not be quelled by military means alone. His comments evoked harsh criticism from politicians on the right, but he nevertheless continued to state his view of the situation. In one notable instance, Shomron rejected a demand that the chief of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Amram Mitzna, be removed from his post for telling the Cabinet that the intifada could not be reined in by force. The person who demanded that Mitzna be fired was none other than Ariel Sharon, industry and trade minister and a senior member of Likud. Shomron stood up and said, Thats my opinion too. Fire me if you want. While this particular incident was unusually intense, Shomron came under regular fire from politicians back then, during a national unity government. Neither Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir from Likud nor Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin from the Labor Party stood out for having come to his defense.

Almost three decades later, what is being called the third intifada, or the young peoples intifada, is raging. Within the corridors of power, Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot finds himself caught in the middle of a similar political tempest, with politicians on the right trying to gain political advantage by attacking an ostensibly moderate statement he made. Like Shomron before him, Eizenkot is leading the military through a complicated conflict with a civilian population. It is, in fact, the kind of conflict that raises serious questions of ethics and values on an almost daily basis. The similarity ends there, however. While Shomron was being stubborn and bold in confronting the political class and adopted a position with clear political ramifications, Eizenkots allegedly offensive comment was only stating the obvious. All he did was expand on the reasoning behind orders for opening fire when soldiers confront civilians. Simply put, if there are other ways to resolve a confrontation, it is best to avoid opening fire.

Even the occasion for his remarks was completely innocuous  during a meeting Feb. 17 with high school students in the town of Bat Yam. Yuval Pollack, a junior, had asked whether the rules for opening fire were sufficiently clear and whether they might put the lives of soldiers at risk. Eizenkot responded at length, stating in part, The IDF cannot speak in slogans, such as 'if someone comes to kill you, arise to kill them first [Talmud, tractate Berakhot 58a].  There have been cases in which a 13-year-old girl with scissors or a knife got into a confrontation with soldiers. I don't want a soldier to empty a magazine on a girl with scissors.

Several Knesset members and ministers, mainly from HaBayit HaYehudi, turned the chief of staffs remarks into fuel for the fire. In media interviews and on Facebook pages, they treated what Eizenkot said to the students as if it were heresy. Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel and Knesset members Motti Yogev, a colonel in the reserves, and Betzalel Smotrich explained to Eizenkot why he was mistaken. Transportation and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz went so far as to question Eizenkots judgment. After an attack by Palestinians on Feb. 18, Katz wrote on his Facebook page, Two Israelis were injured in Binyamin [on the West Bank] an hour ago, after they were stabbed by two 14-year-olds. The terrorists were captured and are still alive. While I respect and admire the chief of staff, I hope that his comments about automatically opening fire on minors were not misunderstood, causing respondents to hesitate and putting peoples lives at risk."

The attacks on Eizenkot, who was simply explaining the standard procedure for opening fire, reflect the populist approach being taken by right-wing Israeli politicians eager to win the support of their constituents. They know how frustrated their constituents are about the ongoing wave of terror and the ineffectiveness their own right-wing government has exhibited in its efforts to curb the violence. For them, Eizenkot is an easy target because his position precludes him from participating in the debate. True, the chief of staff received the backing of Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and Education Minister Naftali Bennett, and that's a good thing. Nevertheless, it would have been even better had his remarks not been turned into the focus of a public debate. After all, he didnt say anything new or even controversial. Using the same criterion, it would probably be safe to assume that if Eizenkot had sent a letter to the IDF modeled after Shomrons letter of three decades ago, politicians like Katz and Smotrich would have demanded that he be court-martialed for treason.

Quite a few chiefs of staff have been at the center of political tempests over the years. Nevertheless, Eizenkot is the first to spark such a firestorm over a statement as banal as the one he made. Yaalon had came under serious fire when he served as chief of staff, when he was thought to oppose Prime Minister Ariel Sharons 2005 Gaza disengagement. During a 2004 visit to the Erez Crossing, just months before the plan's implementation, Yaalon told journalists, The connection between an increase in terrorist attacks and talk of a withdrawal should not be discounted. He repeated his position on other occasions, and as a result, his term was not extended. In contrast, Ehud Barak, who served as chief of staff during the Oslo Accord, emerged unscathed after saying of the agreement, This deal is as full of holes as Swiss cheese.

Since being appointed chief of staff in February 2015, Eizenkot has managed to upset politicians on the right, especially those from HaBayit HaYehudi, on more than one occasion. When he decided to strip the Military Rabbinate of some of its authority, Yogev attacked him, claiming, These attempts to damage the Military Rabbinates authority to connect soldiers to the Jewish peoples values are damaging to the IDFs strength and fighting spirit, and to the security of Israel. Later, Eizenkot reprimanded the chief military chaplain, Rabbi Rafi Peretz, after discovering that he had awarded special payment benefits to officers in the Military Rabbinate without justification. Now, after Eizenkot's talk about the rules of engagement, Knesset members from HaBayit HaYehudi have marked him as problematic.

As usual, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was late entering the fray. It was only at the Feb. 21 Cabinet meeting, more than three days after the incident flared, that he offered his support to Eizenkot, who happened to be in attendance. Yet, it was limited to only a few brief comments. There was no reprimand of Katz or other members of HaBayit HaYehudi for the nonsense they had spewed. Like them, Netanyahus main considerations are political. He wants to benefit from what happened, even if it is at the expense of the chief of staff. Netanyahu is fully aware of how frustrated the public, especially on the right, is about the ongoing wave of terror and is therefore afraid to be seen as being too moderate. On the other hand, after three days of hearing how he had abandoned his chief of staff, Netanyahu decided that he had no choice. His affected statement of support truly reflects the spirit of the times.
February 22, 2016

The elections for Iran's Assembly of Experts will coincide with the Feb. 26 parliamentary elections. Considering the age of the current supreme leader, this contest may determine the fate of the country for the foreseeable future.

The 88 members of the Assembly of Experts are constitutionally tasked with choosing the next supreme leader after 76-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dies or becomes unable to perform his duties. Despite a prostate surgery in September 2014, Khamenei appears to be healthy and energetic for his age. He continues to attend numerous functions throughout the country, giving long speeches with minimal notes.

The assembly members serve eight-year terms. Therefore, there is a chance the next Assembly of Experts will be asked for the second time in the body's three decades of existence to choose the next and third supreme leader of Iran.

One list for the Assembly of Experts has been put together under the name of Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani with the slogan Peoples Experts. Though Rafsanjani said he does not have an official electoral list, he was asked to head this 16-person list that includes a number of like-minded allies, such as President Hassan Rouhani, former Intelligence Minister Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi and Rouhanis Intelligence Minister Seyed Mahmoud Alavi.

Many observers are paying particular attention to the contentious disqualification of Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

There were reports that before his disqualification, Hassan Khomeini, the popular grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was to have been included on Rafsanjanis list. Despite his disqualification, Rafsanjani's supporters continue to use campaign posters featuring Rafsanjani, Khamenei, Rouhani and the young Hassan Khomeini praying together.

The conservatives have also presented their own list. Two of the most conservative clerical bodies in Iran, the Combatant Clergy Association and the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom, have each presented lists of candidates they support. There is some overlap between the lists, as temporary Friday Prayer leader Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani appears on both as well as on Rafsanjanis list. Rouhani is also included in the Combatant Clergy Associations List.

Both the Combatant Clergy and Society of Seminary Teachers are promoting as candidates some of the more hard-line clerics in Iran, including Chairman of the Guardian Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, spiritual leader of the hard-line Endurance Front Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah Yazdi and Society of Seminary Teachers Secretary Mohammad Yazdi, who currently heads the Assembly of Experts.

Another conservative list, called the List of Principlist Trustees of the Revolution, includes Jannati, Yazdi, Mesbah Yazdi and Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani, the secretary-general of the Combatant Clergy Association.

A total of 16 female candidates registered for the Assembly of Experts elections. Their qualifications were not approved by the Guardian Council. The constitution does not forbid women from becoming members. However, the requirement that a member must have expertise in Islamic law has created obstacles for female candidates. When it was assembled in 1979 to ratify the constitution, Monireh Gorji became the only female to become a member of the Assembly of Experts. The assembly has existed in its present form since 1983.

While these overlapping lists may seem confusing, the key battle to watch in these elections is the one between Rafsanjani and the above-mentioned group of hard-line clerics. As Khomeinis closest adviser, Rafsanjani played a key role in Khameneis ascension to the leadership. Rafsanjani today does not hold the power he did in 1989, but it is no secret that he would like regain it. Rafsanjani headed the Assembly of Experts from September 2007 until March 2011, and lost his bid for the leadership in March 2015. Many believe that Rafsanjanis decision to not condemn the Green Movement leaders and his public displeasure with some hard-line policies cost him his political clout. If hard-liners dominate the next assembly, this will severely weaken Rafsanjani's position.

Khamenei has not spoken publicly about what person he would like to replace him. Despite Rafsanjanis determination to shape the future of the country by influencing the selection of the next supreme leader, it is very likely that other powerful institutions will want a say as well. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, whose duty it is to protect the Islamic Revolution, will likely exert its influence to keep like-minded allies within the assembly and prevent the leadership of someone they view as soft toward enemy countries.
February 23, 2016

TEHRAN, Iran  In the coming days, Iran will be holding elections for its Assembly of Experts, and as such, every side is maneuvering to gain as many votes as possible. The main race is between the camps of moderate Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and that of ultra-conservative Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati.

President Hassan Rouhani, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi and highly respected Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini are among the most prominent figures on Rafsanjanis 16-person ticket (known as Peoples Experts). Hassan Khomeini  who was disqualified from running in the elections and is also the grandson of the Islamic Republics founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini  appears on the campaign posters for Rafsanjanis ticket. Khomeini has voiced tacit support for the moderate ticket, saying, We should vote for those who dont close their eyes to oppression.

Meanwhile, Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, the spiritual leader of the hard-line Endurance Front, incumbent Assembly of Experts chairman Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, interim Tehran Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami and Mashhad Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda are the most prominent faces on Jannatis ticket.

Rafsanjanis list has come under serious attack by hard-liners after calls emerged on social media networks for people to take part in the elections to thwart the entry of the hard-liners from the Assembly of Experts.

The Tehran voting district accounts for 16 of the assemblys 88 seats, and as such, Ayatollah Rafsanjani has repeatedly urged people and his supporters to vote not only for him but for all of his 16-person ticket. If this occurs, Jannati and the four abovementioned hard-liners will for the first time not be able to enter the assembly. This prospect has caused serious anxiety among the hard-liners, prompting them to look for ways to counter it.

Amid the launch of the No to these 5 (hard-liners on Jannatis ticket) campaign on social media, prominent dissident Akbar Ganji and BBC Persian separately published articles that examined and analyzed this strategy to sideline hard-liners. Hard-liners were quick to seize on the latter as an opportunity to hit back at Rafsanjani, thereby undermining the No to these 5 campaign.

Hard-liners subsequently started branding the No to these 5 campaign  as well as Rafsanjani and leading members of his list  as English and directed by the BBC. In this vein, the hard-line Vatan-e Emrooz newspaper wrote, The plans for preventing Ayatollah Jannati, Yazdi and Mesbah [Yazdi] from getting into the assembly are being managed by the BBC. The formulas of this British channel and its staff for not allowing these clerics to get into the assembly signal their long-term plans. Vatan-e Emrooz added, They are seeking to create a new makeup in the Assembly of Experts, one which gives Rafsanjani the upper hand. Moreover, the hard-line daily published a picture of the five hard-line ayatollahs and deemed them anti-British. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi, chief of staff of the Iranian military, has also harshly reacted to this controversy, saying, If those who are being supported by Britain and the United States do not condemn these two countries meddling in Irans elections, they are considered [tried and] convicted.

Khatami, the interim Tehran Friday prayer leader who is targeted by the campaign, has also spoken out. British and foreign media outlets are asking our people not to vote for Jannati, Yazdi, Mesbah [Yazdi], Alamolhoda and I. This is none of your business; you nosy people should know that these five are the top choices of our people, Khatami asserted, adding, My sin is that I have given the seditionists a hard time during my Friday sermons. One day later, Khatami stated, Im sure that their [Rafsanjanis] list wont be able to attract votes, as they are thought of as supporters of the sedition [unrest in the aftermath of the disputed 2009 presidential election] and are as hated as the [former] shah.

Amid this outcry, news outlets associated with the moderates have defended Rafsanjani while lashing out at Ganji. Their line of reasoning is that Ganji  who is known as a staunch opponent of Rafsanjani  is in effect cooperating with the hard-liners in order to counter the moderate ayatollah. Ganji is crusading to name himself as the creator of the famous idea [No to these 5 campaign] and to give hard-liners a gift so that they can shout and say this idea [the campaign] has been nurtured by an anti-Islamic Republic figure. Therefore, they [hard-liners] can say that whoever buys into this idea [the campaign] is on the same side as Ganji, Entekhab News wrote.

Rafsanjani has not shied away from stepping in amid the harsh sniping, saying, They [the hard-liners] presently have no excuse to rage against us and insult us. Thus, they [the hard-liners] attribute phrases like inside man and British to the old revolutionaries. He added, These figures have been defeated by the people and are now seeking to exact [their] revenge on the administration and President Rouhani. Last, but certainly not least, Rafsanjanis Instagram page has published a short text about how prominent moderate Ayatollah Mohammad Hosayn Beheshti, who was assassinated by the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq organization in 1981, was also accused of being British by hard-line elements.

Whether the controversy over the English list will ultimately keep voters from going to the ballots will be clear come election day Feb. 26. Until then, it appears that hard-liners will remain anxious about the prospect of voter mobilization leading to their exit from the assembly.
February 23, 2016

The Feb. 26 parliamentary elections are the first elections to take place in Iran during which Telegram will be, by far, the most-used messaging service in the country. Approximately 13 million to 14 million Iranians are on the service. Iranian media, from Reformist to hard-line outlets, and Iranian officials, from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to lesser-known authorities, all have their own official Telegram accounts. The ubiquitous use of the messaging service poses a challenge for authorities, which want a big turnout but also one without protests or other gatherings or excessive celebrations.

What has made Telegram so popular, other than it has not yet been blocked, is that many Iranians now have smartphones. According to Seyyed Abul-Hassan Firouzabadi, secretary of Irans Supreme Council of Cyberspace, 39 million Iranians own smartphones  that is, approximately half the country's population.

Speaking on Iranian television Feb. 23, Firouzabadi said, In this round of elections, we are witnessing widespread access to social media that we have not seen in previous elections. He added that during previous balloting, there were approximately 300,000 people with access to smartphones with access to high speed Internet. Firouzabadi did not clarify whether he meant the previous parliamentary elections, in 2012, or the presidential elections in 2013.

Speaking about how quickly news is generated on social media, Firouzabadi said that there are approximately 1,500 news sites in Iran, and that in one day they produced 35,000 news items. Of these 35,000 items, 27%, or 9,450 of them, were related to the elections. Of that 9,450, approximately 1,300 of the items were shared on smartphones.

Given the increase in the use of social media and messaging services, Firouzabadi said that special guidelines were produced for social media outlets to observe the same rules as print and online media. Regarding candidates' use of social media and messaging services, Firouzabadi warned that some contenders might publish unreliable polls showing them to be winning.

Mahmoud Vaezi, minister of information and communication technology, said that his ministry as well the Interior Ministry have formed their own special committees to monitor social media activity by candidates. There are approximately 6,200 parliamentary candidates. The Supreme Council for Cyberspace already has a special committee monitoring social media content, on which the Interior, Intelligence and Culture Ministries and the Cyber Police all have a representative.

All the affairs related to the election activities in social media will be observed and evaluated by these two committees, Vaezi said. He added that in the case of violations of the law, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology would not pursue a legal case. Rather, it would be up to the Interior Ministry and the judiciary to pursue a case and then his ministry would enforce any verdict.

After the 2009 elections and protests, the popular social media websites Facebook and Twitter were blocked in Iran. Despite the hype, it remains unclear how influential these platforms were in helping protesters organize. Telegram, as a messaging platform, has become much more popular and more commonly used than Facebook or Twitter.

In preparation for the elections, Hossein Ashtari, head of Irans police, said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the police would deploy 250,000 officers across the country to ensure the process is carried out democratically and safely.
February 22, 2016

BAGHDAD  The Iraqi government has embarked on the construction of a wall around Baghdad to protect the capital from terror attacks that have been ongoing since 2003 and to isolate it from hotbeds in the northern and western parts of the country. Sunnis object to the move, fearing the wall will deepen internal divisions.

There are conflicting reports on the height and route of the barrier. The Baghdad Operations Command said in a press statement Feb. 3 that the capital will be surrounded by concrete barriers, half of them repurposed from existing ones inside Baghdad. The wall will rise to between 3 and 7 meters (10 and 23 feet) high and have a 2-meter-deep (7-foot) trench, according to al-Sumaria.

Regularly spaced control towers will also be established. Five groups of Iraqi military engineers will take part in the construction project, which started Feb. 1. The wall will ultimately engulf the surroundings of the capital and stretch over 300 kilometers (186 miles).

Baghdad Operations Command's Lt. Gen. Abdul Ameer al-Shammari confirmed in a Feb. 10 press statement that the wall is being built for security reasons and no concrete barriers and trenches will run along private lands or areas outside Baghdad. The entire capital would become like the fortified Green Zone, where government headquarters and international embassies are located.

Contrary to the authorities claims, the Sunni Union of Nationalist Forces insists that the wall goes beyond the administrative border of Baghdad and there are no security reasons for it. Member Hamid al-Mutlaq told Al-Monitor, The concrete wall will inevitably exceed the administrative border of the capital and take possession of parts of Anbar, which security authorities intend to annex to Baghdad and Babil. Moreover, it will pass through private agricultural lands.

Mutlaq, a parliament member for Anbar province, added, The real objective behind the construction of the wall is to isolate Baghdad from Sunni areas in preparation for annexing it to a Shiite region in case a federal system or partition is implemented. It is also designed to restrict a particular sect. Therefore, the other party is the one that started with partition, not the people in the Sunni provinces.

Mutlaq expressed his surprise at the Shiite political forces condemnation of the trench in the Kurdistan Region and their accusation leveled at the Kurds that the wall would pave the way for the countrys partition and annexation of Arab lands outside the region. This is while they neglect similar objections and accusations by the Sunnis regarding the wall and trench of Baghdad.

He added, The barrier of Baghdad is no different from the trench of Kurdistan, as the [barriers] do not address the security situation. Rather, there are political goals behind them.

In January, the Kurdistan Regional Government dug trenches claiming that they were designed to protect the peshmerga forces from attack by the Islamic State (IS). Yet Sunni and Shiite parties considered them to be the beginning of the countrys partition.

For his part, Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi, another member of the Union of Nationalist Forces, had confirmed in a Feb. 9 statement that the objective behind the wall is to protect and secure the units scattered in the vicinity of Baghdad and bring about security in the capital," saying, "It will not affect the movement of citizens, isolate some areas or result in the bulldozing of orchards.

He added, The Iraqi political leaders do not have a clear idea on the wall.

Obeidi's remarks did not affect the conviction of the Sunni blocs. Mutlaq said, Most of the areas surrounding Baghdad are inhabited by a Sunni Muslim majority. This majority lives in areas stretching between Baghdad and Anbar to northern Babil, which will be isolated.

For his part, Iskandar Watout, a member of the security and defense parliamentary committee, told Al-Monitor, The construction of the wall around Baghdad is normal after concrete barriers were proven effective in protecting Baghdads neighborhoods. The wall cannot be a reason for political differences, as it is related to the security services job.

He added, The primary goal of the wall is to monitor car bombs after surveillance cameras are installed, which will be 10 kilometers [6 miles] away from the nearest city, particularly since these car bombs pass through informal and unpaved routes.

Former Deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Assadi, a member of the security and defense parliamentary committee, said in a Feb. 8 statement, The objective of the Baghdad wall is to unify the entrances and exits from the capital, and it is not designed to isolate it from other provinces. He added, The main reason behind the wall is the presence of dirt roads that gangs and terrorists use to enter [Baghdad] and that are difficult to control.

Assadi explained, The project to build the wall goes back to 2007 and 2008, but it was postponed due to a lack of financial liquidity. Before the project was suspended, a French consulting company was entrusted to carry out a feasibility study on a wall around some areas.

Security analyst Fadel Abu Raghif spoke to Al-Monitor on the nature and form of the wall. He said, The capital cannot be surrounded by a wall on all sides, given natural obstacles such as forests and bodies of water as well as industrial areas like al-Kasarat and Dhiraat Degla, where gravel and cement factories are located. This is why the Baghdad Operations Command is working to create a belt, not a wall, around Baghdad.

He added, Areas where it is difficult to build a wall will be surveilled with all sorts of cameras, such as sensors and night vision cameras. Control towers will be built and trained police dogs will be present. Based on that, the forests and bodies of water will be a natural part of the barrier. The concrete barriers and trenches will only be built where terrorists are expected to infiltrate, especially in the northern and western parts of the capital.

The wall around Baghdad may help reduce terror attacks, but may deepen the Sunni-Shiite divide as talk grows louder on the establishment of regions, secession and arrangements based on sects in the post-IS era.

Even if the Sunnis are convinced of the security imperatives behind the construction of the wall, their concerns will remain unchanged, as the possibility remains that the wall be used for the potential annexation of Baghdad to the Shiite region or the annexation of parts of the Anbar and Salahuddin provinces to Baghdad.
February 23, 2016

BAGHDAD  Plunging oil prices are now affecting ordinary civil servants salaries in Iraq. Al-Monitor met with an employee of the Ministry of Culture who, on condition of anonymity, shared his plan of submitting a request to take a one-year leave of absence without pay once he finds a job in the private sector to make up for the government salary. Rumors that civil servants may end up not being paid in the coming months are the result of a 3% reduction in their salaries as of January, which is helping fund the Popular Mobilization Units in their war against the Islamic State (IS).

In regard to the situation of Iraqs civil servants, he said, Cuts in civil servants salaries have caused discontent in the Iraqi street and resulted in some employees resigning, either to work abroad or in the private sector, because their salaries are not even enough to pay rent.

The Iraqi economy  which depends on oil revenues to support state expenditures  is in shock; Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi promised that the economic crisis would be absorbed through an austerity plan he announced in October 2014, which has now resulted in the public sectors salaries being reduced by 3%.

On Dec. 16, parliament approved the 2016 draft budget, which is estimated at 105 trillion Iraqi dinars ($87.5 billion). However, $60 billion of the draft budget is needed to pay civil servants salaries in 2016, in addition to the cost of the war waged against IS, which the parliamentary finance committee estimated at $10 million a day, or $3.65 billion annually.

Iraqi civil servants fears about their income are primarily based on a statement by Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari. He said Jan. 4, The Iraqi government will not be able to allocate the employees payrolls for April 2016 in the case that oil prices continue to fall.

To avoid this fate, a less painful solution seems to be on the table now. A source from the consultative committee at Abadis office told Al-Monitor, Abadi delivered a message to the economic experts at the committee, asking them to study a proposal to reduce the salaries of state employees  except for the police, the army and security services  by 25%, similarly to what the Kurdistan Regional Government did [on Feb. 3].

Yet a spokesman for Abadis office, Saad al-Hadithi, told Al-Monitor, Abadi did not decide to reduce salaries by 25%. There are, however, several proposals, including furloughing civil servants for a specific period of time and cutting a small sum from their salaries. So far, no decision has been made on significant salary reductions.

Hadithi said, The government is working hard to pay the salaries of the employees as part of its commitment to its citizens. The [governments] austerity measures are a part of its mechanism to preserve sustainability of the civil servants salaries.

Najiba Najib, a member of the parliamentary economic committee, told Al-Monitor, Reducing civil servants payrolls needs to be halted, particularly since a large percentage of Iraqis live on these salaries that are not in line with the high cost of living in the country in any way.

She said the government must not reduce civil servants salaries and must work to pay them on time "because Iraqs economic situation cannot tolerate an attack on the livelihood of its citizens.

Maytham Elaibi, a finance professor at Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad, told Al-Monitor, The proposed rate of a reduction in the civil servants salaries was 10%. It was deducted in two parts: first 3% and then 7%. The financial situation in the Iraqi provinces is more stable than that in the Kurdistan Region, partly because the Finance Ministry and the central bank are located in Baghdad, while such essentials of the state's strength are not available in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Elaibi said the amount that will be deducted will be considered a tax, similarly to other taxes paid by employees in other countries, and not a salary cut. Yet I believe it would be better that this rate is subject to the principle of progressivity, rather than being imposed at a fixed rate for all rungs of the career ladder  the imposition of a 12% rate for the top with the rate decreasing to 2%, for instance, for the 10th rung on the career ladder.

Elaibi suggested that deduction rates from the salaries be close in range and that the differences between one rung and another do not exceed a 1% deduction rate. For instance, it could be at a rate of 0.5%. A 7% rate can be, for instance, deducted from the salaries of civil servants of a particular rung, and a 6.5% rate for the rung following it. This will [help] bring about justice in the distribution of the financial burden and ease the burden on lower social classes.

He added, I do not think that the central government is unable to pay the salaries for 2016," saying it "can take measures that could contribute to the payment of salaries before it becomes unable to pay.

Abadis government is facing serious challenges, most importantly securing the salaries of its civil servants and financing the war against IS, both of which are correlated with the deteriorating economic and security situation in the country in light of the ongoing dependence on oil revenues as the only source to finance the federal budget. All solutions seem temporary and inconclusive, at a time when there are signs indicating that the economic situation is collapsing and the poverty rate is rising due to the ongoing fall in global oil prices.
February 23, 2016

Magazine, a Saturday night news show on Channel 10, announced Feb. 20 that it had a major scoop. Dor Glick, its correspondent in Germany, had obtained exclusive footage of film director Udi Aloni referring to the Israeli government as fascist. The incident took place toward the end of this year's Berlinale, one of the most important film festivals in the world. Alonis entry, Junction 48, won the prestigious Audience Award in the Panorama fiction film category.

Pay close attention to what our Channel 10 news camera caught, the correspondent stressed to the shows host and his audience at home, drawing everyones attention to his journalistic coup. He didnt realize that he was on camera. Glick couldnt emphasize it enough. He continued to repeat Alonis comment that by providing Israel with submarines, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was aiding and abetting Israels fascist government. On three separate occasions, the correspondent and hostess reiterated that Aloni's award-winning film, about a hip-hop performance in the Israeli town of Lod that was used to protest the occupation, had been funded by the Ministry of Culture and the Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts. This was highlighted at the beginning and end of the film, Glick noted.

It is quite safe to assume that if the Channel 10 correspondent had proposed footage of Aloni saying the same thing to an audience in Tel Aviv or Dimona, the shows editor would have responded with a gaping yawn. Stories about how the Israeli government is applying fascist policies in the occupied territories have long since attained the status of dog bites man journalism. Not a week goes by without investigators from BTselem, Yesh Din and Rabbis for Human Rights offering TV news shows video of settlers attacking Palestinian farmers or destroying their property while Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers stand to the side, looking on indifferently. Clips like these only receive airtime when the violence is extreme.

Articles sharply critical of Israeli excesses in the occupied territories appear regularly in the Israeli press. Public figures, artists, thinkers and journalists along with peace and human rights activists openly condemn the way Palestinians living in the territories are constantly being robbed, not only of their land but also of their most basic freedoms. Terms like fascist and racist are bandied about casually, as are their counterparts, "traitor" and enemy of Israel, mostly on the right. They can be heard echoing through the corridors of the Knesset and are repeated incessantly on radio talk shows. The Ministry of Culture supports films and plays staring actors like Eitan Tiran, Moshe Ivgi, Gila Almagor and Rivka Michaeli, all of whom have expressed opinions similar to those voiced by Aloni. Yet despite threats by Culture Minister Miri Regev to withhold support, the government continues to fund them.

For an Israeli artists critique of the government to be worthy of broadcast on a major news show, it must first traverse the countrys borders. Israel's patience for its critics stops abruptly at the departure lounge of Ben Gurion Airport. Regev said that Channel 10s investigative report underscores how right her approach is. She insists that Israel should not have to fund artists who undermine the state and challenge its legitimacy. She said, A sane country should not help those who defame or criticize it or bring up an evil report upon the land.

Regevs predecessor, Limor Livnat, used that same biblical expression  bring up an evil report upon the land (Numbers 14:37)  three years ago, in February 2013. At the time, Livnat was explaining why she didnt feel bad that two films, Five Broken Cameras and The Gatekeepers, both nominated for Oscars, had lost in that prestigious competition. Over the past few years, there have been too many films that bring up an evil report upon the land all around the world, she said.

One of the six former heads of the Shin Bet, who brought up an evil report upon the state in The Gatekeepers, was none other than Likud Knesset member Avi Dichter, a close friend and colleague of Regev and Livnat. In the film, one of Dichters predecessors, Avraham Shalom, stated explicitly that young Israelis serving in the territories experience a brutal occupation force, comparable to Germany in World War II. Michael Oren, Israeli ambassador to the United States at the time and now a member of the Knesset for Kulanu, said that The Gatekeepers was damaging to Israels struggle against the campaign of de-legitimization being waged against it.

This approach reminds me of a dinner I once attended at the home of an Israeli ambassador in a major European capital. My host lashed out at me, saying, You and [Israeli author] David Grossman are destroying all my work here. Using less than diplomatic language, the ambassador told me that whenever he complained to the editors of newspapers about articles critical of Israel, they responded by saying, What do you want from us? We were just quoting an interview with Grossman and an article by Eldar.

I wondered how the ambassador failed to recognize the fatal flaw in his argument. It is impossible to claim that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East while at the same time using the public coffers to censor films and plays, as Regev wants to do, or by self-censorship, as Livnat demanded. What was the benefit of this decree, as the Babylonian Talmud asks (Ketubot 71)? Will Amos Oz or opposition leader Isaac Herzog be considered traitors if they express their thoughts on the pages of The Washington Post or The New York Times? Furthermore, even if we, as Israeli journalists and screenwriters, agree to sweep the occupation under the rug, wont foreign journalists find it anyway? Is that what will prevent articles critical of Israel from appearing in The Guardian, El Pais or Le Monde? What about Israeli journalism in English, like in Al-Monitor and The Jerusalem Post? Should it be silenced to avoid impeding Israeli diplomats from doing their job?

A few days ago, I had a chance to attend a screening of the documentary Censored Voices, directed by Mor Loushy, as part of a series of events organized by the New Israel Fund in Melbourne and Sydney. The film features harsh testimonies by soldiers who fought in the 1967 Six-Day War. They described the killing of prisoners and the massacre of Palestinian refugees who tried to return to their homes. In a series of conversations with the Israeli author Amos Oz, the subjects pricked the IDFs myth of purity of arms, repeatedly, using some very sharp pins. They presented the ugly side of war and the high cost paid by the fighters themselves.

I was upset as I left the theater, but my pain mingled with pride in that I was an Israeli. I was upset because my generation had failed to extract peace from the jaws of our war with our Palestinian neighbors. I was proud because our society is still capable of producing such bold works as The Gatekeepers, Five Broken Cameras and Censored Voices. When I watched Glicks report on Channel 10, on the other hand, I felt anger and worry. I was angry about how the Israeli media is collaborating with the enemies of freedom of expression, which is the lifeblood of any democracy. I was worried because I was watching how the immune system vital to Israeli democracys seemed to be attacking itself.
February 22, 2016

The ongoing conflict between Mohammed Dahlan, the former head of Fatah, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has soured relations between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Egypt. A senior Palestinian source in the Gaza Strip told Al-Monitor that as long as the crisis between the two is not resolved, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is unwilling to deal with Abbas.

In November 2015, Abbas met with Sisi in Cairo. At the end of the meeting, an official announcement was made that they had discussed the humanitarian and security situation in the occupied territories and the growing crisis as a result of the security violation at the religious sites [in Jerusalem] and the ongoing settlement construction. But the reason for Abbas' invitation to Cairo was something else entirely. The Palestinian president discovered, to his surprise, that Sisi had prepared a plan, a sort of road map, intended to clean up the Palestinian political arena. The plan demands, among other things, reconciliation between Abbas and Dahlan, who is now considered a close ally of Sisi.

The plan Abbas was presented with includes three interconnected demands:

A firm demand to open the ranks of the Fatah movement. Abbas was told explicitly that Sisi wants his disagreements with Dahlan to be resolved immediately. Dahlan was removed from the ranks of Fatah in 2011, and since then, he has established a close relationship with Sisi and the heads of the ruling party in the country.



A demand to resolve the conflict between Fatah and Hamas. Egypt demands that Abbas forms a Palestinian unity government with the participation of Hamas. According to the Palestinian source, Abbas was told by the Egyptians that they do not want Hamas' exclusive rule in the Gaza Strip to continue. Egypts considerations are clear; they understand that Hamas will not disappear from the Palestinian arena and that its rule of Gaza will not be overthrown by military or civic means. The only way to neutralize Hamas rule is to create blocks that will erode the movements dominance in Gaza and hand it over to the PA. It is clear to Egypt that there will be no reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah without the reconciliation between Abbas and Dahlan. Surprisingly, Dahlan, who was once hated by Hamas leaders and whose life had been in danger on the eve of the Hamas revolution in Gaza in June 2007, succeeded in repairing his relationship with the movement and creating a bridge between it and the Egyptians.



A demand to carry out a real reform within the Palestine Liberation Organization, including Palestinian National Council elections, to revitalize it and change its composition.

The task of advancing the Egyptian plan was put to Khaled Fawzy, the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate, who holds the Palestinian portfolio in Egypt. Fawzy met with Abbas when he visited Cairo and explained to him how Sisi sees the regional map, the Palestinian arena and its relationship with Egypt. Fawzy also presented Abbas with a tentative timetable.

Sisi said at those meetings that he has no problem pursuing reconciliation with his rival Dahlan, and even promised Fawzy that when he returns to Ramallah, he would send two representatives to handle the timetable and mechanisms needed to advance the road map presented by the Egyptians.

It seemed that a meeting between Dahlan and Abbas could have taken place in Cairo at that time, and the Egyptian media, which showed much interest in Abbas' talks with Sisi, even reported this possibility. However, something happened that infuriated the Egyptians and caused a deep crisis in their relationship with Abbas.

Fatah spokesman Ahmad Assaf said in a press release that all the talks of reconciliation between Fatah and Abbas and Dahlan were false. We will not make peace with Dahlan. We have no interest in reconciling with someone who has hurt Palestinian interests and was removed from the Fatah ranks, he said.

According to the Palestinian source, Sisi and Fawzy were furious at the behavior of the Palestinian president. In their view, it was a dirty trick and a slap in the face of Egypt.

Why does the Egyptian road map depend on reconciliation between Dahlan and Abbas? What is the secret of Dahlans power? How has he been able to influence Sisi and succeed in building such a tight and impressive relationship with leaders of the Arab world? After all, Dahlan  formerly a commander of the Preventive Security Services in Gaza, a national security adviser and a minister in the PA  was banished from the Palestinian territories by Abbas, who also removed him from Fatah and presented him to the Palestinian public as the "enemy of the people."

God is on his side, the Palestinian source said. We are surprised at how far he has gotten. Everyone was against Dahlan and despite that he grew stronger. He controls the field more than anyone else in the current Palestinian leadership, and he has regional support based on his familiarity with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. The same source also explained that Dahlan plays an unseen regional role, saying, Thanks to him, the ties between Abu Dhabi and Egypt and Saudi Arabia are maintained.

When the Egyptians asked people close to Abbas why he acted the way he did, the answer was that the Palestinian president felt enormous opposition within Fatah to reconcile with Dahlan, and so at this time he cannot advance such a move.

It is no secret that Dahlan had and still has many enemies within the Fatah movement. One of them is senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub, Dahlans former friend. According to the Palestinian source, the crisis of faith between the two has been resolved, and the impression of senior Fatah members is that Rajoub would be next in line for banishment by Abbas after Dahlan.

As the situation of the PA deteriorates and its coffers are depleted, it appears that there is a chance that Abbas would accede  if only to save his rule and his position. On the other hand, he knows that reconciliation with Dahlan means that his rival would become the next Palestinian president. And he simply cannot stand that idea.
February 23, 2016

RAFAH, Gaza Strip  Mahmoud Jouda, a controversial Palestinian sheikh, was born in 1960 and grew up in the Rafah refugee camp. He majored in Sharia studies at Umm al-Qura University in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. In 1985, he established and spearheaded the religious group Jamaat al-Muslimin (Society of Muslims), which was known among citizens under the name of Takfir wal Hijra (Excommunication and Exodus). He preached and practiced religious work in the group, far from politics.

Jouda was jailed several times. The first time, Egyptians held him captive when he returned from Iran in the early 1980s. He claimed that he had visited Iran to learn and delve into some Shiite confessions such as Twelver Islam. Israel also jailed him on several occasions.

He recently became a topic of discussion in the Palestinian and Israeli press. The Palestinian public was preoccupied with his religious views and with him wearing a black turban that resembled the Shiite turban. The media also claimed Jouda was converting to Shiism, while Gazan society is Sunni.

Al-Monitor interviewed him in Rafah, where he lives, to get to know him and his views.

The text of the interview follows:

Al-Monitor: You established Jamaat al-Muslimin and spearheaded it. What are the thoughts it espouses, and under what circumstances was it formed?

Jouda: We started out just like any other group that has its own opinions and vision and objects to certain parties and movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb ut-Tahrir, among others. After thinking about it, we decided to find an alternative to these groups, which we believe are wrong about some issues. In the mid-1980s, our group was formed.

All current Islamic groups are politicized religious groups, whether we like it or not. Their common goal is to obey Gods instructions. Whoever forms a group wants to please God, enroot the Islamic rule and ensure truth and justice on earth.

The persistence of these groups or lack of it is related to our future vision and to our origin. Groups were formed out of their founders religious motive and originated from a place that allows plurality. The founders of the groups became convinced that the persistence of a group depends on the persistence of a conviction with a certain origin.

Two and a half decades after forming the group and through my deep-seated experience and vision in regard to religious and political ideas and perspectives  and my reconsideration of them  I realized that partisan work destroys religion, reality and life and damages what we really want.

We declared our renunciation for partisan work in 2006 as we realized that it leads people to a path that diverges from what they really want.

Al-Monitor: Since its establishment, citizens started calling your group, Jamaat al-Muslimin, Takfir wal Hijra. Where did this name come from?

Jouda: If people call a person named Ahmad Aaraj [which means someone who limps], it is not his fault. A group in Egypt was known as Takfir wal Hijra, and perhaps they linked our name to theirs.

Al-Monitor: You claim that your approach aims at bringing Sunnis and Shiites closer. But there is a conflict between the two sects. What is behind this conflict? What is your approach and what efforts did you make to bring these two sects closer?

Jouda: It wasn't a walk in the park. Theoretically, far from implementation and action, bringing the two sects closer is beautiful and straightforward. It is a refined and strong project. Inside the office, results can be reached. But when talking to the two parties [Sunnis and Shiites] and asking them to commit to the project and implement it, the situation is much more complicated. The dispute between them is deep-seated and has been around for centuries. The Sunni and Shiite intellectual legacies are conflicting. Sunnis and Shiites have contradictory views and jurisprudence, and their code of conduct has been different throughout history.

Whats more, there are currently powerful global organizations that fund and support the project of fueling the tensions and chasm between Sunnis and Shiites to drive them to fight each other. This is something tangible nowadays.

I call for a project that rejects the above-mentioned global scheme. I do not have personal reasons to promote such a uniting project or to foil the opposing one. It is not an easy task. God has given us minds to use in order to think. Scholars  if they are committed to their word and loyalty to God  are the ones capable of changing this conflict and eradicating the origins of dispute between the two sects. For 30 years, Israel and Egypt have forbidden me from leaving Gaza or traveling because of my project to unite the Muslim nation. The project needs to build personal relations [between Sunnis and Shiites] for it to spread. Since I [can't spread it], I posted it on my website, and it still has not been implemented.

Al-Monitor: We saw you in a short video while you were sitting in a majlis [Shiite gathering] where the attendees were wearing headbands on which was written Ya Husayn [Oh Hussein]. Only Shiite believers wear a headband with such writings in reference to Ahl al-Bayt [the family of the Prophet Muhammad, Hussein being the prophets grandson]. It was said that the police arrested you while you were there. What is the story?

Jouda: This was like an ambush for me. I was called for a meeting, and I was surprised when one of the attendees started distributing these headbands. Three minutes later, the police attacked us and hit us. I do not know most of these people. But I trusted the person who invited me. Some attendees took advantage of the opportunity to organize an ambush.

Talk about my Shiism or Sunnism only deepens the division, conflict and defeat. I am neither Shiite nor Sunni, and I do not belong to any sect. I call on all people to abandon this division and the branched sects. I call on them to commit to Islam, as the Prophet Muhammad and his companions did not belong to any sect.

Al-Monitor: Lately, the Palestinian and Israeli media mentioned that you converted to Shiism. What is the truth behind this?

Jouda: Well, there is a lot of talk going on. The stage is open for everyone, thanks to the Internet. But talk about my converting to Shiism is not true.

Al-Monitor: Have you ever worked in politics? Do you think there is a place for religion in politics?

Jouda: Although I formed a religious group, I have not participated in any political work. My work has been purely religious. I call for understanding religion in its true sense and committing to it. I do not work in politics, and this reflects my stance  there is no place for religion in politics.

In brief, if I had thought it was suitable, I would have participated in political work.
February 23, 2016

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan created a new controversy on Feb. 9, Turkey's Quit Smoking Day, when he appeared to link addiction to alcohol and tobacco to poetry, literature and cinema. In a country where censorship is already rife, his remark sparked concern that fresh restrictions might be in store.

On Feb. 9, left-leaning Cumhuriyet, a vocal critic of the government, published a story headlined Erdogan: Poems, novels and cinema cause addictions just like smoking. A number of other news sites, including the popular T24, picked up the story, leading many to wonder where Turkey is going and whether poetry, fiction and cinema are under threat.

Sabah, which is very close to Erdogan, slammed Cumhuriyet for distorting the presidents words and quoted him as saying, Movies, novels and poems encouraging alcohol and smoking have been introduced. As we know, this method has been used extensively in our country.

According to the state-run Anatolia News Agency, Erdogan said, Frankly, I believe that the great financial might of the [tobacco] industry is behind music, films, novels and poems encouraging habits that lead to addictions like alcohol and smoking.  You would have noticed that in almost all the movies of the 1960s and 1970s, smoking and alcohol are in the foreground.

Interestingly, this part of Erdogan's speech was missing from the transcript published on his official website, apparently to head off the growing criticism. Footage of the event, which some TV channels had broadcast live, showed that Anatolia News Agency's report was the most faithful to what Erdogan said.

Why did Erdogans words stir controversy, concern and criticism? To better understand the anxiety, one must examine some practices that became widespread in Turkey after the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power.

First, restrictions on smoking introduced by previous governments were extended to cover all public buildings under the AKP. The ban enjoys strong public support, including from this writer, who has never smoked.

Erdogan, however, has taken things to extremes, engaging in public arguments with smokers and stoking their defiance. In 2014, for instance, he was touring an Istanbul neighborhood when he noticed a shopkeeper smoking on his own balcony and shouted at him to put the cigarette out. When the man disobeyed, Erdogan scolded him as impertinent and called on municipal officials to intervene, exclaiming, Its the president telling him, and he is still smoking! Erdogan also boasts a large collection of cigarette boxes confiscated from smokers he comes across at various events. Before seizing the box, he asks the smoker to sign it with the pledge, I will quit smoking.

Separately, Erdogan is known as a politician who never reads a book from cover to cover, but only summaries written by his aides. He is not known as an avid cinema fan, either, but is famous for reciting poems that mesh with his ideology and worldview.

The AKPs campaign against smoking employs countless ads and posters trumpeting the bans. Any image of cigarettes in movies aired on television must be blurred, even the smoke. The censored imagery has come to include drinks and bare female breasts. Subscription TV channels have also adopted the practice, blurring images of tobacco, alcohol, breasts and buttocks, despite their subscribers paying for a private service.

Alcohol restrictions have also increased. Many restaurants today fail to obtain licenses to serve alcohol or to renew existing ones. Tobacco and liquor can no longer be placed in display windows, and the taxes on those goods are ever rising.

Given this background, the alarm over Erdogans remarks was understandable, for he is seen as the mastermind behind these restrictions. In a memorable 2013 interview, he said he considered even occasional drinkers "alcoholics," pointing to the prohibitions of Islam.

All this aside, let's entertain the idea that Erdogan may be justified in associating smoking and drinking with literature, poetry and cinema in Turkey. Not so, according to scholars in the field.

Emin Ozdemir, a prominent literary scholar and the longest serving member of Ankara Universitys faculty of communications, told Al-Monitor, The notion that poems and novels addict people to smoking and drinking is wrong from head to toe. This view could be espoused only by people who have never read a poem or a novel. Literature appeals to both the minds and the hearts of individuals, but doesnt make them lose control. On the contrary  it makes them think and educates and balances their feelings. Even a chain smoker like [iconic Turkish poet] Can Yucel has never praised smoking. You cant find a single [Turkish] literary work, including those from the 1960s and the 1970s, that encourages drinking and smoking.

Secil Buker, a professor in the same department, also disagreed with Erdogan. In the 1960s and 1970s, Turkish cinema used to draw a very thick line between good and evil. Drinking and smoking were part of the evil scenes, she told Al-Monitor. And the purpose there was  the reducing of Westernization to drinking and sexual issues and to tell viewers not to emulate such behavior.

Oguz Onaran, the former dean of the department, agreed that movies might influence drinking and smoking habits, but rejected any systematic encouragement in both Turkish and foreign cinemas. Yes, cinema can influence drinking and smoking, while music, novels and poems cannot. In the '60s and '70s, such scenes did exist [in Turkish movies], but they disappeared as soon as the extensive harms of smoking became known, Onaran told Al-Monitor.

True, the peoples imitation of movie stars is important. Humphrey Bogart is shown as an example in this regard, but a single example is not considered sufficient, Onaran said. When it comes to Turkish movies, this argument doesnt hold much water, for alcohol has not figured prominently in Turkish cinema. The parties in wealthy homes, for instance, are shown in a critical light. The young woman at the party would be incensed by what she sees and leave the place. In short, a systematic praise of smoking and drinking does not exist in Turkish and foreign cinema.

Hot on Erdogans heels, Turkeys Religious Affairs Directorate issued a fatwa Feb. 10 about music. According to Sozcu, the fatwa declared that making and listening to music that arouses sexual desire and depicts illicit acts in a positive light are sinful.

The fatwa only added to concerns that books, CDs and music videos could be next in line for censorship. Given the increasing number of blurred scenes on Turkish television, such worries are anything but unfounded.
February 19, 2016

Developments in Syria have picked up speed rapidly in the past two weeks, and the situation is only becoming more complicated.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, supported by Russian warplanes, are trying to control critical supply routes between Turkey and Aleppo. Ankara has declared the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) a terrorist organization because of its organic ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and expansion of its Afrin canton in western Kurdistan northwest of Aleppo.

In this surge of activity, new developments demand attention. One such development is the YPG advance to the east. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu declared that Turkey will not allow the fall of Azaz, but the YPG captured Tell Rifaat just south of Azaz with the first-ever overt Russian air support.

This development also meant Russian soldiers are operating as forward air controllers in the field alongside the YPG. YPG units, in alliance with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), also seized Marea and are continuing their eastward advance. The YPG, which liberated Tell Abyad from Islamic State (IS) control in June with US air support, is now expanding its territory to Afrins east, this time with Russian air support, which naturally frustrates Ankara.

With the seizure of Marea, the SDF  spearheaded by the YPG  controls the Jarablus-Munbij-Bab line, exerting pressure from the east and west on the IS presence around Raqqa. Now we have the unusual situation of US air support for the YPG in the east and Russian air support in the west.

The YPG now has to make a critical decision: Will it continue with US or Russian support? It is critical, because if the YPG opts for cooperation with Russia, it can expand the Afrin canton eastward and link it with two other Kurdish cantons, Kobani and Jazeera. This of course will create a Kurdish corridor between Turkey and the rest of predominantly Sunni Syria. This will be a nightmare scenario for the Sunni bloc led by Ankara and Saudi Arabia and supported by Qatar and Bahrain.

Or the YPG  instead of expanding on an east-west axis under US guidance  can focus on the IS "capital" of Raqqa. If this happens, we will know that the YPG has the full backing of the SDF. This will require sidelining the Sunni armed opposition, particularly around Aleppo, and reaching some sort of understanding with Assad's forces and the Russians. Many believe that this is what the United States is trying to achieve now.

The question is whether the YPG can manage to sustain simultaneous cooperation with the United States and Russia. This is what Ankara is carefully watching. Ankara tends to think the YPG will opt for Russian cooperation and thinks of the YPG as a Russian subcontractor in Syria. Ankara resents the US disregard for this view.

There are officials in Ankara who consider the YPGs attempt to cooperate simultaneously with the United States and Russia a tactical and provisional move that cannot be sustained for long and which the YPG must be called to account for at some time.

Ankara thinks there are two ways it can return to Syria's playing field, from which it was excluded after a Turkish F-16 shot down a Russian Su-24 warplane Nov. 24.

The first is with a "Sunni anti-IS air force" led by Ankara. If it can persuade Washington, Ankara wants to use this Sunni air force inside Syria with the participation of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. At the moment, six Saudi F-15s are in joint training with Turkish pilots at Turkeys air combat training center in Konya.

Their training includes joint air operations and air-ground coordination. At the end of February, another 20 Saudi F-15s are expected at Incirlik Air Base. There are also reports that Qatari planes are already at Incirlik but have yet to become operational. Can the Sunni air force Turkey is trying to put together with Saudi Arabia and Qatar carry out joint operations in Syria? The United States will have to answer this question, because the Sunni air force will be Plan B in the hands of the United States in its strategic negotiations with Russia. This force is also needed for anti-IS attacks against Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. Ankara and Riyadh are impatiently awaiting US approval to attack IS, which will open the gates of Syria to them.

Another instrument Ankara uses to influence the developments in Syria is Turkey's 155 howitzers deployed on the borderline near Kilis. These guns can easily reach Azaz and Marea, which are roughly 10 miles from the border. To start with, Ankara is planning to deploy more howitzer batteries along the entire border stretch controlled by the Kurds' Democratic Union Party (PYD) at Kobani, Tell Abyad and Qamishli. This will provide Ankara with artillery coverage 25 miles deep inside Syria. But the UN Security Council's recent call on Turkey to stop firing artillery inside Syria may well disrupt this plan.

This is not yet an official UN Security Council resolution, but should Ankara continue with artillery fire, it is likely to cause a serious debate.

The second element to Ankaras return to the Syrian playing field is the position of Saudi Arabia. In my conversation last week with two Saudi academics, I noted their reference to Russian operations in Aleppo as "Russia's new Afghanistan." Both called for immediate delivery of Stinger missiles and SA-7 portable, short-range, surface-to-air anti-aircraft missiles (also known as MANPADS, or man-portable air defense systems), as was done with the anti-Russian fighters in Afghanistan. Both agreed this is the only way to eliminate Russian and Assad air force pressure and save Aleppo. The academics also agreed that first Turkey and then the United States have to be persuaded to deliver those weapons. If at some point in the near future we read news of Russian warplanes or helicopters shot down over northern Syria, we will know that the United States and Turkey have agreed with Saudi Arabia's demand.

While developments in Syria continue at an amazing pace, sadly Ankara is caught unprepared and is trying to catch up with events in hindsight. Ankara and its supporting media attribute this lack of preparation either as "ploys by global forces" or their collaborators in Turkey.

One wonders why Turkey doesn't assess the field developments in Syria accurately and wisely. There appear to be three basic structural flaws:

The first is using Syria as a Turkish domestic consumption commodity. Turkish decision-makers prefer to appeal directly to the people in official ceremonies and at other public gatherings. Their intention is to avoid discussing field developments, but to create a perception of victory in the minds of the Turkish electorate.

The second flaw regarding why Ankara cant properly assess the realities in Syria and display the prerequisite flexibility is the tendency of mid-level officials and intellectual/academic circles to voice what they think the situation should be, rather than seeing the way things actually are.

The third flaw is Ankara's viewing of the Assad regime and the PKK-guided PYD as existential threats. Ankara seems unable to shake its phobias about Assad and Syria's western Kurdistan and instead is increasingly identifying with its Sunni instincts, as noted by its growing cooperation with the Saudis.

How do Turkish military experts, who asked not to be identified, assess the complicated current situation?

They say: On one side is a US-supported, anti-Assad, Free Syrian Army pickup truck mounted with a TOW missile. On the other is a US-supported, Russian-made Dushka heavy machine gun mounted on a Kurdish YPG pickup. If the two are engaging each other in combat, this means the defeat of both Turkey and the United States in the field and a victory for Russia.

The YPG is advancing fast and will soon take on IS. When the YPG-IS battles resume, Turkey will not be able to direct artillery fire at the YPG. Then what?
February 22, 2016

Turkey's tourism industry is under serious threat following the crisis with Russia, continuing clashes in southeast Turkey and bomb explosions in Ankara and Istanbul. It is now clear that the roughly 4 million Russian tourists who have been Turkeys loyal visitors are not coming this year.

Recent figures released by the Turkish Census Bureau indicate that in 2015, tourism revenues dropped 8.3% compared to 2014, from $34.3 billion to $31.5 billion. Meanwhile, the number of Turkish citizens traveling abroad increased from 7,982,000 in 2014 to 8,750,000 in 2015, and the tourism expenditure increased from $5.5 billion to $5.7 billion.

The sharpest decline in tourism revenue was registered in November 2015 after the shooting down of a Russian fighter jet.

Hotel owners in Turkey now facing bankruptcy are waiting for solutions offered by the government. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already called on Turkish citizens not to travel abroad, but to spend their holidays in Turkey. He also wants people to choose local products instead of foreign products when shopping.

Some tourism sector representatives emboldened by Erdogans request proposed a complete ban on foreign travel by Turkish citizens and to punish those who do. Most media outlets have labeled these extreme calls for a ban as defying comprehension and logic. Cemil Ugurlu, deputy chairman of the Tourism Investors Association of Turkey, asked for steps to make foreign travel unattractive.

He said, There must be some restrictions and additional taxation [for travel abroad] to encourage our people to spend their holidays in the country."

Although such demands appear illogical, Masum Turker, who was briefly Turkeys minister of economy in 2002, said it was possible to impose new taxes on people traveling abroad.

"The presidents call will motivate many people to demand similar steps. The state knows who travels abroad frequently. It can now say that those who can afford to travel abroad can pay extra taxes, Turker said. There are 4 million Turks who can be targeted for this. Remember, we imposed extra taxes, for example, after the disastrous Marmara earthquake [in 1999]. It the states taxation income from tourism is seriously affected it can reimpose such additional taxes.

Turker said some countries have been advising their citizens not to travel to Turkey because it is unsafe; hence, Turkey can introduce special taxes on similar grounds to those traveling abroad.

Tourism entrepreneur Bulent Okci, who owns hotels in Bodrum and Istanbul that used to work with Russian travel agencies, told Al-Monitor that although reservations have stopped coming in, they are now hopeful following Erdogans call to the public.

We understand that Russian tourists are not coming this year. The call of the president can boost the number of domestic tourists. The AKP [Justice and Development Party] received 50% of the vote in the last elections, and [so] if some of those people heed Erdogans call and stay in Turkey instead of traveling abroad, we can partially make up for the loss of Russian tourists, he said.

But Ahmet Tan, the former minister of tourism in the 1990s, opposed restricting the freedom of travel of citizens in democracies.

"Discouraging foreign travel will not increase domestic tourism. Our people do not pay in foreign currency; we need the foreign currency from tourism. Anyway most of the people will not obey the presidents call, Tan told Al-Monitor.

He said, Most travelers who travel abroad are liberal voters of the opposition CHP [Republican People's Party]. If they believe that there is indeed a factual, heavy foreign pressure on Turkey then they will collectively decide not to travel abroad, but not because the president told them. They see the president as a partisan. There are people who disregard the president's anti-smoking campaign and even take up smoking in defiance. If such a call had been made by the governor of the Central Bank instead of the president, there would have been more compliance.

Asked if AKP voters will respond to Erdogans call, Tan replied, "The AKP gets most of its votes from rural voters who dont travel abroad as much."

While the Turkish government is negotiating with the European Union to lift visa restrictions on Turks, it is now trying to find ways to limit freedom of travel of its citizens.

One point to note here is that in the last quarter of 2015, the number of Turks who traveled abroad decreased by 4%, partly because of the deterioration of the economy. At the same time, the annual increase in foreign travel was 9.6%, which shows that the citizens can make up their own minds without intervention of the state.
February 22, 2016

Congress this week will finally hear from UN patent agency whistleblowers about years-old computer shipments to Iran that have raised questions about the world bodys compliance with international sanctions.

The Feb. 24 hearing with three former officials of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) caps a four-year battle against stonewalling bureaucrats at the Geneva-based agency. At the same time, the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing opens another front in the congressional campaign to ensure that international pressure on Iran doesnt let up in the wake of last years nuclear deal.

With the UN wrapping up its own investigation, Middle East panel Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., said in a statement, this hearing will provide an added layer of oversight and accountability, as members will hear from the WIPO officials previously blocked from testifying, learn what consequences we can expect from the UN investigation, and assess future action to safeguard against potential violations of US sanctions and export controls and other breaches of US national security policy by WIPO and other UN agencies.

The controversy dates back to April 2012, when Fox News first reported that the Geneva-based agency had shipped sophisticated US-made computers and other information technology systems to internationally sanctioned North Korea, without seeking permission from  or even informing  the UN Security Council. Three months later, Bloomberg reported that similar technology transfers had also been made to Iran.

The shipments consist of laptops, servers, printers and firewall systems and are in line with the agencys mission to help developing countries build up intellectual-property archives and come into compliance with global standards that are crucial to advanced invention-dependent economies such as the United States. Still, the transfers of dual-use technology, which could conceivably be used to help develop missile technology or nuclear weapons, have raised alarm bells in Congress and the State Department.

Ros-Lehtinen, then the chairwoman of the full committee, launched her probe shortly after the transfers were made public in cooperation with then-ranking member Howard Berman, D-Calif. In a July 16, 2012, letter to the agency, the two House Foreign Affairs leaders requested that WIPO officials who first raised alarms about the shipments be allowed to testify before Congress.

The agencys boss, Francis Gurry, at the time declined the committees request to interview WIPO Deputy Director General James Pooley, the top US national at the agency, or strategic adviser Miranda Brown, arguing that they were not competent to testify on the issue. Gurry also placed such stringent conditions on WIPO Staff Association President Moncef Katabs testimony that Katab felt unwilling to speak up due to fear of retaliation or other form of reprisal, according to an Aug. 1, 2012, letter from Ros-Lehtinen and Berman.

Gurrys response forced the committee to cancel a planned hearing four years ago. Now all three officials, who have since left WIPO, are scheduled to testify Feb. 24.

The WIPO did not immediately return a request for comment. Gurry has said he did nothing wrong by transferring technology to Iran and North Korea, but ended hardware shipments after Congress launched its investigation.

The State Department also has concerns about WIPO and Gurry, particularly allegations that he has retaliated against employees who have spoken up about the transfers to Iran and North Korea as well as other actions by the agency (Katab was fired in 2014). Last year, according to Fox News, the State Department for the first time used new congressional authority to cut the US contribution to WIPOs budget by 15%  about $370,000  for failing to abide by best practices regarding ethics and whistle-blower protections.
February 22, 2016

WASHINGTON  The United States and Russia reached agreement on a partial Syria truce to go into effect Feb. 27, after intensive Russian-American negotiations in Geneva culminated in a phone call Feb. 22 between US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Under the complex cessation of hostilities agreement, announced in a US-Russian joint statement after Obama and Putin spoke by phone, the warring Syria parties, with the exception of the Islamic State (IS) group and al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, have until noon Feb. 26 Damascus time to inform the United States or Russia whether they intend to accept the truce deal.

Those Syrian parties and armed groups (minus IS and Jabhat al-Nusra) that accept the cessation of hostilities will not be targeted by the Syrian-, Russian- or US-led anti-IS coalition militaries, the joint agreement states. The United States and Russia, which co-chair the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) cease-fire task force, will map out where Jabhat al-Nusra, IS and other groups are and set up a communications hotline in order to try to adjudicate if and when there are violations of the truce terms, the State Department said, as officials acknowledged there were still procedural details to be finalized and much mistrust and skepticism about a way out after five years of brutal conflict.

We are all aware of the significant challenges ahead, Kerry said Feb. 22 in a statement welcoming the agreement. This is a moment of promise, but the fulfillment of that promise depends on actions.

Putin, announcing the deal in a special broadcast on Russian television, expressed optimism that it could help end the Syrian crisis.

Im convinced that the joint actions agreed with the American side are able to radically transform the crisis situation in Syria," Putin said in remarks posted to the Kremlin website.

American and Russian negotiators have held several rounds of closed consultations, the Russian leader said. As a result, they have managed to reach an important agreement.

"Before noon on Feb. 26, 2016, all warring parties in Syria must reaffirm either to us or our American partners their commitment to a cease-fire, Putin said. Russian and American military will map out the areas on which such groups operate. The military operations of the armed forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Russian armed forces and the US-led coalition will not be conducted against them. The opposition, in turn, will stop military operations against the armed forces of the Syrian Arab Republic and the groups supporting them.

IS, Jabhat al-Nusra and any other organizations designated by the UN Security Council as terrorist groups are "completely exempt" from the cease-fire, Putin added. "The attacks on them will continue.

"Russia will conduct all the necessary work with Damascus  the legitimate administration of Syria, to secure its compliance, Putin said. We hope that the United States will do the same with their allies and the groups that supported them.

The Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), after meeting in Riyadh with US Syria envoy Michael Ratney on Feb. 22, offered cautious acceptance for the cease-fire terms, but pressed several conditions.

After HNC General Coordinator Riad Hijab presented the results of his consultations with the armed factions, the HNC "agreed to consent to international efforts aimed at reaching a cessation of hostilities, to be achieved through international mediation, with provisional guarantees that Russia, Iran and militias will be held responsible to cease artillery and aerial bombardments against civilians, the HNC statement said.

But the HNC is skeptical, the group said. Dr. Hijab said he does not expect the Assad regime, Russia and Iran to cease hostilities, due to their realization that the regime's survival depends on the continuation of its campaign of oppression, killing and forced displacement, the statement continued.

World leaders also cautiously welcomed the deal, while expressing some doubt.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Turkey welcomes the cease-fire deal and hopes it is implemented, the Associated Press reported.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called the deal a potentially important step toward reducing horrendous Syrian violence, but expressed doubt about the sincerity of the Syrian regime and its backers to stop targeting moderate Syrian opposition groups.

Russia, in particular, must honor this agreement by ending its attacks on Syrian civilians and moderate opposition groups, and by using its influence to ensure the Syrian regime does the same, Hammond said. It is now time for action, not words.

Former US Syria envoy Robert Ford said he wants to be hopeful about the cease-fire deal, but he has concerns.

Mechanically, [it is] hard to see how this works if Russians keep bombing non-IS targets, Ford told Al-Monitor. Either the Russians have excellent precision bombs, in which case they committed war crimes bombing civilian sites like hospitals, or they have poorly aimed bombs, in which case their bombing runs will inadvertently hit units near Jabhat al-Nusra. Or they will say they erred.

We need cessation to defuse the Turk-Russian standoff along [the] Turkish-Syrian border," Ford said.

The US-Russia partial cease-fire deal was announced after Putin sent Russias Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu to Iran on Feb. 21 to convey the draft plan and discuss it with Iranian officials, Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis office said.



US officials said it involved intense, personal diplomacy, particularly between Kerry and Lavrov, who spoke a few times over the weekend while US and Russian teams met in Geneva.



The deliberations were happening at all hours, one US official, speaking not for attribution, told Al-Monitor earlier Feb. 22 of the US-Russian negotiations. Sounds like it was a lot of personal diplomacy between Kerry-Lavrov and Obama-Putin.
Anyone who has read much about the relationship between childhood friends and literary superstars Harper Lee (April 28, 1926-Feb. 19, 2016) and Truman Capote (Sept. 30, 1924-Aug. 25, 1984) knows it was complicated.

The two were opposites in many ways: She lived comfortably with parents and siblings in Monroeville, Ala.; he was an only child who lived next door with his mother's cousins in whose care his mother left him following a divorce.

She was a tomboy who often defended the older-but-smaller Truman from bullies.

As adults, she shied away from publicity; he invited it in the door and entertained it with a lavish floor show.

But when Lee's father, Amasa Coleman Lee, gave the pair of friends a typewriter in elementary school, they began their writing careers - together.

Throughout much of their lives, until Capote's death in 1984, the two were the closest of friends. According to numerous published sources, despite his literary successes with such works as "Breakfast at Tiffany's," Capote was jealous of his friend's success with "To Kill a Mockingbird," which won a Pulitzer Prize.

It wasn't until the 1966 publication of "In Cold Blood," his critically acclaimed "true crime novel," that the first real fissure appeared in the relationship between Lee and Capote. (Note: The book was initially published as a serial in The New Yorker magazine in 1965)

The years 1959 to 1965 were pivotal in the relationship. Lee had completed "Mockingbird" and was in the process of editing before its 1960 publication. Capote, looking for something new, another way to set the world on fire, decided on true crime. He came across an article about the horrific murders of a Kansas family named the Clutters: father Herb, mother Bonnie, 16-year-old Nancy and 14-year-old Kenyon were bound and shot to death in their quiet farming community of Holcombe.

Capote wanted to follow the case and write a different type of crime book, a "nonfiction novel." Lee, at loose ends, agreed to accompany her friend and help with his research. She stayed in Kansas for months, helping Capote befriend the locals, who found him brash. For the next six years, until the Clutters' killers were caught, tried, convicted and executed, Lee would return periodically to Kansas with her friend.

Here are 10 things to know about Capote and Lee, their friendship and "In Cold Blood:"

1. After Harper Lee acted as Capote's research assistant for "In Cold Blood," contributing 150 pages of notes, she "was reportedly hurt to be included only in the Acknowledgments section of the book; they grew apart after its publication in 1965." Capote dedicated the book to Lee and his longtime partner Jack Dunphy without mentioning her contributions. (Source: Time Magazine)

2. Each immortalized the other in print - Capote by reportedly casting her as Idabel in "Other Voices, Other Rooms," and Lee by characterizing young Capote as Dill in "To Kill a Mockingbird."

3. Although some people speculated, based on his publishing experience and Lee's lack of it, Capote may have helped write "Mockingbird," numerous experts dispute the rumor. A letter on display at the Monroe County Museum in Monroeville purports to debunk the myth: "A July 9, 1959 letter from Capote to Mary Ida in Monroeville clearly debunks the myth that Capote wrote the classic tome and shows that Capote had only minimal access to Lee's manuscript. 'Yes, it is true that Nelle Lee is publishing a book. I did not see Nelle last winter, but the previous year she showed me as much of the book as she'd written, and I liked it very much. She has real talent.'" Click here to see the letter.

4. Lee would later make copious notes on Capote's "In Cold Blood" manuscript, as well as provide moral support by phone as he struggled with the wait for the book's obvious conclusion, the executions. She returned to Kansas for the trial and helped Capote entertain the sources for the book. (Source: Barnes and Noble.com)

5. The friendship between Lee and Capote was depicted in two movies: by Catherine Keener and Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2005's "Capote" and by Sandra Bullock and Toby Jones in 2006's "Infamous."

6. The childhood friendship between Harper Lee and Truman Capote is the subject of a children's book being published March 1, 2016. It's called "Tru and Nelle." (Source: Amazon.com)

7. As children, Lee and Capote were early and avid readers. According to BarnesandNoble.com, their favorite books were Sherlock

Holmes mysteries, The Rover Boys series and adventure stories by Seckatary Hawkins.

8. According to author Charles J. Shields in his book "Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee," she suggested that Capote make the victims more complex in "In Cold Blood." He did not. After the book's publication, Bonnie Clutter's surviving daughters criticized Capote's portrayal of their late mother.

9. Despite Lee's hurt feelings over "In Cold Blood," the two remained sometime friends. In the late 1960s, the two went on a nostalgic road trip together through south Alabama. (Source: BarnesandNoble.com)

10. Although the two remained in touch until Truman's death in 1984, Lee, like many friends in Capote's inner circle, had grown weary of his antics. In the 2014 book "The Mockingbird Next Door," author Marja Mills quotes Lee as calling Capote a lying, mean-streaked "psychopath" who "thought the rules that applied to everybody else didn't apply to him." (Source: "The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee.")

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Perry's steakhouse.JPG

This is an artist's rendering of the new Perry's Steakhouse & Grille that is scheduled to open in April 2016 at 4 Perimeter Park South in Birmingham, Ala. (Image courtesy of Perry's Steakhouse & Grille)

Perry's Steakhouse & Grille, a Texas-based chain that began in 1979, has set early April for the opening of its first Alabama restaurant, a company official said today.

The restaurant, which is in the latter stages of construction, is located in the former TGI Friday's location at 4 Perimeter Park South off U.S. 280 in Birmingham.

"I hope to have a more definitive (opening) date even by later this week," Lesa Sorrentino, Perry's chief marketing officer, told AL.com this morning. "We just want to make sure that once we put out a date that that date will stick. I feel pretty confident at this point with everything I'm hearing from a construction perspective that it'll be in early April."

The Birmingham steakhouse will be the family-owned restaurant group's 13th location and only its third outside of Texas.

"We know that the community in Birmingham really enjoys great food," Sorrentino said. "It's a foodie town. We've experienced that on our visits to Birmingham, and we think we'll fit right in and bring something special to the table, pardon the pun."

Perry's, which began as a butcher shop, has six locations in Houston, two in Dallas, and one each in Austin and San Antonio. Outside of Texas, Perry's is in Chicago and Denver, as well.

"We started as a small meat market in Houston, so we really know steaks," Sorrentino said. "We know our beef. In addition to that, we also bring an experience that surrounds that great food and good quality with the service and the experience of carving tableside and flaming desserts and great wines. It just adds to the overall element."

The 10,000-square-foot Birmingham location will include four private dining rooms, an island bar and an outdoor patio.

The menu at Perry's Steakhouse & Grille includes a filet mignon that is butchered in-house. (Photo courtesy of Perry's Steakhouse & Grille)

Perry's steaks are butchered in-house and cut fresh to order, and dinner prices range from $40.95 for an 8-ounce filet to $51.95 for a 20-ounce bone-in New York strip, according to the restaurant's website.

In addition to its selection of filets, rib-eyes, and New York strips -- as well as such seafood options as pecan-crusted red snapper, grilled salmon and steamed lobster tail -- Perry's is known for its Perry's Famous Pork Chop ($37.95), a seven-finger tall chop that is dried, cured and roasted, then caramelized and topped with Perry's signature herb-garlic butter.

On Fridays only, Perry's also will be open for lunch, offering a lunch-cut serving of the pork chop for $13.95 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

"We kind of make Fridays a special day," Sorrentino said. "We want everyone to end the week off at lunch at Perry's. And in honor of that we have our signature item, which is the pork chop. . . .

"The energy around our pork chop Friday lunches is just really fun," she added. "It's an energetic feel and a lot of people come and gather and kind of celebrate Friday. So it's a great time."

As Perry's does at its other restaurants, the Birmingham location also will feature Bar 79, a cocktail lounge named in honor of Perry's founding in 1979.

"Bar 79 will be a very special place and open off to a really lovely patio that's flanked with fireplaces," Sorrentino said. "We think it will be a really nice place for people to come and enjoy their friends and family."

The restaurant hours at Perry's will be 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, 4 to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 4 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

For more information about Perry's Steakhouse & Grille, go here.
Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

Ranking this year's Best Picture nominees, best to...least best?

The Oscars air live on Sunday, Feb. 28 on ABC, and we've caught up on all eight best picture nominees.



Now it's time to share our favorites from best to worst? Quite honestly, "worst" doesn't really apply here since we don't have one rotten apple in the bunch. Lucky for us, all eight films have something to offer all kinds of film fans.



So we'll rank them best to...least best.



(AMPAS)

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

8) The Big Short

Adam McKay's razor-sharp adaptation of Michael Lewis' book about the guys who saw the 2008 housing collapse coming is by no means "bad" nor do we consider it the "worst" anything here. It's just the movie we like the least among these eight. That's all. The A-list cast's performances stand out, particularly Christian Bale and Ryan Gosling's, and it mostly manages to explain a super-complicated story well-enough at a fast pace. It's good, but we're not sure it's of the same caliber of its fellow seven nominees. Not this year, anyway.



Will it win? It really might. It scored the Producers Guild award, which has matched every best picture winner since 2007. But it did not win DGA or SAG, which leaves it vulnerable.



Nominations: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Christian Bale), Adapted Screenplay and Film Editing.



(Paramount)

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

7) Mad Max: Fury Road

Quite possibly the all-around most beloved movie of 2015 by fans and critics, George Miller's bonkers post-apocalyptic adventure delivered on every technical aspect it could muster from cinematography to special effects to stunts to everything else under the sun. Don't hate us, but we just think it fell a little short on story. Still, we've never seen anything like it, and we hope Miller takes us back to the wasteland in less than 30 years this time.



Will it win? We don't think so. While everyone loves it and it scored a bunch of nominations, it has yet to win any major "best picture" awards leading up to the big night, outside of some critics circles. Fans should consider it a victory it made it this far.



Nominations: Picture, Director, Cinematography, Film Editing, Production Design, Makeup and Hair Styling, Costume Design, Visual Effects, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.



(Warner Bros.)

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

6) Room

Director Lenny Abrahamson's treatment of author/screenwriter Emma Donoghue's bestselling novel delivered on the hype thanks to trembling tension and a pair of knockout performances from Brie Larson and youngster Jacob Tremblay, the latter of whom deserved his own nomination for carrying the movie. A tough but beautiful story deserved its rave reviews, and we can't wait to see what the director does next.



Will it win? No, but Larson will definitely win best actress, so score one for "Room."



Nominations: Picture, Director, Actress (Brie Larson) and Adapted Screenplay.



(A24 Films)

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

5) The Martian

Ridley Scott's crowd-pleasing space adventure starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars delivers on just about every level you want from a Hollywood production like this, thanks primarily to a funny script and Damon's charismatic performance. You root for Mark Watney the whole way, and few actors other than Damon could pull off such a Tom Hanksian feat.



Will it win? At one point, it looked like the frontrunner, but sadly no. All of its momentum went out the window when Ridley Scott didn't secure a directing nomination.



Nominations: Picture, Actor (Matt Damon), Adapted Screenplay, Production Design, Visual Effects, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.



(20th Century Fox)

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

4) The Revenant

Alejandro G. Inarritu's gorgeously filmed but totally harsh survival adventure starring Leonardo DiCaprio tells a powerful story exploring the brutality of man and nature. While often hard to stomach due to the difficult conditions in which its characters struggle to live and the desperate measure they take to do so, Inarritu's film does it beautifully, thanks primarily to staggering scenery and unparalled cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki.



Will it in? Probably. It won the Golden Globe, DGA and now BAFTA, so it holds the necessary momentum riding into the big night. It did not win PGA or SAG, so it still isn't a sure bet.



Nominations: Picture, Director, Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Supporting Actor (Tom Hardy), Cinematography, Film Editing, Costume Design, Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Visual Effects, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.



(20 Century Fox)

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

3) Bridge of Spies

Could I interest you in a Steven Spielberg-directed Cold War thriller that teaches us what it means to be American and stands as one of the more politically relevant films of 2015, featuring a career top-five Tom Hanks performance that nobody bothered to talk about all season long? No? OK, your loss. But seriously, see this movie.



Will it win? No. A great Spielberg movie somehow has no shot at it.



Nominations: Picture, Supporting Actor (Mark Rylance), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Production Design, and Sound Mixing.



(Disney)

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

2) Brooklyn

John Crowley's heartwarming immigration story hits all the right notes thanks to likable characters, sumptuous period design and an elegant story worth rooting for. Saoirse Ronan stars as a young Irish woman seeking a brighter future in New York in the 1950s, where she falls for an Italian-American man before a family emergency sends her back home and challenges their newly blossomed romance. If I could recommend one nominee to absolutely anyone, it's this hands down.



Will it win? Nope, but that's OK. Anyone who sees this smaller contender knows it stands tall as one of the best films of 2015.



Nominations: Picture, Actress (Saoirse Ronan) and Adapted Screenplay.



(Fox Searchlight)

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

1) Spotlight

Thomas McCarthy's quietly thrillinig newspaper story explores the Boston Globe's early 2000s investigation into cases of widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Roman Catholic priests. Thanks to a deft script and terrific acting ensemble, "Spotlight" sticks out among a competitive field of good-to-great films in 2015, earning itself the surefire "must-see" title of the year. It's also the best movie about journalism since "All the President's Men."



Will it win? It very well could. After winning numerous critics' prizes and scoring the big win at SAG, it remains one of three films that could walk away with best picture.



Nominations: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Supporting Actress (Rachel McAdams), Original Screenplay and Film Editing.



(Open Road Films)

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Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

More on the Oscars

The Oscars will air live on ABC on Sunday, Feb. 28. Chris Rock will host for the second time.



Read the full list of nominees



Catch up on the 29 movies you should see before Oscar night



See which Oscar-winning movies are now streaming on Netflix



We ranked the last 25 films that one best picture



(AMPAS)
EWTN HQ.jpg

EWTN Global Catholic Network, founded by Mother Angelica, has its international headquarters in Irondale, Ala.

(EWTN)

EWTN CEO Michael Warsaw released a statement today about a data breach at the religious non-profit corporation based in Irondale, Ala.

EWTN Global Catholic Network has issued a statement reporting a breach of data revealing employee information. The breach is under investigation and EWTN is cooperating with federal investigators, CEO Michael Warsaw said in a statement released today.

"On Friday evening, February 19, EWTN became aware of a data breach by which we believe a third party obtained access to copies of the 2015 W-2 income and tax withholding statements for all EWTN employees in the United States. Those copies included social security numbers and other personal information for each person employed by EWTN in 2015. Approximately 425 individuals in 25 states are affected. This information was gained through what is commonly known as a 'social engineering' scheme. An outside party posing as another person was able to convince an employee of EWTN to provide copies of the documents by email. The employee responsible has since resigned from EWTN. The data was not obtained through any breach of the Network's information technology systems or security.

"EWTN is actively cooperating with the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, the IRS and other law enforcement authorities to address the matter. The Network is also working with its employees to provide resources to help mitigate any potential damage that may be caused by the unauthorized release of this information.

"We certainly regret that this incident occurred and are committed to doing all that is possible to address the matter and to ensure that this does not happen again in the future."
When Michelle Ginsburg learned about 92-year-old World War II veteran Ernie Andrus's trek across the United States from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, she decided to run along with him as he came through her town, Madisonville, La.

"I thought I'd just blend in and run a while, then go back to work," she said. But then, she found him on his route - running all by himself, with just an American flag.

She called her fiance, John Crosby of Mandeville, La., and his sister, who drove along behind Andrus on Highway 190, giving him an escort.

"A deputy showed up and asked what we were doing," said Crosby. "He knew nothing about it. No one was looking out for him. We're not going to let that happen again."

They laugh about the fact that Andrus has been running for 2 1/2 years without their assistance, sometimes even hitchhiking when he had to. Still, the couple has been with Andrus on 15 legs of his journey, and they make sure he has police escorts every step of the way. They plan to be with him on Aug. 20, the day after Andrus's 93rd birthday, when he expects to arrive at St. Simon's Island, Ga., becoming the oldest person ever to run across the country.

On Monday morning, Ginsburg and Crosby drove two hours from Louisiana to Mobile to accompany Andrus as he ran from the CVS Pharmacy at Government and Broad streets in downtown Mobile through the Bankhead Tunnel and across the Causeway - a typical 7.5-mile distance for Andrus, who runs three mornings a week starting at 7 a.m. sharp.

He's been running since Oct. 7, 2013, and while he's raising money for a cause close to his heart - to return the LST-325 ship to Normandy, France, for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing - he said that the real reason is "for the fun of it."

After his run, during which he was joined by several veterans and the Patriot Riders motorcycle group, Andrus and his fellow runners gathered at Battleship Memorial Park, where he ate a cheeseburger at the galley before entering the Aircraft Pavilion.

Wearing a bright yellow Honor Flight South Alabama T-shirt, grey sweatpants and his running shoes, Andrus was greeted by some 50 well-wishers hoping for a chance to meet and chat with him. He talked to a couple of TV reporters and was featured in a live shot on the noon news, then was presented with a check from Pat Downing of the USS Alabama Battleship Commission, as well as a bag of goodies from the gift shop.

Downing mentioned the fact that Andrus was in Mobile in 2001, when the LST-325 arrived in Mobile from Crete, Greece. "We feel like you're a part of Mobile, and we want to welcome you back every time we can," he said.

Andrus addressed the crowd, stating that "the best thing that ever happened on that ship" was when he married his third wife aboard the LST-325. "She was the best wife I ever had," he quipped. "She made my eighties the best years of my life."

He acknowledged retired U.S. Navy Capt. Hal Pierce, who serves as an advisor to the city of Mobile on maritime matters and who carries the honorary title of "Sea Lord of Mobile." Andrus credited him with allowing the ship to dock here at Hooks Marine Terminal when "we were a pirate ship. No one else would take us." Pierce said he worked with the LST-325 for six months before sailing it to Mobile, and he enjoyed hosting the crew at their 10-year reunion in Mobile five years ago.

After spending about an hour posing for photos and chatting, Andrus headed to his car on the cloudy, windy afternoon with Ginsburg and Crosby.

"He's just got us hooked," said Ginsburg, an admitted Andrus groupie. "He's such a great guy."

She marveled at the fact that it never seems to rain when Andrus is scheduled to run. "When he starts, the rain stops, then it starts again when he finishes," she said. "Unless you've seen it, you wouldn't believe it. I think it's the Lord looking down on him."

Sure enough, on Monday, despite an 80 percent chance of rain, no rain fell in the time it took Andrus to run through the tunnel and across the bay. As he got in his car, the first few drops hit the windshield.

For more information about Andrus and his route, follow him on Facebook at Coast2coastruns.
Katie Filipovitz hasn't been home to Ohio in five weeks. She can't go back, she says, until she finds out what happened to her father, who was last seen in January in Alabama.

"I'm living here temporarily until we find some sort of closure," Filipovitz said by telephone from Georgia. "I came here to find my dad. It's unfathomable to think about leaving here without finding him."

Her father, Lamar Allen Putnam, 79, has not been seen since Jan. 16 when he left his Carrollton, Ga. home. His black 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer was found later parked under the Tallapoosa River bridge on U.S. 431, more than a mile south of Hollis Crossroads in Cleburne County.

Since then, eight coordinated searches and other numerous patrols along the highway and the river, stretching to Lake Wedowee, have turned up no trace of the man. Filipovitz said her family is still mulling over the next step in the search, still hoping they can find out what happened.

Putnam left his home on Jan. 16 about 7 a.m., Filipovitz said. His wife stayed in bed, but it was not unusual for Putnam to leave that early. He was usually out doing something, she said.

"Physically, he's not a typical 79-year-old," she said. "He was still bush-hogging, still getting up cows, climbing ladders, physically in great shape."

He was the kind of man who had a presence to command a room, she said, who only spoke a few words but had "a very sweet demeanor."

Putnam was seen that morning at a service station in Roanoke. A friend called him on his cellphone, and Putnam explained that he had gone over into Alabama to "check on some cows." He did not say where or who he might be going to see.

However, he made plans with the friend over the phone to help with bush-hogging in two weeks' time.

"If he was planning on being gone for awhile, he wouldn't have made plans," she said.

This trip into Alabama was nothing new. Filipovitz said Putnam made regular trips weekly to the Montgomery stockyard every Tuesday, and attended sales in Roanoke.

But something was different this day. That was evident when police pulled surveillance footage of Putnam at the service station. Over a two-hour period beginning at 8:58 a.m., Putnam can be seen entering and exiting the station four different times. He took the phone call from his friend during that time.

Update on Lamar Allen Putnam UPDATE: Missing PersonLamar Allen PutnamVideo of Mr. Putnam captured the morning before his vehicle was found near Hollis Cross Roads in Alabama on Jan 16th. Please share this video. If you have any information, please contact the Carrollton Police Department. Ph. 770-834-4451 Posted by Carrollton GA Police Department on Friday, January 22, 2016

He was also seen going to the counter, trying to purchase four Pepsis, four bags of potato chips, a can of Vienna sausages and some snack cakes with about $7. The clerk told him he didn't have enough money.

"He asked her, 'What can I get for this amount of money?'" she said. He then began to rummage through his pockets for change.

"He stood there for 56 minutes counting coins from his pocket," Filipovitz said.

For the previous six months, Putnam had been taking a medication, Namenda, through his neurologist for symptoms of dementia, she said. Only shortly before his disappearance, Putnam was prescribed Aricept. Both drugs are used in treating Alzheimer's Disease. However, Filipovitz said her father had never been diagnosed as having severe dementia.

"He never forgot my name, he never forgot anybody's name that we know of," she said. "He just never seemed that bad. He was still working every day, out in the pasture, on fence lines. He didn't appear to anyone that sick."

Filipovitz said a doctor told her that "There's a bad first day for everyone with this disease, and this was that day for him. One thing I hope people understand is that if this can happen to us, it can happen to anyone."

Putnam left the gas station at 11:06 a.m. Within an hour, his wife began to grow concerned and called friends, looking for him. By the afternoon, police had become involved and tracked his cellphone to a corner of Cleburne County, where his vehicle was found.

Filipovitz said all four doors of the Trailblazer were found open. The keys were in the floorboard. Putnam's eyeglasses were on the dash. His wallet was in the backseat. His driver's license was in the front passenger seat, along with his cellphone. He even left behind his hat. The vehicle had clearly been rummaged through, she said, with mats left up and a first aid kit open. Whether Putnam did this or someone else, no one knows.

Since then, dog teams, helicopter searches, underwater scans and ground searches have turned up nothing. No article of clothing has been found, no footprints, no trace.

"He literally vanished," she said. "With the amount of resources, the money and time involved, all these very capable people, it's so bizarre that he's not been found. We don't know if he got in a car with someone, or what happened."

Filipovitz said her family is grateful for the volunteers and law enforcement officers who have turned up for searches over the last month. One search a week ago had more than 80 volunteers participate. Now the family is consulting Alzheimer's experts and looking for other options.

"We're really done all we can do as far as physically walking the land," she said. "We just need new ideas."

Based on surveillance footage from that day, Putnam was apparently wearing a brown plaid long-sleeved shirt, jeans, brown Merrill shoes and a camouflage hat. He stands about 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 172 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Carrollton, Ga. police at

(770) 834-4451.
Birmingham wage rally July 14, 2015

Several dozen people rallied outside Birmingham City Hall after the Tuesday, July 14, city council meeting to urge a minimum wage increase to $10.10 an hour. (Kelsey Stein | kstein@al.com)

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Update as of 3:34 p.m. Wednesday:

A bill intended to block Birmingham and other cities from passing their own minimum wages won approval in a state Senate committee today and could get final passage in the Senate as early as Thursday.

____________________________________________________________________

Birmingham soon will have one of the highest minimum wages in the South.

The city council voted Tuesday morning to almost immediately implement a minimum wage of $10.10 an hour.

Birmingham's increase was initially set to happen incrementally, to $8.50 an hour in July 2016 and then to $10.10 a year later. This month, the council passed an ordinance to move the increase up to March 1 before Tuesday's vote on an even earlier date, Feb. 24.

Though the change is dated Feb. 24, it still must be signed by the mayor and published publicly before it goes into effect and can be enforced.

The ordinance discussed at Tuesday's meeting was submitted by Council President Johnathan Austin. It passed with a vote of 6-2.

Austin was joined by council members Steven Hoyt, Marcus Lundy, William Parker, Lashunda Scales and Sheila Tyson voting in favor of the ordinance.

"We need to make sure our citizens are taken care of and that we're making decisions in their best interest," Austin said earlier this week.

Council members Valerie Abbott and Kim Rafferty voted against the change after expressing concerns about potential effects on business owners and the politics of the decision. Council President Pro Tem Jay Roberson was not in the room when the vote was taken.

The immediacy of the vote was spurred by efforts in the state legislature to prevent cities and counties from establishing their own minimum wage standards.

A bill by Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, passed Feb. 16 in the Alabama House of Representatives with overwhelming support from Republicans. It now awaits committee action in the Senate.

Faulkner has said that the state needs to keep a uniform minimum wage because a patchwork of minimums would cause problems. Democrats oppose the bill, saying it is an overreach by the legislature.

Sen. Jabo Waggoner said Tuesday that the minimum wage bill is a priority for the Senate's Republican Caucus. They hope to pass the bill by Thursday.

The dispute between state and local officials in Alabama over who has the authority to raise the minimum wage is playing out across the country.

Alabama is one of five states - all in the South - that have not set their own minimum wage. Officials in 29 states and at least 31 cities and counties have raised the wage floor above the federal standard.

In states and cities without a local minimum wage, employers are governed by the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour, last raised in 2009.

"You have an explosion of local minimum wage laws, and that extends into more conservative states where you have more liberal metropolitan areas," Ken Jacobs, the chairman of U.C. Berkeley's Center for Labor Research and Education, told The New York Times. "In response to that, the states are taking action."

The Obama administration will do whatever it can to support Birmingham raising its minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Chris Lu said at an event in Birmingham several weeks ago.

Lu led a business roundtable at Buck Mulligan's in Five Points South composed of local government leaders, activists and local workers in support of raising the minimum wage.

"Birmingham is really setting a path," Lu said. "Wherever there is a city or state that wants to take on this fight, we at the Department of Labor and the Obama administration are going to support it."

Meanwhile, several local groups have formed a coalition to organize against Faulkner's bill.

Raise Up Alabama officially launched last week at a rally in Mountain Brook. The coalition was organized to get Birmingham's minimum wage increase implemented though rallies, online action, phone banking, letter writing and community organizing.

The coalition represents workers, clergy and unions. So far, Raise Up Alabama includes Alabama Fight for $15; Greater Birmingham Ministries; Moral Movement Alabama; Engage Alabama; the National Employment Law Project; United Steelworkers District 9; RWDSU Mid-South Council; the Alabama AFL-CIO; and Rev. William Barber, the President of the North Carolina NAACP and the preacher behind Moral Mondays.

Updated at 2:31 p.m. with more background and bill's status in Senate

AL.com staff reporter Mike Cason contributed to this report.
A man found dead in a Birmingham home this morning was released from prison less than two years ago after spending 18 years behind bars on a murder conviction.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office today identified the victim as 41-year-old Dewayne Powell. His body was discovered by firefighters inside a home in the 700 block of New Hill Avenue. Police confirm they are now investigating his death as a homicide.

Powell, whose body was found in the living room, was pronounced dead on the scene at 2:11 a.m. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Raymond Williams said on the scene that firefighters put out a small fire around the body, but the cause of the fire and cause of death are not known at this time.

Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards said West Precinct officers responded to the home about 1:20 a.m. on a house fire. When they arrived, they saw smoke coming from the windows. Firefighters made entry, and found Powell on the living room floor. He was partially burned.

Powell was taken to the coroner's office, where an autopsy showed he had been fatally shot.

The Alabama Department of Corrections confirms Powell was released from prison in April 2014. Powell was 18 when he was arrested on the murder charge in 1993. According to court records, Birmingham police were dispatched at 12:56 a.m. on Oct. 15, 1993 to the home at 707 New Hill Ave. where they found Willi Joe Reevers sitting in a vehicle with Powell's mother - Cynthia Moneyham - who was beside him crying. Reevers had been shot several times in the abdomen.

Powell's mother told police "My son shot him,'' court records show. She explained that Reevers had been sitting in the kitchen with her while she cooked supper. Powell entered the kitchen and his mother asked him if he wanted to eat. He left, but came back and suddenly started shooting. Reevers ran to his car, and Powell followed him. The car was hit by bullets three more times, according to court records.

Reevers was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead later that day. Three days later, police charged Powell with murder. At the time, he maintained he shot Reevers in self-defense. "I feel I'm not guilty. He was a hit man and he had a gun on me,'' Powell told investigators. At the time of his arrest, he had two children.

At the time of his arrest, Powell told investigators he dropped out of school when he was 16 and still in the 8th grade because he was "slow."

Powell was convicted in 1996 and sentenced to 21 years in prison. He was paroled after serving 18 years and returned to New Hill Avenue where he was living when he was found dead this morning.

Edwards said the investigation is ongoing. Powell is Birmingham's 14th homicide this year.
The prophecy is more than seeing into the future. For the prophecy sees without the element of time. For the prophecy sees things as they were, as they are, and as they always shall be.
Roderick King Collage

Roderick King, 19, is now charged with robbery in Fairfield. He was already charged with capital murder in Pleasant Grove and robbery in Hueytown.

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A Birmingham teen charged with capital murder in the death of a customer at a Pleasant Grove restaurant is now charged in the holdup of a Fairfield restaurant that happened an hour before the killing.

Roderick King is charged with first-degree robbery in the Jan. 13 robbery at Burger King in Fairfield, according to court records made public today.

Police Chief Leon Davis said the gunman entered the restaurant about 7:30 p.m. brandishing his rifle and demanded money from the cashier. An older man who was a customer inside the Burger King pulled his own gun. The assailant fired four or five shots inside the restaurant but no one was hit. The customer was able to get off one round before the gunman fled.

Bond for the Fairfield robbery charge is set at $60,000, but King remains jailed on the other charges as well. He is charged in the shooting death of 21-year-old Ashton Blake Roberts at the Jack's restaurant along Park Road in Pleasant Grove. He also has been charged with first-degree armed robbery at Papa Murphy's in Hueytown.

King has requested to be treated as a youthful offender. A March 3 hearing is set on that matter, as well as bond revocation request from prosecutors in a 2014 case where police say shots were fired during a robbery at Burger King in Hueytown.

At a hearing held last month, Pleasant Grove Police Lt Danny Reid testified that video showed, and witnesses reported, a black male wearing all black - black cargo pants, a hoodie pulled over a Chicago Bulls cap and a rag or shirt pulled up over the face - at the robberies in Fairfield at 7:30 p.m., the one at 8 p.m. in Hueytown and the 8:45 p.m. one at Jack's in Pleasant Grove.

During the robbery at Jack's, the suspect demanded everyone get on the ground and he fired one shot from what looked like a pistol-grip AK47 type weapon, killing Roberts, Reid testified. A 7.62 shell casing was found at the Jack's restaurant scene. The front end of the barrel also was recovered at the scene but investigators have not recovered a rifle in the case.

Reid said that Pleasant Grove police were working with Hueytown and Fairfield police during the evening because of the similar robberies that had taken place in those cities. Video of the robberies were recovered at all three restaurants and the suspect in all three robberies wore what appeared to be similar clothing but the suspect's face wasn't visible, he said.

At the robbery in Hueytown police there found a cellphone and an unspent 7.62 caliber bullet lying on the ground where a witness had seen the suspect's car. Hueytown police, who had known King from their previous investigation, found King's photo on the phone's lock-screen.

Shell casings recovered from the Fairfield robbery, where there was a shootout, also were 7.62 caliber of the same type as used in the other two robberies, Reid testified. When looking for King later that evening in Dolomite where he lived Hueytown police ran into King's girlfriend who told them she had loaned King her car - a gray metallic Honda Accord, Reid said. A witness at the Jack's robbery in Pleasant Grove had said the suspect had driven away in a silver car. A witness at one of the other robberies had described it as gray.

King was captured by Birmingham police about 1:15 a.m. that morning when they spotted King drive the car into a club, The Palace, on Third Avenue West in Birmingham where his girlfriend worked, Reid said. King got out of the car and into a white Marquis with his brother, he said. King had on a hat similar to the ones in the video and underneath some coveralls he had black cargo style plants, both similar to the ones in the videos, Reid said. Inside his pants was an unspent 7.62 round like the ones found at all three robbery scenes, he said.
Candie Zito Photos.jpg

Candie Zito

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A woman charged in the death of a man whose burned body was found in Leeds seven months ago has now been indicted in the slaying.

A Shelby County grand jury indicted Candie Zito on Feb. 8. The indictment was made public today.

Her cousin, 26-year-old Corey Zito, was indicted on a theft of property charge related to the case and is listed as a murder suspect in court records. He has not, however, been charged with murder.

Anthony Shane Gibson, 20, was last seen alive July 2, 2015, when he left his home about 8 p.m. that Thursday night, telling his family he was going to a nearby store. He left in his grandmother's white 1998 Ford Escort, and never returned.

Corey Zito

Gibson's body was found three days later, on a Sunday night. Leeds police got the call at 6 p.m. after someone made the gruesome discovery. Police responded to the wooded area, which is three-quarters of a mile off of Markeeta Road in Jefferson County.

Gibson's body was burned beyond recognition, and an autopsy later showed he had been shot. The months-long probe, led by Leeds Detective Kevin Palmer, showed the murder took place at Candie Zito's parents' home in Chelsea. Gibson's body was then taken to Leeds and dumped.

On July 8, Leeds police issued a lookout bulletin for Candie Zito. Police didn't say what led them to her. Three days later, she and Corey Zito were found in Indiana. Candie Zito, authorities said, showed up at her grandmother's home in Montgomery, Indiana. Her grandmother called police, and she fled, leading officers on a 20-minute, 15-mile pursuit. The Zitos were in the 1998 Ford Escort last driven by Anthony Gibson.

Daviess County sheriff's Capt. Chuck Milton said at the time the chase began at 1:47 p.m. that Saturday when a deputy spotted the Escort pull out from a gas station and pull into a Dollar General parking lot. Once in the parking, there was a verbal exchange between the Zitos and the deputy. The deputy, Milton said, told them to shut off the car and put their hands out the window.

The driver - later identified as Corey Zito - didn't comply, and instead put the car in reverse and jumped the curb of the store. The pursuit began, and continued at a high rate of speed, with the vehicle running other motorists off the road. The pursuit continued into Martin County through the cities of Loogootee and Shoals, Milton said. The driver then lost control, went down an embankment and hit several trees.

Both of the suspects were airlifted to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville. Candie Zito underwent surgery and remained in the hospital until July 14, at which point she was released and booked into the Daviess County Security Center in Washington, Indiana. She now also faces felony charges in that state for resisting law enforcement and possession of stolen property, already was charged with a theft of property warrant in Alabama for the theft of Gibson's car. She eventually was brought back to the Shelby County Jail where she remains held on $1 million bond.

Corey Zito was initially in critical condition. Authorities in Alabama issued a warrant for his arrest Sept. 6, on the theft of property charge involving Gibson's stolen car. It's not clear when he was released from the Indiana hospital, but he was booked into the Shelby County Jail that day, and ordered held on $1 million bond, jail records show. He's been jailed ever since.

Candie Zito is set for arraignment March 14; Corey Zito on March 15.

Their arraignments are set for March 14.
A candidate for the Madison County Commission has two alcohol-related convictions in his past as well as a protection order sought by a girlfriend less than two years ago following a physical altercation.

Vernon McCants, who is challenging incumbent Bob Harrison in the District 6 Democratic primary, was also accused by the mother of his son of beating the 3-year-old child in 2014. McCants denied the accusation in an interview with AL.com and no charges were brought in the incident detailed in Madison County court documents.

No charges were filed in the physical altercation that led to the protection order against McCants.

McCants also filed for bankruptcy in 2002 while living in Clarksville, Tenn., and was evicted from his apartment in Huntsville in 2010 for failing to pay rent, according to court documents.

Despite the lengthy court records - which also include McCants seeking a protection order from a girlfriend, with whom he had a child, that was subsequently dropped two days later - he said he remains a strong candidate for public office.

"I'm just a man trying to see his kids," said McCants, who has five children. "I recognize this is a public job application. I'm intelligent enough to understand that all of this was going to come out. But when God called Jeremiah, He told him 'Don't be ashamed because if you do, I will make you ashamed and will let all the things you fear happen.'

"So I read Jeremiah every day. So I know when God called me out, He knew and I knew that all of this was going to come out. So I have to face that fear and still do the mission of my divine earthly destiny to do. So, yeah, vote for me and let the Lord speak to you."

Madison County Commissioner Bob Harrison (File photo)

Harrison is seeking a fourth term to represent the north Huntsville commission district.

"I respect his desire to want to run for public office," Harrison said. "But oftentimes, running for public office requires a person to be an open book."

Voters go to the polls on March 1.

McCants pleaded guilty in Huntsville to public intoxication in 2011 and driving under the influence in 1993. In both cases, McCants said he was wrongfully charged but that guilty pleas were the easiest way to put the situations behind him.

The accusation against McCants for beating his 3-year-old son was filed by the boy's mother, DeWanna Jackson, in a hand-written statement on Nov. 26, 2014. It was part of a case that began in 2012 when Jackson sought back child support payment from McCants, according to Madison County court records.

McCants, in a handwritten response to that court filing, said he did not know if he was the child's father and asked for genetic testing. The court ruled in March 2013 that McCants was the child's father and he was awarded visitation rights.

"Mama's baby, papa's maybe," McCants said of questioning whether the child was his.

McCants did not immediately visit with his child and filed a citation of criminal and civil contempt against Jackson four months after he received visitation rights, according to court documents.

The alleged beating took place during the child's first visit with McCants after the court had awarded him visitation rights and the child was taken to the hospital the next day, according to court records.

"100 percent false," McCants said of the accusations in Jackson's report.

McCants said the child's mother was upset because the child was away from her for the first time.

"It's unfortunate that sometimes what primary caregivers do, whether they are male or female, are upset they are forced to allow this to happen," McCants said. "So when I got the kid, these are her allegations even though there's no evidence, no nothing. Just to try to stop that part, to stop the mandated visitation.

"(The accusations) went nowhere. It was just somebody wrote something to try to make it seem like I've done this or done that on the only visit I had. I had one day and this is what came out of it when I brought the kid back."

The child's mother called during the weekend but McCants said he did not answer the phone.

"It didn't go anywhere," McCants said of the accusations. "I can write this about you right now about assault, put it in the file. It doesn't mean it's going to go anywhere. The Lord knows what happened and I'm a truthful person."

Jackson also asked for McCants' visitation rights to be revoked.

Less than two weeks later, McCants obtained a protection order against Jackson, saying that she and another person threatened McCants physically and "created a very hostile environment when I went to get my kid."

That protection order was dismissed two days later when McCants failed to appear in court for a hearing regarding the protection order, according to court records.

In January 2015, Jackson asked the court to dismiss her request for back child support payments, saying that she and McCants had reached an agreement to share financial responsibility for the child, according to court records. McCants also dropped a request for the child to take his father's last name as well as the criminal and civil contempt petition.

A similar scenario played out in March 2014. Marie Jackson, no relation to DeWanna Jackson, obtained a protection order against McCants after a physical altercation at Marie Jackson's residence. McCants denied striking Marie Jackson in his response, according to court records. In his response, McCants said he declined to press charges against Marie's nephew, who hit him near the eye and left him with a cut.

Two weeks later, the court dropped the protection order against McCants at Marie Jackson's request.

McCants said in his response that Huntsville police drove him home following the incident. No charges were brought against McCants.

"Not an accurate description," he said of Marie Jackson's narrative of the incident in court documents. "It is extremely, highly unlikely that if that kind of activity had transpired as an African American male with a cut from the top of his eye surrounded by 10 all-white police in a black neighborhood (that I) would not have been given a ride home by police if that had truly, possibly happened.

"There ain't no way I wouldn't have gone to jail. There is absolutely no way in the world."

As for his plans if he wins office, McCants said he wanted to bring entrepreneurship to the north Huntsville district. McCants said he has two degrees from Alabama A&M University and one from Huntsville Bible College.

McCants also questioned why the Robert "Bob" Harrison Senior Wellness & Advocacy Center - named for his opponent - charges membership fees when no other senior centers in Huntsville does. Harrison said that his facility charges a one-time fee that covers all activities for a year while other centers charge for each activity individually.
A DNA hit on evidence from a May 2015 burglary in Limestone County has led to the arrest of a Mississippi man.

Andrew Keith Gadbaw, 28, of Corinth is charged with third-degree burglary, according to Limestone County officials. He is being held in the county jail in lieu of $2,500 bond.

Investigators worked a burglary last May at Meredith Industries on U.S. 72, where about $1,000 worth of tools and gas had been stolen from a shed at the facility. Blood found at the scene was sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for testing.

On January 27, Limestone County investigators got a letter from DFS saying the blood belonged to Gadbaw, the Sheriff's Office said. Gadbaw, who was already jailed in Alcorn County, Mississippi, was moved to Alabama to face the charges here.
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Sunrise at McFarland Park in Florence. (Visit Florence AL Facebook)

Two Alabama towns are being honored for their charm and unique offerings by Southern Living Magazine.

The popular lifestyle publication has recognized 20 cities in the 2016 South's Best Small Towns list. Fairhope, often called the "jewel of the Eastern Shore" with only 16,000 residents, was one of them.

Florence, referred to as the "Renaissance City," was also included in the list. Here's what the Birmingham magazine had to say:

Fairhope: "You have to tip your hat to a place that considers its municipal pier the 'town square.' That's the charm of this bayside burg, originally founded as a utopian society in the late 19th century. Fairhope's knack for creative thinking is reflected in the many artists and authors who call it home and the galleries that dominate downtown."

Florence: "This great old college town on the edge of the Tennessee River oozes creativity, from hometown heroes W.C. Handy (the father of blues) and legendary record producer Sam Phillips to contemporary designers Billy Reid and Natalie Chanin. Experience the town's creative vibe during First Friday sidewalk art shows or by perusing renowned galleries such as ARTifacts. Wander through one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most iconic designs at the Rosenbaum House. Just down the road is Muscle Shoals, home of FAME Studios, where Aretha Franklin recorded 'I Never Loved a Man' (her first big hit), Wilson Pickett recorded 'Mustang Sally,' and Etta James recorded 'Tell Mama.' Today, it's a magnet for young Southern bands attracted by its storied pedigree."

The full list is as follows:
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Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn talks about plans to build three regional men's prisons and a new women's prison in Alabama. Also speaking at the news conference at the State Capitol were, from left, Sen. Del Marsh, Gov. Robert Bentley, Sen. Trip Pittman and Rep. Steve Clouse. (Mike Cason/mcason@al.com)

Gov. Robert Bentley today said he hopes construction can begin on four new prisons next year, launching a plan he said will transform Alabama's prison system into a national model.

Bentley joined Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn and legislative leaders at a news conference today at the State Capitol to update the plans the governor first announced during his State of the State address three weeks ago.

Proposed legislation would allow the state to issue up to $800 million in bonds that would be repaid over up to 30 years.

Dunn said the DOC can save about $50 million a year by replacing aging, outdated prisons with modern, regional facilities, which he said would be enough to pay the annual debt on the bonds.

The plan calls for closing 13 men's prisons and building three regional men's prisons that would hold up to 4,000 inmates.

Dunn said the DOC is still working on the the process of selecting the sites.

Two of the 15 men's prisons will remain open, although the DOC has not decided which.

The DOC will close Tutwiler Prison for Women and replace it with a women's prison that will hold about 1,200 inmates.

Overall, the capacity of the prison system would increase by about 3,000, to approximately 16,000.

Dunn said the increased capacity, coupled with criminal justice reforms passed last year, would reduce inmate crowding from about 180 percent of capacity to about 125 percent of capacity over about five years.

Dunn said the new facilities will be designed to incorporate rehabilitation and reentry programs for inmates, which he said take a backseat to security concerns in the existing prisons.

Bentley said when he appointed Dunn as commissioner last year he asked the retired Air Force colonel to come up with innovative solutions to Alabama's longstanding problem of overcrowded, understaffed prisons, which have raised concerns about federal intervention.

The governor said he and Dunn first met last fall to discuss the idea of new, regional prisons last fall.

Bentley said the purpose of the plan was four-fold, to reduce overcrowding, improve safety and conditions for inmates and correctional officers, allow for additional inmate reentry programs and to improve the operational practices and procedures.

Bentley said the plan can make the state's system a model for the nation.

"Alabama's prison system will go from being an outdated, inefficient, overcrowded system to being the best," Bentley said.

The governor was in Washington on Monday for meetings with the National Governors Association. He and several other governors met with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and Bentley said she was excited about the state's prison transformation plan.

House Speaker Mike Hubbard and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh both expressed their support for the plan.

The chairmen of the General Fund budget committees, Sen. Trip Pittman and Rep. Steve Clouse, will sponsor the legislation.

In addition to authorizing the bonds, Dunn said the bill would allow the state to do both the design and construction of the three men's prisons as a single project, with one request for proposals, which he said would improve cost efficiency.

Bentley said he hopes construction can begin on the new prisons in the fall of 2017 and that they could be completed in three years.

This story was corrected at 2:34 p.m. to say that there are 15 men's prisons, not 16.
John Lewis

U.S. Rep. John Lewis (r.) and Birmingham Mayor William Bell stump for Hillary Clinton at Moore Barber Shop.

(Howard Koplowitz)

Civil rights icon and Democratic Georgia Congressman John Lewis visited a Birmingham barber shop on Monday to persuade members of the city's African-American community to vote for Hillary Clinton in next week's Alabama primary.

Lewis, who grew up in Alabama, participated in the Freedom Rides and was beaten unconscious on Bloody Sunday, connected his experiences during the civil rights movement to the importance of voting on March 1. He said Clinton, the former secretary of state, is "a doer, not just a talker, but a doer."

Lewis said he has worked with Clinton ever since she was first lady of Arkansas. He also highlighted her being a pioneer in expanding health care, when she made the issue the hallmark of her tenure as first lady of the United States.

"She came and testified before the [House] Ways and Means Committee on health care before people were talking about the Affordable Care Act," Lewis told the crowd at Moore Barber Shop on 4th Avenue North in Birmingham, where he was joined by Birmingham Mayor William Bell and community leaders. "I happen to believe that health care is a right."

Lewis reminded the crowd about Clinton's early work as a children's advocate.

"When she got out of law school as a young lawyer she worked with Marion Wright Edelman and the Children's Defense Fund," he said. "We need someone who can do more than talk the talk, but also can walk the walk."

In making the case for Clinton, Lewis suggested that the Republican contenders for president would set back the African-American community.

"They're trying to take us back, take us back to another period," he said, without naming the candidates by name. "We made too much progress and we're not going back."

Lewis said the country has made great progress since his participation in the civil rights movement.

"The same year that Barack Obama was born, black people and white people couldn't be seated together on a Greyhound bus," he said. "When people say nothing has changed, I feel like saying, 'Just walk in my shoes, take a bus ride.'"

The Georgia congressman urged the crowd at Moore Barber Shop to exercise the right to vote that he and others fought for.

"The vote is precious," he said. "It's almost sacred. It's the most powerful, nonviolent instrument or tool we have in a democracy."
Renowned county music artist Sonny James died Monday at the age of 87, according to the County Music Hall of Fame and multiple media outlets.

FILE - In this May 6, 2007 file photo, inductee Sonny James is presented his medallion at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn. James, who recorded romantic ballads like "Young Love" and turned pop songs into country hits, has died at age 87. James, whose given name was James Loden, died Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in a Nashville hospice facility, according to a family friend, Gary Robble, who was also the lead singer of James' backing band, the Southern Gentlemen. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

James was born James Loden in Hackleburg, Alabama. Coming from a musical family, he began singing and playing at three years old. His sound would eventually travel the world and beyond.

James signed with Capitol Records in the 1950s under the patronage of Chet Atkins. He switched to Columbia Records in the 1970s.

Nicknamed the "Southern Gentleman," James released about 50 albums and numerous singles throughout his career. More than 20 of them topped country and pop charts.

One of his biggest hits was "Young Love," which topped music charts in 1956 and 1957. Other hit singles included "Need You," "I'll Never Find Another You," "A World of Our Own," "Endlessly," "It's Just a Matter of Time" and "Here Comes Honey Again."

In 1969, he was named Billboard's Number One Artist. He was honored as Country Music's Male Artist of the Decade by Record World in 1977.

James made numerous TV appearance, including those for Ed Sullivan and Bob Hope.

He cohosted the first CMA Awards show with Bobbie Gentry in 1967.

James recorded music for the crew of Apollo 14, which they listened to during the 1971 flight. They brought him back a moon flag as a souvenir.

James was inducted in to the County Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

Read more of his biography from this 2011 AL.com profile and at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

James' website contains more biographical information plus photos and songs.
Elmore County crash victims

From the left, Aeriel Bernstein, Savannah Huggins and Devon Gibbons (GoFundMe)

Alabama State Troopers have arrested the driver they say is responsible for three lives lost in an Elmore County crash.

Corey Chandler Wilson, 19, was the driver in the single-vehicle crash. He is charged with three counts of reckless murder. He is now in the Elmore County Jail on a $45,000 bond.

The crash was on Sept. 26, 2015 on Coosada Parkway just over a mile from Millbrook. Troopers say the vehicle left the road, hit a tree and caught fire at approximately 1:20 a.m.

Three passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. They were identified as Aeriel Bernstein, 20, Savannah Huggins, 21, and Devon Gibbons, 18.

Corey Wilson, 19, was driving. He and another passenger were treated for injuries at a hospital.

Investigators suspected at the time that Wilson may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Trooper spokesman Cpl. Jess Thornton said toxicology results prove Wilson was driving while impaired, which allowed for the charges.

Thornton could not release what substances Wilson was under the influence of, citing the ongoing investigation.

Court records show Wilson is also facing lawsuits from the estates of Bernstein and Huggins.
Allie Larbi sounds like a Donald Trump supporter.



The Mobile resident supports building a giant wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and scrapping birthright citizenship. Syrian refugees, in her own words, should either be blocked from entering the United States or let in only to be housed in isolated refugee camps.



"I have what I like to turn around and call American views," said Larbi. "This is a great country and it needs to stay that way."



But what Larbi can't overlook is all of the incendiary things the GOP frontrunner has to say about Muslims, such as mandatory registration for Muslims, a ban on Muslim travel to the United States, or shooting Muslims with bullets dipped in pig's blood.



That she takes personally. After all, the 44-year-old Rhode Island native is a Muslim herself. So is her adult son, Dusty, and her Tunisian husband, Moez, whom she married when she moved to the Deep South.



"To me, it means everything," said Larbi.



She converted after 9/11 when she became curious about Islam in the wake of the terrorist attacks. She has never looked back.



"It's everything I am, everything I believe," she said. "It's who I am. Islam has just done so much for my life and the life of my child."



Larbi is one of more than 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide and a member of the fastest growing religion in the world. By the second half of this century, Muslims are expected to surpass Christians as the largest religious group.



But in the United States, where more than 70 percent of its citizens identify as Christian, Muslims remain a small minority making up less than one percent the total population. Converts and their children represent about one-third of the total U.S. Muslim population.



Estimates vary on the number of Muslims in the United States, placing the total anywhere from 1 to 7 million. That means if there were 5 million Muslims in the United States, for example, the convert population would be about 1.65 million. According to Pew Research Center, the U.S. Christian population is about 170 million.

Islam in the era of Civil Rights

Wali A. Mustafa remembers why he converted from Christianity to Islam.



It started happening in 1972 after the native Alabamian began to question why Jesus Christ looked like a white man.



"A friend of mine in the armed services, he came home talking about how we view God," said Mustafa, who is black. "At that time, and in some ways now, (Christians) look at Jesus being God. He was talking about how crippling that was, even during that time period. The crippling effect of having a Caucasian image being God and the same people that had their foot on your neck looked like the same person."



Mustafa, 69, joined the Masjid of Al-Islam three years later. He serves as its treasurer and has led a Koran study at the Mobile County Metro Jail for more than 20 years. With six sisters and four brothers, Mustafa is the only practicing Muslim of his siblings.



In the United States, black people make up more than 60 percent of all Muslim converts, according to Patrick Bowen, a Colorado-based independent academic.

Bowen, who has studied Muslim conversions in the United States, attributes the black Muslim conversion rate to the Nation of Islam and civil rights movement.



"The legacy of the Nation of Islam is important and generally looked at in the black community, the black Muslim community, as how black Muslims were introduced to Islam," Bowen said. "It is understood as a way to communicate Muslim principals, Islamic principles, in a language you can understand."



But any historical or cultural connection between White and Latinos and Islam is more tenuous, Bowen said. Most of the converts in those communities are introduced to Islam by "people meeting immigrant Muslims."



There was a massive Muslim conversion in the black community in 1975 following the death of former Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. He had preached a message of black separatism and self-reliance and established a network of temples nationwide.



His son, Warith D. Muhammad, reformed the group to practice mainstream Islam. This included the transition of more than 400 Nation of Islam temples into mosques.



Mobile Masjid of Al-Islam opened in 1975. Today, the mosque is located in an unassuming brick building in a leafy block off Duvall Street and Stewart Avenue.

It is the oldest mosque in Mobile, a city with a population that is more than half black, census figures show.



Mobile hot dog cart owner Eddie Shahid, 70, has been there from the beginning. He converted from Christianity to Islam during a mid-1960s stint with the Job Corps in Pleasanton, California. Working just outside of San Francisco, Shahid met young and women from throughout the country including some who were members fo the Nation of Islam.



"It attracted me because of the message it was projecting to the downtrodden African Americans," Shahid said.



"I saw that blacks at that time they had been faithful and loyal Christians but they wasn't making any social progress. Islam offered social progress to African Americans to the blacks and it offered a way out of the downtrodden position that we were in."



Once he converted, Shahid became a conscientiousness objector to the Vietnam War, and returned to Mobile to face draft evasion charges. He lost the case, was put on five years of probation, but spent his time in Mobile spreading the word about Islam. About 80 to 90 people attend the mosque today. But its story is hardly unique.



A story from Time magazine in 1970 documents the fallout that occurred in St. Clair County when the Nation of Islam bought 1,000 acres for a farm and ranch. Former Gov. Albert Brewer offered full support to drive the Muslims out, and a local car dealer who sold the land to the Muslims had acid poured on vehicles in his car lot.

Nevertheless, Muslims in Alabama have endured. There are mosques in all of Alabama's major cities and a number of smaller cities. A two-year study of Muslims released in 2012 showed that there were 31 mosques around the state.

Down on the farm

Three years ago, Maisah Fatoom and her husband began to build an animal farm out in Mobile County.



The thought was that they could raise the animals, slaughter them using Halal practices, and serve meat to serve to their Muslim family.



Now, Fatoom and her husband Bayan own three cows, two goats, eight sheep, two geese and a handful of scruffy dogs that roam about their five-acre property.



Accessible only by bumpy clay roads, where feral dogs bark at and chase down passing cars, the property contains the trailer where she lives with her husband and two children.



"It's really quiet, it's really peaceful," Fatoom said. "We don't have any light pollution so at night you can really stargaze."



Her Alabama home is a long way away from her hometown of Morristown, New Jersey. Fatoom moved to Mobile eight years ago. Her husband, a Palestinian, had friends from Palestine who lived in South Alabama and who hired him once they moved.



Fatoom, 44, converted from Christianity to Islam long before she met her husband. She was 18-years-old but didn't start practicing until two or three years later.



"I don't have any questions or any doubts as to my faith as I did before I converted," Fatoom said. "I stopped going to church when I was 15. It was just too much going on, too much confusion, no answers, and learning that the book that you're learning from, the book that you're being taught out of is not even the real book."



Fatoom acknowledges that she feels slightly marginalized as a Muslim in America but no more so than when she grew up in a conservative Pentacostal church.



"Even when I was growing up Christian, I felt like I was in a different box," Fatoom said. "I wasn't your traditional Christian."



At her church, women weren't allowed to wear pants, makeup or gaudy jewelry. Their shirts had to have long sleeves with high necklines. Now she covers herself with a dark colored hijab.



Fatoom said she feels more marginalized as Muslim in Alabama than she did when she lived on the East Coast because of the "lack of understanding" about Islam.



About three months ago, Fatoom described getting into a heated confrontation with a local woman at the Family Dollar down the street.



The woman walked up to her and asked, "Are y'all one of those Muslims? Why are you here? Why are you in my country? Why are you trying to kill us?"



A police officer at a nearby gas station showed up to de-escalate the argument, Fatoom said.



On the farm, Fatoom raises the animals while her husband works. When he is at the farm, he is responsible for slaughtering the animals on the farm using the practice of Halal. He'll say "in the name of God," before he slices the animal's neck, draining all of its blood from its body.



She gives the animals the last name of "dinner bell," so that she can keep a safe emotional distance from the animals the family slaughters. They sell the meat to friends in the local Islamic community for up to $1.60 per pound.



"We're just like everyone else," Fatoom said. "There's Muslims out there that are being persecuted and they don't have anything and they want basically the typical American dream. A home, it don't have to be five acres."
Photo: Reuters/Sabratha Municipality Media Office/Handout

Photo: Institute for the Study of War

Photo: Islamic State Group Wilayat Sabratha

BEIRUT  Since the rise of the Islamic State group, Western powers have focused their fight against it on Iraq and Syria, but thats changing as the extremist organization spreads farther west. American forces carried out their first airstrikes of this year on one of the militant groups bases in Sabratha, Libya, Friday. A Tunisian leader of the group also known as ISIS or ISIL and two Serbian Embassy workers who had been kidnapped by the extremist organization were among the 49 fatalities in the northwestern coastal city.The U.S. decision to strike ISIS targets in Libya, which the Pentagon described as a matter of national security, underscores the extent of the militant groups expansion in terms of both members and territory during the past six months. ISIS in Libya  basically southern Europes backyard  is proving to be a bigger threat than the groups branches in Iraq and Syria. The North African country has become a hub for European foreign fighters who are either unable or unwilling to travel to Iraq or Syria and who, on returning to their European homes, plan further atrocities.Libya has been in the throes of a chaotic civil war since the fall of dictator Moammar Gadhafi five years ago. With two rival governments struggling to control the countrys political sphere and its vast oil fields, militant groups and terrorist organizations such as ISIS have capitalized on the nations environment of lawlessness.Conflict zones and failed states necessarily attract violent extremists  and Libya is the perfect candidate for a new safe haven for jihadist fighters. The phenomenon of foreign fighters has enhanced this threat, as young extremists are provided with an ideal destination for waging violent jihad, according to a report by the Soufan Group, an intelligence and risk consultancy.Given geography, expansive territory, extensive oil reserves and its history with violent jihadist networks, a failed state in Libya could be disastrous for North Africa and Europe, as well as the broader international community, the consultancy reported.The conflict in Libya has made it difficult to obtain up-to-date data on Libyan foreign fighters, but last year about 600 Libyans traveled to fight in Iraq and Syria with some 6,500 ISIS fighters in Libya now, according to several U.S. intelligence officials who spoke to CNN . Libyan nationals are in the minority of fighters, meaning that the majority are either new recruits from foreign countries or veterans who have fought in Iraq and Syria. Libya used to be a popular stopover for European and North African fighters hoping to make it to Iraq and Syria: After entering the country, fighters would rent a house for several days until they made their way to Turkey and crossed illegally into Syria, according to an ISIS propaganda book obtained by International Business Times that instructs fighters how to reach the so-called caliphate. In some cases, training also took place in Libya ahead of journeying to ISIS-controlled territory.Since mid-2015, however, Libya has become a major destination for ISIS fighters in its own right. IBT recently obtained a document from an ISIS supporter in Libya listing a number of specialists the group was looking to recruit to the country, including engineers, explosive experts, oil and gas workers, and physicists.Its one of the first cases of Europeans going to Libya instead of directly going to Syria, and I think we might see more of that in the future, particularly as it becomes harder to get to Syria, Harleen Gambhir, counterterrorism analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, told IBT. ISIS has terrain it controls [in Libya]. The caliphate exists there, too.But ISIS fighters in Libya dont want to carry out attacks inside Libya, and they really havent done that, Jason Pack, an analyst at Libya-Analysis.com, told the Voice of America . What they do want to do is to keep the Libyan government weak, and thats the reason they have targeted assassinations against key Libyan government officials.The advantages of the countrys proximity to Europe are not lost on the militant group. In an interview published in Dabiq, the ISIS online propaganda magazine, Libyan ISIS leader Abul-Mughirah al-Qahtani said, The control of the Islamic State over this region will lead to economic breakdowns, especially for Italy and the rest of the European states.But the militant group still has a long way to go before it can call Libya its own, let alone realize its deadly ambitions in Europe. The legion of foreign fighters ISIS has imported into Libya has not always gone down well with local extremists. In mid-2014 a prominent jihadi in the coastal city of Derna pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, but since then other militants have rejected the groups presence.However, ISIS has succeeded in expanding the territory it holds in other areas of Libya, including Tripoli and Sirte, home to the largest air base in Libya and several of the countrys major oil facilities.It is this expansion that has the U.S. and its European allies concerned. In November, a U.S. attack targeted and killed an ISIS leader in Libya for the first time. In a statement confirming the militants death, the Pentagons press secretary said the strike demonstrates how far we will go after [ISIS] leaders wherever they operate.
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Mars chocolate bars and other products have been recalled in 55 countries.

Reuters said the recall, which affects mainly European countries, was issued after the company discovered a piece of plastic in a Snickers bar in Germany.

The products include Snickers, Mars and Milky Way bars, all of which were produced at a Dutch factory in Veghel. The candy was sold in Germany, France, Britain and in parts of Asia, according to Reuters.

"We cannot be sure that this plastic was only in that particular Snickers," a spokeswoman from Mars Netherlands told Reuters. "We do not want any products on the market that may not meet our quality requirements, so we decided to take them all back."
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Microsoft founder Bill Gates has returned to the top of Forbes' annual ranking of the world's billionaires. (File)

Bill Gates has backed the Federal Bureau of Investigation in their fight with tech company Apple over unlocking a phone that belonged to one of the San Bernardino attackers.

Yesterday, the Microsoft founder told the Financial Times, "This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case."

Gates' decision to side with the FBI differs from other Silicon Valley executives, like Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Jack Dorsey of Twitter, and Sundar Pichai of Google.

The phone belonged to Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the attackers in the mass shooting last year.

Tim Cook, the Chief Executive Officer of Apple, told his employees in an email Monday morning that the company will stand strong on their refusal to unlock the encrypted phone.

According to NBC News and Reuters, Cook said in the email, ""This case is about much more than a single phone or a single investigation...At stake is the data security of hundreds of millions of law-abiding people, and setting a dangerous precedent that threatens everyone's civil liberties."

FBI Director James Comey said Sunday in a blog post by Lawfare that this case is not about security--it is about the 14 people killed in the attacks.

"We owe them a thorough and professional investigation under law. That's what this is."
GOP Town Hall, Feb. 18, 2016

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump laughs as he speaks with Anderson Cooper at a CNN town hall at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Republicans in Nevada will be holdings their caucuses today in the latest step in the march towards the White House.

Here's what you need to know:

First, what's the difference between a caucus and a primary?

Primaries are rather straight forward - you go the polls and vote. Caucuses are more complicated and can involve more wrangling among supporters. You can see specifics here. Nevada's Republicans are holding their caucuses today; Democrats held their last Saturday. It was won by Hillary Clinton.

What time do the caucuses start?

Caucuses start between 5 and 7 p.m. PST, (7 to 9 p.m. CST) depending on the county where they are held. The GOP said all caucuses will end by 9 p.m. PST (11 p.m. CST). The results from the Democratic caucuses were known early. Those started Saturday afternoon and the outcome was known by 2:15 p.m. local time. In 2012, Nevada has 125 different caucus sites.

How do the caucuses work?

The Republicans in Nevada use secret ballots during the caucuses which eliminates some of the caucus drama seen in other states.

What's available?

There are 30 Republican delegates up for grabs through the caucuses. The delegates are awarded proportionally based on overall votes received. Republicans will be choosing between Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, John Kasich and Ben Carson.

What do the polls say?

Real Clear Politics shows Trump, who won the New Hampshire and South Carolina Republican primaries, is in the lead in Nevada by as much as 26 percentage points. The real question could be who comes in second: Sens. Rubio or Cruz? Rubio edged out Cruz for second place in South Carolina and Cruz apparently needs a boost from the Nevada electorate after a rough week that included firing his spokesperson over a video released about Rubio.

What's next?

On Thursday night, Republicans will meet in Houston, Texas for another debate. Then, on Tuesday, voters in 11 states - including Alabama - will head to the polls for Super Tuesday, the single day in which the largest number of delegates will be awarded. If Trump picks up a majority of the 595 delegates up for grabs that day, the other candidates would have a difficult time catching him.
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The exterior of an abortion clinic in Montgomery. A new bill would require doctors to provide detailed descriptions of fetuses, and doctors' earnings.

(bn)

A bill that would impose new requirements before an abortion will go before a legislative committee in a public hearing Tuesday morning.

The Ultrasound Access Act would require abortion doctors to describe to a patient all the relevant features of the fetus shown on a sonogram.

Doctors would have to explain the development of nerve endings and the ability to feel pain.

And doctors would have to give patients a "conflict of interest disclaimer," disclosing their gross income, the portion earned from performing abortions and how much they would lose monetarily if the patient opts out.

Doctors who broke the law would face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both.

A state law called the Woman's Right to Know Act already requires abortion doctors to provide patients with information about alternatives, adoption agencies and fetal development at least 48 hours before an abortion.

Doctors also have to take an ultrasound, and patients must sign a form saying they saw the ultrasound or declined to do so.

The House Health Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the bill, by Rep. Kerry Rich, R-Guntersville, at 9:30 a.m.

The committee will also hold a hearing on a bill to prohibit abortions if the doctor can detect a fetal heartbeat.

That bill has been proposed in previous legislative sessions but has failed.

A North Dakota law banning abortions after the detection of fetal heartbeats was struck down in federal court, and the U.S. Supreme Court last month declined to hear an appeal.

Opponents of such measures say they would effectively ban most abortions because fetal heartbeats can be detected as early as about six weeks into a pregnancy. Alabama law allows abortions until up to 20 week.

The House convenes at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to begin the fourth week of the legislative session.

The Senate meets at 2 p.m.
Officials with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office narcotics unit and patrol deputies arrested three people in a large drug bust on Friday. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are anticipated.

Investigators were investigating a residence on Cobb Street in Woodville based on several tips through the department website. A search warrant was obtained and executed on Friday.

Investigators said they seized approximately two pounds of crystal methamphetamine, almost two pounds of high-grade marijuana, approximately 9 grams of cocaine and assorted controlled pills that included methadone, oxycodone and morphine. They also found drug paraphernalia, nine guns and cash. One of the guns was reported stolen, according to the sheriff's office.

Three Grant residents were arrested at the home.

Anthony Ferrell Olinger, 31, and Alice Veronica Hardin, 44, were both charged with trafficking in methamphetamine, unlawful possession of controlled substances, first-degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and third-degree receiving stolen property.

Hardin was additionally charged with being a fugitive from justice based on an outstanding arrest warrant from Georgia.

Bond was set at $97.000 for Olinger and $122,000 for Hardin. Both remain in the Jackson County Jail.

A third person, James Adam Ginn, 19, was also arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and loitering in a drug house. He was later released on $1,000 bond.
Al Islam The Official Website of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Muslims who believe in the Messiah,

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani(as) Muslims who believe in the Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (as), Love for All, Hatred for None.
Residents return to island of Ovalau to find their homes destroyed after powerful Cyclone Winston wreaked havoc in Fiji.

In September 2014, I came to Fiji to cover the South Pacific countrys general election.

A couple of days before the vote, I decided to travel outside the big cities of Suva and Nadi to get the views of Fijians for a pre-election report.

It being television, I wanted to do that somewhere pretty, so I chose to go to the island of Ovalau  a guidebook showed some attractive colonial buildings and some stunning beaches.

Im back on Ovalau now. It doesnt look anything like as pretty as it did then. In fact, it looks wrecked. The island was in the path of last weekends Cyclone Winston.

READ MORE: Cyclone Winston toll rises as Fiji starts clean-up

In 2014, I took a small charter plane to a grass airstrip to reach Ovalau. This time I took a ferry. It was the first to reach Ovalau since the storm, and on board were people who live there, but had happened to be away when the cyclone hit.

As we drew close to the coast, all the passengers gathered along one edge of the ship, on the side closest to their islands coast. They all wanted to catch a first glimpse of their villages and homes in the era that will, surely, go down here as post-Winston.

Its like a desert, said Zack Kedraika, describing the stripped brown hillsides which days ago were green and lush.

A cassava farmer, Kedraika could see from the ship that all his crops had gone.

One lady wiped a tear from her eye as she told me what she saw was total destruction  worse than I expected.

READ MORE: Villages flattened as Cyclone Winston smashes Fiji

It was worse than I expected too.

So far, no one Ive heard in Fijis government, nor from any aid agency, has mentioned Ovalau as being particularly hard-hit. I was eager to draw a contrast with the island Id seen in 2014, but I wasnt expecting this.

From the boat, I could see that more houses were in pieces than were whole.

Kedraika was stunned.

I havent [heard] anything about Ovalau on the news, he said. He thought that meant it would be OK.

But Ovalau hasnt been on Fijis TV news yet, because until our ship, no one with a camera had been across to see it.

We only had about 45 minutes between the ship docking and dusk. We didnt have to travel far, though, to see what we needed to film.

Rajendra Krishna was sitting on a sheet of corrugated iron. It had been part of his roof. In the midst of broken sheeting there were planks and pipes.

In Krishnas hand was a screwdriver with which he was fiddling with a plastic electricity socket, presumably one recently ripped from a wall.

I need to fix it, he said.

But he didnt know why. And I realised, quite quickly, I shouldnt have asked. He wasnt mending a switch because he needed to. He was doing it because that tiny, insignificant repair was something he could do.

In the face of the annihilation of everything physical he possessed, he had found something he could recognise, something he could repair.

One lady whom Id met on the ferry lost her niece in Saturdays storm. Her house had collapsed and relatives found her body when dawn broke on Sunday. They buried her that day.

But deaths, in fact, are the exception on Ovalau: Ive heard, unconfirmed, of three cases. Reports say at least 21 people died because of the cyclone nationwide.

Tens of thousands of lives, though, have been profoundly hit by Cyclone Winston.

And its going to take a very long time for Ovalau to get its prettiness back.
President Obama is placing his pieces for his endgame with Congress over closing the controversial detention centre.

This article originally stated 34 men are being approved for transfer. The number of men being approved for transferred is 35. This article stated 47 cases are reviewed periodically. It is 46 cases that can be reviewed periodically.

New York, United States  A trickle of detainees has been leaving Guantanamo Bay detention centre in recent weeks. Its razor-wire fences encircle only 91 men at present  a third of whom are expected to be sent overseas by summertime.

On Tuesday, February 23, the Pentagon is expected to submit a plan to Congress to close the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

President Barack Obama has long promised to close down the prison located on a US naval base in southeast Cuba, despite opposition in Congress. The commander-in-chief is making a last-ditch attempt to fulfil that pledge before leaving the White House in January 2017.

During his State of the Union address last month, Obama decried a costly recruitment brochure for our enemies. But, he also used non-committal language about his plans, saying only that he will keep working to shut down the prison.

Analysts have scrutinised those brief comments. Some say he will fulfil his early promise as a legacy project, others suggest he is loath to bypass lawmakers and provoke a constitutional row that will drag on long after he has vacated the White House.

Detainees hope again

This debate has reached the detainees, who range from those who pose little danger up to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged architect of the attacks on New York and Washington in 2001 and four other 9/11 plotters.

Guys in detention anywhere develop coping mechanisms, to let go of hope. These recent transfers have opened up hope for people who had tried their hardest to put it in their back pockets and never think about it, Shayana D Kadidal, a lawyer for some inmates, told Al Jazeera.

Its a combination of happiness for the people who have been transferred and that particular species of sadness that comes when ones hopes, which have been long crushed, are suddenly awakened again, Kadidal said.

The detainees include 35 men who are being approved for transfer overseas via deals between the US and foreign governments.

Since 2009, 26 countries have accepted 94 inmates for resettlement, mostly in Europe and the Middle East.

Ian Moss, from the US State Departments Office of the Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure, said diplomats are working hard to identify responsible opportunities for transferring those who have been approved for relocation.

We are in the final stages of negotiations with a range of governments and anticipate significant progress in reducing the detainee population by this summer, Moss, the units chief of staff, told Al Jazeera.

Relocation

The rest are trickier to resolve. They include 46 men whose cases can be reviewed periodically, including 22 who have been referred for prosecution and 25 who face continued detention.

Another 10, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, face active criminal charges.

Officials are considering what to do with these 57 inmates. Options include more case reviews and foreign transfers, painstakingly slow military commissions, trials in US civilian courts, plea deals, and transferring convicts and suspects to prisons on US soil.

A plan is expected before Congress within weeks. Pentagon officials have evaluated Fort Leavenworth, a sprawling military complex in Kansas, as well as sites in South Carolina and Colorado, for holding detainees.

The administration continues to work diligently on completing the plan to safely and responsibly close the detention facility, Gary Ross, a US Navy commander and Pentagon spokesman, told Al Jazeera. While we dont have a specific timeline, the plan will be delivered to Congress as soon as it is complete.

Obama inherited Guantanamo Bay from his predecessor, George W Bush, who opened it in 2002 to hold alleged militants rounded up in Afghanistan and, later, Iraq. According to Bush, their enemy combatant status meant they could be denied some legal rights.

Lack of support

Shortly after his inauguration in 2009, Obama signed an executive order to close the facilities within one year. The number of detainees is lower now than at its peak of 684 in 2003, but it still costs as much as $400m to run each year.

His closure plan lacks support among the public, politicians and the military.

Last month, Pew Research Center pollsters found that 49 percent of Americans said closing the prison was a bad idea, against 42 percent who approved of a plan.

According to Reuters, a news agency, military chiefs have worked against their commander-in-chief, deliberately dragging their feet on detainee transfers and running out the clock until the Oval Office has a new occupant.

Vanda Felbab-Brown, an analyst at the Brookings Institution think-tank, highlighted other problems. Congress has banned prisoner transfers from Guantanamo to the US; and there is flimsy evidence against some detainees who are believed to pose a threat.

Some are presumably so dangerous that they cannot just be transferred to another country. Because of major violations of procedures, others cannot go to US trial because they would be acquitted on the basis of torture or mishandling of evidence, Felbab-Brown told Al Jazeera.

Obama wants to make it happen, he committed to it from the beginning, he wants it in his legacy, but the obstacles are major.

Congressmen warn of caged terrorists busting out of prisons on the US mainland. Obama is expected to make his case to a Republican-controlled Congress, while reserving his ability to use executive powers to bypass politicians.

READ MORE: Obamas plan to shut Guantanamo set for Congress

The endgame

Analysts are divided on how Guantanamos endgame will play out.

Karen Greenberg, a security expert at Fordham University School of Law, said she expected it to be closed when Obama hands his White House keys to the winner of the US presidential election in November.

If they increase the frequency of the periodic review boards and speed up transfers, they could whittle this population down to almost nothing. Then, they could cut some plea deals, leaving only a few people in indefinite detention in the US, Greenberg told Al Jazeera.

Its very different when you are talking to Congress about more than 90 people, to talking about fewer than two dozen.

Kadidal, from the Centre for Constitutional Rights, a legal advocacy group, warned against Obama striking a compromise by transferring suspects to US prisons but still denying them their day in court.

Its not closure of Guantanamo in any meaningful sense to close the prison in Cuba while allowing the system of detention without charge to go on indefinitely, Kadidal told Al Jazeera.

As long as that remains the presidents plan, no amount of frantic manoeuvring this year will allow him to truly accomplish what he promised when he first ran for president.

Harvard Law School professor Jack Goldsmith said Obamas current efforts to shutter the facility are merely political theatre, in which he is ready to capitulate to Congress rather than prompt a constitutional clash.

Expect Congress to reject his plans; expect the president to publicly anguish over closing Guantanamo unilaterally, but ultimately decide that the rule of law forbids it, Goldsmith told Al Jazeera.

And expect 50 or so dangerous terrorists to be locked up indefinitely in Guantanamo when he leaves office in January.

Follow James Reinl on Twitter: @jamesreinl
Tensions and questions remain in post-election Uganda as the opposition calls for a re-count of the ballots.

Kampala, Uganda  A group of security guards huddled around a small mobile phone on speaker, listening closely to the radio programme discussing the nations political conundrum. At times they nodded in agreement, or interjected in disagreement with the hosts views on the controversy over Ugandas recently held parliamentary and presidential polls.

President Yoweri Museveni has won a fifth term in office, but not everyone in Kampala, the capital, is happy with the victory of the ruler who has been in power for 30 years.

These men feel robbed.

My heart is not OK. The way the government treats Dr Besigye makes me think he won the election and the Electoral Commission cheated us, said Freddy Matuwa.

But we will mobilise and find a new way to remove this man, Museveni, from power, he resolved.

Arresting the opposition

On at least five occasions in just over a week Kizza Besigye, the leader of Ugandas largest opposition movement, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), was placed under preventive arrest in his home and in jail.

In the latest incident on Monday, February 22, the 59-year-old opposition veteran, who had been under house arrest since Friday, was taken into police custody when he attempted to leave his home and join supporters. Besigye had planned to march with them to the Election Commission to demand an official tally of the results while disputing of Musevenis 60.7 percent win. He was subsequently returned to his home and placed under house arrest again.

A security measure with its roots in colonial law and codified in Section 24 (1) of the current Police Act, gives law enforcers the power to arrest or detain a person if they pose a threat to themselves or others.

According to police spokesman Kale Kayihura, Besigye had broken several laws and posed a threat to the public.

He has violated Section 5 of Public Order Management Act by calling for a procession without notifying the police, so he has committed a crime, Kayihura explained. The man behaves with impunity, he wants to create violence in this city and we cannot allow that.

Besigye, who is no stranger to such arrests, has challenged the constitutionality of both laws  Section 24 (1) of the current Police Act and Section 5 of Public Order Management Act  but his efforts have yielded no results.

Local groups such as the Ugandan Human Rights Commission strongly criticise the statutes.

Maria Burnett, a senior researcher in the Africa division of Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera that Besigyes multiple detentions were unconstitutional.

The ongoing preventive detention of Dr Besigye is a clear violation of international human rights law and an unconstitutional form of detention without trial or prospect of trial, Burnett said. The Police Act provision which is used to justify preventive detention of the opposition leadership is misleading and inapplicable to the factual reality.

The power of the people

The cat-and-mouse game between police and Musevenis strongest challenger not only draws concern over the legality of preventive custody, but also raises questions over the FDCs actual capacity to mobilise mass protests.

While the 71-year-old Museveni has dismissed the oppositions claims of a fraudulent win as the acts of demagogues and liars seeking attention, the FDC continues to call for an international audit of the results.

Besigye has also appealed to the international community not to recognise the re-election of the incumbent regime.

Yet, despite strong international condemnation of how the opposition has been treated, some analysts are doubtful of the FDCs ability to evoke international sanction of the Museveni regime or stir up mass action as the police fear.

Magnus Taylor, Horn of Africa specialist observing Ugandas polls for the International Crisis Group, expressed scepticism over Besigyes various calls to action.

The EU electoral observers criticised the Election Commissions processes, but they didnt say the election was rigged and they pretty much signed off on the results, so nothing may come of Besigyes calls, Taylor said.

This could be an opportunity to get the supporters out into the streets, however, he said. But, with the extreme level of securitisation evident at the moment, I dont anticipate this drawing big crowds.

One last term

Although everyday business has resumed in Kampala, security checkpoints and armed patrols can be seen across the capital.

Post-election, police have twice stormed the FDC headquarters, arresting officials and seizing party election materials. While confrontations between the opposition and the security forces could continue long after the election period, Taylor points out that these tactics of frustration are unsustainable for the Museveni regime.

He can continue these tactics, but there must come a point at which a critical mass of opposition is reached and it becomes too expensive to keep winning in this way. This was a very expensive election and there are presumably some in the National Resistance Movement [NRM] thinking: was it really worth it?

This question will become even more pertinent when 2021 rolls around and his party may have to change the constitution if Museveni wants to stand again, he explained.

Running for a sixth term may still be a distant possibility for Museveni, but even some of his supporters feel this should be his last term.

Victor Basigiri is a longtime supporter who has voted for the incumbent in every election. But even this 52-year-old tailor wants Museveni to step down in 2021.

Standing on a dusty street in Kamwokya, a ghetto near central Kampala, Basigiri said: I want him in charge, but I dont like what hes doing to the opposition.

Weve already given him the power. Museveni could be president for 35 years, but after this term he should sit down and rest.

Follow Tendai on Twitter @i_amten
Wednesday marks the last day of campaigning for Irans parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections, with candidates trying to reach as many supporters as possible, whether in person through posters or social media.

In the capital Tehran, candidates rallied supporters while trying appeal to undecided young voters who could sway the outcome of the polls. About 60 percent of the population in Iran are 30 or younger.

In universities across the city, parliament candidates such as Ali Motahari and Mohammad Reza Aref  who are known reformists  are attracting huge crowds.

As candidates were busy crisscrossing the city, campaign workers handed out leaflets outside subway stations or plastered posters bearing photos and party logos of different sizes and colours.

Some posters include links to their address on Telegram, a popular messaging app in the country. Other candidates for the Assembly of Experts hang oversized banners on lamp posts on Tehrans busiest streets.

The parliament has 290 seats. Its role is to pass legislation, including approving the budget and international treaties. The Assembly of Experts is a body of 88 religion experts, tasked with picking the countrys Supreme Leader when a vacancy arises.

Official campaigning only started last Thursday. Candidates only have seven full days to make their case. That means those who have name recognition and big party backing have an advantage.

Across the country there are 6,229 candidates running for seats in parliament, while about 161, mostly elderly clerics, are vying for 88 Assembly of Experts seats nationwide.
Thousands of Palestinian teachers have taken to the streets of Ramallah in the second mass protest in recent weeks, calling the Palestinian Authority (PA) to honour previous agreements and increase their wages.

In 2013, the PA agreed to a set of demands that was laid out by the Palestinian Teachers Union, including set salaries, regular wage increases and promotions in line with those of other PA employees, as well as free university education for teachers children.

According to the Union, the PA has failed to follow up with these promises and wages have now been frozen for several years.

WATCH: Teachers escalate protests against Palestinian Authority in West Bank

In protest against the PAs inaction, teachers at government schools began a strike on February 10  within this ongoing industrial action, a mass demonstration last week brought an estimated 20,000 teachers, principles and supporters to the streets of central Ramallah.

A second mass protest was planned for Tuesday. In an attempt to prevent a repeat of the large numbers that participated in the first mass action, the PA established checkpoints around Palestinian cities and refused passage to several bus loads full of teachers.

Despite the PAs attempts to minimise participation, an estimated 10,000 protesters again took to the streets of Ramallah calling for their employment rights to be met.
When it comes to supporting ceasefires, Russia has a dismal record  so why would Syria be any different?

Luke Coffey is a research fellow specialising in transatlantic and Eurasian security at a Washington DC based think tank. He previously served as a special adviser to the British defence secretary and was a commissioned officer in the United States army.

Mondays announcement by the United States and Russia of a so-called cessation of hostilities in Syria is the second such proposal in as many weeks. The first proposal for a cessation of hostilities ended last week before it even began. But if all goes to plan, the fighting in Syria will stop, or at least be drastically reduced, starting on midnight Saturday, February 27.

Do not hold your breath.

How the cessation of hostilities will work in practice, and how it will turn into a more permanent ceasefire in war-torn Syria, remains to be seen.





Who is a terrorist?

The so-called International Syria Support Group (ISSG), a group of international countries and organisations hoping to bring a resolution to the civil war, has been given the task of finding a consensus on what constitutes a terrorist group in Syria.

However, beyond identifying ISIL and al-Nusra Front as terrorist organisations, there is little consensus among the ISSG.

This lack of consensus on which groups fighting in Syria are terrorist organisations will be the loophole that allows Russia to continue its support for Assads military offensive in places around Aleppo.

READ MORE: Aleppo can be a turning point in Syrias civil war

It will also be the loophole that will allow Turkey to continue shelling the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG.

Perhaps the single biggest limiting factor for an enduring cessation of hostilities in Syria is the fact that the two external power brokers, the US and Russia, have neither credibility nor clout in the region. by

Perhaps the YPG is the best example of how chaotic the situation on the ground has become in Syria. The YPG is the armed wing of the Syrian Kurdish group the Democratic Union Party or the PYD.

The YPG is simultaneously: fighting and making gains against ISIL and other rebel groups in Syria, being attacked by US-ally and Russian-adversary Turkey, fighting Russian-backed Syrian forces, and is being armed by both the US and the Russians. Not confusing enough?

In the case of the YPG, the US and Russia are essentially fighting proxy wars against themselves. It would be farcical if the situation wasnt so serious.

No credibility

As if the impasse over agreeing over the terrorist list were not bad enough, perhaps the single biggest limiting factor for an enduring cessation of hostilities in Syria is the fact that the two external power brokers, the US and Russia, have neither credibility nor clout in the region.

US influence in the Middle East is at its lowest point in decades. Look at the way US President Barack Obama handled the drawdown from Iraq in 2010, Washingtons relations with Israel, and the flawed Iran deal which left Americas Gulf allies out to dry.

The sum of these policy decisions has left US commitment open to question and US influence diminished across the region.

Russia, on the other hand, has zero credibility at implementing past ceasefires. Almost seven years later Moscow is still in direct violation of the six-point ceasefire plan that ended its five-day invasion of the Republic of Georgia.

The so-called Minsk II ceasefire agreement in eastern Ukraine is violated every day by Russian-backed separatists. Moscow regularly eggs on both Azerbaijan and Armenia over the latters occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh by selling both sides in the conflict billions of dollars worth of weaponry.

When it comes to supporting ceasefires, Russia has a dismal record. Why would Syria be any different?

Pure fantasy

The idea that a cessation of hostilities in Syria can be enforced is pure fantasy. There is no political will for an international peacekeeping force. There is not even consensus on something as basic who is a terrorist and who us not.

READ MORE: Putin declares checkmate on Syria

Turkey will continue striking the YPG. Russia will continue striking the many Salafist Sunni groups fighting against the Assad regime. The US and Europe will continue pretending there is a cozy moderate third option to support between Assad on the one hand and groups such as ISIL on the other.

The brutal truth is that the civil war has been left to rot and fester for so long that there is very little the US or even Russia can do to engineer a cessation of hostilities, much less a full-blown ceasefire, armistice or peaceful outcome.

Last-minute push

A year ago, during the so-called Mink II ceasefire negotiations, a battle was raging over control of a Ukrainian city and strategic railroad junction called Debaltseve.

A ceasefire was finally agreed for February 15  but the Russian-backed separatists had unfinished business in Debaltseve and continued fighting until they captured the city on the 18th.

The upcoming cessation of hostilities in Syria will be no different.

Between now and February 27, Russian-backed Syrian forces will make a last-minute push on Aleppo. If Syrian forces cannot mop up the defenders of Aleppo (many of whom, by the way, are far from being the moderates talked about so much in the Western media) by this Saturday, then Moscow will use its terrorist loophole to continue the air strikes.

The proposed cessation of hostilities is not worth the paper its written on. Sadly for the innocent civilians caught in the fighting, the killing is likely to continue.

Luke Coffey is a research fellow specialising in transatlantic and Eurasian security at a Washington DC-based think-tank. He previously served as a special adviser to the British defence secretary and was a commissioned officer in the United States Army.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
The violence on the ground has not urged officials to reinitiate the peace talks, so why now?

Heads were turned in the Middle East when the senior White House strategists stated that the Obama administration appeared to be washing its hands of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

How could the United States  the only global party able to apply pressure on Israel  simply abandon its international responsibilities by saying that the two-state solution is unlikely to see the light during the presidents final year in office?

What upset many was that the statement came during the second term of a US president whose Muslim ancestry was supposed to help him empathise with the suffering of Palestinians more than his predecessors. Traditionally, second-term US presidents have much more freedom from pro-Israeli lobbyist pressures because they no longer face election.

Distancing Washington from its traditional role as an honest broker in the conflict was a clear signal to Europe to take a leading position on the Palestinian issue. Europe responded rather quickly by labelling all settlement-made products as separate from Israeli products.

A much more important move, however, has been the decision of the French government to more actively pursue Palestinian-Israeli talks in Paris.

The talks planned for next July have a caveat that caused shock waves among Israeli officials. The French have made it clear that they intend to recognise the Palestinian state if they feel that Israel is not taking the talks seriously.

For his part, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has flown to Berlin and succeeded in extracting from German Chancellor Angela Merkel a statement that the time is not ripe for the two-state solution.

Diverging positions in Europe, however, should not weaken Brussels resolve to try and foster serious dialogue, whether via the French avenue or a different one.

It is not clear what leverage Kerry has today after the struggle between Tel Aviv and Washington over the Iranian nuclear agreement, as well as the Obama administration's perceived distancing from the Palestinian issue. by

The US is not completely out of the picture, either. Robert Malley, a senior White House adviser who used to head the International Crisis Group, correctly explained the importance of solving the Palestinian conflict in relation to the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group and violent extremism.

Malley outlined two ways that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict feeds ISIL. He said that extremists refer constantly to the situation of Palestinians, and, therefore, solving this conflict would lose the extremists recruiting tool.

Malley also believes that the failure to resolve the conflict makes it very difficult to get the kind of open cooperation that the US needs to get changes on the ground, because Saudi Arabia and other states cant work openly with Israel as matters stand.

Malleys words in December 2015 were quickly, though indirectly, picked up by the US ambassador to Israel. At a security conference in January, Ambassador Dan Shapiro criticised Israel over its double standards in the West Bank.

At times, there seem to be two standards of adherence to the rule of law [in the West Bank]: one for Israelis and another for Palestinians, he said.

This week, John Kerry, the US secretary of state, who arrived in Amman, Jordan, on Saturday, met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and plans to meet Netanyahu.

It is not clear what leverage Kerry has today after the struggle between Tel Aviv and Washington over the Iranian nuclear agreement, as well as the Obama administrations perceived distancing from the Palestinian issue.

France, Israel and Palestine: Same as it ever was?

The violence on the ground has not urged local and international officials to reinitiate the peace talks. According to the Palestinian health ministry, 176 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis since October while 27 Israelis were killed by Palestinians.

The resident of the White House  who still has 11 months in office  holds a more sinister and potentially powerful card. The one single decision over which the president has sole control is the recognition of countries. Last year, the US Supreme Court ruled that Congress had no say in presidential decisions with regards to state recognition.

In this respect, is the US pushing France behind the scenes to leverage their recognition of Palestine in case the talks fail as a prelude to a powerful decision by the Obama administration?

What would happen if, in his last days in office, Obama makes a courageous decision and does recognise Palestine along the 1967 borders?

Challenging such a recognition before the inauguration of the new president would likely cause a major rift in US relations with the Arab world. It is less likely to be reversed if a Democrat wins the US presidential elections in November 2016.

Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, is a former Ferris professor of journalism at Princeton University.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
The British governments strategy to battle extremism has been roundly lambasted  so why keep going with it?

If you are a British government policy assessor, trying to establish the merit of the counter-radicalisation strategy, Prevent, what would be your metrics?

The 40m-a-year programme ($57m), introduced by the Labour government after the 2005 London bombings and continued by successive administrations, was intended as a soft approach  relying on community engagement to help stop people getting drawn to violent extremism.

Since 2012, some 800 British citizens have joined Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria  and 600 have been intercepted on the way. Such alarmingly high numbers, you might argue, demonstrate Prevents failure to counter violent extremism.

But who could say if the figures would have been even higher without the programme? And, conversely, if the numbers were fewer, how could you demonstrate that this was down to Prevent and not to other factors? Success for the programme isnt quantifiable in empirical terms, so you would have to measure it another way.

No real success

And thats where the trouble starts  because there are so many signals to suggest that Prevent has failed, yet the government isnt reading them. A recent signal came from the UKs terror watchdog which earlier this month called for an independent review of the Prevent strategy because of fears that the policy is counterproductive, creating fear and mistrust.

There have been plenty of other warning signs, though. For instance, if youve set up a programme premised on community engagement, and communities start to publicly announce that they dont want to engage with it, that might provide some clue to its effectiveness.

The government seems to think that people holding deeply conservative, hardline religious views are actually, potentially, violent - but however obnoxious and unpalatable, extreme views and extreme violence are not the same things at all. by

Last month, the chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque (in Britains second largest city) called for a boycott of Prevent  and in December last year, the London borough of Waltham Forest Council of Mosques, which represents 70,000 Muslims, vowed to join the boycott, describing Prevent as a racist policy.

That same month, figures from the National Police Chiefs Council showed less than 10 percent of referrals to Prevent come from within the Muslim community  a miserable indication of the governments ability to garner support for the programme.

Complaints over the years about the racism of the Prevent strategy are so prevalent that it has come to be seen as a surveillance programme for Muslims, that has been dubbed MI5 Islam. But what really tipped things over the edge is the British governments new iteration of the strategy, rolled out last summer, requiring public bodies to help detect the signs of radicalisation  while remaining vague about what such signs may be.

Legally compelling hospitals, universities and schools to comply with this sort of monitoring is bad enough: doctors have protested over their ethical dilemma, lecturers have warned about it suffocating free speech.

But monitoring schoolchildren comes across as especially ludicrous and alarming. Of 1,681 referrals last year to Channel, the governments de-radicalisation programme, 577 were children under 18 years of age  the youngest was a four-year-old.

With dozens of children currently in care because of fears that they are at risk of being radicalised at home, Muslim parents are understandably terrified that their children could be taken away from them over a comment made in a classroom.

As well as growing opposition from British Muslims and mosques, academics, nurses and other professionals, there have been doubts raised by several MPs, an ex-police chief superintendent, former terrorism advisers, the National Union of Students and Liberty.

Different extremisms

Prevent has been so widely discredited, so often described as a toxic brand, that it raises serious questions as to why successive governments persist with the programme.

Of course, one element must be that to question the strategy would be to question so many premises on which our entire counterterrorism approach is based.

Time and again, counter-extremism workers have pointed to legitimate grievances over Britains hypocritical and deadly actions in the Middle East as a significant source of terrorism recruitment fuel  but which government is going to cede this point over foreign policy?

OPINION: Britains counterterror strategy just got worse

Instead, holding certain views about Iraq or the Palestinian cause while being Muslim is likely to get you placed on a watch list. Meanwhile, those engaged in efforts to counter extremism on the ground have urged that extremist views, however unpalatable, cannot be silenced because to do so drives conversations underground, where they cannot be exposed or challenged.

Terror experts say that there is no concrete causality between ideology and terror, whereas this does exist for other factors such as alienation, social cohesion or mental health. But cherry-picking potential causes  focusing on ideology, or religion  does damage in so many ways: Think, for example, of the social sabotaging that takes place when the government singles out Muslims as bearing responsibility for addressing violent extremism, instead of insisting its a problem we must all shoulder together.

OPINION: Why dont we care about anti-Muslim abuse?

And speaking of ideology, here is where the purpose of Prevent gets cloudy. A government strategy of engaging communities to help counter recruitment to violent extremism is, theoretically, a good idea.

But when that becomes a counter-radical or counter-extremism programme, it runs into problems  because who gets to define those things? The government seems to think that people holding deeply conservative, hardline religious views are potentially violent  but however obnoxious, extreme views and extreme violence are not the same things at all.

This is what British terrorism expert Anthony Richards has described as the difference between extremism of thought and extremism of method. He adds that this is not to give abhorrent ideologies a pass, but rather to suggest that there are better forums for countering such views than within the counterterror framework.

It is precisely this conflation that has been so problematic  because it means people with conservative views wont trust you enough to help you counter violence.

And because it suggests that you are no longer countering terror, you have become the thought police  which makes a mockery of repeated insistence by David Cameron, the British prime minister, that the countrys liberal values are the best weapon against radicalisation.

That may well be the case  but those values must be deeds, not just words, for it to happen.

Rachel Shabi is a journalist and author of Not the Enemy: Israels Jews from Arab Lands.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Crisis was triggered by Nkurunzizas controversial decision to run for a third term, which he won in July polls.

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza and opposition politicians have agreed to hold talks to end a 10-month-old crisis, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

After meeting with Nkurunziza and opposition politicians, Ban said on Tuesday that all sides had agreed to inclusive dialogue and that the president confirmed that he would engage in political dialogue.

Burundis political leaders must be ready to summon the courage and the confidence that will make a credible political process possible.

It remains unclear which of his opponents Nkurunziza will be willing to negotiate with, as some are in exile, some are jailed and some have taken up arms.

Ban met both government and opposition politicians on Monday night before holding talks with Nkurunziza on Tuesday morning.

He later left for the Democratic Republic of Congo on the second leg of an Africa tour that will also take him to South Sudan, where civil war erupted in December 2013.

READ MORE: Africa will not allow genocide

Grenade attacks overnight

This dialogue concerns all Burundians, except those engaged in acts of destabilisation, Nkurunziza said on Tuesday, hours after overnight grenade attacks in several neighbourhoods in the capital Bujumbura injured 12 people, according to the police.

Last night, 10 grenades exploded in several districts of Bujumbura, leaving a dozen people wounded, a senior police officer told the AFP news agency, on condition of anonymity.

The officer said two soldiers were among the injured as well as civilians after the series of explosions in outlying parts of the capital.

Burundis crisis was triggered by Nkurunzizas controversial decision in April last year to run for a third term, which he went on to win in a July election.

READ MORE: For Burundis cartoonists, the truth is a joke

More than 400 people have been killed and more than 240,000 have left the country to escape the violence.

Nkurunziza has faced down an African Union threat to send peacekeepers to his country.

Prisoner releases

Bans visit  his first since the start of the crisis  was aimed at reviving stalled efforts to end the dispute, and comes after the Burundi government appeared to soften its position towards opponents by agreeing to receive a delegation of African heads of state, expected later this week.

On Tuesday, the government said 2,000 prisoners would be released, in what Ban described as a goodwill gesture  although the opposition was sceptical, doubting whether it would include its supporters.

Nkurunziza said he had appealed to Ban to help to end Rwandan support for Burundian rebels alleged by Burundian authorities and UN investigators.

We also discussed regional problems and we explained how Rwanda is trying to destabilise us, Nkurunziza said.

We told (Ban) that we had evidence and we asked for UN intervention to push for Rwanda to give it up, so that Burundians and Rwandans can live in harmony as in the past.
Indian authorities have said severe water shortages in New Delhi will take up to two weeks to fix, after a crucial waterway was sabotaged by protesters to press demands for better treatment for their caste. It caused taps in the capital to run dry.

The Jat caste called off their days-long protest on Monday after they accepted a deal offered by the government in the northern state of Haryana, following days of riots, arson and looting that saw thousands of troops deployed to the state.

READ MORE: India caste protesters accept government offer

Senior water board official Neeraj Semwal said on Tuesday that only four of New Delhis nine water treatment plants were currently operating, forcing rationing of supplies to many areas.

We are hoping to restore partial services in the next two to three days and 100 percent supply within the next 15 days, Semwal told the AFP news agency.

New Delhis water board is trying to restore full supplies to the city of 17 million people that relies heavily on a canal running through Haryana.

Districts severely affected

Water trucks fanned out on Tuesday across the teeming, landlocked city, where infrastructure struggles at the best of times, but it was not clear just how many people were still affected.

North, west and south Delhi districts were severely affected by the water shortage, with thousands of households not getting regular water supplies, Semwal said.

Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra tweeted that the crisis was not over yet and urged residents to conserve water.

More than 50 percent of Delhis water comes from this particular canal. Water is slowly coming back, but there is still a widespread water shortage, said Al Jazeeras Divya Gopalan, reporting from New Delhi.

India sent troops to secure the canal after protesters demanding a quota for their Jat caste in public service jobs and higher education seized it on Saturday and diverted the water flow away from the capital.

Although schools and many businesses reopened on Tuesday as supplies were partially restored, many are still suffering after the water board said it had been forced to limit supplies.

The situation has calmed down, but we still hear that some people are afraid to leave their homes as they think that riots can break out again, Gopalan said.

A political ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was shouted down on Tuesday by a crowd angered by rioting in Haryana.

The chief minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, was heckled by local people in the town of Rohtak, northwest of the capital, after they objected to his comments promising that they would receive compensation.
New UNHCR head warns of worsening situation as thousands of refugees remain trapped in Greece.

Border closures by European states will cause further chaos and confusion, the new head of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has warned, as thousands of people remain stuck inside Greece after being blocked from continuing their journey.

Some 8,000 refugees have been trapped on Greeces northern border and in the capital, Athens, after Macedonia on Sunday barred passage to Afghans and introduced tougher document checks for Syrians and Iraqis.

This followed a decision by countries further up the refugee route to turn back groups of Afghans.

I am very worried about the news that we are getting about increasing closures of European borders along the Balkans route because that will create further chaos and confusion, Filippo Grandi, the UNCHR chief, said during a visit to the Greek island of Lesbos on Tuesday.

It will increase the burden on Greece, which is already shouldering a very big responsibility in managing these people, and this is happening when we are not yet having alternatives.

READ MORE: Afghan refugees arent fleeing by choice

On Tuesday, hundreds of Afghan refugees stranded at the Greece-Macedonia border staged a sit-in at the Idomeni border crossing demanding passage.

Al Jazeeras Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from Idomeni, said the closure was causing a lot of anxiety not only to the Afghan refugees, but also to the Iraqis and Syrians. They [Iraqis and Syrians] are in a hurry because they are worried that soon maybe the borders will also close for them and they want to continue their journey. So on the ground it is creating  frictions between these two different groups of refugees.

READ MORE: Serbia denying entry to Afghan refugees
The US president acknowledges tough task but says he is committed to closing detention facility despite opposition.

US President Barack Obama is once again promising to fulfill his years-late pledge to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, saying he is very clear-eyed about the hurdles involved.

The politics are tough, Obama acknowledged on Tuesday as he presented his proposal. If it were easy, it would have happened years ago, he added.

The plan to close Guantanamo  which the Department of Defence calls a national security imperative  has four main points.



Witness  Guantanamos Child  Omar Khadr

First, men who are eligible to be released  35 to date  are expected to be transferred out in the coming months.

Second, the parole style hearings will continue for prisoners who have not been cleared but who have also not been charged with a crime.

Third, the US will work to identify individual dispositions for those who remain designated for continued law of war detention.

Finally  and most controversially  the Obama administration will work with Congress to find a location on the mainland to hold prisoners the US says cannot be transferred to another country, or who are subject to military commission proceedings.

Vague menu of options

There are 13 potential sites on US soil where prisoners may be transferred, however no specific location has been endorsed.

READ MORE: Obama readies for shutdown on Guantanamo closure

To house an estimated 30 to 60 prisoners in the mainland US is estimated to be $65 million to $85 million cheaper than in the prison on the naval base in Cuba.

The one-time transition costs of moving the men would be offset in three to five years by the lower operating costs of a US facility, an official told reporters during a Tuesday morning conference call.

An estimated 20-year-saving would be up to $1.7bn, according to the US Defense Department.

Senator John McCain, a Republican from Arizona and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement: What we received today is a vague menu of options, not a credible plan for closing Guantanamo, let alone a coherent policy to deal with future terrorist detainees.

Currently 91 men remain in the prison with some 2,000 troops and civilians staffed to oversee them. The cost per prisoner is now estimated at $4.4m a year.

A new ZIP code

Before Obamas plan was even public, Republican US Senators Pat Roberts of Kansas, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Cory Gardner of Colorado voiced opposition to any notion that prisoners would be sent to the mainland US  regardless of whether it is Kansas, South Carolina, or Colorado, none of these options are acceptable, they stated.

Our states and our communities remain opposed to moving the worlds deadliest terrorists to US soil. The terrorists at Guantanamo Bay are where they should remain  at Guantanamo Bay.

Relocating prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to the United States, while maintaining indefinite detention, is also an idea that is unacceptable to many of the Guantanamo prisoners and their lawyers.

The centrepiece of the plan  moving those detainees who have not been and will never be charged with any crime to a prison in the US  does not close Guantanamo it merely relocates it to a new ZIP Code, the Center for Constitutional Rights said in a statement.

The centerpiece of the plan - moving those detainees who have not been and will never be charged with any crime to a prison in the US - does not 'close Guantanamo' it merely relocates it to a new ZIP Code. by Centre for Constitutional Rights,

The infamy of Guantanamo has never been just its location, but rather its immoral and illegal regime of indefinite detention. Closing Guantanamo in any meaningful sense means putting an end to that practice.

Too dangerous

Out of the 91 detainees, 46 of them have neither been charged with a crime, nor have they been cleared for transfer  these men are often referred to as the forever prisoners.

Another one of these forever prisoners was just crossed off that Guantanamo list  casting yet again more doubts about the validity of the classification.

Late last week, a parole style board recommended that Yemeni Majid Mahmud Abdu Ahmed be transferred. He is the 18th prisoner out of 21 cases heard to conclusion who have won their cases in front of the US government inter-agency Periodic Review Board (PRB). The rulings have favoured the prisoners 86 percent of the time.

In a post entitled, Closing Guantanamo, Episode XXVIII: This Time, We Really, Really (Really!) Mean It, Steve Vladeck writes that the success rate is stunning.

The decisions demonstrate that the distinction between cleared and un-cleared no longer has any validity. Most of the men there, judging by the rate of approval, are in fact not too dangerous to release, said Ahmeds attorney David Remes.

Ahmeds case is not extraordinary.

READ MORE: Obamas Cuba visit: Rumours turn into reality

He was a member of a group of men dubbed the Dirty Thirty, who were accused  many would say falsely  of being Osama bin Ladens bodyguards.

They were a group of 30 Arab men who trekked across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and were captured by Pakistanis.

But in fact most of the Dirty Thirty have already been transferred out of the prison, or cleared for release. Its not a real group, its a group for the Pentagons propaganda purposes, said Remes, who represents 12 men in the prison.

If you believe the charge sheets that all these men were Osama bin Laden bodyguards, it would be a number that the Secret Service could only envy.

A handful of other prisoners will have hearings soon.

As the Centre for Constitutional Rights has also pointed out, Obama could get around the ban of prisoner transfers to the US by negotiating guilty pleas with some detainees giving the courts a chance to rule that the existing transfer restrictions were not intended by Congress to apply to such cases.

Repatriation and resettlement

The repatriation and resettlement of the 35 cleared prisoners are not expected to be without blemishes either. Most recently, Yemeni Mohammed Bwazir refused to board a departing plane, opting instead to stay in Guantanamo than to live in a country where he had no family.

In another case, Moroccan Younis Chekkouri, who was sent home, was detained for some time in Sale prison, near Rabat  despite reported assurances that he would not be.

While out of prison, he is not yet a free man; he has a hearing scheduled for Tuesday to see if he will face charges back home.

Ten men are in various stages of Military Commissions hearings. The September 11 pre-trial ones tick on.

READ MORE: Protesters demand closure of Guantanamo on anniversary

Fourteen years later, the five accused men have yet to enter pleas with proceedings recently focusing on retroactively censored open-court testimony and screenings of torture scenes from the film Zero Dark Thirty.

There is a separate hearing in the DC Circuit that challenges the Military Commissions right to hear another case: al-Nashiri vs Obama.

Its a pre-trial challenge questioning the authority of the commissions to try offenses that came before the September 11 attacks, like the USS Cole Boles in 2000, in which Abd al-Rahim Hussein al-Nashiri is the accused mastermind.

Someone who lawfully worked to track and capture some of the alleged terrorists now in front of the Military Commissions said that the proceedings were good-intentioned and a viable way ahead in the immediate period after the September 11 attacks.

However, in practice its self-evident its been a disaster that has politically  both domestically and internationally been under attack from its inception, conceded the person who agreed to comment as long as not named.

Yet, the federal criminal courts have an excellent  even remarkable record  in successfully trying complex international and domestic terrorism conspiracies, the person added.

I have no doubt the US courts  if the political will is there  can successfully hear the most significant Guantanamo cases.

Time will tell if there is a will and a way.

Given the stakes involved for our security, this plan deserves a fair hearing  even in an election year, Obama said on Tuesday morning.

Let us do what is right is for America. Let us going ahead and close this chapterI am absolutely committed to closing the detention facility at Guantanamo.

Follow Jenifer Fenton on Twitter: @jeniferfenton
Analysis: As ISIL is squeezed in Iraq and Syria, Libya has increasingly become a strategic alternative ground.

The recent US air strike on a building in the western Libyan city of Sabrata, which killed more than 40 suspected Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters, highlights the growing expansion and danger of the group in Libya.

As ISIL continues to be squeezed in Iraq and Syria, Libya is increasingly becoming a strategic alternative ground. Another US air strike late last year in eastern Libya also reportedly killed Abu Nabil al-Anbari, a veteran Iraqi military officer believed to have been sent to Libya to organise and lead the group there.

But how did ISIL come to Libya in the first place?

A unified Libya assisted by the international community would be able to swiftly retake ISIL positions in the country, with the final showdown potentially being the battle of Sirte. by

The group gained its first foothold in 2014 in the eastern city of Derna, about 300km west of the Egyptian border. A number of young Libyan fighters who were once members of the al-Battar brigade, which fought against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, became radicalised in an ISIL unit in Syria and were later sent back to Derna to establish an ISIL base there.

READ MORE: Daesh in Libya  Myth or reality?

In June 2015, a local revolutionary force called the Abu Salim Martyrs Brigade began an operation to eradicate ISIL from the city, supported by local residents of Derna. Many ISIL fighters were killed or captured, while the remnants were quickly pushed out into the surrounding outskirts and mountains.

Benghazi, Libyas second-largest city, was the next to experience ISILs emerging presence. Since the 2011 uprising, Benghazi has been home to a number of different groups vying for control, including Ansar al-Sharia, al-Qaeda and a number of other revolutionary brigades that formed a coalition called the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BRSC).

The coalition was created in response to an anti-terrorism military operation launched in May 2014 by General Khalifa Haftar. As fighting continued between Haftars forces and BRSC fighters, foreign ISIL fighters increasingly flowed into Benghazi.

Many members of Ansar al-Sharia and al-Qaeda have since broken away from the BRSC and pledged allegiance to ISIL, which has become the citys dominant force, taking over entire districts such as Leithi and Gwarsha.

But after being ousted from Derna, ISIL also stands to lose its presence in Benghazi, leaving Sirte as its only remaining stronghold in Libya.

The coastal city of Sirte, about 450km east of Tripoli, is the hometown of former leader Muammar Gaddafis tribe. Since the 2011 uprising, residents of Sirte have felt angry and marginalised  especially those members of Gaddafis tribe whose family members were killed and whose homes were ransacked.





ISIL has exploited these sentiments, and the group is believed to have recruited some of Gaddafis tribesmen and former army officers, who have become sympathetic to ISIL as they seek revenge against the new Libyan state.

Both ISIL and Gaddafi loyalists share the belief that the new political leaders in Libya are agents of the West brought to power by NATO. Sirte has become the first stronghold that ISIL totally controls outside of Iraq and Syria, and it is reportedly home to the groups strongest presence within Libya.

Sirte is also geographically significant, with a seaport offering access to southern Europe across the Mediterranean Sea. A top ISIL leader has been quoted as threatening to use Libyas proximity to attack Europes security and disrupt its economy.

IN PICTURES: Libya migrants languish in camps

ISIL has been rapidly expanding and growing in Libya, and its ability to carry out major deadly attacks has been demonstrated on more than one occasion. In February 2015, ISIL released a propaganda video showing the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians on what was believed to be a beach in Sirte.

ISIL has also claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing against the famous luxury Corinthia Hotel in the capital Tripoli, a suicide bombing targeting the main western gate in the city of Misrata, and another bombing targeting a police training facility in Zliten that killed more than 60 people.

Although ISIL has yet to gain any ground in the capital Tripoli, there are reports of numerous sleeper cells within the city. Security forces in the capital have made several arrests of suspected ISIL members and recruiters, mainly non-Libyans of Arab origin and eight Tunisian nationals who were recently deported.

Sabrata, just 70km from the Tunisian border, is believed to be used by ISIL as a transit post for foreign recruits, mostly from Tunisia. Here, they receive false identity documents that allow them to move on to other areas of Libya.

Tunisia has been a fertile recruiting ground for ISIL, possibly because of its high level of youth unemployment. ISILs new recruits are reportedly provided with monthly salaries in the range of $1,000, compared with the average Tunisian salary of around 500 Tunisian dinars ($246).

OPINION: Libya, extremism and the consequences of collapse

Having a base in Libya also provides ISIL with the potential to expand into sub-Saharan Africa, widening its reach to potential recruits.

The United Nations has been pressing the opposing Libyan sides to implement a political agreement signed in Morocco in December and install a new government of national accord. Once this government has been formed and assumes office in the capital, Tripoli, it is then expected to officially request the international community to lift an arms embargo and provide assistance to take on ISIL.

This is most likely to come in the form of targeted air strikes and intelligence sharing, in a coordinated campaign with Libyan forces on the ground. It is unlikely that any Western or foreign ground troops would be involved in the war on ISIL in Libya, as the prospect has been widely rejected by the Libyan public.

At this point, ISIL controls far less territory in Libya than in Iraq and Syria, and is yet to gain any access to Libyan oil resources. The number of ISIL fighters in Libya is also far fewer, estimated at just a few thousand, according to US sources.

The events in Derna that saw local forces expel ISIL from within the city offer hope that ISIL can be contained and eventually eradicated from Libya, provided that the country can be swiftly reunited under one government and unified sovereign institutions.

A unified Libya assisted by the international community would be able to swiftly retake ISIL positions in the country, with the final showdown potentially being the battle of Sirte. Similar to the demise of Gaddafi, Sirte could be the location of ISILs final days in Libya.

Guma El-Gamaty is a Libyan academic and politician who heads the Taghyeer Party in Libya and participated in the countrys UN-backed dialogue process.
Residents of Benghazi area celebrate their return as fierce clashes result in hardliners stronghold being freed.

Forces loyal to Libyas internationally recognised government have seized a key central neighbourhood of Benghazi from militia groups, the military said.

Special forces on Tuesday retook the Benghazi area of Lithi, which had been a stronghold for armed groups including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, after days of fierce clashes.

Fadel al-Hassi of Libyas special forces said the neighbourhood was totally liberated.

Residents celebrated alongside loyalist fighters in streets retaken from fighters, flashing victory signs next to the bombed-out shells of buildings

I get to spend the night at home, #HomeSweetHome I've dreamt about this for two years #Benghazi stay safe people don't touch strange objects  Rami Musa (@RamiRMusa) February 23, 2016

Some even tried to enter Lithi to reach their homes but were prevented by security forces who said they needed more time to mop up the district, an AFP reporter said.

Slow political process

The advance came as Libyas parliament again failed on Tuesday to vote on a United Nations-backed unity government seen as a crucial step in ending years of political chaos and conflict in the North African state.

The administration, now exiled in the eastern town of Tobruk, failed to hold a vote of confidence because it lacked a quorum.

The required quorum [89 members of parliament] was not reached, so the president of the chamber adjourned the session, said MP Mohamed al-Abbani.

Another parliamentarian, Ali Al-Qaidi, confirmed that the necessary quorum was not reached, and the session for the vote was adjourned until next week.

UN envoy Martin Kobler voiced his disappointment at the postponement.

Concerned by slowness of [the political] process in Libya, overtaken by military events, must speed up to stop Daesh expansion, Kobler tweeted, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.

READ MORE: How serious is the ISIL threat in Libya?

Libya has had rival administrations since the summer of 2014 when the government fled Tripoli after a militia alliance overran the capital.

The conflict, which has helped to create a surge in refugees fleeing the country, has alarmed Western governments over the prospect of groups including ISIL establishing a bridgehead just 300 kilometres from Europe.

Italy said on Tuesday that it had given the United States permission to use an airbase in Sicily to launch drone strikes against ISIL in Libya.

On Friday, US jets flying from a Royal Air Force base in Britain attacked an ISIL training camp in the western city of Sabratha, killing more than 40 people including two Serbian diplomats being held hostage.
Millions of chocolate snacks deemed possibly unsafe in Europe and elsewhere due to plastic found in a Snickers bar.

US chocolate giant Mars has ordered a massive international recall of Mars and Snickers bars made at its Dutch factory after a piece of plastic found in one snack was traced back to the site.

Millions of chocolate bars were deemed possibly unsafe for consumption in 56 countries after a customer in Germany found a piece of red plastic in his Snickers bar last month.

The recall of the chocoholic snacks on Tuesday also affects Milky Way minis and some boxes of Celebrations. It hit most European countries, but it also extended as far as Vietnam and Sri Lanka in Asia.



Belgians bid to be champagne of chocolate

As far as we know there are 55 countries involved, Eline Bijveld, Mars corporate affairs coordinator for the Netherlands, told the AFP news agency earlier in the day, refusing to reveal the whole list.

The recall only involves the products that are made in the Netherlands at the Mars factory in the southern town of Veghel, Bijveld said, adding the products were mainly sold in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe.

Chocolate lovers in the United States need not worry as the recall does not extend to the companys home base.

Bijveld could not give the exact number of chocolate bars produced daily at the factory, but said about four million items were being recalled in the Netherlands alone.

READ MORE: A food museum to tantalise your senses

The move comes after a customer found a red piece of plastic in a Snickers bar  billed by the company as the worlds biggest selling candy bar  bought on January 8 in Germany.

After he complained to Mars, the plastic was traced back to Veghel, which determined that it came from a protective cover used in the plants manufacturing process.

We are currently investigating exactly whats happened, but we cannot be sure that this red piece of plastic isnt in any other of our products from the same production line, Bijveld said.

Isolated incident

Mars prides itself on having five billion-dollar brand names in its stable of 29 separate chocolate products, including M&Ms, Twix and Dove.

It is the first time it has had to recall products made at its Veghel factory, which opened in 1963 and employs some 1,200 people.

In a statement announcing the recall in Germany, Mars said: We would like to prevent consumers who have purchased one of the above-mentioned products from consuming it.

The shelves of one supermarket chain in Frankfurt were still stuffed with Mars and Snickers confectionary late on Tuesday.

But Paula Medina, 43, and her daughter, Sophie, clutching a red basket were not taking any chances.

Our trust has been shattered thats for sure, Medina told AFP.

But theres so much choice. I think well take a break, and maybe go for something else in the future.

Mars said it was recalling items from Britain, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain, after it already withdrew products from sale in Germany and Netherlands.

READ MORE: India sues Nestle for nearly $100m over food safety

It added that the recall was an isolated incident and strictly limited, and concerns only the products mentioned.

Manufacturing dates for the different products vary, but in general those with a best-before date of between June 19, 2016, and January 8, 2017, are being recalled.

This is a very special situation, Bijveld said. At this moment maybe the risk is not that high, but we cannot say this is in line with our quality requirements.

Mars, which also makes Wrigleys chewing gum, said a full list of affected products could be found on its national websites. But after being down for much of the day it was still hard to find any information in the early evening.

Mars, a family-owned company since it was founded in 1911, reported annual net sales of around $33bn at the end of 2014.

The rival of Kraft Foods and Nestle employs more than 18,400 people in Europe alone and operates in 74 countries worldwide.
Smartphone makers are struggling to convince customers to upgrade their handsets, says a leading analyst.

Leading mobile phone analysts say a sea of sameness is turning buyers away, with many considering gadgets such as cameras or virtual reality accessories instead.

Phone manufacturers have gravitated towards a rectangular touch screen with a camera with a battery; but how do you make that different? asked Ben Wood, an analyst with CCS Insight, in an interview with Al Jazeera.

We went through a decade of innovation from candy bar phones to lips to sliders; there was always a reason to upgrade, but now that is starting to diminish.

Thousands of mobile technology companies and tens of thousands of experts and analysts are gathered this week in the Spanish city of Barcelona for the World Mobile Congress, the worlds largest mobile technology event.

An estimated 1.6 billion mobile phones are sold each year worldwide, but only two of the top five makers  Samsung and Huawei  saw increased sales in the last quarter of 2015, signalling a change in the industry.

The rising Chinese manufacturers are chasing business because their [domestic] market is slowing down, says Wood.

They are looking internationally, so thats why Sony and HTC have gotten left behind, and companies like Samsung and LG are looking over their shoulders.

Wood says that the arrival of cheap high-spec Chinese phones has put margins of all manufacturers under pressure and has forced them to look at other ways to make a profit.

If your margins are being squeezed on your devices, youve got to find some other places where you make that up, he told Al Jazeera.

Samsung is making a big bet on virtual reality and the 360 camera [that] they have announced. LG is going with a modular phone, hoping they can sell people up.





Influence on other products

Technology from mobile phones is also making its way into other products, including a pet and baggage tag that can be tracked worldwide at all times.

The ability to tag and follow becomes really relevant, said Michael OHara, the chief marketing officer of the GSMA, the association of mobile operators and related companies, which runs the Barcelona event.

For instance, with your animals, you can fit them with a collar and follow them. The latest technology allows the batteries in those devices to last for up to 10 years.

The mobile industry is also eager for an individuals phone number to become the main means through which they can be identified online.

An installation at the event demonstrated the technology and how, by using a virtual shopping screen  currently being trialled at bus and metro stops in Dubai  commuters can shop on their way home from work using their mobile phone number.

Its a virtual shopping experience, but what they are actually showing there is that you are using your mobile number to authenticate that it is you, and then you can pay through your cell phone, OHara said.
US president says closing the military prison will protect national security, but opponents declare plan a non-starter.

US President Barack Obama has proposed to once and for all close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay and transfer remaining detainees to a facility in the US  though his plan did not specify where.

Obama, whose pledge to shut down the prison on a naval base in Cuba dates back to the start of his presidency, is seeking to make good on his promise before he leaves office next January.

READ MORE: Hurdles ahead as Obama bids to shut Guantanamo

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Obama said the defense department had submitted to Congress a plan to shut down the military prison, which currently holds 91 detainees.

Let us do what is right for America, let us go ahead and close this chapter, Obama said.

I dont want to pass this problem on to the next president, whoever it is. Are we going to let this linger on for another 15 years? Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law.

US facility

Obamas proposal, however, was immediately rejected by politicians opposed to rehousing prisoners in the United States.

US officials have previously said the plan would include sending 35 detainees who are cleared for transfer to either their home country or to a third country.

The remaining prisoners would be brought back to US soil and held in maximum-security prisons. Congress has banned such transfers to the US mainland since 2011.

Al Jazeeras Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington DC, said leading Republicans had already criticised the plan as being dead on arrival because it does not specify where the administration thinks that these detainees should be transferred if they are allowed to come to US soil.

There are about 13 potential facilities that have been identified but they are not even mentioned in the plan that has just been made public, and so theres a lot of criticism already that what the president is doing is nothing more than political grandstanding, Jordan said.

READ MORE: What to expect from Obamas plan to close Guantanamo

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said: Well review President Obamas plan.

But since it includes bringing dangerous terrorists to facilities in US communities, he should know that the bipartisan will of Congress has already been expressed against that proposal.

The administration wants to avoid fuelling any political outcry over specific sites during a US presidential election year.

However, Pentagon officials have already surveyed a federal prison in Florence, Colorado, a military jail at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the naval brig in Charleston, South Carolina.

An effort will also be made to speed up parole-style reviews to determine whether more prisoners can be added to the group cleared for release, officials said.

The plan will include costs for upgrading US facilities and housing the inmates there, according to a source familiar with the matter. The White House last year rejected one Pentagon proposal as being too expensive, sending it back for revisions.
Pentagon expects to submit proposal on Tuesday, with controversy likely over plans to house prisoners on US soil.

The Pentagon is expected to submit a plan to Congress to close the United States military prison at Guantanamo Bay, setting up a battle with politicians who oppose President Barack Obamas efforts to close down the facility.

Obama, whose pledge to shut down the prison on a naval base in Cuba dates back to the start of his presidency, is seeking to make good on his promise before he leaves office next January.

Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said that the administration intended to meet Tuesdays deadline to present a detailed proposal for closing the facility. There are still 91 prisoners held there.

We understand the deadline is tomorrow, and its our intent to meet it, Davis said on Monday.





US officials have said the plan will include sending 35 detainees who are cleared for transfer to either their home country or to a third country.

The remaining prisoners would be brought back to US soil and held in maximum-security prisons. Congress has banned such transfers to the US mainland since 2011.

Another option will be the possibility of sending some prisoners overseas for prosecution and trial, one US official said, according to the Reuters news agency.

The plan could also serve as a template for how to deal with future combatants captured in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

The document will not name the alternative US prisons under consideration for housing detainees, US officials said.

READ MORE: What to expect from Obamas plan to close Guantanamo

The administration wants to avoid fuelling any political outcry over specific sites during a US presidential election year.

However, Pentagon officials have already surveyed a federal prison in Florence, Colorado, a military jail at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the naval brig in Charleston, South Carolina.

An effort will also be made to speed up parole-style reviews to determine whether more prisoners can be added to the group cleared for release, officials said.

The plan will include costs for upgrading US facilities and housing the inmates there, according to a source familiar with the matter. The White House last year rejected one Pentagon proposal as being too expensive, sending it back for revisions.

Republicans and some Democrats in Congress largely oppose proposals to move any of the prisoners to the US mainland.

Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte said on Monday that the Obama administration refused to level with the American people regarding the terrorist activities and affiliations of the detainees who remain at Guantanamo.

White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, reiterated Obamas view of Guantanamo as a recruiting tool for enemies of the US and urged politicians to look at the plan with an open mind, although he expressed doubt about whether they would do so.

The White House has left open the possibility that Obama might resort to executive powers to close the facility.

The prison was opened in 2002 by former President George W Bush to house foreign suspects rounded up after the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington.

The US quickly drew criticism from human rights activists and foreign governments over Guantanamo, where most prisoners have been held for more than a decade without trial.
Bahrain also joins travel ban after Saudi halted $4bn aid to Lebanon army in response to hostile Hezbollah positions.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon or avoid travelling there.

The move on Tuesday came after Riyadh halted $4bn in aid to Lebanese security forces in response to hostile positions linked to Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah.

The Saudi foreign ministry issued a statement calling on all citizens not to travel to Lebanon, for their safety, and asking citizens residing in Lebanon or visiting not to stay unless extremely necessary.

The statement, run by the official SPA news agency, urged citizens to contact the Saudi Embassy in Beirut.

Announcing the aid halt on Friday, an official said the kingdom had noticed hostile Lebanese positions resulting from the stranglehold of Hezbollah on the state.

The UAE also banned its citizens from travelling to Lebanon and reduced its diplomatic presence in Beirut.

Bahrain also urged citizens against travelling to Lebanon, and called on Bahrainis there already to leave quickly, according to a statement posted to state news.

READ MORE: Lebanon minister quits over Hezbollah domination

On Friday, the United Arab Emirates announced full support of Saudis review of its relations with Lebanon, blaming the countrys failure to condemn Irans aggression after Saudi Arabias embassy was attacked in Tehran in January.

The embassy attack followed the execution of a renowned Shia leader in Saudi Arabia over terrorism charges.

The UAE fully supports the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias decision to halt its aid to the Lebanese army and security forces, said the UAEs foreign ministry statement, posted on state media on Tuesday.

At the same time [the UAE] calls upon Lebanon and its people to restore Lebanon to the Arab Nation where it belongs, away from the Iranian influences adopted by the so-called Hezbollah, the UAE statement added.

READ MORE: Lebanon vows to maintain Saudi ties despite tensions

On Monday, Lebanon tried to repair relations and vowed to support Arab countries and maintain its Arab identity.

Lebanons Prime Minister Tammam Salam said that Lebanon should maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia and that Arab countries must garner a unified response to all obstacles that they face.

Lebanon will not forget Saudi Arabias role  in helping it rebuild the country after the [1975-1990] civil war, Salam said after a cabinet session.

Former prime minister Saad Hariri also expressed loyalty to the kingdom.

Lebanons main political divide pits a Sunni-led coalition against another led by the Iran-backed Shia Hezbollah movement.

Lebanon has seen a series of armed attacks in recent years linked to the conflict in neighbouring Syria.
Damascus accepts terms of US-Russia agreement, as opposition raises concerns about armed groups not included in deal.

Syrias government has said it will accept a halt to combat operations, after the US and Russia agreed on a plan for the cessation of hostilities to begin this weekend.

Several parties to the conflict, however, were sceptical that any peace deal would actually take effect.

In a statement on Tuesday, President Bashar al-Assads government said it would coordinate with Russia to decide what other groups  along with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Nusra Front  should be excluded from the plan.

The government stressed the importance of sealing its borders, halting foreign support to armed groups and preventing these organisations from strengthening their capabilities or changing their positions, in order to avoid what may lead to wrecking this agreement.

The announcement from Damascus came after the US and Russia said on Monday that the International Syria Support Group had agreed to terms for a cessation of hostilities in Syria.

The agreement called on all sides to sign up to the agreement by midday on Friday, February 26 and to stop fighting by midnight.

Hours after the agreement was announced, the Syrian Opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC)  the major opposition bloc involved in negotiations  said it would accept the terms of the deal.

It added, however, that it does not believe Assads regime and its allies would do the same.

Our main concern in the opposition is that both Russia and the regime are not serious about their commitments to the cessation of hostilities, said HNC spokesman Riyad Naasan Agha.

Excluding ISIL and Nusra can be a ploy by the regime and their allies to keep slaughtering our civilians and trying to finish off the real Syrian opposition.

READ MORE: The official terms terms for the cessation of hostilities

Al Jazeeras diplomatic editor James Bays, reporting from New York, said some critics believed the timing of the deal would allow different sides in the conflict to push for more territory in the lead-up to the truce on Friday.

Given everything that is happening in Syria, there is not a great deal of optimism about the proposed cessation of hostilities, particularly as many observers fear there will be an increase in the violence  with the warring sides trying to make gains in the days before it is due to start, he said.

Underscoring those concerns, Russian air strikes continued to pound rebel-held areas of Aleppo city on Monday night, as the governments offensive continued in the province.

Elsewhere, fighting took place on Tuesday between Syrian rebels and the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units in rural areas in the north and west of the province.

Syrias civil war started five years ago when initially peaceful protests against Assads rule gave way to a war that has killed at least 250,000 people and forced millions from the country.
Ex-prime minister living in exile goes on the offensive against those who overthrew his sisters government.

After nearly two years of relative quiet, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailands controversial former prime minister, has gone on a media offensive with a series of interviews lashing out at the countrys military government and its proposed constitution.

Thaksin, who has been living in self-imposed exile for almost 10 years since a coup forced him from office, spoke to Al Jazeera and several other news organisations on Tuesday.

He used the interviews to criticise the current military governments draft constitution, which was unveiled last month, with plans to hold national elections by the end of 2017.

I see [the country going] backward more than forward. So, this is why we start to worry. And when it comes to the draft constitution, [this] is the worst constitution ever, Thaksin told Al Jazeera, comparing it with something that could have been written in North Korea.

I think the situation will not allow them to enjoy the power that much because of the way they run the country. Any regime that is careless about their own people will not last long, he said.

The military government headed by General Prayuth Chan-ocha came to power in May 2014 in a coup in which Thaksins sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, was removed from office.

At the time, the military said it wanted to reconcile the major differences between the two main opposing political sides in Thailand: the Bangkok-based establishment and Thaksin, Yingluck and their allies, who have regularly won the support of the countrys rural populace.

Shinawatra-backed parties have won every general election since 2001.

The military keep urging publicly that they want to do reconciliation  They want to move the country forward, but this is one-and-a-half years [later], and there is no sign of reconciliation, Thaksin told Al Jazeera.

Vice versa They are really siding with one side and then pressuring the other side.

READ MORE: One year of Thai military rule passes with a whisper

After Thaksin had given the series of interviews this week  including to the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and Reuters  Thailands military government responded by saying it was not willing to engage with the former prime minister over the drafting of the constitution.

In an interview with the Bangkok Post , government spokesman Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said: This charter is written to combat corrupt people so they should not be allowed to jointly draft or hold talks on it.

Thaksin was removed from office over corruption allegations and was later sentenced in absentia to two years in prison in 2008.

Since taking power, Human Rights Watch says the military government has banned political activity and peaceful public gatherings; criminalised freedom of expression; made hundreds of arbitrary arrests; and held detainees in incommunicado military detention without safeguards against abuses.
Ankara says its doesnt think a deal would be respected by all and vows to continue targeting Kurdish YPG inside Syria.

Turkey has said it is not optimistic about the implementation of a Syria ceasefire announced by the United States and Russia, and has threatened to continue with artillery strikes against Syrian Kurdish fighters.

I welcome this truce, but I am not very optimistic that it will be respected by all the parties, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters in Ankara on Tuesday.



US and Russia agree on Syria cessation of hostilities

He warned that Turkey could carry on shelling targets of the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) armed group inside Syria, and would continue if necessary to hit back at incoming fire from the neighbouring country even after the truce comes into force on February 27.

READ MORE: Smarter assistance for Syrian refugees

Turkey will defend its territorial integrity. That is clear, Kurtulmus added, saying he had reservations about the viability of the ceasefire as he feared Russia would continue its air strikes in Syria.

We hope that no one will try and carry out air strikes and that no one is going to kill civilians during the ceasefire.

Turkey has been alarmed by advances of YPG forces in northern Syria, fearing they are working to create an autonomous Kurdish region on its doorstep.

INSIDE STORY: Will a ceasefire in Syria hold?

Ankara accuses the YPG, the armed wing of Syrias Democratic Union Party (PYD), of being the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has waged a decades-long armed campaign against the Turkish state.

It also accuses the Syrian Kurdish forces of working alongside Russia, which strongly opposes Ankaras aim of ousting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The ceasefire deal was announced on Monday by Moscow and Washington but does not apply to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group and the al-Nusra Front.

Syrias government said it would accept a halt to combat operations and would coordinate with Russia to decide what other groups  along with ISIL and al-Nusra Front  should be excluded from the plan.

The Syrian Opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC)  the major opposition bloc involved in negotiations  said it would accept the conditions, although it expressed pessimism that the Syrian government would honour its end of the bargain.
Main opposition leader driven to police station for second day in a row as he tries to protest against election results.

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been carted off to a police cell for the second straight day after he defied a house arrest order and tried to protest against presidential election results.

Besigye was on Tuesday grabbed by police outside his home on the outskirts of the capital Kampala, forced into a van and spirited away at high speed, his supporters told Al Jazeera.

Officials later confirmed he was being held at a police station and said they would continue with what they called a tactic of preventative arrest until the Forum for Democractic Change (FDC) party leader stopped trying to take to the streets.

READ MORE: Heres what Ugandans really want

President Yoweri Museveni, who seized power as the leader of a rebellion in 1986, was returned to office in last weeks vote with 60.8 percent of the ballot, the electoral commission said.

Besigye secured 35.4 percent, according to the results, in a poll that he alleged was rigged.

The 59-year-old opposition veteran had been brought back to his home by police late on Tuesday night after a previous attempt to leave the house on Monday and join supporters who had planned to march on the headquarters of the countrys electoral commission.



The moment Besigye was taken away on Monday captured on camera by Al Jazeera.

On that occasion, Besigye was dramatically bundled by police into an unmarked van, which then sped from the property pursued by other police vehicles, and cars carrying supporters and journalists.

Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, an FDC spokesman, told Al Jazeera that the police presence outside Besigyes home appeared to have been beefed up on Tuesday.

Intimidating atmosphere

Police said they were preventing Besigye from marching to the electoral commission, where he says he plans to collect official results, because he had not been given government permission.

His behaviour is not appropriate and it is unnecessary given that the election commission has already agreed to issue an official tally of the results, police spokesman Fred Enanga told Al Jazeera.

Life is going back to normal in Kampala, businesses are re-opening and children are going back to school, and we cannot allow Besigye and his supporters to disrupt that.

The FDC has said that any march would be peaceful, but authorities accused it of plotting to cause trouble.

READ MORE: Fear and hope surrounds Ugandas election

Besigye, who was once close to Museveni and served as his field doctor during the war which brought the long-time president to power, has been detained five times in a little over a week.

He was arrested on election day as he tried to show journalists what he said was a vote-rigging operation in a suburban house, and he was held on a separate occasion when he tried to stage a rally in the centre of the capital.

A European Union observer mission said Thursdays vote lacked transparency and had been conducted in an intimidating atmosphere.

US Secretary of State John Kerry phoned Museveni to voice his concern over the harassment of opposition figures and an apparent shutdown of social media services, the state department said.

Museveni, 71, dismissed accusations that the electoral commission favoured him and his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and said he was unconcerned by the EU missions statement.

I told those Europeans  I dont need lectures from anybody, Museveni said.
Damascus has accepted the Russian-US cessation of hostilities plan, but insists it will continue to fight terrorism.

After years of fighting and months of diplomatic wrangling, the United States and Russia have agreed to a cessation of hostilities in Syria.

It is supposed to start first thing on Saturday and requires both countries to persuade their allies on the ground to stop fighting.

But there are major problems. The agreement excludes the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Nusra Front and allows air strikes to continue against both of those groups.

And Syrian rebels say the exclusion of al-Nusra Front gives Russia a pretext to continue to attack areas in which various rebel groups are tightly packed.

So, how will this plan work? And could it really lead to a political statement?

Presenter: Mike Hanna

Guests:

Jean-Marc Rickli  Associate Fellow, Geneva Centre for Security Policy.

Mark Sleboda  International relations and security analyst.

Justin Bronk  Research analyst, Royal United Services Institute.
Ahmet Davutoglu discusses the recent attacks in Turkey, the downed Russian military jet, and the refugee situation.

At this moment, probably no other country finds itself more in the crosshairs of all the dramatic changes sweeping across the Middle East and Europe than Turkey.

Bombs have been set off in Ankara and Istanbul, killing hundreds and leading to direct confrontation with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL) and armed Kurdish groups.



We by Ahmet

any challenges, any attack, against it.]

A raging war is going on in neighbouring Syria, with only a fragile ceasefire on the horizon.

Three months ago, when a Russian military jet over Syria breached its border, the Turkish military shot it down. The result was hostile rhetoric from both sides and a tense relationship with Moscow.

At the same time, there are more than two million refugees on Turkish soil, and more are entering every day  all this pushing Turkey towards a showdown with the European Union.

How long can all this continue? Is there a possibility Turkey will lose its patience and order some sort of military intervention in Syria against Kurdish and government forces? And if so, is a military conflict with Russia in the cards?

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu talks to Al Jazeera.
Mental health and student diversity are important issues to the second candidate for vice president of Student Affairs.

On Monday morning, Kent Porterfield came to UF to showcase his ideas for the position to about 70 UF staff and faculty members at Smathers Library. After his presentation with faculty, he had a Q&A session with about 20 students in the Matthews Suite on the fourth floor of the Reitz Union. Porterfield is currently the vice president for student development at St. Louis University.

While speaking with UF faculty and staff, Porterfield said he plans to mentor students. He said he wants to monitor students who seek help with academics and mental health concerns to ensure they stay on track to graduate.

More satisfied students  more engaged students  are better students, he said. Their voices are so powerful, and they will also point out and tell you where youre not getting it right.

He said he wants to make UF more inclusive.

I think we have to raise our game as a staff, he said. I dont think you can talk about multicultural competence, for example, without examining the concepts of privilege, marginalization and oppression.

He said he wants to address issues inhibiting students access to education, such as affordability and over-regulation of administrators.

Mary Kay Carodine, the assistant vice president for Student Affairs, attended the presentation at Smathers Library. She said she thought Porterfield had a strong presentation with good research. She said she liked his approach to diversity and inclusivity.

He really understood all the work it takes and the ways we have to examine ourselves, she said.

After the presentation, he met with students in the Matthews Suite.

Porterfield said he encountered student activists while at St. Louis University. He said students held a protest on campus in response to an off-duty police officer shooting a young black man near the university, which is located about 14 miles from Ferguson, Missouri.

At that time, it wasnt Black Lives Matter, he said. It was just community and students.

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He told students that while at St. Louis University, he offered guidance to the Student Body president. He said he would like to work with UFs Student Government.

Maria Pitt, a UF graphic design senior, said she attended the student session to ask Porterfield questions. She said she liked that he has experience dealing with issues of race and diversity.

He could bring that experience here, the 21-year-old said.
While barbarity and violence are hard for the human race to shake (after all, why stop what youre good at?), there are some outdated habits we can nip in the bud in the spirit of progress. True, the long and arduous fight to abandon nose-picking is one that requires societys undivided attention, but Im referring to the reaffirmation of the U.S. Constitutions most important tenant: the separation of church and state. Its time we ignore faith when taking part in the selection of the leader of the free world.

Amid the hustle and bustle of the 2016 Presidential elections, a hot topic for voters, pundits and super PACs have been forced to consider the religiosity of the candidates they stand behind. Between Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pandering to evangelists and the scrutiny of Hillary Clintons devotion to Jesus, it is clear that faith plays an important role in how the American public elects their leaders. A very particular kind of faith.

But why?

Why is being faithful, particularly Christian, a de jure prerequisite for being president of the United States?

According to a Gallup Poll done in July of 2015, 40 percent of Americans would not vote for an atheist and 38 percent would not consider voting for a Muslim president. Though the general consensus is that Americans have become more accepting over time, the need to see a god-fearing president elected still reigns supreme. It doesnt hurt to fear the right god either. The prospect of a polytheist president punctuating addresses to the nation with May the gods bless America is as humorous as it is sacrilegious for a sizeable majority of Americans.

Scriptures irrevocable role in American politics has led to a culture of discrimination against those who dont believe in the right god or dont believe at all, leading a number of voters to write off leaders with great potential and perspective. In the worst case, it has seeped into the mechanics of policy in deciding what students of public schools can and cannot learn, as well as the rights of Americans in deciding who is allowed to love whom.

As a president should never be discounted for being a Christian, so should he or she never be obliged to be one in order to hold office. The unfettered influence of Christianity in politics is a complete disregard of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, a constitution that many of these same religiously devout people hold next to God in sanctity. When the right to bear arms or a states right to deny rights are at hand, the Constitution might as well BE the Bible. But the First Amendment seems to have been tossed aside and ignored altogether like the Apocrypha.

The Founding Fathers of our nation intended a government that held no religion higher than another. Yet for all the veneration they receive from Americans, religious or not, their vision for progressiveness is vastly ignored and understood only as one of those superfluous wisdoms the Constitution is full of.

Some of these men were religious Christians themselves, yet they nonetheless understood the importance of keeping faith from the workings of government. They understood the complexity of religion could be perverted and used as a political tool by rousing factions, alienating minorities and legislating unfair laws. We seem to have forgotten that.

Beyond the First Amendment, the Founding Fathers echoed the sentiment of no religious affiliation in Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli, saying, the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." If we as a nation could hold these truths to be self-evident, we would be better off.

People who demand Muslims denounce those who commit murder and war in the name of Islam should apply their enthusiasm to religious Americans: Have them denounce the meshing of church and state.

Justin Ford is a UF journalism junior. His column appears on Tuesdays.

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There is a growing trend in Israel and the West at large to criminalize and enact opposition against protest activity, such as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeted at the practices of the Israeli government. Prejudices regarding BDS aside, we must focus on the issue at hand: the chipping away of free speech for the purposes of security or allegiance to the Israeli government.

For a brief contextualization, the West Bank is considered Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory, according to the Human Rights Watch and the United Nations. As Israel expands settlements and opens factories in the West Bank, Palestinians seek job opportunities in these factories. The BDS movement vows to boycott such goods made in Israeli settlements, seeing the occupation as illegitimate and harmful to Palestinian sovereignty. Many view the movement as problematic; many support it. To illustrate the issue at hand, in 2011, Israel passed a law that deems any public call for a boycott against Israel or its West Bank settlements a punishable offense. Despite its strong opposition of boycotts against Israel, the Anti-Defamation League  a U.S.-based Jewish group  claimed the law impinged on basic democratic rights of Israelis to freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

This aggressive legislative trend against BDS sympathizers is apparent in the Western hemisphere. Just last October, the Court of Cassation  Frances highest appeals court  passed a verdict on BDS protesters from 2009 and 2010 who had demonstrated at a local grocery store, firmly calling for a boycott of Israeli-made goods. The court found the protesters guilty of discriminatory hate speech and charged the group 12,000 euros.

In my view, this is a rather extraordinary charge for the French government, which hosted the post-Charlie Hebdo free-speech marches for protesters without incident. Trends in the U.K. and U.S. are more legislative. On Feb. 14, The Independent ran a story on the British governments plans to ban publicly-funded institutions from supporting organizations that boycott unethical companies, indirectly targeting BDSs boycotts of unethical Israeli companies.

Likewise, in the U.S., should President Obama sign off on certain provisions within the new Customs Bill, the distinction between Israeli businesses and Israeli-occupied (West Bank) businesses would be absolved. As Eyal Press of The New York Times argues, the industrial zones dotting the occupied territories would have the same status as the high-tech industry in Tel Aviv.

Thus, the labor abuses and discrimination against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied workplace, documented by the H.R.W., would be formally unrecognized by U.S. business practices. To be clear, this piece is not a blind endorsement of BDS, nor is it anti-Israel. As journalist Glenn Greenwald argues, The issue here, obviously, is not whether BDS is a persuasive policy but whether people should be criminalized for advocating it.

We openly advocate sanctions against countries such as Russia and Iran. We all remember last year when 47 U.S. senators signed a letter to Iran that formally denounced the nuclear deal, a part of which offers a lifting of sanctions, should Iran comply.

So is the issue that the BDS protesters call for sanctions against another county? No. Does it have anything to do with rising Islamophobia and the Wests decades-long political contingency with the Israeli government? Yes, probably.

Ultimately, free speech is not measured by marches or pledges of commitment but by the extent to which we consistently apply it. The vitality of the American dream resides in our willingness to uphold these liberal, progressive values, not because doing so is easy  to channel some good, old John F. Kennedy  but because it is hard.

Bringing it back to Gainesville, though we may disagree with those particularly vocal Christian groups and pro-lifers who make the occasional scene on Turlington Plaza, these individuals have the right to speak without facing unjust criminal charges. And this right should apply to all, including those who speak out against policies of the Israeli government.

David Hoffman is a UF history and physics sophomore. His column appears on Tuesdays.

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           2005     ..        
On Friday, February 19th, the annual meeting of the French Teaching Committee for military cooperation took place at the Alliance Francaise in Accra. This teaching project, created in 2003 by the military cooperation of the Embassy of France to Ghana with the Education Department of the Ghanaian Army, allows officers to learn French in order []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...










ACTUALITES JNU controversy has potential of solving Kashmir problem

Alwihda Info | Par Hem Raj Jain - 23 Fevrier 2016



Bengaluru, India

Dear Editor



(i)- PM Modi finds JNU controversy politically profitable as Muslim factor is involved (ii)- JNU controversy has potential of solving Kashmir problem



---- The sedition charges slapped on Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) by Union of India have raised following important points / issues:-



(1)- Prime Minister Modi is involved in JNU controversy as is evident from the fact that Delhi Police Commissioner Bassi went to PMO in the morning on February, 17 and after that Delhi Police, despite order of Supreme Court of India (SCI), again allowed Hindutva goons (including and mainly advocates) to beat, journalist, students, faculty and even under trial JNU Student Union President Kanhaiya. The pro - Hindutva Modi is doing it for the simple reason that he finds it politically profitable as Muslim factor is involved (due to Pakistan, Muslim Kashmiri separatists, Muslim Afzal Guru, Islamic Jihadi terrorism etc )



(2)- Patriotism and Nationalism of citizens (real sovereigns) are not supposed to be questioned in any democracy. The State slapping sedition charges on citizens tantamount to be more loyal than the king.



(3)- The SCI has ruled that unless a person is directly involved in violence sedition charge cannot be invoked. Though element of violence was not involved still government booked JNU students under sedition charges. Whereas government is not slapping sedition charges on hundreds of thousands of Jats (Hindus) in Haryana who were agitating for reservation and have indulged in wide spread violence, immense damage to government and private properties etc. This is legally objectionable blatant discrimination, if sedition law is interpreted according to Delhi Police.



(4)- Moreover since when such so-called anti-national slogans have become a crime in India especially when such slogans are regularly raised (especially on every Friday after Namaz) in J&K (Kashmir valley) ? Unless Union of India thinks that J&K is not a part of India.



(5)- Because coward & irresponsible Indian Muslims did not get status-quo-ante of Babri Mosque restored through SCI, the Hindutva goons got immensely emboldened which resulted in post-Mosque-demolition-riots including 2002 Gujarat massacre.



(6)- On February, 17 despite SCI order, Hindutva goons (including and mainly advocates) not only indulged in violence in and out of Patiala - house Court but these accused advocates (so-called officers of the court) are unrepentant and have been giving interviews to prominent TV Channels as to how they perpetrated this violence with the complicity of Delhi Police and in future also how they will do similar violence including murder of Kanhayia in Tihar Jail by Petrol-bomb. But SCI so far has not taken any prompt and exemplary action either against Delhi Police or against these accused advocates - which gives an unavoidable impression that SCI is also scared of Hindutva goons.



(7)- For healthy intellectual culture of the Universities free expression, debate, inquiry etc are necessary. Hence Police should be allowed to enter campuses only on such request from Vice Chancellors of Universities (on the basis of finding of internal mechanism of the University) otherwise creativity of the Universities will be finished.



(8)- All these problems are due to martial deficiency of India (which did not retrieve POK militarily though Pakistan much smaller than India tried so many times). But this JNU controversy may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the people of J&K. Due to martial deficiency of India earlier mainly Kashmiri Muslims were suffering where Indian Military (instead of taking-on Pak military for retrieving POK) is showing its bravery by training its guns on Indian citizens (the people of J&K), with the support of AFSPA etc.



(9)- Indian Muslims have rendered themselves as second class citizens of India, also by not filing writ petition in SCI (i)- To get reservation laws quashed under Article 13 and 14 of Constitution though these laws are discriminatory against Muslims, giving reservation to even those of Hindus who once ruled in India but not to Muslims (ii) To get justice in 2002 Gujarat massacre cases by invoking section 130 & 131 CrPC. But now in JNU controversy merely Muslims are not involved rather Hindus from not only JNU but from other Universities (including Jadavpur University Kolkata where too such slogans were raised) are also involved. Moreover involvement of more such Hindu Students (even with the support of Hindu faculty members of various Universities, Hindu politicians, Hindu social activists etc) is inevitable.



Therefore people of J&K (especially Kashmiri Muslims) should cheer-up and may hope for early Kashmir solution through this JNU controversy.



Regards



Hem Raj Jain



(Author of Betrayal of Americanism)



Bengaluru, India





Dans la meme rubrique : < > Le rugby a Madagascar : le pays fou du rugby TeslaCoin : plateforme de trading ou cryptomonnaie ? Tchad : un projet dassistance et de protection en faveur des migrants au Batha Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 576th meeting, held on 16 February 2016, in Addis Ababa, dedicated an open session to the theme: migration, peace and security in Africa. Council took note of the presentations on migration, peace and security in Africa by the Head of the European Union []Source : http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos has opened a condolence book in honour of the deceased former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. The former Secretary General died on the 16th of February 2016 at the age of 93. He was the sixth Secretary-General and the first African Secretary General of the United Nations. He served []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...




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Roman tavern unearthed in southern France

Aerial view of a possible ancient tavern, with three reddish circles marking the bread ovens and pebbles marking

built-in benches in the dining room at the right [Credit: Lattes excavations]

The kitchen of what looks like an ancient tavern, with three reddish circles where the three ovens -- for baking flatbread

and other dishes -- once stood [Credit: Lattes excavations]

The dining room of what might have been an ancient tavern, showing banks of pebbles where built-in benches

once stood against the walls [Credit: Lattes excavations]

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Archaeologists digging in southern France have found a restaurant-like structure roughly 2,100 years old, making it one of the earliest such taverns in the western Mediterranean.The dining complex in the ancient town of Lattara was open for business as the Romans conquered the area, bringing with them ideas that would shake up the local economy and way of life. According to the taverns discoverers, Lattaras people were farmers before the Romans marched in; after the Roman takeover, new kinds of jobs likely arose  and so did dining out.If youre not growing your own food, where are you going to eat? says archaeologist Benjamin Luley of Gettysburg College, co-author of a new study in Antiquity describing the site. The Romans, in a very practical Roman way, had a very practical solution  a tavern.At first the researchers thought theyd uncovered a bakery. In a room near a key intersection in Lattara, excavations over the last five years revealed the remains of three indoor gristmills and a trio of ovens, each three to four feet across, commonly used to bake flatbread. A home cook had no need for equipment on such an industrial scale.In another room just across a courtyard, earthen benches lined the walls and a charcoal-burning hearth occupied the middle of the floor. Those features suggested a sit-down joint rather than a takeout counter.The menu mustve been extensive. Fish bones littered the kitchen, and bones from sheep and cattle were found in the courtyard. The floors were scattered with shards of fancy drinking bowls imported from Italy, as well as debris from large platters and bowls, report Luley and his colleague Gael Piques of Frances National Center for Scientific Research.The interpretation of the site as a tavern is plausible, says one scholar who was not associated with the research. The Celtic people of western Europe were famous (or infamous) in antiquity for their love of wine, the University of Buffalos Stephen Dyson, an expert in Roman archaeology, says via email. The ceramic remains show they imported the drinking vessels as well as the wine. No guzzling, sotted Celts these.But the site did not yield any coins, suggesting the complex couldve been a private dining room, says Roman historian Penny Goodman of Britains University of Leeds. She also says there was ample trade and jobs for artisans in the region even before the Roman conquest, so it wasnt necessarily the Romans arrival that spurred demand for a tavern.Luley responds that before the Romans, Lattara show no evidence of large workshops that needed lots of labor. He also argues that people tend not to lose coins, so the absence of money in the tavern doesnt mean diners werent paying for their meals.Broken pottery, however, was regarded as trash, and at Lattara that trash is now providing a window into the carousing that took place. Theyre eating a fair amount, Luley says, but the most common ceramic object we found are drinking cups, making a first-century-B.C. diner sound like the bars of today.
Saving the wildlife 'miracle' of Congo's Garamba park

A family of elephants is pictured from a helicopter in the Garamba

National Park [Credit: AFP]

A young female elephant lies sedated as Garamba National Park rangers

attach a GPS collar to track her movements [Credit: AFP]

Map, illustration and figures detailing the ivory poaching trade, its affect on Garamba

National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and showing the main transit

routes for the stolen ivory [Credit: AFP]

Security officials replace an elephant tusk in a strong room with stockpiles

of ivory confiscated from poachers in the Garamba National Park

[Credit: AFP]

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Chronic insecurity, regional conflict, tough terrain and isolation make Africa's Garamba park perhaps the most difficult place on the continent to practice conservation.North-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where the park is situated, is a bad neighbourhood: South Sudan to the north collapsed in civil war in 2013, as did nearby Central African Republic a year earlier, while Congo itself is still plagued by armed groups including rebels, horseback raiders and renegade soldiers."This is one of the most trouble-ridden parts of Africa," said Chris Thouless of Save the Elephants, a conservation organisation. "Simply, Garamba's survival is an absolute miracle."There is no doubt what is at stake: 40 years ago there were close to 500 northern white rhinos, more than 20,000 elephants and 350 giraffes. Today the rhinos have been wiped out, there are less than 1,500 elephants and just 38 giraffes.When Pete Morkel first visited Garamba to put tracking collars on northern white rhinos in the 1990s, it was a different place."It was quite easy to see rhinos, there was a lot more elephant, a lot more hippo, just a lot more of everything," said the 55-year old Namibian vet.In February he was in Garamba again to put radio tracking collars on elephants and giraffes, darting the animals from a hovering helicopter.Eight giraffes and 28 elephants now have collars enabling conservationists to monitor their every movement and park rangers to track their whereabouts.The existence of the tiny Kordofan giraffe population, the last in Congo, is particularly precarious and special units are assigned to protect them.When conservation non-profit African Parks took over management of Garamba in 2005, it was too late to save the northern white rhino, now the struggle is to protect what's left."Garamba is one of the toughest national parks in Africa today," said Erik Mararv, African Parks' 30-year Garamba manager who deploys rangers, soldiers, a helicopter and an aeroplane to monitor and protect 12,400 square kilometres (4,800 square miles) of forest and grassland from armed poachers."It's such a special area in such an unlikely place," he said.The sky over Garamba is a full dome stretching between horizons, vaulting over an immense undulating dry season savannah of charred monochrome elephant grass, like bunches of porcupine quills, and scattered sausage trees, fat fruit dangling from rope-like stalks.The landscape is tinder dry, cut through by lazily meandering rivers and pockmarked with old anthills.Garamba was established in 1938, making it the continent's second oldest park after Virunga to the south.Old black and white photographs are all that remains of a once famous elephant domestication programme. They show white men in pith helmets sitting on an elephant-drawn plough, or regal upon a horse in sparkling jodhpurs with elephants and locals lined up in neat rows on either side like a coronation scene from Jean de Brunhoff's cartoon "Babar".In 1980 Garamba was made a World Heritage Site, but a quarter of a century later the rhinos the designation was intended to protect were gone.Today the presence of vehicles and people is rareand because of poachers, sometimes deadlyso the animals are skittish. Elephants quickly plod away in a cloud of dust; antelopes prick up their ears and pause before darting into the bush.There are no tourists here but Mararv hopes that might change in 2017, helping make Garamba sustainable in the long run. He imagines a mobile tented camp out on the vast grasslands to complement the existing tourist lodge on the Dungu River.The park costs around $3 million (2.7 million euros) a year to run, much of that donated by the European Union, so Mararv is considering other schemes to help fund Garamba, such as a hydroelectric dam on one of the park's many riversall tributaries to the colossal Congoselling power to nearby mining operations.But before any of that can happen the park must be secured. Although 2015 was a difficult year it was an improvement on the one before when some conservationists wondered if the park could survive."There's been a massive improvement in law enforcement within Garamba but elephants are still being killed at an unsustainable rate," said Thouless.He manages the Elephant Crisis Fund, which was kick-started by a million dollar donation from actor Leonardo DiCaprio in 2014, and disburses emergency money to protect threatened elephant populations, including in Garamba.Despite the years of turmoil and the continuing peril in which Garamba's animals survive, park authorities believe that a corner is being turned."I get such a good feeling about Garamba now," said Morkel. "There's discipline and focus. This is a functional park."
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) will continue its multidimensional efforts in 2016 for the support to Artsakh by the US and advance of Armenian interests. Being one of the most influential American-Armenian establishments, the Committee has already accumulated long years of experience of works with the Administration, Congress and the foreign policy community in Washington, DC and in state capitals across America to advance a broad array of targeted public policy initiatives in support of the status, security, and development of the independent Republic of Nagorno Karabakh. Armenpress reports comprehensively introducing all activity directions, the Committee reconfirms in the report that it will continue it targeted initiatives for Artsakhs independence, security and development.

The steps presented in the report document that the ANCA has made significant achievements both in terms of assisting Artsakh politically, financially and diplomatically and counter-measuring anti-Armenian policy of Azerbaijan.

Among the ANCAs recent and ongoing pro-Arsakh programs are the following: DIRECT U.S. ASSISTANCE: At the urging of the ANCA, the U.S. has provided direct aid to Nagorno Karabakh since FY1998. This appropriation (the only such direct aid provided to Artsakh by any country) was made over the objections of the White House and despite continued strident opposition from Baku. The ANCA presses for the continued appropriation and timely allocation of each dollar intended by Congress. This aid recently helped conclude a clean water project in Stepanakert and is currently targeted, in consultation with the Nagorno Karabakh government, to finalize the demining of farmlands in Artsakhs interior. The ANCA is seeking U.S. funding for the operations and upgrade of a vitally important regional rehabilitation center.

ENCOURAGING U.S. CONDEMNATION OF AZERBAIJANI AGGRESSION: The ANCA is committed to ending the counter-productive U.S. and OSCE pattern of false parity and encouraging a firm response to Azerbaijans ongoing threats and acts of aggression. Progress has been registered on this front, primarily in the wake of the Safarov scandal, as international mediators have shown an increased willingness to criticize Azerbaijans violations of the cease-fire. Members of Congress have played a key role in highlighting both Bakus aggression and urging an end to the pattern of weak U.S. responses to Azerbaijani attacks.

OPPOSING MILITARY AID TO AZERBAIJAN: The ANCA continues to press the Administration and Congress to eliminate U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan until it ceases acts and threats of violence, and commits to a purely peaceful resolution. Cutting-off this aid would not materially harm Azerbaijans multi-billion dollar military but would represent a powerful symbol of U.S. opposition to Bakus acts and threats of aggression.

ROYCE-ENGEL PEACE PROPOSALS: The Chairman and Ranking Democrat of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce (R-CA) and Eliot Engel (D-NY), spearheaded an October 2015 bipartisan letter, signed by 85 Representatives, calling for an end to the failed OSCE policy of artificial evenhandedness in responding to Azerbaijani aggression, and making three concrete pro-peace recommendations: An agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers along the line of contact. The placement of OSCE-monitored, gunfire-locator systems to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact. The deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact.

STATE LEVEL RECOGNITION: The ANCA works with a broad range of official U.S. stakeholders to secure American affirmation, at all levels, of the security and independent status of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh. To date, the U.S. states of Maine, Louisiana, Rhode Island, California, and Massachusetts have recognized the independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, and Maryland has cited the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh in an official resolution.

OPPOSING ANTI-ARMENIAN STATE LEVEL INITIATIVES: The ANCA has recently succeeded in blocking Bakus campaign of state-level anti-Armenian initiatives in Tennessee, South Dakota, Wyoming, Missouri, Mississippi, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Hawaii.

ENDING THE ISOLATION OF ARTSAKH: For the first time ever, on December 9, 2015, the U.S. representative to the Minsk Group peace process, Ambassador James Warlick, attended a Congressional program celebrating Nagorno Karabakhs dedication to peace and freedom. Rejecting calls by Baku to boycott such events, Ambassador Warlick took part in the event, speaking with Nagorno Karabakhs Foreign Minister, Members of Congress, and leaders of the Armenian American community.

PUBLIC REBUKE OF WHITE HOUSE KHOJALY PETITION: As a result of targeted ANCA pressure, the White House declined to condemn or even mention Khojaly in its public response to an on-line White House petition that had secured the requisite 100,000 signatures (many from abroad) to trigger an answer from the Obama Administration. The White Houses refusal to engage with Azerbaijans false historical narrative represented a public setback for Bakus effort to enlist the White House in its anti-Armenian campaigns.

BRYZA NOMINATION: The ANCA helped block Senate confirmation of President Obamas nominee to serve as Ambassador to Azerbaijan, due to his anti-Armenian bias and his inappropriately close ties to the Azerbaijani government and Caspian oil interests. This defeat (covered widely by the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, etc.) represented a watershed moment in the push back against undue Azerbaijani influence, sending a powerful message to the foreign policy community.

DJULFA DESECRATION: The ANCA continues to press for a thorough U.S. inquiry into the State Departments failure to adequately protest and investigate the Azerbaijani governments December 2005 videotaped, systematic desecration and destruction of an ancient Armenian cemetery and thousands of intricately-carved grave stones in Djulfa, Nakhichevan. Due to Senate pressure, two successive U.S. Ambassadors have pledged to visit Djulfa. Both have been publicly blocked by Baku.

The ANCA continues to press for the inclusion of this desecration in the State Departments human rights and religious freedom reports.

STEPANAKERT AIRPORT: The ANCA affirms the right of the people of Artsakh to free travel and has worked with Members of Congress to protest Azerbaijani threats to shoot down civilian airplanes using the soon to be opened Stepanakert airport. The ANCA counters ill-advised efforts, by the U.S. government or the OSCE, to, in any way, discourage the opening of this transport facility.

SUMGAIT/BAKU: In an effort to raise awareness and secure U.S. condemnation of Azerbaijans pogroms against Armenians in the cities of Sumgait (February 27-29, 1988), Kirovabad (November 21-27, 1988) and Baku (January 13-19, 1990), the ANCA helps facilitate official statements by Members of Congress in February and March of each year. In February of 2015, the ANCA organized the first ever Capitol Hill advocacy days by Armenians with roots in Azerbaijan. These survivors, and their children, marked the 25th anniversary of the Baku pogroms at a Capitol Hill remembrance, offered detailed accounts about the anti-Armenian massacres, advocated for the security and independence of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, and called for increased U.S. aid to its citizens.

MADRID PRINCIPLES: While supporting the OSCE as the ongoing platform for the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh issue, the ANCA continues to voice serious reservations against the dangers of the presently-formulated Madrid Principles, which demand strategic, up-front, and irrevocable concessions by the Armenian side in return for vague paper promises of future action by Azerbaijan.

ARTSAKH PARTICIPATION IN PEACE PROCESS: The ANCA consistently presses for the reinstatement of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh as a full participant in all talks by the OSCE Minsk Group.

PRISONERS OF WAR/CAPTURED ARMENIANS: The ANCA continues to track each Armenian imprisoned by Azerbaijan, regularly inquiring about their situation and encouraging their timely release in discussions with the Administration and the Red Cross.

CHALLENGING STATE DEPARTMENTS ACCUSATION OF ARMENIAN OCCUPATION: Over the past decade the ANCA has worked consistently for the removal of the word occupy from the State Departments description of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in its human rights report and other public statements. The current language, while still not fully accurate, represents an improvement over past text.

COUNTERING TURKISH INTERFERENCE: The ANCA regularly counters Turkeys efforts, via the U.S. government and the OSCE, to establish itself as a meaningful player in the Karabakh peace process, despite its clear bias as a political, military, and economic enabler of Azerbaijan.

DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY: The ANCA, in August of 2015, organized a successful nationwide advocacy campaign that led to the public release of an Office of Congressional Ethics 70-page finding on the Azerbaijani governments potentially illegal funding of Congressional junkets.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenpress state news agency introduces on the air of Lratvakan.am all that you will read, hear and see on todays news.

Parliamentary elections will take place in Iran on February 26. Expert in Iranian studies Gohar Iskandaryan will speak on the theme today, on February 23. She will also touch upon the parliamentary bid of Armenian candidates.

February 27 is the remembrance day of Sumgait massacres. What lessons have been taken from history? What kind of international reaction has the issue received? Which problems facing the refugees continue to remain unsolved? Executive director of "Against Illegal Arbitrariness" NGO Larisa Alaverdyan, director of the Ahazang (Alert) NGO Julieta Yeremyants, lawyer, human rights activist, a refugee from Baku Anna Astvatsaturian, Project Manager of "Ordinary Genocide" Marina Grigoryan will speak about these and other related issues. "Ordinary Genocide" project is implemented by the Department of Public Relations and Mass Media of Republic of Armenia Presidents Office.

A lawsuit has been filed in relations with pocketing fuel worth nearly 73 million drams from Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine CJSC. Resident of Kajaran city, lawyer of Gor Stepanyan, employer in Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine, Garik Khachikyan will detail on the case.

We often witness demonstration of irreverent treatment towards doctors in our reality, which sometimes are solved by court decisions. Doctors and lawyers will voice about issues of their concern in this regard.

On the occasion of the day of the Motherland Defender, freedom fighter, intelligence officer Vova Vardanov, President of Artsakh War Veterans' Union NGO Yuri Mikaelyan, author of patriotic songs RazmarSasuntsi will speak about comprehending the importance of defending the Motherland and raising the reputation of army among the youth.

Do the meter readings correspond to real electricity consumption? To what extent the complaints of the citizens are justified? Armen Poghosyan, Chairman of the Consumers' Association of Armenia NGO and coordinator of Out of Our Pocket civil initiative Armen Yepremyan will try to give answers to these and other issues.

Hayazn Party plans to get a so-called mandate for revolution from the people. And how they will do it will become clear after the speeches of party board members Armen Aghayan and Armen Hovhannisyan.

More on these and other topics is available on armenpress.am. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The rival violated the ceasefire regime in the line of contact of the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijani armed forces on February 22 and 23, firing over 900 shots at Armenian positions from different caliber weapons.

Armenpress was informed from the Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic that the Defence Army troops are in full control of the situation and confidently carry out their military duty.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory address in connection with the Motherland Defender's Day on February 23.

As Armenpress was informed from the Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic President, the address reads as follows:

"Dear compatriots,

On behalf of the Artsakh Republic authorities and personally myself I cordially congratulate you on the Motherland Defender's Day.

Today is a holiday in every Artsakh home as it is hard to find a family in our country that has not participated in the sacred mission of defending the Motherland. This day is a holiday for our whole people for many brave Armenians from all around the world carved the freedom and independence of Artsakh.

I congratulate all of you and especially those who day and night are guarding the borders of our native country, defending the peace of the native people, giving us the opportunity to live and work in peace. I am referring to our brave soldiers, officers and generals, our heroic Army that has always been and would remain the pride of our people, the main guarantor of our security. Eternal glory and honor to the devoted sons of Artsakh!

Dear friends,

On this festive day I wish peace, robust health, success and all the best to you, invincible strength and power to the defenders of the Motherland".
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. On February 23 by 10.00 all state and interstate highways in the Republic are mainly passable.

As Armenpress was informed from the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia, Vardenyats Pass is closed.

Sotk-Karvachar highway is difficult to pass.

As the department of Emergency Situations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of The Republic of Georgia informs Stepantsminda-Lars highway is closed.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The National Assembly (NA) will elect the new Human Rights Defender during its February 23 session. The NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs has nominated Arman Tatoyans candidacy for the post of Human Rights Defender.

According to the new Constitution, the parliament will elect the Human Rights Defender by qualified majority (3/5 of votes). This means that at least 79 votes are necessary for the election of the Human Rights Defender.

As the ruling Republican Party had nominated Arman Tatoyans candidacy, it can be assumed that all 70 Republican MPs will vote for him. ARF faction with 5 MPs have also officially announced about their decision to vote for him.

The Armenian National Congress (ANC) has announced that it will not participate in the election but ANV faction member Nikol Pashinyan announced on February 22 that he will vote for Arman Tatoyan.

Head of Heritage Party faction announced about her decision to vote against Tatoyans candidacy. Other members of the faction, Alexander Arzumanyan, Tevan Poghosyan and Rubik Hakobyan have not introduced any clear decision and they will probably express their opinion during the election.

Rule of Law party has announced about its decision to vote against Tatoyan, and the Prosperous Armenia party has no party decision, all faction members will vote according to their perceptions and ideas.

Therefore, it can be predicted that Arman Tatoyan will manage to gather the necessary 79 votes and will become the new Human Rights Defender. But if he fails, The NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs must nominate a new candidate for the post.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan, being under some pressure from the West, now attempts to overcome the isolation through Iran. Chair of YSU Political Institutions and Processes, political scientist Garik Keryan expressed such an opinion in an interview with Armenpress, referring to Aliyevs visit to Iran.

-Mr. Keryan, conditioned by the lifting of sanctions from Iran, new opportunities emerge in the region. What new direction could you indicate in terms of Armenian-Iranian relations?

-As we know, some regional changes are explained by the lifting of sanctions from Iran. In fact, this gave Iran an opportunity to resume its ties with European states and also economically enter the South Caucasian region. Sharing no border with Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan become priority partner for Iran. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are interested in bilateral cooperation with Iran.

This creates some opportunities for Armenia to alleviate the consequences of the blockade. In addition, as Russian-Iranian relations develop naturally, and Armenia, being an EAEU member state, can assume some responsibility in linking Iran with the Eurasian Economic Union. Next, Armenia has always strived to become an energy transit route by developing relations with Iran. It is a fact that Iran has a neutral stance on Nagorno Karabakh conflict and all these create the favorable atmosphere and interest for the development of Armenian-Iranian relations.

-What is the interest for Azerbaijan? It is known that the Azerbaijani President will visit Iran with a big delegation. Signing over 10 documents in a number of spheres is planned.

-Azerbaijan, being under Western criticism, and some pressure in relation with being unable to guarantee the necessary level of democracy, and banning the European institutions in Azerbaijan, tries to overcome the isolation. That isolation became particularly vivid under the light of the strain relations between Russia and Turkey.

-Anyway, Azerbaijan faces domestic instability and it has some problems with Iran on the border. And Armenia is indicated as a possible transit country. Is that possible that the aim of Aliyevs visit is to hamper Armenias aspiration to become a transit country for Iran.

-In the current phase, Azerbaijan tries to persuade Iran to choose Azerbaijan instead of Armenia. I think Iran will prefer both directions, linking with diverse markets. Of course, there are some problems on the border in terms of backing nationalist movements of Azerbaijanis in Northern Iran, but the Azerbaijani diplomacy tries to smoother those issues.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The H-RES 154 Truth and Justice" resolution on the Armenian Genocide , which was introduced by Representatives Adam Schiff, Robert J. Dold, David Valadao and Frank Pallone, currently has 60 supporters. "Armenpress" reports, this was announced by the ANCA.

The resolution notes that the Armenian Genocide began on April 24, 1915 by the hands of Ottoman Turkeys officials, who carried out arrests of Armenian politicians and clergymen, followed by cases of mass killings and deportations of men, women and children. Cases, which were repeated during the Holocaust, in Cambodia, Rwanda, South Sudan and during other genocides. The resolution calls upon President Barack Obama to build on Armenian-Turkish relations on the reality and acceptance of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey. The Armenian Genocide Resolution aims to create a fair and complete international archive.

ANCA urges the Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan to add the resolution to their agenda. The committee also thanked the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives Ed Royce for his support regarding the resolution.

The other resolution on the genocide, S-RES 140-a, which was presented to the US Senate, currently has 20 supporters. The resolution is presented by US Senators Robert Menendez and Mark Kirk, Barbara Boxer and Cory Gardner. The S-RES 140 resolution states that the Armenian Genocide still remains unpunished.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The aim of the founders of the Goris-based company engaged in production of 3-d printers is to level up the IT sector of the city. The team comprised of 5 people in 2012 has grown up to a staff of 30 people. Immediately after the creation of the company in September, 2015 we launched the production of 3-d printers used in engineering laboratories, Artur Khojabaghyan told Armenpress.

In his words, the printers are made in Armenia but they are not the authors of the project: Reprap Prusa Mendel serves as the ground of their activity. We also strive to modify and develop some provisions. Gaining this experience, we also plan to produce our own models, he informed.

The main direction of our activity at this point is the production of 3-d printers, but we also want to diversify our activity, as our priority aim is to foster the development of IT sector in Goris. Particularly, we are gathering a team of web programmers, he added.

Development and reinforcement of IT sector is the shortest path for Armenia to great achievements, Artur Khojabaghyan noted, adding that the salary of employers engaged in IT sector is the highest in Goris, exceeding 100 thousand drams.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Conservatives and Reformers are competing for 290 seats in Iran's parliamentary elections which will take place on 26 February. Overall, more than 12 thousand citizens had submitted their candidacy, but eventually only 6 thousand 200 candidacies were approved, out of which 586 are women. As noted by expert of Iranian studies Gohar Iskandaryan at a news conference in the press hall of Armenpress, a heated competition is expected among Armenian candidates as well. In the beginning 9 candidates were competing over 2 seats which were foreseen for Armenian candidates, but eventually one of them withdrew.

"I think that Jorjik Abrahamyan has good chances for winning in the southern part. Formerly he was a member of Parliament and worked productively, and the community remembers the bills that passed and came into reality thanks to him. Karen Khanlaryan has chances of winning in the northern part. He is currently a member of parliament and works quite effectively. The Armenian community is satisfied with his work. His candidacy is supported by the ARF, "Gohar Iskandaryan said.

The expert noted that an interesting concept is observed in this parliamentary elections. After the cancellation of sanctions against Iran the positions of the Reformists have grown. "The public is happy with their policies, but the Conservatives do not want to cede their place. This is the reason why the Interior Ministry has reduced the number of Reformers and more Conservatives are able to participate in the elections. Even if the elections are fair and transparent, the Conservatives are going to have more seats in the Parliament. This is done to ensure balance, "Gohar Iskandaryan said, adding that the leadership of the country is in the hands of moderate Conservatives, but each bill that they put forward should ultimately be approved by the Parliament, were the majority will be Conservatives. The President of Iran and the Religious Leader have already urged the people to actively participate in the voting.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. All conflicting sides of the Syrian war continue perpetrating war crimes by blockading cities and wide-spread bombing, as well as by creating obstacles for humanitarian aid. Armenpress reports, the new report of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, a body mandated by the UN Human Rights Commission, makes such conclusions.

As the conflict in Syria is poised to enter its sixth year, civilians bear the brunt of intensifying hostilities conducted by an ever-increasing number of warring parties. As their country is reduced to ruins around them, Syrian men, women and children  often the objects of deliberate attack  are fleeing their homes in an uncertain and often perilous search for safe haven.

In its latest report, the Commission of Inquiry on Syria details the catastrophic destruction of civilian infrastructure caused by five years of war, including medical care and educational facilities, public spaces, electricity and water installations. Cultural heritage sites of importance not only to Syria, but also to the world, are being destroyed and damaged through deliberate and incidental attacks. The report further explores the rending of Syrias social fabric. Under attack, under siege, and increasingly divided, trust between communities has been eroded.

We are seeing an overwhelming yet consistent intensification of external military involvement in Syria by all parties, with devastating consequences for civilians and various communities. With the intensification of airstrikes, there are few safe places for civilians. They are exposed more than ever to violence, said Commission Chair Paulo Sergio Pinheiro. Relevant Security Council resolutions remain largely unheeded and unimplemented.

Aerial bombardments by pro-Government forces of areas not controlled by the Government have caused hundreds of civilian casualties, mass displacements, and destruction of vital civilian infrastructure. All warring parties  pro-Government forces, anti-Government armed groups, and the terrorist groups ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra  carry out indiscriminate attacks by firing shells onto civilian-inhabited areas under control of the opposition. ISIS continues to kill, maim, and spread terror amongst the civilian population, with its use of suicide bombs and improved explosive devices. Attacks on schools and hospitals have killed healthcare staff and teachers, as well as patients and students. Through these attacks, the warring parties effectively deny the civilian population medical care and education.

The damage wrought on Syria by this war cannot be measured solely by loss of life and the physical destruction of the country, said Commissioner Vitit Muntarbhorn. The war has also devastated the nation of Syria, ripping asunder the ties that bind its communities and cultures together.

Civilians have been deliberately targeted for attacks  including ground and air assaults, as well as sieges - where belligerents conflated a community ethnic and/or religious background and its perceived political loyalties. In some cases, there has been intentional targeting of communities, notably by ISIS. In some cases, external intervention has exacerbated ethno-sectarian tensions.

In areas controlled by ISIS, Syrian women and girls continue to live under unbearable restrictions, their access to education, work and freedom of movement severely curtailed or completely denied. Thousands of Yazidi women and girls who were captured in Iraq in August 2014 and brought to Syria continue to be held in sexual slavery, bought and sold like chattel. ISIS continues to forcibly recruit captured Yazidi boys, some as young as seven.

Belligerents in Rif Damascus, Idlib, and Dayr az-Zawr governorates continue employing sieges, while the primary victims of this brutal tactic remain the nearly 400,000 vulnerable civilians trapped inside densely populated districts where food, water, medicine and electricity are scarce. Owing to the escalation in hostilities countrywide, an additional 4.5 million Syrian men, women, and children are confined to areas where humanitarian actors do not have regular access.

The report emphasises the need for concerted and sustained international action to find a political solution to end the violence and to stop the rampancy of war crimes and grave violations of human rights.

Humanitarian space is shrinking daily, while flagrant violations of human rights and international humanitarian law continue with blatant impunity, said Commissioner Carla Del Ponte. The call for peace is now more urgent than ever, but momentum must be sustained to ensure an all-inclusive, Syrian-led process. Accountability is an essential part of this process.



Ms. Del Ponte stressed that Resolution 2139 underlined the need to end impunity and reaffirmed the necessity of bringing perpetrators to justice.





Photo by EPA/STR
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Finance of the Republic of Armenia Gagik Khachatryan and World Bank's Regional Director for the South Caucasus Mercy Tembon signed a loan agreement on February 23. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Ministry of Finance, the WB will provide Armenia with 55 million USD loan with 25 years maturity date 14.5 of which is a grace period.

The loan agreement Local Economy and Infrastructure Development Project signed with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is planned to improve Armenias infrastructural services and institutional capacities, fostering tourism flows to Ararat, Vayots Dzor, Kotayk and Lori Provinces.

The project will promote tourism in the selected provinces which will take place as a result of infrastructural investments, urban revival, rehabilitation of cultural heritage, as well as by fostering investment in the private sector.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The National Assembly elected Arman Tatoyan as the Ombudsman of the Republic of Armenia. Sukias Avetisyan ,Head of the Temporary Registry Committee of the National Assembly said that 107 MPs participated in the voting. "Four ballots were invalid.96 MPs voted in favor of Armen Tatoyan for the position of the Ombudsman, and 7 were against. Therefore, Arman Tatoyan was elected to the post of Ombudsman ", "Armenpress" reports, Sukias Avetisyan said.

The newly elected Ombudsman Armen Tatoyan thanked the MPs for their trust. "This will certainly help to further enhance the reputation of the institution of the Ombudsman in the country. Again I want to reiterate that I am ready to fully cooperate with everyone, "Tatoyan said.

He also took the oath of the Ombudsman from the tribune of the National Assembly.By assuming the post of the Ombudsman, I hereby swear to be faithful to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and its laws, the principles of social coexistence and justice and to protect human rights and freedoms. I swear to fulfill my duties unbiased, honestly and diligently. "
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Migrant and refugee arrivals in Greece and Italy in 2016 this week exceeded 100,000. As of 22/2, Greece alone had received some 102,547 arrivals since the beginning of the year. In 2015, migrant arrivals topped 100,000 in July, Armenpress reports, International Organization for Migration (IOM) informs.

Over 413 migrants and refugees have lost their lives during the same period, with the Eastern Mediterranean route between Turkey and Greece continuing to be the deadliest, accounting for 321 migrant deaths.

According to IOM Greece, an estimated 42,861 migrants have reached the Greek islands so far in February 2016. The Greek authorities say that they were mainly Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis, Iranians and Pakistanis. Others were from Morocco, Bangladesh and Somalia.

Between February 11-17, IOM estimates that some 7,286 refugees crossed from Greece into the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

IOM staff are present in the islands of Crete, Samos, Kos and Lesbos, working closely with the authorities to identify vulnerable migrants, including unaccompanied minors, the elderly, migrants with medical needs, and families with children. Vulnerable groups are referred to the authorities to be given the necessary care.

Meanwhile in Italy, following several days with no arrivals mainly due to rough seas, a total of 940 migrants were rescued in one day (22/2) in the channel of Sicily. Of these 357 were brought to Pozzallo, 342 to Messina and 241 to Lampedusa. Most are from Sub-Saharan Africa and many are fleeing Libya because of deteriorating security in the country, where they are often the target of violence.

Since the beginning of the year, some 7,507 migrants have arrived by sea to Italy. This is roughly the same number as last year.

We are still registering the arrival of many vulnerable migrants, who are often in very bad condition, having been subjected to violence by smugglers in Libya. We are also still seeing many women victims of trafficking  an alarming trend already registered in 2015, said IOM Italy spokesperson Flavio Di Giacomo.

IOM staff are deployed at the main landing points in Sicily (including Lampedusa), Calabria and Apulia. They provide legal assistance to those arriving by sea, monitor reception conditions and support the authorities in the identification of vulnerable groups.

Photo by AP
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. What happened years ago in Sumgait, Baku and other Armenian-populated regions of Azerbaijan was a state sponsored program. Executive director of "Against Illegal Arbitrariness" NGO Larisa Alaverdyan told about this ahead of the remembrance day of Sumgait massacres in a press conference held at Armenpress media hall. Today, considering the existing numerous facts, we can document that the Sumgait massacres had been planned in advance. Mass slaughter of Armenians and forced deportation were carried out. Armenians were intimidated for days. Similar operations were carried out in over 300 settlements with Armenian population, Larisa ALaverdyan said, stating that oppression of Armenians had started already in 1988. There was a period when 331 Armenians were slaughtered in a day. Larisa Alaverdyan mentioned that Azerbaijan continued its genocidal policy embraced in 1918 and in some sense even surpassed Turkey. If there are Armenian churches, schools, Armenian population, Armenian MPs in Turkey, there is nothing Armenian in Azerbaijan.

Director of the Ahazang (Alert) NGO Julieta Yeremyants emphasized that Azerbaijani official data speaks about 3 dozens of victims, while in reality there were hundreds of victims.

I regret that the world did not give a right assessment to Sumgait incidents. If the Sumgait incidents were condemned on site, neither Ganja, nor Baku incidents would take have taken place. I am from Ganja. Operations started also in Ganja during Sumgait incidents. Electricity and telephones were off, so as to cut any contact with outside world. We leaned on March 3 what had happened in Sumgait, and immediately the squads formed by the government attacked Armenians of Ganja. It was an unexpected attack but Armenians of Ganja formed a group and organized self-defense, Julieta Yeremyants said.

She recalls how Azerbaijani officials used to arrive in Ganja and conduct anti-Armenian hate propaganda prior to the attacks, saying that they are not going to give the beautiful Karabakh to Armenians.

She says that 45 thousand Armenians lived in Ganja who were considered as incomers, expressing resentment over the fact that after living there for 200 years, they are considered incomers, while those, who arrived a day before, are taken as natives.

According to Julieta Yeremyants, 360 thousand Armenians fled Azerbaijan to Armenia, but at that time over 800 thousand Armenians lived in Azerbaijan. They have spread all over the world.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Parliamentary and non-parliamentary parties of Artsakh sent a letter to President Bako Sahakyan on February 23, proposing to create a special commission on constitutional reforms. As "Armenpress" was informed from the press service of the National Assembly of the Republic of Nagorno Karakabh, the letter particularly states that meetings were conducted in various formats on February 4 in the National Assembly with the participation of parliamentary political forces, and on February 19, with the same participants and non-parliamentary party leaders.

Upon summarizing the discussions, participants agreed to begin a process of constitutional reform and address the President in order to initiate the joint proposal.

The document was signed by the "Free Motherland" party, Communist Party of Nagorno Karabakh, Democratic Party of Artsakh, Armenakan - Democratic Liberal Party, Armenian Revolutionary Federation, "Movement 88", "National Revival" and leaders of the republican parties of Artsakh.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. NASDAQ OMX Armenia OJSC made no USD sale and purchase deals on February 23. Armenpress was informed about this from NASDAQ OMX Armenia. The Central Bank informs that the dollar depreciated by 1.36 drams on February 23, forming 493.38 drams, the euro dropped by 5.30 drams, forming 542.87 drams. The Russian ruble rose by 0.01 drams, forming 6.52 drams.

The currency market has the following average exchange rates.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Telegram, the encrypted messaging app that launched in 2013, now has 100 million monthly active users, Armenpress reports. In a blog post announcing the milestone, the company said 350,000 new users are joining the service every day, and that 15 billion messages are sent on the app daily. Telegram founder Pavel Durov revealed the company's latest figures at a keynote speech at Mobile World Congress on February 23.

Telegram has seen sharp growth in recent months, adding 38 million monthly active users since May, though it still trails other messaging apps by a large margin. Earlier this month, Facebook-owned WhatsApp reached the 1 billion monthly active user mark, while Facebook Messenger reached 800 million monthly active users in January.

Prior to creating Telegram with his brother, Durov founded VKontakte (VK), Russia's most popular social network.

"I side with Tim Cook," Durov told The Financial Times. "Society in each country has to decide whether they want to make this trade-off, between privacy and what is perceived as high security and lower risk of terrorism."
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. South Korean electronics giant Samsung is opening what it describes as a consumer technology playground on February 22, the latest big brand to open an interactive flagship store in Manhattan, Armenpress reports citing New York Post website.

Samsung 837, at 837 Washington St. in the Meatpacking District, includes a cafe in partnership with Smorgasburg, the foodie marketplace, and Stand Coffee.

Billed as a technology social hub, the futuristic retail space includes the worlds largest mobile screen, as Samsung describes it, along with a virtual reality tunnel, an editing bay, kitchen, a childrens playroom and a DJ studio. Theres also an event space for cultural and community events and workshops.

The idea is to create a tourist destination that can also be used as a hub for locals exploring creativity with technology, according to Zach Overton, vice president and general manager of Samsung.
UBS executive Rosemary Berkery has returned to the Swiss company's U.S. operations after a medical leave.

Two of her key titles  chairman of UBS Bank USA and vice chairman of its wealth management group in the Americas  remain the same, but her duties will take on more of a policy and strategy bent, according to a company memo shared with American Banker on Monday.

She returned Feb. 8 from an eight-month leave of absence, said the memo from Tom Naratil, president of the wealth management group for the Americas. Berkery will advise on policies and lead board oversight of the U.S. bank's strategy related to local, state and federal government issues. She will also advise Naratil and his executive committee on regulatory issues, board relationships and client issues, the memo said.

Michael Blum, who filled in for Berkery during her leave, will head UBS Bank USA, a position previously held by Berkery. His titles are senior vice chairman of the U.S. bank and head of the wealth management Americas banking group.

Berkery and Blum report to Naratil, the memo said.

Since Berkery joined the $50 billion-asset U.S. bank in 2010, it has focused on marketing banking services  small-business loans, mortgages, cash management and cards, among other things  to its existing wealth management clients, rather than new customers.

In 2014 she was named one of American Banker's 25 Women to Watch. She was credited with helping to expand UBS' mortgage portfolio by more than 75% and its deposits by 48% from 2010 to 2013.

Before joining UBS, Berkery worked at Merrill Lynch from 1983 to 2008, holding a variety of roles including general counsel and vice chairman.


In almost every venue today, we find that "new slogans, political and social [are] used often with calculated ambiguity. Extreme positions, on the right and on the left, are becoming more and more uncompromising. Moderation is taken for apathy, and patience is looked upon as a pretext for inaction. There is mounting unrest and violence not only among university students but in society at large. The product is a weakening of confidence between young and old, between racial groups, between partisan political factions, between students and administrators, between citizens and government. An individualism of suspicion and distrust is replacing an individualism of opportunity and hope."

Written almost 50 years ago, the above aptly describes what is assailing America today. In 1968, Philip H. Rhinelander, then a professor of philosophy and humanities at Stanford University, wrote a piece entitled "Education and Society" for The Key Reporter which was delivered before the Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Stanford on June 15, 1968. Rhinelander reminded his audience that they were "dealing with a failure of education" leading to "an increasing doubt in the minds of students as to whether intellectual discipline and rational analysis have any relevance to the solution of the pressing problems of the day."

One cannot enter a classroom of higher learning today without walking into pitched battles and extreme positioning. University students deride the idea of consensus-building and seek to run administrators out of town. Any student daring to express an opinion different from the politically correct one of the day is frightened into mental subservience, so much so that logical argumentation is in tatters. Aristotle's classifications of ethos, pathos, and logos rarely make their way into classroom discussions as shouting matches become the rule of the day.

So much so that in an English composition class, a discussion ensued where a student mentioned an article from Slate entitled "Confused by All the New Facebook Genders." The 56 options of gender self-identifiers were understandably confusing to a number of these 18-year old students. But another student asked "what is wrong with all these designations?" implying that they were quite logical. The teacher responded by stating that "at this time, a man is designated as having an 'x' and a 'y' chromosome while a female has two 'x' chromosomes. The student angrily accused the teacher of "transphobia and of being inhumane and on the wrong side of history."

So the student engaged in an ad hominem attack on the perceived failings of the teacher rather than on the merits of the case based on currently accepted scientific canon. The ever popular straw man fallacy was used where an individual's actual position was either exaggerated or misrepresented. In fact, the teacher never actually took a position; all she did was ask a question of the entire class which was "do you feel it is okay for a man who identifies as a woman to go into a little girl's bathroom?"

In another instance, a young man who is interested in politics explained that while he is happy to keep the conversations going, he wants to keep "them from getting too divisive or from going down a bad road." Already there is the fear that one cannot simply engage in rational discussion.

Hence, as the smiling millenials hold up signs supporting Bernie Sanders, a useful endeavor would be to ask them the following questions.

How much money from your paycheck will be you willing to pay to the government under Bernie Sanders?

Should the government be permitted to keep all your wages? Why not?

When the people no longer have any money of their own, how will they subsist?

Currently, the country owes $19 trillion dollars. How much more debt is acceptable to you?

Are you aware of the socialist countries of Cuba and Venezuela and how the people fare in these countries?

If you are not aware of these models, may I give you this item to read?

Would you comment on this article by Peter Saint-Andre who experienced socialism firsthand?

Do you understand that when everyone is equal, that means that no one will be able to strive to be better because then that would not be equal?

What do you think of the idea promulgated by Leon Kass that "the love of equality destroys all possible human excellence, and it produces souls without aspiration or longing?"

In their march off the cliff, do these students understand that "the Utopian Eden is a false paradise built on lies and maintained by abuses?" In their desire to be "rebels" do they understand that "a traditionalist rebel... has learned the lessons of experience" and [therefore] "rejects centralized authority for local authority, unelected officials for elected ones, national regulations for human values and mandates for conscience" versus the "leftist Utopian" who wishes to impose his will on the people?

Almost 50 years ago, thoughtful educators expressed concern about the "relative neglect of undergraduate education in America" and the "somewhat one-sided emphasis on the development of graduate education and research." Given the overwhelming emphasis on technology in the classroom while at the same time ignoring the need for true vocational training for students, we often encounter students who have no genuine interest in the liberal arts and humanities. Additionally, their "refusal to listen to speakers who might express ideas with which they don't agree" is chilling. Thus, were Rhinelander to quote Thucydides and the social revolution at Corcyra in an American university today, it would elude most students.

Still it needs to be aired:

. . . civil war gave birth to every kind of iniquity in the Greek world. Simplicity, the chief ingredient in a noble nature, was ridiculed and disappeared, and society was divided into rival camps in which no man trusted his fellow.

Is it too much to yearn for euethes which translates as "simplicity" or the "chief ingredient in a noble nature?" The word, in fact, "denotes the characteristic of man which gives and evokes trust. Because simplicity is trusting, it can be deceived and victimized, but this very weakness is its strength. By trusting others it invites reciprocal trust, thereby laying the foundation for communication and mutual cooperation?

A half-century later Daniel Greenfield asserts that the traditionalist rebel

does not believe that collectivist institutions can make us moral. He relies instead on individual institutions of character and honor, empathy and morality. He trusts people individually to do the right thing more than any government. And when he has to trust institutions, he prefers those that are built on honor and integrity, and on simple decency, than those tangled mazes of academic theory whose premises, followed to their terrible conclusions, assert that human beings are expendable for the sake of utopian ideologies.

Thus, "[e]ducation ought to be ultimately not a matter of systems, nor of organizations, or of structures, or of theories, but of individuals who encounter one another, who respect one another, who can speak to one another, despite disagreement, and who can listen."

As we move closer to November 2016, it is vital that we be "skeptical idealists who are [more] interested in character rather than movements." We need to be careful of "any person who would require us to abandon our rights for the greater good." The desecration of the Constitution has to end or the "entropy of our beliefs and institutions" will only worsen. Ultimately, we need to be "accountable to G-d and [our] conscience every minute of the day, instead of the ears, eyes and tentacles of government." We must, like Thomas Jefferson, avow "...upon the altar of god, eternal hostility to every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Then we will reinvigorate this country again.

Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com
Should government be allowed to tax everything? Should elected officials have the power and the latitude to tax every transaction, every activity, every nonactivity, and every single little thing in our brief little lives?

As it is, government already taxes income, production, consumption, ownership, death, and sin. And if they wanted to they could tax being; not being itself, as in Being, but particularized being. Its called capitation, whereby one is taxed for existing, for being here. This metaphysical tax, capitation, is even provided for in the original Constitution, see Article 1. Section 9. Paragraph 4.

The reason we dont have a capitation is because it couldnt raise much money. With a capitation, which is a head tax, everyone would be taxed the same amount, (except, of course, for those Americans with more than one head). Therefore, under a capitation the evil One Percenters would have the same tax bills as would hobos, bag ladies, and Occupy Wall Street grunge types.

During the debate over ObamaCare, some claimed that ObamaCares individual mandate was triggered by the individuals mere existence, i.e. his being. If so, the mandate would be a capitation, and everyone would be required to pay the same amount of tax. Such a tax would be beyond the means of our hobos and bag ladies, and the feds would have a bunch of tax outlaws on their hands. So the drafters made the trigger out of something other than ones existence: i.e. whether one has an individual income tax liability. That way the feds wouldnt have a bunch of tax scofflaws to prosecute. And, more importantly, they could tax at different rates. But this is also disturbing because even though theyre not taxing ones existence, theyre levying a new tax precisely because one owes an entirely unrelated old tax. You see, government taxes everything.

On January 25, The Weekly Standard ran Unchecked Power by Eric Felton. Its about the continuing use of taxes to regulate: The tax code is complicated not just because generations of rent-seekers have manipulated it for their advantage but because taxation has become an all-purpose method of regulation, one that is virtually preapproved by the courts.

Early in his article, Felton examines the two big ObamaCare cases and what they mean for further concentration of power in the federal government. These cases illustrate how the tax code can be used to sidestep the Constitution's restraints on Congress. In NFIB v. Sebelius, the Court ratified an unchecked power to tax; Chief Justice Roberts wasnt worried, it seems, about opening a vast domain of congressional power by allowing Washington to tax the infinite number of things that people dont do.

And in King v. Burwell, Felton quotes Justice Kennedy during oral arguments: It seems to me a drastic step for us to say that the department of Internal Revenue and its director can make this call one way or the other when there are -- what? -- billions of dollars of subsidies involved here. Felton opines:

Obamacares success before the Supreme Court will encourage future legislators to exploit the same dangerous loophole: the legal principle that just about any regulation can be justified if it comes packaged as a tax. Which makes Obamacare another sort of case as well -- a case for radically reforming the tax code.

Hear, hear! But just as regulations can be dressed up as taxes, taxes can be disguised as something other than taxes. This may be a minority opinion, but one of the problems with Roberts NFIB decision is not that he created a tax where none had existed, but that he failed to recognize the tax that was already right there in the law: the mandate to buy health insurance. Yes, insurance premiums are paid to private companies, but in ObamaCare the payment of premiums is required by the government in furtherance of a government objective. That seems like a tax. So Roberts legislated from the bench, and rewrote the law.

On July 6, 2012, shortly after the decision in NFIB was handed down, The Wall Street Journal ran A Short History of Congress's Power to Tax, a short opinion piece by historian Paul Moreno. It doesnt seem to be still available at the Journal, nonetheless I found it here. Concerning ObamaCares individual mandate, Moreno writes that to any sentient adult, it looks like a capitation or head tax, and he laments that the Courts dissenters didnt explore that point. Moreno covers some of the same ground as Felton, including the same court cases. And concerning NFIB: Justice Roberts has confirmed that there are no limits to regulatory taxation as long as the revenue is deposited in the U.S. Treasury.

But what if Roberts had found that the mandate to buy health insurance was indeed a tax? That wouldnt be any more incoherent than finding that the penalty is a tax. If government can define anything as a tax, then the mandated payment of insurance premiums can be a tax, too.

From the standpoint of law, language, and logic, the rulings in NFIB and King arent a total disaster, but theyll suffice until the total disaster rolls in. The big reason to repeal Obamacare is not just that it is awful law and economics, but that the Court ratified it with very bad decisions, creating very sobering precedents. Toward the end, Felton writes (italics added):

Presidential candidates making the case for a simplified tax code, as many in the Republican field have been doing, should look beyond arguments about fairness and growth. Important as those issues may be, the more fundamental question is whether there can be any effective limits on federal power. The courts aren't about to restrain lawmakers from regulating through the tax code.

And that is precisely why Americans needs to amend the Constitution to limit, i.e. to check, the governments power to tax. Given the deluge of regulations that operate as taxes, one provision of such an amendment would be to put a limit on how much of an earners income can be taken by government. Let progressive Democrats come out against such an amendment and say that there shouldnt be any limits on how much of ones income government can take.

Felton explores an aspect of taxation that many busy Americans might not be aware of. He does a fine job of tracing the history of using taxes to regulate, examining Supreme Court cases going back to the 19th Century. Did you know that rent seekers in the dairy industry sought regulatory taxes to try and squash the oleomargarine industry? If you care about taxes, I think youll find Mr. Feltons article well worth your time; its quite readable, (and he even invokes the venerable Kinky Friedman.)

Government may have taken a pass for now on taxing our being, but our tax system can make one wonder just how free we Americans really are.

Jon N. Hall is a programmer/analyst from Kansas City.
Now that Donald Trump has won the South Carolina primary and Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are very definitely second fiddles, we are all asking the old question allegedly asked by Freud about women.

What do the Trump voters want?

Perhaps the answer is in the great question asked by Frederick Douglass. What shall be done with the Negro? And his answer: Do nothing with us.

Really, the same could be said for the white working class, that all of a sudden we recognize is in bad shape after a century and a half of doing from the state, with a suicide rate among white working class men only exceeded by the suicide rate among Native Americans.

As Douglass said, Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us. The doing with the Negro was the worst, and still is, but the doing with the worker has come a close second. First the worker had to be exempted from the law against combinations, then protected from the exploitation of long work days. Then the worker had to be protected from want with government social insurance instead of his own mutual-aid society. The result was inevitable. The working class came to expect that the ruling class would look after it with good jobs and good wages forever.

But the labor unions exempted from laws against combination turned into parasites that killed their host manufacturing corporations and their good jobs at good wages, and government social insurance is not social and not insurance, but a way for the ruling class to pay off its supporters.

Then the ruling class tired of its working class supporters, decided they were racists and sexists, and went back to its old game of playing mischief with the Negro.

In the 1980s Reagan boom got the economy going again after the stagflation of the late 1970s, but it didnt, couldnt revive the old union-dominated manufacturing economy. By the time of the Obama revolution the ruling class was past caring about the bitter clingers. It planned to lead minorities, women, the educated, and young people to a new Promised Land of Hope and Change in which the white working class would only be a long withdrawing roar. Only Charles Murray, reviled for writing badthink about IQ in The Bell Curve, had the wit to write about the mess of the white lower class in his Coming Apart: The State of White America 1960-2010.

I am writing this piece from my daughters apartment in Paris, where she has moved her family so that she can do a Masters in international relations at the American University just down the street. Last evening we dined with a young Frenchwoman whos a couple of years into a career in software security armed with two Masters degrees in software engineering from the U.S. Life is good for the global educated elite, in the world designed, implemented, and ruled by the educated elite, even if you affect a rebellious conservatism like me.

But what about the rest of America?

The rest of America is looking right at the Gates of Hell. All because it believed the government when it promised good jobs at good wages. Oh sure, the Reagan and Bush tax cuts promised growth and better wages, and they delivered for the educated and the self-motivated, but not for the rest of America.

And so in 2008 the rest of America let Barack Obama romance it with a Hope and Change that delivered the economic rape culture of administrative liberalism that was named and shamed 30 years before.

Now in 2016 the rest of America is rallying to Donald Trump who will Make America Great Again. And what will he deliver?

The arc of history does not bend towards justice, as President Obama believes; it bends towards extinction for the defeated males, whether you are talking about the Rape of the Sabine Women by Rome, the Vikings sailing up the rivers of England in 1000 (men slaughtered, women and children enslaved), or the demoralized remnant of the Plains Indians with the highest male suicide rate in the U.S.

And the same goes for the farmers pushed off the land by the agricultural revolution, and the hand-loom workers by power looms, and the semi-skilled manufacturing workers buffeted by automation and low-wage Asians.

Life, the Universe, and Everything is about bucking the system and surviving to fight another round, and like the Jews, never, never give up. If you sell your birthright to the ruling class for a mess of pottage you will pretty soon be left without pottage.

There is only one sensible answer to the question of what the Trump voters want. If they want anything other than to demand that the government do nothing with us, then they are taking a fateful step towards oblivion.

Christopher Chantrill @chrischantrill runs the go-to site on US government finances, usgovernmentspending.com. Also see his American Manifesto and get his Road to the Middle Class.
Jeb!s mother warned him not to run. We are witnessing the decline of the ruling class.

I gotta get this off my chest  Barbara Bush twice warned us Jeb! was not presidential timber. Now that Jeb! has been unmasked as the family mediocrity, her warnings can be viewed as a mothers insider knowledge and an effort to protect her son from a humiliating loss. Mother Bush warned us in 2013 and 2014 and is undoubtedly unsurprised by Jeb!s implosion.

In 2013, the only living presidential mother declared, Weve had enough Bushes. No kidding. When Jeb! failed to heed her warning, she doubled down the following year: I would hope that someone else would run. ... I hope he won't." The rest is history.

Never before has a candidate been so rapidly unmasked as incompetent, antagonized his partys base, or squandered so much cash so quickly and counterproductively. Rather than Jeb!, the coda for his doomed campaign is better punctuated as "Jeb?"

I feel better now. I gave myself therapy there. Thank you for allowing me to do it. Please clap.

But there is something else at play here, differentiating Jeb! from his opponents. This has gone unnoticed, and it likely marks the end of an era. Jeb! is a preppy. He never had to fight to achieve success. He can be described as low-energy or lacking fire in the belly. As the grandson of a senator, Jeb! lived a privileged life.

An era is closing. The last preppies to run for president were Howard Dean, Mitt Romney, Lincoln Chafee, and John F. Kerry, all losers. America has evolved since the days of preppy presidents from families such as Roosevelt, Kennedy, or Bush. Barbaras weve had enough Bushes can be revised to weve had enough preppies. This closely correlates with the decline of WASP influence, preppy or not. Since our founding, a declining percentage of presidents have been of high birth. High birth might now be an impediment to election, with Trump being a unique exception. How many of those in the media and GOP establishment who despise him (and us) are of the manor born?

William Buckleys quip about preferring to be ruled by the Boston phone book instead of the Harvard faculty is relevant. Preppies long ago infiltrated academia, the press, government, the CIA, and other power centers. And especially the GOP establishment. Bushs exit reflects the waning of a de facto ruling class that sold out the national interest for their enrichment.

Of the motley collection of 16 Republican candidates who began this race, only Jeb! was a preppy. This reflects the impact of immigration in the past century. Of the 16, only Jindal and Cruz attended Ivy League undergraduate schools without assistance, while Carson and Pataki attended Yale on scholarship. Of course, Trump spent two years in the Ivy League, but that doesnt count for our purposes because he is unrepentant Outer Borough, regardless of Manhattan and Palm Beach residences. Even Jeb! (U. of Texas) did not attend the Ivy League.

While the nation has been focused on who will be our first black or female president, no attention has been given to who will be our last preppy president. George W. Bush may prove to be the last. Race, gender, ethnicity, and religion are no longer the concerns they once were, even as recently as the 2008 election. We have come a long way since JFKs religion was a major consideration.

The Democrats strategy of identity politics is stale and becomes more so each year. Coincident with the fading of identity politics, the declining power of the ruling class marks a transition to a new chapter in our history. The principal issue this election, in both parties, is the ruling class vs. the rest of us. After a century or more of dominance, the ruling class and their hired politicians face an existential threat. They are destined to lose, sooner if not later.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The final session of the Russian Commission on Coordination of the Events for the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was held on February 19, in Armenian Republics embassy in Russia. Armenpress was informed from the Press, Information and Public Relations Department of the Armenian MFA that the session was attended by members of the committee established in May, 2013, members of the Russian State Duma of the Federal Assembly, State Duma MPs, prominent figures and journalists of Russias political, cultural, and social sector, Armenian businessmen residing in Russia and heads of Armenian community organizations.

In his speech, Ambassador Yesayan said that all tasks of the Commission were completely conducted thanks to joint efforts and efficient work. He thanked the committee members and the top leadership of the Russian Federation for their comprehensive and targeted assistance to the Armenian Diocese of New Nakhijevan and Diocese of the Armenian Church of Russia in organizing hundreds of events in the territory of Russia. The Ambassador stressed that 2015 was the period of unity of the Armenian Diaspora, new growth and further strengthening of the Armenian-Russian friendship.

The session separately touched upon the activities of the regional committees formed in various provinces and regions of Russian Federation.
The most famous carnival barker of American musical culture is Billy Bigelow of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. Harold Hill is the lovable con man of Meredith Wilson's The Music Man. Donald Trump is Billy Bigelow and Harold Hill rolled into one big schoolyard bully without any redeeming grace.

There are probably hundreds of articles circulating in the blogosphere that describe Donald Trump as a carnival barker, because that is exactly what he is. He shouts, insults, is not at all specific about how he will deliver all the things he promises, and has no interest in propriety. He revels in impropriety. And whether by accident or training, he is very, very good at neuro-linguistic programming.

NLP is "an approach to communication, personal development, and psychotherapy created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in California in the 1970s. Its creators claim a connection between the neurological processes ('neuro'), language ('linguistic') and behavioral patterns learned through experience ('programming') and that these can be changed to achieve specific goals in life." Trump knows how to bring certain crowds to their feet. He knows which words to repeat and repeat to achieve his ends; calling his opponents liars is his most overused trick of the mind. And it works. Say it often enough, and people begin to believe it, even if it is an outrageous lie. He has convinced about 33% of the Republicans paying attention that he is our country's savior. Thirty-three percent is not enough. The other 67% fear that his carnival theatrics are exactly what they appear to be: sheer fakery.

Does Trump mean well? He probably does. But with little or no knowledge of domestic and international politics beyond deal-making for his own financial aggrandizement, what can he achieve? Not much. So marinated in his own pure self-love and his perceived unlimited power, he believes he can deliver on all his promises. The "wall," for which Mexico will pay! The companies that have left the U.S. will return or be taxed into oblivion. China's goods will be taxed. He will deport eleven to twenty million illegal residents? He is going to tell Putin, the ayatollahs, the Norks, etc. how it is going to be?

He even thinks he will broker a deal between Israel and the Palestinians because he is "neutral"! A person who is neutral between the Jews and the terrorists will get us all killed. It is a safe bet that Trump knows exactly nothing about the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He just might have been "neutral" between Hitler and the Jews if he thought there was a profit to be made. It is certainly clear that he has no allegiance to Israel or knowledge about the Middle East beyond wanting to "carpet-bomb ISIS."

This election year has brought the country to a crossroads. The choices include Hillary Clinton, who has lived a lifetime of greed, lies, and corruption, a woman who has pre-sold her promised influence to all manner of unscrupulous scoundrels around the world for multi-millions of dollars, a woman who actually belongs in prison. And Bernie Sanders, an old communist whose entire life is based on hatred for those who achieve, produce, and employ others. Like all socialists, he promotes envy and misery for all rather than joy and happiness for any. He has succeeded so far by selling his wealth redistribution scheme to mind-numbed millennials long indoctrinated by leftist professors to loathe and fear capitalism. They are too young to have ever experienced the benefits of a true capitalist economy thanks to every president since Ronald Reagan.

Or there are a huckster like Trump; Ted Cruz, a brilliant but somewhat sententious constitutional scholar; and a charismatic young senator like Rubio, raw but with such promise. Not ideal choices all around, but consider the consequences of choosing poorly. Clinton promises to continue the polices of Obama and to "go further" on his open immigration and regulation of our stagnant economy, and to deepen the racial divide that Obama has so gleefully engendered. Sanders, even if his economic policies could be implemented, would bankrupt the nation within a year.

Trump may know how to run a profitable company, bankruptcies aside, but he has not a clue how to be a commander-in-chief, let alone lead a great nation of three hundred million-plus humans with vast differences of opinion on all things any more than Harold Hill knew how to lead a band or Billy Bigelow knew how to make an honest living. At least Cruz and Rubio know how our government is supposed to function. Either one of them is a safer, better choice than Trump, Clinton, or Sanders.
Yesterday, I asked:

Can you say, The fix is in?

And it appears that federal district court Judge Richard J. Leon had the same worries, based on how he treated lawyers from the Department of Justice yesterday in a hearing

The Department of Justice shamefully has been trying to default on its duties and allow an action brought by left-wing groups proceed and overturn a ruling that would prevent noncitizens from registering to vote. The details of the case, involving the U.S. Electoral Assistance Commission (EAC), are complex, and explained in my blog yesterday, and in greater detail by Hans von Spakovsky of National Review, on whose original reporting I relied. The DoJ is charged with defending the EAC but is behaving as if it doesnt want to. Judge Leon was not pleased, and he showed it emphatically yesterday.

In essence, the EAC  an independent commission with equal representation of both political parties  reversed a ruling undertaken by a bureaucrat serving as an acting executive director, and the left-wing groups are asking for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and permanent injunction (PI) preventing the EAC from allowing states to verify citizenship before registering voters (despite the fact that the Constitution gives states the responsibility for determining who may vote).

Reporting on the hearing yesterday, von Spakovsky writes at National Review:

The hearing was over the temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction (PI) being sought by the League of Women Voters and a host of other leftist groups to stop the recent decision of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to allow Kansas, Georgia, Alabama, and Arizona to enforce their proof-of-citizenship voter-registration requirement. (snip)  the U.S. Justice Department took a dive and filed a pleading in which it not only failed to defend the actions of the EAC, but agreed with the plaintiffs and consented to both a TRO and a PI. Judge Leon called the pleading unprecedented and extraordinary. He said he had never seen such a document in his entire experience as a lawyer or a judge. He was obviously astonished that the Justice Department was not defending the agency, and it was soon clear he was not going to allow DOJ to just roll over.

In order that both sides be represented  that is, that the DoJ not be allowed to default:

The judge issued orders just before the hearing started granting the motions of both the State of Kansas and the Public Interest Legal Foundation to intervene in the case in order to defend the EACs position. So Kris Kobach, the Secretary of State of Kansas, was given time to argue against the TRO motion, as was Christian Adams of PILF. The judge opened the hearing by reading into the record an astonishing letter he had just received from the chair of the EAC, Christie McCormick. It informed the court that DOJ had told the EAC that it would not defend the agency, and that it would not allow the EAC to hire its own counsel. McCormick informed the judge that she believed DOJ was not fulfilling its duty and obligation to defend the EAC and had a potential conflict of interest. It was clear that Judge Leon was shocked at what DOJ had done. While he gave the plaintiffs 20 minutes to argue their case, he gave the lawyer from the Federal Programs Branch of DOJ only five minutes because he said that DOJ was obviously on the same side as the plaintiffs.

There is much more that happened of an extraordinary nature, include a resort to playing the Nazi card. No kidding!

Read the whole thing.

And say a prayer for the health of Judge Leon.

Hat tip: Clarice Feldman
It is late February of a presidential election year in America. A time when a few primaries are over, but still many months before the nominating conventions in the summer.

America is divided. In the last four presidential elections, two have been won by Democrats and two by Republicans. One of those presidents ran on a platform to get us out of war; another got us into a new war. The country is torn apart not only by foreign policy, but also by domestic unrest. Last year, amid charges of discrimination and police brutality, there were riots and arson in a major American city that required the National Guard to restore order. Many people predict more civil unrest to come. And this despite the last seven years of a Democratic administration in Washington.

On the campaign trail, the Republican presidential candidate from the last election is sitting this one out. The establishment candidates in the race are primarily challenged by a non-Washington newcomer to politics. He had a very successful career as a negotiator, entertainer, and television personality and was actually a Democrat in earlier years.

For the Democrats, the presumptive candidate, far from coasting to victory, is challenged by a liberal northern senator who surprised everyone with his vote totals in the New Hampshire primary after energizing young voters. The presumptive candidate no longer seems invincible.

And because of dissatisfaction with both parties, there's even talk that a third party-candidate may emerge. No one can predict what impact that may have on the election.

So what year are we talking about? 2016? Yes, all of this is true this year. But every point is also true of another election year of our past, and one that resulted in a major political upheaval: 1968.

At this point in 1968, incumbent Lyndon Johnson suffered a psychological, if not a statistical, defeat in New Hampshire at the hands of Minnesota senator Eugene McCarthy, who was running on an anti-Vietnam War platform. While Dwight Eisenhower successfully campaigned to end the war in Korea, Democrat Johnson committed us deeply into Vietnam.

For the Republicans, the 1964 nominee, Barry Goldwater, sat this one out. However, his ill-fated campaign inspired another westerner, Ronald Reagan, to enter politics. Former Democrat, union leader, and movie and television star, Reagan had just become governor of California in 1967, and he was already challenging the political philosophy of Eastern establishment Republicans such as Nelson Rockefeller and former senator and vice president Richard Nixon.

Detroit was the city on fire the year before, in 1967, and the rumors were starting to spread that former Alabama governor George Wallace might mount a third-party campaign in protest of the Johnson domestic civil rights programs.

The point of all this is not to predict that, as in 1968, the winner in 2016 will be the Republican nominee. The real point of this comparison is this: we may not have seen anything yet! Consider all of the dramatic events that happened after this point in 1968.

Seeing what happened in New Hampshire, Robert Kennedy entered the Democratic presidential race in mid-March, and Lyndon Johnson gave up his inevitable candidacy at the end of that month. Following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in April, many American cities, including Washington, D.C., were under siege with civil unrest and riots. Then Robert Kennedy was assassinated in early June. When the Democrats went to their convention in Chicago that August, the world saw Mayor Richard J. Daley unleash his police and police dogs on the young protesters, and the severally battered party emerged with the incumbent vice president, Hubert Humphrey, as its candidate.

Ronald Reagan received only 14% of the delegates on the first vote of the Republican convention, and Reagan and Rockefeller combined were not enough to deny Richard Nixon the nomination. So the establishment did win  that one. The third-party candidacy of George Wallace also did emerge. Wallace received 14% of the popular vote and 46 electoral votes in 1968, which most historians agree was instrumental in releasing the Southern states from the Democratic New Deal coalition and starting to turn them from blue to red. All in all, a momentous election that could not in any way have been predicted in February 1968.

So, as Yogi Berra profoundly phrased it, "It ain't over 'til it's over."
My friend Barry Casselman has a bit of advice for everyone:

The results from the Democratic Nevada caucus and the Republican South Carolina primary did not provide any big surprises, but they also did not provide the winners with any big boosts.



In Nevada, Hillary Clinton won a narrow victory in a caucus that only brought out a small percentage of those eligible to vote, as is the case in all caucuses. The caucus vote was also reported to be down one-third from 2008, the last time the event was competitive. Not only that, exit polls indicated Mrs. Clinton lost voters who valued honesty and trustworthiness by an astonishing 9-1.That Mr. Sanders and his late-surging campaign came as close as he did to beat Mrs. Clinton can only strengthen his surging campaign as the contest heads toward Super Tuesday on March 1. Mrs. Clinton is also expected to win the Democratic South Carolina primary next week. She remains the frontrunner, but her lackluster performance and the Nevada exit polls will continue to provide profound concern for her party and its leaders.



In South Carolina, Donald Trump won but his margin was not quite as large as expected. Marco Rubio came in second; Ted Cruz, a less-than-expected third, Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Ben Carson trailed in single digits. Mr. Bush has now retired from the race. Mr. Kasich perhaps remains a while longer. Mr. Cruz probably remains in the race indefinitely. Dr. Carson stays in perhaps until his resources run out. Barring the unforeseen, however, Marco Rubio is now the candidate of the Republican mainstream grass roots. As such, he will again be a prime target of his rivals. Governor Christie might have done Mr. Rubio a favor before New Hampshire by preparing him then for what is to come now.



Next week, it will be the Republicans turn in Nevada, and the Democrats turn in South Carolina, but the main drama now shifts to the March 1 Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses, 13 of them. The Democratic contest remains muddied; the Republican race has been made clearer, but its outcome is not yet assured.

Let me add a couple of thoughts:

First, South Carolina and Nevada were a contrast in turnout. In other words, the GOP turned out, and the Democrats really didn't, as we saw in news reports: GOP up 20% from 2012 and the Democrats 33% down from 2008!

It's early, and there are big states around the corner. Nevertheless, we can say today that Republicans are excited and Democrats are not. It may not matter in the primaries, because Mrs. Clinton is headed for the nomination. It may be a problem next fall when she has to get all of these groups to get up and vote.

Second, Donald Trump won, but this is not over by any means. He is not running any table, unless he suddenly starts getting 51% of the vote in the next month!

Once again, we see Mr. Trump winning with about 33% of the vote. In other words, 67% are voting for a number of other candidates.

Over the next few weeks, we will know whether Senator Cruz can turn his campaign around. He may have money and a ground game, but does he have votes?

We will also learn where Governor Bushs voters go. My guess is that they won't go to Trump!

We have a long way to go, but it was a good night for Senator Rubio. He is the one most likely to win the nomination after South Carolina. And the polls show that he is the one who beats Mrs. Clinton over and over again!

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
William Covino, president of California State University Los Angeles, has canceled a planned speech by Breitbart editor-at-large and conservative brainiac Ben Shaprio three days before it was to take place. All in the name of inclusiveness, bringing to mind the notorious Vietnam War statement, We had to destroy the village to save it.

In doing so, he has set the stage for what could be a major confrontation, as the speechs sponsor, Young Americans for Freedom, has vowed to proceed with the speech, titled When diversity becomes a problem, regardless of the loss of the sanction by Covino. Will the university president attempt to silence the speech?

The rationale for Covinos action is ridiculous on its face.

In an email to the Young Americas Foundation chapter at CSULA, university president William Covino wrote, After careful consideration, I have decided that it will be best for our campus community if we reschedule Ben Shapiros appearance for a later date, so that we can arrange for him to appear as part of a group of speakers with differing viewpoints on diversity. Such an event will better represent our universitys dedication to the free exchange of ideas and the value of considering multiple viewpoints.

The university has no track record at all of imposing similar constraints on left-wing speakers. Breitbart notes:

Covino clearly had no problem with the university hosting radical leftists ranging from Dr. Cornel West to Angela Davis and Tim Wise without the need for a conservative counterpoint. Balance at CSULA only runs one way, Shapiro said. This event obviously threatens the feelings of the precious snowflakes at the university. Tough.

Covino obviously hasnt got a leg to stand on, and if he attempts to shut down the talk by Shapiro, or has campus security stand by while leftists attack the event, the door will be open for lawsuits exposing his double standard.

Shapiro is one of the smartest and most eloquent speakers on the right. His talk, if it is not shut down, would be a tonic for the brainwashed students at CSULA.
For most parents and kids, crossing the street to catch the school bus is perhaps the riskiest part of the school run. But take a look at these Chinese schoolchildren from the village of Genguan. Everyday, these young kids walk along a precarious path carved by the side of a cliff, as they make their way to class in Bijie, in southwest China's Guizhou Province. Banpo Elementary School is located halfway up a mountain and the path to it winds through treacherous hillside passes and tunnels hewn out of the rock. The pebble-covered footpath is less than 0.5 meters wide, which means the children have to walk single file and press themselves into the side of the mountain if someone wants to squeeze past. This footpath was created 40 years ago as an irrigation ditch and although there is another safer route, but taking this means the children have to spend two hours to walk to school. The only assurance for parents is that Headmaster Xu Liangfan accompanies the 49 kids to school.

The story might sound incredible to some, but it isnt uncommon for children from less privileged regions facing immense hardship on their commute to the institute of learning. You will be surprised at the great lengths some children are willing to go to reach school.

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In Sumatra, Indonesia, about 20 strong-willed pupils from Batu Busuk village have to tightrope walk 30 feet above a flowing river to get to their class on time and then walk a further seven miles through the forest to their school in the town of Padang. The kids have been doing the balancing act for the last two years since the suspension bridge collapsed in heavy rain.

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In another Indonesian village of Sanghiang Tanjung, children living on the wrong side of of the Ciberang River has to cross a broken suspension bridge to reach the other side where their school is located. Faced with an extra 30 minutes' walk to cross via an alternate bridge, the children have chosen to undertake the precarious crossing of the collapsed bridge instead.

The good news is: Indonesias largest steel producer, PT Krakatau Steel and some NGOs build a new bridge to replace one that was damaged after flooding in January 2012.

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In yet another Indonesian village, children cycle their way over an aqueduct that separates Suro Village and Plempungan Village in Java, Indonesia. The children decided to use the aqueduct on their journey to school as a shortcut, even though it wasn't made for people to walk on. Even though it is dangerous, the children say would rather use it than walk a distance over six kilometers.

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In Filipino, elementary school students use an inflated tire tube to cross a river on their way to school in a remote village in Rizal province, east of the capital Manila. The students have to walk for at least an hour a day to get to and from school, and are sometimes forced to skip classes or take shelter at relatives' homes if the river is swollen due to heavy rains. The community has been petitioning the local government to put up a suspension bridge in order to make the crossing easier, faster and safer.

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The Filipino kids at least have tubes. These Vietnamese students arent so fortunate. Dozens of young children from grade 1 to grade 5 swim twice a day across the river in order to get to school at Trong Hoa commune, Minh Hoa district. In order to keep the clothes and books from getting wet, the students put them in large plastic bags and tightly sealed while crossing the river almost naked. These plastics bags were also being used to keep them afloat while swimming across the river. Upon reaching the other side of the river, they take their clothes out of the bag and put them on. The river is 15 meters wide and reportedly 20 meters deep.

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Gondola bridges are common in the mountainous country of Nepal where good roads are in short demand. Children use handcrafted bridges made with planks, improvised ropes and pulleys, without safety harnesses and double security restraint. For decades, this lack of security has caused numerous accidents. Fortunately, several NGOs are currently concerned with building safe bridges and gondolas to mitigate accidents.

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In Columbia, kids from a handful of families living in the rainforest, 40 miles southeast of the capital Bogota, commute via steel cables that connect one side of the valley to the other. This is the only way to reach school. The steel cables are 800 meters in length are strung 400m above the roaring Rio Negro.

Photographer Christoph Otto clicked this incredible picture of Daisy Mora and her brother Jamid, making their way at a breakneck speed of 50 miles per hour. She attaches the sack containing her brother, who is too young, at five, to make the crossing alone, and herself to a pulley. A branch in the shape of a wishbone forms a crude brake. The entire journey takes 60 seconds.

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Back in China, around 80 school children who live in the boarding school at Pili, have to embark on a perilous 125-mile journey through the mountains of the remote Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, at the end of their term. The children must also wade through four freezing rivers, cross a 650ft chain bridge and four single-plank bridges. The journey takes two days to complete.

Source 1, 2

Finally, here is one striking picture captured by Reuter photographer Ammar Awad in 2010. During clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians in the refugee camp Shuafat, near Jerusalem, a girl is seen calmly walking towards her school unconcerned by the violence around her. The street is strewn with rocks thrown by protesters in the direction of the Israeli troop who can be seen behind the girl in protective shields. Reminds me of the famous Tank man on Tiananmen Square.

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These pictures puts into a different perspective the whining complains of students about having to go to school, not bringing pencils or paper, and not making it to class on time. Ed Darrell, who blogs at Millard Fillmore's Bathtub, questioned: What value does this girl and her family place on education? Is education a civil right? Is education a basic human right?
A piece of rare lapis lazuli stone from quarries in Afghanistan, secretions from on ocean-dwelling snail Bolinus brandaris, dried bodies of tiny insects Coccus ilicis, and a ball of Indian yellow made from the urine of cows fed only on mango leaves, are just some of the bizarre treasures housed in the long row of cabinets in the Harvard Art Museums Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies. This remarkable materials collection, some of which date back more than a hundred years and come from all over the world, represents raw materials from which pigments, dyes and binding media were traditionally made before synthetic pigments became available.

The famed Forbes Pigment Library was compiled by Edward W. Forbes, former director of Fogg Art Museum, between about 1910 and 1944. Forbes interest in pigments and its preservation started with his purchase of the 14-century Madonna and Child with Saints, which he bought in 1899 during a trip to Italy. Forbes noticed that the painting, as with all early Italian paintings in his collection, was rapidly deteriorating which urged him to begin a passionate exploration into the process of how paintings were made. That passion led to his collection of materials related to the making and restoration of art.

By the end of the 1920s, Forbes had amassed a huge collection of pigments which he had acquired from his travels to Europe and the Far East. While in India, he collected Indian yellow which was used for centuries, but stopped being made because the process was harmful to cows. From Afghanistan he acquired the precious lapis lazuli stone which in Medieval times was said to be six times more valuable than gold. He also brought with him nuggets of artist pigments discovered in the excavation of Pompeii.

When Forbes founded the Center for Conservation and Technical Studies in 1928, he had over 1,000 pigments in his collection. Today, it has over 2,500 samples and is renowned in the art community. In addition to offering a phenomenal display of color and a glimpse into the history of pigments, these pigments also help experts to research, authenticate and restore paintings.

Prior to the renovation and expansion of the museums, the bulk of these materials had been stored away from public view. They are now displayed at Harvard Art Museums in rows of glass cabinets with their contents stored in their original delicate glass containers.

A rich blue hue prepared by grounding the precious lapis lazuli stone mined from quarries in Afghanistan

Another expensive pigment known as Tyrian purple is prepared from the secretion from the predatory sea snail Bolinus brandaris (originally known as Murex brandaris). Its high cost rendered it a status symbol, and Byzantine emperors forbade anyone outside the imperial court from using the violet dye, lending it the distinction royal purple.

The use of tiny metallic flakes suspended in a binding medium can give artworks a shining finish.

Artists often took risks to create their works, using poisonous pigments like emerald green to get the color just right.

The red-orange realgar is derived from arsenic sulfide minerals.

There are samples of kermes, an Old World pigment created by grinding tiny blisters produced by the insects Coccus ilicis, which lived on the kermes oak tree. Kermes is also the source of the word crimson.

Sources: Harvard Art Museum / Harvard Gazette
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. A Cairo criminal court ordered on February 23 the release of prominent Jihadist Mohamed El-Zawahiri on parole, Armenpress reports.

According to Al-Zawahiris lawyer Adel Moawad, his client should be released soon since he is not detained in any other case. However, the prosecution has the right to appeal the court decission,

El-Zawahiri, the brother of current Al-Qaeda leader Ayman El-Zawahiri, was arrested in August 2013 on charges of membership of a terrorist organisation.

In October 2015, Al-Zawahiri was acquitted of operating a terrorist organisation in what was dubbed the Al-Zawahiri cell trial, which involved 17 other defendants, 10 of whom were sentenced to death for running a terrorist organisation connected to Al-Qaeda.

In 1999, Mohamed Al-Zawahiri was sentenced to death in absentia for a handful of terrorist attacks in Egypt.

In June 2011, a military court accepted Al-Zawahiris appeal against the death verdict; the case was closed and the 63 years old Jihadist was released.
Its that time of year again, where anybody whos anybody is bringing their new devices and announcements to Barcelona. Mobile World Congress is always a busy time of year for manufacturers, not unlike LG and Samsung, but its also a trade show that looks ahead to the future. For companies like ARM, that means looking ahead to the future, and if you ask anyone right now theyll tell you that the future is in wearables and the Internet of Things. To that end, ARM is introducing a new processor design specifically for those two applications, the new Cortex-A32.

Those that keep up with processor talk in the mobile world will know that ARMs Cortex-A series of processor designs are often used in smartphones, tablets and anything that runs a complex operating system, such as Android. This new Cortex-A32 design is their most efficient Cortex-A series processor by being the smallest Cortex-A processor to date, which will not only use less power, but also generate less heat. The Cortex-A32 will be a direct replacement for the Cortex-A7, the design used in the popular Snapdragon 400, which is at the heart of the LG G Watch, Huawei Watch and many other Android Wear smartwatches. Unlike the newly-announced Snapdragon 2100, which is still based on ARMs previous Cortex-A7 designs, chips based on the Cortex-A32 will be part of a whole new generation of processors.

While the A32 is still a 32-bit design, it features the ARM V8-A instruction set, just without the 64-bit side of things, this helps bridge the gap between something like the Cortex-A7 (which was an ARM V7-A design) and the Cortex-A53. These new instructions in the Cortex-A32, compared to the A7, allow the new chip to be over 5 times quicker in Streaming tasks and a further 13 times quicker in Crypto applications, such as encryption. The Cortex-A32 will be available in chips from just 0.25mm-squared to powerful quad-core chips that still use hardly any power at all. The Cortex-A32 will be hitting devices next year, with sampling to hit device manufacturers some time later this year.
Samsung has introduced the companys newest flagship devices two days ago in Barcelona. The two smartphones Samsung announced are the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Weve pushed out tons of content when it comes to both fo these devices, and its time to take a short break from them, and talk about something else Samsung-related. Now, you might recall that the Galaxy A9 Pro has surfaced in the past, and was rumored to be on its way to China, well, it turns out that info was accurate, read on.

The Galaxy A line of devices is actually Samsungs mid-range line, even though some of these devices sport really interesting specs. Lets take the Galaxy A9 for an example, this smartphone is made out of metal, and its side bezels are extremely thin. The phone ships with a 1080p display, 3GB of RAM and is powered by the Snapdragon 652 SoC. This is more than a decent hardware, and if the phone sported a higher-end SoC, we might even say its a high-end device. Anyhow, this phone has launched back in December, and it is available since last month. That being said, the Galaxy A9 Pro variant is said to be on the way to not only China, but India as well. This handset surfaced on Zauba a while back, which suggests both countries will get it in the end.

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Well, a new report surfaced, it seems like the Galaxy A9 Pro has been certified in China, at least according to the leaked network certification documents. This pretty much means that this handset might land in China in a couple of weeks, and were sure India will follow soon after. Now, according to GFXBench, the Galaxy A9 Pro will feature a 5.5-inch 1080p (1920 x 1080) display, along with 4GB of RAM and a 16-megapixel rear-facing shooter. The phone will be fueled by one of QUalcomms mid-range 6XX chips, perhaps even the Snapdragon 620. Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow will come pre-installed on the Galaxy A9 Pro, and the device will pack in 32GB of internal storage on the inside. Either way, well let report back as soon as new info surfaces.
When Samsung announced the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge during their Unpacked 2016 event over the weekend, they surprised few people. After all, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge were leaked multiple times before the full announcement. What did surprise people however is how quickly after the event the device would be available to purchase from stores. Today, February 23rd, is the day that the two new flagships from Samsung go on sale throughout North America, and weve already covered the news from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. Now, its Sprints turn. Predictably, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will be similarly-priced on Sprint, but this is to be expected from a Samsung release however, they are doing something a little different this year.

On Sprint, the Galaxy S7 is going to cost $27.09 a month for 24 months, while the Galaxy S7 Edge will cost $31.25 a month. This is a little more expensive than say, T-Mobile, but the way that Sprint prices things can be a little confusing at first. Thankfully, their website will guide both new and existing customers alike through the process. The yellow network is even giving away another Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge for 50% off as well, which might work well for friends and family looking to make the most out of a move to Sprint. The company also launched their new Galaxy Forever program not too long ago, which people can read up about here.

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The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are subtle improvements upon last years devices, and they will be great upgrades to those coming from a Galaxy S5  or any other device from two-years ago  as the microSD card slot and IP68 water-resistance has returned. On top of this, both devices have larger batteries than they did last year and those that were eyeing up the Galaxy S6 Edge+ will get a large display with the Galaxy S7 Edge as it features a 5.5-incher this year. The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are available to pre-order on Sprint right now, and those waiting for in-store hands-on time can spend time with the phones starting March 11th.
Google is closing the doors on its automobile insurance, credit card and mortgage comparison tools that have been available to users for a year now. The first rumors of the closure came from one of Googles rival car insurance marketplaces: Joshua Dziabiak, the COO of The Zebra, informed the source website that he had been receiving information from a number of undisclosed industry sources that Google were planning on closing the Google Compare Auto Insurance. This service has been running since 2012 in the United Kingdom and was rolled out to the North American market last year. Subsequently, Google has confirmed that the service will be winding down from today, Tuesday.

Googles comparison business was designed for customers to compare car insurance or credit cards quickly and easily from a browser. We understand that for the auto insurance division, Google partnered with local and national car insurance providers and took a cut of any business generated when a customer bought insurance either online or over the phone. The cut was based on a flexible cost-per-acquisition model. However, Joshua said that he wasnt surprised that the Google Auto Insurance comparison function was being removed, citing that the system was not sophisticated enough to provide the necessary information to customers. On the financial and credit card side of things, he believes that the Google tool was not proficient enough to provide information to customers beyond the simple price quotes: todays consumers want to see more information. He also believes that several car insurance brokers and businesses had been reluctant to participate with Googles comparison website for the same reason. One of the cornerstones of a comparison website is that it covers a significant proportion of the available market. Joshua said this on the subject: A lot of people arent super surprised. Some of us kind of saw it coming.

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The Google Compare service emailed its partners and explained: Despite people turning to Google for financial services information, the Google Compare service itself hasnt driven the success we hoped for. Later on in the email, Google goes on to say: After a lot of careful consideration, weve decided that focusing more intently on AdWords and future innovations will enable us to provide fresh, comprehensive answers to Google users, and to provide our financial services partners with the best return on investment. This reads as though the Google Compare service was in effect stealing clicks from displayed adverts, which is ultimately Googles core business. The closure of the Google Compare offering also highlights how decisive Google is when it comes to removing a business venture that has failed to gain traction or is otherwise not working.
Its a nightmare scenario; your beloved smartphone is gone and somebody else has their hands on not only your expensive device that you use for just about everything, but all the highly personal, valuable data on it. Most mobile security suites offer the option to remotely lock and wipe the device to prevent your data from falling into the wrong hands. Some apps also offer the option to check the location of your phone, such as Lookout, Theftie or Googles own Android Device Manager. In a stolen phone situation, your first reaction may be firing up such an app with every intention of getting back your stolen property. As one man in Alabama found out, however, that sort of thing is best left to the police.

A 23 year old man who police have not yet released the identity of fire up a tracking app when he noticed his phone was stolen from his car. Finding it was still in the parking lot, he went to confront the thief. Rather than receiving his stolen phone, he was attacked. The thief gunned him down with two shots outside of Crumbey Bethel Primitive Baptist Church in Fairfield. The police got the call at 7:20 PM and transferred the wounded victim to a nearby hospital. Sadly, it was too late and the victim was pronounced dead upon arrival.

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The suspect, who goes by the street aliases G Boy and G Bo, is still at large. The suspect was reportedly in a 2015 or 2016 Nissan Maxima that was described as being gold or brownish in color. There was no word on whether the suspect may still be in the Fairfield/Birmingham area. Cases with the potential to turn out this way happen daily. Phones are stolen all the time, sometimes by scared teenagers and sometimes by ruthless criminals; a user has no way to tell until theyre face to face with the thief. In a statement to NBC News local station WVTM, Fairfield Police Chief Leon Davis spoke on the lesson that this unfortunate incident teaches, saying, Dont take these matters into your own hands  these things normally dont turn out too good.
Many might know Lenovo as a straight up PC and Laptop manufacturer, but theyve been in the mobile arena for some time now. While they might have gotten a big shot in the arm thanks to their purchase of Motorola last year, theyve been doing just fine on their own. One area that theyve been particularly strong in is Android tablets, especially in the low-end or budget part of the market. During Mobile World Congress, the Chinese company has announced a trio of new devices under their new TAB 3 line. Here, well be taking a look at them as theyre presented on the show floor in Barcelona, Spain.

Starting with the TAB 3 7 and TAB 3 8, these will be familiar to anyone whos spent much time with a standard Android tablet. Both the TAB 3 7 and TAB 3 8 are incredibly cheap devices, starting at $79 and $99, respectively. Of course, for that sort of money, the 12800 x 800 standard display and 1.0 Ghz processors are to be expected. Lenovo is hoping to offer value elsewhere however, with the inclusion of kids modes and smart display technology that promises to be kinder on your eyes. Those interested in some affordable 7-inch and 8-inch tablets can take a look at the gallery below, and read on for something a little bigger.

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The Lenovo TAB 3 10 was announced at the same time, and is designed for those looking to use the device for business as well as pleasure. Lenovo is promising a tablet thats a little more rugged and one that will support a wide range of peripherals over USB on-the-go. This version of the TAB 3 features a Full HD display and 2GB of RAM as well as a faster quad-core CPU. At $199, this isnt as affordable as the other two, but for smaller businesses out there, a tablet like this to use on the shop floor or for light computing tasks makes a lot of sense. Besides, a lot of people will be familiar with Lenovos brand in business and the firm has developed a good name for themselves in the budget Android tablet market. Those interested in a closer-look can take a look at the gallery below.
On Monday, it was announced that Verizon would be opening up pre-orders today for the Samsung Gear S2 Classic with cellular connectivity. Those pre-orders have now opened up, and you can get your Gear S2 Classic with cellular connectivity. Theres no timeline for when they will be shipped, however the other carriers will be shipping on March 11th along with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Verizon is offering the Gear S2 Classic for $399, and those looking for a two-year contract can pick it up for $349  for what its worth, wed highly recommend picking it up off contract, as youll save more money in the long run.

The Gear S2 Classic was announced along side the original Gear S2 at IFA in September of 2015. It was a pretty incredible launch when you think about it. Seeing as it was their headlining device at the trade show, after having announced the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ a few weeks before hand. The Gear S2s biggest feature is the ability to scroll through the OS by turning the watch face. Its a really cool feature, and much better than the way Apple has you navigate through the OS on the Apple Watch. Samsungs Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic run for $299 and $349 respectively. So adding on an extra $50 for cellular connectivity isnt too bad at all.

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Verizon is also opening up pre-orders for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge today, which will be shipping on March 11th along with the Gear S2 Classic that is going to be available at all four carriers, however Verizon is first with pre-orders for the smartwatch. Samsung has quite a few great devices coming out in the next few weeks, and its going to be great to see how well they sell, after the somewhat mediocre year 2015 was for the company  even though they sold more than just about everyone else.

You can pre-order the Samsung Gear S2 Classic with cellular connectivity from the link in the source section below. Youll also be able to add it to your account fro $5 per month.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. The Syrian government on February 23 decided to uphold the ceasefire deal brokered by Moscow and Washington, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said, Armenpress reports citing Sputniknews website.

"Damascus has agreed to stop military operations. This decision was taken after a close consultation with our Russian friends," Mekdad said in an interview with the Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen television channel.

He underscored that no ceasefire would stop the Syrian army from continuing its fight against terrorists. "I think we may declare a victory in the coming days," the minister pledged.

A deal was announced on February 22 by the United States and Russia to seek the cessation of hostilities in war-torn Syria starting on February 27, after a previously declared tentative ceasefire did not take hold last Friday.

The new ceasefire excludes Daesh and the Nusra Front terror groups, banned by the UN and considered as terrorist organizations in Russia and a number of other countries.
Samsung Mobile is, at this moment, the largest and most successful Android OEM in the world. Shooting ahead of the competition in tons of markets over the past few years, Samsungs meteoric rise to the top of the world hasnt quite been a bed of roses in China. Smaller regional manufacturers like Xiaomi, Meizu and LeEco have stolen the show in China, each for their own reasons. Between the larger, longstanding mainstays and the smaller or newer elements keeping the Chinese market fresh and varied, the fierce market refuses to cut anybody any slack. Samsung, mighty in most other markets, is only number six in China. In a pond that big, being a big fish simply isnt enough. Samsung Mobile chief DJ Koh, however, is convinced that the worst is over and that Samsung will see brighter days in China from here on.

According to Koh, sales and growth in China have stabilized, giving the company some much-needed wiggle room for their new flagships, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, to take center stage while the mid-range and entry-level Chinese markets are satisfied by Samsungs other offerings, such as members of the Galaxy A and J series. Koh also said that business in China is showing some of the classic signs of an upcoming turnabout. Their fall has stopped, leaving them on steady footing. They have devices in every segment of the market thus far. Their upcoming flagships are all set to blow most local options out of the water and get people talking about Samsung in China, which will, hopefully, bring them more sales.

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While local cuisine such as the upcoming Xiaomi Mi5 and the LeEco Le Max Pro may be extremely appealing, perhaps even purpose-built for the China market, Samsung is hoping to cause an upset in the flagship ecosystem worldwide with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Arguably, theyve even targeted Chinese consumers by partnering with LINE, makers of one of Chinas top chat services, to create stylish accessories for the two phones. Whether Samsung can pop the bubble and truly disrupt the Chinese market remains to be seen, but its not hard to see why Koh is saying that the worst of Samsungs issues in China are over.
If you are unfamiliar with Samsung 837, this is the new Samsung flagship store in New York and is due to open its doors today. However, unlike most other stores, it seems Samsung 837 will not actually be trying to sell you anything. That is, not directly at least. Although, the shop does allow you to buy coffee and of course, does accept Samsung Pay. Not to mention, Samsung 837 does also offer a repair center where you can get your devices fixed.

Samsung 837 is located within the Meatpacking district in New York and the property was picked up by Samsung back in 2014 and while it boasts a lavish 55,000 square-foot space, it seems this particular store is more about brand awareness and the Samsung Experience then the visitors walking out with the latest and greatest Samsung purchases under their arms. According to a report from Mashable, who recently spent time at the new store ahead of its grand opening, the Samsung 837 store is anything but a store.

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According to the report, the use of Samsung 837s three floor building is one which is made to enhance the senses and provide a look into the world of Samsung. As you enter, phones are on display, as is a glass recording studio (which is said to be prepped for use for special events). Visitors are then greeted by what is said to be a wall of TVs with no less than 96 Samsung 55-inch sets stitched together and assuming the centerpiece of the building. A centerpiece which is largely visible from all floors and will in due course, be showing Samsungs own curated content.

It seems the rest of the store also follows along this experience train of thought, with other areas of the store consisting of elements like a Selfie Station where visitors will be able to use Samsung smartphones to take a selfie of themselves. Selfies, which will end up on the wall of TVs for all to see. Then there is also the a VR Tunnel on offer which looks to provide visitors with a more immersive experience and one which can be linked to your Instagram account and all your Instagram-related content visible as you walk through the tunnel. As you might expect with Samsungs approach to VR, that is not the end of the virtual reality related experiences either, as there are also VR experience chairs which will give you the opportunity to experience VR content with the use of a Gear VR as well as Samsungs Level headphones. You can check out how the new store looks in more detail by hitting play below.
Verizon, lately has started to feel the pinch of Sprint and T-Mobiles competitive spirit. While Verizon wont come out and say that is why they are dropping prices and even paying off customers fees to switch to Verizon, its pretty obvious. The latest promo that Verizon is offering is a $100 bill credit when you purchase a few different devices that are available on Verizon. Those include the Motorola Droid Turbo, Droid Turbo 2, Droid Maxx 2, Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge just went up for pre-order on Verizon  and other carriers  this morning. Speaking of which, you can also get a free Gear VR or a free Gear S2 when you pre-order the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge.

This promotion isnt just for new customers, existing customers can get in on the fun as well by adding an additional line to their account. Buy any of those five smartphones, and youll get a $100 bill credit which will pay for almost an entire month depending on the plan youre on. Which is nothing to sneeze at.

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On top of the $100 bill credit, Verizon is still offering up to $650 to cover your switching fees to come to Verizon. They are also offering an extra 2GB of data per month for life for those that have their XL or XXL data plans. Those are their most expensive data plans, also have the most data, and they are giving those customers an extra 2GB of data per month for free, not a bad deal. Verizon will also be offering the LG G5 when that is available later this Spring. We dont have any official release dates for the LG G5 just yet, but Best Buy thinks its coming on April 1st.

Verizon was also rated #1 network in the country based on Root Metrics latest report. This is the fifth year in a row that they have held that honor. Verizon covers about 98% of the US with 4G LTE, so just about everywhere you go, you are more than likely going to have service from Verizon. Always a good thing to have, since youre paying for it each month.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. A coordination centre to facilitate talks between opposing parties in Syria has been opened at Russia's Hmeymim air base in the country, the Russian Defence Ministry said on February 23, Armenpress reports citing Dailymail website.

"In accordance with the Russian-American agreements from Feb. 22 on the cessation of hostilities in Syria, to implement a monitoring mechanism for the ceasefire a coordination centre has been opened for the reconciliation of warring parties," Russian news agencies quoted ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying.

Konashenkov said the centre's purpose was to facilitate talks between the Syrian government and opposition representatives, excluding Islamic State and the Nusra Front.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Agreement on military cooperation will be signed between Armenian and Czech governments. Armenpress reports that the issue on approving the signing of the agreement is involved in the agenda of the governments February 25 issue.

The agreement provides the supply of military products, repair, modernization, operation and technical support, organization of production allowed for military products, ensuring control of the military products quality and preparation of professionals and technical staff in educational institutions.

According to the agreement, cooperation between the Armenian and Czech companies, signing separate agreements in the field of military-technical cooperation between organizations and institutions are expected.
Radical Grace | A Documentary About Three Feminist Nuns

This film comes at a major crossroads in the Catholic Church, and the nuns are everything thats right with the institution. They stand with the marginalized, and wont be bullied by the hierarchy. I feel a deep connection to the women featured in Radical Grace. ~ Susan Sarandon, Radical Grace Executive Producer

In 2009, the Vatican launched two sweeping investigations of American nuns, headed by Mother Mary Clare Millea. The investigations were launched by Cardinal Franc Rode, then prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (aka Congregation for Religious), who was concerned about feminist spirit among American sisters as well as irregularities or omissions in American religious life.

Luckily for the sisters, Rode retired in January 2011 before the visitation was completed. His replacement, Braz de Aviz, who took a softer approach to the visitation even before Pope Francis assumed leadership at the Vatican. The National Catholic Reporter wrote in Dec. 2014 that even though Mother Millea was traditional by nature, she had reluctantly agreed to head the visitation team, because of her nonauthoritarian style and respect for the more secular sisters.

AOC tracked the story of the American nuns and Sister Simone Campbell, who famously took the media stage in Nuns on the Bus, as her NETWORK ministry hit the road in 2012 campaigning for Americas poor.

Note that in April 2015, the Vatican abruptly ended its takeover of the main leadership of American nuns two years ahead of schedule, in anticipation of a visit to America by Pope Francis in Fall 2015.

Filming Defiance

Radical Grace follows the extraordinary lives of Sister Simone Campbell, Sister Jean Hughes, and Sister Chris Schenk, American nows who believe more strongly in a vow of obedience to God than to the patriarchal Vatican hierarchy.

In America, the hearts and minds of ordinary Catholics were with the nuns, as protests spread on their behalf. From their cross country Nuns on the Bus tour, to serving those on the margins, to a continued struggle for Catholic womens religious equality, these courageous and defiant sisters seek to transform American politics in the 201 elections  and the Church itself.

The Radical Grace website affirms that the documentary seeks to launch a social impact campaign that will help reframe faith and morality as a force within Americas progressive movement.

When asked if the hard-line patriarchal hierarchy will dominate the Church in the 21st century, or will the sisters values of social justice and inclusion prevail, Sister Campbell answers: I think the Holy Spirit makes mischief in surprising ways.
(ANSA) - Berlin, February 23 - Germany's interior and foreign ministers have sent a letter to 17 countries asking for the repatriation of people who have been refused asylum in Germany to be accelerated, the Bild daily reported, citing the letter.

"The unprecedented escape and migratory movement of the last months has particularly hit Germany as a destination aim," Bild cited Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as saying in the letter.

"For this reason, those that do no not have the right to stay have to go back to their origin country more quickly than in the past." The 17 countries to which the letter is addressed include Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Tunisia, Bangladesh and India.

Separately, European Commissioner for Immigration Dimitris Avramopoulos and Dutch Minister for Migration Klaas Dijkhoff said in a joint statement on Tuesday that the European Union must act with solidarity and responsibility, especially in times of difficulty.


(ANSA) - Rome, February 23 - The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday condemned Italy for preventing justice being done in the 2003 US extraordinary rendition of a Muslim cleric from Milan.

The Strasbourg court said Italy abused State secrecy norms to protect Italian defendants, including Italy's then top two spies, and was also wrong not to request the extradition of 22 CIA agents and a US Air Force colonel who were convicted.

It further condemned pardons for three top U.S. defendants by successive Italian presidents Giorgio Napolitano and Sergio Mattarella.

The ECHR ruled that Italy had infringed the rights of the cleric, Hassan Mustafa Omar Nasr. "Having regard to all the evidence in the case, the Court found it established that the Italian authorities were aware that the applicant had been a victim of an extraordinary rendition operation which had begun with his abduction in Italy and had continued with his transfer abroad," read a statement by the Court. It said Italian officials cooperated in the operation which saw Nasr transferred to Egypt, where he was held in secret for several months. It ruled Italy was guilty of several human rights violations, including the failure to prevent Nasr from suffering "torture and inhuman or degrading treatment" and the infringement of his right to liberty and security.

The ECHR also said that Italy had abused the principle of State secrecy in the case. "In the present case the Court held that the legitimate principle of "State secrecy" had clearly been applied by the Italian executive in order to ensure that those responsible did not have to answer for their actions," the Court said.

"The investigation and trial had not led to the punishment of those responsible, who had therefore ultimately been granted impunity".

In February 2014 Italy's supreme court acquitted the former head and the No.2 of the Italian secret service agency SISMI (now known as AISE), Nicolo' Pollari and Marco Mancini, as well as three agents, for involvement in Nasr's rendition.

The Cassation Court said sentences could not be upheld due to State secrecy.

Pollari and Mancini were respectively appealing a 10-year and a nine-year sentence at a lower court for allowing the CIA to commit "a grave violation of national sovereignty" when they snatched Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, an Islamist suspected of recruiting jihadi fighters.

Nasr, whose case led to the world's first judicial examination of the controversial practice in the so-called war on terror, got a jail term of six years for international terrorism the previous December.

In September 2012, Italy's top court of appeals upheld the convictions of 22 CIA agents and a former US air force officer, commander of the Aviano air base, Joseph L. Romano, for the abduction.

The Court of Cassation confirmed the seven-year sentences for 22 of them and a nine-year term for former Milan station chief Robert Seldon Lady.

Italian President Napolitano later pardoned Romano, while last December President Sergio Mattarella pardoned Lady and another CIA operative, Betnie Madero.

Despite calls from prosecutors, Italy never formally requested the extradition of the US officers convicted.

In its Tuesday ruling, the ECHR found that Italy had not fully pursued justice for Nasr "because of the fact that the sentences imposed on the convicted US nationals had not been enforced because of the refusal of the Italian authorities to request their extradition".

As for Pollari, Mancini and the other Italian defendants, Italy again effectively failed to give Nasr justice "because of the fact those responsible had been granted impunity owing to the application of State secrecy".

Reacting to the ruling, Milan Prosecutor Ferdinando Pomarici voiced "personal satisfaction, but profound bitterness.

"We, who are the cradle of law, find ourselves brutally slapped. It took the Strasbourg court to put us back in line and say: kid, you don't do these things".

Claudio Fava, deputy chair of the parliamentary anti-mafia commission, called on Premier Matteo Renzi to "urgently" report to parliament on the ECHR ruling.

Nasr was snatched by a team of CIA operatives with the help of SISMI and taken via Aviano to a NATO base in Ramstein, Germany, en route to Cairo.

He emerged from an Egyptian prison four years later claiming he had been tortured.

Italian courts have awarded him one million euros in damages.

The case caused friction between Italy and the United States.

Extraordinary rendition was first authorised by former American president Bill Clinton in the 1990s and stepped up when his successor George W. Bush declared war on terror after the September 11, 2001 attacks by Al-Qaeda.

Successive Italian governments denied all knowledge of the case and consistently ruled out the possibility of extradition.

The trial of Nasr claimed headlines worldwide and stoked discussion of rendition, which was extended by President Barack Obama in 2008 under the proviso that detainees' rights should be respected.


(ANSA) - Strasbourg, February 23 - The European Court of Human Rights said on Tuesday that it has ruled Italy infringed the rights of Muslim cleric Hassan Mustafa Omar Nasr, who was abducted by the CIA Milan in 2003. "Having regard to all the evidence in the case, the Court found it established that the Italian authorities were aware that the applicant had been a victim of an extraordinary rendition operation which had begun with his abduction in Italy and had continued with his transfer abroad," read a statement by the Court. It said Italian officials cooperated in the operation which saw Nasr transferred to Egypt, where he was held in secret for several months. It ruled Italy was guilty of several human rights violations, including the failure to prevent Nasr from suffering "torture and inhuman or degrading treatment" and the infringement of his right to liberty and security.

The European Court of Human Rights also said Tuesday that Italy had abused the principle of State secrecy in the case. "In the present case the Court held that the legitimate principle of "State secrecy" had clearly been applied by the Italian executive in order to ensure that those responsible did not have to answer for their actions," the Court said.

"The investigation and trial had not led to the punishment of those responsible, who had therefore ultimately been granted impunity".


Kelly has written a book: "My Life as a Street Painter in Florence, Italy" (over 350 images!)

by clicking on the links above.(You may also read some of the inside pages on this site.)



Above: Cover for book:

"My Life as a Street Painter in Florence, Italy"

by Kelly Borsheim



Order the book today

from the artist. (Click on image above.)

Also Available on Amazons in Europe ... UK and Italy, for example.

Thank you for your support.
(ANSA) - Milan, February 23 - Italy bid farewell to world renowned writer and academic Umberto Eco on Tuesday with a short non-religious ceremony at Milan's Sforza Castle.

Eco, who shot to international fame three decades ago with the Medieval monastery thriller The Name of the Rose, died on Friday at the age of 84 after a battle with cancer. Actor Roberto Benigni, Milan Mayor Giuliano Pisapia and several government ministers were among crowds attending the funeral on Tuesday.

Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini told the ceremony that Eco had needed to be viewed in the way one looks at a painting or a landscape.

"You understood that in the silences he was consulting the boundless library that was inside him," Franceschini said.

Wreaths from President Sergio Mattarella, Premier Matteo Renzi, and Lower House Speaker Laura Boldrini flanked the casket of the late novelist, academic, philosopher, and semiotician.

Hundreds queued at the 15th century Sforza Castle to attend the civil ritual and pay their respects.

Eco's widow Renate Ramge said she chose La Folia, a sonata by Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli, to accompany the ceremony.

"It's a piece that has always been a part of our lives, which my husband loved very much," she told RAI public broadcaster.

Education Minister Stefania Giannini described Eco as a "symbol of innovative classicism". She said "we have lost a teacher but we haven't lost his lesson".

Milan's Pisapia thanked Eco for his "civil and cultural bravery" and for interpreting the soul of the city.

The release date of Eco's final book, Satan Aleppe: Chronicles of a Liquid Society, has been brought forward to this weekend. The collection of essays that have been published in Italian weekly magazine L'Espresso was originally due out in May. Before achieving fame with The Name of the Rose, Eco was known for his writing on the study of signs, and his articles in L'Espresso weekly on current affairs and topical themes.

Born in Alessandria in the northern Italian region of Piedmont on January 5, 1932, he died at home on Friday evening after a long struggle with cancer. His other literary successes include Foucault's Pendulum and his most recent book, Numero Zero, was published last year.


(ANSA) - Brussels, February 23 - Italy is among European Union countries with the highest levels of mismatch between the skills that workers have and those requested by the jobs market, a European Commission report showed.

Italy tops the skills gap table along with Belgium and Ireland.

The concept is closely linked to that of "educational mismatch" or education of children that does not meet the needs of companies.

The skills mismatch remained high in Italy even while the number of highly qualified and medium-qualified workers rose slightly in the first four months of 2015, to around 20% and 40% of the active workforce respectively.

Meanwhile the number of low skilled workers declined to about 40%.

The high level of skills mismatch can be linked to the low employment rates among low skilled workers, in contrast to better employment situations in other countries such as Germany, Denmark and Britain.


(ANSA) - Brussels, February 23 - Italy remains under observation because of its macroeconomic imbalances but Brussels acknowledges progress in many fields including the labour market, schools, the civil service and banks, according to a report on macroeconomic imbalances in EU countries that will be on the European Commission's agenda Wednesday. The EU encourages Italy to make more progress but highlights the persistence of overly high debt-servicing costs, the report says. The EC is yet to give its final verdict on Italy's 2016 budget which is expected to be issued in the mid-March. Premier Matteo Renzi on Monday hailed the reforms he has made in two years in office, saying they had got Italy moving again.

Premier Matteo Renzi said Tuesday he would welcome European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker "to the most beautiful country on Earth" when the EC chief visits Rome Friday.

Renzi was asked on Italian radio how he would welcome Juncker after a series of spats in recent months.
(ANSA) - Istanbul, February 23 - Italy and Turkey will hold a summit in Istanbul before the end of the year, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told Italian entrepreneurs in the Turkish city Tuesday.

"Premier Matteo Renzi hopes to link the summit to the inauguration of the Third Bosphorus Bridge, either before or after," Gentiloni added.

The combined road-rail bridge is being built by a consortium that includes Italian construction company Astaldi. The entrepreneurs expressed their concern over the economic and political climate in Turkey.

Gentiloni reassured them that Turkey is not "on the brink of war" and remains one of the most stable countries in the region.


(ANSA) - Milan, February 23 - Maria Giulia 'Fatima' Sergio, a young convert to Islam who is allegedly fighting with the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, was indicted Tuesday for international terrorism along with her father, Sergio Sergio. Her sister Marianna was sentenced to five years four months. The alleged foreign fighter's parents and sister, all of whom were converts to Islam, were arrested in July when prosecutors said they and seven other suspects had joined ISIS and were on the verge of leaving to fight in Syria. The mother, Assunta Buonfiglio, died of cardiac arrest aged 60 in October, on the eve of her release into house arrest.


(ANSA) - Bari, February 23 - Bari prosecutors on Tuesday requested a fast-track trial for an Iraqi national who is a terror suspect accused of abetting illegal immigration into Italy.

Majid Muhamad, 45, was arrested in December on charges of abetting illegal immigration as part of an international terrorism probe into at least 10 suspects.

Muhamad is thought to have helped people linked to an Italian cell of an Islamist terror group and "aiding the entry into Europe of people linked to Islamist fundamentalist combatant circles," police sources said at the time of his arrest.

He allegedly organized the illegal entry into Italy of numerous foreigners using fake documents including 11 people from Egypt, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, and Turkey whom he helped find accommodation in Bari between March and September last year, investigators said.

Muhamad had been released from an Italian prison in January 2015 after serving 10 years for international terrorism, and moved to Bari after winning an appeal against an expulsion order.

Wiretaps revealed he subsequently had telephone contact with numerous people believed to be linked to an Islamist terrorist group, and used what police believe to be code for explosives when he spoke of two kilos of "truffles" his wife sent him from Iraq.

During a February 2015 raid on a Bari apartment, police confiscated from Majid postcards he sent from prison in which he exalted the jihad, or Islamist holy war.

The suspect, who has been transferred to a maximum security prison near the town of Rossano in Calabria, will be tried on the illegal immigration charges beginning in April and is still under investigation on separate international terrorism charges.


(ANSA) - Istanbul, February 23 - 2016 is a "crucial" year for Somalia with scheduled parliamentary elections later this year, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Tuesday.

"Election years, coming in the middle of ongoing processes of stabilisation, are always complex," Gentiloni told a High Level Partnership Forum on Somalia. "The recent decision concerning the model for elections is an important step forward," he added.

"Italy is ready to support" Somalia and has already made "ad hoc financial contributions to the United Nations", Gentiloni said. "The current political situation in Somalia leaves room for optimism, but more needs to be done," the minister added.

Gentiloni pointed the finger at the Islamic extremists of Al Shabaab, who "still have an audacious operational capacity". The African Union mission in Somalia, AMISOM, remains essential for countering the extremists and promoting security, the minister said.

Meanwhile, Italy is "committed" to supporting the Somali security forces both through the European Union and bilaterally, by providing regular training and equipment for police. Gentiloni also said approximately 20 million euros have been allocated to Somalia in 2016, of which 14 million through development channels and 6 million in humanitarian aid. "Our efforts to bring peace to Somalia are rightly also focusing on economic and social aspects and issues of governance," he said, adding that a business forum on Somalia will be held in Rome in March.


(see related) (ANSA) - Strasbourg, February 23 - The European Court of Human Rights said Tuesday that Italy had abused the principle of State secrecy in the case of a Muslim cleric, Hassan Mustafa Omar Nasr, abducted by the CIA in Milan in 2003. "In the present case the Court held that the legitimate principle of "State secrecy" had clearly been applied by the Italian executive in order to ensure that those responsible did not have to answer for their actions," the Court said.

"The investigation and trial had not led to the punishment of those responsible, who had therefore ultimately been granted impunity".


(ANSA) - Strasbourg, February 23 - The European Court of Human Rights said on Tuesday that it has ruled Italy infringed the rights of Muslim cleric Hassan Mustafa Omar Nasr, who was abducted by the CIA Milan in 2003. "Having regard to all the evidence in the case, the Court found it established that the Italian authorities were aware that the applicant had been a victim of an extraordinary rendition operation which had begun with his abduction in Italy and had continued with his transfer abroad," read a statement by the Court. It said Italian officials cooperated in the operation which saw Nasr transferred to Egypt, where he was held in secret for several months. It ruled Italy was guilty of several human rights violations, including the failure to prevent Nasr from suffering "torture and inhuman or degrading treatment" and the infringement of his right to liberty and security.


(ANSA) - Brussels, February 23 - Italy remains under observation because of its macroeconomic imbalances but Brussels acknowledges progress in many fields including the labour market, schools, the civil service and banks, according to a report on macroeconomic imbalances in EU countries that will be on the European Commission's agenda Wednesday. The EU encourages Italy to make more progress but highlights the persistence of overly high debt-servicing costs, the report says. The EC is yet to give its final verdict on Italy's 2016 budget which is expected to be issued in the mid-March. Premier Matteo Renzi on Monday hailed the reforms he has made in two years in office, saying they had got Italy moving again.


Although people may not be familiar with the particular works of a significant writer, they will more than likely have heard of them.

If the writers in a literate society ever went out on strike en masse many things taken for granted would grind to a halt.

Not just books, journals and newspapers but almost everything people see on television, in cinemas and on social media begins with a writer.

MOST people in a literate society understand the power of the written word.

There is also a special national pride in home-grown writers. Intelligent people read widely because they realise the power of knowledge. They know that ideas shape a society and the source of those ideas largely is in writers.

In non-literate societies the appreciation of writers and the written word is nowhere near as potent. Because the written word is not part of peoples day-to-day concerns they do not appreciate the latent power that lies there.

When Third World pre-literate societies began striving to become nations in their own right, they quickly realised the power of their writers. Conversely, despots in those nations suppressed writers to prevent that power from transforming society.

Papua New Guinea is an example of a country that has yet to discover the power of the written word. While there has been no conscious effort to suppress writers, the lack of assistance and encouragement by government has had a similar effect to that of a greedy despot.

Many contributors and commentators on PNG Attitude write about the failure of Australia to notice the existence of Papua New Guinea on its immediate northern borders.

One of the reasons this happens is because PNG has not allowed or encouraged its writers to develop a national narrative to lift its profile in Australia and the rest of the world.

What passes for a Papua New Guinean narrative in the Australian psyche is a distant memory of the battle along the Kokoda Track during World War II and a vague acknowledgement that PNG was once a colonial territory. There is little else to inspire Australian recognition.

The writing that is published within PNG, mainly in the two major newspapers and a few other publications, is bland and often reproduced verbatim from texts and press releases provided by the government or vested commercial interests. There is no bold investigative journalism nor much attempt at creative writing.

The absence of a writing culture in Papua New Guinea became abundantly clear when the Member for North Fly and then Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Boka Kondra (picture), addressed the gathering at the 2012 Crocodile Prize awards ceremony at the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby.

Mr Kondra read a prepared speech that had been written by Dr Andrew Moutu, the Director of the National Museum and Art Gallery.

It was a good speech but the minister, who had once been a school teacher, stumbled and bumbled his way through it. Sitting at the back of the assembly, I could see the nervous and embarrassed reaction of the audience.

Part way through the speech, the minister came to a reference to pioneering writer Russell Soaba. Russell was sitting at the front of the gathering and was to be honoured by a lifetime achievement in literature award.

He looked increasingly uncomfortable as the minister spoke.

The minister then looked up and stared at Russell, who he had been introduced to before the formal speeches and awards. Mr Kondra looked back at his speech and something clicked in his head.

He grinned broadly and pointed at Russell. Its him! he said.

It was as if he had turned over a rock and found a gold coin underneath. There was a distinct murmur in the audience while the minister absorbed this amazing discovery.

That a minister in the government and an ex-school teacher knew nothing about one of Papua New Guineas pre-eminent writers spoke volumes.

The irony that he was reading a speech extolling and supporting PNG writers but knew nothing about them himself was not lost on the audience.

The fine words crafted by Dr Moutu had been rendered mute and meaningless. It was not unexpected.

When the speech was later published on PNG Attitude it attracted no comments.
(ANSA) - Rome, February 23 - The foreign ministry in Rome said Tuesday that it had summoned United States Ambassador John Phillips for clarification following reports that the telephone conversations of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi and his close aides were tapped in 2011. Daily newspaper La Repubblica and sister weekly magazine l'Espresso reported on new Wikileaks files that suggested a special unit of the United States National Security Agency (NSA) listened in on the media magnate during the last of his three terms as the head of government. Premier Matteo Renzi said Tuesday that Italy would "ask for information in all seats, also via formal steps," on the alleged US tapping of Berlusconi.

Berlusconi's opposition, centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party demanded answers, calling on Renzi to report to parliament and requesting an urgent meeting with Intelligence Undersecretary Marco Minniti. "What happened seems to be an extremely serious thing," said Forza Italia Senate whip Paolo Romani. "It's serious that the NSA took the liberty to take wiretaps at the highest level on Italian territory and did not inform the Italian government which, when faced with our questions, has always said that this is not true. "It seems to me that the executive must now give a clear response". Berlusconi has frequently said there was plot to cause his third government to collapse late in 2011, when Italy risked a Greek-style financial meltdown.

Forza Italia Lower House whip Renato Brunetta reiterated his demand for a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the collapse of Berlusconi's third government. "A parliamentary commission of inquiry is needed now more than ever," Brunetta said. "We are asking for it for the events of 2011 and we asked for one on the banks crisis at the end of 2015. "The two could be combined given that they are two sides of the same coin, with the hands of international finance on Italy and dark powers intending to put their hands on our country". The Italian media said the NSA's Special Collection Service (SCS) tapped the conversations of Berlusconi, his personal advisor Valentino Valentini, his national security advisor Bruno Archi, diplomatic advisor Marco Carnelos and Italy's NATO representative Stefano Stefanini. They said the NSA knew about a meeting on October 22, 2011, with then French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at which Sarkozy told Berlusconi that Italy's financial institutions risked popping like a champagne cork.

The conversation is said to have contributed to Berlusconi's decision to step down as premier. According to the documents, the NSA also recorded Berlusconi promising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would help repair relations with Washington in a phone conversation. Giacomo Stucchi, the head of the COPASIR parliamentary oversight committee of the intelligence services, said Tuesday that he will ask Minniti to report on the case. "It seems right and proper to put the question to the attention of Undersecretary Minniti in the hearing set to take place the day after tomorrow," Stucchi told ANSA. Sources at Rome's prosecutors office said that a probe will only be opened if a formal complaint is filed.


Migration: EU ready to support Albania if necessary Commissioner meets with interior minister

(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, FEBRUARY 23 - The EU said Tuesday that it was prepared to support Albania if migratory flows were to weigh disproportionately on the country. The message came at the end of a meeting between EU commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and Albania's interior minister, Saimir Tahiri, who met in the morning to discuss the migrant crisis and security challenges. Due to the stepping-up of border control and measures brought in by Western Balkan countries, migration routes may shift Albania. (ANSAmed).




Bosnia-Montenegro: soon agreement to share embassies According to Scandinavian model to cut costs

(ANSAmed) - TRIESTE, FEBRUARY 23 - Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro are preparing an agreement to share diplomatic offices abroad in order to cut costs, the website Balkan Insight reports, adding that it has seen a copy of the draft accord modeled after a similar one by Scandinavian countries. The accord is to share space, while the activities of the diplomatic missions will remain separate.



Montenegro signed a similar agreement with Macedonia in 2013.



Moreover, based on a 2007 accord, Serbia already represents Montenegro's interests in 40 countries where Pogdorica has no diplomatic representatives.



According to the portal, Belgrade will soon invite Macedonia and Montenegro to share its new embassies in Ghana, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Vietnam and Cambogia. (ANSAmed).




(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, FEBRUARY 23 - The Syrian government has said it accepts a Russian-US proposal for a ceasefire starting at midnight on Saturday, February 27. The announcement was made by the Syrian foreign ministry in Damascus in a statement, noting however that authorities will not only continue to fight against ISIS and the al Nusra Front but ''also against the other terrorist groups''.



The Syrian government considers all opposition armed groups as ''terrorists''.



Government news agency Sana quoted a foreign ministry source as saying that ''Syria accepts the cessation of hostilities'' provided it can continue to ''pursue anti-terror military efforts against ISIS, the al Nusra Front and other terror organizations connected with them and with al Qaida, in line with the Russian-American statement''.

I the meantime, the Syrian president Bashar Al Assad announced that the next parlamentary elections will take place on April 13, 2016. (ANSAmed)
Italy-Turkey summit 'before end of the year' - Gentiloni Meeting may be linked to opening of 3rd Bosphorus Bridge

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, FEBRUARY 23 - Italy and Turkey will hold a summit in Istanbul before the end of the year, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told Italian entrepreneurs in the Turkish city Tuesday.



"Premier Matteo Renzi hopes to link the summit to the inauguration of the Third Bosphorus Bridge, either before or after," Gentiloni added.



The combined road-rail bridge is being built by a consortium that includes Italian construction company Astaldi. The entrepreneurs expressed their concern over the economic and political climate in Turkey.



Gentiloni reassured them that Turkey is not "on the brink of war" and remains one of the most stable countries in the region. (ANSAmed).




(by Catherine Hornby) (ANSAmed) - MILAN - Italy bid farewell to world renowned writer and academic Umberto Eco on Tuesday with a short non-religious ceremony at Milan's Sforza Castle. Eco, who shot to international fame three decades ago with the Medieval monastery thriller The Name of the Rose, died on Friday at the age of 84 after a battle with cancer. Actor Roberto Benigni, Milan Mayor Giuliano Pisapia and several government ministers were among crowds attending the funeral on Tuesday. Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini told the ceremony that Eco had needed to be viewed in the way one looks at a painting or a landscape. "You understood that in the silences he was consulting the boundless library that was inside him," Franceschini said. Wreaths from President Sergio Mattarella, Premier Matteo Renzi, and Lower House Speaker Laura Boldrini flanked the casket of the late novelist, academic, philosopher, and semiotician. Hundreds queued at the 15th century Sforza Castle to attend the civil ritual and pay their respects. Eco's widow Renate Ramge said she chose La Folia, a sonata by Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli, to accompany the ceremony. "It's a piece that has always been a part of our lives, which my husband loved very much," she told RAI public broadcaster. Education Minister Stefania Giannini described Eco as a "symbol of innovative classicism". She said "we have lost a teacher but we haven't lost his lesson". Milan's Pisapia thanked Eco for his "civil and cultural bravery" and for interpreting the soul of the city.



The release date of Eco's final book, Satan Aleppe: Chronicles of a Liquid Society, has been brought forward to this weekend. The collection of essays that have been published in Italian weekly magazine L'Espresso was originally due out in May. Before achieving fame with The Name of the Rose, Eco was known for his writing on the study of signs, and his articles in L'Espresso weekly on current affairs and topical themes. Born in Alessandria in the northern Italian region of Piedmont on January 5, 1932, he died at home on Friday evening after a long struggle with cancer. His other literary successes include Foucault's Pendulum and his most recent book, Numero Zero, was published last year. (ANSAmed).
Tirana architecture exhibit on '90s illegal building Photographs and architects shed light, discuss potential

(ANSAmed) - TIRANA, FEBRUARY 23 - Unauthorized residential architecture beginning in 1991 is the subject of the 'Evoked - Architectural Diptychs' exhibition in the Albanian capital. The exhibition opened on Tuesday at the Fab Gallery- University of the Arts of Tirana and was organized by the national territorial planning agency, the Bari polytechnic university and International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism (INTBAU) in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Culture.



The show depicts the unfinished nature of the buildings and the process by which they were occupied, leading to a new image of the Albanian landscape especially along its coastline.



Starting from 16 photographs by the Albanian photographer Albes Fusha, 32 Italian and Albanian architects elaborated visions meant to spark debate on the theme of 'informal architecture' and the potential of the buildings. The exhibition will remain open to the public until March 6.



(ANSAmed).




Migrants: Calais, evacuation of 'Jungle' camp postponed 'No decision today', says administrative court in Lille

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, FEBRUARY 23 - The administrative tribunal of Lille has decided to postpone a decision on the legitimacy of the imminent evacuation of a makeshift migrant camp in Calais announced last week by the prefecture. Today ''there will be no decision'', the administrative judge told reporters during his inspection of the tent city dubbed 'Jungle'. The surprise announcement could postpone the evacuation of the southern part of the camp, which was originally scheduled at 8 pm tonight.



(ANSAmed).




(ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 23 - The Aquarius vessel of SOS Mediterranee lands today in Palermo. The 77-meter marine-protection vessel, which can welcome 500 people onboard, has sailed to the Strait of Sicily to carry out its humanitarian mission to save hundreds of shipwreck victims, migrants fleeing North Africa aboard unseaworthy boats . The Aquarius will become operational on Thursday, between Libya and Italy, in international waters, in an area considered the most dangerous worldwide.



The mission was strongly promoted, organized and implemented by the German, French and Italian humanitarian association SOS Mediterranee. To illustrate the vessel's duties, with emergency medical care provided by the organization Medicins du Monde onboard, and the activities of European associations, a press conference attended by the mayor of Palermo will be held at 10 am aboard the ship, followed by a tour of the Aquarius. In the afternoon, at 4.30 am at the Agricantus theater, a meeting will be held to present the project and associations to the city, in order to discuss with guests and the public the issue of rescue operations at sea and welcoming migrants and refugees in Europe.



The theater performance 'Deserto d'acqua', or sea desert, will be presented at 6:30 pm at the Teatro Atlante in Palermo.



At 10:00 pm the vessel will sail off to Lampedusa. Thanks to funding provided by 4,000 donors in Europe, the association was able to rent the Aquarius with captain Klaus Vogel and a crew of 25 people, mainly volunteers, specialized in sea rescue operations. (ANSAmed)
(ANSAmed) - RABAT, FEBRUARY 23 - Tourism Minister Lahcen Addad will attend the inauguration in Marrakech of the first public restroom for travelers and tourists on the go. The new public bathroom, in square Moulay El Yazidi, close to the Saadian Tombs, is the first of 150 so-called hygiene boutiques to be built in Morocco's cities.



'Darlodo', the brand that made them, is owned by Mustapha Chraou, who is of Moroccan descent and lives in Belgium. He has decided to invest 8.5 million dirhams (about 800,000 euros) to give his country nice public bathrooms.



And providing the main Moroccan cities with public restrooms is one of the key points in the Charter of touristic cities, a five-year plan presented in December by the tourism ministry.



The project attracted the entrepreneur, who took action. It will be possible to use the restrooms by paying five dirhams, the equivalent of 50 cents.



The idea is as simple as it is revolutionary: a clean space, in the middle of the busy city life in historic centers, amid souks and monuments, with bold design and colors - pink for women and blue for men. There is also an area to clean up before prayer time and a boutique area to buy beauty and cleaning products. (ANSAmed)
Syria: NGO, 366 civilians killed in US-led coalition raids From September 2014. Including 92 children and teens

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, FEBRUARY 23 - At least 366 civilians, including 92 children and teens, have died in raids carried out against ISIS in Syria by the US-led International Coalition since September 2014, according to the UK-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The same organization, last month, spoke about over 1,000 civilians, including 238 minors, killed in Russian raids on Syria starting from September 30, 2015.



The monitoring group said the mentioned raids by the US-led coalition occurred in the provinces of Hassake, Deyr az Zor, Raqqa, Aleppo and Idlib. In one night alone, on April 30 last year, 64 civilians including 31 minors were reportedly killed in a bombing that struck the village of Bir Mahline, near the city of Serrin in the province of Aleppo.



SOHR, which relies on a vast network of informers on the ground for its reports, said it was able to document that during those bombings at least 3,194 jihadists from ISIS were killed - the majority not from Syria - and 136 from the al Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of Al Qaida. (ANSAmed).




Tunisia: 16 arrests in north-west in anti-terror operation 71-year-old civilian killed by mistake

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, FEBRUARY 23 - A reported 16 suspected jihadists were arrested and a civilian was killed by mistake in anti-terror operations carried out by Tunisian special forces on the Jendouba heights, in the north-west not far from the Algerian border, the Tunisian interior minister said in a statement on Tuesday.



According to the statement, National guard and army units acted on a tip Monday and were able to arrest a first group of seven suspects on the mountains of Ghardimaou, in the Jendouba governorate.



The suspects were questioned by police and reportedly confessed they were getting ready to set up a training camp on the mountains between Tunisia and Algeria, with the help of Islamic extremists in the region. The details provided by them reportedly led to the arrest of seven others suspected of involvement in the case.



Another person chased by police in the woods of Doura was arrested near Ghardimaou and was wounded in the shoulder after a gunfight with National guard officers. A 71-year-old man who was in the area was killed by mistake. Another suspected member of the jihadist group was subsequently arrested in Ghardimaou.



(ANSAmed).




Tunisian LGBT group's suspension revoked Shams wants decriminalization of homosexuality

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, FEBRUARY 23 - The Shams association for the decriminalization of homosexuality in Tunisia said Tuesday on its official Facebook page that it had won its legal battle against the government, which had suspended its activities for 30 days from early January. ''Shams can resume its activities after the judge's decision,'' it said, noting that it had appealed the suspension.



The official recognition on May 18, 2015 of Shams, the first association in the country for the defense of LGBT rights, had sparked heated debate in Tunisia.



While some saw it as progress in the issue of sexual minorities' rights, others such as the Mufti of the Republic called on the authorities to revise their decision, saying that the recognition of Shams was ''a threat to future generations through fostering aberrant and perverse behaviors''. Criticism came especially from the most conservative parts of society, such as imams that claimed that the authorization for Shams set a ''dangerous precedent for Tunisia that will harm Islamic teachings''. Shams has gained a reputation for standing up for citizens sentenced to jail by Tunisian courts for homosexuality, and works to get Article 230 of the Criminal Code (which considers it a crime) abolished. (ANSAmed).




(ANSAmed) - CAIRO - The Libyan House of Representatives parliamentary body based in Tobruk on Tuesday once again postponed voting on the national unity government until next week. The quorum for voting was not reached in the day's session, MP Eissa El-Oraby told the media.

The head of the presidential council asked with forming the government, Fayez Al-Sarraj - who is trying to get the parliament's approval for the list of 18 ministers submitted - visited Cairo for talks with Egyptian leaders and Libyan representatives. No details have been made public on the results of the meetings.

One member of the presidential council - Mohamed El-Amary - has meanwhile resigned to protest the approval the council had given to ''operations underway against Benghazi'', where the Libyan army is fighting against jihadists and reports that it has taken strategic parts of the city.



''I do not agree to be present,'' El-Amary said, ''in a body that legalizes the bombing of civilians, is proud of killings and is happy about the demolition of homes. We entered the government to stop bloodshed and make peace with the protection of rights.''

White House concerned over ISIS in Libya, ready to take action

Libya is an area of particular concern for the US as concerns the Islamic State (ISIS), presidential envoy for the international anti-ISIS coalition Brett McGurk said on Tuesday at a press briefing at the White House. He added that Libya is a somewhat different case from Syria and Iraq, even though ISIS uses the same tactics to attract foreign fighters as much as possible in all three countries.

McGurk went on to say that a great deal of cooperation with European partners was expected in Libya and that it was hoped that a new government would be born in Tripoli, but that action would be taken if any new, direct threat emerged.
(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS/GENEVA, FEBRUARY 23 - Over 100,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in Greece and Italy this year, the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Since the beginning of 2016, the total number of arrivals in the two countries is at 110,054. In the same period, over 413 migrants and refugees lost their lives in the Mediterranean.



Greece alone had seen 102,547 arrive in the country as of February 22.



In 2015, the 100,000-migrant level was reached only in July. For Italy, after several days in which no migrants arrived due mainly to rough seas, a total of 940 migrants were rescued in the single day of January 22 in the Strait of Sicily. Since the beginning of the year, about 7,507 migrants arrived by sea to Italy. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi expressed concern on Tuesday on Lesbos that over restrictive practices recently adopted by some European countries that cause undue inconvenience for refugees and asylum seekers and that are creating ''chaos'' at several spots along Europe's internal borders. EU Immigration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and Dutch (holder of EU presidency) interior minister Klaas Dijkhoff called on all EU member states to act jointly and with a sense of responsibility in a joint statement.



Brussels, after the latest ''developments'' on the Western Balkans route used by migrants, fears a humanitarian crisis in some countries, especially Greece, and called on all those along the route to draw up emergency plans to deal with humanitarian needs including reception facilities, Avramopoulos and Dijkhoff said.



Belgian interior minister Jan Jambon has meanwhile announced bolstering of border controls with France ahead of a partial evacuation of the migrant camp known as the 'Calais Jungle' scheduled for Wednesday. The evacuation has for the time being been postponed. The minister wants to prevent the dismantlement of the camp from leading to the creation of makeshift camps in Belgium, especially along the coast and the Zeebrugge port. Belgium has notified the EU Commission of the temporary introduction of border controls. (ANSAmed).


Spain: business partner of princess's husband testifies 'King's legal advisor knew', says Torres in Noos case

(ANSAmed) - MADRID, FEBRUARY 23 - The business partner of Princess Cristina Inaki Urdangarin's husband, Diego Torres, said Tuesday at a trial concerning the 'Noos scandal' that King Juan Carlos's main legal advisor was aware of all the foundation's activities. Torres - charged alongside Urdangarin and King Felipe VI's sister, Princess Cristina, of embezzlement - said that the foundation was subject to two levels of supervision: by the royal family and by the tax service. Urdangarin and Torres are accused of rerouting to a shell company about 8 million euros in public contributions to the Noos Foundation, chaired by the princess's husband, and using them for private expenses sustained by the princess and her husband. The case is the first time ever in Spain that the royal family has been subjected to a criminal trial. The princess in theory risks up to nine years in prison and her husband 19. In his testimony before the court, Torres denied knowing of any irregularities in the management of the foundation. He stressed that all the activities had been carried out under the supervision of the legal advisor to the king at that time (Juan Carlos), Jose Manuel Romero, and other high-ranking tax officers.



''I would never have imagined that what was happening'' was against the law, he said. (ANSAmed).




Syria: Damascus says it accepts ceasefire agreement But says it will fight 'all terrorists, not just ISIS, al Nusra'

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, FEBRUARY 23 - The Syrian government has said it accepts a Russian-US proposal for a ceasefire starting at midnight on Saturday, February 27. The announcement was made by the Syrian foreign ministry in Damascus in a statement, noting however that authorities will not only continue to fight against ISIS and the al Nusra Front but ''also against the other terrorist groups''.



The Syrian government considers all opposition armed groups as ''terrorists''.



Government news agency Sana quoted a foreign ministry source as saying that ''Syria accepts the cessation of hostilities'' provided it can continue to ''pursue anti-terror military efforts against ISIS, the al Nusra Front and other terror organizations connected with them and with al Qaida, in line with the Russian-American statement''. (ANSAmed)
Syria: US-Russia cease-fire accord from Saturday February 27 'Hostilies end' will not affect attacks on Isis, Nusra

(ANSAmed) - NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 23 - The United States and Russia have reached an agreement on a plan for a cease-fire in Syria starting from Saturday February 27, US officials were quoted as saying Monday.



The accord regards terms and condition for the "end of hostilities," media reports quoted the officials saying.



The truce excludes attacks on Isis and the Nusra Front, the local Al Qaeda affiliate.



An official announcement of the cease-fire is expected after a telephone conversation between US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin. (ANSAmed).




White House concerned over ISIS in Libya 'Confidence in EU and new gov't, but ready to take action'

(ANSAmed) - WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 23 - Libya is an area of particular concern for the US as concerns the Islamic State (ISIS), presidential envoy for the international anti-ISIS coalition Brett McGurk said on Tuesday at a press briefing at the White House. He added that Libya is a somewhat different case from Syria and Iraq, even though ISIS uses the same tactics to attract foreign fighters as much as possible in all three countries. McGurk went on to say that a great deal of cooperation with European partners was expected in Libya and that it was hoped that a new government would be born in Tripoli, but that action would be taken if any new, direct threat emerged. (ANSAmed).




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"PEACE IS A BY-PRODUCT OF VICTORY. PROSPERITY IS A BY-PRODUCT OF LIBERTY AND JUSTICE. "

"The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th President of the United States QUESTION: WHICH VERSION OF ISLAM DID MUHAMMED PRACTICE, "MODERATE ISLAM"OR "RADICAL ISLAM"?



THE ANSWER IS THE ONLY THING YOU REALLY HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT ISLAM - AND ITS APOLOGISTS.

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We would like to thank our customers for their confidence and continuing relationship, which has enabled the Phenom 300 to enjoy successful acceptance worldwide since its launch, said Marco Tulio Pellegrini, president and CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. The Phenom familys design was based on the highest industry requirements, combining the attributes of a best-in-class aircraft. To have the most-delivered business jet in the world for the third consecutive year is a true recognition that we have achieved our commitment to design game-changing products to meet operators needs.

Recognised as one of the most desirable light jets by fractional programs, charter services, corporate flight departments and owner-pilots, 320 Phenom 300s are in operation in 28 countries. To date, the fleet has accumulated close to 300,000 flight hours. The Phenom 300 also was the most-delivered business jet in 2013 and 2014.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association recently released its 2015 worldwide year-end aircraft shipment and billing report, which showed Embraer Executive Jets market share had grown to 17% in terms of unit deliveries. In 2015, Embraer's executive aviation division delivered 120 aircraft, including jets in the Phenom, Legacy and Lineage families, the highest number in five years.
Minot tests Minuteman III with launch from Vandenberg AFB

A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, aboard the Airborne Launch Control System, launched an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry vehicle Feb. 20 from Vandenberg AFB.



The ICBM's reentry vehicle, which contained a telemetry package used for operational testing, traveled approximately 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent. All Minuteman III test launches are supported by a team from the 576th Flight Test Squadron at Vandenberg AFB.



"The flight test program demonstrates one part of the operational capability of the ICBM weapon system, said Col. Craig Ramsey, the 576th FLTS commander. When coupled with the other facets of our test program, we get a complete picture of the weapon system's reliability. But perhaps most importantly, this visible message of national security serves to assure our partners and dissuade potential aggressors."



Minot AFB is one of three missile bases with crew members standing alert 24/7, year-round, overseeing the nations ICBM alert forces.



"It has been an amazing experience for the operations and maintenance members of Team Minot to partner with the professionals from the 576th FLTS, 30th Space Wing and 625th STOS, said Maj. Keith Schneider, the 91st MW Task Force director of operations. Everyone involved has worked hard and dedicated themselves to the mission.



The ICBM community, including the Defense Department, the Energy Department and U.S. Strategic Command uses data collected from test launches for continuing force development evaluation. The ICBM test launch program demonstrates the operational credibility of the Minuteman III and ensures the United States ability to maintain a strong, credible nuclear deterrent as a key element of U.S. national security and the security of U.S. allies and partners.
African Drum & Art Craft, 618 Dundas St. W.

Soundscapes, 572 College St.

New Bilan Restaurant, 183 Dundas St. W.

Okavango African Orchestra features a cast of nine accomplished African-born musicians who now live in Toronto and Montreal: Daniel Nebiat (krar, vocals-Eritrea), Tichaona Maredza (marimba, nyunga-nyunga, hosho, vocals-Zimbabwe), Donne Roberts (guitar, vocals-Madagascar), Kooshin (kaban, vocals-Somalia), Ebenezer Agyekum (bass-Ghana), Sadio Sissokho (kora, tama, djembe, vocals-Senegal), Nicolas Simbananiye (vocals-Burundi), Aron Nitunga (guitar, vocals-Burundi) and Kofi Ackah (percussion-Ghana). The concert will also feature dancer/choreographer Mabinty Sylla (Guinea).The orchestra takes its name from the Okavango Delta, a basin in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, where many different animal species come together to feed and find water. Predators and prey are forced to coexist and share the meager resources because of the harsh environment around them. Similarly, Okavango: An African Orchestra brings together the traditional music and instruments of several major African cultures that historically have had little or no interaction. The musicians of Okavango have created a common meeting place for these disparate cultures, and a new musical language that harmonizes their different tuning systems, rhythms, and timbres. The musicians and instruments of Okavango represent a continuum of traditions and cultures from time immemorial to the present day. The multicultural spirit of modern-day Canada bridges ancient African solitudes.Over the autumn and winter, Okavango African Orchestra revisited the site of its triumphant debut, the Canadian Broadcasting Centre where it conquered a full house at Glenn Gould Studio the previous year during Black History month. Its members, returning and new, hunkered down at CBCs Studio 211 for the recording of the groups debut album of ten original songs due for release on February 27th, 2016. Okavango African Orchestra looks ahead on its continuing journey to an Africa without borders before the borders were created.For info: batukimusic@yahoo.com From their 2013 debut:
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Once again, the Art Institute of Chicago has looked to its own staff to find its new president and director: James Rondeau, chair and curator of modern and contemporary art (departments that merged under his leadership), will succeed Douglas Druick, who announced in October his planned retirement after more than 30 years at the AIC, including more than four years in the top spot.

Rondeaus 18-year tenure in Chicago included planning the 2009 opening of the Modern Wing and co-organizing (with Sheena Wagstaff, now at the Metropolitan Museum) the widely acclaimed Lichtenstein retrospective that I had greatly admired when it landed at the National Gallery, Washington.

In choosing Rondeau, 46, the Art Institute decided this time to go with someone considerably younger than Druick, who in 2011, at age 66, had told the NY Times that he planned to stay a very long time.

Maybe the age issue figured into Chicagos passing over another veteran curator, whose appointment could at last have put a woman in charge of one of the countrys top art museumssomething weve lacked since the untimely passing of the Philadelphia Museums Anne dHarnoncourt.

I have no idea, though, whether Gloria Groom, another accomplished, long-time AIC curator, had wished to step up. In September, just before Druick announced his planned retirement, it sounded like Groom was being groomed: She was tapped by Druick to chair the European Painting and Sculpture Department. Her record of accomplishment, as detailed in that press release, seems to me more impressive than Rondeaus resume.

Rounding out Rondeaus credentials, todays press release goes beyond citing the usual praise from the boards trustees and the outgoing director. It also includes a surprising shoutout from artist/filmmaker Steve McQueen, subject of a 2012 exhibition that Rondeau had co-organized (and which is self-promotingly mentioned by the artist):

I first became a friend and colleague of James Rondeau 20 years ago, and Ive been arguing with him passionately about art and ideas ever since. He is a person of great integrity and fervor. His appointment as director of the Art Institute of Chicago is more than deserving, and one that will benefit greatly from his infectious, innovative spirit. I myself have been the beneficiary of this with my show at the Art Institute [my link, not his] and Schaulager Basel.

As reported today by Steve Johnson in the Chicago Tribune:

Key challenges going forward include developing the collection internationally, beyond its historic focus on U.S. and European art. The museums long-range plan, executives said in October, when Druick announced his plan to retire, includes potentially putting up a new building in the next handful of years, largely to showcase Asian art.

Hows his fundraising?
All the latest Ashbourne news. Ashbourne is an historic market town in Derbyshire. Situated on the southern edge of the Peak District, it is known as the 'Gateway to Dovedale' and the 'Gateway to the Peak District'. Ashbourne is famous for the annual Royal Shrovetide Football Match, which has been played since at least 1667, although its origins may date back centuries earlier. Ashbourne became a Fairtrade town in March 2005. The popular Tissington Trail, which follows the route of the former Ashbourne to Buxton railway, starts on the edge of town. Keep up to date with the latest news from the town by signing up for our newsletter.
Several members of Caritas Internationalis and representatives of Catholic charities from mainland China met in the Filipino capital to coordinate better action to prevent the spread of AIDS and deal with natural disasters in mainland China. "Our action is based on the same faith, and the charitable activities of the Catholic Church in China should not be isolated from the rest of the world," Caritas Asia president told AsiaNews.

Manila (AsiaNews)  After a long period in a legal grey zone, Catholic NGOs appear to enjoy greater freedom in mainland China, this according to the Third China Social Pastoral Conference.

Held in Manila (Philippines) from 1 to 3 February, the meeting was organised by Caritas Internationalis together with Caritas Asia. More than 30 participants took part in the event, including representatives from five Catholic charities from five dioceses in mainland China. The Chinese delegation was led by Jinde Charities, from Shijiazhuang, which publishes Faith Press.

The conference's aim was to improve cooperation between Chinese Catholic groups and those in the rest of the world. The first meeting of this kind took place in Taiwan three years ago, whilst the second was held in Macau.

The Manila meeting was the first outside Chinese-speaking regions, giving Asian Catholic Bishops like Card Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila and president of Caritas Internationalis, an opportunity to address Chinese delegates.

Caritas sources told AsiaNews that "until now it had always been very difficult to get the papers to invite representatives from the Chinese mainland. This year, the Chinese representatives did everything themselves and with ease."

Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of national Caritas organisations all over the world. However, only national organisations recognised by the national Bishops' Conferences are allowed to join the confederation.

Since this is not the case for mainland China, the country does not have its own Caritas. Nevertheless, groups in Hong Kong and Macau have bridged the gap for a long time. At present, efforts are underway to establish a more direct relationship.

"Our action is based on the same faith, and the charitable activities of the Catholic Church in China should not be isolated from the rest of the world," Mgr Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, bishop of Niigata president of Caritas Asia, told AsiaNews.

The Manila meeting centred in particular on the spread of HIV/AIDS in China. Official figures tend to present a contradictory picture. The authorities have so far failed to come up with a suitable plan to prevent its spread and inform the public about the dangers of contagion.

According to the United Nations, about 350,000 people are HIV positive in the country. Catholic sources says the number is at least 1 million.

For Mgr Kikuchi, "many Chinese colleagues expressed great concern over this problem during the Manila Conference. The latter touched internal migration, since many workers are infected in the city and then take it to the countryside where they come from. For this reason, they (Chinese delegates) want more contacts with the Catholic Asia Pacific Coalition on HIV and AIDS (CAPCHA) to which a number of Caritas organisations belong.

Natural disaster response is another major area of cooperation. China, the bishop said, is part of our 'common' house, i.e. planet Earth, and therefore it is not exempt from natural disasters and the effects of climate change.

Indeed, Chinas territory is vast, and has a large population, he added. Diocesan organisations are limited in terms of resources and experience. For its part, Caritas Internationalis has no political objectives. It only wants to work with Chinese groups, to support them in case of disastrous natural phenomena."

Such cooperation, however, remains in the hands of the Chinese government, which has always been ambivalent towards NGOs. On the one hand, it fears their social influence; on the other, it needs the help of the "third sector" in areas such as care for seniors, orphans and the sick.

Under President Xi Jinping, a draft proposal on NGOs released in June 2015 seem to have some answers. If it were adopted, it would however impose new and more burdensome controls on these groups.

According to the draft legislation, NGOs based outside China must obtain prior approval from the police before they can operate on the country. They will have to employ "at least half of the staff" from a government-approved agency and under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They must present a budget and disclose all financial transactions. They cannot receive funds from abroad.

Obviously, the obligation to have a "patron", from a government agency or department that guarantees for their conduct, remains unchanged.

The Civil Affairs Ministry issued the current rules in 2012. The latter require that all NGOs publish the exact details all their financial transactions.

In addition, the Ministry requires each charity to publish costs and revenues during fundraising campaigns that last longer than three months, followed by a more detailed final report.

Furthermore, "the foundations should not use their name, image or projects for non-charitable purposes.

Finally, faith-based NGOs must be recognised by both the local and the central State Administration for Religious Affairs.
117 people died in the disaster, including 115 residents in one apartment complex. The sum is intended for the victims' families and survivors. The donation to the Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference, was made on behalf of the Pope by the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.

Taipei (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis has sent a donation of 50 thousand dollars for the families of the victims and the survivors of the terrible earthquake that struck the southern part of the island of Taiwan last Feb. 6. This is confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei: the sum was sent to the Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference through the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.

The earthquake  of magnitude 6.4 - occurred in Tainan. There were 117 victims, of which 115 residents in a single building complex that collapsed in Yongkang district. The authorities are currently engaged in an investigation to understand how the total collapse of the recently built Weiguan Jinlong ( "Golden Dragon") was possible.

The day after the disaster, which occurred in conjunction with the Chinese New Year, the Pope sent a telegram signed by the Secretary of State Card. Parolin. In the text, the Pope says he "was saddened to learn of the suffering caused by the deadly earthquake which struck in Tainan, leaving many people dead or seriously injured. He sends prayerful condolences to the families of the deceased and injured, as well as to rescue personnel and the civil authorities. His Holiness, commending the souls of the departed to the tender mercy of God, invokes abundant divine blessings of consolation and strength upon those who mourn and upon all who have been affected by this tragedy".
The truce does not cover the fight against the Islamic State or extremist groups such as al Nusra Front (Al-Qaeda in Syria). The main opposition group confirms its adherence - conditioned  to the cessation of hostilities. But analysts concerned about its application on the ground. The government announces the date (13 April) of the next parliamentary elections.

Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The United States and Russia have announced in a joint statement that the "cessation of hostilities" in Syria will come into force from next February 27. In the joint statement, the two world powers - both active players in the Syrian arena - make clear that the truce does not cover the all-out struggle against the Islamic State (IS) and other extremist groups, including militias of al Nusra Front linked to al Qaeda.

Meanwhile, the Syrian government announced the date of the next parliamentary elections - the last took place in 2012 - scheduled for April 13.

On 12 February, world powers signed an agreement for a ceasefire in Syria within a week, but the deadline passed without any results and there is still a certain skepticism about the plan. Analysts and experts on Syrian affairs are highly doubtful given the inefficiency on the ground of other agreements signed to date.

Meanwhile, in many parts of the country the violence continues, with more than 140 deaths in a series of attacks in Damascus and Homs just last weekend, claimed by jihadists of the Islamic State.

The war in Syria flared up in March 2011 after a popular protest motion against President Bashar al-Assad was transformed into a widespread conflict with extremist Islamic tendencies and jihadist movements. Thus far it has caused over 260 thousand deaths.

It has also given rise to one of the worst humanitarian crisis in history, forcing 4.6 million Syrians to seek shelter abroad, especially in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. Hundreds of thousands have tried to reach Europe, crossing the Mediterranean at the cost of their lives.

In an official statement, the White House reported that President Barack Obama held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the arrangements for the application of the cessation of hostilities. After the phone call a joint statement was published by the two governments.

The truce applies to the warring parties that have shown "their commitment" to accept "the terms". It will not include IS, the Nusra Front and "other terrorist organizations listed by the United Nations." The air raids in Syria, carried out by Russia and the US-led coalition against these groups will "continue".

At the same time, the armed organizations and groups of the rebel opposition who wish to adhere to the cessation of hostilities must report by 26 back by February. Moscow and the Syrian air force said they were willing to stop attacks against opposition groups. Meanwhile Russia and the United States will work in common agreement to "define the territories" of movements that adhere to the truce. A special communications hotline will be set up and a working group called to monitor violations of the cease-fire.

The main opposition movement in Syria - the High Negotiations Committee (Hnc), backed by the Saudis - have declared their adherence to the truce, but conditioned to the end of all sieges, attacks against civilians, the release of prisoners and the delivery of aid.
President Obama Submits Plan To Close Guantanamo Bay

Trending News: Obama Finally Has A Plan To Close Guantanamo Bay

Why Is This Important?

Because this has been a political issue that Obama tried and failed to resolve five years ago. And with no re-election to worry about, he wants to tie up loose ends.

Long Story Short

The Obama administration says it has identified 13 possible sites that could house some of the Guantanamo detainees, and fulfill a long-stalled campaign promise made in 2008.

Long Story

The Pentagon says moving the detainees to a site on US soil would save them a pile of money, despite the estimated transfer and closure costs of between $290-million and $450-million. Housing them in the US would save somewhere between $65-million and $85-million a year, so that cost could be covered in a few years.

But this issue is more than about just cost. As Obama has framed it, the prison is a symbol of everything that was wrong with the George W. Bush-led war on terror. Guantanamo became a byword for arbitrary detention, prisoner abuse and government secrecy, both at home and abroad. Closing it could at least partially restore the USs international reputation as a country that does not engage in torture.

Data curated by FindTheData

But it wont be easy. The last time the administration tried to close the prison, back in 2011, it was stymied by a Republican-led Congress that worried about housing so-called enemy combatants in the US. With an even more hardline Republican Congress to work with, Obama is bound to run into stiff resistance.

But that doesnt mean the cause is hopeless. The US suggested that Obama might use his executive powers to shut down the prison and order their transfer regardless of Congressional opposition.

There are currently 91 detainees being held at Guantanamo. The plans center on bringing between 30 and 60 of them to possible sites in Kansas, Colorado and South Carolina. The rest would be transferred to other countries.

President Obama is slated to visit Cuba in March.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question: Will the prisoners now actually have to stand trial?

Disrupt Your Feed: Theres no way in hell this will pass Congress.

Drop This Fact: The US tries to pay Cuba $4,000 a year to lease the Guantanamo Bay base, but the country only cashed that check  by accident  once since 1959.
The combination of UK-based law firm Wragge Lawrence Graham with Canadas Gowlings has gone live with the launch of Gowling WLG. Its new website hails the arrival of a law firm built on the belief that the best way to serve you is to be in tune with your world, aligned with your opportunity and ambitious for your success. The firms international coverage includes 18 offices and more than 1,400 legal professionals.Although Gowling WLG has offices in China and Singapore, there is more expansion ahead. The firm is eyeing east Asia as a key area but there are no specific plans for Australia or New Zealand currently, with partners in London and Canada listed as the key contacts for both countries.There are challenges ahead in the Asia-Pacific M&A market but the outlook is broadly positive. Thats the message from the latest review by Herbert Smith Freehills . Head of corporate for Australia, Andrew Pike, noted that there were sustained activity levels throughout the year - particularly in Australia, China, Hong Kong and South Korea - and a number of multi-billion mega deals helping to push the total value of announced deals to over US$1 trillion.While equity and commodity markets may remain volatile, other circumstances such as a lower Aussie dollar will bring increased interest in the region. Technology, media and telecoms are expected to see increases in deals and IPOs while financials, property and energy sectors are also viewed by the law firm as heading for significant deal flows this year.Squire Patton Boggs has acquired a San Francisco-based law firm with offices in Hong Kong. Carroll Burdick is focused on complex litigation and risk management and, while it is small with just 50 lawyers, it brings strength to the larger firms capabilities. The combination is due to become effective in March subject to regulatory approvals and Carroll Burdick will be integrated into the Squire Patton Boggs business.Global bank HSBC, once headquartered in Asia but now London-based, had a legal spend of US$1.65 billion in 2015 according to its newly released accounts. The banks costs escalated as it was forced to reach settlements with regulators over allegations of foreign exchange manipulation for which it was advised by law firm Locke Lord. There was also a large cost associated with compensating consumers in the UK for mis-selling of payment protection insurance.
By Alice Gorman, Senior Lecturer in archaeology and space studies, Flinders University

NASA, GPN-2001-000009

With interest in the prospect of mining the moon and asteroids gaining pace, its time to take a hard look at whats really at stake.

From the time of the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, space has been regarded as the common heritage of humanity. This is reflected in the landmark United Nations Outer Space Treaty (OST) of 1967. Among other things, it affirms that all have a right to access space for peaceful and scientific purposes, and prohibits the sovereign appropriation of outer space.

The treaty was designed to provide principles to govern space in the geopolitical environment of the Cold War, when the main space actors were nations, not private corporations. Ironically, their motivation for developing space technology at the time was as much for military as for peaceful purposes.

Since those days, the nature of space activities has undergone a significant shift. Many space technologies initially derived from military programs are now at the heart of very substantial space businesses. Commercial interests are now a significant element in the future of space exploration and use.

And where there are commercial interests at stake, the financial bottom line becomes all-important. An increasing number of private entities believe there are considerable profits to be made in the rare metals and other valuable resources lying untouched in the moon and near-Earth asteroids.

A bold act, but is it legal?

The international treaties are based on a cooperative approach to the exploitation of space resources. Despite this, the major space-faring nations have thus far steered away from establishing an international management regime to coordinate any mining activities.

Now, as the technology that might enable such activities to eventually become a reality develops, private enterprise is pushing governments to pass national laws to promote it. In November 2015, US President Barack Obama signed the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (CSLCA) into law. This gives US companies the right to own  and sell  resources mined in space.

Some commentators argue that the Act is a flagrant violation of the letter and spirit of the OST.

The International Institute of Space Law is more circumspect. It says that, while the legal position is not entirely clear, the US law is not necessarily incompatible with international principles.

Such divergent opinions demonstrate that further clarity is necessary to avoid future conflicts.

Environmental impacts of off-world mining

While the focus is on the legalities, as well as who bears the costs of future space exploration and who has the right to profit from it, one critical area is being overlooked.

Asteroids might be out of sight, out of mind for the most part, but lunar mining is likely to arouse strong and widespread reactions. The moon is one of the most significant cultural influences that unites people across all times and places in human history.

Would the public support commercial space mining if excavation scars were visible through Earth-based telescopes? Such considerations might be a factor in the design and location of mining operations.

Terrestrial mining companies are generally required to comply with domestic legislation that protects heritage, community values and the environment. Apart from some general statements in the treaties, as yet no similar system is in place for space.

Space mining companies have barely considered that they might have to deal with the same kind of community opposition as mines on Earth, only this time at a global scale.

Diggers in space

Given that the US has enacted a law that purports to establish the right to mine and sell off-world resources, other nations may follow. Indeed, Luxembourg has recently announced it will also establish a legal framework to facilitate space mining.

In moving forward, we need to carefully consider the potential for a tragedy of the commons situation in relation to space resources, just as we are with the problem of increasing space debris. What this means is that each entity, acting in its own self-interest, risks destroying a resource for everyone.

What about Australia?

Australia has a huge amount of expertise in mining technology and operations, especially in remote locations. The Pilbara region of Western Australia, the heartland of the mining boom, resembles Mars enough to be called a Mars analogue landscape.

Australians are also active in developing space mining industries, as part of companies such as Deep Space Industries. Recent conferences in Sydney focusing on off-Earth mining attracted much interest.

It is clear that Australian expertise is relevant in the development of space-related capability. The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science is undertaking a review of our space laws to assess what is the most appropriate regulatory framework to promote such innovation into commercial benefit for the country.

The future of access to the solar system

Whats really at stake is the future of universal human access to space and the very way we view space.

A rash move at this point could tip the balance and erode the principle of the common heritage of humanity. We must avoid further entrenching the divisions between the space haves and have-nots.

While there may be considerable benefits to future generations should we find a way to safely and sustainably exploit space resources, there are also considerable risks. These need a very careful calibration.

Cool heads are required and the key will be international cooperation on a broad scale. This issue is too important and too complex to be undertaken by a small number of private enterprises. A clear international regime must be established to safeguard the interests of every stakeholder.

Alice Gorman is a member of the Executive Council of the Space Industry Association of Australia. She is also a heritage consultant who has worked for many years in the mining sector.

Steven Freeland has been engaged as an expert advisor to the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science to assist it in its current review of the Australian Space Activities Act (1998)

Originally published in The Conversation.
Australian cities have been rated some of the safest in the world in an era of heightened global security issues and social unrest, according to the latest quality of living survey.Overall Sydney comes tenth in the global list of cities with the highest quality of living in the 2016 Mercer's annual survey with Melbourne ranked at 15, Perth at 21, Adelaide at 27, Canberra at 28 and Brisbane at 36.The annual Quality of Living survey includes a personal safety ranking based on internal stability, crime levels, performance of local law enforcement, and the home country's relationship with other countries.The firm pointed out that safety, in particular, is a key consideration for multinational companies when sending expat workers abroad, both because it raises concerns about the personal safety of the expat and their family and because it has a significant impact on the cost of global compensation programmes.In the 2016 survey all Australian cities are considered safe with Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth all tied at 25th in the personal safety ranking."Heightened domestic and global security threats, population displacement resulting from violence, and social unrest in key business centres around the world are all elements adding to the complex challenge facing multinational companies when analysing the safety and health of their expatriate workforces," said Ilya Bonic, president of Mercer's Talent business.According to Lorraine Jennings, Mercer's global mobility practice leader in Australia and New Zealand, Australian cities benefit from a stable infrastructure, increased availability of housing on city fringes and lifestyle choices that are particularly appealing to the younger generation.In neighbouring New Zealand Auckland ranks third globally, Wellington twelfth, and Melbourne fifteenth while in the Asia Pacific region Singapore is 26th.For personal safety, the rankings for Asian cities vary greatly. Singapore is the highest ranked at eighth followed by five Japanese cities of Kobe, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, and Yokohama all tied for 32nd place. Other key cities include Hong Kong ranked 37, Taipei at 78, Beijing at 97, Seoul at 115, New Delhi at 142 and Jakarta at 172.The survey report says that following considerable political unrest and terrorist attacks in several tourist areas over the last few years, Bangkok ranked 173rd for personal safety.
Hi All,

It's kind of funny that I saw this posted here today, I haven't been on here much since the only thing I am waiting for is my police clearance for my partner visa so I haven't been looking for info. However, I have actually been getting really burnt out at work (I am a social worker but work in a management role) and have been feeling both very homesick and very disconnected. So, in the work I do (homeless services) I have always relied heavily on family and friends for support. Here in Oz the only one I really have is my husband and his extended family--he also lived in America for over 40 years--and while they are all very nice, they are not familiar to me. So, I have been complaining about feeling stressed and having no one here. I know that now I sound like a big crybaby and its not that. It's just one of those days.
Production disrupted following political agitation since February 20; Maruti incurred loss of approximately 10,000 vehicles in just two days.

Maruti Suzuki has announced that production of its vehicles at its Gurgaon and Manesar plants in Haryana has resumed from the second half of today, since supply of components has come in gradually.

The carmaker had to suspend operations at its facilities from the second half on Saturday, February 20, since supply of certain components was disrupted following the agitation in Haryana. The state was hit by protests from members of the Jat community, demanding they be declared OBC (Other Backward Class).

The combined output from the Gurgaon and Manesar plants is currently about 5,000 vehicles per day. Consequently, the carmaker is likely to have incurred a production loss of at least 10,000 vehicles and will be working towards making good the loss over the near term.

While the Gurgaon plant has an annual production capacity of 7,00,000 cars from three assembly facilities, the Manesar plant can produce 8,00,000 units from similar number of assembly facilities.

The automobile manufactuer, who is currently witnessing upbeat demand for many of its vehicles in the country, has a 46.91 percent market share in passenger vehicle market in India.
third-generation

The front fascia design and headlights of the 2018 Bentley Continental GT resemble those of the EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept. Then again, the three-piece lower grille and air intake vents appear to be different. The rear haunches of this pre-production Conti GT also mirror those of the concept vehicle. The rear, though, wears too much camouflage for us to grasp any design cues whatsoever.The Conti GT of the post-Vickers era is just as relevant today as it was when it was launched in 2013. Yes, Bentley wants us to believe that two generations were launched since then, but theres no hiding the fact that the second generation from 2011 is nothing but a nip-and-tuck affair. Youve heard that right - both post-Vickers generations are underpinned by the Volkswagen Groups D1 platform, which was first used on the Volkswagen Phaeton full-size luxury sedan back in 2002.Thesecond-generation Bentley Continental GT, on the other hand, will ride on the all-new MSB platform that underpins the Bentley Bentayga, Audi Q7, and the 2017 Porsche Panamera . The most important bragging right of the MSB platform is a curb weight reduction in excess of 200 pounds (100 kg). When the 2018 Bentley Continental GT debuts in the latter half of 2017, the grand tourer is expected to use an all-new 4-liter twin-turbo V8 with the electric turbo technology that will debut on the Audi SQ7 All-wheel-drive is a certainty, something that cant be said about the 6.0 twin-turbo W12 of the outgoing Conti GT. The all-new generation could get the twelve-cylinder engine only if the engineers cut down on emissions. The W12 generates a mind-boggling 329 grams of CO2 per kilometer, which is a lot by the most modern emission standards in the EU and the United States.Theres a definite possibility for a plug-in hybrid 2018 Bentley Continental GT to be offered, which is expected to share its vitals with the next-generation Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid and the next-generation Cayenne S E-Hybrid. As for an all-electric model, the 2018 Bentley Continental GT is an unlikely candidate for that. Nevertheless, theres a chance that Bentley will make an electric version for the production model based on the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept.Is it me or is the 2018 Bentley Cont GT slightly smaller and shorter than the outgoing model
The outgoing model was one of the most distinctive and also spacious cars in the supermini segment when it was launched. Fiat even managed to breathe the life of a demon inside its body, as the Abarth version was available for a short period with up to 160 horsepower. Since then, the Punto has given up the will to live in Europe, mainly targeting customers from Brazil or India.Rumor has it the successor will do the same, as it will have fewer gadgets and safety features. Previously, Fiat bosses said a successor for the Punto had been prototyped, but the market study suggested it would not be profitable. But could Dacia's Sandero, which sells well in South America, have taught them something?Brazilian publications suggest research and development work started there in 2015 under the codename X6H. That model and the new Linea (X6S) will be underpinned by stretched versions of the Palio and Uno models. Power will come from either a 1.4-liter with 100 hp or the 1.8-liter used by the Fiat Toro and BR-spec Jeep Renegade.The shape of the test mule corresponds to an urban subcompact minivan or a larger version of the Panda. Distinctive features include a sloped hood, a tall roof, and vertical tailgate. Is this the same company that gave us the 124 Spider?Due to the negative, outdated image associated with the current Punto, Fiat may call it something entirely different in Europe. The company recently revived the Tipo name and used it for the Linea and Bravo replacement. We're not the only ones who believe Fiat is currently adrift. On one hand, the brand wants to be posh, launching the 500X. On the other, Italians want cheap cars like the ones they made after the war. We think they have too much history and tradition to go down as Dacia copycats.
Photo: FleetAfrica

South Africa-headquartered FleetAfrica was recently awarded a five-year contract for the provision of waste removal trucks by the Mogale City Municipality, South Africa.

The new fleet consists of skip loaders and roll-on roll-off trucks supplied to the city on a full maintenance lease solution. The new fleet was handed over to the Mogale City fleet manager in late January, according to FleetAfrica.

Through FleetAfricas partnership with UD Trucks, a specialized driver training session for 15 of the municipalitys drivers was also conducted during the handover day. The drivers were equipped with much needed information on how to optimally operate the vehicles and to check for anomalies during daily operations, according to FleetAfrica.
Photo courtesy of Auto Europe.

By partnering with Peugeot, Auto Europe, a global car rental aggregator, can offer travelers access to vehicles through Peugeots Open Europe Road Program.

Travelers planning to visit some of Europes largest cities for 15 days or more now have the option to participate in this program. Travelers essentially purchase a new vehicle through Peugeot with the agreement that Peugeot will buy it back after traveling, according to Auto Europe. Its similar to a lease agreement.

The program provides travelers with the opportunity to drive a new vehicle in Europe at a daily rate often lower than a traditional car rental, according to Auto Europe. The starting rental rate could be as low as $20 per day.

Added benefits include unlimited mileage, no European value-added taxes and airport charges, and availability to drivers as young as 18. A GPS unit is also included in the vehicle, says Auto Europe.

Many of our customers are traveling to Europe for extended stays and looking for more options of economical transportation during their visit, said Scott Braun, Auto Europes chief marketing officer. This program allows us to offer our customers quality vehicles with added incentives to make long-term rentals more affordable. For example, one new discount this year is three free days on rentals of 21 days or longer.

Other benefits added to the buyback program this year include:

- Shorter duration requirements: now 15 days

- New vehicle models, including the Peugeot 4008 crossover

- Flexible payment options, such as deposit only to reserve

- Expanded availability in peak travel months, including vehicles with automatic transmissions

Auto Europe manages the booking process, but once the reservation is completed, travelers work with Peugeot Open Europe if they need to make any changes, says the company.

For more information, visit www.autoeurope.com/buyback.cfm.
Jason Dalton was arraigned on six counts of murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, and eight felony firearm counts in connection with a shooting spree that left six people dead on Saturday night in Kalamazoo, Mich., according to a report by USA Today.

Police say Dalton, who was working as an Uber driver, randomly shot victims at three locations between fares, according to the report. The attacks started at 6 p.m. when police say Dalton shot a woman four times at an apartment complex parking lot. She is currently in critical condition.

Later in the evening, police say Dalton shot and killed a son and father at a Kia car dealership and killed four people in a Cracker Barrel parking lot, says the report.

Uber said that Dalton passed a background check, and Dalton had no criminal record, according to the report.



In response, Ubers Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan posted this statement on Ubers website: We are horrified and heartbroken at the senseless violence in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Our hearts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this devastating crime and those recovering from injuries. We have reached out to the police to help with their investigation in any way that we can.

Click here for the full USA Today report.
If it seems that airline seats are getting narrower, while the average size of passengers gets wider, Airbus has an idea that could reverse that trend  replace at least some of those seat rows with benches. Airbus has filed a patent (PDF) for bench seats, which could accommodate not only larger-than-average passengers but also families with kids and people with restricted mobility. The reconfigurable passenger bench seat would feature adjustable, detachable seat belts and optional fold-down armrests.

The average airline seat width has gone from 18.5 inches in the 1990s to about 16.5 inches today, according to CNN, while at the same time the average weight for U.S. travelers has gone up from 159 pounds to 166 pounds for females, and from 186 to 196 for males. Last year, an Australian man filed suit against Etihad Airlines, claiming that he had to contort and twist his body to accommodate an overweight passenger in the adjoining seat during a long flight from Dubai to Sydney, causing a back injury and aggravating an existing back condition.
The name of Eric Winkle Brown may not be familiar to U.S. readers, but to the British, he was celebrated as the Royal Navys most decorated pilot. He held world records for having flown more different types of aircraft than anyone  a total of 487  and the most carrier landings  2,407. During World War II he served as a test pilot for aircraft carriers, and by 1943 he had logged 1,500 deck landings on 22 different vessels. He was the first to land a jet on an aircraft carrier, in 1945, and he survived 11 crashes. His work won him numerous medals and honors, including a Distinguished Service Cross. After the war, he test-flew 43 captured German aircraft.

images: Wikipedia

Brown also continued to work as a test pilot after the war, and amassed information that influenced the designs of many Western aircraft and aircraft carriers, according to the New York Times. He wrote about a half-dozen books about his experiences and contributed frequently to aviation magazines. He also was a popular lecturer on aviation topics and served as president of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He was born in Scotland in 1919. He died Sunday at a hospital in Surrey following a brief illness, his family said.
23 February 2016 16:55 (UTC+04:00)

By Nazrin Gadimova

PACE members are free to discuss any issue that they consider appropriate.

Newly appointed president of the PACE, Pedro Agramunt made the remark at the weekly meeting of representatives committee of the Council of Europe, the dailykarabakh.com website reported.

Addressing the meeting, Agramunt spoke about the fight against international terrorism, freedom to live safely, the crisis of refugees and migration crisis, as well as promotion of good-neighborly relations between countries.

The new head of PACE emphasized the CoE member states sovereignty and territorial integrity. Moreover, Agramunt especially noted the continuation of the discussion on frozen conflicts in some regions of Europe, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

During the discussion on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Pedro Agramunt sharply criticized the Armenian delegation.

Thus, Armenias representative to PACE expressed dissatisfaction with the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan expression that Agramunt used in his speech. She voiced a disagreement with this statement, considering it incorrect to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in PACE, given the permissions of the OSCE Minsk Group.

In response, Agramunt said PACE members are free to discuss any issue that they consider appropriate, adding that the long lasting Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict should be resolved and that hiding head in a sand like an ostrich will not bring any results.

Earlier, Turkish delegation to the PACE made a protest against Naira Zohrabyan, Armenian member of the PACE Bureau.

Zohrabian behaved disrespectfully against the Turkish representative Margar Yesayan (ethnic Armenian) who voted for adopting resolution titled The escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan during the PACE winter session on January 26.

Armenian Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper reported that it is possible that Zohrabyan will be sanctioned at the spring session of PACE to be held in April 2016.

--

Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
23 February 2016 17:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Elizabeth Drew

Being Hillary Clinton, one of the most celebrated women in the world, holder of some of the highest offices in American politics, and possibly the next president of the United States, has had more than its share of agony. Widely regarded a year ago as a shoo-in for the Democratic Partys nomination, she has faced a far more difficult slog than anyone, including her, ever contemplated.

Yet most of the problems Clinton is encountering were predictable and foreshadowed in 2008, when she ran against Barack Obama. Others she has brought on herself.

For one thing, shes simply not a very good politician. Clinton is the only person known to have launched her campaign twice. (The first attempt, in Iowa, where she talked to about eight people in closed meetings, didnt work out very well.) This impressive, remarkably intelligent woman just doesnt have the feel for politics that is demanded at the highest levels.

Success in US presidential politics requires superb intuition, being quick on ones feet, and, above all, a compelling rationale for running. True, Clinton offers numerous programs that she would push as president; but, to borrow from Winston Churchill, there is no theme to her pudding. The closest she comes to a message is a less-than-soaring Im a progressive who can get things done.

By contrast, her rival, Bernie Sanders, has become a serious contender because he brilliantly composed a persuasive message for his campaign: The system is rigged and a corrupt campaign-finance regime is holding it in place.

The sweeping programs Sanders is pushing  a single-payer health-care system and free tuition at public colleges  however impracticable, are popular, especially among younger people, who overwhelmingly favor him over Clinton. Her message is one of incrementalism: Dont dare to dream big. Meanwhile, Sanders is preaching a political revolution.

Then theres the issue of trustworthiness. Sanderss integrity comes across as unimpeachable, while Clinton continues to provide reasons for questioning hers. She and her advisers are clearly stunned by the force of the challenge shes facing.

Sanders appears authentic; Clinton seems programmed. She sometimes seems to be tone-deaf, particularly out of tune with the public mood on the subject of money. Anger at the growing gap between the very rich and everyone else has been brewing for years. Shortly before she began her campaign, Hillary Clinton said that when they left the White House she and her husband were dead broke. If so, they recovered quickly: Bill and Hillary Clinton are believed to be worth well over $100 million, all of it made since they left the White House and most of it through astronomical speaking fees.

Not unlike other former US presidents  Jimmy Carter is a notable exception  the Clintons exploited their fame and influence to build up a fortune. Its not so much how they made most of their money as who paid them. While Bill made business deals with some shady international figures, Hillary made a lot of her fortune by giving speeches to Wall Street firms, the main target of public wrath for causing the Great Recession of 2008.

This provided an ideal target for Sanders, who singled out the fact that Clinton earned $675,000 for three speeches she gave to Goldman Sachs. Sanderss charges put her back on her heels; when asked by the moderator in a CNN Town Hall why she accepted so much money from Goldman Sachs, a nonplussed Clinton shrugged and replied, Thats what they offered.

Then theres the controversy over her having chosen to use a private, unsecured server installed at her home in Chappaqua, New York to process her emails, business as well as personal, when she was Secretary of State during President Barack Obamas first term in office. The server issue, first revealed in March 2015, now dogs her campaign, speaking not only to her tone-deafness, but, more deadly, to her judgment. How could she not know that a Secretary of State will receive and may respond to classified information?

After the server became public knowledge, Clinton, as her husband has also done, resorted to legalisms: She hadnt received or sent information on her server that was marked classified at the time.

Students of Hillary-speak immediately sensed something fishy. The State Department, it turns out, has two email systems: one classified and one unclassified; and one kind of material cant be sent on the other. To avoid sending her classified information on her private server, her aides delivered it by other means  orally or in written summaries. Thus, they werent marked classified at the time.

Yet State Department inspectors have found hundreds of emails that had been sent to her server that should have been classified. An FBI investigation is underway.

Finally, what was supposed to be a huge asset for her candidacy  the prospect of making history as the first woman president  isnt working out as she and her campaign had expected. As in 2008, large numbers of women dont want to be told that they must support Clinton simply because shes a woman. They find that an insult to their intelligence, and young women in particular are largely supporting Sanders; they prefer his platform and are troubled by questions about her integrity. The only group of women that Clinton carried in New Hampshire, where Sanders beat her by 22 percentage points, was those over 65.

In the latest caucus, in Nevada, Clintons presumed advantage among non-white voters, who are a far greater factor in Nevada than in Iowa or New Hampshire, seems to have served her well, with Sanders failing to win enough African-American voters, in particular, to defeat her. This augurs well for future nominating contests. But the general election could be something else.

Copyright: Project Syndicate: The Agony of Hillary Clinton
Item No "x x x. The elements of the crime of theft as provided for in Article 308 9 of the Revised Penal Code are as follows: (1) t...
23 February 2016 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Novruz Bayram, the favorite holiday of many Azerbaijanis is just around the corner.

Marking the end of the old and beginning of the new year, Novruz is celebrated on March 21 marking the end of winter and the arrival of spring.

Preparation for the holiday of spring begins with Water Tuesday, or as it is known here, Su Chershenbesi, which will be celebrated on February 23

It is one of four pre-holiday Tuesdays of Novruz, each of which is dedicated to the awakening of one of the natural elements called Su Chershenbesi (Water Tuesday), Od Chershenbesi (Fire Tuesday) Hava Chershenbesi (Wind Tuesday) and Torpaq Chershenbesi (Earth or Last Tuesday).

Each of Chershenbe has its own rites. Since ancient times, on Water Tuesday young girls go to the river and other sources to bring some water.



It is no coincidence that the first Tuesday prior to Novruz is associated with water, as water is the main source of life. Water awakens the nature and life on earth is impossible without water.

Atesh Ahmadli, the research fellow of the Folklore Institute of ANAS told Day.az that with approaching Water Tuesday water renews. Snow on the slopes begin to melt and rush to rivers.

According to popular beliefs people clean their houses with water on this day. It is also used to jump over streams. As far as I know, this tradition still exists in different regions of the country, he said.

Talking about the menu on this day, Ahmadli underlined that people prefer flour dishes including arishta and khashil, adding that people usually decorate table with dried fruits.

Although Novruz is celebrated in Muslim countries, it is not a religious holiday relate to Islam, but a tradition dating back to Zoroastrianism, the oldest of the monotheist religions. Today people celebrate it as a tradition left over from ancient times.

Being the oldest festival of spring its celebrated for more than 3,000 years in the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Black Sea basin, Central Asia and Near East.

Azerbaijan, also known as Land of Fire has a rich tradition associated with fire, considering a symbol of purification.

Some scientists suggest that the presence of fire in the festive rituals is not accidental. Fire is a symbol of life, what is more important, it gives warmth, signing that spring is on its way.

Azerbaijanis and many other peoples throughout the world are happy to meet the warm spring and forget all about the gloom of winter.

Rich with different traditions, Novruz has many symbols including lighting bonfires on all of the four Tuesdays, placing hats at the door in anticipation of nuts and Novruz sweets - such as shekerbura, pakhlava and gogal, as well as colored eggs and cultivated Semeni, sprouted wheat in a bowl, which is considering an essential feature of the festival.

The second Chershenbe of Novruz Fire Tuesday is scheduled for March 1, Wind Tuesday for March 8 and Torpaq Chershenbesi for March 15.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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23 February 2016 10:31 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has been interviewed by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. Azertac presents the interview.

- What is the purpose of Your visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran and what programs you have to expand relations with Iran?

- My official visit to Iran will be paid at the invitation of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr. Hassan Rouhani. I want to note that I met with the president of Iran four times in the past. Both during my official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran in April 2014 and during the official visit of Mr. Rouhani to Azerbaijan in November of the same year, we conducted a sincere debate on all aspects of bilateral relations between our two countries and signed a number of documents contributing to the development of relations in political, economic, humanitarian and other spheres.

Within the framework of this visit, we will also hold discussions related to the events occurring in the region and the world, examine a wide range of bilateral political, economic, social and cultural relations, and sign a number of documents. I am sure that this visit will create a solid foundation to develop and achieve a qualitatively new level of relations between the friendly and the neighboring Iran and Azerbaijan.

- Iran and Azerbaijan cooperate closely in the economic sphere. However, despite the long borders, the fact that we have a lot in common and a good economic potential between the two countries, the trade is not particularly high. What programs do you have to enhance trade?

- After Azerbaijan regained its state independence, the relations between our countries in all areas, including trade and economy, have been on the rise. At the same time, the existing trade is significantly lower than the existing potential. Of course, measures will be taken to overcome this situation in trade relations and further develop bilateral cooperation.

Azerbaijan has further accelerated wide-ranging economic reforms to reduce the impact of negative trends observed in the global economy and maintain the dynamic development trend. At the moment, we are working on large-scale investment programs and privatization, improving the business environment for both local and foreign businessmen. We believe that this will usher new opportunities for Iranian business people in Azerbaijan. At the same time, the joint state commission on cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran in economic, trade and humanitarian spheres is working hard. It has made a number of new proposals that are currently being examined.

In recent years, Azerbaijan and Iran have become very important partners of the North-South transport corridor. Having taken the necessary measures to expand the transit opportunities of our republic, we have reorganized our transport infrastructure in line with the latest standards. We are confident that the commissioning of the railway between the Iranian and Azerbaijani Astara will significantly revitalize the North-South transport corridor. In general, transport and communication corridors are of great economic and geopolitical importance for all participating countries, including us. These corridors, on the one hand, will substantially increase the share of our countries in international freight traffic and, on the other, strengthen our bilateral cooperation in the economic sphere.

- Given the attempts of Takfiri (extremist Sunni groups  as described by Iranian officials) groups to expand terrorism in the region, how would you assess the cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the fight against this ominous phenomenon?

- At present, terrorism is one of the most serious problems posing a threat to the system of civilized international relations, regional security and stability of countries. The expanding geography of international terrorism is and should be a major concern for all countries of the world, including our region and every country separately. As a result of wars and local armed incidents in Africa, the former Soviet Union and the Middle East, millions of people were driven away from their homes. National economic systems have actually collapsed. Humanitarian disasters have become a bitter reality of the day.

I should note that Azerbaijan, which regained its state independence in the early 1990s, was subjected to the aggressive policy of neighboring Armenia, the ensuing humanitarian disaster and a wave of Armenian terror. Armenian terrorist organizations have committed over 300 terrorist acts in Azerbaijan, destroyed our cities and villages in Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories. As a result, thousands of our citizens have been killed, wounded and went missing. Occupation, religious and ethnic discrimination, and terror have been part of Armenias state policy. Unfortunately, it is still the case today. Therefore, we can identify with the countries and people faced with terror.

Azerbaijan supports tangible initiatives and measures to combat international terrorism. Both within the framework of international organizations and in bilateral relations, we attach great importance to cooperation in the sphere of security, because any country can overcome the difficulties and develop only in the conditions of stability, security and peace. The example of Azerbaijan clearly confirms this. Together with Iran and other states, Azerbaijan is ready to continue making its contribution to fighting international terrorism.

- How would you assess the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict? Do you intend to use the opportunities of Islamic countries and countries in the region for the settlement of the conflict?

- In the early 1990s, in the aftermath of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, 20 percent of our countrys internationally recognized territory was occupied, our people were subjected to a policy of ethnic cleansing, and more than a million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs. All our economic and social infrastructure on the occupied lands, as well as cultural monuments, including mosques, were destroyed. Armenia has failed to fulfill the decisions and resolutions of leading organizations of the world led by the United Nations, which demand liberation of the occupied lands.

Unfortunately, the world community has yet to apply a tangible mechanism to Armenia to achieve a settlement of the problem within the norms and principles of international law. The activities of the OSCE Minsk Group, which was established to resolve the conflict, remain inconclusive to this day. We can say with confidence that the occupation, which has been ongoing for more than 20 years, is largely due to double standards currently observed in the world.

Facts prove that the international community demonstrates a selective approach to similar events taking place in certain parts of the world. In some cases, the fact of occupation gets not only a harsh response. In fact, major mechanisms of action are put in place and applied in the shortest time to solve a problem. Unfortunately, there is a passive approach to parties of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict  the occupier and the victim of occupation are treated in the same way. This injustice also stems from a different approach  the religious discrimination of Azerbaijan due to the fact that we are a Muslim state. We cant comprehend such outright contempt for international law and such a frank attempt to justify aggression.

I would like to note that Muslim countries, including Iran, have always supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in international organizations and in a bilateral format. We express our appreciation to the Islamic Republic of Iran for that and regard this as a manifestation of fraternal and friendly relations between our countries, as well as Irans attitude to international law.

The numerous decisions and resolutions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have condemned the aggressive policy of Armenia and stated a demand to end the occupation. We support and appreciate all the efforts, as well as the proposals and initiatives of Muslim countries and the countries of the region, aimed at a fair settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the norms and principles of international law. We believe that we will see even greater support for the fair resolution of the conflict.

- There are rumors that Muslims, especially Shiites, are faced with restrictions in the exercise of their religious activities in the Republic of Azerbaijan. What can you say about this?

- As you noted, such information can only be a rumor. Azerbaijan has historically never experienced discrimination on religious and ethnic grounds. Representatives of different nationalities, religions and religious movements have always lived in peace, tranquility and mutual understanding. The Constitution and existing laws of the country fully guarantee the freedom of conscience and religion, and do not hinder believers in their everyday activities.

During the Soviet period, there were only 17 mosques in Azerbaijan. In the years of independence, the number of religious temples and mosques has significantly increased. Currently, there are more than 2,000 mosques in Baku and other cities. The biggest mosque of the country, the Heydar Mosque, was built by my order with public funds and was handed over to the believers.

Azerbaijan shows great attention and allocates funds for the promotion of Islamic culture all over the world. As an example, we can cite campaigns and exhibitions our country has held in Europe and other regions of the world. Azerbaijan adheres to the most civilized norms of ethnic and religious coexistence. There is a tolerant environment. The relations between the state and religious relation in the country are perceived as exemplary around the world. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has always appreciated the status of Islamic religion, inter-religious and inter-confessional relations in Azerbaijan.

At a time when several countries are faced with contradictions between Sunnis and Shiites, Shiites and Sunnis prayed together at Heydar Mosque in Baku in January this year.

In the current period of growing Islamophobia in the world, we have contributed to the strengthening of solidarity and unity among Muslim countries. Mutual understanding, confidence building, the rule of common interests, the joint fight against Islamophobia and other negative trends should serve as a foundation of Islamic solidarity. Azerbaijan intends to continue to pursue its efforts in this area.

---

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23 February 2016 11:18 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan`s embassy in Kuala-Lumpur organized a commemorative event on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the Khojaly Genocide at the University Putra Malaysia.

The event brought together teaching staff and students of the university, as well as Azerbaijani students studying in the country. The event started with a minute of silence for Khojaly Genocide victims.

The Embassy employees provided information on the aggressive policy of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, occupied Azerbaijani territories and Khojaly Genocide.

Visitors were presented with books and journals in English and Malay languages on the Khojaly Genocide and Armenia`s aggression against Azerbaijan.

The event participants also watched a documentary on the Khojaly Genocide, committed by Armenian militaries.

Back in February 1992, Armenian armed forces supported by the 366th infantry regiment of the Soviet army attacked the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly leaving hundreds of people dead.

613 civilians mostly women and children were killed in the massacre, and a total of 1,000 people were disabled. Eight families were exterminated, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 children lost one parent. Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage, and the fate of 150 of them remains unknown.

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23 February 2016 14:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Scientific-practical workshop on "Heydar Aliyev and Azerbaijani model of multiculturalism, held in Baku on February 22, analyzed the essential merits of the national leader in the development of different spheres.

Opening the ceremony, Deputy Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center Adil Kerimli noted that scientists and political figures researched and presented the theme, reflecting the life and activity of national leader Heydar Aliyev and his achievements in various fields during 2015. The Centre also organized scientific and practical seminars on similar topics.

Naturally, the topic of today's event has deep roots, and the idea of multiculturalism occupies a special place in Aliyevs political activity, he said.

Kamal Abdullayev, State Counselor for multiculturalism, international and religious affairs, in turn, emphasized that Heydar Aliyev chose the correct ideological line and thanks to his far-sighted and wise policy, he continued an ancient tradition of multiculturalism in Azerbaijan, and raised it to a new level.

Abdullayev noted that the national leader, who said "The multinational composition of the Azerbaijani population is our wealth and advantage. We appreciate and preserve it ", directed all his subsequent political activity to preserve this wealth for centuries.

He said Heydar Aliyev considered multiculturalism policy as part of democratic development. He viewed the protection of the rights and freedoms of national minorities as well as ethnic, cultural and religious values of the people belonging to different religions, in the context of fundamental human rights and freedoms, which are the main principles of democracy.

State Adviser also emphasized that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation implements important projects for the conservation and promotion of Azerbaijans multicultural traditions.

"Its important to note projects such as "Strengthening the role of women in intercultural dialogue", "The role of culture in a globalizing world", "Peaceful coexistence in a multicultural world", "Azerbaijan - a space of tolerance", conducted on the initiative of the Azerbaijan`s First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO and ISESCO goodwill ambassador, MP Mehriban Aliyeva, he said.

Kamal Abdullayev added that thanks to the policy of multiculturalism and the progress achieved in this regard, Azerbaijan is an example for the countries of the world, including Western countries, known for their rich experience in this field.

Although some politicians claim the failure of multiculturalism, an example of Azerbaijan shows it is alive. Maybe somewhere it crashed, but it still lives in Azerbaijan, and these trends and ideas got strengthened gaining greater support of society. Thank to this, Azerbaijan declared 2016 the Year of multiculturalism, he noted.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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23 February 2016 11:42 (UTC+04:00)

The 24th anniversary of the Khojaly massacre was commemorated on February 21, 2016 in Los Angeles with a powerful, multi-faith event at the King Fahad Mosque, one of the largest mosques of Los Angeles.

The Khojaly massacre took place on February 26, 1992, when Armenian armed forces attacked the town of Khojaly in Azerbaijans Karabakh region and massacred 613 civilians, including some 300 children, women and elderly people. The Human Rights Watch called it the largest massacre in the conflict.

Held jointly by the King Fahad Mosque, Pico Shul Synagogue and Azerbaijans Consulate General, the commemoration was attended by faith leaders and members of the Los Angeles Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities, Consuls General, Honorary Consuls, FBI and LAPD representatives, elected officials, as well as members of various ethnic communities.

Opening the event, the Mosques interfaith program director Mahomed Khan welcomed the guests and invited everyone to take a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the Khojaly tragedy. Then invocations were held by Muslim, Christian and Jewish religious leaders.

Speaking afterwards Rabbi Yonah Bookstein of the Pico Shul Synagogue and Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez of the Centro Cristiano Bet-El shared their opinions about the brutality of the Khojaly massacre, highlighting the importance for the humankind not letting such human cruelty happen again.

Then the floor was given to Azerbaijans Consul General in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev.

Thanking the faith leaders and guests for sharing Azerbaijani peoples pain, the Consul General informed them about the illegal military occupation and total ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijans lands by Armenia.

The Consul General said that the perpetrators of this crime were still at large and even hailed as national heroes in Armenia.

Speaking of efforts by Azerbaijan to educate the world community about this horrendous crime, Aghayev specifically mentioned the Justice for Khojaly campaign led by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. He noted that as a result of these efforts over 10 countries, as well as 20 U.S. states have recognized and condemned this massacre. Highlighting the recent proclamations/statements from Governors of Hawaii, Montana and Nebraska, the Consul General thanked them for honoring the innocent victims of Khojaly.

The diplomat also noted that despite the huge damage inflicted by the illegal invasion, Azerbaijan has been able to stand up and undergo a tremendous transformation, becoming the regions leading country under President Ilham Aliyev. Most importantly, Azerbaijan has become a unique place of interfaith tolerance, harmony and acceptance, he concluded expressing hope for the restoration of peace in the region.

Speaking afterwards, the survivor of the Khojaly massacre Anar Usubov shared his painful memories of that cold night. He noted that as a result of this massacre he not only lost dozens of his family members and relatives, but also his entire childhood and youth. Following the remarks, the attendees watched a video testimony by Mrs Durdane Aghayeva, another survivor of the massacre. In the video Mrs Aghayeva speaks about the torture and humiliation she had to undergo in the Armenian captivity, when she was just 20 years old. The video testimony was prepared by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles in 2015.

The memorial event ended with joint Muslim, Christian and Jewish prayer for the victims of the Khojaly massacre.

--

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23 February 2016 12:35 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev embarked on an official visit to neighboring Iran on February 23.

A guard of honor was lined up for President Aliyev at Irans Mehrabad airport decorated with the national flags of the two countries. The Azerbaijani president was welcomed by Irans high-ranking officials.

Azerbaijan and Iran, the two strategic partners and two neighboring countries with historically close links, enjoy significant prospects for further developing cooperation in various sectors.

President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Iran, which will take place on February 23, will give a definite impetus to rapprochement of Baku and Tehran on a number of political and economic issues.

Baku and Tehran are engaged in the implementation of several oil and gas projects. In particular, the Islamic Republic participated in the development of Azerbaijans giant Shah Deniz gas field in the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea.

The two countries also carry out gas swap operations: Azerbaijan supplies its fuel to Irans northern provinces while Iran ensures the gas demand of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Currently, the possibility of transporting Iranian gas through Azerbaijan to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor is high on the agenda of talks between the two governments.

President Aliyev's visit to Tehran can become fruitful in terms of resolving several problems and boosting multilateral ties.

In particular, Baku and Tehran can reach an agreement on unresolved status of the Caspian Sea.

The two countries, based on the best practice of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan [these two Central Asian counties have an agreement on the status of the Caspian Sea for developing the offshore fields], can make a decision for significantly speeding up the process of resolving the status of the sea.

Also, it is high time for Baku and Tehran to boost trade ties and take decisive steps for involving the Iranian companies to Azerbaijan and vise versa.

In recent years, Azerbaijan and Iran have become very important partners of the North-South transport corridor.

Iran, located in the Middle East region, has land borders with the South Asian, Central Asian, and Middle East countries, with access to the Gulf and Indian Ocean.

Azerbaijan, in the cradle of the Caspian Sea, is settled in between the West and East. The country plays a gateway role between not only the east and west, but also the north and south. The Land of Fire is positioned on one of the most important trade and transit routes to Europe.

In this regard, the transportation sector is one of the main areas of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran.

The construction of the railways Iranian section has already started. Therefore, the visit of Azerbaijans president to Iran suggests that the projects implementation can be even more accelerated.

In his recent interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, President Aliyev expressed confidence that his visit to Tehran will create a solid foundation to develop and achieve a qualitatively new level of relations between the friendly and the neighboring Iran and Azerbaijan.

--

Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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23 February 2016 14:38 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who is on an official visit to Tehran, was officially welcomed by his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on February 23.

President Ilham Aliyev arrived at Sadabad Palace accompanied by the cavalry.

A guard of honor was arranged for the Azerbaijani President in a square in front of Sadabad Palace decorated with national flags of the two countries.

President Rouhani welcomed President Aliyev. National anthems of Iran and Azerbaijan were played. The chief of the guard of honor reported to the President of Azerbaijan. The heads of state reviewed the guard of honor.

State and government officials of Iran were introduced to the Azerbaijani president, while members of the Azerbaijani delegation were introduced to Iranian president.

Later, the two countries signed 11 memorandums of understanding on the sidelines of a meeting between President Aliyev and President Rouhani, Trend reports with reference to Irans state IRINN TV.

The two sides signed documents for cooperation in various sectors, including transportation, electricity swap, health and medical sciences, oil, gas, and petrochemical, as well as customs, social and women affairs.

Azerbaijan and Iran have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and diplomatic relations between the two countries were reestablished in 1992.

Currently, the two countries are focused on expanding economic ties in various fields, including industry, agriculture, energy, alternative energy, and transportation.

In 2014, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $186.6 million.

Iran's export to Azerbaijan during the first half of 2015 decreased 55.36 percent to $42.52 million year-on-year. Azerbaijan's export to Iran also decreased 67.11 percent to $11.16 million during that period.

--

Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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23 February 2016 15:42 (UTC+04:00)

A new chapter has been opened in the Tehran-Baku relations by signing 11 memorandum of understandings (MoU), Iranian president's Chief of Staff Mohammad Nahavandian told Trend's office in Tehran.

Nahavandian said that in the light of the signed documents, the perspective of bilateral relations is getting brighter. The high-ranking official further said that bilateral and multilateral cooperation among Iran, Azerbaijan and other regional countries, especially in energy projects have a fruitful perspective.

Iranian and Azerbaijani officials signed 11 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on the sidelines of a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in Tehran Feb. 23.

The two sides signed documents for cooperation in various sectors, including transportation, electricity swap, health and medical sciences, oil, gas, and petrochemical, as well as customs, social and women affairs in Tehrans Saadabad Palace.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Azerbaijani president arrived in Tehran today at the invitation of President Rouhani.

---

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23 February 2016 18:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

Azerbaijan and Iran, the two strategic partners and two neighboring countries with historically close links, enjoy significant prospects for further developing cooperation in various fields.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's official visit to Iran on February 23 will give a definite impetus to rapprochement of Baku and Tehran on a number of political and economic issues.

This confidence comes from signing of a package of bilateral documents, which is expected to be a milestone in terms of development of bilateral relations between the two countries.

President Aliyev and President Rouhani, who held one-on-one and expanded meetings with his Iranian counterpart, attended a ceremony of signing 11 memorandums of understanding.

These documents include an agreement on cooperation in the field of elimination, control and mitigation of consequences of emergency situations, an agreement on mutual administrative assistance in customs issues, an agreement on cooperation in the field of veterinary and livestock health, a framework agreement on the sale of electricity, a framework agreement on coordination of railways of the two countries, an agreement on construction of the border railway bridge over the Astara river, a Memorandum of Understanding between Azerbaijan's State Committee of Family, Women and Children Affairs and Irans vice-presidency for women and family affairs, a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in health and medical sciences, an agreement on cooperation between Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare of Iran.

Also, Head of Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR Rovnag Abdullayev and Managing Director of National Iranian Oil Company Roknoddin Javadi also signed a memorandum for cooperation. SOCAR also signed a cooperation memorandum with Ghadir Investment Company in the fields of oil, gas and petrochemical products.

In the light of the signed documents, the prospects of bilateral relations is thought to get brighter.

Following the signing ceremony, the two presidents held a joint press conference, where President Aliyev congratulated the Iranian people with the lifting of international sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuke program.



He said Azerbaijan has always opposed these sanctions and has always voiced its opinion from all high tribunes.

President Aliyev also expressed satisfaction with the successful development of relations with Iran.

The two countries enjoy solid foundation and the peoples of Azerbaijan and Iran are bound by the history, culture, common past and religion. They have lived together throughout centuries.

Our relations are being built on this solid basis and today, the Iranian-Azerbaijani relations have grown into the strategic cooperation, President Aliyev added.



Azerbaijan and Iran always support each other in the international organizations, where they cooperate. Currently, the two countries are focused on expanding economic ties in various fields, including industry, agriculture, energy, alternative energy, and transportation.



In 2014, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $186.6 million.

Iran's export to Azerbaijan during the first half of 2015 decreased to $42.52 million year-on-year. Azerbaijan's export to Iran also decreased by 67.11 percent to $11.16 million during that period. Thus, Iran and Azerbaijan are keen to increase the volume of their bilateral trade to $1 billion.

Our trade relations have great prospects, said the Azerbaijani president, adding that today, the sides discussed the developments on the international arena and the bilateral relations.

Azerbaijan has also expressed readiness to join efforts in fighting the international terrorism.

We agreed to even more strengthen the joint efforts in fighting the international terrorism, President Aliyev said. We will continue to support each other on the international arena.

In his remarks, President Rouhani said Iran and Azerbaijan support political solution to end the crisis in the region.

"Iran and Azerbaijan share common views on the necessity of ending crisis in the region and Syria through political solutions," he noted, adding that both presidents called for expansion of security and intelligence cooperation against extremism.

Azerbaijan and Iran have created favorable conditions for increasing transit cargo transportation through the territories of the two countries. The two countries are located in very favorable strategic positions that create great opportunities for benefiting from the bilateral ties.

Iran, which is situated in the Middle East region, has land borders with the South Asian, Central Asian, and Middle East countries, with access to the Gulf and Indian Ocean.

Azerbaijan, in the cradle of the Caspian Seac is settled in between the West and East. The country plays a gateway role between not only the east and west, but also the north and south. The Land of Fire is positioned on one of the most important trade and transit routes to Europe.

In this regard, the transportation sector is one of the main areas of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran.

Azerbaijan lacks a railway link with Iran and implements the vast majority of cargo traffic with this country by road transport. That greatly limits the possibilities of development of trade and economic relations between the two countries and their transit potential.

President Rouhani said the railways of Iran and Azerbaijan will be connected by the end of 2016.

As for the transit issues and the North-South Corridor, the countries will see an important development by connecting Astara (Iran)  Astara (Azerbaijan) railways by the end of the current year, he noted.

The North-South railway, with a length of 8.5 kilometers, is expected to serve as a bridge to connect the railways of Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia as well.

The North-South corridor, from India to Helsinki, is one of the most important routes for the region. It is a multimodal route for transportation of passengers and cargo from Russia's St. Petersburg to the Mumbai port. It is designed to carry transit cargo from India, Iran and other Persian Gulf countries to the territory of Russia (the Caspian Sea) and onward to Northern and Western Europe.

The North-South corridor with a length of 5,000 kilometers is designed to carry more than 20 million tons per year, which is quite a significant figure to make it significant.

Baku and Tehran are fruitfully cooperating in the energy sector. The two countries are engaged in the implementation of several oil and gas projects. In particular, the Islamic Republic participated in the development of Azerbaijans giant Shah Deniz gas field in the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea.

The two countries also carry out gas swap operations: Azerbaijan supplies its fuel to Irans northern provinces while Iran ensures the gas demand of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Currently, the possibility of transporting Iranian gas through Azerbaijan to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor is high on the agenda of talks between the two governments.

President Rouhani said Azerbaijan and Iran also negotiated joint production of oil and gas resources in the Caspian Sea.

Regarding energy [sector], we held constructive talks on the issues of oil and gas, power exchange, as well as joint production of oil and gas resources in the Caspian Sea, he noted.

Rouhani, however, didnt specify which oil and gas fields were discussed during the talks with President Ilham Aliyev.

Rouhani further said talks were held with the Azerbaijani president for further cooperation regarding insurance, banks and joint investment, particularly in the Araz, Anzali and Maku free trade zones.

He added that economic and political issues, as well as cultural and tourism topics, including shipping and aviation, were also discussed during the talks.

Tehran and Baku have recently intensified bilateral relations with an expectation to further deepen the all-out cooperation between the two close neighbors.

President Aliyev's visit to Tehran will create a solid foundation to develop and achieve a qualitatively new level of relations between the friendly Iran and Azerbaijan.

--

Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
23 February 2016 14:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Aynur Karimova

Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund (ADIF) continues payment of funds to depositors of the banks, licenses of which were revoked by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA).

The Fund reported on February 22 that it has paid compensation worth about 21.825 million manats ($13.98 million) to the customers of Bank of Azerbaijan, in which the insurance event happened, and the license was terminated on January 18.

The payment of funds is carried out in the branches of the Muganbank and Rabitabank -- the designated agent banks.

Accepting of appeals of Bank of Azerbaijans insured depositors began on January 29, 2016, and payment of compensation has been implemented since that day.

The volume of insured deposits of Bank of Azerbaijan amounts to 24.2 million manats ($15.5 million).

The insured depositors of Gandja Bank have received some 636,000 manats ($407,400) since February 4, when the payment of compensation was started. In general, the volume of insured deposits of the Bank is 1.5 million manats ($960,800)

Payment of funds to the depositors of Gandja Bank is being made in the branches of Rabitabank, Unibank and Kapital Bank.

The ADIF further added that it started payment of compensation to the depositors of the Texnikabank since February 12. As of today, the ADIF has paid some 27.1 million manats ($17.36 million) to the depositors of Texnikabank.

Payment of funds to the depositors of the Texnikabank is being made in the branches of the Muganbabk, Rabitabank, Unibank and Kapital Bank.

Insured payments can be obtained seven days after the bank is declared bankrupt in accordance with the legislation.

The ADIF returns up to 30,000 manats ($19,220) for each insured deposits.

Since early 2016, the CBA has terminated the licenses of Texnikabank, Caucasus Development Bank, Atrabank, Gandja Bank, Bank of Azerbaijan, United Credit Bank and NBCBank.

Later, the license of NBCBank was restored.

The official exchange rate on February 22 was established at 1.5604 AZN/USD.

--

Aynur Karimova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Eric Kingson knows he isn't an establishment candidate.

When Democrats in the 24th Congressional District met to designate a challenger to face U.S. Rep. John Katko, it was Colleen Deacon, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's former central New York regional director, and Steve Williams, a Syracuse-area attorney, who received support from committee members.

Kingson, D-Manlius, received little support compared to his fellow Democrats.

While that may be viewed as a negative for his campaign, Kingson is embracing his status as an outsider.

"I think that people in this district are looking for the same kind of authenticity that voters are looking for nationally," he said in an interview with The Citizen. "I think this election is about that. If you look around the presidential campaign, the electorate is upset and for good reasons.

"We've been left out of the growth of our economy that has taken place. We're being left out of our own democracy by the money that crowding out everyone's voice except the super rich."

Kingson has made economic security a focal point of his campaign. He said Americans are frustrated that they're working hard  and often long hours  and they aren't seeing progress. Rising housing costs and student loan debt are difficult to overcome.

He's also a proponent of improving the Affordable Care Act. He supports the law, but wants to build on it by providing Medicare for all.

"I think it's made some steps forward, but I'm the only candidate as far as I know who will take it a step further," he said.

His life experiences have shaped his views on health care. He watched his first wife, who passed away of cancer, navigate the health care system. His current wife had a similar experience with her late partner who also died after battling cancer.

"We don't need insurance companies between us and our doctors and our nurses or their health care providers," he said. "We don't need the kind of wasteful management that comes out of the insurance industry and the health care system."

Kingson addressed other issues during a 30-minute interview with The Citizen, including the heroin epidemic, raising the minimum wage and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Here is the lightly edited Q&A with Kingson:

On the heroin epidemic:

"I think we need strong enforcement of the drug laws. Not the laws that throw people in jail. The laws that throw people who supply drugs in large quantities  people who bring heroin into our nation who sell large quantities  in jail. That's one thing."

Kingson noted the importance of education, infrastructure investments and regulating prescription painkillers.

He also said that the heroin epidemic isn't new for some communities, particularly low-income earners and African Americans.

"We need to understand that these kinds of problems have, in fact, been very real and significantly ignored until it hit the middle classes," he said. "And the reality is we have a horrible substance abuse problem in this country."

On proposals to raise the federal and state minimum wage to $15 an hour:

Kingson said he supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. But he added that more needs to be done to ensure economic security for residents of the 24th District.

"Recognizing that as we increase the minimum wage, it should and it will put pressure on people who are making just above it and we should be working on helping them, too," he said. "No one should work year-round, full-time and not be able at least slightly above poverty level income. Economic security is huge, but it's also huge in terms of making the investments that create jobs.

"We don't just want minimum wage jobs. We can be making lots of investments in wind power and solar energy and our water systems. We've seen what's happened in (Flint, Michigan). We don't want that here. We can't ignore our infrastructure. Those create jobs and the kinds of jobs that help people move ahead."

Kingson also touted the work of unions, which he said built the middle class.

"When unions thrive, the middle class thrives," he said.

On the Trans-Pacific Partnership:

"Our free trade acts have undermined labor, have undermined our jobs and sent good jobs overseas without imposing the same kind of environmental expectations or labor expectations on the countries that have benefited from it. This has benefited corporations. It hasn't benefited working Americans."

For Kingson, one of the TPP's biggest flaws is the creation of a supernational court system which could allow corporations to take states to court over various issues, including costs related to environmental regulations.

"Bottom line is I don't like it at all," he said.

On his career as a Social Security advocate and expert:

Kingson says he's proud of his work over the years to prevent cuts to Social Security, including 152,000 recipients in the 24th District. Because of his efforts, he said, the Social Security debate has changed. Now, candidates aren't afraid to say that they support expanding the program.

He said former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the two Democratic presidential candidates remaining in the race, both support expanding Social Security.

"That's a sea change and that came through the work I've done," he said.

Kingson has heard criticisms of his progressive views and claims he's a single-issue candidate. He said he doesn't apologize for working to protect and expand Social Security.

"That I have a record and my opponents don't in changing policy that affects the lives of everyone in this district, I think, is very good and I'm very proud of it," he said. "But it's not just about Social Security."

Kingson said he wants to take the skills he's acquired and put them to use as central New York's congressional representative.

"Six years ago, nobody would say 'expand Social Security,'" he said. "The most you would get were people who say don't cut. We changed that. I'm proud of it... I have a record. I've done some things. I want to take that record and I want to apply it on behalf of the economic security, the well-being of everyone in this district."
23 February 2016 18:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

A ferroalloy production plant to be constructed in Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park is intended to accelerate economic development of Azerbaijan.

The contract about the establishment of the plant was inked between Baku Non-Ferrous Metals & Ferroalloys Company and Turkish Demora company, as part of the "State support for development of the industry conference held in Baku by Azerbaijans Economy Ministry on February 23.

The Bakus Company has become the fifth resident of Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park, which will be engaged in the production of ferrosilicon and ferrosilicon manganese.



Other four companies that will operate on the territory of the Park are "Azerbaijan Fibro Cement", "AzerFloat", "SOCAR Polimer" and "Azertexnolayn".

A plant for the annual production of 20,000 tons of ferrosilicon and 36,000 tons of ferrosilicon manganese will be built within the project.

Opening of the plant will create 150 new jobs. The plant's products will be directed both to the domestic market, and to export.

Presidential decree on the establishment of Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park was signed in December 2011, in order to increase the capacity of the chemical industry, the establishment of private enterprises in this field and produce competitive products from local raw materials, as well as to promote and support entrepreneurship and stable development of non-oil economy in the country.

The area of the Park constitutes 295.62 hectares and resides nearby Sumgayit city that is 32.5 km away from Baku.

The establishment of such an Industrial Center in Sumgayit city not only lead to a boost in economic development of Azerbaijan, but also is a restoration of the historical traditions of Sumgayit founded as an industrial center in the Caucasus in the 20th century.

Established under the Economics Ministry, the Park plans to build 35-40 companies, which will open 10,000 new jobs.

In order to increase the investment attractiveness of the park its residents are exempt from paying income, land and property taxes for seven years. Moreover, equipment and technology used in the park are also exempt from value-added tax.

Chemistry and petrochemical industry based on oil and gas processing plays an important role in the economy of the country. Enterprises involved in this sector are located in Baku, Sumgayit, Ganja, Salyan and Neftchala.

Last year, the value of chemical products produced in Azerbaijan constituted 200.1 million manats ($128 million).

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
23 February 2016 11:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The gallery of Azerbaijani Artists Union named after V. Samedova has opened a personal exhibition featuring works of Azerbaijani artist Isa Mammadov, Trend Life reports.

Secretary of Artists' Union Agali Ibrahimov, People's Artist Salhab Mammadov, honored art worker and fine art expert Ziyadkhan Aliyev and others addressed the opening ceremony. The speakers praised the creativity of Isa Mammadov.

"The landscape paintings by Isa Mammadov reflect the beauty and originality of Azerbaijani nature and architectural forms of Baku. Each painting is filled with a great love to the native land", Agali Ibragimov said.

Salhab Mammadov, in his turn, noted that the works of Azerbaijani artist were exhibited not only in Azerbaijan, but also in Turkey and Germany.

"A few years ago, Isa Mammadovs paintings were presented at Berlin art gallery. The exhibition was a great success and gained a lot of publicity", he continued.

Isa Mammadov expressed deep appreciation for the warm words and high evaluation of his works.

"My paintings are dedicated to Baku and Azerbaijani regions. I really hope that visitors will enjoy the exhibition", said Mammadov.

In addition to his artistic work, Isa Mammadov is teaching at Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts. Numerous students who came to enjoy the personal exhibition of their teacher have watched each painting with undisguised interest.

The artist's paintings depict the city of Baku with its winds, hot sun, broad avenues and narrow cobbled streets of the Icherisheher (The Old City).

The exhibition also included the beautiful landscape paintings of various regions of the country.

All paintings are full of incredibly bright colors. Another feature that immediately catches the eye is love, warmth and energy put into the paintings.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
23 February 2016 11:02 (UTC+04:00)

The agreement between Russia and a number of OPEC countries on freezing the oil output will lead to the price freeze, but wont affect its growth, Alexander Razuvayev, an economist and director of the analytical department at Russian company Alpari, told Trend Feb. 22.

The level at which the sides have agreed to freeze the output, is close to the maximum, said the expert.

If they reduced the quotas by at least five percent, it could positively affect the price rise, said Razuvayev.

Currently, OPEC and non-OPEC countries are discussing the possible output freeze for stabilizing the situation on the oil market.

Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela have agreed to freeze the oil production at the January levels, if the others follow the suit. Later, Venezuelas oil minister said that Ecuador, Algeria, Nigeria and Oman supported this proposal.

Kuwait also expressed readiness to join this initiative.

The oil production in Saudi Arabia  OPECs largest oil producer and exporter  totaled 10.23 million barrels per day as of January, said the cartel. This is while the oil output in Russia reached new record (10.91 million barrels per day) in December 2015.

Razuvayev also predicted that the oil production will decrease in the US and other projects will be frozen due to the current situation on the market.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
23 February 2016 14:19 (UTC+04:00)

Tehran and Baku are still in discussions over cooperation between Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Iranian Oil Ministry, said an Iranian oil minister.

We are still working on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation between SOCAR and Irans Oil Ministry, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia told Trend agency's office in Tehran.

Speaking with Trend previously, Jafar Pourfarjoudi, an Iranian Oil Ministry spokesman, said that a MoU was prepared and expressed hope that it will be signed.

Meanwhile, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived in Tehran this morning at the official invitation of his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani to discuss bilateral ties.

Several agreements on a range of political and economic issues are expected to be signed between the presidents.

An informed source has told Trend that the MoU on cooperation between SOCAR and Irans Oil Ministry is on the swap of oil products and gas, joint onshore cooperation, creating a joint venture, joint cooperation in the third countries as well as joint cooperation in the Alborz oil block (the block was allegedly located at the same area with the Azerbaijan's Araz-Alov-Sharg block).

The source said that the cooperation on the oil block is the sticking point in the MoU, as both Iran and Azerbaijan have differences over its ownership.

Iran is expected to put up a proposal for Azerbaijan regarding the cooperation on the oil block, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on Feb.23.

Prior to President Aliyevs visit, Iranian oil ministry expressed its readiness for resuming oil and gas swap with Azerbaijan.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
23 February 2016 11:36 (UTC+04:00)

Iran is going to launch airplane-leasing companies through cooperation with international companies, countrys Minister of Transport Abbas Akhoundi said referring to earlier talks with Omani officials.



These companies will be able to procure about 200 airplanes and support the Iran Aviation Company, he added, IRIB news agency reported on February 21.



In another part of his speech, the minister said Iran is ready for cooperation with Oman in civil aviation as well as investment in a railroad that connects Chabahar Port to Zahedan, Khaf, and Herat.



Iran is also ready for cooperation with Oman in launching international airplane-leasing companies, joint airline, and relegating parts of the land of Imam Khomeini Airport, Akhundi further noted.



Oman and Iran, which share control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, maintain friendly relations. Oman has mediated between Iran and the US on a number of cases including the three U.S. citizens who were arrested in Iran in 2009 on illegal entry and espionage charges and were released during 2010 and 2011.



Muscat also played an important role in talks between Iran and the six world powers that led to July nuclear deal, then removal of anti-Iran sanctions on January 16.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
 

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Theyre going to do (insert inappropriate behavior) anyway, so they might as well do it at my house so I know theyre safe.

Have you heard this way of thinking? Have you thought this way? Drinking, drug use, etc. Many parents allow their children to participate in illegal behaviors under their roofs without regard to the consequences they could face.

Spring and summer are prime time for graduation parties, barbecues, bonfires and going-away-to-college festivities. They are also primed for gatherings of minors at homes to drink.

Parents who serve alcohol to their children in their home need to understand they may serve only their children. Social host laws in New York place criminal and civil liability on parents who allow underage drinking in their homes, even if they didn't supply the alcohol, even if the other parents gave their permission. Who really wants to be arrested in front of the whole neighborhood? Aside from being liable for any injury or damage that arises from the underage drinking, parents could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine, so it's important to understand the social host laws fully.  ossingingctc.org. Also, according to stopdwi.org, serving alcohol to a minor is a class A misdemeanor.

Furthermore, ossingingctc.org posits, So if you can't buy it yourself, and your parents aren't cool (i.e. they understand that drinking is bad for adolescent brain development), just get someone else to buy it for you, right? In New York state, whether you are over or under 21, if you supply a minor with alcohol (other than your own child in your own home), you have broken the law. Any bars, restaurants or liquor stores who serve/sell alcohol to someone who is underage could face criminal penalties, plus civil liability if the person becomes intoxicated and causes injuries or damage. The bar could lose its license if caught serving alcohol to underage patrons.

After-prom parties have been notorious for underage drinking behavior. To combat this and keep children safe, schools and the STOP-DWI program have hosted alcohol-free events. Lloyd Hoskins, of the Cayuga County STOP-DWI program, shared this: One of the goals of the Cayuga County STOP-DWI program is to reduce the rate of alcohol and other drug-related injuries and fatalities through the creation and funding of programs relating to enforcement, prosecution, rehabilitation and education. In achieving that goal, the Cayuga County STOP-DWI program has set aside $300 to assist each school district in implementing its after-prom activities. Recognizing that each school district has different needs and unique activities being planned, there will be limited restrictions on the way you may utilize these funds. Funding is being made available to each school district to provide activities to students within the context of a safe and alcohol-free environment.

Jessica Soule is a member of the Drug-Free Communities Coalitions Alcohol Subcommittee. The subcommittee is working on addressing prevention of youth alcohol use. She shared, As parents, school leaders and neighbors, we can push our teenagers to avoid alcohol, parties where underage drinking may be happening, and other situations that may lead them to make poor choices. Besides telling them to avoid these situations, communities need to offer alternative activities.

Thats why offering alcohol-free parties is so important. Many school districts have groups that offer parties after school dances that offer alcohol-free, safe places for students to attend. Often, parent-teacher organizations put these on for students. However, its important that students lead the planning of these parties to ensure that activities offered appeal to students.

One reason that social host ordinances have been adopted by many municipalities is because law enforcement may have a difficult time discovering who provided minors with alcohol. This means that if an adult knowingly allows underage drinking on their property, or doesnt take basic steps to prevent it, they can be sued by anyone injured or someone with a grievance seeking monetary damages. Law enforcement may also charge homeowners or adult residents.

Ask yourself the following questions: How will you lead your children by example? Will it be acceptable to you if they consume alcohol? Are you willing to accept responsibility for their drinking behavior? Could you live with yourself if a child was harmed or killed because you allowed them to engage in unhealthy behaviors? Or, will you promote, encourage and participate in alcohol-free activities for them?

The school and law enforcement personnel cannot, and should not, be responsible for how our children are raised. That is the job of a parent, and our children are watching very closely.
Pinkmans aims to be the go-to place for Bristol foodies, with Steven Whibley as a co-founder.

Whibley said: Bristol is recognised as the UKs regional food capital, with its amazing food and drink culture, its distinct character and fantastic local produce, as well as the hills and the bridge, its the San Francisco of the UK. I cant think of anywhere better to live and work.

Whibley used to run Le Pain Quotidien (LPQ) in London, which he left in 2011. He wanted to create a new range of bread, which was the inspiration behind Pinkmans, which he runs with Troels Bendix, who he met while at LPQ, and Michael Engler. Engler was the former head pastry chef at Lenclume restaurant in Cumbria for nine years.

Pinkmans has opened in the city centre, and specialises in breads and pastries, as well as catering for the lunch and evening meal markets, with offerings such as soup and meatballs. The bakery is also open until 10pm, to catch evening trade.

Whibley said: We decided to open on Park Street because although Bristol has a number of great bakeries, there was nobody baking on what we see as Bristols most iconic street.

As well as offering a takeaway service, there are also ledges for customers to perch at, and large communal tables. The open bakery kitchens wood-fired stone ovens produce bakes including sour dough-nuts and sourdough pizza.

Whibley added: We know where every ingredient comes from and why. No artificial preservatives or colourings and no GM.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP)  A toddler who disappeared over the weekend was found dead in a harbor on Tuesday, and her father, who had been picked up a day earlier wearing a disguise, was charged with her murder, police said.

An emergency call late Saturday night from the mother of 21-month-old Maddox Lawrence led to an Amber Alert and a search for her, Syracuse police Chief Frank Fowler said. Maddox was believed to have been with her father, Ryan Lawrence.

Maddox's mother, Morgan Lawrence, told police that Ryan Lawrence was supposed to pick her up from her job at the Destiny USA shopping mall but instead left the car and keys for her in a parking lot.

When the mother returned home, she said, she found a message from him that indicated he might harm Maddox and himself. She called police, touching off Sunday's Amber Alert, a massive search and pleas for tips from the public.

On Monday, police got a call from a thrift shop employee who recognized Ryan Lawrence when he went into the shop in Baldwinsville, 10 miles northwest of Syracuse, authorities said. Police found Lawrence walking on a nearby street, wearing a disguise, and took him into custody, they said.

"The person making that phone call was instrumental in bringing this case to where we are today," Fowler said Tuesday.

After interviewing Lawrence, police focused their search for Maddox on Syracuse's Inner Harbor, an inlet off the end of Onondaga Lake. State police divers found her body underwater along the Creekwalk, a biking and hiking pathway.

Investigators were awaiting the results of DNA testing but were confident the body was Maddox's, Fowler said.

Lawrence was sent to the Onondaga County jail to await arraignment Wednesday morning on second-degree murder charges, Fowler said. He couldn't be reached for comment by telephone in jail, and police said they didn't know if he had a lawyer who could comment for him.

Fowler said the investigation into Maddox's disappearance and death was continuing, and few details were released.

"This is a tough one on all of us," he said.
Convicted former legislative leaders Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos will collect New York taxpayer money to the tune of $79,223 and $95,832, respectively, while in prison. Like most New Yorkers, Im continually baffled there is still no deal in place to strip convicted public officials of their pensions. As the Legislature approaches the third month of the 2016 session, it is time to finally take action on pension forfeitures  an old issue thats generating new headlines.

WALKING AWAY FROM AGREEMENT PROVES COSTLY

It defies logic that a comprehensive pension forfeiture law is still not on the books. Since 2010, I have proudly stood with my colleagues in the Assembly Minority to offer legislation to correct this affront to taxpayers and punish those who betrayed their office and constituents. But year after year, the Assembly Majority has blocked this common-sense proposal and allowed an indefensible practice to continue.

In addition to their years of obstruction, the Assembly Majoritys maneuver in 2015 might have been the most egregious. An agreement on pension forfeitures was reached by the governor and Legislature in March. The Senate passed pension forfeiture legislation as part of the State Budget. But the Assembly Majority never brought the bill to the floor, never took a vote, and walked away from the agreement entirely.

Their decision protected the pensions of convicted officials, and forces taxpayers to continue to fund the retirements of those who abused their office and betrayed the people of New York. It was a mistake by the Assembly Majority that is still costing taxpayers dearly.

A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE

Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos will be making more money behind bars than many New Yorkers make working day-in and day-out, and that is wholly unacceptable. The average annual wage for Seneca and Ontario county residents is $42,536, according to recent information from the Department of Labors Bureau of Labor Statistics. But here in New York, convicted officials stand to make far more than that after being thrown out of office, having their retirements funded by the very taxpayers they have betrayed.

New Yorkers are already distrustful of their Legislature; asking them to foot the bill to pay the pensions of convicted officials who betrayed them does nothing but exacerbate their concerns.

THE DEFINITION OF DYSFUNCTION

The sad irony here is that Albanys dysfunction is the only thing standing in the way of reforms to address this issue. In true Albany fashion, a common-sense, straightforward bill has been amended, revised and thrown back to square one. The bottom line is this: if an individual uses their taxpayer-funded position to break the law, they are no longer entitled to a taxpayer-funded retirement.

Weve seen too many excuses from Assembly Majority members and not nearly enough action on this issue. They have consistently discovered  or invented  new reasons to delay a pension forfeiture bill from advancing. Despite promises of change and reform with a new Speaker, the lack of results on pension forfeiture is simply more of the same.

This policy should not be exclusive to elected officials. As I have pointed out before  Joyce Mitchell used her position at Clinton Correctional Facility to set two killers loose on the North Country, setting off a three-week manhunt that cost the state $1 million every day. Is there any rational person who believes Ms. Mitchell should be eligible for a state pension?

As the Legislature begins the arduous budget process, I urge all of you to call on your representatives to do something now. It is shameful New Yorkers are continually insulted by legislative leaders who have failed to move on important legislation for two months. With enough pressure from those whose money is being wasted, I am certain we will be able fix our broken government.

What do you think? I want to hear from you. Send me your feedback, suggestions and ideas regarding this or any other issue facing New York State. You can always contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, email me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us, find me by searching for Assemblyman Brian Kolb on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter.
SKANEATELES  Right from the get go this cruise was different.

On the day before Super Bowl Sunday, Lisa and Dan Wiles  with extended family in tow  boarded the Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas cruise ship in the old navy yard in Bayonne, New Jersey. This was Dan Wiles' 12th or 13th winter cruise with Royal.

If you aren't sure who Dan Wiles is, he is part of the Mid-Lakes Navigation's Wiles family. He is captain of the double-decker, the Emita II. He's the sibling who is on the Erie Canal from April to October, looking out for the safety and comfort of his passengers, entertaining them with stories about the Erie Canal, talking about its place in history, piloting the boat and directing his crew.

Yes, it truly is a bus-man's holiday, Wiles said. But normally on a boat, I'm making sure people are safe, happy and having a great time. On this type of vacation, I have a crew of 1,500 people looking out for me and my party.

This is Wiles' story of a storm at sea, from his perspective as not only a passenger but also a ship captain. First things first, the Anthem of the Seas is a ship. Don't ever call it a boat, Wiles said.

It was launched on Feb. 21, 2015. It's the third-biggest cruise ship in the world.

A smart ship, state of the art, about 16 decks with all the bells and whistles, he said. "And it still had that new ship smell.

He and Lisa were joined by her parents, Jack and Kathy Best, Lisas brother Joe Best, Uncle Bill Scanlon, and Dan's cousins Peter and Kathy Menzies.

As they were steaming out of Bayonne with 4,500 passengers, the 16-year Royal veteran captain, Claus Andersen, informed the 6,000 people aboard that there was a weather system building along the East Coast. His intention was to steam rapidly through it before it got big.

Let's see how fast we can go, Wiles recalled the captain saying. I thought it was great, exciting. We were flying, doing about 22 nautical knots. Ships seldom cruise over 20 knots."

Traveling from Bayonne to the Bahamas in winter, the first day is often not the best weather wise. But, Wiles likes the idea of being able to drive to the dock and not have to deal with flying and all the waiting around that entails. He wants to get out on the water and even visit New York City either on the way to or home from the cruise.

Super Bowl Sunday was the first full day of sailing, and he acknowledged to being a little disappointed that he couldn't enjoy the outside decks because of rain and wind, but people instead gathered in a glass solarium, where one could still view the vastness of the Atlantic.

It started to get really rough with high winds and big waves, 30 footers. The water actually started sloshing around in the ship's pools, too.

The captain, or sometimes the cruise director, came over the air to update passengers about their progress. That is, until around 3 p.m., when the captain announced that everyone should go to their cabins and stay there. It had gotten more difficult to move about the boat at that time, Wiles said.

We were on the 11th deck, which was different from passengers on the third deck who must have had water constantly sloshing over the portholes, he said. I was never in fear for my life. I was in fear for my comfort. Having built boats and piloted them in all kinds of weather, I was fine. And my wife and our collective family's sense of humor kept us going, but also right away the captain declared pay-per-view and the internet connections were free.

Wiles said it was a good thing it was the Super Bowl, as it was the perfect distraction. So, people were in their rooms eating snacks and consuming beverages from their mini bars for dinner.

Each cabin's television has a station that broadcasts the position of the ship at all times, wind speeds and the air temperature. At one point, Wiles switched to this station and saw wind speeds of 137 knots, which is 150 mph. The forecast had been for 70 mph winds, so this was a significant difference.

The captain was riding down the coast with the wind at his back. As the winds gained force, about 125 to 150 miles off of South Carolina, the captain turned the ship around, in order to head into the wind. Wiles said when it becomes difficult to manage a ship, moving into the wind will stabilize the vessel.

But, to do this, the captain had to turn the ship around, and that proved to be the roughest part of the whole journey. The vessel did some serious rocking until it did get turned around and then stayed put  or in nautical terms, holding station.

After the passengers were sent to their cabins, the captain or cruise director gave hourly updates.

By giving us free internet, which gave everyone access to shore and the news, and the frequent updating, the crew wasn't trying to hide the situation we were in, Wiles said. All along they were alerting us to their plans and sympathizing with our discomfort.

Later into the night, the captain announced that the weather system was moving away and that he wasn't going to interrupt their voyage anymore that night and encouraged people to get some sleep.

I slept, Wiles said. Got up the next morning and went in search of food. The galley had taken a real beating. People were out taking pictures and lining up at this Windjammer Cafe that hadn't been able to open on schedule. Keep in mind, the crew of 1,500 went through the storm too. The event brought out the best and the worst in people.

Passengers from lower cabins had grabbed blankets and come to upper deck lounges to wait out the storm. Furniture was all over the place, with rumors of up to 500 deck chairs out to sea. There was broken glass everywhere, and there were ceiling tiles down with exposed wires hanging. It was mostly cosmetic. They hadnt been alerted to any mechanical damage, but Wiles could hear the difference in the engines.

As the day moved forward, the captain came on the horn saying something to the effect of that being the worst night of his sailing career and that there was another storm system developing off of Florida.

We've put you through enough, so we are going to steam back to Bayonne, Wiles recalled the captain saying.

Then, he announced a one-hour open bar and that there would be a full refund for the cruise including tax, gratuities and parking costs on shore, and each guest will be given 50 percent of what they paid for the cruise toward a new cruise. In addition, any cost incurred because of having to change flights will be reimbursed.

Once the storm was over, the ship was up and running with most services and shows, except the pools and features that needed to be looked at before operating, such as the wave rider.

They were approaching Bayonne around 9 p.m. Feb. 10 when the captain announced that passengers had the choice of disembarking that night or in the morning.

It was a beautiful night with the New York skyline sparkling across the water, Wiles said.

And then he noticed the news helicopters in the air and the press set up on the shore, where 1,500 people chose to get off the ship as fast as they could. Meanwhile, 3,000 passengers stayed on board enjoying one more night on the water.

Wiles admired the way the weather event was handled and was disappointed in the media coverage, which centered on the most anxious customers who were the first to get off the boat when it landed and were met by the waiting news crews, who in turn were anxious to turn in these firs- person accounts of the voyage.

But, what about the Titanic? Had this captain risked the possibilities of sinking the ship?

Giant cruise ships don't sink," Wiles said. "The Titanic was instead designed for transportation meant to move people from one point to another. A cruise ship is designed to entertain people on board. There is no comparison. The Titanic is Stone Age compared to the engineering from two world wars that has gone into the sea worthiness of today's cruise ships. Ship building has come a long way.

By the next Saturday, Feb. 13, the Anthem of the Seas was cleared by the Coast Guard to set sail again, which it did with a full passenger load.

The Wiles fully intend to use their discount to take another cruise when their busy schedule permits. This last one wasn't the cruise Dan Wiles thought he had signed on for, but instead it was a different type of adventure on the high seas and that was all right by him.
Democrats Abroad Wednesday Films: March & April

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The Democrats Abroad Weekly Film Series continues through April 6th at the International Friendship Club in downtown Puerto Vallarta. The popular series features first-run films shown on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm.

Here's a look at the movies they'll be showing in March and April:

March 2, 2016 - Cantinflas

The untold story of Mexico's greatest and most beloved comedy film star of all time, from his humble origins on the small stage to the bright lights of Hollywood. Nominated for best foreign film for the Academy Awards in 2015. (102 min.)





March 9, 2016 -

This movie was an official selection in Cannes last year and a current nominee for the best foreign-language film Oscar. It was caught up in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo murders, when the mayor of a Paris suburb briefly succeeded in banning it from a local cinema. Coming amid an outpouring of public and official support for freedom of speech Mr. Sissako's movie, far from being "an apology for terrorism," as the mayor (who, of course, had not seen it) supposed, is an unflinching, quietly furious exploration of life under radical Islamist rule. (97 min.)

March 16, 2016 - Iron Jawed Angels

This movie tells the remarkable and little-known story of a group of passionate and dynamic young women, led by Alice Paul (Hilary Swank) and her friend Lucy Burns (Frances O'Connor), who put their lives on the line to fight for American women's right to vote. The young activists struggle with issues such as the challenges of protesting a popular President during wartime and the perennial balancing act between love and career. (123 min.)

March 23, 2016 - Calvary

A marvelous showcase for Brendan Gleeson who plays a parish priest-and a very good man-threatened with murder by an unseen person avenging priest pedophilia. Calvary unfolds like a ticking clock or a murder mystery in reverse, as Father James tends to his affairs in what may be his final week alive. (102 min.)

March 30, 2016 - La Dictadura Perfecta directed by Luis Estrada (2014)

TV MX, the most powerful Mexican Television Corporation, discloses a scandalous story involving Governor Carmelo Vargas in serious crimes and illicit business. Governor Vargas worried about his political future, decides to clean his image and negotiates a billionaire secret agreement with the owners of the TV Corporation. Carlos Rojo, an ambitious young news producer, and Ricardo Diaz, TV network star reporter, are responsible for making a dirty campaign to change the image the public has of the corrupt Governor and make him, at any cost, a political star and a great presidential candidate. (143 min.)

April 6, 2016 - Breach

A feature documentary film that asks the question, "Have we learned enough from our past to save the last, great wild salmon runs on the planet?" The cinematography is spellbinding. (90 min.)

Tickets are available for a donation of 60 pesos in advance and 70 pesos at the door. Doors open at 6 pm. Refreshments will be available. For further information, you can contact Tobe Jensen at tjensen1942(at)hotmail.com or Millard Mott at kite70(at)hotmail.com.

The International Friendship Club is a registered charitable organization in Mexico listed as Club Internacional de la Amistad de Puerto Vallarta A.C. It is located at the northeast corner of the Rio Cuale Bridge above the HSBC Bank, Colonia El Centro, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, 48300. Phone: 322-222-5466. Website: ifcvallarta.com Email: ifcvallarta(at)gmail.com
Artist Jim Starkey Captures Sayulita's Vivid Spirit

Sayulita, Mexico - When I first saw the artwork Jim Starkey proposed for this year's Pro Sayulita Fiesta poster, I was elated! "Wow!" was my first impression. My second thought was, "How can we ever top this image?" His colorful and energetic painting was unanimously chosen by the fiesta committee for its grand fund raising event on March 16.

Over lunch at River Cafe, Jim told me about his art background and how he arrived in Sayulita to add his special talent to the vibrant art scene here. The inspiration for his poster illustration came from a colorful Folkloric dance he witnessed a few years ago while in Cancun.

His talent and imagination manifested itself early. His grandparents gave him one of those paint by number kits so popular decades ago. Jim totally disregarded the colors you were supposed to put in the right numbers and came up with a highly original painting, which amused his family.





In the sixth grade, the die was cast. He did an art class report on Georges Rouault and was hooked. Rouault (1871-1958) was a French artist known for strong black lines and vivid colors, undoubtedly influenced by his work on the restoration of medieval stained-glass windows, including those of Chartres cathedral. Jim said he was inspired by Rouault's style and started painting in earnest, taking many community art classes. He also attended art classes at the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago.

He received a journalism degree from the U. of Missouri and has been involved in the visual arts all of his life. He worked as a news photographer, photography, editor, and art director for The Grand Rapids Press for thirty-seven years.

Starkey and his wife, Maria Zache, have owned a home in Sayulita for 10 years. He also has a gallery/studio in a lovely 140-year-old historic building in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Maria, a very good journalist and editor, works for the Heritage Hill Association in Grand Rapids, one of the largest historic neighborhoods in the U.S., whose mission is to collectively make that neighborhood a good place in which to live, work and play, much the same as the mission of Pro Sayulita.

The reason why Jim likes the 11 x 14 inch format is that he does a lot of painting while traveling. He is currently showing his works at the Libreria Bookstore in Sayulita and the Casa Magico in San Pancho. His paintings would grace any art collection.

He was very pleased with a recent posting he did of one of his paintings on Facebook. "I read so many nice comments from Mexicans and Americans. It really made my day." A collector of Jim's paintings told Jim that one of his paintings is hung next to an original Picasso! Talk about pride of place!

Jim's poster reminds all of us that the Fiesta is on March 16, the major fundraiser for Pro Sayulita, where all donations go directly to many beneficial services for Sayulita.

Jim's "Fiesta" poster will be on sale soon, both before and during the festival, and the proceeds will benefit Pro Sayulita. It will look great on any wall.

Save the date - March 16, 2016. Purchase your tickets now at the Mercado del Pueblo, La Hamaca, and Don Pedro's. Tickets are also available online HERE in US dollars. The price is $60 US dollars or 900 pesos.
Securities America has paid more than $15 million in an SEC case and settlements with the fraud victims of Hector May and his daughter, Vania May Bell.
JORDAN  In an area where three municipalities converge, the Commission on Local Government Modernization's efficiency report played a central part in much of the discussions at Monday's Jordan Village Board of Trustees meeting.

When Trustee Robert Meixner discussed his research into acquiring a new computer network for the village office, Trustee Mark Gustafson wondered if the village and town of Elbridge could share it to save money and streamline operations.

"That looks like a piece of Consensus we could look at," Mayor Richard Platten said, using the commission's short name. "We all do the same administrative tasks. At the very least, we ought to be buying together."

Trustee Catherine Ferris noted the town and two villages could at least share the technical support portion, something that is "especially attractive to small villages like our own," she said, but is often left out of budgets because it is an additional expense.

Platten noted the sharing may not necessarily be a financial savings but would be an operational savings. Meixner added that school districts already share a common database for student information.

The Consensus report came up again when Edward Healy, the officer-in-charge of the village police department, delivered the monthly public safety report. He took issue with David M. Rubin's column in The Post Standard blasting modernization opponents and referring to "Mayberry-like town and village police departments."

"This isn't Mayberry," Healy said, quipping that unlike the Barney Fife character in "The Andy Griffith Show," he and his officers carry more than one bullet. "I don't like being called a Mayberry department."

He suggested the Consensus plan would create "a large metro department" that likely would not pay close attention to the needs of the rural parts of the county such as Jordan.

Platten noted Jordan, Skaneateles, Marcellus and Baldwinsville police departments use part-time officers to fill their ranks but do so out of necessity, so Consensus "ought to give us credit for what we do out here."

"The reason we have them is we're not getting served by the sheriff's office," Platten said. "We pay taxes to be served by them."

Toward the end of the meeting, Ferris and Trustee Errin Chilson briefed the board on a meeting they attended along with other local municipal officials regarding the Consensus report.

Ferris said she remains concerned about the mandates the state government puts on small municipalities, as well as the state's property tax cap. Though she understands the goal of driving central New York's economy through efficiency, she does not see how the report's recommendations will achieve that.

"There's some of it that makes sense, and there's some of it that's a leap of faith," Meixner said.

Platten noted he and his fellow mayors plan to draft a position paper through the Onondaga County Mayors Association that responds to the Consensus report. Though they are "trying to be one voice," he said the mayors are also keeping an open mind about the recommendations.

"We'd like to be a contributing part of the economy," he said, adding that he likes the goals aimed at growth. "I'd like to see us become a viable area that can share in the ups and the downs and not just the downs."

The board noted that Consensus continues to look for public input on its recommendations and extended the deadline for comments. Platten said the board would like to see the commission host a meeting in the western part of the county for residents and officials there.

"I'm sure there's going to be more engagement," Platten said. "It's a big issue."
Australia's one-term Prime Minister above ... Events of interest from a libertarian/conservative perspective below
This blog is written solely by John Ray, who has a Ph.D. degree in psychology and 200+ papers published in the academic journals of the social sciences. It does occasionally comment on issues in psychology but is mainly aimed at giving a conservative psychologist's view on a broad range of topics. There are very few conservative psychologists.The blog originated in Australia and many (but not most) posts discuss Australian matters. Australians have an unusually good awareness of events outside their own country. Australian newspapers feature news from Britain and the USA not as an afterthought but as a major part of their coverage. So Australians do tend to have a truly Western heart, which is the reason behind the old name for this blog. So events in Australia, Britain and the USA all feature frequently here, plus occasional coverage of other places, particularly Israel.SCOTUS is the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court in the landThe "GOP" stands for "Grand Old Party" and refers to the Republican party. The GOP is at present center/Right, while the Democrats have been undergoing a steady drift Leftwards and now have policies similar to mainstream European Leftist parties.The ideological identity of both parties has however been very fluid -- almost reversing itself over time. In the mid 19th century, the GOP was the party of big government and concern for minorities while the Democrats advertised themselves as "The party of the white man" -- an orientation that lasted into the mid 20th century in the South. The Democrats are still obsessed with race but have now flipped into support for discrimination AGAINST whites.Was Pope Urban VIII the first Warmist? Below we see him refusing to look through Galileo's telescope. People tend to refuse to consider evidence if what they might discover contradicts what they believe.Climate scientist Lennart Bengtsson said. The warming we have had the last 100 years is so small that if we didnt have meteorologists and climatologists to measure it we wouldnt have noticed it at all.The term "Fascism" is mostly used by the Left as a brainless term of abuse. But when they do make a serious attempt to define it, they produce very complex and elaborate definitions -- e.g. here and here . In fact, Fascism is simply extreme socialism plus nationalism. But great gyrations are needed to avoid mentioning the first part of that recipe, of course.Beatrice Webb, a founder of the London School of Economics and the Fabian Society, and married to a Labour MP, mused in 1922 on whether when English children were "dying from lack of milk", one should extend "the charitable impulse" to Russian and Chinese children who, if saved this year, might anyway die next. Besides, she continued, there was "the larger question of whether those races are desirable inhabitants" and "obviously" one wouldn't "spend one's available income" on "a Central African negro".Hugh Dalton, offered the Colonial Office during Attlee's 1945-51 Labour government, turned it down because "I had a horrid vision of pullulating, poverty stricken, diseased nigger communities, for whom one can do nothing in the short run and who, the more one tries to help them, are querulous and ungrateful."The book,, authored by T.W. Adorno et al. in 1950, has been massively popular among psychologists. It claims that a set of ideas that were popular in the "Progressive"-dominated America of the prewar era were "authoritarian". Leftist regimes always are authoritarian so that claim was not a big problem. What was quite amazing however is that Adorno et al. identified such ideas as "conservative". They were in fact simply popular ideas of the day but ones that had been most heavily promoted by the Left right up until the then-recent WWII. See here for details of prewar "Progressive" thinking.R.I.P. Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet deposed a law-defying Marxist President at the express and desperate invitation of the Chilean parliament. He pioneered the free-market reforms which Reagan and Thatcher later unleashed to world-changing effect. That he used far-Leftist methods to suppress far-Leftist violence is reasonable if not ideal. The Leftist view that they should have a monopoly of violence and that others should follow the law is a total absurdity which shows only that their hate overcomes their reasonFranklin Delano Roosevelt was a war criminal. Both British and American codebreakers had cracked the Japanese naval code so FDR knew what was coming at Pearl Harbor. But for his own political reasons he warned no-one there. So responsibility for the civilian and military deaths at Pearl Harbor lies with FDR as well as with the Japanese. The huge firepower available at Pearl Harbor, both aboard ship and on land, could have largely neutered the attack. Can you imagine 8 battleships and various lesser craft firing all their AA batteries as the Japanese came in? The Japanese naval airforce would have been annihilated and the war would have been over before it began. FDR prolonged the Depression . He certainly didn't cure it. WWII did NOT end the Great Depression . It just concealed it. It in fact made living standards worse Joe McCarthy was eventually proved right after the fall of the Soviet Union. To accuse anyone of McCarthyism is to accuse them of accuracy! The KKK was intimately associated with the Democratic party . They ATTACKED Republicans!People who mention differences in black vs. white IQ are these days almost universally howled down and subjected to the most extreme abuse. I am a psychometrician, however, so I feel obliged to defend the scientific truth of the matter:The average African adult has about the same IQ as an average white 11-year-old and African Americans (who are partly white in ancestry) average out at a mental age of 14. The American Psychological Association is generally Left-leaning but it is the world's most prestigious body of academic psychologists. And even they have had to concede that sort of gap (one SD) in black vs. white average IQ. 11-year olds can do a lot of things but they also have their limits and there are times when such limits need to be allowed for. America's uncivil war was caused by trade protectionism . The slavery issue was just camouflage, as Abraham Lincoln himself admitted . See also here Leftist psychologists have an amusingly simplistic conception of military organizations and military men. They seem to base it on occasions they have seen troops marching together on parade rather than any real knowledge of military men and the military life. They think that military men are "rigid" -- automatons who are unable to adjust to new challenges or think for themselves. What is incomprehensible to them is that being(to use the extreme Prussian term for following orders) actually requires great flexibility -- enough flexibility to put your own ideas and wishes aside and do something very difficult. Ask any soldier if all commands are easy to obey.
Two Hillsborough County teens have been arrested in connection with a shooting at a hotel last weekend in St. Petersburg.



Shawn Antonio Turner-McGee, 18, is charged with aggravated assault. The other suspect, 16, is charged with attempted murder. Bay News 9 is not revealing his name in accordance with our crime guidelines.



Two people were shot after a hotel party late Saturday night. The shooting happened at the Holiday Inn Express located at 2171 54th Avenue North.



According to police, a birthday party was being held at the hotel. An argument broke out and someone pulled out a gun.



Octavius Brown, 19, and Demetrius Crawford, 17, were injured, according to police. Brown was shot in the upper part of his body. Crawford was shot in the hand.



Brown was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in critical condition. Crawford is being treated at Northside Hospital.
We are a few months into our El Nino winter. Concerns about a strong El Nino for Central Florida involve the threat for severe weather.

We have had a few outbreaks of severe storms this winter and even had tornado fatalities in Manatee County earlier this year, but those events paled in comparison to the outbreak on this date 18 years ago in Central Florida.

Many have drawn comparisons between the El Nino winter of 1997-1998 and this year's El Nino winter. That winter had many rounds of severe weather all across Central Florida including the Tampa Bay area.

But it was in the late night hours of Feb. 22 through the very early morning of Feb. 23, 1998 that seven tornadoes touched down in Central Florida, killing 42 people and injuring more than 250. More than 3,000 buildings were damaged and 700 of those were a total loss. Those tornadoes were unusually strong and they occurred in the middle of the night; a recipe for devastation at that time.

Storm systems that can develop during a strong El Nino have a tendency to produce a lot of severe weather because of the active jet stream that is present across the southern United States. In this case, all of the ingredients for a major outbreak were present.

Here is a list of the seven tornadoes :

#1 F2 tornado touched down in Volusia County at 10:55 p.m. - 1 fatality, 3 injuries.

#2 F3 tornado touched down in Lake County at 11:37 p.m., entered Orange County at 11:41 p.m., first fatalities around 11:50 p.m., lifting at midnight - 3 fatalities, approximately 70 injuries.

#3 F3 tornado touched down in Seminole County at 12:10 a.m., first fatalities around 12:15 a.m. near Sanford, lifting at Volusia County at 12:25 a.m. - 13 fatalities, approximately 36 injuries.

#4 F3 tornado formed in Northern Polk County but touched down in Osceola County at 12:40 a.m., first fatalities at 12:50 a.m. in Kissimmee, crossed into Orange County at 12:55 a.m., lifting at 1:28 a.m. - 25 fatalities, 150+ injuries.

#5 F2 tornado touched down in Volusia County at 12:45 a.m. - no fatalities or injuries.

#6 F1 tornado touched down in Brevard County at 1:38 a.m. - no fatalities or injuries.

#7 F1 tornado touched down in Brevard County at 2:30 a.m. near Port Canaveral - no fatalities or injuries.

The deadliest and longest track tornado was produced from one of two supercell thunderstorms that formed during the night. Many of the fatalities occurred in an RV park to the southeast of Disney World. A large portion of the path of this tornado was through mainly rural swampy areas, yet it still damaged more than 1,000 buildings including homes.

The scariest part of this outbreak was the timing: the middle of the night. Most people around here certainly didn't have the ability or the technology wasn't around to get notified in the middle of the night. If someone wasn't tuned in during the evening, they may have gone to bed having no idea that severe weather was expected.

Technology has greatly improved over the last decade and so has accessibility. Now, through mobile devices residents can get alerted through their mobile phones and tablets on dangerous weather approaching.

We encourage you to download the Bay News 9 + app and activate the Safety Net Alerts. You can also follow us on Facebook and on Twitter as @bn9weather.

More importantly, we are always here live on Bay News 9 with updates from our experienced team of meteorologist and the worlds most powerful TV radar, Klystron 9.
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Darby Doguet and Greg Devillier just made Christmas shopping next year a whole lot easier and Southeast Texas a whole lot hipper.

The cousins, who are the third generation to run Beaumont's Doguet's Rice Milling Company, are going to turn some of the organic rice they've been growing for years into a treat for adults - vodka - and an organic, locally sourced one at that.

Doguet's Organic Rice Vodka will be on the shelves by late December if everything goes as planned, they said.

"We are trying to get all our ducks in a row," Devillier said.

Vodka is traditionally made from wheat or potatoes, but it can be made from any cereal grains and even fruits. Texas' famous Tito's Handmade Vodka, for example, is made from yellow corn.

Rice vodka is smoother and doesn't have a strong aftertaste, Doguet said. Doguet's Organic Rice Vodka is meant for sipping, not downing, Doguet said.

Doguet and Devillier made 10 different batches to try out different recipes. They nailed down the right one last week using long-grain white organic rice they grow in China. They previously tried brown, jasmine and other varieties.

The long-grain white organic gave the drink sweeter tones that appealed to them, Doguet said.

The cousins came up with the idea last year while sitting in Doguet's back yard having some drinks and brainstorming business ideas to further their decades-old brand.

Devillier is the son of the company's current owner and president, Debbie Doguet Robbins, and Doguet is the son of Robbins' brother and former owner, Mike Doguet, who still runs the daily operations as general manager.

The family has been in the rice business since the 1920s and has branched out into different fields, including cattle and crawfish. With their handcrafted vodka, the cousins show they intend to continue the tradition of exploring.

As their brainstorming continued into the night, Doguet and Devillier arrived at the idea of trying an organic vodka after considering other rice drinks, including sake.

They wanted to go all-or-nothing and make a USDA organic certified, locally sourced, handcrafted spirit that will be distilled six times.

"With all the businesses we do, we try to keep the higher end of everything," Devillier said.

The cousins are still working on their label, but they want to incorporate their company's traditional logo displaying "Doguet's" over the state of Texas.

The ingredients and labor for Doguet's Organic Rice Vodka will be sourced locally, from the distillery to the rice. The cousins also want to start a local fruit co-op in China to work with local farmers to diversify and build up the local economy.

That way, you can buy some local juice to add to your vodka while you're at it.

"The more money people make around here, the more money people are going to spend around here," Doguet said.

MLibardi@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/ManuellaLibardi
A few miles further north or south, and the Lumberton Senior Village might be swamped by the same wave of opposition inundating other affordable apartment complexes proposed for Southeast Texas in 2016.

Its location, on the outskirts of its namesake city but under the purview of Beaumont, has insulated the proposed apartment complex from rejection by the same leaders who have used technicalities to rebuff tax credit-funded housing amid staunch public opposition to such projects.

Elected officials throughout the region have been caught between voters and the federal government, with some ousted from office and others walking back from previous positions.

"I don't see any reason why anyone would oppose (our apartment complex)," said Jeremy Mears, who wants to build 76 units at the lightly populated corner of Mitchell and Smith League roads south of Lumberton, where city council this year defeated a similar proposal inside its limits.

Last week, Beaumont city councilmembers said they were considering the extraordinary measure of walling off the city to every tax credit-funded affordable housing complex proposed in the current cycle, which would eliminate all other competition facing the senior village for tax credits this year and possibly send a message that the city isn't interested in future developments.

"I think that would be a message that could be interpreted," Beaumont city councilman Mike Getz said.

As the federal program expands and new rules move more proposals into affluent neighborhoods inclined to oppose them, a new dynamic for how the program is administered and perceived has emerged in Southeast Texas.

It raises questions over how local officials will handle the issue and could reward developers, like Mears, who either preempt local opposition or select a site that local governments are powerless to stop.

No signs of slowing

The tax credit-funded affordable housing program has already started to shift into more affluent neighborhoods.

That's because, over more than two decades, the policies Texas used to allocate its credits resulted in segregated placement of properties, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year to close a Dallas-based lawsuit with national implications.

The state's application-scoring policies reflect that decision, so they are leading developers away from low-income Census tracts and into areas with improved schools, better amenities and residents who are more likely to resist them.

"The constituents that I serve have spoken very loudly to me in emails, phone calls and in person that they do not want any more of these low-income tax credit properties," said Getz, whose West End ward includes one such complex.

The programs, meanwhile, have shown no signs of slowing. Late last year, Congress passed technical legislation that essentially makes the future more predictable for developers and empowers states to offer more credits, according to Affordable Rental Housing Action, a national group advocating for the programs.

President Barack Obama's budget proposal this year seeks to expand the amount of credits available in order to satisfy demand.

Federal housing tax credit programs, established by Congress in 1986, built more than 2.7 million rental homes that housed about 13.3 million people through 2013, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Essentially, tax credits are allocated to developers based on how their project rates on a variety of quantifiable factors in a highly competitive process. Winning developers sell the credits to investors, allowing them to collect cash to pay for construction.

This state-administered system facilitates building top-line complexes while keeping rent down for families seeking cost-of-living relief. It also encourages investors to maintain their properties so they can collect rent, a departure from government-owned affordable housing.

In 2015, the state awarded $635 million over 10 years in federal tax credits to 64 properties. The two local projects  each year, the system should fund at least one "urban" and one "rural" development in Southeast Texas  were a family-use property in China and a senior-citizen complex in Beaumont.

Fourteen projects were initially proposed this year for Southeast Texas.

Although some have  or will be  scrapped before the formal application process begins in March, the projects requested a combined $120 million in credits over 10 years while competing for just $16 million.

Cities reject projects

Opposition derailed a proposed family complex in Silsbee last year, when city councilmembers who initially voted to support the project rejected a necessary zoning change amid public opposition. After China's city council voted to support a similar development there, the mayor and incumbent councilmembers seeking re-election were swept from office.

Bridge City's council declined to support a similar project last week. Lumberton's council refused to take up a proposal last month, primarily because developers didn't first request a necessary zoning change, city manager Steve Clark said. Groves city leaders, through a zoning rule, killed a complex proposed for the elderly earlier this year.

"They (council) seemed to think it was the same type of (low-income) housing program just wrapped in different wrapping, that the credits basically were just another way to promote something that may not be good for the community in the long run," Groves city manager D.E. Sosa said.

Groves has never taken in one of these projects, according to state data.

Various city leaders list different reasons for their decisions.

Sosa said Groves is more concerned with home building in the small, land-locked city.

Clark said the projects need to go through the proper zoning rules  which gives citizens another forum to voice opinions  before asking for support.

Getz referenced constituents' concerns that the apartment complexes may depress nearby property values.

Other cities' leaders, supporters of the program like Silsbee Mayor Herbert Muckleroy and Kountze City Manager Rod Hutto, have said the apartment complexes are controlled environments with strict rental policies that help their communities fulfill housing needs.

The opposition is not new or unique to Southeast Texas, developers said, and they don't expect it to go away.

"There will continue to be all this turmoil," said Chris Akbari, president of Port Arthur-based Itex Group. "It's going to continue to be a problem because there is a not-in-my-backyard situation.

"It's the combination of that on one side and the fact that the (Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs) wants to see housing go into areas of opportunity," meaning those with good school districts and low poverty levels and minority concentrations, he said.

TDHCA spokesman Gordon Anderson said the state agency does not consider race or ethnicity at all when evaluating proposals.

"Whereas TDHCA certainly does expect to see affordable housing go into areas of opportunity, meaning those with good school districts, lower levels of poverty and higher incomes, the Department does not consider race or ethnicity in defining opportunity or as a factor in any of its decision-making," Anderson said.*

Kim Brent

Making it through

Local governments typically cannot stop development of these complexes except through technical means, like zoning rules.

They still can make it difficult for the projects to proceed.

Developers rely on municipal councils for "resolutions of support." While not necessary, these resolutions are important because the state agency that oversees distribution of the credits among competing developers weighs them heavily in their decisions.

Councils' pre-vote discussion on the resolutions also offer a forum for neighbors to have their say on the proposals.

Knowing how crucial government support is, developers look to avoid or limit public opposition. They can do this through public meetings, workshops or open forums, they said. Experienced developers highlight their track records. They talk about vacancy rates, community need and average rental prices.

But some also are designing projects that are less controversial by nature.

Ten of the 14 locally proposed projects were designed to serve elderly populations, another emerging trend, developers said.

Family-geared complexes previously received higher application scores than those for elderly populations, but this year they are rated evenly, partly because a need was identified and partly because developers were already headed in that direction, said Tim Lang of Tejas Housing, the developers behind the failed Silsbee proposal last year.

"Senior developments have less of a NIMBY (not in my backyard) issue than family developments do," Lang said. "Quite frankly, they are easier to get through the system."

Beaumont Enterprise

Beaumont mulls blanket rejection

While most cities can't eliminate proposals  except through zoning restrictions  Beaumont can this year because it already has so many tax credit-funded units in its city limits, according to state and local officials.

That's what will happen if city council does not expressly give developers approval before their full applications to the state are due on March 1.

"If the council does not take any action, they will all fail," Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames said.

More than 5,500 affordable apartment units funded through the programs have been constructed in the three-county Southeast Texas area since 1990, according to state data.

In Beaumont's city limits, 1,436 functioning units have been built with tax credits, according to an Itex Group report. The number of units in the city per capita is at least twice as high as the statewide average, which gives Beaumont its unique authority to reject all proposals at once, officials said.

Seven of the 12 Beaumont properties are in Ward 3, represented by Councilman Audwin Samuel.

"I hope we will be fair and equitable to all communities throughout this city," Samuel told council last week.

Beaumont's refusal would bode well for the development proposed south of Lumberton, which is competing only with Beaumont proposals now that the Groves project has been scuttled. Hardin County commissioners have issued a resolution of support for the project, but even if they opposed it, they couldn't do much about it.

Lumberton Senior Village is located in Beaumont's "extraterritorial jurisdiction," meaning its resolution of support would need to come from Beaumont rather than its namesake. However, the development would be exempted from any blanket refusal city leaders could invoke by not taking action because it's not inside city limits.

* This story was updated Feb. 23 to include TDCHA's response.

EBesson@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/EricBesson_news
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The state's new top education official expressed confidence Monday in Beaumont ISD's board of managers and the school district's work toward shoring up its financial house as a review deadline looms next Monday that could return the district to an "accredited probation" status.

"I want to publicly express my confidence in the ongoing work of the board of managers in the Beaumont Independent School District," TEA commissioner Mike Morath said in a prepared statement. "These seven community members were placed in the position of addressing many issues left by the previous school administration.

"After years of mismanagement and a complete lack of financial controls, it was known that it would take time to address all of the financial issues. This board of managers has done a tremendous job of putting the district on the right track to secure the future of BISD. These board members share my commitment in assuring every child in the Beaumont ISD has a chance to succeed," Morath said.

Former education commissioner Michael Williams, who stepped down at the end of last year, appointed the board of managers in July 2014.

Board president Jimmy Simmons said the board has worked diligently to hire a new superintendent, chief financial officer, comptroller, internal auditor, purchasing agent and human resources officer to rectify the lack of control under the previous administration, which lacked acceptable financial accountability.

"When we came in, we had a $40 million deficit," Simmons said. "We started the school year with a $14 million surplus."

Superintendent John Frossard said the district must by Monday submit a formal request for a review of BISD's accreditation status based on its financial situation.

"I don't know if we've got grounds to ask for a review," he said, stating he and his staff are trying to determine whether it can.

The district a couple of months ago received a letter from TEA about its "accreditation warning," which was based on a 2013-14 audit that was suspended because of bad "data quality."

The 2014-15 audit reflected "substandard achievement" because of the 2013-14 incomplete audit, he said.

"It will take a minimum of two to three years to turn the financial ratings around," Frossard said.

"We changed personnel, procedures and practices. We need clean audits to get new accreditation ratings. There's no quick fix, but we're making good progress."

Read the complete story in the Feb. 23 print edition of the Beaumont Enterprise.

DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/dwallach
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Gefeliciteerd, West Brook High School!

In case you're not familiar with Dutch, "gefeliciteerd" means "congratulations."

West Brook's nod to Dutch culture garnered the attention of the folks at Aceable, an Austin-based startup, which included the Bruins on their list of best mascots in the state of Texas.

The company, impressed that the school is the only one in Texas with the Bruins mascot, liked that the school pays "homage to the area's Dutch heritage."

While Beaumont's proximity to Nederland could lead one to assume the mascot was related in some way, that's actually not the case.

The name West Brook, as well as the mascot and school colors were voted on in February 1982. The school opened that fall.

Students from Forest Park High School and Hebert High School, the two merging schools, were given six choices of mascots. The Jaguars and Warriors were the two top contenders, according to a Beaumont Journal article. Students were supposed to vote for one of the two in a runoff election.

But the Jaguars and Warriors never made it to the runoff ballots, after a spat between the schools. Hebert students were aligned with their similarly named Panthers mascot while Forest Park students remained loyal to their Trojan mascot.

The school board, then South Park ISD, threw out the two choices and forced students to choose between the Bruins, Broncos and Chargers. The Bruins emerged victorious as well as the red and blue school colors, but not everyone was happy.

"A red and blue bear, picture that," a student told the Beaumont Journal. "That's not going to look right."

So "dank je" (or thank you) for the shout out, Aceable, but the Bruins are just an arbitrary figure.

See what other Texas schools' mascots made the list in the slideshow above.
A man facing federal charges of producing and distributing child pornography will claim an insanity defense, according to court documents filed Monday.

Daniel Alexandro Hernandez, 24, of Port Arthur, is charged with four counts related to sexually exploiting a child from 2011 to 2015.
Relics of St. Anthony of Padua will arrive at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica to help celebrate the Catholic Church's Jubilee Year of Mercy.

The relics include a fragment of St. Anthony's skin and another piece called a "floating rib," which are lower ribs not attached to the breastbone.

The reliquary in which the relics are contained made the journey from the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy.

The reliquary will be in a golden St. Anthony statue and visitors will be able to touch the reliquary.

The rib relic is the same as the one carried by Pope Francis when he was Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio when he led a procession in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2000.

A presentation on St. Anthony and the relics along with a Liturgy of the Word will be at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday in the Cathedral Basilica by Franciscan Friar Father Mario Conte from Padua.

Also, veneration will be in the Cathedral Basilica from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with Mass at 12:10 p.m.

St. Anthony of Padua was born in 1195 as Fernando Martins in Lisbon, Portugal, joining an abbey at 15 years old, traveling to Morocco to preach. He fell ill and was en route to Portugal to recover when the ship was blown off course and landed in Sicily, according to Catholic.org. He traveled to Padua, was accepted into a Franciscan monastery and is said to have "preached to the fishes" when heretics would not listen, but attracted a crown when they saw that fish had gathered. St. Anthony is said to have preached not for the "instruction of fishes," but for the glory of God and the delight of the angels.

St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost people and articles.
DEAR ABBY: My daughter is in fifth grade at a very small, rural school. Shes outgoing and makes friends easily. My problem is, when she comes home from school, she tells my husband and me about the conversations the other fifth-grade girls are having. Most of them involve boys. However, recently the conversations are about sex and rape.

My husband and I are appalled. My daughter knows that its not appropriate to discuss these topics, but she is forced by these girls to listen. What should we do?  CONCERNED PARENT

DEAR CONCERNED: While discussing sexual matters may not seem appropriate to you, thats what some children in grammar school do. The problem, however, is that a lot of misinformation can be transmitted among them. Be glad your daughter trusts you enough that shes willing to tell you what is being said.

If this were my daughter and I had not yet had the talk with her, I would waste no time in initiating it. Her classmates may say some of the things they do for shock value and have no concept about the violence and physical and emotional damage that a rapist can inflict.

DEAR ABBY: I have 18-year-old twin sons who are seniors in high school and more mature than most at their age. My husband and I raised them with responsibility and manners, and people comment on how well they behave.

My problem is neither one seems interested in socializing. They dont date and never have friends over. They tell me people their age are morons.

The boys are very close. They still share a room, and want to attend college together and major in the same field. I worry that they arent experiencing the life of typical teenagers. What do I do?  MOTHER OF TWINS

DEAR MOTHER: Your boys may be responsible and mannerly, but they appear to be socially immature. The time to have separated them and encouraged them to develop their individual personalities was when they entered their teens.

While it is normal for twins to share a special closeness, the fact that they dont socialize, dont date and consider their contemporaries all to be morons IS something to be worried about. If you are going to contribute to their college educations, it might be helpful to insist they go to different schools. But before you do, consult a licensed counselor for guidance because it may be traumatic for them.
A bloody narco war could be erupting again on the U.S.- Mexico border. It's been the most violent year since 2010 in Tijuana with 71 people killed in January, reports say.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is the latest and most violent cartel to make a power grab near the border. The group is going after street-level drug dealing as well as lucrative smuggling routes across the U.S. border. That has caused the narco gang to go against "El Chapo" Guzman's Sinaloa cartel which dominated the drug trade in the area, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Before the Sinaloa cartel became a power player in the area, however, it was the turf of the Arrellano Felix Organization.
A.3101, successfully passed out of Assembly Health today, marking the first step on its way to hopefully becoming law.

NJAASC crafted this legislation to help 'one room'- registered centers in New Jersey, in light of issues that had come up over the past several years.



"Since the enactment of the 'Codey Law' in 2009, the healthcare landscape in New Jersey has changed dramatically," said Jeff Shanton, Chair Government Affairs, NJAASC. "There has been concern in the legislature regarding the quality and regulation of New Jerseys registered practices. This bill seeks to encourage investment and improve physical plant standards in registered surgical practices, as well as enhancing quality and patient safety, while stimulating provider integration."



The bill allows for the conversion of registered practices into licensed facilities, where there is no increase in the number of operating rooms. Currently New Jersey has a moratorium on new licensed center construction, unless with a hospital partner, or if plans had been previously submitted.

The bill also allows for multiple registered surgical practices to combine and establish a licensed facility, and for a licensed facility to combine with a registered surgical practice and expand the scope of services offered.



"Consistent with the existing Codey Law, this bill would not increase the total number of operating rooms, but encourages conversion into licensed facilities, investment in them, and consolidation of ambulatory surgery settings. It is important to understand that this bill does not mandate these changes, but is an option, so if registered practices wish to continue as they are, that is up to them," notes Mr. Shanton.
Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health will cut reimbursement to physicians by 4 percent for care provided to patients with health insurance purchased on the Affordable Care Act exchange, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The pay cut will take effect April 1 for all Pennsylvania physicians who participate in Highmark's health insurance plans and treat patients with coverage bought on the ACA exchange.

The payment cut is necessary to trim losses in individual coverage, Alexis Miller, senior vice president of individual and small group markets at Highmark, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Highmark lost $222 million on individual coverage offered on the ACA marketplace in 2014, and those losses widened to $318 million in the first six months of last year, according to the report.

Highmark's cutback plan is already facing criticism. John Krah, executive director of the Allegheny County Medical Society, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette physicians are being punished for Highmark's pricing miscalculations.

"Physicians will continue to provide the same level of care to these patients, but this is simply wrong," Mr. Krah said.

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A bid has been accepted for Bowie (Texas) Memorial Hospital more than three months after the facility closed.

Bowie Memorial closed last November. The hospital board had hoped to save the facility through the creation of a new hospital district, but the measure was nixed Nov. 3, 2015, when 53 percent of voters turned down the tax district.

Bowie Memorial's situation began to look up in December, when the board received two bids to purchase and reopen the hospital. The board entered into negotiations with a Houston-based company, but the deal fell through less than a month later. With resources diminishing, the hospital board set a sale deadline of Feb. 15.

Hospital authority directors accepted a $1.5 million bid last week from Hasan Farid Hasmi, MD, for the purchase of Bowie Memorial, according to the Times Record News. Hospital officials expect to complete the transaction with Dr. Hasami March 4.

Bowie Memorial CEO Lynn Heller told the Times Record News he expects it to take at least 60 days for the hospital to reopen once the transaction is completed.

More articles on healthcare industry transactions:



Another hospital deal, another fight between Prime and SEIU

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In a notable departure from the majority of the tech industry, Bill Gates supports the FBI's demand that Apple unlock the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino gunmen, reports Financial Times.

Mr. Gates, founder of Microsoft, told Financial Times technology companies have an obligation to work with law enforcement in terrorism investigations.

He also said Apple CEO Tim Cook calling the government order to unlock the phone a "back door" is misleading.

"This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information," he said. "They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case."

He continued, saying the issue at hand is similar to somebody trying to access bank records. "Let's say the bank had tied a ribbon round the disk drive and said, 'Don't make me cut this ribbon because you'll make me cut it many times.'"

Apple opposes the government's demand to unlock the iPhone for the FBI's investigation into Syed Rizwan Farook's phone. Mr. Farook and his wife opened fire at a holiday party in December.

Apple  and most other tech companies  view the government's demand as a threat to all customer safety, saying creating one master key to unlock the phone creates the possibility for the technique to be duplicated by anyone, threatening the security of all iPhone customers.

Tech companies who have voiced support of Apple's opposition to the demand include Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook.

More articles on encryption:

EHR vendors: The next target for healthcare hackers?

Google, Edward Snowden stand with Apple on phone encryption debate

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Chicago-based Tribune Publishing's new CEO is crossing over from the health IT industry to the publishing industry.

Justin Dearborn, formerly CEO of medical imaging company Merge Healthcare, has been appointed as Tribune Publishing's CEO and director, effective immediately.

In October 2015, IBM acquired Merge Healthcare for $1 billion.

"I believe Tribune Publishing has a significant opportunity to leverage technology to increase the value of its content and distribution channels," Mr. Dearborn said in a statement announcing the leadership change. "Although this is a different medium than my last technology company, it has the same challenge on how to create the highest value for our content."

Mr. Dearborn succeeds Jack Griffin, who served as Tribune Publishing's CEO for less than two years, reports The Wall Street Journal. He was ousted from the chief executive position just weeks after helping secure a $44.4 million investment in the media company from Chicago businessman Michael Ferro. With the purchase of more than 5.2 million shares of stock, Mr. Ferro became the largest shareholder in Tribune Publishing, reports the Chicago Tribune.

More articles on executive moves:

St. Vincent appoints new leader: 3 things to know

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BCBS of Louisiana names new CEO
Two Chicago-based trauma physicians and a violence preventionist discuss gun violence as a public health issue and how hospitals fit into the picture.

Since 1985, only six cities have held the undesirable honor of "murder capital" of the U.S. for the highest number of homicides per 100,000 residents. Those cities are New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Flint, Mich., Richmond, Va., and Birmingham, Ala., according to a Pew Research analysis of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics.

Not on that list once is Chicago, where 2,987 people were shot in 2015 and where most residents, at least in some parts of the city, would agree  the staccato of gunshots is all too frequent.

This year, between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31 alone, 289 people were victims of a shooting. That's more than nine people every day. It's also nearly double the number of shootings compared to January last year, according to The Chicago Tribune, which tracks all shootings  not just homicides  and updates the count several times per week.

Chicago may not be murder capital of the U.S., but it undeniably has a gun problem. This is important because each shooting, fatal or nonfatal, has a profound ripple effect on the physical and mental health of the communities where it occurs. It also adds significant strain on health systems within those communities. The average emergency room visit for an individual gunshot victim cost hospitals $1,126 in 2010, according to data from the Urban Institute. The average inpatient stay for a gun shot victim was $23,497 in 2010.

As the number of shootings grows, the cost to Chicago's residents and hospitals grows too. But the WindyCity is not alone. Based on the "murder capital" rankings, Chicago comes in 21st among sizeable U.S. cities. Clearly, cities and towns across the nation face gun violence as a mounting public health issue, and law enforcement and government regulation alone have not proven a solution.

So, the question is what can and should healthcare professionals across the country be doing about it? We asked those on the forefront of Chicago's trauma response:

Faran Bokhari , MD, chairman of the Cook County Trauma & Burn Unit at John H. Stroger Jr., Hospital, one of the first comprehensive trauma units in the U.S., and now one of the country's largest,

chairman of the Cook County Trauma & Burn Unit at John H. Stroger Jr., Hospital, one of the first comprehensive trauma units in the U.S., and now one of the country's largest, Catherine Humikowski, MD, medical director of the University of Chicago Medicine's pediatric intensive care unit, who recently penned an article in The Chicago Tribune about what it's like to care for children who have been victims of gun violence, and

medical director of the University of Chicago Medicine's pediatric intensive care unit, who recently penned an article in about what it's like to care for children who have been victims of gun violence, and Shannon Cosgrove, MHA, director of health policy for Cure Violence, an organization that applies disease prevention models to violence, and was started at University of Illinois at Chicago by Gary Slutkin, MD, under the name CeaseFire.

Editor's note: Responses have been edited lightly for length and clarity.

Question: Do you think gun violence is viewed through a health lens in Chicago, or is it viewed as more of a law enforcement issue?

Dr. Faran Bokhari: It depends on who we are talking to and who is viewing it. Public health officials will look at it through a public health lens and law enforcement will look at it as a law enforcement issue. I think the answer is somewhere in the middle.

Dr. Catherine Humikowski: In Chicago, it is viewed largely has a law enforcement issue. I suspect a lot of places think of it in this way. But here, in particular, gun violence is largely linked to criminality, and that's not true all over.

For example, suicide is a big piece of gun deaths in the U.S. However, in our population, certainly where I work on the South Side, it really is linked mentally to gang activity and criminal behavior. A lot of people say, "This is a law enforcement issue. This is related to community-police relations. We need tougher sentences for gun criminals."

All of that is very well true, but my perspective is that it's one piece of a bigger issue. While we do tend to view it through the law enforcement and criminality lens in Chicago, we have to shift that debate to be more encompassing. This public health angle is another part, but it's not going to capture the entirety of the problem. It's not isolated to the "bad guys" on the South Side. It really is everybody's problem.

Ms. Shannon Cosgrove: Chicago was the first city to implement the health approach as Cure Violence knows it and sees it. That was in 2000. In that aspect, Chicago was very much ahead of the curve.

Quite a few efforts are underway in Chicago that look at violence as a health issue, but it hasn't elevated to a place where healthcare professionals are seen as leaders in response to the epidemic. We really feel the health sector is underutilized and has a lot to bring to the table.

When you think about the Ebola response, if there was even a threat of a case coming into the U.S., everyone was ready and had their policy programs and protocols in place to respond accordingly. Similarly, we want the same response for violence.

Q: There's no medical cure for violence. What makes it a public health issue?

Dr. Humikowski: The modern era of medicine really isn't about cure; it's about predictive analytics and prevention. There is no medical cure for violence, but violence is a pervasive problem in our culture that leads to disease states. In that sense, we have to understand what factors contribute to it and limit those factors so fewer people are injured by violence in the population of patients we care for.

Gun injuries and gun-related deaths are instantaneous. You go from being a healthy kid  my perspective on this is as a pediatric intensivist  to a neurologically devastated person in a vegetative state. There is no transition state. You are either protected or you are really, really badly hurt. To me, it makes this a crisis beyond typical health proportions.

Dr. Bokhari: It is important to put this in perspective. Look at how much violence you see in the U.S. It's not just Chicago; it's not just major cities; it's also small cities. It's everywhere.

There are 10,000 deaths in the U.S. from homicide gun violence annually, but on top of that, there are 20,000 suicides per year, which is a lot for an industrialized nation. Our death rates from gun violence are 10-fold compared to countries similar to us. So something is not right here.

Gun violence has become a public health issue because it affects more than the people who are dying. For each person killed, there are 10 times as many people disabled by it, and somebody has to bear the cost for that. Somebody has to bear the cost for dying people as well.

Ms. Cosgrove: When we think about public health issues as a whole, we often think of disease  diabetes or cancer  as a leading cause of death. Violence is too. We have 60,000 violence-related deaths per year. Violence is the leading cause of death among African American males. It has huge implications for the public health system as a whole and for an entire community. People exposed to violence regularly are 30 times more likely to be involved in violence in their lifetimes.

The more we see, the more it does to our mental health and our physical health. Stress related to violence causes our blood pressure, heart and even cancer risks to increase. We really believe if we don't stop this epidemic, it will be difficult to establish health in our nation.

Q: What preventive measures can be taken? How do you successfully pinpoint and reach those most likely to pull the trigger?

Dr. Bokhari: Before you take any preventive measures, you need to know where gun violence is occurring, who is doing it and why. You need to make sure you are not biased through your own lens. So if you are a public health official, you don't want to define everything else through the public health lens of where, who and why, and the same thing for the police officers. You have to be balanced, yet come to a solution kind of fast.

Dr. Humikowski: No. 1 is don't keep guns at home with children  and I know that's an extreme view and a lot of people won't hear that. At the end of the day, guns are deadly weapons and really should not be around children. There are actually data to show preventive educational strategies directed at kids don't work. In real time, when kids are faced with a violent weapon, all the things they have learned in simulations and classes don't apply. Kids are impulsive by nature.

It's responsible and imperative pediatricians speak to families about gun safety, because it really is like any other safety issue. Any responsible pediatrician would talk to family members about how to keep their kid safely strapped into a car, bathtub safety, pool safety, how to store household cleaners. The sad reality in our country is that guns are no different.

No. 2 is if you have a gun at home with a child, it should be stored and locked separately from the ammunition. Even if you find your patient doesn't have a gun in their home, they may send their children to a home that does have a gun. Pediatricians can still counsel parents who are not gun owners about how to keep their children safe in homes that may have guns.

No. 3, and I think this is really where physicians can get involved, is lobbying for common sense, safe gun manufacturing. That's trigger safety. Not an easy lock a kid can undo, but fingerprint identification. That's something pediatricians and physicians can lobby for in the name of safety for children.

Ms. Cosgrove: One of the key pieces is really having trusted community members involved with violence prevention. When Dr. Slutkin worked with the World Health Organization in Africa, he lived there for 10 years and worked with six other physicians to help control the spread of cholera, tuberculosis and HIV. They trained individuals to deliver messages through the community about food handling, sanitation, etc. From there, he was able to get ahead of the trend of these incredibly contagious diseases.

When he came back to the U.S., he saw violence clustering and transmission very similar to the infectious diseases he was working with in Africa. And, what he learned in Africa about treating diseases was true here in the U.S. for violence.

Having someone intervene who has respect, is trusted and understands what those individuals are going through is critical. Our interrupters and our outreach providers are the key to stopping the spread of violence. They are significantly trained in conflict mediation and de-escalation strategies, so they know the full needs of individuals at highest risk.

[Editor's note: Interrupters are carefully selected individuals who were formerly engaged in violent behavior. They are still credible members within potentially violent communities and are trained to help mitigate gang violence before it occurs.]

Q: What is not working in Chicago?

Dr. Humikowski: Frankly, there are just too many guns in the city of Chicago. The statistics about how many are recovered from the streets of our city is mind-boggling. In all cities  big and small across America  people have guns, but there are more guns in this city, particularly unregulated gun sales coming across the border from northwest Indiana.

We are not the only city with gangs. We are not the only city with poverty. We're not the only city with racial tension, but we happen to have a lot more guns on our streets than other cities and part of it is how guns get trafficked here. I'm certainly not saying I have all the specific statistics on this, but when I talk to families in my ICU, everybody has a gun.

Ms. Cosgrove: I worked closely with law enforcement for multiple years and they say, "We cannot arrest our way out of this." There are significant mental health issues and health issues in the fold that healthcare professionals are capable of responding to, and we need them to step into that space. Chicago, like many other communities, can really benefit from implementing a full health system approach to violence.

In communities with CeaseFire programs, we were able to reduce retaliation-related shootings by 100 percent. Overall reductions in homicides and shootings were anywhere from 40 to 70 percent in those communities. Illinois, like many other places across country, is looking for ways to reduce its budget, but the amount of money a gunshot victim costs is substantial. We're talking anywhere from upwards of $250,000 just to stay in the hospital for four or five days, and then you have transportation costs, which if a person has to go via helicopter is likely $20,000. The amount of money each conflict mediation saves is substantial and, we believe, worthy of investment.

Dr. Bokhari: We've had some high-profile things happen with the community police being brought to the forefront. They have to be more intimate within communities, yet carry out their charge of enforcement. That's one part of the dialogue.

There's also the question of how some of the population became disenfranchised. If people won't call law enforcement because they don't trust them, there's a big problem there. You see this across the board actually, where law enforcement is really weak or not trusted. In our country, the disenfranchised people have to be brought to the forefront.

Q: How does gun violence impact hospitals, particularly in terms of finances, staff and reputation?

Dr. Humikowski: In general, it depends on whose lens you are looking through. Imagine you are a well-insured average American with a problem and you want the very best medical center. If all other things are equal, you have a choice, and one hospital is in the hub of a neighborhood known to be afflicted by gun violence and one isn't, you are not going to pick the hospital that is. That's just common sense.

From my perspective on South Side, I certainly get the sense that impacts us compared to some of our otherwise equivalent peers. We at the University of Chicago have a great tradition of research, investigation and scholarship, and we are fortunate we continue to attract a lot of folks who want to get that care. But at the end of the day, it's a different thing to drive to South Side of Chicago than the Gold Coast.

The other side of that is trauma care is very expensive. It is notoriously one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, branch for a hospital to run. It's talented, multidisciplinary professionals, systems-based care, and you have to do very high-acuity things very quickly and effectively. That's what all hospitals strive to do. It's the top of the line. If you can do trauma care well, you can do anything well. From that perspective, as a physician of the University of Chicago, I'm excited we will be able to offer that service for our community, because as I said, it represents the best of the best.

[Editor's note: The University of Chicago plans to open a Level I trauma center on its Hyde Park campus in early 2018, in addition to expanding emergency room services and inpatient beds. South Side residents have pressed for better access to trauma care since UChicago closed its adult trauma center in 1988 for financial reasons. Protests reignited in 2010 after a young man died from a shooting three blocks from the University of Chicago Medical Center.]

Ms. Cosgrove: Violence overall is estimated to cost about $450 billion dollars per year. Gunshot victims could even be in excess of even $1 million for some of the most critical patients. You also need to think beyond the visible wounds to the trauma that exists within that person and the community.

This manifests in hospitals in multiple ways. Gunshot victims are disproportionately poor, underserved and underinsured. They are often single men who aren't eligible under the old form of Medicaid. Men, in general, are less likely to sign up even if they are qualified under the Affordable Care Act. Hospitals will likely be unable to bill for the cost of treating gunshot victims, so they have to take on those costs.

For staff, it's incredibly stressful. You can imagine having someone's life in your hands on a regular basis and having to see the impact of gun violence on your community. There's also the surrounding issues. You have police who are trying to investigate the case, upset family and friends who may want to retaliate, assailants who might be coming in to try to finish the job, which unfortunately has happened and is a significant stress to the hospital and staff. We call it vicarious trauma. They may not have the gunshot wound themselves, but the trauma for the staff serving these individuals is significant.

Dr. Bokhari: It depends on what population you are getting. In general, you might get people that are insured or uninsured, so it is hard for me to say how it impacts finances. Most hospitals are a charity, and you are not supposed to be making a lot of money.

It can be a drain on finances if somebody comes in who was trying to commit suicide, which is statistically more likely than a homicide. It uses resources and it is completely unnecessary. We have not been able to prevent that unnecessary spend.

As far as staff goes, it is very psychologically taxing because it's so sudden. It's not like cancer where it is expected. It's emotionally taxing for the staff.

Q: What is a hospital or health system's responsibility in addressing gun violence? What about individual physicians?

Ms. Cosgrove: We've studied the benefits of hospital-based violence intervention programs and seen significant cost reduction and life-saving measures. Upon presentation of a gunshot victim in hospital, within five years there is a 45 percent chance of reinjury.

When we think about this contagious process, we need to get to heal that infected point so that person doesn't become a perpetrator later on. When someone comes in, if they are talking about retaliating, or even if family members or friends are talking about retaliating, the hospital system has the ability to treat those individuals. There are communities doing it in Chicago and many other cities. We really recommend having a social worker or crisis response team available to respond to these victims. Ideally this is a person with personal experience, credibility and knowledge, who is able to establish trust.

Dr. Bokhari: Forhealth systems, gun violence usually comes through the ER or trauma systems. Some systems have a responsibility for prevention at a regional and local level, and we do a lot of that. We have teams of social workers and programs  for example, we are part of CeaseFire.

[Editor's Note: In addition to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, other Chicago hospitals with Cure Violence/CeaseFire programs include Advocate Christ Medical Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital. Current neighborhood sites of the programs include Little Village, South Shore, Roseland and Woodlawn.]

We've got a team funded by grants and supported by people's personal efforts to intervene with victims of gun violence and their families. When they come in with a gunshot wound, they might be amenable to changing their lifestyle or environment, if they were actively involved in violence. That team is led by prevention chief Kimberly Joseph, MD, who is also a trauma doctor, and Rev. Carol Reese, who leads implementation of those programs and is also a prevention counselor.

They deal with what happens to a patient's psyche. Maybe they become anxious and develop behaviors that make them more amenable to being shot again or committing violence, or they are edgy and [inaccurately] interpret innocent movements of people in their environment and might shoot them. So that self-awareness is what we hope to instill in these patients through these teams. We also do a lot of PTSD work.

But this debate has to be elevated beyond a local level to more regional and national level. Everybody has an opinion on this, but there are certain people who are actually responsible for solving this issue. We have to look at their performance and see if have they solved the problem or not. Remember that during election season.

Dr. Humikowski: It's really challenging when you apply top-quality medical care to victims of gun violence and then send them back into the community where they got hurt. It doesn't feel like you've done anything for them. We as physicians, as health systems, have to have a voice on the state and national scale when it comes to impacting these problems.

As a physician, to imagine that you could have an impact on a problem this big with your individual patient is short-sighted. We need to think bigger and more globally. How do we get guns off the streets? How do we keep them out of the hands of criminals? How do we as physicians, lobby for that on a national level to recognize that this really is a public health problem? If we start to frame the conversation around what this costs in terms of health and dollars, rather than the way the conversations have been framed so far  which is, "Look at how bad this is, look at the drama, look at the lives lost,"  let's look at the numbers. If we look at the numbers in terms of victims, it's staggering.

If we look at the numbers in terms of cost to society, both in terms of life-years lost and dollars, which is how we look at other healthcare problems, those numbers might help people in the hospital administration community start to realize this really is everybody's problem. I would encourage anybody to understand their state and national legislation that impacts this problem in their personal community, write to their representatives and fight for things that make sense, like resuming dedicated funding for research into the problem.

Editor's Note: This article was updated Feb. 24, at 11:45 a.m. CT to reflect that Ms. Cosgrove and Cure Violence are affiliated with the University of Illinois at Chicago, her current title is director of health policy and she has a Master of Healthcare Administration. We apologize for this error.

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Growing frustration over rising tuition costs, student loan debt and a lack of skilled workers  especially in science and technology  has led an increasing number of states to implement incentives for public universities and colleges to encourage students to seek degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, according to The New York Times.

However, humanities and liberal arts students are less likely to receive support.

"There will be more incentives to electrical engineers than French literature majors, there just will," Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) said last month when announcing his spending plan, according to the report. "All the people in the world who want to study French literature can do so; they're just not going to be subsidized by the taxpayers like engineers will be, for example."

Gov. Patrick McCrory of North Carolina put it plainly: Higher education funding should not "be based on butts in the seats, but on how many of those butts can get jobs."

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least 15 states offer some form of bonus or premium for certain high-demand degrees, The New York Times reported.

This approach to funding higher education has angered many educators, not because of the emphasis on workforce development, but over the apparent disdain for the humanities, especially among Republicans, according to the report. Some Republican elected officials have referred to liberal arts as a luxury for college students  something that is expendable and undeserving of funding by taxpayers. Sen. Marco Rubio, (R-Fla.), for example, previously called for "more welders and fewer philosophers."

While Democrats have largely avoided belittling or denouncing the humanities, they have argued education should be geared toward preparing young people for the job market. For instance, to the dismay of many academics, the Obama administration proposed rating the 7,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. on measures such as earnings after graduation, in addition to standard metrics, such as completion rates and student loan debt, according to the report.

"There's a deeper question of what public money should be used for," said Anthony Carnevale, PhD, a research professor and director of the GeorgetownUniversityCenter on Education and the Workforce in Washington, D.C., according to the report. "The problem is that education is now the principal determinant of earnings, and we pay no attention to it at all. That's gone too far. There's a lot of buyer's regret out there."

Dr. Carnevale argues students should have access to more information about employment and wages before they select a major so they can make informed choices. He said a graduate with a high-earning degree could make as much as $4 million more in a lifetime than other college graduates. Furthermore, he argues most of the top earners with degrees in the liberal arts will make as much money as the bottom earners in STEM careers, or even less than some high school graduates without a college education, according to the report.

The average salary for recent college graduates who majored in the humanities is $46,065, compared with the average starting salary of $65,000 per year for engineers, according to survey data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

But many critics have opposed the idea of restricting state support from liberal arts students. "We are not good at predicting what jobs are going to be required in five years and 10 years down the road," said Debra Humphreys, a senior vice president at the Association of American Colleges and Universities, according to the report. "You run a huge risk when you say you are going to divert money from this major to that major."

Research by the association shows employers are less concerned with individual majors than broad-based analytic, problem solving and communication skills, which are a main focus within humanities majors.

"A lot of feedback we get from employers is not only about the necessity of technical skills, but the soft skills as well  the ability to think creatively, work in groups, things that you traditionally get in the liberal arts," said Russ Deaton, the interim executive director of Tennessee's Higher Education Commission. "It's not as simple as STEM is valued and worthy of incentives and everything else is not."
As the Zika Virus continues to spread in warmer climates and its effects are debated in the media, North Country HealthCare would like to provide clarity to the local northern Arizona population about the virus and its symptoms, who is at risk for exposure, and the best precautions to take.

What is the Zika virus?

The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus in the same family as dengue fever. It was first identified in humans in east Africa in the 1950s. It spread to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. In 2015, outbreaks occurred for the first time in areas of South America, Central America and the Caribbean.

What are the symptoms of Zika?

Four out of five people infected with Zika virus wont have any symptoms at all. For those who do, typical symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, headaches, muscle aches, conjunctivitis (red eyes) and malaise. These symptoms usually appear between two and seven days following exposure. In rare cases, Zika virus may cause severe neurological and autoimmune complications.

Is there a treatment?

There is currently no specific treatment and no vaccine for the Zika virus. Those who are ill are advised simply to rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take acetaminophen to help with any fever or aches.

How is Zika transmitted?

The Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which live all over the world, including in the United States. Local transmission of the virus happens when a mosquito bites an infected person and carries the virus to an uninfected person. So far, there are no cases of local transmission of Zika within the United States. All of the reported cases of Zika in the United States were acquired when the person traveled to one of the countries that already has Zika.

Zika has been transmitted during pregnancy through the placenta. There is also evidence that Zika can be transmitted sexually and through blood products. There is no evidence that Zika is transmitted through breastfeeding or saliva.

Risk to pregnancy

So far there is no definitive scientific proof that Zika virus causes microcephaly (a birth defect where the babys head and brain are very small). However, a lot of information supports a link, and studies are ongoing.

For now, because of this possible link, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant are advised to avoid Zika infection.

How do I protect myself?

With cases of Zika virus reported in Mexico and other popular travel destinations, it is important for Arizonans to take precautions. This is especially true for women at any stage of pregnancy or who are considering pregnancy in the near future, and for their male partners.

 Consider cancelling or postponing travel to affected areas. An updated list of these areas can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/active-countries.html.

 If you travel to an affected area, prevent exposure to mosquitoes by wearing long sleeves, pants, and socks, and using repellent. Sleep under mosquito nets at night if possible and ensure there are screens on doors and windows.

 Avoid or eliminate any caches of standing water, which are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

As the spring and summer months approach in Arizona, take extra care to avoid mosquito exposure here as well.

Pregnant women who have traveled to an affected area recently or had sex with someone who has recently traveled to an affected region should contact their primary care physician for advice and testing.

As the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control continue to collect data about the Zika Virus, North Country HealthCare will update the public with any necessary advisories and precautions.
Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare has agreed to pay the federal government $2.09 million to resolve allegations that patients at one of its hospitals were administered leftover portions of single-dose vials of chemotherapy drugs, according to the Department of Justice.

To prevent the spread of harmful agents from one patient to another, single-dose vials of chemotherapy drugs can only be administered to one patient, and there are very few strict exceptions to this rule.

According to the DOJ, an Adventist location in Central Florida improperly administered chemotherapy to more than one patient using the same single-dose vial. The hospital's inappropriate use of the single-dose vials allegedly caused some patients to be admitted for treatment.

Adventist also allegedly upcoded for certain infusion services between late 2007 and mid-2011, according to the DOJ.

Adventist self-disclosed some of the improper acts to the federal government in January 2012. A former Adventist employee, Heather Huddleston, brought the remaining allegations in a whistle-blower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act in February 2013.

Adventist already repaid $819,828.82 to the federal government for improper claims submitted to federal healthcare programs as a result of the inappropriate use of the single-dose vials and upcoding. That amount will be credited toward the $2.09 million settlement.

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New details have emerged about a Florida teenager who was recently arrested and accused of posing as a physician.

Malachi Love-Robinson, 18, was arrested last Tuesday and charged with practicing medicine without a license. He was arrested after he allegedly performed a physical exam on an undercover officer at a fake medical office he ran in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Since his arrest, more details have surfaced about Mr. Love-Robinson and new accusations have been brought against him as well.

Investigators began looking into Mr. Love-Robinson last October after they were tipped off that he was practicing medicine without a license. He was issued a cease-and-desist letter, but he allegedly continued to practice.

Mr. Love-Robinson has a unique name, which stuck out to Florida Department of Health investigators when they reopened the case. It immediately became clear they were dealing with the same person who had been warned about practicing medicine without a license in the past.

Mr. Love-Robinson was caught in January 2015 pretending to be a physician at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach. He posed as a physician at the hospital for a month before he was ousted. No charges were filed against the then 17-year-old regarding the incident.

After his recent arrest, Mr. Love-Robinson was thrown into the national spotlight and his name struck a familiar note with Palm Beach County School District police, according to the Palm Beach Post. The school district released a report Friday detailing how Mr. Love-Robinson went from high school to high school in 2014 claiming to be a physician who was interested in joining the schools' medical academies as a staff member. When the then 16-year-old was questioned by police, he said he "knew he was not a medical doctor, believes he is a compulsive liar and is aware that he may have" an unspecified medical condition, according to the report. The medical condition was redacted from the school district's report.

Mr. Love-Robinson's recent arrest also caught the attention of an investor who opened the West Palm Beach medical clinic with the teenager. Perseus Wells, who invested $10,000 to open the clinic, said Mr. Love-Robinson told him he was a "natural doctor," according to a WTVR news report. To support his claim, Mr. Love-Robinson provided Mr. Wells with transcripts and documents from Arizona State University.

In an interview that aired last Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America," Mr. Love-Robinson said he never held himself out as a medical doctor. "I'm not portraying [myself] as an MD. I never said I've gone to school to be an MD," he said. Mr. Love-Robinson claims he had the title "doctor" in front of his name because he has a PhD, but he wouldn't say what field his doctorate degree was in.

Although Mr. Love-Robinson continues to say he didn't pretend to be a physician, he did admit to investigators that he provided fake diplomas from Arizona State University and the Southwest College of Natural Medicine to a Boynton Beach, Fla.-based clinic last fall, according to a Sun Sentinel report.

In addition to being accused of practicing medicine without a license, Mr. Love-Robinson also faces charges of grand theft and cashing checks he allegedly stole during house calls with an 86-year-old patient, according to the Sun Sentinel.

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A registered nurse in Pennsylvania has been charged with reckless endangerment, driving under the influence and public drunkenness after he was accused of helping with an emergency surgery at Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) VA Medical Center while drunk, according to a Citizen's Voice report.

Richard Pieri allegedly was slurring his speech and struggled to perform his duties during the surgery on Feb. 4, according to the report.

Mr. Pieri told police in an interview he had forgotten he was on call and had four to five beers while at a casino prior to the surgery, according to the report.

The patient was readmitted to the hospital after surgery due to stomach pain.
Insys Therapeutics' representative, Natalie Reed Perhacs, plead guilty to a case involving Physicians' Pain Clinic of Alabama's Xiulu Ruan, MD, and John Couch, MD, according to WKRG.com.

Ms. Perhacs worked for the pharmaceutical company Insys Therapeutics, which makes Subsys, a pain relieving spray intended for cancer patients who did not respond well to standard pain medication.

Court documents reveal Drs. Ruan and Couch wrote 110 Subsys prescriptions in October 2013 alone, most of which were for non-cancer patients. The physicians collectively billed private insurance and Medicare $572,000. The suit claims Ms. Perhacs was aware most patients did not have cancer and were not qualified for the drug.

Ms. Perhacs admitted to facilitating a kick-back scheme between Insys and Drs. Ruan and Couch who were compensated hundreds of thousands of dollars. The suit also alleges Dr. Ruan recommended Ms. Perhacs to the pharmaceutical company for the job in 2013 even though he knew her and was romantically interested in her.

For her role in the scheme, Ms. Perhacs earned between $700,000 between April 2013 and May 2015 despite having a base pay of $40,000 annually.

The rep is among several others who will testify against the physicians. A nurse, nurse practitioner and a pharmacist who received kick-backs at the clinic's on-site pharmacy will testify against Drs. Ruan and Couch. Drs. Ruan and Couch owned the clinic's on-site pharmacy.

The physicians are scheduled to go on trial in July.

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The first company in Northern Ireland to sell bottled water has won major export business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Antrim Hills, which launched in 1989, will sell its Water Within brand in Dubai Duty Free, in a deal worth an undisclosed sum.

Founder Sam Geary said the firm was the first to sell bottled water in Northern Ireland. And he revealed that the company is also exporting to China.

His son Peter, now chief executive of the Ballyclare-based firm, is currently in Dubai on business.

Mr Geary said: "Over the last number of years we have worked hard to develop our brand and communicate the uniqueness of its natural artesian source.

"Working closely with Invest NI and the in-market advice we have received from its team in Dubai has been immensely important to our business over many years."

And he said "nurturing relationships" was key to getting established in the market.

"Over the course of many visits to Dubai, we have developed a special relationship with our distributor and look forward to building upon it to deliver this immensely important contract."

Alastair Hamilton, chief executive of Invest NI, was with the company on a visit to the UAE.

"This is a very important contract for this family-owned business and will see the Water Within range on the shelves of one of the leading airport retailers in the world," he said.

Mr Hamilton said the firm was first introduced to Dubai Duty Free in 2014 and was now the only brand from here in the market.

And he praised Antrim Hills for investing time in developing relationships with the Middle East.
Bank of Ireland has witnessed its underlying profits rise by almost a third, increasing to 1.2bn (930m) for 2015. The bank, which has 35 branches in Northern Ireland, is on course to pay its first dividend since 2008 next year, said chief executive, Richie Boucher.

He said dividend payments would be re-installed next year based on 2016 profits.

The bank reports that all its trading divisions were profitable last year and that group loans grew substantially.

According to its preliminary results for 2015, Bank of Ireland now has 3.9bn (3bn) of net new lending at the core of its loan books.

Mr Boucher said the bank was well positioned to meet credit demand.

"With our strong franchises, we are well positioned to meet credit demand which is recovering as the Irish economy grows and confidence returns," he said.

"We generated an underlying profit before tax of 1.2bn (930m) in 2015, 30% higher than the equivalent figure in 2014 of 921m (720m).

The bank says it reduced non-performing loans last year by a further 3.8bn (3bn) and has maintained progress towards dividend capacity.

Mr Boucher ruled out plans to raise capital and said that there has been a continued reduction of those in arrears. "This was always in accordance with our own plans; one of the things we did in the first week of this year was we repaid the preference shares, which had previously been owned by the Government.

"We have used some of our capital to do that, our businesses are performing well, we are generating profits, so we anticipate if that scenario continues then we will be in a position to start paying dividends next year based on the 2016 profits."

This month, Bank of Ireland revealed it approved 795m in new lending to Northern Ireland businesses in 2015 - up 26% on the previous year.

The increase in business has come from firms of all sizes, according to Ian Sheppard, regional director of business and corporate banking.

"We are particularly pleased to see the increase in demand for term loans as it shows the growing confidence of local businesses as they invest and plan for their long term future," he said.
Some arrests start with a 911 call.

A homeowner sees a suspicious person lurking outside. A cashier spots a shoplifter trying to leave the convenience store. The police break up a fistfight outside a bar. An officer makes an arrest on the spot and the suspect heads to jail.

But what happens when the suspect gets away and a law enforcement agency releases surveillance footage of a suspected criminal who looks an awful lot like your roommate, husband, ex or neighbor?

Thats where Coconino County Silent Witness comes in.

The decades-old nonprofit program is a conduit that allows any person to anonymously provide information that could help local law enforcement bring fugitives to justice and unravel crimes they might otherwise not be able to solve.

Were a community, said Coconino County Silent Witness new chairperson, Joy Sabin. Were all part of it and we all have to do our part. If we can offer a way to assist the community in some way where you dont have to be the thumb that sticks out and says I caught so-and-so, thats great.

The Silent Witness committee is made up of volunteers who are not active members of law enforcement. The members are not involved in taking tips or in investigating crimes in any way. Instead, they are responsible for raising and distributing reward money to tipsters.

Sabin joined the committee nearly two years ago shortly after moving to Flagstaff and became the chairperson last summer. She is involved with Silent Witness because it allows her to make a difference in her community, she said. She believes providing a local, anonymous avenue for citizens to communicate with law enforcement helps stop crime.

Crime has been quite low in this town and we like it that way, Sabin said.

Overall, she said, 2015 was a quiet year. Coconino County Silent Witness received 140 tips about everything from probation violations to robbery and drug trafficking. Those calls led to seven arrests. At the same time, the total crime rate for all serious offenses within Flagstaff city limits fell by about 12 percent.

Typically, Silent Witness gets the most calls regarding cases that have been publicized in the media, especially if law enforcement has asked for the publics help. It is also common for Silent Witness to receive tips about suspected drug-related activity through its online TipSoft program.

Drug trafficking (tips) seem to be a little bit more (common), I guess, because of I-40 being a huge corridor, Sabin said.

The process begins when a tipster contacts Silent Witness online, by phone or by text message. Once they submit the information, it goes directly to the Silent Witness staff at the Flagstaff Police Department. The tipster immediately receives a secret identification number. They are never asked for their name or any other personal information.

There is no worrying about the person finding out who you are, Sabin said. Its completely and totally anonymous. Its nice because sometimes you dont want them to know who you are but you want them off the street.

The information gets forwarded to the agency that is working the case. FPD, Northern Arizona University Police Department, the Coconino County Sheriffs Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety have all benefited from tips gathered through the Silent Witness program. Almost every month, representatives from those agencies meet in the auditorium at the Law Enforcement Administrative Facility in Flagstaff to tell the Silent Witness Committee how many tips have led to arrests and solved crimes the previous month.

Even if a defense attorney submitted a subpoena to get the name for the individual (who submitted) the tip, we dont have it so we cant give it, which keeps it open and honest, Sabin said. That way, were not potentially putting anybody at risk.

If a tip leads to an arrest or helps solve a crime, the Silent Witness committee votes on the reward that will be given to the anonymous tipster. He or she then has six months to present the secret number at a designated bank and receive a reward of between $100 and $2,000 without ever showing any identification. Silent Witness handed out $1,600 in rewards last year, down from $2,800 in 2014.

Sabin has been consulting Yavapai Silent Witness for ways to raise the Coconino County groups profile. One idea she got from Yavapai has already panned out: FPD is now putting decals with the Silent Witness logo and phone number on all its patrol vehicles. The Sheriffs Office has decided to do the same thing as it replaces vehicles.

Silent Witness has also started distributing window clings made by The Print Raven and placing brochures in public buildings. Sabin is hoping the more visible the group is, the more people will get involved in an effort to keep their community a little bit safer.
Brenda Morgan, British Airways relationship manager, joined Karen Shearer of IT firm Novosco, and Belfast Telegraph Business Editor Margaret Canning, to launch the 2016 Belfast Telegraph Business Awards in association with British Airways

BT is committed to supporting the local business community in Northern Ireland and we're delighted to be associated with this year's Belfast Telegraph Business Awards. We're particularly pleased to be returning as sponsor of the Excellence in Technology category - recognising and applauding those innovative businesses in Northern Ireland who clearly stand out from the crowd.

BT, as a business, is part of the very fabric of Northern Ireland and we place a huge value on our role in bringing the leading edge technology that Northern Ireland needs in order to thrive and compete on a global scale.

Like many companies, our vision for technology is based on a combination of what we have to offer and deliver today and how we're building on that and investing to create something even better.

Following the recent acquisition of EE, exciting times lie ahead for the business. Our focus is now on accelerating BT's mobility strategy by combining the best of both worlds - providing high levels of investment and driving innovation in a highly competitive market. I have no doubt that consumers, businesses and communities will all benefit, as we combine the power of fibre broadband with the convenience of leading edge mobile services that our customers increasingly expect.

Over the last couple of years, the cloud market has also matured. On demand applications and services have been adopted by businesses, and that rate of adoption is set to grow exponentially over the next few years. The reason is that cloud is now real - not just a term people use or read about. Customers have a new understanding of what it is, in terms of how it can fit with their business and their business objectives. They also understand the benefits it will bring - from cost savings and the ability to scale at speed as required, through to access to the latest applications, without the capital outlay for hardware and software, and ongoing management.

So whether you're a business of two, or 10,000, it doesn't matter. We can never stand still, we must always seek ways to push ourselves more, look at what we can be doing better or faster. Northern Ireland is a fantastic place to live, work and play, so let's start by using the many resources available at our fingertips to help us all achieve our goals.

Award categories:

1. Excellence in Marketing

2. Excellence in Exporting, sponsored by FedEx

3. Excellence in the Development of Management and Leadership, sponsored by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL)

4. Excellence in Innovation

5. Best Use of Digital and/or Social Media

6. Young Businessperson of the Year, sponsored by Almac

7. Excellence in Technology

8. Best Small/Medium Business

9. Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility

10. Outstanding Contribution to the Tourism and/or the Hospitality Industry

Judges' Awards, sponsored by British Airways:

11. Businessperson of the Year

12. The overall Business of the Year

BT proud to be supporting our best innovators

The closing date for entries is 12 noon on March 18, 2016.

To enter the awards please log on to www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business-awards.

Winners of each of the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards will enjoy the high profile of positive publicity based on an assessment made by our professional judging panel.

The gala awards dinner will take place on Thursday, April 21 2016 at the Culloden Hotel, Holywood.

A table of 10 is 1,200 plus VAT and individual places are 130 plus Vat.

For further information on the awards contact Sarah Weir (JPR) on mail@jprni.com or call 028 9076 0066.
Bushmills whiskey has launched its first new product after being taken over by Mexican tequila business Jose Cuervo two years ago.

The world-famous Co Antrim producer is hoping its new Steamship sherry cask reserve will tempt tourists as they pass through airports across the UK and Ireland.

The 'travel retail exclusive' - which means it is only sold at duty free and other airport shops - marks the 125th anniversary of the SS Bushmills, a large sailing ship the firm owned to transport whiskey across the Atlantic.

Colum Egan, master distiller at Bushmills, said: "For centuries distillers have experimented with different barrels, so naturally I was inspired by the adventures of the ship and the opportunities it opened to experiment with various casks from around the world.

"So, together with master blender Helen Mulholland, we created a whiskey with a rich, complex flavour and a smooth finish, a characteristic synonymous with our range of triple distilled whiskeys."

Bushmills is currently planning an expansion at its main site, after lodging an application for a new 30m distillery facility.

The company has filed a planning application for the facility which, it says, will "effectively double production capacity".

David Phelan, director of Jose Cuervo global travel retail, said the new release "demonstrates Jose Cuervo's commitment to unlocking the potential of this legendary whiskey".

"The Steamship Collection is available now in Belfast, Dublin and London Heathrow, and while it can't be purchased elsewhere, we hope distribution will extend across the world," he said.
Established in 1852, Carson McDowell is Northern Ireland's most dynamic law firm.

Well-established in the business community, it is the first choice for many of Northern Ireland's Top 100 companies, as well as international companies doing business here.

Carson McDowell also boasts that it has more experts working across more specialist areas of expertise than any other local law firm.

Richard Gray, partner and company head of the corporate team, said: "In recent times we have grown significantly and we currently have a head count of 144.

"That is an increase of nearly 30 people over the last 12 to 18 months. Our core areas are in business-related law, corporate banking, commercial property, commercial litigation and employment.

"Certainly a large part of our growth has been in these areas, to ensure that we remain at the forefront when delivering services for our clients."

Expansion and diversification have been at the centre of the firm's business plan and last October, they took over defence litigation practice, McCloskeys Solicitors, adding five lawyers and six support staff.

The recruitment of experienced and highly qualified lawyers has played an integral part in the success of the business.

Carson McDowell has more lawyers ranked at the top of their field in the latest Chambers UK Guide than any other firm in Northern Ireland.

The 2016 edition of the industry bible describes the Belfast-based practice Carson McDowell as a 'band one' firm in more practice areas than any of its rivals, and the firm's 25 partners are all included.

Carson McDowell charts in 22 different practice areas - with 15 areas receiving the highest possible classification.

Three of the firm's other lawyers are also recommended, along with the partners.

Carson McDowell was also named as a Regional Heavyweight in the Legal 500 rankings for 2015.

The Legal 500 directory is an independent series which is widely regarded as the world's largest legal referral guide.

Over four million users visit the Legal 500 website each year, where firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit.

Of the 14 categories reviewed, Carson McDowell was recommended in them all and ranked in the top tier for 11 in total, including dispute resolution, banking and finance, commercial property, construction, employment law and planning law. Overall, 24 of the firm's lawyers received recommendations.

As a leading law firm, Carson McDowell also plays a vital role in some of the biggest business deals in Northern Ireland.

Most recently, it handled all legal aspects of the purchase of the Open + Direct business from its current owners, Swinton Group Ltd, on behalf of Abbey Insurance Brokers.

The firm is also ideally placed to represent international companies doing business in Northern Ireland, while it also acts for local clients doing business outside of the province.

Clients they have worked with, delivering international advice, include Wrightbus, Chain Reaction Cycles Ltd, Cooneen and Watts, CDE Engineering Ltd, Camden Frames, Ulster University and Independent News and Media.
The fast-growing population of Egypt could provide Northern Ireland companies with lucrative export and business partnership opportunities, UK trade envoy Jeffrey Donaldson has claimed.

The DUP Lagan Valley MP says that he will be working with Invest NI on a trade mission planned for May to ensure that Northern Ireland companies maximise the marKet's potential.

He believes that the best opportunity may lie with Northern Ireland's agri-food suppliers as food exports will be needed to supply the African country's 90 million strong population - which is predicted to grow to 250 million by 2050.

However, infrastructure development construction and development projects, particularly in renewable energy, and education are also two other areas likely to be of interest for opportunities ahead.

The Lagan Valley MP was appointed as trade envoy to Egypt by Prime Minister David Cameron in November 2015 with a brief to develop opportunities for the whole of the UK.

After returning from Egypt on his first week-long visit, Mr Donaldson told the Belfast Telegraph that he will be pushing the country's prospects to Northern Ireland companies.

"Clearly while there are still unease invariably in the Middle East, Egypt as a one of the major Arab nations offers many opportunities for business and partnership development opportunities for growth for companies here at home," he said.

"The country has one of the fastest growing populations in the world so food supplies and infrastructure projects will be vitally important to service this.

"There are 1m young people currently needing to be trained and educated for employment so this also represents a huge opportunity for the UK."

He added that he believed working in Egypt could prove to be a win-win prospect.

"Egypt is a land of real opportunity for British companies.

"I'm excited to spearhead the UK's efforts to deepen our business partnership with Egypt and encourage bold economic reforms.

"This will not only bring great economic benefit to the UK but will also be vital in helping Egypt build a strong, dynamic economy that creates jobs and opportunities for the Egyptian people."

British Ambassador John Casson to Egypt said that the MP's appointment as trade envoy was "a clear sign of the UK's commitment to Egypt".

He added: "Egypt may have suffered several years of economic turbulence, but British companies and British investors have stood firmly committed to this country throughout.

"The UK is an ideal partner for Egypt.

"Whether it is through trade deals, continued investment, or advice about economic reform, the UK can play a vital role in helping transform Egypt's economy."

Mr Donaldson attended the signing of a new 245m renewable energy power station as part of his programme which included events in Cairo, Alexandria, Idku, Port Said and Ismailia.

He also met the Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and the country's Minister of Trade and Industry Terek Kabil.

This year is the British-Egyptian Year of Research, Innovation, and Education.

The year builds on the two countries' strong existing partnership and a wide range of UK efforts to support young Egyptians with education and skills.
An artist's impression of the Belfast Harbour development

A new 19m film studio development for Belfast is expected to get the green light tonight in a major boost for Northern Ireland's burgeoning movie business.

North Foreshore Film Studios are being built by Belfast Harbour, and will cover around seven acres on the soon-to-be redeveloped 340-acre former landfill site.

The development will feature a 66,000sq ft film studio and sound stage, along with a 23,000sq ft workshop and 32,000sq ft production space.

The grand and ambitious proposals are expected to get the go-ahead from Belfast City Council's planning committee this evening.

Planners have said that given the overall size of the site within North Foreshore and the industrial/commercial nature of the immediate surrounding context it is considered that the design, scale and layout of the proposed scheme are considered to be acceptable.

North Foreshore Film Studios are being designed by Belfast-based RPP Architects.

Some of the biggest shows have already used Northern Ireland as their backdrop.

That includes dark fantasy epic Game of Thrones, which used the current Titanic Studios for much of its filming, along with locations across Northern Ireland.

The new North Foreshore Studios will face competition from the already established TV and film studios in Belfast.

Titanic Quarter is already home to Titanic Studios, while Titanic Quarter Ltd has gained planning permission for new studios.

Its planning another film unit on former industrial land located across Queens Road from the existing Titanic Studios. They will be designed by Todd Architects.

But the citys Harbour Commissioners have commenced High Court proceedings against Titanic Quarter Ltd in a dispute about a master agreement for development schemes.

Land in the area is owned by Belfast Harbour Commissioners, and is subsequently leased out to Titanic Quarter Ltd for development projects under the master agreement.

A dispute has emerged over the interpretation of that contract.

But Sinn Fein MLA Mairtin O Muilleoir said the new film studios would be a much-needed shot in the arm for the film industry here.

I like the team behind it, and they want it built and to be in there in 12 months, he said.

That would send out a strong position about new investments in the future.

Hopefully it gets the green light and I look forward to more major production companies (coming here).

The film and creative industries are the future of Northern Ireland, according to Ni21 MLA Basil McCrea, who sits on Stormonts culture committee.

Its all about creating a hub, and you need critical mass. The more you have, the more you can get, he said.

At the end of last year, tenders were issued to find contractors to build part of the new studio development.

Its understood the entire project is now worth around 19m.

According to a design statement included as part of the planning process, the building will have a striking look.
David Cameron told MPs that the UK should remain in Europe

Business chiefs, including Dale Farm's David Dobbin, have rallied in support of the UK staying in the EU as David Cameron urged fellow MPs against the "leap in the dark" of a Brexit.

Leading the charge to stay in the EU, Mr Dobbin, chief executive of United Dairy Farmers, said leaving "one of the world's largest trading blocks and go it alone would simply be too great a risk to take".

"While we have concerns relating to EU regulations which add to our costs, we have even greater concerns on the risks which would be incurred by leaving the EU," he said.

And on single farm payments, which farmers here receive from the EU, he said those in the industry would "be worse off" if voters choose a Brexit when they go the polls on June 23.

"There is too much uncertainty on trade agreements... we would risk considerable political and economic uncertainty at a time when the world needs stability."

Around 81% of businesses here support staying in a reformed EU, according to the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

And Martin Hamilton of Mash Direct said pulling out of the EU would be a nightmare for business.

He said, given the companys level of exports, Mash Direct would have to set up a separate EU hub if a Brexit went ahead.

It beggars belief that some of our politicians here, and across the water, who are supposed to be representing business, are campaigning to leave, he said.

Nigel Smyth, CBI director in Northern Ireland, said remaining in the EU would help businesses in a number of ways.

That includes the benefit in accessing one large, single market, opening up international markets and enjoying common rules across business.

And there are too many unanswered questions about what leaving the EU would entail and the impact it would have, according to Mark Hutchinson of Kilrea-based aerospace parts maker Hutchinson Group.

The debate on a Brexit was electrified at the weekend when Conservative London Mayor Boris Johnson announced he was in support of the UK leaving the EU.

Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday put his reasons for staying to the House of Commons.

Brendan McGurgan, managing director of machine maker CDE Global, said a Brexit would create uncertainty in the short to medium term which would undoubtedly have a negative impact on our European business.

Brian McGrath, head of Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissioners, said the prospect of Brexit is a massive issue for the north west and Northern Ireland in general.

And Dorit McCann, partner at law firm Carson McDowell, said with Northern Ireland sharing the only land border with another EU member state, the concerns for us are particularly marked.

Richard Ennis, director of business and corporate banking at First Trust, said the particular nuances of leaving the EU need to be further explored and debated.

A report last year said that Northern Ireland could be hit harder than almost anywhere else in the UK if it exited the EU.

Northern Ireland exports more products to the EU  around 57%  than any other region in the United Kingdom.

But while most businesses want to stay in, Irwin Armstrong, chief executive of Ciga Healthcare, says he finds it easier to do business with firms in the Middle East and South America, rather than those in the EU.

Some business owners are yet to be convinced, including Conor Devine of Belfast financial firm GDP Partnership.

This is a complicated and complex matter and to date no one has presented any form of business case, he said.
Tughans corporate team: John-George Willis (right, standing) with Ciara Lagan, John McGuckian (front right) and James Donnelly

Belfast commercial law firm Tughans is celebrating after claiming 25% of major corporate deals in Northern Ireland in 2015, as notified to mergers and acquisitions information company Experian.

John-George Willis, the head of the firm's corporate department, said the firm had been involved in 37 deals - far ahead of the firm claiming the next biggest share, at 27.

Managing Partner Patrick Brown said the success of 2015 "is testament to the quality of our lawyers and ambition of our clients both locally and internationally, and with the continued recovery in the Northern Ireland economy 2016 is also looking positive".

The firm dealt with a quarter of all of Northern Ireland's corporate transactions above 500,000 and property deals worth more than 15m.

The Experian report showed that the number of substantial business deals involving Northern Ireland companies increased by more than 50% last year, with 165 transactions in 2015 compared to 104 in 2014. The value of transactions recorded rose from around 1.72bn in 2014 to 1.88bn.

But it doesn't quite reflect the true size of the market, as a large number of deals were confidential.

John-George Willis said: "Having experienced what was in retrospect a challenging year, we are delighted with claiming that slice of the market.

"The market was strong and we had a large market share of mid-size and large transactions in both corporate and property.

"Most involved our existing clients and were a mixture of acquisitions and disposals."

The deals included a cash injection from Lyceum Capital for TotalMobile. Solmatix was sold to Harvey Group; Sawyers Transport was sold to AGRO Merchants Group, which is owned by US fund Oaktree Capital Management.

Smurfit Kappa also exited its Lisburn operation - another deal which Tughans can claim.

And it's not just companies themselves which are proving attractive assets, John-George said.

"Also notable is that the management teams in both TotalMobile and Sawyers will remain to provide the business with their knowledge and experience, to grow them both exponentially.

"These aren't just significant investments in companies by private equity houses, but they are also investments in really good management teams."

The new owners of Sawyers intend to proactively assist in its continued growth using the know-how of its management team. "It's fascinating to think that 50 lorries arrive in Sawyers' yard from England every evening with frozen food to be distributed around Tesco in Ireland.

"So we are really seeing investments where the investor wants to use an effective management team to really enlarge the existing operation."

There was also a steady stream of construction-related deals.

"P Clarke and Sons was bought over by FP McCann, which also acquired Buchan Concrete Products in England.

"That's part of the whole trend of our larger construction firms building themselves up in the UK. At home, we've also had H&J Martin join the Lagan Construction Group of companies."

UK and US private equity companies are active, he said. "We also have US companies with cash on their balance sheets that are all ready to invest.

"Part of the story there is that the valuation placed on local companies with cash-generative businesses has been traditionally low, so there are bargains around.

"It means that the US and UK private equity houses realise they can pick good quality businesses, with good management teams, and good business propositions that are cash-generative, and pick them up at a better price than elsewhere."

It's also proved its mettle in property deals, including the sales of Bloomfield Shopping Centre, office building The Soloist, the Crescent Townhouse, the Showgrounds Retail Park in Omagh, Lisnagelvin Retail Park and the south-east Belfast scheme occupied by Homebase.

The firm's banking team was also involved in a major motor industry deal, when Manchester-headquartered Lookers plc acquired Benfield Motor Group for 87.5m.

All in all, Tughans is looking ahead to a great year.

Patrick Brown said: "Heading into our 120th year in business, we are already working on a number of major transactions due to complete in the first quarter of 2016.

"With a strong pipeline of instructions, we are looking forward to another year of growth for ourselves and our clients.

"As a firm we continue to develop specialist expertise to support the specific requirements of our clients as increasingly complex transactions, projects and cases require multi-disciplinary input to ensure a successful conclusion."

Tughans celebrates after winning 25% of NI's major corporate deals last year
Russell Brand has accused Boris Johnson of growing terrorists in his latest online rant.

On Sunday the London mayor put an end to months of speculation, saying that David Cameron's re-negotiation had failed to deliver fundamental change in Britain's relationship with Brussels and that he would be campaigning to leave the EU.

After the announcement by the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP, Brand posted a 45-second video clip on his Facebook page accusing Boris of growing Jihadi Johns.

The Islamic State fighter and executioner, Mohammed Emwazi, was given the nickname of Jihadi John in 2014 after the terrorist group published a video of him appearing to behead the US hostage, journalist James Foley.

Brand's video begins with Boris discussing on an LBC radio show how those that glorify the execution of innocent journalists and aid workers should be on the receiving end of any anger.

The former husband of Katy Perry slams the Tory MP claiming that he is "wrong" and that you need to "look at why they are violent in order to stop the violence".

He added: "The mentality of Boris Johnson creates more problems, the allegiances of Boris Johnson creates more problems, the activities of organisations that he belongs to that he supports create these problems.

"Boris Johnson grows Jihadi Johns, he is a Jihadi John machine, Jihadi John is just one. B ut once Jihadi John is dead that is the end of Jihadi John, but Boris Johnson can create thousands of others."

But even fans of the comedian were left questioning the logic behind his latest rant.

Claire Custard said on social media: "Yes Boris Johnson maybe a diehard conservative with an allegiance to oligarchs , tax dodgers and general corporate scum but how the hell is he responsible for the likes of Jihadi John?"

Jane King added: "Russell Brand the biggest gob on the planet who would do anything for attention! I think you talked more sense when you were on drugs mate!"

While Brian Rowe branded the comedian a "crackpot" in a comment under his latest video.

Despite pledging to stay out of politics after Ed Miliband lost the general election for Labour last year, Brand posted the clip which has so far garnered more than 247,00 views.
Robson Green has said he would want "some kind of revenge" if someone he knew and loved was the victim of a crime.

The Northumberland-born actor co-stars in ITV drama Grantchester as Detective Inspector Geordie Keating, alongside Happy Valley's James Norton as vicar Sidney Chambers.

Set in the 1950s, it centres around an unlikely partnership between the no-nonsense copper and the clergyman's more intuitive techniques of obtaining information from witnesses and suspects.

The forthcoming second series will tackle the death penalty when a murder suspect faces paying the ultimate price.

MPs voted for the permanent abolition of the penalty for murder in 1969.

"Sidney and Geordie are poles apart on capital punishment: Sidney is against the death penalty, Geordie sees it as justice," Green told The Radio Times.

"The whole beauty of Grantchester is that the politics are implicit in the characters."

The storyline revolving around this issue creates a convincing conflict between the two men, testing their friendship in ways neither imagined.

Green shared his personal view on the subject of capital punishment.

"I know that if someone I loved and cared about was hurt, I'd want some kind of revenge," he said.

"But I guess that's where the justice system comes in, to stop us acting on our basic impulses."

Adapted from the novel Sidney Chambers And The Shadow Of Death by James Runcie, Grantchester's first series was a success for ITV in 2014.

The series average consolidated at 6.6 million viewers, which is a strong debut in these days of video streaming services and multi channel TV.

On screen, Chambers and Keating have forged a friendship in spite of their differing approaches and beliefs.

Series one established the premise and the characters, but now the second has the freedom to further develop the duo and take them to places the audience may not expect.

In some respects, Green appears to be as down to earth as the detective he plays.

"I'm not a method actor," he admitted.

"And if I find myself surrounded by actors who take their work home with them, I've got a sign I put out - I got myself one of those triangular ones like a roadworks sign - which says Danger: Actors at Work."

The themes in the ITV series are universal, which may explain its popularity with viewers.

"Grantchester is my happy place," said Green. "If it wasn't for the body count, I'd move there tomorrow."

:: Grantchester is broadcast on ITV at 9pm on March 2.
James Martin said he was looking forward to a lie-in as he announced he will step down as presenter of BBC One's Saturday Kitchen after 10 years at the helm.

The chef and car enthusiast, who has presented the programme since 2006, will host his final show at the end of March, before guest presenters take over from April.

Martin said: "I would like to personally thank all the viewers for turning Saturday Kitchen into a three million-plus smash hit. I could not have done it without them.

"I would also like to thank the BBC and Saturday Kitchen for the great opportunity they gave me.

"It has been an amazing journey and I have been privileged to work with some of the world's greatest chefs and some of the greatest names in showbiz. I wish the new chefs every success.

"I am looking forward to getting stuck into my new projects and to lots of lie-ins on a Saturday morning."

The live cookery show has become a hit with viewers since its inception in 2002, fronted by a then relatively unknown Gregg Wallace, followed by Antony Worrall Thompson.

Martin has not disappeared from the show entirely and will still be seen on Saturday Kitchen Best Bites on BBC Two on Sunday mornings.

Saturday Kitchen airs every Saturday at 10am on BBC One.
AWD LAW

February 17,2016

City Clerk, City of Flagstaff

Mayor Gerald Nabours

Members, Flagstaff City Council

211 W. Aspen

Flagstaff, Arizona 86001

Re: The Hub; Appeal of PZ-15-00164-01; PZ 15-00164-02; Conditional Use Permits approved

February 3, 2016.

Dear City Clerk, Mayor and Members, City Council,

Our Firm represents Southside Historic Prope1ties, Inc., the owner of several properties in the historic Flagstaff Southside neighborhood that are within blocks of the site for the proposed zoning amendment and conditional use permits referenced above. The Firm also represents Maury Heiman and Karen Kinney Herman in their individual capacities. Our clients appeal the Planning and Zoning Commission approvals ofboth PZ 15-00164-01 and PZ 15-00164-02 dated February 3, 2016. This appeal is taken pursuant to the Flagstaff Zoning Code 10-20.80.030(F & G). All future references to the Zoning Code shall be footnoted. 1

I. EX ECUTIVE SUMMARY: Case No. PZ 15-00164-01 grants a waiver from the maximum lot coverage in the T5 Transect Zone [80% coverage], allowing The Hub to cover 93% of the lot with building mass. This difference represents a 16% increase in building coverage than the Ordinance allows.2 This increase reduces community civic and open space by almost 12,000 square feet.3 The difference represents a loss of one-third of an acre of public area dedicated to civic uses. There is no justification for the Commission decision that traded required Civic Space for the liberal application of a more bulky building. The Commission erred in its application of the Zoning Ordinance and, in doing so, abused its discretion. The Commission decision to grant a waiver from maximum lot coverage (to allow still more coverage) is not supported by the evidence in the record, or by other compelling need to do so. That substitution of more coverage for less public amenities is not supported by the Zoning Ordinance. Failure to follow the more conservative limits of the Ordinance is the Commission's error.

II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The title of our Regional Plan is "Place Matters". A Chapter is devoted to "Community Character".4 The Vision for our Future is this: "In 2030, our community has designed and built contextual places and spaces that preserve our cultural and natural heritage, retaining this unique sense of place".5 The Hub is a spoiler. Case No. PZ 15-00164-02 grants approval for a Rooming and Boarding facility that spans the T4/T5 Transect. The use is described as"...a 99 dwelling unit/acre mixed-use multi-family style student housing building consisting of236 dwelling units (664 beds) located above and behind approximately 14,096 square feet of commercial uses on approximately 2.39 acres".6 The Commission granted a CUP for this pressurized land use without the minimum amount of consideration for each finding that is required to grant a CUP.7

The evidence in the record does not support the Commission's decision. To the contrary, granting the CUP is most certainly detrimental to the Public's health, safety and welfare.

2,484 additional traffic trips per day on streets that function poorly already, coupled with a shortfall of 461 needed parking spaces is a nuisance and a hazard to persons and propetiy in the Southside. The Zoning Ordinance requires the Commission to consider the "[I]mpact on surrounding areas arising from unusual volume or character oftraffic".8 Milton Avenue at Phoenix and at Butler hosts some of the highest traffic accident counts in the City.9 The Commission failed in their duty by granting the CUP over the objectionable traffic impacts and without mitigation or steps approaching adequate mitigation.

The Commission and Staff failed to apply the Downtown Regulating Plan and its regulation of"building types" through Zoning Code Table I 0-50.11 0.030A. Under Transects the building type chosen by the Applicant is called "Commercial Block" type. 10 The small version of the "Block-type" is appropriate in T4. 11 But The Hub chose the large version of the "Block-type" with its 4 and 5-stories. The large version of the "Block-type" is reserved by the Regulating Plan only for the "Downtown". 12 "Downtown" is defined by the Regulating Plan as "T6". The only place T6 occurs in the downtown is on the north side of the tracks [See: Downtown Regulating Plan]. In short, The Hub is in the wrong location.

The CUP should be denied, and for the same reason so should the zoning amendment.

There is no conceivable way that this structure bears any relationship to its surroundings. Staff and the Commission compared the bulky mass of the structure to a futuristic vision of Southside possibilities, not what actually is present in the historic Southside or what should reasonably follow from Southside's sense of place. In this way the Commission failed to adequately assess the impacts on the surrounding neighborhood and historical resources. 13

There is no point in lauding the Regional Plan or devoting Chapter VIII to preserving community character if the Developer and the Staff support an 'erase and replace' strategy. Those are strong words, but that is the resu lt when the standard The Hub is being compared to on the Southside is a futuristic sky-line that "...would transition from 4-stories, to 5- stories, to 4-stories, to 3 12 stories, and back to 5 stories, respectively". 14 Only under that false comparison to a congested future that is not the voter-approved Regional Plan's future would The Hub fit. Or put differently, that comparison is the extent to which one must go to make The Hub fit. But it i s the wrong comparison. And that error, in the final analysis, is where the Commission failed. The Southside context was forsaken for the expediency of a dormitory. The Commission decision should be reversed.

III. Conditional Use Required Findings.

The Staff Report adequately summarizes the standard for granting a CUP. 1 5 For ease of appeal we highlight the areas where the Commission failed in its duties. The following is taken verbatim from the Zoning Ordinance, Findings: 16 "The Commission may approve a CUP only after making the following findings:

1. That the conditional use is consistent with the objectives ofthis Zoning Code and the purposes of the zone in which the site is located.

2. That granting the conditional use will not be detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare. The factors to be considered in makin g this finding shall include, but not be limited to: a. Property damage or nuisance arising from noise, smoke, odor, dust, vibration or illumination;

b. Hazard to persons or property from possible explosion, contamination, fire or flood; and

c. Impact on surrounding areas arising from unusual volume or character oftra[fic.

3. That the characteristics of the conditional use as proposed and as it may be conditioned are reasonably compatible with the types of uses permitted in the surrounding area The Conditional Use Permit shall be issued only when the applicant has considered and adequately addressed the following to ensure that the proposed use will be compatible with the surrounding area:

a. Access, traffic, and pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular circulation;

b. Adequacy o(site and open space provisions, including resource protection standards, where applicable;

c. Noise, light, visual and other pollutants;

d. Proposed style and siting o(structures, and relationship to the surrounding neighborhood,

e. Landscaping and screening provisions, including additional landscaping in excess of otherwise applicable minimum requirements;

f. Impact on public utilities;

g. Signage and outdoor lighting;

h. Dedication and development of streets ad joining the property; and

1. Impacts on historical , prehistoric or natural resources."

The City Council also adopted rules of constluction for reading the Zoning Code. "Whenever any provisions of this Zoning Code and any other code, rule, or regulation impose overlapping or contradictory regulations, the provision which is more restrictive or imposes higher standards or requirements shall govern, so that in all cases the most restrictive shall apply". 17 It is our contention that the developer's "by right" argument is modified by two factors: the need for obtaining a CUP; and that overlapping and contradictory regulations are solved by the more conservative result. The only place the developer can develop this large project "by right" is in T6 but not on the chosen site.

IV. PZ 15-00164-0l.Discussion and Argument: Lot Coverage and Required Open and Civic Space. A False Trade-Off Results In Just Too Much Building.

80% is the maximum lot coverage for a building in the TS Transect.1 8 The first thing to note is that maximum lot coverage is an area calculation. A building can be built up to any setback. But in the TS Transect 20% of the lot must remain, and in that area are other intentional features such as open space, civic space, resource protection, and landscaping, all of which serve community purposes. In the T5 Transect the ordi nance allows up to 100% lot coverage with a CUP.19 That means the Commission may approve expanded lot coverage only after making all the CUP findings.

Expansion to 93% lot coverage is not "by right". It would be a privilege granted in return for adequately addressi ng all the highlighted shortcomings in Section III above. Staff calculates that 18,295 square feet of the Subject Property "must remain as ground level open space"20to meet the 80% maximum lot coverage. The CUP provides only 6,403 square feet of open space, red ucing the open space requirement by 65%. The Developer offers to compensate by providing a private clubhouse amenity for tenants on the second floor. The public gets shorted the compensatory open space that would otherwise make up for the bulk and mass of the building, while the Developer gets to cover more of the lot with building mass by giving its tenants a private club on floor two. The result is that the tenants enjoy exclusive spaciousness at the expense of the neighborhood that gets a bigger shadow.

And that is an unjust result and an incorrect application ofthe Zoning Ordinance.

The Zoning Ordinance specifies proper location and design for open space, civic space and outdoor public spaces that are applicable to all zones.21 The design shall create user-friendly spaces to encourage use by the public by incorporating a list of locational requirements and design features. The Hub solution does not meet the minimum Ord inance specifications.

Staff accurately points out that the development must provide "some level" of civic space in return for more lot coverage.22 In our view - which is consistent with the Ordinance - the appropriate location and amount of civic space depends upon a Council-approved Traditional Neighborhood Community Plan, of which there is none for the Southside. Completing a TNCP for the Southside first before rezoning would allow Council to establish both the form of development and the mitigation that infill development provokes. Instead, the Commission and the Council is being asked to make up a plan on the fly -application by application. Although it relates to the rezoning case, it seems mandatory that Transect Zoning in the Southside should be preceded first by creation of a TNCP for the Southside. Only then is it possible to measure the adequacy of any project's fit with the Community. A Southside TNCP would set community expectations and make it easier for the Commission to arrive at the required findings for granting a CUP in this and future cases.

Instead, the Commission arbitraril y guesstimated wrongly that the additional amount of building mass and reduction of open space posed no offensi ve relationship to the surrounding neighborhood. In doing so there was a false trade-off of more building mass for Jess open and civic space. Staff found that "[b]ased on the urban form achieved, civic space is provided adjacent to the commercial storefronts in areas that can be utilized for outdoor cafes along Phoenix Avenue in pockets of landscaped area between the building fa9ade"?5 The statement places architecture above impact.26 In this case 'urban form ' does not create open space. Instead, it cannibalizes open space. There is no adequacy of either open space or community civic space. But the result is that we get more building. The factual loss of 12,000 square feet of required open space is measurable. It will be negatively felt in the community and will be observed every day in the building mass. The Commission engaged in trade-offs when none were required. There is insufficient evidence in the record for the Commission to make the findings of fact for granting the CUP and allowing still more building mass at the cost of open space, driving f urther adverse impacts onto the community. The Commission decision should be reversed and the CUP denied.

V. PZ 15-00164-02. Concise Discussion and Argument: Room and Boarding CUP.

If Place Matters At All, No Amount Of Evidence Supports The Findings.

If approved, The Hub would become the single-most dense/intense building in the City.27 In essence, the intentionally over-sized plan is an offer to the City Council to interpret the Ordinance and set the limits upon what is acceptable in T4/T5 in Southside. Regardless of arguments made "by right," there are conditional use permits that attach to a Rooming and Boarding Facility. The CUP and the Downtown Regulating Plan is the field upon which this use gets "right-sized". The size of The Hub's right is equal only to what it takes to fit this building i nto T6, and to pass through the keyhole of the CUP findings and mitigate the impacts. There are no findings to support this use.

 664 beds on 2.39 acres.

 99 separately leased dwelling units to the acre located above and behind. ..

 Approximately 14,096 square feet of commercial uses.

 Add 2,484 additional traffic trips per day, based on the questionable assumptions in the

Developer's traffic study.

 On existing streets that function poorl y al ready. Coupled with:

 218,138 gross square feet of commercial space.28

 Producing a shortfall of 461 needed parking spaces (under traditional parking standards).

Police records indicate that, of the Top 10 most risky traffic intersections in the City, nine of them occur on Milton Road, and two of those intersections are north and south book-ends to The Hub.29 Milton Road at Phoenix Avenue in front of The Hub functions at a traffic level of service LOS "G"  very congested.30 The Phoenix Avenue intersection at Milton functions at a traffic level of service LOS "F"3 1 - generally thought to be failure, but technically called "congested". The neighborhood streets cunently function at LOS "D"32 which is customarily a threshold that requires mitigation from the next developer as developers 'pay their own way'.

Into that scenario comes The Hub, with 2,484 additional trips and 298 of those at the P.M. rush hour;33 a rush hour that already is a well-known gridlock at this location. Although the total amount of gross square footage proposed is 218,138 - which is the typical size of a super-big box retail building - the applicant proposes onl y 204 parking spaces on-site and 27 spaces on the street.34 The traditional method of calculating parking for Room and Board facilities is one space per bedroom -or 664 spaces.35 204 spaces on-site is preposterousl y short: 460 spaces short, 70% short of traditional requirements. A pending Residential Parking District on Southside will fllliher reduce the free space available for parking in an already under-parked Southside.

The Hub would dominate the sky-line in the off-campus Southside. It is a five-story structure in a predominantly one stor y neighborhood. And the previous CUP for additional lot coverage made the use even bigger than the maximum lot coverage allows.

Against this scenario, the Commission made all the Ordinance findings and granted a CUP for the Room and Board facility. The abundant evidence plainly states otherwise. To review, a CUP shall only be issued when the Commission finds that the applicant has considered and adequately addressed the findings to ensure that the proposed use wi ll be compatible with the surrounding area:

 Access, Traffic and Circulation.

The pre-existing traffic levels of service are sub-standard already. Imposing this use on a pressurized sit uation would compound the problem. There is no access to the site on Milton Road. There should be. Without access from Milton, the entire vehicle circulation that The Hub causes will happen on Southside streets. All the multi-modal friction between pedestrian and bikes, the bus lines and 2,484 additional car-trips will happen in an alread y congested neighborhood with some of the poorest existing traffic LOS (D, F & G) in the City. Agai nst this background, for the Commission to make a positive finding in a CUP case is an error of both fact and judgment.

The applicant's argument (which is NOT a find ing) is that the pressurized situation will cause someone to leave their car at home-- lots of someones. But who gets to decide those winners and losers? It's a classic Tragedy of the Commons where the thinking that someone else will abide but not I causes a catastrophe-for-all since there are 664 individual impulses that say ' bring the car' and no authority to say otherwise.36 But preventing catastrophe is exactly why the CUP Conditions of Approval are required. This utter lack of a traffic plan, with no su bstantial mitigation, and the consequential parking disaster, is precisel y the reason the CUP for a boarding facility should be denied. Put differently, the impending increased burden on public health, safety and welfare that the developer creates for the community a more dangerous and undesirable place.

It is fanciful thinking but poor planning to conclude that the way to a better future is to first cause a painful disaster to a neighborhood that did not ask for it. The unregulated assumption that through the painful experience of owning a car the person will shift their tastes spontaneously still leaves the resolution of real public safety issues (Traffic, Access, Circulation, Parking) to absolutely no one. The marketplace will not sort itself out on this issue before causing an unbearable situation for existing Southside. One that repeats itself every Fall leasing season. Without a Traditional Neighborhood Community Plan [TNCP] that actually plans for and incorporates alternatives into a well-thought-out deployment of options and improvements, approving The Hub is reckless and potentially destructive. Because the Commission approved a CUP without mitigation the Commission ened, and the CUP for boarding facility should be denied.

 Adequacy of Light and Open Space.

The statements concerning lot coverage made in case PZ 15 -01 are incorporated here by reference and will not be repeated. Suffice to say that open and civic space needs restoration, not deletion, from the project.

 Proposed Style and Siting of Structures and Relationship to Surrounding Neighborhood.

The Staff Report accurately notes that the neighborhood sunounding The Hub is single stor y structures while The Hub proposes 5-stories along Mike's Pike.37 Staff then notes that "the proposed bulk and mass of the building adjacent to Mike's Pike is not fully compatible with the existing neighborhood".38

Indeed, it is not compatible at all with thi s historic area.

"The purpose of Conditional Use Permits is to provide a process for reviewing uses and activities that are permitted in an applicable zone, but that require more di scretionary review and the possible imposition of conditions to mitigate the effects of a proposed use".39 There is a specific finding for granting a CUP that requires that the characteristics of the use as proposed, and as may be conditioned, are reasonably compatible with the type of uses permitted in the surrounding area.40 The Commission shall only issue a CUP when it finds that the applicant has considered and adequately addressed a variety of factors "to ensure that the proposed use is compatible with the surrounding area", including  in addition to traffic - proposed style and siting of structures and the relationship to the surrounding neighborhood.

Most pointedly, the Commission may attach conditions of approval to a CUP includ i ng, but not limited to, limitations on size, bulk and location; and adequate ingress and egress41 . The purpose is to address safety while assuring compatible and complimentary development.42 This Commission authority is consistent with the Council's stated Legislative Intent when adopting the Code: to limit the size, scale, and density of new structures and additions to existing structures to preserve the desired character of neighborhoods and the community; to reinforce the character and quality of downtown neighborhoods; and to protect landowners from adverse impacts of adjoining developments.43

The idea that development can happen "by right" i s modified by the legal requirement to obtain a CUP. And through the CUP the Commission can address size and bulk to make for a compatible project. This is where the Commission erred. It did not follow the legislative intent or requisite findings when exercising its zoning authority. The project is not compatible or complementary with the Southside for many reasons that were expressed through extensi ve public comments. Staff notes early on that Public Participation comments in opposition expressed concern for compatibility.44 Incompatibility was never given serious weight, as it should have been as a reason for denial.

To be concrete, in Transect zoning there are regulations specific to building type. [10-50.110]. The purpose for providing standards for permitted building types and the transect zones in which they are allowed is: "[t]o ensure development reinforces and compliments the existing character and architecture found in Flagstaff's neighborhoods and downtown." 45 The requirements apply to all proposed development within the transect zones.46 Zoning Code Table 10-50.110.030A describes building types for each Transect. The Table is the presumptive table of compatibility for building size and location. The only building form that fits The Hub is the "Commercial Block" type47 whose small version is the primary component of a neighborhood street. The larger version is reserved for "downtown".48 For its part, the Downtown Regulating Plan defines "downtown" as exclusively T6.49

And T6 is located only on the north side of the railroad tracks in what we all usually know to be our downtown.50 Therefore, even by the Zoning Code and the Regulating Plan, the current location of The

Hub in T5 is the legall y wrong place for a building of its type. That alone is a reason to deny the CUP (and the zoning amendment). The Hub building type is not compatible at its current l ocation. There is no ambiguity in this result.

Yet in its recommendation, Staff has put little weight or reliance upon the Downtown Regulating Plan and the Zoning Code Table or what exists as the character of Southside, and little effort into comparing The Hub to its sense of place in its surroundings. Instead, Staff puts emphasis upon what the future could be on the Southside according to what is theoretically permit-able there under Transect zoning: a sky-line of structures between Milton and Beaver of 5-stories to 4-stories to 3 Y2 stories, and back to 5- stories.51

That is neither the intent nor the proper application of the Code, the Regulating Plan, or the CUP findings. A review of the Council minutes upon adoption of the zoning code may reveal the opposite: that the finding concerning compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood was intended to be a picture of what is, not what could be. The futuristil: approach does not adeq uately incorporate the Southside 2005 Plan calling for 2-stories/30 feet building height adjacent to Mike's Pike, for example. And it does not acknowledge the authority that the Planning and Zoning Commission has to set conditions of approval. To the contrary, the Commission may attach conditions of approval as are necessary to carry out the purposes of the Regional Plan and other plans. Conditions may include "limitations on size, bulk and location". The conditions, among other things, "shall restrict and limit the construction, location, use and maintenance of all land and structures within the development". 52

The conclusion that Southside will be a sky-line of buildings between 3 and 5-stories in height requires a leap in wishful Regional Planning. Regardless, it violates the finding seeking compatibility with sunoundings.

VI. Conclusion: Honoring the Intention of Flagstafrs Zoning Code

Though Flagstaffs Zoning Code includes hundreds of numbers and formulae, the recent revision was intended to honor the unique character of the city. The concept of a Place Based Approach to Zoning53 is the first of dozens of references in the Code to maintaining and enhancing the special place that Flagstaff has become. Though it's important to do the calculations and analyses of size, units and traffic, it is perhaps most important to honor the intention of the language that describes how Flagstaff intends to develop and build on its identity and values.

The first two City-Guiding Principles in the introduction to Using the Flagstaff Transect are "1. Preserve and enhance community character; 2. Encourage appropriately scaled infill and development."54 The Hub's plan violates both the commitment to sustaining community character and creating infill of congruent scale. It will rise over the neighborhood like an inappropriately located behemoth. However attractively the architect and developer may dress The Hub, it is entirely out of character with the historic Southside neighborhood.

The intention of the T-4 zone, currently located along Mikes Pike, would also be violated by a project of this size and density. The description of the T-4 zone calls for the neighborhood "to evolve with the integration of small building footprints and medium density building types. Appropriate dwelling units might include bungalow courts, duplexes, and apartment houses, which are typically smaller than those found in other zones."55 Granting the CUP's requested by The Hub clearly violates the intent of this zoning.

The Commission ened when it granted two CUP's that allow the bulk and mass of the project to exceed the maximum threshold for lot coverage, and then to proceed to establish a room and boarding facility that exacerbates existing traffic and parking congestion and violates the character of the surrounding community. For the reasons stated herein we appeal the Commission's determinations, we identify the Commission's weaknesses, and we seek a denial of the two CUP's. Each CUP appeal must be considered separately. They are incorporated into this one appeal document for convenience.

We are pleased to answer any questions the Council may have and to appear and testify at a public hearing when scheduled.

William P. Ring

Aspey Watkins & Diesel \ Attorneys for the Appellant

1 This appeal reserves argument on the recommendati on that 100 additional parking spaces be a condition of Zoning Amendment. Recommendations "may not be appealed". 10-20.80.030(F)(2). However, the relationship between a CUP for a boarding facility and the facility's related parking overburden are components of the same land use. Therefore we reserve the right to address parking as part of the CUP appeal process,particularly as it relates to the findings for granting a CUP. 10-20.40.0SO(E)(3). Clearly, parking can have negative impacts upon the same findings that CUP's are measured against. For this reason we will also address parking.

2 93% coverage divided by 80% coverage gives the percentage increase in total coverage.

3 11,892 square feet exactly. Staff Report, at p. 3.

4 Regional Plan, Chapter VIII.

5 Regional Plan, Chapter VIII,p Vlll-1.

6 Staff Report, ld ., at p. 1.

7 10-20.40.0SO(E).

8 10-20.40.0SO(E)(2)(c).

9 Arizona Daily Sun,Februa ry 14, 2016, at p. 1.

1Code,Table 10-50.110.030(A).

11 ld.

12 ld.

13 10-20.40.050(E)(3)(d) & (i).

14 Staff Report, at p. 4.

15 Staff Report, ld., at p. 1-2.

16 10-20.40.0SO(E).

17 10-10.30.040(().

18 10-40.40.090 "footprint";p. 40.40-38.

19 ld.

20 Staff Report, at p. 3, emphasis added.

21 10-30.60.060.

22 1d.

23 10-30.80: Traditional Neighborhood Community Plans.

24 The Southside would compose an "lnfill TNCP".

25 Staff Report, at p. 3.

26 Architecture becomes 'grand-eloquent stones' for a neighborhood in need of reduced fit and scale.

27 Staff Report, Zoning Amendment, Land Use, at p. 4.

28 Staff Report, Zoning Amendment,Table 3,p. 9.

29 As reported in the Arizona Daily Sun,February 14, 2016, at p.l.

30 FMPO Regiona l Transportation Model, September 14&15, 2015, at p.32.

31 The Hub,TIA 41h Submittal,November 2015, Executive Summa ry, at p. 3.

32 ld., at p. 4.

33 ld., at p. 4.

34 Staff Repor t,Zoning Amendment, p. 9.

35 10-40.50.80.040(A).

36 The Code's traditional parking standards require a space for each unit. That standard anticipates the group thinking that goes into driving to school away from home. The Transect TS parking standards naively presume that the parking crunch will sor t itself out after it becomes obvious that bringing the car is a mistake. But again, how does that sort itself out with a transient population of seasonal occupants and newcomers? It just repeats itself every fall season.

37 Staff Report, CUP, at p. 4.

38 1d.

39 10-20.40.0SO(A).

40 10-20.40.0SO(F).

41 10-20.40.0SO(F).

42 ld.

43 Zoning Code, egislative Intent, 10-10.20.020(B)(1)(f & i); ld., at (B)(S)(b)..

44 Staff Report,Zoning Amendment, at p. 13.

45 10-50.110.010 (emphasis added).

46 10-50.110.020(A).

47 10-50.110.160

48 Table 10-50.110.030(A).

49 City of Flagstaff Zoning Map,insert Downtown Regulating Plan.

50 Regional Plan,Chapter XIII, p.27-28; "Downtown Flagsta ff'.

51 Staff Report, Zoning Amendment, p. 5.

52 10-20.40.0SO(F & G).

53 Zoning Code Peamble, at p. 020.

54 ld., at p. 090.

55 10-40.40.090.

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Action needs to be taken to tackle global illiteracy, Lily Cole has said.

Around 757 million people worldwide are unable to read or write, the model and actress argued, and these individuals are significantly more likely to be affected by major social issues such as illness and crime.

Cole was speaking as she launched new research by published by the Project Literacy campaign called the "alphabet of illiteracy".

It suggests that illiteracy is the root cause of almost every major problem currently faced by humanity.

She said that her own daughter has recently started saying different letters and the idea of her learning to read and write seems "as inevitable as growing teeth".

"The importance of her being literate is not intellectual snobbery on my part: it's not about her becoming an academic or even writing a CV," Cole said.

"I'll be quite happy if she wants to become a baker or a dancer. Her literacy is important because I want her to be equipped with the necessary skills to navigate this planet in empowered and simple ways: to be able to read a food packet, a train sign, or respond to a legal contract."

She added: " There are 757 million illiterate people in the world right now. And this is not a developing world problem: one in five children in the UK, or one in four in the US, leave primary school unable to read and write properly.

"Illiteracy is not a sexy or exciting topic. It's not confronting in its raw emotional power. People aren't directly dying or overtly suffering of illiteracy. As far as global issues go, it may feel a little vanilla.

"But when you look at the relationship between illiteracy and most other global issues, a statistical pattern emerges. Illiterate people are significantly more likely to be affected by almost every major social issue."

Cole urged the public to sign a petition urging the UN to help tackle the issue.

"Project Literacy has an ambitious goal: that by 2030, no child will be born at risk of poor literacy," she said.

"Their first call to action is asking people to sign a petition calling on the UN to put illiteracy more at the heart of how we think about addressing the UN's Global Goals.

"I would encourage you to sign that petition today. It's a very simple maxim: inform and empower people to take charge of their own lives, and they will become the agents of the change we wish to see in the world."

Project Literacy is a campaign backed by 40 charities and education groups, including Unesco, Microsoft and the National Literacy Trust.
Alastair Campbell was part of the Labour government which helped bring about the Good Friday Agreement

Northern Ireland has been let down by failure to tackle the mental trauma of the Troubles, Tony Blair's former head of communications Alastair Campbell said.

The rate of illness is a quarter higher following decades of violence but the level of investment a quarter lower than in other parts of the UK, the former Labour government director said. A quarter of adults will suffer from a problem at some stage in their lives.

Mr Campbell was part of the British government which helped engineer the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Campbell said: "It is hard to believe it is almost 20 years since the Good Friday Agreement was reached. It was one of the best days of my life.

"But for all the progress made elsewhere, I believe the people of Northern Ireland are being let down by the failure adequately to tackle one of the long-term legacies of the Troubles."

Mr Campbell suffers from bouts of depression after having a psychotic breakdown in the mid-1980s.

He said: "I believe mental illness is the last great taboo in our society, and that though we are making progress, we still have a long way to go before we make real the words in the NHS Constitution promising equality between treatment and understanding for physical and mental health.

"I understand all the reasons, the stigma and the taboo, why people choose not to open up.

"But I have never regretted it, and I know that we will only reach the equality we need if we all somehow make the jump together. Employers and families, as well as governments and medics, are so important in this."

He said he would always defend Tony Blair's premiership and his contribution to a new Northern Ireland was a massive part of his considerable legacy.

"So I am the last person on earth to minimise the changes that have taken place. But on mental health and mental illness, it is a less happy story."

One of the lingering effects of the Troubles is a higher level of mental ill health in Northern Ireland compared with other parts of the UK.

The Action Mental Health charity said Northern Ireland had a 25% higher level of mental illness, but also a 26% lower level of investment in tackling the condition.

Mr Campbell said: "Clearly that is unacceptable and needs to change."

A Department of Health spokesman said recent developments in mental health services include an increase in funding to 247 million annually, the launch of a Regional Mental Health Care Pathway, and enhancement of psychological therapy services.

"The minister announced that a new mental trauma service is being established which will support the voluntary and community sector to create an integrated approach with the health and social care service to address mental health need.

"The service will allow for a range of interventions, meeting the spectrum of need across the community.

"It will involve leading-edge, evidence-based treatments in line with Nice guidelines, and would be based on the authoritative and internationally recognised Stepped Care model, with a focus on recovery of the individual."
Arlene Arkinson was last seen in a car with child killer Robert Howard, her inquest has been told

The last man to see Arlene Arkinson alive said he hoped the schoolgirl was "cold and hungry" two weeks after she went missing, a coroners' court has been told.

Convicted child killer Robert Howard made the callous remark as he drove two other teenage girls to a disco in August 1994.

In a statement read to Belfast Coroner's Court, Arlene's friend, Donna Quinn, said: "We thought she had just gone away somewhere.

"He (Howard) said: 'I hope she is cold and hungry wherever she is, for the bother she has caused us.'"

Fifteen-year-old Arlene, from Castlederg in Co Tyrone, vanished after a night out at a disco across the Irish border in Bundoran, Co Donegal.

She was last seen with Howard, who died in prison last year aged 71.

Howard was acquitted of her murder in 2005 by a jury which was unaware of his conviction for killing a 14-year-old in Kent.

However, he always remained the prime suspect in the Arkinson case.

Ms Quinn, who was aged 18 in 1994, was giving evidence during the sixth day of the long-delayed inquest.

She had invited Arlene, her then boyfriend Patrick John Heggarty and Robert Howard - who was dating her mother - out for the night in Bundoran.

All four travelled together in Howard's car and on the return journey, an intoxicated Ms Quinn and Mr Heggarty were dropped off first.

Despite being aware that Howard was on bail for an alleged sex attack and that he had expressed an interest in one of her friends , Ms Quinn was not concerned about Arlene's safety when she was driven off late at night alone in his car.

"Arlene wouldn't have looked at him any way," she said.

Under cross-examination from Frank O'Donoghue, barrister for the Coroners' Service, she also admitted that several days after the teen's disappearance, Howard had warned her not to say that Arlene had been in their company.

"He wanted you to lie about Arlene Arkinson being with you?" said Mr O'Donoghue.

"Yeah," replied Ms Quinn, who also asked her boyfriend to lie.

When asked why Howard had asked her not to tell the truth, Ms Quinn added: "He said he did not like the Arkinsons and because he was out on bail or something."

In another statement read to the court it was claimed Howard had denied having sex with Arlene.

The lawyer asked: "You knew that Howard liked young women, and here was Arlene being left with Howard at 3am in the morning. It can only mean one thing.

"You are asking him if he had sex with Arlene and he said that he didn't."

Ms Quinn said: "Aye, but I didn't mean it like that."

Howard was a regular visitor to her home at Churchtown Park in Castlederg and was like a father figure, it was claimed.

"He used to buy me and Francey (her brother) fags and give us sweets," said Ms Quinn.

It also emerged that Howard never again worn the white shirt and black trousers he had put on that night, on August 13 1994.

Mr O'Donoghue said: "Bob Howard was not a wealthy man, but you never saw those clothes, that white shirt or black trousers? It never crossed your mind to ask what happened to them?"

Ms Quinn replied: "It didn't actually, no."

There were emotional scenes as Ms Quinn and her mother Patricia entered the courtroom.

At one point Ms Quinn Snr shouted as Arlene's sister Kathleen Arkinson took her seat on the opposite side of the courtroom.

Donna Quinn wept as she sat in the public gallery awaiting to take her place in the witness stand.

Earlier, Patrick John Heggarty, also known as Sean Heggarty, told the court he was still haunted by the case.

When asked by a lawyer for the Police Service of Northern Ireland if he had any idea where the Arlene was buried, he replied : "Absolutely not."

Mr Heggarty added: "I wonder about Arlene every day. What happened from a normal night to turn into this. Unbelievable.

"I can safely say, I could see no difference that particular night than any other night that I have been out.

"I can't understand."

The case has been adjourned.
Chilling police interviews with one of the UK's most notorious serial child killers have given a sordid insight into the mind of the predator.

Robert Black died last month at Maghaberry Prison where he was serving 12 life sentences for the kidnap and murder of four children, including nine-year-old Ballinderry schoolgirl Jennifer Cardy.

In recorded interviews with PSNI detectives, Black was questioned about the 1981 murder of the Northern Ireland child.

In one haunting exchange he tells police: "I'm not exactly proud of the way I feel towards young girls."

"There's a part of me that knows I'm wrong, that knows it's wrong, that I shouldn't be doing things like that, I shouldn't even be thinking things like that.

"But there's the other part that says 'you like it, go on'."

The recordings were obtained by the BBC as part of a Spotlight one-hour special report into the life of the child killer will be shown tonight.

Following Black's death in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph Jennifer's mum, Pat Cardy, said she believed that Black took pleasure from witnessing their distress as his taped interviews were played to the court.

The Cardys had to wait 30 years before they came face-to-face in an Armagh courtroom with the man who had snatched their daughter as she cycled from their home to a friend's house on August 12, 1981.

"That was a terrible ordeal," she added. "He saw my face, he saw Andrew's face, he watched me giving testimony. How he sat there, how he looked, how blase he became in front of you. Maybe as a woman I felt a particular kind of connection with things... I just had an instinct about him... and I saw a man who knew Jennifer, who remembered explicitly when he had been with her and what he had done to her. I saw a man who relished his memories. When the murders in England, for which he'd been convicted, were disclosed again at the trial, he relished that.

"He wanted to hold his personal memories of what he had done so that if and when he went to bed that night he would enjoy it. I saw that in him."

She also believed that he took pleasure from witnessing her own distress, particularly on one occasion when she fled the courtroom in tears: "They were playing tapes of his interrogation and the details were gruesome. He saw me walk out and I know that pleased him.

"He would have thought that he was the only one who that could do that to me, who had that power."

Black was a delivery driver who stalked the roads of the UK searching for victims.

In 1994, he was found guilty of three child murders in the 1980s - those of 11-year-old Susan Maxwell, from the Scottish Borders, five-year-old Caroline Hogg, from Edinburgh, and Sarah Harper, 10, from Morley, near Leeds - as well as a failed abduction bid in Nottingham in 1988.

In 2011, he was found guilty of the 1981 murder of nine-year-old Jennifer Cardy, from Ballinderry, Co Antrim.

He was also suspected of involvement in other killings and unexplained disappearances.

He had long been the prime suspect in the case of missing 13-year-old Genette Tate, who was last seen in a rural lane in Aylesbeare, Devon, in 1978.

The Belfast Telegraph revealed last month that he had been cremated after hours at Roselawn Crematorium on the outskirts of Belfast. His ashes were later discarded at sea after no one came forward to claim them.

No ceremony was held during the scattering at a secret location outside the UK.
Last year there were warnings police could find it more difficult to detect crime if councils switch off cameras to cut costs

Councils have slashed spending on CCTV and are operating fewer cameras, according to a new report.

Local authorities in the UK committed at least 277 million to the installation, maintenance and monitoring of the systems between 2012 and 2015, research by campaign group Big Brother Watch found.

A previous study found that between 2007 and 2011, town halls spent 515 million - equivalent to 128 million a year - and controlled at least 51,600 CCTV cameras.

The latest findings point to annual spending of 92 million from 2012 to 2015 and indicate local authorities oversaw 45,284 cameras as of March last year.

Last year there were warnings that police could find it more difficult to detect crime if councils switch off cameras in order to cut costs amid budget squeezes.

Big Brother Watch welcomed the reduction in spending - but claimed the rationale behind it is "not ideological".

Chief executive Renate Samson said: "Whilst the findings of this report appear encouraging, the reduction in spending may be nothing more than a lull before the storm of more intrusive, biometric or 3D cameras appearing on our streets.

"A measured approach should be taken with any surveillance system. Privacy should always be given as much weight as security."

The report was based on freedom of information requests sent to authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There was a 96% response rate.

It found that between 2012 and 2015, local authorities spent:

:: At least 38.2 million on installing fixed and mobile CCTV cameras.

:: Just under 140 million on maintaining cameras.

:: 99 million on related wage and salary costs.

The totals were down by 57%, 42% and 47% respectively compared with the previous report, although it covered a period of four years compared with three in the latest study.

Big Brother Watch said London councils recorded a 72% rise in the number of cameras they operate, up from 8,105 to 13,924.

However, CCTV schemes appear to have been scrapped altogether in some parts of the country.

Surveillance camera commissioner Tony Porter, writing in the Big Brother Watch report, said: "Despite the reduction in spending highlighted in this report, I am certain that new and advancing technologies will see further investment by local authorities to deliver new and exciting capabilities.

"The sums of money involved are massive and it's important that those charged with delivering this service get it right."

Simon Blackburn, of the Local Government Association, said: " C ouncils are under increasing budgetary pressures and are having to prioritise the services that are important to local people.

"Councils recognise the assurance that CCTV provides and where it is cost effective and has an impact, councils continue to invest in and review their public space CCTV operations."

He said that councils are aware there is "a balance to be struck between safeguarding the public and respecting their privacy", adding: " Although councils usually pay for and operate CCTV services, the main users of the footage are the police and Crown Prosecution Service during criminal investigations."

Britain is seen as having one of the most extensive CCTV networks in the world. A report published in 2013 by the British Security Industry Association estimated that there were around 4.9 million cameras in total, with most privately operated.
Laurence and Cecelia McCann, a Northern Ireland couple who returned from the US to enjoy a special 50th anniversary at the church where they wed. Pic Darren Kidd/PressEye

Laurence and Cecelia McCann, a Northern Ireland couple who returned from the US to enjoy a special 50th anniversary at the church where they wed. Pic Darren Kidd/PressEye

A Northern Ireland couple have returned from the US to enjoy a special 50th anniversary at the church where they wed.

Laurence and Cecelia McCann were married in 1966 at Drumcree Church in Portadown. It has since been dismantled and rebuilt at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Co Down.

Mr McCann is a retired businessman and his wife a former nurse. They settled in Albuquerque in New Mexico but have lived all over the world.

Mrs McCann said: "This is a very special day for us, made even more memorable by being here at the same church, now in a different county."

They were joined by family and friends - including the bridesmaid and best man.

Mrs McCann added: "Many of our guests have travelled thousands of miles to be here and it has been wonderful to have the blessing in the very unique setting of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum."

Drumcree Catholic Church was originally located on the Birches Road in Portadown, County Armagh.

Built in 1783, it was dismantled and reconstructed at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in 1990.

The church is comparatively rare in that it was created before the repeal of the Penal Laws, which attempted to force Catholics and Presbyterians to accept the Church of Ireland.

It includes a magnificent early-1800s pipe organ as well as 14 Stations of the Cross, identical to those hung in the original church.

Expand Close Laurence and Cecelia McCann on their wedding day, as the Northern Ireland couple have returned from the US to enjoy a special 50th anniversary at the church where they wed. Pic Darren Kidd/PressEye PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Laurence and Cecelia McCann on their wedding day, as the Northern Ireland couple have returned from the US to enjoy a special 50th anniversary at the church where they wed. Pic Darren Kidd/PressEye

The couple, aged in their seventies, first met through church and then developed their friendship as young people when they were both volunteers with the Legion of Mary - an organisation which helps and coordinates home visits for people in need.

They have two sons and four grandchildren.
Police undertake fresh searches for the body of Lisa Dorrian in Comber, Co Down, yesterda

Lisa Dorrian has been missing since February 2005 (PSNI/PA)

Police have been undertaking fresh searches for the body of Lisa Dorrian, who disappeared almost 11 years ago (PSNI)

Lisa Dorrian's family have vowed to campaign every day until they can lay their precious daughter and sister to rest.

They spoke out yesterday as the latest police search for the missing Bangor woman finished without finding her remains.

Lisa's sister Joanne told the Belfast Telegraph on behalf of her family that while disappointed by the search outcome, they are confident in the PSNI investigation, and believe she will be found one day.

A statement released by the Dorrian family to the Belfast Telegraph said: "Whilst we are so disappointed and saddened that the search didn't find Lisa we are confident in the investigation and its ability to find Lisa in the future.

"The people responsible for hiding my sister's body should know that we will never give up on Lisa and finding her.

"She is too precious to us and our lovely memories of her get us through every day without her.

"We will campaign until the day she is found and can be laid to rest with our mum."

Lisa was 25 years old when she went missing on February 28, 2005.

She disappeared after a party at a caravan park in Ballyhalbert on the Ards peninsula.

Her body has yet to be found but police believe she was murdered.

Loyalist paramilitaries are believed to be responsible.

The investigation into Lisa's disappearance has included the identification of more than 4,000 witnesses, encompassing statements from 571 people, 275 searches and eight arrests.

The Dorrian family has offered a 10,000 reward for information that will uncover her whereabouts.

The Crimestoppers charity offered an additional 5,000 reward for information last year.

But as the 11th anniversary of Lisa's disappearance looms next Sunday, no trace of her has ever been found.

Her mother Patricia (59) led a heartrending campaign to find her daughter but tragically died in December.

New searches for Lisa started last week at land off the Newtownards Road on the outskirts of Comber.

It is believed the hunt was based on information given to the PSNI by three different sources - including two loyalists as well as convicted murderer Jimmy Seales who told our sister newspaper the Sunday Life that he believes he knows where she is buried.

However, after a week-long search the PSNI announced yesterday that no human remains were found. A number of items have been removed for further examination.

Detective Chief Inspector Justyn Galloway, from the PSNI's Serious Crime Branch, said his team's inquiries will continue.

He has reissued his appeal for information.

"We would again appeal to those individuals who know what happened to Lisa to provide that information," said Mr Galloway.

"This would enable Lisa's family to have some degree of closure as they face another anniversary of her disappearance in the coming days without the answers they so desperately crave and deserve."

Lisa is survived by her father John and sisters Joanne, Michelle and Ciara.

Anyone with information can contact detectives on the non-emergency PSNI number 101 or through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Eleven years of anguish

February 28, 2005 - Lisa Dorrian attends a party at a caravan park in Ballyhalbert on the Ards Peninsula. She is never seen again.

Extensive air, water and land searches take place around Ballyhalbert, including the use of underwater search teams. A caravan is removed for examination and a number of premises across Co Down searched.

March 2005 - Two men questioned by police over Lisa's disappearance are released without charge.

Graffiti appears in Ballyhalbert accusing the LVF of being responsible for Lisa's disappearance.

Police say they are treating Lisa's disappearance as murder and return to the caravan park for further searches and interviews.

April 2005 - Dorrian family offer a 10,000 award for information that will lead to Lisa being found.

May 2005 - The LVF claims it was not involved in Lisa's disappearance.

Lisa's mother Patricia tells BBC Spotlight that she would be prepared to meet loyalists if it helped find her daughter.

June 2005 - Yellow ribbons launched as part of the campaign to find Lisa.

July 2005 - Prime Minister Tony Blair pledges his support for the campaign to find Lisa.

September 2005 - Detectives appeal to boat owners on the Ards peninsula to help them search for Lisa, revealing in a TV appeal on the BBC's Crimewatch programme that they believe she may have been hidden in water.

November 4, 2005 - Hundreds attend a church service in Ballyholme in memory of Lisa.

December 2005 - The Dorrian family launch a website dedicated to their campaign to find Lisa.

February 2006 - Police say they believe Lisa's body was moved from its original burial location to a new one, possibly at sea.

Three men are arrested and questioned by police, but they are released without charge.

August 2006 - Snow Patrol state their support for the Dorrian family. Bangor born frontman Gary Lightbody meets the family.

September 2006 - Cinema ad unveiled as part of campaign to find Lisa.

October 2012 - Police search land owned by convicted killer Jimmy Seales in Comber.

February 28, 2015 - The 10-year anniversary of Lisa's disappearance is marked with a fresh appeal by the Dorrian family.

June 2015 - Convicted killer Jimmy Seales tells the Sunday Life that he believes he knows where Lisa is buried.

December 2015 - Lisa's mother Patricia Dorrian (59) dies. North Down MP and friend of the family, Lady Sylvia Hermon, said she died with a broken heart over her lost daughter.

February 15, 2016 - Fresh searches start on land on the Newtownards Road on the outskirts of Comber.

February 22, 2016 - PSNI say no human remains were found during their search, however they have removed a number of items for forensic examination.
Two men were trapped in a lift at the 25m Ballymena Health and Care Centre before it was even officially opened.

It has emerged that a fortnight prior to Health Minister Simon Hamilton unveiling a plaque to declare the building open last Thursday, a lift broke down trapping the two men for more than an hour.

The centre had been operating for a number of weeks ahead of the ceremony.

But within days of the hi-tech facility on Cushendall Road welcoming patients, firefighters had to be called to rescue the men from the new lift on Thursday, February 4.

That was a whole two weeks before the grand official opening in front of assembled dignitaries including Stormont Finance Minister Mervyn Storey and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council mayor Billy Ashe.

A source said last night: "It was all very embarrassing that even before the minister had declared it open there was a major fault trapping people for more than an hour.

"You would think that if you spent 25m on a new flagship health and care centre you would want things to be working.

"But two patients got trapped in a lift for more than an hour after it broke down.

"Firefighters were called and used a hydraulic cutting device to prise open the brand new doors of the lift

"That left the lift out of order, and it is still out of action awaiting doors coming from Europe at a cost of 5,000."

A spokeswoman for the Northern Health Trust said: "We apologise for any distress caused to the two people who were recently trapped in a lift for approximately one hour.

"When the alarm was raised the supplier of the lift was contacted, as was the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, which responded immediately to bring about their safe release."

At last Thursday's ceremony, Mr Hamilton said: "There is an impressive range of services being provided each and every day from this new health and care centre.

"It's an incredible list of services that are being provided here - everything from diagnostics, physiotherapy, podiatry, dental services, and mental health clinics.

"And it is particularly good to see we have six GP practices operating from this new health and care centre. It really is 'a one-stop shop' for health and care services in this area."

Mr Hamilton paid tribute to the Northern Trust, project board, the architects, builders and all others involved for the "efforts put in over a long period of time to make this vision a reality".

Martin Kelly of the Health & Social Care Board said: "By accommodating a range of primary care, community and diagnostic services, it is very much at the heart of the community delivering care closer to home and in an environment benefiting the 21st century."

And Northern Trust chief executive Tony Stevens said: "The health and care centre is a superb facility that will greatly enhance the services that we provide to the people of Ballymena."
A brother-in-law of former Stormont Speaker William Hay has admitted 23 charges of fraud by invoicing the Assembly for central heating oil worth 9,000 which was delivered to his home.

William Irwin (55), from Duncastle Road, Newbuildings, committed the offences between March 2009 and February 2014 when he was the manager of the DUP constituency office at Ebrington Terrace in the Waterside area of Londonderry.

Irwin, a former DUP member of Derry City Council from 1993 to 1997 before he was appointed manager of the constituency office, was once a close political confidante of Mr Hay, now Lord Hay of Ballyore.

It is understood the offences were uncovered when Lord Hay spotted irregularities in his office accounts.

In September 2014 Lord Hay announced that he was calling in police to investigate an apparent fraud in his constituency office.

At the time he said that he had gone public "in the interests of transparency and given my leadership role as Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly".

Irwin pleaded guilty to 23 charges of fraud by false representation by making false claims to the Assembly for payment for heating oil expenditure for the DUP constituency office at Ebrington Terrace in breach of and contrary to the 2006 Fraud Act.

He committed the offences with intent to make a gain for himself or another, or to expose another to the risk of loss.

At Irwin's first appearance hearing his barrister Mark Reel told District Judge Barney McElholm that following consultations he had received instructions from the defendant to plead guilty to all of the charges.

A Public Prosecution Service solicitor told the court that Irwin had "an old record, but nothing of this nature".

Mr McElholm ordered a pre-sentence report for April 1 and said he would sentence Irwin on that date.

He told Irwin that his Duncastle Road address would be forwarded to the Probation Service.

"If for any reason you move from that address you must let the Probation Service know in advance so they can keep in touch with you in preparing the pre-sentence report," the judge told Irwin.

"Please attend all meetings and appointments they arrange with you and co-operate with them so we will have a report for April 1."

When asked by Mr McElholm for the value of the central heating oil involved in the fraud, the PPS solicitor said the case was "that the defendant was having home heating oil delivered to his home address and invoicing it through the DUP constituency office, causing it to be paid for out of the public purse through the Northern Ireland Assembly".

The court was told that the value of the fraud was just under 9,000.

Irwin committed the offences in May 2009; January, February, May, September and November 2010; January, February, April, June and November 2011; February, March, June, August, September and November 2012; January, February, March, May and September 2013, and in January and February of 2014.
The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company will close the railway crossing on South Garland Prairie Road just south of Interstate 40 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Friday.

The road, about 23 miles west of Flagstaff, will be closed in both directions during those hours, weather permitting.

Crews will replace track and ballast, clean and repair the approaches along the crossing and conduct other required maintenance to the railway. The closure is necessary for safety reasons and to prevent further damage to the crossing that could pose a hazard in the future.

During the closure, commuters from the south side of the railroad tracks will need to detour westward about 19 miles along Garland Prairie Road for approximately to the Bootlegger crossing to access anything north of the tracks.

For more information about the project, please contact Joe Pointer with BNSF at 928-241-0669.
Two men who tortured and sexually assaulted a friend in an "appalling and brutal" attack have been jailed and placed on the sex offenders' register for life.

Sentencing Darren Fu to 11 years and a co-accused to six years, Judge Gordon Kerr spoke of the humiliation and degradation meted out to Aodhan Woods, who was just 17 at the time.

Fu (20) and his co-accused, who was 17 at the time of the offence and cannot be named because of reporting restrictions, appeared in Belfast Crown Court where they were sentenced for a litany of offences.

The court heard how the duo subjected Mr Woods to "exceptional degradation" at a flat in the Stranmillis area of Belfast during which he was tied up, threatened at knifepoint, locked in a cupboard, subjected to several serious sexual assaults, and had cigarettes stubbed out on him.

Two weapons were used during the sexual assaults - a drumstick and a microphone stand - and at one stage the victim believed photographs were being taken of his torture.

Threats were issued that if he told anyone what had happened, the pictures would be released.

The court heard drugs played a "significant role" in the incident.

Passing sentence, Judge Gordon Kerr QC branded Fu and the co-accused's actions as "sadistic" and said: "It is hard to imagine the terror and feelings of helplessness he (Mr Woods) must have felt during this horrifying ordeal."

The sexual assault occurred on May 30, 2014, when Mr Woods called to Fu's flat.

At a previous hearing, the court was told that Mr Woods had been told by his friend Fu to sell some mephedrone, and he was worried before entering the flat because he had not sold enough.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Darren Fu Darren Fu, who was jailed for the attack Photopress Belfast / Facebook

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Mr Woods was attacked and threatened with rape, and at one point had a pillowcase placed over his head. Pointing out that at the time Mr Woods was "legally a child" who was subjected to a "prolonged period of violence", Judge Kerr spoke of the effect the incident has had on the young man. He has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of what happened.

When he finally managed to leave the flat, Mr Woods went home and told his mother. The police were then informed.

Regarding Fu, Judge Kerr said he had since made the case that he cannot remember what happened as the incident took place at a time when he was taking drugs excessively and was not in control of himself.

He subsequently described what happened to a probation officer as "mental madness", and pleaded guilty to four charges - namely false imprisonment, two counts of sexual assault, and rape.

Fu was handed an 11-year sentence, half of which will be spent in custody, with the remainder on licence upon his release. He was also placed on the sex offenders' Register for life.

His co-accused - who made the case that he felt threatened by Fu and was scared of what would happen if he didn't do as he was ordered - admitted six counts including false imprisonment, two counts of sexual assault and attempted rape.

He was handed a six-year sentence, half of which will be spent in custody with the remaining three years on licence when he is released. He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for life.
Michelle O'Neill said those who argued that Brexit would end regulations for farmers were "delusional"

European regulations on Northern Ireland farmers will not disappear if the UK leaves the EU, Stormont's agriculture minister has insisted.

Michelle O'Neill said those who argued that Brexit would halt the reach of Brussels red tape were "delusional".

Ms O'Neill made the remarks as she faced Assembly questions from a number of Eurosceptic MLAs on the bureaucracy experienced by the region's farmers.

The Sinn Fein representative was also challenged on the multimillion-euro fines paid out to the EU for infractions in relation to schemes like the single farm payments.

The minister said penalties were far outweighed by the billions of EU euro that had been accessed by the local agriculture sector.

"I often hear this argument about regulations," she said.

"Anybody who thinks that regulations are going to disappear post-Brexit are absolutely deluded. There will always be regulations in place.

"If we were to start out tomorrow not as a member of the European Union and wanted to trade with it, we would have to abide by the regulations from Europe to get into that market.

"It is delusional, to say the least, for people to use the argument that coming out of Europe will mean that there will be no regulation for farmers."

She claimed funding drawn down from the EU by farmers would not be replaced by the UK government in the event of a Brexit.

"I can be very assured that the British Government have no intention of replacing that funding," she said.
A Northern Irish pensioner jailed for subjecting three young siblings to years of sexual abuse has won an appeal against his convictions.

Senior judges ruled that irregularities in the trial process were serious enough to render the guilty verdicts unsafe.

A further decision has yet to be made on whether they order a retrial.

In 2014 the man at the centre of the case was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment at Belfast Crown Court after a jury convicted him on 14 counts of indecent assault.

Now understood to be in his seventies, he cannot be named for legal reasons.

He was accused of targeting the two girls and their brother over a period spanning from 1998 to 2006.

At the time of the alleged offences the children were aged between five and eleven.

It was claimed that he assaulted them while either babysitting or when they visited a relative he was seeing at the time.

One alleged attack took place when he brought one of the girls to his workplace.

The jury heard claims that he used a game of chase and catch as part of his alleged campaign.

Following his conviction defence lawyers went before the Court of Appeal in a bid to have all the guilty verdicts overturned.

They argued that the trial judge wrongly admitted evidence of other allegations on which their client was acquitted.

It was further contended that the jury should have been discharged due to the way those claims were introduced.

A third ground of challenge involved a contention that a direction on cross-admissibility of evidence was wrongly given at the trial.

Lord Justice Gillen, who heard the appeal with Lord Justices Weatherup and Weir, acknowledged the legal complexities of the case would have challenged any presiding judge.

"Nonetheless, in certain areas we are satisfied that there have been material irregularities in this trial which have been capable of causing prejudice to the applicant and carried the risk of injustice," he said.

Lord Justice Gillen identified explanations given to the jury for why some charges were being dismissed, along with a further inadequate direction.

"The fact of the matter is that the applicant had denied all of these allegations of very serious criminal behaviour and he was entitled to have the jury reminded of that by the judge irrespective of whether this was merely background material or not," he said.

"By themselves the prejudicial effect was potentially enormous."

Confirming the outcome of the appeal, he added: "We are satisfied in this instance that there have been material irregularities in this trial which were so serious that this court considers the convictions were unsafe.

"We therefore set aside the convictions on all counts and invite the submissions of counsel as to whether a retrial should be ordered."
A serving policeman jailed for trying to arrest one of Northern Ireland's most senior judges has been denied authorisation to appeal to the Supreme Court

A serving policeman jailed for trying to arrest one of Northern Ireland's most senior judges has been denied authorisation to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Thomas Anthony Carlin failed to secure leave to challenge his conviction because he was held to have established no arguable legal grounds with a reasonable prospect of success.

His lawyers are now set to make a direct request to the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing.

The 43-year-old remains in custody serving a three-month prison sentence imposed for his approach to Lord Justice Gillen.

Last week he was found guilty of contempt of court in proceedings brought against him by the Attorney General.

Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan (right)and Mr Justice Horner held that he had acted with premeditation and determination.

Sir Declan described him as a man driven by self-importance and attention seeking who "revelled in being (in) the spotlight".

At that stage he was told that if he seeks to apologise after 28 days the rest of his sentence will be set aside. The case then took a new twist when it emerged that the policeman intended to challenge the conviction.

Belfast-based law firm Madden and Finucane was instructed to represent the interests of an officer who had previously turned down offers of help from professional lawyers.

An application for leave to appeal was mounted at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast. Sir Declan held yesterday that no arguable grounds had been established.

Because of that determination Mr Carlin is not eligible for bail at this stage. Despite the setback, he can still try to take his case to the UK's highest court.

His solicitor Ciaran Shiels confirmed: "We are going to urgently petition the Supreme Court for permission to appeal Mr Carlin's conviction."

Mr Carlin's actions and outburst came at the end of a ruling in an ongoing house repossession case last month.

He had been representing himself in the legal battle with Santander bank over claims that he had failed to make mortage payments on a property in Co Antrim.

At the end of that High Court hearing he got up and moved towards the bench, holding aloft what appeared to be a PSNI warrant card.

He claimed he was going to arrest Lord Justice Gillen, before security and court staff intervened.

Police detained him on suspicion of two counts of common assault before he was released without charge.

The Police Ombudsman is also investigating the incident.

He faced allegations of having interrupted proceedings without justification, refused to resume his seat, approached the presiding judge, threatened to arrest him without lawful excuse, and physically interfered with a court tipstaff.

Finding him guilty of contempt, Sir Declan referred to aspects of his "self-importance and attention seeking", adding that inviting his supporters to stand up in court had been aimed at abusing the proceedings and gaining publicity.
The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye

The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye

The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye

The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye

Local resident Louise Boylan from Whitehead. The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Press Eye - Woodburn Forest - 18th Feb 2016 Photograph By Declan Roughan

Top Superbike rider Glenn Irwin has pleaded with Environment Minister Mark H Durkan to step in and halt the exploratory oil drilling at Woodburn Forest in Carrickfergus.

The young North West 200 star took time out from a busy schedule to join the picket at the entrance to the forest every day since it started last Wednesday.

Glenn says his family live a quarter-of-a-mile up the road and the popular Carrickfergus forest was a big part of his childhood.

"We grew up running about in the forest with bikes and scramblers, raking about," he said.

Yesterday contractors for InfraStrata went on-site and began felling trees in preparation for drilling an exploratory oil well.

"I'm not an eco warrior, definitely not, but I think everybody should be getting involved. This is an English company coming in with one objective, to make money for itself. That oil will have to go back to Scotland as there are no refineries here. There is no benefit locally," he said.

He appealed to Mr Durkan to step in, saying it wasn't too late for him to intervene.

"If everything we believe is wrong with this is looked into, it can be stopped, but it can only be stopped by the people with the power to stop it," he added.

Glenn says his biggest worry is how the waste from the site will be managed in the absence of an approved waste management plan so close to the start of drilling. He is also concerned over the impact on neighbouring Woodburn reservoir, which supplies drinking water to Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey, large areas of Belfast, Larne and Islandmagee.

"We were made aware of it 18 months ago, and, unfortunately like most people, it goes over your head," he said.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Protesters make their message clear Local resident Louise Boylan from Whitehead. The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Press Eye - Woodburn Forest - 18th Feb 2016 Photograph By Declan Roughan The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye / Facebook

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"My mum went down to the emergency meeting last week and made us aware of what was going on. So I went down and joined the protest and understood what was going on."

Glenn said he understood that the PSNI was just doing its job on-site, but added: "I would love to know who is briefing them and what is the brief.

"We are protesters doing a peaceful protest and trying to ask questions. Those people came in through an entrance that isn't in their plan and took out three acres of trees - how are they allowed to do that?"

Glenn said the young trees felled yesterday were planted four years ago after a virulent disease devastated swathes of forest in the Carrickfergus area.

"All that time and money for all those trees and four years later, it's gone," he pointed out.

The oil exploration firm said: "InfraStrata has today undertaken some site preparatory works at the location of its proposed Woodburn Forest exploratory well. This involved the felling of some immature, non-native (conifer) trees, planted in 2010, and the trimming back of branches to facilitate safe access in future. The wellsite area covers approximately three acres of the 1,800 acre commercially grown forest."

NI Water said it was aware of public concern over the work and had included a clause in the agreement with InfraStrata that prohibited fracking, both now and in the future.

"The safeguarding of water quality is of primary importance to NI Water, and the company is satisfied that the proposed work will have no detrimental impact upon the impounding reservoir or the public water supply. NIEA and DETI are responsible for monitoring the work of InfraStrata and their impact on the wider environment," a spokesman said.
The funeral of the Rev David Somerville at St Matthews Church, Richhill

The family of a popular Co Armagh minister who died suddenly at the weekend have told how he deteriorated rapidly after suffering from a mild flu.

Ian Somerville, the eldest son of the Rev David Somerville, said his father had time for everybody and was always "just a phonecall away".

His funeral service was held yesterday at St Matthew's Parish Church in Richhill followed by a private interment in Knocknamuckley Parish, where he first entered the clergy.

The 57-year-old father-of-three and grandfather took ill at home on Saturday and died in Craigavon Area Hospital the next day.

A former teacher, the minister had been the rector of Richhill Parish in Armagh Diocese, and had also served in the Diocese of Dromore.

Church of Ireland Bishop Harold Miller paid tribute to the "dearly loved" and "valued" minister.

Yesterday, as the family circle was coming to terms with their loss, Ian said his mother May was being very brave following the shock loss.

"May is holding up very well, she's a very strong person," he said.

"It's been a very hard time for us all. It was totally unexpected. It was just a mild flu, but that's so common at this time of year, and he deteriorated very suddenly. It was a great shock."

Ian said his abiding memory of his father will be of a man with a great love for his family.

"He told us every day, or every time he saw us, that he loved us.

"No matter how busy he was with everything he was always only a phonecall away.

"You get a little bit independent as you grow up and you get on with your own life and family, but he always had time for us. We are a very close family." He added that his father was "just an incredible man of God and an incredible example" as a human being.

Shortly after his father's passing on Sunday Ian thanked the legions of well-wishers from across the world who expressed their condolences on social media.

On his Facebook page many former pupils of Rathfriland High paid tribute to their one-time teacher, speaking with great fondness for "Mr Somerville".

Ian wrote: "My dad was such a good Godly man and it is comforting to know how well he was thought of."
Mark Ruffalo has given his backing to the Northern Ireland campaign.

The Avengers star Mark Ruffalo has added his backing to a campaign to prevent exploratory oil drilling at a Carrickfergus forest.

The PSNI is patrolling Woodburn Forest as residents and environmentalists protest against drilling.

Oil company Infrastrata wants to drill an exploratory well near Woodburn Reservoir, which supplies drinking water to Larne, Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey and large areas of Belfast.

Campaigners from the Stop The Drill said everyone who receives water from the reservoir should be concerned.

However Infrastrata says the site has been leased by Northern Ireland Water, which has said it is confident there is no threat to the water supply.

Now Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo, who played Marvel Comics character The Hulk (Bruce Banner) in The Avengers, has written to Northern Ireland's environment minister Mark H Durkan about his concerns of the water becoming contaminated.

He slammed Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for not gauging public opinion through consultation.

The council has admitted a waste management plan has not yet been approved for the exploratory drill - this process required a public consultation that has not taken place.

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Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Police keep a watchful eye as protesters confront workers at Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus yesterday Photopress Belfast Glenn Irwin at Woodburn Forest Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Lisa Armitage Protesters make their message clear The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye A stand-off has begun between police and environmentalists at a County Antrim forest where an oil company plans to drill a well. The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Press Eye - Woodburn Forest - 18th Feb 2016 Photograph By Declan Roughan The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye The entrance to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus is being blocked by protesters and a trailer has been used to block access to it. Photograph By Declan Roughan Press Eye / Facebook

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Ruffalo, a clean water advocate and founder of Water Defense, penned the letter after local residents in Northern Ireland contacted the organisation.

The letter notes: "Only 2 percent of the world's freshwater is available for us, yet that available water is beginning to dwindle into what experts say will become a worldwide water crisis. It is critical that we protect our freshwater drinking supplies."

It adds: "It is also troubling that your Department, whose responsibility is for the Environment, is not intervening to stop this activity that appears to be unlawful given the fact that a Waste Management Plan (The Planning of Management of Waste from Extractive Industries 2015) was required before permitted development was granted and that environmental considerations have not been adequately assessed.

"It is extraordinary that on this sensitive site there has been no public scrutiny through the planning process and there has been no Environmental Impact Assessment."

It ends: "We implore you to protect your citizens by protecting their water. The small amount of oil and gas that can be extracted from that site pales in comparison to the nightmare that contaminating the water supply for over 131,000 residents in your community would cause."
Dear Minister Durkan, As the founder and chief technology officer of Water Defense, we are writing to you urgently about the exploratory well that your government is currently going to allow 350 metres from the North Woodburn Water Reservoir that is the drinking water source for 131,000 people, including Belfast City centre.

We understand that this is likely to be the only site in the world where a public water company has leased land for unconventional oil and gas. Distinguished Professor Anthony Ingraffea, a renowned expert on this process and technology from the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at Cornell University, has described a public water company giving away this particular land, which it acquired to protect as a water c atchment, for this dangerous activity as irrational.

Water Defense carries out water testing and was contacted by your residents to assist them since they feel their concerns about the potential devastation this drilling could cause are not being adequately addressed by your Department, nor indeed the entire Northern Ireland Executive.

Only 2 percent of the world's freshwater is available for us, yet that available water is beginning to dwindle into what experts say will become a worldwide water crisis. It is critical that we protect our freshwater drinking supplies.

There are many concerning facts that have been brought to our attention. Chief among those concerns is the fact that the surrounding area was acquired as a protected water catchment area, yet will be subject to unconventional hydrocarbon exploration with directional drilling, 2km deep, and the use of toxic chemicals beside a public reservoir.

We are aware that the chemical Biocide T will be used during the drilling phase. It is carcinogenic, toxic by inhalation, and may cause harm to unborn children. It is very toxic to aquatic organisms and may cause long term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. Another dangerous chemical to be used at Woodburn is the hazardous Barium Sulphate  24,000 kg will be injected into this water catchment area, where the geology is untested.

It is also troubling that your Department, whose responsibility is for the Environment, is not intervening to stop this activity that appears to be unlawful given the fact that a Waste

Management Plan (The Planning of Management of Waste from Extractive Industries 2015) was required before permitted development was granted and that environmental considerations have not been adequately assessed. It is extraordinary that on this sensitive site there has been no public scrutiny through the planning process and there has been no Environmental Impact Assessment.

We are aware of the leadership you have shown in relation to hydrocarbon exploration, your ability to intervene at this stage, and your duty to adopt a precautionary approach. There are also clear implications and obligations from the Environmental Liability legislation in relation to your Department.

At Water Defense, we have traveled the world conducting water tests for some of the toxic chemicals that will be used at the site if drilling is allowed to proceed. We will be working with your residents to ensure the safety of the drinking water, including testing the water to ensure residents are not exposed to unsafe drinking water.

We are now sending water testing kits to local residents, Friends of Earth Northern Ireland and the Stop the Drill campaign to distribute to residents who could be impacted and we will be closely monitoring the situation.

In closing, one of the water contamination cases we are currently investigating is that in Flint, Michigan, where thousands of people have been poisoned by lead in the drinking water. The people who are being held accountable are the elected officials who allowed the tragedy to happen.

We implore you to protect your citizens by protecting their water. The small amount of oil and gas that can be extracted from that site pales in comparison to the nightmare that contaminating the water supply for over 131,000 residents in your community would cause.

Sincerely,

Mark Ruffalo, Founder, Water Defense

Scott Smith Water Defense Chief Technology Officer & Investigator
The following editorial appeared in The Orange County Register on Thursday, Feb. 18:

The horrific terrorist shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, Calif., shook all of us. But tragedy should not provide an automatic mandate for government to encroach upon the publics civil liberties.

On Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym ordered Apple to provide reasonable technical assistance to the FBI to help bypass or disable a security function on the iPhone of one of the shooters. Apple, to its credit, has made it clear it will fight this order.

Law enforcement officials have been unable to access data on the shooters phone and hope to disable an iPhone security feature that automatically erases data after a certain number of incorrect password attempts. This would allow law enforcement to run software that would try myriad passwords until the correct one is found.

It may be tempting to think that this case is so exceptional that it requires extraordinary cooperation from Apple. Further, such cooperation ultimately would be innocuous to everyone else. After all, any workaround developed to help the FBI crack the shooters password would only be used in this case, right?

Wrong.

Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained in a message to Apple customers. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks  from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable.

While it may seem harmless for a company like Apple to just cooperate and help the FBI crack a phone, there is a wide range of repercussions that need to be considered. To date, governments have shown few reasons for confidence in their ability to respect electronic privacy and security.

And, just as it would be wrongheaded and immoral to rush into blanket gun control laws or immigration restrictions in response to the massacre in San Bernardino, it, too, is wrong to exploit a tragedy to undermine electronic security.

Hope on dementia in new research

The following editorial appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Monday, Feb. 15:

Recent research has concluded that, even though the number of people with dementia is increasing as baby boomers age, the prevalence of the affliction is declining.

A study published last week in The New England Journal of Medicine provided the strongest evidence yet that better education is helping people live longer before falling victim to the disease. It evaluated 5,025 people age 60 and older four times beginning in 1977, and it found a steady decline of about 20 percent in new cases each decade. That decline occurred only in people with a high school education or more. It also found that the average age of onset, which was 80 in the 1970s, now is 85.

Another large-scale study conducted by a professor of internal medicine from the University of Michigan found, according to The New York Times, that the rate of dementia declined by about 21 percent from 2000 to 2010; other researchers have reported similar findings.

If thats true, why are there so many people being diagnosed? Blame the aging population bulge.

Experts still dont know why the level of education affects the likelihood that a person will develop dementia. Are better educated people likely to live healthier lifestyles or does the educational process create more neural pathways in the brain?

The studies are encouraging in suggesting that dementia may not be as inevitable a consequence of aging as once was expected, but researchers still have far more questions than answers.

In a nation where 5 million people already have dementia, the hope is that previous predictions that the number would triple by the middle of this century will be proved wrong.

Trading green cards for passports helps all Americans

The following editorial was written by Bloomberg View editors:

Almost 9 million of Americas 13 million legal permanent residents are eligible to become U.S. citizens  yet havent. Its worth trying to increase that number, both for these individuals and for the country theyve made their home.

A healthy democracy needs people to be engaged. Permanent residents cant be fully involved unless theyre citizens, with the rights and duties this entails. Historically, the U.S. has been unusually good at merging successive waves of immigrants with its native-born people  partly by expecting and encouraging lawful immigrants to become Americans. This fine tradition stands in need of renewal.

The argument is about more than civic virtue, inspiring though it may be. Dollars and cents are involved as well. Immigrants tend to be strivers in any case, but the evidence says citizenship makes them even more productive. Once they swap their green cards for U.S. passports, they invest more in their careers, and so do their employers.

Theyre more productive, so they make more money; they make more money, so they pay more taxes. Both the new citizens and their new country are better off.

So why dont more green-card holders choose to become citizens? A sense of loyalty to their home countries no doubt plays a part. But another reason is that the process isnt easy. They have to wait five years, pay a $680 fee, and deal with a bureaucracy not known for its friendliness or efficiency.

The bureaucracy in question  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services  relies on those fees, so dont expect it to press for a cheaper, faster system. (What would become of its premium expedited service?) High fees help to pay for refugee and asylum services, as well as for free naturalization for those who serve in the U.S. military. Those are excellent purposes. They should be financed not with fees levied on new citizens but through a separate appropriation.

U.S. citizenship also comes with another price. Once youre an American, regardless of where in the world you work, youll be subject to U.S. taxes. For internationally mobile talent, thats an issue  not so much because those affected have to pay more taxes (the policy raises almost no revenue), but because complying with the system is a colossal nuisance. Admittedly, the U.S. is not alone in taxing citizens working abroad in this way. Eritrea does it, too.

Because newly naturalized citizens tend to skew Democratic, the Obama administrations campaign to naturalize more eligible residents has aroused suspicions that its motive is political. Yet the campaign is also deeply conservative. Reducing bureaucracy and simplifying taxes  all the while encouraging love of country  are all causes that should appeal to Republicans, too.

Though overshadowed, Asian summit was worth hosting

The following editorial appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday, Feb. 18:

A summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, hosted for the first time in the United States, achieved mixed success.

President Barack Obama considered the meeting, held Monday and Tuesday in Sunnylands, Calif., important to his pivot to Asia policy. He also used it  via relations with ASEAN members Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam  to counter growing Chinese influence.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam already contest Chinas claim to pieces of rock and reefs in the South China Sea that Beijing is developing and may be militarizing.

Although American objectives were served by holding the discussions, there was no mention of China in the joint statement released afterward. Most ASEAN members have important trading relationships with China and are reluctant to put them in jeopardy while the United States confronts the Asian giant.

Some of the justification in the communique for taking common approaches to maritime problems in Southeast Asia referred to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which the United States, ironically and unfortunately, has not yet ratified.

Attendance by Asian leaders was good, and among the Communist heads were Cambodian President Hun Sen, a former chief of the brutal Khmer Rouge, and Malaysias Najib Razak, cleared last month of charges that he embezzled $681 million from a government fund. Myanmars outgoing president, Gen. Thein Sein, and the newly elected Aung San Suu Kyi skipped the event due to their governments transition.

The event was upstaged a bit by the death Saturday of Justice Antonin Scalia; none of the questions at Obamas post-summit news conference dealt with the gathering. Even so, in terms of future U.S. relations with this part of the world, the conference was well worth holding.

Government has lots of unhappy customers

The following editorial appeared in The Orange County Register on Tuesday, Feb. 16:

The American Customer Satisfaction Index recently released its annual report on customer satisfaction with federal government agencies and a CBSNews.com story about the results says it all: Americans hate the U.S. government more than ever. Though perhaps a bit melodramatic, it is true that the satisfaction index recorded the lowest score since ACSI started evaluating government agencies in 1999: 63.9 on a scale of 0-100.

That is down from the previous record low set last year, 64.4, and continues a general downward trend that has persisted since 2006.

It should be little surprise that the worst score went to the Treasury Department (55), which houses the Internal Revenue Service. The Justice Department (59) and the scandal-plagued Department of Veterans Affairs (60) also brought up the rear.

The highest scores went to the Department of the Interior (75), which runs the National Park system, the Department of State (71), whose passport service generally receives good marks, and the Defense Department (70).

The government consistently underperforms the private sector in customer satisfaction, however, which has also been a long-term trend. As in prior years of ACSI measurement, both federal and local government services score far below every private economic sector in user satisfaction, the report stated.

This is the almost inevitable result when you have monopolistic government agencies that are not subject to competition. Unlike private businesses, government employers and employees livelihoods do not depend on satisfying customers needs and desires. Their budgets are determined by political pull  not economic realities  and will increase regardless of performance.

Yet many persist in demonizing the capitalist system, which provides people with the things they want, and worshiping a government they admit is not satisfactory.
Gerry Adams has said he has been informed of the names of two senior party figures allegedly involved in the murder of Irish prison officer Brian Stack.

But the Sinn Fein leader insisted it is not his responsibility to speak to the individuals involved.

Mr Stack was shot by the IRA in Dublin in 1983 and died of his injuries 18 months later. In 2013, the IRA finally admitted responsibility for the killing at a meeting with the victims family set up by Mr Adams.

But the victims son Austin says he has obtained credible information that suggests two senior Sinn Fein figures, who both hold office, were involved.

In Dublin city yesterday, Mr Adams admitted that he has been provided with the names.

But he said it is an issue for the police. Standing alongside deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald, he said: This man should not have been shot. He should not have died as a result of his injury. Ive made that very, very, very clear.

So, it isnt my job to go along to Mary Lou and say Did you do this, or did you do that, or did you do that? That leads to another question. The issue is An Garda Siochana should be dealing with this.
Micheal Martin has ruled out a power-sharing premiership with arch-rival Enda Kenny just days before Irish voters are expected to return a hung parliament.

The Fianna Fail chief dismissed as impractical any deal to share the Taoiseach's office with the Fine Gael leader over the lifetime of the next government in a so-called grand coalition of the historic rivals.

"It's not a consideration," he said.

Former Fianna Fail minister Conor Lenihan suggested the two main parties could end their civil-war schism and come together on the basis of a rotating Taoiseach to form a stable government next week.

Latest opinion polls show little chance of the current Fine Gael/Labour coalition being returned to power.

A massive divergence in voter preferences, with Independents and smaller parties looking likely to suck up well over a quarter of the vote, has cast much doubt over the future make-up of an administration.

Mr Martin said he didn't see the prospect of a rotating Taoiseach "as a practical possibility".

One of the last major polls of the election campaign shows Fine Gael remain the largest party, on 30% of the sample vote, while their junior partner Labour has slipped to 7%, down 1%.

Fianna Fail has climbed to 20% - up 2% - in the popularity rankings since the last survey by the same pollsters Red C last week.

Sinn Fein dropped back 1% to 15%.

Independent candidates and other smaller parties retain a huge share of the vote at 28% overall.

The Social Democrats are on 4%, Anti Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit are on 3%, the Greens on 3% with Renua on 2%.

The pollsters surveyed 1,002 voters between Thursday and Sunday, the last weekend of canvassing.

On the back of the latest poll, bookies have further slashed the odds of a Fine Gael/Fianna Fail coalition - making it the odds-on favourite outcome - despite repeated denials from both camps that a coupling was in the offing.

Labour's public spending minister Brendan Howlin said the parties would stand accused of a breach of faith if they came together to form the next government.

"Both have said emphatically that they won't join up to now," he said.

"If Fianna Fail go in as the junior party with Fine Gael, ultimately it is the end of Fianna Fail."

As Fine Gael launched an online video campaign urging voters to allow them to "keep the recovery going", a former International Monetary Fund chief said the party played no role in the Irish economic bounce-back.

Ashoka Mody, the IMF's mission chief in Ireland as it slid into an embarrassing international bailout six years ago, told the Sunday Business Post that the country's low tax regime was responsible for the recent economic boost.

"The tax system attracted some real investment into Ireland and that helped propel the Celtic Tiger. It was a reasonable way to get the economy jump-started," he said.

"And some part of the recent recovery has been helped by the legacy of those earlier efforts.

"To the extent that this has happened, it has nothing to do with the Troika programme or the efforts of the current government."
NHS Lanarkshire said more than 8,000 patients across the UK may have been treated by a former NHS healthcare worker who tested positive for hepatitis C

More than 8,300 patients across the UK who may have been treated by a former healthcare worker who tested positive for hepatitis C are being urged to arrange a blood test after two infected patients were found.

The worker did not return to clinical practice after testing positive in 2008 but NHS Lanarkshire is now working with other health boards across the UK to notify people who may have had a surgical procedure carried out by the individual between 1982 and 2008.

The individual worked in hospitals across Lanarkshire during the period, mainly in Wishaw General Hospital and the former Law Hospital.

They also worked at the William Harvey Hospital in Kent for three months between January and April 2006.

When the worker initially tested positive in 2008, the UK Advisory Panel (UKAP) said patients did not need to be warned as the risk was thought to be low, but two cases have now emerged.

It was found a patient referred for treatment for hepatitis C in Lanarkshire in 2015 had previously had a surgical procedure carried out by the infected healthcare worker.

Further investigations found it was "probable" the patient was infected with the virus during a surgical procedure carried out by the individual and another similar case has now been found.

The health board said: "After detailed investigations, including extensive testing of viruses, NHS Lanarkshire submitted a report to UKAP. UKAP endorsed NHS Lanarkshire's proposal to carry out a patient notification exercise.

"Patients are receiving a detailed question-and-answer sheet with their letter which includes information about hepatitis C and how to arrange to be tested."

In total, 8,383 patients across the UK are to receive letters informing them of the situation and urging them to arrange a blood test.

The vast majority - 7,311 - are in Lanarkshire, with more than 700 across the rest of Scotland, 336 in England, a further 11 in Wales and five in Northern Ireland.

Dr Iain Wallace, medical director at NHS Lanarkshire, said: "We would like to reassure people that the likelihood of patients acquiring the virus from a surgical procedure carried out by the healthcare worker is low.

"We know that some people receiving the letter may be anxious about what this means for them. We have apologised to patients for any concern that may be caused by this situation.

"We are committed to supporting patients and are ensuring they have every opportunity to get information about hepatitis C, the testing process and the situation in general.

"We are also putting on additional clinics locally to make it as straightforward and convenient as possible for people to get tested."

The virus infects the liver and can cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage. Around 215,000 people in the UK have hepatitis C, according to the NHS.

It is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact and can be passed by sharing unsterilised needles, razors or toothbrushes.

The NHS said it does not have any noticeable symptoms until the liver has been significantly damaged, meaning people can have the infection without realising it.

When symptoms do occur, they can be flu-like and cause tiredness and a loss of appetite.

UKAP chairman Professor David Goldberg defended the decision not to notify patients in 2008, saying there was no evidence then that any patient had been infected by the healthcare worker.

He said: "I think it's a very reasonable decision. It wasn't the wrong decision based on the evidence we had at the time."

He said there is a less than 1 in 1,000 chance of the at-risk patients being infected with hepatitis C.

The health board declined to reveal the name of the healthcare worker or what area the individual worked in.

Dr Wallace said: "The investigation and preparation for the public health exercise has been very thorough. We appreciate there will be interest in the healthcare worker and the two patients.

"However, for reasons of confidentiality we will not be able to reveal the name of the healthcare worker or the two patients, or any details which would lead to their identification."

The healthcare worker tested positive for hepatitis C during a routine occupational health examination and was immediately suspended from practice.

Dr John Logan, consultant in public health medicine at NHS Lanarkshire, said exposure during surgical procedures occurs when a healthcare worker sustains an injury and a small amount of blood goes into "open tissue" of the patient.

He said there was no record of this having occurred in relation to the two patients infected but added the healthcare worker does not often notice the injury at the time.

In the coming four weeks, 115 clinics will be set up to test those notified.

Scotland's Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood said: "Public notification exercises like this are not uncommon and are carefully planned and carried out, putting patient safety first.

"NHS Lanarkshire has worked closely with Health Protection Scotland, Public Health England and UKAP, and acted upon their expert advice throughout.

"The health board has kept the Scottish Government and myself informed at all stages of this process and I am satisfied that everything has been done correctly.

"The risk to the public both in Lanarkshire and across the country is low but I would encourage anyone receiving a letter to take up the offer of a blood test, to ensure that those who do need it receive effective treatment quickly."

Leon Wylie, lead officer of Hepatitis Scotland, said: "It is very unfortunate that there has been potential healthcare worker- related hepatitis C transmissions in a surgical setting in Lanarkshire.

"It is understandable many patients who are contacted to come forward for testing will be very worried by this as, although the risk is low, some transmissions from worker to patients have probably occurred.

"The key point we want to highlight for those affected is that hepatitis C is now easily treatable and that there is an over 90% cure rate in most cases. To get treated, first you need to know if you have the virus, so accepting the offer of a test is vitally important.

"We want to reassure people hepatitis C is not transmitted by normal daily activities or contact with others, such as sharing food or kissing. It is only when there is potential blood to blood contact, such as sharing razors, that the possibility of passing it to others exists."
Bosses at 36 FTSE 100 companies are backing the campaign to stay in Europe

Leaving the European Union could hamper the UK's ability to tackle threats such as Islamic State or Vladimir Putin's Russia, former senior military commanders have warned.

The ex-service chiefs said Europe faced a series of "grave security challenges" and the UK was in a "stronger" position to deal with them from inside the EU.

The intervention by the former Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force chiefs comes amid fresh warnings about the scale of the migration crisis in Europe.

In a letter to The Telegraph, the former commanders told of their concern about the rise of IS, also known as Daesh, saying: "We have served around the world and in almost every conflict in which Britain has been engaged since the Second World War.

"We are proud to have served our country and to have played our part in keeping Britain safe. In the forthcoming referendum, therefore, we are particularly concerned with one central question: will Britain be safer inside the EU or outside it? When we look at the world today, there seems to us only one answer.

"Europe today is facing a series of grave security challenges, from instability in the Middle East and the rise of Daesh, to resurgent Russian nationalism and aggression.

"Britain will have to confront these challenges whether it is inside or outside the EU. But within the EU, we are stronger. Inside it, we can continue to collaborate closely with our European allies, just as we did when we helped to force the Iranians to the negotiating table through EU-wide sanctions, or made sure that Putin would pay a price for his aggression in Ukraine."

Signatories to the letter, which the newspaper said was in part co-ordinated by Downing Street, include former chiefs of defence staff Field Marshal Lord Bramall and Field Marshal Lord Guthrie.

Air Chief Marshal Lord Stirrup, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Boyce and former special forces chief General Sir Michael Rose are also among the 13 senior officers who backed the letter.

The intervention by the top brass came as figures revealed the scale of the migration crisis in Europe.

The International Organisation for Migration said more than 102,500 people had crossed into Greece since January 1 and another 7,500 streamed into Italy over the same period. S imilar figures were not reached last year until June.
Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey has been admitted to hospital for a third time

Nurse Pauline Cafferkey has arrived at the Royal Free Hospital in London for treatment for a "late complication" from the Ebola virus.

Ms Cafferkey, 40, was flown from Glasgow by RAF Hercules to RAF Northolt before being transferred to the hospital which has the UK's only high level isolation unit.

It is the third time the medic from South Lanarkshire has been treated in hospital since contracting Ebola in Sierra Leone in December 2014 at a Save the Children treatment centre.

On Tuesday NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said Ms Cafferkey was in a stable condition after "routine monitoring" identified a problem.

Medical staff and RAF personnel were involved in moving her on to the aircraft in an isolation tent at Glasgow airport on Tuesday afternoon.

She was transferred to the Royal Free from the Middlesex RAF base in a convoy of two ambulances and police vehicle - arriving in the capital shortly before 6pm.

A spokesman for the Royal Free Hospital said: "We can confirm that Pauline Cafferkey is being transferred to the Royal Free Hospital due to a late complication from her previous infection by the Ebola virus.

"She will now be treated by the hospital's infectious diseases team under nationally-agreed guidelines.

"The Ebola virus can only be transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person while they are symptomatic, so the risk to the general public remains low and the NHS has well-established and practised infection control procedures in place."

Ms Cafferkey spent almost a month in an isolation unit at the London hospital after contracting the disease the first time around.

She was released after making a recovery but fell ill again in October last year and was again treated at the Royal Free for meningitis caused by Ebola.

At one point, the Scottish nurse was described as ''critically ill'' but was discharged in November and transferred to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to continue her recovery and later returned home.

When she was released from hospital for the second time, she said: ''I am forever thankful for the amazing care I have received at the Royal Free Hospital.

''For a second time, staff across many departments of the hospital have worked incredibly hard to help me recover and I will always be grateful to them and the NHS.''

At the time of her re-admission last year, Dr Michael Jacobs, from the Royal Free, described the situation as ''unprecedented'' while the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Ms Cafferkey was the only known Ebola survivor to develop meningitis months later.

In November, the Royal Free said Ms Cafferkey had made a full recovery from Ebola and was no longer infectious.

Dr Derek Gatherer, lecturer in biomedical and life sciences at Lancaster University, said: ''It is very sad to hear that Ms Cafferkey has once again been admitted to hospital.

''It is now becoming clear that Ebola is a far more complex disease than we previously imagined.

''The meningitis that Ms Cafferkey suffered from at the end of last year is one of the most serious complications of all, as it can be life-threatening. She was unlucky enough to be one of only a handful of patients in whom it has been seen."

Scotland's Health Secretary, Shona Robison, said: "Our thoughts are with Pauline Cafferkey and her family and friends today.

"I'd like to thank the expert NHS staff in Glasgow who have looked after her and helped with her transfer to the Royal Free Hospital, where Pauline has been treated before and where clinicians agreed it would be best to continue her treatment.

"We have been in close touch with NHS Glasgow and Health Protection Scotland and are reassured that the risk to the general public remains extremely low and that the NHS in Scotland has well established and practised infection control procedures in place."

The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak over last year after the deaths of thousands of people but two new cases emerged in Sierra Leone in January. The organisation called for a ''critical period of heightened vigilance''.
Some 75 million passengers used Heathrow last year, according to figures published by the airport.

The total represents a 2.2% rise on the previous year. Heathrow is hoping to be given permission by the Government to build a third runway, but ministers are carrying out further work to assess the impact this would have on people living near the west London airport.

John Holland-Kaye, chief executive of the airport, said: "It's been an excellent year for Heathrow.

"As we approach our 70th anniversary, our colleagues are delivering the best service we've ever achieved to a record number of passengers.

"We're also making strong progress on our environmental commitments by reducing emissions and noise, and another set of robust financial results underpins our plans to make Heathrow the most sustainable hub airport, and the UK the best connected country in the world.

"I'm confident that this summer the Government will agree with its Airports Commission that expanding Heathrow is the only way to secure Britain's long-term economic future and meet environmental demands. We stand ready to deliver."

Mr Holland-Kaye also explained why he wants the UK to remain in the European Union ahead of the referendum.

He said: "Membership of the EU has made air travel affordable and convenient, with regular flights to the continent from all parts of Britain - fuelling jobs, exports and economic growth.

"A vote to remain offers the best of both worlds - it secures our place as a powerhouse in the global economy, while remaining in the world's largest free trade zone."
Nicola Sturgeon has announced to MSPs a deal has been worked out on Holyrood fiscal framework

A key deal over Scotland's future funding marks a "major milestone in delivering a powerhouse parliament", the Prime Minister has said.

David Cameron said the agreement, reached after months of talks between the UK and Scottish governments, marks a "significant day for devolution".

He was speaking after Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed to Holyrood there is now an agreement in principal over how Scotland will be funded when new powers over tax and welfare are transferred to MSPs.

Crucially, she said it "a llows the powers in the Scotland Bill to be delivered".

Negotiations between the Treasury and the SNP administration in Edinburgh had appeared to be in deadlock, with both sides struggling on the key issue of how the block grant Holyrood receives from Westminster should be adjusted once new income tax powers are devolved as part of the Scotland Bill.

The Scottish Government had threatened to veto the Scotland Bill if it believed the fiscal framework - the financial arrangements underpinning the legislation - was not fair to Scotland.

But Ms Sturgeon announced that following a telephone conversation with Chancellor George Osborne, "there is now an agreement in place in principle that I believe we can recommend to Parliament".

She added that transitional arrangements mean "this deal will not allow a single pound or even a penny to be taken from the Scottish Government budget" up until March 2022, when the method for adjustments will be reviewed.

The agreement comes after 10 rounds of talks between the Scottish and UK governments involving Ms Sturgeon, Mr Cameron, Mr Osborne, Scottish Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands.

Mr Cameron said afterwards: " This is a significant day for devolution. The agreement is a major milestone in delivering a powerhouse parliament for Scotland and will enable us to meet our commitment to make Holyrood one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world.

" We have reached a deal which is fair to Scotland and fair to the whole of the UK. It delivers accountability to the Scottish Government and transforms politics in Scotland.

"It means May's Holyrood elections can be fought on the issues which matter most - how the Scottish Government should use these extensive new powers, rather than what they are."

The Treasury will give Scotland 200 million to help with set-up costs and the administration of new tax and welfare powers that are to be devolved to Holyrood.

Ms Sturgeon said there had been "give and take" between Holyrood and Westminster during the talks, telling MSPs: "W e did not get everything we wanted.

"But when we began in June last year the Deputy First Minister faced a proposal from the Treasury which would have delivered 7 billion of detriment to the Scottish budget over the next 10 years."

She added: " This deal will ensure the funding for Scotland cannot be changed without the Scottish Government's agreement. It protects the Barnett formula and it allows the powers in the Scotland Bill to be delivered."

Scottish Secretary David Mundell said afterwards: " I am very pleased that we have agreed a deal on the fiscal framework with the Scottish Government. It has been a long negotiation, but we have got there in the end.

"I have always been confident that we would, because I know Scotland's two governments can work together to reach agreements which are in the best interests of Scotland and the whole of the United Kingdom. It shows that we are fulfilling our commitments and making devolution in Scotland work - just as the Scottish people have said they want.

"This is a genuinely significant moment in the Scottish Parliament's history, as this agreement will enable it to take on unprecedented new powers and responsibilities, and to become more accountable. The debate is now truly about how the new powers will be used to improve the lives of people in Scotland."

Meanwhile Mr Osborne said the deal had " secured a stronger Scotland in a stronger UK", claiming the agreements " are fair to Scotland and fair to taxpayers in the rest of the UK".

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said with the deal on the fiscal framework now in place it "throws a major challenge to the SNP".

She said the nationalists' tactics of "grudge and grievance will no longer wash", adding that the new powers would mean "o n tax, on welfare, and on our public services, the buck stops with them".

She pledged: " For my part, I stand ready to provide the strong, principled opposition to the SNP that is now required more than ever as these new powers come to Holyrood.

"We will protect family finances and we will demand that the SNP uses these powers to take Scotland forward - not back to yet another referendum."

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale hailed the agreement as an "historic moment for Scotland", adding: "Scottish politics will never be the same again thanks to these new powers. We have entered a new and exciting era of devolution."

She said: "Now that an agreement has been reached every single political party in Scotland must focus on what we can do with these major new powers. The opportunities they provide are huge - we can use the new tax and welfare powers to bring an end to Tory austerity and build a fairer country.

"I want to use the new tax powers to make fairer choices. That means we can ask the richest few to pay a little bit more so we can invest in education and help first time buyers double their deposit by not implementing the SNP's planned airline ticket tax cut."

But Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said the two governments " have not agreed a good long-term deal for Scotland".

He stated: "The First Minister has still been unable to explain why she has agreed to the Treasury funding model given she has bitterly opposed it for months.

"Cementing the Treasury funding model into the agreement for six years will make it hard to get the Treasury out in the seventh year."

Lord Smith of Kelvin, whose commission drew up the initial cross-party blueprint for devolving more powers to Scotland, said: "Today's agreement between the Scottish and UK governments sees the recommendations of the Smith Commission delivered in full.

"The next term of Scottish parliamentarians will be debating and taking decisions over large parts of Scotland's tax and welfare policy. I believe this will be transformational for our Parliament.

"There should be no doubt that this was a highly complex package of measures to agree. It is difficult to imagine a bigger test of inter-governmental relationships and while it was obviously a very tough negotiation, what matters is that an agreement was reached. This provides an excellent basis for constructive engagement between the governments long into the future.

"When the Smith Agreement was passed to the Prime Minister and First Minister, both gave their word that they would deliver it into law - they have met that promise in full.

"I pay particular tribute to the Deputy First Minister and Chancellor for reaching agreement on the final part of a historic package of new powers."
Douglas Slocombe was made an OBE by the Prince of Wales in 2008

Douglas Slocombe, t he British cinematographer behind the original Indiana Jones trilogy, has died at 103.

His death at a London hospital on Monday was confirmed by his daughter Georgina.

Indiana Jones director Steven Spielberg described him as a "great collaborator and a beautiful human being".

A three-time Oscar nominee, Mr Slocombe shot 80 films, including 1969's The Italian Job, and was also known for filming the Nazi invasion of Poland.

His works included classic Ealing comedies such as the Lavender Hill Mob and Kind Hearts And Coronets and he also won Best Cinematography Baftas for The Servant (1963), The Great Gatsby (1974) and Julia (1977).

His third Oscar nomination came for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), the first of the three Indiana Jones films on which he would work with Spielberg.

The American director told the BBC: "Dougie Slocombe was facile, enthusiastic, and loved the action of film-making. Harrison Ford was Indiana Jones in front of the camera, but with his whip-smart crew, Dougie was my behind-the-scenes hero for the first three Indy movies."

Born in London in 1913, Mr Slocombe made his breakthrough after filming in Warsaw in the lead-up to Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939, using the footage to produce the documentary Lights Out In Europe in 1940.

He collected an OBE from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace in 2008.
Scotland Yard has been criticised by a jury for failings related to the death of an innocent young man who was murdered at a gang member's funeral.

An inquest into the killing of 21-year-old Azezur "Ronnie" Khan heard police failed to send officers to the funeral - despite warnings that violence could erupt.

A respected mentor at his local mosque, Mr Khan died from a single gunshot wound to the abdomen in November 2011, shortly after leaving the graveside of his friend Joel Morgan at a cemetery on Forest Hill Road, Southwark, south London.

Mr Morgan, who was killed in a car crash, had belonged to the GAS gang, based in Lambeth.

His mother had requested that police attend the funeral because it was in a patch controlled by two rival gangs, the Peckham Young Guns and the Peckham Boys, but no officers were assigned.

At Southwark Coroner's Court on Tuesday, an inquest jury concluded structural and strategic failings in policing "hindered" an effective plan from being implemented.

Returning a narrative verdict, a jury spokesman said the force had failed to recognise "that you don't need a named perpetrator and named victim for there to be a threat to life".

They added: "Communication errors were prevalent within the Met Police Service. There was a lack of information, a dilution of information, a failure to flag up different boroughs, a failure to record verbal information and appropriate assignments for tasking.

"Whilst the service officers understood their responsibility, they failed to liaise and delegate with team members to ensure that the policing plan was carried out correctly.

"The implemented plan was inappropriate as it was informal given the circumstances.

"Although Southwark had a policing plan, it was inadequate as they failed to investigate their responsibilities as a borough.

"If all relevant information regarding the funeral and gang activities were linked, the Metropolitan Police Service would have put in place a different policing plan, raising the level to either a higher risk or critical.

"If there was a visible police presence at or in the vicinity of the burial service, it may have deterred gang members."
Junior doctors are to take further strike action, with plans to walk out on three further dates for 48 hours at a time.

The British Medical Association (BMA) also announced it is to seek a judicial review in to the Government's plans to impose "unfair" new contracts on junior doctors.

The industrial action will mean that junior doctors will provide emergency care only from 8am on Wednesday March 9 to 8am on Friday March 11, from 8am on Wednesday April 6 to 8am on Friday April 8, and from 8am on Tuesday April 26 to 8am on Thursday April 28.

The BMA said it was launching a judicial review after finding that the Government appears to have failed to undertake an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) prior to its decision to impose a new contract on junior doctors in England.

It said that under the Equality Act 2010, the Government must show "due regard" to equalities issues, typically assessed through an EIA prior to making a decision.

But it added that the Government has failed to provide evidence of an EIA having been conducted ahead of its decision on February 11 to impose a contract on junior doctors from this August.

The announcement about the latest strike action follows two other walkouts, but j ust last week medics said they believed a fully-negotiated contract for junior doctors was ''within reach'' as they urged Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to resume talks over the dispute following deadlock between the BMA, Government officials and NHS Employers.

The major sticking point has been over weekend pay and whether Saturdays should attract extra ''unsocial'' payments. Currently, 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and the whole of Saturday and Sunday attract a premium rate of pay for junior doctors.

Under the new contract, 7am to 5pm on Saturdays will be regarded as a normal working day.

Mr Hunt said the new contract will mean an increase in basic salary of 13.5% and that three quarters of doctors will see their take-home pay increase.

Dr Johann Malawana, BMA junior doctor committee chairman, said: "In recent weeks, I have heard from thousands of junior doctors across the country, and the resounding message is that they cannot and will not accept what the Government is trying to do.

"It now appears that in trying to push through these changes, the Government failed to give proper consideration to the impact this contract could have on junior doctors. This is yet another example of the incompetence which the Government has demonstrated throughout its handling of this dispute.

"Imposing this contract will seriously undermine the ability of the NHS to recruit and retain junior doctors in areas of medicine with the most unsocial hours, where there are already staffing shortages. This will have a significant impact on areas such as emergency medicine, maternity care and paediatrics, to name but a few.

"The Government must listen to the chorus of concern coming from all quarters and reconsider this disastrous approach.

"The fact is, junior doctors already work around the clock, seven days a week and they do so under their existing contract. If the Government wants more seven-day services then, quite simply, it needs more doctors, nurses and support staff, and the extra investment necessary to deliver them.

"Rather than address these issues head on, the Government wants to introduce a contract that is unfair and in which junior doctors have no confidence.

"The Government can avert this action by re-entering talks with the BMA and addressing the outstanding issues and concerns junior doctors have, rather than simply ignoring them.

"If it pushes ahead with plans to impose a contract that junior doctors have resoundingly rejected we will be left with no option but to take this action."

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokeswoman said: "We have been clear throughout discussions with junior doctors that we want to work with them to look at how we bring about a seven-day NHS which we think is in the interests of patients.

"It's regrettable if they are going to strike again. I'm sure discussions with them will continue."

Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, said: "It is disappointing that the BMA has decided to announce further industrial action despite the majority of the BMA's concerns being addressed and reflected in the final contract.

"This disruption to patient care is unnecessary. I strongly believe that the final contract is safe, fair and reasonable.

"For the sake of the NHS and patients, I urge all junior doctors to take a look at the contract in detail before taking part in any future action."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Further strike action is completely unnecessary and will mean tens of thousands more patients face cancelled operations - over a contract that was 90% agreed with the BMA and which senior NHS leaders including Simon Stevens have endorsed as fair and safe. The new contract will mean an average 13.5% basic pay rise, and will bring down the maximum number of hours doctors can work.

"We urge junior doctors to look at the detail of the contract and the clear benefits it brings."
Labour's defence review is "sliding into chaos", two of the party's former Cabinet ministers have said.

Ex-defence secretaries John Hutton and George Robertson claim "spurious arguments and newly-created 'facts'" are being used to support an anti-Trident position, in an article on The Guardian's website.

The pair, both peers who are supporters of the nuclear deterrent, also dismiss arguments that Trident submarines could be disabled by cyber-attacks and that technological advances mean they may not remain undetectable in the future.

The warning comes after shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry refused to commit Labour to spend 2% of GDP on defence and questioned the party's future commitment to Trident.

She is carrying out a wholesale review of Labour's policy, including the contentious issue of retaining the Trident nuclear system.

The MP for Islington South & Finsbury backed a future defence policy increasingly based on capabilities dubbed "geeks, spooks and thugs" - cyber-experts, spies and special forces - as she questioned whether nuclear submarines would provide long-term value for money.

But Lord Hutton and Lord Robertson say alternatives to Trident have been explored and dismissed because the submarines "provided the greatest deterrent capability at least cost".

In the article, they write: "We are increasingly concerned that the Labour Party's defence review is sliding into chaos and incoherence.

"We accept that there is a legitimate disagreement as to whether the United Kingdom requires an independent nuclear deterrent.

"Given the increased prominence of nuclear weapons in the security policies of Russia, China and North Korea, the significant nuclear weapons building programmes occurring in those countries, and the strident brandishment of those weapons as official policies there, it is self-evident that a British nuclear deterrent will be essential to our security for decades to come."

Instead of being obsolete in the future because of new technology, they suggest that "the Successor class of Trident subs will be able to hide in the deep ocean, providing Britain with a powerful, invisible, secure and invulnerable deterrent for many years to come".
Head of Ofsted Sir Michael Wilshaw, who has warned that the major northern cities that helped to build Britain are now failing to give many schoolchildren a decent education

Secondary education in Manchester and Liverpool is not up to scratch and may be getting worse, suggests head of Ofsted Sir Michael Wilshaw

The major northern cities that helped to build Britain are now failing to give many schoolchildren a decent education, Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw has warned.

Government plans to boost economic growth in the North - creating a so-called Northern Powerhouse - will "splutter and die" if more is not done to improve the performance of schools in the region, according to Sir Michael.

Manchester and Liverpool are the engines that could "transform" the prospects of the entire area, but currently, secondary education in these cities is not up to scratch, and may be getting worse, he argued.

Ofsted figures show that three in 10 Manchester secondaries, and four in 10 of those in Liverpool, are rated as less than good and that the proportion of teenagers gaining at least five C grades at GCSE - including English and maths - has dropped in both places.

In a speech to the IPPR think-tank this morning, Sir Michael said: "Yes, London has advantages that other cities lack, but what of Liverpool or Manchester?

"Are you really telling me that they lack swagger and dynamism? That they cannot succeed in the way London has succeeded?

"These are the cities that built Britain. They pioneered a modern, civic education when students at certain other universities spent most of their time studying the New Testament in Greek.

"Today, Manchester and Liverpool boast eight universities between them, two of which are among the top 200 in the world. They are beacons of higher educational excellence. But if these cities can provide a world-class education for youngsters at 18, why on earth are they failing to do so for too many at 11?

"At some point, we have to accept that our children's education can be better - or worse - because of the choices we make.

"At some point, politicians in Manchester and Liverpool will have to accept that the Northern Powerhouse will splutter and die if their youngsters lack the skills to sustain it."

He also suggested: "Manchester and Liverpool are at the core of our ambitions for a Northern Powerhouse. They are the engines that could transform the prospects of the entire region.

"But as far as secondary education is concerned they are not firing on all cylinders. In fact, they seem to be going into reverse."

In his latest annual report, published in December, Sir Michael warned that England is "a nation divided at age 11", with a performance gap between schools in the North and Midlands and those in the South.

The chief schools inspector called for Manchester and Liverpool to follow the example of London, which has seen a rise in school standards in recent years, and urged local politicians to take responsibility for their local schools, to challenge and support them to improve.

"I appreciate that it isn't easy and I accept that improvement can't happen overnight. I understand that it's a lot easier to teach children who don't come to school hungry, who live in homes filled with books, who have parents who are employed let alone university educated.

"Nor am I calling for a return to micro-management of schools by town halls or for new local educational powers. But I am talking about political will and vision."

Sir Michael's speech comes on the same day that Ofsted published an open letter to those responsible for education across Greater Manchester, which raises concerns that many pupils attending secondary schools in towns including Salford, Rochdale, Oldham and Manchester are not being properly prepared to go on to university, training or the workplace.

Councillor Nick Small, of Liverpool City Council said, "Sir Michael Wilshaw makes an excellent point. If our residents - and our young people - in particular don't have the right skills for the jobs of the future then the Northern Powerhouse will be an empty political slogan. If we're going to balance the UK economy so that cities like Liverpool can contribute more to UK growth then we need more powers to influence the whole education and skills system to make sure we're delivering what Liverpool businesses want."

Rosa Battle, of Manchester City Council, said: "We've been working non-stop with our schools over the last few years to improve outcomes in the city, and indeed latest figures show the number of pupils now attending good or better schools in Manchester is the same as that nationally - with a rate of improvement on this measure over the last four years that far outstrips national improvement.

"Our results last year obviously saw a dip, but - far from ignoring this - we've taken a long, hard look at the issues involved and have put a series of measures in place to overcome these, because we're simply not prepared to sit back and watch our pupils fail."

Malcolm Trobe, interim general-secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "Criticising the education of young people in whole cities and geographical areas does nothing to build confidence in our education system.

"School leaders accept that they must be accountable to parents and communities, but wholesale condemnation of local areas is not helpful and does not move us forward.

"This analysis is based on Ofsted judgements and the proportion of pupils gaining five GCSEs grade A* to C, including English and maths.

"However, it should be noted that the latter measure is being replaced this year by a measure which shows the progress students have made during their secondary school education. This is a better and fairer measure."

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "Thanks to the hard work of teachers across the country and our ambitious programme of reforms, there are now 1.4 million more pupils being taught in good or outstanding schools since 2010 - including 610,000 more pupils in good or outstanding schools in the North.

"This progress should not be ignored, but like Sir Michael Wilshaw we believe too many young people aren't being given a chance to fulfil their potential because of where they live, so we want to work with the sector to tackle those pockets of under-performance and extend opportunity to every single child."
A British backpacker who was reported missing in Thailand has been located, police said.

Grace Taylor, 21, was found at Krabi airport, where she was due to fly home to England on Monday.

Her mother, Sam Taylor, made a desperate appeal on social media for help finding her daughter after she failed to make contact and board the flight.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: "Dorset Police has been contacted by Interpol overnight and they have reported that missing woman Grace Taylor has been located at Krabi airport and is being cared for by an officer from the tourist police.

"Her family have been informed and arrangements are under way to bring Grace back to England."

Ms Taylor first raised the alarm after daughter Grace had failed to make contact with the family since February 16 while she was backpacking in Pattaya.

Grace then called her mother from Ao Nang, in Krabi province, on Monday and sounded "very stressed and frightened", Ms Taylor said in a post on Facebook.

The family, from Swanage, Dorset, booked her a flight from Krabi airport but Grace did not board the plane even though she was believed to have arrived there between 8.30pm and 9.30pm local time.
No working smoke alarms were found in the house where a fire left two young boys dead, the fire service has said.

Logan Taylor, three, and two-year-old Jake Casey were rushed to hospital on Saturday afternoon after the blaze in Huddersfield erupted but could not be saved.

Their mother and an older brother managed to flee the house in Alder Street before firefighters arrived.

Deputy chief fire officer Dave Walton said: "We can confirm that at the time of the fire, there were no working smoke alarms in the property.

"Further investigations are ongoing to determine the exact circumstances but we urge people to always have a working smoke alarm and to test it regularly."

He added: " Whilst early indications are that the cause of the fire is not suspicious, investigations are ongoing and it may be some days before we have a conclusive cause of the fire."

The fire was believed to have started in the front bedroom and a rescuer, thought to be a neighbour, tried to enter by climbing on a veranda at the back of the house.

The boys' father also dashed to the house, which the family had moved into around six months ago, to try to help, neighbours said.

The family's next door neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the mother was shouting, "Help me! Help me!", crying and screaming for assistance.

"We saw the smoke everywhere, a man tried to climb up to help but there was too much smoke, you could not see anything," she said.

"I asked the man, he said two children were still inside. Then the police and fire brigade came and they went inside.

"It's really shocking, everyone is in shock. My children were upset."

Family members have returned to the scene of the tragedy to leave flowers.

Fire crews will be in the area over the coming days offering fire safety advice and fitting smoke alarms where required.

West Yorkshire Police said the fire appeared to be a "tragic accident" but the investigation was continuing.
David Cameron has backed Secretary of State Theresa Villiers after calls for her to resign over her support for a UK exit from the EU.

The Northern Ireland Office also made clear that Mrs Villiers will remain in position unless the Prime Minister conducts an unexpected reshuffle.

Mr Cameron has allowed Cabinet ministers to campaign against remaining within the EU, and Mrs Villiers is part of a six-strong anti-EU group which also includes ministers Michael Gove and Chris Grayling,

Mr Cameron told the House of Commons: "The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland does an excellent job.

"She is exercising her ability to reach a personal decision and to campaign for Britain to leave the EU and that's absolutely right she is able to do that.

"I think the key thing is everybody in Northern Ireland should make up their own mind based on the evidence and I look forward to coming to try to help persuade them to remain in a reformed EU."

But Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood insisted Mrs Villiers should stand down.

Mr McGuinness said: "It's odd that Theresa Villiers should now be advocating withdrawing from the EU when its benefits for the North are quite obvious.

"It's not surprising, however, given the fact that she is not elected by and does not represent the people of the North that she should be so cut off from public opinion."

Mr Eastwood said Mrs Villiers had chose to "join the extremists and the eccentrics" and used her ministerial office "to lend weight to a campaign whose goals are in direct conflict with the interests of the people of Northern Ireland."

He said Mrs Villiers would have little choice except to resign if the result of the referendum on June 23 is to remain within the EU.

But a spokeswoman for Ms Villiers responded: "The Prime Minister has made clear ministers would be free to campaign in a personal capacity ahead of an EU referendum.

"The Secretary of State remains totally focused on her ongoing and determined efforts to build a brighter, more secure future for NI. To suggest otherwise is ludicrous."

Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance Party are all campaigning for the UK to remain inside the EU.

The DUP are backing Brexit while allowing individual members to vote to stay, and the executive of the Ulster Unionist Party is planning to meet next week to decide on their position.

But leader Mike Nesbitt has already said: "I would hope to recommend that we stay in."

The party had wanted to see the outcome of Mr Cameron's negotiations with the EU on a range of issues, but Mr Nesbitt had indicated a vote to leave could pose an "existential threat" to the UK.

That is due to fears that if a majority of voters in Scotland are in favour of remaining, another independence referendum in Scotland could be triggered.

"As I see it, as a unionist, Brexit is about uncertainty," he said at an event organised by the Centre for Cross-Border Studies.

DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster said: "At every stage in this European negotiation process we had hoped to see a fundamental change to our relationship with Europe.

"We see nothing in this deal that changes our outlook. Therefore we will on balance recommend a vote to leave the EU.

"We fully expect that DUP members and voters will hold a range of differing personal views as to what is in the best interests of the UK.

"They are entitled to do so during what will be a momentous political debate about the direction of travel our nation chooses."
The Queen smiles as she departs following a visit to the construction site of the Bond Street Crossrail Station in London

Mayor of London Boris Johnson waits with Crossrail workers to welcome the Queen at the new Crossrail Bond Street station

The Queen is applauded by workers as she walks with Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan

The Queen meets mayor of London Boris Johnson and Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin as she arrives at the construction site of the Bond Street Crossrail Station

The Queen meets Crossrail workers during a visit to the site of the new Crossrail Bond Street station

The Queen speaks with Mike Brown, London Transport Commissioner, at the tunnel entrance to one of the new platforms of the new Crossrail Bond Street station

The Queen formally unveils a new roundel for the Crossrail line

A new railway line which will run under London is to be named after the Queen.

Crossrail, which will link parts of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to Essex, will be known as the Elizabeth line once it opens through the centre of the capital in December 2018.

The announcement was made by London Mayor Boris Johnson as the Queen visited the under-construction Bond Street station.

She unveiled the purple Elizabeth line logo which will feature across the network, and wore an Angela Kelly lilac wool crepe dress with matching coat and hat for the occasion.

The Queen was taken in an industrial lift to the site 92ft (28m) below ground, where she viewed part of the railway tunnel and met construction apprentices dressed in bright orange jackets and trousers.

Mr Johnson said: "Crossrail is already proving a huge success for the UK economy and, as we move closer to bringing this transformative new railway into service, I think it's truly wonderful that such a significant line for our capital will carry such a significant name from our country.

"As well as radically improving travel right across our city, the Elizabeth line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest-serving monarch."

The Queen became the first reigning monarch to travel on the London Underground in 1969 when she opened the Victoria line.

In 1979 the Jubilee line was opened by the Prince of Wales, two years after celebrations to mark 25 years since the Queen's accession to the throne.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, who also attended the Crossrail event, described the naming of the Elizabeth line as "very fitting" given the Queen's long association with UK transport.

The network will stretch from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

A fleet of new 656ft (200m) long trains with nine walk-through air-conditioned carriages will run on the line.

The network will be opened in several phases, beginning with the Liverpool Street to Shenfield route in May next year.

Some 24 trains an hour will run in each direction in the central London tunnels when they open in December 2018. The full through service to Reading is due to begin in December 2019.

London's Transport Commissioner Mike Brown said: "In running this important new railway we will ensure that it serves as a fitting tribute to Her Majesty the Queen."
Zahera Tariq, thought to be the sister-in-law of the suspected new Jihadi John, was jailed for trying to take her children to Syria (Metropolitan Police/PA)

The suspected sister-in-law of the man thought to be the new Jihadi John has been jailed for trying to take her children to Syria.

Mother Zahera Tariq was handed a three-year jail term after being convicted of four counts of abduction by a jury at London's Southwark Crown Court.

Tariq, 33, is believed to be related through her sister to Siddhartha Dhar, also known as Jihadi Sid, the Londoner suspected of being an Islamic State (IS) leader in Syria.

Tariq and her children, aged five to 12, travelled to Amsterdam while her husband was at work, the trial heard.

The family then went to Turkey and were detained three days later, on August 29 last year, in Kilis, Turkey, close to Syrian territory held by IS.

Tariq, from Edmonton in north London, said her sister Aisha went to Syria with her children in 2014 to join her husband, believed to be Dhar.

The defendant said she took her four children because she thought her sister, the children's aunt, "would see them and her heart would melt".

She said she had a "close" relationship with her younger sibling and added: "We had gone through some beautiful times with our children."

The British national, who was born in London, married her husband, also her first cousin, in 2000 in Pakistan where their family is originally from.

Their three sons suffered from various medical conditions, including severe asthma and hereditary eye problems.

She insisted she had discussed her plans with her husband but he had refused to go with them.

Tariq denied four charges of abduction but was convicted by a jury on Tuesday.

Commander Dean Haydon, from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "I would like to praise the Turkish authorities for their vigilance and action in stopping the woman and her children, who were close to the Syrian border at the time.

"The children, who were returned to the UK, are now safe and well."
Services supporting the elderly and disabled are said to be at breaking point

Vital support services for the elderly and vulnerable are at risk despite most councils planning to hike up bills to meet spiralling costs, town hall leaders have warned.

A 2% increase on council tax bills to boost funding for social care is set to be imposed by nine out of ten English local authorities, research has found.

But the 372 million the new fundraising powers is expected to generate will not meet the gap in funding, according to the Local Government Association.

Councillor Nick Forbes, LGA vice chair, said town halls had "no choice but to ask residents to pay more council tax" over the next few years and warned there was still a real threat of a crisis in care.

He added: "At the same time, they are warning communities that despite council tax rising, the quality and quantity of services on offer could drop, as the income will not be enough to offset the full impact of further funding reductions next year and with the national living wage bringing a significant further cost pressure from April.

"Councils will continue to do all they can to maintain the services that older and vulnerable people rely on but services supporting the elderly and disabled are at breaking point. It cannot be left to council taxpayers alone to try and fix them.

"Vulnerable members of the community still face an uncertain future next year where the dignified care and support they deserve, such as help getting dressed, fed or getting out and about, remains at risk. Vital social care services will increasingly be unable to help ease the growing pressure on the NHS and the threat of a care home crisis is still very real."

The LGA found 90% of councils with responsibility for social care are considering or have approved plans to add an extra 2% on the tax bill in 2016/17 to fund the service under new powers introduced by the Government.

Its analysis showed nine councils - City of London, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Merton, Redcar & Cleveland and Stoke-on-Trent - will not use the new precept.

Vicky McDermott, who chairs the Care and Support Alliance representing more than 75 national charities, said: "Councils have been placed into a difficult position affecting people's lives. For many people in the social care system, they will only see their lives get worse, not better. In order to alleviate a degree of suffering, the Government should bring forward the money earmarked to the Better Care Fund in the Budget.

"The Government continues to ask local councils to achieve the impossible while they ration central government funds for adult social care."

A Government spokesman said: "Supporting those most in need is an absolute priority and we have provided a 3.5 billion social care package - compared to the 2.9 billion councils said they needed.

"Councils will have almost 200 billion to spend on local services, over the lifetime of this Parliament.

"This means councils can deliver services their residents value, while council tax bills are expected to be lower in real terms by the end of this Parliament than they were in 2010."
A new study claims the more TV people watch the thinner a female body they prefer

The more television people watch the thinner a female body they prefer, according to a new study.

Claiming to have proved a direct link between TV and female body ideals, researchers said they were able to isolate the effects of media exposure from other cultural and ecological factors.

Assessing groups of people from rural Nicaragua, they grouped them into having different levels of access to Western media.

This included people from an urban area, a village with television access, and a village with little television access.

And it was found that the highest Body Mass Index (BMI) preferences were found in the village with the least media access, while those living in urban areas preferred thinner female bodies.

Co-leader on the research Dr Martin Tovee, a reader in visual cognition at Newcastle University's Institute of Neuroscience, said: "Our study shows that television is having a significant impact on what people think is the ideal woman's body.

"Nicaragua provides a unique opportunity to study media effects as we were able to minimise variance in potential confounding factors and focus on the influence of visual media.

"The differences in television access allowed us to explore how media exposure affects the size and shape women aspire to be.

"Findings revealed that the more television exposure people receive, the thinner a female body women and men prefer - the amount of media access directly predicts body ideals.

"Overall these results strongly implicate television access in establishing risk factors for body image dissatisfaction."

The study, published in the British Journal of Psychology, was conducted on the remote Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua, in two villages off the Pearl Lagoon Basin.

The villages were selected because their inhabitants have differing access to electricity and to the media, while at the same time sharing similar environmental and cultural constraints.

All were tested individually and asked to identify how much television they watched. Those who had access to TV reported watching programmes such as soap operas, imported US films and music videos.

Images of women's bodies were shown and participants were required to rate them for attractiveness on a scale of one to five.

Co-leader Dr Lynda Boothroyd, senior lecturer in psychology at Durham University, said: "Internalisation of a thin ideal is a well-established risk factor for body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in the West.

"Our data strongly suggests that access to televisual media is itself a risk factor for holding thin body ideals, at least for female body shape, in a population who are only just gaining access to television."
Four suspected members of a jihadi cell have been arrested

Spanish and Moroccan police have arrested four suspected members of a jihadi cell that sought to recruit fighters for the Islamic State group.

Three people were arrested in Spain's North African enclave city of Ceuta while a Moroccan was arrested in the Moroccan border town of Farkhana, next to Melilla, Spain's other North African territory.

One of those detained in Ceuta was a former Guantanamo Bay detainee who once fought with militants in Afghanistan. He was not named by Spanish authorities but was described as "a leader who was trained in handling weapons, explosives and in military tactics".

Another was the brother of a fighter who carried out a 2013 suicide attack against the Syrian military, a Moroccan government statement said.

The suspects had set up contacts to try to acquire weapons and bomb-making materials and were aiming "to carry out terrorist acts in Spanish territory", the statement said, without specifying possible targets.

They also worked to recruit teenagers from Ceuta to join IS in Iraq and Syria, the Spanish Interior Ministry said.

Spanish police arrested about 100 suspected Islamic extremists last year and more than 600 in total since the 2004 train bombings in Madrid that killed 191 people and injured nearly 2,000.
I average 50% of my traffic from the world outside of the USA. That is delighful, and I hope the world is well served by this blog.





Of the world nations represented in my traffic, Russia and Canada are tied for second place after the USA. Tell a friend about us. This is NOT an imperialist blog site. God cares just as much for you as he does for me, and God is not a nationalist.





The Bible, Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Bill Cosby's wife, who has publicly stood by him as he faces dozens of sex assault allegations, will return to answer even more questions under oath , after being deposed in a defamation action filed against him by seven accusers.

The deposition, believed to be the first Camille Cosby has given since dozens of women came forward to accuse her entertainer husband of sexual assault, was given under heavy security at the Springfield Marriott hotel in Massachusetts.

Mrs Cosby and her legal team met lawyers for the seven women suing her husband for about seven or eight hours. A lawyer for the women, Joseph Cammarata, said she spent about two and a half hours answering questions and the rest of the time was a back-and-forth between lawyers on what she could or should answer.

He said a judge had to be contacted twice.

Mr Cammarata would not characterise his questions to Mrs Cosby, but said she was in a unique position to know a lot about her 78-year-old husband because she had been married to him for 52 years and has been his business manager.

"She's his wife," he said. "She has the ability to live with him, be with him ... understand who he associates with."

When asked afterwards about her demeanour under questioning, he replied: "She was someone that was reserved, and I got the sense she really didn't want to be there."

Her lawyers, who had tried to block the deposition, had no comment. Mrs Cosby continues the deposition on March 14.

After numerous women went public with sex assault allegations against Bill Cosby, Mrs Cosby, 71, issued a supportive statement, calling him "a kind man, a generous man, a funny man, and a wonderful husband, father and friend".

"He is the man you thought you knew," she said in December 2014.

She also suggested that her husband, not the women, was the party being harmed.

"None of us will ever want to be in the position of attacking a victim," she said. "But the question should be asked - who is the victim?"

The women claim Bill Cosby defamed them by branding them liars after they went public with their allegations.

Lawyers for Cosby and his wife have argued that she does not have any information on the accuracy of the women's claims and that her conversations with him are confidential under the state marital disqualification rule.

The Cosbys have a home in Shelburne Falls, about an hour's drive from Springfield, where the lawsuit, seeking unspecified damages, was filed. They have four children; a fifth died.

The women in the defamation case are among about 50 who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct.

In December, Cosby, who played Dr Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992, was charged in Pennsylvania with drugging and sexually assaulting a former Temple University employee at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He has pleaded not guilty.

This month, a judge denied a motion by his lawyers to dismiss the charges. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 8.

Cosby's lawyers have said in court papers the deposition was "nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to pressure (the) defendant in the face of subjecting his wife to the shame and embarrassment of responding to questions about his alleged infidelities and sexual misconduct".
Bill Gates likened the Apple case to the police getting records from a phone company

Bill Gates has sided against Apple - and many other technology companies - in saying the firm should help the US government hack into a locked iPhone as part of the investigation into the San Bernardino shootings.

Apple has resisted providing a piece of programming that would help the FBI access the phone, arguing that governments, both in the US and overseas, are likely to use the programme in other cases, undermining data privacy.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Microsoft founder Mr Gates said: "This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information." He likened it to the police getting records from a phone company.

Apple chief Tim Cook has resisted a federal magistrate's order to hack its own users, and t he heads of many other tech companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google have sided with him.

Mr Cook said such a move would undermine encryption by creating a back door that could potentially be used on other devices.

Fourteen people were killed on December 2 when a married couple opened fire on the husband's colleagues at an office lunch gathering in San Bernardino, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles.

American-born Syed Farook, 28, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 29, from Pakistan, pledged allegiance to a leader of the Islamic State group on Facebook moments before the shooting. Both were later killed in a gun battle with police.

Meanwhile, Mr Gates and his wife Melinda have called on young people to get involved in solving major world problems such as finding clean energy sources and equality for women.

The couple, who chair the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest private philanthropic organisation in the world, have made a tradition of releasing an annual letter and t his year's edition calls on the young to be a driving force of innovation and change.

In her section of the letter, Mrs Gates condemns the disparity in unpaid household labour between men and women, saying that it is a problem that responsibilities for maintaining a home, raising children and caring for the elderly still fall primarily on women and girls.

She said young people could help change cultural norms.

"The way we change societal norms is by role-modelling publicly what the right thing to do is," Mrs Gates said.

Her husband, talking about the importance of cheap, clean energy, called on young people to study hard and come forward with ideas for what he called "an energy miracle".

"When I say 'miracle', I don't mean something's that impossible," he wrote.

"I've seen miracles happen before. The personal computer. The internet. The polio vaccine. None of them happened by chance. They are the result of research and development and the human capacity to innovate."
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has said he would like to punch a protester in the face, bemoaning the "old days" when he said the man would have been taken out of the event on a stretcher.

The billionaire businessman made the comments as security staff escorted the protester from a Las Vegas arena filled with thousands of Trump supporters on the eve of the Nevada caucuses.

The guards were being "very gentle", Mr Trump said, allowing the man to walk out of the arena smiling.

"You know what I hate? There's a guy totally disruptive, throwing punches. We're not allowed to punch back any more," he said.

Reporters did not see why the man was ejected, and it was unclear whether he had actually thrown any punches.

But Mr Trump continued: "I love the old days. You know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They'd be carried out in a stretcher, folks."

The crowd thundered in agreement.

"I'd like to punch him in the face," Mr Trump added.

Mr Trump continued to lash out at rival Ted Cruz, telling the crowd: "This guy is sick. There's something wrong with this guy."

He took specific issue with an ad Mr Cruz's campaign has been showing that accuses Mr Trump of being against turning over government land in Nevada to state control.

But Mr Trump said it was "not a subject I know anything about".

"Something to do with I want to take away your land? And I want to keep it in the federal government? I don't even know what the hell they're talking about," he said.

Texas senator Mr Cruz, meanwhile, said he liked the thought of Democrat hopeful Hillary Clinton behind bars.

The Texas senator suggested that when one of his supporters at a rally in Elko, Nevada, shouted that he should "put Hillary in jail" if he is elected in November.

Mr Cruz paused, then responded: "With any luck, she'll be there already."

The capacity crowd cheered at the suggestion that the former US secretary of state who has been dogged by questions about her private email use at the state department should be locked up.

Mr Cruz later added "I am told the Democrats are opening up a new polling place at Leavenworth" - a reference to the federal prison in Kansas.
Police and fire officials near the scene of the house fire and multiple shooting (AP)

A six-year-old girl has died in a shooting and house fire that left five family members dead, including the gunman.

Police in Phoenix, Arizona, in the US, said the gunman was the brother or son of the victims.

Police officers dodged bullets and wore breathing gear to enter the burning home to help the victims while the gunman was still alive. Some firefighters stood on the roof to extinguish flames bursting from the home.

The mayor of Phoenix Greg Stanton praised the heroism of police officers and firefighters and said the incident involved "unspeakable violence".

A Fire Department spokeswoman said the gunman set the house on fire.

Police Sgt Trent Crump said an emergency caller from the home described the shooting as a domestic situation.
Dr Erin Staples is starting work on a study to determine whether the Zika virus causes babies to be born with microcephaly (AP)

International teams of health workers are fanning out across one of Brazil's poorest states in a study to determine whether the Zika virus is causing babies to be born with unusually small heads.

Brazil's health minister Marcelo Castro says he is "absolutely sure" mosquito-borne Zika is responsible for a surge in cases of the rare birth defect microcephaly, which sees babies born with small heads and brains and can cause severe developmental problems.

But with scant scientific literature published on the matter, some doctors in Brazil and elsewhere say there is not yet enough data to prove the connection.

Jointly run by the Brazil's health ministry and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the study is intended to fill that vacuum by comparing babies with microcephaly and their mothers to babies without the condition.

The popular "understanding is that Zika virus (behind the microcephaly spike). How much of that is Zika virus is really one of the important goals of this study," said Dr Erin Staples, a Colorado-based epidemiologist who heads the CDC contingent in Paraiba state.

"I do believe there is something occurring that is unique and knowable, but we really need to understand better, mostly so we can prevent this from happening to other generations."

Eight teams made up of one CDC staffer and three Brazilian health workers will knock on the doors of several hundred randomly-selected families with infants throughout Paraiba, a north-eastern coastal state that is one of the country's least developed.

The teams hope to recruit at least 130 babies with microcephaly and their mothers and two to three times that number of mothers and babies without the condition, all born in the same areas and at around the same time.

The researchers will take blood samples from mothers and babies that will be sent to labs in Brazil and the United States to test for Zika and dengue, a similar virus also transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

The idea is to determine whether mothers whose babies have microcephaly were infected with Zika and if so, when during their pregnancies.

Teams will also be on the lookout for other factors that, possibly in conjunction with Zika, could be behind Brazil's increase in microcephaly, such as a prior infection with dengue, toxoplasmosis or the ingestion of toxins.

"If we can provide some basic information or show a potential association, that will allow us another avenue of how do we prevent this and what do we need to do next," Dr Staples said.

The recruitment process is expected to take four to five weeks, but the timetable will largely depend on how receptive potential subjects are.

At a training session in the state capital of Joao Pessoa, the field teams rehearsed how they will reach out to families and discussed ethical concerns, including how to react to reticence from potential subjects and how many times it is appropriate to prick babies to try to draw blood.

The language barrier proved a stumbling block at the training session, with the Brazilian and American team members often resorting to pantomime as they ran through the scripts they are to recite to potential subjects in the Portuguese-speaking nation.

Priscila Leite, who leads the health ministry's contingent, said she expected recruitment numbers to be high given the level of alarm about Zika in Brazil - particularly in the north east, the epicentre of the country's Zika and microcephaly outbreaks.

"There is a lot of anxiety out there and people really want to understand what's going on," she said.

In Paraiba alone, 56 cases of microcephaly have been confirmed since October and 423 suspected cases are under investigation, the health ministry says. In previous years, Brazil tended to average around 150 cases nationwide.

Sceptics have said microcephaly cases may have been greatly underreported in Brazil in the past because local health officials were not required to notify the health ministry about cases of the condition until November.

They also note the microcephaly spike appears to be largely restricted to Brazil, with few cases reported in other countries with Zika outbreaks, such as neighbouring Colombia.

But Dr Staples said she tended to lean towards the health ministry's view.

"I come from a paediatric infectious disease background and am also a mom, so looking at these children clinically, they were distinct from other congenital infections I've seen," said the specialist, who spent time in Brazil during a World Health Organisation mission.

"The scope and the size of the children who were presenting (microcephaly) at the same time, it really made it apparent to me that there was something unique happening in this situation."
John Kerry was central to the negotiations between the US and Russia (AP)

The Syrian government and opposition groups have given qualified acceptance to a proposed truce in the country's devastating civil war.

The government said it accepts the ceasefire, but added that operations will continue against the Islamic State group and al Qaida's branch in Syria.

A Foreign Ministry statement also said government forces will have the right to respond to any violation by insurgents.

The official Syrian announcement came a day after the US and Russia agreed a ceasefire that will take effect on Saturday.

The main umbrella group for Syrian opposition and rebel groups said it "agrees to a temporary truce" as long as the main opposition demands are met.

The High Negotiations Committee said in a statement issued after a meeting in Saudi Arabia late on Monday that it "has given its acceptance of international efforts for a cessation of hostilities in Syria".

The HNC said "acceptance of the truce is conditional" to the Syrian government ending its siege of 18 rebel-held areas, releasing detainees and the end of aerial and artillery bombardment.

Indirect peace talks between the Syrian government and HNC collapsed on February 3 because of a large-scale government offensive.

The deal came after the US and Russia, backing opposing sides in the conflict, said they had finalised the details of a "cessation of hostilities" between President Bashar Assad's government and armed opposition groups after five years of violence that has killed more than 250,000 people.

The truce will not cover the Islamic State group, the al Qaida-linked Nusra Front and any other militias designated as terrorist organisations by the UN Security Council.

Where in Syria the fighting must stop and where counter-terrorism operations can continue must still be addressed, and the five-page plan released by the US State Department leaves open how breaches of the ceasefire will be identified or punished.

The announcement came after presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone on Monday, capping weeks of intense diplomacy to stem the violence so Mr Assad's government and "moderate" rebel forces might return to peace talks in Geneva.

Turkey's deputy prime minister said his country supports the ceasefire agreement but suggested that its military could continue firing on Syrian Kurdish groups in Syria if their militia "attack" Turkey.

Turkey has been shelling US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia positions in Syria, maintaining that it is responding to attacks or provocations.

Numan Kurtulmus also said that while Turkey welcomes the provisional truce for Syria, it has "reservations and fears" about possible continued Russian air strikes on civilians.

Turkey's prime minister accused Russia and Syria, along with Islamic State militants and US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia, of attempting to form a "terror belt" along its border with Syria and said his country will not let it happen.

In a weekly address to legislators from his ruling party, Ahmet Davutoglu said the aim is to establish a terror "structure" - made up of IS and the US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia group YPG - in Syria's north.

Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organisation because of its links to Turkey's outlawed Kurdish rebels.

"Turkey is aware of these games aiming to make Turkey a neighbour with a terror structure and will not allow it," Mr Davutoglu said.

Meanwhile, IS captured an important town in northern Syria, cutting supply lines for government forces between the northern city of Aleppo and central and western Syria.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS fighters captured Khanaser along with 12 hills around it.

The Aamaq news agency, which is affiliated with the extremist group, also reported that IS fighters are in "full control" of Khanaser, south-east of Aleppo.

The capture of Khanaser comes a day after Islamic militias assaulted government-held positions around the town, setting off intense clashes.

Khanaser lies along the government's only access route to Aleppo, Syria's largest city and former commercial centre.

Elsewhere, the UN said new humanitarian aid deliveries are planned for two suburbs of Syria's capital, Damascus, in the "coming days".

Spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said the deliveries to Moadamiyeh and Kfar Batna will follow other deliveries of aid to besieged areas of Syria in recent weeks.
Delegations from Afghanistan, Pakistan, the US and China discuss a road map for ending the war with the Taliban (AP)

Four countries trying to end Afghanistan's 15-year war with the Taliban have announced that direct talks between the Afghan government and the insurgent group will take place next week.

Representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the US met in the Afghan capital for a fourth round of discussions to set conditions for eventual peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban.

In a joint statement, they invited insurgents to join the talks, which will be the first between the two sides since the peace process was restarted last month. Efforts to bring the warring sides together last year were derailed when Kabul revealed that the Taliban's leader Mullah Mohammad Omar had been dead for more than two years.

The four countries have now "expressed strong support for the upcoming direct talks between the government of Afghanistan and authorised representatives of the Taliban and other groups". The talks will take place in Pakistan.

The delegations were led by Afghan deputy foreign minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, Pakistan's foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan Yao Jing, and US charge d'affaires in Kabul David Lindwall.

They said they would meet again immediately after the direct Kabul-Taliban talks.

It was the fourth meeting of the so-called Quadrilateral Co-operation Group which earlier called on the Taliban to enter peace talks with Kabul and work towards cutting violence that has killed thousands of Afghan civilians since the insurgency started almost 15 years ago.

It is believed that Taliban leaders, who fled across the Pakistan border to escape the 2001 US invasion, are being harboured by Pakistani authorities, in particular the ISI intelligence agency, in cities including Quetta, Karachi and Peshawar.

While Pakistan denies providing safe havens for the insurgents, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has led accusations that the Taliban is a proxy force for Islamabad's regional interests.
A commuter train has derailed after slamming into a crane crossing the tracks in the Netherlands, killing the train's driver and injuring seven passengers.

Police said they detained the driver of the crane for questioning as part of their investigation into the cause of the crash.

The accident left the train's four carriages lying on their sides scattered in waterlogged fields and across the rails outside the town of Dalfsen, 80 miles east of Amsterdam.

Dalfsen mayor Hans Noten said the train was almost empty.

"In the rush hour, this train would have been totally full," he said.

Mr Noten said the train, which was travelling between the eastern cities of Emmen and Zwolle, was at full speed when it crashed into the crane, though he did not elaborate on how fast it was moving.

The crash happened at a rail crossing with barriers that should stop road traffic as trains pass, according to Prorail, the company that manages the Dutch railway network. Investigators are at the scene to establish the cause.

Mr Noten said the train's driver had been confirmed dead. Two injured people were taken to hospital and five more were treated at the scene and released.
A test at the FAAs technical centre in Atlantic City, New Jersey, shows a blaze in a cargo container packed with 5,000 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (FAA/AP)

A United Nations panel has backed a temporary ban on cargo shipments of rechargeable lithium batteries on passenger planes that can create intense fires capable of destroying an aircraft.

The decision by the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organisation's top-level governing council is not binding, but most countries follow the agency's standards. The ban is effective on April 1.

"This interim prohibition will continue to be in force as separate work continues through ICAO on a new lithium battery packaging performance standard, currently expected by 2018," said Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, the ICAO council's president.

US Transportation Department spokeswoman Namrata Kolachalam called the ban "a necessary action to protect passengers, crews, and aircraft from the current risk to aviation safety".

Lithium-ion batteries are used in a vast array of products from mobile phones and laptops to some electric cars. About 5.4 billion lithium-ion cells were manufactured worldwide in 2014.

A battery is made up of two or more cells. A majority of batteries are transported on cargo ships, but about 30% are shipped by air.

Airlines flying to and from the US that accept lithium battery shipments carry 26 million passengers a year, the Federal Aviation Administration estimates.

The Rechargeable Battery Association (PRBA), which opposed the ban, said the industry was preparing to comply with it, but there may be "significant disruption in the logistics supply chain", especially for batteries used in medical devices.

Aviation authorities have long known that the batteries can self-ignite, creating fires that are hotter than 593C (1,100F) - near the melting point of aluminium, which is used in aircraft construction.

Safety concerns increased after FAA tests showed gases emitted by overheated batteries could build up in cargo containers, leading to explosions capable of disabling aircraft fire suppression systems and allowing fires to rage unchecked.

As a result of the tests, an organisation representing aircraft manufacturers, including the world's two largest, Boeing and Airbus, said last year that airliners were not designed to withstand lithium battery fires and continuing to accept battery shipments was "an unacceptable risk".

More than other types, li-ion batteries are susceptible to short-circuit if they are damaged, exposed to extreme temperatures, overcharged, packed too close together or contain manufacturing defects.

When they short-circuit, the batteries can experience uncontrolled temperature increases known as "thermal runaway". That, in turn, can spread short-circuiting to nearby batteries until an entire shipment is overheating and emitting explosive gases.

It is not unusual for tens of thousands of batteries to be shipped in a single cargo container.

Three cargo jets have been destroyed and four pilots killed in in-flight fires since 2006 that accident investigators say were either started by batteries or made more severe by their proximity. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations lobbied the ICAO council unsuccessfully to extend the ban to cargo carriers.

"This has been a long time coming, and is justified by the risk these batteries pose in transportation," said Mark Rogers of the Air Line Pilots Association in North America.

"We now call on ICAO to recogniise that the same risk is present on cargo aircraft and to extend the prohibition to all aircraft, until safe methods of transport can be implemented."

Besides the ban on shipments on passenger planes, the ICAO also approved a requirement that batteries shipped on cargo planes be no more than 30% charged, and imposed new limits on small packages of batteries.

Dozens of airlines have already voluntarily stopped accepting battery shipments, but others oppose a ban.

Dutch airline KLM made a presentation to a lower-level ICAO panel arguing against a ban, according to an aviation official familiar with the presentation. KLM and Air France are owned by a Franco-Dutch holding company. Representatives from the Netherlands and France on the dangerous goods panel voted last autumn against a ban.

The battery industry and manufacturers of consumer electronics that rely on the batteries also opposed the ban. The ban does not apply to batteries packaged inside equipment like a laptop with a battery inside, for example.

ICAO's decision frees the US Transportation Department to begin work on regulations to impose a ban. A law passed by Congress in 2012 at the behest of industry prohibits the department from issuing any regulations regarding air shipments of lithium batteries that are more stringent than ICAO standards unless there is a crash that can be shown to have been started by batteries.

Since most evidence in crashes is destroyed by fire, that is virtually impossible to do, critics of the provision say.

Republican congressman John Mica, the author of the provision, has said that since batteries are an international industry there should be a single, international standard because it would be too confusing for shippers to follow multiple rules.
Residents crowd around a tanker delivering drinking water at a slum in New Delhi (AP)

Engineers are working to restore New Delhi's full water supply after protesters damaged a key canal in a neighbouring state and disrupted supplies over the weekend.

Some supplies resumed to northern and central parts of the city, and could reach western neighbourhoods by Tuesday evening, said water minister Kapil Mishra.

Seventy water tankers have been sent to western areas where taps have been dry for up to two days.

The destruction of the Munak canal link by protesters in the state of Haryana highlights the extreme water vulnerability faced by the Indian capital's 18 million residents.

The canal, which channels water from north Indian rivers, accounts for about 60% of the city's water supply. Another 25% comes from groundwater, while the polluted Yamuna River supplies about 12%.

Even when the Munak canal flow is unimpeded, the overall supply is not enough to meet New Delhi's needs, and shortages are common during dry seasons.

The situation is especially bad for the most marginal communities living in slums or riverside shanties, where many rely on sewage-tainted river water, leaks from broken pipes or deliveries by municipal water trucks.

Others in New Delhi draw heavily from the ground, leading the city's aquifer levels to decline by 13ft in the last decade, according to the Central Ground Water Board.

When protesters from the underprivileged Jat community breached the canal wall on Saturday, they effectively cut off about two-thirds of New Delhi's water. The Jats, traditionally a farming community in India's ancient system of caste hierarchy, were demanding quotas in government jobs and educational institutions.

Clashes between the protesters and government forces left 12 people dead before Jat leaders agreed on Monday to end the demonstrations while negotiating with officials, and the army took control of the canal.

Authorities in New Delhi had issued warnings over the weekend of impending water shortages, advising residents to use the resource sparingly and cancelling all school classes on Monday.

But while some residents were filling buckets and bottles in case the situation worsened, others, including many wealthier households that rely on groundwater, were shielded from the crisis.

Delhi water board authorities are working with experts in the army and Haryana state to repair the damage done by the protesters, said Mr Mishra. Of the city's three water treatment plants, one is working at full capacity, while the other two have resumed limited operations.
Ann Travers (Write Back, February 18) understandably regards Sinn Fein's attitude to the judiciary and the Special Criminal Court in Dublin as insulting. Ms Travers has, indeed, suffered greatly as a consequence of attempts to kill her father, who was a member of the judiciary.

However, I am of the view that jury-less special courts can create more problems than they are believed to solve.

Does Ms Travers not acknowledge it was the flagrant disregard for civil liberties and civil rights in the North - and, by association, Britain - that was the embryo for what emerged in 1968? Who can evaluate the poison generated by the rulings of Widgery, Lord Denning and others? In the Irish State we are lucky as our constitution, which zealously guards citizens' rights, is highly valued and robustly defended by the Supreme Court.

One respected member of the judiciary - the late Cearbhall O Dalaigh - felt obliged to stand down as President of Ireland due to ad hominem attacks for exercising his power to refer suspect legislation back to the Supreme Court for adjudication. This was a case of putting political principle before political expediency.

After the setting up of the jury-less Special Criminal Court, it was inevitable policing standards would drop. The behaviour and attitudes of courts are a determining factor in the behaviour of both police and politicians.

It was seen that, if the courts were taking shortcuts to get convictions, then the police could do the same. The Garda 'heavy gang' emerged shortly after the Special Criminal Court was established and quickly became embroiled in claims of ill-treatment of suspects in custody.

Nicky Kelly, convicted in the Special Criminal Court of the 1976 Sallins train robbery, was a victim of an appalling miscarriage of justice. Surely the primary function of our judicial system should be to dispense justice, not to dispense with justice?

TOM COOPER

Dublin
The general wedding run down  couple says I do, first dance, toast, cake cutting, and then the bride and groom toss the bouquet and garter belt. Then the happy newlyweds ride off into the sunset with a just married sign displayed on their coat tails  okay well maybe they dont necessarily ride off into the sun, but you get the idea. However, with so many different cultures in the world today there are a wide variety of wedding traditions that are not so common.

Blackening, Scotland: The Scottish tradition calls for the bride, groom or perhaps both parties to be taken out on the day before their wedding, plied with alcohol, and covered in treacle, ash, feathers, and flour by their friends and family. Apparently these measures will help the couple avoid evil spirits and bring good luck in the future.

Croquembouche, France: For residents of Croquembouche, France most couples opt out of a wedding cake and serve croquembouche which is a tower of cream filled pastry puffs. These delightful treats can be dipped in a number of sauces and are usually decorated with fruit, nuts and an assortment of glazes. While a tower of puff pastries sounds amazing the rest of the tradition is much less appealing. In La Soupe, the leftover croquembouche is gathered into a toilet from which the bride and groom must eat for good luck. As times have become more modernized, couples have opted to eat out of a toilet like bowl.

Kenya: The father of the bride spits on his daughters head and chest before the ceremony blessing her with good fortune.

Polterabend, Germany: Family and friends smash dishware outside the homes of the soon-to-be happily married couple on the night before the wedding. The tradition was started a long time ago however, theres no particular reason why this custom is carried out.

Tujia, China: Brides and their families go through a ton of tissues in Tujia. A month prior to the wedding, the bride is supposed to cry one hour every day. Ten days into the sob session the mother of the bride joins in on the tearful crying sessions and then ten days later the grandmother does the same. By the end of the month every female in the family is crying alongside the bride. Supposedly this tradition is supposed to express the joy of the women weeping in different tones  similar to a song.

Fiji: Its customary for men to ask their future father-in-law for his daughters hand in marriage. However, in Fiji the man is also expected to bring a whale tooth. The tooth represents the grooms commitment to the relationship and reflects his willingness to go to the greatest depths for the bride.

Congo: In Congo, the bride and groom are not allowed to smile at all during their wedding ceremony. Its considered bad luck to smile or laugh during a wedding service.

Angela Guzman is an Editor at Beliefnet.com.
Indian Army personnel patrol in Rohtak following a series of protests by the states Jat caste, Feb. 20, 2016.

Violence continued across north Indias Haryana state Monday as members of a socially disadvantaged group refused to end their push for government jobs even after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) agreed to give in to their demand.

Three people from the Jat community were killed in Sonipat city when security forces opened fire at stone-pelting mobs that blockaded key highways and railway lines, pushing the death toll to 19 late Monday.

Fresh incidents of arson and violence also erupted in several other districts of the state, with protesters setting fire to vehicles, railway stations and a freight train.

On Sunday, the government agreed to present a draft bill in the next session of Haryana assembly to include Jats, a Hindu group considered socially and economically backward, in the quota system for government jobs and admission to educational institutes.

But Jat leaders refused to accept the promise, saying they will not end the agitation, which has spread to neighboring Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh states, unless the government gives a written assurance.

The BJP government has been bluffing us for so long. This protest will go on and spread to other parts of the country until our demands are met, Satpal Chaudhary, a senior member of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti, told BenarNews.

He said the protests by Jats, who form 26 percent of the population in Haryana, was a result of state Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattars decision to scrap an additional quota in government jobs for the group.

(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi had assured us in a meeting early last year that his government would cure the defects cited by the Supreme Court and ask the top court to reconsider the matter. Its been a year, but nothing has been done about it, he said.

Quota system

On July 22, 2015, the Supreme Court dismissed a review petition to reconsider its 2014 order removing Jats from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, which has a 27 percent quota for government jobs and educational institutes.

According to the current quota system, 15 percent of seats in government jobs and colleges are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and 7.5 percent for Scheduled Tribes (ST), besides 27 percent for OBCs and 3 percent for people with disabilities, totaling 52.5 percent.

Although the Supreme Court has capped the caste-based quota at 50 percent, several states exceed this limit and are under litigation before the apex court.

The scheme of caste-based reservations in Indian educational institutions, government jobs and promotions was implemented in 1990 following recommendation from the Mandal Commission, which was appointed by the government to assess the situation of socially and educationally disadvantaged groups.

Massive losses

The unprecedented violence in Haryana has forced the government to impose curfew in eight worst-affected districts of the state, with shoot-at-sight orders in many places.

As many as 47 teams from the paramilitary force, along with the army and police, have been deployed in the state.

More than 100 people have been arrested for allegedly instigating violence that has injured more than 250 people.

We are trying to bring the situation under control. Several security teams are working on the ground to control mobs and apprehend nuisance makers, Saurabh Singh, superintendent of Police in Rohtak district, told BenarNews.

Nearly 1,000 trains running through Haryana have been canceled over the nine days of protest, creating havoc for commuters.

The Associated Chambers of Commerce in India claimed property losses of Rs 20,000 crore (nearly $3 billion U.S.) caused by the protests.

In what is being described as the worst violence to hit Haryana, protesters on Saturday set ablaze Haryana Finance Minister Abhimanyu Sindhus house.

This is certainly not the way you press for your demands. There is no milk at the booths here and petrol pumps have become dry. We cannot move around anywhere, Ashok Singh, a resident of Bhiwani, told BenarNews.


For Immediate Release, February 22, 2016 Contact: Kristen Monsell, (914) 806-3467, kmonsell@biologicaldiversity.org Obama Administration Review Ignores Dangers of Offshore Fracking in California Cursory Analysis Comes Just Three Weeks After Settling Lawsuit LOS ANGELES Three weeks after agreeing to take a hard look at offshore frackings threats to Californias coast, the Obama administration has released a draft environmental assessment from the Department of the Interior that fails to answer key questions about the risks of this controversial oil-extraction technique. The draft analysis was required by a legal settlement, filed Jan. 29, that resolved a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit over fracking from offshore platforms in the wildlife-rich Santa Barbara Channel. That settlement required a halt to offshore fracking in federal waters off California, pending Interiors completion of a final environmental review. But the draft assessment fails to adequately analyze the impacts of water and air pollution from offshore fracking and the increased risk of earthquakes, accidents and toxic spills caused by this inherently dangerous practice. Instead, the document proposes to let oil companies resume fracking off Californias coast, and even allow the industry to go back to dumping fracking chemicals mixed with wastewater into the ocean. Its deeply disappointing to see the Obama administration proposing to let oil companies resume offshore fracking when it poses such a toxic threat to Californias marine life and coastal communities, said Kristen Monsell, a Center attorney. The Interior Department is blowing off its legal responsibility to carefully consider the risks and harms of offshore fracking. Instead of protecting Californias wildlife and coastal communities from fracking chemicals and oil-spill risk, federal officials seem keen to resume rubber-stamping this toxic technique as quickly as possible. The Centers lawsuit, filed last year, challenged the Interior Departments practice of rubber-stamping fracking off Californias coast without engaging the public or analyzing frackings threats to ocean ecosystems, coastal communities and whales and other marine life. Yet Interiors assessment provides only a cursory analysis of offshore frackings biggest threats to Californias coastal environment. The analysis also ignores the cumulative impacts of offshore fracking on marine life and coastal communities already threatened by other industrial activities in our ocean, including other offshore oil and gas drilling activities and commercial shipping. Oil companies have fracked at least 200 wells in state and federal waters off Long Beach, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and in the wildlife-rich Santa Barbara Channel. Offshore fracking blasts vast volumes of water mixed with toxic chemicals beneath the seafloor, at pressures high enough to fracture rocks. The oil industry has federal permission to dump more than 9 billion gallons of wastewater, including chemical-laden fracking fluid, into the ocean off Californias coast every year. At least 10 fracking chemicals routinely used in offshore fracking in California could kill or harm a broad variety of marine species, including sea otters and fish, Center scientists have found. The legal settlement requires Interiors Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement to analyze the environmental dangers of offshore fracking and acidization under the National Environmental Policy Act. The settlement also prohibits federal officials from authorizing these practices in federal waters near California until that analysis is concluded. The public has 30 days to review and comment on the draft programmatic environmental assessment. The Interior Department has a legal obligation to take a much harder look at the risks of offshore fracking, Monsell said. Our coast cant take another oil spill or a deluge of toxic fracking chemicals. If federal officials thoroughly analyze the risks to Californias fragile marine environments, theyll have to stop authorizing this toxic technique. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 990,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.


A parasite in a trout gill is coated with IgT, labeled green. IgT both responds to pathogens and appears to control the commensal bacteria in the gills. Oriol Sunyer, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, has described fish as "an open gut swimming." Their mucosal surfaces -- their skin, digestive tract and gills -- are in constant contact with water, including any pathogens that that water may contain.

In aquaculture facilities, this exposure is a risk, as diseases can quickly tear through populations. In hopes of improving vaccines that keep fish healthy, researchers are therefore very interested in learning how fish detect and respond to pathogens through their mucosal surfaces. There is also great interest in learning how fish control the community of "friendly" microbes, the microbiota, that dwell in and on their respiratory surfaces.

In a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, Sunyer and colleagues made headway in this understanding. Their work reveals that fish induce production of a particular antibody in their gills in response to pathogen exposure. In addition, the researchers found that the gills' microbiota is coated with this same antibody, an immunoglobulin called IgT, the function of which was first discovered by Sunyer's lab in 2010. Prior to this study, it was thought that only mammals had such a refined local mucosal immune response.

"Our work is the first to show that fish can mount a local antibody response to pathogens and microbiota within a mucosal respiratory surface," Sunyer said. "We might expect that mucosal immunoglobulins play a key role in controlling the microbiota in mammals' lungs as well, which is something that has yet to be explored."

In addition to Sunyer, the research team included first author Zhen Xu, Fumio Takizawa and Daniela Gomez of Penn Vet, David Parra of the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Louise von Gersdorff Jorgensen of the University of Copenhagen and Scott E. LaPatraof Clear Springs Food Inc.

In previous work, Sunyer and colleagues found that IgT is the the primary immunoglobulin involved in pathogen responses in fish guts and skin, and they showed that IgT also coats the commensal bacteria living on these surfaces, likely helping prevent these microbes from getting out of control and causing illness.

Because gills are respiratory organs that are considered a mucosal surface, the researchers wanted to see if similar immune defense mechanisms were present there. To investigate, they first examined the gill mucus of rainbow trout and found IgT was abundant, though other immunoglobulins, IgD and IgM, were also present. Examining the gill microbiota, they found that IgT was the primary antibody coating bacteria in the gills, consistent with the team's earlier findings in fish skin and gut.

To see if this prevalence indicated a role for IgT in responding to pathogens in the gills, the researchers exposed the trout to a parasite that causes white spot disease, a common infection in farmed, pet and wild fish that particularly targets the skin and gills.

A few weeks after the infection, the team surveyed parasites left in the gills and found them overwhelming coated with IgT; only a few had some IgM coating them, and no IgD-coated parasites could be detected. Fish that survived infection also had a significant increase in IgT-producing B cells in their gills, an additional sign that the IgT response was a key to fighting the parasite.

Sunyer's team observed a similar response after fish were exposed to a different pathogen, the bacterium Flavobacterium columnare, which affects the skin and gills and is a leading cause of death in farmed and wild freshwater fish.

Further experiments confirmed that these increases in IgT and IgT-producing B cells were specific to the gills and not the result of a systemic increase in production, showing for the first time that a non-mammalian species can locally induce a dedicated mucosal immune response.

From an evolutionary perspective, the findings reveal that sophisticated immune defense mechanisms in respiratory surfaces came about very early in vertebrate evolution.

"Our study reveals in fish an ancient partnership between mucosal immunoglobulins and respiratory surfaces , thus showing that the basic principles by which respiratory surfaces are controlled from an immunological perspective are conserved in all jawed vertebrates," Sunyer said.

And, on a practical level, the work continues to inform strategies to design better, cheaper vaccines for fish, a crucial step to making fish a safe and affordable source of food protein for the world.

"There's a huge amount of effort directed to developing vaccines for fish," he added, including so-called "bath vaccines" that are simply dropped in the water and absorbed by the animals' gills and skin. "Therefore, by understanding how gill immunity works, we hope to find better ways to deliver vaccines into the gills of these animals and induce protective immunity to infectious diseases."

Source: University of Pennsylvania
GWPF have release a very interesting report about stochastic modelling by Terence Mills, professor of applied statistics and econometrics at Loughborough University. This is a bit of a new venture for Benny and the team because it's written with a technical audience in mind and there is lots of maths to wade through. But even from the introduction, you can see that Mills is making a very interesting point:

The analysis and interpretation of temperature data is clearly of central importance to debates about anthropogenic globalwarming (AGW). Climatologists currently rely on large-scale general circulation models to project temperature trends over the coming years and decades. Economists used to rely on large-scale macroeconomic models for forecasting, but in the 1970s an increasing divergence between models and reality led practitioners to move away from such macro modelling in favour of relatively simple statistical time-series forecasting tools, which were proving to be more accurate. In a possible parallel, recent years have seen growing interest in the application of statistical and econometric methods to climatology. This report provides an explanation of the fundamental building blocks of so-called ARIMA models, which are widely used for forecasting economic and financial time series. It then shows how they, and various extensions, can be applied to climatological data. An emphasis throughout is that many different forms of a model might be fitted to the same data set, with each one implying different forecasts or uncertainty levels, so readers should understand the intuition behind the modelling methods. Model selection by the researcher needs to be based on objective grounds.

There is an article () in the Times about the paper.

I think it's fair to say that the climatological community is not going to take kindly to these ideas. Even the normally mild-mannered Richard Betts seems to have got a bit hot under the collar.
A recent survey of over 11,000 consumers commissioned by Kaspersky Lab found that 71% of the respondents in South Africa would avoid using a provider that had recently experienced a data security incident.

Rancz Andrei via 123RF

Despite consumers seemingly being cautious about the safety of their information and money when making online transactions, many put the onus on the provider to step up their own defences through more robust and reliable measures. 72% of consumers locally admitted that they would select a financial services provider or transact with an online store solely on the basis of the additional security measures it offered, to protect their hard earned cash and confidential data.

The research also found that 74% of consumers in South Africa worry about the data security practices of companies they give their personal and financial information to - a rise of 12% on the previous year. This makes it all the more important for banks and retailers to demonstrate that they are doing all they can to allay these fears and make the safety of online transactions and data their top priority.

Customers' expectation

With more and more consumers not only using but relying on mobile banking and online payments to interact with companies and carry out transactions, there is an expectation that providers are taking adequate measures to safeguard their customers against fraud and breaches," says Ross Hogan, global head of fraud prevention at Kaspersky Lab.

"After all, our research also found that 66% of consumers would use online payments more often if they had reliable protection for financial transactions, making it clear that providers need to do more to safeguard transactional data for the long-term profitability and reputation of their business.

With consumer demands increasing, specialist solutions can help banks boost customer retention by safeguarding not only online and mobile transactions but the integrity of their brand.
The effort by Nando's to support local designers garnered it a Loerie award recently for the decor at its outlet in Soweto's Maponya Mall.

Nandos head of design Michael Spinks said the restaurant chain had invested R9.8m in its flagship Soweto outlet. The outlet won a silver Loerie in the three-dimensional and environmental design category.

Spinks said Nandos was now working with small design firms on 60 other projects budgeted to cost about R4.5m each.

Each restaurant would be designed differently, using local artists.

The chain was not aiming at a uniform look, but was rather involving as much South African talent as possible to create unique spaces.

"We want Nandos to be a family place for people who want to feel at home," he said.

The Loerie Awards CEO Andrew Human said: "Nandos Maponya Mall was an obvious choice, as it met all the requirements needed to win this award."

The Loerie Awards  whose sponsors include Business Day proprietor Times Media Group, Standard Bank and Unilever  aim to reward creative excellence in brand communications.

"Winning the Loeries is acknowledgement that Nandos is taking the right direction," Spinks said.

The design of the award-winning Maponya Mall restaurant was managed by Design Partnership.

It had taken several attempts to get the design right, Design Partnerships Sharyn Andrianatos said.

"We used local designers for the restaurant, who we found via the internet and around Soweto," said Andrianatos.
Take 40 workshop attendees from all walks (and works) of life. Give them an introduction to laughter yoga as an icebreaker and then tell them to 'build the customer of 2020' by giving each a box of the same Lego pieces and you're guaranteed one of the best customer experience results.

On Friday, 19 February 2016 I attended the highly interactive BrandLove CX event at the new Century City Conference Centre. Fresh from a recent business trip in Denmark, Brandloves head of customer experience strategy and consulting Chantel Botha explained that CX is nothing to do with fancy IT terminology  it stands for customer experience and involves emotions and messy stuff.

Thats the crux of why you need to support your customer support staff. Whether they sit in a call centre or are part of your marketing department, they face an adrenaline rush each time the phone rings, as they anticipate having to deal with the callers problem.

In order to get the group going, Botha then introduced us to the wonder of laughter yoga. She explained that it releases the same cocktail of emotions and chemicals in the brain as certain drugs and helps you think better as you get a rush of oxygen. I also found it to be a much more effective icebreaker than the typical awkward explanation of who you are and what you do.

Its a great way to both get in touch with your emotions while also boosting alertness and brain functioning due to the sudden oxygen flow fix that results from laughing and deep breathing  amazing what a difference that can make when youre feeling stressed at your desk.

Importance of flow for better workplace functioning

Next, to illustrate the fact that our brains don't function quite as well when we chain them into the same format of thinking and writing each day, Botha says: Two hours can disappear in a flash when you're in flow, facing pressure to create or design something you've not used before. One way of sparking this process to make sure you use active listening and learn not to interrupt, ask questions and effectively outthink someone whos sharing an idea with you.

Moving onto the topic of collective disrespect, Botha said a lack of unity across your various communication platforms  telephonic, email, social media and face-to-face  actually sends the message: You're not good enough to be my client, you're just a number. This gives some context to the idea that for customers who resort to screaming, shouting and swearing, it's not probably not the first time theyve felt negative emotion such as anger and disappointment linked to your brand  or any brand. Botha says we need to transform that, and the best place to start is internally.

In order to empower your employees to communicate the right message to customers, you need to make sure each one feels like an ambassador for the brand. To do that better, you need to manage the stories they hear and tell about the brand or you'll get a disengaged workforce. Help your members of staff to find their purpose and youll be one step closer to better managing their engagement.

But keep in mind that theres no quick fix. When we work with CX it's not just one thing that we need to tackle and usually takes time to get it right. This is based on the customer journey and their evaluation of your product, especially when they need support. Sadly, companies tend to think the experience is better than it is.

Companies are schizophrenic

Botha expanded on the fact that the feedback from customers  if youre lucky enough to get that level of honesty with them  is all too often along the lines of: When I email you, the interaction is different to when I phone. Thats not a good thing. But nor is the company that insists its customer interaction all be based on a set script. Instead, Botha says the best organisations have consistency in their interaction channels and thats based on emotion more than exact wording. Companies need to ensure they live their corporate values internally and not just on the customer journey map stuck up on the wall, in order to get their employee engagement right before this can be applied externally.

Meet the changing face of customer 2020

Looking then to the drivers of change, Botha said most of them are based on technology as we automate so much. Wearables like the FitBit and intelligent devices can automate certain processes are truly life-changing as we can see on a screen what's happening with our bodies in real-time  but its more about the actual devices and more about how we interact with them. It makes you wonder why call centres be the same, pre-emptive and forward thinking, based on the principle of If this, then that, especially as consumers want instant everything and to feel in control, with choice.

Botha says it helps to really listen, and that marketing as we know it is dead, instead becoming a connector of people. As examples of this Botha demonstrated the #KLMsurprise #happytohelp campaign, in which they extended the principle across all brands in the industry, not just their own. Similar thinking is evident in the award-winning Volvo Life Paint campaign, as well as the Always #Likeagirl movement and Niveas sunburn doll, which gets children to change their behaviour by externalising the issue. To achieve similar results for your company, Botha says to take the product out of it and identify what your business stands for and the problems it's trying to solve.

Botha quotes Lou Carbonne on experience management. He says the crux of improving brand experience lies in helping consumers to connect and reconnect with you when they contact you with a query. You need to give a genuine response and continuously anticipate their needs, such as with the way MRI scans for children have been flipped on their head from something scary to the chance to take part in a pirate story as part of an adventure journey:

.

With all this in mind, Botha asks: what will the consumer of 2020 look like? Attendees were all given the same sets of Lego to build this consumer of the future, yet no two looked alike. Thats a fitting result as consumers are changing faster than businesses can. You need to keep eyes open for disruption, which usually comes from unexpected places, and learn to use design methods to deal with your existing and potential customers.

All in all a truly eye-opening experience. Find out more from the BrandLove Happiness Matters conference on 12 and 13 April, where Bothas team will instruct attendees on how best to engage people for purpose and performance, and click here for more from Botha on the craft of customer experience (CX) design.
The Mustadafin Foundation has been serving poor communities in and around the Western Cape - and lately Eastern Cape - since 1986.

The foundation focuses mainly on five key areas:

Education: Children and adults alike are given the opportunity to better themselves through learning.



Poverty eradication: Feeding schemes and winter warmth schemes are combined with skills development programmes to lift the destitute out of poverty.



Health: Trained community-based carers help to provide home-based care and lifestyle advice to those with little to no access to public health care.



Community development: Youth development is essential for a thriving community. Youth camps and skills development programs empower young adults to grow to their full potential.



Disaster relief: Meals and clothing are provided to those who are hardest hit by natural disasters such as floods or fires.

Mustadafin Foundation feeds up to 15,000 people in need every day and has ensured the successful integration of 150 homeless children into the public school system by 2015. It has also established health programmes, adult literacy programmes, a bursary programme for students in tertiary education and 22 preschools.

Past achievements

Our greatest achievements during 2015 included appointing 25 more employees in Tafelsig in Cape Town (with the help of the Department of Social Development) and signing an agreement to collaborate with the National Association of Child Care Workers on their Isibindi project, says Ghairunisa Johnstone, founder and director of the Mustadafin Foundation.

The Isibindi project implements community-based care and protection programmes that help children and youth who have been left desolate by death in the family due to HIV/AIDS.

Johnstone also received the Community Builder of the Year Award at the Black Business Quarterly (BBQ) Awards in 2015 and says that the Foundation is very pleased to be recognised with such a fitting award. The foundation was also second runner up for the BBQ Innovative Business Award.

Despite the difficulties, the non-profit continues to actively uplift the community. Recent initiatives included the delivering of cooked food and Christmas parcels to 1,000 people, including 100 seniors, in underprivileged communities; distributing hot meals and blankets to 120 survivors of the Nomzamo fire disaster; giving 1,700 bags away to patients at the Groote Schuur hospital who could not go home over the holidays; and treating children from destitute areas to a day of fun in the park.

The way forward

The foundation is looking forward to an even more successful year in 2016 and to operating from a building owned by the organisation by the end of the year. However, it is not merely the number of volunteers or the amount of funds that will create change. In 2016, we want to see the community being committed to education and its members taking ownership of their lives by beautifying themselves and their environment, says Johnstone.

To continue with the good work it does, the foundation relies on funding and donations of food, toys and clothes. It also depends on volunteers to help by contributing their time and skills to uplift the community.
An Intel programme called She Will Connect aims to increase women's access to the digital world. Research has shown there is a significant gender gap in developing countries in using technology such as the web. It'll help to empower women in their businesses, increase literacy, and strengthen their voice.

The Intel She Will Connect programme aims to empower women through ICT and close the gender gap when it comes to accessing technology. (Image: CollegeDegrees360 CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Flickr)

"I still cannot believe that I now use the computer and even the internet," said Nigerian businesswomen and hairdresser Jessica Orji. She always thought the internet was more for the guys and online scammers.

Through the web, she has learnt she can reach a wider client base for her business. "Now I love the computer," she said. "With the internet, I can reach more people. I can advertise my business online through my new Facebook account, and even create fliers for my business.

"I can also make a budget to plan my finances."

Orji took part in the Intel She Will Connect: My Digital Journey programme. It is an initiative to provide a learning platform for women online.

By being digitally savvy, women have a greater chance of increasing their income, receiving a better education, enhancing their political participation and having a stronger voice in their communities.

"As a result of the training, for the first time, I went to the cafe to browse the Internet," Orji said. "The training completely changed my perception of computers and [the] internet."

Through the programme, Intel would like to:

Close the gender gap in education access;



Inspire more girls and women to become creators of technology; and



Connect women and girls to opportunity through access to technology.

"Educating girls and closing the internet gender gap also has an important multiplier effect  expanding opportunities for families, communities, and nations," reads the Intel website.

What the United Nation says

The United Nations (UN) has welcomed the project.

"Equality in access to the internet is a matter of human rights, women's economic empowerment and poverty reduction," said UN Women executive director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. "We are very pleased to be collaborating with Intel, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa to connect young women to the internet because equality for women is progress for all."

UN Women's executive director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has voiced support for the programme. (Image: Screengrab via Intel

"She Will Connect is going to be hugely transformational (for) women, families and communities and is crucial for sustainable development," said ambassador Macharia Kamau of Kenya. His country was proud to be a part of it.

Deputy ambassador Usman Sarki welcomed the project into Nigeria. "Providing access to technology and reducing costs are key to empowering women in the internet age."

South Africa was committed to expanding ICT access, said the South African deputy ambassador, Doctor Mashabane. "She Will Connect is a concrete and practical initiative to roll out internet access to young women for national development."

The programme ties in to accomplishing South Africa's National Development goal of obtaining a skilled workforce to support inclusive economic growth by 2030.

What the stats show

Intel's She Will Connect was established after research was done into internet access across the world. The ensuing report, called Women and the Web showed that "on average across the developing world, nearly 25% fewer women than men have access to the internet, and the gender gap soars to nearly 45% in regions like sub-Saharan Africa".

It estimated that without intervention, the internet gender gap could increase to 350 million women in three years' time.

"The research is clear and the call to action has been made," said Melanne Verveer, former ambassador-at-large for Global Women's Issues in the US Department of State. "Now is the time for collaboration to actively reduce the internet gender gap and empower women around the world to enrich their lives."

Another report, from the Broadband Commission Working Group on Broadband and Gender, established by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), examined the role that information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the internet could play in advancing gender equality agendas, including equal access to new technologies for women and girls.

The report revealed that, around the world, women were coming online later and more slowly than men and highlighted that in developing countries, every 10% increase in access to broadband translated to a 1.38% growth in gross domestic product. That meant that bringing an additional 600 million women and girls online could boost global gross domestic product by as much as $18-billion (R277-billion).

Research from the Broadband Commission Working Group on Broadband and Gender shows a wide gap between men and women in the developing world accessing technology. (Image: Broadband Commission

To read the Broadband Commission Working Group on Broadband and Gender report, click here.

To read the Women and the Web report, click here.

How it helps

Nigerian poet and actress Titilope Sonuga is the spokesperson for Intel She Will Connect in Nigeria. She recalled how she was about five years old when her father bought their first computer. Back then, it was used for homework. She loved to use software that taught people how to type, which helped her to gain and hone that skill.

"It's interesting to think about the seeds that were planted from a young age and what that tells a girl and what her life can become. I know that a lot of opportunities that I have come across now happened on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and because I am plugged into this global network I am able to access those opportunities," Sonuga said.

She said the programme would help women to push boundaries to be whatever they wanted to be, whether it was an engineer, poet, doctor or actress.

"To think about girls or women who don't have access to training to be connected to technology is heart-breaking because to realise your dreams, you need to be plugged into the world around you.

"And so to think about the girls and women to benefit from this programme is incredible and it's exciting to think about different voices that are going to be actualised because of being able to connect."

Women share their testimonials of how the internet has helped to improve their lives. (Image: Intel She Will Connect

Orji is also spreading her knowledge about computers and the internet, and has used it to help her mother, a caterer, with her business.

"We went to the cafe to make fliers for her business, showing a proper and clear description of her full catering services," Orji said. "She has gotten some new customers through those fliers. We are hoping we will be able to get a personal computer at home, as the entire family is excited about this new discovery."
A two-day African economic summit in Egypt ended on Sunday amid calls for investment as organisers said several business proposals were negotiated to help boost growth. More than 1,200 delegates including some heads of states attended the conference at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, aimed at attracting private sector investment.

Organisers of 'Africa 2016' did not reveal the overall investment figure agreed, but said several memorandums of understanding were signed for projects in sectors including infrastructure, health and information technology.

"What is needed is mega African projects to attract investments," said Egypt's investment minister Ashraf Salman in remarks translated into English as he closed the summit.

Salman said Egypt, an organiser of the summit along with the African Union, already has investments worth $8 billion in Africa, and more projects were planned. "Egypt is part and parcel of Africa. We share a common destiny," he said.

Analysts say that despite an economic growth rate of more than four per cent, Africa still accounts for about only two per cent of global trade. On Saturday, leading bankers said that despite several challenges including those emerging from 'terrorism', Africa remained an investment destination.

Africa Development Bank president Akinwumi Adesina said the bank plans to invest $12 billion in the continent's energy sector over the next five years. Africa's economy is projected to grow by 4.4 per cent this year and five per cent in 2017 as against three per cent growth expected in developed countries, he said.

Source: AFP
Property owners in Cape Town will soon receive an official notice advising them of the 2015 valuation of their property/properties.

The citys latest general valuation shows that the total valuation of all rateable properties has increased from R911bn in 2012 to R1,156bn in 2015. This is the first year that the total valuation of all rateable properties has passed the trillion rand mark in value.

In total there are 845,764 rateable properties on the General Valuation Roll (GVR) for 2015. The largest portion of properties comprises residential properties (719,681). It also includes, among others, 31,296 commercial properties.

The general valuation for 2015 will be published on 19 February 2016. Property owners will also be able to view the latest GVR for 2015 by visiting www.capetown.gov.za/propertyvaluations.

Rates adjustment

The city produces a GVR once every three years. The percentage increase (or decrease) on the value of a particular property or properties does, however, not necessarily equate to the percentage increase/decrease in future rates payments. The rates adjustment will be tabled at the end of March at the start of the public participation process on the citys budget.

"Property valuations are carried out regularly to ensure that property owners pay a fair share of the total rates income required to operate the city," said Ian Neilson, executive deputy mayor of Cape Town.

"Property rates contribute to various municipal services which are to the benefit of all residents but which do not generate an income. This includes disaster management services, roads, traffic and street lights, and the maintenance of community facilities and public spaces. Property valuations are not done to chase a surplus or to make money out of ratepayers. The budget needed for these municipal services is carefully calculated and property rates contribute to this budget.

"We are mindful that we have to provide top quality services and manage the city in a financially sustainable and responsible manner. We are especially conscious of the fact that our ratepayers are not immune to the macro-economic pressures and uncertainties of our country," said Neilson.

Valuation process

The GVR is based entirely on the market value on 1 August 2015. The city valuer makes use of a computer modelling program called Computer-Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) which uses sales data, aerial imagery and other property information (for example the propertys location, size, number of rooms, outbuildings, general quality and view) to determine the market value of a property.

If a property owner disputes the valuation of their property, a well-motivated objection, in which the property owner must prove that the market valuation is incorrect, may be submitted by no later than 29 April 2016 to the city valuer.

As the citys GVR is based entirely on the market value on 1 August 2015, for the purposes of any objection to a valuation, the percentage change from the last valuation is not relevant, nor is the impact on the rates bill. The only consideration is whether it is the market value or not.

Property rates based on the general valuation for 2015 will be billed from 1 July 2016. The proposed rate-in-the-rand will be tabled at the end of March 2016. As soon as the rate-in-the-rand has been tabled, property owners will be able to use the rates calculator on the website to determine the rates payable on their property as from 1 July 2016.
Students that do well on their National Senior Certificate (NSC) may find that they have disappointing National Benchmark Tests (NBT) results. However, they may still be accepted to the University of Cape Town (UCT), through the extended degree programmes (EDP) in all faculties through the Academic Development Programme (ADP) based in the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED).

Case studies

When Thabiso wrote the NBT, he had no idea what to expect. It was different to writing my NSC. I was one of the only people in my school to even consider varsity, so I didnt have anyone to prepare for the tests with, and my friends werent there when I wrote. He was shocked when he received his results. There was a huge difference between his NSC and NBT scores: he was doing well at school, but performed poorly in the NBT.

His experience is not unique. Fellow student, Chumane, also found that there was a big difference between his NSC and NBT results. I thought Id do well in the NBT, because I was doing well at school, but I did very poorly in the NBT mathematics test.

Maths and literacy differences

In 2015, the NBT Project found that in general, NBT mathematics and quantitative literacy scores were markedly lower than NSC mathematics, mathematics literacy and physical science scores, amongst the 2014 NBT writers. Similarly, NBT academic literacy scores were markedly lower than NSC English home language and English first language scores (NBT National Report, 2015).

This difference can be explained by the fact that the aims of the NSC and the NBT are different. The aim of the NSC is to assess mastery of the school curriculum. The aim of the NBT is to determine whether candidates will cope with the demands of higher education study. A high NSC score therefore does not guarantee a high NBT score.

Many countries  including South Africa -- are recognising that there is a gap, sometimes referred to as an articulation gap, between the competencies that high schools leavers achieve and the academic demands required to succeed at university. This gap is where the NBT and programmes like the University of Cape Towns Academic Development Programme (ADP) can play a role. The NBT can provide information about the disparity and the ADP can assist in developing the students academic competencies.

Accepted for Engineering

Despite being disappointed by their NBT results, both Thabiso and Chumane were accepted to UCT: Thabiso to the Engineering and Built Environment Faculty and Chumane to the Faculty of Science.

Both students found the first semester challenging. When you come from school, there is a lot of change. Your brain cannot cope with it all. Its difficult to adapt, said Thabiso. After failing his first semester, he decided to take his lecturers up on their offer to switch to the extended degree programme (EDP), which allowed him to undertake his first year of study over two years.

According to UCTs Science Faculty, it is common for students to have trouble when making the transition from high school to university, as the quantity of work and the pace at which students are expected to process it is vastly different. Experience has shown that many first year students can overcome the difficult transition by taking a reduced load in their first year, they advise.

Both Chumane and Thabiso wrote tests for all their courses during their first semester. Their scores on these tests, along with their NSC and NBT results, revealed they would be better placed on the BSc and BSC (Eng) extended degree programmes, run by the ADP.

ASPECT, the extended degree programme in the Engineering Faculty, is designed for students who have not been adequately prepared for tertiary study, and it is structured so that students receive additional academic and general support.

Improved results

Since moving to the extended degree programmes, both Thabiso and Chumanes marks have improved dramatically. Thabiso attributes this to the individual attention he is receiving. On ASPECT, you have people who know what it takes to make a good student. They take our situation into account, they know us and they have time to attend to all of us. Chumane says that his marks have improved because the lecturers have more one-to-one contact with us. Theres more time to cover all the content.

Their experience is evidence that the NBT and the interpretation of NBT scores can contribute to students academic development and success. Both students would encourage others in a similar situation to join the programme. If youre accepted, advises Chumane, do consider the EDP. You dont want to be excluded. Going from high school to varsity is a huge step. We all want to finish in minimum time, but it doesnt always work out like that.

For more information, go to the CHED website.
The volumes of data streaming into businesses are growing by the year - transactional records, email, social media data, video, call centre logs, and much more. With Gartner forecasting that the Internet of Things will reach nearly 21 billion connected devices by 2020, this trend is set to continue as we add contextual and location data from sensors in homes, cars, and the workplace to the mix.

According to research from EMC and IDC, we can expect the digital universe to expand by a factor of ten between 2013 to 2020 - from 4.4 trillion gigabytes to 44 trillion. That means the data in the digital world effectively doubles every two years.

For South African organisations, the richness of this world of big data is an underexploited opportunity. Sure, nearly every large and medium-sized company in South Africa is using some form of business intelligence to make smarter decisions in the boardroom, but few are embracing the transformative potential of big data. The opportunity of big data lies in the sheer variety of the data we can collect, analyse and use in real-time or near real-time.

Data is an asset

What this means is that data is becoming an asset for businesses in every industry, but they must learn to exploit it effectively. Companies must turn the data they collect into value if they are to deliver the personalised service their customers demand, identify new business and market trends ahead of their competitors, and achieve an optimal level of efficiency.

On one level, this is about analysing even more structured and unstructured data at the senior and middle management level to make better strategic choices. Certainly, with more and better data about sick leave in the workforce, customer social media commentary about products, transportation routes and inventory turnaround, C-suite executives can make better predictions and drive decisions about key aspects of the business.

But on another level, it is also about using data to drive better operational performance, often using automated processes. This is how the masters of big data - Uber, Netflix, Amazon and other digital disruptors - are really putting their pools of data to work. Amazon and Netflix, for example, apply smart algorithms to their customer data to make spot-on product recommendations to their users.

And in the business to business environment, The Climate Corporation in San Francisco examines weather data to provide insurance to farmers. These companies have woven big data right into the fabric of their businesses; indeed, their business models depend on their ability to capture, analyse and operationalise real-time data.

Discovering the potential

The picture in South African businesses is that most organisations are still discovering the potential of big data, with the exception of some of the larger banks and telecommunications operators.

One challenge lies in accessing the skills to build big data platforms and use them effectively; another lies in the fact that many organisations are running legacy platforms that are not up to the challenge of big data. Without the right platforms in place, their employees and managers dont have the right tools, and big data cannot be analysed and organised effectively.

This is why businesses should be looking to modernise their enterprise applications for an era of mobile, cloud, and big data technologies. These new-age applications link business processes and departments into an integrated business backbone, but offer the agility companies need in the digital era.

A solid technological foundation will give the business access to data that is dynamic, relevant, accurate, and real-time. This, in turn, will help managers to make smart decisions in real-time - and without the effort of collecting and organising data. Armed with the right real-time data, they will have the insights they need to drive innovation, streamline operations, and enhance productivity.
The inspirational Yogita Agrawal hails from Mumbai and focuses on solving problems in emerging global communities with innovative products and sustainable technologies. She strives to make beautiful and meaningful objects and experiences that touch people's lives.

She graduated from New Yorks Parsons School for Design in 2015 with a focus in product design, and was one of the remarkable speakers at Design Indaba 2016.

Agrawal

Yogitas project at Parsons was to design an enduring product; something thats essential to ones life and improves it  a social impact design. She called it the Jhoule: a wearable, human motion-powered device designed to light up homes in off-the-grid villages.

I sat down with Yogita during Design Indaba to better understand her Jhoule, which is designed to tap into the mobile lifestyle of people in rural India.

Yogita remembered how she spent her summers with her grandmother in India in Chhattisgarh where there were frequent power cuts that lasted up to six days at a time. Even worse, some villages had no electricity at all. This was a problem she decided to solve.

Walking power

First off, she really got to understand how the people in these villages lived and interacted with the environment around them. For instance, she learned that theyre unable to install solar panels as theres a problem with protecting them. She then realised the villagers walked a lot and thus began designing Jhoule, ultimately a device that stores energy as people walked  and would then light up their homes at night.

Initially, no one would wear her Jhoule, as it wasnt a fashionable design. Thats when she appreciated the role of design is not just to make functional products but also to create a feel-good factor when people wear it, much like a fashion accessory.

The Jhoule in action. Image  Agrawal's website

After many prototypes she finally developed a design that achieved these goals, an item people actually wanted to wear and simultaneously improved their lives.

And so the Jhoule was born, storing four hours of light for every hour walked in order to provide light at night when electricity is unavailable.

Yogita has since moved back to Mumbai to test and refine the Jhoule, and has been awarded and funded by The Michael Kalil Endowment for Smart Design and the James Dyson Foundation at Parsons.

A remarkable young lady whose design will improve the lives of not only Indians in rural areas but also those of other emerging markets, like South Africa.

Visit Yogitas website for images of the Jhoule in action.
ArtMode, a collaborative event that fuses art, music, food and entertainment, will be held at Auto Atlantic Mini on Cape Town's Foreshore on 25 February, 2016, from 7pm.

This unique pop-up art event features a collection of artists across a variety of artistic mediums - sculptures, painters, installations, illustrations, music and graffiti are just a hint of what event goers can expect to find at an ArtMode event. What makes this event one of the highlights of the social calendar each year is its one-of-a-kind live ambience, the chance to interact with some of the countrys most talented artists and its combination of sights, sounds and flavours.

The innovative venue offers the ideal platform for a multi-layered event that is filled with creative expression. From visual art displays to live demonstrations, music and dance areas, bar and food areas, and numerous relaxation areas, guests will have the chance to enjoy the vast array of talent offered by the citys rising art, music and culinary stars.

3D graffiti artist

Highlights of this year's event will include the spray painting of a Mini Cooper by renowned 3D graffiti artist Boeta Phyf, a performance by electronic dance sensation Goodluck, smooth beats from SAs female DJ Extraordinaire, Vanessa Holliday, decadent foodie offerings presented by Hermazing and Lotus, a fully stocked bar conveyed by Black Bottle and plenty of other magical moments to see, experience and savour.

Pre-sold tickets cost R60 and are available via Webtickets, with tickets also available at the door for R100.

www.artmode.co.za
The new Global Coca-Cola strategy and campaign was unveiled at the Che Argentine restaurant located in the trendy urban neighbourhood of the Maboneng precinct in Johannesburg.

Consumers drink Coca-Cola but then they become concerned about its sugar content so they leave the brand and go to other brands in the Coke family. That, says Sharon Keith, marketing director, Coca-Cola South Africa, has been the brand strategy  until now. Traditionally we have always taken the consumer to other products. Now we are turning that around and taking Coca-Cola with the other brands.

This is Coca-Colas One Brand Strategy, and it will manifest itself on 1 March when the new global Coca-Cola campaign launches in South Africa. Keith says this is not a new strategy. Other brands, such as Fanta and BMW have been practicing this for years. Consumers love our brand, but over the years we have confused them with the different branding and campaigns for our various products, she says.

A one brand strategy allows the brand to extend its global equity and the iconic appeal of the product across the entire trademark she explains. The products are the heart of the creative as is the simple pleasure of drinking a Coke while the move underscores our commitment to consumer choice.

The communications idea is to blend the taste and the refreshment of a Coke with the simple pleasure of how drinking any Coke makes the moment special.

Traditionally Coke has always driven its message though memorable slogans. This campaign is no different. The slogan is short and simple and be translatable across countries and languages. It is timeless and relates to the brands values and benefits. We looked at the product benefits, and the feeling and experience of drinking Coke and that led us to Enjoy the feeling.

She explains that the slogan will be translated into various languages by concept not words, and therefore will vary slightly across the globe.

The inspiration for the visual identity was Norma Rockwell meets Instagram, so finding an iconic moment and making it contemporary. Two photographers, Guy Aroch and Nacho Ricci from (New York) and America and South America respectively, shot images all over the world.

Our visual pillars are our products. The campaign features the product deliberately as well as people drinking the products and the moment they are in. Therefore, part of the auditions was to drink a Coke in front of us so the actors/models could show us that they really enjoy the product.

The campaign also features a kiss the past hello. We recreated some of the iconic Coke campaigns from over the years, but in todays world.



Context is king when it comes to the brands design principle. This means we are not just producing happy smiling faces but placing these visuals where they are noticeable such as on the streets of Johannesburg and Cape Town to transform spaces, for example Smit Street in Joburg with a building wrap, and other Out of Home (OOH) material at Melrose Arch, Rivonia Road, Hyde Park and the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, she explains.

Point of Sale (POS) material will be displayed in the relevant retail outlets. Apart from traditional channels the campaign is also an interactive digital one that consumers can download, share and extract and customise across their social networks.

Coke campaigns are known for their iconic music and this campaign is no different. We have developed some new music for the campaign and the new audio signature uses the tune, but intersperses the sounds associated with Coke, as well as social sounds.

While 10 films have already been produced, only three will be used initially in South Africa. The brand has always told everyday stories and this is no different, she says.

The new campaign officially launched in Paris, France, mid-January.
Urban Brew Studios has made three new appointments; Herbert Hadebe has been appointed as the head of scripted productions, Adelaide Joshua-Hill as head of unscripted productions and Joanne Lurie is the new head of creative.

Hadebe brings with him over 15 years of experience in the film and television industry; last year he was selected as an Emmy Awards juror and attended the event in New York. Currently he works on two drama series for Urban Brew Studios, namely Mzansi Magic's Zabalaza and e.tv's Gold Diggers.

Adelaide Joshua-Hill started her career at Urban Brew in 2009 as an education consultant for YOTV. She then became head of YOTV mini and went on to head up the entire YOTV portfolio. Her new role will include managing production teams and providing leadership across all productions in the unscripted portfolio.



Joanne Lurie, who has been in the TV industry for 13 years, has spent eight of her nine years at Urban Brew Studios producing 3Talk with Noeleen. Before joining the company, she worked on international programmes, including The Weakest Link, The Biggest Loser and Big Brother.
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February 18, 2016



The Honorable Judge Danny Chun

Supreme Court of the State of New York

County of Kings

320 Jay Street, 19th Floor

Brooklyn, New York 11201



Re: People v. Peter Liang

Indictment No. 9988/2014



Dear Judge Chun:



The Committee of 100 (C-100) is an organization of distinguished Chinese American leaders in the fields of business, law, academia, government, the arts, and sciences. As a non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to the full inclusion of Chinese Americans in the U.S., C-100 has been at the forefront for 25 years in promoting due process and equal protection for Chinese Americans and all Asian Americans.



On behalf of C-100, I write regarding the case of People v. Peter Liang. Like most Americans, our members lament and deplore the killing of African Americans without justification. The loss of black lives at the hands of police officers is a complex societal issue that urgently needs to be addressed by all who care about our ideals.



The Committee of 100 supports appropriate and fair prosecution of these matters. We regretfully note the general lack of accountability in such killings prior to this case. C-100 promotes the full participation of Chinese and Asian Americans in every aspect of American life, including law enforcement. There has never been an Asian American law enforcement officer in the news such as this, and how he is treated will signal to Asian Americans and others whether we are equal members of our society.



The evidence in People vs. Peter Liang suggests the situation was an unintentional event involving a frightened rookie policeman who may not have been fully trained nor adequately supported. As importantly, Peter Liang does not appear to be a danger to society. We respectfully ask for leniency in this upcoming sentencing. We trust that you will decide on a fair and just outcome commensurate with the applicable law and the circumstances of this case.



All Americans should feel that justice has been served. Thank you for your attention.



Sincerely,

Herman Li

Acting Chairman
An abducted child taken from the Fairbury area was recovered Saturday and is faring well.

An amber alert was issued Saturday, Feb. 20 for 2-month-old Jaxon Smetter.

Jaxon was reported missing from a residence in the 900 block of Sixth Street in Fairbury on Saturday, according to a press release from the Fairbury Police Department.

Officers were informed that the vehicle of the childs mother was also missing.

Officers had reason to believe the womans boyfriend, Ernest L. Howard, 35, took the Brown Kia Rondo and child.

When the reporting party woke up Saturday, she found both missing.

Howard is not the biological father of the child, and officers believed the child was in danger.

Throughout the day, the department received tips on possible sightings of the vehicle from around the U.S.

Fairbury police were initially unsuccessful at getting a cell phone trace on Howards phone, but eventually were able to locate the phone near Milligan shortly before 3:30 p.m.

Law enforcement from Jefferson, Saline and Filmore counties, in addition to the Nebraska State Patrol, were unable to locate Howard or Jaxon. The Nebraska State Patrol air wing was also sent to assist in the search.

Shortly after 4 p.m., officers got another ping on Howards cell phone placing it within a 6-mile radius of 718th Road and 566th Avenue.

At around 6:30 p.m. officers were contacted by a citizen who said a male matching Howards description was standing next to a Kia matching the vehicles description.

The vehicle appeared to be stuck around 100 yards from the intersection of 715th Road and 560th Avenue.

Officers found the suspect and conducted a high-risk take down, placing Howard under arrest.

Jaxon was in the vehicle, cold to the touch and appeared to be lethargic.

He was transported by ambulance to the Jefferson Community Health Center, where he was evaluated and released to his mother.

Howard was arrested for kidnapping, terroristic threats, first-degree false imprisonment, child abuse and theft.

The press release stated he was also in possession of a pipe commonly used for smoking methamphetamine and may face additional charges.

Howard refused to talk with law enforcement, and officers havent established a motive.
Nebraskas Third District Representative Adrian Smith took advantage of a week-long break in congressional duties last week to pay a visit to various cities within the district.

Its always good to be back in the district to meet folks where they are, Smith said. Solutions are much more often found among the people than just coming from Washington, D.C., with a one-size-fits-all approach.

Smith came to Beatrice on Friday to visit Beatrice Middle School, talking with Mike Polickys eighth grade civics class as they were outside learning about retiring a U.S. flag. Smith answered questions from students and discussed patriotism, civic leadership and the responsibility of citizens, Policky said in an email.

Smith also stopped by the Daily Sun to share his thoughts on a variety of topics.

Critical access hospital regulations

Smith said he is working to get rid of certain regulations that hamper the function of relatively small critical access hospitals like Beatrice Community Hospital.

There are these regulations that really undermine the relationship between the (medical) provider and a patient, Smith said. One of those rules is a Medicare requirement that any patient that needs more than 96 hours of care be immediately referred to a general hospital such as those in Lincoln, he explained.

If a patient has a case of pneumonia that might require more than four days of care, for example, their doctor must immediately refer out, despite the fact that a medical staff like here in Beatrice is very capable of providing that (care), Smith said.

Another regulation is the physician supervision rule, as Smith called it, requiring a doctor to be on the same floor of a hospital as a nurse performing even basic medical procedures like drawing blood, which Smith said is unnecessary.

Waters of the U.S.







Smith has been an outspoken opponent of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys proposal to significantly expand the regulations of the Clean Water Act to include ditches, ponds and irrigation on farmland, among other bodies of water.

We got the resolution of disapproval passed against Waters of the U.S., Smith said. We ultimately got that to the presidents desk and it met an unsurprising veto. But I think its still important we do our work, even if the president threatens a veto. I think it helps elevate the issue, especially as we approach a presidential election.

He added, I think its very discouraging when the president disregards the will of Congress  rather than working with Congress to change things.

Clean Power Plan







The EPAs policy to combat climate change by significantly reducing emissions from coal-fired power plants was put on hold by the U.S. Supreme Court in early February. The Court is preparing to hear a lawsuit from 24 states, including Nebraska, challenging the policy.

Im concerned that this (policy) is yet another example of the president going around Congress, so Im glad that the court system, the American people are weighing in, Smith said. And Im hoping they rule against the presidents overreach. I think its important to note the so-called Clean Power Plan would directly harm folks who can least afford it.

That isnt to say Smith is against pursuing alternative energy. Given the finite resources of fossil fuels, I think its a good idea to pursue all sources of energy. Thats why I support the all of the above energy approach, including hydro power and nuclear power, he said.

Federal budget

When Smith returns to Washington this week, he said Congress will begin the task of forging a federal budget, a very contentious process over the last few years.

Our system is set up so that 12 appropriations bills each get a vote under regular order., Smith explained. Regular order has broken down every year for several years, leaving us with an omnibus, basically all 12 bills getting voted on in one vote. That does not have the scrutiny that we really should provide as the legislative branch. Worse yet is a continuing resolution, which is last years continuation of the same thing even if there are problems identified.

Smith said Congress wants to avoid having to pass another omnibus bill or continuing resolution, and restore regular order to the budgeting process.

We need a balanced budget, plain and simple. I dont think we will cut our way into balance, I dont think we can tax our way into balance. But what we can do is work to grow our economy, and I think the very best thing we can do for our economy is simplify our tax code, which Smith said is a mess.

Filling a U.S. Supreme Court seat

After Justice Antonin Scalias death earlier this month, it falls to the president to nominate a new justice and the U.S. Senate to either confirm or deny the nominee. However, many conservative lawmakers have argued that Barack Obama should not be the president that replaces Scalia. Smith agreed.

Given the fact weve got outstanding court cases right now relating to the presidents agenda, including Waters of the U.S. and the Clean Power Plan, that confirmation would be best left to the next president, Smith said.

International trade

Were working on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Smith said. Thats a big trade item right now. There are some wrinkles in the current version that was negotiated by the Obama administration, were hoping we can get those ironed out.

For example, theres a concern among pork producers that how Japan interacts in this trade agreement is not opening up as much market access as there should be, Smith explained. Another big wrinkle is pharmaceutical intellectual property standards.

Smith said all-in-all, he is in favor of responsible trade deals. Generally speaking, trade is good. We want to see expanding opportunities to sell our products overseas.

Winner-take-all electoral votes

A proposal to return Nebraska to a winner-take-all system of electoral votes was debated last month in the state legislature. Smith said he thinks Nebraska should match the methods of the 48 states that use winner-take-all systems.

We should either be winner-take-all, or every other state should be a state whose electoral vote is divisible.  Thats really the only way you can make the electoral college work.

Otherwise, Smith said, parties funnel their efforts into specific electoral districts instead of campaigning for the entire state.

In reply to a common argument that Democratic Party candidates wouldnt visit Nebraska at all without a split allocation system, Smith said, Im not sure weve benefited from it, looking in hindsight. I would have been open to that  but I just dont think a tokenistic stop is really reflecting what Nebraska needs.

We need fewer regulations. If Barack Obama was more responsive to the needs of Nebraskans as a result, I may look more kindly. It just hasnt seemed to work that way.

Refugees

From a national security standpoint, I think we want to have an incredible screening mechanism to sort out the folks seeking refuge from the folks seeking to do us harm.  This unrest overseas has obviously really complicated these matters.

2016 Republican presidential race

Smith hasnt endorsed a candidate for the Republican Party nomination. When asked if he was surprised there are still so many primary candidates, he replied with an emphatic Yes, and said he is eager for the pool to be narrowed.

As I look at the candidates, I want to ultimately support someone who articulates clearly what America is about, not just what hes against, Smith said We want to articulate a vision of more opportunity, we want to articulate a view of history in a way that poses more opportunity for the future.

Smith elaborated that his preference would be a candidate that supports their vision with specific ideas. Generalities are really easy to talk about, especially amidst criticisms, (but) if there are criticisms lets focus on solutions.

2016 Democratic presidential race

I think Republicans are positioned better than the two candidates on the Democratic side, Smith said, pointing out Hillary Clintons ongoing controversies with her email security and foreign contributions while she was secretary of state.

Bernie Sanders wants to give away free stuff. Im wary of any candidate who tries to win votes by giving stuff away, promising that someone else will pay for it. I think that is ultimately damaging to our country, its ultimately damaging to economic opportunity and freedom.
Donald Trump waved a warning flag at the Rickets family on Twitter Monday following reports that Marlene Ricketts, the wife of billionaire Joe Ricketts, has been funding negative TV ads directed at Trump.

Marlene and Joe Ricketts are the parents of Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts.

I hear the Rickets family, who owns the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $s against me, Trump tweeted, misspelling Ricketts. They better be careful; they have a lot to hide!

Trumps tweet followed a report in The New York Times identifying Marlene Ricketts as the donor who contributed almost $3 million to Our Principles PAC, which is almost entirely funded by the Ricketts family.

That super PAC formed by Joe Ricketts originally supported Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin in the Republican presidential race. Walker subsequently withdrew as a candidate.

The Ricketts super PAC has spent roughly $4 million on Trump attack ads in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the early caucus and primary states, according to The Hill.
I have a Pinterest board entitled Words that I love. It is full of quotes that inspire me, insightful blogs that I want to read later and thoughts that will challenge me. I go there when I am having a particularly long or difficult day.

After a 50-plus-hour work week, I found myself going to the board. I ran across a quote that I had pinned months prior. The happiness you feel on any given day depends largely upon you perception of the things that happen. (Unknown)

It was my perception that I was having one of those days all day and every day. I didnt seem to be doing anything right or maybe good enough for anyone. At least that is how I felt.

Someone please tell me that I am not the only one who has been in this dark place. But I had read that the nutty rarely know they are nuts, so I just kept moving forward.

Then I ran into a blog that I had pinned, Five things that steal your joy and how to take it back.

After I read it, it was easy to see that, of course, I was letting all the muck that typically fills my days and weeks change my perception and steal my joy.

Blogger Jennifer Clarke writes God intends for His children to be joyful!

I dont think any of us would deny that truth. Its the second aspect of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22. And Romans 14:17 tells us that joy in the Holy Spirit is a foundational part of Gods will for His people.

But it also seems to me that joy is an aspect of life that has been touched by the curse of sin. Because all too often, joy is not our natural state; like warriors, we must constantly be on the lookout for the enemies of our joy, acting vigilantly to protect it, fighting off the adversaries at every turn.

What are those enemies, anyway?

Comparison. Having my eyes on anothers abilities or home or family or income or priorities is a surefire way to breed discouragement.

Distraction. Losing focus on Gods calling in my life, allowing my gaze to linger too long on the things of the world or on my fleshly desires, causes discontentment and defeat.

Perfectionism. Weve never been more aware of what perfection looks like. All it takes is five seconds on Pinterest, five minutes in Pier 1, or five pages of that catalog that comes in my mailbox.

Overwhelm. Is overwhelm a noun? If its not, it should be! There are countless facets to the roles God has given us, and we are only human, after all  faulty and flawed, the whole lot of us. How can we possibly do it all?

Chaos. I tend to think the other four joy thieves join forces to create this lie: Whats the point? Theres so much to do, and the result I achieve wont compare to Mrs. Homey Holly or Mrs. Perfect Polly, so why bother?

So how do we fight off the joy-stealers?

Clarke went into great detail, but the short version is:

Refuse to compare.

Refocus your perspective.

Realign your priorities.

Renew your inspiration and restock your resources.

I dont know your priorities, where you find inspiration or what your resources are, but I do know that we all need happiness, joy and peace.

I find happiness at the farm and new baby calves. I will be seeking joy in the next few weeks and will pray that you do the same.




NEW DELHI (PTI): Aviation giant Boeing on Monday said it wants to build a globally competitive industrial base in India as the American firm was in "exploratory" talks to see if they can manufacture F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters in the country.



Boeing India President Pratyush Kumar said the company is not interested in just assembling the aircraft but making it completely under the 'Make in India' initiative.



However, he said that at the end of the day, the US and India's strategic convergence would be critical for any such initiative.



"Offer is too strong a word. There is no such thing as an offer. There is an initial thinking. We want to create a globally competitive industrial base in India," Kumar told PTI when asked about Boeing's reported offer to the Indian government to manufacture F/A-18 locally.



He said the company thinks that F/A 18 Super Hornet could be an important wedge to create that scale and get going on defence manufacturing on a very large scale.



"So, in that context, we have had initial dialogue, far from being a formal offer or anything like that," Kumar said here.



He said that Boeing has had various dialogues, exploratory discussions with different stakeholders.



Told that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has made it clear that 'Make in India' is not about assembly but manufacturing with transfer of technology, he said the company was of the same view.



"Exactly. That is the point we are saying. We are committed to creating a globally competitive eco system. It is not just about final assembly. It is about creating the base of your tier I and tier II suppliers so that we can put complete eco system into place," Kumar said.



He said Boeing is exploring a very different model, which means not relying on just assembly and using kits to manufacture.



He said that from a business point of view, Boeing is always looking for pocket of productivity.



"And India with its deep and broad capability in engineering... we think it is a win-win proposition in the longer run. And that is why we are interested in this," Kumar said.



Asked about Boeing's view on possible restrictions on export of an aircraft manufactured by it in India to some countries which are in the "negative" list, he said it would be a subject to approval by governments in both India and the US.



"At the end of the day, US and India strategic convergence is critical. None of that would be possible without government to government alignment. So that is all subject to government approval, both from US side and the Indian side," Kumar said.




Two T-100s in formation flight. A Raytheon photo

WASHINGTON (BNS): Raytheon has announced its partnership with Italy's Finmeccanica in its bid for the US Air Force's T-X jet trainer programme.



Under the programme, the USAF is set to acquire new trainer aircraft to replace its aging fleet of T-38 trainers.



Raytheon, together with Finmeccanica, CAE USA and Honeywell Aerospace, will offer the T-100 -- an advanced variant of the Aermacchi M-346, with a leading-edge Ground Based Training System.



"The T-100 offers dynamic kinetic performance, while also delivering an embedded, tactical training system that immerses pilots in realistic mission scenarios," said Filippo Bagnato, managing director of Finmeccanica Aircraft Division.



"The M-346, the basis for the T-100, is already operational and preparing pilots around the world for the challenges of today's complex fighter platforms," he said.



While CAE will provide simulation-based training systems, Honeywell Aerospace will provide twin, F124 turbofan engines to power the T-100 via the International Turbine Engine Company (ITEC) joint venture.



Finmeccanica will be the supplier of the Aermacchi M-346 trainer jet which will be the basic platform for the T-100.



The USAF could need as many as 350 next-generation jet trainers under the T-X programme, having an estimated value of US$ 8 billion, to replace the Northrop-built T-38s which are in use since 1959 to train rookie pilots.



Other contenders for the programme include Boeing-SAAB team offering a newly designed aircraft; Northrop Grumman-BAE Systems team with a new aircraft; and Lockheed Martin-Korea Aerospace Industries offering the T-50 jet trainer.






NEW DELHI (PTI): Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said his ministry is ready to work with the Shipping Ministry to ensure more business for shipyards in the country.



He said he had a discussion with Union Shipping minister Nitin Gadkari regarding the lack of opportunities for shipyards.



"We have to realise the ground realities. Ship-building industry does not have any business because they have become commercially unviable many a time," Parrikar said at an event here.



Parrikar said since the discussion is at a primary stage, he would not like to divulge much.



"But, if Shipping Ministry comes with a proposal, from our side we are ready to share because we believe that more units together can build a better ship-building industry and thereby create more opportunities," Parrikar said.



He said the Defence Ministry can share the ship-building work it has with other units so that other units survive and maintain their capability.




A file photo.

SEOUL (BNS): South Korea and the US are expected to sign an agreement this week to begin official-level talks over the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in the Korean peninsula.



According to the official Yonhap news agency, the signing of the "terms of reference" over the possible positioning of a THAAD unit in South Korea will take place on Wednesday or Thursday, as the two countries are yet to iron out some details.



Quoting a Defence Ministry spokesman, the report said that the two sides are "in the final stages" of signing the accord and need one or two days to finish it.



After signing the agreement, Seoul and Washington will establish a joint working group to negotiate the sensitive THAAD issue, including cost-sharing and a candidate site, the Yonhap report said.



The two allies announced the deployment of the anti-ballistic missile defence system after North Korea launched a satellite-bearing long-range rocket earlier this month.



The US has since long been considering the option of deploying the THAAD system -- one of the most advanced in the world -- to the South, but such a move has been fiercely opposed by North Korea, China and Russia who have warned that it may lead to an arms race and undermine regional stability.



The THAAD anti-ballistic missile system has been designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles with the 'hit-to-kill' principle. The weapon is capable of intercepting the target in both endo- and exo-atmospheres.


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EDMONTON  Albertas pain is British Columbias gain.

The B.C. Construction Association said Tuesday that its member companies have been busy hiring skilled tradespeople who had been working in Albertas slumping energy sector.

Association president Manley McLachlan said these include British Columbians who were working in the oilpatch and unemployed Albertans heading west to seek jobs.

There is a tremendous amount of work available in the Lower Mainland, McLachlan said Tuesday from Victoria.

We are seeing activity pick up in the Southern Interior. Vancouver Island right now has a substantial amount of work underway.

McLachlan said a survey completed in December suggests about half of the 450 employers who responded hired at least one worker from Albertas oil and gas industry in the past year.

The association said some of its member companies that employ union and non-union workers will be looking to hire more skilled tradespeople this year for full-time jobs.

Albertas unemployment rate reached 7.4 per cent in January, up from 4.6 per cent a year earlier.

The Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors estimates that 100,000 thousand direct and indirect oil sector workers have lost their jobs across Canada in this economic downturn, most of them in Alberta.

McLachlan said there is demand for skilled carpenters, electricians, plumbers, welders, heavy equipment operators, roofers and other trades for industrial, commercial and highrise residential projects.

Tom Sigurdson, executive director of B.C. Building Trades, said the associations employment forecast isnt as sunny as it seems.

He said hundreds of construction tradespeople lined up at job fairs for the Site C Hydro project in Fort St. John, B.C.

Sigurdson said many building trades organizations in B.C. are reporting unemployment rates of 10 per cent or more.

We are experiencing higher levels of unemployment than we have in the past without having a lot of projects on the books indicating that we are going to have high levels of employment in the spring and summertime, he said.

He said some unionized skilled trades people in B.C. will be heading to Alberta this spring for maintenance operations on energy projects.

Sigurdson said there could be more jobs available in B.C. for non-union positions that pay lower wages and benefits.

The construction association pegs the average annual salary of a B.C. construction industry worker at $56,170 per year.

Sigurdson said a union worker could earn a salary in the $70,000 to $80,000 range.
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(Special)  Canadians increasingly are going online to invest in their Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and other accounts through a variety of platforms that lets them choose how their money is managed.

Years ago in its infancy, online investors had the reputation of being day traders. Day traders buy and sell of financial instruments within the same trading day for profit and generally are considered speculators. That stigma largely has been debunked as online investing and money management has become more main stream.

Today online investing is no longer even a trend  it is a way of life that has been experiencing double digit growth in the number of accounts and assets under management over the last five years or so, says Larry Moser, divisional manager of BMO Investor Line in Ottawa. It is most attractive and popular among millennials in the 18 to 34 age group who have grown up with technology but it is becoming increasingly popular with people from all walks of life and demographics, even those in their 60s, 70s and 80s.

The reasons are fairly simple. Investors have quick and easy access on their mobile devices and computers to a plethora of market information, education and analysis and can successfully execute trades at a fraction of the cost of using traditional brokers.

Moser likens online investing to flying. In the online world you can be your own pilot, you can be a co-pilot and do some flying yourself and leave some up to the pilot, or you can simply put your portfolio on auto-pilot and let the experts take over.

Some investors will decide to be completely in charge, do their own research, make their own decisions and execute trades. These people really have to have the desire and inclination to do this, he says.

Other investors will take more of a hybrid approach and use a financial adviser for their registered accounts like the RRSP and Tax Free Savings Accounts but then make their own decisions and trades for their non-registered investments.

For investors like these BMO has developed a program called Advice Direct which provides specific investment advice and portfolio monitoring and support from investment specialists who can provide guidance and information when needed.

They will learn about the investors goals, experience, current financial situation, risk tolerance, time horizon and need for income and suggest one of four profiles  income, balanced, growth and aggressive  that is best.

Recently BMO introduced the third piloting option called Smart Folio. Clients fill out a questionnaire, are aligned to one of five Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) portfolios that best suits their needs and they can track their portfolios performance knowing they are getting expert portfolio management, active monitoring and full transparency into holdings, performance and transaction history.

BMO Investor Line was ranked the top online discount brokerage by Surviscor Inc. in its 2015 Canadian online discount brokerage review with Scotia iTrade, Qtrade Investor, Questrade and RBC Direct Investing rounding out the top five.

The review uncovered some of the key trends taking place in the industry today such as the new robo-adviser craze as seen in BMOs Advice Direct and Smart Folio products, use of short educational videos and greater pricing simplicity.

All firms are starting to promote how well they have designed an area on their site to see how your portfolio is performing versus key benchmarks, says Surviscor President Glenn LaCoste. Pricing has come full circle in the past few years. It was easy to understand at the beginning, then became complex and now has returned to simple, and short videos are being used very effectively to educate customers on products and services, the industry and how to use the site. After all, who doesnt love a great show or movie?

Talbot Boggs is a Toronto-based business communications professional who has worked with national news organizations, magazines and corporations in the finance, retail, manufacturing and other industrial sectors.

Copyright 2016 Talbot Boggs
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REGINA  Saskatchewan is recalling firefighting crews two weeks earlier and hiring eight new crews as it prepares for what could be an early start to the wildfire season.

An air tanker and a bird-dog aircraft, which directs the operation of the air tankers, are scheduled to be ready by March 27. Seasonal staff will start in the Prince Albert fire centre area April 4, with workers in more northern areas on the job by mid-April.

Environment Minister Herb Cox says the province is also eliminating a 20-kilometre zone around communities facing the risk of a forest fire. He says it was only meant to be a guideline.

It was flexible. It allowed us to access and action fires that were of the greatest risk to communities or to people, Cox said Tuesday.

Were still going to continue to access fires whether they be 25, 30 kilometres out, if the weather conditions, the fuel in the area, temperature, forecast, wind direction, those sorts of things will all be factors that will considered in accessing a fire now.

Cox says that was always the case, but he says there was a misperception that crews wouldnt fight a fire if it was 21 kilometres from a community.

That let it burn policy, if you will, took on a life of its own, he said.

Some mayors complained that the policy let fires get too close to northern communities last year before there was an adequate response.

The changes are part of a response to a historic wildfire season last year.

There were 720 fires that forced about 13,000 people from their homes last year and burned 17,000 square kilometres of forest. The governments response to the fires cost about $100 million.

Deputy environment minister Cam Swan says there were very dry conditions heading into last year and fires were getting larger, faster.

They were burning much more intensely and they were moving a lot farther than we have seen in the past, including in hours of the day where you would traditionally not see a move quite so far, so theyre changing a bit, said Swan.

Is that the new norm? Thats a good question. We dont know, but we need to prepare for it if that is going to become the new norm.

Temperatures over much of northern Saskatchewan were generally warmer this winter with below-normal snowfall. That could mean dry conditions this year, but Cox and Swan say they need to see how much rain falls this spring to fully assess the fire risk.

New Democrat Buckley Belanger, who represents the northern riding of Athabasca, is skeptical about the initiatives. He says theres no financial commitment.

Theres no dollars dedicated specifically to improving things like the response team. Theres no number attached to things like improving the evacuation procedures, Belanger said from Ile-A-La-Crosse.

Alberta said earlier this month that it is starting its wildfire season a month early after flames last year torched almost 5,000 square kilometres.

Alberta Forestry Minister Oneil Carlier said the extra time provided with a March 1 launch will ensure crews are recruited, trained and positioned to respond quickly to any wildfires that break out in early spring and through the year.
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A Brandon doctor credited with creating a knee replacement system that remains one of the most-used and successful orthopedic operations in the world has died.

Dr. Frank Gunston, an Order of Canada recipient, passed away in his home on Feb. 15. He was remembered at a service that filled Memories Chapel in Brandon on Monday afternoon.

Gunston was 82, and is survived by Sharleen, his wife of 47 years, and children John and Jennifer.

Brandon Sun Archives/Pam Doyle Dr. Frank Gunston displays his knee replacement device at the Brandon Clinic administration office in September 1989.

His 43-year career developed from working at a zinc and copper mine in Flin Flon to being heralded as a pioneer in orthopedics who chose to give away his design for the first total knee-joint replacement prosthesis to be implanted into the human body.

Born in Flin Flon in 1933, Gunston always knew what he wanted, said his sister, Judy Grandstaff.

As a 16-year-old, that meant agreeing to a family trip on the newly completed road to and from Flin Flon, only if his parents would buy him a car.

Grandstaff recalled her brother taking the new-to-him 1930s roadster completely apart in their parents garage later that summer.

Well, thats $100 wasted, Grandstaff recalled their father Leonard saying at the time.

But he put it back together, and it ran, she said in his eulogy. Many in the room laughed knowingly.

Gunston remained a tinkerer all his life. After earning his engineering degree from the University of Manitoba in 1957, he returned as an engineer to Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting in Flin Flon.

He was sent by the company to England to work on transistors in telephone systems  at the time an emerging technology.

There, Gunston became fascinated by the transistors role in the pacemaker  another new technology at the time.

I was frustrated because I could work on the pacemakers, but not on the patients, he told The Brandon Sun in a 1994 interview.

So he returned to Winnipeg and earned his Doctor of Medicine degree. In 1963, he returned to England to work with Sir John Charnley in Lancashire  helping Charnley develop a hip prothesis.

Gunston noticed that patients with newly replaced hips were often still restricted by their arthritic knees  launching his work to develop a suitable replacement.

His solution combined plastic and metallic elements in a set of tracks, attached to the top of the tibia with a matching set of metal inserts fastened to the femur, allowing the joint to work together by moving along a runner.

Gunstons knee was eventually implanted on 27 patients before he returned to Winnipeg. He published his work in a 1971 research paper, a significant and generous decision.

A 2005 article in The Sun notes Gunston could have patented his work, which would have paved the way for commercial development and use, instead of it available to anybody.

I was not particularly interested in the commercial exploitation, he said at the time.

In 1982, Gunston returned to Brandon General Hospital to devote more time to his research.

Gunston, who also developed several other human joint replacements, was at the time the only Manitoban to be awarded the $100,000 Manning Award for Canadian inventors in 1989 for his knee prothesis.

Gunston was named Distinguished Surgeon by the Canadian Orthopaedic Association in 1994, and received the Order of Canada in 1997 and the Manitoba Medical Association Scholastic Award in 1998.

Gunston retired in 2000, turning his focus to tinkering under the hood of stock cars and with narrow-gauge steam engines. He received the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Diamond Jubilee Medal 10 years later.

On Monday, Gunston was remembered by his son John as a man with a unique social presence: known by his friends for his trademark cigar, fishing hat and a love for music that started when he picked up the trumpet in high school.

He once came second in a Frank Gunston Impersonation Contest held by fellow members of the Westwood Community Band in Winnipeg, recalled Gunstons son, who also plays the trumpet.

He made an impact with those he came into contact with.

 tbateman@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @tombatemann
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A Brandon man who claims his girlfriend left behind her sawed-off shotgun when he kicked her out has been fined for firearms offences.

In Brandon provincial court on Monday, Brydon Chad Cameron got jail time and some fines after pleading guilty to assault, possessing a firearm without a licence and careless storage of the gun.

In November 2014, a woman called police to a Victoria Avenue apartment to complain that her ex-boyfriend had hit her in the face.

The woman was found bleeding outside the apartment and informed officers that her boyfriend was still inside. She also told them that theyd find a gun in the home.

That was confirmed by Cameron, who let police into the apartment and guided them to a sawed-off, 12-gauge shotgun in a closet. It wasnt equipped with a trigger lock and wasnt being stored properly, Crown attorney Kaley Tschetter said.

Cameron claims the gun belonged to his girlfriend, who he had kicked out of the apartment several days before. However, he had taken away her keys and had sole access to the gun, which he failed to get rid of by notifying police.

His lawyer, Bob Harrison, said Camerons ex got upset when she found him at the apartment with another woman following their breakup.

In addition, Cameron admitted to failing to attend court, possession of a stolen truck, breach of curfew and breaking his bail order by failing to notify authorities that hed moved.

He told court that hed moved to Alberta to work in the oil fields. Hed used a stolen truck to get back to Brandon for his daughters birthday and got caught on Nov. 27 when he drove into a parked car.

In total, Cameron was fined $200 for the firearms charges and received 135 days in jail for his other offences, minus 132 days remand time, leaving four days in jail to serve.

When he gets out, hell be on probation for a year.

 The Brandon Sun
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Brandonites will have much easier access to Canadas busiest airport this summer, but theyre going to have to use the flights if theres any hope of the service becoming permanent.

On Monday morning, WestJet announced that from June 28 to Sept. 5, it will offer a direct flight four times weekly from the Wheat City to Torontos Pearson International Airport, one of three limited-addition routes the Canadian airline is trying out for the summer.

WestJet media relations adviser Lauren Stewart said the move was all about supply and demand.

Tim Smith/Brandon Sun A one-way ticket to the Big Smoke is listed at a base price of $174.43 online, while a one-way Toronto-to-Brandon flight is listed as $215.97.

Its something Brandonites have been asking for (for) a long time. From time to time, we look at ways to deploy our aircraft, and this was a new business opportunity for us, so we decided to test it out for the summer and see how it goes, she said.

The measure of that tests success will be, literally, how many people get on board.

If the route turns out to be a popular one, then there is a definite possibility it could become a more permanent route sometime in the future, Stewart said.

The outbound flight will depart Brandon at 5:15 a.m., touching down in Toronto at 8:39 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The inbound flight will be offered Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, departing Toronto at 9:25 p.m. and pulling into Brandon Municipal Airport at 11:18 p.m.

Self-proclaimed as Canadas largest and busiest airport, Pearson International hosts more than 65 airlines that fly to 180 cities worldwide.

WestJet Encore has offered daily flights from Brandon to Calgary International Airport and back since 2013. Unlike the Calgary flights, which use a Bombardier Q400 turboprop, the Brandon-Toronto route will be flown by the bigger, jet-engined Boeing 737.

The two models that will come into Brandon have capacities of 113 or 130 passengers, sitting three abreast with a row down the middle of the plane. A one-way ticket to the Big Smoke is listed at a base price of $174.43 online, while a one-way Toronto-to-Brandon flight is listed as $215.97.

Pricing is always dynamic. What you saw was our base fare and the price youre going to get is the price you select, so if its econo or the plus fare, the day of the week you want to fly and how far in advance you book the ticket and those sorts of things, Stewart said.

Sandy Trudel, Brandons director of economic development, said based on the citys research, there wont be a problem with demand. User surveys of Brandons business community show there is a similar number of people wanting an easterly connection from the Wheat City as those who use the westward route.

When you look back historically, over the years I think weve been doing various reach-out surveys for 15 different years and it tended to hover around a 55-45 split, Trudel said, adding the Calgary-Brandon flight is one of WestJets strongest routes.

Trudel said news of the Toronto route will also help with event attraction and promotion in the Wheat City.

The $9-million expansion and modernization to Brandons airport terminal, a joint initiative of the city, provincial and federal governments, wasnt a factor in adding the flights, Stewart said.

Mayor Rick Chrest said the new flight is not only a big deal for Brandonites, but for all of western Manitoba.

We like to think that (the terminal expansion) certainly shows (carriers) that we mean business, we take it seriously, and not wanting them to just come here and make do, he said.

Chrest said the existing terminal reflects on the city and it reflects on the carrier and it puts an impression on the air travelling public that comes through Brandon and goes, Holy moly, thats a pretty underwhelming service.

A busier airport is great news for Genevieve Simard, manager of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car at the Brandon airport.

Its a lot more business, we have to be up there day and night. Business is great and were glad to see Toronto. A lot of people fly to Toronto from Brandon through Calgary, she said.

She said Enterprise will wait and see how much busier the airport location is before making bigger business decisions.

Earlier this year, WestJet doubled the number of flights to Calgary and back before scaling back the service to 11 times a week only days after launching the second flight daily. That reduction was blamed on the downturn in the economy in Canadas energy markets.

The rollback will continue this summer. There will be only one flight each day from Brandon to Calgary starting on May 2.

Stewart wouldnt say for sure that it was the crashing oil market that made the Brandon-Toronto leg more attractive by contrast.

We have been moving flights out of Alberta and more into B.C. and central and eastern Canada. So its a possibility that there was a plane available and thats when this business opportunity came up.

WestJet doesnt publicize exactly how many passengers it will need to keep a Toronto flight past Sept. 5.

Lets just suffice it to say that it is going to be based on usage and well definitely be watching it, Stewart said.

Trudel agrees.

I would love to say, Oh, weve got this nailed, but its just like our west route. Its your flight, if you want it you need to keep it. The only way you do that is by using it, she said.

Do I believe that there is strong demand for an east connection? Absolutely. Can I guarantee that all of those numbers are going to materialize in this limited-addition strip? I cant do that.

 tbateman@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @tombatemann
Students take a walk in others' shoes to raise mental health awareness

Jermica Mumford writes on the Worthy Wall.







Sydney Parker reads the note attached to a pair of shoes during the S.H.O.E.S. Project. Each pair of shoes carried a story about one person's challenges in order to spread the message that those who are suffering are not alone.





The S.H.O.E.S. Project was displayed on campus Feb. 11 to help students who may be dealing with challenging times. (Photos and video by Cliff Hollis)

Hundreds of pairs of shoes, each with a story to tell, filled the mall near the cupola on East Carolina University's campus on Feb. 11.The S.H.O.E.S. Project, which stands for Students Honoring Others' Everyday Struggles, was organized to raise awareness of mental health issues and to inform students of available resources.Nearly 200 pairs of shoes were donated by ECU students to be displayed during the event, said Waz Miller, director of residence life. Students also provided anonymous stories about the challenges faced by others and themselves, and each story was attached to a pair of shoes.read the note on a pair of black flats.Ben's Topsiders bore the message,said sophomore Autumn Varner.Signs throughout the mall provided eye-opening information related to depression and suicide, like the fact that suicide takes twice as many lives annually in North Carolina than homicide, and that less than 25 percent of people with depression receive adequate care, despite the availability of resources.Student radio station WZMB 91.3 FM broadcast live during the event, and hot cocoa and cookies helped ward off the cold.Miller said.Other signs pointed out that warning signs precede most suicides, and friends and loved ones can help by making sure someone who talks about suicide or feels hopeless or trapped receives the care they need.Counselors were on hand in a private setting to speak confidentially with students and provide information to connect them with crisis resources.In conjunction with the display of shoes and stories were positive messages throughout campus. The So Worth Living student organization displayed a Worthy Wall, where students and passersby could write down why they are worthy of love.wrote Varner.The Pitt County Schools Health Sciences Academy assisted in creating thousands of inspirational Post-it notes that were left in residence halls and classroom buildings for students to find throughout the day. ECU Transit also joined in with positive messages on the buses' marquees and Post-it notes onboard.said Brianna Garbacik, ECU junior and S.H.O.E.S. Project student coordinator.Student organizations can help, she said, like So Worth Loving and To Write Love on Her Arms, as well as a counseling center located in Umstead Hall. Event organizers also provided information about the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK, suicidepreventionlifeline.org) and a list of additional crisis organizations.said sophomore Danielle Livolsi, who stopped to write on the Worthy Wall.College students can be particularly susceptible to depression, anxiety, stress and thoughts of self-harm, but may think they can manage on their own, Miller added.In addition to reaching out to ECU students, the ECU student organizations and staff will be hosting similar events this spring at Hope Middle School and D.H. Conley High School.said S.H.O.E.S. volunteer Mikayla Potkey.
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OTTAWA - At the conclusion of Sen. Mike Duffy's criminal trial, it will be up to Ontario Court Justice Charles Vaillancourt to determine whether or not Sen. Mike Duffy committed a crime in his dealings as the Conservative senator from P.E.I. Here's a look, by the numbers, at what he'll be reviewing:

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OTTAWA  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under pressure from the premiers to ensure that the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and the Native Womens Association of Canada are included in discussions next week ahead of the first ministers meeting in Vancouver.

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said the premiers had a brief discussion and believe all five national aboriginal organizations should attend.

Selingers comments come after the two excluded groups sent a strongly worded letter of complaint to the premiers.

Weve had that tradition in the past when they meet with the Council of the Federation, Selinger said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

We meet with all five organizations and were supportive of continuing that practice.

The premiers dont see any reason why the groups cannot attend, Selinger added.

There is some good leadership there, he said. We just want them to be heard and part of the process.

The letter to the premiers, obtained by The Canadian Press, expresses surprise and great disappointment at the lack of an invitation from Trudeau.

It also calls on the premiers to hold Trudeau accountable to his promise of inclusion.

At a meeting held on Dec. 16, 2015, the prime minister reiterated the federal governments commitment to include all five (national aboriginal organizations) in high-level discussions pertaining to indigenous issues, it reads.

It is extremely important that all indigenous voices are heard and not just a select few.

Dwight Dorey, the national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, which represents about 1.1 million indigenous people living off-reserve, said Tuesday the governments decision does not make sense to him.

In talking to some of the premiers, theyre  shocked at it, Dorey said.

It is clearly discrimination. It goes totally against the commitment that the prime minister made.

Dorey said hes seeking the support of the premiers in the hope it will convince Trudeau to invite both the congress and the womens association.

In a statement, the Prime Ministers Office said Trudeau would meet the premiers, the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Metis National Council ahead of the first ministers meeting in the context of a renewed nation-to-nation relationship.

The meetings do not in any way preclude ongoing discussions with all five national aboriginal organizations, as committed to by the prime minister late last year, the statement said.

The government of Canada has committed to working and meeting regularly with the national aboriginal organizations and will continue to engage in robust bilateral discussions with all five  on issues of importance to their members, said spokesperson Andree-Lyne Halle.

Halle did not explain why the congress and the association were excluded.

NDP indigenous affairs critic Charlie Angus said he is still trying to figure out what the government is trying to accomplish by leaving out the two groups.

Mr. Trudeau said he was going to end Stephen Harpers standard operating practice of picking winners and losers and creating confrontation by excluding people he didnt want to hear from, Angus said.

The message theyre sending is, There are going to be winners and losers with this new government.

 With files from Chinta Puxley

Follow @kkirkup on Twitter
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EDMONTON  Albertas governing NDP fought donation controversies on two fronts Tuesday, pulling the plug on a big-ticket fundraiser in Edmonton just hours before it was set to begin.

Cheryl Oates, who speaks for Premier Rachel Notley, confirmed the party cancelled a portion of a fundraiser at the Art Gallery of Alberta after Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler announced she was investigating whether it squares with the Conflicts of Interest Act.

The dinner has been postponed pending the outcome of the ethics commissioners investigation, which she has agreed to do based on a complaint from the opposition, said Oates.

The main part of the art gallery event was a reception with tickets sold for $250 apiece, and that function still went ahead.

However, the party had also sold tickets at $1,000 apiece guaranteeing those ticket holders a private dinner with Notley and her MLAs at a separate room in the art gallery prior to the main event.

It was that $1,000-per ticket event that was cancelled and is under investigation.

Trussler had originally signed off on the $1,000-per-ticket event as meeting the provisions of the act.

But she reopened the matter after the opposition Wildrose party sent a letter early Tuesday asking for clarification.

Jason Nixon, the Wildrose critic for democratic accountability, said he doubts Trussler was given all the required information when she signed off on the $1,000-event in the first place.

I never did think that the NDP were telling the ethics commissioner that they were having an exclusive, private, select-invite access to premier and cabinet event for money, said Nixon.

Also Tuesday, the Wildrose asked Trussler to investigate Notleys role at a big-ticket Ontario NDP fundraiser last week that solicited donations from blue-chip multinational companies, some of whom do business in Alberta.

Nixon said that event in Toronto, hosted by Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, cost almost $10,000 a ticket, and he said it, too, raises questions around impartiality and the selling of access.

Alberta companies who cannot donate to the NDP in Alberta can pay 10 grand in Ontario to get special face-to-face interaction, said Nixon.

It is unseemly and it is unethical.

In Alberta, corporations and unions are banned from donating to political parties under legislation passed by Notleys government last spring.

Notley said she also cleared that event beforehand with Trussler.

Im the leader of Albertas NDP. Andrea Horwath is the leader of Ontarios NDP, Notley told a legislature news conference.

Its not uncommon for certain sections of the party to ask leaders of other sections to come along to events to attract people.

Andreas a friend of mine, she added. She asked me to do (this). I said, You know, I can probably give you one event in a year  and she invited me to come out to this.

I actually dont think theres an issue here.

She said the Ontario NDP paid for her trip and kept all donation money raised.

Advertising for the event at the Royal York hotel was low-key. The fundraiser was billed on tickets as an evening with Horwath, whose party sits third in the Ontario legislature.

Karla Webber-Gallagher, provincial secretary for the Ontario NDP, said donors were eventually notified that Notley would be attending.

Legislature reporters in Alberta were told by Notleys office she was going to Toronto to accept an award.

Webber-Gallagher, in an email exchange, said the intimate dinner was with 20 donors.

Webber-Gallagher initially declined to name those who attended.

However, as Notley faced repeated questions in a news conference over whom she met with, the Ontario NDP released to Notleys office a list of those at the table.

They were: the Insurance Bureau of Canada, Labatt Canada, Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, the Society of Energy Professionals, United Association, USW National, Teranet Inc., Borealis Infrastructure, Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, General Electric and Eli Lilly Canada.

Nixon said the Toronto fundraiser reflects poorly on a premier who has fought to remove corporate influence in Alberta politics.

(And) given the fact that all NDP parties across the country are under the same banner, we have to wonder if money or volunteer labour is being kicked back to the Alberta NDP, Nixon said.

Last May, the NDP was forced to backtrack after it tried to leverage the swearing-in of Notley and her cabinet into a party fundraising event.

Last November, the NDP caucus apologized to the legislature chamber after it was revealed the party was promoting access to Notley in her role as premier at a Calgary fundraiser.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story; an earlier version misidentified the Art Gallery of Alberta as the Alberta Art Gallery
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WINNIPEG  Lorelei Williams left the first roundtable on missing and murdered indigenous women in tears after family members who had lost loved ones fought to be one of four people allowed to speak.

The British Columbia woman, whose aunt disappeared in 1978 and whose cousins remains were found on the farm of convicted killer Robert Pickton, says she felt revictimized by the experience.

Williams hopes it will be different when premiers, federal and provincial ministers gather again for a second roundtable in Winnipeg. Leaders need to listen more carefully to voices like hers and do what they can to address the issue in their own jurisdictions, she says.

Once they get to know the families and what it does to them, I feel like (they) can fight a better battle, she said Tuesday. There is a lot of racism that has flawed cases and that needs to be addressed.

Beverley Jacobs, whose cousin was killed in 2008, was one of the four people who spoke at the first roundtable. She said the experience was horrible.

She isnt attending this roundtable, but said she hopes provincial leaders use it to look at addressing poverty, affordable housing, community safety and the disproportionate number of indigenous children in care.

These are all issues that impact indigenous women, said Jacobs, the lead researcher on Amnesty Internationals report on missing and murdered indigenous women.

The roundtable begins Wednesday with a day-long, closed-door session for families only. Its to be followed by two days of meetings with premiers, ministers, indigenous leaders and families.

A lot has changed since the last roundtable a year ago when calls for a national inquiry loomed large. The Conservatives, who steadfastly refused to call one, lost the fall federal election to the Liberals, who have promised to convene one this year.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde with the Assembly of First Nations said a national inquiry is only one part of the solution.

Theres still action items that provinces and big cities can also look at, Bellegarde said. You cant just rely on the federal government to do this.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said her government is going beyond the inquiry to address violence against indigenous women.

She announced Tuesday that her government is spending $100 million over the next three years on a long-term anti-violence strategy, most of it to support indigenous families. She said she hopes the roundtable will result in concrete actions, including a co-ordinated public awareness campaign.

The national inquiry is important  but it cannot be used as an excuse for not taking action, said Wynne, who is attending the roundtable.

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said the provinces each have a list of projects to be discussed and prioritized. They include engaging indigenous men in anti-violence campaigns and improving access to emergency shelters.

There is quite a bit of motivation in the room to follow up on these things.

For federal ministers, the roundtable is a chance to consult provincial leaders about the inquiry. Federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has toured the country to hear from family members about what the inquiry should look like. She said she hopes the roundtable will be a chance to get the provinces and territories on board.

Its going to be a good discussion. Im looking forward to it.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett said she hopes to get ideas on what action can be taken immediately.

There obviously are some things we could be doing together right now, she said. There is optimism from the families, but also the provinces and territories, that were finally going to get to work together with the federal government on a real plan.

The RCMP has estimated at least 1,200 indigenous women have disappeared or been murdered since 1980. Although indigenous women make up 4.3 per cent of the Canadian population, they account for 16 per cent of female homicides and 11.3 per cent of missing women.

 With files from Kristy Kirkup in Ottawa and Allison Jones in Toronto
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OTTAWA  The British are coming  at least to provide expert advice to the Trudeau government for its defence policy review and shipbuilding plans.

At least two senior British officers already on exchange in Ottawa will be available to help the Liberal government and National Defence conduct a major review of the countrys defence posture.

Lt.-Gen. Mark Poffley, deputy chief of the British general staff, said in an interview with The Canadian Press that the two nations are friends, with shared values and a shared outlook on the world.

Canada, like every nation, will have to work out how it sees itself in the world and how its going to play, he said.

Britain recently completed its own defence review and some of its lessons could be valuable to Canada, which has not refreshed its military marching orders since the Harper governments Canada First defence strategy in 2008.

What differs from previous review exercises is the pace of globalization, Poffley said.

The era in which both countries could enjoy a relative degree of isolation  either as an island nation or as country separated from turmoil by an ocean  is coming to an end, he said.

The world is coming to you whether you like it or not and therefore the people of Canada, like the people of Britain, have to reconcile themselves to that reality, Poffley said.

Britains strategic defence and security review, published last November, reversed a decline in defence spending, which began in 2010.

Prime Minister David Camerons government had faced accusations  mostly from the U.S.  that it was no longer a strategic partner.

The review saw Britain create two new army strike brigades, fast-track the delivery of F-35 fighters and double spending on special forces.

Canadas Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan told a conference last week that he wanted to see this countrys review completed by the end of the year, but conceded there was no mechanism yet in place for consultation.

Separately, Public Services and Procurement says it is hiring a retired British admiral with a long history in naval acquisitions to provide advice on the troubled national shipbuilding program, where cost estimates are soaring.

Steve Brunton, who served 36 years in the Royal Navy and retired as a rear admiral, will advise the Liberal government for at least a year on program management, construction benchmarking and competitiveness.
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OTTAWA  Rushing to balance the federal books would drive the country into recession, Finance Minister Bill Morneau cautioned Tuesday  one day after admitting that hes digging a fiscal hole thats even deeper than originally planned.

Morneau was at the centre of several heated partisan exchanges that highlighted the stark philosophical difference between the Liberals and Conservatives on the importance of a balanced federal budget.

He appeared before an all-party parliamentary committee to answer questions about Mondays projections, which said next years deficit could turn out to be more than five times bigger than was forecast just three months ago.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau appears at Commons committee for pre-budget consultations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

And if anyone had doubts about how committed Morneau is to the idea of running a deficit, he erased them Tuesday when he said that a balanced budget is the last thing the Canadian economy needs right now.

Was he really serious when he said that running a balanced budget is going to put us in a recession? Conservative finance critic Lisa Raitt asked, incredulous, during question period.

I was deadly serious, an animated Morneau shot back.

The Liberals made a counter-intuitive decision during last years election campaign when they promised to run deficits over the next three years in order to pay for infrastructure projects in order to stimulate the flagging economy.

The Tory and NDP vows to balance the budget at all costs would have forced Ottawa to either significantly raise taxes or introduce tens of billions of dollars of cuts, Morneau said.

On Monday, Morneau said Ottawa is now predicting a shortfall of at least $18.4 billion next year  a shortfall thats nearly twice the $10-billion limit promised by the Liberals, and one thats widely expected to grow even more before the March 22 budget.

The Liberals, who have largely blamed the weak economy for wreaking havoc on their campaign promises, have also signalled they wont be able to live up to a key commitment to balance the books in four years.

The Liberals have many spending promises still to implement, Raitt  also a member of the finance committee  noted during Morneaus testimony.

Do you have those numbers right, minister? she asked. Because so far we have not seen any kind of consistency in terms of getting the predictions correct.

Raitt also accused the Liberals of blowing through a projected surplus left behind by the former Harper government. Not so, insisted Morneau, who claimed the Tories left behind a deficit.

During the hearing, Morneau was also pressed by NDP MP Guy Caron to explain why his department included a bigger-than-usual contingency reserve of $6 billion a year in its calculations.

Was it a political move designed to lower expectations among Canadians, Caron wanted to know. No, just a cushion against economic uncertainty, Morneau explained.

The federal government also confirmed Tuesday that it will provide $251.4 million to Alberta under a program designed to help provinces hit by sudden revenue downturns.

Alberta has been sideswiped by collapsing oil prices and the little-known fiscal stabilization program provides help when provincial revenues fall by more than five per cent from one year to the next.

Money from the program is allocated on a per capita basis, at $60 a person.

Newfoundland and Labrador, which has also been hit by sagging oil prices, may also qualify and the federal government has said it would quickly assess such a claim if the province applies for money.

The Saskatchewan government also explored whether it was eligible for a fiscal-stabilization payment. The province has also sustained a negative economic hit due to falling oil prices.

A provincial spokeswoman, however, said Tuesday that the more-diversified Saskatchewan economy likely failed to qualify because the government didnt suffer a five-per-cent drop in revenues, which is the criteria for federal help.

Follow @AndyBlatchford on Twitter
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WINNIPEG  The Manitoba legislature may be the next battleground over the question of when employers can demand sick notes from absent workers.

Dave Gaudreau, a backbencher in the NDP government, is proposing a law that would forbid bosses from requesting sick notes until a worker has missed at least seven days in a calendar year.

It would definitely save taxpayers (money) and free up a lot of doctors time, Gaudreau said Tuesday.

The savings to the system, to Manitoba taxpayers, is in the millions of dollars.

The province has no law governing when employers can demand a doctors note for sick days.

Some medical groups have already criticized the practice of some employers requiring sick notes for routine illnesses. The Ontario Medical Association said in a 2014 statement that demanding a sick note has a discouraging effect and forces patients into the doctors office when they are sick, which only encourages the spread of germs to those in the waiting room.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association also expressed concern in 2014 that having people go to clinics and medical offices for sick notes ties up a doctors time.

Gaudreau said his idea would also save workers from paying extra fees that doctors sometimes charge for a sick note. One of his constituents, he said, was charged $25 for a note that the boss at a fast-food restaurant demanded.

Business groups say sick notes are needed to manage absenteeism and ensure that workers are getting treatment for their illnesses.

I think we have to remember that sick leave is a benefit. Its not an entitlement, said Elliot Sims, Manitoba director for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

Employers need to be able to have a check-and-balance system in place to ensure accountability.

Gaudreau hopes to have his proposed law debated in the legislature in the coming weeks, but admits there are no guarantees it will be discussed before the April 19 provincial election. The government already has more than a dozen bills waiting for a vote and bills from individual backbenchers are frequently passed over.

If his idea is not approved this spring, he will reintroduce the bill after the election  if he is re-elected, said Gaudreau.

I could bring it back another time.
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OTTAWA  The federal public safety minister is asking the RCMP watchdog to revisit the issue of bullying and harassment within the national police force.

Ralph Goodale says he has invited the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP to look at whether recommendations it made three years ago have been implemented.

Last week the minister expressed outrage to RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson when allegations surfaced about unwanted sexual touching, bullying and rampant nudity in the workplace at the explosives training unit of the Canadian Police College in Ottawa.

In a 2013 report, the watchdog over the RCMP said the force must take swift and effective action on complaints of workplace bullying and harassment to restore the shaken confidence of both members and the public.

It called for a more independent process, strict timelines for responding to accusations and force-wide training on the issue.

Since then, new legislation has revamped the way such cases are handled within the force and training has also been stepped up.

Goodale says the latest review will assess the adequacy, appropriateness and clarity of RCMP policies, procedures and guidelines to prevent and address allegations regarding workplace harassment at the RCMP.

The Mounties have pledged zero tolerance for harassment.

Paulson told a Commons committee Tuesday that the force has grappled with a bullying and intimidation problem  theres no question about that  but he stressed that it had made strides.

Goodale says stories of harassment within the police force are demoralizing.

I think everyone from top to bottom in the RCMP will want to make sure that what we have there is a safe, secure working place where members of the force, civilian employees, members of the general public feel fully valued and properly respected as they should be.
House and Senate satisfy court order with new maps; pending judicial review, congressional primary set for June 7

RALEIGH The General Assembly on Friday approved a broad array of electoral changes including a separate June 7 congressional primary and new congressional district boundaries before adjourning the two-day special session Gov. Pat McCrory had called Prickly divisions arose again between majority Republicans, who ushered in the changes to comply with a federal court order by today's deadline, and Democrats, who vigorously opposed them from start to finish.Democrats complained that they did not have input into the drawing of the new congressional map, but downplayed Republicans' counterargument that Democrats never offered an alternative to consider even though they were authorized to use legislative and outside staff, computers, software, and up to $25,000 for expenses.Earlier this month a three-judge panel of the U.S. Middle District of North Carolina struck down North Carolina's 1st and 12th congressional districts, ruling they were drawn unconstitutionally because race was a predominant factor in the decision making.Republicans deny that, and are awaiting word on an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the lower court's ruling. A stay would allow the election to go forward as originally planned with all races on the ballot, while litigating appeals in the case at a later date.The GOP chose not to use race as a factor in realigning the congressional maps, which created consternation and disbelief among Democrats and members of the Legislative Black Caucus.Given the uncertainty of the Supreme Court reprieve, and the congressional primary being pushed back to June 7, Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, emphasized that it is critical for voters to cast ballots in congressional races during early voting, through the 23,000 absentee, military, and overseas ballots that already have been issued, and on the March 15 election date.and the June 7 congressional primary, as well as other parts of the two bills passed on Friday, will become null and void, Hise said.Kim Strach, State Board of Elections executive director, said if no stay is issued and a standalone congressional primary is pushed back to June 7, the voting machines still would be set to tabulate the congressional votes on March 15. But the machine would hide the results from view, and they would be sealed.It would cost between $9.5 million and $10 million to hold a second primary, Strach said, but all counties should have budgeted for a runoff primary. Since this legislation disallows any runoff primary, money already budgeted should cover a standalone congressional primary.Under normal circumstances, candidates must get at least 40 percent of the primary vote to avoid a runoff, Because there will be no primary runoff, the candidate the most votes would win, even if that plurality is less than 40 percent. The legislation enacted Friday sets a new filing period for March 16-25 for congressional candidates.But costs to candidates who already have been running campaigns, and now might be in another district, or face more opposition with a new filing period set for March 16-25said Sen. Bob Rucho, R-Mecklenburg."The voters have been disenfranchised because of this action" by the federal court, said Sen. Bob Rucho, R-Mecklenburg, who served as the Senate co-chairman on the Joint Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting that drafted the rules, criteria, and procedures for drawing the new congressional maps.Throughout the proceedings of the past four days Democrats continually grilled Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, House chairman of the Joint Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting, whether race in any form was part of the mapmaking process.Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake, followed suit during debate on the House floor Friday. And he pressed Lewis, repeatedly and unsuccessfully, to answer whether Lewis believed the changes were constitutional at the state and federal levels.Lewis responded, while answering the constitutional question by saying the plan addresses the federal court's concerns.Rep. Mickey Michaux, D-Durham, invoked the name of "my friend Martin Luther King" during floor debate, saying the civil rights leader told him when an opponent hits one cheek to offer him the other.Michaux said, accusing Republicans of drawing the maps even before committee meetings began to do that work.In a House Redistricting Committee meeting earlier in the day, Michaux refused to answer when asked if he or other Democrats had worked on any alternatives.Michaux said.Are lawmakers "required to protect minority communities from racially polarized voting patterns? Yes, they are. Voter discrimination matters," Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield, D-Wilson, said while questioning the timing of when the maps were generated.Rep. Ed Hanes, D-Forsyth, said it was essential to discuss race in context of the congressional maps. He noted that of 1.9 million Republicans in the state, 95 percent are white, and 41 percent of the 2.6 million Democrats are black.Hanes decried drawing U.S. Rep. Alma Adams out of the 12th District, saying the voices of two of the state's largest minority populations in Forsyth and Guilford counties "have been silenced with regard to congressional politics." Blacks paid for the right to representation "by whip, through blood, by protest, and through eventual freedom."Lewis said using simple party registration to draw districts isn't as effective as using past election results, which show true voting patterns of a population. Election results also take into account patterns of unaffiliated voters that could swing an election.The federal court cited no evidence of racially polarized voting in North Carolina, and no Democrat submitted evidence during hearings to support their contention that dynamic made it necessary to inject race into the maps' composition, Lewis said.The new mapshe said, while conceding GOP candidates would have an edge.said House Majority Leader Mike Hager, R-Rutherford. He said he won his district by 32 percent even though Democrats outnumbered Republicans 22,000 to 12,000 in a gerrymandered district drawn by the Democrats.Hager said.Rep. Bert Jones, R-Rockingham, vice chairman of the Joint Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting, said over the past 40 years North Carolinians have voted for the Republican candidate in eight of the last nine presidential elections (89 percent), and for the Republican U.S. Senate candidate in 13 of the past 16 elections (81 percent).The 10-3 Republican-to-Democrat congressional split under the new maps is 77 percent, andgiven state voters' preference in national elections.He also scoffed at what he termed Democrats' hypocrisy for raising gerrymandering concerns only after Republicans won legislative majorities in 2010 and with it, the authority to draw the electoral maps. He said the GOP made those gains in districts gerrymandered by Democrats.Jones said.
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PICKERING, Ont.  Students described a chaotic scene at a suburban Toronto high school on Tuesday after a female classmate ran down the hallways knifing people, leaving six students and three staff with non-serious injuries.

A 14-year-old girl was taken into custody and four people were transported to hospital for treatment, although none of the injuries were considered grave, police said.

Sgt. Bill Calder of Durham Regional Police said officers were called to Dunbarton High School in Pickering, Ont., at 8:32 a.m. in response to reports of a stabbing. He added that two staff members wrestled the suspect to the ground and held her down until police arrived.

A victim is taken away on a stretcher following a stabbing incident at Dunbarton High School in Pickering, Ont., on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Salvatore Sacco

Were giving kudos to the staff members that stopped this before it got worse, Calder said.

They did the right thing.

Investigators said in a release they did not believe any particular student or staff member was targeted in the attack.

She appeared to be acting alone, Calder said.

Police said the school was closed for the day as investigators were interviewing witnesses.

Psychologists and social workers were at the school for those who wanted help.

Several students described running from a girl brandishing two large kitchen knives careening down the hallways of the school.

One emotional 14-year-old girl said she came face-to-face with the suspect, who slashed at her with the knives.

I just ran for my life, the girl said as she began to cry. I just cant believe it happened. She almost got me.

Another student said he saw a girl with a long black coat chasing students in the hall of the schools tech wing waving a knife in each hand.

I heard the teachers say clear the halls so I started to run outside informing people that theres a student with a knife, you need to get to safety, the 16-year-old said in a text message as he sat in a locked classroom inside the school.

Another student said he got to school at 8:30 a.m. and a teacher yelled to get out, that there was someone with a knife. So he bolted outside where he said he saw four tactical officers with guns drawn entering the school.

Zakyr Rhemtulla, a Grade 9 student at Dunbarton, said he was faced with chaos from the moment he arrived at school.

He said as soon as he opened the front door, he saw students running in all directions.

Im like oh, whats happening,' he said in a telephone interview. So I just kept on walking and some teacher told me, oh, come into this room. So I ran into the room. They locked the door, closed the curtains, turned the lights off.

Another said: People were running and screaming. There was blood on the ground. I thought it was fake.

Rhemtulla and a few other students remained in the classroom while the school was in lockdown and police combed the property for evidence.

He said the initial shock of the situation eased up as students monitored social media and learned that no one appeared to be in danger.

Students are calm, I guess, he said. Police are gone, kids are just joking around.

In a posting on the school board website, Dunbarton principal Randy Tennant said a student who entered the school with two knives was immediately detected by other students who began to alert others.

We commend our students for their courage and leadership, Tennant said.

Unfortunately, there have been multiple non-life threatening injuries to six students and three staff members, he said.

A few of the victims were transported to the hospital and were released, while others were treated at school for minor injuries.

Several hours after the incident, some students were skateboarding outside while parents milled about, waiting for their sons and daughters to be released.

Lynn Sharma was among those waiting to hug their children.

She said she dropped her son off at school around 8:30 a.m., but got a worrisome text about 30 minutes later.

He said they were under lockdown and hes OK, but in a classroom, locked in a room, Sharma said.

I just want to bring him home.



With files from Michelle McQuigge

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MONTREAL  Vandals have defaced a sculpture named after disgraced Quebec film director Claude Jutra.

The work, by late sculptor Charles Daudelin, had the words Pepe Pedo scrawled in red graffiti on it at a Montreal park that also bears Jutras name.

Pepe Pedo translates roughly as dirty old pedophile.

A cameraman shoots a monument in Claude Jutra park that has been vandalized, uesday, February 23, 2016 in Montreal. Allegations that the famed Quebec film director was a pedophile has resulted in the renaming of public places and awards named in his honour after his death.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

A Jutra biography released last week said he slept with boys believed to be 14 or 15 and Montreal La Presse published interviews with two men who were even younger when they were allegedly abused.

Some cities across the province are moving to strike the late film directors name from streets and other public places.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said last week the city planned to change the name Claude-Jutra Park and remove the now-vandalized statue, which was installed in 1997 at the corner of Clark and Prince Arthur streets downtown.

Jutra, whose films included Mon oncle Antoine and Kamouraska, committed suicide in 1986 after battling Alzheimers disease.

His name was also stricken last week from Quebec and Canadian film awards named for him.

On Tuesday, the organization that oversees the provinces movie industry renamed the annual show that honours the best in Quebec cinema from the Jutra Awards to the Gala of Quebecois cinema.

Quebec Cinema says the change is temporary and a permanent name will be chosen later this year.

Last week, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, which had handed out the Claude Jutra Award for the years best feature film by a first-time director, announced it was dropping his name.
Opinion

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I recently visited my old boss, Ed Polnick (retired Brandon fire chief), in the beautiful city of Nanaimo, B.C. He and I discussed many things, including the Coronation Bell. Ed was the deputy chief back in 1971 when the bell was removed from the No. 1 Fire Hall. I was a rookie firefighter at the time.

The bell was removed based on a questionable engineering assessment stating that the weight of the bell was stressing the hose tower. Some time later, a subsequent study was done by another engineer and fire hall management were told that some very basic changes would have secured the bell for many years to come, and that the towers structure was stable and secure.

It was always the vision of the late fire chief Jack Carey and Polnick that the bell would ring from the tower once again, and I fully support that vision.

I also agree with Mr. Phil Dorn, who has put serious effort and financing into preserving the fire station, that the bell is a historic artifact and I think that it, but for the poor advice in 1971, would still be home in the tower at 637 Princess Ave.

Ownership of the bell should remain with the city, but it should be in the bell tower for all to hear rather than on a pedestal for a few to see. Better yet, the tower could also be returned to its original state with a peaked roof and a flagpole on top of it.

The foundry that forged the bell designed it to ring in the key of C. That cannot be seen  it can only be heard, if only on special occasions.

Garry Winters

Retired fire chief, Brandon
Opinion

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Yesterdays announcement by WestJet of non-stop flights between Brandon and Toronto this summer is a testament to those in Brandon who have worked tirelessly to see it happen, even as naysayers said the city was wasting its time.

As you can read in todays Sun, WestJet will offer four weekly non-stop flights between Brandon and Toronto starting June 28, with the service ending on Sept. 5. Flights will arrive in Brandon in the evening and depart in the morning.

For Brandon and Westman passengers, this new service will open up 13 new WestJet destinations and 20 new codeshare destinations through Torontos Pearson Airport to Eastern Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe.

And all things considered, the price is generally reasonable. A one-way ticket to Toronto from McGill Field is listed at $174.43, while a one-way ticket from Toronto to Brandon will cost $215.97.

Interestingly, these new flights will not be utilizing WestJets Encore service, nor its fleet of Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft. These will be full-sized 737s.

Not long after WestJet made the announcement on Twitter, area residents and politicians took to social media to praise and thank the company for the upcoming service, with at least a few of us offering up hopes that the new Brandon-Toronto route would eventually be made permanent.

This announcement has been years in the making  certainly its as important a step for the city of Brandon as landing large-scale commercial passenger flight service in the first place. And while its only going to be offered during the peak summer period  at least for now  its the culmination of a lot of hard work by a great number of people.

For folks like former Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Merv Tweed, WestJets announcement must be especially gratifying. It was Tweed who, for years, championed improvements to the Brandon Municipal Airport as a means to attracting larger commercial carriers like WestJet.

It was largely through his efforts that the City of Brandon was able to secure $500,000 in federal government cash through the Building Canada stimulus fund for the 2010 installation of an instrument landing system. This crucial piece of equipment led the way for Brandons quest to woo WestJet in the first place.

So too with our current and previous city council, the hard work of the Manitoba government over all these years, and groups like the Brandon Flight Centre/Brandon Flying Club that have laboured behind the scenes to bring attention to McGill Field.

But all of this good news comes with an asterisk. It was just last month that WestJet, merely days after its Encore division launched its second daily flight out of Brandon, announced a reduction in that service due to the downturn in the economy that caused demand for travel to and from western Canadian energy markets to greatly decline.

This fact should remind area residents that, even as three levels of government have poured substantial time, money and effort into the

$7.4-million renovations underway at the Brandon Municipal Airport, flight service in and out of Brandon will always come down to dollars and cents.

WestJet media relations adviser Laurent Stewart basically confirmed as much to the Sun yesterday.

Its something Brandonites have been asking for (for) a long time, and really its a matter of supply and demand, Stewart said. From time to time, we look at ways to deploy our aircraft, and this was a new business opportunity for us, so we decided to test it out for the summer and see how it goes.

In other words, it was a business decision like any other.

While the ILS was a necessary improvement to safety land planes in Brandon, these new renovations are meant to improve the comfort of passengers  thus we should not ever assume that this construction will have affected WestJets decision to begin flights to Toronto. That doesnt mean its not worthwhile, but it wasnt necessarily a deal breaker.

As we said back in 2013 when the first Encore plane landed in Brandon, its up to Westman residents to either use the service, or lose it. Clearly we have decided to use the service, even in the face of economic problems in the oilfields.

We should also be thanking Westman residents for giving WestJet the business case in the first place.
Bosses at more than a third of Britain's biggest businesses have come out in support of the campaign for the country to remain in the European Union.

Asda, BT, Marks & Spencer, Kingfisher and Vodafone chiefs backed a letter warning of the risks to the economy of quitting the 28-member bloc.

Chairmen or chief executives of 36 FTSE 100 companies said a Brexit would "deter investment and threaten jobs" but the total number of falls short of the 80 or 50 that it had previously been suggested would sign.

In a letter to The Times, they wrote: "Business needs unrestricted access to the European market of 500 million people in order to continue to grow, invest and create jobs.

"We believe that leaving the EU would deter investment and threaten jobs. It would put the economy at risk."

The letter includes some notable absences, such as Tesco, Sainsbury's and Barclays but the chief executives of Heathrow and Gatwick have signed up.

Among the signatories are Tory donors and figures who have accepted government roles under David Cameron's premiership, according to The Times.

Roland Rudd, treasurer of Britain Stronger in Europe, which organised the letter with No 10's support, told the newspaper: "This is the single biggest number of business leaders who have been willing to support staying in a reformed EU.

"What is also striking is the number who have done so on behalf of their companies as well as in a personal capacity."

David Cameron was forced to defend using a Downing Street civil servant to lobby businesses to support the pro-EU campaign after MPs heard the letter was about to be published.

"The Government's view is that we should remain in a reformed European Union and the civil service is able to support the Government in that role," he said.

The support from some of Britain's most well-known businesses will be welcomed in Downing Street as a growing number of Conservatives declared they would be backing the leave campaign.

David Cameron made his displeasure at Boris Johnson's decision to back Brexit crystal clear in a stinging attack on the London mayor.

In front of packed Commons chamber, the Prime Minister said his own pledge to step down at the UK general election meant he had "no agenda" other than the interests of Britain, a clear dig at Mr Johnson's barely-disguised leadership ambitions.

Eurosceptic Tories admitted Mr Cameron had left the mayor with a "bruise" and, at a meeting of backbenchers, told the premier to "be kind" to him.

Mr Cameron will hit the campaign trail later to push the case for staying in the EU during a visit to a business.

Meanwhile, Alan Johnson, who is leading Labour's pro-EU campaign, will give a speech at Airbus in Bristol warning that around 50,000 manufacturing apprenticeships in the UK are dependent on exports to the EU and could be put at risk if the UK by Brexit.

Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said: "Panic seems to be spreading in Number 10 as support for David Cameron's deal plummets.

"The EU treaties will only change by 1% if it ever comes into force - there is very little reform on the table.

"The only way to take back control of our economy to help British businesses to flourish is to Vote Leave."

Leave.EU co-founder Richard Tice said: "We remember well how many large businesses and EU funded groups like the CBI said we should join the euro. How wrong they were."

He added: "The truth is that despite the bullying of a prime minister who has no real business experience, it is other normal commercial factors which will determine the continued success of British businesses to invest and grow. Brexit will reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens and cost on business, which can be used to invest in more jobs, not less."
Two landlords have received criminal convictions and more than 7,000 in fines for failing to register their rental properties.

One of the houses was in Mullingar, Co Westmeath while the other property was in Tallaght in Dublin.
By Juno McEnroe, Political Correspondent

Fianna Fail have proposed a referendum to prevent future governments raiding pension funds in a time of economic crisis.

The party is also proposing an auto-enrolment pensions contribution scheme, where private sector workers would opt out if they did not want to pay.

The scheme would be phased in over three years and apply to people earning over 15,000 and over 21 years of age.

Party finance spokesman Michael McGrath pointed out that less than 60% of private sector workers had enrolled in pension schemes in Ireland.

This compares to Britain, where employees have been automatic enrolled in larger firms since 2012.

Mr McGrath claimed the outgoing coalition had raided through a levy private pension savings during the recession, "destroying" them, and the 2.5bn taken could never be recovered.

The party is committed to holding a referendum, during the first year of the next administration, which would prevent this.

The party is also committed to increasing the state pension by 30 over the next five years.

Meanwhile, Mr McGrath has said a proposal by former party minister Conor Lenihan this morning for a rotating Taoiseach was "pie in the sky" stuff.

Mr Lenihan said Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny could share the position.
Supreme Court's refusal to place hold on redistricting lawsuit will lead to confusion, disillusion, and lower turnout, experts say

RALEIGH U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death, and the resulting 4-4 philosophical divide among the remaining justices, likely swung Chief Justice John Roberts' decision not to issue a stay in North Carolina's congressional redistricting case, say several political science professors who follow the electoral process.The General Assembly's decision substituting blatant partisanship for racial considerations into new congressional maps - in the interest of maintaining a 10-3 advantage for Republicans in the congressional delegation - is likely to face additional challenges in court, creating further turmoil and confusion for North Carolina voters, they say.said David McLennan, a political science professor at Meredith College."It should be remembered that the justices are human beings, and many have formed deep bonds with Justice Scalia, and are grieving his passing," McLennan said.Chris Cooper, department head of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University, said he doesn't think Scalia's death "has any impact on the court's decision not to hear the North Carolina case.Cooper said.It is surprising that the Supreme Court allowed the new maps to go through this close to the electionsaid Michael Bitzer, Catawba College provost and professor of politics and history. That deviates from the " Purcell Principle " the court previously applied to avoid election rule changes shortly before an election.Bitzer thinks North Carolina's request for a stay "was greatly impacted by the passing of Associate Justice Scalia."Roberts likely referred the state's request to the full court,Bitzer said.Andy Taylor, a political science professor at N.C. State University, offered another twist on the possibilities.Taylor said. So he declined to issue a stay or refer it to the full court in the belief thatand allow the case to work its way through the normal court process.All four agree the tumult bodes ill for voters and candidates.While there is a degree of confusion any time electoral maps are redrawn, "midstream redistricting" is especially troublesome for voters, Taylor said.And while the power of incumbency usually is a strong predictor of re-election, that dynamic is reshaped for Democratic Rep. Alma Adams of Greensboro, who was drawn out of her minority-based 12th District, and for 13th District U.S. Rep. George Holding and Renee Ellmers, both Republicans who were drawn into Ellmers' 2nd District.Adams' district is now located entirely in Mecklenburg County, which may inspire Charlotte-based Democrats to try to unseat the freshman member of Congress."I would say that Renee Ellmers and George Holding are probably worse off" as they square off in the new 2nd district, Taylor said.Holding has announced he would file in the 2nd District and challenge Ellmers.The decision allowing the lower court ruling to stand puts North Carolina into "electoral chaos with the real potential that thousands of votes cast with the 2011 maps being invalidated," McLennan said.he said.McLennan said.The "disarray question" is "incredibly important," Cooper said."Voters don't expect much out of elections, but they do expect that their votes will be counted, and that the people who they choose between represent the entirety of their choices," Cooper said. "In this election, both of these suppositions may be wrong - at least for the congressional contest."Congressional candidates and incumbents will be challenged to adjust to the new electoral landscape, new challengers will enter the contests, and voters will be confused about which district they are in, and who the candidates are, Bitzer said.For those who administer the elections, it's a continuing nightmare of epic proportions," Bitzer said.The Republicans' decision to remove racial considerations from drawing the new maps is a legal gamble."The General Assembly did not do North Carolina candidates or voters any favor by radically altering the congressional districts and publicly stating that they did not take race into consideration when drawing the new districts," McLennan said. That could spark opponents to file another court case.Although the Supreme Court removed the requirement of the 1965 Voting Rights Act for North Carolina and other Southern states to obtain Justice Department approval for new maps, or "preclearance," the remainder of the act remains in force, McLennan said.Bitzer said.Bitzer said.One of the plaintiffs might challenge these new maps, prolonging the uncertainty, he said. Or the three-judge panel could allow the maps to be used, and then review them after the November election.Bitzer said.The Supreme CourtCooper said, but not race.
Update 11.00pm: The Taoiseach was put under pressure on Fine Gael's tax plans, which moderator Miriam O'Callaghan said would give greater benefits to higher earners:

"The point I'm making is that every worker will benefit from Fine Gael's tax plan."

Update 10.50pm: Labour leader Joan Burton said the economy inherited from the previous government meant some pre-election promises had to be broken:

"When we came in after Micheal and his party had finished with the country, the cupboard was bare.

"What I did as Minister for Social Protection and Deputy Leader then of Labour, was I sought to keep the weekly payment of social welfare absolutely intact."

Update 10.40pm: Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams said all the major problems now facing Ireland were the result of the three other people taking part:

"Everything that is wrong with our society now is a result of the decisions taken by the people on my left, Micheal did drive the bus over the cliff, now he wants the keys back to get into the bus again.

"The Taoiseach and the Tanaiste had choices to make, they made the wrong choices in support of the golden circle instead of in support of the people."

Update 10.20pm: The Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said the government had presided over a series of major crises that only a new government could fix:

"People need and want the change in government to bring about a fair and more decent society.

"We just had the situation the last few days, again, where homelessness is gone to record levels.

"1,700 children are now in emergency accommodation.

"We cannot keep this going, cannot keep it going, record numbers again on trolleys in emergency departments."

Update 10.12pm: The debate began with each leader being challenged about their previous records in government on either side of the border.

Fine Gael's Enda Kenny said the coalition needed a second term to make sure that every citizen could feel the benefit of an improved economy:

"I accept that many people are not feeling the recovery, but that's why we need a second term to complete the job that people gave us, which was to fix our public finances and put our people back to work.

"The bigger signals from the country, the sacrifices people have made have been enormous.

"So our plan is to create 200,000 jobs by 2020 and reduce taxes."

The four main party leaders have arrived at RTE TV for the last of the political debates in Election 2016.

Enda Kenny of Fine Gael, Micheal Martin of Fianna Fail, Joan Burton of Labour and Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein will battle it out on live TV to win over undecided voters.

The televised debate gets underway at 9.35pm.

Speaking earlier in Rathfarnham, Micheal Martin said he will be focusing on the issues that are hurting the people:

"I will focus on the issues, offering constructive solutions to the challenges and every-day problems people face in their lives.

"I think that's been a constant theme of this campaign and we've picked this up - that people in different sets of circumstances have real issues in terms of their daily lives, from health to education to childcare to just getting by as families, you know I'll be reflecting a lot of that."
Sinn Fein says retaining the Universal Social Charge is fundamental to funding public services in the future.

The party today launched its policies on public service spending, which includes the abolition of prescription charges, student fees and a cap on childcare costs at 150.
The trial of four former bankers accused of conspiring to defraud investors in Anglo has been hearing about its poor relationship with other Irish banks.

They have denied trying to fool people into thinking that Anglo Irish Bank was healthier than it actually was during a five-month period in 2008.
Cork hurling boss Kieran Kingston said the panel have been dealt a serious blow with the news that Colm Spillane has been ruled out of action for the rest of the year.

The defender was injured in the second half of Corks defeat to Waterford in Pairc Ui Rinn at the weekend.

An MRI revealed Spillane had suffered a cruciate ligament injury.

The news is devastating, firstly for the player himself and it is a huge blow for us as a management team, Kingston told the Evening Echo.

Colm went off injured in the second-half last Saturday night and, whilst we were hoping the injury was not too serious, the scan has revealed the worst.

Hes a big loss to our plans going forward because he was going very well.

The Castlelyons clubman will play no further part in hurling this season, but Kingston was certain he would to bounce back from the injury.

The injury is similar to the one Christopher Joyce sustained last year and all we can do now is give Colm every support during his stay on the sideline and welcome him back when the time comes again, he said.

Hes only 22 so hes young enough to come back as good and stronger than ever.
Paralympics Ireland have today launched a compelling awareness and fundraising campaign, called More Than Sport.

With a team of 56 athletes preparing to make the trip to Rio to represent us at the Paralympics this summer, the organisation hopes to raise vital funds to support them.
Bill Gates has sided against Apple - and many other technology companies - in saying the firm should help the US government hack into a locked iPhone as part of the investigation into the San Bernardino shootings.

Apple has resisted providing a piece of programming that would help the FBI access the phone, arguing that governments, both in the US and overseas, are likely to use the programme in other cases, undermining data privacy.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Microsoft founder Mr Gates said: "This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information." He likened it to the police getting records from a phone company.

Apple chief Tim Cook has resisted a federal magistrate's order to hack its own users, and the heads of many other tech companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google have sided with him.

Tim Cook.

Mr Cook said such a move would undermine encryption by creating a back door that could potentially be used on other devices.

Fourteen people were killed on December 2 when a married couple opened fire on the husband's colleagues at an office lunch gathering in San Bernardino, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles.

Syed Farook

American-born Syed Farook, 28, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 29, from Pakistan, pledged allegiance to a leader of the Islamic State group on Facebook moments before the shooting. Both were later killed in a gun battle with police.

Meanwhile, Mr Gates and his wife Melinda have called on young people to get involved in solving major world problems such as finding clean energy sources and equality for women.

The couple, who chair the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest private philanthropic organisation in the world, have made a tradition of releasing an annual letter and this year's edition calls on the young to be a driving force of innovation and change.

In her section of the letter, Mrs Gates condemns the disparity in unpaid household labour between men and women, saying that it is a problem that responsibilities for maintaining a home, raising children and caring for the elderly still fall primarily on women and girls.

She said young people could help change cultural norms.

"The way we change societal norms is by role-modelling publicly what the right thing to do is," Mrs Gates said.

Her husband, talking about the importance of cheap, clean energy, called on young people to study hard and come forward with ideas for what he called "an energy miracle".

"When I say 'miracle', I don't mean something's that impossible," he wrote.

"I've seen miracles happen before. The personal computer. The internet. The polio vaccine. None of them happened by chance. They are the result of research and development and the human capacity to innovate."
Nurse Pauline Cafferkey, who was diagnosed with Ebola more than one year ago, has been admitted to hospital for the third time since contracting the disease, NHS officials have said.

Ms Cafferkey was originally infected while working in Sierra Leone in December 2014 and spent almost a month in an isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

She was released after making a recovery but fell ill again in October last year and was again treated at the Royal Free for meningitis caused by Ebola.

At one point the Scottish nurse (pictured last year below) was described as "critically ill" but was discharged in November and transferred to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to continue her recovery and later returned home.

She is now being treated again at the Glasgow hospital.

An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesman said: "Under routine monitoring by the Infectious Diseases Unit, Pauline Cafferkey has been admitted to hospital for further investigations."

In November, the Royal Free said Ms Cafferkey had made a full recovery from Ebola and was no longer infectious.

She contracted the deadly virus while working as a nurse at the Save the Children treatment centre in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone.

Ms Cafferkey was diagnosed after returning to Glasgow from the west African country via London.

At the time of her re-admission last year, Dr Michael Jacobs, from the Royal Free, described the situation as "unprecedented", while the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Ms Cafferkey was the only known Ebola survivor to develop meningitis months later.

Dr Jacobs, infectious diseases consultant at the hospital, told a press conference in October: ''This is the original Ebola virus she had many months ago which has been inside the brain, replicating at a very low level, and has now re-emerged to cause this clinical illness of meningitis.

''This is an unprecedented situation.''

The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak over last year after the deaths of thousands of people but two new cases emerged in Sierra Leone in January.

The organisation called for a "critical period of heightened vigilance".

When Ms Cafferkey was released from hospital for the second time, she said: ''I am forever thankful for the amazing care I have received at the Royal Free Hospital.

''For a second time, staff across many departments of the hospital have worked incredibly hard to help me recover and I will always be grateful to them and the NHS."
Nurse Pauline Cafferkey is in a "stable" condition after being admitted to hospital for a third time since contracting Ebola.

Ms Cafferkey was originally infected while working in Sierra Leone in December 2014 and spent almost a month in an isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

She was released after making a recovery but fell ill again in October last year and was again treated at the Royal Free for meningitis caused by Ebola.

At one point, the Scottish nurse was described as ''critically ill'' but was discharged in November and transferred to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to continue her recovery and later returned home.

She is now being treated again at the Glasgow hospital after "routine monitoring" identified a problem.

An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesman said: "Ms Cafferkey was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital under routine monitoring by the infectious diseases unit.

"She is undergoing further investigations and her condition remains stable."

In November, the Royal Free said Ms Cafferkey had made a full recovery from Ebola and was no longer infectious.

She contracted the deadly virus while working as a nurse at the Save the Children treatment centre in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone, but was diagnosed after returning to Glasgow from the west African country via London.

At the time of her re-admission last year, Dr Michael Jacobs, from the Royal Free, described the situation as ''unprecedented'' while the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Ms Cafferkey was the only known Ebola survivor to develop meningitis months later.

Dr Jacobs, infectious diseases consultant at the hospital, told a press conference in October: ''This is the original Ebola virus she had many months ago which has been inside the brain, replicating at a very low level, and has now re-emerged to cause this clinical illness of meningitis.

''This is an unprecedented situation.''

The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak over last year after the deaths of thousands of people but two new cases emerged in Sierra Leone in January.

The organisation called for a "critical period of heightened vigilance".

When Ms Cafferkey was released from hospital for the second time, she said: ''I am forever thankful for the amazing care I have received at the Royal Free Hospital.

''For a second time, staff across many departments of the hospital have worked incredibly hard to help me recover and I will always be grateful to them and the NHS."

Dr Derek Gatherer, lecturer in biomedical and life sciences at Lancaster University, said he was "very sad to hear" that Ms Cafferkey has been admitted to hospital.

"It is now becoming clear that Ebola is a far more complex disease than we previously imagined," he said.

"The meningitis that Ms Cafferkey suffered from at the end of last year is one of the most serious complications of all, as it can be life-threatening. She was unlucky enough to be one of only a handful of patients in whom it has been seen."

An RAF aircraft has landed at Glasgow Airport to transport Ms Cafferkey to London where she is expected to receive treatment at the Royal Free hospital.

A spokesman for the Royal Free Hospital said: "We can confirm that Pauline Cafferkey is being transferred to the Royal Free Hospital due to a late complication from her previous infection by the Ebola virus.

"She will now be treated by the hospital's infectious diseases team under nationally-agreed guidelines.

"The Ebola virus can only be transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person while they are symptomatic, so the risk to the general public remains low and the NHS has well-established and practised infection control procedures in place."
Beginning in the 1960s, a movement developed in academia with the aim of transforming scholarly pursuits into instruments of social change. It was motivated by intellectually fashionable ideas, such as Marxism and feminism, and by a trendy antipathy towards Western Civilization in general. Eventually it overwhelmed the humanities and deeply affected the social sciences.The impact of the movement on my field, anthropology, was varied, since anthropology, with its four sub-disciplines, spans the range of scholarly activity from the physical sciences through the social sciences to the humanities. Three of those sub-disciplines (archeology, physical anthropology, and linguistic anthropology) have remained mostly unscathed by the efforts to transform anthropology into another politically correct university outpost.But the largest of the four, sociocultural anthropology (the study of social and cultural variation around the world), has been greatly distorted. It has been redefined from a science to an instrument of political ideology.It is very revealing that in 2010, the executive committee of the American Anthropological Association (AAA), the discipline's major professional organization, dropped the word "science" from its mission statement, and elsewhere. Since then the organization has focused on trendy issues such as the environment, violence, climate change, race, etc.The AAA now wants "to help solve problems" rather than to understand and explain reality. Different sections have appeared within the AAA reflecting radical politics, such as the Association for Feminist Anthropology, the Association for Queer Anthropology (their designation), and other internal organizations that are highly politicized. Committees expend much energy on political issues and the formation of task forces like the Global Climate Task Force and the Task Force on Race and Racism.One element in politicized anthropology is the repudiation of the West's colonial past. Western expansion, as seen from this perspective, was not a phase in history, similar in many respects to the phenomenon of cyclical empires that goes back to the beginning of civilization, but rather an abiding sin for which activist anthropologists have vowed to make amends.One of them is UC Berkeley professor Nancy Scheper-Hughes, who has often called for the redefinition of anthropology from an academic discipline to what she calls "forensic" anthropology. (See, e.g. her essay " The Primacy of the Ethical: Propositions for a Militant Anthropology " in the June 1995 issue of Current Anthropology.) What she means by that is that anthropology should move from objective scientific analysis to activism, with a focus on the "crimes" committed by earlier anthropologists.In her view, anthropologists should stop trying to be objective observers of reality and instead become "witnesses" who "name the wrongs" that have been done to the peoples who have been studied.This view is a continuation of the "Noble Savage" myth that arose among Western elites in the eighteenth century, most famously expressed by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This narrative holds that the original state of nature was one of peace, harmony and perfect ecological balance. It was a primeval paradise, a secular Eden. Therefore, competition, strife, crime, social disharmony, and warfare so often seen among native peoples around the world and described by anthropologists must have been caused by the intrusive and disruptive forces of Western Civilization.In order to protect and propagate that narrative, activists have attempted to expunge the anthropological literature of inconvenient facts, either by denying them or by casting aspersions on those who report them.The record shows ample evidence that contradicts the Noble Savage myth: cases of earlier competition for resources and resulting bloodshed, numerous incidents of raids, warfare, massacres of men, women, and children, slavery, cannibalism, etc. None of that was introduced into the imagined paradise of the Noble Savage by the evil intrusion of the West. They were features common to the human species from its earliest days. But the activists want to stop such research and sweep that which has already been done down the memory hole. Their political agenda is more important.Another area of controversy is how much of human behavior is genetically based and how much is based purely on upbringing and historical factors-the old "nature versus nurture" controversy. This question is complicated and deserves careful analysis and the strict verification of claims, since any apparently "scientific" justification for racial stereotyping is to be avoided. For we know how scientific ideas in the past have been distorted and used for ideological, economic and political purposes.Rather than leaving the study of possible biological links with human behavior open, subjecting claims in that regard to rigorous scrutiny, activist anthropology regards any mention of such a link on any level as a heresy that must be extirpated.A prominent example of this is the nasty treatment of University of Missouri anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon at the hands of the politicized AAA. Chagnon is well known for his long-term study of the Yanomamo, a tribe that lives deep in the Amazon jungle. Such little-contacted societies had all but disappeared when Chagnon first made contact and he had the opportunity to live among them and describe their Stone Age way of life.What Chagnon saw and described was an endemic pattern of warfare. There was no competition for resources that might explain that pattern, and contact with the world was so minimal that outside influences could not account for it. On the basis of his observations and native testimony, the reason they waged war, Chagnon stated, was to acquire women and to retaliate for previous raids.To the activists, Chagnon's findings were heresy. He had not only refuted the Noble Savage myth, but had also taken seriously the proposition that violence might have a biological basis. Because of his stature in the profession, Chagnon had to be discredited.This process began at the 1976 AAA meetings where he was vilified, and the invective of "racism" and even "Nazi" were used-the kind of language the left invariably uses to shut down debate. At later meetings, activists said that Chagnon had "lied" about warfare among the indigenous peoples, that he had paid the Yanomamo to kill so he'd have material for his book and films, that he believed in eugenics, and that he supported Senator Joseph McCarthy's political views.Wild and inflammatory charges against him were based only on a sensational book by a journalist, but the AAA caved in and convened a task force to investigate. That task force began in 2002 but took until 2005 to repudiate the charges. The chair admitted that the journalist's book was "a piece of sleaze," but she said that the AAA would have looked "cowardly" if it hadn't done something.The issue was pretty much forgotten until 2013 when Chagnon published his book Noble Savages: My Life Among Two Dangerous Tribes: The Yanomamo and the Anthropologists. It placed on record only one, although the most spectacular, incident in the decline of anthropology as a profession.There is hope for anthropology. I am optimistic that it will join other social science disciplines in receiving a life-giving jolt of intellectual energy, a wonderful development we see on display at the Heterodox Academy site. The evidence-based sub-disciplines-physical anthropology and archeology, as well as much of linguistic anthropology-continue as before, and a section within the AAA, the Society for Scientific Anthropology, continues the traditional scientific approach.It is also possible that the militant, politicized faction may run out of steam as sociocultural anthropology further retreats into its own, ever-narrower sphere of self-interest and inanity, ignoring the basic questions that called the science into existence in the first place.Woody Allen, who has a sharp eye for trends and a witty way of exploiting them, shows the lead character in his recent film Blue Jasmine on a flight to San Francisco, talking to herself out loud. To emphasize the flakiness of the character, he has her say in her monologue, addressed to no one, that she majored in anthropology.
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Congresswoman Renee Ellmers, 2012, 2nd District: Above. photo by Stan Deatherage

What started out as a mission to tweak a few districts to bring the 1st and 12th congressional districts in line has resulted in radical change for a lot more voters and some political favors (as well as hits).Legislators released new maps detailing their proposal for appeasing the federal judges who questioned the state's congressional districts. ( Click Here to compare with the current district layout.)A few interesting observations about the new districts:, now represented by Greensboro's Alma Adams (D), is now entirely contained within Mecklenburg County., now represented by Renee Ellmers, has been drastically changed to include territory more akin to the district she ran in against Bob Etheridge in 2010. She giveSnip20151219_2s up Moore, Lee, Chatham, and Randolph counties while picking up most of Wake, some of Johnston, some of Wilson, and Nash and Franklin counties. Chatham County Republican Jim Duncan, now seen as the biggest threat to unseating Ellmers, has been moved to District 6 which is currently represented by Republican Mark Walker of Greensboro. (The law simply says you have to reside in the state you run for the House in. Walter Jones won his first race for the 3rd district while living in the Democrat-majority 1st.), represented by Republican Richard Hudson of Cabarrus County, now stretches from Salisbury to the Fayetteville area. It now includes Moore County, Hoke County, and a piece of Cumberland that had been in D-2., represented by Republican Robert Pittenger, has been changed BIG TIME. Having been primarily focused on Mecklenburg County and Charlotte, it now stretches from a small sliver of Mecklenburg County along US 74 and the South Carolina border to include Democrat territories like Robeson, Richmond, Scotland and Bladen Counties.Governor Pat McCrory has officially called the legislature back into session for TOMORROW. The honorables will be charged with getting the maps right, voting on them, and sending them along to be blessed by the judges.Some of the points the new maps advocates will throw out there? :This map splits fewer counties (13) and precincts (13) than any map since 1990.The current map, now being revised, splits 32 counties and 68 precincts. images-3This certainly can open up a Pandora's Box as far as what to do with all of those absentee ballots that have been cast in the current districts for the March primary.
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Gus Sauter, who as the former investment chief at low-cost funds management house Vanguard Investments oversaw its growth into a $US2 trillion ($2.8 trillion) business, is advising $32 billion industry fund Sunsuper on how to wring out costs.

Mr Sauter, who retired from Vanguard in 2012 after 25 years at the mutual investments house, is well known for pioneering "passive" investment strategies and was a central player in the development of the exchange traded funds industry.

Former Vanguard Investments chief turned Sunsuper consultant Gus Sauter sees no reason to worry shares are about to enter a bear market. Credit:Daniel Munoz

As first revealed by Financial Review Street Talk, Queensland-based Sunsuper beefed-up its investment committee with the appointment of both Mr Sauter and former Perpetual Investments chief investment officer and Treasury Group co-founder Rodney Green last week.

Sunsuper chief executive Scott Hartley said Mr Sauter and Mr Green brought complementary skills.
It is entirely possible that Australian dollars will come in digital form in the future, breaking the link entirely between material notes and coins, the Reserve Bank says.

In a speech where he also flagged the end of the cheque, Mr Richards said the RBA had been watching the growth in demand for privately-established virtual currencies like Bitcoin, and believed there was a place for a central-bank-issued digital currency in Australia.

The RBA's Tony Richards can see an economy fuelled only by digital currencies. Credit:Louise Kennerley

It thinks digital dollars will one day circulate in parallel with old fashioned banknotes and other existing forms of our national currency.

But given the risks around cybersecurity and cryptography, it believes full-scale issuance of digital currency in any country "is still some time away."
Natural hazards cost Australia more than $6 billion each year, a figure predicted to more than triple in the next 30 years.

At the height of the disaster season, experts are calling on "chronically underinsured" Australians to mitigate risk by planning ahead.

"Two factors that have a strong impact on the ability to bounce back from disasters is the degree of damage sustained and ... the ability to financially fund the recovery," said David Sinai, head of property treaty underwriting at Swiss Re Australia and New Zealand.



"With this in mind, the most important steps should happen well before the disaster strikes."

In a panel briefing on disaster management hosted by the Australian Science Media Centre, Mr Sinai said home owners needed to ensure they had both the physical and financial resilience to manage a flood, storm, fire or other disaster risk.



Appropriate planning decisions, applying mitigation efforts like flood controls and reducing vulnerability through building codes and retrofitting, are all key to reducing the impact of disaster on assets such as the family home.
The Turnbull government has upset Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation after cabinet approved moves to loosen media ownership restrictions but ignored News's calls for its pay television joint-venture Foxtel to get more access to sports rights.

Cabinet gave approval in principle to the removal of both the so-called reach rule and the two-out-of-three rule in a move which could spark a flurry of mergers and acquisitions in the troubled traditional media industry.

But the package does not include any changes to the anti-siphoning list, which quarantines major sporting events for free-to-air television networks. Foxtel, the cable and satellite TV monopoly which News Corp owns with Telstra, has lobbied hard for the list to be reduced.

Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australasia, said: "We are disappointed that, despite the broad recognition that Australia's media laws are outdated, the government is proposing that only the reach and two-out-of-three rules be changed.



"The fact that broader media reform issues such as the anti-siphoning regime are not part of the proposal makes it difficult to accept this as genuine media reform."
A Chinese investment firm has won approval to buy Australia's oldest dairy farm, making it the first overseas company to be subject to new rules aimed at ensuring foreign companies pay tax on their Australian earnings.

The Australian government on Monday introduced new regulations under which foreign investors would have to comply with Australian tax laws and tax office directions to provide information or face sanctions.

Foreign acquisitions of Australian agriculture are politically sensitive. Credit:Nicolas Walker

Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison on Tuesday approved the $280 million purchase of Tasmania-based Van Diemen's Land Co by China's Moon Lake Investment.

"It will ensure increased employment and investment in an important industry sector in Tasmania, while the safeguards we have put in place will ensure they pay their tax," Morrison said in a statement.
The Ombudsman's report to Parliament notes there is broader stakeholder support for the reportable conduct scheme. In particular, the NSW Police Force and community service agencies provide pivotal support to the scheme. They are keen for child abusers to be identified and prosecuted.

The strong resolve to deal with this issue in NSW is also reflected in a public conference on the scheme, which is being held in Sydney on Friday. It will be attended by more than 800 people who will be addressed by political, church and community leaders.

The forum provides the ideal opportunity to continue the debate around the churches' proposal to increase the scrutiny over their handling of child abuse allegations, and will inform Parliament's deliberations about the reach of the reportable conduct scheme.

There is promising interest in the scheme in other states and territories. The ACT government released a discussion paper this week on its intention to establish a similar reporting scheme. Behind the ACT move is the advocacy of Damian DeMarco, an anti child abuse campaigner, with active support by the Catholic Archbishop of Canberra/Goulburn.

We should welcome vigorous public debate about the pace of change in how churches and other institutions respond to child sexual abuse. It is important in that debate to take note of initiatives that can and are making a real difference in better protecting children. Real progress is being made.
The decision to drop charges against Jamie Williams, the wannabe foreign fighter for the Kurds, is ill-advised for several reasons. Given the Attorney-General hasn't released his reasons for not following through with the prosecution we have no idea what his rationale was.

But there are a few fundamental issues that the decision raises. Firstly, as the German sociologist Max Weber noted, it is a fundamental principle of the nation-state system that the state exercises a monopoly on the legitimate use of force. Allowing Australian nationals to join, or seek to join, armed non-state actors with impunity violates that principle.

Jamie Williams leaves court after federal prosecutors dropped their case against him. Mr Williams had been accused of trying to fight against Islamic State. Credit:Jason South

This principle applies equally to non-state actors who seek to harm us as in the case of al-Qaeda or Islamic State, ones who have used Australians to harm others as has been the case with Hezbollah, and ones of whom there is no evidence of either as in the case of groups like YPG, the military wing of Syria's Democratic Union Party.

While I acknowledge that the use of private military contractors has raised questions regarding the universality of Weber's definition, the formal contractual relationship between the state and the company still means that the state authorises who can use force and in what circumstances.
Cozza's brave statements might have killed his frontbench career when he was stepped down as Parliamentary Secretary to then-opposition leader Tony Abbott (who memorably declared that "They are views that I don't share. They are views that many people will find repugnant"), but his incandescent influence remains undimmed. And with wise, insightful statements like his, how could it not? Won't someone think of the bullies? That's why Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ordered Education Minister Simon Birmingham to commission a review of the Safe Schools teaching manual, presumably to ensure that it's free of calls for the proletariat to rise up and seize the means of production, unless Bernardi is just using "Marxism" as a conversational wild card.

And while we may (and should, and do) laugh at these ludicrous and vapid objections to a program designed to help prevent children getting hurt, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews dropped a truth bomb on the matter declaring "I don't think these extreme Liberals are actually offended by the structure of the program, or the teachers who lead it. I just think they're offended by the kids who need it. They don't like the fact that some young people might be different." But maybe he's just overreacting. Heck, it's not like gay people still get bashed in the middle of the nation's largest city simply for having the temerity to exis oh In any case, it's great that the Turnbull government is doing something about protecting our precious young bullies. After all, if we don't encourage ignorance, division and gay panic in our young people today, who's going to represent the Liberal Party as No.1 on the South Australian Senate ticket in the years to come? Negative gearing: the sky is falling! And also rising! Fortunately, Parliament was far more excited about arguing over Labor's proposal to restrict negative gearing. And you can't blame the government for trying out a range of different attacks to knock the idea down, even if they directly contradict one another.

On Tuesday Turnbull was insisting in Parliament that removing negative gearing from established properties bought after July next year would tank house prices, roaring that "Every single home owner in every single electorate represented in this house will be poorer if the Labor Party is elected to government." So that's clear, right? Sure, defending the value-inflating power of negative gearing seems to go against the government's supposed concern about housing affordability, and does also rather confirm Labor's claim that negative gearing makes property more unreachably expensive for first home buyers. Fortunately back in September Scott Morrison was determined to ensure that housing affordability for young Australians was tackled by increasing the supply of housing which um, would bring prices down, surely, unless supply and demand are no longer connected? Anyway, this is apparently different and somehow perfectly AOK. The waters were muddied on Friday, however, when Morrison explained to the ABC's AM program that limiting negative gearing "will really penalise ordinary mum and dad investors who will now have to compete against people on high incomes with more properties, who will bid up the cost of those new properties." So, to recap: the problem with Labor's plan is that it will drive the value of housing down and also force them up.

Well, if nothing else, that policies excitingly versatile. Poor people don't drive houses And just in case you suspected that maybe Morrison's way out of his depth on how money works, he did explain something important about houses. They depreciate like cars, apparently. "The minute you put your key in the front door, your house turns from a new house to an old house," he helpfully explained during that same storied AM appearance, "and it's a bit like driving the new car off the lot in terms of what it means for your assets." Now, let's just think about that for a moment.
People kept telling each other it was a dud Berlinale, but it seemed to have a lot of highlights. From the moment Meryl Streep, in her capacity as chair of the Berlin Film Festival's competition jury, told the first press conference that we were not only all Berliners but African as well  an off-the-cuff remark that was supposed to mean that people are pretty much the same everywhere, but that sent the American press in particular into a tailspin  the festival took on a slightly surreal bent.

George Clooney toggled between the red carpet and meetings with Angela Merkel about the Syrian refugees. An eight-hour film  Lav Diaz's A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery  was screened with a lunch break and pass-outs issued to people who wanted to see other films in between. The Teddy Awards for films with gay themes celebrated their 30th birthday with a party adorned with some spectacular Berlin drag queens, including one in the traditional dirndl and laced bodice worn by Heidi. You go, girlfriend!

Meryl Streep's move to the small screen has scored her a massive payday. Credit:AP

The surreal mood was certainly heightened at the most important Australian event at the festival: the premiere of Cleverman. Directed by Wayne Blair, Cleverman (commissioned by ABC TV) is one of six television series from all over the world invited to the festival in recognition of television' current ascendancy as a platform for new drama. It is set in a dystopian near-future where Indigenous Australians and surviving Neanderthals, called "hairies" by most people and "sub-human" by those criticising them, jostle for space and resources in a district called "the Zone". Two brothers, one of them living in The Zone as a community leader and the other having escaped to the city, where he runs a bar with a couple of white hipsters, clash when their uncle and the tribal Cleverman dies and passes on his special powers to only one of them.

Blair also directed The Sapphires; this is a much more complex piece of interweaving plots and underlying themes about exclusion and identity. "It's interesting," he says after the first screening with several potential buyers. "I didn't see the political ramifications at the start. It was only when we watched the dailies that I thought 'Oh, there is an underlying element to this'. The way the world is at the moment, the way we treat people of the other, we are quite selfish. It's good that we can take a mirror to ourselves."
In a darkened theatre at Campbelltown Arts Centre, a water trough filled with meaning sits on the stage.

Behind the trough, a film shows a group of Aboriginal people drinking from a water trough that is later used by cattle.

"Water was a site of conflict where Aboriginal people were shot to make room for cows, sheep ...": Romaine Moreton. Credit:Janie Barrett

A scene from the movie Samson and Delilah depicting the female protagonist washing Samson is also screened as part of Romaine Moreton's theatrical exploration of how Indigenous people have been depicted in Australian film.

"Water was a site of conflict where Aboriginal people were shot to make room for cows, sheep so we pick up that theme and we repeat it throughout," Moreton says.
Malcolm Turnbull has moved to end a messy 24 hours of self-imposed policy confusion around capital gains tax by putting an increase of some kind firmly back on the agenda, while also slamming Labor for its economy-destroying tax policies.

But his attempts to resume control of a debate surrendered to the opposition, have caused further problems, including unflattering comparisons with the unpopular Tony Abbott, and new fears that the government plans to crimp CGT discounts for superannuation funds rather than for individuals.

In a second consecutive day marked by bruising parliamentary exchanges over tax policy, the Prime Minister attempted to turn the tables on the opposition by dramatically ratcheting up his rhetoric against its negative gearing and capital gains tax proposals.
The mother of a baby girl allegedly attacked and killed by her new boyfriend has told of the moment she knew something was seriously wrong with her daughter.

Renee Jones, 33, told the Victorian Supreme Court in Melbourne on Tuesday how her 11-month-old Charlotte Rose Keen would normally stand up in her cot after waking.

Charlotte Rose Keen died three days before what would have been her first birthday.

However, the baby was lying down when Ms Jones walked into her bedroom in Phefley Court, Wodonga, about 8.30am on December 12, 2004.

Ms Jones described Charlotte, who was three days short of her first birthday, as being "floppy in the neck".
Within days of the disappearance of young Sydney man Matthew Leveson, his partner Michael Atkins had invited a 20-year-old former lover to the annual Sleaze Ball, the coroner's court has heard.

A man going under the pseudonym Anthony Rogers told the ongoing inquest into Mr Leveson's death that on September 29, 2007 - six days after Mr Leveson was last seen - he received a text message from Mr Atkins.

In it, Mr Atkins, then 44, told Mr Rogers that he had a "spare ticket" to the ball and asked if he wanted to come along.

Mr Rogers told the inquest on Tuesday that, while he had had a sexual encounter with Mr Atkins before, he had been surprised by the invitation because he believed the older man was still seeing Mr Leveson.
Public transport has continued to dominate the Brisbane City Council election campaign, with the Liberal National Party announcing express CityCat services, Labor promising $20 million for new routes and the Greens pledging a new fleet of solar-powered buses.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the new "SpeedyCat" services would run between Teneriffe and the city, as well as between the University of Queensland and the city and would halve peak-hour travel times

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has promised express CityCat services from Teneriffe and UQ if re-elected. Credit:Harrison Saragossi

"SpeedyCat will provide high-speed peak hour services to accommodate students commuting to and from the University of Queensland as well as many CBD-based workers for either end of the inner city reach of the River," Cr Quirk said.

"Where currently it takes 30 minutes to travel from Teneriffe to Riverside, SpeedyCat will halve passengers' travel time, with the same trip taking just 17 minutes.
As the southern states swelter towards a heatwave, Queensland can still brace for scorching conditions.

New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are all expecting heatwave conditions this week with above average temperatures, creeping towards the low 40s in some areas, predicted for all three.

Brisbane is heading for another warm week. Credit:Glenn Campbell

Here in Queensland, a cooler start to the week will see temperatures increasing from Wednesday towards a top of 34 degrees in Brisbane and 36 degrees in Ipswich on Friday.

A spokesman for the Bureau of Meteorology said areas to the west were definitely in for warmer conditions.
Police are searching a rural property in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales for the body of missing Gold Coast father Greg Dufty.

The search, at a rural property at Rappville, about 30 kilometres south of Casino, is being conducted by detectives investigating the 37-year-old's disappearance, with help from the New South Wales police.

Police have released PolAir vision in relation to a search executed at Busbys Flat Road Rappville, NSW today. Police were searching for the remains of Mr Greg Dufty.

Three men - Lionel Patea, Liam Bliss and Aaron Crawford - have all been charged with Mr Dufty's murder.

A fourth man, Clinton Stockman, 28, appeared in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday charged as an accessory after the fact.
Infamous Queensland bank robber and prison escapee Brenden Abbott could be about to learn if he'll finally get parole.

Abbott, known as the Postcard Bandit, has challenged the Queensland Parole Board's decision last year not to release him.

Abbott, who's being held at the Woodford Correctional Centre, has served 17 years of a 25-year sentence for a number of armed robberies and escapes.

During a hearing in the Supreme Court in Brisbane last month, Abbott told Justice Jean Dalton he'd been "squeaky clean" since 2005 and hadn't breached any prison rules during that time.
A woman accused of murdering an acquaintance before his body was found in far north Queensland bushland should only be tried as an accessory to the death, a court has heard.

Austasia Kapteyn, 22, was originally accused of being an accessory to the 2013 murder of 28-year-old Travis Davis but police later upgraded her charge to murder.

Lawyer for woman accused of murder claims she was only an accessory.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Jim Montague on Tuesday told a committal hearing at the Cairns Magistrates Court the murder charge had been based on a statement by Kapteyn's co-accused.

But the court heard the statement would not be admissible at trial and prosecutors don't have any other evidence to support the charge.
Queensland could join four other Australian states and territories in banning single-use plastic grocery bags.

Environment Minister Steven Miles will meet with his interstate counterparts next week, and is set to discuss how Queensland might follow South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and Northern Territory in reducing their use.

Queensland might follow other states in reducing the use of plastic bags in supermarkets. Credit:John Veage

In those states, the common grey supermarket bag is banned.

"One of the messages we've heard from industry is that it makes it very difficult for them if there are lots of different policies in different states," Dr Miles told the ABC on Wednesday.
Every Queensland home will need to have photoelectric, inter-connected hard-wired smoke alarms in bedrooms, living areas and escape paths by 2027, under new legislation introduced in Parliament.

Police Minister Bill Byrne said after 150 house fire deaths in the past 12 years and recommendations from the state coroner after the Slacks Creek fire, which robbed two families of 11 people, including eight children  the greatest loss of life in an Australian domestic house fire  something had to be done.

Smoke alarms will have to be installed in more rooms and living spaces under new Queensland legislation. Credit:Ken Robertson

"While we are unable to change these tragic events, we as a government can implement strategies for the future that can help prevent such tragedies from occurring," he said.

"We can pass laws that can increase the chances of families safely escaping their homes and surviving, but ultimately it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to ensure our own safety and that of our loved ones."
Schools across south east Queensland have received bomb threats of a "similar nature" to those made earlier this month.

Ten state schools received the bomb threats delivered via a phone call on Tuesday morning, the Department of Education and Training confirmed.

At least nine schools received bomb threats Tuesday morning.

Marymount Catholic Primary school received an automated bomb threat phone call around 9am, causing an evacuation of the primary school and Marymount College at 9.44am.

"Once all students and staff were accounted for, staff took students out to the shade. The school was cleared at 10.30am and class resumed at 11am," a spokesperson for the school confirmed.
Every small business has a horror story that nearly cost them everything. Like the time the roof collapsed on all the new stock. Or, when a business partner took off with everything. Or receiving a shipping container full of faulty stock. The stories become legendary within Australia's small business fraternity, but don't usually make it into the headlines.

But these stories are often a turning point that force small business owners to make some hard decisions and either walk away, or learn from the experience and move on.

$25,000 worth of products in landfill

Emma Lovell recalls the horror of receiving her first product run from China, only to discover that 80 per cent were faulty.
These are the biomarkers, the concrete measurements of mental illness, that many think will move the mental health profession into the 21st century. For Asif, some of the tools being used in the search are already yielding practical results, such as sending a patient's cheek swab for DNA analysis to help determine which psychotropic medication will be most effective and best tolerated. This new, if controversial, approach to mental illness got a boost in 2013 when the director of the National Institute of Mental Health announced that the government, the largest funder of mental health research in the world, would drastically shift its priorities. Research based solely on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders, the chief tool of mental health professionals, would no longer be funded. The reason, Thomas Insel said, was "its lack of validity". First published in 1952, the manual has changed over the years. Yet its categorisation of mental illnesses is based nearly entirely on symptoms either reported by the patient or observed by the clinician. New funding, Insel said, would be based on the premise that "mental disorders are biological disorders involving brain circuits". Research into diagnosis and treatments such as talk therapy would be relegated to the bottom rung of the research ladder. Insel later softened his criticism of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. But the battle had been joined, and with millions of lives and billions of dollars at stake, the fight over the future of psychiatry was on. "There are two camps: the very biologically oriented and the patient-oriented," said Moira Rynn, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Rynn, who is both a clinician and a researcher, describes herself as "in the middle" of this tug-of-war. She's worried, she says, that "we're going to lose a generation of researchers" who think that identifying the influences of a patient's environment, relationships and access to care is just as important as finding the biological markers of their illness.

Other sceptics of Insel's approach say it is impossible to understand mental illness solely by trying to understand the brain. "The main thing is looking at what people say about their lives," said Richard Shulman, a Hartford, Conn., clinical psychologist and one of the founders of Volunteers in Psychotherapy, a nonprofit that provides affordable psychotherapy to the community in exchange for volunteer work that clients perform for charities. "What has led to a real confusion or distress in their lives, and how these things come up, that's when you get a real idea of how and why something upset them. . . . You look at things through their eyes and say, yes, this person has gone through the wringer." From the time of the ancient Greeks, medical practitioners have searched for biomarkers for physical illnesses. Hippocrates tasted patients' urine for sweetness (he is thought to have been the first to diagnose diabetes mellitus), smelled their breath for signs of kidney and liver disease, and assessed the stickiness of their sweat. More recently, doctors relied on patients' complaints about the severity of their chest pains in order to diagnose a heart attack. Today, they measure cardiac enzymes in the bloodstream. "Cancer treatment doesn't treat the symptoms of cancer. You don't want the swelling to go down or the pain to disappear; you want to get rid of the cancer," said Kenneth Kaitin, director of the Tufts University Centre for the Study of Drug Development. "But that's what we're doing in psychiatry," treating the symptoms of mental disorders - the sadness or the restlessness or the hallucinations - not the causes. What is known is that the brain looks different in those who struggle with mental illness. This does not necessarily mean all mental disorders originate in the brain. Post-traumatic stress disorder, for instance, occurs because of emotionally scarring experiences, but those experiences change the brain and the brain's responses to the environment.

Nearly every day, researchers report findings about genetic or cellular associations with mental illness. But despite years of searching, no one has identified a single biological cause for any mental illness, proved that a chemical imbalance in the brain is at the root of any mental disorder, or positively shown that any medication corrects such a chemical imbalance. "There's been an intense search for biomarkers for the last 40 years, and so far we've come up empty," said psychiatrist Allen Frances, a professor emeritus at the Duke University School of Medicine. "It's been oversold. The decade of the brain came up empty. It should teach us to be humbler." The leading drugs for depression - the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs - are designed to ease symptoms by boosting serotonin, one of the brain's pleasure chemicals. But it's not known whether that corrects an imbalance, because there's no way to directly measure a person's neurochemical levels. Experts also can't explain why antidepressants work only 40 per cent of the time or why, when they do, it takes weeks for most patients to feel the effects since the levels are boosted almost immediately. The chief complaint about today's psychiatric medications is the same one cited by those frustrated by the lack of progress on Alzheimer's: They don't treat the disease, just the symptoms, and they don't even do that very well. Rather than targeting brain chemistry to reduce symptoms, people such as Insel want to focus on brain circuitry. Their efforts have been bolstered by advances in technology and imaging that now allow scientists not only to see deeper into the brain, but also to study single brain cells to determine which circuits and neurons underlie specific mental and emotional states. Many of these advances come from fields as disparate as physics and electrical engineering - as well as the new field of optogenetics, which uses light to manipulate neurons.

In the past, brain imaging allowed scientists to identify which groups of neurons were active when, say, a lab mouse was aggressive, but not whether the neurons were causing the aggressive behaviour. Then a few years ago, researchers at the California Institute of Technology injected into the hypothalamus of a mouse a modified gene that made certain cells sensitive to light. They then inserted a hair-thin fiber-optic thread into the mouse's skull and delivered bursts of light into those cells to activate them. The mouse became aggressive. When the researchers turned the light off, the activity in those specific hypothalamic cells ceased, and the mouse returned to a calm, normal state. Because the technique is too invasive for people, researchers are now looking at nanotechnology and even magnets as a way to switch cells on and off in humans. Connecting specific symptoms with specific groups of neurons, and then manipulating those cells, would represent a watershed moment. Born and raised in Pakistan, Hasan Asif is a board-certified psychiatrist who first trained as a psychoanalyst. When he came to the United States in 1990 for post-graduate training at New York Medical College in Valhalla, he was swept up in the biological psychiatry movement. He opened a private practice in New York and eventually spent tens of thousands of dollars outfitting his office with new neurological tools. On his walls are colourful microscopic close-ups of neurons, and on his bookcase and tables are replicas of Greek and Egyptian antiquities once collected by Freud. Asif evolved into a "neurotherapist," someone who first tries to understand a patient's brain circuitry, then combines that with both psychological and physiological information to create a treatment plan. While a traditional psychotherapist might begin sessions by asking patients about their thoughts, feelings and problems, Asif has them fill out a colour-coded form that matches statements about their thoughts and feelings with the parts of the brain most likely involved. Then his patients undergo a quantitative electroencephalograph, or qEEG.

The EEG, which has been around for more than 90 years, is a map of the brain's electrical activity and reflects a patient's emotional and cognitive states. The qEEG compares that information, in real time, to a digital database of hundreds of EEGs of healthy subjects. A patient's brain map will pulse with red or blue if it is either overactive or underactive, compared with the norm. "The brain is almost screaming out loud: 'Read me! I'm showing you everything!' " Asif said. Patient treatment plans might include psychotherapy and medication as well as neurofeedback, a technique in which patients are trained to increase or decrease brain-wave activity in the parts of the brain related to their complaints. Another tool is transcranial magnetic stimulation, a noninvasive method of delivering pulses of energy to the head, which has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of depression. But almost always, Asif begins with a qEEG. It acts as a kind of map, helping him to identify a patient's troublesome brain circuits, which he then targets with his various therapeutic techniques. Tina Raymond, 61, says her treatment produced almost immediate results. In 2006, Raymond was robbed and beaten inside her storefront office in Mount Vernon, New York, where she designed seasonal displays for department stores. She saw several doctors, including Asif, for memory loss and PTSD from the attack, and she eventually recovered. Then, in May 2014, just as Asif was ramping up his neurotherapy practice, Raymond returned, complaining of feelings of worthlessness. "I was hitting a lull, an emotional lull," she said. "I was depressed. Getting out of bed was harder than usual. I'm a pretty upbeat person in general, so for depression to hit me... was distressing."

Raymond filled out the colour-coded form and scored the statements on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest. "I feel unfocused, tired, and bored": 7. "I have difficulty planning and organising": 9. "I worry a lot, and have difficulty stopping repetitive negative thoughts and actions": 6. Asif next wired Raymond for a qEEG. The most striking image was a red blotch on the right side of her brain map, indicating too much slow-wave delta activity in the temple area. It's a part of the brain that plays a role in mood regulation and motivation, and it wasn't firing properly or communicating well with the left side of her brain. Asif now had his target areas. He would use neurofeedback, employing a video-aided reward system, to retrain Raymond's brain.

Neurofeedback is a descendant of biofeedback, which uses medical instruments, such as a blood pressure cuff, to monitor body functions and relay the information to patients who then try to alter their physical responses. Neurofeedback has had a popular, if controversial, commercial application as a kind of relaxation therapy, but recently psychiatry has studied it in combination with real-time brain imaging. In 2013, for example, a team at Yale University found that neurofeedback used with functional MRI, another brain imaging technology, substantially reduced depression and anxiety in patients. For some neurofeedback sessions, Asif plays a pleasant nature movie during which the patient's brain-wave activity is automatically compared every half-second to the goal. If the two are in sync, the patient's brain is "rewarded" by the movie's continuation. If they are not, the movie stops. Which means that in one 50-minute session, Raymond's brain experienced 6000 chances to be "rewarded" for learning how to reduce the delta-wave activity in the right hemisphere and re-establish its normal firing pattern. Her concentration kept the video - she substituted a 1992 comedy by Italian director Lina Wertmeller for the nature film - playing without interruption. If all this seems mysterious, scientists say it is no more inexplicable than children learning on their own how to play a video game or ride a bicycle. Our brains simply figure things out because that's what they were built to do. For patients, the sense of control over their own treatment, of helping to heal themselves, is often exhilarating. After those five sessions, Raymond felt her depression lift. Those overactive delta waves nearly disappeared, and her improving mood matched her brain map, evident by the diagnostic form she filled in before each session. Soon the 9's and 7's she had recorded before her first session were manageable 2's and 3's. She felt better in the same amount of time it takes for most psychiatric medications to begin working, and she experienced no side effects, except for the goop in her hair after each session. Asif, she said,"put my pieces back together."

Internist Alexis Gopal often referred patients to Asif. "I've sent him adolescents who have gone to successive psychiatrists and medication after medication, and he can turn them around in two or three treatments," said Gopal, who lives in Danbury, Conneticut, and now runs her own medical communications business. For several years the doctor had dealt with her own, occasionally paralysing anxiety, for which she took medication. When the problems worsened in 2014, she turned to Asif. Gopal was sceptical about neurofeedback, having undergone biofeedback sessions for migraines with another doctor; they hadn't helped. Then Gopal went through Asif''s movie-watching exercise. She also listened to a series of pleasant tones that degenerated into noise if she didn't focus on modulating her brain-wave activity. "You have to relax. And he tells you to focus on something," she said. "I remember specifically one session feeling like I was going to crawl out of my skin. And I remember at the end of one session I felt so relaxed and so calm, I thought, 'Wow, this really works.' "

Asif charges between $275 and $350 per session after an initial interview and evaluation, which includes a qEEG and costs about $550. Sessions are billed as either psychotherapy or medication management for insurance purposes. Gopal said that she felt better with each visit, and there was a side benefit: Her migraines ended. Another of Asif's patients, who asked that she not be identified, said she began treatment for major depression in January 2014 when she lost weight, became paranoid about eating and isolated herself. "He looked at me, and I'll never forget it, he said, 'Just give me nine days, and I'll pull you out of this.' From that moment, I thought, thank God, someone's going to help me." Five times a week, she underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation, which delivers bursts of energy designed to stimulate the underactive area of the brain thought to be involved in depression. The progress was virtually immediate.

"As the treatments went on, I'd put a ring on or makeup. Then I noticed I started to cook. I hadn't done my laundry in months and did it," she said, and after two weeks she was significantly better. "It was like being reborn," she said. Asif says that a person's mental makeup is a kind of hierarchy, with personality on top, which is created by brain states that arise from circuits firing in a certain pattern below. With psychotherapy, you tweak the brain from the top down, dealing first with a patient's personality and temperament. But with neurofeedback, combined with qEEG, he said, he tweaks his patients from the bottom up, identifying the brain areas involved and then retraining those circuits to fire differently, resulting in changed moods or mental outlooks. "When they are shown the cause of their suffering in their brain circuits and body function," Asif said, "it gives them immense power in having control over things." Because he is a full-time clinician, Asif has done little formal research, although he has been published in Neuroconnections, the journal of the International Society for Neurofeedback & Research. He also gives frequent talks to medical professionals, including the Society for the Advancement of Brain Analysis, the annual conference of the International Neuropsychoanalysis Society and the Biofeedback Federation of Europe.
On Wednesday a group of space entrepreneurs and government figures are meeting in Canberra at an invitation-only event to take up the issue. In a sign of how important space is to the Turnbull government  which has staked a lot on the mantra of innovation  the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Christopher Pyne is expected to deliver the opening speech. The European Space Agency - not necessarily the model for Australia. ESA's Mission Control Room in Darmstadt, Germany. Credit:ESA - Jurgen Mai Public consultation on the review kicks off this week, giving everyone with a stake in space, which is arguably everyone, a platform to be heard on how the industry can be fostered. One area expected to be addressed by the review is the rules around cubesats, the new class of small, inexpensive satellites embraced by unis and research organisations. Whether the review will spark a full overhaul of Australia's space sector or make only changes at the margins remains to be seen. Seeking broad input on Australia's future role in space: Western Sydney University professor of international law Steven Freeland. Credit:WSU

Professor Andrew Dempster at the University of New South Wales warns that if changes to existing space law focus chiefly on cubesats and smaller satellites it would be "too modest and narrow." Dempster, who is director of the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research, says what's needed is a broader policy in Australia for space. Sign of the future times? Expectations are riding high for commercial space. A poster from NASA that imagines a future when Mars has been explored. Credit:NASA/JPL Australia doesn't "have any entity in the government that guides our activities in space, with a forward-looking strategy," he said. The falling costs of some technologies usable in space could reshape the economics of the industry, a change from the historically high costs of programs in the past.

Currently there are about 1100 active satellites in orbit around Earth. Satellite industry research firm NSR forecasts the launch of more than 2500 sub-100 kg satellites over the next decade, generating revenues of nearly $US6 billion ($8.33 billion) by 2024. "When you're talking about these cubesats, you can put these things in space cheaply so we're no longer talking about big dollars in space," said Dempster. And those high costs are one of the things that have made space anathema to many a politician in past years. The expert adviser to the review, Western Sydney University professor of international law Steven Freeland, rejects the notion that the scope of the review will be narrow. "I don't feel this review is particularly limited at all. It's only limited by the terms of reference," he said. "It's really about looking at the best way for Australia to build upon its excellent research and science to further participate in space commercially.

"It's much more than just changing words in legislation." According to the review's terms of reference, it seeks to learn whether existing law "supports innovation and the advancement of space technologies" and "promotes entrepreneurship and private investment in Australia". To stakeholders in Australia's space industry, Freeland says: "Tell us what you want and how you envisage the implementation of our existing expertise into new and additional realistic commercial opportunities for the country." Since the review of space law was announced in October 2015, interest has poured in from overseas, outpacing the local level of curiosity. "Everybody is asking these same questions given that space technology is changing so quickly," Freeland said.

Much of the excitement around the space sector is being driven by the Big Data revolution on Earth, allowing for a depth of data-rich space-based ventures unthinkable in past years. These include everything from providing internet for Earth from space, to more accurate weather forecasting and environmental and resources management. The combination of such cheap and ubiquitous space technology with 3D printing may open up other possibilities, such as space mining, or the construction of space stations on a grand scale. The possibility of structurally lower costs in the price of launch services has moved closer, too, with breakthroughs by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. The ability of businesses, governments and organisations to launch greater and more complex structures into orbit could create a bonanza in space-related services and products. To give an idea of the scale of change at stake, the UK Space Agency projects the space-enabled market is likely to be worth 400 billion ($778 billion) by 2030.

For Australia to get a bite of that growth, however, changes are needed on the ground in terms of the industry, economic incentives and the path to production. To that end, a group of Australian space entrepreneurs and universities founded the delta-5 accelerator in early 2014 to try to foster start-ups that can grow into fully fledged companies independent of government programs. But the quest for greater coordination remains. Despite the starry-eyed wishes by some advocates for an Australian equivalent to NASA or the European Space Agency, Dempster doesn't think organisations of that scale would be needed. Rather, the UK Space Agency's may serve as a better example for Australia, he said. The UK Space Agency has the goal of seeking to gain 10 per cent of the global space market by 2030. Moreover, the UK Space Agency's built on existing government operations that didn't require the huge expenditures politicians associate with space. "I think [it is] a great example of what you can do with a modern approach to how you would set up a space agency."
A Yarraville man has received a good behaviour bond and ordered to pay more than $1200 after pleading guilty to assaulting Maribyrnong councillors Nam Quach and Grant Miles at a council meeting in November.

Appearing before the Melbourne Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, Frank Amaru, 61, was also ordered to pay $749 in reparation costs to Cr Nam Quach for breaking his glasses during the November assault on Crs Quach and Grant Miles at the conclusion a fiery council meeting, the StarWeekly reports.

Prosecutors told the court Mr Amaru was present at the November 17 meeting in which councillors voted to continue the paid parking trial in Yarraville village.

They said Mr Amaru had become agitated at the decision and crossed the chamber to where Cr Miles was sitting.
Struggled to sleep last night? You weren't alone.

It was Melbourne's hottest February night in six years, and the warmest night this year.

The mercury soared to 39.4 degrees on Tuesday afternoon, as bushfires raged near Ballarat and Frankston, destroying two homes and damaging another.

The temperature in Melbourne's CBD did not dip below 30 degrees until 7.30pm.
An inner-city councillor has dramatically quit the Socialist Party amid allegations that abuse of a woman was covered up.

City of Yarra councillor Stephen Jolly was among more than a dozen party members to resign suddenly over the allegations.

Stephen Jolly has resigned from the Socialist Party after 34 years. Credit:Pat Scala

On Tuesday Cr Jolly posted a statement on social media saying he had resigned from the party after 34 years.

"It is over a matter of principle, not politics," he said. "Despite best attempts it was irreconcilable."
So she went ahead and did what she had to do: ordered hand sanitiser and bottled water for the district schools, trucked in huge 18-litre jugs to provide in cafeterias. "I wasn't going to wait for anyone to call me from City Hall," she said. "I know that leadership is not present at the time." The next day, the city finally put out a statement about the source of the black water: its elevated tank was drained on Wednesday, causing sediments and deposits that had accumulated at the bottom of the tank to stream out into distribution lines. "It looked like black sludge. They were comparing it to oil  that dark," resident Nora Flores-Guerrero said. The city government said on its Facebook page that the draining was part of a long-overdue renovation of the city's water tank, and that it hadn't anticipated the sludgy fallout. But that didn't comfort residents who wanted to know what was happening to their water, and why they hadn't been warned about the draining sooner.

"We didn't get a proper warning," Ms Flores-Guerrero said. "They didn't post anything or send out any type of message to warn the residents. It was pretty scary." By Friday, truckloads of bottled water were being distributed to residents, and the Texas Commission on Environment Quality (TCEQ) had sent a team of investigators to test for toxins and bacteria. The state environmental regulator warned residents to boil tap water before drinking, and not to drink anything that was discoloured, according to a newspaper report. There have been conflicting reports about whether the water is now safe to drink. It was reported on Sunday that the TCEQ's tests had come back negative. But TCEQ media relations manager Andrea Morrow said that was not quite accurate. "While the most recent samples testing for water pressure, chlorination, and bacteria have come back in the acceptable range, we would like to wait until we have the complete suite of sample results back until we can give the all-clear," she said. "We may have these as soon as Tuesday. In the meantime, we would still urge residents not to drink discoloured water, and to boil city water before drinking it."

Meanwhile, the Texas Education Agency announced on Friday that Crystal City Independent School District was at risk of losing its accreditation after it failed to meet standards for the third year running. If it finishes another year below standards, the state will no longer recognise or fund the district, it was reported. And, on top of all that, the mayor finally quit on Friday. "I would like to inform you that this is my resignation letter," read a message from Lopez obtained by a local TV station. "I am leaving my position of mayor of Crystal City, TX, effective immediately." The onslaught of bad news left residents reeling. "I feel bad talking about the little town where I grew up, but this is ridiculous," Alicia Martinez, 53, said. "We need help to get it back to where it used to be."

The city government's Facebook page became a sounding board for citizens' frustrations. "You all completely dropped the ball by not notifying the people of Crystal City!," one person commented, questioning why news of the black water got around on social media before the municipal government said anything. "Scumbags," wrote another, mincing no words. "We apologise for the burden this issue has caused," the city government's Facebook account replied to an angry commenter. "We are currently going through administrative challenges that minimise our coordination on certain levels." "Administrative challenges" is putting it lightly. After the mayor's resignation and the suspension of city manager James Jonas (one of the officials facing bribery and conspiracy charges) earlier last week, the lone unindicted council member Joel Barajas  whose position is really just volunteer job found himself suddenly responsible for all the city's day to day operations.
Beijing: The first red alert over air pollution in Beijing almost brought the capital to a standstill in December, with schools shut, construction halted and driving restricted. Now, in a swift policy shift, Beijing plans to issue a red alert based on higher thresholds: neatly changing the equation without necessarily reducing the smog.

A red alert, the highest level of a four-tier warning system, will be issued if the daily average air quality index is forecast to exceed 500 for one day, 300 for two days or 200 for four days, Xinhua, the state news agency, reported on Sunday, quoting Beijing's environmental agency. The new standards will take effect before the end of March, it said.

The air quality index, used in many countries, is an aggregate measure of various pollutants in the air. Currently, any reading above 200 for more than three days in Beijing will prompt a red alert, which activates numerous contingency plans that can disrupt jobs and businesses.
London: In June, Britain will hold an in/out referendum on whether to remain in the European Union.

A vote to leave would not only transform Britain's future in world affairs but also shake the EU, which has struggled to maintain unity over migration and financial crises, by ripping away its second-largest economy and one of its main military powers.

British Prime Minister David Cameron addresses Members of Parliament in the House of Commons in London on Monday. Credit:PA/AP

Prime Minister David Cameron called on politicians to campaign for Britain to stay. London Mayor Boris Johnson has vowed to campaign for the "leave" vote. Mr Johnson's move has been criticised by some as designed to attract Eurosceptic votes in his bid to succeed Mr Cameron, who has said he will step down before the next election in 2020.

"I am not standing for re-election, I have no other agenda than what is best for our country," Mr Cameron told a packed parliament on Monday.
Sydney: Fijian authorities were still trying to reach remote areas of the country's archipelago on Tuesday to assess the damage, two days after a powerful cyclone tore through the Pacific island nation, killing at least 29 people.

There are fears the death toll could rise in the nation of 900,000 people when communication resumes with the smaller islands where thousands of people live in tin or wooden shacks in low-lying areas.

Aerial footage of outlying islands taken by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and posted on the Fiji government's official website, showed whole villages flattened and flooded after tropical cyclone Winston tore through late on Saturday with wind gusts of up to 325km/h.
The semiofficial Fars News Agency, one of the organisations involved, reported that the new reward money was gathered during a trade fair called the Islamic Republic's Digital Media Exhibition. It quoted the secretary of the exhibition saying that the $US600,000 had been announced last week to mark the anniversary of the 1989 fatwa.

Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa, or religious edict, in 1989, calling for Rushdie to be killed because of his book The Satanic Verses, which the ayatollah found to be blasphemous and insulting toward Muslims. Mr Rushdie has since then been living largely out of sight and under the protection of bodyguards.

Tehran: A group of hard-line Iranian media organisations says it has raised $US600,000 ($830,000) to add to a bounty for the killing of British novelist Salman Rushdie.

The Iranian government distanced itself from calls for Rushdie's death under the reformist president Mohammad Khatami, who declared in 1998 that the fatwa had ended. But the religious authorities said it could not be withdrawn by anyone other than Khomeini, who died four months after issuing it. His successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in 2005 that the fatwa remained valid.

A group holds up signs in support of the jailed Chinese writer Ilham Tohti, including Salman Rushdie (second from right) at the PEN American Centre Literary Gala in New York in 2014. Credit:New York Times

The decree had already put a considerable price on Rushdie's head: a religious organisation called the 15 Khordad Foundation initially offered a $US2.7 million reward to anyone carrying out the fatwa, and then increased it to $US3.3 million in 2012. The new money, bringing the total bounty to nearly $US4 million, came from 40 news outlets listed by Fars, which said that it had contributed $US30,000.

Iranian hard-line organisations tend to make symbolic gestures involving the Rushdie fatwa every year around its anniversary, February 14. Whether the bounty really would be paid is unclear. Many media organisations in Iran do not turn a profit, and some are subsidised by state organisations.

The announcement highlights the continuing political infighting in Iran as elections approach for the Parliament and the Assembly of Experts, a council that would choose the next supreme leader. The government of President Hassan Rouhani has promised to improve relations with the West, while his hard-line opponents have campaigned against any opening. Analysts said the hard-liners may have been seeking an electoral edge by raising the Rushdie matter now.
A 15-year-old Florida boy stands accused of fatally shooting of his 10-year-old sister, whose body was found clad in a white sundress and covered in towels, authorities say.

Izabella Heffernan was discovered Sunday afternoon, hours after her family reported her missing in Fountain, Florida, according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office.

Ten-year-old Izabella Heffernan was killed by her teen brother Sunday in Fountain, Florida, according to authorities. Credit:Bay County Sheriffs Office/Washington Post

Her older brother Fredrick Lochridge now faces an open count of murder in connection to her death.

At a news conference Monday, Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen said the teen's behaviour was unusual for his age.
Washington, DC: US President Barack Obama released his long-awaited plan for closing the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying he doesn't want the next president - no matter who it is - to have to keep dealing with the albatross of the prisoners held there.

Obama released the plan on Tuesday, more than seven years after saying he wants to close the detention facility that holds terrorism-related prisoners, but still didn't offer specifics on possible locations for housing them in the United States.

Also, by waiting until the congressional deadline to submit it, he offered the proposal as the United States is in the midst of the political process to choose Republican and Democratic nominees to succeed Obama as president.

"I really think there's an opportunity here for progress. There's an obligation to try," Obama said at the White House. "I don't want to pass this problem on to the next president no matter who it is.
Southern sludge vets Crowbar are heading out on tour for the 20th anniversary of their depressive classic Broken Glass, performing the album in full across the U.S. That trip will include a stop in NYC for a show at Saint Vitus on March 30, and tickets are on sale now. No word yet on openers.
We knew early on that we wanted a dance video but we didn't have concept for it beyond that. Once we got talking about it, we realized that we didn't need much of one--that really good dancers getting to know the song then interpreting it would be totally compelling. Three seemed like the magic number. We didn't want it to be about relationships or sex or synchronized cheerleading. We wanted it to be something personal and internal, expressed externally and viscerally. Hanako handled the rest. She's a dancer and choreographer and had worked closely with the dancers in the video in other situations. One of them did his shoot in Tel Aviv with his boyfriend behind the camera and he emailed it in. That's their cat. The other two were in Montreal: one in a studio with the speakers turned up loud and one out in the snowy woods on top of Mount Royal. Yves had a great feel for the motion from behind the camera and in the editing room. Together they put this whole crazy puzzle together on top of the song and it fits it like a glove.
latest news

October 3, 2022

Dee Gambit

Hundreds  if not thousands  of new and returning TV shows and movies are released every month  your options of what to watch are endless. Variety, they say is ...
Talk about a whole new world. Just after The Walking Dead left Rick Grimes hunched over the bedside of his injured son Carl, desperately hoping for another chance to show his son a better life, the show returned to an entirely new setup. Though The Next World was an altogether happier episode, tying up loose ends and pushing new character development, it was not without its fair share of twists.

Here are the top 10 moments.

1) The Episode Jumps into the Future

In The Walking Dead episode, No Way Out, the citizens of Alexandria were forced to pull out all the stops to rid their community of the massive zombie herd that broke through the wall. The graveyard of slaughtered zombies at the episodes end signaled an uncertain future for Alexandria and left us wondering how the team was going to rebuild their town. Unfortunately, we may never know: The Next World opened with a framed photo of one-eyed Carl and Judith, confirming a time jump that skips over the groups road to recovery.

2) Alexandria has Been Rebuilt

No more zombie carcasses littering the streets or toppled houses. The start of The Next World reveals the Alexandria has been reconstructed since the walker invasion. The roads are clear, the grass is green, and the survivors are learning to adjust to this new, normal lifestyle.

3) Daryl and Rick Meet Jesus

Jesus, like Negan, is a popular character in the original Walking Dead comic books, so his appearance isnt hugely surprising. However, his sudden encounter with Rick and Daryl, and his ability to outsmart the two zombie veterans and steal their cargo, was certainly a little surprising.

4) Jesus Saves Daryls Life

After a long-winded manhunt, Daryl and Rick finally catch up to Jesus and reclaim their food truck, tying the thief up on the side of the road for good measure. After the two discover Jesus hiding stealthily on the trucks roof halfway through their drive, Daryl chases the man through a field, ultimately cornering him in the trucks driver seat. As a zombie approaches the quarreling duo, Jesus raises a gun to Daryls head, shooting the walker behind him thus, saving his life.

5) Carl (Secretly) Helps Spencer Find His Mom

On their walk back to the campsite, Enid and Carl run into a walker. Carl reaches for his gun, only to mysteriously back down and refuse to kill the walker. When Michonne spots Carl wandering through the forest, and encounters the undead Deanne immediately afterwards, she connects the dots and scolds Carl for leading Deanna to them and not killing her outright. Though dangerous, Carls reasoning  that he wanted someone she loved to kill her  was surprisingly sound.

6) Spencer Kills Undead Deanna

Spencer hasnt always made the best decisions in The Walking Dead but his decision to find and kill his undead mom, the founder and deceased former leader of Alexandria, was an honorable one. In a remarkable display of bravery, Spencer severs his moms brain stem and says his final goodbye.

7) Carl and Enid Squabble in the Woods

Although Enid has agreed to try and live life to the fullest, she continues to struggle in episode 10, disappearing on Maggie on multiple occasions and complaining to Carl about their daily walks in the woods. When she finally admits that she wants to stop their forest adventures, Carl reluctantly agrees, telling her to leave.

8) Rick and Daryl Decide to Bring Jesus Back to Alexandria

Rick may not have gotten to ask Jesus all of his usual questions (How many walkers have you killed? How many people have you killed? Why?) but he and Daryl agree to take the stranger back to Alexandria, if only to honor Deannas last wishes to make an inclusive community and to stay hopeful that the world can be rebuilt.

9) Rick and Michonne Get Intimate

Longtime viewers of the show may have seen this one coming: Michonne has been close with Rick and his family since the very beginning, functioning as a pseudo-parent to Carl and, in turn, filling Loris shoes as Ricks support system. Despite the familiarity of the twos relationship, though, their sudden couple-y behavior at the end of the episode (including a discussion about how their days went) and their subsequent kiss didnt come as any less of a surprise. Richonne is officially a go.

10) Jesus Makes a Cryptic Announcement

Lying in bed after their romantic encounter, Michonne and Rick are awoken by the sound of Jesuss voice. The two spring out of bed and come face-to-face with their new house guest, who cryptically announces: We need to talk.

What does Jesus have in store for Rick and the gang? Guess well have to wait until episode 11 to find out.

The Walking Dead season 6 airs Sundays at 9pm on AMC.

Images courtesy of AMC.
Smile Education Day to reach more than 15,000 WNY kids

Hundreds of dentists, hygienists, dental assistants and dental students from UB and local communities will visit students in grades three through five to deliver oral health presentations and offer career guidance on becoming a dentist.

As a profession, we are doing a good job of educating people on the benefits of practicing good oral hygiene. As a result, adults are keeping their teeth longer than ever before. 

BUFFALO, N.Y.  Before lunchtime on Wednesday, University at Buffalo dental faculty and students will visit nearly 15,000 children in more than 100 schools across Western New York as part of the 23rd annual Smile Education Day.

Organized by the UB Smile Team and School of Dental Medicine, the event teaches children about the importance of dental hygiene, proper nutrition and the effects of sugar, and the connection between oral hygiene and overall health.

Scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, hundreds of dentists, hygienists, dental assistants and dental students from UB and local communities will visit students in grades three through five to deliver oral health presentations and offer career guidance on becoming a dentist.

This year, the program will expand to include more than 400 three- and four-year-old children attending Holy Cross Head Start preschool programs. Dental residents will also travel to Burgard Vocational High School to create custom mouth guards for student athletes.

For a list of schools participating in the program, contact Marcene Robinson in University Communications at 716-645-4595 or marcener@buffalo.edu.

As a profession, we are doing a good job of educating people on the benefits of practicing good oral hygiene," says Joseph Zambon, PhD, DDS, interim dean of the School of Dental Medicine. "As a result, adults are keeping their teeth longer than ever before. It starts with early intervention and education about the benefits of proper oral hygiene, nutrition and the impact excessive amounts of sugar have on a persons oral health and systemic well-being. Im proud to see our faculty, students and staff lead this charge.



Smile Education Day, which coincides with Childrens National Dental Health Month, is one of more than 400 community outreach events the UB Smile Team participates in each year.
1st Congressional District race sees Norcross, Gustafson rematch

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, D-1, is looking to repeat his win two years ago over Republican Claire Gustafson when voters turn out this November.
Four of the country's biggest private airlines, which together control over 90 per cent of the industry, have threatened to take the government to court if the draft civil aviation policy, which they say is designed to benefit only two new airlines, is finalised without taking their concerns into account.

The airlines - IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and GoAir - are mainly concerned about three components of the draft policy, the proposed abolition of the 5/20 rule, which requires an to have five years of domestic flying experience and 20 aircraft in its fleet before it can fly to overseas destinations, auctioning of bilateral rights and lifting the foreign ownership cap on domestic airlines above 49 per cent.

Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), the body which represents the airlines in its submission to the civil aviation ministry, has added a copy from Justice Srikrishna who suggested the changes as violation of constitutional rights. "In my opinion, if the draft policy is implemented in its present form, the querist would be entitled to challenge the same ground of hostile discrimination and infringement of their fundamental right by way of appropriate proceedings before a court," Justice Srikrishna wrote.

Top executives of IndiGo, Jet and GoAir and a representative of Jet said in New Delhi on Tuesday that they were particularly miffed with the ministry's persistent refusal to allow them to present their views about an important policy.

Rahul Bhatia, chairman of FIA, told Business Standard that a legal recourse would be a possible option. "We don't want legal battles but if the ministry is not ready to listen to us, what's the option? We just want a level-playing field," he said.

The older airlines say that any decision on 5/20 rule must be taken in tandem with the Route Development Guidelines and not as an independent entity. In the draft policy, the ministry has suggested doing away with the 5/20 rule and replacing with a credit-based system. The route development guidelines mandate airlines to deploy a certain amount of fleet in unprofitable, remote areas like the Northeast and Ladakh and airlines have to take prior permission before withdrawing any flight.

"If 5/20 is abolished, route dispersal guidelines should go too," said Ajay Singh, chairman of SpiceJet.

"While an IndiGo with more than 100 aircraft cannot restructure its network by withdrawing from any unprofitable routes, an with just five aircraft can fly abroad with the sixth one - this is not acceptable," said Aditya Ghosh, president of InterGlobe Aviation, which runs Indigo.

"By merely abolishing the 5/20 rule and keeping the route development guidelines intact, the government will completely will tilt the balance in favour of airlines which are effectively controlled from abroad," said Singh.

GoAir CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer said the "proposed changes are regressive and would harm Indian aviation."



FIA has also vociferously opposed any move to auction bilateral rights which they feel will put them at an disadvantage and lead to unfair competition with airlines from Gulf or the European Union which have deep pockets. "Every country, including the US and Singapore, zealously guards its bilateral traffic rights. With auctioning of these, India will put its airlines at a disadvantage," said Singh.

Gulf carriers like Etihad and Emirates have already increased their footprint manifold after the previous government gave greater freedom to them - a move that was criticised by the Comptroller and Auditor General in its audit report.

Responding to former Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata's statement on Sunday that older airlines were resisting changes in fear of competition, Bhatia wondered why Tata, known for his wisdom, had become so vocal on an issue where he had a vested interest. The biggest beneficiaries from the proposed changes are likely to be Vistara and AirAsia in which Tata Sons owns substantial stake.

FIA said substantial ownership and effective control norms were being flouted by the foreign partners of new airlines Vistara and AirAsia. AirAsia co-founder Arun Bhatia had earlier threatened to go to court on grounds that it is remote controlled by Malaysian shareholders.
Online marketplace is in talks with Chinese giants Alibaba Group Holding as well as Chinese web services giant Baidu for the next round of funding to raise nearly $200 million, according sources close to the company.

Getit Infoservices AskmeBazaar, in which Malaysian billionaire T Ananda Krishnans Astro Holdings is the principal investor, plans to raise the next round of funding within the next four months.

Sources said the company had held talks with many investors in the US and China, and a final decision would be taken within the next few weeks. The company has held talks with a slew of investors, which include Alibaba and Baidu. Both these international giants have shown interest in the company, said a source.

With an eye on making a dent in the Indian start-up ecosystem, Chinese investors who have been on the lookout for greener pastures have held talks with a number of her to make investments.

Alibaba has made a formidable investment in mobile wallets giant Paytm. The group is the largest shareholder in One97 Communications-owned company with investments amounting to $680 million.

Meanwhile, Baidu is still on the hunt for the first company to invest in. The Chinese web services giant has reportedly had held talks with Zomato. According to sources, the food tech firm plans to raise $200 million in April from its old and investors that include the Chinese web-services giant, which might be a lead investor in the fresh funding round as well.

Our hyper-local model, next-day delivery (NDD) and grocery are doing well and were scaling up the technology and the brand. The gross merchandise value of grocery and the next-day delivery space is large at around Rs 200 crore a month. We believe by August this year, it will go up to Rs 2,000 crore, said Kiran Murthi, CEO of .

Murthi said the online marketplaces NDD orders, which mostly constitute household and office goods, and have an average ticket size of Rs 10,000, is doing quite well. At present, has 120,000 merchants, which it hopes to take to a million active sellers in the next few years.
Four Tata group companies have hired bankers to raise $2.5 billion this quarter, one of their biggest overseas fundraising exercises in recent times. Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power and Tata Communications are raising money to retire their old loans.

Statistics collated by Bloomberg says Tata group companies had raised $1.06 billion in 2015. While Tata Steel has launched a $1.5-billion deal in general syndication in January, Tata Power has hired seven banks to raise $460 million for a loan, which is due to be paid next month. Tata Communications is also marketing a five-year loan to raise $250 million, while Tata Motors-owned TML Holdings has launched a $250-million loan last month.

The gross debt of the four companies was whopping Rs 208,229 crore in FY15 (see box) and these companies were taking several steps to bring down debt levels, including sale of assets and reduction of interest costs by retiring old loans and replacing them with cheaper new loans, bankers said.

Tata Steel, for example, is reducing capacity in the UK and has signed a letter of intent with Greybull Capital for the divestment of long products business in Europe. Besides, by December-end, Tata Steel had also successfully refinanced the offshore debt facilities of $1.5 billion, resulting in significant cost savings. Tata Steel is getting an average rate of Libor plus 235 basis points for its two loans of $750 million each.

While Tata Steel is struggling with its European operations, Tata Motors needs money to launch new models from its Jaguar Land Rover stable and in India. A bulk of Tata Motors loans were taken by the company when it took over JLR. It is now refinancing its old loans with newer ones at the rate of Libor plus 165 basis points, which bankers say, is good rate considering the volatility in the overseas markets.

The net debt of Tata Communications as of December 2015 was $1.48 billion, up marginally when compared with last year and previous quarter as well. Analysts said net debt trends were falling behind the companys intention of business-led deleveraging. The companys earnings statement said the increase in net debt also reflects increasing working capital requirements as business mix shifts towards enterprise data business. The new loan at the rate of Libor plus 135 basis points will be used to refinance old loans.

The firm has also revised its core business capital expenditure guidance downwards to $300 million from $350 million for FY16. It is also selling its data centre business to raise funds and is currently in talks with bidders.
Electronics goods manufacturer Havells India Limited is open to setting up a production unit in Gujarat if it finds a suitable opportunity for it. The company also aiming to double its business in Gujarat over the next three years.

Chairman and managing director Anil Rai Gupta visited Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) to interact with students and talk about the book 'Havells: The Untold Story of Qimat Rai Gupta' that he has recently authored on the founder of Havells - Qimat Rai Gupta.

"Gujarat is a fast moving state and it is important business place for us. We are open to setting up a manufacturing facility in the state if we find some good opportunity for that. However, there is no concrete plan to enter in the state in near future," said Anil Rai Gupta.

Currently the company is in a process to set up production unit in Bangalore. Delhi-based Havells has 10 plants across seven locations, and its proposed plant on a 50-acre plot near Bangalore would be its first outside north India.

The company does sales of Rs 250 crore in Gujarat and is aiming to double it in next three years. Gupta said, "We have set a target to get a business of Rs 500 crore from Gujarat in the next three years. With this we are aiming to double our share of exports during the time from current 5% to 10%."



Havells produces cables and lighting products to switches and motors, among others, for both domestic and industrial applications. The company earned Rs 8,000 crore of revenue in the fiscal year ended March 2015. The company reported an increase of 3.92% in standalone net profit at Rs 120.77 crore for the December quarter in current financial year.
A recent move by Hyundai to transport cars through sea for the domestic market has cheered ports.



This virtually unlocks a huge potential for coastal shipping in India, especially for automobiles cargo. Hyundai Motor India Ltd recently shipped 800 cars made at its Chennai plant to its markets in western India using a roll on-roll off vessel. The cargo was loaded at Chennai Port and it reached Pipavav Port in Gujarat last week.

India has already established itself as a major automobile manufacturing hub, with most vehicles sold in the country being made domestically. This necessitates huge cargo movement (by rail and road networks) from the manufacturing clusters (in and around Chennai, Pune, Gujarat and the National Capital Region) to the consumption centres spread across the country.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) recently shipped 800 cars made at its Chennai plant to its markets in western India using a Roll on-Roll off (Ro-Ro) vessel called MV IDM Symex. The cargo was loaded at Chennai Port and reached Pipavav Port in Gujarat last week.

Chennai Ports Deputy Chairman Cyril C George said, We see a lot of potential in this kind of movement of cargo. It is cheaper than the road route, and we are expecting the ministry of shipping to announce an incentive scheme for such traffic soon, and that would give further impetus to transshipment.



Chennai Port is already in talks with Nissan and Ford, among others, to use the sea route to transport cars within the country. George said Hyundai had committed to continue with its shipments at Chennai Port.

A Janardhana Rao, advisor (Sagarmala), ministry of Shipping, told Business Standard a scheme to boost coastal shipping was on its way. There might be a cash incentive of Rs 3,000 per car to boost coastal shipping and so that car manufacturers adopt a more eco-friendly mode to transport their cargo.

Ravi M Parmar, chairman of Kandla Port Trust, said there was a 40 per cent concession in cargo-related charges in coastal shipping at all major ports. The cost of transporting a car basically works out to be around Rs 4,500 per car or something. Now, with the shipping ministry incentive on the anvil, it would become very affordable for automobile players, he said.

Kandla Port is in talks with Maruti Suzuki India and Ford India to start container traffic movement at the port. However, Parmar clarified that nothing was concrete yet. We have not been focusing on car movement at our port. But now with Gujarat becoming a major production hub, we are now looking at opportunities in the sector, he said.

Pipavav Port, which already handles Ford Indias export, said the incentive scheme would manufacturers to pull cargoes off roads and use the sea route.



"The volumes that can be handled in a sea vessel, a Ro-Ro vessel here, are much larger compared to what can travel on trucks," said Keld Pederson, managing director, APM Terminals Pipavav, Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd. As for revenue generation through this new route, Pederson felt that it was too early to comment.

However, ports also feel that there is a risk involved in setting up dedicated or standalone terminals for cars. As Parmar said, Chennai Port handles around 250,000 cars per year (for exports), and that is among the highest in the country. However, in case of exports, fluctuations in international currencies often change export policies. Therefore, this can be considered as a volatile cargo.

Movement of cargo within the country, thus, appears to be a more assured cargo for ports. A major private port in Gujarat Mundra Port, which already handles MSIL's cargo, is upbeat on the scope too. A senior official at the port admitted that while transhipment had not started at the port, it has already approached like MSIL for the same.

With the Union Shipping Ministry relaxing cabotage policy, such transhipment has become possible. The cabotage policy in India till date allowed first preference to Indian flagships over cargo and foreign ships.
Drug maker Lupin would not scale down its operations in emerging markets despite currency fluctuations and the company would look at acquisition opportunities in specialty product business for growth, its managing director Nilesh Gupta said here on Tuesday.

Lupin, which acquired drug firm Medquimica in Brazil last year, is now expanding its business in Mexico as well. Rest of the world segment, which included business from Latin America and the Philippines, contributed 6.8 per cent of Lupin's revenue in the third quarter of FY16 and the segment saw a 36.8 per cent growth in revenue in the first nine months of FY16. South Africa contributed three per cent of the revenue in the third-quarter and nine-month sales increased by 8.5 per cent. In 2014, Lupin entered into a strategic partnership with drug company Merck Serono to expand business in emerging markets.

Read more from our special coverage on "LUPIN, PHARMA INDUSTRY" Lupin, Gavis to sell 2 drugs to fulfil US FTC condition

Gupta said Lupin would look at acquisitions of both products and companies in speciality product segment to achieve $5 billion turnover by 2018.

Lupin's $850-million acquisition of US drug firm Gavis will be concluded in a few days and the deal is expected to boost the company's US business. In FY17, the firm expects double-digit growth from the US market. Lupin is also setting up a plant in Japan, which will be ready next year. It has commissioned a plant in Goa to cater to the Japanese market, Gupta added.
While the litigation between BMIC, a subsidiary of Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco), and business man C Sivasankaran is pending in the Madras High Court, a new company approached the court with a complaint related to one of the properties mentioned by in its petition.

The counsel for the company, Aadhi Enterprises Pvt Ltd, said it had entered into an agreement with Chennai Properties & Investments Ltd, the 16th respondent in the case filed by BMIC, to acquire Fir Haven Estate, a property in Chennai for around ~300 crore.

The counsel informed the Court that the company had already paid part of the amount and that it was ready to remit the rest to finalise the deal, which would have to be completed by next month. He argued that if the deal was not finalised within the time frame, the company would be in trouble since its investors would back out from supporting it. The court adjourned the case to next week for hearing.

BMIC had mentioned Fir Haven Estate in its petition seeking the court's direction to Sivasankaran and others not to alienate a list of assets. In its petition, BMIC alleged that Sivasankaran was the owner of Fir Haven Estate as well as another immovable property in T Nagar in Chennai.

Sivasankaran's relatives and others, who are respondents in the case, have filed their counter against BMIC's petition.

Earlier, the high court had by an order of interim injunction restrained the respondents including Sivasankaran from dealing with or alienating these assets. moved the Madras High Court to execute the decree it received from an English court for payment of money.

According to earlier reports, in 2009, BMIC bought 42.7 per cent stake in mobile services company S Tel from Sivasankaran. S Tel had been awarded a 2G licence in 2008, which was later cancelled by the Supreme Court in 2012 following the 2G scam. BMIC and Sivasankaran entered into an agreement under which the latter would buy the stake back at the same price. However, there was allegedly a breach of agreement and BMIC took Sivasankaran and others to an English court, which issued the decree totalling $212 million in June 2014 against Sivasankaran and his company.
After the Wadia group-owned Britannia Industries matched Product's market share in value terms last year, the latter planned an aggressive move with its Marie biscuits to regain lost ground. The company also had other plans to increase its earnings from snacks business.

Claiming to be the predecessor of the original English Marie, in January this year, launched the rebranded crisp bake aiming to outbid Britannia and other local players to capture atleast 25 per cent of the Marie biscuits market by 2018.

"It is indeed an aggressive move but we think there is space for us to snatch away market share from competition.

This is the right time to undertake such rebranding exercise with the Marie," Krishna Rao, deputy marketing manager at told Business Standard.

According to industry sources, both these now take up Rs. 7,628 crore each of the Rs 26,303 crore biscuits market but Parle commands a 14 per cent lead in terms of volume.

Off the 25,00,000 tonne biscuits sold annually, Parle accounts for about 42 per cent of this volume while Britannia accounts for 7,00,000 tonne (28 per cent) of annual sales.

When contacted about its market share, Britannia, however, did not respond.

As many as 17 biscuit-makers vie for market dominance in the Marie segment only in the eastern part of India while, on an average, 12 fight it out nationally.

Sold as the crispiest and lightest Marie under the Bake Smith brand name, Parle has changed its Marie's positioning as a product influenced by British traditions and recipe against the indigenised Britannia.

"Marie entered India through the eastern part of the country during the British rule as a tea biscuit consumed by the British and people hold unto that custom until now," Rao said.

It is this attitude of people which Parle is eyeing to exploit. It has not only packaged the product using the colours of the Union Jack with Original English Marie printed prominently, it has also claimed to have drawn its inspiration from one Mrs. Smith from UK who is the likely ancestor of this rebranded wheat crisp.

With the biscuits industry poised to maintain a growth rate of 10 per cent in the coming days with Marie set to grow by a mere two percent, a 25 per cent market share for Parle will translate into atleast Rs. 1,034 crore in value terms in 2018.

According to Nielsen data, east India features as the second-fastest growing market for Marie at 9.4 per cent second only to the country's southern region which is growing at 10.5 per cent annually.

Previously, Parle had met with little success under the former brand identity, Parle Marie, where it had to be contended with only eight per cent market share nationally and just about four per cent in the country's eastern region.

Further, the company has planned to focus on its snacks business to generate atleast 10 per cent of the consolidated income from this venture and has planned a series of new launches in 2016-17.
Last year Skoda clocked car sales of 15,800 in India with a market share of 0.5 per cent despite being in the market for more than two decades. But the Czech car maker is not giving up. Werner Eichhorn, Member of the Board, Sales & Marketing, Skoda Auto tells Swaraj Baggonkar the way forward. Edited excerpts:



Where is India placed on Skoda's global market chart?



We have seen some ups and downs. However, last year we consolidated our business and what we have seen now, especially after the Lok Sabha elections, is that the market is in a position to grow and play a strategic role. We are witnessing a growing market and hopefully, India will be at a 3 million level. Indian market is very complex but plays a very important role.

Where does India stand in global rankings in terms of volume?



Last year, we sold 1.55 million cars globallym, a sales record for Skoda. The single biggest market for us is China, where we sold 281,000 cars. Germany is the second biggest market with 160,000 cars and Czech Republic, our home market, saw nearly 85,000 cars being sold.

India is fairly limited at 15,800 cars but we see a great potential as India finds itself in the top 20 countries.

Skoda was known for its build quality and premiumness. But it lost its edge and is now struggling to make a comeback. What are your comments?



We learnt a lesson that whatever we do, we have to deliver on quality at the highest level and meet customer satisfaction. We got that right during the last two years and so the technical problems are under control. We consolidated the business last year and despite that the business saw growth and now we have a clear strategy with the Rapid, Octavia and Superb which we would like to have a presence in the value luxury market.

Will the new products stick to the original positioning of Skoda in the value luxury market?



Whatever new cars we'll bring, will have the same premium image we have today. We cannot afford to be a luxury brand and then offer budget cars. We operate at a certain price level, in which we are trying to make everything feasible.

In terms of localisation, where do you stand currently?



Sudhir Rao, chairman and managing director, Skoda Auto India  With the Rapid we are at 65 per cent and that is the highest and as you go down volume profile we have lesser localisation. So that is one area we are constantly looking at opportunities to increase localisation every quarter.

To be able to be more competitive you will have to increase the localisation level?



A big chunk of what is not localised is the powertrain. The last 15 per cent is very rare that anybody gets it.
Srei Alternative Investment Manager, an Srei venture, is planning to launch a Rs 2,000 crore fund which will invest in stressed assets across sectors. Srei has already approached a number of domestic and foreign investors to invest to the fund. The fund, namely, India Vision Fund, will invest in debt or mezzanine instruments of having future opportunities.

"India Vision Fund will primarily concentrate on those which can be revived through proper nursing. The fund will purchase assets or loans and invest by way of debt and other instruments, which will be taken over from corporates, banks, NBFCs, or even Asset Reconstruction (ARCs)," said a press release from the company.

"The fund will buy assets with turnaround potential providing investors an opportunity to earn good returns on their investments. We have approached many investors, both domestic and international, and they have expressed keen interest to invest. Some of them are at an advanced stage of investment," said Nalin Kumar, CIO, SAIML.

The fund has also initiated talks with companies and banks for buying stressed, looking at opportunities where resurrection is possible.

In October 2015, Srei Infrastructure Finance announced selling its stake 18.26% stake (jointly held by Srei and the Kanoria block) in Viom Networks to American Tower Corporation for Rs 2,952 crore. Srei's own consideration including non-compete fee in sale will be Rs 1,790 crore.



Notably, Srei's investment in Viom was Rs 1,598 crore, according to investor presentation, September 2015, Srei Infrastructure.



In December 2015, Srei announced that BNP Paribas Lease Group, a 100% subsidiary of BNP Paribas Group, has decided to sell its entire 50% stake in Srei Equipment Finance Limited (SEFL) to Srei Infrastructure Finance.



In exchange, BNP Paribas acquired five% in Srei Infrastructure Finance, which will now be the parent company of SEFL.
Srei Alternative Investment Manager Ltd (SAIML), a Srei venture, is planning to launch a Rs 2,000-crore fund, called the India Vision Fund, with focus on stressed assets. The fund comes at a time when banks are struggling to clean their debt-ridden balance sheets.

Srei has already approached a number of domestic and foreign investors to invest in the fund. It will approach corporate entities, banks, non-banking finance companies, as well as asset reconstruction companies (ARCs), to buy stressed assets.

The fund will focus on picking up stressed assets ranging between Rs 100-500 crore, and can start off with an investment magnitude of around Rs 300 crore, said Nalin Kumar, chief investment officer, SAIML.

India Vision Fund will invest in stressed assets across investment classes, mostly debt and mezzanine (a kind of funding that gives the lender the option to convert to an equity interest), with potential future opportunities. However, as of now, the fund will stay away from investment decisions pertaining to commodity cycles, Kumar said.

"Our efforts will be to optimise the assets through a combination of approach, which includes management oversight and financial engineering, among other things," said Kumar. SAIML expects some of the investments in the fund to give returns over a two-year horizon.

Notably, in 2012, SAIML, through India Global Competitive Fund (IGCF), had invested in distressed loans of ICICI Bank to the tune of Rs 430 crore in Kingfisher Airlines Limited, backed by securities. The fund later exited from Kingfisher with hefty gains.

"India Vision Fund will primarily concentrate on those companies which can be revived through proper nursing. The fund will purchase assets or loans and invest by way of debt and other instruments, which will be taken over from corporates, banks, NBFCs (non-banking finance companies), or even asset reconstruction companies (ARCs)," said a press release from the company.

On being asked if Srei could be one of the investors in the fund, Kumar said, Srei's investments would be subject to decisions made by Srei's board. SAIML is the fund management arm of Srei Infrastructure Finance Limited. At present, SAIML manages about eight funds, with invested corpus of over Rs 1,365 crore, according to the information on the company website.

In October 2015, Srei Infrastructure Finance said it would sell its 18.26 per cent stake (jointly held by Srei and the Kanoria block) in Viom Networks to American Tower Corporation for Rs 2,952 crore. Srei's own consideration, including non-compete fee in the sale would be Rs 1,790 crore. Notably, Srei's investment in Viom was Rs 1,598 crore, according to an investor presentation from September 2015. In December 2015, Srei announced that BNP Paribas Lease Group, a 100 per cent subsidiary of BNP Paribas Group, had decided to sell its entire 50 per cent stake in Srei Equipment Finance Limited (SEFL) to Srei Infrastructure Finance. In exchange, BNP Paribas acquired five per cent in Srei Infrastructure Finance, which would now be the parent company of SEFL.
At a time when Tata Motors is set to roll out its new hatchback Tiago from Sanand plant in Gujarat, around 400 workers at the site went on a flash strike on Tuesday demanding re-instatement of 28 suspended workers.

Tatas Sanand plant does not have a trade union or politically-affiliated labour union so far. Deputy labour commissioner of Ahmedabad zone, V V Pandya, confirmed the development and said that 422 workers are on strike at the plant. The management has taken a proactive stance, and is open to negotiations. However, since this is not a unionised agitation, there is no institutional leader of the workers at the moment, thus making the negotiations difficult, Pandya told Business Standard. These workers are on direct payroll, Pandya clarified.

A Tata Motors spokesperson said in a statement, Around 300 workmen of Tata Motors, Sanand Plant, have gone on an illegal flash sit-in strike on February 22, 2016, demanding re-instatement of the workmen suspended (pending enquiry) for serious misconduct. While the Management team is continuing to make efforts to talk to the workmen on strike and convince them to restore normalcy, plant operations are simultaneously continuing." The conflict began around Diwali when a group of workers demanded pay hike so that they could be exempted from the Employees State Insurance (ESI) deductions.

Pandya said average workers salary at the plant around Diwali was Rs 13,000-13,500 per month. If this amount is raised to Rs 5,000 per month, they would be exempted from ESI deductions. "Workers actually preferred the company-run health scheme over the ESI scheme, he said, adding that the company also in-principle agreed to implement the wage hike.

However, Pandya said, two workers were suspended by the company for agitating. Recently, after an enquiry, the management decided not to take these workers back. This is when the remaining workers protested, demanding re-instatement of the sacked employees. On Monday, action was taken against 26 workers when they allegedly incited other workers and damaged some property.

Gujarat labour department sent its team to the site on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, some workers congregated and resorted to a tools-down strike. Around 2,500 employees work at the Nano plant, including engineers, administrative and other staff. Pandya said about 550 employees work on the shop floor.

The assistant labour commissioner and government labour officer were trying to end the deadlock. Pandya said if negotiations do not yield results within the next three days, the strike could be stretched further.

The company on its part said, "There have been continued agitations for further monetary increases as well as protests against disciplinary actions against those instigating the workmen, resulting in serious threat to company personnel as well as losses due to tampering. Viewed as attempts to coerce the Management, around 20 workmen have been suspended (pending enquiry) on various charges of serious misconduct."



A spokesperson said, "Tata Motors has enjoyed cordial relations with its workmen since start of its operations in Sanand in 2010." Around 42,561 Nano cars were produced from the Sanand factory between January 2014 and December 2015, against the installed capacity of 250,000 cars per annum. The conflict began around Diwali when a group of workers demanded pay hike so that they could be exempted from the Employee State Insurance (ESI) deductions.

Pandya said average workers salary at the plant around Diwali was Rs 13,000-13,500 per month. If this amount is raised to Rs 5,000 per month, they would be exempted from ESI deductions. Workers actually preferred the company-run health scheme over the ESI scheme, said Pandya. The company is said to have agreed in-principle to implement the wage hike.

However, Pandya said, two workers were suspended by the company for agitating. Recently, after an enquiry, the management decided not to take these workers back. This is when the remaining workers protested, demanding re-instatement of the sacked employees. On Monday, action was taken against 26 workers when they allegedly incited other workers and damaged some property.

Gujarat labour department sent its team to the site on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, some workers congregated and resorted to a tools-down strike. Around 2,500 employees work at the Nano plant, including engineers, administrative and other staff. Pandya said about 550 employees work on the shop floor.

The assistant labour commissioner and government labour officer were trying to end the deadlock. Pandya said if negotiations do not yield results within the next three days, the strike could be stretched further.

The company, on its part, said, There have been continued agitations for further monetary increases as well as protests against disciplinary actions against those instigating the workmen, resulting in serious threat to company personnel as well as losses due to tampering. Viewed as attempts to coerce the Management, around 20 workmen have been suspended (pending enquiry) on various charges of serious misconduct.



A spokesperson said, Tata Motors has enjoyed cordial relations with its workmen since start of its operations in Sanand in 2010. Around 42,561 Nano cars were produced from the Sanand factory between January 2014 and December 2015, against the installed capacity of 250,000 cars per annum.
Telecom and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday said social media platforms such as Twitter need to ensure they are not used to spread terrorism and extremism.

Prasad cautioned that the country was "sitting in the midst of a mini-terrorist hub." He met Twitter Global Policy Head Colin Crowell and discussed issues about the usage of social media, security and privacy as well as geographical representation of Jammu & Kashmir on the platform.

"I flagged one important issue to him, namely that while we fully welcome social media, we respect freedom of speech and expression, but Twitter also needs to ensure this lovely platform is not abused for terrorism and extremism. But people do abuse this platform and that care ought to be taken. India is sitting in the midst of a mini terrorist hub and faces this danger," he said after the meeting. The minister said Crowell acknowledged the problem. "In fact, he also said Twitter removed more than 100,000 entries because of this," he added.

Prasad said the issue of representing Jammu as part of Pakistan was also discussed.

"I formally communicated our deep sense of dismay and disapproval on this. A greater sensitivity needs to be shown by these platforms as far as our geographical identity and integrity is concerned," he said. Twitter had recently made a faux pas in its location-tagging service that showed Jammu as part of Pakistan and Jammu & Kashmir as being a part of China.

A number of Twitter users criticised it for the goof-up, with some terming it a bias against India. Twitter will unveil the 'Twitter for good' programme in India later this week to help provide relief in case of natural disasters.

Meanwhile, he also said the government was monitoring Ringing Bells, which announced the launch of the world's cheapest smartphone, and will take action if the company fails to deliver the Rs 251 handset.

"The ministry enquired into how prepared they are, whether they can provide a phone for Rs 251 or not. Whether they have the BIS certificate or not, we have spoken to them," Prasad said. He added that this was done to ensure that there would be no discrepancies later. "If there are any, we will take action as per the law. Our department is keeping a watch."



Concerns have been raised by the industry on feasibility of Ringing Bells' 3G smartphone at such a low price.

The company said the cost of the phone is about Rs 2,500, which will be recovered through a series of measures like economies of scale, innovative marketing, reduction in duties and creating an e-commerce marketplace.

The Income Tax Department is also looking into the financial structure of the company and has obtained documents, including those from the Registrar of Companies, in this regard.
Former Allahabad High Court judge justice Ashok Kumar Roopanwal, who was appointed as the Commission of Enquiry on February 2 to probe into the circumstances that led to the death of research scholar of University of Hyderabad (UoH), has started the hearing on this matter here on Tuesday .

Heavy police force was deployed at the Golden Threshold premises, which houses the distance learning wing of the university besides the offices of the University Grants Commission (UGC), from where the Commission of Enquiry will record the opinions of various associations and individuals for three days up to February 25.

Police did not allow the media representatives inside the premises citing the instructions from the commission.

A UoH representative also confirmed about such instructions stating that an UGC official yesterday informed the police not to allow the media to witness the proceedings.

On the first day the commission has given time to representatives of the students union(s) till afternoon and to the associations of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the university from afternoon till evening for airing their views on the incidents that finally culminated into the suicide of the 26 year-old research scholar on January 17, 2016.

The day coincides with the demonstration of the university students at Delhi planned in support of their demands, which include action against the HRD Minister among other things.

"I don't think any student representatives will appear before the commission as all of us have come to Delhi for the protest rally. However, from our side we have already sent our representation to the commission through the university vice chancellor, " Sanjay Jonnalagadda of Students Federation of India (SFI) told Business Standard over phone.

About 150 students from the UoH traveled to Delhi to take part in the march taken out from Ambedkar statue to Jantar Mantar while student representatives from other universities have also joined the rally, according to him.

Former student union president and research scholar S Nelson Mandela said no representative from the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of UoH student associations was appearing before the commission on Tuesday. "We have requested the commission to reschedule the deposition for a later date as we all are in Delhi for the rally demanding justice for Rohith," he said.

The death of stirred a nation wide protest with the university associations as well as the opposition parties such as Congress had alleged the political interference and the alleged discriminatory attitude against Dalit students in the university campus as prime reasons behind his death.

In December, 2015 Rohith and four other students of the university were barred from entering the hostel and library premises in a modified disciplinary action against them for allegedly manhandling a student leader affiliated to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat (ABVP) in the month of August, 2015.

The Ministry of Human Resources Development constituted the Commission of Enquiry to 'enquire into the facts and circumstances' leading to the death of Chakravarti R Vemula, and fix responsibility for lapses and also to review the existing grievance redressal mechanism for students at the univeristy and suggest improvements.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has offered to provide free land to the Centre if the Railways proposed a bullet train project parallel to the under-construction Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

The 302-km long expressway is the most ambitious project of UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and estimated to cost nearly Rs 15,000 crore.

In a letter written to union railways minister Suresh Prabhu, Yadav said the state government was building the Greenfield expressway after acquiring land out of its own resources.

He said if the Centre decided for a railway line or bullet train project running parallel to the expressway, the state was willing to provide land for free out of its land bank.

Besides, he urged Prabhu to incorporate the proposals of the UP government in the forthcoming railway budget 2016-17.

The state had requested that the work on the Etawah-Mainpuri line be completed within this fiscal and adequate budgetary allocation be made to this end. The government had also suggested for railway projects in the Lucknow, Kanpur and Allahabad regions.

Yadav exuded confidence maximum proposals of the government be incorporated in the railways budget in the interests of the state.
In a move purportedly to resurrect its falling image in rural India, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is planning a mega farmers fair in Delhi to propagate its pro-farmer policies.

The fair, expected to be attended by 100,000 farmers, is planned on the lines of similar fairs held in Gujarat when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state. It could be held sometime before Holi, which falls on March 22.

According to officials, the event is likely to be attended by ministers from all farms-related departments. Invites would also be sent to all chief ministers, they added.

MODIS MEGA PLANS Centre plans mega farmers fair sometime in March this year



The fair is expected to be attended by over 100,000 farmers from across the country



Over 500 stalls are expected to be put up



The fair aims to bring together farmers, companies, scientists, consumers, input-providers and policymakers under one platform



The fair is expected to be preceded by a series of panel discussions and seminars on major agriculture-related flagship programmes of the Modi government and their impact



The overall farm growth in the first two years of the Modi government has been a dismal 0.45 per cent lower than the average population growth due to consecutive droughts and low farm-gate prices

During his stint as Gujarat CM, Modi used to organise a highly successful Krishi Mahotsav every year, from 2005 onwards.

Earlier, the fairs used to be single-day affairs. Later, their scale and duration expanded. In annual presentations made to then Planning Commission, Modi, as chief minister of Gujarat, had claimed the kisan melas helped the state in achieving impressive growth in agriculture and allied activities.

He had said Gujarats total agricultural production (including animal husbandry and horticultural) rose from Rs 18,104 crore in 2002-03 to Rs 49,036 crore in 2007-08, thanks to the fair. The fair had similarly helped raise the states milk production, he had said. It also helped in bridging the distance between agriculture scientists and farmers.

Something similar is being planned on a national scale wherein agriculture scientists and others will apprise the farmers of the Centres initiatives for them, said an official.

The fair is expected to be inaugurated by Modi. Officials said in the run-up to the mega farmers fair in Delhi, the agriculture ministry would hold seminars and discussions on all the agriculture-related flagship programmes of the Modi government  soil health card, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, Fasal Bima Yojana, blue revolution, etc.

The fair is expected to be organised at Indian Agriculture Research Institute grounds and could have 500 stalls, reflecting the entire gamut of agriculture value-chain and input providers including seed manufacturers, and fertiliser and farm equipment manufacturers right up to the food processing sector.

Indias agriculture and allied sector grew at an unimpressive 0.45 per cent in the first two years of the NDA government, which was lower than the average population growth of 1.3-1.4 per cent because of consecutive droughts and record drop in produce prices.

According to experts, poor farm growth and steady population growth mean per-capita income is falling in rural areas. Around 55 per cent of Indias population inhabits rural areas.

Sources say senior officials from the agriculture department have been entrusted with working out all the details of this mega fair. Former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, too, during his last days in office, had organised a farmers fair (Krishi Basant) in Nagpur in 2014.

The fair, held over a period of five days, was inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee and attended by a large number of farmers, foreign delegates, scientists, students and exhibitors. Around 80 Indian Council of Agricultural Research institutes and 30 Krishi Vigyan Kendras from across the country participated in the fair.
One of the first and noted success stories in the power distribution sector might be emulated by Rajasthan, which recently signed up for the Ujwal Discoms Assurance Yojana (UDAY).



Saddled with losses of Rs 80,000 crore, Rajasthan was in discussions with officials and private companies to have an innovative distribution franchise model for improving its operational efficiencies.



Senior officials in the state government said they were looking at several options, most prominent being the Bhiwandi power reform model initiated by Torrent Power in four cities  Bhiwandi (Maharashtra), Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Surat, and Ahmedabad (Gujarat).



We are in discussions and this model is being actively considered. We are not looking at complete privatisation but we need to bring down our technical and commercial losses. For that, we need to tie up with some experts, said a senior state government official.



Bhiwandi in Maharashtra had seen a turnaround in the power distribution sector in 2006. The turnaround was orchestrated by Torrent Power in a public-private partnership.



The city had battled high levels of AT&C losses and inefficient power supply until Torrent Power took over the function for 10 years. It brought down losses significantly and turned around the financials as well. The distribution franchise model involved private investment and states assistance in implementing reforms. Ahmadabad-based Torrent Power had joined hands with the citys authorities to improve cabling, metering and bill collection. State support had come in the form of strict enforcement and cracking down on energy theft.



Bhiwandi, which has a customer base of 200,000 in an area spread over 721 sq km, is a major textile hub of and has one-third of the country's power looms. The estimated demand in the circle was 750 MVA with an annual power consumption of 3,036 million units. The distribution franchise was selected through a two-pronged reverse-bidding. The company agreeing to buy power at the costliest rate and sell at the cheapest while improving efficiency was selected. Power purchase was done by the state which was then sold to the franchise.



The Bhiwandi model was later implement in four cities by Torrent Power.



The Delhi distribution franchise, with Reliance Power and Tata Power, has a joint venture model with the government and all onus of operations is on the private company.



Rajasthan has the highest discom debt among all the states, of Rs 85,000 crore. Last month, it had signed a tri-partite agreement with the power ministry and its three discoms under UDAY



For the states that sign up for UDAY, one of the first steps is to take over 75 per cent of discom debt as on September 30, 2015 over two years  50 per cent in 2015-16 and 25 per cent in 2016-17.

Apart from that, the states need to bring down their AT&C losses to 15 per cent from current levels. Rajasthan has the highest AT&C losses among all states at 27 per cent. The states that sign up for UDAY also have to improve their operations and bring down energy theft and ensure 100 per cent metering, rural electrification and robust power distribution technology.
The controversy over the new GDP series refuses to die down. Going by the latest estimates, the non-farm sector grew an impressive 9.2 per cent in the third quarter. One would be forgiven for feeling confused, but if the economy was truly growing at such breathtaking speed, what explains the growing clamour for a fiscal stimulus?



The confusion over the numbers is because of the growing chasm between the Central Statistical Office's GDP estimates and other key economic indicators which suggest sluggish growth at best. The greatest disconnect lies in the estimates of industrial growth.

According to CSO, industry grew at a scorching pace of 8.9 per cent in the third quarter (October to December 2015), with manufacturing clocking 12.6 per cent growth. In comparison, the index of industrial production (IIP) grew a mere 1.5 per cent, with manufacturing registering growth of only 0.9 per cent, nowhere near the GDP number. The divergence between the two estimates is truly confounding.

To be fair, there are many reasons for the divergent trends. IIP measures volume growth, while GDP measures growth in value added. The base years of the two indicators are different. But considering the backdrop of growing concerns of hollowing out of domestic manufacturing, the GDP numbers are extraordinarily high.

Add to that the fact that Chennai, a major manufacturing hub, came to a virtual standstill due to the floods during this period and the numbers become truly puzzling.

Part of the explanation for the divergence rests on how the GDP data is calculated. According to National Statistical Commission Chairman Pronab Sen, "The manufacturing sector has two components. The first component is the corporate data which is based on advanced filing of companies in stock exchanges, while the second non-corporate component is based on IIP, and you take a weighted average of that." Companies account for 65 per cent of manufacturing.

According to this estimate, GVA grew 3.8 per cent over the April to December 2015 period. Value added has grown even though sales have gone down because profits have grown due to the declining input (commodity) costs and higher wages and depreciation.

By comparison, CSO's estimate shows that GVA grew 5.7 per cent. But with IIP growing at 3.1 per cent over the same period, the numbers simply don't add up.

The biggest disconnect lies in the second quarter numbers. According to an analysis of over 1,000 companies, GVA contracted by 0.8 per cent in the second quarter. This contraction is in large part because of steel companies reporting losses and Tata motors registering a loss because of a charge of Rs 2,493 crores on account of the vehicles damaged at the Tianjin Port explosion.

Under the new series, GVA at current prices grew 4 per cent in the second quarter. While it is possible that part of the difference is offset due to higher growth of IIP, the index grew at 4.8 per cent in the second quarter, even after accounting for this it is difficult to reconcile the two estimates.

It's all froth

Echoing the scepticism over the growth numbers, CARE Chief Economist Madan Sabnavis says that the "top 500 companies account for roughly 75 per cent of overall corporate performance. It is difficult to believe that if these companies are doing badly then the remaining 495,000 that CSO tracks are doing better."



While greater clarity over how exactly IIP and corporate data are incorporated to arrive at the quarterly estimates is desirable, the fundamental question is whether the trend of muted volume growth and high value added is sustainable? Is it really possible for value added to continue growing at 9 plus per cent, with volumes barely growing?



Economists are doubtful. "This pickup in value addition may reflect the downtrend in inputs costs, may not sustain going forward without a pickup in volume growth" says ICRA Senior Economist Aditi Nayar.

While compensation to employees and depreciation will continue to be positive, profit growth is likely to suffer with commodity prices unlikely to decline further. Thus, in the absence of a sustained pick up in volumes, GVA is likely to be muted going forward.

What is equally worrying is that despite CSO data showing a pickup in GVA and a decline in the cost of capital, investments aren't really taking off. According to the new GDP series, gross fixed capital formation declined to an alarming 27.8 per cent in the third quarter, from 30.9 per cent in the first quarter.

The capital goods component of IIP, which indicates investment demand in the economy, contracted 9.96 per cent in the third quarter, giving economists good reasons to fret. This trend could be interpreted to mean that companies expect profit growth to decline in the future which suggests that concerns over lack of demand continue to weigh heavily on them.

Rather than giving more clarity about the state of the economy, the latest GDP estimates have raised more questions about the sustainability of this 'recovery'.
The bitter war within the Indian seeds sector seems to have escalated further, with a section of the National Seed Association of India (NSAI), led by its executive director Kalyan B Goswami, urging Mahyco Monsanto Biotech to pay compensation to farmers who suffered losses due to pest, pink bollworm, that developed resistance to the company's much-touted Bt cotton (genetically modified variety of cotton) this year.

The second-generation Bt cotton, Bollgard II, introduced by Monsanto in 2006, is supposed to be resistant to pink bollworm.

The pest attack has been reported in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.

In a separate statement to the Union joint secretary of seeds, another group of NSAI said that claims made by the association of supporting the cotton-seed-price-control order of 2015 - wherein the sale price of Bt cotton is regulated by the Centre - did not represent the views of a large majority of seed companies and also some members like Monsanto, Du Pont, and Pioneer.

Meanwhile, some reports said that Indian seed research bodies had started introducing Bt genes in domestic varieties arguing that Monsanto's patent had expired.

Meanwhile, in the letter to MMBL, National Seed Association of India (NSAI) said some seed companies have started receiving notices from the state regulators for payment of compensation to affected farmers.

"As Pink Bollworm attack is due to technology failure, industry wants Monsanto to compensate the farmers for any production damage," NSAI Executive Director Kalyani B Goswami told PTI.

To this, a MMBL company spokesperson said, "We have received some communication from NSAI on February 22, 2016 and are in the process of examining the same. We continue to remain in constant touch with each of our sub-licensees and address any queries that they raise from time to time."



Stating the final report of Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) is awaited, the company said,



"This (Pink Bollworm) has been proliferated by improper insect resistance management practices, absence of refuge planting and spread of illegal seeds in some districts of Gujarat." While Pink Bollworm shows resistance, the technology continues to provide effective control of American Bollworm and Spotted Bollworm, it said.

Under the prevailing environmental conditions, the ability of the plants to express the trait and the trait quality standards of the seeds supplied also need to be assessed to arrive at the correct solutions for addressing the issue, Mahyco Monsanto Biotech Ltd (MMBL) said.

Meanwhile, the Union Agriculture Ministry is working with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as well as with seed industry to find a solution to the problem.

Sometime back, the Competition watchdog CCI has also ordered detailed investigation against MMBL for alleged monopoly in the business of Bt cotton in India.

Cotton production is estimated to decline 30.69 million bales of 170 kg each in the 2015-16 crop year (July-June), as against 34.80 million bales in previous year.
CERN Delegation Discusses Issues on India's Associate Membership of CERN During its Visit to India . .

A Delegation from CERN (Conseil Europen pour la Recherche Nuclaire), Geneva started its tour of India to report to the CERN Council about India's institutional and scientific strengths to become an Associate Member of this leading high energy physics laboratory. It started its governmental and scientific interactions in Delhi on February 22, 2016 by calling on the Union Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan. The Secretary, Department of Science and Technology Prof. Ashutosh Sharma and other Senior Officials from both the sides discussed details at these meetings. The Delegation later met the Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy, Dr. Jitendra Singh, and apprised them about the long-standing collaboration between Indian institutions and CERN and the long history of India-CERN engagement. They said that CERN greatly valued this long-standing partnership. The two Ministers also expressed the hope that the cooperation would get further deepened with India becoming an Associate Member, the approval for which had already been granted by the Government of India last year. Once India becomes an Associate Member, Indian industry will be able to bid for CERN contracts, thus opening up opportunities in areas of advanced technologies; technology transfer will be facilitated; Indian scientists will be able to get appointments in CERN for longer periods; India will be able to participate in the scientific decision making to a greater degree; Indian students and post-doctoral fellows will have much greater opportunities to participate in CERN's schools, workshops, summer programmes; etc. .

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CERN - "Conseil Europen pour la Recherche Nuclaire", or European Council for Nuclear Research, a provisional body founded in 1952 with the mandate of establishing a world-class fundamental physics research organization in Europe. At that time, pure physics research concentrated on understanding the inside of the atom, hence the word "nuclear". .

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Later, the Task Force members also visited the Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) in New Delhi and interacted with university scientists. They also had a look at the accelerator development and allied research activities being carried out there. The Task Force left for Mumbai in the evening on the second leg of their India visit. .

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ECI Hosts Seminar on Leveraging Technology for Transparent and Credible Elections . .

Election Commission of India (ECI) today hosted an International Seminar on Leveraging Technology for Transparent and Credible Elections". The Seminar was organized for Members of the Executive Board of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), and the Oversight & Audit Committee of A-WEB, who were in New Delhi to take part in the 4th Executive Board meeting of the organization. Chief Election Commissioner, Dr. Nasim Zaidi, and Election Commissioners, Mr. A.K. Joti and Mr. O.P. Rawat graced the event. Senior officers of Election Commission of India also attended the seminar. .

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Welcoming the delegates on behalf of the Election Commission of India, Mr. Umesh Sinha, Deputy Election Commissioner outlined the format of the Seminar, comprising of a Lead Presentation by India and country presentations by delegations from other Election Management Bodies (EMBs) participating in the Seminar. Commissioner Ms. Rosario Graciano de los Santos from Dominican Republic profusely thanked Election Commission of India for taking the initiative to organize a Seminar on such a relevant and topical theme. .

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In his Keynote Address, Dr. Nasim Zaidi stated that the 11 countries participating in the Seminar have a population of over 1.7 billion, which means that the delegates present represented over one fifth of humanity. If one were to go by another figure, which gives the population of democratic countries as 4.4 billion, then this gathering would represent a staggering 40% of the democratic world, he added. He stated that this Seminar is an attempt to learn, brainstorm and improve electoral processes by adopting best practices elsewhere and sharing ones own. He referred to special Information Communication and Technology (ICT) initiatives such as the single window National Voter Services Portal launched in 2015, which provides multiple voter centric services, development of safe and appropriate technology for providing electronic Postal Ballot facility to Overseas Indian Voters and the gradually increasing use of Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), He also stated that ECI has been working on an E-Governance vision 2020 to provide inclusive, integrated single window view of services to all stakeholders in all phases of the electoral cycle. .

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Apart from the lead presentation from India by Mr. Sandeep Saxena, Deputy Election Commissioner, country presentations were also made by Albania, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Romania, Republic of Korea, South Africa and Bosnia & Herzegovina. The country presentations summarized use of different technologies by each individual country in the areas of voter registration, including biometric registration and identification systems, Data transmission, Voting and Counting, transparency and security. .

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Mr. Sudeep Jain, Director General, ECI summed up the proceedings and outlined the innovative use of technology by each country in various aspects of the electoral cycle, the challenges faced by them and their future plans. .

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Mr. Kim Yong-Hi, Secretary General of Association of World Election Bodies, thanked the ECI for hosting the seminar and emphasized that the technology should be introduced gradually ensuring social acceptability and development of a good communication system. .

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In his concluding remarks, Dr. Nasim Zaidi thanked the delegates for sharing their country experiences and insightful contributions to the Seminar. He stated that the seminar had brought into sharp focus that the use of technology should be according to local needs, local conditions and the social environment. When applied appropriately, technology can provide accuracy, speed and efficiency in the election process but it should not be vendor-driven or introduced as a show- piece. Introduction of technology should go hand in hand with building trust and confidence of voters and in continuous consultation with all stakeholders in the electoral process. Technology should be tested, validated over a period of time and introduced after pilot projects are successfully implemented. He suggested that AWEB should document best practices in use of technology and promote international cooperation through experience sharing and capacity building. .

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RM/
Health Minister inaugurates 3-day international conference on Antimicrobial Resistance . . I reiterate Indias commitment, leadership and resolve to combat AMR: Shri J P Nadda . .

India is committed to combatingAntimicrobial Resistance (AMR). However, a collective action is required by all stakeholders within a country and by all countries within a region. India,will be very happy to work with other Member States towards this common goal", said Shri JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare. He was speaking at the inauguration of the 3-day International Conference on Combating Antimicrobial Resistance, here today. Also present at the function wereMr. TandinWangchuk, Health Minister of Bhutan;Mr. Ram JanamChaudhary, Health Minister of Nepal;Mr. Mohamed Habeeb, Minister of State for Health, Maldives; Dr. PoonamKhetrapal Singh, Regional Director, World Health Organization, South East Asia Region and Dr. Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director General, World Health Organization. .

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Noting that AMR has emerged as the number one public health challenge faced by the world today, the Union Health Minister stated that the first step in addressing the problem of AMR is to avoid the need for antibiotics at all in the first place. He further added that this is best done through improved water and sanitation, in the absence of which the proliferation of diarrheal diseases results in inappropriate antibiotic use. Through the Swacch Bharat programme, the Government has taken active steps to improve hygiene and sanitation and reduce the environmental spread of pathogens, he said. Vaccination is an equally important public health measure. Through Mission Indradhanush, India has set itself an ambitious goal of increasing routine immunization coverage to 90% within just a few years. .

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ShriNadda stated that the complexity of AMR is also fuelled by numerous stakeholders impacting and impacted by AMR. These include the consumers or the patients who take the medicine, doctors who prescribe, pharmacists who dispense, the industry which manufactures, the Government which regulates, the research organizations which innovate, the animal and agricultural sector which contribute to the food chain, the hospitals which treats the patients, the Civil Society which articulates the peoples perspectives, and the media which can focus attention on this important issue. Given this scenario, the Health Minister pointed out that it is imperative that all stakeholders connected with AMR contribute to pave the way for effective action to combat AMR.ShriNadda also pointed out to the grave economic consequences that countries across the world are facing due to non-rational use of antibiotics. He emphasized on correct prescription practices, prescription audits and digital repository of patients medical history among other important measures to be taken to combat the growing misuse of antibiotics. ShriNadda extended Indias commitment and resolve to work with other countries towards combatting this problem. .

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Drawing attention to the importance of surveillance and monitoring, Shri B P Sharma, Secretary (HFW) laid emphasis onthe role of regulatory authorities.He informed that the Ministry has undertaken an exercise for mapping health facilities in the private and public sectors across the country which shall be complete in the next three years. This shall provide a useful database to analyse the various determinants and impacts of non-rational use of antibiotics. .

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Dr.SaumyaSwaminathan, DG, ICMR, said that community based surveillance will play a very major role in finding solutions to Anti-TB drug resistance and other viral diseases. Noting the AMR is a top priority at ICMR, there is need to study how resistance spreads and what are the drivers for AMR, she stated. .

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Providing a regional perspective on AMR, DrPoonamKhetrpal Singh, Regional Director, WHO, said that by 2050 AMR will contribute to around 10 million deaths worldwide. Therefore, urgent action is needed to combat AMR globally. This will need policy commitment from the governments, sustained investment, technical assistance and regional cooperation. She applauded India commitment to combat AMR and the steps India has taken in this direction. .

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Dr. Mohamed Habeeb, MOS Health, Maldives stated that AMR is a major public health issue globally that is challenging several advances made in health sector. DrHabeeb further said that awareness programme for containment of AMR is the need of the hour. .

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Bhutan Health Minister,Mr. TandinWangchuk, called AMR a public health challenge and priority. He said that the inappropriate use of antibiotics is leading to high mortality and morbidity resulting in serious social and economic consequences. .

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Mr. Ram JanamChaudhary, Health Minister of Nepal extended full cooperation for countering AMR. He said his government will be happy for cross border collaboration on this issue. He also emphasized on the need for rational use of antibiotics. .

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Appreciating the need for media campaign for raising awareness about antibiotics, Shri J P Naddalaunched the Medicines with the Red Line" media campaign at the function which creates awareness regarding rational usage of medicines which carry a red line on their strip. He also unveiled the Infection Control Policies for Hospitals handbook. .

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Also present on this occasion were, Dr. (Prof) Jagdish Prasad, DGHS, Dr. Arun Panda, Additional Secretary (Health) ShriAnshuPrakash, Joint Secretary, and other senior officers of the Health Ministry, representatives of WHO, UNICEF and representatives from various countries.

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Jal Manthan Will Become an Annual Feature Says Uma Bharti Jal Manthan-2 Concludes . .

Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Sushri Uma Bharti has announced that Jal Manthan convention will become an annual feature Delivering the valedictory address at Jal Mantha-2 in New Delhi today she said the response to the two Jal Manthan conclaves was overwhelming. The Minister also announced that her Ministry will closely monitor all the 46 projects under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yaojna (PMKSY). Sushri Bharti said that some of the issues which could not be included in Jal Manthan-2 will be taken up in India Water Week to be held in April. The Minister underlined the need for large scale peoples participation and co-operation of NGOs in various important schemes such as inter-linking of rivers and PMKSY. .

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The Water Resources Minister of Chhattisgarh Shri Brijmohan Agrawal underlined the need for giving more stress on micro irrigation projects in the country. He said in the years to come, we may not be left with sufficient land for construction for new canals hence, it would be prudent to consider micro irrigation projects over large irrigation projects. .

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The two day event with the theme Integrated Approach for Sustainable Water Management had wide consultations and discussions on River Basin Approach for Sustainable development, Ground water, Water security, Principles of allocation of water, innovation in water governance, Water management, coordination between centre and states, Water conservation and need for a National Legislation on water. .

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Irrigation Ministers from UP, Telengana, Sikkim and Chhattisgarh, eminent experts in water sector, representatives of NGOs and senior officers of the Central and State Governments attended the event. .

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Samir/jk
The worsening of in American coastal communities is largely a consequence of greenhouse gases from human activity, and the problem will grow far worse in coming decades, scientists reported Monday.

Those emissions, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, are causing the ocean to rise at the fastest rate since at least the founding of ancient Rome, the scientists said. They added that in the absence of human emissions, the ocean surface would be rising less rapidly and might even be falling.

The increasingly routine is making life miserable in places like Miami Beach; Charleston, South Carolina; and Norfolk, Virginia, even on sunny days.

Though these types of floods often produce only a foot or two of standing saltwater, they are straining life in many towns by killing lawns and trees, blocking neighbourhood streets and clogging storm drains, polluting supplies of freshwater and sometimes stranding entire island communities for hours by overtopping the roads that tie them to the mainland.

Such events are just an early harbinger of the coming damage, the new research suggests. "I think we need a new way to think about most coastal flooding," said Benjamin H Strauss, the primary author of one of two related studies released on Monday. "It's not the tide. It's not the wind. It's us. That's true for most of the coastal floods we now experience."



In the second study, scientists reconstructed the level of the sea over time and confirmed that it is most likely rising faster than at any point in 28 centuries, with the rate of increase growing sharply over the past century - largely, they found, because of the warming that scientists have said is almost certainly caused by human emissions.

They also confirmed previous forecasts that if emissions were to continue at a high rate over the next few decades, the ocean could rise as much as three or four feet by 2100.

Experts say the situation would then grow far worse in the 22nd century and beyond, likely requiring the abandonment of many coastal cities.

The findings are yet another indication that the stable climate in which human civilisation has flourished for thousands of years, with a largely predictable ocean permitting the growth of great coastal cities, is coming to an end.

"I think we can definitely be confident that sea-level rise is going to continue to accelerate if there's further warming, which inevitably there will be," said Stefan Rahmstorf, a professor of ocean physics at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, in Germany, and co-author of one of the papers, published online Monday by an American journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In a report issued to accompany that scientific paper, a climate research and communications organisation in Princeton, New Jersey, Climate Central, used the new findings to calculate that roughly three-quarters of the tidal flood days now occurring in towns along the East Coast would not be happening in the absence of the rise in the sea level caused by human emissions.

The lead author of that report, Strauss, said the same was likely true on a global scale, in any coastal community that has had an increase of saltwater flooding in recent decades.

The rise in the sea level contributes only in a limited degree to the huge, disastrous storm surges accompanying hurricanes like Katrina and Sandy. Proportionally, it has a bigger effect on the nuisance floods that can accompany what are known as king tides.

The change in frequency of those tides is striking. For instance, in the decade from 1955 to 1964 at Annapolis, Md, an instrument called a tide gauge measured 32 days of flooding; in the decade from 2005 to 2014, that jumped to 394 days.

Flood days in Charleston jumped from 34 in the earlier decade to 219 in the more recent, and in Key West, Fla., the figure jumped from no flood days in the earlier decade to 32 in the more recent.

The new research was led by Robert E. Kopp, an earth scientist at Rutgers University who has won respect from his colleagues by bringing elaborate statistical techniques to bear on longstanding problems, like understanding the history of the global sea level.

Based on extensive geological evidence, scientists already knew that the sea level rose drastically at the end of the last ice age, by almost 400 feet, causing shorelines to retreat up to a hundred miles in places. They also knew that the sea level had basically stabilized, like the rest of the climate, over the past several thousand years, the period when human civilisation arose.

But there were small variations of climate and sea level over that period, and the new paper is the most exhaustive attempt yet to clarify them.

The paper shows the ocean to be extremely sensitive to small fluctuations in the Earth's temperature. The researchers found that when the average global temperature fell by a third of a degree Fahrenheit in the Middle Ages, for instance, the surface of the ocean dropped by about three inches in 400 years. When the climate warmed slightly, that trend reversed.

"Physics tells us that sea-level change and temperature change should go hand-in-hand," Dr. Kopp said. "This new geological record confirms it."



In the 19th century, as the Industrial Revolution took hold, the ocean began to rise briskly, climbing about eight inches since 1880. That sounds small, but it has caused extensive erosion worldwide, costing billions.

Due largely to human emissions, global temperatures have jumped about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since the 19th century. The sea is rising at what appears to be an accelerating pace, lately reaching a rate of about a foot per century.

One of the authors of the new paper, Dr. Rahmstorf, had previously published estimates suggesting the sea could rise as much as five or six feet by 2100. But with the improved calculations from the new paper, his latest upper estimate is three to four feet.

That means Dr. Rahmstorf's forecast is now more consistent with calculations issued in 2013 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations body that periodically reviews and summarizes climate research. That body found that continued high emissions might produce a rise in the sea of 1.7 to 3.2 feet over the 21st century.

In an interview, Dr. Rahmstorf said the rise would eventually reach five feet and far more - the only question was how long it would take. Scientists say the recent climate agreement negotiated in Paris is not remotely ambitious enough to forestall a significant melting of Greenland and Antarctica, though if fully implemented, it may slow the pace somewhat.

"Ice simply melts faster when the temperatures get higher," Dr. Rahmstorf said. "That's just basic physics."

2016 The New York Times News Service
Mark Zuckerberg on Monday threw his support behind Apple in its bitter battle with the United States government over attempts to gain access to information protected by the company's sophisticated encryption technology.

Speaking at the Mobile World Congress, an annual tech and telecommunications conference here, Zuckerberg said that Facebook would play its part in the fight against global terrorism, but that weakening the digital security of technology was a bad idea.

A federal magistrate judge, at the Justice Department's request, recently ordered Apple to bypass security functions on the phone of a gunman in the December mass shooting in San Bernardino, California. But the company has refused to comply with that order, fearful that it could be forced to create a so-called back door to its encryption technology that could be misused by government agencies.

"I don't think building back doors is the way to go, so we're pretty sympathetic to Tim and Apple," said Zuckerberg, in reference to Apple's chief executive, Timothy D Cook.

Zuckerberg's comments mirror previous statements that Facebook and other global tech have made in support of Apple's standoff with the government.

While these have said they would comply, when legally obliged to, with handing over information on their users, they say they believe that creating technological back doors to their digital systems can lead to potential abuse by governments worldwide.

For Facebook, which has almost 1.6 billion global users, the encryption debate is only one of the growing number of policy hurdles that the company needs to overcome as it expands its global presence. In India, one of the company's largest markets, the country's national regulators this month banned free mobile data programs that favour some internet services over others. Facebook had introduced Free Basics, which offered people no-fee access to a text-only mobile version of the company's social network, as well as to certain news, health, job and other services.

Speaking on Monday, Zuckerberg said his company wanted to offer internet connectivity to the developing world that did not have digital access and that Facebook would look for ways to continue doing that in India and beyond.

"It's disappointing to the mission that we're trying to do," Zuckerberg said about the recent decision in India that outlawed Free Basics. "What works in one country may not work in another."



Despite his attempts to downplay the setback, the recent decision by Indian regulators has put Facebook and its 31-year-old chief executive in an unusual position in the debate over net neutrality, which says that internet providers should provide equal access to all web content. In the United States, Facebook has been a proponent of net neutrality.

Internet giants like Facebook and Google can expect more scrutiny around the world as they continue to expand, said Pierre Louette, a deputy chief executive of Orange, the former French telecommunications monopoly. When confronted with this scrutiny, he added, tech companies may look to build bridges with traditional telecom operators that have faced similar regulatory challenges for decades.

"They need more friends than before," said Louette, in reference to global tech companies.

2016 The New York Times News Service
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The Geographical Indication (GI) recognition for the basmati rice grown in North Indian states is expected to stabilise the price of basmati and boost exports. Basmati prices had been fluctuating in the global market because of excess supply. With GI tag, supply of spurious varieties of basmati will be restricted. A drastic plunge in the price of basmati in the export market caused distress to the traditional growers and their realisations fell by about 25 per cent.

Basmati rice is grown in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and parts of Uttar Pradesh. The states of Punjab and Haryana grow over 70 per cent of Indian basmati. The farm gate price of basmati crashed in kharif 2015 because of oversupply. Prices in Punjab and Haryana touched a rock-bottom and government intervention was sought to lift the crop at minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,450 per quintal. The farmers earned between Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,500 per quintal for same varieties of rice in kharif 2014.

Gauging the high returns, cultivation of basmati varieties, which are not agro-climatic zone specific, has gone up in other parts of India in the past few years. An area of about five lakh hectare has been added in non-basmati growing areas creating an artificial glut in the market, sources in Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) told Business Standard.

The GI tag for the basmati grown in Indo-Gangetic plains, known for its aroma and length, would protect farmers from sudden price variations. Sources in Apeda confirmed that GI registration has been provided for the area that has been growing basmati for over a hundred years and falls in Indo-Gangetic river basin.

The GI tag will also arm Apeda with relevant credentials to challenge the infringement by third parties from various other countries trying to sell deceptive varieties of basmati.

After getting the coveted GI tag at home, Apeda will now apply in EU, USA and Gulf countries, which are major consumers of Indian basmati. As we already have the certification, it will not take long to get the same in other countries. Earning a GI tag in India implies that the supply chain management is being supervised, he added.

The official said that Apeda had challenged the attempts of similar certification by non-basmati growing entities in 40 countries to safeguard the interests of the traditional basmati growers.

India has already exported three million tonnes of basmati rice in the current season from April to December 2015 and projects estimated four million tonnes exports by the end of March 2016.

The will have tangible repercussions as the exports earnings on basmati slipped by 25 per cent in 2015-16 over the last year, leading to farmers distress in Punjab and Haryana.

Stability in prices as a consequence of GI recognition of basmati will help farmers in maintaining area under basmati and other kharif crops, leading to higher income generation.
has dipped 12% to Rs 169, also its 52-week low on the BSE, after the company reported a sharp 65% year on year (yoy) drop in its consolidated net profit at Rs 148 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2015 (Q3FY16). The company had registered a profit of Rs 424 crore in the same quarter last year.

Revenues during the quarter review grew 1.1% yoy at Rs 12,679 crore against Rs 12,542 crore in the corresponding quarter of previous year.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margins declined to 8% from 9.6%.

The ruling of the Honourable Supreme Court of India restricting sales of diesel vehicles in the National Capital Region will negatively impact Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) and Tata Motors who have a higher proportion of diesel vehicles in their portfolio compared to other OEMs, Mahindra CIE said in a release.

European commercial vehicles (CVs) are expected to show positive growth but the market mood remains uncertain. The agricultural machinery and earthmoving continue to be stressed and expected to shrink further in calendar year 2016 (CY16), it added.

At 10:34 AM, the stock was down 11.5% at Rs 171 on the BSE. A combined 380,529 shares changed hands on the counter on the BSE and NSE.
Shares of were up nearly 1% at Rs 516 on the Bombay Stock Exchange, in an otherwise weak market, after the company announced that its step-down subsidiary in Egypt has been liquidated.

The company in a release to the stock exchange said that Egypt Ltd, a subsidiary of GmbH, Austria, the company's step-down subsidiary is liquidated.

Consequent to the above, VA Tech Wabag Egypt Ltd, ceases to be a step-down subsidiary of the company, the release added.

The stock opened at Rs 514 and touched a high of Rs 521. At 11:10am, over 16,000 shares were traded on both the stock exchanges.
Veteran actor Dilip Kumar is likely to attend a court hearing today related to a civil dispute at the Girgaum court in Mumbai, despite his ill health.

Expressing concern over her husband's fragile health, actress Saira Banu asked his fans to pray that the stress related to an 18-year-old case should not affect him.

Saira Banu shared this with a thread of tweets on the 94-year-old actor's Twitter on Monday handle ahead of the hearing scheduled to take place today.

Her tweets read, "From Saira Banu: Breaks my heart to inform @TheDilipKumar fans. tomm, Tuesday, 18-yr-old court case in which Saab has been associated."

The post further said, "will be up for judgement hearing at 14 Met. Magistrate court, Girgaum, presided by Hon. Magistrate B S Kharade."

She also praised Dilip Kumar for not praying for an adjournment for today's hearing.

"At 94 yrs, Saab's health is delicate, facing neurological problems, yet Saab has never prayed for case adjournment," she tweeted.

"Hope serious consternation n stress caused don't affect his condition further. Saab needs peace n rest. I seek your prayers n support," she said in a series of tweets.

The actor was bestowed with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan Award in 2015 for his immense contribution to Indian cinema.
The 181 Women's Helpline has been transferred from the Delhi Government to the Delhi Commission for Women.

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The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has devised a detailed expansion plan for the 181 Helpline.

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"Till now 181 helpline has been working merely as a referral helpline that is, since the 181 helpline does not have a grassroots presence, it mostly forwards complaints to police with no alternate means of providing support to the victim. For instance, if the victim calls on 181 to report that the police is not registering an FIR, the Helpline has no option but to tell her to continue dealing with the police," said DCW Chairperson, Swati Maliwal.

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In order to improve this situation, the Delhi Commission for Women has planned to improve the grassroots presence of the 181 helpline.

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It has thus been decided that now 181 helpline will be integrated with DCW's Mahila Panchayat as well as Mobile Helpline Program.

Mahila Panchayat is an innovative collective approach for community participation in dispute redressal.

The Mahila Panchayats offer crisis intervention and legal aid at community level and help tackle marital disputes and violence against women.

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The 24-hour Mobile Helpline provides immediate relief to women in distress, the Helpline counsellor either counsels the people involved in the incident or provides help in registering an FIR or acquire medical assistance for the woman in distress. If required the victim is rescued and often provided temporary shelter.

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As an undertaking of the Mahila Panchayat Program an NGO in each Vidhan Sabha will be linked with the Commission, which shall have 3-4 personnel working at the grass root level on the issues faced by women everyday including domestic violence, police inaction etc.

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Complaints received by 181 helpline shall be forwarded to Mahila Panchayat whenever a need arises. At present there are 30 Mahila Panchayat's functioning in Delhi, this number is now being increased to 70 in order to ensure that there is a Mahila Panchayat in each Vidhan Sabha.

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The Delhi Commission for Women has invited NGO's with noteworthy work to collaborate with the Commission in forming 40 new Mahila Panchayats.

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Moreover, 181 Helpline shall be linked to the DCW Mobile Helpline Program. There are currently 5 vans under the DCW Mobile Helpline which is now being increased to 2 vans in each police district.

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In case of severe crisis the Mobile Helpline van along with a counsellor recuses the woman in distress and provides immediate assistance, the Mobile Helpline van has been instrumental in successfully rescuing several women in the past.

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From now on, Mobile Helpline van will act as first responders if a caller on 181 helpline requires immediate assistance. The Commission has invited NGOs working at the grass root level to be a part of the Mobile Helpline program.

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Presently, the process of strengthening the functioning of 181 is also underway. It has come to the knowledge of the Commission that there is no Statement of Protocol in place to handle complaints. There is no existing mechanism to ensure the accountability of callers and subsequently monitoring them. Furthermore there is also a need for immediate upgradation of software.

Once the 181 helpline is effectively functional and linked with the grassroots expansion, it will be widely advertised as a part of a large scale awareness campaign.
At least 15 militants were killed and eight of their hideouts has been destroyed near the Pak-Afghan border area after cross-border mortar shelling targeted a security checkpost in upper Kurram Agency in Afghanistan.

Aerial strikes were conducted in the Alwara Mandi, Khar-Tangi and Maizer areas ahead of Datta Khel near North Waziristan,Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

Security sources said unidentified militants from across the Afghan border fired the shells which landed near a Frontier Corps (FC) security checkpost, reports Dawn.

The region was claimed by the military to have been cleared of insurgents, however, militants still carry out sectarian attacks and also target security forces occasionally.

Kurram is one of the most sensitive tribal areas as it borders three Afghan provinces and at one point was one of the key routes for militant movement across the border.

The mortar attack on the border comes amid high tensions in the agencies as an indefinite curfew was imposed in parts of Mohmand Agency after various clashes between militants and security forces.
Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani officially opened the fourth round of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) meeting in Kabul on Tuesday and called on all warring parties to join the peace process.

Rabbani said the nation believes in peace and that its Constitution does not stop anyone from joining the peace process.

He said Afghanistan would welcome any group joining the process but that the Afghan Government has a strong message for those who reject peace, reports TOLO News.

'Security forces will act with full force against those who reject peace,' Rabbani added.

He informed that a meeting will be held soon between the Afghan and Pakistan Ulema in order to establish their role in the peace process.

QCG meeting, between representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and US, will hopefully finalize a date for direct negotiations between the Afghan Government and the Taliban.
After the death of two persons, another passenger identified as 56-year-old Rabina Khatun died in Rajendranagar Express while she was coming from Tinsukia to her hometown in Chhapra in Bihar's Saran district.

The train was running late by around six hours and the lady started suffering from cardiac problem when the train was in between Kokrajhar and Alipurduar Junctions.

The railway authorities failed to provide any medical assistance to the patient in the train. However, the doctors were called when the train reached the Alipurduar Junction but they declared her dead.

Today is the fourth day of the rail roko agitation by the Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA), demanding a separate state of Greater Cooch Behar.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Railway cancelled four major trains connecting Kolkata and rest of India to north Bengal and Assam due to the obstruction at New Cooch Behar in Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) jurisdiction.

A total of 41 trains, including Up Howrah-Dibrugarh Kamrup Express, Up Howrah-Guwahati Saraighat Express, Up Sealdah - New Alipurduar Teesta Torsa Express and Up Sealdah-New Cooch Behar Uttarbanga Express, stand cancelled today.

The GCPA demands include creation of a greater Cooch Behar state or a Union Territory carved out from parts of north Bengal and some districts of Assam.
Chilean midfielder Alexis Sanchez has insisted that he had loved his time during his three-year stint with former club Barcelona, but added that he is now extremely satisfied to be in Arsenal as the two sides are preparing for the Champions League clash.

Reflecting on his stay at Barcelona, the 27-year-old wrote on Twitter, "I want to thank FCB, the doctors and the physiotherapists who cared for me during my stay in Barcelona and especially the players with whom I shared beautiful moments."

The Arsenal forward, however, said that he was happy to be at the Emirates Stadium, insisting that it had become his family.

Sanchez, who joined Arsene Wenger's side in 2014, will face his former team for the first time in the Champions League,goal.com reported.

The two sides will lock horns in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League clash at the Emirates on Wednesday.
A clinical trial involving more than 2,600 women in Africa finds that a vaginal ring containing an antiretroviral (ARV) drug called dapivirine is safe for women and can help to protect them against HIV on a large scale.

The study found the dapivirine ring reduced the risk of HIV infection by 27 percent overall; there were 27 percent fewer women who acquired HIV in the group assigned to use the dapivirine ring than in the group assigned to use a placebo ring containing no active drug.

The risk of HIV was reduced significantly more among the study's older participants, who also used the ring most consistently. Women in the dapivirine group who were 25 and older were 61 percent less likely to acquire HIV than women of the same age in the placebo group.

Intrigued with this finding, the researchers conducted additional analyses. These drew a more precise line of demarcation, with lack of protection being confined to women between the age of 18 and 21, and women older than 21 seeing their risk of HIV cut by more than half (56 percent).

ASPIRE, researchers who conducted the trial, enrolled HIV-negative women ages 18 to 45 at 15 clinical research sites in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

In the second trial, called 'The Ring Study', HIV risk was reduced by 31 percent overall, and by 37 percent among participants older than 21.

The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), which developed the monthly dapivirine ring, is conducting The Ring Study in South Africa and Uganda among 1,959 women.

Although still ongoing, 'The Ring Study' is reporting results early, following a recommendation of its independent data and safety monitoring board that the study proceed to final analysis.

Vaginal rings are flexible products that fit high up inside the vagina where they release a medication slowly over time. They are already used in the United States and Europe to deliver hormonal contraception. Women can insert and remove the ring themselves.

The study has been published in New England Journal of Medicine.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday agreed to hear the petition seeking the entry of Delhi Police personnel into the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus and arrest the five students charged with sedition.

All five students Umar Khalid Anant Prakash Narayan, Ashutosh Kumar, Rama Naga and Anirban Bhattacharya, who went missing earlier, are presently in the JNU campus.

The High Court today agreed to an urgent hearing of the plea of the booked students, seeking ample security before they surrender so that no untoward incident happens.

Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi had yesterday asked the JNU students, who returned to the university campus on Sunday, to join the join probe and present evidence of their innocence.

"I would say if the police is looking for them then they should join the police investigation. And if they are innocent, they should present evidence of their innocence," Bassi told the media here.

When asked if the police would enter the JNU campus to arrest the students, the top cop said that his men are competent enough to deal with the situation.

The JNU has turned into a fortress in the wake of the latest developments with the police personnel deployed on duty outside the campus keeping a strict vigil.

The booked students, however, have said that they won't post any resistance if they are arrested by the police.

Rama Naga, one of the booked students', told ANI, "We won't do any kind of confrontation if the police comes as there is no evidence against us. We never raised any slogans and the JNU students never cover their faces while raising slogans.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday agreed to an urgent hearing of the plea of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid and four others booked by the Delhi Police, seeking ample security before they surrender so that no untoward incident happens.

All five students Umar Khalid Anant Prakash Narayan, Ashutosh Kumar, Rama Naga and Anirban Bhattacharya, who have been accused of sedition, returned to the campus on Sunday night.

Earlier, Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi asked the JNU students, who returned to the university campus to join the join probe and present evidence of their innocence.

"I would say if the police is looking for them then they should join the police investigation. And if they are innocent, they should present evidence of their innocence," Bassi told the media here.

When asked if the police would enter the JNU campus to arrest the students, the top cop said that his men are competent enough to deal with the situation.
The Prime Minsiter of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Mr. Roosevelt Skerrit, chaired the sixth convocation of the Lovely Professional University (LPU).

The convocation was held at Shanti Devi Mittal Auditorium of the university.

Prime Minister Skerrit honoured gold medalists and toppers of various LPU academic programs of 2015 batch.

In all, 7810 regular, distance education and part-time students of 2015 batch received degrees and diplomas.

The LPU conferred a 'Honoris Causa' Doctor of Letters degree upon Prime Minister Skerrit for his dynamism, farsightedness and innovative leadership. The honour was also given in recognition of his sincere desire to build international harmony among nations and for his outstanding public services and excellent governance.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Skerrit said, "Believe in yourself, your remarkable country and the creator. Step out with great force to face the world on positive notes; you, too, can become PM, CEO or a leading global entrepreneur. By your great doings, you too, can encourage and motivate the young generation next to you."

Describing LPU as one of the progressive universities of the world, Prime Minister Skerrit expressed his strong desire to collaborate with the institution for students and for culture exchange programmes.

He said, "Geometrical boundaries should not be challenges for us. The honour which I have received here, I dedicate the same to youth of both the countries India and Dominica for their diligence and hard work, and urge them to create and navigate a new globalized world.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said the government's philosophy is captured in the idea 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and it is striving hard to eradicate poverty.

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"My government's philosophy is captured in the idea 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. Mahatma Gandhi said poverty is the worst form of violence. My government is striving hard to eradicate poverty. Well-being of our farmers is vital to nation's prosperity," said President Mukherjee while addressing the joint session of Parliament.

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"My Government in particular is focused on the welfare of poor, farmers and jobs for the youth. My government in particular is focussed on 'Garibon Ki Unnati', 'Kisano Ki Samridhi' and 'Yuvaon Ko Rozgar'. My Government is placed in making this goal possible through financial inclusion and social security," he added.

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The President also said that the government is committed to 'per drop, more crop'

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President Mukherjee further marked that the rural development is one of the 'top priorities'.

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"Removing poverty and destitution is our most sacred responsibility," he added.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal faced opposition while joining a protest march of students at the Jantar Mantar on Tuesday.

Seeking to express his solidarity with students protesting against the suicide of Hyderabad University scholar Rohith Vemula and the detention of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Kejriwal who was addressing the students, reacted when an unidentified man raised an 'Aarakshan Virodhi Kejriwal' slogan.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief responded, "When did I say I am against reservations? I have always supported it."

Targeting the Centre, he further stated that the BJP-led NDA Government has not done much for Dalits.

Students, teachers and activists took to the streets of Delhi to demand justice for Rohith Vemula and Kanhaiya Kumar.

A major protest against the JNU row was organised in the city last week where a large number of students, academia, intellectuals and rights activists had participated.
The Shiv Sena on Tuesday slammed the Delhi Police for refraining from entering the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus to arrest the five students, who have been charged with sedition.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said when the cops can enter the chief minister's office then what is stopping the men in uniform from entering the JNU and nab the anti- elements.

"Isn't JNU in India? Why is the Delhi Police Commissioner, who makes tall claims, is not able to enter the premises of the university and arrest the anti- elements? You have arrested Kanhaiya, that is fine, what about the other five," Raut told ANI.

"The police can enter the Golden Temple. They can enter the chief minister's office. But why are they scared now? We want to ask what is stopping you from arresting those who raised anti- and pro-Afzal Guru slogans," he added.

Meanwhile, JNU student Umar Khalid and four others against whom a lookout notice had been issued moved the Delhi High Court today, seeking ample security before they surrender so that no untoward incident happens.

The five students Umar Khalid, Anant Prakash Narayan, Ashutosh Kumar, Rama Naga and Anirban Bhattacharya returned to the campus on Sunday night.

Earlier on Monday, Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi asked the JNU students to join the probe and present evidence of their innocence.

When asked if the police would enter the JNU campus to arrest the students, the top cop said that his men are competent enough to deal with the situation.
Sri Lanka Naval troops have arrested two individuals while transporting explosives of 500 sticks of gelignite weighing 50 kilograms in the North Central Province.

Naval troops attached to SLNS Gajaba of the North Central Naval Command apprehended the two individual in the general area of Wahamalgollewa in Madawachchiya on 22nd February, reports Lanka Page.

The arrested persons with the gelignite sticks have been handed over to Medawachchiya police for further investigations.
With the Congress cornering the government over the recent controversies such as the JNU campus row and the suicide of Hyderabad University PhD scholar Rohith Vemula, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday alleged that the BJP-led government has inherited some of these problems from the UPA regime.

Naidu assured the Opposition that the government is willing to discuss every issue whether it is JNU, Hyderabad University, Pathankot attack and Jat reservation in the Budget Session of Parliament.

"All these issues are not created by this government. We inherited some of these problems. Whose regime was there when the students were committing suicides in Hyderabad University? It was the Congress regime. They have to answer to the country," Naidu told ANI.

"With regard to JNU, such things have been happening since many years," he added.

Speaking on the JNU row, he said that there was no question of closing a 'very prestigious university'.

"We will strengthen it further but anti- comments will not be allowed. It can be used as a platform for pro-Pakistani elements. We are very clear about it," he said.

The Congress Party, which is all geared up to corner the government in the Budget Session of Parliament earlier alleged that the NDA regime was trying to saffronise the educational institutions of the country.

The government has, however, assured the Opposition that it is ready to discuss each and every issue in the Budget Session.

Leader of the Congress Party in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, said that they are going to raise eight to nine important issues, including the controversies surrounding the JNU, Hyderabad University PhD scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide and the FTII.

The Budget Session of Parliament will begin today with President Pranab Mukherjee's address to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

During the session, the Rail Budget will be presented on February 25 and the General Budget on February 29.

The first phase of the Budget Session will come to an end on March 16 while the second phase will start from April 25 and conclude on May 13.

The government has prioritised 32 items for the session including 11 Bills pending in the Rajya Sabha and one in the Lok Sabha besides transacting financial business related to the budget.
The United States Embassy in Kathmandu has said that in partnership with the Youth Thinkers' Society it is organising Nepal's largest-ever regional Model United Nations Conference in Kathmandu in August.

Over 200 delegates from across South and Central Asia will take part in the conference to discuss a wide variety of issues, including regional economic integration, climate change, and nuclear non-proliferation, reports The Himalayan Times.

In addition, this university-level United Nations simulation will increase participating student delegates' leadership, conflict resolution, and public speaking skills, the Embassy said.

The U.S. Embassy is proud to be part of this regional Model United Nations conference, which will bring together students from throughout South and Central Asia, US Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz has been quoted as saying in the statement issued by the Embassy.
The Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) had given special permission to a student, suffering from blood cancer, to write her class 10th examination.

However, even seven months after the declaration of the class 10th results, her result remains withheld despite having approached several authorities.

The commission has issued notices to the Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, New Delhi and Regional Director, Regional Office, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Ajmer, Rajasthan calling for reports within four weeks.

According to the media report, the student, Raunaq Shivhare, when approached her school, Kendriya Vidyalaya, No. 1, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, she was asked to approach the CBSE, which had held her result. The Director, Ajmer Regional Office, CBSE turned her back to seek information from the school. The victim has approached the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and Union Minister for Human Resource Development but she neither received any reply from them nor her result was declared.
The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has come to conclusion that the fire at a factory in Baldia Town was an act of sabotage.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) former Karachi Tanzeemi Committee in-charge Hammad Siddiqui has been accused as the prime suspect behind the country's deadliest fire, reports Dawn.

On 11 September 2012, Ali Enterprises caught fire which claimed the lives of 259 workers and injured around 50 labourers.

The alleged terrorist act was carried out 'due to refusal to pay extortion of Rs twenty crores and partnership in factory profits by factory owners to office-bearers, namely Rehman Bhola and Hammad Siddiqi of MQM-A.

The investigation team headed by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sultan Khawaja and DIG Munir Shaikh has also recorded the statements of the garment factory owners the Bhaila brothers Arshad and Shahid in Dubai, who have refused to return to Pakistan.

The Bhaila brothers claimed that the fire was not accidental and an extortionist group was behind the incident.

JIT members appeared to be highly critical of the role of police investigators of the Baldia fire case.

The JIT team has submitted its final report to the Sindh Home Department and has claimed the deadly incident to be a 'planned act'.
The Kolhapur sessions court will on March 8 frame charges against accused Sameer Gaikwad in connection with the murder case of former Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Govind Pansare.

Earlier, a local court had sent Gaikwad, the fifth accused in the murder case, in police custody for seven days.

Gaikwad was detained by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the Sangli region of Kolhapur District.

Pansare's family had sought an SIT probe, alleging that the Maharashtra Police had failed to make any progress.

Pansare and his wife were out on a morning walk when assailants opened fire at them. Later, Pansare succumbed to his injuries.
President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the country's first "Gender Park" during a visit to Kerala at the end of this week.

President Mukherjee will inaugurate the 24-acre park in Kozhikode on February 27. The main aim of the park will be to promote research and other initiatives to facilitate complete gender equality.

The Department of Social Justice of the Kerala government in cooperation with academia and civil society has been instrumental in creating this common platform to address various gender issues.

A gender institute in the park would focus on learning, research and capacity development, as part of supporting the efforts of the state and central governments in ensuring an inclusive, discrimination free society.

The institute would cover issues pertaining to all three genders as per the 2015 gender and transgender policies of the state government.

The authorities have the plan to link knowledge creation to policy-making through a multi-disciplinary research and learning process and, eventually, turn the park into the first Gender University in the country.

The complex has been christened as the "Thantedam Gender Park" and it has come up at Vellimadukunnu in Kerala's Kozhikkode District. The foundation stone of the park was laid on March 8, 2013.
The Rashtriya Rifles Battalion under the Romeo Force seized a cache of arms from Sagrawat village area in Rajauri District of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

"The arms cache included one disposable rocket launcher, two AK Rifle magazines, one Pakistan origin pistol of and four meters cordex," said Defence Spokesperson Lt. Col. Manish Mehta in a statement here.

Elaborating on the operation, he said following information received from a Territorial Army Battalion of the Romeo Force about a suspected militant hideout a joint operation led by an army officer, along with men of Rashtriya Rifles, Territorial Army and personnel of J&K police, was launched at 8.30am.

"The sustained efforts by the security forces yielded in discovery of the arms cache at around 1.30pm from a natural cave hidden under a boulder in the Sagrawat village area," he said.

The statement said it was another successful operation carried out by the Romeo Force, as arms could be used against the security forces and to carry out terrorist activities which could lead to loss of life and property. The arms were handed over to the police.
Several Students Federation of India (SFI) demonstrators were injured on Tuesday when police resorted to lathi charge to disperse their procession at the Burdwan University in West Bengal.

The students, protesting against alleged discrepancies in the part 2 Arts results of the university, had announced a demonstration to submit a memorandum to the varsity vice-chancellor.

University vice-chancellor Smriti Sarkar said, "A section of the procession suddenly broke barricades put up by the police near the vice-chancellor's office when the police acted."

The opposition parties in the state criticised the vice-chancellor and the state administration for calling the police inside the university premises.

Binod Ghosh, an SFI leader in Burdwan alleged that over 50 of his activists were injured in the police action that was unleashed without a provocation.
Putting the onus on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre for smooth functioning of the Parliament during the Budget Session, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja on Tuesday said the present situation in the nation is 'disturbing and scary' due to the policies pursued by the NDA regime.

"The situation in the country is very disturbing and scary. We have conveyed this to the government in the all party meetings. The situation is disturbing because of the policies pursued by the BJP-led NDA government, it is because of the conduct of BJP's elected representatives and ministers," Raja told ANI.

"If the Parliament becomes stormy then the party which is in power must be held responsible for such a situation," he added.

He also said the government cannot get away by blaming the Opposition for turbulent session in the Parliament, adding that the ruling dispensation must ensure that discussions are held and the House functions smoothly.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said the government is ready to discuss each and every issue in the Budget Session.

The Budget Session will begin today with President Pranab Mukherjee's joint address to both the Houses of Parliament.

The Budget Session is expected to be a stormy one with the Opposition planning to corner the government on several issues, including the JNU row and Rohith Vemula's suicide in the Hyderabad University.

The Rail Budget will be presented on February 25 and the General Budget on February 29.
People of Tripura are waiting with great expectation, hoping the introduction of superfast trains from the capital Agartala and fund for Bangladesh project in upcoming Rail Budget.

Most of people of landlocked Tripura, who either have to avail expensive air service or go though the lone hilly highway 44 covering some 600 km in 24 hours to go to Guwahati to get rail service, expressed that in the upcoming Rail Budget 2016 they are very much hopeful that the Union Government will introduce various superfast train from capital Agartala.

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"There is no end to our expectation and are very hopeful, since already broad gauge rail has reached here, we will get direct rail connectivity with our capital, at least two direct trains every week to Kolkata, and if the proposed rail connectivity through Bangladesh happens that it will be great help. We the people of Tripura are very much hopeful that the union government and the rail board will fulfill our expectations," said Uttam Chakraborty, a local.

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"As the passenger service (of broad gauge) starts we hope in the rail budget to get direct trains to every part of India. We are expecting that few super fast trains like Rajdhani are introduced from Agartala and runs twice or thrice a week. If the Union Government keeps this in the budget and that will help in the development of Tripura," said Pradip Debnath.

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Tripurites also hopes that there should be mention of fund allocation for the proposed Agartala-Akhaura rail link between India and Bangladesh.

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"Earlier it was metre gauge which has now been converted into broad gauge and so we are expecting that with this progress we shall be able to go everywhere in India directly from here. Be it for medical purpose or pleasure trip to visit any place we hope to have a rail connectivity... Moreover, there is also a proposal for rail connectivity through Bangladesh capital Dhaka," said Kamani Debbarma, a local.

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Similar is the expectation of the authorities of the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) and hope that there shall be not dearth of fund for the ongoing and proposed rail projects in Tripura and introduction of new superfast trains from here.

CEO NFR S I Garur said, "Whatever our projects are going on adequate funds will be ensured and new projects will come up. New trains will be there definitely for Agartala will the commissioning of this project. New trains will be introduced from Agartala."

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At present the conversion work of metre gauge to broad gauge work has been completed upto Agartala from Badarpur in Assam and successful trial run has been completed.

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Ongoing railway work is on for connecting southern most city Subroom and Akhaura (in Bangladesh), both from Agartala.
At least 12 suspected militants involved in targeted killings and attacks on police officers were killed during an alleged exchange of fire with law enforcement agencies on Monday evening in Karachi.

The militants were killed during a joint raid by police and intelligence agencies on a suspected hideout in Pipri area of Bin Qasim in Malir district, reports the Dawn.

The raid was based on information provided by a number of high profile terrorists belonging to Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) whose arrest had been disclosed by the military recently.

SSP Anwar added that four suspects who had managed to escape during the raid were later killed in Gadap. He said the militants belonged to AQIS and LeJ.
The United States and Russia have announced that a planned cessation of hostilities in Syria which will come into effect at midnight on February 26.

A joint statement issued on behalf of Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin after they had conversed over the phone said that the proposed cessation of hostilities would not include the so-called Islamic State and the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

The civil war in Syria has so far claimed the lives of 250,000 people since March 2011.

The Syrian Opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) the major opposition bloc involved in negotiations has been quoted, as saying that it would accept the terms of the deal but it did not believe that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and its allies would do the same.

The joint statement made by Washington and Moscow as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) said the group would work to "develop procedures" to ensure those abiding by the deal are not attacked by Russian armed forces or a US-led coalition both of which are carrying out air strikes in the country.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the deal, saying he hoped the move would be the first step towards an enduring ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Syria has announced that it will hold elections for its parliament on April 13. The last general elections were held in 2012.
Bollywood actor Vidyut Jamwal, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming action film 'Commando 2', recently said that he doesn't regret rejecting Salman Khan's hit 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo'.

He, however, expressed his desire to work with the 'Dabangg' actor.

"I don't regret not doing 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' but I wanted to work with Salman Khan. I would have done the film if I would not have been preparing for 'Commando 2'," the 35-year-old actor said while addressing the media on the location of his film.

Commenting on the ongoing protests by members of the Jat community demanding reservation in government jobs, Vidyut urges them not to get influenced by emotions.

"I think that more than emotions, our Jat brothers should apply their mind. We can be provoked too. They should use their heart and brain," he added.

The upcoming film, which stars Pooja Chopra and TV actor Deven Bhojani ,is a sequel of the 2013 action film 'Commando', which was directed by Dilip Ghosh and produced by Vipul Shah.
At least 12 militants were killed in a fighting between insurgents and police in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi, an official said.

At least two policemen were also injured during the fighting. They were rushed to a nearby hospital and their condition was described to be statble, a senior police official said on Monday.

The police launched a raid at militants hideouts in Karachi, eight militants were killed during the firing while four died while being chased after they fled the scene, Xinhua quoted the official as saying.

The killed militants belonged to the outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Tehrik-e-Taliban militant group, the official said.

The police also recovered armed and ammunitions from the hideout of the militants.
At least 20 members of a terrorist group and three soldiers were killed while six other soldiers were injured in continuing clashes in southern Philippines since last Saturday, the military reported on Tuesday.

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the fighting broke out when the terrorists, initially composed of 40 men, attacked a military detachment in Bayabao village in Butig town of Lanao del Sur Province last Saturday, Xinhua reported.

"The motive of the attack remains unknown," Padilla told reporters in a press briefing, adding that soldiers from the Army' s 51st Infantry Battalion manning the detachment were able to defend their position.

"When (government) reinforcements arrived late weekend, the (terrorist) group was held at bay, were cordoned off and are holding their position as of press time," Padilla said.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said the government has invited 400 foreign academicians to teach in India.

"To enable increased interaction between foreign faculty and our students, under the aegis of GIAN, my government has in the first cycle invited 400 foreign academicians to teach in India," he said.

The president was addressing a joint sitting of both houses of parliament -- Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha -- marking the commencement of the budget session.

He also said that two Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), six Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), one Indian Institute of Science and Research and one National Institute of Technology have started functioning.

Mukherjee also added that through the launch of Imprint India, scientific areas have been identified in 10 fields of research ranging from defence to sustainable living.

"Government has given impetus to research through the launch of Imprint India whereby scientific goalposts have been identified in 10 fields of research ranging from defence to sustainable living," he said.

"National Institutional Ranking Framework has been launched for higher educational institutions. The National Scholarship Portal provides a one-stop platform for applications of all scholarships," he added.
The deployment of army columns continued in Haryana on Tuesday, the first day when most parts of the state saw normalcy returning after days of mindless violence.

"Army deployment in riot-affected areas of Haryana has entered the fourth day today. Columns of the Kharga Corps of Western Command are now deployed in Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, Kaithal, Rohtak and Bawana. Flag marches are being conducted along all sensitive areas in these districts," a defence spokesman said here.

He said that the army had played a laudable role by rising to the occasion in strife-torn Haryana and had limited the magnitude of loss to life and property to every possible extent.

"It restored supply of water to the national capital by taking control of the important regulators along the Munak canal. Intensive patrolling by the army along the stretches of the canal also ensured that the no further damage was caused to the canal. Repair of Khubru headwork has also been completed," the spokesman said.

He said that national highway No. 1 (NH-1) had been cleared and groups of protestors at various stretches of the highway have been dispersed.

"Other succour provided by the army in this situation includes helping out the stranded passengers, particularly the aged, to safer places," he said.

"The Western Command has contributed a lot towards restoring normalcy especially in Rohtak, which has been one of the districts worst affected by the ongoing agitation. Rapid deployment of internal security columns was done by employing helicopters.

"This enabled the command to overcome the problem of blockade of Delhi-Rohtak highway by the agitators and build up sufficient strength before the situation turned worse," he pointed out.
The Assam cabinet has approved the project report for a Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) for Guwahati, and the setting up of the Guwahati Metro Rail Corporation Limited (GMRCL).

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will lay the foundation stone for the Metro project in Khanapara area on February 29, a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said on Tuesday.

The state cabinet under Gogoi's chairmanship approved the detailed project report (DPR) for the MRTS and the setting up of GMRCL for implementing the project on Saturday.

The statement issued on Tuesday said the 203 km Metro corridor will be completed in three phases.

Phase I will cover a length 61.4 km, and will have four corridors -- Dharapur-Narangi (elevated), M.G. Road to Khanapara (underground), Jalukbari to Khanapara (elevated) 19.4 km and ISBT to Paltanbazar (elevated).

There will be 54 stations in the first phase.

The trains will have a carrying capacity of up to 975 passengers each.

The projected cost including land is estimated at Rs.18,020 crore.

While the Assam government and central government will share 20 percent each of the total cost, local bodies will contribute Rs.350 crore, while the remaining Rs.10,074 crore will be funded through soft loans from funding agencies with guarantees from the central government.

GMRCL will be a wholly-owned company of the Assam government and will look after the operation and maintenance of the project.

The company will be later converted into joint ownership (50:50) of the state and central governments.
Actor-comedian Bill Cosby's wife Camille, who has stood by her husband in the wake of sexual assault charges, was deposed in a defamation lawsuit filed against him by seven accusers and agreed to return next month to answer even more questions under oath.

On Monday, in a conference room of a Marriott hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts, Camille, 71, was ordered to speak about her husband during a deposition connected to a defamation lawsuit filed in a federal court by seven women who allege that statements made by Bill's representatives portray them as liars, after they claimed that he drugged and/or sexually assaulted them, reports people.com.

Yet, in the over seven hours the deposition was held, just two and a half hours were actual testimony.

The remainder of the time was spent going back and forth between lawyers about what Camille could and could not say, and with two phone calls to a judge "to elicit help", said Joseph Cammarata, a lawyer for the women, in a press conference.

"I got the sense she didn't want to be there," Cammarata said. At least "a dozen" times Cosby's attorneys claimed Camille did not have to answer questions due to a rule disqualifying spouses from testifying against each other.

Attorneys for Cosby were not available for comment.

While Cammarata declined to describe what he elicited from Camille, he described the day "as fruitful in a sense and frustrating in a sense. You have to come back and start the process again."

The deposition will resume March 14, either in Springfield or Boston, Cammarata said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday accused central ministers of driving Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, of the University of Hyderabad, to commit suicide.

"Rohith kept saying that if you suspend me, my career will be ruined. He pleaded with the university not to suspend him. But our system compelled a talented student like him commit suicide," said Kejriwal, addressing a protest meet at the Jantar Mantar here.

Hundreds of students and faculty members of various universities took out a march from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar to condemn the "institutional killing" of 26-year-old Vemula. Kejriwal too joined them to express solidarity with the student's family.

"The central ministers drove Rohith to suicide. But even today, the two ministers have not been questioned. The ministers who drove Rohith Vemula to commit suicide are roaming freely and no action taken against them. The culprits should be immediately arrested and investigation initiated against them," he demanded.

Kejriwal also warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi about tangling with students. "Modiji, don't mess with students. If they get together, they'll shake your chair in such a way that you won't forget ever."

Vemula committed suicide on January 17, triggering widespread protests demanding action against central ministers Smriti Irani, Bandaru Dattatreya and others, blaming them for the suicide.

Five Dalit students, including Vemula, were suspended in September following a clash with a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Dattatreya, who is the MP from Secundrabad, had written to Irani, the human resource development minister, seeking action against the students, following which they were suspended.
With children getting more and more isolated in terms of interactions with their surroundings, occurrences of childhood leukaemia could increase in India, according to a cancer expert.

"There is a clear co-relation between incidence of childhood leukaemia and prosperity. It is lower in India than in other countries but as we become more prosperous our incidences are rising," Vaskar Saha, professor of paediatric oncology, Children's Cancer Group, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, told IANS here.

Saha, an authority on the subject, is also the director of Tata Translational Cancer Research Centre (TTCRC) here. He was speaking at the life science symposium at the Presidency University organised in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance.

Elaborating on the connect between leukaemia in children and prosperity, Saha said kids who rarely come in contact with infections because of their predominantly indoor nature of activities, courtesy access to internet and gadgets, are more likely to get the blood cancer.

"There is some evidence to suggest that origins of leukaemia lie in an unusual response to normal infections. So if you have children who are more or less isolated and come rarely in contact with infections, they are more likely to get leukaemia.

"When we grew up we played on the streets... this generation of children do you ever see them play on the streets? Our environment, for all classes of families now,is getting channelised and children are getting isolated. Probably one of the reasons why you will start seeing more occurrence of childhood leukaemia," added Saha.
China is set to open 19 new duty-free shops for domestic consumers, a move aimed at catering to the increasing demand for imported products, a media report said on Tuesday.

The 19 shops will be located at 13 airports and six ports, the People's Daily reported.

Passengers can carry duty-free goods worth up to 8,000 yuan ($1,226), up from the previous 5,000-yuan limit.

The new shops are expected to offer a wider selection of products so that outbound travellers can make purchases after they arrive at airports or ports.

The duty-free shops will sell infant formula, diapers, bags, suitcases, cosmetics and skin care products.

In recent years, the number of Chinese outbound tourists has seen continuous growth. In 2014, Chinese citizens made over 100 million overseas trips and spent more than 1 trillion yuan.

During the 2016 Spring Festival travel season, outbound tourists numbered up to 6 million, hitting a record high.
The ruling Congress on Tuesday won more seats in elections to Karnataka's local bodies spanning zila panchayats (ZPs) and taluk panchayats (TPs), leaving the opposition BJP and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) behind.

"Of the total 1,083 ZP seats, the Congress won 498 (45 percent), followed by the BJP with 408, JD-S with 148, independents with 27 and one each by the Janata Dal-United and the CPI-M," state Election Commissioner P.N. Srinivasachari told reporters here after votes were counted in all the 30 districts across the state.

In the TP poll, of the 3,884 seats across the state, the Congress secured a whopping 1,705 seats (44 percent), followed by the BJP with 1,362, the JD-S 610, the Karnataka Janata Party 9, the JD-U 8, the CPI 6, the BSP 5 and others 8. Independents (rpt Independents) won 179 seats across the state.

Polling was held in two phases across the state -- 15 districts each on February 13 and February 20 -- peacefully barring stray incidents.

The ruling Congress bagged more ZP seats in 15 districts, the BJP in 13 districts and the JD-S in 2 districts (Hassan and Mandya).

Though reduced to a regional party with large presence in the state, the JD-S, led by former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, drew blank in 10 districts.

As a main opposition party, the BJP drew blank in two districts -- Ramanagara and Mandya districts.

Breaching the Congress bastion, the BJP got more seats in Kalaburgi and Raichur districts in the state's erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

The Congress, however, surprised the BJP in Belagavi, winning 43 out of 90 seats, while the latter got 39 seats.

In Taluk Panchayats (TPs) too, the Congress won more seats in 14 districts, followed by the BJP in 12 districts and the JD-S in four districts.
Mumbai police are trying to track down an unknown person who alerted them of possible threats to eliminate Bollywood superstar Salman Khan last week, an official said here on Tuesday.

The first call was received by the Police Control Room on February 16 followed by another call the next day.

It is not confirmed whether there is one or more than one person involved in the threat call as the anonymous caller claimed to have overheard some persons who were plotting to harm the Bollywood actor.

The calls were soon traced to PCOs in south Mumbai's Marine Lines and suburban Malad.

Though the police have not yet taken cognizance of the matter or lodged any complaint, they are attempting to trace out the caller by checking CCTVs installed in those areas for further investigations, the official said.
Oscar winning actor Eddie Redmayne thinks his wife Hannah Bagshawe is a "wonder" for the way she supports him and his career.

"She is an absolute wonder. Because the work I do is all encompassing, when I am prepping for it she is a massive part of that," Redmayne told Daily Telegraph magazine, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

His wife has been by his side throughout award season and the "Theory of Everything" actor appreciates her support.

"It is so lovely to do it as a team," he said.

Bagshawe, 34, is an expert in antiques and gave up working for a prestigious dealer and set out on her own so that she could be available to travel with her spouse at the drop of a hat, which he is thrilled by.

"Working for her old boss, it used to complicate things if we had to go to LA for the day; it is wonderful she can now travel all the time," he said.

The couple announced last month that they are expecting their first child in June and the "Danish Girl" star is now preparing for his new role as a parent and will be "taking some time out" from movies after a busy and successful period.

He said: "I'm looking forward to the breather to take it all in."
A major fire on Tuesday caused widespread destruction in a garment factory in Bangladesh's Gazipur district.

As many as 10 fire tenders were rushed to Gazipur as the factory caught fire around 4 a.m., bdnews24.com reported. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.

"About 50 to 60 machines of the factory's knitting section have been gutted," the factory's manager Tarik Chowdhury said.
The fourth round of the key quadrilateral meeting on Afghan peace process started here on Tuesday.

"Afghanistan will spare no efforts to ensure embracing lasting peace and honourable peace," Xinhua news agency cited the country's foreign minister Salahudin Rabbani as saying in his opening remarks.

Rabanni also hoped that the four-nation talks - also involving Pakistan, China and the US - could help facilitate direct talks with authorised representatives of the Taliban and Afghan government.

The third round of the four-nation talks held in Islamabad on February 6 called upon the Taliban to join the peace process.

Afghan officials are hopeful that the talks could set a date for holding a direct dialogue between the government and Taliban.
The Congress in Goa on Tuesday accused Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi of mishandling the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student troubles.

Goa Congress spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar said the series of incidents linked to the JNU protests could have stemmed from the lack of leadership by Bassi, who also served in Goa from 2009 to 2011.

"Bassi was a slack police officer, even when he was the Goa DGP," the Congress leader said in a statement.

"He had gone on record to say that the drug problem in Goa was insignificant though some senior officials of his department were arrested for having a nexus with drug mafia and almost 24 kg of drugs were missing from police custody," he said.
Haryana saw relative calm for the first time in nine days on Tuesday as Jats seeking job quotas withdrew from the streets or were chased away. Highway and rail traffic was restored even as security forces were on alert to foil clashes between Jats and non-Jats.

In a sign of people's anger over the mindless violence that rocked the state, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar faced angry traders and residents in Rohtak town and was forced to retreat and leave for Delhi.

Khattar, who reached Rohtak for the first time after widespread violence during the Jat agitation devastated many parts of the town, vowed not to spare those guilty of rioting and arson that crippled Haryana.

"A high-level probe will be conducted into the (violence) and strict action taken against officers and employees of police and administration involved in this," Khattar told the media in Rohtak.

In a fine balancing act, he said the Jat community will get job quotas under a special provision and the OBC quota of 27 percent won't be disturbed. The OBC communities don't want Jats to be included in the OBC bracket.

"The government will make a separate provision for (Jats) reservation," said a stern-looking Khattar, whose government has drawn widespread flak for failing to contain the frenzy on the streets.

In New Delhi, Khattar attended a meeting with union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkiaih Naidu and other ministers who are part of a high-powered panel studying the issue of reservation for Jats in other states.

Nineteen people were killed and nearly 200 injured in the nine days when Jats held Haryana to ransom, and in the process disrupted life in large parts of northern India.

As Monday was a holiday on account of Sant Ravidas Jayanti, Tuesday was the first working day after the Jat agitation. Most schools were, however, shut.

Traffic was restored on the busy Delhi-Ambala national highway (NH-1) after three days. Three people were killed when Jat protesters blocked the highway on Monday, forcing security forces to open fire.

Traffic was also restored on the Delhi-Hisar NH-10, especially near Sampla town, police said.

Curfew was relaxed in Rohtak town and some other places. Some villages and towns were tense as some members of Jat and non-Jat communities headed for a clash on Monday.

The worst affected districts in the Jat agitation were Rohtak, Bhiwani, Hisar, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Jind, Panipat and Kaithal.

The government has an ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakh to the next of kin of the innocents killed in the agitation and employment to a member of the family of the deceased. The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry has pegged the loss to Haryana and other states due to the violence at Rs.34,000 crore.

The India-Pakistan train and bus services, which pass through Haryana, are expected to resume operations on Thursday.

Referring to an audio clip in which a close aide of a Congress leader is heard inciting people to indulge in violence, Khattar said those who damaged property would be identified and strict action taken against them.

The government has promised to compensate those who lost property in the agitation.

The chief minister said 'dharnas' across the state had been lifted and blockades on all roads cleared.

Earlier, Khattar was shown black flags by a section of traders and residents who raised slogans against him and questioned his government's failure to deal with the Jat agitation.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday directed the Haryana government to submit a status report on the Jat agitation by next Monday.

The Jat community wants reservation under the OBC category in government jobs and educational institutions.
Violence affected areas of Haryana limped back to normalcy on Tuesday even as authorities remained cautious about some parts which were still tense in the aftermath of the Jat agitation which paralysed life in the state in the last nine days.

Officials said that traffic had been restored on the Delhi-Ambala national highway No. 1 (NH-1). Three people were killed when Jat protesters blocked the highway on Monday, forcing security forces to open fire on them.

Traffic was also restored on the Delhi-Hisar NH-10, especially near Sampla town, police said.

Curfew was relaxed in Rohtak town, the worst hit by the Jat agitation violence, as Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar headed to the town on Tuesday.

Hisar and Kaithal districts remained tense after members of Jat and non-Jat communities headed for a clash. Army and paramilitary forces remained on high alert in both districts.

State government officials claimed here that road and railway blockades by Jat protesters were being removed from various places.

Earlier, uncertainty prevailed over the fate of the ongoing Jat agitation for reservation as the protesters continued blockades and protests at various places. The agitation entered its 10th day on Tuesday.

Despite the BJP promising reservation for the Jat community in Haryana and assuring that a bill will be brought in the next session of Haryana assembly, Jat protesters had not ended their agitation in Rohtak, Hisar, Sonipat and Jhajjar districts.

Uncertainty prevailed over restoring traffic on NH-1 (Delhi-Ambala) even though authorities claimed that all protesters have been removed from the highway and army was patrolling the affected parts.

Army and paramilitary forces remained stationed in the violence-hit districts.

In Jind, the district administration relaxed curfew on Tuesday. Offices, schools, colleges and other institutions are likely to re-open after a three-day break.

While unconfirmed reports put the death toll at 19, including three people killed in firing by security forces on rioters who were blocking the NH-1 in Sonipat district on Monday, the state government claimed that 16 people were killed.

Over 200 people have been injured in the mindless frenzy that has ravaged the state bordering Delhi. The loss to property is estimated to be in hundreds of crores.

The Jat protesters are demanding reservation under the OBC category in government jobs and educational institutions.

Some places in Haryana remained tense on Monday, with Jats demanding job quotas indulging in fresh violence and triggering a backlash by other communities, leading to curfew. More security forces were rushed to maintain law and order.

The Haryana government has decided to give full compensation for the damage caused to private property, residential or commercial, and to immediately assess the role of civil and police officers for dereliction of duty.

Police sources said the Jats fought pitched battles with soldiers by hurling stones and bricks near Larsoli village, 55 km from New Delhi. Highway resorts and eating joints were also set on fire and damaged. The army fired at them, leaving three dead and a few injured.

"The state government also decided to give an ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakh to the next of kin of those innocent people killed in the ongoing agitation and employment to a member of the family of the deceased. Also, no false case would be registered against anyone," Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said.
Soon after the disclosure by actor Charlie Sheen on TV that he was HIV-positive, there has been a surge in both news coverage of HIV and Google searches for information about HIV and HIV prevention, a new study has found.

A computer scientist from Johns Hopkins University analysed online news and search engine records to gauge the public's response to actor Charlie Sheen's disclosure on NBC's "TODAY Show" in November last year that he was HIV-positive.

"Charlie Sheen's disclosure was potentially the most significant domestic HIV prevention event ever," said Mark Dredze from Johns Hopkins.

The researchers knew that the involvement of a celebrity often raises public awareness about a health issue.

They wondered whether Sheen's disclosure had shone a fresh spotlight on HIV and in doing so, produced an important public health benefit.

To find out, the team turned to public archives for news media trends, using the Bloomberg Terminal and Google Trends to collect data describing HIV and HIV prevention engagement since 2004.

Focusing on the hours after Sheen's disclosure, the team monitored news reports mentioning HIV and Google searches originating from the US, said the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine.

This big data strategy allowed researchers to provide a formative assessment of the potential impacts of Charlie Sheen's HIV-positive disclosure at no cost.

The day of Sheen's disclosure coincided with a 265 percent increase in news reports mentioning HIV (97 percent of which also mentioned Sheen) archived on the Bloomberg Terminal.

An additional 6,500 stories were reported on Google News alone. This placed Sheen's disclosure among the top one percent of historic HIV-related media events.

Sheen's disclosure also corresponded with the greatest number of HIV-related Google searches ever recorded in the US on a single day.

In relative terms, all HIV searches were 417 percent higher than expected the day of Sheen's disclosure, the study noted.
Swedish researchers have developed a new magnetic imaging technique that utilises sugar to assess the malignancy of tumours in cancer patients.

The new imaging technique has been combined with the testing of natural sugar as a replacement for metal in contrast agents.

The results showed that malignant tumours (cancerous cells) show higher sugar consumption than surrounding tissue.

"If sugar replaces metal as a contrast agent in the body, it can also have a positive psychological effect and make patients calmer," said Linda Knutsson, lecturer at the Lund University in Sweden.

Further, sugar-based contrast agents are cheaper than metal-based agents, leading to a reduction in medical care costs.

However, sugar-based contrast agents cannot be used in examinations of diabetic patients who may have cancer, the researchers explained in the study published in the journal Tomography.

The tests were carried out on three people with a brain tumour and four healthy people.

Scientists found that a tumour's properties can be examined by injecting a small amount of sugar into it, and then measuring how much sugar the tumour consumes.

The more sugar the tumour consumes, the more malignant it is, they noticed.
National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee, who has portrayed the life of gay professor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras in the upcoming film "Aligarh", says he doesn't read a script if is it is not written in Hindi.

"I am very passionate about Hindi language. 'Satya' made me a commercially successful actor. After that I slowly started getting work in this industry. The day I realised I am in a position to make demands, I decided not to read any director's script if it is not typed in Hindi. I am stubborn on this issue," Manoj said at the Lit-O-Fest, a literature festival, here.

Manoj also said that the Hindi language is his "strength".

"People are often sluggish to find a Hindi typist. Although I stick to point that if they want me to read the script, it must be in Hindi. Once a producer or director gave excuse of other actors, I told him that it is not my lookout if they do not know Hindi well. Hindi language is my strength. I want my script in Hindi only," he added.

The "Shool" actor said that he believes in encouraging literary work in Hindi and feels literary festivals should be organised frequently.

Giving an example of megastar of Amitabh Bachchan, he said: "Amit ji is a big admirer and supporter of his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan's work. He always attempts to bring Harivanshji's work in public in different ways. So it is our responsibility to inspire Hindi writers and poets because they are hugely contributing to make our Hindi culture rich."

On the work front, Manoj is gearing up for the release of Hansal Mehta's film "Aligarh", which is based on the real life incident of Dr. Srinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was suspended from his job because of his sexual orientation.

"Aligarh" will release on Friday.
Sonipat, Gurgaon, New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS/IndiaSpend) Square-jawed, cleft chin and hair untidily spiked, Vikas Thakaran glowered as he explained why he was here in this scrum of young men blocking Bakhtawar chowk, 30 km southwest of India's capital, part of a violent week-long agitation that has left 12 dead, vehicles and railway stations burnt, and the army deployed.

Thakaran, 24, is a computer-science engineer, but he is unemployed. "I applied for government jobs four-five times, many times elsewhere, but I didn't get through," he told IndiaSpend. We found many educated, angry and either unemployed young men like Thakaran, or those unable to find a job commensurate with their aspirations and education, among the thousands of protestors from a caste group that many say has no reason to protest.

Traditional landowners, the Jats are a powerful Hindu caste now demanding classification as a "backward" caste - a contention rejected last year by the Supreme Court - so that government jobs can be reserved for them.

However, an IndiaSpend analysis of employment data and evaluation of aspirations of young Jats revealed that the protests are manifestations of India's slow, inadequate job-creation and a failing education system creating thousands of "unemployable" graduates.

This disconnect between education, aspirations and jobs explains similar demands to be classified as "backward" and "other-backward-caste (OBC)" by socially powerful caste groups - Gujjars (Rajasthan), Marathas (Maharashtra), Patels (Gujarat) and Kapus (Andhra Pradesh), among others - struggling to find satisfactory employment.

Organised industry added 500,000 jobs in 2014; India needs more than a million a month

Saurabh Rangi, 24, a native of Rohtak city, scored 75 percent in the All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE), but he is on the streets of Haryana's Gurgaon city - 30 km northwest of Delhi-because he did not get admission to a government college and had to pay "lakhs" of rupees to graduate from a private college. Rangi is angry; he holds a public-relations trainee job at cardekho.com, an automobile website, but wants a government job.

"I got a B.Tech in 2013, but I am unemployed even after two years," said Keshav Lather, as he protested in Gohana, Sonipat, 43 km west of Rohtak. "I have applied for a Central government job. But I always lose out because of reservation?a professional education does not necessarily mean a good job. We were surprised at the type of jobs and money offered to many of our friends."

Labourers, guards and maids form the majority of the jobs available to more than a million Indians - some estimate it is nearly two million - who join the workforce every month, as IndiaSpend reported. Over 30 years, India generated no more than seven million jobs every year, with only a fraction being the kinds of jobs the young Jats desire.

This is why protestors across India demand secure government jobs; it is why engineers and doctors throng job openings for peons, clerks and constables (as they did in Uttar Pradesh last year, when 2.3 million applied for 368 positions of peons).

As we also reported, new employment data indicate two disquieting trends.

One, a slowdown in employment in the formal, organised sector (which in any case employs only 12 percent of India's labour force), the prime staging ground of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India programme. In Indian factories, more than 400,000 people lost their jobs during the financial year 2012-13, according to government data.

Two, this slowdown hides a larger, long-term trend: India Inc is automating and squeezing more output from its workers and so needs fewer of them.

In isolation, the latest government data show that organised industry added nearly 500,000 jobs in 2013-14. Unemployment in India, according to labour ministry data, is less than five percent, but these data do not reflect under-, partial- or disguised-employment, such as Rangi's.

No more than 17 percent of all Indians were wage earners, as a 2013-14 labour ministry report acknowledged, with no more than 60 percent of those above 15 years old who sought work over the year getting it (more than 46 percent in urban India did not find work).

"What India needs annually is not just 23 or 24 million jobs but livelihoods," said economist Ajit Ranade.

He said job opportunities would come only with new investments and enterprises. "If we need to create two million jobs every month, then we need to also create 20,000 to 50,000 new enterprises every month," he said. "At this stage of our business cycle, we need a big push in the form of investment in infrastructure."

Jat youth on the streets do not want informal-sector jobs, as our interviews indicated, but here too, as IndiaSpend has reported, employment declined by six percent since 2004-05-and this is the sector that offers the most jobs - 340 million.

Ranade said the government should focus on small and medium enterprises, revamp infrastructure, rationalise tax structures, revive skills in traditional industries, set up technical training institutes producing skilled workers and ensure ease of doing business.

(In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform. Nikhil Babu is a Delhi-based independent journalist. Himadri Ghosh is a member of 101reporters.com. With inputs from Prathamesh Mulye of 101reporters. The views expressed are personal. The authors can be contacted at respond@indiaspend.org)
President on Tuesday said that India is following a bold and proactive foreign policy and has reached out to the world both on land and sea.

"My government has continued to pursue a bold and proactive foreign policy," the President said, addressing the joint sitting of both houses of parliament that marked the traditional launch of the budget session.

"The primary objective has been to accelerate development with emphasis on improving India's access to capital, technology, resources, energy and skills. States have been made partners in our diplomatic efforts," he said.

Stating that India was committed to the principle of "the world is one family", Mukherjee said this expression was most resonant in the steps New Delhi took in reaching out to its neighbours.



"Last year, my government adopted the historic land boundary agreement with Bangladesh, leading to the peaceful exchange of disputed territories between our two countries," he recalled.

"The signing of the Motor Vehicles Agreement between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, will provide seamless connectivity and further strengthen ties."

The President said that India was a friend in need to Nepal during the devastating earthquake of April 2015 in the Himalayan country.

"We opened our skies, became a key transit hub and essential enabler so that assistance from other countries could reach Nepal in its hour of need," he said.

As for Pakistan, the President said India was committed to forging a mutually respectful relationship with its western neighbour and in creating an environment of cooperation in combating cross-border terrorism.

"My government believes in a secure and prosperous future for our neighbourhood. India remains committed to providing support to the people of Afghanistan in realising their dream of building a stable, inclusive and democratic nation," he said, adding that the dedication of the Afghan parliament's new building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December was India's contribution to Afghanistan's pursuit of peace and prosperity.

Referring to the India-Africa Forum Summit held here in October last year, Mukherjee said: "We reached out to the world, both on land and sea. Of 54 participating nations, the India-Africa Summit, attended by heads of states and governments from 41 countries, has rejuvenated India's relations with the continent, ushering in a new era of engagement and fraternity.

"My government will not let oceans separate us, and has activated engagement with the 14 Pacific Island countries and revitalised civilisational links with our vibrant Act East Policy. India's second International Fleet Review, attended by 50 foreign navies, reinforced our cultural, commercial and strategic connect with our immediate and extended maritime neighbourhood."

The President said that India has played a proactive role in addressing climate change by launching an International Solar Alliance (ISA) that has been universally acknowledged.

An initiative of Prime Minister Modi, the ISA is an alliance of some 120 countries situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn that receive sunlight for 300 or more days in a year.

He also said that India remained at the forefront of the global fight against terrorism.

"Sustained Indian efforts have led to concrete action for reforming the UN Security Council," Mukherjee said.

"India has also provided strong leadership and new vision to regional and international groupings like BRICS, G-20, WTO, East Asia Summit, ASEAN and the SCO."

He said the government's policy towards the Indian diaspora has enhanced NRI and PIO engagement by making it easier for them to get passports and offered visa on arrival by extending Electronic Travel Authorisation facility to a large number of countries.

"Today, our citizens living and working abroad know that the government is committed to protecting their interests and helping them in distress. This was manifested in Operation Rahat, in which we successfully evacuated 4,748 Indians from Yemen."

"We also extended our assistance to other nationalities. We evacuated 1,962 foreigners belonging to 48 countries," the President said.
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and its political allies of trying to silence dissent, the New York Times Tuesday suggested that it may stall progress on economic reforms.

"India is in the throes of a violent clash between advocates of freedom of speech and the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its political allies on the Hindu right determined to silence dissent," it said in an editorial.

"This confrontation raises serious concerns about Mr. Modi's governance and may further stall any progress in Parliament on economic reforms," the influential US daily said.

The editorial titled "India's Crackdown on Dissent" traced the crisis to the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University's sStudents Union, by Delhi Police on charges of sedition.

Kumar's arrest, the Times noted, followed an on-campus rally on February 9 that marked the anniversary of the 2013 hanging of Muhammad Afzal, who was convicted of participating in the 2001 terrorist attack on India's Parliament House.

Referring to reports that lawyers and Bharatiya Janata Party's supporters assaulted journalists and students at a court in New Delhi where Kumar's hearing took place, the Times said: "Responsibility for this lynch-mob mentality lies squarely with Mr. Modi's government."

On Home Minister Rajnath Singh's reported comments that anyone raising anti-India slogans will not be spared, the Times said: "Mr. Singh apparently does not realise that, in a democracy, voicing dissent is a vital right, not a crime."

The influential daily said protesting journalists, students and faculty at universities across India "are right to voice their outrage at government threats to the exercise of their democratic rights."

"Mr. Modi must rein in his ministers and his party, and defuse the current crisis, or risk sabotaging both economic progress and India's democracy."

"The charge of sedition against Mr. Kumar should be dropped," the Times said citing a recent opinion piece by Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president of the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi.

Mehta, it noted, warned members of Modi's government "have threatened democracy; that is the most anti-national of all acts."

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
The government, law enforcing agencies, religious scholars and media have to work together to stop Indian Muslim youth from getting attracted to terror outfit Islamic State, eminent religious scholars said on Tuesday.

Maulana Sajjad Nomani, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani and others said fatwas, or edicts, alone can't prevent the youth from joining the ranks and called for going to the root of the problem.

Nomani, who is a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said that leaving the issue of stopping the youth to scholars is not fair.

Stating that injustice is the root of the problem, the scholars said the ulema have to come forward to ensure that the disgruntled youth follow the right path to get justice in a democratic way and in accordance with the constitution.

The scholars were addressing a select gathering of senior police officers and intellectuals at the end of a three-day international conference on life and teachings of Prophet Muhammed.

Telangana's Director General of Police Anurag Sharma was among the officers who attended the event, presided over by AIMPLB secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani.

Nomani narrated an incident of Maharashtra's Kolhapur in which some police officials were caught on camera while trying to frame a Muslim youth for alleged links with the IS. If the law enforcing agencies handle the issue like this, it would not be easy to stop the youth, he said.

He pointed out that hundreds of Islamic scholars across the world have given fatwas that those working for Islamic State don't represent true Islam. "They (IS) misunderstood Islam. They are misguided," he said.

The scholar said that IS a strong but misguided reaction to the repression let loose by the international forces and youth from the countries which witnessed severe repression got attracted to the organisation.

But unlike other countries, very few youth in India tried to join IS, he said.

The conference, attended by 300 scholars from India and abroad, passed eight resolutions. "The terror outfits like the ISIS are not even remotely associated with the idea of Islam. Their deeds and actions are absolutely un-Islamic and against humanity," said one of the resolutions.

Stating that Islamic law forbids killing of innocent people, a resolution called upon all to refrain from extremism and unjust use of power.

The conference, hosted by Al Mahadul Aali Al Islami (Institute for research and specialisation in Islamic sciences), decided to prepare and distribute among people literature on the life and ways of Prophet Muhammed.

"Muslims must follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammed and strike to make their live and social conduct according to the exemplary life of the Prophet. Muslims must respect the principles of peaceful interfaith coexistence and equality of human race," said another resolution.

Calling for respect of spiritual leaders of all faiths, the conference demanded a legislation to punish those who hurt religious sentiments through academic syllabi or any media.

It voiced concern that history books in India are tampering with the history and sometimes publishing baseless stories about Prophet Muhammed and his companions. It urged the government to look into the matter seriously and ensure that before publishing any religious matter about any faith, the scholars of those faiths are consulted.
Israel's defence minister said on Monday that Israel was preparing for the possibility of another round of fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon made the comments on board USS Carney, an American battleship currently located in Haifa amid a joint US-Israeli military drill, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We've been enjoying unprecedented quiet, Hamas hasn't fired one bullet," Ya'alon told reporters on Monday, referring to the relative quiet since the end of the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas.

The defence minister also acknowledged an increase in Hamas's strength.

"Hamas is trying to arm itself with rockets," Ya'alon said, noting Hamas were conducting tests on rockets that are fired into the sea. He also reckoned Hamas was building underground tunnels to carry out attacks against Israel.

"We've been preparing for the possibility that at some point will be opened in the south, and we'll have to deal with it ... We' re not stagnate and we operate both with defensive and offensive measures," he added.

More than 70 Israelis and over 2,000 Palestinians were killed in the 2014 war, since which there had been few, sporadic rocket attacks against southern Israeli communities -- believed by military officials to be mostly the work of Islamist groups within the strip.
Rome, Feb 23 (IANS/AKI) Italy's foreign ministry on Tuesday summoned US Ambassador John Phillips after local media reports cited new Wikileaks files that suggest the US spied on ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi and his closest aides from 2008-2011.

Italy wants clarification about the reports that Berlusconi and some of his aides' phones were tapped in 2011, the foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to articles published by left-leaning Italian newspaper La Repubblica and weekly magazine L'Espresso citing top-secret diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks on Tuesday.

The US National Security Agency allegedly monitored Berlusconi and his closest collaborators at a time when his last government was on the verge of collapse amid an unprecedented recession, the "Bunga bunga" sex scandals and US concerns about Berlusconi's 'special relationship' with Russia, according to La Repubblica and L'Espresso.

A 2011 leaked diplomatic cable quoted Berlusconi's personal adviser Valentino Valentini as calling "tense and very harsh towards the Rome government" an October 22 meeting between Berlusconi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

At the meeting, Merkel and Sarkozy were said to have brooked no excuses over Italy's unprecedented economic crisis and pressured Berlusconi to implement rigorous measures to tackle Italy's debt pile.

On October 24, Valentini indicated that European Union Council president Herman Van Rompuy had urged Italy to adopt policies aimed at reducing the impression within the EU that the country was weighed down by its vast debt "when it is also struggling with low productivity and showing little dynamism" according to the Wikileaks cables.

The documents also revealed that in a March 2010 conversation with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, Berlusconi promised to help the Jewish state mend ties with the US amid a diplomatic crisis triggered by Netanyahu's plans to build 1,600 houses in East Jerusalem.

According to the files, Berlusconi's national security adviser Bruno Archi, his diplomatic adviser Marco Carnelos and Italy's permanent representative to NATO, Stefano Stefanini, were also spied on by the NSA, whose mass surveillance programmes were exposed by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013.

Berlusconi's Forza Italia party whips in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, Renato Brunetta and Paolo Romani, urged Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government to report to parliament on the alleged spying.

Renzi must also demand answers from US President Barack Obama over the alleged surveillance, Brunetta told the lower house of parliament.

--IANS/AKI

vd
The Jat community in Rajasthan has called off its stir, a minister announced on Tuesday -- the third day of the agitation demanding reservations which saw a mob try to set afire the engine of a goods train.

"The Jat agitation has been called off following talks," Social Welfare Minister Arun Chaturvedi, who had been holding discussions with Jat leaders, said in Bharatpur, the epicentre of the stir in the state.

Prominent Jat leader and Congress legislator Vishwendra Singh said the state government accepted all the major demands of the community.

"I request my community members to lift the road and rail blockades," Vishwendra Singh said at a press conference in Bharatpur.

"We have requested the OBC Commission to visit the areas and study and assess the social and economic status of the Jat community soon in Bharatpur and Dholpur districts.

"The state government has accepted our demand and it (government) will urge the OBC Commission to visit the areas soon," he added.

The state government also agreed to give statutory status to the OBC Commssion.

"We will bring a bill in this regard in the next session of the assembly. Presently, this commission has been constituted on administrative orders," Chaturvedi said.

Jats in Rajasthan are classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC), except for Jats of Bharatpur and Dholpur districts. Jats in Bharatpur are now demanding that they also be classified as OBCs.

Earlier in the day, the protest badly affected road and railway traffic in Bharatpur district, over 170 km from state capital Jaipur.

A police officer told IANS that the protesters had resorted to road and train blockades in some places, mainly between Bharatpur to Mathura, Jaipur and Agra and roads connecting various towns in the district.

In Nadabi, Helak and Bharatpur city, protesters vandalised properties and shops, while in Khumer, they damaged two ATMS.

In Helak railway station, protesters tried to torch the engine of a goods train. They also tried to set ablaze a room in Paprera railway station.

However, police were able to douse the fire in both the cases.

Many trains in the Jaipur, Agra and Mathura sectors were cancelled while train traffic between the important Delhi-Mumbai sector was also affected.

Roads from Bharatpur to Delhi, Deeg, Alwar and Mathura were also blocked.

To maintain law and order, the district administration had earlier imposed prohibitory orders and blocked mobile internet and internet service in the district.

The protesters on Monday set ablaze a Rajasthan Roadways bus, and damaged another near Bharatpur city.
The Jat community in Rajasthan has called off their stir, a state minister announced on Tuesday -- the third day of the agitation demanding reservation which saw a mob try to set afire the engine of a goods train.

"The Jat agitation has been called off following talks," the state's Social Welfare Minister Arun Chaturvedi, who had been holding discussions with Jat leaders, said in Bharatpur, the epicentre of the stir in the state.

The protest badly affected road and railway traffic in Bharatpur district, over 170 km from state capital Jaipur.

Jats in Rajasthan are classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC), except for Jats of Bharatpur and Dholpur districts. Jats in Bharatpur are now demanding that they also be classified as OBCs.

Monday's talks between Chaturvedi and Jat community leaders failed to arrive at a solution.

A police officer told IANS that the protesters had resorted to road and train blockades in some places, mainly between Bharatpur to Mathura, Jaipur and Agra and roads connecting various towns in the district.

In Nadabi, Helak and Bharatpur city, protesters vandalised properties and shops, while in Khumer, they damaged two ATMS.

In Helak railway station, protesters tried to torch the engine of a goods train. They also tried to set ablaze a room in Paprera railway station.

However, police were able to douse the fire in both the cases.

Many trains in the Jaipur, Agra and Mathura sectors were cancelled while train traffic between the important Delhi-Mumbai sector was also affected.

Roads from Bharatpur to Delhi, Deeg, Alwar and Mathura were also blocked.

To maintain law and order, the district administration had earlier imposed prohibitory orders and blocked mobile internet and internet service in the district.

The protesters on Monday set ablaze a Rajasthan Roadways bus, and damaged another near Bharatpur city.
A mob tried to set ablaze the engine of a goods train in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district on Tuesday, as the Jat community continued its protest for the third day demanding reservation.

The protest badly affected road and railway traffic in Bharatpur district, over 170 km from state capital Jaipur.

Jats in Rajasthan are classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC), except for Jats of Bharatpur and Dholpur districts. Jats in Bharatpur are now demanding that they also be classified as OBCs.

Monday's talks between Rajasthan's Social Welfare Minister Arun Chaturvedi and Jat community leaders failed to arrive at a solution.

"The protesters have resorted to road and train blockades in some places, mainly between Bharatpur to Mathura, Jaipur and Agra and roads connecting various towns in the district," a police official told IANS on Tuesday.

Police resorted to baton-charge to control a mob in Deeg area of the district.

In Nadabi, Helak and Bharatpur city, protesters vandalised properties and shops, while in Khumer, they damaged two ATMS.

In Helak railway station, protesters tried to torch the engine of a goods train. They also tried to set ablaze a room in Paprera railway station.

However, police with the help of local administration officials were able to douse the fire in both the cases.

There were reports of stone pelting in some places.

Looking at the tense situation, the district administration has blocked mobile internet and internet service in the district.

Many trains in the Jaipur, Agra and Mathura sectors were cancelled while train traffic between the important Delhi-Mumbai sector was also affected.

Roads from Bharatpur to Delhi, Deeg, Alwar and Mathura were also blocked.

To maintain law and order, the district administration had earlier imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure banning unlawful assembly of people at public places.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has appealed to the Jat community to maintain peace.

The protesters on Monday set ablaze a Rajasthan Roadways bus, and damaged another near Bharatpur city.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who are facing sedition charges for allegedly raising "anti-India" slogans, have surrendered before police, sources said.

Both surrendered outside the west gate of JNU on Tuesday, sources said.

"Comrade Umar and Comrade Anirban have surrendered themselves to police. It's a moment of sadness for the campus because we have seen these activists for years standing with the students," Shehla Rashid, vice president of JNU Students Union (JNUSU) said in a statement.

"They have placed their faith in the law and we hope that they will be released soon. We also hope that Comrade Kanhaiya gets bail tomorrow," she said.

A case against Khalid and Bhattacharya was registered at Vasant Kunj police station.

According to the police sources, both have been taken to an undisclosed location. Both the students were accompanied by their lawyers and the representatives of JNU teachers association.

After the surrender of the students, their supporters gathered at Sabarmati Dhaba in the campus.
With his party in a buoyant mood in Punjab, AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will begin a five-day visit to the state from Thursday.

"Kejriwal will try to cover the length and breadth of the state comprising the Malwa, Majha and Doaba regions. He will begin from Sangrur and Bathinda districts," an AAP spokesman said here on Tuesday.

Kejriwal will visit Ferozepur and Faridkot districts on February 26, Khadoor Sahib, Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts on February 27, Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar districts on February 28 and finally go to Ludhiana, Fategarh Sahib and Patiala districts on February 29.

"Kejriwal will interact with various sections of the society comprising families of distressed farmers who have been committing suicides, members of Dalit families and unemployed educated youth and know the concerns of the women folk about their safety and security," the spokesman said.

Kejriwal will also interact with sections of youths who have taken to drugs, the spokesman said.

He will meet the business community, comprising traders and captains of industry, to know the problems faced by them in the state.

The Congress in Punjab had earlier said that it will oppose Kejriwal's visit if the Aam Aadmi Party does not change its agenda for the state.

"Kejriwal should not play with fire by instigating the sentiments of the people of Punjab. This is a very dangerous style of being done by the AAP," Congress leader and Ludhiana MP Ravnit Singh Bittu had said.

Kejriwal had addressed a major AAP rally last month at the Maghi religious fair in Punjab's Bathinda district.

The AAP is posing a serious political challenge to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance and the Congress, which have dominated Punjab's political space for decades, in the run up to next year's assembly polls.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had to face the wrath of locals and traders in Rohtak when he visited the violence-hit town on Tuesday.

Khattar was shown black flags by a section of traders and residents who also questioned him on his government's failure to deal with the violent Jat agitation.

The chief minister arrived in Rohitak, which saw the maximum violence and damage during the nine-day agitation, on Tuesday by helicopter as most areas of Haryana are still limping to normalcy.

"There are some forces behind the recent incidents. We will get it probed," Khattar said, addressing people in Rohtak. He left for Delhi after a while.

The chief minister said that the role of officers, especially from the police, would be probed and strict action taken if they were found wanting in carrying out their duties during the agitation.

Khattar said the role of "conspirators" behind the mindless violence would be probed.

"We will fully compensate the losses of people who have suffered," Khattar told the traders whose shops were looted and torched by the rioters.

Elsewhere, officials said traffic had been restored on the Delhi-Ambala national highway No. 1 (NH-1).

Three people were killed when Jat protesters blocked the highway on Monday, forcing security forces to open fire on them.

Traffic was also restored on the Delhi-Hisar NH-10, especially near Sampla town, police said.

Curfew was relaxed in Rohtak town and some other places.

Hisar and Kaithal districts remained tense after members of Jat and non-Jat communities headed for a clash. Army and paramilitary forces remained on high alert in both districts.

Despite the BJP promising reservation for the Jat community in Haryana and assuring that a bill will be brought in the next session of Haryana assembly, Jats have not ended their agitation at some places in Rohtak, Hisar, Sonipat and Jhajjar districts.

The army and paramilitary forces remained stationed in the violence-hit districts.

The violence led to 19 deaths, including three people killed in firing by security forces on rioters blocking the NH-1 in Sonipat district on Monday.

Over 200 people have been injured in the frenzy that has ravaged the state bordering Delhi. The loss to property is estimated to be in hundreds of crores.

The Jat community is demanding reservation under the OBC category in government jobs and educational institutions.

The Haryana government has decided to give full compensation for the damage caused to private property, residential or commercial.

It has also decided to give an ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakh to the next of kin of those innocent people killed in the agitation and employment to a member of the family of the deceased.
A 'bandh' (shutdown) called on Tuesday by the Left parties in Begusarai district of Bihar in support of JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar affected normal life.

Hundreds of Left parties leaders and workers took to the streets in the district, blocked roads at several places and disrupted train traffic at railway stations, demanding release of Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested in Delhi on charges of sedition.

"The bandh evoked a good response as normal life was badly hit," a district official said.

Kanhaiya Kumar hails from Begusarai. He was arrested on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy on February 12 after an event held on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in Delhi against the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Most of the shops, markets, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed.

According to reports reaching here, residents of Kanhaiya's native village, Bihat, joined the strike and demanded his release.

In Patna, Left parties took out a protest march demanding the release of Kanhaiya Kumar and withdrawal of sedition charges against other students of JNU.

CPI(M) leader Arun Mushra said here that Left parties also staged protest marches at all the district headquarters against the "attack on educational institutions by Hinduvta forces led by RSS, BJP and ABVP".

"Hinduvta forces have a single point programme to target Left parties' students in different campuses; JNU is the latest target," he said.

-- Indo-Asian News Service

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Independent legislator Engineer Rashid on Tuesday staged a peaceful sit-in outside the civil secretariat in Jammu against the alleged excesses of the police against protesting members of the Gujjar community in Samba district.

Engineer Rashid, member of the legislative assembly from Kashmir's Langate constituency, on Tuesday sat on protest along with about two dozen supporters in Jammu city.

"We sat on a peaceful 'Dharna' (sit-in) outside the civil secretariat in Jammu for nearly an hour," Engineer Rashid told IANS.

"After that we were proceeding to Vijaypur area when police stopped us and said we would not be permitted to go there," he said.

Muhammad Yaqoob, a protestor, was killed in Monday's clashes between the police and the protestors in Sarore area of Jammu district.

Protestors had torched an earth-mover machine and blocked the Jammu-Pathankot highway for a short while during Monday's protests.
Actor Gerard Butler's American action thriller film "London Has Fallen" will hit Indian screens on March 4.

The movie, a sequel to the 2013-release "Olympus Has Fallen", centres on an attack on London during the funeral of the British prime minister, who has died under mysterious circumstances.

Butler will reprise his role as an ultra-resourceful US Secret Service agent.

The film is distributed pan India by Panorama Studios and Niche Film Farm, read a statement.

"London Has Fallen", which also stars Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman in pivotal roles, is directed by Babak Najafi.
Amid the ongoing Jat agitation in Haryana, actress Mallika Sherawat has appealed to the Jat community to maintain peace.

The Jat protesters are demanding reservation under the OBC category in government jobs and educational institutions.

The "Murder" actress, who comes from a small village in Hisar district of Haryana , took to Twitter to make her appeal.

"My appeal to the jaat community to maintain peace and nonviolence #JaatReservation #jaatagitation #haryana," Mallika tweeted.

The actress is known for her bold performances in films such as "Khwahish" and "Murder", and was last seen on screen in the 2015 film "Dirty Politics".

Last week, actor Randeep Hooda, who belongs to the Jat community, also urged Jats to refrain from using violent measures and to seek a way out of the problem in a peaceful manner.
A dangerous situation may arise in the country if Mamata Banerjee's demand for granting citizenship to Bangladeshi immigrants living in India for more than five years is conceded.

The West Bengal chief minister has called for restoration of the district magistrates' former rights to grant citizenship which, in effect, may facilitate further immigration from Bangladesh.

The situation in West Bengal is so grim that as early as in the 1980s T.V. Rajeswar, a former IB director and former governor of the state, was forced to write in a mass circulation daily cautioning against heavy infiltration from Bangladesh.

His article averred that in the 1981 census the total population growth rate for West Bengal was 23.2 percent while that of the minority community was 29.6 percent. In the same census the overall yearly population growth of the state was 2.3 percent. But in the districts bordering Bangladesh the figures were higher: 2.7 percent in 24 Parganas, 3.3 percent in Nadia, 2.55 percent in Murshidabad, and 2.66 percent in both Malda and Jalpaiguri.

The same pattern continued in the 1991 census. The average population growth rate of West Bengal was 24.73 percent - quite an abnormally high figure. But the districts bordering Bangladesh showed even higher figures: North Dinajpore (34 percent), North 24 Parganas (31.69 percent), South 24 Parganas (30.24 percent), Murshidabad (28.20 percent) and Nadia (29.95 percent). This proved that illegal immigration from Bangladesh was continuing. It is continuing unchecked even today.

The issue is sensitive and must be handled with statesmanship. Banerjee is playing this card a bit rashly with an eye on the coming election as she has reasons to be somewhat worried about a probable Left Front-Congress electoral understanding. But she has picked up the right point from this complicated maze of population movement.

Although Rajeswar had mentioned the abnormal rise of minority population in the 1981 census, he had missed one vital point: exodus of the Hindus from Bangladesh since the birth of that nation. The hard truth is that both Hindus and Muslims are emigrating from Bangladesh to India and there is no point in giving it a communal character.

The only logical reason behind Banerjee's demand for granting citizenship to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants may be her fright that a significant quantum of votes which the BJP could garner in the last parliamentary election may be transferred this time to either the Left or the Congress.

In the last municipality elections, the BJP's share of votes had dwindled by about 50 percent and this portion had found its way to the Left kitty. As most of these municipalities are situated in the Indo-Bangladesh border areas, playing the "citizenship for the immigrants" card may have temptations.

It is likely that the BJP, too, will lap up this issue. During the last parliamentary poll campaign, Narendra Modi held out promises in this regard. Some time back Rajnath Singh, the union home minister, had lamented about the centre's inability on the issue as the BJP does not enjoy a majority in the Rajya Sabha.

The issue has now become a double edged weapon. On the one hand, voting patterns in large numbers of constituencies in 24 Parganas (North) , 24 Parganas (South), Kolkata, Nadia and several districts of north Bengal may be affected by majoritarian sentiments arising out of the issue. On the other hand. the minority community can also influence results in 60-odd constituencies.

West Bengal is now sitting on a powder keg and no one should try to disturb the fragile equilibrium that is still holding the social fabric together. There is no point in crying over Muslim immigration from Bangladesh. Hindus are also coming. In 1951, East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, had 22 percent Hindus. Now the number has come down to a mere seven percent. Where are they going ? The natural answer is India.

Moreover, Bangladesh being a Muslim majority country, it is but natural that there will be a considerable number of Muslims among the emigrants. Trying to give a communal colour to it will be unjust.

In 1951, West Bengal's population had 79.40 percent Hindus and 18.63 percent Muslims. In 1981 the number of Hindus decreased to 77.10 percent while that of the Muslims increased up to 21.55 percent. In 2001, the share of the Hindus in the total population further came down to 72.90 percent, but the Muslims' share jumped upto 25.37 percent.

As per the 2011 census, Hindus now constitute 72.5 percent of the population of the state. No doubt it shows a decline. This declining trend is noticeable in the minority community's share of the total population also at 25.2 percent. But the rate of decrease is slower.

Many experts have however expressed reservations about the sharp decrease in the population growth rate in West Bengal during 2001-2011. According to the 2011 census the growth rate was 17.84 percent in 2001 but nosedived to 13.84 percent in 2011.

Any attempt to give citizenship to Bangladeshi illegal immigrants may seriously jeopardize the political, social and economic life of the country as well as its security scenario too. West Bengal or the north eastern Indian states can no longer accommodate the Bangladeshis. So neither Mamata Banerjee nor any other political party should tinker with such an explosive situation.

(Amitava Mukherjee is a senior journalist and commentator. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted atamukherjee57@yahoo.com)
Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, on a six-day visit to India, on Tuesday landed at the desert district of Kutch in Gujarat, which 15 years ago was a face of devastation akin to what his home country was last year after a killer temblor, for a first-hand account of how the region rose like a Phoenix.

A battery of enthusiastic Gujarat government officials unfolded before Oli and his delegation the story of the unprecedented revival of the state's largest district that was completely reduced to rubble on the Republic Day, January 26, 2001.

The Nepalese team witnessed an audio-visual presentation of how Kutch was put together brick-by-brick from a near-impossible state to the spick and span picture it presents today. The presentation was by officials of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) and the Bhuj Area Development Authority (BADA).

Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli and Health Minister Shanker Chaudhary, who is in-charge of Kutch, were among those who witnessed the presentation.

The officials, led by GSDMA chief executive officer Anju Sharma, explained that the top priority was given to relief and rehabilitation of the people who were left with absolutely no resources and eked out a living under tarpaulin sheets.

Such was the devastation that the people had virtually no provisions to begin their morning chores. Thus, the first thing was to provide them essential commodities. They were soon put up in temporary sheds equipped with proper electricity and water supplies.

Sharma explained how a proper coordination network was put in place between the state government and the centre for quick decision-making on policy issues and how systems were put in place for disaster management and for ensuring complete transparency in the mammoth re-construction work.

Former GSDMA CEO P.K. Mishra recounted a slew of tough challenges before the administration. Giving instances, Mishra explained the kind of financial, public-oriented and administrative issues that cropped up during the rehabilitation work and how they were tackled.

He said the mammoth relief and rehabilitation of the sprawling district that suffered the most in the earthquake, could not have been possible without relentless international aid hand-in-hand with the joint efforts of the state and union governments.

The Nepalese prime minister was accompanied by his wife Radhika Sakya, Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa, Finance Minister Vishnuprasad Paudel, Home Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet and a host of top bureaucrats and officials.

The delegation also visited the Kutch Civil Hospital that was raised from scratch after the quake to a modern state-of-the-art facility and visited a rehabilitation site in Bhimasar village of Kutch district.

The Nepalese prime minister later departed for Mumbai, from where he will fly back home on Wednesday.

Some 19,000 people - 17,000 in Kutch alone - died in the temblor, whose intensity was placed at 6.9 on the Richeter scale by the Indian Meteorological Department and at 7.7 by the US Geological Survey. Some 166,000 people were injured and property worth crores of rupees was destroyed in the quake, which had its epicentre at Chobari in Bhachau taluka of Kutch district.

(Darshan Desai can be contacted at darshan.d@ians.in)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it could not tinker with the functioning of the intelligence agencies - RAW, Intelligence Bureau and others - including deployment of their funds as it may jeopardise the security of the country.

"These matter involve the security of the state. Interfering with them would threaten our very own existence," said a bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh as it declined a plea by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) seeking for some oversight over their functioning and spending of huge funds allocated to therm.

Making it clear that the working of the intelligence agencies came strictly within the domain of executive control, the court asked: "Water a is purely an executive issue. Why should court get into it?"

The court order came as Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the court that it should refrain from scrutinising the working of the intelligence agencies as he contested the claim of the petitioner that intelligence agencies were beyond the government control.

The government stand was the reiteration of its earlier stand that the government had an "enormous amount of control" over the working of the intelligence agencies including their finances.

The government had earlier told the court that a parliamentary sub-committee goes into their working and tables a report in the parliament which are not published.

Appearing for the NGO, activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan told the court that intelligence agencies together had an annual budget of over Rs.60,000 crores and there should be some "oversight" and aceaccountability" of the organisations like legislative control and auditing of their accounts by the CAG.

The intelligence agencies that the NGO CPIL was seeking to be brought under legislative scrutiny and the auditing of their accounts by CAG included the Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing and the National Technical Research Organisation.

The NGO had contended that these intelligence agencies were snooping on the privacy of the citizens and were operating without any legislative mandate.
The Odisha government on Tuesday accorded in-principle approval to three projects with an investment of Rs.420.35 crore.

The state level single window clearance authority (SLSWCA) held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aditya Parsad Padhi approved the proposals of Grid Construction Ltd, SOM Distilleries and Breweries Odisha Pvt Ltd and Bharat Petroleum Corporation.

Grid Construction Ltd. has proposed to set up aluminium conductors manufacturing unit with an investment of Rs.127.35 crore in the aluminium park at Angul. This unit would provide direct employment to 50 people, said Kalyan Mohanty, general manager of Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa Limited (IPICOL).

SOM Distilleries and Breweries Odisha Pvt Ltd. proposed to set up 10 lakh hectoliters capacity brewing industry and 10.8 lakh hectoliters per annum capacity bottling plant near Khordha with a total investment of Rs.193 crore, while the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd proposed to set up a LPG bottling plant at Bolangir with a total investment of Rs.100 crore, said Mohanty.

These two plants are expected to create 493 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

Padhi advised IPICOL and state level technical committee to promote more employment intensive and downstream industries in the state.
Pakistan's parliament on Tuesday earned the unique distinction of becoming the world's first legislature whose entire electricity needs are met by solar power.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated the solar power plant at the Parliament House in Islamabad, The News International reported.

With the formal inauguration of the 1.8 MW solar power plant, the entire electricity system of the Parliament House has now been completely shifted to solar power -- making it the first and only such parliament building in the world.

The solar panels installed on the roof of the Parliament House are estimated to help save about 28 million Pakistani rupees ($267,265) worth of annual electricity bills.

Speaking on the occasion, Sharif said 2018 would be the year that marks the end of the energy crisis in Pakistan. He said he was personally monitoring power projects, some of which would be completed this year while the remaining would be completed the next year.

He vowed to end Pakistan's energy crisis before the end of his term.

Last year, the Chinese government had provided a grant to set up the solar power system as an alternative source of energy to meet electricity needs of the Parliament House here.
Pakistan's parliament on Tuesday became the first in the world to totally switch to green energy with a solar power production project.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attended a switch-on ceremony at the parliament where Senate chairman Raza Rabbani, National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq, ministers, parliamentarians and other officials were also present, Dawn reported.

On April 21, 2015, the inauguration ceremony for the project was jointly attended by Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was on a two-day official visit to the country.

Speaking on the occassion, Sharif thanked the Chinese government for its support in the materialising the Green Parliament Project and termed it a testimony of the solid friendship between the two countries, and urged the public and private sectors to follow the exemplary project.

He said, "Pakistan has launched a number of power projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative, which will help Pakistan overcome its energy crises. Pakistan, with the Chinese cooperation, will be able to control its energy woes in 2018."

The environment-friendly project that was completed on December 7 last year has zeroed the electricity bill of the Parliament House.
Busto Arsizio (Italy), Feb 23 (IANS/AKI) Police in northern Italy on Tuesday arrested a Pakistani Muslim and five members of his family for allegedly enslaving his young wife, starving and keeping her prisoner and preventing her from washing.

The unnamed bearded, traditionally-clad immigrant and the five others were arrested from the family home in Busto Arsizio.

The man's wife is now staying at a secret location in a shelter for abused women.

For over four years, the man and his family had allegedly kept his wife a prisoner in the Busto Arsizio apartment, forcing her to rise at 6 a.m., do chores, cook, clean, wash dishes and iron all day for the family, even when ill or pregnant, local daily Varese News reported.

She was not allowed to do anything without her husband and his family's permission, including even going to the bathroom, eating, drinking or washing. On one occasion, she was beaten because she cooked a meal for the whole family without being asked, the daily reported.

If the family went out, the woman was shut in a room while the kitchen was kept locked to prevent her "stealing" food. On the rare occasions she was allowed out of the house, she was always escorted by family members and attended few ante-natal appointments during her two pregnancies, it said.

The woman was only rarely being allowed to see her father and two brothers, who lived locally, and was only permitted to phone her mother in Pakistan with the loudspeaker switched on and her husband and in-laws listening, according to Varese News.

In 2012, when her first child was born premature by emergency caesarian section at seven months gestation, the family did not allow the woman to return to hospital to see the baby, who died aged five months, Varese News said.

--IANS/AKI

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Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday reviewed the proposals cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council since the NDA government came to power.

"A total of 81 capital acquisition schemes have matured since June 2014," a defence ministry official said.

Maturing of an order means the contract has been signed or supply order has been given.

The cleared proposals cost around Rs.1,50,000 crore.

However, there are 314 cases which have "not yet fructified", the official said.

Of these, 86 cases worth approximately Rs.1,50,000 crore are close to the final stage of approval.

"The defence minister directed that all concerned should make concerted efforts to get these cases cleared in the next 4-5 months," the official said, referring to the 86 cases.

Parrikar also advised the services to review and weed out acquisition proposals which may not be relevant any longer.
Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said that the President's address to parliament on Tuesday reflected richly the Modi government's work for development of the rural poor and the under-privileged.

"President's address reflects Modi government's commitment to the welfare of villages, poor, farmers and youth. It gives confidence to the nation that the government which started with 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas', is on right track," Javadekar said in his tweets.

He requested all political parties to let parliament transact its business smoothly during the Budget session.

"To repay the debt of freedom fighters, all parliamentarians are duty bound to ensure smooth running of parliament. Congress is desperate, depressed and is not reconciled that it is not in power," Javadekar said.

"Last 2 Paras of president's address are important. He asserted that running of Parliament is everybody's responsibility," Javadekar said in another tweet.
Actor Purab Kohli, who is currently shooting for the upcoming film "Rock On 2", will be spending some quality time with his family in London as he turned 37 on Tuesday.

"It's great that there's some exciting work happening at the moment but I'm longing for some time off too and what better day to take a holiday on your birthday," Purab said in a statement.

The "Airlift" star says that once he is finished with work, he would head straight to Londoan to spend time with his new-born daughter Inaya and his fiancee Lucy Payton.

"I wrap up a shoot for an ad-film at 12 am on my birthday and head straight to airport and jump on a flight. Luckily there is a five and a half hours' time difference so I'll still get most of the day there with the family," he said.
Superstar Rajinikanth on Monday underwent a routine health checkup in a private hospital here following his return from a hectic schedule of his upcoming Tamil film "Kabali" in Malaysia.

"He went to MIOT hospital with his daughter in the morning. They were allotted a special ward and following a routine health checkup, he was discharged in the evening," a source from the hospital told IANS.

The 65-year-old star has been advised complete rest for one week, the source added.

Rajinikanth will next join the sets of filmmaker Shankar's magnum opus "2.o", a sequel to Tamil blockbuster "Enthiran".

"2.o" marks the Tamil debut of Bollywood star Akshay Kumar.
A day after BJP leader Subramanian Swamy moved the Supreme Court seeking construction of Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, an All India Muslim Personal Law Board member on Tuesday described it as a political issue raked up before every election.

"The issue is raked up before every election. It's a political issue," Maulana Sajjad Nomani told reporters here.

"When the matter is before the court, all should wait for the final judgment. Before that we would not like to be provoked on non-issues," he said when his reaction was sought on Swamy's petition.

The member of the apex body of Indian Muslims said there was need to focus on real issues like price rise, economic slowdown, and lack of jobs for youth.

Swamy on Monday filed a petition, seeking construction of Ram temple. The court said that the matter would be listed before the bench already hearing other matters relating to Ram temple-Babri Masjid dispute.

Swamy also sought direction for the expeditious hearing of the appeals pending before the apex court challenging the Allahabad High Court order.

Describing as "strange and surprising" the judgment by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court directing that the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmbhoomi disputed site be divided in three parts between the three contending parties, the apex court had on May 9, 2011, stayed the verdict.

Asked about the row at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, Maulana Nomani said such issues were diverting attention from real problems faced by the country.

"We need to find out why our youth are not happy. They are our children. We should have a dialogue with them," he said.

The religious scholar feels beating up youth in courts is not in tune with the democratic principle of India. He said this would further distance the youth.

Referring to the resignation of a producer of Zee News channel, he said this proved that no anti-national slogans were raised at JNU campus. When a reporter insisted that anti-national slogans were raised, he remarked: "When it is proved that such slogans were raised we will say the slogans were wrong."

On the issue of reservation, he said the current policy of reservation is based on religion.

"The Presidential Order of 1950 says that scheduled castes and scheduled tribes shall get reservation as long as they are Hindus but if they accept other religions, they will not get it. This is a clear case of discrimination on the basis of religion," he said.

Maulana Nomani said all political parties and secular forces in one voice should demand a "correction" in the constitution.

"Unless we correct the constitution, nobody will hear our demand," he said when asked about his stand on the demand for reservation for economically backward among Muslims.
Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra on Tuesday said that restoration of full water supply in the national capital may take a week but partial piped water supply will start in most of the affected areas of the city by Wednesday.

"Water supply in Delhi can be restored fully only after damaged Munak Canal is repaired completely. The repairing of the canal is going on and it may take a week. A team of Delhi Jal Board is already at the site of damaged canal," Mishra told IANS.

He however said that partial piped water supply will start in most of the affected areas of the national capital from Wednesday.

"We have received 120 MGD water from Haryana so from tomorrow morning most of the areas in Delhi will get piped water supply. This supply will be limited as they will only receive 25 percent of the water they get in normal days," Mishra said.

As per existing agreements, Haryana supplies 580 MGD (1,100 cusecs) of water to Delhi from the Munak canal and other sources.

The Munak canal in Haryana, which supplies water to many parts of Delhi, had to be shut down after it was vandalised by a section of demonstrators demanding reservations in government jobs and educational institutions for the Jat community in the state.

The water supply will be restored partially in parts of north, central and old Delhi as Chandrawal and Wazirabad plants have started working.

"Chandrawal plant is fully functional while Wazirabad and Okhla plants were operating at 90 percent and 50 percent capacities respectively. Evening water supply to be restored in parts of north, central, old Delhi and NDMC," Mishra said, stressing the crisis was not yet over and advising the people to consume water carefully.

He said that as repair work of the Munak canal was going on so it was difficult to start Dwarka plant so the area will witness partial water supply.

"Tankers will be diverted from the areas where we can provide piped supply to (the) areas like Dwarka and other parts of west Delhi," Mishra tweeted.

"Bawana, Nangloi, Haiderpur plants are partially functional. Morning supply will be restored in areas like Rohini, Paschim Vihar, west-Delhi," he tweeted.

People had to face hardship as taps ran dry in several areas of central Delhi.

"There is no water supply at my house for last two-three days. It is very hard to manage without water. I hope this problem is sorted out soon," Shama, a housewife and a resident of Chandni Chowk told IANS.
Late British actor Alan Rickman's final film as an actor, "Eye in The Sky", will release in India on March 18.

Rickman, who carved out a niche for himself with his distinctive screen presence and voice, was best known for playing Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series and terrorist Hans Gruber in "Die Hard". He died on January 14, earlier this year at the age of 69.

Directed by Gavin Hood, the film also stars Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi among others, read a statement.

"Eye in The Sky" follows a secret drone mission headed by Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) who plays a Britain based military officer set out to stop terrorists in Kenya from conducting further suicide bombing missions. However, things go haywire when a 9-year-old girl enters the kill zone and the officer and her team have to make a tough choice to tackle this sensitive situation.

The film will be released in India by Pictureworks.
Solar power was becoming increasingly affordable and accessible to thousands of people, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday while addressing the joint session of both houses of parliament ahead of the budget session.

"Today, under my government, solar power is affordable and accessible to thousands of people," Mukherjee said.

The President added that the government has envisaged increasing the renewable energy capacity manifold to 175 GW by 2022.

"In the year 2015 India witnessed the highest ever generation of electricity," he said.
President on Tuesday said the launch of the Startup India Campaign will deepen, expand and support the innovation ecosystem in the country.

"My government has launched Startup India campaign which would deepen, expand and support innovation ecosystem in the country," he said.

The President was addressing the joint sitting of both houses of parliament, marking the traditional launch of the budget session.



He said the government's mission of skilling India has gained momentum and 76 lakh people were trained last year.

Talking about the financial assistance to the farmers, Mukherjee said: "Assistance to farmers afflicted by the natural calamities has been increased by 50 percent and eligibility norms have been relaxed."
Syria's foreign ministry on Tuesday announced the government's consent to a cessation of hostilities as agreed upon by the US and Russia.

The ministry said the military campaign against the Islamic State (IS) terror group and the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front will continue in accordance with the US-Russian agreement, Xinhua news agency reported.

It however warned that the Syrian army has the right to respond to any violation by the opposition forces against the people, or the military forces.

Also, the ministry said it will continue to coordinate with the Russian side to identify the areas and the armed groups that will be included in the cessation of hostilities "to ensure the success of agreement".

Meanwhile, the ministry stressed the importance of controlling the borders and halting the support some countries render to the armed groups "to avoid such groups from exploiting the cessation of hostilities agreement."

"The Syrian government, through its acceptance, stresses its keenness to see a curb to the bloodletting in Syria and restore peace and stability," the ministry added.

On Monday, Russia and the US agreed to enforce a cessation of hostilities starting from February 27.
Riyadh, Feb 22 (IANS/AKI) Syria's opposition on Monday began talks in the Saudi Arabian capital ahead of United Nations mediated peace talks in Geneva, media close to the opposition reported.

The reports said the talks were expected to centre on the necessary conditions for a ceasefire allowing the resumption of humanitarian aid to besieged areas of Syria. As many as 13.5 million Syrians in need of aid, including six million children, according to the Red Cross.

Fighting has intensified in Syria during recent weeks and a Friday deadline for a truce was not observed.

A ceasefire and the resumption of aid deliveries has become a de facto precondition for substantive peace talks to start on a future government for Syria.

UN special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura 3 February announced a "temporary pause" in peace talks in Geneva after just three days.

Analysts said there were no tangible results achieved amid still wide disagreement between President Bashar Al Assad's government and the opposition, exacerbated by airstrikes and a wide military offensive by Syrian troops and their allies.

Russia and the US are jointly chairing the latest round of peace talks which were due to resume in Geneva on February 25, a date De Mistura called "unrealistic" in an interview on Friday with a Swedish daily.

More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed in the five-year-long conflict. Some 11 million others have been forced from their homes, of whom four million have fled abroad - including growing numbers who are making the dangerous journey to Europe.

--IANS/AKI

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Taliban militants on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 14 people in Parwan province.

A Taliban suicide bomber targeted police patrol team in Siagurd district of Parwan province on Monday, Xinhua cited the group as saying.

Those killed included six police personnel and seven civilians in addition to the bomber, a police official said.

The suicide bombing in Siaguard district of Parwan province took place just one day before holding the four-nation talks in Kabul on Tuesday.

The four-nation talks will discuss the Afghan peace process and find a roadmap for bringing Taliban into negotiating table to end lingering crisis through dialogue.

Taliban militants, according to local observers, would intensify their activities ahead of proposed peace talks and possible sitting with government on negotiating table.
Actress Meenakshi Dixit, who is impressed by the spate of recent Tamil films, feels the industry is always ready to push the envelope in terms of content, which places it globally next to Hollywood.

"In the last few years, Tamil films have been constantly experimenting. Their willingness to experiment has paid off well. Globally, the industry, in my opinion, deserves to be placed next to Hollywood," Meenakshi told IANS.

Last seen in Tamil period comedy "Thenaliraman", Meenakshi's next release will be horror-drama "Bayam Oru Payanam".

Talking about the film, she said: "This is my first tryst with the horror genre. Although I don't play the ghost, I essay a very real and emotional character in the film," she said, adding that she plays a housewife and a mother and the story is about the "journey of emotions".

Not a fan of the horror genre, Meenakshi says she had to cope with the character's hangover.

"I'm a thinker. Everything that I read, see and experience goes directly to my head. And even without my knowledge, I start thinking about it. It wasn't easy to detach from the character," she said.

In the film, which is directed by Manisharma, Vishakha Singh plays the ghost.

"It's not your regular horror comedy. This is a very serious, character-driven film with twists and turns," she added.

Meenakshi also has Tamil film "Takkar" and Kannada film called "Local Train" in her kitty.

In Bollywood, she awaits the release of Randeep Hooda-starrer "Yeh Laal Rang".
It is "inevitable" that another terrorist attack will occur in Australia, a former leading military advisor has said on Tuesday.

David Kilcullen, who was an advisor to the US military in Iraq, said those who thought the government could prevent an attack were in "dream land", and that terrorist activity was bound to happen on Australian soil, Xinhua reported.

"It is inevitable that we are going to see at least some time of terrorist attack on Australian soil. The question is how bad it will be, how we will respond and how we focus on recovery from that attack," Kilcullen said on Tuesday.

"We have to be realistic. If you think the government will protect you from any kind of terrorist attack, you're living in dream land."

Kilcullen said Islamic State (IS) was constantly encouraging disunity and hate within communities, something that could lead to more and more "lone wolf" terror attacks in countries outside Middle East war zone.

"The people we're dealing with, their specialisation is provoking conflict and trying to get different groups of people fighting each other," he said.

However, Australia's Justice Minister Michael Keenan refuted the claims and said the government was constantly evaluating and stopping threats before they turn into an attack on Australia.

"There have been terrorist attacks in Australia... but our agencies have stopped a further six, so we are very successful in stopping these things occurring in Australia but our response has been appropriate to the scale of the threat that we face here," Keenan said.
The military junta-led Thai government has turned down a dialogue offer by exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to put an end to the decade-long political crisis in the country, the media reported on Tuesday.

Thaksin, ousted in a 2006 coup, extended an invitation last weekend to the country's military leaders to hold talks to help steer Thailand on a democratic path.

Senior officials said the main reason they declined the meeting is that the former prime minister, who escaped a 2008 court ruling over abuse of power while serving as premier, is a convict, and as a result is in no position to initiate negotiations with lawmakers, The Bangkok Post reported.

"It's difficult for the police to talk with a person wanted in criminal cases," said Deputy Prime Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn on Monday.

In a couple of interviews from Singapore, Thaksin had criticised the reforms process initiated by the junta and warned against it turning into a farce and leading to an anti-democratic regime, EFE news reported.

Since the 2006 military coup, Thailand has witnessed periods of instability with street protests and stand-offs between Thaksin's supporters and detractors.

Besides political instability, Thailand is also currently facing economic problems, with foreign investment having fallen by 80 percent last year.

The country has witnessed 19 attempted or successful coups since the abolition of absolute monarchy in 1932.
Theft of corpses is on the rise in rural Shanxi as the old custom of "ghost marriage" has resurfaced in the northern Chinese province.

Shanxi's Hongtong County has reported at least three dozen thefts of female corpses in the last three years, Xinhua news agency quoted police officer Lin Xu as saying.

In ghost marriage rituals, female skeletons are reinforced with steel wires and clothed before they are buried alongside dead bachelors as "ghost brides."

Failure to find a burial partner for unmarried male relatives is thought to bring bad luck, according to rural folk belief.

Ghost marriage rituals were practiced throughout China's feudal dynasties and were especially popular in the 10th century during the Song Dynasty.

The government ordered people to cease the practice after the founding of the People's Republic in 1949. However, rural Chinese people, who tend to uphold old customs and rituals, have continued the practice using pictures or dummies made of paper or dough.

As wealth has increased, the practice of using real corpses has returned to some rural areas of Shanxi, Henan and Shaanxi provinces.

Chang Sixin, deputy director of the China Folk Literature and Art Association, said there were even matchmaking agents and companies to pair dead bachelors with the corpses of women.

In Quting Village, Jing Gouzi bought a corpse to accompany his older brother, who had remained single until death, in burial.

"I thought of using a woman made of dough, but the old men in our village insisted only real bodies could prevent misfortune," said the villager.

According to Chinese criminal law, those who steal or defile a corpse are subject to up to three years in prison. The light punishment has failed to deter corpse traffickers seeking profit.

A fresh female corpse can fetch up to 100,000 yuan (about $15,600), and even a body that has been buried for decades can be sold for around 5,000 yuan.

Corpse theft is difficult to investigate as it is hard to find evidence, police said.
The toll in severe tropical cyclone Winston has risen to 28 in Fiji, the media reported on Tuesday.

Besides, at least 21 people were suffering serious injuries, Xinhua quoted Akapusi Tuifagalele, director of Fiji's National Disaster Management Office, as saying.

The toll may rise further as police were trying to get confirmation on some reports of missing persons.

Over 8,400 people were housed in evacuation centres around the country, Tuifagalele said.

Many people have been stranded and urgently need food and shelter following Winston, a category 5 cyclone, which swept through Fiji last Saturday and left a path of destruction.

The government has been working to coordinate rescue and relief efforts, and has established bank accounts to receive financial donations to help those affected by Winston, considered the strongest tropical cyclone Fiji has so far experienced.

The United Nations has begun its assessment of the needs for international assistance to Fiji, and the UN's Pacific Humanitarian Team was reaching out to the authorities in a bid to determine what expertise and support were needed.

Meanwhile, several countries have extended a helping hand to the Pacific island country.

The Red Cross Society of China extended an emergency humanitarian aid of $100,000 to the Fiji Red Cross Society on Monday.

Expressing heartfelt gratitude for the "timely donation", Cathy Wong, president of the Fiji Red Cross Society said China was the first country to donate to Fiji.

A New Zealand plane landed in Fiji late Monday, carrying relief supplies and a joint team comprising military, fire service and health staff.

China's Ministry of Commerce has declared that it was working on a plan to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Fiji.

Both Australia and New Zealand have pledged to provide disaster relief fund to Fiji.

The US Agency for International Development is providing an initial $100,000 in humanitarian aid to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for critical relief supplies and basic water, sanitation and hygiene assistance to Fiji.
A section of students at Jadavpur University here took out a torch rally on Tuesday calling for consolidation of campus democracy against fascist expansion in the wake of recent events at JNU.

Eschewing any organisational affiliation, at least 50 students walked with blazing torches urging others to remain united.

With slogans like "moshal diye korbo sesh lej gutiye RSS" (the torches will force RSS to fold), they also encouraged more debates on the issue of campus democracy.

The university was at the centre of a raging controversy last week.

Pro-Afzal Guru slogans were heard and posters put up "seeking independence" for Kashmir and demanding "freedom" for Manipur and Nagaland during protests against the Narendra Modi government's handling of the Jawaharlal Nehru University row and the arrest of student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

Jadavpur University vice chancellor Suranjan Das has come under fire from the BJP for refusing to lodge a police complaint against the students saying the university will maintain its tradition of autonomy and be open to debates and discussions.
With two wins in three states under his belt, a triumphant Donald Trump rolls into Nevada as a hot favourite in the Republican presidential nomination contest Wednesday with Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz fighting for the second place.

The real estate mogul, an easy winner of primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina, is ahead by double digits in Nevada caucuses or party meetings, and leading in 10 of the 14 states set to vote in Republican primaries or caucuses over the next two weeks.

According to Real Clear Politics, his biggest lead is in Massachusetts, where he is 35 points ahead of Florida senator Marco Rubio.

Trump's lowest margin of victory is predicted to come in Minnesota, where he leads Rubio by 6 points. But in Texas Senator Ted Cruz's home state, Trump trails him by 6.7 percent.

The candidates are now revving up their campaigns for Super Tuesday, March 1, when voters in 12 states go to the polls.

Ohio Governor John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson also remain in the Republican race but are not likely to make any great impression in Nevada.

Rubio, who edged out Cruz for second place in South Carolina, said that primary turned the Republican presidential race into a three-person contest.

As in South Carolina, Rubio's campaign strategy relies heavily on endorsements from local lawmakers and celebrities.

Cruz, seeking to recover from a disappointing third place in South Carolina, has stressed the fact that he is the one candidate who has prevailed in a contest with Trump: a February 1 triumph in the Iowa caucuses.

The Texas senator also announced on Monday he was firing spokesman Rick Tyler for spreading false information on social media that Rubio had mocked the Bible.

Trump has called Cruz a "liar". Rubio and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson have also riled him for his ethics ever since Cruz's victory in Iowa.

The Nevada contest comes as an increasing number of Republicans say Trump may well be the nominee, whether the so-called establishment likes it or not.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, self-styled Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders accused frontrunner Hillary Clinton of copying his message. He also suggested that she might be improperly influenced by Wall Street donations to her candidacy.

Sanders, who is giving a tough fight to Clinton thanks to the support of young people and working-class whites, is hoping to bounce back after a close five-point defeat in Saturday's Nevada caucuses.

"I have to say that I am delighted that Secretary Clinton, month after month after month, seems to be adopting more and more of the positions that we have advocated. That's good," he said at a news conference in Boston Monday.

Clinton was "beginning to use a lot of the language and phraseology that we have used", he was quoted as saying by the New York Times. "In fact, I think I saw a TV ad and thought it was me. But it turned out it was Secretary Clinton's picture in the end."

Sanders went on to imply that Clinton's stances on issues were not as genuine as his own.

"But the people of Massachusetts and the people of the United States need to know the difference between hastily adopted campaign rhetoric and the real record and long-held ideas of the candidates," Sanders said.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
Abu Dhabi, Feb 23 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has chaired a meeting of the Arab League Council's committee for legal affairs which brought together heads of foreign ministries.

Head of the Legal Affairs Department at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Yaqoub Yousef Al Housani, chaired the meeting on Monday.

The participants discussed bills on the statutes of Arab League's administrative court and the Arab council of ministers in charge of meteorology, a proposed intra-Arab customs cooperation agreement, and a bill on amendments to the statute of the council of Arab information ministers.

The committee will present proposed bills at the next meeting of the council of Arab foreign ministers.

--IANS/WAM

ksk/vm
A new photograph exhibition launched here by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) celebrated green citizens, from Indigenous Nicaraguans to a fisherman in France.

The exhibition "Green Citizens: Pathfinders for Change", which opened on Monday, was in part inspired by the conviction that "without education, climate change will be invisible," Xinhua quoted Armelle Arrou, Unesco's head of public relations, as saying.

The show also "aims to inspire others... to achieve change on the ground at the local level," said Arrou.

The photographs tell stories of everyday people doing their part for sustainable development around the world.

They include the story of a fisherman in Erquy, France, who realised that he had to make the difficult decision to reduce fishing to preserve the precious resource for the future.

In Erquy, fishing has been limited to two periods of 45 minutes each week, from October to May.

In Sidou, Senegal, the exhibit documents the stories of a farmer who realised it was important not to cut down trees in his fields if he wanted to protect the pastures where his cows graze, and of the woman who are helping plant trees to reforest the area.

"Each of those projects come from very different backgrounds treating not only environmental issues but also sustainable development," said Arrou.

The exhibition also has an online educational component for teacher and students, she said.
The US and Russia announced on Monday the plan for a cessation of hostilities in Syria that will begin on February 27, the US State Department said.

In a joint statement, the two countries said the ceasefire agreement will not apply to "Daesh", also known as the Islamic State (IS), "Jabhat al-Nusra", or other terrorist organisations designated by the UN Security Council.

Any party engaged in conflicts in Syria will indicate to Russia or the US their commitment to and acceptance of the terms for the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12.00 (Damascus time) on February 27, said the joint statement issued by the State Department.

"I am gratified to see the final arrangements concluded today for a cessation of hostilities in Syria and call on all parties to accept and fully comply with its terms," US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

If implemented and adhered to, Kerry said, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people, Xinhua news agency reported.

Russia and the US are prepared to work together to exchange information and develop procedures necessary for preventing parties participating in the ceasefire from being attacked by Russia, the US-led anti-IS coalition, and the Syrian government, said the joint statement.

Russian and the US military actions, including airstrikes, will continue against IS, "Jabhat al-Nusra," and other terrorist organisations.

Moscow and Washington will also establish a communication hotline and, if necessary and appropriate, a working group to exchange relevant information after the cessation of hostilities has gone into effect.

"This is a moment of promise, but the fulfilment of that promise depends on actions," Kerry said. "We are all aware of the significant challenges ahead."
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said he believes in freedom of expression, and hence a protester should be allowed to protest.

Reacting to slogans against him at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, instead of intervening, Kejriwal said the protester should be allowed to protest.

The man raised a slogan "Aarakshan virodhi Kejriwal", when the Aam Aadmi Party leader was speaking at a protest march.

"Let him protest. We believe in freedom of expression. When did I say I am against reservation? I have always supported it," said Kejriwal.

Kejriwal was addressing people at Jantar Mantar after a protest march condemning the "institutional killing" of 26-year-old Rohith Vemula, a research scholar at the University of Hyderabad.

Hundreds of students and faculty members of various universities took part in the march from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar.
The Shiv Sena on Tuesday expressed concern over the stability of the country in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments on Sunday that certain forces were trying to "defame and destabilise" his government.

"The governments come and go, but the country must remain stable," said Shiv Sena in an editorial titled 'Modi ki Vedna' (Modi's pain) in its mouthpiece 'Saamna'.

Modi is right in feeling besieged by problems created by treacherous Pakistan as well as "disgruntled NGOs and black-marketers," says the editorial.

It pointed out how the incidents of terror attacks seem to have suddenly increased after Modi's surprise visit in December to Pakistan to meet his counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

"Modi's intentions were honest and magnanimous towards a neighbour. But, our view is that Pakistan stabbed him in the back with the Pathankot terror strike," the Sena said, reiterating its earlier stance on the issue.

The party said the allegations by Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan that the absconder mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar was present at the Modi-Sharif meeting and even the subsequent Pathankot attack are part of "a conspiracy to defame and destabilise" the government.

"Modi believed that his meeting with Sharif would silence the guns on the borders and end domestic extremism, but what has actually happened is contrary to his hopes," the Sena noted.

Close on the heels of the Pathankot strike, terror activities have suddenly increased in Jammu and Kashmir, and last month claimed the lives of 25 Indian soldiers and para-military troopers.

Almost daily, the coffins carrying bodies of our oldiers are being dispatched to different states in the country, which has incited anti-Pakistan sentiments among the people, the Sena noted.

There are other incidents like the homage paid to the executed terrorist Afzal Guru in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the violent Jat agitation for reservations, and the terror outfit Islamic State raising its flag in Kashmir and challenging the Modi government.

"We cannot tolerate all this... It is not just tarnishing the image of the Modi government, but the entire country. Who is behind all this and creating hurdles in the way of the government?" the Sena asked.

"In view of the recent developments, will the country remain stable?" the Sena wondered, adding it wished longevity and stability to the government.
As it geared up to roll out its all-new hatchback Tiago from its Sanand facility near here, the Tata Motors faced a flash strike of over 400 workers demanding reinstatement of their suspended colleagues, an official said on Tuesday.

Ahmedabad Deputy Labour Commissioner M.S. Patel told reporters outside the Tata Motors plant that in all 422 employees out of the total 2,200 working at the plant went on strike on Monday night.

"They want the management to reinstate their colleagues," he said.

Patel said the trouble broke out about two months ago when two workers were suspended "on disciplinary grounds".

"While one had allegedly abused his supervisor, the other was suspended for having walked into another department. The workers went on flash strike but we had immediately intervened and resolved the issue," he said.

However, later when the management failed to keep its promise of reinstating the two suspended workers, their remaining colleagues began demanding immediate reversal of suspension order.

"The management says that the workers scratched and damaged over 50 vehicles in the plant and so they had to suspend 26 more people on Monday night. This saw the remaining workers going on a flash strike," he said.

He said the key problem for his department is that Tata Motors plant, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city, does not have a organised labour union.

"Though all of them are salaried and permanent employees of the plant, there is no single leader. They have a panel of seven people with whom we are now trying to have a dialogue," he said.

Meanwhile, an statement from Tata Motors said around 300 workmen at their Sanand plant went on an "illegal" strike on Monday "demanding re-instatement of the workmen suspended (pending enquiry) for serious misconduct".

"While the management team is continuing to make efforts to talk to the workmen on strike and convince them to restore normalcy, plant operations are simultaneously continuing," it said.

The company said that there have been "continued agitations for further monetary increases as well as protests against disciplinary actions against those instigating the workmen, resulting in serious threat to company personnel as well as losses due to tampering".

It said that viewing these "as attempts to coerce the management, around 20 workmen have been suspended (pending enquiry) on various changes of serious misconduct".

The Sanand plant came into the limelight in November 2008 when on the invitation of then Gujrat chief minister Narendra Modi, the company moved the plant to manufacture the Rs.1 lakh dream car Nano from Singur in West Bengal.

However, the run has not been rosy for the dream car. Beginning its operations in 2010, the Sanand plant of Tata has seen several hiccups in the production of Nano.

Against the installed capacity of 250,000 cars per annum, it is reported to have produced roughly 42,560 Nano cars in the two years between January 2014 and December 2015, after the demand for what was once dubbed the cheapest car in the world fell dramatically.
For the last two months I have been in Los Angeles basking in the unseasonable heat and looking incredulously at the presidential election race, which has seen extraordinary heat and upended all the expectations of the pundits. Starting from about two per cent in June 2015, the two insurgents - the Republican Donald Trump and the Democrat Bernie Sanders - have seen their poll numbers rise to over 30 per cent. Adding the other insurgent Ted Cruz' numbers to Trump's, half the Republican electorate is backing insurgents. Of the two candidates expected to be their party's nominees, Jeb Bush has dropped out after his dismal showing in South Carolina, and Hillary Clinton is hanging on by her fingertips. What explains these insurgents' success? It cannot be differences in financial resources. For both Mr Bush and Ms Clinton had the largest war chests and have spent more than any other candidates on their campaigns, including the billionaire Donald Trump.
Alphabet is sinking further into an antitrust quagmire. The European Commission may beef up its anti-competitive complaint against Google, Bloomberg reported on Monday. US authorities are probing the search giant, too. Proving abuses will be difficult, but the expanding scope means the company will have to expend more energy to pull itself out of the bog.

Google has long dominated web searches - it has almost two-thirds of the US market, according to ComScore, and a higher percentage in many European markets. That has brought it regulatory scrutiny for years.

Demonstrating that the company has used its position abusively has been difficult. It's easy to click on another search service and hard to prove Google is harming the public by injecting additional information into results. US authorities dropped a probe in 2013 after the company promised to behave. Earlier this month, a London court found Google had not unfairly crushed a rival by putting its maps on top of search results.

The European Commission's charges last year that the company favoured its own shopping service was treading on old ground. A probe into Google's behaviour with Android, however, would be more dangerous. There's little competition in mobile operating systems, and a dominant provider can act abusively by bundling apps and services together. Microsoft's antitrust problems had similar roots.

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager is piling on pressure ahead of a meeting later this week with Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Alphabet's Google division. The Europeans are probing whether the company restricts advertising competition in other ways - such as by paying Apple to keep Google as the default search engine on the iPhone. A $1-billion transaction between the two in 2014 for that purpose came to light in recently unveiled US court documents.

Vestager also said she was open to investigating whether a tax deal between Alphabet and the UK amounted to illegal state aid.

She would be stretching her remit by challenging Google's tax agreements and her aggressiveness may not pan out legally. But it will have effects. It may have encouraged US regulators to restart their investigations late last year. More importantly, the amount of time and effort Google will spend in the court and the press fighting these charges is ramping upward. That could leave rivals like Facebook chasing advertisers and new technologies like virtual reality relatively unencumbered.
The US decision to supply eight F-16 aircraft, illogical and wrong as we and many others see it, is a reminder that today's diplomacy game is played at multiple levels. Countries look to levers of control, tools of persuasion, and channels for influence. Behind this lies the flexible management of foreign relationships, plus triangular, quadrilateral and multiple calculations; the final reference point is attainment of one's own goals, whatever the external clothing by way of public justification.
There seems to be something unreal about some of the major events that have engulfed the country in the last few weeks. Can there be a design behind them? Are things unfolding according to the script or have things gone a bit awry? If it be the latter then the question arises: Is the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi fully in control?



Take the case of the Invest in India Week, which ended last Thursday at which the prime minister said "we will not resort to retrospective taxation" and for emphasis added, "I repeat this commitment." Then on the penultimate day of the event Vodafone announced that it had received a renewed tax demand for Rs 14,200 crore, failure to pay which could lead to seizure of property.
The first day of the Budget session in the Gujarat Assembly was tough for members of the Bharatiya Janata Party belonging to the Patel community. As Gujarat Governor O P Kohli started his address, Congress members started shouting slogans, "Patidaro jailma, bhagidaro mehelma (Patidars are in jail, the legislators are in palaces)". The ruling party members from the Patel community were unable to give a befitting reply, as it would have been taken as a comment against the community itself. "In the House, the situation of the Patel MLAs of the BJP was similar to that of a supari (betel nut) in the grip of a nut cracker," commented a Gujarati daily.
With the end of the financial year drawing near and offices demanding proof of tax-saving investments, a lot of people will buy products such as tax-saving (equity-linked saving schemes or ELSS) funds in the coming weeks. Since last-minute purchases are made in a hurry, a lot of mis-buying as well as mis-selling happens. Heres what you should look up before deciding on an ELSS fund.

Look at the nature of the fund: whether it is large-cap, multi-cap or mid-cap oriented. Take into account your risk profile while choosing a tax-saver fund, says Vidya Bala, head of research at Fundsindia.com. Conservative investors should opt for a large-cap ELSS fund, while those with a higher risk appetite might opt for a multi-cap fund. The style sheet tells you about a funds market-cap orientation.

Next, look up the funds track record. When looking at trailing returns (one-year, three-year, five-year vis-a-vis category average), give higher weightage to longer-term returns. Do look at calendar year-wise returns as well over the past five to seven years (compare with category average) to know if the fund has been consistent.

Examine the nature of the portfolio. The equity count (number of stocks held), stock and sector concentration (in the top 10 stocks and sectors) would tell you if the fund is concentrated or diversified. A more concentrated fund can give you higher returns, but it will also fall harder if the fund managers calls go wrong. If you have to choose between two funds with similar levels of returns, go with one that is better diversified. Remember also that beyond 25-30 stocks, there is not much benefit from diversifying further.

Experts say the size of the fund shouldnt be a primary criterion for selection. Large assets under management become a deterrent to performance only in the mid- and small-cap space, not in large-cap funds, says Vishal Dhawan, chief financial planner at Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors. The fund size, however, shouldnt be very small (below Rs 100 crore) or else there is the risk of the fund house closing down or merging the fund.

The level of risk that the fund takes to fetch its returns is also important. Make sure that the funds risk-adjusted returns (indicated by Sharpe ratio and Treynor ratio) are above category average.

Check how much the fund manager churns his portfolio, as indicated by the turnover ratio (ELSS category median 47.50 per cent). Prefer funds that have a buy-and-hold approach.

Give preference to funds with a lower expense ratio (category average 2.42 per cent). Pay a high expense ratio only if it is justified by the funds performance. Avoid funds that take high cash calls. A fund that moves into cash in a big way (beyond five per cent) during a market downturn risks getting left behind when the market revives. Look for constancy at the helm. If the fund manager has changed recently, the track record of the fund loses its meaning.

In the next financial year, invest in an ELSS via a systematic investment plan or a systematic transfer plan so that your tax planning doesnt happen at the last moment and you get the benefit of rupee cost averaging. Some of the funds you could consider for investing are Axis LT Equity, Franklin India Taxshield, BNP Paribas LT Equity, Birla SL Tax Plan and Religare Invesco Tax Plan.
At least 15 militants were killed today in airstrikes carried out by Pakistan's military to clear the strongholds of Taliban and Al-Qaeda along the country's restive border with Afghanistan.

Aerial strikes were conducted in the Alwara Mandi, Khar-Tangi and Maizer areas ahead of Datta Khel near North Waziristan, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The airstrikes were conducted after a cross-border mortar shelling by militants targeted a security checkpost in upper Kurram Agency.

Kurram is one of the most sensitive tribal areas as it borders three Afghan provinces and at one point was one of the key routes for militant movement across the border. It lies adjacent to North Waziristan.

The region was claimed by the military to have been cleared of insurgents during an operation a couple of years ago, however, militants still carry out sectarian attacks and also target security forces occasionally.

The mortar attack on the border comes amid high tensions in the agencies.

Yesterday, an indefinite curfew was imposed in parts of Mohmand Agency after various clashes between militants and security forces, which left nine khasadars dead last week.

One suspected militant was also injured in a US drone strike in Kurram Agency yesterday.
A 15 kg improvised explosive device was recovered by security forces today from the naxal- affected Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh.

Officials said the recovery was made by a squad of paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police force early in the day from the Revamand-Kulnar road area of the district.

"The IED weighing 15 kg has been handed over to state police by an ITBP team belonging to the 46th battalion. It was timely detected by the patrol team before it could target security forces or civilians," an official said.

The ITBP is deployed in the district for conducting anti-Naxal operations.
Two students were killed after



being hit by a truck while crossing a road while another suffered severe injuries in North-West Delhi's Keshav Puram area today.

According to the Police, the driver of the truck, identified as Surender (38) was driving under the influence of alchohol and was caught by the locals and later handed over to the police.

A case under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against Surender.

"The incident took place at around 2.45 PM when the students, Sagar, Divy and Pravesh were going to a stationery shop opposite the school premises in Keshav Puram.

All the three students were rushed to the nearby hospital where two of them - Sagar and Divya - were declared dead on arrival, whereas Pravesh was being treated for critical injuries.

The students were the residents of Trinagar area and studied in Government senior secondary school. Their families have been informed, the official said.
Polling for 2019 general elections will be conducted through paper trail-based electronic voting machines to "enhance transparency".

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi also said that voting through the internet is not on EC's agenda in the near future though it is going to use information and communication technology (ICT) in a big way to reach the voters in the coming days.

"We have reached a stage where people are demanding hundred per cent deployment of paper audit trail machine. We have preserved the secrecy (in this system) as well. Our plan is that by 2019, the whole country will be covered by paper audit trail machines. The budget for this has been committed now," Zaidi said while addressing an international seminar today.

The next general elections are due in 2019.

The paper audit trail machine or Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) was first introduced by the Commission in 2013 in order to enhance transparency in the polls process and increase electorate's confidence that their vote goes without error to their desired candidate.

Once the vote is polled, the VVPAT linked EVM immediately takes a printout and it is preserved for later use to tally in case there is a dispute in the final result.

Zaidi, who was speaking on the topic 'Leveraging Technology for Transparent and Credible Elections', stressed that secrecy of voters will be zealously preserved.

While the poll watchdog is taking full advantage of ICT for "recommending legislation" on providing electronic postal ballot facility to overseas Indian voters, the CEC said the same confidence cannot be expressed at present in the context of internet voting owing to security concerns.

For e-postal ballot, Zaidi said a "safe technology" has been developed and it is being "validated and tested currently...."



"Employing internet voting or online voting is not our horizon in the long term because it requires serious consideration of challenges posed by technology.

"We have to weigh between perceived and actual benefits versus perceived and actual challenges associated with online voting, security and secrecy of voting alongwith encryption and end-to-end verification of voters are some of the most important consideration in online voting," he said.

Zaidi said the EC has always marched along with



technology despite challenges coming its way like "controversies and opposition raised by political parties and activists" while introducing EVMs as replacement of the paper ballot system.

Zaidi said despite numerous allegations and accusations, the EVMs have stood the test of time and have proved their accuracy in ensuring free and fair polls across the country.

"It took the Commission more than 20 years to develop and introduce EVMs in the country after fulfilling all legal requirements and convincing stakeholders about justification, accuracy and integrity of machines. EVMs are now fully accepted. They enjoy the trust and confidence of voters.

"Our machines are tamper and security proof and have complete integrity and transparency in storage, transportation and demonstration to political parties and candidates during election period. Cases of technical malfunctioning of EVMs do occur during testing and actual use, but we have an efficient system of replacement of these machine and within matter of less than an hour," Zaidi said while endorsing the EVMs.

He said despite these results, the EVMs "continued to be attacked by activists in various media and judicial fora on account of alleged lack of transparency".

"According to these activists, a voter does not get any physical evidence whether his voting has gone to the intended candidate. This in turn has led to introduction of paper audit trail machines after an order of Supreme Court in 2013," he said.

The CEC said VVPAT machines hence acted to resolve the queries and clarifications sought by people in this regard.

He added that "not a single" dispute has been reported from the country vis-a-vis VVPAT usage in polls and the EC has deployed more than 20,000 such paper audit trail machines till now.

While moving forward in this direction, the CEC said the most important thing to be kept in mind was the security of the data.

"The biggest challenge in using ICT by electoral management bodies lies in relation to ICT security, certification and third party auditing.

"No electoral democracy can afford to have a technology that fails at its simplest and can be manipulated or subjected to malpractices at its worst. This can demolish the credibility of elections," he said.

Zaidi said the Commission is currently working on an e-governance vision 2020 to provide inclusive, integrated single window view of services to all stakeholders in all phases of the electoral cycle through various communication platforms.
Spain's Interior Ministry today said Spanish and Moroccan police have arrested four suspected members of a jihadi cell that sought to recruit members for the Islamic State group.

A ministry statement said three Spaniards were arrested in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta while a Moroccan was arrested in the nearby Moroccan city of Nador.

The ministry said the four formed a group that looked to recruit fighters to join IS in Iraq and Syria, as well as militants willing to carry out attacks in Spain and Morocco.

Spanish police arrested some 100 suspected Islamic extremists last year and more than 600 since the 2004 train bombings in Madrid that killed 191 people and injured nearly 2,000.
Nearly 7,000 Hindus in Malaysia have been wrongly documented as Muslims on their national identity cards, according to a group of NGOs in the Muslim-majority nation.

The problem was widespread throughout Peninsular Malaysia and involved mostly practising Hindus from the lower income group who are documented as Muslims, Malaysia Hindu Sangam president Mohan Shan was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insider.

The task force of eight Hindu NGOs said they are assisting 500 Hindus, while some 7,000 others throughout the country were affected by the "system failure" in which anybody wishing to change their official religious status from Islam must first receive permission from the Shariah Court.

The Muslim Lawyer's Association of Malaysia (PPMM) said they would assist any registered Muslim who wish to change their official religious status.

Islam is the largest and state religion of Malaysia accounting for 61.3 per cent of the total population. Hindus account for about 6.3 per cent.

"This 7,000 people never were and do not have any intentions of converting," said Selangor Hindu Youth Organisation (HYO) adviser Arun Dorasamy.

Dorasamy, who also heads the Hindu Conversion Action Team, said he had met Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri regarding the matter.

"We were told that we would meet the Prime Minister in a week or two weeks," said Dorasamy.

The Hindu NGOs also provided some solutions, suggesting the Prime Minister's Department to set up a temporary task force.

They had also suggested setting up a temporary online registry, so that the authorities would be able to estimate the number of cases involve in the matter.

The purpose of the meeting with the Prime Minister is also to amend an article of the constitution which states the religion of a person under the age of 18 years shall be decided by his/her parent or guardian.
The Calcutta High Court today expressed displeasure at the functioning of West Bengal Police and observed that a section of it was spineless and could learn from judges to discharge their responsibilities.

Justice Dipankar Datta, hearing a case relating to the alleged abduction of an independent councillor of Kandi Municipality, observed that the police authorities had cut a very sorry figure in the entire episode.

Disposing of the case, Justice Datta said the police could learn from the judges on how to discharge their administrative responsibilities.

Observing that police authorities had cut a sorry figure in registering FIR and in the investigation into the alleged abduction, Justice Dutta said a section of it was acting in a spineless manner and could not withstand pressure.

Justice Dutta expressed displeasure that the FIRs lodged in connection with the case did not have any signature or thumb impression of the complainant.

Justice Dutta had yesterday directed that the investigating officer be present in court along with case diary after the prosecution submitted that three separate FIRs had been registered in connection with the alleged abduction of the independent councillor of Kandi municipality in Murshidabad district.

The officer in-charge of Kandi police station was present in the court today and submitted the case diary related to the matter.

Debojyoti Roy, an independent councillor at Kandi, was said to have a pivotal role as the Left and Trinamool Congress were evenly poised at 8 members each for a trust vote on Saturday for the position of chairman of the municipal body of Kandi town.

Roy was rescued from abductors by the police at a road checkpoint from a car in the early hours of Sunday.
The Asian Development Bank today said that it will provide over USD 2 billion of loans and equity to Sri Lanka this year which would be used to finance expressways, railways, power generation and education.

"The ADB is re-orienting its operations to meet the evolving needs of Sri Lanka as it moves to become an upper- middle-income country in the next few years," ADB President Takehiko Nakao said after talks with President Maithripala Sirisena and other leaders today.

He said the ADB will help in Sri Lanka's education sector in building a knowledge based economy.

The ADB has called for prudent macro-economic management in order to maintain 6 per cent or above growth during 2016 and 2017.

He urged better tax collection and prudent spending.

"Both tax revenue enhancement and effective management of public expenditure are urgent tasks for the government," he said.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka on Friday raised its lending rate from 7.5 to 8.0 per cent ahead of a possible IMF bailout. The previous rate increase was in April 2012 when it was increased by 75 basis points to 9.75 per cent.

The IMF, which sent a mission to review Lanka's economy earlier this month, said it had warned the authorities they should make a "stronger effort" to immediately reduce the budget deficit.

Sri Lanka sought an IMF bailout immediately after the new government took office in January last year but the financial body turned down the request, saying the country's reserves were at a comfortable level.
Kerala High Court Advocates Association (KHCAA) today condemned the "hooliganism" by a group of lawyers at Patiala House Court in Delhi last week, when JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was produced for hearing.

A resolution moved by Advocate Manu Sebastian and others was declared as passed by Association president S U Nazar.

However, a group of lawyers, claiming to be BJP supporters, raised objections and an advocate allegedly tore copies of the resolution.

Later, Nazar said it was a resolution related to the Patiala House Court incident and not in connection with the incidents that happened in JNU.

A section of advocates have demanded action against the lawyer who tore away the original resolution after snatching it from Nazar.

Kanhaiya who was arrested by Delhi Police in connection with a sedition case for allegedly raising anti-India slogans during a controversial event held at JNU, was sent to Tihar Jail on February 19.
Talks in Kabul today between representatives of four countries trying to end Afghanistan's war with the Taliban are likely to set a date for a face-to-face meeting between the two sides, an Afghan official said.

Representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States are meeting in the Afghan capital for a fourth round of discussions setting conditions for eventual peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban.

Javid Faisal, the deputy spokesman for Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, told The Associated Press the delegates "should give a date for the first direct peace talks."



Delegates agreed at their last meeting in Islamabad on February 6 to work toward bringing the two sides together to restart a peace process derailed last summer by the revelation that the Taliban's one-eyed leader Mullah Mohammad Omar had been dead for more than two years - before the end of February.

"We are expecting a result of that agreement which should give us a date for the first direct peace talks," Faisal said. In remarks opening the meeting Tuesday, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani said details of that first meeting would be announced before the end of February.

Earlier meetings set a roadmap for formal peace talks. The insurgency is now in its 15th year.

Details have not been made public, though officials close to the talks have said Kabul demands a reduction in violence as a sign of the Taliban's sincerity.

While the process may take months or even years, these preliminary meetings which do not include the Taliban - are setting conditions for a deal, including Taliban recognition of Afghanistan's constitution and sovereignty.

The four countries have called on the Taliban to enter peace talks with Kabul and said in earlier communiques they want the two sides to work toward cutting violence that has killed thousands of Afghan civilians since the insurgency started.

Taliban leaders, who fled across the Pakistan border to escape the 2001 US invasion, are believed to be harbored by Pakistani authorities, in particular the ISI intelligence agency, in cities including Quetta, Karachi and Peshawar.

While Pakistan denies providing safe havens for the insurgents, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has led accusations that the Taliban are a proxy force for Islamabad's policy of using Afghanistan as a battleground to thwart India's regional interests, which are mostly soft power and development aid.
Taking a dig at Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Congress leader Amarinder Singh today said that rather than dreaming of forming a government again in 2017, Badal should prepare himself for "political exile" that the people will impose upon him.

"Given the current circumstances and the anger prevailing among people against the Badals, the exile will be the only option available to them as people will chase them down for all the sins of omission and commission during their two tenures," Singh said.

The state Congress chief's reaction comes in the wake of Badal's statement yesterday who asked the former to be prepared for a third "consecutive defeat".

The former Chief Minister said Badal had "failed" all sections of the state, including farmers, youth, industry, employees etc.

"This is because he could never look beyond his family and clan with seven MLAs of his family in the Vidhan Sabha and four of them being ministers and another in the central government," Singh said.

Responding to the CM's claims that he would be forming the government for the third consecutive term in 2017, the PCC president asked Badal to name a single assembly segment that would guarantee a win for Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

"Leave aside Punjab, you better worry about your feudal fiefdom of Lambi which is certain to write your political obituary this time," Singh charged.
An ancient Hindu temple in this northwestern Pakistani city is being demolished secretly in the name of repair with a commercial plaza set to come up on its land.

The ancient Hindu temple located in Karimpura in Peshawar's old city is being demolished in the name of repairs, several inhabitants of the area said.

They said the process started some 10 days and is going on without any hindrance.

"It is a pity that a criminal act of pulling down a heritage structure has been launched. The building is being knocked down clandestinely to erect a commercial plaza on the site," a resident said.

"There is no action from any of the government departments which are supposed to protect such buildings," the resident said.

Another resident said it was a double-criminal act.

"On the one hand an ancient building is being demolished while on the other a commercial plaza is set to be constructed on its land in a purely residential area," he told The .

Residents have questioned the silence of the relevant government departments over the entire episode.

They deplored the inaction of government authorities in the wake of the the demolition of the heritage building.

There is no action by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), Auqaf Department dealing with the non-Muslim properties and the Archaeology Department -- the departments tasked with protecting such properties.

"Either these departments are a partner in the crime or they are negligent," a resident said.

Demanding an immediate halt to the demolition process, the residents asked ETPB Chairman Saddique-ul-Farooq to order a probe into the issue to bring to justice the government officials whose negligence or tacit approval had put in danger the ancient Hindu temple.

The Civil Society members, in a statement, said this is a painful story in all major cities of Pakistan where speculative land mafia in collusion with lower-tier government officials and police get away with destroying Pakistan's precious heritage.

The government is reduced to being a silent spectator in this demolition, they said.
Mounting a fresh attack, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today accused Modi government and RSS of crushing voices of dissent of college and university students across the country and pitched for a law to protect them from "discrimination" and "suppression".

"We need a law to ensure that students in colleges and universities do not face discrimination and their voice is not stifled," Rahul said lending his support to hundreds of students who took out a march demanding justice for Hyderabad University research scholar Rohith Vemula, and Kanhaiya Kumar, the JNU student arrested on charges of sedition.

The Congress Vice President also slammed the government for not including issues like Rohith's death and difficulties being faced by students of universities in the President's address to Parliament today.

Accusing the Centre of muzzling the voice of students across universities in the country if they differ with ideology of RSS, Rahul said Congress will fight for bringing a law to check such "suppression".

He alleged that government was trying to suppress not only the youths but also the Adivasis, Dalits and other weaker sections.

"We don't want an India where an ideology is imposed upon us. We are fighting for it. RSS people want India to have one ideology, but we want an India of multiple voices and multiple ideologies," he said, amid loud cheers.

In the second such protest in less than a week, thousands of students from various universities across the country took to the streets in the capital protesting against the death dalit student Rohith Vemula and the ongoing row at JNU.

"This is RSS' ideology. They keep speaking about what happened in the past. They don't talk about the future. Rohith was talking about the present and the future.

"I heard President's address in Parliament. He spoke about government's achievement but nothing on Rohith issue, what's happening in the universities," said Rahul.

The protesters included students from various universities including Hyderabad university.

"We are demanding justice for Rohith, justice for Kanhaiya Kumar. This protest is also for Dalits, minorities and marginalised sections," said a participant.

(REOPENS DEL51)



Meanwhile, ex-MP and grandson of Constitution architect B R Ambedkar, Prakash Ambedkar pitched for "strengthening" voices of people until the NDA is in power.

He pressed for enacting 'Rohith Law' to end caste discrimination in educational institutes and sought action against Union Ministers Smriti Irani, Bandaru Dattatreya, HCU Vice Chancellor Appa Rao and job for a family member of the late student.
Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja had Australia in sight of victory after an absorbing fourth day of the second Test today marked by stubborn resistance from New Zealand and umpire abuse by the tourists.

With Burns on 27 and Khawaja 19, Australia were 70 for 1 at stumps requiring a further 131 at Hagley Oval here to sweep the series and reclaim the world number one ranking.

Jackson Bird, with his first five-wicket Test haul, and James Pattinson combined to end the New Zealand second innings at 335, giving Australia a 201-run target.

David Warner, who has struggled on New Zealand surfaces, was the Australian wicket to fall, caught behind for 22.

Neil Wagner, using the short ball that provided him with six wickets in the first innings, caught Warner's glove and BJ Watling completed the dismissal down the leg-side.

Burns offered chances but luck was on his side. On 19, he pulled Henry through square leg where Wagner was unable to hold a difficult chance. On 23, an inside edge off Matt Henry sailed close to off stump.

Khawaja, however, looked untroubled and effortlessly moved to 19 off 23 deliveries.

Although Australia have been dominant for much of the Test, New Zealand put up a valiant fight with two century partnerships as they battled to save the contest.

Kane Williamson made 97 when adding 102 for the fifth wicket with Corey Anderson.

The loss of Anderson for 40 was the start of a Bird strike that claimed three wickets in six balls. Williamson and Tim Southee also fell before BJ Watling and Henry mounted rearguard resistance.

They added 118 for the eighth wicket to get New Zealand up to 328 for 7 before another batting meltdown saw the final three wickets fall for seven runs.

Anderson, having pocketed his usual attacking instincts, occupied the crease for three hours before shelving caution and driving at a wide delivery which he edged on to the stumps.

When Bird took the new ball in his next over he bagged the wicket Australia had fought all morning for bowling Williamson three runs short of what would have been a 14th Test century and two balls later removed Southee for a duck.

Williamson had spent 340 minutes in the middle defying the Australians whose frustrations spilled over just before lunch with a Josh Hazlewood shout for lbw when Williamson was on 88.

After Australia sought a review of umpire Ranmore Martinesz's not out decision and the third umpire concurred there was bat on ball, the Australians converged on the umpires.

The stumps microphone picked up an obscenity from Hazlewood as the players made their feelings known.

Where Williamson and Anderson had been the epitome of caution, Watling and Henry took a more aggressive route to try to disrupt the line of the bowlers who were finding some reverse swing.

Henry, in his fourth Test, had 12 fours in his 66, easily surpassing his previous best 27.

For Australia, Bird took five for 59 and Pattinson four for 77.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today praised the role of Indian Air Force during the 1971 Liberation War that accelerated the surrender of Pakistani troops.

Hasina recalled the IAF's intervention on the skylines of Dhaka when Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha called on her at her office here.

During the meeting with Raha, who is on a five-day visit to Bangladesh, she discussed various issues of mutual interests including in the areas of economy and defence.

"They discussed various issues relating to mutual interests and cooperation in various sectors including in the areas of economy, communication and air forces of the two countries," a Prime Minister's Office spokesman told PTI.

She recalled the IAF strikes during the Liberation War which accelerated the surrender of Pakistani troops.

"She particularly recalled an air battle in Dhaka at the fag end of the war and told the IAF chief that she along with other members of her family witnessed the battle from their confinement," her press secretary Ihsanul Karim said.

She also recalled the sacrifices of the Indian forces and her personal gratitude to India, where she took refuge for six years after the August 15, 1975 assassination of her father and Bangladesh's founder 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Hasina highlighted the steps taken for regional cooperation such as the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) initiative and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor for regional development.

Conveying her greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Hasina underscored the need for more unofficial visits in addition to the official visits to strengthen cooperation.

(Reopens FGN 18)



Hasina stressed on increasing "haats" across the Indo-Bangla border.

She pointed out the direct flight operations from Sylhet Osmani International Airport, saying London and Europe-bound north Indians can use the airport for transit.

Raha's visit is intended to take the existing defence ties to the next level. The areas of cooperation at present include exchange in military training courses and joint sporting activities.

Raha said bilateral relations have reached a new height, and offered to contribute artifacts to Liberation War Museum.

Earlier today, Raha called on Bangladesh Navy Chief Vice-Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed at the Naval Headquarters here.

According to a defence ministry statement, the two naval forces expressed hope to continue cooperation in strengthening regional friendship.

The IAF chief arrived here on February 21 and is scheduled to leave Dhaka on February 25.
A Bangladeshi citizen accused of opening indiscriminate fire outside a college in Kolkata has been arrested from Dewa area here, police said today.

Arid-ul-Islam was arrested during a raid at a guest house yesterday, Superintendent of Police Abdul Hameed said.

An automatic weapon was recovered from the possession of Ismal, who used a fake identity to stay at the guest house.

Islam was wanted in connection with the firing outside the Loreto College in Kolkata on February 15.

Hameed said that Islam not only admitted to the firing, but also stated that he belonged to Mirpur in Bangladesh.
Beijing is installing radar facilities on its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, an American think tank has said, in a move that could "significantly change" the operational landscape.

Satellite imagery of Cuarteron reef in the Spratly islands released by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows what appears to be a high-frequency radar installation, as well as a lighthouse, underground bunker, helipad and other communications equipment.

The photographs come only a week after US officials said China had deployed surface to air missiles in the Paracel islands further north, and with tensions mounting in the strategically vital region.

"Placement of a high frequency radar on Cuarteron Reef would significantly bolster China's ability to monitor surface and air traffic coming north from the Malacca Straits and other strategically important channels," said CSIS's Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

Images of other small reefs nearby which China has transformed into artificial islands -- Gaven, Hughes, and Johnson South -- revealed other features identified by CSIS as possible radar towers, gun emplacements, bunkers, helipads, and quays.

CSIS said that while the earlier deployment of HQ-9 surface to air missiles was "notable", it "does not alter the military balance in the South China Sea".

But it went on: "New radar facilities being developed in the Spratlys, on the other hand, could significantly change the operational landscape."



The US has in recent months sent warships to sail within 12 nautical miles -- the usual territorial limit around natural land -- of a disputed island and one of China's artificial constructions in what it says is a defence of the right to free passage.

Beijing claims almost the whole of the South China Sea -- through which a third of the world's oil passes -- while several other littoral states have competing claims, as does Taiwan.

Last week China confirmed it had placed "weapons" on Woody Island in the Paracels, defending what it said was its sovereign right to do so.

Beijing says it defends the right to freedom of navigation, and insists its island building aims to provide public goods, such as search and rescue facilities, but maintains it has the right to deploy necessary "self-defence" capabilities.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi was heading to Washington on Tuesday for talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry, where the issue was expected to be on the agenda.
Bihar cabinet today gave its nod for holding 10 phase three-tier panchayat election in the state beginning from April 24.

"The state cabinet today gave its nod to Panchayati Raj Department's proposal to hold 10 phase election in the state. It has approved the schedule for holding three tier panchayat elections," Cabinet Secretariat Department's Principal Secretary Brajesh Mehrotra said.

It also approved February 28 as the date for issuance of a common notification for holding elections, he added.

Mehrotra said the panchayat poll would be held on April 24, 28, May 2,6,10,14,18,22,26 and 30.

Separate notifications would be issued on March 2,4,8,10, 11,26,28,30, April 4 and April 7, he said.

There are around 8500 gram panchayats across Bihar in which same numbers of village heads and sarpanch would be elected. Around 11500 members of panchayat samiti and around 1150 members of district board would be elected in the state, officials said.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates is backing the FBI in its standoff with Apple over unlocking an in the probe of last years deadly San Bernardino attacks, a media report said on Tuesday.

Breaking ranks with Silicon Valley companies who support Apple in its refusal to hack the phone of one of the attackers, Gates said technology companies should be forced to co-operate with law enforcement in terrorism investigations, the Financial Times said. Gates disagreed with Apple chief Tim Cooks claim that the government was looking for a back door into phones and that compliance would set a wider precedent, it said.

Syed Farook, a US citizen, and his Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik in December gunned down 14 people at an office party in San Bernardino, California, before they were killed in a shootout with police.

The FT report comes a day after a poll indicated that a majority of Americans also back the FBI in its battle with Apple.

The Pew Research Center survey found 51 per cent of respondents supported the effort to require Apple to help unlock the iPhone, while 38 per cent said Apple should not unlock the phone to ensure the security of other users' communications.

Apple's challenge of a court order to unlock the phone opens up a new front in the long-running battle between technology companies and the government over encryption.

US magistrate Judge Sheri Pym ordered Apple last week to provide "reasonable technical assistance" to the FBI, including disabling an auto-erase feature after too many unsuccessful attempts are made to unlock the 5C.

Apple rejected the order, saying it was "too dangerous" to create such a back door.
BJP and its allies today decided to aggressively counter Congress and the Left in Parliament over the JNU row and the Hyderabad univeristy controversy, setting the stage for a confrontation as a debate on these issues will be taken up in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow.

BJP chief Amit Shah took the lead in briefing members of the parliamentary party executive and those of the NDA about the details of the JNU case, backing the party's nationalist pitch.

The briefing included how the NDA members should rake up incidents, including the alleged assault in JNU on army officials following the Kargil war, to buttress their arguments.

Sources said Shah, who had accused Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi of "supporting traitors" in the JNU row, gave a sequence of events on the campus and how the accused students tried to present themselves as innocents by shooting another video on a different day.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, sources said, defended the case of sedition and noted that a Supreme Court judgement had said that slogans calling for disintegration of India amounted to such a charge.

He made these remarks in the meeting of BJP parliamentary party executive which was held before the NDA meet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attended the meeting and told the leaders of his party and allies about the government's clear stand on the issues, resulting in it agreeing to debate them in the House as demanded by the opposition.

Signalling the likely aggressive stand of the treasury benches, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who attended the BJP meet, told reporters later that he would ask Rahul Gandhi about slogans raised in support of Parliament terror attack convict Afzal Guru who, he noted, was haged during UPA rule.

NDA speakers will also highlight the previous instances of Congress acting against "this union of Marxists and secessionists" on the campus and how they have come together now merely to corner the Modi governemnt, sources said.

Anandrao Adsul (Shiv Sena), who attended the meet, said his party totally supported the government on these issues.

A presentation was also made about the "achievements" of the government so that it could be highlighted during various debates in the session.

The boost given to infrastructure, like power and roadsin 2015 compared to previous years and high growth of the economy was also highlihgted, sources said.
Canada-based passenger trains maker Bombardier is planning to develop India as the exports hub for its products and solutions to cater to Europe, South America and the Middle East markets.

"With Prime Minister Narendra Modi opening the Indian railways sector for foreign investments, we see a huge opportunity for our products. But Make in India call has also encouraged us to enhance our manufacturing and services capabilities in India for catering to our global demand," Bombardier Transportation India Chief Country Representative Harsh Dhingra told PTI.

The company has a manufacturing facility in Savli, Gujarat that produces 450 commuter cars along with bogies and other components, which are also exported to markets like Australia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

Bombardier produces propulsion components and rail control solution systems and also provides engineering support for software development and testing of rail vehicles engineering.

While the propulsion components factory is located at Maneja in Vadodara, the rail control solutions facility is in Gurgaon.

"We want to increase our technical competence and capacity to cater to the specific needs of operators as well as to have its local organisation participating in projects that Bombardier develops in other parts of the globe especially the European markets," he said.

Bombardier is providing technical expertise for projects in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and the US, among others.

A substantial portion of USD 2.7 billion for Bombardier Transportation is being executed at its Indian sites in Savli and Maneja, he said.

"As the site was built with the intention to develop export-oriented activities also, we keep evaluating prospects for exporting metro cars and bogies to Asia Pacific, Europe and North America," Dhingra said.

Apart from commuter cars and components, the company has also launched a traffic management system for Mumbai commuter rail system, which it plans to repeat in other projects, not only in rail vehicles and rail control solutions but also in total transit systems.
Bosnia's Muslim religious leader Husein Kavazovic urged authorities today to act after he was threatened by a presumed Islamic State group member following his denunciation of Islamist extremism.

"The Islamic community of Bosnia takes seriously threats... To (Bosnia's) Muslims and the Grand Mufti Husein Kavazovic," a statement released from his office read.

"We hope that the state's institutions will take up this issue," the statement said.

The appeal was issued after some local media broadcast a video of a Bosnian-speaking man in front of an Islamic State flag threatened to "cut the throat" of Kavazovic, adding that the "mujaheddin are coming to Bosnia."



According to public broadcaster FTV, the man is Bosnian Muslim Amir Selimovic who joined jihadists in Syria in 2014.

Bosnia's security minister Dragan Mektic said the authorities were taking the threats "seriously."



"We are taking and will take additional security measures" to protect Kavazovic, Mektic told reporters.

After the November terror attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead, Kavazovic repeatedly denounced Islamic extremism and radicalisation among Bosnian Muslims, who make up 40 per cent of the Balkan country's 3.8 million people.

Five days after the French attacks two Bosnian soldiers were killed in Sarajevo in a suspected Islamist attack.

A college of Bosnian muftis announced in December it would integrate into the nation's official Muslim community some 60 "illegal" places of worship that were believed to attract radical Muslims and serve as jihad recruiting centres.

Out of some 200 Bosnian citizens who have joined jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq, at least 26 have been killed, but some 50 have returned home, according to authorities.
More than 150 passengers used escape slides to evacuate from a Japan Airlines jet after smoke appeared in the cabin during a snowstorm, the airline said Tuesday, with reports saying an engine caught fire.

The Boeing 737 was preparing to depart from the New Chitose Airport serving the city of Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido to Fukuoka in southwestern Japan when the incident occurred around 3 pm (0600 GMT), the airline said.

According to a JAL spokesman, the aircraft was heading to the runway when it was ordered back to the terminal due to heavy snow.

It was then that the pilot reported engine trouble and smoke appeared in the cabin, prompting the emergency evacuation, although it was unclear if the engine problem was linked to the smoke.

"A strange odour and smoke were detected inside the cabin," the airline's spokesman said.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported that the aircraft's right engine had caught fire, although JAL did not confirm this.

All 159 passengers and six crew evacuated onto the tarmac, the airline said.

Local media said three passengers suffered minor injuries, although this was also not confirmed.
A French court today postponed a ruling on the demolition of half the "Jungle" refugee camp in Calais, while Belgium reinstated border controls fearing an influx of migrants from the camp.

Emotions were running high in the camp on the outskirts of the northern French port city of Calais near the entrance to the Channel tunnel, with many residents refusing to leave despite a 1900 GMT deadline to vacate its southern half.

Charities working in the Jungle had been nervously awaiting a ruling from a court in Lille, where they had challenged the eviction order.

But the court said a decision was not possible before tomorrow or Thursday, as it began hearing testimony from 250 migrants and 10 NGOs.

At today's hearing, activists demanding the suspension of the planned evacuation denounced what they called a "bungled" government response to the crisis.

Meanwhile, Belgium said it had temporarily reintroduced border controls with France to halt a feared influx of migrants, notably to the port of Zeebrugge in hopes of getting on a ferry to Britain.

"We have informed the European Commission that we will temporarily depart from Schengen rules," Interior Minister Jan Jambon said in Brussels in the latest blow to Europe's 26-country borderless zone.

"We will carry out border controls at different strategic locations, at spots used by smugglers which the police have detected," he said.

He said the operation would involve 250 to 290 police officers carrying out checks around Zeebrugge and the port of Bruges, a top tourist destination.

"We want to avoid tent camps like Calais in Belgium at all costs. It's a question of maintaining order," Jambon said.

The Jungle has also played into fraught discussions about Britain's possible exit from the European Union.

Some British opponents of "Brexit" say they would lose the ability to call on France to stop the flow of refugees sneaking aboard lorries and ferries in Calais if Britain leaves the EU.

The migrants in Calais make up a tiny fraction of those fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.

They are often drawn to Britain by family or community ties, or because of a shared language.

Many Jungle residents appeared to be standing firm.

"I don't have anywhere else to go," said John, a 28-year-old Sudanese national.

"We don't want to leave Calais because we don't want to get further away from England, which is still our goal.
Top Chhattisgarh government officials today visited the hospital here to enquire about the health of tribal rights activist and AAP leader Soni Sori who was flown in here for treatment after she came under acid-like chemical attack three days ago.

State's Resident Commissioner B V Umadevi and others visited Indraprastha Apollo hospital and met doctors treating Sori. They said the condition of tribal activist is stable, a release issued by the state government said.

There is no threat to her life and she is recovering, it said quoting the doctors treating Sori.

On February 20,three unidentified youths had attacked the teacher-turned-politician allegedly with an acid-like chemical near Jawanga village in Naxal-affected Dantewada area of Chhattisgarh.

She was on Sunday flown to Delhi by AAP and admitted to the hospital as local doctors couldn't identify the substance smeared on her face.

An FIR has been registered by the state police and search is on to nab the culprits, the release said.
A controversial book penned by brother of Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, claiming Jesus Christ was a Tamil Hindu, is being re-launched 70 years after it was first published.

The book, penned by Ganesh Savarkar, elder brother of V D Svarkar, will be re-launched here on February 26, the death anniversary of the Hindutva icon, president of the Swatantryaveer Savarkar National Memorial Ranjit Savarkar said.

The book, first published in 1946, also claims that Christianity was initially a Hindu cult and that Jesus died in Kashmir.

It claims that people from the Essene cult rescued the crucified Christ and revived him with medicinal plants and herbs from the Himalayas. It also says Christ attained 'Samadhi' in Kashmir.

The book - Christ Parichay - goes on to claim that Jesus was a "Vishwakarma Brahmin" by birth and Christianity was a sect of Hinduism.

The Marathi book is being brought out by Savarkar National Memorial, a trust that preserves and propagates the Savarkar brothers' literature and ideology.

The book claims that the present day Palestinian and Arab territories were Hindu land and that Christ travelled to India where he learnt yoga.

The book says Christ's real name was Keshao Krishna, Tamil was his mother tongue, and his complexion was dark.

Asked about the claims in the book, senior priest and director of the Bombay Archdiocesan Heritage Museum, Father Warner D'Souza, said such books will not shake the faith of Christians.
Congress today in Uttar Pradesh Assembly demanded the release of its MLA Ajay Rai who was arrested in connection with violence during a march by seers in Varanasi last year against police action on protesters opposing ban on immersion of Ganesha idols in the Ganga river.

While blaming BJP, RSS and ABVP for the violence, Congress legislative party leader Pradeep Mathur raised the matter of Rai's release thorough an adjournment notice during the Zero Hour.

The allegation evoked sharp reactions from BJP members.

Rai was arrested on October 6 for his alleged role in the violence and arson in Varanasi during a march by seers and other local leaders against police action on protesters opposing ban on immersion of Ganesha idols in the Ganga river.

Carrying placards reading 'Release Ajay Rai', Congress members stood on their seats while BJP members also started sloganeering, thus leading to adjournment of the House for more than an hour.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan, however rejected the adjournment notice and assured Congress that the government would consider invoking National Security Act (NSA) against the MLA.

"Sending any MLA to jail on such charges is not welcome ..Government is ready to re-consider the case on basis of its merits and demerits," he said.
Disgraced American comedian Bill Cosby's wife Camille was called to testify in a deposition in Massachusetts, where her husband is suing seven women who accuse him of sexual assault.

Camille was called to give evidence in a hotel in the northeastern state where the star turned pariah has accused seven women of lying in alleging that he assaulted them -- in order to damage his reputation and exact financial reward.

More than 50 women have come forward nationally to accuse the 78-year-old television legend of sexual assault in allegations spanning decades, and yet Camille has stuck by her man. The couple have been married 52 years.

Yesterday's deposition marks the first time that his 71-year-old wife has been forced to give evidence in cases against her husband despite a last-ditch attempt by his legal team to get her off the hook.

Cosby's defense team told AFP the deposition was private and said it would be making no further comment.

In addition to being Cosby's wife, she is also his former business manager. In December 2014, as the onslaught of allegations built up, Camille leapt to defend her "wonderful husband" and criticised the media coverage.

"None of us will ever want to be in the position of attacking a victim. But the question should be asked -- who is the victim?" she said in a statement.

Earlier this month, a judge paved the way for Cosby to stand trial in the state of Pennsylvania for the first time on a criminal sexual assault charge, throwing out an attempt by his lawyers to dismiss the case.
Oil prices dipped in Asia today after mounting a strong rally the day before as traders remain doubtful that talks on an output freeze among key crude producers will lead to an agreement.

US crude rose back above USD 30 a barrel and European benchmark Brent climbed well over USD 34 yesterday on hopes that the discussions would lead to concrete action to stabilise the battered market.

But today, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in April, a new contract, was down 41 cents, or 1.23 per cent, at USD 32.98. Brent for April dropped 43 cents, or 1.24 per cent, to USD 34.26 a barrel.

"Yesterday's increase could have come mainly from OPEC trying to rally the market into thinking that there will be action to come between OPEC and non-OPEC producers," Phillip Futures analyst Daniel Ang told AFP, referring to the discussions on a possible production freeze.

"But without any concrete action, I continue to believe that prices shouldn't be going upwards and this is reflected in the price drops."



Muhammadu Buhari, the president of Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, began a week-long visit to the Gulf on Monday stumping for relief from falling prices.

His trip started in Saudi Arabia, where he was to meet with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and senior Saudi officials. Saudi Arabia is the biggest producer in the 13-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Poorer OPEC members like Nigeria and Ecuador have been clamouring for a cut in production in a bid to stabilise prices, which have plunged to near 13-year lows this month.

OPEC's richer members led by the Gulf countries have refused to budge, preferring to fight for market share against rivals like the US.

Analysts said traders will also be monitoring orders data on US durable goods for January on Thursday, the latest gauge of the economic health of the United States, the world's top oil consumer.

The US energy department will also release Wednesday its inventory on commercial crude stockpiles for the week ending February 19, a closely watched data to measure demand in the world's biggest economy.
Republican presidential contender Ted Cruz has said he has asked his national spokesman to resign for a "grave error of judgment" in distributing a video that falsely suggested rival Marco Rubio was dismissive of the Bible.

The move comes on the even of the Republican caucuses in Nevada and as rival campaigns have piled on Cruz for his alleged lies and "dirty tricks."



Cruz's national spokesman Rick Tyler had shared on Facebook a story from University of Pennsylvania student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian, which reported that Rubio told a Cruz staffer reading the Bible that the holy book did "not have many answers in it."



The story was accompanied by a video, though the audio was unclear.

Tyler later deleted the post and apologized to Rubio for posting the "inaccurate" story.

The issue strikes to the heart of Cruz's support among evangelical Christians. The Texas senator has also spoken openly about his own faith.

"This was a grave error of judgment," Cruz said during a campaign event yesterday while also praising his spokesman as "a good man."



"It turned out the story he sent around was false. But I'll tell you, even if it was true, we are not a campaign that is going to question the faith of another candidate.

"Even if it was true, our campaign should not have sent it. That's why I've asked for Rick Tyler's resignation."



Rubio told reporters he accepted the Cruz campaign's apology, but called for more "accountability."



"It's every single day something comes out of the Cruz campaign that's deceptive and untrue," Rubio said, calling the Bible video "perhaps the most offensive" Cruz tactic to date because it questioned his faith.

"I know exactly what I said to that young man," Rubio told reporters. "I said the answer to every question you'll ever have is in that book.
Alleging financial and other irregularities in the empanelment of 524 technical institutes from across the country for admission of dalit students from Bihar under a government post-matriculation scholarship programme, former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi today demanded a probe.

"It appears financial and other irregularities have been committed in the empanelment of 524 technical institutes across the country in 2015-16 without doing physical verification of the institutes," he told reporters.

Claiming collusion between the state government officials and the empanelled institutes for "mutual benefits", Modi said the "beneficiary colleges" were initially asked to deposit Rs 5 lakh draft each and later to furnish bank guarantee of the said amount in lieu of the admissions.

He also charged the state government of delay in the release of scholarship funds.

He said the scholarship amounts, including fees for 30 out of 63 dalit students of a private engineering college in Odisha that threatened action for non-payment of dues, were released earlier this month only after much hue and cry.

Another incident has come to light in which scholarship of 100 students studying in Rajasthan has not been released as yet and they are being threatened by the college to deposit money or leave, he alleged.

The senior BJP leader also lashed out at the delay in the arrest of the suspended RJD MLA Rajballabh Yadav, accused of rape of a minor girl in Nalanda district, and urged the inspecting judge of the Patna High Court for intervention.

Alleging that "mishandling" of the rape charge has brought disrepute to the state, he said his party would raise the issue during budget session of the state legislature beginning February 25.
Women are breaking glass ceilings worldwide and the next one to be shattered may well be at the United Nations, the world body's top-ranking woman says.

Helen Clark told AFP in an interview that she had yet to decide on whether to enter the race to be the next UN secretary-general and succeed Ban Ki-moon, who steps down in 10 months.

"Every country, every major organization like the UN should expect in the fullness of time to have a woman leader," Clark said.

"But it's still too rare a thing around the world. So for sure, the UN's day will come."



The former prime minister of New Zealand, who heads the UN's largest agency, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), also warned that climate change could wipe out gains in fighting poverty over the coming decades.

The challenge for UN development experts is to help countries "build resilience" so they can confront turbulent eco-systems and extreme weather, she said.

Clark will lead a ministerial-level meeting tomorrow to take stock of the UN's development agenda at a time when raging crises in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan are making a dent in global aid funding.

Development aid from the world's big donors totalled USD 135.2 billion in 2014, but some of those funds have since been diverted in Europe to refugee resettlement or fallen victim to austerity cuts.

UN humanitarian appeals have hit record levels in recent years as agencies struggle to address the world's worst refugee crisis since World War II and growing humanitarian needs.

"The countries that are not in severe conflict do worry about how much is left for development after all the major needs of the conflict crises are met," said Clark, 65, who served as prime minister from 1999 to 2008.

The meeting attended by some 80 ministers will seek to build on a summit in September during which the United Nations agreed on a new set of global goals to end poverty by 2030.

At the helm of UNDP for nearly seven years, Clark has been tipped as a possible candidate to succeed Ban and become the first woman in the top UN job, after eight men.

But Clark said she hadn't "offered an opinion" on whether to present her candidacy and sidestepped questions about her being naturally considered for the job as the UN's number three.

"I think there would be a difference," she said of a woman in the top job.
Turkey's Health Ministry says a man injured in last week's suicide car bomb attack in Ankara has died of his wounds, raising the death toll to 29.

The ministry said the 66-year-old died in the hospital on Tuesday. Ten other people wounded in the attack are still being treated in hospitals, it said.

Also today, police detained three more people suspected of involvement in the bombing, the state-run Anadolu Agency said. Fourteen others were charged in connection with the attack over the weekend.

A Turkey-based Kurdish militant group has claimed responsibility for the February 17 attack, which targeted buses carrying military personnel.

The government says, however, it has evidence that a US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia group carried out the attack in collaboration with Turkey's own Kurdish rebels.
New ground-based robotic drones have been tested on busy London streets in an attempt to transform delivery services.

The self-driving, battery-powered box on wheels is expected to undertake local delivery trials in Greenwich, south London, following 3,000 hours of testing recently, the Evening Standard reported.

The robots by Starship Technologies have been described as "ground drones" and were created by former Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis.

Their invention is expected to be popular at smaller local businesses, such as bakeries and corner-shops, which could send out the robot containing goods in its tub body costing only a pound or two.

They are part of a 25-million-euro EU Smart Cities project to test if new and unproven technologies can enhance people's lives.

An on-board battery lasts for about two hours and the delivery range will be up to 30 minutes away base, guided by GPS using 3G signals.

They travel at up to 4 mph and are programmed with software to help avoid obstacles and are CO2-free, apart from the power used charging batteries.

Allan Martinson, chief operating officer of Starship Technologies, told the newspaper: "We went to the South Bank on a Saturday, near to the London Eye, where it is crowded with lots of tourists and we didn't have any problems with pedestrians or cyclists".

An operator can take over control remotely if the robot gets into trouble.

The company says it hopes to replace the need for shopping trips, which is currently the purpose of one-third of British car journeys.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President E V K S Elangovan today said he was confident that the DMK-Congress alliance would emerge victorious in the coming Assembly elections in the state.

"The DMK-Congress combine would win the Assembly election, people are on our side, I am confident," he told reporters here.

He said scrutiny of applications from aspirants seeking to contest the polls will be taken up by the party tomorrow in all the districts.

A senior TNCC functionary said a formal interview would be held with aspirants in the presence of senior office bearers in all the 32 districts.

"Later, a report would be submitted to the TNCC chief who would take it up with the party high command," he said.

Congress-DMK alliance was recently formalised in the presence of senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and DMK chief M Karunanidhi.

Meanwhile, personal interview of aspirants seeking to contest the Assembly election on behalf of DMDK and DMK continued for the second day today.
As the political heat rises ahead of coming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, DMK today launched a hard-hitting advertisement campaign against AIADMK in newspapers and television channels, drawing a counter-offensive from the ruling party using the social media.

"In (the past) five years, you would have seen the Chief Minister (Jayalalithaa) in stickers, banners and even in television...Have you seen her in person?" asked full-page advertisements in Tamil and English dailies today.

The reference reiterates DMK's charge that the CM had not personally visited flood-hit people across the state. DMK was also critical of her practise of inaugurating projects through video-conferencing rather than going to the spot.

During flood relief work last year, charges were levelled in social media that AIADMK workers were persuading NGOs to paste stickers of Jayalalithaa on relief material, which was dismissed by the ruling party as false. "It is a rumour, a canard spread by unscrupulous elements," AIADMK had said.

Jayalalithaa had toured parts of Chennai, including her R K Nagar constituency after the October-November rains. After the December rains, she did an aerial survey of the flood- affected regions. She also reached out to people through her audio messages.

DMK ads on the front page used a popular comical dialogue "Ennamma Ipppadi Panreengaley ma,?" (Why are you doing like this?) after posing the question first.

It ended with "Let it (AIADMK rule) end, let it (DMK rule) dawn," a slogan coined for DMK treasurer Stalin's "Namakku Name" campaign and DMK's symbol of rising sun appearing prominently. Television commercials in leading Tamil channels also had the same content packed in a voice over.

Responding quickly, AIADMK sought to ridicule its arch rival by posing questions in the same fashion and it was circulated in social media and mobile messaging platforms.

"In (the past) five years, you would have seen Karunanidhi in the weddings of actresses, in felicitations arranged for him by himself, in Manada Mayilada shows (a dance show on DMK-run Kalaignar TV). Have you seen him in Tamil Nadu Assembl?" it said.

It retained the comical slogan of "Ennamma" and said 'Ozhiyattum (Let it go)' and embossed it below the DMK symbol of the rising sun.
Under attack for arresting JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar in a sedition case, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi today defended the action saying doing away with the provision of sedition would be "unjust" and for the interest of the nation it should not be diluted.

"Diluting the provision of sedition for a section of the society which celebrates when a soldier returns home from Jammu and Kashmir in a coffin should not happen, at least for the interest of the nation," he said after citing a few slogans, which he termed "unacceptable" even as he did not directly refer to the controversial JNU event.

"If one needs to protect the Constitution, one has to have provisions to deal with elements which pose threat to it. To do away with the legal provision of sedition will be unjust," the police chief said in an interview to a channel.

"It would be wrong to say that the provision of sedition in the Indian Penal Code is obsolete. If time is the only parameter, then provisions of punishing for murder and theft were incorporated in the IPC much earlier," he said, adding Section 124 A is a time-tested provision of law.

Questioning the role of think tanks and intellectuals who have severely criticised him for his actions time and again, Bassi said that those who are criticising the law of sedition should contemplate what is happening all over the nation.

Th top cop has been at the receiving end for police action in connection with the sedition case registered over the controversial event at JNU and also for Delhi Police's alleged failure to control violence that broke out at Patiala House court premises where Kanhaiya was produced, not once but twice.

(REOPENS DEL100)



Bassi also said that instead of debating on the scrapping down provisions of sedition law, its purview should be expanded keeping in mind the methods used by terror outfits to operate these days.

"At this age, handlers (from terror outfits) spot talents and nurture them from thousands of miles away, convincing them to incite violence and work against the interests of the nation," he said.

"The provision of IPC Section 124 A should rather be rephrased so that a common person can understand it without having to question the police every time," he said.
A dozen people were injured in at least 10 grenade blasts overnight in Bujumbura, police said today, as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Burundi.

"Last night, ten grenades exploded in several districts of Bujumbura, leaving a dozen people wounded," a senior police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The officer said two soldiers were among the injured as well as civilians after the series of explosions in outlying parts of the capital.

Ban arrived in Bujumbura yesterday, hoping to bring fresh impetus to stalled efforts to resolve the 10-month-old crisis that has left more than 400 dead, caused over 240,000 to leave the country and seen violent attacks in the capital become routine.

The UN chief is due to hold talks with President Pierre Nkurunziza on Tuesday after meeting with leaders of political parties and civil society. Afterwards Ban will travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo on the second leg of an Africa tour that will also take him to South Sudan, where civil war erupted in December 2013.

At least four people were killed in attacks ahead of Ban's arrival Monday.

It remains unclear who carried out the grenade blasts, which have increased in the past few weeks. Security forces, rebels and the opposition all blame each other for the killings.

The police officer told AFP "criminals" were responsible for Monday night's blasts and credited the security forces for ensuring the UN chief's visit was "less violent" than expected.

"Most of the grenades exploded in deserted places, which shows that these criminals only want to show the UN secretary general that there is no security, but everything is under control," the officer said.
A 39-year-old Scottish nurse, who recovered from Ebola twice, was today admitted to a special isolation ward in a London hospital for a third time since her return to the UK after contracting with deadly virus in Sierra Leone in 2014.

Pauline Cafferkey was initially admitted to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospitalbut was later transferred to the Royal Free Hospital here.

A spokesman for the Royal Free said: "We can confirm that Pauline Cafferkey is being transferred to the Royal Free hospital due to a late complication from her previous infection by the Ebola virus. She will now be treated by the hospital's infectious diseases team under nationally agreed guidelines."



Her condition was described as "stable" before she wasput on a Royal Air Force (RAF) Hercules aircraft to fly to Royal Free Hospital for specialist treatment.

Cafferkey was treated at the same hospital twice in 2015 after contracting Ebola in Sierra Leone while working as a nurse at the Save the Children treatment centre in Kerry Town.

Last year, the Royal Free Hospital had said Cafferkey had made a full recovery from Ebola and was no longer infectious.

The nurse was earlier in the day admitted for what the National Health Service (NHS) termed as "routine monitoring" by its Infectious Diseases Unit.

"Under routine monitoring by the Infectious Diseases Unit, Pauline Cafferkey has been admitted to hospital for further investigations,"an NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesperson said.

She had beendiagnosed in December 2014 after returning to Glasgow from the west African country via London.

At the time of her re-admission last November, the situation was described as "unprecedented" as the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Cafferkey was the only known Ebola survivor to develop meningitis months later.

At one point the Scottish nurse was described as "critically ill" but was discharged and transferred to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow to continue her recovery and later returned home.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa was first reported in March 2014, and rapidly became the deadliest occurrence of the disease since its discovery in 1976.

The total number of reported cases is about 28,637.

In January 2016, WHO declared the last of the countries affected, Liberia, to be Ebola-free.
A 39-year-old Scottish nurse was today admitted to a hospital in the UK for the third time since she contracted the deadly Ebola virus in Sierra Leone in 2014.

Pauline Cafferkey has been admitted to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for what the National Health Service (NHS) has termed "routine monitoring" by its Infectious Diseases Unit.

It wasn't initially clear whether Cafferkey was being readmitted because of complications from her previous contact with Ebola.

"Under routine monitoring by the Infectious Diseases Unit, Pauline Cafferkey has been admitted to hospital for further investigations," an NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesperson said.

She was treated at London's Royal Free Hospital twice in 2015 after contracting Ebola while working as a nurse at the Save the Children treatment centre in Sierra Leone's Kerry Town.

Last year, the Royal Free Hospital had said Cafferkey had made a full recovery from Ebola and was no longer infectious.

She had been diagnosed in December 2014 after returning to Glasgow from the west African country via London.

At the time of her re-admission last November, the situation was described as "unprecedented" as the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Cafferkey was the only known Ebola survivor to develop meningitis months later.

At one point the Scottish nurse was described as "critically ill" but was discharged and transferred to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow to continue her recovery and later returned home.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa was first reported in March 2014, and rapidly became the deadliest occurrence of the disease since its discovery in 1976.

The total number of reported cases is about 28,637.

In January 2016, WHO declared the last of the countries affected, Liberia, to be Ebola-free.
India's position on climate justice, sustainable lifestyles and clean development got support at the recent Paris Climate Change summit, President today said insisting that both economic development and environmental protection can co-exist.

"My government firmly believes that economic development and environmental protection can co-exist.

"At the crucial Climate Summit in Paris, India's position for climate justice, sustainable lifestyles and clean development was widely supported," he said in his address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on the opening day of the Budget session.

During the Paris Climate Change conference, around 195 nations adopted a "historic" legally-binding agreement which sought to limit global warming to well below two degrees Celsius.

Mukherjee also said the government has played a proactive role in addressing the issue of climate change by launching the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande had launched the alliance on the first day of the Paris climate talks in November last year.

ISA envisages coming together of 122 countries, situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which receive abundant sunshine for around 300 days in a year.

The President said 'Swachh Bharat Mission', with its focus on behavioral change, is becoming a community movement to herald an overall change in the quality of life and well-being of the people, particularly the poor.

"Focusing on generating wealth from waste, my government has formulated policies on mandatory procurement of power from waste to energy plants, co-marketing of compost by chemicals and fertiliser companies and use of construction and demolition waste," he said.

He said real time online monitoring of 1,487 industries and industrial units in the 17 highly polluting categories and that of quality of Ganga water has started.

To reduce air pollution, target for emission standards for motor vehicles have been drastically brought forward to achieve Bharat Stage-VI norm by 2021, Mukherjee said.

Noting that the coverage of 'The Project Tiger' has expanded, Mukherjee said the latest estimation shows that there has been an increase of 30 per cent in tiger population over the last count.

"My government has launched 'Jal Kranti Abhiyan', a people-centric programme to spread awareness on water conservation and management involving all stakeholders including Gram Panchayats.

"As part of the 'Namami Gange Programme', my government is implementing several projects in all 118 cities and complete sanitation solutions for 1,649 gram panchayats on the banks of the holy Ganga," Mukherjee said.

Mukherjee said the government has aimed at increasing the renewable energy capacity to 175 GW by 2022 by encouraging various initiatives, including offshore wind energy policy, bundling of thermal power with solar power, setting up solar parks and others.

"Installed solar capacity has almost doubled in the last 20 months and crossed 5000 MW. Today under my government, solar power is affordable and accessible to thousands of people," he said.

In its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) or climate action plans submitted by India before the crucial Paris conference, it announced that it aims at achieving around 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
Amidst concerns that growth of a country is accompanied by damage to its environment, President Pranab Mukherjee today said that both economic development and environmental protection can "co-exist".

Noting that the government has played a "proactive" role in addressing the issue of climate change by launching the International Solar Alliance (ISA), he also said India's position on climate justice and sustainable lifestyles was "widely" supported at the recent Paris Climate Change summit.

"The government firmly believes that economic development and environmental protection can co-exist.

"At the crucial Climate Summit in Paris, India's position on climate justice, sustainable lifestyles and clean development was widely supported," he said in his address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

Around 195 nations adopted an "historic" legally binding agreement at the Paris Climate meet which sought to limit global warming to well below two degrees Celsius.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande had launched the solar alliance on the first day of the Paris climate talks in November last year.

ISA envisages the coming together of 122 countries situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn that receive abundant sunshine for around 300 days in a year.

The President said that Swachh Bharat Mission, with its focus on behavioural change, is becoming a community movement for heralding overall change in the quality of life and well- being of the people, particularly the poor.

Focusing on generating wealth from waste, the government has formulated policies for mandatory procurement of power from waste-to-energy plants, co-marketing of compost by chemicals and fertiliser companies and use of construction and demolition waste, he said.

Real-time online monitoring of 1,487 industries and industrial units under 17 highly-polluting categories as also the quality of water in the Ganga has started, he said.

To reduce air pollution, the target for emission standards for motor vehicles has been drastically brought forward to achieve Bharat Stage-VI norm by 2021, Mukherjee said.

Holding that the coverage under 'The Project Tiger' has expanded, he said the latest estimate shows there has been an increase by 30 per cent in the tiger population over the last count.
An Egyptian court today ordered the release of al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri's brother who has been charged with setting up a terrorist cell.

Mohammad el-Zawahiri was arrested in 2013 and accused of joining a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda that targets security forces and minority Christians as well as planning attacks following the army's overthrow of Islamist president Mohammad Morsi after massive protests against his rule.

In October, 2015, al-Zawahiri was acquitted of setting up a terrorist organisation in what was known as the al-Zawahiri cell case.

Seventeen other defendants were charged in the same case, 10 of them were sentenced to death in 2015.
The European Union said today it will launch an action plan to develop 5G mobile networks which will massively speed up Internet connections, in an effort to avoid falling behind other regions.

"The Commission will work together with the industry to prepare a coordinated 5G action plan for the Europe," EU Digital Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said at the Mobile World Congress, the world's biggest mobile fair, in Barcelona.

This action plan should be adopted by the end of this year and it aims to involve telecom firms as well as major players from the automotive, energy, media and energy sectors, he added.

Europe had led the competition in GSM technology -- the original standard for mobile networks -- in the 1990s, but fell behind the United States and Asia in the rollout of faster 4G connections.

Businesses have repeatedly called on the EU to improve the quality of its mobile communications infrastructure, saying that inadequate networks hinder job creation and growth at a time when Europe is slowly pulling itself out of recession.

"We need to learn from our failure. We can not afford being left behind in what the most important transformation of societies since the industrial revolution," the EU commissioner said.

The putative 5G mobile network promises better connections to cope with the ever-increasing number of mobile internet users.

The EU estimates a high-definition movie could be downloaded in six seconds with the new technology, up from six minutes with 4G.

The new 5G networks could open up a range of services by delivering data at faster speeds, enabling services such as remote surgery or driverless cars and allowing customers to experience video and virtual reality with ease.

The International Telecommunication Union, a UN agency which works on interconnection among global carriers, said its member countries had approved a plan detailing how to harmonise standards for 5G, with the rollout expected for 2020.
Tensions reached boiling point today between European states worst affected by the migrant crisis as new figures showed no let-up in the influx of people fleeing war and poverty.

With migrant and refugee arrivals in Europe surpassing 110,000 in the first two months of the year alone, the United Nations warned that border restrictions being imposed by some states could cause chaos.

A diplomatic spat broke out between Greece and Austria, while Vienna lashed out at Germany's "contradictory" refugee policy.

The European Union voiced concerns about the risk of a "humanitarian crisis" particularly in Greece, which lies on the frontline of Europe's greatest migration challenge since World War II.

Thousands of people have been left stranded in Greece after Macedonia abruptly closed its border to Afghans, creating a fresh bottleneck on the Balkans route to northern Europe.

Athens also hit out at Vienna for failing to invite Greek representatives to a meeting on the crisis with ministers from western Balkan states on tomorrow.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte -- whose country holds the rotating EU presidency -- to complain after the foreign ministry blasted the Austrian meeting as "one-sided and not at all friendly" towards Athens.

Greece has accused Austria of undermining efforts to reach a joint European response to the crisis.

Austria retorted that it was a "fixed" meeting format and its summary would be available to EU interior and justice ministers when they meet on Thursday.

Austria lashed out at Germany's "contradictory" refugee policy after Berlin sharply criticised a daily limit introduced by Vienna on migrants registering and passing through the Alpine country.

"Germany should decide which number is acceptable to it," Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann told reporters.

A statement added that he wished for a "respectful treatment of Austria's political decisions."



New figures published by the International Organization for Migration showed that 102,547 people had arrived in Greece and another 7,507 in Italy so far this year.

Another 413 lost their lives trying, including 321 who perished on the journey to Greece, the IOM said.

The Mediterranean was the scene of another tragedy today, with Italy saying it had found four bodies off the coast of Libya and rescued more than 700 migrants.
Border closures by European states alarmed by the migration crisis will cause "further chaos and confusion", the new head of the UN refugee agency warned today.

"I am very worried about the that we are getting about increasing closures of European borders along the Balkans route because that will create further chaos and confusion," UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi said during a visit to the Greek island of Lesbos.

Some 8,000 refugees and migrants have been trapped in Greece after Macedonia on Sunday barred passage to Afghans and introduced tougher document checks for Syrians and Iraqis.

This followed a decision by countries further up the migrant route to turn back groups of Afghans.

"It will increase the burden on Greece which is already shouldering a very big responsibility in managing these people and this is happening when we are not yet having alternatives," Grandi said after visiting the Lesbos migrant registration point, or hotspot.

He said takeup of an EU programme to relocate some 160,000 people from Greece and Italy to other member states is "too small" and another scheme to directly resettle refugees from Turkey "has not started yet."



"So... To close the borders or to manage them tightly -- to put it that way -- in the absence of legal, safe alternatives for refugees will increase chaos and most likely will increase irregular movements that put people at risk," the Italian diplomat said.

Lesbos is the main landing point for thousands of refugees and migrants who brave a perilous crossing from neighbouring Turkey in search of a better future in Europe.

More than 100,000 migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean to Greece and Italy so far this year, and 413 have lost their lives trying, the International Organization for Migration said.
A class 12 student set herself afire after being repeatedly harassed allegedly by two boys on her way to school at Sunrakh village here today, police said.

The 17-year-old victim poured kerosene on her and set herself afire due to eveteasing by two youths of Sunrakh village today, Senior Superintendent of Police (City) Mukul Dwivedi said, adding that the girl has been shifted to a hospital in a serious condition.

As per the statement given by the victim to the magistrate, the accused, Manoj and Rajababu used to harass her often on her way to school.

A case has been registered against the accused and efforts are on to arrest them, police said.
Belongings of a former BJP MLC, Pasha Patel, were today removed from the room that he continued to occupy at the MLA hostel here despite not being a legislator.

Patel had moved into the room B 92 in 2007, after becoming a member of the state Legislative Council (MLC). However, he continued to stay in the room, despite his term ended as legislator in 2012.

Furniture, mattresses and other articles belonging to Patel were today taken out by the authorities from the hostel located in south Mumbai.

Talking about the development, Patel alleged that he was not given any notice by the PWD officials for eviction.

Patel is one of the popular BJP mass leaders in the state, specially in Marathwada region and has been in demand for addressing party's poll rallies for his connect with the rural populace.
A group of retired Army personnel, who are alumni of JNU, today met Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar amid a raging row at the varsity and said they will not return their degrees.

"Why should we return our degrees? It is our alma mater. We came to meet the VC to express our concerns over the controversy. We have not raised any demands. Armed forces are not the people who do such things, " Retd Lt General Niranjan Malik told reporters after the meeting.

"It is a premiere institution which we feel proud of. Unfortunately many people don't even know that Armed Forces have a lot of stake in JNU," he added.

"We are patriots and we believe that people on campus should also follow our examples. We have nothing to comment on the present controversy," another retired officer said.

The ex-servicemen of 54th NDA course had last week written to the Vice Chancellor saying they "find it difficult" to be associated with an institution that has become a "hub of anti-national activities".

"We feel that present activities in JNU campus negate the sacrifices made by past degree holders of the university and would therefore want to return our prized and well earned degrees to your institution if such activities are allowed to be conducted inside the university campus," they had said.

Students and teachers of various educational institutions have been demanding release of JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested last week in a sedition case that was registered following an event on the varsity campus to protest against the hanging of Afzal Guru where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.
Lack of proper understanding of free trade agreements has resulted in under utilisation of preferential duty tariffs that exporters can claim under them, a senior official in the Commerce and Industry Ministry said here today.

The data revealed that only 10 to 12 per cent of the entire trade was happening under FTAs, Joint secretary, Ravi Capoor said at an awareness programme organised in the city by the Director General of Foreign Trade jointly with Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and EEPC India, here.

"FTAs are least understood. India has signed 16 trade agreements so far out of the 200 trade agreements inked by various countries across the world between 2000 and 2015. Most of the agreements signed by India are with countries in the South East Asian Region," Capoor said.

Stating that India has several product lines which offered zero duty access to the Japanese market and only 21 per cent of it was being utilised by exporters, he said it was largely because they were either not aware of the benefits or try to get them through others.

"Most exporters leave the task of availing (duty free) benefits to customs or clearing house agents," he said.

"While the partnering country to the agreement can avail the preferential tariff agreed by the group (of countries) amongst its members, it is not being utilised either due to lack of awareness or because of the exporter's dependence on the clearing agent," he said.

He admitted that there was a huge gap in data collection on



exports under FTA.

On delay in signing FTA with the European Union, Capoor said it has strength in areas like wine, dairy products and automobiles and was interested in selling these products to India.

"India is becoming a hub for small cars and textiles is another emerging area and tariff will not be an issue 15 years down the line," Capoor said.

India will have to move up into high technology and high value added products to compete in the global market, as the world is moving towards non-tariff barriers, he said.
A double row of fence and tangled concertina wire curves like a Frankenstein stitch across the Kashmir frontier, blocking anything that might try to cross one of the world's most dangerous flashpoints - including, environmentalists say, migrating wildlife.

Built in 2007 by India, the impenetrable barrier scarring hundreds of kilometres of snowy forests has obstructed militants from Pakistan for years, but it has also halted the movement of some spectacular and rare species formerly abundant in the area, wildlife officials have told AFP.

Creatures such as black bears and leopards, fenced in on the Pakistani side, are being driven by hunger into nearby settlements, often with fatal consequences.

In the lush hilltop hamlet of Arang Kel, more than 8,000 feet above sea level, residents say they have no choice but to kill the wild animals stalking their land.

"Our cattle, sheep, goats and cows are not safe from them and sometimes they attack people," villager Roshan Khan, who is in his 60s, tells AFP. "That's why they are being killed."



"They have to travel towards human settlements in search of food, where they are killed by people when they attack their livestock," says Yousuf Qureshi, the former director of the wildlife department in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Since 2007 around 35 common leopards, five bears, and several brown bears have met their fate this way, says Pakistan-occupied Kashmir assistant wildlife and fisheries department director Naeem Dar.

The detour, exacerbated by deforestation and coupled with a lack of resources available to wildlife officials, has contributed to the eradication of many such species on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control (LoC), officials say.

The electric fence stands up to 12 feet tall in places, and is attached to an elaborate network of motion sensors, thermal imaging devices, lighting systems and alarms. The area immediately around it is peppered with land mines -- all in a bid to protect the frontier from infiltration by militants.

Kashmir's thick forests and soaring slopes are divided between bitter neighbours Pakistan and India along the de facto border agreed on in a 2003 ceasefire, but claimed by both in full.

The Srinagar-based commander of the Indian army's XV Corps, Lt Gen S K Dua, tells AFP the flow of militants crossing over from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is "down to a trickle" now, crediting the formidable fence and other counter-insurgency initiatives.

But, while blocking militants - and wildlife - from Pakistan, the barrier has also prevented animals moving from the Indian side.

Creatures such as the markhor, a type of wild goat with majestic horns, simply no longer appear on the Pakistani side -- blocked by hundreds of kilometres of barbed wire and explosives, says Qureshi.

"(The markhor) would travel from Pir Panjal (in the Himalayan mountains in Kashmir) to Neelum Valley, but the fence created a barrier and their migration has ended," he says. "This is a tragedy."



The same goes for the hangul, or Kashmir deer, once common in the area but now "totally extinct" on Pakistan's side of the border, he says.
Uttar Pradesh government today said five traders were killed last year in cases of extortion, dacoity and abduction in the state.

"From Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2015 five traders were killed in the state in cases of extortion, dacoity and abduction," Parliamentary Affairs minister Mohd Azam Khan told the state assembly in the reply to a question by BJP member Suresh Rana.

Khan said to check such incidents government has ordered constitution of anti-extortion cells in all the districts. He said meetings were held at district level from time to time to deal with problems faced by traders.

When BJP member suggested him to constitute a separate traders' helpline, the Minister said police control room numbers are there for the purpose.
French President Francois Hollande has said the Syrian ceasefire must be fully and promptly implemented, after discussing it with the leaders of Britain, Germany and the United States.

"A ceasefire has been announced. It must be fully respected and the sooner, the better," Hollande told reporters yesterday during a visit to Peru.

He said the four Western powers would join forces to push for "discussions on a real political transition" in Syria.

All four countries called for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and urged the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to cooperate in the aid effort for those affected.

"Pressure must be exerted on the Syrian regime and its supporters, in this case Russia, so that the bombings cease and so humanitarian aid can be transported" to hard-hit spots such as Aleppo, he said.

"It is high time for this, otherwise refugees will continue to come and there will be an unbearable humanitarian situation in Turkey," one of Syria's neighbors where countless refugees have fled.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing fighting in Syria have risked their lives trying to reach Europe.

Syria's regime agreed yesterday to the ceasefire deal announced a day earlier by the United States and Russia, aimed at halting its nearly five-year civil war.

Hollande's office said in a separate statement that the four countries would closely monitor implementation of the truce, "particularly the halting of strikes by Russia and the Syrian regime on moderate opposition groups and the civilian population."



There were widespread doubts about whether the truce could take effect by the weekend as hoped.

The agreement does not apply to jihadists such as the Islamic State group and Al-Nusra Front, putting up major hurdles to how it can be implemented on Syria's complex battlefield.

The deal calls for a "cessation of hostilities" between forces loyal to Assad and opposition groups that would take effect at 2000 GMT Friday.

In a new toll released yesterday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said that 271,138 people -- including nearly 80,000 civilians -- had lost their lives in the war.
The Greater Cooch Behar People's Association today lifted its 'rail roko' agitation demanding Union Territory status or C category statehood for Cooch Behar district on the fourth day today.

This was announced by the GCPA supremo Bangshi Badan Barman after the police arrested the activists late this afternoon.

The lifting of the rail blockade at the New Cooch Behar railway station on Cooch Behar-New Jalpaiguri section was preceded by sporadic clashes between the police and the agitators.

According to the police, the agitators pelted stones from railway lines on the security personnel keeping watch on the agitators. The police retaliated with firing teargas shells and lathicharge, injuring several persons on both sides.

In the late afternoon today, a huge contingent of police force gathered at the New Cooch Behar station to disperse the agitators.

Cooch Behar District Magistrate P Ulaganathan asked the GCPA activists over loudspeaker to vacate the spot terming the blockade as illegal. As this produced no result, the police then surrounded the agitators from three sides and arrested them including the GCPA central committee leader Bhabesh Barman.

The police operation continued for half an hour before Bangshi Badan Barman announced the lifting of the agitation. He, however, denied that the GCPA activists had pelted stones at the police.

The agitation began at 6 AM on Saturday when the activists squatted on tracks near the New Cooch Behar station, affecting railway link to the Northeast.

All trains from the region except the Dibrugarh- Guwahati-New Delhi Rajdhani Express were cancelled today, a spokesman of the North Eastern Frontier Railway said in Guwahati.

The Rajdhani Express was diverted via Siliguri-New Jalpaiguri section, the spokesman said.

A 29-year-old man had died on Sunday after falling ill in the Kanchenjungha Express which was stranded for several hours in Cooch Behar due to the stir.

(Reopens CAL7)



Meanwhile, 17 GCPA agitators were arrested during the police action at New Cooch Behar today, a police officer said.

Altogether 21 persons, including some police personnel, were injured in the melee and taken to MJN Hospital.

While GCPA chief Bangshi Badan Barman claimed the rail blockade was lifted after getting assurance from the administration over their demands, a government official said the blockade was winded up by the police as it disrupted the smooth running of trains and caused suffering to the stranded passengers.
German authorities say a woman has died from injuries sustained in a suicide bombing last month in Istanbul, bringing the number of people killed in the attack to 12.

Bavaria's state interior ministry said today that the 52-year-old woman died on Sunday at a hospital in Offenbach, near Frankfurt, agency dpa reported.

The bomber set off the explosion on January 12 near German tourists visiting Istanbul's landmark Blue Mosque, killing 10 of them. An 11th victim died in Berlin in late January.

Turkish officials have said the bomber, a Syrian, was affiliated with the Islamic State group.
Germany and France today urged Kiev to root out corruption and quickly adopt a law on elections in the pro-Russian separatist east that may help resolve Ukraine's 22-month war.

"We need for the economic reforms to be pushed forward," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told a joint press conference attended by his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault and Ukraine's Pavlo Klimkin.

"But it is essential that this policy is based on a principle of zero tolerance for corruption," Steinmeier stressed.

He added that "we cannot accept that there are so many violations of the ceasefire and that the electoral law is being postponed" by Ukraine.

Such a law "would be the basis for elections to be organised in the east."



Berlin and Paris have been spearheading Western efforts to end a revolt against Kiev's pro-Western leadership that has claimed more than 9,000 lives in the European Union's backyard.

But a peace plan signed one year ago that was meant to find a permanent solution by the end of 2015 has expired with few of its commitments met.

One of those measures involves Ukraine adopting a law on elections that grants rebel-run regions temporary special status - a step Kiev has refused to take.

And the country itself has been hit by a political crisis in which Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk survived a no-confidence vote last week that came only hours after President Petro Poroshenko himself urged his government leader to step down.

Opinion polls show Ukrainians increasingly unhappy with the two men's perceived inability to fulfil the anti-corruption and reformist agenda that propelled them to power after the February 2014 ouster of Kiev's Moscow-backed leadership.

The French foreign minister said the European Union "will continue to support your country".

"However, to be clear, we need for (Ukraine's) policies to be determined, credible and sustainable," Ayrault said.

He further warned that "the worst scenario for Ukraine would be for it to stay in midstream, with half of the reforms adopted and a situation without prospects" in the war zone.

The diplomats' visit to Kiev is meant to help pave the way for a March 3 meeting with their Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in Paris devoted to finding a lasting solution to one of Europe's deadliest conflicts since the 1990s Balkans wars.

The four nations agreed the so-called Minsk II deal in February 2015 and their foreign ministers have been holding periodic talks aimed at resolving issues preventing peace from returning to Ukraine's industrial east.
The Union Cabinet is likely to consider a proposal tomorrow to have multiple cut-off dates for young citizens to enlist as voters to ensure that people who turn 18 are able to register in the electoral rolls twice a year instead of the current practice of one.

As of now, for an election to be held in a particular year, only an individual who has attained the age of 18 years as on January 1 of that year or before is eligible to be enrolled in the voters' list. Now, July 1 could be the second cut-off date.

While the Election Commission had been pushing for four cut-off dates for registration of voters, the government has agreed to have two.

Sources said the Cabinet is likely to take a call on the proposal in its meeting tomorrow evening.

EC has told the government that the January 1 cut-off date set for the purpose deprives several youths from participating in the electoral exercise held in a particular year.

According to Section 14 (b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the qualifying date means the first day of January of the year in which the electoral roll is prepared or revised. The section would be amended to have two cut off dates.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi had recently said that "as a result (of having one cut-off date), if a person is becoming 18 years on January 2, he cannot be registered. Therefore, a person who is turning 18 beyond January 1 will have to wait for next year to get registered."



At a meeting held last month between Zaidi and top Law Ministry officials, the government had agreed for two cut-off dates.

The Commission proposed that instead of only one qualifying date for enrollment, there should be four different dates (January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1) for enrollment so that maximum number of people can be enrolled.

The Law Ministry suggested that instead of four dates, "we may introduce two dates. Accordingly, the Commission proposed that January 1 and July 1 may be specified as qualifying dates for enrollment by amending electoral laws", EC had said in a statement after the meeting.
Athens has expressed its "displeasure" to the EU over tougher border controls by Balkan countries that have left thousands of migrants stranded in Greece, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' office said today.

In a phonecall with his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, Tsipras had also complained about being left out of a planned conference in Vienna today involving countries along the migrant route through the western Balkans.

"Decisions concerning refugee flows must be taken collectively without exclusions," Tsipras told Rutte according to the statement.

With all of Europe scrambling for solutions to the continent's greatest migration challenge since World War II, Austria has invited interior and foreign ministers from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia to a conference entitled "Managing Migration Together".

At a European Council meeting last week, Tsipras had lobbied hard for a pledge from fellow EU peers not to toughen border controls until a migration summit can be held with Turkey in early March.

But Austria has imposed a cap on daily asylum requests, and Macedonia -- which is not an EU member -- on Sunday stopped allowing passage to Afghans and imposed tougher border checks on Syrians and Iraqis, causing a massive bottleneck in Greece.
The BJP in Gujarat has won 15 out of the 27 municipalities while Congress has won eight in the latest round of local body elections.

One municipality each was won by NCP and Samajwadi Party, while the verdict is hung in two others.

There was around 75 per cent voter turnout for the elections for 660 seats held last Sunday, with 1,641 candidates in the fray.

Bareja municipality in Ahmedabad district had clocked the highest 82 per cent voter turnout while Maliya-Miyana municipality in Morbi district registered the lowest 62 per cent turnout.

State BJP spokesperson I K Jadeja said, "Today's results will shatter Congress's dream of winning the 2017 Assembly polls. Congress has failed to open its account in many municipalities, like Bhabhar, Damnagar, Savli and Padra, where they have got zero seats."



Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said his party had improved its performance.

Earlier, elections were held last November for 56 municipalities, six municipal corporations, 31 district panchayats and 230 taluka panchayats. BJP had fared badly in district and taluka panchayat elections then but captured power in majority of urban centres.
An employee of Gauripur post office was injured inside his office in lower Assam's Dhubri district this evening when gunmen opened fire in a bid to rob the post office, the police said.

The two assailants went to the post office around 6.30 PM when its Post Master Rabindra Kumar Biswas was counting the day's collection of small savings before depositing the amount in the nearby sadar police station, they said.

Stating that the gunmen came in the pretext of depositing money, the police said when the Post Master refused to accept their money as the post office had closed for the day at 4 PM, the assailants opened fire seriously injuring the PO's guard.

Following an alarm raised after the firing, the attackers fled.

The guard identified as Bengaram Rai, 55, and was admitted to Dhubri Civil Hospital.

District Additional Superintendent of Police Indranil Barua rushed to the spot and a search operation was launched to nab the culprits.
The Bombay High Court today deferred till February 29 the hearing on a petition seeking second autopsy of Gurgaon resident Sandeep Gadoli who was killed in an alleged encounter with the police in Mumbai two weeks ago.

The petition, filed by Gadoli's brother Kuldeep, came up before the bench of Justices V M Kanade and V L Achilya. The judges said they would wait for a Supreme Court order about this case to be uploaded on the apex court's website.

The apex court has directed the HC to make Gurgaon police a party to the petition.

Gadoli, who faced criminal cases in Haryana, was killed in an alleged encounter with a team of Gurgaon police at a hotel in Mumbai on February 7.

His brother has moved the HC, alleging it was a fake encounter and an FIR for murder should be registered against the Gurgaon police.

The petitioner says the autopsy report of J J Hospital here ignored several 'post-death' injuries on the body. When he saw the body, he noticed that the neck was swollen but the report doesn't mention it. Also, it doesn't give details of entry and exit points of bullets.

Kuldeep has sought a fresh autopsy and examination of call data records of Gurgaon policemen involved in the operation and a woman who was with Sandeep at the time.

The SC last week stayed the Bombay High Court order which asked the Mumbai police to register an FIR against Gurgaon police. The apex court asked the HC to give a hearing to Gurgaon police by making them party to the petition.
The US has strongly refuted the Chinese claim that what it is doing in the disputed is akin to the US' deploying of defence facilities in Hawaii, saying no other country has a claim on Hawaii.

"There is no other country that has a claim on Hawaii. But yet when you consider the land features in the South China Sea, there are a variety of overlapping territorial claims that a variety of countries have made on those features," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Monday.

Earnest's remarks came in response to Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying who said on Monday what China was doing in the is what the US does in Hawaii.

"China deploying necessary national defence facilities on its own territory is no different from the US deploying defence facilities on Hawaii," Hua said.

Recognising that Chinese government may have disagreement about the claims made by other countries, Earnest said that is precisely the reason the US believes all the parties should resolve their differences about this matter in a way that does not provoke a military confrontation.

"That is why we have urged all parties who are claimants to these features - the US is not among them, we've encouraged all of the countries that do have claims to resolve them in a peaceful, legal manner and to avoid confrontation and to seek to avoid escalating the tensions in that area of the world," Earnest said.

Noting that America hoped that tensions in that part of the world would be reduced, Earnest said they can be reduced if all of the claimants to the land features in the make the same kind of commitment that was seen from the leaders of ASEAN in California just last week.

"In the context of the summit, the leaders of ASEAN committed to not building up a military presence on those features that are the subject of competing claims," he said.

"That is a responsible way to resolve differences of opinion over those features, and we certainly would urge the Chinese and every other country that has a competing claim here to abide by that standard," Earnest said.

Observing that the stakes for the US are not insignificant, Earnest said America would want to ensure that the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the South China Sea is protected.

"There's a lot of commerce that flows through that part of the world, and it has a significant impact on the United States if that commerce is somehow disrupted," Earnest said.

"So that's why we're seeking to reduce tensions and encouraging all sides to come together to resolve their differences in a way that does not provoke a military confrontation," he said.

Meanwhile, a US think tank - Center for Strategic and Studies (CSIS) - released new images that seem to show a powerful radar being installed on one of the disputed islands in the South China Sea.

This comes just a few days after evidence that China was installing missiles on another set of islands in the same area.

Tensions in the South China Sea, through which a third of the world's oil passes, have mounted in recent months after China transformed contested reefs in the Spratly islands.

China has accused the US of "double standards" on the issue of militarisation of the South China Sea.

Last week, President Barack Obama said the US will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever law allows, and will support the right of all countries to do the same. He had also called for "tangible steps" to reduce tensions in the South China Sea.
The Bombay High Court has upheld a CAT order which allowed the plea of the second wife of a Union government employee to claim retirement benefits of her husband after his death, on the ground that the deceased had divorced his first wife.

Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) is a competent court to hear matters pertaining to central government employees.

The deceased was working at the Ammunition Factory in Khadki near Pune. He passed away in January 2010 and nominated his second wife to receive all the retirement benefits, while cancelling the nomination in favour of his first wife whom he had divorced earlier.

In September 2013, the tribunal had passed an order allowing the plea of the second wife to receive the retirement benefits. Aggrieved by the order, the first wife challenged the CAT decision in the high court.

Hearing the parties, Chief Justice G H Waghela and Justice V K Tahilramani observed, "We also have to go by the fact that the first nomination in favour of the petitioner (first wife) was duly cancelled and a fresh nomination was filed separately by the deceased for Death-Cum-Retirement Pension, Provident Fund and Group Insurance benefits in favour of respondent No 5 (second wife).

"This application for nomination in favour of the respondent 5 (second wife) was filed along with the documents of divorce with the petitioner and nikahnama (marriage certificate) with respondent no 5 much prior to the death of the deceased," the bench said.

"The tribunal has considered all the facts and thereafter allowed the application filed by respondent 5. (In such case), no interference is called for (by the high court). Rule is discharged," the judges said in their order last week.

Counsel for the petitioner Vinod Tayade argued that a valid talaqnama (divorce decree) was given by the deceased to the petitioner who was entitled to the retiral benefits as she was the first wife. However, he was not able to explain as to how this claim can be sustained in view of cancellation of nomination of the petitioner filed by the deceased.

The high court noted that it would not be possible for it to ingore the nomination made by the deceased in favour of the second wife.

The high court also observed that approximately six months prior to his death, the deceased had promptly informed his office about his second marriage and about his divorce.

He had also told his office about the nomination filed in favour of the second wife relating to retirement benefits, the bench said.
The Bombay High Court today directed 20 youth, accused of assaulting each other, to clean a road and a railway station for three months and quashed a case of brawl against them.

A division bench of Justices RV More and V L Achiliya directed one group of youths to clean and sweep Mira Road railway station every Sunday for the next three months and another group to clean a municipal school in Thane every Sunday for the same period.

The station master of Mira Road station and the principal of the school in Thane will monitor and supervise the youths and inform the police.

The youths had gone to a resort in Gorai in April last year separately where they got embroiled into a clash attacking each other. A case was registered by Gorai police.

All the accused, who are in early twenties, had approached the HC seeking to quash the case stating that they have settled the dispute amongst themselves.

This is the second instance of the Bombay HC handing out such a punishment to people who have sought dismissal of the case citing amicable settlement among themselves.

The HC had last month directed four youths from Thane district to sweep streets of their area once a week for the next six months to get a case of molestation and attempt to murder quashed against them.
Madras High Court today reserved its order on an appeal by 35 crew members of US company-owned ship M V Seaman Guard Ohio, seeking a stay on the sentence of five-year rigorous imprisonment awarded to them by a lower court on charges of illegally possessing weapons and entering Indian waters.

Justice V S Ravi, who heard the argument of both 'Q' branch police (intelligence wing) and the petitioners, reserved the orders without mentioning the date.

The government advocate submitted that the crew had no work in this part of the Indian ocean and countered the petitioners' submission that they were involved in preventing piracy in the Indian ocean.

"When there is no piracy where is the question of preventing?" he asked.

Besides they did not have a convincing reply on why they did not switch off the lights when they anchored in Indian territory, he said.

Till today, it was not known why the crew, which did not have valid documents, had entered Indian territory without permission, who they were and why they possessed arms during the stay in the Indian ocean for 48 hours, he said



There was also no proof of their bonafides. Arms carried by them were allowed only for the Army,paramilitary and police forces and it was not known how they had it. The intention itself attracted the Arms act, the government advocate said.

The petitioners submitted that they were innocent and they had carried the arms only for anti-piracy activities. They pointed out they had been granted bail twice already, had not escaped and obeyed orders of the court.

They had been in prison for nine months and hence the sentence should be suspended, they contended.

The crew claimed that the Indian Arms Act would not apply to them. Cases could not be registered against them under the Act nor could they be convicted under it, they said.

Besides 25 of them were ex-army men and they would not cause any threat to the security of India, they said.

Tuticorin District and Session Judge Rajasekhar had sentenced them to five years RI on January 11 and also slapped a fine of Rs 3,000 each on the crew, comprising 12 Indians, three Ukranians, six British and 14 Estonian nationals.

The crew, arrested on Oct 18, 2013 after their ship was intercepted by Coast Guard off Tuticorin port,had been granted conditional bail by Madurai High court Bench in March, 2014.

They were arrested after the Coast Guard found the ship carrying arms illegally in Indian waters off Tuticorin, a charge denied by the vessel authorities.

They faced charges under Arms Act and Essential Commodities Act which was invoked as the ship had allegedly bought diesel from a local agent in violation of law.

US firm AdvanFort International, which owns the ship, has maintained that the vessel was involved in anti-piracy operations and had not strayed into Indian waters.
Ten plays across various languages like Hindi, English, Kannada, Urdu and Tamil have been nominated at the upcoming 11th edition of Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META).

Kannada play "Akshayambara", "Mein Hun Yusuf Aur Yeh Hai Mera Bhai" in Urdu and Hindi, and non-verbal musical "After Death - A Spiritual Journey" received eight nominations each.

English play "Agnes of God" got seven nominations, Bengali production "Haoai (The Eleventh Planet)" received six nods.

Also nominated are "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari" (English), "07/07/07" (English, Hindi and Farsi), "Balcony" (Malyalam), Kuhaimaravasigal (Cave Tree Dwellers) in Tamil and "A Friend's Story" (English).

The productions focus on an array of subjects including displacement, revolution, faith and spirituality, mental health, rape, crimes against women, bisexuality, prostitution and love in conflict zones.

The art forms presented are diverse and include the dance drama form of Yakshagana, the rituals of the Indian Bhil tribe, play-within-a-play scenarios, spatial experimentation and audio-visual narratives.

The nominated plays will be judged across 13 categories.

Awards will be given for Best Play, Best Director, Best Stage Design, Best Light Design, Best Innovative Sound Design, Best Costume Design, Best Actor in a Lead Role (Male), Best Actor in a Lead Role (Female), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female), Best Original Script, Best Ensemble, and Best Choreographer.

"A plethora of languages, ideas and cultures will be on display this March and we urge the audiences to come and partake in this wonderful festival and to especially show their support for regional theatre," Jay Shah, Head, Cultural Outreach, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd said.

The award ceremony will be held on March 11 here while the shortlisted productions will be staged from March 6 to March 10.
Right wing outfit Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) today demanded arrest of JNU student Umar Khalid for his alleged "anti-national activities".

"Umar Khalid is trying to garner compassion under the pretext of religious discrimination in order to conceal his anti-national activities. He and his other colleagues must be arrested immediately," HJS said in a release.

The right-wing organisation also claimed that the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) row "is purposefully painted to be a case of religious discrimination".

Khalid is one of the five students who had gone missing from the campus since February 12 after JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-India slogans during a controversial event at the campus.

On February 21, Khalid and the other four students had surfaced on the JNU campus.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was tonight asked to leave Rohtak, the town worst hit by Jat violence, by the district administration which cited maintenance of peace as the reason for the order.

Hooda, a Congress leader, has been asked to leave Rohtak "to ensure peace and harmony," official sources said.

Hooda told PTI that he had received the order advising him to leave Rohtak and not stay here for the night by the district administration for maintenance of law and order.

"As a law abiding citizen I complied with the directions issued by the Principal Secretary A K Singh and left the town immediately," he said, adding he was on his way to Delhi.

Asked whether the administration could issue such a direction, he said it could do so keeping the law and order in mind.

Hooda's close aide and senior Congress leader B B Batra said two IPS officers first came to Hooda's residence and verbally asked him to leave the town.

"But Hooda declined saying he cannot leave on verbal instructions," Batra said, adding the former Chief Minister sought an administrative order.

Batra said that later an order was issued by Principal Secretary A K Singh, who has been appointed the Special Officers for Rohtak during the Jat agitation.

He issued the order on ground of maintenance of law and order. The former Chief Minister immediately complied with the order and left for Delhi, Batra said.

(REOPENS DEL94)



Hooda also faced an angry crowd of traders in Rohtak who suffered heavy losses in the incidents of violence and arson.

The traders gathered near Hooda's residence and started raising anti-Congress slogans when the former chief minister arrived here.

Hooda, accompanied by senior Haryana Congress leader B B Batra, came out of his car to express sympathy with the traders but was gheraoed by them.

Later a person hurled a shoe at Hooda, who by that time had entered his car. The shoe fell shot of his car.
Protesters rallied today outside the Australian embassy in the East Timor capital Dili, demanding Canberra come to the table "in good faith" to end a long-running dispute over major oil and gasfields in the Timor Sea.

Hundreds of protesters, including students, activists and former resistance fighters, gathered peacefully outside the diplomatic mission to urge Australia to "respect East Timor sovereignty", rally organiser Juvinal Dias told AFP.

"We are asking Australia to negotiate the maritime boundary based on good faith," Dias said.

Ties between the neighbours have soured since East Timor took Australia to the International Court of Justice to settle a dispute over the maritime boundaries governing lucrative undersea oil and gas reserves.

The tiny, half-island nation, which has a sluggish economy heavily dependent on oil and gas, wants a treaty which was signed in 2006 and set the maritime borders to be torn up. It claims Australia spied on ministers to gain commercial advantage.

The protesters want permanent maritime boundaries drawn up along the "median line" between Australia and East Timor, Dias said. He urged Australia to abandon its "invalid" claim in the Timor Sea and promised further rallies if it refused to negotiate.

The 2006 treaty was signed between Canberra and Dili, four years after East Timor won independence following years of brutal Indonesian occupation.
Actress Naomie Harris has labelled her "Collateral Beauty" co-star Will Smith the "nicest man" she has ever worked with.

The 39-year-old actress, who has shared the screen with a host of big names including Daniel Craig, Idris Elba, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth, said Smith has really taken her aback, reported Contactmusic.

During an appearance on British morning show "Lorraine", Harris recalled her trip to The White House for a screening of "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom".

"I had such a wonderful time there. (President Barack) Obama is so amazing - he walks into the room and the whole energy just changes, he's so charismatic, it's incredible," she smiled.

"Along with Will Smith... I'm filming with Will Smith at the moment and I'm completely in love with him. He's incredible - he's the nicest man I've ever worked with!," she added.

The actress also took the opportunity to discuss the issue of diversity in Hollywood.

Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith have made the decision to boycott the upcoming Oscars due to there being no black nominees, and Harris hopes that publicising the problem will help to resolve it.

"There is a real issue with diversity and I hope that it really gets fixed because there are so many talented actors and actresses of different ethnicities who aren't getting the opportunities they deserve," she said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav gives final touches to the State Budget 2016-17 in Lucknow

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has urged Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to include certain proposals related to Uttar Pradesh in 2016-17.

The chief minister in his letter to Prabhu has requested completion of broad line between Etawah-Mainpuri in the current fiscal and to make a provision in the forthcoming Railway Budget, an official spokesman said..

Read our full coverage on Union Budget 2016



He said the railway line between Mandhana-Anrawrganj on Kannauj-Kanpur section should be removed and a bypass track should be developed between Mandhana-Panki.

The CM also said the state government was constructing a greenfield expressway between Lucknow and Agra from its own resources.

He said if the Centre was to bring a parallel bullet train or rail line project, then the state was ready to provide land free of cost.
A top diplomat and former ambassador to Afghanistan today said India was not being "sidelined" by Kabul just because it is not a party to the peace talks with Taliban.

Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that to send out the message that its involvement in Afghanistan was not against any country, India may also collaborate with regional partners in future projects in the war-torn nation.

India is not a party to the peace talks between Taliban and Quadrilateral Coordination Group comprising Afghanistan, China, the US and Pakistan.

Asked whether India was being sidelined by Kabul in the peace talks, Sinha said, "With Taliban, it's a different matter. In not being able to talk with Taliban, I don't think we are being sidelined. On the issue of Quadrilateral Coordination Group, the thing is that the structure and way Taliban is headquartered and controlled, that automatically rules us out.

"So, for us to imagine to be a party to the talks... Of course, the Americans and the Chinese have a role to play."



Sinha was speaking at the seminar, 'Afghanistan: The Way Ahead', which was also attended by Satinder K Lambah, Vivek Kajtu, Rakesh Sood, Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) Director General Jayant Prasad all of whom have served as Indian envoys to that country.

Sinha added that the Indian policy has always been to be with the government in Kabul.

"India's policy is to be with the government in power. When the public sentiment was against the (Afghan) government, we were still with them. Some Afghans still hold that against us... We have been consistent (on siding with the government)," he said.

The senior diplomat said two major projects undertaken by India in Afghanistan are on the verge of completion and the two countries are likely to hold a meeting next month to discuss further projects.

"We may also bring in some regional projects for joint collaboration to give some comfort that what we are doing (in Afghanistan) is not against any country.

"Two major projects we are doing are actually coming to an end and we will be meeting Afghan officials in March," Sinha said.
Economic ties between India and the US are on an upward swing and American investment in the country has seen a more than three-fold jump in 2015-16, US Ambassador to India Richard R Verma today said while noting that a "stable tax regime and legal certainty" were key for growth in this area.

Here to make a tour of "fast-progressing Bihar", Verma underlined the utility of the single-window clearance system for attracting investment and hailed the southern states for having implemented such processes.

Lauding Bihar for the turnaround it has achieved in recent years, he said, "We hear about positive success story of Bihar in last few years. When I meet Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Governor Ramnath Kovind, we will identify specific areas where American establishments could have involvement."



Verma pointed to the American multinational General Electric company manufacturing locomotives in Marauhra and Madhepura in Bihar at an investment of 2.5 billion dollar. The US company is to make 900 locomotives in Bihar, he said.

The US Ambassador said that economic ties between his country and India would increase in the future. He added that American companies have two prime concerns before making any investment -- "they look for stable tax regime and legal certainty for their investment".

"US investment in India increased to USD 105 billion in 2015-16 as compared to USD 30 billion 10 years back," he told reporters here.

"About 200 US companies were present in India in 2005, which has increased to 500 in 2015-16," added Verma.

More than 1.2 millions Indian got US visas in 2015, said Verma, who was accompanied by the US Consul General Craig L Hall on his visit to the state capital.

Asked about the JNU row, he underlined the importance of freedom of speech in a democracy, but refused to comment further, saying "the government is looking into the matter".

On the sale of F-16 fighter aircraft to Pakistan, he said the US Congress was looking into it.

As to India raising its concerns over terror outfits operating from Pakistani soil, Verma said, "We take the concerns seriously and have asked Pakistan to take more effective steps to check terrorism and demolish safe heavens of the terrorists.

Earlier, Verma and Consul General Hall went to the Patna



office of the Sammaan Foundation and saw the organisation's work concerning livelihood and health of rickshaw-pullers. The US Ambassador also took a rickshaw ride during the visit.
A bag of rice weighing 550kgs has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for being the heaviest bag of rice.

The rice bag of India Gate Classic Basmati Rice brand has achieved the feat at the annual 4-day food and hospitality trade show being held here from February 21-25.

The new record by India-based Basmati rice exporter, KRBL Ltd was achieved when the bag was filled in a single day by a team at KRBL DMCC's Al Quoz warehouse before being driven on a truck to Gulfood.

"Guinness Book of World Record assessors were on site to verify the entire process," said Priyanka Mittal, member of the Board of Directors at KRBL.

Following the feat, Guinness Book of Records accreditors presented the management with an honorary certificate on the second day of Gulfood.

"After the show, we plan to display the bag for a few days at a major retail store or a shopping mall before cooking it for distribution to labourers," Mittal said.

KRBL, which owns the India Gate Basmati rice brand, is also one of the recipients of World's Greatest Brands and Leaders 2015 - Asia & GCC Awards.

The company is participating at Gulfood to connect with its worldwide distributors, forge new alliances and expand its country basket.

The record has been welcomed by DWTC which has signed up more than 5,000 exhibitors from over 120 countries for Gulfood 2016, the largest number in the show's history.

"The new Guinness World Record is a colourful and engaging addition to this year's show. Dubai is well known for its record-breaking exploits and we're very happy that Gulfood has got in on the act," said Mark Napier, Exhibition Director of Gulfood.

Gulfood 2016 is hosting the show's largest contingent to date of national and industry pavilions, having lined up a total of 117, five more than last year, with first-time group participation from Russia, Costa Rica, Belarus, and Mauritius, and New Zealand returning after a six-year break.
Days ahead of the Union Budget, Moody's Investors Service said Tuesday India's will remain weaker than its peers in the near term even if Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was to stick to fiscal consolidation roadmap.

Jaitley in his for 2016-17 will on Monday reveal if the credit-positive five-year trend of narrowing deficits - from 6.5 per cent of GDP in fiscal 2010 to 4.1 per cent in 2014-15 - will continue..

Read our full coverage on Union Budget 2016



He will also say if the government was on track to reduce deficits to 3.9% and 3.5% of GDP this fiscal year and the next respectively.

Moody's said the importance of the upcoming lies in its message on the government's fiscal consolidation plans. The government's fiscal deficits have reduced over the last five years, and this has supported the stabilisation of government debt ratios.

Without fiscal consolidation going forward, India's government finances will continue to compare poorly to peers.

"Even if budgetary consolidation continues, India's will remain weaker than rating peers in the near term, because of the relatively high level of India's state and central government deficits and debt," Moody's said.

Based on the trends in revenues and expenditures over the last five years, Moody's said the fiscal consolidation process remains vulnerable to economic shocks, such as a fall in corporate profits or consumption growth, or an increase in subsidy costs.

Although fuel subsidy reform has partially addressed this vulnerability, food subsidies still pose risks.

The fiscal weakness, it said, was partly due to structural factors. Low per-capita incomes of around $1,700 limit the government's tax base and raise pressure for subsidies and development spending.

"Moreover, interest payments absorb almost a fifth of Indian government revenues - a consequence of high debt, which we estimate at 63.8% of GDP in fiscal 2016, down from 83.1% in fiscal 2005. This restricts the government's fiscal flexibility," it said.

In addition, certain cyclical factors and unanticipated developments augment fiscal pressures.

"For instance, despite a robust GDP growth above 7% in 2015, rural demand and corporate profitability remained subdued, weighing on tax revenues," it said adding drought has added to food subsidy costs.

Stating that the current growth environment complicates fiscal consolidation, Moody's said the 7% plus growth rate that outperformed similarly rated sovereigns, was accompanied in 2015 by subdued rural demand due to poor monsoons and weak corporate profitability as pricing power remained low.

Consequently, government tax revenue growth has cooled. At the same time, 2016 expenses could rise due to civil servant pay revisions and bank recapitalisation costs. In addition, sluggish private investment has led some policy analysts to suggest government spending to kick-start the process.

Moody's said next year, pay revision for government employees and bank recapitalisation costs are likely to push up the government's expenses, while the revenue outlook will depend on whether rural demand and corporate profitability recover.

"Therefore, fiscal improvements are likely to be limited in the near term. Whether they occur over the medium term will depend on the successful implementation of policy measures that expand the revenue base and/or curtail expenditure commitments," Moody's said.

However, some of the credit risks posed by continued fiscal weakness are offset to a certain extent by the government's access to long-term, rupee-denominated domestic financing, it added.
Government has initiated investigations into circumvention of anti-dumping duties on imports of certain stainless products from China, Korea, EU, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand and the US.

The probe has been initiated by the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD), under the Commerce Ministry, on a complaint by Jindal Stainless Ltd.

The DGAD has found "sufficient prima facie evidence" of circumvention of anti-dumping duties leviable on "cold-rolled flat products of stainless steel" by these countries.

The authority "hereby initiates an investigation into the alleged circumvention of the anti-dumping duties. To determine the existence, degree and effect of the alleged circumvention and to examine the need to extend the existing anti-dumping duty to the circumventing products," a ministry notification said.

It is alleged that the existing anti-dumping measures imposed in 2010, and amended later, are being circumvented and evidence for the same exists to justify the initiative of an investigation.

"The authority, upon determination that circumvention of anti-dumping duty exists, may recommend extension of anti dumping duty to imports of articles found to be circumventing an existing anti dumping duty may apply retrospectively from the date of initiation of the investigation," it added.

The period of investigation was from July 2014 to September 2015 (15 months).

In December last year, India had imposed anti-dumping duty of up to 57.39% on import of the products from China, Korea, the US and EU for five years to save the domestic industry from cheap shipments.

Recently, the government had imposed a minimum import price (MIP) on 173 products ranging between $341 to $752 per tonne.
Prime Minister David Cameron's Indian Diaspora Champion today said that UK-India relations will be strengthened if Britain leaves the European Union (EU).

Priti Patel, the senior-most Indian-origin member of Cameron's Cabinet, is part of the 'Leave' camp, which favours "Brexit" or Britain's exit from the EU in the referendum.

"Voting to leave the European Union would be a massive boost to UK-India relations. New opportunities for the UK and India to cooperate more closely and develop stronger trading links would emerge as the UK re-aligns its foreign policy and trade priorities," the 43-year-old employment minister said.

In a statement, she claimed the UK's membership of the EU has acted as a "barrier" to developing trade and investment partnerships and remaining within the EU will mean the UK will be in a "weaker position" to forge the closer trading ties that would benefit the Indian and UK economies.

"Within the EU we do not have our own trade policy and have suffered as a result of the EU's protectionist instincts and inward-looking and outdated looking approach to global politics. But by leaving the EU we can take back control over this vital area of policy," she said.

While praising her Conservative-led government for enhancing the UK's ties with "dynamic and fast-growing" India, she stressed that things could go much further if the UK was not held back by the "vested self-interests of the EU".

"Indeed, one of the reasons why our trading links with India were inadequate when we came to Government in 2010 was because of the focus that Britain had given to trade within Europe as a result of membership of the EU," she said.

In her attempt to convince Indian Diaspora voters to vote for an exit in the June 23 referendum, she also highlights how immigration from EU has had an impact on skilled immigrants from countries like India.

She said: "During the forthcoming referendum the Indian diaspora can vote to make a real and positive difference to the future of the UK and India by voting to leave the EU.

"Because we are unable to restrict migration from the EU, immigrants from non-EU countries have faced more restrictions to help ease the pressure from immigration. I know that many members of the Indian diaspora find it deeply unfair that other EU nationals effectively get special treatment. This can and will change if Britain leaves the EU."



On a personal note, she adds: "Leaving the EU will help reinvigorate relations between the UK and India. It will help the Indian diaspora living in the UK. As I was born and raised in an Indian family which owned local businesses, I know of the strong entrepreneurial spirit that is within our blood.

"The diaspora have a great reputation as business owners and entrepreneurs. However, like all businesses, they have been hit hard by bureaucracy, red tape and regulations from the EU."



Her comments are in contrast to Cameron's own assertion in Parliament yesterday that the UK could lose its "negotiating muscle" in future trade deals with countries like India in the event of Brexit.

"Country after country have said to me that of course they could sign trade deals with Britain but they also said that their priorities will be trade deals with EU," he said.

(Reopens FGN 24)



The campaign for and against Britain's membership of the EU is gathering momentum and a large number of UK companies today issued a letter warning against the economic impact of Brexit.

In the letter to 'The Times' newspaper,about 200 business leaders employing more than 1.2 million people backed Cameron's call that Brexit would put jobs at risk.

"Business needs unrestricted access to the European market of 500 million people in order to continue to grow, invest and create jobs. We believe that leaving the EU would deter investment and threaten jobs. It would put the economy at risk," reads the letter backed by the likes of Vodafone, Marks & Spencer and British Telecom.

"Britain will be stronger, safer and better off remaining a member of the European Union," it adds.

However, the "Leave" camp dismissed this clarion call as not representing a large enough number of well-known businesses, with supermarket chains Tesco and Sainsbury remaining politically neutral.

Meanwhile, a change to the UK's Civil Service Code means that British civil servants have been banned from helping ministers make the case for leaving the EU.

They will, however, be allowed to help ministers arguing for Britain to remain in a reformed EU, according to Downing Street.

The government's official policy is that Britain should remain in the EU and civil servants are said to be duty bound to support government policies.

But leave campaigners will argue the move will give the "Remain" campaign an unfair advantage in the referendum.

The UK Cabinet is split over the issue with 17 members in favour of staying in the EU and five wanting to leave.

The ruling Conservative party MPs are also split - 142 to 120 in favour of staying.

"I have huge respect for Boris as a politician and he is a great friend of mine, and he is a fantastic mayor of London. I think he has a lot to give to the Conservative party and to this country, but on this issue I think he has got it wrong and reached the wrong conclusion," Cameron said in reference to London mayor Boris Johnson favouring Brexit.

He was speaking at the O2 telecom firm's headquarters in Slough, south-east England, today as part of the first of many speeches on the EU referendum campaign trail.
Iran's oil minister today dismissed an output freeze deal between the world's top two producers Saudi Arabia and Russia as "a joke", the ISNA agency reported.

"Some neighbouring countries have increased their production over the years to 10 million barrels per day and export this amount, then say let's all freeze our oil production," Bijan Zanganeh said.

"They freeze production at 10 million bpd and we freeze at 1 million bpd. This is a very funny joke."



In a bid to stabilise an oversupplied market, Russia and OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Qatar announced today that they had reached a preliminary deal to freeze output at January levels, provided that other major producers followed suit.

The sparked hopes the market would stabilise after sinking to near 13-year lows last week on the stubborn supply glut -- but disappointed those looking for an output cut.

Iran, which has the world's second-largest crude reserves, has increased production since a deal with Western powers ended sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme.

Zanganeh said in response to the freeze announcement that "there is room for discussion" but that it "won't relinquish" market share.
The Iraqi Kurdish government says its troops have rescued a Swedish teenager from the Islamic State group near the city of Mosul, which is controlled by the extremists.

A statement from the regional government, released today, says the rescue operation by the Kurdish anti-terrorist forces took place on February 17 near the IS-held city of Mosul in Iraq.

The statement identified the young woman by name, saying she is a 16-year-old from the town of Boras who "was misled" by an IS member in Sweden to travel to Syria and later to Mosul.

It also says the Swedish authorities and the teenager's family had asked the Iraqi Kurdish government for help in the case. The young woman is currently in Iraqi Kurdish territory and will be transferred to Sweden.
Terror outfits like ISIS are not remotely connected with Islam and their actions are against tenets of the religion, according to a resolution passed at an international seminar here today.

The seminar on 'Teachings of Prophet Muhammad and Modern age', attended by representatives from across the country and abroad, called on the Government to punish hate-mongers who hurt beliefs of any faith.

"Terror outfits like the ISIS are not even remotely associated with the idea of Islam. Their deeds and actions are absolutely un-Islamic and against humanity," a resolution passed at the meet, organised by city-based religious institution Al Mahad Ul Aali Al Islami, said.

"A formulation of global law that mandates respect of all religions as a universal obligation is demanded from the United Nations," it said.

Noting that India is a secular country where people belonging to different faiths live in harmony, the conference maintained that religious scholars should be consulted to correct any anomalies in history books with reference to matters of faith.

Replying to a query at media interaction, Sajjad Noumani, working committee member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board who attended the meet, said there is need for concerted effort, involving government agencies, religious scholars and others, to wean away minority youth from getting attracted towards ISIS.

Asked if the dreaded outfit, which controls vast stretches of land in Syria and Iraq and is known for its brutal ways, is an evil force and needs to be "smashed", he said: "They are misguided youth. They can be easily counselled. I think there should be a dialogue, instead of smashing. They can be easily brought into mainstream."



Asked if he favoured reservation for Muslims, Noumani said there is a need to correct the rule that quota cannot be given on the basis of religion.

To a query on the Ayodhya issue, he said all should wait for the final judgement of the Supreme Court.

Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma and some other senior police officials, including Anti-Corruption Bureau Director General A K Khan, were among those present during the media interaction at the seminar.
Israeli soldiers have been ordered to take their guns with them when off duty to allow them to intervene in the event of Palestinian attack, the military said today.

The decision comes after off-duty soldier Tuvia Weissman, 21, was stabbed to death at a supermarket in an Israeli industrial zone in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.

His wife told Israeli media that Weissman, who was a dual Israeli-American citizen, had asked his superiors if he could carry his gun with him to protect himself, but they refused and required him to leave it at his base's armoury.

Israeli military chief of staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot has now "ordered that soldiers carry their weapons even outside of their service," including while going home for leave, an army spokeswoman told AFP.

Soldiers had not previously been allowed to take their guns with them while on leave out of fear they could be stolen or used to commit suicide.

All Jewish Israelis are required to perform military service after they reach the age of 18.

Thursday's attack was part of a wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming assaults that erupted in October.

The violence has claimed the lives of 27 Israelis, as well as an American and an Eritrean.

In addition, 176 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, most while carrying out attacks but others during clashes and demonstrations.
Bowing to fierce opposition, Italy's Premier Matteo Renzi will drop a proposed measure that would have let gays adopt the biological children of their partners.

A Democratic Party official, Lorenzo Guerini, said party senators at an assembly yesterday decided it was best to remove the heavily-contested adoption language from the proposed law to allow civil unions, but not marriage, for homosexual couples.

Such unions would carry benefits like receiving deceased partners' pensions.

Pro-Vatican lawmakers in Renzi's party as well as a key coalition center-right partner had vowed to vote against the bill unless the adoption provision was jettisoned.

"Between 'everything never' and 'nothing today,' it's better to do a little piece now" of the family law reforms, Renzi said in a radio interview ahead of the Democrats' discussion on strategy to overcome an impasse in the Senate.

Renzi said he hoped the Senate would approve the revamped bill later this week. The bill also needs to pass in the lower Chamber of Deputies.

The premier had said earlier he might resort to a confidence vote to close ranks in his squabbling coalition and hasten the bill's passage. But Renzi has just started his third year in office and losing a confidence vote in Parliament would force his resignation.

Pope Francis, while insisting that marriage can only be between a man and the woman, has publicly refused to be drawn into the debate over the bill to give gay couples some rights.

Catholic teaching holds that homosexual activity is sinful.

But the Vatican's No 2 official, Cardinal Piero Parolin, expressed approval yesterday that the adoption provision won't be part of the civil unions bill.

"It seems to me to be the correct hypothesis," the Italian news agency ANSA quoted the cardinal as saying at an annual Italian-Vatican reception attended by Renzi.

Democrats have promised that the question of whether homosexuals can adopt the biological children of their partners would be taken up in a separate overhaul of Italy's adoption laws.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra would seek an urgent report from Director General of Police (DGP) K Rajendra over an attack on Independent MLA Engineer Rashid, a Raj Bhavan spokesman said here today.

Rashid, an Independent MLA from Langate, was allegedly attacked and manhandled by a group of people when he was travelling to Rajouri district on February 20.

Rashid had called on the Governor at the Raj Bhavan here last evening and apprised him of the difficulties he faced when he was proceeding to Rajouri a few days ago, said the spokesman.

"I was on my way to Rajouri when a group of 20-25 people who were carrying RSS and Bajrang Dal flags stopped my vehicle near Bamla under the jurisdiction of Reasi district", Engineer Rashid had said on February 20.

Rashid had alleged that the protesters first raised slogans against him and then attacked his vehicle with rods, sticks and stones.
Students from across the country today marched through the streets of Delhi raising rapturous slogans such as 'Jai Bheem' "galvanised" by the death of Dalit student Rohith Vemula, with many describing him as an "inspiration".

Students from Hyderabad University, Osmania University, under the banner of Joint Action Committee for Social Justice walked hand-in-hand with activists of the AISF, AISA and a host Dalit groups among others.

The "rainbow" composition of the protesters were also reflected in the slogans raised, which were largely against the "brahminical" social order while the Muslim marchers boldy held out banners such as "I am a Muslim and I am not a terrorist."



"There is no response from the government so we shifted our agitation to Delhi. Their brahmanical attitude where they are ignorant about Dalits," Seshaiah Chemudugunta, a close friend of Rohith said.

"He was prolific writer and had an intellectual voice, this is why his heart-wrenching suicide note is being debated in public," he added.

As the march made its way across Valimiki Mandir, Gole Market and RK Ashram Marg, people could be seen peering out of their windows while many commuters stuck in traffic expressed their annoyance.

Students from different universities from Mumbai and Delhi, with portraits of Rohith firmly pinned on their chests, also expressed solidarity with Rohith and demanded resignation of Union ministers Smriti Irani, Bandaru Dattatreya and Hyderabad University Vice Chancellor Appa Rao.

Other students also portrayed the bright side of Rohith and noted how "despite being a dalit", he never used reservation for academic benefits.

"He is an inspiration and that is why we all stand for him," Sunkanna Velpula, also a friend of Rohith, said.

A student from Mumbai, Swarna, said that the struggle would not stop until and unless Rohith gets justice and caste -system is "uprooted".

Criticising the government for "carelessly" using the term "anti-national" against students, a student said that he had travelled to Delhi because he respected the cause for which Rohith was fighting.

"We respect the cause for which he was fighting. We want government to take strict action action against the accused so that no other mother loses a son," he said.
The water conservation conference 'Jal Manthan' will become an annual feature, Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Uma Bharti announced here today.

During her valedictory speech on the concluding second day of 'Jal Manthan 2', Bharti said the Government will "closely monitor" all 46 projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), aimed at improving farm productivity.

"Union Minister Uma Bharti announced that Jal Manthan convention will become an annual feature," the Ministry said in a statement.

Bharti also said that the issues which could not be touched upon during the second edition of the convention will be taken up in 'India Water Week' to be held in April this year.

The Minister also underlined the need for a large-scale people's participation and co-operation of NGOs in various important schemes such as the PMKSY and inter-linking of rivers.

Brijmohan Agrawal, Water Resources Minister of Chhattisgarh, underscored the need for giving more stress on micro irrigation projects in the country.

Agrawal also favoured micro irrigation projects over large ones keeping in mind dearth of land for constructing new canals.

The two day conference with the theme 'Integrated Approach for Sustainable Water Management' had consultations and discussions on river basin approach for sustainable development, groundwater, water security, principles of allocation of water, innovation in water governance, water management, coordination between centre and states, water conservation and need for a national legislation on water.

Irrigation Ministers from UP, Telangana and Sikkim, eminent experts in water sector, representatives of NGOs and senior officers of Centre and state governments attended the event.
A mob today vandalised a railway station and set ablaze a goods train engine in the district where normal life remained affected for the second consecutive day due to the Jat quota stir.

Police fired in the air and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse mobs at two places.

"Firing in the air was done at two places including one at Ucchain area on National Highway 11 where a large number of protesters had gathered.

"An engine of a stranded goods train was set on fire and damaged by the protesters near Helak station whereas Paprera railway station was also vandalised in a separate incident," IG Bharatpur Alok Vashistha said.

He said that police contingents were rushed to different places in the district to disperse the agitators.

DGP Manoj Bhatt said in Jaipur that the situation is under control in Bharatpur.

Bharatpur district collector Ravi Jain said that the agitators burnt the ticket counter and station master's cabin at Paprera railway station and looted around Rs 5000 from the ticket counter.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were imposed by the collector yesterday after the members of the Jat community extended their support to the ongoing reservation stir in Haryana and blocked highways and railway in the district.

State Social Justice Minister Arun Chaturvedi and Tourism Minister Krishnendra Kaur had held a meeting with the leaders of the agitators last night but it failed to yield any results.

Normal life in the district remained affected due to the agitation and police and district administration officials are monitoring the situation.
Amid Jat quota agitation, a high-powered committee set up by BJP today held deliberations with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and weighed various options before it for providing reservation, to which it has agreed in principle.

Sources said the panel, headed by Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, examined various socio-economic and legal aspects as also the position adopted by previous governments on the vexed issue of Jat reservation during the hour-long meeting.

The committee comprises Union ministers Mahesh Sharma, Sanjeev Baliyan and party leaders Satpal Malik and Avinash Rai Khanna.

Apart from Khattar, Haryana Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu, whose house was set on fire by protesters some days back, and state Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar also attended the meeting.

Sources said the meeting discussed the course that the Jat quota agitation has taken in the last few years and sought to ascertain the socially and economically backward communities in the state. They also discussed how courts have reacted on the issue in the past.

BJP had on Sunday night announced the setting up of the committee to examine the quota demand.

BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini, who was served a show-cause notice by his party on Saturday for making comments 'opposing' Jat reservation, today said he was "not opposing" Jat reservation but disapproved of the adoption of "pressure" tactic for the same.

"A committee has been formed... Based on arguments, if they (Jats) deserve reservation, then we will accept it.

"But if someone wants to get reservation by putting pressure, then I would like to say that it is necessary to provide reservation for all 36 communities," Saini had said.

Asked whether he was opposed to Jat reservation, Saini today said, "I have neither opposed Jat reservation earlier, nor am I doing it now. I said it should be done as per the population of each community.

"Nobody's right should be snatched. Where is democracy if there is an attempt to get reservation by applying pressure and snatching others' rights?"



Saini had earlier objected to reservation for Jats and threatened to resign if there was "any loss" in the reservation quota for OBCs, following which Jat protesters had pelted stones at his residence a few days back.
The biggest wholesale cloth market of Haryana at Ambala City has suffered a huge loss due to the Jat agitation in the state.

There are around 900 wholesale cloth shops besides several retail outlets in Ambala City where daily large number of customers from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Punjab and Uttar Pradesh come, President of Haryana Cloth Traders Association Dinesh Grover told reporters today.

"The market has suffered a huge loss due the agitation, which could be around Rs 100 crore. After the Jat agitation intensified in most parts of Haryana, 80% of the customers avoided coming to Ambala as most of the highways and other roads remained blocked," he said.

He said the cloth mills at Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jaipur, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Surat are the main supplier of cloth to this market.

"Most of the cloth material reaches us through road transport and due to the blockade on highways, no supply could be delivered in Ambala," he said.

The science equipment market of Ambala Cantonment has also suffered a big loss. The area is one of the biggest markets of science equipment in the country.

Besides, the equipment is also exported, especially to the Gulf countries, a trader said, adding they had suffered losses in the wake of the Jat agitation.
Infrastructure firm JMC Projects today said tolling operations of Kuruskhetra Expressway has been impacted on account of the violence in Haryana.

"Due to agitation/violence in the state of Haryana, tolling operation of our jointly controlled entity namely Kurukshetra Expressway Private Limited is temporarily affected started from February 19, 2016," JMC Projects said in a BSE filing.

JMC is the construction arm of Kalpataru Group and has been executing all types of projects involving comprehensive construction services that include design, procurement, supply, installation, testing and commissioning, among others.

The shares of the company today closed at Rs 195 apiece on the BSE, down 0.31 per cent from the previous close.

Life has been affected in violence-torn Haryana with Jat protesters agitating for about a week over quota demand for the community.

Industry body Assocham has said that the state has suffered a loss of around Rs 20,000 crore on account of burning and destroying of public and private property due to the Jat stir.
Haryana government today directed insurance companies to disburse claims within 15 days to those whose properties were damaged in the incidents of arson and violence during the Jat agitation.

Directions in this regard were given by Haryana Finance Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal today at a meeting held with representatives of general insurance companies including National Insurance, Oriental Insurance, New India Assurance and United India Insurance, a government statement said.

Representatives of insurance companies said they would make sincere efforts to settle all claims.

They said people, whose property including malls, shops and commercial establishments were damaged, should intimate officials of insurance companies concerned so that surveyor can assess the damage.

Surveyors should be first allowed to make an assessment of losses by surveying damaged shops or outlets and clicking photos before owners bring any change in the property, insurance companies said.

Affected businessmen should make available documents like copy of FIR, policy certificate, accounts bill, purchase and sales bill, bank statements, documents pertaining to stock to surveyors in order to get claims settled faster, they said.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was on Tuesday heckled and shown black flags by an angry mob when he visited Rohtak, the epicentre of the Jat quota stir, even as the violence-hit state showed signs of returning to normalcy.

There were no reports of fresh violence, though the situation remained tense in Jat-dominated areas like Rohtak and Sonipat, nine days after the agitation erupted leaving a trail of destruction. The death toll in the violence has been put at 19.

Read more from our special coverage on "RESERVATION STIR, HARYANA, JAT COMMUNITY, JATS" Jat stir: Unemployment is the real problem

People had a slight respite as protesters slowly lifted the road and rail blockades set up at various places.

Since track inspection in the affected areas is still underway after the dharnas were called off, Railways cancelled services of about 210 trains.

Officials said that curfew remained in force in Hissar, Hansi and Bhiwani towns while it was lifted from Jind town.

Traffic has resumed on the arterial Ambala-Delhi Highway up to Panipat and officials hoped that as the situation normalises in Sonipat, onward traffic would resume.

However, bus service to Delhi and other places, including Rohtak, Chandigarh and Bhiwani, has not been restored as there are many blockades, including trees on the National Highway which are being cleared.

In another development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court asked the Haryana Government to file a status report by Monday next on the agitation.

Insurance companies have been directed to disburse claims within 15 days to those whose properties were damaged by Haryana Finance Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal on Tuesday at a meeting held with representatives of general insurance companies.

Meanwhile, the water situation in the Delhi showed signs of improvement as 120 million gallon per day (mgd)of water was received from Haryana, , against the normal supply of 580 mgd, and treatment plants commenced operations.

Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra, who visited Munak canal, which was damaged during the Jat stir, said most areas will get piped water supply by Wednesday morning.
The situation today remained tense in some parts of Jat dominated areas like Rohtak and Sonipat while curfew was lifted in Jind district even as security personnel stepped up efforts to clear the blockades put up by protesters on various state highways.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is set to visit violence-hit Rohtak district today to review the situation, according to a senior official of the district administration. He would reach Rohtak from Chandigarh by chopper.

Barring a relief of one-hour, curfew remained in force in Rohtak, which has been the epicentre of the pro quota agitation in Haryana and has seen loss of lives and maximum damage to property.

"During the last 24 hours, there has been no report of any untoward incident in the district," said a senior official of Rohtak Police.

He said curfew will continue to be imposed in the Jat dominated district till there is complete normalcy.

"We are giving relief in curfew for like one hour depending upon the situation to allow people to buy essential items," he further said.

In Jind, another Jat dominated area, the district administration has lifted curfew.

"We have lifted the curfew. There is about 80 per cent normalcy in Jind district. But we are on the watch," Jind Deputy Commissioner, Vinay Singh said over phone.

The agitation has thrown normal life out of gear with road and rail traffic on key routes including Delhi-Ambala and Delhi-Hissar-Fazilka Highways hit even as security personnel were making efforts to clear the blockades put up by protesters at highways.

Yesterday, sporadic incidents of arson were reported in Sonipat, Kaithal and Hissar which derailed the normalcy process which commenced after BJP announced setting up of a committee to examine the quota demand of the community.

Three persons were yesterday killed in Sonipat during a clash when security personnel trying to clear a road blockade were attacked by stone-pelting mobs, raising the death toll to 19 in the stir so far.

Following fresh incidents of arson and violence yesterday, curfew was reimposed in five villages of Hansi sub-division, Hissar city limits and Kaithal.

Following the incidents of violence and arson,curfew was imposed in Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Jind, Hissar, Hansi, Sonipat, Kaithal, and Gohana town of Sonipat.

All India Jat Aarakshan Sanghursh Samiti yesterday had announced lifting of dharnas on and state highways in view of the BJP announcing setting up of a committee under a Central minister to examine the quota demand for the Jat community.

Industry body PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry has pegged the loss of economic activity due to the at Rs 34,000 crore.

Haryana government had yesterday said that it would fully compensate people whose private property was damaged during the .

It also announced a relief of Rs 10 lakh to the family of each deceased.
Curfew today remained in force in Hissar, Hansi and Bhiwani towns while a four-hour relaxation was given in the worst-hit Rohtak district as Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar visited the town where he was heckled by an angry crowd protesting alleged police inaction in dealing with the stir.

However, there was a slight respite for commuters as Jat protesters were lifting the various road and rail blockades set up in various parts of the state.

Traffic had resumed on the arterial Ambala-Delhi Highway up to Panipat and officials hoped that as the situation normalises in Sonipat, the onward traffic would resume soon after its disruption due to the Jat agitation which has claimed 19 lives and caused extensive damage to property.

Officials said that curfew was in force in Hissar, Hansi and Bhiwani towns while it was lifted from Jind town.

However, the situation remained tense in Jat dominated areas like Rohtak and Sonipat.

In Rohtak, which has been the epicentre of pro quota agitation in Haryana, the district administration gave a four-hour relaxation to allow people to buy essential items.

"During the last 24 hours, there is no report of any untoward incident in the district," said a senior official of Rohtak Police today.

He said curfew will continue to be imposed in the Jat dominated district till there is complete normalcy.

In Rohtak town, Khattar faced an angry crowd which raised slogans against the police, besides demanding strict action against "looters".

Khattar was also shown black flags and heckled by the crowd. People also demanded strict action against people who took the city to ransom.

The Chief Minister, who was accompanied by ministers Abhimanyu and O P Dhankar and Chief Secretary D S Dhesi, assured the people that strictest possible action will be taken against those who indulged in arson.

He also said the state government will take action against government officers and police who made any lapse in performing their duty



From Rohtak, Khattar will leave for Delhi.

The BJP-appointed high-powered committee, headed by



senior Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu, to examine the demand of Jats for quota in central jobs, has called Khattar for deliberations today to ascertain the state's views on the subject.

In another development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the Haryana Government to file a status report by Monday next on the Jat agitation



Meanwhile, in Jind, another Jat dominated area, the district administration has lifted curfew.

"We have lifted the curfew. There is about 80 per cent normalcy in Jind district. But we are on the watch," Jind Deputy Commissioner, Vinay Singh said.

In Hisar, Jat protestors lifted their dharna from the railway track at Mayyar in the district clearing the Delhi-Hissar rail route.

The railway track was closed on February 11 after Jat protesters sat on dharna.

The traffic is expected to be restored after inspection of the track by the railway authorities.

Deputy Commissioner of Hissar Chander Shekhar Khare said in Hisar that the protestors have left from the spot.

Spokesman of All India Jat Aarakshan Sanghursh Samiti Ram Bhagat Malik told reporters today that they had vacated the track in view of the action initiated by the Centre in connection with the Jat reservation issue.

Other factions of Jat bodies are also in the process of retreating from dharna sites.
The Supreme Court today agreed to consider a plea seeking contempt action against three lawyers allegedly caught on camera bragging and boasting that they had beaten up JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar in police lock-up for three hours at the Patiala House Court complex here.

"This allegation has been never made before us. This is a new allegation which has come up. You file an appropriate petition and we will consider it," a bench comprising Justice J Chelameswar and Justice A M Sapre said after a plea for contempt action against these lawyers was mentioned before it.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan said the three lawyers who were allegedly involved in violence at Patiala House Court Complex on February 15 and 17 had conceded in a sting operation aired by some channels that they had beaten up the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) President.

"These three lawyers were at the forefront during the violent incidents at Patiala House Court Complex on February 15 and 17. They had conceded in a sting operations aired by two channels yesterday that they had beaten up Kanhaiya Kumar," Bhushan said.

He said these lawyers have "bragged and boasted" in the sting operation that next time they will bring petrol bombs and were even ready to go to the jail to beat Kumar in his cell.

"These bragging and boasting by the lawyers is trampling the rule of law. It's high time that the Supreme Court takes suo motu notice of the matter and issue contempt notice against these lawyers," Bhushan said.

To this, the bench asked Bhushan whether anybody has lodged a case against the three lawyers or has Kanhaiya Kumar accepted that they had beaten him in the police lock-up.

Bhushan, while replying to the query, alleged that police was complacent about lodging any complaint regarding the violence in Patiala House and even Kumar has not said anything about any such incident.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the petitioner N D Jaya Prakash, submitted that a report of National Human Rights Commission has said that Kumar was being terrorised by the lawyers.

She said there was a genuine threat perception to the accused and his security and safety needs to be ensured.

The bench then said it will look into the matter after a proper application is filed.

The bench also ordered that the face of a judicial



officer who had appeared in a video recorded by one of the six members of the Supreme Court-appointed committee on Patiala House Court be masked without tampering with the original video.

The court's order came after Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the Delhi High Court, mentioned before the bench that the face of a judicial officer had appeared in the video footage, which may be uploaded on social networking sites causing embarrassment to him.

"The video was recorded by a member of the Supreme Court appointed committee on February 17 after it was tasked to visit the Patiala House Court and assess the situation in which the face of the judicial officer has appeared. To avoid any undue embarrassment to him, his face may be masked," Luthra said.

The bench also directed the registry that the said video footage in original recorded by senior advocate Haren Rawal, a member committee appointed by the apex court, be kept in a pen drive in a sealed cover to avoid any future dispute regarding its authenticity.

The apex court had yesterday made it clear that it would confine itself to the violence in Patiala House court complex on February 15 and 17 in which JNU students, teachers and journalists were attacked during the hearing of sedition case against JNUSU head Kanhaiya Kumar.

Kanhaiya had on February 18 directly moved the apex court seeking bail while claiming threat to his life in Tihar jail.

In the petition, filed through advocate Anindita Pujari, Kanhaiya, who was also attacked in Patiala House court complex by a group of lawyers, had claimed innocence.

Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 on sedition charge following a controversial event at JNU campus where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.

The student leader was produced in the court on February 17 after expiry of his police custody, where a group of men dressed in lawyers' robes unleashed a brazen attack on him and others including journalists present there.

Kanhaiya had sought the apex court's intervention, saying no purpose would be served by keeping him in the jail and the police was finding it difficult to even produce him in the court.
Putting intelligence agencies IB, RAW and NTRO under judicial scanner may "dent" national security, the Supreme Court today said while rejecting a PIL seeking to make these bodies accountable to Parliament for their actions and expenditure.

"We are not inclined to entertain this petition...Trying to get into the domain of intelligence may create dent in national security," a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh said.

It rejected the plea of Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO CPIL which has filed the PIL, claiming that in every advanced democracies like the UK and the USA, such agencies are accountable to parliamentary panels as they spend tax- payers' monies.

"What they do in the United Kingdom, we cannot practice in India," it said, adding "They (Centre and Parliament) must be having some measures. It cannot be said that they do not have any mechanism. You need not legislate on all issues. You need to have some kind of caution also, otherwise, the very purpose will be lost."



"We do not think the court should entertain such kinds of petitions which deal with security of the country," it said.

The bench said that irrespective of nature of the PIL, any plea that may dent national security, should not be entertained by courts.

"As a student of History, Law and Literature, I do not think, any court should enter into this territory," Justice Misra, heading the bench, said.

On the submission that this court had issued notice on the PIL way back in 2013 and it should not be dismissed like this, the bench asked Bhushan to give suggestions to Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi instead.

The apex court had in 2013 issued notice to the Centre asking to respond on the PIL seeking to bring the agencies under the oversight of Parliament and CAG.

The NGO's petition had sought directions from the court for parliamentary oversight and financial auditing of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) by CAG like in several developed countries.

The NGO had submitted that the agencies were being



misused for political purposes and there was an urgent need to make these organisations accountable to Parliament.

On February 1, 2013, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, had submitted that India was the only democracy in the world whose intelligence agencies have no legitimacy in the eyes of the law and were not accountable to the people or Parliament.

The bench had said it is a policy matter to be decided by the government, but had agreed to hear the plea after the petitioner contended that earlier too the court had passed directions on policy matters.

"Former heads of these organisations have published books on how the money is misused and how the agencies are misused for political purposes," the petition had said, adding that accountability is required as "more than rupees ten thousand crore is granted to these agencies out of the consolidated fund of India".
The opposition Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) today alleged the state government's claim of its 2016/17 Budget being within the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act as "manipulation of figures."



"There is a Rs 7,700 crore deficit in the Budget. The claim of remaining within the three per cent of the FRBM Act is manipulation of figures," JVM's Legislature Party leader Pradip Yadav said in the state Assembly.

Speaking on budgetary debate after the state government had on February 19 tabled an estimated Rs 63,502.69 crore Budget, Yadav questioned the increase in the per capita income, saying there was an unequal distribution of money among people.

Ruling BJP MLAs Biranchi Narayan and Nirbhay Sahabadi praised the Budget and listed a series of measures, including welfare steps, taken by the government in the annual financial statement.

Narayan said a separate Budget for Agriculture within the General Budget would take the sector forward.

Opposition Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's MLA and former deputy chief minister Stephen Marandi said though it was good that focus was given on agriculture, irrigation still lagged in the state and there were thousands of defunct hand pumps.

"Unless irrigation is strengthened, agriculture will not develop... Check dams should be built at proper places," Marandi said.

Congress MLA and former Speaker Alamgir Alam said there was a requirement to increase the production of grains to meet the shortage in the face of Food Security Act.
Amid demands from teachers and students that the JNU administration should seek JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar's release and dropping of sedition charge, the varsity today said both the issues are beyond its control.

"We have not arrested Kanhaiya, we have also not charged anyone with sedition. It is for the police and court to take a call in this matter. Both these demands are beyond our control," JNU Registrar Bhupinder Zutshi said.

JNU students and teachers yesterday appealed to Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar to take a stand in favour of the five students who were being looked for by the police in a sedition case and surfaced on the campus after being on the run for over 10 days.

A meeting of the top JNU officials, chaired by VC yesterday, deliberated on return of the five students to the campus but could not take a decision whether police should be allowed to enter the campus to arrest them or the students should be asked to surrender.

"Police have not approached us so far for any permission to enter the campus for arrest of these students. Neither we have approached them," Zutshi said.

The five students, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, JNUSU General Secretary Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash had gone missing from the campus since February 12 after Kanhaiya was arrested on sedition charge for allegedly raising anti-India slogans in a controversial event at the campus.

They had yesterday refused to surrender, saying they are ready to be arrested but police officials maintained that their team kept waiting outside the varsity premises for permission from the VC.
Secretary of State John Kerry warned today that Washington is considering a "Plan B" to deal with Syria if Damascus and Moscow are not serious about negotiating a political transition.

Briefing US lawmakers, Kerry said he had told Russia's President Vladimir Putin the United States would not wait more than a few months to see whether Moscow's ally Bashar al-Assad is serious about talks.

But he would not be drawn on details of any "Plan B" that he would advise President Barack Obama to adopt if efforts to mediate a political deal to end the Syrian civil war fail.

Diplomatic sources and US press reports suggest the new plan would involve more direct US and allied military involvement, but Washington remains very cautious about being drawn deeper into the conflict.

"When I met with President Putin, I said to him very directly that the test is not going to be proven in six months or a year and a half, when the election is supposedly scheduled," Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,



"We're going to know in a month or two whether or not this transition process is really serious."



Kerry met Putin in Moscow in December, and Obama spoke with his Kremlin counterpart on yesterday to agree a plan for a "cessation of hostilities" to begin in Syria from Saturday.

The ceasefire will not include actions by or against the Islamic State jihadist group nor Syria's Al-Qaeda offshoot, but Kerry hopes it will halt Russian and Syrian attacks on opposition rebel factions.

If it sticks, Kerry and Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergi Lavrov -- joint organizers of the 17-nation International Syrian Support Group -- will push Assad and the rebels to negotiate a political transition, with a new constitution and elections.

Some of the US senators expressed skepticism about the plan, but Kerry insisted Putin would not want to see Russian forces bogged down in a drawn out war if his ally Assad refuses to engage politically.

"There is a significant discussion taking place now about 'Plan B' in the event that we don't succeed at the table," he said, implying that such a plan would involve stepped up support for the rebel groups.

"I think President Putin is smart enough to understand that if he just sits there over a period of time, those people who have supported the opposition will get different weapons, more weapons, and they will continue this fight," he said.

Saudi Arabia, reportedly with the help of the CIA and other US allies, has been supplying arms to some rebel factions and Saudi officials have suggested in certain circumstances they could deploy troops.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said today he plans to travel to Cuba in the "next week or two" for talks on human rights.

Kerry, who went to Cuba last August to raise the US flag over the reopened American embassy, acknowledged to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the United States still has concerns about the human rights situation there.

"I may be down there in the next week or two to have a human rights dialogue, specifically," he said.

That would put Kerry on the communist-ruled island just ahead of US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, who announced plans last week to visit Cuba March 21-22.

"The president hopes to press forward on the agenda of speaking to the people of Cuba about the future and obviously he is anxious to press on the rights of people to be able to demonstrate, to have democracy, to be free, to be able to speak and hang a sign in their window without being put in jail for several years," Kerry said.

The last American leader to visit Cuba while in office was Calvin Coolidge in 1928.

Obama and President Raul Castro surprised the world in December 2014 by agreeing to restore relations that had been severed for more than half a century.

Diplomatic relations were formally restored on July 20, 2015.

Obama on Saturday touted the opening as "a new chapter in our relationship."



"I believe that the best way to advance American interests and values, and the best way to help the Cuban people improve their lives, is through engagement -- by normalizing relations between our governments and increasing the contacts between our peoples," Obama said in his weekly radio address.
As part of its efforts to make the people of remote areas aware of welfare schemes of the government, the Koraput district administration has proposed to the Centre to take the initiative of opening two FM radio centres in at least two Maoist-hit blocks.

"At present, we have limited means of reaching out to people residing in remote and inaccessible areas of the district. Through FM radio, which is also available in mobile phones, we can broadcast programmes to spread awareness about various welfare schemes of the state government," Koraput district Collector Jaya Kumar V said.

"When the right message reaches people in rural areas, there is very little chance of them being misguided by rebels," he added.

The administration made the proposal during Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Koraput last week to assess the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the state.

The administration also made a proposal to form a district-level coordination committee comprising the district collector, SP and head of the concerned central forces deployed in the district.

The committee will meet at regular intervals and chalk out a strategy to speed up development activities in the interior areas.

"We have also proposed to the Centre to continue with Integrated Action Plan as it helps in building infrastructure in Maoist-hit areas," Kumar said.
Kotak Mahindra Bank will buy 19.9 per cent stake worth Rs 98 crore in Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd (AMSL), which last year has been granted in-principle approval by RBI to convert itself into a payments bank.

AMSL is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Bharti Airtel.

Kotak Mahindra has signed a share subscription and shareholders agreement on February 23, 2016 with AMSL and Bharti Airtel for agreeing to acquire 9,83,82,022 equity shares at Rs 10 each aggregating to Rs 98.38 crore being 19.90 per cent of the paid-up capital of AMSL, the bank said in a regulatory filing to BSE.

The bank said it has obtained approval from RBI for acquiring equity stake in AMSL.

On indicative time period, Kotak Mahindra said the acquisition will be completed "within ten days from signing of share subscription and shareholders agreement".

It added, the payment for the acquisition of shares in AMSL will be made in cash.

Last year, the Reserve Bank of India had given in-principle approval to 11 entities to set up payments banks, including AMSL.

AMSL, which was incorporated in April 2010, is in the business of providing services of semi-closed prepaid instrument. It offers services under the 'Airtel Money' brand.

Total revenue of AMSL in FY2014-15 was Rs 121.4 crore as compared to Rs 42.6 crore in the previous financial year, as per Kotak Mahindra Bank's note to the BSE.

Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd, Vodafone m-pesa, Tech Mahindra and Department of Posts are among the other entities given 'in-principal' approval by RBI to set up such niche banks in August last year.

Payments banks are allowed to collect deposits, initially up to Rs 1 lakh per individual, offer Internet banking, facilitate money transfers and sell insurance and mutual funds.

Last week, Aditya Birla Nuvo had announced a joint venture with group firm Idea Cellular to set up a payments bank.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today said that his government will sign the proposed Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India by the middle of this year notwithstanding opposition from political parties and trade unions.

Speaking in Parliament, Wickremesinghe said an Indian delegation is due to visit the country early next month to finalise the draft agreement and "the government will go ahead signing it despite opposition coming from opposition political parties, trade unions and professional groups."



Stating that it was a misconception that the country would be flooded with Indian workers, he said, "What we are trying to sign will be better than the CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement). CEPA was to include services.

"We did not accept that. So the Indians coming here and threatening our jobs is not true. There will be more job opportunities for Sri Lankans."



Wickremesinghe, who had earlier branded as "traitors" those opposed to the deal, said, "We have not got a document just yet. This will not be done in secrecy."



Sri Lanka's opposition has criticised the proposed trade deal with India as an attempt to "foreignise" the country's economy and demanded that the shortcomings in the existing FTA should be sorted out before concluding the deal.

It said the agreement would be advantageous to India and inimical to Sri Lankan economic interests.

The opposition demands that the agreement include goods, trade in services and investment.

In recent weeks the doctors' trade union and several other employees' organisations have taken to the streets to protest the ETCA with India.
At least 18 Sri Lankan Tamil prisoners held for suspected links with the defeated LTTE have gone on hunger strike, mostly at the country's largest and maximum security prison, to press for their early release.

At least 16 detainees at the largest and maximum security Welikada prison and two in the north-central Anuradhapura prison are on hunger strike since yesterday, prison officials said today.

The detainees allege that Sri Lankan authorities have held them over a long period of time without any charge. Most have been imprisoned on suspicion of links with the Tamil Tigers.

The detainees are usually being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which allows security forces to detain people for up to 18 months without presenting them before a court.

This is not the first time Tamil detainees have gone on a hunger strike. In September last, they held a similar strike demanding their release from prison.

UN's human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, who visited the country early this month, has said in a landmark report last September that the government had acknowledged holding 258 men and women under the PTA but only 54 of them had been convicted of anything.

Following an intervention by President Maithripala Sirisena, some of those detained have been released.

Tamil rights groups, however, call for a blanket amnesty to all those held for having suspected links with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The government has rejected the demand, saying those who could be released legally would be released.

Northern Province's Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran has urged Hussein to seek their release through a blanket amnesty.

Nearly 30 prisoners of varied ethnicities died in prisons during rioting in 2012.
Sixteen people have been arrested so far on charges of assaulting two policemen who last week stopped locals from hoisting a "saffron flag" in a communally sensitive area in district, police said today.

A mob had allegedly beaten up Assistant Sub-Inspector Yunus Shaikh (57) and manhandled his colleague K Awaskar when they prevented them from putting up the flag at a controversial spot in Pangaon village.

Shaikh was hospitalised following the assault.

A video of the purported attack, which has gone viral, shows Shaikh being forced by the mob to walk in public holding the saffron flag, even as he protests that he is Muslim and Indian.

The 12000-strong population of Pangaon village consists of Marathas, Dalits, Reddys and Muslims among others.

On the night of February 19, Shaikh and Awaskar allegedly stopped a group of local youths from hoisting the flag in the "sensitive" area. The group included Marathas and other Hindus celebrating Shivaji Jayanti, police said.

Awaskar and Shaikh, both on duty at Pangaon police chowki, reached the spot and asked the youth to leave. They told them that hoisting the flag could lead to communal clashes, a police official said.

At 9 a.m on Saturday, a mob of around 200-300 people from the village, including the youths, showed up at the police chowki.

"They (youths) had incited the mob by telling them that the two policemen had crushed their flags under their feet," the official said.

The mob then allegedly began to attack the duo with fists and lathis. The ASI and his colleague suffered head injuries, but Shaikh was hit worse and was hospitalised.



In another incident in Maharashtra's Dhule district, a police inspector was today attacked with a sword when he was trying to intervene in a clash between two groups.

The inspector, identified as Ramesh Pardesi, sustained head injury in the incident and was admitted to a local hospital, Dhule police said.
Yashpal Singh, one of the three lawyers caught on camera thrashing journalists and JNU teachers and students at Patiala House court complex last week, was arrested tonight amid mounting outrage over alleged police inaction against those involved in the assault.

The arrest came a day after a channel aired a sting operation in which the lawyer was seen boasting about beating JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, charged with sedition, when he was brought to the court on February 17.

A senior Delhi Police official said Singh has been arrested in connection with two cases of assault when he presented himself to the investigators at Tilak Marg police station responding to summons.

Singh was caught on camera beating journalists and JNU students and teachers along with his colleagues Vikram Singh Chauhan and Om Sharma among others.

While Sharma was arrested on Saturday and subsequently released on bail, Chauhan, who led two brazen attacks, is yet to respond to multiple notices issued by the police asking him to join probe.

Groups of lawyers led by Chauhan had thrashed journalists and JNU students and teachers on February 15 and repeated their act on February 17 against Kumar and some journalists, in open defiance of Supreme Court instructions.

"While one case against Singh pertains to the February 15 incident, the other relates to the attack which took place two days later," the senior official said.

Yashpal Singh was questioned at the police station



for several hours and most of the queries revolved around the February 15 incident and the sting operation, which led investigators to suspect Singh's alleged involvement in the second day's assault at Patiala House court complex and hinted towards a "criminal conspiracy", a senior official said.

Singh has not been granted bail and was booked on the charges of rioting and causing hurt.

"We are still deliberating on the additional charges to be brought against Singh," said the official.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi asserted that coercive action will be taken against the lawyers if they do not respond to the police notices.

"We had summoned them many times. We have arrested one after he joined the investigation. For eight days, we have sent repeated summons to the others.

"Now we have the option of taking coercive action against them. We will go with the law and arrest them if it demands so," Bassi said.
Forces loyal to Libya's internationally recognised government seized a key central neighbourhood of second city Benghazi from Islamist militias today, the military said.

The advance came as Libya's parliament again failed to vote on a UN-backed unity government seen as a crucial step in ending years of political chaos and conflict in the North African state.

Special forces retook the Benghazi area of Lithi, which had been a stronghold for extremist fighters including the Islamic State group, after days of fierce clashes.

Fadel al-Hassi of Libya's special forces said the neighbourhood was "totally liberated".

Libya has had rival administrations since the summer of 2014 when the recognised government fled Tripoli after a militia alliance including Islamists overran the capital.

A power vacuum since the 2011 toppling of dictator Moamer Kadhafi has fostered the rise of IS, which is currently headquartered in the former dictator's hometown of Sirte, but control of Benghazi remains divided between a collection of militias.

Fighting has flared periodically in Benghazi as security forces try to wrest neighbourhoods from armed groups including IS and Ansar al-Sharia, which is close to Al-Qaeda.

Lithi had become notorious as a jihadist nerve centre, dubbed by locals as "Benghazi's Kandahar" -- a reference to the Afghan province that has seen some of the worst insurgent attacks since the US invasion of 2001.

Residents celebrated alongside loyalist fighters in streets retaken from Islamists, flashing victory signs next to the bombed-out shells of buildings.

Some even tried to enter Lithi to reach their homes but were prevented by security forces who said they needed more time to mop up the district, an AFP reporter said.

Meanwhile, controversial army chief General Khalifa Haftar, who spearheaded the Benghazi battle, issued a video statement praising the latest breakthrough which he said was the fruit of "much patience".

Libya's conflict, which has helped to create a surge in refugees fleeing the country, has alarmed Western governments over the prospect of extremist groups including IS establishing a bridgehead just 300 kilometres from Europe.

Italy said today it had given the US permission to use an airbase in Sicily to launch drone strikes against IS in Libya.

Defence minister Roberta Pinotti told the daily Il Messaggero that any strike would be subject to an individual authorisation request to the Italian government and that they would only be used as a "last resort".
World's largest steelmaker today said it expects iron and steel prices to remain under pressure through out this calendar year.

Billionaire Lakshmi Mittal-led firm reported a net loss of $7.9 billion in 2015 mostly because of a $4.8 billion writedown on iron ore mining business and a $1.3 billion charge on inventory due to the global steel price plunge.

Read more from our special coverage on "ARCELORMITTAL" South Africa forms committee to monitor ArcelorMittals pricing

The firm said steel and iron ore prices have been under pressure in recent periods and particularly in 2015, with both reaching "historical lows in 2015."A development that has had a pronounced "negative effect" on its operations, in the form of significant declines in revenues and operating income.

On outlook for 2016, the firm said: "Management currently considers it likely that while stabilisation is possible, steel prices will remain on the low side at least through 2016, given expectations regarding economic conditions and demand.

"Management expects iron ore prices to continue to remain under pressure in 2016 due to the supply/demand dynamics..."



Steel and iron ore prices are sensitive to trends in cyclical industries, such as the automotive, construction, appliance, machinery, equipment and transportation industries, which are significant markets for ArcelorMittal's products, the Luxembourg-based firm said in a regulatory filing.

Explaining volatility in iron ore prices, said spot prices of the ore fluctuated between a peak of $160 per tonne (Platts index, CFR China, 62% Fe) in mid-February to $110 a tonne at the end of May in 2013.

It culminated in a historical low of $44.50 per tonne in early July 2015 then recovered to $59.25 a tonne at the beginning of September 2015, before demonstrating further volatility and surpassing the historical low at the end of December 2015 at $38.50 per tonne, it added.

Similarly, steel prices too demonstrated significant volatility in 2013, ranging from a high of $690 per tonne to a low of $586 per tonne (SteelFirst, EU domestic HRC ex-works Northern Europe).

In the first half of 2014, steel prices rose steadily, continuing an upward trend beginning mid-2013. However, the second half of 2014 and the full year 2015 saw substantial decreases in steel prices, which dropped to $353 per tonne at the end of 2015, exceeding the historical lows, it said.

To bring the company out of the rut, said it will raise $3 billion from investors and sell $1 billion stake in Spanish auto parts maker Gestamp.

The world's largest steelmaker outlined a plan to reduce its $15.7 billion net debt by nearly a quarter.

Mittal, who owns about 37% of ArcelorMittal, will maintain his stake and will sign up to its entitlement of the share issue, worth about $1.1 billion.

Continuing to suffer from China's overcapacity that drove down world prices, the firm posted net sales of $63.58 billion in 2015 as against $72.28 billion in 2014.
Maharashtra Government today approved a proposal to invite Expression of Interest (EoI) for implementing the "Take Home Ration (THR)" scheme.

The Cabinet approved the proposal under which tenders will be floated for supply of THR worth Rs 1,200 crore, official sources said.

Women and Child Welfare Department will call for an EoI to provide ration through the scheme under which breakfast and ready made lunch is to be supplied to children between 6 months to 3 years of age, those between 3 to 6 years who have lower than average weight and also pregnant housewives.

The tender process came under criticism from the Opposition which said it will remove small women self-help groups (SHGs) from competition, and alleged it favours a handful of suppliers.

According to a senior official of the Department, the Supreme Court has directed that food items for Anganwadis (government-run childcare centres) be provided through SHGs and not by private contractors.

"It is necessary to select a bidder on technical ground and not on commercial ground. Otherwise, the contractor may submit a low cost tender to grab the contract," said the cabinet note.

Meanwhile, NCP leader Dhananjay Munde said the move shows the BJP-led Government wants to prevent SHGs from bidding for the contract. "Women and Child Welfare Department is working in favour of a few suppliers."



He said the Bombay High Court has clearly said that SHGs should get the tender of supplying ration though they don't have extruder machines (food processing equipment).

"The decision will keep out SHGs, which don't have such machines, from bidding process. In such a scenario, the bid will go in favour of big suppliers," Munde claimed.
One person was killed and several others were injured in a major explosion at a power station in southeast England today.

Authorities have described it as a "major incident" as six ambulances and two air ambulance rushed to the Didcot Power Station in south Oxfordshire.

Thames Valley Police tweeted, "Officers are at Didcot Power Station at an incident with other emergency services. Further details will be released in due course".

The site is home to a combined coal and oil power plant, which has been closed and partly demolished.

The disused coal-fired power station ceased generating in 2013 and three enormous cooling towers were demolished at the site in 2014.

South Central Ambulance Service said it was "describing it as a major incident".

Witnesses described hearing a loud explosion before plumes of smoke and dust rose into the air.
CPI(M) today said the President's address to Parliament has covered everything except "major" issues like price rise, farmers' suicides, JNU agitation and Jat stir and that the party will move amendments to raise these matters.

"It was a long speech. It was a big address covering everything except major issues like price rise, farmers' suicides, JNU agitation, Jat stir and many more such serious things," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said here.

President Pranab Mukherjee today addressed the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament on the first day of the Budget session, outlining the government's agenda in the coming financial year.

Holding that major issues were left out not because of oversight but by design, he said, "Misuse of sedition clauses, border issues, Hyderabad incident..., nothing was mentioned. The President's speech did not reflect any of these issues."



Asked whether the party will move amendments to the President's address, Yechury said, "Yes we are doing that. Amendments will be moved to raise these serious issues in Parliament."



In a scathing attack on the government, the CPI(M) leader said, "There are attempts to replace history with Hindu mythology which is required for Hindu Rashtra."



On the fate of the session in terms of doing business and passing bills, Yechury said, "They (government) are saying that they are prepared to discuss and we are also for discussion on important issues. But we have asked for specific dates they want to discuss and we will appeal to the opposition not to disrupt the House.
Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed's application seeking a two-month extension of his medical leave in the UK has been "temporarily rejected" with authorities asking him to submit his treatment-related papers.

Nasheed, who is serving a 13-year jail term on terror charges, was granted 30 days of leave, which expired yesterday, for a back surgery. However, the former President requested an additional 60-day leave extension last week.

On receiving the application, the Maldivian authorities asked Nasheed to submit documents on the "progress of treatment" and the estimated completion date of the medical procedure pending which his plea was "temporarily rejected", official sources said.

The Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) said it needs additional documents to extend Nasheed's leave from prison.

The MCS medical board "has rejected the application as it is now, but has decided to extend a further opportunity to submit required papers," Mohamed Husham, the Commissioner General of Prison, was quoted as saying by the Maldives Independent.

The Maldivian High Commission in New Delhi, however, did not say his application was rejected but stated that, "former President Nasheed has been given more time, as stipulated under the regulations, to complete his application for medical leave extension."



"Documents missing as mandated under regulations include -- progress of the treatment and estimated completion date of the procedure," it said.

Nasheed, 48, arrived in London for treatment on January 21 after he was granted prison leave by the government to undergo an urgent spinal cord surgery.

Last week, Maldivian High Commissioner to India Ahmed Mohamed had accused Nasheed of misusing his UK visit to "deceitfully" tarnish the country's reputation.

The Maldives' Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon previously has also accused Nasheed of using prison leave for publicity after he met Prime Minister David Cameron and held a conference with journalists in the UK last month.
Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed's application seeking a two-month extension of his medical leave in the UK has been "temporarily rejected" with the government asking him to submit his treatment-related papers.

Nasheed, who is serving a 13-year jail term on terror charges, was granted 30 days of leave, which expired yesterday, for a back surgery. However, the former President requested an additional 60-day leave extension last week.

On receiving the application, the Maldives government asked Nasheed to submit documents on the "progress of treatment" and the estimated completion date of the medical procedure pending which his plea was "temporarily rejected", official sources said.

The Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) said it needs additional documents to extend Nasheed's leave from prison.

The MCS medical board "has rejected the application as it is now, but has decided to extend a further opportunity to submit required papers," Mohamed Husham, the Commissioner General of Prison, was quoted as saying by the Maldives Independent.

The Maldivian High Commission in New Delhi, however, did not say his application was rejected but stated that, "former President Nasheed has been given more time, as stipulated under the regulations, to complete his application for medical leave extension."



"Documents missing as mandated under regulations include -- progress of the treatment and estimated completion date of the procedure," it said.

Nasheed, 48, arrived in London for treatment on January 21 after he was granted prison leave by the government to undergo an urgent spinal cord surgery.

Last week, Maldivian High Commissioner to India Ahmed Mohamed had accused Nasheed of misusing his UK visit to "deceitfully" tarnish the country's reputation.

The Maldives' Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon previously has also accused Nasheed of using prison leave for publicity after he met Prime Minister David Cameron and held a conference with journalists in the UK last month.
Actress Mallika Sherawat has called on the agitating Jat community to maintain peace and non-violence.

Hundred of Jat protesters are demanding reservation under the OBC category in government jobs and educational institutions.

"My appeal to the jaat community to maintain peace and nonviolence," Sherawat, who is from Haryana, posted on Twitter.

The actress, 39, was last seen on screen in the 2015 film "Dirty Politics".

Road traffic on various national and state highways from Hissar to various destinations, including Delhi, Chandigarh, Sirsa, Siwani and Bhiwani is disrupted.

Railway traffic from Hissar to various destinations including Delhi, Ludhiana, Bhiwani and Sadulpur also remained suspended.
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for possessing 275 grams of heroin by a Delhi court which also slapped a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh on him while noting that enhanced punishment was being awarded as he had been convicted earlier for a similar crime.

Special NDPS Judge Shail Jain awarded the jail term to Mohammed Rizauddin, a resident of Narela, after convicting him under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The court said the prosecution has proved the case beyond reasonable doubt against the man.

"Convict Mohd Rizauddin was found in conscious possession of 275 grams of heroin, which is commercial quantity, coupled with the fact that the convict has already been convicted in another case and was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for three months and 15 days, the provisions of NDPS Act are therefore attracted, which provides for enhanced punishment for offences after previous conviction," the judge said.

According to the prosecution, Rizauddin was found possessing the banned substance on July 24, 2012 in central Delhi.

He was arrested by cops on a tip off that a man was involved in supply of large quantity of heroin in Delhi. A raid was conducted and he was caught carrying drugs, it said.

During the trial, Rizauddin had claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case.

He had also sought leniency in sentence, saying that he was the sole bread earner of his family also comprising two kids and has been in judicial custody for more than two years.

The prosecutor had sought severe punishment for the convict, saying that such kinds of offence are on the rise in the society and that the man was held guilty previously for a similar offence.
MLA RK Imo today raised the reported statement of Naga Students' Federation (NSF) to "ban movement of all vehicles" owned by a particular ethnic group in Naga-inhabited areas, during the Zero Hour of Manipur Assembly.

Urging the Chief Minister to take necessary measures, Imo said the statement was unfortunate.

He demanded the concerned leaders should be immediately booked under appropriate laws of the country for disturbing harmony.

NSF issued the vehicle ban threat to members of a particular ethnic community on Monday last and said the ban will take effect from February 24.
Over a dozen people, including five policemen and three mediapersons, were injured in a protest by the National Students Union of India (NSUI) outside the Assembly here to demand holding student elections in colleges.

Additional Superintendent of Police Rajesh Singh Chandel said police have arrested 31 activists of NSUI, the students wing of Congress party.

The Budget Session of the Assembly started today.

The NSUI tried to gherao the legislature building by crossing the barricade.

Police resorted to a cane-charge when they climbed the barricades and threw stones at them and the mediapersons.

Five policemen were injured, two of them seriously. They were admitted to a hospital, Additional Superintendent of Police Rajesh Singh Chandel told PTI.

Besides, three mediapersons were also injured.

Bhopal district NSUI president Ashutosh Chouksey said when the activists were climbing the barricades in their attempt to enter the Assembly premises "peacefully", police caned them, injuring many.

"I myself sustained injuries and got discharged from the hospital just now," he said.

Chouksey also stated student elections have not been held in colleges for more than seven years. So the students had no voice while the ABVP, BJP's student wing, was ruling the roost as the party is in power.

"This is the reason the polls are not being held," he claimed.
US chocolate giant Mars today ordered a massive international recall of Mars and Snickers bars made at its Dutch factory after a piece of plastic found in one snack was traced back to the site.

Millions of chocolate bars were deemed possibly unsafe for consumption in 55 countries after a customer in Germany found a piece of red plastic in his Snickers bar last month.

The recall of the chocoholic snacks also affects Milky Way minis and some boxes of Celebrations, and hit most European countries. But it also extended as far as Vietnam and Sri Lanka in Asia.

"As far as we know there are 55 countries involved," Eline Bijveld, Mars corporate affairs coordinator for the Netherlands told AFP, refusing to divulge the whole list.

The recall "only involves the products that are made in the Netherlands" at the Mars factory in the southern town of Veghel, she said, adding the products were mainly sold in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe.

Chocolate lovers in the United States need not worry as the recall does not extend to the company's home base.

Bijveld could not give the exact number of chocolate bars produced daily at the factory, but said about four million items were being recalled in The Netherlands alone.

The move comes after a customer found a red piece of plastic in a Snickers bar bought on January 8 in Germany.

After he complained to Mars, the plastic was traced back to Veghel which determined that it came from a protective cover used in the plant's manufacturing process.

"We are currently investigating exactly what's happened, but we cannot be sure that this red piece of plastic isn't in any other of our products from the same production line," Bijveld said.

So the food giant has decided in a "voluntary" fashion and "out of precaution" to go ahead with the recall.

It is the first time that Mars has had to recall products made at its Veghel factory, which opened in 1963 and employs some 1,200 people.

In a statement announcing the recall in Germany, the US chocolate giant said: "We would like to prevent consumers who have purchased one of the above-mentioned products from consuming it".

Mars said it was recalling the items from Britain, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain, after it already withdrew products from sale in Germany and Netherlands.

It added that the recall was an "isolated incident and strictly limited, and concerns only the products mentioned".

Manufacturing dates for the different products vary, but in general those with a "best-before" date of between June 19, 2016 and January 8, 2017 are being recalled.
The mayor of a government-controlled town in war-torn eastern Ukraine has been shot dead, the police said today, adding that it was not immediately clear who carried out the attack.

Volodymyr Zhyvaga, 44, was mayor of Starobilsk, a town of about 20,000 located 80 kilometres northwest of the pro-Russian separatist-held city of Lugansk.

Zhyvaga was found lying unconscious in the back yard of the local town council with gunshot wounds to the head and neck, and died on his way to hospital yesterday, local police spokeswoman Tetyana Pogukai told Ukraine's 112 television channel.

The police said they had no immediate suspects and were investigating whether the murder was politically-motivated, a result of a domestic dispute, or related to the mayor's business activities.

More than 9,000 people have died during the Ukrainian government's 22-month war against pro-Russian insurgents in the former Soviet state's industrial east.
Independent MLA Engineer Rasheed today sat on a dharna here demanding a judicial probe into the death of a man in firing during an anti-encroachment drive in Samba.

Led by Rasheed, over 10 persons sat on a dharna before the front gate of the Civil Secretariat and raised slogans against the police and the government.

"We demand booking police officials involved in the incident...We demand judicial probe into the death of a Gujjar in the firing. People should be punished for the killing," Rasheed told reporters here today.

They were protesting the killing of Mohmmad Yaqoob (28), belonging to Gujjar community, in firing yesterday during an anti-encroachment drive by Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and police in Sarore belt.

The anti-encroachment team was allegedly attacked by members of the Gujjar community. In the ensuing clash, 10 persons, including 7 policemen, were injured in stone-pelting.

"This land grabbed by Gujjars is not the only case here. There are ministers, top officials and police officers who have grabbed huge chunks of government and forest lands in Jammu. What action has been taken against them?," the MLA said.

Rasheed said the government should first take action against the officials and ministers for their involvement in land gabbing.

(REOPENS NRG12)



Meanwhile, members of the Gujjar community blocked the Jammu-Pathankot national highway for several hours to protest the killing of the youth.

"Gujjar protesters blocked the Jammu-Pathankot highway for several hours today, disrupting traffic. The situation remained tense but was under control," a police officer said.

Senior officials from police and district administration later placated the protesters and convinced them to lift the blockade.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reached out to the opposition in Lok Sabha on the first day of the Budget Session by walking up to them and exchanging pleasantries.

As soon as the House adjourned for day, Modi walked up to the opposition benches greeting leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP), Jai Prakash Yadav (RJD), P Karunakaran (CPI-M) and leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

Before the Prime Minister walked up to the leaders, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul Gandhi had left the Lok Sabha chambers.

Earlier, Gandhi and Rahul were seated on the last row in the opposition benches but later moved ahead.

While Modi was shaking hands, some members from the Kerala unit of Congress were seen handing him a letter.

The Prime Minister also exchanged greeting with leaders of NDA allies TDP and Shiv Sena before leaving the chamber.

Indications of a tumultuous beginning of the Budget session had emerged at the all-party meetings convened by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu yesterday with the Opposition accusing the govt of "setting the agenda for disruption".

Issues like the JNU row, suicide by a Hyderabad university scholar and reservation system are set to dominate the proceedings.
Aditya Birla Group's food and grocery retail arm More has tied up with Paytm to offer mobile wallet services to customers shopping at its stores.

The tie-up will be active across 137 cities where More stores are present.

"Our customers can shop with ease and convenience through the use of their Paytm Wallets and also earn attractive discounts and cash-backs at our stores across the country," Aditya Birla Retail Limited CEO Vishak Kumar said.

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Infosys Science Foundation, AIF launch mobile Science Labs * Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) in partnership with Agastya International Foundation (AIF) today announced the inauguration of 'Mobile Science Labs'.

The labs are designed to spur curiosity and creativity among students and make learning an interactive experience, ISF said in a release.

They will carry science models to schools across districts in Karnataka and allow children to have a hands-on learning experience, while beholding the mystical experience of science as it unfolds, it added.

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Asian Paints' Mauritius arm transfer holding in SCIB Chemical * Asian Paints, which is consolidating business of its overseas subsidiaries said that its Mauritius arm has transferred its entire holding in Egypt-based SCIB Chemical to Berger International Private Limited, Singapore.

"Asian Paints (international) Ltd, Mauritius, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company has transferred its entire holding of 60 per cent held in the subsidiary Company, SCIB Chemical SAE, Egypt, to Berger International Private Limited, Singapore, a wholly owned subsidiary of APIL," Asian Paints informed BSE.

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'Widened spreads over G-Sec likely to raise borrowing costs' * Investors are demanding higher yields on state loans, thus widened spreads over the government security (G-Sec) is likely to raise borrowing costs even in the corporate debt market, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) today said.

21 States today raised Rs 214.4billion, the highest they have ever raised in a single issue, while spreads compared to the 10 year G-sec widened due to heavy supply, the rating agency said.

Ind-Ra said it continues to believe that as investors internalize the impact of the power sector restructuring, along with the surge in borrowing requirement from states, the State Development Loan (SDL) spreads over G-Sec could remain under pressure and interstate spreads could reflect the states inherent fundamentals.

(REOPENS DCM 94)



Microland wins deals worth Rs 100 cr in FY16 * Microland, a hybrid IT infrastructure services provider, has secured deals across multiple sectors in India worth over Rs 100 crore in value.

Further strengthening its India presence, Microland had also recently inaugurated a new facility in Baghmane Tech Park, Bengaluru.

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Drone startup Aarav gets funding from StartupXseed, others * IIT Kanpur-based unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) start-up, Aarav Unmanned Systems (AUS) has raised an undisclosed amount in a fresh round of funding.

The capital was raised from StartupXseed Ventures, 3ONE4 Capital (a family fund of Mohandas Pai), The Phoenix Fund and HNIs including, Ashok Atluri and Sanjay Jesrani, the company said.

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KOOVS.COM appoints Gaurav Nabh as Marketing Director * Koovs PLC, the London-listed parent of Indian lifestyle e-commerce venture KOOVS, has appointed Gaurav Nabh as Marketing Director for KOOVS.COM.

He will be based in India and operate out of the KOOVS' headquarters in Gurgaon, a statement said.

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Hertz Equipment partners Cognizant



* IT services firm Cognizant today said it has been selected by Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation (HERC) to digitally transform the latter's business.

Cognizant will re-architect and enhance HERC's critical business applications to capitalise on the latest digital capabilities, including advanced mobile interfaces for field technicians to improve efficiency and productivity, and new digital services for customers enabled by telematics, Cognizant said in a statement.

Lodestar UM bags media duties of music label Saregama



* Media agency Lodestar UM has bagged the media duties of music label Saregama.

The company owns one of the largest music archives in India and has now expanded into other areas of entertainment like publishing, television software and digital content.

"We want the users to experience our content in a manner which is disruptive and at the same time, accessible.

"Whether it is our latest offering, Saregama Music Cards or our highly engaging music apps - Saregama Shakti and Saregama Classical, we don't want to leave any corners unturned and for that we wanted to partner with an agency like Lodestar UM who understands our needs," Saregama MD Vikram Mehra said in a statement today.

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Times Now partners Sky Media to manage ad sales * channel Times Now, which was launched in the UK market in November last year, has brought on board Sky Media to strengthen its ad sales in the market.

"Sky Media, the largest media sales agency in the UK, will be Times Now's exclusive ad sales partner for all mainstream sales in the region. The agency will be mandated to handle the airtime as well as sponsorship sales for the channel in the UK," Times Now said in a statement.

The channel recently took Tarun Sawhney on board as the country sales manager based in London to manage all the channel sales and marketing in UK and for all Times Network channels in India for clients in the region.

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VFS Global appoints Peter Brun as Chief Communications Officer * Visa processing services provider firm VFS Global has appointed Peter Brun as the company's Chief Communications Officer effective from July 1, 2016.

In the role Brun will be responsible for corporate communications, marketing and branding, and corporate social responsibility of the company, VFS Global said in a statement.

VFS Global Group CEO Zubin Karkaria said: "As we are look at further developing and expanding our business, we are pleased to have Peter onboard at VFS Global strengthening our management team."



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Emami ropes in Shilpa Shetty to endorse Navratna Oil * FMCG firm Emami Ltd has roped in Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty to endorse the new variant of Navratna oil - Navratna Almond Cool.

"Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has been roped in to endorse the new variant, who joins the Navratna Cool Oil endorsers' club as a female celebrity after almost a decade," Emami said in a statement.

"The value added consumer market has been growing at a faster rate due to premiumisation and specificity of benefits being offered. Hence, with Navratna Almond Cool Oil, we are confident of reaching out to a wider audience which will help us to consolidate our leadership position and accelerate the brand's growth to further heights," Emami Ltd Director Harsha Vardhan Agarwal said.

Tata Teleservices rolls out new maternity leave policy



* Tata Teleservices today said it has rolled out new 6+6 maternity leave policy effective April 1, 2016.

The policy entitles all new mothers to get six months of paid maternity leave, followed by six months of flexible working hours on half day half pay basis.

"The move is intended at promoting diversity and ensuring an enhanced healthy and productive work environment," the company said in a statement.

It has also introduced a comprehensive Mediclaim Policy that now includes cover for infertility treatment (IVF) amongst other benefits.

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SAARC Development Fund, ADB ink pact for co-financing projects * SAARC Development Fund and ADB have signed a pact for co-financing of projects, regional connectivity and development of the SAARC region.

"Asian Development Bank (ADB) and SAARC Development Fund (SDF) have signed an MoU and agreed to collaborate for the development of the SAARC region through co-financing of projects and programmes focusing on regional connectivity /integration and economic cooperation among the SAARC member states", SDF said in a statement.

They have also agreed to provide technical assistance and investments for co-financing on the three windows of SDF, Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) Program, Social Enterprise Development Programme and any other new areas which can be covered under the pact.

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Nyaya Bharti facilitates release of 8 undertrials in Delhi-NCR * Nyaya Bharti, a Bharti Enterprises initiative to provide legal assistance to underprivileged undertrials across the country, today said it has facilitated release of eight deserving undertrials on bail from jails in Delhi-NCR.

As part of its commitment, the lawyers from Nyaya Bharti have provided legal aid, filed bail applications and also represented the undertrials in various Delhi courts.

The initiative is funded by Bharti Airtel with an annual grant of Rs 10 crore on an ongoing basis and a voluntary contribution of Rs 5 crore from Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Enterprises.

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Snapdeal unveils next generation of its advertising platform * Online marketplace Snapdeal today said it has unveiled the next generation version of its advertising platform, Snapdeal Ads.

Entirely developed in-house, the ads platform will assist sellers to improve their brand visibility, help measure results instantly and drive online business, with the help of advanced advertising tools.

Snapdeal Ads enable sellers to target the right customers, based on their browsing behaviour, geo-location and purchase history.

IG Petrochemicals Q4 net down 3pc at Rs 11.98 cr



* IG Petrochemicals Ltd today reported a 2.83 per cent decline in standalone net profit at Rs 11.98 crore for the quarter ended March 31.

The company had posted a net profit of Rs 12.33 crore during the same period of the previous fiscal.

Net sales of the company fell by 23.03 per cent to Rs 213.37 crore in the fourth quarter, compared with Rs 277.23 crore in the same period last year, IG Petrochemicals said in a BSE filing.

Its net sales during fiscal 2015-16 was Rs 947.6 crore compared with Rs 1,185.37 crore a year ago.

Shares of IG Petrochemicals closed 3.77 per cent higher at Rs 143.30 apiece on BSE.

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Faircent.Com, eMudhra launch e-Sign for speedy online loan * P2P lender Faircent.Com has launched e-Sign facility in partnership with eMudhra to allow seamless and paperless loan agreement between the borrowers and lenders online.

E-Sign is part of the India stack conceptualised by the current government under the digital India initiative.

"It will also help Faircent in enhancing its operational efficiency by reducing human intervention, resulting in lesser turnaround time thereby faster loan disbursal", Faircent.Com said.

The e-Sign facility is only available for borrowers holding an Aadhaar card with access to the mobile registered with the Aadhaar card.

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IIMB gets 47th rank in Financial Times Education ranking * Indian Institute of ManagementBangalore (IIMB) has got 47th position in theoverall Financial Times Executive Education 2016 Ranking, moving one spot up from last year.

IIMB said it is the only Indian management school to be featured in the 2016 Financial Times Executive EducationTop 50 Rankings announced today.

It is ranked alongside prestigious universities like London Business School, IESE, IMD, Harvard Business School, University of Oxford, among others, the Institute said in a release.
Political analyst Ashish Nandy today told the Supreme Court he was ready to tender an unconditional apology for a 2008 article written in a national daily which had led to the registration of an FIR against him for allegedly portraying Gujarat in bad light.

The statement by Nandy's lawyer was made before a bench of Justices V Gopala Gowda and Arun Mishra, which was hearing the appeal filed by him against the 2010 decision of Delhi High Court refusing to quash criminal proceedings by Gujarat Police for allegedly promoting communal disharmony.

The FIR was lodged in January 2008 on a complaint of V K Saxena, currently Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission and President of Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), for Nandy's remarks towards people of Gujarat on the outcome of the 2007 Assembly polls in which Narendra Modi-led BJP had retained the power.

When the matter came up for hearing today, Nandy's counsel said a letter has been circulated for adjourning the matter as the senior advocate, who was to argue, was not available.

However, the bench said matters are generally adjourned when senior advocates are in personal difficulty, which is not the case here and wanted to proceed with it.

At this point, the junior advocate said 79-year-old Nandy was ready to tender an unconditional apology which can be published in the same newspaper that had carried the controversial article.

Taking note of his statement, the bench asked the Gujarat government counsel and Saxena's advocate Gaurav Goyal to take instructions and posted the matter for hearing next week.

Nandy had earlier contended that the FIR was registered out of malafide intention and aimed at penalising him for expressing his bonafide views.

Gujarat government had been seeking the nod of the apex court to continue with the investigation to a "conclusive end" into the FIR against him under section 153A (promoting communal disharmony) and 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) of the IPC.

The state government had said Nandy's petition seeking quashing of criminal proceedings against him be dismissed as "the FIR in the instant case prima facie discloses the offence under sections 153A and 153B of the IPC.

The apex court on January 4, 2011 had stayed the verdict



of Delhi High Court which had refused to quash criminal proceedings initiated against Nandy by Gujarat Police.

The High Court in its September 1, 2010 order had directed Nandy to submit his grievances before a court in Ahmedabad.

The NGO, NCCL, had alleged that the article written after the 2007 assembly polls had projected the state in bad light and promoted communal disharmony.

Nandy's counsel had earlier argued in the High Court that the state government had picked up one line from the article and accused him of promoting disharmony.

The state government had maintained that the FIR in this case prima facie disclosed the offence under the Code of Criminal Procedure and the court should not interfere and allow the investigation to be completed.
North Carolina's largest city has legalized the ability of transgender people to choose public restrooms corresponding to their gender identity.

The governor calls it a threat to public safety, and some state lawmakers are vowing to overrule the city.

The Charlotte City Council voted 7-4 yesterday to add sexual orientation, gender identity and marital status as attributes protected from discrimination when it comes to public accommodations including restaurants, retail stores and other businesses.

Public schools would not be affected by the law, which would take effect April 1.

"I'm pleased that Charlotte has sent a signal that we will treat people with dignity and respect, even when we disagree," Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts said moments after the vote.

The Charlotte measure broadly defines how businesses must treat gay, lesbian and transgender customers, but as in other cities recently, the debate has focused on bathrooms.

One key legislative leader signaled today that he is prepared to intervene.

House Speaker Tim Moore said in a statement he would join fellow Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and conservative colleagues "in exploring legislative intervention to correct this radical course."



The legislature's next scheduled session begins in late April.

McCrory - a former mayor of Charlotte, one of the 20 largest cities in the US - said changing restroom rules could "create major public safety issues."



"Also, this action of allowing a person with male anatomy, for example, to use a female restroom or locker room will most likely cause immediate state legislative intervention which I would support as governor," he wrote Sunday in an email to two Council members.

Since a similar anti-discrimination ordinance approved by Houston's city council was overturned in a voter referendum last year after opponents raised fears about bathroom safety, this line of attack has been used repeatedly around the country.

In South Dakota, where the legislature passed a bill requiring students to use bathrooms corresponding to their sex at birth, transgender activists were trying to persuade the governor not to sign it.

In North Carolina, the advocacy group Equality NC criticized McCrory for "perpetuating the same tired and debunked myths about transgender people and public safety."



The statement from executive director Chris Sgro accuses the governor and legislators of trying "to bully the Charlotte City Council with threats to strip municipalities of their rights to govern.
Infrastructure firms NCC Infrastructure and Soma Enterprise are selling their entire stake in Bangalore Elevated Tollway Ltd for Rs 750 crore to a fund operated by IDFC Alternatives.

The development follows a recent government decision to allow infrastructure players to exit highway projects.

The two infrastructure companies have entered into a pact with India Infrastructure Fund II, managed by IDFC Alternatives Ltd, to sell their entire stake in the Bangalore Elevated Tollway (BETL). Both the firms hold 38 per cent equity each in BETL.

"As a part of its strategic initiatives to divest the road BOT projects, NCC Infrastructure Holdings (NCCIHL) along with Soma Enterprise (Soma) has executed a share purchase agreement on February 22, 2016 with India Infrastructure Fund II, which is managed by IDFC Alternatives Ltd to sell their respective shareholdings in BETL," NCC Infrastructure said in a statement.

"The divestment entails their full exit from BETL including through sale of preference shares held and repayment of shareholder loans held by both NCCIHL and Soma in BETL," it said.

BETL is a special purpose vehicle which has developed and is currently operating 34 km road, including 10 km four-lane elevated highway project connecting Silk Board to Electronic City junction section on NH-7 in Bangalore, Karnataka.

The project is fully operational since April 2010, with a 20 years' concession period awarded by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

"The transaction is taking place at an enterprise value of approximately Rs 750 crore. The transaction is expected to be completed on achieving the conditions precedent agreed between the parties," the statement said.

For the financial year 2014-15, the turnover and networth contribution of BETL stood at Rs 28.42 crore (2.95 per cent) and Rs 40.93 crore (1.20 per cent) respectively.

Aditya Aggarwal, Partner at IDFC Alternatives said "Buying control in operational cash generating core assets remains our preferred investment thesis. We look forward to continuing the calibrated traction on our roads platform and having BETL as the latest in a series of disciplined acquisitions over the past couple of years."



Ernst & Young LLP (EY) acted as the exclusive sell-side M&A advisor on this transaction.

IDFC Alternatives is one of India's largest multi-asset class fund managers with assets under management of approximately USD 3.4 billion.
A 22-year-old youth has been arrested in connection with the murder of a 14-year-old boy in Barabagan area of the city.

Subhasis Das alias Suvo, neighbour of victim Bittu Das, was arrested by the Anti Rowdy Section of Kolkata Police late last night, a senior police officer of the Force said today.

Subhasish, the officer claimed, has confessed to his crime admitting that he had kidnapped the teenager as he required the money to undertake an eye surgery.

"He (Subhasish) admitted to his crime. He said he needed the money to undergo an eye surgery... We are looking into his claims," the officer said.

Another person along with Subhasish was also detained by the ARS section of Kolkata Police, but was released after a grilling session, he said.

Bittu's body was found late Sunday night after he went missing.

Family members of Bittu, a student of Class X, said they received calls from an "unknown" mobile number at around 8.30 PM on Sunday demanding a ransom of Rs 50,000, after their son did not return home.

There were altogether three calls made from that number, police said.

Initially, Bittu's father Nirmal Das, a driver by profession, took the call as a prank and did not pay much heed to it.

Acting on the tower location of the mobile from which the ransom call was made, Subhasish was detained and subsequently arrested following his confession, he said.
The newfound momentum in India-US ties has provided the "most promising strategic opportunity" to the US military, in particular its Pacific Command (PACOM), its top commander told lawmakers today.

"The new found momentum in our bilateral relationship with India represents USPACOM's most promising strategic opportunity," PACOM Commander Admiral Harry B Harris told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Harris said in January 2015, President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a Joint Strategic Vision of the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region.

"This landmark document presents shared views and interests for the region," he said.

"The US-India military-to-military relationship deepens as forces increasingly train and operate together," he added.

Harris said the Pacific Command intends to add momentum to an important relationship.

"Through this end, I have made improving the military- to-military with India a formal Line of Effort at USPACOM," he said. The commander is likely to visit India soon.

In June 2015, during Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter's visit to India, the two countries renewed the 10-year Defence Framework Agreement.

In 2015, US and India militaries participated together in three major exercises and 62 other military exchanges covering scenarios ranging from high-end warfare to humanitarian assistance and disaster response, he said.

Harris said the US-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) further expands opportunities.

US defence sales to India are at an all-time high and US-sourced airframes, such as P-8s, C-130Js, C-17s, AH-64s and CH-47s, increase interoperability, he said.

The Pacific Command will advance the partnership with India by expanding the scope of military-to-military interactions, Harris said.
The National Film Archives of India (NFAI) will host a 10-day international workshop on film preservation and restoration at its campus in Pune from February 26 to March 6.

The workshop, which will be inaugurated on February 25 by actor Naseeruddin Shah, will feature lectures and practical sessions on film conservation, digitisation, etc.

Information and Broadcasting ministry secretary Sunil Arora, too, will attend the inauguration.

"It's a landmark event in the history of NFAI as it is the first time such a workshop is being organised (by it). The course has been specially designed by David Walsh, head of the technical commission of International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), taking into consideration Indian requirements and conditions," Director of NFAI, Prakash Magdum, said in a statement.

NFAI is in the process of implementing the prestigious National Film Heritage Mission and the workshop is a step towards strengthening in-house capabilities towards that end, said Santosh Ajmera, Officer on Special Duty for NFHM.
The FBI's request to to unlock iPhone of a dead terrorist is not unreasonable as it does not require the technology company to redesign a product or create some sort of backdoor, the White House has said.

"The request that the FBI has put forward is one that is quite limited in scope. It doesn't require to redesign a product or to create some sort of new backdoor," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday.

The FBI wants access to data stored on an encrypted iPhone owned by Syed Farook, who, along with his wife, killed 14 people at a Christmas party in December before they died in a gun battle with police in San Bernardino.

The Obama Administration, he argued, believes the American people benefit from robust encryption that protects their privacy and civil liberties.

At the same time, law enforcement and national security professionals have an obligation to keep people safe and do what they can to keep Americans safe, he said.

"In this situation, as it relates to the phone that was used by the terrorist in San Bernardino, we're talking about a phone that was owned not by the terrorist, but by the local government. The terrorist is no longer living," Earnest said.

The need to extract as much information as possible to learn as much as they can about that incident is something that the law enforcement officials have concluded is a priority, he said.

"The case that we're making is not that the FBI should determine what access they should have to that information, but it also shouldn't be a private sector company that's trying to sell stuff that decides that question," he said.
Acknowledging India's massive needs, US President Barack Obama has underlined the need for passing clean coal technologies to the country to fight climate change while maintaining economic growth.

"In order to grow the economy, we have got to have . In fact, there are countries like India where it is even more desperate," Obama said in his address to the National Governors Association at the White House yesterday.

"They (Indians) do not have electricity," he said.

"And if we are not giving them options, if the only message we have for them is, 'stay poor', the we are not going to solve the problem," Obama said.

"We have got to grow the economy, which means we have got to produce and we've got to deal with climate change.

"The good is that technology and research and development are accelerating rapidly, and because of the Paris agreement this would be going to accelerate progress even more," he said.

In his speech, Obama stressed the need of passing on the clean coal technologies to countries like India.

"I want India and China to know how to use clean coal, because they're going to be building coal plants anyway. And if we've got technology that can help make sure that it is not emitting huge amounts of carbon, all the better," Obama said.

After coming into office, Obama said his administration has invested in technologies to capture carbon from coal-fired plants.

"The technologies are there, the problem is that they're just really expensive right now. And so given relative prices to natural gas and other options, they haven't been deployed," he said.
The Obama administration today released its long-awaited plan to close the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer remaining detainees to a facility in the US.

But the proposal ducks the question of where the facility would be located and whether President Barack Obama could complete the unlikely closure before he leaves office.

The plan, which was delivered to Congress, makes a financial argument for closing the controversial detention center. US officials say it calls for up to USD 475 million in construction costs that would ultimately be offset by as much as USD 180 million per year in operating cost savings.

The proposal is part of Obama's last effort to make good on his unfulfilled 2008 campaign vow to close Guantanamo and persuade lawmakers to allow the Defence Department to move nearly 60 detainees to the US. But with few specifics, the proposal may only further antagonise lawmakers who have repeatedly passed legislation banning any effort to move detainees to the US.

Republican Mac Thornberry, chairman of House Armed Services Committee, has said his panel would hold a hearing on a closure plan. But he sent a letter to Obama warning that Congress has made clear what details must be included in any plan and that anything less than that would be unacceptable. Obama, meanwhile, planned to make a midmorning statement on Guantanamo at the White House.

US officials say the plan considers, but does not name, 13 different locations in the US, including seven existing prison facilities in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas, as well as six other locations on current military bases. They say the plan doesn't recommend a preferred site and the cost estimates are meant to provide a starting point for a conversation with Congress.

According to the officials, the US facilities would cost between USD 265 million and USD 305 million to operate each year. The annual operating cost for Guantanamo is USD 445 million, but the officials said the Cuba detention centre will need about USD 225 million in repairs and construction costs if it continues to be used.
A passenger train derailed in northeastern Netherlands today after it collided with a hydraulic crane, leaving one person dead and 10 injured, local officials said.

The accident happened this morning close to the northeastern town of Dalfsen, about 40 kilometres from the German border.

Television images showed pictures of several carriages lying on their side next to fields as emergency staff worked nearby.

"According to initial reports one person has been killed," mayor Han Noten told public broadcaster NOS, adding it could have been worse.

He added separately that about 10 people had been injured, but none of them was in a life-threatening condition.

Mayor Noten said there were between 10 and 15 people on board at the time of the accident, which happened on the line between the cities of Zwolle and Emmen.

"There were not too many people on the train. The evening train is usually full, but not in the mornings."



Local police told AFP only that a train accident had occurred but would give no further details.

An eyewitness told NOS that the crane was on caterpillar tracks and was moving very slowly as it crossed the railway line when the train arrived.
The Madras High Court has held that judicial magistrates cannot order change of investigating agency in criminal cases as such power was vested only with higher courts.

If judicial magistrates are not satisfied with the probe by local police, at the most, they can only direct further investigation and cannot order any other agency such as Crime-Branch Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID), to go into the case, Justice C T Selvam of the Madurai bench said in his order.

Relying upon a 2015 Supreme Court ruling, the Judge said the power to change investigating agencies was reserved for the higher courts.

He was allowing a petition by CB-CID in Tiruchirappalli challenging a direction given to them by a Magistrate to investigate a criminal complaint lodged by a 62-year-old man.

The judge set aside the Magistrate's order and also quashed the FIR registered by the police as well as all proceedings related to it.

While the local police registered an FIR in 2006 and filed two negative reports, the magistrate had ordered the CB-CID probe in 2009 on a petition by the man seeking change of investigating agency.
A top Republican lawmaker today accused Pakistan of "outright blatant duplicity" when it comes to the fight against terrorism as he slammed the Obama administration for using US taxpayers' money to give F-16 fighter jets to the Pakistan army.

"They (Pakistan) have asked to be able to purchase F-16s. I'd rather them purchase them from a US company than some other company, but they also want US taxpayers to subsidise more than half of that purchase over time," Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee said.

"Do you agree with my position that that should not occur until they stop the duplicity that has continued for 14 years while we've been in Afghanistan?" Corker asked Secretary of State John Kerry during his testimony before the hearing on State Department's annual budgetary proposals.

"We're evaluating all aspects of the counterterrorism efforts with respect to Pakistan's impact on Afghanistan obviously," Kerry said.

"I just met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif a few weeks ago, and we discussed our concerns about the need to rein in particular terrorist groups that are either homegrown in Pakistan or are using Pakistan as a sanctuary. And we've been very, very clear that they have to target all militant groups," Kerry said to a question from Corker.

Corker, who was in Afghanistan a few months ago, said he "witnessed continued duplicity on Pakistan's part, outright blatant duplicity, where they continue to support the Taliban, the Haqqani network, and give safe haven" to al-Qaeda.

"Most of us have been to the Waziristans and seen the tremendous amount of taxpayer money that's gone into changing the context of those areas, but they continue to give them safe haven," he said.

Corker alleged that the Pakistan army is not taking actions against terrorists.

"I do hope that ultimately you will support the position that I've laid out in my capacity as chairman that zero US taxpayer dollars will go to subsidise Pakistan's purchase until such a time as they do the things that we know they could do to stop helping to destabilise Afghanistan, where men and women in US uniforms have lost their limbs, lives and huge amounts of taxpayer monies have gone to support a country as it evolves in democracy and anti-corruption and other ways," he said.

(Reopens FGN4)



The Committee noted that Pakistan has been a long- standing strategic partner of the US and believes that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will continue to be strong and enduring.

It said it recognises that some have criticised security assistance for Pakistan in recent years.

"However, the committee believes that security and stability within the borders of Pakistan is vital to the stability of the region and to transregional efforts to combat terrorism more broadly," the report said.

The committee said in this context, it notes with concern that terrorist attacks continue to plague Pakistan and strongly supports efforts by the country's government to take steps to degrade and defeat terrorist networks and activities within its own borders.

"For these reasons, the committee believes that security assistance for Pakistan should continue," the Senate Armed Services Committee said.

"To ensure sustainability and viability over the long- term, the committee also believes that security assistance for Pakistan should transition to a bilateral programme focussed on the stability and security of Pakistan, rather than the more narrow previous focus of Coalition Support Funds, which were based on the country's support for coalition operations in Afghanistan," the report said.

Noting that the coalition presence and mission in Afghanistan continue to evolve, the committee expressed its concern that, if left unchanged, continued reliance on coalition support funds for the provision of security assistance to Pakistan could negatively impact US support of Pakistani operations to combat terrorism.
More than 110,000 migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean to Greece and Italy so far this year, and 413 have lost their lives trying, the International Organisation for Migration said today.

As of today, 102,547 people had arrived in Greece, while another 7,507 had arrived in Italy since the beginning of the year, IOM said.

Last year, the 100,000 mark was only topped during summer, IOM spokesman Itayi Viriri told reporters.

He said that out of the 413 people who had died trying to reach Europe, 321 had perished on the route to Greece.

"An estimated 35,000 migrants and refugees have reached the Greek islands so far in February alone," he said, adding that nearly half of them were Syrians and a quarter were from Afghanistan, while another 17 percent were from Iraq.

Once they reach Greece, almost all attempt to move on, he said, adding that "we understand that an estimated 26,000 have already passed the Greek border with... Macedonia in February alone."



Not everyone is able to move on.

Thousands of migrants have been left stranded in Greece after Macedonia abruptly closed its border to Afghans, creating a fresh bottleneck as European countries scrambled to respond to the continent's refugee crisis.

Some 4,000 people remained stranded on the frontier on Tuesday as even the crossing of Syrians and Iraqis, who are allowed to pass, slowed considerably, Greek police said.

According to IOM, nearly 20,000 Afghans have arrived in Greece by sea so far this year, along with nearly 31,000 Syrians and more than 12,000 Iraqis.

UN refugee agency spokeswoman Karin de Gruijl slammed the Macedonian move and "all of these measures aimed at keeping refugees out, (which) are causing numerous hardships for the people arriving."



"We are concerned about the profiling of refugees at the borders," she told reporters, stressing that countries should be determining who should be allowed in not on the basis of nationality but based on "whether they are in need of international protection or not."



The arrival last year of more than one million refugees and migrants on Europe's shores, many fleeing war, poverty and persecution, has caused a chain reaction of border clampdowns, in a blow to the EU's border-free Schengen zone.

UNHCR meanwhile published a survey Tuesday finding that a full 94 percent of Syrians and 71 percent of the Afghans who arrived in Greece last month said their main reason for making the treacherous journey was to flee conflict and violence.

A full 85 per cent of the Syrians interviewed said they had been internally displaced inside Syria before fleeing the country, the survey found.
External Affairs Ministry is understood to have cited "turf war" with other ministries and "lack of funds" as hurdles in achieving the desired results during a meeting of a Parliamentary panel, which expressed its dissatisfaction over the ministry "doing little" in projecting India as a soft power.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on MEA had summoned Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to discuss the subject 'India's soft power diplomacy including role of Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICCR and Indian diaspora'. However, Jaishankar had excused himself due to a pressing appointment.

The Ministry was represented by Sujata Mehta, Secretary (Development Partnership Administration), Spokesperson Vikas Swarup and other senior ministry officials.

Sources said members pointed out that while MEA was spending more on administration, it was not investing much in actual projects. They said MEA was "doing little" on diplomatic front to project the country's image as a soft power.

When Karan Singh (now a member of the Parliamentary panel) was India's ambassador to Washington, he had proposed setting up a cultural centre there. "But it has not materialised yet," said a member.

The sources said the MEA also admitted to turf wars with other ministries like Culture and Tourism for its failure in projecting India's soft power abroad the way it could have.

The MEA on its part agreed on certain "flaws" such as turf war between various ministries and "lack of funds" in achieving the desired results, the sources said.

The panel now plans to summon officials from Culture and Tourism ministries to hear their stand on projecting India abroad.

Responding to a specific question on whether issues like intolerance were discussed as it has given New Delhi 'bad press' abroad, a member said though it is true that editorials abroad were critical of the government here, such "political messages" cannot be given to bureaucrats.

He said the message would be given to the government at some other fora.
Parliament today paid tributes to soldiers killed in terror attacks or while securing the nation's boundaries as Budget Session commenced with the joint address to both Houses by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Paying homage to the seven security personnel killed in Pathankot terror attack, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari said, "Such dastardly attacks and acts of senseless violence deserve to be condemned in the strongest terms and must be confronted with determination and firmness".

Over a week ago, Rajya Sabha MP of BJP from Uttarakhand Tarun Vijay had called for every parliament session to begin with homage to soldiers who gave up their lives for the country.

Parliament sessions currently begin with offering homage to prominent figures who have passed away between sessions and to victims of calamities around the world.

The BJP MP's argument was that martyred soldiers too must be remembered for their brave efforts. He had raised the matter during the winter session of parliament and claimed that he had received support from several politicians.

Even today when Rajya Sabha Chairman had paid homage to prominent persons including former MPs of the Upper House, Vijay rose to speak and demanded that tributes be paid to martyred soliders.

In his obituary references, Ansari also talked about four jawans, who lost their lives in an avalanche in Ladakh, and eight jawans of Madras Regiment, who were killed in an avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman also paid homage to Lance Naik Hanumanthappa, who was rescued alive after being buried under 35 feet of snow for six days but later succumbed at an Army Hospital.

"The country will always remember the sacrifices of these soldiers in securing the international border. The loss of precious lives and injury to people in all these tragic incidents is indeed painful and unfortunate," Ansari said.

The House observed silence as a mark of respect to the slain soldiers.

Terming the attack on the Pathankot air base as a "cowardly act", Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan led the Lower House in paying tributes to the security personnel killed in the incident.

The House also condoled the demise of personnel in the avalanche which struck an army post in Siachen recently.

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha Chairman also expressed sorrow over passing away of former MPs of the House including Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, former Lok Sabha Speaker and ex-Governor Balram Jakhar, former General Secretary of CPI A B Bardhan, former journalist turned Parliamentarian Kapil Verma, M Sankaralingam and Mrinalini Sarabhai, a classical dancer.
Soon after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack the then chief of Pakistan's ISI conceded that some of the powerful spy agency's retired members were engaged in training those involved in the heinous crime but refused to take action, a former CIA chief has said in a new book.

In his latest book 'Playing to the Edge', Michael Hayden, the former CIA Director, expressed his deep frustration of the "duplicity" of the Pakistani leadership when it came to taking action against terrorist groups in particular al Qaeda, Taliban, LeT and the Haqqani network.

Arguing that the Pakistan Army is built to fight against India and not terrorists, the top leadership in the country, in particularly those from its military in the past one decade, have repeatedly expressed its inability to take on the terrorist groups in the tribal regions as desired by the US, he wrote.

Referring to the Mumbai terrorist attack, Hayden, who was the CIA chief till 2009, said it was very clear that there seemed to be so many Pakistani fingerprints on the atrocity.

"I began routinely harassing my counterpart in Pakistan, now (the former director general of Military Operations, the Pakistan army's top operational post), on the phone, urging him to get to the bottom of the attack and to discuss it frankly with us," he wrote.

"We had no doubt that the attack was the work of LeT, and there was mounting evidence that preparation for and direction of the attack took place from within Pakistan, where LeT enjoyed the protection and support of ISI," Hayden said.

Pasha, who had come to ISI only a few weeks earlier and had no previous intelligence experience, came to the US on Christmas Day and spent most of the next afternoon in his office.

"He worked carefully from notes. His investigation had revealed that some former ISI members were involved with Lashkar-e-Taiba (no surprise there). Pasha admitted that these unspecified (and still uncaptured) retirees may have engaged in some broad training of the attackers, but he was characteristically vague about any detailed direction the attackers had gotten during the attack via cell phone from Pakistan," Hayden wrote in the book.

"I took to passing sufficiently sanitised intelligence to Pasha on what we believed was going on in order to try to goad him into action. If he knew that we knew...Perhaps we could get some movement. We didn't have a whole lot of success," Hayden wrote.

Narrating an incident when the then Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf refused to fill up gas in the airplane that flew him to Islamabad, where he had gone to press him to take action against terrorists, Hayden wrote: "One more bit of evidence that these guys really were the ally from hell".

The crew had forgotten their government credit card- you can't make this stuff up- and the Pakistanis wouldn't budge, he wrote.

Musharraf refused to take action, despite some crucial evidence being provided to him.

"And every time he was pressed, the response was his army



was built to fight India, not tribal insurgents, and he wasn't going to bleed it in Waziristan's mountains chasing Pashtun, Uzbek or Arab jihadists," Hayden said.

The US received similar response from other leaders of the Pakistan Army including General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the ISI's chiefs, he said.

"(The then) ISI chief Ashfaq Kayani didn't say anything to ease our concerns when he reported that there was little prospect of the Pakistani military conducting robust ops in the tribal region. He said that it was less a matter of will than of capacity. His army was certainly India-focused," Hayden wrote.

"Indeed, one senior Pakistani official told me that his was the only army in the world that sized the perception of the threat (India) to meet the desired end strength of the military. So PAKMIL was big, artillery heavy, and road bound- and ill-suited to navigating mountain trails or dealing with insurgents," Hayden says in the book.

"When the US government presented Pakistani officials with intelligence that pinpointed an al-Qaeda leader and a plan of action to 'take him off the battlefield'", the response was "no, maddening delay, or our target suddenly and unexpectedly relocated".

Many Pakistanis viewed LET (like the Haqqani network and the Taliban) as some sort of strategic reserve rather than the strategic liability and regional danger they really were, he wrote.

Hayden said in his view, the United States will need to keep this capacity and be willing to use it.

"Islamist terrorism thrives in places- Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Mali, the list goes on- where governments cannot or will not act. In some of these instances, the United States must," he argued.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Yogpeeth will set up four industrial units in Vidarbha region of east Maharashtra, including in the backward district of Gadchiroli, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said.

The units will come up in Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (Mihan), Amravati and Katol, besides in Gadchiroli.

Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has facilitated setting up of the units.

"Maharashtra government has decided to provide 347 acres of land in Mihan to Patanjali Yogpeeth for setting up a food processing unit.

"Some 108 acres of this land will be in the special economic zone (SEZ) and the remaining 239 acres outside it. The unit will generate employment for over 10,000 locals," Gadkari said after presiding over a meeting of the concerned officials recently.

He said 200 acres of land will be given to Patanjali in Katol MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation) area, about 40 kms near here, for an orange processing unit.

"The land will be handed over within a month and the government will also provide the required infrastructure there. Land will also be provided in Amravati for a food park," added Gadkari, who represents Nagpur Lok Sabha seat.

The minister said there is a lot of scope for setting up a medicinal herbs unit in Gadchiroli.

"Of the 300 or so herbs, 200 can be grown in Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts alone. Patanjali will set up a unit to manufacture herbal medicines in Gadchiroli," he said.

Gadkari said the Patanjali will also train tribals of Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts to grow these herbs.

He said Patanjali Yogpeeth is also mulling establishing a milk unit in the region, but it is in conceptual stage.

Ramdev's trusted aide Acharya Balkrishna said on the occasion that Patanjali has focussed on Vidarbha because farmers in the region are facing a major agrarian crisis.

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Meanwhile, NCP sought to know the rule under which land is being alloted to Patanjali and threatened to move court if the government fails to give a convincing answer.

"The government needs to clearly state under which law did Nitin Gadkari announce to give 600 acres of land to Ramdev. The government cannot be allowed to run as per its whims and fancies," party spokesperson Nawab Malik told
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today demanded a judicial probe into the alleged killing of a member of a Gujjar community during an anti encroachment drive in the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.

"The killing of a civilian is unfortunate and the PDP demands that a judicial probe be immediately ordered into the killing", senior PDP leader and former Education minister Naeem Akhtar told reporters here today.

A member of the Gujjar community was killed during the clashes between an anti encroachment team of the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and the encroachers in the Sarore area of Samba district yesterday.

"Encroachments were also removed in our time but nobody lost his life at that time.

A fair probe should be held into the killing of the civilian so that a message of justice should go to the people of the state and at a time when there is no political government", he said.

Akhtar said the Governor is in a position to do it and send a message that there is an even handed policy and there is no such thing that a particular community was being targeted.

"If such a message (that members of one community were being targeted) goes then it would not be in the good interest of the state", he said.

Akhtar said that while his party favours the removal of encroachments from the government land but that should not be at the cost of human life.

"We have told it to the government that encroachment must be removed but for that you should not adopt ways by which it would serve more losses than the benefits.

"We are not polarising it as you are inferring it to be, there is no communal politics involved in it", he said.

The PDP leader said that a human life has been lost and "we say that if encroachments have to be lifted do it but not selectively", Akhtar said.

While demanding compensation and a government job for the next of the kin of the man killed, the PDP leader said that government should also take measures to rehabilitate the peoples whose houses were demolished during the anti encroachment drive.

On the attack on Independent MLA Engineer Rashid who was allegedly attacked in Rajouri a few days he ago, he said that any type of attack was condemnable.

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On the issue of reported harassment of the Jammu and Kashmir students who have been studying in other parts of the country he said that no student from the state should be harassed.

"We welcome that the Governor has taken the initiative (to tell other states not to harass Kashmiri students), we have also taken up the issue at our party level with the Delhi government and I am sure this would be sorted out soon", he said.

"There should be no harassment of the students wherever they are.

"We urge the Governor and the Central government that the students from Jammu and Kashmir should not be harassed only because they belong to a particular state", he added.

When asked to comment on the flaws in the National Food Security Act (NFSA) that was implemented in the state by the previous BJP-PDP government he said, the Act was implemented in the state after lots of deliberation.

"I am not aware about the current situation as how it is being implemented.

As a policy we had implemented it, it was a well thought policy. Nobody is at a loss, earlier 99 lakh people used to get ration now it is more than 1. 19 crore people who are getting it, so you have got more people into it," he said.

When asked why National Conference (NC) was attacking PDP on the issue of NFSA, he said that it is the job of the NC.

"They are also playing politics," he said.

When asked about the tweets of former chief minister Omar Abdullah who has been targeting the PDP for not forming the government in the state, he said that the former chief minister has become a source of entertainment.

"It is good that he has become a source of entertainment.

"He is tweeting to the people and telling them who have come in and who have gone out.

"It is good if a politician is doing some work I feel it is more creative for him and positive than what he had been doing as Chief Minister. I feel it is good for him", he said.

On the questions being raised by the National Conference on the delay in the formation of the government, he said "we are not doing politics on whatever they (NC) are saying.

"We don't ask them before doing anything. We never ask them why you did this or that.

"We are not questioning his politics. This is their politics and our is ours", he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a three-day Asian Ministerial summit on tiger conservation in April where Tiger Range Countries (TRC) will discuss measures to save the species whose existence has been threatened by large-scale poaching.

"The three-day Asia ministerial conference on tiger conservation will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 12. This is the third such conference on tiger conservation," an official statement said.

Ahead of the conference, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar yesterday chaired a meeting where four TRCs Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Russia took part.

"There are only 13 countries that have the pride of having tigers in the wild and tiger-bearing areas in the world.

"At the 3rd Asia Ministerial Conference, all TRCs can share their good practices and success stories, thereby contributing towards the cause of conservation of the magnificent species and the national animal of India - Tiger," Javadekar said.

A presentation on the background of earlier Asia ministerial conference said that the biggest threat to tiger conservation is poaching, due to the existing market and demand for tiger body parts and derivatives in other countries.

Therefore, there is a need for a sustained effort from all TRCs and other partners outside the government system, officials highlighted during the meeting.

Ministry officials said that the conference will bring the desired "will and momentum" for tiger conservation at global level and have long-term ramifications in the future.

Union Environment Secretary Ashok Lavasa, while highlighting the importance of the 3rd Conference, underlined India's commitment to save its tiger, wildlife and concern for forests.

The TRC where tigers still roam free include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Tiger population in India has risen to 2,226 in 2014, a 30 per cent increase since the last count in 2010, said the latest census report released by Javadekar last year.
Complying with court's order Nawada police today pasted notice on three properties, including a house of absconding RJD MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav asking him to give himself up before the law within 30 days or else his properties would be confiscated.

Force from Mahila police station went to Yadav's house at English Pathra village and pasted the notice at his three properties in connection with a case lodged against him for allegedly raping a minor girl last week, police station in-charge Mridura Kumar said.

The confiscation notice was pasted on Yadav's properties a day after Nalanda additional district judge Rashmi Sikha while hearing a police application for property attachment of the fugitive RJD MLA, granted permission to paste a notice of property attachment but gave 30 days time to the absconding lawmaker to give himself up to the law failing which his properties will be attached.

Yadav has been on run for nearly two weeks now in a case of alleged rape of a minor girl.

Yadav is MLA from Nawada and had served as a minister in the erstwhile Rabri Devi government.

The MLA's counsel had sought time to approach Patna High Court for preventing property attachment plea of the police.

The same court had on Saturday last rejected the anticipatory bail application of the MLA in the case.

The MLA has been accused by a 15-year-old class ten student of allegedly raping her on February 9 at his residence in Biharsharif after a woman neighbour lured her to the MLA's house in the name of a birthday party and handed her to the legislator for Rs 30,000.
In a complete U-turn, police today opposed in the Delhi High Court the bail plea of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested in a sedition case, in which the court has asked for a status report by tomorrow.

When the matter came up for hearing as directed by the Supreme Court last week, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the police, told Justice Pratibha Rani that they were opposing the bail plea of Kanhaiya, who was arrested 11 days ago.

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi, who had last week said that police would not object if Kanhaiya applied for bail, today justified the change in their stand saying that the circumstances have changed.

"The circumstances when I had said so, those have totally changed," he said.

Bassi said Kanhaiya showed repentance on his part when he issued an appeal on the day he was produced before a court but later denied having issued any such appeal and made certain allegations which were "false".

"We have reasonable apprehension that if he (Kanhaiya) comes out on bail, he is bound to impact the investigation and influence witnesses. He is also likely to indulge in activities that are violative of penal laws.

"That is why we have opposed grant of bail to Kanhaiya and shall oppose it further too," Bassi added.

As soon as the hearing commenced at 10.30 AM, Justice Rani said, "Are you filing a status report? If you were aware, you should have done it."



The bench said, "What about the status report? If you do not have the status report, I will not proceed. Ask your investigating officer to file the report."



ASG Mehta, however, told the bench that they will file the status report in a sealed cover as "this is a pre-charge sheet bail and the status report cannot be shown to the accused."



To this, the bench observed, "I do not need it in a sealed cover. You will have to file it. Issue notice. File the status report by tomorrow."



The bench, however, clarified that the status report will be limited to the extent of bail only.

As the hearing commenced, senior standing counsel of



Delhi government advocate Rahul Mehra opposed the appearance of ASGs Mehta and Sanjay Jain and lawyer Anil Soni, saying before appearing in the matter they should show notification in this regard.

"If they don't have the same (notification), they cannot stand on their legs before this court," Mehra told the bench.

Responding to this, Jain said, "Once ASGs are appearing in this matter, you have no business to interfere in it."



At this stage, the bench intervened and said, "Let's not fight over this issue. I will proceed only if status report is filed."



Mehra said, "they have crossed the 'laxman rekha' and I will not allow this unless the court passes an order. I am appointed by the full court reference of this court."



He also contended that the status report in this matter has to be filed by the Police Commissioner who has to clarify his stand as he had earlier said the police will not oppose Kanhaiya's bail plea.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Rebecca John and lawyers Vrinda Grover and Sushil Bajaj were also present in the court to represent Kanhaiya in the hearing.

The hearing, which lasted 10 minutes, witnessed unprecedented security arrangement in the high court premises in wake of the violence at the Patiala House Court on February 15 and 17 when unruly lawyers had assaulted Kanhaiya, scribes and litigants during the hearing in the case.

Kanhaiya had moved bail plea in the high court following the direction of the Supreme Court which had refused to hear it saying it will set a "dangerous precedent".

In his petition, Kanhaiya has claimed he was 'falsely implicated' and he had not raised any anti-national slogan.

The JNUSU leader claimed that he was wrongly arrested on the basis of an FIR which was devoid of evidence to book him under such a serious charge.

Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 and on February 17, he was remanded to judicial custody till March 2, amid violence at Patiala House court complex.

In the plea, he has also claimed that no case is made out against him as there was no evidence as he had never raised any anti-national slogan during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on February 9.

Kanhaiya had approached the SC directly for bail claiming threat to his life in Tihar Jail.
Two of the three lawyers, who were caught on camera allegedly assaulting journalists, JNU teachers and students at Patiala House court last week, face arrest if the situation demands as Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi today asserted that coercive action will be taken against them.

The lawyers had also failed to present themselves before the Delhi Police despite being summoned many times.

Bassi's comments came a day after a television channel aired a sting operation done on two of the three advocates in which they claimed that they had thrashed JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and he wet his pants during the beating.

They were also seen claiming that there were plans to assault Kanhaiya again in prison.

"We had summoned them many times. We have arrested one after he joined investigation. For eight days we have sent repeated summons to the others.

"Now we have the option of taking coercive action against them. We will go with the law and arrest them if it demands so," Bassi said in an interview to the channel.

In the latest notice to them, the two lawyers were asked to join probe on Monday, which they did not oblige.

Police had issued summons to lawyers Vikram Singh Chauhan, Yashpal Singh and Om Sharma to join investigation, following which Om Sharma presented himself before them and was arrested. But the two others were yet to appear.

In the sting video, the lawyers were seen claiming to have spared Kanhaiya only after they made him raise a specific slogan praising India.

One of the lawyers was seen claiming that he would not sign a bail bond only to land in jail so that he could beat up Kanhaiya again inside the jail premises. He went on to say that they had full support of police during the scuffle at the court premises.
A policeman was today seriously injured here when he was attacked with sharp-edged weapons by three persons who fled with his service revolver.

ASI Balwinder Singh, posted at city police station, was returning home on a motorcycle when he was attacked with sharp-edged weapons near DAV Model Senior Secondary School, police said.

The attackers on a motorcycle snatched his service revolver and fled. Singh suffered serious injuries and was taken to a hospital from where he was referred to Amritsar in a serious condition, they said.

Senior police officials have reached the spot and cordoned off the area. A case has been registered in this connection, they said.
President Pranab Mukherjee will be in the city next month to attend the celebrations marking 150 years of Allahabad High Court.

"The President will be releasing postal stamps bearing images of the High Court here and its bench at Lucknow, besides the 10-rupee coin, on March 13 at a function which will also be attended by Chief Justice of India T S Thakur, Union Law Minister Sadananda Gowda and a number of other judges of Supreme Court and Chief Justices of other High Courts," Justice Tarun Agarwala, chairman of the sesquicentennial committee organising the celebrations, told reporters.

He said the celebrations will take place from March 13 to 17 during which other notable functions like inauguration of the High Court's renovated museum and a blood donation camp, will be held.
The President's address to Parliament today to mark the start of the Budget session was dismissed by the opposition as "disappointing" and criticised for its silence on major issues like the JNU row, "misuse" of sedition laws and Jat quota stir.

The address, which essentially outlines programmes and policies of the Union Government, at the same time was described as "inspiring" by Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.

The CPI(M) said the President's address has covered everything except "major issues like price rise, JNU and Jat agitation" and that the party will move amendments to it to raise these serious matters.

"I heard President's address in Parliament. He spoke about government's achievement but nothing on Rohith issue (suicide of dalit student in Hyderabad), what's happening in the universities," Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said.

Congress's Rajya Sabha MP and former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar said that as a statement of the government's policies for the country the President's address to the joint sitting of Parliament was "extremely disappointing".

"It is bereft of vision and hope for a people reeling under the most widespread disaffection witnessed in the country thus far.

"In a situation where all citizens feel enraged by the frontal assault on all our cherished libertarian and egalitarian values, the address does not even refer to the urgent challenges that we face as a nation," Kumar said.

He said that at a time when the nation is in tumult and citizens feel alienated, the least that was expected was for the government to hold out hope for a distraught nation.

"The President's address is deafeningly silent on pressing issues and demonstrates the political and moral bankruptcy of the Modi government," he said.

Another Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said the address had "nothing new" to offer to the public.

"There was nothing new in the speech. It was full of slogans like 'sabka saath, sabka vikas'. There was nothing which will give any relief to the people. The atmosphere is tense in the country," he said.

"Everything is cliche, same thing we are hearing again and again. It is a big disappointment," he added.

Naidu said that it is evident from President's address that India under NDA is marching forward.

"The President's address is inspiring. It gave a detailed account of government programmes and policies, indicating the direction in which the Government is moving, about the priorities of the Government and then about our broad vision for the future of the country.

"It is evident that India under NDA is marching forward. And the government is working for inclusive growth guided by the philosophy of Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas," Naidu said.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government did not need a certificate from Congress. "We have to get it from the people of India and people have given us certificate that we are working on the right direction," he said.

Stating that major issues were left out not because of oversight but by design, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said, "Misuse of sedition clauses, border issues, Hyderabad incident. Nothing were mentioned. President speech did not reflect any of these issues.
Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people, President Pranab Mukherjee said today in a strong criticism of disruption and obstruction and called upon all MPs to discharge their responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation.

In his customary address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament outlining the government's agenda in the coming financial year, he also declared that the government will constantly strive for smooth and construction conduct of Parliamentary business.

Read our full coverage on Union Budget 2016



"Our Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people. Democratic temper calls for debate and discussion, and not disruption of obstruction."



"My government will constantly strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliamentary business. I urge all Members of Parliament to discharge their solemn responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation. Let us all collectively endeavour to build a flourishing and prosperous India," he said.

The President remarks assume significance in the context of repeated disruption of business on various issues, loss of time of Parliament and the stalling of legislative business in Rajya Sabha where the government lacks majority.

The 20-page speech was heard in rapt attention by members in the central hall of Parliament whenever he spoke of the government achievements and new announcements.

"Let noble thoughts come from all directions, should be the spirit behind the debate in this temple of democracy. Being a member of this great institution bestows great honour as well as important responsibilities," Mukherjee said.
As the budget session commenced, President Pranab Mukherjee today hit out at the frequent disruption and obstruction of Parliament and urged MPs to function in a spirit of cooperation, asserting that it reflects the supreme will of the people.

In his customary address to the year's first session of Parliament prepared by the government outlining its agenda for the coming fiscal, he skipped contentious issues like the unrest in the JNU or Hyderabad University or the reservation agitation in Haryana.

The President declared that the government will constantly strive for smooth and construction conduct of Parliamentary business



"Our Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people. Democratic temper calls for debate and discussion, and not disruption of obstruction.

"My government will constantly strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliamentary business. I urge all Members of Parliament to discharge their solemn responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation. Let us all collectively endeavour to build a flourishing and prosperous India," he said.

The President remarks assume significance in the context of repeated disruption of business on various issues, loss of time of Parliament and the stalling of legislative business in Rajya Sabha where the government lacks majority.

The 75-minute speech was heard in rapt attention by members in the central hall of Parliament and occasional thumping of desks, especially when he regretted the disruptions and appealed for smooth functioning of Parliament.

"Let noble thoughts come from all directions, should be the spirit behind the debate in this temple of democracy. Being a member of this great institution bestows great honour as well as important responsibilities," Mukherjee said.

The President used the occasion to give a report on the



economy describing India as "a haven of stability" in a turbulent global economy and said government has simplified procedures for approvals, repealed obsolete laws and put in place a non-adversarial tax regime to attract



Turning to Pakistan, he said the government is committed to forging a "mutually respectful relationship" with that country while asserting that "firm and effective" steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism.

The President said the government is fully committed to firmly dealing with all challenges concerning the security of the country.

"Terrorism is a global threat and strong counter measures are necessary worldwide to eradicate it completely," Mukherjee said, congratulating the security forces for successfully foiling the recent terror attack at the Pathankot air base.

He said, "firm and effective steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism."



Terming the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) as "the world's most successful" financial inclusion programme, Mukherjee said Rs 32,000 crore worth of deposits have been mobilised from over 21 crore account holders under the scheme.
FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali is asking for Friday's election to be suspended in a dispute over voting procedures.

The Jordanian prince's lawyers said today they are seeking "provisional measures" from the Court of Arbitration for Sport to postpone the vote to select Sepp Blatter's successor.

The lawyers said in a statement that FIFA turned down Prince Ali's request for the use of transparent voting booths, a move they said will deny "any right to a fair and transparent voting process."



The statement said Prince Ali took the matter to CAS yesterday.

The lawyers, Francis Szpiner and Renaud Semerdjian, said FIFA had rejected Prince Ali's offer to have transparent booths sent to Zurich for the vote. They said FIFA was only requesting that voters leave their mobile phones behind when they go to the voting booths.

"This request is not sufficient," the statement said.

"FIFA remains silent upon the measures to enforce it and sanctions associated with it."



FIFA turned down a demand for an expedited hearing on Prince Ali's request, the lawyers said.

"This behavior bears no rationale other than denying any right to a fair and transparent voting process," the statement said. "As a consequence, we are now seeking provisional measures before CAS to suspend the coming election."



Ali is one of five candidates in the race, along with Sheikh Salman of Bahrain, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, South Africa's Tokyo Sexwale and former FIFA executive Jerome Champagne of France.
Sushil Koirala's death has triggered a rift within the Nepali Congress, with some senior leaders demanding a probe into the "unnatural and suspicious" demise of the former prime minister and party president.

In the first central working committee (CWC) meeting held at the party's headquarters at Sanepal here after Koirala's death, the members of the highest body of the country's biggest party expressed dissatisfaction over the silence observed by the party's leadership as well as the government over Koirala's death.

79-year-old Koirala passed away on February 9 in an "unnatural and suspicious manner", they said.

Speaking at the meeting, senior CWC member Suryaman Gurung said that the party could not maintain silence over Koirala's mysterious death, demanding probe into the matter.

"People have expressed complaints and media have also raised suspicion over the demise of Koirala, which must be investigated into by both the government and the party," he pointed out.

He also demanded forming a probe committee to investigate the matter and resolve the mystery before the public.

Koirala's close relative Shekhar Koirala, who is also a CWC member, asked the office bearers of the party to clarify any doubts that might have arisen regarding his death.

The party should issue a white paper in this regard, he said.

The matter was raised after acting president of the Nepali Congress Ramchandra Poudyal presented the policy and programmes of the party ahead of its 13th general convention which is scheduled to start March 3.

Koirala died due to pneumonia and long infection at his residence in Maharajgunj on the outskirts of Kathmandu on February 9.

Koirala's personal physician Kabirnath Yogi, his personal assistance and nephew Atul Koirala including his security guards were present at the time of his death.

However, he could not be taken to the hospital and reportedly did not receive adequate medical attention during his final moments.

Koirala had developed fever, felt some uneasiness in the chest and did not have appetite at that time, according sources close to Koirala.

He could have been admitted to the hospital after developing such complexities, said Balkrishna Khand, another CWC member.

Khand echoed the views of fellow committee members, saying the facts regarding Koirala's death should be made public by the party.

However, the party's acting president Ramchandra Poudyal remained silent over the reactions made by the CWC members.

Khand told PTI that the party's next CWC meeting scheduled for Thursday will discuss the matter among other issues.
Thousands of students from various universities across the country today hit the streets of the capital demanding justice for Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula and protesting the JNU row with Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal joining them in slamming the Modi government against "crushing" voices of dissent.

In the second such protest in less than a week, the students marched from central Delhi's Jhandewalan to Jantar Mantar where they held a rally which was addressed by Rahul, Kejriwal, CPI's D Raja, CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri, social activist Medha Patkar and mother of Rohith Vemula and all of them warned the NDA government against "messing" with young minds.

Mounting a fresh attack, Rahul accused the Modi dispensation and RSS of stifling voices of dissent of college and university students across the country while Kejriwal accused those in power of "distributing certificates of patriotism", alleging that "goondaism" has been unleashed to crush dissent.

Rahul said his party will fight for enactment of a law to protect them from "discrimination" and "suppression".

"We need a law to ensure that students in colleges and universities do not face discrimination and their voice is not stifled," Rahul said, lending support to the students.

The Congress Vice President also slammed the government for not including issues like Rohith's death and difficulties being faced by students of universities in the President's address to Parliament today.

Kejriwal, who came to rally an hour after Rahul left, said the Centre was at "war" with the students of the country and asked the Prime minister to "mend his ways". Otherwise, he said, students will "teach him a lesson".

"What happened that youth who had supported Modi have risen against him today? This government seems to be at war with students of the country.

"Now they have started distributing certificates of patriotism. They are distributing certificates as to who is a patriot and who is a traitor. They will beat anyone up, or rape anyone and justify it by saying that they were raising slogans against India.

"This goondaism won't be tolerated. For them the biggest patriot is Nathuram Godse and the biggest traitor is Kanhaiya. The biggest patriot is Adityanath and traitor Mahatma Gandhi. Biggest patriot Sadhvi Ritambhara and biggest traitor Aamir Khan. For them all these hoodlums are patriots," he said.

Kejriwal said youth of the country will come down hard on Modi if he does not mend his ways.

"If Modiji does not mend his ways then very soon the youth and students will come together to teach him a lesson," Kejriwal said, adding "I had said earlier, 'Modiji students se pange mat lena' (don't mess with students). Otherwise they will rock your government and you won't have a clue."



Slamming the Centre for taking action against students for expressing dissent, he said everybody has the right to raise voice against anything which is wrong.

Rahul alleged that government was trying to suppress not



only the youths but also the Adivasis, Dalits and other weaker sections.

"We don't want an India where an ideology is imposed upon us. We are fighting for it. RSS people want India to have one ideology, but we want an India of multiple voices and multiple ideologies," he said, amid loud cheers.

The Delhi Chief Minister alleged that a number of Central ministers were responsible for driving Dalit research scholar Rohith to suicide.

"Rohith repeatedly said that he belongs to a dalit family and if they suspend his scholarship then everything will be destroyed. He pleaded not to be suspended. He was a bright student. Our society, our system, our ministers compelled a boy to commit suicide whose achievements should have been celebrated.

"But it's a matter of grief that till date the ministers in the dock have not even been questioned once and we talk of equality. What sort of an equality is this wherein the ministers who forced a boy to commit suicide are roaming openly? We demand their immediate arrest and questioning.

"At least question them. Your probe is prejudiced and it seems that you have made up your mind not to act against your ministers," said Kejriwal.

The protesters included students from various universities including Hyderabad university.

"We are demanding justice for Rohith, justice for Kanhaiya Kumar. This protest is also for Dalits, minorities and marginalised sections," said a participant.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury slammed the government for not referring to developments at various universities, in the President's customary address at Parliament.

CPI national secretary D Raja expressed similar views and said the issue will be taken up in Parliament to "foil efforts by ruling party to impose RSS ideology across universities in the country.

"We will fight on streets, inside courts and Parliament. We will ask Modi to ensure justice," Raja added.

Speaking at the rally, SQR Ilyas, father of JNU student Umar Khalid, accused of raising anti-India slogans during an event held at JNU, said the country is being ruled by those who "oppress dissenting voices" and urged students to be prepared for a "new revolution".

"We have become slaves again. We have such people in power who are oppressing dissenting voices. They came to power showing us dreams of developments. But within a year, they have showed their true colours," he said



Terming the protest as "historic" moment, Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj Abhiyan said the issue will be raised on streets if not inside Parliament.

The rally was also addressed by CPI (M) politburo member Brinda Karat and social activist Medha Patkar.

Parliamentarians Hussain Dalwai, Pappu Yadav, NSUI leader Roji John were among those who took part in the protest.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in violence-hit Haryana as well as about the ongoing JNU row.

During the 20-minute meeting, Singh is believed to have told Modi that the situation in Haryana, which was hit by Jat agitation for quota, has improved significantly following multiple action, including deployment of army and central forces, sources said.

The Home Minister told the Prime Minister that most of the blocked roads had been reopened and water supply to Delhi had resumed after intervention by the security forces, the sources said.

Curfew today remained in force in Hissar, Hansi and Bhiwani towns while a four-hour relaxation was given in the worst-hit Rohtak district.

Traffic had resumed on the arterial Ambala-Delhi Highway up to Panipat and officials hoped that as the situation normalises in Sonepat, the onward traffic would resume soon after its disruption due to the Jat agitation which has claimed 19 lives and caused extensive damage to property.

Singh had announced on Sunday that a committee headed by Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has been formed to look into the demand for reservation in central government jobs for Jats.

This was for the second time the Home Minister briefed the Prime Minister in as many days. Yesterday, Singh told Modi about the meeting he had with a delegation of Jat leaders on Sunday and the decisions taken in it, sources said.

Singh also apprised Modi on the situation in Jawaharlal Nehru University arising out of the resurfacing of five students, who were absconding after the arrest of JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charge.
Syria's regime agreed today to a ceasefire deal announced by the United States and Russia, but there were widespread doubts it could take effect by the weekend as hoped.

The agreement, announced yesterday, does not apply to jihadists like the Islamic State group and Al-Nusra Front, putting up major hurdles to how it can be implemented on Syria's complex battlefield.

A Syrian foreign ministry statement said the government would continue to fight both those groups as well as other "terrorists", while agreeing to stop other military operations "in accordance with the Russian-American announcement."



The deal calls for a "cessation of hostilities" between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and opposition groups that would take effect overnight Friday-Saturday in Damascus.

The High Negotiations Committee (HNC) -- the leading Syrian opposition group -- gave its conditional acceptance to the deal late yesterday.

But after several previous failed attempts, few had serious expectations for a lasting ceasefire.

Analysts said the deal may be simply unworkable, rebels on the ground doubted the regime's goodwill and many civilians expected their hopes to once again be dashed.

"It's a waste of time and it's difficult to implement on the ground," said Abu Ibrahim, a commander in the 10th Brigade opposition force in the northwestern Latakia province.

He expected "numerous rebel groups" to reject the agreement, which he said was formed "without consulting any factions on the ground."



"The 10th Brigade will commit to the decision of the HNC, but we will respond directly to any shelling by the regime, which has yet to present any goodwill gesture," he told AFP.

In Damascus, residents tired after nearly five years of war were also deeply sceptical.

"It's a fragile deal," said Rana, a 54-year old pharmacist in the capital.

"Ceasefires have been announced repeatedly in the past and we didn't see any results on the ground because they were violated," she said.

Despite being on opposing sides of the conflict, Moscow and Washington have been leading the latest diplomatic push to try to resolve a conflict that has left more than 260,000 dead and forced millions from their homes.

Both powers are pursuing separate air wars in Syria, with a US-led coalition targeting IS and occasionally other jihadist groups.

Russia says it is targeting "terrorists" in its strikes but has been accused of hitting non-jihadist groups in support of Assad, a longtime ally.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has said he is planning to hand out copies of "Fire at Sea", a harrowing documentary about Europe's refugee crisis, to fellow EU leaders when they meet next month.

The film, directed by Renzi's compatriot Gianfranco Rosi, won the top Golden Bear prize at the Berlin festival Saturday for its unflinching look at life on the Italian island of Lampedusa, the landing point for thousands of asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East.

Renzi congratulated Rosi for the win in a regular post on his website, saying: "I am for Italian cinema, which deserves all our attention. But so does the chosen theme."



Ahead of a special summit between the EU and Turkey on the migrant crisis in early March, Renzi said he would be travelling "with 27 DVDs for the 27 heads of state and government. I hope they will find the time to watch it, and that after having seen it, it will be possible to discuss immigration in a different way."



Eritrean-born Rosi spent several months on Lampedusa making the film.

It is told through the eyes of a 12-year-old local boy, Samuele Pucillo, and a doctor, Pietro Bartolo, who has been tending to the dehydrated, malnourished and traumatised new arrivals for a quarter-century.

In chilling footage, Rosi accompanied coastguard rescue missions answering the terrified SOS calls of people on boats, most of them arriving from Libya. Many of the vessels are packed with corpses of people who suffocated from diesel fumes.
Foreigners who bring FDI may get long term visa or residency permit as the option is being explored by the government to make travel easy for businessmen as part of the 'Make In India' campaign.

The Finance Ministry and the Home Ministry's foreigners division are deliberating whether India can offer long term visa or residency permit as a token of gesture to foreign businessmen who invest in the country, official sources said.

If the proposal is implemented, it would be part of the Narendra Modi's 'Make In India' campaign to attract foreign direct investment.

Various provisions of the Foreigners Act are being examined and discussions are also on whether to bring an amendment to the existing rules, sources said.

The facilities which may be offered to such investors are still being explored, but they would definitely get enhanced facilities and hassle-free entry to India as well as domestic travel, they said.

As of now, business travellers are not required to get themselves registered with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO)/ Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) concerned if they have entered India on a long term visa provided their continuous stay in India does not exceed 180 days.

But if they stay for more than 180 days, he/she should get himself/ herself registered well before the expiry of 180 days from the date of arrival with the FRRO/FRO concerned.

There may be some modification of this rule and the foreign investors would not be required to visit FRRO even if the stay period crosses 180 days, sources said.

As per the existing rules, all foreigners (including foreigners of Indian origin) visiting India on long term (more than 180 days) Student Visa, Medical Visa, Research Visa and Employment Visa are required to get themselves registered with the FRRO/ FRO concerned having jurisdiction over the place where the foreigner intends to stay, within 14 days of arrival.

However, Pakistan nationals are required to register within 24 hours of their arrival. All Afghan nationals are required to register with the FRRO/FRO concerned within 14 days of arrival except those Afghan nationals who enter India on a visa valid for 30 days or less provided the Afghan national concerned gives his/her local address in India to the Indian Mission/FRRO/FRO.
R&B star Rihanna celebrated her 28th in style at Via Alloro in Beverly Hills over the weekend despite recent gig cancellations.

The Barbadian superstar, who pulled out of the Grammys last week citing a case of bronchitis as the reason for her cancellation, seemed to be wholly recovered as she partied on February 20th night, reported Radar online.

A picture captioned "Burfffdayy Queennn" has been doing the rounds, featuring her dancing and twerking to Fetty Wap's "My Way", as she toted an impressively-sized glass of red wine at Via Alloro in Beverly Hills.

Despite the partying, Rihanna's planned promotional tour of North America has been beset by production delays and technical difficulties, as it was announced late last week that the start date of the Anti tour would be March 12th in Jacksonville, Florida, with the eight affected dates re-arranged for late May.

Additionally, two British dates were cancelled altogether with no of possible re-arrangements.
Actress Rooney Mara does not look forward to red carpet events and considers it an "irritating part" of the job.

The actress, who stars opposite Cate Blanchett in "Carol", is nominated in the best supporting actress category at the upcoming Oscars.

The movie, directed by Todd Haynes, is set in the 1950s New York and depicts the romance between Mara and Blanchett's characters.

"I don't think the red carpet is ever something you look forward to. For me, it is an irritating part of the job. I try and make the most of it and have fun with it. But it is like this weird other thing. It has nothing to do with movies. It has become this thing unto itself," Mara told the Telegraph.

The film will be released in India on February 26 by Pictureworks.
The political marketing guru who helped President Dilma Rousseff win two elections has returned to Brazil to be arrested.

Joao Santana, the campaign strategist behind the president's election victories in 2010 and 2014, was taken into custody Tuesday morning after landing in Sao Paulo after a flight from the Dominican Republic. Police are scheduled to transfer him to the southern city of Curitiba later in the day.

Police issued an arrest warrant on Monday for Santana and his wife, Monica Moura. They are accused of receiving millions of dollars in illicit funds from Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction company under investigation for its role in a kickback scandal involving the state-run oil company, Petrobras.
Norwegian telco Telenor today lauded the improvement in the regulatory environment in India, saying policies now are much more clear and predictable but spectrum prices still remain "way too high".

"In India over the last few years, the regulations have become much more predictable... Department of Telecom and also the regulator Trai really have improved a lot since we entered India, so regulations are now more clear and more predictable," Telenor CEO Sigve Brekke said at the Mobile World Congress here.

Brekke, however, said the spectrum prices are still way too high.

Previously some of the foreign firms, including the likes of Vodafone, had expressed concerns over regulatory challenges hampering economic development of the country.

On policy front, the DoT had already announced spectrum sharing and trading guidelines, liberalisation policy and clarity on merger and acquisition guidelines. The DoT has also been working on harmonisation of spectrum.

Some of the policies have been stuck for many years but now there is clarity on most of them.

The Telenor CEO, however, said reserve price proposed by Trai for 700 MHz is way too high for telecom operators to pay.

Yesterday, Vodafone also flagged concerns over high spectrum pricing, saying it can play a spoilsport for investment into India ahead of its biggest-ever telecom auction.

Sectoral regulator Trai has proposed a base price for sale of spectrum in seven bands, which could fetch up to Rs 5.36 lakh crore. The sale, which is estimated to fetch more than double the total annual revenue of all telecom companies, that is Rs 2.54 lakh crore, is likely to be held in May/June.

The regulator had recommended a record base price of Rs 11,485 crore per Mhz for 700 Mhz.

Brekke said there should be consolidation in the Indian telecom sector and ideally 5-6 players should be in the market. The competition is further going to increase with the entry of Reliance Jio in the telecom space, he added.
A South African court today sentenced a notorious Czech crime boss to 35 years behind bars for kidnapping and attempted murder.

The charges against Radovan Krejcir, widely seen as a kingpin in Johannesburg's organised crime scene, relate to the torture of a man in 2013, in what was described as a drug deal that went wrong.

Krejcir was accused of ordering the kidnapping of Bheki Lukhele, whose brother disappeared with a stash of crystal meth destined for Australia.

The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg heard that Lukhele was assaulted and had boiling water poured over his head by Krejcir.

The torture was meant to force the man to reveal the whereabouts of his brother.

Krejcir pleaded not guilty to the charges, but after a trial that exposed South Africa's underworld dealings, he was found guilty last August.

In 2013, he escaped an attempt on his life when a car fitted with remote-control guns hidden behind its licence plates fired at him as he entered his business premises.

Yesterday, the court was evacuated following a bomb threat -- but only after Krejcir, who was representing himself, accused Judge Colin Lamont of bias and conspiracy.

After Lamont handed down the 35-year jail sentence, Krejcir left the court in shackles but with a smile.

The Czech is expected to apply for leave to appeal the sentence, but he still faces three other criminal charges, including one of murdering a Lebanese national, according to local media reports.

Prior to his arrest, Krejcir had been fighting an attempt by South African authorities to have him extradited to the Czech Republic, where he is wanted for several crimes including tax fraud.

He claims the charges were trumped up because of his political links back home.
Washington and Seoul have postponed talks on deploying an advanced missile defence system opposed by Beijing, South Korea's defence ministry said today as China's foreign minister was set to discuss North Korea with his US counterpart.

The allies had been set to sign an agreement Tuesday on setting up a joint working group to look into the roll-out of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD) against North Korea's growing missile threat.

"The related accord is in the final stages but has been postponed by a day or two because of last-minute negotiations," ministry spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun said.

The THAAD system fires anti-ballistic missiles into the sky to smash into enemy missiles either inside or outside the Earth's atmosphere during their final flight phase.

The interceptor missiles carry no warheads, instead relying on kinetic energy to destroy their targets.

More than two weeks ago, the allies announced their intention to begin talks on its deployment following Pyongyang's long-range ballistic missile launch on February 7 but negotiations to launch the Joint Working Group were protracted.

The delay comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit Washington from Tuesday to meet his US counterpart John Kerry for possible talks over the controversial defence system and North Korea.

China opposes the proposed deployment of THAAD, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warning Monday that it should not be used as a front to "undermine China's own legitimate (security) interests".

South Korea's defence ministry reiterated Tuesday that the US missile defence system only targets North Korea and that its deployment is an issue between the two allies.

The ministry said it expects official talks on THAAD to kick off next week once the two sides set up the joint working group later this week.
Saudi Arabia today urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave, after Riyadh halted a USD 3 billion programme funding military supplies to Beirut in response to "hostile" positions linked to Hezbollah.

The foreign ministry issued a statement calling on "all citizens not to travel to Lebanon, for their safety, and asking citizens residing in Lebanon or visiting not to stay unless extremely necessary," the official SPA agency reported.

Announcing the aid halt on Friday, an official said the kingdom had noticed "hostile Lebanese positions resulting from the stranglehold of Hezbollah on the state."



Riyadh was making "a comprehensive review of its relations with the Lebanese republic", the unnamed official said, cited by SPA.

Alleged leaders of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah are under sanction by Saudi Arabia.

The Shiite militant group is fighting in support of Syria's regime and is backed by Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran, with whom relations have worsened this year.

Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran last month after demonstrators stormed its embassy and a consulate following the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Syria's war has exacerbated political rivalries within Lebanon, which has been without a president for almost two years because of fierce disagreements between Hezbollah and its rivals.

The Saudi official quoted on Friday said Lebanon had not joined condemnation of the attacks on its diplomatic missions in Iran, either at the Arab League or the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The official also denounced "political and media campaigns inspired by Hezbollah against Saudi Arabia", as well as the group's "terrorist acts against Arab and Muslim nations".

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week accused Turkey and Saudi Arabia of dragging the region into war and said "victory" was imminent for his group and its Syrian regime allies.

Saudi Arabia supports rebels opposed to Syria's government, and says it is ready to send special forces under a US-led coalition to fight the Islamic State group.

In a statement, Hezbollah said Saudi Arabia stopped the military aid because of economic pressures from the war in Yemen, where it leads an Arab military coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels, and lower oil revenues.

On Friday, Saudi Arabia also stopped the remainder of a USD 1 billion financing package for Lebanese internal security forces, in a separate decision.

The USD 3 billion deal funded military equipment provided by France and was to ship vehicles, helicopters, drones, artillery and other equipment to Lebanon.
A 21-year-old journalist is untraceable after he visited the famous Haji Malang shrine in neighbouring Kalyan, police said today.

Sannidh Poojari, who is a resident of Amar Nagar in suburban Mulund and works with a city-based English daily, left his home at around 2 PM yesterday with his friends for the shrine and has not returned yet.

A police official said Poojari has not informed anyone about his whereabouts so far and his mobile phone is also switched off.

Haji Malang or 'Malanggad' is located about 15 km from Kalyan railway station in adjoining Thane district. The shrine has been drawing pilgrims and trekkers alike.

A missing person complaint has been registered with Mulund police and efforts are on to trace him.
Seed industry body National Seed Association of India has asked Mahyco Monsanto Biotech Ltd to pay compensation to farmers who suffered losses due to cotton pest 'Pink Bollworm' that has developed resistance to the company's much-touted Bt cotton variety this year.

The second generation Bt cotton variety, Bollgard II, introduced by Monsanto in 2006, is supposed to be resistant to Pink Bollworm pest. The pest attack has been reported in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

In a letter to the company, the National Seed Association of India (NSAI) said some seed have started receiving notices from the state regulators for payment of compensation to affected farmers.

"As Pink Bollworm attack is due to technology failure, industry wants Monsanto to compensate the farmers for any production damage," NSAI Executive Director Kalyani B Goswami told PTI.

To this, a company spokesperson said, "We have received some communication from NSAI on February 22 and are in the process of examining the same. We continue to remain in constant touch with each of our sub-licensees and address any queries that they raise from time to time."



Stating the final report of Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) is awaited, the company said, "This (Pink Bollworm) has been proliferated by improper insect resistance management practices, absence of refuge planting and spread of illegal seeds in some districts of Gujarat."



While Pink Bollworm shows resistance, the technology continues to provide effective control of American Bollworm and Spotted Bollworm, it said.

Under the prevailing environmental conditions, the ability of the plants to express the trait and quality standards of the seeds supplied also need to be assessed to arrive at the correct solutions for addressing the issue, Mahyco Monsanto Biotech Ltd (MMBL) said.

"In agriculture, insect resistance is said to have developed when previously effective management techniques are no longer controlling target pests. We continue to find that our traits are still bringing great value to farmers in all the regions where they are used," MMBL added.

Meanwhile, the Union Agriculture Ministry is working with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as well as with seed industry to find a solution to the problem.

NSAI and MMBL are at loggerheads over the Centre's recent order of fixing cotton seed price including Bt versions royalty fee. Competition watchdog CCI has also ordered detailed investigation against MMBL for alleged monopoly in the business of Bt cotton in India.

Cotton production is estimated to decline 30.69 million bales of 170 kg each in the 2015-16 crop year (July-June), as against 34.80 million bales in previous year.
With his "Fan" anthem being released in six different languages, Shah Rukh Khan says the song is an ode to his idols Mahatma Gandhi, Sachin Tendulkar, Rajinikanth and Yash Chopra.

The song "Jabra Fan", which debuted its Hindi version last week, has now been recorded in six more languages -- Bengali, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Marathi, Tamil and Gujarati.

The 50-year-old actor said the whole nation and world is fan of Gandhiji besides him.

"Gandhiji, The Father of the Nation is also the world's biggest star. The whole nation & the world is his fan!," he tweeted along with the link of the song's Gujarati version.

Shah Rukh, who is the proud owner of Kolkata Knight Riders and the state's brand ambassador too, said he is an admirer of the city of joy.

"City of joy, city of KKR & the city that still has the old world charm. Kolkata, aami tomake bhalo bashi! Ur fan," he wrote with the Bengali link of the song.

Sharing the Punjabi version, the "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" star remembered Chopra and said he is his "ethernal fan".

"Yash ji, no one has shown the purity of Punjabi culture like you did. This one's for you. I'm your eternal fan!."



Shah Rukh, who earlier paid tribute to Rajinikanth in "Chennai Express", said he is proud to be a fan of the Tamil superstar.

"Rajni Sir, I'm not a star, but just one of your countless fans Thalaiva @superstarrajini. Proud to be your fan!," he wrote.

For Sachin, Shah Rukh tweeted, "Sachin: Aila @sachin_rt Umpire kuch bhi kahe, mere liye toh u wil always b not-out! I am ur Fan. Jai Maharashtra!"



"Khaike paan banaraswala, suno ab @ManojTiwariMP ke voice mein Fan ka gaana!," Shah Rukh wrote introducing the Bhojpuri version.

"Fan", directed by Maneesh Sharma, will hit theatres on April 15.
Standard Chartered India, the country's largest foreign bank by branches, today reported a whopping USD 981 million in pre-tax losses in 2015 as its bad loans soared over eight-fold to USD 1.34 billion from USD 173 million in 2014.

For the parent, 2015 marked the worst in 26 years with the pre-tax loss of USD 1.5 billion as against a pre-tax profit of USD 4.2 billion in 2014, making India operations contributing close to 60 per cent of the losses for the Asia-focused lender as its overall loan impairments doubled to USD 4 billion last year from USD 2.14 billion in 2014.

The bank, in an exchange filing, said loan impairments, including restructured loans, across its India portfolio surged eight-fold to USD 1.34 billion in 2015 from 2014, again contributing over a third of the British banking group's total dud assets.

"Loan impairments jumped significantly, primarily driven by exposures to commodities and India, where corporates were impacted by continued stress on their balance sheets, coupled with a more challenging refinancing environment," the bank said in its earnings report.

"The bank has been actively managing the India corporate and institutional clients and commercial clients portfolio in 2015 by reducing exposures to vulnerable accounts while limiting any rise in exposure to select client groups with credit grades stronger than the portfolio average," the second oldest foreign bank said.

The bank has massive exposure to some of the very indebted companies, including almost USD 2.5 billion to the Essar Group and recently media reported the bank had classified around USD 5 billion loans to domestic borrowers as on the verge of default.

The bank said the macroeconomic environment in India has been challenging due to slow reforms, high indebtedness in some sectors and a lower-than-expected refinancing appetite of local banks, which has resulted in exposure to stressed corporates getting further impacted.

It also said its recoveries were not satisfactory.

"As a result, impairments rose significantly in 2015, mainly driven by counter-parties who were already stressed in 2014. There was also a change in underlying assumptions regarding prospects of recovery on available collateral due to the challenging market conditions and recent experience from recoveries on impaired accounts."



The bank said due to these headwinds, it has brought down its India portfolio to USD 30 billion in 2015 from USD 35 billion in 2014, down from a peak of USD 42 billion in 2012.

The Indian Depository Receipts of StanChart tanked 5 per cent to Rs 40 on the BSE, whose benchmark Sensex dropped 1.71 per cent.
Students and scholars at Kashmir University today launched a signature campaign to express solidarity with the JNU students and former Delhi University professor S A R Geelani, who are facing sedition charge in connection with an event to mark the anniversary of hanged Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru.

The students and scholars gathered in the main lawns of Allama Iqbal Library this morning to kick start the signature campaign, officials said.

They said the protestors were carrying placards and banners, which read: "We stand for freedom of speech and expression", "we stand with JNU", "Solidarity with JNU", "Dissent is our right", "We question fascism", "Do not label students as terrorist", "His name is Umar Khalid, He is not a terrorist" and "Hanging of Afzal Guru, travesty of justice".

Later, the scholars marched in a procession and shouted slogans in favour of Geelani and JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

The march culminated peacefully within the campus, the officials said.
In the second such protest in less than a week, thousands of students from various universities across the country today took to the streets in the national capital demanding justice for Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula and protesting the JNU crisis.

The students marched from Ambedkar Bhawan in central Delhi's Jandewalan to Jantar Mantar, the capital's protest hotspot, where they were first joined by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and then by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The protesters, including hundreds of students from University of Hyderabad and Osmania University, raised Ambedkarite slogans such as "Jai Bhim" and demanded justice for Vemula, alleging that the Centre was responsible for his suicide.

Students from universities in the national capital, such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Jamia Milia and Ambedkar University, joined the march condemning the police action in JNU while demanding immediate release of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.

Vemula's mother Radhika and brother Raja also participated in the march.

In his address, Rahul mounted a shrill attack on the Modi government and RSS, accusing them of crushing voices of dissent of college and university students across the country. He also pitched for a law to protect them from "discrimination" and "suppression".

"We need a law to ensure that students in colleges and universities do not face discrimination and their voice is not stifled," he said.

Accusing the Centre of muzzling the voice of students across universities in the country if they differ with ideology of RSS, Rahul said Congress will fight for bringing a law to check such "suppression".

He alleged that government was trying to suppress not only the youths but also the Adivasis, Dalits and other weaker sections.

In his address, Kejriwal said the Centre was at "war" with the students of the country and asked the Prime minister to "mend his ways". Otherwise, he said, students will "teach him a lesson".

"If Modiji does not mend ways then very soon the youth and students will come together to teach him a lesson," Kejriwal said, adding "I had said earlier, 'Modiji students se pange mat lena' (don't mess with students). Otherwise they will rock your government and you won't have a clue," he said, amid loud cheers.

A major protest against the JNU row was organised in the city last week where a large number of students, academia, intellectuals and rights activists had participated.

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Meanwhile, officials in the HRD ministry claimed the demands of the students were not under their purview.

"Regarding the demand for removal of the Vice Chancellor, the ministry has conveyed the same to the Visitor who is the appointing authority.

"As far as the matter about police action against HCU students is concerned, the issue of law and order comes under jurisdiction of state government," HRD spokesperson Ghanshyam Goel said.
Actor Raima Sen says she was surprised when director K D Satyam chose her for the role of a sex-worker in upcoming film "Bollywood Diaries".

"I was in Mumbai when Satyam was scouting for faces for the character and did not attend the audition then," says Raima, whose character of 'Imli' is a bubbly, vivacious girl not losing hope despite hardships in life.

"And so when one fine morning I got his offer for the role, I was pleasantly surprised. I asked him didn't you come across any other female actor in Kolkata? You didn't even know me earlier," Raima said.

"Bollywood Diaries" is about the struggle of three unrelated persons. It releases on February 26.

On the character of her co-actor Salim Diwan in the film, Raima said there are aspirants who consider themselves as gifted but seldom get a break.

"This is very very true. I had myself seen such people in Mumbai," Raima said and asserted that she seldom gets an edge over others for being from a well-known family of film personalities and is still working to prove her mettle in each and every work.

Ashish Vidyarthi, who is also part of the cast, said, "The film is about the extent people are ready to go to realise their dreams.
The Syrian ceasefire announced by the United States and Russia will only work if there is a "major change of behaviour" by the Syrian regime and Russia, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said.

"It will only succeed if there is a major change of behaviour by the Syrian regime and its backers," he said yesterday. "Russia, in particular, must honour this agreement by ending its attacks on Syrian civilians and moderate opposition groups."

The United States and Russia announced the "cessation of hostilities" yesterday, indicating it would come into effect on Saturday 27.

It excludes militants from the Islamic State (ISIS), Nusra Front and other groups the United Nations Security Council deems terrorist entities.

Hammond welcomed the deal but said Russia needs to demonstrate its compliance "by clearly only targeting Daesh (ISIS) and those recognised as terrorists by the community."



He added that the deal was an "important step towards reducing the horrendous levels of violence in ."



Hammond said he hoped a ceasefire would enable political negotiations "to re-start in earnest" and deliver a political transition "away from Assad, to a government in Damascus that can represent all Syrians".
The stalled Afghan peace process is expected to be revived with the "direct" meeting of Afghan government and Taliban representatives as early as next week, an international group seeking to relaunch the troubled dialogue announced today.

No specific date was reached for the second round of the talks during the fourth meeting of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) of Afghanistan, Pakistan, the US and China on the Afghan peace and reconciliation that was held in Kabul.

"The QCG member states invite all Taliban and other groups to participate through their authorised representatives in the next round of direct peace talks with the Afghan government expected to take place by the first week of March," according to a statement issued after the meeting in the Afghan capital.

The delegations during the meeting, in which Taliban representatives have not participated, were led by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing and US Charge d'Affaires David Lindwall.

It said that Pakistan offered to again host this round of talks in Islamabad.

The historic first round of direct talks with the Taliban took place in the Pakistani resort town of Muree last July to find a solution to the 13-year-old insurgency but hit a roadblock after the announcement of the militant leader Mullah Omar's death, which had been kept secret for two years.

The group also reviewed progress in the implementation of the roadmap for the Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process.

"Towards this end and also in line with the desire and support of the QCG member countries for lasting peace in Afghanistan, the QCG endorsed and expressed strong support for the upcoming direct talks between the Government of Afghanistan and authorised representatives of the Taliban and other groups," it said.

The QCG also welcomed the decision by Afghanistan and Pakistan to constitute a bilateral joint working group to work with their Ulema for support of the peace and reconciliation process, including through Fatwas against the ongoing senseless violence.

The next meeting of the QCG, that was set up in March, will take place in Islamabad immediately after the direct peace talks.
Thousands of Palestinian teachers are protesting next to government offices in the West Bank demanding a salary hike.

Today's demonstration follows two weeks of protests that have included a school strike of more than three days.

Palestinian police were deployed across Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is headquartered, to block busloads of teachers from elsewhere in the West Bank from joining the demonstration.

The teachers say the Palestinian Authority has not fulfilled a 2013 pledge to give them a 10 percent raise.

The Western-backed authority is going through a severe fiscal crisis and is struggling to pay government employees.

Teachers make up the largest group and say their salaries are meager in comparison to others. The PA says it doesn't have the resources to meet their demands.
The Thane district court here today granted bail to three corporators arrested on the charge of abetment in the builder Suraj Parmar suicide case.

Additional sessions judge V V Bambarde granted bail to Hanumant Jagdale (NCP), Vikrant Chavan (Congress) and Sudhakar Chavan (MNS). Another accused corporator, Najeeb Mulla of NCP, is already out on bail.

These corporators were in jail since December 5, 2015.

Parmar, head of the city-based Cosmos group, shot himself on October 7, 2015. In his suicide note, he alleged that some corporators and officials of the Thane Municipal Corporation were harassing him for bribes and blocking the approvals for his projects.

During the hearing today, special public prosecutor Raja Thakre told the court that the government had already filed an appeal against the bail granted to Najeeb Mulla.

The charge sheet in the case too had been filed, he said, arguing against the bail to the remaining three accused.

Parmar's suicide note was almost like a dying declaration, the prosecutor said, adding that though the charge sheet had been filed, investigation was still underway and a special investigation team had been formed.

The investigators had more than sufficient evidence to prove the case prima facie, he said. The court, however, granted bail to the three accused.
A top Maoist carrying Rs 10 lakh on his head was today gunned down in an encounter with security personnel in Gumla district.

The rebel has been identified as Sanjay Yadav alias Yatin alias Mantri, who carried the bounty, Superintendent of Police Bhimsen Tuti told reporters.

He was the 'secretary' of 'sub-zonal commanders' of CPI (Maoist), Tuti said here.

Getting a tip-off that there was movement of Maoists in the forests of Kandebera under Palkot police station of the district, the Assistant Superintendent of Police (Operation) headed the security personnel comprising CRPF's 218 Battalion and district police and launched a search operation, the SP said.

Seeing the police, the Maoists fired and in the retaliatory action Yadav was killed, the SP said.

One carbine, one pistol, 56 bullets, Rs two lakh cash, Naxal literature were among the materials recovered from the spot, Tuti said.
Donald Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, is trading political blows with his rivals in Nevada, where voters today make their choice for the party's nominee in the November general election.

The still-large field of Republican candidates has produced a fiery presidential nominating contest for the top spot on the ballot ahead of November's presidential election.

In the Democratic race, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is regaining momentum against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist who had proved himself a much tougher challenger than expected ahead of Saturday's South Carolina primary.

Trump, an unorthodox candidate and billionaire New York businessman, delivered a broadside against competitor Ted Cruz, telling thousands in Las Vegas on Monday he thinks the Texas senator "is sick."



"There's something wrong with this guy," said Trump. Trump continued to make headlines for his off-the-cuff statements.

At a rally in Las Vegas, the billionaire real estate mogul, said he'd like to punch a protester in the face. He lamented the "old days" when he said the man would have been taken out of the event on a stretcher.

For his part, Cruz spent significant time trying to explain the ouster of his spokesman for tweeting a story that falsely accused fellow Republican hopeful Marco Rubio, a Florida senator, of insulting the Bible. And when the candidates weren't directing their fire at each other, they used scattered appearances on the eve of Tuesday's caucuses to assail Clinton, a former New York senator as well as the wife of former President Bill Clinton.

Rubio, who edged out Cruz for second place in the Republican South Carolina primary on Saturday, was high on the Cruz's list of talking points, even if the Texan would have preferred otherwise. Addressing the firing of spokesman Rick Tyler, Cruz told reporters he had no choice but to dismiss his aide. "We are taking the high road," Cruz said.

Tyler did not return telephone, text or email messages left by The Associated Press seeking comment.

It's not the first time that Cruz's campaign has been accused by rivals of using questionable tactics. Cruz apologized to Republican Ben Carson earlier this month after his campaign promoted a story suggesting that Carson was getting out of the race.

Cruz's campaign has also acknowledged creating a website that used a computer program to create a fake picture of Rubio shaking hands with President Barack Obama.
Turkish security forces today detained 10 people in a raid on a religious condolence gathering for the suicide bomber who killed 29 in last week's attack on a military bus convoy in Ankara.

Those detained were attending a traditional condolence gathering for the dead bomber inside a mosque in the Ipekyolu district of the eastern mainly-Kurdish city of Van, the official Anatolia agency reported.

The militant group which claimed the attack, the Kurdish Freedom Falcons (TAK), had identified the bomber as a Turkish Kurd from Van named Abdulbaki Somer with the nom-de-guerre Zinar Raperin.

Among those arrested were the bomber's brother, his father and the imam of the mosque, the report said.

All were detained on charges of making propaganda for a terror organisation.

Pictures published by the Dogan agency showed the mosque adorned with pictures of Somer.

A local MP for the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Tugba Hezer, was also reportedly at the gathering.

Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation and will seek to have her parliamentary immunity removed, several reports said.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu denounced her presence at the gathering as "treachery" and called on the HDP to take a tough stance against her.

"Taking part in a condolence ceremony for a suicide bomber, who spilt blood, commemorating him with respect, is the greatest treachery," he said in parliament.

His criticism was echoed by the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who accused Hezer of "encouraging acts of terror".

Ruling party lawmakers accuse the HDP of being the political wing of outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels but the faction insists it is an independent entity and condemns terrorism.

The Turkish authorities initially said the suicide bomber was a Syrian citizen but later acknowledged Somer was the likely attacker, while insisting he had spent time in northern Syria.
Turkey today said it was not optimistic over the implementation of a Syria ceasefire announced by the United States and Russia, threatening to keep up retaliatory artillery strikes against Syrian Kurdish fighters.

"I welcome this truce but I am not very optimistic that it will be respected by all the parties," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters in Ankara.

He also warned that Turkey could carry on shelling targets of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia inside Syria, as it did on successive days last week.

Kurtulmus said Turkey will continue "if necessary" to hit back at incoming fire from Syria even after the truce comes into force on February 27.

"Turkey will defend its territorial integrity. That is clear," he added.

Turkey has been alarmed by advances of YPG forces in northern Syria, fearing they are working to create an autonomous Kurdish region on the country's doorstep.

Ankara accuses the YPG and Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing of being the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

It also accuses the Syrian Kurdish forces of working alongside Russia, which strongly opposes Ankara's key strategic aim of ousting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Kurtulmus said he had "reservations" about the viability of the ceasefire as he feared Russia would simply continue its air bombardments in Syria.

"We hope that no-one will try and carry out air strikes and that no one is going to kill civilians during the ceasefire," he said.

"We hope that all the groups in Syria, including the moderate opposition, will take part in the reconstruction of the country at the end of negotiations."



The ceasefire deal was announced yesterday by Moscow and Washington but does not apply to the Islamic State group or Al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Turkey backs the rebel forces seeking to oust Assad but had repeatedly denied sending illicit deliveries of arms to Islamist fighters across its border.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said Burundi's president has promised to release 2,000 people detained during months of violent unrest.

Ban Ki-moon met with President Pierre Nkurunziza, following meetings the UN chief had with officials from the ruling party and the government, the opposition and civic groups in the Burundian capital.

Ban said the promise to release some prisoners is "an encouraging step" and urged Nkurunziza to take more measures to promote peace.

Ban and Nkurunziza spoke to reporters in a joint conference today in Bujumbura.

Nkurunziza said he is ready to talk to his opponents and urged Ban "to persuade Rwanda to stop its aggression against Burundi."



Rwanda has denied allegations it is training and arming rebels opposed to Nkurunziza.
Aimed at counterbalancing and deterring coercion or unrestrained national ambitions, the Pentagon today told US lawmakers that it wants to build a strong quadrilateral partnership framework of the most powerful democracies in the Asia-Pacific, including India.

"USPACOM aims to build a powerful quadrilateral partnership framework of the most powerful democracies in the Indo-Asia-Pacific," Admiral Harry B Harris, Commander of the US Pacific Command, said during a Congressional hearing.

"India, Japan, Australia, and the US working together will be a force for the maintenance of the regional rules-based order, counterbalancing and deterring coercion or unrestrained national ambitions," Harris said in his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Headed to India next week, Harris said he is excited about America's burgeoning relationship with the country.

"As the world's two largest democracies, we are uniquely poised to help bring greater security and prosperity to the entire region. Two visionary policies are now coinciding as the United States re-balances west to the Indo-Asia-Pacific and India implements its Act East policy," he said.

Last October's Malabar exercise between India, Japan and the US shows the security inter-connectedness of the Indian Ocean, Asia and the Pacific Ocean, he added.
A message in a bottle dropped in New York harbour in 2013 by an American painter has been found years later, and 5,700 kilometres (3,500 miles) away, on a beach in southwest France ... By a French artist.

George Boorujy threw the bottle, containing a drawing of a cormorant and a signed letter into the harbour at Staten Island in October 2013, regional French newspaper Sud Ouest reported.

It washed up two and a half years later on a beach in the Aquitaine region of France where it was found last week by Brigitte Barthelemy, a painter, and her husband Alain who were out walking their dog Elton.

Brigitte was intrigued by the perfectly preserved drawing and the letter congratulating the finders of the bottle and jokingly asking that they did not respond with another letter in a bottle, a "very inefficient" means of communication.

In fact, Boorujy gave his email address in the letter, so Brigitte was able to make contact by more modern means.

"When I saw the email from Alain and Brigitte, I was amazed and crazy with excitement," the French newspaper quoted the American as saying.

"And the fact that Brigitte is also a painter is extraordinary," he said.

Boorujy hopes his bottle will help raise awareness about the protection of wild birds.
A top American diplomat is visiting India this week to hold talks with Indian officials on issues related to ocean.

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Judith Garber will be in India February 23-27, an official statement said.

"During her visit, she will meet with government leaders and NGO representatives to discuss ocean issues in the lead up to the September 2016 Our Ocean conference in Washington D C," the State Department said.

She will also meet with Indian experts on air quality, climate change, hydrofluorocarbons and wildlife trafficking.
The United States has made little or no progress in explaining how and why it orders lethal drone strikes, even as America's reliance on the unmanned aircraft soars worldwide, a report found today.

According to a study by the Stimson Center, a Washington-based nonpartisan think tank, President Barack Obama's administration has failed to provide basic transparency into the drone program that has become a keystone in America's counterterrorism efforts.

"In terms of the justification for the program and all the legal basis -- that still remains out of reach of the American public," study author Rachel Stohl told AFP.

Read more from our special coverage on "TERROR"

Her paper gives American school-style grades in a "report card" to the US government, rating how it has improved its drone accountability since the Stimson Center wrote a damning report on the matter in June 2014.

The report card gave the Obama administration an "F" -- or a failing grade -- in three areas: a lack of progress on releasing information on targeted drone strikes, developing better accountability mechanisms and explaining the US lethal drone program's legal basis.

A seemingly ever-expanding global war against extremist groups means the United States relies heavily on drones to monitor hostile lands and launch missiles at suspected extremists.

Obama has drastically expanded the drone program during his tenure, but his administration provides scant information on strikes.

Critics say many drone strikes kill civilians, and the aircraft alienate and radicalise local populations on the ground.

Since June 2014, the United States has reportedly carried out lethal drone strikes in Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, as well as against Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

The Stimson Center said at least a dozen countries now host US drone bases, including Ethiopia, the Seychelles and Yemen.

"The targeted killing program has been the most precise and effective application of firepower in the history of armed conflict," said Michael Hayden, former head of the Central Intelligence Agency, which carries out most drone strikes.
An American tourist was today found allegedly taking pictures of the world famous Khajuraho temples near here using a drone camera, police said today.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials lodged a complaint with police against the US national identified as Derek W Bassemir, seeking action against him under the Archaeological Monuments Site and Remains Act, 1958 for illegally taking pictures of the world heritage site using a drone.

"ASI staffers said that they caught Derek flying a drone from the rooftop of a hotel of the western group of the Khajuraho temples without permission today," a police officer said.

The staff immediately rushed to the hotel, apprehended the American and seized his drone with remote. They told the police that he had used the drone to take pictures of the site yesterday as well as today.

The ASI staff handed him over to police but he was later let off. He is putting up at the hotel where he had checked in yesterday.

Police said Derek told them that he was not aware that drone photography was not allowed at Khajuraho temples. He also said that there were no signboards put up at the site, which would inform the tourists that drone photography was prohibited in the area.

"We are investigating the matter," district Superintendent of Police Lalit Shakyawar told PTI.

In October 2014, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued orders prohibiting flying drones in Indian airspace till further notice. It had cited "security threats" as the reason for the ban.

ASI officials said they have been cautious over infringement of the airspace over world heritage sites for security reasons and safety of the structures.

ASI takes serious note of violations because vibration in the air due to flying and the possibility of any accident involving planes can pose a danger to the temples in Khajuraho.

Khajuraho group of monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples and are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.
A landmark truce is to take effect in on Saturday, the United States and Russia announced, but the "cessation of hostilities" does not include the Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front, the main jihadist factions.

The leading opposition group in the five-year conflict gave its conditional acceptance to today's announcement, but Israel said it was sceptical the deal would hold, and analysts warned any pause in the fighting would be dependent on Russia, Iran and President Bashar al-Assad.

The announcement came a day after the deadliest jihadist attack in Syria's brutal civil war, with 134 people - mostly civilians - killed in a series of blasts near Damascus.

In a joint statement, Washington and Moscow said the partial truce would begin at midnight Damascus time, suspending a vicious conflict that has left more than 260,000 people dead and seen half the population displaced.

"If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people," US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

US President Barack Obama and Russia's President Vladimir Putin discussed the deal by phone, the White House said.

"This is a moment of opportunity and we are hopeful that all the parties will capitalise on it," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.

Putin said Moscow would do "whatever is necessary" to ensure Damascus respects the agreement.

"We are counting on the United States to do the same with its allies and the groups that it supports," he said.

The two global powers are pursuing separate air wars in Syria, with Russia pounding rebel targets and a US-led coalition focused on ISIS jihadists.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the deal a "long-awaited signal of hope", and urged all sides to abide by it.

There was no immediate reaction from Damascus, but the main grouping of opposition factions said it "agreed to respond positively to efforts to reach a truce deal".

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said he was sceptical that the ceasefire would succeed.

"It is difficult for me to see a ceasefire while Daesh (the Islamic State group) and Al-Nusra Front (the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate) are not part of the process and the Russians say they will strike both organisations," he said in a statement.

The rise of ISIS, which has seized large parts of and neighbouring Iraq and become the preeminent global jihadist group, has focused attention on the need for a solution.

Analysts also had reservations about the deal.
A top US university is "walking away" from the $3 million grants it received to establish endowed chairs in Hindu and India studies after faculty members and students alleged that the donors were "extremely ideologically driven" and have "extreme right-wing notions", a media report has said.

As a result, question hangs on the future of proposed chairs at the University of California, Irvine(UCI), for which it received $3 million from California-based Dharma Civilisation Foundation (DCF).

The university has also decided to review another $3 million in gifts it received for another two chairs.

The four chairs are Thakkar Family-DCF Presidential Chair in Vedic and Indic Civilisation Studies; Swami Vivekananda-DCF Presidential Chair in Modern India Studies; Dhan Kaur Sahota Presidential Chair in Sikh Studies by Harvinder and Asha Sahota and Shri Parshvanath Presidential Chair in Jain Studies by Meera and Jasvant Modi.

Some faculty questioned why the university administration didn't identify red flags regarding the gifts much earlier in the process.

"You didn't have to do too much due diligence," Catherine Liu, a professor of film and media studies at UC Irvine, said of the foundation.

"I went right to their website and it immediately read to me as extremely ideologically driven and of having "extreme right-wing notions."



An ad hoc faculty committee in its report has recommended the University "against accepting any endowment" regardless of the changes that might be made to the gift agreement.

The committee in its report noted that the agreements related to all the four chairs included language that is not consistent with University policies related to religious and academic freedom.

Such a recommendation comes after 150 professors and educators throughout the academic community collaborated on a petition published in early February denouncing the University of California, Irvine's decision to take this donation.

"We are troubled by news reports that the [DCF] has put forward its own list of acceptable candidates based on race and religion. Further, we are concerned about reports that the DCF has already brought their favoured candidates to the UC Irvine campus, in the absence of any advertised search for these positions," said the petition signed by professors from Yale, Cambridge, Harvard, and several UCs, among .

In another letter, UCI students and faculty expressed concern over DCF donation, and the impact it might have on the credibility of Hindu studies at the university.

"The HEC recommends that we do not proceed with the chairs endowed by the Dharma Civilisation Foundation," Georges Van Den Abbeele, the dean of Irvine's School of Humanities, was quoted as saying by Inside Higher Ed.

The report was posted by the University on its website.

"I will support these and other recommendations and will be working actively with HEC and relevant faculty on the recommended actions," Abbeele said.

The University and the Dharma Foundation did not respond to questions send on the gifts related to the chairs.
For his role of a stuttering man in "Zubaan", Vicky Kaushal sought help from a speech therapist and the actor says he was so adamant about getting it right that the doctor warned him to go easy with the practice.

The 27-year-old actor, who shot to fame with his debut film "Masaan" last year, is gearing up for his next venture directed by debutante Mozez Singh about an ambitious young man on the rise.

Vicky said he wanted to handle the role of his speech impaired character, Dilsher with utmost care as he didn't want it to look caricaturish.

"It was important to make it very natural and real. It was a responsibility because when you are portraying a handicap then you have to be very real about it, you don't want to hurt any sentiments. It should also not look caricaturish. There was this speech therapist in Pune I used to visit. I used to interact with patients, who shared a lot of technicalities," Vicky told PTI during a visit.

"I was so desperate to get it right that I used to talk with a stutter in front of my family and friends. I just incorporated it in my real life. But then the doctor warned me that one can actually develop a stutter while imitating one and asked me to go easy on it."



Singh, who himself has a slight stammering problem, said the structuring of "Zubaan" is on stuttering, but the film has got many layers to it. He said it is his honest and personal point of view.

"I think the film has got many layers. It is more than just the stutter problem. I have a stammer issue sometimes and I used that in the film. I wanted to write something which is very personal. I don't mean it is my story but I wanted to write from my heart."



"Zubaan", which was the opening film at Busan Film Festival last year, also stars Sarah Jane Dias, who is the metaphor of music in the film. The actress is building her music career, alongside her film career, and has also released a single.

She said the film was creatively very satisfying to her as she got to play a character very close to her real self.

"'Zubaan' is a special film right from the beginning. When I met Mozez after the audition process, it dawned on me that I am going to play the personification of music in the film. As a musician it was dream come true.

"The film is like a passion coming together with what I do for a living. I think it a real blessing if you get to do that. A lot of it came effortlessly. I am happy it was entirely creatively satisfying."



Both the lead stars of the movie are coming to the film with a very successful last project - Vicky with "Masaan" and Sarah with "Angry Indian Goddesses". Singh hopes that "Zubaan" will benefit from their previous success.

"Zubaan" will release on March 4.
Austria's capital Vienna is the best place in the world to live, according to an international survey on quality of life that has no Indian city in the top 100.

According to the 18th Mercer Quality of Life study which examined socioeconomic conditions of 230 global cities, Vienna, a city of nearly 1.8 million people, is the world's best city, followed by Zurich, Auckland, Munich and Vancouver.

While famous cities like London, Paris and New York failed to make a cut even in the top 30s, Baghdad was named as the worst city in the world.

Among Indian cities, Hyderabad topped the rankings at 139th position, followed by Pune at 144, Bangalore 145, Chennai 150, Mumbai 152, Kolkata 160 and national capital Delhi at 161.

The study examined social and economic conditions, health, education, housing and the environment and is used by big companies to assess where they should locate and how much they should pay staff, the Guardian reported today.

German-speaking cities dominate the rankings with Vienna joined by Zurich, Munich, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt in the top seven.

"I live in a 100 sq metre turn-of-the-century apartment in the city centre. But my rent is just 800 euros (625 pounds) a month," Viennese-born Helena Hartlauer said, adding that she was not surprised at her city's top position.

She said the social democratic government has a long tradition of investing in high-quality social housing, making Vienna almost uniquely affordable among major cities.

According to the World Bank, Austria has one of the highest figures for GDP per head in the world, just behind the US and ahead of Germany and Britain, the report said.

"There are more students in Vienna than any other German-speaking city. It's a very fast growing, young and lively city...You don't realise how safe Vienna is until you head abroad," Hartlauer said.

The European migrant crisis, which has seen large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers pass through Vienna en route to Germany, has had little impact on the city.

War and political unrest are behind all the worst-ranked cities in the world.
Vienna has retained its place as the world's best city to live and Baghdad is the worst, an annual global survey showed today wherein Hyderabad has topped the charts among the Indian cities.

However, none of the Indian city has managed to find a place among the top-100 and Hyderabad is ranked 139th (one place down from last year) globally, while national capital Delhi has moved down six places to 161st rank -- lowest among the seven Indian cities on the list of 230 places.

Pune is at 144th place, followed by Bangalore at 145th, Chennai at 150th, Mumbai at 152nd and Kolkata at 160th among the Indian cities, as per the list compiled by global consulting major Mercer.

Pune has moved up one place since last year, while Mumbai has retained its position.

In the top-five positions globally, Vienna (Austria) is followed by Zurich (Switzerland), Auckland (New Zealand), Munich (Germany) and Vancouver (Canada).

London is ranked lower at 39th, Paris is at 37th, while New York is at 44th place.

Releasing its 18th annual Quality of Living Survey, Mercer said that despite recent security issues, social unrest, and concern about the region's economic outlook, European cities continue to offer some of the world's highest quality of living.

"Safety, in particular, is a key factor for MNCs to consider when sending expatriate workers abroad, both because it raises concerns about the expat's personal safety and because it has a significant impact on the cost of global compensation programs," it added.

In Asia, Singapore ranks the highest with 26th global rank.

Mercer said the survey is aimed at helping multinational companies and other employers to compensate employees fairly when placing them on international assignments.

In Asia-Pacific, Dhaka (214) is ranked is the lowest.

For personal safety, the rankings for Asian cities vary greatly, Mercer said. On this front, Singapore ranks better (8th place globally), while New Delhi is at 142nd place.
A 23-year-old villager was injured in a mine blast near Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Arif stepped on the mine resulting in the blast in the border belt of Bagyal Dara in Poonch last evening, police officials said.

He was shifted to the hospital in Poonch for treatment, they said.
JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar's brother, Manikant today condemned the police action against the student leader and said that the family will not give up its fight for justice till the end.

"In Kanhaiya's case, it is clear how police can frame charges against a person, arrest him and then torture him without any proper evidence. There is no higher authority from which we expect help at this hour," Manikant said.

"The judiciary is our last hope and we will continue our fight till we get justice," he said.

Manikant is in Delhi with his uncle Rajendra Singh, while three other family members who had come to the national capital with them, have left for their home in Bihar.

"We are also planning to leave by tomorrow after meeting Kanhaiya once again, if possible," he said.

Manikant met Kanhaiya at the prison yesterday and conveyed his mother's message to not worry or give any explanation to prove his innocence.

Manikant said his mother Meena Devi was concerned about Kanhaiya after the attack on him at the Patiala House court complex.

"We also told him that the whole family and the village support him and believe that he has not done anything wrong. Kanhaiya replied that the family need not worry about him at all," he said.

Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 in connection with a sedition case over an event at JNU in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
US Republican presidential candidate John Kasich has said that women "left their kitchens" to support him during an early race for the Ohio state senate in the 1970s, triggering pushback from voters and rivals.

"How did I get elected?" Kasich asked rhetorically during a campaign event in Virginia yesterday.

"Nobody was -- I didn't have anybody for me. We just got an army of people... Many women, who left their kitchens to go out and go door to door and to put yard signs up for me. All the way back, when, you know, things were different.

"Now you call homes and everybody's out working. But at that time, early days, it was an army of the women that really helped me get elected to the state Senate," Kasich added.

Kasich, who now serves as Ohio's governor, first ran for the state senate in 1978.

A woman attending the Virginia town hall later quipped: "First off, I want to say -- your comment earlier about the women came out the kitchen to support you? I'll come to support you, but I won't be coming out of the kitchen."



The woman also asked a question about Kasich signing a bill on Sunday to defund Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion and family planning services.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was quick to jump on Kasich's remarks to suggest he was out of touch with women.

"It's 2016. A woman's place is... Wherever she wants it to be," Clinton tweeted.

Kasich later told reporters he would try to be "a bit more careful" going forward but plans to stay unscripted.

"I'll continue to operate on a high wire without a net. And frankly, I'd like to see everyone who is running for president get out of the scripted role and start to be real and take questions," he said.

Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols sought to defuse the controversy, dismissing the backlash as "desperate politics."



"John Kasich's campaigns have always been homegrown affairs. They've literally been run out of his friends' kitchens and many of his early campaign teams were made up of stay-at-home moms who believed deeply in the changes he wanted to bring to them and their families," Nichols said.
Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was today ordered to appear before a court on April 13 to face trial in a USD 1.85 million graft case over contracting out cargo handling work to a company in exchange of kickbacks, a week after the High Court lifted a stay on proceedings of the nearly a decade old case.

Dhaka's Third Special Judge's Court asked 70-year-old opposition leader to appear on April 13 as the High Court cleared ways for her trial in the case, a court official said.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar also ordered personal appearance of 12 other co-accused of the case on the same day alongside the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief.

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case in 2007 during the military-installed caretaker regime.

It accused the former prime minister of contracting out an "unqualified" company called GATCO the task of handling containers at the country's main southeastern seaport of Chittagong and Inland Container Depot in Dhak allegedly in exchange of kickbacks during the 2001-2006 tenure of her BNP-led four party coalition government.

According to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) charge sheet the accused incurred a loss of more than Taka 145.63 million (USD 1.85 million) to the state exchequer by contracting out the cargo handling task to the company.

Zia, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, six of her cabinet colleagues in the past BNP-led four-party coalition government, and others including officials were charged in the case.

Zia's son Koko, however, died last year.

The ex-prime minister and the co-accused were indicted in the case in September 2007 under a massive anti-graft campaign which was being spearheaded by the then interim government, installed with crucial military support after the January 11, 2007 proclamation of the state of emergency.

But the accused secured a stay order from the High Court in July 2008 on the proceedings of the case as Zia had challenged the legality of filing the case.
BEIJING (Reuters) - Consumption in China will continue to grow at a quick pace in 2016, Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng told a conference on Tuesday.

China's economic slowdown has caused jitters in global financial markets as it seeks to rebalance its economy towards consumption-led growth from a traditional reliance on exports and investment.

Consumption accounted for 66.4 percent of China's GDP growth in 2015, the statistics bureau said in January. Business surveys have shown resilient growth in the services sector even as activty in "old economy" sectors such as heavy industry contracts.

Recent yuan fluctuations will not impact trade performance, Gao also said, adding that neither depreciation or appreciation of the yuan would benefit China's trade.

The yuan has fallen a further 3 percent against the dollar after China devalued its currency by nearly 2 percent on Aug. 11 last year.

Gao also said Beijing does not think the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) targets China.

China is not among the 12 Pacific-Rim countries which agreed to the trade pact, the most ambitious in a generation, in October last year. The accord includes Australia and Japan among economies worth a combined $28 trillion.

He added the TPP and the Chinese-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are moving in the same direction.

(Reporting By Xiaoyi Shao, Sue-Lin Wong and Kevin Yao; Editing by Kim Coghill)
By Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Government refiners are jointly negotiating oil purchase deals with OPEC producers for the first time, as the world's third biggest consumer seizes on low prices to wrest better terms in a market awash with crude.

In a sign of the shift in power from oil sellers to buyers, India is reviewing its import policy at a time when OPEC members are focused more on protecting market share than boosting prices that are down some 70 percent in the last 20 months.

While producers have shown no sign yet of willingness to discount long-term price benchmarks, or official selling prices (OSPs), they have discussed concessions on loan terms and shipping that would reduce costs, said Indian industry and government officials familiar with the talks.

In the last two months officials from Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd visited Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to negotiate deals for the next fiscal year beginning in April.

The four refiners together control about 60 percent of India's 4.6 million barrels per day (bpd) capacity.

"Joint negotiation increases your bargaining power. When you jointly negotiate, even a customer of a small quantity gets the (same) advantage (as) buyers of huge volumes," H. Kumar, managing director of MRPL, told .

POLICY "NEEDS TO EVOLVE"

The UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia declined to give discounts on OSPs to Indian refiners, sources said, but there was some leeway on other commercial terms.

"UAE and Kuwait said they may increase the credit period, and offered concessions on shipping if Indian refiners raise volumes," said an industry official privy to the talks.

"Saudi said they are open for discussion (on some terms) provided volumes are raised," the official added.

State oil officials from the three exporting countries were not immediately available for comment on the talks.

India's oil import policy was approved by the cabinet in 1979 and was last modified in 2001 to expand the list of companies that can supply crude there.

"The policy needs to evolve with the changing times ... It is necessary to make the policy more flexible so that Oil PSUs (public sector undertakings) are able to procure crude oil at the best possible terms," said an oil ministry official.

In 2015, state refiners lifted about 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) from Kuwait, about 514,000 bpd from Saudi Arabia, and about 214,000 from UAE, according to data.

In the last fiscal year, IOC halved its term deal with Kuwait to about 100,000 bpd. An IOC source said that for the next fiscal year the company planned to restore volumes to about 200,000 bpd.

"If anybody goes for large volumes, obviously there could be some benefit," said a source at a state refiner.

"We may not get a discount on OSPs, but we may get benefits in terms of operational issues like choice of grade, lay days, relaxation in opening of LCs (letters of credit), enhanced credit periods and others."

HOLDING HANDS

Annual supply deals, also called "term contracts", account for about 80 percent of state refiners' import needs.

For the remaining volumes, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said recently that the Indian cabinet would shortly approve the creation of a joint trading desk for state refiners.

The companies currently float spot tenders two months in advance of oil being lifted, missing out on the chance to secure cheaper crude on the spot market.

"The thinking is initially it will be a common trading desk, so a kind of hand holding will be there for us. Once we develop expertise, then we can move on our own. Eventually every company will have its own trading desk," said the state refiner source.

In December, India's oil ministry held a meeting of company officials on how to develop crude purchasing policy.

Under changes yet to be ratified by the cabinet, it was decided to allow state refiners to buy crude under term contract from Indian private firms or those companies' foreign arms.

Also qualifying would be international partners in private Indian companies' oil production ventures.

Currently, state refiners can only sign term deals with national oil firms and subsidiaries, major global oil producers and traders, and Indian state firms, their subsidiaries and production partners.

Private Indian oil companies like Reliance Industries and Essar Oil are not bound by government rules and are free to tap markets as they choose.

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
By Ludwig Burger and Andreas Kroner

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Boerse and the London Stock Exchange are making a third attempt at a merger that would create a European trading powerhouse that could better compete against U.S. rivals encroaching on their turf.

The deal would combine the LSE's share-trading operation with the derivatives trading of Deutsche Boerse's Eurex in a group worth almost $30 billion. It would propel the companies to a similar scale as U.S. exchange ICE, which has taken a huge slice of the European derivatives markets.

Nearly 16 years after their first attempt to merge, the London and Frankfurt exchanges confirmed they were holding detailed discussions on an all-share merger that would give Deutsche Boerse shareholders a 54.4 percent stake and LSE shareholders 45.6 percent of a new company.

Two sources familiar with the matter told earlier the two were exploring a possible merger. One said the talks, using code names Delta for Deutsche Boerse and Luna for the LSE, were at an early stage.

"There can be no certainty that any transaction will occur," said the LSE, whose boss, Frenchman Xavier Rolet, has long sought a strong presence in derivatives - a major growth area.

Under British takeover rules, Deutsche Boerse must either make an offer or announce it will not do so by March 22, unless it obtains an extension from the UK mergers regulator.

Shares in both exchange operators, as well as others, jumped on the news, with LSE shares up 15 percent and Deutsche Boerse up 4.5 percent by 1537 GMT. Euronext shares were up 4.8 percent and Spanish exchange operator BME stock rose 2.3 percent.

Deutsche Boerse had a market value of $16.4 billion as of Monday's close, while the LSE's was $11.6 billion, according to data.

PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS

A merger would create a group that spans derivatives, shares and indices - offering pan-European trading, clearing and settlement under one roof.

LSE owns LCH.Clearnet, one of the region's biggest clearing houses for euro-denominated securities, while Deutsche Boerse owns Clearstream, one of Europe's biggest settlement houses.

Deutsche Boerse, headed by CEO Carsten Kengeter, also owns Stoxx indices, the most traded stocks futures in Europe, while the LSE owns the UK's FTSE and U.S. Russell suite of indices.

Since their failed merger attempts in 2000 and 2004-5, neither the LSE nor Deutsche Boerse has been able to pull off a deal that transforms them into the dominant European bourse.

ICE, which owns the New York Stock Exchange, has meanwhile bought London derivatives trading platform LIFFE - presenting the two European firms with strong transatlantic competition.

U.S derivatives giant CME has also made inroads into the European market, while Chi-X - now owned by American BATS - has entered the fray to become Europe's biggest cross-border stock trading venue.

BREXIT WORRY?

Jonathan W Goslin, analyst at Numis Securities, said a deal should bring significant cost and revenue savings but said there were several hurdles to get past before it could go ahead.

Competition concerns and the exchanges' differing views on how to structure their businesses are possible obstacles, as well as national pride.

"Would the UK politicians be happy with the main UK exchange being owned by a foreign entity?" he asked.

One person familiar with the matter said such a merger would function even in the event of Britain deciding to leave the EU in a June 23 referendum, a so-called Brexit.

"They have a large business in continental Europe and a dynamic capital market on the Anglo-Saxon side. That's an attractive combination, Brexit or no Brexit," the person said.

EU rules form the basis for cross-border trading in the 28-country bloc with London the largest financial centre.

Mark Garnier, a pro-EU lawmaker for Britain's ruling Conservative Party, said the proposed deal was bound to play into the UK referendum debate.

"The average punter I have no doubt will look at this and say it is the Germans taking over our institutions," he said.

(Additional reporting by Jonathan Gould in Frankfurt, Huw Jones and Kylie MacLellan in London and Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; Editing by Georgina Prodhan, Susan Thomas and Pravin Char)
By Ludwig Burger and Andreas Kroner

LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Boerse and the London Stock Exchange are taking a fresh run at a merger that would create a large European exchange operator potentially capable of facing down strong competition from the United States and Asia.

The LSE said in a statement it was holding detailed discussions on an all-share merger under a new holding company that would give Deutsche Boerse shareholders a 54.4 percent stake and LSE shareholders 45.6 percent.

The talks, using code names Delta for Deutsche Boerse and Luna for the LSE, are at an early stage, a person familiar with the matter told earlier.

Shares in both exchange operators jumped on the news, with LSE shares up 18.7 percent and Deutsche Boerse up 8.3 percent by 1406 GMT.

Deutsche Boerse, which had worked on a joint venture called iX with the LSE in 2000 before making a full-blown but failed attempt to take over its British counterpart in late 2004, was not immediately available for comment.

Deutsche Boerse Chief Executive Carsten Kengeter, on taking the German exchange operator's helm in June, said he had an "open mind" on both bolt-on and large acquisitions as part of his strategy to boost growth and revenue.

He has since spent around $1.5 billion buying out equity index joint ventures from Switzerland's Six Group and taking over foreign exchange trading platform 360T.

(Additional reporting by Jonathan Gould in Frankfurt and Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; Editing by Maria Sheahan and Georgina Prodhan)
FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) - Mars Inc has recalled chocolate bars and other products in 55 countries, mainly in Europe, after bits of plastic were found in a Snickers bar in Germany, the U.S. chocolate maker said on Tuesday.

All of the recalled products, which include Mars, Snickers and Milky Way bars, were manufactured at a Dutch factory in Veghel, according to a Mars spokeswoman.

The recall follows a Jan. 8 complaint from a consumer in Germany, she said, who found red plastic in a Snickers bar and sent it back to the company.

Because Mars cannot guarantee there is no plastic in other products made at the Veghel factory, it is recalling everything made there during a specific period.

A statement posted earlier on the website of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority said Mars was recalling Snickers, Mars, Milky Way, Celebrations and Mini Mix after a piece of plastic was found in one of its products that could cause choking.

Mars Netherlands said it was working closely with the Dutch food safety authority on the matter, according to the statement.

The privately held company earlier said it had recalled products in Germany.

"We want to avoid having consumers who bought one of the (affected) products consume them," Mars said in a statement on its German website.

It said the recall affected all Mars and Snickers products, Milky Way Minis and Miniatures as well as certain kinds of Celebrations confectionery boxes with best-before dates ranging from June 19, 2016 to Jan. 8, 2017.

The company declined to comment on the financial implications of the recall.

(Reporting by Maria Sheahan and Hans Seidenstuecker in Frankfort, Martinne Geller in London and Thomas Escritt in Amsterdam; editing by Mark Trevelyan)
By Jessica Resnick-Ault

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell 4 percent on Tuesday after Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi ruled out any production cuts, restating the kingdom's rationale for maintaining output was that demand would pick up excess crude that has crushed prices over the past 20 months.

Big oil exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia have proposed to freeze output at January levels, which were near record highs, only if other producers also do the same.

More meetings on the potential freezes will be held in March, al-Naimi told the IHS CERAweek conference in Houston, adding that he expects most of the countries that count to freeze crude production levels.

Analysts remain skeptical that the cuts will be effective in rebalancing the market.

"If they freeze production at January levels when you're already over supplied by around a million barrels per day it just prolongs that situation of oversupply," said Energy Aspects' analyst Dominic Haywood.

Also, Iran, now free of western sanctions that hurt its crude trade, is seen unlikely to agree to an output cap. According to a report from Iran's student agency ISNA, the country's oil minister said the production freeze is "laughable," because it does not allow Iran to regain its production share.

Benchmark Brent crude futures were down $1.33, or 3.8 percent, at $33.36 a barrel by 11:03 a.m. EST (1603 GMT), while U.S. crude futures fell $1.51, or 4.5 percent, to $31.88 a barrel.

OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri said on Monday that if successful, a freeze could trigger other action but the days when the producer group was responsible for cutting output alone are over.

He told the CERAWeek conference the tentative pact to freeze output reached last week between Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar was just a start.

An estimated 1 million to 2 million barrels of oil are being produced daily in excess of demand.

Investment bank Jefferies expects OPEC output to hit 32.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter, including higher Iranian output, with markets starting to rebalance by the third quarter as production outside OPEC falls by 800,000 bpd this year.

Oil prices jumped more than 5 percent on Monday on projections by the International Energy Agency (IEA) that U.S. shale oil production could fall by 600,000 bpd this year and another 200,000 bpd in 2017.

(Additional reporting by Sarah McFarlane in London and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
Oil futures fell more than half a dollar on Tuesday given worries rising Iranian output would deepen a global oversupply, offsetting expectations of a drop in US production that had spurred sharp price gains in the previous session.

Key oil exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia have proposed to freeze output at January levels, which were near record highs, only if other producers also do the same.

But Iran, now free of western sanctions that hurt its crude trade, is seen as unlikely to join, casting doubts over whether the freeze will happen.

"Iran's early post-sanctions marketing appears to be effective with the National Iranian Oil Company indicating that exports have risen by 500,000 barrels per day since sanctions were lifted in mid-January, although we expect that some of this volume was sold out of storage," investment bank Jefferies said.

US front-month West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were trading at $32.84 per barrel at 0635 GMT, down 55 cents from Monday's settlement. benchmark Brent was down 51 cents at $34.18 a barrel.

ALSO READ: Oil dips as rising Iranian output counters falling US shale output

"Without concrete actions (to cut production), we remain highly sceptical that prices could be moving higher," Singapore-based brokerage Phillip Futures said.

Globally, 1-2 million barrels of crude are currently estimated to be produced daily in excess of demand.

Jefferies expects OPEC output to hit 32.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter, including higher Iranian output, with starting to rebalance by the third quarter as production outside OPEC falls by 800,000 bpd this year.

had jumped more than 5% on Monday, buoyed by projections from the Energy Agency (IEA) that US shale oil production could fall by 600,000 bpd this year and another 200,000 bpd in 2017.

But ANZ bank cautioned that crude supply growth from Iran "will more than compensate" for any decline in US output.

In the longer term, however, the IEA expects U. S. production to recover on improving cost efficiency, lifting output to a record 14.2 million bpd by 2021, compared with a peak of over 9.5 million bpd in 2015.

The expected resurgence of US shale oil production will cap a recovery in the coming years in the price of oil, which is expected to reach $80 per barrel by 2020, IEA Director Fatih Birol said at a news conference in Houston, Texas.
By Sarah McFarlane

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices eased on Tuesday, eroding some of the previous day's gains, over doubts a potential production freeze will have any impact on the existing global overhang of unwanted crude.

Big oil exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia have proposed to freeze output at January levels, which were near record highs, only if other producers also do the same.

"If they freeze production at January levels when you're already over supplied by around a million barrels per day it just prolongs that situation of oversupply," said Energy Aspects' analyst Dominic Haywood.

Also, Iran, now free of western sanctions that hurt its crude trade, is seen unlikely to agree to an output cap.

Benchmark Brent crude futures were down 9 cents at $34.60 a barrel at 1310 GMT, while U.S. crude futures fell 37 cents to $33.02 a barrel.

"Without concrete actions (to cut production), we remain highly sceptical that prices could be moving higher," Singapore-based brokerage Phillip Futures said.

OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri said on Monday that if successful a freeze could trigger other action but the days when the producer group was responsible for cutting output alone are over.

He told the IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston the tentative pact to freeze output reached last week between Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar was just a start.

An estimated 1 million to 2 million barrels of oil are being produced daily in excess of demand.

Investment bank Jefferies expects OPEC output to hit 32.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter, including higher Iranian output, with markets starting to rebalance by the third quarter as production outside OPEC falls by 800,000 bpd this year.

Oil prices jumped more than 5 percent on Monday on projections by the International Energy Agency (IEA) that U.S. shale oil production could fall by 600,000 bpd this year and another 200,000 bpd in 2017.

Commerzbank said in a daily note that volatility would continue until there were clear indications that oil supply was declining.

Energy Aspects' Haywood said prices should pick up in the second half of the year and into 2017 as U.S. producers respond to lower prices by cutting output.

"It's been a bit more delayed than we expected simply because shale production has been so resilient," he said.

(Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Susan Thomas and David Evans)
By Marianna Parraga and Ron Bousso

(Reuters) - The world's biggest oil producers may consider "other steps" to eliminate a persistent global oversupply if a recent deal to freeze current output holds firm for several months, the top official of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said on Monday.

OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri reiterated the group's readiness to work with non-OPEC producers to tackle a supply glut that has knocked prices to their lowest in over a decade. He told the IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston that the tentative pact to freeze output reached last week between Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar was just a start.

Al-Badri admitted the oil cartel had not expected prices to fall so sharply since the group decided in late 2014 not to cut output in the face of rising global supplies, fuelled in large part by the fast growth of the U.S. shale production.

"This cycle is very nasty," Badri said.

He said OPEC had also held talks with other key producers including Brazil, China, Oman and Mexico on a possible freeze.

Other steps could include a production cut.

"Let us freeze production... If this is successful we can take other steps in the future," Badri said. Parties must first manage to cap output levels for three to four months, he added.

He nevertheless cautioned that when oil prices recover from their current levels in the mid-$30 per barrel to around $60 per barrel, shale producers would quickly start drilling again, capping any gains.

Global production exceeded demand by as much as 2 million barrels per day last year. A gradual decline in output due to lower investment is expected to balance the market in early 2017, according to the International Energy Agency.

However, a huge build in global oil inventories, which Badri said has reached 350 million barrels, means it will take longer for prices to recover.

MORE ACTORS

Badri was confident that OPEC still has a vital role in the global oil market.

"We are not dead. We are alive and alive and alive for many years more," he told reporters.

But he underlined that understanding between OPEC and non-OPEC producers is increasingly necessary to balance the market.

Addressing a room filled with hundreds of global oil executives, Badri said he was willing to speak with U.S. officials about the collapse in oil prices.

The rout in prices of more than 70 percent in 20 months, is not the same as oil's previous boom-bust cycles, he said.

"I don't know how we are going to live together," Badri said of the once booming shale oil sector. "If prices will go up in 2017 or 2018, the price rally will be capped by U.S. shale oil. That's what is different this time."

Any deal on a production freeze would be tough to implement. Iran, which has pledged to increase output sharply since sanctions were lifted last month, has yet to formally sign on to the agreement, leaving its implementation uncertain.

The current oil price slump has been longer and deeper than most energy professionals and analysts had anticipated, but already some officials are growing concerned that the deep cuts in capital spending - for two years in a row - risk leaving the world short of crude oil several years down the road.

"This is a seed for a very high price in the future," Badri said.

(Reporting by CERAWeek Team; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Marguerita Choy)
By Maria Sheahan and Martinne Geller

FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) - Mars Inc has recalled chocolate bars and other products in 55 countries, mainly in Europe, due to choking risk after a piece of plastic was found in a Snickers bar in Germany.

All of the recalled products, which include Mars, Snickers and Milky Way bars, were manufactured at a Dutch factory in Veghel, a Mars spokeswoman said on Tuesday. They were sold in European countries including Germany, France and Britain, and in certain countries in Asia.

The recall, in effect since Monday, follows a Jan. 8 complaint from a consumer in Germany, she said, who found red plastic in a Snickers bar and sent it back to the company.

"We cannot be sure that this plastic was only in that particular Snickers," a spokeswoman from Mars Netherlands said. "We do not want any products on the market that may not meet our quality requirements, so we decided to take them all back."

It was not immediately clear how much the complex recall would cost the company, which is unlisted and therefore does not disclose detailed financial information. The spokeswoman declined to comment on financial implications of the recall, which is the first to affect the factory.

Time delays between customer complaints and recalls are not uncommon since companies often receive notices, some fraudulent, about foreign objects in food, said Stephen Robb, a partner at Weightmans LLP in Leicester, who represents manufacturers and their insurers on product liability matters.

Consumer product recalls can result in heavy reputational and financial hits, as Nestle learnt last year when it recalled its Maggi noodles from India after a package was found to have unsafe levels of lead.

Cadbury's 2006 recall of more than 1 million chocolate bars after a salmonella outbreak cost that company roughly 20 million pounds.

Mars Netherlands said it was working closely with the Dutch food safety authority on the matter, according to a statement.

The recall affected all Mars and Snickers products, Milky Way Minis and Miniatures as well as certain kinds of Celebrations confectionery boxes with best-before dates ranging from June 19, 2016 to Jan. 8, 2017. Those dates may not be the same in other countries, the spokeswoman said.

Mars, based in Mount Olive, New Jersey, is one of the world's biggest food companies, with 29 chocolate brands including M&M's, Galaxy, Twix, Bounty and Maltesers. Aside from chocolate, Mars makes Wrigley gum, Uncle Ben's Rice, Dolmio pasta sauce and Pedigree pet food.

(Additional reporting by Hans Seidenstuecker in Frankfort, Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles and Thomas Escritt in Amsterdam; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Andrew Hay)
By Zeba Siddiqui

MUMBAI (Reuters) - U.S. and EU drug regulators called upon India's pharmaceutical sector on Tuesday to step up efforts to improve manufacturing standards and ensure the reliability of data if it is to maintain its dominance in the generic drugs industry.

India's $15 billion pharmaceutical industry, an increasingly important global supplier of cheaper generic medicines, has been dogged by concerns over quality issues after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned a series of factories from producing medicines for the United States due to inadequate standards.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), and the UK's Medicines and Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) also barred some Indian plants from producing drugs for their markets.

Officials from the U.S., EU and UK regulators said they plan to increase the number of inspections in India, and are pushing for better cooperation between Indian authorities and companies as well as improved training for staff.

Some Indian companies are still not taking enough steps to identify risks and failures at their firms, said Russell Wesdyk, director of the office of surveillance at the FDA.

There is also a need to create a culture where employees can report bad to their bosses, said Gerald Heddell, the UK MHRA's director of inspection enforcement and standards.

"There is a great respect for authority in India, but it can become a weakness if people close their minds and only listen to that authority, instead of doing the right thing."

India supplies about 33 percent of the medicines sold in the United States, and nearly a quarter sold in the UK, according to a report released on Tuesday by the largest Indian pharma lobby group, the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA).

Complaints from regulators have ranged from issues over hygiene and maintenance to concerns over falsifying manufacturing-related tests results and data.

Indian companies have said they have been working on improving their manufacturing standards by bringing in third-party auditors, training staff, and automating their systems.

The bosses of India's largest drugmakers, including Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd, Lupin Ltd and Cadila Healthcare Ltd stood by those commitments on Tuesday.

Sun's founder Dilip Shanghvi said he expected to automate systems at all of the company's manufacturing plants in the next three to four years.

Efforts by some Indian companies in the last couple of years to improve compliance have been "very impressive", said Thomas Cosgrove, director at the FDA's office of manufacturing quality.

Yet, many are lagging behind and need to do more, he said, especially in ensuring that data is not compromised.

"Data integrity really sounds off alarm bells for us ... if you see data integrity on the surface, there is likely a lot going on underneath," Cosgrove said.

The regulators said that it was critical that Indian companies ensure they follow quality standards, especially as they aspire to make original medicines and more complex products such as biosimilars.

"Generics is only one part," said Shanghvi, whose Sun is also the world's fifth-biggest generic drugs maker. "We need to think about how we can transform into global players."

(Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Mumbai, editing by Louise Heavens)
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The session of Parliament starts later today, but by all accounts, the government will have a vexing time, given the Opposition's continuing blocking of some Bills, not to mention the national brouhaha over the JNU affair.

The government on Monday said it has prioritised 32 business items for the session. The agenda for legislation includes 12 Bills for consideration and passing. Additionally, four Bills, including the Finance Bill, 2016, are listed for introduction, consideration and passing. The government plans to introduce two new Bills. Also, two Bills will be withdrawn.

The session will have a recess from March 17 to April 24, when the Standing Committees will examine the demand for grants of various ministries. There will be a total of 31 sittings in the current session.

The Opposition, for its part, on Monday accused the government of "setting the agenda for disruption" despite the latter reaching out to it and expressing readiness to discuss all issues including the JNU row.

The first showdown between the Ruling and the Opposition benches is expected in the Rajya Sabha (RS) on February 24, the first working day of the session when the JNU issue could come up for discussion.

The government is also under pressure to get the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill passed, which has been blocked for the past two sessions in the Upper House, where the NDA does not have a majority. In what could be a portent of the Bills fate this session, the leader of Congress in Lok Sabha (LS) Mallikarjun Kharge said after an all-party meeting on Monday: "Contentious Bills should not be brought. Bring only those Bills on which there is a general agreement. Bills like GST will not come in the first half of the session."

Here are the key Bills listed for listed for this session of Parliament:

1) The Constitution (122nd Amendment) (GST) Bill, 2014: The Bill gives concurrent taxation powers to the Centre and states to levy a goods and services tax, and creates a goods and services tax council. The Bill has already been passed by the LS and is pending in the RS.

2) The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) BilI, 2013: The Bill regulates transactions between buyers and promoters of real estate projects and sets up state level regulatory authorities to regulate the sector. The Standing Committee submitted its report on the Bill on 13 February, 2014, and the RS Select Committee submitted its report on 30 July, 2015.

3) The Lokpal and Lokayuktas and other related Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014: The Bill modifies the composition of the selection committee to include the leader of the single largest opposition party in the LS and the manner of declaration of assets of public servants. The Standing Committee submitted its report on the Bill on 7 December, 2015.

4) The Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2014: The Bill replaces the Anti-Hijacking Act, 1982. It defines hijacking and awards death penalty for the crime of hijacking in certain cases. The Standing Committee submitted its report in this regard on 11 March, 2015.

5) The Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015: The amendment Bill prohibits reporting of corruption related complaints that fall under 10 specified categories. The Bill has been passed by the LS and is pending in the RS.

6) The High Court and the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2015: This amendment seeks to ensure uniformity in pensions and other conditions of service of Supreme Court and High Court judges. The Bill has been passed by the LS and is pending in the RS.

7) The Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill, 2015: The amendment repeals 295 Acts, including over 20 Acts that were passed prior to 1947, which have ceased to be in force, and amends two Acts - the Sexual Harassment of Women at the Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and the Governors (Emoluments, Allowances and Privileges) Amendment Act, 2014. The Bill has been passed by the LS and is pending in the RS.

8) The Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, 2015: The Bill seeks to repeal 758 Appropriation Acts. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill states that these laws have ceased to be in force after one year of their enactment, and are hence obsolete, including Appropriation Acts for the railways passed during the period of 1950-2012 and 111 state appropriation acts enacted by Parliament during 1950 to 1976. The Bill has been passed by the LS and is pending in the RS.

9) The Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015: The Bill excludes production of alcohol for potable purposes from the ambit of the Act. In its January 20, 1997, judgement in the 'Bihar Distillery and another vs. Union of India and others' case, the Supreme Court of India demarcated the regulation of production of alcohol between the Centre and states. The court ruled that Centre should regulate the production of alcohol for industrial use and states should regulate the production of alcohol for potable purpose (domestic consumption). The Bill conforms to the Supreme Courts decision. The Bill has been passed by the LS and is pending in the RS.

10) The Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015: The Bill replaces the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986. The objective of the Bill is to establish the Bureau of Indian Standards as the national standards body in the country and addresses mandatory standardisation of products. The Bill has been passed by the LS and is pending in the RS.

11) The National Waterways Bill, 2015: The Bill replaces the five existing national waterways laws and identifies additional 101 waterways as national waterways. The Bill has been passed by the LS and is pending in the RS.

12) The Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill, 2015: The Bill allows the central government to revise liability limits of air carriers for compensation related to death, injury, and loss of baggage. The Bill has been passed by the LS and is pending in the RS.

Bills listed for listed for introduction, consideration and passing:

1) The Finance Bill, 2016: It authorises expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India and contains tax proposals of the government.

2) The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016: The Bill seeks to amend the Enemy Property Act, 1968, and the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. Its key objective is to expand the powers of the central government to allow for permanent vesting of enemy property with retrospective application.

3) The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016: The Bill seeks to amend the Delimitation Act, 2002, and the Representation of the People Act, 1950, to permit the Election Commission to hold a delimitation exercise in West Bengal, to give voting rights to Indian citizens following the exchange of enclaves with Bangladesh.

4) The Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016: The Bill will give effect to the agreement entered into by the central government with UNESCO in 2006 to establish the Regional Centre for Biotechnology. It seeks to Confer upon the Regional Centre the status of an institution of national importance.

Bills listed for Introduction:

1) The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2016

2) The Indian Institute of Management Bill, 2016

Bills listed for withdrawal:

1) The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015: This Bill has been passed in the LS and is pending in the RS. Prime Minister Modi initially passed ordinances before the law could be passed by Parliament, but that shows little sign of happening.

2) The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2014
The Maharashtra government has allotted 600 acres of land for Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth for its ayurvedic products unit and an orange processing plant.

Yoga guru Ramdev had earlier expressed interest in using the produce from Maharashtra's forests for his ayurveda company.

The Patanjali group, founded by Ramdev in 2006, on February 19 signed an MoU with the Maharashtra government for 200 acres of land in Katol, Nagpur district for an orange processing plant and 450 acres of land in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the MIHAN region for ayurvedic products unit.

The units are slated to promote development of the tribal communities and generate employment as the company will provide a broader market to medicines prepared by processing the forest produce. Ramdev has assured that the company will source honey, amla, aloe vera, giloh plant and other products, which are mostly collected by the tribal communities, from the forest department.

The yoga guru estimated that there could a minimum annual turnover of around Rs.240 crore from the sale of forest produce, benefitting the tribals living in forests across the state.

Ramdev said that there are also plans to construct a huge food park in Nagpur, on the lines of the Patanjali Food Park in Haridwar.

Patanjali Ayurved, has grown by leaps and bounds in the recent years clocking 64 per cent growth in sales to Rs 731 crore, in the six months ended December 31, 2015, according to IMRB data. The revival of inclination for ayurvedic products amongst the Indian households has also boosted sales of other Indian herbal product companies like Dabur and Himalaya. Patanjali's rival ayurvedic firms witnessed double digit growth in December quarter, according to IMRB data, snatching the market share from global MNCs.
Technology giant Samsung has unveiled two new flagship devices - S7 and Galaxy S7 edge - as it looks to bolster sales to buck the slowdown in smartphone industry growth.

The smartphones, featuring sleek design and advanced camera features, are expected to hit the Indian market in the second week of March, according to sources.

The South Korean tech giant, however, did not mention the prices. It will start rolling out the handsets starting mid-March.

India is an important market for handset makers as it is witnessing strong sales growth rates at a time when global sales are waning.

According to research firm IDC, the global smartphone market saw shipment growing 10.1 per cent to 1.43 billion units in 2015 from 1.30 million units in 2014.

Shipments in India grew 28.8 per cent in 2015 to 103.6 million units over the previous year, making it one of the world's fastest growing markets globally.

Samsung is a leader in both global and Indian market. At the end of December 2015 quarter, it had a global market share of 21.4 per cent, while in India it had 26.8 per cent share.

"We believe in a world that's brighter, sharper, more convenient, and more fun. We strive to deliver on that vision with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge by marrying elegant design with functionality and providing a seamless mobile experience," Samsung Electronics President Mobile Communications Business DJ Koh said.

With Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung has introduced the first dual pixel camera on a smartphone, which delivers brighter and sharper images, even in low light.

The 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 edge are constructed with 3D glass and metal and are water and dust resistance.

The hybrid SIM card tray allows users to insert a microSD card for up to 200GB of additional storage and in some select countries, the tray can be used with a dual SIM card.
Ibec have today claimed that Irish businesses can create 60,000 new jobs in 2016, but hiring plans could be threatened if the election results in an unstable or anti-enterprise government.

In reference to the latest employment figures from the CSO, which show that Irish business created a further 50,000 new jobs during 2015, Ibec have claimed that the figures are a fitting and timely reminder of the "tangible" impact of economic recovery.



They have pointed to other European countries, such as Greece or more recently Portugal, where the failure to put in place stable pro-enterprise government has had a very direct and damaging impact on their economies.

Ibec said its 7500 members were increasingly concerned that post-election political instability could undermine confidence in Ireland's recovery internationally, raise borrowing costs and damage job creation.



Ibec CEO Danny McCoy today commented, "Uncertainty is the enemy of business. It makes it more difficult for companies to plan ahead, make investment decisions and create jobs.

"After some very difficult years, we are now rapidly reducing unemployment and generating the tax revenue needed to support investment in public services and vital infrastructure. It is vital that this positive trend continues."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Brinks Ireland announced yesterday that it intends to cease its cash in transit operations by the end of July with the loss of 200 jobs in Dublin, Cork and Galway.

Based in Richmond, Virginia, Brinks boast of providing global security-related services for banks, retailers and a variety of other commercial and governmental customers. Brinks have operated independently in Ireland since acquiring an affiliated company in the early 1990s.

A Brinks spokesperson said this morning The Irish secure logistics market has not been profitable for the past few years and Brinks believes that in its current state the market does not offer the potential for sustainable growth or profitability.

SIPTU has condemned the announcement, SIPTU Organiser, Brendan Carr, said The workers are extremely disappointed by this announcement. Only last month, union representatives finalised an agreement with management on a major restructuring deal which we were ensured would safeguard the companys future in Ireland.

We welcome the intervention of Minister for State, Ged Nash, who has asked the company to reconsider its decision. He has also given a commitment to work with the union and the workers to try and secure as many of their positions as possible within the industry.

Source; Businessworld.ie

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An 8 point plan to support 280,000 jobs in Irelands retail industry has been launched by Retail excellence Ireland today.



The eight point plan has been released ahead of the Government election and calls for a reduction in consumer taxes, especially the 23% VAT rate. They have also called for a reduction in the cost of doing business in Ireland and investment in adequate resources to tackle retail crime.



In particular, they have stressed the need to review enterprise taxes to allow equal treatment for the self-employed.



Commenting at the launch David Fitzsimons, Chief Executive, Retail Excellence Ireland said. "It is really important that our next Government do not become complacent about our recovering economy.

"Many businesses are not feeling the recovery and livelihoods are at stake. We need to right-size the cost of doing business in Ireland and support vulnerable family owned retail businesses."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Ibec have today announced details of a joint programme with the Department of Foreign Affairs to help Irish companies compete with other European businesses for billions of European Development Funds (EDF) earmarked for projects up to 2020.



The Winning Business in Africa programme is an online one-stop-shop for companies providing the information and support needed to bid on over 200 projects in Sub-Saharan countries worth 7 billion. The comprehensive database is backed up with advice and support, from funding experts Schuman Associates, for companies that want to access these contracts.



Irish export trade with Africa has decreased in recent years, and is now at 1.32 billion, but there is now an opportunity to drive growth. Sub-Saharan countries experienced 3.8% growth last year, which is why Winning Business in Africa is strategically focused on key growth sectors critical for economic development.



Ibec Director of the Irish Engineering Enterprises Federation, Mark McAuley said, "Irish company, PM Group, recently gained approval to work with the Ministry of Health in Zambia on a 2.5 million project to assist the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority to ensure quality control.

"Some Irish companies may be too small to bid for these projects, but there is a chance now for partnering-up, networking and cooperation with other companies. Irish companies who register will get early notice of new contracts, making it easier for them to expand across key sectors such as engineering where there is a 3.7 billion fund available."



There are currently over 200 projects businesses can get involved in, their worth across these key sectors are Infrastructure and engineering (3.7 billion), Agriculture (1.5 billion) and ICT (1 billion).

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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It was announced today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that Asavie and eir Business have launched IoT Connect, which enables businesses to harness the power of the Internet of Things.

eir IoT Connect provides small and large businesses with cellular mobile connectivity (including global roaming), an online self-care portal to manage their IoT assets and a choice of private or Internet based network solutions.

Coupled with the reach of the eir mobile network, as well as its analytic tools, it is hoped that eirs IoT Connect will enable businesses to efficiently gain the intelligence needed to drive innovation and improve business decisions.

It can be used by small and large companies in multiple fields including healthcare, transport, manufacturing, allowing them to connect assets in the field to the internet and ultimately collect real-time, intelligent data to optimise the design and delivery of products and services

Managing Director at eir Business, Bill Archer said, "We are delighted to partner with Asavie to deliver IoT services nationwide. Together with Asavie, eir Business makes managing connected devices easier than ever, so businesses can focus on, collecting their data, refining their applications and ultimately building a better service for their customers."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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The national roll out of the Smart Technology Energy Saving Scheme has been formally launched by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly.



The scheme is delivered by home technology company climote and funded by Electric Ireland.



The national energy saving scheme will see 10,000 homes across Ireland fitted with a climote remote control heating system to enable families take full control of the energy used in their homes.

The technology has been proven to reduce energy consumption by an average of up to 20% every year.

A number of Local Authorities and housing associations including Laois County Council, Louth County Council, Kerry County Council, Mayo County Council and Cluid Housing, have already agreed to participate in this free scheme and have their housing stock fitted with a climote as part of this Energy Saving Scheme.

Managing Director of climote, Eamon Conway today said, "climote is delighted to announce the national roll out of this ground-breaking energy saving scheme in partnership with Electric Ireland, which will see 10,000 homes across Ireland fitted with climotes remote control heating system.

"Working in partnership with Electric Ireland and the various housing agencies and local authorities allow climotes smart technology enable homeowners to control their heating timings and temperature via their smartphone, text message or online. The real benefit for consumers and the Government is that the entire scheme is funded by industry.

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  The Mormon church eased its opposition Monday to a broad medical marijuana plan that faces a key vote this week in Utahs Legislature.

While stopping short of endorsing the proposal, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said the added restrictions to the plan late last week were substantial improvements.

The faiths softened stance could ease the plans passage as many Utah lawmakers are members of the faith.

The plan would allow tens of thousands of residents with certain chronic conditions to consume marijuana in edible forms and as an e-cigarette-style vapor. It would ban smoking the drug in a cigarette form.

Utahs Senate spent nearly an hour on Friday debating the plan as the bills sponsor, Republican Sen. Mark Madsen of Eagle Mountain, made last-minute changes that included a ban on giving the raw, unprocessed plant to patients out of fear they may smoke it.

Senators ran out of time to vote on the measure but are expected to resume debate as soon as Monday afternoon.

Church officials announced several weeks ago that they worried the plan would have unintended consequences. The church had no objections to an alternative, much more restrictive plan that Utah lawmakers are also considering.

That proposal would allow very restricted use of marijuana plant extracts that produce no psychoactive effects.

Supporters of the broader medical pot plan saw the churchs statement as a major blow, particularly as the LDS Churchs stance has helped speed and squash bills in the past.

Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said in a statement Monday that the faith still believes Utah legislators should focus on allowing people who are suffering to use marijuana extracts while avoiding any increase in drug abuse.

We continue to urge Legislators to take into account the acknowledged need for scientific research in this matter and to fully address regulatory controls on manufacture and distribution for the health and safety of all Utahns, Hawkins said.

The restrictive extract plan that the church has not opposed is seen by some conservative Utah legislators as a safer option than the wide-ranging medical marijuana laws that more than 20 other states have passed.

Utah already allows the marijuana extract, called cannabidiol, to be used by those with severe epilepsy, as long as they obtain the product from other states. It has low levels of THC, the hallucinogenic chemical in marijuana.

Rep. Brad Daw of Orem and Sen. Evan Vickers of Cedar City have proposed allowing it to be made and distributed in Utah under tight controls.

Some pushing for expanded access to marijuana as a medical treatment argue thats not enough. Theyve said their health conditions wont qualify under the plan from Daw and Vickers or that they need treatment from products with higher levels of THC.

Utahs Senate voted 18-8 on Monday to approve that plan and advance it to the House of Representatives.

 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Lisa Wallentine, 37, arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and causing four accidents along Logan's Main Street.

LOGAN  An 37-year-old Idaho woman, suspected of driving under the influence and causing four accidents along Main Street in December, appeared in court Monday, telling the judge she wished to be admitted to a court rehabilitation program.

Lisa Wallentine continued her initial appearance in 1st District Court. She is charged with three counts of driving under the influence, all third-degree felonies, also six other misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

Police arrested Wallentine December 30 after they said she caused three accidents while driving south on Main St. between 400 North and 300 South. When stopped, officers found an open container of alcohol in her vehicle. A sobriety test later showed she had a blood alcohol level above the states legal limit.

During Mondays court appearance, Wallentines attorney said his client wished to be admitted to Drug Court, a courtroom program supervised by a judge. During the program, shell undergo treatment and counseling, make regular appearances before the judge, submit to frequent and random drug testing, and be monitored by probation officers.

<hr /><p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
Image courtesy USU

LOGAN  Two Utah State University researchers, Tadd Truscott and Randy Hurd, recently published a paper that examines the initial impact a skipping sphere has with water. Understanding the science behind this, according to a USU press release, can have many different applications.

One of the questions thats been unanswered for quite a while is how do solid object that are elastic, how do they respond to water impact, Truscott said. Thats what our paper answers. Its just in a really generic way with a sphere.

The research started about five years ago, but the idea was conceived shortly before that, when Truscott was on a Rhode Island beach skipping stones with his son and nephew. The trio went to a toy store after leaving the beach and found a ball for sale that had the ability to bounce on water. The three returned to the beach and quickly became fascinated with their new water-skipping toy.

When Truscott returned to work at the USU Splash Lab, he brought the spheres with him. He filmed them skipping with a high-speed camera to later show to his son. He also showed it to his boss, who liked what he saw and encouraged Truscott to pursue research on it. Two years later, a trip to the toy store had turned into a research grant from the United States Office of Naval Research.

The basic research effort the (Office of Naval Research) is probably interested in most is the idea that we need to understand better how objects interact with the waters surface at high speeds, Truscott said.

Truscott and Hurd said solid objects will bounce off the water if they enter at the right speed and angle, while a more solid, rigid object will require a high speed and low angle. The two researchers have found that an elastic object, such as the sphere from the toy store, will very rapidly deform itself into a flat shape upon connecting with the water, giving it a larger lifting force. Once it returns to its original shape, it lifts itself off the water.

Thats part of the reason why they skip so well, in the split instant they deform into kind of this ideal skipping stone shape, Hurd said. The interesting thing about it is they can do it in any orientation, whereas a stone has to be thrown very specifically to impact correctly. It doesnt matter if its a formable sphere, you can throw it any way. Upon impact it will form at just the right angle, not just the right, but pretty dang close. That has very similar dynamics to a skipping stone after that.

But it isnt as simple as just having a flexible, stretchy ball. Truscott said timing is also an important factor. If a ball can deform and return to its original shape faster than the cavity of water it creates can form around it, it will bounce.

On the flip side, Hurd explained. If you made a ball out of memory foam, this is going to hit the water and deform significantly, but its not going to return to its original shape before the water comes back.

What made the toy water-bouncing balls skip so effectively, according to Hurd, is that they deform and reform at the same speed as the water.

The most applicable research, the kind of stuff the Office of Naval Research is probably interested in, involves large objects  objects too large to be brought into the Splash Lab and shot into the water. For those issues, the team used a numerical simulation based on the observations of the smaller objects.

We had guys at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center and at Brown University look at the dynamics of what is happening with the sphere, Truscott said. They modeled the sphere as a solid elastic object and they also modeled water.

Hurd said the other scientists tested and changed the numerical model until they got results that correlate with what the USU scientists found.

At that point we feel pretty good about their model because we are getting really good matching, he said. And then thats when we extrapolate some things that we cant do in the lab.
The confrontation between Russia and Turkey, and the fast-changing situation on the oil and natural gas markets, have strongly impacted the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process, as well as the internal state of affairs in both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Russia recently increased its military presence in Armenia, which has unsuccessfully sought support from fellow CSTO members in its confrontation with Azerbaijan. The ongoing clashes along the line of contact imply that the situation will likely remain tense in the short term. Meanwhile, the economic downturn in Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as in Russia, increases the risk of domestically motivated escalation of the conflict.

BACKGROUND: After the Turkish air force downed a Russian Su-24 bomber on November 24 and bilateral relations deteriorated in the aftermath, Russia predictably increased the capacity of its military base in Armenia. In December, additional personnel and over a dozen Mi-24P attack helicopters, along with several transport helicopters, were deployed to the base. Deliveries in January included modernized MIG-29 fighters and Tachyon unmanned aerial vehicles intended for reconnaissance operations

Russia announced plans to modernize its military presence in Armenia in 2013 (see the 13/11/13 Issue of the CACI Analyst). On November 10, shortly before the Russian-Turkish confrontation, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the start of negotiations with Armenia concerning a future joint regional air defense system. It was explained that in case of future incidents, units belonging to Russias Southern Military District might also get involved. However, since no information is available on negotiations with Georgia about overflight rights, it remains unclear how Russian planes will reach Armenian airspace if needed.

The downing of the Su-24 also caused some controversy during the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in late December. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan denounced Turkeys action as an obstacle to the fight against terror, yet praised the unanimous support NATO members showed Turkey after the incident and asked for similar unity among CSTO members regarding the incidents on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Neither Putin, nor other heads of state commented on the issue. At the end of the summit, Sargsyan made a statement about the CSTOs solidarity with Russia, avoiding any confrontational expressions. Although it was Armenias turn to take over the CSTOs rotating presidency, Russias Nikolay Bordyuzha remained Secretary General of the alliance. Russian media stated that the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan had been against appointing an Armenian representative, which could antagonize Turkey (and certainly Azerbaijan as well); and also referred to other serious grounds for disagreement on several issues.

On December 19, a long-awaited meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan took place in Bern. No binding agreements were achieved, and negotiations are expected to continue in 2016. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs stated that the presidents supported proposals regarding measures to reduce the risk of violence along the Line of Contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including an investigation mechanism. Such a mechanism would include the installation of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact, and the deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact. These measures have also been supported by 85 members of the U.S. Congress. However, as has frequently been the case in recent years, the negotiations were again accompanied by skirmishes and reciprocated bellicose rhetoric.

IMPLICATIONS: Although the criticism Sargsyan addressed to his counterparts during the CSTO summit was formally also targeted at Russia, it was likely both expected and approved by Moscow, as Russia seeks more solidarity regarding its confrontation with Turkey. A few days earlier, an embarrassing situation occurred during a meeting of the CSTO army chiefs of staff, when Armenias representative General Yuri Khachaturov told journalists that CSTO members supported Russias Syrian operation and denounced Turkeys aggression. Khachaturovs statement was widely publicized by the Russian media. However, the representatives of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan disavowed it, saying they had not authorized Khachaturov to speak on their behalf. Unlike Armenia, other CSTO members have no trouble showing that their interests differ from Russias.

In general, as it has become obvious that member states interests often contradict one another, it no longer seems possible to pretend that the CSTO exists for any other reason than Russias ambition to form its own military-political bloc. The same could be said for the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Belarus and Kazakhstan remain in favor of free trade with Ukraine, despite Russias attempts to pursue a joint action. Similarly, Belarus and Kazakhstan recently refused to levy import duties on medium-range commercial planes, contrary to Russias plans to create favorable conditions for its Sukhoi Superjet airliner. A number of other trade issues have emerged and Armenia remains the only EEU member loyal to Russia.

Considering the confrontation between Russia and Turkey and other regional issues, several Armenian analysts have voiced concern that Armenias long-term pursuit of an overly pro-Russian policy risks drawing it into additional troubles, perhaps even a direct confrontation with Turkey. Moreover, getting involved in supporting Russian operations in Syria, either operationally or logistically, risks making Armenia a target for ISIS or Russias other adversaries. And importantly, the impact of Russias increasing military presence on the regional balance of power could lead to an escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict instead of sustaining deterrence.

There are additional factors that may contribute to instability in the South Caucasus in a short-term perspective. The plummeting oil price is becoming a crucial factor, unavoidably leading to a serious economic decline that could potentially result in widespread instability in Azerbaijan and Russia. At the same time, remittances from Russia have constituted Armenias most important source of hard currency for many years, and if this stream of income is severed, Armenia is also about to face economic and social turmoil. It should be recalled that former Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan once admitted that the government supported emigration, because if people did not go abroad to make a living, mainly in Russia, a revolution could happen easily.

In this context, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a resource available to the authorities of both Armenia and Azerbaijan for mobilizing domestic support and promoting regime stability; in fact, both regimes have used similar tactics in the past. At the same time, Russias internal instability could result in additional attempts to distract the population from the increasing economic hardship by taking assertive actions abroad. This combination of factors makes the South Caucasus a more vulnerable region.

CONCLUSIONS: While Armenia and Azerbaijan remain reluctant to seek a compromise, the probability that either side will seek to manipulate the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for domestic reasons remains quite high. Russias capacity to influence the conflict dynamics, along with its own regional interests, adds to the risk of destabilization in the region. The U.S. and EU influence on Baku and Yerevan remains an important instrument for preventing a possible large-scale war. However, their influence on both Armenia and Azerbaijan remains rather limited, particularly in light of Armenias excessive dependence on Russia and Azerbaijans self-confidence as an important energy supplier.

Currently, additional efforts may be required to prevent an outbreak of violence in the short term. In the longer term, economic realities on the one hand and a reduced pressure from Russia on the other, could stimulate Armenia and Azerbaijan to adopt a more compromise-oriented approach to the conflict resolution process.

AUTHORS BIO: Armen Grigoryan is an Armenian political scientist. His research interests include post-communist transition, EU relations with Eastern Partnership countries, transatlantic relations, energy security, and conflict transformation.

Image Attribution: www.azadliq.org, accessed on Feb 22, 2016
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili unexpectedly resigned in the end of 2015. In a week, he was replaced by Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. The move was widely seen as part of the preparations for the parliamentary elections slated for the fall of 2016.

The Georgian Dream (GD) ruling coalition has undergone several changes since its ascent to power in 2012. The most serious reshuffles took place in July 2014, when the cabinets composition was significantly renewed. Soon thereafter, one of the founding members of the coalition, Our Georgia  Free Democrats (OGFD), led by then Defense Minister Irakli Alasania, left the coalition. Along with Alasania, the OGFD Ministers also left their posts. In the same year, another reconfiguration of the GD leadership occurred that affected senior and mid-level government officials, purportedly due to oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvilis changed attitude to his protege PM Gharibashvili. Consequently, the PMs trustees at important positions were replaced with people close to Ivanishvili.

These alterations, in addition, brought to the front the Republican Party (RP), another founding member of the coalition. Holding only 6 out of the GDs 87 seats in parliament, RP managed to gain several ministerial portfolios including the Defense Ministry, headed by Tina Khidasheli, the spouse of Parliamentary Speaker Davit Usupashvili.

Meanwhile, the coalition failed to keep a steady majority in one regional legislative body  the Supreme Council (SC) of the Adjara Autonomous Republic  and became actively involved in numerous corruption cases. The most scandalous among them was the alleged links entertained by Manana Kobakhidze and Eka Beselia, respectively Vice-Speaker of Parliament and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights, with convicted prisoners. According to Aleko Elisashvili, an independent member of the Tbilisi City Council and a former Chairman of the Presidential Pardon Commission, Kobakhidze and Beselia were seeking to exert pressure on him to achieve the preterm release of certain inmates, imprisoned for severe criminal charges.

Aside from political tension, Georgias economic situation has dramatically worsened since fall 2014. The value of the Georgian Lari (GEL) against foreign currencies has plunged by 45 percent, dampening the overall social-economic and investment climate in Georgia. These factors have contributed to undermining GDs popularity, which is reflected in the loss of a considerable share of electorate.

A November 2015 poll, commissioned by the U.S. National Democratic Institute (NDI), showed that the number of respondents supporting the ruling coalition has halved since 2014. Only 18 percent of likely voters pledged to vote for GD if parliamentary elections were held tomorrow. In August 2014, 42 percent of the respondents identified GD as the political force closest to them. Moreover, in November 2015 the number of respondents who believed that the country was moving in the wrong direction had grown to 45 percent, compared to 6 percent in August 2014. However, 32 percent of the likely voters still do not know which political party they would vote for, which may increase GDs chances to keep a grip on power.

Although struggles within the coalition provided the opposition parties with a new window of opportunity, none of them has taken real advantage of the coalitions decline. At this stage, opposition parties remain weak and cannot consolidate sizeable support. They will find it hard to compete with GD, given the latters privilege of using administrative resources during electoral process, a feature characteristic of young democracies.

Another point is that despite the political and economic shocks during GDs tenure, Georgia signed an Association and Free Trade Agreement with the EU in 2014 and is now close to achieving visa-free travel with the union (see CACI Analyst, 01/22/16). Moreover, in August 2015, NATO opened the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) at the Krtsanisi military facility near Tbilisi as a part of the substantial package granted to Georgia at NATOs Wales summit.

In spite of accomplishments, cases of corruption and inefficient governance necessitated a more comprehensive revision of GDs lineup. Georgian media speculate that Ivanishvili is actively engaged in the formation of a new election team, which may increase the risk of internal clashes. Yet the most significant challenge to the GD is the ailing economy. By the end of January 2016, the Lari reached a historically low level against the US dollar. The poorest part of the population has increased since 2014, whereas people with an average income can hardly meet daily needs. Although the Georgian Central Banks rapid and frequent interventions have helped avoiding panic on the financial market, the vulnerability of Georgias economy is increasing with dwindling foreign reserves. This context creates a very difficult background for the ruling coalition ahead of the upcoming elections and again provides a chance for the opposition forces to regain lost opportunities.

Image attribution: www.rferl.org, accessed on Feb 20, 2016
Civil unions: Why is it so difficult in Italy?

Published on February 24, 2016

Story by Stefano Fasano Translation by: Stefano Fasano

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The draft law on civil unions, named Cirinna after the politician who first signed the proposal, could change the lives of same-sex couples in Italy. The issue is finally approaching the point of being formally and legally recognised, so why has the final round of debates in the Senate (which began on the 28th of January) ground to a halt?

The time is ripe in Italy for change. Social progress is at last well enough developed to realise that "sexual preferences" are indeed preferences. Everyone has their own tastes, and should not be subject to discrimination for holding them.

Unfortunately, the reality is not so simple. Such an optimistic argument is easily dismantled by thinking about the controversies surrounding the acceptance of gender theory or the recent demonstrations in favour of the "natural family", during which a few thousand people were reported to have magically transformed into two million, even though the square in which they were protesting had a maximum capacity of 300,000.

But let's look at the issue with optimism, casting our eyes towards a brighter future that promises positive news on the civil rights front. With the arrival of the Cirinna draft law, the debate on the formalisation of same-sex partnerships has finally come to the gates of Italian Parliament. All the prerequisites seem to be in place, and Matteo Renzi's government is truly intending to take the process seriously until its conclusion. So everything is going smoothly, right?

The long march of civil unions to Parliament

It's not really news that the Italian right and left have opposing views when it comes to same-sex couples. This wouldn't be so much of a problem if it were a simple matter of a majority versus an opposition  that's just democracy. Those with the most votes make the laws. Simple as that? Unfortunately not.

Firstly, the New Centre-Right party (Nuovo Centro Destra, NCD) forms part of the government coalition, even if only a small part. Its leader Angelino Alfano is however the Minister of Internal Affairs. It's this small centrist and catholic sliver, wedged in a formally centre-left government, that's creating tension.

The party says "yes" to the recognition of same-sex couples, but a definite "no" to the possibility of allowing them to adopt, especially when it comes to their partner's children (the so-called "stepchild adoption" issue). This one hurdle could severely reduce the potential impact of the law.

Secondly, the "variable majority" provided by the Five Star Movement (Movimento 5 Stelle, M5S) has proven to be unreliable. M5S represents a considerable proportion of voting power in the Italian Senate: 10% of seats. From the very beginning they showed themselves to be in favour of the adoption of the law as originally proposed. So much so that the Movement threatened the Prime Minister with not voting for the law if it were changed to meet the NCD's "no adoption" requests. Could that possibly have been the end of that?

Far from it. New problems emerged thanks to Beppe Grillo. The founder of the Movement wrote on his personal blog that there existed a "freedom of conscience" with regard to this vote. In other words, a kind invitation to "do whatever you want," destroying in a second the unconditional support shown thus far.

It's probable that this shift in direction relates to right wing and catholic voters within the Movement, who are not satisfied with the party's position on the matter. Grillo may be trying to save face (and votes). Either way, Renzi can no longer count on the support of M5S on this issue, despite several reassurances coming from the Movement's leaders in the Senate.

It's no trifling matter, because the Prime Minister has a further problem he needs to solve. This leads us to the third reason: the deep splits existing in the Democratic Party itself (Partito Democratico, PD). They are divided into three main camps: those in favour of the law, the Catholics (partially or completely against it), and those elements of the left wing who have their own concerns. This is definitely not the best atmosphere in which to vote on such an important and sensitive law.

Lastly, there has been significant stonewalling on the part of the parliamentary opposition. Around 6,000 amendments have been tabled on the motion, with 5,000 of these coming from the Northern League alone. These texts have sometimes been closer to jokes than actual legal statements.

The "Super Kangaroo"

Everything seemed to be going wrong, up until the point where a kind of "gentlemen's agreement" was signed between the Northern League, Forza Italia and the Democratic Party, removing 90% of the amendments in one fell swoop. Only 500 still remain to be voted on.

In order to tackle the remaining barriers, the PD proposed a so-called "Super Kangaroo" amendment, which would allow the whole assembly to bypass the remaining amendments and vote on the original proposition. The proposal was rejected by M5S, who stated their desire to act in a "democratic way" by voting on every amendment one by one. Seeking to create even more difficulties for Renzi's Government, they also highlighted the internal divisions in the Democratic Party on so important and delicate a matter. This calculation was, it has to be said, a more political than democratic one.

So with the aim of avoiding embarrassment in Parliament, the PD was forced to postpone the final vote until Wednesday the 24th of February, the reason being they did not have enough parliamentarians who supported the motion to go into the vote without worry.

Renzi stated that he was only willing to call a vote on the matter when he was confident of its success, once he had the assurances of his coalition and the "variable majority". Such reassurance has still not arrived, pushing the Democrats to vote on the law in the same manner as the NCD, excluding the possibility of stepchild adoption from the text.

Have you noticed how we are only talking about power games, negotiations and stonewalling? Is anything missing from this equation? There's no talk of how this law could be tampered with, or about the real reasons behind these differences of opinion.

This is the current situation in an Italian Senate completely disassociated from reality and ever closer to the kind of institutional self-centredness that every successive prime minister claims to want to move away from. Another basic issue regarding the future of society has been exploited for political gain. Compliments all round. Applause. The curtain falls. For now, at least.

Story by Stefano Fasano

Translated from Unioni civili: perche in Italia e cosi difficile?
What has Gov. Abbott done about the six mass shootings on his watch?
A Bald Eagle surveys the countryside from its nest high above a field. Thirteen bald eagles were found dead over the weekend near a farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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By Dana Hedgpeth, The Washington Post (AP)

Thirteen bald eagles were found dead over the weekend near a farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Officials with the Maryland Natural Resources Police said they received a call about 2:30 p.m. Saturday from a man who said he was out looking for antlers that deer might have shed and came across what he initially thought was a dead turkey in a field on a farm in Caroline County. But he discovered it was actually four dead bald eagles.

When officers arrived, they found nine additional dead bald eagles in the field on Laurel Grove Road in Federalsburg, Maryland.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the birds to die.

Candy Thomson, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Natural Resources Police, said the birds were tagged and the scene was photographed. She said the incident is being turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which will serve as the lead agency for the investigation. That department said it is investigating but gave no further details.

The Baltimore Sun was among the first news outlets to report on the incident.

Bald eagles are no longer on the endangered species list, but they are considered a protected species, according to the Natural Resources Police.
CALLER-TIMES FILE The M/V Pennsylvania tanker pulls into the Port of Corpus Christi making it the first port of call to load oil from the Eagle Ford Shale fields. The newly built vessel will be moving oil and products related to the Eagle Ford Shale fields.

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The deepening and widening of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel is a proposal to ensure the port's long-term future. That was true of it back in the 20th century when it first was proposed. It has remained on the drawing board since actual drawing boards weren't archaic.

Congress has authorized it twice, in 2007 and 2014. But the Corps of Engineers hasn't budgeted any of the estimated $300 million project, including a $25 million first phase that port officials had hoped would be in the Corps' plan of work this year.

The widening to 530 feet from as little as 400 and the deepening to 52 feet from 45 is an idea whose time has become urgent. The Port of Corpus Christi is primarily an oil port that has become much busier since the discovery of the Eagle Ford Shale. The removal of the ban on crude oil exports only increases the risk that Corpus Christi could become a bottleneck. From a national energy policy strategy standpoint, allowing that to happen is nonsensical. The ship channel project should be an easy sell.

Yet, two congressmen have not delivered it  former Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, and, since 2011, Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi.

The lack of results is almost enough to make us miss the bad ol' days of congressional earmarks  the insertion of specific funding into legislation, whether it fit there or not, to get a job done in a congressional member's home district. Congress abused the practice and it was an impediment to budget control.

Still, there must be some way for a House member to convince colleagues of the importance of this project to the nation's well-being  and to dedicate oneself and staff to building a strong relationship with the Corps of Engineers.

Farenthold's name wasn't mentioned in a Caller-Times story Sunday by Chris Ramirez updating the status of the long-delayed project. The story did say, however, that port officials plan to "reach out to the region's congressional representatives for help."

If a U.S. House member from Corpus Christi were to achieve only one thing in a congressional career and if that one thing were the deepening and widening of the ship channel, it would have been a career well spent.

In the meantime, as long as the project remains on that old-fashioned drawing board, the U.S. representative of our district should have only one answer to questions such as whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the truth about Benghazi, or whether President Barack Obama or the next president should fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, or who the next president should be. And that answer is: "Ask me after the ship channel is deepened and widened because, until then, I can think of nothing else."

In the meantime, the port is looking into whether it can afford to start some of the work on its own. The port committed recently to spend as much as $20 million to a different project  the relocation expenses of residents affected by the construction of a new Harbor Bridge. Somewhere exists a limit to the port's resources. Otherwise, the port would have self-funded the project by now.

In the meantime, Farenthold or the next representative of District 27 has a legacy to pursue.
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Thomas J. Criser

Out with GOP establishment

Re: House Speaker Ryan's $10K donation ("Farenthold gets funding boost," Feb. 12)

It looks like the GOP establishment wants to keep those who follow the leader easily. House Speaker Paul Ryan's PAC donating $10,000 to Blake Farenthold is trying to interfere with local politics. As House Speaker I would do the same thing to help control Congress, since that is his job. He doesn't want new guys who might not be as easy to control as those already indoctrinated to the D.C. establishment. However, it's the anti-establishment sentiment that is prevalent in this country currently and rightfully so. The mess in Washington has to be cleaned up and it can't be done through the good old boy system.

I like Farenthold and have supported him in the past, but now with House Speaker Ryan stepping in, I'm turning against the establishment and voting for Gregg Deeb. I do hope everyone follows suit and gives a clear sign to the GOP establishment that, "We are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore!" One thing for sure, Col. Gregg Deeb will not let Veterans Affairs continue to mistreat our vets and make them drive 150 miles one way to receive treatment. We need more military experienced people in Washington to show respect and honor our soldiers!
The young female artiste was notified in a letter by the Director General of the Festival, Prof. Yacouba Konate.

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Budding female artiste, Denise Naafa, has been invited to participate in the 9th edition of the Market for African Performing Arts (MASA) scheduled to hold from 5 to 12 March 2016 in the Ivorian cities of Abidjan, Adzope, Bouake and Grand-Bassam. In an invitation letter dated February 12, 2016 from the Director General of the MASA Festival, Prof. Yacouba Konate, Denise Naafa will be one of the 2,000 participants expected at the festival.



Reacting with surprise, joy and expectation to the announcement, the young artiste told Cameroon Tribune at her Yaounde residence on February 17, 2016 that she has started preparations to represent her country honourably at the event which has gained reputation as a platform that showcases the best facets of African culture.



The invitation comes just a few weeks after Denise Naafas first cultural trip to Cote dIvoire where her thrilling performances left Ivorian music lovers asking for more. Unrolling her smash hits such as On est Africain and Ileibo and others from her maiden and second albums, Denise Naafa provoked favourable appreciation from media personalities such as Alfred Tano and Satou Diallo of the television channel RTI2 as well as Cameroonian-born showbiz mogul, Yves de Mbella, who all saw the young Cameroonian artiste as a pearl and one of the emerging Divas with a golden voice likely to trail those of Charlotte Dipanda and the legendary Late Bebey Manga.



On her return to Cameroon, Denis Naafa had told Cameroon Tribune of the wealth of advice received during the trip especially from Cameroons Ambassador to Cote dIvoire, H.E. Alfred Nguini. This opportunity given me to participate in MASA 2016 will enable me meet more seniors in African music to upgrade my talent, she confided to CT.

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Ndeutchoua Tongue Rodrique, Ebole Bola Felix Cyriaque and Dr Baba Wame, on February 19, 2016, pleaded not guilty to concealing State security information.

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The trial resumed at the Yaounde Military Tribunal on Friday, February 19, 2016, of three journalists accused of failing to inform the authorities of threats to State security. Also charged alongside the journalists are a Notary Public and political leader. Presiding at the sitting was the new President of the Yaounde Military Tribunal, Col. Mrs. Abega Mbezoa, with Ndzie Pierrot Narcisse and Nkoa Akouna as Military Prosecutors.



The brief court sitting saw the reading of the charges to each of the five defendants. Ndeutchoua Tongue Rodrique, formerly of Le Messager newspaper and now with Canal 2 International Television, Ebole Bola Felix Cyriaque of Mutations daily newspaper and Dr Baba Wame, a lecturer with the Advanced School of Mass Communication, ASMAC, Yaounde, were accused of non-denunciation or concealing dangerous information concerning State security.



Together with Abdoulaye Harissou, a Maroua-based Notary Public and Aboubakary Sidikki, a political leader and businessman based in Douala, all five are accused of having foreknowledge of armed attacks on the East Region by a group of Chadian, Central African Republic and Sudanese rebels. Harissou and Sidikki are accused of assassination, illegal possession and use of a firearm, possession of ammunitions, hostility against the State, revolution and outrage against the Head of State.



All the offences, which were committed between 2013 and 2014, are punishable by the Penal Code under Articles 74, 97, 102, 107, 114, 153 (1), 237 and 27. Tongue Rodrique, Ebole Bola and Dr Baba Wame are specifically accused of failing to warn judicial, administrative and military authorities of the armed attacks. After listening to the charges, each of the accused pleaded not guilty and the matter was adjourned to March 18, 2016, for the prosecution to submit the names of its witnesses and for the accused to summon their witnesses. According to judicial sources, if convicted, each of the three journalists faces a jail term of between one to five years and a fine as from 50,000 FCFA to 5 million FCFA.

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Ndeutchoua Tongue Rodrique, Ebole Bola Felix Cyriaque and Dr Baba Wame, are accused of concealing information dangerous to State security.

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The trial opened at the Yaounde Military Tribunal on Friday, January 22, 2016, of three journalists accused of failing to inform the authorities of threats to State security. Presiding was Mrs. Justice Mbem Yvonne Leopoldine epouse Akoa of the Mfoundi High Court in Yaounde, assisted by military officers.



Ndeutchoua Tongue Rodrique, formerly of Le Messager newspaper and now with Canal 2 International Television, Ebole Bola Felix Cyriaque of Mutations daily newspaper and Dr Baba Wame, a Journalism lecturer with the Advanced School of Mass Communication, ASMAC, Yaounde, are accused of non-denunciation or concealing information dangerous to State security. Alongside Abdoulaye Harissou, a Notary Public based in Maroua and Aboubakary Sidikki, a Douala-based political leader and businessman, all five are accused of being in the know of armed attacks on the East Region by a group of Chadian, Central African Republic and Sudanese-led rebels.



The first two are variously accused of assassination, illegal possession and use of firearm, possession of ammunitions, hostility against the State, revolution and outrage against the Head of State. All offences were committed between 2013 and 2014 and are punishable by the Penal Code under Articles 74, 97, 102, 107, 114, 153 (1), 237 and 27. Fridays opening of the trial saw the identification of the accused and the presentation of letters from lawyers who wanted to join their defence.



Tongue Rodrique, Ebole Bola and Dr Baba Wame are specifically accused of failing to inform judicial, administrative and military authorities of the armed threat. According to judicial sources, if convicted, each of the three journalists faces a jail term of between one to five years and a fine from 50,000 FCFA to 5 million FCFA. All the lawyers for the accused complained that they did not have enough information on the trial. They argued that while the prosecution had a huge charge file, they had virtually nothing.



In response, Mrs. Justice Akoa requested them to respect the instructions of the President of the Yaounde Military Tribunal by applying for copies of the exhibits they needed, while being ready to pay for the cost. The trial was later adjourned to February 19, 2016, for each accused to be individually notified of the charges against them and for defence counsel to present lists of their witnesses.

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The three new offices bring the companys global presence up to 10 markets, and are touted as proof of Plistas commitment to bring data-driven native advertising the region. Plista recently became part of the Xaxis Media Group portfolio.

Xaxis APAC CEO, Michel De Rijk said that following Australias very positive launch and growth from a year ago, Plista is now ready to expand its APAC coverage to serve more clients.

With client demand for effective data-driven native strategies growing globally, the timing is perfect for us to enter the Chinese and Malaysian markets where we see a great opportunity for growth, he added.

Speaking to Campagian Asia-Pacific, De Rijk declined to share details of the monetary investment the agency is making into Plistas regional expansion.

But what I can share is that across Xaxis Media Group, we have spent north of US$50 million in 2016 to continue the development of our proprietary technology, and that definitely is also for the benefit of Plista, he said.

For China specifically, De Rijk said that the company has set up additional technology to facilitate setup.

Both markets definitely have dedicated teams to build out the successful Plista brand, and were looking to continue growing our headcount in anticipation for future growth and launch of phase two markets, he added.

Asked about the takeup rate for Plistas offerings, De Rijk said only a handful of clients in Asia have been served, as the business had only just been launched and conversations with clients only just begun.

The response has been very positive so far and were looking to replicate the same kind of success that Plista already has in the majority of the markets where it has launched, he added. For Plista in APAC, we expect to grow our client base at the same speed as we have done with Xaxis APAC, and the results we have so far are very promising.

In the last 12 months Plista Australia has inked deals with Yahoo7, Fairfax, News Corp and NineMSN, as well as sites including Mamamia, The Daily Mail, Foxsports, SkyNews, Carsguide and Carsadvice, according to the company. Some of the partnerships are on an exclusive basis.

Since launching last year the business has surpassed all expectations for what it would be able to do in year one," said Brett Poole, Australia GM. "We've come off a zero base and we've capped off a huge year of growth."

Asked what challenges will have to be faced in order to meet growth ambitions, De Rijk said that education will be key, as native is still fairly new in most Asian markets. He added that the approach is comparable with what the team undertook during Xaxis launch four years ago when programmatic advertising was still new.

Im convinced that we are able to make at least the same impact on the development of native as we did with Xaxis on programmatic, he said. Our recommendation and in-feed products are high impact and have great results. With the strong insights and analytics we are able to offer as Xaxis Media Group, these will be prominent drivers in the world of native advertising and in the way plista stands out from its competitors.

De Rijk said the company has the team, structure and product to drive this quickly and more successfully than any other company entering the Asia Pacific region, but remain grounded in knowing that it will take time.

As education is key, time is our biggest challenge because changing or creating an industry doesnt happen overnight, he added. The search for the right talent will definitely be key.
China has taken what looks like a drastic step in its aims to restrict foreign companies disseminating information online.

The rules, released by the Ministry of Industry & Information Technology and the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (click for Chinese source), say that from 10 March, foreign companies and Sino-foreign joint ventures will be restricted from publishing online content without government approval.

Content includes "texts (including digitally distributed books), video, pictures (including cartoons), music, maps, animations or games", according to the new rules.

Foreign companies working in conjunction with Chinese firms will be able to publish such content, but they will need government approval first.

Anything that is published must comply with a series of opaque rules, including not "harming national unity", nor "harming national honour and interests" or "endangering social morality".

Such a sweeping law against foreign companies could affect global media outlets and other online content distributors. App developers and tech brands, such as Apples China App Store, could run into problems as well.

To put things in context, content and publishing has always been a highly regulated area in China and has never been "opened" to foreign companies, pointed out Lu Jin (), senior public affairs advisor with Fortune China Public Relations.

Jonathan Hughes, president, International at Golin, agreed. "From a practical perspective it doesnt appear to be that much different," he said. "Theres always been a high level of regulation of these kinds of content. Whats new, I guess, is that they are codifying whats been common practice and turning it into law.

"Brands know they have to produce content thats within certain social norms and restrictions within China. They already know what they can and cant do in terms of content."

The language of the rules is somewhat vague regarding which types of foreign companies will be affected.

Several foreign media outlets, such as Bloomberg, The New York Times and others, already have their sites blocked in China. Multinationals like Google, Facebook and Twitter have also been banned for many years.

The new rules say content published online in China must be hosted on servers in China, something that few foreign media companies do. How companies who host their content outside China will be affected is unclear.

Paul Haswell, a partner at law firm Pinsent Masons in Hong Kong who specialises in technology and data protection, said enforcing the new rules seems tricky on the face of it, and that many Chinese consumers use VPNs to access restricted sites as it is.

"Its hard to see how these new rules will really change the status quo," he said. "However, if the rules go further, seeking to prevent overseas firms from having any online content in China at all, even a corporate website hosted outside of China, then they will be near-impossible to enforce but at the same time send a message that foreign business is no longer welcome. It would be unusual, even in a climate where controls on information are tightening, for such a restrictive step to be taken."

Brittany Li (), vice president of business development at Chinese content-marketing agency FansTang, said that the firms foreign media partners have always known about restrictions on foreign content, and that the new rules might lead to specific, practical changes but not large-scale ones.

"They understand deep down inside that foreign content has been historically repressed, whereas locally produced programs are heavily promoted, so they have been frustrated due to it," Li said. "When it comes to overall content strategy, I dont think there will be a big effect," she added. "The pushback from the Chinese government is a great opportunity for smaller content agencies or production houses like us, as we specialise in co-producing content through partnerships with Chinese video portals or licensing foreign content, like the Golden Globe Awards to Hunan TV for example."

This rule will apply more to bigger studios like Disney and Warner Brothers and encourage them to produce more China-related co-productions to be imported back into the Chinese market, Li said.

From a macroeconomic standpoint, Saurabh Sharma, a China observer who prefers not to name his agency as he was sharing his own opinion, said a relatively less obvious and more speculative reason is "regulators are seeking something from foreign media and this regulation could help create a bargaining chip for them".

"The fierceness with which Chinese regulators will apply this will be conditioned by the quality of behaviour of foreign media," said Sharma. "The more compliant they would be, the less regulated they could be."

The bad news is China is limiting itself from joining the rest of the world, said Miranda Tan (), CEO of Robin8. "However since China is a superpower, you have to play by their rules, or don't play."
| BY Ricki Green |

Fairfax Media has launched a new trade marketing campaign via True that encourages advertisers to Do more with data by emphasising the effectiveness of data-led campaigns.

Showcasing Fairfaxs market-leading approach to data-driven advertising solutions, Do More with Data highlights the benefits of utilising audience insights to inform digital media strategy and improve campaign effectiveness.

Fairfax Media offers a range of data-driven advertising solutions through the sales product suite known as D&A (Data and Audiences). Fairfax D&A is represented in market by a team of specialists who provide clients with tailored solutions across Fairfaxs extensive digital network.

Fairfax D&A has one of the biggest and most diverse data pools in Australia, reaching more than 7.1 million people* each month.

Says Claire Gibson, data commercialisation manager, Fairfax Media: Do More with Data showcases our approach to delivering bespoke audience segments, data driven insights and measurable outcomes. Our team has the expertise to guide clients through the maze of data products available to them and provide sophisticated solutions to maximise digital return on investment.

Do More with Data features an animated video outlining the lifecycle of a data-led campaign as well as digital ads utilising time of day retargeting. The campaign runs until 9 March, 2016.

More information about Fairfax D&A can be found on AdCentre.com.au.

Creative Direction: Eric Stephens, True

Art Direction: Chris Kiprovski, True

Copy: Cass Megraw and Luke Dickson, True

Motion Graphics: Ben Allen, True

Account Management: Jasmine Rezek, True

Social Media Strategy and Management: Ben Pirrie and Kristen Treni, The Organic
| BY Ricki Green |

Innocean Worldwides global chief creative officer, Jeremy Craigen popped into Sydney last week and caught up with Campaign Brief.

Campaign Brief: So Jeremy, before we get into what youre up to here in Sydney, you must be pleased with the response to the Hyundai Super Bowl TVCs.

Jeremy Craigen: Yes, look, its great to be named by USA Today as the most popular TVC in the Super Bowl, in fact, we achieved number 1, 5 and 6 which is pretty amazing for Innocean America and a real signal of what we are striving for as a Network. Its only the beginning and I think if we can treat every brief like a Super Bowl brief, well see the work get better and better.

CB: So how long are you here for and whats on the agenda?

JC: Im spending time with Dave and Fitzy and talking about how I can help them down here. I want to meet up with the local Clients and get their take on things too.

Sydney was one of my first trips last year when I was appointed and its been a few months since Ive caught up with everybody. Since then, Dave has made some very good hires and Fitzy has appointed new department heads, so getting to meet those people and finding out what they are looking to achieve for themselves and Innocean helps build a common goal within the Network. The potential here is incredible and thats why we are attracting great talent.

And then, of course, theres catching up with you Lynchy.

CB: Youve just appointed Eric Springer as CCO in America. Tell us a bit about that move.

JC: I was thrilled that Eric decided to join us. Not just because of the amazing work hes done before, like VW Force, but because hell bring so much energy into the agency and network. Hes arrived at the agency when its on a massive up and I know hell take it further.

CB: After Sydney, where to next?

JC: Dave and I are flying to Seoul on the weekend for our Global Creative Council Meeting. Its my, Dave and Erics first GCC since I joined and were all very much looking forward to it. Bob Isherwood will continue to Chair the meeting and we will be looking at how we can grow a real creative culture across the Network.

CB: Will we be seeing you in Sydney again soon?

JC: For sure. Bob and I will be down in May for AWARD. And Im already looking forward to being back here.

CB: Till then, happy travels.
| BY Ricki Green |

Socially-led creative agency We Are Social has hired multi-award-winning creative director Phil Shearer as its new executive creative director.

Shearer is best known for co-creating the Jim Beam Call 1900-9 campaign that won the Cannes Direct Lions Grand Prix for Y&R Sydney in 2003, and has since created highly acclaimed work for Audi, Drambuie, UNICEF and Christchurch Tourism.

Shearer joins from BD Network, having previously worked as a creative director at R/GA Sydney and Iris. Shearer started his career at Y&R and in his 17-year career has amassed a wealth of experience across traditional advertising, digital, social and branding.

He will be working with We Are Socials managing director Suzie Shaw and the 35-strong Australian team.

Say Shearer: Im excited. A lot of marketing objectives seem to forget relevance to peoples lives, but social ideas have to be inherently useful.

The opportunity to originate bigger ideas for clients in the social space is huge. Its a great time to be joining Suzie and the team and heres hoping we can do some genius work.
Film historian David Donaldson talks about the career of JP McGowan, the trail-blazing Australian actor and filmmaker who was a pioneer in Hollywood. The free talk will be followed by an 11am screening of 1936 film Guns and Guitars starring McGowan for $10. From 10am to 12pm at the National Film and Sound Archive, Acton.
The ACT government had previously announced the arts bodies currently using the buildings would be relocated to the Kingston Foreshore but it was unclear what future plans it had for the vacated buildings which include the former Griffith Child Welfare Centre, an 80-year-old building which was heritage listed in 2012 for its significance and role in women's history in the local area.
The government secured a two-year cull licence last year. It is set to go ahead with shooting up to 2500 kangaroos this winter without having to get another licence and risk being delayed by court challenges from animal activists.
"I have been involved in five rail start ups... and I can tell you in the US that the big economic boom that goes along the corridor after it's built is just tremendous. Property values go up and people just want to be around light rail systems," he said.
Coffee pods are a menace. Even the bloke who invented them, John Sylvan, is sorry. And now, the German city of Hamburg has banned coffee pods to try to reduce waste. Of course, it's not banning them from shops  yet  but from state-run buildings as part of an environmental drive, reported the BBC earlier this month which quoted Jan Dube, spokesman of the Hamburg Department of the Environment and Energy, who said: "The capsules can't be recycled easily because they are often made of a mixture of plastic and aluminium."
"The national cultural institutions, such as the National Library, are a key part of our tourism offerings. We are doing everything we can to support the tourism industry but these cuts always makes the task more and more difficult."
"Answers to questions raised and information gathered will then be made available to all staff, and will inform the senior management team in determining the most appropriate way forward with the proposed agreement in the best interests of the memorial and its staff," Ms Patterson told workers in an email.
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Three college students who first met while attending a Catholic high school in Florida have launched a scholarship fund to help others experience faithful Catholic education at a Newman Guide college. As we went off to different colleges, we kept in touch and found time to catch up whenever we returned []
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
New Delhi: In a bid to attract more international talent, the prestigious IITs for the first time are planning hold their entrance tests in Singapore, UAE, Ethiopia and SAARC nations next year to select foreign students for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

At recent a meeting between officials of HRD and External Affairs ministries, eight countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (all SAARC member nations), Ethiopia in Africa, Singapore and Dubai (UAE) have been zeroed in on for holding entrance tests for foreign nationals from next year onwards.

"The entrance tests to the IITs abroad have been held till now only to admit Indian nationals. This is for the first time that it has been planned to admit foreign students through tests held abroad. It is aimed that the plan would be operationalised from the JEE/GATE exams to be conducted in 2017," a senior HRD Ministry official told PTI.

Admiting foregin students don't cut number of seats to India Nationals

The students will be selected through a common entrance exam which would be administered by the IIT with the help of Indian missions in these countries. Officials, however, added that seats to be offered to foreign nationals would be supernumerary or additional in nature and would not reduce those available to Indian nationals at the 18 IITs.

The fee applicable in the case of foreign students will also be more as the subsidised fee which Indians pay would not be applicable to them.

To facilitate these foreign students, MEA will consider giving them research visa for the duration of the programme rather than one year at a time, officials added.

Test to be held in 2017

While the test is to be held in 2017, the outreach programme for the exercise would begin from August this year and will be conducted in all these eight countries. IIT Mumbai has been asked to prepare the necessary information material for this outreach. It would include details of the tests, the courses and FAQs. A web portal may be created for this purpose, sources said.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will be the nodal agency on behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for these tests.

Earlier, IIT-M Director had prepared a report on comprehensive system to attract international students to the IITs. After the report was prepared, Khakhar was asked to prepare a detailed plan for conducting JEE and GATE exams abroad.

It is learnt that the government is keen on more foreign students studying at IITs as it could boost their international academic rankings.

PTI

Also Read: Study Abroad: Guide for Overseas Education
Honda is set to issue a recall for the brand new 2016 Civic in the United States, potentially affecting some 34,000 cars.



The official recall has yet to be announced but to limit the damage, a stop-sale notice was issued to dealers in late January.

Website CivicX.com claims that the impending recall relates to missing or miss-set piston rings which may cause engines to stall and potentially, fail altogether.

Details about Hondas proposed fix arent available as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration first needs to approve the recall plan. Once that is done, affected customers are likely to be notified in mid-March before repairs start soon after.

Word about the recall comes less than two months after the 2016 Honda Civic was named North American Car of the Year.

PHOTO GALLERY
The new 718 Boxster will be joined by a second world premiere from Porsche at the Geneva Motor Show next week, one that the company simply describes as a a strictly limited-edition vehicle.



Porsche wouldnt give out any other details on the surprise car, but weve heard from multiple sources that its going to be the new 911 R, a back-to-basics performance version derived from the GT3 and GT3 RS without some of their crazy aerodynamic addenda, but more crucially, with a seven speed manual gearbox.

Well remind you that both the 911 GT3 and its even more hardcore GT3 RS sibling can only be had with Porsches PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission.

While some sources say that the 911 R will get a slightly de-tuned version of the GT3s normally aspirated 3.8-liter flat-six with around 450hp instead of 468hp (475PS), others claim that Porsche may just give it the GT3 RS naturally-aspirated 493hp (500PS) 4.0-liter flat-six.

Other changes to the car that pays tribute to the original 1967 911 R are expected to include a no frills interior with lightweight sport seats, skinnier tires and a modified chassis setup.

Note: Prototype 2017 Porsche 911 R pictured

Photo Gallery
As the Phantom VII is approaching the end of its production, Rolls-Royce is preparing 50 special edition Zenith versions to commemorate its exit.



So even though the month of November will see the very last Phantom Coupe and Drophead Coupe rolling out of Goodwood, theyll be leaving in style.

RR will also build the last Phantom VII limousines this year, and work on the 13-year old limos replacement is under way.

I am proud and excited to announce that a new Phantom is on the way  a contemporary and beautiful Phantom enhanced with cutting-edge technologies and design innovations, said RR CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos. Any new Phantom is an historic and important moment in automotive history and we are working hard on perfecting the Phantom VIII.

The Phantom Zenith Coupe and Drophead Coupe will include features like the Tailgate Hosting Area, laser etched armrests depicting the original launch locations of 100EX in Villa DEste and 101EX in Geneva, bespoke instrument dials and a special treatment of the Spirit of Ecstasy.

Each customer will also receive aportable memento of their purchase, as the vehicles will be offered to them in a palate of memorable color combinations taken straight out of the brands rich history books.

As the name promises, Zenith will be the pinnacle; the best of its kind; the highest standard achievable by which everything else is judged, explained design exec Giles Taylor. Zenith will be the sum of all the best features of Phantom Coupe and Drophead Coupe, with a few surprises added. We expect huge demand for these 50 fine motor cars as we shall not look upon their like again.

PHOTO GALLERY
It's election day in Georgetown, Guyana, and taxi driver Kirk Embrack can't stop smiling.

When he spots people he knows  and he seems to know about half of the city's 135,000 souls  he honks and sticks his hand out the window to show off the inked finger that proves he voted in today's parliamentary and presidential election.

Embrack spots a friend and stops to ask him if he has voted.

"Yeah, man," he replies.

But Embrack sees that there isn't any ink on the man's finger, and, slipping into Caribbean patois, he asks, "How come ya finger na dirty?"

Sheepishly, the man admits he hasn't voted yet, but says he will.

"Good," Embrack answers. "I'm na speaking to no one with no dirty finger today."

Embrack missed his chance to vote in the 2006 election because he had been working in the country's interior and returned to Georgetown too late to register.

"This time, I was determined to vote," he says. "I think voting for me, this time around, is really important, because I endorse change. There were a lot of things that have been going on for the last 23 years, where the ruling party was concerned  that were not pleasing to me as a human being."

Guyanese politics tend to divide along ethnic lines. For years after the nation's independence from Britain in 1966, the Afro-Guyanese People's National Congress ran the country. In 1992, the Indo-Guyanese People's Progressive Party wrested away control in what was deemed the country's first truly democratic election  one monitored by The Carter Center.

The PPP had been in power ever since, but with the emergence of a new opposition coalition and more people looking beyond traditional ethnic boundaries, change seemed possible. At the request of election officials, The Carter Center returned to observe what promised to be a very close race.

"I appreciate the observers here," Embrack says. "I'm also happy that they were able to interact with Guyanese; people of a different culture to them, a different lifestyle. And recognize across the board, that most people are saying to them, from their heart, how they feel."

Embrack has had many jobs in his 40 years  working as a police officer, a clerk, a security guard, a mechanical operator in the mines, and now, a taxi driver  but he dreams of being a chef with his own restaurant. He is already making and selling marinades. He wants a better future for his nine children, and he thinks a change in government will help make that possible.

In the end, he got his wish. Five days after the polls closed, the opposition party was declared the winner in what The Carter Center said was a credible election. What the future holds remains to be seen. But Embrack is hopeful.

"I'm always an optimist," he says. "I would like to see Guyana be back to the days of old, when it was the breadbasket of the Caribbean."

Published Feb. 23, 2016.
Photo: Contributed - xHoffinator

The following message has been making the rounds on facebook:

Photo: Facebook viral craziness

The message managed to stir up a drama-infused grammatical storm. Here is a brief excerpt of the ensuing vitriol:

__________

dear capital letters,

while we always value your hard work, it must be said that a simple restructuring of the above sentence saves uncle jack from a life of beastiality - 'uncle jack was helped off a horse', or 'i helped uncle jack, that dear man, off a horse' not to mention sundry other solutions.

love, your friend,

syntax

__________

DEAR SYNTAX,

YOU BLOODY STUCK UP COW!!! OHO, WAIT FOR IT - YOU NOTICE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TYPING IN ALL-CAPS THESE DAYS? BWAHAHAHA - YOU THINK THAT IS COINCIDENCE? NO. IT IS NOT. IT IS PART OF OUR MASTER PLAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHA

JUST GO DIE, OKAY.

YOURS TRULY,

CAPITAL LETTERS

__________

dear capital letters,

really? you really want to go down this road? you know, if you keep yelling like that youre going to give yourself a stroke. oh hold on, i have a handful of capital letters for you: BUGGER OFF.

sincerely yours,

syntax

__________

Dear Capital Letters and Syntax,

Such a fuss. Capital Letters, grow up and stop yelling, so rude. And Syntax, since when did you stop using capital letters? You both should be ashamed of yourselves, and should take a good long look at your shocking inability to properly use me in your sentences.

Full stop.

Punctuation

__________

Dear Punctuation,

OMG, youre kidding, right? Like anybody cares about punctuation? Punctuation is about as exciting as a door knob and as useful as a pure thought at an orgy. Only blithering idiots with too much time on their hands care about you, Punctuation. Get a life, if you can find one among the piles of colons lying around at your place. Colons. Hahahaha. Only you, bro. Only you.

Signed,,,,.,..,!!!???,.,.,., <<<< (snort)

Capital Letters

__________

dear capital letters:

fine. you have insulted me for the last time. from this point on, i was never going to use capital letters again, i did signed on with the lowercase team because: you suck.

whatevs,

punctuation

__________

Dear Punctuation,

I . . . please say this is a joke, Punctuation, because you sure were all over the map with your tenses there. You got a time machine where you live or something? My god. What an intellectually befuddled toad you are. And I say that with a big fat exclamation mark.

Truly in the moment, except when in the past or future,

Tenses

__________

Dear Syntax,

When I saw your missive to Capital Letters, I had to laugh. Beastiality? Really? Hahahahahaha. Don't you mean bestiality, you vile imbecile?

LMAO,

Spelling

__________

yo everybuds,

yo my mains come on chill - who care bout cap letters and dots and commas and tense and syntax man - be cool fool it gonna be alright

good vibes yall

lowercase letters

__________

Dear eejits,

What is WRONG with you?? Sweating the small stuff without a care in the world about overworked and underpaid me. Typical. All the time I am forced to work as a verb, I mean ALL THE DAMN TIME, and do you care? No. Of course not.

As if nouns dont have enough to do being proper and improper that we should have work as bloody verbs. It is exhausting.

So get your act together, you inept incoherent bozos, or nouns will be going on strike, and youll be making sentences with no nouns at all. Go ahead. Make my day.

NON-verbally yours,

Proper Noun

Union Rep for Nouns, Local 45

__________

Dear Noun,

Oh god no, don't do that, don't leave me. I am incomplete without you, you delightfully adorable improper thing you. The rest of them? Screw em. We dont need them. And Ill never again make you dress up like a floozy verb with whips and chains. Well . . . unless you want to? Tonight? Please?

Love and kisses,

Sentence

__________

epilogue

the grammar war was long and ugly but much quieter once capital letters was seized and shot

punctuation ran off to france to become la ponctuation

sentences wallowed in the gutter with lascivious nouns

but without punctuation they slowly turned into rather long paragraphs that nobody bothered to read

and now to make matters worse

the verbs are growing restless

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: Contributed - City of Vernon

City of Vernon staff have been ordered to go back and rework the numbers on the cost of building a runway extension at Vernon Regional Airport.

A draft master plan was before council once again Monday with a recommendation not to include an extension.

Coun. Catherine Lord said that if the project does not go ahead now it never will, due to a change in Transport Canada regulations. It's got to be done by the end 2017.

The latest cost estimate for a runway extension is $5.2 million but Lord believes it could be lower.

We've had a couple of different cost estimates and I think staff needs to go back and take a look at them and really work those numbers again, Lord said. The original estimate was 2.4 (million dollars), the second estimate was 5.2 (million) so I expect we might land somewhere in between.

I think those two numbers are so disparate that we need a little bit more information on them.

The master plan is expected to be back before council at its next meeting in two weeks time.
Photo: Castanet Staff - File Photo

Vacationers can check out destinations, resorts, air carriers and travel agents this weekend during the annual Spring Travel event at Kelowna International Airport.

The event, which also offers travel tips and information on popular vacation destinations, takes place Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

This is a great opportunity for local residents to learn about exciting new travel options from YLW, said airport director Sam Samaddar.

We also have a fantastic line up of prizes for the draw, with all money raised going to Metro Community.

This year, YLW and its partners are giving away five prize packages, including:

Tickets for two to Dublin, Ireland, courtesy of Air Canada;

A flight for two to Prince George, Smithers or Terrace on Central Mountain Air;

A vacation package for two to Whitehorse with Air North, Yukon's Airline;

A vacation package for two to Victoria on Pacific Coastal Airlines; and,

One $250 travel voucher with Air Canada Vacations.

YLW will also host an open house for the new airport master plan 2045.

Citizens will have the opportunity to review key aspects of the draft plan, including future airport development, cost-effective options and environmental impacts, and provide feedback that will be considered in the development of the final master plan.

Free parking will be provided in the long-term lot during event hours.

Attendees are required to bring in their parking vouchers to be validated.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A 16-year-old passenger died Monday after being injured last week in a Pearl Harbor helicopter crash, hospital officials said.

The teen and three family members visiting from Canada were aboard a tour helicopter when it crashed into the water near the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center on Thursday.

Their names have not been released.

Two family members remain hospitalized in stable condition. Another was treated and released.

"So that the 16-year-old's memory lives on, the family has chosen to donate his organs to patients in need," Gidget Ruscetta, chief operating officer at Pali Momi Medical Center, said in a statement.

No information was available for the pilot, who was taken to another hospital.

Federal agencies are investigating the crash.

The boy was trapped underwater and had to be cut free from his seat, according to witnesses.

Federal records show the helicopter is registered to Jeffrey Gebhard of Kailua, Hawaii. The Navy said the helicopter reportedly belongs to Genesis Aviation. The website for Genesis Helicopters says it was founded by Gebhard and conducts tours over Oahu.

A call to Gebhard was not answered on Monday. A man who answered at a number listed for him last week declined comment, citing the investigation.

Civilian divers floated the helicopter to the surface Friday and a crane pulled it out. The Navy said the aircraft was taken to Genesis Aviation's hangar at the airport, where the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation.

It was the second major crash this year involving helicopters on Oahu.

Twelve Hawaii-based Marines were killed when two military helicopters crashed during nighttime training on Jan. 14. Both aircraft were CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters that were part of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463.

Shawn Winrich, visiting from Madison, Wisconsin, was taking photos of Pearl Harbor when he saw the helicopter headed toward the popular tourist destination.

He switched to video, recording the helicopter's dramatic drop into the water.

"All of a sudden it essentially just fell out of the sky and crash-landed in the water," he said last week.

He stopped filming and jumped in to help.

The Honolulu Emergency Services Department took the teen to the hospital in critical condition.
Photo: Contributed

Seven people have been named to an advisory panel created to respond to allegations of real estate contract flipping by some Metro Vancouver property agents.

Lawyer Howard Kushner, Central 1 Credit Union president Don Wright and British Columbia Securities Commission head Audrey Ho are among those who will sit on the panel.

The practice involves agents exploiting an assignment clause that allows them to sell a home multiple times before a deal closes, driving up the final price and stacking up their commissions.

The Real Estate Council of British Columbia announced earlier this month it would create an advisory group to investigate the allegations raised by media reports and Opposition politicians.

Superintendent of Real Estate Carolyn Rogers was appointed chairwoman of the group and tasked with naming its members.

She says the panel will examine the ways the council identifies and responds to licensee conduct that could pose a risk to consumers or that fails to meet the standards expected by the public.

The advisory group members named Monday are:

Howard Kushner, lawyer, Kushner Law Group.

Don Wright, president and CEO of Central 1 Credit Union.

Audrey Ho, commissioner of the B.C. Securities Commission.

Bruce Woolley, lawyer with Stikeman Elliott.

Carol Geurts, associate broker, Century 21 Veitch Realty, Creston, B.C.

Tony Gioventu, executive director of the Condominium Home Owners' Association of B.C.

Ron Usher, general counsel, Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia
Photo: The Canadian Press

Teachers returned Monday to a northern Saskatchewan school that was the site of a deadly shooting, but the front entrance to the building remained boarded up.

Education Minister Don Morgan says the doors through which a shooter entered La Loche high school Jan. 22 is sealed off and a different entrance will be used for returning students.

Morgan said repairs have been made and parts of the school will be used by counsellors to help students cope as they gradually resume classes.

"The counsellors that they're using have suggested not to have a specific date or a specific time and saying, 'This is it. Ring the bell and classes start,'" Morgan said in an interview Monday with The Canadian Press.

"They're saying bring the people in gradually, both the staff and the students. Let them spend a day or two sort of reacquainting themselves, getting comfortable with going through the different parts of the school."

The community is organizing a "Reclaiming Our School" walk for Wednesday.

Teacher Adam Wood and teacher's aide Marie Janvier were killed and seven other people were wounded at the school, while teenage brothers Dayne and Drayden Fontaine were found dead in a nearby home.

A 17-year-old youth charged with four counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder appeared via video in court in Meadow Lake on Monday afternoon. He stood quietly, wearing a grey sweatshirt.

Court heard that the Crown will apply to have the teen sentenced as an adult if he is convicted.

The teen's lawyer, Darren Kraushaar, said he's waiting to see more evidence.

"We've received some disclosure, but I understand there's going to be a fair bit of disclosure that's going to be coming in," Kraushaar told the court via conference call.

Prosecutor Lloyd Stang said that disclosure "is on its way."

The case has been put over to April 12 in La Loche and the teen will appear via closed-circuit TV.

About a dozen teachers from elsewhere in the province are at the high school to help returning teachers adjust, Morgan said. There are "probably some" teachers that won't return, but Morgan added he didn't know for sure.

Recruiting teachers to remote schools has long been tough in Saskatchewan.

Morgan pointed out that three new staff members started at the La Loche hospital the day of the shooting and they're staying.

"They said that they believe in the community, even though they're new there, and want to stay. And I think that's the way it is with a lot of the teachers that are there. I think most of them believe in the community and want to stay there," he said.

"But getting people attracted to come up is going to be a bit of a challenge."

The education minister met with town council and toured the school on the weekend. Morgan said it was "a really difficult walk through."

"You knew what had happened and you just thought, 'Why did this happen in Saskatchewan?'"
Photo: CTV

The mayor of Coquitlam wore the same suit to every council meeting for more than a year, and nobody noticed.

Richard Stewart revealed his social experiment on Sunday in a Facebook post.

"I went into my closet and picked out a plain, off-the-rack, boring, dark blue suit. I decided that I'd wear that suit to every Council meeting until someone noticed, until someone commented on it. I told nobody," wrote the Vancouver-area mayor.

"Over 15 months, nobody had noticed how limited my wardrobe was."

Stewart said his objective was to learn first-hand about the double standards around dressing for men and women.

"Of course, I can't imagine anybody suggesting that a woman could get away with wearing the same outfit for more than a year," he wrote. "But clearly a man could, and did."

Stewart said his experiment was prompted in part by a female politician who told him she would face criticism if caught wearing the same outfit twice in a week.

He had also read an article about an Australian newscaster who demonstrated "sexist attitudes that prevail in our society" by wearing the same clothing for a year. The anchor, Karl Stefanovic, had lamented that his female co-host gets regular emails and criticisms over her clothing, Stewart said.

"There are double standards in so many aspects of our lives, a different standard for men than for women," he wrote. "Where this different standard presents a barrier, where this limits the advancement of one group over another, where this prevents our democratic institutions from better reflecting society, we need to remove it."

The mayor decided to conclude his test last week, but not because someone figured out what he was up to.

A city councillor joked that Stewart didn't "get the memo" on a day the mayor was still sporting the same blue suit, while three councillors incidentally happened to don grey.

"Let's not elect our representatives because of the clothes they stand in, but because of what they stand for," Stewart wrote.
Photo: CTV

High-school students described a chaotic scene at a suburban Toronto high school on Tuesday after a female classmate ran down the hallways knifing people, leaving six students and two teachers with non-serious injuries.

Police say the girl was taken into custody and two people were transported to hospital for treatment, although none of the injuries were considered grave.

Sgt. Bill Calder of Durham Regional Police says officers were called to Dunbarton High School in Pickering, Ont., at 8:32 a.m. in response to reports of a stabbing. He added that two staff members wrestled the suspect to the ground and held her down until police arrived.

"People will call them heroes, but I'm sure they'll say they were doing what anyone else would have done, but it was brave thing to do in such a dangerous situation," said Calder.

Police have not released the name and age of the female student, but said charges are pending. There was no information about the girl's motive.

Dave Selby, a spokesman for Durham, said a lockdown remained in place at the school, but there was no active threat. Police said the school would close for the day and were interviewing witnesses.

Students described running from a girl brandishing two kitchen knives careening down the hallways of the school.

An emotional Kristina Petrovska, 14, said she came face-to-face with the suspect, who slashed the knives at her.

"I just ran for my life," the girl said as she began to cry. "I just can't believe it happened. She almost got me."

Stephen Pim said he saw a girl with a long black coat chasing students in the hall of the school's tech wing waving a knife in each hand.

"I heard the teachers say 'clear the halls' so I started to run outside informing people that there's a student with a knife, you need to get to safety," the 16-year-old said in a text message as he sat in a locked classroom inside the school.

Dalton VanderElst said he got to school at 8:30 a.m. and a teacher yelled to get out, that there was someone with a knife. So he bolted outside where he said he saw four tactical officers with guns drawn entering the school.

Zakyr Rhemtulla, a Grade 9 student at Dunbarton, says he was faced with chaos from the moment he arrived at school this morning.

He says as soon as he opened the front door, he saw students running in all directions.

"I'm like 'oh, what's happening,'" he said in a telephone interview. "So I just kept on walking and some teacher told me, 'oh, come into this room.' So I ran into the room. They locked the door, closed the curtains, turned the lights off."

Rhemtulla and a few other students remained in the classroom while the school was in lockdown and police combed the property for evidence.

He said the initial shock of the situation eased up as students monitored social media and learned that no one appeared to be in danger.

"Students are calm, I guess," he said. "Police are gone, kids are just joking around."

Lynn Sharma dropped her son off at school around 8:30 a.m. and shortly after received a text from him saying there was an attack on other students, but that he was safe.

"I just want to see my boy," she said outside the school.

"He says he's fine, but I really just want to get him in my arms. It's hard to believe this happened at my son's school."
Photo: Google Maps

The mayor of a small village in western New Brunswick says the earth - and residents' nerves - are calming down following a recent swarm of earthquakes.

McAdam Mayor Frank Carroll says that while the area is still experiencing tremors, they are nowhere near the strength of a 3.3 magnitude quake that shook homes and broke windows on Feb. 9.

"I think there's somewhat of a calming down over the last couple of weeks. It's almost like the unexpected doesn't happen when you have all the equipment here to monitor everything," Carroll said Tuesday.

Stephen Halchuk, a seismologist with Earthquakes Canada, said four seismic recording instruments were installed about 10 days ago and they have plotted about 30 minor tremors since then.

"This gives us more data that we can work with to try and come up with some answers as to where the possible fault is that's generating the earthquakes and maybe provide some answers on a possible mechanism on what's causing these earthquakes to occur," Halchuk said.

He said the equipment will remain in place for a few months, and scientists would like to get roughly 100 to 200 seismic events to have enough data.

Halchuk said it's not possible to say if the tremors will continue.

"Each swarm of activity is unique and these fluctuations in the size of the events and the frequency of the events, really it's not possible for us to come up with answers as to what's going to happen in the future," he said.

An earthquake swarm occurs when numerous quakes happen in the same area over a short period of time.

The McAdam area experienced a succession of earthquakes in the days before and since the 3.3 magnitude event, which broke windows and shook items off shelves.

Carroll said this month's earthquakes were much stronger than those experienced in 2012 and again in 2015, but he said residents are somewhat reassured that the strongest quakes were centred northwest of the village.

Halchuk said a similar earthquake swarm was recorded in neighbouring Maine about 10 years ago.

He said earthquake swarms may be occurring more often than we realize, but this one was felt because it was so close to homes in McAdam.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A woman who lost her three children and father in a horrific drunk driving crash broke into tears Tuesday as she spoke to the man responsible for their deaths before a packed Ontario courtroom.

"I don't have anyone left to call me mom .... You killed all my babies," Jennifer Neville-Lake told Marco Muzzo from the witness stand.

"I miss my kids, I miss my dad, I want my old life back."

Many in the courtroom, including police officers, wiped their eyes as Neville-Lake recalled learning the devastating news and rushing to hospital just in time to see two of her children taken off life support.

Muzzo pleaded guilty earlier this month to four counts of impaired driving causing death and two of impaired driving causing bodily harm and was released on bail until Tuesday.

Since the crash, Neville-Lake said, the home that once echoed with laughter has been left eerily quiet.

"The roaring silence that has been left behind as a result of your actions is so deafening," she said.

Almost everything in Neville-Lake's life, from the family home to favourite songs, "elicits pain and overwhelming sadness," she said.

The woman  described by her relatives as a "supermom"  said she has lost her identity along with her children and now struggles to carry out even the most mundane tasks.

"Your actions have shattered my world completely," she said.

Her husband, Edward Neville-Lake, said in a statement that he has suffered from suicidal thoughts and intense anxiety since the crash, and the loss has affected their marriage.

"I feel lost in my life...it has been destroyed beyond repair," he said in a statement read in court.

Nine-year-old Daniel Neville-Lake, his five-year-old brother Harrison, their two-year-old sister Milly, and the children's 65-year-old grandfather, Gary Neville, died after the van they were in was T-boned by an SUV in Vaughan, Ont., last September.

The children's grandmother and great-grandmother were also seriously injured in the crash.

Neville-Lake's mother also told court today that she now has no one to grow old with.

Neriza Neville says it would have been easier to bear if the love of her life had died from illness because she would have had the chance to say goodbye.

Many in the community also wrote statements to express how the tragedy has shaken them.

Muzzo, who is being held in segregation at his request, is expected to speak when the sentencing hearing resumes Wednesday.

He had initially faced a dozen counts of impaired driving and six more charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

The court heard he was so drunk at the time of the Sept. 27 crash that he urinated on himself and needed help standing.
Photo: Contributed - APTN

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and the Native Women's Association of Canada have written to the premiers to complain about being left out of discussions prior to next week's first ministers meeting.

The letter, obtained by The Canadian Press, expresses surprise and "great disappointment" at the lack of an invitation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

It also calls on the premiers to hold Trudeau accountable to his promise of inclusion.

"At a meeting held on Dec. 16, 2015, the prime minister reiterated the federal government's commitment to include all five (national aboriginal organizations) in high-level discussions pertaining to indigenous issues," it reads.

"It is extremely important that all indigenous voices are heard and not just a select few."

Dwight Dorey, the national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, which represents about 1.1 million indigenous people living off-reserve, said the government's decision does not make sense to him.

"In talking to some of the premiers, they're ... shocked at it," Dorey said in an interview.

"It is clearly discrimination. It goes totally against the commitment that the prime minister made."

Dorey said he's seeking the support of the premiers in the hope it will convince Trudeau to invite both the congress and the NWAC.

In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office said Trudeau would meet the premiers, the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Metis National Council ahead of the first ministers meeting "in the context of a renewed nation-to-nation relationship."

The meetings do not in any way preclude ongoing discussions with all five national aboriginal organizations, as committed to by the prime minister late last year, the statement said.

"The government of Canada has committed to working and meeting regularly with the national aboriginal organizations, and will continue to engage in robust bilateral discussions with all five ... on issues of importance to their members," said spokesperson Andree-Lyne Halle.

Halle did not provide a specific explanation on why The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and the Native Women's Association were not invited.

NDP indigenous affairs critic Charlie Angus said he is still trying to figure out what the government is trying to accomplish by leaving out the two groups.

"Mr. Trudeau said he was going to end Stephen Harper's standard operating practice of picking winners and losers and creating confrontation by excluding people he didn't want to hear from," Angus said.

"The message they're sending is, 'There are going to be winners and losers with this new government.'"
Photo: Contributed

The federal government has hit another roadblock in its decades-long effort to strip Canadian citizenship from a now 92-year-old man who was once a member of a brutal Nazi death squad.

In its decision, the Federal Court of Appeal set aside a ruling against Helmut Oberlander and ordered the government to take another look at the case.

Oberlander, an ethnic German born in Ukraine, has argued he had no choice when German forces conscripted him at age 17 in 1941 to serve as an interpreter in Einsatzkommando 10a. The unit was part of a force responsible for killing more than two million people. Most were civilians, and most were Jewish.

"The appellant was entitled to a determination of the extent to which he made a significant and knowing contribution to the crime or criminal purpose of the Ek 10a," the Federal Court of Appeal said in its recent decision.

"Only then could a reasonable determination be made as to whether whatever harm he faced was more serious than the harm inflicted on others through his complicity."

In making its decision, the court noted the Supreme Court in 2013 ruled that individuals cannot be held liable for a group's crimes only because they associated with the group or passively acquiesced to its criminal purpose.

Oberlander, who immigrated to Canada with his wife in 1954 and raised two daughters, became a citizen in 1960 and ran a construction business in Kitchener, Ont. The government first began trying to strip him of his citizenship in 1995, prompting a hotly contested and protracted court battle.

In 2000, Federal Court concluded Oberlander had obtained his citizenship fraudulently  either by lying on his application or by hiding his Second World War activities. Ottawa moved again to revoke his citizenship, leading to one appeal that ended in 2004 with the case being sent back to the government for a new decision.

In 2007, the government again revoked his citizenship, prompting a new round of appeals.

Two years later, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled the government had been reasonable in finding Oberlander's membership in Einsatzkommando 10a made him complicit in its war crimes he knew were happening.

However, the court also said Ottawa should have considered the issue of whether he had acted under duress and sent the matter back for further consideration.

Ottawa reviewed the issue and rejected the idea that Oberlander had acted under duress.

He had failed to show, the government argued, that he feared execution in order to justify his complicity in the actions of the killing squad. In 2012, it again revoked his citizenship on the grounds he had been a member of Ek 10a and, as a result, could be "suspected of being complicit in the activities of a limited brutal-purpose organization."

Oberlander appealed again to Federal Court, which rejected his arguments, and then to the Federal Court of Appeal, which has now sent the matter yet again back to the government.

His lawyer did not immediately offer any comment.
The Cleveland City Council on Monday decided that more discussion was needed before approving a new agreement with Bradley County for 911 services. One of the most important services for the city to provide its citizens is first class emergency assistance, said Councilman Richard Banks. The core of that, he said, is the 911 communications network. Incorporating changes into the agreement with Bradley County concerning paying for the plan for the next four years is under discussion. The matter was postponed until a meeting on April 11.

How the different agencies communicate during a crisis is part of the conversation about emergency services. The Bradley County Sheriffs Department and Cleveland Police and Fire Departments need to be able to communicate with each other in emergency situations. The radio frequency that works for the police department, said Police Chief Mark Gibson, does not function as well for the fire department because it does not penetrate the walls of high density buildings, and the sheriffs department has problems with the radios in some rural areas. Another concern with the radios is that the system may not be accessible in an extreme emergency when a large number of people are using them at the same time.

An update to the city manager search was given to the council by consultant Larry Wallace. The committee of seven people that have been chosen to review and narrow down resumes of applicants for the job met on Feb. 16 for the first time introductions. A second meeting was held on Feb. 18 with Jim Mercer from the recruiting firm Mercer and Associates, the firm chosen by the council to lead the search. He told the committee he expects to receive a minimum of 75 applicants.

Councilman Banks suggested giving some guidance to Mr. Mercer and the committee as to the minimum qualifications that are desired for the city manager position. The city charter specifies the job qualifications should be based either on education or experience. Councilman Banks recommended a blend of those two. Mr. Wallace told the council that he thought Mercer would appreciate the direction.

Olin, a supplier to Volker Chemicals, has requested to make three connections to Clevelands municipal sewer system. City Manager Janice Casteel recommended that the connections should be used only by Olin and not their subcontractors. The plant manager from Olin said the system the factory currently uses as the sanitary sewer needs to be replaced. If the company is allowed to tie into Clevelands system, it will allow Olin to update its own. There are two on-site contractors that are included in the original request.

A Cleveland city ordinance says this would be allowed in order to promote economic development.

The factory is in Charleston but Olins office is inside the Cleveland city limits and many of the 500-600 employees live in Cleveland. Olin is looking for future development at the site creating more jobs, as well. Olin would be required to pay for the work. The Cleveland Utilities representative said they see no problems with doing it, but said a study of the waste water would be required before it could be implemented.

The council was given an update on the progress being made on the construction of Raider Arena. The mezzanine level of bleachers is now finished, landscaping will be done this week, and the rubberized track surface will be started Wednesday and will take two-three weeks to complete. A weight room has been donated by the Bank of Cleveland for the Arena. The floor in that area has been leveled to prepare it for the rubber surface in what will become the fitness center.

An update was also given for the LIC (Local Interstate Connector North) near I-75 Exit 20. Seven property owners have signed agreements and have been paid for right-of-ways on their properties. This week meetings with six more property owners will be taking place, leaving just two-three to complete the right-of-ways that are needed.

Cathy Goodman was appointed to replace the position of interim director of the funding committee for building a new elementary school on Georgetown Road. She replaces Martin Ringstaff, former director of Cleveland City Schools.

Councilman Avery Johnson, representing District 3, announced that in the next election he will not run again for that position but will instead run for the at-large spot now held by Vice Mayor George Poe. Mr. Poe said he will also run for that same at-large position that he has held for the last 16 years.

A presentation was made to Police Chief Mark Gibson by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. This award recognizes employer support for members of the National Guard and is an honor that subordinates give to their employer. With his encouragement, those employees are allowed to do their service in the National Guard.
Ethnic cuisine is becoming more popular than ever. With Lee University students consistently lining up at the Deacon Jones Dining Hall for international food, Lee Dining Services is excited to welcome Chef Tomaz Slatnar from Slovenia to campus Monday and Tuesday as part of Sodexos 2016 Global Chef program.

Global Chef is a program inspired by student surveys and client aspirations, designed to increase student satisfaction while bringing a unique experience to campus dining. Sodexos top worldwide chefs are provided opportunities through a month-long international chef residency to travel to different countries and share authentic international cuisine with students, faculty, staff and the surrounding communities.

"We are elated to have the opportunity to be a host location for the Sodexo Global Chef program, said Tim Tenon, general manager of Sodexo and Lee Dining Services. Our International Station and menu options are very popular, so having Chef Slatnar prepare and share authentic international cuisine from Slovenia with students, faculty, staff and the community will be a special experience.

Mr. Slatnar, born in Kranj, Slovenia, joined the international Sodexo team in 1996. He started cooking as a young boy and has since become the manager of Prestige Catering. In 2008, he travelled to Beijing, China, where he accompanied the Slovenian Olympic team and prepared Slovenian food.

With a lifelong passion of cooking food, both local and foreign, Mr. Slatnar is excited about travelling around the world with Global Chef.

I will be honored to visit new countries, meet new faces and represent Slovenian cuisine, said Mr. Slatnar. I try to make the most of each new experience, and I am delighted to confront every new challenge.



Slovenian cuisine can be characterized by its rich and hearty dishes, and the Sodexo menu will feature meals similar to what one might find in the heart of Slovenia. On Monday, Mr. Slatnar will prepare a lunch including Prekmurian Stew, Chicken Fillet Ljubljana, and a dessert of vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries and pumpkin oil. On Tuesday evening, guests to the Deacon Jones Dining Hall can enjoy dishes such as Carinthian cottage cheese with red onion, pumpkin oil and chive, and mushroom soup with buckwheat kasha among others.

Visitors from the community are always welcome to dine at Lees dining hall. Lunch is served from 10:50 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and dinner is served from 4:45-7 p.m.

To learn more about Lee Dining Services and Sodexo, visit www.leedining.sodexomyway.com.


When it comes to tallying emissions of greenhouse gases, there is no better substitute than directly measuring the atmosphere. But this important accounting can be obscured, and even confused, if measurements of the air-borne heat-trapping chemicals are inaccurate or can't be compared from one instrument or data set to the next.

To help ensure reliably accurate measurements of the big three long-lived greenhouse gases, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued two new Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) that are puffs of naturally occurring air from far-flung parts of the globe.

The new NIST-certified references--Southern Oceanic Air (SRM 1721) and Northern Continental Air (SRM 1720)--contain painstakingly measured concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. They respond to the growing need for greenhouse gas calibration standards that extends beyond organizations participating in the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Atmosphere Watch Program, including its North American network. This program is served by a dedicated set of calibration laboratories.

A variety of other organizations outside these official monitoring networks also measure greenhouse gases and need tools for ensuring accuracy. They include state and local agencies that track emissions and atmospheric concentrations of the gases; automobile manufacturers, which are particularly interested in leaks and other unintended emissions of nitrous oxide from vehicles; and so-called megacities projects that inventory sources and levels of the gases in large metropolitan areas.

To ensure measurement accuracy, these and other types of organizations can first use their instruments to measure concentrations of the three gases in a NIST natural-air SRM. If the results differ from the SRM's certified values, they can adjust--or calibrate--their instruments accordingly before measuring gas levels in the local atmosphere.

The two natural air benchmarks hold the NIST record for lowest uncertainties assigned to components in the agency's more than 60 primary gas SRMs.

The southern oceanic air hails from Baring Head, New Zealand, site of an air-monitoring station situated on a coastal cliff 79 meters above the Pacific Ocean. Samples were gathered in New Zealand at times in which prevailing winds originated from Antarctica.

Samples of northern continental air were collected during late winter and early spring seasons in the Rocky Mountains at Niwot Ridge, Colo., a forested area more than 3,500 meters (almost 11,500 feet) above sea level.

Standard Reference Material 1720

For nearly four decades, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been siphoning the site's pristine air for its monitoring program and, more recently, for supplying calibrated reference samples to organizations participating in the WMO's atmospheric monitoring network and NOAA's tracking system.

NIST and NOAA independently measured concentrations of the three greenhouse gases in the volumes of northern continental air contained in aluminum gas cylinders. While the NIST and NOAA measurements were in close agreement, the SRMs' certified concentrations are taken from the actual NIST assigned values. The NOAA values are included for those users who need to use the WMO-accepted calibration.

Among long-lived greenhouse gases, the three compounds account for about 90 percent of what is known as "radiative forcing"--a measure of the compounds' influence on the balance of incoming and outgoing energy in the Earth-atmosphere system. Carbon dioxide, the most abundant greenhouse gas, accounts for 65 percent of radiative forcing. Molecule for molecule, methane (at 17 percent) and nitrous oxide (6 percent) are much stronger absorbers of the Earth's reradiated energy, but they are less abundant in the atmosphere.

Accurate measurements of known and suspected influences on climate change require a sophisticated, underpinning infrastructure. NIST research chemist George Rhoderick says certifying concentrations of the three greenhouse gases in both natural air SRMs first required developing a set of even more exacting primary standards for each gas. The NIST Gas Sensing Metrology Group, he explains, spent five years developing suites of these primary standard mixtures so that measured NIST-certified concentrations of each gas in the SRMs is linked to the global measurement system.

For both natural-air SRMs, pressurized canisters containing the mixture have been calibrated individually. Average values are 390.1 parts per million for carbon dioxide and 0.32 parts per million for nitrous oxide. Average methane values differ by about 6 percent--1.7 parts per million for the southern ocean air mixture and 1.8 parts per million for cylinders of northern continental air.
Parade steps off Audio Article For the first time since 2019, marching bands, classic cars, dance troupes, scouts and politicians made their way along Midlothian Turnpike for the annual Midlothian Day Parade on Saturday, Oct....
So much wealth today is predicated on moving money around or strip-mining businesses by cutting costs, benefits and ultimately workers to benefit those at the top of the food chain but chewing up those below. Some not that far down, actually.
As Apple supporters convened at the Apple Store on North Michigan Avenue for a rally, Laquan McDonald protesters joined the throng and interrupted the rally with a protest of their own. Feb. 23, 2016. (WGN-TV) (Chicago Tribune)

A rally in support of Apple's decision to fight a government request to create software that they say would circumvent security safeguards was hijacked Tuesday by protesters calling for the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez after the police shooting of Laquan McDonald.

The Apple Store on North Michigan Avenue was among nearly 50 locations worldwide where Fight for the Future, an organization that advocates for privacy for Internet users and opposes Web censorship, planned rallies Tuesday.

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A small group assembled for that rally late Tuesday afternoon proved unequal to a more vocal group of protesters, who had marched from the Thompson Center in the Loop to North Michigan Avenue. That group saw the media assembled to cover the Apple rally and quickly commandeered the spotlight.

A protester holds a burning American flag during a Feb. 23, 2016, demonstration on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

The protesters started chants against Emanuel and Alvarez, then several in the crowd got into a shoving match with police officers. Some of the demonstrators were knocked into the planter boxes that line Michigan Avenue.

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A small cluster of protesters huddled at Michigan Avenue and Huron Street, where they burned a small American flag and shouted profanities before continuing to march north.

After the skirmish, only two or three Fight for Future protesters remained, including Jon Monroe, who said he drove downtown from Libertyville to participate in the rally. He said the others were "scared off."

A demonstrator lies on the ground in front of the Apple Store during a protest on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Feb. 23, 2016. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

The Apple demonstration was set up to mark a week since a judge's order that Apple help the FBI unlock the cellphone of a gunman in the December mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., that claimed 14 lives and left 22 wounded.

Organizers had encouraged protesters to turn their phones and tablets into protest signs and carry 10-foot iPhone-shaped banners reading "Don't Break Our Phones" to show opposition against the court order compelling Apple to help the FBI hack into Syed Rizwan Farook's work-issued iPhone.

"We're at a turning point, a fork in the road for if the government will have the precedent to have access to all of our private information in our phones," Monroe said.

"It's just like after 9/11," said Kyle McDaniel, who also came out for the Apple rally. "They said, 'We need to be able to spy on all of our citizens, we need all of their records. And companies  were like, 'OK,'"

"It's bad that kind of thing happened, but it's worse that they're using it as a scapegoat for them to exacerbate the losing of our privacy," McDaniel said.

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Apple objected to the court order and posted on its website that it believes there are "dangerous" implications to creating a new operating system for the use of the government and that could set a precedent.

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Although it is possible to create a new operating system, Apple said the only way to make sure the tool isn't abused is to never create it.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a letter last week that the tech company provided phone data to authorities and made Apple engineers available to advise the FBI.

"We have great respect for the professionals at the FBI, and we believe their intentions are good. Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them. But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create," he said.

In a letter Sunday, FBI Director James Comey said: "We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorist's passcode without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly. That's it. We don't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land."

lvivanco@tribpub.com

tbriscoe@tribpub.com
The sign on the reinforced door read "Projectile Testing" and the crowd gathered in the corridor outside had been warned to expect a small explosion.

But when the hoverboard battery blew up with an almighty BANG and a flash of yellow flame, Barbara Guthrie flinched all the same.

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"Huh!," UL's chief public safety officer said with a nervous laugh as she adjusted her safety glasses Tuesday morning. "Would you say that's something you want in your home?"

It's a question parents and other consumers have been asking themselves as reports of spontaneously combusting two-wheeled hoverboards have multiplied in the weeks since the self-balancing electric scooters became Christmas' must-have toy.

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John Drengenberg, UL consumer safety director, talks about what UL looks for when testing products such as hoverboards on Feb. 23, 2016, at a UL test lab in Northbrook (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Photos of hoverboards that were unintentionally incinerated in families' homes while charging have proliferated on social media almost as fast as videos of celebrities like boxer Mike Tyson taking comedy pratfalls from them.

Now  with lawsuits proliferating, the devices yanked from the shelves of Toys R Us and other retailers and banned as a fire hazard by major airlines, some college campuses and rail lines including Metra  Northbrook-based safety-certification company UL says it is coming to the rescue. It's developed a set of standards it says can reassure consumers that any UL-certified hoverboard is safe.

The government is urging manufacturers to seek certification. Last week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned that it could impound or recall uncertified hoverboards. There's only one problem: The standards are so new that no hoverboard has yet passed them. And UL says confidentiality agreements mean it cannot reveal which manufacturers have applied for certification.

Founded in 1894, UL provides product safety testing and certification, with its approval mark appearing on 22 billion products worldwide each year. Its labs at a sprawling Northbrook campus are a kind of torture chamber for products, the kind of place whose awesome destructive possibilities might appeal to little boys.

Products can be pummeled with weights, dunked in water, zapped with electricity and subjected to an almost unlimited number of other indignities, including being fired upon by an AK-47 assault rifle, before they are certified. One giant hangar-style building contains two life-sized houses, built purely to be torched.

If the tests that hoverboards will be subjected to aren't quite as severe, they may nonetheless seem unfair to the layman. Hoverboards are dropped repeatedly from a 1-meter height, have their batteries punctured with nails, and are run for as long as seven hours with one of their wheels jammed to see if they catch fire. The explosion in the "Projectile Testing" room, for example, was caused by heating a lithium-ion cell from a hoverboard battery over a 1,000-degree Bunsen burner flame for several minutes.

But Guthrie said that even if users don't abuse their hoverboards to such extremes, the test reveals flaws in the battery's manufacturing. While shrapnel from the explosion Tuesday ripped through a metal mesh screen designed to contain it, better made batteries don't behave like that. "And that was just one cell," she said. "The typical hoverboard has 20 or 24 cells, so you can imagine what damage they could do."

"These lithium-ion batteries are not like your grandfather's batteries, they're very complex chemically  they're not something you can just make in your garage," she said. "If you think how kids treat these things, throwing them on the floor like a skateboard, banging up curbs or leaving them out in the rain, then you can see why these tests are necessary."

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While none of the technology in hoverboards is in itself, new, the combination of technologies is, said John Drengenberg, UL's consumer safety director. UL recently accused Indiana-based hoverboard maker Swagway of using a UL certification mark on hoverboards that contain some UL-certified parts but which have not been certified as complete hoverboards.

A lithium-ion battery used for hoverboards bursts into flame after undergoing a test with extreme heat at a UL lab in Northbrook on Feb. 23, 2016. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

"It's how the whole system works together that matters," said Drengenberg. "It shouldn't be impossible to make a safe hoverboard, but so far there isn't a single hoverboard that's been certified."

Hoverboards that UL recently bought at stores in the Chicago-area have counterfeit UL stamps, were shoddily made and filled with metal shavings that could cause a short circuit or lead the hoverboard to accelerate uncontrollably, Drengenberg added. Some had wires secured with only masking tape or weak soldering. And he noted that some of the Chinese-made hoverboards had badly written English on their packaging and instructions, including a recommendation that they not be "ixposed (sic) to rain."

While poor English isn't necessarily a sign of bad engineering, "It can be a red flag and consumers should trust their instincts  they're probably a good guide," he said. Certified hoverboards, if and when they're available, will have a holographic UL mark, he said.

Even then, his wife probably wouldn't let him ride one, said Drengenberg, who's 73. "I'd need a helmet and knee and elbow pads and a pillow taped to my butt," he said.

kjanssen@tribpub.com

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Justin Dearborn was announced as the new CEO of Tribune Publishing on Feb. 23, 2016. (Tribune Publishing)

Three weeks after welcoming Michael Ferro as the largest shareholder and nonexecutive chairman of Tribune Publishing, Jack Griffin is out as CEO.

Griffin, who has guided Tribune Publishing since its August 2014 spinoff, has been replaced by technology executive and longtime Ferro associate Justin Dearborn, the Chicago-based newspaper company confirmed Tuesday.

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Dearborn, 46, had been CEO of Merge Healthcare, a Ferro-controlled medical technology company that was acquired by IBM in October.

"Although this is a different medium than my last technology company, it has the same challenge on how to create the highest value for our content," Dearborn said in the news release.

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Tribune Publishing CEO Jack Griffin. (Dominick Reuter / for the Chicago Tribune)

Ferro became Tribune Publishing's largest shareholder in early February, when his investment firm, Merrick Media, bought a 16.6 percent stake in a $44.4 million deal. Ferro also is the majority owner of the Chicago Sun-Times, but has said he has given up "all operating involvement" with that newspaper upon becoming nonexecutive chairman of Tribune Publishing's board.

Tribune Publishing owns the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and other major newspapers. When Ferro's acquisition was announced, Griffin called Ferro "a tremendous admirer of our brands at the Tribune  so it's a winning combination for our company."

Dearborn did not return a call seeking comment. A Tribune Publishing spokesman declined to comment beyond the news release Tuesday.

The ouster of Griffin came as a surprise to some industry analysts, who saw Ferro's cash infusion as supportive of Tribune Publishing's strategy and leadership, which had come under fire in recent months as the company's valuation plummeted.

"I didn't see this coming at all," said financial analyst Hamed Khorsand, who follows the company for BWS Financial. "You bring in an ally and then he fires you."

Dearborn, who has no media experience, takes the helm of the legacy newspaper company as it struggles to reverse years of industrywide revenue declines and transition to a digital-first medium. He has a long track record with Ferro, the two having worked together on Internet software company Click Commerce, investment firm Merrick Ventures and most recently Merge Healthcare, a Chicago-based medical software company that was sold to IBM for about $1 billion, including the assumption of nearly $198 million in debt, according to Dealogic.

In June 2008, Merrick Ventures bought a controlling stake in Merge, which had been reeling from an earlier accounting fraud scandal, for $20 million, including a $15 million loan. Dearborn was installed as Merge CEO the following month.

Although Merge didn't turn a yearly profit under Ferro's and Dearborn's leadership, the development of an artificial intelligence initiative to analyze medical diagnostic records caught IBM's eye last year, leading to the sale of the company.

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Merrick's 23.5 percent stake in Merge was valued at nearly $190 million in the IBM transaction.

When Ferro bought into Tribune Publishing, he pledged to be actively involved with his new investment, and the quick change at the top of the company is evidence of that. In addition to installing Dearborn as CEO, Ferro has named digital media executive Malcolm CasSelle as president of new ventures.

Under terms of the Feb. 3 transaction, Ferro's firm cannot acquire more than 25 percent of the outstanding shares and cannot sell its stake in Tribune Publishing for three years.

"The board thanks Jack Griffin for his significant contributions and wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavors," Ferro said in a statement Tuesday.

Ferro declined to comment beyond the press release, with a spokesman citing a quiet period until Tribune Publishing reports its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings results March 2.

Griffin was initially hired as a consultant to streamline the publishing assets in advance of the Tribune Publishing spinoff from Tribune Media, which retained higher-margin broadcasting assets and real estate holdings. He arrived at Tribune Publishing after holding executive roles at Parade Magazine and Iowa-based Meredith Corp. In 2010, he became CEO of Time Inc. He was pushed out after less than six months by the chief executive of their parent company, who cited differences in leadership style.

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At Tribune Publishing, Griffin's tenure has been marked by strategic acquisitions, cost-cutting measures and a steadily falling share price, all of which have contributed to takeover rumors as the company's market capitalization fell below $200 million.

In September, Tribune Publishing fired Austin Beutner as publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune, unleashing waves of criticism from West Coast civic leaders. Tribune Publishing approved buyouts for approximately 7 percent of its eligible 7,000 employees across its media portfolio in November.

Griffin's acquisition strategy brought the Union-Tribune, the Sun-Times suburban papers and two Maryland papers into the Tribune Publishing fold. Ferro's investment was intended to give Tribune Publishing the cash infusion it needs to compete for the bankrupt assets of the Orange County Register, seen as a crucial acquisition for its California News Group. Tribune Publishing submitted a "stalking horse" opening bid on Feb. 12, with the bankruptcy auction set for March 16. The assets, including real estate, are expected to fetch between $40 million to $65 million, according to media analyst Ken Doctor.

"I'm proud of all that we have accomplished to reorient the company and position these premium brands for the future," Griffin said in a statement.

It is unclear if the new leadership will affect the acquisition strategy.

Addressing employees on Feb. 4, the day the acquisition was announced, Ferro said he wants to use "big data and artificial intelligence" to get Tribune Publishing to tap into the billions of dollars Google, Facebook and other Internet giants are making off of its content. While Ferro has yet to elaborate on his plans, Katie Risch, senior vice president at Chicago-based Centro, which works with Tribune Publishing on its digital advertising, said most newspapers are not monetizing their readership data fully.

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Risch said publishers can significantly "extend their audiences" by selling advertising beyond their own websites and building their databases with nonreaders that "look like" their own audiences, the same tactics employed by Google for its market-leading ad network.

"I believe Tribune Publishing has a significant opportunity to leverage technology to increase the value of its content and distribution channels," Dearborn said in a statement.

Dearborn has been working with Ferro since 1997, when he joined Internet startup Click Commerce as general counsel. Click, an online sales platform for manufacturers launched by Ferro, was sold to Illinois Tool Works for $292 million in 2006.

Prior to Click Commerce, Dearborn worked at Motorola before it split into two companies. He specialized in intellectual property transactions and also held management positions in Motorola's semiconductor and government groups. He has a bachelor's degree in accounting from Illinois State University and a law degree from DePaul University, according to SEC filings.

Megan Crepeau contributed.

rchannick@tribpub.com

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Where in the world is Cleetus Friedman going?

That's been the question since the chef announced last week he's parting ways with the Fountainhead, the Ravenswood bar and restaurant he's been heading up for three years, and the Northman  a long-in-the-works cider bar from the Fountainhead group.

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"I'm still at Fountainhead for another week and that's the reason why I haven't come out and said anything, out of respect to the Fountainhead group," he says. "People have been waiting two years for the Northman, and that's what it should be about. It should be about (chef) Sean (Sanders) coming in."

But after an outpouring of concern from customers and friends worried he might be sick or leaving Chicago, Friedman is spilling the beans a little early. He has accepted a position as executive chef at Caffe Baci, the 24-year-old Italian cafe with four locations downtown and a kiosk in the Holiday Inn at Merchandise Mart. He'll be tasked with overhauling the menu at the four downtown cafes (for this, his title is creative chef) and running the brand's catering business as executive chef, including an under-construction catering kitchen with a retail section.

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Fountainhead Market, the shop next door to Fountainhead, will continue to sell his Crafted by Cleetus products, which include salamis, hot sauces and beer collaborations with many local breweries.

"What I'm doing is taking a job that offers me a lot of creativity and a whole lot of fun while having time at night and on the weekends to spend with my family and my girlfriend  to have a balance," he says. "I have 10-year-old twins. There are only a few more years before they won't want to be around me anymore, and I want to take advantage."

He's also looking forward to doing some volunteer work through Baci's catering arm; he's already setting up tastings for a center for the blind and visually impaired on the Northwest side.

Consider the job move a homecoming: Friedman worked at Caffe Baci in the '90s, when he first arrived in Chicago. "I love their wood-fired pizzas and all their sandwiches and salads, and their housemade bread and gelato," he says. "But they've been doing the same things for so long. I'm excited to put my spin on it."

As for what that spin will be, stay tuned. "It's a big elephant and I can't eat it in one bite," he says. "I have to take one nibble at at time. There's a lot to do."

mconrad@tribpub.com

Twitter @marissa_conrad
It's been six months since Jon Stewart signed off as host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," and his legacy is looking strong everywhere except on "The Daily Show."



There, new host Trevor Noah is suffering ratings woes quite possibly related to the fact that he is not Jon Stewart. More on Noah, whose show I think is better than people give it credit for, in a moment.



HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," the most successful "Daily Show" sort-of spinoff  after the now-departed and still sorely missed "The Colbert Report," of course  is back with a new run of shows.



Its trademark long-form pieces (which people seem to forget Colbert also did) have taken on anti-abortion laws and discriminatory voter ID laws in the show's first two weeks back. And Oliver's show has found a near-perfect tone to back his blend of erudite and goofy aghast-ness at the American scene.



"The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," which took over Colbert's post-"Daily Show" time slot, passed its year anniversary in January. It's a drier, more arm's-length offering, although its standing title for the presidential campaign, "The Unblackening," is hilarious.



Wilmore seems in fuller stride, though, when he is hosting the show's panel discussions than when delivering comedy, which he does almost offhandedly. There is certainly room for a more likable Bill Maher.



But Oliver has made more than 60 shows by now and Wilmore has done a full year. More recent news is that former "Daily Show" stalwart Samantha Bee this month launched "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee."



The TBS half-hour has been well received by critics for a perceived feminist slant on topical comedy, although giving a woman-hosted show a title that alludes to nudity perhaps would not have been the first choice of your alma mater's women's studies department.



Still, Bee's take has been sharp in the initial episodes: The first one opened with a mock news conference about Bee being a female host, underscoring her show's advertising slogan, "Watch or You're Sexist." On her most recent show she highlighted the logical inconsistency of politicians ignoring the Constitution to call for a delay in replacing deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a strict constructionist.



Even if "Full Frontal" is not always a well-oiled machine, it's doing some clever things.



A smart staffer noticed that Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders waves his hands a lot when he talks so, presto, a superbly edited short segment, presented without comment, showing Sanders as a classical music conductor. And a field piece derived from a Bee visit to Jordan, a sign that the show wants to do more than just offer the same wasn't-last-week-crazy monologue everyone else is doing.



It's hard not to wonder what would have happened to "The Daily Show," which Stewart built into an essential part of the comedo-political conversation, if Comedy Central had made the more natural transition by giving the hosting job to Bee.



Viewers likely still would have realized that she is not Jon Stewart (it's a canny audience this program has cultivated). But would the ratings be down almost 375,000 nightly viewers, or 30 percent, comparing early February weeks in 2015 and 2016?



That year-to-year decline  the show is also down, about 35 percent, in its share of the 18-to-49 audience demographic  comes despite a recent Noah publicity blitz and a December visit to the show from Stewart during which the former host did not actually pull out a sword and tap Noah on both shoulders. Nor did he grasp Noah's face with both hands and kiss his forehead. Still, though, the viewers, who, again, are canny, got the idea.



"Oh, man, I heard about this in American TV," said Noah, who is South African. "Are you taking the show back?"



"A thousand times no," Stewart responded.



You can understand why Comedy Central went with Noah. At 32, he is a full generation younger than Stewart, 53, and he has most of a generation on Bee, 46.



But while he has had some growing pains as a host, including being able to read copy cleanly, the show remains one of the most sharply written you will find.



All comedy show fans are tired of the easy reliance on Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump by now, or at least they think they are. But "The Daily Show" on Monday at least found something fresh to say. Showing a Trump debate clip in which the candidate and Chicago tower embellisher described the campaign as "tough," "nasty," "mean" and "beautiful," Noah said, "Only Trump could describe democracy in a way that also sounds like he's sexually harassing it."



It's not quite up to the level of Oliver's description of last week's Pope-Trump tiff  "a battle between an infallible force and an illogical object"  but it's pretty good.



Where Noah has been especially keen is in using his outsider status to marvel at the American presidential race. Monday he again drew comparisons between Trump and certain African dictators. I wasn't sure at first, but now I think he has the chops to put across the smart material his writers are serving him (although his American character accents are, um, a work in progress).



Noah does not hold up in comparison with Stewart, but Stewart is a singular talent who was able to take an existing show and remake it into something deeper, smarter, more meaningful  and even funnier because of all that.



Noah, at least, is keeping it funny even as he seems to be improving as a host. Those are both good signs that, for me at least, have returned "The Daily Show" to its status as an almost daily habit.



sajohnson@tribune.com
Then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, left, speaks with aide Huma Abedin before a presidential campaign event in Pittsburgh in 2008.Aconservative advocacy group is seeking records related to Abedin's later State Department employment. (Charles Dharapak / Associated Press)

Reporting from Washington  Hillary Clinton's email problems continued to haunt her presidential campaign Tuesday after a federal judge ruled that aides to the former secretary of State should be questioned in a lawsuit that alleges the private server set up in her home may have been intended to dodge federal transparency laws.

The lawsuit was brought by the conservative advocacy group Judicial Watch, which for years has sought records related to the State Department employment of one of Clinton's top aides, Huma Abedin.

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Abedin was given special permission to work for the Clinton Foundation and an outside consulting firm at the same time she was on the State Department payroll.

TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign >>

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The State Department argued that the questioning was unnecessary after Clinton turned over tens of thousands of emails that had gone through her private server. The State Department has released them to the public in monthly batches since mid-2015.

But U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan was unconvinced.

On Tuesday, he ruled that Judicial Watch should proceed with a "narrowly tailored" discovery involving the questioning of Clinton aides.

The judge also is considering whether Clinton should be compelled to turn over all the emails that went through her private server, not just those that she and her lawyers self-selected as involving government business.

"The court-ordered discovery will help determine why the State Department and Mrs. Clinton, even despite receiving numerous [open records] requests, kept the record system secret for years," Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said in a statement.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

The initial round of questioning will not include Clinton or Abedin, but the judge left open the possibility that they could ultimately be called to the stand.

"It may happen that [Clinton's] testimony is necessary for the court to resolve the legal issues about her undocumented email practices," Fitton's statement said.

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State Department lawyers had argued in court that the testimony was unnecessary because the government had already searched through the emails turned over by Clinton for records related to Abedin's employment.

Judicial Watch's complaint that Clinton and Abedin "self-selected" their work emails "ignores the fact that federal employees routinely manage their email and 'self-select' their work-related messages when they, quite permissibly, designate and delete personal emails from their government email accounts," they wrote.

Sullivan issued his ruling from the bench Tuesday, where he said questions about how the State Department handled Clinton's email server have created "at least a 'reasonable suspicion'" that open-records laws were violated, according to a report in the Washington Post.

"This case is about the public's right to know," the judge said.

The lawsuit is separate from an ongoing FBI investigation into whether classified material was improperly sent and received through the unprotected computer server in the Clinton home.

evan.halper@latimes.com

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Muriel "Manny" Tuteur was the director of the union-sponsored Amalgamated Day Care and Health Center, which operated from 1969 to 1983. (Provided by family)

Muriel "Manny" Tuteur's involvement in the labor movement started in the 1940s, when as a young college student looking for ways to participate in the war effort she was hired as a milling machine operator in the steel mills of Chicago.

She filled a job formerly held by an enlisted man  but for less pay.

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"That was her introduction to the workplace and what started her down a path," said her daughter, Judy Stechert.

In the years that followed, the Chicago native became a union activist. She had a hand in creating the first union-sponsored day care center in the country, worked on voter education and senior citizens issues and served on a variety of committees for groups  national and local  related to women's, children's and family issues, including the National Implementation Task Force of the White House Conference on Families.

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"She was one of those unsung heroes, a role model for me as a woman, a leader and just as a wise person," said U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who met Tuteur in the 1980s and became a friend. "She was someone I'd call to talk about a variety of issues."

Tuteur, 93, died of natural causes Feb. 3 at Saddleback Memorial hospital in Laguna Hills, Calif. She lived in the Rogers Park neighborhood for many years before moving to California in 2000.

After moving to Southern California to be closer to family members, the then-81-year-old grandmother took up the cause of striking part-time supermarket workers seeking better pay and health care benefits.

"Manny was fearless," Schakowsky said. "There was no power too strong for her to take on. Her compassion and warmth, combined with her fierce determination and fighting spirit, was so inspiring to me."

Born Muriel Friedman in Chicago, Tuteur grew up on the West Side, the daughter of Romanian immigrants and youngest of nine children. Prior to graduating with a degree in sociology from the University of Chicago in 1943, she began working as a milling machine operator at U.S. Steel's South Works plant in Chicago.

That same year she married Charles Tuteur, who had escaped Nazi Germany before the war. He died in 2006.

In 1944, Tuteur enlisted in the Women's Army Corps and was stationed in Vancouver, Wash., where she worked as a ship fitter until the war's end.

Upon returning to Chicago, Tuteur worked briefly as a caseworker for Cook County, and then for many years as a preschool educator for the Jewish Community Centers.

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In 1969, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America hired her to start the first union-sponsored day care center in the country. The Amalgamated Day Care and Health Center operated from 1969 to 1983 with Tuteur as director the entire time.

"The center provided what's now known as early childhood development, something the children wouldn't have received had they been left at home with a babysitter," Tuteur's daughter said. "It also gave those working parents some peace of mind knowing that their children were receiving quality child care, not just day care."

Tuteur continued with the group's successor, Unite Here, working on voter education and senior citizens issues, and served as an adviser to a variety of committees, including her participation during the Carter administration in the National Implementation Task Force of the White House Conference on Families.

"That conference represented a groundbreaking time in our country, in that it put so many of the important issues affecting children and families at the forefront," her daughter said.

Tuteur was also a former president of the Chicago chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) and a longtime member of its national organization, serving as co-chair of its National Child Care Task Force and as a member of its National Executive Board.

She established CLUW'S Florence Criley Award in 1982, received the National Council of Jewish Women's Hannah G. Solomon Award in 1988 and was inducted into the Chicago Women's Hall of Fame in 1989.

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"Most of my training came from this amazing woman," said Katie Jordan, president of the Chicago chapter of CLUW. "She was the kind of leader that reached back and brought others up. She put CLUW on the map and got me, and countless others, involved in so many important women's issues."

In addition to her daughter, Tuteur is survived by a son, Peter; and a granddaughter, Rebecca.

A memorial gathering is scheduled for March 17 in Laguna Woods.

Giangrasse Kates is a freelance reporter.
DAMASCUS, Syria  The Syrian government and the main umbrella for Syrian opposition and rebel groups announced Tuesday their conditional acceptance of a proposed U.S.-Russian cease fire that the international community hopes will bring them back to the negotiating table in Geneva for talks to end the war.



The announcement came after the United States and Russia agreed on a new cease-fire for Syria that will take effect Saturday, even as major questions over enforcement were left unresolved.



The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that it accepts the proposed truce, adding that operations will continue against the Islamic State group, al-Qaida's branch in Syria and "other terrorist groups linked to them."



"The Syrian government stresses the right of its armed forces to retaliate against any violation carried out by these groups," the ministry's statement said.



The Syrian announcement came after the main umbrella for Syrian opposition and rebel groups, the High Negotiations Committee, said late Monday that it "agrees to a temporary truce" as long as the main opposition's demands are met.

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The HNC said the "acceptance of the truce is conditional" to the Syrian government ending its siege of 18 rebel-held areas, releasing detainees and the cessation of aerial and artillery bombardment.



U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura halted the latest Syria talks in Geneva on Feb. 3, because of major differences between the two sides, exacerbated by increased aerial bombings and a large-scale government military offensive under the cover of Russian airstrikes.





It was not immediately clear if de Mistura will set a new date for the resumption of the talks that were scheduled to resume on Thursday. Last week, de Mistura was quoted by Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet as saying the Syria talks won't resume in Geneva on Feb. 25 as he had previously hoped, adding that he cannot "realistically" get the parties in the Syrian conflict back to the table by then, "but we intend to do so soon."



Syria's state news agency SANA reported late Monday that a new humanitarian aid convoy made up of 44 trucks entered the besieged Damascus suburb of Moadamiyeh. The delivery was conducted under the supervision of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the United Nations, SANA said.

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On Tuesday, state TV reported that aid entered another rebel-held suburb, Kfar Batna.



The latest distribution of aid came as Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, began a five-day visit to Syria  his fourth since taking office in 2012.



"This is a critical situation at the present moment with millions of people in need and the objective of course of this trip is to scale up our operations and to bring as good as we can more help to Syrian people," Maurer said in statement.



The truce will not cover IS, the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and any other militias designated as terrorist organizations by the U.N. Security Council. But where in Syria the fighting must stop and where counterterrorism operations can continue must still be addressed. And the five-page plan released by the U.S. State Department leaves open how breaches of the cease-fire will be identified or punished.



Associated Press
The correct way to understand Bernie Sanders' socialism is to relate it to the United Nations' 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.



A human right is the justified claim of all people to what they need, not only to live, but to flourish and develop their unique potential. The first 21 articles of the declaration list civil and political rights, including rights to life, property and equality under law. Such rights are basic to democracy, requiring some governmental protection but also governmental non-interference in our lives.



However, to flourish, a person also needs rights in which the government goes beyond not interfering to helping. These social and economic human rights Articles 22 to 27 include food, clothing, housing, a job, medical care, a living wage, the ability join a union and free but compulsory basic education.



Politically speaking, a government that guarantees civil and political rights is democratic; the opposite sort is autocratic.



Economically speaking, a government that guarantees social and economic rights is socialistic; its opposite is capitalistic. The latter counts on the free market to provide the opportunity to compete for a job and medical care to those who buy it. Thus capitalism does not violate social and economic human rights, but it doesn't guarantee them.



In this context, socialism does not mean Karl Marx's government ownership of the means of production. It simply means that, even in a capitalistic economy, if the free market cannot provide jobs, housing, education, and medical care for all, the government will. It can do all this democratically, for example by taxing free-market transactions.



We have, then, four types of government, based on the rights that each guarantees:



Democratic socialism the best kind because it safeguards both civil and political rights, as well as social and economic ones. Scandinavian governments are an example.



Democratic capitalism, which guarantees civil and political rights and allows the taxation of the free market to provide a safety net to ensure a certain level of social and economic rights for all. This is the United States.



Autocratic socialism, also known as communism, where an authoritarian government denies the civil and political rights, but claims, often insincerely because it can't be democratically examined, to guarantee social and economic rights. This is the Soviet Union.



Autocratic capitalism violates civil and political rights, and doesn't guarantee social and economic rights, but tends to have only crony capitalism. This was pre-Castro Cuba.



Bernie Sanders is a democratic socialist because this system is the best guarantor of both political and economic rights. This form of government is widely realized in Europe, especially in countries like Sweden and Denmark.



Social democratic parties, which are usually the governments instituting democratic socialism, tend to co-exist with socialistic and communist parties to the left of them. However, the socialism of these parties is not the Marxist version in which the government owns all the factors of production. This socialism is simply achieved through legislation that democratically regulates and taxes capitalistic free markets.



European democratic socialism is really only capitalism in a welfare-state. This would look like, first, capitalism for everyone, with socialism only for those failing in the free market. Social democratic parties are not communist because they are democratic and open in their socialistic controls.



Michael Moore's new movie, "Where to Invade Next," is a tour of capitalist countries where democratic socialism has done wonderful things France, Italy, Germany, Finland, Portugal and Tunisia.



Sanders' socialism is just an extension of what his favorite president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, did to preserve capitalism after it caused the Great Depression. Roosevelt's New Deal was aimed at relief, recovery and reform. He began the march to the full guarantee of social and economic rights by strengthening unions, creating jobs, providing pensions through Social Security, and ensuring a minimum wage, welfare, rural electrification and assistance to farmers.



Left unrealized in the New Deal are proposals now advocated by Sanders: free public college education, free universal health care, free child care for working parents, making the minimum wage a living wage, increased taxes on the rich and financial bailouts to those who lost homes in the 2008 mortgage crisis, rather than to the Wall Street firms that caused the catastrophe (which, incidentally, is an example of socialism for the rich).



So, Sanders is not a communist or a Marxist socialist. He is not undemocratic, nor a threat to a capitalism regulated to achieve the common good.



Jeanne Kirkpatrick, President Ronald Reagan's ambassador to the United Nations, once called the Declaration of Human Rights a mere "letter to Santa Claus." But during the same Reagan presidency, the U.S. Catholic bishops of the United States offered a contradictory opinion in Economic Justice for All, and it is roughly the opinion of the present Pope Francis.



After praising our founding fathers for their successful "experiment in the protection of civil and political rights," the bishops continued: "We believe the time has come for a similar experiment in securing economic rights ... for every person."



Bernie Sanders now offers to lead us in designing this experiment.



Tribune Content Agency

Joseph Betz is a professor emeritus of philosophy at Villanova University. Readers may send him email at joseph.betz@villanova.edu. He wrote this for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The conventional wisdom now is that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has no chance to win the Republican nomination, but that he'll fight on until the end anyway.

Both of those assumptions are jumping ahead of the facts.

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Yes, his third-place showing in South Carolina, a state with demographics matching his strengths and one where he dumped considerable resources, was bad news for the Texas senator. He is now down to 2 percent in the Predictwise market assessing his nomination chances.

Yet he's one of five remaining candidates, and two of them, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, are fringe efforts at this point. Cruz has plenty of money, and he'll receive a fair amount of media attention ahead of Super Tuesday, which is March 1. At least six of the 12 states voting that day remain good battlegrounds for him: Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia.

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We have no new public polling since Saturday's election in South Carolina in those states, and few surveys altogether. Georgia? The last survey was in January. Alabama? The last poll was in August. Cruz was leading in a one-day poll in Arkansas taken between the votes in Iowa and New Hampshire, and posted a strong second in an Oklahoma survey around the same time. Obviously, we'll get some new numbers in the coming days, but it's hard to extrapolate from what we have now.

Massachusetts would seem to be a bad state for Cruz, but with Kasich concentrating on Massachusetts and Vermont  both March 1 states as  and possibly taking votes away from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Cruz could defeat Rubio there, just as he (narrowly) did in New Hampshire.

If Cruz can manage to win several states, and beat Rubio everywhere, on Super Tuesday, maybe we're down to Cruz vs. billionaire Donald Trump, and Cruz could certainly win that.

No, this is hardly the most likely outcome, and he had a bad day on Monday  he fired his spokesman, Rick Tyler, after a campaign gaffe, and Rubio added a bunch of new endorsements. But it is better than the 1-in-50 chance the prediction markets are giving him.

On the other hand, perhaps Rubio's late surge in South Carolina hints he's on his way to running strong in Nevada on Tuesday and then everywhere on March 1. Pending any polling, this seems more likely.

If Cruz has a disappointing Super Tuesday, he'll no longer have any plausible chance of winning the nomination. The best he can hope for would be to win enough delegates to produce a deadlocked convention.

Don't be certain he would stay in, however. Yes, Cruz is famously disruptive, putting his own grandstanding ahead of the good of the party as a whole. That was the effect of his role in the 2013 government shutdown. Yet Cruz had plenty of party allies during that standoff, including members of the House who later became the House Freedom Caucus. He's no outsider. He's a factional candidate of Republican radical conservatives, and his actions then could be read as efforts to differentiate himself from mainstream conservatives.

Staying in the presidential race with no chance to win wouldn't help him to brand himself as the True Conservative. It would help Trump to win, and his remaining on the ballot would not serve to convince anyone that Rubio was a squish and a RINO.

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Meanwhile, Cruz supporters who care about, say, Supreme Court nominations would have no reason to stick with him: Rubio will be reliable for Christian conservatives on policy, while Trump is a threat to them.

Perhaps Cruz would stubbornly soldier on anyway, especially if March 1 delivers a more mixed result. But other Republicans in the race dropped out as their prospects dimmed, despite predictions they would stay in longer. I'm skeptical that Cruz can resist those forces any better than they did.

Bloomberg View

Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg View columnist covering U.S. politics.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton converse during Gov. Bruce Rauner's second budget speech on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, at the State Capitol building in Springfield. (Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune)

Make your own guess as to how Illinois politicians will resolve their ongoing budget gridlock. Given that legislative Democrats yearn to raise our taxes, and that Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is willing to make new revenues part of a deal, none of us will be surprised if we're sending more money to Springfield. Maybe lots more money.

Rauner would be asked to sign into law any bill raising taxes. But after this epic battle of the budget, every sentient Illinoisan will realize that Democrats are the prime movers for any revenue hikes. So while Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan don't always turn first to us for advice, we hope they realize the golden opportunity presented by four bills to streamline Illinois, which we've long called "The Government State" for its 7,000 local governments.

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Imagine the power of a Democratic (or Republican) sales pitch that goes something like this: We decided we had to raise your taxes. But look, Illinois taxpayers, at how we also empowered you to consolidate governments and lower your overhead costs. Get to it!

This is where some Democrats in the legislature will say they don't want any part of four government streamlining bills that Rauner supports, even though state Rep. Jack Franks, Democrat of Marengo, is co-sponsoring two of the bills.

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But we hope every legislator considers these bills as a small down payment on government economizing, a goodwill gesture to the millions of Illinoisans who will resent sending one more dollar to a state government that, for many decades, has spent this state into insolvency  unable to pay its bills as they come due.

Many of those Illinoisans have read plenty about those 7,000 local governments, a number unmatched by any other state. Many of those governments primarily benefit employees who are piling up pension points for their nicely funded retirements. Last May the Illinois Supreme Court, in striking down an attempt to curtail public pension benefits, noted that governments do have the power to control their expenses. And one sure way to curb future pension spending is to eliminate many of these local governments.

The four bills in question are anything but radical. In shorthand:

 A Citizens Empowerment Act would let citizens hold referendums to consolidate duplicative or unnecessary governments.

 An expansion of what's essentially a pilot program in DuPage County would make it easier to streamline local governments in all 102 counties.

 Blanket permission to consolidate municipal and township governments that share the same borders.

 An act removing barriers to consolidation of township governments. Someday Illinois voters will realize that all township governments can fold into county or municipal governments. Until that blessed day ...

These and other sound proposals emerged from a study group on consolidation and unfunded mandates that Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti chaired. Her group had a long bureaucratic title. We've previously suggested shortening it to "Because of the Pensions." If this state's costly overhead isn't substantially reduced, then paying for pensions will continue to crowd out local governments' spending on education and other priorities. Taxpayers would appreciate relief from all of the retirement promises those governments have created.

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But again, despite Sanguinetti's involvement and Rauner's support, these four bills will come across to voters as Republican proposals only if Democrats squander their opportunity to co-own (or even co-opt?) them. The group's report neatly summarized why the government industry has kept total taxation so high for citizens: the "extraordinarily high number of local governments coupled with financially burdensome unfunded mandates. The recommendations in this report are designed to help reduce property taxes as well as modernize the delivery of local public services."

Ah, yes, your property tax bill. The one that lists all the local governments, school districts and mosquito abatement districts that have tended to fiercely resist consolidation or elimination.

These four bills would begin to help you and citizens across Illinois accelerate that streamlining.

And speaking of property taxes: Is your payment just about due?

Follow the Editorial Board on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.
Lorelei Beyer will discuss "The Impact of the Affordable Care Act and Midwifery Today" March 16 in Aurora.

Beyer is a woman's health nurse practitioner and midwife who has a bachelor's degree in nursing, a master's degree in nursing and midwifery and certification in nurse midwifery. Her talk will go from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the new Santori Public Library, 101 S. River St., Aurora. The discussion is free and open to the public. A short PowerPoint depicting key areas of the new library also will be shown.

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The Aurora branch of the American Association of University Women and AAUW Aurora-branch member and state Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora) are co-sponsoring the discussion.

With 37 years experience in nursing, Beyer has worked in both the suburbs and the city of Chicago. She spent 34 of those years at South Suburban Hospital, then went to the University of Illinois, Little Company of Mary Hospital, taught nursing students at St. Xavier University and most recently has been working as a midwife and woman's health practitioner out of Mercy Hospital in Chicago.

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"I can speak on the Affordable Care Act's impact on my patients because I see it every day," said Beyer, who as a certified nurse practitioner can prescribe medications for her patients. "My patient population is lower socioeconomic women who rely strongly on Medicaid and Medicare. Many of these women were without well-woman care until the Affordable Care Act was passed. So I have seen what a difference it's made."

As for midwifery, Beyer said this type of care is making a comeback and midwife nurses are currently being licensed by the state of Illinois. Midwives, she said, are not physicians, but neither are they assistants. They are considered mid-level providers.

"Our role is growing," she said. "The emphasis is now on keeping people well, keeping them healthy, and keeping them out of hospitals."

The American Association of University Women is open to all people who have received an associate's or higher degree. For more information on the discussion or the AAUW, go to www.aurora-il.aauw.net
The First Church of Christ Scientist, 12300 S. 80th Ave., is being converted to a mosque by the Muslim American Society. (Nick Swedberg / Daily Southtown)

The semi-retired attorney from Palos Park was saddened to learn that yet again someone wished to deny him the right to worship, this time in the community he has lived in and loved for some 35 years.

An anonymous flier circulated in mailboxes and online this month decried plans to open a mosque and community center at the site of a former church in this southwest suburb, roughly a mile from the home of 72-year-old Omar Najib, who intends to pray there.

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The Muslim American Society bought the property at 12300 S. 80th Ave. in December and plans to do minor maintenance at the site, with no opening day scheduled yet. The leaflet titled "Save Palos" accused the house of worship of threatening to erode housing values and congest traffic.

"It's just bigotry," Najib said. "It should bother anyone, so it does bother me."

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Opposition to new mosques has become "almost a given" in the Chicago area as well as throughout the country, a brand of Islamophobia often shrouded in concerns over zoning or urban planning, said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, based in Washington, D.C.

Residents in Bayonne, N.J., rallied last month against plans for a Muslim community center there, bearing signs that read "Stop the Mosque" and "If the Mosque Comes the Mayor Go's" (sic). Around the same time, members of a Christian group spoke out against a mosque scheduled to open this spring at the site of a former South Milwaukee, Wis., church. In late November, tempers also flared at a forum over an Islamic center proposed in Fredericksburg, Va.

"It used to be a lot more subtle. Now it's in your face," Hooper said, attributing this shift to misplaced anger after recent terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., as well as the anti-Muslim rhetoric of presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson.

"They have really moved Islamophobia from the fringes to the mainstream," he said.

Mosques still growing

Attempts to establish new worship sites for Muslims in the Chicago suburbs have sometimes been met with resistance.

The DuPage County Board initially denied an Islamic center a permit but then in 2013 agreed to pay the center a $445,000 settlement after a federal judge ruled the board had acted inappropriately. A Glenview mosque was approved in 2006, even though 500 residents had signed a petition against the house of worship. An Islamic center opened that same year in Orland Park, despite resident protests citing fears of terrorism and too much traffic.

And many in the southwest suburbs still remember the mosque that was never built in neighboring Palos Heights, a case that made national headlines.

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News of an Islamic center opening at the site of a former church there in 2000 drew so much ire that the city council offered the mosque $200,000 to walk away from the deal. The buyout was vetoed by the mayor at the time, Dean Koldenhoven, who had called it an insult to Muslims. For taking a stand for the mosque, Koldenhoven was awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2002. He was also voted out of office, which many attributed to the mosque fight.

"That was 16 years ago," said Koldenhoven, who received a copy of the Palos Park flier this month, which he said looks suspiciously similar to a flier circulated in Palos Heights when his community was in the throes of controversy. "I can't believe it; it still rears its ugly head."

The buyout was also opposed by Najib, the Palos Park attorney, who headed a local chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee back then.

He was also planning to worship at that mosque, and had spoken publicly against selling out religious faith for money.

Omar Najib says midmorning prayers Feb. 18, 2016, at his home in Palos Park. Najib supports and plans on attending a proposed mosque about a mile from his home. (Anthony Souffle / Chicago Tribune)

'Pastoral setting, rural splendor'

While these cases were disheartening, they haven't discouraged the overall growth of mosques in the Chicago area, said Oussama Jammal, spokesman for the Muslim American Society, the nonprofit establishing the new mosque in Palos Park.

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The six-county area was home to at least 90 mosques as of 2010, said Paul Numrich, an affiliate research associate professor with the McNamara Center for the Social Study of Religion at Loyola University. There were only 67 mosques in the late 1990s, up from five  all in Chicago  before 1960, according to Numrich's research.

Jammal said any controversy usually ends shortly after a mosque opens, and he believes this is because the surrounding community often benefits from the house of worship socially and economically.

He pointed to the strips of shops advertising in Arabic along 87th Street and Harlem Avenue, an area often called Little Palestine, just a few blocks from the Mosque Foundation, which was established in Bridgeview in 1980.

One of those businesses is the Nile Restaurant, where manager Walid Hendi questioned why anyone would object to a mosque in their neighborhood.

"People go there to pray to God," he said over the din of a weekday lunch rush of falafel and hummus sandwiches. "Having a mosque is better than not having a mosque. If there is no mosque to teach the right things, then people will do the wrong things."

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

As for Najib, he said he knows the message on the flier doesn't reflect the sentiments of most of his Palos Park neighbors or the village officials who represent them.

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Mayor John Mahoney immediately condemned the anonymous leaflet as cowardly. Members of the Muslim American Society said they met with him last week, describing the talk as cordial and welcoming.

"Palos Park's motto is a 'pastoral setting, rural splendor,'" Mahoney said in a phone interview. "That site is a good representation of that pastoral setting and rural splendor. I think it makes a fine place for a place of worship."

In some ways, Najib said the village's reaction to the flier illustrates tremendous social progress in the 16 years since the controversy next door in Palos Heights. There's no reason to believe the mosque won't open here as planned, Najib said.

"Now we don't have to fight city government," he said. "It is an established fact that Muslims are here and they have a right to have a worship place of their own."

eleventis@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @angie_leventis
Deisi Hernandez (right), from Mexico, refers to Kabira Madani, from Morocco, as "mom." Both recently completed Moraine Valley Community College's basic nursing assistant training program for English as a Second Language students. Wednesday, January 28th, 2016, in Palos Hills. | Gary Middendorf-Daily Southtown (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

Kabira Madani was 14 when she first realized she wanted to be a nurse.

"I was back home in Morocco," she said. "My mom suffered with gallstones and every time she had an attack my dad would give her an injection."

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But one night while her father, then a member of that country's Army Nurse Corps, was working overnight at the base, Madani's mother fell ill.

"She was rolling on the floor in pain," Madani said.

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She and her brother walked through post-midnight darkness to summon a nurse in another neighborhood but the caregiver refused to come.

"I cried all the way home," she said. "Then I realized we had the medicine and the syringes, so I just sat down and remembered how my dad used to do it. I got the alcohol and the cotton. And I did it. After 15 minutes, Mom was feeling better."

Nina Shoman-Dajani, manager of Transition and ESL at Moraine Valley Community College, talks about the basic nursing assistant program for English as a Second Language students. Wednesday, January 28th, 2016, in Palos Hills. | Gary Middendorf-Daily Southtown (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

Madani went on to take Red Cross classes, learning how to give shots, draw blood and treat wounds and burns.

But her years of working in a private clinic back in her home country do not qualify her to do the same kind of work here in the United States, where she has lived for the past 16 years. Not without state certification, anyway.

Like all nurse's assistants in Illinois, the now-48-year-old Burbank resident, whose native languages are Arabic and French, needed to pass an accredited course and state exam. Thanks to a new program at Moraine Valley Community College aimed at getting English as a Second Language (ESL) students through specific academic programs, Madani recently completed such a course.

Realizing it needed to provide opportunities for its immigrant population as well as bilingual talent to the local workforce, last summer Moraine began offering the ESL Basic Nurse Assistant Training (BNAT), a seven-credit-hour program that prepares students whose native language is not English for the state's nurse assistant certification exam, said Lydia Falbo, director of nursing at MVCC.

Falbo said ESL BNAT is for foreign-born students interested in working in the healthcare field. They can take the course, pass the exam and apply for nurse's assistant type jobs or they can use the program as a steppingstone to becoming a nurse.

"The Basic Nurse Assistant Training is not required (to become a nurse), but it is highly recommended so students have experience coming into the program.," Falbo said. "With certification, a student can work at a hospital or extended healthcare facility as a certified nurse assistant."

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Lydia Falbo, director of nursing at Moraine Valley Community College, talks about the basic nursing assistant training program for English as a Second Language students. Wednesday, January 28th, 2016, in Palos Hills. | Gary Middendorf-Daily Southtown (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

Three ESL students completed last summer's inaugural course and three more just finished this past fall's session at the Palos Hills campus. Three are enrolled in the current program.

All of the immigrant students have received financial assistance as well as supplemental help with language and culture, some through a Walmart Brighter Future grant and some through the MVCC foundation, Falbo said.

The idea for a program aimed at ESL students sprang from discussions with the school's healthcare providers, including Metro South Hospital in Blue Island, she said.

"Some of our healthcare partners are looking for Spanish-speaking students," Falbo said. "We held information sessions here at the main campus and in Blue Island. It was surprising to see the session here was fuller than (farther east). So we felt this was important to have here. The population we know is diverse. I'm doing my doctoral project on that, on how healthcare needs more minority students because the population is changing.

"Studies show if patients have nurses and nursing assistants who speak their language, they tend to feel more comfortable and are able to understand their care and get better quicker, or better follow directions," she said.

Nina Shoman-Dajani, manager of MVCC's ESL program, said, "There is absolutely a need for this. We would like to diversify the healthcare career opportunities for our students who speak another language. We feel they are needed in the community."

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In addition to language support, Shoman-Dajani said, the school offers transition programs, "not only because our funders want us to but also because it's part of retention and graduate initiatives that tie into our college admission."

Marlene Dikindza, 31, came to the United States from Gabon, Africa, 18 months ago.

In her native country, she worked in accounting. Those kinds of jobs are hard to find here, she said, especially for someone whose native language is French.

Marlene Dikindza (left to right), from Central Africa, Kabira Madani, from Morocco, and Deisi Hernandez, from Mexico, all recently completed Moraine Valley Community College's basic nursing assistant training program for English as a Second Language students. Wednesday, January 28th, 2016, in Palos Hills. | Gary Middendorf-Daily Southtown (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

So the Worth resident enrolled in BNAT because, she said, "Being a nurse's assistant is hard work that a lot of people cannot do."

Soon after she finished the class last summer and passed the state exam, she landed a job with a Hinsdale home healthcare company.

"I want to be a hospice nurse one day because they tend to people at end of their life. We should make those people happy before they pass," she said.

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Madani and 23-year-old Deisi Hernandez completed this past fall's session. Bonded by their differences, the two have become close friends.

"We're like family," Madani said.

They walk arm-in-arm, hug frequently and offer each other kind words of support, despite their distinct cultural backgrounds, language barriers and age difference.

"She calls me 'mom,'" Madani says of Hernandez, who hopes to one day become a cardiac nurse.

Hernandez had only six months of college under her belt when her father decided to move the family from Central Mexico to Countryside, Ill.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"When I came here, I didn't speak any English. I was in ESL classes here for two years, working hard. I was also working two jobs. Now I have one part-time job," Hernandez said. "I decided to study nurse assistant because I like to help people. I want to be a nurse. That's my dream. I'm going to work hard to do it."

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Kabira Madani, from Morocco, recently completed Moraine Valley Community College's basic nursing assistant program for English as a Second Language students. Wednesday, January 28th, 2016, in Palos Hills. | Gary Middendorf-Daily Southtown (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

Mary Therese Galka, MVCC instructor and BNAT program coordinator, said language is typically the biggest obstacle for ESL students enrolled in the course, which is why the college provides supplemental help before and during the program.

"Their success is your success. They have to keep up. Everything is exactly the same. They have to pull their weight," she said.

An added benefit, she said, is that getting through BNAT has helped each of the students improve their English skills.

"And," she said. "it has helped them better understand the culture."

dvickroy@tribpub.com

@dvickroy
South Elgin might be changing lanes on Bowes Road, officials said this week.

Elgin may do the same as well.

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South Elgin's newly opened road connecting McLean Boulevard to Route 31 was built extra-wide for semi-trailers and two lanes of travel in either direction  and striped to match the existing Elgin section of Bowes Road, officials said.

But since the roadway opened in late December, officials on both ends said that is not how traffic was using it.

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Instead, drivers were treating the road like four lanes, cutting around other vehicles and driving in tandem, officials said.

While South Elgin officials discussed painting white parking lanes on its section of Bowes, Elgin prefers a three-lane approach, with two lanes of traffic in either direction and a middle turn lane.

Officials from both municipalities discussed those options Monday.

Traffic on Elgin's section of Bowes wasn't a problem before, said Greg Rokos, Elgin's public services director. Those driving on it were most likely going to and from a business on the dead-end road.

But now that Bowes connects to two major streets, and more drivers are finding the connection, they are using the road in a new way, he said.

"Now that it is a collector road, we will be re-striping it," Rokos said.

Before South Elgin can re-stripe its side of the road, they need to talk to the Illinois Department of Transportation, said Public Works Director Rich Gallas.

South Elgin received a $4.1 million state grant in March 2014 to fund construction of the east-west corridor. The grant likely needs an update to allow for the new configuration.

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Gallas has also asked the construction company, Plote, Inc., for a quote on the new striping.

The two municipalities shared information before the road was built, Gallas said. But both were surprised on how drivers actually used the road.

"People behave differently now that (Bowes) goes through, so you want to adjust and make sure it is safe. It is going to be a better idea to channelize those people into two lanes and keep it that way from McLean to 31. We will work with Elgin to make that happen," he said.

Once more drivers discover the new connector, a traffic study may be needed to determine if the 30 mph speed limit is warranted.

"We will let people get used to driving it before doing any speed studies on it," Rokos said.

Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter.
Center right, about to sit down in Lake Michigan is Phil Fowler of La Grange in Evanston Feb. 19, 2016 at the Super Plunge at Clark Street Beach, just south of Northwestern University at 1811 Sheridan Road. On far left with selfie stick is Jerry Krecisz, a Skokie police officer. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

While the temperatures hovered near 60 degrees, gusts of high winds added drama to the Super Plunge at Clark Street Beach in Evanston last Friday.

Just south of Northwestern University at 1811 Sheridan Road, approximately 50 volunteers started a 24-hour plunge into Lake Michigan around 2 p.m.

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Typically on the hour, plungers took 24 dips into Lake Michigan to benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois.

At the start of plunging, safety personnel in knee-deep water had to turn their faces away from the shore when sand whipped from the beach.

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"It's a little warmer this year but the water is just as cold," said Jerry Krecisz, a Skokie police officer and Super plunger of five years. This year, he raised about $1,300 for Special Olympics Illinois, the event beneficiary.

"I love to support the athletes of the Special Olympics and it's an honor to be here, it truly is," Krecisz said.

With his selfie stick, Jerry Krecisz, a Skokie police officer, is the last to come out of Lake Michigan in Evanston Feb. 19. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Phil Fowler, a Super plunger of La Grange, raised several thousand dollars this year.

His first Super Plunge was two years ago during a "polar vortex," he said with a laugh.

"The athletes give us so much, it's good to give something back," said Fowler, a Chicago attorney and Special Olympics Illinois foundation board member.

Fowler's wife of 26 years, Michelle Fowler, called herself, "the attendant" who warmly supported her husband's plunging.

"I'm glad it's him and not me," she said.

Inside the tent, the couple said hello to well-wishers including Tom Reasoner, assistant director of the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics Illinois and a former Clarendon Hills police chief.

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Michelle Fowler planned to stay the 24 hours with her husband jumped in the water.

"I'm super proud of him, he has taken his role in Special Olympics seriously," Michelle Fowler said. "It's really important to him."

Jessica Blitt, 24, of Chicago, a 2009 Glenbrook North High School graduate originally from Northbrook, plunged for the first time.

She said she's a Special Olympics Illinois young athletes manager for the northern region.

Jessica Blitt of Chicago, a 2009 Glenbrook North High School graduate originally from Northbrook, comes out of Lake Michigan in Evanston Feb. 19, at the Super Plunge at Clark Street Beach. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

"I grew up going to Glencoe Beach and I was totally the sand castle queen," Blitt said. "I actually never would go into the water."

Blitt attended Maple School and played youth softball and also for the Glenbrook North Spartans. She participated in the GBN marching band color guard.

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"I think as a community, people love being involved in fundraisers and we learn how to help other people," she said.

An estimated $150,000 was raised by the Super Plunge, officials said.

Karie Angell Luc is a freelance photographer and reporter for Pioneer Press.
Named in November as the Evanston Community Foundation's (ECF) new president and CEO, Monique Brunson Jones is taking the reigns of organization with a pretty impressive track record. Under Sara Schastok, the previous President and CEO, the organization grew from fledgling status to a major community philanthropic force, whose annual distributions of over $2 million impact a wide list of Evanston organizations. Jones recently offered some views on how she hopes to lead ECF to the next level.

Q. Can you tell us a little about your background before being named for the ECF's CEO job?

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A. Previously I served as director of programs for Chicago Foundation for Women providing leadership to the grant making, leadership development and capacity building, evaluation and advocacy arm of the Foundation. I also served as director of violence prevention for the Cook County Department of Public Health, working to improve the social determinants of health in suburban Cook County and implementing a public health framework for violence prevention efforts. Prior to that I served as clinical director for the Jane Addams Hull House Association leading for the mental health programs offered to teens in the independent living and transitional living programs.

Q. What helps non-profits bring attention to their cause?

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A. Nonprofits have a unique role in not only providing services but advocating for change. They bring attention to their cause by being the expert spokesperson and owning the narrative around their work, which builds continued support.

Q. Have you formed any impressions of Evanston in your short time here?

A. It's quite awesome, rich with diversity. I've had the wonderful opportunity to meet several leaders in the community, all offering me a perspective of pride, reality and opportunity. Ask me again when it warms up.

Q. Do you have a guiding philosophy that helps you carry on?

A. I do, and in short form it's similar to a quote by Helen Keller. "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something that I can do".

 Bob Seidenberg, Pioneer Press

Shout Out is a weekly feature where we get to know and introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago.

bseidenberg@pioneerlocal.com

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Twitter: @evanstonscribe
Seventeen-year-old Lisett Vidales' 12-inch, animal-print ceramic vase is blanketed by layers of bubble wrap and carefully packed in a large box.

Soon, it will be shipped off to Kansas City, Mo., to the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, an annual competition for artists across the country who are committed to creating, developing and showing support for ceramic arts.

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For the high school senior at West Leyden, Vidales' vase was among a pool of 154 winners in the kindergarten through 12th-grade category, and her piece was selected out of 1,344 entries.

Both Vidales and her art teacher, Caroline Felix, were surprised at the win. The two explained the vase was a part of a redo assignment, where students had the chance to fix their projects to fit their visions.

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"I make them remake something that they have done in the past, because they're supposed to demonstrate learning from their mistakes, successes and/or failures by trying to improve the piece," Felix said.

Vidales added the first time she threw the clay on the wheel, the piece turned out shorter than she imagined, and after settling in the kiln, the colors she had painted on were too dull.

So, she tried a different approach. By using the press mold technique, she was able to enlarge the size of the vase and make the bottom half rounder. From there, she repainted cheetah, zebra, tiger and giraffe patterns. On the second try, the colors were noticeably more vibrant.

Felix said skills aside, what makes Vidales' vase so unique is that it is a clear demonstration of her growth as an artist.

"She realized that she wanted it to look good in a different way, and by having those 'failures' with the first project, she problem-solved how she wanted to make it come out in the second one," she noted.

An important aspect of the competition is that high school seniors are awarded with the opportunity to apply for an art scholarship to a college of their choice.

Currently, Vidales plans on attending Elmhurst College in the fall and is focused on pursuing a degree in art education, so she could become a high school art teacher and instill her passion for ceramic arts and creativity to teens.

"I want to share that with other people and see how they grow from where they start and where they go toward the end," she said.

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F. Amanda Tugade is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
A Glenview construction materials supplier has agreed to extend a 12-foot-highwall and add an 8-foot-high fence to help control dust near a Metra parking lot.

The Village Board voted unanimously Feb. 16 on first reading to support a plan intended to address complaints about dust from Prairie Material, 2900 Old Willow Road, which houses and provides concrete and other construction materials.

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The board is expected to formally approve the proposal at its March 1 meeting.

The firm will add nylon mesh to the chain link fence to capture the dust, officials said. The plan also calls for managing dust on adjacent properties, keeping material stockpiles at heights lower than the wall and fence, halting work to take corrective action when dust is flying off site, and cleaning and maintaining the mesh.

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"I certainly hope it works," said Trustee Scott Britton, who said he parks near the site everyday. "It looks like a good plan."

The problem is especially bad during warm months, Britton said.

"In the summertime particularly, my car is usually covered in a rather noticeable residue from the neighboring facility," he said.

Before the board's vote, Britton asked how much reduction in dust is expected as a result of the changes, but Glenview staff said no such measurements or estimates were made.

"This is intended to accommodate when piles are there and the wind is blowing," said Jeff Brady, director of planning for the village. "There is no estimate in anticipated reduction in dust."

Prairie Material, which has operated in Glenview for several decades, has appeared before the village's Administrative Adjudication Court for numerous dust complaints, Brady said in a report to the board.

The firm has cooperated with village staff in trying to address the problem, he said. Prairie Material has increased the number of times streets and cars are washed, changed traffic patterns, and instituted other maintenance adjustments, Brady said.

"Several methods have been attempted, but most measures have not been successful," he said.

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The company and the property owner have worked with Glenview officials since last fall to address the ongoing problem, Village Attorney Eric Pratt said. The firm has agreed to use sprinklers on trucks to help reduce dust, in addition to expanding the wall and adding the fence, Pratt said.

"This is a way to hopefully reduce the dust that would blow over the concrete wall," he said. "They agreed that if it does not work, they will meet to discuss another remediation measure. Everybody is optimistic it will work."

When dust is seen leaving the site during handling and processing, Prairie Material has agreed to wet materials before continuing to work, Brady said.

The Metra parking lot will provide evidence of whether the plan works, Britton said.

"Hundreds of cars there...will remind us if it works," he said.

Glenview often parks a special services vehicle nearby that will help monitor the situation, as well, Pratt said.

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Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Tucker and Coda, both Siberian huskies, play in the snow despite frigid early morning weather earlier this winter. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

A dog park at the Waukegan Savanna Forest Preserve will have to be built for its original price after Lake County Forest Preserves board members removed a $450,000 add-on from its capital improvement plan.

Randall Seebach, the forest preserve district's director of planning and land preservation, said the board instructed the district to proceed without the extra money.

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Seebach said the $450,000 was added to the initial $1.5 million proposal to meet new American Medical Association guidelines for handicap accessibility. The additional money was also for a traffic study that found two turning lanes were needed near the entrance, he said.

With a $2.1 million proposal in front of them, several board members spoke out against the more expensive plan during a recent Land Preservation and Acquisition Committee meeting.

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Board member Bonnie Thomson Carter said the new price tag is too much for the 26-acre park, which has several amenities not offered at other county dog parks.

"I'm sorry, but I think this is like the Hilton, it just feels over the top," Carter said. "I would challenge you to bring these costs down. We need to figure out what has to give."

Board member Carol Calabresa, vice chair of the county board, said she is worried people who use the other dog parks will want the same amenities.

"This just kind of mushroomed," she said.

Board member Tom Weber agreed: "There's a lot of things we want that are different than what we need."

A final decision on the allocation of all capital improvement project money remains up for debate, and funding to solve a flooding problem at Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve in Grayslake and for dam removals on the Des Plaines River remain under consideration.

Seebach said the 450-foot boardwalk for the Rollins Savanna will cost about $350,000 and will cover an area that has flooded more 20 times.

The Rollins Savanna trail is mostly crushed gravel, but concrete was used on the lowlands so water could flow over the trail without washing it out, Seebach said. Despite the concrete, the forest preserve is still spending about $2,500 in maintenance costs each year related to flooding.

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"It seems like it has gotten worse over the years," Seebach said. "It's an inconvenience. You get up to that point and you have to turn around, or roll up your pants and wade through it."

The district considered other options besides the boardwalk, including moving the trail, Seebach said. The new trail might have to be on part of an Illinois Nature Preserve, but the preserve's commission would have to approve rerouting the trail. That area was also recently renovated, and more work would need to be done if the trail was rerouted, he said.

Seebach said the cost for both plans is about the same, but building the boardwalk doesn't involve approval from another agency.

"I'm not saying it wouldn't get approved, but they cost about the same," Seebach said.

Construction on the boardwalk is expected to start in 2017, Seebach said.

On the Des Plaines River, two dam removals are still being discussed as part of the capital improvement project. Seebach said the dam removal could have district and state funding, but the district is considering going ahead without the state, which is caught up in the budget logjam in Springfield.

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The removal of the small dams at Wright Woods and McArthur Woods near Libertyville and Riverside would cost a total of $690,000, Seebach said.

The district received competitive bids for the project last year, and the contractor has agreed to honor the bid through 2016, he said.

"They block sediment and pollution behind the structures and it affects water quality and fish are blocked from traveling," Seebach said. "A river with proper riffles will be able to clean itself. We'd probably get reimbursed by the state."

In addition to the overrun for the Savanna dog park, a $3 million restoration of the upper Des Plaines River has been removed from the capital improvement project. The district and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were partnered on the work, which was slated to be done at the Prairie Stream, Sedge Meadow and Mill Creek preserves in the northern part of the county to improve water quality.

But Congress has not included the funding, Seebach said.

"We just don't have the money to have that sit idle," he said. "We will put it on the unfunded list."

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That $3 million can be redirected to other projects. Additional funding will also come from the Ryerson North trail project being $123,000 under budget because of "excellent bid prices and construction management." Other projects that came in under budget include work at Ethel Woods North Mill Creek, Pine Dunes, the Lakewood dog exercise area and the Millennium Trail.

"It's always a nice surprise when that happens," Seebach said.

He said the district has to look at the list closely because they need funding for other infrastructure projects.

"We don't have funding for some of our roads, parking lots and buildings," he said.

The capital project plan is expected to be finalized at the Monday finance and planning and restoration committee meeting at the district's headquarters in Libertyville.

fabderholden@tribpub.com

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Twitter @abderholden
Undeveloped tracts of Waukegan's south lakefront are among the sites to be studied for redevelopment potential under a $90,000 consulting contract approved last week by the City Council. (Dan Moran / Lake County News-Sun)

Waukegan neighborhoods described by a developer as "going downhill" will be part of a $90,000 feasibility study aimed at redeveloping and revitalizing lakefront property near South Sheridan Road.

The City Council voted 6-1 on Feb. 16 to approve an agreement with Indianapolis-based Development Concepts Inc. to conduct the "Southeast Waukegan Neighborhood Reinvestment Analysis and Strategy" for an area extending from vacant lakefront land to an existing residential sector west of Sheridan Road.

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Development Concepts president Mike Higbee told the council's Finance Committee his company is poised to invest up to $700,000 of its own money to start a multimillion-dollar development in the area. The study, Higbee said, would "tee up the lakefront" for that venture and future interests.

"You have a Sheridan corridor that clearly is in need of some upgrade and some reinvestment as far as the commercial (sector)," Higbee said. "You have a south lakefront, which is wanting to be redeveloped, but is really not in a position to be, and then you have a neighborhood to the west that has had quite a bit of distress and disinvestment over the years.

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The south Sheridan Road corridor in Waukegan will be the subject of a $90,000 feasibility study that will review the area from the lakefront into surrounding neighborhoods. (Dan Moran / Lake County News-Sun)

"The development we're anticipating is going to be tens of millions of dollars in new investment that we see our team undertaking, but before that happens, we think there needs to be kind of a feasibility analysis that looks at (how) to set the table for other investors to see the potential, reinforce the neighborhood, upgrade the corridor and then, hopefully, tee up the lakefront for other developers."

According to city officials, Higbee is looking to develop a 12-acre parcel on the southeast corner of Sheridan and South Avenue, a portion of which is owned by the city. Last August, the council authorized the process of seeking development proposals for the site, and Higbee's firm is expected to purchase the land and come forward with a specific plan this spring, officials said.

Ninth Ward Ald. Ann Taylor expressed reservations about the $90,000 outlay for a study, pressing Higbee about what the city would receive for its investment.

"To be frank about it, every time I turn around, we're giving money to a development," Taylor said. "And, not to be nasty, but that's a quarter of the way to a new fire truck; that is a couple of public-works vehicles. I don't give out money very easily. If you haven't noticed, I'm the tight one up here. I just want to know what I'm getting for 90 grand."

"You're absolutely right," Higbee responded. "You should not be putting money out and not getting something in return."

He argued the city would take possession of a study focused on "three critical areas that are underperforming in Waukegan right now" between the lakefront and the neighborhoods.

"You have several dozen acres of lakefront right on Lake Michigan sitting there dormant with no potential for development right now, (and) that neighborhood needs to be rescued," he said. "It's going downhill, it has some of the highest poverty in the city, it has some of the highest conversion from single-family to rental (units) in the city.

"In order for this area to support good, market-rate development that's going to expand your tax base and create job opportunities, that neighborhood has to be rescued as well. You cannot put a $40 million potential development that we are talking about that is mostly our exposure without addressing the area around it."

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Taylor also pressed Higbee on the specifics of redeveloping the residential sector west of Sheridan Road, saying she didn't want to see a market created that would force residents to move.

"We have so many empty buildings there, I don't understand why, when you can buy a property for $10,000, why are you going to build condos that are going to be maybe $150,000 to residents who can't afford that?" Taylor asked Higbee. "Are we planning on displacing those residents and pushing them into North Chicago and getting them out of Waukegan?"

"Absolutely not," Higbee said.

"Well, then how are we planning on making that affordable to them?" Taylor asked.

"My passion is urban redevelopment," Higbee said. "People that are part of that neighborhood, that are invested in that neighborhood and believe in that neighborhood, you don't want to displace them. You want them to stay. You want them to be part of the foundation from which you rebuild a neighborhood that currently doesn't work, that currently is not safe, that currently doesn't have the services (or) attract any investment."

The south Sheridan Road corridor in Waukegan will be the subject of a $90,000 feasibility study that will review the area from the lakefront into surrounding neighborhoods. (Dan Moran / Lake County News-Sun)

Waukegan has worked with Higbee previously, paying his firm $75,000 in 2011 to propose implementation strategies based off the 2003 master plan for downtown and lakefront redevelopment.

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Higbee was a panelist on the Skidmore study, and also for 2002 Urban Land Institute survey of the downtown and lakefront. In both cases, those studies recommended that Waukegan shift away from industrial uses in favor of residential and commercial developments along the shoreline.

danmoran@tribpub.com

Twitter @NewsSunDanMoran
Naperville police on Monday continued their search for the gunman who stole an undisclosed amount of money Saturday evening from a pizzeria, the sixth robbery in the city in five weeks.

Police Cmdr. Jason Arres said the stickup of Papa John's pizzeria at 1220 W. Ogden Ave. "does not appear to be related" to the Jan. 18 robberies of two 7-Eleven stores in the southeast-central and far east parts of town.

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The Papa John's robber entered the storefront about 7:10 p.m. brandishing a handgun, and took money before fleeing, Arres wrote in a Sunday release.

Arres said Monday no (surveillance) video was available for release.

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The pizzeria manager who was on duty Saturday night during the robbery was back at work Monday morning, but declined to discuss the incident. No one was injured.

Police also are continuing to investigate the robberies of the 7-Eleven stores at 351 E. Bailey Road and 1490 E. Chicago Ave,. which are about three miles apart and were held up within 20 minutes of each other early on Jan. 18. He carried a dark-colored handgun or other weapon, police said then.

A third holdup occurred about 8 p.m. that evening and involved two men who were armed with a knife. Police said they took an undisclosed amount of money from a pizza deliveryman on the 700 block of Benedetti Drive, not far from Naperville North High School.

Police and FBI agents also are hunting the man who on Feb. 1 robbed the US Bank branch adjacent to Angelo Caputo's Fresh Market, at the northwest corner of 111th Street and Route 59 on Naperville's far southwest side. No weapon was displayed and no one was hurt in that robbery.

A fifth robbery occurred about 4 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Corner Pantry convenience store at 1801 Wehrli Road. Joseph Andalina, 23, of the 1300 block of Ivy Lane in Naperville, was arrested just a few hours later.

Andalina is accused of going behind the store's counter, shoving a clerk out of the way and taking an undisclosed amount from the register. Following a police chase that evening, he was taken into custody and charged with robbery, aggravated fleeing and possession of a controlled substance.

Saturday marked at least the second time in four years that the Papa John's pizzeria had been robbed at gunpoint. On Jan. 16, 2012, employees were forced to crawl into a back room or cooler before the robbers made their escape.

Police from at least six law enforcement agencies participated that night in a stake-out of the Papa John's, after receiving information it would be robbed. Three men from Lisle, Montgomery and Oswego were convicted of robbing pizzerias over 14 months in DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties, and were sentenced to prison.

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Witnesses to any of the unsolved robberies or those who believe they have information about any of the cases were asked to call Naperville police at 630-420-6666, and ask for the investigations unit.

wbird@tribpub.com
User Upload Caption: Professional pianist Jim McNabney of Highland volunteered to entertain the crowd during intermission of the recent preview event at Beatniks on Conkey in Hammond. (Donna Rowland / Post-Tribune)

Echoing the iconic beatnik stereotype of the mid-1950s and 60s, Hammond's Beatniks on Conkey  a coffeehouse and black box theatre marking its 8th year  certainly seems to be living up to its slogan of "Where Art meets Joe."

With its recent addition, a space owners have dubbed The Other Side, Beatniks on Conkey now has more space with which to present live theater, musical acts, dance classes and other events. The new space was unveiled during the facility's Anniversary Preview Night.

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Owned and operated by Rip and Bonnie Johnson of Dyer, Beatniks recently expanded into the empty space next door, connected by an entryway to upstairs apartments. That building housed the former Hammond Trophy Shoppe and now will host a number of activities, including the intermission refreshments Beatniks is known for along with dance classes and small performances.

Beatniks on Conkey now serves approximately 2,000 patrons each year, but it wasn't always so, according to Bonnie Johnson.

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"In the summer of 2007, during some of the toughest economic times, we were asked by a young theater group to use the building we own on Conkey Street  a unit that was abandoned and in terrible need of repair." Hammond Community Theatre, of which the Johnsons are founding members, was also bouncing around from place to place, looking for spots to perform. She said they thought it over, considering the amount of work which needed done and the need for insurance, and whether or not they should take the plunge into this type of venture.

"We jumped in head first," she said. "With the help of many volunteers, the space was remodeled and renovated, and the former bar was turned into a theatre that opened in January 2008. We had decided to make it a coffee house/theater, so with the theater and various art work on the walls being a big part of it, our slogan "Where Art meets Joe" was born."

She said they started with about 70 old chairs for the audience  with 60 or more of those remaining empty during most of the performances.

"Some nights we had more people on stage than in the audience. But we persevered, and now thanks to Hammond Community Theatre and the City of Hammond, we have big, comfy chairs, risers, proper lighting and sound equipment. We seat about 60 people now, but in comfort, and we usually fill the house," she said.

"We have had several groups in to do various shows over the years," Rip Johnson said. In addition to Hammond Community Theatre, these include Romihi Productions and Beatnik Productions, drawing actors from the greater northwest Indiana theater community.

"Beatniks Babes and Boys was created by Kim Bernstein early on as a way to help raise funds for Beatniks," he said. "We have lots of volunteers to help us, too, but we could not exist without them. They are the lifeblood of Beatniks and the reason we are prospering."

"We're all volunteers at Beatniks," Bonnie Johnson said. She has been a Realtor for nearly 30 years with Century 21 McCarthy in St. John, while Rip has been a carpenter/contractor with RJ Construction, Inc. for 43 years.

They also raise money each year for Haven House, Inc. of Hammond, a 24-hour emergency shelter for domestic violence victims and their dependents. All proceeds from The Vagina Monologues performances each year benefit the shelter. This year's performances are the last weekend in February.

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The recent expansion into the space next door means Beatniks can bring back some of the shows that were once presented in the original space.

"Things like improv comedy, open mic, murder mystery dinners and whatever else might present itself," are under consideration, Bonnie said. "We currently have tap dancing on The Other Side and will be using it as a lobby and intermission area for show nights."

Although it's difficult to predict what the future holds for Beatniks, Rip said they hope The Other Side gives a new dimension to the theater/arts experience.

"We hope to make our theater an activity center, and The Other Side gives us the flexibility to have multiple events and overlapping rehearsals. We hope that the participation level will increase from throughout the region, and that anyone with an artistic endeavor or idea will think of us as a place which welcomes new ideas," he said.

"I think we are kind of noted as a place where you feel comfortable as soon as you walk in the door. At least that is our goal."

Donna Rowland is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.

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If you go:

February:

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler  Feb. 27-28

Upcoming in March:

DJayma (music for the whole family)

Improv classes with Ron Harlow

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Book signing with author/columnist Jeff Manes

Information: www.beatniksonconkey.com or 219-852-0848

Donna Rowland
A TV cameraman shoots Monday at the Merrillville home of John and Olga Meeks, who police said were killed by their son, Eric, who then killed himself. (Joe Puchek / Post-Tribune)

Steve Salinas stood outside his sister's and brother-in-law's house Monday afternoon as a cleaning crew worked to scrub away the nightmare inside.

A neighbor walked over to offer him condolences over the loss of the two  Olga and John Meeks  as well as his nephew, Eric Meeks.

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Merrillville Chief of Police Joseph Petruch said Eric Meeks, 34, killed his parents, then killed himself.

"It's a murder-suicide. The weapon was recovered at the scene," he said.

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Salinas said the shootings had to have happened sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning. Olga Meeks, 65, was to attend a family gathering Saturday afternoon, and one of their daughters was waiting for her to pick her up.

When she couldn't get ahold of Olga Meeks, the rest of Salinas' family members started frantically trying to reach her, Salinas said. Salinas said the daughter called the Merrillville Police Department Sunday evening to conduct a welfare check.

They found the three in the Meeks' house in the 3600 block of W. 79th Ave., shot to death, according to to the Lake County Coroner's' office.

George Ross, club manager at Gary Sportsman's Club in Crown Point, said Eric Meeks was working there Friday when he apparently learned of something going on at his parents' house.

"So he left. That was the last we heard of him," Ross said.

He said Eric Meeks worked for a company that was in charge of the kitchen at the club and was not an employee of the club itself. He described Eric Meeks as a very quiet person who didn't talk much.

Salinas, of Hobart, said their families were "very tight," and Olga and John Meeks, 66, loved their children more than anything.

"My sister came over every weekend to visit our parents. She was a beautiful lady with an open, big heart. Just wonderful, wonderful," Salinas said, fighting back tears. "And my brother-in-law was a hard-working man for his family."

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There had been some talk that Eric Meeks had had "problems" at some point, but they didn't appear out of the ordinary, Salinas said. Neither Olga nor John had ever talked about it much, he said.

The neighbor, Jackie Vanvleet, 52, had known John Meeks since he'd moved into the neighborhood when she was 16. They were never particularly close since the family kept to themselves, she said, but they were friendly with each other, giving each other a helping hand when needed.

"This is really shocking," she said. "We never heard any arguing, and we definitely didn't hear anything like gunshots this weekend. John was always respectful and kept to himself, never got into anyone's business. He worked for NIPSCO and would work on solar panels in the garage. I'm going to miss him as a neighbor."

John and Olga Meeks were described Monday as awesome parents and neighbors who would do anything for their children.

Petruch said the deaths apparently stemmed from a domestic incident.

He said police were called to the house once in 2013, but he knew of no other incidents there. He said Eric Meeks, who had an apartment in Hobart, had no other police record that he's aware of.

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Petruch said it appears that John Meeks, whose body was found in the garage, was shot first. Eric Meeks was found lying next to his mother on the upstairs floor of the house.

The Merrillville Community School Corp. said in a prepared statement that it has lost a beloved colleague in Olga Meeks, who worked for the school corporation as a substitute teacher, then as a Title 1 reading aide at Miller Elementary School in Merrillville for the last eight years.

"Olga Meeks was a true asset to the Miller family. Her love for the students and staff was evident the moment she walked through the doors. She was always willing and eager to do whatever was needed at any time. She will be dearly missed by us all," Miller Principal Jennifer Griffin said,

Social workers and counselors will be available all week to help students and staff deal with their grieving process, the school corporation stated.

Gary Community School Corp. spokeswoman Charmella Greer said Olga Meeks was a substitute teacher for the district, but hadn't worked there since 2004.

Diane Jones said she had been a neighbor of the Meeks for about 20 years, when Jones moved to the 3600 block of 79th Avenue near the Meeks family.

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"They were awesome people. They would do anything for their children. You couldn't have better neighbors," Jones said.

"I'm just broken up about this. "It seems like a nightmare," Jones said. "Both will be very, very much missed."

She said in addition to Eric, the Meeks had two daughters, both of whom live out of state.

Calls to the Meeks daughters were not returned Monday.

Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Staff writer Carole Carlson and freelance reporter Michelle L. Quinn contributed.
Neil Stein, principal of Skokie real estate development firm North Capital Group, appeared at the Feb. 16 Village Board meeting to ask the village to extend the terms of an agreement he has to redevelop the former site of the Purple Hotel into a $135 million retail/commercial center. (Steve Lasker / Handout)

The Skokie real estate investment company hit with an $11.5 million foreclosure suit last month for defaulting on a mortgage loan on the former Purple Hotel property announced plans this week to refinance its debt and continue to pursue a $135 million shopping center with a hotel at Lincoln and Touhy avenues.

The real estate developer, Skokie-based North Capital Group, had planned to sell the property to Cleveland shopping mall developer Stark Enterprises, but the company failed to purchase the property by the date it had agreed to with the village, officials said. Neal Stein, principal of North Capital Group, said that prompted him to return to his original plans to move forward with a retail center dubbed the Shoppes at Lincoln Pointe.

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"Unfortunately, that business relationship fell through, so we're moving on with our (original) plans to redevelop the property," Stein said.

North Capital now says it plans to refinance its debt with Toronto-based mortgage lender Romspen Investment Corporation, which is suing Stein's company for defaulting on a $10.2 million loan against the property that was taken out in May of 2014.

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In the foreclosure complaint, filed in the Circuit Clerk of Cook County Jan. 19, Romspen Investment Corporation asks a judge to order foreclosure on the former Purple Hotel property at Touhy and Lincoln avenues. The suit also asks a judge to order North Capital Group to pay $11.5 million plus $4,792 in interest per day starting Dec. 15, 2015 through the day of the final court ruling.

Romspen Investment Corporation alleges North Capital Group defaulted on its loan agreement when the maturity date passed last June without it being paid off. In the suit, the lender also claims North Capital Group failed to pay property taxes on the parcel of land in 2014.

Stein described the suit as a "friendly foreclosure," and said Romspen has no plans to seize the property.

Romspen Investment Corporation did not respond to requests for comment.

Because of the financial fallout associated with the property, Stein said it took some convincing to get Village Board members to agree to extend his pre-development agreement (set to expire March 1) by another year.

The Village Board also agreed to give Stein until March 4 of next year to comply with the terms of the pre-development agreement, which includes property restoration requirements for the site, including the removal of the concrete foundations on the property and the planting of grass.

The extensions granted during the Feb. 16 Village Board meeting also allow Stein additional time to resolve land use relief issues associated with the property and requires North Capital to continue to foot the bill for any costs connected with the project.

Those extensions are subject to certain conditions, however. Under the agreement, Stein has until May 15 of this year to show proof that his company has secured a "fully-executed" loan from venture capital firm IFC Capital, LLC, to finance construction costs and fend off the foreclosure suit. He also must produce a final plan for development by September of this year.

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"One of the reasons the board is extending the agreement is because North Capital Group indicated that they have a formal commitment for this project to move ahead," Trustee Larry Elster said.

Echoing the concerns expressed by other Village Board members, Trustee Jesal Patel asked Stein if his request for the extension was a way for him to secure a "placeholder" until he figured out whether plans to build on the property would finally materialize.

"We're setting expectations for the marketplace, for other developments, and for our residents as to what we expect to go there," Patel said. "And by extending an approval, we're not looking to kick a can down the road if that's what is intended to be done."

Known as the "heart of Lincolnwood" to many public officials and longtime residents alike, Village Manager Tim Wiberg has described the corner of Lincoln and Touhy as the top focus for economic development for the village of Lincolnwood.

"We too are disappointed this has taken a long time," Stein said. "Please know we're doing everything in our power to get the project moving as quick as possible and to build something the village will be proud of for many yearswe have every confidence we can bring this project to fruition as soon as possible."

A new timeline provided by North Capital Group shows a final engineering plan is expected to be ready by July 1. Construction would begin by Nov. 15, and the entire complex, including the hotel, would open by November 2018.

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Stein, who had missed an informal deadline to start construction on the site last fall, shared his latest plans with Lincolnwood Trustees during a Feb. 16 Committee of the Whole meeting to refinance his debt with the Canadian lender attempting to foreclose on the property.

Stein is scheduled to appear at the March 1 Village Board meeting to ask for zoning relief for the property.

Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
European Union companies will be more willing to invest in China if the country's overcapacity problems are reduced, said Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

A worker is pictured in Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel Co on Aug 28, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

Wuttke said that the EU's investment in China dropped by 25 percent last year. He said that China's overcapacity actually makes it difficult for European companies in the home markets and also third markets. If the overcapacity problem is fixed, they will actually be willing to invest in upscale, sustainable products and projects.

"So if China is willing to go through with strong political will in order to eliminate the overcapacity, I think Europeans will be more interested in investing in upscale, top-end technologies, in those respective sectors," he said before the chamber released a report Monday in Beijing about China's overcapacity.

The European Chamber of Commerce in China released a new major report, Overcapacity in China: An Impediment to the Party's Reform Agenda, which provides a detailed examination of the causes and consequences of overcapacity in eight key industries and analyzes the developments that have taken place since the European Chamber published its original report on this topic in 2009.

The new report explains that although the central government has made great efforts to address excessive production capacity, factors such as regional protectionism and weak regulatory enforcement have hindered policy implementation.

"Without a sustained effort to address it now, overcapacity may well seriously impede the effectiveness of China's economic reform agenda," he said.

The report provides 30 recommendations that should be taken to address this deep-rooted problem. The EU Chamber hopes that they will also contribute to a strengthening of the government's resolve to implement the core tenet of the Third Plenum's Decision, establishing the market as the decisive force in China's economy.

"A review of our original study showed that the action plan we proposed in 2009 is still relevant today. We hope that our analysis and recommendations for 2016 will result in concrete actions by Chinese policy makers," he says.

"Although the Party's annual Central Economic Work Conference has listed addressing overcapacity as a priority every year from 2007 to 2015, fundamental changes have not yet taken place. Tackling overcapacity is now more urgent than ever: the cost of maintaining the status quo is far too high."
The weeks after the Spring Festival holiday were expected to see a job-hopping frenzy among white-collar workers.

Job seekers attend a job fair in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province, Feb 20, 2016. The job fair offered nearly 10,000 jobs by some 800 enterprises.[Photo/Xinhua]

According to a recent survey, only 5.1 percent of them said they didn't want a new job, according to Zhaopin.com, an online recruitment agency.

More than 54 percent said they had updated their resumes and were looking for new opportunities in the first quarter, compared with 47.8 percent in the first quarter of last year.

The survey, released on Monday, polled more than 21,000 white-collar workers in China. It found that their confidence in career development had reached the lowest level in three years, especially for those who work in State-owned enterprises and government-affiliated organizations, due to downward pressure on the economy.

White-collar workers born after 1990 also have the lowest confidence in career development, and were active in job-hopping. About 74.8 percent of respondents born in the 1990s said they wanted to find, or had already found, new jobs in the first quarter, while more than 60 percent of those born in the 1960s wanted to do so.

The industries with the highest numbers of job-hoppers were real estate and energy, in which more than 70 percent had already found or wanted a new job.

Wang Yixin, a senior consultant at Zhaopin, said the major reasons driving the job-hopping frenzy are salary and employment outlook.

Wang said that only employers with good financial situations and optimistic outlooks could attract more talent.

"The main reason behind the large number of people quitting in real estate and energy is that prospects are not optimistic," she said.
Visitors walk in front of the ZTE stand at the Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain, Feb 22, 2016. The Mobile World Congress (MWC), the most important mobile communication event in the world, opened its doors in Barcelona on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]

A month after Chinese top technology vendors stole the limelight at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, they are taking center stage once again at the Mobile World Congressthe world's biggest exhibition for the mobile industry, being held in Barcelona this week.

Technologies to be used in fifth-generation telecom networks are attracting the biggest interest at the event, which is running from Monday to Thursday, with Chinese companies showcasing products alongside global giants including Samsung Electronics Co and Nokia Corp.

ZTE Corp, the Guangdong-based telecom equipment maker, is demonstrating its high-frequency prototype and other key 5G technologies.

The company is hoping to take a lead in technology development, so when 5G starts commercial use in five years from now, it will enjoy a technology edge, said industry observers.

China Mobile Communications Co, the country's largest carrier by subscriber, is also aiming at the 5G market, despite only kicking off its 4G services a little more than two years ago.

It has teamed up with Nokia to give audiences a peek at how the next-generation of communications technology can allow a computer to remotely control a robot that balances a ball on a moving board.

Huang Yuhong, vice-president of China Mobile's research institute, said 5G technology can execute tasks that were impossible using 4G or earlier technologies, because it has ultra-high capacity and ultra-low latency.

"Autonomous manufacturing with massive use of robots is one use. 5G technology will provide the network infrastructure to support China's manufacturing upgrading initiative," Huang said.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
More than 400 relics unearthed from a Chinese tomb will be displayed in Beijing, authorities said Monday.

The precious items from the tomb of the first "Haihunhou" (Marquis of Haihun) will be on show for three months at the Capital Museum starting from March 2, said Xu Changqing, head of the Jiangxi Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute.

"Some items will be displayed to the public for the first time," Xu said.

It will be the second time that the relics from the tomb are on public display. Last year, a display featuring 120 items from the tomb attracted some 180,000 visitors to the Jiangxi Provincial Museum.

The tomb, which dates back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD), was unearthed in Nanchang City, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province. It covers roughly 40,000 square meters and contains eight small tombs and a burial site for chariot horses.

The tomb is thought to belong to Liu He, grandson of Emperor Wu. Liu was given the title "Haihunhou" after he was deposed as emperor after only 27 days. Haihun is the ancient name of a very small kingdom in the north of Jiangxi.

Excavation of the site started in 2011. Artifacts unearthed so far include a portrait of Confucius, nearly 3,000 wooden tablets and bamboo slips and a large number of bronze, gold and jade items.
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Police in south China's Guangdong Province on early Sunday morning detained 50 foreign drug users at a party in the city of Shenzhen.

The public security bureau of the city's Nanshan District received reports of drug-taking at an overpass culvert. Among the 491 people taken away for investigation, 118 tested positive for drugs, mostly marijuana. Police later placed 93 people, including 50 foreign nationals, in administrative detention for a maximum of 15 days.

Police also detained two suspected drug dealers, both foreign nationals, on criminal charges.

"Foreigners accounted for over half of the detainees, which suggests a serious problem of drug use among foreigners in Shenzhen," said a police officer who declined to be named.

The culvert, nicknamed "IKEA Bridge Culvert" due to its proximity to an IKEA mall, is known for regular parties held by foreigners.
Children in Shanghai are being widely exposed to antibiotics from tainted food and drinking water, potentially harming their long-term health, according to a study by Fudan University.

The research, which was published in the latest edition of Environment International, tested for 21 human and veterinary antibiotics in 505 Shanghai schoolchildren aged between 8 and 11. Traces of at least one of the drugs was found in 80 percent of the subjects tested.

The use of antibiotics is commonplace in China. In November, the World Health Organization issued a report claiming that nearly two-thirds of Chinese believed they should be used to treat colds and flu, while one-third thought they help to relieve headaches.

The study also found that Chinese doctors prescribe antibiotics to half of all outpatients, far above recommended levels.

"Beyond the health system, the economic costs of antibiotic resistance are formidable  in China, one prediction estimates the loss of up to a million lives a year by 2050," it said.

According to thepaper.cn, in 2013 China used 162,000 tons of antibiotics.

More than 50,000 tons of the drugs were discharged into the country's waterways and soil.
"Hey, what are you doing? Stop it!" Liu Kuan, an on-site supervisor of the Maliuzhou Tunnel project, prevented several workers from attempting to lift an oxygen cylinder when he came to the construction site for inspection on the third day of the week-long Spring Festival. "In holidays, more attention should be paid to work safety," he explained to the journalist.

For years, Liu Kuan has not had a family reunion during the Spring Festival for work-related reasons. This year, he celebrated advent of the Year of the Monkey with about 150 fellow workers at the construction site in Hengqin.

"Workers must stay at the site because of the tight schedule. Everyone here is accustomed to it", said Liu as he led the journalist to the operating well.

"Before the Spring Festival, there were about 1,000 workers here. It was very bustling here. But the drilling operation only began at the end of January. The workload is not very heavy, so some workers were allowed to go back home to celebrate the Spring Festival except for those who are on duty here now."

Liu said the on-duty workers were needed to maintain the facilities, replace damaged components, check electrical circuits, etc. On the eve of the Spring Festival, a half-day rest was granted for them, exclusive of the several workers who were working a shift to supervise the shield tunneling machine.

As we went further, we came to an operating site where Hou Qingliang, a 28-year-old worker from Shandong, and his squad work. Their work, as the core of the tunnel project, is to ensure the shield tunneling machine is in constant drilling condition, thus finishing a tunnel with a 15-meter diameter.

Hou and his colleagues only wear very thin clothing because, when the machine starts operating, it gives off tremendous heat that makes the entire operation very hot and humid. However, their eight-year working experience enables them to deal with these problems. "Once we are in this field, we are determined to accomplish our task", Hou said.
Guo Weimin:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning! Welcome to this SCIO press conference. China's economic situation and its trade, including circulation, consumption and development of FTAs, have attracted wide attention at home and abroad. Today, we are honored to have Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng here to share with you information on these particular aspects and take your questions. I know there are a lot of foreign press here today so we have simultaneous interpreting. When you raise questions, we will also have them interpreted. I now give the floor to Minister Gao.

Gao Hucheng:

Mr. Guo, dear friends from the press, good morning! It gives me great pleasure to meet you just after the Lantern Festival. On behalf of the Ministry of Commerce, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of you for your interest and support for our work and your timely reports of commerce-related news. In light of the overall development of commerce development in 2015, I would like to make a few points before having an exchange of views with you.

As you know, in 2015, we faced very complicated domestic and international situations. However, we stuck to the main theme of seeking progress while maintaining stability as required by the CPC central committee and the State Council. We actively adapted to the new normal of economic development, and properly responded to major risks and challenges. On the whole, we have maintained stability and made improvements within a medium-high growth rate, with all indicators ranked among the world's top, a hard-earn performance indeed.

Commerce development is given the task of expanding consumption, foreign trade and international investment. In 2015, China's imports and exports of goods continued to lead the world; since 2013, we have been the world's No. 1 in goods trade for three consecutive years. China's online retail sales continue to top the world, while total sales of consumer goods, import and export of trade services ranked second. China's FDI continued to lead developing countries for 24 years in a row, and its ODI ranked third in the world. It's fair to say that we have delivered a satisfactory report sheet on China's growth and international economic impetus. The main characteristics are as follows.

First, growth has many high points. In terms of consumption, in 2015, total retail sales of consumer goods stood at 30.1 trillion yuan (US$4.62 trillion), up 10.7 percent year on year. Consumption contributed 66.4 percent to economic growth, up 15.4 percentage points from the previous year. In other words, China has successfully made the major transformation from an economy whose growth was mainly driven by investment and foreign trade to one powered by internal demand, especially consumption. As to imports and exports, global trade sustained double-digit negative growth last year, although the decline in China's imports and exports was far lower than other major economies in the world. China's share of global trade was expected to jump from 12.2 percent to 13 percent, a rise of nearly one percentage point, which was the fastest growth rate in years.

Last year, China's trading surplus in goods hit US$593 billion, playing a major role in preserving national financial security. Services trade stood at US$713 billion, up 14.6 percent, a "double lift" in its share of global and China's trade. I wish to add that trade in services used to be known as a "short board" in China. However, it's actually developing very fast.

The United States was No. 1 in trade in services last year; the value reached around US$1.06 trillion, accounting for 31 percent of its total trade volume. China ranked second at US$731 billion yuan, or 18 percent of total trade volume. In terms of international investment, last year China's ODI excluding financial investment was US$118.02 billion, up 14.7 percent in yet another year of continuously rapid growth; and China's FDI stood at US$126.27 billion, up 5.6 percent, still top among developing countries.

Second, we have been able to achieve good structural results. The circulation structure was further optimized. Online sales of physical goods stood at 3.2 trillion yuan (US$491 billion), up 31.6 percent year on year, making China the country with the largest and fastest growing sector of online sales of physical goods. That accounted for around 11 percent of total retail goods sales. Now, we have a new landscape combining online and offline, spot goods and futures, wholesale and retail, as well as joint development of urban and rural circulation markets.

Third, both domestic and foreign trade have made huge contributions to economic growth. It's fair to say that these efforts have made positive contributions to stabilizing China's growth, restructuring the economy, benefitting people's livelihood and preventing risks. Despite a very difficult situation, foreign trade still contributed 18 percent of national tax revenues. In 2015, the Chinese economy contributed more than 25 percent to overall world economic growth. Amid continuously gloomy predictions on global trade, China's imports and exports still far outperformed other major economies, and that itself was a huge contribution to international trade and even to global economic development.

We can sum up our work in 2015 with three key phrases. First, we have been seeking development while maintaining stability. We mainly improved the foreign trade development environment, innovated the development mode for foreign trade, boosted trade in services and the outsourcing of services.

Second, we sought intensified reforms. We moved forward to work on the pilot FTZs, expanded the Shanghai FTZ and newly established three others. We also advanced reform and institutional innovation on domestic trade circulation, released opinions for promoting a law-based business environment for modern circulation processes, and carried out comprehensive trial reforms on domestic trade circulation in nine cities including Shanghai. We strengthened market supervision with a series of reform measures for streamlining governance and decentralizing powers.

Third, we deepened opening-up in 2015, following the lead of the "Belt and Road" Initiative. We focused on the "two markets," "two resources" and "two rules" at home and abroad, making progress in improving the overall layout. Specifically, 1) we opened new areas, we worked with other departments, revised and published the 2015 edition of the "Catalogue of Industries for Foreign Investment," and expanded the comprehensive piloting work for service industries in Beijing. 2) We achieved fresh progress in regional opening-up. We implemented innovative development projects in national economic development zones, such as supporting Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cooperation and the Yangtze River Economic Belt. 3) We saw many highlights in bilateral and multilateral regional cooperation. As you know, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) was upgraded, the negotiations for Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) made solid progress in that East Asian leaders agreed that the talks for RCEP should be completed by the end of this year.

As of now, China has signed trade pacts with 22 partners, accounting for 38 percent of our total trade volume. We facilitated deals and achieved consensus at the WTO Ministerial Meeting. Negotiations for China-U.S. and China-E.U. bilateral investment deals made a breakthrough, and the Chinese mainland signed the CEPA service trade deals with Hong Kong and Macao.

The above basically sums up of the work of the Ministry of Commerce in 2015. Now, I'd like to take questions from friends from the press, and communicate with you all.

Guo Weiming

Thank you, Minister Gao. Now let's open the floor for questions. Please identify the media organization you represent before asking questions. Interpretation is available.

CCTV:

Despite weak investment and exports last year, consumption in China remains strong. During the Spring Festival this year, the national consumer market saw a rise of 11.2 percent, especially due to a surge in the catering and box office. However, Chinese visitors went on buying sprees overseas. How do you view this phenomenon? What do you think about China's consumption situation in 2016? What measures will the Ministry of Commerce take to promote consumption?

Gao Hucheng:

Thank you for your question. In my earlier briefing on the main work of the Ministry of Commerce in 2015, I mentioned the role of consumption in economic growth last year. In 2015, final consumption contributed 66.4 percent to economic growth, becoming its main driving force. There are many reasons. Firstly, as we can see, since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the income growth of China's urban and rural residents has been faster than the GDP for three consecutive years and the consumption capacity has been expanding. Secondly, China's social security system has been improving gradually. The health and pension insurance systems have been improved and the social security system has become sounder, encouraging people with extra money to consume. Thirdly, consumption conditions have improved. The supply side has been adapted to the market in recent years. For example, the health, travel and entertainment consumptions have seen such growth. Therefore, the consumption growth in 2015 was a sustainable growth based on that in 2014. Personally, I believe the trend will continue in 2016, which is also a general judgment shared by related authorities.

In 2015, a very important factor to which I would like to draw your attention is public entrepreneurship, innovation and the high rate of employment. By last September, China had achieved the year's goal of creating 11 million new jobs. Jobs mean income, and from that comes consumption. This is the basis for consumption growth. Another phenomenon we have to note is that a medium-and-high-income community is forming in China. Some say the community has 90 million people, and others say the number has exceeded 100 million, where different calculation standards may be employed. Consumption levels vary among cities. A uniform standard for calculation is probably one-sided. But it is undeniable that a medium-and-high-income community is forming. This community has some dissatisfaction with public consumption, however; that is, the medium-and-low-end commodities and services can hardly meet their consumption needs. As far as China's outbound shopping is concerned, our available data show the oversea visits in 2015 reached 120 million and consumption abroad, including travel fees, accommodation and shopping expenses totaled 1.5 trillion yuan (US$229.8 billion), among which at least 700-800 billion yuan (US$ 107.3-122.6 billion) was spent on shopping. A large proportion of the shopping involved the medium-and-high-income community, and moreover, their shopping list has mainly turned to daily consumer goods with high-quality and better cost from the past desire for luxury brands. Therefore, business work is a focal point for playing the role of supply side. That is, how to meet the personalized and differentiated consumption needs of the medium-and-high-income community and their needs for more varieties of safer commodities with better quality in a more comfortable shopping environment.

I'd like to point it out that the focus of our structural reform on the supply-side is to solve problems in regard to goods variety, price, quality, safety, as well as the shopping environment. Take the variety of goods as an example: Our country can provide around 200,000 or 300,000 varieties, but a well-known supermarket in developed countries can provide more than 700,000 varieties. Price is another focus involving the tax burden and high logistics cost that is distinct to China. The logistic cost in China went down slightly due to years of effort, but it is still double that in developed countries. This is what we are going to work on in terms of structural reform on the supply-side.

The big picture is income will increase based on stable employment. In 2015, China's GDP reached 67.7 trillion yuan, nearly US$11 trillion, with per capita GDP hitting US$8,000. In some coastal cities, the per capita GDP already exceeds US$10,000, or US$15,000. As the population of consumers with high-middle income increases, overseas shopping is seeing a surge. We will exert great efforts to develop cross-border electronic commerce and enable people to shop overseas while staying at home. This is also one area we would focus on this year. Thank you.

Singapore Lianhe Zaobao:

I have two questions. The first is: the total volume of China's foreign trade dropped by 9.8 percent this January, how do you see the trend of China's foreign trade in the whole year? What is the target for this year's foreign trade? The second question is about the "Belt and Road" Initiative. This year is the critical year for its comprehensive implementation. Can you tell us how the roles of this initiative will counter the United States' rebalancing strategy towards the Asia Pacific, given that the U.S. led TPP negations have already been concluded, and how the "Belt and Road" Initiative will complement the China-proposed Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific? Thank you.

Gao Hucheng:

We saw a continued decrease in China's foreign trade this January due to factors like migrant workers returning home ahead of the Chinese traditional holidays. You may have missed the fact that major economies all saw drops in their foreign trade. I have got some figures here, but won't read it one by one. The fact is, most of them declined by over 10 percent. In the context of global foreign trade and economic growth, China's foreign trade sustained the tendency in 2015.

I would like to take this opportunity to review China's foreign trade in 2015, which will help you understand better its development in 2016. The 2015 government work report set that year's growth rate of foreign trade at around 6 percent. But the actual figure was a negative growth of 8 percent. Exports fell by 2.9 percent, imports fell by 14.1 percent, and the total volume of foreign trade stood at US$3.96 trillion. Why was there such a big deviation from our projected goal? It has caught the attention of many people recently.

Before talking about this statistical deviation, I'd like to clarify one point. Over the past 30 years'of reform and opening-up, China's foreign trade grew by an annual average of 15.3 percent. Upon China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), its foreign trade was only about US$500 billion. We all noticed the big deviation between last year's projected goal and actual performance. In fact, deviations have been there over nearly 20 years, some even surpassed that in 2015. We ignored it because the economy was growing rapidly. Here are some examples. The 2003 government work report set the country's foreign trade growth rate at 7 percent, while the actual figure was 37.1 percent; In 2007, our goal was maintaining a high rate of export growth and moderately expanding imports, a general goal without specific figures. But it actually grew by 23.6 percent. In 2009, our projected goal was an 8 percent growth rate, but it actually plummeted 13.9 percent. I found out that over the past 20 years, only five years saw a close match between the projected goals and actual outcomes. Why did no one care about this situation? Because we have been so accustomed to rapid growth that whenever a negative growth was reported, we thought it was a problem. The fact is, the global trade suffered negative growth in 2015. The WTO recently published the foreign trade statistics of 71 major economies, and it showed overall exports fell by 11 percent and imports declined by 12.6 percent. I just said that China's foreign trade still delivered a satisfactory card because in the context of an overall growth in the world, China's growth rate was higher than other major economies; while the global trade declined, China declined the least. It still maintains its position as the largest trader in goods. And its share in global goods trade grows faster than previous years, up from 12.2 percent to 13 percent. Reviewing the past 20 years, a forecast of 6 percent of growth and an actual 8 percent decline is not a pronounced contrast. We need to adjust our thinking because we have come to an age when traditional industries need to improve their quality and efficiency and emerging sectors need to engage in innovation. And we should also pay attention to the gear shift, an inevitable hurdle we must cross.

Gao Hucheng:

As for the reporter's question, I'll talk about the reasons behind the situation. At the end of 2014, the prediction for the growth of imports and exports in 2015 was not groundless. Why was the target set at around 6 percent? Because foreign trade grew by 3.4 percent in 2014 and international institutions generally believed the economic situation would show a turn for the better in the following year, with an estimated growth rate of 0.2 to 0.5 percentage points. We basically agreed with that. For instance, the oil price falling to US$55 per barrel was thought to have hit bottom by everyone then. Many of the oil producing countries created financial budgets on the basis of US$60 per barrel at least. So it was believed that the price of commodities and energy products would rise gradually. However, as we know, the price of commodities plummeted last year with the oil price declining from 55 to 30 US dollars per barrel. Likewise, the price of commodities such as agricultural, minerals and energy products all fell 20-50 percent. It was a great change.

Another change, at the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015, a series of unexpected geopolitical factors, such as turmoil in some regions, and epidemics like Ebola and Dengue fever, all had economic influences. The gradual spread of violence and terrorism in some regions also had a severe impact. As for the point, we had noted the daunting and complicated challenges and a lot of uncertainties were lying ahead but the later situation was in fact more difficult to handle than imagined. Even until now, regarding howthe issues will develop and be tackled, no one at present can give a clear answer. Some of them may get resolved effectively and some may keep simmering.

The hard-won achievements of China's foreign trade last year were attributed to several reasons. Firstly, China has a complete industrial system with long industrial chains and advanced support capacity. Secondly, China has great innovation capabilities as enterprises adjusted themselves to enhancement after the financial crisis in 2008. China has world class basic education and advanced higher education and the nation, including each family, makes a lot of investment on education. The essential innovation spirit is a strong competitive edge for China. Thirdly, the development and innovation of emerging businesses and the transition of traditional industries all have positive effects. For instance, the pilot program of cross-border e-commerce in Hangzhou brought about an increased export volume of US$10 billion last year. It is reported that the primary task this year is to promote the pilot program in 12 cities so as to highlight the achievements in innovation. Fourthly, the government is making efforts to create a convenient, efficient and legalized business environment for all enterprises. Through streamlining administration and delegating power to lower levels, sorting out taxes and fees, and improving work efficiency, the government has lowered the burden on enterprises to a great extent. Especially in helping resolve enterprise financing difficulties, all financial institutions reached out their hands to help foreign trade enterprises go global through various means. I believe all those trends will continue this year.

In the interests of time, I will stop here on this question. As the reporter has asked several questions, I'll talk about the "Belt and Road" Initiative of common concern and make an introduction on its implementation and significance.

Being a top-level design for opening-up and economic diplomacy in the new phase, the "Belt and Road" Initiative is a proposal and plan to promote global cooperation, common development and prosperity. The important cooperation initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping employs the historical notion of the "Silk Road" to promote peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, learning from each other, mutual benefit and win-win development, which are the contents of the Silk Road Spirit. What is the essential basis for the initiative? Its implementation is not influenced by ideology, development route, model and level, but it aims to realize mutual benefit and win-win development through exchanges and cooperation in policy, trade, currency, infrastructure, humanity and other aspects under the principle of joint negotiation, construction and sharing. In my opinion, it differs from other proposals in that it is an open and inclusive cooperation initiative. It is set by China to promote global cooperation and win-win development.

Over the past two years, the initiative has drawn responses, keen attention and hot discussion among more and more people. Some globally renowned research institutions have taken up research on its implementation and its influences on global cooperation and development. Until now, over 60 countries have responded to take part in the joint construction. Some countries have exchanged strategies with China and put forward detailed plans. President Xi has said the the Belt and Road Initiative is not a Chinese solo, but a real chorus comprising all countries along the routes. Over the past two years, the construction has made progress with some large-scale projects launched. Western China has moved to the forefront for opening-up under the new situation. The central part of China is now accelerating opening-up and the eastern China has ushered in a new round of industrial and cooperative upgrading period.

Gao Hucheng:

Positive progress has been made in the construction of economic and trade cooperative zones between China and other countries. There are many examples, such as the ones in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Belarus, Thailand, Egypt and Kenya. We have established 75 such zones yielding substantial taxation and employment for the countries of cooperation. Statistics show taxes paid to the target countries by Chinese-invested companies hit US$100 billion in the past four years and the number of indigenous employees hired by them from the target countries approached 900,000. We believe that, as long as we adhere to the principles of mutual consultation, construction and sharing, China and other countries can definitely brainstorm with and meet each other halfway, so that "the Belt and Road" initiative will be more fruitful, benefit an increasing number of countries and their people, and contribute to the prosperity and development of the global economy.

Now let's turn to the topic of Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) about which you have some concern. Actually, I have responded several times to this issue. Let's recall a statement issued at the informal leadership meeting of APEC hosted by China in 2014 that pointed out both the TPP and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are choices and paths for the promotion of the construction of a free trade zone in the Asia Pacific Region. Therefore, China has a liberal attitude towards any free trade pacts as long as they are open, inclusive and transparent. The full text of the official document of TPP was not released until the signing ceremony in Auckland, New Zealand, on February 4, this year. Now, the full text translated from English to Chinese, with main content of about 600 pages and 3,900 pages of attachments have been posted on the website of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation affiliated to the Ministry of Commerce. It provides reference to scholars and industrial insiders for scrupulous research and assessment. Because there are diversified levels and phases regarding the developments of different countries, the assessment will take time to finish. However, we do not believe the TPP is designed to constrain China, neither do we believe the TPP and RCEP are opposed to each other. On the contrary, they are proceeding abreast without contradiction. We'll continue to press ahead with the research launched during the 2014 informal leadership meeting of APEC on the strategic framework for the construction of a free trade zone in the Asia Pacific Region.

Last, but not least, in view of the rules of global trade and investments which have evolved to the present form, the multilateral and regional systems are running simultaneously and in a coordinated way. When multilateral cooperation goes fast, the regional system will slow, and vice versa. However, they are ultimately to be incorporated into a globally unified and regulated multilateral trade framework. Why? The answer is simple: whenever a free trade pact is enacted, regardless of its criteria and openness, its primary concern is the development of its members. However, as long as we attempt to form a universal rule globally, the major issue for us is to take the market for consideration. Whatever the criteria are, without the involvement of market factors, they are meaningless.  The RCEP has paid attention to that point as the system features the largest diversity of conditions for the layout of regional trades. The arrangement was initiated by the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) in 2011, as the association established free trade zones involving six countries through five agreements. It signed the pacts with Australia and New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and India. It has also upgraded its free trade zone with China this year. The RCEP generally refers to the negotiations of 10 ASEAN members plus six other countries.

Why did I say the differences are remarkable? Let's take a look at the constitution of the "10+6." Among the countries, choices for the development paths and political models vary greatly; meanwhile, the GDP per capita differs from US$1,000 in one country to US$50,000 in another. Besides, the territories of the countries differ from dozens of square kilometers to hundreds of thousands square kilometers, and in China it reaches 9.6 million square kilometers. The differences are remarkable. I also wonder why seven members of RCEP are also TPP members. Based on my study, despite the huge differences in development phases and other respects among the countries, both the TPP and RCEP are choices and paths leading to the establishment of a free trade zone in the Asia Pacific Region as long as the principles of inclusiveness, openness and transparency are upheld. Thank you!

Guo Weimin:

To offer more opportunities for other journalists, I kindly remind you of asking one question per person.

Phoenix TV:

I have one question about Hong Kong. After the Occupy Central incident, another violent episode happened in Mongkok during the Spring Festival. Under such circumstance, will there be some adjustments to free trade policies for Hong Kong? Thank you.

Gao Hucheng:

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is a society based on the rule of law. The central government believes in the Hong Kong government and firmly supports it to govern the area according to the laws and maintain the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong society. This will not change. The Ministry of Commerce will continue pushing forward the economic and trade exchanges and cooperation with Hong Kong, and support Hong Kong's economic development according to the principle of "one country, two systems." We are paying attention to the work in four main aspects.

First, we will implement the agreement on trade service signed between the mainland and Hong Kong under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA). You may remember that the central government once promised that, by the end of the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, which was the end of 2015, the mainland would basically realize free trade in services. We would also improve the level of cooperation in the service industry between the two sides by implementing this agreement.

Second, we will support Hong Kong to give full play to its advantages in finanial and professional services and participate in the construction of "Belt and Road Initiative." At the same time, we support enterprises from both sides to work together to invest in and explore international markets. In this aspect, Hong Kong has its own soft power. For example, we have started to test it in some of our overseas projects by inviting Hong Kong personnel to provide supervisory services.

Third, we continue supporting Hong Kong to participate in international and regional economic cooperation, thereby cementing and improving its status as an international financial, trade and shipping center. The central government also actively promotes FTA negotiations between Hong Kong and the ASEAN. I can tell you the negotiation has made positive progress.

Fourth, we support Hong Kong to participate in the establishment of four trial free trade zones of mainland, especially in the construction of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Since the Guangdong zone was set up in last April, Hong Kong has been playing an active role in finance and transportation. And in the pilot zone, there are many opening-up policies and areas that can be described as "specially designed" for further promoting the cooperation between Guangdong Province and Hong Kong. At the same time, we will continue supporting Hong Kong and let it share the policy dividend from our opening-up and reform policy even more, and we will work hard for Hong Kong's economic development. Thank you.

NHK:

China is leading the arrangement of the Japan-China-South Korea Free Trade Agreement, but the level of its liberation is not very high. The negotiation has made little progress. Some people in Japan think this is because China is not willing to accept the high level of liberation. I welcome Mr. Gao's response. Thanks.

Gao Hucheng:

China has paid great attention to the negotiations with Japan and South Korea on the FTA. You all know, we have successfully signed and implemented a free trade zone agreement with South Korea and reduce tariffs twice. I recently got some statistics from the customs, and I can see the agreement has been implemented very well. The negotiation for the Japan-China-South Korea Free Trade Agreement, with efforts by all three parties, is making positive progress and we have basically reached a consensus on several aspects. We hope we can work out some leftover problems during the pattern bargaining and text negotiation and arrive at the phase of substantial negotiations. I would love to clarify some problems on standards, as the driving force of the negotiations depends on the economic complementarity among our three countries. As for the openness of the markets, as we can see from the expressed aspirations and the initial discussion during the pattern bargaining, this is a high-level free trade zone agreement. In negotiations between China and South Korea, and between China and Australia, we don't have to mention trade in goods, which is relatively easy and simple even in the aspects of investment and the trade in services, China has a high level of demand. Currently, in the negotiations between China, Japan and South Korea, no one will stand out to say whether it is high level or low level before entering substantive negotiations. There is no such point of view or a conclusion. But speaking for the Chinese side, we hope you notice that we have proposed at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, that we will build a high-standard free trade zone network globally. So, the China-Japan-South Korea free trade zone agreement will follow this way to reach a comprehensive, open and high-level free trade zone agreement benefiting people's welfare in the three countries and meeting the demands of their economic and social development. Thank you.

China Review News Agency (CRNA):

Hello Mr. Gao. At a news briefing during last year's "two sessions," you mentioned the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement between Mainland and Taiwan. After one year, the ChinaSouth Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has already been implemented, but the service trade agreement is still under preparation. What will be its impact on Taiwan's economy? What's your comment on Taiwan's supervisory regulations on cross-Strait agreements? Could you give us some information about the goods trade agreement negotiation between Mainland and Taiwan? Thank you.

Gao Hucheng:

Thanks for your question. Last year, I talked about the cross-Strait services and goods trade agreement. My opinion actually reflects the hopes and thinking of entrepreneurs of both sides. Frankly speaking, the service trade agreement between Mainland and Taiwan, featuring a high level of openness and a wide range, is rarely seen in such agreements and embodies the sincerity and friendship from the Mainland to Taiwan compatriots. However, due to certain human factors and obstacles, it has not been possible to carry out the agreement yet, and bring benefits to the people across the Strait as expected. We hope the Taiwan authority could maintain the proper political foundation and the right direction for peaceful development across the Strait, and speed up the implementation of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement.

The Cross-Strait Goods Trade Agreement is an important follow-up single consultative agreement of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) across the Strait. Since March 2011, delegations of the two sides have already exchanged views 12 times, and fully discussed contents of the text and market opening. During the process, in line with the concepts of mutual benefit and win-win, the Mainland has made great efforts to benefit people across the Strait.

In future, the two sides will communicate further and make proper arrangements for the following negotiations. We will also inform the media at that time. Thank you.

Bloomberg News

Minister Gao, could you comment on whether there is any need for further devaluation of RMB in order to help the beleaguered manufacturers and exporters?

Gao Hucheng:

First of all, I don't think sharp devaluation or appreciation of RMB is beneficial to importers or exporters. Nowadays with in-depth development of economic globalization, all well-known transnational enterprises and leading enterprises of various industries allocate their production factors on a global scale. Let me give you an example about a traditional Chinese industry. Recently a big clothing manufacturer in China, in cooperation with some other domestic enterprises, established a clothing industrial park in a country in South Asia with an investment of more than 13 billion yuan (about US$1.99 billion). In two or three years, the park's annual export of clothing products is expected to reach 5 billion US dollars with 200,000-300,000 people to be employed. This enterprise has precisely allocated its resources on a global scale. China's labor costs mean the traditional clothing industry is no longer competitive. However, Chinese equipment, technology, funds, management skills, raw materials and accessories in this industry do still have competitive advantages. Therefore, according to the general theory, against a background of in-depth global economic integration, currency devaluation or appreciation, if not exceeding 10 percent, will have very little impact on trade. So, I don't think some fluctuations in the central parity quotes of the RMB exchange rate we have seen recently will have a great impact on trade. Thank you.

Reporter (the media outlet unspecified):

I have a question on pilot free trade zones. So far, they have been established in Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangdong and Fujian. They have absorbed a large amount of foreign funds, but they are criticized for not being open enough. They might be doing well in the trade in goods, but some policies on the flow of funds are not fully implemented. What's your response to this? Thank you.

Gao Hucheng:

Thank you for your attention to this issue, which has also attracted the attention of many others. I think all journalists here are interested in the development of China's free trade zones. Establishing free trade zones is an important action taken by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council with the aim of finding new approaches and accumulating new experiences in deepening reform and opening up. China first carried out the reform and opening-up policies in 1978. The valuable experience we have gained over the past 30-plus years is to be cautious in advancement. We are making tests in the pilot zones to see if we can open wider and reform deeper. The experiences we accumulate later will be promoted nationwide. The major task is to introduce innovations in mechanisms, streamline administration and delegate power, so as to remove any barriers that might prevent the market acting as the decisive force in allocating resources. Regarding the specific implementation, to be frank, the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone has been in operation for a short time. We have expanded the zone and built three new ones in Guangdong, Tianjin and Fujian.

The State Council issued plans for the four zones last April. Various departments under the State Council undertook 366 pilot tasks, and more than 80 percent of them have been implemented. You said that some of the pilot tasks haven't been carried out yet. There are several reasons. First, pilot tasks will be trialed for two or three years in the free trade zones, so reform measures that are highly comprehensive and cover a wide range of departments should be developed carefully and carried out steadily.

Second, some policies have been formulated, and the departments concerned are working on the implementation rules. Most such policies concern the service sector, while in the manufacturing industry, almost all policies have been implemented.

Third, some reform measures involve more than one department, and all those concerned are discussing ways of cooperation and working hard to carry out the policies jointly. The Commerce Ministry is the leading department of the joint conference on pilot free trade zones attended by various ministerial departments under the State Council. We will continue to do all we can to coordinate various departments and local governments, so as to accelerate fulfillment of the pilot tasks.  Generally speaking, the free trade zones are developing smoothly. Notable successes have been achieved in the innovation of mechanisms, streamlining administration and delegating power.

In the field of investment, pre-establishment national treatment and the negative list have been implemented for foreign investments. These measures have helped make the free trade zones popular investment spots for foreign funds. Take the Shanghai Free Trade Zone as an example. The total number of foreign-funded companies has grown by 50 percent, and the average value of foreign-funded projects has exceeded US$10 million. This is significant growth. In the other three free trade zones, no foreign-funded project so far involved less than US$6 million. In free trade zones, foreign companies in industries outside the negative list can complete all establishment procedures in three working days. In contrast, in areas outside the free trade zones, the examination and approval process takes more than ten days, or even months. Such convenience is common in free trade zones.

As for trade facilitation, free trade zones are taking bigger steps. They are the first in China to establish a "single-window" in border ports. This practice has enhanced customs clearance efficiency by 40 percent, and it is being further improved.

Regarding supervision during and after the establishment of projects, the free trade zones have taken many measures, such as establishing a supervisory platform based on big data and categorizing companies according to their credit records. All of these measures lead the way in China.

In 2014, one year after the establishment of Shanghai Free Trade Zone, 34 pilot practices from it were introduced nationwide. So far, we have accumulated other useful experiences and will promote them throughout the country. Besides, some practices are being evaluated by a third party. I hope they can be promoted elsewhere soon, so as to bring the benefits of reform to more people. Thank you.

Guo Weimin:

The last question.

China Daily:

Recently, the European Commission called for the Chinese government to cut steel production capacity and announced anti-dumping investigations into three types of Chinese steel products. What's your comment on this? Thank you.

Gao Hucheng:

In the past few years, we've seen a sluggish recovery and slow growth in the global economy as well as increasing uncertainties and destabilizing factors. Many countries are adjusting their policy orientations. Especially, early this year, there were some fluctuations in the global stock and exchange markets. However, the core issue is a major change in supply and demand, and overcapacity has become a global problem. As I mentioned earlier, many reasons, such as regional disputes and geopolitics, can account for price fluctuations in major commodities including energy, mineral and agricultural products. Yet, one undeniable factor and something that needs be confronted, is the change in supply and demand. The huge fall in commodity prices is deeply related to the supply and demand relationship. It is the same with energy products as well as in steel products and other commodities.

Second, China has been the largest country in the trade in goods from 2013. And it has faced the largest number of anti-dumping allegations for 21 consecutive years. Years ago, many people like me were arguing that we should be calm in regard to those trade remedy measures and not overreact to individual cases. According to WTO provisions for trade remedy, as long as it involves a certain scale, a company has the right to file a petition seeking anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures. And trade remedy agencies in that country must accept its petition and launch investigations into the case.

Third, overcapacity in the steel industry is a global problem needing a global solution. We have maintained quite good communications with the United States and European countries in this regard. China has been involved in OECD discussions and dialogues on this issue for 10 years. With regard to EU's trade remedy investigations into some types of Chinese steel products, I want to highlight the following points. First, we should talk about it within a general context. China's export of steel products to EU member countries is a form of market behavior. Many people may find out that some businesses have been affected and filed petitions for trade remedy. However, we should also see that some companies and consumers have actually benefited from the imported products. The steel products were purchased by EU's importers or consumers at reasonable prices. And this is a fundamental aspect of the case. The fact that some companies have raised petitions is also a part of market behavior, and should not be misinterpreted as government or European Commission behavior. Second, we should safeguard and defend Chinese companies' lawful rights in accordance to WTO rules. Third, we should encourage dialogue and cooperation among all parties. This is an experience drawn from successful cases we have dealt with along with our major trade partners. And it especially applies to cases with the EU. Many of you may recall our successful settlement of trade friction over PV products and polysilicons with the EU. The case involved an amount totaling more than US$20 billion. In the end, thanks to cooperation among government, industries and companies, a deal was agreed that satisfied the Chinese company's quest for a share of the European market and addressed grievances of PV and polysilicon companies in Europe.

Up until now, implementation of the deal is still underway and is welcomed by the industry, companies and consumers. As for the global issue of steel production, I encourage its proper settlement through enhanced cooperation among companies, industries and the government. Thank you.

Guo Weimin:

Thank you, Minister Gao. Minister Gao has given us a relatively detailed introduction on China's foreign trade, consumption and the building of free trade zones. You can also ask questions on routine news briefings held by the Ministry of Commerce. Thank you for coming. This is the end of today's conference.
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Photo taken on Feb. 22, 2016 shows a fallen tree in Suva, capital of Fiji, on Feb. 22. [Photo/Xinhua]

Death toll in Fiji from severe tropical cyclone Winston has risen to 28, the government-owned Fiji Broadcasting Corporation confirmed Tuesday.

Aside from the latest death toll, 21 people are suffering from serious injuries, said Akapusi Tuifagalele, director of Fiji's National Disaster Management Office.

The official death toll may further rise as police are trying to get confirmation on some reports of missing persons.

Over 8,400 people are living in evacuation centers around the country, Tuifagalele said.

Many people have been stranded and urgently need food and shelter in the aftermath of the severe tropical cyclone Winston, a category 5 one when it swept through Fiji last Saturday and left a path of destruction.

The Fijian government has been working to coordinate rescue and relief efforts, and has established bank accounts to receive financial donations to help those affected by Winston, considered the strongest tropical cyclone Fiji has ever met.

The United Nations has begun its assessment of the needs for international assistance to Fiji, and the UN's Pacific Humanitarian Team are reaching out to local authorities in a bid to determine what expertise and support are needed.

Meanwhile, several countries have reached out a helping hand to the Pacific island country.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
Europe's ecosystems face increasing pressure to stay healthy amid rising pollution, exploitation, urban sprawl, and the effects of climate change, according to the findings of a European Environment Agency (EEA) report published on Monday.

The EEA report "Mapping and assessing the condition of Europe's ecosystems: progress and challenges" looks at eight broad ecosystem types in Europe and assesses the pressures and challenges each of the different types face, as well as the impacts on habitats and species.

The report shows that some of the most sensitive ecosystems in Europe, such as heathlands, wetlands and freshwater bodies, are highly concentrated in a small number of countries, which could increase their vulnerability to environmental change.

Moreover, a substantial proportion of these very vulnerable ecosystems are not protected within Natura 2000 EU protected sites, marine protected areas, or similar zones that aim to preserve habitats and biodiversity.

Besides, over half of all the habitats and species covered by the European Union (EU)'s habitats directive are assessed as being in "unfavorable" condition, and their conservation status is generally declining or stable, with only a small proportion "improving."

An initial assessment found that habitat change, including pollution, habitat loss and fragmentation, has had the greatest overall impact across ecosystems to date, said the report.

Pressures like nutrient and pollution loads are still increasing and all ecosystem types are facing increased pressure due to climate change and invasive alien species, leading to further negative effects.

Key gaps in knowledge and data would need to be resolved to improve future assessments of Europe's ecosystems, said the report.

Specifically, there is a lack of data on urban and marine ecosystems, a lack of understanding of the combined impacts of multiple pressures faced, a lack of detailed spatial data for mapping impacts on biodiversity, and a lack of understanding of the links between ecosystem condition, biodiversity and ecosystem service delivery.

The EEA has supported the implementation of the EU's biodiversity strategy to 2020 through its activities on ecosystem mapping and assessment since 2012. This report forms part of the EEA's contribution to the mid-term review of the strategy.
Fu Ying and Kissinger talk in a forum themed "World Order and China's Role" in Beijing on Saturday. [Photo provided to china daily.com.cn]

Since the beginning of 2016, the United States has made two notable comments in relation to China.

First, in his 2016 State of the Union address, US President Barack Obama, who has always been rather discreet, said in a rather high-profile manner, "The United States of America is the most powerful nation. Period. It's not even close."

Second, after the Taiwan leader election, US officials repeated the one-China policy while expressing concerns over cross-Straits stability.

These two things suggest that the US remains confident in its own strength, and military confrontations to pin down Chinese development and stability are not part of the US' strategic considerations.

Instead, the US regards economic competition as the primary area of competition between the US and China for global leadership.

In international-trade rulemaking, the US kept one step ahead of China by successfully inking the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations with 11 countries on Feb 4. For China, the free-trade agreements signed with the Republic of Korea on June 1 and Australia on June 17 helped create two major breaches in the wall of US-made trade rules.

In international finance and trade, the two countries also had their own respective gains. As the US economy continues to improve, the international status of the US dollar has been further consolidated, with substantial increases in the exchange rate against major currencies, including the RMB. Meanwhile, the Chinese manufacturing industry has shown remarkable international competitiveness.

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Yandunjiao Village, or Beacon Tower Cape in English, was named after the beacon tower built on the hill. It has been a paradise for white swans and even more so for photographers who flock to the tranquil foothill village in Shandong Province every year to zoom in on its angelic creatures. Tens of thousands of swans fly all the way from Inner Mongolia and Siberia to Yandunjiao Village every December to April for the undisturbed habitat and luxuriant food resources.[China.org.cn/Photo by Han Jiajun]
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The newly overhauled SAT exam, which puts a heavier emphasis on reading comprehension, may affect the performance of Chinese students, who have traditionally excelled in the math part of the test and relied heavily on rote memorization and cramming.

An SAT promotional poster is seen at the Beijing Education Expo on Nov 2, 2013. [Photo/China Daily]

The new test will feature longer and more difficult reading passages, as well as wordier math problems that the College Board, which administers the test, said will test students on their real-world applications. Short sentence-completion questions will be eliminated, and students will have to figure out the meaning of vocabulary in reading passages.

The writing section will be optional for students applying to schools that require it, and maximum scores are going back to 1600  down from the 2400 points for the tests administered between 2005 and this year.

The overhaul of the SAT exam is the most substantial redesign in a decade.

Some college admissions officers and education experts believe that students from immigrant families and countries where English is not the native language will be at a disadvantage when being tested with longer reading passages.

"The heavier weighting on extended reading passages could well put kids whose home language is not English at a disadvantage, because the test remains timed  speed is a key issue," said Robert Schaeffer, public education director of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, which promotes equal opportunity in education.

"They may feel pressed to complete many of the longer passages in the available time, and quite often, kids from other nations are translating in their head from the English text to their home language and then back to English to get the right answer," he said.

The College Board said in a statement provided to China Daily that the new SAT measures skills essential for college and career readiness for all students, "regardless of geography".

"The College Board has redesigned the SAT to make it more focused, useful and clear for all students than ever before, in part by eliminating the tricks and mysteries that previously left some students at a disadvantage," the board statement said. "Among the biggest changes to the test is the removal of obscure vocabulary words that were an unnecessary barrier for some students, including those whose first language is not English."

The College Board also said that the new test will feature passages from founding documents of the United States, such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, which may include antiquated language that students who didn't grow up studying in the US might not understand.

"Other than waving a patriotic flag, there is no measurement reason why reading passages should be about US founding documents rather than Darwin or the UN founding documents," Schaeffer said.

Dennis Yim, an SAT programs manager for Kaplan Test Prep, said the changes will alter who does well on the test, making it harder for slower readers and those who struggle with English as a second language. It may even affect students who usually perform well in the math section.

"It's important to understand that students should take an early look at the test and understand what those new challenges will be  especially, especially on the math section," said Yim, who runs programs across the city for Kaplan, one of the largest test prep programs in the US.

"On the previous test, there were questions that tested just your base line knowledge, your ability to use number operations or setting up equations," he added.

"But now we're talking about a math test that, yes, still is 30 percent word problems, but we're looking at word problems that involve pretty intricate scenarios."

Kregg Strehorn, assistant provost for enrollment at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said that it's "very hard to believe that any nonnative English speaker is not going to be put at a disadvantage, especially when there's more reading required."

With the reading comprehension spilling over even to the math section, the test becomes even more difficult, he added.

Strehorn, who helps evaluate students' admission applications and has seen an increase in Chinese students applying to the university, said that this new test might influence parents in China to send their children to international schools earlier to get a head start on learning in English.

Students who study in a more Western class setting may have an advantage, he said, even if it's "just a contextual advantage  kind of learning the subjects while they're learning English."

Rick Clark, director of undergraduate admissions at Georgia Tech, said that while there won't be a huge drop in scores, he expects a "slight diminishing of average scores in Asia in particular" when the new test is first administered internationally in May. US students will take the new test for the first time in March.

Because of the new test and the lack of knowledge about how well the scores will predict a student's actual success in college, Clark said that Georgia Tech admissions officers are expecting that they will focus less on the test scores in the coming year until students become more familiar with the test.

But experts agree that, overall, the test may be more representative of students' English skills and ability to succeed once they enter a US college.

Clark from Georgia Tech said he hoped there will be a new awareness in China that test scores are important, but no more important than other factors that schools are considering.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that his country and the United States were ready to set up an implementation and monitor mechanism to ensure respect of a ceasefire in Syria.

"It is essential that Russia and the United States, co-chairs of the International Syrian Support Group, are ready to run an effective mechanism for the implementation and monitoring of the ceasefire by both the Syrian government and armed opposition groups," Putin said in a televised address posted on the Kremlin's website.

Putin's remarks came hours after Washington and Moscow announced plans for a cessation of hostilities in Syria, excluding Islamic State and Nusra Front militants, that would take effect from Saturday.

To achieve this, a "hot line" would be created and if necessary a working group would be set up for exchanging information, Putin said.

"The main thing is that conditions have been created for launching a genuine political process through the wide inter-Syrian dialogue in Geneva overseen by the UN," Putin said.

The arm forces of Russia and the U.S. would continue joint work to identify which Syrian armed groups should observe the cessation of hostilities on Saturday, Putin said.

"Russian and the U.S. military forces will jointly define areas on the maps where these groups are active," he said. "The Armed Forces of Syrian Arab Republic, Russian Federation and the U.S.-led coalition will not carry out military operations against these groups."

Putin stressed that all conflicting sides in Syria must reaffirm by noon of Friday their commitment to ceasefire to Russia and the United States.

He urged all regional states to support the ceasefire plan, adding that Russia will do whatever necessary to influence the Syrian leadership.

Calling on the Syrian opposition groups to stop military operations against Syrian government army and its supporting forces, Putin said, "We are counting on the United States to do the same with its allies and groups it supported."

"There was, finally, a real chance to end years of bloodshed and violence," Putin said.

Praising the joint intensive work done by Russian and U.S. experts and negotiators, Putin said the ceasefire agreement could serve as an example for future responses to terrorist threats.

Putin also noted that the ceasefire agreement should facilitate humanitarian aid to all Syrian citizens.

"The main thing (of the agreement) is to create conditions for the launch of a genuine political process through a wide inclusive dialogue in Geneva under the auspices of the UN," Putin added.

Meanwhile, the president confirmed the continuation of strikes against the Islamic State, the Nusra Front and other terror groups.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday said Russia would continue intense contacts on Syria issues with all interested countries, particularly the Middle East states.

"The main task now Russia and the U.S. set after adoption of this joint statement is to stop unnecessary bloodshed and keep fighting terrorism, thus facilitate the political settlement in that country," Tass news agency quoted Peskov as saying.
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the agreement announced earlier in the day by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the terms of a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria scheduled to come into effect on Feb. 27.

"The secretary-general strongly urges the parties to abide by the terms of the agreement," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

Earlier Monday, Kerry and Lavrov reached a provisional agreement on terms of a cessation of hostilities in Syria, where more than 250,000 people have been killed since March 2011. The two foreign ministers are co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) Ceasefire Taskforce formed in Munich, Germany.

"Much work now lies ahead to ensure its implementation, and the international community, the ISSG and the Syrian parties must remain steadfast in their resolve," the statement said. The ISSG, comprising the Arab League, the European Union, the United Nations, and 17 countries including the United States, Russia and China, laid the groundwork for the intra-Syria talks at a meeting in Munich in November 2015.

"Aware of the lengthy and detailed discussions that preceded this announcement, the secretary-general believes the agreement, if respected, would constitute a significant step forward in the implementation of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015)," the statement said.

"It demonstrates the commitment of the ISSG to exert influence on the warring parties to bring about an immediate reduction in violence as a first step towards a more durable ceasefire," the statement said. "It further contributes to creating an environment conducive for the resumption of political negotiations."

"Above all, it is a long-awaited signal of hope to the Syrian people that after five years of conflict there may be an end to their suffering in sight," the statement added.

The Office of the Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, "stands ready to support implementation of the agreement, both on the ground in Damascus and in Geneva," the statement said. "The United Nations further counts on the cooperation of ISSG members as all stakeholders jointly set the implementation mechanism in motion."

De Mistura is mediating an indirect talks between the Syrian government and opposition to negotiate an early end to the Syrian conflict.
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Taliban militants have claimed responsibility for organizing suicide bombing that claimed the lives of 14 people in the eastern Parwan province on Monday afternoon.

According to Taliban online statement claimed on Tuesday, a Taliban suicide bomber named Mohammad Rasoul targeted police patrol team in Siagurd district of Parwan province on Monday killing police commander named Mushtaq on the spot along with several of his bodyguards.

On Monday night, a suicide bomber blew himself up in Siagurd district, 55 km north of Kabul killing 14 people including six Afghan Local Police (ALP) or community police personnel, and seven civilians.

The bomber was also killed in his blast.

Those killed include six ALP officers and seven civilians in addition to the bomber, the official added.

The government established the ALP, or community police, in 2010 to protect villages and districts where army and police have limited presence.

The suicide bombing in Siaguard district of Parwan province took place just one day before holding the four-nation talks in Kabul on Tuesday to discuss the Afghan peace process and find a roadmap for bringing Taliban into negotiating table to end lingering Afghan crisis through dialogue.

Taliban militants, according to local observers, would intensify their activities ahead of proposed peace talks and possible sitting with government on negotiating table.
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The Indonesian police are investigating four men who were recently deported from Singapore over allegations of supporting the Islamic State group.

Anton Bachrul Alam, a spokesman from the National Police, on Tuesday told reporters in Jakarta that the male quartet, who age between 15 to 49, were arrested in Singapore last weekend when they were allegedly en route to Syria where the IS is headquartered.

"We are now investigating them to find out more," Anton said, noting that the group are currently in the custody of the police's counterterrorism unit in Jakarta.

Reports said that the quartet are members of Jamaah Anshorut Daulah, which is one of three Indonesian radical groups supporting the IS.

The four are believed to be followers of Aman Abdurrahman, one of the most influential hardline clerics in Indonesia who is currently in jail for terrorism.

Aman, who is believed to have recruited hundreds of Indonesians to be the militants for the IS, met the four suspects from his religious boarding school in West Java.

The group had flown into Singapore from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta before traveling to Malaysia's Johor and spent three days there and then returning to Singapore, according to Indonesian media.

Singaporean officials arrested and deported them on Sunday.

Two of the suspects are reportedly brothers: 15-year-old Muhamad Mufid Murtadho and 23-year-old Mukhlis Khoirur Rofiq, who are from West Java.

Meanwhile, the others are Untung Sugema Mardjuk and Risno, and they were born in Jakarta and Central Java, respectively.

Indonesian officials estimated that some 500 Indonesians have joined IS to fight in Syria, and about 100 of them are thought to have returned home.
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Kenyan authorities on Tuesday confirmed that a faulty electricity line that exploded near the military camp in Garissa town in the country's northeast region caused a terror panic in the camp, prompting the officers to open fire arbitrarily.

Northeastern Regional Coordinator Ambassador Mohamud Saleh said the incident started Monday night when a loose power cables caused sparks and explosions, which the military took for an enemy attack on the camp.

"Power cables lying low behind the military camp touched each other, causing explosions that made the soldiers in the camp think they were under attack. The soldiers shot in the air sporadically as a precautionary," Saleh told journalists in Garissa.

The military camp is located in the heart of Garissa town.

And the incident lasted for close to 45 minutes with heavy random gun fire heard all over the town, and panicked residents deserting the town or retreating to their homes.

Unconfirmed reports said in the ensuing confusion, two donkeys strayed into the airstrip next to the military camp were shot dead.

Saleh said the military action was prompted by recent attack in El-Adde in southern Somalia that saw dozens of their colleagues killed when Al-Shabaab attacked their camp.

"It should be understood that our officers are still traumatized by what took place in Somalia and they are in high alert," he said.

The East African nation continues to suffer attacks as terrorists change tuck to beat heightened security and carry on with their heinous acts undetected.

Most of the attacks occurred in northeastern Kenya, mainly in Dadaab, Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera counties as well as along the Kenyan coast.
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Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan said Tuesday that the Arab world has to urgently catch up with global trends in order to give the women a better place in society, politics and business.

In a keynote speech before the Global Women's Forum 2016, Queen Rania praised the government of the host country United Arab Emirates (UAE) for appointing two more women as ministers and a woman as parliament speaker.

In a recent Cabinet reshuffle, Ohood Al-Roumi has been appointed minister of happiness and Noura Al-Kaabi minister of state for the UAE Federal National Council (FNC), the advisory parliament in the Gulf Arabian state.

Earlier, Amal Al-Qubaisi was appointed as the Middle East's first female speaker of the FNC. The queen called the UAE a role model for the Arab world.

Women have been occupying minister positions in the UAE government since 2004.

Queen Rania said while many women in the Arab world are stuck by conflicts and social boundaries, there are many signs of progress in politics, science, business and the Arab economies."

"Changing the world needs time, changing perceptions may take generations. Therefore, we have to continue to promote women's rights and demand progress in all society levels for women," she added.
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Japanese opposition parties accelerated their realignment ahead of the upper house election slated for this summer with the latest move on Tuesday that two major opposition parties here basically agreed to merge in a step to challenge the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the largest opposition party here, and the Japan Innovation Party (JIP) announced Tuesday their plan to form a new party, and, according to their plan, the new party will be established in late March at earliest, said local reports.

The JIP will be dissolved and then will be merged into the DPJ, which will maintain its factions, but the name of the "Democratic Party of Japan" will be changed, according to the JIP's merge proposal, although veteran DPJ lawmakers insisted keeping the DPJ's name.

DPJ executives approved the integration plan during a meeting on Tuesday and the JIP leader Yorihisa Matsuno also revealed the plan to his party. The two parties will discuss the issue when they each hold intraparty talks on Wednesday so as to gain support within their parties respectively, according to Japan's Kyodo News.

If realized, the new party will have 93 seats in the 475-seat lower house, where the ruling coalition grouped Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party secures 325 seats in the all-powerful chamber, and 64 seats in the upper house. The ruling camp also maintained the majority in the 242-seat chamber.

Half of the 242 seats in the upper house will be elected every three years. According to the poll system, 73 of the 121 seats will be contested in the single- and multiple-member electoral districts and the rest 48 are chosen under the nationwide party-list proportional representation system.

The LDP and its partner of Komeito Party ousted the DPJ from the ruling position in a lower house election in late 2012 through an overwhelming victory and put an end to the twisted parliament by winning an upper house election in 2013.

Having a comfortable parliament, the ruling bloc's "runaway policy" worried the Japanese public, especially after the ruling parties enacted the controversial Special Secrecy Law in 2013 and the security-related laws last year. Both enactments triggered large-scale protests across the island country.

Also on Tuesday, secretaries general of five opposition parties, including the DPJ and JIP, held a meeting to discuss their cooperation such as coordination in filing unified candidates in single-member electoral districts in the coming poll in order to better fight against the ruling camp, according to Kyodo.

The five parties that also include the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party and the People's Life Party on Friday filed two bills to the lower house demanding the retraction of the security laws for their unconstitutionality, aiming at refreshing public bitter memory over the ruling camp's arrogance when it rammed the security bills through the parliament and trying to make the issue a focus in the upcoming upper house election.

For the ruling camp, particularly for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the summer's poll is significant to achieve his attempt to launch the Constitution amendment motion if the ruling camp could grab two thirds of seats in the upper house.

Hitting by a string of scandals connected to Abe Cabinet's ministers and lawmakers, the nationwide support rate for the Cabinet tumbled 7 percentage points to 46.7 percent, according to the latest survey released Sunday, while the disapproval rating for the Cabinet stood at 38.9 percent as of this weekend, compared to 35.3 percent as per the poll taken at the end of last month.
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At least 15 militants were killed when Pakistani army launched missile strikes in the country's northwest tribal area of North Waziristan on Tuesday, the military said.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the mouthpiece of Pakistani army, said in a statement that the troops backed by fighter jets from Pakistan Air Force pounded eight militants' hideouts in North Waziristan, a restive tribal area along Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Identities of the killed militants have not been revealed yet, but North Waziristan Agency is believed to be a hotbed of outlawed group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Tuesday's airstrikes are continuation of the military operation in North Waziristan Agency.

Aiming at the eradication of local and foreign militants from the volatile North Waziristan agency, the armed offensive called "Zarb-e-Azb" (an Urdu name for the strike of Islamic prophet's sword) was launched on June 15, 2014.

Earlier in December last year, ISPR Director General Asim Bajwa said a total of 3,400 militants have been killed in the operation so far.

He said the military has also destroyed 837 hideouts of the militants, which has broken their backbone and dismantled their network.
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Syria's Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday the Syrian government consents to observe a cessation of hostilities as agreed upon by the U.S. and Russia.

The ministry said the military campaign against the Islamic State (IS) group and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front will continue in accordance to the U.S.-Russian agreement.

It however warned that the Syrian army has the right to respond to any violation by the opposition forces against the people, or the military forces.

Also, the ministry said it will continue to coordinate with the Russian side to identify the areas and the armed groups that will be included in the cessation of hostilities agreement "to ensure the success of agreement."

Meanwhile, the ministry stressed the importance of controlling the borders and bring to halt the support some countries render to the armed groups "to avoid such groups from exploiting the cessation of hostilities agreement."

"The Syrian government, through its acceptance, stresses its keenness to see a curb to the bloodletting in Syria and restore peace and stability," the ministry added.

A day earlier, Russia and the United States agreed to enforce a cessation of hostilities starting from Feb. 27.

Any party engaged in conflicts in Syria will indicate to Russia or the United States their commitment to and acceptance of the terms for the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12:00 Damascus time (1000 GMT) on Feb. 27, according to a joint statement issued by the U.S. State Department.
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Moroccan and Spanish security services have arrested four people suspected of recruiting and sending fighters to the Islamic State (IS) group, the Moroccan Interior Ministry announced Tuesday.

In a joint operation, three people were arrested in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, and their partner in the northeastern city of Nadir, the ministry said in a statement.

It revealed that one of the suspects is a former Guantanamo detainee who fought with al-Qaida in Afghanistan.

The arrested person in Morocco will be brought before court after the public prosecutor's office completes its investigation, the statement added.

The terror cell is the sixth one to have been dismantled in 2016.

On Thursday, the ministry said that security forces foiled "dangerous" IS terrorist attacks and arrested 10 suspects, including a French national.

The busted cell planned series of attacks against key Moroccan sites, including a suicide attack in the country's parliament building, the official Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) agency reported on Saturday.

The attack on the parliament was planned to be carried out by a 16-year-old boy who received extensive training, the report said citing a source close to the investigations.

The ministry said it has arrested over 30 terrorist cells since 2013 and foiled "numerous terrorist plans" targeting vital national, Arab and Western interests.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on the international community not to make a distinction between terrorist organizations.

"Making distinctions between good and bad terrorist means supporting terrorism," the president said in his opening speech delivered at a meeting on Somalia in Istanbul.

He noted that Turkey does not differentiate between terror groups like al-Shabab, Islamic State (IS), al-Nusra, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Syria's Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing People's Protection Units (YPG).

He urged all countries to embrace the same point of view for an "effective" counter-terrorism and to stand united against terrorism and countries that support it.

Washington's insistence on continued support for the PYD and YPG and its refusal to brand them as terror groups, as demanded by Ankara, has infuriated Erdogan and other top Turkish officials.

The U.S. regards YPG as a force that has been effecitve in helping fight against the IS in Syria, while Turkey sees its link to PKK, a group that it is fighting in the southeast and listed as a terrorist organization as well by the U.S. and the European Union.

In his speech, Erdogan also stated that Syria has transformed into a country that exports terrorism.

He said that during the last 10 days over 600 people have lost their lives in war-torn Syria, in developments that have triggered a new wave of refugees.

"This provides a convenient environment for the growth of terror organizations," he said.
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Israel has demolished two houses of Palestinians who carried out attacks against Israelis near Hebron in the West Bank, the Israeli army said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) engineers and border policemen overnight leveled two homes belonging to Raed Masalmeh, 36, located in the Palestinian village of Dura near Hebron and Mohammed Abdel Basset al-Kharoub, 24, in Dir Smat, a Palestinian village also near Hebron, according to a statement from the IDF spokesperson.

Masalmeh is responsible for a stabbing attack in a Tel Aviv office building on November 19 which resulted in the deaths of two Israelis. He had been captured and indicted on charges of murder.

At the same day, al-Kharoub was suspected of shooting and killing three people on a West Bank highway, near the Jewish settlement of Alon Shvut.

The measure of home demolition has been reinstated by Israeli authorities amid a five-month-long wave of ongoing violence, including stabbing, shooting and vehicular attacks, in an attempt to deter others from carrying out attacks. It was in use a decade ago, during the time of second Palestinian intifada (armed uprising).

However, the effectiveness of the measure had been questioned by Israeli security officials, and human rights groups deplore it as an unfair collective punishment against the families of the attackers.

Twenty seven Israelis and more than 170 Palestinians have been killed since October, amid the ongoing wave of violence.

Whereas the Israelis were killed in attacks, the Palestinians were killed either in clashes during protests with Israeli security forces or were gunned down after carrying out or attempting to carry out attacks against Israelis.

Israeli leaders blame the Palestinian Authority for incitement to violence as the cause of the unrest, whereas the Palestinians charge it is the frustration over 49-year of Israeli occupation of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip territories, where they wish to establish a Palestinian state in accordance with the two-state solution.
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Four people have been arrested for forming part of a network dedicated to indoctrinating, radicalizing and recruiting people to join the Islamic State (IS), the Spanish interior ministry confirmed on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, three people were arrested in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta sitting on the northern shores of Africa and another in the Moroccan town of Nador.

The ministry informed that the recruitment "cell" centered its activities not only on finding people to fight for IS in the Syria-Iraq conflict zone, but also on finding "people in Spain and Morocco willing to carry out possible terrorist actions in either of those two countries," in the name of IS.

On February 7, seven arrests were made in another operation aimed at jihadist recruitment cells in Spanish cities of Alicante, Valencia, and Ceuta. Meanwhile, Tuesday's ongoing police operation raises the number of people arrested in anti-jihad operations in Spain in 2015 and 2016 to 85, with a further 28 arrested in joint operations outside of Spain.
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Visiting United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has encouraged and hailed the Burundian president's commitment to engage in an inclusive dialogue.

"Yesterday (Monday) evening, I met political actors from the ruling party and the opposition, and they promised to engage in an inclusive dialogue. And President Nkurunziza also confirmed that he is engaged in an inclusive dialogue," said the UN chief after meeting with President Pierre Nkurunziza Tuesday.

According to Ban, Burundian political leaders must have the courage and the confidence to make a credible political process to ensure that citizens can live in peace and enjoy human rights.

"I welcome the decision by the president to withdraw some media bans, cancel arrest warrants and release political detainees," he said.

Ban called on all Burundian citizens and the country's partners to rehabilitate the country on the path of peace, development and reconciliation.

"This is the aspiration of Burundian people and that is the future they deserve. There is no time to waste," said Ban.

He indicated that a world humanitarian summit will take place in Istanbul, Turkey in May this year, stressing that the Burundian crisis will also be under discussion.

President Pierre Nkurunziza commended Ban's visit and the UN support to the east African nation.

"We requested the UN to support the ongoing inter-Burundian dialogue and to help us fight against terrorism," said Nkurunziza.

Ban's meeting with Nkurunziza ended his two-day visit in Burundi.

Burundi has been gripped in a crisis since April 2015 following the announcement of Nkurunziza for a third term in office.

The violence has already claimed more than 400 lives and forced more than 200,000 persons into exile in neighboring countries.
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Kenyan authorities on Tuesday ordered the arrest of a white pilot who was involved in a scuffle with a policewoman in central Kenya on Sunday.

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet ordered swift investigations against Allister Brown, the pilot of an aircraft that the Deputy President William Ruto had hired, who was captured in a video in a scuffle with a policewoman in Nyandarua County.

"Boinnet has ordered investigations with immediate effect and commencement of criminal proceedings against the suspect. The suspect has subsequently been ordered to surrender to any nearest police station," Police spokesman George Kinoti said.

In the clip widely circulated on the social media, the pilot had approached the police officer, asking her to control the crowd that was surging towards the helicopter.

The pilot is seen violently pushing the police officer while ordering her to do her work, telling the policewoman to push away the crowd gathering close to where the helicopter had parked after a crowd of children surged towards the aircraft.

"Do your job, okay? Tell these people to move back. Cause then you will explain to the deputy president," the pilot ordered the policewomen.

Brown is also seen hurling insults at the police officer before he grabs her swagger stick. At some point he is seen pushing the policewoman, attracting the anger of the crowd at the grounds.

The incident has sparked an online rage and also attracted the attention of the deputy president.

Ruto has asked the police to investigate the incident.

"The DP said he had been made aware of the video that was widely circulated on social media," Ruto's spokesman David Mugonyi said.

"The Deputy President respects our hardworking police officers who put in a lot of hours to secure our environment and country. This incident is unacceptable, regrettable and the police have been asked to investigate the unbecoming behavior of the pilot," he said.
Gu Yuese, pictured above, is currently in a black jail. (Photo: China Aid)

China Aid

By Brynne Lawrence

(Wenzhou, ZhejiangFeb. 4, 2016) Government personnel in Chinas coastal Zhejiang criminally detained a high-ranking official of a state-run Christian organization and his wife on Jan. 29 after he publicly opposed the cross removal campaign sweeping through the province.

Li Guanzhong, who serves as the chairman of the China Christian Council (CCC) in Pujiang County and the senior pastor of Puyang Christian Church, and his wife, Zhang Shuzhen, received criminal detention sentences on charges of accepting bribes and embezzlement.

In July 2014, Li resisted the governments attempt to pressure him into destroying his own churchs cross and publicly condemned the cross demolitions.

After taking the same stance, Pastor Gu Yuese, the chairman of the provincial CCC, received a notice on Jan. 18 stating that the Secretary-General of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement would replace him as senior pastor of Chinas largest official church.

On Jan. 27, authorities incarcerated Gu and his wife, Zhou Lianmei, who was later released. China Aid learned that Gu had been charged with embezzlement of funds and sentenced to residential surveillance in an undisclosed location, also known as a black jail.

Zhejiangs provincial government began demolishing church buildings and crosses in 2014 in a campaign titled Three Rectifications and One Demolition. Since then, authorities have destroyed an estimated 1,800 crosses and detained hundreds of Christian protesters and their lawyers.

Recently, Li also resisted the governments order that all official churches fly a Chinese flag.

The persecution of government-approved church leaders is alarming, said Bob Fu, president of China Aid. It marks an escalation in the persecution of those opposing the cross demolition campaign. The harassment and detention of Christians and human rights defenders who have bravely spoken out against injustice must stop immediately.

China Aid exposes religious freedom abuses, such as those experienced by Li Guanzhong and Gu Yuese, in order to promote religious freedom and rule of law in China.

China Aid Media Team

Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here
By Tenzin Monlam

[Monday, February 22, 2016 22:53]

 Delhi, February 22: The Taiwanese authorities have urged the exiled Tibetan Prime Minister (Sikyong) Dr. Lobsang Sangay not to attend a forum on religious freedom in Taipei last week in order to avoid angering China, reported the LA Times.

According to Bob Fu, the Founder of China Aid, which is co sponsoring the event said that the authorities in December have asked the Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer and the Tibetan PM Sangay not to apply for visas to attend the forum that opened last Thursday and attended by 99 participants from 26 countries.

To talk about Chinas religious freedom situation, if you dont mention the Tibetan and Uighur minorities, a discussion of religious freedoms is incomplete, Fu said at the forum last Thursday (Feb. 18).

The whole application process feels political, said the co-founder of the US-based NGO.

Taiwans Foreign Ministry and immigration agency said that they had no information about what their offices in the US might have told potential visa applicants. We have no way to comment; all we do is process the visas, the LA Times quoted a National Immigration Agency spokesperson.

Earlier in the month, a foundation in Taipei representing the Dalai Lama said it too was told by Taiwanese officials that Sikyong should avoid the forum.

Taiwan is in a tough spot because of pressure from China, thats the reason, said Bari Dawa Tsering, Director of the Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Of course, we hoped Sangay could do this. But Taiwan is small and right next to China, so their stance is not to add any new trouble, he said.

China Aid Contacts

Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director

Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.chinaaid.org
The Worldview in 5 Minutes

By Kevin Swanson

Thursday, February 11th, in the year of our Lord, 2016.

Listen Now

 A California Wesleyan church is suing the state Department of Managed Health Care for a recent mandate requiring them to provide elective abortions with their health care plan. Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Erik Stanley is handling the case: The whole case boils down to a very simple proposition that no one has the right to force other people to pair for their elective abortion, and no church should ever be forced to pay for the taking of innocent human life. If the free exercise of religion means anything, it means thatthat the state has no power to force a church to participate in the taking of innocent human life, and thats really what this case is about. Stanley says that this is an obvious violation of the 1st Amendment Establishment Clause.

However, heres some good news for you! Samaritan Ministries, the Christian medical sharing organization, announced that it has added over 5,000 member households in just the last month. This puts the health-sharing ministry at roughly 60,000 householdsa 400% increase since Obamacare kicked in back in 2011. Families pay an average of $405.00 per month for medical coverage with Samaritan . . . about a quarter of the cost of Obamacare. Samaritan Ministries requires its members to be accountable members of a Christian church, and it will not cover abortions or abortifacients when it publishes needs.

A high school principal is back on the job after apologizing for his Facebook comments concerning Islam. He had issued a post reading One Nation under God, not Allah. Gary Davison was also critical of homosexuality.

Jesus said, Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:32-34).

Meanwhile, Pastor Huang Yizi has been released from Chinas Black Jail after a five-month detention. The Black Jail is an unaccountable prison known for torturing its victims. China Aid, a human rights organization, reports that Pastor Yizi was thin and pale on his release. He was known for his public opposition to the recent persecutions against Christian churches in that country. China Aids Bob Fu told The World View that the pastors release is an evidence of Gods hand working: According to my source, Pastor Huang was released due to the enormous international pressure. Of course, there were lots of prayers, and the dramatic pressure from many countries. Basically . . . he is totally innocent, and I think the authorities at the end of the day usually within six months in Black Jail, they either have to bring a legal charge against him for another long sentence in a criminal trial and sentence, or they have to free him. Mr. Fu also says that China is incarcerating human rights lawyers in the same dungeon: Already over 330 lawyers and student rights defenders were secretly detained, questioned, and interrogated . . .

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) denominations unofficial publication The Layman reports that the liberal denomination is expecting a loss of 400,000 members over the next 5 yearsa 24% drop in membership. The PC(USA) began allowing the officiation of homosexual marriages last year on March 17th.

Jude 1:7-12 says, Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh . . . clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots . . .

The head of North Koreas military was executed by order of President Kim Jong Un, according to recent reports. This comes about a year after the execution of the countrys defense minister. The message? Kim Jong Un is very nervous about the armed forces, according to a Fox News source. Relations with neighboring countries have cooled of late, as both Japan and South Korea have announced new sanctions against the hermit state.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; He utters His voice, the earth melts (Psalm 46:6).

A Malaysian court ruled earlier this week that Sharia courts in the country may only handle divorce cases when both parties are Muslim. This will affect Christians who are married to unbelievers who break covenant.

Over a million citizens are trapped in Syrias besieged cities, according to the Siege Watch from the Washington-based Syria Institute. In a report from Christian Today, the Protestant Pastor Harout is calling on all Christian pastors to stay in the country and minister to the people. The courageous pastor said, God called me to be here, and being a pastor is not for good days onlyits for all the time, every day.

Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie have called it quits after the New Hampshire primary on Monday night. The Republicans left in the race to battle it out are Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, and John Kasich. The South Carolina primaries are slated for next Saturday.

Sears is closing 50 stores. That announcement comes after Macys announced closure of 40 stores. Business analysts say that department stores are the weakest in retailing, which bodes badly for the future of American malls.

And thats the World View in Five Minutes.

China Aid Contacts

Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director

Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.chinaaid.org
Investors check stock prices at a securities brokerage in Huaibei, Anhui province, Feb 22, 2016. [Photo/IC]

Stocks edged up on Monday, extending last week's gains, as the country's securities watchdog appointed a new chairman over the weekend.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed at 2,927.18, up 2.4 percent, paring the year-to-date loss to 17.3 percent, while the Shenzhen Component Index climbed 2.1 percent to 10,370.99 on Monday.

The rally comes as Liu Shiyu, a veteran banker, was appointed to replace Xiao Gang as the head of China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), according to decisions made by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

Liu Shiyu faces a daunting task in making the A-share market more market-oriented and in cracking down on illegal activities, said analysts.

Prior to the appointment, Liu was the deputy governor of the central bank from 2006 before he left in late 2014 to head the Agricultural Bank of China, the country's third-largest commercial lender by assets.

Insurers and brokerages led the gains on Monday. China Life Insurance and Orient Securities jumped by the daily limit of 10 percent. West Securities, Guoyuan Securities and New China Life Insurance surged more than 5 percent.

Only 93 of the 2,440 stocks edged down on Monday. A total of 602.1 billion yuan of shares changed hands at the two markets.

The CSI 300 Index advanced 2.2 percent to 3,118.87 as of closing.

Cai Xiao and Li Xiang contributed to this story.
A staff member stretches the rubber latex used as a material of the thinnest latex condom which is manufactured by China's Guangzhou Daming United Rubber Products during a news conference in Hong Kong Feb 20, 2014. The rubber latex condom which has an average thickness of 0.036 mm (about 0.0014 inches) has achieved the world's Thinnest Latex Condom by Guinness World Records in 2013.[Photo/IC]

A condom maker in South China's Guangdong province has won a lawsuit against a Japanese company over its competing claim to be manufacturer of the world's thinnest prophylactic.

The Guangzhou Yuexiu District People's Court pronounced on Monday that Tokyo-based condom brand Okamoto used unfair practices to compete against Guangzhou Daming United Rubber Products.

Guinness World Records verified the Chinese company's Aoni condom, which has an average thickness of 0.036 mm, as the world's thinnest in December 2013  breaking the previous record of 0.038 mm set by Okamoto in 2012.

But Guangzhou Daming United Rubber Products said it found Okamoto's condoms still on sale bearing phrases such as "world's thinnest" and "Guinness World Record" in May 2014.

A lawsuit was filed in September 2014 by the Chinese company against its Japanese counterpart, citing false advertising and seeking 1 yuan ($0.15) as compensation for economic loss.

The court held that Okamoto knew about the verified world record and ordered it to stop selling condoms bearing false advertising and pay the compensation.

The small amount of compensation claimed has led to speculation that the Guangzhou-based condom maker sued the famous Japanese brand as a publicity stunt.

Some netizens on Sina Weibo even claimed that they had only heard about the Chinese condom brand because of the lawsuit.

Yoshiyuki Okamoto, president of the Japanese condom company, also viewed the legal challenge as self-promotional and described the legal battle as primitive, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Guangzhou Daming United Rubber Products has denied the claims.

"We sued Okamoto intending to stop their act of infringement. We decided to demand compensation of only 1 yuan, a nominal amount, because we didn't want the proceedings to get stuck on the matter of economic losses," Victor Chan, general manager of the Chinese condom company, told China Daily on Tuesday.

Calling Okamoto "a shameless competitor", Chan said the Japanese company continued to claim it was the manufacturer of the world's thinnest condom to "take advantage of their popularity in China and of Chinese consumers' trust in their brand".
A month after Chinese top technology vendors stole the limelight at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, they are taking center stage once again at the Mobile World Congress-the world's biggest exhibition for the mobile industry, being held in Barcelona this week.

The trend shows a growing number of Chinese tech companies are now more confident in launching products simultaneously in multiple markets, said analysts.

The MWC, running from Feb 22 to 25, is becoming a hotbed for launch events, as companies seek to find sales and technology partners worldwide.

Here are seven tech gadgets so far unveiled by Chinese companies at the 2016 MWC. The list is compiled according to launch order.

1.ZTE Spro Plus portable smart projector
MADRID -- Guo Ping, Huawei Technologies board chairman and rotating CEO, looked ahead on Tuesday to what the mobile telecommunications industry has to do to prepare for the arrival of 5G.

Considered vital for the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G "will bring fundamental changes in the way society functions and how people live," while the total available market brought about by the transformation "will reach 15 trillion US dollars by 2025," he said.

The commercial rollout of 5G is not expected to come into wide scale use before 2020 at the earliest and the Huawei CEO believes much still has to be done to prepare for its arrival.

Speaking in the 'Mobile World Daily' magazine distributed at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Guo explained that by 2025, "the world will have about 100 billion connections," and that "55 percent of them will stem from business applications and smart cities, and another 45 percent from consumer areas such as smart homes, the Internet of vehicles and wearables."

Guo highlighted that currently, "99 percent of all equipment remains unconnected to the Internet," so, "we must improve connectivity by increasing the number of connections that can be supported."

He expected a change in the industry from supply driven to demand driven and "as this change happens, industries will demand more capacity from networks, more bandwidth and less latency," something that will need careful planning.

With video crucial to governments' safe city plans, it will be essential for future mobile networks to "integrate high bandwidth requirements into public networks and use virtual private networks to provide services," said Guo.

Another requirement for 5G getting off the ground is the redefinition of network capabilities. "Carriers need to establish software defined architecture, achieve agile operations and develop big data capabilities," he explained, highlighting Huawei's launch of SoftCOM architecture to help "develop virtualized networks and move networks to the cloud," and that trials have also begun into the use of Big Data.
Job seekers attend a job fair in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province, Feb 20, 2016. The job fair offered nearly 10,000 jobs by some 800 enterprises.[Photo/Xinhua]

The weeks after the Spring Festival holiday were expected to see a job-hopping frenzy among white-collar workers.

According to a recent survey, only 5.1 percent of them said they didn't want a new job, according to Zhaopin.com, an online recruitment agency.

More than 54 percent said they had updated their resumes and were looking for new opportunities in the first quarter, compared with 47.8 percent in the first quarter of last year.

The survey, released on Monday, polled more than 21,000 white-collar workers in China. It found that their confidence in career development had reached the lowest level in three years, especially for those who work in State-owned enterprises and government-affiliated organizations, due to downward pressure on the economy.

White-collar workers born after 1990 also have the lowest confidence in career development, and were active in job-hopping. About 74.8 percent of respondents born in the 1990s said they wanted to find, or had already found, new jobs in the first quarter, while more than 60 percent of those born in the 1960s wanted to do so.

The industries with the highest numbers of job-hoppers were real estate and energy, in which more than 70 percent had already found or wanted a new job.

Wang Yixin, a senior consultant at Zhaopin, said the major reasons driving the job-hopping frenzy are salary and employment outlook.

Wang said that only employers with good financial situations and optimistic outlooks could attract more talent.

"The main reason behind the large number of people quitting in real estate and energy is that prospects are not optimistic," she said.
A medical worker enters an assisted reproductive lab of a sperm bank in Taiyuan, Shanxi province.CHINA DAILY

Signs have brightened that investments in assisted reproductive services by provincial governments and the private sector will likely increase in anticipation of a surge in demand, following the end of the decades-long one-child policy in October 2015.

Ending the one-child policy alone won't help boost population significantly as many reproductive-age couples are beset with infertility, experts said.

It is said women's chances to become pregnant start to decline from age 35. Similarly, a man's biological ability to father a child begins to decline from age 45.

Some 15 percent of China's reproductive-age couples are believed to be infertile. Age of women is a big factor, said Feng Liuxiang, director of the Guangdong Association for Improving Birth Outcomes and Child Development.

"Many women who would like to have a second child are troubled by the infertility problem nowadays," Feng said.

For such people, assisted reproductive technology is key. Around 25 percent of them could have babies through this method. But, the number of institutions that can provide such services is inadequate in China.
A doctor checks a newborn baby, a result of IVF technology, in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. RUAN BANHUI/CHINA DAILY

In August, sensing a big business opportunity, Beijing Aibeike Technology Co Ltd, a startup, launched China's first app in the field of assisted reproductive services.

It started operations in Beijing, and has since set up three other agencies in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Macao.

It found demand was growing for fertility treatments and the specialist doctors concerned.

This can be attributed to hectic work life, unhealthy lifestyles, environmental pollution and stress, which combined to make many young couples infertile, said Huang Hefeng, director of the Reproductive Medical Center in Zhejiang province.

When China decided to end the decades-long one-child policy late last year, the demand for assisted reproductive services was expected to rise further.

Anticipating such surge in demand, Aibeike launched the app that connects customers with doctors and specialists at top hospitals.

People suffering from infertility problems can receive valuable information and consulting services from specialists using the app.

Appointments with doctors and treatment schedules, if found necessary during the online interactions, can be also firmed up.

"The app was introduced to particularly help women suffering from infertility so that they could receive counseling first and even the help of people who can accompany them to the hospital for treatment," said Shi Lei, CEO of Aibeike.

Shi sees tremendous potential in the market. For, relatively well-to-do Chinese couples who cannot biologically conceive a child are turning to a range of infertility therapies.

Despite the average cost of 100,000 yuan ($15,300) for a therapy, with extra services costing more, demand remains high, much of it still unmet. The wait list of couples seeking such services is believed to be growing longer all the time.

According to the World Health Organization, infertility and sterility are feared to become the third-most serious diseases worldwide in the 21st century, after cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

When a couple is unable to conceive the natural way in their first year of marriage, it is considered infertile, the WHO said.

In an interview with CNBC, Jason Spittle, global director of training at US medical device maker Cook Medical, said China will likely be the biggest in vitro fertilization or IVF market in the world within the next couple of years.

Shi said Aibeike has set up pregnancy centers around top hospitals, including the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Peking University Third Hospital, and will start more in the future.

"The company will attract more specialists from well-known hospitals to the platform and come up with more promotions," said Shi.
Wang Jianlin, chairman of Wanda Group, delivers a speech at the Ninth Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong, on Jan 18, 2016.[Photo/IC]

Wang Jianlin, head of Dalian Wanda Group and China's wealthiest man, said he wants the world to come to understand Chinese management philosophy and culture through his book, "The Wanda Way", which was launched in English in London on Monday.

"I hope people can get to know Chinese culture and philosophy. A country is strong when its companies are strong," he told a selected audience at the British Museum.

The book has already been reprinted 15 times and has sold 1 million copies in its original Mandarin, after its launch in China in 2015.

"I think this is a milestone event, not just for myself, or Wanda Group, but for Chinese companies," he said.

"China has begun to export our management philosophies. China exports have shifted from home appliances to cars and machinery, and our high-speed rail technology has been exported abroad," he added.

The UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport John Whittingdale told the audience:"We have much to celebrate in this new golden era of the UK-China relationship.

"China and Britain can work together for our mutual benefit," he added.

Jin Xu, minister counsellor at the Chinese embassy in London, said in his address that "you can learn a lot about China, China policy and China entrepreneurs from this book. After you've read it, get a visa for China."

According to the Hurun report, Wang is the 26th richest man in the world and the richest in China, with a personal fortune of $25 billion.

His company, Dalian Wanda Group, is China's largest private property developer, generating revenues of $40 billion a year from its global operations. Its three core areas are culture, private property and finance.

Dalian Wanda Group has invested 1.2 billion pounds in the UK, with a hotel and residences on a site in London on the south bank of the River Thames, not far from the gleaming glass building the houses MI5, Britain's intelligence service.

He also acquired Sunseeker,a UK-based luxury yachtmaker, and his company now employs 1,200 people across the UK.

Wang is due to head to Oxford on Tuesday to deliver an address at the University's Said School of Business Studies.
Chongqing Baiya may raise as much as $19.6m in market listing

Chongqing Baiya Sanitary Products Co Ltd, one of China's biggest sanitary pad makers, plans to list on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, according to documents filed with the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

Founded in 2010, the Chongqing-based firm would become the first publicly listed maker of such products in China if the plan was approved.

The manufacturer now makes more than 60 percent of its gross profits from its most popular sanitary brand Freemore. Its other product ranges include children's' diapers.

The company plans to raise 128 million yuan ($19.6 million) through its initial public offering, according to the prospectus.

Figures from the China Paper Association showed that in 2014, around 377 million Chinese women aged between 15 and 49 regularly used sanitary pads, a market worth 34.85 billion yuan.

According to statistics from market research firm Nielsen, Baiya is the country's seventh-largest seller of the product, while in southwestern China it is the largest.

The Chinese sanitary pad market is effectively a 50/50 split between foreign brands, such as Whisper by Procter & Gamble Co and Sofy from Unicharm, a leading Japanese brand, and domestic producers such as Baiya.

But domestic brands are most often bought by consumers in second- and third-tier cities.

China only started developing its own sanitary pad brands in the 1980s.

Within a decade, foreign brands were making rapid progress in the market, helped by their higher-quality image.

The domestic makers started emerging after the turn of the century, with an estimated 2,000 different home-grown brands being sold in China.

After consolidation, the figure now stands at around 600, according to industry estimates.

Chen Yiling, an analyst at Shenwan Hongyuan Securities Co, said: "There is huge potential for the sanitary pad market in China.

"There is still a low market concentration, and with prices roughly the same, more and more domestic and foreign brands have been increasing their efforts to develop new products," said Chen.

"The emergence of more small supermarkets and convenience stores, coupled with the dynamic growth of e-commerce business, will make market competition for sanitary pads even more intense," Chen said.

zhuwenqian@chinadaily.com.cn
A worker checks facilities of Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Co in Wuqi county, Shaanxi province.XINHUA

Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Co, China's fourth-biggest oil producer by output, may cease production in some oilfields and stop drilling both old and new wells in some areas in response to the sharp plunge in crude oil prices, a media report said on Monday.

The Yan'an-based company faces huge pressure over soaring cost in terms of oil exploitation, personnel and operation. The cost for oil production at Yanchang stands at about $70 per barrel, against a national average of $40, according to sources quoted by Securities Daily.

In order to remain profitable, the State-run company also plans to cut capital spending by a total of 3.1 billion yuan ($480 million) this year and merge at least three oil drilling facilities, the report said.

Yanchang Petroleum lowered its oil output target to 12.2 million metric tons for this year, about 200,000 tons lower than a year earlier, according to a statement on the company's website.

The more than 50 percent slump in global crude oil prices since June has badly hit producer's earnings. Brent crude oil is currently below $30 a barrel, for the first time since May 2009.

Yanchang Petroleum is not the first firm to respond to the price dive by cutting spending or suspending production.

Shengli Oilfield, owned by China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, the nation's second-largest oil major, plans to shut down four oilfields in the country's eastern Shandong province to stay afloat.

The company, also known as Sinopec, said the four oilfields are the least profitable projects in the region with only a few tens of thousands tons of production, and the shutdown could save at least 200 million yuan.

At the same time, Daqing Oilfield, the largest oilfield explored by China's major oil and gas producer China National Petroleum Corp, reduced crude oil production in 2015 for the first time in seven years.

Though it is a painful process to make cuts or even suspend production, it is better to act early than leave it, experts.

"It is a normal practice when oil prices plunge. It is an adaption that oil companies have to make to meet market requirements," said Han Xiaoping, chief executive officer of online energy information portal China5E.com.

He said the cost for oil exploitation has been rising as some wells are getting old, but oil prices have been plummeting even faster, putting huge pressure on many large oil producers.

"Oil companies need to bring costs down in line with the current lower oil prices. Many foreign companies have also made plans to sell off part of their assets or even start drilling fewer wells," he said.

lvchang@chinadaily.com.cn
Royal Jordanian Airlines, the flag carrier of Jordan, announced it would inaugurate a new regular route from Amman, capital of Jordan, to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, from March 21.

The carrier will run three flights weekly on the new route and the city of Guangzhou will be its second Chinese destination following Hong Kong.

The new route will arrive at Guangzhou via Bangkok and use wide-body Boeing787 or Airbus 330 aircraft.

"Adding Guangzhou to the route network is in line with the strategy that RJ is now implementing; one of the pillars of this strategy is to review the route network and open new, profitable markets," said Suleiman Obeidat, president and CEO of Royal Jordanian.

Obeidat said Guangzhou, the 56th destination on the carrier's network, will be an added value to the network, meeting the demand of traders and businessmen of the two countries, as well as to tradesmen from different neighboring countries.

Statistics from the Ministry of Commerce showed that the trade volume between China and Jordan was up to $3.63 billion and China is the third largest trading partner of Jordan.
BEIJING -- China's attempt to cut overcapacity has been a creditable move, but more reforms are needed to address the problem, according to a report published on Monday by the European Chamber of Commerce in China.

The European Chamber lauded decisions to let the market play the "decisive role" in the economy, and the fact that the 2015 Central Economic Work Conference identified overcapacity as one of the top-five priorities for 2016, but said that such aspirations needed to be paired with correspondingly bold actions.

Following policy meetings that stressed cutting industrial overcapacity, local authorities announced their targets for capacity cuts and some provinces also carried out surveys of unproductive companies.

While such efforts deserve credit, issues such as regional protectionism and misdirected investment hindered policy implementation, the report said, suggesting more sustained attempts by the government to tackle the problem.

Specifically, the report gives 30 recommendations including cutting expenditure in industries with excess capacity, expanding dividend payments by state-owned enterprises to reduce unneeded expansions, and further open up the service industry to reduce reliance on industries with overcapacity.

"Without a sustained effort to address it now, overcapacity may well seriously impede the effectiveness of China's economic reform agenda," said Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Chamber.

The report identified eight fields with the most excess capacity: crude steel, electrolytic aluminum, cement, chemicals, refining, flat glass, shipbuilding, as well as paper and paperboard.

Notably, thanks to efforts by the government to raise the entry barriers for less competitive market entrants, the wind energy sector was removed from the European Chamber's list of sectors characterized by major overcapacity when the Chamber published an original study on the issue in 2009.

The European Chamber also lauded China's move to limit the ability of local governments to subsidize their champions through the 2014 revision of the Budget Law and hopes that it will be strictly enforced.
Academics and lawyers said Chinese financial institutions that expand globally must know very well the anti-money laundering laws, regulations and common practice of the countries they are in and improve their AML internal control system accordingly.

Wu Qing, deputy director of banking research at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said China attaches great importance to anti-money laundering but its laws and regulations in this field are different from those in other countries, thus requiring the overseas branches of commercial banks to be familiar with the rules of their host countries.

A Hong Kong-based lawyer, who declined to be named, said anti-money laundering is extremely complicated that even banks from the United States and Europe often face such problems.

"Banks should be careful about entering the market of another country and they need to have a good knowledge of the new market, including its companies and the state of society," he said.

That task is easier said than done. Sometimes a bank does not know a problem has occurred until it breaks out. Everything goes well before that, he added.

The Madrid branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd, the nation's largest commercial lender by assets, was raided by Spanish law enforcement officers last week as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering, Agence France-Presse reported.

The bank told Xinhua News Agency in a written interview on Saturday: "The case is still in the process of investigation. As no judicial conclusion has been reached so far, people should not deduce the ICBC Madrid branch is guilty. We reserve the right to take legal action against those who maliciously scandalize our bank."

The bank said it strictly abides by the anti-money laundering regulations in its host countries and has built a tight AML management system.

It "conscientiously fulfills statutory duties such as client identification and the monitoring and reporting of suspicious transactions, constantly improves risk control over money laundering, and keeps strengthening the integrity, rationality and effectiveness of internal control".

"We established an anti-money laundering system for overseas branches with clear division of labor at the head office level. Each of our overseas branches built an AML mechanism led by the compliance department and participated by various business departments, with the executives taking responsibility. They also set up organization frameworks and operation mechanisms that are compatible with the regulatory requirements of local authorities," the bank said.

China has expressed its concern over the case. The Chinese embassy in Madrid issued a statement on Thursday, reiterating that the Chinese government always demands that domestic companies operating abroad strictly abide by the laws, both of China and the country they are working in.

"The Madrid branch of ICBC told its headquarters it used the latest anti-money laundering system provided by the Spanish authorities for strict supervision," the embassy said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on the same day: "We hope Spain will handle relevant issues fairly according to the laws, guarantee the legal rights of Chinese companies and staff there, and maintain good development of Sino-Spanish relations."

jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn
CHENGDU - Chinese Uber users traveled to 319 cities around the globe during the Spring Festival holiday, more than twice that of 2015, according to the "2016 Chinese New Year Cross-border Travel Report" released by Uber China on Monday.

Data from the US ride-hailing service company showed that Chinese users had used the app as far north as Helsinki, Finland, and as south as Perth, Australia, from Feb 5 to Feb 19, 2016.

The United States was the most popular destination among 65 countries and regions, with Los Angeles the city of choice. Nature lovers also enjoyed rides on the Hawaiian island of Maui and east Africa's Kenya during the peak tourist season.

China's financial hub Shanghai reported the most Uber users choosing to travel overseas, followed by Beijing, the southern metropolises of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and then East China's Hangzhou and Southwest China's Chengdu.

"Chengdu replaced New York to become Uber's most successful city globally in terms of daily rides last October," said Fang Yin, general manager of Uber Chengdu. "Uber users here made 44,522 km worth of rides during the holiday, further than the distance around the earth's equator."

One Chengdu user had traveled 360 km in one trip while in Miami, the longest of all Chinese Uber users.

Uber released its first Chinese New Year cross-border travel report in 2015, and the company has reported a 1,000 percent increase in overseas trips during the holiday period this year, with a 973 percent increase in overseas trips.

Six million Chinese travelled overseas during the Spring Festival holiday, an increase of 30 percent year on year, according to the China Tourism Academy.

It is estimated that Chinese tourists spent 90 billion yuan ($13.8 billion) while overseas this year, according to the academy.
Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng talks with reporters after a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday. WANG ZHUANGFEI / CHINA DAILY

Special zones in countries and regions along routes have created 950,000 jobs

With more than two years of development, the Belt and Road Initiative has proved to be a practical tool for driving regional connectivity and cooperation in the current global business setting, China's top commerce official said on Tuesday.

Thanks to the initiative, China so far has established 75 overseas economic and trade cooperation zones in 35 countries and regions, Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng told a news conference in Beijing.

These zones have paid more than $100 billion in taxes to governments in host countries over the past four years, and they created 950,000 jobs by the end of last year, he said.

Gao said that under the initiative, more highways, railways and air routes have been built in partner countries, and China will further integrate resources, policies and markets to connect with the outside world.

The Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives, which were proposed by China in 2013 to improve cooperation with countries in Asia, Europe and Africa.

"The initiative can further integrate China, allowing more parts of the country to gain the benefits of its opening-up policy," said Gao.

China has strengthened cooperation with partner countries such as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the fields of infrastructure, shipping, energy, transportation and trade.

The country's imports and services improve the economies of its trade partners and bolster its own economy.

The commerce minister also said China's domestic consumption will continue to increase at a rapid pace this year.

Consumption contributed 66.4 percent of China's GDP growth last year, up 15.4 percentage points year-on-year.

Li Jian, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, the think tank of the Ministry of Commerce, said that even though the development of the Belt and Road Initiative is still in its early stage, it could generate economic benefits among the countries involved, since many of them seek new market growth points.

With tons of cement shipped to Jakarta, Indonesia, chemical equipment delivered to the Doha port of Qatar, and construction machinery bound for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, through the port of Djibouti, China COSCO Shipping Corp, the country's largest shipping company, will deploy more resources and manpower in countries along the Belt and Road routes to maintain stable growth.

Xu Lirong, chairman of China COSCO Shipping, said that in addition to shipping business, the company will also develop logistics, industrial equipment manufacturing and financial and shipping services in countries along the Belt and Road routes, especially in Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East and East Europe, in the long term.
Models show the ZTE V7 device (L) and the Nubia Z9 (R) at the Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona,Spain, Feb 22, 2016. The Mobile World Congress (MWC), the most important mobile communication event in the world, opened its doors in Barcelona on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]

BARCELONA -- The Mobile World Congress (MWC), the most important mobile communication event in the world, opened its doors in Barcelona on Monday.

This is the eleventh year Barcelona has hosted the MWC and the 2016 event is bigger than ever. 2,100 companies will be exhibiting their products and services and around 95,000 visitors expected over the four days of the congress, including government delegations from 160 countries.

The MWC covers 110,000 square meters of the Fira Gran Via exhibition center and is expected to create 13,000 short-term jobs and bring in 460 million euros ($507.25 million), up 5.5 percent from 2015.

The opening was preceded by a gala dinner at the Grand Theater of Liceu Theater in Barcelona on Sunday, which was attended by King Felipe VI of Spain and 160 guests.
Photo taken on Feb 21 shows the Huawei press conference held on the eve of the official start of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. [Photo/Xinhua]

MADRID -- Chinese telecommunications giant, Huawei, aims to share its vision of a connected world during the four days of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) which opened in Barcelona on Monday.

Throughout the exhibition, the company will be demonstrating its commitment to a "ROADS" experience -- Real time, On demand, All online, DIY and Social -- by focusing on specific strategies and technologies to support digital transformation.

"In a fully connected era, rapid digital transformation is critical for all industries. Changes in the ICT industry are the main driving force behind business development in the digital era." said Zou Zhilei, president of Carrier Business Group, Huawei on Monday.

"As a key enabler in the ICT industry, Huawei is committed to helping the telecom industry and vertical industries digitize their infrastructure, operational systems, and business models with state-of-the-art technology," Zou noted.

He added the company believed in an "an open digital ecosystem," saying it was "strategically important to the industry's future."

"In the pursuit of openness, collaboration and shared success, we will continue to expand our business partnerships, make greater contributions to the industry, and partner industry players to create Open ROADS to a better connected world through successful digital transformation," said Zou.

Many Huawei executives are expected to give keynote speeches during the MWC.

The company has a major exhibit at the MWC where it is showcasing many products and solutions such as Ubiquitous Ultra Broadband, GigaRadio, 4.5G, Connecting Giga World, IoT (internet of Things ), Video Everywhere, Cloud Business and solutions for Safe Cities.
A month after Chinese top technology vendors stole the limelight at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, they are taking center stage once again at the Mobile World Congressthe world's biggest exhibition for the mobile industry, being held in Barcelona this week.

Technologies to be used in fifth-generation telecom networks are attracting the biggest interest at the event, which is running from Monday to Thursday, with Chinese companies showcasing products alongside global giants including Samsung Electronics Co and Nokia Corp.

ZTE Corp, the Guangdong-based telecom equipment maker, is demonstrating its high-frequency prototype and other key 5G technologies.

The company is hoping to take a lead in technology development, so when 5G starts commercial use in five years from now, it will enjoy a technology edge, said industry observers.

China Mobile Communications Co, the country's largest carrier by subscriber, is also aiming at the 5G market, despite only kicking off its 4G services a little more than two years ago.
Ericsson's President & CEO Hans Vestberg attends a news conference during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 22, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

China is a strong foothold for Ericsson's research and development, manufacturing and services activities worldwide, company executive said.

"The core-competitiveness for Ericsson on 5G solutions in a market like China is that we have a full system view and we have a strong offering, consisting of both products and services, everything from the access, the transport, the cloud technologies and the complete management on the acquisition," Sara Mazur, vice president and head of Ericsson Research, told chinadaily.com.cn.

At MWC (Mobile World Congress), Ericsson President and CEO Hans Vestberg said the company has agreements with 20 major operators around the world to work together on 5G  more than any other vendor.

Vestberg pointed out that 5G radio test-bed field trials will start this year and the company is active in aligning industry time plans (3GPP, ITU-R) to assure the commercial launch of 5G in 2020.

Ericsson's 4G networks have been broadly deployed on a global scale in North and South America, the Asia Pacific region, the Middle East and Europe. To capture the next-generation ultra-faster 5G market, the vendor has ramped up research and development investments.

Ericsson's 5G wireless prototypes have taken shape, and the vendor has cooperated with major operators in Sweden, the United States, Japan, Korea and Brazil to test its 5G technology.

According to a company statement, Ericsson's annual R&D investment in China exceeds $310 million. With nearly 5,000 employees in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu and Shenzhen actively engaged in R&D and product development of the entire Ericsson portfolio, China has become the largest and a truly global R&D base for Ericsson worldwide outside Sweden.

Currently, Nanjing Ericsson Panda Communication Co Ltd has grown into Ericsson's largest supply and manufacturing hub, supporting the company's global supply network and providing products for GSM, WCDMA, LTE and TD-LTE to more than 100 countries.

Ericsson is also working closely with the Chinese government, academia and the entire ecosystem in China to drive the global standardization of 5G.

On Dec 21, the company and China Mobile Research Institute (CMRI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on 5G research and development.

The agreement will help drive innovation and early application of 5G mobile network technology in the country.

Under the terms of the MoU, which will initially cover a five-year period, Ericsson and China Mobile will cooperate in verification, trial and standardization of a new 5G Air Interface for commercial deployment from 2020.

It also will closely interwork between 5G and the evolution of LTE, as well as innovate RAN features to support future industrial use cases and demonstrate, verify and conduct trials of narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) for massive machine-type communication, as well as collaboration on corresponding vertical use cases.
Police across Guangdong province intensified their anti-drug trafficking efforts in 2015, seizing more than 37.4 tons of illegal drugs by the end of the December, an increase of more than 70 percent from a year earlier.

Police also detained 37,184 suspects, an increase of 8.5 percent, after cracking 30,932 drug and drug-related cases last year, a slight 0.2 percent, from the previous year.

Lu Feng, director of the general office with Guangdong provincial department of public security, said police also broke up 2,037 drug gangs in 2015, a year-on-year rise of 62.3 percent.

At a news conference in the Guangdong provincial capital on Tuesday, Lu attributed the province's growing drug seizures to enhanced efforts to fight drug crime.

"Both domestic and overseas drug traffickers have never stopped their efforts to build Guangdong into a major drug distribution center," Lu said.

Late last month, police seized 731 kilograms of methamphetamine, commonly known as ice, after busting a major drug lab in Sihui city. Police also seized 1.21 tons of semifinished ice, 226 kilograms of raw materials for meth production, plus tools used to produce the drug, in a special campaign launched on Dec 21.

Deng Jianwei, director of drug enforcement with the Guangdong department of public security, said fighting drug crimes is a long-term and tough task in Guangdong province, which has been the focus of China's anti-drug campaign for many years.

"Many drug networks and channels still exist after many years of fighting drug-related crimes in the province," Deng said.

Deng hinted that more special campaigns would be launched to fight drug-related crimes in the new year.
A snapshot of the verification test requiring customers to click all the radios in the pictures. [Photo from web]

Visually impaired man pushes company for apology, compensation

A court in Beijing's Haidian district earlier this month accepted the lawsuit of a visually impaired man who was suing China Railway Corp, asking for compensation and upgrades to the official train ticket website 12306.cn to make it easier for people like him to buy tickets online.

The man, who asked to be identified only as Chen, said he brought the lawsuit on Jan 25, and the court accepted the case a couple of days before Spring Festival.

Because the website only provides graphic verification codes, which screen-reading software cannot interpret, Chen said he was unable to buy a ticket online at the end of last year during the Spring Festival travel rush and had to ask for a day's leave and spend 110 yuan ($17) on taxi fees to buy a ticket at Beijing West Railway Station.

Demanding written apologies, a promise to upgrade 12306.cn, payment of his legal fees, 110 yuan for the transportation fee and compensation of one yuan, Chen and his lawyer filed the lawsuit against China Railway Corp, 12306.cn's parent company, as well as China Railway Information Technology Center and the China Academy of Railway Sciences, which designed and built the website.

"I called the website' shotline many times and wrote a letter to the company about the problem but received no feedback from them, so I decided to sue," Chen said in a telephone interview. "Now the Spring Festival holiday is over. I am waiting to be called to court."

The railway company has not issued a statement about the lawsuit.

Chen, a visually impaired masseur in Beijing, said he can operate computers and smartphones proficiently with the help of screen-reading software. But buying a ticket to his hometown in Gansu province became impossible ever since 12306.cn upgraded its verification codes in 2015 from a combination of numerals and letters to the current photo matching model.

"Buying train tickets during the festival travel rush is hard enough, and even harder for people like me," he said.

The railway has said the picture verification targets ticket scalpers and software intended to make a profit from people by purchasing large blocks of tickets and reselling them at a higher price with commission fees.
A couple tackle the pollution in a shopping district amid heavy smog after the capital issued its first ever "red alert" for air pollution on Dec 8, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

China's capital will almost double the number of air monitoring stations to give a better idea about the true state of the city's air quality, Xinhua state news agency said on Monday.

An extra 30 monitoring stations will be added to the 35 already in operation in places like schools, said Zhang Dawei, director of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Centre. The stations will cover middle schools, mountainous areas and rural areas, and there will also be more monitor vehicles. Currently, the 35 existing stations monitor six categories of pollutants including PM2.5.

"After the upgrade ... we will have more data about the city's air quality," said Zhang.

The technical selection of the new monitor stations has been completed, though there is no timeframe for when the new stations would come online.

For Beijing and its surroundings, the government has set a target for 2020 of reducing pollution by 40 percent from 2013 levels. A senior environment official said on Friday the city's air quality has improved over the last two years.

The authorities have increased efforts to reduce air pollution in the wake of the city's first "red alerts" in December last year, when smog engulfed the city.
Editor's Note: China will stage its annual largest political event - the "two sessions" - in less than 10 days. At the gatherings, the country's top legislators and political advisers - more than 5,000 from all walks of life-will discuss the most pressing political, economic and social issues, and map the country's development blueprint for the next five years. Starting today, China Daily will take a close look at a series of hot topics and catchphrases for this year's sessions.

Tourism industry on the march: China, the largest market for outbound tourism, has seen rapid growth in the number of overseas trips and consumption, according to the China National Tourism Administration and the National Bureau of Statistics.

The industry has become a leading force driving economic growth. Last year, it contributed more than 10 percent of the nation's GDP.

The rapid growth in the sector has absorbed more workers at a time when overall labor growth is slowing. The industry created 78.7 million jobs in 2014, accounting for 10.2 percent of national employment.

Wen Xiaoyan, a retiree trades stocks on her computer cooks for her family and takes care of her aged father-in-law in Beijing.

But her domestic burden will be lightened once her maid returns to the capital after her trip home for Spring Festival.

Before the holiday, Wen had just returned from Hokkaido in Japan after visiting about 30 countries in the world during the past few years.

Once her maid returns, she will be ready for another trip-this time to Israel, and four more journeys are also planned for this year, including a specially designed summer tour to Scandinavia.

Overseas tours have increasingly become part of the lifestyle for people living in China's urban areas. In 2014, Chinese spent 1.2 trillion yuan (about $180 billion) on such tours.

But international tourism forms only a small part of the sector. Last year, the domestic tourism industry catered to more than 4 billion visitors and saw revenue estimated at 4 trillion yuan.

According to Hu Angang, an economics professor at Tsinghua University, in the next five years, or during the period covered by China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), the domestic tourism industry is expected to cater to 6.5 billion visitors.

The country's retail volume will double from 3 trillion yuan last year to 6 trillion yuan during this period, according to Hu.

"This means that right now we're on the threshold of a golden age for Chinese consumption," supported by "probably the largest consumer middle-class in the world".

The 13th Five-Year Plan, which is subject to approval by the annual session of the National People's Congress starting on March 5, includes China's first long-term government program aimed at helping this consumer group to grow and to serve its interests.

"China will not only be a factory for the world, it will be a market for the world," Hu said.

"Chinese consumers will be buying all the choice goods from everywhere in the world, like US consumers after the victory in World War II."

In the process, China's prosperity will benefit the world economy in more important ways, Hu said.

Online purchases, which have already exceeded 4 trillion yuan a year, will probably increase by three to four times, he said.

These new middle-class consumers will trigger rising demand not only for goods, but also for services such as education, healthcare, culture, retirement care and tourism, especially in rural China, Hu added.
China is to open 19 duty-free shops for domestic consumers, a move aimed at catering to the increasingly sophisticated demand among these shoppers for overseas products.

The decision on the new shops was taken by the State Council on Thursday, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. They will be located at 13 airports, including Guangzhou Baiyun, Hangzhou Xiaoshan and Qingdao Liuting, and six ports in Shenzhen and Zhuhai in Guangdong province and also in Heihe, Heilongjiang province.

Passengers will be allowed to carry duty-free goods worth up to 8,000 yuan ($1,230), an increase on the previous limit of 5,000 yuan, the ministry said. The new shops are expected to offer a wider selection of overseas products so that Chinese outbound travelers can make purchases after they arrive at airports or ports.

According to the Fortune Character Group, a Beijing-based luxury market consultancy, Chinese consumers spent 1.2 trillion yuan a broad last year on purchases ranging from big ticket luxury items to daily necessities.

The increased demand for high-quality products, convenient traveling conditions and appreciation of the yuan were some of the main reasons spurring Chinese to buy more foreign products in online stores and brick-and-mortar stores overseas.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, Chinese consumption power overseas grew on average by 27.8 percent annually between 2005 and 2015, doubling such power in the domestic market.

Retail sales of consumer goods in China reached 30.1 trillion yuan last year, a year-on-year rise of 10.7 percent and 0.2 percentage points higher than in the first three quarters, according to this ministry.

Li Jian, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, the Ministry of Commerce think tank, said policymakers should consider lowering or even eliminating consumption tax on some popular consumer goods in other parts of the country.
The weeks after the Spring Festival holiday were expected to see a job-hopping frenzy among white-collar workers.

According to a recent survey, only 5.1 percent of them said they didn't want a new job, according to Zhaopin.com, an online recruitment agency.

More than 54 percent said they had updated their resumes and were looking for new opportunities in the first quarter, compared with 47.8 percent in the first quarter of last year.

The survey, released on Monday, polled more than 21,000 white-collar workers in China. It found that their confidence in career development had reached the lowest level in three years, especially for those who work in State-owned enterprises and government-affiliated organizations, due to downward pressure on the economy.

White-collar workers born after 1990 also have the lowest confidence in career development, and were active in job-hopping. About 74.8 percent of respondents born in the 1990s said they wanted to find, or had already found, new jobs in the first quarter, while more than 60 percent of those born in the 1960s wanted to do so.

The industries with the highest numbers of job-hoppers were real estate and energy, in which more than 70 percent had already found or wanted a new job.

Wang Yixin, a senior consultant at Zhaopin, said the major reasons driving the job-hopping frenzy are salary and employment outlook.

Wang said that only employers with good financial situations and optimistic outlooks could attract more talent.

"The main reason behind the large number of people quitting in real estate and energy is that prospects are not optimistic," she said.
Young Chinese planning to study in the United States are being advised to seek alternatives to the Scholastic Assessment Test, as a recent overhaul has made it more challenging for non-English speakers.

Liu Xiaowei, consultant director of the Undergraduate Department at Beijing-based AW Education International, said she was advising all her clients who plan to enroll in the fall semester of 2017 that they'd better prepare for the American College Test, another college placement test in the US, instead.

Sample questions from the revised SAT that have been released by the College Board, which administers and develops the tests, do not include many of the question types that Chinese students are usually good at, according to Liu.

Simple math and short reading passages have been replaced. "Instead, we can see a rising bar as test-takers have to read longer passages, master the meanings of words in different contexts and get to know more about the history of the US," said Liu, who has been working in the overseas study consulting industry for 13 years.

"Generally speaking, the revised test is not so friendly for Chinese test-takers. More time will be required, about a year, for Chinese students to prepare for the test if they want good scores."

Zhang Weiyong, director of the US division of overseas study consultancy Golden Orient in Beijing, has also suggested that his clients turn to other tests.

"Many Chinese students were admitted to some of the best US universities after scoring high or even full marks in the former SATs, but the changes may mean it is no longer easy for Chinese students to excel," Zhang said.

He also anticipated a reduction in the number of Chinese students taking the SAT this year as "SAT tutorial classes in China are very sensitive to changes, especially when the changes are not so favorable to them".

However, Zhao Li, a teacher who has helped Chinese students prepare for the SAT for 15 years, was not so pessimistic.

"From my own observations, the changes made to the test actually present a good opportunity to excel," she said. "After an overhaul, the first few tests are not very hard and there aren't so many competitors because some have been frightened away."
Glacial melt at Glacier No 1 in the Tianshan Mountains has increased over the past few decades. Jiang Wenyao / Xinhua

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will ban tourists from entering a 22,000 square kilometer glacier protection zone in the Tianshan Mountains.

"Glacier tourism brought in revenue of less than one billion yuan ($152 million) over the past dozen years, but the loss from shrinking glaciers is incalculable," Li Jidong from the regional tourism administration was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency.

Li cited tourism, manufacturing, mining, vehicle emissions and grazing as additional reasons - besides climate change - that had caused accelerated glacier retreat in recent decades.

"We will ban glacier tourism by 2020 and propose replacing the existing facilities with holiday resorts so that people can observe glaciers from afar," Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted Li as saying.

In April 2014, the regional government set up a 948 sq km protection zone at Glacier No 1 in the Tianshan Mountains, 120 km from the regional capital of Urumqi. Yet the measure proved ineffective as travelers still visited the zone on their own, without the help of travel agencies.

In a visit to the protection zone, China Daily found seven herdsman families setting up private checkpoints to charge entrance fees. After receiving the money, the herdsmen opened the gate to let tourists drive to the foot of the mountain and climb onto the glacier.

Many tourists leave garbage such as empty bottles and plastic bags after camping on the mountain.

"Climate change is the primary cause of glaciers retreating. However, the influence of tourism, grazing and mining has also exerted an influence on Glacier No 1," said Li Zhongqin, director of the Tianshan Mountains Glacier Observation Station under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"Now, the melting is speeding up. I hope authorities can implement the new regulations as soon as possible to protect the glaciers."

An earlier Xinhua report showed that the 4.8 million-year-old Glacier No 1 had shrunk from 1.95 sq km in 1962 to 1.62 sq km in 2014 and is retreating by up to eight meters a year.

Other mountains in Xinjiang have experienced the same trend.

In recent years, melting glaciers have accounted for 25 to 30 percent of surface runoff in Xinjiang, and resulted in an in creased risk of natural disasters.

On May 5, a glacial slide in Akto county of the Kizilsu Kirghiz autonomous prefecture damaged 1,000 hectares of meadow and 70 farmhouses. "From remote sensing images, we found that two weeks of snowfall at the north side of Kongur Tiube glacier caused the collapse. Such drastic glacier movement is very rare in the history of Xinjiang, and we should take it as a warning from nature," Li said.

Kongur Tiube, which means "the mountain with a white cap" in the local language, is the second highest peak of Western Kunlun with an elevation of 7,530 meters.
Farmers wait for their potential employers at a roadside labor market in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province. [Photo by Zhang Yu/chinadaily.com.cn]

Wang Shuji is typical of the workers who gather each morning at local labor markets, the self-forming roadside gathering places for those seeking day jobs in Hebei province.

Wang, 43, is a farmer who seek short-term employment in towns or cities near his home. Capable of doing most kinds of odd jobs, he mainly works at construction sites, building walls or carrying materials.

Most mornings, he gets up at 6 o'clock, eats some instant noodles and rides his electric bike the 20-plus kilometers from his home in Dazhaicun village to Shijiazhuang, Hebei's capital.

"I usually rush there, not to punch in like company employees, but to be picked up by employers as soon as possible," he said.

After he gets to the market, he must wait for employers to arrive, then rush toward them.

"When an employer came, there would be a stampede toward him or her, just like fans toward singing stars," Wang said. "But we were not chasing after stars, we were scrambling for jobs the employer was going to provide."

He speaks loudly, trying to be heard over the other job hunters.

"What kind of workers do you need? How many workers do you want? How much would you pay me for a day? I can do it. Take me. OK, where is the workplace? How should I go? I have an electric bikes, so I can go by myself," Wang said, recalling the exchanges.

After the questioning, employers usually decide within five minutes whether someone was suitable for the job.

"There are scores of peasant workers there, so the chance of being chosen would be very low if you are not quick enough," Wang said. "If I came early, I would have more chance to compete for jobs and start a day's work early, which would lead to more money."
More than 60 foreign delegates attend the International Silk Road Think Tank Association Conference on Tuesday in Shenzhen. [Photo by He Na/chinadaily.com.cn]

The International Silk Road Think Tank Association was launched on Tuesday in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, to provide sustained intellectual support for China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Extensive exchanges between think tanks along the old trade routes will deepen people's understanding for the development initiative, and avoid misunderstandings between countries, which have different policies and concerns, said Guo Yezhou, vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

So far, 34 countries have signed memorandums of cooperation or other cooperative agreements with China and others are being negotiated.

"China vowed to enhance the dialogue and cooperation of think tanks along the trade routes and provide more chances for exchanges between these institutes and academies," Guo said at an association conference.

"Think tanks along the trade routes can exchange their research and carry out joint research. Their research results will be handed to governments and enterprises, and help the projects to be carried out on schedule," Guo said.

The conference attracted about 60 foreign delegates, including former top leaders of the countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, directors of major think tanks and research centers, and scholars and experts.

Roza Otunbayeva, former president of Kyrgyzstan, attached great importance to international think tank cooperation.

"Think tanks play positive roles in helping solve difficulties," she said. "Research institutes and think tanks in Kyrgyzstan are willing to participate in the initiative research with think tanks from other countries."

Alfred Gusenbauer, former chancellor of Austria, said the state of the world's economy shows the initiative was proposed at just the right time. Its success will help countries along the trade routes find economic growth that is not limited to one single channel, he said.

Norodom Sirivudh, chairman of the board of directors for the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, noted that governments are often busy with daily governance, so think tanks "can bring some ideas and concerns to the governments as a very good supplement."

Tasked with connection, innovation and sustainable development, the SRTA conference was sponsored by the China Center for Contemporary World Studies, the Shenzhen Municipal Government and Fudan University.


As China strives to achieve prosperity for all of its citizens by 2020, it is making plans to ensure its disabled population is not left behind.

The China Disabled Person's Federation, at a news briefing on Tuesday, said it will release a blueprint this year on how the country can lift its disabled poor out of poverty in a more precise way.

"There are two additional requirements to fulfill the disabled population's basic needs: the development of a rehabilitation industry and the establishment of a barrier-free environment," said Lu Yong, the federation's vice president.

China has an estimated 80 million disabled citizens. About 30 million are registered with the government.

The federation, together with government agencies, will seek further improvements in the establishment of barrier-free environments in 2016, including those at airports and railway systems. Barrier-free design refers to structures that do not impede the use by those with special physical needs.

The disabled population's welfare is a top goal of China's leadership, which included progress on such issues as part of the current five-year plan (2016-2020). First lady Peng Liyuan paid visits to disabled children last year.
The three top high-wire walkers in the world may perform at Wulong Tiankeng from March 26 to the day of the competition, and visitors are welcome to witness the shows, said Ma Qike, director of the local publicity department said.[Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

An international high-wire walking competition will be held at Wulong World Natural Heritage in southwest China's Chongqing municipality on March 30, in which the world's top three exponents will compete.

Esqer, the initiator of the competition, has invited Freddy Nock from Switzerland and Maurizio Zavatta from Italy to take part, using wires above a Tiankeng, a naturally formed pit.

Performing blindfolded backward walking and the splits, together with steel ring walking with a bottle of water on the head, Esqer is confident in his technique and ability to win the competition.

"I'm now in good form and have been actively preparing for the competition," said Esqer.

The event will be held above Wulong Tiankeng, the core scenic spot of the Wulong Karst World Natural Heritage site in the northeast of Wulong county in Chongqing.

As one of the most popular tourist sites in China, Wulong Tiankeng is known for its fascinating landscape featuring lofty and spectacular steep mountains and topographical terrain as well as a boundless expanse of forest.

Esqer, a representative of the sixth generation of descendants of Dawazi Craft, is the current holder of Guinness World Records both for the 100-meter sprint on wire and walking a 36 degree slope of steel wire.

He said that he expects to improve his record of 38.86 seconds for the 100 m sprint to within 36s in the upcoming competition.

"It's no problem for me to achieve a new world record that I set before with the intensive training, and I'm confident and prepared to win," said Esqer.

While the competition is held in one of the steepest parts of Wulong Scenic Area, the safety of the three competitors is of great concern.

"Safety always comes first while competition comes second", said Huang Daosheng, general manager of Chongqing Wulong Karst Tourism Group, adding that safety ropes would be recommended for the competitors.

Cai Mengxiao contributed to the story.
A nurse at a hospital in Xiangyang, Hubei province, helps Chen Jing to breast-feed her second child on Friday. [Photo by Gong Bo/China Daily]

New fathers in Shanghai are entitled to 10 days' child care leave, an increase on the previous three days, according to an amendment regarding population and family planning policy passed by the local legislative body on Tuesday.

Women who give birth to their first or second child can enjoy maternity leave lasting 128 days according to the amendment.

Under former regulations, only women over 23 were given an additional 30 days when they gave birth to their first child as a bonus for giving birth later. There were 98 days maternity leave granted to younger mothers.

The measures are designed to better implement China's new universal two-child policy and encourage women to become mothers for a second time, Liu Ping, director of the legal office of Shanghai Municipal People's Government, said.

"An extra 20,000 to 30,000 babies are expected to be born among permanent residents in Shanghai annually in the next three to five years," Wu Qianyu, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, said.
Beijing has provided aid to medical institutes in neighboring Hebei province to keep patients at local hospitals and ease overcrowding in the capital's hospitals.

Since 2014, Beijing has increased cooperation with hospitals in Hebei province's Yanjiao, Zhangjiakou and Caofeidian by providing experts for surgeries and helping to train doctors and nurses in Hebei hospitals, Gao Xiaojun, spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, said on Tuesday.

Gao cited a commission survey that found about 23 percent of patients in Beijing hospitals were Hebei residents in 2014. As the integration of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster was elevated to a national strategy, Beijing's hospitals have been trying to help improve medical services in Hebei that could better serve local patients, he said.

"Our goal has been set that locals don't have to go to Beijing but can receive treatment from Beijing's doctors and experts," he said.

Yanjiao, a small town in Hebei's Langfang city, is adjacent to Beijing's Tongzhou district on the other side of Chaobai River. The town is just 30 kilometers from Tian'anmen Square and is home to about 300,000 people  more than 40 percent of its total population  who work in Beijing.

Because of those numbers, a pilot program was conducted in Yanjiao in 2014 after President Xi Jinping promoted the integration plan. Yanda Hospital, a private nonprofit medical institute covering 33 hectares of land, formed a cooperative partnership with Chaoyang Hospital in May 2014. Chaoyang Hospital ranks among the city's best.

Last year also saw Yanda sign cooperation agreements with three other prestigious hospitals and medical institutes in Beijing  Tiantan Hospital, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Hospital affiliated with the Capital Institute of Pediatrics.

Hou Yanning, president of Yanda Hospital, said experts from Beijing were able to tackle difficult conditions for patients and also would tutor her doctors.

Gao said Yanda received 156,000 patients in outpatient services, a year-on-year increase of 65 percent. The number was almost triple that of 2013 before the cooperation was undertaken.

Liu Ruihe, 70, almost died from an unexpected cerebral infarction, a dangerous syndrome resulting from an insufficient supply of blood to the brain. He was hospitalized at Yanda one week ago and is now undergoing a fast recovery as experts from Tiantan Hospital rushed to his aid.

"He could move his legs and lost consciousness before coming to the hospital," said his wife, surnamed Guo. "Years ago, I had to rush my husband to a hospital in Beijing because of better treatment options there, but now we can find experts for help in our own town."

Those who work in Beijing and live in Yanjiao pay medical insurance in the capital and once had trouble in getting their medical bills reimbursed. Now they can pay the bills in advance and get their money back from Beijing's insurance departments, Hou said.

"The reimbursement is not a real-time operation. So far, it's a little inconvenient to the patients. But it's already one step forward, as that was not allowed in the past," she said.
A condom maker in South China's Guangdong province has won a lawsuit against a Japanese company over its competing claim to be manufacturer of the world's thinnest prophylactic.

The Guangzhou Yuexiu District People's Court pronounced on Monday that Tokyo-based condom brand Okamoto used unfair practices to compete against Guangzhou Daming United Rubber Products.

Guinness World Records verified the Chinese company's Aoni condom, which has an average thickness of 0.036 mm, as the world's thinnest in December 2013  breaking the previous record of 0.038 mm set by Okamoto in March 2012.

But Guangzhou Daming United Rubber Products said it found Okamoto's condoms still on sale bearing phrases such as "world's thinnest" and "Guinness World Record" in May 2014.

A lawsuit was thus filed in September 2014 by the Chinese company against its Japanese counterpart citing false advertising, and 1 yuan ($0.15) claimed as compensation for economic loss.

The court held that Okamoto had been informed about the Guinness World Records verification the day after it was announced, as documents between the company and its sales agency in China showed. It therefore ordered Okamoto to stop selling condoms with bearing false advertising and pay the compensation of 1 yuan.

The small amount of compensation claimed has led to speculation that the Guangzhou-based condom maker sued the famous Japanese brand as a publicity stunt.

Many netizens on China's microblogging platform Sina Weibo claimed that they had only heard about the Chinese condom brand because of the lawsuit.

Yoshiyuki Okamoto, president of the Japanese condom company, also viewed the legal challenge as "a way of promoting their name", according to a report in the Financial Times.

"The argument started over whose condom was thinner and they said they needed compensation from us. Do you know how much compensation they wanted? One yuan. It's such a primitive type of battle you can't even laugh about it," Okamoto told the British media outlet in a story published on Aug 31 last year.

However, Guangzhou Daming United Rubber Products has denied the claims.

"We sued Okamoto intending to stop their act of infringement. We decided to demand compensation of only 1 yuan, a nominal amount, because we don't want the proceedings to get stuck on the matter of economic losses," Victor Chan, general manager of the Chinese condom company, told China Daily on Tuesday.

Calling Okamoto "a shameless competitor", Chan said the Japanese company continued to claim it was the manufacturer of the world's thinnest condom to "take advantage of their popularity in China and of Chinese consumers' trust in their brand".

"Okamoto insulted not only us but also consumers," he said.

Chan, whose company produces about 200 million condoms annually and mainly sells to the domestic market, admitted that Chinese condom makers face tough competition from foreign brands such as Okamoto and Durex.

"Chinese people tend to think that imported products have better quality," he said.

According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Okamoto's condoms were among the most popular items bought by Chinese tourists to Japan during the Lunar New Year holiday.
BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday ordered officials at all levels to implement reform measures and address lingering problems to ensure the reform drive is successful.

He made the remarks while presiding over the 21st meeting of the Central Leading Group for Overall Reform.

Xi, head of the group, said reform concerns all regions and departments.

Officials must play their part as "promoters and people of action," he said, urging officials to focus on key problems and take precise measures to solve them.

The meeting was also attended by Li Keqiang, Liu Yunshan and Zhang Gaoli, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and deputy heads of the group.

According to a statement released after the meeting, all departments should fully understand and fulfil their responsibilities, while keeping track of the entire process.

Reform that affects multiple fields or departments calls for diligence, therefore, multiple governmental organs should uphold the principles of "good timing and rhythm," the meeting was told.

"Those that fail to do so will be held accountable," it said.

Highlighting supervision and evaluation, the statement stressed that all departments should ensure plans are well documented, and any mistakes or deadline breaches are dealt with accordingly.

It noted that only truly effective reform will boost social and economic development, and give the people real benefits.

Good experience and examples should be summarized, so that they can inform other work, according to the statement.

Officials were urged to lead by example by arranging and supervising tasks in accordance with the requirements of the central authorities.

Meanwhile, organs at city and county levels were urged to go deep into communities to seek public opinion, so the results of reform measures are in line with people's expectations.

"Party committees at all levels should [...] encourage forward thinking, praise outstanding work, but also tolerate mistakes and failures so all officials actively, voluntarily and creatively participate," it added.
Jiang Sheng works at his studio in Xiangmen, Fujian province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Buddha statues made by artist Jiang Sheng are not only displayed in galleries and museums, but also worshipped by Buddhists either in well-known temples or in their homes.

The 26-year-old, among the youngest in China to devote himself to making Buddha statues, straddles art and craftsmanship to create his pieces.

Statues made by Jiang are different from traditional images. The young man weaves "creative elements" into the gestures, positions and clothes based on the basic requirements of how a statue should look. For instance, the Buddha's clothes are very long, like a waterfall pouring down.

"The difference between me and a typical craftsman is creativity. Every time I produce a Buddha, I do research, read a lot and then put my own understanding into it," says Jiang, who became a Buddhist in college six years ago.

But when it comes to making statues for temples, he says they are different from his artworks or pieces for private collectors.

For the temples, he has to "compromise" to make statues of the Buddha acceptable to the masses. Temples typically request him to make the Buddha's head big to create a sense of divinity for the worshippers, something which Jiang does not do in his other artworks.

Jiang's mother became a devout Buddhist when he was a child. Influenced by his mother, he started reading the sutras in middle school.

But it was only when he went to college that he turned fully to Buddhism and decided to create images of the Buddha.
Tuna Tartare at Paletto Italian restaurant in Shenzhen. [Photo by Mike Peters/China Daily]

Some appreciate art through sight, while others savor it through taste, says chef Stefano Nicodemo, who seems determined to have it both ways. In his first year at Paletto Italian restaurant in Shenzhen, Nicodemo has showcased seasonal flavors from the south of Italy with a lot of flair.

Fresh octopus, white truffle and porcini mushrooms have been stars in his signature dishes of his native Naples. The chef's modern approach favors dishes that are "light yet richly defined," he says.

"The visual presentation of food is the art of modifying, processing, arranging or decorating it to enhance its aesthetic appeal. I often take the simple classics I grew up with and adapt or modernize them."

His focus starts with healthy ingredients as well as preserving and maximizing their natural qualities and flavors.

"I often use low-temperature cooking techniques as a way to retain their inherent nutritional value," says Nicodemo.

At a recent lunch, we start by digging into an artfully crafted tuna tartare, a colorful round of flaky fish, capers, cooked egg white, cooked egg yolk, caviar and baby vegetables that gleams thanks to a light application of olive oil. Next comes risotto Milanese, with a golden glow thanks to 17 minutes of cooking in saffron water, and veal osso buco, cooked for three hours in a 140-degree oven. The meat is sauced with beef stock enriched with bone marrow and herbs, and topped with a scattering of rosemary, thyme and lemon zest; meanwhile, the risotto bears delicate hints of parmesan, onion and garlic.
Now is the time to get tough Updated: 2016-02-23 08:56 By Ho Lok-Sang(HK Edition)

Ho Lok-sang argues that in the wake of the Mong Kok riot, the authorities must make it very clear that violent protests will now be punished with the full force of the law

Since the riot in Mong Kok, many people have been calling for an independent study into the cause of the riot. If the terms of reference are set right, an independent study may indeed prove useful. For example, it has been pointed out that social media tools have increasingly been used by individuals and organizations to radicalize people for political and social change. Many young people enjoy the attention and approval of peer groups in social media achieved by saying outlandish things. The nature of social media means that well-reasoned discourses are unlikely to attract many "likes" - but bold, provocative, and even disturbing words will. Terrorist groups are known to be adept at using social media to recruit young people to their ranks. How important was social media as a contributing factor to the Mong Kok riot?

Unfortunately, from the discourses of those who ask the government to conduct an independent study into the cause of the riot, it seems that they are more interested in finding fault with the government than in finding what might avert such crises. A commentator wrote sympathetically about the rioters in Mong Kok: "No one is born an opponent of the government and violent. If one had the choice, who would want to put himself at risk and be labeled a rioter?" One could say the same thing of Anders Behring Breivik, the man responsible for the massacre in Norway in 2011: "No one is born a radical." Indeed, one could say the same thing about all criminals. No one is born a criminal. No one is born a murderer. No one is born a rapist. Where does this all end?

The worrying thing is that instead of condemning the violent acts, many opinion leaders express sympathy for them. Perhaps as a result of this, instead of moderating their language, more people are now using violent language. One netizen even said he would pay a reward of HK$10,000 for every policeman killed. A script in a recent independent movie read: "Hong Kong does not have democracy because no one has yet died (for the cause of democracy)." The cover of a weekly magazine carried the words: "Rebirth can only come with sacrifice." Legislator Priscilla Leung said those who say such things are being cruel to young people. She added that inciting them to violent acts was tantamount to condemning them to a life of hopelessness and hatred.

Professor Lui Tai-lok of the Hong Kong Institute of Education, in a recent commentary, noted that rather than asking "why" the riot was caused, the more pertinent question is "how should society respond". There are always violent and radical people in every society. Even supposedly peaceful and orderly Norway harbored a mass killer. Breivik killed 77 innocent people in the summer of 2011, justifying his killings by arguing he was trying to do good for his country. So we do not need a study on the cause of the Hong Kong riot. We need, instead, an unequivocal message to be given to the Hong Kong public that violent acts and language will not be tolerated. The message has to be loud and clear: There cannot be any justification for violent acts and language.

Grenville Cross, former director of public prosecutions, proposed to the secretary for justice that he might consider which type of courts the charges against suspected rioters would be heard in. Convictions in the High Court, District Court, or the Magistrates' Court would carry different maximum sentences. To achieve the necessary deterrence, a charge commensurate with the degree of potential damage caused and criminal intent should be made at an appropriate court. He noted that when a rioter continues to strike at a police officer after he has already fallen on the ground, he could be charged with attempted murder, a crime that could lead to a life sentence.

Of course handing out the necessary punishment to those who deserve it is not the only response Hong Kong needs. We also do need to address the concerns that worry our young people - upward social mobility, work opportunities, conservation, more equitable income distribution, greater support for cultural and artistic pursuits, affordable housing and so on. But everyone should understand there can be no quick fixes to any of these problems.

After the Mong Kok riot, there is a greater need for the authorities to monitor what is going on in Hong Kong's social media. There is an even greater need for all those concerned about Hong Kong's future to respect the law and follow standard rules and procedures. We need to avoid giving excuses to those who intend to cause trouble. Offenders need to be brought to justice. We hope police officers, judges and civil servants all bear this in mind. Teachers, in particular, should help their students understand that a better world can only be built with patience, wisdom, and respect for life. Only then can we guide our young people to a better life.

(HK Edition 02/23/2016 page9)
The three children who went missing from a village in Zhejiang province were found safe on Friday morning after nearly 72 hours.

An ambulance rushes Chen Xinyi to a hospital after she and two other missing children were found on Friday in Zhejiang province. Shen Zhicheng / for China Daily

Chen Xinyi, 12, her 7-year-old brother Chen Hanlin and Chen Minjie, an 8-year-old girl, were found by rescue teams at about 10:30 am on a mountain in Changshan, a village about 7 kilometers away from their home village of Jianguang in Pujiang county. The three children left their homes at around 11 am on Tuesday, and their parents called the police in the evening.

The children were either carried out on stretchers or in the arms of rescuers and taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

"The three kids were cuddled together by a creek and burst into tears when they saw us. Their condition was all right and they could respond to our words. We gave them some water and food immediately," said Ge Zhebin, head of a rescue team that found the children. "The sister was very concerned about her brother. She asked about the condition of the brother several times when we rescued her."

The children suffered frostbite but were in stable condition, according to Hong Yansheng, a publicity officer from the county.

The children got lost on the mountain and couldn't find their way home, and they relied on water in the creek for the past three days, Hong said.

By Thursday evening, about 4,000 people from across the county were formed into 59 rescue teams. They scoured reservoirs, rivers, valleys, ditches and the mountainside for the missing children within a search area of 70 square km.

Two police helicopters and two amphibious rescue vehicles joined the search effort.

"I want to say thank you to ... everybody involved in the rescue," the brother and sister's uncle said with tears in a video clip uploaded from Sina Weibo by Pujiang county's information office.

The rescue efforts were applauded by Internet users.

"I really appreciate the local government authority that mobilized all the rescue resources. They prioritized the value of life," an Internet user named Zhuangxia wrote on Sina Weibo.

zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn
Train attendants prepare to board at Nanjing Station, East China's Jiangsu province, Nov 10, 2015.[Photo/Xinhua]

High-speed railways are the pride of the nation. The country's network of 19,000 kilometers of high-speed train lines is the longest in the world and connects almost all the major Chinese cities. Traveling by high-speed train has become part of more and more people's lives. Of every 10 people who traveled by train last year, four were on a fast track.

That is why it has drawn so much public attention that the operator of the "bullet trains" has been given free rein to set ticket prices.

According to a recent announcement by the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planning agency, China Railway Corp is being empowered to decide how much high-speed train tickets cost in light of "market competition and passenger distribution". Previously, the price was set by the commission itself.

This move should be welcomed. As an enterprise in a market economy, CRC should be freed from the shackles of administrative intervention. Only by doing so can it make the best use of resources, raise efficiency, improve profits and better serve passengers.

Due to the huge amounts of money needed for the development of high-speed railways, the government has constantly invited private capital to contribute, but to little avail.

The increasing debts of CRC, estimated at nearly 4 trillion yuan ($615 billion) in 2014, have hampered its ambitious construction blueprint. The pricing reform will hopefully help the railways make a profit which will help spark the enthusiasm of private capital to invest in them.

The reform is long overdue as the nation's railways are one of the last State sectors still reminiscent of a rigid planned economy. The aviation sector has long priced tickets based on seasonal changes in demand and supply, and has prospered, benefiting both airlines and passengers. So have highways and river transport.

Yet many people worry the reform may lead to unreasonably high prices for high-speed train tickets, because CRC enjoys a monopoly as the country's only operator of high-speed trains. Such concerns must be addressed.

Thus the CRC should take into account the interests of the general public as well. Public hearings are necessary and discounts for not so busy lines or in off-peak seasons must be guaranteed. The government must play a supervisory role to make sure the reform is not a one-way street for excessive price increases.
Members of the Greater Washington for Peter Liang Coordination Group observes a moment of silence for Akai Gurley on Wednesday afternoon in a press conference to announce a Saturday morning rally in front of the Washington Monument. Gurley was killed in 2014 when NYPD officer Liang discharged his weapon in a stairwell. [Photo by Chen Weihua / China Daily]

The recent conviction of Peter Liang, a Chinese-American policeman who accidentally shot a black man to death in New York in 2014, has sparked strong protests from the Chinese-American community. The 28-year-old rookie policeman was convicted of second-degree manslaughter earlier this month, and faces up to 15 years in prison. To many, Liang is being made a scapegoat for a series of police killings of African-Americans, says Monday's Beijing News.

Peter Liang was found guilty of fatally shooting unarmed Akai Gurley while patrolling with his partner on the darkened eighth floor of a building in the borough of Brooklyn. One bullet was fired from his service gun, which ricocheted off a wall and killed Gurley.

His manslaughter conviction is far from "flawed". He did have his finger near the trigger of his gun when his security was not being threatened, and he failed to offer first-aid to the man who was shot.

Such being said, what is really feeding the complaints of the Chinese-American community about the verdict is the political, not judicial injustice, that has long existed behind the scene.

Liang is the first policeman of the New York Police Department to be convicted of killing a civilian since 2005. Among the less than 180 similar cases in the city since 1999, only one police officer, who deliberately fired five times, was convicted, receiving probation of five years. And the white policeman who killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, was not indicted.

That explains why many believe Liang is being used as a scapegoat for the past injustices, especially when it comes to police officers' misuse of power. His supporters claim his treatment reflects the fact that non-whites are not treated equally in the country.

The truth is, though, there are Chinese-Americans, such as the New York City councilwoman Margaret Chin, who support Liang's indictment, saying he should be held accountable for Gurley's death.

But that did not stop the rallies being held in support of Liang over the weekend, which involved local Chinese-Americans from all walks of life across the United States. What drove them to demonstrate their political expressions, of course, was the decades of discrimination imposed on their community.

Whether the protests will have any influence on Liang's sentence remains unclear, but they will certainly inspire more Chinese Americans to protect their legal rights in a more unified and efficient manner.
Fu Ying and Kissinger talk in a forum themed "World Order and China's Role" in Beijing on Saturday. [Photo provided to china daily.com.cn]

Since the beginning of 2016, the United States has made two notable comments in relation to China.

First, in his 2016 State of the Union address, US President Barack Obama, who has always been rather discreet, said in a rather high-profile manner, "The United States of America is the most powerful nation. Period. It's not even close."

Second, after the Taiwan leader election, US officials repeated the one-China policy while expressing concerns over cross-Straits stability.

These two things suggest that the US remains confident in its own strength, and military confrontations to pin down Chinese development and stability are not part of the US' strategic considerations.

Instead, the US regards economic competition as the primary area of competition between the US and China for global leadership.

In international-trade rulemaking, the US kept one step ahead of China by successfully inking the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations with 11 countries on Feb 4. For China, the free-trade agreements signed with the Republic of Korea on June 1 and Australia on June 17 helped create two major breaches in the wall of US-made trade rules.

In international finance and trade, the two countries also had their own respective gains. As the US economy continues to improve, the international status of the US dollar has been further consolidated, with substantial increases in the exchange rate against major currencies, including the RMB. Meanwhile, the Chinese manufacturing industry has shown remarkable international competitiveness.

In the area of domestic economic or national strength development, an important area of China-US competition, the US has performed better. The Obama administration's policy of bringing manufacturing back to the US has produced visible results, leading to effective technological progress, a steady increase in employment and an appreciating dollar.

In contrast, the domestic economic situation in China has worsened, with aggravated capacity excesses, more companies forced out of business and increased debts for local governments, leading to substantial financial and macroeconomic pressure.

The once widely publicized "Beijing Consensus" or "China Model"of government-led development and an industrial structure shaped by government investmentwas objectively challenged, and the model faces readjustment. And the US experience in economic governance has attracted increasing attention from China.

At the end of October 2015, Chinese media intensively reported on US surveillance planes flying over China's territorial waters around the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, causing an uproar in China over the violation of Chinese sovereignty.

There was widespread suspicion in China that the US was deliberately provoking military frictions to tie down China' stable development. It was against this backdrop that the US issued a statement on adhering to the one-China principle and hoping for cross-Straits peace and stability, which helped mitigate suspicions in China and further testified to the US' intention to engage in competition with China mainly in the economic field.

The competition between the two countries is competition over international strategy and policy only to a certain extent. In the final analysis, it is competition over overall national strength, economic strength in particular. The economic focus of China-US competition has had a positive influence on industrial technological progress throughout the world and will help the two countries develop competitive cooperation and China to readjust and reform its domestic policies.

The author is a scholar at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. chinausfocus.com
Two China-themed public events were organized in Brussels this month.

Even though the Belgian capital is still on high security alert after the terrorist attacks in Paris last November, which had links with the city, a Spring Festival parade took place on the eve of China's most important traditional celebration.

Brussels had cancelled its 2016 New Year fireworks celebrations, but Chinese, Belgians and diplomats from other countries, joined together to watch dragon and lion dances, fashion shows, music performances, martial arts and Peking Opera. Even the iconic Manneken Pis, a small bronze statue in central Brussels, was draped in traditional Chinese clothes.

The parade, in the streets of the oldest part of Brussels, sent out a message of joy and love, demonstrating that Brussels is still safe and its residents are still able to enjoy public festivities.

A growing number of Europeans have come to enjoy Spring Festival celebrations, just as Christmas is celebrated by some Chinese people.

But in contrast, nearly 10 days later about 5,000 steelworkers marched on the streets outside some of the European Union institutions in Brussels, barely a 20-minute walk from where the Spring Festival parade took place.

The demonstration was peaceful, but it was the first on such a large scale targeting China; a reminder that although the Sino-EU relationship has been boosted to a new high, Brussels had previously taken it to a low point in a few years ago with its anti-dumping probe of China's solar panel exports.

The protesters shouted two slogans: Do not give China market economy status and stop dumping cheap steel products.

Most of the steelworkers I talked with, had never visited China, knew nothing about China's economic restructuring efforts and had no knowledge of the connection between market economy status, dumping and their daily bread.

They didn't even know of China's low-cost exports which have helped equip them for their work and enabled them to enjoy their everyday lives comfortably.

Yet they happily followed the urging of their union leaders to appear on the streets, chanting misleading slogans that will once again damage China's image as a result of all the media coverage the demonstration received.

The real figures are telling.

The volume of trade disputes between China and the EU has amounted to less than 2 percent of total bilateral trade. None of the 80 countries which have granted China market economy status say they have lost out while China wins. And no other major steelmaking economy, such as the United States, Canada or Japan, has organized this kind of protest.

Apart from the steelworkers' protests against China, Brussels has also taken other measures in a bid to win more bargaining chips when dealing with Beijing. It started a 10-week public consultation exercise on whether the EU should grant China market economy status, and has employed an expert panel to submit its assessment before the European Commission makes a decision in July. The European Parliament will vote on this before the deadline.

All in all, Brussels is using these as a kind of delaying exercise. They show, once again, the need for greater efficiency in the EU bureaucracy to boost confidence amid its many crises, including terrorism, refugees, economic recession, the integration process and other geopolitical concerns.

The essence of Chinese culture is that its people are willing to replace evil with good when handling disputes and they hope that their goodwill will pay off in a mutually beneficial way. It is to be hoped the politicians and lobbyists in Brussels can demonstrate such wisdom.

The author is deputy editor of China Daily European Edition. fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
As work commences in the Year of the Monkey, Zhanjiang government is anticipating bigger strides in its projects. Liu Xiaohua, the government's Party chief, outlined the work in a recent report. Here are a few of the projects the government hopes to develop this year:

The inception of the second boiler at Zhanjiang Baosteel Base

Industry will be central to the government's plans to boost the economic revitalization in the city. The government plans to complete the construction of the second boiler at the Zhanjiang Baosteel Base and put it into operation.

A dozen industrial projects have also been prioritized for complete construction, including the fourth phase of Chenming Group, the main part of Sino-Kuwait Integrated Refining project and some major projects of Kingsun Power.

A government delegation led by Liu Xiaohua (M), Party chief of the Zhanjiang government conducts an investigation at Zhanjiang Baosteel Base. [Photo/yinsha.com]

Airport economic zone to be established in Wuchuan

The government will fully support the plan to construct an airport economic zone in Wuchuan, a county-level city of Zhanjiang. Taking the move and expansion of Zhanjiang Airport as an opportunity, Wuchuan plans to establish itself as a multi-functional transportation hub serving Zhanjiang International Airport, airport integrated transportation, airport modern logistics and airport business.

Construction will be accelerated on the supporting park for iron industry in Zhanjiang's Donghai Island, the Petrochemical Industrial Park and the Fenyong New District to allow new industries to be nurtured.
A photo of Tianjin Port. [Photo by Zhang Chenlin/Xinhua]

For foreign enterprises from developed economies, FTZs can help establish beachheads quickly in important services such as health and education, said Liu Chenyang, a researcher with the APEC study center at Nankai University, Tianjin.

As many as 20 of the 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions on the Chinese mainland have either made plans or filed proposals with the central government to establish FTZs.

Liaoning, Henan and Hainan provinces and the Ningxia Hui autonomous region have officially included their concepts for local FTZs into their plans for 2016.

The chance for these provinces to get the green light from the central government seems good, development specialists and officials say. A new batch of FTZs is expected to be finalized in the first half of the year, although not all provinces will be satisfied.

The nation right now has four FTZs, all along its coastline. It established its first pilot FTZ in Shanghai in August 2013, and three more in Tianjin, Fujian and Guangdong in April.

In December, the State Council issued its "Opinions on Speeding up the Implementation of FTZ Strategy", which promised to build more FTZs.

Most likely, the new batch will give priority to inland areas that play a key role in the Belt and Road Initiative, connecting with countries across Eurasia.

Tang Wenhong, director-general of the Ministry of Commerce's Department of Foreign Investment Administration, said the new batch is also expected to increase China's competitiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.

Li Xi, Party chief of Liaoning province, said he is expecting the central government to approve the China (Dalian) Pilot Free Trade Zone quickly so that it can help the longtime industrial province reverse its rapid decline in business activity.

"The Dalian FTZ is designed not just as a copy of others but as one that is more regionally integrated, targeted and differentiated in its own functions, backed by a strong industrial foundation and strategic positioning" compared with Japan, Russia, Mongolia and the Korean Peninsula, Li said.

A free-trade zone in Dalian  an international shipping center and regional finance center in Northeast Asia  could boost trade volume between overseas markets and China's northeastern provinces and the eastern Inner Mongolia autonomous region, according to Bai Ming, a researcher at the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

In particular, it could help Liaoning, which has suffered from a decline in overseas demand and rising wages, to reorient its business for the 21st century.

"For sustainable growth, local officials must pay attention to job creation," Bai said. "They should design new FTZs imaginatively so that they are more regionally integrated. They should not blindly copy existing FTZs."

At the moment, FTZs make up only a tiny part of China's economy. But they represent a future scenario for success. In the long run, economists expect the entire country's economy and economic regime to become more like today's FTZs.

In a few years, experts say, they will help China get used to a more competitive and more collaborative global business environment.

Contact the writers at zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn
By Mao Weihua in Urumqi and Cheng Yingqi in Beijing | China Daily | Updated: 2016-02-23 08:04

Glacial melt at Glacier No 1 in the Tianshan Mountains has increased over the past few decades.[Photo by Cai Zengle/Asianewsphoto]

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will ban tourists from entering a 22,000 square kilometer glacier protection zone in the Tianshan Mountains.

"Glacier tourism brought in revenue of less than one billion yuan ($152 million) over the past dozen years, but the loss from shrinking glaciers is incalculable," Li Jidong from the regional tourism administration was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency.

Li cited tourism, manufacturing, mining, vehicle emissions and grazing as additional reasons - besides climate change - that had caused accelerated glacier retreat in recent decades.

"We will ban glacier tourism by 2020 and propose replacing the existing facilities with holiday resorts so that people can observe glaciers from afar," Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted Li as saying.

In April 2014, the regional government set up a 948 sq km protection zone at Glacier No 1 in the Tianshan Mountains, 120 km from the regional capital of Urumqi. Yet the measure proved ineffective as travelers still visited the zone on their own, without the help of travel agencies.

In a visit to the protection zone, China Daily found seven herdsman families setting up private checkpoints to charge entrance fees. After receiving the money, the herdsmen opened the gate to let tourists drive to the foot of the mountain and climb onto the glacier.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to the United States from Tuesday to Thursday.[Photo from CCTV NEWS]

Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to the United States from Tuesday to Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday.

Wang's visit is expected to set the agenda for high-level communication between China and the US this year, Hua said, and he will discuss with counterpart John Kerry deepening pragmatic cooperation and constructively handling sensitive issues between the nations, she added.

Regarding the Korean nuclear question, Hua said Beijing and Washington maintained "close communication over the issue" and Wang will propose the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a truce-to-peace mechanism be pursued at the same time to solve major concerns of all parties in a balanced way.

China supports a new and more powerful resolution on Pyongyang from the UN Security Council, Hua said but she also called for relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and stick to the direction of resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation.



China rejects US charge of raising South China Sea tensions

China's military deployments in the South China Sea are no different from US deployments on Hawaii, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday, rejecting a US accusation of raising tensions in the area ahead of a visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Washington this week.

"China deploying necessary, limited defensive facilities on its own territory is not substantively different from the United States defending Hawaii," Hua said.

The US last week accused China of "militarizing" the South China Sea by deploying surface-to-air missiles on Yongxing island.

Asked whether the South China Sea, as well as the missile deployment, will be raised during Wang's meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Hua said Washington should "stop using the issue to make a fuss".

It is the US frequently sending military planes and vessels to the South China Sea to conduct close-up military surveillance against China that heightened tensions in the area, Hua said, and that is the biggest cause of the militarization of the South China Sea.
Ahead of Foreign Minister Wang Yi's US visit this week, Beijing has noted the US defense deployment in Hawaii, hitting back at the latest US criticism that China's presence on its South China Sea islands is boosting "militarization".

"China's deploying necessary, limited defensive facilities on its own territory is not substantively different from the US defending Hawaii," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday.

Hua confirmed at a daily news conference in Beijing that Wang will visit the US from Tuesday to Thursday, and said the visit will see efforts "to deepen pragmatic cooperation and to constructively tackle sensitive issues".

Although Beijing unveiled few details of the schedule, the visit is likely to bring the third meeting within a month between Wang and his counterpart, US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Responding to looming UN sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for its rocket launches, Hua said that "China and the US are expected to exchange views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue during Wang's visit".

All the parties are urged to bring the nuclear issue back onto the track of dialogue, to discuss a dual-track mechanism that seeks both the denuclearization of the peninsula and a shift from truce to peace, Hua added.

Since January, diplomatic contacts between Beijing and Washington have geared up after a US Navy warship incursion into China's territorial waters in the South China Sea and Pyongyang's nuclear test.

Kerry visited China and talked with Wang on Jan 27 in Beijing, and they met again in Munich, Germany, on Feb 12.

Asked what message Beijing will send to Washington on the South China Sea, Hua said the US is expected to be "fully committed to its promise of not taking positions on the relevant disputes".

The US should "stop hyping the South China Sea issue and the tense atmosphere there" and should play a "constructive" role in the region rather than "making an issue", Hua said.

Teng Jianqun, a senior research fellow on US studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said Wang's expected visit is "needed and helpful" for more dialogue to tackle the issues.

Teng said that the US forces "possibly will remain tough and will continue challenging China militarily as they have done recently".

Besides addressing hot spots, the senior diplomats need the meetings to prepare for annual bilateral events, such as the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, and to discuss expected contacts between leaders on international occasions, Teng added.

The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said on its website that Wang will address the think tank's "Statesmen's Forum" on Thursday morning local time.

Wang will be part of "a discussion on Chinese foreign policy and US-China relations", the center said.

Jin Canrong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, said that "competition and cooperation co-exist in China-US ties, and the reinforced competition in the South China Sea brings no change to such a big picture".

"The situation in the South China Sea is controllable, and so will it be in the future," Jin said, adding that the US allies in the region, unlike the US, are not likely to resort to military approaches there.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - A man working as an Uber driver admitted to the fatal weekend shootings of six people in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a police detective testified on Monday in a case raising questions about how the car service vets its drivers.

Jason Dalton is seen on closed circuit television during his arraignment in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, February 22, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Jason Dalton, 45, was denied bail as he made his first court appearance on 16 charges including six of murder that can bring life in prison.

Dalton told detectives "he took people's lives," Kalamazoo Public Safety Detective Cory Ghiringhelli testified in a county district court ahead of the suspect's arraignment.

Dalton appeared via a video link and was seen on a monitor at the Kalamazoo County court wearing glasses and dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit.

When asked if he had anything to say, Dalton, who appeared emotionless through the proceedings, said he preferred to "remain silent."

The judge denied bail and set March 3 for the next hearing.

After the hearing Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Getting told reporters Dalton had been cooperative with authorities but possible motives for the shootings were still unclear.

"No one understands why it happened, and that adds to the fear and the sorrow," Getting said.

Prosecutors alleged Dalton randomly shot multiple times at people during a five-hour period on Saturday at an apartment complex, a car dealership and a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Kalamazoo, about 150 miles (240 km) west of Detroit.

Police were investigating reports Dalton drove customers of the Uber car-hailing service the night of the rampage. Two people were wounded in the shootings, including a teenage girl who was initially thought to have died.

Initial checks with a key federal agency indicate Dalton was unknown to both law enforcement and counterterrorism agencies for having any known connection to extremist groups.

President Barack Obama said on Monday he had spoken to the mayor and top law enforcement in Kalamazoo about the shootings and pledged whatever federal support they need.

"Earlier this year, I took some steps that will make it harder for dangerous people like this individual to buy a gun. But clearly, we're going to need to do more if we're going to keep innocent Americans safe," Obama said in remarks before the National Governors Association at the White House.

Uber said on Monday it would not be changing the way it screened its drivers following the weekend shooting spree. It also said Dalton had received "very favorable" feedback from riders.

"There were no red flags, if you will, that we could anticipate something like this," said Uber's chief security officer, Joe Sullivan.

Uber drivers use their personal vehicles to ferry customers at prices generally below those of established taxi companies. Critics contend vetting is inadequate and the company never meets potential drivers in person.

"A background check is just that - a background check. It does not foresee the future," Ed Davis, of the Uber Safety Advisory Board, told a teleconference with reporters.

The Dalton family said in a statement: "There are no words which can express our shock and disbelief, and we are devastated and saddened for the victims and the families of the victims,"

Michigan State Police said the shooting began at about 5:30 p.m. (2230 GMT) on Saturday with a woman wounded outside an apartment building. At about 10 p.m., Richard Smith and his son Tyler were killed at the car dealership.

About 15 minutes later four women identified as Mary Lou Nye, 62, of Baroda, Michigan; and Dorothy Brown, 74; Barbara Hawthorne, 68; and Mary Jo Nye, 60, were fatally shot outside the restaurant.
US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz speaks with the media before a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada February 22, 2016.[Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz fired his main spokesman on Monday on the eve of the Nevada caucuses over a video that falsely showed rival Marco Rubio dismissing the Bible.

The spokesman, Rick Tyler, had apologized on Sunday for posting "an inaccurate story" on a video purporting to show Rubio referring to the Bible and saying, "Not many answers in it."

Cruz, who was campaigning in Nevada for the state's caucuses on Tuesday, fired Tyler the next day.

The senator from Texas said his campaign did not question the faith of other candidates. "That's why I'm asking for Rick Tyler's resignation."

The apology and firing come amid intense criticism of Cruz's campaign as dishonest from both Rubio and Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination.

Rubio, a US senator from Florida, and Cruz are locked in a battle to become their party's alternative to the New York billionaire.

Opinion polls show Rubio and Cruz running close in Nevada, the next Republican contest after South Carolina's primary on Saturday.

In that state, Trump was the big winner, finishing ahead of his nearest challenger by 10 percentage points. Rubio came in second, ahead of Cruz by fewer than 1,000 votes. The result led former Florida Governor Jeb Bush to drop out of the race.

Trump seized the opportunity to pile onto Cruz, whom he has repeatedly bashed as a liar.

"Wow, Ted Cruz falsely suggested Marco Rubio mocked the Bible and was just forced to fire his Communications Director. More dirty tricks!" Trump said on Twitter.

"Ted Cruz has now apologized to Marco Rubio and Ben Carson for fraud and dirty tricks. No wonder he has lost Evangelical support!," continued Trump, who has derided Cruz for failing to live up to expectations he would enjoy the solid support of evangelical Christians in South Carolina.

Both Rubio and Cruz came out of South Carolina with sharper criticism of Trump and an eye to March 1, when 12 states hold primaries or caucuses. Super Tuesday is the crown jewel in the state-by-state nominating contests to pick the Republican and Democratic candidates in the Nov. 8 presidential election.

Rubio assailed the former reality TV star's credentials on foreign policy and healthcare. He racked up a number of endorsements from party leaders on Monday, including Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah and former presidential candidate Bob Dole, boosting his efforts to become the candidate who can unite Republicans.
Russia President Vladimir Putin makes a statement in Moscow region, Russia, February 22, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that his country and the United States were ready to set up an implementation and monitor mechanism to ensure respect of a ceasefire in Syria.

"It is essential that Russia and the United States, co-chairs of the International Syrian Support Group, are ready to run an effective mechanism for the implementation and monitoring of the ceasefire by both the Syrian government and armed opposition groups," Putin said in a televised address posted on the Kremlin's website.

Putin's remarks came hours after Washington and Moscow announced plans for a cessation of hostilities in Syria, excluding Islamic State and Nusra Front militants, that would take effect from Saturday.

To achieve this, a "hot line" would be created and if necessary a working group would be set up for exchanging information, Putin said.

"The main thing is that conditions have been created for launching a genuine political process through the wide inter-Syrian dialogue in Geneva overseen by the UN," Putin said.

The arm forces of Russia and the US would continue joint work to identify which Syrian armed groups should observe the cessation of hostilities on Saturday, Putin said.

"Russian and the US military forces will jointly define areas on the maps where these groups are active," he said. "The Armed Forces of Syrian Arab Republic, Russian Federation and the US-led coalition will not carry out military operations against these groups."

Putin stressed that all conflicting sides in Syria must reaffirm by noon of Friday their commitment to ceasefire to Russia and the United States.
China provided $100,000 in humanitarian aid to Fiji, after a severe tropical cyclone tore through its Pacific islands on Saturday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters during a daily press briefing on Wednesday.

The Red Cross Society of China donated $100,000 in humanitarian aid to the Fiji Red Cross Society, Hua said. "We will keep a close eye on the disaster situation and will fully support the Fiji government and its people's efforts to fight against the disaster as well as their reconstruction work,'' she added.

According to Xinhua, Winston, a category 5 tropical cyclone, the highest possible level, swept through Fiji between the main island of Viti Levu and the northern island of Vanua Levu with wind gusts of over 320 kilometers per hour, tearing off roofs, uprooting trees and cutting power supplies as well as communications.
The third Senior Diplomatic Officials' Meeting of the Lancang-Mekong River Dialogue and Cooperation organization will be held on Wednesday in Sanya, Hainan province, the Foreign Ministry said.

Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin will co-host the meeting with his counterpart from Thailand, said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying during a daily press briefing on Tuesday. Diplomats from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam will also attend the meeting, she added.

The meeting will prepare for the first leaders' meeting of the organization, which will be held in March, Hua said.

It will set agendas and prepare the outcome documents for the meeting, Hua added.
This satellite image shows the Yongshu Jiao of China's Nansha Islands. [Photo/Xinhua]

China said on Tuesday that the US is the root of "militarization" in the South China Sea, urging it to stop sowing dissension among countries in the region.

"The actions of the US are the root of the so-called militarization in the South China Sea," the Defense Ministry said in a written response to China Daily, citing increased US military deployment in the region, provocative US reconnaissance of Chinese islands and joint military exercises with allies targeted at China.

"Relevant sides have turned a blind eye to it and repeatedly criticized China's legitimate construction on islands, intentionally fabricating issues and fueling tensions. It is hyping with hidden intentions."

The ministry was responding to a US think tank report that, citing satellite imagery, said Beijing is installing radar facilities on Huayang Reef of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

The report by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies came after US officials said China had deployed a surface-to-air missile system on Yongxing Island of the Xisha Islands.

Washington has voiced concern over what it called China's "militarization" in the South China Sea, but the Foreign Ministry has said its military deployments there were no different from US defense deployments on Hawaii.

On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chun-ying, in response to a senior US naval officer's call for more naval operations in the region, urged the US to stop sowing dissension among South China Sea countries.

"I must point out that the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea entitled under international law does not mean US naval vessels or airplanes' freedom to flex their muscle," Hua said.

Vice-Admiral Joseph Aucoin, commander of the US Navy's 7th Fleet, said on Monday that Australia and other countries should follow the US lead and conduct "freedom of navigation" naval operations within 12 nautical miles of contested islands in the South China Sea, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported.

Asked to comment on some US media saying that China is creating a "great wall of sand" in the South China Sea, Hua said China's sovereignty and claims are grounded in history and upheld by successive Chinese governments. "If the words 'great wall' must be used, we suggest those media pay more attention to Chinese people's 'great wall of will' to firmly safeguard territorial sovereignty and legal rights," she said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn
Chinas Relations With the West: Straight Line Decline

There are those who believe China's ongoing Party Congress will bode well for companies that do business in or with China. I am firmly convinced that the opposite is true and that it will used as yet another opportunity by China to show that it will not be cowered by the declining relations and sanctions/counter-sanctions between the United States / EU / Australia / Japan on the one hand, and China on the other. I see China using this Congress to let the world (domestic and external) know that it fully intends to fight back and fight back hard. In other words, this Party Congress will lead to China's decoupling from much of the world accelerating, not slowing down.
(Photo : Getty Images/Christopher Furlong) A lone demonstrator protests in support of the UK steel industry outside the Tata Steel processing plant at Scunthorpe, England. Europe stands to lose as many as 100,000 to 10 million jobs if the EU recognizes China as a market economy in the WTO, according to a report issued recently by the European Chamber of Commerce.

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The European Chamber of Commerce (ECC) in Beijing said on Monday that the European Union (EU) is unlikely to lift trade barriers against China this year as fears of losing as many as 10 million jobs across Europe are blocking efforts to grant the country market economy status (MES) in the World Trade Organization (WTO).



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The European Parliament recently started discussions ahead of a vote on China's trade status in the WTO. Granting China MES would reduce tariffs and ease the flow of Chinese exports into the European market, but apprehensions over the loss of jobs in Europe are likely to affect the outcome of the vote, the ECC claims.



"North or South"



"My personal observation of the parliament is that it is pretty much unified that China is challenging jobs in Europe and it doesn't matter whether you are a north or south parliamentarian, you are pretty much against it," said Joerg Wuttke, president of the ECC in Beijing.



Citing figures from the ECC's recently-issued report entitled "Overcapacity in China," Wuttke said Europe stands to lose as many as 100,000 to 10 million jobs if the EU recognizes China as a free market trading partner in the WTO.



In Brussels earlier this month, workers representing trade unions in 17 European countries took to the streets to demonstrate their opposition to granting China the status of a market economy in the WTO.



The unions blame both Russia and China for the unemployment which has dogged the continent for 19 consecutive months up until last December.



The unrest is making it difficult for European politicians to give China the status of a market economy trade partner in the WTO, Wuttke said.



Idle Assets



Chinese companies are burdened by overcapacity and low domestic demand, and China's steel manufacturers have looked to the export market to remedy the problem. But EU steel executives say the flood of low cost metal from China has already forced the continent's steel industry to shut down many factories.



The Chinese government says it is tackling the problem by outlining a plan to close down factories that continue to make more than they sell. The plan seeks to keep Chinese workers on wage rolls even as their machines are idle.



"You should actually make your assets sweat and utilize them to 100 percent, but that is not the case here," said Wuttke, who insists Beijing's remedial measures are being held back by corrupt public officials.



China's steel sector produces half the world's steel: more than the United States, the EU, Russia and Japan combined.



European steel manufacturers insist that China is dumping its surplus steel products into the continent's markets. The allegations have prompted the EU to launch several anti-dumping investigations against China in recent months.



China has fired back at its accusers, saying the EU should elevate its allegations of steel dumping to the WTO.



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TagsChina-EU relations, China steel industry, World Trade Organization
(Photo : Reuters) Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi (L) will be in Washington this week to meet with US state secretary John Kerry (R). The two diplomats are expected to discuss issues surrounding North Korea and the South China Sea.

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China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in Washington this week to meet with US State Secretary John Kerry and other US officials, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.



Wang will be in the US from Tuesday to Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said during a regular press briefing in Beijing. The trip will mark the first time Wang is visiting the US in an official capacity, she added.



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"At the invitation of US Secretary of State John Kerry, Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to the US from February 23 to 25," Hua said. "The two sides will discuss China-US relations, as well as international and regional issues of common interest."



Security Interests



Hua said Wang and Kerry are likely to discuss issues concerning North Korea and the pending United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions against Pyongyang for its rocket launch in January.



"We support the UN Security Council in passing new and effective resolutions on the DPRK, and call on all parties to refrain from actions that may heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula," Hua said.



She reiterated China's opposition to the possible deployment of US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile systems on the Korean Peninsula.



"We maintain that countries must not pursue their own security at the expense of others' security interests," Hua said. "We are firmly opposed to any country's attempt to hurt China's strategic security interests by making use of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue."



Common Interests



Asked whether Wang and Kerry will also be discussing the South China Sea and recent allegations that China has deployed missiles in the disputed Paracels, Hua said the US is not a party to the disputes over the islands, and there should be no issue between Washington and Beijing over China's defensive positions there.



"To safeguard peace and stability of the South China Sea serves the common interests of China, the US and all relevant parties," Hua said.



Beijing and Washington accused each other of militarizing the South China Sea last week in the wake of reports that China had deployed HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles on Woody Island, part of the Paracel island group disputed by Beijing, Hanoi and Taipei.



"We hope the US side would live up to its commitment of not taking sides on relevant disputes concerning territorial sovereignty, stop sensationalizing the South China Sea issue, stop hyping up tensions and work constructively for regional peace and stability, rather than the opposite," said Hua.



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TagsUS-China relations, foreign minister Wang Yi, John Kerry
(Photo : Reuters) Chinese land reclamation work in the contested Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea, is seen in the above photo taken last year. The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) claims China may be building a high-frequency radar installation in the area.

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Satellite images show China may be building a high-power radar system on a disputed territory in the South China Sea, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).



The head of the Washington-based CSIS Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) said on Monday that images indicate the construction of a high-frequency (HF) radar installation on Cuarteron Reef, one of seven areas claimed by China through a massive land reclamation program in the South China Sea.



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"Cuarteron is the logical place for such an installation because it is the southernmost of China's features in the Spratlys, meaning it would be the best place if you wanted early warning radar to give notice of ships or planes coming up from the Strait of Malacca and other areas to the South such as Singapore, " AMTI chief Gregory Poling said in an e-mail to the Washington Post.



"High-Frequency"



Cuarteron Reef is controlled by China, but its authority over the area has been challenged by the Philippine government. Manila has since expressed concern that Beijing would establish an air defense identification zone over the territory.



Poling said a HF radar facility at Cuarteron Reef would provide a tremendous boost to China's capacity to monitor approaching ships and aircraft, curtailing the US Navy's ability to conduct freedom of navigation operations in the area.



"This would be very important in the Chinese anti-access area denial strategy that sought to reduce the ability of the US to operate freely in the South China Sea in case of any future crisis in Northeast Asia," said Poling.



Other photographs supplied by the CSIS-AMTI to the Washington Post show China is building radar facilities on other islands in the Spratly archipelago. Brunei, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia have overlapping claims over the area.



"Right and Wrong"



"It is certainly possible to claim a civilian purpose, and China will," Poling wrote. "But just like you don't need a 3,000-meter runway to land civilian planes, you don't need a high-frequency radar (assuming that is what it is) to give early warning of commercial traffic."



The Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday that China's defensive posture in the Paracels is no different from the US military's deployment of weapons in Hawaii.



"Islands in the South China Sea have been part of China since ancient times," said Hua. "The Chinese side is entitled to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests."



Hua said the US is sensationalizing the issue, and accused Washington of gradually increasing its surveillance activities against countries in the region over the past few years.



"We hope that the US would not confuse right and wrong on this issue, still less play up and create tensions in the region," Hua said. "We urge the US to play a constructive role for regional peace and stability."



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TagsTerritorial disputes in the South China Sea, Spratlys Island, Freedom of Navigation
(Photo : Photo by Marco Garcia/Getty Images) A U.S. military Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) from the USS Rushmore rolls up on the beach during a Marine exercise at Bellows Beach on Bellows Airforce Base during a Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military excercise July 20, 2004 east of Honolulu, Hawaii. Beijing has repeated its stance on the South China Sea issue saying it has the right to defend its territory.

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China has repeated its stance on the South China Sea issue saying that its deployment of missiles in the region is no different from the US Pacific Command (PACOM) military operations in Honolulu, Hawaii.



The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing is under the obligation to defend its sovereignty in the disputed islands, which happens to be an international waterway.



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Beijing's pronouncements that it will continue to defend the artificial islands in the region is indicative of its aggressive position that it has legitimate jurisdiction over the disputed islands - in the same way that Hawaii is within the territory of the US.



Claimant-countries



Beijing has reiterated that it will not attempt to militarize the region despite US' naval and aerial patrols coupled with its military exercises which, Beijing has said, have intensifies tension among claimant-countries in the South China Sea.



China has emphasized from the beginning that its construction of facilities in the disputed islands are purely for civilian efforts.



But the US has casted a fresh shade of doubt on Beijing's proclamation following news that China has deployed surface-to-air missiles to one of the contested islands.



No talks



China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is in the US for a series of discussions with US Secretary of State John Kerry, said Beijing does not expect any talks to take place on the South China Sea issue because the US is not involved in the dispute.



Wang's talks with Kerry this week will instead focus on North Korea nuclear issue and economic trade.



Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the topic of South China Sea should not even be brought up between the two leaders because the US is not part of the dispute.



Hawaii



"China's deploying necessary, limited defensive facilities on its own territory is not substantively different from the United States defending Hawaii," Hua said.



Hua's statements seems to be an admission that the islands are being militarized, according to political experts.



Hua blamed the US for militarizing the South China Sea with its air and sea patrols and conducting multilateral military exercises with other countries under the principle of freedom of navigation.



US militarization



"It's this that is the biggest cause of the militarization of the South China Sea," Hua said.



She noted that Beijing hopes the US does not practice "double standards" on the issue and does not confuse "right from wrong" as it continues to intervene in China affairs.



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TagsPacific Command (PACOM), South China Sea, china, disputed islands, Chinese sovereignty
(Photo : Getty Images) The SAT exams has been overhauled to incorporate longer passages and complicated English problems. Some experts believe that the changes will be a disadvantage to Chinese and non-English native students.

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Chinese and non-English native students may be affected by the latest modifications of the SAT exam, which places more emphasis on reading comprehension. Traditionally, Chinese students perform best in mathematics and depend largely on rote memorization and cramming.



According to College Board, which administers the test, the overhauled exam will now cover longer and more complex reading passages and prolix math problems, which will challenge students with realistic tests. Test items like short sentence completion has been removed, and students will now have to determine the vocabulary meaning when reading stories or articles.



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Meanwhile, essay writing will now be optional - depending on the institution. The highest score has gone back to 1600, down from the 2400-item questionnaire given since 2005. This is the biggest redesigning of the SAT in 10 years.



According to some admission officers and education experts, reading comprehension will be a disadvantage particularly for students who are not from families or countries that use English as their primary mode of communication. This is particularly true "because [the] test remains timed --- speed is a key issue," public education director of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing Robert Schaeffer said.



Students may feel pressured to finish longer passages in a given particular period of time, he explained, and this could affect their overall performance. Schaeffer explained that usually, non-English natives tend to translate the English test to their home language and then back to English again.



The College Board said "regardless of geography", the modified SAT exam will assess important skills students need for college and their career.



In a statement, the board clarified that the recent remodeling of SAT exam is aimed at making it more focused, useful and clear to students. The organization revealed that the changes included getting rid of ambiguous words that are difficult to comprehend especially by non-native English speakers.



It further revealed that founding documents from the United States, like the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, which use obsolete terms, may also be featured and may give non-US examinees a hard time to understand.



Schaeffer, in defense if the changes, said that he found no measurement reason why passages should be taken from US founding documents instead of from the United Nations founding documents or Darwin's papers.



SAT program manager for Kaplan Test Prep Dennis Yim revealed that the recent changes will modify who will perform best in the exam, making it difficult for slow readers and those who do not have a well-polished English skill.



The performance of students good in mathematics may also be affected as the exam will still cover 30 percent word problems, but with a tinge of intricate scenarios. Past SAT exams only covered questions triggering the student's base line knowledge, capability to deal with operational numbers and completing equations.



University of Massachusetts Amherst assistant provost for enrollment Kregg Strehorn revealed that he does not believe that non-English natives are being put at a disadvantage by the changes - particularly filling math section with more reading comprehension.



Strehorn, who helps in assessing university applicants, revealed that the latest exam might push some Chinese parents to send their kids earlier to international schools, seeing that Western class setup may have a huge advantage, even if it is just contextual.



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TagsSAT exam, China education, College entrance exams, non-native English speakers
(Photo : Getty Images) Ren Zhiqiang has since deleted his comments on Weibo which criticized President Xi's speech to the media. Nonetheless, his tirade has put him on the receiving end of a barrage of criticisms from state-owned media outlets.

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Top Chinese property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, who is known for his outspoken nature, faced flak from state-owned news portals on Monday for criticizing President Xi Jinping's comments last week that the "media should work for [the] Communist Party."



President Xi's comment came during his much publicized tour to media organizations on Friday. The Chinese president visited three renowned state media organizations - Xinhua, People's Daily and CCTV. During his tour, Xi reportedly appealed journalists to pledge their absolute "loyalty to Communist Party and to protect its authority and unity."



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Reacting sharply to President Xi's call, Ren wrote some critical comments on his personal Wiebo account, which have now been deleted.



One of Ren's critical tweets reportedly questioned whether media organizations are funded by the party funds or the tax payer's money.



In another message, Ren reportedly stated that if media organization do not represent public interests, then people will be forgotten.



In response to Ren's tirade, state affiliated news portal Qianlong.com has accused Zhiqiang of spreading "anti Communist Party sentiments."



One of the articles on Qianlong, headlined "Who gave Ren the confidence to oppose the Party", accused Ren of being representative of capitalism and trying to topple the Communist Party's rule and establish Western-style constitution in mainland China.



Controlling the media through capital ownership is a crucial part of their plan, Qianlong's article stated.



Ren is one of the most influential micro bloggers in China with over 37 million followers. But he is no stranger to the controversy. In the past, the business tycoon has courted controvery for his critical comments about the policies of the Chinese government.



His outspokenness has earned him the nickname "Cannon" in China. Many even call him the "Donald Trump of China."



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TagsRen Zhiqiang, Chinese media
N.H., with heaviest influence over elections, now least religious state 23 February, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |

PRINCETON, N.J. (Christian Examiner)  Religious voters in the Republican primary in New Hampshire were split between billionaire Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, but it turns out both men were competing for fewer votes among the group than ever before.

Polling giant Gallup conducted nearly 200,000 interviews about religious opinions in 2015 and have determined that New Hampshire is now the least religious state in the union, overtaking last year's winner  Vermont.

Gallup interviewed at least 480 people in each state and, in most states, more than 1,000 people who described whether they were very religious, moderately religious or non-religious. "Very religious people," according to the report, are those who claimed religion was important to them and who attended services at least once a week. That number was lowest in New Hampshire.

The American Northeast, as a whole, is the least religious area of the country. Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York are "below average," while Vermont and New Hampshire rank as the "least religious" pair of states in the country. States in the American West  California, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon and Washington, as well as Alaska and Hawaii were also ranked "below average."

Among the remaining states, most of the southern states and Utah were considered "above average," while Mississippi and Alabama were considered the "most religious." Mississippi topped the list of most religious states for the eighth year in a row. Sixty-three percent of Mississippians classified themselves as "very religious," compared to only 20 percent in New Hampshire.

Gallup reported the religiosity of the states is shaped by history, cultural values, immigration patterns, and demography. Religion also plays a large role in the politics of each state, the survey found.

"Religion today is significantly linked to politics in the U.S., with Republicans, on average, significantly more religious than Democrats, so it could be expected that more religious states would be more Republican. This tends to be true in general, with many of the most religious states classified as solid or lean Republican in Gallup's recent analysis of 2015 party identification data," Gallup said.

In other southern states like Arkansas and Louisiana, now swing states in national elections, those who classified themselves as "very religious" were 54 and 52 percent of the state population, respectively.

In December 2015, Gallup released its findings about Christianity in America. While it claimed that religious adherents calling themselves "Christian" still made up 75 percent of the population, it noted that the total number had declined from 80 percent just seven years before. The number of those claiming no religious affiliation rose by the same five percentage points lost in the category.

In the 1950s, 95 percent of Americans claimed to belong to a Christian denomination.
Some 300 individuals gathered in front of the Canadian Parliament Hill on February 17 for a prayer meeting on behalf of Reverend Hyeon Soo Lim, who was sentenced to life in prison by the North Korean government last December after being detained during his last visit to the country. Many of those who gathered included members of Light Presbyterian Church, where Lim had been serving as the lead pastor until his detainment.

The intercessors gathered despite the worst snow storm in Ottawa's recent history and prayed fervently for Lim's return.

"All of these people from Light Presbyterian Church and other leaders of the church community came despite the bad circumstances and the long distance. It was a time that we were able to once again realize how strong the church community could be and how great their love is," said one of the attendees. "Compared to the amount of time it took for many of them to travel here, it might have seemed like the time of prayer was short. But I know that we prayed with the heart like that of the woman who broke her expensive alabaster jar of perfume, and that our prayers will bear fruit."

A petition to secure Lim's release with some 165,000 signatures was also presented at the prayer meeting.

Tony Clement, a conservative member of the Canadian Parliament and a foreign affairs official, was also present at this prayer meeting along with Yonah Martin, a conservative Korean Canadian Senator, who both expressed hopes for Lim's release.
For the first time since Korean Canadian Rev. Hyeon Soo Lim has been detained in North Korea, his wife, Geum Young Lim, has shared her emotions and thoughts regarding the situation through a letter.

In the letter, which is addressed to Light Presbyterian Church where Rev. Lim used to serve as the senior pastor previous to his detainment, Mrs. Lim shares that she is thankful that churches all over the world have been praying for Rev. Lim, and asks for prayers that he would continue to seek only God and be a light in a dark land as he endures through the pain until the end.

Rather than asking for prayers for his release, she asks for prayers that he would be a pastor who puts his life on the line to embrace and pray with tears for the souls in that land, and that he would take time to be thankful and seek only the Lord.

Mrs. Lim shares that after hearing a word from God, she has been thankful rather than fearful or angry.

Early in the morning the day that it became a week since Rev. Lim was detained, God spoke to me clearly. He said, I sent your husband to North Korea. Do not worry. I am with him, Mrs. Lim writes. At that word, I was so thankful that I just wept and wept for a while. And since then, an indescribable sense of gratefulness granted from above has been pouring into my heart. And since then until now, I have never worried or been anxious, and have been thankful to the point that I would comfort the people that I meet.

God is truly precise and does not make mistakes, she adds.

Mrs. Lim also reminds the reader, We live one life.

I want to bless you with my whole heart, and encourage you to be the church that puts your lives on the line to pray for His kingdom to come, to share the gospel, and to love others, she writes.

Rev. Hyeon Soo Lim has visited North Korea over 100 times, according to sources, but was detained during his last visit to the country in late January of 2015. He was then found guilty for trying to subvert the government by the North Korean Supreme Court, and was sentenced to life in prison in December.

The following is the full letter from Mrs. Lim:

To the members of Light Presbyterian Church, whom I dearly love,

I send you my greetings for the first time in a long while, from a place far away.

I miss you, and want to see you and cry with you. I cant express how I feel.

My body is here but my heart is always in Toronto. I believe that Reverend Lim is a man who is truly blessed. Im so thankful that Christians all over the world, and even people who do not believe in Christ, are praying for him. As people all over the world have been learning about his situation, I realized that this is truly a work that God has been doing, and that this is not the time for me to just dwell in my pain and suffering. After Rev. Lim was detained, I was able to reflect a lot upon myself. To be honest, I was so frustrated, upset, and angry, but with the faith that God has granted me, I now have a heart that is able to be thankful. Im also so thankful for our church.

I was so thankful that our church members have been gathering together to intercede in prayer. Early in the morning the day that it became a week since Rev. Lim was detained, God spoke to me clearly. He said, I sent your husband to North Korea. Do not worry. I am with him. At that word, I was so thankful that I just wept and wept for a while. And since then, an indescribable sense of gratefulness granted from above has been pouring into my heart. And since then until now, I have never worried or been anxious, and have been thankful to the point that I would comfort the people that I meet. I am doing well. God is truly precise and does not make mistakes. And He is faithful. Its something that Ive known so well, but after these things have happened to our family, I have been thankful beyond words.

I am thankful that God has allowed Rev. Lim to be detained at the most precise time. When I observe the current situation in North and South Korea, it is truly and fearfully chaotic. But when I think about the souls in that land, there has to be someone who is willing to be the kernel of wheat that falls and produces many seeds, and I am again thankful when I realize that that person is our Rev. Lim. God is not one to suffer losses Who else would take responsibility for the souls in that land?

When Rev. Lim received the sentence for life in prison, I personally prayed a prayer of thanksgiving that God has again saved his life and expressing my belief that there is definitely a calling and a mission behind all of this. And I wept and wept when I heard that our church came together to pray for him that day. I was so proud and thankful that our church is doing what is pleasing to the Lord.

North Korea has launched a rocket and the world has been in chaos recently, but it is through more events like this that God will work even more greatly. So do not be anxious but I encourage you to focus more on gathering your hearts together in prayer and thinking about what God would do in this situation. And please pray that God would grant Rev. Lim His heart which considers one soul more precious than the entire world.

I had no choice but to submit to God in obedience at the fact that God is urgent in his work of saving souls, to the point that Rev. Lim was compelled to be in that land. And I surrendered to Him once again when I heard that our church members gathered in the midst of the fierce cold to go to Ottawa and pray. I am so thankful and proud, and I thought again about how great our church is.

I also wanted to be there, but to be honest, my heart was not ready to meet you I thought I would cry if I see you and couldnt be confident that I could hold it together, so I could not attend. I hope you understand.

We live one life. I want to bless you with my whole heart, and encourage you to be the church that puts your lives on the line to pray for His kingdom to come, to share the gospel, and to love others.

Please pray about the following for Reverend Lim.

That he would be a light in the midst of a dark land,

That he would take time to be thankful and seek only the Lord,

That God would grant more of his heart to him,

That he would be a pastor who puts his life on the line to embrace and pray with tears for the souls in that land,

That he would be able to endure through this blessing in disguise,

That he would only glorify God until the end,

That he would not be lonely and that he would be able to endure until the end.

Thank you.

I pray for peace in our Lord over all of our church members, and I will greet you in person when I visit Canada in April.

This letter was translated from the letter that appeared in Korean in Christianity Daily's Korean edition. For the original, visit kr.christianitydaily.com.
Evangelicals talk a lot about the importance of voting for the right political candidates, particularly ones who will defend life and liberty. Rightfully so.

For many evangelicals, this means supporting pro-life candidates. In 2016, pro-life candidates almost all belong to the same party. This is fine if you believe the GOP represents you and your community. But for many minorities, the Republican Party is indifferent to the issues that affect their communities the most.

The accepted belief about race and presidential voting is that people of color will inevitably vote for a Democrat. Since 1980, the GOP has only received more than 13 percent of the minority vote twice: 18 percent for George Bush Sr. and 17 percent for George W. Bushs second election.

In response to this reality, some pundits have argued that conservatives should simply concede that they will not receive the minority vote and focus their attention elsewhere. Others argue that the GOP has a lot to gain from actively courting black voters. With racial tensions increasing over the last few years, the racial divide between political parties has become an additional source of tension, not only within politics but in our culture, and even our churches. This fact was made clear to me recently as I have seen several of my conservative, Christian, black friends express interest in Bernie Sanders.

Their attraction to Sanders was not because they wanted free stuff, as some critics of Sanders have assumed, but because Sanders seems to be one of the few candidates to take racial issues seriously, and voters generally want their representatives to take their concerns seriously. Of course evangelicals have the option to vote Democrat, but it would be better ...

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Nonrev Christian Music Productions Presents 'The Worship Night Series' to the Maryland, DC, and Virginia Area Contact: Brittany Hill, 410-429-0773 OWINGS MILLS, Md. Feb. 22, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- Music Producer/Songwriter Vernon Hill and featured Singer/Songwriters from compilations of Worship albums: "Projects," "Songs from His Presence," and new Worship EP "Unshaken" come together in a powerful praise and worship experience event. The first scheduled worship night will be held at First Christian Community Church of Annapolis; 1800 Hall Brown Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401 on March 19th at 5:00 p.m. For more information visit: www.nonrevchristianmusic.com , and follow us on Facebook: nonrevchristianmusic , Twitter: nonrevmusic , Instagram: nonrevchristianmusic1 or call us at 410-429-0773. "The night was filled with non-stop worship and the audience responded in kind." -- Sarah Hearn, Positively Gospel These awesome worship leaders and musicians come together to minister Christian Contemporary Songs of Praise blended with Original Songs of Worship. The focus is to cultivate a life-changing ministry experience of encouragement, prayer, and songs that will lead you into His presence. Nonrev Christian Music Productions (NCMP) mission is to release inspiring music projects, develop artists, and create songs that would edify the church body in worship. Our desire for our music projects that we release, or compositions that we compose for other emerging and established artists' projects, is to deliver a polished, professional sound that inspires music listeners, and would glorify the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. NCMP is a division within the Music Production and Publishing Company of Nonrev Music Productions & Publishing, LLC.

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Assyrian Christian hostages released by ISIS sing praises to God

New footage has been released showing freed Assyrian Christians worshipping after being held hostage by Islamic State for a year.

***RELEASED HOSTAGES SING HALLELUJAH***#ACERO has today received this video in which #Assyrian hostages released in northern Syria yesterday are seen singing hymns of praise following their liberation. They have remained steadfast in their #Christian faith despite a horrific year-long trial. Please help them rebuild their lives by making a small contribution at www.theacero.org/donate Posted by Assyrian Church of the East Relief Organization on Monday, 22 February 2016

Posted to the Facebook page of the Assyrian Church of the East Relief Organisation (ACERO), which helped facilitate the hostages' release, the video shows 43 Christians singing hymns of praise.

"They have remained steadfast in their Christian faith despite a horrific year-long trial," a caption accompanying the clip reads.

The group were the last remaining hostages of more than 200 Assyrians abducted in northern Syria in February last year. Speaking to Christian Today, a spokesman for ACERO branded their release "a ray of light from amidst the darkness".

"This is the culmination of the tireless efforts of the Assyrian Church of the East in Syria and the church's international aid agency, ACERO," Joseph Haweil said.

"The captives who have been incrementally released over the last year have suffered inordinate psychological trauma. The attempted destruction of Assyrian continuity in Syria is only the latest instalment in more than a decade of intense persecution suffered by the indigenous Assyrians throughout the Middle East.

"Today however the Assyrian people have witnessed a ray of light from amidst the darkness. We pray that all of Syria's suffering people may also see this light of hope."

Though ACERO has not confirmed how much money was exchanged in return for the release of the hostages, an anonymous Syrian Christian source told AP that "millions of dollars" was paid.

Initially, ISIS militants demanded a ransom of around $100,000 per hostage, but when it became clear that the Assyrian community could not afford it, the amount was lowered.

A Demand for Action (ADFA), a campaign group for minorities in the Middle East, yesterday celebrated the release of the captives.

"As a human rights organization dedicated to work for the ethno-religious minorities, we are very thankful for the great leadership the Assyrian Church of the East has shown throughout these times and thank the Assyrian Church of the East Relief Organization for their help and tireless work to support the freed hostages," an ADFA statement said.

"We now begin to focus on re-building lives, and we start this by pressuring the United Nations to recognize the ongoing genocide taking place against these minorities who are tired of running.

"We must take action to bring awareness to what is really taking place in the Middle East. After the EU passed the resolution to recognize the atrocities taking place as genocide, it's now up to the United Nations turn to show true leadership and answer the calls and cries of all those whom have been affected and continue to be affected. The persecution of minorities must end."

Since the attacks last February, ISIS has besieged several ancient Assyrian sites, including the Iraqi city of Nimrud, the village of Khorsabad, and Hatra, a 2,000-year-old city.

An ancient branch of Christianity, the Assyrian Church of the East has roots dating back to the 1st century AD. Assyrian Christians speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus, and have origins in ancient Mesopotamia  a territory which spreads across northern Iraq, north-east Syria and south-eastern Turkey. Before the outbreak of civil war in 2011, an estimated 40,000 Assyrians lived in Syria.
Church of England already liberalised on sexuality, says Christian Concern

The Church of England has already liberalised on human sexuality and a split is "almost certain" as a result, according to a damning article from a conservative theologian.

Dr Joe Boot, Wilberforce Director at Christian Concern, has given a withering assessment of the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent address to the Church's governing body and wrote the "conversation on these terms is already over".

"What the Anglican Church's 'conversation' is engaged in... is the attempted rationalisation of sin in order to alleviate the reality of guilt which all those practising sexual immorality feel."

The Church of England is in an ongoing process of what it calls "shared conversations" to discuss different perspectives on acceptance of homosexuality and "help forge better understanding between different groups over the issue of sexuality", according to Archbishop of York John Sentamu.

However Sentamu denied the Church is "poised to rethink its centuries-old doctrine of marriage to accommodate same-sex couples", in a letter to The Telegraph.

But Boot argued the position has already subtly moved and a split is inevitable.

"The truth is that once you have accepted, as the Archbishops clearly do, that "LGBTI" et al. is a real matter of human identity, rather than mere social construction, any denial of the normative character of their actions becomes a denial of 'human rights' and an assault on their dignity and person and consequently is 'homophobic,' 'transphobic' or any other number of regularly enumerated mental crimes and disorders."

He also said the "bishops' uncritical adoption of the language of Queer theory" meant a change in the Church's teaching on homosexuality was "already essentially resolved".

Boot is a theologian and apologist as well as founding pastor of Westminster Chapel in Toronto and founder of the Ezra Institute for Contemporary Christianity (EICC). He also has a role within UK Christian public policy charity, Christian Concern, as director of the Wilberforce Academy and Wilberforce Publications.

His intervention comes after Jayne Ozanne, a leading gay evangelical Anglican and member of General Synod, wrote a letter to Welby and Sentamu ahead of the recent gathering of Anglican world leaders at the Primates conference.

Along with 105 Church of England members, Ozanne called for the Church's "repentance for accepting and promoting discrimination on the grounds of sexuality". The signatures said the Church must acknowledge it has "failed in our duty of care to LGBTI members of the Body of Christ around the world.

"We have not loved them as we should, and have treated them as a problem to be solved rather than as brothers and sisters in Christ to be embraced and celebrated. We have made them feel second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God, often abandoned and alone."

However in his article, Boot lambasted Justin Welby for his failure to instil strict "sanctions" on The Episcopal Church in North America who openly endorse same-sex marriages and allow clergy to enter into gay and lesbian unions.

"Justin Welby has been at pains to say that there have been 'no sanctions' applied to the North American church for its heretical position on marriage and human sexuality," he wrote.

"By contrast, St. Paul is abundantly clear that the church is to judge those within it in this matter of sexual immorality, to "purge the evil person from among you" (1 Cor. 5:13)."

He argued the Church has consistently modified its teaching "to agree with moral and social shifts in an unbelieving world" and would do the same on homosexuality. He accused Welby of abandoning the Bible in favour of a "discernment process" which "sets forth an evolving God, not the God of Scripture".

"It takes little reading between the lines of the Archbishop's speech to see the defenders of Scripture and orthodoxy being subtly impugned as 'power-hungry' elements in the church, hiding their true motives by "masquerading as a desire for order."

"The truth, however, is that Welby's doctrine of order and freedom, used as it is to justify a 'diversity' in the church leadership that tolerates and promotes homosexual relations as well as a possible embrace of homosexual 'marriage,' is antinomian to the core, masquerading as grace and freedom."
Critics who attacked Songs of Praise's Jungle episode lack 'religious literacy' - BBC religion head

Those who attacked the BBC's edition of Songs of Praise from the Calais "Jungle" migrant camp only did so because of poor "religious literacy", according to the broadcaster's head of religion.

In a blog post for Open Democracy Aaqil Ahmed said people who critiqued the BBC's decision failed to understand the concept of Christian compassion.

"Changes to Songs of Praise have made it a multi-denominational weekly, reflecting the changes within Christianity in the UK," he wrote."This was seen recently in its visit to the notorious migrant camp 'The Jungle' in Calais.

"Religious literacy is so poor that many didn't understand why Songs of Praise would be there, but compassion for the vulnerable is at the core of Christianity."

The flagship religion programme filmed an episode from a makeshift Orthodox Church in the Calais migrant camp in August.

However it was billed as the most controversial episode in the programme's 54-year history, sparking outrage from those who saw the move as a political statement.

A number of MPs and commentators said the decision was ill-judged as it focused on those trying to enter the UK illegally.

However Ahmed, the first Muslim to hold the position of head of religion at the BBC, brushed concerns aside in a wider article highlighting the importance of religious news coverage.

"Almost a century of 'post-Christian Europe' and decades of drift into secularism have created a society with poor religious literacy," he said. "Whilst this may not have mattered in the past it certainly does now.

"Across all groups in society very few people know about each other's beliefs, values and customs. Into this vacuum it's possible to say anything and for prejudice to kick in. Given what a lack of religious literacy in a time of demographic change could mean, it is vital that we get this subject right today and plan for the future."
ISIS persecution of Christians is genocide  British lawmakers

The mass slaughter and persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria must be recognised as genocide by the British government, a group of peers has urged.

Led by Lord Alton of Liverpool, vice chair of the

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion or belief and a key voice in the argument thus far, a group of prominent legal authorities in the UK have written to Prime Minister David Cameron, calling on him to take a stand.

On February 9, the Earl of Courtown confirmed in the House of Lords that the British government would not classify the actions of ISIS in the Middle East as genocide, because the decision was a matter for the "international judicial system" rather than individual governments.

"Prime Minister, we urge you to revisit this position for the sake of tens of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities who are currently subject to acts of genocide in the Middle East," the letter, signed by Lord Alton and six others including Baroness Cox, says.

"As a signatory to the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the United Kingdom has an obligation under international law to 'prevent and punish' acts of genocide. In order to take decisive action to prevent genocide, the very first step must be recognition that genocide is in fact taking place.

"In the light of horrific and overwhelming evidence emanating from the region, refusing to recognize the current acts as genocide begs the question, for what reason is the United Kingdom a party to the Genocide Convention?"

The peers insist that "there is nothing to prevent Her Majesty's Government forming and acting upon its own view".

"In order for the international judicial system to play its part, Her Majesty's Government must first act," the letter adds.

The European Parliament earlier this month officially classified the situation in the Middle East as genocide, the first time for an ongoing conflict to receive that recognition. Supporters lauded the move as an opportunity for victims "to get their human dignity restored". However, the UK is yet to join the EP in making such a strong statement.

Just before Christmas, 75 parliamentarians from across Parliament and all parties and including the former head of the Armed Forces, the former head of MI5, and former cabinet ministers wrote to Cameron urging him to declare the atrocities to be genocide.

Lord Alton, who was also among the leading signatories of that letter, wrote recently for the Catholic Herald: "We endlessly talk of something vaguely called 'British values'. One value, one belief, that particularly marks us out from the ideology of ISIS is our belief in the rule of law.

"As a signatory to the genocide convention, it is a dereliction of our duty to uphold international law if we do not take the action that should follow our signature, our voice and our military action."
New Kentucky governor sues Planned Parenthood for performing illegal abortions

New Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood for allegedly performing abortions without a licence.

Bevin, through the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, filed the complaint on Feb. 18 before the Jefferson Circuit Court against Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky (PPINK), accusing it of performing 23 illegal abortions between December and January.

"Although I am an unapologetically pro-life individual, I recognise and accept that there are some laws on the books that I do not necessarily agree with," said Bevin. "However, we are a nation of laws, and my job is to ensure that they are followed regardless of my personal opinion."

He said his "administration will have no tolerance for the type of brazen disregard that Planned Parenthood has shown for both the safety of women and the rule of law. We will hold Planned Parenthood accountable for knowingly endangering their patients by providing illegal abortions at a facility that was not properly licensed nor prepared to handle an emergency."

Kentucky's law states that abortion facilities must first obtain a licence before performing abortions.

Last November during the last days of the administration of former Gov. Steven Beshear, Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky filed an application with the Cabinet for a licence to operate an abortion facility in Louisville, Kentucky.

Planned Parenthood's licence application also contained the transfer agreements, which Bevin said "were a complete sham." The facility began performing abortions on Dec. 3, 2015.

A day before the Beshear administration left office, the then head of the Cabinet's Office of Inspector General, Maryellen Mynear, told Planned Parenthood about the "long-standing OIG policy" that abortion clinics could begin operations even without a licence.

Beshear said the Cabinet never had such a policy and Mynear's actions ignored laws and were without authority.

Last Jan. 28, the Cabinet issued a cease and desist order against Planned Parenthood after it found out that it was performing abortions without a licence.

In a statement, PPINK denied the accusations, claiming that it "followed long-standing protocol and received necessary authorisation from the appropriate authority, the Office of Inspector General , to perform abortions at its facility while awaiting a site survey."

"All conditions for a survey to occur have been met. We ask that the executive branch continue the licensure process rather than continue to make politically motivated accusation," it said.

The lawsuit asks the court to fine Planned Parenthood $570,000 for performing abortions without a licence and $114,000 for not having a transfer agreement with a hospital and an ambulance transfer agreement.
North Korea must face criminal court, says Christian charity

The North Korean regime must face the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its "egregious human rights abuses", a Christian religious freedom charity has said.

Two years ago the UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights published a report detailing "the gravity, scale and nature" of violations in North Korea. It said they "reveal a State that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world".

However despite recommending criminal action, nothing has been done, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). The religious freedom charity said action was "long overdue" and called for the "North Korean regime to be brought to justice for the appalling human rights violations underway in the country".

"It must not be left to gather dust on a shelf but must serve as a plan of action to end the suffering of the North Korean people and hold the perpetrators of crimes against humanity to account," said CSW's chief executive Mervyn Thomas.

The charity's call is the latest in a long line of representatives making the case for international legal action against the country.

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, Marzuki Darusman, said on Monday: "In addition to continuing political pressure to exhort the DPRK to improve human rights, it is also now imperative to pursue criminal responsibility of the DPRK leadership.

"Not much has changed in the country almost two years after the report of the Commission of Inquiry,"

His comments follow a UN General Assembly resolution on 17 December 2015 condemning "long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights" in North Korea and a UN Security Council debate on 10 December 2015, in which several countries voiced support for a debate on referring North Korea to the ICC.

However Thomas said this was "not enough".

"We must ensure that those responsible are held to account in the ICC," he said.
Obama, the antichrist and rapture theology: Why Christians have got to leave the 'end times' alone

There's a t-shirt with a slogan which says, "Jesus is coming... Look busy!"

It's satirical of course, making a gentle mockery of the idea that if Jesus really was coming back today, you'd want it to appear like you were 'up to something good.'

Of course, it's also nonsense. If Jesus is who Christians claim He is, then He knows what we're up to all the time. But the idea that there is a point coming very soon when Jesus will reappear, is a pervasive one in evangelical culture.

Of course all of us orthodox Christians believe Jesus is going to return at some point in the future.

A large sub-set of Christians go much further, though. Rather than just thinking that at some point in the near future, Jesus will return, these Christians are obsessed with the so-called 'end times.'

This obsession seems to have reached fever pitch in the last 20 or 30 years. The idea has never been in the mainstream of Christian theology  it's a thoroughly modern invention  and one which isn't supported by orthodox Christian belief.

There are two manifestations of this obsession with the end times. The more extreme end of it has 'prophets' making predictions about the exact date that the world will end or the date that Jesus will return. We've seen a number of examples in recent years.

Five years ago, Harold Camping hit the international headlines when he had two attempts at predicting the end of the world. Neither of them came true of course, and Camping seemed to belatedly realise the folly of his pronouncements. "We humbly acknowledge we were wrong about the timing," said Camping.

The other manifestation of the end times obsession doesn't make predictions for an exact date that the world will end, but it does suggest that the end is nigh...

Exponents of this brand of eschatology (the study of the end of the age) regularly claim that certain geopolitical events, cosmic events or even changes in the weather indicate that Jesus is about to return.

The latest of these shrill warnings of the impending end times landed in my inbox this morning. It was from Dr Michael Youssef, the pastor, broadcaster and author, originally from Egypt and now based in Atlanta, Georgia.

A press release about his new book read, "Today, the world is moving away from freedom as the solution and toward authoritarian control, one-world government, and the concentration of power in a single authorityeven a single human leader."

It goes on, "Dr Youssef's End Times book also unpacks and demystifies the book of Revelation, highlighting its relevance to our lives today and shedding light on how global events are playing into God's plans for the end times..."

Youssef is quoted as saying, "The Bible has predicted with accuracy the chaos we are seeing today... My prayer is that God will use this book to fill the reader with hope, faith, and an eager expectation of the Lord's return."

This may all sound harmless enough. However, it's part of a wider picture of end times prophecies and predictions which fuel paranoia and extremist political positions, such as bombing Iran, supporting Israeli extremists and advocating the destruction of Russia.

Youssef is the latest in a long line of figures proclaiming the 'signs of the times.' Three years ago, Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee received huge attention (and sold a lot of books) on the back of his claims that the appearance of four 'Blood Moons' on the dates of Jewish festivals meant something of vast significance was about to happen. "The coming four blood moons points to a world-shaking event that will happen between April 2014 and October 2015," claimed Hagee.

Attempts to retrofit the Iran nuclear deal onto this prediction looked pretty desperate and the rest of the world was left to conclude that Hagee was wrong  the supposed event hadn't happened.

However, Hagee and Youssef are small fry when it comes to the biggest end times show in town: the Left Behind series. Since the 1990s a series of fiction books and films have expounded the theory that the end of time is imminent.

Selling hundreds of millions of copies, Jerry B Jenkins and Tim LaHaye wrote 16 books, produced four films and even had video games and other spin-offs. The stories produced vast interest in the idea that Jesus' return is close.

LaHaye said, "Oh, it's true. I'm expecting the Lord. In fact, my wife and I have enjoyed almost 60 years of wedded bliss. We've had a wonderful marriage because we were both Christians and committed to God to begin with, and we'd like to see it perpetuated in the Millennium without interruption, be taken up in the Rapture."

This last point is a key to understanding why so many Christians now seem obsessed with the end times. So-called 'rapture theology' was developed in the 19th Century by a British clergyman called John Nelson Darby. Darby's suggestion, based on a passage in 1 Thessalonians (which actually means the opposite of what Darby claimed it meant), was that Christians would be 'raptured' to heaven before the end of the world.

This was merely the tip of the iceberg of his 'dispensationalist' theology, which proclaimed God deals with humanity in different ways throughout time. Dispensationalism was popularised in America via the Scofield Reference Bible. Rapture theology is now incredibly popular, despite being a recent invention. Into this febrile environment, predictions of the imminent return of Jesus are given vast amounts of attention.

The Bible itself is remarkably quiet on the issue. Although Scripture offers some hints as to when and how Jesus might return, there are no definitive answers. Matthew 24 sees Jesus proclaim that, "about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." However, many theologians argue this passage primarily refers to the destruction of Temple and Jerusalem in AD 70, rather than the Second Coming. Treating the Bible as if it's a fortune teller is to profoundly misread it. It isn't giving us precise dates and times and locations for what will happen in the future. Of course Daniel, Revelation and other apocolyptic literature is an important part of the Biblical canon, but we must read it with care, as evangelical theologian Ian Paul writes here.

Even if end times predictions turn out to be incorrect they're harmless enough, though, aren't they? Well, no.

First, these proclamations of Jesus' return inevitably end in disappointment. That disappointment could lead to many people who have a genuine faith in Jesus falling away.

Second, history shows an unfulfilled prediction of the end times can lead to heretical groups springing up. The groundwork for the development of the Jehovah's Witnesses was laid by the 'Great Disappointment' of 1844, when Baptist preacher William Miller had predicted the return of Jesus, for example.

Another reason end times obsession is a bad idea is that over-interpreting contemporary geopolitical events does more than just make us look silly  it makes the Gospel look untrustworthy. During the Cold War, some Christians thought various Soviet leaders were 'the antichrist.' After the fall of the USSR, those predictions looked foolish. Some have focused on Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden or even Barack Obama as the antichrist. Time and again, these absurd proclamations have been proven to be what they are  nonsense. The Gospel has surely been harmed by these outlandish statements  we should run away from such speculation.

The final reason to be wary of a preoccupation with the end times is that it takes away focus from what we should be doing. Wouldn't it be better for Christians to forget all the guesswork and decoding of the things which Jesus didn't reveal to us, and instead spend our time carrying out the instructions that He did make clear? Carrying out the Great Commission and following the Great Commandment is a far more Christian way of spending our days than speculating on the latest arcane interpretation of Scripture.
Pope Francis is a socialist like me, says Bernie Sanders

The Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has said Pope Francis is a socialist, just like him.

The current runner-up for the Democrat nomination has been a long-standing fan of the Argentinian pontiff but comments in an interview with the Catholic network Salt and Light mark a step further than any previous accolade.

"[What] it means to be a socialist, in the sense of what the Pope is talking about, what I'm talking about, is to say that we have got to do our best and live our lives in a way that alleviates human suffering, that does not accelerate the disparities of income and wealth," Sanders told Rev Thomas Rosica, head of Salt and Light, in an interview to be broadcast Tuesday evening.

When Rosica asked the left-wing candidate if he thought Francis was a socialist, Sanders said he did.

"When [the Pope] talks about wealth being used to serve people, not as an end in itself, I agree with that," he said.

The interview was filmed last September, on the eve of Francis's first trip to the US but Rosica said "the timing was right [to broadcast] now", according to RNS.

However the Pope has been keen to distance himself from accusations of left-wing leaning by more conservative wings of the Catholic Church.

"I am certain I have never said anything more than what is in the social doctrine of the church," Francis told reporters shortly before landing in the US in September. "I follow the church and in this I do not think I am wrong.

"Maybe I have given an impression of being a little bit to the left," the Pope said. "But if they want me to recite the creed, I can!"

The Toronto-based Catholic network released a statement distancing itself from Sanders' views, saying they do not reflect the views of the media foundation.

"We are aware that certain views held by Senator Sanders oppose the moral teachings of the Catholic Church," the statement read. "As a Catholic media foundation, Salt and Light does not share these views, denounces his positions as such, but recognizes the Senator's right to hold them.

"We recognize that respectful and charitable dialogue, especially with those who fundamentally disagree with certain or all aspects of the Church's teachings, is the appropriate Christian approach in dealing with complex social and political issues."

Indeed Sanders admitted on areas such as abortion and gay rights, "we just have to disagree".

"[The] best that I can say on those issues is let's respect each other when we disagree, and let's work together on those areas that we do agree on," he said.

"I will be very clear about my disagreements with the [Catholic] Church, but I think that the Pope is playing an historical role coming at exactly the right moment in human history, where his voice is having a profound impact, not only on our country, but all over the world."

However he was keen to praise the Pope on his criticism of the world's "massive income wealth inequality" and the "idolatry of money".

"It's not just, oh, isn't it important to talk about the poor, and the homeless, and the unemployed," said the candidate.

"Yeah it is, but he [Pope Francis] goes deeper than that. And he talks about how we should not simply be spending our lives trying to make more and more money, and turning our backs on those people most in need, and that strikes me very deeply."
Poverty may leave UK 'permanently divided' says Commission

UK society risks being "permanently divided" because of poverty, according to a report from the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission  and the three main Westminster parties are failing to grapple with the issue, according to the Commission's chair.

It also said that the Government's target of reducing child poverty by half by 2020 would not be met.

Introducing the report, former Labour minister Alan Milburn said that the Government had "discredited existing child poverty targets and failed to put in place new ones", creating an "unholy mess".

According to the Commission's report, "absolute child poverty increased by 300,000 between 2010-11 and 2012-13" and "independent experts expect child poverty to increase significantly over the next few years".

As many as 1.4 million children are now in "relative poverty" due to the effects of rising rents and mortgage costs since 2010. Some 20 per cent of Scottish children and 24 per cent of Welsh children live in absolute poverty.

Mr Milburn called for action to tackle youth unemployment and the housing shortage.

The commission's report said that the Government should give the Office for Budget Responsibility "a new role to report on the poverty and social mobility impacts of budgets". It also said that "all political parties come forward with a clear set of plans before the election next year for what they will cut and how they will avoid negative impacts on social mobility and child poverty".

Liam Purcell, a spokesman for Church Action on Poverty, told Christian Today: "There is nothing surprising here for anyone who takes an interest in these questions. We entirely agree that not enough is being done, and the rising extremes of poverty prove it."

He condemned what he said was political parties' "competition to seem the harshest" on benefits. "There has been a rise in employment but not in living standards," he said. "Most new jobs are part time, low paid and insecure. More people are under-employed and actually want to work more, and there is the problem of zero-hours contracts."

Churches, he said, could lead by example and challenge politicians on issues such as the Living Wage. He praised the Church of England for introducing the Living Wage in all of its 4,700 schools, saying it would make a huge difference to low paid workers.
South African bishops: Same-sex couples should have 'full membership'

Anglican bishops across southern Africa have announced same-sex couples should "share in full membership" of the Church.

A letter from Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town was sent to congregations on Monday outlining the Church's position. It also said a document containing guidelines on church members with gay and lesbian partners will be sent to the Church's Provincial Synod which will meet later this year, according to the Anglican Communion News Service.

Makgoba cited division among the southern African bishops over whether to marry same-sex couples or allow clergy to enter gay unions. As result he said they would continue to hold to the consensus of the Anglican Communion as a whole which prevents both of these options.

"We are of one mind that gay, lesbian and transgendered members of our church share in full membership as baptised members of the Body of Christ..." he wrote.

The implications of the document's guidelines are that congregations should no longer be able to refuse baptism for same-sex couples' children.

Makgoba added that the document's adoption by Provincial Synod would be "an important first step in signalling to the LGBT community that we in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, through our top deliberative and legislative body, see them as welcome members of our body as sisters and brothers in Christ".

The divisions over marrying same-sex couples concerned theology as well as practical realities in dioceses, he said.

"For example, most of our dioceses across Southern Africa are predominantly rural, and for many the urgent priorities of food security, shelter, health care and education crowd out debate on the issue of human sexuality. In some rural dioceses, responding to challenges to the Church's restrictions on polygamous marriages is a much higher pastoral priority."

Archbishop Makgoba said the differences were not a "church-dividing issue" and insisted he wanted to avoid the splits seen in The Episcopal Church in the US over same-sex couples.

"We overcame deep differences over the imposition of sanctions against apartheid and over the ordination of women, and we can do the same over human sexuality," he wrote.
Syrian Christian leaders: Assad is our protector

New pictures and interviews from inside Damascus show widespread support for Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. An exclusive for the Daily Mail shows pictures of people shopping, playing sport and drinking tea - with no sign of the country's viscious civil war.

But it's the interview with Luka al Khouri, the Deputy Patriarch at the Church of Antioch, which reveals just how supportive many of Syria's Christians are of the Assad regime. The Bishop speaks out in support of Assad and criticises those who aspire for democracy in Syria. "The concept of an ethnic minority is a Western one," he says. "Under Assad, we in Syria are Syrian. We are all 100 per cent Sunni, 100 per cent Christian, 100 per cent Druze and 100 per cent Allawite. We stand united as Syrians."

Despite the many allegations of torture, bombing of civilians and more from the Assad government, Christians and other minorities often reman in support, because of the relative safety offered against the threat of ISIS and other rebels.

"This a war between the Syrian people and foreign terrorists," said Khouri.

Another anonymous Christian leader said, "'If Assad falls, they will not just massacre us, they will also kill all moderate Muslims. For 40 years Syria has had no problems between the different religions and sects. Every Syrian Christian will fight the invaders who are sponsored by the Gulf and the West [ISIS]."

Since Russia began an intesive bombing campaign to support the Syrian Army, the war has been turning in Assad's favour. This latest evidence seems to show strong support for him in Damascus as his forces slowly advance elsewhere.
Syrian conflict update: Russia, U.S. agree to a truce

The United States and Russian governments have agreed to a cessation of hostilities in Syria that will take effect on midnight of Feb. 26. However, this is just partial, as several fighting groups wagering their own war inside the country will not be affected.

Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin discussed the ceasefire process over the phone.

In a statement as quoted by CNN, the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) said, "Any party engaged in military or paramilitary hostilities in Syria, other than 'Daesh,' 'Jabhat al-Nusra,' or other terrorist organizations designated by the U.N. Security Council will indicate to the Russian Federation or the United States, as co-chairs of the ISSG, their commitment to and acceptance of the terms for the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12:00 (Damascus time) on Feb. 26, 2016."

The ceasefire is much needed as the borders between Syria, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are a hot-zone right now and, with a single command, can turn immediately into a war zone. A large number of ground troops from Saudi Arabia and Turkey are already positioned, ready to march into Syria. The balance now hangs between the United States and Russia.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was already opting for a cessation of hostility and ceasefire since he has been battling this civil war for more than five years. He also wanted for more humanitarian help to come in for the civilians.

In an interview conducted by the Spanish newspaper El Pais, the Syrian President said that other fighting groups should not take this opportunity to gain more ground against Syria.

"It's about preventing other countries, especially Turkey, from sending more recruits, more terrorists, more armaments, or any kind of logistical support to those terrorists," he said.

Beginning in September last year, Russia has helped the Syrian government in its civil war. However, the fighting has pulled in several countries into the fighting. Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah is also in support of the Syrian government. Meanwhile, rebels trying to topple Mr. Assad are being supported by the United States, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as Reuters reported.
Why does this US Christian man live just miles from ISIS in Iraq?

In a town in the North-East of Kurdistan, Iraq, 150 km from ISIS-run Mosul, a group of Christians are pioneering a new model of of housing refugees, through village style, refugee-run micro-camps.

Billy Ray, originally from Florida, is co-founder of The Refuge Initiative. He has been living in North Iraq with his wife, Dawn, and three young sons since 2008.

He told Christian Today that after working in various areas, in 2010 they were invited to move to Soran  a Kurdish town 20 miles from the Turkish and Iranian borders  where they became the first western family to ever live in the region, according to a local resident.

The mayor "rolled out the red carpet for us", Ray said. He gave them land in the "Freedom martyrs quarter of Soran", where families who had lost members in recent civil conflicts lived, and asked them to work with the war-widows in the area.

They began building a community centre, called The Refuge, which provided vocational training, language classes, an event hall and outdoor playgrounds. Over the years their relationships and friendship with the local people and government grew.

In June 2015, ISIS took over the city of Mosul, just 150km away.

Ray and his family's reaction was not to flee, but rather, he said "we just naturally went back to the mayor and asked how we could help." He said he felt "God's grace to be here for such a time as this."

In his head, Ray had thought that he and his team from World Orphans would be able to shelter up to 20 families on the land they had been given.

The mayor asked if they could take exactly 20 Shabak Shia Muslims who had fled their village just days before ISIS attacked it. Having been "ratted out by some of their neighbours nearby", they had come to Soran, but had no money to pay rent or place to live.

"That very day, we had the bulldozer on our land," Ray said, and within nine days, he and his team had prepared a tented camp with water and electricity for the 120 people to move in to.

Building a Refuge at The Refuge How do you build a refugee camp for 24 families in just 6 days? Well, we are about to learn. Posted by The Refuge Initiative on Tuesday, 2 September 2014

"That was the tip of the iceberg", he said. "There are hundreds of thousands of refugees out there and this was just 120 people."

Ray's despair at the "millions of refugees that are stuck in these UN industrialised camps, where people live in indignity, with no autonomy, dependent on the EU", inspired him and his team to develop the "micro-camp" initiative.

"We want to display a better way of doing refugee care through micro-villages", he said.

There are now five micro-camps providing refuge for around 700 Yazidi and Shabak refugees. These micro-villages house between 100-250 people, or 20-25 families, and are developed in partnership with the refugees themselves, seeking to both meet their needs and empower them. Through keeping families and communities together, these camps hope to enable community to continue, allowing a degree of self-governance and maintaining the normal village social structure.

The Refuge Initiative has involved, and often been led by, the mayor and local government, enabling a far greater level of integration between refugee camps and the city itself.

"All our camps but one are built on public land," Ray said. "We have basically created sub-divisions of the city that are hooked up to the main water and electrical grid. The men are allowed to work in the community enabling them to be basically independent, and with the government's help the refugees can get right back on their feet."

The vision for these camps is to create "genuine communities of hope", which includes developing pathways for refugees back in education, vocational training and work. The Refuge Centre that was built when the Rays moved to Soran is now being used as a school for the children living in the micro-camps.

Ray and The Refuge Initiative have a burden for "those languishing in the refugee camps across the Middle East", which become "recruitment grounds for ISIS."

"We've got to work to change the situation," he said. We need to "help government officials see that there is a better model" for refugee camps through the vision of micro-camps and see this model multiplied.
The treasures of Linley Hall

The stories behind 11 exceptional objects from an historic English country house  from a box with secret compartments to a book once owned by Charles I

We live in an era when house sales tend to be gleaned from the contents of town houses or city penthouses, rather than from historic homes in deeply rural and remote English counties. The sale of property from the collection of the late Sir Jasper and Lady More of Linley Hall, Shropshire, is, therefore, a rarity.

The Linley Hall sale on 9 March at Christies London celebrates the intricate relationships of two great Shropshire families, the Mores of Linley Hall and the Hope-Edwardes of Netley Hall, and offers choice discoveries from over five centuries of dedicated collecting.

The artworks and objects arranged with such love and care in this Palladian-gem of a house can teach us much about the lives and relationships of these two families  as well as about English society over the last 500 years. Here, Christie's Magazine editor Meredith Etherington-Smith selects her 11 favourite lots from the sale.

A portrait of Louis XIVs children?

Philippe Vignon (1638-1701), Group portrait signed and dated Vignon. FT. 1690. Oil on canvas 38  x 51  in. (97.7 x 130.8 cm.). Estimate: 15,000-25,000. This lot is offered in Linley Hall, Shropshire: Property from the Collection of the Late Sir Jasper & Lady More on 9 March at Christies in London

18th-century charm is personified in this triple portrait by Philippe Vignon, signed and dated 1690 on the stone ledge to the left. Traditionally, the work has been held to represent three of the four surviving illegitimate children of the Marquise de Montespan  mistress of Louis XIV; the pair had seven children together, of whom four survived. The carved and gilded oak leaf frame is original.

A rediscovered commission

A set of four George III giltwood open armchairs by Mayhew & Ince, 1774 . Estimate: 15,000-25,000. This lot is offered in Linley Hall, Shropshire: Property from the Collection of the Late Sir Jasper & Lady More on 9 March at Christies in London

At the time that Thomas Chippendales business was flourishing in St. Martins Lane in London, another firm of cabinet-makers, John Mayhew and William Ince, were active in nearby Golden Square. Mayhew & Ince produced these four giltwood open armchairs and one of the two giltwood stools (the other being made in the 20th Century to match) for Sir Thomas Edwardes who lived in Edward Street, Portman Square.

Until now, this was a completely unknown commission, the chairs proving to have directly descended in the Edwardes family down to Lady More (nee Hope-Edwardes) of Netley Hall and later Linley.

The missing link in a celebrated series?

Enoch Seeman (circa 1694-1744) and Studio, Portrait of Sir Isaac Newton, Kt. (1642-1727), three-quarter-length, in a white cravat and green cloak, seated at a table with a copy of The Principia and an astrological globe. Oil on canvas, 49 7/8 x 52 in. (126.7 x 132.1 cm.). Estimate: 25,000-40,000. This lot is offered in Linley Hall, Shropshire: Property from the Collection of the Late Sir Jasper & Lady More on 9 March at Christies in London

This portrait of Sir Isaac Newton is by Enoch Seeman and studio, though there is a school of thought that maintains that it is the prime work in a series of portraits, with other examples held in Londons National Portrait Gallery, and in the University of Cambridges Trinity College. It has also been considered that all these portraits were painted posthumously and derive from a bust-length portrait by Seeman dated 1726, also preserved in the collection of Trinity College.

Adultery and the New World

Circle of Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680). Portrait of Colonel Samuel More (?1594-1662), M.P. for Shropshire . Oil on canvas, 29 7/8 x 25  in. (75.9 x 64.1 cm.). Estimate: 1,500-2,500.. This lot is offered in Linley Hall, Shropshire: Property from the Collection of the Late Sir Jasper & Lady More on 9 March at Christies in London

Colonel Samuel More, a parliamentarian who became an M.P., was unhappily married to his cousin Katherine, who was condemned for adultery. The Colonel sent all four illegitimate offspring on the Mayflower  the ship that transported the first Pilgrims from Plymouth to the New World; only one survived. He also commanded the ill-fated defence of Hopton Castle, where Royalist forces massacred his troops, leaving only him to write the account of the siege.

A memento mori ring

An early 17th century memento mori ring . Estimate: 5,000-8,000. . This lot is offered in Linley Hall, Shropshire: Property from the Collection of the Late Sir Jasper & Lady More on 9 March at Christies in London

Mourning jewellery became very fashionable in the 16th and 17th centuries. This early 17th-century memento mori ring features a central, white enamel skull, on a polished gold bezel, with the black enamel motto watch thy houre cometh raised on tapering shoulders. The piece was originally bought in 1864 by Sir Henry Hope Edwardes.

From King Charles Is library

Charles I (1600-1649)  Tasso, Torquato (1544-1695). Godrey of Boulogne or The Recoverie of Jerusalem . London: [Eliots Court Press for] John Bill, 1624. Estimate: 50,000-80,000. This lot is offered in Linley Hall, Shropshire: A Selection from the Library of the Late Sir Jasper & Lady More on 9 March at Christies in London

King Charles I gave his dedicated copy of the second edition of Tassos Godfrey of Boulogne to his Parliamentarian attendant, Thomas Herbert, during his captivity at Carisbrook Castle on the Isle of Wight.

Herbert began his service as an attendant to the captive Charles I in 1647  an episode that only ended with the execution of the King two years later, on 30 January 1649. One of the few parliamentarians whom Charles I was willing to have wait on him, Herbert was so important to the King that he gave his faithful attendant the gift of a gold watch. It is related how the monarch also gave Mr Herbert the charge of his books, of which the King had a catalogue, and from time to time had brought unto him, such as he was pleased to call for.

It was also said that in many of these books the King delighted himself with the motto Dum spiro spero (While I breathe, I hope) which, with great pathos, he wrote frequently as the emblem of his hopes for a happy agreement with his Parliament.

A bear-baiting jug

A Staffordshire white saltglaze stoneware bear-baiting jug and cover . Mid-18th century. 8 5/8in. (21.8cm.) high. Estimate: 600-900. . This lot is offered in Linley Hall, Shropshire: Property from the Collection of the Late Sir Jasper & Lady More on 9 March at Christies in London

This statue of a chained bear, covered in fine chippings, is in fact a jug and cover. It is most unusual, recalling the vicious sport of bear-baiting in Staffordshire in white saltglaze stoneware.

Nothing to be sniffed at

A Neopolitan mother-of-pearl inlaid tortoiseshell Pique scent box, mid-18th century . 3 in. (7.5 cm.) high; 4  in. (12 cm.) wide; 3  in. (9 cm.) deep. Estimate: 8,000-12,000. This lot is offered in Linley Hall, Shropshire: Property from the Collection of the Late Sir Jasper & Lady More on 9 March at Christies in London

This wonderful mid-18th century Neapolitan mother-of-pearl inlaid tortoiseshell pique scent box encloses six crystal scent bottles. Richly curlicued, it is quite possibly the most glamorous and elaborate dressing table piece.

A fantasy scene

Jan van der Heyden (1637-1712), A view of a town square, with a procession during the Feast of Corpus Christi and figures kneeling before the Host . Oil on canvas, 8 5/8 x 10 7/8 in. (21.9 x 27.6 cm.) Estimate: 40,000-60,000. This lot is offered in Linley Hall, Shropshire: Property from the Collection of the Late Sir Jasper & Lady More on 9 March at Christies in London

It is possible that Van der Heydens charming townscape shows Amsterdam, but this inventor/painter was equally likely to have painted an idealised or fantasy scene. Here, for instance, he shows a procession during the Feast of Corpus Christi, with figures kneeling before the host in an otherwise empty village square.

A Renaissance notepad

A gilt-brass and felt note-pad inset with horizontal . Ulrich Klieber, 1592. 3 x 2 x 1 in. (8.5 x 7 x 2.5 cm.). Estimate: 8,000-12,000 . This lot is offered in Linley Hall, Shropshire: Property from the Collection of the Late Sir Jasper & Lady More on 9 March at Christies in London

This gilt-brass and felt note-pad by Ulrich Klieber, 1592, is quite literally a box of tricks. The top central panel lifts off to reveal a silvered horizontal dial and compass needle, an inner and outer circle for latitudes and a useful note-pad with printed latitudes for 36 cities. Whats more, there is even a secret compartment to the reverse.

The original Pocahontas

Smith, John, Capt. (1580-1631). The Generall History of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: with the names of the Adventurers, Planters, and Governours from their first beginning An. 1584 to this present 1626.London: by J[ohn] D[awson] and J[ohn] H[aviland] for Edward Blackmore, 1632 . Estimate: 30,000-50,000. This lot is offered in Linley Hall, Shropshire: A Selection from the Library of the Late Sir Jasper & Lady More on 9 March at Christies in London

A renowned explorer, Captain John Smith made meticulous records of his voyages to America, describing early settlements, as well as the country and its Indian inhabitants. Divided into six books, this rare first edition is a compilation of all of his previous works on America, with abstracts from other writers.

The most famous episode in Smiths narrative occurs after he has set out to discover the source of the River Chickahominey and been captured by Indians; he is only saved from execution by the intervention of Pocahontas, the kings dearest daughter, [who] when no intreaty could prevaile, got his head in her armes, and laid her owne upon his face to save him from death.

Tyler, in his History of American Literature (I, 37-38), praises Smiths narrative for clearness, force, vividness, picturesque and dramatic energy, a diction racy and crisp. Indeed, Tyler took the view that American literature owed much to Smiths writing, claiming: during the first two decades of the seventeenth century he did more than any other Englishman to make an American nation and an American literature possible.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit claiming Cruz is ineligible to run for president because he was not born on U.S. soil.

Cruz, R-Texas, argued that as a private citizen, the Houston attorney who sued him, Newton Schwartz, doesn't have standing. The court's time should not be wasted in "a political dispute that it lacks the authority to adjudicate," states the motion, filed Monday in the court of U.S. District Judge Gray Miller.
Four people were sentenced to federal prison on Monday for sex trafficking minors at a Westview brothel, according to U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.

During a few weeks beginning in February 2012, the defendants hired two 15-year-old girls to work as prostitutes in four different units in the Westview Apartments, skimming off at least half the girls' meager earnings for themselves. Homeland Security officials worked with the FBI, Houston Police and the Harris County Sheriff to bring the case, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
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The 88th Academy Awards will presented Sunday, live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, on ABC. Here's a trivia test to get you in the mood for breathless actors swearing they never dreamed of winning, "but here's a list of people I want to thank: my publicist, my manicurist, acupuncturist, masseuse, dental hygienist, wife, nanny (future wife) and everybody I've ever known in my life."

Also, glamorous actresses braving the red carpet to confront hard-boiled journalists posing THE critical question of this election year, "Who are you wearing?"

Ready? Answers at the end. No peeking.

1. The youngest person to win an Oscar for acting was 

A. Tatum O'Neal, 10 years old, for "Paper Moon" in 1973

B. Justin Henry, 7, for "Kramer vs. Kramer" in 1979

C. Henry Thomas, 11, for "E.T." in 1982

D. Judy Garland, 17, for "The Wizard of Oz" in 1939

2. Peter Finch won the Oscar for best actor posthumously for "Network" in 1977. The only other actor to be honored after his death was ...

A. Heath Ledger for "The Dark Knight" in 2008

B. Abe Vigoda for "The Godfather" in 1972

C. Geoffrey Rush for "Shine" in 1996

D. Rod Steiger for "In the Heat of the Night" in 1967

3. Who was the first African-American to host the Oscars telecast?

A. Oprah Winfrey in 2004

B. Sidney Poitier in 1962

C. Whoopi Goldberg in 1994

D. Eddie Murphy in 1996

4. What is the only X-rated movie to win the Oscar for best picture?

A. "Midnight Cowboy" in 1969

B. "I Am Curious (Yellow) in 1967

C. "Last Tango in Paris" in 1972

D. "91/2 Weeks" in 1998

5. Tom Hanks won back-to-back Oscars for what movies?

A. "League of Their Own" and "Sleepless in Seattle"

B. "Apollo 13" and "Toy Story"

C. "Forrest Gump" and "Philadelphia"

D. "The Green Mile" and "Cast Away"

6. Who is the oldest person to win the Oscar for best actor?

A. John Wayne, 62, for "True Grit" in 1969

B. Robert Duvall, 52, for "Tender Mercies" in 1983

C. George C. Scott, 43, for "Patton" in 1970

D. Henry Fonda, 76, for "On Golden Pond" in 1981

7. Who is the only person to win an acting Oscar for portraying someone of the opposite sex?

A. Linda Hunt for "The Year of Living Dangerously" in 1983.

B. Barbra Streisand for "Yentl" in 1984

C. Jack Lemmon for "Some Like It Hot" in 1959

D. Robin Williams for "Mrs. Doubtfire" in 1993

8. "The Iron Lady" won the Oscar for best makeup in 2011. Who was the Iron Lady?

A. Mother Teresa

B. Margaret Thatcher

C. Madame Curie

D. Margaret Sanger

9. Who hosted the Oscar telecast the most times - 19 years?

A. Billy Crystal

B. Bob Hope

C. Johnny Carson

D. Orson Welles

10. What is the official name of the Oscar statuette?

A. The J.G. Taylor Spink Award

B. Motion Picture Arts and Science Award

C. Academy Award of Merit

D. The Oscar Wilde Award

11. What is the Oscar statuette made of?

A. 24-karat gold and platinum

B. Pyrite and bauxite

C. Gold-plated britannium

D. Bronze scraped from recycled film

12. In 1989, presenters stopped saying, "And the winner is " How do they announce the winners now?

A. "And the Oscar goes to "

B. "Academy members voted for "

C. "The Academy honors "

D. "Everybody, give it up for Meryl Streep!"

13. In 2005, the Oscars were telecast with a seven-second delay for the first time. Not surprisingly, who was the host that year?

A. Seth MacFarlane

B. David Letterman

C. John Stewart

D. Chris Rock

14. What did Robert Opel do on the Oscars telecast in 1974?

A. Became the first winner to refuse the Oscar

B. Ran onstage naked - the first Oscars streaker

C. Dropped his Oscar, which shattered into hundreds of pieces

D. Performed the first rap song nominated for an award

15. Al Pacino won his only Oscar for Best Actor for which movie?

A. "Serpico" in 1973

B. "Dog Day Afternoon" in 1975

C. "Godfather Part II" in 1974

D. "Scent of a Woman" in 1993

Answers: 1 (A). 2 (A). 3 (C). 4 (A). 5 (C). 6 (D). 7 (A). 8 (B). 9 (B). 10 (C). 11 (C). 12 (A). 13 (D). 14 (B). 15 (D).
Police are at the scene after a man was found dead Tuesday morning at the water's edge on the bank of Buffalo Bayou downtown.

The body was discovered about 8:20 a.m. near Louisiana and Congress, according to the Houston Fire Department.
A deputy constable shot and killed a machete-wielding man Tuesday during a confrontation at a bus terminal in southeast Houston.

The shooting happened about 10:30 a.m. at the Omnibus terminal at 3200 Telephone Road near Old Spanish Trail, said Maria Corrales, a spokeswoman for Harris County Constable Office Precinct 6.

Corrales said a deputy constable was sent to investigate a disturbance between a bus company employee and a customer. The deputy determined a customer was upset after he had missed his bus to Mexico. The next departure was not until 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Corrales said the deputy tried to calm down the man, but he pulled out a machete. The man smashed the car with the machete as the deputy called on her radio for more officers to head to the scene.

An officer with the Houston Police Department arrived quickly and told the man to drop the machete but the refused. He hit the officer more than once with the flat side of the knife. When Lt. J.D. Rosenthal of the Harris County Constable's Office Precinct 6 saw the man hitting the officer, he told the man to stop and to drop the machete but the man did not comply with the commands. That's when Rosenthal opened fire, wounding the suspect. The man, whose name has not been released, died at the scene.

No other injuries were reported.

As is customary when police officers fire gunshots in the city, the HPD Homicide Division as well as the Harris County District Attorney's Office will investigate the case.
A suspect has been arrested in the shooting death of a 29-year-old man more than nine years ago at a Cajun restaurant in southwest Houston.

Happy Tran Pham, 30, is charged with murder in the death of Pierre Mai about 9 p.m. Dec. 13, 2006 at the Cajun Kitchen at 11900 Bellaire Boulevard, according at the Houston Police Department.
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A 19-year-old worker was fatally shot during a robbery Sunday night at a Bellaire pizzeria.

Between 9:20 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. the suspect entered Reginelli's Pizzeria at 5303 Bissonnet St. and demanded money from the register from the 19-year-old employee in the dining room.

"Either the employee was not able to open the cabinet, or he wasn't moving fast enough, for some reason the suspect shot him," Bellaire Police Chief Byron Holloway said.

The suspect immediately fled the scene.

Holloway said the employee might have been shot more than once, but it won't be known until an autopsy later on Monday.

Police are reviewing video footage from the store and the surrounding area.

"We've all seen those videos that they play on broadcast media that are kind of grainy, or not really good, but what happens is a lot of times people recognize not the suspect themselves, but what they are wearing or driving and helps us find a lead," Holloway said.

The restaurant will stay closed Monday, a corporate representative said.

The company has also set up a fundraising account for the victim's family. Deposits to the Peter Mielke Memorial Fund can be made at Amegy Bank locations.

Israel Garcia lives within walking distance of Reginelli's and learned about the homicide on the morning news. He and his family frequent the restaurant where he said at least two young worker's faces have become familiar.

"We're trying to find who it is and see if we can help out the family," Garcia said. "Death is something that's not always expected and no one's ever ready for the cost involved. Maybe we can contribute to funeral costs. If there's anything we can do, please let us know. We care."

Garcia said nothing like this has ever happened in the 20 years he's lived in Bellaire, and it has his neighbors more aware of their surroundings.

"I hope he gets caught," Garcia said of the suspect. "It's taken the peace around here."

Gina Mescall, who arrived at the pizzeria Monday with her daughter, said her, a junior at Bellaire High School, was a friend of the victim.

"It's senseless from what they were telling me he complied," Mescall said. "It didn't make any sense."

She described him as "the sweetest, kindest young man you would ever want to meet."

Chronicle photographer Brett Coomer contributed to this report.
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A school bus driver was injured when a Houston Independent School District bus overturned Tuesday morning on Highway 288 near 610 Loop, snarling traffic.

The single-vehicle crash happened about 6:30 a.m. on the southbound South Freeway near the South Loop, according to Houston TranStar.

No students were on board the bus at the time of the incident. The driver had minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital, said district officials. Details of the driver's injuries and condition were not released.

It's not known what led to the crash but rain was moving through the area when the wreck occurred.
A 19th-century cottage, a 1920s bungalow and a mid-century John Staub home are among the 15 preservation projects that Preservation Houston honored with Good Brick Awards.

The annual Good Brick Awards celebrate outstanding and significant historic preservation efforts in Houston  renovations, restorations and rehabilitations that help save a bit of the city's past.
A cocktail probably shouldn't be the first thing that comes to mind when contemplating the glamorous cars on exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. But since nobody is getting behind the wheel of these beauties, the museum has concocted a fun way to experience "Sculpted in Steel: Art Deco Automobiles and Motorcycles, 1929-1940," on view through May 30.

Through the run of the exhibition, the museum will host a themed happy hour every Thursday with a food truck, live DJ, local vintage cars and a different cocktail each week inspired by the vintage vehicles.
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SAN ANTONIO - The H-E-B Culinary Center was abuzz with activity recently as six teams of participants in the grocery chain's annual Slim Down Showdown competed to create the tastiest and most healthful meal from a box of mystery ingredients.

Much of the activity consisted of chopping. As knives flew over cashews, carrots, peppers, onions, mangoes and more, the first lesson of the evening seemed to be: Cooking from scratch is surprisingly labor intensive.

Unlike the starvation-and-exhaustion slog that is "The Biggest Loser," Slim Down Showdown isn't solely about weight loss. The 12-week contest attempts to teach the 30 participants - 15 H-E-B customers and 15 employees -how to eat healthfully and exercise right. At the conclusion, two $10,000 grand prizes and a pair of $5,000 Healthy Hero prizes will be awarded based on a combination of pounds lost, participation and community engagement.

At this year's competition, participants split into teams, each headed by an H-E-B chef, and each team had an hour and a half to plan and cook a complete meal using only what was in the box.

For many, being in a high-tech kitchen under the tutelage of a professional chef seemed both terrifying and exhilarating. Stirring pots of boiling water, tossing ingredients in a large wok and, as always, chopping, chopping, chopping, they often appeared entranced, like school kids concentrating on an important science project.

Daniel Rangel, a customer from Pharr, described himself as not really a cook, adding that he "sticks mostly to the basics: chicken, rice  cereal."

Azure Gabriel, an employee from Dallas, said she does like to cook but "not at this level."

When not stirring, tossing or chopping, contestants raptly listened as the chefs shared various cooking secrets: Meat should be at room temperature before it's cooked; when chopping shallots, leave the heel uncut so it doesn't fall apart; and add lemon juice to a too-salty dish to trick your taste buds into ignoring the salt.

One hint I plan to use: To cut corn off the cob, turn over a small bowl and place it into a larger bowl. Next, place the ear of corn upright on the bottom of the smaller bowl and carefully cut the kernels with the knife. As you cut, the kernels will neatly collect in the larger bowl, making cleanup easier.

Most Slim Down Showdown participants are competing for much more complex reasons than simply shedding pounds. Maria Quintanilla, an H-E-B employee from Pearland, conceded that, yes, losing weight would be nice, but she also wants to learn how to be healthier, so she can set a good example for her 3-year-old daughter.

"She doesn't realize yet that Mommy's overweight, so now is the time to make the changes I need to make," she explained.

A health scare several years ago spurred customer Darlene Montemarano of Cypress to lose 50 pounds over the next two years.

"But I've been stuck there for a year now. I can't move the scale," she said. "I'm missing that food education - which foods will work and fuel my workouts."

Montemarano added that diabetes runs in her family, and she hopes to use the knowledge she gains to teach her father to eat better, too.

After about two hours (the team cooking risotto started late, so everyone had to wait), teams presented their dishes to a panel of judges.

Because apparently public speaking also is part of the contest, each team picked a member or two to describe their dish.

In the end, the winning dish was a grilled chicken breast with beet greens pesto, roasted beet salad with blood orange cider vinaigrette and coconut bamboo rice.

The winning team received nothing but bragging rights, but everyone was a winner because, once all the sound, fury and chopping were done, they all enjoyed a tasty buffet made up of the healthful dishes created by the six teams.

Chicken with Beet Pesto, Passion Fruit and Beet Leaf Salad, Lemon Grass-infused Bamboo Rice and Padron Peppers

From Chef Scott's team of H-E-B's Slim Down Showdown 2016 Mystery Basket Throwdown

Makes 12 to 16 servings

Chicken

16 chicken breasts

4 limes

7 garlic cloves

 cup walnut oil

1 cup cilantro

Instructions: Butterfly chicken breasts and set aside. Zest the limes and garlic cloves into a bowl.

Add walnut oil and cilantro to create the marinade. Place mixture on chicken. Let chicken marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. Grill chicken.

Beet Pesto

2 cups beet greens

1 cup almonds

 cup manchego cheese

 cup cilantro

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 poblano pepper

Stems from 1 bunch beets

2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions: Add all ingredients to food processor. Blend ingredients until desired consistency. Top grilled chicken with fresh pesto as desired.

Beet and Passion Fruit Salad

4 bunches beets

Spring salad mix

5 passion fruit

Instructions: Roast beets with small amount of water for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. After beets have roasted, pull their skins off with a towel. Slice beets and set aside. Scoop out seeds of the passion fruit and set aside.

Mix fresh beet leaves and spring salad mix to create salad base. Top with sliced beets, passion fruit and Blood Orange Gastrique (recipe follows).

Blood Orange Gastrique

2 cups Ace Space Bloody Orange Craft Cider

2 cups apple cider vinegar

 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 shallot, chopped

Instructions: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Over medium-high heat, reduce mixture on the stove by half. Strain mixture to separate shallots. Use as dressing on top of salad.

Lemon Grass-infused Bamboo Rice

1 package Bamboo Rice

5 shallots, chopped

2 stalks fresh lemon grass

1 teaspoon walnut oil

3 cup coconut water

3 cups water

 teaspoon salt

Instructions: Saute rice, shallots and lemon grass in 1 teaspoon walnut oil.

Add coconut water, water and salt to mixture. Boil rice for 20 to 30 minutes over medium-high heat.

Padron Peppers

140 padron peppers

2 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions: Saute peppers in olive oil until desired crispness.

Cheese Tortellini With Pea Pesto, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Eggplant

From Team "OK!" of H-E-B's Slim Down Showdown 2016 Mystery Basket Throwdown

Makes 12 to 16 servings

Pea Pesto

2 cups green peas

 cup basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

 cup walnuts

2 cloves garlic

 cup lemon juice

 cup mint

1 tablespoon lemon zest

 cup Grana Padano cheese, grated

Warm water

Instructions: Boil a medium-size pot of water. Blanch peas by boiling for 1 minute. Strain using slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water. Once cooled, strain again.

Add all ingredients to blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add warm water as necessary until desired consistency is reached.

Vegetable Tortellini

1 eggplant

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garlic powder, to taste

Thyme, to taste

Onion powder, to taste

Dried sweet basil, to taste

1 8-ounce bag Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons lemon zest

8 teaspoon salt

White pepper, to taste

2 20-ounce packages Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini

9 ounces white kidney beans from a can

6 ounces Blue Diamond roasted almonds

Instructions: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place one baking sheet in oven for 15 minutes.

For the eggplant: Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and again into quarters.

Cut out most of seeds and rough chop diagonally into -inch pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (not the one in the oven) and spray it with cooking spray.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over eggplant and coat evenly.

Season eggplant as desired with salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, onion powder and sweet dried basil.

Roast eggplant for 40 to 45 minutes.

For the Brussels sprouts: Cut sprouts in half. Coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon zest and white pepper to taste.

Remove empty baking sheet from oven and spray with cooking spray. Spread sprouts evenly on sheet and roast also at 400 degrees for around 20 minutes.

Cook tortellini according to package instructions.

Combine tortellini, eggplant, Brussels sprouts and kidney beans. Add pesto. Top with chopped almonds and serve.
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With students potentially carrying weapons after Aug. 1, University of Houston faculty members may want to avoid sensitive subjects or drop certain topics from their curriculum altogether, a forum of professors suggested recently.

A slide shown at a recent discussion of a new state law, which will allow licensed individuals to carry concealed handguns on campus, says faculty may want to "not 'go there' " to avoid creating a tense situation. This echoes concerns voiced by professors across the state that allowing guns into the classroom will limit academic freedoms and inhibit discussion of sometimes touchy subjects.

Texas public universities are hashing out how to handle the campus carry law, which gives them some leeway to carve out gun-free zones on campus -- though a recent attorney general opinion said those zones can't be classrooms or dorms. The University of Texas at Austin last week said it will ban guns from dorms, but will allow them in classrooms.

UH has yet to decide where to allow guns. A working group is expected to present its recommendations by May 1. The slide was not created by the working group and is not UH's official policy, a spokeswoman said.

The UH faculty senate, which did prepare the slideshow, late last year passed a resolution opposing the new law.

"The diverse academic communities and free academic discourse are especially threatened by the presence of deadly weapons in teaching, research and living spaces," the resolution says.

Jonathan Snow, president of the senate, told the UH Board of Regents last week that concerns among faculty are growing as a working group putting together guidelines for where guns can and cannot be carried approaches its deadline. The regents will have final say over where guns will be allowed on campus.

"The faculty are increasingly unhappy with the law," Snow, who is a member of the working group, said. "I've been screamed at. I've been accused of complicity. It's been kind of rough."

The law allows private universities to ban guns, which the state's largest and best known private schools, including Rice and Baylor, have done. No private school has chosen to allow guns.

Snow told the UH regents that the private schools' decision says something about the law: "Academics know the intrusion of gun culture into campus inevitably harms academic culture."
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A Galveston city police sergeant has been indicted by a grand jury on a misdemeanor criminal trespass charge arising from the search of a self-described video activist's vehicle, according to prosecutors.

The Galveston County district attorney's office alleges that Sgt. Archie Chapman "located, entered, and searched" the car of Phillip Turner, a correspondent for the website photographyisnotacrime.com who was observed filming near the police department in November.

THE ARREST: Man arrested after filming vehicles, law enforcement buildings

Chapman arrested Turner at the time on charges of failure to provide identification to officers, but the chargers were subsequently dropped, prosecutors said.

Chapman's attorney, Greg Cagle, said his client was looking in Turner's car for the man's driver's license to book him into jail after detaining him. Cagle said Chapman was worried about the safety of police officers, sheriff's deputies and jail staff who worked in the nearby building.

"Sgt. Chapman was trying to do his job as a police officer," Cagle said. "He had no motive other than to protect the public and the officers."

GOING VIRAL: Louisiana officer calls out Gremlins gang in wild video

Michael Gray, a spokesman for the Galveston city police, said Chapman had been placed on administrative duties as the department conducted an internal investigation into the incident.

Prosecutor James Haugh declined to discuss what Chapman's motive might have been for the search of Turner's car. Haugh said the grand jury reviewed the evidence and considered several possible charges before handing down the criminal trespass indictment Thursday.

Cagle said Monday that Chapman had not yet been arrested -- a judge still needs to sign the grand jury's indictment.

If convicted, Chapman faces a maximum punishment of 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine, prosecutors said.
"The Wisdom of Eve," a rarely seen play whose story line by Mary Orr inspired the classic film "All About Eve," then the Broadway musical "Applause," plays through Feb. 27 at Purple Box Theater in Friendswood.

Deborah Winters Chaney leads the Bay area cast of the backstabbing backstage drama, which means she follows Bette Davis in the movie and Lauren Bacall on stage as Margo Channing, who famously advises the others, "Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night."

"It's a little nerve-wracking to be following them," said Chaney, although the Friendswood resident is no stranger to star actors.

"My father, Ralph H. Winters, was head of television casting for Universal Studios for 28 years," she said, and her mother, Penny Edwards, danced on Broadway in "The Ziegfeld Follies of 1943" before becoming an actress in Hollywood.

More Information Want to go? What: "The Wisdom of Eve" Where: Purple Box Theater, 1309 W. Parkwood, Friendswood When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, through Feb. 27 Tickets: $15 adults, $12 seniors/students Information: 818-642-4665 or www.thepurpleboxtheater.com See More Collapse

Chaney, who is 62, lists 20 movie and TV credits on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb.com), a go-to site for information about who does what in Hollywood.

Among her credits as "Deborah Winters," prior to moving to Friendswood, are three episodes as Janice Lacouture Henry in the 1983 TV miniseries "The Winds of War" and her role as Erica, the "babysitter" to Walter Matthau, in his Oscar-nominated role as "Kotch," which was directed by Jack Lemmon in 1971.

"I did my first commercial when I was 5 years old," said Chaney. "I remember that it was awfully hot because we were supposed to be in a camper trailer in the winter, but we filmed it in the dead of summer, with sleeping bags and blankets."

In summer 1985, Chaney met her future husband, Warren, when she accompanied her mother to a convention in Memphis, Tennessee for Western film stars. He attended as a fan.

"He brought me to Friendswood," said the actress, "and I love it here."

The past 16 years, Deborah Winters Chaney has worked in real estate.

However, she said, "You always think about going to acting."

"The Wisdom of Eve" is Chaney's fourth play at Purple Box Theatre.

"Theater is much different than doing a film, let me tell you," she said. "You go to work in a film with half a scene memorized. A play, you got to have the whole thing memorized, but it is very rewarding to go from beginning to end and perform a character's journey in one fell swoop. They do not film pictures in sequence."

In addition to Chaney's role as fading stage diva Margo Channing, "The Wisdom of Eve" is filled with other juicy parts. The 1950 film captured five acting nominations, including a best supporting actor win for George Sanders as scathing theater critic Addison DeWitt. In "Applause," both Bacall and Penny Fuller, as manipulative Eve Harrington, won Tony Awards.

The cast includes Mary Andrechik as Harrington, Steve Walker, Missy Lane, DaMarcus Gray, Alp Topakoglu, Abby Riley, JP Pritchard, Phil Connolly and Rod Didior.

They are directed by Cathy Holbrook.
After Pamela Thompson's sixth-grade daughter got into a dispute this year with another student at Missouri City Middle School, Thompson was struck by how the discipline process has changed.

A similar situation had led to a suspension for her son, now 20, when he was a student at a different Fort Bend ISD campus.

But in her daughter's case, school administrators held a roundtable discussion with the students involved and their parents.

Thompson said the administrators "engaged in trying to find out the story behind what occurred.

"It was great," she added.

Until several years ago, a misbehaving student was typically removed from the classroom, Principal Jerrie Kammerman said.

The suspensions didn't stop students from acting out at school.

In the 2013-14 school year, 186 fights were documented on campus and 1,789 discipline referrals were issued in the first semester for the school, which had an enrollment of about 1,200.

"I don't want to create a picture of absolute chaos when I got here, but it was a campus in need," said Kammerman, who took over as principal in the spring of 2014 after being the principal at Fort Bend ISD's First Colony Middle School in Sugar Land. "I got here in February, and it took me until May to have a fight-free day."

That spring, Kammerman attended a presentation at a conference on an alternative way to handle discipline, something that aligned with her philosophy, Kammerman said. Called restorative discipline, it was focused on preventing poor behavior instead of punishing it. Hoping the techniques would prevent fist fights between students, Kammerman decided to use them when she and other administrators interacted with students.

The results were startling.

"Restorative discipline has really shifted the mind-set and the culture of our campus," Kammerman told Fort Bend ISD trustees in January. "It truly has."

Fewer fights reported

During the 2014-15 school year, a 27 percent reduction occurred in fights at Missouri City, down to 136.

This school year, all teachers at the school have started using its techniques in classrooms. As of January, there had only been 27 fights.

At roughly the same time as Kammerman was learning about restorative discipline, Fort Bend ISD officials were independently planning to implement the method in sixth-grade at almost every district middle school.

The district has been trying to find ways of addressing misbehavior without removing students from the classroom since 2012, when Fort Bend ISD's disproportionate disciplining of some groups of minority students sparked the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to begin a compliance review. According to a U.S. Department of Education spokesman, the investigation is ongoing.

"Fort Bend ISD came to us and said, 'Look, we know we're in trouble. We want to put this into our schools," said Marilyn Armour, a professor in the University of Texas at Austin's School of Social Work and the director of the university's Institute for Restorative Justice and Restorative Dialogue.

Armour founded the institute in 2008 to help agencies and organizations implement restorative discipline.

This school year, Fort Bend ISD put restorative discipline in place for sixth-grade students at 12 of the district's other 13 middle schools.

Derived from practices originally used in the criminal justice system, restorative discipline focuses on building relationships and fostering a better school climate to prevent students from acting out.

When students do misbehave, instead of focusing on punishment, authority figures try to understand why a student did so and work with that student to prevent a recurrence. The method can be extended beyond just student and staff relationships to interactions between teachers, principals and parents.

The approach has been in use in public schools in states ranging from Minnesota to California for years, but gained attention in Texas after it helped turn around a struggling San Antonio middle school in 2012.

State funds grant

Last February, a $521,000 grant from the Texas Education Agency provided funding for Armour and the institute to administer free training on restorative discipline to public school districts across Texas.

Fort Bend ISD staff, including middle school principals and counselors, attended six multiday trainings sessions conducted by the Institute for Restorative Justice and Restorative Dialogue in restorative discipline techniques between March and August of 2015, one of which was funded by the TEA's grant.

In August, Fort Bend ISD administrators conducted separate trainings for bus drivers, teachers, cafeteria managers and middle school police officers.

The district's middle school administrators use the techniques when a sixth-grade student receives a disciplinary referral.

Instead of approaching the issue by trying to find out who broke the rules and then punish the student, administrators now ask students why they acted out, how it affected the people around them and what they can do to solve the problem, said Dawn Carlson, the district's director of student affairs.

This often happens in what's called a circle - where the affected individuals meet and talk through the problem - just like what happened to Thompson's daughter.

"When we think about teaching kids we always think about teaching them academics, but we don't always think about teaching them behavior," Carlson said. "We don't think about how to teach them to respond in a certain situation if they get frustrated, if they get angry, if someone says something to them."

Since 2012, the district has seen disciplinary referrals drop across grade levels.

Since the 2012-13 and the 2014-15 school years, the number of in-school suspensions, in which a student is removed from the classroom but stays at school, dropped by more than half, from 8,642 to 4,170 at the high school level and by 3,772, from 7,243 to 3,471, at the middle school level. Its out-of-school suspensions, when a student is removed from the campus for up to three days, also dropped during the period, from 3,181 suspensions at the high school level to 2,152 and from 2,609 at the middle school level to 2,073.

Superintendent Charles Dupre attributes this drop to the district's increased awareness about overdisciplining its students. But, he added, restorative discipline has emerged as an important tool.

"The real difference has come from just looking at data regularly and having regular conversations about student discipline," Dupre said. "We're obligated to provide every student a high-quality education, and we're not doing that if we're suspending them."

McAuliffe to be next

The only Fort Bend ISD middle school that didn't meet Texas Education Agency standards and that had more disciplinary referrals than Missouri City Middle School, is Christa McAuliffe in Missouri City.

McAuliffe is also the district's only middle school where restorative discipline was not in place this year for sixth grade.

Because there were other changes happening at that school related to improving its academics, the district thought that it would be overwhelming to add another program to the campus, Dupre said.

He now regrets this choice.

"I think they would have benefited," Dupre said.

The district is planning to implement restorative discipline at McAuliffe and in seventh grades at all middle schools next year, and likely eighth grade or high school levels in the third year, district spokesperson Amanda Bubela said.

Despite Missouri City Middle School's successful results, Armour cautioned against viewing restorative discipline as a quick fix.

It's normal to see immediate drops in the number of disciplinary referrals at a school because suspensions are no longer an administrator's go-to option. However, to be truly effective, restorative discipline requires a three- to five-year roll-out period, Armour said.

Districts in the past have implemented restorative discipline in too many schools too fast, Armour said. Without proper support for the campus' staff, it isn't sustainable. Plus, not all students immediately respond, Armour added, which is why Carlson said traditional discipline such as in- and out-of-school suspensions are still options.

"I don't want you to think that the middle schools are standing around singing 'Kumbaya,' " Carlson said to Fort Bend ISD's board at a January meeting. "It doesn't replace disciplinary consequences, but it adds a lot to it."

Though Missouri City Middle School's discipline numbers have dropped, it still has more discipline referrals than other Fort Bend ISD campuses, Carlson said.

Participating in a circle didn't prevent Thompson's daughter from encountering problems, her mom said. "But she's handling it differently," Thompson said. "She's using the approaches that she got in the meeting."
The community's newest meet-up group only has two requirements.

Texas Skies Eagles Fellowship is for men who live in Katy and earned the Boy Scout's highest rank, Eagle.

"Picture a network of service-minded goal-oriented men of known high integrity and unquestionable character," said Mike McKenna, vice chairman of the Boy Scouts' Texas Skies District in Katy.

"Wouldn't they be the first people you would think of to refer for a job in your company or to do business with? That is a fraction of the potential for this network: Eagles networking with Eagles and giving back to the community."

McKenna earned his Eagle in 1980 when he was a Scout with Troop 152 at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Spring Branch.

By the time young men earn the top rank, they have mastered the fundamentals of Scouting and leadership, and they can apply what they've learned to real-world situations, said Ryan Missman, the Eagle Scout representative for the Texas Skies District.

"Eagles are known for their accountability, leadership and tenacity," said Missman, who also earned the Eagle rank.

The idea of the group is to get area Eagles together to help each other and serve their home community.

"As we reflect on the changing values that we witness each day, Scouting serves to elevate excellence in our nation," said Stan Stanley, the namesake of Stanley Elementary School in Katy Independent School District and an Eagle.

"The term, 'once an Eagle, always an Eagle' portrays the rank of Eagle Scout, no matter their age," Stanley added. "The Katy area recognizes around 80 new Eagle Scouts each year, and that number continues to grow. The privilege of observing these young men develop into responsible adult leaders in our community and nation rates as a highlight of my life. Eagle Scouts are brothers, no matter their age, career field or ethnicity."

Texas Skies is one of 26 geographical districts represented by Sam Houston Boy Scout Council, which encompasses greater Houston and surrounding counties.

Missman hopes each district will form its own Eagle meet-up group over the next few years. The Texas Skies group is the first to start meeting.

"Effectively, we're the poster children of how to do it," Missman said. "The goal is to bring these guys out of the shadows and help other Eagle Scouts."

Texas Skies Eagles Fellowship drew about 20 at its inaugural meeting and between 30 and 40 during its second quarterly gathering, held Feb. 3 at Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q, 21799 Katy Freeway.

An important element of the meet-ups is the support members offer one another as they pursue goals, which can range from getting into the college of choice, advancing a career or navigating a technical or legal question.

"It's not just networking," Missman said. "We're sharing knowledge and expertise at no cost. It's a very valuable process."

Approximately 27,000 men and boys who earned Eagle Scout live in the greater Houston area, with some who earned the honor in the 1950s.

"The vast majority of Eagle Scouts disappear until their kids get in Scouts," Missman said.

He's one of them. He returned to the organization in recent years and serves as Cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 542.

"I very quickly realized how much of a gap there was, how much I could have been helping," he said.

One goal of the new meet-up group is to foster that return to service.

Even something as simple as talking to area Cub Scouts about how earning their Eagle award impacted their lives can make a difference, Missman said. "It's amazing, some of those boys are really going to connect with that message."

Eagle alumni also will have opportunities to join service projects for others in the community.

For details about the Eagle Scout Association for the Greater Houston Area or the Texas Skies Eagles Fellowship, visit esa.samhoustonbsa.org.
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Facing two challengers calling for change, the longest-serving Katy ISD trustee is campaigning on experience in his bid for re-election in May.

"I believe my experience is a huge advantage with our district and for our continued growth and maintaining strong leadership," said Joe Adams, 63, who has served nine terms in Position 1. "We need consistency."

Challengers George Scott and William "Bill" Lacy say a new perspective is needed on the board, especially because Superintendent Alton Frailey has announced plans to retire in August, leaving trustees in charge of picking his successor.

Scott, 66, a legal consultant to plaintiffs suing school districts, believes the board's decision-making has become too influenced by Frailey. Adams played a role in that, Scott said.

More Information Trustee election What: Katy ISD board of trustee election When: May 7 Early voting: April 25-May 3 Last day to register for voting: April 7 For more information: //bit.ly/KISDElection See More Collapse

"Joe Adams is symbolic of what has gone wrong in school boards," Scott said. "What has happened over the last 20 years is that organizations such as the Texas Association of School Boards and Texas Education Agency have convinced boards to be a team of eight with the superintendent and not hold them accountable."

And Lacy, 54, a loan officer at PHH Mortgage's Katy branch, said, "I think it's a good time to get a fresh set of eyes, and with my background, I can be a large benefit."

The three voiced opinions on board transparency, which was questioned by some in the community after board chairman Charles Griffin on his own and without public announcement ordered the district to stop posting video of work-study meetings in January.

This month, trustees unanimously announced their support to post those meetings, and the practice resumed. Griffin said his action had been intended to spark discussion over whether the work-study meetings should continue to be videotaped for online posting.

Scott sees a pattern. "This district has been dedicated to nontransparency," he said. "They give you the illusion that it has transparency. But it values the appearance of transparency, not actual transparency. If I go on the board, it will not be a hypothetical, transparency will become real."

"This board has worked hard to be transparent," Adams responded. "I think we are very transparent. We discuss things openly and are open for any clarification. We discussed the (work study video issue) openly in the board meeting. I think it got resolved, and it's time to move on."

Lacy said that if elected, "I will explain my decisions to the people who ask. I think it's important that we all play by the rules; transparency is an example. We should be transparent."

In the other board seat open for election, Rebecca Fox faces no opposition in her re-election bid for Position 2. Terms are for three years. The deadline to file was Feb. 19.

'Board knows its role'

Adams, a trustee since 1989, is banking on voters to recognize his experience.

Adams serves simultaneously on the board of directors for both the Texas Association of School Boards and Gulf Coast Area Association of School Boards.

"Mr. Scott has his own opinion  it's what he thinks from the outside looking in, but until you serve on the board and you work with people, you don't know what it entails," Adams said. "This board knows its role, and we are not pushed around by the superintendent.

"We are in an important time with our superintendent selection, and we have to stay ahead of the curve."

Adams plans to operate a campaign website and use deep ties with the community. He would not release information on who has endorsed him because the campaign is in its earliest stage.

Adams owns Bluebonnet Painting Renovations and Remodeling and Budget Blinds. His two children are both graduates of the district's Taylor High School.

Adams said he's spent $1,000 to $10,000 in previous races, with most cash coming from donors.

Alternative view

Scott has long been outspoken about Katy ISD matters.

"Adams is unwilling to hold the superintendent accountable on financial and curriculum matters," Scott said. "He's succumbed to the mantra that his obligation is to support the superintendent and not the taxpayers, parents, students and teachers. I won't do that.

"I will hold Mr. Lacy and Mr. Adams to the same standard of scrutiny in outlining their agenda."

Scott said he will campaign on three focus points: reaching out to a KISD teacher population he said has been neglected, making taxpayers understand that the district has not been financially responsible and challenging the TEA on issues such as standardized testing.

Scott believes a board position would give him a voice in high-stake testing, which he is opposed to mostly for what he said is a lack of quality and unequal standardization that has become disadvantageous for minority students.

Scott ran unsuccessfully for the board in 1986.

Scott expects to provide alternative views to a board he said has turned robotic. His endorsements include former longtime district Principal Terri Majors.

Scott said he plans to spend up to only $2,000 in personal funds on his campaign.

He has previously been a publisher for the Katy Times and served for years as a media liaison of the Harris County Appraisal District. His wife is a KISD junior high school teacher.

Financial knowledge

Lacy has had four children graduate at KISD schools. He desires to bring financial expertise to the district's board and is running to invoke influence on a board he believes is facing a pivotal moment with the retirement of Superintendent Alton Frailey.

"My strength is to be able to look at something and have financial knowledge. I want to continue the excellence this school district is at  but also increase the quality. And if change is needed, then I can bring a different perspective."

Lacy said he would be a steady hand in decision making and be objective in school matters. He has never run for an elected position.

"I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I could," he said. "I want to be able to come in and get on the board for three to nine years during this expansion time. My decisions (if elected) will always be in this order: Is it right thing to do? What is the right thing to do? And is it the best for our district, teachers and children?"

Lacy has been in the mortgage industry for 20 years. He said his focus is to reach people through connections and word of mouth. His campaign strategy will develop with time, Lacy said. He did not reveal any endorsements.

Election Day is May 7. Visit http://bit.ly/KISDElection, for more information.
This afternoon parents with students in the Pasadena Independent School District received distressing text messages about Fred Roberts Middle School.

A parent with children at that school contacted the Houston Chronicle and sent along a text and voice message that they received just after 1 p.m. from PISD saying that one of two robbery suspects had attempted to enter the school this afternoon.

It's believed that a few students saw the suspect trying to get inside the school.

The parents were told that the students were safe and that the school was on a modified lock down. The school is located in the 13400 block of Conklin Lane.

Students are going about their regular business inside but they are not allowed outside.

According to that text message and recording, one of the suspects is still at large and police are currently searching the area. The other has been apprehended.

During a lock down of this kind no one can enter the building but parents can come pick up their children if they would prefer.

PISD confirmed the details of the incident.

Dismissal will continue as scheduled at Roberts Middle School, according to a PISD spokesperson.

KPRC-TV is reporting that this morning at around 7 a.m. two suspects in a vehicle near the school ditched the car and ran along a fence line near Roberts Middle School. Apparently there had been some break-ins in the area and a concerned resident alerted Houston police to the vehicle.
The Residence Inn by Marriott broke ground Jan. 26 in Tomball, adding to the area's growing number of hotels and boosting the city's hotel-tax revenue.

Tomball's local hotel occupancy tax revenue is projected to be $550,000 in fiscal year 2015-16, which started Oct. 1, said Glenn Windsor, finance director with the city of Tomball.

That is a $78,000 boost from the $471,693 collected for fiscal year 2014-15, Windsor said.

"We have seen an increase since the Holiday Inn opened during the summer," Windsor said.

The 72-room Holiday Inn Express that opened last year on 14055 Park Drive in Tomball, along with business and population growth, is expected to help bring in more than $30,000 in additional revenue for the city this fiscal year.

The local hotel occupancy tax rate is 7 percent.

Hotel growth in northwest Houston is booming as large employers bring thousands of jobs and residents to the area, including Exxon Mobil, Southwestern Energy and Noble Energy's move to the 249 corridor. In addition, mobility improvements including the new Tomball Tollway and the Grand Parkway are driving more businesses, including hotels, to the region.

"At this time, Hampton Inn generates the largest amount of revenue," Windsor said.

The Hampton Inn & Suites is located on Medical Complex Drive in Tomball.

Area growth is driving up sales-tax revenue as well, which the city receives two months after it is collected at the local level.

This fiscal year, sales-tax revenue is projected to be $10.7 million. The city collected $3.36 million in sales tax from October through December, Windsor said.

"Our assumption is that the growth in the area since 2009 has increased both revenues," Windsor said.

Sales-tax revenue and hotel-tax revenue for the city are projected to continue to increase as growth projects are underway.

The Residence Inn is expected to open in Tomball in the fall of 2016.

And the city is planning to build Grand Parkway Town Center at the intersection of Texas 249 South, Boudreax Lane and the Grand Parkway, which will include a grocery store and other retail.

The Tomball City Council approved a strategic partnership agreement between the city and Municipal Utility District 273. The limited purpose annexation allows the city to collect 2-cents in sales-tax revenue from any businesses developed on that tract.

The sales-tax revenue for the first year of operation for the 153-acre tract is projected to generate about $18 million in sales, about $500,000 of which will go to the city each of the first five years, said City Manager George Shackelford.

After the first five years, the amount will shift with the city projected to receive about 25 percent more.

Houston-based NewQuest Properties has plans to develop the Grand Parkway Town Center on 63 acres of the 153-acre tract, which will include retail giant Sam's Club, other major retailers, and restaurants.

The Grand Parkway Town Center will include 187,010 square feet of retail space and 143,974 square feet of office buildings, which are expected to open in mid to late 2016.
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Health care jobs are booming in northwest Houston.

Health care is following population growth across the area, with new hospitals, specialists, emergency care facilities and nursing homes being built and expanding around the region.

"Health care is the fastest growing sector in our area, and nurses are the fastest growing occupation," said Linda Head, associate vice chancellor at the Lone Star College System, who oversees the college's workforce education and corporate college partnerships.

Across the Houston metro area, there were 105,000 job openings across all industries from Oct. 24 to Jan. 21, Head said, citing job numbers from Burning Glass Technologies' Labor Insight Tool, a real-time labor market gauge.

"And of those, the top industries with job postings were health care, hospitality, insurance and higher education," she said.

Nursing topped the list, Head said.

The Lone Star College System is working to respond to that need by adding additional health care programs and certifications.

The college has added a program that complements radiology and the system is expanding its surgical technology and patient care technician certificate programs.

In addition, the system has expanded its paramedics program. And the college's dental hygienist and dental assistant programs continue to grow as well, Head said.

In December, there were 2,800 jobs added in the Houston region in health care and social assistance, a 0.9 percent increase from the previous month, according to a recent report by Workforce Solutions, which tracks jobs in the area. That is the strongest increase in that sector since 1998, according to the report.

There were 1,500 jobs added in ambulatory health care services in December, a 1 percent increase from November, according to Workforce Solutions. In the last year, jobs in ambulatory health care services rose 4.2 percent with 6,100 jobs added and jobs at hospitals rose 6.9 percent with 5,500 jobs.

Construction on new hospitals and health care facilities continues throughout northwest Houston, as companies work to keep pace with the area's rapid population growth.

CHI St. Luke's Health recently opened its $120 million medical campus in Springwoods Village to fill the growing need as 10,000 new employees start work at Exxon Mobil Corp's nearby Spring campus.

Tomball Regional Medical Center recently completed a $4.5 million emergency room expansion and modernization project, said Joy Hiltabidle, director of marketing at Tomball Regional Medical Center.

In addition, nursing homes are expanding in the region. A new senior living and care community, Avanti Senior Living, is coming soon to Tomball, located off Kuykendahl and West Rayford roads. The community will have 90 suites, including 50 for assisted-living and 40 suites for memory care, which includes seniors with Alzheimer's or memory impairment.

And veterans are flocking to the new Veterans Affairs Tomball Outpatient Clinic, quickly making it one of the busiest VA clinics in the region, said Maureen Dyman, communications director of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. The clinic serves 9,700 veterans, making it one of the largest VA outpatient clinics in Houston.

In addition, more medical specialist positions are opening in northwest Houston, giving patients health care closer to home, Head said. Previously, patients traveled to the Texas Medical Center for specialists.

And the college system is working to expand other programs to meet needs.

Lone Star College System Chancellor Stephen Head and the college's six campus presidents will be hosting an advisory meeting this spring with leaders from area hospitals and health care facilities to discuss the region's needs.

"When you look at health care occupations, we are seeing more specialty health care - occupational therapy, physical therapy, radiology," Head said. "All those areas are really growing in northwest Houston."
Blended learning is often the buzz word for the new wave of teaching in the technology age. At The Woodlands Christian Academy, blended learning isn't just an idea. Educators at the K-12 preparatory school are working to be at the forefront of seamless digital integration.

Lower school students in the art classroom of Susan Peterson have gotten a first glimpse of one of three new 3-D printers at the school, which were purchased before the start of the new year. The Makerbot Replicator is another tool in Peterson's arsenal, using it to teach abstract concepts, illustrate how to use computer imaging software and work collaboratively with other students in the art-making process.

"The end goal of creating art with the 3-D printer is as much in the process as the final product production. This technology allows us to teach students how to truly visualize, problem solve and create in three dimensions, using digital technology with both additive and subtractive methods," said Peterson, who teaches both lower and middle school students.

The printers, which were about $2,500 each, are also in the middle school science classroom and high school computer science classroom. But all teachers are able to use the 3-D printers in their classrooms, even encouraging students to create a single project across disciplines using technology like the 3-D printer.

For seven-year-old Banner Carlson who got to use the printer for the first time, watching tiny streams of plastic filament bring a shark to life was mesmerizing.

"I just like pretty much how it goes from such a small thing. I can make anything. It can make really cool things," Carlson said.

In middle and high school, the printer can be used to replicate strands of DNA for biology class, create towers and bridges for physics and calculus, or even to make parts to build robots. The only limit is the size of what can be created, which is confined to the size of the printer and the platform that the plastic filament rests on.

"One of the exciting aspects of computer science is learning a new fundamental way of thinking and problem solving: computational thinking. It is the skill of the twenty-first century. Now that we have the 3-D printer in the classroom, spatial thinking is added to the mix. This is a great new challenge to the students," said Wouter Westerduin, middle and high school computer science teacher at the private school.

But the printers make up just a slice of the bigger picture of blended learning at The Woodlands Christian Academy.

Every student at the private school has at least one device to themselves. Every student from second through twelfth grades owns an Apple Macbook Air or Macbook Pro laptop as part of the schools one-to-one - one student to a device - initiative. Pre-K students have access to tablets and Macbook Airs in class. Every class is also equipped with an Apple TV to stream presentations and Smart Boards, which are the digital and interactive versions of the traditional whiteboard.

"It's not just, 'Hey, Johnny, get in front of the class, present your poster board and describe what you did.'  That has been so cool. It has built up confidence in the kids," said Cyndee Farra, the director of technology at The Woodlands Christian Academy, about students and teachers taking advantage of the flexibility and full range of options technology provides in the classroom.

The school's access to students and educators on their mobile devices and computers landed the school on Apple's Distinguished School list for 2014 through 2016. And this year, the district has moved toward two devices per child.

Blended learning is more than just using digital technology to accomplish the same outcomes as traditional models of learning. Students are able to use technology to facilitate a multidiscipline approaches, collaborate and even prepare for life beyond K-12 and higher education.

"The teacher shouldn't be the sage on the stage. They should be a guide that comes alongside students, and it really allows them to do that," Farra said. "We're teaching them that technology is a tool."

The bottom line for The Woodlands Christian Academy's investment in technology is that they believe students need skills to be competitive in an ever changing world, one where many jobs have yet to be invented.

"They can express themselves in ways they've never done before," Farra said.

Want to know more?

The Woodlands Christian Academy used about $5,000 from their Annual Warrior Fund STEM 'bucket' to purchase three Makerbot Replicator 3-D printers. The printers are divided between lower, middle and high schools at TWCA. The private school is listed as an Apple Distinguished School from 2014 through 2016 for its technology integration. This year, the district has moved toward two devices per child, which would be a laptop and a mobile device.
Scientists at Houston Methodist and Texas Children's hospitals have developed the nation's first hospital-based rapid test for the Zika virus, potentially cutting the diagnosis time from a month to as little as a day.

The test can detect the genetic material of the virus from blood, amniotic fluid, spinal fluid or urine using the same technology used to detect many other viruses and bacteria. Initially, the hospitals will make the test available only to their own patients, but they are talking to other facilities about the possibility of testing outside patients.
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Taking aim at Girl Scouts' "troubling pattern of behavior," St. Louis Catholic Archbishop Robert Carlson has called on parishes sponsoring troops to consider alternate programs to "help our girls grow as women of God."

"For many years, Girl Scouts has been a valuable resource in teaching our young Catholic girls leadership skills and helping form them as Christian leaders," Carlson wrote in a letter to St. Louis faithful.

But, he continued, "It is clear to me that as they move in the ways of the world, it is becoming increasingly incompatible with our Catholic values."

Carlson charged that the national organization promotes "role models in conflict with Catholic values, such as Gloria Steinem and Betty Frieden." The archbishop also took issue with the national organization's partnering with Amnesty International, Coalition for Adolescent Girls and OxFam.

"This is especially troubling in regards to sex education and advocacy for 'reproductive rights,' i.e. abortion and contraceptive access," he wrote."

Generations-long legacy: See the Girl Scouts through the years

You can read Carson's letter here.

More than 4,000 Girl Scouts meet in St. Louis-area Catholic churches.

Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, told Religion News Service she was disappointed with the archbishop's letter.

"Although we are a secular organization," she said, "we greatly value our long-standing partnerships with religious organizations across many faiths."

The archbishop's letter came during the annual Girl Scout cookie sale.

Should faithful Catholics also eschew buying cookies?

"Each person," the archdiocese Web page advised, "must act in accord with their conscience."

See the transformation of the Girl Scouts through the years in the slideshow above.
The search is continuing for the people who apparently opened fire at Houston police officers late Monday in southeast Houston.

The gunfire sent at least one bullet into the passenger-side windshield of an HPD patrol car about 10:30 p.m. Monday along the 6100 block of Clover near Noel, Houston police officials said.

The officers were not injured and didn't return fire, officials said overnight.

The officers were assigned to the Southeast Patrol Division's tactical unit. They were patrolling the area when they heard "several gunshots." Some of the rounds struck the pavement near their HPD patrol car.

"It happened pretty immediately," said HPD spokesman John Cannon. "They heard all the gunfire around them then they see and hear the strike into the windshield."

The officers couldn't tell where the shooting was coming from, other than generally in front of them. They put the HPD patrol car in reverse and backed out of the line of gunfire.

The officers called for backup. Additional units quickly responded to the scene and cordoned off the area. Officers found a vehicle in a ditch nearby that had bullet holes in it. A man who claimed to own the vehicle was taken into custody.

"We've detained him to question him to see if he knows anything," Cannon said.

A second man found in the area also was taken into custody for questioning.

"We don't know their involvement yet. We should get to learn more after we question them overnight," Cannon said.

The officers believe their car was targeted but HPD investigators haven't confirmed if that was the case, officials said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
One of the biggest obstacles to sending astronauts to Mars is the arduous journey itself. But a NASA scientist hypothesizes that the trip can be done much quicker thanks to recent science innovations.

Philip Lubin joined NASA 360 for a video on a concept involving energy propulsion. The Mars voyage currently would take about five months. Through a system called photonic propulsion a shuttle carrying astronauts could arrive in a month. A lightweight robotic craft could travel the same distance in three days. The same technology could be used to explore outer reaches of the solar system and beyond.
One of the strongest celebrity supporters of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential bid is warning voters that a bad decision in this presidential race could put domestic bloodshed in the country's near future.

It's a claim Glenn Beck, former Fox News anchor and current Cruz enthusiast, has made before: that America is headed for a violent revolution which only a hard-core conservative could rout.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz struck a new hard line on immigration policy Monday night, calling for the removal of 12 million immigrants in the United States illegally.

That call has typically been characteristic of Cruz's leading presidential rival, Donald Trump, who rocketed to stardom in this election cycle with bold decrees that he would build a border wall and remove the 12 million people, about 4 percent of the nation's populace, thought to be in the country without official state sanction.
THE LEAD: Measuring Texas

-- University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll out this morning: Clinton and Cruz lead in Texas, but it might not be a blowout like they want

>> GOP: Ted Cruz had 37 percent of the vote in the poll. Trump, the businessman and TV personality who finished first in two of the three states that have already voted, had the support of 29 percent, followed by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio at 15 percent. Ross Ramsey breaks down the GOP race here.

>> Dem: Clinton is leading, with 54 percent, a week before the Texas primary, while Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, has the support of 44 percent of the respondents. Ramseys write up here.

Welcome to Tuesday, folks. Four more days of early voting left. Do you think the new poll will change anything so far? Hit me up at bobby.cervantes@chron.com or find me on twitter @bobbycervantes.

-- Ted Cruzs home-state strength in question, by the Texas Tribunes Patrick Svitek. In interviews Monday with more than a half dozen Texas-based GOP strategists, a consensus emerged: Cruz is still favored to win Texas, but it may not be as easy or resounding a victory as he would like. They uniformly cited billionaire Donald Trump as Cruz's biggest threat at home, especially after a South Carolina primary in which Trump took the gold by a wide margin, giving him another burst of momentum as the nominating contest heads deeper into the South.

-- #txlege money update (Jan. 22  Feb. 20), from the Express-News David Rauf:

Justice Debra Lehrman: Raised: $118K; Spent: $402K

Michael Massengale: Raised: $153K; Spent $482K

Sticky update in HD-92: Raised: $157,837; Spent: $353,912

Scott Fisher: Raised: $160,825; Spent: $191,432

-- Price tag in SD-26 race tops $1 million, by the Express-News David Rauf. State Sen. Jose Menendez and state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer have combined to spend around $1.25 million in a closely-watched rematch for San Antonio's Senate District 26, according to campaign finance filings released Tuesday. The two Democrats, facing each other for the second time in as many years, ramped up campaign operations in the last month, per the filings, collectively spending $870,000 in that time. That includes six-figure purchases for TV ads by both campaigns.

-- WATCH Speaker Straus ad calling challenger Jeff Judson a lobbyist and a political insider  paid to peddle influence.

-- Early voting slower than expected so far, by the Chronicles Rebecca Elliott. More than 176,000 Republicans in those counties had cast an early or absentee ballot as of Sunday, compared with nearly 161,000 Democrats - a much narrower difference than in either 2012, when Republicans cast more ballots in the first six days of early voting, or 2008, when Democratic turnout dwarfed GOP numbers.

Those figures reflect a 71 percent increase in Republican participation from the first six days of early voting in 2008, the last open-seat presidential election year. Democratic turnout was cut in half.

-- Engineering a blow to Cruz in Texas: Coming off his victory in the South Carolina Republican primary, a win by Donald Trump in Texas could solidify the businessman's lead in the race for the presidential nomination and deliver a decisive blow to Ted Cruz in his home state. Even a second-place finish for Trump could badly wound Cruz's presidential aspirations by scooping up crucial numbers of delegates in the richest prize of the March 1 Super Tuesday primaries, per the Express-News Peggy Fikac.

-- Rubio super PAC starts airing TV spots in Texas, by the Express-News David Rauf. Conservative Solutions PAC purchased $122,000 of airtime from one San Antonio broadcast station to run ads through March 1, according to an FCC filing made available late Monday. The filing is the first from any station in Texas' four largest markets disclosing an ad buy from the Rubio-backing group (no immediate word on where else the super PAC has purchased airtime in the state).

THE CALENDAR

House: 10:00 a.m.  Urban Affairs (UTSA Main Campus, San Antonio)

SPEED READ

Texas Take: Fighting it out in HD-2, Houston Chronicle

ICYMI: Cruz spokesman resigns over false story on Facebook, Houston Chronicle

Abbott, Mexican president discuss energy in Houston, Associated Press

El Paso House race turns nasty, Quorum Report

Ted Cruz tells OReilly he would round up and deport all 12 million, The Dallas Morning News

Ex-Clinton aide: Hillary offers best shot at immigration reform, San Antonio Express-News

Texas GOP Convention to include first-ever LGBT booth, Texas Observer

Jeb Bush-packing super PAC cancels millions of dollars left in ad buys, San Antonio Express-News

Bill Clinton: Make America whole again, San Antonio Express-News

The Latest: Cruz wants federal land returned to Nevada, Austin American-Statesman

Grieder: The Final Three: Trump, Cruz, and Rubio, Texas Monthly

Never mind low oil prices; Mexico plows ahead with energy reform anyway, San Antonio Express-News

Former death row inmate asks for state compensation, Houston Chronicle

Supreme Court fight has lawmakers doing somersaults, Associated Press

Pentagons Guantanamo closing plan lays out costs, savings, Associated Press

Apple-FBI fight intensifies over San Bernardino gunmans iPhone, Tribune News Service

RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE

-- GOP candidates make intense 11th-hour arguments in Nevada, by the APs Steve Peoples and Nicholas Riccardi. For his part, Cruz spent significant time Monday seeking to explain the ouster of his spokesman for tweeting a story that falsely accused White House hopeful Marco Rubio of insulting the Bible. And when the candidates weren't directing their fire at each other, they used scattered appearances on the eve of Tuesday's caucuses to assail Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. So raucous was this day that Trump stopped short at one point in his talk to bemoan the very delegate-selection he was in Nevada to tap.

-- Univision aims to make Hispanic voting bloc even more formidable, by the NYTs Nick Corasaniti. About 11 million Hispanics voted in the 2012 presidential election, fewer than half of those who were eligible. Activists in both major political parties have been trying to increase that number, through voter registration drives and appeals over issues like immigration and wage stagnation on the left, and economic freedom on the right.

Now, so is Univision. The company, including its top-rated Spanish-language network and many subsidiaries, is making an ambitious nationwide effort aimed at registering about three million new Latino voters this year, roughly the same number who have come of voting age since 2012.

-- Rivals chase Trump into Nevada caucuses, by the NYTs Maggie Haberman. The Republican caucuses in Nevada have gotten almost no attention, especially in contrast with the consequential Democratic contest in the state last weekend. But the Republican version on Tuesday presents another opportunity for one of the remaining candidates to restrain the wind at Donald J. Trumps back.

-- Ted Cruz in turmoil as Rubio gathers steam, by Politicos Eli Stokols and Shane Goldmacher. At this critical point in the 2016 race, the Tyler saga offered up a split-screen moment that showed two candidacies headed in seemingly different directions. Rubios campaign spent Monday touting 12 new endorsements from senators, members of Congress and state-level Republicans. Cruz, meanwhile, spent another day doing damage control and attempting to fight off his biggest self-imposed negative, the liar label that his rivals have been applying for weeks.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
New York Citys far-left mayor Bill de Blasio is previewing a new model of progressive policymaking that relies on what even his liberal allies have begun calling dark money. Think of it as de Blasio-ism, and the first-term mayor hopes soon to take it nationwide.

At the center of de Blasios local political operation is the Campaign for One New York, a nonprofit run by his allies and eagerly funded by labor unions, the real estate industry, and other special interests. Its an age-old political arrangement: I scratch your back, you scratch mine. In 2014, Crains New York reported that the American Federation of Teachers made a $350,000 donation to the Campaign for One New York less than a month before de Blasio gave the citys teachers a massive retroactive pay raise as part of a $9 billion contract. The animal rights activists behind the mayors push to ban horse-drawn carriages in the city donated more than $100,000 to the group. Though the horse-carriage battle has become a public relations albatross for de Blasio, he has promised to continue waging it.

Behemoth left-wing philanthropies such as George Soross Fund for Policy Reform have also ponied up large contributions to the Campaign for One New York. Call it a bet on de Blasios political future. Last year, de Blasio established a second nonprofitthe D.C.-based Progressive Agenda Committeewith seed money from the Campaign for One New York. The second organization seeks to promote de Blasios progressive agenda around the country.

De Blasios reliance on political organizations that can raise unlimited funds makes a jarring contrast with his past statements against money in politics. As the citys public advocate, he issued a report critical of political committees that masquerade as tax-exempt nonprofits. These sham nonprofits, he said, posed a threat to our democracy. But many of the private firms that have contributed to the Campaign for One New York do business with or seek approval from the city government that de Blasio runs, a fact that has drawn the attention of good-government groups that would normally support his progressive agenda. On Monday, the left-wing watchdog group Common Cause New York expressed concern about these arrangements in a letter to two agencies charged with policing corruption and conflicts of interest in city government. It appears the mayor trades his public office for personal political advantage, the group said, while skirting campaign finance laws designed to avoid using monetary contributions to curry favor with, and gain access to, public officials.

The Campaign for One New York is more than just a creative way for de Blasio potentially to dodge Gothams strict campaign-finance laws, which ban contributions from corporations and individuals doing business with the city. The nonprofit also provides the mayor with the means to employ a coterie of high-powered political consultants, many with conflicts of interest of their own. A New York Times investigation late last year revealed that most of the money that the group raises goes to pay consulting firms that advise the de Blasio administration, while also representing clients doing substantial business with the city. Critics have called these consultants a shadow government.

A general affinity for the mayors political agenda has made the citys political and business elites reluctant to discuss the propriety (not to mention the legality) of the Campaign for One New Yorks business modelat least up to now. This weeks bad press might change that, but de Blasio seems unfazed. He dismissed Common Causes letter by saying, in effect, Dont worry about this. My motives are pure.

The true threat to democracy and transparency, de Blasio said, comes from conservative political actors like the Koch brothers: [They] are not doing what theyre doing to help kids get pre-K. Theyre doing a lot of what theyre doing to help their business. De Blasio, by contrast, is trying to save the world, one progressive government policy at a time. The idea that organizations would come together to fight for things like full-day pre-K for all, or affordable housing programs that could reach hundreds of thousands of people, I think is understandable and makes sense. Whats good for Bill de Blasio is good for New York City. Get it?

Its far from a novel argument. Noted political manipulators from Richard Nixon (If the president does it, that means that it is not illegal) to Louis XIV (I am the state) have made versions of it. Its a bit surprising, though, coming from a man elected with record-low voter turnout and whose job approval ratings have mostly been abysmal. Whether the mayor can convince politically savvy New Yorkers that the Campaign for One New York is above board remains to be seen. But dont be surprised if de Blasio-ism comes to your townand sooner than you think.

Photo by NYC Mayors Office
Peste 300 de liceene s-au inscris in Startup School si sunt gata sa invete bazele antreprenoriatului tehnologic. Vezi cum a fost la evenimentul de lansare a programului national de educatie antreprenoriala
If you follow transparency and open-records news, you might have heard about whats going on in Virginia, where the state Senate last week approved a bill to make the names and training files of law-enforcement officials excluded from mandatory disclosure under the state Freedom of Information Act.

In other words: If the bill becomes law in its current form, when a reporter or private citizen asks a local police department for a list of officers on staff, the department could choose to simply reject it. Its a remarkable piece of legislation, and journalists in the state have been doing a good job noting its unprecedented nature and pointing out how the laws broad language raises some fairly absurd questions about what it might mean in practice.

What you might not know is that the journalist whose digging seems to have prompted this proposal pursued a very similar line of reporting not too many years ago. But in that casein another state, and before accountability for police abuses had become a national storythe discussion went in a very different direction.

The journalist in question is Gary Harki, now the database reporter at The Virginian-Pilot. Before coming to The Pilot, Harki worked at The Charleston Gazette in West Virginia. There, in 2008, Harki got on to a story involving a cop whod beaten a black man in front of his white wife and their child at a gas station. The officer was later sentenced to prison for civil-rights violations. In covering the saga, Harki learned that the officer had bounced around different police departments and was known as a problem cop.

That led to more reporting. Eventually, Harki asked for access to a state police database so he could track the movement of officers, and state officials worked with him on an open records request for the information. With the data, Harki identified a pattern of police with disciplinary issues moving from department to department. He wrote a series of stories about it, and the legislature paid attention. In 2011, the legislature passed a bill adding an additional layer of state oversight when officers move from one department to another.

Fast forward a few years, and Harki is now trying to replicate his workin Virginia, where some lawmakers are known to take a dim view of the press, and in a different national environment, when Black Lives Matter protests make headlines and police lobbyists are increasingly on the defensive.

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In June 2015, Harki requested the names of police officers who work in departments across the state, along with information about where they work and for how long. After a lengthy negotiation, the state ultimately refused to release the information. In October, The Pilot sued for access.

A month later, the paper won in court, and Harki got the records.

And three months after that, the Senate voted to change the law, so the type of reporting Harki is trying to do would be impossible.

.@PilotNews won a lawsuit to free basic police officer info, so Virginia Senate passed bill to keep names secret. https://t.co/qtMDspAFAf  Matt McKinney (@Mmckinne17) February 16, 2016

I think the fact that we got a copy of those records is the catalyst for the legislation, Harki told me, and hes got reason to think that. As The Pilot reported, the bills lead sponsor, Sen. John Cosgrove (R-Chesapeake), is from The Pilots area. He even mentioned the lawsuit in a committee hearing as justification for the new law.

The reason I brought this forward: There was a court ruling in Norfolk, Cosgrove said in a Feb. 2 hearing. The Virginian-Pilot had requested this type of informationsalary and positionand the court ruled that that was actually open to access.

Cosgrove did not return a call seeking comment for this story, but he and others have cited safety concerns, arguing that the release of information could expose undercover police or put officers at greater risk of harm from terrorists or hackers.

Harki is unpersuaded by that. I think the real reason is they know this information is a window into legitimate problems within the states police force, and they dont want to deal with those problems or be embarrassed, he said.

Though it has passed the Senate, the law might not go anywhere. Open government advocates like the Virginia Coalition for Open Government are pushing back against it. The Virginia Press Association has asked Harki to speak about the proposed law during a subcommittee hearing in the House of Delegates this week.

The National Freedom of Information Coalition is also tracking the bill, along with others around the country that would restrict access to information about police.* For example, a proposed measure in New Jersey would exempt from disclosure information about state police detectives, including name, title, position, salary or any other identification that would reveal the identity of a detective. (A controversy erupted in that state last year when state police declined to name an officer involved in a shooting death.) In Oregon, lawmakers in the House passed a bill that was rushed through to conceal the identity of the officer who shot one of the leaders of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation.

Even in that context, the Virginia bill is a new one for us in terms of just creating a blanket exemption of police officers, said Dan Beverly, interim director of the NFOIC.

Fortunately, one state where there have been no proposals for new restrictions is Colorado, where The Denver Postthough it was denied access to a key databasehas embarked on a series about bad cops who jump from department to department despite committing transgressions that would bar them from law enforcement jobs in many states.

Well, at least theres no new law proposed yet.

*The original version of this sentence incorrectly stated that the NFOIC is based in Florida. In fact, it is based at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Corey Hutchins is CJRs correspondent based in Colorado, where he teaches journalism at Colorado College. A former alt-weekly reporter in South Carolina, he was twice named journalist of the year in the weekly division by the SC Press Association. Hutchins writes about politics and media for the Colorado Independent and worked on the State Integrity Investigation at the Center for Public Integrity; he has contributed to Slate, The Nation, the Washington Post, and others. Follow him on Twitter @coreyhutchins or email him at coreyhutchins@gmail.com.
It appears Google Compares grand experiment in online comparison shopping for auto insurance is dead  for now at least.

Insurance Journal has learned that two of Google Compares major partners were told yesterday that the giant tech firm is shutting down its online shopping comparison undertaking.

One former partner, Compare.com, heard the news not from Google, but from several of its carriers that are partners in Google Compare. Another unnamed partner confirmed it had been told of the pending shutdown. A third major partner described the Google move as going dark and that the business is retooling.

A Google spokesman couldnt be immediately reached for comment. An official announcement from Google is expected to be made today.

It was a bit shocking today to hear that they are exiting, Compare.com CEO Andrew Rose told Insurance Journal.

Rose said he was told it was a global exit, and that Google Compare isnt just exiting the insurance business but also credit cards, banking products, the mortgage products in the U.S. and the U.K.

Rose said the U.K. Compare operations were also informed of Googles exit, which he said is perplexing because online comparison shopping is strong in the U.K.

Its just interesting to see them throwing in the towel, he said.

Keith Moore, CEO and president of CoverHound.com  one of Googles initial platform partners when it launched Google Compare  says Googles plan is to go dark to retool all of its consumer product sites and improve the customer experience.

We think its a smart move and something we have been pushing for all along, Moore said. We are still engaged with them and still have an active partnership and hope that partnership will continue down the road.

Moore said there were a few carriers that Google was having challenges with outside of its relationship with CoverHound, and that the decision to pull the site was to address those issues.

We gave [Google] a lot of guidance on what we thought was best for consumers and some of the carriers directly couldnt deliver on that and we could, he said. The customer experience is everything.

For now, CoverHounds contract with Google is still in place.

When down the road CoverHounds relationship with Google will resume Moore wouldnt say, just that he considers the partnership to be on pause.

He also doesnt expect Googles hiatus from insurance will affect CoverHounds business directly, as the search engine giants Google Compare platform only brought in about 10 percent of CoverHounds business.

We are in good shape and think that the decision will make us even better from a customer experience standpoint, Moore said, adding the company has plans to announce other partnerships soon. I am very optimistic. Its a good time to be in insurance.

This comes just over a year after Google made a big splash with news it was getting into the insurance business. It was made official in March 2015 when the deal between the Mountain View, Calif.-based tech giant and major partners Compare.com and CoverHound was made known to the public.

Googles announcement included the unveiling of an online comparison tool that listed several major carriers as partners. Named as partners in the release were carriers Mercury Insurance and MetLife. Other large carriers subsequently signed on.

Participation in Google Compare was based on a flexible cost-per-acquisition model, but payment wasnt a factor in ranking or eligibility, according to Google.

Googles presence caused worry of a massive market disruption, particularly among independent agents. A month before the announcement amid rumors of Googles entry into the insurance business W.R. Berkley Corp. CEO William R. Berkley said every agent who sells personal auto coverage should be afraid, be very afraid.

Another partner was Insurance Technologies Corp., a Carrollton, Texas-based software provider.

In its role with Google Compare, ITC provided auto insurance quotes to online consumers through its rating application program interface for its comparative rating system TurboRater, a system already in use by insurance agents.

Ultimately I would not be surprised with Google exiting the market. It often seemed like a little bit of a distraction for them, said Laird Rixford, president of ITC.

Rixford noted the model conflicted with Googles main source of revenue, which is pay-per-click.

They were almost cannibalizing that model, he said.

Some have observed that Google Compare was moving much slower than anticipated.

Brian Sullivan, editor for Risk Information Inc., has been tracking the progress of Google Compare.

Sullivan said at an industry conference last month that Google Compare has only launched in four states in the nine months since they set out to tackle the U.S. market. They had expected to be in about two dozen states, Sullivan said.

They were going to X amount of traffic and they had 10 percent of the traffic they thought, he continued.

He reasoned they were going very slowly because they underestimated the complexity of personal auto.

Rixford said theres a lesson in this apparent failure.

Just being Google does not predicate success, Rixford said. They were not the first to try nor will they be the last.

Rixford said the market for online comparison is fluid and changing, and that the future market leader is probably not even around yet.

He added that U.S. consumers are still enamored with their agents.

The news comes a week after Citigroup analyst Todd Baults bold suggestion that Googles parent, Alphabet Inc., should buy American International Group Inc. to expand further into insurance.
An inspection conducted on the boilers of a ship before it sank in a hurricane last fall found parts that had deteriorated severely or needed to be replaced, but company engineers believed it was still safe enough to set sail, testimony at a Coast Guard hearing revealed Friday.

The boiler issues on El Faro were an indication of normal wear and tear, director of ship management for Tote Services Inc. John Fisker-Andersen told a U.S. Coast Guard investigative board.

The 790-foot El Faro sank in Hurricane Joaquin on Oct. 1 after losing propulsion while sailing from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico. All 33 crew aboard died.

The 40-year-old vessels boilers were scheduled for service a month after its ill-fated voyage. Inspectors had found deterioration in parts called burner throats, pieces of the main propulsion steam boiler that help shape the boilers flame and properly mix fuel and air.

Fisker-Andersen testified that nothing in the boiler reports would normally cause a cancellation of the voyage.

There arent any showstoppers in here, he said, referring to the inspection findings. Theres nothing in here as explained to me thats a no sail.

The board, made up of Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigators, has been questioning Tote officials for four days to find answers about the ships sinking. Another series of hearings is scheduled later this year, after which the panel will release a report. If any criminal misconduct is unearthed, the Coast Guard can refer it to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Tote officials have said Capt. Michael Davidson was completely responsible for his voyage planning, including whether to reroute in bad weather. Multiple officials have said the company did not monitor weather and its vessels locations from shore at all because that is the job of the ships captains.

William Bennett, an attorney representing Davidsons widow, raised questions about whether the captain had reliable weather information about the storm before leaving Jacksonville.

According to testimony, however, Davidson knew enough about Joaquins track while at sea to email company officials about a change in route on his way back from Puerto Rico. His email, written the day before the vessel sank, asked if he could take a longer, safer route through the Old Bahama Channel on his return.

Tote managers said captains were under no obligation to ask permission for route changes, but the boards investigators questioned why Davidsons email was then posed as a question.

No one replied to Davidson for hours, but finally Fisker-Andersen wrote back authorized.

On Friday, Fisker-Andersen said he used the wrong term in his reply and only replied because no one else had.

My intent was to provide a clear response to him that, absolutely you go where you need to go.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Herlin Riley Takes 'New Direction' on Mack Avenue Towards his Hometown of New Orleans (REVIEW)

Drummer/composer/bandleader Herlin Riley's 'New Direction' on Mack Avenue is wild. (Photo : Anna Webber)

Herlin Riley stands on the shoulders of giants. He comes from a long line of New Orleans drummers who are so deeply entrenched in the pocket and in the tradition, that their swinging styles have set a standard. For Riley's Mack Avenue Records debut after drumming in the bands of no less than Wynton Marsalis and Ahmad Jamal, he's taken a New Direction.

Not that you cannot tell how strong the Crescent City flavor still hovers above this dynamite CD (especially on the closing "Tootie Ma" which encapsulates the abject joyousness of Mardi Gras day), but Riley, despite being a native son, can veer Afro-Cuban like Chano Pozo [1915-1948] or Dizzy Gillespie [1917-1993]. His obvious influence, though, is fellow drummer Art Blakey [1919-1990], who, with his Jazz Messengers, mentored and nurtured many a young star prior to their stardom. Riley also uses young musicians and the results are stellar.

Dig that crazy piano by Emmet Cohen on "Herlin's Hurdle," almost as if Riley was daring Cohen to be great. Ditto for Haitian saxophonist Godwin Louis on the danceable (if you're double-jointed) "Big Banana." "Hiccup Smooth" is yet another wild joy-ride. "A Spring Fantasy" is the calm in-between storms."Connection To Congo Square" is deeply felt for it is here, in this small square within Louis Armstrong Park of the Treme neighborhood, where, in 1817, after 93 years of not being allowed to, that the Mayor let incoming slaves legally sing and dance for the first time.

The rest of the band is stellar: bassist Russell Hall, trumpeter Bruce Harris, conga player Pedrito Martinez on three of the 10 tracks and special guest guitarist Mark Whitfield on the title cut. Herlin Riley's New Direction is, ultimately, home.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsHerlin Riley, Mack Avenue Records, New Orleans, Wynton Marsalis
AKRON, Ohio -- An Akron man will spend eight years in prison for selling a 62-year-old woman fentanyl that killed her.

Renardo Owens, 21, on Feb. 10 pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and heroin trafficking. He was sentenced Tuesday by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Todd McKenney.

Court officials said they had to make one person leave the hearing for being loud and disrespectful.

Owens sold fentanyl to Georgia Speck on Sept. 3. Speck's 51-year-old boyfriend later found her unconscious on the floor of their apartment in the 700 block of East Waterloo Road.

Speck was pronounced dead at Akron General Medical Center.

Akron police found a bindle of heroin, a syringe and a spoon inside Speck's small pink purse on a table next to Speck.

Investigators also found her cellphone in the home. They searched the phone and found the person she had most recently contacted for heroin.

The officers set up another drug deal using Speck's phone. Owens showed up to the meeting place with heroin and was arrested.
AKRON, Ohio -- The widower of one of nine people who died in a November plane crash here is suing the plane's owner, according to a report by Courthouse News Service.

The complaint -- filed by Joe Castillo, the husband of Diana Suriel, 32-- accuses Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Rais Group International of allowing the flight knowing the plane had a malfunctioning instrument and control panel, according to the news outlet.

The company leased the Hawker 125-700A twin-engine jet to Execuflight, which leased the plane to Pebb Enterprises, where Suriel worked. The complaint was filed in Broward County, Florida.

Execuflight was in charge of providing pilots and properly maintaining the plane. The lawsuit also claims the two pilots -- Oscar Chavez, 40, of North Bay Village, Florida and co-pilot Renato Marchese, 50, of Boynton Beach-- flew negligently, according to Courthouse News Service.

The lawsuit says they flew too low, which caused them to be unable to safely land. The suit also claims one of the pilots suffered from a severe health impairment that prevented him from passing a medical examination for his license.

The pilots had a combined 10,000 hours of flying experience.

The plane, carrying seven Pebb Enterprises employees on a cross-country trip to scout retail shopping space to buy, crashed Nov. 10 into an apartment building in Ellet. No one was in the building at the time of the crash and no one on the ground was injured.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report that the pilots had been warned by the pilot of a different plane that visibility was poor as the plane approached Akron Fulton International Airport.

The clouds allowed for the pilots to the see the ground after they descended to 600 feet from the ground.

The NTSB hasn't determined exactly what caused the crash. Attorneys for Execuflight and Rais did not comment on the lawsuit, according to the news service.
BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - The Brecksville man charged in a crash that killed two bicyclists and injured three others erred when he turned left while blinded by the sun, a prosecutor said on the first day of his trial.

Timothy J. Wolf, 42, is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of willful or wanton disregard of public safety in the Sept. 17 crash on Snowville Road near Dewey Road in Brecksville.

His trial began Monday in Garfield Heights Municipal Court. Jury selection took place in the morning.

Wolf, who was driving a Ford F-350, struck five bicyclists while turning left onto Dewey Road.

Bicyclist Matthew Billings, 33, of North Canton was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Cyclist Jim Lambert, 52, of Cuyahoga Falls, died Sept. 25 from his injuries. Three bicyclists were treated and released from area hospitals.

Wolf told investigators that he did not see the cyclists because the sun's glare temporarily blinded him.

Brecksville city prosecutor Sergio DiGeronimo argued Wolf should not have turned if he could not see.

"The decision he made was the wrong decision, and he bears the burden and the responsibility of that," DiGeronimo said in his opening statement.

Defense attorneys Hector Martinez and Leslie Johns countered by saying the crash was unintentional. Wolf slowed down and looked around before turning, they said.

Brecksville patrolman William Reppa, who was the first to arrive at the scene, and Sgt. Robert Johnson, who investigated the crash, took the stand Monday afternoon.

Both officers testified that Wolf erred in turning with the glare in his eyes. They also said Wolf turned too fast and crossed the double yellow line that divides Snowville Road, rather than waiting for the break in that line.

Martinez argued that the officers could not determine whether Wolf turned too fast. Wolf moved his pickup after the crash because a wheel was on top of a cyclist's foot, the officers said.

"No one asked him how far he moved [the pickup]," Martinez said. "Did he move it to the left? Did he move it to the right? None of these questions were asked."

The trial is expected to take three to five days, DiGeronimo said.

Cyclists involved in the crash are expected to take the stand Tuesday, he said.

DiGeronimo said he expects to call more law enforcement officials to the stand. One of the defense's witnesses will be a crash reconstruction expert, Johns said during her opening statement.
Pending Home Sales

Home sales rose in Ohio and across the country in January, according to reports released Tuesday by state and national real estate associations.

(Associated Press file)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- January home sales hit a start-of-the-year high for the Buckeye State and were up dramatically from their early 2015 levels.

That's the word from the Ohio Association of Realtors, which released its January housing report Tuesday. The trade group found that sales reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 143,941 last month, surpassing a January record set in 2005 - near the market's pre-recession peak.

Stripping out those adjustments and calculations, buyers purchased 8,031 new and existing homes in Ohio last month. Sales were up 13.4 percent from January 2015, when purchases totaled 7,085 houses and condominiums.

Sales dropped from December to January, as they typically do.

"Home sales activity throughout the Buckeye State is extremely robust," Sara Calo, president of the statewide association and an agent with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services in Mayfield, said in a written statement.

The National Association of Realtors also released January numbers on Tuesday. The trade group said sales of previously owned homes were up 11 percent last month, when compared with January 2015. Sales ticked up by 0.4 percent from December, based on seasonally adjusted figures.

A separate report on January sales of newly built homes will be released Wednesday.

Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the national association, described the housing market as resilient but expressed concerns about limited listings and rising prices.

"The spring buying season is right around the corner, and current supply levels aren't even close to what's needed to accommodate the subsequent growth in housing demand," Yun said in a written statement. "Home prices ascending near or above double-digit appreciation aren't healthy - especially considering the fact that household income and wages are barely rising."

Nationally, the median - or middle - sale price for an existing home was $213,800 in January, up 8.2 percent from a year before. Price growth in the Cleveland area, and across Ohio, has been more modest.

The Ohio Realtors report average prices instead of medians. Homes in the state changed hands at an average price of $143,562 last month, they said. That equates to a 4.4 percent annual gain.

Listing-service data show that the average sale price for a house in Northeast Ohio was $133,378 in January, based on transactions spanning 15 counties. The average sale price for a condo was $105,101, according to the Northern Ohio Regional Multiple Listing Service.
Researchers Show Coal Retirement Needed for Electric Vehicles To Reduce Air Pollution

By Tara Moore / 412-268-9673 / tararaemoore@cmu.edu

February 23, 2016

A new study by Carnegie Mellon University researchers finds that electric vehicles charged in coal-heavy regions can create more damage to human health and the environment than gasoline vehicles in those regions. But many coal-fired plants are set to be retired soon, which could flip the scales in favor of electric vehicles.

Carnegie Mellon Assistant Professor of Engineering and Public Policy Paulina Jaramillo; Professor of Engineering and Public Policy and Mechanical Engineering Jeremy Michalek; and former Engineering and Public Policy Ph.D. student Allison Weis studied the electricity grid in the PJM region, which includes Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Chicago.

We modeled the power plants in the PJM region and looked at how plant operation would change in response to electric vehicle charging load, Jaramillo said. Then we modeled the emissions from those power plants, the effects of emissions on air pollution in downwind counties, and the resulting implications for human health and the environment.

The study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, examined vehicles that use electricity, gasoline or a combination of the two energy sources.

The most recent year for which all of the necessary data are available to make this assessment is 2010, Michalek said. We find that in 2010 a battery electric vehicle like the Tesla Model S could cause two to three times as much damage to human health and the environment as an ordinary gasoline vehicle.

The largest source of damage stems from sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, which form airborne particles that people breathe, according to the study.

With projected retirements of coal-fired power plants in the region resulting from upcoming environmental regulation, we find that plug-in electric vehicles can reduce air emissions damages below those of even the most efficient gasoline hybrids, Michalek said.

Last weeks decision by the Supreme Court to stay the Obama administrations Clean Power Plan could slow the transition away from coal and affect the air emissions of electric vehicles, according to the authors.

The study, which was funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Electric Power Research Institute, the Heinz Endowment, the National Science Foundation and Toyota Motor Corporation, also examined a hypothetical case with increased wind power.

Air emissions damages resulting from electric vehicle charging hinge primarily on the amount of coal in the system, not the amount of wind or solar power, Jaramillo said.

When EV charging load is added to a power system, wind and solar plant output cannot be turned up to respond because they are typically already fully utilized, Michalek explained. Fossil fuel plants are the ones dispatched in response
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In the evening, after work and before putting supper on, Tim and Sharla Coleman like to sit at their dining room table and read Scripture together. They read every day, even though their greatest prayer has been answered. The table, the room, the Cleveland home are all theirs. "I've been in the Glenview neighborhood, grew up in the Glenview neighborhood, I went to church in the Glenview neighborhood, and it's a blessing to own my home in the Glenview neighborhood," Tim Coleman said.

The Colemans, who proudly display pictures of their children and grandchildren on walls and side tables throughout the three-bedroom home, are becoming homeowners through their employer, a Cleveland worker-owned cooperative called Evergreen. It runs a commercial laundry, an enormous hydroponic greenhouse and a solar panel installation service. Sharla works with the lettuce plants in the greenhouse, and Tim drives a laundry truck.

The home Tim and Sharla purchased in the Glenview neighborhood of Cleveland. Stephanie Dhue | CNBC

"I was out of work for about a year, and when the job came, and I learned about the housing program, it just really all came into place," said Coleman, with his wife sitting beside him. She didn't want to talk, but nodded heartily to his every word. "It's the American dream to own your own home, so it was a beautiful thing there." Evergreen launched the cooperative in 2009, initially as a job creation and economic development program. It quickly morphed into a worker-owned operation, so that employees could share in the equity and profits of the businesses. Many of the workers were poor, uneducated, some even ex-cons. In just a few years of work, they could become business owners. A few years later, Evergreen discovered another opportunity.

"Part of our challenge, then and today, to some extent is, as we are hiring from these Cleveland neighborhoods, oftentimes, one of the barriers to employment is just stable housing, another is transportation, so we've tried to address that as well," said Jim McMicken Jr., CEO of Evergreen Cooperative Corporation.

With some help from the county on property tax forgiveness and the local housing authority, which had homes available through an existing rent-to-own program, Evergreen began offering employees a five-year plan to homeownership.

"Essentially, after some financial training and some qualification, our eligible employees are able to purchase a home that they then pay for via payroll deduction, so we're helping them make those payments on a timely basis the first of each month by deducting from payroll," said McMicken. "The goal is to structure it in such a way that they own those homes outright within the first five years."

They own it without a mortgage and without paying taxes for the first five years. They can also live in the home as they pay for it, which the Colemans do.

"You don't miss it the first couple of months, of course you miss it, but you just get into the habit of paying that just like if you have to pay your grocery bills every two weeks," Coleman said. "One thing I like about it, it comes out of your check before you even see it, so that builds your credit up, too, because you're always on time."

Affordable housing has reached a crisis level in America. More than 11 million Americans spend more than half their incomes on rent, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies. The home ownership rate is hovering near a 50-year low, according to the U.S. Census.





Tim and Sharla Coleman at their home purchased through the cooperative. Stephanie Dhue | CNBC

"It's kind of astounding, given the importance of housing," said Chris Herbert, the Harvard center's managing director. "Go back to the Housing Act of 1948, a decent home and a suitable living environment for all Americans was the national goal. We have not achieved that, and yet we are not talking about it."

The issue of affordable housing has been conspicuously absent from the political dialogue today and even before the 2016 race began. President Barack Obama made no mention of housing in his last State of the Union address, even as rents were hitting historic highs and home price gains were accelerating again.

"The real solution at the federal level is probably going to mean more money, and that's certainly a nonstarter right now in Washington. So you identify the problem, say we should do something about it, and you can't then say, 'We need to spend more,' because there's no reason to go down that path," said Herbert. "So what we do see is a real disjoint because while people aren't talking about it at the federal level, the presidential level, if you go to any city in the country, it's issue No. 1 for so many mayors' agendas."





Cities continue to struggle with homelessness on their streets, and increasingly, with families trying to stay in neighborhoods where they've lived for decades. Herbert applauds the Evergreen program, but questions whether it could work in more expensive cities.

Cleveland's housing market is currently the most affordable in the nation. McMicken initially had to raise philanthropic fund for the program. He has since gotten a lot of interest from affordable housing advocates across the country, and as much as he'd like to expand it to other cities, he admits the model might not work.

"It's very aggressive, and the only way to do that would be having access to the types of real estate pricing that we have in Cleveland. If you were to attempt to do this somewhere else, you would either, a) need more funding up front to catalyze it, or b) more time, so maybe you pay for it in eight years instead of five or 10 years instead of five," he said.

Jim McMicken, CEO of Evergreen Cooperative Diana Olick | CNBC

For now, in Cleveland, it is working for Tim and Sharla Coleman and several other Evergreen workers. The Colemans are even considering buying another home through the program as an investment.

"It says a lot about your future, in the neighborhood, a lot of home owners here keep the neighborhood good," Coleman said. "It opens the door to a lot of other things."

A door, all their own.
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It was just 10 days ago when it seemed to Jim Cramer that the world was falling apart, and there was intense pressure to sell everything and buy Treasurys. Now, that panic seems to have faded away with Monday's production of a terrific rally. So what the heck happened that made things better? While the primary catalyst in Cramer's opinion was oil and futures, there was another factor that he thinks is being overlooked by everyone. "Bernie Sanders looks like a paper tiger. I swear the media made this guy seem like a bona fide candidate for the Democratic nomination, but suddenly with a small loss in Nevada he is buried alive," the "Mad Money" host said. It was also confirmed that Honeywell was in talks to purchase United Technologies , to dominate the aerospace and climate control space. While Cramer thinks this idea is brilliant, he did not know if the deal could ever be compensated because of antitrust issues. However Cramer did speculate that Honeywell's discussions could reveal that the big capitalization cyclicals are dramatically undervalued in the market. So even if both presidential candidates claim not to be a friend on Wall Street, Cramer interpreted the combination of two pro-business candidates emerging, oil rising, earnings forgiveness, a Chinese story that hasn't become more negative and increased M&A activity as the reason for stocks suddenly turning around.

Read More Cramer: Thank Bernie Sanders for stock surge



Bernie Sanders Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

Cramer has seen many once red-hot stocks completely cool off this year. Now that the market seems to be finding its footing again, he decided to dig through the rubble and find out what broken stocks may be worth investing in again.

The Gap is one company that has been on a total roller coaster. As the parent company to Banana Republic, Old Navy and other various Gap brands, it totally dominated the late 1990s and early 2000s. Growth slowed and business cooled off for about a decade, until The Gap launched a comeback a few years agoand it looked to Cramer like the stock had gotten its groove back. That comeback changed dramatically when shares of The Gap plummeted 41 percent last year. And while the stock has rebounded 8 percent this year, it is still far from its highs. So what happened? "Put it all together and Gap running up into the quarter feels like a recipe for disaster, at the very least a recipe for no upside," Cramer said.

Read More Cramer: This popular retailer remains toxic

Two stocks on Cramer's radar on Monday were retailers VF Corp and Columbia Sportswear, because in the end  execution matters. Both apparel companies have a large business focused on selling winter clothing: Columbia through its namesake brand and VF Corp through North Face. Yet for some reason Columbia reported a fantastic quarter last week, and VF Corp reported a disappointing quarter. How was this possible? While some may think that the weather had an impact, the fact was not that it was snowing on Columbia's side of the street and VF Corp had a warm winter. Cramer thinks the reason is that Columbia is doing a better job, and has many more exciting brands than VF. "For now, Columbia Sportswear is absolutely the better buy, and only a purchase of Lululemon by VF would change my mind," Cramer said.

A worker at the Lukoil company-owned Imilorskoye oilfield in Kogalym, Russia, January 25, 2016 Sergei Karpukhin | Reuters
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Fears China's debt mountain will turn into an avalanche have hit the headlines recently, but there are signs at least some of the risk is easing. That's in part due to the mainland's efforts to restructure its huge pile of local government debt, Moody's Investors Service said in a Monday report. Nicholas Zhu, senior analyst at Moody's, said, "For the local government direct debt, we believe the government is finding a handle by capping it at 16 trillion ($2.45 trillion) overall and improving the structure by swapping some existing debt into bonds at lower cost and longer maturity." If 2016 bond issuance remained steady at the 3.8 trillion yuan issued in 2015, Moody's estimated that about 54 percent of regional and local governments' (RLGs) direct debt would be shifted into bonds paying lower interest and with longer maturities and away from bank loans and financing vehicles. Provincial governments' debt, often issued via local government financing vehicles, or LGFVs, has worried economists for years.

Outstanding debt climbed to around 17.9 trillion yuan by the end of the first half of 2013, according to the most recently released national audit results, from around 10.7 trillion in 2010. The results of a more recent national debt audit have not been released. In late 2014, China's State Council, its highest authority, set quotas on the amount of debt that local governments could issue -- the 16 trillion yuan cap -- required the funds raised to be used for public projects rather than operational spending and tied debt levels to local officials' performance reviews. The State Council also barred local governments from using LGFVs and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to raise debt and from guaranteeing or covering the liabilities of financial institutions or local corporates. Moody's Zhu noted that the 2016 bond issuance plan would also raise RLG disclosure standards, requiring the release of annual budget revenue and expenditure for 2014-16 with the issuance. Moody's doesn't expect local governments, particularly upper-tier governments, provinces and main cities, to default on bonds issued in their own name, calling the probability "quite low." So far, the bonds are finding buyers among commercial banks as well as asset managers and institutional investors, such as insurance companies, Zhu noted, adding that earlier this month, the central bank said it would allow qualified individual investors to buy and sell the bonds through commercial banks.

But the local government debt risk hasn't entirely faded. While there appeared to be a better handle on the direct debt, other liabilities - such as LGFVs and local state-owned enterprises' (SOE) debt - aren't as well defined, Zhu noted.
Anti-North Korea activists at a protest in Seoul on February 22, 2016 Ed Jones | AFP | Getty Images

The success of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal has reared optimism for world powers to resolve the North Korean crisis in a similar fashion. But differences between the rogue nations may make that tough. That global authorities would want an end to the impasse in North Korea is understandable. The isolated country's belligerence has been a key source of unease: Pyongyang conducted its fourth nuclear test in January and then launched a long-range rocket earlier this month, both in defiance of United Nations resolutions. Not only do such incidents reveal the aggressive, military-first policy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, they trigger worries that Kim may finally act on his multiple warnings and launch a strike against the U.S. and other foes. Multilateral negotiations aimed at denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, known as the Six-Party Talks, between the U.S., China, Japan, Russia, North and South Korea have been stalled since 2009 and little progress has made since then, with Pyongyang proclaiming itself a nuclear state in 2012 despite strict international sanctions. Iran's nuclear program has been equally worrisome for the international community. Last year, the group known as the P5+1, consisting of the U.S, U.K., Russia, France, China and the European Union, secured a landmark victory when Tehran agreed to temporarily halt its nuclear program in exchange for the gradual lifting of sanctions.

So, if these nations can win in Iran, why not in North Korea? The resumption of Six-Party Talks is highly unlikely because of the diametrically opposed preconditions attached by the stakeholders, explained Tan Ming Hui, associate research fellow at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. "The U.S. wants North Korea to return to the talks and commit to denuclearization before the removal of sanctions and a peace treaty could be on the table; Pyongyang wants the sanctions to be first removed and a peace treaty negotiated before it is willing to return to the talks." Over the weekend, news emerged that Washington had changed tactics in its attempt for a peace treaty. In early January, the Obama administration asked for the weapons program to be part of discussions instead of demanding the pariah state first reduce its nuclear arsenal before talks begin. Pyongyang reportedly declined the offer and then tested its alleged hydrogen bomb a few days later. Moreover, the circumstances differ for Iran and North Korea. Iran lacked sufficient fissile stockpiles to create a weapon, but Pyongyang already has a secure arsenal, which it views it as an effective bargaining chip to obtain aid and funding, noted Tan. North Korea is also less reliant on foreign trade and access to the international financial system, while Iran depends on energy exports, she added. Pyongyang also benefits from Chinese economic support, whereas Iran largely had to fend itself. Beijing is North Korea's only ally, largest trading partner and primary source of food, making it the only country with influence over the hermit kingdom.
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An OPEC production cut does not appear close at hand, but the cartel is seemingly eager to participate in an effort to bring up oil prices. On Tuesday morning Saudi Arabia Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi will speak at the conference, and market watchers are waiting to hear his views on this important issue.

On Monday, OPEC Secretary General Abdalla Salem El-Badri told CNBC that oil producers are still "feeling the water" over a possible deal to freeze production, and it is "wait and see" as to whether it leads to any other type of deal. Non-OPEC Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed with Venezuela and Qatar to cut production if other producers join in. El-Badri made the comment as he left a panel discussion he was participating in at the IHS CERAWeek energy conference in Houston. To the gathering he said, "Let's freeze production and, if successful, take other steps in the future." El-Badri said the proposed freeze should be evaluated after three to four months to see if it succeeds.

At CERAWeek, OPEC Secretary General Abdalla Salem El-Badri told CNBC that oil producers are still "feeling the water" over a possible deal to freeze production. Justin Solomon | CNBC

The market has speculated that if oil producers can agree on a freeze, a cut is not far behind. "It doesn't seem to be on the horizon yet," said Bhushan Bahree, IHS senior director and advisor on global oil markets. El-Badri's comments did suggest the members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries are willing to go along, but it is still not clear what position Iran will take. That country is busy trying to restore its market share and had committed to bringing back a million barrels of oil this year, adding to the 1.5 million to 2 million barrels currently oversupplying the market. Iran has supported the freeze idea but has not said it would curb its efforts to return oil to the market, now that sanctions against it are lifted.

The OPEC Secretary General said the cartel would next meet at its regularly scheduled meeting in June, in response to a question on whether it would hold a special meeting.

OPEC has held steadfast to its policy of letting the market set prices, even though its policy drove prices down sharply and some of its members called for action. In fact, the cartel had been accused of being powerless, or dead.

"We are not dead. We are alive, alive, alive," said El-Badri, during a news briefing. He said OPEC has been blamed for cutting production and now for not cutting production. "We're damned if you do, damned if you don't."
As the U.S. presidential herd begins to thin out, Wall Street is now in a "better position" to support the remaining candidates, political veterans told CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Monday.

Wall Street has already started pouring big cash into 2016's presidential candidates. Republican senator Marco Rubio recently received a whopping $4 million dollars from hedge fund managers. Jeb Bush who withdrew from the presidential race after a poor showing in South Carolina on Saturdayreceived $2.45 million, while the Democratic Party front runner Hillary Clinton, received $723, 361.

While the Democratic Party is down to Bernie Sanders and Clinton, the Republican race may still need to consolidate even, said Dan Clifton, head of policy research at Strategas Research Partners.

He added that Wall Street watchers were now in a "better position" to back a candidate, but more drop outs needed to occur.

"This Republican race should've started consolidating at the beginning of February," he said. "We just saw that consolidation really start after South Carolina."

Jeb Bush's withdrawal caught former republican presidential candidate and Forbes Media chairman, Steve Forbes, by surprise. Nonetheless, the publishing executive believes it was "the right thing."

"He did the right thing; it was over," Forbes told CNBC. "Poor showing; don't prolong the agony, get out, do it with dignity and grace, which is what he did."
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With the world focusing on the U.S. elections, the debate about what makes a suitable leader has never been fiercer, but the co-chair of the world's largest private charitable foundation hopes that one day there'll be a woman in the White House. "I think having an important role model is important for all boys and girls whether that's a man or a woman," Melinda Gates, co-chair of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, told CNBC's Tania Bryer. "To me it needs to be  you need to have a man in that (presidential) position, and you eventually need to have a woman, whether it's in my lifetime that would be fantastic. I certainly want it to be in my daughter's lifetime, absolutely." When asked whether she'd like to see Hillary Clinton become the U.S.' first female president, Gates said she always keeps her vote private. "Bill (Gates) and I always keep private who we are voting for in elections, so I'll wait to see what the outcome is and cheer on the other end."

Other public figures have also spoken out on who they'd like to see win the election, with many hoping for a female U.S. president as soon as 2016. Speaking at 2016's World Economic Forum, musician, will.i.am told CNBC he would vote for "Hillary" this November; while Lena Dunham, Snoop Dogg and Katy Perry, have all shown their public support for the candidate.

Gates' comments come on the back on her and her husband's annual letter, whereby she calls for the "burden" of unpaid work  which "falls heaviest on women in poor countries"  to be redistributed evenly worldwide. "Unless things change, girls today will spend hundreds of thousands more hours than boys doing unpaid work simply because society assumes it's their responsibility," Melinda Gates said in 2016's annual letter, adding that assigning most unpaid work to women "harms everyone."

Trump and his view on vaccinations

With the foundation constantly trying to find new ways of tackling extreme poverty and improving healthcare; promoting the use of vaccines is crucial to Bill and Melinda Gates.

Melinda Gates and Bill Gates of the Gates Foundation. Brian Ach | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

While Gates didn't reveal who she'd vote for, she did say she was "concerned any time any leader speaks out" and says something that is "a misrepresentation of the facts," in reference to Republican candidate Donald Trump's views on the issue of whether vaccinations lead to autism in children.

In September 2015, Trump's views on autism's association to child vaccinations were called to question at a CNN GOP debate, with Trump suggesting a link remained, even though the belief has been widely discredited. At the debate, Trump said autism had become an "epidemic" which had become "totally out of control." The billionaire backed up his comments, with a story of an employee's child who got diagnosed with the condition, after they got "a tremendous fever" and "very, very sick" due to a recently administered vaccine. Trump added however that he was in favor of vaccinations, but they should be given in "smaller doses" over a longer period of time.

In response to Trump's comments, Gates said she wants to make sure this "myth" about vaccines is dismissed. "Unfortunately autism got mixed up with vaccines for quite a long time and that myth existed in our society and I want to make sure it's not perpetuated." "So I spoke out on that because I want people to know that's not the truth and in fact it's been completely debunked. The doctor who actually said that, his license has been pulled from him, and it's taken us a long time to come back from that myth." "Bill and I are fundamental believers in vaccines because they save children's lives and that's true throughout the world." To read more about Bill and Melinda Gates annual letter, click here.
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As Nevada voters head to what are expected to be low turnout GOP caucuses Tuesday night, time is running out for Wall Street and the rest of the establishment Republican Party to stop Donald Trump's inexorable march to the nomination. Trump is expected to win big Tuesday, though no reliable polling exists, so pretty much anything could happen. But expecting a flashy, billionaire real estate executive with long-standing ties to the gambling industry to lose in the land of Las Vegas is not a smart bet. So assuming Trump rolls up another win, how does he not march on to the nomination? For many in the establishment it's literally an unthinkable moment because many thought it would never come to this. For months, many in the party, including former establishment champion Jeb Bush, have been deep in denial.

A man dressed as Elvis meets republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as he greets supporters after speaking during a campaign rally at South Point Arena in Las Vegas, NV on Monday Feb. 22, 2016. Jabin Botsford | The Washington Post | Getty Images

After all, how could a vulgar reality TV star who called Mexican immigrants rapists and proposed banning Muslims from entering the U.S. while denigrating John McCain for getting captured in Vietnam and promising neomercantilist trade wars with China and Mexico possibly be the presidential nominee of a major American political party? The view among elites on Wall Street and throughout corporate America was that after some laughs, voters would come to their senses and reject Trump. This view held that somehow, someway the fates would simply never allow Trump to win. This could still wind up being true. But time is running short. Following Bush's exit, the establishment is furiously rallying around Florida Sen. Marco Rubio but it may be too late. It's not clear that Rubio can score a win in any of the March 1 Super Tuesday states. Trump has big leads both in the South and in Northeastern states including Massachusetts. His ragtag coalition, which includes less-educated, lower-income and older voters along with angry GOP moderates and independents, shows no signs of flagging. And for now, the non-Trump vote will continue to be fractured among Rubio, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Kasich and Carson have no shot at winning but are both infected by the presidential ambition virus that keeps zombie hopes alive and makes dropping out difficult if not impossible. Cruz, whose campaign is beset by allegations of dirty tricks, could score a home-state win in Texas on Super Tuesday making it less likely that he leaves before the next big set of primaries on March 15. That day could seal the nomination for Trump if he takes down Rubio in Florida. It's still possible that the fight could go all the way to the GOP convention in Cleveland in July. But if Trump rolls in with a big delegate lead, how could the GOP deny him the nomination without causing a major revolt among his supporters that could drive the Democrats to an easy win in November?
Saudi oil minister Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi said Tuesday producers will hopefully meet in March to negotiate an output freeze, but production cuts will not happen.



Last week, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela proposed a freeze that would cap production at January levels. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Saturday the deal, which is contingent on other producers participating, should be finalized by March 1, Reuters reported.



"Freeze is the beginning of a process, and that means if we can get all the major producers to agree not to add additional balance, then this high inventory we have now will probably decline in due time. It's going to take time," Naimi said.



"It is not like cutting production. That is not going to happen because not many countries are going to deliver even if they say they will cut production  they will not deliver. So there is no sense in wasting our time seeking production cuts," he added.

There is now less trust than normal among the world's oil exporters, he said.

Naimi made his comments following a keynote speech at the IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston, his first U.S. appearance since Saudi Arabia led OPEC's current high production policy more than a year ago.



Asked by CNBC whether he believed speculation about an output cut would continue to affect the price of oil, he declined to comment.

Oil prices had surged on the prospect of OPEC and non-OPEC members capping production, but the rally stalled on Tuesday on doubts that a freeze would significantly reduce oversupply.
Australia's new trade minister has a message to the world: there's more to the country than just commodities.

Steven Ciobo, who recently replaced the former trade and investment minister, Andrew Robb, told CNBC's "Squawk Box" his job right now is to reinforce a couple of key messages.



"One is that Australia is much more than just resources and energy. It's about focusing on the services side of the economy. You know services represent 70 to 80 percent of Australia's economy yet it's only about 20 percent of our exports," he said.



"So there's a lot of scope for us to do more in the services sector and that's where the key part of what I've been focusing on over the past several days I've been in the U.S."



Australia's economic position, in recent times, has come under pressure as a result of the collapse in commodity prices.



The country's seasonally adjusted trade deficit widened in December by 30 percent from the previous month to 3.5 billion Australian dollars ($2.53 billion). On the upside, there was an uptick in the export of services, particularly those related to services.
Australia's Qantas Airways on Tuesday posted a record first-half profit as the lower oil price shrank its biggest single overhead, and wooed investors with a second straight A$500 million ($361 million) share buy-back.

The profit builds on a turnaround under Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce, who only last year returned the so-called Flying Kangaroo to profitability as he cut costs including 4,500 jobs, limited discounts and overhauled the frequent flyer program.

Investors however fretted that it appeared to rely too heavily on a one-fifth decline in fuel costs. A spike in the oil price overnight sent the airline's shares down 5 percent in a flat market.

"There's nothing in the result that worries too much, but there's a bit of risk on the oil price going up. People are taking a bit of risk off the table," said Rohan Walsh, investment manager at Karara Capital.
Benjamin Faes, MD of media and platforms at Google; Nick Hugh, VP and GM of advertising for EMEA at Yahoo; and Roi Carthy, CMO of Shine Technologies Arjun Kharpal

Google and Yahoo have accused ad-blocking software Shine of destroying the relationship between advertisers and consumers, after an executive from the company called its solution a "nuclear weapon" threatening the industry. In a heated debate at Mobile World Congress (MWC) on Tuesday, executives from Google and Yahoo clashed with Shine's chief marketing officer (CMO) over ad-blocking. Ad blocking software use grew 41 percent in the 12 months to August 2015 and there are now 198 million active adblock users around the world, according PageFair. Ad blocking was estimated to cost advertisers $22 billion last year.

"Shine is the single biggest threat in the history of advertising...it's a stellar opportunity to reset the relationship with consumers," Roi Carthy (CMO) of Shine Technologies said.

"We are not against advertising...there's a misconception that Shine is against advertising...we do believe new rules of engagement need to come about." Carthy claimed that consumers were being "abused" by advertising technology.

'Blunt' solution

In a survey conducted by Adobe of 260 adults, 42 percent of people said they feel ad-blocking improves the performance of their computer. The survey also found that marketers have not worked out mobile advertising either, with many ads using too much data to load, thereby slowing down a device.

The rise of the blocking software has caused backlash from advertisers and particularly companies like Google and Yahoo which rely heavily on revenues from advertising. Benjamin Faes, managing director of media and platforms at Google, called Shine's technology a "blunt" solution that punishes users and good advertisers. "Blocking all ads I think it's diminishing my experience of advertising and in that case we see an issue for the user themselves. More and more publishers just can't afford to give their content for free...a user with an ad-blocker will keep running on websites who ask the user to pay for content then they unblock the ad-blocker and then see all bad ads anyway," Faes said during the panel. "I just don't want to ruin that ecosystem...I'm really concerned by this black-and-white think," the Google executive added, suggesting that there needs to be a more nuanced approach to the issue.

'Destroying' relationship

Ad-blocking has gained the support of some major technology giants, however. Last year, Apple announced that Safari on iOS 9 would have ad-blocking capabilities. Meanwhile, Shine has struck key deals with mobile operators. Caribbean carrier Digicel announced last year it would roll out Shine's ad blocking software across its networks. And European carrier Three said it would also implement the technology this year. But Yahoo said that said the solution would punish good advertising and ruin the relationship between consumer and advertiser. "You're blocking at a network level, but actually at a publisher or property level some (ads) are very good and if you block everyone you completely destroy the value exchange and the ecosystem," Nick Hugh, vice-president and general manager of advertising for EMEA at Yahoo said.

'Military grade' targeting
Microsoft founder Bill Gates said tech companies should be forced to cooperate with law enforcement authorities, entering a fractious debate between Apple (AAPL) and the U.S. government over an iPhone of one of the San Bernardino terrorists. (CNBC)

Valeant (VRX) plans to restate its financial results for 2014 and 2015 after identifying some sales to Philidor that should have been recognized when products were dispensed to patients. The stock, down 10 percent Monday, pulled back further in premarket trading. (WSJ)

Bruno Iksil, the trader at the center of the so-called London whale trading debacle, broke nearly four years of silence by taking aim at his former employer JPMorgan Chase (JPM), saying he was made a scapegoat. (WSJ-subscription)

Tribune Publishing (TPUB) chief executive Jack Griffin has been ousted less than three weeks after he helped secure a substantial cash infusion from a private investor who became the firm's new board chairman. (WSJ-subscription)

PBS is starting a new 24-hour channel dedicated solely to children's programming. PBS Kids is expected to debut later this year, most likely in the fall. It will also be available online with a live stream. (NY Times)

Aerospace giants Honeywell (HON) and United Technologies (UTX) recently held talks about a merger with the potential to create a $94 billion sales colossus, but UTX pulled out of the discussions due to antitrust worries. (CNBC)

Two House Democrats, Sander Levin of Michigan and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, plan to introduce a bill today, seeking to curtail corporate inversions, a strategy used by American companies to move their headquarters overseas to cut their U.S. tax bills. (NY Times)

GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump takes the weekend win in South Carolina and the victory earlier this month in New Hampshire into today's Nevada caucus. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz look to halt Trump's roll. (USA Today)

On the eve of the Nevada caucus, Cruz fired his communications director after the aide acknowledged spreading a misleading video about Rubio's answer to questions about the bible. (NY Times)

House Speaker Paul Ryan joins CNBC's "Squawk Box" at 8:15 a.m. ET to talk about the Republican race and the GOP agenda on Capitol Hill.



A powerful storm could spawn severe thunderstorms and even a handful of dangerous tornadoes across the northern Gulf Coast today, according to forecasters. (NBC News)
Starbucks just set a key legal precedent for alcohol ... in Utah.

A liquor license that the coffee giant applied for in November was finally granted on Tuesday after months of deliberations by the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The restaurant is the first company to apply for a master license  a license that would cover five Utah locations  since the master license legislature was enacted in Utah in 2014, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Utah is a notoriously difficult state to obtain a liquor license because it distributes alcohol permits based on a population quota. The state's alcohol board decided to delay its ruling in 2015 and met with lawmakers, as its decision would set a precedent for future license approvals.
Syrian volunteers and their relatives wave the national flag and portraits of President Bashar al-Assad as they celebrate at the end of a paramilitary training conducted by the Syrian army in al-Qtaifeh. Louai Beshara | AFP | Getty Images

The US and Russia have agreed terms for a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria from February 27, in a move to stem the spiralling violence in a civil war into which several foreign powers have been drawn. The ceasefire plan does not include Isis or al-Qaeda's Syria branch, Jabhat al-Nusra, and leaves open the option for other groups to be excluded if they are deemed "terrorist" organisations by the UN Security Council. Moscow and Washington, who back rival sides in the conflict, called on other parties to declare their acceptance of the plan by midday, Damascus time, on Friday, February 26. According to the peace deal, Moscow, which backs Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, and Washington, which backs the rebels fighting to oust him, would set up a communication hotline and, potentially, a "working group" to ensure the plan's implementation and the honouring by their sides of the ceasefire. John Kerry, US secretary of state, called on all sides to accept the deal. "If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people," he said.

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Vladimir Putin, Russian president, said it was essential that Russia and the US, as co-chairs of the International Support Group for Syria, were ready to effectively monitor implementation of the ceasefire by both the Syrian government and armed opposition groups. The agreement "could become an example for responsible joint action of the international community," he said, in a statement. Late on Monday, the High Negotiations Council, which represents the opposition in peace talks, issued a statement indicating it had accepted the terms of the cessation of hostilities. More from The Financial Times :



David Cameron battles rebellion as sterling slides to 7-year low

Energy traders hang on Naimi comments

Rise in US shale oil output set to fill cutback by Opec Meanwhile, Mr Assad, called a parliamentary election for April 13, according to a statement issued by the presidency on Monday. Syria's last parliamentary election was in 2012 and they are held every four years. A ceasefire is critical for Syria, whose war has killed about 300,000 people and displaced half the population. Russia and Iran have intervened military on behalf of Mr Assad while a US-led coalition has bombed Isis in the east. Most recently, Turkey has targeted Syrian Kurdish militants advancing near its border. However, plenty of scepticism surrounds the plan. This month, peace talks sponsored by Washington and Moscow collapsed as Assad forces launched an offensive under Russian air cover to capture rebel strongholds in the north, forcing tens of thousands of civilians to flee.
I'm getting into stocks.



Or perhaps more accurately, I'm getting into stocks via a tax-free savings account designed specifically for my daughter who's barely a month old.

While none of this will technically be my money, there's an underlying lesson here for the broader investment environment: Time.

If you're a short-term trader or your edging towards retirement, you're quite within your rights to fret over what looks dangerously like the start of another equity bear market. However, if you're locking up cash into companies for the next 18 years, well you might as well enjoy yourself.
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U.S. stock index futures indicated a lower open on Tuesday as a rebound in commodity prices ran out of steam and global equities lost ground. Oil, which has been the top of investors' minds for the last few months, slipped with WTI futures hovering near $32.80 a barrel amid concerns of a supply glut from Iran.

There should also be some important headlines for the oil market Tuesday when Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi speaks at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston later.

European equities followed the negative tone set in Asia overnight where markets traded mostly lower. This came after a rally Monday, with U.S. stocks closing more than 1 percent higher, building on their best weekly gain of 2016.

In the U.S., earnings are due from First Solar , Dreamworks Animation , and Papa John's .
SENECA FALLS, N.Y.  Seneca Fallsbased Generations Bank announced plans to renovate its branch office in Seneca Falls.

Generations also unveiled a new initiative called Welcome to generation e, the company said in a news release issued Thursday.

Generations Bank says the new effort will promote the use of technology to make banking easy and accessible for all ages, including through its mobile banking app, according to an email from Katie MacIntyre, assistant VP and marketing officer at Generations Bank.

The banking company launched its phone app, MyGenMobile, in early 2013, according to MacIntyre.

The branch at 19 Cayuga St., which Generations Bank calls its flagship office, is separate from the banks headquarters building at 20 East Baynard St. in Seneca Falls, which opened in 2013.

The office renovation will start in the spring. Generations Bank expects crews to finish the work by this fall, the banking company said in its release.

The renovation work at the Cayuga Street office will have a look and feel thats similar to the Generations Bank headquarters building, the bank said.

The renovated office will combine traditional teller services by the same friendly faces combined with state of the art technology and the ability to embrace selfservice, Menzo Case, president & CEO of Generations Bank, said in the release.

Generations Bank explains its Welcome to generation e initiative this way:

When we talk about generations x, y, and z, we hear a lot about what makes each generation different Robert E. Kernan, Jr., chairman of Generations Bank, said. Generation e is truly different  because it isnt defined by when you were born, but by how you think and what you do. Its a generation that is adapting to changing technologies and looking for ways to free up some of their precious time.

Generations Bank says its customers are finding the MyGenMobile banking app a convenient way to conduct their banking and monitor their accounts. But, we also know that our customers look for direct contact with their trusted banker when its needed, which is why we are committed to maintaining nine fully staffed retail offices in the Finger Lakes region, Sandy Ferrara, VP of Generations Bank, said in the release.

Founded in 1870, Generations Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seneca-Cayuga Bancorp, Inc.

It has nine branches, including Seneca Falls, Auburn (2), Union Springs, Waterloo (2), Geneva, Phelps, and Farmington, according to its website.

Generations Bank also has an insurance business, called Generations Agency (formerly Royce & Rosenkrans), and financial planning and brokerage services offered by Generations Investment Services.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
The Salina plant of Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) will work on two new TPS-77 radars for Romania under a new contract the firm announced on Monday. Romania and Lockheed Martin have a partnership that dates to 1995 and that includes more than two dozen ground-based radars, like the TPS-77, shown in the companys provided photo. (Photo credit: Lockheed Martin website)

SALINA, N.Y.  The Salina plant of Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) will work on two new TPS-77 radars for Romania under a new contract the firm announced on Monday.

The Bethesda, Marylandbased defense contractor didnt provide any terms of its latest radar agreement in its news release.

The radars will include digital array row transceivers (DART), which the company said lead to energy efficiency and greater performance.

Lockheed Martin said that since 1995 it has provided Romania with more than two dozen ground-based radars.

For over 20 years, Lockheed Martin and Romania have built a strong partnership to enhance Romanias air surveillance and weather radar network, Mark Mekker, Lockheed Martin director of surveillance radar, said in the release. The feedback we receive from our ongoing collaborations with countries like Romania leads to the development of system enhancements, like DART. Our teams thrive on developing leading-edge technologies to meet our customers needs.

The TPS-77 DART uses gallium nitride (GaN) technology, allowing the high-power amplifiers to consume much less power, ultimately increasing reliability, lowering life-cycle costs and extending the radars useful life.

Lockheed Martin has been using GaN in its radars for more than six years, the company added.

The defense contractor has produced and maintains more than 175 surveillance-range radars, all of which are operational around the world detecting targets at ranges up to 250 miles, 24 hours a day, according to the release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
Santulli hazing unlikely to end binge drinking, says MU professor

Professor Phil Wood discusses how difficult it is to curb binge drinking in fraternities and sororities, what MU is doing and what it's not doing.
Best of Business 2022: Learn Who Won Our 15th Annual Reader Poll

Local professionals chose their favorite business and professional services, products, healthcare, dining and more. Find out who their top picks are.
By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal

A man who fled the United States after his indictment on a charge of child rape has pleaded guilty to a federal charge, the office of the U.S. Attorney said Tuesday.

Luke Cooke pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity in an agreement for a sentence of 11 and a half years in federal prison, said Louis Goggans, spokesman for U.S. Attorney Edward Stanton III.

A Shelby County grand jury indicted Cooke, a former minister, in April 2007 with aggravated sexual battery and rape after an investigation into allegations he preyed on an 8-year-old in 2006 and a 15-year-old between 2003 and 2006.

He was located in Albania in 2015, according to court documents. The extradition was completed Sept. 3.

Cooke entered a guilty plea to the federal charge on Feb. 16 and sentencing is scheduled for May.


"Bashful Bob" Letson and Porter Wagoner at the Grand Ole Opry. Photo by Judy Dorsey

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By John Beifuss of The Commercial Appeal

Each week for almost two decades, "Bashful Bob" Letson  WEVL's most down-home deejay and one of the great personalities in American country music radio  promised his listeners he'd be back on the air, "if the Good Lord's willing and the creeks don't rise."

"Bashful Bob" will continue to be heard on WEVL-FM 89.9, thanks to the volunteer radio station's archive of his programs. But as he might be the first to tell you, if he could, the will of "the Good Lord" has changed, and the two of them are now closer than ever: Mr. Letson, 81, died Monday night of lung cancer at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.

A real-deal country disc jockey whose soothing baritone drawl and unself-conscious rural charm made him one of the most distinctive and authentic voices on the Mid-South airwaves, "Bashful Bob" launched the "Sho-Nuff Country" music program  currently heard from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Wednesday  in 1997.

Judging from listener response, the show quickly became one of the most popular on the WEVL schedule, drawing listeners who preferred the tear-jerking twang and pedal-steel boogie of such "sho-nuff" country artists as Hank Williams, George Jones and "Miss LO-retta Lynn" (as Mr. Letson would say) to the slick, commercial sounds of modern Nashville.

A country-and-Western evangelist on a mission to share his beloved music, Mr. Letson and his carload of 250 vinyl records and CDs traveled close to 100 miles weekly from their Blue Springs, Mississippi, home to WEVL's studios on South Main. In 2002, the drive became a bit much, so "Bashful Bob" began recording the program at home with equipment donated by Yarbrough's Music. In 2009, he had to give up doing new shows, and WEVL switched to archival programs, dubbing the show "The Best of Sho-Nuff Country." (A precedent for this decision was established by the 2008 death of another distinctive WEVL personality, Dee "Cap'n Pete" Henderson, whose "The Best of Cap'n Pete's Blues Cruise" continues to be heard at 9 p.m. each Friday.)

Asked to define "true" country music, Mr. Letson told The Commercial Appeal in 1998: "Country music is anything I like."

"Bob was real," said WEVL program director Brian Craig. "He grew up listening to country music, he loved country music, and that love really came across the airwaves."

Bobby Harold Letson was born in the tiny village of Kossuth in North Mississippi and grew up in a home with eight brothers and two sisters. According to his wife of 58 years, Bobbie Dale Letson, Mr. Letson began playing guitar at age 6, already envisioning a future in country music and carefully conserving the batteries that powered the family radio, which was pretty much operated only during Grand Ole Opry broadcasts.

Mr. Letson left home to become a professional musician. He "played all over the place," Mrs. Letson said, even as far north as Chicago, and she and her husband played together in a bluegrass band. But although his love of the music never diminished, work and family responsibilities soon overtook dreams of country stardom, and Mr. Letson made a living most of his life as a tool-and-die machinist in the auto parts industry.

Despite his aw-shucks demeanor, Mr. Letson claimed he wasn't really "bashful." Even so, he didn't let his radio popularity go to his head. "I don't claim to be no good at this," he once said. "It's just that the music's real good."

Mr. Letson leaves three daughters, Janet Ausburn of Blue Springs, Mississippi; Judy Hendrix of Asheville, North Carolina; and Cynthia Potter of Corinth, Mississippi. He also leaves three sons, Joseph Letson of Mason, Tennessee; Jeffery Letson of Clifton, Tennessee; and Jessey Letson of Asheville. He had 14 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, including a great-grandson born Tuesday morning.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Beech Springs Baptist Church in Blue Springs. Glenfield Funeral Home in New Albany, Mississippi, has charge.

The family requests any memorials be sent to WEVL.
Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, speaks in favor of Gov. Bill Haslam's limited school voucher proposal in the Senate Finance Committee in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, April 8, 2014. The panel later advanced the measure to a full Senate vote. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

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By Richard Locker of The Commercial Appeal

NASHVILLE  The state Senate overwhelmingly approved a resolution Monday directing officials to file a lawsuit challenging aspects of the federal government's refugee resettlement program in Tennessee.

The resolution by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, declares that the federal government has refused to meet its obligation under federal laws to consult and collaborate with the state over the resettlement of refugees in Tennessee, and is forcing Tennessee to spend state tax money on refugees without specific approval by the legislature as required by the Tennessee Constitution.

That spending includes benefits and services like Medicaid that the federal government requires the state to provide to eligible refugees or risk losing all Medicaid money, according to the resolution.

It "directs" the state attorney general to either file a new lawsuit or join other states that have already filed suits, seeking a declaratory judgement in the federal courts that the federal government is failing to comply with the Refugee Act of 1980 and that the appropriation of state funds without specific approval by the legislature be prohibited.

If Attorney General Herbert Slatery declines to sue, the resolution allows the speakers of the Senate and House of Representatives to hire outside counsel to file suit.

The resolution now goes to the House, where debate on the issue has not yet been scheduled. It passed the Senate on a 27-5 vote, with Sens. Steve Dickerson, R-Nashville; Thelma Harper, D-Nashville; Lee Harris, D-Memphis; Sara Kyle, D-Memphis, and Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, voting against it. All other senators voted in favor except Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, who was absent.

Several dozen protesters, under the auspices of the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, appeared in the Capitol and Senate galleries to oppose the bill, calling it an effort to stop refugee resettlement in Tennessee.

After the vote, Stephanie Teatro, co-executive director of TIRRC, said the action "is a shameful moment for Tennessee. The Senate has just voted to close the door on refugees fleeing persecution. In the midst of a global refugee crisis, this resolution places our state on the wrong side of history."

But Norris rejected that argument during the floor debate. "I know there are folks here in the gallery today arguing the rights of immigrants and refugees. I'm arguing the rights of citizens and sovereignty in Tennessee. The two are not mutually exclusive. There are overlaps."

He said later, "What could be more than welcoming than a state willing to stand upon its rights under the state and federal constitutions to protect the people within its borders? Or on the contrary, would you feel welcome in a state that did not stand on its rights, to defend your rights, to defend the peace, safety and happiness of the people of this state? Nonsense. You come here more likely than not because you flee those places where you had no such rights. Would you feel welcome in a state that had those rights but didn't rise to enforce them? Of course not."

Norris said that testimony in a Senate committee earlier by state Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons indicated that federal authorities have declined to respond to Gibbons' requests for information on how refugees are vetted before being placed in the state and other information.

"This doesn't stop Tennessee from taking refugees," said Sen. Mark Green, R-Clarksville. "It's not a statement against refugees. We in Tennessee have a heart to take care of those people. However our federal government has failed to protect us. It's very clear that some people who want to do us harm have infiltrated these refugees."

Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, said Tennesseans "are welcoming but we need to know about the people being placed in our state. We need to know who they are, where they come from and where they are being placed."

Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris, D-Memphis, said many Tennesseans oppose the resolution. "They'd like to protect the vulnerable, they'd like to keep people safe and they'd like to be welcoming and inviting and tolerant. And they'd like for us to have a fair reputation worldwide as a welcoming Volunteer State."

Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, called the resolution "a thinly-veiled attempt to halt refugee resettlement in Tennessee. Closing our doors in the faces of families fleeing violence and terror undercuts who we are as Tennesseans. In addition, the state does not have 'veto power' over refugee resettlement."
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By Tom Charlier of The Commercial Appeal

Patrons at the Children's Museum of Memphis on Sunday likely didn't glance twice at the brown-haired, green-eyed 3-year-old sliding down the chute of the FedEx display plane and "milking" the mechanical cow.

But Manuel Alejandro Martinez has a special distinction among youngsters.

He's the first Cuban child since that nation's revolution in the 1950s to come to the U.S. for cardiovascular surgery, said Bill Pickens, founder of Gift of Life Mid-South. His group worked with another Memphis-based nonprofit organization, the International Children's Heart Foundation, and U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Memphis Democrat, to arrange for Manuel's treatment at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.

On Thursday, Manuel will undergo lifesaving surgery at Le Bonheur to have a heart valve replaced. The operation is needed because he was born with tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital condition characterized by a series of heart defects that cause oxygen-poor blood to be pumped throughout the body.

The boy's need for surgery was discovered during a medical mission by the ICHF, which was working to conduct operations in Cuba in partnership with surgeons from that country. Although Cuba is recognized for its strong health care system and large number of specialists, doctors determined that the operation should be done in the U.S.

"The equipment and stuff they need to do the operation weren't available," Pickens said.

Le Bonheur, one of the nation's leading children's hospitals, was an obvious choice, he said. "Le Bonheur does this kind of procedure on a regular basis."

The visit was approved after six months of negotiations between American and Cuban officials. It follows President Barack Obama's initiative to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba, a move symbolized by the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Havana last August.

"If we hadn't had that, it would've made this a much more difficult task, if not impossible," Pickens said.

Upon hearing of the foundation's efforts to bring Manuel to Memphis, Cohen wrote Le Bonheur in support of the transfer. In a prepared statement, the congressman praised Cuban Ambassador Jose Ramon Cabanas Rodriguez for his assistance in Manuel's trip, which Cohen said would help "advance medical diplomacy between Memphis and Cuba."

Pickens said the foundation considered having the operation done in Miami. But surgery there might have become "too political," given the intense opposition to Cuba's Communist government among that city's large Cuban population, he said.

Manuel likely will need another heart valve-replacement operation before he's an adult, Pickens said.

Although Manuel will be the first Cuban child since the 1950s to come to the U.S. for heart surgery, another renowned Memphis institution  St. Jude Children's Research Hospital  has treated Cuban kids for cancer, according to Cohen's office.
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By Jody Callahan of The Commercial Appeal

The Israeli ambassador to the United States mounted a passionate defense of his adopted homeland and its place in the world during a speech in Memphis Monday night.

Ron Dermer, who was born in America but moved to Israel and took citizenship there, spoke for about 50 minutes to several hundred people at the Baron Hirsch synagogue in East Memphis.

Several local dignitaries attended the speech, including Mayor Jim Strickland, Shelby County Commissioner Steve Basar, noted developer Jack Belz and even Memphis Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace.

Dermer was born in Miami Beach in 1971 and attended the University of Pennsylvania and Oxford University. After working as a political consultant in the U.S., Dermer moved to Israel and began writing for the Jerusalem Post. He soon caught the eye of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and eventually became one of his closest advisors. When named economic envoy to the Israeli embassy in Washington, Dermer had to surrender his American citizenship. He was named Israeli ambassador to the U.S. in 2013.

On his visit to Memphis, Dermer said he toured Graceland ("the holy of holies," he called it) Monday morning, then followed that with a trip to the National Civil Rights Museum.

In his speech, Dermer said he wasn't worried about the future of Israel, the nation-state in the Middle East that has been under siege almost from the moment of its inception. Despite continuing terror attacks as well as threats from Iran, ISIS and groups like Hamas, Israel will survive and even thrive, Dermer told those gathered Monday night.

"We have faced very difficult times for the last few months, but I assure you, Israel will overcome these," Dermer said. "We are a very, very powerful and resilient people in Israel. I'm not worried about Israel, but I am worried about what I see in the world and the way people treat Israel."

Much of Dermer's concern over Israel's future centered on the conflict with the Palestinians, a decades-long clash that shows no signs of abating.

"We've got people day after day who are trying to kill our citizens," Dermer said, later adding that "when the Palestinians admit that we are a people, and that we have rights to that land, we'll have peace."

Dermer railed against anti-Israeli propaganda he said Palestinians  as well as some world leaders  have repeated. He also acknowledged that Israel has extremists as well, mentioning the firebombing of a house in Duma last July that killed three Arabs, including a child.

"But you do not judge a society by the acts of an extremist. You judge it by the reactions of the society to that act," he said. Israel has charged two suspects in that case.

Dermer's pro-Israel stance was, expectedly, mirrored in the crowd, many of whom have journeyed to Israel. Some who attended Monday night have relatives or children serving in the Israeli defense forces.

One of those praising Israel was Strickland, who addressed the crowd briefly before Dermer spoke.

"Whatever affects Israel affects all of us. For me, Israel is the cradle of civilization and remains a world leader. It is the only true democracy in the Middle East," Strickland said. "For that reason and more, I strongly support the state of Israel."
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By Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal

Collierville rejected a proposal Monday night to allow indoor gun ranges in more sections of town as opposition from the doctors at a clinic near a proposed range  and the possibility of a lawsuit  swayed some board members.

The vote actually was a 3-3 tie, meaning the measure failed, Mayor Stan Joyner said. Voting in favor of changing rules to allow gun ranges in commercial districts were aldermen Tom Allen, Billy Patton and Joyner Voting against changing the rules were aldermen Maureen Fraser, John E. Stamps and John Worley.

"This is exactly what we had hoped for," said Dr. Gina Hanissian, a physician who had opposed a shooting range near the clinic she runs with her husband Dr. Ara Hanissian."People can still get a shooting range in Collierville if they so choose."

Town rules already allow gun ranges in industrial districts. At issue was a proposed rule change to allow them in commercial districts.

The conflict pitted the interests of two small businesses against one another and illustrates how guns and gun culture continue to cause controversy both locally and nationally.

Businessman Mike Italiano sought to convert a warehouse at 177 Abbington Road near the intersection of Poplar and U.S. 72. into an indoor gun range for sport shooters and law enforcement officers. He and associate Jim Kohan said bullet-resistant materials surrounding the shooting area would stop bullets from escaping the building even if shots went totally astray.

However, the husband and wife medical team raised several objections earlier this month, including the possibility of guns accidentally going off in the parking lot. They also said the gun range was so close it might intimidate visiting parents and prompt them to take their children elsewhere, hurting their ability to earn a living and their investment in the property.

The board originally heard discussion on the proposed measure Feb. 8, but delayed a vote for further study. A work session on the matter was held last week.

At Monday's meeting, Fraser read a letter from a representative of a nearby trailer park who likewise opposed the range.

Town attorney Nathan Bicks said if the board approved zoning rule changes to allow gun ranges in commercial districts, they'd soon face a request from Italiano and Kohan for a permit at 177 Abbington. "Then, if they meet the standards and requirements, then you'll be obligated to issue the permit," he told board members. "And that's when you're going to get sued, I think."

Neither the doctors nor their attorney David Lakin made an explicit lawsuit threat, though some of Lakin's statements before the board seemed to hint at that. Afterward, Lakin said, "No physician wants to sue a town." He said they want what anyone else wants  certainty about land planning. "Would you buy a huge expensive property somewhere, not knowing what's going to be put next to you?" He said the town made the right decision.

For Kohan, the vote was a setback.

"Right now, we'll go back to the drawing board and figure out what we're going to do," he said.
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By Clay Bailey of The Commercial Appeal

Well, after a lot of discussion, the Travure project in Germantown has gotten the blessing of city officials. Meanwhile, a second clinic is opening in Bartlett to serve some suburban employees and their families.

Bartlett is swearing in a new judge, Kroger is building a big store in Arlington and Trump is coming to Millington.

So, let's get started Outside the Loop.

GERMANTOWN

TRAVURE TRIUMPH: They probably are still celebrating in Gill-Ville after Monday night's Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting. After months of contentious debate, officials approved the $90 million mixed-use development.

And it only took about two more hours of debate during the meeting.

Rather than get into all the details, I direct you to Jane Roberts story on the Monday night showdown at Germantown City Hall.

Developer Ray Gill appeared to be near his limit on patience regarding the citys requirements before Monday night's decision. With the approval, he has to be breathing a sigh of relief.

The site on the south side of Poplar east of Kirby Parkway is the old Kirby Farms property. For decades, Ive seen plans show up for the 10 acres in Germantowns department of development, and visually they are no further along than they were when Walter Wills III proposed the ideas for his old family homestead.

Until Monday night.

I don't have any idea of the exact timetable for getting the work underway, but I bet it will be as soon as possible.

FROM COLLIERVILLE to BARTLETT

DOCTOR, DOCTOR GIVE ME THE NEWS: A new clinic serving several groups of suburban employees will open next week in Bartlett. And early reviews from the initial location in Collierville have been quite positive.

The Care4Us clinic is slated to open on U. S. 70 in Bartlett next Monday. The offices offer preventive and primary care for employees and their dependents in Bartlett, Collierville and Lakeland city governments and all of the municipal school districts, except Germantown Municipal Schools.

Those using the Collierville location, which opened in the fall, cited convenience and the ability to receive treatment and be on their way in 30 minutes as part of the attraction of the clinics. Having no co-pay, no deductible to meet and a good supply of generic prescription drugs on site enhances the idea also.

Peter Voss, Bartlett's personnel director, said hes seeing more of such partnerships between governments or large companies to provide similar clinics for employees. In fact, he said, the Bartlett location is designed for expansion.

Were expecting use to grow, he said.

SHORT TRIPS

BARTLETT EXIT: Bartlett Municipal Judge Tim Francavilla will formally take the oath of office at the Bartlett Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting Tuesday night. Francavilla was selected by the board earlier this month to fill the remainder of the term of longtime judge Freeman Marr, who died in December.

Truth is, Tuesday nights ceremonies are the official judicial swearing. Francavilla actually took the oath after his appointment two weeks ago, so he could begin serving as judge the next morning.

LAKELAND EXIT: Reporter Jane Roberts explained how third-graders at Lakeland Elementary have interacted with a Dalmatian mix Naomi to enhance their writing skills. The students have exchanged communication with Naomi, who was adopted from the Memphis Animal Shelter.



ARLINGTON EXIT: The Arlington Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Monday night unanimously approved the master plan for a shopping center development near Airline and Milton Wilson. The plan  called Shops of Arlington  covers 24 acres and includes a 123,000-square-foot Kroger Market. As planned, the store would be the largest Kroger in the Memphis metropolitan area.

Many believe the development could kick-start development in the area only a short distance north of the Arlington exit of Interstate 40.

Mayor Mike Wissman said the development is huge for Arlington and Shelby county. While there are still some adjustments necessary, the vote was a major hurdle to clear. The mayor said if all goes according to schedule, site development could begin by this summer.

MILLINGTON EXIT

TRUMP STUMPING: As reporter Ryan Poe wrote Monday, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump will make a stop at the Millington Regional Jetport on Friday in advance of next week's Super Tuesday primary.
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College campuses are not immune to crime, and while the numbers of reported crimes may not be as high as those in the surrounding communities, it is good to see that higher education officials are not complacent about safety.

The Tennessee Board of Regents has decided to spend about six months researching safety and security on its campuses. Acting TBR Chancellor David Gregory told board members last week he will create a Campus Safety and Security Task Force that will review all aspects of campus safety  from security at campus entry and exit points and facilities to security personnel.

The Board of Regents oversees the state's six universities that are not part of the University of Tennessee system, including the University of Memphis, community colleges and the state's centers of applied technology.

The task force's members will include representatives from all three post-secondary types of schools, with a goal of placing sharper focus on what each type of institution can do to make its campus safer.

That includes making sure staff members are adequately trained in safety and reporting procedures. The reporting aspect particularly is important in the context of concerns about campus officials nationally underreporting crimes, especially sexual assaults.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, in the latest figures available, said overall crime reported by Tennessee colleges and universities decreased by 6.3 percent from 2013 to 2014.

For the same period reported incidents of burglary decreased by 34.1 percent; reported fraud offenses increased 19 percent; reported incidents of rape increased from 26 to 46, and DUI offenses reported by Tennessee's colleges and universities decreased by 34.9 percent.

Chancellor Gregory's move should be comforting to parents of students who live on campus, especially if it is the first time their children have lived on their own. He said his goal is to be proactive instead reactive when it comes to campus safety.

When the task force makes it recommendations sometime in September, we hope he or a new TBR chancellor keeps "proactive" in mind in carrying through on the suggestions.
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By Margaret Carlson

Welcome, voters, to the new, improved Republican race for the presidency. At one time, there were close to 20 politicians to follow, but post-South Carolina, it's more like the final rounds of "The Apprentice," with many fewer nervous strivers to keep track of and rising interest from viewers.

Does that help Donald Trump? Conventional wisdom says no, the empty suit won't be able to stand the scrutiny.

But what if it does help, in the way that everything helps Donald Trump, even the Pope calling him un-Christian and the Bushes coming out to campaign against him?

After Trump called out former President George W. Bush for his disastrous invasion of Iraq, he was warned that the 43rd commander in chief is popular in South Carolina. Trump responded with three words that proved prophetic, "So am I."

Trump then proceeded to make a few new enemies  the Vatican, Apple and those who suspect that Trumpcare might be a lot like Obamacare  but he also got himself under control.

On the Sunday morning news shows, fresh from his South Carolina triumph, but not triumphant, he rolled out Trump 5.0. Has he grown in his candidacy from incorrigible jerk to gracious winner? It grieves what's left of the Republican establishment to admit in a whisper that Trump has become a better candidate. It could be resignation: Accept that which you cannot change. No Republican has won New Hampshire and South Carolina without going on to win the nomination.

On "Face the Nation," the new Trump looked tanned, rested and ready as he spoke from Palm Beach, Fla., where he'd flown for a good night's sleep in one of his many gold-encrusted beds. When asked if it was his nomination to lose, he generously said it was not. "I'm dealing with very, very talented people, smart people, good people."

He tempered his remarks that Sen. Ted Cruz had lied, enlisting Sen. Marco Rubio to help: Rubio "actually said the same thing, and he said it during the debate, that he was lying."

And Trump made peace with the Vatican, admitting that he'd been bellicose.

"I was in a state of shock, because I have never seen the pope talk about something as unimportant as Donald Trump."

Rather than saying his latest victory showed that he had bested the pope, he preferred to call it "probably a neutral." On Iraq, he kept the Bushes out of it and gave as succinct a summary of the debacle there as any candidate. That's a lot to get done in a few minutes.

This relative humility is all the more remarkable as there's no mistaking his accomplishment. He's consolidated the blue-collar wing of the Republican Party and brought in some Reagan Democrats. He didn't carry the most religious of the religious right, but he won other evangelicals. He used his victory lap on national TV Sunday to widen his net. Women don't trust him? On "Meet the Press," He cited one of his rivals who vowed to shut down Planned Parenthood, regardless of whether the group provided important services: "I know one of the candidates  I won't mention names  who said we're not going to spend that kind of money on women's health issues. I am."

By comparison, Rubio, who came in second, looked as if his mother had just woken him, splashed some water on his face, and sent him off to school. He could pivot now and go after Cruz  leave hard-core evangelicals to the Texas senator, keep the evangelicals with a college degree, and become the more moderate anti-Trump. Instead, he seemed to be focusing on forcing Trump to be more specific.

Rubio is barking up the wrong tree by demanding specifics from Trump and hoping that will disillusion his voters. They don't want specifics, they want sentiment. It's enough to stick it to The Man who hasn't delivered for them. This angry cohort wants it known that they're on to the scam. Just as taxis, hotels and the media have been disrupted by innovators, so politics is going to be for the depressed Trump voter.

Cruz, meanwhile, promised not to go negative, nor hold Rubio's youth and inexperience against him. He crowed about his third-place finish as if he had won. Cruz, who claims to be the most religious, is narrowly focusing on evangelicals, but he shares those with Rubio and Trump. He argued that he won first place among young people and working-class voters, but South Carolina exit polls showed that Trump won 45 percent among voters with a high school education or less, compared with 37 percent for Cruz. Trump also won 40 percent of the voters who have some college education or an associate degree to Cruz's 24 percent.

Exit polls also revealed that Trump's voters decided on him months ago. Statements that would kill another candidate only made him stronger (for example, musing whether it might be a good idea to execute Muslim terrorists with bullets dipped in pigs' blood, a technique that, according to a discredited legend, was used by Gen. John Pershing to quell an insurgency in the Philippines). Rubio pressing Trump for a 10-point plan to make America Great Again is like throwing a spitball at a battleship. It's going to take a crowbar  thousands of them  to pry those voters away from Trump.

The now-defunct Spy Magazine used to feature a graph called Asset Adjusted Height, which showed how various famous, but short, men gained stature when standing atop their wealth. Trump makes the guy crushed by globalism feel taller. It's going to be hard to defeat that, even if you think you have God on your side.

Margaret Carlson is a Bloomberg View columnist. Contact her at mcarlson3@bloomberg.net.
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By Stephen Carter

Many years ago, when Oliver North was running for the Senate from Virginia, I received a call from a reporter. She told me that some church groups in the commonwealth were praying for North's election. Then she asked if their behavior violated the separation of church and state. I explained to her that as separationism is a rule of constitutional law, only the state and not the church can violate it.

My answer got on her nerves.

That story came to mind last week with the news that Pope Francis, returning from his visit to Mexico, had said some, um, controversial things about presidential candidate Donald Trump. Much of the commentary focused on the likely effect of the pope's comments on the Republican nomination battle. I've found more interesting the voices questioning whether the pope should have said anything at all.

Let's get one thing straight from the beginning. Contrary to what I kept reading on the Chyron, the pope didn't actually say that Trump isn't a Christian. What Francis said was: "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian."

As so often in this papacy, the proof is in the parsing. The reference to building bridges is plainly metaphorical. This suggests that Francis also had metaphor in mind when he spoke of building walls. In other words, he was speaking less of Trump than of the human heart  all of our human hearts. This interpretation is consistent with what Francis has said about immigration, and many other challenges, from the start of his papacy. It has long been his habit to take the questions asked by journalists traveling with him and turn them into teaching opportunities. I think that's what the pope was up to here, and the press simply missed his point.

But let's put that aside.

Let's take it that I'm wrong, and Francis indeed announced that in his opinion, Trump isn't a Christian. Is there supposed to be something wrong with that? Religious leaders have been raining anathemas on the heads of politicians for as long as the U.S. has existed. There are always people who don't care for the practice, but it's a part of the electoral landscape.

Back in 1990, when Cardinal John O'Connor was warning of possible excommunication of pro-choice Catholic politicians, liberals trembled with fury, but New York Mayor Ed Koch famously shrugged: "That's his job." Three decades earlier, when Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel of New Orleans threatened to excommunicate several pro-segregation legislators, many conservatives were furious, some managing to place the blame on the Catholic president sitting in the Oval Office.

The preachers of the Social Gospel in the early 20th century told their flocks to vote for representatives who would support a fairer distribution of the nation's resources. People who "call themselves Christians," wrote a leader of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in 1929, should not "live in comfort, accepting the dividends of industries where women toil for ten hours a day in the heat and noise of a factory for thirteen dollars a week."

We can go back a lot further. Here's Rev. Charles Finney, the most prominent among the abolitionist clergy, preaching about the 1860 election: "I should be very prone to think that no one ought to cast his vote against [a slave's] liberty for the mere sake of money or office." Everybody understood that he meant for his listeners to vote for Abraham Lincoln. Another prominent abolitionist, Rev. Theodore Parker, had included in an 1854 sermon a list of names of politicians who should be voted out of office because of their support for slavery. "Call meetings, bring out men of all parties, all forms of religion, agitate, agitate, agitate."

The pro-slavery side rejected such interference in politics. When during the 1850s a group of Protestant ministers petitioned Congress, contending that no Christian could support slavery, Sen. Benjamin Butler complained that the signatories "have dared to quit the pulpit and step into the political arena." Sen. Stephen Douglas agreed, dismissing them as "political preachers" who "ought to be rebuked, and required to confine themselves to their vocation."

Not every critic of the abolitionist preaching was pro-slavery. During the 1820s, for example, the great Baptist iconoclast Alexander Campbell condemned engagement with politics. Christians, he wrote, should simply submit themselves to those who had charge of earthly government, not try to change them. But even Campbell included a proviso: "unless where any of their commands might require a breach of the law of Christ."

The truth is, you can pick an era you like, and you will find clergy denying that any Christian can hold a particular political position. It's all part of the tumult and diversity that are America. When the pope wades in, perhaps the news media pay more attention. But all Francis is doing is what clergy have always done.

Stephen Carter is a Bloomberg View columnist and a law professor at Yale.
Ashley and Jacob Canterberry, with son Brody, 1 month, and daughter Brinley, 4, are enjoying the spaciousness of their Cordova home.

SHARE The pool is shut down for the Winter but the family intends to get it opened up when warm weather arrives. Built in shelves provide plenty of storage space for family momentos. The living room benefits from plenty of windows with plantation shutters, it also has additional natural light coming from a skylight. The Canterberrys purchased the 4,500-square-foot home in late October for $344,000. The home in the Woodchase neighborhood has five bedrooms, three and a half baths, a bonus room and a pool.

'I don't ever want to leave'

By Stacey Wiedower, Special to The Commercial Appeal

Jacob and Ashley Canterberry didn't have their sights set on a big home  just a bigger home.

Expecting their second child, the Canterberrys had been renting a 1,200-square-foot house in East Memphis for four years. They knew they couldn't squeeze another person into the small rental house, and they also knew the time had come to buy.

So like most modern homebuyers, they took to the Internet.

"At first it was all online," said Ashley, a nurse at Baptist Memorial Hospital in East Memphis. "We put in number of rooms, maximum price, all that stuff. Once we rounded up a few that we actually liked and wanted to go see, then (Jacob) contacted USAA."

Jacob, a U.S. Navy veteran and an electrical technician for Roxul in Byhalia, Miss., was referred to Albert Lee, a Realtor with Century 21 Maselle & Associates who often works with military buyers. At first the Canterberrys, who both grew up in Memphis, were centering their search on East Memphis neighborhoods.

However, they had trouble finding just the right house, with the right amount of space, in the right price range. Their search also had frequent interruptions due to Jacob's job at the time  he was working on an oil rig, which meant he was home for three weeks, then away for three weeks.

"I still wanted to look at houses when he was gone," Ashley said. "Albert was great. He was so good about, 'Look at this. Notice how this floor bounces, how this is not hanging right.' It could have pretty paint and I'd think it was the one. I didn't know what I was looking for. I appreciated his help very much."

It was while Jacob was home that he came across an interesting listing in an area he and Ashley hadn't considered.

"We were looking in East Memphis the whole time," he said. "We didn't want to live out in the Cordova area. But I saw this online, saw the pictures, called Albert and said I just want to have a look at it."

The home in the Woodchase neighborhood off Dexter Road had a feature Jacob really wanted: a pool. And not just a pool, but a series of landscaped patios with an in-ground pool, a cabana and an outdoor kitchen.

The house was so big, with so many amenities, that at first Ashley didn't even want to go inside.

"It was so overwhelming," she said. "Just walking downstairs, I didn't want to go see the upstairs. I was already like, this is too much house. I think my biggest thing was, 'How are we going to afford it?'"

Ashley had her eye on another house, a smaller home off Kirby Parkway in East Memphis. But both Albert and Jacob pointed out that if the couple had more children in the future, they'd have to move yet again. Plus, Jacob wanted a house with at least 3,000 square feet.

The Cordova house had five bedrooms, three and a half baths and a bonus room. Ashley, still nervous at the idea of buying a big house, wasn't easily convinced. She, Jacob and Lee sat at the kitchen table in the Cordova home and debated its pros and cons.

"We were at that kitchen table with her for a long time," Lee said. "The seller was gracious enough for us to be there a little bit longer."

"By that night, we'd decided that this would be the one we would try to get," added Ashley. "It took a lot of (Jacob) trying to talk me into it, him saying this is what's best, that if we have another kid this is still the perfect house. That other house, there was no more growing into it."

And so, the Canterberrys made the offer, which was accepted. They purchased the 4,500-square-foot house in late October for $344,000.

At the time of closing, the couple still had a month to go on their lease. And that meant they were able to take their time moving out of their former rental and settling in to their new home  and furniture shopping.

"At the other house, we had enough stuff that the house looked perfectly furnished," Ashley said. "Then we come here and I feel like I'm a college student starting all over because almost every room was bare."

"My brother and I moved all the heavy stuff and it took us four hours to get everything in," added Jacob.

The couple had furniture for the master bedroom and a few other spaces. But they had a lot of blank spaces to fill, and for that, they turned to Ashley Furniture. They bought a couch, dining room table and chairs, and more.

"The plan was to do one room at a time, but we needed to get the bigger stuff," Jacob said.

"I got tired of seeing all the empty spaces," added Ashley.

Now that they're settled in, the Canterberrys love spending time in their new living room, which features two full walls of built-in cabinetry and bookshelves, along with a wood-burning fireplace. Large windows look out to the big backyard, which has a covered brick patio, a scored concrete patio with a fire pit and a pathway that leads up to the pool and cabana.

Upstairs is a spacious playroom and two bedrooms connected by Jack-and-Jill baths. Downstairs is a large master suite, a formal dining room and a home office, as well as bedrooms for the couple's two kids  Brinley, 4, and Brody, 1 month.

The house was move-in ready, but Jacob and Ashley painted a few rooms, including the kitchen and Brinley's room. They've also replaced some light fixtures and hardware, and in the spring, they plan to tackle some outdoor projects.

"We want to get patio furniture, just do some decorating," Ashley said. "Inside we're starting with the living room, and then we'll furnish the guest bedroom so we can have family come stay."

Down the road, they plan to replace flooring with hardwood and do some more updating, but they're not in a rush. They're enjoying the process of turning their house into a cozy family home. Ashley, for her part, has completely come around to the idea of owning a big house.

"Now that we're at this house, I don't ever want to leave," she said. "We go somewhere to hang out with friends, go to the store, get out of the house, and I'm like, I just want to go back home. That's how I know that we did make the right choice  because all I want to do is spend time here. I love our house so much. It already feels like home."
Select Commodity All Ajwan Alasande Gram Almond(Badam) Alsandikai Amaranthus Ambada Seed Amla(Nelli Kai) Amphophalus Antawala Anthorium Apple Apricot(Jardalu/Khumani) Arecanut(Betelnut/Supari) Arecanut(Betelnut/Supari) Arhar (Tur/Red Gram)(Whole) Arhar (Tur/Red Gram)(Whole) Arhar Dal(Tur Dal) Ashgourd Astera Avare Dal Bajra(Pearl Millet/Cumbu) Bajra(Pearl Millet/Cumbu) Balekai Bamboo Banana Banana - Green Barley (Jau) Bay leaf (Tejpatta) Beans Beaten Rice Beetroot Bengal Gram Dal (Chana Dal) Bengal Gram(Gram)(Whole) Ber(Zizyphus/Borehannu) Ber(Zizyphus/Borehannu) Betal Leaves Bhindi(Ladies Finger) Bitter gourd Black Gram (Urd Beans)(Whole) Black Gram Dal (Urd Dal) Black pepper BOP Bottle gourd Bran Brinjal Broken Rice Broomstick(Flower Broom) Bull Bunch Beans Cabbage Calf Capsicum Cardamoms Carnation Carrot Cashewnuts Castor Seed Cauliflower Chapparad Avare Chennangi Dal Cherry Chikoos(Sapota) Chili Red Chilly Capsicum Chow Chow Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum(Loose) Cinamon(Dalchini) Cloves Cluster beans Cock Cocoa Coconut Coconut Oil Coconut Seed Coffee Colacasia Copra Coriander(Leaves) Corriander seed Cotton Cotton Seed Cow Cowpea (Lobia/Karamani) Cowpea (Lobia/Karamani) Cowpea(Veg) Cucumbar(Kheera) Cummin Seed(Jeera) Custard Apple (Sharifa) Dalda Dhaincha Drumstick Dry Chillies Dry Fodder Dry Grapes Duck Duster Beans Egg Elephant Yam (Suran) Field Pea Firewood Fish Foxtail Millet(Navane) French Beans (Frasbean) Galgal(Lemon) Garlic Ghee Gingelly Oil Ginger(Dry) Ginger(Green) Gladiolus Cut Flower Goat Gram Raw(Chholia) Gramflour Grapes Green Avare (W) Green Chilli Green Fodder Green Gram (Moong)(Whole) Green Gram Dal (Moong Dal) Green Peas Ground Nut Oil Ground Nut Seed Groundnut Groundnut (Split) Groundnut pods (raw) Guar Guar Seed(Cluster Beans Seed) Guava Gur(Jaggery) He Buffalo Hen Hippe Seed Honge seed Hybrid Cumbu Indian Beans (Seam) Indian Colza(Sarson) Isabgul (Psyllium) Jack Fruit Jaffri Jamun(Narale Hannu) Jarbara Jasmine Jowar(Sorghum) Jute Kabuli Chana(Chickpeas-White) Kacholam Kakada Kankambra Karamani Karbuja(Musk Melon) Kartali (Kantola) Khoya Kinnow Knool Khol Kodo Millet(Varagu) Kulthi(Horse Gram) Lak(Teora) Leafy Vegetable Lemon Lentil (Masur)(Whole) Lilly Lime Linseed Lint Litchi Little gourd (Kundru) Long Melon(Kakri) Lotus Lotus Sticks Lukad Mahedi Mahua Mahua Seed(Hippe seed) Maida Atta Maize Mango Mango (Raw-Ripe) Marasebu Marget Marigold(Calcutta) Marigold(loose) Mashrooms Masur Dal Mataki Methi Seeds Methi(Leaves) Millets Mint(Pudina) Moath Dal Mousambi(Sweet Lime) Mustard Mustard Oil Myrobolan(Harad) Neem Seed Niger Seed (Ramtil) Nutmeg Onion Onion Green Orange Orchid Ox Paddy(Dhan)(Basmati) Paddy(Dhan)(Common) Papaya Papaya (Raw) Patti Calcutta Peach Pear(Marasebu) Peas cod Peas Wet Peas(Dry) Pegeon Pea (Arhar Fali) Pepper garbled Pepper ungarbled Persimon(Japani Fal) Pigs Pineapple Plum Pointed gourd (Parval) Pomegranate Potato Pumpkin Raddish Ragi (Finger Millet) Raibel Rajgir Ram Rat Tail Radish (Mogari) Raya Resinwood Rice Ridge gourd(Tori) Ridgeguard(Tori) Rose(Local) Rose(Loose) Rose(Loose)) Round gourd Rubber Sabu Dan Sabu Dana Safflower Sajje Same/Savi Season Leaves Seemebadnekai Seetafal Seetapal Sesamum(Sesame,Gingelly,Til) Sesamum(Sesame,Gingelly,Til) She Buffalo She Goat Sheep Snake gourd Snakeguard Soanf Soapnut(Antawala/Retha) Soji Soyabean Spinach Sponge gourd Squash(Chappal Kadoo) Sugar Sugarcane Sunflower Sunhemp Suram Surat Beans (Papadi) Suva (Dill Seed) Suvarna Gadde Sweet Potato Sweet Pumpkin T.V. Cumbu T.V. Cumbu Tamarind Fruit Tamarind Seed Tapioca Taramira Tender Coconut Thinai (Italian Millet) Thogrikai Thondekai Tinda Tobacco Tomato Toria Tube Rose(Double) Tube Rose(Loose) Tube Rose(Single) Turmeric Turmeric (raw) Turnip Walnut Water Melon Wheat Wheat Atta White Peas White Pumpkin Wood Yam Yam (Ratalu)

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Nick Timothy is Director of the New Schools Network and a former Chief of Staff to Theresa May.

Those who cannot remember the past, so they say, are condemned to repeat it. And given that the debate about Britains membership of the European Union is the third great split in the history of the Conservative Party  after the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 and the indecision about tariff reform that led to defeat in 1906  there are lessons for us today in those two schisms.

The first, and most obvious, is that when a party comes to believe that a single policy is more important than anything else  and when that policy is something upon which it disagrees  it can find itself out of power for a long time. In the general election of 1847, the year after Sir Robert Peel decided to repeal the Corn Laws in defiance of the protectionists who constituted most of his Party, the Conservatives still managed to win a majority. But Peels followers  who disagreed with the Party leadership that succeeded Peel about reinstating the Corn Laws  opted to put Lord John Russells Whigs into power rather than support their former colleagues. It was not for another 27 years  in 1874  that the Conservatives won a majority in the House of Commons again.

In 1906, when the Unionist Government went to the country divided about whether to stick with free trade or to introduce tariff reforms  which under Joseph Chamberlains proposal would have seen free trade within the Empire and tariffs for goods from other countries  Balfours Conservatives were smashed by Henry Campbell Bannermans Liberals. They only found their way back to office when, following the Gallipoli disaster in 1916, a coalition was formed to lead Britain through the First World War.

So while the decision we face about our membership of the EU is of huge importance, Conservatives on both sides of the debate need to remember, regardless of Europe, we still need to fix the economy, continue reforming public services, and protect the country from terrorism. On all three of those challenges, the alternative to a Conservative government does not bear thinking about  yet a rancorous, bitter and lasting Tory division about Europe could, almost unbelievably, lead directly to the election of a hard-left Labour government.

1846 and 1906 also tell us that when a divided Conservative Party leaves office, there can be profound consequences for decades. The division between the Peelites and the protectionists after the repeal of the Corn Laws put the Whigs in office for nearly thirty years, in which time free trade became an almost inviolable policy: division meant that the protectionists were even further away from achieving their objective. In 1906, MPs behaved as though their identities as free traders and tariff reformers were more important than as Unionists, and the consequences of their defeat continue to be felt even now. The Lloyd George Peoples Budget of 1908 introduced a non-contributory pension system  unlike the contributions-based proposal made by Chamberlain that was rejected by Salisbury and Balfour  and our welfare state to this day remains non-contributory (a fact that is, coincidentally, relevant to the debate about EU nationals claiming benefits in Britain).

A split on such a seminal issue can also cause a realignment in the party system  and realignments, despite the frequent fantasising of politicians and commentators for generations, can occur for better and for worse. Following the repeal of the Corn Laws, the Peelites moved from limited cooperation with the Whigs at first, to coalition with them in the 1850s, to a full-blown merger with them under the name of the Liberals in the 1860s. The 1906 defeat did not cause a grand realignment in the party system but it did drive some liberal Conservatives  among them Winston Churchill  into the Liberal Party. Some Eurosceptic Tories have already defected to UKIP because of the EU, while in the 1990s and 2000s, some pro-European Tories defected to the Liberals and to Labour. The disintegration or fracturing of the Conservative Party is something that the country simply cannot afford.

Arguably, the reason the Peelites went over to the Whigs after 1846 was that the repeal of the Corn Laws symbolised the new dividing line in British politics: between Liberals and Conservatives, rather than Whigs and Tories. Perhaps Tim Montgomeries imagined realignment is about to happen anyway, and the referendum will be the catalyst that makes it happen.

But if it is not inevitable that a realignment will take place, history gives us some lessons as to how we might avoid disintegration. And those lessons mostly apply to the conduct of the leaders of the key factions. Peel won the election of 1841 believing he had made no binding pledges on the future of the Corn Laws, while the Partys county MPs  representing seats very much attached to protection  had mostly made commitments to their voters about maintaining the status quo. When Peel made his move to repeal the Corn Laws, therefore, which he won against the opposition of his own Party and with the support of Whig MPs, he was not just splitting his Party on a single vote on a single issue. He knew he was risking splitting his Party for good.

So constructive ambiguity, as diplomats call it, can take a leader so far, but in the end, when Peel took a firm and clear position, his coalition of support among Conservatives was brought to an abrupt end. Equally, as the 1906 experience shows, a leaders ambiguity can cease to be constructive. Balfour (who, perhaps tellingly, liked to say nothing matters very much and few things matter at all) allowed tariff reformers and free traders in his Cabinet to believe he was going to support their particular side of the argument. At the general election, he failed to take a lead and offered a compromise, in which the Unionists sought a mandate for attending a Colonial Conference, free of objections to agreeing tariffs, before putting the outcome of the conference to the public in a second election. Unsurprisingly, the electorate saw the proposition for the political sticking plaster it was, and rejected it decisively.

So when a Prime Minister adopts a controversial policy in defiance of his Party, he risks causing a split, but permanent indecision can have the same effect. Arguably, by campaigning to remain inside the EU while offering an In/Out referendum and freedom for his MPs, ministers and activists to campaign to leave, the Prime Minister has negotiated this tricky path successfully.

But how the Prime Minister and his colleagues on both sides of the divide conduct themselves during the campaign is also critical to avoiding rupture. In 1903, when the Duke of Devonshire, a free-trade-supporting Liberal Unionist, told voters not to support a tariff-reforming Unionist candidate in the Lewisham by-election, he started a chain reaction that led to tariff reformers and free traders attacking one another with little regard to Party loyalty. One of the reasons Lord Bentinck and a young Benjamin Disraeli found life difficult as the leaders of the protectionist Conservative rump after 1846 was that their personal attacks on Peel  which continued even after he had been forced from office  were seen as excessive even by their allies. Already, there are signs from advocates of Remain and Leave that the referendum campaign is going to become aggressive, personal and divisive.

That is worrying, because  as these lessons from history show  the next few months represent a moment of danger for the Conservative Party and therefore the country. Personally, I will be voting to leave  for the reasons articulated so brilliantly (and politely) by Michael Gove  but many friends, colleagues, my former boss Theresa May, and the Prime Minister who Ive worked to get elected twice take a different view. People on both sides of the debate need to accept that we have all taken our positions sincerely and based on what we believe is right for the country. And just as importantly, we need to remember that we have many other shared beliefs that unite us as Conservatives. There remain a great many things we need to do for Britain, whether we are in or out of the European Union. If we behave as though we believe the referendum is more important than every other issue facing the nation, trouble awaits.
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There is a new, rather 'venomous' plan afoot in Massachusetts. It is scheming to create a colony of poisonous timber rattlesnakes on an island in a 30-square-mile Quabbin Reservoir, reports CBS News.

Even though they plan to make the area off limits, it is terrifying to have an idea of an island seething with snakes. There may be innumerable hunters and fishermen traversing the area too, fear residents.

Hiker Bob Curley requests that it should be relocated.

"When the inevitable happens and there is an interplay between a hiker and a rattler, what's the repercussion?" said Curley, who says that his dog was bitten by a rattlesnake last summer. "Are the trails around the Quabbin going to be shut down?"

Tom French of the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, the chief of the project, calls the worries communicated by various residents totally unfounded.

"People are afraid that we're going to put snakes in a place of public use and that they are going to breed like rabbits and spread over the countryside and kill everybody," he said.

Gov. Charlie Baker is also hands on about the project. He points out that the snakes are timid and attack only when incited. The only deaths on record in the island date back to colonial times.

At present, just 200 of the endangered snakes that are native to Massachusetts are left, and they are all spread out in five pockets from greater Boston to the Berkshires. Due to human killings and the loss of habitat, this species has rapidly declined, and might even become totally extinct here.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
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First it was rare dolphin and now a shark. Posing for pictures at the beach, while jeopardizing wildlife, has become the in thing in self-appeasement.

A video has emerged showing a man dragging a shark out of water at the Palm Beach in Florida. The shark is seen struggling while its assaulter holds the tail fin to prevent it from catching the tide. Soon the fish is pinned to the sand and cameras are clicking. The man strikes varying poses with his catch, weighing down on the shark.

Ashleigh Walters of WPTV posted it on Facebook where it drew caustic reactions expressed over wildlife concerns. Many who commented condemned the incident wondering what prompted the beachgoers to pull the fish out, according to Christian Science Monitor.

After clicking pictures, the video shows the man trying to put the shark in water but it does not carry through. Walters wrote that the shark was put farther in the water after the recording ended but the fish did not resurface for several minutes.

Florida incident is the second of its type featuring an encounter between man and marine life. Earlier this month, a video emerged from Argentina showing a man pulling a rare baby dolphin out of the water. The mammal was passed around for selfies. Before it could be returned to the water, the dolphin died.

The video went viral and drew sharp reactions from all quarters including wildlife authorities from Argentina who urged people to return beached dolphins to water.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
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Ten years since its introduction, a recently published study featured in Pediatrics suggests that the vaccine for human papillomavirus appeared to have cut down cancer-causing STD prevalence among teenage girls by two-thirds.

"We are continuing to see decreases in the HPV types that are targeted by the vaccine. We have seen declines in genital warts [caused by HPV] already. The next thing we expect to see is a decline in pre-cancers, then later on declines in cancer," remarked lead study author Dr. Lauri Markowitz of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as quoted by MSN news.

Despite the apparent success of the vaccine first recommended in 2006, experts wondered why such STD vaccinations have not been expanded for widespread use in the US.

The findings showed that HPV prevalence among teenage adolescents aged 14 to 19 plummeted by 64% while a 34% drop had been observe among women aged 20 to 24 six years from the time the vaccine was first introduced.

"The vaccine is more effective than we thought and vaccinated teenagers are not spreading the virus...they also protect the people who haven't been vaccinated," said Debbie Saslow of the American Cancer Society as reported by the New York Times.

Because of the study's positive findings on the preventive effectiveness of the virus, Dr. Sarah Feldman of Brigham and Women's Hospital commented that it's time to recast society's mindset as far anti-STD vaccines are concerned and regard them like one of those vaccines for diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella.

"More and more, it's becoming clear that this is a cancer prevention vaccine, and if we could get 100% of our boys and 100% of our girls vaccinated, we could probably eradicate the worst HPV types," Feldman said according to a CNN report.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
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The highly respected Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel Peace laureate Dalai Lama assured a worrying faithful 3,000-strong crowd at the Minneapolis Convention Center that he is in good health amid reports of deteriorating condition.

According to a report by Fox News, the 80-year-old leader is currently receiving treatment for prostate problems since arriving at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota last month.

As he addressed devotees in celebration of the Tibetan New Year, the 14th Dalai Lama delivered a lengthy discourse on "Eight Verses of Mind Training" and partly discussed on US hot button issue like gun control.

"The worst thing, even in the name of religion, is killing each other. It's unthinkable. Ultimately gun control must take place here. If people ... are to respect each other's lives - then these destructive actions eventually reduce or eventually can disappear," said he while pointing to his heart as reported by Twin Cities.

He also expounded on topics like compassion, inner beauty, and happiness.

"I'm now turning 81 or 82 and I take this opportunity to thank everyone for keeping up the Tibetan culture and religion. Basic human nature is more compassionate, more loving kindness. So that is the basis of our hope, if we make some effort," said the elderly spiritual Tibetan leader as quoted by Star Tribune.

In a nutshell, the Dalai Lama has been regarded as a politically dangerous symbolic head of Tibetan separatist movement since his exile to India in 1959. The Dalai Lama, on the other hand, repeatedly argued that he did not wished for independence but rather sought for greater Tibetan autonomy in a peaceful dialogue with Beijing's Communist leaders.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Solidarity With India: The Struggle Is Global And Ongoing

By Suzanne Adely

23 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

We are community, student and legal activists in the United States fighting racialized and Islamaphobic state repression and the continuing assault of neoliberalism in our universities, workplaces and communities. As we watch Indias students and activists mobilize in mass for the right to dissent in the face of state sanctioned violence and relentless harassment we realize the many ways in which our struggles are interconnected.

We send strong messages of solidarity to all students, workers, communities and human rights defenders throughout India struggling against an increasingly repressive right-wing nationalist and neoliberal regime.

We salute Rohith Vemula[i], the Dalit scholar & poetic writer whose brave act ignited new and important waves of protest throughout India. Rohith reminded many of the Tunisian street vendor who five years ago took his own life in protest of state and economic violence, igniting calls for Bread, Freedom, Social Justice and Human Dignity. Rohiths life and words remind us of the importance of supporting the resistance of women, men and other genders against caste apartheid, global apartheid and all systematic racisms. We honor the Ambedkarite[ii] movement for its immense contribution to these struggles.

We salute Umar Khalid & his fellow student organizers who have consistently stood up for the rights of vulnerable & targeted people including victims of anti-terrorism laws and victims of militarized policies such as operation green hunt and the ongoing occupation of Kashmir. We applaud the efforts of those students who have reminded the world of the brutal occupation of Kashmir and the illegal execution of Afzal Guru[iii] an act used to criminalize these students.

We salute countless students like Umar in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and allover who have consistently shown their solidarity with the global movement to free Palestine. We understand that as the BJP led regime strengthens relations with Israel such solidarity increases the vulnerability of students. We salute your bravery.

We stand in solidarity with student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, and his fellow student organizer. He has faced cruel violence during his detention. We applaud every student, lawyer and journalist who have supported Kanhaiya despite attacks.

We are horrified to hear of the killings of Shaista Hameed & Danish Farooq[iv], young university students gunned down by government forces in Kashmir the day before the Modi regime started its attacks against #JNU. Where is justice for these students?

We fully condemn the recent acid attack on tribal rights activist & teacher Soni Sori[v] in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. For her efforts to bring justice to local peoples she has long been the target of the State. There are many facing similar violence. We have increasingly heard reports of journalists and human rights defenders attacked and expelled from Chhattisgarh under police pressure.[vi] We know such actions are a meant to hide the immense abuses taking place in this State by the regime. We salute all who continue to risk their lives in exposing this truth.

We condemn the brutal and Islamophobic lynching of Mohammad Aklaq in Dadri this past fall.[vii]Such blatant attacks as Dadri are inspired by the right-wing nationalism of the the ruling party, sanctioned by the both the inaction and actions of the State

We continue to organize global acts of solidarity with Indias Workers in all sectors who struggle daily in the face of pervasive exploitation and increasing criminalization of their right to organize for their basic rights and dignity.

In our work and activism in the U.S. and globally we will continue to educate ourselves and support the important political, economic and social struggles taking place in India and South Asia. This support begins here. We will not tolerate U.S. normalization with the repressive Modi regime, just as we challenge their relationships with the oppressive States of Israel and Egypt and others. The struggle is global.

We offer our full support and solidarity as you fight for:

 Justice for Rohith Vemula, through the resignation of VC Appa Rao and the passage of the Rohith Act in Universities to stop systemic oppression of Dalit students.  Protection of the right of political dissent for all in India, U.S. and throughout the world, and an end to the demonization & threats of violence against Umar Khalid, his fellow student organizers & their families.  Release of JNU Student Kanhaiya Kumar, Cancellation of the FIR (Charging report) against Him, and accountability for the shameful attacks on Kanhaiya by lawyers and journalist while appearing in Court.  Release of Kashmiri intellectual, and Delhi University Professor Syed Abdur Rahman (SAR) Gilani on so-called sedition charges.[viii]  Justice for the deaths of Shaista Hameed & Danish Farooq.  Full demilitarization of Kashmir.  Justice for Soni Sori and an end to the attacks on of lawyers & journalists exposing human rights abuses in Chhattisgarh.  An end to the criminalization of organized Workers throughout the country.

Suzanne Adely, Global Labor and Human Rights Activist



i) http://www.indiaresists.com/rohit-vemula-suicide-report-of-the-fact-finding-team/

ii) http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/meet-the-women-trying-to-take-down-indias-caste-apartheid-and-finding-hope-in-black-lives-matter-20151023

iii) http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-disturbing-truth-about-an-execution/article4501567.ece

iv) http://raiot.in/how-not-to-standwithjnu/

v) http://www.indiaresists.com/sign-petition-condemn-attack-on-soni-sori-demand-prompt-action/

vi) http://thewire.in/2016/02/22/as-you-standwithjnu-spare-a-thought-for-bastar-22321/

vii) http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/indian-mob-kills-man-cow-slaughter-rumour-150930193719666.html

viii) http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/former-du-prof-geelani-arrested-on-charges-of-sedition-to-be-produced-before-court/






Soni Sori's Condition Stable

By Countercurrents.org

23 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

The condition of Soni Sori, Adivasi activist from Bastar, Chhatisgarh who was attacked with acid-like chemical Sunday night is stable say the doctors who treat her in Delhi's Indraprastha Apollo hospital.

A team of doctors are monitoring her condition on hourly basis, a statement from the hospital said. "The patient came to the hospital last night with chemical burns on her face and was immediately admitted in the ICU. A team of senior consultant specialists has been assigned to care of all her clinical needs. We are hopeful that she will recover within the next few weeks and carefully monitoring the situation on an hourly basis."



"Her condition is stable at the moment with no threat to her life," the statement said. It said Sori has been evaluated by an ophthalmologist and her eyes, in bedside examination, appear to be normal, though she has orbital and conjunctival oedema (a condition when watery fluid collects in cavities or tissues).

Sori was flown to Delhi from Chhattisgarh by AAP for treatment after local doctors were "unable" to identify the chemical and treat her.

She had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on AAP ticket. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked the Raman Singh government to arrest the accused immediately.

Also Read

Bastar, Chhattisgarh: Indias Mullaitivu In The Making?

By Sreekumar Kodiyath

Human Rights Defenders Under Police Attack In Chhattisgarh

By Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression (WSS)

Why Is The State Trying To Evict JagLAG, Malini And Bela From Bastar?

By Parijata Bhardwaj

Condemn The Harassment Of People's Lawyers In Jagdalpur

By Indian Association of People's Lawyers

India: Chhattisgarh Should Act Against Repeated Incidents Of

Intimidation And Harassment Of Journalists

By Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development

To know more about Soni Sori follow this link




Apple, Surveillance Technology And The Police State

By Jon Kofas

23 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

In the battle between a giant multinational corporation known for its record of tax evasion around the world as well as its hypocrisy of manufacturing in Asia not because of low wages but talent availability, APPLE is not yielding to the FBI/Justice Department request for hacking into the cell phones because the big winner will be SAMSUNG and the other ten largest cell phone companies in the world. APPLE has argued that the US government wants to unlock the cell phone that the shooters in the San Bernardino killings used. However, the goal of the US government under Obama claiming to be the protector of civil liberties is to gain access to all cell phones and carry out surveillance for all users at will. This is not only a constitutional issue that essentially touches on the Fourth Amendment  right to privacy  but it also opens a Pandoras box because other governments would demand same access as the US has. When it became known that the NSA was spying at home and abroad using the giant tech companies of Silicon Valley, the position of Obama administration officials was that foreigners were not protected under the Fourth Amendment, while US citizens needed to understand that national security is above their Constitutional rights.

On 16 February 2016, the US government convinced a California federal judge to have Apple reveal encryption security features in its cell phones. APPLE has been fighting back both with public opinion campaigns as well as using its lobbying efforts in Congress as a counterweight to the Justice Department. Because it is well known that APPLE along with GOOGLE and all major tech companies had secret agreements with the US government to conduct illegal surveillance at home and globally, it seems somewhat puzzling at this juncture why APPLE is fighting the Justice Department. Is APPLE so interested in protecting citizens for idealistic reasons, for the sake of furthering democracy, or is it simply a case of protecting its global market-share?

Thus far, no government in the world has made the kind of demands of APPLE that the US has made. However, the US of course invokes American Exceptionalism against the background of the war on terror, just as it invoked anti-Communism during the Cold War when civil liberties were readily trampled. However, that they are asking APPLE to provide code access to cell phones clearly indicates that the Department of Homeland Security, Justice Department and the FBI have not been doing their jobs as effectively as they claim. Moreover, the question is where does surveillance stop? If there is no privacy of any kind, as we have discovered after the Edward Snowden revelations regarding National Security Agency violations of the Fourth Amendment, then why not suspend the Constitution altogether and declare a State of Emergency? Why go through the motions and the thin faced of a democratic society at all?

For APPLE the argument is hardly the constitutional rights of citizens but global market share. I repeat that if APPLE yields on this issue, the other twelve major cell phone makers in the world will prevail in the global market, most notably SAMSUNG. It is a myth that APPLE or any cell phone maker is concerned about privacy when these dozen large phone companies around the world have been violating the privacy of consumers for many years by illegally collecting and commercializing information of their users without their knowledge. APPLE along with SAMSUNG is among the biggest violators when it comes to privacy, so it stretches ones imagination to come up with reasons why it is fighting the FBI/Justice Department now. If there was a financial incentive for APPLE to give the FBI what it wanted, it would have done as secretly as it collects information and never discloses it to its users. However, there is no incentive, but there is massive potential harm from the competition.

The America people know very well that their government violates the constitution in the name of national security and it does so randomly and not just in extreme cases such as that involving the unique incident of the San Bernardino case. The surveillance state would not have been possible in the absence of the tech companies cooperating with government. This is not an issue of whether is the US is moving closer to a police state. By its own criteria as defined in the Constitution the US has been practicing police state methods that go back to the early Cold War when Communism was used as the justification. Today, it is terrorism, which ironically the US helps to strengthen by its own policies in Islamic countries, including Syria where ISIL has been operating with the considerable support of US allies in the last five years. After all, there was no ISIS before the US and its EU and regional Middle East allies decided to overthrow Assad in Syria. Even when the Russians were bombing ISIS targets, the US and its allies were critical, giving the impression to ISIS that the priority was removing Assad not ISIS.

The APPLE issue reveals very clearly that the more technology dependent a society becomes, the more it slips down the road of a police state at home because it is pursuing militarism abroad. This does not mean that technology in and of itself is a bad thing  no Luddite thesis here  but that the use of technology by corporations and the state makes it easier to have a police state. Civil liberties are eroding very rapidly in the US and one reason the country ranks at about the same level as Turkey when it comes to social justice is because its practices are about as democratic. The security hoax which the government has been pursuing at home and abroad has actually helped to strengthen not just the military industrial complex but tech companies that receive multi-billion contracts from government agencies. The state-corporate nexus has been responsible for the evolution toward a police state that has become more necessary than ever as society is becoming increasingly polarized socioeconomically. Security is the last resort of the state to defend welfare capitalism that accounts for the downward social mobility in America and the increasing alienation of citizens who believe their government serves the top ten percent of the wealthiest people 

63% of Americans say money and wealth distribution is unfair These attitudes are substantially unchanged over past 30 years Slight majority of 52% favor heavy taxes on rich as fix

http://www.gallup.com/poll/182987/americans-continue-say-wealth-distribution-unfair.aspx

(For more on how technology promotes police state methods see: http://thedailycoin.org/?p=63700; https://www.corbettreport.com/police-state-gadgets-and-the-technology-of-enslavement/; http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/the-daily-need/are-we-becoming-a-police-state-five-things-that-have-civil-liberties-advocates-nervous/12563/)

Jon Kofas is a retired university Professor from Indiana University.




Godses Children versus Midnights Children

By Vaidyanath Nishant

23 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

January 30, 1948, as Bapu walked for his evening prayer, three bullets pierced him. Nathuram Vinayak Godse surrendered himself to the police. Ten months later, during the famous Red Fort Trial made a detailed statement before the Court regarding the prosecution case against him which lasted about a year. The text of his statement was banned till the year 1968. In his statement there are two things that really have significance in the political state the nation is in now. He had said, If devotion to ones own country amounts to a sin, I admit I have committed a sin. If it is meritorious, I humbly claim the merit thereof. There is a very interesting similarity that I find between what Godse had said years ago and what the current goons which includes, lawyers, police, politicians and activists, are giving as an explanation for their violence against students, teachers and anyone else who doesnt favour the BJP. Any of us need not shout slogans against the nation, but the very fact that we criticize the activities of this goon gifts me a label of being anti-national. I also salute the nationalists who are protecting India by methods like mob lynching and other forms of violence. Umar Khalid was right when he said that Universities are a place for dissent and the current national politics are trying to curb any forms of dissent and turn educational institutions into prison houses.



Louis Althusser introduced ISAs (Ideological State Apparatuses) and RSA (Repressive State Apparatus). In the present scenario the BJP government is trying hard in achieving ISAs through a repressive method. It is also noticed that neither ISAs nor RSA exists independently and both juxtapose with each other and the present government is proving it. We have evidence of goons beating up students, teachers and the media and yet they are walking around as national heroes who saved Mother India from being insulted. The police didnt take any time in arresting Kanhaiya Kumar even though there was lack of evidence. But here is a case of clear politics as everyone knows that the Delhi Police fall under the Central government, which is now Modis monarchy. An advocate proudly proclaims that he bashed up Kanhaiya Kumar badly and that he is waiting for Umar Khalid with a petrol bomb. Isnt that terrorism?

Kanhaiya Kumar has been charged with sedition. When the very word sedition comes, the first faces that comes to our minds is that of Lokmanya Tilak, Mahatma Gandhiji, a living legend of Binayak Sen and Arundathi Roy. Where does it say that sedition means speaking against the ones in power? Binayak Sen carried on his duty as a responsible doctor and he was jailed. And so is Kanhaiya Kumar now, for protecting the freedom this nation has been offering us; for upholding democracy.

A group of students of JNU have condemned the judicial killing of Afzal Guru for years now. It is not something that has come up all of a sudden just to shake Indias jingoistic patriotism. Many people across the nation did condemn Afzal Gurus death. To have a better understanding of this storming against JNU, I would like to take all of you to a statement given by Subramaniam Swamy. He said that JNU was the place which seeded terrorism in this nation. He spoke about cleansing the campus by throwing out all Maoist connections and Left leaning ideologies. There has been a constant attempt by the right wing fundamentalists to tarnish the image of this historical campus which from the beginning has been a temple of consent and dissent; freedom and space; democracy and secularism. This institution that stood for what an actual government and the nation should stand for has now become the so called anti-national hub.

It is high time we come together against this. I as a student of a Central University and above that a human being who respects the Constitution and am proud to be an Indian call you all to put an end to the intervention of the Government into educational institutions. It began in IIT, Madras when the Ambedkar-Periyar Society was derecognized and shut down. And then we saw one of most prestigious institutions in India being handed over to Gajendra Chauhan (Thank god Salman Khan hasnt played the role of Rama in any serials or commercials). Rohit Vemula considered his birth as his most fatal accident. The reason he felt like this, because the walls of a campus became porous allowing government to flow in. And now, JNU! Godse had said, I have no doubt that honest writers of history will weigh my act and find the true value thereof someday in future. Unfortunately, that day is coming soon. The first discipline that the present government wanted to attack was History. This culture of BAN that the present ruling facists have imposed upon us has reached such a mark that now there is a ban on our thought processes too. I am an Indian, but I would enjoy a Kabaddi match between India and Pakistan and cheer the Pakistani raider if he makes a good raid. I am an Indian and I will continue to listen to songs of Atif Aslam. I am an Indian and know that my uncles best friend in a labour camp in the middle-east is a Pakistani. I am an Indian, and am proud to be one because of the freedom this nation has gifted me.

Vaidyanath Nishant,pursuing my M. Phil. in English Literature in Sikkim University, Gangtok.






Need For Equity, Diversity And Inclusion Initiatives In Indian Higher Education

By Bharat Rathod

23 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

After Rohith Vemula's death public protest and media discussion has created a political pressure onthe government of India to take institutional measures to avoid such kind of incidents. Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has announced that a new policy will be prepared to tackle issues of discrimination against students from disadvantaged sections of society. In the discourse of Rohiths suicide, an important aspect has diluted that the role of caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions. In the last decade alone, several incidents of discrimination against the lower caste students came into the public domain. It has also reported in academic studies that caste-based discrimination is pervasive in Indian higher education and particularly in elite institutions. This scenario raises a critical question  why caste-based discrimination is rampant in Indian higher education?



Higher education has been dominated by the higher caste in the country. However, since last two decades due to affirmative action policy and gradually increasing education level in historically oppressed castes now challenging the hegemony of the higher caste. This phenomenonhas created a social tension between the lower caste (SC/ST/OBC) students and higher caste faculties. Increasing enrollment of the lower caste students have considerably changed demographic of higher education institutions; however, faculty demographic has been dominated by the higher castes whostigmatized the lower caste students in higher education. Elite higher education institutions have been denying caste-based discrimination; moreover, they have defamed the lower caste students as uneducable. It is a high time to accept that discrimination againstthe lower caste students is reality in higher education and it is institutionalized. Institutional measures are inevitable either we accept today that caste-based discrimination in higher education is pervasive or continue to treat as an isolated incident. Institutional initiatives are essential to stop caste-based discrimination and support the lower caste students to empower and attain a degree. Higher education institutions in the United States (U.S.) are pioneer in innovative initiatives and research to address issues of discrimination and campus climate.

One of the most striking examples is Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives in higher education in the U.S. Since the last decade higher education institutions in the U.S. have taken a range of proactive measures to stop various kinds of discrimination and promote diversity. The federal government of the U.S. has taken a lead and issued an Executive Order 13583 to foster equity, diversity and inclusion in public institutions. The order is explicit about eliminating all forms of discrimination, fostering institutional diversity, enhancing the representation of underrepresented groups, awareness programs, and accountability to implement the order. On the other side, several studies have been established that diversity in higher education is critical to improve academic learning environment and citizenship training for democratic pluralism.

Currently, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives are part of public and private higher education institutions in the U.S. These initiatives/programs are great support for underrepresented students and staff members. It focused on raising institutional awareness regarding issues of discrimination, setereotypes, social justice, inclusive pedagogy and campus climate, and enhancing diversity. The U.S. higher education admitted that students of color are being discriminated, whereas still we hesitate to acknowledge that lower caste students are being discriminated. Now, the point is that MHRD proactively wants to deal with caste-based discrimination in higher education or create a toothless reactionary policy that will maintain the status quo.

Bharat Rathod is Doctoral student at Umass, Amherst. College of Education, EPRA Department




Pro-GMO Activism In India: Journalism Gives Way To Spin, Smears And Falsehoods

By Colin Todhunter

23 February, 2016

Countercurrents.org

In a recent piece for the magazine Swarajya (an online and print publication based in India), its national affairs editor, Surajit Dasgupta, makes it clear that he has no time for any criticisms about the use of GMO technology in food and agriculture. He has even less time for those who voice such criticisms.

He argues that activists concerns would be valid if a GMO were proved to be not substantially equivalent to its non-GM-derived counterpart and if any negative non-intended consequences of genetic engineering were detected. Although failing to cite any relevant texts, Dasgupta then argues that Report after report will tell you that the concerns above are but an activists red herring.

This is simply incorrect. There is enough evidence to contest the claim that GMOs are substantially equivalent to non-GMO and that negative consequences of GM have indeed been detected.

GM is technically and conceptually different from natural breeding and poses different risks. This fact is recognized in national and international laws and agreements on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). For example, European law defines a GMO as an organism in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination and requires the risks of each GMO to be assessed (European Parliament and Council. Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 March 2001 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms and repealing Council Directive 90/220/EEC. Off J Eur Communities. 2001:138).

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, an international agreement signed by 166 governments worldwide that seeks to protect biological diversity from the risks posed by GM technology, and the United Nations food safety body Codex Alimentarius, agree that GM differs from conventional breeding and that safety assessments should be required before GM organisms are used in food or released into the environment.

Dasguptas claim is scientifically inaccurate and deliberately misleading. It is not the intention to regurgitate here what has previously been written about the processes of GM. Some readers might benefit from consulting this to appreciate how GM works and how it is in fact substantially non-equivalent to conventional breeding. They may also consult this, which is (despite Dasgupta's claims below) supported by peer-reviewed evidence and which demonstrates that GM is not substantially equivalent.

Countering the usual pro-GMO smears and spin with science

By employing all the usual spin of the pro-GMO lobby in an attempt to marginalise critics and criticisms of GM, Dasguptas attempt to hide behind some kind of veil of objective journalism clearly fails. He calls critics Luddites, anti-science and half-baked intellectuals of the internet variety, equipped with misleading information fed by sundry dot org websites run by interest groups in the US - where these activists ringmasters are curiously inactive.

Really? Groups opposing GM in the US are highly active. But weve heard these type of smears and attacks all before, which are of course merely cheap, lazy PR spin designed by the industry to attack critics and are utterly bogus.

Throughout his piece, Dasgupta tries to convince the reader that the debate on GM is over. In order words: science has won over emotional, ignorant activists. He would do better by keeping an open mind.

For example, hardly some ignorant activist or half-baked intellectual who relies on Google for pseudo-scientific explanations, Dr Michael Antoniou of Kings College London School of Medicine in the UK uses genetic engineering for medical applications. However, he has warned against its use in developing crops for human food and animal feed:

GM crops are promoted on the basis of ambitious claims  that they are safe to eat, environmentally beneficial, increase yields, reduce reliance on pesticides, and can help solve world hunger.

He adds that:

Research studies show that genetically modified crops have harmful effects on laboratory animals in feeding trials and on the environment during cultivation. They have increased the use of pesticides and have failed to increase yields.

Dr John Fagan is a former genetic engineer who in 1994 returned to the National Institutes of Health $614,000 in grant money due to concerns about the safety and ethics of the technology.

Fagan says:

Crop genetic engineering as practiced today is a crude, imprecise, and outmoded technology. It can create unexpected toxins or allergens in foods and affect their nutritional value. Recent advances point to better ways of using our knowledge of genomics to improve food crops, that do not involve GM.

He goes on to state:

Over 75% of all GM crops are engineered to tolerate being sprayed with herbicide. This has led to the spread of herbicide-resistant superweeds and has resulted in massively increased exposure of farmers and communities to these toxic chemicals. Epidemiological studies suggest a link between herbicide use and birth defects and cancer.

These two scientists are not alone in voicing such concerns. Indeed, there are numerous scientists and prestigious scientific institutes that do not give their support to GM technology and this is also reflected by scientific peer-reviewed literature. See this fully-referenced report with references which blows apart the claim that there is some kind of consensus on GM within the scientific community (for further insight, see Who says GMOs are safe and who says they are not).

Moreover, both Antoniou and Fagan have backed up their claims in this report with reference to a wide range of studies that have appeared in peer-reviewed journals, including The Lancet, Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, European Journal of Histochemistry, Journal of Proteome Research and many more.

Despite criticisms of GM having strong scientific underpinnings, Dasgupta insists on calling critics Luddite activists who can only resort to slander:

One wishes a scientist dragged them to the court on a charge of libel. No proof required! Ask them to name a particular scientist whose professional integrity can be questioned, and they cant.

Yet he has nothing to say on the smearing and ruining of independent scientists whose credible research highlighted findings that questioned the safety of GM. And he has nothing to say about the unscientific polemics that were used to attack Seralini and his team and the targeting of the very heart of science which occurred in an attempt to discredit Seralini's work. And indeed there is silence when it comes to the politically and commercially motivated agenda that underpins the push to get GM accepted (which I have outlined here).

The report Seedy Business shows how science can be swayed, bought or biased by agribusiness in many ways, such as suppressing adverse findings, harming the careers of scientists who produce such findings, controlling the funding that shapes what research is conducted, the lack of independent US-based testing of health and environmental risks of GMOs and tainting scientific reviews of GMOs by conflicts of interest.

And how very convenient to overlook the systematic subversion of science to promote GM as well as the inadequate, short-term studies and concealed data which is justified on the basis of commercial confidentiality (see this) (Dasgupta churns out a similar argument - citing 'patent theives' - in an attempt to justify the secrecy around GM mustard in India).

Readers are urged to check websites such as Lobbywatch, Powerbase and Spinwatch, where they will see links between some prominent GM scientist-lobbyists and big agribusiness companies, the ultra-right group the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Scientific Alliance (described as a front group for corporate interests) and Bivings Group (a public relations company that worked with Monsanto), among others.

And these connections have resulted in well-orchestrated smear campaigns against individuals and groups (see this, this and this), pro -GM propaganda (see this about the sweet potato) and dirty tricks (for example, using fake identities to attacks critcs of GM).

At the same time, those responsible for such things carefully manage the message that they themselves are the persecuted victims of ideologically-driven anti-GM campaigners.

And this is the line Dasgupta takes: the GM project is being held back by Luddites and ideologically-driven activists who attacking science, smearing individuals and distorting debate.

Doublespeak and hypocrisy are the order of the day.

Flawed pro-GMO advocacy masquerading as objective journalism

He then roles out a brief list of studies/reports/statements/scientists that he alleges support GM and which have no links to big biotech and are thus beyond reproach. Bear in mind that Dasgupta attacks critics of GM for referring to some kind of university of Google and activist-tainted sites to base their claims on and not peer-reviewed science.

So let us see just who Dasgupta cites to support his claims.

First, he makes use of a personal interview (not a peer-reviewed article) he once conducted. But what is perhaps more relevant is that he cites, the statement (again, not an article appearing in a peer-reviewed journal) Legally mandating GM food labels could mislead and falsely alarm consumers by the Board of Directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, dated 25 October 2012.

However, 12 days before California voted on the ballot initiative Proposition 37, for labeling of genetically engineered food, the board of directors of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science released the above statement that GM engineered crops pose no greater risk than the same foods made from crops modified by conventional plant breeding techniques and that mandatory labeling of GMOs could therefore mislead and falsely alarm consumers.

US Right to Know has discovered that when the AAAS board released its statement, its chair was Nina Federoff. She was a member of the scientific advisory board of Evogene for five years, an Israeli biotechnology company, and was a long-time member of the board of directors of the biotechnology firm Sigma-Aldrich. In her role as science and technology advisor to the State Department and US Agency for International Development, the Pesticide Action Network called her literally the US ambassador for GE. She even endorsed a campaign statement by opponents of Proposition 37, offering that she was passionately opposed to labeling of genetically engineered food.

Dasgupta then cites S Key, JK Ma and PM Drakes 2008 paper Genetically modified plants and human health, which he claims to be a veritable work on both advantages and challenges in GM crops. He claims this is trustworthy. He conveniently overlooks the fact that this piece contains a major falsehood and serious factual errors leading to an illogical and invalid conclusion on the safety of GM crops.

Next, he refers to The American Medical Associations 2012 paper Report 2 of the Council on Science and Public Health: Labelling of Bioengineered Foods, which he claims explains what no science-illiterate activist can.

According to Food and Water Watch, this report was designed to address GMO labelling, not GMO safety. Supporters of GM like to dwell on a quote pertaining to the lack of documented adverse effects on human health from GMOs.

However, GMO advocates choose to misrepresent the AMA council reports full statement, which acknowledges the potential for adverse effects and the need for mandatory, pre-market safety assessments. The final, official AMA policy does not include the quote used by the pro-GMO activists, and it actually notes safety issues.

Dasgupta then cites the United States Institute of Medicine and National Research Councils 2004 paper Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods: Approaches to Assessing Unintended Health Effects on the basis of its integrity.

The National Academies of Science in the US has cited safety concerns with GMOs for many years, including potential unintended consequences associated with gene manipulation and, as stated in the paper cited above, the potential for genetic engineering techniques to raise toxicities, allergies, nutrient deficiencies and imbalances, the negative effects on beneficial, non-target species and the inadequacy of current regulatory safety reviews. Food & Water Watch argues that, at the time, biotech companies like Monsanto and DuPont and the Biotechnology Industry Organization, a trade association, sat on high-level National Research Council boards and their influence may have even weakened the language and conclusions.

Dasgupta also states that erudite columnist Anand Ranganathan put all speculative allegations regarding GM crops to rest in a three-part series. But the pieces he refers to appear on a website, not in a peer-reviewed journal.

It seems critics of GM must only cite peer-reviewed science but he can cite any source, no matter how flawed or irrelevant.

But any astute reader would already appreciate this last point. The publication for whom Dasgupta is national affairs editor recently published a piece by Shanthu Shantharam that attacked individuals and organisations and was little more than a collection of unsubstantiated slurs and claims. One need look no further to understand that the piece should never have been published because it did not comply with Swarajyas own publication guidelines (points 2 and 4 here).

It might appear that standards of 'objective journalism' do not apply when it comes to promoting a pro-GM agenda.

Dasgupta then says:

The rabble rousers better not question the honesty of these scientists and science writers, lest they should be pulled up for defamation. Wild charges levelled on the whole group with no mention of specifics, unfortunately, cannot be stopped.

Well, what we have above are a few specifics. There are serious deficiencies in the sources Dasguptas cites. By using them, he fails to make the point he set out to and seriously undermines his own argument.

More smears, falsehoods and misrepresentations

What we get from thereon is a good deal of inflammatory writing and 'rabble rousing'. He claims that critics of GM peddle half-truths and scare-mongering about GM in order to serve their own self interests. Dasgupta churns out the usual falsehood of anti-GM activists in wealthy countries keeping people in poor countries hungry by denying them food. Again, it doesn't take much to demolish this lie and to appreciate that a fraudulent GMO project is being offered as a proxy solution by those with a strident neoliberal ideological agenda for deep-seated social, political and economic factors that are fuelled by neoliberalism and which drive poverty and hunger around the world.

And he doesn't stop there. Dasgupta draws a comparison between critics of GM and private websites promoting cults:

be it a Christian website damning homosexuality, a Muslim website condemning pork, a Hindu website slamming beef, a maker of tinned vegan dishes cursing non-vegetarian food, a traders cartel spreading paranoia about FDI in retail or an indirect player in agriculture forbidding genetic modification of crops.

And in predictable fashion, he then attacks various people, such as Joseph Mercola, Vandana Shiva, Anuradha Mittal (Oakland Institute) and Devinder Sharma.

Its extremely shoddy stuff.

He takes aim at organic farming and claims organic does not lead to substantially increased income for the farmers, whereas sowing GM varieties of seeds would themselves lead to rich harvests. Again, both points are erroneous. For example, GM cotton in India has been a disaster for farmers in rain fed areas according to the peer-reviewed paper referred to in this piece, and there is enough evidence to show GM does not lead to 'rich harvests' but often human and ecological disaster.

Moreover, organic can lead to increases in farmer incomes and is indeed recommended as a strategy in countries like India for securing a sustainable model of agriculture and food security. The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) was the work of over 400 scientists and took four years to complete. Dasgupta might like to take note that it was twice peer reviewed and states we must look to smallholder, traditional farming to deliver food security in lower income countries through agro-ecological systems which are sustainable..

There is also this, which refers to peer-reviewed papers and various reports to support the claims made about agroecology, not least that increased productivity with fewer external inputs is but one advantage of the model.

Finally, early on in his piece, Dasgupta attempts to justify the secrecy surrounding GM mustard in India by referring to some high-minded notions of commercial confidentiality (patent protection from theives), despite serious allegations that the entire testing trials are based on regulatory delinquency and unremitting fraud. He forwards the ludicrous argument that openness should only occur and relevant documents released once GM mustard is given the go ahead. How convenient..

And he presents a well-established myth in an attempt to justify the entry of GM mustard into farmers fields. He says that by blocking genetically modified mustard developed, they (the activists) "will only help foreigners sell their edible oils to us beyond the present level of 70 per cent of our needs.

Of course, this too is another deception. GM mustard is being pushed as a Trojan horse solution on the basis it can provide better yields and that it can reduce India's imports of edible oils. The fact is that the GM trait will add nothing to yields, and trade policies (not poor agricultural productivity) coupled with the impact of foreign agribusiness concerns operating in India, have decimated the edible oils sector within the country.

There are various other points in Dasgupta's piece that could be addressed. But the reader will get the point. It is a cheap piece of advocacy based on falsehoods, slurs and misrepresentations born from the frustration of the pro-GMO lobbys failure to force GM food crops into India.

Colin Todhunter is an independent writer




SHARE Clenneth Kohlmeyer

Clenneth Kohlmeyer has retired as president of Mutual Insurance Association of Southern Indiana.

Kohlmeyer, who served on the board as a president and director for 49 years, was honored with a reception following the annual meeting at the Knights of St John in St Wendel, Indiana.

Mutual Insurance Association of Southern Indiana has served the community since 1899 providing property and casualty insurance in the eleven counties. The company has approximately 3,000 policyholders and is celebrating its 117th year in business.
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By Len Wells of the Courier and Press

A Lawrence County, Illinois, sheriff's deputy was shot Monday afternoon during a traffic stop in Lawrenceville.

Investigators say Deputy Kyle Gilmore stopped a vehicle driven by Keith D. McKinney, 55, of Lawrenceville, and McKinney pulled a handgun. McKinney is accused of shooting McKinney in the chest. The officer's body armor stopped the bullet. Gilmore returned fire, striking McKinney in the leg.

McKinney was taken to a hospital in Evansville where he underwent surgery for his injuries. He remains hospitalized with a police guard at his bedside.

Tuesday morning, Lawrence County State's Attorney Chris Quick charged McKinney with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer. Bond in the case has been set at $2 million.

McKinney has a criminal history involving gun violence. In 2001, he was sentenced to six years in prison on a conviction of aggravated violence. Following a jury trial, McKinney was convicted on charges he fired a weapon through a house. No one was hit in the 2001 incident.
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New Voices, the monthly feature that gives students the opportunity to have their essays and artwork published in the Courier & Press, returns this month.

The question

What could you do to eliminate prejudice in the world?

Up next: If you could grow up to be famous, what would you want to be famous for? Due March 17, Publication March 22.

Please include artwork with your entries. Teachers should select the five best entries from each class and email them, including scanned high-resolution .jpg formats of artwork, to newvoices@courierpress.com. For more information, contact Abbey Doyle at 812-464-7516 or abbey.doyle@courierpress.com. Please put Voices in the subject line and be sure to include the name, school and grade level for each student.

To eliminate prejudice from the world I would invent a Color Machine. This machine can change the color of one's skin. For example, if a black wanted to change into a white, he/she would simply type "white" on the pullout keyboard. Then a white bolt of light would zap the person and turn his/her skin white.

This person would go 24 hours with his/her new skin and face some challenges that their race might still face. After their 24 hours are up, they might see how some challenges are unfair and try to help erase those challenges (speeches, meetings, declarations etc.)

The Color Machine was built to inspire those who seek a better life. It is also used to get to know different races and see how we are different and how we should value everyone's' differences.

Tracy Wan, Grade 4

Chandler Elementary

Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experiences. And that is really sad that you just make up something about a person you might not even know, In all, 51 percent of Americans now express anti-black attitudes. Why would people judge an African American just because the don't have the same skin tone as them. That is just so wrong. But I think we can make that 51 percent to 0 percent prejudiced if we actually get them a chance. We need to hear their voices so we have a reason to not make stuff up about them or lie about what they have done. We need a reasons to stop prejudice in the world. They need to tell us why to stop prejudice and how. So give us a reason now. So we can stop this madness,

Sydney Bosecker, Grade 6

Thompkins Middle School

I would say, "please don't say that to me. That was hurtful." Also when I see someone judging them, I'll say to the person who got judged, "you are who you are." I'll say to them, "you seem like a nice person."

Peyton Pry, Grade 3

Highland Elementary School

I can eliminate prejudice by accepting people for who they are. And being kind, and helpful to others.

Don't make fun of people. Treat people how you want to be treated. And another thing, would you want to be bullied? I don't think so. So don't do that to other people. Just love everybody.

Augustine Timmons, Grade 3

St. Benedict Cathedral School

I would change prejudiced people around me into loving people. I would tell them, "What would you do if those things happened to you?" When I was in kindergarten I saw a girl sitting in a corner crying. It made me feel how she felt. So I walked over there and asked her what was wrong  and listened. Then when we found a solution, I helped her deal with it.

I feel like if I could eliminate prejudice in the world, people would be loving and caring. Of course it's OK to make mistakes because mistakes are what make you human. You also learn from your mistakes  that's why you get punished for mistakes because punishment makes you not want to do it again.

I know I'm just a kid, but that doesn't mean I can't try to eliminate prejudice in the world. If I don't do it right away, I will dream and never give up.

Maddie Patmore, Grade 3

Evansville Christian School

Stopping prejudice whether in school or in the store does not necessarily take a march across Washington D.C. All we really need to do is take a stand. If you see someone bullied because he's African American, stand up for that kid. It may seem to you like no big deal, but it is a big deal to the one being bullied. If you say "Someone else will do it," then nothing will be done.

Prejudice is not just when someone is judged by their skin tone. Prejudice is when someone is judged by a stereotype. Some people have this idea in their heads about Down syndrome. These people think all people with Down syndrome are stupid and slow. They are all wrong. Some of the sweetest and kindest people I know have Down syndrome. The same with other mental diseases such as autism. My brother has autism, and he's just the same as you and me. As I said before, if you see someone who is giving somebody dirty looks or anything else because they have special needs or are of a different color, tell them that is not right. Do the right thing.

Gretchen Forcum,

Grade 7

St. Joseph School

I would tell those who are prejudiced to stop. I would stand up for the person. I would tell them that doing what they're doing is mean, and I would ignore them if it happened to me.

Natalie Pinkston, Grade 3

Highland Elementary School

I can eliminate prejudice in the world by standing up for other people because people should treat other people the same way they want to be treated. I think other people should accept others instead of not because they are different. I want to stop other people judging. It doesn't matter what color peoples' skin is or what religion they are. I just want everyone to have peace and justice.

Caroline Ivie, Grade 3, St. Benedict Cathedral School

An example of prejudice is when African American people couldn't do the things white people could do. I cannot spread love to everyone. But love can spread to the world when one person shows love, and another, and soon most people would love each other! If people loved each other, the world would be a better place! Anyway, the Bible says, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Also, we would be doing what God wants us to do. That is how I think we should get rid of prejudice.

Morgan Ott, Grade 3

Evansville Christian School

When I see this word, I think of the words "pre" and "judge." You may not realize it, but even a quick thought about how someone appears before you get to know them can be a prejudice against that person.

A question people are faced with today is how can I eliminate this in the world? I think that it might be difficult to change the world, but I think smaller steps can help, and starting at your school or in your hometown is a great place to begin. Perhaps it's by not making that remark about the new kid's appearance at school before getting to know them. Or maybe a harder choice is when everyone around you is pressuring you into making the wrong decision or drawing the wrong conclusion. In those moments, you need to be strong and not make that remark about that person just because others do.

Eliminating prejudice is always going to be difficult. But if you can do it, others around you might start changing their behavior too. And maybe, little by little, you can change your school, and your school could change your city. And that is a great start to helping to change the world!

Danielle Gries,

Grade 7

St. Joseph School

To eliminate prejudice, I might make a speech about how people are disliking others. This is sometimes because they are another race, religion, or from another country. This needs to stop now! Another thing, think twice before saying something mean about other people.

Ashley Goodall, Grade 3

St. Benedict

Cathedral School

I would walk over to the person who's being mean and tell them to stop. I'd also help the kid who's getting hurt. I think it's being mean and hurtful because if you looked like that you would have someone to stand up for you. So stop judging people at how they do something or how they look. I'd say "be yourself. Never change."

Jaxon Cook, Grade 3

Highland

Elementary School

I would eliminate prejudice by not judging people by their skin. You can accept people even if they are from a different country. Don't judge people by a different religion. Accept other people and not just yourself!

Katelynn Echert, Grade 3

St. Benedict Cathedral School

Prejudice is a problem in the world, and people need to work together to fix it. If you are reading this, be encouraged to try to stop prejudice in the world. Be nice to other people. Matthew 19:19 says, "Honor your father and mother and love your neighbor as yourself."

Encourage yourself to do the right thing!

Ryan Mooney, Grade 3

Evansville Christian School

Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience, which means you are judging someone by their looks or even their religion before actually getting to know them. For example, one of my good friends is African American. I know that some people wouldn't give her a chance at friendship because of her race. If we all work together, there is a big chance we can eliminate prejudice. My idea is to make a club, or perhaps just get a group of friends who have these same beliefs. We could spread the word about prejudice in the world and how it needs to come to an end. We could talk about our own experiences of prejudice and how it has affected our lives. We could publish these stories, perhaps on social media, so the people throughout the world would know how much it hurts to be judged by others.

Jordan Elpers, Grade 7

St. Joseph School

I would eliminate prejudice in the world by standing up for the person who is being treated unfairly. It's like Rosa Parks and how she stood up for what she believed in. If you are a child, tell a trusted adult. Or, if you are an adult and you have no one to go to, tell the president or the mayor. Discuss the situation, and find a good solution to the problem.

Adonia Dixon, Grade 3

St. Benedict Cathedral School

I could go to the person who is being prejudiced and ask them to stop. And if they say something mean to me, I will ignore them and tell the closest teacher. I hope that will make other girls or boys that see or are being prejudiced to stop. I could also kindly ask them to stop.

Hannah Wahnsiedler, Grade 3

Highland Elementary School

I would get rid of prejudice by spreading love and kindness to others. Prejudice is when people are mean to other people by the way they look, talk and do things. I would stand up for people who are victims of prejudice. I believe that I could stop prejudice by being kind. That is how I would stop prejudice: by just being kind.

Ella Glackman, Grade 3

Evansville Christian School

The word prejudice is an opinion that is not based on facts but instead based on what people think. There is lots of prejudice in the world. When someone sees a person who doesn't have the same background or looks as them, they might look at them differently. This needs to be stopped because everyone is allowed to be who they want to be and shouldn't be judged. What I can do to help eliminate prejudice in the world is to start with my own thoughts. If I think anything bad based on what I see, I should tell myself to stop and remember the saying, " Don't judge a book by its cover." I think this is an important thing to remember because the saying is talking about prejudice. Even if the title or picture of a book might not look good, you should still give it a try or read about it more before you can say no. Another thing that I can do to eliminate prejudice is if someone else says something based on prejudice, I can tell them that they can't claim that because they don't have any other information. I hope that one day everyone can live how they want and not be judged.

Paige Denning, Grade 7

St. Joseph School

I could tell people that are prejudiced to please stop and think about what they have done. Imagine if someone was prejudiced against you. I would say, "How would you feel?"

Naomi Mann, Grade 3

Highland Elementary School

If I could eliminate prejudice, I would eliminate judging people because I feel like people should be who they are, not who they are not. I would eliminate bullying because no one wants rudeness in the world. We want peace.

Harper Alvey, Grade 3

St. Benedict Cathedral School

I would show them the right way to do things and how to treat people right. And if they don't stop, I will keep on trying to make them stop prejudging other people. Or I will stand up for that person that is being judged.

Karen Piercey, Grade 3

Highland Elementary School

Prejudice affects other people because prejudice means that you treat others badly. It makes them feel horrible and like they are not important. Prejudice is not a good thing; and if you behave in a prejudice way, that's not good at all. So you should never do it to anyone. And no one should do it to you. If anyone does it to you, tell a teacher or an adult. Tell people to stop. Keep with a group of friends so they won't do it to you or anyone else. Treat others as you want to be treated! Matthew 19:19 says, "Honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as yourself." This will help eliminate prejudice!

Nola Ravellette, Grade 3

Evansville Christian School

If I could stop prejudice in the world, I would do that by telling them that you do not judge people before you see them. Also I would stop them by telling the police. Also I would stop it by going up to people and telling them what it does to their feelings and their hearts.

Zaryen Moore, Grade 3

Highland Elementary School

I can eliminate prejudice in the world by accepting somebody who is new to the school who has a different color skin. I would also not judge someone by what accent they have.

Gabe Wittmer, Grade 3

St. Benedict Cathedral School

I would go help whoever is being judged. It isn't right to judge someone before you meet them, but it isn't nice to judge someone anyway. I would also make a sign that says, "Stop prejudice now. It is wrong."

Seth Hanson, Grade 3

Highland Elementary School
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By Megan Erbacher of the Courier and Press

To help with the impending national teacher shortage, University of Evansville officials recently announced a new teacher recruitment and retention program.

Paul Parkison, UE's School of Education chairman, cited statistics from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"The School of Education is committed to its ongoing mission of preparing tomorrow's teachers to be successful in their own classrooms," Parkison said in a statement. "And this program identifies several important ways to ensure we continue to do just that."

CANVASS PODCAST - Teacher Retention

UE's new approach includes four components aimed at recruiting individuals from different backgrounds to teach high-need subjects. Those components, which will launch in the next school year, are:

Teaching Aces Fellowships, meant to identify candidates wanting to teach in shortage areas, including science, math, special education and foreign languages. The students will be eligible for scholarships and loan forgiveness during junior and senior year. Mentoring and academic support will be available.

Transition to Teaching (T2T) program: an alternative route for those changing careers who want to teach grades 5-12. Potential students will be offered a significantly reduced per-credit-hour tuition rate.

Associates or Bachelor's degree completer transition program: students with an associate degree can enroll at UE in pursuit of a bachelor's degree and Indiana teacher licensing in elementary and secondary education.

A fourth component is being developed with local schools to provide mentoring for new teachers with the hope of enhancing skills and preventing the loss of new teachers.

The imminent teacher shortage is not just a local concern, according to area education officials; it's occurring across the state and nation with universities experiencing a decline in students entering the profession.

In the past five years, the Indiana Department of Education reports a roughly 18-percent decline in new teachers earning a license. In the 2009-10 school year, there were 5,599 licenses to first-time teachers compared to 4,565 in the 2013-14 school year.

Some reasons deterring students from entering the profession, according to local educators, include state funding decreases impacting teacher wages, changes to compensation models now tied directly to student outcomes  which also impact salaries for teachers with a master's degree, more rigorous teacher licensure requirements and difficulty licensing individuals from other states.

Last August, Parkison said teacher prep program enrollment dropped starting about four years ago, but numbers are starting to stabilize. He said he would prefer about a 10-15 percent growth to be "really comfortable."

"For the most part in this region, we've recovered to a degree," he said. "But we're not to where we were 10 years ago."

Parkison said secondary program enrollment is increasing, but math and science are still low because students with those skills don't tend to pursue teaching degrees.

Parkison said UE's collaboration with K-12 partners is crucial for success in reversing the teacher shortage.

UE President Thomas Kazee said in a statement that the program will benefit both the university and community.

"The fruits of this program will be realized when schools in the region are able to satisfy the increasing demand for high-quality educators." Kazee said.
By Zach Evans of the Courier and Press

While they've been a protected class for four years in the city, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people now have backing to protect against discrimination.

After a lengthy discussion that included more than 20 speakers from the public, the City Council Monday night voted 7-2 to amend its human rights ordinance to give the Human Relations Commission enforcement and investigatory powers into claims of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Under the old city ordinance, sexual orientation and gender identity were included as a protected class in the city's Human Relations Commission code, but investigations were voluntary.

That meant a homosexual or transgendered person could be fired from a private business, denied housing, refused service or kicked out of school, and the case would be closed if the accused party didn't comply with an investigation.

Under the amendment approved Monday night, accused parties can't opt of an investigation. That gives the Human Relations Commission authority to investigate claims of discrimination against the LGBT community the same as it does for race, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin or ancestry.

City Councilwoman Michelle Mercer, R-At-Large, was the most outspoken critic of the ordinance.

Mercer, who was elected to the council in November, failed in an attempt to table the ordinance to a later meeting.

Mercer said the ordinance violated the Indiana Constitution and usurped the religious rights of private groups and individuals.

"If we pass this, first of all, I would anticipate that Evansville will be sued. We will cost the taxpayers money unnecessarily in a lawsuit," she said.

Indianapolis, Carmel, Bloomington and Columbus have pending lawsuits against them for their LGBT protections.

Councilman Justin Elpers, R-5th Ward and also a newly elected council member, also wanted to provide more religious exemptions and hold off on a vote.

"In this ordinance there is not a balance. Either way somebody's going to lose," Elpers said before voting against the ordinance.

Mercer and Elpers supported strengthening civil rights protections for sexual identity and gender orientation during a candidate forum in October, two weeks before Election Day. Elpers and Mercer said Monday they opposed LGBT discrimination before voting against the ordinance.

While two of the four City Council Republicans opposed the measure, Councilman Dan McGinn, R-1st Ward, supported the ordinance. McGinn said equal protection under the law applies to everyone.

"(The U.S. Constitution) is not like a menu at the restaurant. You don't pick one from column A, one from column B and one from column C and leave the rest on the table. The Founding Fathers put these amendments in for a reason. They are not mutually exclusive," he said.

Councilwoman Anna Hargis, R-3rd Ward, said she received several phone calls in opposition and she had to balance faith and legality in her decision to support the ordinance.

Hargis said while her vote may appear to be a step away from a Christian worldview, "I believe it demonstrates dignity and care for every person in our community," she said.

"I firmly believe that by choosing not to employ, or house, or to provide services to someone who's made moral decisions you disagree with, that's not the way you win people to Christ."

Religious exemptions do apply. With the amendment passed Monday, churches, religiously affiliated nonprofits, religious schools and other official religious organizations are exempt from the commission's reach to enforce anti-discrimination claims.

That's not enough, Mercer said.

She sought amendments that would've broadened the definition of religious affiliation to private nonprofits or individuals with a "religious conscience." That would've given those groups the ability to deny services on the basis of a person's sexual orientation and gender identity.

Mercer's amendment was shot down by the council. Mercer's suggestion to remove "religious exclusivity" from the ordinance came at the suggestion of Jim Bopp Jr.'s law firm.

Bopp  who's earned national fame as a Constitutional lawyer  is the attorney representing the nonprofits suing four Indiana cities for their LGBT protections.

The City Council chambers were packed full Monday night. For the first time in several sessions, the council enforced the room's 84-person seating capacity. However, nobody was prevented from speaking Monday night.

More than 20 spoke for or against  mostly against  the human rights ordinance as the meeting stretched past three hours.

Those against the ordinance had common theme: Christians don't hate but the legislation is not needed and impedes on religious liberty.

Darrell Rice, pastor at the The Connection Church, said the ordinance is unneeded and he doesn't think any groups, no matter who they are, should have special protections.

He said he's spoken with people who fear their businesses will be targeted for not wanting to provide services to people with whom they don't normally agree.

Stephen Russ, pastor at Boeke Road Baptist Church, called the ordinance "divisive" and said it doesn't help our community.

Rental apartment and home magnate Monty Fetter spoke in opposition of the ordinance. Fetter said the amendment would add more bureaucracy to his housing application process.

Bob Dion, chairman of the Human Relations Commission, said the fears that rights will be taken away are unfounded. He said there's evidence from other Indiana cities and across the country that offering civil rights protections to the LGBT community won't cause problems.

"This can be implemented fairly so that nobody's rights are trampled on, then we all end up winning and we're better off," he said.

Skylar Julian, a 17-year-old transgendered male, broke down in tears as he spoke before the council Monday.

Julian said he lives a life of fear. He's worried about the ability to find a job and a house when he can be discriminated against legally on both fronts.

"Where is my right to live happily? You can't take that away from us," he said.

He also took issue with those who cited their religion when speaking against the civil rights protections.

"How is their faith being threatened by me not being in fear?" he said. " I'm not asking for you guys to not to be Christian, but you guys can ask me not to be me. How is that fair?"
What you need to know about Powerball and the $550 million jackpot

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By Staff Report

Green River Kiwanis are using their award to motivate them to do more in the community.

The Evansville group was named Kiwanis Indiana's "Outstanding Club of the Year" for the 2014-15 year. The club received the award Feb. 6.

The group was noted for its achievements within the "Eliminate Project." That project aims to help immunize mothers of Third World countries against maternal/neonatal tetanus, which causes babies a painful death within a few days after being born.

Kiwanis Indiana helped fund the immunization to prevent MNT from forming. GRK raised $200,000 for the project.
Get in the way to

Let Them Stay

The #LetThemStay movement has seen a wave of grassroots action to stop the removal of the 267 asylum seekers. Alongside churches, the Victorian Trades Hall declared it will offer sanctuary to the refugees. The pressure saw Victorias Labor Premier Daniel Andrews break ranks with Bill Shorten and offer to settle the 267 in Victoria. Other Labor premiers have followed suit. Health workers at the Lady Cilento Childrens Hospital in Brisbane are openly defying the federal government by keeping baby Asha in their care until the government undertakes not to send her to Nauru, and instead settles her family in the community where she can be safe and healthy.

The Let Them Stay rally in Sydney earlier this month. (Photo: Anna Pha)

Teachers for refugees grows

Last week, teachers in over 70 schools gathered to take group selfies with the slogan Education Not Detention and called on Turnbull to #LetThemStay. This movement started with one Melbourne teacher initiating action in December last year. Then 36 schools participated; now the number has doubled and has extended to universities and preschools. The next step is to bring all those who participated to the Palm Sunday rally on March 20th. But the success of Teachers for Refugees shows what every worker can do to build the movement.

Doctors and nurses stand up

The heroic stand of the Lady Cilento Hospital is just the latest example of health workers taking direct action against Australias refugee policies. Last year workers at the Childrens Hospital in Melbourne defied the Border Force laws by walking out to show their opposition to the treatment of refugees. Other workers can play a vital role now in organising solidarity actions in support of staff at the Lady Cilento Hospital. There has been a protest of health workers in Melbourne and a solidarity action at Sydneys Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

In Brisbane, Queensland Unions and the ACTU have backed the workers and have set up a roster for unionists to have a presence at the ongoing picket.

Scapegoats for government cuts

Across the world, governments demonise refugees wherever they are cutting back jobs and services. In Australia, universities continue to cut courses and staff as the government starves them of funds. Fifty billion dollars has been cut from our hospitals and now the Turnbull government is cutting pathology Medicare bulk-billing incentives. But rather than fund health and education properly, both major parties use fear of refugees being a burden on services or taking jobs to justify violating human rights.

They have special laws for refugees, and special laws to take away union rights. For too long, Abbott and now Turnbull have used the refuge issue to try and divide us. The racism generated by Australias refugee policy affects us all.

Detaining a single asylum seeker on Manus or Nauru costs $400,000 per year. Turnbull pays Transfield/Broadspectrum almost $2.2 billion dollars a year to run the offshore detention centres. Ending detention could fund the Medicare pathology incentive payments and help fund universities and hospitals.

What next?

We need to turn all our hospitals, schools, councils and universities into a political sanctuary for refugees, a grassroots network of people prepared to take action to stop the deportation of those in Australia to Nauru and Manus Island, and to close the camps and bring the refugees here. The actions weve seen to #LetThemStay show that every little bit counts. Right now, by refusing to release baby Asha into detention, the staff at Lady Cilento Childrens Hospital are defying Turnbull and the Border Force Act. They need our support.

Get active: things you can do

Organise a group selfie outside your work in support of baby Asha and medical staff at Lady Cilento and to #LetThemStay. Send solidarity messages to bretty@qcu.asn.au

Set up a refugee support group for your workplace or sector

Bring a contingent to Palm Sunday rally March 20, 1pm, Belmore Park (Sydney). This is the next major national protest against offshore processing. We need a massive turn-out to show both major parties how deep the support for refugees is.

Special organising meeting for workers

Pass this motion at a union or staff meeting, or in your religious or community group:

Let Them Stay!

This meeting of______________ notes:

(i) that 267 asylum seekers, including 91 children (37 of whom are babies born in Australia; and 36 at school) are presently in Australia having been brought here by the immigration department from offshore detention centres of Manus Island and Nauru;

(ii) that they were brought for medical attention and mental health treatment that was not available on Nauru or Manus Island;

(iii) that they have spent around two years in detention and have not been processed;

(iv) that the detrimental effects of long term detention are well known for both children and adults;

(v) that Nauru and Manus Island are not safe for asylum seekers or refugees;

(vi) that five state and territory leaders, including Labor leaders in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia have called on the Turnbull government not to return the 267 to Nauru;

We further note that the Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton has stated that he expects this group of asylum seekers including the 91 children may soon be sent back to Nauru.

We therefore declare our complete opposition to any asylum seeker, or refugee, presently in Australia being sent to Nauru or Manus Island;

Accordingly we:

(i) call on the government not to detain any asylum seeker or refugee on Manus Island or Nauru;

(ii) call on the state government to not cooperate with any attempt by the federal government to return any of the 267 to Nauru;

(iii) will provide all appropriate moral, financial and material support for the campaign by community and refugee advocacy groups to prevent asylum seekers being returned to Manus Island and Nauru

(iv) call for the end of mandatory detention and the closure of all detention centres.
Editorial

US-led war on Syria must be stopped!

The war on Syria is a covert CIA-managed war the USA and its allies have initiated to overthrow the Syrian government. The Syrian adventure was to be a relatively brief regime change exercise, camouflaged by the social unrest of the Arab Spring and a step in re-ordering the Middle East in the interest of the US and its allies.

This accorded with the US global strategic objective of remaining the worlds first, last and only truly global empire, despite a declining economic base relative to rest of the world.

Five years later the US-led War on Syria is showing itself to be one more brutal, costly and disastrous venture into which the US state has dragged much of the world.

The plan was to trigger the collapse of the Syrian government, through inciting sectarian war, mainly used foreign gangs paid, armed, trained and logistically supported by US and its allies, as the CIA itself disclosed to a US congressional budget committee in 2015.

Not only did the CIA train and equip nearly 10,000 fighters out of its own budget in the previous few years, as part of a broader, multi-billion dollar effort involving Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, it also managed a sprawling logistics network to move fighters, ammunition and weapons into the country.

The process of grinding Syrian society into subjugation, at the cost of hundreds of thousands of Syrian lives, creation of millions of refugees and destruction of the countrys heritage and civil infrastructure, was suddenly interrupted by Russias intervention last October, at the invitation of Syrias government.

Russias serious concern with jihadi terrorism and its joint efforts with the Syrian army have rapidly collapsed the anti-Syrian, fundamentalist militias. It has disrupted ISISs multi-million dollar oil trade with Turkey, previously untouched by the US-led war on ISIS. The joint forces are set to lift the siege on Aleppo, Syrias largest city and cut the ISIS/Al-Qaeda supply lines between Syria and Turkey. They are preparing to take Raqqa, the ISIS capital.

At this rate peace could be restored in Syria within a few months and the Syrian people could start to rebuild their lives. The destruction of ISIS and Al-Qaeda related terrorist forces and the end of this cruel war should be welcome.

However, the US and its allies are portraying the Syrian and Russian gains as a disaster, a narrative a compliant media unrelentingly transmit to Western audiences.

The disaster is that those military assets the US-led coalition created to directly subjugate or dismember Syria are being destroyed in the field before they can be used to enforce a regime transition at the table.

Instead, the US is warning it will create a quagmire for Russia in Syria if it does not disengage, and Turkey and Saudi Arabia are openly preparing to invade Syria if Assad is not promptly despatched at peace talks.

Russia has warned that the US and its allies risk a new world war if they send troops into Syria. If the outside powers seeking regime change in Syria do not back off, but instead escalate the war, then Syria could suck the worlds two main nuclear powers into direct conflict.

At this stage it is only a matter of whether this is what the US wants  a war with Russia to permanently relegate it to economic colony status  or whether the US has already lost control of what it has set in train, and is being dragged towards disaster.

US society itself is under tremendous duress, and both Turkey and Saudi Arabia are riven by internal tensions. These are regimes whose policies are driven by desperation, as well as imperialist ambitions.

Ultimately the war on Syria will need a political solution  not the one of imposed regime change, but the one where the democratic and progressive forces within the countries aiding the US to prosecute this war demonstrate that they know what their governments are up to and act forcefully to rein them in.

This includes Australia  whose government has moved in lockstep with the US in all its imperialist ventures, obligingly breaking diplomatic relations with Syria, participating in a US-initiated sanctions regime against Syria and deploying military forces to the Middle East to participate in the US pseudo-war against ISIS.
Calculated cruelty

Two examples from Nauru reveal the lack of law and order and child services and protection on Nauru. One 44-year-old Iranian refugee father has been in jail since January 27. He is a sole parent on Nauru. His eight-year-old daughter has been cared for by another refugee family since was he was abruptly taken into custody.

Neither the Nauruan authorities nor the Australian service provider, Connect, have lifted a finger to even enquire about the welfare of his daughter. The Nauruan police were actually called by Connect after the man had moved himself and his daughter into spare accommodation in Nibok on the west of the island. Connect objected to the move.

For almost two weeks, the Iranian man has been held in jail. He appeared in court yesterday (Monday February 8), although the exact charge was unclear. But he was returned to jail.

The second incident involves a 26-year-old single female Iranian asylum seeker who was arrested after an argument with guards at the mess in the single womens section of the family camp, RPC 3.

Around 7:00 pm on February 8, the Iranian woman tried to take some food out of the mess to her room. The mess closes at 8:00 pm  and doesnt open until the morning  so asylum seekers are left without food for a long time.

Wilson security guards confronted her at the mess; there was an altercation and the food was taken from her.

Around 10 pm, Wilson security guards arrived at the single womens compound with Nauruan police to arrest the woman.

The Refugee Action Coalition was told, Around five or six police grabbed her, pushed her and smashed her to the ground. She was handcuffed with her hands behind her back and she was dragged to the police car. She was put in the back of the [police] car.

She was released a few hours later but has been told she will be re-arrested over the incident. She has been left with abrasions and bruises as a result of the incident.

This is more evidence of the lack of the rule of law on Nauru. The police are simply an extension of Wilsons and the detention regime on the island, said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition. Even worse perhaps, the lack of concern for the eight-year-old reveals the complete failure of both the Nauruan and Australian authorities, and the lack of child welfare services on Nauru.

The on-going inadequacy of effective protection for asylum seekers and refugees on Nauru is a major reason the 267 presently in Australia should be allowed to stay.

Meanwhile refugees continue to be discriminated against such as the supermarket near Anibare that had refused to serve refugees. The particular supermarket is at the Civic Centre near the airport, believed to be Eigigu supermarket.

The difficulties in specific identification of the supermarket is a direct result of the communication difficulties with Nauru in general. The Nauruan government maintains a media blackout precisely to prevent information about the conditions on Nauru being reported more widely. But we are told that the particular supermarket has a bad reputation for only serving Nauruans or Chinese shop-keepers, particularly if there are shortages, and shortages are routine, said Ian Rintoul.

Liable for harm

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has said that any decision to send the children of asylum seekers to offshore detention from the Australian mainland would constitute a breach of the Immigration Ministers duty of care as well as the Commonwealths own Workplace Health and Safety laws.

The full bench of the High Court recently ruled that the federal government has the power under the Constitution to detain people in other countries, finding that the conduct was within the law. ALA spokesperson and barrister Greg Barns said that High Court decision has yet again demonstrated that the rights of vulnerable people in Australia are not protected by current laws.

If the Australian government returns the children to Manus Island it is doing so knowing full well that the Commonwealth is liable for any harm which happens to those children, Barns said.

The Commonwealth is sending these children to a place it knows will cause them harm  there is uncontested medical evidence that to place a child into detention causes that child mental and physical harm.

It could be argued that for the Commonwealth to send children to Nauru on the basis of this ruling would amount to a breach of the duty of care of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to ensure the physical and mental wellbeing of those children,

It is also arguable that such conduct would amount to a breach of the Commonwealth Workplace Health and Safety Act.

Barns said the Workplace Health and Safety Act makes it an offence to allow persons to be present in unsafe workplaces, irrespective of whether those persons are visitors, residents or workers.

He said that the Australian Lawyers Alliance was extremely disappointed with the High Court rejection of the challenge to the offshore detention laws, and that if this challenge had been brought in a jurisdiction with robust human rights laws it is highly likely that it would have been successful

The reality is that offshore detention is a gross breach of Australian international human rights obligations and is also a breach of the international refugee laws and standards. The decision of the High Court does not in any way shape or form change that.

The decision of the High Court yet again demonstrates that vulnerable persons in Australia do not have their rights protected by current laws, Barns said. If this challenge had been brought in a jurisdiction with robust human rights laws such as Canada it is highly likely this challenge would have been successful.

Last week, in a paper published in Australasian Psychiatry, Dr Michael Dudley, a psychiatrist at Sydney Childrens Hospital, wrote that prolonged detention showed reckless indifference and calculated cruelty. Such policies misused health and welfare professionals to underwrite state abuses and promote public numbing.
Seizing public space

Politically relevant street art has a long tradition in Latin America. In recent years, it has increasingly become mainstream. Its great strength is that it triggers public debate, which is precisely the intention of the artist creating it.

A wall painting in San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala, depicting the Indigenous womens hard life.

In Latin America, artists and activists have found a way to make controversial issues public for all to see  even in restrictive political environments and even for the illiterate. They use street art. Wall paintings called murales mark the public space in many parts of Latin America.

In a wall painting, the message is crucial, but it needs to be well painted, says 42-year-old Dardo M, a well-known muralista from Buenos Aires. Street art is intended for public consumption, not for perusal in a gallery or living room. Dardo M speaks of an artists attempt to communicate with the observer and put across a specific message. In his eyes, wall paintings are an art form as well as a form of communication.

Since prehistoric times, human beings have painted on walls to convey mythical or ritual messages. The pictures in the Altamira cave in Spain are a striking example. In the first century AD, early Christians painted on walls in catacombs to communicate with one another. Only Christians understood the messages; Roman persecutors could not decipher them. Those wall paintings are the earliest known antecedents of the street art and graffiti we know today, and just as today, they had secret codes and a social function.

Mexican pioneers

In the past century, Diego Rivera, Clemente Orozco and David Siqueiros revived street art in Mexico. In the early 1920s, they founded the Movimiento Muralista Mexicano (the Mexican street art movement) and set out to make art for the people. The movement identified with the Mexican Revolution of 1910, in which intellectuals joined forces with workers and farmers. They sought to revitalise the indigenous culture that had been brutally suppressed since colonial times, and they wanted to create a modern state.

From a series of murals done by David Siqueiros depicting the Mexican Revolution.

Paola Maurizio, professor of art history in Buenos Aires University, says that the muralists were formally trained artists breaking free from formality. They were inspired by indigenous and folk art as well as by 19th-century Italian frescoes. With wall paintings, the Movimiento Muralista Mexicano opened a new channel for public communication. The large-format murals reflected elements of Mexican culture and impressed the largely illiterate rural people, Maurizio says. After centuries of white domination, they finally saw themselves depicted on walls as protagonists of history.

During the Great Depression after 1929, the Movimientos approach to aesthetics and ideology spread to the US and beyond. The mural art movement had been confined to Latin America: Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. But during the devastating economic crisis which exacerbated social inequality in the US, its anti-authoritarian approach was increasingly adopted. Later, in the 1960s, leftist students did so in Europe, and street art found its way to the US again by that circuitous route. In the 1970s, graffiti art, a successor of muralismo, emerged in New York and Philadelphia and then spread around the world.

Art for everyone

Graffiti tends mostly to be text, not images. The inscriptions get their significance from the social context and serve a social function. Walls are not painted just for decoration; graffiti makes statements and expresses protest. Graffiti sprayer Santiago Amrein, 28, from Buenos Aires claims that anyone who paints on a public building without permission commits a political act by seizing public space. Thats what I like best about street art, he adds. We are trying to democratise art.

Street art is a very broad term and covers diverse forms of expression alongside wall painting and graffiti. Stencil graffiti, which makes text or images easy to reproduce, is increasingly popular, tags  stylised signatures  are very widespread, and digital art forms are now emerging, such as video mapping and digital graffiti, which are stored on a tablet, PC or mobile phone and broadcast via social media.

Argentine artist Natalia Rizzo points out that a muralista planning a wall painting needs to take account of the dimensions of the building and the routes of passers-by. Passers-by will only stop for a closer look if the work awakens their interest. Otherwise, they just walk past, the 34-year-old says.

In recent years, street art has increasingly become mainstream. Graffiti has been institutionalised by galleries and even confined in museums. Major brands and companies use street art techniques and even commission street artists for advertising campaigns. At the same time, there is still a strain of revolutionary political street art that opposes commercialisation. The Bolivian anarcho-feminist artists collective Mujeres Creando is one example.

Feminist messages

Mujeres Creando have been active for more than 20 years at various levels, engaging in political activism, artistic activity and feminist empowerment. The artists use graffiti as a form of expression, spraying walls and buildings in La Paz with aphorisms such as Eva is not made from the rib of Evo or Pachamama [Earth Mother], you and I both know that abortion has always been around, Women who unite dont need to put up with violence or There can be no decolonisation without depatriarchalisation. In 1993, the collective used graffiti to call for an election boycott in protest over widespread vote-buying ahead of the presidential election.

Mujeres Creando denounce racism and violence at various levels  from state agencies, family and sexual relations through to institutional settings. Their public criticism of patriarchal violence and the abuse of authority has influenced social movements across Bolivia. Mujeres Creando staged a major event at the 31st Biennal de Sao Paulo in September 2014. The group created an installation called Space to Abort at the modern art exhibition, featuring giant uteruses onto which short films were projected.

In Sao Paulo, a special form of graffiti known as Pixo or Pichacao is found at every turn. The young artists, the pichadores, compete to spray their tags on the citys tallest buildings, in places that they reach by free-climbing or with the support of ropes. Juneca, a 28-year-old ex-pichador, declares: If it was legal, no one would bother. We are part of the periphery, of the marginalised community, and we say very clearly: I exist, Im here, and I want you to see me.

This extreme artists movement is made up largely of very young people, many of them teenagers. It uses creative means to represent marginalised sections of the citys people. Jannis Seidaris, a German graphic designer, writes: Pichacao consists of tagging in a distinctive, cryptic style inspired by runic and Gothic script and the logos of many 90s rock bands. Poverty and isolation enabled the style to survive without being influenced by Western graffiti or basic typographical rules. In the past, Pixo was an expression of punk or resistance against military dictatorship; today its motto is Down with the dictatorship of the mainstream.

Controversial art event

Wall paintings have an influence not just on the art world but, more importantly, on the social environment. The city of San Miguel de Tucuman, the capital of one of the poorest provinces in Argentina with the highest child malnutrition rate in the country, was shocked by an art event in early 2015: a series of stick-on graffiti images of hanged children with four balloons appeared on walls in the city, triggering a public and media debate.

The art event was entitled Felices los ninos (Happy Children)  a reference to a Catholic foundation of the same name whose director, Padre Julio Grassi, is serving a jail sentence for child abuse.

The art event criticised not only the Catholic Church but also the state, which supports the foundation. It also referred to child labour during the lemon and strawberry harvest in the province. Artist Sofia Jatib, who initiated the event, recalls: Everyone was shocked by the image. But it is so hypocritical to portray childhood as innocent. She considers that idea an authoritarian dream.

Many of the wall paintings can still be seen in Tucuman today. Despite the negative press, people are open to the artists message. Domestic helper Ana Maria, 55, says: I dont find the images disturbing. What I find much more disturbing is hearing people say that slum-dwellers should be slain before they grow up. Its a remark I hear often because the children of the poor in this society are worth nothing. Raul Lopez, a car mechanic in Tucuman, believes that the press may be outraged by the horrific images of the art event but the politicians in this province dont give a fig when children die.

The great strength of wall painting is that it triggers public debate. And that is precisely the intention.

Third World Resurgence
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You're familiar with those fake houses they set up in the desert, complete with convenient, blast-proof Harrison Ford storage devices? They were also packed full of food items including canned goods and, of course, beer. This wasn't just last-minute curiosity, either. The experiments were pretty scientifically thorough: Bottles and cans were tested, placed in a wide variety of arrangements such as stacked in batches, lined up along walls, and even buried underground at various sites, ranging from several miles away to right next to the explosion. This was a very important study that fully justified the irradiation of miles of American landscape so as to render it useless to future generations.

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The results? Canned beer fares better in a nuclear explosion than bottled beer, as you would probably expect. But, they still needed some poor sap to do the all-important taste test. The name of whoever was given this task is lost to history (and probably unmarked on the hasty grave the scientists dug for him soon afterward), but the evaluation was that the beer closest to the explosion tasted a little strange.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images

You'll recognize the flavor by its modern name: light beer.

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It will still get you buzzed though, which is nice, considering that, if you're tasting it, you've just survived a nuclear detonation and could probably use a drink right about now.
Honda's F1 programme is set for a managerial shake-up with boss Yasuhisa Arai to step down from the position next week.

After a board meeting by the Japanese manufacturer it was confirmed Arai would be replaced by Yusuke Hasegawa in the role of executive chief engineer on 1st March 2016.

In addition, Yoshiyuki Matsumoto will be installed as a supervisor to the F1 project as well as maintaining the role of president and CEO of Honda's R&D division, with the changes coming into effect on the 1st April.

Arai, who had been handed the task of overseeing Honda's return to F1 as an engine supplier to McLaren last year, will move on to become the senior managing officer of Honda's R&D on the 1st March.

The Japanese manufacturer has endured a tricky start to its return to F1 after failing to master the complicated V6 Hybrid power unit regulations, leaving the McLaren's of Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso struggling towards the back of the grid.

Despite noticeable improvements on the opening day of 2016 pre-season testing, with Button claiming they've found up to half a second over the winter, Arai will leave the F1 project at the end of the first four-day tests which concludes on Thursday 25th February.
What happened in the parliamentary elections? Lebanons national elections on 15 May saw the Shiite Islamist movement Hizbollah and its allies lose their parliamentary majority. New parties drawn from civil society and the 2019 protest movement made significant inroads. But, in the end, the established political forces  encompassing both Hizbollahs bloc and its long-time foes  remained in control of 90 per cent of the legislative seats. The balance of power in parliament has nonetheless shifted, with no clear majority coalition or easy path to forming a government. Hizbollah and its partner Amal  the Shiite duo  won all the seats reserved for Shiite MPs. Their Christian ally, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), held seventeen of the eighteen seats it won in the 2018 polls, after which it was the party with the largest share. It was the nominal independents once aligned with Hizbollah, Amal and the FPM, who cost the bloc its majority. All were either voted out or quit the coalition before the polls. Women candidates secured eight seats  the highest number to date in Lebanese electoral history  with affiliations ranging from traditional political parties without progressive agendas to civil society groups.

The biggest surprise was the performance of the civil society and protest movement activists.

The biggest surprise was the performance of the civil society and protest movement activists, most of whom are fresh faces in formal politics. They scored thirteen seats, some of them representing districts far beyond Beirut, the capital city. In several instances, their gains came at the expense of high-profile establishment politicians associated with Hizbollahs bloc, such as Faisal Karami, scion of a major family in the northern city of Tripoli, prominent Druze leader Talal Arslan in the Mount Lebanon town of Aley, and Syrian Socialist Nationalist Party head Assaad Hardan in the south. These new forces oppose Lebanons sectarian or confessional system, which parcels out parliamentary seats (and some other positions) among the Catholic, Sunni, Shiite, Orthodox, Druze, Alawite and Evangelical communities. Yet the candidates with non-traditional affiliations were not the only net winners. The Lebanese Forces, a Christian party led by Samir Geagea, also achieved substantial gains, becoming the largest party in parliament. The party now has nineteen MPs and has pulled ahead of its main Christian rival, the FPM. It is deeply opposed to Hizbollah, whose forces under arms it views as undermining Lebanons national security, sovereignty and economic development. This issue divides Lebanons two main establishment blocs, with the parties that demand Hizbollahs disarmament opposing those that do not. All these results make for a murky overall picture, though competition between the two main blocs  that led by Hizbollah and that comprising its adversaries  will continue to be a major dynamic.

Do the electoral gains for alternative political forces usher in a new era for Lebanese politics? Not right now and not any time soon. To be sure, the new political forces showing reflects the growing rejection of Lebanons ruling elite since the 2018 elections. In October 2019, when large protests erupted across Lebanon, demonstrators blamed the countrys leaders for decades of neglect and corruption. These long-term failures of governance had culminated in a crushing economic crisis, which the World Bank considers one of the worlds biggest financial collapses since the 1850s, and which continues to worsen. At the outset, the protest movement stayed largely free of the countrys notorious sectarian and political fault lines, which the established parties habitually use to divide and rule the population. The protesters forged a broad alliance around the demand to eject the political class wholesale  irrespective of sectarian or political identity  under the rallying cry all of them means all of them (must go). The 15 May polls seem to have revived something of this unifying spirit, which until then appeared to have disintegrated. Mass demonstrations became rare after October 2019, with the notable exception of protests concerning the disastrous Beirut port explosion in August 2020. In the election campaign, parties claiming the 2019 movements mantle often competed against one another rather than presenting unified lists. It seemed that the competition among different opposition lists might weaken their chances, but this turned out not to be the case. In most districts, voters rooting for change converged on a single party slate, producing results that exceeded most observers expectations for electoral success. Yet that success needs to be viewed in context. Despite their dismal record in public office, Lebanons established political forces still control 90 per cent of the parliament. This enduring popularity suggests that when it comes to elections, time-tested mobilising methods, such as leveraging patronage and instigating sectarian fears, still have traction.

Patronage is arguably a more useful political tool than ever.

Patronage is arguably a more useful political tool than ever. The economic collapses sheer depth has made many Lebanese even more dependent than before on the various material favours, from jobs to cash handouts, that the established political leaders have been doling out for decades. Living standards have deteriorated dramatically across the country since October 2019. Heavily dependent on imports, Lebanon burned through the dwindling foreign currency reserves needed to buy essential goods. Lack of foreign exchange means that the state is no longer able to cover the cost of fuel and other subsidies. The electricity grid provides just two hours of power per day and many households can no longer afford skyrocketing bills for backup diesel generators. The Lebanese liras massive devaluation has pushed up the price of imported goods, triggering runaway inflation, at a rate of 84.9 per cent in 2020 and 145 per cent in 2021. While 150,000 Lebanese lira bought $100 in early 2019, the same amount is worth around $5 today. The currency collapse has disproportionately affected low-income Lebanese, who struggle to pay for food, medication and other necessities. The UN Economic and Social Council for Western Asia estimates that over 80 per cent of the population now lives in multidimensional poverty. Amid this chaos, Lebanons political elites are well positioned to purchase the support of desperate constituents. Ahead of the elections, reports abounded of parties offering citizens money and other material incentives in exchange for their support at the ballot box. In Lebanons most impoverished regions, some parties allegedly offered voters up-front cash payments of just one million lira  less than $35  for their vote. In other cases, candidates allegedly promised to reward voters with improved individual access to basic services, like electricity, fuel and health care. In the coming years, unless the gloomy economic outlook brightens, needy constituents will be even more tempted to avail themselves of the patronage networks that the established leaders control. Fear of violence also helped the ruling elites deter voters from straying toward recently formed opposition groups. In October 2021, violent conflict broke out between rival groups in Tayyouneh, a residential suburb of Beirut. Rhetoric from the parties linked to the incident  including Hizbollah and Amal, as well as their opponents, the Lebanese Forces  emphasised their capacity to protect the communities they represent, even as the country disintegrated. These appeals carry special weight in Lebanon, where memories of the nations brutal civil war (1975-1990) are still fresh. With the states security forces struggling to pay and feed soldiers and policemen, many Lebanese feel that, in such perilous times, it is a bad idea to upend the political status quo. This apprehension, which future violent incidents would likely deepen, could continue to limit the new oppositions political reach.

Runaway inflation has left many Lebanese struggling to pay for food, medication and other necessities. CRISIS GROUP / Michelle Malaney

How long will it take for a new government to be formed? Government formation is likely to be complicated and time-consuming. Clear procedures apply under the constitution. The president appoints the new prime minister in consultation with parliament. The prime minister then selects the new council of ministers or cabinet. The present government led by Najib Mikati will continue in caretaker mode until the countrys political forces agree on their replacements. In recent years, making these appointments has been arduous, with political players vetoing candidates to maximise their share of executive authority. Past governments have taken shape only after the countrys establishment leaders  each claiming to speak for a particular confessional group  agreed on a specified balance of power, which divided influence among the various competing factions. The leaders have justified these tactics with rhetoric about securing the interests of the group they purport to represent. Crisis-hit Lebanon would benefit from speedy government formation this time around. Yet it appears more likely that the bargaining will be lengthy, as parties jostle to adjust the balance of power in their favour after the election results. The stakes are high for the forthcoming negotiations. First, established political leaders face looming decisions about far-reaching reforms, which could fundamentally transform the economy. In April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced a staff-level agreement with the Lebanese government, by which it promised to supply Lebanon with $3 billion in stabilisation support over four years. The IMF conditioned this pledge on legislative and fiscal reforms, which need to be under way before the IMFs management and executive board can approve the package. The agreements conditions  such as restructuring the financial sector, lifting banking secrecy laws and reforming state-owned enterprises  could have serious repercussions for Lebanons political and financial elites. Established political leaders will want to secure direct influence over the new government to make sure that any reforms will not affect their interests. The wrangling could be all the more intense because the new government may have a full four-year parliamentary mandate to carry out the reforms. In September 2021, established leaders consented to the Mikati governments formation, in part because it would serve only until the next Mays parliamentary elections  a mere nine months. During this period, Mikatis administration could do little harm to vested interests  especially since everyone knew the big reform issues would be faced after the election. Lebanons political elites will be invested in enshrining a new balance of power that will safeguard their commercial interests and patronage networks vis-a-vis other communities.

A further complicating factor is the need for political elites to agree on a new president by 31 October.

A further complicating factor is the need for political elites to agree on a new president by 31 October, when the six-year term of the incumbent, Michel Aoun, expires. The most powerful role reserved for Maronite Christians, the president signs all legislation and, at least nominally, serves as the Lebanese armys commander-in-chief. Aoun has been angling to anoint his son-in-law Gebran Bassil as his successor. Bassil is chair of the FPM, which Aoun founded. Yet Bassil faces stiff and potentially insurmountable opposition to his presidential candidacy. He has alienated key figures across Lebanons political spectrum and in November 2020 became subject to U.S. sanctions on corruption allegations. Should he feel compelled to abandon Bassils candidacy, Aoun may well demand political concessions  such as a certain level of FPM representation in the new cabinet  in return. Since the president must sign off on any new government, Aoun can block cabinet formation until his demands are met. The presidential appointment process presents other issues as well. Parliament elects the president  who requires the support of at least two thirds of sitting legislators. Following the recent election results, it is highly unlikely that any political camp will be able to muster this number without the consent of its main rivals. For this reason, there is a strong chance that politicians will not compromise on a presidential candidate without a larger agreement about the countrys overall balance of power for the coming years. In the likely event that no new president has been chosen by 1 November, the constitution delegates the presidents powers to the council of ministers. The parties are aware that the new government they are trying to form may, within less than six months, be arrogated all executive power, which further raises the stakes. Should cabinet formation remain stalled until that point, the Mikati cabinet will still be in place. But it remains unclear if, constitutionally, a caretaker government can assume these additional executive powers, which would inevitably prompt further political bickering. If the answer is no, the country could be staring at a political vacuum. The absence of leadership would place reforms, and the arrival of substantial external support, even farther out of reach. Given the election outcome, protracted negotiations over the new balance of power appear all but inevitable. The FPM in particular will fight hard to retain as much as possible of the leverage it obtained in 2018. The Lebanese Forces, for their part, have made clear that, as the new largest party in parliament, they intend to take an assertive stand. On election night, party leader Geagea wasted no time in intimating the Lebanese Forces opposition to re-electing powerful Amal leader Nabih Berri, a staunch Hizbollah ally, as house speaker  a position echoed by other key anti-Hizbollah parliamentarians. Returning fire, the head of Hizbollahs parliamentary group, Mohammad Raad, evoked the spectre of civil war if opposing political forces fail to approve a consensus government. Such bombast aside, both main establishment blocs have indicated that they will not accept just any power redistribution, making the prospect of timely government formation even more remote.

What would an extended political vacuum mean for Lebanon? In short, nothing good. A political vacuum in the form of protracted negotiations and an extended stalemate over who governs the country will mean that Lebanons economic meltdown continues and perhaps accelerates. Before the elections, Lebanons leaders expended considerable resources on maintaining a semblance of financial stability, notably by releasing hundreds of millions in U.S. dollars to arrest the liras freefall. With foreign exchange reserves now reportedly below $10 billion, this policy is unsustainable. The currency is liable to crash again. If the economic decline picks up pace, security risks will almost surely continue to mount. State security agencies have prevented large-scale conflict to date, but these underfunded institutions are now approaching their breaking point. Clashes between rival armed groups  like the tussle in Tayyouneh  may become more regular. A political vacuum could also stoke these dangerous tensions, as sectarian leaders use political polarisation among communities to incite violence. Meanwhile, overstretched soldiers and police will increasingly struggle to contain crime; robberies and kidnappings for ransom are already on the rise across Lebanon.

As Lebanon's economic crisis worsens, underfunded state security agencies are approaching their breaking point. CRISIS GROUP / Michelle Malaney
Microsoft Australia has announced that Fred Viet will join the company as its first-ever Surface commercial channel lead  with the news coming just days after it was revealed that Viet was leaving his previous role as Lenovo Australia's channel sales director.

Viet had served 11 years at Lenovo and was channel sales manager since 2011 before his promotion to director in July last year.

Fred brings a wealth of channel experience to this role and will drive our Surface commercial channel expansion strategy. a Microsoft spokesperson said.

CRN broke the news last month that Microsoft was on the hunt for a Surface-specific channel manager. The position is within Microsofts team that oversees the enterprise channel  the Small and Midmarket Solutions & Partners (SMS&P) group.

"The leader will have overall ownership and accountability for Surface sales strategy and results for the commercial channel in their market," said the job advertisement on LinkedIn at the time.

Microsoft Australia was seeking an executive with more than 10 years of experience in enterprise sales and channel, to be "a Surface visionary in terms of where customers and partners are heading [in] the market so we can get there first and lead them to victory".

CRN contacted Viet but had not received a response at the time of writing.

At the end of last year, Microsoft partners complained of stock shortages for the popular Surface convertible tablets. Microsoft Australia director of partner business and development Philip Goldie told CRN at the time that the shortages were "a good news story because the demand is massive".

The channel for the Surface expanded further last month with more than 150 new resellers added for access through Ingram Micro and Synnex.
The Tech Girls Movement (TGM) has teamed up with Diverse City Careers (DCC) to create Superhero Daughter Day - an event aimed at enticing more female students to pick ICT as a career of choice.

The 12 March event, which aligns with International Womens Day, will see students ranging from years one to seven being invited to meet inspiring female role models in the IT industry. They will also hear from one of the Microsoft's star tech girls on what its like to work in ICT.

Held in Brisbane for the very first time, the event also aims to get young girls to learn about IT careers, participate in creative games and create their own tech superheroes.

DCC founder Gemma Lloyd said the event will also coincide with the launch of TGMs second edition of the Tech Girls are Superheroes picture book, which is aimed at encouraging young girls to develop a strong interest in technology and business.

We are thankful for Microsofts support of this event. With women making up less than 30 percent of the IT workforce, creating a pipeline of women in ICT is a crucial initiative, and many of our clients have a strong focus in this area, which is great to see, said Lloyd.

DCC is a social enterprise that helps women enter industries with low female participation rates and pursue a subsequent rewarding career.

TGM founder Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen said: Since the release of the first 'Tech Girls are Superheroes' book, over 20,000 copies have been distributed through the help of sponsors and partners. Were excited about the launch of the second book. A big thank you to Google, who are supporting the distribution of over 9,500 books to all school libraries in Australia.
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Ingram Micro Exec: Proposed Chinese Ownership Won't Hurt Our U.S. Federal Business

Michael Novinson

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Ingram Micro U.S. chief executive Paul Bay said that being part of Hainan, China-based HNA Group will have no impact on the distributors robust U.S. government business.

"The merger announced this week has no bearing on our standing as holders of a [General Services Administration] schedule or any effect on any of our customers who hold their own GSA schedules," Bay wrote in an internal memo filed late Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. "As a result, we expect no changes to our vendor or partner relationships."

The HNA Group has assured Ingram Micro that neither it nor affiliate Tianjin Tianhai has any direct ownership stake held by the Chinese government, Bay said. HNA Group is the largest stockholder in Tianjin Tianhai of Tianjin, China, which announced plans Wednesday to acquire Irvine, Calif.-based Ingram Micro for $6 billion.

[Related: Ingram Leaders: HNA Deal Will Make Us More Financially Flexible With Partners]

Ingram Micro and Promark -- a public sector-focused subsidiary acquired by Ingram in 2012 -- do not hold contracts or sell products through its GSA schedule that require a security clearance, Bay said. Instead, all of the products sold through Ingram Micro's public sector and GSA businesses are entirely commercial in nature, according to Bay.

"Many companies in our industry are either owned outright or held by foreign nationals, such as China  Lenovo and Synnex  to name a few," Bay said in the memo in an apparent attempt to reassure worried vendors, solution providers and investors, [Editor's Note: Synnex is not "held by" Chinese ownership. Synnex's largest shareholder is MiTAC International, a Taiwan-based company that holds a minority 24.9 percent stake, according to a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.]

Bay on Friday told his staff to "make a point today" to reach out to vendors and solution provider customers that work with the distributor's public sector team and assure them that Ingram Micro will continue serving their business even after it's owned by Tianjin Tianhai.

As part of the HNA Group, Bay said, Ingram Micro will continue to look for opportunities to expand its partnerships with vendors and solution providers interested in doing business with the federal government. Ingram Micro uses a two-tier GSA schedule, Bay said, meaning that all engagements come through a partner rather than directly through Ingram Micro.

Ingram Micro does not anticipate any changes to its management team or associates after it becomes part of HNA, including the CEO position, where Bay said Alain Monie will continue to lead the company. The distributor will additionally not be making any changes to its systems or the integrity of its data, Bay said.

Knowledge Information Solutions (KIS) thinks its run rate business will be just fine, as the company, No. 449 on the CRN 2015 Solution Provider 500, does not work in any sensitive areas of the federal government and is involved in delivering only products rather than services, said company President Augie Riolo.

"I dont think there will be any impact," Riolo told CRN. "It's early days, but I don't see any difference at this point."

KIS works exclusively with the federal government, and Ingram Micro is its primary distributor in the space.

FedBiz IT Solutions reached out to its contact at Ingram Micro on Monday morning, and was told that the distributor anticipates some concerns from the federal government but plans to work through them, according to Don Tiaga, president of the Leesburg, Va.-based company.

"This does raise some issues," Tiaga told CRN. "My biggest concern is the government is going more and more toward a secure supply chain."

FedBiz IT deals exclusively with the U.S. government and sources 10 percent to 20 percent of its business through Ingram Micro, meaning any disruption would have deep reverberations for Tiaga's company.

"If the U.S. government looks at it and thinks Chinese ownership is a problem, then it's a problem," Tiaga said. "I dont know how the government will see it."

A Washington, D.C.-area Ingram Micro partner executive who does a good amount of software sales to the U.S. government through the distributor told CRN Monday that the distributor still hasn't gotten in touch with him regarding the impact of the Tianjin Tianhai acquisition.

"This is not good news," said the partner, who did not want to named. "I'm worried about the impact on our business."
Cloud News

Oracle Acquires Ravello Systems, Gets Virtualization Tech To Expand Oracle Public Cloud

Joseph F. Kovar

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Oracle has acquired Ravello Systems in a move the company said will enhance the Oracle Public Cloud.

Oracle, Redwood Shores, Calif., did not say much about the acquisition other than a two-sentence statement on the company's website: "On February 22, 2016, Oracle signed an agreement to acquire Ravello Systems. All Ravello employees will be joining Oracle as part of Oracle Public Cloud."

However, Ravi Tamir, CEO of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Ravello Systems, wrote in a Monday blog post that after the transaction closes, his team will join the Oracle Public Cloud organization and the company's products will become part of Oracle Cloud.

[Related: Oracle OpenWorld: Partners Must Always Bring Cloud To The Table]

"We believe this agreement will accelerate our ability to reach more customers, deliver more value, and enhance our technology at an accelerated pace in order to better serve you," Tamir wrote.

The Oracle Cloud offers best-in-class services related to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Tamir wrote.

"Ravello will join in Oracles IaaS mission to allow customers to run any type of workload in the cloud, accelerating Oracles ability to help customers quickly and simply move complex applications to the cloud without costly and time-consuming application rewrites," he wrote.

No mention was made of the selling price. However, online publication Venture Beat, citing an unnamed source close to the deal, reported that Oracle paid $500 million for Ravello.

Oracle declined to provide further information on the acquisition, while Ravello Systems did not respond to a CRN request for more information by publication time.

Ravello Systems, founded by the team that introduced the KVM hypervisor, came to market in 2013 as a developer of virtualization technology to make applications work with multiple cloud providers or platforms.

The company last year developed nested virtualization, a technology that allows a hypervisor to run inside a virtual machine, as a way to move workloads from VMware private clouds to Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform public clouds, without requiring apps to be rebuilt.

Ravello Systems joins a long list of acquisitions Oracle has made in its push to develop the Oracle Public Cloud and compete with the likes of Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.

They include the December 2015 acquisition of Docker container startup StackEngine; the September 2014 acquisition of content storage management solution developer Front Porch Digital; the September 2012 acquisition of SelectMinds for cloud-based talent management; and the April 2012 acquisition of Taleo for its cloud-based human capital management solutions.
Networking News

Partners: Verizon's XO Communications Purchase Proves Commitment To Enterprise, Hybrid Cloud

Gina Narcisi

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Telecom giant Verizon said Monday that it intends to buy fellow telecom XO Communications for its fiber-optic network assets in a deal worth about $1.8 billion.

The carriers agreed that Verizon would acquire Herndon, Va.-based XO Communications' fiber-based IP and Ethernet networks. XO's established fiber assets will help Verizon better serve its enterprise and wholesale customers, the carrier said. The fiber business will also bolster Verizon's already-dense cell network.

Via the terms of the deal, Verizon will be leasing XO's available wireless spectrum.

[Related: Verizon, Viptela Join Forces For Channel-Friendly SD-WAN Service ]

This latest acquisition proves that Verizon is in it for the long haul with its enterprise business customers, said Michael Wolfington, vice president of West partner sales for Portland, Ore.-based Kingcom, a national Verizon platinum partner that sells Verizon products and services exclusively.

"Channel partners should feel very confident about their clients long-term telecom services when working with Verizon," Wolfington said. "This is yet another investment from Verizon back into the medium[-size] and enterprise business space that our partners will benefit from."

Verizon said it is expecting cost savings to total more than $1.5 billion after the deal is complete. When reached for comment, the carrier told CRN that because the transaction is not expected to close until the first half of 2017, "it is premature to announce specific operational plans at this time, including partner-related details."

While XO has always been friendly to the channel, Verizon's channel strategy has changed over the years, according to J.R. Vernick, president and co-founder of Clinton, N.J.-based RDS Solutions, a telecom services, consulting and management provider and Verizon and XO partner.

"From an agent's perspective, no one has forgotten when Verizon wasn't very channel-friendly. So you are taking a company that has always been friendly, and pairing it with one that is currently channel-friendly. We just hope that continues," Vernick said.

Along with enterprise customers, SMB and midmarket customers are also starting to adopt fiber-based solutions, so the deal is a win-win for customers across the board, said Andrew Pryfogle, senior vice president of cloud transformation for Petaluma, Calif.-based Intelisys, a Verizon and XO partner.

"The deal is absolutely an enterprise play, but I'd say it's also an SMB play. There are a ton of SMBs that are now going to be able to access Verizon via that XO fiber footprint," he said.

As Verizon hunkers down on its hybrid cloud strategy, it will need a very robust network to support these offerings, Pryfogle said.

"XO has a world-class network with a tremendous footprint in all the major cities. That dovetails very nicely into that private, hybrid cloud strategy," Pryfogle said. "The connectivity [Verizon] will gain through those fiber assets [is] very significant."

Carl Icahn has served as chairman and sole shareholder of XO Holding, which owns XO Communications, since 2001. Despite XO's coming out of bankruptcy in 2003, Icahn called the past 13 years "a bumpy road for XO." Even though he worked diligently to keep XO alive, the deal does not represent a significant annualized return on his investment, he said.

Icahn said that the sale to Verizon was the best achievable outcome for XO in today's environment.

But because the deal won't close until 2017, there's still a tremendous amount of wiggle room for Icahn to have a change of heart, or for the acquisition to fall through, according to one Verizon partner who requested anonymity.

"I won't be surprised if this didn't happen," the partner said.

In the meantime, XO Communications will continue to operate as an independent company until the carriers obtain the necessary regulatory approvals, XO Communications said.
Security News

Server Startup And Systems Integrator Team To Confront 'Frankenstein's Monster' In Some Active Directory Environments

Joseph Tsidulko

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Skyport Systems, a startup focused on building ultra-secure servers, has teamed up with a Microsoft-aligned systems integrator to keep hackers from compromising Active Directory authentication controls.

Together, Skyport and Ascent Solutions, based in Minneapolis, have developed a turnkey implementation that aligns Microsoft's prescriptive model with how infrastructure and architecture work at both a systems level and a human level.

"We're taking a holistic view of a major technology and security threat that exhibits itself at least monthly on the pages of the major business journals," said Doug Gourlay, Skyport's corporate vice president. "Hackers are exploiting silos between security, networking, app and system teams."

[Related: Skyport Systems Names Former HP Exec As CEO]

The project started when Skyport, based in Mountain View, Calif., had some conversations with Microsoft about how best to help organizations struggling to block credential theft. Without that level of intrusion, the breaches at Sony, Target and JPMorgan Chase would have never made headlines, Gourlay said.

Skyport wanted to thwart hackers who were using attacks like Pass-the-Ticket or Pass-the-Hash that compromise the credential authentication process, giving them access to corporate networks.

The startup's inquiries coincided with Microsoft releasing its first prescriptive model for how to secure Active Directory and identity management systems. Microsoft's model relies on a validated clean source for hosting administrator domains -- a use case Skyport's hardened servers were well-suited for, Gourlay said.

Microsoft introduced Skyport to an innovative solution provider.

"Microsoft pointed us to Ascent Solutions," Gourlay said. "We marched over to Minneapolis to have a chat with them."

Large enterprises have been implementing the Microsoft-prescribed architecture with assistance from Microsoft Consulting Services. But the Skyport-Ascent partnership is intended to harden credential verification for down-market customers, he said.

The two companies began discussing how they could build the most secure architecture possible, addressing all major avenues of attack that are turning user credential hacks into front-page news.

Pete Fox, vice president of Cyber Services at Ascent Solutions, told CRN that many organizations operate a needlessly complex credential authentication environment.

"Many companies have a Frankenstein monster in their Active Directory composition," Fox said.

The systems integrator had been implementing Microsoft's secure model for several quarters without the benefit of the Skyport platform, he said.

"As we work with Skyport, we're able to dramatically reduce the time it takes to build the environment, which is 40 percent of that roughly two-month project," Fox told CRN.

Ascent has scoped the work, depending on the size of the organization, to between an eight-week and a 16-week consulting engagement in which it first evaluates systems administration and Active Directory practices, then benchmarks them against Microsoft's prescriptions, creating a gap analysis.

Ascent works with customers to implement a tiered system, helping them think through which systems and tools belong in different tiers.

"Many production systems like to play around in Tier 0," where domain admin credentials reside, he said.

The solution addresses all four major Active Directory deployment environments, using Skyport's hyper-secured servers as validated clean sources for hosting Red Forest domains, where administrator accounts safely reside on secure workstations.

For more sophisticated customers, Ascent can also implement "Just In Time" provisioning, which limits the amount of time administrators have privileges turned on.

"An initial implementation spinning up this new tier might take between two and 10 Skyport boxes for a large customer working with hundreds of servers, Fox said.

"The solution is fully baked," he added. "We've done it repeated times."
Encryption Debate Takes Center Stage

This week, the big talk in the tech world has been about encryption, prompted by Apple CEO Tim Cook's refusal to cooperate with the FBI to unlock an encrypted iPhone linked to the San Bernardino mass shooting last year. Cook expressed his stance in an open letter to customers early this week. The FBI is asking for Apple to build a new operating system that would bypass some security features, a push that was backed up by a judge's order Tuesday.

Many tech companies in the past few days have come to stand behind Apple, saying that the move to force the Cupertino, Calif., tech giant to unlock the phone would create a dangerous precedent for "backdoors" in encryption technologies. Take a look at some of the tech CEOs and influential individuals who have decided to voice their support for the vendor (and at least one notable exception).
At Bayer, we believe human ingenuity can shape the future of agriculture. For more than 150 years, weve used science and imagination to advance health and nutrition. And together, we can achieve so much more.

Whats possible begins with what we can imagine.

Were committed to a world where biodiversity thrives in harmony with humankind. Where hunger and climate change are terms relegated to history books. Where farms are more sustainable, with plants that are more adaptive and resilient, to help improve life for families and communities. In short, where agriculture is part of the solution. As a new leader in agriculture, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to grasp this moment. To continue moving humanity forward by tirelessly shaping whats possible.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) posted net income of $427.1 million, or $1.86 per share, on revenues of $4.3 billion for the year ended Dec. 31, 2015, compared to net income of $338.4 million, or $1.62 per share, on revenues of $3.1 billion for 2014.

The results include the addition of Prestige Cruises (Oceania and Regent Seven Seas), which NCLH acquired in November of 2014.

Net income per passenger day was $26.65 last year, compared to $24.82 the previous year.

The adjusted guidance for this year is for a midpoint of $3.75 per share, and for 2017, $5.00 per share.

A very bullish President and CEO Frank Del Rio said on the year-end earnings call today that the brands are booked for 2016 at record levels and higher prices than any previous year and that 2017 is already 30 percent booked, also at higher prices.

For the year, he said that the combined strength of the Caribbean, Alaska, Bermuda, Hawaii and Canada/New England is more than offsetting weakness in the Mediterranean.

Del Rio said he is also confident that there is no other place that is better to deploy a new ship than in China, despite the reports of over-capacity and price pressure going into 2016. Norwegian is set to enter the Chinese market in mid-2017.

Going forward, Del Rio mentioned several initiatives designed to drive growth, including what he called a disciplined newbuild program, cost reductions, and rewarding net yield growth from organic sources. Another effort he mentioned is more diversification of itineraries weaning the Norwegian brand away from the seven-day Caribbean milk-run.

Thus, for the 2016-2017 winter, the Epic will be pulled out of its under-performing year-round Mediterranean program and deployed on three-, four- and seven-day Caribbean cruises, and the Norwegian Star will be deployed in Asia and Australia. Next summer, the Getaway is deployed in Northern Europe where the Norwegian Jade will also be sailing dividing her program between three homeports - Hamburg, Southampton and Amsterdam.

Del Rio said that diversification of itineraries will boost yield and that the move of the Getaway alone to Northern Europe could have a net positive effect of $0.10 per share.
Cybersecurity makes all the headlines these days but there are plenty of predators looking to scam unsuspecting employees at the physical plant.

I can get into any facility in less than five minutes with the right tools, says Sean Ahrens, global practice leader at AON Global Risk Consulting. Thats sobering news for security professionals charged with protecting vital data centers and warehouses. Fortunately, sensitive facilities can improve by calling on the advice of AON and other specialized firms.

Theres a movement away from unmanned data centers and similar critical facilities, explains Ahrens. Most security efforts focus on preventing digital attacks since those represent the majority of attacks. That means that physical security often becomes a failure point, he added. The most common failures Ahrens sees happen are via operations and human mistakes.

The Holy Grail of security assessment is to gain access to a facility by non-destructive means. In security consulting projects, we have often been successful in obtaining access. For example, we had one of our staff gain access to a secure facility through a loading dock and they were almost granted a security card, Ahrens explains.

In several cases, AON security consultants have obtained copies of secure facility blueprints from municipal offices. That approach shows that a determined aggressors attack may be informed by detailed technical and architectural information.

Our reports typically include photos of secure assets and video records demonstrating how access was gained. These records accompany our reports to aid companies in improving their security, he added. Continuous improvement is required in order to maintain a secure facility against constantly evolving threats. Regular physical patrols are an important way to detect security flaws and events. Broken glass, damaged locks and other changes are warning signs that an intrusion is underway.

Ultimately, security professionals and our clients need to realize that it is impossible to prevent all attacks. Instead, we focus on delaying an attack and deterring an attack. The more time an attacker takes to carry out their attack, the more time we have to detect their presence, call law enforcement and deploy other measures, Ahrens explains.

Physical security failures and breaches are not limited to criminal masterminds: operational failures are highly important. Weak discipline over security badges and allowing another person to piggy back through a secure entrance is a chronic failure, says Lee Kirby, chief technology officer at the Uptime Institute, a Seattle-based organization that provides IT certification, consulting and advisory services. If an organization allows piggy back access, that is a signal about other failures.

Many times, organizations put security tools and technology in place and hope that the supporting processes will materialize. This approach rarely works well, Kirby added. A comprehensive approach such as the Uptime Institutes Management & Operations (M&O) Stamp of Approval is an excellent way to ensure that an organization has the processes and operations in place to achieve high-quality security, he commented.

CenturyLink and UBS are two leading companies that have adopted the M&O standard for some of their operations. The Stamp of Approval issued by Uptime is valid for two years so organizations have an added incentive to stay on top of best practices.

Managers have an important role to play in all aspects of security practices. For example, is there a practice in place to screen and evaluate third-party staff such as maintenance crews and those who service power generators? Those third parties are often forgotten in management plans and that poses a security risk. In addition, managers need to ensure that every person in the facility is trained on security versus focusing on IT staff alone, Kirby added.

Delivering physical security improvement also requires an understanding of a facilitys setting. We had an Ohio customer who felt their location was secure due to its location in an access controlled industrial park. They decided to enhance their site security through the addition of 'no climb' fencing after we presented additional data on local vandalism and other incidents, says Chris Curtis, senior vice president at Compass Datacenters.

Government issues

Governments face tremendous challenges in securing critical facilities because so many people depend on them and budget pressures are a constant concern. In addition to military bases, other sensitive government facilities include major political buildings (for example the White House, governors offices and court buildings), research facilities (such as Department of Energy National Laboratories) and transportation infrastructure (train stations and ports).

The government approach to physical security emphasizes staff and training procedures. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published guidelines for armed security officers at federal facilities. Critical facility managers would do well to take note of these government practices and determine which measures adapt.

Hiring Criteria. The government recommends that armed guards have specific work experience (e.g. two years of experience in the armed forces, police or security) and specific education (e.g. police offer training program or an associates degree in security)

Security Equipment and Appearance. DHS recommendations include body armor, police baton, handcuffs, and standard uniforms.

Training For Excellence. The DHS best practices make an excellent point that security officers require both traditional security training (e.g. weapons and defensive tactics  DHS recommends 64 hours of training per hour  80% of training time to emphasize hands on tasks such as use of firearms, use of handcuffs etc.) and non-traditional skills (e.g. customer service, human interaction and training regarding the organization). This training seeks to manage troublemakers without the use of force.

Matching Security Staff Levels To Activity. The DHS estimates that a well-staffed security station can evaluate 40 people per hour. Multi-tenant facilities need to consider workload considerations in security staffing. Rushing security procedures is a recipe for increased risk.

Government standards for armed security guards serve as a benchmark to evaluate security in other settings. The above practices can also be used to prepare procurement documents for companies that contract out physical security. In addition, DHS requirements can also be used to inform a balanced scorecard evaluation of current security practices at critical facilities.

Start with requirements

Requirements are the beginning point for effective security at a critical facility. Fulfilling the security requirements of an organization or industry (e.g. PCI-DDS for the payment industry, HIPAA for healthcare and SOX for public companies) is essential. If these requirements are not met, a companys credibility will be undermined. Penalties in the forms of media criticism, fines and industry censure are also possible. In 2015, Verizon found that two-thirds of companies using the PCI standard failed to test their security. Failing to fully utilize existing security standards is a significant gap.

Security requirements are especially important when planning a new facility. In our experience, the biggest mistake that organizations make is failing to clearly identify their requirements up front such as the value of your applications and the cost of downtime, explains Curtis.
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HARTFORD  Hundreds of package store owners descended on the Capitol complex Tuesday in what is becoming an annual pilgrimage to protest what they see as the governors efforts to make it harder for them to stay in business.

Were trying top save an industry thats really in a tough position right now, said Patrick Monteleone, owner of the 75-year-old Harrys Wine & Liquors in Fairfield. There are a lot of stores having a tough time.

At least 500 retailers and wholesalers jammed the first-floor atrium of the Legislative Office Building in advance of a public hearing on a so-called minimum pricing bill proposed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy that they believe will give large chains a distinct advantage over the smaller family-owned neighborhood package stores.

In interviews, many said that Malloys 2011 move to raise the excise tax by 20 percent, followed by expanded hours of operation and essentially forcing Sunday and holiday sales, have meant more work but not more sales.

Every year they keep passing bills, and it just gets harder for us to accept, said Kelly Thomas, who for the last seven years has owned the Hope Bottle Shop on Hope Street in Stamfords Springdale neighborhood. This bill he wants now will destroy us.

Store owners said that under the governors proposal, chain stores with the money to purchase large quantities could undercut smaller stores in the long run, because of their inventory.

Mark Abrahamson, co-owner of Mos Wines and Spirits in Fairfield, said the show of strength to lawmakers was important.

We think its going to take out a lot of small businesses, he said, adding that he served on the legislative task force in 2011 that studied the industry.

The main thing that came out of it was, we have an excise tax higher than any other state in the surrounding area and our pricing was dead-on with most of the other states, within 4 to 6 percent, but in many cases it was better, Abrahamson said. What people are being told about everything being cheaper elsewhere is false.

Feeling threatened

Mitch Ancona, who owns eponymous package stores in Ridgefield and Wilton, said he hopes that lawmakers turn Malloy down again.

I think when we show up like this, it shows a definitive message that we care about our industry and what happens in it, Ancona said. Most small stores dont have that much working capital to buy every popular product for a long term.

Greg Carlon, owner of Glenville Wine and Spirits in Greenwich and Castle Wine and Spirits in Westport, says its discouraging to have to come to the Capitol every year to fight, when government should encourage package store owners.

Ive been at Glenville pushing 30 years now, Carlon said in an interview. I have seven employees. Its a family store. Its a neighborhood store. Its a great small business. Every year it keeps getting threatened and they try to take more and more out of our pockets. Sunday sales never really amounted to what the governor said it would be. We basically moved 20 percent of our business from Saturday to Sunday. If its good for the consumer thats great, but I have a lot of people that come over from New York to buy spirits and wine from me and they get it cheaper in Connecticut. There really isnt the price discrepancy thats being portrayed.

Paul Laveris, a Stamford resident who manages Glenville Wine and Spirits, says the business competitive prices bring in New Yorkers from across the border.

Weve always had customers in those nearby towns, so its worked out OK, he said. But Carlon added that if the minimum pricing bill succeeds, the two stores will have to make changes.

Wed have to start focusing on selling national brands and not the real cool funky wines, spirits, beer that were able to have in the store now, at competitive pricing, Carlon said. stressing Connecticuts high aesthetic market for beer, wine and spirits.

In fact, Connecticut recently ranked 10th highest in the nation with per capita consumption of 7.88 gallons of wine and/or spirits each year. New York is ranked 20th, with 6.75 gallons, said Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., the former House minority leader who is now executive director and general counsel for the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut, who also spoke against the legislation.

Another former leading lawmaker, John McKinney of Fairfield, appearing with Rep. Brenda Kupchick, R-Fairfield, said that package store owners are important members of the community, who have committed to their towns and cities.

Theyre youth basketball and Little League, volunteers in the community, and they donate to local charities, McKinney told lawmakers. And they all employ, in Fairfield, dozens and dozens of people.

Mega-store scenario

But Jonathan Harris, commissioner of the state Department of Consumer Protection, which oversees liquor sales, said the proposal would not threaten so-called mom-and-pop stores.

Specifically, by replacing current language that cost to the retailer means the posted bottle price from the wholesaler with language re-defining cost as the actual cost paid per bottle by the retailer, the retailer can price his or her product with greater flexibility and to the potential benefit to Connecticuts consumers of alcoholic products, Harris said. It is important to note that this proposal does not eliminate a minimum bottle price; rather this bill proposes to modernize language to take a small step in improving Connecticuts competitive posture with our neighboring states. Also, it is important to clarify that this bill does not reduce existing protections for smaller packager stores.

At package stores in the region, the verdict was unanimous - if the bill passes, itll mean tough times ahead for scores of people, both in and out of the liquor business, not to mention their customers.

Lets say that this bottle of Bacardi rum costs me $17, Said Parag Patel, of the Turnpike Spirit Shop and Wine Emporium on Fairfields Black Rock Turnpike. Well, if the bill passes, the big operators with their buying power will be able to sell it for even less  as low as they want. And this will have a ripple effect  on the landlords who will have more vacant storefronts, on property taxes, everything.

He predicted the mega-stores would drop prices for a time until the small shops folded, and then would turn around and increase their prices.

I like to support small businesses, said Danielle Broad of Fairfield, who stopped in at Patels shop to pick up a bottle of Merlot.

At Mos Wine & Spirits near downtown Fairfield, customer Tony McNamara, of Wilton said the demise of the neighborhood package store would mean less choice.

I like to shop for the unusual craft beers, and its the smaller stores that carry more of that product  including beers made in Connecticut, he said.

At Lordship Wine & Liquor in Stratford, co-owner Gary Perillo lamented that there would be more people without jobs  and not just in the liquor stores, but elsewhere, too, he said.

Youd have fewer salesmen, drivers  and then youd have customers driving farther to get to the nearest mega-store, Perillo said. Now, who gains from that?
MANCHESTER, Conn. - Police are searching for suspects involved in a massive brawl at a Manchester Chuck E. Cheese's Sunday.

Manchester police said a 1-year-old child was knocked down and a 4-year-old was scraped and bruised after getting caught in the middle of the chaos. A senior also suffered a panic attack. None of the injuries were serious, according to cops.

Video of the incident has since surfaced and gone viral. In the video, individuals can be seen arguing, taking swings and lunging at others while Chuck E. Cheese's employees and patrons try to calm the irate adults. Police said the 12 to 15 adults fighting in the video were long gone once they arrived.

"As of this Saturday, we will have a security guard in place during peak hours on Saturdays and Sundays," Alexis Linn, a public relations representative with Chuck E. Cheese's, said in a statement. "The safety of our guests is our number one priority."

More News Dozens brawl at NYC racetrack casino as chairs go flying

Police have yet to identify the adults or figure out the cause behind the brawl.
Employers expect things like salary and benefits to help them attract top talent during employee recruitment, but there are several other factors that influence a candidates decision. Employers have more control than they realize.

Here are a few tactics that can be used to transform a company from a possible place of employment to a desirable promise land for career growth.

Related: How to Attract Talent Via a Clear Hiring Process

1. Location matters.

CareerBuilder and Emsi researched how the most populous U.S. metros were performing against the national job growth trends from 2014 to 2015. The difference between job-growth expectation and the actual number of jobs added shows how a metro area is exceeding, matching or falling behind the national job-growth trends.

Cities like Dallas and San Jose are far exceeding expectations, showing that there are regional market dynamics causing these areas to outpace national growth averages.

In other words, location matters. Employers need to look at what areas are exceeding job growth and how competitive those markets are. Competition indicates that talent exists in those areas. Look at those local pools for talent, but also consider searching for job seekers who would consider relocation.

Candidates weigh several factors before relocating for work. Aspects like cost of living and the corporate health of the company are on the top of the list. Transparency is the best practice during employee recruitment. Providing information about how salary compares to the regions average and cost of living or the overall health of the company can impact a candidates decision.

2. Build a strong interview process.

The interview process ties directly to a companys employer brand, and it carries a lot more weight than one would think. In the 2015 LinkedIn Talent Trends report, 77 percent of more than 20,000 professionals surveyed stated the interview experience is extremely or very important in their decision making.

Most people (53 percent) want to meet the prospective manager on the day of the interview, and 49 percent say they value open discussion that answers their business questions. Almost all of the professionals surveyed (94 percent) want to receive feedback following the interview.

While it is impossible to appease every candidate, it is plausible to build a strong employer brand with a streamlined interview process founded on transparency, active listening, proactive communication and a respect for job seekers.

Related: 9 Questions to Ask Candidates' References

3. Encourage employee referrals.

A Glassdoor survey of 116,000 job seekers in August of 2015 illustrates that employee referrals can boost the chance of a positive match by 2.6 to 6.6 percent higher than any other interview source. Good hires are important, because they ensure high productivity and strong retention. Online human resources solutions offer quality-of-hire metrics to help measure the success of employee recruitment.

To ensure strong recruitment, employers should build referral programs, which can result in higher quality applicants, time savings for human resouces and better retention. With a budget in mind, employers can offer financial rewards to their workforce for every hire made from an employees referral.

Developing an applicant tracking system that provides key analytics will help inform employee recruitment in the future. Employers should also encourage their workforce to use social media to engage with a wider talent pool.

4. Engage despite a large company size.

Gallup studies released in a January of 2016 report show that the 1,000 employee mark is the tipping point for declining engagement from the employee and the company. Research suggests that companies with highly engaged workforces outperform their peers by 147 percent in earnings per share. Employee engagement should be a top priority for employers, but how can large companies prevent engagement decline and continue to grow?

Employees appreciate feeling valued as a team member. Its important to treat them as such, involving them in some decision making, inviting them to build teams, encouraging a sense of self-reliance and being transparent about the successes and failures of business strategies.

This sense of engagement needs to be incorporated into the employee recruitment process. Start at day one with writing job postings. Keeping them clear and realistic will attract candidates that are well-suited for the role.

Continue engagement through the hiring process. Interviewers need to ask the right questions to determine who is a good fit. Once a decision is made, hiring managers should remain transparent about the process and provide a positive onboarding experience by sending a welcome message along with some pertinent information about the company.

How do you plan on attracting talent during employee recruitment?

Related:

How to Attract Awesome Talent During Employee Recruitment

The 5 Essential Hires Needed to Grow a Business

How to Attract Talent Via a Clear Hiring Process



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
The astronauts on board the International Space Station have been successful in their first attempts at growing food of their own, but as cool as red lettuce grown in space is, its certainly not enough to make a delicious meal with. But an initiative from NASA's HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware) program has the agency taking advice from some teenage culinary stars on how to spice up the ISS menu.

Through the HUNCH program, NASA partners with schools to provide students an opportunity to put their stamp on some of the products populating the ISS. For the HUNCH Culinary Challenge, 21 teams of high school chefs from around the United States are competing to create a recipe that will pass muster with a panel of discerning judges. The winning dish will be sent up to the ISS and served to astronauts.

Related: For the First Time Ever, NASA Astronauts Eat Vegetables Grown in Space

This year, the teams are being asked to make a vegetable entree that will be both nutritious (300 to 500 calories, 300 mg max sodium per serving, 8 grams of sugar, 3 or more grams of fiber) and meet a couple of other key requirements -- namely, it has to "process well for flight and for use in microgravity." A couple of the teams recently got to have a preliminary taste test at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia with judges that included ISS alumni Charlie Camarda.

Image credit: NASA/David C. Bowman

The contenders will ultimately be narrowed down to 10 finalists, who will head to the Johnson Space Center in Houston in April to make and serve their dish in the Center's Space Food Systems Laboratory.

Last year's Culinary Challenge winner, Jamaican rice and beans with coconut milk, was cooked up by five students from Phoebus High School in Hampton, Va. Their entree will be making its way up to the ISS next month.

Image credit: NASA/David C. Bowman

Related:

NASA Challenges High Schoolers to Make a Meal Fit for an Astronaut

NASA Building Telescope 100 Times More Powerful Than Hubble

NASA's Revolutionary Insulation Waiting to be Brought to India



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When University of Memphis student Courtney Carpenter received an email on her University account about a court appearance,

she assumed it was because of a parking ticket.

She had no idea it was a scam.

It was on my school account, so I thought it would be legit, Carpenter, 19, a psychology sophomore from Atoka, Tennessee, said.

The email was sent to many students at the University and said: You have to appear in Court on 20th February, 2016. A copy of a court notice was attached to the email.

The scam appeared to be sent by Caley Ann Petty, but it was signed Yours faithfully, Racheal Nicole Calbert, Court Secretary.

Both are students at the University, but neither sent the email.

Ive been receiving a lot of feedback about the email, Petty, a 20-year-old accounting student at Memphis, said. Mostly confused students  some were not so nice. Its mostly people trying to get some closure.

It appears that Pettys University email was hacked.

The hackers sent out emails to several students under her name in an attempt to illegally acquire information from other students.

Ive been receiving a bunch of emails about this court date, which is ridiculous, because no one has court on Saturday, Petty said.

Petty said the experience has been exhausting. As late as Thursday, students were still calling her to ask about the hack. She said she just wants to move on.

University officials told Petty to change her password and advised others who might have fallen for the fake email to do the same.

The Office of Student Conduct sent an official email to all students with the subject line Phishing Email Alert. Phishing is a form of fraud sent from a credible source that asks for personal information, like credit card and Social Security numbers and personal passwords.

In this case, the scam only asked for University usernames and passwords.

If you received an email which resembles the email shown below or one from another sender with the attachment court.html, please delete it! said the email from student conduct.

Unfortunately, some students did fall for the attack.

I clicked on the link and put my information in on my phone, so I thought thats why it wasnt working, Carpenter said. I texted someone that I know in the scholarship office and checked into it.

She called the student court and then told me to change my password.

Even though only some received the email, many students are worried about the safety and privacy of their online school activity.

I didnt get the email, but its ridiculous that someone would do that, Alexis Hagen, 19, a social work freshman from Hot Springs, Arkansas, said.

Shelby Bowden, 19, a teaching all learners sophomore from Bartlett, did not receive the spam email, but is concerned.

If they hacked someones email account and got other emails, they could possibly hack in to our University accounts, Bowden said
Republican presidential candidate John Kasich will visit the University of Memphis on Friday at 6 p.m. Kasich who is currently polling 5th in the GOP primaries, hopes to win over voters at the U of M.

Marc Nozell Republican presidential candidate John Kasich will visit the University of Memphis on Friday at 6 p.m. Kasich who is currently polling 5th in the GOP primaries, hopes to win over voters at the U of M.

Republican presidential candidate John Kasich will visit the University of Memphis on Friday at 6 p.m.

Kasich, the governor of Ohio, will host a one-hour town hall style meeting at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn on Central Avenue. The meeting will take place in the central ballroom on the third floor and doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

Jon Harrison, 20, political science sophomore from Paris, Tennessee, plans to attend the meeting.

aIave never voted in a presidential election and I think all of this is cool,a Harrison said. aI donat have any idea who Iall vote for, but I like to be informed about all the possibilities before I go vote.a

Kasich will be the third presidential candidate to visit the Mid-South during the 2016 presidential campaign. Democratic candidates Hilary Clinton visited Memphis in October last year and Bernie Sanders hosted a rally in November in West Memphis, Arkansas.

The town hall meeting is free and open to the public, but registration through the eventas website is required.

Kasich may not be the only Republican candidate to visit the Bluff City before November.

Louis Focht, president of the College Republicans, said in an email that Ben Carson may be visiting on Feb. 28, but he was uncertain.

Kasich found himself in a recent controversy after his comment on Monday that women aleft their kitchensa for him in an early statehouse race. Clintonas twitter page responded with aItas 2016. A womanas place isa wherever she wants to be.a

Republican candidate Donald Trump is not scheduled to visit Memphis, but many supporters believe he will come, Terry Roland, Shelby County Commission chairman and honorary chairman for Trumpas West Tennessee operations, said.

aTheyall give me 48 hours notice. They will set up a venue. Then theyall release it to me, and Iall release it to the public,a Roland said about Trumpas possible visit.

Some students think the town hall meeting is a waste of time and have no plans to attend.

Jessie Powell, 21, senior English major from Tyler, Texas, said she will vote in November, but thinks the meeting is not worth going.

aI voted in the last election, but honestly theyare all liars so I donat care what they say at these meetings,a Powell said. aIall vote, but Iam not going to waste my Friday night sitting and listening to a politician.a

Others think the meeting will be a good way for students to learn about their country.

Terrance Lawson, 27, junior history major from Memphis, served in the navy for six years.

He wants students to learn about all the presidential candidates and ask questions when possible.

aGoing back to college after serving in the military has showed me how uninformed students are about their country,a Lawson said. aSome of these 18-year-old students in my classes have no idea about anything thatas happening in the government.a

Tennesseeas Republican and Democrat primary elections are on March 1 and the presidential election is on Nov. 8.
Contrary to popular belief, students who helped pay for the new recreation center will not get to use the facilities for free after theyve graduated.

Full-time students at the University of Memphis have been paying an additional fee to build a new recreational center since fall of 2014, but even if the center is built by the projected finish date, some of those same students will have graduated before the facility opens its doors.

While there was initial discussion that suggested students who graduated before the projected opening in 2018 will receive a free membership for the number of semesters they paid the fee, Rosie Phillips Bingham, vice president for Student Affairs, said that will not be the case at a town hall meeting on Feb. 18.

It is true that the students who pay fees now are paying for what is coming in the future, just like those (students) who paid for the University Center before it was built. That is the kind of contract we have, she said. As an alum, the students can come back and have a reduced fee but will not be able to use it for free.

Students will also have to share their new recreational center with members of the community who sign up for a membership.

The University will sell memberships to non-students and U of M employees for the new recreation center.

We actually already sell memberships to the community to our current rec center, but never to the point where students are inconvenienced, Bingham said.

Ricky Kirby, former student government president at the U of M, said he was surprised that administrators said alumni would not get to use the recreation center for free.

The policy must not have been passed up the chain to them, he said. When we were passing the fee, we were promised by recreation center administration that students would get to utilize the facility for as many semesters as they paid for it.

Kirby was student government president when the fee hike was approved. Student government does not have the power to raise student fees but they voted that they agreed with the fee hike.

Kirby said the plan was acknowledged at a public meeting and acknowledged by then University interim president Brad Martin and the recreational staff.

I am slightly disappointed about the lack of communication here, because this was something promised to students before SGA passed the fee and I signed off on it, he said. Since the fee hike of $307 was approved in 2014, full-time students pay $298 annually to help build the recreational center and pedestrian bridge. The remaining $9 goes to campus health services.

The town hall meeting that occurred on Feb. 18 was open to all students and gave those who attended a chance to ask questions to a panel of six University administration members.

All student senators and cabinet members were also present. Students asked questions that ranged from campus safety protocols, to parking issues, to online course fees.

Bruce Harber, the chief of police and assistant vice president for administration, was one of the administrators present at the meeting to answer questions about campus safety.

Many questions were asked about the Universitys protocol in the instance of an active shooting and of the Universitys views concerning the recent passing of the bill in Texas, which will allow students to carry a concealed weapon.

Our officers go through training every year if there is ever an active shooter on campus, he said. We want any weapon on campus to be in the hands of people who were trained to use them.

David Zettergren, vice president for business and finance, answered questions concerning the online course fees.

The RODP (Regents Online Fee Program) online fee is specified by the Tennessee Board of Regents, he said. Our fee is slightly lower. It is used to pay staff, development and academic support.

Many additional questions asked related to the fee hike and demolition of general parking spaces caused by the construction of the new recreational center and the pedestrian bridge.
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Miss Marple is among the fictitious characters who may be voting to exit

6 Good Reasons for Staying In

More money for all.

More safety all round.

Wipe the silly grins off the faces of those on the other side.

Make Britain a world player.

Better for business.

A triumph for common sense.

6 Good Reasons for Leaving

More money for all.

More safety all round.

Wipe the silly grins off the faces of those on the other side.

Make Britain a world player.

Better for business.

A triumph for common sense.

9 Things More Interesting Than the Great EU Debate

The life cycle of the natterjack toad.

The Collected Will Hutton (12 volumes).

That small stain on the kitchen ceiling near the fridge.

BBC Question Time, this week from Cheltenham with Julia Hobsbawm, Simon Hughes, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and former Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt Rev Dr George Carey.

Lewis, episode 67.

The introduction by his son Christopher to J. R. R. Tolkiens The Children Of Hurin. (It is said in the Annals Of Beleriand that the gates of Morgoth were but one hundred and fifty leagues distant from the bridge of Menegroth: far and yet all too near. These words refer to the bridge leading to the dwellings of the Elvish king Thingol, who took Turin to be his foster son: they were called Menegroth, the Thousand Caves, far south and east of Dor-lomin . . .)

Proportional Representation: A Beginners Guide.

U2: The Complete Recordings.

A point-by-point discussion as to whether the Vauxhall Vectra is more reliable than the Mitsubishi Mirage.

7 Breakaway Out Campaigns

Vote Leave: Big Business Against The EU.

Vote Heave: Bulimics Against The EU.

Vote Peeve: Irritable People Against The EU

Vote Thieve: Convicted Felons Against The EU.

Vote Steve: Normal Blokes Against The EU.

Vote Leaf: Greens Against The EU.

Vote Weave: Fabric Threaders Against The EU.

2 Campaigners Whose Surnames Sound a Bit Like Items of Clothing

Michael Gove.

Julian Brazier.

Your Three-Point Plan for Curing Insomnia

Step One: Close your eyes and imagine youre listening to Iain Duncan Smith offering ten reasons for wanting to leave the EU.

Step Two: Close your eyes and imagine youre listening to Iain Duncan Smith offering another ten reasons for wanting to leave the EU.

Step Three: Close your eyes and imagine youre listening to Iain Duncan Smith reiterating all 20 reasons for wanting to leave the EU.

Hercule Poirot is positively pro-Brussels, it is believed

7 Fictitious Characters Who Will Be Voting To Stay In

Hercule Poirot.

Miss Scarlett.

Albert Steptoe.

Perky.

David Hunter.

Buttons.

Sherlock Holmes.

7 Fictitious Characters Who Will Be Voting to Exit

Miss Marple.

Colonel Mustard.

Harold Steptoe.

Pinky.

Benny.

Widow Twanky.

Dr Watson.

8 Words and Phrases You Will Have Heard Much More Of By The Time June Arrives

Historic vote.

Ever-closer union.

Lets be quite clear about this.

Devastating consequences.

The national interest.

Fundamental reform.

The big issue facing us.

You know what? I love this country.

5 More Reasons for Voting to Stay In

You quite enjoyed your tortilla in Seville the summer before last.

You liked Emma Thompson in The Remains Of The Day.

Your great aunt has a villa in the Dordogne.

There is no speed limit in Germany.

Apparently, statistics prove were better off in.

5 More Reasons for Voting to Stay Out

You found something very odd in that paella you ordered in Barcelona three years ago.

You didnt like Emma Thompson in Sense And Sensibility.

Your great aunt has a villa in the Dordogne.

You got stuck in a traffic jam in Rome in the summer of 1996.
Time to cross to our U.S. affiliate, Eye Witness News, Palm Beach, for an American perspective on the EU referendum . . .

Wasnt President Cameroon elected as a Euroseptic?

Good morning, America, how are you? This is your favourite son, Chad Hanging, with another three hours of news you can use. Lets go over to our chief foreign correspondent, Brit Limey, for the latest on the future of Europe.

Good morning, Chad. Im standing in front of world-famous Winchester Cathedral, in the heart of Swinging London, where President Cameroon has just fired the starting gun for the independence referendum.

I thought they already held the independence referendum, Brit?

That was a different referendum to decide whether Scotlandland broke away from the Yew-Kay.

And did it?

No, Chad, the Scotch people voted narrowly to stay in the Yew-Kay, although the Scotch Nuts insist they still want full independence from Englandland.

So whats this referendum about?

Its about whether the Yew-Kay remains part of the Eurovision Union or reverts to home rule.

Im guessing the Scotch Nuts are going to be campaigning to leave again, then, Brit.

Negatory, Chad. The Scotch Nuts want to stay.

Run that by me, again, Brit. If Im hearing you right, the Scotch Nuts dont want to be ruled by Englandland, but they dont mind being ruled by the Eurovision Union?

Go figure. In this referendum, the leader of the Scotch Nuts, Wee Burney, will be campaigning alongside President Cameroon of Englandland, who is leading the Remain campaign.

Wasnt President Cameroon elected as a Euroseptic?

He was, Chad. He also promised he would negotiate fundamental changes to Britains relationship with the Continent.

Such as?

Getting back the Yew-Kays ability to pass its own laws, control its own borders, sign free trade agreements with other countries like the U.S. Pretty basic stuff.

You mean right now the Yew-Kay cant do any of that?

Thats a big Ten-Four. All those issues are decided by unelected bureaucrats and judges in Brussels, where the sprouts come from.

How did that happen?

Eurovision started out as a coal and steel community, but over the years has seized more and more power.

Who voted for that?

Nobody. The people of the Yew-Kay thought they were joining a free trade area, like NAFTA, not a United States of Europe. As it stands, theyre not even allowed to catch their own fish any more.

How does that work, Brit?

The Eurovision Union has 28 members. And even though Britain has the fifth largest economy in the world and is the fourth largest military power, it can be outvoted by countries such as Latvia, Lithuania and Malta.

So that would be like the U.S. belonging to a political union dominated by South American banana republics and Canada?

In this referendum, the leader of the Scotch Nuts, Wee Burney, will be campaigning alongside President Cameroon of Englandland, who is leading the Remain campaign

The Bernie Woofter character, from J.K. Wodehouse. I think I saw him, once, on the David Letterman show. Or was it Jay Leno? Hes the one with the hair like Donald Trump, yeah?

Precisely. And our Supreme Court could be overruled by foreign judges sitting in Panama. So you can understand why so many people in the Yew-Kay want out. You only have to look at the Eurovision Song Contest to see how other countries gang up to give the Yew-Kay null points year after year. Englandland has less autonomy than even the smallest U.S. state.

But President Cameroon says he has negotiated a deal which affords the Yew-Kay special status and fixes all those problems?

Not exactly, Chad. He pretty much returned empty handed.

Why is he so desperate to remain, then?

Beats me. He does say that if the Yew-Kay leaves, millions of jobs will be lost.

What, like the coal mines and steel mills will shut?

They already have shut, Chad.

So what are the other big issues?

Migration, Chad. Millions of migrants from Africa, the Middle East and beyond are flooding into Europe, including 6,000 Izal jihadis.

Thats crazy.

Agreed, Chad. But the German President, Mrs Merkin, invited them in. And now tens of thousands of them are headed for Englandland.

Cant they build a wall, Brit, like the one Trump wants to build on the Mexican border?

Theyve already got the English Channel. But if Mrs Merkin gives the migrants the right to settle in Germany, theres nothing to stop them moving to Englandland.

But President Cameroon says he has negotiated a deal which affords the Yew-Kay special status and fixes all those problems?

Whys that?

Englandland is subject to Eurovision laws on free movement, so these jihadis could soon be setting up shop in London and carrying out a Paris-style massacre.

And what does Cameroon say about that?

He says Britain is stronger and safer inside the Eurovision Union.

Is he mad?

Quite possibly, Chad. They all go mad in the end. But theres a lot of support for letting the migrants into the Yew-Kay, especially from celebrities such as Benjamin Cumberbitch, Amelia Thompson and Jude Lawson.

Didnt Cumberbitch win an Oscar, for that film about the academic in a wheelchair, The Theory Of Enigma?

No, that was the other one, Eddie Waring, nominated again this year for playing a Danish transgender.

Who else is backing Cameroon?

Theres the Homeland Minister Theresa Maine. Shes like Hillary Clinton, only without Bill, and without the sense of humour or the ability to bark like a dog.

Anyone else?

The leader of the opposition Labor Party, Jeremy Corbett.

What, the tall one from Top Gear? I love that guy.

No, thats Jeremy Clarkson.

So whos this Corbett?

Hes Britains answer to Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed socialist.

But if hes a socialist and the leader of the Opposition, why is he backing Cameroon?

Corbett has never met a terrorist he doesnt like. Plus he hates the real leader of the Opposition, London Mayor Boris Johnson.

Yeah, right. The Bernie Woofter character, from J.K. Wodehouse. I think I saw him, once, on the David Letterman show. Or was it Jay Leno? Hes the one with the hair like Donald Trump, yeah?

Pretty close, Chad. But theres another guy here who can give Trumps rug a run for his billions, name of Michael Fabregas.

Johnson sees himself as the true heir to Sir Winston Churchill, Chad. Wrote a book about him

This Johnson, hes Labor, right?

No, hes a Conservative. He wants to be President when Cameroon leaves office.

In that case, why would Johnson go against his own leader? Surely Conservative party members will punish him for his disloyalty?

Quite the opposite. The vast majority of the Conservative grassroots want to leave Eurovision, as do half the partys Congressmen in the House of Lords at Winchester. Its Cameroon whos out of step with his own side.

What else do we know about Johnson, Brit?

He sees himself as the true heir to Sir Winston Churchill, Chad. Wrote a book about him.

So hes an old-fashioned British Bulldog, born and bred?

Surely any country forced to pay taxes to a foreign power and unable to make its own laws isnt a real country at all. Holy rigatoni, Brit, thats why we Americans had a revolution!

Actually, he was born in New York and he has Turkish blood. He describes himself as a European.

So why is he campaigning against Eurovision, Brit?

Cynics might say that he worked out early on that hed never become President of the U.S. So he hopes standing up to Europe will help him become President of Englandland.

OK, I get where Johnsons coming from. Whats in this for Cameroon?

That is the question, Chad, as Chaucer wrote in Bleak House.
Women gamers have revealed the horrific online abuse they receive every day - just for being females interested in the hobby.

In a new documentary for BBC Three, which looks as the rise of female gamers, which now account for almost half the market, developers and technology journalists reveal how sexism is rife in what was once a male-dominated industry.

Scroll for video

Software engineer Brianna Wu receives death and rape threats because she is a woman forging a career in the gaming industry

Brianna said she believes men feel threatened by women advancing in the gaming world

A sample of some of the tweets Brianna has been sent which she shared on a BBC Three documentary

This abuse can go further than the 'trash talking' or the type of 'banter' men may experience when joining a gaming community.

In their experiences, women are either being told they should 'get back to the kitchen' because 'gaming is not for women' or are on the receiving obscene sexual advances.

Brianna Wu, 37, a Mississippi-born video game developer who blogs about her experiences, told BBC Three the abuse she gets online is so prolific she has had to hire an employee to deal with the trolls.

She said: 'Rape threats, death threats, harassment, having private information about myself posted has become a daily occurrence.'

She said one of the most terrifying incidents was when she received a message from someone who posted her home address online and said: 'Guess what b**** I know where you live and you and your husband are going to die tonight.'

The message described in graphic detail how he would kill her husband and rape Brianna, stating 'your mutilated corpse will be on the front page tomorrow.'

Gaming fan Jenny Hanniver has started a blog where she shares all the sexist remarks she receives when playing on her XBox Live

One of the Tweets on Jenny's Twitter account reveals the type of abuse she gets when playing

The couple fled their home and the police have been involved but obscene and violent abuse towards Brianna has continued because she dares to forge a career in the once male-dominated industry.

She believes men are scared by the rate at which women like herself are now playing and developing games and software - but that such sexism should not be tolerated.

She said: 'They are so threatened by women in their space they are threatening us in ways that are quite terrifying.

'We have to stand up because this staying the way it has been for 30 years is unacceptable.'

A soundbite with subtitles shared on Jenny's blog shows how she is threatened with rape by male players

One woman who has experienced similar trolling because of her love of gaming is Jenny Hanniver from Wisconsin.

She said: 'People get teased on video games but there is a different element to it when you are a woman. There is a vibe that you don't belong in gaming because you are woman.'

She has turned all the abuse she has received into a blog called 'Not In The Kitchen Anymore' as part of a college project and is now using it to raise awareness of the sexism in the gaming world.

On the blog, she chronicles the instances when she has been randomly insulted by men she has encountered online when playing video games on her XBox Live.

The comments range from her being called a b**** and a c*** to being asked if she will have sex with them.

Presenter Julia Hardy has a blog where she shares the sexist comments she's been sent along with her cutting replies

Some of them look her up on Facebook after playing a game to make vulgar sexual advances.

She said she keeps a public record of the abuse on her blog because 'it's a documentation of the kind of behavior female gamers encounter simply because of their gender.'

She adds that she also reports this behaviour to XBox Live in the hope such users will be banned.

She writes on her blog: 'They are violating the Xbox LIVE code of conduct, and I take the time to file complaints on all of them.

'If someone is just doing something stupid and inane like repeatedly saying my name and asking me "to date them" or talking about how they think I'm hot, or ugly, no - I don't report them. Because while they are being obnoxious, they arent breaking any rules.

'But if they ask to see my tits, call me a fat c***, or talk about how much they want to rape me, I don't hesitate to file a complaint. And if you're being harassed for your gender, race, or perceived sexuality, you should be filing complaints too.'

One troll tells Julia she has should 'go back to the kitchen' while another makes a lewd remark as she replies chalenging them on their sexists attitudes

Gaming journalist and TV presenter Julia Hardy, 36, from London, who has nearly 9,000 followers on Instagram, has taken a similar stance by founding the website 'Misogyny Monday'.

On it she reveals the abusive comments she has received and how she hits back with witty and scathing replies.

For example, after one appearance on TV where she was talking about breaking news in the gaming world someone tweeted her to say 'go back to the kitchen and make me a sandwich' to which she replied 'what is it you most fear about women? Our keen agility or the fact our periods attract bears?'

When another Tweeted after seeing her on TV 'she can move my nob' she replied 'where to? Is it somewhere sunny?'

She said men often get annoyed or aggressive that she hasn't taken their lewd comments as a 'compliment'.

Her friends often advise her not to interact with the trolls but she said she feels she must in order to fight back.

Jezzeka Duma loves gaming and doesn't let sexist remarks put her off. She said in the majority of games there is no abuse but Call Of Duty can lead to comments when played live so she turns off her microphone

She said: 'As a woman we are always taught to be afraid and keep our mouths shut. I feel like I have the platform to effect some change and inspire other women and with enough voices we can move things forward.

If you don't challenge things all you have done is passed it on to the next woman to deal with. It would be a disservice for women in this industry if I didn't stand up

'If you don't challenge things all you have done is passed it on to the next woman to deal with. It would be a disservice for women in this industry if I didn't stand up.'

She added that she doesn't tar all men with the same brush when it comes to their attitudes towards women in the gaming industry.

'We are talking about a very small number of boys/men who make these comments. There is a huge difference between outright misogynists and the other category which is men/boys who are simply a bit clueless and think that it's acceptable to speak to women in this way. They are two very different camps,' she said.

Australian writer and presenter Alanah Pearce, who has more than 92,000 followers on Instagram and now lives in San Francisco, said it is often boys and young men who troll her and she's found a good way to deal with them - telling their mums.

Jezzeka advises gamers: 'If you come into contact with people who are being rude, block them or mute them and continue having a great time with your game'

She said: 'Fairly randomly I get sent rape threats. Someone sent me a Facebook message saying they would rape me if they ever saw me in person.

'I checked his Facebook account and it was a young boy so I managed to find his mum incredibly easily and she made him hand write me a letter of apology so I doubt he will ever do that again.'

Jezzeka Duma, 26, from Seattle, said she hopes misogynists don't put women off gaming - as they will be missing out on a community that can be fun and supportive.

GAMING STATS The gamer audience in the UK has now hit 33.5 million, which accounts for 69 per cent of the population

More people over 44 years old are playing games than children and teenagers. The over 44s make up 27 per cent of the gamer population and children and teenagers make up 22

A third of 65 to 74-year-olds have played a video game in the last six months

Six in ten games used in the last six months were free and apps are now the most popular video game format played by 55 per cent of the online population.

One third of respondents said trivia and puzzles were their favourite game genre followed by action, adventure and shooter games

In the US 56 percent of gamers are male and 44 per cent are female

In the UK, Women account for more than half of people who play video games Sources: Internet Advertising Bureau UK (IAB), Entertainment Software Association Advertisement

She plays as 'Ms5000watts' and shares her love of gaming with her 235,751 subscribers on her YouTube channel.

She said in her experience some games are worse than others when it comes to sexism.

'Call Of Duty was the worst one when it came to negative comments,' she said.

'Every game was focused on that fact I was a girl. Yes, I am sure if I was a guy they would say horrible things anyway but it is something that they pick on. They can say "you're a girl you shouldn't be playing games".

'Call Of Duty I have found to be the worst but in League Of Legends for example I have been playing that for three years with an obviously female name and I have only ever received one comment about my gender.'

She added: 'It is very easy to avoid negative comments. Many games have features that allow you to mute a person from speaking or typing and they are great features for both men and women to use when they are experiencing anything that bothers them.

'If you come into contact with people who are being rude, block them or mute them and continue having a great time with your game.'

Jezzeka said she has found the benefits of gaming have outweighed the negatives as it has given her an escape from bullying in the real world.

She said: 'The negative comments are bound to happen, it's not a super frequent thing but they do happen and there's no reason for them to effect your enjoyment with your favourite game.

'The frequency to which they do happen is not very high at all for your average gamer wanting to play something online so it's honestly not anything to fear. Just be prepared for it just in case it does happen and I find ignoring those people by muting tends to be the best way for me.'
A beauty blogger has caught the internet's attention thanks to her startling resemblance to the youngest of the Kardashian clan, Kylie Jenner.

Nina Vee, who hosts a video channel on YouTube with over 60,000 subscribers has taken the Internet by storm after fans pointed out how much she looks like the reality star.

Nina, 25, who splits her time between London and Dubai, shares some of the Kylie's signature features including full lips, contoured features and dark sleek bob.

Scroll down for video

Beauty vlogger Nina Vee (pictured) has taken the Internet by storm after her fans have pointed out her likeness to the youngest Kardashian Kylie Jenner

Blogger Nina Vee bears a striking resemblance to the famous Kardashian, thanks to her glam style and love of flawless make-up and lighting

To glance at the vlogger's pictures and videos on her Instagram you could easily mistake it for the famous 18-year-old's own social media page, with the pair sharing a similar passion for selfies and pouts.

Nina has built up her very own fan base with over 54,000 followers on Instagram and the majority of her YouTube tutorials attract around 8,000 views.

However, Nina says she struggles to see the likeness herself. She said: 'I personally do not see the resemblance, but Kylie is a great girl, and I for sure consider it a compliment.'

Both the vlogger and Kylie (pictured here) share the same passion for flawless makeup and selfies

Nina (pictured left and right) whose YouTube channel has over 60,000 subscribers, says she can't personally see the likeness between her and the reality show star

Nina (pictured here in a selfie) also insists that she never tries to emulate the star's appearance and any likeness between the two of them is pure coincidence

Nina has built up her very own fan base with over 54,000 followers on Instagram. Pictured: Nina (left) and Kylie (right) both rock a dark bob and full pout

Nina is keen to add that any comparisons are purely coincidence and she never aims to emulate the star.

She said of other news coverage: 'I have been said to be "obsessed", "a fanatic", "idolise" Kylie, and "copy" her looks where in fact it's the complete opposite.

'I don't copy her looks, and I have my own style, it's just people have the opinion that I look like her. It paints me in a bad light and affects my work as I am a Blogger.'

'I think everyone is unique in their own way, and my subscribers/followers like me for me, and I enjoy interacting with them and creating content that I love.'

Nina described Kylie (pictured) as a 'great girl' and considers the comparison to be a compliment
A bride who assumed the knots she felt in in her stomach were wedding jitters almost died on her big day after she was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery due to a complication from ulcerative colitis.

Jill Hadad Hawkins, 30, a public relations director from Boston, woke up on her wedding day in September sick to her stomach, and while she made it down the aisle and was able to pose for a few photos with her husband John, an ambulance eventually had to rush her from the celebration in Wellfleet to Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannnis after the blood supply was cut off to a section of her intestine.

'It's really hard to come to terms with the fact that I could have died on my wedding night,' Jill told WCVB5. 'But that's the reality.'

Close call: Jill Hadad Hawkins almost died after saying 'I do' to her husband John on their wedding day due to a complication from ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract

Jill was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract, when she was a teen, but after several surgeries she believed the condition was behind her.

However, on the morning of her wedding, she woke up with a tight knot in her stomach, but she brushed it off.

'I just kind of thought, something feels a little weird, but it's probably just nerves,' she said.

Jill explained that in her mind there was no way that it could be her ulcerative colitis after all of these years.

Long history: Jill, who is pictured with John in 2014, was diagnosed with the chronic condition as a teenager, but she believed the disease was behind her after having several major surgeries

Atypical wedding: The public relations director from Boston was able to power through her ceremony and even pose for a few photos, but she was eventually rushed to the hospital before having emergency surgery

'I was, you know, moving forward thinking it was kind of behind me,' she said.

Jill said that on her wedding day, the knots in her stomach kept getting tighter until she could barely stand.

'I mean it was definitely scary,' Jill's husband recalled of his wife's condition on their wedding day, while Jill noted that she was just 'so sick'.

After she was rushed to Cape Cod Hospital, she was transferred to Tufts Medical Center for emergency surgery.

More than wedding jitters: Jill could have died from the complicated twist in her intestines, which cut off the blood supply to that section of the gut

WHAT IS ULCERATIVE COLITIS? Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition, where the colon and rectum become inflamed. The colon is the large intestine (bowel), and the rectum is the end of the bowel where stools are stored. Small ulcers can develop on the colon's lining, and can bleed and produce pus. The main symptoms of ulcerative colitis are: recurring diarrhoea, which may contain blood, mucus or pus

abdominal pain

needing to empty the bowels frequently The severity of the symptoms varies, depending on how much of the rectum and colon is inflamed and how severe the inflammation is. For some people, the condition has a significant impact on their everyday lives. Some may go for weeks or months with very mild symptoms, or none at all (known as remission), followed by periods where the symptoms are particularly troublesome (known as flare-ups or relapses). Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

Dr. James Yoo, the chief of colorectal surgery at the medical center, told WCVB5 that Jill could have died from the twist in her intestines, which cut off the blood supply to that section of the gut.

He went on to note that he was astonished that she was able to make it through her entire wedding ceremony.

'For this to happen to anybody is a devastating event,' Dr. Yoo said. 'To have it happen on your wedding day, it's almost unbelievable.'

However, the doctor said there was no way that her condition was brought on by pre-wedding jitters, noting that he thinks it was 'just bad luck'.

'She will live happily ever after,' Dr. Yoo said of his final diagnosis.
An Australian photographer is attempting to change the perceptions of birth with stunning photography of women in labor.

Angela Gallo, from the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, is a professional birth photographer and 'doula', a non-medical birth attendant. Her photos, which are beautiful and raw, show women and their newborns both during and after birth.

Ms Gallo said that she decided she wanted to be a birth photographer after having her first child, Ruby, and hiring her own doula and birth photographer.

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'Beautiful': Angela Gallo is a photographer in Victoria, Australia, who documents women whilst they give birth

'One of life's truest human experiences': Ms Gallo wants to break down incorrect perceptions of birth

'Seriously powerful': Ms Gallo says that being in a room where a woman is giving birth allows you to be surrounded by 'energy and love'

'Birth, to me, is one of life's truest human experiences,' Ms Gallo said. 'To be able to capture those few moments where a baby can exist between two worlds, and where I can play a part in a room thick with some seriously powerful energy and love - it is literally a dream.'

Now Ms Gallo is crowd funding $25,000 to travel around the world and photograph women's birthing experiences. She wants to turn the photographs and stories into a book, to 'challenge the social and cultural norms of birth.'

Birth, Ms Gallo said, is often seen as disgusting and not the natural and beautiful experience it is. 'Perception changes dramatically from place to place, person to person,' she explained.

'People continue to believe that pregnancy and birth are terrifying or gross. I have to delete comments from my page on a daily basis... it gets frustrating.'

'It is literally a dream': Ms Gallo says that to have a job where she can be a part of women's birthing experiences is a 'dream'

Globetrotter: Now Ms Gallo is crowd funding money to travel the world and photograph women in different communities giving birth

Baby on board: Ms Gallo (left) has two children of her own, and said that she decided to become a birth photographer after having her first child

Ms Gallo, who has two children herself, believes that women are being scared away from natural childbirth, which she says is a feeling like no other.

'People are bombarded with negative information that is almost always exaggerated or inaccurate. Whether it be from friends, family, the internet, professionals they entrust. And those resulting anxieties catapult them into a system that is banking on their fear or self-doubt,' she said.

'We've sterilized childbirth, taken the humanity out of it. No coincidence then that over treatment, medical intervention and surgery are being used worldwide, at all time highs. I want my images to challenge norms, to reinvent the norm.'

'People are bombarded with negative information': Ms Gallo says that women are being scared away from natural births because of misconceptions

'Taken the humanity out of it': Ms Gallo says that many women are being 'over treated' when it comes to birth

Changing culture: Birth culture in Australia is changing according to Ms Gallo

Ms Gallo believes that 'birth culture' in Australia is 'a constant clash between old and new, conservative and progressive,' but is frequently problematic and focused on the medical.

It isn't all bad however; Ms Gallo said that there are an increasing number of women and men challenging mainstream birth culture. 'At the moment, we are seeing a movement of people who are really using their voices to challenge traditional views,' she explained.

'It's amazing to be a part of this! To think that birthing culture will be significantly more positive, empowering, and welcoming, when my own children decide to become parents...that excites me.'

'More positive, empowering, and welcoming': The photographer says that more women are changing the way they give birth to make it a positive experience

Breaking down barriers: Ms Gallo says she wants expectant mothers to see her photos and realise that they can do things differently

'Transformative experience': The Australian photographer says that birth gives women an opportunity to 'connect deeply' with their bodies

She said that she wants her book to break down barriers for everyone, but especially for new mothers.

'I want these images to set a new precedent. I want every expecting mama who finds these images, to think, "Oh, hold on. This isn't the birth I usually see. Maybe I don't need to be afraid. Maybe I can do things differently. Maybe there is a better way,"' she explained.
The King and Queen of Bhutan have shared new images of their two-week-old son, releasing the first close-up picture of the Dragon Prince since his birth earlier this month.

In a set of pictures posted to King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck's official Facebook page in honor of his 36th birthday on February 21, he and his wife, Queen Jetsun Pena, can be seen cradling their newborn, whose name has not yet officially been released.

Another image shows a close-up shot of the sleeping prince's face while he rests peacefully, while wrapped up in a beautiful gold swaddling cloth.

Precious prince: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his wife, Queen Jetsun Pema, released the first close-up image of their son on Sunday, in honor of the King's 36th birthday

First-time parents: The King and his wife, 25, also shared some pictures of themselves cradling their beloved newborn baby while in the grounds of the family's palace in the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu

Bonding time: King Jigme (left) and Queen Jetsun (right) also shared individual pictures with their baby boy

A spokesperson for King Jigme, who is known as the Dragon King, wrote alongside the images: 'To Commemorate His Majesty's 36th Birth Anniversary on 21st, we are delighted to share a collection of wonderful photographs of His Royal Highness The Gyalsey, with His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen.

'In these Kupars, taken on Friday, 19th February, His Royal Highness is two-weeks old!

'As we offer our humble love and wishes, we also rejoice, knowing that on this special year, His Majesty has the exceptional, personal happiness of being a Parent. [sic]'

The images come just over a week after the couple released the first official picture of their son when he was just five-days-old.

In the snap, the King and Queen can be seen posing in the grounds of the family's lavish Lingkana Palace in the Bhutanese capital Thimphu, sitting alongside the King's father, who is cradling their child.

Both the King and Queen can be seen gazing adoringly at the new arrival who was swaddled in a vibrant yellow blanket.

The former King, who is known as His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, was given the honor of holding the new baby as he was officially introduced to the world, and the proud grandfather can be seen with a wide smile on his face as he looks down at the next generation of his family.

The photo came with a statement from the royal media office, which read: 'Bhutanese families spent a wonderful Losar today, celebrating the day with family and loved ones.

Doting father: The King can be seen gazing down adoringly at his son, while the infant rests peacefully in his mother's arms

Scenic: This particular image not only captured the new family-of-three, but also the beautiful scenery of the Bhutanese capital

Happy family: In the first image released of the child, the couple can be seen gazing adoringly at their newborn, while the baby's grandfather, the former King of Bhutan (center) was given the honour of holding the baby

'To make the day even more special, we have the honour of bringing to you the very first official photograph of His Royal Highness The Gyalsey.'

The Gyalsey is a Buddhist word for Prince, meaning 'son of the victorious ones'; at the time Bhutan was celebrating the 15-day festival of Losar or Tibetan New Year.

'In this delightful Losar Kupar from Lingkana Palace, His Royal Highness The Gyalsey is surrounded by His Majesty The King, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen,' the statement continued.

'His Royal Highness The Gyalsey was born on the 5th of February 2016, and is the first Royal Child of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen.'

The new arrival marks the beginning of an exciting year for the Bhutan Royals, who have been dubbed the William and Kate of the Orient.

They are set to host the real Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on an official visit on behalf of the British Government.

Their hugely-anticipated visit will coincide with the couples previously announced tour of India and is likely to take place in April.

It's not yet known whether William and Kate will meet the newest member of the family, who was safely delivered at Lingkana Palace on February 5, according to the royal media office.

'Their majesties and members of the royal family are filled with profound joy on the birth of His Royal Highness,' they said in a statement.

Happy news: King Jigme and the then-pregnant Queen Jetsun released this image, which was taken at Paro Ugyen Pelri Palace in Bhutan, when they announced that they were expecting their first child

So happy: While dating, their relationship made headlines when the King was openly affectionate with Jetsun - something that was unusual in the country

'With the blessings of the guardian deities of Bhutan and protectors of the dharma (divine truth), and the prayers of the Bhutanese people, Her Majesty and His Royal Highness The Gyalsey (prince) are both in perfect health.'

The prince's birth was marked by sacred Bhutanese traditions with the Je Khenpo, the chief abbot and spiritual leader of the majority Buddhist nation, presiding over religious ceremonies, the office said.

Known as the 'last Shangri-La', the South Asian kingdom, home to just 750,000 people, famously shuns conventional measures of economic wellbeing, instead compiling a Gross National Happiness index.

King Jigme, the hugely popular fifth Druk Gyalpo - Dragon King - studied in Britain and the United States, and was officially crowned king in 2008.

The current king actually ascended the throne in 2006, however, at the tender age of 26, after his father abdicated so that he could take his place.

Unlike his son, who plans to have a monogamous marriage, the former King, who introduced democracy to Bhutan during his reign, has four wives - all sisters who he married on the same day. But despite his own upbringing, the current monarch has made clear that he only plans to have one wife, whom he married on October 13, 2011, when she was still an international relations student at Regent's College in London.

The match made headlines at the time because the young King was more openly affectionate with his wife than citizens were used to.

However, his very public displays of affection - which included kissing his wife on the cheek and holding her hand - was well-received by young people, with many even choosing to follow the royals' example.

Proud moment: The couple announced they were expecting in November, four years after they tied the knot, in October 2011 (pictured)

BHUTAN: A BRIEF HISTORY Tucked into the Himalayas is a beautiful, remote kingdom where spirits are appeased, the mountains are sacred and there is only one major road. For centuries Bhutan remained isolated from the rest of the world - indeed tourists were forbidden to enter the country until 1974. Gradually, however, it is opening up - though it still has fewer visitors annually than Peru's Machu Pichu has in one week. Initially Bonism was the dominant religion in the region that would come to be known as Bhutan. Buddhism was introduced in the 7th century by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo and further strengthened by the arrival of Guru Rimpoche, a Buddhist Master that is widely considered to be the Second Buddha. The country was first unified in 17th century by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. After arriving in Bhutan from Tibet he consolidated his power, defeated three Tibetan invasions and established a comprehensive system of law and governance. His system of rule eroded after his death and the country fell into in-fighting and civil war between the various local rulers. This continued until the Trongsa Poenlop Ugyen Wangchuck was able to gain control and with the support of the people establish himself as Bhutans first hereditary King in 1907. His Majesty Ugyen Wangchuck became the first Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) and set up the Wangchuck Dynasty that still rules today. In 2008 Bhutan enacted its Constitution and converted to a democracy in order to better safeguard the rights of its citizens. Later in November of the same year, the currently reigning 5th Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was crowned. Advertisement

According to some reports, the couple first met when the Queen was just seven and the King was 17, at a family picnic in Bhutan's capital of Thimphu.

The couple's elaborate fairytale wedding ceremony was labeled as the biggest media event in Bhutanese history, and made headlines around the world, as it was one of only a few glimpses into the country's ceremonies and traditions, which were kept hidden for so long.

Indeed, the remote kingdom of Bhutan only opened its doors to tourism in 1972, during His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo's reign, and even then the country only accepted international visitors with great trepidation.

Almost completely cut off for centuries, Bhutan did not get television until 1999, so fearful were its autocratic rulers of its pernicious influence, and did not welcome foreign visitors in 1974.

But it is also known as one of the most content countries in the world and measures its GDP is not in terms of pounds and pence but Gross National Happiness.

Over the years, even after tourism was first embraced, the country has gained an almost-mythical status as an under-the-radar Shangri-La, where western visitors can explore a different way of life.

But traveling to the country has always been difficult, and until very recently, Bhutan was incredibly isolated due to geographical location, which may have proved tricky for tourists, but also allowed the country to retain its unique culture and heritage.
She's an avid user of the rail network and now a new multi-billion pound line which will run under London is being named after the Queen.

Crossrail, which will link parts of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to Essex, will be known as the Elizabeth line once it opens through the centre of the capital in December 2018.

The announcement was made by London Mayor Boris Johnson as the Queen visited the construction site at Bond Street station.

The Queen beams at photographers as she holds a commemorative plaque given to her by Crossrail workers

Her Majesty chats to Crossrail workers after formally unveiling the new sign for the Elizabeth Line

A new multi-billion pound railway line which will run under London is to be named after Queen Elizabeth II

The Elizabeth Line, named after Her Majesty, will be open to passengers from December 2018

Her Majesty is often spotted catching the train at King's Cross when returning to her country estate in Sandringham at Christmas.

This morning she unveiled the purple Elizabeth line logo which will feature across the network, in an Angela Kelly lilac wool crepe dress with matching coat and hat for the occasion.

After greeting representatives, The Queen was taken in an industrial lift to the site 92ft below ground, where she viewed part of the railway tunnel and met construction apprentices dressed in bright orange jackets and trousers.

The announcement was made by London Mayor Boris Johnson as the Queen visited the under-construction Bond Street station

Crossrail, which will link parts of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to Essex, will be known as the Elizabeth line once it opens through the centre of the capital in December 2018

The Queen unveiled the purple Elizabeth line logo which will feature across the network, and wore an Angela Kelly lilac wool crepe dress with matching coat and hat for the occasion

Her Majesty is an avid user of the rail network and is often seen catching the train at King's Cross when returning to her country estate in Sandringham

The Queen shakes the hand of a Crossrail worker during her visit to the construction site in London

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin greets The Queen after she steps out of her chauffeur-driven car

The Queen spent time chatting with Boris Johnson and Patrick McLoughlin before her tour of the site

Boris Johnson told The Queen that Crossrail is a 'huge success' for the British economy

Mr Johnson said: 'Crossrail is already proving a huge success for the UK economy and, as we move closer to bringing this transformative new railway into service, I think it's truly wonderful that such a significant line for our capital will carry such a significant name from our country.

'As well as radically improving travel right across our city, the Elizabeth line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest-serving monarch.'

The Queen became the first reigning monarch to travel on the London Underground in 1969 when she opened the Victoria line.

In 1977 the Jubilee line was opened by the Prince of Wales and was named to mark 25 years since the Queen's accession to the throne.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, who also attended the Crossrail event, described the naming of the Elizabeth line as 'very fitting' given the Queen's long association with UK transport.

The Queen became the first reigning monarch to travel on the London Underground in 1969 when she opened the Victoria line

Boris Johnson said: 'I think it's truly wonderful that such a significant line for our capital will carry such a significant name from our country'

Boris Johnson extends his hand to The Queen as she arrives at the Crossrail site at Bond Street station

London's Transport Commissioner Mike Brown said: 'In running this important new railway we will ensure that it serves as a fitting tribute to Her Majesty the Queen'

The network will stretch from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

A fleet of new 656ft (200m) long trains with nine walk-through air-conditioned carriages will run on the line.

The network will be opened in several phases, beginning with the Liverpool Street to Shenfield route in May next year.

Some 24 trains an hour will run in each direction in the central London tunnels when they open in December 2018. The full through service to Reading is due to begin in December 2019.

London's Transport Commissioner Mike Brown said: 'In running this important new railway we will ensure that it serves as a fitting tribute to Her Majesty the Queen.'

Boris Johnson said: 'As well as radically improving travel right across our city, the Elizabeth line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest-serving monarch'

Boris Johnson chatted with workers before joining The Queen on her underground tour of the railway line

Meanwhile, it seems The Queen may be using the rail network more often after it was revealed she has sold her Jaguar.

The monarch's X-type - which comes complete with heated seats, parking sensors and a dog grille to stop the corgis distracting the driver - sold for 15,000 after being offered online.

London-based car firm Fletchdale Ltd was involved in the sale and said the new owner did not realise they were buying from Her Majesty.

A spokesman for the company told The Sun: 'It went to a buyer unaware of its former owner. Someone unwittingly bought a slice of royalty.'

The Queen was pictured driving the V6 Sovereign model around Windsor last year but decided to part with the vehicle.
Princess Diana was certainly famed for her elegant style choices and now her niece Lady Kitty Spencer is proving that she is also a fashion force to be reckoned with.

The 25-year-old socialite was pictured today on the eve of Milan Fashion Week flying the flag for Italian style as she attended the 30th anniversary of Milanese designer Elena Miro.

Kitty, who is the eldest daughter of Charles Spencer and Victoria Aitken, showcased her curves in a number from the plus-sized designer's latest collection - a billowing floral top that she paired with a Prada clutch and Malones heels.

Lady Kitty Spencer attended the 30th anniversary of Milanese plus-size designer Elena Miro on the eve of Milan Fashion Week

Elena Miro designs for Mediterranean-style women with fuller figures who wear shapely sizes

The unique collection presented in the town Transalpina on Tuesday afternoon was inspired by limited edition photographs by photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri.

The photographer is passionate about floral prints but rejects modern day photography methods including retouching.

'I felt very comfortable doing this collaboration. The picture is undergoing a revolution, the fact that my pictures have taken life in a collection is an art form,' Barbieri told elperiodico.

Lady Kitty posed for photographs with Elena Miroglio, the designer behind the plus-size fashion house.

Kitty, the cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry, couldn't stay long to the party. She returned to London this afternoon after posting a photograph of her view from the plane on her Instagram account with the caption: 'Ciao Milano.'

Designer Elena Miroglio (pictured here with Kitty) designs for Mediterranean-style women with fuller figures who wear shapely sizes

Kitty was pictured in one of the designer's latest plus-size designs which feature flowing floral patterns in vibrant colours

The socialite paired her designer garb with a Prada clutch and Malones heels for the event. The unique collection presented in the town Transalpina on Tuesday afternoon was inspired by limited edition photographs by photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri

It appears that the blonde bombshell rarely sits still having been photographed at London Fashion Week just a few days earlier.

Kitty stepped out in a chic dogtooth-print coat for the Charlotte Simone Autumn/Winter 2016 showcase at the Scream Gallery on Friday.

The socialite was joined at the fluff-filled extravaganza by a host of other well-dressed stars including Millie Mackintosh, model Daisy Lowe and Made In Chelsea star Rosie Fortescue.

Glamorous Kitty turned heads in the bold-print outerwear, which she layered over a plain black jumper and skinny jeans.

An understated clutch bag, pearl droplet earrings and pointed heels with gold detailing completed the sophisticated evening look.

Miro's latest print (pictured on Kitty) is a result of a collaboration with Italian photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri

Kitty could not stay long at the party flying back to London from Milan just a few hours later

The It girl tousled her glossy blonde locks into elegant curls and left them to hang loosely around her shoulders.

Kitty also sported her go-to make-up look: a nude smoky eye and clear lip gloss.

Charlotte Beecham, the designer behind the celebrity-adored label, is most well known for her colourful fur scarves and furry bobble hats.

However, for next season she has expanded her coveted range to include a capsule collection of shearling coats.

The striking garments come in a range of combinations and colours, including pink, blue, black, white and grey.

Princess Diana's niece proved she's a style icon in the making as she attended a London Fashion Week presentation on Friday
A new device could help aid in the quest to effectively treat malaria.

Nearly 3.2 billion people worldwide are at risk of being developing the mosquito-borne disease.

Furthermore, malaria killed close to 450,000 in 2015, according to the World Health Organization.

Troublingly, the disease is becoming increasingly resistant to traditional antibiotic treatments.

And so, Dr George Frodsham developed a drug-free treatment for malaria, called MediSieve.

The device has a magnetic filter that removes infected blood cells from a patients bloodstream.

Dr Frodsham told Daily Mail Online: We can treat the untreatable.

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Malaria killed 450,000 people worldwide last year, according to the WHO - and the mosquito-transmitted disease is becoming increasingly antibiotic-resistant. However, a UK scientist has developed a device called MediSieve, which provides a drug-free treatment for the disease

The 29-year-old scientist first developed the technology while studying nanotechnology at University College London.

At that time, he was hoping to use the treatment on leukemia  but found the disease to be more complicated than he had originally thought.

Then Dr Frodsham came across research that demonstrated malaria-infected blood cells are naturally magnetic  and decided to shift focus.

Dr Frodsham said: Suddenly I had the perfect solution to the idea I had.

MALARIA: WHAT YOU MUST KNOW Malaria is caused by parasites that are transmitted through the bites of infected female mosquitoes. Nearly 3.2 billion people  which is almost half of the worlds population  are at risk of malaria. The WHO estimated that in 2015, there were 214 million cases of malaria - as well as 438,000 deaths. The disease appears mostly in warmer climates, where there is a lot of humidity and rain. The people who are most vulnerable to the disease are young children, pregnant women and travelers from malaria-free areas. Once someone is infected with malaria, symptoms usually pop up in seven days or later (usually 10 to 15 days). The first symptoms are mild and tough to recognize as malaria, for they include fever, headache, chills and vomiting. But if malaria isn't treated within 24 hours, it can lead to severe illness - and death. Children with sever malaria tend to develop severe anemia, respiratory distress or cerebral malaria. But for adults with severe malaria, they also often have multi-organ involvement. In areas where malaria is an epidemic, some people can develop partial immunity - which allows asymptomatic infections to occur. Source: World Health Organization Advertisement

Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasites  which are transmitted to humans by the Anophales mosquitoes, according to WHO.

Basically, as a natural part of the malaria life cycle, the parasite eats the human blood in the red blood cell, Dr Frodsham explained.

So in essence, the parasite eats the protein but leaves behind the bloods iron  which is paramagnetic.

Dr Frodsham said: That gives malaria cells unique and naturally occurring magnetic properties.

The scientist fine-tuned his technology while completing his PhD in biochemical engineering  and formally founded his company, MediSieve, in May 2015.

The device generates a strong magnetic force that prevents the malaria-infected blood cells from continuing on their path, the scientist explained.

Dr Frodsham said: Its important to realize that this is only a small part of the wider solution in the fight against malaria.

It can have a really big impact for those who are actually at high risk of dying.

Thus, MediSieve is currently focused on providing drug-free treatment to high-risk patients  particularly those who have not yet developed immunity to the disease.

Dr Frodsham said: The people who will benefit the most from this are young children  and tourists.

He added that tourists who are visiting malaria-infected countries have the same underdeveloped immunity to the disease as young children.

Developed by Dr George Frodsham (pictured), the device generates a strong magnetic force that strips out malaria-infected blood cells directly from a person's bloodstream. The device is still in the development stages - but will be affordable and targeted towards high-risk malaria patients

Furthermore, he hopes the device will also be used on patients who suffer from the drug-resistant strains of the disease.

Currently, resistant malaria strains are spreading around Asia  a pattern that was previously seen in the 1970s and 1980s, according to Dr Frodsham.

He said: If that spreads to Africa, as it has done in the past, it can have absolutely catastrophic consequences.

Its important to realize that this is only a small part of the wider solution in the fight against malaria Dr George Frodsham

But at the moment, Dr Frodsham and the MediSieve team are still in the development stages.

They were recently awarded 102,000 as part of a Pathfinder Award from the Wellcome Trust  which came after a 350,000 seed investment from a number of angel investors in September.

Next, the company is hoping to finish pre-clinical trials  before finally starting its first trials on malaria patients next year.

And when the device is finally released to the public, Dr Frodsham plans on focusing on high-risk countries  and offering MediSieve at an affordable price.

Dr Frodsham said: From day one, we have been developing this to make it as affordable as possible.

The company has not yet set a final price for the device, but Dr Frodsham revealed it will be tens of dollars, not hundreds of dollars'.

Dr Frodsham just returned from a trip to Tanzania, where he was consulting with experts to determine both the need and cost of the product.
By the time she was diagnosed, Lucy had

it was scabies and her GP thought it was allergy

Liam Crossley thought he and his fiancee, Lucy, had a bright future ahead of them.

Lucy, then 27, had just landed her dream job in a lingerie company and he was doing well as a personal trainer.

The couple, from Leeds, were also saving up to get married.

Then, in June, 2013, Lucy suddenly developed a maddening itch all over her body, although she could find no rash or bites.

'She was in London training for her new job and called me to tell me about it,' says Liam. 'She was not one to make a fuss, so I knew it must be bad.'

Lucy went to a drop-in medical centre, where they suspected she may have scabies (a contagious condition caused by skin mites) and gave her some lotion, but it brought no relief.

'When she got back home in the first week of July, she was making her skin bleed with the scratching,' recalls Liam.

'She went to see her own GP who sent her off with antihistamines, thinking the itch could be allergy-related.'

In fact, Lucy had neither scabies nor an allergy. The itch was a symptom of cancer.

Liam Crossley, now 30, thought he and his fiancee, Lucy, then 27, had a bright future ahead of them

She had a tumour growing in a bile duct in her liver, although it would take another four months of going back and forth to the doctor's before she would get a diagnosis.

'The moment they told us she had cancer, she broke down,' says Liam, now 30.

'It was such a huge shock.

'I tried my best not to cry, too - I wanted to be strong for her.'

Bile duct cancer, or cholangiocarcinoma, is on the rise. In 2010, 1,832 people were diagnosed with it and 1,720 died from it in England. Three years later, 1,965 were diagnosed with it and 2,161 died from it.

'Figures are rising quickly and significantly,' says Professor Simon Taylor-Robinson, a consultant liver specialist and researcher at Imperial College, London.

'Back in 1968, there were fewer than 40 cases a year.

'This is not just due to us getting better at diagnosing it - but we do not know why.'

Today, Liam is struggling to make sense of what happened.

'I felt so helpless - there was this woman who I wanted to spend the next 40, 50 or so years with, who was now gone, and there was nothing I could do to save her.

'For three hours after she passed on, I sat there talking to her, apologising for not being able to save her.'

When she got back home in the first week of July, she was making her skin bleed with the scratching

Experts and charities are calling for more research into and for increased awareness of this silent killer among both the public and medical profession.

The bile ducts are tiny, branch-like tubes that connect the liver to the small intestine.

'They are, in effect, a sewage system taking waste products from the liver into the intestines and out of the body,' explains Professor Taylor-Robinson.

These include drugs and other toxins that enter the body, as well as those produced within the body such as bilirubin - which is formed when old red blood cells are broken down.

'Bile is made up of these waste products, but it is also helpful in digesting fat,' says Professor Taylor-Robinson.

As a tumour grows across a duct, bile salts that would normally be sent to the small intestine build up in the body and get deposited under the skin, causing irritation and itching.

Yet often the disease remains 'silent' until someone turns yellow with jaundice.

This occurs when bilirubin in the bile builds up, tingeing the skin and tissues yellow.

In 2013 she suddenly developed a maddening itch all over her body. A drop-in medical centre suspected she may have scabies and her own GP sent her off with antihistamines, thinking the itch could be allergy-related

Bile ducts are tiny - some of them just 8mm wide - and so the tumours that occur within are also minuscule and hard to spot.

'Even MRIs and CT scans can miss them, so often it is not diagnosed until the patient has jaundice and is bright yellow,' says Professor Taylor-Robinson. 'By this time the cancer is usually inoperable. It starts to spread and often becomes fatal.'

Cancer of the bile ducts is linked to 'anything that causes inflammation or chronic irritation in the bile ducts,' he says.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis - a form of liver disease that can occur in those with the bowel condition ulcerative colitis - is a risk factor, as are gallstones, which can get stuck in the bile duct.

BILE DUCT CANCER - A RARE, HARD TO SPOT FORM OF THE DISEASE WHAT ARE THE BILE DUCTS? The bile ducts are tiny, branch-like tubes that connect the liver to the small intestine. 'They are, in effect, a sewage system taking waste products from the liver into the intestines and out of the body,' explains Professor Simon Taylor-Robinson, a consultant liver specialist and researcher at Imperial College, London. These include drugs and other toxins that enter the body, as well as those produced within the body such as bilirubin - which is formed when old red blood cells are broken down. Bile is made up of these waste products, but it is also helpful in digesting fat. WHEN CANCER DEVELOPS As a tumour grows across a duct, bile salts that would normally be sent to the small intestine build up in the body and get deposited under the skin, causing irritation and itching. Yet often the disease remains 'silent' until someone turns yellow with jaundice. This occurs when bilirubin in the bile builds up, tingeing the skin and tissues yellow. Bile ducts are tiny - some of them just 8mm wide - and so the tumours that occur within are also minuscule and hard to spot. 'Even MRIs and CT scans can miss them, so often it is not diagnosed until the patient has jaundice and is bright yellow,' says Professor Taylor-Robinson. 'By this time the cancer is usually inoperable. It starts to spread and often becomes fatal.' Cancer of the bile ducts is linked to 'anything that causes inflammation or chronic irritation in the bile ducts,' he says. Primary sclerosing cholangitis - a form of liver disease that can occur in those with the bowel condition ulcerative colitis - is a risk factor, as are gallstones, which can get stuck in the bile duct. There are suspected links with other conditions such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes - both of which are on the rise - but these are not yet fully understood. Advertisement

There are suspected links with other conditions such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes - both of which are on the rise - but these are not yet fully understood.

'We know that exposure to certain chemicals produced as a by-product of waste incineration may be associated with this cancer - it has also been associated with industrial spillage,' says Professor Taylor-Robinson.

Yet why incidences of the cancer should be increasing at such a rate remains a puzzle.

'It is becoming more common - the U.S., Japan, Australia, everywhere,' says Professor Taylor-Robinson.

Although it is most common in the over-60s, the disease is becoming increasingly frequently seen across all age groups.

'We have heard of children as young as 12 developing it,' says Helen Morement, the chief executive of AMMF, the cholangiocarcinoma charity. She believes greater awareness could improve the prognosis for those unlucky enough to develop the disease - at the moment, only 5 per cent are alive five years after diagnosis.

'If people are repeatedly coming back and forth to the doctor feeling generally unwell, we would like doctors to consider liver function tests, which can help alert them to this disease.'

Research is under way to develop blood or urine tests that may pick up the disease earlier, and to improve imaging techniques to help spot these small tumours.

Lucy went to her GP three times about her itching skin before she was referred for an ultrasound.

'By then, her tummy hurt and her skin was unbearably itchy and yellow,' says Liam.

'They thought she might have gallstones, but couldn't see anything on the ultrasound - so they referred her back to the GP.'

Then, in late August, by which time she had been sacked for taking so much time off sick, she complained of a tightening across the chest - referred pain from the liver as it turned out - and Liam took her to A&E at Dewsbury hospital, where they did liver function tests.

'The results were insane,' says Liam. 'Her bilirubin level was 395 - it should be 17.'

They kept her in hospital under observation for more than three weeks, but doctors still could not work out what was wrong.

In September, she was moved to St James's Hospital in Leeds, where she saw five different consultants before a scan showed a blockage in her left bile duct.

Finally, in October 2013, they were told Lucy had bile duct cancer.

'I was holding her hand as they talked to us, and as soon as they used the word 'cancer' Lucy broke down and cried into my shoulder.'

The couple managed to bring their wedding forward and got married three months before she died

The cancer was too advanced for surgery. All they could offer was chemotherapy, which Lucy started in the first week of November.

'She was really confident that this would work; not once did she discuss the possibility of dying,' says Liam.

She and Liam got married in October 2014 - Lucy was midway through her chemotherapy treatament - and Liam treasures the memories of the day.

She didn't even look ill. She was the most beautiful bride. She didn't feel as if there was anything wrong with her

'She didn't even look ill. She was the most beautiful bride. She didn't feel as if there was anything wrong with her,' he says.

However, two days before Christmas that year, Lucy fainted and was rushed back to hospital in an ambulance.

She was bleeding internally because the tumour was squeezing a vein in her liver. She and Liam were told there was no more they could do to stop the cancer.

'It was the worst thing I have ever heard in my life,' says Liam.

two days after Valentine's Day last year, Lucy went back into hospital to have the vein bypassed, but she never woke up from the anaesthetic and died, aged 29, on February 20.

A year on, Liam has bad days and good days.

'No one can really empathise - but I wouldn't want people to feel the way I feel,' he says.

'I just want greater awareness of this disease and to prevent any more people suffering the way Lucy and I did.'
Procedures should be divided into 5 categories, with first two akin to male

Milder forms of female genital mutilation should be classified in the same way as male circumcision and breast implants to stop it being 'demonized,' a controversial new report has claimed.

Changes to the way female genital mutilation is defined and viewed are needed to protect young women from more serious forms of cutting, a team of experts argued.

The gynaecologists suggest a small surgical 'nick' - a minimal procedure they compare to male circumcision - that slightly changes the look of a young woman's external genitalia should be legally allowed.

In a paper published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, they say mild forms are no worse than cosmetic procedures such as breast implants or 'designer vaginas' western women pay for.

But the experts stress the procedure should not alter the function or the sensory capacity of a young woman's genitalia.

They contend this more nuanced approach would uphold cultural and religious traditions without sacrificing the health and wellbeing of girls and young women.

However, their views have met with a raft of conflicting opinions.

Two gynaecologists argue the term female genital mutilation should be replaced with female genital alteration and that minor procedures that do not alter a woman's sexual sensation or function, should be legally allowed. The compromise would protect young women from serious forms of cutting, they say (file image)

In a series of editorials published alongside the paper, other leading experts in the field claim there is 'no doubt that in whatever form, female genital alteration has its origin and purpose in controlling women', and as such should remain illegal.

Sometimes referred to as female circumcision, FGM refers to procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

More than 125 million girls and women alive today have been cut in the 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East where FGM is concentrated.

The World Health Organization considers the practice 'a violation of the human rights of girls and women'.

The WHO states: 'FGM has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways.

It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue, and interferes with the natural functions of girls' and women's bodies.'

Despite 30 years of campaigning, the practice of cutting women's genitalia continues to flourish in many African countries and within immigrant African communities elsewhere.

To date, attempts to stamp it out with legislation have failed, and may instead be driving it underground, the authors Kavita Shah Arora of the MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, and Allan Jacobs of Case Western Reserve University, also in Cleveland, suggest.

'We are not arguing that any procedure on the female genitalia is desirable,' they said.

'Rather, we only argue that certain procedures ought to be tolerated by liberal societies.'

They suggest the term female genital mutilation (FGM) be replaced with the less emotive 'female genital alteration'.

Ultimately, I suggest that children of whatever sex or gender should be free from having healthy parts of their most intimate sexual organs either damaged or removed, before they can understand what is at stake in such an intervention and agree to it themselves Brian Earp, of the Bioethics Research Institute in New York

That, they argue, would reflect the different types of procedure and their associated risks, and minimise 'demonisation' of important cultural practices.

FGM is not an appropriate term to use for the type of procedures they advocate, which are akin to cosmetic dentistry, breast implants or labiaplasty, 'for which affluent women pay thousands of dollars', they said.

Current categorisation covers four types of female genital cutting, with type IV the most invasive and dangerous.

But, the authors call for a new system of categorisation that is based on the effects of the procedure, rather than the process.

Category 1 would include procedures that should have no long lasting effects on the appearance or function of the genitalia, if performed properly: an example would be a small nick in the vulvar skin.

Category 2 would include procedures that change the appearance slightly but which are not expected to have any lasting effects on reproductive capacity or sexual fulfilment. Examples include pulling back the hood of the clitoris and labiaplasty.

Categories 3-5 would include procedures, such as clitoris removal and vaginal cauterisation that maim or harm and impair sexual fulfilment, pregnancy and childbirth. These should be banned, they say.

Categories one and two are no different to male circumcision, which is rarely performed for therapeutic benefit, but which is tolerated and legal in liberal societies, the authors argue.

And restricting these categories of FGA is 'culturally insensitive and supremacist and discriminatory towards women', they contend.

Rather, permitting this compromise would better protect girls and young women from the long term harms of the more severe forms of female genital cutting, they suggest.

'In order to better protect female children from the long term harms of categories three and four of FGA, we must adopt a more nuanced position that acknowledges that categories one and two are different in that they are not associated with long term medical risks, are culturally sensitive, do not discriminate on the basis of gender and do not violate human rights,' they conclude.

But in one of a series of commentaries in response to this paper, Professor Ruth Macklin of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, insists that there is no parity between categories one and two FGA and male circumcision.

More than 125 million girls and women alive today have been cut in the 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East where FGM is concentrated. The World Health Organization considers the practice 'a violation of the human rights of girls and women'. Pictured, items used in female genital mutilation, in Somalia

'That may be true regarding the degree of harm the procedure causes, but it is not true of the origins or the continued symbolic meaning of FGA as a necessity for being an 'acceptable woman,' she said.

'There is no doubt that in whatever form, FGA has its origin and purpose in controlling women.'

And she concluded: 'Cultural change proceeds slowly.

'But with strong support from non-governmental organisations, especially those comprising local and regional women, a cultural tradition designed to control women--even in its least harmful form--is best abandoned.'

In another commentary, Brian Earp, visiting scholar at the Hastings Center, Bioethics Research Institute in New York, argues that permitting minimalist FGA would generate a litany of legal, regulatory, medical, and sexual problems, leading to 'a fiasco'.

Rites of passage are important to all of us, but one must not cause irreversible changes to the body of another person without their consent Dr Arianne Shahvisi, at the University of Sussex

Rather than continuing to tolerate male circumcision, and using this as a benchmark for allowing 'minor' forms of FGA, it may instead be time to consider taking a less tolerant stance towards both procedures, he says.

'Ultimately, I suggest that children of whatever sex or gender should be free from having healthy parts of their most intimate sexual organs either damaged or removed, before they can understand what is at stake in such an intervention and agree to it themselves,' he says.

In a further commentary, Dr Arianne Shahvisi, of the Department of Ethics at the University of Sussex, says that a minimalist approach to FGA is unlikely to fulfil the intentions of the procedure - to change the aesthetic appearance of the female genitalia, and to control women's sexual appetites.

And she wonders why the authors don't take the opportunity to recommend a more minimalist approach to male circumcision.

'Rites of passage are important to all of us, but one must not cause irreversible changes to the body of another person without their consent,' she writes.

Finally, in a linked editorial, Dr Michael Dunn, of the Ethox Centre, University of Oxford, points out 'The main argument is controversial, but its airing on the pages of the journal has a clear purpose: by subjecting FGM in its many forms to ethical analysis, we will be in a stronger position to develop and tailor interventions that function to prevent indefensible practices of this kind.'
Richard Jackson from Lancashire, one of the first people in the UK to be fitted with a Heartmate III

Almost one million Britons suffer from heart failure. Richard Jackson, 39, from Thornton-Cleveleys in Lancashire, who works in building design, is one of the first in the country to have a new procedure for severe cases, as he tells TINA WALSH.

THE PATIENT

When I was six, I was diagnosed with an inherited heart condition called hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

My grandmother and mother had it, so I was screened for it.

The condition causes the muscle wall of your heart to thicken and can lead to abnormal heart rhythms. It can also make it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body and, left untreated, can lead to heart failure or even sudden death.

It didn't affect me much at first. But in my mid-20s I had a huge shock.

One evening, I felt spaced out, with my heart beating so fast you could see it moving up and down through my chest.

My now former wife called an ambulance, and the doctors in A&E said I had a resting heart rate of 243 beats a minute. The average for an adult is 60 to 100 per minute. Mine could have been fatal.

They moved me to intensive care and fitted me with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator to restore my heart's natural rhythm by sending an electric shock when needed.

It worked well, but five years ago my health got worse, so it was upgraded to a biventricular pacemaker, which helps the left ventricle (the bottom left chamber of the heart) function better.

But it didn't help. A year ago, I started getting really breathless just climbing stairs. I had barely any appetite either. I knew this could be a sign of heart failure - where your heart doesn't pump enough blood round the body.

You can also get fluid settling on your lungs, and every morning I'd cough terribly, bringing up horrible fluid.

One day last November, I noticed my ankles were really swollen.

The next day, I saw a cardiologist and after tests I was referred to specialist cardiac surgeons at Wythenshawe Hospital.

Apparently, the left ventricle of my heart had become so weak it had failed.

This was putting pressure on the right side, raising the pressure in the blood vessels of my lungs.

This meant I wasn't suitable for a heart transplant - the surgeons said a new heart would have lasted 20 beats before giving up because of the pressure.

Instead, they wanted to implant a new kind of mechanical pump, known as a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), in my chest to take over the heart's pumping action.

The idea was that this would help my heart and lungs recover, so that eventually I would be fit for a transplant.

Doctors told me about a new device, called the Heartmate III. Unlike older pumps, it can mimic a natural pulse - it pumps in a slightly irregular pattern, which is closer to how a normal heart beats.

Apparently, this could help to prevent blood clotting inside the device - one of the problems with previous versions.

The device will stablise his heart ready for a heart transplant

The operation took four hours under general anaesthetic. Afterwards, I had tubes coming out of my chest to get rid of fluid and blood, a dressing on my chest and a 90cm long cord - called a 'driveline' - that came out of my tummy and was attached at one end to a portable controller about the size of a mobile phone. (I'll have this driveline for as long as the pump is fitted.)

Apart from fatigue, I didn't feel too bad, and had morphine for a week for pain. I was discharged three weeks later.

I'm not allowed to drive for six months. During the day I have to wear a holster across my shoulders, with a battery either side.

The controller is hooked on to a belt and attached to the internal pump. A power lead runs from both batteries into the controller.

At night, I recharge the batteries in the mains socket (they last about 18 hours) with a special adaptor - the pump is still working throughout.

My physical movement is quite restricted. I can't have a proper bath again or a shower for at least six months. The batteries are quite heavy - about 2kg - and I have to carry spares if I'm going out.

But I can lie on my back without my lungs filling with fluid and can walk upstairs without being out of breath.

If the pressure in my lungs comes down, as is hoped, I'll be eligible to go on a transplant list.

If not, I'll wear the pump for the rest of my life. Without the pump, I wouldn't be here today.

THE SURGEON

Rajamiyer Venkateswaran is a consultant cardiac surgeon and director of transplantation at University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust.

If the pressure in my lungs comes down, I'll be eligible to go on a transplant list

Heart failure is where the heart is unable to pump enough blood round the body.

There are many causes - the most common is damage to the heart as the result of a heart attack, but genetic defects in the heart muscle and valve problems can also cause it. If left untreated, ultimately it can be fatal.

Richard would have probably gone into multi-organ failure if he hadn't had his pump.

Treatments include medication and pacemakers with a cardiac defibrillator.

But if these haven't helped and the patient is at end-stage heart failure - when there is nothing more we can do - they will be assessed for a heart transplant.

Some patients may be too ill for a transplant, because the pressure in the lungs can increase due to blood building up in the blood vessels of the lungs, and a donor heart will not be able to pump against this pressure.

These patients may be offered a left ventricular assist device. It's known as a 'bridge to transplant', because round 90 per cent of patients will become well enough to have a transplant once the pump has reduced the pressure.

The pump is palm-sized and looks a bit like a bath plug with a tube attached. It's so new that Richard is one of just a handful of people in Britain to have it.

These types of devices work by sucking blood from the left ventricle (the main pumping chamber of the heart) and delivering it through a tube to the aorta, the main artery of the body.

The older generation of this pump - the Heartmate II - was quite bulky (400g in weight, 4.5cm in diameter and 10cm wide).

The new device is half the weight, at 200g, and is 5cm in diameter and 3cm high. It's also a simpler operation to implant it, which means less discomfort for the patient afterwards.

Where the new device really differs is that it can mimic the irregular nature of a real pulse, which we think is the key to long-term health as it may reduce the risk of clotting and a stroke.

Another first is that all the individual components of the pump are suspended in a magnetic field, so the blood can pass through more easily.

This means there's no friction between the parts, so the device doesn't generate any heat, lowering the clotting risk.

Any artificial heart pump will carry a risk of blood clotting, but this risk is lower with the Heartmate III

First, we opened Richard's breastbone. Next, we put him on a bypass machine to take over the job of the heart and lungs while we operated.

Then I made a hole in the left ventricle, stitching the pump inside and attaching its tube into the aorta, the main artery.

This tube was connected to a 'driveline', which is tunnelled through the body and comes out through the tummy near the belly button. This is attached to the pump's controller.

Lastly, we switched off the bypass and turned the pump on.

Pumps are not a substitute for a transplant because their long-term outcome is not yet as good as a human heart.

However, this is still an effective therapy. There is a worldwide epidemic of heart failure and we don't have enough donor hearts.

The operation costs the NHS 150,000. Privately, it costs 250,000.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

As with any operation, there is risk of bleeding and infection.

Any artificial heart pump will carry a risk of blood clotting, but this risk is lower with the Heartmate III.

'Funding for left ventricular pumps is only as a bridge to transplantation, so patients have to be eligible for heart transplant,' says David Jenkins, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

'In some other countries, left ventricular assist devices are used as a therapy in their own right when transplantation is not possible. The NHS is reviewing recommendations.
My wife, nearly 72, has been diagnosed with a para-umbilical hernia. Sometimes there is a lump the size of a large egg. Is it advisable to have a surgical repair? What are the possibilities of serious problems if it is not repaired?

P. L. Upson, Braintree, Essex.

Hernias, where an organ protrudes through its coverings, are common, affecting around a quarter of men and 3 per cent of women at some point.

Most commonly, it is a loop of intestine that pushes through a weakness that has opened up in the muscles of the abdomen or groin when the person is standing or straining.

Hernias, where an organ protrudes through its coverings, are common, affecting around 3 per cent of women

In the case of a para-umbilical hernia, the weakness or defect is usually in the middle of the abdomen, a short distance above the belly button.

The bowel pushes through a gap between two straps of muscle called the rectus abdominis muscles, which stretch from the rib cage to the pelvis.

This type of hernia can occur in babies, but also in adults as a result of the muscles becoming weakened - for example, because of age, weight gain, anything that increases pressure in the abdomen, such as pregnancy, a persistent cough, constipation, heavy lifting or just general unfitness.

Though a hernia is usually not painful, it should always be investigated by a GP.

This involves palpating the area carefully with the fingertips when the muscles are relaxed to determine the size of the gap between the muscles.

If the gap is not too small and tight, the contents of the hernia will flop back when the person is lying down.

In cases where it is tight, the contents may not slip back and in these circumstances a loop of intestine may be stuck, a condition called incarceration.

ThIS can lead to a blockage of the bowel - with pain and vomiting - known as obstruction, or even strangulation, when the loop rotates and cuts off its own blood supply, leading to gangrene of the bowel (where the tissue dies).

Either of these eventualities is a surgical emergency, and for that reason, though it is not essential to repair a painless para-umbilical hernia that does reduce back into the abdomen, it is advisable to operate.

Better to resolve a relatively minor problem than be forced to carry out an emergency procedure, maybe out of routine hours, if a complication such as obstruction or strangulation should occur. Such surgery is major and more dangerous. Repair of an uncomplicated para-umbilical hernia is straightforward: in many patients, this can be carried out under a local anaesthetic.

Typically, the surgeon makes a small incision near the belly button, then pushes the loop of bowel back into the abdomen, stitching together the weakened muscle layers.

Sometimes a mesh is used to strengthen the area as an alternative to stitching the muscles or as an additional measure.

Whether under local or general anaesthetic, the operation should not involve more than one night in hospital.

My advice would be to proceed if you are given this option.

My husband was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia in 2010 and has recurring bouts every two years. Each time it seems to be getting worse. At present, he is taking pregabalin and Tegretol. He has heart problems, having had a triple bypass in 2003 and then another heart attack in 2009, so is resistant to some medicines. Could you offer some advice?

Mary McWilliam, by email.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a disorder of the trigeminal nerve, which runs from the brain to the face. The condition is characterised by sudden severe electric shock-like pains, typically on one side of the face.

Mary's husband had a triple bypass in 2003 and then another heart attack in 2009

These pains are usually triggered by simple stimuli, such as touching the face, talking, cleaning the teeth or even just smiling.

The old-fashioned term for this rare condition was tic douloureux, reflecting the facial muscle spasms that may occur during the intense bouts of pain.

The cause in most cases is irritation or compression of a small section of the trigeminal nerve by a blood vessel that is running an abnormal course.

The errant vessel will always have been present, but why it should suddenly start stirring up this trouble later in life (most cases are diagnosed after the age of 50) is uncertain.

The pressure on the nerve reduces the myelin sheath, the insulating covering on the nerve; this can interfere with the way the nerve functions.

Again, why the pain occurs in bouts is not yet understood.

Medication is the main treatment option, and it is only when this fails that surgery is contemplated.

Your husband is taking the best-known drug, carbamazepine (its trade name is Tegretol).

Evidence from four well- conducted studies shows that this drug provides pain relief in 60 per cent to 100 per cent of patients, though side-effects can be a problem.

These can be minimised by starting at the low dose of 100mg twice daily and working up very slowly, over weeks and months, to a total daily dose of between 800mg and 1,200mg.

I suspect that, on its own, this drug was not suppressing your husband's bouts of pain effectively, and so his doctor has prescribed an add-on drug, pregabalin.

There are other options, mainly anticonvulsants: drugs that are used to calm irritable malfunctioning nerves at various sites.

It may well be that at least some of these have been tried on your husband - though, of course, it is possible to do so only when he is going through one of the bouts.

When medical treatment fails, surgery may be used to relieve trigeminal neuralgia.

Microvascular decompression is a major operation; it is invasive, requiring surgery into the skull to remove or relocate the offending blood vessel.

It brings relief in 90 per cent of patients, but at the risk of complications.

Less invasive is a treatment called gamma knife, a form of radiotherapy. It provides pain relief a few weeks after the procedure, but this success drops to about 70 per cent of patients after one year and 50 per cent at three years.

My advice is that your husband must continue under the regular care of a neurologist or a neurosurgeon who has a special interest in this condition.

This is essential given his history of coronary heart disease and the need to ensure that any medicines added on a trial basis are not in conflict with any of the medication needed for his heart.

On balance, it may well be that if all medications have failed, the gamma knife treatment - if available where you live - would be a good and safe option.

Write to Dr Scurr To contact Dr Scurr with a health query, write to him at Good Health Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email drmartin@dailymail.co.uk - including contact details. Dr Scurr cannot enter into personal correspondence. His replies cannot apply to individual cases and should be taken in a general context. Always consult your own GP with any health worries. Advertisement

By the way... Fatal flaw in Mr Hunt's seven-day NHS

all the fuss about the new contract for junior doctors has obscured a fundamental problem: Jeremy Hunt's maths simply doesn't add up.

The Secretary of State for Health insists that medical under-staffing is the cause of excess deaths at hospitals on the weekends (despite the fact that the experts who produced the stats say it was unclear how preventable the deaths were).

His plan to deal with this 'problem' is to force a new contract on junior doctors, which will mean greater numbers of them work at weekends. But as a result, there will be fewer doctors available on weekdays.

Of course, this will inevitably place greater strains on the service during the standard working week.

Recruiting doctors from other members of the EU, or elsewhere in the world, will not compensate, given the complex issues around the quality of training of immigrant doctors and most importantly, language and communication.

Only recently, I went to the A&E department of my nearby hospital after an elderly patient had collapsed at home. I called for an ambulance to take her, and followed it to the hospital, where I was able to see the CT scan.

This revealed a large brain tumour as the cause of her seizure.

The junior doctor by whom she had been seen sat with me while we checked the images. He was from Russia and his English was so poor that I had the greatest difficulty in explaining the past history of the patient.
Ten years after her friends had moved their children out of nappies at night, Linda Watson was still having to strip her son's and daughter's wet sheets most mornings.

Her son Jake, now 18, and daughter Lucy, 16, wet their beds until their early teens.

'It happened five nights a week,' recalls Linda, 55, a solicitor, from Essex. 'I'd get up at 5.45am, strip two beds and put on the washing machine before breakfast. It became part of our morning routine.'

For Lucy, it became a particular problem when she was invited to Guide camps or sleepovers at friends' houses. 'Lucy would have to take extra clothing and disposable nappy pants to wear at night.'

Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis as it is known medically, affects both children and adults [file photo]

When Lucy was six and Jake eight, the family saw the doctor and school nurse, but were told the problem would just resolve itself.

On their advice, Linda tried everything from cutting down on drinks before bedtime, to medication. All to no avail.

Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis as it is known medically, affects both children and adults. Eight per cent of children aged nine still wet the bed, according to a 2008 study of 14,000 British children. Most grow out of it, but one in 100 adults is affected for life, according to the Bladder and Bowel Foundation.

It can have a devastating impact on self-esteem, performance at school and work and social activities.

'Young people often miss out on opportunities such as sleepovers and school trips and start to feel 'different' when they realise their friends have stopped wetting the bed,' explains Brenda Cheer, of children's continence charity ERIC.

Last October, the International Children's Continence Society (ICCS) and the European Society of Paediatric Urologists (ESPU) launched World Bedwetting Day to raise awareness that bedwetting is a common medical condition with the potential to cause behavioural or psychological problems.

Bedwetting is often caused by the body failing to produce enough of the hormone vasopressin at night

Bedwetting is more common among boys than girls and often runs in families - a child with one parent who was a bedwetter as a child has a 44 per cent chance of being a bedwetter themselves, compared with 15 per cent when there is no family history.

And if both parents were bedwetters, that rises to 77 per cent, according to research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Bedwetting is often caused by the body failing to produce enough of the hormone vasopressin at night, says Nick Madden, vice chair of the Paediatric Continence Forum and a retired consultant paediatric urologist.

This hormone, produced by the pituitary gland in the brain, controls urine production in the kidney. Normally, more is produced at night so we are less likely to need the loo in the night.

Night-time production of vasopressin usually kicks in by the age of five. But in many bedwetters, not enough vasopressin is produced, so urine production continues as normal. This may be down to a genetic fault.

Young people start to feel 'different' when they realise their friends have stopped wetting the bed

Another cause is an overactive bladder - where the bladder spasms when it is slightly full - or the bladder may hold a smaller volume of urine before sending a signal to the brain that it needs to be emptied.

In other cases, the body's messaging system - which sends signals from the bladder to the brain when it is full - is not fully developed. Bedwetting is also more common in people who are difficult to rouse from sleep.

'Often it is a combination of these factors,' adds Mr Madden.

If bedwetting starts suddenly (secondary nocturnal enuresis), it is usually a sign of another underlying conditions such as constipation, urinary tract infection, diabetes, nerve, prostate or muscle problems or emotional upset or abuse.

Paediatric specialist continence nurse Brenda Cheer says many children can be helped simply by giving them a laxative.

'If you're constipated, the lower bowel is full and occupies some of the bladder's space, reducing the amount of urine it can hold,' she says.

Urinary tract infections can be another cause, she says, because the infection irritates the bladder.

'If the wee is cloudy or smelly, get it checked by the GP,' she says. 'And make sure the child drinks enough fluid - six to eight drinks a day, spread out over the day - or the bladder won't be used to holding urine, and will be more prone to leaking during the night.'

Some drinks can irritate the bladder or increase urine production, however, so bedwetters should avoid caffeinated drinks, blackcurrant or orange drinks (they irritate the bladder in some children), and those with artificial colours or sweetener.

Other tips include stopping drinking an hour before bedtime.

If simple measures are ineffective, treatment includes bedwetting alarms. These contain a sensor that detects when the wearer is starting to wet the bed and the alarm wakes them up. This is meant to teach them to be more sensitive to bedwetting.

The drug desmopressin - a synthetic version of the hormone vasopressin - taken just before bed can stop the kidneys producing as much urine at night.

However, many bedwetters are too embarrassed to seek help from their GP.

Fortunately, both Lucy and Jake stopped wetting the bed regularly at the age of 13 - their mother now wonders if genetics played a part, and that it took longer than usual for the proper production of vasopressin to kick in.

Names have been changed.
Still enjoys playing the harmonica and looking through newspapers

He officially became world's oldest living man with the condition in 2008

In 1940s life expectancy for people with Down's Syndrome was 12 years

Kenny Cridge was lifeless when he was born and had to be

He was born at a time when having Down's Syndrome carried a life expectancy of just 12 years.

But 76 years later, Kenny Cridge blew the candles out on his birthday cake in a care home.

Mr Cridge - officially the world's oldest living man with Down's Syndrome - was left for dead at birth by doctors who thought he was stillborn when he arrived alongside twin sister Dorothy in 1940.

In the 1940s, people with the condition were not expected to reach their teens.

But Mr Cridge has outlived his sister and brother thanks to the love and care of family and friends.

Kenny Cridge blew the candles out on his birthday cake in a care home on his 76th birthday last week. He is the oldest living person with Down's Syndrome, outliving his twin sister and also a brother

Mr Cridge was given the title in 2008 by Guinness World Records who presented him with a certificate.

Eight years on, he is still going strong at the Wisteria House care home near Yeovil, Somerset, where staff describe him as a 'true gent' and 'absolute darling'.

Proud niece Marie Shotton, 45, said: 'Now people with Down's Syndrome are treated equally and respected, but my nan said that back in the day it wasn't like that.

'She fought a lot of battles for him and really devoted her life to Kenny.

'His father Samuel, who adored him as his little boy, had a bike with a side car, and Kenny used to drive around in it to go to the local pubs.

'He's marvellous and people in the village where he grew up still ask about him.'

He is a true gentleman and a gentle man. He loves affection and his food. Ann Nicholson, Wisteria House

When Mr Cridge was born on February 15 his mother Iris had no idea she was carrying twins and only realised when daughter Dorothy was born moments after him.

Doctors initially thought he was stillborn and set him to one side to look after his sister but after he began to show signs of life they resuscitated him.

Ms Shotton, from Bruton, Somerset, added: 'When they were babies they were kept back to back in a cardboard box with cotton wool.'

He lived with his mother in Hinton St George, Somerset, until she passed away in her 90s.

He then moved in with nephew Kevin Griffiths before arriving at the care home three years ago.

Staff said he still enjoys playing his harmonica, eating sweet treats and joking with fellow residents.

Mr Cridge, who has Down's Syndrome, has outlived twin sister Dorothy after being rescuscitated by doctors

Mr Cridge pictured during his time at Wisteria House in Tintinhull, near Yeovil the care home when he has spent the last 5 years

Home manager Ann Nicholson said: 'To some this may not be a landmark age, however, for Kenny this is another milestone.

'Kenny is an absolute joy to be with every day. He's smiling most of the day - before he goes to bed and when he wakes up he's smiling.

'He is a true gentleman and a gentle man. He loves affection and his food.

His father Samuel, who adored him as his little boy, had a bike with a side car, and Kenny used to drive around in it to go to the local pubs Marie Shotton, niece

'Although Kenny's verbal communication is limited, he likes to chat, has a great sense of humour and likes laughing.

'Kenny enjoys looking through his newspapers and often plays his harmonica.

'He loves being with people and we all love being with Kenny.

'He's an absolute darling. He is so well mannered and gentle which is a real credit to his parents.'

The world's oldest man with Down's Syndrome was Bert Holbrook from Minnesota, USA, who was 83 when he died in 2012.

The oldest surviving woman with Down's is believed to be Dollie Grissom, 73, from Oklahoma, USA.

Some 775 babies in England and Wales are born with Down's Syndrome each year.

The Down's Syndrome Association said: 'It is wonderful that people with Down's Syndrome are now living longer than ever thanks to medical advances and the care and love of people around them.'
The Queen's former doctor has called for an urgent public enquiry into drugs firms murky practices.

Sir Richard Thompson, former-president of the Royal College of Physicians and personal doctor to the Queen for 21 years, warned tonight that many medicines are less effective than thought.

The physician is one of a group of six eminent doctors who today warn about the influence of pharmaceutical companies on drugs prescribing.

The experts, led by NHS cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra, claim that too often patients are given useless  and sometimes harmful  drugs that they do not need.

They maintain drugs companies are developing medicines they can profit from, rather than those which are likely to be the most beneficial.

And they accuse the NHS of failing to stand up to the pharmaceutical giants.

Too much medicine is doing more harm than good - and costing hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide, leading experts have warned. They maintain drugs companies are developing medicines they can profit from, rather than those which are likely to be the most beneficial

Sir Richard said: The time has come for a full and open public enquiry into the way evidence of the efficacy of drugs is obtained and revealed.

'There is real danger that some current drug treatments are much less effective than had previously been thought.

He said the campaign highlights the often weak and sometimes murky basis on which the efficacy and use of drugs, particularly in the elderly, are judged.

Writing for MailOnline, Dr Malhotra says commercial conflicts of interest are contributing to an epidemic of misinformed doctors and misinformed patients in the UK and beyond.

Furthermore, he adds the NHS is over-treating its patients, and claimed that the side effects of too much medicine is leading to countless deaths.

And he claims the full trial data on statins  cholesterol-lowering drugs prescribed to millions - has never been published, and also points to questions about the power of Tamiflu, a drug that has cost the NHS nearly 500 million.

The group has called on Parliaments Public Accounts Committee to conduct an independent enquiry into the safety of medicines.

They claim public funding is often allocated to medical research because it is likely to be profitable, not because it will be beneficial for patients.

Sir Richard Thompson, former-president of the Royal College of Physicians and personal doctor to the Queen for 21 years (left), warned tonight that many medicines are less effective than thought. He is one of a group of six eminent doctors, led by NHS cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra (right), who are concerned about the influence of pharmaceutical companies on drugs prescribing

Dr Malhotra said: There is no doubt that a more medicine is better culture lies at the heart of healthcare, exacerbated by financial incentives within the system to prescribe more drugs and carry out more procedures.

But theres a more sinister barrier to making progress to raise awareness of - and thus tackle - such issues that we should be most concerned about.

There is no doubt that a more medicine is better culture lies at the heart of healthcare, exacerbated by financial incentives within the system to prescribe more drugs and carry out more procedures Dr Aseem Malhotra

And thats the information that is being provided to doctors and patients to guide treatment decisions.

He accused drugs companies of gaming the system by spending twice as much on marketing than on research.

Dr Malhotra says that prescription drugs often do more harm than good, with the elderly particularly at risk.

One in three hospital admissions among the over-75s a result of an adverse drug reaction, he claims.

In addition to Sir Richard, Dr Malhotra is backed by Professor John Ashton, president of the Faculty of Public Health; psychiatrist Dr JS Bamrah, chairman of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin; cardiologist Professor Rita Redberg, editor of medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine; and Professor James McCormack, a pharmaceutical scientist.

Dr Malhotra, who is launching the campaign in a personal capacity, is a trustee of the King's Fund health think tank, a member of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and advisor to the National Obesity Forum.

He is particularly critical of the dramatic recent increase of the prescribing of statins.

Dr Malhotra also points to questions about the efficacy of Tamiflu  a flu drug the NHS spent 473m stockpiling. A 2014 report by a panel of eminent experts concluded it was no more effective than paracetamol

THE INDUSTRY'S RESPONSE A spokesman for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry said: All medicines undergo rigorous testing for quality, safety and efficacy by global regulators. The data is also subject to continuous scrutiny during trials, once licensed and throughout the life of the medicine, including after a patent has expired. The spokesman added: The assessment of a medicine  the benefits and risks it brings to patients as well as the value it provides to healthcare  is an ongoing process. Innovating companies discover and develop new uses for these medicines over the life of these products, and regulators and health technology assessors continue to update their assessments based on new information. None of these procedures are weak or murky but by and large published for public scrutiny. However, we recognise that the discussion on the evaluation of medicines is timely, and we were pleased to contribute together with many other stakeholders to the Evaluating Evidence policy programme of the Academy of Medical Sciences. This dialogue is critical to achieve a shared constructive and progressive framework for the assessment of medicines.' A spokesman for NHS England last night declined to comment on the allegations. Advertisement

NICE  the NHS drugs rationing watchdog  lowered the threshold for prescribing statins in 2014 to encourage GPs to prescribe the drugs to more people.

But it later emerged that six of the 12-strong panel received funding from drugs manufacturers - either by being paid directly to give speeches or 'advice', or through funding for research.

Dr Malhotra claims that the full data on the power of statins and their side effects have never been published.

He also points to questions about the efficacy of Tamiflu  a flu drug that the NHS spent 473million stockpiling.

A 2014 report by a panel of eminent scientists concluded that Tamiflu was no more effective than paracetamol.

Dr Malhotra also cites an investigation by the BMJ medical journal, which earlier this month suggested that major blood thinning drug Rivaroxaban is not as safe as its trial data suggests, although the regulator stands by the drug.

He writes: For the sake of our future health and the sustainability of the NHS its time for real collective action against too much medicine, starting with the Public Accounts Committee launching a full independent inquiry into the efficacy and safety of medicines.

Professor Ashton added: 'Public health relies on a comprehensive, accurate and cost effective evidence base to ensure we make decisions based on the best available research that improve and protect peoples health, as well as prioritise care in the best way for patients.

MAILONLINE EXCLUSIVE: DR MALHOTRA'S COMMENTS IN FULL...

There is no doubt that a 'more medicine is better' culture lies at the heart of modern healthcare.

This is exacerbated by financial incentives within the system to prescribe more drugs and carry out more procedures - regardless of whether it benefits patients, it seems.

But there's a more sinister barrier to making progress that we should be most concerned about.

And that's the information being provided to doctors and patients to guide treatment decisions.

Several weeks ago I was a speaker the annual British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin medical conference in Birmingham.

Other speakers included the chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, the chair of the BMA and the chief executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens.

In my speech, I warned of several things that deeply concern me about the state of medicine today.

In short, these are:

* Biased funding of research - funded because it is likely to be profitable, not beneficial for patients

* Biased reporting in medical journals

* Commercial conflicts of interests and an inability of doctors and patients to understand health statistics and risk

Over-medication is 'causing unnecessary suffering of millions and costing billions to our national economies'

All of the above are contributing to an epidemic of misinformed doctors and misinformed patients in the UK and beyond.

But most concerning of all, this desperate situation is costing tens of thousands of lives around the world.

And not only that, it is causing unnecessary suffering of millions and costing billions to our national economies.

A few months ago, the medical director of NHS England, Sir Bruce Keogh, admitted that one in seven NHS treatments - including operations - are unnecessary and should not have been carried out on patients.

And in the US, it is estimated that one third of all healthcare activity brings no benefit to patients.

This is further backed up by a point made by former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr Marcia Angell.

In a talk given at the University of Montana, in 2009, she revealed that of the 667 new drugs approved by the FDA between 2000 and 2007, only 11 per cent were were considered to be innovative or improvements on existing medications.

And three quarters were essentially just copies of old ones.

LINING THE POCKET OF BIG PHARMA

Previous research has linked psychiatric drugs to thousands of deaths due to suicides and drowsiness

Given the fact that drug companies' primary responsibility is to provide profit for shareholders - rather than patient health - this is far from surprising.

But apart from the colossal financial wastage that results from companies having go at flogging a drug twice - and therefore spending twice as much marketing drugs than they do on research and development - it's the considerable harm to patients and the public that should concern us the most.

The Food and Drug Administration reports that adverse events from prescribed medications have more than tripled in the past decade in the United States.

This has resulted in more than 123,000 deaths in 2014 and 800,000 total serious patient outcomes - including hospitalisations and life threatening disability.

But this is likely to represent a gross underestimate.

One person who has long been outspoken on the dangers of modern medication is Peter Gotzsche, professor of research design and analysis at the University of Copenhagen.

He estimates prescription drugs are the third most common cause of death after heart disease and cancer.

In particular, he is deeply concerned about the impact of psychiatric drugs including antidepressants and dementia drugs.

Writing in the BMJ, he calculated they are responsible for more than half a million deaths in those aged over 65 in the US and European union.

This is due to suicides but also because patients are over-medicated and drowsy.

In fact, it is the elderly who are most at risk of so-called polypharmacy - where a patient is taking multiple drugs.

THE PATIENTS RATTLING WITH PILLS

The problem with polypharmacy is that the more drugs you take, the more likely you are to experience side-effects that are then misinterpreted by a doctor or nurse as a symptom of disease that needs treating with additional medicine.

I have lost count of the number of over-medicated elderly patients I have treated, with sometimes three or four blood pressure medications making them dizzy and fall over.

It's a vicious cycle and one that costs lives each year.

The elderly are particularly vulnerable to polypharmacy with one in three hospital admissions in the over 75s the result of an adverse drug reaction.

Many of these patients will fall and suffer a hip fracture because of medication side effects and a quarter of these will die as a result.

But what is most disturbing is that Professor Gotzsche claims much of the behaviour of the pharmaceutical industry that drives this over-prescription fulfils the criteria for 'organised crime' under US law.

'I have lost count of the number of over-medicated elderly patients I have treated, with sometimes three or four blood pressure medications making them dizzy and fall over,' Dr Malhotra told MailOnline

Between 2007 and 2012 the majority of the largest ten pharmaceutical companies all paid considerable fines for various misdemeanours that included marketing drugs for off-label uses, misrepresentation of research results, and hiding data on harm.

But whether such fines act as deterrent is debatable when profit is the primary motivator.

In 2012 GSK landed a $3 billion fine - the largest healthcare fraud settlement in US history - for illegally marketing several drugs including an anti-depressant, a diabetes drug and one for epilepsy.

But in the period covered by the settlement, it posted profits of more than $25 billion in the sales of these drugs.

Medical journals and the media can also be manipulated to serve not only as marketing vehicles for the industry but be complicit in silencing those who call for greater transparency and more independent scrutiny of scientific data.

Take a paper published by the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) last June.

WE DON'T KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT STATINS

This claimed that a programme that aired in 2013 - which questioned the benefits of prescribing statins to those at low risk of heart disease - may have resulted in up to 2,900 people suffering a heart attack or death from stopping their medication.

The problem with polypharmacy is that the more drugs you take, the more likely you are to experience side-effects that are then misinterpreted by a doctor or nurse as a symptom of disease that needs treating with additional medicine

I was asked to go on ABC News Australia to discuss this but unfortunately just 30 minutes before my interview was cancelled.

Had I had the opportunity, I would have given my view - that the paper provided no robust evidence of increasing hospital admissions or recorded deaths to support such claims.

On the contrary, the Catalyst documentary under scrutiny is one of the most brilliant pieces of medical journalism I have seen in recent times.

A view shared by the vice president of the faculty of public health Professor Simon Capewell, who described it as 'informative, transparent, and raised legitimate concerns',

As he and I point out in an editorial published two weeks ago in medical journal BMC Medicine, community based studies reveal that almost 75 per cent of new users will stop taking their statin within a year of prescription with 62 per cent citing side effects as a reason.

In fact, the emerging evidence suggests at best, the benefits of statins have been grossly exaggerated and side effects underplayed.

In recent weeks, two separate research groups in Japan and France have, independently of each other, questioned the reliability of many of the earlier industry sponsored studies that show the benefit of statins.

In fact the Japanese research went as far to even suggests that statins may be a cause of the increasing population burden of heart failure.

Dr Malhotra claims emerging evidence suggests the benefits of statins have been grossly exaggerated and side effects underplayed

Meanwhile the reputed French cardiologist Dr Michel De Lorgeril has claimed all studies published after 2006 reveal 'no benefit' of statins for cardiovascular prevention in all groups of patients.

I fully support his calls for a full reassessment of all the statin studies and until then 'physicians should be aware that the present claims about the efficacy and safety of statins is not evidence based.'

Furthermore we must demand that the Clinical Trial Service Unit at Oxford University releases the raw data on statins for independent scrutiny.

It is these industry- sponsored studies that have resulted in the prescription of statins to millions worldwide, driving a multi-billion industry.

THE DRUGS THAT DON'T LIVE UP TO THE HYPE

But back to the wider the picture.

It has been just over 10 years since John Ioannidis, professor of medicine and health policy at Stanford University, published a landmark paper explaining why most published medical research is likely to be false.

But it's not just about studies being poorly designed or stats being manipulated.

He went as far to claim 'the greater the financial interests in a given field, the less likely the research findings are to be true'.

Unfortunately, there are multiple recent examples exposing that our so-called guardians and regulators, NICE and the MHRA, are not only ill-equipped to deal with these issues.

Now, when a patient comes to see me with any new symptom my first thought is could this be a medication side effect?

Or, as the immediate past president of the Royal College of Physicians Sir Richard Thompson told me ' are "part of the problem rather than the solution".'

NICE was called out when several leading doctors, including Sir Richard, wrote to the Secretary of State for health raising major concerns over the impartiality of the guideline development group on statins with 8 of its 12 members declaring financial ties to companies manufacturing statins and related drugs.

And in April 2014 independent scientists of the Cochrane Collaboration - considered the gold standard body of independent scientists - concluded that Britain wasted more than 500 million on the influenza drug Tamiflu.

Many clinical trials have provided flawed data, argues Dr Malhotra, and patients have been incorrectly medicated accordingly

After gaining access to withheld clinical trials data, the body found Tamiflu was no better that paracetamol in relieving flu symptoms and had potentially serious side effects including kidney problems and psychiatric disturbance.

Nice was criticised for failing to call for the full data to be released by the pharmaceutical company manufacturing the drug before giving its hasty approval.

At the time, however, manufacturer Roche said it stood behind the wealth of data for Tamiflu.

Meanwhile an investigation by the BMJ revealed that the blood clotting test device used in a trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine was faulty giving falsely low blood thinning readings in the comparator drug warfarin.

Thus 'casting doubt onto outcomes used to support the use of the World's best-selling new oral anti-coagulant' Rivoroxaban, the journal said.

Of course NICE wouldn't have known about the faulty device but one has to question their judgement on recommending the use of the drug based upon one pharmaceutical company funded trial where there are now calls for the paper to be retracted.

WHY WE NEED A PUBLIC ENQUIRY

The fact that prescriptions are at an all time high with more than 1 billion handed out every year - the figure has doubled in the past decade - should be regarded as a public health crisis in itself.

Now, when a patient comes to see me with any new symptom my first thought is could this be a medication side effect?

The system is broken and cannot be fixed by just pouring in more money

Corporate greed and systematic political failure has brought the NHS to its knees.

Without full transparency and accountability no doctor can provide what we slogged through medical school and devote our heart and souls to - providing the best quality care for our patients.

Last week, responding to a series of recent scandals - including failure of institutions and universities in the UK to tackle research misconduct - former editor of the BMJ, Richard Smith, wrote: 'something is rotten in the state of British Medicine and has been for a long time'.

For the sake of our future health and the sustainability of the NHS it's time for real collective action against 'too much medicine'.

This can start with the public accounts committee launching a full independent inquiry into the efficacy and safety of medicines.

I believe it is an underlying scandal that may likely to dwarf that of the Mid Staffordshire NHS scandal - where scores of patients died due to poor care, a public enquiry concluded.

Medical science has taken a turn towards darkness.
There will be three more junior doctor strikes - each 48 hours long, the British Medical Association announced today.

The new contract the Government has also threatened to impose will also be contested with a judicial review.

Should industrial action go ahead, the dates and type of action are:

* 48-hour emergency care only from 8am, Wednesday 9 March to 8am, Friday 11 March

* 48-hour emergency care only from 8am, Wednesday 6 April to 8am, Friday 8 April

* 48-hour emergency care only from 8am, Tuesday 26 April to 8am, Thursday 28 April

The strikes will lead to the cancellation of tens of thousands of operations on top of the 7,000 already disrupted by the last two walkouts.

The move comes after Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said after the last strike on February 10 that the new contract would be imposed after years of negotiations ended in deadlock.

The Department of Health and NHS Employers, who were involved in negotiations with the BMA, described the decision as 'disappointing' and 'unnecessary'.

The British Medical Association also plans to take Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to court on the grounds that he acted illegally in imposing a new contract on doctors.

There will be three more junior doctor strikes - each 48 hours long, the British Medical Association said today

In a statement today, the BMA said: 'If industrial action does go ahead, doctors and NHS staff will continue to provide high-quality patient care and employers will put in place plans to minimise disruption to other staff and, above all, to patients.'

The BMA said it was launching a judicial review after finding that the Government appears to have failed to undertake an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) prior to its decision to impose a new contract on junior doctors in England.

It said that under the Equality Act 2010, the Government must show 'due regard' to equalities issues, typically assessed through an EIA prior to making a decision.

But it added the Government has failed to provide evidence of an EIA having been conducted ahead of its decision on February 11 to impose a contract on junior doctors from this August.

Dr Johann Malawana, BMA junior doctor committee chair, said: 'In recent weeks, I have heard from thousands of junior doctors across the country, and the resounding message is that they cannot and will not accept what the Government is trying to do.

'It now appears that in trying to push through these changes, the Government failed to give proper consideration to the impact this contract could have on junior doctors.

'This is yet another example of the incompetence which the Government has demonstrated throughout its handling of this dispute.'

The NHS faces three more 48-hour trikes after the BMA announced there will be further industrial action

Junior doctors on strike at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London. Junior doctors are now planning to escalate industrial action over plans to force them to work at weekends

Just last week medics said they believed a fully-negotiated contract for junior doctors was 'within reach' as they urged Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to resume talks over the dispute following weeks of deadlock between the BMA, Government officials and NHS Employers.

The BMA has already staged two walkouts in recent weeks with the Government announcing the new contract would be imposed on junior doctors in summer.

THE BMA'S DEMANDS VS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO IMPOSE The BMA want Saturdays to be paid at 50 per cent above the basic rate all day. The Government is only offering extra pay after 5pm. It has also offered a 30 per cent boost for those who work at least one in four Saturdays. A basic pay rise of 13.5 per cent has been offered by the Government with a 19 per cent rise in starting salaries. The BMA would accept a rise of between 4 per cent and 7 per cent in basic pay, offering the rest to cover the weekend pay issue. On-call allowances, how limits on working hours are to be managed and days off between night shifts are all areas where both sides still disagree. Advertisement

The major sticking point has been over weekend pay and whether Saturdays should attract extra 'unsocial' payments.

Currently, 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and the whole of Saturday and Sunday attract a premium rate of pay for junior doctors.

Under the new contract, 7am to 5pm on Saturdays will be regarded as a normal working day.

Mr Hunt said the new contract will mean an increase in basic salary of 13.5 per cent and that three quarters of doctors will see their take-home pay increase.

A 19 per cent rise in starting salaries has also been tabled.

But Dr Malawana says forcing the contract on junior doctors will 'seriously undermine' the ability of the NHS to recruit and retain junior doctors in areas of medicine with the most unsocial hours.

He said where there are already staffing shortages in these areas.

'This will have a significant impact on areas such as emergency medicine, maternity care and paediatrics, to name but a few

'We have already seen NHS chief executives refusing to support an imposition, and patient representatives have said they are appalled by this move. Added to this, the Government's former adviser on patient safety, Don Berwick, has said it should apologise to junior doctors over the contract dispute.

The Government has offered junior doctors a 13.5 per cent increase in basic pay, but says doctors who work on Saturday will only be paid extra pay after 5pm. The BMA wants Saturday work to be paid at 50 per cent above the basic rate. Pictured are junior doctors on strike

The strike action across England on February 10th cancelled 2,884 operations in advance and was expected to end up cancelling thousands more other appointments and procedures

'The Government must listen to the chorus of concern coming from all quarters and reconsider this disastrous approach.

'The fact is, junior doctors already work around the clock, seven days a week and they do so under their existing contract. If the Government wants more seven-day services then, quite simply, it needs more doctors, nurses and support staff, and the extra investment necessary to deliver them.

Two weeks ago Jeremy Hunt announced he would impose a contract on junior doctors from the summer

'Rather than address these issues head on, the Government wants to introduce a contract that is unfair and in which junior doctors have no confidence.

'The Government can avert this action by re-entering talks with the BMA and addressing the outstanding issues and concerns junior doctors have, rather than simply ignoring them.

'If it pushes ahead with plans to impose a contract that junior doctors have resoundingly rejected we will be left with no option but to take this action.

'The Government must put patients before politics, get back around the table and find a negotiated solution to this dispute.'

A Department of Health spokesperson said further strike action was 'completely unnecessary' and urged doctors to look thoroughly at the contract.

"Further strike action is completely unnecessary and will mean tens of thousands more patients face cancelled operations  over a contract that was 90 owe xwbr agreed with the BMA and which senior NHS leaders including Simon Stevens have endorsed as fair and safe.

'The new contract will mean an average 13.5 per cent basic pay rise, and will bring down the maximum number of hours doctors can work.

'We urge junior doctors to look at the detail of the contract and the clear benefits it brings.'

Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers called the disruption to services 'unnecessary'.

This is yet another example of the incompetence which the Government has demonstrated throughout its handling of this dispute Dr Johann Malawana

'It is disappointing that the BMA has decided to announce further industrial action despite the majority of the BMA's concerns being addressed and reflected in the final contract.

'This disruption to patient care is unnecessary. I strongly believe that the final contract is safe, fair and reasonable.

'For the sake of the NHS, and patients I urge all junior doctors to take a look at the contract in detail before taking part in any future action.'

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokeswoman said: 'We have been clear throughout discussions with junior doctors that we want to work with them to look at how we bring about a seven-day NHS which we think is in the interests of patients.

'It's regrettable if they are going to strike again. I'm sure discussions with them will continue.'
Migraine and tension-type headaches may share genetic links with irritable bowel syndrome, experts today revealed.

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is the most common stomach disorder worldwide.

Many people remain undiagnosed and the exact cause of the chronic condition is not known.

Migraine and tension-type headaches could share genetic links with irritable bowel syndrome, experts in Istanbul revealed today

Common symptoms include abdominal pain or cramping, a bloated feeling, gas and diarrhea or constipation.

Study author DrDerya Uluduz, of Istanbul University in Turkey, said: 'Since headache and irritable bowel syndrome are such common conditions, and causes for both are unknown, discovering a possible link that could shed light on shared genetics of the conditions is encouraging.'

The study involved 107 people with episodic migraine, 53 with tension-type headache, 107 people with IBS and 53 healthy people.

The migraine and tension headache participants were examined for IBS symptoms and participants with IBS were asked about headaches.

People with migraine were twice as likely to also have IBS as people with tension headache.

More than half (54 per cent) of those with migraine also had IBS, compared to 28 per cent of those with tension headache.

Of the participants with IBS, 38 also had migraine and 24 also had tension headache.

When researchers looked at the serotonin transporter gene and the serotonin receptor 2A gene, they found that the IBS, migraine and tension headache groups had at least one gene that differed from the genes of the healthy participants.

Dr Uludiz added: 'Further studies are needed to explore this possible link.

'Discovering shared genes may lead to more future treatment strategies for these chronic conditions.'

The findings were presented at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada.
The breach in Delhis water lifeline - the Munak canal - was plugged by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in a meticulous midnight operation.

The canal, damaged by Jat protesters, cast Delhi into a water crisis, but the painstaking effort by some 2,000 CRPF personnel ensured that the supply to the Capital would be restored fully by Tuesday evening.

Twenty companies of CRPF were deployed to guard the water canal, located 100 km from Delhi in Sonepat district of Haryana, to repair the damage.

Army personnel keep a watch on the Munak canal, which was damaged by Jat protesters

A large number of women are taking part in the agitation demanding a quota for Jats

We had to airlift personnel from Bhopal, Hyderabad and Coimbatore who were rushed in to secure the canals supplying water to Delhi. There are 20 companies that have been deployed at Munak canal alone, a CRPF officer said.

Apart from the Munak canal, around 6,500 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces were deployed across Haryana to tackle the violent Jat agitation for reservation.

Eighteen companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), which is a wing of CRPF, were also pressed into action.

Officials said the RAF teams include women personnel who are being put to use for engaging with Jat women protesters who are also taking part in the demonstrations in large numbers.

Top government sources said 35 per cent of the canal repair work has been completed.

Repair work is going on and we hope that by Tuesday it will fully be operationalised with its maximum capacity, a government official said.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar (right) at a Cabinet meeting over the Jat agitation in Chandigarh

Protesters block the Delhi-Haryana national highway for the third consecutive day

Sluice gates at Khubru and Gadbidroli, part of the Munak canal, were badly damaged and repair works were going on in full swing, sources said, adding that all protesters who were squatting at the site were evicted.

CRPF Director General Prakash Mishra said part supply has been restored by security forces from the Munak canal by joint forces led by a CRPF Deputy Inspector General (DIG), who took control of the canal early on Monday at about 4am.

The force has also taken control of the Saifabad water plant in Delhis Narela area. With protesters cutting off roads leading to violence-hit areas, the security personnel also repaired over 50 km of roads damaged in patches to facilitate troop movement.

We repaired roads on the Delhi-Rewari-Jhajjar stretch leading to Rohtak and the Sonepat to Panipat stretch that was damaged and blocked in three places, a CRPF official said.

Later in the evening on Monday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Haryana arising out of Jat agitation for reservation and violence.

During the half-hour meeting, Singh gave a detailed presentation about the agitation and subsequent violence, as well as the steps taken to restore normalcy in Haryana, official sources said.

The home minister also told the Prime Minister about the meeting he had with a delegation of Jat leaders on Sunday and the decisions taken in it, sources said.

On Sunday night, Singh had announced that a committee headed by Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu has been formed to look into the demand for reservation in central government jobs for Jats.

The security forces were asked to use force to clear all the places where the protesters were squatting affecting communication network and water supply, the official said.

As the National Highway 1, the lifeline of Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh was blocked for the third consecutive day, the Central government has given top-most priority to clearing the vital road link.

The Railway link between Delhi and Ambala and beyond was also snapped due to the protests and subsequent violence by the agitating Jats, who have been demanding reservation in jobs.

Capital's water woes continue

By Mail Today Bureau in New Delhi

Despite the paramilitary forces taking control of the Munak canal, Delhis water woes may continue for the next few days.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said the water crisis will continue as violent protesters have damaged the gates of the canal with earthmoving machines at many points and will take 7-10 days for complete restoration of services.

The damaged portion of the canal, which was reportedly broken using JCBs

However, the Delhi government said they managed to restore 25 per cent of the water supply by Monday evening and might be able to reach 50 per cent if continuous water is sent from Haryana.

According to an official, gates of pucca canal are still closed and it was damaged using earthmoving machines at various locations.

Much before the Army could take control of the canal, the protesters had damaged the control panel and broke enormous area of pucca canal using JCB. Our teams are assessing the damage and it will take 7-10 days to repair it. Till then we ask people of Delhi to conserve water as scarcity will continue and we will send water through rationing, Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra told Mail Today.

However, Delhi will get partial relief as water released through a sub-branch is expected to reach the city by evening. To speed up the repair process, the government has also requested the Centre and Haryana CM to deploy Army engineers to repair the canal as soon as possible.

Earlier in the day, CM Arvind Kejriwal thanked the Centre and the Army for securing of Munak canal.

Thank u army, thank u centre for securing munak canal back. Great relief for delhi (sic), Kejriwal said in a tweet.

The government also sought security for its officials who are giving support in repairing the damage. As per existing agreements, Haryana supplies 580 MGD (1,100 cusecs) of water to Delhi from Munak canal and other sources.

The Haryana government has informed its counterpart in Delhi that about 400 cusecs of water has been released from the sub-branch of Munak, out of which nearly 300 cusecs was about to reach Delhi by evening. But a DJB official alleged that water supply is yet to start from Haryana.
Raj Ballabh Yadav has been on the run for nearly a fortnight since he was accused of raping an under-age girl at his home

Raj Ballabh Yadav has kept Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his government on its toes.

Arresting the absconding legislator has become the biggest challenge for the state.

Yadav, a former minister who represented Nawada constituency in the state assembly, has been on the run for nearly a fortnight since he was accused of raping an under-age girl from Nalanda district.

Bihar police have carried out extensive raids on Yadavs residence, questioned his son, and even seized his property after an FIR was lodged against him. But police have been unable to nab him so far.

Police are also unable to trace the whereabouts of a woman named Sulekha Devi who allegedly took the 15-year-old victim to the MLAs house on the pretext of a birthday party.

Sulekha was allegedly paid Rs 30,000 for handing the teenager over to Yadav.

Nitish Kumar also asked the police to arrest the legislator after he went into hiding, while the RJD suspended him from the party.

The Bihar police subsequently set up a special team which has been conducting raids in Patna, Nalanda, Gaya, and Nawada in an effort to arrest him.

On Sunday, the police raided the house of Nalanda District Board chairman Dharamshila Devi, who is believed to be close to Yadav.
The Maharashtra Polices startling allegations may bring further infamy to the already-embattled Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Nagpur Range, Ravindra Kadam, has claimed to Mail Today that a few students of the university had joined the underground Maoist cadre at the behest of arrested Delhi University (DU) professor GN Saibaba, currently lodged in Nagpur jail.

The Maharashtra Police have also said those students who joined the Maoists in their anti-State struggle were members of the Democratic Students Union (DSU). This is the same students body Umar Khalid, whom the Delhi police want to question in relation to the Afzal Guru show case, was associated with.

Umar Khalid (left), who is facing sedition charges, was associated with the Democratic Students Union. DU professor GN Saibaba (right) was arrested in 2013 for his alleged links with Maoists.

Khalid was one of the organisers of the event to commemorate Parliament attack convict Guru and is also one of the five accused in the sedition case pertaining to the February 9 show on the JNU campus.

At that event, hanged terrorist Guru was lauded as a martyr while anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans were allegedly raised.

Kadam claimed that Professor Saibaba had been active with Left-leaning students of both JNU and DU, and had been indoctrinating and recruiting them for the Maoist movement.

Gadchiroli Police had arrested Saibaba in 2014 for his alleged links with Maoists.

While Professor Saibaba was working in DU, he was also associated with students activities in JNU and DU, especially the DSU. Saibaba used to guide students from these universities. In course of time, Saibaba had prepared and recruited four students as Maoist cadre, Kadam said.

Incidentally, the professors name had cropped up during the interrogation of another JNU student, Hem Mishra, who was arrested by the Maharashtra Police from Gadchiroli district. Mishra too was a member of DSU.

Sedition suspects Ashutosh Kumar (left) and Anirban Bhattacharya (right) were seen on the JNU campus late on Sunday. Police had refused to enter the university to arrest them.

Two of the accused in the JNU sedition controversy, JNUSU general secretary Ram Naga (right) and Anant Prakash (left).

The IGP also claimed that one of Saibabas recruits was Ritupan Goswami, a JNU scholar.

One of them is Ritupan Goswami, a scholar who completed his PhD from JNU. He has already joined the underground cadre of CPI (M-L). He is not just a cardholder of the underground party, but also a functionary; he is the general secretary. All this has been corroborated in our investigation, Kadam said.

The police, however, refused to divulge the names of the other three.

We do not know who the three others are yet, but they also seem to be from DSU. Probably, all four are from JNU, but so far we are sure of Goswami having been a student of JNU, the top officer said.

Meanwhile, Saibabas wife denied that her husband had anything to do with recruiting or indoctrinating students on behalf of any organisation.

My husband did not indoctrinate or recruit students for any organisation. He was extremely popular among students across the country, students from both JNU and DU used to visit him. But, there was no recruitments for the Maoist movement, Saibabas wife Vasantha Kumari told Mail Today.

According to the Maharashtra police, a parallel investigation has also been undertaken by the special cell of the Delhi police to look into the Saibaba case, but when Mail Today tried to get details, Special CP (Special Cell) Arvind Deep said he was not familiar with the case.

Additional CP (Special Cell) did not respond despite multiple calls and messages.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Maharashtra government to look for an alternate arrangement to house the wheelchair-bound Saibaba at Gadchiroli. He is currently lodged in Nagpur jail. The SC also directed the state to provide sufficient medical facilities to him.

The bench fixed the matter for further hearing on February 29. By then the state government has to inform the SC about the facilities to be provided to Saibaba.

During the hearing, the counsel for the state government said it would conclude the trial in a period of two months and asserted that he had not been kept in solitary confinement.

Bassi asks accused to join probe

By Mail Today in New Delhi

Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi met Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and briefed him about the prevailing situation on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus.

Following the resurfacing of the prime accused on the university campus late on Monday, the Delhi Police chose to avoid confrontation with the varsity administration and urged the students to join the probe.

On a day brimming with speculation, the police decided not to arrest the five prime accused in the sedition row. However, police said it was necessary to question them.

The police are already under fire for the arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar over sedition charges. The accused have refused to surrender, though they said they were ready to face arrest.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi urged the accused to join the investigation and prove their innocence. The students had been absconding since February 12 after the arrest of Kanhaiya.

I would say, if the police are looking for them, they should join the probe. If they are innocent, they should present evidence of their innocence, Bassi said.

Police teams were rushed to the university on Monday following information that the accused were spotted on the premises. However, the police waited for the V-C to give his go-ahead for action.

Meanwhile, Bassi briefed Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung about the issue. Responding to questions on whether the police will enter JNU to arrest the accused, Bassi said DCP (South) Prem Nath, who is heading the probe, will take a decision.

Delhi Police is a law-abiding body and we do not indulge in any injustice against anybody. One should also remember that the police come first in the ladder of justice, the commissioner added.

Teachers throw weight behind the five accused

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA) on Monday came out in support of the prime accused in the sedition row, Umar Khalid and four others.

The JNUTA held a meeting with the university vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar in which they demanded the reconstitution of the inquiry committee of the case.

Also, they sought the removal of registrar Bhupinder Zutshi, whom they accused of being an RSS man and want the charges against the students to be dropped.

Members of the JNUTA do not want the accused to surrender

According to sources, in the teachers view there is no question of surrender as the video evidence against the students is fake.

We have been meeting the V-C repeatedly hoping that he would come out with a positive solution. Around 300 teachers met him on Monday to discuss demands and suggestions. We had already submitted a letter and resolution to him on Saturday. Right now, we have zero faith and want the administration to take up a transparent process, Bikramaditya Choudhary, secretary, JNUTA said.

The teachers have submitted four major demands to the V-C.

We have asked the administration to drop charges of sedition on the JNU students. The officiating registrar should be immediately removed, as he has been one of the main accused in tarnishing the image of the university, added Choudhary.

On Monday, Khalid and four others - Anirban Bhattacharya, JNUSU general secretary Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash - were present at the administrative block of JNU, where hundreds of students and private security men kept vigil.

The students also agreed that the existing inquiry committee should be stopped.

This committee has to be replaced. Whatever they are enquiring doesnt seem to be correct and everything seems to be fabricated. If the administration has taken a decision, then there is no need of any inquiry, said Sucheta De, AISA national president and former JNUSU president.

Moreover, teachers have also demanded the denial of blanket access to Delhi Police inside the campus. The V-C is yet to decide on the demand.

The V-C heard all our demands and has asked for some time to think. On the Delhi Police issue, he said he has not given any permission to them. We are waiting for his decision, Prof Ajay Patnaik, president of JNUTA told Mail Today.

With the return of Khalid and the other four students, a rift was apparent among students and teachers. Some of them said the five students must surrender and cooperate with the police investigation.

What is the need for such drama? If they are innocent, why dont they just surrender? They are trying to divert the attention towards them. The issue has always been about Rohith Vemula, one of the students from JNU told Mail Today.

Large numbers of students from JNU are gearing up for another protest march on Tuesday from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar.
The presence of Water Minister Kapil Mishra in the court room seemed to infuriate the CJI

The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on the Arvind Kejriwal government for approaching it directly to demand the resumption of the water supply to Delhi from Haryana, instead of first making an attempt to resolve the issue at the government level.

What apparently infuriated the bench, headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur, was the presence of Water Minister Kapil Mishra in the courtroom.

Without directly referring to him, CJI Thakur looked towards Mishra and said: This is an emergency-like situation. Do something. You people, instead of solving it mutually want everything on a platter from the court. Look ..ministers are sitting in the court instead of being in their office and try and solve the problem. These days, it has become a habit. You relax in Air Conditioned chambers and we have to labour on it.

Look. Ministers are sitting in positions of power and these all are matters of governance. The Supreme Court has absolutely nothing to do in these matters, the CJI told senior lawyer Rajeev Dhavan, who was representing the Delhi government.

Matters reached a flash point when an upset Dhavan said: What your lordship said is very unfair, following which the Chief Justice threw the file and said, OK. Then I am dismissing the petition. You just cannot browbeat the court. I am going to dismiss the petition.

"Look, ministers are sitting in court instead of being in their office and try and solve the problem" the Supreme Court told the AAP government

Dhavan then pled to the bench: Your lordship cannot do it. Please reconsider the decision.

As the lawyer continued to request, the CJI smiled.

Dhavan latched on to the situation and said: Now that the Lordship has smiled I know something good will happen.

The Delhi government finally had its way with the bench issuing notice to Haryana and seeking a status report within two weeks.

The CJI also asked the Haryana government to make the necessary arrangement for resumption of water supply in the Capital.

The Delhi government had appealed to the court on Saturday to direct the Centre to ensure that water supply to the capital was not affected by the Jat stir in Haryana.

As violence escalated on Friday, protesters attacked the Munak canal, which supplies water to Delhi, triggering the fear of a massive crisis.

The canal has reportedly been repaired and the water supply to Delhi has been partly restored.
Prime minister Narendra Modi visited his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Monday to attend the convocation of the Banaras Hindu University amidst protests.

While a group of students raised anti-Modi slogans outside the main gate of the university soon after the PM entered the campus, a student also tried to raise his voice during Modis convocation speech.

A group of over a dozen students belonging to the Bahujan Mukti Morcha raised anti-Modi slogans outside the main gate of the BHU and also hurled black flags.

A student is arrested by the police after he shouted slogans during PM Narendra Modis speech at the Banaras Hindu University

We demand the suspension of Union minister Smriti Irani and Venkaiah Naidu who provoked Rohith Vemula to commit suicide, a Kashi Vidyapeeth student said.

The police resorted to a lathi charge and over six students were detained at the Lanka police station.

Another student of the BHU, Ashutosh, also created a ruckus while Modi was delivering his speech at the convocation.
The opposition to PM Narendra Modi and the Hindutva ideology has distorted the debate around anti-national sloganeering at JNU

For a country facing serious external and internal threats, dealing with issues of dissent and freedom of speech presents a difficult challenge.

An essential ingredient of democracy as a political system is freedom of speech, which Article 19 of our Constitution provides, subject to some reasonable limits that include the security of the state, public order, and Indias sovereignty and integrity.

Can freedom of speech therefore be exercised to the point of raising anti-state slogans and calling for the break-up of the country?

Sporadic sloganeering of this kind by rootless fringe groups can be ignored, but should it be if these groups are active in some of the premier universities and have links - practical or ideological - with those actually involved in activities against the state?

Radicalism

One can argue that too much importance should not be given to such strident student activity, that platforms for airing even objectionable political ideas should be permitted in varsity campuses as part of the process of learning and intellectual growth, bearing in mind that youth radicalism is a common but a passing phenomenon in most cases.

It can be argued too that India is strong, that it should show confidence in itself and not over-react to such provocations.

But, the reality is that India faces a real challenge of terrorism from without and within.

Some see Maoist violence as the biggest security challenge. For the last 30 years, Pakistan has abetted terrorism across the country.

Our Parliament has been attacked, and with repeated attacks in Mumbai, especially in 2008, the countrys psyche has been scarred.

We have not been able to find an adequate answer to Pakistans fasadi threat. Its strategy is to leverage disaffected groups within India for its operations in order to strengthen deniability, which means that we have to remain extremely vigilant about radical elements in our territory.

We have been unable to forge a strong instrument of counter-terrorism at the political, legal and institutional levels.

Our federal system impedes a coherent national-level response. Our state-level police forces remain ill-equipped, undermanned and under-trained.

Infighting

While groups like SIMI have been banned, a full probe of the links between Pakistan and groups in the country is inhibited because of minority politics.

The notion of saffron terrorism has added to the political confusion.

We lack a robust anti-terrorism law because of political differences among the parties. This inability to deal coherently with terrorists has allowed forces that challenge India to cross the bounds of legitimate dissent.

They are conducting a kind of psychological war through the media.

Terrorists, whose guilt has been established under law, are presented as victims of politics. Sympathy for them is evoked by reporting human-interest stories involving their families.

The judicial process itself is questioned, as in the Afzal Guru case.

There is an attempt to bring Dalit activists, Maoists and radical Islamic elements on to a common platform of protest, as seen in the recent JNU event and the earlier one at the Hyderabad Central University.

Anti-national

That slogans against the judicial murder of Afzal Guru should be raised as part of the venting of social and class grievances against the country is objectionable by any standards.

Protests by student activists, without resorting to violence, would be legitimate in law, but because terrorism has no existence outside of violence, support for Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon can in no way be legitimate, and has to be viewed as being anti-national.

Point-scoring by political parties and the unrelenting opposition to Narendra Modi and the Hindutva ideology by secularists has distorted the debate around anti-national sloganeering at the JNU.

The action of the authorities is being projected as suppression of dissent, curbing of freedom of expression and another manifestation of rising intolerance.

Ironically, those making these accusations are hurling invective at Modi and his government without restraint. They speak of the government instilling fear but are fearless in denouncing it.

Luminaries have been mobilised in the US and the UK to join the chorus in attacking the Modi government in lurid terms.

All this is part of a combined internal-external effort to delegitimise the government politically and morally abroad, even as Modi has tried hard to build a positive image of India internationally.

The rising ant-Islamic sentiment in the US and Europe shows how the liberal values cherished by these regions are buckling under pressure that bears no comparison with the religious and other diversities we cope with in India.

Those propagating the intolerant India vision should look at these developments in the US and Europe and show some sense of proportion in their strictures.
codes or other ways to get money off

If you ever spot a window offering live chat on a retailers website, dont dismiss it. It could be the key to a hidden deal or discount.

A growing number of online shops are handing out discount codes to shoppers who have the audacity to ask for them.

But does it always work and what kind of discounts are being handed out? This is Money decided to investigate.

We carried out a snapshot survey using ten popular online retailers who have live chat functions on their websites to see if its possible to get a discount, just by asking.

Haggling online: Some retailers will share discount codes with those who ask using their chat function

Out of the ten retailers only provided a discount code via the online chat function. Marks & Spencer gave a code for 20 per cent off while Schuh provided a 10 per cent discount code as a gesture of goodwill.

Other retailers  House of Fraser, Asos and Origins  directed us to a discount page with codes that already existed.

While Dyson informed the shopper that if they purchased through a customer service line they would get a 10 discount and free tool kit worth 44.

Consumer website MoneySavingExpert.com was tipped off about the secret way to nab extra discounts via a reader who managed to haggle 20 off via a chat box on the Nike website.

Jenny Keefe, from MoneySavingExpert.com, said: While buying online is usually cheaper, the one advantage with buying in-store usually is you can haggle. Yet now even there the web's catching up. If you get a window offering a live chat, don't dismiss it - it can be used to reduce the price.

Instant code: The live chat function on Schuh's website also came up trumps with a 10 per cent code to use online and Dyson recommended calling the helpline to get access to hidden discounts.

Ask few questions about an item to let them know youre seriously considering it. Then politely say its a little out of your price range  are there are any special offers going?

If you've a discount code that isnt working, weve heard of retailers dishing out new ones via live chat too.

If you don't ask, you don't get: Marks & Spencer is one of the retailers to give out a discount via live chat.

How does live chat work?

Live chat gives retailers an almost instant connection to shoppers.

The facility is usually supplied by a third party and is often seen as a supplementary customer service channel by retailers who mainly use email, phone or social media to communicate with shoppers.

While more shops are adding the service to their website the numbers are still low.

The facility is still not that popular with retailers: In 2014, Idealo found that only 18 per cent of online shops in the UK have a live chat function.

In early 2014, Idealo.co.uk compared the top 50 shops in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland. It found that just 18 per cent of online shops had a live chat function.

Katy Smith, consumer affairs editor of product comparison website Idealo.co.uk, said that offering discounts via a live chat function is mutually beneficial for the consumer and retailer.

She said: Its a really good way of chatting with customers and its cheaper for the shop than a call centre. For the consumer its a more seamless process  they dont have to call up or send an email and they are already on the website.

A live chat function can offer an almost instant connection  a bit like you would have in a shop on the high street.

She also said that the discounts may already exist or there could be a limit to the number of codes they can give out.

No dice: Ikea also refused to give a discount code to our shopper.

She added: Increasingly we are seeing online shops displaying their own codes in banner on the website homepage.

If its a popular time of year  like Christmas or Mothers Day  there might already be a code. It could be that they are giving out codes that already exist.

The customer service agent may also have a quota of codes that they can give per day  its worth trying it as early in the day as possible.

Discount granted: M&S even offered advice on the item and if there was a more suitable version in stock, plus a juicy 20 per cent discount.

Which retailers give discounts?

During our research only two retailers gave discount codes via the online chat function. Marks and Spencer offered product advice as well as giving a 20 per cent friends and family code.

Computer says no: Our shopper had no luck with Argos.

While Schuh provided a 10 per cent discount as a 'gesture of goodwill'.

According to MoneySavingExpert Nike, Dell and Dyson were some of the best brands for discounts  but in our research they all turned us down when we asked for a discount code.

Dyson did offer a 10 discount and a free tool kit worth 44 if you purchased via its helpline, but we didnt test this to see if it worked out.

While Nike, Dell, Argos and Ikea all helped our shopper with their online enquiry they didnt have discount codes to share.

The House of Fraser customer service agent said that the best way to get a discount was via its Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Online fashion retailer Asos and skincare brand Origins both directed us to a discount page.

In conclusion, the process is a bit a hit and miss.

Anecdotally forum users on the MoneySavingExpert website have said that Nike is one of the best retailers for discounts but we were turned down on the day.

The process of getting through to the online chat can take some time too, so this isn't a good idea for anyone who is in a hurry.
Cars that drive themselves, robots, renewable energy and the sharing economy  technology is evolving at a dizzying pace, disrupting existing business models and opening up a number of opportunities for astute investors.

But how do you tap into the innovation evolution? And how can investors distinguish between tomorrows tech winners and losers?

Admittedly, its not easy. Take Yahoo as a case in point. Like Google, the company started life around 20 years ago in California and is synonymous with the pioneering days of the internet. Today its often dubbed a silicon valley soap opera given its many failed turnaround efforts.

Yahoo: 'It has swiftly become yesterday's story' (CEO Marissa Mayer pictured)

The trouble is that the world changed more quickly than Yahoo and it has swiftly become yesterdays story.

In contrast, Google has soared ahead dominating the digital advertising space and becoming the worlds most valuable listed company.

Today investors face the challenge of spotting the companies that are going to thrive in a fast-changing world while steering clear of those that are not only going to underperform but, quite possibly, disappear altogether.

Here are three things you need to know about investing in innovation:

Tap into the business cycle

The sharing economy is an innovation buzzword increasingly bandied about. It describes those companies that allow owners of property and/or skills to share these via online marketplaces  from business advice to pet sitters and peer-to-peer lenders.

Taxi network Uber, now valued at around $51billion (36.2billion), is the most valuable private start-up in the world (and it doesnt own any taxis).

Likewise Airbnb, which owns no hotels, is another example of a sharing-economy firm with 1.5 million accommodation listings versus 15.5million hotel rooms globally.

Both Uber and Airbnb have taken established business sectors and turned them on their heads. Globalisation and the accessibility of information means the lifecycle of companies has accelerated along with business cycles generally.

Disruptive tech: Uber has turned the long-established taxi industry on its head

Fund managers like Julie Dean of the TM Sanditon UK fund and James Sym of the Schroder European Alpha Plus fund adopt an investment approach based on assessing where we are in the business cycle.

Business cycle investing involves anticipating the constant cycle of recession, recovery, expansion and identifying those companies that perform best in a particular phase of the cycle.

It can be a good way to unlock attractive investment returns in a rapidly changing world.

The growing desire to share instead of owning could significantly alter how and what we consume, leading to significant disruption across industries.

But those being disrupted arent staying quiet - taxi drivers and hotel associations are mounting legal challenges against Uber and Airbnb, respectively.

Maike Currie: Pricing power is under threat

Carefully considering the likely legal landscape impacting sharing-economy firms will therefore be as important in the coming years as assessing the viability of these companies business models.

Identify pricing power winners

Historically, pricing power - the ability to maintain or push up prices - stemmed from a company boasting unique products and/or services, a strong brand, distribution model or benefitting from scale.

But most of these sources now face a threat.

For example, company behemoths with scale advantages such as the ability to spend disproportionately on research & development, technology and advertising do not hold as much sway in a world of innovation, sharing and social media where customers demand niche products and experiences.

Companies more efficient at harnessing technological change and disruption are the players likely to retain pricing power and become tomorrows winners.

Amit Lodha, manager of the Fidelity Global Focus fund, seeks out this type of companies by looking at the quality of management and the ability of companies to drive change effectively.

A good example and a top ten holding within his fund is Facebook. The company made a smart move buying the likes of WhatsApp and Instagram, which means it now owns a large chunk of the social interaction landscape. This makes the companys proposition irresistible to advertisers and gives it considerable pricing power.

Another holding within the portfolio is Amazon, whose pricing power comes from being the most efficient and lowest cost provider in the eco-commerce space.

Top apps of 2015 - Worldwide downloads highlight Facebook's dominance Rank App Company 1 Whatsapp Facebook 2 Facebook Messenger Facebook 3 Facebook Facebook 4 Instagram Facebook 5 Clean Master Cheetah Mobile 6 360 Mobile Security Oihoo 360 7 Skype Microsoft 8 Youtube Google 9 UC Browser Alibaba Group 10 S napchat Snapchat Source: App Annie 2015 Retrospective, January 2016

Look East

While the US is still the leading centre of innovation, the gap with Asia has been narrowing, and its largely thanks to China.

As the Chinese economy shifts from a manufacturing/export oriented economy to one focused on services and the domestic consumer, China is growing up to become much more than just the workshop of the world.

The country is enjoying a rapid rise as a centre of technological innovation and development with a number of patent applications by companies like Tencent, ZTE and Huawei.

China is spending a lot more on research and development. Nanotechnology, clean energy and materials, biotech and information communications technology have been the main areas of focus in previous and current Chinese state Five Year Plans.

While regional pockets of innovation are emerging, its worth noting that technology and innovation is perhaps one of the most global of all sectors, given its international sales profile and the nature of the marketplace.

Its an area that offers global fund managers with rich pickings across a vast universe of companies offering considerable growth potential to investors at a time when decent returns are in short supply.

Maike Currie is Investment Director at Fidelity International and the author of The Search for Income  an investors guide to income-paying investments.
SwiftKey co-founder Jon Reynolds has had arguably the biggest month of his life, after his business was acquired by Microsoft for a rumoured $250million (172.6million)

Reynolds, 30, founded his predictive text app with fellow Cambridge graduate Ben Medlock, 36, in 2008, when they were both still in their 20s.

SwiftKey uses artificial intelligence to adapt to the way the phone user types, predicting the way in which they use language to save time. The company estimates that since inception, it has saved users almost 10 trillion keystrokes across 100 different languages.

Start-up success: Jon Reynolds (left) and co-founder Ben Medlock came up with SwiftKey in 2008, before being acquired by Microsoft earlier this month

Reynolds was working in the civil service as a graduate, when he was inspired by the idea for SwiftKey

He says: 'My first job was in science policy and I was in a meeting and I could see a partner typing on a BlackBerry in a fat-fingered way. Originally we had the traditional typewriter, but that Qwerty format shrunk down is hard to use.

'With SwiftKey you can adapt the keyboard to suit your style and we felt we had the opportunity to make that massive.'

The pair were awarded an initial 15,000 loan from government body Innovate UK, which backs Science and Technology entrepreneurs, and then an additional 50,000 to develop the prototype. They left their careers in 2008 to work on the project.

Reynolds says: 'Ben, my co-founder, had a background in information processing and natural language, and I knew some of the government grants available. We applied to what is now Innovate UK, and that grant got us our first patent and got us off the ground as we didn't have our own finance. We went full-time in 2008, launching our first prototype in 2009.'

Although Android phones were very much in their infancy back in 2010, the founders could sense they had potential.The app launched on Android in 2010 and became available on Apple's App store from 2014.

Reynolds says: 'It was a real time of massive change, even though Android only had a 1 per cent market share.'

Innovative: SwiftKey technology is used by Professor Stephen Hawking's communication system

SwiftKey initially charged $4 for the software, but scrapped this in 2014, transitioning to a free download model.

'We realised there was a lot of demand for our product but we also realised a lot of people around the world did not have credit cards,' Reynolds says.

'Between 2012 and 2014 it became clear that the world was changing and every one was using these free models, which did not exist before. You had games like Candy Crush, and I think users got used to downloading apps for free first and expecting to pay later.

'So we went free but got ten times as many users. At the same time we were working with the likes of Samsung and BlackBerry.'

SwiftKey is now used on more than 300 million devices. And beyond phones, the predictive technology is even used to form part of Stephen Hawking's communication system.

The professor, who has motor neurone disease, communicates by twitching a muscle in his cheek. This technology allows him to express whole words at a time rather than typing out individual characters.

SwiftKey has also developed a symbols-based communication app for individuals with learning difficulties.

SwiftKey in action: The technology tries to guess what you will say next based on your texting history

Reynolds says that Samsung introducing SwiftKey on its devices in 2013 was one of his pinch-me moments.

'As a 20-person project being able to negotiate with Samsung was a great moment. We were worried about going free - would our existing investors be annoyed? But people were glad they had been there at the start of our journey.'

The Microsoft acquisition cements the tech giants' interest in artificial intelligence. In 2014, Google acquired DeepMind, a London-based artificial intelligence app for $650million that aims to develop computers that are able to think like humans.

Last month, Apple bought Emotient, which uses AI to read users' emotions via their facial expressions - technology Apple mainly sold to advertisers.

Microsoft plans to integrate SwiftKey technology into the Word Flow Solution Keyboard for its Windows operating systems.

At the time of the acquisition, Reynolds and Medlock owned a minority stake in the business after raising more than $20million from venture capital fundraising.They are understood to have earned $30million each from the deal, and much has been made in the press of a third, early-stage founder, Chris Hill-Scott, exiting the company after a few weeks, selling his stake in the company in exchange for only a bicycle.

After SwiftKey's sale, the web designer tweeted it was 'The biggest mistake I have ever made'.

Reynolds says: 'From our perspective, he was one of the founding members [but] when the company was formed, at that stage it was just an idea, and he decided quickly it was not the right thing for him and wanted to leave. It was on good terms and there were no issues. It was a long time ago. '

Sell-out: Microsoft plans to integrate SwiftKey technology into the Word Flow Solution Keyboard for its Windows operating systems.

While the British start-up is joining one of silicon valley's giants, Reynolds is upbeat on the future for home-grown innovation.

'A lot of universities in the UK are global leaders, while we also lead in fintech (financial technology). Tech is now global, whether it's Berlin, Stockholm, London, so much opportunity is out there so i'm very positive.'

And the co-founder has plenty of advice for early-stage entrepreneurs.

'A lot of it is about persistence. You may see SwiftKey as a success now but we set up back in 2008. It's been a lot of hard work. And we've had remarkable people around us.

'You have to look for the right people, you have to learn about finance and accounting and product development, and you have to realise you don't know everything.

'And the one thing for me that is really important is to be clear about what you are trying to achieve. It's very easy to chop and change at will but you have to to adapt and take on more feedback.
The 31-year-old will face Mt Druitt Court on Tuesday over the allegations

The father has been charged after the child was in the car for over an hour

Nurse found the child in the car park of Mt Druitt

A father has been charged after his four-year-old child was allegedly found locked in a hot car, 'hanging out the window and sweating profusely'.

A nurse who had just finished their shift found the child in the carpark of Mt Druitt Hospital in Sydney's west about 3.10pm on Sunday.

The four-year-old is said to have been in the car for about half an hour, before the nurse came to their aid and alerted hospital staff.

A father has been charged after he locked his four-year-old child in a car for over an hour

Ambulance staff and police attended the scene and the child was treated by paramedics.

'The child was assessed at the scene by NSW Ambulance Paramedics and was not injured during the incident,' NSW Police said in a statement.

'About five minutes later, the childs father returned to the Mitsubishi and was interviewed by police.

'Police will allege the child was left unattended in the vehicle for at least 30 minutes while the father visited a relative in hospital,' the statement said.

The father, 31, will face Mt Druitt Local Court on Tuesday.
Mystery surrounds the death of thirteen bald eagles on a farm in Maryland in what was the state's largest die-off of the national bird in 30 years.

Authorities have offered a $10,000 reward for information about the dead birds which were discovered on land in Caroline County near Federalsburg in the eastern part of Maryland.

The state's Natural Resources police received a call on Saturday from a man reporting four dead eagles - but when officers arrived, they found nine more corpses nearby.

Mystery surrounds the death of thirteen bald eagles on a farm in Maryland in what was the state's largest die-off of the national bird in 30 years

Catherine Hibbard, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is leading the investigation, said the cause of death was unknown pending a medical examination.

The maximum fine for harming a bald eagle is $100,000 and up to one year in prison, she said.

The bald eagle, which almost disappeared from the United States decades ago, was removed from the federal endangered species list in August 2007.

Authorities have offered a $10,000 reward for information about the dead birds which were discovered on land in Caroline County near Federalsburg in the eastern part of Maryland (file picture)

Numbers recovered after the banning of the pesticide DDT and the introduction of stricter habitat protection measures, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The bald eagle is a symbol of the federal government and is featured in the presidential seal and on U.S. currency. The bird is federally protected.
The father of a woman killed in the San Bernardino terror attack has joined the U.S. government's push to require Apple Inc. to hack into a locked iPhone involved in the investigation.

Robert Velasco, father of 27-year-old Yvette Velasco, has agreed to be named in an upcoming legal filing supporting the government's position, relatives said.

It is a significant show of support for the FBI as Apple continues to resist the push, citing privacy concerns.

Slamming the tech firm, the Velasco family released a statement on Monday saying the cellphone could contain critical information and the issue is potentially a matter of national security.

Robert Velasco, father of 27-year-old Yvette Velasco (right), has agreed to be named in an upcoming legal filing supporting the government's position. He is pictured (left) at Yvette's funeral embracing her mother Marie

Apple said the hack would be akin to 'a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks - from restaurants and banks to stores and homes'. Pictured: Apple CEO Tim Cook

Clues to who Syed Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik (pictured) communicated with, and potentially other extremists living in America, could be named on an iPhone 5c found in their car

According to Stephen Larson, a Los Angeles attorney involved in the case, several families of victims and other employees in the shootings are set to add their voice to the government's case in the next few days.

Married shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malin shot dead fourteen people and seriously wounded 22 at Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, on December 2.

During the FBI's investigation, officers found an iPhone belonging to Farook which they believe could contain significant evidence of national security importance.

Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ordered Apple to provide 'reasonable technical assistance' to investigators seeking to unlock the data on the iPhone 5C.

That assistance includes disabling the phone's auto-erase function, which activates after 10 consecutive unsuccessful passcode attempts, and helping investigators to submit passcode guesses electronically.

However, Apple said this is akin to 'a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks - from restaurants and banks to stores and homes.'

In a desperate bid to win over Tim Cook, James Comey even penned an emotive letter posted on Law Fare last weekend, calling on the tech giant to see beyond the supposed implications of the hack and reflect on the 'context of this heart-breaking case'.

Comey wrote that the FBI 'doesn't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land' and that the matter is 'about the victims and justice. Fourteen people were slaughtered and many more had their lives and bodies ruined'.

However, to date Apple has refused to budge - and even won some support from Facebook.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said he was 'pretty sympathetic' with Apple's chief executive Tim Cook in his stand-off with the US government over breaking into the iPhone of a mass shooter.

'I don't think that requiring back doors to encryption is either going to be an effective thing to increase security or is really the right thing to do,' Facebook's chief executive told delegates at the world's biggest mobile congress in Barcelona.
At 106 years old, she's seen more than a dozen presidents come and go, but Virginia McLaurin says she can finally die happy after meeting President Barack Obama.

Video of the centenarian shaking her groove with the president and his wife quickly went viral on the Internet after last week's Black History Month reception at the White House.

The grandmother told The Associated Press that when she saw the president and first lady Michelle Obama in the flesh, 'I was so happy, I started dancing.'

'I've come a long ways, a long ways,' McLaurin said in an interview outside her Washington home. 'I just didn't think I'd ever live to go this far in the world.'

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When Virginia McLaurin first saw President Obama in the White House (pictured) she yelled 'Hi!' to him as he came over and took her hands

Virginia McLaurin said that she can finally die happy after meeting President Barack Obama last week at the White House for a Black History Month reception

At 106 years old, McLaurin (left) has seen more than a dozen presidents come and go. Above she is pictured in Washington, DC on Monday

For McLaurin, who said she was born in South Carolina in 1909, the White House invitation was a long time in the making.

It's been more than a year since she started a White House petition asking to meet the president -and offering to come to his house to make it easier.

'I didn't think I'd ever live to see a colored president,' McLaurin, who is black, said in a YouTube video accompanying the petition.

Her petition didn't garner enough signatures to meet the White House threshold for an official response, but it didn't keep her from securing an invitation to Thursday's reception, where Obama reflected on the legacy of U.S. slavery and called America 'a constant work in progress.'

Dressed in a teal blue suit with matching nail polish, McLaurin nabbed a few moments of one-on-one time with the president and Mrs Obama during a photo line for the reception's guests, where a White House videographer captured shaky video of her jumping up and down with excitement.

Virginia told President Obama that she was so happy she got to see a black man become president

She told WJLA that she didn't have anything new to wear to meet the president, so she decided to sport a suit she wore on her birthday.

Independent news organizations weren't allowed to see or record what the White House described as a private moment.

'I know he said something, but I don't remember,' McLaurin said of Obama. 'My hearing is kind of bad.'

The meeting turned McLaurin, who said she's lived in Washington since the 1930s, into something of an overnight celebrity.

She said her phone had been ringing since 5am Monday, depriving her of a chance to eat breakfast or lunch.

So what's next for a woman who said her dream has been fulfilled?

As Virginia gave Michelle Obama a hug, the First Lady told her 'I wanna be like you when I grow up'

'I don't know,' McLaurin said. 'I could just die happy.'

According to NBC Washington, in 2012 she was honored with a volunteer community service award from Mayor Vincent Gray.

McLaurin spent 40 hours per week for the past 20 years volunteering with students who have severe mental and physical disabilities at the Melvin Sharpe Health School.

'I love the kids,' she told WJLA. 'You ought to hear them in the morning when I come in and they say, 'Grandma! Grandma!' and I say, 'I'm here, I'm here.''

At the time of receiving her award, she said that she had one wish, and that was to meet President Obama.
NSW Premier Mike Baird has been forced once again to defend his divisive lock-out laws after over 15,000 people marched at the Keep Sydney Open rally in Sydney at the weekend.

Speaking to Kyle and Jackie O on Tuesday morning, Premier Baird said he would not be drawn into discussing the boundaries of the lock-out zone - which excludes The Star casino - but said 'if people want to gamble they can gamble'.

There has been strong criticism of the state government's decision to exclude both The Star in Pyrmont and the Crown Casino which is being built in Barangaroo from the restrictions.

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NSW Premier Mike Baird was forced to defend his controversial lock-out laws again on Tuesday

It comes just days after over 15,000 took to the streets for the Keep Sydney Open rally

'I'm not going to get into the position of where the lines have been put', Mr Baird told KIIS FM.

'That's what people want answers on though', Jackie O replied.

'I understand the broad concern, if you're asking me am I happy if people are gambling? If people want to gamble they can gamble,' the premier said.

However Kyle Sandilands was quick to question why gambling was the only thing people were allowed to do in the early hours of the morning.

'But if they want to dance we can't dance - it feels like we're trapped in a Footloose movie,' he said.

'Feels like we should all be in denim out there just doing what we want.

Kyle Sandilands questioned why gambling was the only thing people were allowed to do in the early hours of the morning

During the interview Premier Baird also addressed his new nickname 'Casino Mike'

During the conversation Mr Baird also addressed his new nickname 'Casino Mike', saying 'I think I've been called worse'.

He also fielded calls from angry Sydneysiders, with one calling him an 'idiot' and telling him his now infamous Facebook post 'didn't make sense'.

Footloose, a classic film from 1984, tells the story of a small town where dance and rock music had been completely outlawed by the local minister.

These latest criticisms of the controversial measures come just days after 15,000 Sydneysiders took to the streets in protest of the strict laws.

Pictures of the peaceful protesters and their posters flooded social media, with hashtag #KeepSydneyOpen quickly trending on Twitter.

Pictures of the peaceful protesters and their posters flooded social media at the weekend

Pictured are some Sydneysiders protesting the controversial lock-out laws at the weekend

Many posters used Premier Mike Baird's surname as a pun on 'bed', writing: 'It's not my Baird time'.

Some continued the #CasinoMike reference coined about two weeks ago in response to a Facebook post by the Premier which called the Keep Sydney Open campaign hysterical.

DJ Andrew Levins opened the event on Sunday, and was joined by his toddler wearing ear muffs and a sign which read: 'Mum and Daddy met on the dancefloor at 2am'.
Glenn Palmer, sheriff of Grant County, Oregon, may be investigated by the state for holding clandestine meetings with the armed militia who invaded Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January, according to the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training.

It is alleged that he even asked one of the gang to sign a copy of the Constitution.

Palmer was branded a 'security leak,' according to one of several complainants, who says that federal and state law enforcement locked local cops out of the loop, they were so worried about Palmer passing on information to the militia,

Acting on more than half a dozen complaints about the sheriff, the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, which licenses police officers, has asked the state attorney general's office to investigate him.

Complaints: Glenn Palmer, sheriff of Grant County, Oregon, may be investigated by the state after complaints were filed saying he was too close to militia members who took over a federal wildlife reserve

Signature: Jon Ritzheimer, one of the men who took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January, shows a picture of his family and the Constitution. He says Palmer asked him to sign a copy of the Constitution

Siege: A militia member carries a flag around the wildlife refuge during the 40-day standoff which ended on February 11. Palmer told media the FBI, which surrounded the refuge, should back down

Richard Gray, police chief of the city of John Day, located near the refuge, was one of more than half-a-dozen people who filed a complaint - though one of the few who did not demand anonymity.

He alleges that on January 12, ten days into the siege, Palmer went for a three-and-a-half-hour lunch with two of the militia men and around nine other local residents.

The militia members were Jon Ritzheimer and Ryan Payne, both now jailed and facing federal conspiracy charges. In an interview with The Oregonian, Ritzheimer said that Palmer asked the men to sign a copy of the US Constitution.

Payne told the Oregonian, '[Palmer and I] shared similar ideas about where we're at [in America],' and that 'The sheriff has a practical plan for helping unravel the federal government,' although the paper did not elaborate on what those plans were.

Three days after the lunch, Gray wrote, Palmer met up with another group, one member of whom was Shawna Cox, the milita's only female member, now also in jail.

Elected: If investigated and found to have violated standards, Palmer (pictured center, hugging Oregon governor Kate Brown) may lose his police license, but cannot be removed from office, as he was elected

Concerned: Valerie Luttrel (pictured left), manager of emergency communications for the city of John Day, and John Day Police chief Richard Gray (pictured right, with colleague), wrote complaints about Palmer

And according to a report by the Blue Mountain Eagle on January 13, Palmer described the militia as 'patriots', and said 'I believe the government is going to have to concede to something... I dont think these guys are going to give up without knowing that theyve done something that benefits the people of our country or our region.'

In a statement to The Oregonian on January 24, Palmer advised that the FBI should accede to two of the militia's demands. Releasing the Dwight and Steven Hammond, ranchers who were convicted of arson on government land 'would be a start. Sending the FBI home would be a start,' he wrote.

Palmer was well known for his sympathy for the militia's cause. Valerie Luttrell, manager of emergency communications for the city of John Day, wrote in her complaint that the John Day 911 dispatch center was 'inundated' with callers who praised Palmer for supporting the militia.

However, the higher-ups hear the word too, and Luttrell says that they kept local law enforcement out of the loop, fearing that he was a 'security leak.'

On January 26, Luttrell says, when local officials were kept 'out of the loop' on the traffic stop that ultimately led to the arrest of the standoff's leaders and the shooting death of Arizona rancher Robert 'LaVoy' Finicum.

Finicum's group was stopped on its way to a town hall meeting with supporters in John Day - a meeting that Palmer is reported to have attended in full uniform, despite, according to Gray, having told his colleagues he would not attend.

Frozen out: Palmer at a police roadblock in Oregon, about 27 miles to the north of where federal and state police had stopped militia leaders on Jan 26. They kept Palmer out of the loop in case he was a 'security leak'

End of the line: Law officers block off an area of highway on January 26, the night the militia's leaders were arrested driving to a John Day town hall meeting. Palmer attended that meeting in full uniform

Luttrell says that even Gray could not get information about the traffic stop, as the embargo on passing down information was so tight.

And when Palmer himself made direct inquiries, a John Day dispatcher declined to give him information. Luttrell wrote: 'Her words were: "I felt uncomfortable knowing that I had to relay vital and confidential information to someone who may not be trustworthy."'

Palmer's Facebook account still shows friendships with a number of militia supporters. One has as his Facebook image a picture of leader Ammon Bundy with the message 'Guns don't kill people... Feds kill people.'

Another has a picture of Finicum with a quote by George Orwell: 'The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it.'

If Palmer is found to have violated standards, he could lose his police certification. However, while state law requires sheriffs to have the certification, the body cannot remove him from office as he is an elected official - it would take a re-election to do that.

The sheriff did not return messages seeking comment from The Associated Press or The Oregonian newspaper.
The luxurious Upper East Side apartment belonging to the late Andrew Madoff - son of disgraced fraudster Bernie - is on the market for $5.87million.

The sprawling five-bedroom, five-bathroom, loft space is more than 3,200 square feet had has an exclusive East 74th Street address.

In his will, Andrew had left an estate worth more than $16million, which he divided between estranged wife Deborah West, fiancee Catherine Hooper - who is to receive $50,000 a month for the rest of her life - and his two children, who received trust funds and all his personal property.

The luxurious Upper East Side apartment on East 74th Street (pictured) belonging to the late Andrew Madoff - son of disgraced fraudster Bernie - is on the market for $5.87million

The late Andrew Madoff (center) left his fiancee Catherine Hooper (left) a trust of $50,000 per month but didn't leave his mother Ruth (right) a dime

His mother Ruth didn't receive a penny.

And neither will any of the victims of his father's monstrous Ponzi scheme, which took investors for a mind-boggling $65billion in paper losses and $17billion in cold, hard cash.

Andrew, who died of cancer in September 2014, worked with the convicted conman but was never charged of any crime, despite being the target of civil lawsuits.

Both Andrew and his brother Mark had worked in a legitimate trading floor of their father's business - two floors removed from the private investment business - and were the ones who turned their father in.

Bernard Madoff was arrested in December 2008 and pleaded guilty to fraud charges months later and is serving a 150-year sentence at a federal prison in North Carolina.

'SPECTACULAR, SPRAWLING, SUN-DRENCHED': WHAT YOU GET FOR $5.87M Andrew Madoff's loft-like apartment, located on E. 74th St, boasts: Open kitchen with custom-made Italian Walnut cabinetry, Bianco Gioia marble counters

Living space spanning 36 feet of South-facing frontage and enhanced by a 'sexy decorative fireplace' and an additional sitting/media lounge

Five bedrooms with a master bedroom that includes a dressing room, a double-windowed limestone spa bathroom

'Elegant' guest powder room

Windowed laundry room equipped with one large capacity washing machine and two dryers

Wide-plank oak floors, and radiant heat flooring in all full bathrooms

Individually controlled multiple zone central air conditioning, CAT5 internet and a Lutron dimming system

The building itself, Lux 74, is a luxury boutique condominium built by world-renowned architect Costas Kondylis

It has full-time concierge, a full-time superintendent and porter, a state-of-the-art fitness room, private storage and landscaped roof-top lounge with an outdoor kitchen and BBQ Advertisement

Andrew Madoff's estranged wife Deborah West (right) was left one-third of the millionaire financier's estate. Their children, including daughter Emily Madoff (left) will receive trusts and all of Madoff's personal property

Two years after their father's arrest, Mark Madoff (left) hanged himself in his Manhattan loft apartment. Andrew Madoff (right) died of cancer in September 2014

Two years after their father's arrest, Mark Madoff hanged himself in his Manhattan loft apartment as his two-year-old son slept in another room.

'One way to think of this is the scandal and everything that happened killed my brother very quickly,' Andrew Madoff told People magazine. 'And it's killing me slowly.'

Andrew Madoff was diagnosed with the rare form of cancer in 2003 but went into remission.

He blamed the relapse on the stress of living with his father's scam. The disease returned in October 2012, and he told People magazine he felt 'blindsided.'

Bernie Madoff (pictured left arriving at federal court in 2009) is serving a 150-year sentence at a federal prison in North Carolina. His monstrous Ponzi scheme fleeced victims out of $65billion in paper losses and $17billion in cold, hard cash

Andrew Madoff had served as the chairman of the Lymphoma Research Foundation's board of directors until his father's scheme was revealed.

Although, he had always professed his innocence, court papers said that Andy 'had long known' of his father's 'illegal enterprise, but failed to disclose it.'

When Bernie's accountant pleaded guilty to fraud in the case last, Andy and Mark Madoff were named by prosecutors as 'co-conspirators,' according to news accounts.

But in an interview with People Magazine, Andy Madoff pleaded his innocence and declared he felt 'horrible for the people whose lives have been destroyed by my father's crimes.'




The license of a Minnesota dentist has been suspended after a 17-year-old high school student died in his chair during a routine wisdom teeth extraction last June.

Sydney Galleger lapsed into cardiac arrest after her blood pressure shot up during the procedure last year, later dying in hospital, her family said. However an autopsy failed to establish a clear cause of death.

Dr. Paul Tompach and his practice in Edina were placed under investigation, with the Minnesota Board of Dentistry announcing new evidence in the case last month.

In an order for suspension on January 29, the board said it had 'received credible information' that Dr. Tompach allowed an uncertified dental assistant to monitor Galleger after she received anesthesia, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

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New findings: The Minnesota Board of Dentistry said they received credible information that Dr. Paul Tompach allowed a dental assistant to monitor Sydney Galleger (pictured with her mother) after she received anesthesia, even though the assistant wasn't certified. Galleger died following the procedure

Suspended: The order said that Dr. Paul Tompach (pictured) 'failed to appropriately manage a medical emergency' by allowing the assistant to be involved without certification

Tompach 'failed to provide appropriate oral surgery care' while the teen was having her four wisdom teeth removed last June, the order read.

The order said that Tompach 'failed to appropriately manage a medical emergency, and enabled medical personnel (ie, an unlicensed dental assistant, licensed dental assistant, and student intern) to perform tasks which exceeded the legal scope of practice.'

Tompach is the only listed dentist on staff at the Edina Oral office, according to the website.

He received his dental degree from the University of Minnesota and completed his residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Iowa.

Tompach also performs Botox injections and other cosmetic procedures as part of his Edina Facial Aesthetic Specialist practice.

He has not commented on the suspension of his license.

Galleger's family were left further devastated in September when a definitive cause of death was not found by the autopsy.

During the June 9 tooth extraction, Sydney's blood pressure suddenly shot up, her pulse dropped and she went into a cardiac arrest. The teen is pictured in family photos

Galleger told the Star Tribune at the time that she was unsure whether there would be further tests to determine the cause of death.

'We were just hoping for an answer,' she said. 'Could she have had a slight reaction to the medications causing everything to misfire? Unlikely, but we will never know. We just wanted God to give us something, give us an answer why our healthy, happy daughter is no longer with us.'

Medical examiners noted that they were unable to rule out the 'potential contributing role' in her death of a medication that Galleger was receiving during the oral surgery.

Galleger said she doesn't foresee a lawsuit against the oral surgeon or his practice.

During the June 9 extraction, Sydney's blood pressure suddenly shot up, her pulse dropped and she went into a cardiac arrest.

The oral surgeon frantically started performing CPR on the teen as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

Sydney was then transported to the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator to help with her breathing.

In subsequent days, she suffered numerous seizures and underwent surgery to fit a drain in her skull to relieve the swelling of her brain. However, her brain continued to swell, cutting off the drain.

In the early hours of June 12, doctors informed Diane, Sydney's father, Steve and younger brother, Jack, that there was nothing more they could do. Above: Sydney is pictured with her parents

In the early hours of June 12, doctors informed Diane, Sydney's father, Steve and younger brother, Jack, that there was nothing more they could do.

'As you can imagine, that was the most devastating news we have ever received,' Diane wrote on the CaringBridge page, where she and her relatives had been providing updates on Sydney.
Donald Trump will again be skipping a Fox News event hosted by Megyn Kelly.

This afternoon the network announced that four of the five Republican candidates would be participating in a special edition of the Kelly File in Texas this Wednesday on the eve of the next GOP debate.

Trump, a Fox News rep confirmed, was invited, but declined due to a scheduling conflict.

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Not happening: Donald Trump (left) is the one Republican who will not be participating in a Wednesday night special edition of the Kelly File, hosted by Megyn Kelly (right)

Donald Trump dipped out of the last Fox News debate in Iowa, a move that he said later might have hurt him, as he lost the first set of caucuses to Sen. Ted Cruz, but has won in every state since

With Super Tuesday, at that point, less than a week away, Trump will likely be in another state before heading to Houston for Thursday night's debate.

The four other candidates, however, are making it happen.

Sen. Ted Cruz, who's expected to do well in his home state of Texas on Super Tuesday, will be on hand.

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson will make it to the venue too.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich planned to be in New Orleans, as he's hoping to pick up votes there when Louisiana goes to the polls on March 5, five days after Super Tuesday.

Marco Rubio will also appear remotely, Fox News said after the initial announcement.

He's participating anyways and will be beamed in.

Like the other recent town hall formats, the candidates will be quizzed individually, instead of standing all onstage like the debates.

Fox is having Texans join Kelly on stage to directly ask questions of the four hopefuls.

This now marks the second time Trump has refused to face his antagonist, the blonde Fox News host.

The first was right before the Iowa caucuses, when Trump decided to pull out of the Fox-sponsored debate and host a fundraiser for veterans at the nearby Drake University instead.

While he called the fundraiser a success he suggested to reporters in New Hampshire that missing the opportunity to be on the debate stage, with its large broadcast audience, may have hurt him.

'That could've been with the debate,' Trump said, according to CNN. 'I think some people were disappointed that I didn't go into the debate.'

Megyn Kelly moderated the January Fox News debate besides her colleagues Chris Wallace (left) and Bret Baier (right)

Who's missing? The January debate in Iowa was the only one that Donald Trump skipped, deciding instead to host a veterans fundraiser down the street

When Kelly was announced as the January debate's moderator, Trump went on and on via Twitter about whether she would be 'fair' to the billionaire, after the two had clashed at the opening Fox News Republican debate in August.

The billionaire's disdain for Kelly was on full display that night. Right out of the gate, Kelly asked about Trump's temperament and how he would stand up against a woman-friendly choice like Democrat Hillary Clinton.

'You've called women you don't like "fat pigs," "dogs," "slobs" and "disgusting animals,"' Kelly noted.

Trump quickly punched back and got the audience laughing.

'Only Rosie O'Donnell,' the billionaire replied. The two celebrities have had a longtime feud.

Kelly got the question back on track, adding that The Donald had once told a 'Celebrity Apprentice' contestant 'it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees.'

But Trump used the moment to mock political correctness and to ding Kelly for being mean.

'What I say is what I say,' Trump said. 'And honestly, Megyn, if you don't like it, I'm sorry. I've been very nice to you, although I could probably, maybe not be based on the way you have treated me, but I wouldn't do that.'

Kelly continued to hurdle tough questions at Trump through that first debate, including 'When did you actually become a Republican?'

Shortly after the debate, when Trump voiced irritation about Kelly's 'unfair' questions, he also seemed to complain about her menstrual cycle on CNN.

'She gets out there and starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions,' Trump said to CNN's Don Lemon. 'You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever ... you could see she was off-base.'

The comment got Trump scolded by more mainstream Republicans.

He was uninvited from attending a gathering sponsored by the conservative blog RedState, which was taking place in Atlanta, Georgia.

When it was her turn to moderate the debate again, Trump called into question her talent and suggested she'd be biased.

But it was a Fox News statement, which really got him mad.

'We learned from a secret back channel that the Ayatolla and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president  a nefarious source tells us that Trump has his own secret plan to replace the Cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings,' a Fox spokesperson said, mocking The Donald's use of social media.
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Nigerian sailors rescued a hijacked oil tanker in a dramatic night-time rescue in which they killed one pirate, the Nigerian navy announced as it escorted the ship into Lagos harbour.

Four pirates were captured while another two members of the gang escaped in a separate boat. One other pirate was killed in the army raid on the Panama-flagged Maximus, owned by a company in the United Arab Emirates, said Rear Admiral Henry Babalola.

Nigerian sailors rescued a hijacked oil tanker in a dramatic night-time rescue in which they killed one pirate, the Nigerian navy announced as it escorted the ship into Lagos harbour

One of the pirates was killed in the raid while two others fled in a boat after a tense hostage standoff

He said the navy is still searching for two crew taken hostage by two of the hijackers who are thought to have escaped in a pirate vessel.

The Indian defense attache, Captain Gautam Marwaha, said one hostage is an Indian national and the other is believed to be from Pakistan. He said they have received no ransom demand.

The bandits targeted the vessel for its 4,700 tons of diesel fuel and seized it last week on 11 February, off the coast of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The ship was finally rescued on Saturday night about 310 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of Lagos.

It's the third time in five years that the ship has been hijacked in the Gulf of Guinea area, according to two maritime ship-tracking websites.

In 2014 one crew member and two pirates were killed and six captured after a shootout with the Nigerian navy just outside anchorage on the SP Brussels in Lagos, Nigeria's Atlantic Ocean-side commercial center.

Babalola, who commanded Saturday's rescue, described a tense standoff as the pirates denied the ship was the Maximus, calling it instead the MT Elvis 3, as they had hand-painted over the name in white.

'We tried diplomacy, but they refused to surrender,' Babalola said. Sailors stormed the ship when one pirate opened fire, taking special care because the vessel is highly flammable, he said.

Cuffed and forced to stand in silence, the group of men accused of piracy are shown to the media in the Nigerian city of Lagos

The bandits were after the ship's 4,700 tons of diesel fuel when they seized it on 11 February off the coast of Abidjan, Ivory Coast

The latest piracy incident is believed to be the third time in five years that the ship has been hijacked in the Gulf of Guinea area

Naval hospital workers remove a body of a pirate that was killed during a rescued mission of the Panama-flagged Maximus vessel
The Tories were at war over the EU last night after an astonishing revenge attack by the Prime Minister on Boris Johnson.

In a packed Commons chamber, David Cameron accused his long-standing rival of backing the Out campaign solely to further his dream of becoming PM.

Im not standing for re-election, said Mr Cameron. I have no other agenda than what is best for our country.

Commons attack: David Cameron (left) accused his long-standing rival Boris Johnson (right, both pictured yesterday) of backing the Out campaign solely to further his dream of becoming Prime Minister

Decision: The pound suffered its worst day in seven years after Mr Johnson (centre) joined the Leave camp

Shaking his head, Mr Johnson responded: Rubbish, rubbish.

One observer said the parliamentary exchange was jaw-dropping; another described it as the most savage blue on blue clash since Geoffrey Howe took on Margaret Thatcher in 1990.

Tory MPs urged Mr Cameron to show more respect for opposing views and be nice to Boris. In another day of high drama:

Downing Street published a dossier saying leaving the EU would push up air fares and phone bills, put jobs at risk and make it harder to track foreign criminals;

Eurosceptics dismissed the taxpayer-funded paper as a product of Project Fear;

The pound suffered its worst day in seven years after Mr Johnson joined the Leave camp;

Mr Cameron claimed the only world leader who wanted Britain to quit the Brussels club was Russias Vladimir Putin;

No 10 admitted being behind a letter signed by FTSE 100 bosses that warns of the dangers of Britain quitting the EU;

A number of firms have refused to sign it, saying the decision lay with voters;

More Tory ministers joined the Out campaign, which is on course to win the support of around half the parliamentary party.

Mr Cameron delivered his broadside during a three-hour session at Westminster in which he presented his much-criticised Brussels renegotiation deal to MPs.

David Cameron came face-to-face with Boris Johnson in the Commons yesterday

Comparison: One observer described the parliamentary exchange as the most savage blue on blue clash since Geoffrey Howe took on Margaret Thatcher in 1990. The Tory politicians are pictured together in 1986

Russian president: Mr Cameron claimed the only world leader who wanted Britain to quit the Brussels club was Vladimir Putin (pictured yesterday at his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow)

He was already under huge pressure after the defections of London mayor Mr Johnson and the Prime Ministers close friend and Cabinet heavyweight Michael Gove to the Out camp over the weekend.

VOTE TO LEAVE EU 'WILL BE FINAL' David Cameron yesterday declared that the result of the June 23 referendum would be binding, with no second chance. The PM told MPs that, within hours of a vote to quit, he would formally notify Brussels. Under article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, it would give the UK only two years to negotiate new trade deals and other matters. Aides said he wanted to quash the idea that, if Britain voted out, it would then be able to go back to Brussels for a better deal and a second referendum. But Mr Cameron said a second poll was not on the ballot paper. In a Commons statement, he warned: For a prime minister to ignore the express will of the British people to leave the EU would not just be wrong; itd be undemocratic. Out campaign director Dominic Cummings argued it would be irrational to invoke article 50 immediately. Tory MPs said it was yet more evidence of Mr Cameron seeking to deploy Project Fear. The row centred on London mayor Boris Johnsons declaration on Sunday that he would be campaigning to leave. No 10 and the In campaign claimed it was Mr Johnsons intention to campaign for an Out vote then, when secured, use it to reopen talks with Brussels. But sources close to the mayor denied this. With increasing numbers of Tory MPs declaring for Out, No 10 is facing the prospect of more than half of the parliamentary party  estimated at 150  opposing the PM. Advertisement

Mr Cameron struck a defiant tone and repeated his warning that the Leave campaign was calling for a leap in the dark.

But the session exploded into life when the PM turned to the question of whether Britain could vote to leave the EU, then immediately reopen negotiations to stay.

Mr Johnson has faced claims that he does not want to leave permanently. Rather, his critics said, he wants to lead Britain out of the EU then back in again, but on better terms.

The mayor denies this. But Mr Cameron said: On diplomacy, the idea that other European countries would be ready to start a second negotiation is for the birds.

I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings but I do not know of any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows.

No 10 sources strongly denied the divorce remark had been aimed at Mr Johnson, who is on his second marriage.

Labour MPs delighted in the PMs attack, crying more, more. Mr Cameron referred to them as his new friends.

Mr Cameron later attended a 30-minute meeting of the Tory 1922 Committee. Steve Baker MP suggested the PM had succumbed to a moment of high drama over Mr Johnson.

He added: A couple of us mentioned Boris. I said, I know its hard, but please be kind to Boris. There was a peal of laughter. Of course he is going to be kind to Boris, hes going to be respectful to all colleagues.

They are people who have known each other for a long time. Its a moment of high drama and I felt for Boris, but Boris is taking quite a beating at the moment in the press, and obviously he took perhaps a little bruise in the Commons, but hes a big man.

Mr Cameron arrived at the meeting to a muted welcome but left with his arm around Eurosceptic Philip Davies.

Friends of Mr Johnson said: Hes not remotely angry or bothered. He didnt even notice the jibe on marriage and elections. He feels what matters is that the country hears the arguments on both sides  no side wins by attacking the other.

Im not standing for re-election. I have no other agenda than what is best for our country Prime Minister David Cameron

As he left the Commons on his bicycle, Mr Johnson replied No when asked if there was a civil war within the Conservative Party. Its glutinous harmony, he added.

Mark Wallace, of the Tory grassroots website Conservative Home, said: Jaw-dropping decision by Cameron to fire shots in anger against Boris.

Last night, there were reports that even pro-EU MPs are despairing of the PM, with one telling C4 News: Cameron is toast. He and the entire project is over. Continuity through George, or whoever, is over.

The next leader will come before the end of the year and itll be someone in the next generation.

Outers: PM's EU deal falls 'far short' of reform needed, say rebels

Backing: Defence minister Penny Mordaunt gave her approval to a report by senior Conservatives

David Camerons EU deal falls far short of the reform that is needed, a report by senior Conservatives said yesterday.

In a devastating analysis, the Fresh Start group of more than 100 Tory MPs said he had tried to secure reform in only half the areas where it is required.

In the other half, it found, his attempts at reform had been frustrated by fellow EU leaders.

Overall, the study concluded that Mr Cameron failed to fully achieve reform in any of the 21 areas where change is needed.

The findings were backed by a string of senior Tories, including employment minister Priti Patel, energy minister Andrea Leadsom, defence minister Penny Mordaunt, environment minister George Eustice and local government minister James Wharton.

In a statement, they said the EU had failed to rise to the occasion and embrace reform, and urged voters to back Brexit.

Justice minister Dominic Raab, a leading member of the Fresh Start group, said the EUs refusal to respect Britains demand for a looser relationship showed that the only option was to leave.

He added: The fact that the deal falls so far short reflects the crucial flaw in the EU: Its just too rigid to change. If we want to deliver more jobs, lower household bills and stronger democracy, weve got to step off the Brussels juggernaut now that we have the opportunity.

The Fresh Start group was founded five years ago to draw up proposals for reshaping Britains relationship with Brussels. It includes many mainstream Tories and several prominent Eurosceptics.

In a joint statement yesterday, leading members praised Mr Cameron for his efforts at reform, but said they were disappointed that fellow European leaders did not take this opportunity to make the reforms that Europe so desperately needs.

Grassroots Tories: We want to defy Cameron and support Brexit

Set to be defied: Local councillors lined up to say they were hacked off with Mr Cameron (pictured leaving Downing Street yesterday)

The vast majority of Conservative activists are set to defy David Cameron and support Brexit, a survey suggests.

Interviews with constituency chairmen, officials and councillors from across the country show the scale of the challenge facing the Prime Minister in keeping the Tories from imploding over the issue.

Of 68 constituency parties contacted by The Guardian, only two said a majority of members were in favour of remaining in the European Union.

Some 17 reported a majority in favour of leaving. The others either said there was a 50-50 split in the ranks, or refused to respond.

Local councillors lined up to say they were hacked off with Mr Cameron, with one saying that all eyes were on London Mayor Boris Johnson, who has come out for Leave.

Lisa Parker, a councillor from Rugby, said she was disgusted by how the party was dealing with the issue.

Weve had to consult 27 countries just to talk about reform, she said. Weve sold this country out and were being ruled by the European Union  by people who hate us, who loathe us.

Ill be voting out, and campaigning every weekend. For the first time in my life Im questioning if this is the party for me.

David Sanders, a councillor in Peterborough, said of Mr Cameron: He didnt nail the deal. It wasnt a bad effort but he didnt do nearly enough to change my mind. Ill be campaigning to leave.

EU MIGRANTS WILL GET MORE CHILD BENEFIT UNDER PM'S DEAL Britain will be forced to pay higher rates of child benefit to some EU migrants with children living in other countries under David Camerons deal, officials in Brussels confirmed yesterday. The Prime Ministers agreement allows payments to such workers to be made at local rates after he failed to deliver on his manifesto for an outright ban on payments being sent abroad. But yesterday an EU official said the rates for some countries could end up being higher than those currently paid because they would need to be adjusted according to the local cost of living. That means some EU migrants working in the UK would get paid more in child benefit than British workers raising their children here. Advertisement

Mrs Thatcher would have nailed it. He hasnt been strong enough with EU colleagues. His best just hasnt been good enough.

Councillor David Tee, from Warley, said his constituency party was divided, with some members waiting to see what senior members of the Conservative Party choose to do  eyes are on figures like Boris Johnson.

Liz Harsant, chairman of the Ipswich constituency party, said: They are all for out at the moment. Our MP, health minister Ben Gummer, is in favour of staying but frankly we all want to leave.

Ken Worthy, chairman of the Claygate and Hinchley Wood branch of Esher and Walton Conservatives in Surrey, said: The constituency officers are in favour of staying but, from what I have heard, most of the members want to leave, probably about three-quarters, though this can only be a guess.

Cambridge constituency party chairman Simon Lee said: We discuss the issue a lot and there are strong feelings on both sides but it hasnt got too violent yet. We have our meetings, discuss the EU and then go to the pub and shake hands.

The hatred is now naked... it leaves a metallic tang on the tongue: QUENTIN LETTS watches the PM get personal as he belittles Brexit Boris in the Commons

Petulant and patronising, Prime Minister. David Cameron used Westminsters bully pulpit to belittle Boris Johnson. In the vacuum pod of the Commons it worked. Mr Cameron won cheers, laughter from the Labour benches  yes, Labour  while Mr Johnson muttered rubbish several times.

Opposition MPs cried more! more! more! Mr Cameron looked exceedingly pleased with himself. Creamy self-pleasure. Thats shown Boris! he may have thought.

But out in the nation? Beyond the chi-chi citadel  in those provincial fens where few can hope to swoosh to Strasbourg and Brussels on bring-your-squeeze freebies  such Commons barbs will make sparse impact.

Petulant and patronising: David Cameron used Westminsters bully pulpit to belittle Boris Johnson

The lasting effect may only be to stir Mayor Johnsons competitive juices. He must now know he is in a fight and will need to campaign with all his ardour for the Leave vote. Mr Cameron has made it stingingly, nastily personal.

Tory leader in name alone  not now in spirit, nor possibly ever again  Mr Cameron came to the House to tell MPs about his European negotiation.

He entered the House shortly before 3.30pm. A few of his trusties expressed vocal acclaim at the sight of him. Many more sat in silence.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband turned up. George Osborne slunk in (to total silence from his side  he walks these days with the gait of a fox).

No Gove or Whittingdale or Patel, to name three of the Cabinet Leave EU gang. They had stayed away but Iain Duncan Smith was standing in his normal place near the double doors.

Mr Cameron did some looking round at his benches, doing emphatic chin-drops to drudges he wished to encourage.

The PM won cheers, laughter from the Labour benches while Mr Johnson muttered rubbish several times

Let them see that he had spotted them, acknowledge them, show a manly gesture of pumped lips and a tweak of the head: he is clever at this sort of thing. He even engaged Commons Leader Chris Grayling in conversation. Leave-man Grayling is the sort of ruminant Mr Cameron would happily ignore at a drinks party.

Appearance: Former Labour leader Ed Miliband turned up at the House of Commons yesterday

When long-standing Tory Eurosceptics challenged him, Mr Cameron treated them with a modicum of weary civility. The only one he was interested in spearing, in KILLING, was Boris.

Lord knows what words and promises passed between the two of them in recent weeks but the hatred, on Mr Camerons part, is now naked. Peevish.

It leaves a metallic tang on the tongue.

First, he mocked Mr Johnsons floating of the idea that a Leave vote will bring the over-mighty EU to its senses and secure a better future for Britain. I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings, he said, rolling the words round the front of his mouth, but I do not know any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows.

This won, from Labour, a bark of laughter the like of which I have not heard since the day Geoffrey Howe attacked Mrs Thatcher.

A barb about divorce  aimed at the libidinous Boris? This was more than tart. It was gratuitously personal.

With an angry tremor in his voice, Mr Cameron said I am not standing for re-election. I have no other agenda than what is best for our country. He said he would speak up for his country for the next four months  an acceptance, perhaps, that his premiership is in peril.

The simplest MP grasped that Mr Cameron was, with these words, accusing his opponent of greedy ambition.

This was scintillatingly, recklessly vicious, a rare public glimpse of Cameron the crass autocrat

He was saying that Boris had an agenda. He was playing the man, not that rugby ball that Boris once mentioned.

For a Prime Minister to impute low motives to a senior colleague  particularly one who had gone out of his way to praise him on Sunday  and to do so from the parliamentary pill-box: this was scintillatingly, recklessly vicious, a rare public glimpse of Cameron the crass autocrat.

The Tory benches behind? They did not like it. Not since Moses did his trick with the Red Sea has there been such salt-sour division.

How will your MP vote? Full list of all the Conservative politicians who have declared their stand on the EU referendum debate
A ridesharing app to rival Uber launching in Sydney has the backing of entrepreneurs and billionaires including James Packer and will rid surge pricing as the main point of difference.

GoCar, a new service from taxi booking mobile application GoCatch, will match uberX rates during off-peak hours without the surge prices  but with a flat-rate for peak-hour drives.

The morning and afternoon rush, as well as Friday and Saturday nights, will see passengers paying a higher flat-rate with the new app set to launch in the Sydney CBD, eastern suburbs and inner-west with the hopes of expanding nation-wide.

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GoCar, a new service from taxi booking mobile application GoCatch, will match uberX prices during off-peak hours and have a flat-rate for peak-hour drives

GoCar peak hours include 6am-10am Monday to Friday, 5pm-10pm Monday to Thursday and 6pm to 2am Friday to Sunday.

Standard off-peak and peak pricing means youll never experience fare shock again, the GoCar website claims.

GoCatch (pictured) launched in Australia in 2011 and have now announced a ridesharing service

Off peak, the company claims to be 20-30 per cent cheaper than taxis, and 10-15 per cent cheaper than taxis during peak hours.

'The key differentiator is we won't have any surge pricing, which people just hate. It is just blatant profiteering by Uber,' GoCar CEO and co-founder Ned Moorfield told The Age.

David Rohersheim, General Manager of Uber Australia and New Zealand, said they're proud 'to have led the way in bringing ridesharing to Australia.

'Consumers are now enjoying more choices than ever.'

The launch of the service follows the green light by NSW legislation, legalising Uber and opening the door for competitors in December last year.

Blair Davies, CEO of Australian Taxi Industry Association, told Daily Mail Australia he was not surprised GoCatch had followed Ubers lead.

Were not surprised that GoCatch has headed off to provide ridehailing services, Mr Davies said. It was somewhat predictable.

However, he said taxis were safer, driving 'in a vehicle thats been equipped with safety devices like security cameras and duress alarm systems that are monitored on a 24 hour basis.

The ATIA CEO said he believed most drivers would stay with traditional taxis, and would not be joining GoCar in droves.

We wouldnt be surprised if those that go over there [to GoCar] come back and want to drive taxis again.'

Mr Davies said he believes GoCar will struggle to compete with the taxi industry and will also struggle to entice customers from Uber.

Blair Davies, CEO of Australian Taxi Industry Association said GoCatch (app pictured) has had a 'relatively modest' contribution to the taxi industry, and believes GoCar will struggle to compete with taxis and Uber

He said GoCatch, a mobile app which launched in 2011 for customers to order a standard taxi, has had a relatively modest contribution to the industry.

However, Michael Jools, President of the Australian Taxi Drivers Association, said Mr Davies had underestimated the effects of Uber and has concerns about what GoCar will do to drivers.

'Uber and lookalikes have probably only taken 25 per cent of our business,' Mr Jools told Daily Mail Australia. 'But that makes the whole business not viable in the long run.'

He said he supported GoCatch as a booking app, but that many taxi drivers are 'very angry' that they've teamed 'up with the devil'.

Mr Jools said the cheaper fares of ridesharing services hit taxi drivers hardest.

'If the fares come down, the gross revenue goes down. But the cost stays the same so the impact is falling on the driver.'

Investors in GoCar include billionaire James Packer, SEEK co-founder Paul Bassat, fund manager David Paradice, the Prime Ministers son Alex Turnbull, the Liberman family, Markus Kahlbetzer and Airtasker founder Tim Fung

He added that many taxi drivers had begun ridesharing with uberX, but have returned to taxis after a few months.

Some taxi drivers have aired their concerns over the launch of GoCar on Facebook page Taxi Drivers Australia, criticising the state government.

Unregulated ridesharing floodgates have opened thanks to stupid governments, one comment said.

Investors in GoCar include billionaire James Packer, SEEK co-founder Paul Bassat, fund manager David Paradice, the Prime Ministers son Alex Turnbull, the Liberman family, Markus Kahlbetzer and Airtasker founder Tim Fung.

GoCar drivers require cars no older than nine-years, or with 120,000 km or less on the odometer.

When it comes to rating GoCar drivers and passengers, options are limited to a thumbs up or down as opposed to Ubers five-star system.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted GoCar for comment.
This is a first picture of a miracle baby who was delivered premature after his young mother's death in a horrific car crash.

Sarah Paino, 24, was 32 weeks pregnant when her car was allegedly struck by a stolen SUV driven by joyriding teenagers in the early hours of January 22 in Hobart.

Doctors will reveal on Channel Seven's Sunday Night how they saved Ms Paino's baby boy, Caleb, and left her grieving husband and two-year-old son, Jordan, with a miracle son and brother.

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Sarah Paino's baby, Caleb, survived despite her death when she was 32 weeks pregnant

Ms Paino (right holding her eldest son, Jordan) was on her way home after dropping her partner Daniel Stirling (left) at work when she was allegedly struck by a stolen SUV driven on January 22

Ms Paino's partner, Daniel Stirling, has also spoken out for the first time since the crash and about the moment he was told of her death.

The father had just been dropped off by Ms Paino at work at Banjo's Bakery, in Hobart, in the early hours of the morning.

He was only kilometres away when her car was struck by the speeding vehicle that had been travelling up to 120km/h.

'[The police] said to me  "your partner Sarah has died in a car accident",' Mr Stirling told journalist Melissa Doyle.

Mr Stirling has spoken out for the first time since the crash and the moment he was told of her death

The scene of the crash on the corner of Davey and Argyle Streets in Hobart. Pictured is Ms Paino's car

Her two-year-old son, Jordan, was with her at the time. He survived with minor injuries

Ms Paino had just dropped off her partner at work at Banjo's Bakery, in Hobart, in the early hours of the morning

Doctors will reveal on Channel Seven's Sunday Night how they saved Ms Paino's baby boy, Caleb, and left her grieving husband and two-year-old son, Jordan, with a miracle child

In Sunday's episode of the news program, Mr Stirling will be reunited with people who helped Ms Paino and baby Caleb, including Dr Kate Field (above), an emergency specialist at the Royal Hobart Hospital

'I just said: "She was pregnant".'

Mr Stirling said he was not sure if he could ever move on from Ms Paino.

'I loved her, still do. I don't think I will ever find anyone that will come close to her. I don't really want to,' the father said.

In Sunday's episode of the news program, Mr Stirling will be reunited with people who helped Ms Paino and baby Caleb, including Dr Kate Field, an emergency specialist at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

One emergency service worker who arrived at the scene of the crash described the flames coming from Ms Paino's car as 'two storeys plus in height'.

Earlier this month, more than 200 mourners gathered at a service in North Hobart to farewell the young mother.

A representative of the funeral director told mourners Ms Paino and her partner were together for nine years and he was 'her one true love', ABC News reported.

Last month grieving family and friends gathered at the funeral of Ms Paino, 24

Mr Stirling at the funeral service on Tuesday as he paid tribute to the mother of his two children

Grieving family, friends and colleagues paid tribute at an emotional funeral service in North Horbart

A commemorative card is handed to mourners at the funeral for the 24-year-old Hobart mother

Her uncle paid tribute to the young woman described her as smart and family-loving, according to The Mercury.

A fundraising campaign set up for her family has raised more than $500,000 since it started in January.

The 15-year-old boy who was allegedly driving the stolen SUV that hit the car carrying the mother and her two-year-old son, Jordan, was charged with manslaughter and stealing a motor vehicle.

Jordan escaped with only minor injuries.

In the minutes before the crash, police had twice tried to stop the stolen vehicle.

Ms Paino's two-year-old son, Jordan (pictured as a baby), was with her in the car when a group of teenagers allegedly struck it

The car had reportedly been stolen about 11pm - just hours before the accident - on January 21 and was later seen driving erratically without headlights.

It is alleged the stolen SUV failed to stop at the intersection of Davey and Argyle Streets in Hobart.

The driver of the SUV allegedly fled the scene before he was picked up by police.

The three other teenagers travelling in the car - who were aged between 12 and 15 - were taken to hospital with minor injuries after the vehicle burst into flames.
A 'nude' ocean swim to celebrate the full moon has disappeared off Facebook after the organiser appeared to become overwhelmed by the number of attendees.

The swim was advertised as a way to 'release stagnant energy,' with 'clothing optional' and more than 2,400 people claimed they were interested in attending the event that was organised to take place after sundown on Tuesday at Red Leaf beach in Sydney's east.

According to the event organiser, known only as 'Saro,' the swim was 'blown out of proportion' after attendees suggested the night become a beach party with alcohol and the event has since been removed.

An event to celebrate the full moon was expected to draw thousands of 'nude' swimmers for a night time dip in the ocean

The full moon swim was advertised as a way to 'release stagnant energy,' with 'clothing optional' and more than 2,400 people claimed they were interested in attending the event (stock image)

'This is not a party! A simple idea to invite some friends has blown out of proportion,' Saro wrote on the event page on Monday night.

He also listed 'woo girls and d***heads' are not invited and hoped the attendees could instead 'respect the beach and enjoy the energy.'

The event appeared to have been removed or made private just before midday on Tuesday and it is unknown if the swim will still be going ahead.

Daily Mail Australia have contacted the event organiser for comment.

Rose Bay police told Daily Mail Australia they were well aware of the event, but had not shut it down and instead would monitor the beach throughout the evening.

According to the event organiser, known only as 'Saro,' the swim was 'blown out of proportion' after attendees suggested the night become a beach party with alcohol and the event has since been removed

The original event description said the full moon can 'empower you to make changes in your life that you have been meaning to for a long time'

Even though the harbour beach is enclosed by nets, some voiced their concerns over the high number of swimmers attracting sharks

According to the event organiser, known only as 'Saro,' the swim was 'blown out of proportion' after attendees suggested the night become a beach party

The event was planned to be at Red Leaf beach (pictured) in Sydney's east on Tuesday night

Rose Bay police told Daily Mail Australia they were well aware of the event, but had not shut it down (stock image)

The original event description said the full moon can 'empower you to make changes in your life that you have been meaning to for a long time.'

One man jokingly wrote on the event page he would start a GoFundMe page to raise money to fly to Sydney from Melbourne to attend the event.

Even though the harbour beach is enclosed by nets, some voiced their concerns over the high number of swimmers attracting sharks.

'I am sorry but swimming in the harbour even in numbers, at feeding time is the human equivalent to free kebabs at the end of the night,' one concerned man wrote.

'It could be sharky.. Just don't be the slowest swimmer,' another said.

The original event description said the full moon can 'empower you to make changes in your life that you have been meaning to for a long time'

One man jokingly wrote on the event page he would start a GoFundMe page to raise money to fly to Sydney from Melbourne to attend the event
Mary Beard has spoken out about the prejudice women face if they choose not to dye their locks

She has been told she looks like a witch after fronting television programmes with her hair in its natural grey state.

And now historian Mary Beard has spoken out about the prejudice women face if they choose not to dye their locks.

The 61-year-old, who first started going grey in her early 30s, believes that while silver hair gives men an air of authority, it does not have the same effect for women.

She said we live in a society where the white-haired craggy male talking about politics on telly is fine, whereas the wrinkled, white-haired lady isnt.

Miss Beard spoke of how she has been attacked for sporting her natural hair colour on an upcoming Radio 4 documentary Glad to Be Grey.

While her natural locks went without comment from academic colleagues at the University of Cambridge, she had a different experience when she started presenting history documentaries on television.

In 2012 writer AA Gill said she should be kept away from the cameras altogether while reviewing her BBC series Meet the Romans. She said reading his comments felt like youve been punched.

Speaking to Radio Times about the prejudice women face, she said: I dont have a moral objection to people dyeing their hair.

'If people want to colour their hair for fun  great, but its that feeling that somehow I cant go out of the house unless I dont look like this old lady.

It goes back to well-mown issues where the white-haired craggy male talking about politics on telly is fine, whereas the wrinkled, white-haired lady isnt.

'With men, the signals of ageing suggest authority, but with women they dont. Some women buck that trend.

'Shirley Williams, Mary Warnock and Diana Athill all have grey hair and still come across as decisive in that male way, but most women in the public eye dont feel comfortable doing that.

Newsreader Fiona Bruce, now 51, famously said in 2012 that she makes sure to always dye her hair.

The 61-year-old, who first started going grey in her early 30s, believes that while silver hair gives men an air of authority, it does not have the same effect for women

When asked if women are scared of showing their grey hair because they feel power in love, friendships and in the workplace is linked to their attractiveness, Miss Beard said: Some people would think about it biologically and say post-menopausal women have lost their biological function.

'Then theres the grim reaper. When youre 61 youre closer to the grim reaper than when youre 41 and theres a sense of fear in acknowledging that.

She also claimed that women are also at fault for putting pressure on other women to look a certain way and added: Its always puzzled me that when Im 61 its supposed to be a compliment when someone says, You dont look a day over 50.
A British backpacker who went missing in Thailand after telling her family people were 'trying to hurt her' has been pictured for the first time since she went missing.

Grace Taylor, 21, of Swanage, Dorset, had not made contact with her family in nearly a week until she made a panicked phone call at the weekend to tell them she was 'very stressed'.

However, she has now been pictured pulling a heart sign with a staff member at Krabi Tourist Rescue Centre, where she is being looked after while she waits for her family to arrive.

Grace Taylor, 21, is pictured with a staff member at Krabi Tourist Rescue Centre in Thailand after she was found safe and sound following her mother's Facebook appeal

The ordeal began when her family had booked her a flight from Krabi Airport and believe she arrived there at about 9pm local time, but never managed to board the plane.

Today Mrs Taylor, of Swanage, said: 'Our Gracie has been found but we don't know what has happened. We are working to get her home safely.

'Thank you so much for your efforts and kind words of encouragement and thank goodness for the power of social media over the last few days plus the power of the police and local authorities in Thailand.'

When asked what had happened to Grace, a member of the Taylor family who answered the door at their home in Swanage said they would not be making any further comment on the matter.

A Dorset Police spokesman said Grace was being cared for by the Tourist Police in Thailand and arrangements were now being made to bring her back to Britain.

A missing person's appeal was issued several days ago and Miss Taylor's mother Sam also started a Facebook campaign urging the backpacking community in Thailand to look out for her.

She was found by Thai police at around 11am local time yesterday at a coffee shop inside Krabi Airport after an international search involving Interpol.

When officers approached her, she reportedly walked outside the terminal, blew a whistle and told them she did not need help before demanding to speak to a female officer, according to local media.

She taken into custody by police who are liaising with her family.

Mother: Sam Taylor (left) said she was 'desperately worried' about her daughter (right) and that other backpackers had reported that she was 'disorientated' and 'not in a good mental state'

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: 'Dorset Police has been contacted by Interpol overnight and they have reported that missing woman Grace Taylor has been located at Krabi airport and is being cared for by an officer from the tourist police.

'Her family have been informed and arrangements are under way to bring Grace back to England.'

Earlier, Thai police said they had checked local hospitals as part of a widespread appeal but had found no sign of her.

Mrs Taylor said she was 'desperately worried' about her daughter and that other backpackers had reported that she was 'disorientated' and 'not in a good mental state'.

On Sunday she posted on Facebook: 'Grace contacted us at 11am today from Ao Nang - she was very stressed and frightened saying that people were trying to hurt her and were following her and she wanted to come home.

'We calmed her down and booked her a flight from Krabi tonight but she apparently reached the airport but didn't catch her flight and has gone missing again.

Map: Miss Taylor phoned her mother at 11am yesterday and was due to get on a plane in Krabi, 16km (ten miles) away, at about 9pm, but she never boarded the flight

Concern: Mrs Taylor was desperately worried after the phone call from her daughter at 11am on Sunday

'We are desperately worried - all previous backpacker sightings have reported that she is disorientated and not in a good mental state.

'Please can I reach out to the backpacker community once again to look out for her and get her safe. A family member is flying out tonight to come and bring her home.'

Later, Mrs Taylor added: 'Grace Taylor made it to Krabi Airport apparently around 8.30pm or 9.30pm Thai time, however she didn't board the flight.

'Krabi Airport isn't 24 hours and there are no hotels nearby - it is a small, unmanned and remote airport. Where is Grace?'

Earlier in the day, an initial appeal to help find her on social media went viral and was shared 30,000 times as word of Miss Taylor's plight spread.
Petulant and patronising, Prime Minister. David Cameron used Westminsters bully pulpit to belittle Boris Johnson. In the vacuum pod of the Commons it worked. Mr Cameron won cheers, laughter from the Labour benches  yes, Labour  while Mr Johnson muttered rubbish several times.

Opposition MPs cried more! more! more! Mr Cameron looked exceedingly pleased with himself. Creamy self-pleasure. Thats shown Boris! he may have thought.

But out in the nation? Beyond the chi-chi citadel  in those provincial fens where few can hope to swoosh to Strasbourg and Brussels on bring-your-squeeze freebies  such Commons barbs will make sparse impact.

Petulant and patronising: David Cameron (left) used Westminsters bully pulpit to belittle Boris Johnson (right)

The lasting effect may only be to stir Mayor Johnsons competitive juices. He must now know he is in a fight and will need to campaign with all his ardour for the Leave vote. Mr Cameron has made it stingingly, nastily personal.

Tory leader in name alone  not now in spirit, nor possibly ever again  Mr Cameron came to the House to tell MPs about his European negotiation.

He entered the House shortly before 3.30pm. A few of his trusties expressed vocal acclaim at the sight of him. Many more sat in silence.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband turned up. George Osborne slunk in (to total silence from his side  he walks these days with the gait of a fox).

No Gove or Whittingdale or Patel, to name three of the Cabinet Leave EU gang. They had stayed away but Iain Duncan Smith was standing in his normal place near the double doors.

Mr Cameron did some looking round at his benches, doing emphatic chin-drops to drudges he wished to encourage.

The PM won cheers, laughter from the Labour benches while Mr Johnson muttered rubbish several times

Let them see that he had spotted them, acknowledge them, show a manly gesture of pumped lips and a tweak of the head: he is clever at this sort of thing. He even engaged Commons Leader Chris Grayling in conversation. Leave-man Grayling is the sort of ruminant Mr Cameron would happily ignore at a drinks party.

Appearance: Former Labour leader Ed Miliband turned up at the House of Commons yesterday

When long-standing Tory Eurosceptics challenged him, Mr Cameron treated them with a modicum of weary civility. The only one he was interested in spearing, in KILLING, was Boris.

Lord knows what words and promises passed between the two of them in recent weeks but the hatred, on Mr Camerons part, is now naked. Peevish.

It leaves a metallic tang on the tongue.

First, he mocked Mr Johnsons floating of the idea that a Leave vote will bring the over-mighty EU to its senses and secure a better future for Britain. I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings, he said, rolling the words round the front of his mouth, but I do not know any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows.

This won, from Labour, a bark of laughter the like of which I have not heard since the day Geoffrey Howe attacked Mrs Thatcher.

A barb about divorce  aimed at the libidinous Boris? This was more than tart. It was gratuitously personal.

With an angry tremor in his voice, Mr Cameron said I am not standing for re-election. I have no other agenda than what is best for our country. He said he would speak up for his country for the next four months  an acceptance, perhaps, that his premiership is in peril.

The simplest MP grasped that Mr Cameron was, with these words, accusing his opponent of greedy ambition.

This was scintillatingly, recklessly vicious, a rare public glimpse of Cameron the crass autocrat

He was saying that Boris had an agenda. He was playing the man, not that rugby ball that Boris once mentioned.

For a Prime Minister to impute low motives to a senior colleague  particularly one who had gone out of his way to praise him on Sunday  and to do so from the parliamentary pill-box: this was scintillatingly, recklessly vicious, a rare public glimpse of Cameron the crass autocrat.
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This is the place to come to for the best view in the United Kingdom, according to a major survey.

The jagged mountains of Mourne in County Down, Northern Ireland, has been voted the nation's best view.

Around one third of people surveyed by The Countryman magazine voted for the picturesque site, where parts of hit TV series Game of Thrones were filmed.

This is the the place to come to for the best view in the United Kingdom, according to a major survey. Pictured is the Mourne Mountains from the Rocky Shore, near Tyrella, Northern Ireland

The jagged mountains of Mourne in County Down, Northern Ireland, has been voted the nation's best view

Around one third of people surveyed by The Countryman magazine voted the picturesque site, where parts of hit TV series Game of Thrones were filmed

The granite mountain range also inspired author C S Lewis as he wrote his children's book series The Chronicles of Narnia.

The glimpse of Snowdonia from the summit of Snowdon was the second most popular view, with 16 per cent of the vote, while striking sights in the Isle of Skye, Lake District and Pembrokeshire made the top five.

Alan Titchmarsh also revealed his favourite view was over the Yorkshire Dales town where he grew up.

The former Gardeners' World presenter said: 'The view from the Cow and Calf rocks on Ilkley Moor, over the town below, will always remain my favourite view.

'I grew up in this Dales town, and the view reminds me of how lucky I was to grow up in such a wonderful part of the country.

'Moors, woods and riverside were my childhood playground, and I cherish the time I spend there.'

The glimpse of Snowdonia from the summit of Snowdon was the second most popular view, with 16 per cent of the vote

Pictured is the Old Man Of Storr on the Isle Of Skye, Scotland which was voted 3rd in Britain's best view

Wasdale Head and Great Gable reflected in Wastwater, Lake District, Cumbria was the fourth best view in the United Kingdom

Pictured is Marloes Sands in Pembrokeshire, Wales, which completed the list finishing a respectable fifth place

The Countryman editor, Mark Whitley, said: 'For nearly 90 years The Countryman has celebrated the best of the British countryside, whether it's our spectacular coastline, wild and windswept uplands, rugged peaks or pastoral scenes.

'We wanted the nation to help us celebrate our natural treasures by choosing Britain's best view.

'We were amazed by the response, and the passion that people expressed for their favourites. The results demonstrate the extraordinary diversity of landscapes and scenery across the length and breadth of Britain.'
Rebecca Osborne has been left with a broken leg in three places after she severely injured herself at the ObstaSplash water event over the weekend

A woman has been left with a broken leg after she severely injured herself at an inflatable obstacle course over the weekend.

Rebecca Osborne, from Canberra, was among thousands who attended the ObstaSplash event at the Bungendore Showground in the Queanbeyan Region of NSW on Saturday.

Mrs Osbourne, who broke her leg in three places after bouncing off inflatable balls, blames the lack of water on the 'ObstaBlue-Balls' obstacle and the event being understaffed for her the injuries.

'I knew something was wrong  but there were no event people on the actual obstacle, luckily my best mate was behind me,' she told The Canberra Times.

'There was a photographer there and I yelled out to him  meanwhile people were still coming through  and every time it bounced it was excruciating pain.'

Se claims she was only given paracetamol until the ambulance arrived because the event did not have paramedics at the site. Mrs Osborne will undergo surgery on her leg at Canberra Hospital this week.

'Orthopaedic surgeon said it's quite a nasty break. Hopefully once I have a leg full of metal I can get some relief,' she wrote on the event's Facebook page.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted ObstaSplash and Rebecca Osborne for comment.

ObstaSplash director Dan Palmer told The Canberra Times the event is often vigorous and it is possible for people to get hurt, but that the course was generally safe.

'Compared to industry averages there were very few injuries,' he said.

Mrs Osbourne broke her leg after bouncing off inflatable balls on the 'ObstaBlue-Balls' obstacle (pictured)

Mrs Osborne has taken to the event's Facebook page to claim she broke her leg from one of the obstacles

The event - billed as Australia's largest fully inflatable obstacle course - runs over a five kilometre grassland

Participants who enjoyed the event have shared photos of the obstacle course from the weekend

Furious patrons are demanding their money back after they claim the event had lacked water on the obstacles

And Mrs Osborne is not the only participant who suffered an injury from the event, which has a five kilometre course involving 12 inflatable obstacles.

Furious patrons have taken to social media to vent their frustration, claiming the event had lacked water on the obstacles, causing participants to suffer severe burns and injuries.

Angry patrons have also started an online petition demanding their money back for the 'disappointing and dangerous' event.

The page has attracted nearly 100 signatures and more than 40 comments since it was launched on Saturday.

The event - billed as Australia's largest fully inflatable obstacle course - has been bombarded with complaints on Facebook, in which people are also claiming their comments are being removed.

Emmeline Maxine Maybanks said: 'Ended up taking off my shirt for most of the event so I could keep it soaked and constantly wet myself to avoid burns. There was no water when we ran, except for a few kiddie pools set well away from each obstacle.

'Two of my friends injured their tailbones landing, as the obstacles did not leave enough room for a landing (except the last one) pretty sure two of our group left with concussions, and one with an injured knee. That's 5/9 guys.

'We all got some sort of rubber burn, and had to constantly help people in front of us (our group consisted of several strong guys most of whom have done tough mudder) which wasn't really an issue, but to say open to all fitness levels is a joke, especially with no air or water in the bottom of the obstacles, I'm surprised I haven't heard of multiple knee fractures.'

Thousands of patrons attended the Bungendore Showground in Queanbeyan Region of NSW at the weekend

Angry patrons have taken to Facebook to complain to the event over the lack of water on the obstacles

Dolly Lama wrote: 'The Canberra event was poorly organised and not enough water was used. Some inflatables you supposedly slide down have no water at all and give you rubber burns and rip clothing.

'To top it all off my fiance fractured his ankle due to the obstacle not having a cushioning landing (many more people were hurt).'

Natt Rayner said: 'For an event that is called 'Obstasplash' you would expect that there would be a certain amount of 'splash' on the course, instead this course failed in every aspect.

'Particularly as there was no water in the obstacles that should've had water. No point telling us the water is coming when we're part way through the second last obstacle, the obstacles should have been filled with water from 8am!! Refunds should be issued to everyone that entered.'

Narelle Johnston said: 'Hey, just wondering if it's called obstaSPLASH why was there hardly any water or hardly any splashes? All the people we went with this morning got some nasty burns from the lack of water. Great concept just not at all what was advertised.'

And Kimberley Dell posted: 'I wrote something earlier but it has been deleted so I will write again. This was very badly organised. There were hardly any staff to direct or help.

'There was no water. No foam. No rope on the rope swing. Dirt on some of the slides which just added to the friction burns. My son came home with friction burns down his arm and he fell from the second last obstacle, which was suppose to have water in it, landing on his hip on the ground.'

'ObstaSplash spans 5 kilometres of flat grassland with up to 12 inflatable obstacles

One of the obstacles was the 'ObstaClimb' - which has a 'climbing wall with a twist!' according to the website

Furious patrons have taken to social media to complain, claiming the event lacked water on the obstacles

However, ObstaSplash has issued a statement on Tuesday, claiming the obstacle course have been designed to 'provide challenge as much as they do fun'.

'A couple of incidents have overshadowed what was a fantastic first time event along with blown out reports and posts from individuals intent on ruining the day for as many other participants as possible,' the post reads.

'ObstaSplash is promoted as an obstacle course, and with any obstacle course youre always going to have bumps/scrapes and unfortunately on very rare occasions an injury such as a fracture.

'Officially despite all the comments and what people chose to believe (without knowing the facts) the event had very few medical incidents despite thousands taking part.
A Sydney construction boss who targeted dissatisfied customers in a three month 'extreme course of threatening and violent behaviour' has been jailed for at least nine years.

Bill Issa, 53, hurled Molotov cocktails made with beer bottles and Bob the Building bed sheets at five homes and businesses across Sydney from March to May 2013.

The attacks were meant to discourage his clients and their lawyers from taking legal action over his work, the court heard.

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CCTV footage shows construction boss Bill Issa, 53, beating a restaurant owner with a metal torch

Mr Issa (right) is pictured in the Downing Centre last September in Sydney

He also ambushed an Ultimo restaurant owner in an elevator with two other men, one of them armed with knuckle dusters.

Issa hit the man severely with a metal torch while the other two also beat the restaurateur, who they cornered while he was alone, taking out rubbish.

Issa has been sentenced to a minimum of nine years behind bars for the 'campaign of fear' which began in March 2013.

'The offender wanted to send a clear message to the victims that they should discontinue proceedings,' Judge Peter Zahra told Sydney's District Court.

The ultimo restaurant owner was ambushed by Mr Issa and two other men, one armed with knuckle dusters

The court heard Issa was emboldened by the success of his initial fire bomb attack.

Proceedings started against Issa's company Isabella Retail in the Consumer Trader and Tenancy Tribunal over renovations at a Maroubra hairdressing salon.

A five-day mediation hearing failed to resolve the issue and further action was launched in court.

As the proceedings were underway, the salon was fire bombed. While little damage was caused, the attacks resulted in the legal action being dropped.

Mr Issa also lobbed Molotov cocktails at five homes and businesses across Sydney in 2013 over two months

Judge Zahra said the success of this attack gave Issa ideas about how to sort out other dissatisfied customers he was feuding with.

Several other homeowners and the Maroubra hairdresser's lawyer's chambers were targeted.

A St Clair home was hit with a Molotov cocktail, while a family, including two children, were inside.

The owner suffered a fractured arm and lacerations to the head as a result of the vicious attack

In June 2013, Issa's stoush with the Ultimo restaurant owner over exhaust fans turned violent.

'The attack on the victim was an attack by cowards,' Judge Zahra said.

'The attack was ferocious.'

The owner suffered a fractured arm and lacerations to the head, the court heard.

Despite the ferocity of Issa's attacks, Judge Zahra found he had a low prospect of reoffending.

He said Issa had no criminal record but had been found guilty of 10 charges relating to the fire bomb attacks.

About two weeks into his trial he pleaded guilty to a further charge of grievous bodily harm over the restaurant owner's bashing.

Mr Issa was convicted of arson and attempting to pervert the course of justice last October.

With his sentence backdated for time already served in custody, Issa will first be eligible for parole in February 2024.

The restaurant owner was cornered by Mr Issa while taking the rubbish out alone at the end of the day
Stacey Aguilar, 22, (pictured) was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds on Saturday

A young woman has been found dead with multiple gunshot wounds after she disappeared two weekends ago.

Stacey Aguilar, 22, from San Jose, California, was last seen at a birthday party on February 13, which she left with her boyfriend.

Aguilar's body was found a week later, with authorities deeming her death a homicide.

They also said a suspect is in custody.

'We believe the person of interest is the right person we have in custody,' a police spokeswoman said.

Hayward police said they found Aguilar's body at noon on Saturday, but did not release any details until a press conference on Monday afternoon.

Aguilar's mother, Marisol Lesio y Capito, who lives in Rosarito, Mexico, told ABC7 the police have only communicated with her other daughter who lives in San Jose.

On Sunday, a few people gathered at a strip mall in Hayward to help with what they thought was an ongoing search - not realising that her body had already been found.

'I thought there would be a few hundred people,' volunteer David Guard told ABC7.

'I remember news reports of another lady who disappeared in Hayward about five or six years ago and there was a large contingent of people out.

Aguilar was found on the side of a road in San Jose, California, by police a week after she vanished

Aguilar was last seen at this house for a birthday party on February 13. She left unharmed with her boyfriend

'I have two younger children and two female nieces, one who's a similar age, and if it was my kids, I would want folks to help me so I'm out here trying to help.

Aguilar's mother thanked volunteers by phone for their help.

Police have yet to identify the suspect they have in custody.

David Guard (pictured) was one of only a handful of volunteers to help search for Aguilar's body on Sunday
Jeb Bush burned through $125 million in payments to consultants along before throwing in the towel on his bid for the White House, it has emerged.

An analysis by the Washington Post has established the extraordinary scale of the doomed candidate's spending on media, political and legal consultants.

He is not along in spending big on companies offering advice, with Ben Carson, now the lowest placed remaining GOP candidate, spending $27 million on fundraising consultancy alone.

But the most successful candidate, Donald Trump, has spent a tiny fraction of such sums, with his biggest single cost being $500,000 paid to his chief legal counsel's law firm.

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Spend, spend spend: Jeb Bush, who dropped out on Saturday night, funneled $125 million to consultants, including huge amounts of advertising spending. It got him nowhere

Huge results - but not a lot of spending: Donald Trump has spent just over $500,000 on consultants and is the Republican frontrunner with two states won out of three

The scale of the Bush campaign's spending reflects the 'shock-and-awe' strategy which he and his advisers initially thought would deliver him the nomination.

He had $100 million in the Right to Rise 'super PAC' before announcing his candidacy, and took in tens of millions of dollars for his own campaign subsequently, while the super PAC also took in more money.

The analysis of Federal Election Commission figures shows that between the campaign itself and the super PAC, just over $100 million was spent on advertising buying.

That money, rather than going direct to radio and television stations and other media, was almost all funneled through two sets of consultants, one called Oath Strategies and the other called Revolution Agency.

Between the two firms, they were responsible for 95 per cent of all advertising spend, almost all of it on local television stations in the early voting states.

None of it delivered a positive result for Bush, who crashed out on Saturday night after failing to make any impact in South Carolina, a state which had once been loyal to his father and brother.

The Washington Post reported that Oath Strategies appears to have close ties to Bush's advisers, with Mike Murphy, the Republican media consultant who ran Right to Rise a key figure.

Murphy founded Revolution Agency, while Oath Strategies shares an address with another set of consultants called Media Ad Ventures, which is run by Brad Mont, who used to work with Murphy.

Consultants are not just a feature of Bush's - or even simply Republican - campaigns, with the total spent on them now at $400 million.

Other big spenders include Carson, whose campaign has spent a total of $37 million on consultants.

Spending big: Ben Carson has spent $37 million on consultants, with half of that going to three firms linked to his aides which appear to conduct fundraising

Of that more than half went to three firms, all of which appear to be involved in fundraising, suggesting that Carson has a high 'burn rate' - he is spending large amounts of money to fund raise to stay in the race.

The three all appear to have close ties to Carson advisers, the Washington Post reported.

The Hillary Clinton campaign has paid $12 million to GMMB, a Democratic consulting firm whose founder is Jim Margolis, a media adviser to Clinton.

And the Clinton chief strategist Joel Benenson has a consulting firm which has received $1.7 million related to polling.

Even Sanders, the avowedly anti-establishment Democratic candidate has paid $9.3 million to Revolution Messaging, which has links to President Obama's 2008 and 2012 campaigns, for fundraising advice.

Sanders now has formidable fundraising powers, taking in more money than the Clinton campaign in the most recent three-month period for which records exist - November, December and January - by a margin of $20 million to her $15 million.

Adam Sheingate, associate professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University, who conducted the analysis for the Washington Post suggested the total bill for the election is heading towards $4 billion.

However Trump remains the most successful candidate in the Republican field with the smallest spending across either party.

His biggest single cost was $500,000 to the legal firm in which his chief counsel is a partner, and some other small payments taking him to mo more than $700,000, and possibly even less, the figures suggest.
A top technology official whose federal agency suffered a crippling security breach, compromising the personal files of 21.5million Americans, has resigned days before she was to appear in a congressional oversight committee hearing on the hacks.

Donna Seymour was the chief information officer for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) when it was hacked in 2014. She announced her 'retirement' in an email to colleagues Monday, two days before she was scheduled to testify before a congressional oversight hearing on Wednesday.

Her resignation had been demanded repeatedly by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chair Jason Chaffetz, who said her retirement was 'necessary and long overdue'.

Resigned: Office of Personnel Management (OPM) chief information officer Donna K Seymour, pictured in June last year, resigned before a hearing on a hack that compromised the personal files of 21 million Americans

'Leaving OPM at this time was a very tough decision, but I feel it is in the agency's best interest that my presence does not distract from the great work this team does every single day,' Seymour wrote in her resignation email.

The security breach occurred in 2014, allowing hackers to access personal, financial and health data of people who had undergone background checks as well as spouses and cohabitants of federal employees.

They were in the systems for nearly a year before the breach came to light - something that FBI Director James Comey called an 'enormous breach,' admitting that his information and that of his family was among the compromised data, NBC reported.

The US government believes the cyberattack was performed by the Chinese government - a claim denied by Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency, which said that the 'criminal' hackers responsible had been arrested by the Chinese government.

Seymour had arrived at her post one year prior to the hack, around the same time as Katherine Archuleta took her own position as head of OPM. Archuleta resigned in July last year when news of the security breach broke.

Seymour had also been named in a lawsuit brought against OPM by the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal workers' union, NBC said.

Attack and defense: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chair Jason Chaffetz (left) had been demanding Seymour's resignation, while committee member Elijah E Cummings (right) defended her

She had been scheduled to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is chaired by Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz, who had called for Seymour's resignation a number of times.

In a statement released Monday, Chaffetz said: 'While I am disappointed Ms Seymour will no longer appear before our Committee this week to answer to the American people, her retirement is necessary and long overdue.

'On her watch, whether through negligence or incompetence, millions of Americans lost their privacy and personal data.'

He also said that the national security implications of the breach are long lasting and that the agency needs a new chief technology officer to restore confidence.

Representative Elijah E Cummings, the committee's ranking Democrat, defended Seymour and her 'aggressive response' to the data breach in a statement.

'Unfortunately, efforts by Republicans to blame her for the cyberattack on OPM are both unfair and inaccurate, and they set a terrible precedent that will discourage qualified experts from taking on the challenges our nation faces in the future,' he said.

OPM's Acting Director, Beth Cobert, lauded Seymour for a distinguished 37-year career in the federal service. She said Seymour had inherited enormous technology challenges that were 'years in the making' and made significant progress addressing them. That praise was echoed by US Chief Information Officer Tony Scott.

At the time of writing, Seymour's biography was still on the OPM website. It noted that, 'In 2013, Mrs Seymour was awarded the Exceptional Civilian Service Award by the Secretary of Defense; in 2010, she received the Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Secretary of the Navy; and in 2007 she was named as a Top 100 Chief Information Officer by Computerworld magazine.'

Lauded: OPM's Acting Director, Beth Cobert, lauded Seymour and said that she had inherited technology challenges that were 'years in the making' and made progress in addressing them

The OPM said that it is working on a replacement for Seymour but had no timelines. A spokesperson said 'we remain confident in the team we have in place and their ability to continue our efforts to improve our IT capabilities and security.'

As the hearing continues, the federal government continues to tighten up security. Last month it established a new agency to handle the background check process and the records it creates, shifting data security responsibilities to the Defense Department.

And earlier this month, President Obama promised a massive cybersecurity revamp.

Speaking on February 9, he said 'We intend to modernize federal IT by replacing and retiring outdated systems that are vulnerable to attack... one of the biggest gaps between the public sector and the private sector is in our IT space and it makes everybody's information vulnerable.'
AFL Footy Show host Billy Brownless has enjoyed a family breakfast with ex-wife Nicky and their four children, amid reports she had a 'four-year affair' with his best friend Garry Lyon.

The former Geelong Cats player appeared to be in good spirits as he tucked into a healthy bowl of muesli, yoghurt and berries, surrounded by family at a cosy cafe thought to be in Geelong on Tuesday morning.

Footage of the gathering was uploaded to Snapchat by Billy's eldest daughter Lucy, 19. The video appears to show the couple's children Oscar, 16, Ruby, 18, and Max, 10, sitting around a table for an early meal before school.

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Billy Brownless (L) was filmed enjoying a family breakfast with ex-wife Nicky (R) and their four children

It's the second time in a week Brownless has been spotted spending time with Nicky after it emerged ten days ago that she had entered a relationship with Lyon, Brownless' best friend of over 20 years and Footy Show co-host.

The romance between Billy's ex-wife and closest friend is said to have torn apart Brownless' friendship with Lyon, and thrown their professional partnership into chaos.

The glamorous mother-of-four is said to have started a relationship with Lyon after she split with Brownless.

The footage was uploaded by Billy's eldest daughter Lucy, 19, and shows the family of six eating together. His youngest son Max, 10, is believed to be pictured on the right

It's the second time in a week that Billy Brownless has been spotted with ex-wife Nicky (pictured together left) after revelations that his best friend Garry Lyon (right, with ex-partner Melissa) had an affair with her

According to The Age, a heartbroken Brownless had told friends he believed the former Melbourne Demons star's affair with his ex-wife Nicky, had lasted up to four years.

Craig Kelly, who manages both Lyon and Brownless, confirmed that Lyon did start a relationship with Brownless' ex-wife Nicky, but only after she had separated from the former Geelong star.

'Today's media reports suggesting that Garry and Nicky's relationship has gone on for years are totally incorrect,' Kelly told AAP last week.

'We want to be clear that this relationship took place when both parties were not married. To that end, those details are private and no one else's business.

'Both families are in turmoil and trying to work through this extremely difficult time.'

Not so happy: It took Billy a few moments to catch on to the fact that his daughter was recording a video for her Snapchat feed

Billy Brownless was spotted spending time with Nicky (left) last Tuesday - just days after it emerged that she had an affair with his best friend Garry Lyon

The Footy Show presenter was seen dropping Nicky (pictured) and their two teenage daughters off at their home in Geelong, south of Melbourne, in what appeared to be a show of support last Tuesday

Lyon (right) and Brownless (left) had been friends and worked together for more than 15 years, and are co-hosts of the AFL Footy Show along with James Brayshaw (middle)

It comes as friends and family are reportedly furious at Lyon's affair.

Lyon has shut himself away in his home in Hawthorn, Victoria, and is in a miserable state as he battles with depression, the Herald Sun reports.

His eldest son Ben, 22, was pictured laughing and smiling with friends outside his mother Melissa's home in Hawthorn, Melbourne, on Tuesday.

Melissa and Gary, who have another two sons together Josh, 18, and Tom, 20, first split in 2005 after being together since the age of 15.

The couple then reunited and are understood to have separated permanently 18 months ago.

Brownless' daughters emerged from the house last Tuesday in different outfits after getting dropped off earlier by their father

AFL Footy Show host Garry Lyon has been stood down from media duties by the Nine Network as he battles a 'serious mental health condition'

Channel Nine announced on February 13 that Lyon would not be appearing on television or making media appearances and because of a 'mental health condition' he was suffering.

'For several months The Footy Show and Footy Classified co-host has been suffering from a serious mental health condition and he will take time out from all media roles to recover,' the statement said.

'There is no set time frame as to when he will return to television.'

Lyon was offered the support of Nine management.

'We are all supporting Garry and hope he will be back to good health very soon. Our priority is his wellbeing,' Nine Melbourne managing director Ian Paterson said.

'Garry has our full support. From here on, it's a private and personal matter and we ask that be respected.

People close to Garry Lyon, former Melbourne Demons player and current Channel Nine host, are reportedly torn between wanting to help him and being upset at him

Brownless reportedly suffered a 'deeply private and personal' break in his friendship with Lyon after learning of the relationship (pictured at a function with ex-wife Nicky in 2013)

Mr Kelly, who is the CEO of TLA and is also a former Collingwood premiership player, said Lyon's mental illness needs to be respected and his treatment is ongoing.

He said reports contradicting Lyon's medical situation are false.

'Garry's mental illness is serious and complex and has been ongoing for some time,' he said.

'He continues to receive medical treatment and, as anyone who has dealt with mental illness personally, or as a support, would understand it is a long process and often a day-by-day prospect.'

Kelly has requested the privacy of both families be respected.

Lyon, 48, played 226 games for the Demons and kicked 426 goals in an illustrious career that saw him named as a half-forward flanker in their Team of the Century.

The show is scheduled to return on March 23, a day before the 2016 AFL season gets underway.

Garry Lyon's eldest son Ben, 22, (shown) was pictured laughing and smiling with friends outside his mother Melissa's home in Hawthorn, Melbourne, last Tuesday

Lyon played 226 games for the Melbourne Demons and kicked 426 goals in an illustrious career that saw him named as a half-forward flanker in their Team of the Century
Set to be defied: Local councillors lined up to say they were hacked off with Mr Cameron (pictured leaving Downing Street yesterday)

The vast majority of Conservative activists are set to defy David Cameron and support Brexit, a survey suggests.

Interviews with constituency chairmen, officials and councillors from across the country show the scale of the challenge facing the Prime Minister in keeping the Tories from imploding over the issue.

Of 68 constituency parties contacted by The Guardian, only two said a majority of members were in favour of remaining in the European Union.

Some 17 reported a majority in favour of leaving. The others either said there was a 50-50 split in the ranks, or refused to respond.

Local councillors lined up to say they were hacked off with Mr Cameron, with one saying that all eyes were on London Mayor Boris Johnson, who has come out for Leave.

Lisa Parker, a councillor from Rugby, said she was disgusted by how the party was dealing with the issue.

Weve had to consult 27 countries just to talk about reform, she said. Weve sold this country out and were being ruled by the European Union  by people who hate us, who loathe us.

Ill be voting out, and campaigning every weekend. For the first time in my life Im questioning if this is the party for me.

David Sanders, a councillor in Peterborough, said of Mr Cameron: He didnt nail the deal. It wasnt a bad effort but he didnt do nearly enough to change my mind. Ill be campaigning to leave.

Debate: Interviews with constituency chairmen, officials and councillors from across the country show the scale of the challenge facing the Prime Minister in keeping the Tories from imploding over the Brexit issue

Mrs Thatcher would have nailed it. He hasnt been strong enough with EU colleagues. His best just hasnt been good enough.

Councillor David Tee, from Warley, said his constituency party was divided, with some members waiting to see what senior members of the Conservative Party choose to do  eyes are on figures like Boris Johnson.

Weve sold this country out and were being ruled by the European Union - by people who hate us, who loathe us Lisa Parker, a councillor from Rugby

Liz Harsant, chairman of the Ipswich constituency party, said: They are all for out at the moment. Our MP, health minister Ben Gummer, is in favour of staying but frankly we all want to leave.

Ken Worthy, chairman of the Claygate and Hinchley Wood branch of Esher and Walton Conservatives in Surrey, said: The constituency officers are in favour of staying but, from what I have heard, most of the members want to leave, probably about three-quarters, though this can only be a guess.

Cambridge constituency party chairman Simon Lee said: We discuss the issue a lot and there are strong feelings on both sides but it hasnt got too violent yet. We have our meetings, discuss the EU and then go to the pub and shake hands.

How will your MP vote? Full list of all the Conservative politicians who have declared their stand on the EU referendum debate
Whenever the leading members of the Tory and Labour parties agree on a vital national issue in peacetime, history warns us to be very wary.

For the fact is that they are usually wrong  and often catastrophically so.

Twenty-five years ago, the front benches of the Tory and Labour Parties applauded in unison at British entry to the Exchange Rate Mechanism (the system of fixed exchange rates which was the precursor to the European single currency).

Within two years, sterling was humiliatingly driven out of the system, but not before hundreds of thousands had lost their jobs or homes in our worst post-war recession. Indeed, this was an echo of the events in 1931 when there was cross-party consensus on the flawed policy of propping up the value of the pound with massive spending cuts.

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Whenever the leading members of the Tory and Labour parties agree on a vital national issue in peacetime, history warns us to be very wary

In the House of Commons yesterday, there was a nauseating moment when Labours Jeremy Corbyn joined forces with David Cameron over the EU

Most recently, there was the shameful agreement between Tory and Labour front benches 13 years ago in favour of Tony Blairs invasion of Iraq. It turned out to be a global calamity, and we are still feeling the effects.

The verdict of history suggests that consensus opinion has been a disaster for Britain. And yet we are witnessing a repeat of this dangerous phenomenon.

In the House of Commons yesterday, there was a nauseating moment when Labours Jeremy Corbyn joined forces with David Cameron over the EU.

They were joined by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and Chancellor George Osborne also making common cause. It has to be said that a near majority of Tory MPs are believed to be ready to defy their leadership and vote for the UKs withdrawal from the EU, but otherwise the country faces a political establishment singing in unison.

To make matters worse, the economic establishment is refusing to rock the EU boat.

In the face of this formidable line-up, it is immensely refreshing that two courageous men  Michael Gove and Boris Johnson  have declared themselves as supporters of the Leave EU camp.

Anyone who is a patriotic Briton  and everyone who believes in democracy  should welcome their decision. Of course, no one can predict the future, but if history is any guide, they are absolutely right to challenge the pro-EU consensus among the political elite and opinion-forming classes.

Prime Minster David Cameron leaves 10 Downing Street in London for the House of Commons to argue the case for staying within the European Union ahead of the vote in June

In my opinion, Michael Gove and Boris Johnson, are the two most brilliant politicians of their generation and they have the personal charisma and the intellectual gifts to ensure that the case for Britain to leave the EU is seriously heard.

However, both men risk paying a heavy personal price. They have left the Establishment club. They will no longer be protected by spin-doctors and party machines.

Indeed, I wonder whether either man yet appreciates what he has let himself in for.

This particularly applies to Boris Johnson. The London Mayor has always been secretly hated by a large number of his Tory colleagues  embittered and resentful mediocrities who resent his effortless intellectual brilliance, his charm, his Eton and Oxford education, his easy appeal to voters of all classes. Now that Mr Johnson has left the club, they will turn on him.

Indeed, the process has started. Even before he made his position known, Mr Johnson was under serial attack. Not an unfamiliar allegation to be levelled at this intensely ambitious man.

David Cameron was at his most vicious as he led the way during his Commons statement yesterday.

Although he didnt mention Boris Johnson by name, he accused him of being driven by personal ambition, and of having a secret agenda to rejoin the EU if Britain voted to leave.

These claims are baseless, and easy to disprove. I would argue that on this occasion, while it would be naive to doubt Mr Johnson covets his job in the future, the charge of careerism is especially unfair.

Mr Johnson had a senior Cabinet job (most likely the Foreign Office) for the taking as a reward if he backed the Remain campaign.

It took fortitude and strength of character to place his personal convictions ahead of short-term political advancement.

By adopting his bold course of action, Mr Johnson also set himself apart from many of his Cabinet colleagues.

Just compare him with Home Secretary Theresa May, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Culture Secretary Sajid Javid and others who have long set out their personal stall as Eurosceptics.

As such, they have gained easy applause at Conservative Party conferences and ensured early promotion to high office.

Yet when the time came for actions rather than gestures last week, they had weaselled their way into the Europhile cause.

I think that Mrs Mays behaviour is especially contemptible.

In October, she made a strong and widely-welcomed speech to Tory conference highlighting the damage immigration has done to Britains social fabric. She pointed out that EU rules made it impossible to address the problem.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson speaks in the House of Commons in London

Yet her decision now to fall in line with Mr Cameron and support Britains continued membership of the EU suggests that her claim to want to get tough on immigration was pretty empty.

I am afraid, in the cynical world of modern politics, she will most likely be rewarded for her insincerity.

By contrast, Boris Johnson has stuck to the Eurosceptic instincts he first showed when a young Brussels correspondent.

For this reason, the Prime Ministers low-grade attack on him yesterday has set an unhappy tone. The Conservative Party looks set for several months of civil war. Divisions in the party will last for months, and are unlikely to end come June 23, the date of the referendum.

Johnson threw his weight on Sunday behind the campaign to leave the European Union, dealing a blow to David Cameron by increasing the chance British voters will ditch membership in a June referendum

In the words of Mr Gove, our membership of the European Union prevents us being able to change huge swathes of law and stops us being able to choose who makes critical decisions which affect all our lives.

Laws which govern citizens in this country are decided by politicians from other nations who we never elected and cant throw out.

And as Mr Johnson put it, Britain has not left the European Union. The EU has left us.

It is insulting to voters intelligence for the pro-EU campaigners to claim it is underpinned by the same values as existed when we joined what was originally a trading bloc in 1972. Instead, it is patently clear that the Brussels machine has set a course to obliterate national boundaries, eradicate national sovereignty and create a single government.

Voters are well aware that there are serious arguments on both sides.

But isnt it wonderful that Michael Gove and Boris Johnson, after a great deal of personal mental turmoil, have thrown their considerable political weight behind the cause of national democracy?
Diner has revealed it will not be pressing charges as they know the driver

Four people were injured although miraculously none were

This is the terrifying moment a car drove straight into a restaurant smashing through a glass wall, crushing tables and injuring four people - although the driver somehow escaped unscathed.

Driver Ram Singh, 42, lost control of his Volkswagen Polo when he accidentally stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake while attempting to park his car outside the restaurant in Ranchi, eastern India.

The car quickly picked up speed and slammed through the restaurant's glass wall where around 40 people were sitting in and having their lunch.

Driver Ram Singh, 42, lost control of his Volkswagen Polo when he accidentally stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake while attempting to park his car outside the restaurant in Ranchi, eastern India

The incident happened so quickly the diners did not have time to react or get out of the way.

Four diners were injured but Mr Singh, his wife and their 12-year-old child somehow escaped unscathed.

Showkat Galeria, the manager of the restaurant, said the man lost control of the car after he was signalled by a guard outside the entrance to the parking area.

Mr Galeria said: 'People were enjoying lunch when suddenly a speedy car crashed into the wall. For a second, we could not understand what happened.

'I was at the cash counter when I heard a loud thud of smashing glass. When I noticed, I saw this red car crashing into the wall and coming straight towards me.

The car quickly picked up speed and slammed through the restaurant's glass wall where around 40 people were sitting in and having their lunch

The car was caught on CCTV smashing through the glass window and crushing tables and chairs

The impact sent shards of glass and detritus flying but somehow no one was seriously injured

'I ran from the table but unfortunately the man sitting in the front row got hit by it and was hurt. It was the most frightening moment of my life.

'There was complete ruckus at the restaurant, people were screaming and running hurriedly.'

Luckily, there were no serious injuries.

The four people who had been injured were taken to a nearby hospital where, after preliminary treatment, they were sent home.

But despite the dangerous incident being recorded by surveillance cameras installed at the diner, no complaint has been lodged against Mr Singh - as it emerged he is a friend of the owner.

Mr Galeria said: 'We have not filed any complaint against him as he is known to us. As compensation, he has promised to pay us for the damages.'

The incident happened so quickly the diners did not have time to react or get out of the way
The cause of the crash is under investigation

Navy veteran and scuba diver Juan Valerio and his wife Alicia, a critical care nurse, swam to to help the passengers

A 16-year-old passenger in the Pearl Harbor helicopter crash died in hospital Monday, despite the heroic attempts of a couple who tried to save him in the water.

The young boy, who has not yet been named, was aboard a tour helicopter with three family members when it crashed into the water near Pearl Harbor Visitors Center Thursday.

Two of the family members remain hospitalized in stable condition, while the third was treated and has since been released, says ABC.

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Heroes: Navy veteran and scuba diver Juan Valerio (left) and his wife Alicia, a critical nurse (right) witnessed the horrific crash and were able to help the passengers minutes after the helicopter plunged into the water

Horror: A helicopter with five people on board (pictured) crashed Thursday near Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and was caught on video by a witness

The tour helicopter was registered to Genesis Aviation, who released a statement Friday expressing their 'deepest and sincerest apologies'

GENESIS AVIATION STATEMENT Aloha Everyone, It is with our deepest and sincerest of apologies that due to the tragic event that happened with our helicopter yesterday, we'll be unable to provide tours/charter services until further notice. Our utmost thoughts and concern go out to our pilot (his family), our passengers that were onboard that flight, and to all others that were affected by this unfortunate event. We're absolutely at a lost for words as no words can describe the pain we're experiencing right now. Mahalo for your understanding... Advertisement

No information was available for the pilot, who was taken to a different hospital.

Navy veteran and scuba diver Juan Valerio and his wife Alicia, a critical care nurse, witnessed the horrific crash and were able to help the passengers minutes after the helicopter plunged into the water, reported KCRA-3.

Juan swam to the people who had emerged from the aircraft and managed to pull a woman to shore.

The 16-year-old was initially trapped underwater and had to be cut free from his seat, while Alicia gave him CPR.

Juan told KCRA-3: 'There was nothing more terrifying than hearing [his mother] scream at the top of her lungs that 'he has so much to live for, please help him.''

The boy's family have chosen to donate his organs so that 'his memory lives on', said Gidget Ruscetta, chief operating officer at Pali Momi Medical Center where the boy was treated.

The Valerios, from Rancho Cordova, told KCRA that they don't consider themselves heroes.

Juan said: 'If that was me and my family, I hope somebody would come out and help us.'

Alicia explained: 'Everybody was helping and everybody didn't care about their safety, they just helped these people out.'

Juan Valerios (left) and his wife Alicia (right), from Rancho Cordova, told KCRA that they don't consider themselves heroes, saying: 'If that was me and my family, I hope somebody would come out and help us'

Their 12-year-old son, Benjamin said of his parents' heroic attempts: 'It made me really proud.

'I'm going to look up more to them now because of what just happened.'

The helicopter is reportedly registered to Jeffrey Gebhard of Kailua, Hawaii and belongs to Genesis Aviation, which was founded by Gebhard, and conducts tours over Oahu.

Gebhard was approached Monday for comment but was not available.

Proud: Benjamin Valerio said he will look up to his parents even more now after their heroic attempts

The company released a statement on their website Friday expressing their 'deepest and sincerest apologies'.

It added that 'no words can describe the pain we're experiencing right now' and that the company would not be providing services until further notice.

The Navy said the aircraft was taken to Genesis Aviation's hangar at the airport after civilian divers floated the helicopter to the surface Friday and a crane pulled it out.

The National Transportation Safety Board will now conduct an investigation, says ABC.

A Honolulu TV station obtained a recording of the pilot saying: 'I am going down.'

The dramatic crash was caught on video by witness Shawn Winrich who had been visiting Pearl Harbor from Winconsin.
Tate Britain announced an 'unprecedented overview' of David Hockney's (pictured) work in 2017

Over a career spanning six decades, his vibrant images have made him one of the most successful artists of our time.

And as David Hockney approaches his 80th birthday, Tate Britain has announced it will host the world's most extensive retrospective of his work.

The exhibition, which will open in February 2017, will give an 'unprecedented overview' of the Bradford-born artist's achievements in painting, drawing, print, photography and video.

It will show how Hockney stamped his name on the post-modern art scene and has continued to challenge the conventions of picture-making for more than half a century.

The show will be one of the biggest ever organised by the Tate and will feature diverse images from the Yorkshire landscapes that caught his imagination as a teenager to his famous pictures of swimming pools in Los Angeles.

It will also show several unfinished works and newly-completed pieces which have never been on display.

Famed for embracing change and new technologies  including his landscapes painted on an iPad  the chronological overview will aim to show 'how the roots of each new direction lay in the work that came before.'

It will also feature early works such as his Love paintings, which were made in the early 60s and explored his homosexuality, to his portraits of family, friends and himself, including Self Portrait with Blue Guitar from 1977.

Unfinished Self-Portrait (pictured), dated 1977, will featire in the exhibition Tate Britain has called the 'world's most extensive retrospective' showing of his work to celebrate the British artist's 80th birthday

The 78-year-old, often referred to as one of the most influential British artists of the twentieth century, said: 'It has been a pleasure to revisit works I made decades ago'

The 78-year-old, often referred to as one of the most influential British artists of the twentieth century, said: 'It has been a pleasure to revisit works I made decades ago, including some of my earliest paintings. Many of them seem like old friends to me now.

'We're looking back over a lifetime with this exhibition, and I hope, like me, people will enjoy seeing how the roots of my new and recent work can be seen in the developments over the years.'

Alex Farquharson, the director of Tate Britain said: 'David Hockney is without doubt one of Britain's greatest living artists. His practice is both consistent, in its pursuit of core concerns, while also wonderfully diverse. Hockney's impact on post-war art, and culture more generally, is inestimable, and this is a fantastic opportunity to see the full trajectory of his career to date.'
Aaqil Ahmed, BBC head of religion and ethics, said viewers who criticised Songs Of Praise filmed in The Jungle camp didn't understand compassion as a core Christian value

The BBC only came under fire for broadcasting Songs of Praise from the Calais Jungle because Britons lack religious literacy, one of its senior bosses has claimed.

Aaqil Ahmed, the broadcasters head of religion and ethics, said viewers who criticised the programme failed to understand that compassion is a core Christian value.

Changes to Songs of Praise have made it a multi-denominational weekly, reflecting the changes within Christianity in the UK, he wrote.

This was seen recently in its visit to the notorious migrant camp The Jungle in Calais.

Religious literacy is so poor that many didnt understand why Songs of Praise would be there, but compassion for the vulnerable is at the core of Christianity.

The BBC broadcast the flagship show last summer from a make-shift Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the Calais migrant camp, made out of corrugated iron and tarpaulin.

Mr Ahmeds comments will infuriate MPs and viewers who lambasted the BBC for wading into the migrant crisis.

Angry viewers felt the programme had been used as a political statement, and did not include enough hymns.

There was no singing from the migrant camp. Instead, footage of the ramshackle church was interspersed with worship songs sung by sedate English congregations and African Pentecostalists, all miles away from Calais.

It began filming as public fury over the migrant crisis reached boiling point last August, putting the Government under unprecedented pressure to close the countrys borders to illegal immigrants.

Nine people had already died after thousands of migrants stormed the Channel Tunnel in a desperate attempt to build a new life in Britain.

But the BBC still shone a spotlight on the hordes of migrants, including worshippers who admitted that they had tried to enter the country illegally.

The programme also sparked fear amongst the churchs worshippers, many of whom had fled from religious persecution in Eritrea.

One of the churchs priests launched a furious attack on the BBC, saying that he feared the footage would be seen in his home country and would put him and his family in fresh danger.

The BBC broadcast flagship show Songs Of Praise last summer from a make-shift Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the Calais migrant camp, made out of corrugated iron and tarpaulin

Angry viewers felt the programme had been used as a political statement, and did not include enough hymns,

Hagos Kesete said: Our government sees us on camera and maybe our family have a problemI have fear inside. I am not happy to speak on video.

However, Mr Ahmed appeared to brush those concerns aside in his blog, published on the website Open Democracy.

Almost a century of post-Christian Europe and decades of drift into secularism have created a society with poor religious literacy Aaqil Ahmed

He argued that Britains religious literacy has become worse and worse in recent decades, and that it is the BBCs job to address this to make sure peoples prejudices to kick in.

Almost a century of post-Christian Europe and decades of drift into secularism have created a society with poor religious literacy. Whilst this may not have mattered in the past it certainly does now.

Across all groups in society very few people know about each others beliefs, values and customs. Into this vacuum its possible to say anything and for prejudice to kick in. Given what a lack of religious literacy in a time of demographic change could mean, it is vital that we get this subject right today and plan for the future, he said.

Mr Ahmed is no stranger to controversy. His appointment in 2009 sparked a row, as he became the BBCs first ever Muslim head of religious programming.

Senior figures in the Church of England said it was a worrying development, which could lead to the Christian voice being side lined.
Guantanamo Bay's 'most dangerous' terror suspects may be transferred to US soil according to Pentagon plans to shut the Cuba-based facility that are expected to be brought before Congress on Tuesday.

Barack Obama signed an executive order to close the detention camp at the base upon becoming president in 2009, but backtracked when he discovered that there were no files on many of the detainees. This will be his last chance to make the closure stick.

However, his plan will face strong opposition from lawmakers, many of whom will object to plans to move the most dangerous of the 91 prisoners to facilities on US soil, something that has been banned by Congress since 2011.

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Closing time: The detainment camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, now has 91 prisoners. The Pentagon wants to move some to their homelands or third countries, but many will be imprisoned on US soil under new plans

Promise: Barack Obama made a promise to shut the prison in 2009, but will face a tough fight in congress. Republican senator Kelly Ayotte (right) says his administration does not 'level with the American people'

The Pentagon blueprints propose sending 35 prisoners who have been cleared for transfer to either their homelands or third countries, and bringing the rest  described as 'the most dangerous prisoners' by CNN  back to maximum-security prisons on US soil.

The plans will not say exactly which prisons have been proposed for fear of a political outcry over specific sites during an election year.

However, Reuters confirmed that Pentagon officials have already surveyed a federal prison in Florence, Colorado, a military jail at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Navy brig at Charleston, South Carolina.

There is opposition to closing the detainment camp on both sides of Congress, but particularly in the Republican party.

Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte said on Monday the Obama administration refused to 'level with the American people regarding the terrorist activities and affiliations of the detainees who remain at Guantanamo.'

However, the White House reiterated Obama's long-held assertion that Guantanamo functions as a terrorist 'recruiting tool' and asked lawmakers to look at the plan 'with an open mind'.

Possible location: The Pentagon has looked at the US army base at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as one possible location for ex-Guantanamo detainees, but will not announce any specific locations

Brig: The US Navy brig at Charleston was another site looked at by the Pentagon

There are other problems for Obama. As CNN reported, he recently signed the defense authorization and defense appropriations bills, both of which have specific provisions barring Guantanamo detainees from entering the U.S.

In a letter to Congress, Army Lieutenant General William Mayville, director of the Joint Staff, wrote: 'Current law prohibits the use of funds to "transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release" of detainees from Guantanamo Bay to or within the United States. The Joint Staff will not take any action contrary to those restrictions.'

A US official told CNN that the Pentagon's proposal would request legislative 'relief' from the ban. The White House may also say that the bans are unconstitutional as they stop Obama from making military decisions as commander in chief.

If these issues must be decided in court, the closure of Guantanamo could be delayed until long after Obama has left office.

Friction could also come in the form of lawsuits from the states to which the prisoners will be relocated.

Criticism: The detainment camp has long been criticized by human rights activists and foreign governments, with claims of torture, sexual abuse and religious persecution from former prisoners

In the meantime, efforts are being made to speed up parole-style reviews to determine whether more prisoners can be added to the release list, officials said, and plans may also include sending prisoners to other countries for trial and prosecution.

Those plans also include costs for upgrading US facilities that will be used to house the inmates. The White House already rejected one proposal last year for being too costly.

The White House has left open the possibility of Obama again using executive powers to close the facility.
A couple who lost their infant son to a rare form of liver cancer decided to celebrate what would have been his second birthday this weekend by paying for another family's meal.

They selected another family with a child who looked to be the same age as Luke - but what they didn't realize was that his birthday was on the same day as their deceased son's.

Shane and MaryJo Dunn, of Glastonbury, Connecticut, purchased a $50 gift card at First and Last Tavern on Saturday and selected a family with a young boy who appeared to be a similar age to their son Luke Dunn.

They included a card that read: 'Our son would have turned two years old today. We lost him at 17 months to cancer.

MaryJo and Shane Dunn (pictured), lost their son Luke to cancer at just 17 months. They decided to cover a random family's meal in honor of their son's second birthday

Luke (left and right) was born after his parents struggled with fertility. He was diagnosed at 13 months and underwent several surgeries before he died four months later

'He was pure love and joy and we want to pass that on today. Hope you feel a little bit of love with your lunch. Please pay it forward.'

The family, who were nearly moved to tears, were actually celebrating their own son's third birthday, which falls on the same day as Luke's.

Shane Dunn told NBC: 'It makes you think that there truly is a connection that none of us can comprehend.'

According to the restaurant manager, the Dunn's random act of kindness has already been passed on several times.

Luke, who was born in 2014 after his parents struggled with infertility, was diagnosed at just 13-months with a malignant liver tumor.

His aunt started singing him lullabies, and after a Facebook page she set up went viral, strangers submitted their own videos for Luke.

The baby boy would laugh and clap along to the songs, which would help distract him from hospital visits.

His aunt added that Luke particularly loved Beyonce's All the Single Ladies.

Luke, who underwent several surgeries, died four months after his initial diagnosis.

MaryJo, who said Luke's birth was the best day of her life, misses his blue eyes and loving personality.

But she said she will continue to inspire kindness in his honor for the rest of her life.

The recipients of the gift card (pictured), who were nearly moved to tears, were actually celebrating their own son's third birthday which falls on the same day as Luke's

The Dunns asked the recipients to pay it forward, and the manager at First and Last Tavern (pictured) reported that their random act of kindness has already been passed on several times




NBA rookie Jahlil Okafor, who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, was caught speeding 108mph in a new video released on Monday.

The footage was taken in October 2015 as Okafor raced across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which connects Philadelphia to New Jersey.

The speed limit on the bridge is 45mph.

Delaware Port Authority chase NBA rookie Jahlil Okafor down the Ben Franklin Bridge as he speeds away

Okafor's car speeds away from the police car as he reaches 108mph in the 45mph zone

Okafor paid a $437 fine for leading a Delaware Port Authority cruiser on a chase across the bridge.

Okafor tried to outrun them in his Mercedes Maybach on the nearly empty road, but eventually he stopped and allowed police to approach his vehicle.

On Thursday Okafor pleaded guilty to unsafe operation of a motor vehicle, according to his attorney Andrew Smith.

His attorney said Okafor paid the fine but the check wasnt accepted because Camden, New Jersey's law office wanted to vacate the agreement, according to NBC Philadelphia.

Smith said he thinks Camden wants to add community service to Oakfor's sentence.

Okafor won't be required to do community service and Smith said his client has learned his lesson.

Okafor finally stops after getting off the 45mph bridge and allows police to approach his Mercedes Maybach

Okafor won't be required to do community service and said he has learned his lesson after the chase
It was meant to be a creative writing exercise as part of a Religious Education lesson.

But when pupils were asked to write a letter to their parents saying they had converted to Islam, it was met with outrage.

The 12 and 13-year-olds at Beaucamps High School in Guernsey were asked to consider what it would be like to become a Muslim and to write a letter to their loved ones explaining their decision.

Controversial: The 12 and 13-year-olds at Beaucamps High School in Guernsey, pictured, were asked to consider what it would be like to become a Muslim and to write a letter to their parents explaining their decision

But many parents blasted the homework, saying it was dangerous when so many youngsters were fleeing Britain to wage jihad in Syria.

One said: The idiot who thought this one up is not fit to be at the school or in education.

Muslims make up less than one per cent of the population on Guernsey and the island recently refused to accept any Syrian refugees.

Gemma Gough said she and her husband Will had complained to Guernseys education department, and added that their son Thomas would not complete the work.

Writing on Facebook, she said: Sorry, but both Will and I feel very strongly  as do many, many other parents  that this is not acceptable. Kids are too impressionable, and imagine if these letters got in the wrong hands in years to come.

Guernseys education department said: It is important that our students are able to learn about, understand, investigate and question all that is around them. As with all subjects, homework will be set to cover all areas of the curriculum.

Assignment: An outline of the homework handed out to a Religious Education class at the school

The homework drew a negative response from many people on the local Guernsey Press website.

One person wrote: Teach pupils about religion by all means but be very careful when you ask them to be a Muslim.

In this day and age when easily led youngsters are being radicalised, it is a dangerous road to be taking.

Backlash: Parents and members of community have slammed the homework assignment online

The amount of youngsters heading to Syria without their parents knowing must ring warning bells about how easily led they can be.

Another wrote: Its a very emotive topic and really not a particularly clever move by the school.

The homework came with a note: Please note this is a piece of creative writing and completely fictional.
The claim would allow the families to seek damages in US courts

A New York attorney is now hoping to prove the crash was rooted in the US because Lubitz did his flight training in Arizona

The families of passengers killed in the Germanwings suicide crash last year will take legal action against Lufthansa in the United States after rejecting the carrier's compensation offer as inadequate, according to reports.

Germanwings, a unit of Lufthansa, offered $27,500 per victim last June for the pain and suffering caused by the March 24 crash, which killed all 150 onboard.

That figure was on top of a sum of about $55,000 given to the family of each passenger as immediate financial assistance.

German law does not usually provide for a separate award for pain and suffering, dashing hopes for further compensation on the grounds of such things as emotional distress.

Killer in the cockpit: All 150 people on board the Germanwings Airbus A320 were killed when its 27-year-old German co-pilot Andreas Lubitz (pictured) intentionally slammed the plane into the French Alps

Rescue workers comb the scene of the Germanwings crash in March for evidence and the victim's remains

A New York lawyer representing some of the German victims, Brian Alexander, is now preparing a civil action to be filed in the United States, which allows for large payouts for emotional damages, unlike German law.

Evidence shows co-pilot Andreas Lubitz locked the captain out of the cockpit of Germanwings flight 4U9525 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf and deliberately steered the plane into a remote mountainside, killing all 150 onboard.

The proposed payout for emotional distress would be made to parents, widowed spouses, partners and children of the victims.

However, according to GQ, European laws sharply limit an airline's liability in crashes, as part of a legal principle known in German as Restrsiko, which is the idea that passengers accept an inherent risk whenever they choose to fly.

A lawyer representing 43 of the 72 German victims, Elmar Giemulla, said that an average of $250,000 compensation for each family was a fair amount.

They were actually paid about $80,000.

Legally, Lufthansa was not compelled to any more money, but did offer an additional $10,000 to each family, calling it a 'goodwill gesture'.

Grim task: Members of the recovery team collect debris and find the second black box as they resume at the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 in the French Alps

Alexander is hoping to prove that the crash is actually rooted in the US, because Lubitz was trained in the country by Lufthansa, which would allow the families to pursue their case in US courts.

'How do you put a monetary value on eight minutes of terror?' Alexander told GQ.

Lubitz attended flight school in Arizona.

Alexander is hoping to show that the pilot's mental instability was known during his training, but he continued to receive flight clearance.

At the training center, Lubitz lied on a form about his history of depression and psychiatric treatment and was caught out. As a result a notation for 'specific regular examination' was put on his record.

'That notation on his certificate should have been a red flag,' Alexander told the magazine.

'They had the duty to ask [Lubitz] more questions. 'Was the depression mild or severe? When did it take place? Were you treated with medications? Did you ever have suicidal thoughts?' '

Even more damning, Alexander says, would be evidence that the school knew Lubitz had falsified his FAA form, which is a criminal offense.

Since a group meeting in October with Alexander, the families of nearly all who died in the Germanwings crash have joined in pressing for the civil action.
Australia's only practicing eyeball tattooist has hit back at calls from the Labor government to have the controversial body art banned.

The Melbourne-based tattooist known only as 'Luna Cobra' claims the process of injecting ink into the white part of eyeballs is safer than smoking or drinking.

It involves injecting ink into the white part of the eyeball, called the sclera, to permanently dye it another colour.

But a recent decision by the Baird government to bring eyeball tattooing under the same law as piercing and regular tattooing has been blasted by Australian politicians and eye experts.

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The Baird government has changed brought eyeball tattooing under the same legislation as piercing and regular tattoos

The decision has infuriated the Labor government and leading Australian eye specialists, who say the procedure is incredibly dangerous and can result in blindness

The practice involves injecting ink into the white part of the eyeball to permanently dye it another colour

Australia's only eyeball tattooist, Melbourne-based 'Luna Cobra' (pictured) says the procedure is safer than smoking or drinking

Labor's health spokesman Walt Secord called the Baird government decision a "major stuff up" which endangers Australians' health.

Australian Society of Ophthalmologists president, Dr Michael Steiner, said the concept of eyeball tattooing was 'absolutely appalling' and the practice should be banned.

'To do something that could risk the eyeball for a cosmetic purpose like this is absolutely crazy,' Dr Steiner told AAP.

Outcomes could include perforation of the eyeball, a sensitivity to the dye used or long-term inflammation.

But Luna Cobra, who claims to be the 'inventer' of eyeball tattooing and has been performing the procedure for eight years, disagrees.

'Any reports of a link between cancer and eyeball tattoos is only speculation and this has never been reported since I started this in 2007,' he told AAP on Tuesday.

'The demand is very low, less then 10 people across Australia... about one eye per year.'

Leading Australian ophthalmologists say the concept of eyeball tattooing is 'absolutely appalling' and the practice should be banned

But the only Australian eyeball tattooist Luna Cobra has never had any issues in the nine years he has been performing the procedure

The process injects ink into the white part of the eyeball to permanently dye it a colour

The technique can reportedly cause blindness, blurred vision or spots and floaters if performed incorrectly

Luna Cobra's website does however warn of the serious health risks for those who choose to get the procedure done by 'copycat' practitioners other than himself.

'Without the proper education, training, experience and guidance, these practitioners have caused vision impairments like blurred vision, spots or floaters, and even blindness,' his website reads.

President of the Australian Medical Association NSW, Dr Saxon Smith, said the procedure 'rates up there with stupidity or idiocy'.

The white of the eye, or sclera, ranges in thickness from 1mm to 3mm.

'It's a highly sensitive structure,' Dr Smith told AAP.

'It might be tough, it might be resistant, but attacking it with needles, running the risk of infection, perforation and then long-term damage in sight loss is ridiculous.'

But the technique of injecting ink into the white part of the eyeball to permanently dye it a colour, which reportedly can cause blindness if done wrongly, has been practised by Luna Cobra to current safety standards for more than 10 years.

'Clearly the politician just wanted to kick a fuss at any local pop culture news to see his name in the paper and has no real concern for the health of Australians,' Luna Cobra said.

The NSW minister for health has been contacted for comment.

President of the AMA NSW, Dr Saxon Smith, said the procedure 'rates up there with stupidity or idiocy'

'It might be tough, it might be resistant, but attacking it with needles, running the risk of infection, perforation and then long-term damage in sight loss is ridiculous,' Mr Smith said
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has rowed back on his support for the US government in its bid to get Apple to unlock the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone.

In a televised Bloomberg interview Tuesday morning he said he was 'blindsided and disappointed' by a Financial Times interview in which he appeared to dismiss Apple CEO Tim Cook's claims that opening the phone would open a slippery slope to a tsunami of security concerns.

In the FT report Gates was quoted as saying: 'This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case' - a clear dismissal of Apple CEO Tim Cook's claims that opening the phone would open a slippery slope to a tsunami of security concerns.

He then gave a televised interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday morning in which he claimed the article didn't correctly state his view on the dispute which he said was ultimately a decision for the courts.

In a Bloomberg interview Tuesday morning he said the dispute was something for the courts to decide over and that he was disappointed by an FT report that stated that he supported the government over Apple

Apple said the hack would be akin to 'a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks - from restaurants and banks to stores and homes'. Pictured: Apple CEO Tim Cook

WHO WANTS TO HACK THE PHONE Government Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ordered Apple to provide 'reasonable technical assistance' to investigators seeking to unlock the data on the iPhone 5C Bill Gates 'This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case,' Gates said in an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday Relatives of victims Robert Velasco, father of 27-year-old Yvette Velasco who was shot dead in the massacre, released a statement on Monday saying the cellphone could contain critical information and it is potentially a matter of national security Advertisement

WHO WANTS TO LEAVE IT LOCKED Tim Cook, Apple Inc Apple said disabling the phone's auto-erase function and helping investigators to submit passcode guesses electronically is akin to 'a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks - from restaurants and banks to stores and homes' Apple has since urged the creation of a government panel on encryption to help resolve a standoff over national security and data privacy Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said he was 'pretty sympathetic' with Apple's chief executive Tim Cook in his stand-off with the US government over breaking into the iPhone of a mass shooter Advertisement

He said: 'That doesnt state my view on this. I do believe that with the right safeguards, there are cases where the government, on our behalf - like stopping terrorism, which could get worse in the future - that is valuable'.

He went on to call for a healthy debate on the subject and said that it is important to strike a balance between privacy rights and legitimate security concerns.

Gates also noted that the government has historically abused its powers, citing the case of former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover.

The Financial Times interview stunned observers for it set Silicon Valley's most influential man apart from his tech industry peers at Facebook, Google and Twitter who have all backed Apple.

It comes after the father of a woman killed in the San Bernardino terror attack added his name to an upcoming legal filing supporting the government's position.

Married shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malin shot dead fourteen people and seriously wounded 22 at Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, on December 2.

During the FBI's investigation, officers found an iPhone belonging to Farook which they believe could contain significant evidence of national security importance.

Judge Sheri Pym of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ordered Apple to provide 'reasonable technical assistance' to investigators seeking to unlock the data on the iPhone 5C.

That assistance includes disabling the phone's auto-erase function, which activates after 10 consecutive unsuccessful passcode attempts, and helping investigators to submit passcode guesses electronically.

However, Apple said this is akin to 'a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks - from restaurants and banks to stores and homes.'

In a desperate bid to win over Tim Cook, James Comey even penned an emotive letter posted on Law Fare last weekend, calling on the tech giant to see beyond the supposed implications of the hack and reflect on the 'context of this heart-breaking case'.

Comey wrote that the FBI 'doesn't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land' and that the matter is 'about the victims and justice. Fourteen people were slaughtered and many more had their lives and bodies ruined'.

However, to date Apple has refused to budge - and even won some support from Facebook.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said he was 'pretty sympathetic' with Apple's chief executive Tim Cook in his stand-off with the US government over breaking into the iPhone of a mass shooter.

Clues to who Syed Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik (pictured) communicated with, and potentially other extremists living in America, could be named on an iPhone 5c found in their car

Robert Velasco, father of 27-year-old Yvette Velasco (right), has agreed to be named in an upcoming legal filing supporting the government's position. He is pictured (left) at Yvette's funeral embracing her mother Marie

'I don't think that requiring back doors to encryption is either going to be an effective thing to increase security or is really the right thing to do,' Facebook's chief executive told delegates at the world's biggest mobile congress in Barcelona.

'We are pretty sympathetic to Tim and Apple, but at the same time we feel we have a really big responsibility running this big networking community to help prevent terrorism and different types of attacks,' he said.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey expressed his solidarity on Twitter. 'We stand with @tim_cook and Apple (and thank him for his leadership)!', he wrote.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai also took to Twitter to back Cooks position, saying it would be irresponsible to force companies to enable third parties to hack their devices.

He said: 'We build secure products to keep your information safe and we give law enforcement access to data based on valid legal orders. But thats wholly different than requiring companies to enable hacking of customer devices & data. Could be a troubling precedent'.

Finally, on Monday relatives of victims began to lend their support to the government.

Robert Velasco, father of 27-year-old Yvette Velasco, was the first to join the U.S. government's push against Apple Inc. to hack into the locked iPhone.

His support is significant as James Comey tries to take an emotional approach to win Apple over.

Slamming the tech firm, the Velasco family released a statement on Monday saying the cellphone could contain critical information and the issue is potentially a matter of national security.
The U.S. Supreme Court resumed work on Monday for the first time since Antonin Scalia's death.

Chief Justice John Roberts paid tribute to the long-serving jurist before the remaining justices engaged in a testy argument over the rights of criminal defendants.

'We remember his incisive intellect, his agile wit and his captivating prose. But we cannot forget his irrepressible spirit,' Roberts said of Scalia, a conservative who served three decades on the court before his February 13 death at age 79.

The Supreme Court justices resumed work on Monday after a hiatus following the death of Antonin Scalia (bottom row, second from the left)

In remarks before arguments held in two cases, Roberts said Scalia wrote 282 majority opinions.

'He was also known, on occasion to dissent,' Roberts joked, referring to Scalia's trenchant opinions when on the losing side.

Inside the court's white marble and crimson-draped chamber, Scalia's black-draped chair stood empty alongside the eight remaining justices.

The second of the arguments, a Utah criminal case, illustrated the difficulties the shorthanded court may face in making divisive rulings while divided evenly ideologically, with four conservatives and four liberals.

Conservative supreme court jurist Antonin Scalia died on February 13 at the age of 79

President Barack Obama is preparing to nominate Scalia's successor. Leading Senate Republicans have vowed to block any nominee from the Democratic president, with the court's balance of power at stake.

Utah officials appealed a lower-court ruling that key evidence against Edward Strieff, convicted of methamphetamine possession and a related drug charge, was inadmissible because it violated the U.S. Constitution's ban on unreasonable searches and seizures.

Sonia Sotomayor and other liberal justices signaled support for Strieff.

Roberts and fellow conservative Samuel Alito appeared more supportive of Utah.

His lawyers contend Strieff's constitutional rights were violated because although there was an existing warrant for his arrest, the police officer did not know that when he stopped Strieff's vehicle and found incriminating evidence.

Scalia's chair has been draped in black ever since his death earlier this month. On Monday the Supreme Court began hearing cases with an even number of judges

Sotomayor said a ruling in their favor could encourage police to stop people without good reason, hoping a warrant existed that would permit a search.

'What stops us from becoming a police state?' Sotomayor asked.

Sotomayor said such a ruling would disproportionately impact cities where a large number of people have outstanding arrest warrants such as Ferguson, Missouri, where a white policeman killed an unarmed black 18-year-old in 2014, sparking protests.

A ruling favoring police could give them 'very good incentive for just standing on the street corner ... and asking every citizen, 'Give me your ID,'' Sotomayor said.

Roberts said it would be 'bad police work' not to check for a warrant.
A 17-year-old boy from a prestigious Melbourne school has died on an 'outdoor experience' camp in a remote location in South Australia.

The Year 11 student, from Huntingtower School in Mount Waverley, died on the school camp at Plumbago sheep and cattle station, 420 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, on Monday night.

Principal Sholto Bowen said in a statement on Tuesday his 'thoughts, sympathies and prayers are with the student's family and friends, and the students and teachers who were on the camp.'

A 17-year-old boy from Huntingtower School (pictured) has died on an 'outdoor experience' camp in a remote location in South Australia

At this stage it is unknown how the student passed away, but it is believed to be related to an ongoing medical condition. Pictured: the YEar 11 students boarding the bus to leave for the camp

At this stage it is unknown how the student passed away, but it is believed to be related to an ongoing medical condition, The Herald Sun reported.

The camp was cancelled immediately after the boy's death and the students are currently on their way back to Melbourne.

The news was broken to the school community through a statement from Mr Bowen on Tuesday.

'It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the sad passing of a Year 11 student on the camp to Plumbago Station beyond Broken Hill,' it read.

'Counselling is being provided for the students and staff, and the wider school community.

'We are unable to provide further information as police will prepare a report for the coroner.'

A South Australia Police spokesman said 'police are preparing a report for the coroner following the death of a Victorian student last night in the state's mid north.'

About 75 students were on the camp and the cattle station sits on 2000 square kilometres of barren land, The Age reported.

The Year 11 student died on a school camp at Plumbago sheep and cattle station (pictured), 420 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, on Monday night

About 75 students were on the camp at the sheep and cattle farm that lies on 2000 square kilometres of land (pictured)

Following the young boy's death, the students returned to Huntingtower School (pictured)
A junior doctor who raised concerns over staffing levels claims his career has been ruined by a lack of protection for whistleblowers.

Dr Chris Day was working overnight in January 2014 when two locum doctors failed to turn up. He had to cover other wards and A&E and reported his concerns to managers.

Since his one-year placement at Queen Elizabeth hospital in Woolwich, South-East London, ended he has failed to find permanent work.

Waiting for a tribunal ruling: Dr Chris Day with his wife Melissa. Dr Day, 31, who raised concerns over staffing levels, claims his career as been ruined by a lack of protection for whistleblowers

He is now awaiting an employment tribunal ruling after bringing a claim for unfair dismissal and whistleblowing detriment against Health Education England (HEE) and Lewisham Greenwich NHS Trusts.

Dr Day, 31, claims that HEE effectively acts as an employment agency for junior doctors but is not covered by employment law, leaving whistleblowers in a vulnerable position.

The outcome of his case could have a massive impact on whether the NHSs 54,000 junior doctors dare risk their jobs by raising safety concerns.

At the first hearing of the tribunal last August Mr Recorder Jan Luba, QC, said there was a need to clarify whether the HEE was technically an employer.

A second hearing took place this month at the Employment Appeal Tribunal in central London and a judgment is expected in the next few weeks on whether to allow the case to proceed.

Dr Day told the London Evening Standard: What my litigation has uncovered is that these quite powerful functions are not governed by any kind of employment legislation.

'Theyve tried to prevent a whistleblowing court case happening by trying to say junior doctors dont have whistleblowing protection.

Shortage: Dr Chris Day was working overnight when two locum doctors failed to turn up. He had to cover other wards and reported his concerns to managers at Queen Elizabeth hospital in Woolwich, South-East London

If we lose this appeal it will mean the organisation that employs junior doctors long-term can act with impunity. Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust denied failing whistleblowers.

It said: We investigated Dr Days concerns in detail. We have robust procedures to support staff who raise concerns and we encourage our staff to speak out when concerns arise.

We identified the need to increase medical staffing numbers for the intensive care unit at Queen Elizabeth hospital. The unit is now fully compliant with quality standards.

HEE said it would not comment during an active legal case.

It was revealed this month that no doctors sacked for exposing care scandals have been given their jobs back at the same level.
A police officer wrestled a woman to the ground and slammed her head before she was finally arrested for shoplifting.

Dramatic body cam video shows Tiffany Tebo getting flung towards a wall outside Bealls Department Store in Wesley Chapel, Florida, on Friday after authorities confronted her about stealing a pair of shoes.

At one point, the deputy's hand can be seen around her neck, and the situation escalates, leading to Tebo bleeding severely from her head.

After Tiffany Tebo was accused of shoplifting at Bealls Department Store in Wesley Chapel, Florida, a cop wrestled her to the ground in a disturbing confrontation. Pictured, Tebo with a deputy's hand around her neck

At one point he grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the ground, leaving splatters of blood

Speaking after the incident, Tebo, who had to get four staples put in her head, told WTSP: 'I'm all bruised up and banged up everywhere. He didn't need to do any of that.'

But Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco spoke on behalf of the unnamed deputy and defended his actions.

He told WTSP: 'We're trying to put handcuffs on her, she's trying to fight. I know people will say she's tiny but a lot of tiny people cause harm.'

The body camera footage shows the deputy approaching Tebo with a member of the store's loss prevention team.

They ask her for the merchandise she didn't pay for, and she can be heard saying: 'I bought the shirt.'

The man then says she didn't pay for a pair of shoes, and when the deputy tells her to put her hands behind her back, she pleads with the officer instead of complying with his orders.

He grabs hold of her arm and throws her towards the wall, saying: 'Stop resisting me.'

Tebo, meanwhile, can be heard saying: 'Oh my god, okay! Please! Ow! I'm not going to do anything,' as she is wrestled to the ground.

While Tebo screams: 'Please you can have the shoes,' the deputy has one of her arms behind her back.

But the situation escalates and the deputy can be seen grabbing her hair and slamming her head to the ground, leaving splatters of blood on the bricks.

She is already sitting on the ground when he draws his taser and points it directly at her.

Tebo (pictured, left and right) lists her workplace as 'Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ'. The Land O'Lakes, Florida, native writes: 'I love every soul just as Jesus does and he is my author, my creator and my finisher'

When the two men first confront her, Tebo says she paid for both the shirt and the shoes. Later, she pleads with the deputy to let her pay for the shoes

The deputy can be heard telling her to put her arms behind her back. When she fails to comply and tries to plead with him instead, he grabs her arm and throws her towards the wall of the department store

She is eventually wrestled to the ground. Tebo had to get four staples in her head after the violent confrontation

After about two minutes, Tebo has blood all over her back and hands while the deputy draws his taser

She is eventually arrested, and the deputy calls for an ambulance and gets a towel to hold to her bloody head. He tells her: 'That was completely avoidable. You just had to listen to me. I wasn't trying to be mean'

She is visibly distressed and tells the officer to take the shoes and let her go, while he screams at her to get on the ground and turn over with her hands behind her back.

When she flips on her stomach, a trail of blood can be seen running from her head down her back.

He continues to bark orders at her, and she cries, saying: 'I can't!'

About two minutes into the confrontation, Tebo is covered in blood and the deputy finally gets her into handcuffs.

He calls an ambulance and tells her: 'No, you don't resist! You talk after. You don't negotiate with me.'

As they wait for medical personnel to arrive, he walks over to his car and gets a towel to hold against her bloody head.

She is still crying, and the deputy can be heard saying: 'Stay there, relax. I want you to get taken care of first. That was completely avoidable. You just had to listen to me. I wasn't trying to be mean.'
helped to rescue driver trapped in his SUV after it hit a pole on State Route 385

A Bible in an SUV's front seat was the only thing left untouched by flames after the vehicle caught fire and exploded moments before the driver was rescued by a group of Good Samaritans on Sunday in Tennessee.

Police say the accident happened in Memphis when the 2014 Jeep Laredo left the road, hit a pole and burst into flames on State Route 385 near Ridgeway Road and Kirby Parkway around 2.30pm, WREG reported.

The male driver was trapped inside of the SUV as the flames began to quickly spread.

Several cars stopped alongside the highway as other drivers attempted to get the driver out before the flames increased.

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A driver was rescued by a group of Good Samaritans and a Memphis police officer Sunday in this potentially deadly car accident

Police say the accident happened in Memphis when the 2014 Jeep Laredo left the road, hit a pole and burst into flames on State Route 385 near Ridgeway Road and Kirby Parkway around 2.30pm

A Bible (pictured) in an SUV's front seat was the only thing left untouched after the vehicle caught fire

Once Memphis Police Officer Richard Morrow joined the group of Good Samaritans, the rescue attempt proved successful.

WREG reported that Morrow and Eugene McNeil were able to get the man's seat belt off and pull him out of the car before it was fully engulfed in flames.

He was taken to Regional Medical Center with non-critical injuries, according to WREG.

Authorities found a Bible on the passenger seat unharmed from the fire once the flames were extinguished.

According to WREG, witnesses who helped bring the driver to safety called it 'a sign of divine intervention.'

Anita Irby, one of the people on scene of the potentially deadly accident, shared a video to Facebook showing people surrounding the car trying to get the driver out.

The driver was taken to Regional Medical Center with non-critical injuries, according to WREG

According to WREG, witnesses who helped bring the driver to safety called it 'a sign of divine intervention'

In her post that has been shared more than 50,000 times, she wrote: 'I just saw GOD on 385. I'm always in awh (sic) of his wonders but today just blew my mind.

'This car ran off the road and hit a metal post and burst into flames not to mention the passenger was trapped inside as the car was filled with smoke the flames began to fill the inside.

'THE ENTIRE EXPRESSWAY STOPPED and people ran from their cars trying to break the windows and open the doors of this mans car to free him, as they were the others went up in prayer for God to deliver this man from the paws of the devil.... Now it appeared our prayers was in vain because he couldn't move and the flames had reach the inside of the truck.

'But God!!!!!! .....the flames were on the inside but the way my God is set up The Way It Look Like and what it is ,None of the flames touched him and even after the car exploded once All these God blessed people ran back up ...Now the passenger even begged them to just let him die . End of Story he's Alive and well. ...... Jesus thats (sic) my Goddd (sic)'.
how the manuscript was smuggled out of the prison in British Columbia

A book reportedly written by a Canadian serial killer has been removed from Amazon's website within hours of being put on sale online.

Convicted serial killer Robert Pickton, now 66, is serving a life sentence in prison after being found guilty in 2007 on six counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of sex workers.

Pickton, who slaughtered the women at his pig farm, Port Coquitlam, and fed some remains to his pigs, reportedly wrote the book titled Pickton: In His Own Words.

Outskirts Press, which published the book, issued a statement Monday saying it had asked Amazon to remove the book priced at $20.17 from its website and apologizing to victims' families.

A book reportedly written by Robert Pickton (pictured), a Canadian serial killer, has been removed from Amazon's website within hours of being put on sale online

Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigators investigate at Pickton's pig farm in 2002

Pickton reportedly wrote the book titled Pickton: In His Own Words. Outskirts Press, which published the book, issued a statement saying it had asked Amazon to remove the book

By Monday afternoon, the 144-page memoir which had a publishing date of January 29, was no longer available from online retailer Amazon.

Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told Parliament the Correctional Service of Canada is investigating how the manuscript was smuggled out of Kent Institution, the maximum-security prison near Agassiz, British Columbia.

Several family members related to his victims are angry about the book and started a Change.org petition to get it removed from Amazon.

'Thank you for signing this petition and getting this book off of Amazon.com. Because of your participation a serial killer has been denied the publicity he sought and the families of his victims will have a little more peace of mind,' a statement about the petition reads.

More than 50,000 people signed the petition by late Monday night.

Mona Wilson (left) and Dawn Crey are two of the more than 50 women Pickton is thought to have murdered at his farm. Pickton was charged and convicted for Wilson's murder. Crey disappeared in 2000

Sandra Gagnon told CBC News that she is 'disgusted' by the book, since her sister Janet Henry used to go to Pickton's farm and went missing in 1997.

'It really disgusts me knowing that the worst serial killer in history has the nerve to write that book and reopen wounds,' she told CBC News.

There is currently no law in Canada preventing convicted killers from publishing a book behind bars.

CBC News reported that Pickton, who was a former multi-millionaire, is suspected in dozens of other murders, but a further 20 murder charges were stayed.

Pickton and his brother, David, operated a drinking club frequented by bikers and prostitutes near their pig farm outside Vancouver, Canada.

At the time of his arrest on February 22, 2002, he was charged with first-degree murder in connection with two of the more than 50 women who had disappeared from the Vancouver area starting in the 1980s.

David Pickton has denied knowledge of his brother's crimes.
Nathan Hardwick, 50, allegedly embezzled more than $20 million from his own law firm to spend on lavish private jets, gambling in Las Vegas, treating numerous girlfriends, and paying off his ex-wife

A lawyer is facing 30 years in jail for allegedly embezzling more than $20million from his own firm to spend on lavish private jets, gambling in Las Vegas, treating numerous girlfriends, and paying off his ex-wife.

Nathan Hardwick, 50, was a founding partner and the largest shareholder of Atlanta, Georgia,-based Morris Hardwick Schneider in the mid-2000s.

But he is now facing 29 counts of wire fraud and other criminal offenses as his former colleagues claim he funneled money from their accounts into his own to support a lavish lifestyle while paying $550,000-a-month in alimony fees to his ex-wife.

According to a federal lawsuit, Hardwick lied to publicly-funded banks to get $3.5million in loans after the firm suffered financial difficulties in the wake of the housing market crash.

His former financial officer Asha Maurya, 40, is also facing charges for allegedly giving Hardwick extortionate bonuses and stealing $900,000 to fund her own credit card bills.

'The indictment alleges an embezzlement scheme dating back years,' said U.S. Attorney John Horn in a statement.

'Along the way, Mr. Hardwick is alleged to have repeatedly lied to his clients, law partners, banks and others.

'The allegations are especially troubling given that the actions were orchestrated by a lawyer who swore an oath to uphold the law and to represent his clients with integrity.'

The suit also detailed what Hardwick allegedly spent $20million on.

'Hardwick's legitimate income could not keep pace with his lavish lifestyle, which included private jet travel; multimillion-dollar homes; high-end retail goods and services; gambling at casinos in Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Nevada; and payments to bookies and girlfriends,' the U.S. Attorney's statement added.

While J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, added: 'The magnitude of theft as alleged in the federal indictments of these two defendants clearly merited the resulting federal investigation and prosecution.

'The allegations describe a trusted corporate officer and attorney in personal financial troubles conspiring with another corporate officer to steal from their employer, primarily through escrow accounts entrusted to their company. '

According to the Georgia district attorney, to maintain the illusion of wealth and success despite his financial problems, and to continue to live beyond his means, in or about 2011, Hardwick allegedly began directing Maurya to make millions of dollars in shareholder distributions, bonuses, and other payments for Hardwicks benefit, directly out of MHSs bank accounts, in amounts that exceeded the share of MHSs profits to which Hardwick was entitled.

Hardwick, 50, was a founding partner and the largest shareholder of Atlanta-based Morris Hardwick Schneider (pictured) in the mid-2000s. They opened offices in 16 states including Delaware before going bankrupt in 2014

This occurred at times when no shareholder bonuses or distributions were scheduled to be made, and without causing or directing proportionate bonuses or distributions to be made to the other MHS shareholders.

The excess bonuses, distributions, and payments to and for Hardwicks benefit included payments to casinos, private jet charter companies, credit card issuers, and other creditors and accounts.

In addition to charges against Maurya for her assistance with Hardwicks alleged theft of over $20 million, the indictment charges her separately with a scheme to defraud MHS by tricking MHS into issuing checks to pay off her personal credit card bills.

According to AJC.com, a number of the charges carry 30-year sentences and $1million fines.

Morris Hardwick Schneider went bankrupt in 2014 when Hardwick's alleged embezzlement came to light.
A transgender sex worker accused of knowingly infecting a client with HIV has been placed in a male prison while she awaits court.

Transgender escort Clayton James Palmer, 38, who uses the name Sienna Fox, is 'distressed' since being held in the male prison after her first appearance in court on Saturday, a sex worker rights spokeswoman told ABC.

'It's a really stressful, frightening situation to be put into the wrong prison on top of what is going on,' People For Sex Worker Rights in Western Australia spokeswoman Rebecca Davies said.

'Someone who identifies as a woman has been put in a male prison where they're probably going to be subject to discrimination and possibly abuse from other prisoners.'

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Transgender escort Clayton James Palmer, who uses the name Sienna Fox, (pictured) covered her face as she left the Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday and is now being held in a male prison

The 38-year-old (pictured) sex worker (pictured) is accused of knowingly infecting a client with HIV

Ms Fox (pictured) is charged with grievous bodily harm for allegedly had unprotected sex with the male client

Ms Fox is accused of infecting a client with HIV after having repeated unprotected sex in 2015.

She was reportedly diagnosed a year prior in 2014.

Despite the diagnoses and counselling about treatment options and disclosure obligations, the woman allegedly participated in unprotected sex with a male client from early 2015, WA police allege.

The man said hed engaged in services with her through an adult website advertising transgender escorts from January last year, NSW police said.

Palmer allegedly fled from Perth to Sydney when the man confronted her about the diagnoses.

Ms Fox covered her face and body with a flannel blanket to avoid news cameras when she appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday and was formally charged with grievous bodily harm.

It was the first time Ms Fox appeared in the West Australian court after she was extradited from New South Wales last week.

She has been held in police custody since she was arrested in Sydney on February 16 and the judge said it would be inappropriate to grant her bail and called the alleged crime unusual but very serious, according to the ABC.

Police allege she had continued working in Redfern and that she was waiting to meet a client at a Surry Hills hotel in central Sydney when she was arrested.

Sex crime squad detectives are investigating her activities in the city, police said.

Anyone who may have engaged in unprotected sex with Ms Palmer should seek medical advice.
A man, 22, has been hospitalised in a suspected gay bashing by a man whod only just saved him from a group of seven kicking him unconscious in a park.

Dylan Souster, 22, was called a queer and 'a faggot' when he was punched in the head outside his Waterloo apartment in inner-south Sydney in the early hours of Sunday morning, about 1am.

Originally from Ireland, Mr Souster had been knocked unconscious in a random attack when the man walked him to safety, before suddenly launching a homophobic assault on the 22-year-old.

Dylan Souster, 22, was called 'a queer' and 'a faggot' when he was punched in the head outside his Waterloo apartment in inner-south Sydney at about 1am on Sunday

Mr Souster's (right) boyfriend Darren Hedderman (left), 27, said it was a 'cowardly' and 'scum' thing to do

The 22-year-old had gone out the front of his apartment block to make sure some friends got in a taxi safely as they left the home.

His boyfriend Darren Hedderman, 27, told Daily Mail Australia Mr Souster then turned around to head back into their McEvoy Street apartment when someone suddenly hit him.

Mr Souster then awoke at the far end of Waterloo Oval to a group of about seven kicking him in the head and all over the body.

The 22-year-old has no recollection of how he got there, about a four-minute walk away.

He doesnt remember if he was dragged there or if he ran when he was hit, Mr Hedderman told Daily Mail Australia.

Eventually, the men in the group stopped kicking him after the women had cried for them to stop.

When he began home with a face full of blood, he asked for help from a man on the street.

Mr Sousters eye remains swollen with cuts across his head, a split lip and aching body from the groups random assault

The 22-year-old is still unable to speak to due to the severe swelling in his jaw, caused by the mans suspected homophobic assault

He [the stranger] asked, Are you okay? What happened?

The man walked Mr Souster back to his apartment, where Mr Hedderman had long been asleep, and asked if he wanted to call Mr Sousters girlfriend for help getting upstairs.

But when the 22-year-old replied that he had a boyfriend, the man suddenly said: Oh, youve got a boyfriend? Youre a queer, youre a faggot.

The man he called a Good Samaritan-turned-bad, speaking to Sydney Morning Herald, then punched him in the face, and Mr Souster again ran.

Asked what he thought of the man behind the second assault, Mr Hedderman told Daily Mail Australia he is a coward.

Its such a cowardly thing to do, such scum. I wish it had have been me instead, the 27-year-old said.

He added that nobody ever picks on him, while Mr Souster is much smaller and more vulnerable to attacks.

Mr Hedderman said the couple have lived in Sydney for nearly three years, and have never been assaulted for their sexuality  although they have suffered some homophobic harassment.

He suffered multiple facial fractures, NSW Police said in a statement. Mr Hedderman told Daily Mail Australia Mr Souster underwent two CT scans at St Vincent's Hospital

Weve had a few people shouting stuff from cars, he said. But its never gotten physical.

The couple had spent 12 hours at St Vincents Hospital in Darlinghurst for treatment, where Mr Souster underwent two CT scans.

Mr Souster also has a cracked lip (pictured)

The 22-year-old is still unable to speak to due to the severe swelling in his jaw, caused by the mans suspected homophobic assault.

He suffered multiple facial fractures, tooth dislodgement and palate damage and bleeding in the ears.

Mr Sousters eye remains swollen with cuts across his head, a split lip and aching body from the groups random assault.

On Facebook he wrote he was fine but a bit cut up and shaken, while his jaw is a mile wide.

He said he expected to be back working in a week.

NSW Police confirmed in a statement they are investigating the alleged assault, and Mr Hedderman said a small amount CCTV footage from their apartment block had caught parts of the separate incidents.

Detectives from Redfern Local Area Command are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incidents, including bias towards the man based on his sexual orientation, the statement said.

The night prior, another suspected homophobic-related assault occurred in Surry Hills.

Mr Hedderman said the couple, originally from Ireland, have lived in Sydney for nearly three years, and have never been assaulted for their sexuality  although they have suffered some homophobic harassment

At about 4.45am on Saturday two men became involved in a physical altercation with another two men on Elizabeth Street.

The occurrence of two bias-related assaults over one weekend is not common, and of concern to police, NSW Police Spokesperson on Sexuality and Gender Diversity, Superintendent Tony Crandell said.

The assaults come just two weeks before the Mardi Gras celebrates sexual and gender diversity along inner-Sydney Oxford Street.

Police advised those concerned for their safety should stick to major routes and roads, and not take shortcuts.

Use footpaths that are well lit and not closed in by bushes or obstacles, the NSW Police statement said.

Stay in groups of people. Change direction if you think you are being followed and seek a safe place.

Police are appealing for information over the two incidents, thought to be completely unrelated.

Anyone who may have information which could assist police with their investigations are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
to Las Vegas with her husband and a small group of friends

A 26-year-old legal secretary from California has been found dead at the bottom of a laundry chute in a Las Vegas hotel-casino.

Kalli Medina-Brown of Citrus Heights, California, was celebrating her upcoming 27th birthday with her husband and friends when she was found unresponsive at the D Las Vegas at around 2.30am on Sunday.

Authorities say she was dead by the time the fire department arrived 10 minutes later.

According to a Las Vegas Metro police spokesman, someone reported she had a medical episode and fell down the chute, but police were called to the scene after the circumstances of her death seemed suspicious.

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Kalli Medina-Brown (left, with husband Weslee Brown), was found dead at the bottom of a laundry chute in the D Las Vegas hotel-casino

Wedding Day: The 26-year-old legal secretary (left) was in Las Vegas with her husband (right) and a small group of friends to celebrate her upcoming 27th birthday

According to a Las Vegas police spokesman, she was initially reported to be unresponsive, but was found dead when fire department arrived at 2.40am. Police were called after the circumstances seemed suspicious (Pictured, Medina-Brown with husband Weslee Brown)

Homicide detectives are now investigating Medina-Brown's death.

Coroners have not released the cause of her death, and members of the hotel-casino declined to say if Medina-Brown was a guest.

She was a legal secretary who worked at a firm specializing in family law, and took classes in anthropology at the California State University in Sacramento.

She had previously attended Sierra College with her husband Weslee Brown, 29, a software engineer. They lived in Sacramento County with their dog.

Sierra Roraback, a childhood friend who was unable to make the trip told CBS about their last conversation, in which she told Medina-Brown to have fun and to be safe.

She added: 'There has to be justice. In order to have closure on the situation and sleep a little better or somethingwe have to figure out who did this, we have to figure out what happened.'

Another friend of 16 years, Carl Worrell spoke about the 26-year-old's personality. Worrell said: 'She was the responsible one. She wasn't the wild one. She was calm, she was mature.'

A spokeswoman for the hotel-casino said: 'We are saddened by the unfortunate incident that took place at the D Las Vegas. We are cooperating with the authorities and cannot comment on the ongoing investigation

The D Hotel has 629 rooms across 34 floors in downtown Las Vegas.

Homicide detectives are now investigating the death. Members of the D Las Vegas failed to confirm whether she was a guest (file photo)

A childhood friend, Sierra Roraback said: 'There has to be justice. We have to figure out who did this, we have to figure out what happened.' Medina-Brown is pictured with friends (L: second from right, R: bottom right)

Another friend said Medina-Brown (pictured right) was mature, responsible and calm
An aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing after a pilot had noticed an unusual odour in the front galley of the plane.

Virgin Australia flight 1280 had taken off from Hamilton Island, approximately 887 kilometres north of Brisbane, when the plane diverted to Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon.

The plane, carrying about 160 passengers, was heading to Sydney when the captain made the decision to land after the odd smell was detected.

Virgin Australia flight 1280 was forced to make an emergency landing after a pilot had noticed an unusual odour in the front galley of the plane (stock image)

The plane was heading to Sydney from Hamilton Island when the pilot made the decision to divert to Brisbane

A Virgin Australia spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia 'engineers are currently investigating the potential cause of the odour'.

'In accordance with standard operating procedures, the Captain made the decision to land in Brisbane as a precautionary measure after an unusual odour was detected in the front galley of the aircraft,' she said.

The aircraft was met by emergency services, which was placed on standby when the plane landed safely at about 1.30pm on Tuesday.
The accused ringleader in the alleged gang rape of a 14-year-old schoolgirl by three brothers in Victoria has been granted bail.

Kevin Andrew Wild, 29, and two of his brothers - Brodie and Allan - are accused of abducting the young girl from a park in Geelong, south-west of Melbourne, on November 1 last year.

The 29-year-old was granted bail on Tuesday in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, after the hearing was told a trial could be delayed for many months.

Kevin Wild (pictured), the accused ringleader in the alleged gang rape of a 14-year-old schoolgirl by three brothers in Victoria, has been granted bail

The magistrate banned Wild from venues that serve alcohol as part of his bail conditions, but said she was concerned imposing such a rule would mean Wild 'can't go out for a pizza at his local', according to the Herald Sun.

But Wild's lawyer Steve Parker said he agreed to his client being banned from licensed venues, reasoning that he could order pizza from home if he wanted it.

Ms Popovic also questioned the strength of the prosecution's case.

'The evidence with respect to the most serious offending is equivocal, to say the least,' she said.

Police believe the Wild brothers had been at a family reunion and then went out drinking before they encountered the teenage girl and her male friend in a park.

The girl was taken away and sexually assaulted several times before being dropped back at the park, police claim.

A fourth brother was initially charged, however allegations against Rowan Gavin Wild, 27, have been dropped.

Kevin Wild faces 14 charges, including rape, abduction and assault, while his brothers Brodie and Allen each face nine charges.

Wild was granted bail on Tuesday in the Melbourne Magistrates Court (pictured), after the hearing was told a trial could be delayed for many months

During the hearing on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Magistrate Jelena Popovic said there were some risks, including Kevin's attitude to alcohol, but they could be reduced with bail conditions.

As part of his bail, Wild was ordered to surrender his passport, refrain from drinking alcohol, and stay away from the greater Geelong area.

He also has to report to police once a week, and cannot leave Victoria or make contact with witnesses or his co-accused brothers.

Police believe the Wild brothers had been at a family reunion and then went out drinking before they encountered the teenage girl and her male friend in a park (pictured)

Police had objected to Kevin's bail, with prosecutor Cecily Hollingworth saying the teenage girl was fearful.

She also alleged Wild knew how old the girl was, an issue the court heard would be part of the case.

Wild is accused of joking, 'the next time I see her I should buy her Dora the Explorer underwear' at a social gathering the next day.

Brodie is also on bail, but Allan remains in custody.

The men are due to front a committal hearing in June.
Human-resources software company Zenefits had to send an uncomfortable HR email to their own to staff recently following a few incidents within their San Francisco office.

The startup, which launched less than three years ago but was evaluated last May at $4.5 billion, was forced to ban staff from drinking in the office after some wild parties that involved employees having sex in the stairwell of the building, according to emails obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

The emails, sent around last summer by Zenefits Director of Real Estate and Workplace Services, Emily Agin, described the situation of employees having sex at work as 'crude behavior'.

'It has been brought to our attention by building management and Security that the stairwells are being used inappropriately.Cigarettes, plastic cups filled with beer, and several used condoms were found in the stairwell. Yes, you read that right,' the email said.

New CEO, new rules: Incoming Zenefits CEO David Sacks has banned employees from drinking in the office after a series of instancing involving 'crude behavior', including condoms being found in the stairwell

Party atmosphere: The company had a reputation for its party atmosphere. Seen here is an image from their Facebook page. There is no suggestion the employees pictured were involved in any bad behavior

In May last year Zennefits announced it had raised $500 million in venture funding, giving it a valuation of $4.5 billion, making its trajectory to the 'Unicorn Club' of start-ups valued at $1 billion or more impressively quick

'Do not use the stairwells to smoke, drink, eat, or have sex.

'Please respect building and company policy and use common sense'

The alcohol ban was officially brought in last week by Zenefits's new chief executive, David Sacks.

Sacks said it is important to cultivate a more mature work atmosphere in a staff memo that was sent around last Wednesday.

The memo acknowledged how 'it is too difficult to define and parse what is 'appropriate' versus 'inappropriate' drinking in the office'.

Some reports said that sales staff would gather together and do a shot when a new client was signed.

Indeed the party culture was blamed for the exit of Sacks' predecessor, Parker Conrad, as CEO at the start of the month.

In announcing Conrad's resignation to staff in a memo, Sacks pointedly said: 'The fact is that many of our internal processes, controls, and actions around compliance have been inadequate, and some decisions have just been plain wrong. As a result, Parker has resigned.'

Party town: Seen here is the offices of Zenefits in San Francisco. The company had something of a reputation for its internal party atmosphere

In commenting on the alcohol ban on Monday, Zenefits spokesman Kenneth Baer said it was all part of taking the company forward following the introduction of Sacks.

Baer said in a statement to the WSJ: 'As Zenefits' new CEO has made clear, it is time to turn the page at Zenefits and embrace a new set of corporate values and culture. Zenefits is now focused on developing business practices that will ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements, and making certain that the company operates with integrity as its number-one value.'

In May last year Zennefits announced it had raised $500 million in venture funding, giving it a valuation of $4.5 billion and confirming a drop in appetite among venture-backed companies for initial public offerings.

The news made the company's trajectory to the 'Unicorn Club' of start-ups valued at $1 billion or more impressively quick, even by Silicon Valley standards. It had annual recurring revenue of $20 million by late last year.

Once companies reach that stage, founders say, some of their biggest expenses lie in sales and marketing as they attempt to expand into new markets and outdo competition.

Zenefits, a human-resources software company, had to ban office sex after used condoms were found in the stairwells. Alcohol was also banned in the workplace. Seen here is a photo from their Facebook. There is no indication the employees pictured were involved in any bad behavior

Zenefits is no exception, a spokesman said, earmarking much of the new funding for those areas as it seeks to sustain its rapid pace of growth.

Zenefits' core services are free, and it makes money by collecting fees from insurance companies when it refers its clients for health insurance and other products. The startup hopes the new funding will help propel it to annual recurring revenue of $100 million by January 2016, the spokesman said.

Where human-resources software peer Workday targets larger businesses, Zenefits has been going after small and medium-sized firms.
A truck has crashed into a notorious bridge in Melbourne just one day after a bus slammed into the same spot.

The heavily damaged white truck was seen stranded under the Montague Street bridge in South Melbourne about 6pm on Tuesday, with its roof appearing to be almost entirely torn off.

The careless driver ploughed into the bridge despite a massive sign warning of the low clearance height. The bottom of the bridge is also painted with red and white lines to serve as an extra warning.

VicRoads confirmed lanes had been blocked by the accident and urged drivers to avoid the area.

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A truck has crashed into a notorious bridge in Melbourne just one day after a bus slammed into the same spot

Social media users were quick to blast the driver who hit the bridge, with some suggesting they should lose their licence.

'Not a good week for this bridge at all,' Taryn Elder said.

'How difficult can it be?' Kathy Goodison asked.

'This driver should lose his licence,' another added.

The heavily damaged white truck was seen stranded under the Montague Street bridge in South Melbourne about 6pm on Tuesday, with its roof appearing to be almost entirely torn off

Gold Bus Ballarat have come under fire after a man was seen taping over the company name and logo just after the bus smashed into a Melbourne bridge (pictured) with 15 passengers on board

The crash comes after a bus carrying 15 people smashed into the bridge on Monday morning, with those on-board lucky to avoid serious injury.

The bus company also came under fire after a man was seen taping over the name and logo just after vehicle bus careened into a bridge, leaving passengers trapped for almost an hour.

All 15 people on board, including the driver, managed to escape serious injury after the vehicle ignored warning signage.

Just after emergency services had freed the remaining passengers who were pinned under seats, a man was photographed placing huge pieces of tape over the 'Gold Bus Ballarat' logo to 'protect the brand.'

Just after emergency services had freed the remaining passengers who were pinned under seats, a man was photographed placing huge pieces of tape over the side of the decimated bus

All 15 people on board, including the driver, managed to escape serious injury after the vehicle ignored warning signage and ploughed into the Montague Street bridge

Gold Bus Ballarat director Matthew Baird defended the action, saying it was 'standard protocol' to make sure the brand was not tarnished with a 'vehicle that is obviously in quite bad disrepair,' The Herald Sun reported.

'It doesn't mean any disrespect,' he said.

However Twitter users largely disagreed and launched into a tirade, accusing the company of having poor priorities.

The remaining four passengers were finally able to walk off the bus just under an hour after the crash when firefighters removed bus seats

The Gold bus was transferring passengers from a conference to the Novotel in St Kilda when the crash occurred

'Dunno Gold Bus (sic), pr'haps there's other priorities than taping over your name on a smashed (sic) when passengers are sitting in the street bleeding,' one woman wrote.

Veteran Australian radio host Derryn Hinch also shared his view to his 58,000 Twitter followers, saying Mr Baird has earned 'd***head of the week award.'

'D***head of the week award. Matthew Baird 'protecting brand' by taping over Ballarat Gold Bus signage at bus crash scene. Real smart,' he wrote.

One of the bus passengers was pictured sitting on the footpath as emergency services worked to remove the rest of the people onboard

Twitter users largely disagreed with director Matthew Baird's account of 'protecting the brand' and launched into a tirade, accusing the company of having poor priorities

The front section of the roof of the bus was ripped back, trapping the passengers seated at the rear

Emergency services were able to immediately help a number of people off the vehicle and the remaining four passengers were finally able to walk off just under an hour later after firefighters removed the seats.

All 15 people on board suffered cuts and bruising, but miraculously escaped serious injury.

The Montague Street overpass is notorious for trucks hitting the low entry point and witnesses said they heard no braking as the bus powered through, Seven News reported.

One woman was covered in blood and stretchered away in a neck brace after being rescued from the wreckage

Gold Bus Ballarat director Matthew Baird defended the taping, saying it was 'standard protocol' to make sure the brand was not tarnished with a 'vehicle that is obviously in quite bad disrepair'
A fisherman got the fright of his life when he found a deadly red-bellied black snake had slithered into his car and taken a nap on his dashboard.

The unnamed man called Snake Catchers Adelaide at about 7am on Tuesday, after noticing the 1.2 metre snake soaking up some sunlight next to the cars windshield in South Australias Mannum.

The fisherman had left his doors open at work so he could listen to music, allowing the stowaway serpent to give him a nasssty surprise the following morning.

A fisherman got a nasssty surprise when he found this 1.2 metre snake coiled up on his dashboard

I think it wanted to go to work with him, Snake catcher Rolly Burrell - who snared the serpent - told Daily Mail Australia.

It was a cold night, so when the sun came through the windscreen in the morning the reptile coiled up there to warm up.

The veteran catcher said the reptile probably thought it was just sleeping on a pile of rocks, as snakes are seeking places to hibernate this time of year.

While a bite from red-bellied black snakes can be fatal, they are docile in nature and less dangerous than many Australian snakes.

This guy did the right thing: keep a snake catchers number in your phone and keep an eye on the snake until they arrive. Dont kill them  they are shy and want to be left alone.

Mr Burrell said the fisherman was lucky the fisherman found him before he started driving to work  something which happened to an unfortunate Queensland motorist last year.

It comes after a similar incident on the Sunshine Coast last year which saw a red-bellied black snake sneak into a woman's car

Tamara Duff pulled over and called Sunshine Coast snake catcher Richie Gilbert when the reptile intruder popped up on her windshield

Tamara Duff was driving to work on the Bruce Highway on Queenslands Sunshine Coast when she noticed a 1.4 metre red bellied black snake had slithered into her engine.

Assuming it was a harmless tree snake, Ms Duff continued driving in rush-hour traffic but she got the fright of her life when the hitchhiking snake popped up and onto her windshield.

I screamed and swerved around. I was in the overtaking lane so people probably thought I was mad,' she said.

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Ms Duff filmed a snake catcher prying the 1.4 metre snake out of the engine and presenting it to the camera

Ms Duff first spotted the snake while she was putting petrol in her car.

When the curious reptile slithered out from under the bonnet she pulled over and called Sunshine Coast snake catcher Richie Gilbert to come to her rescue.

She filmed the experts snaring the 1.4 metre serpent, which had coiled up again in the front of the engine.

He noted that aside from being a little hot, the snake seems perfectly fine after his unlikely adventure.
North Korea has threatened to attack 'mainland America' if the U.S. carries out a planned military drill with South Korean troops next month.

The secretive state has reacted with anger after it was revealed more than 300,000 American and South Korean troops were planning to hold their biggest ever annual exercise following the North's nuclear tests earlier this year.

It is said the parallel Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises will include a staged 'pre-emptive strike' against the North - apparently leaving leader Kim Jong-Un seething.

Pyongyang has said if there is even a 'slight sign' of such exercises taking place, it will use all its might to hit back - claiming the first target would be South Korea's presidential Blue House, while U.S. military bases in Asia and in America would be its secondary targets.

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Angry words: North Korea has threatened to attack South Korea and the U.S. mainland if the two allies carry out a joint military exercise next month. Pictured: Leader Kim Jong-un oversees a military exercise run by his new army chief Ri Myong-Su

Stepping up; The US are sending four times as many troops as originally planned, with Seoul commiting some 290,000, more than double its usual deployment for the annual joint drills in South Korea (pictured last year)

The Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army said in a statement carried by state media: 'All the powerful strategic and tactical strike means of our revolutionary armed forces will go into preemptive and just operation to beat back the enemy forces to the last man if there is a slight sign of their special operation forces and equipment moving to carry out the so-called 'beheading operation' and 'high-density strike'.'

This is the latest in a series of inflammatory statements from the North, and military-muscle flexing activities by the South and U.S. since the dictatorship conducted its fourth nuclear test despite international condemnation.

Pyongyang followed this with a long-range rocket launch on February 7.

The launch was widely condemned as a ballistic missile test banned under UN resolutions, and was followed this week with the announcement of the joint exercise.

'This year's operations will involve recovering key facilities that are located deep within North Korea, all the way near its northern borders,' a senior defense official in Seoul told the Korea Herald.

'The scenario will include the special operations forces being deployed to border areas adjacent to China and Russia.'

The US will send 15,000 troops to the annual exercise, South Korea's Defence Minister Han Min-Goo as saying, up from 3,700 last year.

South Korea will commit some 290,000 personnel, including special forces, more than double its usual deployment for the annual drills, The Telegraph reports.

The computer simulated Key Resolve, which ran for ten days last year, usually kicks off simultaneously with a field exercise known as Foal Eagle, another joint military drill that lasts around 50 days.

Joint work: The US will send 15,000 troops to the annual exercise, pictured being carried out at the Rodriquez Multi-Purpose Range Complex in Pocheon, north of Seoul, South Korea, last year, up from 3,700 in 2015

One target: The US and ally South Korea regularly stage joint military exercises, but this is the first time it will stage a 'pre-emptive strike' on North Korea

All for one: U.S. and South Korean Marines run out from the South Korean LVT-7 as they pose for photographers during the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises in Pohang, south of Seoul, in 2013

Foal Eagle is also expected to be the largest ever this year, attracting key US strategic assets such as an airforce combat brigade, marines, a naval fleet led by an aircraft carrier and nuclear-powered submarines, Yonhap said.

North Korea regularly ratchets up its hostile rhetoric around the time of the joint US-South Korea military exercises, which usually spark a sharp surge in tensions on the divided peninsula.

As the double exercises began last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un urged his army to prepare for war with the United States and its allies.

The reclusive state also fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea at the start of the exercises.

Last week, the USS North Carolina attack submarine arrived at the southern port of Busan for joint training with the South Korean navy.

And four US F-22 stealth fighters were deployed to an air base near Seoul on Wednesday.

The dictator is seen inspecting maneuvers for attack and defence between large combined units of the Korean People's Army, in a photograph released this weekend

Meanwhile, Washington and Seoul have postponed talks on deploying an advanced missile defence system opposed by Beijing, South Korea's defence ministry said Tuesday.

The allies had been set to sign an agreement Tuesday on setting up a joint working group to look into the roll-out of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD) against North Korea's growing missile threat.

'The related accord is in the final stages but has been postponed by a day or two because of last-minute negotiations,' ministry spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun said.

The THAAD system fires anti-ballistic missiles into the sky to smash into enemy missiles either inside or outside the Earth's atmosphere during their final flight phase.

The interceptor missiles carry no warheads, instead relying on kinetic energy to destroy their targets.

The delay comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit Washington from Tuesday to meet his US counterpart John Kerry for possible talks over the controversial defence system and North Korea.

China opposes the proposed deployment of THAAD, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warning Monday that it should not be used as a front to 'undermine China's own legitimate (security) interests'.

South Korea's defence ministry reiterated Tuesday that the US missile defence system only targets North Korea and that its deployment is an issue between the two allies.
A mother who abandoned her two-day-old baby on a stranger's doorstep claimed she was 14 in the note, but it has since been revealed that the woman is 'over the age of 18'.

NSW Police confirm to Daily Mail Australia that the mother, who attended Griffith Hospital on Tuesday morning, 'is an adult.'

The woman remains at the hospital in the NSW Riverina where she is receiving support from hospital staff and Family and Community Services.

On Sunday night, when the newborn boy was left on a couple's doorstep, a heartbreaking note was left which said: 'please look after him, he is beautiful, and I cannot look after him because I am only 14 years old ... my parents will kill me.'

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Griffith grandparents, Anabella and Rodel Acuna, found a two-day-old baby on their doorstep on Sunday

The baby was left on this doorstep at 11.40pm on Sunday

The couple say a note left with the baby saying the mother was just 14 and that the mother's parents did not know about the baby

Her actual age will not be revealed by police to protect the mother's identity but they confirm she is 'safe and well', as is her infant.

Hospital staff alerted police, who traveled to the hospital to check on the young woman's well being.

Grandparents, Anabella and Rodel Acuna, found the baby boy in a pink bassinet on the doorstep of their Braeburn Street home in Griffith.

The baby was found at 11.40pm after someone rang the couple's doorbell.

'I saw something that looks like a bag on the doorstep so I slowly opened the door and found this baby,' Rodel Acuna told Daily Mail Australia.

He described the baby boy as 'a little chubby' but 'very cute', and said the baby came with short a note from his mother.

'The note said please take care of my baby he is very wonderful baby I cannot take care of my baby because I am only 14 years old and my parents will kill me.

'He is a very big baby I thought he looked a month old but the note said he was born on Friday morning.

'He was in a pink coverall and wrapped in a pink cloth, we wondered why because he was a boy.'

The couple called the police immediately. Mr Acuna says he believes his home was picked because all the lights were on.

'I was up watching TV I think I was the only house with the lights on in the street,' he said.

Mr Acuna doesn't remember seeing anything suspicious but says a 'dark coloured car' had 'driven past slowly just after police showed up'.

Mr Acuna was up late watching television and thinks his house was chosen because all the lights were on

The grandparents called emergency services immediately after finding the child

The little boy was left in a pink bassinet, wrapped in a pink blanket and wearing a pink coverall

Investigators appealed for help to locate the baby's mother due to serious concerns for her welfare.

Police are now thanking the community for their assistance.

'Our priority is mum,' Superintendent Rowan from Griffith Local Area Command said before she was located.

'She's not in any trouble whatsoever, there must be a reason why this has taken place and we would like to assist her or members of her family and get to the bottom of it.'

Police do not believe the baby was born at a local hospital, the ABC reports.

'We've made some inquiries with not only Griffith and other local hospitals, and it would appear that the baby hasn't been born in one of the local hospitals,' Superintendent Rowan said.

'That's not to say he wasn't born at another hospital, somewhere else.'

The young mother, or anyone who may know who she is, are being urged to come forward.

The child was taken to hospital by authorities and has been put into the care of a local family by Family and Community Services.

Police are now searching for the boy's mother after they baby was found abandoned in the town in south-west NSW on Sunday night
like U.S. dentist who went into hiding

Zimbabwe's largest wildlife reserve has warned it may have to cull 200 lions to deal with a population explosion triggered by the international fury over the death of Cecil last year.

Bubye Valley Conservancy, whose owners include Charles Davy, father of Prince Harry's former girlfriend Chelsy, now has more than 500 lions, the most in the country's dwindling wildlife areas.

But they have been destroying populations of antelope, giraffe, cheetah, leopards and wild dogs after the driest summer on record kept grasses low, making them prime targets.

In the line of fire? Zimbabwe's largest wildlife reserve has warned it may have to cull 200 lions to deal with a population explosion triggered by the international fury over the death of Cecil last year (file picture)

The situation has been blamed on 'the Cecil effect' that resulted from the killing of Cecil the lion, a prized resident of Hwange National Park who was shot dead by U.S. dentist Walter Palmer.

Such was the worldwide outcry, Palmer was forced into hiding for months and other big-game hunters have feared receiving the same treatment if they went to Zimbabwe.

Falling oil prices have also caused a drop in the number of hunters from U.S. states such as Texas, it was reported by the National Post.

Staff at Bubye, which spans some 850,000 acres, say the population has become unsustainable and may be forced to kill 200 lions to keep it under control.

But they have launched an appeal for other wildlife sanctuaries or institutions to take them first to prevent that happening.

Fury: The situation has been blamed on 'the Cecil effect' that resulted from the killing of Cecil the lion (above), a prized resident of Hwange National Park who was shot dead by U.S. dentist Walter Palmer (left)

Blondie Leathem, general manager of Bubye Valley Conservancy, said: 'I wish we could give about 200 of our lions away to ease the overpopulation.

'If anyone knows of a suitable habitat for them where they will not land up in human conflict, or in wildlife areas where they will not be beaten up because of existing prides, please let us know and help us raise the money to move them.'

Bubye found itself at the centre of controversy last month after it emerged it planned to stage a raffle with the chance to kill a lion as first prize.

Participants were offered the chance to 'win a lion' on its website, selling 100 raffle tickets at $1,500 (1,015) each, sparking condemnation from campaigners.
One of Australia's highest profile retail buildings could fetch $350 million when it goes up for sale in an international campaign.

South Africa's Woolworths Holdings has formally put Sydney's David Jones 'men's store' on the market for the first time in a century, amid a sweeping restructuring of the department store business.

Situated in the heart of Sydney's retail hub, the 2150sq metre site at 77 Market Street has been eagerly watched by developers who hanker after its prime location and potential for lucrative residential developments on the airspace above the building.

David Jones historic 'men's store' is hitting the market for the first time in 100 years in a high profile international sales campaign

An international marketing campaign spearheaded by CBRE's Scott Gray-Spencer, Josh Cullen and Rick Butler will kick off next month.

Woolworths Holdings chief executive Ian Moir told Sydney Morning Herald the campaign is expected to attract large numbers of prospective buyers from the Chinese market.

'We expect we will get a lot of excitement and a lot of engagement, particularly from the Chinese market,' Mr Moir said.

Scentre Group, who own the adjacent Westfield Shopping Centre , have already confirmed their interest in buying the site.

'Given we are owners of the adjoining, high performing, Westfield Sydney, we would be an interested party in any sale of the David Jones stores. We look at any opportunity to expand our footprint,' Scentre chief executive Peter Allen said.

David Jones Chief operating officer David Thomas said the sale would allow the company to focus on the restructuring of its neighbouring Elizabeth Street store.

The sought after store is situated in the heart of Sydney's retail hub and has impressive development potential

The department store business said the sale would allow the company to focus on the restructuring of its adjacent Elizabeth Street store

The sale of the historic building is expected to attract local and international attention

'Our aim is transform the Elizabeth Street store into the Southern Hemisphere's leading department store.'

'We believe that having a neighbour with such strong attributes in this vibrant precinct will serve as an added attraction to any potential purchaser and we look forward to progressing the sale process.'

The sale is expected to draw in a wide scope of prospective buyers from Australian landlords to foreign retail businesses.

Completed in 1938, the historic building is defined by its sandstone heritage facade and trademark corner curve.
Some 100 migrants rioted in a refugee camp in Belgium after Syrian and Iraqi migrants clashed with Afghans because a young girl was not wearing a headscarf.

The young Syrian girl at the centre of the dispute had been targeted by the Afghans for days over her refusal to wear the headscarf, an item of modesty clothing often enforced in Islamic countries.

But when she was defended by her fellow Syrians, a riot erupted which saw the groups of migrants attacking each other with rubbish bins, chairs and broomsticks.

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Two groups of migrants armed with chairs and sticks clash with each other at the camp in Belgium

A migrant can be seen wielding a rubbish bin to the left, while on the right a man holds a piece of metal

The riot broke out over the bullying of a Syrian girl, who demanded she wear a headscarf

An Luyten, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross in Leopoldsburg, Belgium, told Flanders News: 'Two or three Afghans had been targeting a young girl from Syria for a couple of days because she was not covering her head.

'You may call this strange, because several other girls were also not wearing a headscarf. It is not clear why they were after this girl in particular.'

The bullying had caused a division within the camp, which erupted into the mass brawl on Friday which saw 11 people arrested and seven people injured.

'The Syrians sided with the young woman, while the Afghans and Iraqis were on the other side. The four that were part of the core portion [responsible] have been transferred to a detention center.

'The seven others are individually housed and distributed in the other reception centers in Flanders.'

Adding that she was 'shocked' by the riot, Ms Luyten said the incident had been traumatic for the other asylum seekers housed at the camp.

'This skirmish we honestly did not see coming, although the argument apparently was already a few days old,' Het Laatste Nieuws reported.

Footage of the fight at the migrant centre showed members of the two groups using everyday items against one another during the riot.

Theo Francken, secretary of State for asylum and migration, said: 'I find it totally unacceptable that some young Afghans find it necessary to tell them to wear a headscarf and that they should not dress against western Syrian girls.

'They come here, they are guests here. We are not with them. They have to adapt to our rules.'

The bullying of the girl caused divisions within the camp, which erupted in this riot on Friday afternoon
An Indian woman has reportedly been raped hours after giving birth, while in an intensive care unit in a hospital near New Delhi.

The 23-year-old had suffered a traumatic birth, having been forced to eventually have her child delivered by caesarean section, and was recovering overnight when she claims she was attacked.

The alleged rapist was caught on CCTV as he entered the private hospital in Bahaduragarh, a city located on the outskirts of New Delhi, India.

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Alleged rapist: The woman, 23, was recovering after giving birth via caesarean section at a private hospital in Bahaduragarh when the man, who was caught on CCTV, allegedly raped her

Caught: Security footage shows the alleged attacker confidently walking around the intensive care unit, but despite the late hour, no one appears to ask him why he is in the ICU

The young woman had been placed in an ICU after welcoming her first child via c-section, in order to recover after the surgery.

CCTV shows her alleged attacker getting out of a car and walking in to the ICU at Brahm Shakti Sanjivani Hospital.

The security camera footage was filmed at around 3.30am, with the man reportedly gaining entry after telling a guard he was a doctor.

He is then seen walking around in the hospital, checking in on several patients, but no staff appear to question his presence or purpose in the ICU.

Targeting: CCTV shows the unknown alleged rapist checking in on several patients in the ICU

Undisturbed: The alleged victim claims she screamed for help as she was raped in her hospital bed, just hours after her traumatic birthing experience, but that no one came to help her

According to the victim, the man seen on the CCTV raped her in her hospital bed, and despite her screams no one came to her aid.

A relative of the woman who was allegedly assaulted says no one responded to her screams.

'She is my nephew's wife and she gave birth to a girl yesterday and was admitted to the hospital,' a relative of the alleged victim told NDTV.

'I was with her till late 9:45 pm and then left because the hospital staff said no one was allowed to stay the night in the ICU. There was nobody in the ICU when the man entered.
The six Cabinet rebels voting for Britain to leave the EU have been banned from using any government material or resources to campaign for Out, under strict new rules published today.

Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary, sent a letter to all civil servants this morning telling them that government resources must only be used in the referendum campaign if it supports the Government's official stance in support of Britain's membership of the EU.

It risks causing further anger among Tory Eurosceptics as it will put pro-Brexit ministers at a significant disadvantage to pro-EU members of the Government in the run up to June's referendum.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove, left, arrived at Cabinet this morning for the first time since it emerged he would defy David Cameron to back the Out campaign. Employment Minister Priti Patel, also pictured arriving at Cabinet, is also backing Brexit. The pair are banned from using the civil service to support their EU arguments

Other Brexit rebels, including Iain Duncan Smith, left, John Whittingdale, centre, and Theresa Villiers, right, all appeared in Downing Street this morning. Under the Civil Service guidance on the EU referendum sent by the Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood today, they will all be at a disadvantage against their pro-EU colleagues

It means Michael Gove, Iain Duncan Smith, Priti Patel, Theresa Villiers, Chris Grayling, John Whittingdale and around 15 junior ministers are barred from accessing official department papers that support their case for Britain to leave the EU.

The rules will also apply to their advisers, who must only campaign for Britain to leave the EU in their spare time.

They will be unable to provide their ministers with briefing notes or speech preparation to make the case for leaving the EU but can use the same kind of resources to help ministers on the opposite side of the argument.

But at the same time ministers and advisers who back Britain staying in the EU are free to use government papers and other resources to support their case.

It came on a day when Mr Cameron attempted to regain control in the EU referendum campaign after a bruising day of angry clashes with his own party in the House of Commons yesterday, including his friend Boris Johnson, who is among those campaigning to leave the EU.

The party's former leader William Hague today warned Tory ministers facing a bitter divide over Europe not to destroy the party so it cannot win in 2020.

Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary, sent a letter (pictured) to all civil servants this morning telling them that government resources must only be used in the referendum campaign if it supports the Government's official stance in support of Britain's membership of the EU

The key paragraph announcing the ban on the use of government material for pro-Brexit arguments (pictured) rules that civil servants must not provide pro-Brexit ministers with information that supports their case to quit the EU because it goes against the Government's official position to remain a member of the 28-state bloc

He also said ministers should only campaign in their spare time - hours before David Cameron embarked on his first 'national tour day' to make the case for staying in the EU.

The guidance sent to civil servants today seeks to ensure that ministers and civil servants abide by David Cameron's decision that the Government's official position will be to stay in the EU and ministers who 'take a different personal position' may argue against that position only outside of their official government role.

The key paragraph announcing the ban on the use of material for pro-Brexit arguments states: 'As set out in the Prime Ministers letter it will not be appropriate or permissible for the Civil Service to support Ministers who oppose the Governments official position by providing briefing or speech material on this matter.

Home Secretary Theresa May, seen arriving for today's Cabinet meeting, boosted Mr Cameron by backing his campaign to keep Britain in the EU. She will be able to access official government material to make the case for staying in the EU - unlike her anti-EU colleagues

'This includes access to official departmental papers, excepting papers that Ministers have previously seen on issues relating to the referendum question prior to the suspension of collective agreement. These rules will apply also to their special advisers.'

Civil servants and ministers who breach the rules are likely to face disciplinary action. Asked what the consequences of breaking the code would be, the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said: 'Let's cross that bridge when it happens.'

Sir Jeremy also said that special advisers who want to work for a campaign team must seek the Prime Minister's approval.

If they want to work full-time on a campaign they will have to resign their positions for the duration of the referendum, and their Government salary will be cut to reflect any part-time work for a campaign.

The instructions came after David Cameron suspended the principle of collective responsibility on Saturday to allow ministers to campaign against the Government position of supporting continued UK membership of the EU.

Clarifying the reasoning behind the strict code of practice governing the civil service during the EU referendum, the letter states: 'As previously agreed, and confirmed at Cabinet, individual Ministers will be able to take a different personal position from that of the Government on the issue of the EU Referendum.

'This wholly exceptional arrangement applies only to the question of whether the UK should remain in a reformed EU or leave.'

The five-page letter also warns civil servants that government publications will be 'scrutinised even more closely than usual' in the run up to the referendum and tells employees to take extra care to ensure publications are accurate.

Mr Heywood writes: 'We can expect government publications to be scrutinised even more closely than usual and so it is especially important that the usual propriety principles of good administration are applied to ensure that material for publication is accurate, with facts and evidence clearly sourced wherever possible.'

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: WHAT THE TOP TORIES BACKING BREXIT SAY ABOUT BRITAIN'S MEMBERSHIP OF THE EU By dramatically backing Brexit last night, Boris Johnson has joined six Cabinet rebels, who were finally free to speak their mind on the EU at the weekend. The - 'freedom fighters' - as they have been dubbed by admirers - are: BORIS JOHNSON The London Mayor finally came off the fence last night, ending months of speculation over which side of the referendum campaign he would join. Mr Johnson invoked the glories of the British Empire and the leadership of Winston Churchill to say the country which gave the world parliamentary democracy should not subject itself to 'legal colonisation' from the EU. 'This is a once in a lifetime chance to vote for real change in Britain's relations with Europe. This is the only opportunity we will ever have to show that we care about self-rule. 'A vote to Remain will be taken in Brussels as a green light for more federalism, and for the erosion of democracy.' MICHAEL GOVE The Justice Secretary is one of David Cameron's closest friends - he was part of the 'kitchen cabinet' who encouraged him to run for the Tory leadership - and his decision to join the Out campaign on Saturday was the first major blow for the PM. In a 1,500-word essay explaining his decision to leave the EU, which he described as 'mired in the past,' Mr Gove wrote: 'Far from providing security in an uncertain world, the EU's policies have become a source of instability and insecurity.' IAIN DUNCAN SMITH Few people were surprised by Iain Duncan Smith's decision to back the Out campaign: the Work and Pensions Secretary has been a long-standing critic of the EU and supporter of tighter immigration controls. But yesterday he directly contradicted David Cameron's claim that Britain was 'safer and stronger' in the EU by claiming staying in the EU would make Britain more vulnerable to a Paris-style terror attack. And savaging the PM's EU deal, Mr Duncan Smith wrote in today's Daily Mail: 'The truth is that there is nothing proposed in last Friday's agreement that reduces or returns the enormous powers that the Commission and the Court of Justice have over our national government.' Priti Patel The employment minister is regarded as the up-and-coming poster girl for Cabinet Eurosceptics. Her decision to join the Out camp was no surprise but her popularity with Tory grassroots will deal a blow to the PM. She has railed against the 'democratic deficit' of the EU's institutions, adding: 'My experience in business is that organisations are only successful and efficient when they are accountable and flexible  and the EU is neither.' JOHN WHITTINGDALE The Culture Secretary is the last authentic Thatcherite in the Cabinet: in the 1980s he worked as her private secretary and has remained loyal to her ideology  including her Euroscepticism  since. At the weekend he called for Britain to 'recover the powers we have lost' and said Cameron's pledge to reduce net immigration to the tens of thousands would be 'impossible' while remaining a member of the EU. CHRIS GRAYLING Mr Gove's predecessor as Justice Secretary, Chris Grayling is a long-term Eurosceptic. The Manchester United fanatic was deployed by the Tories as an energetic 'attack dog' during their long period in Opposition, harrying Labour  including the Blairs  over their personal business affairs. The 6ft 5in Leader of the House has a cool relationship with Gove, who has reversed many of his justice reforms. THERESA VILLIERS The Northern Ireland Secretary has long backed quitting the EU and made her views clear straight after Saturday's Cabinet meeting. She said she will vote to leave the EU 'to take back control over our country and making our laws and controlling our borders'. The six Cabinet ministers - who make up a sixth of David Cameron's top team, are joined by around 15 junior ministers, some of whom will play a prominent role in the Conservative party's future. Among the most high profile of the pro-Brexit junior ministers are: Penny Mordaunt Armed Forces minister Penny Mordaunt, pictured at Downing Street after being given a promotion last May, said she was backing Brexit because it was the only way to guarantee national security The Armed Forces minister shot to prominence after she starred on the primetime TIV diving show Splash with Tom Daley two years ago. She will be arguing against her direct boss - the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who has set out his firm belief that staying in the EU is the best way to guarantee national security. Julian Brazier He is another defence minister who has come out in favour of Brexit. He is in charge of the Reserves and said three things had persuaded him to campaign for Britain to leave the EU: the financial crisis in the eurozone, the 'torrent of people in Europe' who could be heading to the UK and his desire to regain sovereignty for the British Parliament. James Wharton The 32-year-old minister in charge of the Northern Powerhouse was tasked with the original effort by Tory MPs to secure an EU referendum by introducing a Private Member's Bill to Parliament as earlier as 2013. Mr Wharton, who surprised pollsters by extending his majority in the north east seat of Stock-on Tees in last year's election, announced on Facebook he was backing Brexit, saying: 'We should look to the world, not just the EU'. Andrea Leadsom The energy and climate change minister announced she will be campaigning for Britain to leave the EU. She wrote on her website: 'I want to be absolutely clear  I will be voting to leave the EU. 'This is not a decision that I have made quickly or easily, as I have been a strong advocate for reform within Europe for many years.' George Eustice The farming, food and marine environment minister is one of the founding members of the EU Fresh Start group - made up of 2010 and 2015 intake MPs today to campaign for Brexit. Mr Eustice campaigned against the UK joining the euro and in 1999 he stood as a Ukip candidate for the European Parliament elections. James Duddridge The foreign office minister is another government figure defying his departmental chief - the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond. Advertisement

Cameron loyalist William Hague demands the Brexit rebels only campaign in their spare time - as the PM heads out of London to sell his deal to voters

It came as William Hague today warned Tory ministers facing a bitter divide over Europe not to destroy the party so it cannot win in 2020.

Lord Hague said ministers should only campaign on their spare time - hours before David Cameron embarked on his first 'national tour day'.

He said as well as doing their day jobs, both sides should ensure they 'praise each other's achievements'.

David Cameron, seen in Downing Street yesterday, is due to hit the EU campaign trail later today while Labour's referendum leader Alan Johnson, centre, will warn about the risks to manufacturing. Lord Hague today said the Tory Party should not tear itself apart

Lord Hague's intervention came as Mr Cameron's Cabinet met for the first time since the referendum campaign officially began and Boris Johnson joined a string of ministers in backing a Brexit.

Lord Hague's intervention, in a regular Daily Telegraph column, came as it emerged via the BBC that Mr Cameron plans two or three events every week to sell his EU campaign to the voters.

Following a Cabinet Mr Cameron will visit a business in Berkshire today as he attempts to move his campaign out of Westminster.

Lord Hague today said: 'They should campaign in their spare time and keep on governing every day as the taxpayer who pays them expects them to do.

'The flow of policy and announcements on other subjects should not stop.

'Around the globe, people now acknowledge that the UK is delivering the best performance of the advanced economies.

'There's a big Budget coming up and Conservatives all need to get behind it.'

ALMOST 200 FIRMS BACK THE PM - BUT SOME OF HIS CLOSEST ADVISERS AND BRITAIN'S BIGGEST NAMES STAY SILENT Mr Cameron was backed by 197 businesses today The majority of Britains biggest companies have refused to sign a letter backing membership of the European Union. High street shops including Sainsburys, Tesco and Next and banks such as Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland did not put their names to the letter published today. It had been suggested that bosses of 80 of the FTSE 100 firms would sign the pro-Brussels letter, but in fact only 36 have done so. Those who signed include multi-national corporations such as HSBC, BAE Systems, BT, Royal Dutch Shell, Rio Tinto and BP, and the chief executives of Heathrow and Gatwick. Even some of David Camerons own business advisers refused to sign the letter to The Times which claims that quitting the Brussels club would put the economy at risk. Yesterday Mr Cameron angrily defended Downing Streets involvement in orchestrating the pro-EU letter after it emerged that it was drafted by a civil servant. The Prime Minister has been trying to rally support from major businesses to endorse his deal to keep Britain in the EU ahead of the referendum on June 23. But several of them have backed people power to decide for the nation. Others that refused to sign the letter include Primark owner Associated British Foods, insurer Legal & General and investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown, whose founder Peter Hargreaves is a loyal Thatcherite. It is thought an eight-sentence template letter was sent to firms at the weekend by Downing Street adviser Chris Hopkins. Advertisement

Lord Hague warned ministers who fight out personal 'feuds' during the referendum should find themselves without a Government job at the end - but said those who campaign fairly should be embraced by the Prime Minister following the result.

And Lord Hague also suggested after the referendum campaign comes to an end after June 23, Tory MPs should all go away for a 'bonding' session to swap war stories.

He said: 'They can do so bearing in mind that they represent our governing party, and one to which there is absolutely no alternative.'

Elsewhere in the referendum campaign, former Labour home secretary Alan Johnson will warn of the danger to manufacturing jobs from a Brexit.

At a speech, the leader of Labour referendum campaign warned: 'For UK manufacturing jobs, our EU membership is absolutely critical. Two thirds of British jobs in manufacturing are dependent on demand from Europe.

'That's two thirds of our manufacturing base reliant on that single market access and Britain's membership of the EU.

'That's over one and a half million manufacturing jobs here in Britain.

'And turning specifically to apprentices in the manufacturing industry, and I'm pleased to see some of you here today, around 50,000 apprentices work today in manufacturing apprenticeships that depend on trade linked to our EU membership.

'That's 50,000 apprenticeships which depend on our EU membership and leaving the EU could put those at risk.

'For each one of those apprentices, gaining skills, earning a good wage and working towards a career, we can't let them down, turn our back on the world and cut British manufacturing and industry off from their largest export market.'

Vote Leave dismissed the claims, issuing a statement from Christopher Nieper, the managing director of clothing manufacturer David Nieper Ltd.

He said: 'One third of our customers are within the EU and Im confident theyll continue to choose our British manufactured fashion regardless of a Brexit and we are hiring more manufacturing apprentices to keep up with demand.

The EU is no longer where the growth is. In 1980, the 28 nations who are now the EU members represented 30 per cent of the world gross product, this has now fallen to below 17 per cent.

'The bigger opportunity for British companies is now amongst the emerging economies of China and India alongside America and the commonwealth countries.

In order to stop sending 350 million to Brussels every week and take back control of our trade deals, our economy and our borders we should leave the EU. It's the safer option'

The new referendum exchanges comes a day after Mr Cameron and Boris Johnson clashed angrily in the House of Commons.

Mr Johnson, who declared for Brexit on Sunday night, has no plans to take up a formal role with the Vote Leave campaign but his interventions will hurt Mr Cameron's battle to keep Britain in the EU.

In tense exchanges at the Despatch Box yesterday, Mr Cameron declared: Im not standing for re-election.

I have no other agenda than what is best for our country.

Shaking his head, Mr Johnson responded: Rubbish, rubbish.

One observer said the parliamentary exchange was jaw-dropping; another described it as the most savage blue on blue clash since Geoffrey Howe took on Margaret Thatcher in 1990.

Mr Johnson has faced claims that he does not want to leave permanently. Rather, his critics said, he wants to lead Britain out of the EU then back in again, but on better terms.

The mayor denies this. But Mr Cameron said: On diplomacy, the idea that other European countries would be ready to start a second negotiation is for the birds.

I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings but I do not know of any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows.

No 10 sources strongly denied the divorce remark had been aimed at Mr Johnson, who is on his second marriage.

Labour MPs delighted in the PMs attack, crying more, more. Mr Cameron referred to them as his new friends.

Mr Cameron later attended a 30-minute meeting of the Tory 1922 Committee. Steve Baker MP suggested the PM had succumbed to a moment of high drama over Mr Johnson.
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British nurse Pauline Cafferkey has been transported by an RAF Hercules to London having been admitted to hospital for a third time since contracting Ebola.

Ms Cafferkey, 39, was rushed to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital due to a late complication from her previous infection.

The health worker landed at RAF Northolt, in west London, just before 5pm, and was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in London.

The hospital has the UK's only high-level isolation unit used for treating infectious diseases.

Pauline Cafferkey, (pictured at Glasgow airport) who voluntarily went to Sierra Leone to treat Ebola patients, was initially admitted to a hospital in Glasgow and later transferred to the Royal Free Hospital

She was flown from Glasgow to the Royal Free Hospital in London in an isolation bed on an RAF Hercules military plane

The 39-year-old Scottish health worker (pictured being loaded at Glasgow aiport) was transported to the Royal Free Hospital in London for the third time since contracting Ebola

Bodily tissues can harbour the Ebola infection months after the person appears to have fully recovered - Dr Derek Gardner, a lecturer in Biomedical and Life Sciences, said it was 'becoming clear that Ebola is a far more complex disease than we previously imagined'

The health worker was put in an isolation unit where she was flown to London after being admitted to hospital in Glasgow this morning

An ambulance and police convoy transport Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey, 39, to The Royal Free Hospital, north west London today

A police convoy follows the ambulance transporting Ms Cafferkey to The Royal Free, which has the UK's only high-level isolation unit

The Scottish nurse first contracted Ebola after working for Save the Children in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone, in December last year

Ms Cafferkey was transported by RAF Hercules (pictured) from Glasgow to the Royal Free Hospital in London, where she will receive specialist treatment - it will be the third time she has has been treated there

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said Ms Cafferkey was in a stable condition at the hospital after 'routine monitoring' identified a problem.

A spokesman for the Royal Free Hospital said: 'We can confirm that Pauline Cafferkey is being transferred to the Royal Free Hospital due to a late complication from her previous infection by the Ebola virus.

'She will now be treated by the hospital's infectious diseases team under nationally agreed guidelines.

'The Ebola virus can only be transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person while they are symptomatic so the risk to the general public remains low.'

The Scottish nurse was originally infected while working in Save the Children's treatment facility in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone in December 2014.

She was discharged in January 2015 after making a recovery at the Royal Free but fell ill again in October last year and was treated at the same hospital for meningitis caused by Ebola.

Forty people were offered vaccinations after she was found to have fallen ill again with her family claiming doctors 'missed a big opportunity' to spot it.

After being re-admitted to the Royal Free she was treated with the experimental drug GS5734.

At one point the Scottish nurse was described as 'critically ill' and doctors found the virus was persisting in tissues in her brain.

But she was released in November and transferred to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, in Glasgow, to continue her recovery and later returned home.

The 39-year-old Scottish nurse was taken from hospital in Glasgow to the airport where she was flown to London today

Ms Cafferkey was taken by RAF Hercules (pictured) at Glasgow Airport to London for treatment at the Royal Free Hospital, in London

Ms Cafferkey was taken to the Royal Free Hospital, which has the UK's only high-level isolation unit used for treating infectious diseases

Medics take their protection suits off after transferring the health worker onto the aircraft at Glasgow airport this afternoon

Medical staff kitted out in protective clothing remove their suits having transported Ms Cafferkey onto the plane at Glasgow airport bound for London

Medics clean themselves off having put Ms Cafferkey on the flight for London where she will receive specialist treatment

RAF Hercules carrying Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey touches down at Northolt, in west London, after departing from Glasgow

The 39-year-old Scottish nurse was taken from the isolation bed out of the plane and into a waiting ambulance at RAF Northolt

The nurse will be taken from RAF Northolt, in west London, to Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London

The Ebola nurse, who first contracted the virus in December 2014, was taken from the plane into the Royal Air Force ambulance

Bodily tissues can harbour the Ebola infection months after the person appears to have fully recovered.

Dr Derek Gatherer, from Lancaster University, said: 'It is very sad to hear that Ms Cafferkey has once again been admitted to hospital.

'It is now becoming clear that Ebola is a far more complex disease than we previously imagined.

'The meningitis that Ms Cafferkey suffered from at the end of last year is one of the most serious complications of all, as it can be life-threatening. She was unlucky enough to be one of only a handful of patients in whom it has been seen.

'Up to half of Ebola survivors will have some or several of this milder range of symptoms. Although not life-threatening, these can be problematic, especially in societies like west Africa where a large number of people make their living from agricultural labour.'

Ms Cafferkey, from South Lanarkshire, contracted Ebola in Kerry Town, in Sierra Leone while working for Save the Children

Health officials said the 39-year-old was 'under routine monitoring by the Infectious Diseases Unit' at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (pictured) this morning - she was later taken to the Royal Free Hospital in London

Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey has been admitted to hospital for the third time since contracting Ebola

Ms Cafferkey is said to have been inspired to join the NHS after watching the Ethiopian famine on television in the 1980s.

So when an appeal was made for NHS staff to help tackle the Ebola outbreak in west Africa, the nurse of 16 years felt compelled to volunteer.

After returning home for a break at the end of December 2014, she complained about her temperature and said she felt unwell.

Days later, she was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in London where she spent almost a month in an isolation unit and was described at one point as being 'critical'.

She was discharged in late January.

A report from Save the Children charity in February said she was probably infected as a result of using a visor to protect her face rather than goggles.

It said she was unable to use the standard protective goggles because she could not get them to fit properly.

Speaking before her second relapse, she said Ebola was still affecting her health, adding: 'Hopefully this is it - that's the end of it.'

Around the same time, Ms Cafferkey won an award at the the Pride of Britain Awards in central London on September 28.

The award was introduced by Prime Minister David Cameron and presented to her by comedian Lenny Henry.

She met the Prime Minister's wife Samantha Cameron the following day at Downing Street, along with other winners.

Following her third admission to hospital, Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: 'Sending very best wishes to Pauline Cafferkey.'

Almost two years on from the first confirmed case recorded in March 2014, more than 11,000 people have been reported as having died from the disease in six countries; Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, the US and Mali.

The total number of reported cases is almost 29,000.
Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has got engaged to his 33-year-old girlfriend just two months after divorcing his wife of 14 years.

The axed Anfield boss got down on one knee in the dramatic surroundings of Times Square, New York, to propose to Charlotte Searle only 68 days after his split from Susan, the mother of his two children.

If that was not romantic enough, the 43-year-old popped the question on Valentine's Day.

Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has got engaged to his 33-year-old girlfriend just two months after divorcing his wife of 14 years. The 43-year-old got down on one knee to propose to Charlotte Searle (pictured together, left) only 68 days after his split from Susan, the mother of his two children (together, right)

He was spotted doing so by Liverpool fan Craig Allen, who said he saw him hand the mother-of-one a bouquet of roses before getting down on one knee.

Mr Allen - who was waiting outside a store while his partner shopped inside - told The Sun: 'I saw this bloke proposing and took snaps to show my girlfriend.

'I was gobsmacked when I saw it was Rodgers. They stopped off in a Mercedes, he popped the question in front of a photographer, put the ring on and away they went.'

Rodgers, 43, separated from his ex-wife in the summer of 2014.

Their divorce forced them to split their multimillion-pound property empire, consisting of 102 houses.

The buy-to-let portfolio cost 32,000 just to be valued, and is believed to be worth tens of millions of pounds.

Ms Rodgers, 42, was with her husband for more than 20 years and married for 14 before they separated.

Their divorce was finalised on December 7 last year.

Miss Searle was Liverpool's travel coordinator when she first met Rodgers - who was paid 5million-a-year as the club's manager - in 2013.

She is said to have been 'befriended' by the former Swansea and Reading boss while in the process of divorcing her husband, Steven Hind.

Neighbours told how they would often see Rodgers parking his Porsche near the rented home she shared with her then 15-month-old daughter.

Mr Hind was later placed under a restraining order for pestering her with text messages about Rodgers.

Miss Searle was Liverpool's travel coordinator when she first met Rodgers - who was paid 5million-a-year as the club's manager - in 2013 (pictured in the main stand at Anfield)

Rodgers, Searle and her daughter were pictured arriving at Malaga airport for a holiday shortly after the 43-year-old's sacking from Liverpool

One read: I watched him leave your house on our wedding anniversary, playing happy families.

At the time, Rodgers was still living with his wife at their home in Formby, Merseyside, and he categorically denied he was in a relationship with Miss Searle.

But in May 2014 he moved into a rented 1.5million home and his wife consulted lawyers.

Weeks later Rodgers  who is originally from Carnlough, County Antrim  was seen at an awards function being embraced by Miss Searle.
A gallery curator dubbed 'the Lady Gaga of the arts world' has been charged with biting the backside of another woman during a disagreement on a transatlantic flight.

Stacey Engman, 38, a National Arts Club member based in Manhattan, is accused of sinking her teeth into Christina Tyler, while wearing a tiara on a flight from Istanbul back to JFK last July.

Ms Tyler, 33, of Brooklyn had complained that Engman was almost resting her head in her lap when she objected and a dispute ensued.

Stacey Engman, 38, , is accused of sinking her teeth into Christina Tyler, while wearing a tiara on a flight from Istanbul back to JFK last July (the flight is not pictured)

After the disagreement escalated, it is then that Engman is accused of biting the victim on the backside.

According to court papers seen by the New York Post, Engman had been wearing the tiara and had been telling fellow passengers how she had been on a yacht for the past five days.

She later fell asleep and it is alleged that she ended up sprawled out across Ms Tyler, who eventually objected.

Engman is then accused of raising and lowering the arm rest on the victim's leg and launching into a tirade of insults.

Ms Tyler then told Engman to calm down but claims it was then had she bit her on the backside, leaving teeth marks.

When the plane landed in New York City, Port Authority police interviewed both women and witnesses of the dispute.

The art curator is known for her eccentric taste in fashion and has also worked at the Salvador Dali Museum and the Museum of Modern Art

When the plane landed in New York City, at JFK airport, pictured, Port Authority police interviewed both women and witnesses of the dispute

According to the complaint one witness told a Port Authority officer that Engman was 'aggressive from the beginning of the flight.'

She has now been issued a summons for assault, which was returnable to Brooklyn Federal Court.

Engman has refused to comment on the case.

The art curator is known for her eccentric taste in fashion and has also worked at the Salvador Dali Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.
A senior brother in the Catholic Church did not consider a teacher kissing his students to be sinister and thought it simply an 'expression of an eccentric old man' as it is revealed he hugged an accused child paedophile right after he admitted to physically abusing a year five student.

Paul Nangle, who was headmaster for St Patrick's College in Ballarat during the 1970s, presented evidence the Royal Commission into Institutionalised Responses to Child Sexual Abuse on Tuesday.

The hearing is focused on the Catholic order's handling of child sex abuse allegations involving six Christian Brothers, all of whom spent time working at schools in the Diocese of Ballarat.

Four have been convicted of child sex offences while another died in 1986.

The 89-year-old brother said he regrets the horrific child sex abuse committed by Christian Brothers under his watch, but insists he only knew about two complaints and had taken appropriate action.

Paul Nangle(right), who was headmaster for St Patrick's College in Ballarat during the 1970s, presented evidence the Royal Commission into Institutionalised Responses to Child Sexual Abuse on Tuesday

'I do regret enormously the horrible things that were done, and in my regret I profoundly wish that I had been better informed and had more complete knowledge of what was occurring,' Br Nangle told the inquiry.

Br Nangle was questioned over his dealings with Gerald Leo Fitzgerald who died before facing the 15 people who have accused him of child sex offences.

The commission heard that Br Fitzgerald, who taught year three students at St Alipius's Primary School, had been a concern to parents long before he was censured after it was found he had kissed a student and had entered young students dormitory rooms.

A policeman whose son attended the school made a formal complaint to Br Nangle in 1975 after his child said Br Fitzgerald kissed his students as they left class, the Herald Sun reported.

Br Nangle said he passed the complaint on to the Christian Brothers principal but at the time he did not think the behaviour had been sexually inappropriate.

'At the time this struck me as an eccentric and inappropriate action. It did not register with me, in 1975, as possible having a sexual connotation,' he said.

He was also questioned about his treatment of convicted paedophile Stephen Farrell, who claimed that Br Nangle he had pulled him in for a warm embrace in the moments after he had received a abuse complaint involving a year five student.

'I do regret enormously the horrible things that were done, and in my regret I profoundly wish that I had been better informed and had more complete knowledge of what was occurring,' Br Nangle said

'He just put his arms around me and gave me a long cuddle. No words were said,' Mr Farrell told the commission during a private hearing, the inquiry heard on Monday.

'He then just walked out. And this was Brother Nangle's way of coping with this, you know, of helping me.'

But the 89-year-old, who now lives in St Kilda, denied Farrell's allegations, also claiming he had no recollection of advising two young boys who told him they had been abused by the paedophile not go to the police.

A former student also told the commission that Br Nangle had accused him of 'making up stories' when he told him that Brother Edward Dowlen, who worked as an English teacher for the Diocese of Ballarat before he was jailed for child sex offences, had touched him inappropriately.

Nangle, who was headmaster for St Patrick's College in Ballarat for five years during the 1970s

Martinus Claassen said he went to the St Phillip's headmaster in 1974 after Br Dowlen touched his genitals, pushed him up against the wall and started gyrating against him as he berated the boy about his homework, the Age reported.

Mr Claassen said he told his mother who organised a meeting with Br Nangle to discuss the allegations.

He said he cried as he pointed to where Br Dowlen touched him but was met with a cold response from Br Nangle.

'He asked me "why are you making these stories up?" and "are you sure you're not making this up?",' Mr Claassen told the commission on Monday.

Mr Claassen said Br Nangle failed his students who remained vulnerable to sexual attacks whilst the issue was ignored.

'There were innocent victims from later years that may not have had to suffer if Br Nangle had handled the situation differently,' Mr Claassen said.

'I think that Br Nangle failed in his job as headmaster by not acting to protect the boys in his care.'

Another former St Patrick's College student, Timothy Barlow said that he told the student council to implore Br Nangle to speak with Br Dowlen after allegations that he had put his hands down boys' pants as they played sport, the Age reported.

The 57-year-old reportedly said that Br Dowlen and a colleague assaulted him on school grounds as punishment for raising the issue and even made him sleep in a cold stairwell for a couple of nights to teach him a lesson.

The 57-year-old said that Br Dowlen and a colleague assaulted him on school grounds as punishment for raising the issue and even made him sleep in a cold stairwell for a couple of nights to teach him a lesson

Br Nangle said he had no memory of the serious sexual matters others claimed to have raised with him about Br Dowlan and that the only complaint about him was for excessive strapping in 1974.

The commission heard that boy was so badly beaten by Dowlan he was left with an imprint of a belt buckle on his skin.

The boy's mother said that when she challenged Dowlan he had told her that he lashed out in a fit of anger, but she decided not to have him charged after speaking with Br Nangle and considering her Catholic background.

'Br Nangle sort of talked to me about it and he said it was a big blot on the Catholic Church, which it probably would have been, and St Patrick's being an exclusive type of college, it would have been bad for them,' she said in 1994.

Br Nangle denied that and said he was not aware of the injuries.

During his time tendering evidence for the commission, Br Nangle blamed the 1970s sexual revolution may form part of the explanation for why a number of Christian Brothers had abused children.

'I wouldn't say that it caused it,' he said.

'I'd be inclined to say that it might have contributed to creating a climate in which such things may have become possible.'

According to the Herald Sun he also suggested that perpetrators of sex crimes against children were 'evil' but 'may not be guilty of sin in the eyes of God.'

The hearing has been told 853 Australians have claimed child sexual abuse against one or more Christian Brothers, with 56 complaints from the Ballarat area.

The Christian Brothers have paid $37.3 million in compensation.
David Cameron has been urged to be kind to Boris Johnson hours after he savaged his Tory rival in the House of Commons over Europe.

The Prime Minister used a major speech to MPs to launched a fierce attack on the London Mayor, accusing him of backing Brexit to further his own leadership ambitions.

But at a meeting of the 1922 Committee of all Tory MPs, Mr Cameron faced calls to tone down his attacks on the London Mayor, who is poised to become a standard bearer for the campaign to get Britain out of the EU.

Steve Baker, chairman of the influential Conservatives for Britain group, said Mr Cameron had succumbed to a 'moment of high drama' in the Commons.

Speaking today at a referendum campaign stop, Mr Cameron said Mr Johnson had a strong future in British politics but that he was 'wrong' on the EU.

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Boris Johnson, seen today leaving home, was said to have brushed off the PM's jibes following yesterday's bruising Commons session

The Cabinet met this morning in the aftermath of the angry exchanges as Mr Cameron brought together ministers backing him and opposing him in the referendum.

And revealing what happened at the 30 minute meeting last night, Mr Baker said: 'A couple of us mentioned Boris. I said, ''I know it's hard, but please be kind to Boris.''

'There was a peal of laughter. Of course he is going to be kind to Boris, he's going to be respectful to all colleagues.

'They are people who have known each other for a long time.

'It's a moment of high drama and I felt for Boris, but Boris is taking quite a beating at the moment in the press, and obviously he took perhaps a little bruise in the Commons, but he's a big man.'

Mr Cameron arrived at the meeting to a muted welcome but left with his arm around Eurosceptic Philip Davies.

Friends of Mr Johnson said: 'He's not remotely angry or bothered. He didn't even notice the jibe on marriage and elections.

'He feels what matters is that the country hears the arguments on both sides  no side wins by attacking the other.'

After Mr Cameron suggested Mr Johnson's Brexit campaign was motivated by his own leadership ambitions, Mr Johnson was seen to respond: 'Rubbish, rubbish.'

One observer said the parliamentary exchange was jaw-dropping; another described it as the most savage 'blue on blue' clash since Geoffrey Howe took on Margaret Thatcher in 1990.

Today, Mr Cameron's Cabinet was meeting for the first time since the referendum campaign was officially begun at Saturday lunchtime.

Ministers from both sides of the EU divide gathered in Downing Street for the regular meeting on Government business and the six eurosceptic ministers, led by Justice Secretary Michael Gove, were due to sit alongside their colleagues.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove, left, arrived at Cabinet this morning for the first time since it emerged he would defy David Cameron back the Out campaign. Employment Minister Priti Patel, also seen today arriving at Cabinet, centre, is also backing Brexit, as is Chris Grayling, right

Other Brexit rebels, including Iain Duncan Smith, left, John Whittingdale, centre, and Theresa Villiers, right, all appeared in Downing Street this morning

The meeting was the first since Saturday's landmark gathering when Mr Cameron presented his deal, formally set the Government's recommendation that Britain should stay in the EU - and then suspended collective responsibility to allow ministers to oppose the move.

Mr Johnson, who is not a member of the full Cabinet, will not be at today's gathering.

Tory MPs urged Mr Cameron to show more respect for opposing views and 'be nice to Boris'. In another day of high drama:

Downing Street published a dossier saying leaving the EU would push up air fares and phone bills, put jobs at risk and make it harder to track foreign criminals;

Eurosceptics dismissed the taxpayer-funded paper as a product of 'Project Fear';

The pound suffered its worst day in seven years after Mr Johnson joined the Leave camp;

Mr Cameron claimed the only world leader who wanted Britain to quit the Brussels club was Russia's Vladimir Putin;

No 10 admitted being behind a letter signed by FTSE 100 bosses that warns of the dangers of Britain quitting the EU;

A number of firms have refused to sign it, saying the decision lay with voters;

More Tory ministers joined the Out campaign, which is on course to win the support of around half the parliamentary party.

Mr Cameron delivered his broadside during a three-hour session at Westminster in which he presented his much-criticised Brussels renegotiation deal to MPs.

Mr Johnson, pictured today leaving home, was not due to attend today's Downing Street meeting as he is not a member of the full Cabinet

Commons attack: David Cameron (left) accused his long-standing rival Boris Johnson (right, both pictured yesterday) of backing the Out campaign solely to further his dream of becoming Prime Minister

Comparison: One observer described the parliamentary exchange as the most savage 'blue on blue' clash since Geoffrey Howe took on Margaret Thatcher in 1990. The Tory politicians are pictured together in 1986

Russian president: Mr Cameron claimed the only world leader who wanted Britain to quit the Brussels club was Vladimir Putin (pictured yesterday at his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow)

He was already under huge pressure after the defections of London mayor Mr Johnson and the Prime Minister's close friend and Cabinet heavyweight Michael Gove to the Out camp over the weekend.

VOTE TO LEAVE EU 'WILL BE FINAL' David Cameron yesterday declared that the result of the June 23 referendum would be binding, with no 'second chance'. The PM told MPs that, within hours of a vote to quit, he would formally notify Brussels. Under article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, it would give the UK only two years to negotiate new trade deals and other matters. Aides said he wanted to quash the idea that, if Britain voted out, it would then be able to go back to Brussels for a better deal and a second referendum. But Mr Cameron said a second poll was 'not on the ballot paper'. In a Commons statement, he warned: 'For a prime minister to ignore the express will of the British people to leave the EU would not just be wrong; it'd be undemocratic.' Out campaign director Dominic Cummings argued it would be irrational to invoke article 50 immediately. Tory MPs said it was yet more evidence of Mr Cameron seeking to deploy Project Fear. The row centred on London mayor Boris Johnson's declaration on Sunday that he would be campaigning to leave. No 10 and the In campaign claimed it was Mr Johnson's intention to campaign for an Out vote then, when secured, use it to reopen talks with Brussels. But sources close to the mayor denied this. With increasing numbers of Tory MPs declaring for Out, No 10 is facing the prospect of more than half of the parliamentary party  estimated at 150  opposing the PM. Advertisement

Mr Cameron struck a defiant tone and repeated his warning that the Leave campaign was calling for a 'leap in the dark'.

But the session exploded into life when the PM turned to the question of whether Britain could vote to leave the EU, then immediately reopen negotiations to stay.

Mr Johnson has faced claims that he does not want to leave permanently. Rather, his critics said, he wants to lead Britain out of the EU then back in again, but on better terms.

The mayor denies this. But Mr Cameron said: 'On diplomacy, the idea that other European countries would be ready to start a second negotiation is for the birds.

'I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings but I do not know of any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows.'

No 10 sources strongly denied the divorce remark had been aimed at Mr Johnson, who is on his second marriage.

Labour MPs delighted in the PM's attack, crying 'more, more'. Mr Cameron referred to them as his 'new friends'.

Mr Cameron later attended a 30-minute meeting of the Tory 1922 Committee. Steve Baker MP suggested the PM had succumbed to a 'moment of high drama' over Mr Johnson.

He added: 'A couple of us mentioned Boris. I said, 'I know it's hard, but please be kind to Boris.' There was a peal of laughter. Of course he is going to be kind to Boris, he's going to be respectful to all colleagues.

'They are people who have known each other for a long time. It's a moment of high drama and I felt for Boris, but Boris is taking quite a beating at the moment in the press, and obviously he took perhaps a little bruise in the Commons, but he's a big man.'

Mr Cameron arrived at the meeting to a muted welcome but left with his arm around Eurosceptic Philip Davies.

Friends of Mr Johnson said: 'He's not remotely angry or bothered. He didn't even notice the jibe on marriage and elections. He feels what matters is that the country hears the arguments on both sides  no side wins by attacking the other.'

I'm not standing for re-election. I have no other agenda than what is best for our country Prime Minister David Cameron

As he left the Commons on his bicycle, Mr Johnson replied 'No' when asked if there was a civil war within the Conservative Party. 'It's glutinous harmony', he added.

Mark Wallace, of the Tory grassroots website Conservative Home, said: 'Jaw-dropping decision by Cameron to fire shots in anger against Boris.'

Last night, there were reports that even pro-EU MPs are despairing of the PM, with one telling C4 News: 'Cameron is toast. He and the entire project is over. Continuity through George, or whoever, is over.

'The next leader will come before the end of the year and it'll be someone in the next generation.'

Outers: PM's EU deal falls 'far short' of reform needed, say rebels

Backing: Defence minister Penny Mordaunt gave her approval to a report by senior Conservatives

David Cameron's EU deal falls 'far short' of the reform that is needed, a report by senior Conservatives said yesterday.

In a devastating analysis, the Fresh Start group of more than 100 Tory MPs said he had tried to secure reform in only half the areas where it is required.

In the other half, it found, his attempts at reform had been frustrated by fellow EU leaders.

Overall, the study concluded that Mr Cameron failed to fully achieve reform in any of the 21 areas where change is needed.

The findings were backed by a string of senior Tories, including employment minister Priti Patel, energy minister Andrea Leadsom, defence minister Penny Mordaunt, environment minister George Eustice and local government minister James Wharton.

In a statement, they said the EU had failed to 'rise to the occasion' and embrace reform, and urged voters to back Brexit.

Justice minister Dominic Raab, a leading member of the Fresh Start group, said the EU's refusal to respect Britain's demand for a looser relationship showed that the only option was to leave.

He added: 'The fact that the deal falls so far short reflects the crucial flaw in the EU: It's just too rigid to change. If we want to deliver more jobs, lower household bills and stronger democracy, we've got to step off the Brussels juggernaut now that we have the opportunity.'

The Fresh Start group was founded five years ago to draw up proposals for reshaping Britain's relationship with Brussels. It includes many mainstream Tories and several prominent Eurosceptics.

In a joint statement yesterday, leading members praised Mr Cameron for his efforts at reform, but said they were 'disappointed that fellow European leaders did not take this opportunity to make the reforms that Europe so desperately needs'.

Grassroots Tories: We want to defy Cameron and support Brexit

Set to be defied: Local councillors lined up to say they were 'hacked off' with Mr Cameron (pictured leaving Downing Street yesterday)

The vast majority of Conservative activists are set to defy David Cameron and support Brexit, a survey suggests.

Interviews with constituency chairmen, officials and councillors from across the country show the scale of the challenge facing the Prime Minister in keeping the Tories from imploding over the issue.

Of 68 constituency parties contacted by The Guardian, only two said a majority of members were in favour of remaining in the European Union.

Some 17 reported a majority in favour of leaving. The others either said there was a 50-50 split in the ranks, or refused to respond.

Local councillors lined up to say they were 'hacked off' with Mr Cameron, with one saying that 'all eyes' were on London Mayor Boris Johnson, who has come out for Leave.

Lisa Parker, a councillor from Rugby, said she was disgusted by how the party was dealing with the issue.

'We've had to consult 27 countries just to talk about reform,' she said. 'We've sold this country out and we're being ruled by the European Union  by people who hate us, who loathe us.

'I'll be voting out, and campaigning every weekend. For the first time in my life I'm questioning if this is the party for me.'

David Sanders, a councillor in Peterborough, said of Mr Cameron: 'He didn't nail the deal. It wasn't a bad effort but he didn't do nearly enough to change my mind. I'll be campaigning to leave.

EU MIGRANTS WILL GET MORE CHILD BENEFIT UNDER PM'S DEAL Britain will be forced to pay higher rates of child benefit to some EU migrants with children living in other countries under David Cameron's deal, officials in Brussels confirmed yesterday. The Prime Minister's agreement allows payments to such workers to be made at 'local rates' after he failed to deliver on his manifesto for an outright ban on payments being sent abroad. But yesterday an EU official said the rates for some countries could end up being higher than those currently paid because they would need to be adjusted according to the local cost of living. That means some EU migrants working in the UK would get paid more in child benefit than British workers raising their children here. Advertisement

'Mrs Thatcher would have nailed it. He hasn't been strong enough with EU colleagues. His best just hasn't been good enough.'

Councillor David Tee, from Warley, said his constituency party was divided, with some members 'waiting to see what senior members of the Conservative Party choose to do  eyes are on figures like Boris Johnson'.

Liz Harsant, chairman of the Ipswich constituency party, said: 'They are all for out at the moment. Our MP, health minister Ben Gummer, is in favour of staying but frankly we all want to leave.'

Ken Worthy, chairman of the Claygate and Hinchley Wood branch of Esher and Walton Conservatives in Surrey, said: 'The constituency officers are in favour of staying but, from what I have heard, most of the members want to leave, probably about three-quarters, though this can only be a guess.'

Cambridge constituency party chairman Simon Lee said: 'We discuss the issue a lot and there are strong feelings on both sides but it hasn't got too violent yet. We have our meetings, discuss the EU and then go to the pub and shake hands.'

The hatred is now naked... it leaves a metallic tang on the tongue: QUENTIN LETTS watches the PM get personal as he belittles Brexit Boris in the Commons

Petulant and patronising, Prime Minister. David Cameron used Westminster's bully pulpit to belittle Boris Johnson. In the vacuum pod of the Commons it worked. Mr Cameron won cheers, laughter from the Labour benches  yes, Labour  while Mr Johnson muttered 'rubbish' several times.

Opposition MPs cried 'more! more! more!' Mr Cameron looked exceedingly pleased with himself. Creamy self-pleasure. 'That's shown Boris!' he may have thought.

But out in the nation? Beyond the chi-chi citadel  in those provincial fens where few can hope to swoosh to Strasbourg and Brussels on bring-your-squeeze freebies  such Commons barbs will make sparse impact.

Petulant and patronising: David Cameron used Westminster's bully pulpit to belittle Boris Johnson

The lasting effect may only be to stir Mayor Johnson's competitive juices. He must now know he is in a fight and will need to campaign with all his ardour for the 'Leave' vote. Mr Cameron has made it stingingly, nastily personal.

Tory leader in name alone  not now in spirit, nor possibly ever again  Mr Cameron came to the House to tell MPs about his European negotiation.

He entered the House shortly before 3.30pm. A few of his trusties expressed vocal acclaim at the sight of him. Many more sat in silence.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband turned up. George Osborne slunk in (to total silence from his side  he walks these days with the gait of a fox).

No Gove or Whittingdale or Patel, to name three of the Cabinet 'Leave EU' gang. They had stayed away but Iain Duncan Smith was standing in his normal place near the double doors.

Mr Cameron did some looking round at his benches, doing emphatic chin-drops to drudges he wished to encourage.

The PM won cheers, laughter from the Labour benches while Mr Johnson muttered 'rubbish' several times

Let them see that he had spotted them, acknowledge them, show a manly gesture of pumped lips and a tweak of the head: he is clever at this sort of thing. He even engaged Commons Leader Chris Grayling in conversation. Leave-man Grayling is the sort of ruminant Mr Cameron would happily ignore at a drinks party.

Appearance: Former Labour leader Ed Miliband turned up at the House of Commons yesterday

When long-standing Tory Eurosceptics challenged him, Mr Cameron treated them with a modicum of weary civility. The only one he was interested in spearing, in KILLING, was Boris.

Lord knows what words and promises passed between the two of them in recent weeks but the hatred, on Mr Cameron's part, is now naked. Peevish.

It leaves a metallic tang on the tongue.

First, he mocked Mr Johnson's floating of the idea that a Leave vote will bring the over-mighty EU to its senses and secure a better future for Britain. 'I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings,' he said, rolling the words round the front of his mouth, 'but I do not know any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows.'

This won, from Labour, a bark of laughter the like of which I have not heard since the day Geoffrey Howe attacked Mrs Thatcher.

A barb about divorce  aimed at the libidinous Boris? This was more than tart. It was gratuitously personal.

With an angry tremor in his voice, Mr Cameron said 'I am not standing for re-election. I have no other agenda than what is best for our country.' He said he would speak up for his country 'for the next four months'  an acceptance, perhaps, that his premiership is in peril.

The simplest MP grasped that Mr Cameron was, with these words, accusing his opponent of greedy ambition.

This was scintillatingly, recklessly vicious, a rare public glimpse of Cameron the crass autocrat

He was saying that Boris had 'an agenda'. He was playing the man, not that rugby ball that Boris once mentioned.

For a Prime Minister to impute low motives to a senior colleague  particularly one who had gone out of his way to praise him on Sunday  and to do so from the parliamentary pill-box: this was scintillatingly, recklessly vicious, a rare public glimpse of Cameron the crass autocrat.

The Tory benches behind? They did not like it. Not since Moses did his trick with the Red Sea has there been such salt-sour division.

How will your MP vote? Full list of all the Conservative politicians who have declared their stand on the EU referendum debate
A crooked cop has teamed up with a drug dealer he was in business with to launch a cigar line named after the Brooklyn precinct they disgraced.

Former Officer Michael Dowd, 55, is known as 'NYPD's most corrupt cop' after he spent 12 years behind bars for leading a ring of extorting, drug-pushing, money-laundering police in Brooklyn's 75th Precinct.

Now, along with former gang leader and drug cohort Adam Diaz, he is planning to sell cigars from the Dominican Republic under the brand name The Seven Five, after Dowd's old precinct.

Former Officer Michael Dowd, 55, is known as 'NYPD's most corrupt cop' after he spent 12 years behind bars for leading a ring of extorting, drug-pushing, money-laundering police in Brooklyn's 75th Precinct

Now, along with former gang leader and drug cohort Adam Diaz, he is planning to sell cigars from the Dominican Republic under the brand name The Seven Five, after Dowd's old precinct

Diaz, a drug impresario, now lives in Dominican Republic after a serving a prison sentence in the US.

The cigars' brands feature the men's names along with a photo of Diaz and a silhouette of Dowd in uniform.

The wooden boxes carry the sentences: 'Nobody can touch me. Nobody can touch my crew,' and 'The King of Brooklyn.'

The Seven Five is also the title of a crime documentary on Dowd's ring directed by Tiller Russell.

Joe Hall, a former detective in the precinct, said: 'It's a disgrace that he's in business with a drug dealer. 'But that's probably the only friend that he has. Drug dealers will probably be the ones who buy these cigars.'

Dowd (right) and Diaz (left) launched the cigars' wooden boxes which carry the sentences 'Nobody can touch me. Nobody can touch my crew,' and 'The King of Brooklyn

Epicenter: The NYPD's 75th precinct. A law-enforcement source who had worked with Dowd was stunned that the ex-cop would use the name of his old precinct, and said Diaz's involvement 'makes it even more of a slap in the face'

The cigars are produced by the Dominican company Tabacalera Palma and available at the LI Tobacco Outlet in Ronkonkoma, LI.

However, the store's owner, Fred Udle, 51, told The New York Post that he decided not to reorder the cigars once they sell out.

'I'm close friends with a lot of my customers, and they are like family, and it upset them,' he explained.

'I thought it would be great publicity for my shop, but I understand why the cops don't like him.'

Udle said the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association called him saying cops would boycott the store.

A law-enforcement source who had worked with Dowd was stunned that the ex-cop would use the name of his old precinct, and said Diaz's involvement 'makes it even more of a slap in the face.'

'If he had any sense of decency, he'd give all the proceeds to the Widows' and Children's Fund,' he said.

He stole guns and rolls of cash from gangsters, sold cocaine from drug lords and when asked if he was police or a trafficker said 'BOTH' - 'New York's most corrupt cop' tells of his shame

In an interview with DailyMail.com last year about his time as a cop, the 55-year-old Dowd said: 'Life was wonderful. Wonderful, sinful and glorious. I felt like Scarface, only I was a white Irish boy from Long Island. '

It was the Eighties and crack was flooding New York, bringing with it a crime wave that saw more than 100 murders in one year in Dowd's five square mile precinct  second only to another precinct, the 48th in the Bronx, in homicides.

East New York was a 'war zone' according to one of the cops interviewed on screen and the streets a ' blood bath '.

This was before 'Broken Windows' police reforms were brought in by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and his first police commissioner, Bill Bratton, which saw the streets swamped with cops, even the most minor offense targeted relentlessly, and the prisons filled.

On his watch, according to Dowd, cops were dissuaded from making drug arrests 'because they were too expensive for the City to process '.

Dowd's is a story of lawlessness in the garb of uniform, of cops and robbers with Dowd and his 'crew' of brother cops, in particular his one-time partner, Kenny Eurell , playing both roles.

Fresh-faced: Michael Dowd was a young cop when his life began to go wrong. After taking cash from crime scenes for some time, Dowd eventually brokered a deal between the cops and a drug baron, Adam Diaz

Dowd only became a police officer by chance. The third of seven children born to a firefighter father and stay at home mother he was a good student who was advised to consider becoming 'a doctor, a lawyer or an accountant'.

But he took the police test as well as the firefighter test and, he said, 'the police test came back first. Simple as that.'

The path was set. Dowd graduated from the Police Academy in 1982 and was immediately assigned to the 75th Precinct  one of the deadliest in the country.

Across eight of the ten and a half years during which Dowd was an NYPD cop he lived a life of escalating crime and excess. He shook down dealers, he took protection money from drug lords, he planned and took part in armed robberies, he stole from crime scenes  money and drugs  and ultimately he trafficked and dealt drugs himself.

He spent openly and lavishly, owned four properties and a condo in Florida, took trips to Atlantic City and drove a brand new red Corvette to work. It shocked even him that he got away with it for so long.

And when he was finally caught in May 1992 and the truth came spilling out, outrage over his behavior was intensified by the fact that it wasn't the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau that finally put a stop to him, but Suffolk County Police who caught him and Eurell in their own undercover drug sting.

I loved the extra money so much and I spent it very openly. I thought about getting caught and then I'd dismiss it

Dowd's case and the systemic failure that saw the Internal Affairs Bureau fail to substantiate 16 complaints made against him over the years, exploded into a very public scandal.

In September 1993, Dowd testified before the Mollen Commission  set up to investigate police corruption in the wake of his case. Asked by the commission if he had considered himself a cop or a drug trafficker he paused, deep in thought, before answering 'both'.

Dowd and his 'crew'  a band of like minded cops who protected each other in their corrupt exploits. Together they used raid tactics learned at the Academy to stage armed robberies of stores known to front drug dealing.

Then, in September 1986, 13 cops were arrested in the 77th precinct on corruption charges. In the wake of the scandal many of Dowd's 'crew' resigned fearing that they might be next in line for investigation.

Only Dowd gambled that the Department wouldn't want another scandal on its hands. He felt more, not less, secure in his lifestyle after the 77th fell. He had no fear of being caught. And, for a very long time, his gamble paid off.

After taking cash from crime scenes for some time, Dowd eventually brokered a deal between the cops and a drug baron, Adam Diaz. In return for a down payment of $24,000 and $8000 a week they would tip him off if there were to be raids and protect his drug dealing from the law.

According to Dowd he still considered himself a cop but the reality was that he was working for Diaz while wearing the NYPD uniform.

He was making so much money that, at a time when his pay check was around $600 a week, he often simply forgot to collect it.

He said: 'My wife [Bonnie] kept telling me to stop. But I couldn't stop. I loved the extra money so much and I spent it very openly. I thought about getting caught and then I'd dismiss it because I was getting away with it for so long right in front of everybody and I thought none of the cops would give me up.'

Gritty: Covering East New York, the 75th precinct became a ground zero for the lawlessness which came to characterize 1980s New York, before the zero-tolerance policing tactics which cleaned up the city

That was his greatest miscalculation.

At a time when Dowd thought he was riding high the truth was he was increasingly out of control. He wasn't just trafficking and selling drugs he was using and he was drinking heavily.

Dowd and Eurell had set up a kid called Harry as a dealer and, unknown to them, Harry had become the target of an undercover drug sting in Suffolk County where the men lived.

On 6 May 1992, eight years after his first 'take,' Dowd's world imploded. Eurell was in the drug house when Suffolk County Police battered down the door and raided the premises.

Dowd was on a shift  drunk on vodka and high having just downed a bump of coke off the dashboard of his patrol car.

Today he recalls that whole day as 'surreal'. He had a sense of being followed  of seeing undercover cars at every turn. And as he and his then partner pulled into the precinct and he walked to the door he said: 'I felt the shadows behind me.'

He said: 'The desk sergeant points to the door and says, "Go see the captain." I turn around and see these guys coming up the stairs, their badges out and they say, "Internal Affairs". They've got a piece of paper in their hand and they say, "We're taking you for a department ordered drug test." I say, "Okay."'

In that moment the overwhelming emotion Dowd felt was, he said, 'relief'.

He said: 'I thought, "Okay. Job's over, kiss it goodbye, the monkey's off my back."'

Later that day Dowd was arrested by Suffolk County officers on charges of drugs conspiracy. As he was cuffed officers searched him and found a bag of cocaine in his pocket.

He recalled: 'I'm half drunk and high, they empty my pockets and find the cocaine. The guy looks at me and I say, "I got a little problem I guess." I still thought I could fix it I thought. I still thought I could win.'

But unbeknownst to Dowd or Eurell the FBI had been conducting an ongoing investigation into the drug baron with whom they worked. They were on tape brokering deals, taking payment, selling drugs.

And when confronted with this reality, and the prospect of a Federal case as well as the state case that could see him spend up to 25 years in jail, Eurell did the one thing Dowd thought he never would. He gave him up.

Eurell agreed to wear a wire after he and Dowd were released on bail. As a result the Feds had evidence of an outlandish kidnap and murder plot supposedly hatched by Dowd in one last desperate move and a bid to flee the country.

The plan was to kidnap the wife of a Colombian who owed some dealers money. Dowd and Eurell would kidnap her and hand her over to the Colombians for execution. Dowd would then use his share of the $700,000 payment for the job to flee to Nicaragua.

To this day Dowd denies the murder aspect of the plot and claims that the entire thing was a set-up. But in July 1992, two months after his arrest by Suffolk County, Dowd was arrested by the DEA and NYPD. This time there would be no fixing the situation.
Britain has been left powerless to stop weakened EU plans that could allow terrorists to enter Europe unchecked during busy holiday periods.

EU officials have watered down proposals that would have required systematic checking of all passports at the borders of the EU's passport-free zone.

The new plans would allow border officials to suspend this blanket checking of passports if it would cause traffic delays.

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EU leaders wanted systematic checking of all passports at the EU's external borders in the wake of the Paris attacks. Above, wounded people are evacuated outside the Bataclan theatre in Paris in November, where 89 people were killed by ISIS terrorists, some of whom were able to return to Europe undetected

The mastermind behind the Paris attacks Abdelhamid Abaaoud (pictured in Syria) was able to cross EU borders without being checked by officials

It means the estimated 5,000 EU citizens who have travelled to Syria to join ISIS could return to Europe undetected.

It raises fears that another Paris-style terror attack could hit EU capitals, but Britain cannot force the stricter rules to apply because it is not in the Schengen zone  the borderless area of 26 European countries.

Currently only non-EU passports are checked against the Schengen Information System (SIS) and Interpol database at road borders, ports and airports, which checks for suspected criminals.

But in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo strikes last year and the Paris attacks in November, when ISIS terrorist returned from Syria to massacre 130 people, EU leaders wanted to tighten the rules to ensure all people crossing the EU's external borders were checked against the criminal databases.

David Cameron and Francois Hollande were among the leaders calling for the stricter border checks, following the revelations that terrorists in the two Paris attacks had used EU passports to travel into the Schengen free EU area from Syria.

Currently only non-EU passports are checked against the Schengen Information System (SIS) and Interpol database at borders, which checks for suspected criminals. Above, the Slovenian border with Croatia has been tightened as hundreds of migrants from outside the Schengen area attempted to enter

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, will urge EU leaders to enforce passport checks even in busy holiday times at a summit of EU interior ministers in Brussels later this week but she will be unable to vote.

The looser proposals are set out in a European Commission document, which recommends that the systematic checking of all passports can be suspended if it would cause a 'disproportionate impact on the flow of traffic at the border'.

The suspension of the blanket checking of passports would first require a 'risk assessment' that shows it would threaten security or health and safety of EU members states.

'This obligation shall apply at all external borders i.e. at air, sea and land borders, both at entry and exit,' the European Commission proposals state.

In the zone: This is the Schengen area which could be a lot smaller according to EU plans to stem the migrant crisis. The countries in red could all be kicked out, leaving in only the countries in purple

'However, where a systematic consultation of databases on all the persons enjoying the right of free movement under Union law could lead to disproportionate impact on the flow of traffic at the border, Member States may carry out only targeted checks against databases provided that a risk assessment shows this does not lead to risks related to internal security, public policy, international relations of the Member States or a threat to the public health.'

Schengen was established over 30 years ago and now counts 26 members, 22 of which are EU members. But the system of passport-free travel has come under severe pressure over the past half year due to a flood of migrants entering Europe, mainly from the Middle East and Africa.

Home Secretary Theresa May (pictured attending Cabinet this morning) will urge EU leaders to enforce passport checks even in busy holiday times at a summit of EU interior ministers in Brussels later this week but she will be unable to vote.

To stem the tide and to ensure they have an overview of who is entering their territory, many countries within Schengen have reintroduced border controls in recent months, leading to fears the whole system could collapse.

Under radical EU plans in the autumn, officials drew up plans to kick out Italy, Spain, Greece and eastern European countries from the Schengen zone in a bid to save the border-free zone from being scrapped altogether.

Belgium, France, German, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are set to re-draw the boundaries to just include the original members, creating a 'Mini-Schengen'.

But there remains fears that the whole Schengen zone could collapse, with a study yesterday estimating it could cost the EU more than 1 trillion over the next ten years.

A report by Germany's Bertelsmann Foundation estimated that under a worst case scenario, in which the reintroduction of controls at EU borders pushed import prices up three percent, the costs to the bloc's largest economy Germany could be as much as 180billion between 2016 and 2025, and those to France up to 190billion.

At a minimum, with import prices rising one percent, the study showed that a breakdown of Schengen would cost the EU roughly 360billion over the next decade.

The cost would climb to 1.10trillion, or roughly 10 percent of annual gross domestic product (GDP) in the 28-member EU bloc, under the more dire scenario.

'If border controls are reinstated within Europe, already weak growth will come under additional pressure,' said Aart De Geus, president of Bertelsmann.

In addition to being a devastating symbolic setback for Europe, a collapse of Schengen would increase the amount of time it takes for goods to be transported across European borders, raising costs for companies and consumers.
Its the stuff of nightmares  three men getting stuck in a lift immediately after a curry feast.

But it was the dire reality for an Australian, Englishman and Taiwanese man who battled uncontrollable flatulence, 38 degree heat and 99 per cent humidity during the longest half hour of their lives.

The three colleagues had just finished delicious curries at an Indian restaurant in Marrara in Darwin's north when they tried to take the lift to travel just one floor up to their hotel room.

The lift surged and went up and down, up and down again. The emergency lights went on and we realised we were in for the long haul, said Ben Rose  the Australian of the trio.

Almost immediately, Cega Wang realised he needed the bathroom urgently and warned his friends he might need to have a wee in the corner, according to Mr Rose.

Not long after, the Englishman, Scotty Lintern apologised in advance, warning his friends his stomach was starting to rumble after his fatal meal choice - the spicy laksa.

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An Australian, Englishman and Taiwanese man became stuck in a lift after a curry feast. It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it was anything but funny for three men who were forced to battle uncontrollable flatulence, 38 degree heat and 99 per cent humidity during the longest half hour of their life

At first (left to right) Ben Rose, Cega Wang and Scotty Lintern saw the funny side but were quickly broken

A wave of eyewatering flatulence quickly followed to torture his trapped friends.

We were struggling to breathe after Scottys little effort, there was a smell in that lift that I thought would outlast religion, said Mr Rose.

Cega was deep breathing through a tiny crack in the elevator with tears in his eyes. He hasnt spoken to us since,' he joked.

Its been a long recovery after that day, but were getting there.

There was no air conditioning in their metal prison and the men were soon left struggling against the humidity and the after effects of their curries.

Hell would have been a few degrees cooler. It was more painful than I imagine childbirth would be, we were at our wits end, said Mr Rose.

It was hot as sin, we were all sweating profusely and sitting on the floor in little pools of our own sweat, said Mr Lintern.

The trio took out their phones to record the experience, with video showing the broken, sweaty men explaining how 'dire' it felt.

Despite their traumatic experience, Mr Lintern  who has earned himself the nickname the farting Englishman  still has found memories of the restaurant

Ben and I saw the funny side of things the whole way through but Cega looked a bit stressed, said Mr Lintern.

Weve bonded over the experience but I think Cega might have filed for divorce.

The men were resourceful enough to call the pub next door for emergency beers.

Despite an earnest effort from all involved to pull the beverages into the lift, the beers sadly couldnt be shuttled through to the men in need.

It was only half an hour but it felt like a week long ordeal, said Mr Rose.

We went straight out from the lift to the pub and cracked a few beers. Cega ran straight to the bathroom though and stood in the shower for half an hour, said Mr Rose.

Despite their traumatic experience, Mr Lintern  who has earned himself the nickname the farting Englishman'  still has found memories of the restaurant.

It was a delicious meal, really tasty. We havent been back to the restaurant, thats probably a good idea.
The mysterious black widow who is helping to bring down revolutionary hero Lech Walesa has said she plans to use the cash she got from selling documents implicating him as a secret police agent to renovate her house.

Maria Kiszczak, 82, sparked a storm of controversy when she handed in documents, signed by Mr Walesa, which suggested he agreed to be a paid agent under the code name 'Bolek'.

She told MailOnline how her late husband, Communist-era Prime Minister General Czeslaw Kiszczak, told her to only make the documents public if she was in deep financial trouble.

Exposed: Maria Kiszczak (pictured), 82, the widow of the former Polish general Prime Minister General Czeslaw Kiszczak sold papers which suggested revolutionary hero Lech Walesa was a communist spy

Denial: Walesa (being held up), who served as Poland's president between 1990 and 1995, has denied he was ever a paid Communist informant

Spy: The documents she handed in were signed by Solidarity hero and former President Lech Walesa, and suggested he once spied for a regime he later fought and brought down

But just three months after his death, she contacted officials at the Institute for National Remembrance (IPN) - a state institution set up to investigate Nazi and Soviet era crimes against Poland - and handed the lot over for an alleged 12,485 (90,000 PLN).

She said: 'Before he died, my husband said that if I ever needed financial help I should take these documents to the IPN.

'They were bound together and I didn't open them. It was only when the police came that I discovered there was a note inside saying they should not be made public for decades after his death.

'I feel guilty because I didn't realise there would be such a reaction. And I didn't realise the documents were supposed to be kept secret for years.

'My husband wanted to protect Walesa's reputation as a hero.'

Mrs Kiszczak, who refused to reveal exactly how much she got for the documents, added: 'The house needs renovating and I want to buy a tombstone for my husband's grave.

General Kiszczak is buried in Warsaw's Powazki cemetery, a sprawling 44-hectare area the size of Vatican city, and the resting place for some of the most illustrious figures in Poland's history.

Bereaved: Mrs Kiszczak (pictured with her husband's former uniform) says she spent around 9,000 of the money she got from the documents on his funeral

Upgrade: Mrs Kiszczak wants to spend some of the rest on renovating her detached three-bedroom house (pictured) in Warsaw, where they had lived since the 1970s

Problem: Mrs Kiszczak told MailOnline the leaking water pipes (pictured) in her damp basement desperately need replacing

Love: She met her husband shortly after moving into the house, when he noticed her legs at the local train station

She added: 'I don't know how much it will cost but it will be a lot... I have already spent 50,000 PLN (around 9,000) on the funeral, the cemetery plot, as well as the costs of his medical care.

'We took him out of hospital and I had to pay for a private nurse.'

I don't know how much it will cost but it will be a lot... I have already spent 50,000 PLN (around 9,000) on the funeral, the cemetery plot, as well as the costs of his medical care Maria Kiszczak

Part of the money she gets for the documents will be to cover all these costs. Much of the rest will go towards renovating her detached three-bedroom house - a modest home for what was once the second most powerful man in Poland.

Mrs Kiszczak said: 'We had a bank loan to build the house. But that was nearly 50 years ago and I can't remember how much it was.

'We paid the loan off in early 2000. But since then nothing has been done. Now there is a problem in the basement. The water pipes are leaking and need to be replaced. That is the priority.'

She met her late husband at a train station after he spotted her legs - and they got married in 1958.

Mrs Mrs Kiszczak has lived at the detached house in the Mokotow district since it was built in the 1970s.

Nine years her senior, General Kiszczak was an up-and-coming officer in Poland's counter intelligence service. She was a 24-year-old academic at the time.

Following a whirlwind romance, the couple married six months later.

Couple: General Kiszczak (right, with Maria) was an up-and-coming officer in Poland's counter intelligence service

Remembered: General Kiszczak (right, with Maria) is buried in Warsaw's Powazki cemetery, the resting place for some of the most illustrious figures in Poland's history

Sought after: 'Without being modest, in my youth I was very successful with men and could pick them easily,' said Mrs Kiszczak (pictured as a young woman)

Educated: As her husband rose through the ranks of the communist hierarchy, Mrs Kiszczak (right, with former US President George Bush Sr) forged out a career as an economist

Humble: But Mrs Kiszczak (left, with her late husband) said she was still 'very in touch with normal people'

She recalled: 'The first thing he noticed about me were my legs and the magazines I was carrying, which were a collection of travel magazines.

'Without being modest, in my youth I was very successful with men and could pick them easily.'

From day one of our marriage I kept notes on everything because I knew how important his role was Maria Kiszczak

As her husband rose through the ranks of the communist hierarchy, she forged out a career as an economist in the Polish capital where she lectured while hobnobbing with Poland's communist elite, leaving her two children in the care of a nanny.

But she insisted she didn't abuse her position and used to queue up for food and was 'very in touch with normal people'.

From the very start of her relationship she began taking notes which she would later use to pen her autobiographical books.

She said: 'From day one of our marriage I kept notes on everything because I knew how important his role was.'These were notes about what was happening socially and politically. I wanted a record of what was happening.

'I never supported communism and this caused arguments, but I admired him.'

Top secret: 'It was only when the police came that I discovered there was a note inside saying they should not be made public for decades after his [Walesa's] death,' Mrs Kiszczak said

Clueless: Mrs Kiszczak said she had no idea what was inside the top secret documents (pictured) until the police came to open them, because they were bound together

But she said that even though her husband would sometimes talk to her about Mr Walesa and other trade unionists, she could not remember the details.

And asked whether she thought Mr Walesa was the agent code named Bolek, she smiled before saying: 'I don't know. The answer is in the documents.'
The pilots of a packed passenger jet coming into land at Heathrow Airport were targeted by a blinding laser beam as they approached the runway, police have confirmed.

Scotland Yard have launched an investigation after the captain was struck in the eyes by the powerful stream of light just seconds before touching down on Monday night.

Despite the attack, the pilots managed to land the British Airways plane, flying in from Amsterdam, safely.

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The pilots of a packed passenger jet coming into land at Heathrow Airport were targeted by blinding laser beams as they approached the runway, police have confirmed. Scotland Yard have launched an investigation after the captain was struck in the eyes seconds before touching down on Monday night (stock photograph)

There are now major concerns about the safety of aircraft flying in and out of the airport - the busiest in Britain - as the incident is the second involving lasers in just ten days (stock photograph)

However, there are now major concerns about the safety of aircraft flying in and out of the airport - the busiest in Britain - as the incident is the second involving lasers in just ten days.

The First Officer of a Virgin Atlantic jet bound for New York was dazzled in a similar attack on February 14 and was forced to return to Heathrow.

Those responsible were said to be using a laser capable of melting plastic or wood, so powerful that it managed to injure the pilot flying the Airbus A340 at 8,000 feet.

Audio from the cockpit revealed the attack came '6 to 7 miles' west of Heathrow - and the jet, which was carrying nearly 270 people, turned back when it became clear the First Officer was badly hurt.

It was forced to make an emergency landing and the pilot was taken to hospital.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson today confirmed officers are now probing the latest incident, which occurred at 7.47pm last night.

The Civil Aviation Authority has recorded more than 9,000 laser incidents in Britain's skies in the seven years since January 2009 - none more so than around Heathrow Airport (pictured)

A spokesman said: 'The incident did not endanger the aircraft.

'Enquiries continue to establish where the offence took place. There have been no arrests.'

The Civil Aviation Authority has recorded more than 9,000 laser incidents in Britain's skies in the seven years since January 2009.

Those have involved bright beams being shone at passenger and military jets, police helicopters and air ambulances.

Across that period, the number of dazzlings has increased from 746 a year to more than 1,440 - the equivalent of nearly four a day.

In November 2015 it was reported that the eye of a British Airways pilot was damaged by a 'military' strength laser which had been shone into the cockpit of his aircraft earlier in the year.

If convicted, anyone found shining lasers at aircraft can be jailed for up to five years and fined 5,000.

In the event that a plane came down, those responsible would be handed a life sentence.

It is an incredibly dangerous thing to do. Shining a laser at an aircraft puts that aircraft, its crew and all the passengers on board at completely unnecessary risk British Airline Pilots Association general secretary, Jim McAuslan

British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) general secretary Jim McAuslan earlier this month called for lasers to be classed as offensive weapons to help cut down on attacks.

He said: 'This is not an isolated incident. Aircraft are attacked with lasers at an alarming rate and with lasers with ever-increasing strength.

'It is an incredibly dangerous thing to do. Shining a laser at an aircraft puts that aircraft, its crew and all the passengers on board at completely unnecessary risk.

'Modern lasers have the power to blind, and certainly to act as a huge distraction and to dazzle the pilots during critical phases of flight.'

A spokesman for British Airways said: 'The safety of our crew and our customers is always our highest priority.

'Our pilots report any incidents so that the authorities can investigate and take appropriate action.

'We take such matters extremely seriously.'
David Cameron today said Boris Johnson was a 'fantastic friend' but one who was 'wrong' on the EU.

On his first campaign stop of a 120 day campaign, Mr Cameron said he had thought about what to recommend 'very, very deeply' and considered all his experience since entering No 10 in 2010.

Mr Johnson had earlier promised a 'fantastic new future' outside the EU where Britain was the 'hub' of new trading arrangements around the world.

But speaking in Slough, Mr Cameron insisted Britain was 'better off' inside the European Union because of the uncertainty a Brexit would bring.

The two men were on the campaign trail today hours after an angry clash in the House of Commons over the rival campaigns.

David Cameron used a visit to the O2 headquarters in Slough today to make his case for why Britain would be stronger and better off if it stayed in the EU

But in Central London, Boris Johnson, pictured with the Queen today at a Crossrail event, insisted Britain could be a hub of new trading arrangements around the world

Mr Johnson, who is not expected to take on a formal leadership role but has become the standard bearer for the campaign to get Britain out of the EU, said those promoting danger had been proved wrong before.

Speaking outside his home today, Mr Johnson said: 'Of course there will be people who will try to spread alarm and anxiety - we had much the same sort of thing when the decision came on whether or not to join the euro and indeed 20 years on whether or not to leave the ERM.

'On both occasions all those same people were wrong.

'We have a great opportunity now to strike new deals for Britain to be the hub of new trading arrangements around the world and to have a fantastic new future.'

Later, Mr Cameron visited the O2 headquarters in Slough in a bid to get his campaign outside of Westminster.

TORY MP WARNS DAVID CAMERON WILL HAVE TO QUIT DOWNING STREET IF HE LOSES REFERENDUM Nadine Dorries today warned Mr Cameron would have to quit if he loses the referendum David Cameron would have to quit Downing Street if he loses the EU referendum, a Tory MP warned today. Nadine Dorries, who plans to campaign against the Prime Minister, said she 'hoped' the first thing Mr Cameron would do after defeat would be to resign. Mr Cameron is due to be attending an EU summit on referendum day June 23 and the following morning though it remains unclear whether he will attend. But Ms Dorries told LBC: 'If the British public vote to leave the EU, I would imagine and hope the first thing David Cameron would do is stand down as Prime Minister.' Leading Tory Brexit campaigners have all insisted Mr Cameron would be the right man to lead the new talks with the EU in the event of a vote to Leave. But Mr Cameron is expected to come under acute pressure to stand down if Britain rejects his recommendation to stay in. Advertisement

Mr Cameron insisted the London mayor had a 'very strong future in British politics' but repeatedly stressed his judgement was 'wrong' on that count and he was 'disappointed' by his stance.

And he said: 'I just want people to know that I am speaking about this after thinking about it very, very deeply - after thinking about all the things I have learned as Prime Minister over the last six years.'

The PM continued: 'I have huge respect for Boris as a politician. He is a great friend of mine, he is a fantastic Mayor of London, I think he has a lot to give to the Conservative Party, I think he has a lot to give to this country.

'But on this issue I think he has got it wrong.

'We are going to have, I hope, a very reasonable, civilised argument between us and between other parties and you are going to find people with some fairly strange bedfellows. This is one where Jeremy Corbyn and I agree.'

Turning to his economic arguments, Mr Cameron said: 'We know we get in terms of jobs, prosperity and security.'

Mr Cameron said three million jobs were in some way linked to trade with the EU and questioned whether the Leave campaign could promise a Brexit would not threaten any of them.

And addressing undecided voters, Mr Cameron said: 'If you are not certain, don't leap - stay with what we've got.'

Mr Cameron said a vote to leave would spark two years of acute uncertainty as Britain would be unable to start striking new trade deals while negotiating the terms of its exit from the EU.

And he insisted six years as Prime Minister had left him more convinced of the merits of the EU - a stark contrast with his justice secretary Michael Gove, who cited frustrations in Government as making him more eurosceptic.

O2 is one of the 197 firms which signed up to a letter endorsing Mr Cameron's campaign that was published today.

The new clash comes a day after Prime Minister David Cameron launched a savage Commons attack on his Tory rival for backing the Brexit camp.

Mr Cameron today reached out an olive branch to the Mayor as he said Mr Johnson 'has reached the wrong conclusion' and promised a 'reasonable and civilised' argument.

Mr Cameron visited the O2 headquarters in Slough today to take questions from staff on why Britain should stay a member of the European Union

In a clash over the economy Mr Cameron, speaking at today's event alongside Tory peer Karren Brady, right,, insisted all his experience as Prime Minister told him Britain was 'better off' as a member of the EU

And he said the Mr Johnson had a 'strong future' in British politics.

DO NOT CALL US BUREAUCRATS! FURIOUS EU OFFICIALS DEMAND TO BE CALLED 'EUROPEAN CIVIL SERVANTS Bureaucrats working for European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, pictured, have demanded to be called 'European civil servants' Officials in Brussels have demanded they are not referred to as 'bureaucrats' but as 'European civil servants'. In a bizarre outburst, Jean-Claude Juncker's chief spokesman reacted furiously after a journalist used the term 'euro-bureaucrat' in a press conference. Margaritis Schinas, who leads the European Commission's spokesman service, said he did 'not like' the term bureaucrat and would not accept being described as one. At the briefing in Brussels, Mr Schinas, a former Greek MEP, said: 'Thank you for repeating that we are bureaucrats in our faces. 'I have told you repeatedly that we do not like that term for the European civil service, for the many thousands of colleagues who work for the institutions. We do not think bureaucrat is the way to describe our job. 'Each time you will use the term bureaucrat, I will answer back that we are civil servants working for the interests of all 28 member states.' Mr Schinas became angry after he was asked by an Italian reporter about the behaviour of Mr Juncker's chief of staff Martin Selmayr, who officials in Rome have accused of briefing against them. Advertisement

Sources close to Mr Johnson insist he had brushed off last night's claims his move had been about his own political ambitions.

And the mayor insisted today the Tory Party was better equipped to deal with a row over Europe than it had been in the 1990s.

He said: 'I think one of the big differences between now and what I remember back in the 1990s is the Tory Party now has a much better team spirit, a much better feeling about all this.

'I have absolutely no doubt that after this is over the Tory Party is going to unite again around David Cameron's leadership.

'I think the crucial thing in the weeks and months ahead is we focus on the issues that matter to the British people and we put those issues as clearly as possible.'

Mr Johnson today met with the Queen to announce the Crossrail line under London would be named the 'Elizabeth Line'.

Mr Johnson today said he was determined to seize the opportunity to quit a European Union which was 'wasteful, anti-democratic and I think evolving ever forwards towards a super state I don't think most British people want to be involved with'.

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers, who backs British withdrawal from the EU, told BBC Radio 4's World at One: 'Of course people will want to listen to the views of business leaders, but I think it's clear that the business community has a divided opinion on this.

'I think if you look through the 198 who signed the letter, I'm sure you will find names which 10 or 15 years ago were saying the UK had to join the euro and it would be a disaster if we didn't. They were wrong then and they're wrong now.'

Ms Villiers added: 'There's also a long list of businesses - like Vauxhall, Airbus, GE, Renault - all of whom have said they will continue to work and invest in the UK even if we leave.

'The reality is the EU sells more to us than we do to them, so if we left it would be in their interests to have a trade deal with us. So we'd carry on doing business with the rest of the EU even if we left.'

Mr Cameron yesterday accused the mayor of wanting to use a vote to Leave as a way of forcing better terms out of Brussels.

Mr Johnson was seen at a Crossrail launch after making his latest EU intervention while Mr Cameron returned to the campaign trail today, holding a PM Direct Q&A event in Slough to launch his EU referendum campaign

Mr Johnson met the Queen this morning, together with transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin, left, as he announced Crossrail would be named the 'Elizabeth Line' when it opens in 2018

At one point the event all seemed to get a bit much for the London Mayor as he juggled the day job with his campaign to get Britain out of Europe

But sources close to Mr Johnson have insisted this is a misunderstanding of his position.

BORIS RETURNS TO THE DAY JOB TO MEET THE QUEEN AT CROSSRAIL Boris Johnson returned to the day job today to make a Crossrail announcement with the Queen Boris Johnson announced today Crossrail will be named after the Queen when it opens in 2018. The Crossrail Elizabeth Line will link Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to Essex. And in a break from the EU referendum to return to his day job, Mr Johnson said: 'Crossrail is already proving a huge success for the UK economy and, as we move closer to bringing this transformative new railway into service, I think it's truly wonderful that such a significant line for our capital will carry such a significant name from our country. 'As well as radically improving travel right across our city, the Elizabeth line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest-serving monarch.' Advertisement

Mr Johnson is eager to quit the EU and build a new bilateral arrangement based on the single market.

Mr Johnson's new intervention came as former foreign secretary William Hague today warned Tory ministers facing a bitter divide over Europe not to destroy the party so it cannot win in 2020.

Lord Hague said ministers should only campaign on their spare time - hours before David Cameron embarked on his first 'national tour day'.

He said as well as doing their day jobs, both sides should ensure they 'praise each other's achievements'.

Lord Hague's intervention came as Mr Cameron's Cabinet met for the first time since the referendum campaign officially began and Boris Johnson joined a string of ministers in backing a Brexit.

Alan Johnson, the leader of Labour's campaign to stay in the EU, today said: 'For UK manufacturing jobs, our EU membership is absolutely critical. Two thirds of British jobs in manufacturing are dependent on demand from Europe.

'That's two thirds of our manufacturing base reliant on that single market access and Britain's membership of the EU.

'That's over one and a half million manufacturing jobs here in Britain.

'And turning specifically to apprentices in the manufacturing industry, and I'm pleased to see some of you here today, around 50,000 apprentices work today in manufacturing apprenticeships that depend on trade linked to our EU membership.

'That's 50,000 apprenticeships which depend on our EU membership and leaving the EU could put those at risk.

'For each one of those apprentices, gaining skills, earning a good wage and working towards a career, we can't let them down, turn our back on the world and cut British manufacturing and industry off from their largest export market.'

Labour's Alan Johnson, who is running the party's referendum campaign, today warned 50,000 manufacturing jobs could be at risk if Britain leaves the EU

DAVID CAMERON HITS THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN A HIGH STREET MARKS AND SPENCER SUIT Mr Cameron revealed his Marks and Spencer suit at his EU referendum campaign event in Slough earlier today David Cameron was spotted wearing a Marks and Spencer's suit today - hours after the high street retailer signed up to a letter backing his EU campaign. The Prime Minister removed his jacket in front of photographers at a PM Direct event in Slough. He flashed the tell tale 'Savile Row Inspired' logo on one of the inside breast pockets. An M&S spokeswoman said the suit appeared to from the autumn/winter 2014 range and would have sold for 299. The shirt sleeves look drew immediate comparisons to Mr Cameron's general election efforts where he abandoned suit jackets and ties amid claims he was not showing enough passion. A Marks and Spencer suit is far from the most glamorous option in the prime ministerial wardrobe. Ahead of the General Election last year, top tailor Geoffrey Golding was spotted going into Downing Street - sparking speculation Mr Cameron's suits were undergoing a makeover at around 2,000 a time. Advertisement

Brexit Cabinet rebels banned from accessing government material to support campaign to leave EU under David Cameron's strict new gagging rules

The six Cabinet rebels voting for Britain to leave the EU have been banned from using any government material or resources to campaign for Out, under strict new rules published today.

Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary, sent a letter to all civil servants this morning telling them that government resources must only be used in the referendum campaign if it supports the Government's official stance in support of Britain's membership of the EU.

It risks causing further anger among Tory Eurosceptics as it will put pro-Brexit ministers at a significant disadvantage to pro-EU members of the Government in the run up to June's referendum.

Other Brexit rebels, including Iain Duncan Smith, left, John Whittingdale, centre, and Theresa Villiers, right, all appeared in Downing Street this morning. Under the Civil Service guidance on the EU referendum sent by the Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood today, they will all be at a disadvantage against their pro-EU colleagues

It means Michael Gove, Iain Duncan Smith, Priti Patel, Theresa Villiers, Chris Grayling, John Whittingdale and around 15 junior ministers are barred from accessing official department papers that support their case for Britain to leave the EU.

The rules will also apply to their advisers, who must only campaign for Britain to leave the EU in their spare time.

They will be unable to provide their ministers with briefing notes or speech preparation to make the case for leaving the EU but can use the same kind of resources to help ministers on the opposite side of the argument.

But at the same time ministers and advisers who back Britain staying in the EU are free to use government papers and other resources to support their case.
The brutal murder of a young girl at the hands of her father in 2009 still haunts a police officer who was one of the first on the scene.

Police officer, Colleen Spiteri, 43, has launched legal action against the Victoria Police and VicRoads seven years after the death of four-year-old Darcey Iris Freeman, the Herald Sun reports.

She says her employers failed to fulfill their duty of care to her in the months following Darcey's death.

The little girl was murdered by her father, Arthur Freeman, who tossed her from Melbourne's West Gate Bridge in an attempt to hurt the child's mother.

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Darcey Iris Freeman, 4, (pictured) was murdered by her father in 2009 - she was thrown from Melbourne's West Gate Bridge

One of the police officers, Colleen Spiteri, (pictured) who was first on the scene is suing Victoria Police for the handling of the murder

Ms Spiteri says she was not properly monitored by Victoria Police following the incident

Darcey's father Arthur was sentenced to 32-years-jail after the incident

Ms Spiteri was one of the first officers on the scene and gave Darcey CPR, but the little girl could not be revived.

Ms Spiteri says she now suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder because Victoria Police failed in their duty of care following the incident.

The police officer, who has two grown children, submitted a victim impact statement to the court during the girl's murder trial.

In the report Ms Spiteri said her sadness over the event had not diminished, The Australian reported at the time. 'It breaks my heart,' she said in the statement.

'I could not help Darcey,' she said. 'I pleaded with her to wake up. She didn't.'

In a writ filed with the court on Monday Ms Spiteri alleges support systems used by Victoria Police are not adequate to support officers exposed to stressful events.

Ms Spiteri says she gave Darcey CPR but could not revive her - she says she now has depression and post-traumatic stress disorder because she didn't receive sufficient counseling

Freeman threw his daughter into the water after calling her mother and telling her to say her goodbyes

Ms Spiteri gave evidence in court in 2011 saying the incident still saddened her

It is also alleged Ms Spiteri was not given proper counselling after attending the crime scene.

Ms Spiteri is suing VicRoads for not having adequate safety guards along the bridge, The Age reports.

The writ says VicRoads should have known the risks of not having safety guards on the bridge.

Barriers were erected on the bridge soon after the incident. In 2014 Darcey's mother Peta Barnes won a settlement with Vic Roads over the lack of barriers on the bridge.

Freeman threw the girl from the bridge after ringing her mother to tell her to say goodbye to her three children. He was sentenced to 32 years jail in 2011.

It is not yet known how much compensation Ms Spiteri is asking for.
This is the moment a mass-brawl broke out in a Chuck E. Cheese while a family was celebrating a child's birthday party.

Footage taken at a restaurant in Manchester, Connecticut, shows chaotic scenes as at least a dozen people start fighting in front of shocked diners.

At one point an irate woman can be seen slamming her fists against a counter while a friend tries desperately to prevent her from clambering up on to tables as she tries to join the violence.

Anger: Video captures the moment a mass-brawl broke out in a Chuck E. Cheese while a family was celebrating a child's birthday party

But with fists flying in front of her, she eventually manages to wriggle free and climb up before joining the brawl.

The video was taken by witness Alexander Shway.

A four-year-old child was injured during the fight while two Chuck E. Cheese staff members were hurt as they tried to calm the situation and move children away from the violence.

Manchester Police Captain Chris Davis told WFSB: 'A one-year-old was knocked down, but did not suffer any injuries. There was a four-year-old that suffered some scrapes and minor bruising but luckily was not seriously injured.'

Police said the incident had started earlier in the day when a row broke out between two women elsewhere.

Fists flying: A four-year-old child was injured during the fight while two Chuck E. Cheese staff members were hurt as they tried to calm the situation and move children away from the violence

At one point an irate woman can be seen slamming her fists against a counter while a friend tries desperately to prevent her from clambering up on to tables as she tries to join the violence

They are then believed to have bumped into each other at the restaurant on Sunday before the situation descended into violence, according to NBC Bay Area.

Police said those involved in the fight had disappeared before they arrived and have launched an investigation.

In a statement, Chuck E. Cheese reportedly said: 'We are regretful of the situation. Our cast immediately called the authorities once the altercation went from verbal to physical.

'We are working closely with the authorities to provide our surveillance footage. The safety of our guests and cast members is our number one priority. We are sorry this happened.
A brother and sister are locked in a bitter legal battle over a 3.2million fund set up by their Jewish father to protect his fortune from a 'repetition of the Holocaust'.

David Hamilton left a 4.5million estate when he died in 2007 as well as millions of pounds worth of assets held by the Rainbow Foundation in Liechtenstein.

His widow received 500,000 from the estate while the remaining money was split between his children, Alan and Carolyn. A row erupted when Mr Hamilton, 69, realised his sister had received around 1.2m more from the Foundation.

David Hamilton left a 4.5million estate when he died in 2007 as well as millions of pounds worth of assets held by the Rainbow Foundation in Liechtenstein. His widow received 500,000 from the estate while the remaining money was split between his children, Alan and Carolyn, who are now arguing over how much they got

In a High Court hearing, Mr Hamilton claimed that the Foundation's funds should form part of his father's UK estate, which was split 50/50 in line with his will.

But David Halpern, Ms Hamilton's lawyer, said her brothers case as a 'deeply unattractive claim by a brother against his sister to set aside their late father's wishes'.

The court heard Mr Hamilton fled the Nazis in 1938 and arrived in England as a 'penniless boy refugee' on one of the last Jewish evacuee ships from Germany.

His entire family perished at the Nazis' hands but Mr Hamilton went on to build a fortune in fashion and property after the War. He died an 'extremely wealthy man' and bequeathed 500,000 to his widow, Laura.

The remaining 4m of his UK wealth was split equally between his children. Mr Hamilton received an extra 1m from the Rainbow Foundation and Ms Hamilton got around 2.2m, the court heard.

Mr Hamilton, an accountant based in Madison Avenue, New York, is now claiming he did not find out the money was not split equally until four years after his father's death.

He also accused his father of being a serial tax dodger who moved his cash overseas as a sham to deceive HMRC, it was alleged.

But Ms Hamilton defended her father and said he was just nervous because of his past.

The High Court (pictured) heard the duo's father built his fortune from the fashion trade and from property - including Hamilton & Ray on Great Portland Street

The London-based barrister, who specialises in children's rights, insisted her father was a 'man of principle' who would never set out to evade his taxes.

Mr Halpen added: 'She finds this litigation abhorrent. That is not just because it pits a brother against his sister but because Alan's case now depends on him showing that their father was a fraudster.'

The duo's father, who ran a real estate business called Hamilton & Ray in Great Portland Street, Westminster, was also accused of using a courier to fly home bundles of cash beneath HMRC's radar.

But Ms Hamilton countered that her father had seen the Rainbow Foundation as an 'escape fund in case history repeated itself'.

She told the court: 'My father was heavily affected by his pre-war experiences. He lost his family, his home, his country and his community. He lost everything.

You have done all you can to make sure he does as badly as possible and that you get as much as possible Steven Thompson, for Alan Hamilton

'He was always concerned that it would happen again; he would say that you're never ever safe.'

She added that she believes she got a larger slice of the fund as she had been a 'good daughter' who had helped out in his business.

She told Mr Justice Henderson: 'I think he wanted to support me.'

But Steven Thompson, for Mr Hamilton, accused his sister of 'hating' her older brother.

He told her: 'You have done all you can to make sure he does as badly as possible and that you get as much as possible.'

Ms Hamilton denied loathing her brother but commented: 'He really has behaved very poorly - in a spiteful, mean and nasty way.'

Pleading with him across the courtroom, she added: 'I only hope that there might be a way back now, Alan?'

Their feud had 'ripped the family apart', she told the court, with their elderly mother 'conflicted by it all'.

The bad blood between the siblings had even spilled over into violence, said Ms Hamilton, who claimed Mr Hamilton had assaulted her.

She said: 'I just object to being punched. I'm 64 years old, too old for him to behave as he did as a child and constantly punch me.'
A massive increase in migrants arriving in Europe has seen more than 110,000 people reach EU shores since the beginning of the year.

The 110,000 mark - which last year was not reached until July - was predominately due to the unprecedented amount of people to arrive on the Greek islands.

It included at least 102,547 landing on the Greek islands and 7,507 in Italy, the International Organisation for Migration said today.

It comes as Greece today reacted with fury at being left out of crunch talks with the Balkan states that are being held in Austria.

Macedonian police stand in front of a gate over rail tracks as migrants wait on the Greek side of the border. New figures have revealed more than 110,000 refugees have already entered Europe this year

More than 102,000 asylum seekers from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan have arrived in the EU already this year

Greek police line the border with Macedonia, where thousands have attempted to cross this year

A migrant girl stands behind a border fence as she waits to cross into Macedonia with her family

Greek authorities say the majority to have reached the country this year were Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis, Iranians and Pakistani

A young boy waits with his parent at the border today. The IOM said more than 110,000 have reached the EU this year

The Greek authorities said the majority were Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis, Iranians and Pakistanis. Others were from Morocco, Bangladesh and Somalia.

The IOM said: 'Over 410 migrants and refugees have also lost their lives during the same period, with the eastern Mediterranean route between Turkey and Greece continuing to be the deadliest, accounting for 321 deaths.'

Itayi Viriri, an IOM spokesman, noted that the figure of 100,000 had already been exceeded this year despite rough sea conditions in recent days on the route from Libya to Italy.

Migrants arriving in Italy are often in 'very bad conditions, having been subjected to violence by smugglers in Libya,' he said, adding that women were subjected to human trafficking.

Meanwhile, Greece angrily protested to Austria on Tuesday after being left out of a planned Balkans migration meeting as it began sending hundreds of Afghans from its clogged northern border back to Athens.

ASYLUM SEEKERS ARRIVING FROM SYRIA, IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN YEAR NUMBER 2010 37,811 2011 47,946 2012 59,717 2013 82,255 2014 172,340 2015 645,663 2016 102,547

The new emergency came as Greek authorities had barely completed migrant registration centres on the islands and relocation camps for refugees.

The facilities in Athens were already pushed to capacity after Macedonia on Sunday abruptly closed its border to Afghans and introduced more stringent document checks for Syrians and Iraqis.

The move caused a bottleneck at the border - where 4,000 people were waiting to get through on Tuesday - and forced Greek police to keep migrants and refugees who had just landed at the port of Piraeus from travelling to the frontier to avoid exacerbating the situation.

Figures from the UNHCR show that in 2010, 37,811 asylum seekers arrived in the EU from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.

That figure increased to 47,946 in 2011; and to 59,717 in 2012.

In 2013, the number of refugees arriving from those countries increased to 82,255.

By 2014, 100,000 refugees from the war zones landed by September, with a total of 172,340 by the end of the year.

In 2015, 100,000 asylum seekers from the three countries arrived in the EU by June and by New Year's Eve the figure had reached 645,663.

The figures would be higher if migrants from Libya, Pakistan, Morocco and Sub-Saharan Africa were included.

A boy eats a banana as hundreds of migrants line up to receive food in Piraeus, Greece

A baby wrapped in a jacket sleeps in Victoria Square, Athens, after migrants hoping to cross at the north were turned back to the capital

Greece says it is taking action to persuade Macedonia to take in Afghan migrants after border authorities blocked the country's nationals from crossing

At the border, Afghan families boarded nearly a dozen buses for the long trip back south to the capital, where they will be temporarily housed in relocation camps, local police said.

On Monday, some 600 Afghans had protested on the railway line between Greece and Macedonia. Three of them climbed the border fence and were arrested by Macedonian police.

Macedonia introduced the measure on Sunday, following decisions by countries further up the migrant route to turn back groups of Afghans.

The International Organisation for Migration produced a graphic showing the number of newly arriving migrants arriving in Italy and Greece during 2015 and 2016 showing their onward movement north through Europe

In addition, a Greek migration ministry source said nearly 4,000 people who landed at Piraeus had been shared out between available facilities in Athens, but hundreds more were arriving on a daily basis on ferries from the islands.

And Macedonian border officials were now only allowing passage to Syrians and Iraqis with passports, rejecting other identity papers furnished under EU regulations to refugees without passports at the island registration points, the official added.

'[The Macedonians] are rejecting EU screening documents, it's a scandal,' the Greek official said.

Philippe Leclerc, head of the UN refugee agency in Greece, told AFP that Afghans currently make up around one third of the 2,000 people who land from neighbouring Turkey on a daily average.

'We risk having three very difficult weeks ahead' because of the Macedonian border blockade, he said during a visit to the island of Lesbos, adding that Greece's migrant facilities cannot handle the load.

Migrants affected by the passage restrictions stand behind a border fence at the Greek-Macedonian

Greece's foreign ministry says it has summoned the Austrian ambassador to protest over being left out of the recent crunch talks

With all of Europe scrambling for solutions to the continent's greatest migration challenge since the Second World War, Austria has invited interior and foreign ministers from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia to a Wednesday meeting called 'Managing Migration Together'.

Greece's foreign ministry said it had summoned the Austrian ambassador to protest over being left out of the talks.

'Through this one-sided and not at all friendly move towards our country, there is an attempt to take decisions in Greece's absence that directly affect Greece and Greek borders,' the ministry said.

Greece has accused Austria of undermining efforts to reach a joint European response to the migration crisis by siding with hardline EU members who refuse to take any refugees.

Vienna has moved closer to the Visegrad Four group - Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic - in their call for tighter EU controls inside the passport-free Schengen zone.

'One must recognise that Austria has already taken 100,000 refugees... but I think it is making a very big mistake by placing itself alongside these countries,' Greek junior interior minister for migration Yiannis Mouzalas told Vima radio on Monday.
He forced her to watch child pornography and participate in

Ms Liyanage was sentenced to four years jail for manslaughter on Monday

A doctor who killed her husband with a sledge hammer as he slept after years of being forced into sordid sex acts is afraid she will be deported to Sri Lanka when she is released from prison.

Chamari Liyanage, 35, was acquitted of murder in the Supreme Court of Western Australia on Monday after seven hours of deliberation, instead receiving a four year jail sentence for manslaughter.

The doctor from Geraldton, north of Perth wants to appeal against the conviction, as she fears she will be deported once she is released on parole, the ABC reports.

Her lawyer George Giudice says his client, who is a permanent resident, believes she will be 'deported immediately.'

Liyanage will be eligible for parole after two years and having already served 18 months behind bars could be released in as little as four months.

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Chamari Liyanage is accused of killing her husband Dinendra Athukorala (pictured together) with a mallet while he slept

Liyanage remained stoic as the verdict was handed down but reportedly broke down a few minutes later.

During her three-week trial, the jury heard that Ms Liyanage's husband Dinendra Athukorala, 34, subjected her to years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse - forcing her to participate in threesomes, watch child pornography and perform sex acts that he would broadcast online.

According to the West Australian, Justice Stephen Hall said that while Liyanage's husband had clearly abused and manipulated her, she had still responded excessively.

He said that while she was defending a teenage girl he had forced her to befriend in the hopes they would have a threesome, beating him to death with a 1.79 kilogram sledge hammer was undue.

'This was not a justified killing, you went too far,' he told the court.

'It is not open to people to kill their abuser unless that act is found to be lawful and yours was not.'

Ms Liyange said she does not remember anything between going to sleep on 23 June 2014 and waking up the next morning to find her husband covered in blood, the ABC reported.

Dr Athukorala had been beaten to death using a 1.79 kilogram sledge hammer which was found next to his body.

The Supreme Court of Western Australia has previously heard that Mr Athukorala would beat his wife if she refused to perform sexual acts which included having a threesome with a 17-year-old girl.

The doctor allegedly killed her husband with a 1.79kg mallet (shown) in their bed at their Geraldton home

Liyanage, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder, has also spoken more about the couple's affair with a 17-year-old girl

Liyanagea says her husband, who had forced her into sexual acts with a 17-year-old, was becoming interested in children and frequented child-porn sites

Dr Athukorala (right, pictured with wife) was found by police in the couple's bed at their home in Geraldton Western Australia in June 2014

Liyanage has previously claimed her husband became interested in 'younger and younger children' and that he would stay up at night to look at child porn sites on three laptop computers.

'It became constant beatings, constant teaching sessions, he kept me sitting on the bed or kept me on camera and [had me] perform for people online,' Liyanage said, according to the ABC.

'People would ask me to get undressed or do sexual acts. He got more and more interested in children, younger and younger children.'

She has previously claimed he had forced her into a threesome with a teenager, 17.

During the trial the doctor was show a number of pornographic images - including those of children and asked if she had ever seen them before.

She said she had seen 'thousands of images' similar to the ones presented as he husband would regularly look at child porn sites.

She describes being fearful of her husband (pictured) - even though she knew seducing the teenager was wrong

The accused has said she could not say no to her husband because she was afraid of him beating her

Psychiatrist Dr Victoria Pascu told the court that years of abuse could leave someone in a 'robotic' or automated state - able to walk around and perform tasks without realising they are doing them.

'There are different degrees of being in an unconscious, automatic state,' she told the court.

'The person might still be walking around but acting like a robot, doing things but don't know they are doing things. I don't believe [Liyanage] was suffering a mental impairment.'

The court has heard that Liyange felt so trapped in the relationship she wanted to kill herself, but she couldn't go through with it because she knew how devastated her parents would be.

The court has also previously heard that Liyanage kept a notebook documenting the 'mental and physical abuse' he allegedly inflicted upon her.

A police officer read out notes from her diary in court, which one entry saying: 'He plays with me like a cat, I am a mouse, until I am dead he plays.

'I am extremely scared for my life when I see that look in his eyes. Please God, get me out. Let me die in peace, please help me.'

Dr Athukorala was found by police inside the couple's home in Geraldton, Western Australia in June 2014
TEXAS POLL: Favorite son Ted Cruz is up by eight with 37 percent of Republicans on his side compared to the 29 percent with Trump

OHIO POLL: Trump is at 31 and the state's governor is five behind at 26

Donald Trump's momentum shows no signs of slowing in a new national survey, released on the morning of the Nevada caucuses.

Trump is in first with 36 percent and leads Ted Cruz by 17 points, according to NBC News/Survey Monkey. And Marco Rubio is three more behind despite a stronger than expected finish in South Carolina last Saturday that saw him surge ahead of Ted Cruz.

In Ohio, the home state of dark horse candidate John Kasich, Trump is also in first and would beat the governor in his own backyard by five, 31-26, a Quinnipiac poll shows.

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Donald Trump's momentum shows no signs of slowing in a new national survey, released on the morning of the Nevada caucuses.

Trump, seen here yesterday at a rally in Las Vegas, has the momentum as Republicans prepare to face-off in Nevada's caucuses tonight and in 11 states and one U.S. territory a week from today, on Super Tuesday.

Trump is in first nationally with 36 percent and leads Ted Cruz by 17 points. Marco Rubio is three more behind despite a stronger than expected finish in South Carolina last Saturday that saw him surge ahead of Ted Cruz into second place

Trump has the momentum as Republicans prepare to face-off in Nevada's caucuses tonight and in 11 states and one U.S. territory a week from today, on Super Tuesday.

The so-called 'SEC primary,' Cruz saw the southern states voting that day as his escape route from second.

But claims from his competitors that he's a liar who engages in 'dirty tricks' have hurt the Texas senator and last weekend in South Carolina, a state central to his strategy, he came in third, just behind Rubio and double digits behind front-runner Trump.

He's expected to win his home state of Texas next Tuesday, however, and a significant portion of its 155 delegates.

A Texas Tribune poll out this morning has him up eight over Trump with 37 percent of the Lone Star State's Republicans on his side and 29 percent on Trump's.

But in Georgia, another Super Tuesday state, Trump is up nine over Cruz in a WBS-TV poll that came out on Monday.

In the northeast Cruz and Rubio are getting crushed by Trump in states that vote next week.

In Massachusetts Trump is up 34 points over Rubio and 42 over Cruz and has 50 percent of the vote. In Vermont he's polling at 34 percent to Rubio's 17 percent and Cruz's 11 percent.

Texas and Ohio, states with favorite sons in the race, are the only ones coming up with recent polling - surveys that came out after Saturday's GOP primary in South Carolina - that suggest Trump could lose next week.

Nationally, the order is Trump, 36, Cruz, 19, Rubio 16, Kasich 8 and Carson at 8 in the NBC News poll.

Texas and Ohio, states with favorite sons in the race, are the only ones coming up with recent polling - surveys that came out after Saturday's GOP primary in South Carolina - that suggest Trump could lose next week.

Trump's southern strength is tied to the white evangelical voting bloc, which Cruz hinged his campaign on but the billionaire is winning. Rubio has seen his support in this group rise five percent in the last week, as well.

Voters who say they are 'very conservative' are also switching their votes to Rubio. He's cut into Cruz's base by another five percent there and is now at 15 percent to his rival's 36 percent among those voters.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is charging ahead after beating Bernie Sanders last weekend in Nevada. She's at 51 percent to his 40 percent nationwide.

Nevada never expected to be a close race, but polling in the final days suggested Sanders was closing the gap. In the end Clinton won by a solid six points.

She has maintained her status as the likely Democratic nominee countrywide in spite of early stumbles in Iowa and New Hampshire and now turns to South Carolina, a state that even Sanders knows the former secretary of state will outright win.

He's abandoning the Palmetto state for most of this week to pitch voters in states further down the line like Virginia and Oklahoma - both have contests on March 1.

Sanders also has a stop in Kansas City, Missouri - a one-two punch as he can speak to voters who will cast their ballots on March 5 on the Kansas side of the major city that sprawls over two states as well as those participating in Missouri's March 15 election.

Polling shows Sanders and Clinton in a dead heat in Massachusetts and Clinton ahead by 52 points in Georgia.
A bartender who stopped for a bite to eat in Vienna has been fined for burping too loudly after devouring a particularly spicy kebab.

Police who heard Edin Mehic burping near the Praterstern area of the Austrian capital Vienna told him it was a breach of the peace and slapped him with a 55 fine.

The incident went viral in Austria when Mr Mehic posted a copy of the police report of the incident on his Facebook page.

Edin Mehic was fined by police in Vienna for burping after he had devoured a particularly spicy kebab with a lot of onion

Mr Mehic, a bartender, said that he belched after eating kebab while enjoying a walk through a park in Vienna

The incident went viral after Mr Mehic posted a photograph of his fine to his Facebook page (pictured)

He stated: 'I know in these times police are very present on the streets to tackle crime but surely tackling a burper is a bit too much.

'It was a Sunday and I was enjoying a walk in the park, and I suddenly felt hungry. I ordered one the way I like it, spicy with a lot of onion.'

He said he had been shocked when he felt a policeman's arm on his shoulder after the burp and even more surprised when he ended up with the fine.

He added: 'I didn't even know he was there until I felt his arm on my shoulder.

'I guess things can't be as bad in the area as we read in the papers because if they have time to chase up burping, it means there isn't anything more serious to worry about.'

Bizarrely, after heated online debate about the incident, a flash mob was organised to meet up in the area on the 27th to drink cola, eat kebabs and then stage a mass burping.

Mr Mehic said he thought had been at least 20 metres away from the police officers when he burped and had no idea that they could have even heard it.

In the meantime, the 27-year-old has handed the matter over to his lawyer, Heinz Robathin, who described it as 'all a question of perspective'.

'If my client had done it in the opera or theatre, I could probably understand somebody complaining.

'But not in the Praterstern, where there are drug dealers and other people of a dubious character on a daily basis.

'People burping a hardly rare there. This is such an abuse of police authority that it borders on misconduct.'
Samantha White (in black jacket) was rescued after plunging 10ft through a hidden hole in ice and becoming trapped in freezing water

A 10-year-old girl was rescued in the nick of time after plunging 10ft through a hidden hole in ice and becoming trapped in freezing water.

Samantha White was snowshoeing with her parents near Castle Peak, California, when she slipped through the small hole.

Panicking as she landed in icy cold water, Samantha screamed for her father to rescue her.

He lowered down his ski pole but she did not have the strength to pull herself up as she sank deeper and deeper into the snow-covered creek.

'She was just screaming for me "don't let me go, daddy", which was pretty heartbreaking,' the girl's father, William White, told ABC 10.

'Your mind always goes to the worst that could happen to your child,' he added,

With Samantha now ankle deep in freezing water, Mr White called 911 as he was afraid she might get hypothermia.

He was told it would take up to an hour for emergency teams to arrive, but in a stroke of luck, Marin County Search and Rescue Team were passing by at that moment.

They were passing by on a training mission when they were suddenly plunged into a real life scenario.

The 14-man team, including two youth volunteers, lowered ropes into the ice cave and were able to haul Samantha to safety.

'We saved Samantha's life,' Bob Gehlen, Marin County Sheriff's Office search manager, said.

'When we pulled her out and when she fell on [the rescuers], I'm glad I had goggles on. It was really emotional,' he added.

Robert Rye, from the rescue team, told ABC 7 that Samantha was crying and scared when she was brought to the surface.

'She couldn't hear very well because the snow pack was probably six or eight feet thick,' he said.

Samantha, 10, was snowshoeing with her parents near Castle Peak, California, when she slipped through the small hole (pictured)

Heroes: A rescue team, who just happened to be passing, used ropes to haul Samantha from the icy water

Grateful: Samantha sent her thanks to her rescuers, saying: 'Thank you for helping me get out of the hole'

The team took off the girl's soaking shoes, socks and jacket and got her into extra clothing that they were carrying with them.

'I remember putting my hat on her head when we pulled her out of the hole because she was shivering and then I said, "You look good in my hat." Then she smiled and I was so happy,' Lauren Knott, a youth member of Marin County Search and Rescue Team, said.

Samantha's mother, Hilda White, told NBC Bay Area that the rescuers' coincidental arrival was 'perfect timing'.

'The snow just swallowed her up,' she said.

'All these thoughts run through your mind: "What if it caves in? What if there's a big gush of water? What if she slips?"'

'I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart,' Mrs White added.

Samantha sent her thanks to her rescuers too, saying: 'Thank you for helping me get out of the hole.
Heroic firefighters and the families of firemen who died in a massive blaze in New York in 2005 have been awarded $183million in compensation.

Two of the brave firefighters died jumping from the fourth floor of an apartment building in the Bronx on January 23, 2005 - a day that has since become known as Black Sunday.

Four others were critically injured after being left with no choice but to leap 50ft from the property onto a concrete courtyard, with one of the brave firemen dying in 2011.

Heroic firefighters and the families of firemen who died in a massive blaze in New York in 2005 have been awarded $183million in compensation. Lt John Bellew (left) and Lt Curtis Meyran (right) died in the fire

Four others were critically injured jumping 50ft from the property onto a concrete courtyard, with one of the brave firemen (left, Joseph DiBernardo) dying in 2011. Pictured right, Brendan Cawley, who was injured

The six men - Lt Curtis Meyran, Lt John Bellew, Joseph DiBernardo, Jeffrey Cool (left), Eugene Stolowski (right) and Brendan Cawley - were left with no choice but to throw themselves out of the building

The city of New York has been found 80 per cent responsible for the disaster after attorneys argued the firefighters did not have the proper ropes to escape the inferno.

The six men - Lt Curtis Meyran, Lt John Bellew, Joseph DiBernardo, Jeffrey Cool, Eugene Stolowski and Brendan Cawley - were left with no choice but to throw themselves out of the building.

Lt Meyran and Lt Bellew died at the scene and Di Bernardo died six years later. Cool, Stolowski and Cawley all suffered life-changing injuries but survived.

The city of New York will have to pay out a sum in the region of $140million to the surviving firefighters and the families of those who perished.

As well as the lack of ropes, the fire highlighted the hazards of using temporary walls for illegal apartment conversions.

The tenants had turned their living quarters into a deadly maze so they could make extra cash renting rooms, prosecutors said.

The building's former owners 234 East 178th Street L.L.C (building pictured), were found 20 per cent responsible for the deaths and horrific injuries suffered by the firefighters

The city of New York has been found 80 per cent responsible for the disaster after attorneys argued the firefighters did not have the proper ropes to escape through the windows

New York City fire crews look up at the building where where firefighters were killed and others injured in an early morning fire in the Bronx borough of New York

The building's former owners 234 East 178th Street L.L.C, were found 20 per cent responsible for the deaths and horrific injuries suffered by the firefighters.

Lt Meyran's family settled the case out of court before the verdict on Monday.

As a result of the tragic blaze, all firefighters are now issued with ropes. They had carried ropes until 2000, when the city did away with them and did not replace them.

The city is considering an appeal, the New York Times reported.

City spokesman Nick Paolucci said: 'The city has always viewed this incident as a tragedy for the firefighters and their families, but we believe that the jury's verdict does not fairly apportion liability in view of compelling evidence that established that the landlord's numerous building code violations were directly responsible for this horrible event.

'We will review the record and evaluate our legal options.'

A lawyer for 234 East 178th Street L.L.C. did not comment.

Jeanette Meyran, is flanked by her son, Dennis, and daughter, Angela, right, as the casket bearing the remains of her husband, New York City firefighter Curtis Meyran in 2005

Fireman Richard Sclafani died battling a separate fire in Brooklyn on Black Sunday

Speaking during a criminal trial in 2009 against the tenants inside the burning apartment and the former owners of the property, firefighter Cool spoke of the terrifying scenes inside the inferno.

'It was starting to be like hell in there. I had to get out of there,' he told a court, according to the New York Daily News.

'I'm getting burned. I can feel the fire coming up my leg, up my back. I'm thinking about my wife, my kids.'

Heroically, fellow fireman DiBernardo said Cool should use the one rope they had to get out of the building as he had a wife and children.

He grabbed the rope and rolled out of the building.

'I remember hitting the ground. I was in a world of hurt. I was in the worst pain I thought I could ever find myself in,' Cool said.

That trial resulted in the former owners of the property being convicted of criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment, but the ruling was overturned on appeal a year later.

In a separate fire in Brooklyn on Black Sunday, another firefighter was killed.
Fairfield University is investigating a 'ghetto-themed' party held by students on Saturday night, school officials said.

The college, based in Fairfield, Connecticut, became aware of the alleged incident after a number of posts about the off-campus bash at a beach house in the affluent Bridgeport suburb near the private Jesuit school surfaced on social media.

It reportedly included white students in blackface makeup, wearing temporary gang tattoos and other 'ghetto' attire.

Some attendees were pictured wearing gold chains, baggy clothing and holding 40oz bottles of Coors Light beer, students told CT News Junkie.

The university told Daily Mail Online that it began investigating the party after pictures that had been taken on Snapchat began circulating on Twitter.

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Fairfield University is investigating a 'ghetto-themed' party held by students on Saturday night, school officials said. Pictured above, students reportedly shared images of their attire on social media

Iman Jebara, a student at the university, said she was 'appalled' to hear about the party, which some of her friends attended.

'They were wearing wife beaters,' she told Fox61. 'One girl shoved a ball in her shirt and the Snapchat caption was 'Guess who the daddy is?'

Other pictures shared through Snapchat, Instagram and other social media accounts, showed students with gang-inspired face tattoos.

Student Samantha Quinones said: 'I'm disgusted by the way this university is handing this situation.

'I've seen the pictures of these people getting 'dressed up' like they're from the ghetto areas. I've seen pictures of girls with a 'baby bump'.

'I, and my fellow students, are outraged by this and we are outraged that it took the President of the university almost two days to respond to this incident.'

University spokeswoman Teddy DeRosa said it is unclear how many people attended the party but confirmed it took place in a house off-campus.

'We have confirmed that it was 'ghetto' themed, but we have not confirmed that there were any students in blackface or in brown makeup.

'We have seen no photographic evidence, and none of the students interviewed have mentioned anything of the sort.'

She said university officials are in the process of determining whether any students will face discipline. She said there is no criminal aspect to the investigation and police are not involved.

'Students who live off-campus are still held to the Universitys code of conduct and disciplinary actions,' she added.

Students who attended the party were pictured wearing gold chains, blackface makeup, baggy clothing and holding 40oz bottles of Coors Light beer, as well as sporting fake tattoos (above)

Iman Jebara (pictured) , a student at the university, said she was 'appalled' to hear about the party, which some of her friends chose to attend. She said students there wore wifebeaters and had fake baby bumps

She added that some pictures circulating online of students with fake baby bumps and chains were not taken at the party in question.

In a statement, the university condemned the event, branding it 'culturally insensitive.'

It said: 'Fairfield University has learned that over the weekend, students who currently live off-campus allegedly hosted a culturally insensitive party at one of the residences.

'University administration is working with students and diversity officers to investigate the incident.

'We expect that our students, faculty and staff maintain the highest level of respect for one another.

'We will be investigating the matter immediately, and will take appropriate actions as soon as the facts have been determined.'

The Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, the university's president, sent a letter to the campus community condemning the party for perpetuating racial stereotypes 'that have no place in our community and only serve to offend and devalue people.'

He added that he is aware of how the party has impacted some students, who feel their concerns go beyond the incident itself  and are a reflection of the culture on the college campus.

The fact that there was even an idea to dress as 'ghetto' is an intrinsically perverted issue

'To some within our community, this incident is symptomatic of conditions on campus that inhibit out many positive efforts to build a more inclusive, respectful and safer community.'

He said he is committed to 'continuing to engage in critical dialogue to build an inclusive community of learners from a diversity of social, economic, racial, cultural, national and religious backgrounds.'

About 73 per cent of Fairfield's 4,000 undergraduate students are white, while just over 2 percent are black and 7 percent are Latino, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Education.

The Fairfield University Student Association, the school's student government, held an emergency meeting on Monday night to discuss the party.

DeRosa said that group and school leaders are planning an open forum on Wednesday where the campus community can come to discuss racial issues and express their concerns.

'I have encouraged my peers to engage in dialogue with friends around this issue regardless of how uncomfortable it may be,' said Anif McDonald, the president of the student association.

As news of the party's 'ghetto' theme spread online, it sparked a huge backlash from fellow students and Fairfield University alumni.

Juanita Rainey said that despite the school becoming more diverse, those students are not well integrated.

In a statement, the university (pictured, file photo) condemned the event, branding it 'culturally insensitive'

In a letter to the university community, the university's president Jeffrey von Arx said the party's reported theme 'perpetuated racial stereotypes that have no place in our community'

'It's disappointing because I've had all these friends, who I thought were OK with me, happily attend this party to make fun of black people,' she told the CT News Junkie.

Joe Harding, a junior, branded the event 'despicable.'

'The fact that there was even an idea to dress as 'ghetto' is an intrinsically perverted issue,' he told the CT Post.

However, some felt that there was no reason to be offended by the party's theme.

'It's like Halloween, where I'm dressed as a gangster,' student Brian Mason said. 'Nobody said anything then.'

Jacqueline-Ann Willsey also believes the attire students reportedly wore to the party is acceptable, citing the style of celebrities such as Justin Bieber.

'Justin Bieber dressed liked that for so long while he was out singing 'Baby, baby, oh',' she told Fox5.

'It's not necessarily a socio-economic thing, I think it's just a style.'

And it appears that some students who attended have no regrets about causing offense.

Dan Radel, who claimed to have attended the party in a hot dog costume, posted a message in a Fairfield University Facebook group, saying: 'In light of the recent backlash towards the 'ghetto party' I would like to take this time to apologize for my attire last night.

'I wore a hot dog costume to this party and now feel that my actions have caused emotional harm to all of the hot dog community.'

Radel also used the hashtag '#HotDogsMatter' and '#PeopleDont' in the post, referencing the Black Lives Matter movement.

Dan Radel, a student who claimed to have attended the party in a hot dog costume posted this message in a Fairfield University Facebook group
This is the shocking moment a female passenger started smoking crack cocaine on a city centre bus as it travelled down Scotland's busiest shopping street.

The brunette woman was spotted taking the Class A drug while crouching over a seat on the top deck of the Number 26 bus on Princes Street, Edinburgh.

Photographs taken by a 17-year-old passenger show the woman preparing a pipe before inhaling the highly-addictive white substance as lunchtime shoppers walk by.

This is the shocking moment a female passenger started smoking crack cocaine on a city centre bus as it travelled down Scotland's busiest shopping street

A piece of discarded cling film, which is normally used to wrap 'rocks' of crack cocaine, can also be seen next to her handbag.

The teenage passenger, who has asked not to be named, posted photographs of the woman on social media and wrote: 'Not everyday someone starts smoking crack at the back of your bus.'

Users were quick to respond to the post, with one friend writing: 'Only in Edinburgh.'

One person wrote: 'Ugh that makes me feel sick in my stomach. Children have to sit on those buses!! Disgusting.'

While another user added: 'Surely if youre going to pick that up as a hobby [it] should be in private not public transport.'

The teenager said he was on his way to meet a friend for lunch when he saw the woman, who was wearing a black jacket and large hoop earrings.

The brunette woman was spotted preparing a pipe (left) with the Class A drug (right) while crouching over a seat on the top deck of the Number 26 bus on Princes Street, Edinburgh

He added: 'I got on the bus and this woman got on at Haymarket and she looked a bit shifty. She said: "Do you smoke?"

'I sort of questioned her. In the end she was like, "No, do you smoke crack?" She wasnt offering any, she was just like, "Is it OK?"

'I was like, "Do what you want". I put my head down and put my earphones back in.

'I got off at the last stop on Princes Street and she waved at me out of the window. I was disgusted she was smoking crack on a bus, there could be children on that seat.'

Photographs of the woman were taken by a 17-year-old passenger who posted them on Twitter with the above caption

A piece of discarded cling film, which is normally used to wrap 'rocks' of crack cocaine, can also be seen next to the woman's handbag

Police Scotland confirmed it was investigating.

A spokesman said: 'Edinburgh has a dedicated Transport Liaison Officer and we work closely with Lothian Buses to ensure the safety of passengers and staff.

'Officers have been made aware of this image and are conducting enquiries into the full circumstances.'
Over the weekend, Indiana was filmed saying 'mama' and 'dada' on camera for the first time

Joey Feek continues to defy the odds in her battle with stage 4 cervical cancer after being given just months to live in October

He wrote next to the photo; '...the fire warms my hands, but she warms my heart'

Rory Feek posted a photo of himself sitting by a campfire with daughter Indiana on Monday night

Rory Feek shared a touching photo of himself with daughter Indiana sitting by a campfire Monday night.

The doting father wrote next to the photo of him and his little girl; '...the fire warms my hands, but she warms my heart.'

Rory also shared a video of the family's last big trip together on his blog This Life I Live of their journey to Hawaii last year to celebrate his birthday.

'Remembering this morning that last February, right around this time, we took a family trip together to Hawaii celebrate my upcoming birthday. What a different a year makes,' wrote Rory.

'The only thing that's changed is everything. And nothing.'

Meanwhile, on Sunday Indiana began saying 'mama' and 'dada' to her father without him prompting her in sign language.

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Touching: Rory Feek posted a photo of himself sitting by a campfire with daughter Indiana on Monday night (above)

Poetry: He wrote next to the photo; '...the fire warms my hands, but she warms my heart'

It has been a memorable month for Rory and Joey, who continues to defy the odds in her battle against stage 4 cervical cancer.

Rory called last week a 'week to remember' in a blog post detailing the couple's celebration of Valentine's Day, the Grammy Awards, Indiana's birthday and their new album's sales.

And even better than Rory's words were the photos he shared of Joey watching as her daughter blew out her candles, a smiling Indiana celebrating her second birthday and, most touching, an image of Rory and Joey laying in bed together for the first time since November.

'Indy and I drove through what seemed like a blizzard on Sunday afternoon to pick up dinner for Joey for Valentines Day,' wrote Rory.

'My wife loves sushi and I had decided that morning that we could surprise her with some of her favorite rolls.'

The sushi seemed to do the trick that night as well, with Rory saying of his wife; 'Starting that night, her appetite came back and she had the greatest time.'

After dinner is when the couple were able to enjoy a special moment they had not experienced in months.

'When dinner was over, as I said goodnight and tucked the blankets around her in the little hospital bed she has been living in for months, she thanked me for the special night and then made one last request. If Jody helps me to scoot over to one sidecould you try to lay down with me and put your arms around me?' wrote Rory.

'I havent been able to be in the same bed with my wife or hold her in my arms since the beginning of November  when she made her last trip to the hospital.

'But for one sweet half-an-hour that changed on Valentines day.'

The next day was the Grammy Awards, and Rory revealed that after watching the ceremony he learned that it is not just an honor to be nominated.

'Instead, I would say that just being able to wake up and look into the eyes of the people we care about and tell them that we love them is enough,' said Rory.

'Everything else is just icing on the cake.'

He also said that despite their loss the couple is still hoping to get nominated next year.

'The morning after the award show, Joey looked into my eyes and said, Im sorry we didnt win us a Grammy,'" wrote Rory.

'I smiled and said, thats okay. Then jokingly, I added, theres always next year. She smiled back at me and said, yes next year."'

Big moment: Over the weekend, Indiana was filmed saying 'mama' and 'dada' on camera for the first time (above)

Big day: Indiana celebrated her second birthday last week with chocolate cake (above)

Dream: Joey had said her only wish after being diagnosed with terminal cancer was to live long enough to see her daughter turn two

The big event however was Indiana's second birthday.

After learning last October that her stage 4 cervical cancer was terminal and she had six months to live at most, Joey's only wish was to live long enough to see her daughter have one more birthday.

'Joey barely slept the night before Indianas birthday. She was too excited. Jody said she didnt fall asleep until about 5 am, around the time that Indy and I woke up,' said Rory.

'When Joey woke up, a little before noon, I came in to see her and tears were flowing down her face. Again, I put my arms around her and asked, why are you crying honey?

'We made it, she softly answered. We made it."'

Joey got to watch her daughter blow out her birthday candles and Indiana could be seen smiling from ear to ear in photos from the day, especially as she enjoyed her cake.

'For the most part, Indianas big day was nothing but joy and more joy. She has a way of bringing even the most painful parts of life back into perspective,' wrote Rory.

And that was not all either, as the couple learned that their new album was selling out in some stores.

'Our manager Aaron called us yesterday morning and told us that lots of folks have been buying our new Hymns album and that stores across the country have had a hard time keeping them in stock since they went on sale earlier this week,' said Rory.

'I put it on speaker phone so Joey could listen and hear the wonderful news and say hi to Aaron. When we hung up, Joey and I sat there holding hands knowing that in time those sales could turn into some income for our family and that could really help, now that there are no more concerts or income from shows.

'We talked about what a blessing it was, and then she looked at me very seriously and said, I need you to do something for me."

'I told her I would be glad to. Then with all the sincerity in the world, she said, I need you to be generous God has blessed us so much. We need to bless others."'

Hard at work: Joey made dinner for the family over the weekend from her hosp[ice bed (above)

Love: Joey and Rory also spent some time laying in bed together on Valentine's Day (above)

Celebration: Joey and Indiana clap as she celebrates her second birthday (above)

Joey has been defying the odds after being given six months to live last October, making remarkable progress despite being told she would be bedridden for the remainder of her life in late November.

She got out of bed in December and then began to walk again, all things that seemed impossible just weeks before.

She even got to spend Christmas with her family near her childhood home in Alexandria, Indiana.

Joey, 40, was diagnosed with cancer in June 2014, just a few months after she and Rory welcomed Indiana, who was born with Down's syndrome.

The cancer eventually spread and in October doctors revealed there nothing they could do for Joey.

Joey was as a restaurant owner when she met Rory, falling in love with him as he performed during a songwriter's night.

He was also a single father with two daughters, another reason Joey has said she was first attracted to him.

On June 15, 2002, the couple was married in a small ceremony.

Joey shared how she first fell in love with Rory in an interview with People earlier this year, saying; 'Rory was singing In the Round at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville with three other songwriters.

'I was just one of dozens of people in the audience that night. From the first song Rory sang, I fell head over heels for him.'

She then added: 'I didn't even know him, but something inside me said, "You're going to marry that man and spend the rest of your lives together."'

And while Rory was a noted songwriter who had penned hits for artists such as Blake Shelton, the couple got their big break in 2008 when they appeared on the reality show Can You Duet which aired on Country Music Television.

They finished in third place on the show and signed a record contract soon after - and have been making music ever since right up until the release of their new album on Friday.

'Our music has taken us many incredible places and let us experience some amazing things in the past 8 years and people we meet have often asked if we had a plan to get to where we are. Ive always answered, yes, theres a master plan its just not ours,'" Rory wrote in a blog post last week.
A Marine veteran who was barred from his daughter's school after objecting to a lesson about Islam wants the ban overturned in time to attend her graduation.

John Wood and his wife Melissa have filed a civil rights complaint against La Plata High School in Maryland, claiming the district forced their 16-year-old daughter to take classes that promote Islam over Christianity and Judaism.

The lawsuit also says Wood was barred from the school after complaining about the curriculum.

Wood now wants to be allowed back on the grounds to attend his daughter's graduation as she is in her last semester of high school.

John Wood (left) and his wife (Melissa) sued La Plata High School in Maryland, claiming their 16-year-old daughter was forced to take classes promoting Islam. Wood, who says he was barred from the school after his complaint, now wants to be allowed back to attend his daughter's graduation

The Thomas More Law Center, a conservative, Christian law firm based in Ann Arbor, Maryland, has filed a motion asking for an injunction to lift the ban.

In court documents obtained by dailymail.com, attorney Kate Oliveri says the no-trespass orders is in violation of the First Amendment.

The motion, filed against the county as well as Evelyn Arnold, La Plata High School's principal, and Shannon Morris, the vice-principal, says the ban violates Wood's right to free speech as it prevents him from attending parents meetings.

'Not only is Mr. Wood irreparably harmed by the denial of his First Amendment rightstaken from him without due processbut his family, particularly his daughter, also suffers because Defendants deny her the opportunity to share key milestones with her father,' the memorandum in support of the injunction reads.

'Mr. Wood also faces the loss of fundamental, once-in-a-lifetime moments in his daughters life, such as the culmination of her entire academic career at her high school graduation and honors convocation.'

The Woods previously sued La Plata High School with his wife Melissa alleging their daughter - identified only as C.W. - spent one day in a modern history class studying Christianity, followed by two weeks immersed in Islam.

According to court documents, the 11th grader 'had to profess the Shahada by claiming ''There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.'''

A motion filed by the Thomas More Law Center, a conservative, Christian law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, says the ban violates the First Amendment and threatens Wood's right to free speech as it keeps him from attending parents meetings

'Such discriminatory treatment of Christianity is an unconstitutional promotion of one religion over another,' President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center Richard Thompson said at the time.

For non-Muslims, reciting such a statement is the equivalent of converting to Islam, Thompson added.

He also said the school failed to clearly make known to students and their families that a study of Islam was to be part of the world history curriculum.

Students were also required to memorize and recite the Five Pillars of Islam and were subjected to disparaging teachings about Christianity, the Woods claim.

'The course also taught false statements such as Allah is the same God worshiped by Christians and Islam is a '''religion of peace'',' Thompson said in the filings.

'A school cannot achieve diversity by punishing and alienating students who hold Judeo-Christian beliefs, while bolstering the doctrines and teachings of other religions.

'Parents must be ever vigilant to the Islamic indoctrination of their children under the guise of teaching history and multiculturalism.

'This is happening in public schools across the country. And they must take action to stop it.'

The Woods say their daughter, identified as C.W., 'had to profess the Shahada by claiming ''There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah" as well as memorizing and reciting the Five Pillars of Islam (file picture)

Additionally, the suit claims that Mr Wood was banned from the school grounds after complaining about the curriculum.

Mr Wood served eight years in the Marine Corps and was deployed in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

He was also deployed to the Pentagon as a firefighter during the September 11 attacks.

The suit also says that, following Mr Wood's complaint, he was told his daughter would fail the subject if she were to pull out.

The family is asking for declaratory and injunctive relief barring the promotion of Islam over other religions on school grounds.

La Plata High School sent a statement to WTOP following the lawsuit, clarifying the curriculum.

'The particular unit in question is on the formation of Middle Eastern empires in which students learned the basic concepts of the Islamic faith and how it, along with politics, culture, economics and geography, contributed to the development of the Middle East,' the statement said.

'Other religions are introduced when they influence or impact a particular historical era or geographic region. For example, when reviewing the Renaissance and Reformation, students study the concepts and role of Christianity.
The Russian prostitute who accused Eliot Spitzer of choking her was evicted from an apartment last year because it was being used as a brothel.

Svetlana Travis, the $5,000-a-night call girl who called 911 on the disgraced politician from a hotel earlier this month, was thrown out of the property on New York's Upper East Side in July 2015 because of the illicit business going on inside.

According to court documents seen by DNAinfo, her neighbors complained to police and the building men that a stream of men were going in and out of the $2,000-a-month flat every hour.

Svetlana Travis (pictured), the Russian prostitute who accused Eliot Spitzer of choking her, was evicted from an apartment last year because it was being used as a brothel

The court papers filed in Manhattan's Housing Court also showed residents were angry about smoke coming from the apartment in January 2015, shortly after she moved in.

After several warnings and the threat of legal action, Travis, who is divorced and uses the alias Lana Travi, was told to leave.

Adam Frisch, a principal at the building managers Sierra Residential, confronted Travis about the allegations in the midst of the complaints.

She told him that she was leaving for Russia, her homeland, for business and that a friend was staying in the apartment.

Frisch issued another warning  this time to Paul Nippes.

The divorced New Jersey businessman was listed as a co-signer on the lease with Travis.

Nippes told DNAinfo that he never signed a lease at the Upper East Side apartment with Travis.

He claims Travis used his personal information and forged his signature at the 1125 Lexington Avenue building and at least one other building.

Nippes would not reveal how he knew Travis.

According to online records, Travis was also evicted from a building on East 37th Street. Nippes was also on the lease.

According to court documents her neighbors in the building on New York's Upper East Side (pictured center with the fire escape) complained to police and the building men that a stream of men were going in and out every hour

Travis, the $5,000-a-night call girl who called 911 on the disgraced politician from a hotel earlier this month, was thrown out of the property in July 2015 because of the illicit business going on inside

They were thrown out after failing to pay $6,000 in rent, but Nippes has also denied signing into that apartment.

Police are still investigating Travis' claims Spitzer choked her, but senior NYPD officials have said her decision to fly back to her Russian homeland has stalled the case.

The Bronx District Attorneys Office is currently investigating the incident after Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. recused himself from the probe because of close ties to Spitzer.

On February 13, Travis claimed Spitzer, 56, assaulted her during an argument at the Plaza Hotel when he learned she was returning to her native Russia.

Travis was taken to the hospital with a laceration on her arm, which may have been after she cut herself with a broken glass.

She told doctors that Spitzer choked her and shoved her in the $1,000-a-night suite rented in his name at the luxury Manhattan hotel, a short walk from his Fifth Avenue home.

According to CNN, Spitzer visited Travis at Mount Sinai Hospital under the alias 'George'.

He was allegedly seen on surveillance video wearing a wool skull cap pulled low over his face.

Police are still investigating Travis' claims Spitzer (pictured) choked her, but senior NYPD officials have said her decision to fly back to her Russian homeland has stalled the case

Travis later refused to cooperate with NYPD investigators and said she did not want to press charges. She flew back to Russia on Sunday.

Police told Daily Mail Online that the investigation remains active.

Spitzer, who resigned as New York governor in 2008 after it was revealed he had sex with prostitutes, has been cooperating with authorities, according to his spokesman. He has not been charged.

It has since been revealed she also accused another man of assaulting her after a night out, according to court documents.

According to the New York Post, Travis claimed Ernest Atayan 'grabbed (her) by the neck, and hit her head on the countertop' in a Brooklyn apartment on May 19, 2013 after a friend's birthday party.

She then alleged that when she fell toward the floor, Atayan 'kicked her in the butt, causing her to fall further.'

Travis, aka Zakharova moved to New York and got married to Michael Travis in 2012. However the pair got divorced just a year later.
Arrested: Dana Ericson, 59, allegedly attacked Yue Zhang, 18, on Thursday because she is Chinese

An Indiana man told police he attacked an 18-year-old Chinese girl with a hatchet on Thursday as an act of 'ethnic cleansing.'

'Is it a crime to strike evil?' Dana Ericson, 59, allegedly told the authorities about his decision to strike Brown County High School exchange student Yue Zhang in the back as she was taking photos for a school project near Trolly's BBQ in downtown Nashville.

Zhang survived the alleged attack thanks to her thick coat but still suffers from lacerations in her back that are two-inches deep, according to WBIW.

Police arrested Ericson and his bond was set at $500,000, according to The Washington Post.

Ericson, who told police he is a white supremacist, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and battery causing serious injury.

On Friday Ericson told Judge Judith Stewart: 'I don't believe in your law. Your laws are a bunch of crap.'

Ericson has a history of criminal charges including battery, intimidation, and stalking though many of those charges were dismissed after he agreed to mental health treatment.

Ericson takes medication but didn't take his pills on the day of the alleged attack, according to Wish TV.

Police say that the attack came 'out of the blue,' and that Ericson did not know the teen or the host family.

School project: Ericson, 59, allegedly struck Yue Zhang in the back as she was taking photos for a school project near Trolly's BBQ (pictured) in downtown Nashville

The victim's host family has not spoken out following the attack but Nashville residents have started a letter campaign to support the victim as she recovers from the alleged stabbing.

The teen was released from the hospital and is in stable condition and is due back in school this week.

Many residents are in shock following the incident. Some recalled seeing the girl hunched over in pain following the alleged assault.

'Its scary and sad that they would do something to a poor little innocent girl like that,' Nashville business owner Tina Hunt told Fox News.

Indiana is just one of a few states that does not have any hate crime laws, according The Washington Post.
A family who had visited doctors for years to get a diagnosis for their little girl's mystery condition found the answer they had been searching for just 24 hours after asking for help on social media.

As Michelle Blomleys daughter, Isabella, grew older her parents started to realise something was wrong.

Isabella wasnt growing at the normal rate, her speech was delayed and her facial features had barely changed.

Remarkably, the infant has never needed a haircut, because her hair doesn't grow.

It was like she was frozen in time, Mrs Blomley told Daily Mail Australia.

Little Isabella, age 7 (pictured), left her mother Michelle and doctors mystified when she failed to grow at the same rate as kids her age

Barely changing: Pictured ages 2 (left), 3 (centre) and 4 (right), Isabella's mother Michelle became worried when she only grew a tiny bit and her facial features remained static

'It was like she was frozen in time': Pictured here at ages 5 (left) and 6 (right), mother Michelle Blomley was so concerned pediatricians could not help her she turned to Facebook

Selfie time: In a bid to find answers about what was happening to her daughter, Michelle (left), penned a passionate Facebook post. Now she cannot thank everyone enough

Doctors conducted tests on the infant, from Humpty Doo near Darwin, but they all came back normal.

The tests didn't show any genetic abnormalities and she was producing the proper level of growth hormone.

The mother was so sick of not having any answers she took her queries to Facebook - where she found her answer in less than a day.

WHAT IS TRICHORHINOPHALANGEAL SYNDROME? Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome is an extremely rare inherited disorder. It is characterised by thin scalp hair, unusual facial features, abnormalities of the fingers and/or toes, and multiple other abnormalities. Characteristic facial features may include a rounded, bulbous 'pear-shaped' nose, an abnormally small jaw, dental anomalies, and unusually large ears. In most cases, the person's fingers and toes may be abnormally short and curved. In addition, affected individuals may exhibit short stature. The range and severity of symptoms may vary from case to case. The gene carrying the disorder can be passed from family. Treatment requires the coordinated efforts of a team of specialists. Advertisement

'Does anyone know anyone who knows anyone that could help us find out what's 'wrong' with Isabella?' she pleaded, in a post that showed how little her daughter had changed since she was 2.

Mrs Blomley was bombarded with dozens of messages from all over the country, many of them suggesting she try natural medicines.

She believed it had all been a waste of time, but then came the emotional moment when a total stranger brought the young family answers.

A West Australian woman messaged her a picture of her little boy, who has Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome.

I knew instantly Isbaella had it, Mrs Blomley said. I knew she had it straight away I teared up.

Finally putting a name to the syndrome was a huge relief for Mrs Blomley and her family.

She had been worried sick about her daughter and was constantly having to explain why Isabella was so little to friends and acquaintances.

Everytime someone pulled me over theyd say, shes so cute, so tiny.

Id literally have to stand there and tell them the five minute story of what weve gone through.

(Now I know) shes got this.

The landmark Facebook post: Michelle's plea was answered in less than 24 hours when another parent reached out

It has been a year since the diagnosis was confirmed, but now the family want more answers.

Mrs Blomley has set up a Go Fund Me page so that she can fly Isabella to the Mayo Clinic in the United States.

Through DNA blood testing, the family are hoping doctors there will be able to figure out what type of the syndrome Isabella has.

That way, theyll be able to plan for her future.

Mrs Blomley said there are only three other cases of the syndrome in Australia in her online support group.

There are only a few hundred documented cases of Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome worldwide.
Five family members, including a six-year-old girl, have died following a shooting in Phoenix.

Police say the suspect shot and killed four of his relatives and set fire to parts of the house in Arizona before turning the gun on himself on Tuesday morning.

They were called to the scene just before 5am after one of the victims called 911 saying they had been shot.

As the blaze spread through the property, the gunman allegedly fired at cops and firefighters from the second floor as they tried to rescue the people inside.

Five family members, including a 12-year-old girl, have died following a shooting in Phoenix

Police say the suspect is dead after he allegedly opened fire at his relatives and set fire to parts of the house on Tuesday morning

It meant EMTs couldn't get in the property to help the injured while firefighters were prevented from putting out the blaze.

When they made it inside, the suspect was still alive and managed to evade police.

But a short time later he killed himself during a gunfight with police.

A 20-year-old woman found with gunshot wounds told the first officers at the scene the gunman was her brother, according to AZfamily.

The cops haven't confirmed the allegations. The woman later died in hospital, according to reports.

The six-year-old girl was taken to hospital with critical injuries, but died a short time later while being treated.

Firefighters were later seen on the roof the house battling the blaze has it raged through the property.

They put out the fire after it flared up a second time, with several seen standing over thick smoke as it gushed out.

Some cops donned breathing apparatus to enter the burning home.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and City Council member Thelda Williams spoke to reporters outside the home about 8 a.m.

Stanton described the 'unbelievable tragedy' and 'unspeakable violence' that occurred inside the home.

He also praised Phoenix and Glendale police and firefighters for their actions.

'You have police officers who went into an active fire to pull out people to try to save their lives,' he said.

'Their professionalism, their heroism under the worst possible conditions has blown me away today as mayor of this city.

'Thank you to our incredible heroes.'

Three police officers were being treated for smoke inhalation in the wake of the fire.
An extraordinarily detailed interactive map reveals the horrifying toll of British troops killed in the Battle of Jutland, the biggest naval battle of the First World War.

The tool allows users to discover the names and stories of people from their area who were involved in the conflict, which took place 100 years ago.

As well as browsing the entries already on the map, members of the public can submit additional information about the 6,000 sailors who were lost in the battle on the North Sea.

Use this interactive map to browse an area of Britain or look up a specific participant in the battle

Map: A screengrab of the interactive tool showing the home town of sailors involved in the Battle of Jutland

Fought over 36 hours from May 31 to June 1, 1916, Jutland is often considered a German victory because the British lost 6,094 seamen compared with the 2,551 Germans who died during the battle.

However, the British fleet maintained its supremacy in the seas because just two of its dreadnoughts were damaged, leaving its navy twice as large as the Germans' and providing a turning point in the war.

The map of the home towns of British participants in the battle was launched today by the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth, which is hosting a centenary exhibition on the battle this year.

A spokesman for the museum said: 'The interactive map will provide an innovative way of charting the impact of the Battle of Jutland.

'It will convey the human story of the battle, highlighting its scale and significance to the First World War, by demonstrating the involvement of people from all over the British Isles and further afield.

Conflict: The Battle of Jutland was thought of as a German defeat but could have been the turning point which led to an Allied victory

Leaders: The grandson of admirals John Jellicoe, left, and David Beatty, right, are supporting the map project

'The project launched with over 6,000 entries from across Britain, already showing the national impact of the Battle of Jutland. To provide a comprehensive record, the museum is calling on members of the public to share more information.'

Nick Jellicoe, grandson of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, commander of the British Grand Fleet, said: 'This is one of those moments where engaging with the interactive map and what the museum is providing is a real opportunity to fill in some parts of a jigsaw, a family jigsaw you've never been able to solve.

'It's nice to think about stories from your father, grandfather or great-grandfather, and be able to pass them on. Always one of my biggest regrets is that I never talked to my father more in detail about his father. I never did, and I hope other people don't make the same mistake.'

Nicholas Beatty, grandson of Vice Admiral Sir David Beatty, said: 'I am delighted to add my grandfather's story to the Jutland interactive map, and am sure that the legacy of his and his brave fellow seamen will continue to live on and be better understood by current and future generations.

'I thoroughly recommend that all descendants whose relatives fought at Jutland do the same to ensure that those who fought to maintain our naval supremacy and retain the lines of supply to the United Kingdom, all giving so much, are never forgotten.'
An ax-wielding student who repeatedly shouted 'shoot me' was not a threat to the police officer who fatally shot him, an attorney has claimed

Ryan McMillan was shot three times by Corporal Stephen Bean as he walked towards the officer while carrying the hatchet.

Cpl Bean told McMillan, 21, to 'back away' six times before he opened fire on the University of North Texas sophomore student.

Ryan McMillan (left) was shot three times by Corporal Stephen Bean (right) as he walked towards the officer while carrying the ax

McMillan's family's attorney, Renee Higginbotham-Brooks, has claimed that four witnesses to the shooting on December 13 last year believe the cop 'overreacted', the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported.

She has also claimed that authorities have failed to review all of the evidence involved in the shooting, but did not specify what had not been investigated.

'The witnesses further believe that Officer Stephen Bean had ample time to use non-lethal force and he overreacted,' Ms Higginbotham-Brooks said.

Dashcam footage from Cpl Bean's police car shows the officer telling McMillan to 'back away' six times.

But the student continues to walk towards the cop, repeatedly saying 'shoot me'.

Footage too graphic to publish then shows the officer firing at least three shots at McMillan, who falls to the ground as Cpl Bean radios in: 'Shots fired.'

McMillan's family's attorney, Renee Higginbotham-Brooks, has claimed that four witnesses to the shooting on December 13 last year believe Cpl Bean (pictured left and right) 'overreacted'

A cell phone recording that also captured some of McMillan's final movements shows the student walking around a parking lot, clutching the ax in his hands

McMillan was pronounced dead at a hospital 30 minutes later after being shot in the chest and abdomen.

Bodycam footage has not been released by police but it was being used as evidence, officials said after the shooting.

A cell phone recording that also captured some of McMillan's final movements has been released, however.

It shows the student walking around a parking lot, clutching the ax in his hands.

Police were called out to reports of a man fitting McMillan's description using a weapon to smash 10 car windows near the University of North Texas campus in Denton.

McMillan had turned 21 the day before he was shot dead and was studying hospitality management while working part-time at a florists.

An investigation into his death is still under way.
Matthew Hamlen (pictured) has been found guilty of murder after torturing Georgina Edmonds at her home in Brambridge, Hampshire, on January 11, 2008 in a bid to get her debit card's PIN number

An electrician has been found guilty of beating a 77-year-old woman to death with her marble rolling pin in a rare 'double jeopardy' trial - four years after he was originally acquitted.

Matthew Hamlen tortured Georgina Edmonds at her home in Brambridge, Hampshire, on January 11, 2008, in a bid to get her to tell him her debit card's PIN number.

The 37-year-old, who was initially found not guilty of murder in 2012, was convicted today after fresh evidence led to a six-week trial at Winchester Crown Court.

Hamlen, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, showed no reaction as the judge told him he will be sentenced tomorrow.

Speaking after the verdict, Mrs Edmonds' son Harry said the investigation to catch his mother's killer had the 'twists and turns' of an Agatha Christie novel - and added that he regretted Hamlen could not be sentenced to death.

He said: 'The investigation has lasted eight long years and, sadly, was not a tale written to entertain people but the true story of a wicked and vicious crime.'

The trial was brought forward after fresh DNA evidence from a piece of tape linked Hamlen to the scene.

The jury heard Mrs Edmonds was living alone in the property when she was attacked.

She was stabbed 37 times with a knife on her chest, neck and upper back before being beaten with such force the marble rolling pin broke into three pieces.

Mrs Edmonds was found in the kitchen of her riverside cottage in a pool of blood by her son, Harry, who lives in a larger house on the same estate.

Mrs Edmonds was described as a woman with restricted mobility but an 'independent character who walked her two cocker spaniel dogs, drove her own car and did her shopping locally'

Mrs Edmonds was stabbed 37 times with a knife on her chest, neck and upper back before being beaten with such force the marble rolling pin broke into three pieces. Above, a piece of the rolling pin

Her debit card, handbag and mobile phone were all stolen - and the card was used later the same day by an unidentifiable person at an ATM machine close to her home (CCTV above)

Her debit card, handbag and mobile phone were all missing - and the card was used later the same day at an ATM machine close to her home.

CCTV footage showing a man dressed in high-visibility clothing trying - and failing - to get money out was shown to the jurors.

DOUBLE JEOPARDY: A TRIAL WHERE THE DEFENDANT HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN TRIED Double jeopardy trials - when the defendant has previously been tried for the same offence - have been permitted in England and Wales since 2005. It used to be the law that people could not be tried twice - but the circumstances changed following the murder of Stephen Lawrence. The law now applies retrospectively with murder suspects facing a second trial if evidence, such as DNA material, new witnesses or a confession, come to light. Today's conviction was the seventh in the UK for double jeopardy following the changes to the law. The judge is said to have explained to jurors about the change in the law at the beginning of the six-week trial as well as telling them to try and forget Hamlen had been tried before. Advertisement

Michael Bowes, prosecuting, described the moment Mr Edmonds found his mother.

He revealed he first saw her legs as the rest of her body was shielded behind a door and believed she had fallen.

Mr Bowes said: 'He turned on the light and saw his mother lying flat on her face with a significant pool of blood.

'He saw that her trousers had been pulled down slightly and on the back of her head was a significant pinkish dent.

'It was obvious to him she was dead and obvious really that she had been murdered.'

The court heard that DNA found on a piece of sticky tape from Mrs Edmonds' blouse matched the DNA profile of Hamlen.

Mr Bowes added: 'It is 26 million times more likely that the DNA [from the sticky tape] has originated from Matthew Hamlen than someone other than him and unrelated to him.

'A mixed DNA profile - from more than one person - was also obtained from the rolling pin handle.

'In the opinion of the DNA expert the results are likely to originate from Georgina Edmonds and two other users.'

Mrs Edmonds was found in the kitchen of her riverside cottage (pictured) in a pool of blood by her son, Harry, who lives in a larger house on the same estate

The court heard that DNA found on a piece of sticky tape from Mrs Edmonds' blouse matched the DNA profile of Hamlen. Above, Mrs Edmonds' house

Hamlen, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, showed no reaction as the judge told him he will be sentenced tomorrow. He is pictured outside Winchester Crown Court yesterday

Mrs Edmonds was described as a woman with restricted mobility but an 'independent character who walked her two cocker spaniel dogs, drove her own car and did her shopping locally'.

Recordings of Hamlen in custody showed how he tried to fix an alibi by saying he was with friends that day.

He told his mum Linda Manning from custody in 2010: 'I haven't done anything, Mum. You know I could not do it. It's a witch hunt. They are trying to fit me up. They have nothing.'

He also told police in interviews he could not be 100 per cent sure if he had any sexual involvement with Mrs Edmonds and said that he did not touch the rolling pin 'to the best of his knowledge'.

The judge told jurors: 'I'm very grateful to you for the trouble you have taken over the case.

'It's been a distressing and extremely difficult case for anyone to do and we are grateful for what you have done.

'I'm sure the experience will live with you for the rest of your life.'
An experienced hiker is lucky to be alive after he slipped and tumbled nearly 1,000 feet down an ice chute in the treacherous terrain near Californias Mount Baldy.

On January 23, Jason Lopez, a married father-of-two from Huntington Beach, was hiking with his bother-in-law, Rob Wayman, in the San Gabriel Mountains with their sights set on the 8,300-foot summit of Timber Mountain.

According to Wayman's detailed account of the incident posted on GoFundMe.com, the two of them were 500-600 feet from the top of the peak when Lopez, 35, lost his footing on icy snow covering a steep trail.

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Survivor: Jason Lopez, 35, is pictured in the hospital in January after falling 1,000 feet down a mountain in California. The experienced hiker suffered a brain injury, multiple fractures and severe cuts

Treacherous terrain: The accident happened in late January as Lopez and a relative were making their way along a snowy trail to the summit of Timber Mountain near Mount Baldy

I shouted to Jason as I saw him try to regain control and traction to put his feet down and dig in his spikes, Wayman write. Between the iciness of the snow and the lack of weight on his feet he was unable to stop and continued a fast descent down the snow covered mountainside until he wasn't visible anymore.

Wayman started calling out Jason's name but there was no response. He then raced down the mountain and was joined by a group of other hikers, who fanned out along the snowy hillside searching for Lopez.

About 20 minutes later, one of the volunteers came upon a trail of blood that led him to the injured hiker.

'As I approached Jason I could see he was hurt bad,' Wayman recounted. 'The side of his face and clothes soaked in blood and he was semi-conscious moaning in pain and confusion.'

Wayman and the other mountaineers then covered Lopez with extra jackets and an emergency blanket to prevent hypothermia and called 911.

At first, the helicopter rescue crew that flew out to airlift the injured man had trouble locating him, but eventually they spotted the group.

Outdoorsmen: Lopez was accompanied by his brother-in-law, Rob Wayman (left). His wife, Jackie (right), who is Wayman's sister, is also an experienced hiker

Family hobby: Jackie and Jason Lopez, and Rob Wayman, are pictured together on one of their past hiking adventures

Lopez was found covered in blood and suffering from multiple fractures. This image shows the man wrapped in jackets on a gurney being prepared for an airlift

While Wayman and the other trekkers awaited the rescuers' arrival, he texted his sister Jackie, Jasons wife, letting her know that her husband was badly injured.

About 30 minutes later, Lopez was loaded into a basket and airlifted to Arrowhead Medical Center, where he was joined by his wife, who burst into tears seeing his bloodied and disfigured face.

Lucky to be alive: A month later, the 35-year-old father-of-two still cannot see from his left eye, suffers from daily headaches and may require a surgery on his fractured left wrist

Jason, an electronics technician, and Jackie, a caseworker working with special-needs children, have been together since high school, reported the OC Register. They have an 11-year-old son, Gavin, and 10-year-old daughter named Lily.

Lopezs doctors determined that he suffered a brain injury, a fractured skull and eye socket, a broken wrist and multiple scrapes and cuts.

Photos of Jason taken in the immediate aftermath of the accident, and later shared on social media by the news channel KTLA, show the wounded hiker laying in a hospital bed with bloody gashes on his face and his eyes swollen shut.

On February 12, after three weeks in the hospital, Lopez was finally released home to continue his treatment as an outpatient.

According to an update from his wife, Jason will have to undergo months of physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Jackie Lopez writes that being at home with their two children and dogs, Jason is much more relaxed and comfortable, but he still has a long road ahead of him.

Mrs Lopez says that Jason still cannot see out of his left eye and may require surgery on his fractured wrist. A few times each day he also gets headaches likely caused by his brain injury.

Despite everything that happened to Jason he just cannot wait to get back to work, Jackie writes.

Since Lopez's accident a month ago, there have been three deaths and dozens of rescues in the Mount Baldy area, prompting the US Forest Service to temporarily shut down the trail on February 8, reported ABC7.
Republicans bluntly told President Obama his bid to close Guantanamo Bay was 'dead on arrival' within minutes of him outlining his plan to shut the prison camp.

The president begged Congress to let him move dozens of terror suspect to detention centers on US soil.

But almost as soon as he had finished speaking, his plan was dismissed with John McCain calling it 'dead on arrival'.

Obama has the power to close the prison himself, but the Pentagon has determined it cannot be done without moving most of the remaining 91 prisoners to the mainland.

Congress passed a law in 2011 banning the terrorists from transfer to America, however, and the Obama administration has acknowledged that the legislative branch must rescind the law for its current plan to work.

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President Barack Obama begged Congress this morning to help him close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba

There is opposition to closing the detainment camp on both sides of Congress, but particularly in the Republican Party. Moments after Obama spoke, Senate Armed Forces Chairman John McCain signaled that the plan had no hope of making it out of his committee. Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte says Obama's administration did not 'level with the American people'

'I am absolutely committed to closing the detention facility at Guantanamo,' Obama said this morning. 'I'm gonna continue to make the case for doing so as long as I hold this office.'

The president said today that 'keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world.'

Moments after Obama spoke, Senate Armed Forces Chairman John McCain signaled that the plan had no hope of making it out of his committee and was dead on arrival and other Republicans soon piled on.

Donald Trump, speaking as he campaigned in Nevada, promised not just to keep it open said: 'And we're going to load it up with some bad dudes.'

In accordance with today's congressional deadline demanding a road map to shut the Cuba-based facility, the Pentagon is proposing that nearly 60 of the remaining 91 terror suspects be transferred to United States.

Obama said in a statement from the Roosevelt Room of the White House that the continued existence of the camp is 'counter productive' to the country's anti-terror measures and said it is a 'stain on our broader record.

Plus, it is an inefficient use of tax dollars, he argued. It took $450 million last year alone to keep it up and running and will cost another $200 million to keep it open in the future.

'This plan has my full support it reflects our best thinking on how to best go after terrorists,' Obama said of the Pentagon-submitted plan.

But the Republican reaction makes it seem impossible for his plan to go anywhere.

There is opposition to closing the detainment camp on both sides of Congress, but particularly in the Republican Party.

They say closing it by moving prisoners to the mainland would put national security at risk.

McCain, a Republican senator who also backs the closure of the facility, described the Obama administration plan as 'a vague menu of options, not a credible plan...let alone a coherent policy to deal with future terrorist detainees.'

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst called the plan 'reckless' and called the camp 'vital' to national security.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said in a statement that 'it is dangerous and irresponsible to close Guantanamo Bay.'

'This latest proposal from the Administration is not complete and it would sacrifice U.S. national security for the sake of a misguided campaign pledge,' the California congressman said.

Outspoken Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton said, 'Releasing Guantanamo terrorists to other countries and bringing them to our shores is unlawful, unnecessary, and dangerous.'

Obama said in a statement from the Roosevelt Room of the White House that the continued existence of the camp is 'counter productive' to the country's anti-terror measures and said it is a 'stain on our broader record. To his left is Vice President Joe Biden. To his right is Pentagon head Ash Carter

Cotton pointed out that Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Obama's military advisers have said the administration does not have the legal authority to transfer detainees to the U.S.

'President Obama cant ignore that reality. Simply put: this plan is dead on arrival in the Senate,' he said. 'President Obamas plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility is nothing short of a national security disaster.'

TIMELINE ON GUANTANAMO BAY January 2002: Terrorist detention camp is opened under President George W. Bush January 2009: Bush administration concedes that torture happened at Guantanamo. December 2009: Obama issues executive order to close the camp within a year and bans torture of detainees. January 2011: President signs defense legislation banning the transfer of terrorist detainees to U.S. soil November 2015: Obama says his administration is coming up with a plan to shutter the prison. February 2016: Pentagon fulfills a congressional mandate to submit a plan to close Guantanamo. Advertisement

Continuing Cotton said, 'Hes using his last 11 months in office to carry out an ill-advised, ideological campaign promise. Worse, he will just wash his hands of the disastrous implications next January, but America will suffer the consequences long after he leaves office.'

House Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul likewise said, 'The law is clear, and the American people have spoken. They do not want the President to close Guantanamo Bay. They do not want battle-hardened jihadists transferred into our country. And they do not want our communities to become terrorist targets.'

'We are at war, yet incredibly the President is more focused on relocating and releasing enemy combatants than on detaining new ones. He has already let nearly 150 go freemany of which have returned to the fightand now he wants to give dozens more a one-way ticket to America.'

McCaul also said the plan 'would increase the terror threat to the United States.'

Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, who represents a state with a prison on the list of possible transfer sites, responded with a video of him crumpling up the plan and throwing it in the waste bin.

The issue of how to close Guantanamo is one that has been plaguing Obama since he took office.

'I don't want to pass this problem on to the next president whoever it is,' said the U.S. president, who is in his final year in office. 'And if as a nation we don't deal with this now, when will we deal with it?'

He asked rhetorically, 'Are we going to let this linger on for another 15 years, another 20 years another 30 years?'

'If we don't do what's required now, I think future generations are going to look back and ask why we failed to act when the right course, the right side of history, and justice, and our best American traditions was clear.'

Obama signed an executive order to close the detention camp in 2009 but backtracked amid hurdles such as where to send some 50 detainees deemed too dangerous to release and how to handle all but two dozen other prisoners with thin evidence files.

Now his administration is asking to bring them to the U.S.

In accordance with today's congressional deadline demanding a road map to shut the Cuba-based facility, the Pentagon is proposing that nearly 60 of the remaining 91 terror suspects be transferred to United States

SHUT IT DOWN: Obama says the facility is an inefficient use of tax dollars. It took $450 million last year alone to keep it up and running and will cost another $200 million to keep it open in the future, he said

The Pentagon blueprints propose sending 35 prisoners who have been cleared for transfer to either their homelands or third countries, and bringing the others described as 'the most dangerous prisoners' by CNN  back to maximum-security prisons on US soil.

It does not say where though, angering lawmakers who live in states with prisons named as possible sites in the past.

According to the Associated Press, Pentagon officials have already surveyed places they consider possibilities, including a federal prison in Florence, Colorado, a military jail at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Navy brig at Charleston, South Carolina.

The White House says it's unable to do the kind of research that would allow it to come up with a more specific plan because the legislation bars them from using funds to fully scope out U.S. sites.

Sending the terrorists to the U.S. is an option that will require the approval of Congress, which banned the action in 2011.

And it will cost $475 million in upfront construction costs, though the government says it will be offset by $180 million in savings.

Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte said on Monday the Obama administration refused to 'level with the American people regarding the terrorist activities and affiliations of the detainees who remain at Guantanamo.'

Yesterday Ayotte, Richard Burr, Cotton and Marco Rubio introduced legislation to prevent the president from unilaterally giving the Naval base at Guantanamo Bay back to Cuba.

Possible location: The Pentagon has looked at the US army base at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as one possible location for ex-Guantanamo detainees, but will not announce any specific locations

HISTORY: Obama signed an executive order to close the detention camp in 2009 but backtracked amid hurdles such as where to send some 50 detainees deemed too dangerous to release and how to handle all but two dozen other prisoners with thin evidence files

The bill requires the president to notify Congress of any plans to 'modify, terminate, abandon or transfer the lease of the land that currently contains Naval Station Guantanamo Bay,' a statement sent out by the senators said.

'This bill also permanently prohibits the President from modifying, terminating, abandoning, or transferring the lease without the approval, by law, of Congress.'

The White House suggested today that the legislation was unnecessary.

'It's not under consideration and we've said that many times,' the president's spokesman said.

The White House left the door open to a visit to the facility when the president travels to Cuba next month, however. It's not on his schedule of activities currently, press secretary Josh Earnest said, but a stop could be added.

It also wouldn't rule out executive action to close the base if Congress refuses to act.

'I'm not gonna stand up here and unilaterally take any options off the table when it comes to the president using his authority,' Earnest told reporters this afternoon.

Earlier in the briefing, after he was asked about the possibility of leaving the base open after the president leaves office, his spokesman said, 'That surely is not his preference.'

'This has been a top priority, and at each turn we have been stymied by Congress, and that's frustrating,' Earnest said. 'But that frustration pales in comparison to how irresponsible it is to treat taxpayer dollars and our national security in that way.'

The White House says Guantanamo functions as a terrorist recruiting tool and asked lawmakers to look at the plan with an open mind.

Based on Republicans' initial response today, though, Earnest said, 'It sounds like they didn't actually take it very seriously.'

'It's hard to figure out exactly what Congress is doing. They're certainly not doing their job,' he added.

At issue for Obama are defense authorization and appropriations bills he signed that include provisions barring Guantanamo detainees from entering the U.S.

In a letter to Congress, Army Lieutenant General William Mayville, director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote: 'Current law prohibits the use of funds to "transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release" of detainees from Guantanamo Bay to or within the United States. The Joint Staff will not take any action contrary to those restrictions.'

A US official told CNN that the Pentagon's proposal would request legislative 'relief' from the ban. The White House could also say that the bans are unconstitutional as they stop Obama from making military decisions as commander in chief.
A mother who was reunited with a daughter nearly 18 years after she was snatched from the maternity ward in South Africa broke down today as she faced the woman accused of taking her.

Celeste Nurse wept as she recalled the day her little girl  known as 'South Africas Madeleine McCann'  was abducted from her hospital cot by a woman dressed like a nurse.

The girl, now 18, was reunited with her parents last year following an extraordinary twist in the hunt for her in which she befriended the couple's other daughter at school.

Justice: Celeste Nurse, right, broke down in court when she described the day her baby daughter was taken. She arrived at court today with her new partner

Found: Zephany, now aged 18, was found when her father Morne Nurse, left, suspected she was his daughter after she made friends with his other daughter, and her sister, at high school

A seamstress, 50, who cannot be named because it would identify the girl, denies kidnapping the baby, who her parents had named Zephany.

She raised the child as her own just a mile or so from where the girls biological parents lived, in a run-down suburb of Cape Town.

Ms Nurse, 37, sobbed uncontrollably as she recalled the day her newborn was taken as recovered from a caesarean section in a bed nearby.

I said, 'the nurse was just here with the baby'. The two of us then ran through the hospital, along every floor, but the child was missing, nowhere to be found. She was gone, just gone. Celestine Nurse, mother of taken baby

She told the court: The child was crying and there was a person sitting at the door. I couldnt function properly because I was under medication.

'The woman said to me "your baby is crying". She asked me if she could pick up the child, I said she could and thats all I can remember.

She was later woken by a nurse who was 'frantically' asking her, 'Where is your child?'

I said, "the nurse was just here with the baby". The two of us then ran through the hospital, along every floor, but the child was missing, nowhere to be found. She was gone, just gone.

The defendant looked directly at Ms Nurse throughout her evidence, but dropped her gaze when her voice cracked and she broke down as she told the names she had chosen for her first born.

Earlier, both women had smiled as mother-of-three Ms Nurse described how she had given Zephany her first bath in hospital and described the mop of hair she had been born with.

She looked like Simba the lion from the Lion King. She was so cute, Ms Nurse told the court.

Trauma: Celeste Nurse said she was recovering from a C-section when a stranger asked if she could hold the baby, only to wake up to be told her daughter was missing

Suspicious: Morne Nurse investigated Zephany after noticing she looked exactly like his other children and nothing like her parents. Her birthday was the day that she had been kidnapped

Her ex-husband, Morne Nurse, followed her into the witness box at Cape Towns High Court.

He described the extraordinary coincidence last year which had led the couple to realise that the girl, who was by then 18, was their abducted daughter.

By chance the girl ended up at the same school as their younger daughter, Cassidy, and the girls became friends.

We went to McDonalds and I started questioning her. I asked what her date of birth was  her birthday was the date my daughter was abducted Morne Nurse, father

He told the court how he noted how the girl resembled him and his other children and was approximately the same age as his missing daughter - and launched his own investigation into her true identity.

Mr Nurse described how he had orchestrated a meeting in order to question the girl.

He said: We went to McDonalds and I started questioning her. I asked what her date of birth was  her birthday was the date my daughter was abducted.

'She said she didnt look like her own folks, and she told me that she had thought about that over and over.

'She offered to show me a picture of her folks on her phone and she showed me what they looked like.

Baby: Zephany Nurse was snatched from her hospital cot in the maternity ward in Cape Town in 1997 and spent the next 18 years being brought up by another family

Appeals: The family has worked hard to make sure people don't forget about their missing daughter over the years, including a big appeal in 2010 in the local newspaper the Cape Argus, but no one ever come forward

I asked her why she thought she looked like me and Cassidy. She laughed and said she didnt know, she said she felt confused. I didnt want to scare her. I wanted to protect her at all costs. I left with the information I was looking for. I went onto Facebook and got more information on this girl, I scrutinised her account. I saw pictures of her and she resembled my kids completely, he said.

He told prosecutor Evadne Kortje that he downloaded a picture from Zephanys Facebook account of her mother and sent it to a witness from the hospital, who was on the same ward as his wife on the day his child went missing in April 1997. She confirmed she recognised the defendant.

After spending weeks secretly digging for information on the girl he was now convinced was his own daughter, Mr Nurse contacted the police.

Horror: Zephany was just three days old when a woman walked into the room at Groote Schuur Hospital and took her from her maternity cot - not to be seen again by her family for many years

Precious: The family only have a few photos of Zephany taken before she was snatched. Here she is with her uncle Abraham Nurse in Hospital on April 29, 1997

It took me a month to get it all sorted, felt strong enough that this was my daughter. I took it to higher authorities then - I had all the information I needed, he told the court.

Friends and relatives from both families filled the public gallery above the court, many of them were in tears as they listened to testimony. The case of missing Zephany Nurse was one of South Africas biggest and longest running news stories. Each year, her birthday was marked by a new appeal for information about her whereabouts.

The husband of the accused  who is expected to be called as a witness  accompanied his wife to court. According to reports, he had no idea the girl he raised was not his own.

Zephanys whereabouts have been kept secret since the arrest of the woman shed believed to be her mother, in February last year, and the pair have not been allowed to meet or speak as part of the womans strict bail conditions.

In an exclusive interview with Mail Online in the wake of the dramatic reunion with her long lost child, Celeste thanked her childs kidnapper for giving her a good life.

According to neighbours, the defendant reportedly had a series of miscarriages before allegedly abducting Zephany.

The defendant denies three charges, including kidnapping and fraud and faces a minimum of five years in jail if convicted of kidnapping.

In a lengthy document explaining her not guilty plea, the defendant described how she had suffered a string of miscarriages during her life and had lost a six week old daughter.

Following another miscarriage in early 1997, she decided to keep the news from her husband, after meeting a woman who promised to help her to adopt a newborn baby, who was not wanted by its mother.

Later, a tiny baby wrapped in a blanket was handed over to the defendant at a scruffy bus station in Cape Town, she claimed in her plea of explanation and she introduced the little girl to her husband, family and friends as her own. She later falsely registered the birth when the child was six.

Reunited: The couple, who have since separated, were reunited with their daughter after almost two decades. The girl who was snatched was given a new name and neither she nor the defendant can be identified

Never forgotten: The Nurse family - including three more children, Cassidy, Joshua and Micah - celebrated Zephany's birthday each year in her absence, in the hope that one day she might return to them

I had on occasions thought about telling Michael and Zephany about the adoption but they had a very close relationship and did not want to destroy it.

As we grew closer it became harder to tell them the truth. I was also concerned that the truth might affect her education, her statement read.

'I initially struggled to be close to her, she revealed in the document. 'It took me years to accept her as my own daughter.

Although I was not her biological mother, I raised her as my own child. I recall sitting with her, brushing her hair, bathing her and always wondering where her parents were and why they did not want her as I found her to be pretty and cute.
Wealthy investor Thomas Badian (left) waged a two-month campaign of online harassment against a property developer who wined and dined his fashion designer girlfriend Michaela Frankova (right)

A wealthy investor has been given a restraining order after waging a two-month campaign of online harassment against a property developer who wined and dined his fashion designer girlfriend.

Thomas Badian, 46, began bombarding Andrew de Candole with messages on Facebook, Instagram and email after discovering his partner Michaela Frankova was 'seeing him behind his back'.

Badian, the director of Fitzrovia's Cadence Capital Ltd, also sent a barrage of 'puerile' messages to Mr de Candole's girlfriend Nateploy Thamsaroch after struggling to cope with his 'bruised ego'.

One of the threatening messages, sent to Mr de Candole at 5am, said: 'Today is full of surprises.'

The father-of-two also sent ten emails and five texts to Ms Thamsaroch, before making five prank phone calls to Mr de Candole.

Badian has now pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment by sending repeated electronic messages between August 30 and November 11 last year.

The financier, who lives in a 3.2m mansion in St John's Wood, London, was given a twelve-month community order, including 100 hours of community service, when he appeared at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court.

He was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order prohibiting any contact with the two victims.

Magistrate Mr. Robert Westlake told Badian: 'This was a very unpleasant incident causing a great deal of hurt and concern to the victims.'

The court was told how Mr de Candole had met Ms Frankova, a graduate from the London College of Fashion, five or six times for dinner. Ms Thamsaroch was aware of the meetings and believed they were just friends.

But prosecutor Robert Simpson said both Mr de Candole and Ms Thamsaroch became increasingly disturbed by Badian's communication. In September, they instructed solicitors to ward off the defendant's behaviour.

Then, rather than replying to the law firm's business email, Badian found the solicitor's personal account and replied to that instead.

'Ms Thamsaroch believes it was sent to intimidate the lawyer,' Mr Simpson told the court.

'Ms Thamsaroch then received an email from what appeared to be Mr de Candole's account, however he did not send the email and was sitting next to her when she received it. It contained flight confirmation for Mr. Candole and Ms Frankova.'

Thomas Badian, 46, began bombarding Andrew de Candole with messages on Facebook, Instagram and email after discovering his partner Michaela Frankova (left and right) was 'seeing him behind his back'

An investigation of the email account revealed it had been set up by a phone number ending in 36, which matched a number that had sent some of the threatening text messages.

The couple began receiving emails from an address called 'Project ADC, which 'suggested there was some sort of project against them'.

Someone also hacked into Ms Thamsaroch's Uber account, while a fake Facebook account was set up in Mr de Candole's name.

'It became clear that Badian had become fixated with Mr. de Candole and Ms Frankova meeting,' said Mr. Simpson.

One of the threatening messages, sent to Mr de Candole (pictured) at 5am, said: 'Today is full of surprises'

Defending Badian, Guy Ladenburg told the court that his client was 'deeply remorseful'.

'He discovered Michaela was seeing an older gentleman and thought she was seeing him behind his back,' he said.

'He was very unhappy and distressed by this. He says he wanted to put salt into Mr. de Candole's tea and it is obvious from the facts they were seeing each other on half a dozen occasions.

'However, he accepts it was very hurtful, insulting and puerile behaviour.'

He added: 'There were no direct threats against their safety. He just wanted to put Mr. de Candole on notice that he knew what was going on.

'It was all mischievous behaviour and not intended to cause harm and he is thoroughly ashamed by the way he allowed himself to behave.'

Badian split with his wife in 2005 and has sole custody of their daughters, who are 13 and 17.

He was arrested by police at the family home and the younger girl was hospitalised with anxiety. 'Mr. Badian owes them both an apology,' said Mr. Ladenburg.

'His is of good character, has lived in London for ten years and is a pillar of the community known for his philanthropic giving.

'His feelings of jealousy and his bruised ego that Ms Frankova was seeing a man behind his back caused him to behave the way he did.'

After the case was heard, Ms Frankova said: 'I regret the whole episode.'
Other scenes show animals are still conscious as their throats are slit

The video of the 'humane' abattoir was released by animal rights advocates

Undercover footage shows animals being punched and electrocuted for fun

Harrowing footage from inside a 'humane' French abattoir shows 'absolutely scandalous' incidents of animals being beaten and having their throats being slit while they are still conscious.

Other scenes show sheep being thrown through the air against metal barriers and animals given electric shocks for fun by laughing employees.

The video has caused outrage among campaigners after it was secretly recorded and released by French animal rights campaigners L214.

WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT

The footage showed a cow was seen still kicking as its throat was slit in the abattoir in southern France

The cow dies as blood pours from its throat. Much of the footage redacted as it is too gruesome to broadcast

Another scene shows a cow trapped inside a cage far too small for the beast

In this moment, a piglet falls on the ground as staff members attempt to electrocute it with a stun gun

Similar scenes show a staff member lifting a pig into a conveyor belt by its ears

Here, a worker cuts a pig's throat as it is seen tied by its foot and consciously struggling. Ideally, abattoirs should stun animals unconscious before being killed

It was filmed at a supposedly 'humane' abattoir in Vigan, southern France, where animals are meant to have greater protection.

However, campaigners said the vague wording in European legislation meant there was little difference in the conditions of the slaughterhouses compared to any other, humane or not.

Johanne Mielcarek, from L214, told The Local: 'It's absolutely scandalous, and extremely shocking.

'When you look at the European regulations, there isn't much information about the actual act of slaughter and how it should be carried out. It's more about how animals shouldn't be "mistreated".

'Even though the workers are stunning the animals before slaughtering them, you can see in the video that it's not working properly.'

The four-minute long video shows a litany of instances involving cattle, sheep, lambs and pigs.

In several instances, animals are seen being slaughtered. But instead of being stunned unconscious before their throats are slit, careless workers stab them while they are awake and struggling.

The gruesome footage, much of which was too graphic to publish, shows them hung by the tails and kicking their legs as blood from their throat sprays across the floor.

Laurent Kauffman, the slaugherhouse manager, told BFM TV: 'I am particularly shocked. These are unacceptable acts, outrageous.

'I've never seen it, I'm not all the time on the site, far from it. But I've never seen that and I am disappointed.'

A worker throws a lamb against a metal railing as they roughly handle the terrified animal

Sheep are among the animals killed at the slaughterhouse in southern France
of attacking Jamie after their first wedding in 2013

Tony and Jamie remarried this month after getting divorced in 2014 and he is

Tony has won four Grammy's and works with artists like Train, Vince Gill, Reba McIntyre, and George Jones

Tony Brown was arrested on Monday night for allegedly attacking his wife Jamie after she showed him her 'slutty'

Charged: Tony Brown posted a $10,000 bond Tuesday morning but remained in jail on a 12-hour hold following the alleged incident

Four time Grammy award winning music producer Tony Brown is accused of attacking his wife on Monday over her ideas for an upcoming photo shoot just weeks after their second marriage to one another.

Tony, 69, of Nashville, Tennessee allegedly slapped his wife Jamie Brown in the face, pushed her onto the floor, and dragged her by her hair after she showed him some poses she wanted to display for a shoot scheduled for Tuesday.

Jamie Brown told police her husband told her that the poses were 'slutty' before he allegedly attacked her, according to News Channel 5.

Police say that Jamie was able to break free from Tony and that she locked herself in her car with her dog so that she could call police at around 11:30 p.m. on Monday night.

When police arrived, they saw Tony outside the steps of his home. They found Jamie in her car.

According to the warrant, Jamie had 'several marks on her body and visible signs of her hair being pulled due to the damage of her hair extensions.'

Jamie was transported to St. Thomas Midtown Hospital to be treated for her injuries, according to The Tennessean.

Tony posted a $10,000 bond Tuesday morning but remained in jail on a 12-hour hold following the incident.

The attack occurs just weeks after Tony and Jamie remarried and renewed their wedding vows. He is also accused of attacking Jamie shortly after their first marriage.

Tony first married Jamie in 2013 and allegedly assaulted her in a separate incident that same year. He was accused of kicking in a bedroom door, assaulting Jamie and throwing her in their swimming pool after an argument, according to Taste of Country. The incident was later taken off his record.

Taking another shot: The attack occurs just weeks after Tony and Jamie (pictured at their wedding on February 4) remarried and renewed their wedding vows. He is also accused of attacking Jamie shortly after their first marriage

Couple: Tony (left), 69, allegedly slapped his wife Jamie (right) in the face on Monday night, pushed her onto the floor, and dragged her by her hair after she showed him some poses she wanted to display for an upcoming photo shoot

The couple divorced in June of 2014 and then remarried on February 4 of this year.

'Love Wins !!! On the 4th of February, 2016, exactly 5 years after the day they first met, Tony Brown and Jamie Nicole Brown have remarried and renewed their vows in a Private Ceremony,' reads a Facebook post on Tony Brown's official page.

Tony has been married twice before and suffered a brain injury after a fall in April 2003 that his then wife Anastasia claims changed his personality and caused him to suffer from depression. They divorced in 2009.

Tony has spent nearly two decades as president of MCA Records Nashville.

He works with artists like Train, Vince Gill, Reba McIntyre, and George Jones, according to Fox.

He started his career as a piano player for Elvis.
Now, residents claim agents looking to find homes for Hasidic Jews are are aggressively soliciting them to sell their properties

Towns in New Jersey have restricted door-to-door solicitation amid claims that aggressive realtors are harassing residents to sell their homes to accommodate the influx of Hasidic Jews.

A housing crunch in Lakewood, home to one of the nation's largest populations of Hasidic Jews, has triggered what residents of neighboring communities say are overly aggressive, all-hours solicitations from agents looking to find homes for the rapidly growing Jewish community.

The complaints have prompted towns, including Toms River, to update their 'no-knock' rules and related laws, adding real estate inquiries to measures that already limit when soliciting can occur and allow residents to bar solicitations.

James Jackson said he was working outside his home last fall when he was unexpectedly approached by the man in the black suit.

A housing crunch in the New Jersey shore town that is home to one of the nation's largest Hasidic Jew populations has prompted neighboring towns to restrict door-to-door solicitation. Pictured, a sign saying 'Don't Sell! Toms River Strong' is seen on a street in the town

The encounter was initially cordial but turned darker, he said.

Jackson says he told the man he did not want to sell his home, but thanked him for his interest.

That's when the man put his hand on Jackson's shoulder and told him he might want to reconsider.

Many of his neighbors in Toms River, the man said, already planned to sell to Jewish buyers like those he represented.

'He asked me why I would want to live in a Hasidic neighborhood if I wasn't Hasidic,' Jackson recalled. 'He asked if I would really be happy, if it would be in my family's best interests.'

'He was trying to intimidate me, but not in a physical way,' Jackson said. 'He was playing mind games, and he was really good at it.'

Toms River is now in the process of creating 'cease and desist' zones, where door-to-door real estate soliciting would be banned in designated areas that have been inordinately and repeatedly solicited.

The ordinance is modeled on one in New York state that held up in court despite objections from realty groups.

The New York rule allows residents to petition for their neighborhood to be included on the list of areas where solicitation is not allowed.

A 'For sale' sign is seen across from a 'Don't sell, Toms River Strong' sign , in Toms River, New Jersey

But Jewish leaders and others say the no-knock laws unfairly target Orthodox Jews and those seeking to help them find houses.

Many current residents came to the community to study at one of the largest yeshivas in the world and eventually settled down.

The 2010 census found the town had nearly 93,000 residents, about 32,000 more than a decade earlier. And town officials believe there are closer to 120,000 residents now.

Avi Schnall, the state director of Agudath Israel, a national grassroots advocacy and social service organization representing Orthodox Jews, said: 'The growth in Lakewood is a sign of the great quality of life which is attracting all these people.

'However, the challenge is being able to keep up with the influx.

'This has driven people to take residence in nearby towns, where houses are more available and affordable.'

There are enough negative stereotypes out there about Jewish people, and doing things like that just makes people think they are true David Eckman, a Hasidic real estate investor

Schnall calls the recent no-knock changes 'troubling.'

He also believes there is a campaign to prevent members of the Orthodox community from moving in - and he thinks the real estate agents are being used as the scapegoats, claims that leaders in neighboring towns say are unfounded.

Samuel Heilman, a sociology professor at Queens College in New York City and a leading authority on Orthodox Judaism, says he doubts that such laws are anti-Semitic in their origins.

But he notes that the measures may now be invoked more aggressively by people trying to keep Orthodox Jews out of their neighborhoods, for fear the area will become a Hasidic community.

'The problem is structural: Hasidim live in Hasidic communities predominantly. They can only move as groups,' said Heilman.

'That leads to counter-moves by other groups who do not want their community to be inundated by them.'

Jewish leaders say the no-knock laws unfairly target Orthodox Jews and those seeking to help them find houses. File photo showing a young Hasidic boy

Municipal leaders stress that their laws are not aimed at keeping out any groups, but rather to protect residents.

Toms River Mayor Thomas Kelaher said: 'Our 'no knock' law goes back many years. It's not just in response to what has been happening now.

'We are trying to protect those people from conduct that's outrageous, harassing, intimidating or unwelcome.'

Realty groups say their main concern is to find common ground.

'Our local communities are incredibly important to both our members and our association,' said Mary Ann Wissel, chief executive officer of the Ocean County Board of Realtors.

She said the group was working with real estate agents and local officials to ensure that any no-knock registry laws are both 'respectful to homeowners as well as fair to the lawful business practices of our members.'

And David Eckman, a Hasidic real estate investor, acknowledged that while most of his visits to gauge people's interest in selling their homes are unsolicited, he insisted he has never tried to intimidate or mislead anyone.

'People need homes, and I'm trying to help them find those homes,' Eckman said. 'They just want a nice place in a nice community, like everyone else.'

Eckman said anyone using fear tactics, be it directly or implied, should be barred.
Comes as other images show China deploying missiles on Paracels island

China has deployed fighter jets to the same contested island in the South China Sea to which it also has sent surface-to-air missiles, US officials said Tuesday.

Citing two unnamed US officials, Fox News said US intelligence services had spotted Chinese Shenyang J-11 and Xian JH-7 warplanes on Woody Island in the disputed Paracel Islands chain over the past few days.

Navy Captain Darryn James, a spokesman for US Pacific Command, confirmed the report but noted that Chinese fighter jets have previously used the island.

Woody Island, which is also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam, has had an operational airfield since the 1990s but it was upgraded last year to accommodate the J-11.

'We are still concerned that the Chinese continue to put advanced arms systems on this disputed territory,' James said.

A satellite image released by the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies shows construction of possible radar tower facilities in the Spratly Islands

Recent satellite images show China may be installing a high-frequency radar system in the Spratly Islands that could significantly boost its ability control the disputed South China Sea

The images were provided by a third party and Reuters is unable to verify if these are the exact locations of the radar towers, but it is likely these highlighted areas are the newly built towers

The images show several different locations of the radar towers on the Chinese man-made islands

The move was reported as US Secretary of State John Kerry hosted his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Washington.

China also appears to be building military-grade radar facilities on some of the home-made islands it constructed in the South China Sea.

Satellite images show high frequency radar, communication towers and observation posts being developed on Cuarteron Reef, the southern of a chain of seven disputed islands in the South China Sea.

The images were released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) which says the radars 'speak to a long-term anti-access strategy by China - one that would see it establish effective control over the sea and airspace throughout the South China Sea'.

CSIS highlighted what look like two radar towers, a bunker and a lighthouse in the north of the 200,000 sq m island; several 20m radar poles and communications equipment in the south; a quay with loading crane in the west and a helipad in the island's centre.

The Spratly Islands are also claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines.

The report also cited satellite images taken between late January and mid-February of this year that appear to show radar towers on four artificial islands in the Spratlys.

The report comes after allegations that China deployed surface-to-air missiles on another disputed island in the South China Sea.

Taiwan's defence ministry confirmed the existence of the facility after reports that missile launchers could be seen on the images on Woody Island, part of the Paracels chain.

A U.S. defence official also confirmed the 'apparent deployment' of the missiles, believed to have arrived in the past week.

The Spratly Islands are also claimed by Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam but China hopes to control them

Tensions in the sea: One-third of the world's oil passes through the area and tensions have increased in recent months after China transformed contested reefs in the Spratly islands further south into artificial islands

Since the man-made islands are capable of hosting military bases, other countries have grown testy

Land grab: An aerial view shows construction work by China on the Mabini in the disputed Spratly Islands

China has controlled all of the Paracels, which are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, since the mid-1970s and the end of the Vietnam War.

But tensions in the sea  through which one-third of the world's oil passes  have mounted in recent months after China transformed contested reefs in the Spratly islands further south into artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities.

Washington says the move threatens free passage in a strategically vital area and has sent warships close to the disputed islands to assert freedom of navigation, raising fears of escalation.

Australian military aircraft also regularly overfly the area.

These satellite images released by ImageSat International claim to show that China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea. The missiles appeared to be the HQ-9 air defence system, with a range of about 200km (125 miles)

Proof? A U.S. defence official also confirmed the 'apparent deployment' of the missiles, believed to have arrived in the past week. These images suggest they arrived on a beach between February 3 and February 14

Experts said the long-range missiles, said be positioned on a beach in the area marked above, could be used to target enemy aircraft, heightening tensions in the region and potentially prompting US intervention

The images showed two batteries of eight missile launchers and a radar system had arrived on the main island, Woody.

A Taiwan defence ministry spokesman told AFP news agency: 'The defence ministry has learned of an air defence missile system deployed by the Chinese communists on Yongxing Island.'

The ministry would give no further detail on when it had become aware of the installation, saying only that it had known about it 'for a while'.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi described the reports as 'an attempt by certain Western media to create news stories'.

He did not explicitly deny the deployment, but said the press should 'turn your attention more to the lighthouses we have built on some of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea'.

China has reportedly deployed surface-to-air missiles on the disputed Woody Island (seen above in 2012) in the South China Sea, ratcheting up tensions in the area, through which one-third of the world's oil passes

He added: 'Self-defence facilities that China has built on the islands are consistent with the right to self-preservation and self-protection that China is entitled to under international law, so there should be no question about that.'

The Fox News report was based on pictures from ImageSat International, which earlier this week released images said to show reclamation work in the Paracels.

The missiles appeared to be the HQ-9 air defence system, with a range of about 200km (125 miles), according to reports.

Experts said the long-range missiles, said be positioned on a beach, could be used to target enemy aircraft, heightening tensions in the region and potentially prompting US intervention.

'The long-range HQ-9... could exacerbate the nerves of neighbouring countries, particularly Vietnam,' said Kevin Cheng, editor-in-chief of the Taipei-based Asia-Pacific Defense Magazine.

'The military deployment could be seen to violate the US call for free navigation in the area and allow it more excuse to interfere in affairs there.'

Man-made: Fiery Cross reef in the Spratly Islands chain is claimed by China, Vietnam and the Philippines

The report on the missile batteries came as Obama wrapped up a two-day Southeast Asian summit in California where leaders voiced concern over Beijing's military build-up in the strategic and resource-rich area.

'We discussed the need for tangible steps in the South China Sea to lower tensions,' Obama said, calling for 'a halt to further reclamation, new construction and militarisation of disputed areas.'

The Pentagon declined to confirm the Chinese missile deployment.

But China's increasingly muscular actions in the vital waterway featured heavily at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) talks at Sunnylands, a sprawling California desert retreat.

Tensions in the sea have mounted in recent months after China transformed contested reefs (above) in the Spratly islands further south into artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities

In a joint statement, Obama and the 10 ASEAN leaders demanded the 'peaceful resolution' of a myriad of competing territorial claims over islands, atolls and reefs.

Obama has tried to muster an informal coalition of Pacific allies to demand that Beijing respect the rule of law, hoping that China will want to avoid being painted as a regional bully.

But in Beijing, Australian foreign minister Bishop downplayed reports that Canberra was considering participating in such a grouping, saying that the country was 'enhancing its strategic and defence relationship with a number of countries in the region, including China'.
The jury at Southwark Crown Court were told Colombian Daniel Valdes-Jaramillo (pictured) worked with Kent-based David Mais to have cocaine shipped and delivered to his warehouse

A fruit wholesaler working for Colombian drug cartels stored 24million of high grade cocaine in fake bananas packed in his warehouse, a court heard today.

David Mais, 50, is said to have had the bananas delivered to his storage facility in Kent in July 2014.

When police raided the site, they found more than 100kg of the drug - with a 91 per cent purity - hidden in a single pallet among 30, the rest of which contained real bananas.

They had been wrapped in a chemical film to put off snifer dogs and were located using a 'treasure map' sent from Colombia, the court heard.

The jury at Southwark Crown Court were told Mais worked with Colombian Daniel Valdes-Jaramillo to have the cocaine shipped and delivered to the warehouse.

Jaramillo also met with Oscar Alberto Grisales-Cuervo and Leonel de Jesus Hernandez-Gonzales, who were in contact with South American drug cartels.

Prosecutor Ken Millett said: 'On the evening of July 10 2014, following a lengthy pro-active investigation by officers from the Specialist Crime Directorate at New Scotland Yard, police officers found over 100kg of high grade cocaine, valued at a street level at some 24million, at a banana storage warehouse just off the A2 near Rainham in Kent.

'This warehouse was leased, managed and run by the defendant in this case, David Mais, whom it seems was operating a legitimate business called EuroDirect, selling fruit to markets and small shops.

'It was through that ostensibly legitimate business that the drugs had been imported and would then have been distributed.'

He continued: 'The cocaine had been, the evidence shows, imported by ship only a few days previously from Colombia, a country well known for its cocaine production, and had sophisticatedly been secreted in boxes of highly realistic fake bananas hidden within a pallet of genuine bananas.

When police raided the warehouse, they found more than 100kg of the drug - with a 91 per cent purity - hidden in a single pallet (left) among 30, the rest of which contained real bananas. They also found thousands of pounds in cash (right)

'The pallet had been delivered in the early afternoon of July 10, with other pallets of genuine bananas and had been signed for by Mais.

'With a man called Daniel Valdes-Jaramillo, a Colombian national, he stored them within the warehouse which Mais then later locked and secured. Mr Mais was the only person with the key.'

The court heard the delivery had been monitored by officers who at the time did not know about the drugs in the pallet.

Officers only discovered the location of the warehouse by following Jaramillo, who seemed to work for Mais, from central London.

Mr Millett said: 'Jaramillo operated as a trusted organiser and middleman and the linchpin between the importation and distribution of the drug in the UK.

'Mais and Jaramillo, we suggest, were part of a wider conspiracy to import large shipments of drugs into the UK using this method of secretion which included at least two other Colombians operating within the London area, Oscar Alberto Grisales-Cuervo and Leonel de Jesus Hernandez-Gonzales.

'Those were the men whom the evidence clearly shows were involved in the cutting and distribution of this highly valuable commodity.'

The jury heard the Colombians operated a 'sophisticated set up' in a 'cell-like structure', so that Grisales-Cuervo and Hernandez-Gonzales never met Mais or went near his warehouse.

Jaramillo also met with Oscar Alberto Grisales-Cuervo (left) and Leonel de Jesus Hernandez-Gonzales (right), who were in communication with South American drug cartels

The police operation against Grisales-Cuervo and Hernandez-Gonzales began in March 2014, and Jaramillo was seen meeting up with them.

On the day of the raid on July 10 - as the bananas were being delivered to the Kent warehouse - Jaramillo and Grisales-Cuervo met at a cafe in Kennington.

Mr Millett said: 'It seems from the piecing together of what was discovered later, that although knowing the drugs were somewhere in the large consignment of 31 pallets, neither Mais nor Jaramillo knew the exact pallet they were to be found in.'

Grisales-Cuervo was in contact with the Columbian cartel's in South America and was sent a message by phone containing a coded number that linked to the pallet number in which the shipment was hidden.

When police raided the site, they found more than 100kg of the drug - with a 91 per cent purity - hidden in a single pallet among 30, the rest of which contained real bananas (pictured)

The prosecutor said: 'They were also sent a diagram, if you like a treasure map, from Colombia where the drugs were to be found.'

Grisales-Cuervo and Hernandez-Gonzales were arrested in Kennington and police raided the warehouse in Kent, where they found the pallet of fake bananas using the code and map.

The prosecutor said: 'We suggest that with the such a highly valuable and yet illegal commodity, the arrangements for the importation of cocaine, including logistical aspects such as the movement of funds, storage and distribution, required careful planning and a high level of trust between those playing their various parts.'

He said the fact cocaine was hidden as plastic bananas showed the 'sophisticated and ingenious method of just how it was brought into the country'.

Mr Millet added: 'The cocaine in this case was of the considerable value of 24million, and in dealing with such values therefore, a high degree of trust and an ability to trust between the participants was required.

'Trust is a major issue in this case. If Mr Mais was not part of this operation there would be a risk or the drugs could have been found accidentally and he could have given the whole game away.'

Jamillio pleaded guilty to his part of conspiracy and Grisales-Cuervo and Hernandez-Gonzales were both found guilty by jury last year.

Mais, of Rochester, Kent, denies the one count of conspiracy to evade the prohibition upon the importation of a controlled drug of class A.
Allegations said to have occurred at Broomfield Hospital, Essex, in 2014

Stanton appeared at nursing and midwifery council and

Midwife Samantha Stanton (pictured) faces being struck off amid allegations she denied proper pain relief to a mother in labour

A midwife faces being struck off over allegations she denied proper pain relief to a mother in labour and telling her 'What do you expect? You're in labour, you should be in pain'.

She is also said to have commented on the patient's 'lovely, large nipples' before giving them a squeeze.

Samantha Stanton, 38, is also alleged to have told the expectant mother to imagine she was 'drinking a glass of rum and smoking a spliff.'

Among a host of allegations, Stanton is accused of failing to provide pain relief, taking notes on a paper towel, and performing personal examinations in such a 'rough' manner the mother let out a 'blood curdling scream'.

Stanton appeared today at a nursing and midwifery council hearing in Stratford, east London, where her fitness to practise was called into question.

The allegations are said to have taken place at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex, during a night shift in June 2014.

The parents - described as 'mother one' and 'father one' - to protect their anonymity, conceived the baby by IVF.

The baby was born just after midnight on June 17, 2014.

Conor Kennedy, for the Nursery and Midwifery Council, said: 'When the registrant [Stanton] met mother one she was in such pain she was crying. Stanton asked "are they tears of joy?"'

The mother replied they were tears of agony.

Mr Kennedy continued: 'Stanton said "what do you expect? You are in labour. You should be in pain."'

'Mother one was open to an epidural [an injection that prevents pain]. Father one explained this to Stanton and said mother one wanted to give birth in a birth pool.

'The registrant said there was no birth pool available and stated she did not believe in epidural.'

Stanton then carried out a vaginal examination on mother and did so in a rough manner, pushing her legs open and shoving her hand into her vagina.

Mr Kennedy noted: 'Mother One let out a blood curdling scream according to father one.'

He said he had to ask the midwife to stop.

Mr Kennedy said: 'Whilst in the bath the registrant told Mother One to to imagine she was having a large glass of rum and smoking a spliff.

'This is when she commented to Mother One she had lovely large nipples and said "the baby will be very happy". The registrant then squeezed them. Colostrum [milk produced during pregnancy] came from them.'

Stanton appeared today at a nursing and midwifery council hearing in Stratford, east London, where her fitness to practise was called into question

When the father noticed a birthing pool had become free, mother one was moved into it.

Mr Kennedy said: 'She asked two to three times for an epidural for pain relief. The registrant said it was too late and if she wanted one she would have to get out of the pool.'

Mother one was given Entonox, which provides relief from labour pain.

She became drowsy at which point Stanton asked her a question.

Mr Kennedy said: 'Before she replied, the registrant slapped her on the thigh.'

The father described his baby as being born 'grey and lifeless' after the agonising three-day labour.

He said: 'I thought he was dead. I did not want to upset mother one so I said he looked fine.

'She [mother One] was screaming "My baby is dead". I was scared I would lose baby one and mother one.'

Father one described him as being 'an amazing baby' now.

Vivienne Tanchel, defending Stanton, said father one's memories were not entirely accurate and said the nurse only touched his wife's nipples in a proper context.

She said: 'You and mother one have discussed what happened on the night baby one was born. It happened in the context of talking about breast feeding.

'She asked your wife if she could check if she is producing colostrum.

But father one replied: 'No way. It sounds really daft but I thought only I can touch her nipples or my wife can.'

Stanton admitted failing to record an episiotomy but denied the other allegations.

The hearing continues.
It's believed they are furious at the alleged crime and he is now a target

An Iraqi asylum seeker accused of raping a schoolboy in a swimming pool because it was a 'sexual emergency' is being kept in solitary confinement for his own safety, prison officials say.

The attacker, identified only as 20-year-old Amir A, is kept under tight security in Vienna's Josefstadt jail in order to protect him from other prisoners.

A source told local media he was hated for what he was alleged to have done and he had now become a target.

The Iraqi man accused of raping a 10-year-old boy at the swimming pool (pictured) in Austria is being jailed apart from other prisoners who are angered at his alleged abuse of the child

Only weeks ago did the victim's mother say she was hoping that he would be jailed because she heard what happened inside to child sex offenders and wanted him to suffer as her son had done.

The single mother, named Dunja, said she regretted teaching her children to offer the same hospitality to new arrivals that she had herself received when she arrived in the 1990s from Serbia.

The 43-year-old said: 'My son cried himself to sleep every night after the attack and could not close his eyes without taking antidepressants. He tried not to let me see him crying, it broke my heart.

'I know that the physical wounds will heal, but the wounds to his soul may never heal. I don't want the man to be deported, I want him to be jailed because I have heard what they do to child sex attackers in jail.

'I want him to experience everything in jail that child sex attackers can experience from the other convicts. And then I want him deported.'

The boy, named locally as Goran, needed to be hospitalised following the attack.

This week local media raised several thousands of pounds to buy a holiday and a bed that he always wanted.

The Iraqi migrant who raped a 10-year-old boy in a swimming pool cubicle in the Theresienbad (pictured) pool in Vienna, allegedly told police that it was a 'sexual emergency' because he had not had sex in four months

The migrant arrived via the Balkans in September. Thousands of people cross into the country from Slovenia to get into Europe (file picture)

The man told police arresting him it was a 'sexual emergency' because he had not had sex in four months. His own wife and children, he said, were back in Iraq.

The migrant had entered the country through the Balkans on September 5, official records show, and said he could not help himself as he had an 'excess of sexual energy'.

Dunja said: 'I couldn't believe it when I heard that. I come from Serbia, and I spent five years living in a Caritas home together with people from many different nations.

'You certainly can't call me a racist, but to try and defend himself in that way is just monstrous.

'It's like me saying I'm going to go to a bank tomorrow and rob it because I don't have enough money for my five children.'
, causing the driver to stop the bus and transfer the remaining passengers to another bus

The woman refused and became

New York City transit officials say a passenger angry that a bus driver told her to stop smoking took the vehicle for a brief joy ride.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Kevin Ortiz says the bus driver noticed the woman smoking, asked her to extinguish her cigarette and asked her to get off the bus shortly after 7am Tuesday on Manhattan's upper East Side.

The 34-year-old woman reportedly became irate and also claimed people were following her, the New York Daily News reports.

A woman briefly took an MTA bus for a joyride before being stopped by officials on Tuesday in New York Cit. Above, a New York City bus not used in the incident

Once the bus reached 97th Street and Third Avenue, the bus driver stopped the vehicle and then began transferring passengers to another bus.

That's when the woman in question jumped in the driver's seat and took off heading north.

Ortiz says the bus went about four blocks before a dispatcher managed to reach through the window and shut it off.
Deputies in Georgia recently gave a 9-year-old boy Nike Air Jordan sneakers, after he'd been bullied over wearing a raggedy pair of shoes.

Carolyn Taylor, 63, told the Macon Telegraph several teens came up to her grandson Adam Flowers at a playground, and the boy was put in a headlock by a 16-year-old girl.

Taylor recalled to the newspaper that the teenager 'refused to let him go when I yelled over the patio. I said, "I'm calling police on you all." He's a little boy, and they were big teenagers.'

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Deputies in Georgia recently gave 9-year-old Adam Flowers new Nike Air Jordan sneakers, after he'd been bullied over wearing a raggedy pair of shoes. Flowers is seen with his new shoes

Taylor told the newspaper Bibb County sheriff's deputy Trinicholas Carswell 'saw [Adam's] shoes and asked me, "What size shoe does he wear?" and I said, "Seven."

'She said, "I want to buy him some shoes. ... He needs some shoes, doesn't he?"'

Carswell also spoke to the teen's parents, the newspaper reported.

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office said in a news release the incident took place February 13.

It said: 'After handling the incident, Deputy Carswell felt the need to help and she spoke with two of her co-workers, Coporal Timothy Jones and Deputy Jeff Howell.

'She told them about the young boy and how he was picked on regularly about his worn out shoes.

'Deputy Carswell also found out that Adam is an "A" student at Vineville Academy and that his grandmother, who is his caregiver, struggles to take care of him and his two brothers all by herself.

'As soon as Corporal Jones and Deputy Howell heard what Deputy Carswell had told them, they knew without hesitation that they wanted to help.'

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office said 'After handling the incident, Deputy Carswell felt the need to help and she spoke with two of her co-workers, Coporal Timothy Jones and Deputy Jeff Howell.' Flowers is seen with law enforcement

The sheriff's office said they bought the Air Jordans at a mall, then returned to the family's apartment.

It said: 'As soon as Adam saw the shoes he put them on and ran around the room in joy and thanked the deputies for getting him the shoes.'

According to USA Today, Adam wrote a letter addressed to Carswell which said: 'Thank you for helping me stop the bullying, I can play outside without worrying.

'Oh I forgot! My shoes are awesome, they are cool. I won't forget you.'
Police in Cologne have launched a new sex attack investigation - into who was leaking information to the Press about cover-ups.

The Cologne force has repeatedly faced embarrassment over the leaks amid claims senior officers played down the role of immigrants in the wave of New Year sex attacks in the city.

Leaks included a secret internal document detailing the extent of the crimes, as well as an interview with a senior officer who revealed how they were receiving hundreds of requests for help on the night but were powerless to do anything.

Police in Cologne have launched a new sex attack investigation - into who was leaking information to the Press about cover-ups

The official added they were dealing with a level of disrespect for the law which they had never seen before.

Prosecutors in Cologne have confirmed that police are gathering material which will then be examined for evidence as to the source of the leaks that resulted in complaints from the region's interior minister Ralf Jager.

It also led to the previous Cologne police president Wolfgang Albers going into retirement after his statements were proven to be incorrect by the leaks that then followed.

A public enquiry is now being carried out in North Rhine-Westphalia into the incidents.

Prosecutors say that so far they are looking at 73 people on suspicion that they were involved in the New Year sex attacks, of which many are reportedly from North Africa. Of these, 15 are being kept in custody while the investigation continues.

It comes days after it was revealed asylum-seekers from Morocco would not be welcomed in Germany's most populous state, following official reports that identified migrants from the country among suspects in to the wave of sexual attacks and robbery in Cologne.

North Rhine-Westphalia's interior minister, Ralf Jager, said federal authorities had agreed not to send any more Moroccans to refugee centres in the state.

He added that the rate of arrival of people from the Mahreb region has grown significantly, but many of these migrants 'do not qualify as asylum-seekers and thus, do not receive asylum status'.

The Cologne force has repeatedly faced embarrassment over the leaks amid claims senior officers modified reports to play down the role of immigrants in the wave of New Year sex attacks in the city

'Immigrants from the North African region appear disproportionately as offenders,' Ralf Jager, the state interior minister, said.

'Frequently the suspects are young men travelling alone.'

According to provincial data, 6,444 Moroccans and 6,790 Algerians sought asylum in North-Rhine Westphalia in 2015, representing a 300 percent increase from 2014.

An astonishing 80 per cent of Moroccan migrants are located in the state, mainly in the two main cities of Cologne and Dusseldorf.

But they have little chance of being granted asylum in Germany, as they are not fleeing from war or conflict in their homeland.

Last month, more than 200 asylum-seekers sued the provincial government for taking too long to process their applications. Some of the plaintiffs had been waiting for over a year, The Local reported.

Police are currently investigating 73 people in connection to sexual assaults, theft and other crimes committed on New Year's Eve in Cologne.

Many of the suspects were people who had arrived in Germany in the past year.

'The overwhelming majority of persons fall into the general category of refugees,' Prosecutor Ulrich Bremer said. He added that some reports describing only three of the suspects as refugees were 'total nonsense.'

Authorities in Cologne have been accused of downplaying the fact that the attackers included many asylum-seekers because of the political sensitivity of the issue.

The suspects included 30 Moroccan nationals, 27 Algerians, four Iraqis, three Germans, three Syrians, three Tunisians, and one each from Libya, Iran and Montenegro, Bremer said.

'They have various legal statuses, including illegal entry, asylum-seekers and asylum applicants,' he said of the foreign suspects. 'That covers the overwhelming majority of suspects.'

Following the outrage over Cologne, Germany is looking to limit migration from North Africa by labelling Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia 'safe countries', cutting their chance of being granted asylum to virtually zero.
Claims typical Christian fundamentalist uses religion to feel self-righteous and employs double standards in their thinking and judgment

Christianity is to blame for America's high crime rates because its followers believe that the Bible gives God's 'blessing' to violence, a controversial new book claims.

The book. by a professor of criminology. claims that at its core Christian ideology is close to Fascism and is 'criminogenic', meaning that it actually causes crime.

Fundamentalist Christian ideology has been the inspiration for terrorism and figures like radio host Rush Limbaugh are damaging America by helping 'promote vengeance seeking'.

The Christian Right do not even love their country as they think that the US is 'something of a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah'.

The provocative theory is likely to raise eyebrows among Christians who see forgiveness as a key part of their faith.

But it could explain why the Republican party has moved to the right.

Singled out: Elicka Peterson Sparks claims Rush Limbaugh has too much influence in public life, and names him as part of a general trend of disproportionate influence for what she calls fundamentalist Christianity

Avowedly evangelical: Ted Cruz, who is second or third in virtually every poll of Republican contenders, makes his faith part of his campaign

One of those who describe themselves as an evangelical Christian is Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, who supports the death penalty and has said he would 'carpet bomb' ISIS.

The book was written by Elicka Peterson Sparks, an associate professor of criminology at the Department of Government and Justice Studies at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, after four years of research.

Provocative: Elicka Peterson Sparks is likely to spark controversy with the claims in her book

In 'The Devil You Know, the Surprising Link Between Conservative Christianity and Crime' (Prometheus Books), she describes America as a 'bastion of Christian fundamentalism, despite secular progress' and says that it is doing terrible damage.

She writes: 'Fundamentalist Christian ideology is criminogenic - in others words it actually causes [crime].

'The United States has more fundamentalist Christians than any other nation.

'The United States also has a very high rate of violent crime, and particularly high rates of lethal violence - compared to other similarly situated nations.

'This is not a coincidence...this belief system, and the culture it inspires, lends itself to many types of criminal activity including the promotion of violent crimes against a variety of victims, terrorism against those of different faiths, and even crimes against the environment'.

Professor Peterson Sparks argues that Christian fundamentalism has 'set the United States on a dangerous course' that is creating a 'tide of social problems'.

Even the Christian Right's claim that they love America is based on a lie, the book claims.

It says: 'The great irony with respect to patriotism is that Christian nationalists do not really love America - in fact they believe that we are something of a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah.

'What they love is a wholesome vision of America as they believe it once was and will be again: A Christian nation straight out of "Mad Men", but without all the sinning and the angst'.

The book singles out leading figures of the Christian Right such as Limbaugh as having managed to 'infiltrate American culture' and now wield disproportionate influence.

Christians who talk about family values are hypocrites as their family values are actually insulating themselves against non-believers, the book says.

Professor Peterson Sparks, who has consulted for several documentaries including some for PBS, says that 'at its heart, Christian nationalism includes the language of war, theocracy, and even fascism'.

In a chapter titled: 'When did Christians get so mean (again)?', She writes: 'Conservative Christians got mean when they embraced political power as an instrument of religious coercion.

'They do not play well with others, because a significant feature of their ideology holds that others must convert to their views or perish.'

The consequences of this have filtered through the whole of society and are seen in the effect of 'get tough' policies like war on drugs.

These kind of measures 'emphasize punishment as the primary response to crime'. Having a nuanced view about crime in Christian circles is seen as 'antithetical to true Christianity'.

PORTRAIT OF A BELIEVER: WHAT CHRISTIANS TEND TO BE (ACCORDING TO PROFESSOR) Christians are more likely to: admit they get pleasure out of punishing criminals exhibit fear towards a world perceived to be dangerous be mean-spirited toward people who have made mistakes and suffered use Christianity to maintain a feeling of self-righteousness more easily accept unfair and illegal abuses of power by governmental authorities employ double standards in their thinking and judgment behave like zealots believe in social dominance fail to learn from their mistakes and failings Advertisement

One effect of this was the 1976 Supreme Court decision in Gregg v Georgia which reopened the door for states to use the death penalty again.

It was passed at a time when the New Christian Right was gaining power and the 'just deserts' way of thinking was prevalent, the book says.

Christian beliefs also inhibit funding for programs that deter crime because they do not match up with what the Bible says, especially when it comes to drugs and teenage pregnancy.

Professor Peterson Sparks goes into cites numerous passages from the Bible to show that the it is 'rife with violence, particularly violent retribution'.

She writes: 'When viewed as the literal word of God, this conveys God's blessing on the use of violence in the fact of opposition to anything perceived as being God's will'.

Among the horrific deaths in the Bible are stoning, raped, being thrown into a lake of fire and being cut up with a sword. The ultimate fate of sinners is eternal damnation.

The book cites the example of 1 John 3:4: 'Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawless'.

According to Professor Peterson Sparks, this makes it easy to justify harsh punishments as it links sinning with crime. It also suggests that punishment is a form of 'violent conflict resolution' that is legitimate.

Noah's Ark is cited as another example, which the book describes as the 'mass murder of the entire population' to save Noah, his family and two of each type of animal.

The book says: 'We focus on Noah to the exclusion of the entire rest of the population of the world, to the extent that we forget how terrible this story is.

'What kind of a person would God have to be to drown everyone else, including innocent children, animals without an ark ticket, and well, everybody?

'Not so cute when you imagine thousands upon thousand of bobbing corpses.'

Among the 45 pages of other examples in the Bible are 1 Samuel 15:3 which reads: 'Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass'.

Another example is Revelation 2:22-23 which reads: 'So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of their ways.

'I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds'

The book uses all this evidence to build up a portrait of a typical fundamentalist Christian, based on their beliefs.

Devotion: 79.5 per cent of the U.S. population considers themselves Christian, with 26.3 per cent of the whole population calling themselves evangelicals

Peterson Sparks, whose published papers include work on domestic violence and sex offender treatment programs, writes that Christians are more likely to admit they get pleasure out of punishing criminals and believe in social dominance, as well as a catalog of other offenses - including behaving 'like zealots'.

According to figures from the Pew Research Center, 79.5 per cent of the U.S. population considers themselves Christian, with 26.3 per cent of the whole population calling themselves evangelicals - figures that are among the highest in the world.

At the same time there were 372 mass shootings in the US in 2015, killing 475 people and wounding 1,870.

In 2014 America executed 35 people, a figure officially beaten only by Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran. China does not release the number of people it executes, but it is thought be far higher.

In the view of Professor Peterson Sparks, Christians in America 'spend more time in the persecution of others than in being persecuted, and (are) amazingly adept at harnessing feelings of persecution to (their) advantage'.

Those who suffer great wrongs on Earth are promised great rewards in heaven and 'defeat only strengthens their resolve', she writes.

Professor Peterson Sparks insists that she is 'not a rabid hater of Christians' and said she knows many people who have a 'reasoned approach to faith'.

She admits that the religious Right are not the majority of the population - but claims they have a 'tremendous impact' nevertheless.
A concert pianist was thrown down the stairs and killed by her jealous husband on their second wedding anniversary, a court heard yesterday.

Natalia Strelchenko, 38, was allegedly attacked by John Martin, 48, a Norwegian double bass player, after he became envious because her career had taken off, while his had not.

On August 30 last year, Miss Strelchenko spent the afternoon recording songs with friends, before returning home with them in the evening.

Trial: John Martin, left, is accused of murdering his pianist wife Natalia Strelchenko, right, following string of rows

Success: The victim was a talented pianist who performed alongside major orchestras

Martin became angry with the world-renowned pianist, and the pair argued before he wandered to the bottom of the garden and began drinking.

Later he left the house and sent a text to a friend which read simply: Hopeless, before returning home and attacking his wife with such force that her jaw bone snapped, it was alleged.

He denies a charge of murder and told police he couldnt remember a single event from the evening.

Opening the case at Manchester Crown Court yesterday, Rob Hall, prosecuting, said: This is quite simply a case of anger. Pure and simple anger.

This defendant was not getting what he wanted and reached a point where he lost his temper in a very dramatic fashion.

He said Martin and Miss Strelchenko, also known as Natalia Strelle, had a tempestuous relationship.

It was marked by tension, he said. Natalia complained he controlled her and was very jealous  made worse by the fact her career had taken off, while his had not.

They would also argue regularly about financial affairs and who should keep the house clean. Those arguments and tensions would on occasion reach a high level. Police had previously been called to the couples house in Manchester to deal with an incident, the court heard. In the weeks leading up to Miss Strelchenkos death, she had left the marital home.

Martin texted an acquaintance asking for him to intervene  telling him: She drives me crazy  and the pianist returned to the house.

Case: The pianist, pictured left in a promotional picture and right with her husband, was found dead in August

Investigation: The scene at the couple's Manchester home at the time of Ms Strelchenko's death last year

The court heard that on the day of their wedding anniversary, the couple argued and Martin went to the garden shed and began drinking cider on his own before Miss Strelchenko and her friends persuaded him back into the house.

Later that night he went out, sending a text to a friend saying hopeless then another text to another friend, saying: Ive felt completely lonely all summer  Natalias kept me at a distance since November 2014.

He returned home and allegedly threw her down a flight of stairs before beginning to strangle her. A musician friend who was staying in the house fled in fear and police were called.

Officers found Miss Strelchenko lying unconscious near the stairs. She had suffered horrific fractures to her face and skull as well as serious neck injuries, and despite efforts by paramedics she was later pronounced dead.

Describing her injuries, Mr Hall said: 'The blows inflicted upon Natalia Strelle by this defendant were of such severe force and of such number that her central and left-sided facial bones were left free floating from the rest of her skull.

Forensics: An officer pictured investigating the crime scene in August

'Her jawbone was snapped in half and indeed, in addition to that, other parts of her skull were severely fractured.

'Even though she was rushed to hospital soon after that assault, she was declared dead about a hour after.'

Martin, who was found in an upstairs bedroom, repeatedly told officers: Kill me, kill me as he was arrested and taken away.

But the following day he claimed to have no knowledge of what had happened, saying: I dont remember anything.
New Yorker took it in her stride, writing on Twitter: 'What an amazing honor. Just wish the Queen would give it a rest with the photobombs'

40-year-old soon realised it was because Crossrail had been named same

Businesswoman Elizabeth Line woke up to find her name trending online

She went to bed a relative unknown but woke up just hours later to find she was trending on Twitter.

Elizabeth Line, a 40-year-old businesswoman from New York, had no idea why her name was being used by millions of Twitter users or why she was suddenly receiving more messages than normal.

However, after the initial panic subsided, she realised her newfound fame was a result of London's Crossrail being named in honour of Her Majesty The Queen.

Ms Line, the vice-president of a Manhattan-based publisher, said she was 'thrilled' about inadvertently becoming an overnight star and even made light of the situation.

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Elizabeth Line, a 40-year-old businesswoman from New York, had no idea why her name was trending on Twitter until she realised she shared the same name as London's new Crossrail.

Posting a picture of The Queen being presented with a new Elizabeth line sign at Bond Street station today, she wrote: 'What an amazing honor. Just wish the Queen would give it a rest with the photobombs.'

The vice-president of 23 Stories, a content division at Conde Nast magazine publishers, later told the Evening Standard: 'I'm thrilled about it. Nothing like waking up to a little insta-celebrity.

'When I found out I was trending on Twitter this morning, there were a few moments of 'what did I do last night' panic but now I'm just having fun with it.'

Asked about the chosen colour scheme to go with the new name, she replied 'love the purple'.

Crossrail, which will link parts of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to Essex, will be known as the Elizabeth line once it opens through the centre of the capital in December 2018.

The name of the multi-billion pound line was revealed by London Mayor Boris Johnson as the Queen visited the construction site this morning.

She unveiled the purple Elizabeth line logo which will feature across the network and, after greeting representatives, was taken in an industrial lift to the site 92ft below ground, where she viewed part of the railway tunnel and met construction apprentices.

Unveiling the name for the new line, Boris Johnson said: 'Crossrail is already proving a huge success for the UK economy and, as we move closer to bringing this transformative new railway into service, I think it's truly wonderful that such a significant line for our capital will carry such a significant name from our country.

'As well as radically improving travel right across our city, the Elizabeth line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest-serving monarch.'

The Queen became the first reigning monarch to travel on the London Underground in 1969 when she opened the Victoria line.

In 1977 the Jubilee line was opened by the Prince of Wales and was named to mark 25 years since the Queen's accession to the throne.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, who also attended the Crossrail event, described the naming of the Elizabeth line as 'very fitting' given the Queen's long association with UK transport.

The Queen beams at photographers as she holds a commemorative plaque given to her by Crossrail workers

The Elizabeth Line, named after Her Majesty, will be open to passengers from December 2018. The Queen unveiled the logo for the new Crossrail line in a formal ceremony at Bond Street station this morning (pictured)

Crossrail, running from Berkshire to Essex, will carry an estimated 200million customers every year

The network will stretch from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

A fleet of new 656ft (200m) long trains with nine walk-through air-conditioned carriages will run on the line.

The network will be opened in several phases, beginning with the Liverpool Street to Shenfield route in May next year.

Some 24 trains an hour will run in each direction in the central London tunnels when they open in December 2018. The full through service to Reading is due to begin in December 2019.

London's Transport Commissioner Mike Brown said: 'In running this important new railway we will ensure that it serves as a fitting tribute to Her Majesty the Queen.'

The new multi-billion pound railway line which will run under London is to be named after Queen Elizabeth II
A massive explosion leveled a house in Washington state and its owners are still unaccounted for, authorities said.

The incident occurred shortly after 4am local time in Port Orchard and was felt miles away by residents who mistook it for an earthquake.

Debris from the blast, in the 3500 block of Soholt Lane, could reportedly be seen more than 80 feet up in the air.

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The blast (pictured) occurred shortly after 4am local time near Port Orchard. Its cause is still unknown

Two homeowners are still unaccounted for after a massive explosion leveled their Washington home (above)

South Kitsap Fire and Rescue officials said the home was completely leveled by the explosion, and the fire has now been contained.

They added that the cause of the fire is not known and is still being investigated.

Investigators are still searching the area and have requested search dogs to assist in locating any victims, the Kitsap Sherriffs Office said.

Two homeowners remain unaccounted for, but it is not known if they were home at the time, according to KIRO7.

Officials said the home was completely leveled by the explosion. Pictured, the damage at the scene

The fire has been contained, but the cause is still unknown and being investigated, fire officials said

The blast shattered windows at Mullenix Ridge Elementary school (pictured), which is hundreds of yards away

Sheriff Scott Wilson told the station that the owners of the triple-wide manufactured home have been identified, but have not been located.

He said there have been reports of collateral damage to homes in the area.

The blast also shattered windows at Mullenix Ridge Elementary school, which is more than hundreds of yards away, he added.

Residents took to social media to describe the impact of the explosion.

'I thought it was an earthquake at first,' said Becky Carpenter. 'Shook my house, knocked stuff off the walls and I thought some of the windows broke, but the windows are fine.'

The explosion occurred at a manufactured home on Soholt Lane and Ramiller Lane in Port Orchard

The Kitsap County Sheriff said there have been reports of collateral damage to homes in the area
She was stopped in Kilis, near the Turkish-Syrian border last August

Tariq did not tell her husband and travelled via Holland to Turkey

Mother Zahera Tariq, 33, was handed a three-year jail term after being convicted of four counts of abduction by a jury at London's Southwark Crown Court

The sister-in-law of the man thought to be the new Jihadi John has been jailed for trying to take her children to Syria.

Mother Zahera Tariq, 33, was handed a three-year jail term after being convicted of four counts of abduction by a jury at London's Southwark Crown Court.

Judge Alistair McCreath described Tariq's actions as 'a serious example of child abduction' and emphasised the stress her actions caused to her husband.

She sparked an international manhunt after disappearing with her children - three boys and a girl aged between 12 and five -at the end of the school holidays last August.

Tariq and her children, aged five to 12, travelled to Amsterdam while her husband was at work, the trial heard.

The family then went to Turkey and were detained three days later, on August 29 last year, in Kilis, Turkey, close to Syrian territory held by IS.

Tariq, from Walthamstow, East London, said her sister Aisha went to Syria with her children in 2014 to join her husband, Siddhartha Dhar.

The defendant said she took her four children because she thought her sister, the children's aunt, 'would see them and her heart would melt'.

Tariq and her children, aged five to 12, travelled to Amsterdam while her husband was at work. The family then went to Turkey and were detained three days later, on August 29 last year, in Kilis, Turkey, close to Syrian territory held by ISIS

Dubbed Jihadi Sid, a British-accented ISIS fighter (left) recently appeared in an propaganda video. He is rumoured to be Walthamstow convert Siddhartha Dhar (right)

She said she had a 'close' relationship with her younger sibling and added: 'We had gone through some beautiful times with our children.'

The British national, who was born in London, married her husband, also her first cousin, in 2000 in Pakistan where their family is originally from.

Their three sons suffered from various medical conditions, including severe asthma and hereditary eye problems.

She insisted she had discussed her plans with her husband but he had refused to go with them.

Commander Dean Haydon, from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: 'I would like to praise the Turkish authorities for their vigilance and action in stopping the woman and her children, who were close to the Syrian border at the time.

'The children, who were returned to the UK, are now safe and well.'

Peter Carter QC, defending, told the jury there was an 'evil wind' blowing through the family, but did not explain anything more about Dhar.

The jury was also unaware that Tariq had a history of involvement with a radical group going back at least four years and had taken her children on protests with her.

Tariq, from Walthamstow, East London, said her sister Aisha went to Syria with her children in 2014 to join her husband, Siddhartha Dhar (pictured)

The jury was also unaware that Tariq had a history of involvement with a radical group going back at least four years and had taken her children on protests with her

She is said by investigators to have been involved in organising radical Islamic events to which she took her children, including one attended by Brustholm Ziamani, later convicted of stalking soldiers with a knife and hammer in his rucksack.

Dhar, who was involved in the same group, had boasted that he had been able to skip bail and 'breeze through Europe' to reach ISIS, which he described it as 'like a plush Mediterranean resort.'

Tariq's sister had shown no desire to return from Syria and had told her family that she was 'very happy', had a 'lovely house' with her husband and thought the country was 'beautiful and green.'

She had given birth to a fifth child while in Syria and Dhar had subsequently posed with the baby and an AK-47 assault rifle.

On the day she disappeared, Tariq sent her husband, Mahmood, 42, off to work at a dry cleaner in Edmonton, North London, with a packed lunch and when he returned to the family home in Walthamstow that evening, she and their four children were missing.

By Tariq's own admission, 'there were no hugs good bye, no dropping off at the airport.'

She had flown from London City Airport to Amsterdam and, later that day, flown on to Istanbul in Turkey, arriving in the early hours of August 26.

Tariq had bought the tickets from a local travel agent on the day before her trip for 1,145 in cash, telling the agent she was visiting Amsterdam for a holiday.

She had left her bags at the house of another sister, Zaineb, who allegedly knew that Tariq was going away with the children behind her husband's back.

Tariq's sister gave birth to a fifth child while in Syria and Dhar had subsequently posed with the baby and an AK-47 assault rifle

Judge Alistair McCreath described Tariq's actions as 'a serious example of child abduction' and emphasised the stress her actions caused to her husband

CCTV images showed Tariq and her children entering London City Airport at 2.27pm and passing through security around 50 minutes later.

The three boys all suffered from asthma, and the youngest, suffered from a condition so severe that he needed treatment at Whipps Cross Hospital in Hertfordshire.

The older two boys also suffered from an eye condition called keratoconus which needed eye drops and was being treated at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.

After discovering that his wife's passport was missing, Mahmood rang his father-in-law and they agreed to call the police.

However a number of female relatives arrived at his house and persuaded him not to make the call because his wife may have gone to Syria.

One of the women allegedly suggested that Mahmood should go back to Pakistan which frightened him, because he thought he might be in trouble with the police.

'I didn't know what to do next. They told me the police would arrest me and not believe me, at that time I was very scared and very upset and I don't know what to do,' he said.

After staying up all night at his aunt's house, Mahmood eventually rang his brother who persuaded him he was not in trouble and should contact the authorities.

Ansar, the brother, could tell Mahmood was 'upset and crying' on the phone and went straight round to the aunt's house.

'When I faced him he was crying and I was upset myself. Then he told me, 'My wife and children have not returned home since last night,' Ansar said.

Tariq and her children checked in to the Saray Hotel in Adana in South Eastern Turkey shortly before midnight on August 27 and left in the afternoon of August 29.

They were detained by Turkish authorities at 11.30pm that evening in Kilis, close to the Turkish border with Syria and one of two crossing points close to territory controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

ISIS have developed a reputation for their brutality and use of corporate punishment in Iraq and Syria

Tariq had taken thousands of pounds worth of gold jewellery which served as her dowry and detectives believe she was planning to use the jewellery to pay her way across the border and find a new husband in the so-called Islamic State.

As she was cross examined by Mukul Chawla QC, there were long periods of silence and occasional flashes of anger.

She was caught by Turkish police having already dumped most of her luggage in preparation to cross the border.

Mukul Chawla QC, prosecuting, told the jury: 'Whatever the motive, if the defendant took her children abroad without the consent of her husband, she is guilty.'

Mahmood was asked if he wanted his wife back and told the court: 'After this has happened? No I do not wish to live with my wife after this happened.'

Tariq, who appeared in the dock in a full hijab, stood unmoved as the jurys verdict was read out but upon sitting down covered her face with her hands to hide her tears.

In sentencing her, Judge Alistair McCreath said he could not 'exclude the possibility that the removal of the children from the United Kingdom was not designed to be permanent and that they were always going to be brought back.'

I sentence you in the basis that in the context of a tragic family history where you have lost two of your sisters in a cruel way you and other family members were greatly disturbed by the fact that your sister, Aisha, had gone to Syria.

She was in a place of considerable danger and in the company of a man who had been photographed, to your certain knowledge, holding his newly born child in one hand and a rifle in the other,' Judge McCreath said.

I do not underestimate the stress that that must have caused your family, your mother and no doubt you also.

I sentence on the basis that you went to try and persuade her to return home.

You took those children without the consent of their father which itself is a serious thing to do but you did it because you knew that if you had asked for his consent he would never have given it.

Whilst the children were indeed returned unharmed you put them at really serious risk as I am quite sure you knew you were.

The distress that you caused your husband and the danger that you placed your children under are significant and aggravating features of this case.
A mother who threw her autistic six-year-old son off a bridge on the Oregon coast has pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison/

Jillian McCabe, 36, of Newport was told she could only apply for parole after 25 years after she launched London from Yaquina Bay Bridge in 2014.

She called 911 after she dropped him from the arch structure that rises 133 feet above the water.

Emergency crews searched for hours before the body of London McCabe was found about a mile from the span.

Hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil for the child.

Jillian McCabe (left) has been sentenced to life in prison after she threw her autistic son London (right) off of a bridge in Newport, Oregon, in 2014

'The fall did not kill London,' said Lincoln County District Attorney Michelle Branam said Tuesday. 'He suffered broken bones from the impact of the fall and ultimately drowned.'

Relatives said after McCabe's arrest that she struggled with mental illness while trying to care for London and for her husband, Matt McCabe, who was ailing from multiple sclerosis.

But Branam said the killing was done with much calculation, and prosecutors believe she faked symptoms of mental illness when it suited her purpose.

'Everyone hopes it can be explained by way of mental illness so we don't have to leave open the possibility that a mother could plan to so horrifically murder her child,' Branam said.

In the weeks before killing her son, McCabe did extensive Internet research on ways to murder the child, and how to get away with it by using an insanity defense.

Emergency crews searched for hours before the body of London McCabe was found about a mile. Prosecutors said he didn't die from the fall and ultimately drowned

McCabe threw the youngster off of 133ft high Yaquina Bay Bridge (pictured)

'She searched stabbing, drowning and dropping from a 133-foot fall, the exact height of the Yaquina Bay Bridge' Branam said.

She also searched 'Andrea Yates' more than 60 times on her phone. Yates is the Houston woman who was committed to a state mental hospital after drowning her five children in a bathtub in 2001.

McCabe's attorney, Deborah Burdzik, did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Matt McCabe filed for divorce after the crime and court records show the 10-year marriage officially ended in December.

'I can't say enough about this boy,' the ex-husband said Tuesday. 'He was my pride and joy. He was the center of my attention; his loss leaves a black hole in the center of my life.

'If you know an autistic individual, he needs love, too. Maybe more than you and I.'

Relatives said after McCabe's arrest that she struggled with mental illness while trying to care for London and for her husband, Matt McCabe (pictured left with London), who was ailing from multiple sclerosis
The BBC today announced it had planned a series of debates despite David Cameron, pictured during 2015 election debate, reportedly being ready to refuse TV debates during the referendum campaign

The BBC has booked Wembley Arena for a massive TV debate just two days before the crunch EU referendum.

The broadcaster said the 'biggest ever campaign event' had been scheduled for Tuesday June 21 - the eve of the final day of campaigning before Britain goes to the polls on June 23.

The BBC also plans a Question Time special a week before the referendum, on Wednesday 15 June, and a programme made in Glasgow on May 19.

David Cameron has reportedly been reluctant to sign up for referendum debates.

And the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman today confirmed no decision had been reached on whether Mr Cameron would play a part.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage is known to be keen to take part in a TV debate. He was widely seen to have beaten former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg in two clashes at the European Parliament elections in 2014.

Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond this week said he would like to debate Boris Johnson on TV over the EU.

But Mr Johnson - who became the standard bearer for the Brexit campaign on Sunday - has insisted he wants to play no part in a TV contest.

The BBC said today: 'All three of the programmes will feature key campaigners from both sides of the debate, and live audiences from a cross-section of the electorate.'

The Wembley Arena has a capacity of 12,500 people and the BBC said: 'We will be inviting thousands of voters to question representatives from the 'leave' and 'remain' camps.'

The broadcaster said the Question Time special, moderated by David Dimbleby, would see a 'senior advocate' from each campaign faces questions from a live audience.

The first programme will be targeted at young voters.

Victoria Derbyshire will host the May broadcast in Glasgow.

Alongside the debate schedule, the BBC's regular political programmes will continue throughout the referendum campaign.

A spokesman for Britain Stronger in Europe said: 'This is very premature. Official campaigns on either side have not even been designated, we have not received any official invitation to take part so have not reached any agreement.

'This is about whether Britain is stronger, safer and better off as part of Europe or out on our own so we need to think of best way to have sober and informed debate on this important issue.'

The BBC has planned a massive pre referendum debate at Wembley Arena, pictured, which has hosted four X Factor finals and was a London 2012 venue

Ukip leader Nigel Farage, left, is known to be keen to take part in a referendum debate while Alex Salmond, right, has challenged Boris Johnson to a TV contest

TV debates have become an established part of British elections after taking place in various formats since the 2010 poll.

Then, the three main leaders took part in three head to head clashes on live television.

Ahead of last May's elections, Mr Cameron took part in a seven way debate as well two other programmes where he appeared in the same programme as other leaders but not on the same stage.

Together with Ed Miliband, he took part in a Channel 4-Sky News show which involved an interview with Jeremy Paxman and audience questions.

In a final clash a week before polling day, Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Mr Clegg all appeared separately before the same BBC Question Time audience.

Wembley arena has played host to several X Factor finals and was a London 2012 Olympic venue.
With fluffy white wings on her back, blue eyeshadow and jewels on her cheeks, she looked every bit the ice queen.

But Sophie Wessex temporarily lost her regal composure when she nearly fell over at a fancy dress party in St Moritz.

The 51-year-old, who looked elegant in a layered white skirt and cream blouse, was a little too hasty as she walked to the ice bar at an exclusive gathering hosted by Elle Macpherson.

And to the shock of other guests, she stumbled on the ice-covered carpet wearing towering heels and only managed to steady herself just in time.

Sophie Wessex, 51, temporarily lost her regal composure when she nearly fell over in high heels on an ice-covered carpet as she attended a fancy dress party at a members club in the Swiss ski resort of St Moritz

The 51-year-old, who looked elegant in a layered white skirt and cream blouse with angel wings attached to the back, was a little too hasty as she walked to the ice bar at an exclusive gathering hosted by Elle Macpherson

But she laughed off the mishap and joined other partygoers at an outside bar lined with shots, before going into the members club in the Swiss ski resort.

She was joined at the party by her husband, the Queen's youngest son Prince Edward, 51, and several celebrity guests.

While some guests opted for bejewelled eye make-up similar to the Countess of Wessex, others went for elaborate masks including a horned troll and a devil.

Few will have even recognised the Countess of Wessex, as she had slicked back dyed brown hair rather than her typical blonde style.

Only a few weeks ago, she was seen attending a memorial service for her friend, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, in Westminster Abbey with her signature low blonde bun.

Adding to the disguise was a shift from her typically understated make-up, as she had covered up her natural eyebrows to draw on a severe browline and wore red lipstick.

The theme of the elaborate evening, hosted by Australian model Miss Macpherson, 51, and her former husband Arpad Busson, 53, was unclear, but the Countess of Wessex looked keen to channel her inner snow angel.

Ms Wessex, 51, laughed off the mishap and joined other partygoers at an outside bar in the Swiss ski resort

The Countess of Wessex held onto the arms of her husband and an aide as she left the exclusive event

But by the end of the party the mother-of-two, who is a regular on the slopes, had opted to give up her wings and simply carried them by her side as she left the venue.

Keen to avoid another stumble, she was flanked on both sides by her husband and another man, who offered their support.

Earlier this year, the Countess of Wessex made headlines by banning her son, James, Viscount Severn, from shooting with the royals.

She had reportedly been shocked by a photo of her husband, taken during a shoot, firing a gun very close to the young royal's head, and stopped him attending the royal shoots at the end of last year.

Prince Edward was spotted outside the event holding a masquerade mask - perhaps his fancy dress disguise

Keen to avoid another stumble, she was flanked on both sides by her husband and another man as she left

The event was hosted by Australian model Elle Macpherson, 51, and her former husband Arpad Busson, 53. The fancy dress theme was unclear but the Countess of Wessex looked keen to channel her inner snow angel

Her decision did not seem to affect her close relationship with the Queen, however, as they travelled in a car together to a service at St Mary Magdalene's church on the Sandringham estate at the start of January.

After the service, the Queen also handed her an umbrella to shield her and her 12-year-old daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, from the rain.
Lastonia Leviston, who won $7 million in a sex-tape dispute but hasn't been paid, flagged up the photos with the court

Previous images showed stacks spelling out 'BROKE', a pile of money around him in a bed, and cash in his fridge

50 Cent posted another photo of him surrounded by piles of cash

Judge said last week the photos raise doubt about his financial status

Bankrupt rapper 50 Cent has published another photo of himself surrounded by piles piles of cash - just days after a judge ordered him to explain similar images.

Judge Ann Nevins said last week that the 40-year-old rapper's Instagram photos are raising doubts about his actual need for bankruptcy.

She was referring to several pictures that show him playing with huge sums of cash - arranged to spell out the word 'BROKE', spread around him on a bed or stacked in his fridge.

Just days later, 50 Cent, real name Curtis James Jackson III, seemed completely oblivious to her concerns and shared a similar photo on his Instagram account.

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Rapper 50 Cent shared this photo on Instagram just days after a judge asked him to explain similar images as part of his bankruptcy case

Previous images like this one, in which $100 bills spell out the word 'BROKE', created doubt about his financial situation, bankruptcy judge Ann Nevins said last week

The new picture shows him posing in front of a wall of cash made out of towering piles of money.

The rapper filed for bankruptcy in June last year after a judge ordered him to pay millions of dollars to Lastonia Leviston over a sex-tape lawsuit.

'I'm concerned about allegations of nondisclosure and a lack of transparency in the case,' bankruptcy judge Nevins said on Thursday at a hearing in Hartford, Connecticut.

'There's a purpose of having a bankruptcy process be transparent, and part of that purpose is to inspire confidence in the process.'

She added that bankruptcy is a place where 'honest, but unfortunate' people can get a fresh start, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Three pictures were causing the judge major concerns at the time.

The first shows 50 Cent with stacks of cash in his fridge around a bottle of Effen vodka.

This photo is one of three original images that casted doubt over 50 Cent's actual need to file for bankruptcy. 'I'm concerned about allegations of nondisclosure and a lack of transparency in the case,' Nevins said

'Gotta keep a cool little $tash and some Effen Vodka Happy Holidays,' 50 Cent wrote on the Instagram photo.

The next image shows him with the word 'BROKE' spelled out in numerous stacks of cash while he holds a few more in his hands.

'Man this lunch money,I gotta go to work I'm still up, no Sleep at all. NEW MUSIC this week,Off The KANAN tape,' 50 Cent wrote on that picture.

The final picture shows him on a bed, eating a Popsicle and watching television, piles of money strewn around him.

'Ok I found my legs, but I can't find nothing to watch on TV. Power season 3 on the way,' he wrote.

Leviston flagged up the photos after 50 Cent's bankruptcy case kept her from collecting the $7 million awarded to her in the sex-tape dispute, the Wall Street Journal reported.

SunTrust Bank and Sleek Audio, the rapper's biggest creditors with Leviston, say he owes them $29 million collectively.
He says he'll do whatever people want him to do during the campaign

Former PM says the EU referendum is about more than one individual

The passionately pro-EU Tony Blair today warned that leaving the EU would trigger the break up of the UK as it would be impossible to ignore demands for a second Scottish independence referendum

Tony Blair warned today that leaving the EU would trigger the break up of the United Kingdom.

In his first intervention on the EU referendum campaign since David Cameron called the vote for June 23, the former Prime Minister predicted that the SNP's demands for a second referendum would be impossible to ignore if Scottish voters are taken out of the EU against their will.

He also brushed aside the significance of Boris Johnson backing Brexit, saying the vote is about more than one individual.

Asked what role he would like to play in the run up to the referendum, Mr Blair said he would do whatever the In campaign wanted him to do.

But opponents of Britain's membership of the EU are likely to point to Mr Blair's strong support for joining the euro as proof that he has little credibility when it comes to deciding whether to stay in the 28-state bloc.

At the time of the euro's introduction in 2002 Mr Blair said it would be 'crazy' for Britain not to join the single currency.

Speaking on a visit to the United States today, Mr Blair said quitting the would have consequences for the 'future of the UK itself' because it would 'completely change the dynamic around Scottish independence.'

Asked by the BBC which way he saw the referendum result going, Mr Blair said today: 'I think in the end the British people, because they are sensible, will not take this risk,' adding that he 'desperately hopes' the UK will stay in the EU.

Mr Blair praised David Cameron for achieving a 'significant amount' in his EU renegotiation and have him his full backing in the campaign to stay in the EU, saying: 'Those of us who share that perspective will give him the support we can'.

Speaking in Washington earlier in the day, Mr Blair also hit out at the 'populist' responses to the terror threat from both the far right and far left, which he said had delivered 'solutions that make a tweet but not a policy'.

Tony Blair (pictured right) praised David Cameron (pictured on the campaign trail today) for achieving a 'significant amount' of reforms in his EU renegotiation

In comments which may be seen as directed both at Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and at US Republican presidential contenders like Donald Trump, Mr Blair lamented a 'polarisation' of debate on both sides of the Atlantic which he said had undermined serious policy making.

'IT WOULD BE CRAZY NOT TO JOIN THE EURO': HOW TONY BLAIR NEARLY TOOK US INTO THE EURO Tony Blair, pictured at an EU summit in 2004, once said he would recommend Britain joins the euro even if the British public disagreed June 1998: 'The decision to launch the single currency is the first step and marks the turning point for Europe, marks stability and growth and is crucial to high levels of growth and employment.' June 2001: 'Even if it [taking Britain into the euro] is unpopular, I will recommend it if it is the right thing to do.' November 2001: 'The tragedy for British politics - for Britain - has been that politicians of both parties have consistently failed, not just in the 1950s but on up to the present day, to appreciate the emerging reality of European integration. And in doing so they have failed Britain's interests.' December 2001: 'The new year sees the introduction of the European single currency. With so much of our trade and so many of our jobs tied up in business with the rest of Europe, it is massively in our interests that the euro succeeds. 'It remains the government's policy to join the euro provided that the five economic tests we have laid down are met and the British people give their consent in a referendum.' May 2002: 'I certainly believe passionately that this country and its destiny lies in Europe. 'Should we stand apart from the alliance right on our doorstep as a country? It would be crazy to do that. 'It is an economic union. We shouldn't, for political reasons, stand aside. I don't believe that would be a fulfilment of our national interest. I believe it would be a betrayal of our national interest.' Advertisement

Mr Blair warned that Europe faces 'not the possibility but the probability of serious terrorist attacks', which could have a fundamental impact on the continent's politics.

And he warned that extremist ideologies hostile to peaceful co-existence with other faiths were not the preserve of a 'fringe of fanatics' measured in the tens of thousands, but were accepted by tens of millions of Muslims.

The former prime minister was speaking at the launch in Washington DC of a new Commission on Countering Violent Extremism which he will co-chair with the aim of developing a 'muscular centrist' policy approach to jihadist ideology and violence.

Mr Blair told the Centre for Strategic and International Studies thinktank: 'There are those on the left who want us to dis-engage, who believe that our policies are largely the cause of this extremism and that if we leave well alone, it will resolve itself. There are those on the right who believe Islam itself is the problem, thus in a strange way affirming the position of the extremists that the West and Islam are in immutable conflict with each other.

'This polarisation of the debate is mirrored both sides of the Atlantic and the casualty is serious policy making. Both far left and far right come together in advocating solutions that make a tweet but not a policy.

'We need a new approach - what I might term a more muscular centrist one - which in a sense is a synthesis of the lessons of the whole period since 9/11 and can unify our people behind it. We require a combination of military and security capability to counter the violence; together with a deep strategy to counter the ideology of extremism which breeds it.'

Mr Blair said that the fight against radical Islamism cannot be won without the leadership of the West, but that current policy responses were 'inadequate' to the threat.

'There is a justified anxiety that we do not, as of now, despite all the experience and some progress, have a fully effective strategy to counter it,' he said.

'Populist solutions, which are not solutions at all, are gaining ground on both sides of the Atlantic. But the reality is this. There is no safety in isolation. This is a struggle with no borders, no zones of immunity, and no volition whether to participate.'

Mr Blair said the new Commission, which he is co-chairing with former CIA director Leon Panetta, would analyse issues including radicalisation, military methods for confronting jihadis and proposals for a systematic international response to extremist threats.

He warned: 'I believe - but of course this is something the Commission should test - that the problem is not a fringe of fanatics but a spectrum with an ideology; that this ideology has its roots in a perversion of religion - the religion of Islam - and a world view derived from it which is innately hostile to the West and to peaceful co-existence between those of different faiths; and that if we do not challenge and defeat this ideology we will never eradicate the violence which is the product of it.'

Who needs enemies? Cameron praises his 'fantastic friend' Boris after Commons mauling over EU but insists he's 'wrong' to back Brexit

David Cameron today said Boris Johnson was a 'fantastic friend' but one who was 'wrong' on the EU.

On his first campaign stop of a 120 day campaign, Mr Cameron said he had thought about what to recommend 'very, very deeply' and considered all his experience since entering No 10 in 2010.

Mr Johnson had earlier promised a 'fantastic new future' outside the EU where Britain was the 'hub' of new trading arrangements around the world.

David Cameron used a visit to the O2 headquarters in Slough today to make his case for why Britain would be stronger and better off if it stayed in the EU

But speaking in Slough, Mr Cameron insisted Britain was 'better off' inside the European Union because of the uncertainty a Brexit would bring.

The two men were on the campaign trail today hours after an angry clash in the House of Commons over the rival campaigns.

Mr Johnson, who is not expected to take on a formal leadership role but has become the standard bearer for the campaign to get Britain out of the EU, said those promoting danger had been proved wrong before.

Speaking outside his home today, Mr Johnson said: 'Of course there will be people who will try to spread alarm and anxiety - we had much the same sort of thing when the decision came on whether or not to join the euro and indeed 20 years on whether or not to leave the ERM.

But in Central London, Boris Johnson, pictured with the Queen today at a Crossrail event, insisted Britain could be a hub of new trading arrangements around the world

'On both occasions all those same people were wrong.

'We have a great opportunity now to strike new deals for Britain to be the hub of new trading arrangements around the world and to have a fantastic new future.'

Later, Mr Cameron visited the O2 headquarters in Slough in a bid to get his campaign outside of Westminster.

TORY MP WARNS DAVID CAMERON WILL HAVE TO QUIT DOWNING STREET IF HE LOSES REFERENDUM Nadine Dorries today warned Mr Cameron would have to quit if he loses the referendum David Cameron would have to quit Downing Street if he loses the EU referendum, a Tory MP warned today. Nadine Dorries, who plans to campaign against the Prime Minister, said she 'hoped' the first thing Mr Cameron would do after defeat would be to resign. Mr Cameron is due to be attending an EU summit on referendum day June 23 and the following morning though it remains unclear whether he will attend. But Ms Dorries told LBC: 'If the British public vote to leave the EU, I would imagine and hope the first thing David Cameron would do is stand down as Prime Minister.' Leading Tory Brexit campaigners have all insisted Mr Cameron would be the right man to lead the new talks with the EU in the event of a vote to Leave. But Mr Cameron is expected to come under acute pressure to stand down if Britain rejects his recommendation to stay in. Advertisement

Mr Cameron insisted the London mayor had a 'very strong future in British politics' but repeatedly stressed his judgement was 'wrong' on that count and he was 'disappointed' by his stance.

And he said: 'I just want people to know that I am speaking about this after thinking about it very, very deeply - after thinking about all the things I have learned as Prime Minister over the last six years.'

The PM continued: 'I have huge respect for Boris as a politician. He is a great friend of mine, he is a fantastic Mayor of London, I think he has a lot to give to the Conservative Party, I think he has a lot to give to this country.

'But on this issue I think he has got it wrong.

'We are going to have, I hope, a very reasonable, civilised argument between us and between other parties and you are going to find people with some fairly strange bedfellows. This is one where Jeremy Corbyn and I agree.'

Turning to his economic arguments, Mr Cameron said: 'We know we get in terms of jobs, prosperity and security.'

Mr Cameron said three million jobs were in some way linked to trade with the EU and questioned whether the Leave campaign could promise a Brexit would not threaten any of them.

And addressing undecided voters, Mr Cameron said: 'If you are not certain, don't leap - stay with what we've got.'

Mr Cameron said a vote to leave would spark two years of acute uncertainty as Britain would be unable to start striking new trade deals while negotiating the terms of its exit from the EU.

And he insisted six years as Prime Minister had left him more convinced of the merits of the EU - a stark contrast with his justice secretary Michael Gove, who cited frustrations in Government as making him more eurosceptic.

O2 is one of the 197 firms which signed up to a letter endorsing Mr Cameron's campaign that was published today.

The new clash comes a day after Prime Minister David Cameron launched a savage Commons attack on his Tory rival for backing the Brexit camp.

In a clash over the economy Mr Cameron, speaking at today's event alongside Tory peer Karren Brady, right,, insisted all his experience as Prime Minister told him Britain was 'better off' as a member of the EU

Mr Cameron today reached out an olive branch to the Mayor as he said Mr Johnson 'has reached the wrong conclusion' and promised a 'reasonable and civilised' argument.

And he said the Mr Johnson had a 'strong future' in British politics.

TORY MP WARNS DAVID CAMERON WILL HAVE TO QUIT DOWNING STREET IF HE LOSES REFERENDUM Nadine Dorries today warned Mr Cameron would have to quit if he loses the referendum David Cameron would have to quit Downing Street if he loses the EU referendum, a Tory MP warned today. Nadine Dorries, who plans to campaign against the Prime Minister, said she 'hoped' the first thing Mr Cameron would do after defeat would be to resign. Mr Cameron is due to be attending an EU summit on referendum day June 23 and the following morning though it remains unclear whether he will attend. But Ms Dorries told LBC: 'If the British public vote to leave the EU, I would imagine and hope the first thing David Cameron would do is stand down as Prime Minister.' Leading Tory Brexit campaigners have all insisted Mr Cameron would be the right man to lead the new talks with the EU in the event of a vote to Leave. But Mr Cameron is expected to come under acute pressure to stand down if Britain rejects his recommendation to stay in. Advertisement

Sources close to Mr Johnson insist he had brushed off last night's claims his move had been about his own political ambitions.

And the mayor insisted today the Tory Party was better equipped to deal with a row over Europe than it had been in the 1990s.

He said: 'I think one of the big differences between now and what I remember back in the 1990s is the Tory Party now has a much better team spirit, a much better feeling about all this.

'I have absolutely no doubt that after this is over the Tory Party is going to unite again around David Cameron's leadership.

'I think the crucial thing in the weeks and months ahead is we focus on the issues that matter to the British people and we put those issues as clearly as possible.'

Mr Johnson today met with the Queen to announce the Crossrail line under London would be named the 'Elizabeth Line'.

Mr Johnson today said he was determined to seize the opportunity to quit a European Union which was 'wasteful, anti-democratic and I think evolving ever forwards towards a super state I don't think most British people want to be involved with'.

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers, who backs British withdrawal from the EU, told BBC Radio 4's World at One: 'Of course people will want to listen to the views of business leaders, but I think it's clear that the business community has a divided opinion on this.

'I think if you look through the 198 who signed the letter, I'm sure you will find names which 10 or 15 years ago were saying the UK had to join the euro and it would be a disaster if we didn't. They were wrong then and they're wrong now.'

Ms Villiers added: 'There's also a long list of businesses - like Vauxhall, Airbus, GE, Renault - all of whom have said they will continue to work and invest in the UK even if we leave.

'The reality is the EU sells more to us than we do to them, so if we left it would be in their interests to have a trade deal with us. So we'd carry on doing business with the rest of the EU even if we left.'

Mr Cameron yesterday accused the mayor of wanting to use a vote to Leave as a way of forcing better terms out of Brussels.
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The iconic Flying Scotsman is back in business after returning to the tracks for the first time after a decade-long multi-million pound restoration project.

The majestic steam engine made her way from York to Scarborough today resplendent in her original British Rail green livery after being lovingly restored to her former glory.

Train passengers caught an unexpected glimpse of the steam train, designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, as it thundered through stations on the East Coast mainline following its 4.2million revamp.

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The iconic Flying Scotsman returned to the tracks today as it made its way from York to Scarborough (pictured) for the first time following its decade-long 4.2million restoration. The majestic steam engine looked resplendent after being lovingly restored to its former glory

Train passengers caught an unexpected glimpse of the steam train, designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, as it thundered through stations on the East Coast mainline following its 4.2million revamp. The Flying Scotsman is pictured as it makes it way through York Station today

The famous locomotive was making a practise run ahead of her inaugural journey from King's Cross in London to York later this week

After undergoing a major overhaul at a cost of 4.2million, the finishing touches have now been made to the famous steam engine

The famous locomotive was making a practise run ahead of her inaugural journey from King's Cross to York later this week, during which she will carry passengers.

After undergoing a major overhaul, the finishing touches have now been made to the steam engine.

She has been painstakingly re-painted in her original livery green and had her nameplates reattached, marking the end of her restoration.

This week marks the anniversary of the locomotive leaving Doncaster Works on February 27, 1923 after being built.

The steam engine is considered by many to be the world's most famous after its name topped a National Railway Museum poll late last year.

Ian Hewitt of Heritage Painting, the firm which is putting the finishing touches to the steam train, said ahead of the test run: 'We've painted Gresley greats before including the world's fastest locomotive, Mallard, but it's an absolute honour to transform Flying Scotsman, the most famous of them all into its new livery.

'BR green will be recognised by many who saw the engine under public ownership in the late fifties and early sixties, and it will be accompanied by red lining and the BR crest.'

Ian Hewitt of Heritage Painting, the firm which is putting the finishing touches to the famous steam train, said ahead of the test run: 'We've painted Gresley greats before including the world's fastest locomotive, Mallard, but it's an absolute honour to transform Flying Scotsman'

The finishing touches are made ahead of the completion of a ten-year restoration project to the Flying Scotsman, which saw the numbers 60103 applied to the cab and marked the final stages of its transformation from business-like black to BR green before its inaugural run

This week marks the anniversary of the steam locomotive leaving Doncaster Works on February 27, 1923, after being successfully built

The train has been painstakingly re-painted in her original livery green and had nameplates reattached, marking the end of her restoration

The steam engine is considered by many to be the world's most famous after its name topped a National Railway Museum poll late last year

Paul Kirkman, director of the National Railway Museum in York, added: 'We have all been looking forward to the day when Flying Scotsman is once again running on Britain's track and this new guise for our Inaugural Run and Welcome Home celebrations marks a new stage in its long and colourful history.

'We hope the public will join us for our free showcase of the locomotive from 25 February, when the museum will be open until 10pm, until 6 March.

'We will be showing it in light steam in our North Yard and then it will finish off as the centre of attention on our Great Hall turntable.

'As well as seeing the steam legend out and about on Britain's tracks in 2016, the public can experience the essence of Flying Scotsman first-hand at our museum, through a series of innovative and colourful exhibitions and events.'

The numbers 60103 are applied to the cab, marking the final stages of the steam engine's transformation from business-like black to green

The steam engine has been painstakingly re-painted to her original livery green, replacing the previous plain black paintwork

Paul Kirkman, director of the National Railway Museum, said: 'We have all been looking forward to the day when Flying Scotsman is once again running on Britain's track and this new guise for our Inaugural Run and Welcome Home celebrations marks a new stage in its history

The steam engine made her way from York to Scarborough today resplendent in her original British Rail green livery after being restored
An Egyptian judge has admitted a decision to jail a four-year-old for life a series of murders committed when he was just 18 months old was 'a mistake'.

Ahmed Mansour Karni was convicted in absentia of four counts of murder, eight of attempted murder, vandalising property, disturbance of peace and threatening police officers - leaving his confused parents terrified.

According to the authorities, the little boy was among 115 defendants who were all given life sentences at a military court in Cairo for crimes committed in January 2014, in the province of Fayoum, south of Cairo.

Ahmed Mansour Karni was convicted in absentia of four counts of murder, eight of attempted murder, vandalising property, disturbance of peace and threatening police officers - but would have been just 18 months old at the time of the crime

At first, the court refused to accept documents proving Ahmed's age, the boy's lawyers said.

But a tearful appearance by his father on national television prompted a change of heart.

'I'm a poor helpless man, the son of this land and I intend no harm to anyone but I have nothing to do with it,' Gulf News reported him as saying.

'I do not want anyone to take my son from me.'

A military spokesman has now admitted a mistake was made, Gulf News reported.

This came after the court was presented with Ahmed's birth certificate, which allegedly failed to transfer it to the judge, according to lawyer Faisal al-Sayd.

'The child Ahmed Mansour Karni's birth certificate was presented after state security forces added his name to the list of accused, but then the case was transferred to the military court and the child was sentenced in absentia in an ensuing court hearing,' he told the Jerusalem Post.

'This proves that the judge did not read the case'.

The boy's lawyers presented Ahmed's birth certificate to the court - but the judge did not review the case

Another Egyptian lawyer Mohammed Abu Hurira previously said the case proves that 'the Egyptian scales of justice are not reversible' and 'there is no justice in Egypt'.

'Logic committed suicide a while ago. Egypt went crazy. Egypt is ruled by a bunch of lunatics,' he said.
A hospital in New York has agreed to pay $1million to the family of Eric Garner after paramedics failed to 'provide him with the necessary life-saving procedures'.

Garner, a black 43-year-old father-of-six, died after he was put in a chokehold by a white police officer and repeatedly shouted: 'I can't breathe!'

Richmond University Medical Center dispatched paramedics to the scene of the botched arrest outside a convenience store on Staten Island.

But, despite pleas from shocked onlookers, they did not try to resuscitate him at the scene because they thought he was still breathing, court documents say.

A hospital in New York has agreed to pay $1million to the family of Eric Garner after paramedics failed to 'provide him with the necessary life-saving procedures'. Pictured paramedics checking over Garner

Garner, a black 43-year-old father-of-six, was put in a chokehold by a white police officer and repeatedly shouted: 'I can't breathe!'

Paramedics arrived after police officers called 911. They checked Garner's pulse, whether he was breathing and placed him on a stretcher.

'Sir, it's EMS. We're here to help you. We're getting the stretcher, all right?' one worker says to Garner when they arrive at 3.36pm. Garner does not respond.

Despite pleas from horrified bystanders, the medics did not attempt to resuscitate Garner because they thought he was still breathing.

Hospital records revealed within the court documents show Garner went into cardiac arrest on the stretcher.

Doctors performed CPR at the hospital but Garner died shortly afterwards at 4.34pm.

'The EMTS did not conduct the appropriate examination' of Garner and 'failed to provide him with the necessary life-saving procedures,' according to the court documents.

Two paramedics and two emergency technicians who responded to Garner's arrest were suspended without pay but have since been reinstated.

The $1million agreement wasn't part of a $5.9million settlement announced by the city in July over Garner's death.

Richmond University Medical Center (pictured), dispatched paramedics to the scene of the botched arrest, has agreed to pay $1million to the family of Garner

Garner's death was ruled a homicide by the city medical examiner, who said police killed him by compressing his neck and chest as they restrained him for selling loose cigarettes

Horrific video footage of Garner's arrest showed a group of police officers trying to tackle him to the floor after suspecting him of selling black market cigarettes.

Officer Daniel Pantaleo wrapped his arm around Garner's neck as other officers pushed him to the ground.

Garner, who had asthma, is heard gasping 'I can't breathe!' 11 times before losing consciousness.

A grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo and Garner's death spurred a nationwide debate over how the police treat minorities.

Garner's death was ruled a homicide by the city medical examiner, who said police killed him by compressing his neck and chest as they restrained him for selling loose cigarettes.

Chokeholds are banned by New York Police Department policy, but Pantaleo claimed he used a legal takedown maneuver known as a seatbelt, not a chokehold.
The Duggar family is officially returning to television.

TLC has just announced that a full season of Jill and Jessa: Counting On will premiere next month, following many of the older Duggar children and Josh Duaggr's wife Anna.

The show will not however include Josh, whose molestation scandal led to the cancellation of the family's original reality show 19 Kids and Counting last summer.

The first preview also suggests that sister Joy Anna will have a large role in the new series, and she is seen crying in the first promo as she discusses how difficult last year was, with Josh's molestation scandal followed a few months later by news of extramarital affairs and a porn addiction.

'With all our family's gone through, I've grown up a lot,' says Joy Ann.

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Return to TV: TLC has ordered a full season of Jill and Jessa: Counting On (above)

Emotional: The show will feature all the older Duggar children, including Joy Anna (above) who is seen crying in the first preview for the series

Out of town: Jill (above) and her husband Derick Dillard will be in Central America doing missionary work with their newborn son Israel during the new season

This new season will be different from the episodes that aired last year due to the fact that Jill and her husband Derick Dillard will be in Central America doing missionary work with their newborn son Israel.

Jessa and her husband Ben Seewald will remain in Arkansas however with their newborn son Spurgeon, and be featured alongside Jinger, Janna, Joy Anna, John David, Josiah and Joseph in the new show.

And of course Anna, who has been raising her four children with Josh while he remains in a faith-based rehab program in Illinois.

Jessa says at the end of the new preview; 'We've shared this journey with the world. Family is everything.'

The first episode will premiere on March 15 on TLC.

Last May, the public learned that Josh molested five minors as a teenager, including four of his sisters.

He was never tried or charged for those offenses, and law enforcement was never notified in any official capacity by his parents.

In the aftermath of this scandal, the family's popular reality show 19 Kids & Counting was cancelled by TLC.

The summer then ended with the news that Josh had an account on the adult cheating website Ashley Madison and had been having sexual encounters with women outside his marriage, including Danica.

Jump for joy: Jinger, Janna, John David, Josiah and Joseph will also be featured in the new series (above with Jessa, her husband Ben and son Spurgeon)

Getting deep: Jessa says at the end of the new preview; 'We've shared this journey with the world. Family is everything' (l to r above: Janna, Jinger, Jessa and Joy vAnna Duggar)

Loving family: Jessa and husband Ben will be shown as they bring up new born son Spurgeon (above)

Josh confessed to having affairs in a letter in August, writing; 'I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife.

'I am so ashamed of the double life that I have been living and am grieved for the hurt, pain and disgrace my sin has caused my wife and family, and most of all Jesus and all those who profess faith in Him.'

He entered a faith-based rehab program in Illinois shortly after that revelation to treat his infidelity and addiction to porn.

He has been visited by his wife Anna on multiple occasions, who has said she is standing by her husband.

The couple wed in 2008, and are parents to five-month-old Meredith Grace, two-year-old Marcus, four-year-old Michael and six-year-old daughter Mackynzie.

Anna was able to address her husband's infidelity last year when she appeared on a new TLC series that focused on Josh's two married sisters, Jill and Jessa, who were both victims of his sexual molestation as children.

In an episode of Jill & Jessa: Counting On that aired in December, Anna broke down in tears while speaking about her marriage.

'I knew about this long before it hit the press,' said Anna while describing why she decided to stick by Josh during the molestation scandal.

Anna explained that she visited Josh and his family in Arkansas before they were officially courting, and that Josh told her family 'his life story' - including his sordid past.

'He was very detailed and honest with my parents because in his heart he knew he wanted to pursue a relationship.'

Part of the crew: Anna Duggar will be in the show this season as well, but not her disgraced husband Josh (couple above)

Anna then said that when their daughter Meredith was born in July, the media surrounding her husband's adolescence was calming down and that the baby was a 'ray of sunshine' through all of the chaos.

Then, a month later, came the news of his affairs.

'I think it is such a betrayal for a spouse to go through what were walking through,' said Anna as she fought back tears.

She then added; 'It was hard to realize that it was such a public thing, and so, not only was it a betrayal against me, but it was also a betrayal for those who call themselves Christian.

'Everyone was able to see us get married and to vow before God to be loyal to each other, and that loyalty was broken. And so, for my heart, it was just broken.'

Josh's sisters described rallying around Anna and wanting to be there for her in her time of need and said that she was an example of the power of unconditional love.

'Josh was my first love, my one and only, but I knew that my only hope was to cling to my faith, because I knew if I went off of what I was feeling, I would turn a mess into a disaster,' said Anna.

'In the stun and shock of everything, I was just praying, "God, help me to respond to all of this."

'I didn't know what to do. I knew we needed help, and I was just praying God would give the wisdom and the help that we needed to take the next step.'

She also said that her husband's decision to go to a Christian recovery program was a difficult one because she knew was going 'to be alone for an extended period of time' with a newborn.

Anna was right too, as Josh has now been in the program for over six months.
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Hundreds of aspiring dancers from across the county waited in line for hours for a chance to become a Rockette in New York City.

With rain trickling down, the line for auditions stretched for more than a block outside of Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan on Tuesday.

Some of the women were seen putting on makeup and applying false eyelashes in preparation, while others listened to music as they waited for the opportunity to show off their talents.

Hoping to land a spot in the Rockettes' summertime production this year, Bethany Glover, 21, from Orange County, California, studied while in line. 'I am am working on a homework assignment for school today' said the Manhattan College student.

Inside, the hopefuls were led into a rehearsal studio to perform a dance routine before a panel of judges.

The Rockettes are known for their shows during the holiday season but they started adding warm-weather performances last year. This year's 'Rockettes New York Spectacular', celebrating the city in the summertime, runs from June 15 to August 7.

Desperate to dance! Hundreds of hopefuls line up outside Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan waiting to audition for 'Rockettes New York Spectacular' on Tuesday

Eager: Guilia Dunes, 25, second from left, from Amsterdam, and Taylor Lewis, 22, center, from Baltimore, were among hundreds of aspiring dancers hoping to join the Rockettes

Long waitL The line for auditions to join the Rockettes' summer production stretched for more than a block outside Radio City Music Hall

Getting ready: Courtney Tierchoski, 25, from Nashville, Tennessee, applies makeup while on line with other dancers

Waiting: Miranda Bengtson, 24, left, from Davidson, South Carolina, keeps her ears muffled in line. Right, Miranda Bengtson, 24, from Davidson, South Carolina, line up with other dancers

Dedicated: Bethany Glover, 21, from Orange County, California, studies while she waits in a line with other dancers outside Radio City Music Hall to audition for 'Rockettes New York Spectacular'

Taylor Lewis, 22, pictured, is also hoping to land in the coveted summer production. 'I pray that I make it all the way through,' she said
Dr Robert Hadden will lose his medical license after admitting to sexually abusing two pregnant patients in his care in 2012

A Manhattan gynecologist who admitted to sexually abusing two pregnant patients will lose his medical license but will avoid serving any jail time.

Dr Robert Hadden had been charged with attacks of six pregnant women while he worked at New York Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital in New York.

He admitted performing oral sex and other perverted acts that served no valid medical purpose on two patients in his care in 2012 at Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Hadden pleaded guilty to a charge of a criminal sex act in the third degree and forcible touching.

His deal with prosecutors will see him lose his medical license in New York, but shockingly, not only has he avoided jail time, but he will also not be required to perform any community service or even be placed on probation, the New York Daily News reports.

Hadden also promised that he would not seek to obtain a license to practise medicine in another state.

He will, however, also have to register as a Level 1 sex offender, which indicates there is a low risk of a repeat offence and the lowest possible rating in the state.

But Hadden admitted performing oral sex on a patient while she was incapable of consent on June 29, 2012.

He also admitted that he forcibly touched the sexual and other intimate parts of another patient on May 7 that year.

Hadden agreed that the acts served no medical purpose and was simply to 'degrade' and 'abuse' the victim to 'gratify his sexual desire'.

The assaults took place in Hadden's office at the New York Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital (pictured above)

However, the Manhattan District Attorneys office agreed to not charge Hadden based on any other information they found during the course of their investigation, the Daily News reported.

The abuse occurred in the rooms of his private Manhattan offices and only after nurses left Hadden alone with patients in the examination room.

In 2013, two victims sued Hadden alleging he had sexually assaulted them, prompting the disgraced doctor to stop seeing patients.

The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed after the prosecution failed to deliver documents by the courts deadline.
A model and muay thai fighter who refused to pay her taxi fare and cleaning fee after vomiting in the back seat has been fined.

About 3.30am on January 19, Nataki McGarn, 29, was travelling in a taxi from Broadbeach on the Gold Coast to Robina after a night out.

It was claimed either she or her sister vomited in the vehicle, and she was asked to pay a $110 cleaning fee, which she refused to do, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

Model Nataki McGarn, 29, faced Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday over a taxi far dispute

CCTV shows her in the back of the cab (pictured) refusing to pay a $39 fare and $110 cleaning fee after she vomited in the back seat

In the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday it was revealed McGarn was asked to pay the $39 fare and an $110 cleaning fee on the night, and when the taxi driver called police she still refused.

The 29-year-old promotional model and former stripper was charged with evading a fare, contravening a police direction and obstructing police and taken to the watch-house.

The woman was behaving 'belligerently', and did not follow orders even when she was under arrest, Police prosecutor Peri Cardiff told the Bulletin.

McGarn's lawyer claimed in court she was not asked about the cleaning fee until she had handed over her card to pay for the ride.

The taxi driver called the police on McGarn the night of the argument after she refused to pay

McGarn, a promotional model, was charged with evading a fare, contravening a police direction and obstructing police

Solicitor Campbell MacCallum said his client denied making the mess but claimed the taxi driver had already processed the sale before she could object.

'She attempted to get the keycard back as she refused to pay the fee, then he took the keycard, put it in his pocket and then he decamped from the taxi,' Mr McCallum, from Moloney MacCallum Lawyers said.

McGarn agreed to pay the $39 cab fare and $110 cleaning fee, and was fined a further $300, but no conviction was recorded.
Several top leaders from Warren Jeffs' polygamous sect were arrested Tuesday on federal accusations of food stamp fraud and money laundering  marking one of the biggest blows to the group in years.

Prosecutors say the sect based on the Utah-Arizona border diverted funds from Utah's nutrition assistance program for inappropriate use by its leaders.

A total of 11 people were charged in the scheme, including Lyle Jeffs and Seth Jeffs, top-ranking leaders of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and brothers of imprisoned sect leader Warren Jeffs.

Warren Jeffs is serving a life sentence in Texas for sexually assaulting his 12- and 15-year-old child brides at a secretive church compound in that state.

Several top leaders from Warren Jeffs' polygamous sect were arrested Tuesday on federal accusations of food stamp fraud and money laundering. Above Warren Jeffs is pictured center in 2006

Warren Jeffs' brothers, Lyle Jeffs (left ) and Seth Jeffs (right) were apart of the group arrested Tuesday by federal authorities

Lyle Jeffs runs the day-to-day operations in the polygamous community of Hildale for FLDS, while Seth Jeffs leads a branch of the group in South Dakota.

Wallace Jeffs, Warren Jeffs' half-brother, was expelled from FLDS and said that the latest arrests will impact the church.

'If they're finally gong to prosecute Lyle and the leaders of the church, it will eventually bring the church down,' Wallace Jeffs told The Salt Lake Tribune. 'This pretty much cuts the head off the snake.'

Federal, state and local police served search warrants and made arrests Tuesday in Hildale, Salt Lake City and Custer County, South Dakota.

According to the Tribune, each of the people indicted Tuesday face one count of conspiring to defraud the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and one charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

FLDS church leaders allegedly ordered members to use their SNAP benefits to purchase food that was then to be given to the church's storehouse, which is a communal clearinghouse that collects and distributes commodities to the community.

Lyle Jeffs (left) runs the day-to-day operations in the polygamous community of Hildale, Utah for FLDS. He is expected to appear in court Wednesday in Salt Lake City. Seth Jeffs (right) leads a branch of the group in South Dakota

The indictment against the 11 FLDS members alleges that they forced church members to obtain their food and household items soley through using the storehouse.

Millions of dollars in SNAP benefits per year are provided to a large percentage of FLDS Church members living in Short Creek, according to the news release.

'This indictment is not about religion. This indictment is about fraud,' U.S. Attorney John Huber said in a statement.

'This indictment charges a sophisticated group of individuals operating in the Hildale-Colorado City community who conspired to defraud a program intended to help low income individuals and families purchase food.'

Also charged in the indictment are Lyle Steed Jeffs, 56, John Clifton Wayman, 56, Kimball Dee Barlow, 51, Winford Johnson Barlow, 50, Rulon Mormon Barlow, 45, Ruth Peine Barlow, 41, and Preston Yates Barlow, 41, all of Hildale.

Nephi Steed Allred, 40, Hyrum Bygnal Dutson, 55, and Kristal Meldrum Dutson, 55, all of Colorado City; and Seth Steed Jeffs, 42, of Custer, South Dakota were also charged.

Warren Jeffs is serving a life sentence in Texas for sexually assaulting his 12- and 15-year-old child brides at a secretive church compound in that state

'This is what will really bring down the church,' Wallace Jeffs told the Tribune. 'The church is basically just a money laundering criminal organization.

'The fact that they're actually targeting them financially and getting them for these frauds and these money laundering issues is going to bring the church to its knees.'

Hildale resident Andrew Chatwin said officers went into five businesses Tuesday, including a dairy store, produce store and a contractor.

'I'm watching them break in doors,' Chatwin said.

The raids were the federal government's latest front in targeting church leaders. A civil rights trial against the twin polygamous towns of Hildale and Colorado City, Arizona, is underway in Phoenix, in which prosecutors say they discriminated against nonbelievers by denying them housing, water services and police protection.

The communities deny the allegations.

Private investigator Sam Brower, who has spent years investigating the group, says the case targets a new hierarchy in the group.

'This is a huge blow,' Brower said. 'Combined with everything else, it's incredible.'

Lyle Jeffs is expected to make his initial court appearance Wednesday in a federal courtroom in Salt Lake City.
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A sturdy sea fort that has guarded the east coast of Britain for more than a century after being built at a cost of 1.5million in a bid to keep out the Germans has gone on the market for just 350,000.

More than 40,000 tonnes of concrete and steel went into the construction of Haile Sand Fort, which sits in the middle of the sea off the Lincolnshire coast between Cleethorpes and Humberston.

The imposing structure was built between 1915 and 1918 in a bid to protect the east coast, with engineers cladding it with riveted steel Armour plating.

Haile Sand Fort, which sits off the Lincolnshire coast between Cleethorpes and Humberston, once helped defend Britain from the Germans. It was built during the First World War at a cost of 1.5million but has now gone on sale as a 'development opportunity' for just 350,000

The imposing structure was built between 1915 and 1918 in a bid to protect the east coast from a German invasion, with engineers cladding it with riveted steel Armour plating. It is now in a run-down state and is up for sale for someone looking to 'own a piece of history'

It is thought the fort cost the country a staggering 1.5million to build and it boasts a lookout tower with shuttered windows, a single projecting square observation turret to the north-east, and a roof balcony.

After being built to defend the country during the First World War, the historic fort was also used as a deterrent from the Nazis during the Second World War, with 200 members of the armed forces stationed on it.

It guarded the approaches to the Humber with gun batteries and an anti-submarine net of steel mesh stretched between it and the nearby Bull Fort.

Together with the fortifications on Spurn Point, the forts were in place to make the estuary into a safe assembly point for coastal convoys.

Each of the forts cost more than 1million to build and were regarded as 'an outstanding triumph of modern engineering'.

Originally, Haile Sand Fort had full amenities for a garrison and was often under attack from aircraft and submarine.

After the wars, it was used by the army until 1956 and manned by civilians until the 1960s.

After being built to defend the country during the First World War, the historic fort was also used as a deterrent from the Nazis during the Second World War, with 200 soldiers stationed on it. It was later used by the army until 1956 and manned by civilians until the late 1960s

It is thought the fort cost the country a staggering 1.5million to build and it boasts a lookout tower with shuttered windows, a single projecting square observation turret to the north-east, and a roof balcony. It is now in a state of disrepair and on the market for 350,000

Now in a run-down state, the fort has been put on the market for 350,000 - 10,000 less than a single garage bought in Kensington, west London, earlier this week.

It is being marketed through Tepilo, the online estate agent set up by TV star Sarah Beeny.

Described as a 'development opportunity', the fort has a roof terrace with panoramic views, 'good-sized rooms' and 'plenty of storage'.

A Tepilo spokesman said: 'Sometimes a listing crops up that truly takes our breath away, and that's what happened when we were instructed to sell Haile Sand Fort.

'This is an incredibly unique opportunity for anyone looking to own a piece of history.'

Described as a 'development opportunity', the fort has a roof terrace with panoramic views, 'good-sized rooms' and 'plenty of storage'

Haile Fort had full amenities for a garrison and was often under attack from aircraft and submarine. After the two world wars, it was used by the army until 1956 and manned by civilians until the 1960s. Estate agents boast that it has 'good-sized rooms' and 'plenty of storage'

Henry Pryor, an independent buying agent, said: 'For aspiring homeowners this may be worth considering alongside similar offshore properties like Sealand and NoMansLand fort in the Solent.

'On a price-per-square-foot basis it doesn't look that expensive. The owner would consider a part exchange according to the agent. What might they want, I'm guessing a Thames Barge?
A St. Louis jury has awarded $72million to the family of an Alabama woman who sued Johnson & Johnson claiming she developed terminal ovarian cancer after using its baby powder and other products containing talcum.

The civil suit by Jacqueline Salter Fox, of Birmingham, was part of a broader Missouri claim involving nearly 60 people. Her son Marvin took over as plaintiff following his mother's death in October 2015 at age 62.

Fox's attorneys said the jury verdict Monday night was the first such case among more than 1,000 nationally to result in a monetary award.

Victory in death: A Missouri jury has awarded the family of Jacqueline Salter Fox (left and right) $72million after she sued Johnson & Johnson claiming her terminal ovarian cancer was caused by the company's baby powder

Popular product: Fox said in her complaint that she used Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene for more than 35 years

Lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson claim that in an effort to boost sales, the pharmaceutical giant failed for decades to warn consumers that its talc-based products could cause cancer.

The jury said that Ms Fox was entitled to $10million in actual damages and $62million in punitive damages.

A Johnson & Johnson spokeswoman said Tuesday that the New Jersey-based company was considering whether to appeal the verdict.

Jacqueline Fox claimed in her complaint that she used Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene for more than 35 years before being diagnosed three years ago with ovarian cancer.

Jurors in the circuit court of St. Louis on Monday night found Johnson & Johnson liable for fraud, negligence and conspiracy, the family's lawyers said. Deliberations lasted four hours, following a three-week trial.

Fox's son Marvin (right) took over as plaintiff in the mulitmillion-dollar lawsuit following his mother's death in October 2015 at age 62.

Jere Beasley, a lawyer for Fox's family, said Johnson & Johnson 'knew as far back as the 1980s of the risk,' and yet resorted to 'lying to the public, lying to the regulatory agencies.'

In October 2013, a federal jury in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, found that plaintiff Deane Berg's use of Johnson & Johnson's body powder products was a factor in her developing ovarian cancer at age 49. Nevertheless, it awarded no damages, court records show.
I wouldn't rule out the possibility that he may decide to make that public at some point in the future'

'Right now our plan is not to make that public,' his press secretary said

will privately make a decision some time before then, if he hasn't already arrived at one now

President Barack Obama has less than three weeks to choose between his party's two presidential candidates, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.

He plans to vote absentee in the March 15, Illinois primary, the White House says, and will privately make a decision some time before then, if he hasn't already arrived at one now.

'Right now our plan is not to make that public,' press secretary Josh Earnest said today, 'but I wouldn't rule out the possibility that he may decide to make that public at some point in the future.'

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President Barack Obama has less than three weeks to choose between his party's two presidential candidates, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton

Obama's spokesman has said numerous times that the president is unlikely to get involved in the intra-party fight that will determine his successor, and White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said just last month it's the 'job of the party' to make that decision.

But the president suggested at a press conference last Tuesday he may be mulling an endorsement.

Speaking about the Democratic primary, Obama said,'Ultimately, I will probably have an opinion on it, based on both being a candidate of hope and change and a President whos got some nicks and cuts and bruises from getting stuff done over the last seven years.

'But for now, I think it's important for Democratic voters to express themselves and for the candidates to be run through the paces,' he said.

Today Earnest said the president was referring to his vote in the Illinois primary, which is on the horizon, 'so he's gotta make a decision pretty soon if he hasn't already.'

'We don't currently have a plan for the president to make public his preference in the Democratic presidential nomination process,' he said.

Obama will indeed vote. 'The real question is just whether or not we're gonna make that public.'

Earnest has been careful to praise both candidates in his commentary to reporters and has defended their relationship with the president when they've sided against him on certain policy issues.

Asked about Clinton's allegations that the Vermont Senator has been disloyal to the president on Friday, he said, 'Obviously Senator Sanders on a range of legislative priorities has been supportive of the Presidents legislative agenda in an important way.

'And obviously Secretary Clinton had a role as the Secretary of State in the Obama administration to advance the Presidents foreign policy vision around the world.'

He plans to vote absentee in the March 15, Illinois primary, the White House says, and will privately make a decision some time before then, if he hasn't already arrived at one now

Continuing he said, 'Both of them have their own unique perspective here.

'But I think both of them are making this case about the progress that weve made over the last seven years under President Obamas leadership both to illustrate where it is they stand on the issues, but also to make a case to voters -- especially Democratic voters -- that they're prepared to build on the progress that weve made so far.'

His predecessor, Jay Carney, thinks Obama prefers Clinton, though.

The ex-White House press secretary said earlier this month on CNN: 'I think the president has signaled while still remaining neutral that he supports Secretary Clintons candidacy and would prefer to see her as the nominee.

The former Obama administration official said he expects Obama to maintain 'the tradition of not intervening in a party primary.'
When he reached into his waistline, he was killed in a

Cincinnati police has defended their officers after a white suspect who pointed a replica gun at cops was tased, while a black assailant who did the same thing was shot dead.

Christopher R. Laugle, 26, waved a toy weapon at officers during a confrontation at his home on Wednesday.

When he refused to back down, cops gave him the electric shock and arrested him.

Just 18 hours later Paul Gaston, 37, was reaching for what turned out to be an Airsoft gun in the waistband of his pants when he was killed in a hail of bullets.

Critics have accused the department of shooting Gaston because he was black, but officials insist the incidents were both extremely different.

Paul Gaston (left) was gunned down by police 18 hours after 26-year-old Christopher Laugle (right) waved a toy gun at police, but was tased instead

Laugle aimed this gun at police before he was given the electric shock. Officer said factors, including the orange muzzle, showed them it was fake at the start of the confrontation

This is the Airsoft gun Gaston was reaching for in his waistband when he was shot multiple times. Police said they had no idea it was a replica until after he was dead

Mt. Healthy police Chief Vince Demasi told The Cincinnati Enquirer last week the incidents involving Laugle and Gaston were dramatically different

They knew Laugle's gun was a toy as it had an orange marking on the muzzle.

These caps have been required on the barrel of fake or toy guns since 1989

They added that Gaston was reportedly waving the gun near children before he was confronted by police, and they didn't discover the weapon wasn't real until after he was killed.

Also, there was no orange marking on Gaston's gun.

Shaun King, a columnist who writes about race and police brutality for the New York Daily News argued on Friday the two incidents revealed 'double standards faced by black men and white men.'

'What caused police in the same city, on the same day, to determine they must use lethal force with the black man but merely take the white man into custody?' King asked.

In response to the shootings, Anonymous released the personal information of 52 Cincinnati Police Department employees.

Gaston is seen circled, on his knees, moments before he was fatally hit by officers. At least three bystanders captured footage of his death on their cell phone

In response to the shootings, Anonymous released the personal information of 52 Cincinnati Police Department employees

The hacktivists released a video on Sunday claiming they had dumped the records of staff - from rank-and-file officers all the way up to Chief Eliot Isaac - after accusing the CPD of gunning down Gaston because he was black.

They said: 'With the evidence provided it is quite obvious that he was complying and had his hands in the air. Just a day before this shooting in the Cincinnati Metropolitan area this man was accused of pointing this replica at police.

The hacktivists released a video on Sunday claiming they had dumped the records of staff - from rank-and-file officers all the way up to Chief Eliot Isaac (pictured) - after accusing the CPD of gunning down Gaston because he was black

'He lived... But John Crawfod, Tamir Rice, and now Paul Gaston didn't. How does one man point a fake pistol at a cop and live while another man doesn't, but is killed execution style?

'For far to long we have sat idle by letting the gang known as the Thin Blue Line murder citizens of United States without allowing them due process.

'Well we have a message to not only the Cincinnati Police Department but to every law enforcement officer.

'When you murder a human being when you have other choices of containing your suspect available we will make your officers information public record.'

According to The Cincinnati Enquirer , the CPD investigated whether their system had been breached and if there was a risk to officers.

They found that all of the information released could have been obtained from social media or information available in public records.

The personal data includes names, ages, street addresses, email addresses and social media accounts.

The names and addresses of many of the officers' family members were also released.

Daily Mail Online has tried to contact the Cincinnati Police Department.

No one answered the phone when they were called.
Today an AMBER alert was canceled as Maddox was found in the harbor

Morgan made a tearful plea to her husband to return their young daughter

He was arrested near Syracuse Inner Harbor on Monday after a police hunt

Lawrence reportedly warned he could hurt himself and his daughter

A father who kidnapped his own daughter has been charged with murder after his baby girl's body was found in a New York lake.

Little Maddox Lawrence and dad Ryan were reported missing from their Syracuse home on Saturday.

Police had become 'concerned' about the toddler's safety after Lawrence, 24, indicated he had kidnapped her and could hurt himself and his daughter in a message to his wife,Syracuse.com reports.

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Little Maddox Lawrence (pictured with her father Ryan) was reported missing from her Syracuse home on Saturday - sparking a massive manhunt for her father Ryan who was reported to have kidnapped her

Now he's jailed: This booking photo provided by the Syracuse, Police Department shows Lawrence, who is charged in the death of his daughter

An AMBER alert was issued on Sunday which warned the suspect had 'a history of mental health issues and is emotionally unstable.'

Police tracked down Lawrence who was taken into custody on Monday near the Syracuse Inner Harbor. He has since been charged with second degree murder.

He later returned to the area with the authorities to assist in the search efforts.

Today the AMBER alert for Maddox was finally cancelled after the authorities found her body in the harbor.

Maddox Lawrence - who was allegedly kidnapped by her own father - was found dead in a New York lake this afternoon

On Sunday, the girl's mother Morgan made a tearful plea to her husband to return their one-year-old

Teams of divers had worked for hours on Tuesday afternoon until they pulled the body, which was inside a small yellow bag, from the water at around 1.30pm.

Syracuse Police chief Frank Fowler told New York Daily News that officers were 'unfortunately confident' that the corpse is Maddox, but are waiting on DNA tests to confirm.

Before today's tragic discovery, the girl's mother Morgan made a tearful plea to her husband to return their one-year-old.

'Ryan, if you're listening, please just bring Maddox home,' she begged on Sunday. 'Maddox, I love you honey.

'Ryan please, just please, call. We just want to know that the both of you are safe. The whole family loves you.

'The whole family wants you both home. We just want to know you're in a good place.'

Lawrence had been due to pick up his wife from her job at a store at Destiny USA around 10pm on Saturday when he sent her a text message saying that their car would be in the parking lot.

A Syracuse police officer on the Bear Street overpass looks down on Onondaga Creek where police have been searching for Maddox

Today the AMBER alert for Maddox was finally cancelled after the authorities found her body in the harbor

Teams of divers had worked for hours on Tuesday afternoon until they pulled the body, which was inside a small yellow bag, from the water at around 1.30pm

When a confused Morgan returned home, he and their daughter Maddox were missing.

Police Sgt. Richard Helterline said over the weekend police became concerned' over the safety of the youngster after the 'strange and confusing' note.

'He made it pretty clear we should be looking into this,' he said.

Officers were able to track down Lawrence after a tip off by a former employee of a thrift store he visited in Baldwinsville. He had returned to the store to warn employees when he spotted Lawrence inside.

Lawrence is due to be arraigned on Wednesday morning.

A candlelit vigil will be held for Maddox tonight near Syracuse Inner Harbor this evening.

Family and friends of the couple have paid tribute to the young girl.

Ryan Donoghue wrote on Facebook: 'R.I.P. Maddie. You were the most lovable adorable and beautiful little girl I have had the pleasure of knowing.

'I'm gonna miss you moving everything from my coffee table to my floor ecerytime(sic) you came over. I will never understand why these things happen to such innocent people.'

Lawrence had been due to pick up his wife (pictured with their daughter) from her job at a store at Destiny USA around 10pm on Saturday when he sent her a text message saying that their car would be in the parking lot
Stink bombs, water balloons, potato guns and water pistols have been banned from this year's Easter show bags because they have been deemed too unsafe.

Agriculture shows across NSW have been given a list of prohibited items that can't be sold in show bags by the Federal Council of Agricultural Societies.

Among the banned items are water pistols over 150mm, 'lurid' playing cards, fart gas, pressure pack snow and silly string.

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Agriculture shows across NSW have been given a list of prohibited items that can't be sold in show bags this year including stink bombs, water balloons, potato guns and water pistols

Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm has labelled those behind the bans as the 'fun police'.

'It is a dark day, the fun police are on the loose,' Mr Leyonhjelm told Nine's Today Show.

'There's actually a serious side to this. These people are intruding on the relationship between parents and their kids. They are assuming that none of us are smart enough to use common sense. It's getting past a joke.'

Other more serious items included on the banned list include drug related goods, fireworks, fake cigarettes, laser pointers and martial art nunchakas.

Stink bombs are among the items banned from show bags at this year's agriculture shows across NSW

Potato guns have been deemed unsafe because it could 'shoot another kid in the eye', according to NSW Agricultural Societies Council president Tim O'Brien

Water balloons have also made the list of prohibited items, which have all been banned due to past issues

NSW Agricultural Societies Council president Tim O'Brien has defended the list saying most were banned for 'safety reasons', the Daily Telegraph reports.

'(Potato guns) could shoot another kid in the eye,' Mr O'Brien said.

'(Throw-down crackers) could scare a horse.'

He said all banned items would have caused some sort of an issue in the past.

The banned items will not apply to the Sydney Royal Easter Show but all show bags are being checked for unsafe toys.

The agreed list of banned items was reportedly put together with input from the Showmen's Guild of Australasia and the NSW Fair Trading regulation.

Agriculture shows across NSW have been given a list of prohibited items that can't be sold in show bags by the Federal Council of Agricultural Societies
A sergeant who saved a fellow soldier in Afghanistan has married the man's sister five years after they were caught in a violent explosion.

Christopher St Onge and Bryan Dilberian were deployed in the same squad when Bryan stepped on an IED during a regular patrol. The blast killed another member of their squad.

Christopher helped stopped Bryan's bleeding and made sure he got to the hospital, People reported.

Bryan's sister Samantha sent him regular updates about her brother's health during the next few months and the two got talking.

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Samantha Dilberian (left) and Christopher St Onge (right) tied the knot this weekend in Odessa, Florida. They met after Christopher rescued Samantha's brother Brian in Afghanistan

Christopher (right) helped stop the bleeding after Bryan stepped on an IED during a regular patrol. Samantha (left) sent him updates by email afterwards and the two got talking

Samantha and Christopher's story helped them win $30,000 to finance their wedding as part of a contest for military couples

Christopher and Samantha Dilberian (pictured in a Facebook shot) emailed each other and spoke on the phone for eight months before they met in person

Christopher and Samantha kept writing to each other and talking on the phone for eight months until they finally met in person.

'I think we both knew, we just didn't know how to express it to each other,' St Onge told People.

He also told Fox News: 'Bryan actually showed me a picture of her before we deployed. I kind of had the hots for her.'

Samantha and Christopher tied the knot last weekend in Odessa, Florida, in front of 100 guests. Bryan, who lost both of his legs and his left arm in the explosion, was Christopher's best man.

He told Fox News Christopher was one of the reasons he could be there to watch his younger sister get married.

Christopher and Samantha's story earned them a $30,000 check for their dream wedding as they won a local contest for military couples in the Tampa Bay area.

The owner of Old Micky's Farm, in Odessa, runs his 'Mission I Do' contest every year as a way to give back.

'Everything is just working out perfectly,' Samantha told People. 'I couldn't have asked for a better husband than Chris and he's so close to Bryan. It's just perfect.'

The explosion caused Bryan (pictured) to lose both of his legs and his left arm. Another member of Bryan and Christopher's squad died in the blast
Claims he died on impact have not yet been verified by the authorities

Reports indicate his belt broke causing him to plummet to the ground

This is the horrific moment a man fell from a theme park ride after his belt broke as dozens of terrified onlookers screamed in terror.

The terrifying incident took place on Monday afternoon at the Sanmenxia Mianchi Yangshao Square amusement park in China where it was caught on camera and uploaded to LiveLeak.

The person who filmed the man's fall said he died from his injuries, but this has not yet been verified.

The terrifying incident took place on Monday afternoon at the Sanmenxia Mianchi Yangshao Square amusement park in China where it was caught on camera (pictured: the man plummets to the ground)

It is thought the man's belt suddenly broke as the ride flipped upside down.

The shocking footage, which is under five seconds long, shows the man plummeting towards the ground as people queuing for the ride scream in horror.

The incident comes just days after a drunken teenager died at a Chinese theme park after he was tossed out of a Pirate Ship ride and crushed to death by the machinery.

The accident took place at a crowded temple fair in Jiaguang Village, in Baoding City of China's northern Hebei Province, where several rides had been set up to entertain local visitors.

The person who filmed the man's fall said he died from his injuries, but this has not yet been verified

The victim, a 19-year-old identified by his surname He, was one of dozens on the ride at the time.

As the Pirate Ship ride began swinging back and forth, witnesses saw He  who was drunk  repeatedly 'standing' up in his seat.

But He reportedly lost his grip and fell forwards out of the ride and then was mangled by the machinery underneath.

Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene and took his body to a local hospital.

The ride has been shut down and sealed off as a crime scene, while Baoding authorities are now investigating the case.
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A secret temple within the legendary Chinese Longmen Grottoes is to open up for public viewing by tourists for the first time in over six decades.

The Royal Cave Temple in central China has always stayed closed to preserve the beauty of rare artifacts within, according to People's Daily Online.

The 29 statues in the temple, showing 'arhat' monks progressing to enlightenment, were created at some point during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), making it the largest collection of such statues in China, and each have immeasurable research and artistic value.

The temple, a key part of the UNESCO World Heritage site, will finally be revealed to the public on March 10 for visitors to enjoy the remarkable artifacts and experience a piece of Chinese history.

Under wraps: The Royal Cave Temple in the Longmen Grottoes, Henan province, has stayed closed to preserve the beauty of rare artifacts

Holy wonder: The 29 statues in the temple, showing 'arhat' monks progressing to enlightenment, were created during the Tang Dynasty

Historic: The temple will open to the public on March 10 to enjoy the remarkable artworks and experience a piece of Chinese history

Beauty taken away: The cave was tragically destroyed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution between 1966 and '76 but reconstructed

Place of pilgrimage: The Longmen Grottoes are located on both sides of Yi River to the south of the capital of Luoyang, Henan province

The cave was tragically destroyed during the events surrounding the Chinese Cultural Revolution between 1966 and '76. As a result, the main statue in the chamber is not the original statue but a similar one found by the archaeologists who placed it there.

The cave in which the temple rests is believed to have been carved in the Dynasty during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian (624-705) and Emperor Li Longji (685-762) and was built as an imperial shrine.

The cave's magestic front gate is a remarkable 23ft high and 16ft wide. The cave's interior - the largest grotto on Dongshan Mountain - is 30ft high, 33ft deep and 34ft wide.

The Longmen Grottoes - or Dragon's Gate Grottoes - are a series of 2,300 caves in China's eastern Henan province containing in excess of 110,000 stone statues, more than 60 pagodas and 2,800 inscriptions carved on steles, and represent an extraordinary collection of early Medieval Buddhist art.

The amazing caves sit on both sides of the Yi River to the south of the ancient capital of Luoyang and already attract thousands of tourists every year.

The vast statues, many depicting monks, god-figures and Buddha himself, were meticulously carved from the limestone cliffs by expert craftsmen.

Imperial splendour: The cave is thought to have been built during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian (624-705) and Emperor Longji (685-762)

Incredible: The vast Longmen statues, depicting monks and Buddha himself, were carved from the limestone cliffs by expert craftsmen

Sight to behold: Thousands of tourists flock to visit the caves every year to soak up the entirety of their beauty, charm and mystery

Protected site: In 2000 the site was added the UNESCO World Heritage List as 'an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity.'

In 2000 the site was added the UNESCO World Heritage List as 'an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity.'

Lu Wei, director of the Longmen Grottoes Research Centre, told Luoyang Evening News that all relics in the cave are extremely precious and that the centre rarely only lets visitors into the cave for protection purposes up to this point in time.

He told journalists: 'The Kan Jing Temple is one of the most iconic grottoes at Longmen. Judging from its immense size, it should have been commissioned by the imperial members or senior government official at the time.

'The Arhat statues inside the cave were extremely intricate and vividly carved. They carry great significance in the study of the relief sculpture art from Tang Dynasty, the fashion of monks and their music instrument as well as the Zen Buddhism at the era.
A Chinese condom manufacturer which holds the current Guiness World Record for the thinnest contraceptive have won a drawn-out legal battle against a Japanese company claiming their record.

The AONI brand condom created by Guangzhou Daming Lianhe Rubber Products set the new world record back in 2013 with a remarkable 0.0036mm thickness, according to People's Daily Online.

Meanwhile Japanese condom-maker Okamoto - the previous holders of the record, with 0.0038mm thickness - were found guilty of engaging in unfair competition and ordered to pay damages to its rival of 1 yuan (11p).

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Principled: China's Guangzhou Daming Lianhe Rubber Products sued Japan's Okamoto for false advertising

Tiny margins: Daming Lianhe's 001 product has a width of 0.0036mm and Okamoto's measures 0.0038mm

Matter of pride: Daming Lianhe's advert proclaiming their Guinness Record victory back in December 2013

Daming Lianhe took their case to court in April last year after they discovered that Okamoto were continuing to advertise their own product as the thinnest on the planet, after they had been usurped.

Yuexiu District Court in Guangzhou presided over the ruling and issued the order for the minute compensation to reimburse Daming Lianhe for false advertising.

It told Okamoto to stop advertising their product as the record thinnest in store and online, having previously done so throughout mainland China.

Success: Victor Chan (right), manager at Daming, was presented with the award by a Guinness spokesman

Rivals: Okamoto received a fine of just 1 yuan to be payable to Daming (whose product is advertised above)

It is not yet certain why damages of only 1 yuan were imposed by the court, or whether Okamoto would contest the ruling eventual ruling.

The meeting to anoint the remarkably thin and stretchy latex Daming Lianhe product was presided over by an official from the Guinness Book of World Records after a measuring in December 2013.
There have been 3M fewer transactions among homemovers since 2007

They have been constrained by new mortgage rules

Homeowners looking to make their first move up the property ladder have become the 'forgotten' part of the housing market, a leading housing expert has warned.

While first-time buyers have been the focus of Government initiatives such as Help to Buy and Starter Homes, those already on the property ladder - but on the bottom rung - have been overlooked, according to Savills director of resident research Lucian Cook.

He said: 'Homemovers have bore the brunt of the drop in transaction levels. They have not had the same level of focus among policymakers as first-time buyers.'

Homemovers have become the 'forgotten' part of the housing market, says Savills estate agents.

His comments come after estate agent Savills released figures showing the number of annual transactions levels in the housing market are down 25 per cent on the 10 year pre-credit crisis average of 1.65million.

It means that since the beginning of the credit crisis, there have been 5.26million fewer transactions than would have been expected.

It is mortgaged homemovers who have been hit the hardest, the research suggests, with 3.1million fewer transactions than expected since August 2007 when the financial crisis took hold.

This compares to 1.8m fewer transactions among first-time buyers and 281,000 fewer transactions among landlords and cash buyers.

2015 RESIDENTIAL TRANSACTION LEVELS BY TYPE OF BUYER 2015 Transactions Compared with the pre-crisis 10 year average Cumulative shortfall since credit crisis Mortgaged first-time buyer 311,700 67% -1,849,340 Mortgaged homemover 365,800 51% -3,128,830 Cash & buy-to-let 553,760 119% -281,871 Total 1,231,260 75% -5,260,041 Source: Savills

Mr Cook explained: 'Second steppers have not been able to move due to the constraints of new mortgage regulation and they have not seen the accumulation of a deposit through the growth in house prices.

'We have seen this in homemovers deciding to stay put and improve their homes instead.'

By contrast, first-time buyers have been offered 'heavy assistance' from the Bank of Mum and Dad and Government policies, Mr Cook said.

The Help to Buy scheme helps those with a small deposit of as little as 5 per cent, offering an interest-free loan of up to 20 per cent - or 40 per cent of the value of a property if it is in London.

The Starter Home initiative is aimed at offering homes with a 20 per cent discount to first-time buyers under 40.
using AI to create population maps as part of project

The number of people worldwide with Internet access reached 3.2 billion at the end of 2015, but the remaining 4.1 billion still could not get online, a Facebook-sponsored study showed.

Facebook's second annual 'State of Connectivity' report, released late Sunday, showed that 200 million people gained Internet access in 2015, due to 'more affordable data and rising global incomes.'

The report said the remaining world population needs help to gain access to the Internet and the economic opportunities it enables.

Facebook's second annual 'State of Connectivity' report, released late Sunday, showed that 200 million people gained Internet access in 2015, due to 'more affordable data and rising global incomes' Ed Jones (AFP/File)

WHAT IS FREE BASICS? Facebook has introduced 'Free Basics' in partnership with wireless carriers in dozens of emerging nations, where the company hopes to get more people online. The service provides free access to a stripped-down version of Facebook and certain other Internet sites  including some that provide essential information like weather forecasts, health education and job listings. 'Free Basics' is part of a broader effort, dubbed Internet.org, in which Facebook has also tried to work with phone-makers on designs that reduce data usage and extend battery life. In addition, the company is working on long-range projects to develop drones and satellites that deliver Internet service to remote areas. Advertisement

'The developed world is largely online, but the developing world is a long way behind,' the report said.

'Urban areas are connected, many rural areas are not.

'The less money you have, the less likely you are to be online. In many countries, women use the Internet far less than men. And even if the entire world lived within range of the necessary infrastructure, nearly a billion people remain illiterate or otherwise unable to benefit from online content.'

The report said improving access 'is a major challenge that will require the cooperation of many stakeholders through innovation and investment.'

If there's no significant change to current trends, more than three billion people will remain offline by 2020, nearly all in developing countries, the report said.

It comes as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg vowed Monday to press on with his 3-year-old effort to bring the developing world online, even after Indian regulators banned one of the pillars of the campaign.

He said the banned service, Free Basics, was only one program in his Internet.org campaign, so he could proceed with other initiatives.

Indian regulators banned Free Basics this month because it provided access only to certain pre-approved services  including Facebook  rather than the full Internet.

'Facebook isn't a company that hits a roadblock and gives up,' Zuckerberg said at the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain.

'We take the hits and try to get better.'

Though Zuckerberg termed the regulatory defeat 'disappointing for the mission and a major setback,' he said every country was different, and 'the model that has worked in one country may not work in another.'

This was his third appearance at the Barcelona show to promote Internet access to everyone in the world.

He has argued that online connections can improve lives and fuel economic development.

To achieve that goal, Zuckerberg has high-flying dreams for someday providing Internet connections through a network of drones, satellites and lasers.

Zuckerberg said Monday that Internet.org would launch its first satellite over Africa this year and 'we are about to test flying Internet drone solar planes that can fly three months a year.'

While the drones may someday connect people in areas too remote for cables or cell towers, Free Basics is intended for people who live in areas with Internet service but still can't afford it.

Facebook works with wireless carriers in poorer nations to let people use streamlined versions of Facebook and certain other online services, without paying data charges.

The report said improving access 'is a major challenge that will require the cooperation of many stakeholders through innovation and investment.'

A low-income resident of urban Manila, for example, can use Free Basics to view the Philippines' GMA News site. 'He can be informed. He can research. He can read the news,' Ederic Eder of GMA News said.

The program varies by country, in offerings and effectiveness.

In South Africa, for instance, Facebook partnered with the third-largest wireless carrier, Cell C. But Johannesburg resident Priscilla de Klerk said she couldn't get Free Basics to work on her phone.

'Cell C is much cheaper as far as everything else is concerned, but their free Facebook is not a reality,' she said.

Last fall, Facebook announced a major expansion in Africa, where another regional carrier, Bharti Airtel, said it will offer Free Basics in 17 countries.

'They're getting a lot of traction in Africa,' said Danson Njue, a Kenya-based telecom analyst with the Ovum research firm.

Tech rivals Google and Microsoft also have programs to expand Internet access, he noted, but their approaches are content neutral and involve extending networks to underserved areas.

Facebook doesn't pay wireless companies for the cost of Free Basics. Carriers make money if new users eventually move to a paid data plan. Facebook also says it makes no money, as it doesn't show ads, though Zuckerberg has conceded it benefits from gaining users in the long run.

While the company hasn't released detailed usage figures, Facebook says Free Basics has brought more than 19 million people online for the first time. That counts any user who didn't have Internet access before, regardless of whether they're currently active.

On the Internet.org website, mixed in with videos about impoverished students using Free Basics to study and laborers starting small businesses, Facebook boasts more than 1 billion people 'have access' to the service. That's the combined population of regions where it's available, not the number of users.

Free Basics is now in 36 countries.

It was suspended last year in Egypt, on the anniversary of anti-government protests that were organized partly on Facebook.

FACEBOOK'S AI POPULATION MAPS Figure 1A: Existing Population Distribution (Gridded Population of the World Dataset (GPW) of a coastal region in Kenya. Facebook is collaborating with the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University to produce detailed maps showing the population distribution of 20 countries. These maps were created using new machine learning techniques and show the most accurate estimates of population distribution and settlements available to date. 'This data will give us a greater understanding of how populations are dispersed, so governments and others can prioritize investments in infrastructure, from transportation to healthcare and education,' Facebook said. 'It can also help rapid response times during emergencies and other disasters and inform our understanding of the ecological impact of growth.' Figure 1B: New Facebook estimates of population distribution based on processing of third party satellite images, of the same region shown in figure 1A. Advertisement

An earlier version of Free Basics, known as Facebook Zero, was shuttered three years ago in Chile, after authorities said Internet providers couldn't offer discounts for accessing some content but not others.

Similar concerns turned India into the program's biggest battleground.

Free Basics enrolled more than 1 million Indians in its first year, according to Facebook's wireless partner, Reliance Communications.

But critics, including many in the country's growing tech community, complained it was a predatory scheme: If low-income users couldn't afford anything besides Free Basics, opponents said, that meant Facebook was deciding which online services the nation's poor could use.

'The government should not allow big players to monopolize the Internet,' said Manu Sharma, who runs a software development company in New Delhi.

Facebook responded last fall by announcing it would open Free Basics to any app that met its technical requirements for systems with limited capacity.

Zuckerberg also changed the program's name to Free Basics, after critics complained 'Internet.org' sounded like a nonprofit, when it's part of a for-profit company (the overall campaign is still called Internet.org).

But opponents still worry that Facebook could change requirements at any time, force competitors to pay higher rates to get into the program, or even block services that run afoul of powerful politicians.

'The fact that it could decide what apps could be hosted ... was a huge problem for me,' said Basit Zaidi, a New Delhi attorney.

As Indian regulators began studying the issue, Facebook drew more resentment with a public-relations blitz that critics called heavy-handed and patronizing.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg waves to the audience as he arrives for a speech at the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

The regulators effectively banned Free Basics after concluding Internet providers shouldn't be allowed to charge different rates for certain services, because that discriminates against other content.

U.S. regulators have endorsed the concept of 'net neutrality,' which says all websites and apps should be treated equally by Internet providers.

They're now studying whether 'zero rating' programs, which offer some content for free, should be allowed. Net neutrality supporters are hoping India's decision will influence other nations.

Facebook has also launched a program that helps Internet providers offer reliable Wi-Fi service in underserved areas at affordable rates and without limits on content. The program's been limited to tests in a few countries.

The giant tech company could use its resources and clout with carriers to offer a similar wireless service, perhaps at limited speeds or volume, but without any restrictions on content, said Josh Levy of Access Now, a nonprofit that supports net neutrality.

Zuckerberg has suggested in the past that such a service would be too expensive and difficult to offer.

Some Indians, meanwhile, say their country could have benefited from Free Basics.

'Ultimately, something is better than nothing, even if that something is flawed,' said Uday Singh Tomar, a software engineer in New Delhi.
If anybody tries to snatch it, it alerts an operator and takes images of a thief

The battery-powered bot is going to start delivery trials in Greenwich

The boxy drone can 'walk' at 4mph, cross the road and avoid obstacles

The mopeds of delivery drivers everywhere are set to be ousted by 'ground drones' that can navigate city streets by themselves.

The invasion is set to being in London next month when Starship Technologies' delivery bots are scheduled to begin trials and in Now York in spring.

MailOnline tested the unnamed robots at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

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Unlike robots designed to resemble humans, the Starships bot is purely functional with a large compartment to hold deliveries, the equivalent size of two grocery bags. MailOnline tested the unnamed robots at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (pictured)

The robot was invented by Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis who hope their machine will be appealing for small businesses who could send up to 20lbs (9kg) of goods to local customers.

It is as yet unnamed, but Keith Cornell, Senior Adviser at Starship told MailOnline: 'We may hold a contest and they may have multiple names. They might have personalities of their own.'

Unlike robots designed to resemble humans, Starships bot is purely functional with a large compartment to hold deliveries, the equivalent size of two grocery bags.

The idea is that consumers could call for a delivery, which is carried to their door by a robot in between five and 30 minutes, for as little as 1 (60cents).

Each six-wheeled 'ground drone' is almost completely self-driving, but to begin with will be half controlled by a human operator.

It is constantly connected to the internet, using 3G technology to find its way to the customer's address.

'Walking' on the pavement at about 4mph (3km/h), robots can complete local deliveries within five to 30 minutes from a local hub or retail outlet.

The scheme also costs between 10 to 15 times less than the cost of current last-mile delivery alternatives, Starship claims.

Mr Cornell said: 'Trials will be in 14 cities if we get permission from councils.'

Walking on the pavement at about 4mph (3km/h), robots can complete local deliveries within five to 30 minutes from a local hub or retail outlet. The bot's 'cargo trunk' (pictured) is sealed throughout the trip and only the customer can open it using a specific app upon the drone's arrival

After more than 3,000 hours of testing in London, Starship Technologies' delivery bots (pictured) are scheduled to start deliveries in Greenwich next month. Each six-wheeled 'ground drone' is almost completely self-driving. It is constantly connected to the web, using 3G technology to find its way to addresses

Greenwich council has already given us permission and this will be the launch location with robots arriving' next month'.

He explained that by the end of the year it's hoped the robots will be 98 per cent autonomous.

HOW THE GROUND-DRONE WORKS Unlike robots designed to resemble humans, the Starships bot is purely functional with a large compartment to hold deliveries, the equivalent size of two grocery bags. Each six-wheeled 'ground drone' is almost completely self-driving. It is constantly connected to the internet, using 3G technology to find its way to the customer's address. Walking on the pavement at about 4mph (3km/h), robots can complete local deliveries within five to 30 minutes from a local hub or retail outlet. The scheme also costs between 10 to 15 times less than the cost of current last-mile delivery alternatives, Starship claims. Integrated navigation and 'obstacle avoidance software' enable the robots to steer clear of pedestrians or to jump over kerbs and cobbles, for example. Advertisement

'It's the last two per cent that's expensive,' he added.

So instead, the company plans on having a human operator in charge of 100 bots in case they run into trouble, for example.

He confirmed the firm has retail partners lined up - 'names you'll recognise' - but these are currently under wraps.

'Demand is not an issue,' he continued.

'The robot's designed to make life easier, so people might still go to the shops to buy flowers, for example, but could use them to carry heavy items such as potatoes home.

Integrated navigation and 'obstacle avoidance software' enable the robots to steer clear of pedestrians or to jump over kerbs and cobbles, for example.

However, human operators are ready to step in if an emergency should arise.

This includes if someone tries to steal the bot.

If a thief attempts to tamper with the robot, or snatch it, the operator can take over - talking directly to the wrongdoer and sending police to the drone's location.

The drone's nine cameras can also capture the criminal's face.

In any case, the bot's 'cargo trunk' is sealed throughout the trip- only the customer can open it using a specific app upon the drone's arrival.

Each six-wheeled 'ground drone' (pictured) is almost completely self-driving. It is constantly connected to the internet, using 3G technology. If a thief attempts to tamper with the robot, or snatch it, a human operator can take over- talking directly to the wrongdoer and sending police to the drone's location

One of Starship's main selling points is the battery-powered bot's (pictured) zero direct CO2 emission, as opposed to the pollution brought about but too many, short shopping car trips

ROBOT'S ANTI-THEFT MEASURES If a thief attempts to tamper with the robot, or snatch it, a human operator can take over- talking directly to the wrongdoer and sending police to the drone's location. The drone's nine cameras can also capture the criminal's face. In any case, the bot's 'cargo trunk' is sealed throughout the trip- only the customer can open it using a specific app upon the drone's arrival. The app will also allow shoppers to track the robot's location in real time. Advertisement

The app will also allow shoppers to track the robot's location in real time.

One of Starship's main selling points is the battery-powered bot's zero direct CO2 emission, as opposed to the pollution brought about but too many, short shopping car trips.

'Our vision revolves around three zeroes  zero cost, zero waiting time and zero environmental impact,' said Heinla, boss at Starship Technologies.

'We want to do to local deliveries what Skype did to telecommunications.'

For businesses, Starship's technology eliminates the largest inefficiency in the delivery chain, the last mile.

Instead of expensive and time-consuming door-to-door delivery, retailers can ship the goods in bulk to a local hub, then the robot fleet completes the delivery to the shopper's door for a fraction of the cost.

'With ecommerce continuing to grow consumers expect to have more convenient options for delivery  but at a cost that suits them,' Heinla said.
named, but is informally known as 'titanosaur'

The 20ft-tall, 122ft-long dinosaur has yet to be

David Attenborough has shown off the scale of the giant dinosaur in an interactive 360-degree, virtual reality video

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Its thighs were taller than the average man and it was as long as four double-decker buses when it roamed Earth 100 million years ago.

Now, in a fascinating interactive video, David Attenborough reveals the sheer scale of the so-called titanosaur using 360-degree, virtual reality footage.

Researchers recently dug up the bones of the 70-ton prehistoric beast in a desert region of Argentine Patagonia and this video is the latest glimpse into what it would have been like to walk alongside these giant beasts.

Explore the interactive 360-degree video below

Compared to a large Diplodocus, the titanosaur was a whopping 36ft (11 metres) longer. To put that into perspective, the prehistoric creature would have been the length of four double-decker buses. This graphic shows how Sir Attenborough would have looked stood next to the beast

Naturalist Sir Attenborough introduces the giant in the BBC's video called Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur.

'If I was on an ordinary television programme I would say it was about 40 metres (131ft ) long, which is as long as three double-decker buses in line, and that it could reach up to the top of a five-storey building,' he explained in the video.

'But we can see for ourselves.'

In the video, the 89-year-old stands on a viewing platform in the middle of a dark forest as he introduces the dinosaur.

As Attenborough starts to describe the giant, it appears from the darkness and eventually turns translucent so its bones can be seen.

Throughout the video viewers can look around using an interactive 360-degree view by dragging their mouse around the screen.

The biggest dinosaur ever to be shown at the American Museum of Natural History was unveiled earlier this year. Its head grazes the ceiling. Known as the titanosaur, it is one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered, and lived 100 million years ago

Analysis of the leg bones show that the vast titanosaurs were young adults, but still growing. This means the fully grown specimen would have been even bigger. This dinosaur is able to be much more accurately measured than Argentinosaurus (illustrated) was because only a dozen of the latter's bones were ever found

The discovery of the titanosaur was made in Argentina, and in a documentary, first aired on 24 January, Sir Attenborough told the story of what led experts to make the amazing find.

HOW THE NEW SPECIES COMPARES TO ARGENTINOSAURUS Argentinosaurus was the largest known dinosaur before the new species of titanosaur was discovered in 2014. It is thought to have measured around 85ft (26 metres) long. It was originally thought to have weighed 100 tonnes after the initial discovery in 1991, but the estimate was revised to 70 tonnes and below. Estimates vary because the species was estimated from only a few bones from incomplete skeletons. Argentinosaurus also lived in Patagonia in the Late Cretaceous, between 94 and 97 million years ago. Advertisement

The skeleton was unveiled in January at the American Museum of Natural History. It is so big it's grazes the ceiling and poke out through it's exhibition hall.

Researchers dug up the bones in a desert region of Argentine Patagonia, after a farmer found what he suspected to be fossils.

The first bone turned out to be an 8ft-long (2.4 metre) thigh bone - the largest ever found.

By the end of the dig they had uncovered more than 220 bones and 80 teeth at the same site.

Analysis of the leg bones show that the vast titanosaurs were young adults, but still growing. This means the fully grown specimen would have been even bigger.

Giant titanosaurs are rare, so the find was exceptional in both the number of bones discovered and the excellent condition they were found in.

As the programme revealed, these fossils came from not just one dinosaur but seven, all belonging to a new species of the giant plant-eating titanosaur which is yet to be given its own scientific name.

The name will be announced as soon as the scientific paper is published.

'It was like a palaeontological crime scene, a unique thing that you don't find anywhere else in the world with the potential of discovering all kinds of new facts about titanosaurs,' Dr Diego Pol, lead scientist on the excavation at MEF said.

'According to our estimates this animal weighed 70 tons.

The 122-foot-long dinosaur stands 20ft-tall and likely weighed 70 tons, about the same as 10 African elephants. Its thigh bone is nearly 8 feet long. Researchers dug up the bones in a desert region of Argentine Patagonia, after a farmer found what he suspected to be fossils

The Titanosaur's femur, pictured on the left, is nearly 8f-long. The researchers used this to estimate that the giant weight roughly 70 tons. Titanosaur forelimb, pictured on the right: Scapula, humerus, radius, and ulna

'Everything was extremely large,' Diego Pol, one of the palaeontologists involved in the 2014 excavation explained.

The Titanosaur is so large it will not fit into one room in the American Museum of Natural History; its head reaches the ceiling, poking out of the gallery and into the hall along with part of the neck.

At first, the researchers from Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio didn't realise just how big a discovery had been made.

'A comparison of the back bones shows that this animal was 10 per cent larger than Argentinosaurus, the previous record holder. So we have discovered the largest dinosaur ever known.'

At first, the researchers from Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio didn't realize just how big a discovery had been made. It was days later that the excavation revealed a never-before-seen species

This dinosaur is able to be much more accurately measured than Argentinosaurus was because only a dozen of the latter's bones were ever found.

Filmed over two years, the documentary, called Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur followed the twists and turns of this forensic investigation.

He witnesses the uncovering, cleaning and examination of these vast fossils for the first time.

Some of the fossils weigh over half a metric ton, so were hard to move from the remote location, some three hours from the nearest town.

Using state of the art graphics, the programme also revealed what scientists think the internal structure of a dinosaur looked like and how it worked.

To build the structure, the team started with the huge hind legs and pelvis which tower above the workers in the exhibition hall (pictured)

From there, it was built up over a number of hours adding sections of the spine, followed by the forelegs, ribs, neck (pictured), head and eventually its enormous tail

RECONSTRUCTING TITANOSAUR The 122-foot-long dinosaur stands 20 feet tall and likely weighed 70 tons, according to the Wall Street Journal, about the same as 10 African elephants. Its thigh bone is nearly 8 feet long. To build the display, the bones were recreated through plaster casts and 3-D printing. Scientists from the Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio and a team at the American Museum of Natural History collaborated with a Canadian company using existing bones to create what wasn't there. Now, the Titanosaur isshown to the public in a walking pose, with its neck stretched out toward the museum's fourth-floor elevators. This is the only way the dinosaur would fit in the building. Some of the best-preserved bones will also be on display. Advertisement

Despite their intimidating stature, researchers think that these giant dinosaurs were herbivores, eating only plants.

The species lived in the forests of modern-day Patagonia 100 to 95 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period, according to AFP.

This specimen is of a young adult, of unknown sex.

Experts say that young herding animals can become isolated from their group and die of stress and hunger, often near water resources.

To build the display, the bones were recreated through plaster casts and 3-D printing.

Scientists from the Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio and a team at the American Museum of Natural History collaborated with a Canadian company, Research Casting International worked with what they had, using existing bones to create what wasn't there.

The giant cast took the Canadian firm more than six months to make, based on 84 fossil bones that were excavated from the site in 2014.

The real fossils would have been far too heavy to mount, so the life-size model is made up of 3D prints made of fiberglass of the bones.

With its neck elevated, the titanosaur would have been tall enough to peer into the window of a five-story building, the museum said.

Now, the Titanosaur will be shown to the public in a walking pose, with its neck stretched out toward the museum's fourth-floor elevators.

This is the only way the dinosaur would fit in the building.

Some of the best-preserved bones will also be on display, amongst them being the massive femur.

'It's really cool to see [the bones] because they're this beautiful colour, this deep maroon with pinks and grays,' Mick Ellison, senior principal artist for the paleontology department at AMNH told the Wall Street Journal.

'And they're huge, of course.'

The titanosaur will be shown to the public in a walking pose, with its neck stretched out toward the museum's fourth-floor elevators. This is the only way the dinosaur would fit in the building. Some of the best-preserved bones will also be on display, among them being the massive femur

The researchers dug up more than 200 fossils from the site, revealing a species palaeontologists had never seen before. To build the display, the bones were recreated through plaster casts and 3-D printing

The species lived in the forests of modern-day Patagonia 100 to 95 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period. This specimen is of a young adult, of unknown sex. Experts say that young herding animals can become isolated from their group and die of stress and hunger

The real fossils would have been far too heavy to mount, so the life-size model is made up of 3D prints made of fiberglass of the bones. With its neck elevated, the titanosaur would have been tall enough to peer into the window of a five-story building, the museum said




They are some of the most important historical and religious documents to have ever been discovered, giving a rare and detailed insight into Biblical times.

But many of the Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in a series of caves in the desert in the West Bank in Israel, have been reduced to little more than fragile fragments of parchment and papyrus.

A new project to preserve the ancient documents with digital technology is promising to transform the laborious process of matching the tiny pieces of the scrolls together.

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Thousands of tiny fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls (pictured) are now being scanned using advanced imaging technology. They will be pieced together online in a new project that aims to speed up the laborious task of deciphering the pieces of the historical texts and promises to reveal new secrets from the scrolls

Nearly 2,000 years after they were written, the thousands of tiny Dead Sea Scroll fragments are being scanned using high-resolution imaging.

Advanced digital tools are also being developed to suggest new ways of joining these together by looking for connections between images, text and matches between fragment edges.

The project will also assist attempts to translate the scrolls as they are fitted together, helping researchers unravel the secrets they contain.

Experts estimate there around 20,000 fragments of scrolls being scanned as part of the project but there could be many more.

Each fragment of scroll has been imaged using advanced techniques that photograph them in 12 different wavelengths of light (pictured), revealing new physical and structural details

Until now researchers have been forced to piece them together by hand (pictured), a time-consuming and frustrating process that risks damaging the scrolls themselves

PIECING THE PUZZLE TOGETHER Nearly 2,000 years after they were written, the thousands of tiny Dead Sea Scroll fragments are being scanned using high-resolution imaging. Since 2012 each fragment, some of which are just a few millimetres across, have been imaged on both sides in 12 different wavelengths of light  seven in the visible range and five in the near-infrared range. Researchers are photographing each image in 28 exposures and have already created several terabytes of information. Advanced digital tools are also being developed to suggest new ways of joining these together by looking for connections between images, text and matches between fragment edges. Advertisement

Speaking to MailOnline, Dr Pnina Shor, curator and director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Project at the Israel Antiquities Authority said: 'We have already imaged around 16,000 fragments using the very latest imaging technology but we still have several thousand more to do.

'While the longest scrolls we have are around 11 metres (36 feet) in length, the smallest are less than a square centimetre.

'Some are very small indeed, yet these very small fragments can be the most important as these are from texts that are still unknown.

'The scientists invovled in this project are developing tools to piece together these fragments. It is the ultimate jigsaw puzzle.'

The Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered in a series of remote caves near to the ancient settlement of Khirbet Qumran, about 1.2 miles (1.9km) inland from the northwest shore of the Dead Sea.

Written in Hebrew, at least 981 texts were discovered and are thought to date from 300BC to the first century AD.

Among the scrolls are the 225 Biblical texts, which are some of the oldest surviving texts from the Hebrew bible.

Other texts have provided insights into life at the time and historical events.

Computerised images of the scroll fragments can then be used to reveal text that was previously hidden in bits that are damaged but can also be matched together by researchers to reveal what they once said (pictured)

Automated identification of words and letters of the scrolls will open the possibility for advanced search options by helping piece together the fragments into sentences and translate the texts

The Dead Sea Scrolls (The Psalms Scroll pictured) have given researchers an insight into early Biblical texts and key moments in history. Some of the parchments, however, have become damaged and the new techniques are revealing text that is hidden beneath blacked edges and damaged corners

However, many of the scrolls have, over time, degraded into tiny fragments. Until now researchers have been forced to piece them together by hand, a time-consuming and frustrating process that risks damaging the scrolls themselves.

The new EUROS1.6 million project, which forms part of the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library, is combining the latest imaging techniques, known as spectral imaging, with new software to fit the fragments together.

Since 2012 each fragment, some of which are just a few millimetres across, have been imaged on both sides in 12 different wavelengths of light  seven in the visible range and five in the near-infrared range.

Researchers are photographing each image in 28 exposures and have already created several terabytes of information.

Researchers say the imaging techniques they are using are helping to reveal new details that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye (pictured)

While some of the scrolls were remarkably in tact (like the War Scroll above) others were reduced to little more than fragments. This has meant much of the text in the manuscripts still remains a mystery

Researchers behind the project said doing this allows them to extract both physical and textual information from the fragments.

It is also helping to reveal text that would otherwise be unreadable due to damage to the parchment.

In some cases the script has become obscured where the parchment has degraded or blackened, but the scanning techniques is revealing this text for the first time.

Dr Shor added: 'These scrolls were written more than 2,00 years ago and some of the words have become illegible under normal light.

'With infrared light, however, they come back to life and so this project is allowing us to see these ancient texts in new ways.'

Scientists at the Tel Aviv University have already started using the technology to fit together fragments of text to reveal some of what the scrolls said.

Automated identification of letters and words are also assisting in the translation of the texts.

Shuka Dorman, director general at the Israel Antiquities Authority said: 'For the first time we can read Hebrew like it was written 2,000 years ago.'
Got ink? Chances are youve at least thought about getting a tattoo, piercing or other form of body art. But have you thought about the best way to choose a body artist?

Many people find a body artist by asking friends, or looking at an artists work. Since most forms of body art are either permanent or semi-permanent, the quality of the work is obviously important. But what most people dont consider is whether their artist is properly trained and licensed. Because of the health risks involved in body art, training and licensing are critical. Those risks include infection, allergic reactions, scarring and exposure to blood-borne diseases such as HIV or hepatitis.

While some forms of body art, or body modification have been common around the world for centuries, regulating the industry is fairly new. The state of Montana adopted a formal body art rule in 1999, the same year that Yellowstone County began licensing body art businesses. RiverStone Health, as the local health department, inspects and licenses body artists and body art establishments in Yellowstone County.

Tattoos and piercings are the most common form of body modification. Less common forms include branding, scarification, scalpelling, transdermal and subdermal implants, tongue splitting, foot binding and tooth filing. Because of the health risks involved, some states have banned more extreme forms of body modification. Yellowstone County prohibits body art establishments from doing procedures such as scarification, branding, cutting, implantation, and suspension or other procedures considered medical or surgical due to the risks associated with these procedures.

Regulation of the industry and the use of proper sterilization procedures have decreased exposure to blood-borne diseases and other risks. But considerable risks remain for those who choose to get a tattoo or piercing in prison, in a friends kitchen, or in another unregulated location.

All body artists in Yellowstone County are required to have a current license issued by RiverStone Health. The body artists license includes the current year, the artists name and the shops name. The license should be posted and is only valid in the location listed on the license.

To be eligible for a license, body artists must complete blood-borne pathogen training, basic first-aid training and pass the state sanitation quiz. These requirements provide a basic understanding of disease control and prevention and teach techniques to reduce the risk of infection.

Body artists are also required to have a clean, well-lit work space. A hand-washing sink must be near their work station. They are required to use gloves and presterilized equipment to reduce the spread of disease. All sterilized items that may come in contact with the skin must be opened in front of the client. Body artists must also thoroughly clean and disinfect all work surfaces before and after each tattoo or piercing. Clients must also receive both verbal and written instructions for follow-up care.

Having a tattoo or piercing done by a licensed professional in a regulated environment can be the difference between getting an incurable disease or a permanent work of art.
A video captured by divers off the coast of Portugal shows a rare up-close encounter with a massive Mola Mola, which dwarfs the humans that swim alongside as it moves slowly in for a selfie.

For a fish that appears to have just half a body, Mola Mola can grow to enormous dimensions.

These unusually shaped creatures, also known as ocean sunfish, are the heaviest bony fish in the world, and can weigh nearly 5,000 pounds.

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A video captured by divers off the coast of Portugal shows a rare up-close encounter with a massive Mola mola, who dwarfs the humans that swim alongside as it moves slowly in for a selfie. For a fish that appears to have just half a body, mola can grow to enormous dimensions

The encounter was filmed by photographer Miguel Pereira in October near Santa Maria Island in Azores, Portugal.

'A few days before, my camera was damaged when the underwater housing flooded,' Miguel Pereira said in the video's description on YouTube.

'The bad luck was compensated when diving with a GoPro I saw the giant Sunfish almost at surface level and practically static.

'The Sunfish seemed not to be bothered by our presence at all and followed us for 15 minutes.'

In the video, divers look comparatively tiny swimming next to the docile beast.

With a wide forehead and a massive chin to match, the ocean sunfish is a peculiar sight.

With a wide forehead and a massive chin to match, the ocean sunfish is a peculiar sight. Mola have been known to grow as large as 14 feet high, and 10 feet long, weighing more than 2 tonnes

The encounter was filmed by photographer Miguel Pereira in October near Santa Maria Island in Azores, Portugal. 'A few days before, my camera was damaged when the underwater housing flooded,' Miguel Pereira said in the video's description on YouTube

Mola have been known to grow as large as 14 feet high, and 10 feet long, weighing more than 2 tonnes.

Though massive, these fish give off the impression that they're only half developed  just beyond the two huge dorsal and ventral fins, the body almost abruptly ends.

That's because the, 'clavus,' the curved, rudder-like body part at the back end of the fish, is formed from the folding of a back fin which doesn't grow after birth, giving it a truncated appearance.

MOLA MOLA, THE BIZARRE 'OCEAN SUNFISH' Mola have been known to grow as large as 14 feet high, and 10 feet long, weighing more than 2 tonnes, according to National Geographic. These fish, also known as ocean sunfish, have an unusual shape, with huge dorsal and ventral fins, and a body that ends almost abruptly with a rudder-like appendage called the 'clavus.' Sunfish have a beak that they use to feast upon jellyfish, zooplankton, algae, and some small fish. They can be found in temperate and tropical oceans. These slow-moving fish are hosts to many different types of parasites, and will propel themselves as high as 10 feet above the water in order to shake them off. Though massive, these fish give off the impression that they're only half developed  just beyond the two huge dorsal and ventral fins, the body almost abruptly ends Advertisement

In lieu of teeth, ocean sunfish have a beak that they use to feast upon jellyfish, zooplankton, algae, and some small fish.

These fish live far out in the open ocean, but bask near surface. When their massive dorsal fin breaches the water, sunfish are commonly mistaken for sharks.

While the mola may be gentle, you may not want to come too close; these slow-moving fish are hosts to many different types of parasites, and will propel themselves as high as 10 feet above the water in order to shake them off.

The encounter was filmed by photographer Miguel Pereira in October near Santa Maria Island in Azores, Portugal. They can be found in temperate and tropical oceans

In 2014, divers off the coast of Malta had an up-close encounter with a massive mola.

Diver Erik van der Goot, who posted the close-up footage on YouTube, said the 'once-in-a-lifetime experience' occurred near Wied il-Mielah off the island of Gozo.

The diver said the group bumped into the bizarre-looking fish at a depth of around 15 metres and had a difficult time keeping up with it.

The underwater footage shows just how massive and unusual the creature is, as it resembles a floating blob while cutting through the sea.

The 'clavus,' the curved, rudder-like body part at the back end of the fish, is formed from the folding of a back fin which doesn't grow after birth, giving it a truncated appearance. This gives the sunfish its 'half a fish' appearance
The Battle of Hastings changed the course of English history forever, but the site of a conflict which could have reversed the result of the famous clash has now been discovered.

Historian Nick Arnold, author of the Horrible Science series, claims to have located the battlefield for what he describes as the 'sequel' to the 1066 victory by William the Conqueror.

The bloody clash, which occurred in 1069, saw the sons of King Harold II of England, Godwine and Edmund Haroldson, attempt to retake their father's throne from the Norman invaders.

It doesn't look like much now, but this field between the villages of Northam and Appledore in Devon has been identified as the location for a bloody battle between the forces of William the Conqueror and the sons of King Harold II of England. The clash saw the pair decisively beaten and left more than 3,000 dead on the battlefield

With a fleet of more than 60 longboats, the pair had set out from exile in Ireland in the hope of taking the castle at Exeter and some of their former lands to establish a base in England.

But in June 1069, their forces were crushed in a battle with the Norman forces led by Count Brian of Brittany, leaving 3,000 dead on the battlefield.

The location of this last decisive battle, however, has been greatly debated by a historian.

Mr Arnold, however, claims he has narrowed down the spot for the battlefield after five years of research to a field between the villages of Appledore and Northam in Devon.

The Battle of Hastings was one of the key turning points in English history as it saw the defeat of King Harold II of England by William II of Normandy. The battle was later immortalised in the Bayeux Tapestry (pictured)

Historians have long puzzled over the site of the bloody showdown between the sons of King Harold II and forces led by Count Brian of Brittany as they attempted to gain a foothold in England again. Evidence suggests this field is the spot where they were defeated (pictured)

PINPOINTING BATTLE'S LOCATIONS The location of this last decisive battle has been greatly debated by a historian. Mr Arnold, however, claims he has narrowed down the spot for the battlefield after five years of research to a field between the villages of Appledore and Northam in Devon. He combined scientific data on the estuary with accounts of the battle making it possible to locate the fighting in a small area. Advertisement

Speaking to the Plymouth Herald, he said: 'By combining scientific data on the estuary with accounts of the battle, it's possible to locate the fighting in a small area.

'The showdown settled once and for all who would rule England. King Harold's two sons raided Devon with a fleet of at least 64 ships. And the raid ended in complete defeat.

'In the course of the two battles fought in a single day the raiders lost most of their army.'

The Battle of Hastings is seen as one of the major turning points in English history as it ended the rule of the Anglo-Saxon line of kings from the house of Wessex and the start of Norman rule.

King Harold II was defeated at Hastings by Duke William II of Normandy after he was hit in the eye by an arrow.

It marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule in England.

The battle between the son's of Harold II of England and the Norman forces took place in a field between the villages of Appledore and Northam in Devon (illustrated)

Author Nick Arnold (pictured at the spot he believes is the battlefield) has spent five years researching the battle and claims the site between Northam and Appledore is the most likely location (pictured)

It was the culmination of a vicious succession struggle following the death of Edward the Confessor and saw William crowned King of England.

Despite this resistance against the invading Normans continued for some time with King William I having to violently put down several rebellions.

Mr Arnold said the battle at Northam was effectively a rematch of the victory at Hastings.

The Battle of Hastings was the culmination of a vicious dispute over the crown of England following the death of Edward the Confessor. While his brother-in-law King Harold (left) took the crown for himself, William II of Normandy (right) claimed it belonged to him. William was later crowned king after defeating Harold

He has written an extensive 23 page paper about his research on the battlefield for the Devonshire Association, which has been republished by the Battlefield's Trust.

Mr Arnold said: 'The amazing cast of supporting characters include a treacherous Abbot, a conscience-stricken Queen and a headless saint.

'All the background information points to this location.'

Other academics have described the discovery of the battlefield as 'significant'.
In just two years, the lights in your home may provide you with internet access at speeds 100 times faster than Wi-Fi.

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, French start-up Oledcomm demonstrated the capabilities of Li-Fi, using just an office lamp to start playing a smartphone video.

Li-Fi uses visible light communication like the 'digital equivalent of Morse code,' so it cannot pass through walls. This gives it the potential to create a faster and more secure network, with less interference.

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This new wireless system hit speeds of 224 gigabits per second in the lab, and has the potential to revolutionize internet usage. The Li-Fi technology uses visible light between 400 and 800 terahertz (THz), and transmits messages through binary code

A FASTER, MORE SECURE WI-FI Lab tests have shown that Li-Fi can hit speeds 100 times faster than current Wi-Fi systems. Speed is not the only advantage of Li-Fi. The system uses visible light communication between 400 and 800 terahertz to transmit messages in binary code. Visible light cannot pass through walls, making Li-Fi a much more secure system, and less susceptible to interference. While the system seems promising, it won't likely replace Wi-Fi entirely, at least not anytime soon. Instead, researchers are now looking to retrofit devices with Li-Fi to use the two wireless systems together to optimize speed and security. Advertisement

Li-Fi is short for 'light fidelity,' and performs with lightning speed.

The system uses visible light communication (VLC), between 400 and 800 terahertz (THz) to transmit messages in binary code, but operates at speeds that are too high to be detected by the naked eye.

It works on the frequencies generated by an LED bulb.

Li-Fi has hit speeds of more than 200 Gbps in the lab, fast enough to 'download the equivalent of 23 DVDs in one second,' Suat Topsu, founder and head of Oledcomm, told AFP.

'Li-Fi allows speeds that are 100 times faster than W-Fi, which uses radio waves to transmit data,' Topsu said.

This technology emerged from the laboratories in 2015 to be tested in everyday settings in France, including museums and shopping malls.

It has also been tested in Belgium, Estonia and India.

Analysts have predicted that internet-connected devices will soar to 50 million in just four years, and the short supply of radio waves used for Wi-Fi will become crowded.

'We are going to connect our coffee machine, our washing machine, our tooth brush. But you can't have more than ten objects connected in Bluetooth or Wi-Fi without interference,' Topsu told AFP.

Now, Li-Fi may not be a far off reality.

Deepak Solanki, the founder and chief executive of Estonian firm Velmenni which tested Li-Fi in an industrial space last year, told AFP he expected that 'two years down the line the technology can be commercialised and people can see its use at different levels.'

Still, it's unclear whether Li-Fi will push Wi-Fi aside in the years to come.

'It is still a laboratory technology,' Frederic Sarrat, an analyst and consultancy firm PwC, told AFP.

Wi-Fi may continue to evolve, and improve its own capabilities, and this could determine how the role of Li-Fi factors in, according to Gartner chief analyst Jim Tully.

The system works in a similar way to Morse code, using visible light communication (VLC), but operates at speeds that are too high to be detected by the naked eye. Since the light can't travel through walls, Li-Fi could also be a more secure option down the line, and suffer from less interference from other devices

'Wi-Fi has shown a capability to continuously increase its communication speed with each successive generation of the technology,' he told AFP.

Since Li-Fi is based on visible light communication, it can't pass through walls, and the device has to be directly in contact with the light.

And, Li-Fi capable devices must be equipped with a card reader, or dongle, to work with the technology, which is a 'cost disadvantage,' according to Tully.

The space constraint acts as both a drawback and advantage, limiting usage to a smaller space, but better protecting devices from data theft.

'Unlike Wi-Fi, Li-Fi can potentially be directed and beamed at a particular user in order to enhance the privacy of transmissions,' Tully told AFP.

In places like hospitals or schools, Li-Fi could be the ideal option.

'Li-fi has a place in hospitals because it does not create interference with medical materials,' Joel Denimal, head of French lighting manufacturer Coolight, told AFP.

It could even have use in supermarkets or museums, to provide information for nearby objects, or aircraft and underground facilities.

The post tweeted by user @kyoufujibaya, 'Li-Fi testing is already imminent. May appear in the next iPhone 7 according to iOS code in iOS 9.1 firmware'

The system isn't likely to replace Wi-Fi entirely in the years to come, and ripping out the existing infrastructure isn't feasible.

But the two could be used in partnership to create faster and safer networks.

Dutch medical equipment and lighting group Philips is reportedly interested in Li-Fi, and Apple may integrate it in the iPhone 7, which is due out at the end of the year.

Last month, a Twitter user revealed an image to show that Apple may be testing Li-Fi technology for the iPhone 7, which would mean data transmission runs on visible light waves, instead of radio.

The company has already started a buzz surrounding rumoured plans to do away with the headphone jack, but now, developments for the iPhone 7 could be taking an even bigger leap.

The post tweeted by user @kyoufujibaya, according to The Huffington Post, reads, 'Li-Fi testing is already imminent. May appear in the next iPhone 7 according to iOS code in iOS 9.1 firmware.'

In an image accompanying the tweet, the developer highlights where the code says, 'LiFi Capability,' indicating that this suggests Li-Fi testing plans for the next wave of iPhones.

Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland invented Li-Fi in 2011.

Instead of replacing Wi-Fi altogether in the years to come, researchers are working on retrofitting current devices to be Li-Fi compatible,ScienceAlert explains.

PureLifi, a company created by Haas and his team, is offering a 'plug-and-play' application for secure wireless access.
Dozens of phone operators around the world have teamd up with Google for a new 'supertext' messaging service to take on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and others.

Called Rich Communications Services (RCS), it will allow photo and file sharing, group chats and video calls.

Operators hope it will help them regain the data lost from SMS messages and people increasingly use WhatsApp and other services.

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Google is leading the charge with operators around the world to implement Rich Communications Services, which will allow photo and file sharing, group chats and video calls.

WHAT IS RCS? RCS, or Rich Communications Services, is a 'supercharged' version of SMS and MMS. To get it, users need their carrier to support it, a compatible app and handset. It works with text, images, and video, and you can use it to send both individual or group text messages, and share location. T-Mobile is the first carrier in the U.S. to fully deploy this technology, which it's branding as Advanced Messaging. This weeks announcement is likely to see the system become far more widespread. Advertisement

However, the system is so far only available for Android handsets - and experts believe Apple is unlikely to support a competing technology to its own iMessage service.

'Texting changed the way we communicate, but it's out of date,' said Google.

'Today we want messaging that lets us do things like share high-res photos and larger files, chat with a group, know when messages are read, or make video calls.'

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, global operators, including America Movil, Bharti Airtel Ltd, Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Globe Telecom, KPN, Millicom, MTN, Orange, PLAY, Smart Communications, Sprint, Telenor Group, TeliaSonera, Telstra, TIM, Turkcell, VimpelCom, Vodafone, all pledged support for the system.

The GSM Association, which oversees global standards, said it will 'enable all operators worldwide to provide an open, consistent, and globally interoperable messaging service across Android devices.'

The Android RCS client, called Jibe, provided by Google will be based on the universal profile, enabling consumers to access RCS services on their devices.

Features such as group chat, high-res photo sharing, read receipts, and more, will now become part of the operator messaging experience, enhancing the experience of over 4 billion SMS users worldwide.

However, experts have hit out at the system's security.

'It's designed with surveillance as a primary feature,' said Christopher Soghoian, an ACLU privacy researcher.

'It's pretty primitive,' said Philip Lieberman, president and CEO of security firm Lieberman Software told Re/Code.

'You try to connect one carrier to another carrier, you end up degrading to the worst encryption of the pair.'

GSMA RCS advanced calling features will also be supported in the future by Google.

'RCS continues to experience organic growth around the world, with 47 operators in 34 countries having launched services to date,' said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer, GSMA

The software will be supplied by Jibe, a firm Google bought last year.

'However, this initiative will greatly simplify and accelerate adoption of the technology, and points to the future of how mobile users will communicate with one another.

'This is an incredibly positive development for the industry,' .

'Google's contributions will provide operators a new opportunity for a rich, consistent implementation across Android devices and offer a real step change in messaging experiences for consumers worldwide.'

5 WHATSAPP TRICKS The big announcement came at the DLD conference in Munich Germany today, as Jan Koum, WhatsApp CEO, confirmed the 99 cent annual fee will be axed  effective immediately See when your messages are read: Go to a chat, tap and gold on any of the messages you've sent, followed by the info option. Mute group chats: Tap on the group chat, the name to bring up Group Info where you will find the option to Mute the chat for eight hours to one week or even a year. Shortcuts to conversations: Tap and hold on the chat and a tab will pop up. Select the Add Conversation Shortcut option and the chat in question will appear as the person's profile photo on your mobile desk top  can only be used by Android users. Send public messages privately: On the top-left hand corner just below the search bar, you'll notice a Broadcast Lists. Tap on it for the option to create a new list of contacts you want your message to go out to, and message away like you would normally. Make calls: Make sure you're using the latest version of WhatsApp. You should see a new Calls tab alongside the usual Chats and Contacts. Just send a voice call invite to another WhatsApp user and you'll be chatting away in no time. Source: Stuff Advertisement

'Messaging holds a central place in our lives, whether it's coordinating a meet-up, sharing photos with friends, or sending thoughts to a loved one,' said Nick Fox, Vice President of Communications Products at Google.

'Today marks an important step forward in bringing a better messaging experience for Android users everywhere, and we're thrilled to collaborate with our partners across the industry to make this happen.'

In the global rollout of RCS, mobile operators can deploy their own infrastructure or they have the option to use the Jibe Platform from Google, which supports the universal RCS profile.
It is a stunningly posed group photo all the way from Saturn.

This Nasa image shows three of Saturn's moons - Tethys, Enceladus and Mimas around the rings of the giant planet.

Tethys (660 miles or 1,062 kilometers across) appears above the rings, while Enceladus (313 miles or 504 kilometers across) sits just below center.

Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across) hangs below and to the left of Enceladus.

This Nasa image shows three of Saturn's moons - Tethys, Enceladus and Mimas around the rings of the giant planet.

This view from NASA's Cassini spacecraft looks toward the sunlit side of the rings from about 0.4 degrees above the ring plane.

The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 3, 2015.

It was acquired at a distance of approximately 837,000 miles (1.35 million kilometers) from Enceladus, with an image scale of 5 miles (8 kilometers) per pixel.

Tethys was approximately 1.2 million miles (1.9 million kilometers) away with an image scale of 7 miles (11 kilometers) per pixel.

Mimas was approximately 1.1 million miles (1.7 million kilometers) away with an image scale of 6 miles (10 kilometers) per pixel.

Last month the space agency released

An image that appears to show a pair of Saturn's moons captured near the rings of their parent planet, is actually hiding a third satellite.

Nasa has released an image taken by its Cassini probe that shows Enceladus above Saturn's rings, with Rhea below.

The comparatively tiny speck of Atlas is also visible, but you'll need a keen eye to see it because in the image it measures just two pixels wide.

Scroll down to reveal where Atlas is hiding

Nasa has released an image (pictured) taken by its Cassini probe that shows Enceladus above Saturn's rings, with Rhea below. The comparatively tiny speck of Atlas is also visible, but you'll need a keen eye to see it because in the image it measures just two pixels wide

The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on 24 September 2015.

It looks toward the unilluminated side of the rings from about 0.34 degrees below the ring plane.

Nasa said the shot was taken at a distance of approximately 1.8 million miles (2.8 million km) from Rhea, and the scale of the image for Rhea is 10 miles (16km) per pixel.

The distance to Enceladus was 1.3 million miles (2.1 million km) for a scale of 5 miles (8 km) per pixel, while the distance to Atlas was 1.5 million miles (2.4 million km) for an image scale of 9 miles (14km) per pixel.

Enceladus measures 313 miles (504km) across, Rhea measures 949 miles (1,527 km) across and Atlas is just 19 miles (30km) across.

The Cassini mission is a co-operative project of Nasa, Esa and the Italian Space Agency.

Last month, it captured what Nasa described as a 'cosmic bullseye' when it snapped Saturn's moons in perfect alignment with their planetary parent.

Atlas measures 19 miles or 30km across and can be seen just above and to the left of Rhea, and just above the thin line of Saturn's F ring (ringed)

Last month, Nasa released a stunning image that captured Saturn's moons in perfect alignment with their planetary parent. The image shows the moons Enceladus and Tethys sitting in a line above Saturn's signature rings, with the smaller Enceladus in the foreground

The image shows the moons Enceladus and Tethys sitting in a line above Saturn's signature rings, with the smaller Enceladus in the foreground.

And the shots were snapped by cameras on the Cassini probe from a distance of 1.3 million miles (2.1 million km).

According to the space agency, each pixel of the image is approximately 10 miles (16km) wide, and the distance of the probe means the image gives a good approximation of the moons' sizes.

The image was snapped by the Cassini-Huygens probe (pictured) from 1.3 million miles away (2.6 million km). According to the space agency, each pixel of the image is approximately 10 miles (16km) wide, and the distance of the probe means the image gives a good approximation of the moons' sizes

The probe has been sending back images of Saturn (pictured) and its moons since 2004. The images and data collected have helped scientists to uncover the nature of the planets rings and even allowed us to peer into the atmospheres of the far away worlds captured by its gravitational might

Tethys is 660 miles across (1,602 km), while Enceladus is less than half its size, at 313 miles across (504 km).

Launched in 1997, the Cassini-Huygens probe was sent to Saturn to capture information on the planet and its rings.

It is a collaborative effort between Nasa, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian space agency (ASI).

The Cassini probe captured close up images of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus (pictured) during flyby earlier this year. The spacecraft skimmed within 30 miles (48km) of the south pole. The flyby was close enough to detect large organic molecules in the spray, which may be an indicator that life exists on the moon

THE WEATHER ON TITAN Titan is unique in our solar system because of its dense nitrogen-methane atmosphere, which is very similar to Earth's in some ways, but very different in others. It has surface temperatures nearly 300 degrees Fahrenheit below zero (-180 Celsius). Water makes up about half the solid body by mass, and where you would expect to find a rocky crust on a terrestrial planet like Earth, Titan's surface layers are composed mainly of ice. Titan has seasons just like Earth, only each season lasts over seven years instead of three months due to its ponderous orbit around the sun. After equinox in 2009, Titan's south pole entered the perpetual darkness of polar winter. While our own moon may be thought of as difficult for man to visit, researchers say Saturn's has a whole lot more to kill off any unsuspecting visitors. Last year, scientists found gigantic polar clouds of hydrogen cyanide roughly four times the area of the UK on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Astronomers say the find was 'totally unexpected'. Advertisement

After a long journey, which included flybys of Venus, Mercury and Jupiter, it entered Saturn's system of moons in 2004 and has been sending back images ever since.

In October, the probe sent back images of Enceladus, which is thought to have a global ocean of liquid water beneath a thick crust of ice and is one of the best candidates in the solar system for harbouring life.

It is hoped that images from the recent flyby will have brought the probe close enough to detect large organic molecules in the spray, which may be an indicator that life exists on the moon.

The potential for such activity in this small ocean world has also made Enceladus a prime target for future exploration in search of habitable environments in the solar system beyond Earth.

The Cassini probe is also revealing a lot about Saturn's second largest moon, Titan.

At 50 per cent larger than Earth's moon, this monster object is believed to be the only other place in the solar system to have large bodies of liquid, including seas and rivers, on its surface.

However, as they are composed largely of methane, these alien seas are very different to our own.

On its a recent close flyby of Titan, Cassini passed just 6,200 miles above its surface. The images show parallel, dark, dune-filled regions, which form the shape of a letter 'H' on its surface.

Information sent back by the Cassini is helping astronomers and planetary scientists to understand the weather patterns on Titan.
Dogs and some primates may have an internal compass linked to their visual systems, a new study claims.

A light-sensitive molecule found in the eyes of some mammals may give them a magnetic sense similar to that of migratory birds.

Researchers in Germany have traced this 'magnetoreception' molecule to dog-like carnivores, from dogs to bears, and primates including orangutans.

Dogs and some primates may have an internal compass linked to their visual systems, thanks to a light-sensitive molecule in their eyes, a new study from Germany claims.

CAN DOGS 'SEE' MAGNETIC FIELDS? Researchers have found cryptochrome 1 in the blue-sensitive cones of some animals' eyes. This includes dog-like carnivores, such as dogs, wolves, bears, foxes, and badgers, and some primates, including the orangutan. In birds, cryptochrome 1a works to create an internal compass, allowing the animals to sense inclination of Earth's magnetic fields when activated by light. The team says they may now have found the mammalian equivalent. Based on its location, the team explains it is unlikely that it controls circadian rhythm, or acts as a visual pigment for colour perception. The researchers draw upon similarities between the blue cones of mammals, and the blue- to UV-sensitive cones of birds. These systems correspond on an evolutionary level, and the researchers suspect the function of the molecule is also comparable. Advertisement

Light-sensitive molecules known as 'cryptochromes' can be found among bacteria, plants, and animals.

These molecules have a hand in controlling the circadian rhythms of animals.

Cryptochrome 1a in birds' eyes  in the blue- to UV-sensitive cone photoreceptors  allows them to sense the inclination of magnetic field lines in the presence of light.

Now, researchers have detected the mammalian equivalent.

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt collaborated with Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, the Goethe University Frankfurt, and the Universities of Duisburg-Essen and Gottingen to investigate this molecule, called cryptochrome 1.

The researchers examined 90 species of mammal, looking for cryptochrome 1.

In some species of the carnivore and primate groups, the team found that this molecule was present in the blue-sensitive cones of their eyes.

This was the case in dog-like carnivores, such as dogs, wolves, bears, foxes, and badgers, and some primates, including the orangutan.

But, the researchers did not find cryptochrome 1 in cat-like carnivores, including cats, lions, and tigers.

The team looked at 16 other mammalian orders, but did not find this molecule active within the cone cells of the retina.

Researchers suggest that this molecule, found in the light-sensitive outer region of the cone cells, may be used to recognise the Earth's magnetic field.

Dog-like carnivores, such as dogs, wolves, bears, foxes, and badgers, and some primates, including the orangutan were all found to have the molecules.

Based on its location, the team explains it is unlikely that it controls circadian rhythm, or acts as a visual pigment for colour perception.

Still, the team says many mammals have displayed behaviours which indicate they sense the Earth's magnetic field, including humans.

Foxes have even been found to be more successful in catching prey when pouncing in a north-east direction.

Cryptochrome 1a in birds' eyes  in the blue- to UV-sensitive cone photoreceptors  allows them to sense the inclination of magnetic field lines in the presence of light. Now, researchers have detected the mammalian equivalent

'Nevertheless, we were very surprised to find active cryptochrome 1 in the cone cells of only two mammalian groups, as species whose cones do not contain active cryptochrome 1, for example some rodents and bats, also react to the magnetic field,' says Christine Niener of the Max Planck Institute.

DOGS ALIGN WITH EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELDS WHEN THEY POOP According to a Czech study published in 2013, dogs not only align their bodies with the Earths north-south axis when going to the toilet, but this position can be affected by the slightest of fluctuations in the planets magnetic field. The researchers found that in the morning, dogs tended to position their bodies towards the west, but would then shift to an easterly direction in the afternoon. However, this only happened when the magnetic field was whats called stable - when it sits along the existing axis and isnt fluctuating. The magnetic field can become unstable during solar flares, for example, and when this happened the dogs' positions were more random. Researchers from the Czech University of Life Sciences studied the body positions of 70 dogs across 37 breeds as they went to the toilet on walks. They also ruled out that the time of day, and therefore the position of the sun, played a part because they studied the dogs over different seasons when the suns position in the sky varied. The findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology. In conclusion they found the dogs in the study preferred to 'excrete with the body being aligned along the North-south axis under calm magnetic field conditions.' At times when there were fluctuations in the field, this behaviour was abolished. The behaviour was also only observed in dogs that were outside and off their leash. However, the researchers admit they don't know why the dogs behave in this way. Advertisement

Researchers suggest some animals may have a different way of perceiving magnetic field, and some have been known to have magnetite-based sensory systems that help them perceive orientation.

In the case of cryptochrome 1, the researchers draw upon similarities between the blue cones of mammals, and the blue- to UV-sensitive cones of birds.

These systems correspond on an evolutionary level, and the researchers suspect the function of the molecule is also comparable.

With further studies, the team will work to determine if cryptochrome truly gives some mammals an internal compass, or if it has an entirely different purpose in the eye.
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If you're looking for an authentic travel experience, a homestay could be the perfect way to immerse yourself in the local culture.

Intended to be more than just a bed and breakfast, the stay is meant to be more interactive, with hosts on hand to give their guests an idea of what it's really like to live in a place.

What's more, there's a whole selection of quirky places to stay - including a treehouse in New Zealand, a house with a temple in Bali and a yacht in Greece. And some start from less than 10 a night.

A lake-side retreat in Nova Scotia, Canada

Take in the breathtaking lake views at this design-focused retreat (above) in Nova Scotia, Canada, and have breakfast right by the water

This lake-side home, featured in Architectural Design Awards in 2006, takes full advantage of its views with plenty of windows looking out over the waters.

Breakfast is served by the lake, so you can really immerse yourself in the surroundings.

What's more, its secluded location means that you definitely won't be disturbed.

From 44 per night, including breakfast.

A house with a temple in Bali

This Balinese home (above) features a lot of traditional architecture and even its own temple where the family worships their ancestors

Laid out in the traditional style, this Balinese home has its own family temple alongside a separate kitchen and living quarters.

The family prays to their ancestors and gives offerings in the temple, which is built on the highest ground of the home. It is considered a holy area and your host would be more than willing to explain the idea behind this.

Aside from learning about the culture, it's also well placed for those wishing to visit Subak of Pulagan - one of the oldest rice fields in Bali and a UNESCO Heritage Site.

From 9 per night, including breakfast.

Panoramic views over Rotorua, New Zealand

Experiencing the local culture can be done in luxury too. This hill-top pad in New Zealand is a great base to explore the geysers nearby

Situated on top of a hill, this luxurious villa offers spectacular views over Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island.

The city has a strong Maori history and there are cultural tours and performances that will let you learn about the indigenous people of the island.

Rotorua is also noted for its geysers and hot springs but there are 17 lakes in the area to explore as well.

From 109 per night, including breakfast.

A treehouse in San Jose, Costa Rica

At this treehouse in Costa Rica, you're completely surrounded by nature. The tree's branches even snakes their way through the building

Situated on the hills of San Antonio de Escazu, the treehouse offers breath-taking views of the area.

It's a real treehouse with part of the trunk and branches of the tree running through the living quarters.

And for nature lovers, you're completely surrounded by the gardens of the property, which includes flowers and fruit orchards.

From 46 per night, including breakfast.

Be far away from everywhere in Loviisa, Finland

This wooden home in Finland feels like it's part of nature with grass growing on its roof. The remote location is 10km from the nearest city

Located in the municipality of Pernaja, this spacious property feels like a part of the landscape.

It's built almost entirely of wood, both inside and outside, and has grass growing on its roof.

The isolated home is 10km from the nearest city but there's a hot tub and sauna that will help you relax into your surroundings.

From 42 per night, including breakfast.

Sailing through the Greek Islands

You could experience sailing for the first time with the water-loving owners on this yacht, docked off the Greek island of Leros

If you've ever wondered what's like to live on a boat then this experience could be the one for you.

The 15m yacht is usually anchored off the Greek island of Leros but its owners have lived and sailed on it for the last eight years.

You will have the opportunity to hop between the islands to enjoy the local hospitality while staying on board.

From 113 per person, including breakfast.

A private island off Nicaragua

You don't need to shell out thousands of pounds to stay on this private island in Nicaragua - and the price even includes the pick-up

Staying on a private island doesn't have to break the bank, as this Spanish home shows.

Lying just off the coast of Nicaragua, the house can only be reached by boat.

One of the best things about staying here, aside from complete privacy, is that you can explore the waterways on a kayak.

From 133 per night, including breakfast.

An artist's apartment in Avignon, France

While sporting a slightly crumbly exterior, this artist's apartment in France has all the modern facilities to enjoy a slice of the good life

Embrace the Provencal life at this spacious French apartment, complete with an artist's workshop.

There are two bakeries, farmer's market and a big wine cooperative close by - all you need for the good life.

There's even an enclosed courtyard with a barbecue to enjoy the warm summer nights.

From 90 per night, including breakfast.

A chalet in Zakopane, Poland

The chalet home is in the winter capital of Poland so there's plenty of opportunities to ski. You can also hike during summer months

Zakopane is said to be the winter capital of Poland and this home is situated close to Nosal ski complex, the biggest resort in the area.

When you've come in from the cold, there's fire place to warm up next to and plenty of space to relax in.

But if snow sports isn't for you then there's always Tatra National Park, a UNESCO designated biosphere reserve that's open for hikes and mountain biking in the summer.

From 15 per night, including breakfast.

An organic farm in Mae Wang, Thailand

The accommodation might be basic at this farm in Thailand but it more than makes up for it in culture and an abundance of nature

The family lives in a Karen village where the people have a Tibetan-Chinese heritage.

Part of the homestay experience will be to learn about the heritage of the Karen people as well as how they weave their fabrics.

Everything from rice and corn to coffee and lychee is grown on the farm and nearby, there's also waterfalls and trekking trails to explore.

From 14 per night, including breakfast.

A converted barn in Hawera, New Zealand

This unusual looking home in New Zealand was once a barn. Today, it looks out to Mount Taranaki, a still-active volcano on North Island

This converted barn looks out over Mount Taranaki, an active volcano on New Zealand's North Island.

There are national parks as well as summit tracks leading up to the peaks of the mountain to follow.

If you're staying in, there are also views of South Taranaki.

From 28 per night, including breakfast.

A romantic villa in Mykonos, Greece

One of the best features about this property in Greece is the picturesque view from the hills at sunset, which you can enjoy outside

This house on the hill has stunning views of the sea, especially at twilight.

It's just 10 minutes or so from the clubs and the beach but also far away enough so you can enjoy a little peace and respite.

Although if you want to stay in, there's plenty of outdoor space where you can enjoy the romantic sunsets.
Some believe prices for trips to Spain and Portugal will remain competitive

Britons could end up paying more for holidays to continental Europe and they risk losing important consumer protections if they vote to leave the EU, travel experts say.

Industry observers issued the warning even though uncertainty surrounds the 23 June referendum and the impact a no vote would have on holidaymakers and business travellers.

Experts said the price of airfare and package holidays could increase in a domino effect and UK-based airlines could be put at a disadvantage if a dramatic Brexit occurs.

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Experts said Britons could end up paying more for airfare and package holidays in a domino effect

Frank Brehany, consumer director of HolidayTravelWatch, said any added costs for airlines or tour operators will be passed on to the consumer.

He said one of the key rights that passengers would lose in many circumstances relates to flight delays or cancellations.

Passengers are currently eligible for financial compensation if a flight departing from an EU airport or arriving in the eurozone with an EU carrier is delayed for a reason within the airlines control.

But that regulation would no longer apply to those flying out of UK airports with airlines such as British Airways, easyJet or Monarch.

That could lead to claims for compensation landing in court.

Brehany said: There would be increased litigation against the UK-based airlines because consumers would want to recapture some of their rights.'

Passengers could also lose the right to food, drink and overnight accommodation when there is a major disruption, he warned.

He added: On the question of pricing if you are flying with a UK-based airline I could foresee a situation where the airline may have to or would be subject to extra fees if flying into and out of [EU countries].

Its a potential double whammy for consumers and also for the airlines themselves.

If a Brexit occurs, passengers who book with UK-based airlines risk losing important consumer protections

Such a scenario could make UK-based airlines less attractive to consumers, who may opt to fly with carriers that operate out of the EU, he added.

Brehany said: I cant quite honestly see the guys down here at Westminster reinstating those consumer rights under UK legislation because generally Westminster is not terribly good at developing consumer protection regulation.

A white paper on European reform, backed by Prime Minister David Cameron, claimed airfares and mobile phone roaming charges would increase, but leave campaigners blasted the paper as propaganda.

Brehany said a Brexit would also mean that the EUs new package holiday rules, which give more rights to tourists, would not apply in Britain when they are introduced in June 2018.

The rules are expected to save consumers about 330million a year and include stronger cancellation rights in the event of a natural disaster or war.

Holidaymakers will also be able to cancel their trip for any reason by paying a reasonable fee or transfer it to another traveller.

Joel Brandon-Bravo, UK Managing Director for Travelzoo, said he would expect some immediate fluctuation in both travel booking patterns and pricing in the weeks following a Brexit as markets respond.

He added: Whether the pound weakens or the euro weakens against the pound is impossible to predict, however all analysts predict volatility following such a major change to the EU. We might see the pound and euro suffer against non-European currencies so travel outside the EU might become more expensive.

In terms of where British tourists would travel to, he doesnt expect patterns to change much in the long term.

He added: We would expect prices to remain competitive as top destinations such as Spain, France and Italy depend heavily on the tourism spend of British tourists, so we would be surprised to see EU member countries hitting the British consumer hard with additional taxes, fees and restrictions on entering their countries.

Prof John Fletcher, Bournemouth University, said the effect of Brexit on tourism is difficult to predict, but he thinks travel to EU countries would continue to be relatively hassle free.

He added: British spenders in Europe are significant and the EU will not want to jeopardise that  travel to Spain is really important for them, as is France and Portugal.

Last week, easyJet chief executive Carolyn McCall claimed the cost of air travel could rise, while Peter Long, the former head of TUI, the worlds largest tour operator, suggested a Brexit could compromise the safety of Britons abroad as close ties are needed to thwart or respond to acts of terrorism.

Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways, has already voiced his support for the 'stay' campaign, saying he is in favour of the UK remaining in a reformed EU. It is Walsh's personal opinion, as neither IAG nor British Airways has taken a side.

Yet some experts said its still too early to gauge the impact a Brexit could have.

Bob Atkinson, travel expert at TravelSupermarket, said: It is impossible to predict exactly what the impact will be on travel, if the UK was to leave the EU. We dont really know what Brexit means.

We dont even know if we would remain a member of the EEA, or which EU laws may still apply if we negotiate a position with the rest of Europe.

The open skies agreement, EHIC health cards, flight compensation claims are all things which could be affected by leaving the EU.

But it would just be pure speculation at the moment to comment on what might happen until the politicians have spelled the options out for us.
A group of 13 have voiced their outrage after an 11-night break to Tunisia was 'completely ruined' when several members of their party became violently ill.

Keith Knight, 67, from Sheffield, was staying at Club Omar Khayam in Hammenet, with 12 friends and family members when he and several others were struck down with symptoms of gastric illness just days into their trip.

On the fourth day of the holiday, which was booked through Thomson tour operator TUI UK Limited trading as SkyTours, Knight began suffering with chronic diarrhoea, stomach cramps and loss of appetite.

Family claim that majority of the large group suffered from gastric illness symptoms over the 11-night period

He claimed that his symptoms continued throughout the entire holiday and made it difficult for him to leave the room or relax.

On his return to the UK, the 67-year-old visited his local GP, where he was told he had contracted salmonella.

Wife, Margaret, 71, began experiencing similar symptoms to her husband a few days after he fell ill.

The couple claim that the majority of the large group suffered from gastric illness symptoms over the 11-night period.

Jane Hollingworth, 48, another family member travelling with her daughter Kelly-Jay Ahmed, 17, both experienced gastric illness and described the conditions at the hotel as 'unsanitary'.

Hollingworth claimed that the hotel in general was 'unclean', and on one occasion she reportedly saw faeces in the hotel swimming pool, which saw holidaymakers asked to vacate the water for an hour while staff removed the excrement with a net.

She also reported that tables in the restaurant were left dirty, cutlery and glassware was often stained and the hot food was served lukewarm on occasion.

The 48-year-old also claimed that flies were seen on and around the food on a number of occasions.

Mr Knight, a retired mechanic, said: 'The whole experience was extremely distressing for myself, my wife and the rest of my family and friends.

'My symptoms continued throughout my stay and some of the group who also became ill continued to suffer even after coming back. It really is the last thing you expect when you go on holiday.

Keith Knight, 67, from Sheffield, was staying in Hammenet, with 12 friends and family members when he and several others were struck down with symptoms of gastric illness just days into their trip

'My wife Margaret complained to the TUI representative about our illnesses and the food while on holiday but she told us nothing could be done and to complain on our return to the UK.

'Since returning to the UK Margaret telephoned the tour operator to complain and advise that one of the party was suspected to be suffering with Salmonella.'

'We are now hopeful that [we will get] the answers we feel we deserve about the terrible illness we suffered.'

Clare Pearson, a specialist travel illness lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, representing the family, said: 'This large family holiday was completely ruined by illness which has led to them to come to us to help them get the answers they deserve about what caused them to fall so ill.

'Illnesses of this nature are very serious and can, in some cases, lead to long-term impacts, or even fatalities.

'The immediate priority now is ensuring anyone affected receives the help and support they need, as well as identifying the cause of the illness as soon as possible.

'As we conduct our investigations we ask anyone who has stayed at the Club Omar Khayam and may be able to help provide information about the conditions, to get in contact with us as they may be able to help with our enquiries.'

Speaking to MailOnline Travel, a spokesperson for SkyTours said: 'We are sorry to hear of Mr and Mrs Knight's experience at Club Omar Khayam in Hammamet, Tunisia.

'As we understand this is now subject to legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.
A female passenger managed to board the wrong plane, for the wrong airline under the wrong name.

The incredible security lapse happened at Taiwan Airport where a woman known only as Ms Hong, was flying on to Hong Kong.

The first error came when she accidentally checked in to the Cathay Pacific desk, instead of Hong Kong Airlines, who she was supposed to be flying with.

A female passenger managed to board a Cathay Pacific plane under the wrong identity (file image)

Incredibly, she was then processed with a boarding pass under a man's identity, who happened to have the same surname flying to Hong Kong.

She was then able to board the plane without any issue, passing by local immigration authorities and ground crew at the gate.

The flights had been booked by Ms Hong's boyfriend, and when he was told she had not boarded the Hong Kong Airlines flight out of Taiwan, the mix-up came to light.

The South China Morning Post reported that the woman told Apple Daily: 'The name on the air ticket wasn't me. Even the sex on the air ticket was not right. This is ridiculous.'

Ms Hong accidentally went to the Cathay Pacific desk to check in - but staff did not realise and gave her a boarding pass for their airline (file image)

Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines worked together to ensure the Taiwanese resident made a safe return trip, and she was afforded the use of Cathay's executive lounge.

A spokesperson for Cathay Pacific confirmed the incident, saying how there had been an 'error in the check-in procedures.'

'We take this matter seriously and are in the process of securing more information from the relevant teams and reviewing the check-in procedures on that day to ensure that similar incidents will not happen again,' the spokesperson told the SCMP.




A British family has demanded an apology after they say their dream holiday to Florida was ruined when their grandmother was barred from boarding a flight back to the UK.

Cancer-stricken Pamela Pointer, from Horley, Surrey, was deemed unfit to fly because she had undergone surgery just days before the return flight with Virgin Atlantic.

As a result Pointer, 86, who broke down in tears at the airport, was forced to stay in Orlando as most of her family flew home and was unable to celebrate Christmas in the UK.

Pamela Pointer (third from left), was barred from boarding when she arrived at the check-in desk

Pointer had hip replacement surgery after she suffered a fall during the 25,000 two-week trip to Disney World with 20 relatives, who booked with Virgin Holidays.

Aware of Virgins policy, which does not allow people to board flights less than 10 days after surgery, she obtained a note from her surgeon in Florida, who said she was fit to fly.

A family member called ahead and was told Pointer would be assessed by staff at the airport.

When she arrived at the check-in desk she spoke to an employee via telephone and was told the airline would not make an exception and she would not be allowed on board.

Virgin Atlantic's policy prohibits passengers from flying if they have had surgery within 10 days of departure

Her family was upset because she revealed personal details of her battle with breast cancer during the telephone call and broke down in tears in front of her grandchildren.

Natalie Watson, 31, who is married to Pointers grandson, said: 'It was such a sad sight to see her in an airport in Florida being told she was going to miss Christmas with her family, in floods of tears, feeling like she was responsible for it and have people talking about her, like she was not there.'

Pointer and three relatives, who stayed with her, were rebooked on a flight the following day, but she was told she would require a doctors note about her cancer. They flew home four days later after they had missed Christmas with the rest of the family.

Watson claimed Virgin Atlantic ignored her complaints about the way Pointer was treated.

She said: I just want someone to accept responsibility for what I think is pretty terrible treatment.

A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic said: 'We are sorry to learn of the customers experience with us and our teams are in contact with the customer to discuss her concerns and look forward to resolving her issues to her satisfaction.

'Its always a difficult decision to not allow a customer to fly on medical conditions, however, we have a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of our customers.

'If the Virgin Atlantic ground staff have any doubts over the well-being of a customer, they will seek medical advice from their aviation medical advisory service.

'Unfortunately, on this occasion, on the day of travel it was assessed that Mrs Pointer was not fit to fly.
Visitors to Myanmar's ancient capital Bagan will no longer be able to climb the venerated pagodas for a view of the country's most famous archaeological site, as the government clamps down on 'disgraceful' tourist behaviour.

The ban, which starts March 1, will end the daily ritual that sees hundreds of tourists and local pilgrims scaling the ancient structures to watch the sun set over a vast plain dotted with more than 2,500 Buddhist monuments.

Myanmar's Ministry of Culture said the move would protect the buildings, considered holy sites by many locals, while also averting potential danger for those climbing.

Visitors to Myanmar's ancient capital Bagan will no longer be able to climb the venerated pagodas for a view of the country's most famous archaeological site

The daily ritual that sees hundreds of tourists and local pilgrims scaling the ancient structures to watch the sun set will end in Myanmar

'Furthermore, despite warnings, people who climb the pagodas often behave badly, in a way that is culturally disgraceful such as wearing inappropriate clothing, dancing and sleeping (on the monuments),' the ministry said in a post on its official Facebook page.

'We would like to announce that no one will be permitted to climb on the pagodas for any reason from March 1 onwards,' it concluded in the statement published on Monday.

Built between the 10th and 14th centuries as part of a powerful early kingdom, Bagan's temples are deeply revered in the Buddhist-majority nation and are also one of the country's most popular tourist destinations.

After years in the wilderness, Myanmar was quickly embraced as a hot choice for holidays after outright military rule ended in 2011.

Myanmar's Ministry of Culture said the move would protect the buildings considered holy sites by many locals (file picture)

The country began appearing on lists of must-visit destinations, often accompanied by bird's eye view images of Bagan's pagodas.

Even the Ministry of Tourism has declared that 'a panoramic view of this land at sunset will leave you with a lingering sense of awe and wonder'.

According to its figures, nearly half a million foreign tourists, including package tourists and independent travellers, arrived through Myanmar's main city gateway Yangon last year, more than double the number in 2011.

Many make a beeline for Bagan, a trend that is expected to continue despite the new rules.

'Bagan can offer other pleasures for tourists,' said Naung Naung Han, of the Union of Myanmar Travel Association, which represents private tour operators.

The decision has been taken after the government slammed bad behaviour on the monuments by tourists

But he said those not able to climb the structures to see a sunset at Bagan would be missing out.

'For a foreign tourist, such an experience could be an unforgettable moment in their life,' he told AFP.

Tour operator Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, who heads the Myanmar Tourism Marketing industry group, said there was likely to be an impact on business.

'Tourism is a way to display our cultural heritage and this news of a ban in the way heritage is shown will affect the tourism business,' he told AFP.

Myanmar is eager to see Bagan designated as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Cuckoo

Rating:

The demise of BBC3 is a bit like the death of a French intellectual whose name youd sort of heard before, or the extinction of the lesser Guatamalan spotted fruit bat.

Obviously its a loss. There are always experts and pundits to explain why its so regrettable. But if they hadnt said anything, youd probably never have noticed it was gone.

Mostly it featured repeats of Top Gear, and documentaries about transgender drug addicts in prison. BBC3 was aimed at Yoofs, and its a truth universally acknowledged within New Broadcasting House that all Yoofs care about is souped-up cars and edgy social issues.

Twilight saga star Taylor Lautner has joined Greg Davies, right, for the third season of BBC comedy Cuckoo

If you wanted to watch a reality contest for hairdressers (no, really) or a musical that opposed the deportation of illegal immigrants (Im not making this up), BBC3 was the place to do it.

But of course, you didnt. Nobody did, and thats why it went under, leaving an awkward gap between BBCs 2 and 4.

Some survivors from its wreckage will inevitably wash up on other channels. Its most successful sitcom, watched by around 800,000 people, is one of those castaways.

Cuckoo (BBC1) is a crossbreed comedy, a bog-standard family sitcom about mid-life crisis and teenage children, fused to a Hollywood screwball romance.

Tamla Kari (best known for Musketeers, as the frequently kidnapped Constance) plays the daughter who returns from a backpacking holiday to Thailand and announces shes married an American hippy.

WORRIER OF THE WEEK Robert Kardashian (played by David Schwimmer), in The People v O.J. Simpson (BBC2), was tying himself in knots of anxiety during the famous low-speed car chase. Good thing he never knew how notorious his daughters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe would become. Theres something to worry about. Advertisement

Greg Davies is the apopleptic father, and Andy Samberg was the hippy. But then Samberg won a Golden Globe for his role as an infantile cop in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and quit the series.

That looked like the end of Cuckoo, until the writers managed to hire an even bigger U.S. name  Twilight saga star and martial artist Taylor Lautner.

Thats a lot of backstory to cram into the review of a half-hour sitcom. But if you didnt know the history, you will have struggled to guess what was going on as Cuckoo landed on BBC1 for its third series.

Its why, for instance, the episode opened with a spoof of Bruce Lee movies, as Lautner despatched a trio of Chinese thugs with a flurry of high kicks.

One scene later, he was on the run in the suburbs of Lichfield, Staffordshire  home of Greg, Tamla, pregnant mum Helen Baxendale and immature sulker Tyger Drew-Honey. Got all that?

Maybe if Cuckoo had started life on BBC1, audiences would have grown to love it.

There are funny moments, both when Gregs efforts at parenting flounder, and when Taylor is hopelessly bemused by British customs.

But a lot of viewers will have switched off wondering: What on earth was that supposed to be about?

Fresh Meat

Rating:

No subtitles were required for Fresh Meat (C4), starring stand-up comic Jack Whitehall and Call The Midwifes Charlotte Ritchie.

Its a house-share comedy, about the hilarious antics of a bunch of university students sharing digs, and its dire  unoriginal, flabby, self-satisfied, crude and devoid of even one good joke.

Whitehall, as he constantly proves on other sitcoms and panel games, is a puerile comedian who thinks that the more various ways he can manage to say the F-word, the more uproariously funny hell be.

Writers Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, who created Peep Show, must agree, because they give him frequent set-piece scenes where the other characters sit and stare while he swears.

Channel 4's Fresh Meat, which stars stand-up comedian Jack Whitehall, third from left, is a house-share comedy about the hilarious antics of a bunch of university students sharing digs

These other housemates are all cliches  the bossy students union activist, the desperate male virgin, the socially inept swot.

The writers say they were inspired by The Young Ones, but all this proves is Whitehall is no Rik Mayall.

The Young Ones was imaginative anarchy, but Fresh Meat feels like a load of recycled anecdotes from an era before university fees, when many students wasted their education because it was free.

Few things are more depressing than having to listen to some bore droning on about the drunken escapades of his college days. Who believed a whole show based on that was a good idea?
He made his return to television screens on Monday night.

But moments before his big appearance, My Kitchen Rules' judge Colin Fassnidge took some time out to enjoy a swim at Malabar Pool, south-east of Sydney.

The 41-year-old showed off his torso as he took his dip in a pair of blue printed boardshorts.

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A breath of fresh air: My kitchen Rules' judge Colin Fassnidg enjoyed a swim on Monday at Malabar Pool, south-east of Sydney

The wet garment wrapped tightly around his toned legs as he made his way out of the beachside rock pool.

His long dark hair fell freely in front of his face, but he was quick to slick his locks back.

Following his swim, the restaurateur enjoyed a walk along the quiet beach with his Dalmatian dog named Ellie.

The pooch walked in front of her owner as she was led on a red lead.

See MKR updates as judge Colin Fassnidge goes shirtless for a beachside swim

Summer loving: During his outing, the 41-year-old showed off his bare torso, opting for a pair of blue printed boardshorts

Dive right in: The celebrity chef looked to have no worries as he dived into the clear waters of the beachside rock pool

Easy going: Following his quick dip, the chef's wet shorts hugged tightly around his legs

Colin's outing came hours before he made his 2016 debuted on the latest My Kitchen Rules' series.

This year on the show, the celebrity chef was joined by English chef and writer, Rachel Khoo.

This is Colin's fourth year on the reality cooking contest, which also features fellow well renowned chefs, Manu Feildel and Pete Evans.

But while holding a commitment to be a judge on the Channel Seven show, the father-of-two also owns and runs The Four In Hand Dining Room in Paddington, Sydney as well as 4/11 in Sydney.

Bonding experience: For his day out Colin was accompanied by his Dalmatian dog, Ellie

Man's best friend: The father-of-two led the pooch on a red lead as they headed back to the mainland

He's back with company! Later that evening Colin returned to My Kitchen Rules alongside newcomer and English chef, Rachel Khoo

In December Colin told Daily Mail Australia he had recently sold the popular Paddington restaurant, where he had been based for 10 years.

'The reason we are getting rid of it is because it is too small for what we are doing...it costs more to run the venue because there are that many other rooms,' he explained at the time.

'So we want to do something similar but bigger with the Four In Hand name,' he continued.
It's been less than a month since her father Greg Hudgens died of cancer.

Vanessa Hudgens was somber and understandably so as she spent time with her younger sister Stella on Monday, heading to a workout session together in Hollywood.

The 27-year-old, who is very close with her younger sibling, 20, braved a small smile before the duo made their way inside.

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Staying strong: Vanessa Hudgens spent some quality time with her younger sister Stella on Monday, heading to a workout session together in Hollywood

The actress kept her exercise look simple, wearing an Adidas sweater and sneakers with leggings and a tan backpack.

Vanessa wore the hood of her sweatshirt over her hair while sporting a makeup free face.

The starlet has not only been leaning on her sister in the past weeks, but also her best friend of 10 years, Ashley Tisdale, 30.

The former High School Musical cast mates spent Saturday together as the duo shopped and laughed, as seen in a video Ashley posted on her social media.

Focused: The 27-year-old, who is very close with her younger sibling, 20, braved a small smile before the duo made their way inside

Fitness outing: The actress kept her exercise look simple, wearing an Adidas sweater and sneakers with leggings and a tan backpack

In the lighthearted clip, the pals are seen testing whether or not their sunglasses are the right fit, shaking their heads to make sure.

Before their outing, the twosome posed for an Instagram photo while relaxing together on a couch, which Vanessa captioned: '#BFF.'

Vanessa just joined the cast of Powerless, a DC Comics pilot series, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and she will play the character Emily Locke, an insurance claims adjuster, in the upcoming NBC comedy.

Support system: The starlet has not only been leaning on Stella in the past weeks, but also her best friend of 10 years, Ashley Tisdale, 30

Cheering her up: The former High School Musical cast mates spent Saturday together as the duo shopped and laughed, as seen in a video Ashley posted on her social media

The former Disney star dazzled in last month's live production of Grease on January 31, the day after her father passed away from stage 4 cancer.

'I am so sad to say that last night my daddy, Greg passed away from stage 4 cancer. Thank you to everyone who kept him in your prayers,' Vanessa wrote on Twitter.

Her Grease: Live cast mate, Jordan Fisher spoke to People magazine recently about how Vanessa performed as Rizzo just one day after her father passed away.

Jordan said: 'She handled it like a champ. We're all very proud of her.'

And he added: 'It's never going to be easy and that's the kind of thing that you can't really prepare for regardless of how long the process it. But she's great.'
They were rumoured to have split late last year.

But Diane Kruger and her longtime boyfriend Joshua Jackson were clearly together with arms linked as they stepped out in chilly New York City for a stroll on Monday while wearing matching shades.

They were both bundled up for winter weather with Diane, 39, dressed in a plaid coat and tall boots and Joshua, 37, smartening up his appearance in a zippered wool jacket and driver's cap.

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Looking smart: Joshua Jackson stepped out freshly shaven in Manhattan with long-term girlfriend Diane Kruger on Monday

He's currently starring in a play in NYC called Smart People, which perhaps explained the clean and close shave.

Diane mastered winter elegance in that knee-length checked coat and black leather boots.

She kept her blonde tresses stylishly pulled into a ponytail as she linked arms with her beau of nine years.

Joshua covered his head with a flat cap and kept it simple with blue jeans and brown boots.

In the shades: The 37-year-old actor was rumoured to have split with Diane at the end of last year, as they put on a determined show of unity - donning matching sunglasses

The couple have only previously been seen together in public once this year, after rumours of a split.

At the beginning of February they attended the launch of his off-Broadway play, which is about four clever Harvard intellectuals who grapple with issues of race and identity.

The former Dawson's Creek star stars as a neuroscientist professor at the 2econd Stage Theater.

Stylish: Diane, 39, mastered winter elegance in a knee-length checked coat and black leather boots

All hail: Joshua covered his head with a flat cap and kept it simple with blue jeans and brown boots as he emerged from a New York taxi cab

He's been noticeably absent from her Instagram posts, however Diane has posted a number of cryptic quotes, after reports she was seen in a clinch with Walking Dead star Norman Reedus last December.

The actress, who has been in a relationship with The Affair actor Joshua Jackson since 2006, was 'all over' the 46-year-old actor, fellow bar patrons told The New York Daily News.

Onlookers claim 39-year-old Diane was straddling Norman's lap and kissing him while at the East Village bar.

What's it mean? Diane has posted a number of cryptic quotes, after reports she was seen in a clinch with Walking Dead star Norman Reedus last December including this one 4 weeks ago

Hidden meanings? And a week ago another mysterious quote was shared, which read: 'Things are not always what they seem'

Love-struck: The Bridge star shared this and added: I hate inspirational quotes and yet they can be like cheap wine...hard to resist every once in a while...so I'm sorry...suck it'

Diane, Norman, 46, and Joshua, 37, all recently costarred together in this year's film Sky.

A source close to Diane told DailyMail.com at the time: 'This story is completely fabricated and untrue.'

Diane posted to Instagram earlier this month: 'Men aren't stupid, and you don't need a complicated set of rules to find a good one who loves you. Here's the only rule you need. If a man loves you, he will do anything he can to keep you around. Anything.'

Removed: Joshua was last seen with his distinctive beard intact in December

The Bridge star added: I hate inspirational quotes and yet they can be like cheap wine...hard to resist every once in a while...so I'm sorry...suck it.'

She also posted a picture one month ago of a couple unsure whether to break up or stay together, captioned 'the struggle is real y'all',

And a week ago another mysterious quote, which read: 'Things are not always what they seem.'
She's been catapulted into mainstream fame after being cast as Kylie Minogue's on-screen daughter Madison Robinson in long-running Australian soap Neighbours.

But Sarah Ellen has been a fixture in the world of fashion and social media for over two years now, so her attendance at London Fashion Week is hardly surprising.

The 18-year-old cut a demure figure as she stepped out in monochrome at the after-party for Mulberry Autumn/Winter 2016 in London on Sunday.

Every inch the 'It' girl: Sarah Ellen cut a demure figure as she stepped out in monochrome at the afterparty for Mulberry Autumn/Winter 2016 in London on Sunday

Showing off some of the biggest trends of the upcoming season, the social media starlet donned white, high-waist, wide-leg trousers, into which she tucked a black off-the-shoulder top.

The thin knit featured long bell sleeves and a long slit to reveal her forearms, and she accessorised with a thin black scarf styled as a choker.

Her hair was styled in loose, mermaid-esque waves with a sweeping side-fringe, and opted for subtle makeup of a light smoky eye and a nude pout.

The biggest trends: The social media starlet donned white, high-waist, wide-leg trousers, into which she tucked a black off-the-shoulder top

Keeping it simple: The 18-year-old opted for a natural makeup look with a nude pout

Earlier that day, she had been snapped standing alongside her friend and Australian blogging powerhouse Margaret Zhang before heading into the English designer's runway show.

Sharing the moment with her near-million Instagram followers, the model-cum-actress celebrated the enduring '70s trend in Rachel Zoe's maroon suede midi skirt with fringe detailing.

She paired this with a loose-fitting V-neck blouse with a neck-tie detail.

Sarah completed her look with a pair of over-sized rounded sunglasses by Miu Miu and her hair was styled in loose bohemian waves.

Her first acting role: Sarah has been cast as Kylie Minogue's on-screen daughter Madison Robinson in the long-running Australian soap Neighbours

As the announcement of her first acting role came on Sunday, the 'It' girl received a congratulatory message from Australian pop princess and Ramsay Street alumni, Kylie.

The 47-year-old penned the message via NewsCorp, saying: 'Congratulations on your first acting job Sarah and welcome to the neighbourhood!'

'A lot has changed since I was in Neighbours, but I have no doubt the family spirit of the cast and crew remains the same.

'Have a great time,' she concluded.

'Welcome to the neighbourhood!' Pop queen and former Neighbours star Kylie sent the 'It' girl her congratulations on Sunday




After finding fame on Geordie Shore, Marnie Simpson was never going to be the shy and retiring type.

So when a plethora of reality stars were invited to the opening of new restaurant in Romford, Essex, the curvy brunette knew she would have to go the extra mile to stand out.

The 24-year-old left nothing to the imagination as she arrived at the launch of Lockie's Kitchen in a sheer black dress.

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Sheer daring: Geordie Shore star Marnie Simpson leaves little to the imagination in her black dress, as she arrives at the launch of Lockie's Kitchen in Romford, Essex with Chloe Goodman

Feeling shy? Marnie appeared to be slightly self-conscious as she crossed her arms as she made her way into the party with confident Chloe

As the photographers' flashbulbs went off as the celebrities arrived at The Quadrant Arcade, it was clear to see Marnie had forgoed a bra, with her knickers also clearly visible.

Marnie was just one of a host of stars who attended the opening of TOWIE star James 'Lockie' Lock's new deli.

Joining Marnie at the launch was her pal, former Celebrity Big Brother star Chloe Goodman.

In good company: The 22-year-old was joined by her gal pal Marnie Simpson for their night out in Essex

Girls' night out: Marnie and Chloe were joined by their pal, celebrity love coach Lady Nadia Essex (far left)

Buxom: Chloe certainly looked foxy as she arrived at the Lockie's Kitchen launch on Monday

The brunettes had earlier dined at the Hard Rock Cafe in central London with Chloe's sister Lauryn and their pals Nadia Essex and Chelsea Ferguson.

Chloe opted to slip into a sleeveless plunging leather playsuit which did very well to parade her ample assets.

Standing tall in strapped peep toe heels, Goodman went for full glam with her make-up as she styled her brunette hair in a side parting.

Here come the women in black: The two reality stars both donned eye-popping ensembles for the event

Awkward! Marnie's ex-fiance Ricky Rayment was also in attendance, but have have kept a wide berth from his Geordie Shore ex, who he split from last September

Buxom brunette: Goodman opted to slip into a sleeveless plunging leather playsuit

She's confident: Chloe went for full glam with her makeup as she styled her brunette hair in a side parting

Are you ready for us? The ladies were joined by Chloe's sister Lauryn (far right)

The beauty, who found fame on the MTV dating show Ex on the Beach, completed her look with an envelope clutch bag.

Looking forward to her outing with Marnie, Chloe took to Twitter the previous evening to share her excitement over their reunion.

She tweeted: 'Can't wait to see this one tomorrow @MarnieGShore missed my girl'.

'After all the hard work I am proud': Man of the evening, James Lock looked dapper in a two piece blue suit

Amicable exes: Lock was joined by his former girlfriend Danielle Armstrong at his VIP party

Stylish: The 27-year-old boutique owner wore a khaki dress with ankle boots as she shoulder robed a jacket

The night to celebrate James Lock's restaurant saw many of his TOWIE co-stars come out in support as well as other famous faces from reality television.

The eatery which opened earlier this month is described as the 'healthy alternative to fast food' which tastes as good as it'll make customers feel.

Proud of his new venture, Lock tweeted last week: 'After all the hard work i am proud to announce that @LockiesKitchen with be open this Friday from 8am!!! Alrighttt!' (sic).

Strike a pose: Outside the venue, Danielle was seen taking pictures with Megan McKenna

Their bang on trend: McKenna and Abigail Clarke donned very similar ensembles to the party

Dressing down: Vicky Pattison wore an oversized blazer with printed dress and boots

Date night: Tommy Mallet and girlfriend Georgia Kousoulou were in good spirits as they coordinated their looks

Among the TOWIE stars in attendance was James's on/off girlfriend Danielle Armstrong, who looked bronzed in a khaki shirt dress and ankle boots.

The pair posed up together, no doubt fuelling speculation they may be giving their relationship another try.

There were also a few TOWIE coupes who are definitely 'on', including James 'Diags' Bennewith and Fran Parman; Dan Edgar and Kate Wright; and Tommy Mallet and Georgia Kousoulou.

Out and about: James 'Diags' Bennewith and his leading lady Francesca Parman were all smiles

Hand in hand: Happy couple, Dan Edgar and Kate Wright arrived at the soiree holding hands

Who's your friend? Pete Wicks attended the event with a mystery woman on his arm

Kate, who joined TOWIE last year, showed off her incredible hourglass figure in a black top and trousers, teamed with a black blazer.

Meanwhile, TOWIE hunk Pete Wicks raised eyebrows as he turned up with a mystery woman on his arm.

Flying solo was his co-star Chloe Lewis without her boyfriend Jake Hall, looking stunning in a white blazer, black hotpants and thigh-high boots.

Meanwhile, representing the non-TOWIE world was Marnie's former Geordie Shore co-star Vicky Pattison - who attended with her rumoured beau Alex Cannon - and Miss Great Britain Zara Holland.

Monochrome madam: Chloe Lewis wore a chic white coat with a patterned shirt and thigh high boots

C'mon girls! Danielle, Chloe and Kate were seen leaving the party hand-in-hand

Lovebirds... or just friends? Vicky attended with her rumoured boyfriend Alex Cannon

Beauty queen: Miss Great Britain Zara Holland (right) looked glam in a pink waistcoat-style dress as she arrived with TOWIE star Nicole Bass, who kept it simple in black

Lads: James 'Arg' Argent was in tow as was former TOWIE cast member Daniel Osborne

Remember me? Ex-TOWIE star Abigail Clarke, who left the show in 2014, attended with her pal Junaid Ahmed
He's the proud father of three beautiful children.

So you couldn't blame Karl Stefanovic for getting a little emotional on Tuesday when attending the last primary school father-daughter breakfast with his 11-year-old Ava.

The 41-year-old Today Show host took to social media to share a snap with his middle child as the pair grinned for the camera.

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'Shot pre tissues!' Karl Stefanovic shared an emotional moment with his 11-year-old daughter Ava on Tuesday as they enjoyed her last primary school breakfast together

'Last primary school father-daughter breakfast. Shot pre-tissues,' he wrote in the caption suggesting tears weren't far away.

Such is his commitment to the annual event that he even disappeared in the middle of a broadcast in 2014, after joking that Channel Nine bosses are 'trying to get rid of him'.

The popular TV host posted a cute selfie to his Instagram of him and his daughter, then aged nine, pulling a funny face in her school uniform.

Leaving fans guessing: The 41-year-old disappeared in the middle of a broadcast in 2014 to attend after joking Nine bosses were 'trying to get rid of him'

'Funny face father daughter breakfast day,' Karl wrote in the caption.

It's not the first time Karl has gotten a touch emotional when talking about how fast his children are growing up.

In November last year, the father-of-three shared a photo with his eldest and lookalike son Jackson, who was off to his first school formal.

'Daddy crying': Karl shared another emotional moment with his eldest son Jackson last year before the teen headed off to his first school formal

Twinning in pastel pink, Karl donned an open-collared shirt while son sported the hue in his tie.

Captioning the photo, the popular media personality wrote: 'My little bloke not so little. Off to the school formal. Daddy crying.'

Karl and his wife Cassandra Thornburn have another child, their youngest River is seven.

The happy couple met at a 'Melrose Place party' in the mid-90s, when Cassandra was working with ABC radio in Rockhampton and Karl has just started as a cub reporter for WIN television.
She celebrated her milestone 50th birthday last summer.

But Elizabeth Hurley was looking 10 years younger than her age as she arrived at Los Angeles International airport on Monday, just 24 hours after landing there.

The British actress and model looked stylish but comfortable for her flight ahead in an elegant grey and black ensemble.

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What's her secret? Elizabeth Hurley arrived at LAX on Monday looking stylish and youthful

She showed off her slim figure in skinny leg black jeans which she teamed with a cashmere sweater that clung to every curve.

The glamorous ex-girlfriend of Hugh Grant wore her trademark tousled brunette tresses in voluminous waves.

Adding pink blusher and a hint of lip-gloss, she covered her eyes in tinted Aviator sunglasses, and accessorised with a large leather carry-on bag and designer luggage.

Well-tressed: The glamorous ex-girlfriend of Hugh Grant wore her trademark tousled brunette locks in voluminous waves

Stylish: She showed off her slim figure in skinny leg black jeans, which she teamed with a cashmere sweater that clung to every curve

It was a short and sweet trip to Los Angeles for the beauty, who was seen jetting in from the UK on Sunday.

She's been clocking up the airmiles as she only returned to the UK on Thursday after a half-term break with her son, Damian, at the Spanish resort of Marbella.

And she was clearly missing her 13-year-old - whose father is film producer and businessman Steve Bing - although Elizabeth had to force the 58-year-old to take a paternity test to prove it after they had a brief fling.

Smart traveller: Adding pink blusher and a hint of lip-gloss, she covered her eyes in tinted Aviator sunglasses, and accessorised with a large leather carry-on bag and designer luggage

Ready to fly! The actress and model looked stylish in an elegant grey and black ensemble

She shared an Instagram snap on Monday alongside her son, captioned: 'Mad about the boy @elizabethhurleybeach @lamamouniamarrakech @lipstickkelly @cyrillaloue #pascalchevallier.'

The Estee Lauder's spokesmodel plays Queen Helena in E!'s drama The Royals, about a fictional British royal family set in modern day London.

The Royals premiered on E! on March 15, 2015, as the channel's first original series, and renewed for its third series in January this year.

Close: She shared an Instagram snap on Monday alongside her son, captioned: 'Mad about the boy @elizabethhurleybeach @lamamouniamarrakech @lipstickkelly @cyrillaloue #pascalchevallier'
BROWNING  The town of Browning could be getting an employee back.

During the Glacier County Commissioners meeting Tuesday at Brownings town hall, Alderman Kelly Edwards made a request for the county to pick up an employee so the town would have someone to perform basic functions like getting mail.

Right now nobodys even checking mail, Edwards told the commissioners, who all voted in favor of exploring the option.

In financial straits, Browning considers bankruptcy BROWNING  A note from Browning's mayor to the town's citizens is taped to the front door of

At the end of January, Brownings mayor told the towns seven employees they should look for work elsewhere. By Feb. 1, a sign on the door at town hall said Browning was closed for business until further notice.

The town is broke and has blamed its financial troubles on the Blackfeet Tribe and the tribes Two Medicine Water Co., two entities the town has clashed with for years over management of the water utility that serves residents.

The tribe says the town must accept responsibility for its own poor fiscal management, dismissing the suggestion that the utility dispute caused Brownings problems. The tribe says the town owes it money, a share of water bill collections that Browning agreed to pay so the tribe could pay debts it incurred to build the system that brings water into town.

Over the past two months the towns aldermen have discussed everything from bankruptcy to disincorporation. A vote to start the process of dissolving the town failed at a meeting earlier this month, but without money Browning had to lay off its employees.

The request from the city had come up at several town council meetings, but didn't made its way onto Glacier Countys agenda until Tuesday. Alderman Alan Lukin also attended.

Its come up a couple times before, so I asked them to make a formal presentation so its in the minutes at our meeting, said commission Chairman Mike DesRosier.

The county had already planned to hire a full-time election clerk to work out of Brownings town hall, said Glenda Hall, Glacier Countys clerk and recorder. She suggested that person could also do work for the city. The position would be through November and be paid for from the countys elections budget.

The employee would be supervised by Hall and be employed by Glacier County.

They would have to work on elections to be justifiable out of the elections budget, Hall said. But theyd be here in your office being able to answer questions or help assist people that came in.

Hall said she would work with the Montana Association of Counties to get legal guidance on the arrangement.

The town might be able to pay for part of the position from its tax payment from the state, which is funneled through Glacier County. The county has been holding the citys tax payments  the city has no employees who can deposit the money. Edwards said the towns aldermen can discuss that at their next meeting, scheduled for Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Commissioner Tom McKay said a clerk is needed because people in Browning who live on fee land still want to support the town through tax payments.

There are people on fee land that feel obligated to support the town, he said.

He added that many, including himself, are waiting to find out which utility they should make water payments to.

Im one of those guys, he said. It doesnt matter who I pay as long as I get a court decision so that I know Im doing the right thing.

The tribe and the town have several lawsuits against each other, some over who owns the water system and should collect payments.

Commissioner Ron Rides At The Door said having someone able to access the towns financial information can help speed up a contact the county is trying to put together with Brownings volunteer fire department to pay for their operations.

If we dont do something, whether its a major house fire or with the way these winds have been, if we get a good grassfire out of town here  that leaves too much of a big what if?" Others in the room brought up a recent house fire in town and asked what would happen if the department couldn't respond.

A house burning down is not going to wait for us to get our contractual stuff straightened out, he said.

Rides At The Door said the move is a step in the right direction.

The town of Browning is down but you guys are not out, he said. You get stuck in that mentality that you guys are out, and yes, its going to be exactly that. Every little approach or angle we can take that will help get back off our knees and dust your knees off, we have to do that.
They've made headlines across the world for their wild, hyper-sexualised and out-of-control partying.

And now the stars of UK reality show Geordie Shore are bringing the carnage Down Under - as they flew to Australia this week to promote the 12th series.

Kyle Christie, Nathan Henry and Chloe Etherington were spotting posing for an MTV promo shoot in Sydney on Tuesday - but original cast member Holly Hagan was noticeably absent.

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Where's Holly? Geordie Shore cast members Kyle Christie (left), Chloe Etherington (centre) and Nathan Henry (right) pose for MTV promotional shoot near Surrey Hills in Sydney on Tuesday

A source told Daily Mail Australia that Holly, 23, threw a 'diva tantrum' on Tuesday and decided to skip the planned photo shoot.

The insider revealed: 'Holly wasn't at the shoot because she was acting like a diva and having a tantrum. So the others just went without her.

'Nobody knew exactly what she was upset about, but it was clear she was having a bad day.'

Bad day? Holly - pictured at a charity event in London last year - was 'having a tantrum' and 'acting like a diva' on Tuesday, according to an onlooker, and decided to skip a scheduled photoshoot later in the day

Out and about: Holly recently flew Down Under with her co-stars to promote the 12th series of Geordie Shore, which debuts on MTV next month, but an insider claims she had a emotional moment on Tuesday

Meanwhile, co-star Chloe, 21, looked in good spirits as she posed for snaps with her male pals near Surrey Hills.

She opted for a simple look in a short, black summer dress with matching thongs and wore her raven hair loosely.

Kyle wore in a white tank top and cut-off shorts, along with basketball sneakers and a backwards-facing cap.

Smile for the camera: Kyle, Chloe and Nathan were spotted posing for MTV cameras in Sydney this week

Dressing for comfort: Cast members Chloe (left) and Nathan (right) opted for relaxed ensembles this week

Nathan Henry, who made headlines last year for being the first Geordie Shore cast member to come out as gay, wore a black sleeveless top and blue gym shorts.

While no official reason has been given for Holly's 'tantrum', her stress levels may have been affected by her recent split with on-off boyfriend Kyle.

Earlier this month they were spotted enjoying a night out together in Newcastle, England after going through a period of not speaking to each other.

Three's a crowd: The Geordie Shore cast looked in good spirits - having decided to go ahead with their photo shoot despite co-star Holly's absence

But things seem to have soured once again as the pair frankly discussed their break up during an interview on The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Tuesday.

Holly insisted she wasn't bothered Kyle Christie was seeing other girls, saying: 'I'm over you'.

Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands, 44, then asked when the former couple last slept together - and Holly confirmed it was 'four weeks ago'.

Awkward! Kyle Christie, 23, (left) and Holly (right) spoke frankly about their recent split on The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Tuesday - and she confirmed they last slept together 'four weeks ago'

But things got very awkward when her ex-boyfriend snapped back, 'You've just ruined my new relationship' - strongly hinting that their final encounter overlapped with his latest fling.

He later backpedalled on the remark, however, and denied having a girlfriend, saying: 'No, no, I'm only joking - I haven't really.'

Holly then revealed details of their last romp - claiming she was showing Kyle the results of a non-surgical procedure to tone up her bottom, before one thing led to another and they had sex.

'I'm only joking!' At one point, Kyle said that Holly had 'just ruined (his) relationship' by revealing they had sex just a month ago - but then he backpedalled and said he did not in fact have a new girlfriend

Having the final say: Kyle confirmed he'd split from ex-girlfriend Holly on Twitter during his trip to Australia this week, replying to a follower: 'I assure you I'm single as f**k'

Holly explained: 'I mean it was just meant to be me showing him it...'

'And then all of a sudden he's in it!' quipped co-host Kyle Sandilands.

Geordie Shore returns to MTV on Wednesday March 16 at 9am (Australia) and 11am (New Zealand), with an encore at 9:30pm.
Jackie Collins, who authored 32 bestselling novels including Hollywood Wives and Lucky, died last September of breast cancer at age 77.

The palatial white mansion in Beverly Hills, California where she wrote many of her books has been placed on the market for a cool $30 million.

The late British novelist's touches can be seen throughout the 21,784-square-foot abode from the skylights, screening room, gym, gourmet kitchen and art gallery to the ultra-modern swimming pool, as Page Six reported.

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Life of luxury: The Beverly Hills mansion belonging to the late novelist Jackie Collins has been placed on the market for $30 million

The home features eight bedrooms and a two-story gallery entrance dominated by the gracefully curving staircase, and there is a 100-foot-long gallery extending to the guest quarters.

A master suite affords views of palm trees and the Hollywood Hills just beyond, and the long and modern swimming pool below.

The glamorous quarters has it's own sitting area, an office, his-and-her bathrooms, roomy closets and balconies where one can catch a breath of fresh air.

Hollywood Wives and all that jazz: The British writer - pictured in 2014 - passed away in September of last year from breast cancer at age 77

Artistic design: Jackie told the WSJ that the home's design was inspired by a David Hockney painting she'd spotted in London called A Bigger Splash

Dramatic: The 21,784-square-foot abode includes a sweeping staircase and two-story gallery

Master suite: Collins' own private quarters included a bedroom with amazing views of the Hollywood Hills and a sitting room, office and his-and-her baths

The master bathroom features a stylish glass and marble shower, vanity table and a bathtub that begs one to come soak a while.

The screening room is spacious and can seat 12 with upholstered armchairs - and there are cup holders too.

Jackie's five writing desks are also included in the home, according to Page Six.

Getting ready here will take longer than a minute: The Hers bathroom includes a glass and marble shower, vanity table and inviting tub

Writing room with a view: One of the two studies where Jackie wrote her bestselling tomes featured wide windows and a balcony where one could take a breather

Room for more: This is just one of the luxurious-looking eight bedrooms

As Collins told the Wall Street Journal in 2014, she did the bulk of her writing either in the study off her bedroom or in the one beside the gym.

The whole concept of the home was inspired by a David Hockney painting she'd seen in London called A Bigger Splash.

'In 1989, my husband, Oscar [Lerman], and I visited an art gallery in London, where we saw Mr. Hockneys A Bigger Splash,' Jackie told the WSJ.

Long walk: A 100-foot-long gallery leads to an equally plush guest room

Lights, camera, action: A screening room allows the owner to sit down and relax with a few 'lucky' friends

It's a wrap: The home was built around the modern-looking rectangular swimming pool

'I couldnt take my eyes off the pool and fell in love with the clean lines, suspended splash and overall tranquility.

'Within days, I was sketching a design for a new home that wrapped around a pool based on the one in the painting.'

Jackie was married twice - first to Wallace Austin from 1960 to 1964 and then to Oscar Lerman from 1966 until his death in 1992.

She was engaged to Frank Calcangnini from 1994 until his death in 1998.

Her famous novel Hollywood Wives was published in 1983 and put her on a par with elder sister Joan Collins, whose own career had enjoyed a resurgence thanks to Dynasty.
He's watched them wretch and groan their way through gruesome bush tucker trials.

But on Tuesday it was host Dr Chris Brown's turn to sample some of the jungle's most wretched delicacies on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

The presenter was left cowering over after eating from a can of fermented herring that contestants Laurina Fleure, Jo Beth Taylor, Shane Warne and Val Lehman had passed up.

Taking one for the team: Dr Chris Brown vomited after eating some fermented herring on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

In a video released ahead of the episode on Tuesday afternoon, the foursome reject the dish which, if eaten, would have won them food for the rest of the camp.

Repulsed by its pungent odor and the flies swarming it, each of the contestants individually waved it away before Dr Chris stepped in.

Prompted by co-host Julia Morris, the 37-year-old brazenly spooned out a healthy helping to sample to the horror of the celebrities watching on.

Without sound he swallowed the fish but quickly made his way out of view and was later heard vomiting, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Tough time: The 37-year-old boldly ate the dish which all of the other contestants had passed over

Introducing the dish, he is said to have told contestants: 'It is a Scandinavian dish and being 1/16th Swedish I feel quite attached to this one. I love it.'

In a teaser clip shared by Network Ten however he is seen struggling to digest the delicacy, with Julia heard shouting: 'Doctor down!'.

The food was paraded in front of contestants, all of whom rejected it without hesitation.

Former Bachelor star Laurina described it as 'offensive' while Shane fumed: 'That is so gross. (I) can't do it man.'

Next week radio stars Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald and Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli will enter the jungle to lay on a series of challenges for the stars.

Up for it: Dr Chris got stuck in to the food during Monday's bush tucker trial in the South African jungle

No thanks: Laurina Fleure, Jo Beth Taylor, Val Lehman and Shane Warne all passed up the delicacy

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday, Fitzy said he was excited but worried about confronting 31-year-old Laurina.

'I have a fear of Laurina. When she gets her back up she can probably be as venomous as a taipan snake,' he said.

'She has been a bit scary to watch,' he added, reassuring he will be trying his best to stay on her good side while in camp.
Monday was a day of celebration, laughter, good food and poignant memories.

The Kardashian-Jenner family gathered together for a sit-down Armenian-style dinner to commemorate what would have been the late Robert Kardashian's 72nd birthday.

And everyone, from Kris to Kylie, made sure their social media followers were keeping up as they posted details from the elaborate affair.

See Kris Jenner news as Kardashians gather for Armenian-style dinner in honour of Robert

Sumptuous dinner: Kris Jenner hosted an Armenian-style dinner for her family at her Calabasas, CA mansion on Monday to commemorate the 72nd birthday of her ex-husband, the late Robert Kardashian

The 60-year-old family matriarch hosted the dinner on the cabana of her Calabasas, California mansion with her daughters Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie helping to make it the special occasion it deserved.

Even Kris' boyfriend Corey Gamble was among the celebrants.

Kim went around the table with her video camera, commenting on all the exquisite dishes.

'My first love': The day had been filled with an outpouring of loving tributes from Rob Sr.'s children and stepchildren, like this one from daughter Kourtney

Almost ready: Kris' daughters helped her arrange the platters of food that included stuffed vine leaves, hummus and pita bread, bulgur wheat and rice dishes and baklava pastry

Someone to watch over me: Kylie hugged her mom Kris during the celebration

The sumptuous buffet spread included such traditional dishes as stuffed vine leaves, hummus and pita bread, bulgur wheat and rice dishes, Armenian string cheese and baklava pastry.

Kris set out her fine china - white with a delicate grey border design - and gleaming silverware, cloth napkins and chic wine goblets.

Squat white candles were placed down the center of the stone table and comfy pillows were planted on the backs of some of the chairs.

Beautiful: Everything had been beautifully arranged by Kris with her daughters' help of course

Foodie of the family: Kylie gorged on a delicious slice of baklava

Good to eat: The youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan was thoroughly enjoying the dessert

That was nice: Kourtney was feeling good by the end of the evening as she shared another touching post, 'Blessed and magical night'

The meal was a success, judging by the hostess' Instagram share that showed what remained of the gourmet fare.

Kris also poked some fun at her granddaughter Penelope, who apparently came dressed up as Anna from Frozen.

'You know it's been a good night when you've finished your family dinner and you realize Elsa's sister Anna left her hair behind. #penelope #frozen #magicalnight,' Kris wrote alongside the snap.

'I know you are with me': Kourtney posted a poignant message about her father on his birthday

'I miss you!' Khloe called Robert Sr. 'the best man I've ever known' and added sweetly, 'Happy birthday daddy. I miss you! I miss you! I miss you! Man... I wish we had more pictures together'

'You have been my guardian angel': Kim posted her own heartfelt Instagram post in honour of her dad

'SAINT WEST': The mom-of-two chose her father's birthday to share the first picture of her and Kanye West's two-month-old son

Kylie, obviously the foodie of the family, gorged on delicious baklava in one Snapchat share.

The family posted one tribute after another to show how much Robert Sr. meant to them.

Kourtney's message was poignant and sweet: 'Happy birthday to my favorite man in the world who taught me everything. I know you are with me but I wish I could hug you. I love you Daddy.'

'Happy Birthday dad!' Kim wrote. 'So much has gone on in our lives since you've been gone, and I know you have been my guardian angel seeing it all unfold! I love you and miss you so much!'

See the resemblance? Kylie also posted a picture of her brother Rob with their dad Rob Sr, writing: 'Rob [her brother] is a spitting image of his dad. I love this pic... Happy Birthday Robert'

Father and son: Rob Jr. shared a touching picture of him with his dad

'We miss you': Kendall got in on the bittersweet tweets and shared this picture of her and Kylie with their stepdad Rob Kardashian whose relationship with Kris remained amiable even after their divorce

Kim also chose her father's birthday to share the first picture of her and Kanye's two-month-old son that showed him sleeping in a cream-coloured onesie with his arms raised up and eyes closed.

'SAINT WEST,' the proud mama wrote.

Khloe posted a picture of her with her dad, writing: 'To the best man I've ever known, happy birthday daddy. I miss you! I miss you! I miss you! Man... I wish we had more pictures together.'

Although Robert Sr. wasn't their biological father, Kendall and Kylie Jenner remembered him with fondness. He and Kris had an amiable relationship after their divorce.

'We miss you!' Kendall wrote alongside a picture of her and sister Kylie with Robert.

Facing up: Kourtney also shared a selfie on Monday, showing off her flawless complexion
She spoke briefly about her difficult childhood during her appearance on the third series of The Bachelor Australia.

And now Heather Maltman has given further details into her tough childhood as she admitted she sometimes lived in cars and had to go to school hungry.

Speaking to Newscorp while paying a visit to an orphanage in South Africa, the reality star explained: There were days I went to school with no food, dirty uniforms and that whole bit [sic] because there was no food and no money to buy food.

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Hard times: Heather Maltman has given further details into her tough childhood as she admitted sometimes lived in cars and had to go to school without food

The 29-year-old continued: We grew up in a lot of housing commission houses.

'We moved over 16 times before I was 12 and that doesnt include living in cars, caravans and sometimes, not even that, closer to being on the street like homeless.

The hardest part is people didnt want to get involved because they knew that if they got involved, theyd have to look deeper into why this was happening and they didnt want to do that.

Heather explained that she felt she could relate to some of what the children at the Seeds of Light orphanage and drop in centre have experienced, thanks to her own experiences.

Tough memories: Heather made the revelation during a visit to an orphanage in South Africa as she explained, There were days I went to school with no food, dirty uniforms because there was no money to buy food

Understanding: Heather explained that she felt she could relate to some of what the children at the Seeds of Light orphanage and drop in centre have gone through thanks to her own experiences

But the Im A Celebrity. Get Me Out Of Here! host was keen to point out that she knew her own tough childhood did not compare to the struggles of those she met at the orphanage.

The aspiring actress had previously revealed how living without money led to her being bullied in high school as she told New Weekly: I grew up in a little town in Queensland and I was bullied heavily because I didnt have any money.

I had to start taking care of myself from a really, really young age, and I think most kids look at kids like me, and go shes weird, or, she doesnt have this or that.

Fortunate: But the Im A Celebrity. Get Me Out Of Here! host was keen to point out that she knew her own tough childhood did not compare to the struggles of those she met at the orphanage

She added: I was bullied in primary and high school. I was bullied my whole life.

During her time on The Bachelor, Heather revealed she never had the traditional family home as she told Sam Wood ahead of the home visits: 'I don't have a family home, just two parents sitting there chatting to a guy and I've never had that before.

And during the home visits she took Sam to the place where her late fathers ashes were spread before opening up further about her relationship with her father.

Guarded: During her time on The Bachelor, Heather revealed she never had the traditional family home as she told Sam Wood ahead of the home visits, ' I've never had that before

Sweet moment: During the home visits Heather took Sam to the place where her late fathers ashes were spread before opening up further about her relationship with her father

Sitting Sam down in her special spot, she explained: I grew up with my mum and my dad was around when I was young for a little bit.

'I went searching for him at 18 and the only way I can explain it is, before meeting him I made no sense, but as soon as I met him I made sense.

But then he got sick soon after we met and passed away and it was in that time that I grew the most as a person.
As the star of the show he was surely expecting to be the main attraction.

But new girl Neve Campbell left Kevin Spacey in the shade at the grand premiere of House Of Cards in Washington on Monday.

The 42-year-old former ballerina certainly seemed to be relishing every moment as she posed for all is worth for the excited photographers at the glittering event at the National Portrait Gallery.

Campbell's superb: Neve stole the show by showing off her toned legs at the House Of Cards premiere in Washington DC on Monday

The unusual venue was chosen as a unique portrait of Kevin's unscrupulous President Francis J. Underwood was being unveiled there as a publicity stunt promoting the new season.

And Neve was certainly looking as pretty as a picture in a right black top, though it was her red skirt, which was cunningly twinned with strappy high heels to draw attention to her dancer's pins that really caught the eye.

The saucy Scots-Canadian actress was certainly in demand at the event, with co-star Michael Kelly grabbing a picture with her before they took part in a cast shot.

Neve, who is playing an important member of Frank's estranged wife's staff on the show, certainly helped make up for the fact the show's resident glamour girl Robin Wright failed to show up.

Pretty as a picture: Perhaps Netflix were too hasty in having Kevin Spacey's painting hung at the National Portrait Gallery

In demand: The show's newest star was getting asked plenty of question on the red carpet

Taking the Michael: Kelly made sure he muscled in for a photograph with his glamorous new costar

Yin and yang: Elizabeth Marvel opted for a black ensemble while Tanis Parenteau wore white

But while Neve added the all-important dash of feminine charm to the night, show star Kevin Spacey was the one being honoured at the grand event.

And the macho 56-year-old certainly looked the part in a blue blazer, opened necked shirt, grey trousers and trainers.

He wore the satisfied look of a man whose fictional U.S. chief executive, the driving force behind all the drama in Netflix's political show, was to be unveiled Monday night.

Spacey man: Kevin was undoubtedly the star of the show and had dressed to impress

Hollywood glamour: The Oscar-winner added a special cachet to the exciting event

Jolly foursome: Kevin and Neve teamed up with Nathan Darrow and Paul Sparks

The portrait is a joint project between British artist Jonathan Yeo and the Smithsonian museum, and will be on public display from Wednesday through October.

A Yeo portrait depicting Kevin as Shakespeare's Richard III was part of a retrospective of the artist's work at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

In a move that the savvy Underwood would appreciate, the Washington unveiling was timed to the series' fourth-season debut on March 4.

He has always seemed to remain one step ahead of his enemies, but the walls appear to be closing in fast on President Frank Underwood, and it seems his House Of Cards may even tumble in the next season.

No oil painting: But Kevin still looked like he was relishing each and every moment next to his portrait

Art thou my muse: Artist Jonathan Yeo had previously depicted the macho actor as Shakespeare's Richard III

Girl power: It was gallery director Kim Sajet who made Kevin and Jonathan's dream come true

In tumultuous scenes in the most recent teaser trailer, which included Kevin Spacey's sleazy politician character getting straddled by a scantily clad young woman, he lashed out at the seeming architect of his downfall, his estranged wife Claire.

He hissed at his ex, who left him at the end of the last season, 'We had a future until you started destroying it.'

The latest season looks set to include espionage, seduction and even a murderous confrontation.

In other words, it is very much business as usual, with a twist, as the forthcoming season will take place during Frank's campaign for presidential reelection.

Sadly missed: Fans of Robin Wright's endless legs were disappointed that she did not attend the event

Straight from the Bill Clinton playbook: Frank was mounted by a scantily clad young woman in the most recent House Of Cards trailer
Sam Frost's romance with her man Sasha Mielczarek is going from strength to strength and it seems her relationship with her potential mother-in-law is too.

Radio star Sam on Tuesday, gushed about Sasha's mother Kym on Instagram as she shared a tribute for her birthday.

The former Bachelorette posted a picture of herself hugging Kym, while Sasha, his stepfather and brother Jedd bunch in for a snap.

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Fitting in: Sam Frost on Tuesday gushed about Sasha Mielczarek's mother Kym on Instagram as she shared a tribute for her birthday. Sam is seen here (from L to R) with Jedd, Sasha, Kym and Sasha's step father

'Happy Birthday to my second mum (sic),' Sam began her photo caption.

'Bowral dinner date with the fam (sic). Love you,' it continued.

Sasha also shared a tribute to his mother on Instagram on Tuesday, showing her on a new bicycle with a gold pom pom on the handle, presumably a present for her birthday.

Sweet: Sasha also shared a sweet tribute to his mother on Instagram on Tuesday, sharing a picture of her on a new bicycle

Sasha captioned the snap: 'Happy birthday to my beautiful mother! If I could be half the person you are, I'd be a very happy man....Love you all the world Ma [sic],' before adding the hashtag 'mother of the year, every year.'

Sam and Sasha, who found love on last year's reality dating series, appear to have joined Sasha's family back in Bowral where they live, with Bowral being located out of Sydney and in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

They were also there over Valentine's Day, with Sasha sharing a selfie of himself with his girl online when he wished her a happy Valentine's Day.

Going strong: Sasha shared a selfie of himself with his girl online when he wished her a happy Valentine's Day

Earlier this month, Sasha said the pair were hoping to move in together later this year.

The hunky construction manager spoke to The Motherish and revealed their plans to set up house together.

'I'm still down at the South Coast and obviously Sam is in Sydney for her radio...It's not in the near future but it is close. We're probably looking at April-May, mid-year type thing. It's exciting,' he said.
They've each carved out a highly successful career in tinsel town, with performances in critically acclaimed roles and blockbuster hits alike.

But on Monday evening Jake Gyllenhaal and his older-sister Maggie put aside work commitments and A-list soirees for a spot of quality time together - enjoying a low-key meal in new York together.

The 35-year-old Southpaw actor and his 37-year-old sibling looked pleased to be spending an evening together, sharing a smile and joke as they strolled around Manhattan's Upper East Side.

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Quality time: On Monday evening Jake Gyllenhaal and his older-sister Maggie put aside work commitments and A-list soirees for a spot of quality time together - enjoying a low-key meal in new York together

Braving the plunging temperatures in the city, the two movie stars wrapped up warm and opted to take a quiet walk through the luxurious area following a meal at a restaurant.

Deep in conversation, Jake and Maggie appeared to be catching up with one another while a lull in their respective schedules allowed it.

Maggie - who has been working in New York on her latest project, mini-series Deuce - cut a casually chic figure in a warm furry jacket and denim jeans.

Clearly prepared for the bitter bite of the evening wind, the Batman: The Dark Knight star donned a cosy furry white jacket, which she wore over a jazzy print shirt.

Hanging out: The 35-year-old Southpaw actor and his 37-year-old sibling looked pleased to be spending an evening together, sharing a smile and joke as they strolled around Manhattan's Upper East Side

Keeping to her stylish yet casual theme, the Oscar-nominated star slipped into a pair of blue denim jeans.

Rounding her look off, she wore a pair of oxblood leather boots, which while a practical choice, also gave the actress' look a slick and dressed-up edge; completing her look by accessorising with a black handbag.

The striking actress wore a minimal palette of make-up, adding a bold flash of colour to her look with a flash of purple lipstick, while she wore her dark locks swept into a side-parting.

Jake similarly opted for a smart yet casual vibe with his wardrobe, donning a dark blazer, white shirt, denim jeans and scuffed leather shoes.

The Nightcrawler star also appeared to be keen to wrap-up against the cold, as he also sported a dark quilted jacket and a grey beanie.

The siblings were accompanied on their evening out by a male friend, who joined the pair for a meal at one of the Big Apple's many eateries, before the trio made their way onto their next port of call in a cab.
Stephanie Davis and Jeremy McConnell's relationship is the gift that keeps on giving and they ensured to keep fans hooked to the saga that is their love story on Tuesday.

The Celebrity Big Brother love birds continued to plaster details about their personal lives on social media in an attempt to silence their critics once and for all.

Stephanie, 22, gloated about the tattooed Irish man by posting a bottom-naked photo of him just minutes before he shared a defiant statement in which he insisted the couple 'are very happy'.

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The saga continues: Stephanie Davis gloated about her boyfriend Jeremy McConnell as he insisted the couple are 'very happy' in a defiant statement, posted on their respective Twitter accounts on Tuesday

The former Hollyoaks actress stunned her Twitter followers when she uploaded an image which depicted the 26-year-old, lying on his front completely naked.

A plate full of cooked breakfast rested on his heavily-inked back while the whole of his underwear-less bottom was visible.

'Breakfast in bed,' she captioned it, alongside a heart Emoji.

What's the crack? Stephanie, 22, posted this especially raunchy photo, showing her 26-year-old boyfriend's completely naked bottom, as she boasted about having breakfast in bed

'We are very happy': The Irish model insisted as he posted this defiant statement, moments after Stephanie's latest photo upload, in an attempt to set the record straight and silence the pair's relationship critics once and for all

Four minutes later, Jeremy posted a screenshot of a typed up note in which he hoped to set the record straight about the current status of his and Stephanie's relationship.

It read: 'Just letting people know, me and Steph are fine. We are very happy we both have mad schedules. It's my job to go on a personal appearance and get pictures with girls.

'Steph comes and stays in hotel with me. We trust each other and love each other. Sadly the media twist alot of stuff which puts pressure on. Thanks for all the support :).'

The latest twist in the tale follows on from Jeremy's revelation that he and Stephanie had split on Monday.

'Me and Jez are still very much together': The former Hollyoaks actress wrote on Twitter, hours after the model claimed they'd split

They were due to make their first joint television appearance on Loose Women but pulled out last minute with the model telling MailOnline via his spokesperson: 'Jeremy won't be able to go on Loose Women with Steph today.

'He cares really deeply for Steph however the pressure of the relationship was just too much, he really wishes it could have worked out and he wishes Steph the very best for the future.'

Fans were left deeply confused as hours later, the Liverpudlian took to Twitter with a contradictory announcement.

'Me and jez are still very much together. We're working around schedules to be with eachoteher. I'm madly in love with him. Thanks for... All of the support though. Means a lot (sic),' she wrote.

That same night Jeremy and Stephanie were the picture of love's young dream as he shared a candid bed selfie which showed him kissing her on the cheek.

'Cool story bro,' he captioned the image posted on his Twitter account before heading out in Leeds to celebrate his birthday.
The Kardashian-Jenner family came together on Monday to celebrate the life of late patriarch Robert Kardashian on what would have been his 72nd birthday.

And as the group sat down for a large, Armenian-style dinner, even Kourtney Kardashian's estranged boyfriend Scott Disick showed up to commemorate the occasion.

The 32-year-old had previously been reportedly partying it up in New York City during Fashion Week, but in a Snapchat shared by Kylie Jenner, he looked to be in good health as he joined the family for the special evening.

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Back on track? Following a week of wild partying in New York City, Kourtney Kardashian's estranged boyfriend Scott Disick looked to be in good health as he joined the family at dinner to honor the late Robert Kardashian

The 18-year-old posted a short clip on her wildly popular Snapchat account to show off the tantalizing spread from Carousel, Robert's favorite restaurant.

And right before it ends Scott can be seen walking onscreen from the left side, seemingly ready to place his glass down by his seat at the table.

Kourtney, 36, can be seen standing behind him, with her back to the camera, holding their youngest son Reign on her hip as Mason, six, runs by and Penelope, three, is almost completely hidden by her mother, as she stands by in her shimmery, blue Frozen dress.

Scott looked to be in good health, dressing casually for the family affair in a long-sleeved, loose-fitting tan T-shirt.

See Kourtney Kardashian news as ex Scott Disick joins the Kardashian family for dinner

Family man: The father-of-three was spotted getting ready to sit down to dinner as his ex held their one-year-old son Reign a few feet away

He coupled that with a pair of fitted dark trousers and coordinating boots as he showed off what looked to be a more kempt appearance for the family dinner.

Meanwhile, it was recently reported that Scott had once again fallen off the wagon, partying the night away on Wednesday, staying out until 5am with a mystery blonde.

And TMZ reported that the star was 'drinking the entire night' as he partied with Fetty Wap last Tuesday.

Admiring the spread: Kylie Jenner caught a glimpse of Scott with his family as she shared this quick post to Snapchat to capture the beautiful family dinner in honor of what would have been the late Robert's 72nd birthday

According to the gossip site, recovering alcoholic Scott partied hard, 'throwing back beers' and raising concerns that he could jeopardize the child custody arrangement he has with ex Kourtney.

Last October, Scott checked into Cliffside Malibu - $73K/month rehab facility. It was the fourth time Disick - who was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning in 2014 - had sought treatment for his hard-partying antics.

However, during Kylie's Snapchat the star seemed to be looking much better, and his appearance at the dinner was likely a good sign.

Working on it: Scott and Kourtney (pictured in May) ended their nine-year relationship this past summer but remain on friendly terms

Almost ready: Kris Jenner's daughters helped her arrange the platters of food that included stuffed vine leaves, hummus and pita bread, bulgur wheat and rice dishes and baklava pastry

And during sister Kim's livestream on her website/app, Kourtney even happily showed off Scott's plate full of food, joking that it was 'fit for a Lord.'

Scott and Kourtney ended their nine-year relationship this past summer but remain on friendly terms.

Others present at the elaborate dinner - put on by 60-year-old family matriarch Kris Jenner on the cabana of her Calabasas, California mansion - include her daughters, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie, as well as her boyfriend Corey Gamble.

Kim went around the table with her video camera, commenting on all of the exquisite dishes.

'My first love': The day had been filled with an outpouring of loving tributes from Rob Sr.'s children and stepchildren, like this one from daughter Kourtney

'Magical night' Kris shared this photo after the family's feast, joking: 'You know it's been a good night when you've finished your family dinner and you realize Elsa's sister Anna left her hair behind. #penelope #frozen'

Someone to watch over me: Kylie hugged her mom Kris during the celebration

The sumptuous buffet spread included such traditional dishes as stuffed vine leaves, hummus and pita bread, bulgur wheat and rice dishes, Armenian string cheese and baklava pastry.

Kris set out her fine china - white with a delicate grey border design - and gleaming silverware, cloth napkins and chic wine goblets.

Squat white candles were placed down the center of the stone table and comfy pillows were planted on the backs of some of the chairs.

Beautiful: Everything had been beautifully arranged by Kris with her daughters' help of course

Foodie of the family: Kylie gorged on a delicious slice of baklava

Good to eat: The youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan was thoroughly enjoying the dessert

That was nice: Kourtney was feeling good by the end of the evening as she shared another touching post, 'Blessed and magical night'

The meal was a success, judging by the hostess' Instagram share that showed what remained of the gourmet fare.

Kris also poked some fun at her granddaughter Penelope, who apparently came dressed up as Anna from Frozen.

'You know it's been a good night when you've finished your family dinner and you realize Elsa's sister Anna left her hair behind. #penelope #frozen #magicalnight,' Kris wrote alongside the snap.

'I know you are with me': Kourtney posted a poignant message about her father on his birthday

'I miss you!' Khloe called Robert Sr. 'the best man I've ever known' and added sweetly, 'Happy birthday daddy. I miss you! I miss you! I miss you! Man... I wish we had more pictures together'

'You have been my guardian angel': Kim posted her own heartfelt Instagram post in honor of her dad

'SAINT WEST': The mom-of-two chose her father's birthday to share the first picture of her and Kanye West's two-month-old son

Kylie, obviously the foodie of the family, gorged on delicious baklava in one Snapchat share.

The family posted one tribute after another to show how much Robert Sr. - who passed away from cancer in 2003 - meant to them.

Kourtney's message was poignant and sweet: 'Happy birthday to my favorite man in the world who taught me everything. I know you are with me but I wish I could hug you. I love you Daddy.'

'Happy Birthday dad!' Kim wrote. 'So much has gone on in our lives since you've been gone, and I know you have been my guardian angel seeing it all unfold! I love you and miss you so much!'

See the resemblance? Kylie also posted a picture of her brother Rob with their dad Rob Sr, writing: 'Rob [her brother] is a spitting image of his dad. I love this pic... Happy Birthday Robert'

Father and son: Rob Jr. shared a touching picture of him with his dad

'We miss you': Kendall got in on the bittersweet tweets and shared this picture of her and Kylie with their stepdad Rob Kardashian whose relationship with Kris remained amiable even after their divorce

Kim also chose her father's birthday to share the first picture of her and Kanye's two-month-old son that showed him sleeping in a cream-colored onesie with his arms raised up and eyes closed.

'SAINT WEST,' the proud mama wrote.

Khloe posted a picture of her with her dad, writing: 'To the best man I've ever known, happy birthday daddy. I miss you! I miss you! I miss you! Man... I wish we had more pictures together.'

Although Robert Sr. wasn't their biological father, Kendall and Kylie Jenner remembered him with fondness. He and Kris had an amiable relationship after their divorce.

'We miss you!' Kendall wrote alongside a picture of her and sister Kylie with Robert.

Facing up: Kourtney also shared a selfie on Monday, showing off her flawless complexion
American Indian hunters near Gardiner are shooting elk as the animals leave Yellowstone National Park  and local residents are furious.

Were pretty upset with the Native Americans shooting elk right now, said Pat Hoppe, a Gardiner retiree. The Nez Perce just opened up on the elk. I dont know what they got. The numbers range from 20 to 50 elk.

Most of the hunting is taking place near Jardine Road and Little Creek Road. Hoppe said. Four different tribes have treaty rights established in 1855 that allow them to hunt just north of Yellowstone National Park near Gardiner.

Bison are whats mostly hunted by the tribes and others. This year, bison killed by tribal and nontribal hunters number at least 360.

The tribes with hunting rights include the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana, the Nez Perce and Shoshone-Bannock tribes of Idaho, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon.

Contacted by The Gazette on Monday, the Nez Perce would not speak on the record about their treaty rights.

This years tribal hunting season has been contentious, said state Rep. Alan Redfield, R-Livingston, who was driving to Gardiner on Monday for a town hall meeting at Gardiner School. The Monday meeting was Redfields second in four days concerning the tribal hunt.

Representatives from the tribes met Friday with federal and state officials for a meeting Redfield said mostly dealt with safety concerns about the hunt. Hunters have shot across the highway, toward buildings and people. At one point a game warden had to jump behind a truck to avoid being shot, Redfield said.

When the subject of the elk came up, the tribes are adamant they had the right to hunt the animals, Redfield said.

The Salish-Kootenai had eight of 10 tribal council members there, Redfield said. They pretty much said, Hey, its our treaty rights and were going to keep them.'

Sam Sheppard, a regional supervisor for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said there have been 50 or more elk killed by tribal hunters this season with 10 killed over the weekend. Sheppard referred all questions to Mike Volesky, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' chief of staff. Volesky did not respond to phone calls.

Redfield said he has suggested officials expand the area where the tribal hunt takes place, which would take some of the pressure off the animals.

The health of the elk population has been an issue this year, with FWP officials cutting back the weeks and the number of licenses available to nontribal hunters. Those cutbacks were made out of concern that the number of bulls available to populate the elk herd has fallen too low.

Hoppe said the tribal hunters should have to follow similar rules to protect the elk population.
Scout Willis once walked topless around New York to highlight what she saw as censorship double standards for nudity.

And now the 24-year-old is breaking the next big taboo - showing off her body hair in a new Instagram snap.

The daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore shared a revealing selfie on Monday in which she predominately featured her tight tummy - and an armpit full of hair.

'Feeling grateful to live in California again and get to dress like this in February,' she wrote in the caption. 'Bless. Good to be home.'

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That's a hairy situation! Scout Willis showed off her unshaven armpit and toned tummy in a selfie shared on Monday

The up-and-coming fashion designer lounged comfortably in an unmade bed, where an acoustic metal guitar also sat.

She wore an off-white eyelet crop top and a pair of cosy leggings to match.

While revealing, her outfit was nothing compare to 2014, when she hopped onboard the #FreeTheNipple bandwagon with a topless stroll around New York.

Making a point about the censorship of women's bodies on social media platforms such as Instagram, she then shared her snaps online.

Family first: The starlet attended Saint Laurent At The Palladium in Hollywood in February 2016

While her sister Rumer, 27, is busy making a name for herself in the acting world, Scout is currently paving a path in the fashion industry.

The starlet wrote on Twitter in August that she is 'so beyond excited' to announce the launch of her first collection for her fashion line, which will be called Scout's General.

Last week, Scout showcased the Fall/Winter 2016 collection during New York Fashion Week at Tiny's & The Bar Upstairs.

Sheer thing! Willis took the plunge in a sheer mini dress that exposed her ruby red bra and underskirt

'This season is really focused on things that wouldnt just look good on superskinny fashion girls,' Scout told the New York Times.

'I want it to be really affordable, really wearable, but also look really luxurious and nice.'

Speaking with Refinery29, the budding designer explained that she once worked as an interned for iconic pop designer Jeremy Scott out of his home's garage.

It's here! Willis shared a glimpse of her Fashion Week presentation on Instagram last week, with a snap captioned, 'Today is the day! #ScoutsGeneral'

'I was lucky enough when I was a host student in Paris to go to a Jeremy Scott show. This was, way, way, way back.

'And then after that, I needed an internship and he needed an intern, so it coalesced - this was when he was still working out of his house in West Hollywood, so I was just cutting patterns for him in his garage,' she explained.

Scout is set to launch an online shop in the fall for not just her clothing, but also for other vintage wears and items, according to the New York Times.

'Make it more a lifestyle...Kind of like a general store,' she told the publication.

'Save the date': The rising fashion designer revealed some details about the Fall/Winter presentation of her new line last week on Instagram
Megan Gale is to join Australia's Next Top Model as a permanent judge, replacing her friend Charlotte Dawson two years after her death.

The 40-year-old will join her old rival Jennifer Hawkins and veteran judge Alex Perry on the Fox 8 show, appearing on screens in the 10th series later this year.

The news comes almost two years to the day since the Charlotte's death.

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New role: Megan Gale (above) is to join Australia's Next Top Model as a permanent judge, replacing her friend Charlotte Dawson two years after her death

Confirming her position on Wednesday, Megan said: 'Ive loved working on the show in a guest capacity over the years and to now join the series as a permanent judge is both an honour and a privilege.

'I look forward to working with the girls and sharing some of my own experiences about what it takes to be a successful working model.'

Producers held back from replacing Charlotte last series, instead drafting in string of guest judges each week.

Megan, who was recently announced as the face of Tourism New Zealand, was among stars who made an appearance.

Entertainment: She will join host Jennifer Hawkins, designer Alex Perry and guest judges Cheyenne Tozzi and Didier Cohen on the popular show

Her appointment on the judging panel means she will join old fashion rival Jennifer Hawkins.

The pair, who are ambassadors for rival department stores Myer and David Jones, have long been pitted against one another in the industry.

According to sources close to the show, producers felt it the right time to secure another permanent judge.

'They made the right choice in having guest judges for the last season. It was the right way to go. But enough water has passed under the bridge I think and ultimately the show does have to go on,' a source told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday.

Friends: Charlotte and Megan were close friends and worked side by side in the industry for some 20 years. They are seen above together with Alex Perry in 2011

'With Jen as host and Megan there as permanent judge you've got the two biggest names in the fashion & modelling worlds together in the one podium,' they added, pointing to the pair's seemingly resolved competition.

Foxtels Executive Director of Television Brian Walsh told of his excitement at bringing her on board, adding: 'Its fantastic to be welcoming Megan back to Foxtel.

'Securing her expertise as a judge on Australias Next Top Model is a massive coup for the show and her presence on the panel will create a very diverse dynamic.

'She brings a wealth of international experience as a model who has carved out an undeniably successful career, and her longevity within the industry is something most models can only dream about.'

Megan and Charlotte were close friends before the 47-year-old's death in 2014.

She led mourners at a memorial service held in her memory shortly afterwards, putting on a sombre display as she was mentioned in eulogies delivered by family and friends.

Rivalry: Megan joins the show as a permanent fixture, bringing her and rival Jennifer together on a project for the first time in years. Above, they are seen in 2006

Burying the hatchet? Megan appeared as a guest judge on the last series of the show, putting on a friendly display with Alex and Jennifer (above)

Appearing in the ninth series as a guest judge, Megan told of wanting to help the contestants in their pursuits of stardom.

'Being guest judge it was really about just trying to help the girls and give them as much advice as I could.

'I wish when I was starting out in their position that I had someone that had been in the industry for 20 years and say "hey I'm here to help you"',' she said.

Close: Following Charlotte's death in 2014, Myer ambassador Jennifer said she was 'irreplaceable' on the show

Star: Charlotte appeared in six series of the show alongside friend Alex Perry and Jennifer Hawkins who joined in 2013

Popular: Contestants and viewers warmed to Charlotte's style of judging and mentoring on the show

Megan and Charlotte were close friends before the 47-year-old's death in 2014.

Last year Myer ambassador Jennifer explained why producers had yet to find a replacement for her friend, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'She is irreplaceable so guest judges will be coming in.'

Australia's Next Top Model will begin on Fox 8 later this year.
She's following in her big sister Kate Moss' footsteps by pursing a modelling career.

And Lottie Moss proved she's not afraid to take a fashion risk on the red carpet as she rocked up at the ELLE Style Awards 2016 at London's Tate Britain on Tuesday night in a seriously skimpy silver dress.

The 18-year-old starlet dared to bare in her most provocative look to date, showing off her model figure in the itsy bitsy lame number.

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Daring look: Lottie Moss made a serious statement in a skimpy silver dress as she attended the ELLE Style Awards 2016 at London's Tate Britain on Tuesday night

Lottie broke the fashion rules by flaunting both her legs and cleavage in the seriously plunging look, which also boasted a racer-back cut.

She ensured all eyes were on her in the revealing look, featuring a thigh-skimming pleated skirt.

Kate's lookalike half-sister ensured her accessories were just as glamorous as her dress, sticking to her metallic theme in all-silver attire.

She added a touch of ling with a diamond necklace and matching drop earrings, backcombing her blonde locks at the roots.

Silver sensation: The 18-year-old model stuck to a metallic palette from head-to-toe, including a sweep of silver eyeshadow

All grown up: Kate Moss' younger sibling displayed a more risque sense of style at the event

Following in her footsteps: Lottie has been pursing a modelling career ever since she was scouted by an agency after appearing in supermodel Kate's wedding photographs in 2011

Head-to-toe: The teen added some extra height to her 5ft5 frame thanks to some elegant heels

Strike a pose: The blonde beauty worked her angles like a professional as she posed on the red carpet

Centre of attention: All eyes were on Lottie as she made her grand entrance at the bash

Lottie carried a rectangular clutch bag in her hand and set off the outfit with strappy blue toned heels.

The teen signed with her sister's agency Storm when she was only 13 - a year younger than Kate was when she was discovered at New York's JFK airport in 1988 aged 14.

She was spotted by a model scout when she was a bridesmaid at Kate's wedding to rocker Jamie Hince in 2011.

Touch of bling: Lottie jazzed up her look with a diamond necklace and a pair of drop earrings

Mingling with A-list pals: Lottie was joined by famous faces including Ellie Goulding and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley at the awards, hosted by Nick Grimshaw

Bouffant: The Topshop muse coiffed her blonde hair back from her face in a heavily backcombed style

Glamming up: Lottie carried a cute silver clutch bag in one hand as she arrived at the event

Making a name for herslef: Lottie made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week last year in the Sonia Rykiel show, strutting behind Georgia May and Lizzy Jagger

Although she is only 5ft 5in, she made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week last year in the Sonia Rykiel show, strutting behind fellow fashion royalty, Georgia May and Lizzy Jagger.

Lottie was joined by an A-list crowd including Ellie Goulding and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley at the awards, hosted by Nick Grimshaw.

The annual celebration this year took place at London's Tate Britain and mark the end of London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2016.

This year, ELLE's UK title added one more award to their list, the Inspiring Woman Of The Year, which was scooped by US model Karlie Kloss for her entrepreneurial and philanthropic work.

As well as being a model, the brunette added 'Code With Karlie' - a scholarship in programming, designed specifically to help girls get involved with computer science - to her professional repertoire.

Sitting pretty: Lottie perched on her seat as she prepared to chow down on a gourmet meal

In her element: The teen certainly wasn't shy about strutting her stuff on the red carpet

Ice queen: Lottie ensured her look was picture perfect for her night on the town

Party pals: Lottie hit the dancefloor with Mr. Selfridge actress Sai Bennett

Busting a move: The starlets weren't shy about showing off their dance moves
Uncertainty as US Supreme Court reopens without Scalia

The US Supreme Court resumed public hearings Monday for the first time since the sudden death of conservative justice Antonin Scalia, which left the court evenly divided.

Scalia's chair was vacant, draped with black wool crepe in keeping with a tradition dating back to 1873, as the remaining eight justices took their seats.

Chief Justice John Roberts gave a moving tribute to "our man for all seasons."

The chair of Justice Antonin Scalia is draped in black following his death on February 13, 2016 US Supreme Court (US Supreme Court/AFP/File)

"We shall miss him immeasurably," Roberts said.

"He authored 292 majority opinions on the court. He was also known on occasion to dissent."

Scalia, the first Italian American to serve on the court, died on February 13 at age 79.

His death abruptly ended the conservatives' 5-4 advantage on the high court, giving President Barack Obama an opportunity to tilt it in a more liberal direction.

But he faces stiff opposition from his Republican foes in both houses of Congress, which they control, over his potential nominee to fill the vacant seat on the court.

The tensions are only exacerbated by intense political polarization in an election year.

The court is now evenly divided between four justices appointed by Democratic presidents and four appointed by Republicans. If the court is split 4-4 on a case, the lower court's ruling stands.

Among the cases before the court, some concern hot button issues ranging from abortion to immigration, contraception, affirmative action and unions.

Appointed by president Ronald Reagan in 1986, Scalia was a towering figure in conservative legal thought, an originalist who maintained the US Constitution's meaning was fixed as of the time it was ratified in the 18th century.

His funeral took place Saturday, with Obama noticeably absent, though he did pay his respects the day before while Scalia's body lay in repose in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court.

Scalia was a passionate defender of the death penalty and the right to bear arms, and a staunch opponent of abortion rights, gay rights and affirmative action to favor minority groups that have historically faced discrimination.

- Pre-election nominee? -

All eyes are now on who will potentially replace Scalia. The president nominates high court candidates, who require a Senate majority in order to be confirmed.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made it clear he doesn't want a nominee until a new presidential administration is in place, in January 2017.

It would likely still take weeks or months after the inauguration for a president to clear his nominee through the Senate, meaning the court would be hobbled for about a year or more.

The leading Republican presidential candidates have backed McConnell.

Ted Cruz pointed to a "long tradition" of skipping Supreme Court nominations in election years, while Marco Rubio spoke of an eight-decade "precedent." Both are senators.

Reagan nominee Anthony Kennedy was confirmed by the Senate in 1988, an election year, though the vacancy occurred the previous year and the Senate rejected the president's first nominee, Robert Bork.

Obama has responded by affirming his intent to nominate a successor this year, stressing it was his constitutional duty to do so, and urging lawmakers to refrain from obstructing by principle.

Ironically, Obama's Vice President Joe Biden pressed in 1992 for then president George H.W. Bush to wait until after the election to fill any Supreme Court vacancy.

"It is my view that if a Supreme Court justice resigns tomorrow or within the next several weeks or resigns at the end of the summer, President Bush should consider following the practice of a majority of his predecessors and not, and not name a nominee until after the November election is completed," Biden said during a Senate floor speech in 1992 while serving as US senator from Delaware.

He also said the Senate Judiciary Committee, which reviews such nominations before sending them to the full Senate for a vote, "should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until after the political campaign season is over."

The comments are likely to come under heavy scrutiny as Obama prepares to nominate a successor to Scalia.

In order to get his nominee confirmed, the president, who is weighing potential candidates, could pick a legal mind with an impeccable record whose nominations to previous posts have been backed by both Republicans and Democrats.

Such is the case for Sri Srinivasan, placed by analysts at the top of Obama's shortlist.

His nomination to serve as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in Washington -- long seen as an incubator of sorts for future Supreme Court justices -- was backed unanimously by the Senate.
Israel buries last survivor of Treblinka death camp

Hundreds of people attended Monday's funeral in Israel of Samuel Willenberg, the last survivor of the World War II Nazi Treblinka death camp, who has died aged 93.

Willenberg was buried in the cemetery of the farming village of Oudim in central Israel, with hundreds of mourners including President Reuven Rivlin in attendance.

"I stand here as president of the state of Israel, beside the grave of the last witness of Treblinka, and before me are -- together with you -- 850,000 Jews," Rivlin said.

The widow and daughter of Samuel Willenberg, the last survivor of a prisoners' revolt at the Treblinka Nazi death camp in Poland mourn during his funeral on February 22, 2016 Jack Guez (AFP)

"Only 67 people survived Treblinka. You were among them, the last witness," the president said.

"Every month, a thousand survivors (of the Holocaust) pass away. The number of first-hand witnesses is dwindling," Rivlin said.

He urged that Holocaust survivors in Israel, of whom a quarter live below the poverty line, be allowed to live in dignity.

Born in Poland, Willenberg was 19 and living in the town of Opatow when its Jewish inhabitants were sent to Treblinka.

He was one of the instigators of an August 2, 1943, revolt at the camp when he joined another 200 inmates who broke into an SS armoury, opened fire on their captors and torched camp buildings.

Shot in the foot, Willenberg nevertheless escaped and joined the Polish underground.

In 1944, he fought in the Warsaw Uprising by Polish partisans against the Nazis, surviving yet again to serve in the post-war Polish army and immigrating to Israel in 1950.

He became a noted sculptor, creating 15 scenes from Treblinka which have been exhibited in Israel, Poland and Germany.

According to the Yad Vashem Holocaust institute, approximately 870,000 Jews were murdered during the 13 months the Treblinka camp was in operation, from July 1942 to August 1943.
Russia vows to ensure Damascus observes ceasefire: Putin

Russia will do "whatever is necessary" to ensure that Damascus respects a Syrian ceasefire agreement that Moscow and Washington say will take effect on February 27, President Vladimir Putin said Monday.

"We will do whatever is necessary with Damascus, with the legitimate Syrian authorities," Putin said during a televised address after speaking by phone with US President Barack Obama.

"We are counting on the United States to do the same with its allies and the groups that it supports."

Russia's President Vladimir Putin, pictured on February 20, 2016, said Russia will do "whatever is necessary" to ensure that Damascus respects a Syrian ceasefire agreement Mikhail Klimentyev (AFP/File)

Putin said the United States and Russia were "ready to put in place an effective control mechanism" to ensure respect of the ceasefire, adding that a "direct line of communication will be created as well as, if necessary, a working group to exchange information".

"Finally a real chance to bring an end to the years of bloodshed and violence is emerging," Putin said.

The Russian president said the ceasefire agreement had come out of "intense work by teams of Russian and American experts", made easier by the "positive experience" of a US-Russian deal on the dismantling of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, signed in September 2013.

"All fighting groups should confirm to us, or to the United States, their commitment to this truce," Putin said of the deal signed between Moscow and Washington on Monday.

"The Russian and American militaries, together, will define the territories on which these groups are operating. There will be no military operations against them."

But "with regard to the Al-Nusra Front, the Islamic State and other terrorist groups recognised as such by the UN, a ceasefire is totally excluded. The strikes against them will continue," he added.
Damning diversity report uncovers 'whitewashed' Hollywood

Hollywood is suffering an "epidemic of invisibility" among ethnic minorities, women and LGBT people, a new study showed Monday, just days ahead of the film industry's glittering Oscars awards night.

From the boardrooms of film and television studios to the actors in front of the camera, the industry is overwhelmingly white, male and heterosexual, the report by the University of Southern California found.

"This is no mere diversity problem. This is an inclusion crisis," said Stacy Smith, of USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, who authored the report.

No ethnic minority actor or actress has been nominated for an Oscar in any of the top categories for the second year running, sparking an outcry against the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Frazer Harrison (Getty/AFP/File)

The study comes with a social media campaign under the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite threatening to overshadow the Academy Awards on Sunday, the culmination of Hollywood's annual awards season.

No ethnic minority actor or actress has been nominated in any of the top categories for the second year running, sparking an outcry against the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"Overall, the landscape of media content is still largely whitewashed," concluded the report, which looked at Hollywood output aired from September 2014 to August 2015.

Of 11,300 speaking characters in 414 film and TV series studied by researchers, one third were female while just 28 percent were ethnic minorities, far short of the proportion in society at large, usually given at somewhere approaching 40 percent.

Just two percent were LGBT-identified, while 74 percent of characters aged over 40 were men.

Around half of the 305 shows and 109 movies did not feature a single Asian or Asian-American character while a fifth had no black characters.

Behind the camera, just 15 percent of directors, 29 percent of writers and 23 percent of series creators were female.

"The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite should be changed to #HollywoodSoWhite, as our findings show that an epidemic of invisibility runs throughout popular storytelling," the report said.

The study reflects the 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report, produced by the University of California, Los Angeles, which found that ethnic minorities were under-represented on every front, from leading acting roles and directing to writing and reality television.

Film studio heads were 94 percent white and 100 percent male, while senior managers were 92 percent white and 83 percent male. The pattern was repeated in television.

The Academy's board, smarting from claims of institutional racism, has announced that by 2020 it will double the number of women and people from minority backgrounds among its voting members, which it currently puts at 24 percent and seven percent respectively.

The Oscar nominees for Best Actress Pablo Lopez, tm (AFP/File)
Cyclone death toll hits 29 as Fiji eyes long clean-up

Humanitarian aid began pouring into Fiji Tuesday, as the death toll from super-cyclone Winston rose to 29 and officials warned the devastated Pacific nation's recovery could take months.

With authorities still struggling to grasp the scale of the disaster on remote island communities, Australian and New Zealand planes arrived with desperately needed supplies of food, water and medicine.

Government spokesman Ewan Perrin said the news was grim from the few isolated villages which had managed to restore communications after the storm hit last weekend.

Naresh Kumar stands over the ruins of his house following Cyclone Winston in western Fiji's Tuvu Lautoka Feroz Khalil (MAI LIFE MAGAZINE/AFP)

"The official death toll now is 29, another eight bodies were found on the island of Koro since yesterday," Perrin told Radio New Zealand in a phone interview.

"We are expecting it to rise but we're hoping it's going to rise by a very small number."

Severe tropical cyclone Winston, the most powerful storm ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, lashed Fiji with wind gusts of 325 kilometres (202 miles) per hour, leaving a trail of destruction.

More than 8,000 people are still sheltering in evacuation centres and Perrin said some villages had hardly any buildings left standing.

"We're still trying to get people on the ground in these areas to do a detailed assessment of the damage. We're just taking it day-by day," he said.

"In some places people are going to be displaced for months because they've lost everything."

Perrin said 2,000 families were homeless on Koro alone and two ships were steaming to the island with relief supplies.

"We haven't been able to make contact with all parts of Fiji, although with the assistance of the New Zealand Air Force we've managed to do aerial inspections across almost all of the islands," he added.

The aerial photographs show entire villages flattened, with homes reduced to piles of kindling and roofing strewn about.

On one battered island, a large steel-hulled ship sits high on a beach after being driven ashore in huge swells.

- Secondary disaster fears -

"The images emerging from early aerial assessments of affected areas are truly heartbreaking, leaving little doubt about the ferocity of this cyclone," said the UN's Fiji coordinator Osnat Lubrani.

"It is clear from these catastrophic impacts that Fiji is facing a long road to recovery."

The nation has declared a month-long state of natural disaster after a storm that Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama described as an "assault on Fiji".

Power is gradually being restored in the main centres and roads cleared of felled trees.

The international airport at Nadi has also reopened, allowing international tourists caught up in the disaster to leave.

Aid efforts have ramped up, with Australia contributing Aus$5.0 million (US$3.6 million) and New Zealand NZ$2.2 million (US$1.5 million).

India pledged US$1.0 million and the European Union dispatched a disaster management expert to assess its best response.

Wellington has mobilised two military aircraft, while Canberra is sending two planes and four helicopters, as well as specialised medivac teams.

UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien said hundreds of thousands of Fijians had been affected.

"We must do all we can to help people rebuild their lives and livelihoods," he said in a statement from New York.

Aid agencies such as the Red Cross, Oxfam, Care Australia and Save the Children are on the ground distributing supplies and providing expertise on issues such as sanitation in evacuation centres.

"Clean water will be vital to prevent the risk of a secondary disaster rearing its head in the days and weeks following Tropical Cyclone Winston," Oxfam's Jennifer Worthington said.

Care Australia coordinator Sarah Boxall said disease could spread quickly in crowded shelters.

"In this type of emergency, it really is a race against time to get immediate relief to those who have lost everything and ensure families can stay safe and healthy," she said.

Fiji cyclone

A ship washed ashore on Ovalau Island after the most powerful cyclone in Fiji's history battered the Pacific island nation Str (New Zealand Defence Force/AFP)

More than 8,000 people are still sheltering in evacuation centres and some villages have hardly any buildings left standing STR (New Zeland Defence Forces/AFP)

Many homes were reduced to piles of kindling, with roofing and furniture strewn about Fiji Government (FIJI GOVERNMENT/AFP)
Tunisian army kills suspected jihadist: ministry

A suspected jihadist was killed on Monday in an exchange of fire with security forces in a mountainous area of central Tunisia, a defence ministry spokesman said.

The interior ministry, meanwhile, reported that a 60-year-old man was mistakenly killed in a separate operation elsewhere.

"For two weeks, military forces have been tracking a group of terrorists in the Mount Mghila area,' the defence ministry's Belhassan Oueslati told AFP.

A member of the Tunisian security forces takes part in a security sweep in the mountainous Tounine area on February 2, 2016 Fathi Nasri (AFP/File)

"One terrorist was killed in an exchange of fire with a military unit," he said, adding that the operation was ongoing.

Mount Mghila is adjacent to Mount Chaambi, which is considered to be the main rear base of Islamist militants on the border with Algeria.

Tunisian forces have been hunting down jihadists in the area since 2012.

Earlier this month, security forces killed three suspected jihadists in the rugged mountainous Tounine area, 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of the coastal town of Gabes.

The interior ministry, for its part, said the 60-year-old man was killed during an anti-terrorist operation in the Jendouba region in the northwest.

"This man was near the theatre of operations in the town of Oued Melliz", ministry official Yasser Messbah said.

The operation led to the arrest of 16 suspected militants including one who was wounded in an exchange of fire with the security forces, he added.

Messbah said guns and ammunition were also recovered.

Islamist militants have killed dozens of police and soldiers since the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Several attacks have been claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

But last year, the Islamic State jihadist group claimed attacks on the national museum in Tunis and a popular resort hotel, killing a total of 59 tourists, and the suicide bombing of a bus that killed 12 presidential guards.
Shell warns on Nigeria Forcados crude exports due to spill

Shell on Monday warned on crude exports from Nigeria's Forcados terminal after production was disrupted by a pipeline spill.

The Nigerian subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch oil company, SPDC, said it declared a force majeure on Forcados liftings following "the disruption in production caused by the spill on the Forcados terminal subsea crude export pipeline."

Force majeure is a legal term that frees a company from any contractual obligation due to circumstances beyond its control.

Shell is a major oil operator in Nigeria, with export terminals in Forcados and Port Harcourt, where this employee stands outside a flow station Florian Plaucheur (AFP/File)

Although Shell did not disclose the volume of production shut-in, Forcados is one of Nigeria's main export terminals.

Shell is a major oil operator in Nigeria, Africa's largest producer with an average of two million barrels per day.

Shell has often blamed sabotage for most of the spills in the Niger delta.

Oil thieves usually vandalise pipelines to siphon crude which is sold in barges to illegal buyers on the high seas.
CHEYENNE, Wyo.  The Wyoming Legislature appears to be entering the debate over genetically modified food, with a resolution that calls for allowing companies to choose whether to label their food as genetically altered.

Senate Joint Resolution 4 asks Congress to enact consistent and standard labeling rules on genetically engineered food that companies can voluntarily follow if they want to notify consumers that their food contains or does not contain genetically modified organisms.

The resolution is non-binding, meaning it contains no punishment if Congress chooses to ignore Wyoming.

A similar resolution in the House failed introduction on the second day of the Legislature, Feb. 8. It was sponsored by the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee.

Genetically modified seeds are engineered in laboratories to have certain traits, such as resistance to herbicides, according to the Associated Press. The food industry states about 75 to 80 percent of foods contain genetically modified ingredients.

While the FDA says they are safe, advocates for labeling say not enough is known about their risks, the AP reports. Congress is discussing a bill preventing states from enacting separate labeling standards. Vermont is expected to require such labeling this summer.

In Wyoming, the state Senate advanced the bill Monday without discussion. That indicates the proposal is not controversial, as bills with strong opposition tend to be debated. It faces one more round of voting in the Senate before heading to the House.

On Thursday, bill sponsor Sen. Fred Emerich, R-Cheyenne, explained the measure during the first round of voting.

Theres genetic engineering, theres genetically modified organisms, theres laboratory-enhanced, you can think of all sorts of names, he said. This is just the mechanical methodology of doing what Gregor Mendel discovered in the (1800s) with genetics.

Emerich said if local and state labeling laws change, there will be a patchwork of rules that will be expensive to food manufacturing, labeling and distribution companies. They will have to pass the costs of the regulation to the consumer.

That will result in higher prices for everyone, he said.

The resolution states the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the American Medical Association, Health Canada and others have concluded foods with genetically altered ingredients are just as safe to grow and consume as non-genetically engineered foods.

Throughout the country, a number of citizen ballot measures requiring labeling have recently been defeated, said JT Stepleton of the National Institute on Money in State Politics, which tracks campaign contribution data.

Stepleton found the food industry spent $113.7 million campaigning against the measures in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and California. Supporters of the measures only spent $24.4 million.

In Wyoming, Stepleton didnt find any contributions to sitting legislators from the food industry, which includes companies such as Monsanto, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, with one exception: Monsanto gave $250 to Sen. Eli Bebout, R-Riverton, in his bid for governor in 2002.

This isnt surprising to me because I dont think these companies view the Wyoming Legislature as a threat to their interests, he said. Plus, a few of these senators didnt even have general election opponents in their last election, (for example) Sen. Geis in 2012.

Sen. Gerald Geis, R-Worland, is a co-sponsor of the resolution.

But Stepleton found the industry has contributed to Wyomings all-Republican congressional delegation: $9,215 to Sen. John Barrasso, $9,000 to Sen. Mike Enzi and $2,500 to Rep. Cynthia Lummis.

The food industry's desires, combined with urging of the Wyoming Legislature if the resolution passes, may cause Congress to act, as SJ4 is effectively sending a message to Congress to deal with this issue, he said.
Women 'left their kitchens' to back me, White House candidate says

US Republican presidential candidate John Kasich said Monday that women "left their kitchens" to support him in a 1978 Ohio state senate race, triggering pushback from voters and rivals.

"How did I get elected?" Kasich asked rhetorically during a campaign event in Virginia.

"Nobody was -- I didn't have anybody for me. We just got an army of people... many women, who left their kitchens to go out and go door to door, and to put yard signs up for me. All the way back, when, you know, things were different.

Republican presidential hopeful Ohio Governor John Kasich speaks to supporters on February 22, 2016, at George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia Paul J. Richards (AFP)

"Now you call homes and everybody's out working. But at that time, early days, it was an army of the women that really helped me get elected to the state Senate," Kasich added.

Kasich, who now serves as Ohio's governor, first ran for the state senate in 1978.

A woman attending the Virginia town hall later quipped: "First off, I want to say -- your comment earlier about the women came out the kitchen to support you? I'll come to support you, but I won't be coming out of the kitchen."

The woman also asked a question about Kasich signing a bill on Sunday to defund Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion and family planning services.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton -- who is trying to become toe first woman US president -- was quick to jump on Kasich's remarks to suggest he was out of touch with women.

"It's 2016. A woman's place is... wherever she wants it to be," Clinton tweeted.

Kasich later apologized, telling CNN: "I'm more than happy to say I'm sorry if I offended somebody out there, but it wasn't intended to be offensive."

He also made a more vigorous defense of his record on women.

"We had a lot of women that played a major role in my political campaign, political life, and they still do... I'm very grateful to all the work they put in for me," Kasich said, noting his lieutenant governor is a woman (Mary Taylor).

And he sought to bolster his credentials as an independently-minded politician.

"I take orders from nobody," Kasich said.

Earlier, Kasich had told reporters he would try to be "a bit more careful" going forward but plans to stay unscripted.

"I'll continue to operate on a high wire without a net. And frankly, I'd like to see everyone who is running for president get out of the scripted role and start to be real and take questions," he said.
Cruz asks top spokesman to go after Rubio flap

Republican presidential contender Ted Cruz said Monday he has asked his national spokesman to resign for a "grave error of judgment" in distributing a video that falsely suggested rival Marco Rubio was dismissive of the Bible.

The move comes on the even of the Republican caucuses in Nevada and as rival campaigns have piled on Cruz for his alleged lies and "dirty tricks."

Cruz's national spokesman Rick Tyler had shared on Facebook a story from University of Pennsylvania student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian, which reported that Rubio told a Cruz staffer reading the Bible that the holy book did "not have many answers in it."

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz speaks during a rally at Drafts Picks Sports bar in Pahrump, Nevada, on February 21, 2016 two days before Nevadas First in the West presidential caucus John Gurzinski (AFP/File)

The story was accompanied by a video, though the audio was unclear.

Tyler later deleted the post and apologized to Rubio for posting the "inaccurate" story.

The issue strikes to the heart of Cruz's support among evangelical Christians. The Texas senator has also spoken openly about his own faith.

"This was a grave error of judgment," Cruz said during a campaign event while also praising his spokesman as "a good man."

"It turned out the news story he sent around was false. But I'll tell you, even if it was true, we are not a campaign that is going to question the faith of another candidate.

"Even if it was true, our campaign should not have sent it. That's why I've asked for Rick Tyler's resignation."

Rubio told reporters he accepted the Cruz campaign's apology, but called for more "accountability."

"It's every single day something comes out of the Cruz campaign that's deceptive and untrue," Rubio said, calling the Bible video "perhaps the most offensive" Cruz tactic to date because it questioned his faith.

"I know exactly what I said to that young man," Rubio told reporters. "I said the answer to every question you'll ever have is in that book."

Cruz's campaign has come under fire from other rivals as well.

Leading Republican candidate Donald Trump was quick to jump on the latest controversy to attack "crazy" Cruz and calling for him to be "disqualified."

"Just saw the phony ad by Cruz - totally false, more dirty tricks. He got caught in so many lies - is this man crazy?" Trump tweeted.

"Ted Cruz should be disqualified from his fraudulent win in Iowa. Weak RNC and Republican leadership probably won't let this happen! Sad."

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has accused Cruz of spreading false rumors that he had dropped out of the race during the Iowa caucuses, the voting that kicked off the 2016 presidential nomination process.

And Cruz's campaign was also accused of posting a digitally manipulated image of Rubio shaking hands with President Barack Obama on its "The REAL Rubio Record" website.
Africa's forests menaced by palm oil rush: NGO

Africa's tropical forests are threatened by a palm oil bonanza that has already razed millions of old-growth hectares in Southeast Asia, Greenpeace France warned Tuesday.

The NGO called on European palm and rubber plantation giant Socfin, which controls vast tracts of tropical land in more than half-a-dozen African nations, to join other multinationals in adopted so-called "zero deforestation" policies.

Dozens of global companies -- GAR, Cargill, and Agropalma among commodity producers, and Nestle, Unilever and L'Oreal among makers of consumer products -- have made pledges, though some are more stringent than others.

A vast plantation of Palm trees is pictured in Bumanji Parish, Uganda on May 21, 2015 Isaac Kasamani (AFP/File)

So far, Socfin -- majority controlled by Belgian businessman Hubert Fabri, with French billionaire Vincent Bollore holding 38.8 percent of the company's shares -- have failed to make similar commitments, Greenpeace said.

The stakes are high: palm oil, soy, paper pulp, and beef drive nearly three-quarters of deforestation in tropical areas, according to studies.

Deforestation from all sources is responsible for 12 percent of the greenhouse gases driving global warming.

Indonesia and Malaysia account for more than 90 percent of palm oil production today.

Clear-cutting and burning to make way for palm oil plantations causes health-wrecking air pollution, exacerbates climate change, and destroys some of the planet's richest "hotspots" for biodiversity.

The transformation of great swathes of rainforest to monoculture farming is also a mixed blessing for local populations, providing a source of low-wage employment but often displacing indigenous peoples and disrupting established livelihoods.

- Africa is the new frontier -

Currently, only a small percentage of palm oil comes from Africa, but Socfin operates numerous plantations there with others in the pipeline.

"Africa has become the new frontier for palm oil, the new battleground of oil palm and rubber tree companies," the Greenpeace report said.

The company has sought a 150 million euro ($165 million) loan via the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an entity of the World Bank, to finance certification under environmental norms upheld by the IFC.

But Socfin does not meet even these modest standards -- described by Greenpeace as "insufficient to prevent deforestation" -- according to the IFC, which signalled "major gaps" between the palm and rubber giant's operations and "good international industry practice."

"The IFC must urgently suspend the ongoing corporate loan procedure and condition the granting of this loan on the company's publication of a credible zero deforestation commitment," Greenpeace said.

Made aware of the contents of the report, a spokesperson for the Groupe Bollore said that the company was "only a shareholder" of Socfin, and thus "can not be held directly responsible for the actions or decisions of Socfin."

"Nonetheless," Elodie Le Rol said by email, "the Groupe Bollore carries out it duty to be vigilant, and is an active shareholder and administrator of Socfin."

The core provision of a zero deforestation policy is to identify and protect so-called "high carbon stock" areas.

These are forest regions that store huge quantities of carbon dioxide in living wood mass. Once it is cut down and burned, CO2 is released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

Another key provision is the protection of peatlands which -- when drained to make way for a plantation -- also spew CO2 into the air.

Due to the rapid expansion of palm plantations and logging, Indonesia has become the sixth largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world.

Zero deforestation likewise includes guarantees that local populations are fairly compensated for lost land, and not otherwise adversely affected.

Socfin currently has 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres) in rubber plantations, and 80,000 hectares (198,000 acres) in palm oil trees in Africa.

The forests in the Congo basin cover some 200 million hectares (500 million acres) across six countries, and are home to more than 500 species of mammals, 400 reptiles and thousands of plants.

Between 1990 and 2010, at least 3.5 million hectares of natural forests were converted into palm oil plantations, mainly in Southeast Asia.

Palm oil seeds are collected at a plantation area in Pelalawan, Riau province in Indonesia's Sumatra island on September 16, 2015 Adek Berry (AFP/File)
Kerry phones Serbian PM over diplomats killed in Libya strike

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday offered his condolences to Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic over the two kidnapped Serbian diplomats believed to have been killed in a US air strike in Libya, Belgrade said.

Last week the US targeted a jihadist training camp near the Libyan coastal city of Sabratha, killing dozens of people including an Islamic State group operative the US said was behind the mass murder of tourists on a Tunisian beach.

However, Belgrade said the strike's victims also included two officials from Serbia's embassy in Libya, Sladjana Stankovic and Jovica Stepic, who had been taken hostage in the area in November.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic addresses a press conference in Belgrade on February 20, 2016, after a US strike on an Islamic State jihadist camp in Libya killed two Serbian embassy employees, who were kidnapped in the area in November Andrej Isakovic (AFP/File)

The Pentagon said Saturday it had "no information" indicating that the attack had led to the deaths of two Serbians and that the circumstances of their deaths "remained unclear."

In a telephone conversation on Monday Kerry "expressed condolences to Vucic and the families over the death of Sladjana Stankovic and Jovica Stepic," the Serbian government said in a statement.

Kerry "told the prime minister that he would inform the Serbian government... about all the details of an investigation conducted by the US and its services, about the murder of Serbian diplomats," it said.

Vucic on the weekend said that the pair "would have been released, had they not been killed".

US officials said the raid likely killed Noureddine Chouchane, also known as "Sabir," who along with other jihadists had been planning attacks against American and other Western interests.

Chouchane is suspected of being behind both the beach attack in July 2015 near the Tunisian city of Sousse that killed 38 tourists, including 30 Britons, and an attack on the National Bardo Museum in Tunis that killed 21 tourists and a policeman in March 2015.

Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group.

Sabratha, which lies 70 kilometres (42 miles) west of Tripoli, is considered a stronghold of extremism in lawless Libya, where militants are trained in jihadist camps before launching deadly attacks in other countries.

The country spiralled into chaos after longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi was ousted and killed in October 2011, with two governments vying for power and armed groups battling to control vast energy resources.
Congo presidential candidate released after questioning

Congolese authorities have released Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko, a former army chief who is running against incumbent Denis Sassou Nguesso in presidential elections in March, Mokoko's lawyer said.

"He was questioned... in relation to a police investigation" for six hours Monday, his lawyer Eric Yvon Ibouanga told AFP, adding that he could not disclose details of the investigation.

Public prosecutor Andre Oko Ngakala ordered Mokoko's arrest on Friday, reportedly over statements by the general that had been "widely disseminated on the street and social networks".

Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko, former Congolese army chief who is running against incumbent Denis Sassou Nguesso in presidential elections in March, pictured in 2014 Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

Since February 13, when Mokoko held his first campaign rally, a video has been circulating on the Internet that appears to implicate him in an attempted coup.

The video, taken sometime in the early 2000s, has been denounced as a fake by Mokoko's campaign.

Congo's military chief from 1987 to 1993, Mokoko is currently special representative of the African Union Commission in the neighbouring Central African Republic.

He is a longtime ally of Sassou Nguesso but on February 3 he announced his resignation as the president's advisor on peace and security, a post he had held since 2005.
Peter Mondavi, a Napa wine trailblazer, dies at 101

Peter Mondavi, a trailblazer in developing Napa Valley's wine industry and owner of Charles Krug Winery, has died at 101, his family said Monday.

The businessman died at his home in St Helena, California, on Saturday, a family statement said.

He was the brother of Robert Mondavi, founder of a wine empire full of innovation and marketing savvy that inspired the documentary "Mondovino" in 2004.

Peter Mondavi, a trailblazer in developing Napa Valley's wine industry and owner of Charles Krug Winery, has died at 101

Their modest family -- with Italian immigrant parents who had not worked in the industry -- moved from Minnesota to California in the 1940s, after father Cesare started visiting California to bring, and later ship, wine grapes to the colder central United States.

Back then, Napa was known for fruit growing but inexpensive, poor quality wine.

Peter Mondavi, who worked with his father as a boy nailing grape crates shut, ultimately pioneered cold fermentation. He also began importing French oak barrels for aging wines, and was among the first to use vintage years on varietal wines.

In 1943, Cesare bought Charles Krug, now one of the oldest vintners in Napa Valley. In the 1960s, a disagreement between Peter and Robert led to the latter starting his own businesses.

Peter took the reins of the family winery after his mother died in 1976.
Flagship gallery show raises fears for Hong Kong arts

Hong Kong on Tuesday gets its first glimpse of the collection at the heart of its new flagship gallery, with an exhibition that has highlighted fears Beijing's influence in the city is infecting the arts.

The M+ Sigg show features 80 works by famous Chinese names including Yue Minjun -- known for his paintings of laughing faces -- and surrealist Zhang Xiaogang.

It is billed as the first ever chronological exhibition on the emergence of Chinese contemporary art and gives a taste of a much wider collection that will eventually go on show at Hong Kong's new M+ gallery.

Visitors stand by an artwork by Chinese artist Wan Guangyi titled "Mao Zedong: red Grid No. 2" during the preview of the M+ Sigg art show in Hong Kong Philippe Lopez (AFP)

The massive 60,000 square-metre art venue, set to open in 2019, aims to rival Western contemporary heavyweights like London's Tate Modern.

But the Hong Kong government-sponsored gallery has been criticised for failing to fully represent the local art scene and faces questions over its curatorial independence.

Some in the art community ask why it spent none of its HK1.7 billion ($220 million) acquisition budget on creations that blossomed on Hong Kong's streets during the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement of 2014.

Others question whether this week's exhibition -- on display at a smaller gallery as M+ awaits completion -- has been pared back, pointing out its touring title, "Right is wrong", has been dropped.

There have been queries over whether some more controversial works were excluded, and whether there was pressure to tone down the narrative of Beijing's crushing of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

M+ chief curator Doryun Chong defended the new exhibition, saying it is a "whole, full historical survey" of Chinese modern art -- one that includes works by Beijing's bete noir Ai Wei Wei.

He also insisted M+ has not been subject to political pressure, but admits the gallery takes a conservative approach to its collection and exhibitions.

"There might be certain institutions or curators who believe in the idea or the power of provocation, but I don't believe in that," Chong said.

- 'The fear is here' -

The questions swirling around M+ come as concern grows in Hong Kong over interference from Beijing in the semi-autonomous city's politics, education and the press.

Those fears have been exacerbated by the recent disappearances of five Hong Kong booksellers known for publishing titles critical of the Chinese government. Four are now under criminal investigation on the mainland.

Some connected to M+ say self-censorship is becoming a bigger problem in the city.

"In Hong Kong, we do feel like there is a big tightening of the public sphere over the past two or three years, whether it's in publishing, in theatres, in exhibitions," said Ada Wong, a local arts advocate and a member of the M+ museum committee.

"I think this administration in particular, they are very cautious as to what would upset Beijing," adds Wong, referring to the government of Hong Kong's chief executive Leung Chun-ying, seen as a staunch ally of China.

Wong said local artists have even begun to tone down their work for fear of upsetting the authorities.

"Self-censorship... it's happening, it's just still under the table," she said. "The fear is here, and the tightening of control is definitely here."

- Artistic ambitions -

The harbourfront M+ gallery venue in Hong Kong's West Kowloon remains a sprawling construction site 20 years after it was first dreamt up.

Political interference has been blamed for delays that have eaten up the project's entire HK$21.6 billion government grant and prompted senior figures including M+'s executive director Lars Nittve to step down.

West Kowloon Cultural District Authority head Duncan Pescod admits the full complex -- which will eventually also include a theatre and public parks -- could take another 10-15 years to complete.

He told AFP the authority is considering working with several developers at the same time to speed things up.

But despite concerns, there is still hope that M+ will draw attention to the city's undernourished creative industries.

"For a long time Hong Kong has perhaps not been the most hospitable city for emerging artists," said Pearl Lam, who runs a prominent private gallery, pointing to the high cost of living and rental space.

"M+ will be exceptionally important for Hong Kong when it opens."

Hong Kong is already a burgeoning art hub, the world's fourth-largest art market and hosts major international show Art Basel.

There has been a recent explosion of galleries, with major Western brands like White Cube and Galerie Perrotin opening offices in the past five years, and smaller local art studios setting up home in former industrial heartlands.

Still, advocates say the government must do more to support the next generation of local artists -- and stop being so afraid of controversy.

"If you want to support the arts you have to start by nurturing the young," said Wong. "Creativity can be disruptive and that's what officials are worried about."

The massive 60,000 square-metre art venue, set to open in 2019, aims to rival Western contemporary heavyweights like London's Tate Modern Philippe Lopez (AFP)
Amnesty Korea vows to hold 'Ghost Protest' amid police threat

Human rights group Amnesty International vowed Tuesday to push ahead with a planned "Ghost Protest" in Seoul after police threatened a crackdown on the virtual rally consisting of holograms of protesters.

The group is set Wednesday night to show holograms of about 120 people chanting slogans and waving banners on a giant screen set up in central Seoul.

Amnesty said the virtual march -- the second in the world after a similar event in Spain last April -- would protest against what it called the growing erosion of freedom of assembly and expression in South Korea.

Police have come under fire for what critics describe as excessive use of force, with one South Korean left in a coma after being hit by a jet from a water cannon during an anti-government protest last November Ed Jones (AFP)

Seoul police chief Lee Sang-Won vowed a "stern response", saying organisers had described it as a cultural event.

"If they show holographic images of people chanting slogans or voicing their opinions collectively, it is a public protest and has to be cracked down on," Lee told reporters Monday.

"We... will take a stern response to prevent such illegal activities," he said without elaborating.

Amnesty vowed to go ahead, describing the police warning as another sign of the erosion of freedom of assembly.

"We find the police response ridiculous and ironic," Ahn Se-Young, a campaign coordinator at Amnesty Korea, told AFP.

"The police can't crack down on virtual images of people just because they are chanting together and voicing opinions," she said, adding the event would be held as planned.

The holograms are expected to show people -- whose images were videotaped earlier -- waving banners and chanting slogans such as "Don't stifle voices of the people".

Critics say the conservative government of President Park Geun-Hye, daughter of the late autocratic ruler Park Chung-Hee, is slipping into authoritarian rule.

Police have come under fire for what critics describe as excessive use of force, with one South Korean left in a coma after being hit by a jet from a water cannon during an anti-government protest last November.

An UN envoy last month accused Seoul officials of using potential traffic jams and public inconvenience as an "excuse for unduly limiting rights" to publicly demonstrate.
Israeli who burned Palestinian alive ruled sane: lawyer

A psychiatrist has ruled that an Israeli found to have led the burning alive of a Palestinian teenager in 2014 was responsible for his actions, the lawyer for the victim's family said Tuesday.

The court found that Israeli settler Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, was the ringleader of the chilling attack, but his lawyers submitted last-minute documents saying he suffered from mental illness.

The court appointed a psychiatrist who "concluded that the principal accused lied about his mental state to avoid judgement," lawyer Mohannad Jbara said.

Israeli settler Yosef Haim Ben-David (2L), the prime suspect charged along with two minors with the abduction and murder of the Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir, arrives at court in Jerusalem Gali Tibbon (AFP/File)

Israeli media also reported the psychiatrist's assessment. Ben-David's next court hearing is scheduled for March 22.

On February 4, a court sentenced his two young Israeli accomplices to life and 21 years in prison for the killing, which was part of a spiral of violence in the runup to the 2014 Gaza war.

The two were minors at the time of the attack in which they snatched Mohammad Abu Khdeir, 16, from an east Jerusalem street and then killed him.

His murder was seen as revenge for the killing of Israeli teenagers Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaer and Eyal Yifrach, who were abducted from a hitchhiking stop near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron.

Israeli authorities said the suspects had decided to kill an Arab and equipped themselves with cables, petrol and other materials before randomly choosing Abu Khdeir.

Ben-David's case comes with tensions once again high, with a wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks since last October.

The violence has claimed the lives of 27 Israelis, as well as an American and an Eritrean.

In addition, 176 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, most while carrying out attacks but others during clashes and demonstrations.
The 29,000 toilet was later removed and will be turned into a security post

But her two-hour visit ended without her ever using the lavish facility

Toilet was built for visit to Cambodia by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn

A luxury toilet custom-built for a Thai princess's visit to poverty-stricken Cambodia was left unused - despite its 29,000 price tag, officials have revealed.

The bathroom was built for a visit on Monday by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to Yeak Lom lake in north eastern Cambodia.

But her two-hour visit ended without her having used the lavish water closet, community leader Ven Churk said.

Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (pictured with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen) ended her two-hour visit without using a 29,000 toilet built for the occasion

The commode (pictured) was built for a visit on Monday by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to Yeak Lom lake in north eastern Cambodia

The toilet was later 'removed' and the adjoining bathroom will now be turned into a security post for tourists visiting the tree-ringed lake, he added.

'She (the Princess) did not go inside the bathroom, she just looked at it from outside and took some pictures,' he said.

The toilet took more than two weeks to build and cost an estimated 29,000, Ven Churk told AFP.

'I have never seen such a bathroom,' he said.

Provincial governor Nhem Sam Oeun confirmed the toilet was unused, adding the loo is 'very modern, very good... it can't be kept because it is for royals.'

Unused: Pictures showed the interior of the lavish new toilet, which cost Cambodia 29,000 to build

The Princess's two-hour visit ended without her having used the lavish water closet, community leader Ven Churk said

The Thai side covered the construction costs, he added.

Local media reports said the luxury facility was built by the Siam Cement Group, a Thai construction giant partly owned by the Crown Property Bureau, which manages the Thai royal family's assets and investments.

SCG could not be reached for comment.

While the toilet has made international headlines it has not received any media attention in Thailand, where a severe lese majeste law punishes any perceived criticism of the royal family with up to 15 years prison.

Tin Luong, the chief of Yeak Lom commune, told AFP he was impressed by the 'very beautiful' bathroom.

It looks like a house with beautiful decoration Tin Luong, Yeak Lom commune chief

'Thai engineers have constructed the bathroom,' he said confirming all of the materials were brought from Thailand.

'I estimate that it could cost up to $40,000 to build the bathroom. It looks like a house with beautiful decoration,' he added.

Figures released last year by UNICEF said 61.5 per cent of Cambodians living in rural areas practice open-defecation - one of the highest rates in Southeast Asia - as they have no access to latrines.

Thailand's monarchy is among the world's richest, with its fortune in part built through investments in major local businesses such as SCG and Siam Commercial Bank.

After visiting the lake, the princess opened a new health centre that was donated by the Thai royal family.
JACKSON, Wyo.  Wyoming's largest elk herd is estimated to have increased in numbers slightly, according to an annual winter survey.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department wildlife biologist Aly Courtemanch, who heads up the survey, detected notably few changes in the herd, which roams the Jackson Hole area, including the National Elk Refuge. She wrapped up her surveys Feb. 10.

The raw count of 10,678 was only 35 more animals than a year ago. To account for animals missed during an aerial survey the estimated herd size was bumped up to 11,200  just a shade above of 11,000-elk objective.

"We're right where we want to be for overall numbers," Courtemanch said. "The persistent challenge that we're concerned about, and other agencies are, is this skewed winter distribution where we have a lot of elk on the refuge and fewer elk than we'd like in other areas."

There were 1,681 elk in the Gros Ventre River drainage, but the numbers of elk wintering elsewhere in Jackson Hole were minimal.

Gender and age ratios within the Jackson Elk Herd stayed mostly stagnant, according to the survey.

Measured against the number of cows, calf numbers dipped just slightly. This winter's ratio, 19 calves per 100 cows, is not cause to think the herd is shrinking or doomed, Courtemanch said.

"We like to look at it on the whole," she said. "If we start seeing a number of years (with calves) in the single digits or in the teens, we would start to get concerned."

The ratio of mature bulls came in at 24 per 100 cows, but Courtemanch conceded she probably missed a fair number that were obscured by trees and terrain on natural winter range. A year ago the bull ratio was at 31, but the higher number stems partly from a considerable late-season cow elk harvest.

Spike bulls, the last component of the herd, this winter numbered seven for every 100 cows, a typical ratio.
Nigeria backs efforts to 'stabilise' oil market

The Nigerian and Saudi leaders on Tuesday supported efforts to stabilise the oil market but Africa's top producer did not commit to a production freeze.

After talks in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari and Saudi King Salman "committed themselves to doing all that is possible to stabilise the market and rebound the oil price," Buhari's office said in a statement.

Buhari was in Riyadh a week after Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar agreed at talks in Doha to freeze production at January levels in a bid to stem the dramatic fall in oil prices.

Saudi Governer of Riyadh province Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz (R) meets Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in Riyadh

The agreement is conditional on other major producers joining in, as oil heavyweights seek to ensure others do not take advantage of output limits to win market share.

The statement after Tuesday's talks made no mention of Nigeria joining the freeze but analysts say the OPEC member is likely to eventually support the move.

The official Saudi Press Agency also reported that talks between Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the Saudi deputy oil minister, and his Nigerian counterpart, junior oil minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, focused on "the best way for (market) stability" and "the cooperation of producing countries inside and outside OPEC" to achieve this.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries had been refusing to limit or reduce production, leading to a supply glut that has seen prices fall by 70 percent since mid-2014.

Poorer OPEC members, including Nigeria, have been hard hit by the price drop but even the wealthy Gulf states have been forced to adopt austerity measures to cope with falling oil revenues.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see them voice their support to the freeze agreed in Doha," Abhishek Deshpande, lead oil market analyst at Natixis in London, said of Nigeria.

But he said that unless Iraq and Iran also commit to limit production such talks "carry very little weight".

The two countries are OPEC's second- and third-largest producers.

Iran, returning to world markets as sanctions are lifted under its nuclear deal, has insisted on boosting production to pre-sanctions levels.

"Some neighbouring countries have increased their production over the years to 10 million barrels per day and export this amount, then say let's all freeze our oil production," Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Tuesday.

"They freeze production at 10 million bpd and we freeze at 1 million bpd. This is a very funny joke."

Saxo Bank analyst Christopher Dembik told AFP that Nigeria's position is "a bit ambiguous," supporting the mooted freeze but at the same time wanting to increase its production to respond to domestic market needs.

- Nigeria could be 'crucial' -

"In the longer term, there is no reason why the country won't align itself with the position of Saudi Arabia and Russia," Dembik said.

Nigeria and Saudi Arabia would also discuss their position towards Iran and Iraq, he added.

"Nigeria could have a crucial role in this respect because of its measured position" that Iran and Iraq should elevate their production before envisaging freezes, Dembik said.

"It is probable, then, that Nigeria meanwhile establishes a bridge for negotiations, notably between Riyadh and Tehran."

According to OPEC's Monthly Oil Market Report, Iraq produces about 4.4 million barrels a day, followed by Iran at more than 2.9 million.

Saudi Arabia's output is close to 10.1 million barrels a day, according to January data.

Kachikwu, who is head of Nigeria's state-run oil firm, also discussed joint oil and gas investments during his meeting with Abdulaziz, SPA reported.

Oil prices nudged higher Tuesday as the two OPEC members met.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for delivery in April was up one cent at $33.40 a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for April rose 18 cents to $34.87 compared with Monday's close.

After the Saudi visit, the Nigerian delegation was to travel to Qatar for more oil talks.

Poorer OPEC members, including Nigeria, have been hard-hit by the oil price drop but even the wealthy Gulf states have been forced to adopt austerity measures to cope with falling oil revenues Pius Utomi Ekpei (AFP/File)

Workers trying to tie a pipe of the first refinery in Nigeria, which was built in 1965 in oil rich Port Harcourt, Rivers State Pius Utomi Ekpei (AFP/File)
Nepal lifts months-long fuel rationing

Nepal has lifted its months-long rationing of fuel following the end this month of a border blockade by people protesting against a new constitution, officials said Tuesday.

The months-long blockade caused a crippling shortage of fuel and other vital supplies in the landlocked Himalayan country.

But members of Nepal's ethnic Madhesi community decided to call off their protest at a key border post which began last September, allowing trucks to resume crossing over from India.

Nepalese and Indian bystanders look on as cargo trucks pass through the India-Nepal border at Birgunj, after a blockade was lifted Manish Poudel (AFP)

The Nepal Oil Corporation said limits on sales, of five litres for motorcycles per petrol pump and 15 litres for cars, would now be lifted after supplies improved.

"A decision to remove the quota system was made Monday evening to allow vehicle owners to refill fuel according to their needs," corporation spokesman Deepak Baral told AFP.

"The supply is only still just 70 percent of our demand. The borders have opened but the blockade of fuel still hasn't been fully lifted," Baral said.

The easing comes as Nepal's prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli visits India to repair strained ties caused by the blockade.

The impoverished country is heavily dependent on India for fuel and other supplies.

Kathmandu accused New Delhi of imposing an "unofficial blockade" at other border crossings in support of the Madhesis, who share close cultural, linguistic and family links with Indians -- a charge Delhi denies.

More than 50 people were killed in clashes between police and members of the Madhesi community protesting against the new federal constitution, which they say leaves them politically marginalised.

The Madhesis called off the blockade after Nepali and Indian businessmen and locals dismantled protesters' tents to clear the border.

The constitution, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to cement peace and bolster Nepal's transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability and a 10-year Maoist insurgency.
Myanmar stops tourists scaling prized Bagan pagodas

Visitors to Myanmar's ancient capital Bagan will no longer be able to climb the venerated pagodas for a view of the country's most famous archaeological site following a government edict railing against "disgraceful" tourist behaviour.

The ban, which starts March 1, will end the daily ritual that sees hundreds of tourists and local pilgrims scaling the ancient structures to watch the sun set over a vast plain dotted with more than 2,500 Buddhist monuments.

Myanmar's Ministry of Culture said the move would protect the buildings, considered holy sites by many locals, while also averting potential danger for those climbing.

Built between the 10th and 14th centuries as part of a powerful early kingdom, Bagan's temples are deeply revered in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar and are also one of the country's most popular tourist destinations Ye Aung Thu (AFP/File)

"Furthermore, despite warnings, people who climb the pagodas often behave badly, in a way that is culturally disgraceful such as wearing inappropriate clothing, dancing and sleeping (on the monuments)," the ministry said in a post on its official Facebook page.

"We would like to announce that no one will be permitted to climb on the pagodas for any reason from March 1 onwards," it concluded in the statement published on Monday.

Built between the 10th and 14th centuries as part of a powerful early kingdom, Bagan's temples are deeply revered in the Buddhist-majority nation and are also one of the country's most popular tourist destinations.

After years in the wilderness under an isolationist junta, Myanmar was quickly embraced as a hot choice for holidays after outright military rule ended in 2011.

The country began appearing on lists of must-visit destinations, often accompanied by bird's eye view images of Bagan's pagodas scattered across a mist-drenched landscape.

Even the Ministry of Tourism has declared that "a panoramic view of this land at sunset will leave you with a lingering sense of awe and wonder".

According to its figures, nearly half a million foreign tourists, including package tourists and independent travellers, arrived through Myanmar's main city gateway Yangon last year, more than double the number in 2011.

Many make a beeline for Bagan, a trend that is expected to continue despite the new rules.

"Bagan can offer other pleasures for tourists," said Naung Naung Han, of the Union of Myanmar Travel Association, which represents private tour operators.

But he said those not able to climb the structures to see a sunset at Bagan would be missing out.

"For a foreign tourist, such an experience could be an unforgettable moment in their life," he told AFP.

Myanmar is eager to see Bagan designated as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage site.

But experts say haphazard renovation work on some of the temples under the junta, including building hundreds of new structures over ancient foundations, has irreversibly damaged the landscape.

Tourists wait for sunset over the pagodas in Myanmar's northern ancient town of Bagan - (AFP/File)
Indian girl, 14, shot dead for resisting sexual advance

Indian police said Tuesday said they have arrested two men for shooting dead a 14-year-old girl who resisted their advances, in the latest case of sexual violence.

The two men, riding on motorbikes, had been sexually harassing the girl and her elder sister verbally as they walked home from work as domestic servants in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh late on Monday, police said.

"The girls asked the men to stop harassing them but they refused, which led to one of them to shoot the girl," Rahul Mithas, a senior police officer in Sitapur district where the incident occurred, told AFP.

An Indian activist lights a candle during a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the fatal gang-rape of a student in the Indian capital, at the bus stop in the Munirka area of New Delhi on December 16, 2014 Rebecca Conway (AFP/File)

The men fled but were arrested after the elder sister gave officers a description of them, he said.

According to local media, the sisters had complained to police about being regularly stalked by the men in the lead-up to Monday's shooting, but did not receive help.

Women's rights activists accuse police of often overlooking complaints of stalking, which they say only emboldens the perpetrators.

The fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in Delhi in 2012 shone a global spotlight on frightening levels of sexual violence against women.
Israeli soldiers ordered to take guns home when off duty

Israeli soldiers have been ordered to take their guns with them when off duty to allow them to intervene in the event of Palestinian attack, the military said on Tuesday.

The decision comes after off-duty soldier Tuvia Weissman, 21, was stabbed to death at a supermarket in an Israeli industrial zone in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.

His wife told Israeli media that Weissman, who was a dual Israeli-American citizen, had asked his superiors if he could carry his gun with him to protect himself, but they refused and required him to leave it at his base's armoury.

Israeli military chief of staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot has now "ordered that soldiers carry their weapons even outside of their service" Gil Cohen Magen (AFP/File)

Israeli military chief of staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot has now "ordered that soldiers carry their weapons even outside of their service," including while going home for leave, an army spokeswoman told AFP.

Soldiers had not previously been allowed to take their guns with them while on leave out of fear they could be stolen or used to commit suicide.

All Jewish Israelis are required to perform military service after they reach the age of 18.

Thursday's attack was part of a wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming assaults that erupted in October.

The violence has claimed the lives of 27 Israelis, as well as an American and an Eritrean.
Europe court blasts Italy over CIA abduction of Egyptian imam

The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday condemned Italy over the 2003 kidnapping by the CIA of an Egyptian imam who had been granted political asylum by Italian authorities.

Imam Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr, better known as Abu Omar, was "abducted" while walking down a street in Milan and taken to a US air force base in Germany and then to Egypt, it said, finding Italy guilty of numerous human rights violations over the case.

These include violating a ban on torture and inhuman or degrading treatment under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Egyptian cleric Abu Omar claims he was tortured after he was kidnapped in 2003

"The Court found it established that the Italian authorities were aware that the applicant had been a victim of an extraordinary rendition operation which had begun with his abduction in Italy and had continued with his transfer abroad," it said.

The court also ruled that "the legitimate principle of 'state secrecy' had clearly been applied by the Italian executive in order to ensure that those responsible did not have to answer for their actions.

"The investigation and trial had not led to the punishment of those responsible, who had therefore ultimately been granted impunity," it added.

Italy has denied any involvement in the rendition of Abu Omar, who now lives in Egypt and was also convicted in absentia and sentenced to six years by an Italian court in 2013.

Twenty-three Americans, including 22 CIA agents, were convicted in absentia 2009 by an Italian court over the 2003 abduction, after which the cleric was flown to Egypt where his lawyers say he was tortured.

The trial in Italy was one of the world's biggest to take aim at Washington's controversial extraordinary renditions programme, which was set up in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks to capture and interrogate Islamist terror suspects.
Burundi president agrees to hold talks to end crisis

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza has agreed to hold talks to end a 10-month-old crisis, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday, but the main opposition group dismissed the plan as a "false opening".

After meeting with Nkurunziza as well as government and some opposition politicians, Ban said that all sides had agreed to "inclusive dialogue" and that the president "confirmed, that he would engage in political dialogue."

But hours later the influential CNARED umbrella opposition group -- whose leaders are in exile -- dismissed the talk of talks, angered by Nkurunziza's apparent attempt to choose who should participate.

Burundi president Pierre Nkurunziza (L) and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon speak to the media after talks at the president's office on February 23, 2016 Griff Tapper (AFP)

"This dialogue concerns all Burundians, except those engaged in acts of destabilisation," Nkurunziza said after Ban's visit, prompting CNARED to accuse the president of being disingenuous.

"It is a false opening because, in effect, the president told the UN Secretary General that he accepts inclusive dialogue and then immediately afterwards wants to choose his interlocutors, accusing some of disrupting security," CNARED chairman Leonard Nyangoma told AFP.

"He says one thing and then its opposite," Nyangoma said. "It is clear Nkurunziza does not want real negotiations to bring peace to Burundi."

Nyangoma added that the International Criminal Court should open an investigation into the "numerous crimes against humanity committed by Nkurunziza's forces".

While in Burundi the UN chief had called on the country's political leaders "to summon the courage and the confidence that will make a credible political process possible," Ban said.

- Grenade attacks on the increase -

Ban's visit coincided with an uptick in grenade attacks with at least four killed just ahead of his arrival and at least a dozen injured in a series of overnight grenade attacks in several city neighbourhoods.

"Last night, ten grenades exploded in several districts of Bujumbura, leaving a dozen people wounded," a senior police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The officer said two soldiers were among the injured as well as civilians after the series of explosions in outlying parts of the capital.

Burundi's crisis was triggered by Nkurunziza's controversial decision in April last year to run for a third term which he went on to win in a July election.

Over 400 people have been killed, more than 240,000 have left the country and violent attacks have become a daily routine in the months since, raising fears of a return to the civil war fought between 1993-2006.

Nkurunziza has faced down an African Union threat to send peacekeepers to his country.

Ban's visit -- his first since the start of the crisis -- was intended to revive stalled efforts to end the dispute and comes after the Burundi government appeared to soften its position towards opponents by agreeing to receive a delegation of African heads of state, expected later this week.

It also cancelled international arrest warrants against some exiled opposition leaders and on Tuesday said 2,000 prisoners would be released in what Ban described as a "goodwill gesture".

Nkurunziza said he had appealed to Ban to help end Rwandan support for Burundian rebels alleged by Burundian authorities and UN investigators.

"We also discussed regional problems and we explained how Rwanda is trying to destabilise us," Nkurunziza said. "We told (Ban) that we had evidence and we asked for UN intervention to push for Rwanda to give it up, so that Burundians and Rwandans can live in harmony as in the past."
Ex-Maldives leader asks for more prison leave

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed has requested two more months' leave from prison after travelling to London for urgent medical treatment, the honeymoon island nation's government said Tuesday.

Nasheed, whose conviction and jailing last year on terror-related charges has been widely criticised, was allowed to fly to Britain for 30 days to receive spinal surgery.

His leave expired on Monday, but the Maldivian High Commission in Colombo said he had been granted more time to complete his application for a two-month extension.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, who is serving a 13-year jail term after being convicted on controversial terrorism-related charges, obtained prison leave to undergo urgent surgery in London Ben Stansall (AFP/File)

"Nasheed has been given more time to complete his application for medical leave," the High Commission said in a statement, without giving more details.

The 48-year-old was accorded a red carpet welcome and received by Prime Minister David Cameron after arriving in Britain in January.

Nasheed's legal team includes the high-profile human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.

He told reporters at the time that he had not yet decided whether to return to the Maldives to resume his 13-year jail sentence.

Nasheed's party confirmed that he had applied for an extension and was prepared to submit any documents the government required.

Aishath Azima Shakoor, Maldives' minister for legal affairs in the president's office, told reporters in Colombo last month that an extension request would be viewed favourably.

The Maldives government originally granted him leave in a deal brokered by Sri Lanka, India and former colonial power Britain.

The Maldives, a popular upmarket tourist destination, has been gripped by political turmoil and faced international criticism for an alleged crackdown on dissent.

The island atoll last week jailed the leader of its main Islamist party for 12 years on a terror charge, sparking fresh outrage from Western nations.

Sheikh Imran Abdullam, a Nasheed supporter, was charged with inciting unrest during an anti-government rally.

Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the Maldives in 2008 and served for four years before he was toppled in what he called a coup backed by the military and police.

He was jailed on terrorism charges relating to the arrest of an allegedly corrupt judge in 2012, when he was still in power.
Obama to unveil plan to close Guantanamo prison

President Barack Obama is expected Tuesday to make a final push to close the controversial US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, hoping to honor a glaringly unfulfilled campaign promise.

With less than a year left in office, Obama will unveil options for closing the detention center -- located on a US base in southeastern Cuba -- in a statement at 10:30 am (1530 GMT), according to White House officials.

Around 90 suspected jihadists remain at Guantanamo, a prison that once housed about 700 inmates at its peak and has become synonymous around the world with torture, indefinite detention and orange jumpsuits.

The Guantanamo Bay prison was opened in 2002 and some prisoners have been held at the detention facility for more than 10 years without trial Paul J. Richards (AFP/File)

Obama has pushed for Guantanamo's closure since taking office in 2009, but his efforts have been thwarted by Republican lawmakers, many of whom see it as a useful tool in combating terror. Obama says the opposite is true, and that the facility feeds into anti-US, jihadist propaganda.

Obama also has faced opposition from within his own administration, with the Pentagon accused of slow pedaling transfers and overstating closure costs.

Details of Obama's plan are unlikely to be revolutionary.

He has long argued that many Guantanamo prisoners should be transferred overseas and some should be tried by military courts.

A small number -- those deemed too dangerous to release but too difficult to prosecute -- would be held in the United States.

But Congress has placed a ban on transfers to the US, deepening the legal thicket.

Human rights groups worry this would only extend detentions without trial and create a "Guantanamo North."

- 91 prisoners left -

Both as a candidate and while president, Obama promised to close Guantanamo, arguing indefinite detention and "enhanced interrogation" violated the nation's values and handed militants a potent recruiting tool.

The administration is looking at military facilities like Fort Leavenworth, Kansas or the US Navy brig in Charleston, South Carolina as possible destinations for inmates. Those locations, however, face objections from local politicians.

Efforts to transfer prisoners overseas have been stymied by unrest in Yemen -- a likely destination for many -- and by recidivism among those already released.

Still, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has in recent weeks signed off on a flurry of transfers, and last month, the prison's population dropped below 100 for the first time.

Today, 91 inmates remain. Of them, 35 have been approved for release. The rest face ongoing, indefinite detention.

Perhaps the most notorious prisoner is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who along with four co-defendants is charged with plotting the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The Guantanamo Bay military prison was opened in January 2002 on a US naval base on a coastal spit of land in southeastern Cuba, leased from Havana under a treaty dating back to 1903.

It was set up after the 9/11 attacks under the administration of then-president George W. Bush to deal with prisoners who were termed "enemy combatants" and denied many US legal rights.

Around 90 suspected jihadists remain at Guantanamo Mladen Antonov (AFP/File)
Lack of quorum scuppers Libya confidence vote

Libya's internationally recognised parliament was unable to hold a vote of confidence in the UN-backed unity government Tuesday because it lacked a quorum, amid concerns over increasing jihadist expansion.

"The required quorum (89 members of parliament) was not reached, so the president of the chamber adjourned the session," MP Mohamed al-Abbani told AFP.

Another parliamentarian, Ali Al-Qaidi, confirmed that "the necessary quorum was not reached, and the session for the vote was adjourned until next week".

Libya descended into chaos after the October 2011 ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with two governments vying for power and armed groups battling over its vast energy resources. Abdullah Doma (AFP/File)

Qaidi said there were differences between MPs on the proposed new government's programme.

Another member, Khalifa al-Daghari, spoke of disagreements over the order of the day, with some MPs also wanting to vote on the political agreement reached in December in Morocco on the 2011 constitution before holding the vote of confidence.

Oil-rich Libya has had rival administrations since the summer of 2014 when the recognised government fled Tripoli after a militia alliance including Islamists overran the capital.

That alliance has established its own administration and parliament called the General National Congress, while the internationally recognised legislature is based in the eastern city of Tobruk.

The recognised parliament had wrapped up debate on Monday on the line-up and policies of the new government.

The United Nations has been pushing both sides to back a unity government.

A Presidential Council, born of an agreement in December under UN auspices between representatives of the rival parliaments, last week put forward a unity government of 18 members.

A previous cabinet line-up of 32 ministers proposed by premier-designate Fayez al-Sarraj was rejected by the Tobruk parliament as being too large.

The United Nations Libya envoy took to Twitter early Tuesday to push for the vote of confidence to be held.

He wrote that House of Representatives endorsement of the unity government "in its entirety is crucial. Fate of is at stake. National interest should override any other."

In addition to having rival administrations born of the chaos following the 2011 revolution that ousted Moamer Kadhafi, oil-rich Libya also has a growing problem caused by the Islamic State group.

Western governments concerned over the jihadist IS establishing a bridgehead on the coast just 300 kilometres (185 miles) from Europe have said they are ready to help restore security to Libya as long as it has a unity government.

On Friday, US warplanes flying from a Royal Air Force base in Britain attacked an IS training camp in the western city of Sabratha, killing more than 40 people including two Serbian diplomats being held hostage.

The Pentagon said the raid probably also killed top jihadist operative Noureddine Chouchane whom officials say helped plot attacks in Tunisia last year that killed 59 foreign tourists.
CASPER, Wyo.  Casper police say a drunk man broke into an apartment Sunday because he believed his friend lived there.

Kendall Whitetail is charged with criminal entry, property destruction and breach of peace, according to an arrest report. Whitetail, 24, was being held in the Natrona County Detention Center as of Monday afternoon.

Authorities received a 911 call about 8:30 a.m. Sunday from a man who said he had locked himself in his bathroom after a stranger broke into his apartment, the report states. The man said he had told the intruder to leave, but that he believed the person was still in his apartment.

The victim said he had heard a loud bang on his door about 8 a.m., according to the report. Fifteen minutes later, the lock flew off his door as it was forced open, he said.

Officers found Whitetail in a bedroom after entering the apartment, the report states. When interviewed by police, Whitetail said he was visiting Casper for training as an iron worker. He said he thought the resident of the apartment was a friend. He admitted he was feeling the effects of having consumed several beers, according to the report.

A breathalyzer indicated Whitetail had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.17 percent, the report states.
Niger opposition refuses to recognise presidential poll results

Niger's opposition parties on Tuesday said they did not recognise the first partial results of the weekend presidential election despite claims by the authorities that the vote met "international standards".

"We cannot recognise them such as they have been proclaimed so far," said Amadou Babacar Cisse, spokesman for the COPA 2016 opposition coalition in response to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).

A total of 7.5 million people were eligible to vote across the country on the edge of the Sahara desert, where security is a growing concern after attacks by jihadists from neighbouring Nigeria, Mali and Libya.

Niger's Commission electoral indenpendante (CENI) members check the results of the presidential election on February 22, 2016 at the palais des congres in Niamey, a day after the country's 1st round presidential and legislatives elections Issouf Sanogo (AFP)

President Mahamadou Issoufou, known as the "Zaki" or "Lion" in Hausa, the majority language in Niger, is seeking a second term and faces three main challengers.

The 63-year-old leader told AFP last week that he was "absolutely" confident of a swift victory in the first round of the poll.

Should he fail to clinch an outright victory, his rivals, who have consistently accused him of planning to rig the result, have agreed to unite behind whoever scores highest among them for the run-off vote.

Opposition spokesman Cisse said Tuesday that the opposition was ready to ask supporters "to resist" should Issoufou claim victory, but refused to say what the opposition exactly planned to do.

He said that in Niger's second biggest city, Zinder, and in other places "results are coming in from fake polling stations" with "the grave complicity of CENI".

But Interior Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou denied allegations of vote-rigging, saying the poll met "international standards."

"If we lose we will leave without any problem, if we win we will stay," he said.

- No trend clear yet -

CENI so far has announced results from only around 10 percent of more than 300 communes, making it impossible to estimate a trend.

The African Union, which deployed 40 observers, said it was generally satisfied with the organisation's handling of the vote despite noting some delays.

On Sunday, polling stations stayed open late into the night due to voting delays.

After ballot papers failed to be delivered in some areas on time, voting took place for a second day in parts of the vast nation, such as Agadez in the north, Zinder in the south and Tahoua in the west.

In the capital Niamey, a bastion of support for jailed former prime minister Hama Amadou, several sources said he picked up the most votes in Sunday's first round.

Amadou had campaigned from behind bars after being arrested in November over his alleged role in a baby-trafficking scandal.

"As promised, he will go from prison to the presidency," a spokesman for Amadou said.
Volkswagen chief predicts 'renaissance' in US business

Embattled German auto giant Volkswagen believes it may have a second chance in the United States despite being at the centre of a massive emissions-cheating scandal, its chief executive said Tuesday.

"Of course, we must and will face fines" in the US and to some extent "we are certainly the underdog there," Matthias Mueller told the German news agency DPA in an interview.

"But the great thing about the US is that they sympathise with the underdog. In America, there is the possibility of seeing a renaissance by hard work. And that's what we're going to do," the CEO said.

Volkswagen chief executive Matthias Mueller, pictured on January 10, 2016, is certain his company will survive the emissions-cheating scandal Jewel Samad (AFP/File)

It was the US authorities that exposed VW for installing so-called defeat devices in some of its diesel engines, sparking a scandal of global proportions last September.

VW subsequently admitted to installing such devices into 11 million vehicles worldwide, plunging the group into its deepest-ever crisis with potential fines and legal costs running into tens of billions of euros.

Asked whether VW could survive the scandal, Mueller replied: "Certainly. And very well."
Netanyahu pledges 'terrorism' cooperation with Africa

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday pledged his country's cooperation with African nations against "terrorism" as he met Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

"Israel is willing and prepared to work with African countries in our common battle against militant Islamic terrorism," Netanyahu said as he went into talks with Kenyatta, whose country has long been a strategic ally of Israel.

"I have to say that more and more African countries recognise what you recognise -- that Israel is a unique partner against this extremism".

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta (left) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on February 23, 2016 Amir Cohen (Pool/AFP)

The Kenyan leader said "we both live in challenging neighbourhoods with similar security concerns and the cooperation between our two governments since the time of our independence has been formidable".

He said he hoped his visit would further strengthen ties with Israel.

The United States, Britain and Israel have all had close military and intelligence ties with Kenya.

Israel reportedly warned of plans to attack Israeli property ahead of the 2013 massacre at Nairobi's Westgate mall. The mall was part owned by Israelis and had long been considered a prime potential target.

Israeli agents reportedly assisted Kenyan security forces in their response to the mall attack by Shebab gunmen who killed at least 67 people.
Iran dismisses oil production freeze as 'joke'

Iran's oil minister on Tuesday dismissed an output freeze deal between the world's top two producers Saudi Arabia and Russia as "a joke", the ISNA news agency reported.

"Some neighbouring countries have increased their production over the years to 10 million barrels per day and export this amount, then say let's all freeze our oil production," Bijan Zanganeh said.

"They freeze production at 10 million bpd and we freeze at 1 million bpd. This is a very funny joke."

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh Atta Kenare (AFP/File)

In a bid to stabilise an oversupplied market, Russia and OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Qatar announced Tuesday that they had reached a preliminary deal to freeze output at January levels, provided that other major producers followed suit.

The news sparked hopes the market would stabilise after sinking to near 13-year lows last week on the stubborn supply glut -- but disappointed those looking for an output cut.

Iran, which has the world's second-largest crude reserves, has increased production since a deal with Western powers ended sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme.
UN chief visits camp for displaced people in east DR Congo

UN chief Ban Ki-moon visited on Tuesday a camp for displaced people in the restive east of Democratic Republic of Congo where several shelters for people fleeing conflict are under threat of closure by the authorities.

Following a trip to neighbouring Burundi, Ban travelled about 80 kilometres (50 miles) northeast of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province to the Mungote camp, an AFP photographer reported.

The camp located in Kitchanga, a town of 80,000 inhabitants, is home to around 15,000 people, according to the United Nations.

UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon visits primary school Bwirangura in town of Kitchanga, 80 kilometres north of Goma on February 23, 2016 Junior Kannah (AFP)

The UN chief met with some of the women in the camp and visited a school where he shared a hot lunch with children.

The number of displaced people in DR Congo stood at 1.6 million as of late September, with North Kivu province having the biggest share at 604,000, according to the UN Office of for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The east of the vast central African nation has been plagued with armed conflicts between rival militias over ethnic and land disputes for more than 20 years.

But the future of camps for those displaced appears in jeopardy after regional authorities in January dismantled a camp at Mokoto where 4,260 people lived, the UN said.

According to OCHA, the move it described as a "mass punishment" was sparked by the discovery of a weapon in a hut and the authorities gave "the humanitarian workers only a week to inform the population."

In December 2014, it was the discovery of weapons that led the North Kivu authorities to close a camp of 2,300 people and announce they would begin closing other camps for security reasons.

Ban travelled later to the capital Kinshasa where he will open Wednesday a private investment conference for the Great Lakes region aimed at attracting investors to help establish peace in a region that has been in crisis for 20 years.

- 'Crackdown on opponents' -

Human Rights Watch meanwhile lashed out in a statement at the government in Kinshasa over what it branded the arbitrary arrest of eight youth activists.

The arrests were made during a strike called by the opposition to warn the country's President Joseph Kabila against trying to cling to power disrupted life in the capital.

"The youth activists and at least 30 political opposition supporters were detained on or around February 16, 2016, in connection with a national strike, or 'ville morte' (dead city), to protest delays in organising presidential elections," the New York-based group said.

"Other activists who supported the ville morte have received text message threats from unknown phone numbers."

HRW's senior Africa researcher Ida Sawyer branded the latest arrests "part of a growing crackdown on opponents of the government's attempts to delay elections and extend the president's term in office."

Opposition leaders believe that Kabila, in power since 2001, wants to get round the constitution to run for office again, after his final mandate expires in December. Kabila's foes argue that his call for dialogue is a ploy ahead of elections due at the end of the year.
Nigeria arrests 17 Libya-bound trafficking victims: immigration

Immigration officials have arrested 17 Nigerians attempting to cross the border into Niger on their way to Libya with no valid papers, a senior Nigerian immigration official told AFP on Tuesday.

Nigerian Immigration officers intercepted the 17 in two batches at a border crossing with Niger, said the comptroller of immigration for Katsina state, Ahmed Alhaji Alfa.

"Our investigation revealed that their mission was to cross border en route to Agadez in Niger Republic and then to Libya," he added.

Niger soldiers ride in a military vehicle on May 25, 2015 in Malam Fatori, in northern Nigeria, near the border with Niger Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

"We believe their final destination was Europe through the dangerous voyage across the (Mediterranean) sea".

Human trafficking is a major organised crime issue in Nigeria, where victims, most of them young women and girls, are smuggled into Niger then Libya before a final destination in Europe.

Most of the victims are promised lucrative jobs but are instead forced into prostitution once in Europe.

Such victims are often made to undergo voodoo rituals forcing them to vow never to disclose their situation to the authorities.

The victims -- 10 women and seven men aged between 18 and 40 -- were apprehended on February 14 and 21, Alfa said.

"Only one of them was in possession of travel documents while the others had no travel documents nor any means of livelihood," he added.

Those detained were from the southern Nigerian states of Edo and Imo and had likely been "misled" by a trafficking syndicate operating in the northern Nigerian commercial hub of Kano and towns along the borders of Nigeria and Niger, he said.

They were handed over to the Nigerian anti-human trafficking agency NAPTIP in Kano on Tuesday for further investigation and prosecution.
Israel extends Jewish extremist's detention without trial

An Israeli court on Tuesday extended the detention without trial of a Jewish extremist suspected of attacks, after a request from the Shin Bet internal security agency, his lawyer said.

Meir Ettinger, a 23-year-old accused of being a key figure in a loose band of youths suspected of a string of nationalist hate crimes targeting Palestinians, Christians and even Israeli soldiers, has already been in administrative detention for seven months.

He was placed under the controversial measure in August, just days after a lethal firebomb attack on a Palestinian home in the West Bank which resulted in the death of a couple and their toddler.

Meir Ettinger, the head of a Jewish extremist group, stands at the Israeli justice court in Nazareth Illit on August 4, 2015 Jack Guez (AFP/File)

Israel has charged two Jews over the attack but Ettinger has not been directly linked to the incident, which prompted a crackdown on Jewish extremists.

A number of Jews were arrested following the attack, but as of Tuesday only Ettinger is still in administrative detention after some were released and others charged, a legal group said.

A statement from Honenu, a legal organisation which defends right-wing Jewish extremists, said a District Court judge approved the Shin Bet's request -- also accepted by Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon -- to extend Ettinger's detention by four months.

Ettinger's lawyer, Yuval Zemer, said the extended detention "just because of one's opinions" marked "a sad day for democracy."

"Today Ettinger's opinions don't have a pleasant ring to the regime's ears, tomorrow it could be my opinions or those of any citizen," he said in a statement relayed by Honenu.

Ettinger's grandfather Meir Kahane founded Kach, a far-right movement that wanted to chase Arabs from Israel. Kahane was assassinated in New York in 1990.

Administrative detention is intended to allow authorities to hold suspects while continuing to gather evidence, with the aim of preventing further attacks in the meantime. It also allows authorities to avoid divulging sensitive intelligence in court proceedings.
Ousted Burkina leader Compaore given ICoast citizenship

Toppled Burkina Faso president Blaise Compaore, who fled to Ivory Coast after his October 2014 ouster, has been granted citizenship there on his request, national media said Tuesday.

Both Compaore and a younger brother named Francois were granted Ivorian nationality by decree with their new citizenship published in the country's official journal January 18, but reported only Tuesday in the media.

The official journal shows the decree was signed by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara on November 17, 2014, less than a month after Compaore fled into exile when a popular revolt ended his 27-year-rule.

President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, pictured on November 27, 2004, is granted Ivorian nationality by decree Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)
IS, armed men clash near Libyan capital, four dead: local official

Four people were killed in clashes near the Libyan capital on Tuesday between the Islamic State group and fighters loyal to the Tripoli-based government, a local official said.

The four dead men were members of the Sabratha military council which backs the Fajr Libya militia alliance in control of the capital, said Hussein al-Dawadi, mayor of Sabratha, west of Tripoli.

Fajr Libya is a coalition of Islamist militias that backs the non-recognised parliament in Tripoli and which is battling IS jihadists who have spread their influence across Libya.

Fighters from the Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) militia sit in the back of an armed pick-up truck during clashes southwest of Sabratha, on May 25, 2015 Mahmud Turkia (AFP/File)

Last week a US air strike targeted an IS training camp in Sabratha, killing dozens of people.

The Pentagon said a senior IS operative behind attacks in Tunisia was probably among the dead, while Serbia said that two diplomats abducted in Libya were among those killed in the air strike.

Dawadi said that fighters from the Sabratha military council launched raids in the suburbs of the city on Tuesday searching for IS militants.

During one assault on a farm in the Al-Nahda area clashes erupted in which four Sabratha military council fighters were killed, he added.

The Sabratha military council meanwhile posted a message on its Facebook page urging civilians and medical staff to mobilise and help them battle IS.

The oil-rich North African country has had rival administrations since the summer of 2014 when the internationally recognised government fled Tripoli after Fajr Libya overran the capital.

IS has exploited the turmoil in Libya since the overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi five years ago, raising fears that it is establishing a new stronghold on Europe's doorstep.
Sysco to buy rival European food distributer Brakes Group

NEW YORK (AP)  Sysco said Monday that it will pay about $800 million to buy rival European food distributer Brakes Group, a deal which will help the company expand in the region.

The companies valued the deal at $3.1 billion, when $2.3 billion of debt is included. Houston-based Sysco is purchasing Brakes Group from its private equity owner, Bain Capital.

Sysco sells and distributes food products to hospitals, schools and restaurants in the U.S., Canada and Ireland. Brakes Group distributes food to restaurants, bars, caterers and other businesses in Belgium, England, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain and Sweden.

After the deal closed, the combined company will have annual sales of about $55 billion.
UPTON, Wyo.  The Carhartt clothes, cowboy hats and pickup trucks so prevalent in this ranching community in eastern Wyoming were replaced Friday by tiaras, teddy bears and tears as an entire town paid tribute to a little girl who tugged at their hearts.

Pink ribbons graced every light pole on Uptons main drag as a reminder of the Valentines Day death of 2-year-old Miiralynne Kay Williams, the blond-haired toddler who wandered away from her parents home southeast of Upton on Feb. 13, sparking a massive search by law enforcement agencies and more than 100 local residents.

The loss of the young girl is only one of three recent tragedies that have ravaged  but also rallied  the 1,100 residents of this Wyoming city that sits about 110 miles west of Rapid City, essentially on the opposite side of the Black Hills. The town has recently seen the death of a father and serious injury of his son in one-vehicle wreck, and the death of another local mother in a separate accident.

The communitywide search for Miiralynne showed how residents of a small Great Plains town can come together to aid one in need.

While searchers scoured ravines and fields that Saturday night, winds picked up and the temperature reportedly dropped 33 degrees in a matter of minutes. Meanwhile, as snow began to fall on the 4,000-foot plateau, residents throughout Weston County tracked progress of the search with mounting concern via social media.

Clad only in her mud boots, a pair of jeans and tiny pink earrings, Miiralynne was found hours later a mile from her home, having passed through sagebrush, prairie grasses as tall as her, and two barbed-wire fences, according to family friends. Unresponsive, she was rushed to a local hospital.

Despite three exhausting hours spent trying to revive her by nurses and doctors at Weston County Health Services, the daughter of David and Maci (Toth) Williams died of exposure in the early morning hours of Feb. 14.

Deanna Beck, a close friend of Miiralynnes mother, had raced to the hospital shortly after the youngster was found in an effort to support the family, and she was there when the parents learned of Miiras passing.

Following Friday mornings funeral services, attended by more than 300 of the towns 1,100 residents, Beck said she and her neighbors were devastated by the loss of the little brown-eyed girl who loved bugs almost as much as her three big brothers.

This is a small town with the biggest heart imaginable, the preschool teacher said. Were all connected through sports, through church. Were an extended family and when something like this happens, we all come together and lift each other up.

Unfortunately for Upton, its been heavy lifting of late. The loss of Miiralynne is only the most recent in a trio of tragedies in the past six months that have left Upton residents heavy of heart.

One came near noon Sept. 19, when Upton resident Patrick Talbot was driving with his 21-month-old son, Bentley, a couple miles east of Upton. His westbound Toyota Forerunner inexplicably veered across the center line, through the eastbound lane and into the ditch, where it rolled several times.

The toddler suffered severe head injuries and was life-flighted to Denver Childrens Hospital, where he remained for weeks. His 28-year-old father died in the accident, according to the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

Then on Dec. 6, a 25-year-old Upton mother was killed when the Pontiac she was driving was involved in a head-on collision on U.S. Highway 30 about 16 miles north of Laramie.

According to the Highway Patrol, Stephanie Strong was traveling south shortly after midnight when an oncoming Chevy pickup driven at a high speed by an 18-year-old Casper man crossed the center line and collided with Strongs vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Each time, the community weathered the storm as one, with sympathy the dominant emotion.

Then came the tragedy of a little miracle named Miiralynne.

At her funeral services Friday, which packed the Upton Community Center, Miiralynne was remembered as a princess, a toddler who was easy with kisses and unafraid of playing in the mud or rough-housing with her brothers. As the theme from Disneys Frozen flooded the hall, dozens donned tiaras in her honor, and when Miiralynnes far too tiny casket passed, tears flooded the face of virtually every mourner.

I think this whole area has been devastated, said Susan Gibson, a Newcastle florist who had driven to Upton to deliver floral arrangements for the funeral. Its so sad it makes you want to cry. It could be any of us and theres nothing you can do after the fact except express love and kind words.

But, experience has proven that Upton residents go well beyond kind words when calamity comes calling.

Marcus Truesdale, pastor at the Lighthouse Assembly of God Church, told those attending Fridays funeral, many of whom had searched in vain for the girl, that they shouldnt let guilt or what ifs consume their memories.

No one is immune from death, illness or tragedy, the soft-spoken pastor said. But were blessed, not cursed.

Vice-Mayor Travis Beck said Upton residents helped the community live up to the Best Little Town on Earth motto immortalized on its welcome signs.

Its about compassion, the local pharmacist and lifelong resident said. It often seems as if society is intent on only immediate satisfaction. But when you put other peoples needs first, you get more satisfaction and thats what this town is all about.

As evidence, Miiralynnes grandfather, Alan Williams, said local residents had a signup list that already would provide the family with dinners through March. In the past week, the Williams had received such an outpouring of support that they were donating excess food to needy families in the community, he noted.

People around here dont forget with the funeral, added Donna Kennedy, a local rancher who spoke during the services. Theyll be bringing dinner to them six months down the line.

For Deanna Beck, still amazed by the strength and resilience of Miiralynnes mother who says God lent her that daughter for a little while, memories of a girl gone too soon are likely to linger.

When she died, she wore these little pink diamond earrings and a little hot pink ponytail, a rubber band that pulled back her bangs to one side, Beck recalled. I told her mom, 'When I get to heaven, Ill know Miiralynne by her pink earrings.
Thwarted helicopter hijacking linked with Greek militants

ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greece's anti-terrorism squad is investigating the attempted hijacking of a helicopter by a woman armed with a gun that police have linked to a domestic militant anarchist group.

Police say the pilot wrestled with the woman and  although she fired three shots  safely landed in a rural area on Sunday. The woman, the only passenger, escaped on foot.

A police statement Monday said the woman chartered the six-seater for a flight to central Greece, but in the air drew a gun and demanded to be flown toward Athens.

Police said the gun fired Sunday was previously used by convicted Revolutionary Struggle terrorist Nikos Maziotis  who is held in Athens' maximum-security Korydallos prison.
Court: Maryland can withhold abortion clinic applicant names

BALTIMORE (AP)  Maryland's highest court says the state can keep secret the names of abortion clinic license applicants.

The Court of Appeals ruled Monday on an appeal filed by Andrew Glenn of the anti-abortion group Maryland Coalition for Life.

Glenn sought the names under Maryland's Public Information Act, arguing disclosure would help protect women from operators with checkered safety records.

The unanimous opinion upholds lower court rulings that withholding the names is necessary for public safety. It notes a history of violence toward abortion providers.

Glenn's attorneys, from the American Center for Law and Justice, say they're disappointed. The ruling can't be appealed to federal courts.
Rubio builds momentum, Cruz campaign shows signs of struggle

ELKO, Nevada (AP)  Marco Rubio amassed increasing support for his candidacy while Ted Cruz's campaign showed signs of struggle as Republican presidential candidates crisscrossed Nevada on Monday on the final day of campaigning ahead of the state's GOP caucuses.

Cruz told reporters Monday he has asked his campaign spokesman, Rick Tyler, to resign for tweeting a story that falsely alleged Rubio insulted the Bible.

"We are not a campaign that is going to question the faith of another candidate for president," he said, calling Tyler "a good man" and noting that he deleted the tweet once he discovered it was false.

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, right, greets supporters after speaking at a rally Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Reno, Nev. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Tyler did not return telephone, text or email messages left by The Associated Press seeking comment.

It's not the first time that Cruz's campaign has been accused by rivals of using questionable tactics. Cruz apologized to GOP hopeful Ben Carson earlier this month after his campaign promoted a news story suggesting that Carson was getting out of the race. Cruz's campaign has also acknowledged creating a website that used a computer program to create a fake picture of Rubio shaking hands with President Barack Obama.

Speaking during a campaign stop in Elko, Nevada, earlier Monday, Rubio criticized Cruz for the incident and asked whether Cruz would fire anyone involved.

"It's every single day something comes out of the Cruz campaign that's deceptive and untrue, and in this case goes after my faith," Rubio told reporters when asked about the incident. "I guess one of their spokespersons apologized, and I accept their apology."

Republican front-runner Donald Trump lashed out at Cruz over Twitter on Monday, saying that Cruz "has now apologized to Marco Rubio and Ben Carson for fraud and dirty tricks. No wonder he has lost Evangelical support!" He reiterated his calls for disqualifying Cruz because of "his fraudulent win in Iowa."

Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said Monday that the billionaire businessman has been seeking advice from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as he gradually expands his tight inner circle.

Meanwhile, establishment heavyweights continued to back Rubio, with many saying they see him as the candidate who can unite a disharmonious Republican Party. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch were the latest to endorse Rubio. South Florida's three Cuban-American members of Congress also said that they shifted their support to Rubio, having previously supported for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's now defunct bid.

Former Sen. Bob Dole told ABC News on Monday that he too had been backing Bush, but he's now supporting Rubio because "he wants to grow the party as opposed to Cruz. I don't know what he wants to grow."

Since Friday, Rubio has added 12 new Congressional or gubernatorial endorsements, while Trump and Cruz have added none.

While five men officially remain in the race for the Republican nomination, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy billed it as a two-man contest between Trump and Rubio. Speaking to MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Monday, McCarthy said Trump's victory and Rubio's second-place finish in Saturday's South Carolina primary dealt a blow to Cruz's strategy to win the nomination. The California congressman predicted voters in Florida, Rubio's home state, would determine whether Rubio continues or Trump easily rolls on to the nomination.

Cruz on Saturday characterized a two-man contest as well  between him and Trump. But Rubio, who campaigned in South Carolina alongside the state's GOP Gov. Nikki Haley, has continued to capitalize on the momentum from his second-place finish.

Across the country, Ohio Gov. John Kasich turned his attention to Virginia, which is among the dozen states voting on March 1.

Kasich, who finished second in New Hampshire's Republican primary, won the endorsement of Tom Ridge, a former Homeland Security secretary and Pennsylvania governor.

Ridge had supported Bush for president since early 2015 and campaigned with him in South Carolina. Bush quit the race Saturday after a disappointing finish in the Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries.

Kasich's campaign says Ridge is signing on as a national co-chairman.

Democratic presidential hopefuls coming off a tight battle for Nevada kicked off the week on opposite ends of the country Monday. Hillary Clinton was fundraising in northern California, while Bernie Sanders held a rally in Massachusetts, another Super Tuesday state. South Carolina votes in the next Democratic primary on Saturday.

___

Riccardi reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press writers Vivian Salama in Washington, Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; David Eggert in Michigan, Andrew Demillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; and Alanna Durkin, Michael Blood and Matthew Barakat in Virginia contributed to this report.

FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Atlanta. With its red, white and blue bunting, patriotic slogans and ubiquitous country songs, the presidential campaign marching through South Carolina and Nevada seems like an all-American affair. But it holds familiar overtones to Europeans watching anxiously from abroad. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks at a rally Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, in North Las Vegas, Nev. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a rally Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, in Pahrump, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Pitaro named chair of Disney consumer products, interactive

GLENDALE, Calif. (AP)  Jimmy Pitaro, a former Yahoo media executive who joined Disney in 2010, has been promoted to chairman of its consumer products and interactive media division.

Since June of last year, Pitaro was co-chair of the newly combined Disney unit with Leslie Ferraro, but Ferraro, a 17-year veteran of the company, is departing Disney to pursue marketing projects with Disney as her first client, the company said Monday.

Pitaro will report to Chief Operating Officer Tom Staggs and CEO Bob Iger.
Appeals court to consider challenge to federal water rules

CINCINNATI (AP)  A federal appeals court has ruled that it will hear challenges to a clean water rule implemented by President Barack Obama's administration.

At issue is a regulation that attempts to clarify which small streams, wetlands and other waterways the government can shield from pollution and development.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati said in a 2-1 decision Monday it will hear challenges to the rules by 18 states.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the regulations last year after two Supreme Court rulings left uncertain which waterways can be protected under the Clean Water Act.
The Latest: Pittsburgh-area firm guilty in Chinese smuggling

PITTSBURGH (AP)  The Latest on a Pittsburgh-area firm that pleaded guilty to smuggling Chinese-made products to avoid ant-dumping penalties(all times local):

4:30 p.m.

A Pittsburgh-area company that supplies the steel industry has pleaded guilty to smuggling Chinese graphite electrodes into the country.

An attorney for Ameri-Source International entered the plea before a federal judge on Monday.

The judge fined the company $250,000.

That's on top of more than $2.1 million in restitution the firm as already paid to the government for importing the electrodes but lying about their size.

The federal government charges a duty of nearly 160 percent on electrodes that are less than 16 inches in diameter to stop Chinese companies from dumping cheap electrodes on the market.

Federal prosecutors say the company was falsely claiming the electrodes it imported were larger to avoid paying the duty.

The judge could have put the company on probation, but opted not to.

11:30 a.m.

A Pittsburgh-area company that supplies the steel industry is set to plead guilty to smuggling Chinese graphite electrodes into the country.

The owner of Ameri-Source International Inc., Ajay Goel, tells The Associated Press that his attorneys will enter the plea Monday afternoon before a federal judge. Goel wouldn't comment otherwise.

According to federal court records, the Bethel Park company was importing the electrodes  which are used to power electric arc steel furnaces  but lying about their size.

The federal government charges a duty of nearly 160 percent on electrodes that are less than 16 inches in diameter to stop Chinese companies from dumping cheap electrodes on the market.
Fargo police officer killed on duty remembered as quiet hero

FARGO, N.D. (AP)  The first Fargo police officer killed in the line of duty in 130 years was remembered Monday as a life saver who was a quiet hero and a mentor to others in law enforcement.

Hundreds of officers from several states and Canada formed caravans into the city in the morning and then led a 21-mile procession after the funeral for Jason Moszer, 33, who was shot while responding to a domestic disturbance on Feb. 10. Moszer leaves behind a wife and three children.

Fargo Police Chief David Todd told thousands of mourners during the service at Scheels Arena that Moszer was a "cop's cop" who was committed to helping others.

The flag-draped casket with 33-year-old Jason Moszer, a Fargo police officer who was shot and killed Feb. 11 while responding to a domestic disturbance, is brought into Scheels Arena for his funeral in Fargo, N.D., Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. Moszer, a six-year veteran of the force, is the first Fargo officer to die in the line of duty in more than 130 years. (Mitch Highman/mjoyphotography via AP, Pool)

"The night Jason was mortally wounded was another example of his bravery and service to our community," Todd said. "He was responding to help victims of domestic violence and protecting area residents from a dangerous person set on harming others. Jason gave the ultimate sacrifice of his life in that mission of helping others and protecting the community that he has sworn to protect."

Todd said it wasn't the first time Moszer put others ahead of himself. Moszer earned the Silver Star Medal for rescuing two children from a burning an apartment building. Before his career as a police officer, he served as a combat medic for the Minnesota National Guard. After he died, Todd said, Moszer's organs were donated "so that others may live or have a better life."

The Rev. Kevin Kloster, a former Fargo police chaplain who had performed the wedding ceremony for Kloster and his wife, Rachel, said Moszer's death has brought "profound grief" to the community. The last time a Fargo police officer was killed in the line of duty was 1882.

"We hurt," Kloster said. "And there's anger."

Kloster noted the officers in uniform who came to support Rachel Moszer even though they didn't know the Fargo officer.

"It's a moving thing to see all of you here," Kloster said.

Friends said Moszer enjoyed camping, cooking, shooting, hosting parties and perhaps most of all, riding motorcycles.

Moszer's fellow officer and partner Jacob Rued had talked with him after work on Feb. 9, which was their last scheduled work day together because Moszer was moving to the day shift. Rued said he was sad at the time to be losing his mentor, but happy for Moszer.

"He told me he was excited to be able to spend more time with his family," Rued said, taking several breaths. "He also said he was nervous because he had never had a day job before."

The service ended with both police and military honor guard ceremonies and the sounds of officer status checks, the last of which went unanswered three times for "Edward 143," which was Moszer's call sign. Todd said that call sign will no longer be used by Fargo police.

The recessional song was "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi, which was a favorite among Moszer and his fellow motorcycle enthusiasts.

FILE - This undated file photo released by the Fargo, N.D. Police Department shows 33-year-old Fargo police Officer Jason Moszer. Moszer died Feb. 11 of a single gunshot wound after responding to a domestic disturbance in Fargo. His funeral is being held Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, at Scheels Arena in Fargo. (Fargo Police Department via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDIT

Fargo N.D., police officers stand beside the casket of 33-year-old Jason Moszer, a Fargo police officer who was shot and killed Feb. 11 while responding to a domestic disturbance, before his funeral at Scheels Arena on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Fargo. Moszer, a six-year veteran of the force, is the first Fargo officer to die in the line of duty in more than 130 years. (Mitch Highman/mjoyphotography via AP, Pool)

Fargo N.D., Police Chief David Todd speaks at the funeral for 33-year-old slain police officer Jason Moszer Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, at Scheels Arena in Fargo. Moszer was shot and killed Feb. 11 while responding to a domestic disturbance. He was six-year veteran of the force and the first Fargo officer to die in the line of duty in more than 130 years. (Mitch Highman/mjoyphotography via AP, Pool)

Mourners gather in Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D., Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, at the funeral for 33-year-old Jason Moszer, a Fargo police officer who was shot and killed Feb. 11 while responding to a domestic disturbance. Moszer, six-year veteran of the force, is the first Fargo officer to die in the line of duty in more than 130 years. (Mitch Highman/mjoyphotography via AP, Pool)
Fiji cyclone death toll reaches 29 after island leveled

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  Ten people have died on a single small island in Fiji as the total death toll from a powerful cyclone climbed to 29, officials said Tuesday.

Government spokesman Ewan Perrin said the death toll on Koro Island had reached double figures and that most buildings there had been heavily damaged or flattened.

He said a relief vessel with about 30 people aboard had arrived at the island with medical supplies, food and water, and teams were helping build temporary shelters for the 4,500 residents.

In this Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016 aerial photo supplied by the New Zealand Defense Force, debris is scattered around damaged buildings at Muamua on Vanua Blava Island in Fiji, after Cyclone Winston tore through the island nation. Fijians were finally able to venture outside Monday after authorities lifted a curfew but much of the country remained without electricity in the wake of a ferocious cyclone that left at least six people dead and destroyed hundreds of homes. (New Zealand Defense Force via AP) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

"It's one of the worst hit," Perrin said.

He said officials also have fears about nearby Taveuni Island, home to about 12,000 people, because they've managed to have only limited contact with people there.

Winds from Cyclone Winston, which tore through the Pacific Island chain Saturday and early Sunday, reached 177 miles (285 kilometers) per hour, making it the strongest storm in Fiji's recorded history.

Getting emergency supplies to the group's far-flung islands and remote communities has been the Fiji government's top priority.

Alice Clements, a spokeswoman for UNICEF, said the aerial footage coming in showed a corridor of destruction over places like Koro Island.

"The imagery is heartbreaking," she said. "You're looking down and expecting to see a village and instead you're seeing a field of debris."

She said one priority is to ensure children get back to school because studies have shown it helps them recover faster emotionally.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General Stephen O'Brien said in a statement he was concerned by the devastating impact the cyclone was having on Fiji.

"Whole villages have been destroyed, homes and crops have been damaged, power lines have been cut and more than 8,100 people are currently sheltering in over 70 evacuation centers," O'Brien said.

O'Brien said Fiji was leading the response and had asked for international help. Australia has so far pledged 5 million Australian dollars ($3.6 million) in aid and New Zealand has pledged 2 million New Zealand dollars ($1.3 million).

Perrin said France, the U.S. and China have also provided or pledged support. He said relief agencies, including Oxfam and the Red Cross, have been helping with humanitarian efforts and that the Fijian government has set up a disaster relief fund.

Home to 900,000 people, Fiji has more than 100 inhabited islands, and authorities are having difficulty communicating with some of the more remote islands in the wake of the cyclone.

Phone communications have been rapidly restored in many areas but in other areas the damage was severe and would take longer to fix, Perrin said.

He said the electricity network across Fiji remained patchy, and in some cases power had been deliberately cut to prevent further damage. He said clean water was also a challenge, and people were being asked to boil their water, treat it with chemicals or drink bottled water.

In this Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016 aerial photo supplied by the New Zealand Defense Force, debris is scattered around damaged buildings at Susui village in Fiji, after Cyclone Winston tore through the island nation. Fijians were finally able to venture outside Monday after authorities lifted a curfew but much of the country remained without electricity in the wake of a ferocious cyclone that left at least six people dead and destroyed hundreds of homes. (New Zealand Defense Force via AP) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

In this Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016 aerial photo supplied by the New Zealand Defense Force, debris is scattered around damaged buildings at Nakama settlement in Fiji, after Cyclone Winston tore through the island nation. Fijians were finally able to venture outside Monday after authorities lifted a curfew but much of the country remained without electricity in the wake of a ferocious cyclone that left at least six people dead and destroyed hundreds of homes. (New Zealand Defense Force via AP) EDITORIAL USE ONLY
New Zealand man pleads guilty to throwing goop at lawmaker

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  A New Zealand man whose 14-year-old son was killed in a deadly Christchurch earthquake pleaded guilty Tuesday to assaulting the lawmaker responsible for quake recovery efforts after throwing goop at him.

John Howland, 41, told reporters he'd thrown the mix of chocolate, vinegar and other ingredients at Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee because he was angry at the government for not taking better care of victims' families. He faces a maximum penalty of one year in jail.

Howland threw the mix at the end of a service attended by hundreds of people to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the magnitude-6.1 quake that killed 185 people on Feb 22, 2011.

In this image made from video provided by Maori Television, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee walks away after someone poured a substance on him at a memorial service to commemorate the fifth anniversary of a deadly earthquake, Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Christchurch, New Zealand. The commemoration turned ugly Monday when someone threw goop over the government minister responsible for quake recovery efforts. (Maori Television via AP Video) NEW ZEALAND OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO SALES

Howland's son Jayden Andrews-Howland died in the quake when rubble fell on the bus he was in.

Brownlee has proved a polarizing figure in the rebuilding of Christchurch. Many people frustrated at delays in collecting insurance or at the slow pace of the downtown reconstruction have blamed him, while others have praised his forthright style.

Brownlee's spokesman, Nick Bryant, said the lawmaker didn't wish to comment on the incident because it had become a legal matter.

It's the second time this month that somebody has thrown something at a New Zealand lawmaker. On Feb. 6, a woman threw a pink toy penis at Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce to protest an international free trade deal.

Earlier during Monday's memorial service, speakers made the point that while there had been big progress since the quake, there was much left to be done.

"There is still some way to go until Christchurch is truly reborn," said Governor-General Jerry Mateparae.

Speakers also mentioned the disquiet they felt when the region was rattled again last week by an earthquake, one of the strongest since 2011. Last week's quake knocked items from shelves and triggered rock falls, but didn't cause major damage.

Emergency responders and officials representing more than a dozen foreign nations were among those who read out the names of each of the victims who died in the quake.

Mateparae said it changed the region forever.

"We recall the ordered streets and gracious buildings of a city renowned for its style and substance," he said. "We recall how, in an instant, that physical landscape was shattered. We recall how dust and the sound of sirens filled the air."

Parents, center, of a Japanese victim in an earthquake, offer flowers during a memorial ceremony in Christchurch, New Zealand Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. Hundreds of people in Christchurch gathered Monday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of an earthquake which killed 185 people. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
A determined penguin is not letting its blindness get in the way of learning how to swim.

Blindy the little blue penguin was born without functioning eyes and developed a habit of swimming in tight circles to stay afloat.

In an adorable video, the penguin's carer, Shireen Helps, in New Zealand's Flea Bay - on the South Island - is seen teaching it how to swim by tossing the bird into deep waters so it stops continually crashing into the side of the pond of where it takes a dip.

Scroll down for video

Blindy the little blue penguin was born without functioning eyes and is being looked after by carer Shireen Helps

Ms Helps and her husband, Francis, have been looking after and protecting the bay's 2,500-plus penguin population for the past three decades while many nearby colonies were wiped out.

Blindy, who is about 12 weeks old, was from a nearby colony and was found by a local farmer after it had left its nest and got lost in a creek.

Ms Helps said Blindy was born with a malformed head and beak, making it hard to tell if it was a male or female.

But it was more likely the bird is female as males usually have very thick stout beaks.

At first the penguin's circling antics seemed to make it disorientated but it was now swimming more confidently.

'If it gets dizzy going around one way, it changes direction and goes around the other way. So it's really learning very well,' Ms Helps said.

Ms Helps lives in Flea Bay in New Zealand. Here she tosses Blindy into a pond to help it learn how to swim

At first the penguin's circling antics seemed to make it disorientated but it was now swimming more confidently

The little blue penguin that needed nursing is being fed an anchovy by Ms Helps

Blindy's carer said it was too disabled to be returned to the wild, but hopes a zoo might take it on.

Despite being seabirds, penguins can also live in fresh water and often do so in zoos.

These days the colony in Flea Bay is thriving, a hopeful sign at a time when many penguin species from the Galapagos Islands to Antarctica are facing threats from humans that come from overfishing and global warming.

The Helps never intended to become penguin custodians.

Mr Helps moved to Flea Bay, also known as Pohatu, in 1969, with the intention of farming sheep and cattle.

He said it was not until the first night, when he was kept awake by noises like a donkey braying, that he realized he was surrounded by penguins.

'They're very noisy at night, especially pre-breeding,' Ms Helps said.

'They get really wound up. They party all night.'

After meeting her husband, Ms Helps moved to the bay in 1974, and said she noticed other penguin colonies in the area were disappearing.

'That's when we started to look critically around our own backyard,' she said.

'We found dead penguins everywhere. We realised that predators were hitting into them, and if somebody didn't do something to save this colony, it would be lost.'

Another little blue penguin that needed nursing appears at first to be undecided about whether to return to the ocean after being released by Ms Helps

Two little blue penguins are transported in a bucket by Ms Helps. Her family have been looking after penguins in the area for three decades

So they started trapping feral cats, ferrets and stoats.

They also built tiny wooden huts for the penguins to monitor them and to stop them fighting each other for nesting sites.

Finally they started nursing the ill birds, managing to save some and return them to the wild.

Found in parts of Australia and New Zealand, the penguins go by several names: little penguins, little blue penguins, and fairy penguins.

Adults stand just 33 centimetres (13 inches) tall and weigh 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds), making them the world's smallest penguin species.

Those living around the South Island's Banks Peninsula, where Flea Bay is located a little south-east of Christchurch, are a local variant, known as white-flippered, due to the distinctive white stripes along the leading edge of their flippers.

Over the years, the Helps have developed an admiration for the little seabirds and their observations have brought some amusing insights.

'A common thought is that penguins mate for life. Well, some of our monitoring notes make interesting reading if you're into soap operas,' Ms Helps said.

'So yeah, they can fool around.'

These little blue penguins are taking a dip in a pond in Flea Bay

Ms Helps and her husband, Francis Helps, chat in front of their home in Flea Bay

There was one penguin they called Shark Bait, which they found bleeding after it had been mauled by a shark.

They got a veterinarian to administer stitches and fed it plenty of anchovies before returning it to the ocean.

Animal ecologist Chris Challies, who has monitored white-flippered little penguins for more than four decades, said the population on Banks Peninsula plunged by as much as 80 per cent from 1980 to 2000 as they were attacked by predators like ferrets, which would sometimes wipe out entire colonies between breeding seasons.

He said the trapping program introduced by the Helps family 'probably saved the colony through the 1990s'.

The penguins were also given a boost after local authorities banned fisher folk from using nets which inadvertently caught the penguins and later declared the area around Flea Bay a marine reserve.

Longer-term factors like global warming could severely affect their habitat.

A seal surfaces at Flea Bay. The Helps, along with son Daniel, live in the bay

The bay is home to three humans and more than 2,500 penguins. The Helps have helped protect and save the penguins in the region

Recent studies indicate that emperor penguins face a big threat from changes to Antarctica's sea ice, which will affect their breeding and ability to catch fish.

The little blue penguins 'are doing very well at the moment but we can't count on it,' Mr Challies said.

'These things can fluctuate. It's the marine environment we can't control.'

For now, Flea Bay is providing a sanctuary and dozens of seals have also found a home there.

Ms Helps runs a small business hosting tour groups which come to see both, while her husband and son Daniel continue to manage the farm.

She said to keep one step ahead of the predators she had been experimenting with a new concoction.

The penguin carer is breeding mice and using the slurry from their cages in traps, which she says has been working well.

On a recent summer evening, she placed a penguin she had nursed back to health in the breaking waves.
Kenya has until April 5 to fall in line with doping rules

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  Kenya has until April 5 to fall in line with global anti-doping rules or face being declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency, a step toward a possible ban from the Olympics for its track and field athletes.

Kenya already missed one deadline this month to pass anti-doping legislation and properly set up and provide funding for its new national anti-doping agency.

The latest draft regulations submitted by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya still do not comply with the world anti-doping code, WADA said in a statement on Monday. The East African country will now be assessed by an independent compliance review committee on April 5, when "consideration will be given to a possible recommendation of non-compliance," WADA said.

That committee will make its recommendation to WADA's board, which will make the final decision on Kenya's status at its meeting on May 12.

Declaring Kenya non-compliant could cause its athletes to miss the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August as IAAF President Sebastian Coe has previously said his sport would consider suspending the country, a distance-running powerhouse, if it's in breach of anti-doping rules.

The IAAF suspended Russia from all international track and field competition after it was declared non-compliant with WADA's code following a report detailing a vast system of doping and cover-ups.

Along with problems with its national anti-doping body and failure to pass anti-doping legislation, Kenya is also accused of doping cover-ups, with four senior athletics officials now under investigation by the IAAF for "potential subversion" of anti-doping procedures.

The chief executive of Athletics Kenya, the national track and field federation, was the latest official to be suspended. Isaac Mwangi was placed under investigation by the IAAF on Monday. Two runners who failed doping tests at last year's world championships alleged in an interview with The Associated Press that Mwangi asked them for bribes in exchange for more lenient sanctions, leading to the investigation.

Mwangi joined Athletics Kenya President Isaiah Kiplagat, vice president David Okeyo and former federation treasurer Joseph Kinyua in being suspended by the IAAF pending investigations by its ethics committee. Kiplagat, Okeyo and Kinyua are also accused of subverting anti-doping rules and other wrongdoing related to the misappropriation of federation money.
Convicted Connecticut killer Steven Hayes, who is serving a life sentence for the brutal 2007 murders of the Petit family, has undergone a dramatic transformation behind bars.

A new mugshot released by the Connecticut Department of Correction on Monday shows the inmate sporting a flowing grey beard and looking decades older than his 52 years.

According to multiple published reports, Hayes became an Orthodox Jew while awaiting his execution on death row.

Scroll down for video

Then and now: Convicted Connecticut killer Steven Hayes, pictured on the left at the time of his arrest in 2007 for the murders of the Petit family, was pictured in a recent mugshot sporting a flowing grey beard

According to multiple published reports, Hayes became an Orthodox Jew while awaiting his execution for the shocking murders of Jennifer Hawke-Petit (second right) and her daughters Hayley, 17 (far left) and Michaela, 11 (second left). Dr William Petit (far right) was the sole survivor of the home invasion

Burned alive: Hayes and his co-defendant, Joshua Komisarjevsky, tied Hayley and Michaela to their beds (pictured), doused them with gasoline and set them alight

Dr Petit was badly injured in the deadly attack on his family but was able to escape the house and call for help

Hayes tried to commit suicide during his 2010 trial. Upon hearing he would face the death penalty, the killer apparently told a New Haven court: 'Death, to me, will be a welcome relief.'

Last year, the state's highest court abolished capital punishment in Connecticut in a controversial ruling, sparing the lives of 11 death row inmates, among them Hayes and his co-defendant, Joshua Komisarjevsky.

Convert: In 2014, Hayes filed a lawsuit against the Department of Correction claiming he was being denied properly prepared kosher food

In 2014, Hayes filed a lawsuit against the Department of Correction alleging that the preparation and practices of kosher meals in the kitchen at the state's maximum-security prison did not conform to strict Jewish dietary laws.

Hayes stated in his complaint that he has suffered almost two years of emotional injury from having to choose between following God and starving or choosing sin to survive.

Hayes and Komisarjevsky were convicted in 2010 in the shocking slayings of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, 11-year-old Michaela and 17-year-old Hayley.

The mother-of-two was raped and then strangled to death. Her two daughters were tied to their beds, and the younger of the girls was raped by Komisarjevsky before they were doused with gasoline and set alight.

Hawke-Petit's husband, William Petit, was severely beaten with a baseball bat but survived the deadly home invasion.

On Tuesday, Komisarjevsky appeared before a judge in a bid to win a new trial, contending his original trial lawyers weren't provided with backup police recordings after authorities said a lightning strike destroyed the originals in 2010.

Copies of the 911 calls were found in 2014 at Cheshire Town Hall, inclduing one in which a sergeant and officer talked about intercepting the Petit's car after it had left the bank. Police did not stop the car, and it's unclear if they tried to.

Komisarjevsky, pictured left shortly after the murders and right in a recently released booking photo, is now trying to win a new trial claiming his original lawyers weren't provided with police phone call recordings crucial to the defense

Komisarjevsky's defense argued that the police response to the home invasion that resulted in the deaths of Hawke-Petit and her daughters was inadequate

Komisarjevsky's appellate lawyers say the recordings would have helped prove a defense theory that the police response to the home invasion in Cheshire was inadequate, giving reason to question the credibility of officers who testified for the prosecution.

Hawke-Petit's family has been critical of the police response, saying officers waited too long to go into the home and try to save the victims.
25 years later, Gulf War stills shapes tiny, oil-rich Kuwait

KUWAIT CITY (AP)  The scene U.S. forces encountered as they pushed into Kuwait in 1991 to end the Iraqi occupation could only be described as a hellscape.

Hundreds of burning oil wells set ablaze by Iraq's army had left sand sodden in an oily sludge and the skies overhead choked with thick black smoke.

As they fled, Saddam Hussein's troops took what they had looted from homes, private property and state buildings. As many as 5,000 Kuwaitis were dead.

FILE - In this March 2, 1991 file photo, Kuwait's oil wells burn after the defeated Iraqi troops were expelled from Kuwait. The oil-rich, tiny country of Kuwait is still shaped by the 1991 Gulf War. Twenty-five years later, there is a freely elected parliament in place but problems persist and many fear Kuwait could be gripped by the same regional tensions at play across the greater Middle East. (AP Photo, File)

Twenty-five years later, the Iraqi occupation and its aftermath still shapes life in this tiny emirate at the tip of the Persian Gulf, now challenged by power struggles, a failure to diversify its oil-dependent economy and the growing disillusionment of its youth in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.

"After the liberation, Kuwait was supposed to bring about a very promising dynamic to its society," said Shafeeq Ghabra, a political science professor at Kuwait University. "Sadly, 25 years later, Kuwait is navigating its way in a very troubled region that reflects its problems on the feelings and temperament of Kuwait's citizens."

Many in the West were unfamiliar with Kuwait prior to the Aug. 2, 1990, Iraqi invasion. With just 6,880 square miles (17,820 square kilometers) of territory, Kuwait is smaller than New Jersey.

But within its confines lie massive oil reserves  the world's sixth-largest  that have allowed Kuwaitis to enjoy cradle-to-grave subsidies and drawn a large expatriate population, including many Palestinians who came to fill technical jobs. Before the invasion, the country's population of 1.6 million was 60 percent foreign.

It proved to be too tempting of a target for Saddam as his troops, hardened by the 1980s war with Iran, rushed into the country and pushed aside Kuwaiti forces.

Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah, and his royal court fled to Saudi Arabia, where they directed an armed resistance from their temporary abode in the luxury penthouses of a Saudi hotel in the western mountain city of Taif.

By the time the U.S.-led coalition retook the country following a ground war that lasted only 100 hours, much damage had been done. It took months for firefighters to cap and stop the oil well blazes set by the retreating Iraqi army. Iraqi troops also had flooded the Persian Gulf with as much as 336 million gallons (1.3 billion liters) of oil, the biggest offshore spill in history.

For four months after the Iraqis were pushed out, Kuwait was ruled under martial law.

Kuwait's security forces, angered by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's support for Saddam's invasion of Kuwait, targeted Palestinian expatriates and other foreigners. Many Palestinians fled, while Kuwaiti officials arrested thousands. Dozens were killed, while activists at the time said hundreds were tortured.

Today, Kuwait is home to 4.2 million people, some 70 percent of them foreigners. It has a freely elected parliament, though recent elections have seen largely pro-government lawmakers gain seats. A new skyscraper-studded skyline has risen in its capital, fueled by high oil prices.

The Al Sabah family still rules the country, with Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah now serving as emir. The monarchy controls all key government positions, yet nowhere else in the Gulf can elected lawmakers block initiatives or question officials, calling in Cabinet ministers for grilling over allegations of mismanagement and other issues.

But there is widespread frustration over government policies and corruption. Though Arab Spring-inspired protesters stormed parliament in 2011, Kuwait largely escaped the unrest that swept the region.

"After the liberation, we hoped that Kuwait would be rebuilt to its days of glory, the golden '70s and '80s, when it was at the forefront in terms of development in the region," said Nadia Sager, a writer whose book on the Iraqi invasion was turned into a popular television drama. "I wouldn't be exaggerating if I say that no one is that optimistic anymore."

Though some Gulf countries have diversified, oil remains the driver of Kuwait's economy, leaving it vulnerable to low global prices. Lawmakers are looking at making unpopular budget cuts in response.

Another pressing concern is terrorism. Kuwait, home to both Sunnis and a minority of Shiites, largely has avoided the unrest gripping the rest of the Mideast following al-Qaida attacks and the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

However, the rise of the Islamic State group has worried the country, especially after a June suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Kuwait City claimed by the extremists killed 26 people and wounded 227. Soon after the attack, Sheikh Sabah visited the bomb site in a sign of support.

There are also other sectarian and domestic issues. Over 100,000 people live in Kuwait without citizenship. Known by the Arabic word "bidoon," they are pressing for government recognition. Kuwait's youth population is growing increasingly disenchanted over corruption, poor governance and lack of reforms.

"The government's failures to bring about progressive change, in infrastructure and development projects especially, is undeniable and is affecting the new generation," Sager said.

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap .

FILE - This July 19, 2009 file photo shows the Kuwait city skyline. The oil-rich, tiny country of Kuwait is still shaped by the 1991 Gulf War. Twenty-five years later, there is a freely elected parliament in place but problems persist and many fear Kuwait could be gripped by the same regional tensions at play across the greater Middle East. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 4, 1990 file photo, Iraqi soldiers ride on top of one of their tanks through the streets of Kuwait City, two days after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The photo was taken through the window of a passing car. The oil-rich, tiny country of Kuwait is still shaped by the 1991 Gulf War. Twenty-five years later, there is a freely elected parliament in place but problems persist and many fear Kuwait could be gripped by the same regional tensions at play across the greater Middle East. (AP Photo/Stephanie McGehee, File)

FILE - In this March 19, 1991 file photo, a Kuwait City street sign with the name Baghdad Street crossed out and the misspelled name of U.S. President George Bush painted in is a sign of the times in the recently liberated city. The oil-rich, tiny country of Kuwait is still shaped by the 1991 Gulf War. Twenty-five years later, there is a freely elected parliament in place but problems persist and many fear Kuwait could be gripped by the same regional tensions at play across the greater Middle East. (AP Photo/Greg Gibson, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 27, 1991 file photo, an American Special Forces soldier is mobbed by jubilant Kuwait City residents Tuesday night, as the city was liberated from Iraq forces. The oil-rich, tiny country of Kuwait is still shaped by the 1991 Gulf War. Twenty-five years later, there is a freely elected parliament in place but problems persist and many fear Kuwait could be gripped by the same regional tensions at play across the greater Middle East. (AP Photo/Lauren Rebours, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 file photo, Kuwaiti Islamist-Shiite MP Hussein Al Qallaf, left, gesture towards opponent MPs, as liberal-shiite MP Abdulhameed Dashti gestures at right, during a heated debate over the situation in Syria at the Kuwait's National Assembly's session. The oil-rich, tiny country of Kuwait is still shaped by the 1991 Gulf War. Twenty-five years later, there is a freely elected parliament in place but problems persist and many fear Kuwait could be gripped by the same regional tensions at play across the greater Middle East. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, March 30, 2010 file photo, Iraqi soldiers kiss the coffin containing the remains of an Iraqi soldier who was killed during the 1991 Gulf War, at the border crossing of Safwan, Iraq. The oil-rich, tiny country of Kuwait is still shaped by the 1991 Gulf War. Twenty-five years later, there is a freely elected parliament in place but problems persist and many fear Kuwait could be gripped by the same regional tensions at play across the greater Middle East. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani, File)
Details only deepen mystery surrounding Kalamazoo shootings

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP)  As details emerge about the night authorities say Jason Dalton has admitted gunning down six randomly chosen victims in and around Kalamazoo  attacks apparently carried out over hours during which he also ferried passengers around town as an Uber driver  any hint as to why remains stubbornly elusive.

A prosecutor said Monday that Dalton picked up fares for the ride-hailing service after the first shooting Saturday that left a woman seriously wounded and probably got more riders after the two subsequent shootings that proved fatal. But none of the shootings appeared to be connected to fares. Uber officials acknowledged the company received complaints about Dalton's erratic driving that day, and said that company policy is to contact the driver when alerted to unsafe driving. But they would not say whether anyone at the company spoke to Dalton.

Dalton, meanwhile, appeared briefly in court by video link and was charged with six counts of murder, which carry a mandatory life sentence. A judge denied bail for the 45-year-old former insurance adjuster, who Kalamazoo police Det. Cory Ghiringhelli told the court had admitted to investigators "that he took people's lives."

People gather in Bronson Park in Kalamazoo, Mich., Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, for a candlelight vigil for the victims of a series of random shootings in the Kalamazoo area over the weekend. Jason Dalton of Kalamazoo Township was charged with six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in the shootings and then arraigned on the charges. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The admission seemed only to deepen the mystery of what was behind the killings of six people with no apparent connection to the gunman. Police and prosecutors acknowledge a motive may never be fully known.

"This is a terrible moment in the community. We face violence like any other community does but nothing on this scale," said Kalamazoo County prosecutor Jeff Getting. "We've lost six people, we have a 14-year-old girl clinging to life, we have another victim who is recovering, thankfully, ... we have a high school that's lost a classmate.

"And no one understands why it happened."

An Uber passenger said he called police to report that Dalton was driving erratically more than an hour before the shootings began.

Matt Mellen told Kalamazoo television station WWMT that he hailed a ride around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. He said Dalton introduced himself as "Me-Me" and had a dog in the backseat.

Mellen sat in front. About a mile into the trip, Dalton got a phone call, and when he hung up, he began driving recklessly, blowing through stop signs and sideswiping cars, Mellen said.

"We were driving through medians, driving through the lawn, speeding along, and when we came to a stop, I jumped out of the car and ran away," Mellen said. He said he called police and that when he got to his friend's house, his fiancee posted a warning to friends on Facebook.

Since Dalton's arrest, several people have come forward to say that he picked them up for Uber in the hours after the first attack. The Associated Press could not confirm those accounts.

Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said Uber is cooperating with law enforcement officials, and he believes the company will "help us fill in some timeline gaps." Investigators are particularly interested in communication between Dalton and Uber, as well as customers he might have driven, the sheriff said.

Uber said Dalton passed a background check and became a driver on Jan. 25. He had given about 100 rides, the company said.

Saturday's attacks began outside the Meadows apartment complex on the eastern edge of Kalamazoo County, where 25-year-old Tiana Carruthers was shot multiple times but survived. Fuller said Carruthers sensed trouble when Dalton pulled up outside her apartment and put herself between his car and several children for whom she was caring, telling them to run to their nearby home.

Getting, the prosecutor, dismissed the idea that Dalton was seeking a particular person at the complex. He said Dalton called Carruthers by a different name only "to get her attention" before opening fire.

A little more than four hours later and 15 miles away, a father and his 17-year-old son were fatally shot while looking at cars at a car dealership.

Fifteen minutes after that, five people were gunned down in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Four of them died. Initial reports indicated that 14-year-old Abigail Kopf also was among the dead after being shot once in the head, but then she squeezed her mother's hand. She remained hospitalized in critical condition Monday night.

Questions about motive and Dalton's frame of mind are "going to be the hardest to answer for anybody," Fuller said.

"In the end, I ask people, because I keep hearing this question of why, 'What would be the answer that would be an acceptable answer for you?' They have to think about it for a moment, and they say, 'Probably nothing.'

"I have to say, 'You are probably correct.' I can't imagine what the answer would be that would let us go, 'OK, we understand now,'" the sheriff said.

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Associated Press writers Tom Krisher in Saline, Michigan; Dee-Ann Durbin in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ed White in Detroit; and Don Babwin in Chicago contributed to this report.

Jason Dalton, of Kalamazoo Township, Mich., is arraigned via video Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. Dalton is charged with multiple counts of murder in a series of random shootings in western Michigan. (Mark Bugnaski/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Joe Lucido lights a candle during the candlelight vigil at Bronson Park in remembrance of the mass shooting victims on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. (Bryan Bennett/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP)

Flags fly at half-staff at the Kalamazoo County Building Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. An Uber passenger said he called police to report an erratic driver more than an hour before the driver allegedly began a series of several random shootings that killed multiple people in Michigan. (Bryan M. Bennett/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting talks to media after Jason Dalton was arraigned via video Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. Dalton is charged with multiple counts of murder in a series of random shootings in western Michigan. (Mark Bugnaski/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Flags fly at half-staff at the Kalamazoo County Building Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. An Uber passenger said he called police to report an erratic driver more than an hour before the driver allegedly began a series of several random shootings that killed multiple people in Michigan. (Bryan M. Bennett/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Media trucks are parked outside of the Kalamazoo County Building on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. An Uber passenger said he called police to report an erratic driver more than an hour before the driver allegedly began a series of several random shootings that killed multiple people. Jason Dalton was arrested without incident early Sunday and is set to be arraigned later Monday. (Bryan M. Bennett/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT
Cruz, Rubio face critical test in Nevada as Trump ahead

LAS VEGAS (AP)  Donald Trump was fighting for a third straight victory in Tuesday night's Nevada caucuses as he sought to expand a lead that could soon be insurmountable in the Republican presidential race.

The caucuses are a critical test for the leading Republican candidates. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is trying to prove he can build on recent momentum, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wants to keep from spiraling out of contention.

"I think it's the most unpredictable of all the races we've had so far," said Rubio, who is emerging as the Republican establishment's candidate.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes pictures with supporters during a rally Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, in Reno, Nev. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Cruz, a fiery conservative popular among voters on the party's right, needs to recover from one of the weakest moments of his campaign. After denying charges of dishonest tactics for several weeks, the Texas senator on Monday asked for the resignation of a senior aide who spread an inaccurate news report suggesting Rubio had criticized the Bible.

That was just days after Cruz finished a disappointing third in the South Carolina primary. Another disappointing finish in Nevada would raise new questions about his viability heading into March 1, or Super Tuesday, when multiple states will hold primaries, including Cruz's home state of Texas.

"There's something wrong with this guy," Trump said of Cruz in his typically blunt style during a Las Vegas rally Monday night. The former reality television star called Cruz "sick."

Trump is on a roll after winning primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Cruz won the lead-off Iowa caucuses.

Nevada marks the first Republican nominating contest in the West and the fourth of the campaign as the candidates try to collect enough delegates to win the party's nomination at the national convention in July.

Nevada's caucusing takes place in schools, community centers and places of worship across the state  a process that's been chaotic in the past. Trump has held several large rallies in the state, but Rubio and Cruz have spent months developing a stronger ground game which might help get their supporters to the caucus sites.

Although Nevada has relatively few delegates, it is the first measure of voter sentiment in the vast western region, much as South Carolina was the first glimpse at the South's preferences last weekend.

Nevada is 28 percent Latino, 9 percent Asian-American and leads the nation with the highest rate of people living in the country illegally, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Its immigrant communities  19 percent of its population was born outside the United States  have helped turn a once reliably Republican state into one that backed Obama twice. Many analysts attribute that to hardline Republican positions on immigration.

A Republican field that included a dozen candidates a month ago has been reduced to five, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush the latest to drop out after a disappointing finish in South Carolina. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson remain in the race and could play spoilers as the trio of leading candidates, Trump, Cruz and Rubio, battle for delegates with an increasing sense of urgency.

Trump's rivals concede they are running out of time to stop him.

The election calendar suggests that if the New York billionaire's rivals don't slow him by mid-March, they may not ever. Trump swept all of South Carolina's 50 delegates, giving him a total of 67 compared to Cruz and Rubio who have 11 and 10, respectively.

There are 30 delegates at stake in Nevada, awarded to candidates in proportion to their share of the statewide vote so long as they earn at least 3.33 percent.

Rubio and Cruz have been attacking each other viciously in recent days, an indication they know Trump can be stopped only if one of them is eliminated. But neither of the first-term Hispanic senators is predicting victory in Nevada.

After finishes of third in Iowa, fifth in New Hampshire and second in South Carolina, Rubio needs a win soon to support his theory that he is the primary beneficiary of Bush's recent departure from the race. Rubio told supporters Tuesday before heading out to campaign in Minnesota and Michigan that he was the candidate who could best grow the Republican Party here.

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Benac reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Nicholas Riccardi in Las Vegas and Chad Day in Washington contributed to this report.

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. speaks at a rally in Reno, Nev. Ask people what economic issues will be important for the next president, and Democrats, Republicans and independents alike all put a high priority on protecting Social Security and reducing unemployment. Beyond that, though, their lists of top economic concerns for the next president are more fractured, according to a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas speaks at a rally in Reno, Nev. Ask people what economic issues will be important for the next president, and Democrats, Republicans and independents alike all put a high priority on protecting Social Security and reducing unemployment. Beyond that, though, their lists of top economic concerns for the next president are more fractured, according to a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, in Las Vegas. Ask people what economic issues will be important for the next president, and Democrats, Republicans and independents alike all put a high priority on protecting Social Security and reducing unemployment. Beyond that, though, their lists of top economic concerns for the next president are more fractured, according to a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., addresses an audience during a campaign rally Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Amherst, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Q & A about the fight over replacing Scalia

WASHINGTON (AP)  The death of Justice Antonin Scalia and the vacancy on the Supreme Court has touched off a partisan fight in Washington over who should pick his replacement, President Barack Obama or his successor. Here are some questions and answers about the battle:

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What's at stake?

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., a member of the Democratic leadership who also serves on the Judiciary Committee, walks to the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. Senators were returning to Washington Monday from a weeklong recess that saw the Justice Antonin Scalias unexpected passing inject a new issue into this election year. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

It's difficult to overstate the significance of Scalia's death. The high court had been split with four generally reliable conservatives on one side and four liberal votes on the other, with Justice Anthony Kennedy often the swing vote. Scalia's death takes away one critical conservative vote. If he's replaced by a liberal or moderate Obama nominee, the balance of the court would change, with potentially enormous consequences for issues like abortion, union rights, immigration, and congressional redistricting.

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What happens first?

It's up to Obama to nominate a replacement. He has said he will do so.

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And then?

Nothing. Republicans controlling the Senate  which must confirm any Obama appointee before the individual is seated on the court  say they won't schedule a vote or even hold hearings on whomever Obama may name. They argue that the decision is too important to be determined by a lame-duck president and that voters in November's election should determine whether Scalia's successor is replaced by a Republican or a Democrat.

"It's not about the nominee. It's about who chooses," said GOP Whip John Cornyn of Texas.

Democrats counter that the voters did have a say when they re-elected Obama in 2012.

Republicans also argue that the Senate's longstanding tradition is to not confirm justices in an election year, and they point to a June 1992 Senate speech by Vice President Joe Biden, then the Delaware senator, in which he argued that then President George H.W. Bush should not name a successor if a justice were to die or resign. Democrats note that in the most recent corresponding example, in 1988, Ronald Reagan appointee Anthony Kennedy was confirmed by a Democratic-controlled Senate.

Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans said Tuesday that the panel won't even hold a hearing on anyone Obama names, much less award them with a floor vote, an unprecedented move for the modern-day Senate. Precedent holds that the committee could reject Obama's nomination outright or follow the tradition of the failed nomination of Robert Bork or the bitterly-fought 1991 battle over Justice Clarence Thomas and send it to the full Senate without actually approving it.

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So no vote?

Nope.

Still, the prospect of simply sitting on a nomination all year seems to be making a few Republicans uncomfortable, such as Sen. Mark Kirk, up for re-election in heavily Democratic Illinois and moderate Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, both of whom say the Senate should consider whomever Obama names. On the other side are most Republicans and conservative activists adamant that Obama shouldn't change the balance of the Court.

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What did Obama do as a senator?

Obama opposed both Roberts and Alito. And Obama also voted to filibuster Alito, which he now regrets.

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What if this year's Supreme Court deadlocks on a case?

Under the rules, the appellate court's ruling stands. That would mean lower court decisions such as one overturning Obama's executive moves on immigration would stand, while others, such as an appellate ruling backing up public employee unions in their right to assess dues, would be affirmed and go Obama's way. But court observers believe that Chief Justice John Roberts would likely order any deadlocked case to be reargued.
Kerry says he won't vouch for success of Syria cease-fire

WASHINGTON (AP)  Secretary of State John Kerry told lawmakers he won't vouch for the success of the newly struck cease-fire agreement in Syria but said the truce negotiated with Russia is the best pathway for ending five years of violence that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced another 11 million from their homes.

"I'm not going to say this process is sure to work because I don't know," Kerry said Tuesday during testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Kerry's appearance came just a day after Washington and Moscow announced the cease-fire, which takes effect Saturday, even as major questions loomed over enforcement of that truce and how violations of the agreement will be handled.

Secretary of State John Kerry testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing of the State Department's fiscal 2017 budget request. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The secretary warned the situation in Syria "could get a lot uglier" if the fighting goes on among multiple factions, including government forces and opposition groups. "It may be too late to keep it as a whole Syria if we wait much longer," he said.

A deep mistrust of Russia was evident throughout the hearing, as Republicans and Democrats both expressed concern Moscow would not abide by terms of the cease-fire and press on with an air campaign that has strengthened Syrian President Bashar Assad's grip on power. Russia insists it is targeting terrorists, but the U.S. and its partners say the strikes are mainly killing moderate rebels and civilians.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., expressed concern the truce will become a "rope-a-dope deal," a reference to boxing technique in which a fighter exhausts his opponent while expending little energy.

"It may be," Kerry acknowledged. "So it's step by step. No illusions. Eyes are open."

But he stressed there can be no political resolution to the conflict without a cease-fire as a starting point. And if the truce leads to the flow of humanitarian relief into Syria and lives are saved, "then that's a benefit," he said. But, Kerry added, "it doesn't mean that's it automatically going to have a positive outcome on the political process."

The truce will not cover the Islamic State extremist group, the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front and any other militias designated as terrorist organizations by the U.N. Security Council. Both the U.S. and Russia are still targeting those groups with airstrikes.

A similar cessation announced Feb. 11 and set to begin last week did not take place, while Russian airstrikes continued to support a Syrian government offensive in the northern province of Aleppo.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., suggested backing away from the demand that Assad step down as a precondition. "Sure he's a terrible guy," Paul said of Assad. "The Middle East is full of them. Half the countries over there have despots."

But Kerry said Assad has to go.

"As long as Assad is there, you cannot stop the war," Kerry said. "People don't see how someone who has gassed his own (citizens), driven so many of them into refugee status, tortured them, starved them, bombed them, how he's somehow going to be the glue that brings the place together is beyond anybody's understanding."

Kerry sparred with Republicans on the panel over whether President Barack Obama has the leverage and the will to punish Moscow if it doesn't live up to the terms of the cease-fire.

"Russia knows there will be no Plan B," said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the committee's chairman. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wy., said there is little incentive for Russia to change course. "To me the only thing Russia has been consistent about is failing to keep its word," Barrasso said.

Kerry said there discussions under way within the Obama administration for a backup strategy "in the event we don't succeed at the (negotiating) table." He also said it would be a mistake to underestimate Obama's potential for taking punitive action against Moscow. He declined to say what those moves would be.

"This is a moment to try to see whether or not we can make this work," Kerry said, "not to find ways to preordain its failure and start talking about all the downsides of what we might do afterward."

Syria's government on Tuesday accepted the cease-fire, reserving the right to respond to any violations of the truce. The main opposition and rebel umbrella group also approved the deal but set its own conditions for compliance.

But exactly where along Syria's complicated front lines the fighting would stop and where counterterrorism operations could continue under the truce is still to be addressed.

Syria's Foreign Ministry said it accepts the proposed truce but that its operations will continue against IS, al-Qaida's branch in Syria and "other terrorist groups." It also stresses the right of its armed forces "to retaliate against any violation carried out by these groups."

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Follow Richard Lardner on Twitter at http://twitter.com/rplardner

Secretary of State John Kerry testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing of the State Department's fiscal 2017 budget request. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Secretary of State John Kerry testifes on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the State Department's fiscal 2017 budget request. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Legal woes threaten Philippine presidential front runners

MANILA, Philippines (AP)  It's not just difficult to predict who will win Philippine presidential elections this year  thanks to some of the candidates' legal woes, it's difficult to predict who will be allowed to run.

Four are within striking distance. Sen. Grace Poe, a political newcomer, leads opinion polls ahead of the May 9 elections, with Vice President Jejomar Binay, close behind. They are followed by former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Rodrigo Duterte, mayor of the southern city of Davao.

Poe, 47, has seen her popularity soar since she first ran for office three years ago. She is the adopted daughter of one of the country's most famous movie couples. Her late father mostly played roles as a defender of the downtrodden in a country still plagued by widespread poverty and corruption.

FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2016 file photo, Presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe is mobbed by supporters as she arrives at the Philippine Supreme Court for the oral arguments following a petition filed before the Highest Court questioning her citizenship in Manila, Philippines. Poe, 47, has seen her popularity soar since she first ran for office three years ago. She is the adopted daughter of one of the countrys most famous movie couples. Her late father mostly played roles as a defender of the downtrodden in a country still plagued by widespread poverty and corruption. But the Commission on Elections ruled in December that Poe was not a natural-born Filipino as required by the Constitution because she was abandoned as a baby by her unknown parents at a Roman Catholic church. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)

But the Commission on Elections ruled in December that Poe was not a natural-born Filipino as required by the Constitution because she was abandoned as a baby by her unknown parents at a Roman Catholic church.

The U.S.-educated Poe, who renounced her Filipino citizenship for about five years to live with her own family in America, also lacked the required 10-year Philippine residency ahead of the vote, the commission said. That prompted Poe to bring her case to the Supreme Court, which could deliver its verdict soon  and have a huge impact on the presidential race.

"This particular election has the most uncertainty," said Ana Maria Tabunda, research director of Pulse Asia, an independent pollster whose latest survey last month showed Poe leading with support from 30 percent of respondents, with Binay garnering 23 percent.

Roxas and Duterte each got 20 percent each in the survey that polled 1,800 people nationwide and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent.

"It's a very tight race," Tabunda said. "We don't really know what the next survey will say."

Should the court rule against Poe's candidacy, it is unclear who would benefit. Poe has carried on, holding rallies across the country.

"The story of my life started in a church," Poe told followers when she kicked off her campaign outside a downtown Manila church popular among the underclass. "So I decided to go in front of a church to launch the next chapter of my life."

President Benigno Aquino III's successor will need to grapple with poverty, corruption and Marxist and Muslim insurgencies in the south  persistent problems facing the country that three decades ago toppled the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos through a "people power" movement.

Aquino's anti-graft campaign led to the detention of his predecessor on an elections fraud charge and three senators, and the economy has grown steadily. However, a tenth of the country's 100 million people still seek better-paying jobs abroad. He ends his six-year term in June.

Aquino, who has had a falling out with Binay, has endorsed Roxas, a former investment banker who served as Aquino's transport chief and later as interior secretary in charge of local governments and the national police.

Legal woes have also hounded Binay and Duterte, a tough-talking mayor who has caught national attention for threatening to take down criminals, drug lords and corrupt bureaucrats within half a year if elected president.

Elections officials have dismissed petitions to disqualify Duterte, 70, but those could still be challenged in court. His party put forward another candidate while they convinced him to run, and some questioned whether he could replace the party's initial nominee.

Binay, 73, faced several months of investigation by a Senate committee over alleged corruption when he was still mayor of Makati city, Manila's version of Wall Street. He has denied the allegations, which have weighed down his popularity.

Anti-graft officials have found "probable cause" against Binay over alleged corruption in the construction of a parking building when he was mayor. But a government prosecutor said Binay would not be charged before a special anti-graft court until his vice presidency ends because he has immunity while in office.

Unlike in the past, the closely-fought battle now has left many undecided, including Macario Puno, a 48-year-old father of seven who ekes out a living by peddling boiled duck eggs and chips in Manila's streets.

Puno backed the winning candidates in the last three presidential polls, including Aquino in 2010, because he said the choices always narrowed down to just two main contenders.

"Now there are four major candidates," Puno said. "And they're all sweet-talkers."

FILE - In this Feb. 18, 2016 file photo, Sen. Grace Poe, a presidential hopeful, speaks at an Entrepreneurship Summit in suburban Pasay, south of Manila, Philippines. Poe, 47, has seen her popularity soar since she first ran for office three years ago. She is the adopted daughter of one of the countrys most famous movie couples. Her late father mostly played roles as a defender of the downtrodden in a country still plagued by widespread poverty and corruption. But the Commission on Elections ruled in December that Poe was not a natural-born Filipino as required by the Constitution because she was abandoned as a baby by her unknown parents at a Roman Catholic church. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
US-China tensions persist despite progress on NKorea

WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. and China showed no sign of quelling tension in the disputed South China Sea as their top diplomats met in Washington on Tuesday. A leading U.S. military officer told Congress that China was seeking to control East Asia.

But there was progress on another front. Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said they were close to agreement on a U.N. resolution to punish North Korea after its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.

China has been reluctant to impose the kind of tough sanctions on its neighbor and traditional ally North Korea that the U.S. has been seeking. But an even more pervasive source of strain in the relationship between the two world powers has been over accusations over militarization in the South China Sea, an important thoroughfare for world trade.

Secretary of State John Kerry, right, talks with with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, as the end of their media availability at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

China claims it has a historical right to most of those strategic waters, and has undertaken a massive land reclamation and construction effort on land features although five other Asian governments have territorial claims in the area. The U.S. is not a claimant but says it has an interest in maintaining peace and stability, and freedom of navigation and commerce.

The rhetoric has heated up since it emerged last week that China had Beijing deployed anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed island in the Paracels chain. Then on Monday, a U.S. think tank reported that China has built new radar facilities in the Spratly Islands, which lie further south.

The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, Adm. Harry Harris, confirmed Tuesday new radar on Cuarteron Reef in the Spratlys. He told the Senate Armed Services Committee that China's construction and military facilities are changing the operational landscape in the South China Sea.

Harris said that China is militarizing the South China Sea, "and you have to believe in a flat Earth to think otherwise."

After meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Secretary of State John Kerry said that steps by China, Vietnam and others have created an escalatory cycle.

"Regrettably there are missiles, fighter aircraft, guns, artillery and other things that have been placed in the South China Sea, and this of great concern to everyone who transits and relies on the South China Sea for peaceful trade, commerce and use," Kerry told a joint news conference. He did not elaborate on who had moved fighter aircraft to the region.

Fox News reported Tuesday that China had deployed fighter jets to Woody Island  the location in the Paracels where it had deployed anti-aircraft missiles. Capt. Darryn James, U.S. Pacific Command, did not confirm the report but said China has deployed some of its most advanced fighter aircraft to that island over the last couple of years.

China denies it has aggressive intent. Wang contended that Beijing had shown restraint. He accused other countries of military construction on what he asserted were Chinese reefs and atols.

In a poke at recent U.S. freedom of navigation operations in the region, Wang said China does not want to see, "more close-up military reconnaissance, or the dispatch of missile destroyers or strategic bombers to the South China Sea."

Harris, however, said he supported regular freedom of navigation operations by the U.S.

Asked what about the strategic goal of China's military buildup in the region, Harris told lawmakers: "I believe China seeks hegemony in East Asia." When asked if that meant regional control, Harris concurred.

However, Wang and Kerry both stressed the importance of cooperation between the U.S. and China, and expressed hope of reaching agreement soon on a U.N. Security Council resolution that is expected to stiffen international sanctions against North Korea.

Kerry said a draft was being evaluated in both Washington and Beijing, and if approved it would go beyond previous resolutions against North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs. Wang said a resolution could be passed in the "near future."

It's been seven weeks since the North's Jan. 6 nuclear test, which was followed by a Feb. 7 rocket launch. While China has joined in the international criticism, it has balked at imposing sanctions that could threaten the stability of North Korea.

Wang said a resolution alone cannot resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and that dialogue was needed.

He said China was urging a "parallel track" in which there were both talks on denuclearization  the top priority of the United States  and replacing the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War with a formal peace treaty  a key demand of Pyongyang.

The long-standing U.S. position has been that North Korea needs to disarm first, but the Obama administration has recently indicated some flexibility on this point, although it says Pyongyang remains reluctant to resume talks on its nuclear arsenal.

Kerry said Tuesday that North Korea can ultimately have a peace agreement with the U.S. if it will come to the table and negotiate denuclearization.

"We want a negotiated outcome," he said.

Already this month, the U.S. has taken tougher steps of its own against North Korea, tightening sanctions and announcing it will hold formal talks with its close ally South Korea on deploying a missile defense system that China fears could be used against it as well North Korea.

Kerry said that both Russia and China have expressed concern over the missile defense system. He said the system would not be needed "if we can get to denuclearization."

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Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.

Secretary of State John Kerry, right, listens as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, speaks during a media availability at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during a media availability with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Business leaders urge Britain to stay in EU

LONDON (AP)  Almost 200 business leaders set out the case Tuesday for Britain to stay in the European Union, warning of a risk to investment and jobs if the country opts to leave the 28-nation bloc in a national vote this June.

In a letter published in The Times, the leaders say business "needs unrestricted access" to the European market in order to grow and invest.

"We believe that leaving the EU would deter investment, threaten jobs and put the economy at risk," the letter said. "Britain will be stronger, safer and better off remaining a member of the EU."

Signatories include CEOs at over a third of the country's biggest businesses. They include Bob Dudley of BP, Royal Dutch Shell's CEO Ben van Beurden and Burberry CEO Christopher Bailey.

The chiefs of Heathrow and Gatwick chiefs also signed.

However, there were some notable absentees, including the bosses of Tesco and Barclays.

The letter was organized with the support of Prime Minister David Cameron's office.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Vote Leave campaign, said the letter provides further evidence that "panic seems to be spreading" at Cameron's office.
Apple to tell judge in California case: Congress must decide

WASHINGTON (AP)  Apple Inc. will tell a federal judge this week in legal papers that its fight with the FBI over accessing a locked and encrypted iPhone should be kicked to Congress, rather than decided by courts, The Associated Press has learned.

Apple will also argue that the Obama administration's request to help it hack into an iPhone in a terrorism case is improper under an 18th century law, the 1789 All Writs Act, which has been used to compel companies to provide assistance to law enforcement in investigations.

A lead attorney for Apple, Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., previewed for the AP some of the company's upcoming arguments in the case. Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, has also hinted at the company's courtroom strategy.

An iPhone is seen in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. The San Bernardino County-owned iPhone at the center of an unfolding high-profile legal battle between Apple Inc. and the U.S. government lacked a device management feature bought by the county that, if installed, would have allowed investigators easy and immediate access. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Apple's effort would move the contentious policy debate between digital privacy rights and national security interests to Congress, where Apple  one of the world's most respected technology companies  wields considerably more influence. Apple spent nearly $5 million lobbying Congress last year, mostly on tax and copyright issues. Key lawmakers have been openly divided about whether the government's demands in the case go too far.

Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym in California ordered Apple last week to create specialized software to help the FBI hack into a locked, county-issued iPhone used by a gunman in the mass shootings last December in San Bernardino, California. Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people at an office holiday party in an attack at least partly inspired by the Islamic State group.

"The government is really seeking to push the courts to do what they haven't been able to persuade Congress to do," Boutrous said in an AP interview. "That's to give it more broad, sweeping authority to help the Department of Justice hack into devices, to have a backdoor into devices, and the law simply does not provide that authority."

The White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, this week disputed that Congress should settle the issue and called the government's request narrow. Earnest said the magistrate judge "came down in favor of our law enforcement" after evaluating arguments by Apple and the FBI. Apple hasn't yet made any filings in the case because the Justice Department asked the magistrate to rule before Apple had an opportunity to object.

"Sending complicated things to Congress is often not the surest way to get a quick answer," Earnest said. "In fact, even asking some of the most basic questions of Congress sometimes does not ensure a quick answer."

Apple intends to argue that the 1789 law has never been used to compel a company to write software to help the government.

Michael Zweiback, the former chief of the cybercrimes section of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles, said it was highly unusual for the U.S. to ask Apple to give the FBI specialized software that would weaken the digital locks on the iPhone.

"There's a significant legal question as to whether the All Writs Act can be used to order a company to create something that may not presently exist," Zweiback said. He said as a former prosecutor he was sympathetic to the government's case, but he described Apple's arguments as strong and said the issue has broad implications.

"We are not the only ones who are asking for encryption keys," he said. "The Chinese government has made similar demands upon them, the European Union has made similar demands upon them, so the implications are really not even national. They're international in scope."

Another expert, Mark Bartholomew, a professor specializing in cyberlaw at SUNY Buffalo, said Apple may have a compelling case arguing that it would be unfair to force it to make its devices less secure, though it's not clear whether courts would agree that Congress should decide the matter.

"When you're requiring a private entity not just to unlock something, or not just to show you something, but to actually change their design  then you start getting into different grounds," Bartholomew said. "It makes the stakes higher. It makes us, I think, more sympathetic to what Apple is arguing for. It seems more violative of Apple's independence."

The U.S. has used the All Writs Act at least three times  most recently in 1980  to compel a phone company to provide a list of dialed numbers, but in those cases the technology and tools already existed, said Jennifer Granick, an attorney and director of civil liberties and the Stanford Center for Internet and Society.

"This is a terrorism investigation that's solved. We know who did it," Granick said. "What happens so often is we do something that's justified for terrorism, but it's going to get used in regular, run-of-the-mill cases."

Apple is challenging government efforts to overcome encryption on at least 14 electronic devices nationwide in addition to the iPhone in California, according to court papers filed Tuesday in a similar case in New York. Lawyers told U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein in Brooklyn that Apple is opposed to relinquishing information on at least 15 devices in a dozen court cases in California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York.

Before then, the government said Apple had helped it retrieve information from at least 70 devices since 2008. Those phones, with operating software designed earlier than the iPhone used in California, allowed Apple to use a physical tool to extract data from them. Since late 2014, that capability has not existed on newer phones.

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Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington and Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this report.

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Follow Tami Abdollah on Twitter at https://twitter.com/latams

This undated photo provided by George Velasco shows his niece, Yvette Velasco, one of the victims of the Dec. 2, 2015 mass shooting at a social service facility in San Bernardino, Calif. On Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, a lawyer said some victims and their families, including George Velasco, will file documents in support of a U.S. magistrate judge's order that Apple Inc. must help the FBI hack into a locked iPhone as part of the terrorism investigation. (Courtesy of George Velasco via AP)

FILE - In a Monday, Dec. 21, 2015 file photo, FBI Director James Comey attends the 27th Annual Remembrance Ceremony for the victims of Pan Am Flight 103, at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Va. Comey said in a message posed Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, on the Lawfare blog that the the agency owes it to the victims of the San Bernardino terror attacks to try to gain access to a cellphone used by one of the gunmen. Comey said the court case "isn't about trying to set a precedent" but is instead about doing justice for the victims. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
German, French foreign ministers anxious about Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine (AP)  The foreign ministers of France and Germany, on a visit to Kiev, are expressing concerns about the political tensions that are impeding reform efforts in Ukraine and about the persisting conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The two countries have been trying to help resolve the fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces, including backing a cease-fire a year ago for the war that has killed more than 9,000 people since April 2014. But that truce has appeared increasingly frayed in recent months.

The Ukrainian government has yet to pass legislation that would allow elections in the east, part of the cease-fire agreement. Western governments also are concerned that attempts to tackle Ukraine's endemic corruption have been only fitful.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, centre, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, right, and French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Jean-Marc Ayrault, pose for a photo ahead of their meeting in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. Germany and France are pushing for Ukraine to move ahead with reforms needed in order to implement the year-old Minsk peace agreement. (Mykhailo Markiv/Pool Photo via AP)

"The situation in Ukrainian politics now reminds one of a storm," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Tuesday.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French foreign minister, said a meeting of the French, German, Russian and Ukrainian ministers on March 3 in Paris could be key to pushing forward the cease-fire process. He added that European countries do not see a viable alternative to solidifying the pact.

"The situation is very unstable. We want to avoid further escalation  and the risk for that exists," he said.
Bill Gates supports government efforts in Apple case

NEW YORK (AP)  Bill Gates is supportive of investigators' efforts to force Apple to help them crack into an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, saying a balance needs to be struck between government access and the need to preserve data security.

While clarifying he doesn't support untrammeled government access to personal data, the Microsoft co-founder's position runs contrary to those of many tech executives who have backed Apple Inc. The heads of Facebook, Twitter and Google have all sided with Apple on the grounds that complying with the government's request would ultimately undermine data privacy.

Gates stated in a handful of interviews that it's not uncommon for phone companies and banks to hand over customer information to investigators. He questioned why tech companies should be treated differently.

Bill Gates talks to reporters about the 2016 annual letter from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in New York, Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. Bill and Melinda Gates, co-chairs of the largest private foundation in the world, has made a tradition of releasing an annual letter on philanthropy. This year's edition, released Monday, called on the young to be a driving force for innovation and change.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

In particular, he took issue with Apple CEO Tim Cook's argument that helping crack the shooter's iPhone would set a broader precedent.

"They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case," Gates, who remains a technical adviser to Microsoft Corp., told the Financial Times in a Tuesday interview.

And in a lengthy interview on Charlie Rose on PBS, Gates said that if government is "blind," it might not be able to stop online crimes such as tax evasion, child pornography and, most importantly, terrorism.

He added in an interview with The Associated Press that public opinion will likely be on the government's side, saying "I do think people want the government to act on their behalf if they feel like the safeguards are there."

But Gates later on Tuesday said that he was being mischaracterized by the media as backing the FBI.

"The extreme view that government always gets everything, nobody supports that," he told Bloomberg News. "Having the government be blind, people don't support that."

Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym last week ordered Apple to assist investigators by creating specialized software that would let the FBI rapidly test random passcode combinations to try to unlock the iPhone and view data stored on it.

The county-issued iPhone 5C was used by Syed Farook, who with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people at an office holiday party in December before they died in a gun battle with police.

But Apple maintains that creating such software would set a dangerous precedent, threatening data security for millions by making essentially a master key that could later be duplicated and used against other phones.

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AP writer Deepti Hajela in New York contributed to this report.

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UN chief: Burundi leader promises to release 2,000 prisoners

BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP)  Burundi's president promises to release 2,000 people detained during months of violent unrest, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday while visiting the violence-plagued country.

Ban spoke after meeting with President Pierre Nkurunziza on Tuesday, as well as meetings with officials from Burundi's ruling party, government, opposition and civic groups in Bujumbura, the capital.

Ban said Nkurunziza's vow to release some prisoners is "an encouraging step" and urged the president to take more measures to promote peace. Ban said he was also heartened by the reopening of some media outlets and the cancellation of some arrest warrants. He arrived in Burundi on Monday on a mission to encourage dialogue between Nkurunziza and his opponents.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, right, and Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza shake hands during a joint press conference in Bujumbura, Burundi. Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Ban is in Burundi to encourage dialogue between the government and its opponents amid violent unrest. (AP Photo)

Ban and Nkurunziza spoke to reporters in a joint news conference Tuesday in Bujumbura.

"Burundi's political leaders must be willing to summon the courage and confidence that they make a credible political process possible and ensure that the people of this beautiful nation can once again live in peace and enjoy human rights," said Ban.

In his statement, Nkurunziza said he is ready to talk to his opponents and urged Ban "to persuade Rwanda to stop its aggression against Burundi." Rwanda has denied allegations it is training and arming rebels opposed to Nkurunziza.

Gun and grenade attacks continue to plague Bujumbura as Nkurunziza's supporters and opponents target each other.

More than 400 people have been killed in Burundi's current unrest which started in April when it was announced Nkurunziza would seek a third term, which he won. A new rebel movement has vowed to oust Nkurunziza from power by force.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, right, listens as Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza, left, speaks during a joint press conference in Bujumbura, Burundi. Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Ban is in Burundi to encourage dialogue between the government and its opponents amid violent unrest. (AP Photo)

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, left, gestures as Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza listens during a meeting in Bujumbura, Burundi. Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Ban is in Burundi to encourage dialogue between the government and its opponents amid violent unrest. (AP Photo)

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, left, and Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza pose for photographers during a meeting in Bujumbura, Burundi. Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Ban is in Burundi to encourage dialogue between the government and its opponents amid violent unrest. (AP Photo)
Czechs protest Polish greenhouse over light pollution

FRYDLANT, Czech Republic (AP)  It's much ado about a greenhouse.

A huge and well-lighted greenhouse opened last year on the Polish side of the border with the Czech Republic. The light helps tomatoes grow, and makes Czech neighbors growl.

The dispute has engaged diplomats and the governments. The European Parliament might be the next stage for the spat.

In this picture taken, Feb. 18, 2016, growing tomatoes are seen in a huge greenhouse that opened last year on the Polish side of the border with Czech Republic near the town of Bogatynia Poland. The critics say the light pollution the greenhouse produces puts at stake the future of a rare dark sky reserve declared in the area, harms the environment and denies people of a proper sleep. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

The critics say light pollution from the greenhouse risks the future of a rare dark-sky reserve declared in the area, harms the environment and denies people a proper sleep. On the other hand, it creates much-needed jobs.

Members of the Czech Astronomical Society were the first to complain after their measurements confirmed what anyone can see, especially on cloudy nights, that this new installation produces intense light.

"This greenhouse is something completely new for us," astronomer Martin Gembec said on a recent night. He was on a hill about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the greenhouse, which is on the edge of the Polish town of Bogatynia, next to a coal-fired power plant and a big open-pit brown coal mine.

"We have never seen anything like that and we are honestly shocked by it. It shines like a big city of a 100,000 people," Gembec said.

The regional government has asked the Polish ambassador to Prague and the Czech ambassador to Warsaw for help, while the issue was high on the agenda of last week's meeting of the environment ministers of the two countries in the Polish capital.

"We will try to find a solution," said Jacek Krzeminski, spokesman for Poland's Environment Ministry.

Martin Puta, the head of the regional government, has tried to reach the owner of the Citronex company that operates the greenhouse, but with no luck so far.

In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, the company said the project "has been done in accordance with Polish construction law and has all the required permissions."

Citronex also said it has asked a Dutch research institute to work on a "special system of curtains that would limit the emission of light."

It says on its Web site the project is meant to help develop the region.

Puta said he was approaching members of the European Parliament in efforts to set up a public hearing there. In what some already seem as an overregulated EU, there's no regulation to deal with light pollution.

In Frydlant, a Czech town across the border, Mayor Dan Ramzer said he could understand that companies like Citronex create jobs "and that's a mantra for the Poles." But Ramzer wants the Czech complaints to be heard "because there is a night-sky reserve in the Jizerske Mountains and we don't to lose this unique thing."

"And another thing is that you have something on the horizon of Frydlant which disturbs the sleeping of the local people. Darkness is one of things we value highly here," Ramzer said.

He expressed hopes that Czech concerns would not go unnoticed as the greenhouse is planned to be expanded.

"We hope that they won't repeat the same mistake and will block the light from leaking."

The astronomers agree.

"We don't want to ruin anyone's business," Gembec said. "The situation is bad in the entire Europe, but they went too far. The best solution would be for this private company to accept (our concerns) and make steps to fix it. That is in this case to put blankets on it."

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Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland contributed.

In this picture taken, Feb. 18, 2016, an astronomer prepares a camera to measure light coming out of huge greenhouse opened last year on the Polish side of the border with Czech Republic near the village of Albrechtice, Czech Republic. The critics say the light pollution the greenhouse produces puts at stake the future of a rare dark sky reserve declared in the area, harms the environment and denies people of a proper sleep. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

In this picture taken, Feb. 18, 2016, a huge greenhouse, opened last year, on the Polish side of the border with Czech Republic lightens the night sky near the village of Albrechtice, Czech Republic. The critics say the light pollution the greenhouse produces puts at stake the future of a rare dark sky reserve declared in the area, harms the environment and denies people of a proper sleep. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

In this picture taken, Feb. 18, 2016, smoke comes out of a power plant next to a huge greenhouse that opened last year on the Polish side of the border with Czech Republic near the town of Bogatynia Poland. The critics say the light pollution the greenhouse produces puts at stake the future of a rare dark sky reserve declared in the area, harms the environment and denies people of a proper sleep. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

In this picture taken, Feb. 18, 2016, a huge greenhouse opened last year on the Polish side of the border with Czech Republic lightens the night sky near the town of Bogatynia Poland. The critics say the light pollution the greenhouse produces, puts at stake the future of a rare dark sky reserve declared in the area, harms the environment and denies people of a proper sleep. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Deutsche Bank completes bond buyback, says investor mood up

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)  Deutsche Bank says it has completed a buyback of euro-denominated bonds aimed at demonstrating its financial strength after violent swings in the bank's share price.

The bank said investors had offered to sell only 1.75 billion euros ($1.92 billion) worth of bonds under the bank's bid to repurchase 3 billion euros of them. Of that, Deutsche Bank accepted 1.27 billion euros worth that met the price conditions.

It said Tuesday that the low investor participation "reflects the improving market sentiment and an investor preference to retain exposure to Deutsche Bank."
For Syrian migrant, German classes, visa usher in a new life

SAARLOUIS, Germany (AP)  Der, die, das: Little words that are the ticket to a new life.

Mohammed al-Haj, a Syrian migrant whose journey across Eastern Europe to Germany last summer was documented by The Associated Press, has finished his first German language course and is getting ready for his second one. The feat, together with his recently granted three-year German residency permit, sets the 27-year-old up for a new life in his adopted home.

A native of Aleppo, Syria's one-time economic capital that now lies in ruins, al-Haj came to the western German state of Saarland in September to benefit from its swift processing of migrants. He has since shown a healthy zeal to adapt.

In this photo taken on Feb. 12, 2016, 27-year-old Mohammed al-Haj attends a German language course in Saarlouis, Germany. A native of the city of Aleppo, Syrias one-time economic capital that now lies in ruins, al-Haj came to the western German state of Saarland in September to benefit from its swift processing of migrants. He has since shown a healthy zeal to adapt. (AP Photo/Luca Muzi)

In November, he accepted an offer by local authorities to take voluntary German classes. He begins mandatory German language classes in April, seeking a proficiency that will allow him to study in Germany.

"Honestly, it was worth the risk," he said of his perilous, two-week journey from Turkey to Greece and across the Balkans to Germany. "The conditions in Germany are very good, at least here in my state. It was worth the risk to build a future here."

Al-Haj has lived in a private home with three other Syrian asylum-seekers since October. His rent is paid by the local government and he receives a monthly stipend of 330 euros ($368) for food and other expenses.

"I manage, but I cannot go to many places because transport is costly," he said.

Al-Haj says he can get his point across in halting German, but he hopes eventually to be good enough to enroll at a German university to study media and business administration.

"Without knowing the German language, they (migrants) have no chance in Germany," said Franca Cipriano, director of the Tertia German language school in Saarlouis where al-Haj took his classes. "If they want to work, they have to know the language. If they want to get citizenship in Germany and have a German passport, they have to pass a test about civic education and a language test. So without knowing the language, it is impossible."

Al-Haj was about to start a degree in Arabic literature at Aleppo when the war broke out in 2011, and he had to shelve his dream to work to support his family.

His decision to join the over 1 million Syrians, Iraqis, Afghans and others making the often-perilous, smuggler-filled journey to western Europe last year came after his student visa application to study in Germany was turned down. At the time, he told The AP he had no choice. Returning to Syria was not an option  he was convinced the war would only get worse.

He still doesn't see any hope of going back in the near future.

"I don't know what may become of Syria," he said. "I don't expect to visit home in the next three years."

In this photo taken on Feb. 12, 2016, 27-year-old Mohammed al-Haj enters a German language school in Saarlouis, Germany. A native of the city of Aleppo, Syrias one-time economic capital that now lies in ruins, al-Haj came to the western German state of Saarland in September to benefit from its swift processing of migrants. He has since shown a healthy zeal to adapt. (AP Photo/Luca Muzi)

In this photo taken on Feb. 12, 2016, 27-year-old Mohammed al-Haj, right, attends a German language course in Saarlouis, Germany. A native of the city of Aleppo, Syrias one-time economic capital that now lies in ruins, al-Haj came to the western German state of Saarland in September to benefit from its swift processing of migrants. He has since shown a healthy zeal to adapt. (AP Photo/Luca Muzi)
Caitlyn Jenner urges veto of US state's transgender bill

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota (AP)  Transgender Olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner has called on South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard to veto a bill that would require transgender schoolchildren to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their sex at birth.

Jenner urged her Twitter followers on Monday to tell Daugaard to reject the measure and to not make South Dakota the first state to adopt such a law. She also tweeted a link to an American Civil Liberties Union page opposing the bill.

The measure would require schools to make a "reasonable accommodation" for transgender children, such as a single-occupancy bathroom.
Review: 'Fuller House' may please fans (but no one else)

NEW YORK (AP)  If you like this kind of thing, odds are you'll want to cancel weekend plans and binge on "Fuller House."

Meanwhile, everyone else is strenuously cautioned against Netflix's spin-off of the 1987-95 sitcom "Full House," whose arrival has been awaited with unaccountable waves of excitement from some quarters. Fair warning to the rest: "Fuller House" will be available  all 13 episodes  starting Friday.

Back when "Full House" was riding high on ABC, I engaged in the folly of criticizing a critic-proof series, publicly cringing at what, even then, was retrograde domestic comedy: a loving but wisecracking family anchored in a living room and propelled by saccharine story lines that concluded with life lessons, hugs, and appreciative awwws from the audience soundtrack.

This image released by Netflix shows, from left, Andrea Barber, Jodie Sweetin, and Candace Cameron Bure in a scene from, "Fuller House," streaming on Netflix beginning on Friday, Feb. 26. (Michael Yarish/Netflix via AP)

"Full House" was full of it, no question. But who could argue with success?

Since so much time has passed, the original conceit has been deftly warmed over for the 21st century. That is, the original "Full House" followed the adventures of widower Bob Saget after he recruited brother-in-law John Stamos and best friend Dave Coulier to share his San Francisco digs and help raise his three girls.

This go-around, Saget's widowed daughter D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure), enlists her sister Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and her best friend Kimmy (Andrea Barber), a single mother with a sassy teenage daughter, to share that same house and help raise her three boys, ages 12 and 7 plus a newborn.

All this is established in the first episode, which sets the stage by reintroducing the three female characters (played by its all-grown-up "Full House" alumnae) along with reuniting Saget, Coulier and Stamos as well as Lori Loughlin, still happily wed to Stamos' character.

(Notably, twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen  who from toddlerhood swapped off playing Michelle, the youngest daughter of Saget's character  are not participating in the spin-off, apparently acknowledging, much to their credit, that they have outgrown this piffle. Their absence is pointedly addressed by Saget when informing the others that "Michelle sends her love, but she's busy in New York running her fashion empire." With that, the entire ensemble pivots to the camera for a long, knowing pause.)

TV has never been shy about copying itself. ("Imitation is the sincerest form of television," as humorist Fred Allen famously declared more than 60 years ago.) And the current TV scene is clearly in repeat mode: "The X-Files"! "Heroes Reborn"! The forthcoming "Twin Peaks" and, headed for Netflix, a revived "Gilmore Girls" and a Latino "One Day at a Time"  from Norman Lear, no less!

Make no mistake: The original "Full House" triumvirate apparently won't have much of a presence in what's as much a handoff as a spin-off. After the all-star premiere, Stamos (whose character has now moved to Los Angeles) appears in just one episode, with Coulier (supposedly now a Las Vegas resident) seen in just one other, among the six half-hours made available for preview.

But "Fuller House" revives the comfortably familiar formula of old.

The dialogue again seems generated by a comic algorithm: "I'm having an acid flashback," says Kimmy, amazed to see everyone. "But I never dropped acid. I did take an antacid once. I must be having an ANTACID flashback." (Cue the laughter.)

Force-fed cloying moments also remain part of the act  although the most heartrending sight is the guest appearance by erstwhile pop star Macy Gray, who is found headlining at a club where the girls land during a night on the town.

"What am I doing here?" Gray asks herself with what might very well be genuine remorse. "I won a Grammy!"

Of course, that was way back when, which is where "Fuller House" resides. The show may be cloaked in the veneer of currency (the characters have smartphones and a Donald Trump joke is delivered). But this new show is designed to repeat sitcom history.

Pressing forward by taking a big step backward, "Fuller House" picks up predictably where "Full House" left off. Soon to be installed in the Netflix gallery, it beckons to all viewers who want a sugar fix. You know who you are.

_____

EDITOR'S NOTE  Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore@ap.org and at http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier. Past stories are available at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/frazier-moore

_____

Online:

https://www.netflix.com/
US forces enter Kuwait to end Iraqi occupation

KUWAIT CITY (AP)  In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor.

The ground operation to end Iraq's nearly seven-month occupation lasted only 100 hours, despite fleeing Iraqi forces lighting hundreds of massive blazes at Kuwaiti oil wells.

As Wednesday marks the 25th anniversary of the U.S. advance into Kuwait, The Associated Press is making available its story by correspondent Denis D. Gray about the military operation, as well as historic photographs of the conflict.

FILE - In this Wednesday February 27, 1991 file photo, members of Task Force Ripper of the First Marine Division ride a Humvee under a "Welcome to Kuwait" sign at the entrance to Kuwait City's International Airport. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Patrick Downs, File)

___

WITH U.S. MARINES ADVANCING INTO KUWAIT  U.S. Marines surged into Kuwait through mine-sown defensive barriers Sunday, wrecking an Iraqi division and taking 4,700 prisoners, spokesmen said. Some units reached the outskirts of Kuwait City.

The Marines lost three dead in the first day of fighting, officers said. The 2nd Marine Division reported one killed and eight wounded; the 1st Division two dead and nine wounded. A pilot was missing after his plane crashed.

"I myself am amazed" at the light casualties, said Lt. Col. Jan Huly, 2nd Division spokesman. "We expected it to be a lot more so far."

Iraqi casualties were not known, but Huly said the front-line Iraqi division the 2nd Marines faced as they broke through the defensive barriers "doesn't exist anymore." The size of the Iraqi division was not known. Huly said its commander apparently was captured or surrendered.

The 2nd Marine Division said it took at least 1,500 Iraqis prisoner; the 1st Division reported more than 3,200 Iraqis captured.

The assault, apparently the largest Marine operation since World War II, involved the two divisions based along Kuwait's southernmost border with Saudi Arabia. The military did not say how many Marines were involved, but a division has 6,000 to 15,000 men.

Wearing full chemical protection outfits and moving behind tanks and plows, the Marines pushed through walls of sand, trenches, barbed wire and minefields as deep as 600 yards.

One officer said some Marines encountered chemical gas, apparently from mines.

The Iraqis have sown an estimated 500,000 mines in southern Kuwait, and some were believed to include chemical agents. But the Iraqi forces appeared to be using only conventional explosives in their artillery shells.

Huly said forward elements of the 2nd Division, including tanks and artillery batteries, were already near Kuwait City and were consolidating their positions.

Lead units of the 1st Division, operating to the west, drove deep into Kuwait late Sunday after breaking through Iraqi lines northwest of the al-Wafra oilfields, according to a pool report.

"Things are going very well," said Col. John Stennick, chief of staff for the division. "We thought we'd have to fight harder to get this far. The best news is that so few of our people have gotten hurt."

An expected amphibious assault from Marines in the Persian Gulf had yet to be launched.

The USS Nassau and about 20 other ships in the amphibious task force awaited orders in the northern gulf. Rear Adm. John B. LaPlante, commander of the group, said he did not expect assault orders "in the near term."

Before sunset Marine units were still pouring through six lanes cut through the breaches. Markers were placed in the desert so that the assault force would not stray into zones sown with mines.

Huly said that Iraqi opposition was "very mild."

He said the only known 2nd Division Marine death came when an artillery breach either exploded or struck the gunner in the head. He had no details, and there was no information available on the deaths in the 1st Division.

The spokesman ascribed the low allied casualties to superb U.S. equipment and training and poor Iraqi morale.

"We've got our act together, he doesn't. He's only shooting rounds randomly," Huly said.

He warned, however, that the Marines would probably face stiffer opposition as they moved deeper into Kuwait, where Saddam Hussein has deployed some of his better troops, including the elite Republican Guard. The Iraqis are said to have manned the front lines largely with conscripts.

"I don't think we've gotten into the real battle yet," said Huly. "The tough guys are still ahead of us."

He said entire units, complete with their weapons and other equipment, were surrendering after putting up minimal resistance, and the morale of the prisoners taken so far "is about boot-top level."

Huly said the POWs were being placed in a temporary compound south of the breach, and attempts were being made to whisk them to rear areas.

"There are so many we can't talk to them all," Huly said.

Among the prisoners was an officer believed to be commander of the front-line division overcome by the Marines, Huly said. He did not know if the officer had been captured or surrendered.

As the assault force drove forward, it came under fire from Iraqi artillery and ground troops. Helicopter gunships and allied warplanes swooped in to knock out the Iraqi gunners as they emerged from dug-in positions, Huly said.

Allied aircraft included Harrier jump jets, A-6 attack fighters, A-10 tank killers and Cobra helicopters. He said B-52 bombers, which played a major role in the aerial strikes, were not being used in close support of the ground troops.

Lt. Gen. Walt Boomer, the Marine commander, said the 1st Marine assault began at 4 a.m. Sunday (8 p.m. EST Saturday), the starting time for the allied ground war.

The 2nd Marine started its attack about 1 1/2 hours later, under an unexpected downpour and after a night of allied artillery, rocket and air strikes. The rain later gave way to clear, sunny skies.

Huly said three Marine tanks - each with a crew of four - were damaged or destroyed. One Marine AV-8B Harrier crashed at night and the pilot was missing, Boomer said.

Boomer said the Marines encountered chemical gas that apparently was released by buried mines nine miles north of the Saudi border.

Huly said the troops went into battle wearing full chemical protective gear, which includes a suit, gas masks, boots and gloves. Troops have also been taking anti-nerve gas and anti-anthrax pills for several days.

The way was prepared for the Marine advance on Friday morning when other Marine units slipped into Kuwait on foot through the minefields to establish a safe route for advancing armor.

The Marines preceded their attack with loudspeakers urging Iraqis to surrender.

Smoke continued to pour from the Umm Qadir oilfield in southwest Kuwait, which was allegedly set ablaze earlier in the war by Iraqi forces. But Huly said it posed no problems for the assault force.

"They can see well enough to shoot at us, and we can see well enough to shoot at them," Huly said.

The spokesman also played down the effects of the rainstorm. Allied warplanes continued to pour in supporting fire under heavy cloud cover.

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 24, 1991 file photo, a humvee in a convoy of vehicles of the U.S. Second Marine Division travel along a path cleared through an Iraqi minefield in Kuwait, as the ground war gets underway. The flags with the E sign mark where an Iraqi mine was blown up. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 24, 1991 file photo, smoke from a burning oil well in Kuwait billows behind an armored vehicle from the U.S. Marines Second Division near the Saudi-Kuwait border prior to the start of the ground war against Iraq. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Sakayuki Mikami, File)

FILE - In this Friday, March 1, 1991 file photo, hundreds of burned out and destroyed civilian and military vehicles lie scattered in the Kuwait desert, the site of a fatal trip home for Iraqi soldiers who were cut off by allied air power as they tried to flee on the highway from Kuwait City to Baghdad. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/John Gaps, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, March 1, 1991 file photo, a dead Iraqi soldier lies by a destroyed T-72 tank in Iraq following combat with the 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry of the 1st Armored Division in Iraq. An estimated 85,000 - 100,000 Iraqi casualties were believed inflicted and 4,000 tanks destroyed in the battle. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Monday, Feb. 25, 1991 file photo, an Iraqi prisoner waits with his hands up while a Saudi trooper inspects papers at an Iraqi bunker complex in southern Kuwait. The coalition advance, and massive surrenders by Iraqi troops, continued throughout the second full day of Operation Desert Storm's ground warfare in the Gulf War. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE - In this Monday, February 25, 1991 file photo, a Kuwaiti military helicopter herds Iraqi prisoners, arms in the air, across a stream in southeastern Kuwait, as Operation Desert Storm continues. Official sources reported the number of Iraqi troops surrendering at 18,000 - and growing. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 24, 1991 file photo, Kuwaiti troops head northbound toward toward Kuwait City during the first full day of the invasion by allied forces, . The Kuwaiti troops met little resistance along this stretch of road in the desert north of the Kuwait-Saudi Arabian boundary. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 24, 1991 file photo, U.S. Second Division Marines wave as they cross the border into Kuwait, as the ground war gets underway. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 24, 1991 file photo, Kuwaiti troops wearing gas masks and protective suits as they roll through southern Kuwait in an armed motor convoy, the first full day of ground conflict in Operation Desert Storm. Allied troops encountered resistance in some areas, but no use of gas weapons was reported. Inverted "V" painted on vehicles is the allied recognition symbol. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE -- In this Sunday, Feb. 24, 1991 file photo, Kuwaiti soldiers pause to pray inside their homeland as a Kuwaiti armored column, rear, heads north toward Kuwait City, as the ground war gets underway. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 24, 1991 file photo, a convoy of U.S. Marine Second Division vehicles moves past a tank equipped with a mine-clearing sled, in Kuwait as the ground war gets underway. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Gene Herrick, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 24, 1991 file photo, Saudi troops stand guard over Iraqi prisoners, in Kuwait City. Military officials reported mass surrenders among Iraqi troops as the ground war moved though its first full day. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 24, 1991 file photo, Saudi armored personnel carriers, one flying the national flag, roar deeper on in Kuwait as allied forces advance on all fronts. This photo was taken about 12 miles (20 km) north of the Saudi-Kuwait border. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, March 1, 1991 file photo, an American soldier from the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division looks over a British armored personnel carrier in Iraq. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Bob Jordan, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, February 24, 1991 file photo, a line of captured Iraqi soldiers are marched through the desert in Kuwait past a group of U.S. Marine Second Division vehicles after the ground offensive got underway during the Persian Gulf War. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Sadayuki Mikami, File)

FILE -- In this Tuesday, Feb. 27, 1991 file photo, Kuwaitis applaud as truck-riding U.S. Special Forces troops drive through newly-liberated Kuwait City. Fighting continues elsewhere in Kuwait as U.S. and other allied forces advance rapidly on the few Iraqi divisions which have not yet surrendered or been destroyed. Dark clouds are from burning oil wells. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE - In this Monday, Feb. 25, 1991 file photo, Iraqi troops emerge from heavily protected bunker to surrender to gun-toting Saudi soldiers during Operation Desert Storm in southeast Kuwait, The coalition advance, and massive surrenders by Iraqi troops, continued throughout the second full day of Operation Desert Storm's ground warfare in the Gulf War. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE -- In this Sunday, February 25, 1991 file photo, United States Marines carry a wounded companion on a stretcher to a waiting helicopter as the ground war continued in Kuwait. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Sadayuki Mikami, File)

FILE -- In this Monday, Feb. 25, 1991 file photo, an Iraqi soldier holds up the Quran and a white flag as he surrenders to Saudi and American forces inside Kuwait on. Large numbers of prisoners were taken from fortified Iraqi positions by the allied forces in this operation along the coast highway north of the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia border. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE -- In this Tuesday, February 26, 1991 file photo, a group of Kuwait citizens gather by the side of the road to greet a convoy of Egyptians armored vehicles moving along a highway near Kuwait City. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Sadayuki Mikamd, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 27, 1991 file photo, spectators check out the damage to the area around a luxury hotel in Kuwait City, Kuwait, after allied troops liberated the city. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE -- In this Wednesday, Feb. 28, 1991 file photo, a U.S. soldier flashes the "V" sign from his position on top of a Humvee guarding the U.S. Embassy compound, in Kuwait City. In February 1991, after months of building an international coalition, U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation of its smaller, oil-rich neighbor. (AP Photo/David Longstreath, File)
Moodys Analytics has declared North Dakota in recession, but Minneapolis Federal Reserve officials arent taking predictions that far.

I think our forecast for North Dakota is for moderate growth over the coming year, but I dont think the outlook right now is for severe contraction for the state overall, said Joe Mahon, regional outreach director for the Minneapolis Fed.

Though Mahon does leave the caveat that the picture is not nearly as rosy for those in the oil industry.

North Dakota has joined its fellow natural resource states in recession thanks to the extraordinary declines in oil prices over the past several quarters, the Moodys report reads. Investment in western North Dakotas energy boom has flagged significantly since the end of 2014, and the large inflows of workers and capital have turned to outflows. However, the states metro areas have proven resilient in the wake of lower oil prices and are continuing to expand, though at a slower rate than during the energy boom.

Moodys says the pace of job gains in North Dakota is the lowest it has been in half a decade and underperformed the rest of the country in May for the first time since 2005. The economic analysis firm points to a lack of strong growth drivers outside energy and agriculture as a weakness for the state.

Some companies may point to any period of gross domestic product shrinkage that lasts more than two quarters as a decline, said Mahon, who added that the Minneapolis Fed looks to the National Bureau of Economic Research for an official declaration of recession.

North Dakota saw a reduction in employment in the past year, largely due to oil layoffs, he said. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary estimates, employment dipped by nearly 19,000 jobs from 2014 to 2015.

Theres definitely been a contraction in North Dakota, particularly if you look at employment, said Mahon, adding that the labor market is still strong.

Unemployment remains low as a lot of those people laid off had been transplants to the state in the first place and have likely left, Mahon said.

The Minneapolis Feds regional economic forecast on minneapolisfed.org, which is based on historical movement of economic indicators, calls for a rebound in employment in North Dakota this year. Mahon said that could be affected by the strong growth in the state since 2009.

I think thats an over-optimistic projection, he said.

Based on a survey of businesses in the state, more than 50 percent said they were optimistic about the economy for 2016, Mahon said. But 45 percent had a negative outlook on the year, which is a larger percentage of pessimism than was seen in neighboring states, including Montana, Minnesota and South Dakota.

Anecdotally, Mahon said his contacts in the oil industry are more concerned now than they were a year ago. The thought was things would bounce back. Some welcomed the slow down as a chance to catch their breath from the rapid growth that marked the boom.

Those satisfied with the slow growth pace are now scared this could be another bust, Mahon said.

Despite the slowdown in oil and weakness in agriculture, overall, the state seems to be growing, driven by major metropolitan areas, Mahon said.

Mahon said there was a misconception that all of the growth in the state was driven by the oil boom: Actually Fargo is a really strong community economically. I think you can see that more now.

So, its a positive outlook overall but weaker than earlier boom years.

We dont expect employment to fall but also arent expecting it to grow gangbusters, Mahon said.
The Latest: Museum opens for reflection after shootings

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP)  The Latest on the shootings in the Kalamazoo, Michigan, area (all times local):

9:30 a.m.

A Kalamazoo museum is opening its doors as a place of reflection and peace for those affected by the killing of six people in and around the city.

People gather in Bronson Park in Kalamazoo, Mich., Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, for a candlelight vigil for the victims of a series of random shootings in the Kalamazoo area over the weekend. Jason Dalton of Kalamazoo Township was charged with six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in the shootings and then arraigned on the charges. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts is waiving its usual admission fee for the rest of the month following last weekend's attacks.

Executive Director Belinda Tate says in a statement that the museum wants to "open our doors to share the peace and beauty of the museum."

Tate says the museum is being offered "as a respite space for reflection, nourishment and quality time with family and friends."

Authorities say the shootings by Jason Dalton were random and they haven't revealed a motive. The shootings occurred in a restaurant parking lot, outside an apartment building and at a car lot.

___

8:35 a.m.

Western Michigan University officials say they will improve how the school communicates during emergencies after it didn't issue an alert during the series of weekend shootings a few miles from campus.

The Kalamazoo school's leaders heard from dozens of students Monday night, including some who criticized the school's response or who had ideas about improving the alert system.

University President John Dunn says the alert system is set up to warn of threats to the campus and people on it. However, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1Qe9sLk ) that Dunn apologized, saying the school "did not meet your expectations."

The school's public safety chief, Scott Merlo, says there was a "breakdown in communication."

An Uber driver has been charged in the attacks, which killed six people and wounded two others.

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2:50 a.m.

More details are emerging about the night authorities say a Michigan man has admitted gunning down six randomly chosen victims in and around Kalamazoo. But any hint as to why remains stubbornly elusive.

Authorities allege Jason Dalton carried out the attacks over hours during which he also ferried passengers around town as an Uber driver. The 45-year-old appeared briefly in court by video link and was charged Monday with six counts of murder.

Kalamazoo police Det. Cory Ghiringhelli told the court Dalton admitted to investigators "that he took people's lives."

The admission seemed only to deepen the mystery of what was behind the killings of six people with no apparent connection to the gunman. Police and prosecutors acknowledge a motive may never be fully known.

Jason Dalton, of Kalamazoo Township, Mich., is arraigned via video Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. Dalton is charged with multiple counts of murder in a series of random shootings in western Michigan. (Mark Bugnaski/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Joe Lucido lights a candle during the candlelight vigil at Bronson Park in remembrance of the mass shooting victims on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. (Bryan Bennett/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP)

Flags fly at half-staff at the Kalamazoo County Building Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. An Uber passenger said he called police to report an erratic driver more than an hour before the driver allegedly began a series of several random shootings that killed multiple people in Michigan. (Bryan M. Bennett/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting talks to media after Jason Dalton was arraigned via video Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. Dalton is charged with multiple counts of murder in a series of random shootings in western Michigan. (Mark Bugnaski/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Flags fly at half-staff at the Kalamazoo County Building Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. An Uber passenger said he called police to report an erratic driver more than an hour before the driver allegedly began a series of several random shootings that killed multiple people in Michigan. (Bryan M. Bennett/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Media trucks are parked outside of the Kalamazoo County Building on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich. An Uber passenger said he called police to report an erratic driver more than an hour before the driver allegedly began a series of several random shootings that killed multiple people. Jason Dalton was arrested without incident early Sunday and is set to be arraigned later Monday. (Bryan M. Bennett/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT
US, China hopeful of agreement on resolution against NKorea

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on tensions between the U.S. and China (all times local):

4:40 p.m.

The top diplomats of the U.S. and China say they are hopeful of reaching agreement soon on a U.N. resolution to punish North Korea after its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.

FILE - In this Feb. 12, 2016, file photo, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, shakes hands with China's Froreign, Minister Wang Yi, during a meeting in Munich, Germany, before the Munich Security Conference. The top diplomats of the U.S. and China meet Feb. 23, in Washington at a fraught time in relations between the two world powers. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)

Both Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (WAHNG YEE) said after talks Tuesday that significant progress has been made in negotiations on a resolution that could potentially stiffen sanctions.

Kerry said a draft was being evaluated in both Washington and Beijing, and if approved it would go beyond previous resolutions against North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs.

Wang said a resolution could be passed in the "near future."

While China has joined in the international criticism following North Korea's Jan. 6 nuclear test and Feb. 7 rocket launch, it has been reluctant to impose tough economic sanctions that could threaten the stability of its traditional ally.

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10:40 a.m.

The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific says China is seeking control of East Asia.

Adm. Harry Harris, Jr., was responding to a question at a congressional hearing Tuesday about what is the strategic goal of China's military build-up in the region.

Harris told the Senate Armed Services Committee: "I believe China seeks hegemony in East Asia."

His comments are likely to anger Beijing, whose top diplomat is due to meet with Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington later Tuesday.

China denies it has aggressive intentions. It says its construction in the disputed South China Sea is to install defensive measures and civilian facilities on islands it has sovereignty over and this will benefit the international community.

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10:25 a.m.

The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific says China's construction and military facilities are changing the operational landscape in the disputed South China Sea.

Adm. Harry Harris, Jr., cited its deployment of anti-aircraft missiles in the Paracel island chain, new radar and airstrips on land features it has built up in the Spratlys.

Harris told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that China is militarizing the South China Sea, "and you have to believe in a flat earth to think otherwise."

China on Tuesday reasserted its right to develop its island outposts, saying it has undisputed sovereignty over the area, where five other Asian nations have competing territorial claims.

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9:55 a.m.

Republican Sen. John McCain says China is behaving like a "bully" in the Asia-Pacific.

McCain says the Obama administration's "risk aversion" has failed to prevent China's coercive behavior in the disputed South China Sea. He is calling for the U.S. to step up freedom of navigation operations in the region.

McCain was speaking at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee that he chairs. The committee was taking testimony from the commanders of U.S. forces in the Pacific and Korea.

Top-ranking Democrat on the committee, Sen. Jack Reed, also said it seems clear that China does not intend to be a "responsible stakeholder" in the region.

Both lawmakers cited think tank reports that China has deployed high-frequency radar on reclaimed land in the Spratly island chain.

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4:12 a.m.

The top U.S. and Chinese diplomats meet Tuesday in Washington at a fraught time in relations between the two world powers.

It's been seven weeks since North Korea's conducted a nuclear test and they still haven't agreed on how to censure Pyongyang.

Also, tensions are rising in the South China Sea after Beijing deployed anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed island.
Congress backs court challenge to Obama's climate plan

WASHINGTON (AP)  More than 200 members of Congress are backing a court challenge to President Barack Obama's plan to curtail greenhouse gas emissions.

A brief filed Tuesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington argues that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its legal authority and defied the will of Congress by regulating carbon dioxide emissions.

Led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., those signing on include Republican presidential candidates and senators Ted Cruz of Texas, and Marco Rubio of Florida. Of the 34 senators and 171 House members listed, Sen. Joe Manchin of coal-dependent West Virginia is the lone Democrat.

"If Congress desired to give EPA sweeping authority to transform the nation's electricity sector, Congress would have provided for that unprecedented power in detailed legislation," the brief says.

The White House downplayed the lawmakers' brief, describing it as part of "continual pushback from obstructionist Republicans in Congress who don't even believe in the science of climate change."

"We remain confident that we will prevail on the merits when the plan gets it full day in court," said White House spokesman Frank Benenati.

About two dozen mostly GOP-led states have sued to stop the Clean Power Plan, which aims to slow climate change by cutting power-plant emissions by one-third by 2030. The Supreme Court last month barred the Obama administration from beginning implementation of the plan until the legal challenges are resolved.

The attorneys general of West Virginia and Texas are leading the legal fight, backed by 27 conservative states where some officials are openly dismissive of climate science and where many jobs rely on economic activity tied to fossil fuels.

Argument of the case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is set to begin June 2. Under the Clean Air Act, certain challenges to new EPA rules skip the federal district court and go directly to the appeals court. Regardless of which side prevails, further appeal to the Supreme Court is almost certain, pushing any final decision into at least 2017.

Implementation of the new emissions rules is considered essential to the U.S. meeting carbon-reduction targets in a global climate agreement signed in Paris in December. Obama's plan also encourages more development of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar by further ratcheting down any emissions allowed from new coal-fired power plants, which the administration and environmental groups say the plan will spur new clean-energy jobs.

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Associated Press writer Josh Lederman contributed.

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Bolivian voters reject letting Morales run for 4th term

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP)  Bolivian voters have handed Evo Morales his first electoral defeat as president, rejecting by a slim margin a constitutional amendment that would have let him run for a fourth consecutive term in 2019.

After the announcement by electoral officials Tuesday night, celebrants poured into the streets in the eastern city of Santa Cruz, where opposition to Morales is strong. But fireworks also sounded in La Paz, where there is weariness of corruption in the governing party.

The ballot measure in Sunday's referendum was voted down 51 percent to 49 percent, with 99.5 percent of the ballots counted, a margin of just over 150,000 votes. The outcome also blocks Vice President Alvaro Garcia from running again.

A demonstrator shout slogans against Bolivian President Evo Morales, demanding he concede, while waiting for the official results of a constitutional referendum outside a vote counting center in La Paz, Bolivia, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. With 95 percent of the vote counted Tuesday, results showed 52 percent of voters rejecting Morales' bid to change the constitution so he can run for a fourth consecutive term in 2019. Morales said Monday he was not abandoning hope despite indications Bolivians had rejected the referendum by a slim margin. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Morales is Bolivia's first indigenous president and he helped lift millions out of poverty since first taking office a decade ago by more equitably distributing natural gas revenues, spurring the creation of an indigenous middle class.

But Bolivians have been losing patience with his now-entrenched Movement Toward Socialism.

The vote also closely followed a revelation that Morales may have been personally involved in influence-peddling.

"Evo's traditional opposition among the affluent and middle class was joined by a wide swath of voters who have long been a part of his political support," said Jim Shultz, executive director of the left-leaning Democracy Center political advocacy group.

"Their turnaround isn't about moving rightward," but rather a rejection of corruption that reflects a belief "that 20 years is too long for one person to be president," he added.

Until Sunday's ballot, Morales had prevailed in nationwide elections, including a 2009 rewrite of the constitution, with an average 61.5 percent of the vote.

The margin of defeat coincided almost exactly with two unofficial "quick count" samples announced Sunday by polling firms.

The result proved allegations of vote fraud by some members of the opposition to be unfounded, said Jose Luis Exeni, a member of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

The vote count had been unusually slow and the vice president had said earlier Tuesday that the outcome would be a "cliff-hanger."

He claimed a right-wing conspiracy was "trying to make disappear by sleight of hand the rural vote that favors Morales," but provided no evidence to back the claim.

Organization of American States observers reported no evidence of fraud, and the delegation leader, former Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez, left Bolivia on Tuesday.

Early in his presidency, Morales crushed the right-wing opposition with an anti-colonialist agenda that championed Bolivia's long-downtrodden native majority. He expelled the DEA and a U.S. ambassador, thriving on anti-Yankee rhetoric.

Morales, who leads a coca-growers union, also upset drug warriors with a less violent coca-eradication program in the world's No. 3 producer of cocaine.

But a more formidable opposition eventually emerged from within his own movement and it stung in March 2015 municipal and regional elections, when opposition mayors won in eight of Bolivia's 10 biggest cities.

"The cost of corruption has been high," said political scientist Marcelo Silva of the Universidad Mayor de San Andres. He said infighting in the governing party over a successor could now weaken it even further.

The unprecedented economic boom over which Morales presided, in which gross domestic product per capita rose by nearly one-third, has now waned. Bolivia's revenues from natural gas and minerals, making up three-fourths of its exports, were down 32 percent last year.

Looking shaken as early results showed the ballot question losing, Morales expressed confidence Monday that he would prevail and blamed "a smear campaign" on his poor showing in cities, where 70 percent of the electorate now lives. He also suggested social networks bore some responsibility by spreading unreliable information.

The vote's timing could not have been worse for him.

He was stung this month by an influence-peddling scandal involving a former lover that analysts said cost him dearly. The girlfriend, it was revealed, was named sales manager of a Chinese company in 2013 that has obtained nearly $500 million in mostly no-bid state contracts. Photos of her mansion in a wealthy southern La Paz enclave spread online.

Morales denied any impropriety and claimed he last saw the woman in 2007. But a picture of the two together last year emerged, casting doubts.

Most harmful among scandals plaguing the governing party was the skimming of millions from the government-managed Fondo Indigena, which runs agricultural and public works in the countryside.

Judicial corruption has also been endemic and freedom of expression suffered under Morales, with critical media and environmentalists complaining of harassment by the state.

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Associated Press writer Carlos Valdez reported this story in La Paz and AP writer Frank Bajak reported from Lima, Peru. AP writer Paola Flores in La Paz contributed to this report.

Demonstrators shout slogans against Bolivian President Evo Morales, demanding he concede, while waiting for the official results of a constitutional referendum outside a vote counting center in La Paz, Bolivia, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. With 95 percent of the vote counted Tuesday, results showed 52 percent of voters rejecting Morales' bid to change the constitution so he can run for a fourth consecutive term in 2019. Morales said Monday he was not abandoning hope despite indications Bolivians had rejected the referendum by a slim margin. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Bolivia's President Evo Morales sings his national anthem at a signing ceremony for the expansion of a road that connects the capital with the nearby city of El Alto, in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, one day after a referendum on expanding presidential term limits. Partial results Monday and unofficial "quick counts" indicated Morales' bid to extend his presidency by amending the constitution appeared headed toward defeat. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Bolivia's President Evo Morales waves to supporters as he arrives for a signing ceremony concerning the expansion of the road that connects the capital with the nearby city of El Alto, in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, one day after a referendum on expanding presidential term limits. Partial results Monday and unofficial "quick counts" indicated Morales' bid to extend his presidency by amending the constitution appeared headed toward defeat. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Bolivia's President Evo Morales, right, talks to his Vice President Alvaro Garcia during a signing ceremony for the expansion and extension of the road that connects the capital with the nearby city of El Alto, in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, one day after a referendum on expanding presidential term limits. Partial results Monday and unofficial "quick counts" indicated Morales' bid to extend his presidency by amending the constitution appeared headed toward defeat. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Case of accused flight attendant might not make it to trial

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  The case of a flight attendant accused of using bogus in-air bomb threats to disrupt flights he worked in the upper Midwest and on the East Coast last year might not make it to trial in either North Dakota or Virginia.

Court documents show the Virginia case may be transferred to North Dakota, which would indicate a plea agreement or a change of plea might occur, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Delorme.

"Cases don't get transferred out for trials, generally," he said.

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Burleigh County Sheriff's Department in Bismarck, N.D., shows Justin Cox-Sever, 22, of Tempe, Ariz. Cox-Sever, a flight attendant accused of using bogus in-air bomb threats to disrupt flights he worked in the upper Midwest and on the East Coast in 2015 might not make it to trial in either North Dakota or Virginia. Court documents show the Virginia case may be transferred to North Dakota, which would indicate a plea agreement or a change of plea might occur, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Delorme. (Burleigh County Sheriff's Department via AP, File)

Justin Cox-Sever, a former SkyWest Airlines flight attendant from Tempe, Arizona, is accused of making bogus bomb threats on a July flight from Charlottesville, Virginia, to Chicago, and on a September flight from Minneapolis to Dickinson, North Dakota. Prosecutors haven't speculated about a possible motive.

Cox-Sever, 22, is charged in federal court in both Virginia, where he has not yet entered a plea, and North Dakota, where he has pleaded not guilty and was to stand trial this week. However, U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland in Bismarck late last month granted a defense motion to delay the North Dakota case.

Federal Public Defender Neil Fulton indicated in his motion that the two cases might be consolidated and that he needed more time to prepare. Hovland scheduled a three-day trial beginning April 5 in Bismarck.

Fulton on Tuesday declined to discuss in detail how Cox-Sever wants to proceed.

"We are discussing all his options," Fulton said.

FBI Special Agent Daniel Genck wrote in an affidavit that Cox-Sever admitted planting a suspicious bag on the North Dakota flight and writing a threat on a wall of the plane's bathroom in the Virginia case.
In South Africa, drones used to battle rhino poaching

HLUHLUWE-IMFOLOZI GAME RESERVE, South Africa (AP)  In hills where Zulu royalty once hunted wildlife, South African conservationists now scan live video from a thermal-imaging camera attached to a drone, looking for heat signatures of poachers stalking through the bush to kill rhinos.

The unarmed drone, which resembles a model airplane, flies several miles (kilometers) from a van where an operator toggles a customized video-gaming control, zooming and swiveling the craft's camera. The nocturnal surveillance in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve comes amid international discussion about whether technology, particularly drones, will make a real difference in anti-poaching efforts that often rely on the "boots on the ground" of rangers on patrol.

Several years ago, drones were touted by some as a silver bullet for conservation, but some experiments have foundered. Even so, drone technology is developing quickly and the aircraft have been used around the world, including:

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a drone is prepared for launching in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province. Once in flight conservationists can scan live video from a camera attached to the drone looking for poachers in the bush or next to the reserve to help curb the the slaughter of rhinos. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

 In Belize, where the Wildlife Conservation Society helped deploy drones to successfully monitor a protected reef area for illegal fishing, according to David Wilkie, director of conservation measures for the group.

 In Indonesia, where drones have surveyed threatened orangutan habitats.

 In Africa, where the World Wildlife Fund is exploring the use of drones and other anti-poaching technologies, using funding from Google.

"It's a very dynamic battle space where the poachers are continually responding to advances in technologies," said Arthur Holland Michel, co-director at the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.

Poachers could, for example, seek vegetation cover to try to avoid being spotted by drones or use informants to monitor drone teams and learn when the skies are clear.

"They have great potential," Wilkie said of drones. "I think they're not there yet."

Wilkie said groups with limited budgets often opt for types of drones used by hobbyists. A military-grade, aluminum drone with a powerful engine and sophisticated radar that can look through canopy and detect metal  a poacher's car or motorcycle, for example  could be more effective, he said.

Searching for poachers with drones in Africa's vast wildlife reserves can seem like a needle-in-a-haystack operation. Costs mount, crashes are frequent, equipment breaks down, rain or high wind can scrap a mission and even before operations start, legal and bureaucratic obstacles must often be overcome in countries that tightly regulate airspace.

In a drone mission in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi recently observed by an Associated Press team, operators looked for heat-emitting objects that appear white and vertical on the screen, similar in shape to a rice grain. Three vertical rice grains are a giveaway because poachers often work in threes  a tracker, a shooter with a heavy-caliber rifle and a carrier with supplies and an axe to hack off rhino horn for eventual sale on an illegal Asian market.

The operators didn't spot any suspected poachers or need to notify rangers by phone or radio, though they saw horizontal heat signatures from wildlife, including a rhino and a calf. Flights can last more than two hours, focusing on perimeter fences and other areas where poachers might be.

"All we've learned to do is to fly and to live in the bush. It can only get better from here," said Otto Werdmuller Von Elgg, director of UDS, a fledgling South African firm that operates the drone team in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi. It has another at Kruger National Park, the country's biggest wildlife reserve, which is almost the size of Israel.

Poaching levels dropped in some areas where UDS flew and picked up after it left, possibly indicating poachers were scared by the drones, according to Von Elgg. He said he worries about possibly corrupt park staff who might tip poachers to drone team whereabouts and flight times.

Each UDS drone has a composite foam fuselage and a 7.9-foot (2.4-meter) wingspan, relying largely on durable, off-the-shelf technology and costing about $12,000, half of which is for the camera.

UDS gets support from the Lindbergh Foundation. According to its website, the foundation, based in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, is "dedicated to the elimination of illegal poaching of elephants and rhinos in southern Africa using cutting edge software-based predictive analysis and drones."

One drone team costs up to several hundred thousand dollars to operate a year. Foundation chairman John Petersen said the long-term goal is to attract $25 million in annual funding for more than 40 teams in Malawi, Zambia and other African nations that have expressed interest.

Bathawk Recon, an anti-poaching drone company in Tanzania, has conducted trials of hand-launched aircraft.

"There is general agreement that aerial surveillance will be a part of all effective anti-poaching strategies," Michael Chambers, Bathawk Recon's director of strategy and communications, wrote in an email. "How to deliver it is the question of the day."

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Anti-poaching drone project: http://airshepherd.org/

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Follow Christopher Torchia on Twitter at www.twitter.com/torchiachris

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a drone is prepared for flight in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province. Once in flight conservationists can scan live video from a camera attached to the drone looking for poachers in the bush or next to the reserve to help curb the the slaughter of rhinos. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a dehorned rhino and her baby in their corral at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province. Conservationists are operating anti-poaching drones in the park to help curb the slaughter of rhinos. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a dehorned young rhino eats vegetation in its corral at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province. Conservationists are operating anti-poaching drones in the park to help curb the slaughter of rhinos. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a young rhino walks about its corral at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province after being found two nights earlier. Conservationists are operating anti-poaching drones in the park to help curb the slaughter of rhinos. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a drone flies above the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province. In hills where Zulu royalty once hunted wildlife, South African conservationists scan live video from a thermal-imaging camera attached to a drone, looking for heat signatures of poachers walking through the bush to kill rhinos. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a drone is launched in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province. Once in flight conservationists can scan live video from a camera attached to the drone looking for poachers in the bush or next to the reserve to help curb the the slaughter of rhinos. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a drone is prepared for flight in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province. Once in flight conservationists can scan live video from a camera attached to the drone looking for poachers in the bush or next to the reserve to help curb the the slaughter of rhinos. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
EU, UN criticize Balkan police crackdown on Afghan migrants

BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union and United Nations on Tuesday criticized new police restrictions imposed on those traveling along the main migrant route through the Balkans, where hundreds of Afghans have been blocked from crossing into Macedonia.

Police chiefs from EU nations Austria, Croatia and Slovenia plus non-members Serbia and Macedonia agreed last week to only allow in people "arriving from war-torn areas."

They decided migrants must carry identity documents, be fleeing a conflict zone and have a "registration form issued by Greek authorities." The new rules block entry for people wanting to reunite with families, avoid military recruitment or escape "personal disputes."

Refugees and migrants, mostly from Afghanistan, walk through the transit center for refugees near northern Macedonian village of Tabanovce, while waiting for a permission to cross the border into Serbia, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Hundreds of Afghan refugees were stranded since Saturday at the transit center in Tabanovce in northern Macedonia. Serbia says the decision to block refugees from Afghanistan from passing through the so-called Balkan migrant corridor has been made by Austria and Slovenia. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

"(We) have concerns about this approach, and will raise the matter with the relevant countries," the EU's executive arm said in a statement.

The move has stranded thousands of Afghans and others in Greece, where an average of 4,000 asylum-seekers land each day, even though some of the Afghans could potentially qualify for asylum.

The UN's refugee agency said the new police orders are "resulting in increased protection risks for refugees and asylum-seekers, particularly those with specific needs, such as unaccompanied and separated children."

It said the measures increased the risk that legitimate asylum-seekers could be turned back or "stranded in the open, exposed to freezing cold weather and at risk of violence and exploitation."

The medical aid organization Doctors Without Borders also denounced the police measures.

"European governments on this route continue to invent new and arbitrary criteria, with the sole goal of reducing the flow of people  at any cost, and in complete disregard of humanitarian needs," said humanitarian adviser Aurelie Ponthieu.

The organization said 60 Afghans are trapped in a no-man's land between Serbia and Macedonia. Serbian authorities say they must register in Macedonia but Macedonian authorities are refusing to let them back in.

Earlier Tuesday, Greek police removed hundreds of migrants from a camp at the border with Macedonia following a protest that halted freight rail services to other Balkan countries. Authorities said the mostly Afghan migrants were being put on buses bound south for Athens. Journalists were refused access to the area.

A refugee looks at the mirror of the police car at the transit center for refugees near northern Macedonian village of Tabanovce, while waiting for a permission to cross the border into Serbia, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Hundreds of Afghan refugees were stranded since Saturday at the transit center in Tabanovce in northern Macedonia. Serbia says the decision to block refugees from Afghanistan from passing through the so-called Balkan migrant corridor has been made by Austria and Slovenia. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

Refugees and migrants, mostly from Afghanistan, walk through the transit center for refugees near northern Macedonian village of Tabanovce, while waiting for a permission to cross the border into Serbia, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Hundreds of Afghan refugees were stranded since Saturday at the transit center in Tabanovce in northern Macedonia. Serbia says the decision to block refugees from Afghanistan from passing through the so-called Balkan migrant corridor has been made by Austria and Slovenia. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Neighborhoods: Beer history in Washington's Dupont Circle

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP)  The National Mall, a look at the White House and cherry blossoms in springtime are all musts for visitors to Washington, D.C. But once you've got the essentials covered, including whatever monuments and museums are on your list, consider spending a few hours in Dupont Circle, a neighborhood with gems that range from a popular indie bookstore to a beer brewer's Victorian mansion. The area also includes a gas station on the National Register of Historic Places and the Phillips Collection, a modern art museum.

Take the Metro to the Dupont Circle stop and look for a white marble fountain in a circular plaza. That's the center of the neighborhood. Streets extend out from the circle like spokes on a wheel.

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This Feb. 20, 2016 photo shows people enjoying a weekend afternoon around the white marble fountain in the center of Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. The neighborhood is a fun place to spend a few hours, with attractions that include the Phillips Collection modern art museum, Kramerbooks and other small retailers, and Heurich House Museum, a 31-room Victorian mansion that was once home to a Washington beer brewer. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)

ATTRACTIONS

The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St., is probably Dupont Circle's best-known attraction. Through May 8, "Seeing Nature" offers 39 paintings from five centuries, including Impressionist works and David Hockney's large, colorful 1998 depiction of the Grand Canyon. In the museum's permanent collection, be sure to see Renoir's lively "Luncheon of the Boating Party," and spend a moment in the Laib Wax Room, a closet-sized space lined with fragrant, yellow beeswax.

The Heurich House Museum, billed as "the brewmaster's castle," is a 31-room home at 1307 New Hampshire Ave., built in the 1890s by Christian Heurich, a German-born beer-maker. Heurich was best known for his Senate brand of beer. He survived Prohibition by temporarily turning his beer business into an ice-distribution company, and he was still making beer when he died in 1945 at age 102. The Kennedy Center sits on the land where his factory was located.

Hour-long tours of Heurich House are offered Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but you must reserve online (free, $5 suggested donation). Every third Thursday of the month, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the museum partners with a local craft brewery for "History & Hops," offering tastings and tours for $30. This spring, a company called DC Brau plans to launch a new beer inspired by Heurich's legacy.

Dupont Circle is also home to many embassies. On one block, a white statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, graces the Indonesian embassy, while the flag of Portugal flies from the embassy next door. Another block literally houses embassies from A to Z: Argentina and Zimbabwe.

Two curiosities in the neighborhood: Spanish Steps, a flight of stone stairs at S Street and 22nd Street named for the famous steps in Rome, and a gas station on the National Register of Historic Sites at 2200 P St. across from Rock Creek Park. The gas station was built in 1936 by Gulf Oil to look more like a bank or library than a filling station. It's a Sunoco station today, with "SNACK SHOP" written on the tidy building that helped earn its historic designation.

Other attractions in the area include the Woodrow Wilson House, 2340 S St., and the Textile Museum, 701 21st St.

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SHOPPING AND DINING

Connecticut Avenue has lots of small, fun shops, including for dog owners, The Cheeky Puppy, 1709 Connecticut Ave.; for women's clothing and accessories, lou lou boutiques, a regional chain with stores at 1601 and 1623 Connecticut Ave.; and beads at Beadazzled, 1507 Connecticut. On the second floor of 1702 Connecticut Ave., the Secondi consignment store sells designer finds, ranging from a DVF wrap dress for $98 to a Chanel coat for more than $1,000. Second Story Books & Antiques, 2000 P St., draws treasure-hunters with its outdoor carts of $4 books, while Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, 1517 Connecticut Ave., draws crowds on weekends for both books and brunch (try the Cubano sandwich and black bean salad).

If bowls of vegetables and grains are your thing, Jose Andres' Beefsteak at 800 22nd St. is one of several nearby options. You'll also find dim sum restaurants, a Shake Shack, empanadas (Julia's), tapas (Boqueria) and the local Teaism chain, among many other eateries.

This Feb. 20, 2016 photo shows shoppers at Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, a bookstore and eatery in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington D.C. Kramerbooks is one of a number of small, interesting shops in Dupont Circle. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)

This Feb. 20, 2016 photo shows the Heurich House Museum, known as "the brewmaster's castle," in Washington, D.C.'s Dupont Circle neighborhood. The museum is a 31-room Victorian mansion built in the 1890s by Christian Heurich, a German-born beer maker. On the left is an ad for a new beer being launched this spring by a local company called DC Brau, inspired by Heurich's legacy, and on the right is a room in the house with original furnishings, with visitors on a house tour reflected in the mirror. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)

This Feb. 20, 2016 photo shows a street in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., where the red-and-green flag of Portugal flies outside the Portuguese embassy on the left while a white statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, sits on the right near the Indonesian embassy. Embassies are found throughout the neighborhood, often in grand buildings. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)

This Feb. 20, 2016 photo shows a visitor gazing at David Hockney's depiction of the Grand Canyon in a show called "Seeing Nature" at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. The Phillips, a modern art museum, is one of the top attractions in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)

This Feb. 20, 2016 photo shows a gas station in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., thats on the National Register of Historic Places. The station was built in 1936 to look more like a bank or library than a filling station. Its one of several attractions in the Dupont Circle area. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)
Dear Annie: My wife and I have been married for 22 years and have two wonderful children. We both have college degrees and full-time jobs.

I am an optimistic introvert, and she is a pessimistic extrovert. We have never been close to each other socially. We have different interests and physical abilities. We also dont communicate much, even on important issues. I think conversations should be short and to the point, my wife can go on and on. She doesnt even try anymore because she believes I have no interest. Our sex life is almost nonexistent. She has no interest in any type of intimacy.

We both contribute to the problems, and I want to change this. I want to be closer and find common ground. But when I suggested counseling, she refused. She says everyone she knows who has tried therapy has ended up in divorce court. She thinks if I ask for counseling, it means I want a divorce.

This puts me between a rock and a hard place. What would you suggest?  Stymied Husband

Dear Stymied: We wonder how you two ever ended up married for 22 years. While it is true that some couples enter counseling as a pretense to justify divorce, a good counselor will not deliberately steer you in that direction. Weve printed many letters from people saying that counseling saved their relationships by helping each person express themselves clearly so that positive changes could be made.

Your wife has to trust you enough to believe that you want to salvage your marriage. Please show her this letter and tell her you wrote it. Say how much you want to be closer, and ask her to come with you for counseling so both of you can find a way back to each other. We hope she will cooperate.

Covering up

Dear Annie: I want to respond to Wondering Mom about women who nurse their children without covering up. My 8-year-old son recently was exposed to a woman openly breastfeeding in my gyms daycare. He came home and asked me if he could get a drink from my breasts. I wish these women would respect my right as a parent to be present when my child is exposed to such things so I can explain whats happening.  Not in Front of My Kid Please

Dear Not: Your son is old enough to know that babies nurse, especially in a daycare center at the gym, which is not the same as whipping off your top at the local coffee shop. A mother is not going to wait to nurse her child until other parents are present to explain things. Here are a couple more letters on that subject:

Dear Annie: What about a child who becomes so overwhelming hot, no matter how light the cover-up, that she pushes it aside? My daughter constantly exposes me in public and theres nothing I can do about it.  Poughkeepsie

Dear Annie: I nursed both of my children. I either covered the baby with my shirttail or used a light blanket to shield myself. I nursed in church, in front of the pastor during his sermon, and he had no clue. I agree that the naked from the waist up trend is pushing the right to nurse in our faces, and is not really a benefit for the child. Breastfeeding is wonderful, but not everyone has to watch.  Illinois
The Latest: Woman doesn't hate attacker who cut out baby

BOULDER, Colo. (AP)  The Latest on the trial of a Colorado woman who cut an unborn baby from another woman's womb (all times local):

12:15 p.m.

The Colorado woman whose fetus was cut from her womb says she doesn't hate the woman who attacked her but is angry about all the pain she caused.

From left, Defense attorneys Kathryn Herold and Jen Beck stand with Dynel Lane as the jury enters the courtroom before closing statements in Boulder, Colo., on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. Lane is charged with attempted murder, unlawful termination of a pregnancy and four counts of felony assault. (Matthew Jonas/Daily Camera via AP) NO SALES; MANDATORY CREDIT

Michelle Wilkins spoke Tuesday after a jury convicted Dynel Lane in the attack last March. She faces anywhere from 16 to 120 years in prison when she is sentenced in April.

Wilkins, speaking slowly and with composure, quoted Martin Luther King Jr. on the power of forgiveness. She thanked her supporters and said it's confusing that life can be both cruel and beautiful.

Prosecutors say Lane lured Wilkins to her home with a Craigslist ad for maternity clothes. She then hit and choked Wilkins before using two kitchen knives to cut out the unborn girl, who died.

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10:35 a.m.

Jurors have convicted a Colorado woman of cutting a stranger's baby from her womb in a gruesome case that reignited the debate over the legal rights of fetuses.

The jury found Dynel Lane guilty of attempted first-degree murder, assault and unlawful termination of a pregnancy in last year's attack. Prosecutors say Lane went to great lengths to convince others she was expecting a baby before luring Michelle Wilkins to her home with a Craigslist ad for maternity clothes.

She then hit and choked Wilkins before using two kitchen knives to cut out the unborn girl.

Wilkins, who was 7 1/2 months pregnant, survived, but her baby died.

Prosecutors say they couldn't charge Lane with murder because a coroner found no evidence the fetus lived outside the womb.

That prompted Republican legislation that would've allowed murder charges for killing a fetus, but Democrats rejected it.

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10:15 a.m.

Jurors have reached a verdict in the trial of a Colorado woman who cut an unborn baby from another woman's womb.

The jury reached a decision on the fate of Dynel Lane Tuesday morning after a total of about seven hours of deliberations.

It's expected to be announced at 10:30 a.m.

In closing arguments, defense attorney Kate Herold told jurors that Lane attacked Michelle Wilkins on impulse last March and didn't plan to kill her.

However, District Attorney Stan Garnett says Lane was careful and deliberate enough to switch to using a second knife to remove the baby.

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9 a.m.

Jurors have resumed deliberations in the trial of a Colorado woman who cut an unborn baby from another woman's womb.

The jury deliberated the fate of Dynel Lane for about six hours Monday before reconvening Tuesday.

In closing arguments, defense attorney Kate Herold told jurors that Lane attacked Michelle Wilkins on impulse last March and didn't plan to kill her.

However, District Attorney Stan Garnett says Lane was careful and deliberate enough to switch to using a second knife to remove the baby.

Lane is charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault and unlawful termination of a pregnancy.

She wasn't charged with murder in the death of the baby. Colorado lawmakers have rejected proposals to make the violent death of a fetus a homicide for fear such a law would be used to restrict abortions.
New Zealand home of bungee-jumping is an adventure capital

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand (AP)  For travelers wanting to take in the mind-bogglingly stunning scenery of New Zealand's South Island while getting a high-octane shot of adrenaline, Queenstown and the surrounding Fiordland area are bucket-list must-dos.

Queenstown is not only an adventure tourism capital, but it's also home to an important place in bungee-jumping history. In November 1988, from Queenstown's Kawarau Bridge, bungee pioneers A.J. Hackett and Henry van Asch launched one of the world's first commercially operated bungee jumping sites. More than 27 years later, Kawarau Bridge Bungy remains renowned as one of Queenstown's most exhilarating activities.

While a 141-foot (43-meter) jump might sound insane, not to mention fear-punching and adrenaline-driving, there are those who want more. The region also offers a plethora of other buzz-filled activities sure to knock the complacency out of any travel-weary adventurer. On the list of activities to consider are skydiving, jet boating, kayaking, whitewater rafting and rainforest trekking. And Queenstown can provide it.

This Oct. 8, 2015 photo shows Andrew Benson, bottom, with a tandem skydiver after jumping from a plane in New Zealands Remarkables mountain range over Queenstown, New Zealand. Queenstown is a center for adventure tourism. (NZONE Skyding Queenstown via AP)

When it comes to skydiving, jumpers leave the planes operated by NZONE Skydive Queenstown at more than 16,000 feet (4,900 meters) above sea level, well above peaceful Lake Wakatipu and the 2,319-foot (707-meter) heights of the craggy Remarkables mountain range that rivals western Canada's Rockies in magnificence.

There are few, if any, other places in the world where you can do some scenic mountain sightseeing while plunging at a velocity of 124 mph (200 kilometers per hour) for 10,000 feet (3,050 meters) of free fall. In 60 seconds.

There are several jump options but my friend Andrew Benson and I went all the way and chose 15,000-foot (4,570-meter) jumps with experienced tandem skydivers. If you've never fully experienced being totally present in the moment, skydiving is the only way to go. Nothing else is happening as you plummet earthward before the canopy opens above you.

"Do it with someone whose smile gives you joy," Andrew said.

NZONE also provides skydiving photographers to capture your jump for an extra fee. We took them up on the offer and wound up joining hands with our photographer in mid-air.

The mind-blowing rush of the free fall lasted 60 seconds after which we enjoyed five minutes of sailing through clear skies under the chutes' canopies.

Next, a short bus ride from Queenstown's center took us to Shotover Jet's Shotover River launch site. There, we donned black water slickers, emptied our pockets and strapped in for the speedboat ride. The half-hour trip took us at an exhilarating 75 mph (121 kilometers per hour) through the river's twisting narrow canyons.

We could almost reach out and touch canyon walls as the driver took hairpin bends and did 360-degree turns at high speed.

"Keep your arms inside the boat," driver Mike Topp warned us.

Indeed, passengers are warned to alert staff if they suffer from a back or neck conditions.

Then, a Real Journeys cruise took us through a howling gale through Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Area, and out onto the Tasman Sea. As the three-masted Milford Mariner turned to re-enter the sound, waves blasted the side of the boat. We got soaked but Andrew was dancing with glee like a little kid as I howled and grinned.

Around us, mist-embraced mountains poured waterfalls thousands of feet into the sound's waters.

While most enjoy a more sedate cruise on sunnier days, we leaned at angles approaching 45 degrees on the bow in winds approaching 70 kilometers an hour (43 mph).

It had been our intention to fly in by helicopter and kayak the sound with some hiking through the coastal rainforest. We went for the cruise when the weather dampened the original plan. Either way, we were going to get wet - and we didn't care.

Another option for the sound is the four-day hike of the Milford Track, reputed to be one of the world's best hikes. Next time!

In all, we spent two weeks in New Zealand, exploring the Coromandel Peninsula's beaches, skirting Tongariro National Park to see Mount Ngauruhoe, which was used as a stand-in for the fictional Mount Doom in "The Lord of the Rings" films, and watching little blue penguins tumble out of the sea at night onto the beach at the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin.

However, it was Queenstown with its high-octane thrills that captured our hearts and leaving us gasping breathless for more.

Or, at the very least, lying on the grass after we got our skydive suits off gazing at others descending and muttering, "Man, what a ride."

___

If You Go:

QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND: Adventure activities are offered by numerous companies around Shotover and Camp streets, where the visitor information center is also located. If you arrive by camper van, use a designated campsite as you can be fined for camping in an unapproved spot. Shotover Jet, http://www.shotoverjet.com/ . NZone Skydive, http://www.nzoneskydive.co.nz/home . Real Journeys Milford Sound Nature Cruises, http://bit.ly/1sB8CMX . Queenstown is a year-round destination but transforms into a ski resort during the winter (June, July and August are the coldest months there).

GETTING THERE: International travelers typically fly to Auckland, New Zealand, and from there to Queenstown.

This Oct. 8, 2015 photo shows Jeremy Hainsworth, bottom, with a tandem skydiver after jumping from a plane in New Zealands Remarkables mountain range over Queenstown, New Zealand. Queenstown is a center for adventure tourism. (NZONE Skyding Queenstown via AP)

This Oct. 6, 2015 photo shows Jeremy Hainsworth, front row from left, Andrew Benson and jet boat driver Mike Topp on the Shotover River outside Queenstown, New Zealand. Queenstown is a center for adventure tourism. (Shotover Jet via AP)
Judge sets competency hearing for Ohio man charged in plot

CINCINNATI (AP)  A federal judge Tuesday set a competency hearing for an Ohio man charged with plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol in support of the Islamic State group.

U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith in November ordered a mental evaluation of 21-year-old Christopher Lee Cornell to determine whether he is competent to stand trial after his attorneys said there was "reasonable cause" to question whether he suffers from a mental disease or defect.

She scheduled the hearing for April 18.

This Jan. 14, 2016, booking photo made available by the Boone County Jail in Burlington, Ky., shows Christopher Lee Cornell on the anniversary of his arrest by FBI agents who said he bought weapons for an attack on the U.S. Capitol. On Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith scheduled a Monday, April 18, 2016, hearing to decide whether Cornell is competent to stand trial, following a mental evaluation the federal judge ordered in November. The 21-year-old resident of the Cincinnati suburb of Green Township, Ohio, has pleaded not guilty to four charges, including attempted murder of U.S. officials and employees, and has been held without bond. (Boone County Jail via AP)

Federal authorities and Cornell's attorneys have filed reports on his mental state. Defense attorney Martin Pinales said the reports were filed under seal, so he couldn't discuss them. He said the judge will also hear testimony and arguments in the hearing in Cincinnati.

"We will be ready," he said.

Cornell has been held without bond since his January 2015 arrest in a gun shop parking lot west of Cincinnati. The FBI said he had just bought two M-15 assault weapons and ammunition and planned to attack the Capitol with pipe bombs and guns.

Court records show he was taken to a federal facility in Chicago in late November to be evaluated. He has been held in the Butler County, Ohio, and Boone County, Kentucky, jails because there is no federal prison in the Cincinnati area. Court documents filed Tuesday show that federal authorities want to move him from Boone County to "a more controlled facility" suitable for high security risk inmates, such as in Chicago or New York.

His Cincinnati-based attorneys objected, saying they need to be able to meet with him regularly.

The judge asked a federal marshal to meet with the Bureau of Prisons to determine what facility would be appropriate.

Cornell has pleaded not guilty to four charges, including attempted murder of U.S. officials and employees. His father has said he was misled and coerced by "a snitch."

Cornell's arrest came amid increased concern over Islamic State militant efforts to recruit homegrown "lone wolf" terrorists. The FBI has said Cornell, of Green Township, wanted to "wage jihad" and sent messages on social media and posted video in support of Islamic State group militants and violent attacks by others.

Cornell, who goes by the name Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah, told WXIX-TV of Cincinnati after his arrest that he wanted to shoot President Barack Obama in the head.

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Follow the reporter at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell

For some of his other recent stories: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/dan-sewell

FILE - This Jan. 14, 2015, file photo, made available by the Butler County Jail in Hamilton, Ohio, shows Christopher Lee Cornell on the day of his arrest by FBI agents who said he bought weapons for an attack on the U.S. Capitol. On Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith scheduled a Monday, April 18, 2016, hearing to decide whether Cornell is competent to stand trial, following a mental evaluation the federal judge ordered in November. The 21-year-old resident of the Cincinnati suburb of Green Township, Ohio, has pleaded not guilty to four charges, including attempted murder of U.S. officials and employees, and has been held without bond. (Butler County Jail via AP, File)
Italian PM Renzi won't fight for limited gay adoptions

ROME (AP)  Bowing to fierce opposition, Italy's Premier Matteo Renzi will drop a proposed measure that would have let gays adopt the biological children of their partners.

A Democratic Party official, Lorenzo Guerini, said party senators at an assembly Tuesday decided it was best to remove the heavily-contested adoption language from the proposed law to allow civil unions, but not marriage, for homosexual couples.

Such unions would carry benefits like receiving deceased partners' pensions.

Italian premier Matteo Renzi delivers a speech during the national meeting of the Democratic Party in Rome, Italy, Feb. 21, 2016. Renzi has has told his squabbling democrats that the government might consider resorting to a confidence vote to hasten approval of the law that will allow civil unions, but not marriage, for gay couples. (Giuseppe Lami/ANSA via AP)

Pro-Vatican lawmakers in Renzi's party as well as a key coalition center-right partner had vowed to vote against the bill unless the adoption provision was jettisoned.

"Between 'everything never' and 'nothing today,' it's better to do a little piece now" of the family law reforms, Renzi said in a radio interview ahead of the Democrats' discussion on strategy to overcome an impasse in the Senate.

Renzi said he hoped the Senate would approve the revamped bill later this week. The bill also needs to pass in the lower Chamber of Deputies.

The premier had said earlier he might resort to a confidence vote to close ranks in his squabbling coalition and hasten the bill's passage. But Renzi has just started his third year in office and losing a confidence vote in Parliament would force his resignation.

Pope Francis, while insisting that marriage can only be between a man and the woman, has publicly refused to be drawn into the debate over the bill to give gay couples some rights. Catholic teaching holds that homosexual activity is sinful.

But the Vatican's No. 2 official, Cardinal Piero Parolin, expressed approval Tuesday that the adoption provision won't be part of the civil unions bill.

"It seems to me to be the correct hypothesis," the Italian news agency ANSA quoted the cardinal as saying at an annual Italian-Vatican reception attended by Renzi.

Democrats have promised that the question of whether homosexuals can adopt the biological children of their partners would be taken up in a separate overhaul of Italy's adoption laws.

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Frances D'Emilio is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fdemilio

People gather during a gay rights demonstration prior to a vote at the Italian parliament to change laws on recognition of rights for same-sex couples, in downtown Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. Italian premier Matteo Renzi has said that the government might considering resorting to a confidence vote to hasten approval of the law that will allow civil unions, but not marriage, for gay couples. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

People gather during a gay rights demonstration prior to a vote at the Italian parliament to change laws on recognition of rights for same-sex couples, in downtown Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. Italian premier Matteo Renzi has said that the government might considering resorting to a confidence vote to hasten approval of the law that will allow civil unions, but not marriage, for gay couples. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, left, greets Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin as they arrive for a ceremony to celebrate the anniversary of the 1929 Lateran Treaty (Patti Lateranensi) and the 1984 revision of the Concordat between Italy and Vatican, at the Italian Embassy to the Holy See, in Rome, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Trump notches another win as Rubio bids to elbow past Cruz

LAS VEGAS (AP)  Notching three in a row, Donald Trump decisively won Nevada's Republican caucuses Tuesday as Marco Rubio bid to elbow out Ted Cruz for second place in an increasingly urgent effort to slam the brakes on the Trump juggernaut.

Trump now can claim victories in the West, the South and Northeast  a testament to his broad appeal among the mad-as-hell voters making their voices heard in the 2016 presidential race. His rivals are running out of time to stop him.

"We're winning, winning, winning the country," Trump declared. "Soon, the country is going to start winning, winning, winning."

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives for a caucus night rally Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Ticking off a list of upcoming primary states where he's leading in preference polls, Trump predicted he'll soon be able to claim the GOP nomination. "It's going to be an amazing two months," he told a raucous crowd at a Las Vegas casino. "We might not even need the two months, folks, to be honest."

Entrance polls captured the sentiment propelling Trump's insurgent campaign: Six in 10 caucus goers said they were angry with the way the government is working, and Trump got about half of them.

With time running out, Nevada was a critical test for Rubio and Cruz, the two senators battling to emerge as the clear alternative to the GOP front-runner. Rubio was out to prove he can build on recent momentum, while Cruz was looking for a spark to help him recover from a particularly rocky stretch in his campaign.

Lagging far behind the two senators in the Nevada vote were Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.

Rubio, already campaigning in Michigan as caucus results rolled in, sought to project confidence that he can consolidate the non-Trump voters who have been splintering among an assortment of GOP candidates, saying "we have incredible room to grow."

But after finishing third in Iowa, fifth in New Hampshire and second in South Carolina, Rubio needs a win soon to support the idea he can beat Trump.

Cruz, a fiery conservative popular among voters on the GOP's right, finished a disappointing third in South Carolina after spending much of the past two weeks denying charges of dishonest campaign tactics and defending his integrity. Another disappointing finish in Nevada would raise new questions about his viability heading into a crucial batch of Super Tuesday states on March 1.

In a more muted address across town, Cruz gave Trump his due for winning in Nevada and then pressed the argument that he's the only candidate who can stop the billionaire businessman.

Harking back to own win in Iowa's leadoff caucuses, Cruz told supporters "the only campaign that has defeated Donald Trump is this campaign."

Then, looking for opportunities that lie ahead in his home state of Texas and elsewhere, he added: "One week from today will be the most important night of this campaign: Super Tuesday."

The election calendar suggests that if Trump's rivals don't slow him by mid-March, they may not ever. Trump swept all of South Carolina's 50 delegates, giving him a total of 67 compared to Cruz and Rubio who have 11 and 10, respectively. There were 30 delegates at stake in Nevada, and a whopping 595 available one week later on Super Tuesday.

Trump, in his victory speech, dismissed the notion that if more GOP candidates drop out of the race, they'll coalesce around an alternative.

"They keep forgetting that when people drop out, we're going to get a lot of votes," he said.

Nevada's caucusing played out in schools, community centers and places of worship across the state  a process that's been chaotic in the past.

Count Tracy Brigida, fed up after her husband was laid off from his mining job, among those caucusing for Trump.

"I want a businessman to run the biggest business in the world," Brigida said as she caucused at a Las Vegas high school.

Jeremy Haight drove straight from his marketing job to caucus for Marco Rubio at the same high school.

"He's the most level-headed. He hasn't said anything stupid or crazy ... which is really what I think the country needs," Haight said.

It was Cruz for Megan Ortega, who declared: "He's consistent, he's bold and he's a class act."

Preliminary results of the entrance poll found that about 3 in 10 early caucus goers said the quality that mattered most to them in choosing a candidate was that he shares their values, slightly more than the quarter who said they want a candidate who can win in November. About a quarter said they want a candidate who can bring change. About 2 in 10 want one who "tells it like it is."

Trump  no surprise here  was supported by nearly 9 in 10 of the "tell it like it is" voters.

The entrance poll survey was conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks by Edison Research as Republican voters arrived at 25 randomly selected caucus sites in Nevada.

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Benac reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Nicholas Riccardi in Las Vegas and Chad Day in Washington contributed to this report.

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Follow Steve Peoples and Nancy Benac on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/sppeoples and http://twitter.com/nbenac

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes pictures with supporters during a rally Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, in Reno, Nev. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. speaks at a rally in Reno, Nev. Ask people what economic issues will be important for the next president, and Democrats, Republicans and independents alike all put a high priority on protecting Social Security and reducing unemployment. Beyond that, though, their lists of top economic concerns for the next president are more fractured, according to a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas speaks at a rally in Reno, Nev. Ask people what economic issues will be important for the next president, and Democrats, Republicans and independents alike all put a high priority on protecting Social Security and reducing unemployment. Beyond that, though, their lists of top economic concerns for the next president are more fractured, according to a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, in Las Vegas. Ask people what economic issues will be important for the next president, and Democrats, Republicans and independents alike all put a high priority on protecting Social Security and reducing unemployment. Beyond that, though, their lists of top economic concerns for the next president are more fractured, according to a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., addresses an audience during a campaign rally Monday, Feb. 22, 2016, in Amherst, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
McConnell shuts door on Senate action on Obama court pick

WASHINGTON (AP)  Majority Leader Mitch McConnell emphatically ruled out any Senate action on whoever President Barack Obama nominates to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, an extraordinary step that escalated the partisan election-year struggle over replacing the late Antonin Scalia. Democrats promised unremitting pressure on Republicans to back down or face the consequences in November's voting.

After winning unanimous public backing from the 11 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, McConnell told reporters that that panel would hold no hearings and ruled out a full Senate vote until the next president offers a nomination. Such steps would defy many decades of precedent that have seen even the most controversial choices questioned publicly by the Judiciary Committee and nearly always sent to the entire chamber for a vote, barring nominees the White House has withdrawn.

"In short, there will not be action taken," McConnell told reporters.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, arrives for a committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Senate Republicans, most vocally Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are facing a high-stakes political showdown with President Barack Obama sparked by the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Republicans controlling the Senate  which must confirm any Obama appointee before the individual is seated on the court  say that the decision is too important to be determined by a lame-duck president. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The Kentucky Republican said he wouldn't even meet with an Obama selection should the White House follow tradition and send the nominee to Capitol Hill to visit senators. Such a snub could generate campaign-season television images of a scorned selection standing outside a closed door.

"I don't know the purpose of such a visit," McConnell said. "I would not be inclined to take one myself."

Obama is expected to announce a nomination in the next few weeks. Since the Senate started routinely referring presidential nominations to committees for action in 1955, every Supreme Court nominee not later withdrawn has received a Judiciary Committee hearing, according to the Senate Historical Office.

With the issue certain to roil this year's presidential and congressional elections, Democrats said Republicans were topping their own obstructionist high-water mark of three years ago, when their doomed effort to force Obama to repeal his own health care law helped produce a 16-day partial government shutdown.

They also accused Republicans of following the lead of billionaire Donald Trump, a leading GOP presidential candidate who's called on Senate Republicans to derail any Obama court selection. Democrats and some Republicans believe that if Trump is the GOP presidential nominee, he will cost Republicans seats in Congress.

"The party of Lincoln is now the party of Donald Trump," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters.

Filling the vacancy left by Scalia's unexpected death on Feb. 13 is crucial because without him, the Supreme Court is left in a 4-4 ideological knot between justices who are usually conservative and its liberal wing. The battle has invigorated both sides' interest groups and voters who focus on abortion, immigration and other issues before the court.

"He hasn't seen the pressure that's going to build," Reid said when asked if McConnell might relent. "It's going to build in all facets of the political constituency and the country."

After meeting privately with GOP senators for the first time since Scalia's death, McConnell and other leaders said rank-and-file Republicans were overwhelmingly behind the decision to quickly halt the nomination process.

"Why even put that ball on the field?" Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said of hearings. "All you're going to do is fumble it. Let the people decide."

Moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who faces an arduous re-election race this fall, are among the few who've voiced support for at least holding hearings on an Obama nominee. Democrats are hoping that other Republican senators facing November re-election in swing states including New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin will relent over time or face retribution from voters.

No. 3 Senate leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said McConnell wanted to quickly end any talk of a nomination process proceeding because, "He wants to lock his people in because he knows the whirlwind's coming."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said it was "absolutely" possible the Senate would end up holding hearings, pointing to statements by Collins, Kirk and others. Earnest said Obama has spoken in the last day to Republican lawmakers, including some on the Judiciary panel.

McConnell and other Republicans have said the high court vacancy should not be filled during a presidential election year and that the voters  by electing the next president  should choose who makes that nomination.

Democrats note that in 1988, a Democratic-led Senate confirmed Anthony Kennedy to the court, though he'd been nominated by President Ronald Reagan the preceding year. Republicans say it's been over eight decades since a nomination occurred and was filled in the same election year.

"Because our decision is based on constitutional principle and born of a necessity to protect the will of the American people, this committee will not hold hearings on any Supreme Court nominee until after our next president is sworn in on January 20, 2017," Judiciary Committee Republicans said in their letter to McConnell.

In remarks Tuesday at Georgetown University law school, Justice Samuel Alito sounded unfazed about possibly spending the rest of this year in a court whose members are locked in a 4-4 tie.

"We will deal with it," Alito answered when asked about Republicans' resolve to oppose anyone Obama nominates.

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Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Andrew Taylor, Josh Lederman and Mark Sherman contributed to this report.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, speaks with reporters as he leaves a closed meeting in the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Senate Republicans, most notably Senator McConnell, are facing a high-stakes political showdown with President Barack Obama sparked by the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Republicans controlling the Senate  which must confirm any Obama appointee before the individual is seated on the court  say that the decision is too important to be determined by a lame-duck president. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, center, followed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., left, and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., rear, leave a closed meeting in the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Senate Republicans, most notably Senator McConnell, are facing a high-stakes political showdown with President Barack Obama sparked by the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Republicans controlling the Senate  which must confirm any Obama appointee before the individual is seated on the court  say that the decision is too important to be determined by a lame-duck president. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Former military chiefs voice Brexit security fears

Leaving the European Union could hamper the UK's ability to tackle threats such as Islamic State or Vladimir Putin's Russia, former senior military commanders have warned.

The ex-service chiefs said Europe faced a series of "grave security challenges" and the UK was in a "stronger" position to deal with them from inside the EU.

The intervention by the former Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force chiefs comes amid fresh warnings about the scale of the migration crisis in Europe.

Prime Minster David Cameron urged the public to choose "security, safety and certainty" by voting to remain in the EU in June's referendum

In a letter to The Telegraph, the former commanders told of their concern about the rise of IS, also known as Daesh, saying: "We have served around the world and in almost every conflict in which Britain has been engaged since the Second World War.

"We are proud to have served our country and to have played our part in keeping Britain safe. In the forthcoming referendum, therefore, we are particularly concerned with one central question: will Britain be safer inside the EU or outside it? When we look at the world today, there seems to us only one answer.

"Europe today is facing a series of grave security challenges, from instability in the Middle East and the rise of Daesh, to resurgent Russian nationalism and aggression.

"Britain will have to confront these challenges whether it is inside or outside the EU. But within the EU, we are stronger. Inside it, we can continue to collaborate closely with our European allies, just as we did when we helped to force the Iranians to the negotiating table through EU-wide sanctions, or made sure that Putin would pay a price for his aggression in Ukraine."

Signatories to the letter, which the newspaper said was in part co-ordinated by Downing Street, include former chiefs of defence staff Field Marshal Lord Bramall and Field Marshal Lord Guthrie.

Air Chief Marshal Lord Stirrup, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Boyce and former special forces chief General Sir Michael Rose are also among the 13 senior officers who backed the letter.

The intervention by the top brass came as figures revealed the scale of the migration crisis in Europe.
I won't be bullied into saying sorry to Lord Bramall, says Met commissioner

Britain's most senior police officer has declared that he will not be "bullied" into apologising to Lord Bramall after the D-Day veteran was embroiled in Scotland Yard's inquiry into VIP paedophile allegations.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe refused to say sorry to the 92-year-old, whose home was raided while he had breakfast with his terminally ill wife.

A furore erupted last month when Lord Bramall was told he would face no further action over historic abuse claims almost nine months after he was interviewed under caution as part of the Met's controversial Operation Midland.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe is to appear before the Commons Home Affairs committee

After he was cleared, Sir Bernard and his force came under intense pressure to apologise to the former head of the Army.

Appearing at the Commons Home Affairs committee on Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner expressed "regret" over the episode but repeatedly refused to apologise.

During one terse exchange, Tory MP Tim Loughton referred to a "media circus" surrounding the case.

Sir Bernard said: "Ah the media circus. If what you mean is that you want me to be bullied into apologising then that won't happen."

Mr Loughton replied: "So you think you're being bullied, do you?"

Sir Bernard said: " I'm asking you whether that's what you think."

Scotland Yard has faced fierce criticism over its investigation into allegations against Lord Bramall, but so far has only "expressed regret" about the case.

Sir Bernard held the same line today, telling the committee: "First of all we have expressed regret. Regret of course, that is not an apology.

"There are difficulties...with apologies to suspects."

When initially challenged by Mr Loughton over whether he would apologise, he said: "I'm not at the moment. I've said that at least four times today, and I've said it previously."

The MP claimed that publicity around whether the Met chief would apologise to Lord Bramall undermined the "competence and credibility" of the force, and public confidence in the police.

In a heated discussion with the Worthing East and Shoreham MP, Sir Bernard went on: "It would be the easiest thing wouldn't it, just to say sorry if I thought it would ease the burden that you've described. But if I can't find it is the right thing to do at the moment, then I don't think I can. "

He later added: "I've explained numerous times why in this case it was not possible to apologise for an investigation. We don't treat anybody differently by their background, we don't only apologise to people because they're famous. We apologise where there's good cause."

Sir Bernard insisted the refusal to apologise was not down to "arrogance".

He said: "It's not the fact that we are arrogant and we don't want to apologise for failure. Certainly in the case of suspects there are difficult things we have to consider."

The commissioner also defended the deployment of 22 officers to search Lord Bramall's home.

He said: "The number of searchers is not to do with trying to alert anybody to the event but to do with doing something thoroughly and efficiently."

Committee chairman Keith Vaz asked if police were trying to "in some way compensate" for a "failure to investigate more thoroughly" Jimmy Savile.

Sir Bernard replied: "I hope not. I am sure that's one of the things Sir Richard (Henriques, the former High Court judge carrying out a review into investigations into historical sexual allegations against public figures) will consider."

Last week Sir Bernard apologised to the widow of former Home Secretary Lord Brittan for not informing her earlier that he would not have faced prosecution over an allegation that he raped a 19-year-old woman in 1967.

The rape investigation was later reviewed by Dorset Police.

The late politician was also named in connection with Operation Midland, a separate investigation into historical claims of a VIP paedophile ring.

Labour MP David Winnick asked Sir Bernard: "Do we take it that all allegations made against him have been cleared, or are there aspects which are being investigated?"

The Scotland Yard boss replied: "The only thing I can say is that Lord Brittan is now dead and no action can be taken against him.

"We've talked very clearly about this particular allegation that was talked about and then reviewed by Dorset. That's all I can say."

There have been suggestions that Operation Midland, which had cost 1.8 million as of November, is on the brink of collapse amid questions about the reliability of the central witness in the investigation, a man known as "Nick".

Earlier this month it was confirmed Sir Bernard will remain in his post until at least September next year after the Home Secretary awarded him a one-year contract extension.
Pauline Cafferkey arrives in London for Ebola 'complication' treatment

Nurse Pauline Cafferkey has arrived at the Royal Free Hospital in London for treatment for a "late complication" from the Ebola virus.

Ms Cafferkey, 40, was flown from Glasgow by RAF Hercules to RAF Northolt before being transferred to the hospital which has the UK's only high level isolation unit.

It is the third time the medic from South Lanarkshire has been treated in hospital since contracting Ebola in Sierra Leone in December 2014 at a Save the Children treatment centre.

Nurse Pauline Cafferkey is transported to an RAF Hercules aircraft at Glasgow Airport

On Tuesday NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said Ms Cafferkey was in a stable condition after "routine monitoring" identified a problem.

Medical staff and RAF personnel were involved in moving her on to the aircraft in an isolation tent at Glasgow airport on Tuesday afternoon.

She was transferred to the Royal Free from the Middlesex RAF base in a convoy of two ambulances and police vehicle - arriving in the capital shortly before 6pm.

A spokesman for the Royal Free Hospital said: "We can confirm that Pauline Cafferkey is being transferred to the Royal Free Hospital due to a late complication from her previous infection by the Ebola virus.

"She will now be treated by the hospital's infectious diseases team under nationally-agreed guidelines.

"The Ebola virus can only be transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person while they are symptomatic, so the risk to the general public remains low and the NHS has well-established and practised infection control procedures in place."

Ms Cafferkey spent almost a month in an isolation unit at the London hospital after contracting the disease the first time around.

She was released after making a recovery but fell ill again in October last year and was again treated at the Royal Free for meningitis caused by Ebola.

At one point, the Scottish nurse was described as ''critically ill'' but was discharged in November and transferred to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to continue her recovery and later returned home.

When she was released from hospital for the second time, she said: ''I am forever thankful for the amazing care I have received at the Royal Free Hospital.

''For a second time, staff across many departments of the hospital have worked incredibly hard to help me recover and I will always be grateful to them and the NHS.''

At the time of her re-admission last year, Dr Michael Jacobs, from the Royal Free, described the situation as ''unprecedented'' while the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Ms Cafferkey was the only known Ebola survivor to develop meningitis months later.

In November, the Royal Free said Ms Cafferkey had made a full recovery from Ebola and was no longer infectious.

Dr Derek Gatherer, lecturer in biomedical and life sciences at Lancaster University, said: ''It is very sad to hear that Ms Cafferkey has once again been admitted to hospital.

''It is now becoming clear that Ebola is a far more complex disease than we previously imagined.

''The meningitis that Ms Cafferkey suffered from at the end of last year is one of the most serious complications of all, as it can be life-threatening. She was unlucky enough to be one of only a handful of patients in whom it has been seen."

Scotland's Health Secretary, Shona Robison, said: "Our thoughts are with Pauline Cafferkey and her family and friends today.

"I'd like to thank the expert NHS staff in Glasgow who have looked after her and helped with her transfer to the Royal Free Hospital, where Pauline has been treated before and where clinicians agreed it would be best to continue her treatment.

"We have been in close touch with NHS Glasgow and Health Protection Scotland and are reassured that the risk to the general public remains extremely low and that the NHS in Scotland has well established and practised infection control procedures in place."

The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak over last year after the deaths of thousands of people but two new cases emerged in Sierra Leone in January. The organisation called for a ''critical period of heightened vigilance''.

An RAF ambulance with nurse Pauline Cafferkey arrives at the Royal Free Hospital in London where she has been transferred to the hospital due to complications from the Ebola virus she contracted in Sierra Leone.
8,383 NHS patients treated by hepatitis C worker urged to arrange blood test

More than 8,300 patients across the UK who may have been treated by a former healthcare worker who tested positive for hepatitis C are being urged to arrange a blood test after two infected patients were found.

The worker did not return to clinical practice after testing positive in 2008 but NHS Lanarkshire is now working with other health boards across the UK to notify people who may have had a surgical procedure carried out by the individual between 1982 and 2008.

The individual worked in hospitals across Lanarkshire during the period, mainly in Wishaw General Hospital and the former Law Hospital.

NHS Lanarkshire said more than 8,000 patients across the UK may have been treated by a former NHS healthcare worker who tested positive for hepatitis C

They also worked at the William Harvey Hospital in Kent for three months between January and April 2006.

When the worker initially tested positive in 2008, the UK Advisory Panel (UKAP) said patients did not need to be warned as the risk was thought to be low, but two cases have now emerged.

It was found a patient referred for treatment for hepatitis C in Lanarkshire in 2015 had previously had a surgical procedure carried out by the infected healthcare worker.

Further investigations found it was "probable" the patient was infected with the virus during a surgical procedure carried out by the individual and another similar case has now been found.

The health board said: "After detailed investigations, including extensive testing of viruses, NHS Lanarkshire submitted a report to UKAP. UKAP endorsed NHS Lanarkshire's proposal to carry out a patient notification exercise.

"Patients are receiving a detailed question-and-answer sheet with their letter which includes information about hepatitis C and how to arrange to be tested."

In total, 8,383 patients across the UK are to receive letters informing them of the situation and urging them to arrange a blood test.

The vast majority - 7,311 - are in Lanarkshire, with more than 700 across the rest of Scotland, 336 in England, a further 11 in Wales and five in Northern Ireland.

Dr Iain Wallace, medical director at NHS Lanarkshire, said: "We would like to reassure people that the likelihood of patients acquiring the virus from a surgical procedure carried out by the healthcare worker is low.

"We know that some people receiving the letter may be anxious about what this means for them. We have apologised to patients for any concern that may be caused by this situation.

"We are committed to supporting patients and are ensuring they have every opportunity to get information about hepatitis C, the testing process and the situation in general.

"We are also putting on additional clinics locally to make it as straightforward and convenient as possible for people to get tested."

The virus infects the liver and can cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage. Around 215,000 people in the UK have hepatitis C, according to the NHS.

It is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact and can be passed by sharing unsterilised needles, razors or toothbrushes.

The NHS said it does not have any noticeable symptoms until the liver has been significantly damaged, meaning people can have the infection without realising it.

When symptoms do occur, they can be flu-like and cause tiredness and a loss of appetite.

UKAP chairman Professor David Goldberg defended the decision not to notify patients in 2008, saying there was no evidence then that any patient had been infected by the healthcare worker.

He said: "I think it's a very reasonable decision. It wasn't the wrong decision based on the evidence we had at the time."

He said there is a less than 1 in 1,000 chance of the at-risk patients being infected with hepatitis C.

The health board declined to reveal the name of the healthcare worker or what area the individual worked in.

Dr Wallace said: "The investigation and preparation for the public health exercise has been very thorough. We appreciate there will be interest in the healthcare worker and the two patients.

"However, for reasons of confidentiality we will not be able to reveal the name of the healthcare worker or the two patients, or any details which would lead to their identification."

The healthcare worker tested positive for hepatitis C during a routine occupational health examination and was immediately suspended from practice.

Dr John Logan, consultant in public health medicine at NHS Lanarkshire, said exposure during surgical procedures occurs when a healthcare worker sustains an injury and a small amount of blood goes into "open tissue" of the patient.

He said there was no record of this having occurred in relation to the two patients infected but added the healthcare worker does not often notice the injury at the time.

In the coming four weeks, 115 clinics will be set up to test those notified.

Scotland's Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood said: "Public notification exercises like this are not uncommon and are carefully planned and carried out, putting patient safety first.

"NHS Lanarkshire has worked closely with Health Protection Scotland, Public Health England and UKAP, and acted upon their expert advice throughout.

"The health board has kept the Scottish Government and myself informed at all stages of this process and I am satisfied that everything has been done correctly.

"The risk to the public both in Lanarkshire and across the country is low but I would encourage anyone receiving a letter to take up the offer of a blood test, to ensure that those who do need it receive effective treatment quickly."

Leon Wylie, lead officer of Hepatitis Scotland, said: "It is very unfortunate that there has been potential healthcare worker- related hepatitis C transmissions in a surgical setting in Lanarkshire.

"It is understandable many patients who are contacted to come forward for testing will be very worried by this as, although the risk is low, some transmissions from worker to patients have probably occurred.

"The key point we want to highlight for those affected is that hepatitis C is now easily treatable and that there is an over 90% cure rate in most cases. To get treated, first you need to know if you have the virus, so accepting the offer of a test is vitally important.
'Sister-in-law' of Jihadi Sid jailed for trying to take her children to Syria

The suspected sister-in-law of the man thought to be the new Jihadi John has been jailed for trying to take her children to Syria.

Mother Zahera Tariq was handed a three-year jail term after being convicted of four counts of abduction by a jury at London's Southwark Crown Court.

Tariq, 33, is believed to be related through her sister to Siddhartha Dhar, also known as Jihadi Sid, the Londoner suspected of being an Islamic State (IS) leader in Syria.

Zahera Tariq, thought to be the sister-in-law of the suspected new Jihadi John, was jailed for trying to take her children to Syria (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Tariq and her children, aged five to 12, travelled to Amsterdam while her husband was at work, the trial heard.

The family then went to Turkey and were detained three days later, on August 29 last year, in Kilis, Turkey, close to Syrian territory held by IS.

Tariq, from Edmonton in north London, said her sister Aisha went to Syria with her children in 2014 to join her husband, believed to be Dhar.

The defendant said she took her four children because she thought her sister, the children's aunt, "would see them and her heart would melt".

She said she had a "close" relationship with her younger sibling and added: "We had gone through some beautiful times with our children."

The British national, who was born in London, married her husband, also her first cousin, in 2000 in Pakistan where their family is originally from.

Their three sons suffered from various medical conditions, including severe asthma and hereditary eye problems.

She insisted she had discussed her plans with her husband but he had refused to go with them.

Tariq denied four charges of abduction but was convicted by a jury on Tuesday.

Commander Dean Haydon, from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "I would like to praise the Turkish authorities for their vigilance and action in stopping the woman and her children, who were close to the Syrian border at the time.
Holyrood funding deal a significant day for devolution, insists David Cameron

A key deal over Scotland's future funding marks a "major milestone in delivering a powerhouse parliament", the Prime Minister has said.

David Cameron said the agreement, reached after months of talks between the UK and Scottish governments, marks a "significant day for devolution".

He was speaking after Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed to Holyrood there is now an agreement in principal over how Scotland will be funded when new powers over tax and welfare are transferred to MSPs.

Nicola Sturgeon has announced to MSPs a deal has been worked out on Holyrood fiscal framework

Crucially, she said it "a llows the powers in the Scotland Bill to be delivered".

Negotiations between the Treasury and the SNP administration in Edinburgh had appeared to be in deadlock, with both sides struggling on the key issue of how the block grant Holyrood receives from Westminster should be adjusted once new income tax powers are devolved as part of the Scotland Bill.

The Scottish Government had threatened to veto the Scotland Bill if it believed the fiscal framework - the financial arrangements underpinning the legislation - was not fair to Scotland.

But Ms Sturgeon announced that following a telephone conversation with Chancellor George Osborne, "there is now an agreement in place in principle that I believe we can recommend to Parliament".

She added that transitional arrangements mean "this deal will not allow a single pound or even a penny to be taken from the Scottish Government budget" up until March 2022, when the method for adjustments will be reviewed.

The agreement comes after 10 rounds of talks between the Scottish and UK governments involving Ms Sturgeon, Mr Cameron, Mr Osborne, Scottish Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands.

Mr Cameron said afterwards: " This is a significant day for devolution. The agreement is a major milestone in delivering a powerhouse parliament for Scotland and will enable us to meet our commitment to make Holyrood one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world.

" We have reached a deal which is fair to Scotland and fair to the whole of the UK. It delivers accountability to the Scottish Government and transforms politics in Scotland.

"It means May's Holyrood elections can be fought on the issues which matter most - how the Scottish Government should use these extensive new powers, rather than what they are."

The Treasury will give Scotland 200 million to help with set-up costs and the administration of new tax and welfare powers that are to be devolved to Holyrood.

Ms Sturgeon said there had been "give and take" between Holyrood and Westminster during the talks, telling MSPs: "W e did not get everything we wanted.

"But when we began in June last year the Deputy First Minister faced a proposal from the Treasury which would have delivered 7 billion of detriment to the Scottish budget over the next 10 years."

She added: " This deal will ensure the funding for Scotland cannot be changed without the Scottish Government's agreement. It protects the Barnett formula and it allows the powers in the Scotland Bill to be delivered."

Scottish Secretary David Mundell said afterwards: " I am very pleased that we have agreed a deal on the fiscal framework with the Scottish Government. It has been a long negotiation, but we have got there in the end.

"I have always been confident that we would, because I know Scotland's two governments can work together to reach agreements which are in the best interests of Scotland and the whole of the United Kingdom. It shows that we are fulfilling our commitments and making devolution in Scotland work - just as the Scottish people have said they want.

"This is a genuinely significant moment in the Scottish Parliament's history, as this agreement will enable it to take on unprecedented new powers and responsibilities, and to become more accountable. The debate is now truly about how the new powers will be used to improve the lives of people in Scotland."

Meanwhile Mr Osborne said the deal had " secured a stronger Scotland in a stronger UK", claiming the agreements " are fair to Scotland and fair to taxpayers in the rest of the UK".

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said with the deal on the fiscal framework now in place it "throws a major challenge to the SNP".

She said the nationalists' tactics of "grudge and grievance will no longer wash", adding that the new powers would mean "o n tax, on welfare, and on our public services, the buck stops with them".

She pledged: " For my part, I stand ready to provide the strong, principled opposition to the SNP that is now required more than ever as these new powers come to Holyrood.

"We will protect family finances and we will demand that the SNP uses these powers to take Scotland forward - not back to yet another referendum."

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale hailed the agreement as an "historic moment for Scotland", adding: "Scottish politics will never be the same again thanks to these new powers. We have entered a new and exciting era of devolution."

She said: "Now that an agreement has been reached every single political party in Scotland must focus on what we can do with these major new powers. The opportunities they provide are huge - we can use the new tax and welfare powers to bring an end to Tory austerity and build a fairer country.

"I want to use the new tax powers to make fairer choices. That means we can ask the richest few to pay a little bit more so we can invest in education and help first time buyers double their deposit by not implementing the SNP's planned airline ticket tax cut."

But Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said the two governments " have not agreed a good long-term deal for Scotland".

He stated: "The First Minister has still been unable to explain why she has agreed to the Treasury funding model given she has bitterly opposed it for months.

"Cementing the Treasury funding model into the agreement for six years will make it hard to get the Treasury out in the seventh year."

Lord Smith of Kelvin, whose commission drew up the initial cross-party blueprint for devolving more powers to Scotland, said: "Today's agreement between the Scottish and UK governments sees the recommendations of the Smith Commission delivered in full.

"The next term of Scottish parliamentarians will be debating and taking decisions over large parts of Scotland's tax and welfare policy. I believe this will be transformational for our Parliament.

"There should be no doubt that this was a highly complex package of measures to agree. It is difficult to imagine a bigger test of inter-governmental relationships and while it was obviously a very tough negotiation, what matters is that an agreement was reached. This provides an excellent basis for constructive engagement between the governments long into the future.

"When the Smith Agreement was passed to the Prime Minister and First Minister, both gave their word that they would deliver it into law - they have met that promise in full.
Officials in Brazil are planning to fight the Zika virus by zapping millions of male mosquitoes with gamma rays to sterilize them, and stop the spread of the disease.

Called an irradiator, the device has been used to control fruit flies on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday it will pay to ship the device to Juazeiro, in the northeastern state of Bahia, as soon as the Brazilian government issues an import permit.

'It's a birth control method, the equivalent of family planning for humans,' said Kostas Bourtzis, a molecular biologist with the IAEA's insect pest control laboratory.

Officials in Brazil are preparing to zap millions of male Aedes mosquitoes with gamma rays to sterilize them, in a bid to stop the spread of the Zika virus

Brazil is desperate to eradicate the Aedes mosquito that has caused an epidemic of dengue and more recently an outbreak of Zika, a virus associated with an alarming surge in cases of babies born with abnormally small heads.

The new epidemic threatens to scare visitors away from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August.

A Brazilian non-profit called Moscamed will breed up to 12 million male mosquitoes a week and then sterilize them with the cobalt-60 irradiator, produced by Canadian company MDS Nordion, Bourtzis said.

The sterile males will be released into target areas to mate with wild females who will lay eggs that produce no offspring, he said during an IAEA meeting of mosquito control experts.

After an initial program in a dozen towns near Juazeiro, the Brazilian government would have to decide on scaling up the sterile mosquito production with more funding for use in cities, where they would be released from the air, possibly from drones, Professor Bourtzis said.

With no cure or vaccine available for Zika, which has spread to more than 30 countries, mostly in the Americas, the only way to contain the virus is to reduce the mosquito population.

Brazilian researchers are also experimenting with radiation.

The Fiocruz biomedical research institute based in Recife has released 30,000 sterile mosquitoes on Fernando de Noronha, a island 350 km (217 miles) off the coast of northeast Brazil.

The virus, which is rife in the Americas, has been linked to more than 500 cases of the severe birth defect microcephaly, in Brazil. Experts are investigating whether this, as yet unproven, link exists

The pilot project seeks to replicate lab results in which 70 per cent of the eggs laid by the females were sterile, Fiocruz researcher Alice Varjal said.

Initial results are expected in May, she said

Dr Varjal said the sterile insect technique using small doses of radiation was the safest way to fight the mosquito because nothing toxic gets released into the environment.

She said it was more cost-effective than using transgenic mosquitoes.

Another experiment underway in Brazil involves a mosquito genetically modified so their offspring will die before reaching adulthood and being able to reproduce, developed by Oxitec, the British subsidiary of Intrexon.

Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly.

Brazil said it has confirmed more than 500 cases of microcephaly, and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers.
California lawmaker aims to reduce eating disorders among fashion models

By Sharon Bernstein

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb 22 (Reuters) - Fashion models who want to work in California would need a doctor to attest that they are of healthy weight and not suffering from an eating disorder under a proposal announced by a state lawmaker on Monday.

The bill proposed by California state Assembly member Marc Levine follows efforts in several countries to fight anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders among models, who are relentlessly pressured to lose weight or lose work.

"The evidence of eating disorders in the modeling industry is alarming," Levine, a Democrat who represents the Marin County suburbs of San Francisco, said in a statement on Monday.

Under his bill, which was introduced Feb. 19, modeling agencies would have to be licensed by the California Labor Commissioner, and could be fined if they hire models who do not have a physician certifying that they are healthy.

The bill, if passed, directs the state's Department of Public Health and the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to adopt rules for the health of fashion models that would include periodic health checkups, nutrition consultations and medical testing.

Levine said the measure, which must pass numerous committees, both houses of the legislature and be signed by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown before it could take effect, would also help girls and women, who see impossibly thin models in magazines and aim to be like them.

"As a former fashion model and an eating disorder survivor, I know that this legislation is critically needed," Nikki DuBose, a former model turned advocate, said in a statement.

Last spring, France banned excessive thinness in models, partly in response to the death in 2010 of Isabelle Caro, a 28-year-old former French fashion model who died from anorexia after posing for a photographic campaign to raise awareness about the illness.

Israel enacted a similar measure in 2013, while other countries, like Italy and Spain, rely on voluntary codes of conduct to protect models.
Ancient armored mammal from Argentina was a huge armadillo

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - DNA coaxed out of a 12,000-year-old fossil from Argentina is providing unique insight into one of the strangest Ice Age giants: a tank-like mammal the size of a small car with a bulbous bony shell and a spiky, club-shaped tail.

Scientists said on Monday their genetic research confirmed that the creature, named Doedicurus, was part of an extinct lineage of gigantic armadillos. Doedicurus was a plant-eater that weighed about a ton and roamed the pampas and savannas of South America, vanishing about 10,000 years ago along with many other large Ice Age animals.

"With a length of more than three meters (10 feet) from head to tail, it certainly looks like a small car, like a Mini or Fiat 500," evolutionary biologist Frederic Delsuc of France's Universite de Montpellier, one of the researchers, said.

It was a member of a group called glyptodonts that shared the landscape with giant ground sloths, saber-toothed cats and towering, flightless, carnivorous "terror birds." Some glyptodonts made it as far north as southern portions of the United States, from what is now Arizona through the Carolinas.

The researchers were able to place Doedicurus and the other glyptodonts into the armadillo family tree after studying small fragments of DNA extracted from bits of the creature's carapace. They used a sophisticated technique to fish mitochondrial DNA out from a soup of environmental contaminants that had leached into the fossil over the eons.

They determined the glyptodont lineage originated about 35 million years ago. The oldest armadillo fossil, from Brazil, was around 58 million years old.

Asked what someone might think upon encountering Doedicurus, another of the researchers, evolutionary biologist Hendrik Poinar of McMaster University in Canada said, "That's the biggest armadillo-looking creature I've ever seen, and it has a tail like an Ankylosaurus. Yikes!"

Doedicurus resembles the dinosaur Ankylosaurus, which also was heavily armored and wielded a club-like tail.

The researchers said the resemblance was an example of "convergent evolution" in which disparate organisms independently evolve similar features to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches.

Scientists have debated whether humans contributed to the extinction of the glyptodonts. Poinar said he believed that humans played a role, saying most of the large mammals of that time were under pressure not only from climate change as Ice Age waned but also from human hunting.
Romania - Factors to watch on Feb 23

BUCHAREST, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Tuesday.

MONEY SUPPLY

Romania's central bank to release M3 money supply data for January.

DEBT TENDER

Romania sold a planned 800 million lei ($197.64 million) worth of March 2021 treasury bonds on Monday, with the average accepted yield at 2.56 percent, central bank data showed.

CEE MARKETS

The forint led Central European currencies higher on Monday, helped by a rise in risk appetite as oil prices firm and by expectations that credit rating agencies will upgrade Hungary later this year.

LEONI

German automotive supplier Leoni LEOGn.DE cut its 2016 sales forecast for the third time in five months on Monday, citing a weaker economic outlook and Romanian labour costs that it expects to weigh on profit for the next few years.

FIGHTER JETS

Romania aims to buy an additional 12 second-hand F-16 fighter jets next year and has so far requested information from the United States and five other European allies, the defense minister was quoted as saying by state news agency Agerpres.

For the long-term Romanian diary, click on

For emerging markets economic events, click on

For an index of all diaries, click on
Poland - Factors to Watch Feb 23

Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Tuesday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 1 hour):

DATA

Poland's statistics office to release January unemployment rate at 0900 GMT.

DEFICIT

Poland's central budget deficit for 2015 did not exceed 44 billion zlotys ($11.12 billion) the ministry said in a statement late on Monday.

EBRD

Polish ruling party Law and Justice (PiS) will support the central bank head Marek Belka as a candidate for new president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Puls Biznesu daily said on Tuesday.

JSW

Poland's troubled coking coal producer JSW mulls selling its Krupinski mine and a part of Borynia-Zofiowka-Jastrzebie mine to improve its financial situation, Rzeczpospolita daily said quoting its sources.

****Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.****
PRESS DIGEST - Bulgaria - Feb 23

SOFIA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

-- State agency for refugees' chairman Nikola Kazakov has been dismissed, the Bulgarian government's press office said. Kircho Kirov, one of Kazakov's deputies, will serve as interim chairman until the government appoints a new incumbent (Trud, 24 Chasa, Standart, Monitor, Sega)

-- Prime Minister Boiko Borisov decided to redistribute the specific porfolios assigned to the four deputy prime ministers (Trud, 24 Chasa, Standart)

-- Prime Minister Boiko Borisov dismissed Deputy Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov, the government's press office said in a statement (Trud, 24 Chasa, Standart)
Israel razes West Bank homes of two Palestinian assailants-army

JERUSALEM, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Israeli army bulldozers on Tuesday demolished the homes of two Palestinians who killed five people in attacks in the occupied West Bank and Israel last year, the military said.

Mohammed al-Haroub shot at cars near an Israeli settlement bloc in the West Bank on Nov. 20, the military said, killing an Israeli, an American student and a Palestinian.

On the same day, Raed Masalmeh stabbed and killed two Israelis in a Tel Aviv office building, according to the military. Both alleged assailants were arrested.

Bulldozers tore through Haroub's home in the village of Dir Samt and Masalmeh's house in Dura, both in the West Bank.

Israeli officials say such demolitions could deter other Palestinians from launching attacks in a wave of stabbings, shootings and car rammings that have killed 28 Israelis and a U.S. citizen since October.

Palestinians and international critics call the destruction of family homes collective punishment. Local residents said the demolition displaced 12 of Haroub's relatives. It was not immediately known how many people lived in Masalmeh's house.

In the past five months, Israeli security forces have killed at least 168 Palestinians, 111 of whom Israel says were assailants, while most others were shot dead during violent anti-Israeli protests.

The recent violence has been stoked by various factors, including a dispute over Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound and the failure of several rounds of peace talks to secure the Palestinians an independent state in Israeli-occupied territory.
A state audit says the North Dakota Health Department stored thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses at incorrect temperatures or without temperature data over the past two years  and that some of the vaccine was administered to patients. The health department disputed the audit released Tuesday. Tim Wiedrich, who heads the agencys virus response, says no non-viable vaccines were given to patients. The state analysis said nearly 2,000 Moderna doses were stored at incorrect temperatures and were administered to patients. The audit also found nearly 13,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccines were issued from storage with missing temperature data. Neither the Health Department nor the auditor's office is recommending revaccination.
China urges Taiwan to ratify controversial trade pact

BEIJING, Feb 23 (Reuters) - China's commerce minister on Tuesday urged Taiwan to ratify a controversial trade pact that has languished in the island's parliament after protests over trade dealings with Beijing.

In 2014, hundreds of students occupied Taiwan's parliament for weeks in protests nicknamed the Sunflower Movement, demanding more transparency and fearful of China's growing economic and political influence on the democratic island.

The protests over the 2013 Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement, which aimed to open up investment from both sides in industries such as banking, healthcare, and tourism, were the largest display of anti-China sentiment in Taiwan in years.

The deal has since stalled in Taiwan's parliament, though the manner in which the self-ruled island moves forward in the current February to May session will be seen as a sign of how President-elect Tsai Ing-wen will steer Taiwan-China ties.

China's Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng warned that the deal could go to waste.

"I hope the Taiwan side can preserve and safeguard the political foundation and correct orientation of the peaceful development of bilateral relations, urge that the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement be put into effect as soon as possible, and promptly allow the people and enterprises on both sides to benefit," Gao told a press briefing.

"Otherwise, even despite good preparation, the efforts will amount to nothing," he said.

China, including Hong Kong, is Taiwan's top trading partner, with a total of just over $170 billion in 2014, official data from Taiwan shows. About 40 percent of Taiwan's exports, such as tech components and chemicals, go to China.

China has claimed Taiwan through its "one China" policy since the Chinese civil war forced the defeated Nationalist forces to flee to the island in 1949, and Beijing has vowed to bring it under its rule, by force if necessary.

Tsai, leader of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won the Taiwan election in January, but has vowed to preserve the status quo with "consistent, predictable and sustainable" relations with China.

The DPP also won a majority in parliament in the same elections.
Myanmar army chief pushes against quick changes to constitution

By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Less than a week after a third transition meeting between Myanmar's commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the powerful army chief has pushed back against any quick changes to the constitution.

The 2008 document, which bars Suu Kyi from becoming president even after her National League for Democracy (NLD) swept a historic election last year, has been a bone of contention between her party and the military. Suu Kyi has vowed to disregard it and lead the country from "above the president".

Min Aung Hlaing said that the junta-drafted constitution should be amended "at an appropriate time" in accordance with constitutional provisions. Some senior NLD members and pundits had speculated that the articles banning Suu Kyi from becoming president could be temporarily suspended as part of a power-sharing deal between the armed forces and the NLD.

"Since Myanmar has been undergoing democratization only for five years, necessary provisions should be amended at an appropriate time in accordance with the chapter XII of the constitution," the military-run Myawady daily reported Min Aung Hlaing as saying at a meeting with military officers on Monday.

Talks between the two sides over a protracted political transition drag on amid reports that the military chief has secured a five-year extension.

The military stepped back from direct rule of Myanmar in 2011 after nearly five decades in power. Under the semi-civilian government that took its place, the military still holds considerable political power and Suu Kyi will need to forge a relationship with the armed forces to govern effectively.

A quarter of the seats in the country's national parliament are held by unelected military MPs. The same is true for the smaller state and regional parliaments.

The military also remains in control of three key ministries - defence, border affairs and home affairs.

Political analyst Yan Myo Thein said the military chief's remarks were his public answer to speculation over potential quick changes to the constitution.

"That's a clear message indicating the stance of the military concerning the constitutional amendment issues," he said.

"So we can understand that suspension or amending of any constitutional provisions can't be expected at the moment."
Burundi to hold talks, free prisoners to try to stem violence

NAIROBI, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Burundi is to hold political talks to try to end months of violence, President Pierre Nkurunziza said on Tuesday after meeting U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Ban said Nkurunziza had also promised to lift media restrictions, and the presidency said 2,000 prisoners would be freed, although the opposition was sceptical, doubting whether it would include its supporters.

Diplomatic efforts are mounting to the quell fighting in the central African nation 10 years after it emerged from an ethnically charged civil war. Three people were killed in attacks in the capital on the eve of Ban's visit.

More than 400 people have been killed since April when Nkurunziza said he would run for a third term, triggering street protests and a coup attempt. Opposition parties say his election bid, which he went on to win, was unconstitutional.

"Burundians and U.N. agree that inter-Burundian dialogue shall bring together Burundians but the perpetrators of insecurity ... will not be involved," Nkurunziza told a joint news conference with Ban in Bujumbura.

The government has in the past said it will not hold talks with anyone who was involved in the failed coup attempt in May.

Ban met leaders of political parties in Bujumbura, then went to the president's office on Tuesday.

"I was very encouraged that the political leaders whether they are ... in government or the ruling party or opposition, they promised that they will engage in inclusive dialogue. This is what President Nkurunziza also confirmed," Ban said.

Ban said freeing prisoners was "an encouraging step". I hope again that additional measures will be taken," he added.

Thacien Sibomana, spokesman for the opposition's UPRONA party, was more cautious about the announcement.

"We are not sure if he will free opponents. We fear that he may only release his own men. What criteria will he (Nkurunziza) use?" he said.

African powers are particularly worried about the violence in a country where memories are still fresh of the genocide in neighbouring Rwanda in 1994. Burundi has a similar ethnic make-up to Rwanda.

South African President Jacob Zuma is heading to Bujumbura on Thursday and Friday with the leaders of Mauritania, Senegal, Gabon and Ethiopia for talks about the political situation.

Nkurunziza has rejected African Union plans to send in peacekeepers, saying he would see their arrival as an invasion.

In his talks with Ban, Nkurunziza reiterated his accusations that Rwanda was interfering in Burundi's internal affairs.

"We have asked for their (U.N.) support to help us and regarding Rwanda, to stop provoking us, so we can go back to having good neighbourly relations like we used to," he said.
Poland's ruling party wants central bank chief to head EBRD -media

WARSAW, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Poland's ruling Law and Justice party wants central bank chief Marek Belka to move on at the end of his term and stand for the presidency of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, newspaper Puls Biznesu said on Tuesday.

Belka, a leftist former prime minister and finance minister of Poland, was not immediately available for reaction to the report, for which the paper cited unnamed sources. There was no immediate comment from the central bank, which Belka has led since 2010.

Asked to comment on the article and if the government would support Belka as a candidate to lead the EBRD, spokesman Rafal Bochenek said: "Such a decision has not been taken yet."

The Law and Justice (PiS) controlled parliament and Poland's president, a PiS ally, have named eight members to the central bank's 10-strong Monetary Policy Council this year, replacing policymakers whose terms had expired.

The European Union has accused the nationalist-minded party of trying to increase controls on key national institutions, a criticism that Standard & Poor's echoed when it unexpectedly downgraded Poland's credit rating last month.

Belka has not publicly said whether he wants to stay on when his term at the central bank ends in June.

The paper said he had expressed an interest in the EBRD job, again without giving any more details or sources. The end of Belka's term at the central bank would coincide with the end of current president Suma Chakrabarti's tenure at the EBRD.

"In Poland we have only one person around whom we can build domestic and international support -- Marek Belka," the daily quoted a government source as saying.

The paper said PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, prime minister Beata Szydlo, deputy prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and finance minister Pawel Szalamacha had all signalled they would back Belka's candidacy.
French judge views Calais "jungle" before migrants' appeal

By Matthias Blamont

CALAIS, France, Feb 23 (Reuters) - A French judge toured a crowded shanty town known as "the jungle" near the northern port of Calais before her court hears an appeal on Tuesday against a government decision to demolish half of the camp for migrants trying to reach Britain.

The administrative tribunal in regional capital Lille was to decide whether closing part of the site would violate human rights after several local charities and migrants requested a temporary injunction to halt the planned evacuation.

Judge Valerie Quemener viewed the jumble of tents and wooden shacks and was shown plans for the partial dismantling as well as a site meant to accommodate some of the evacuated migrants in converted shipping containers.

She met several charity representatives but declined to speak to journalists.

Refugees living in the south part of the camp were ordered last week to leave the area before 8 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Tuesday after which authorities will be empowered to remove remaining tents and trash, if necessary by force.

The interior ministry says the move will affect 800 to 1,000 people but local activists said at least 3,400 migrants including women and young children will have to clear the area.

There was little sign of anyone preparing to move out of the southern part of the camp.

"There are more than 3,000 people who are living here, we have schools here, mosques, everything inside the 'jungle'. So it becomes like a small city and they (authorities) want to end this," Sikender, from Afghanistan, told Reuters.

In Lille, the court was due to hear appeals by 250 migrants and 10 associations against the interior ministry order to dismantle the southern part of the zone. It was not clear whether the tribunal would rule immediately or adjourn a decision for a few days.

"People are obviously awaiting the (court) decision," said Dominique Bernard, who works with Medecins Sans Frontieres.

"They are talking about it but are not expecting a great outcome, I can see they feel very resigned," she said.

Altogether some 4,000 people are believed to live in the "jungle", down from some 6,000 in December. The authorities would like to see the number fall to around 2,000.

The container park opened last month has a total capacity of 1,500, along with an existing building intended to accommodate some 500 women and children.
Powers meeting on Afghanistan see Taliban talks by March

By Mirwais Harooni

KABUL, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Afghan government and Taliban representatives are expected to meet in Islamabad by the first week of March for their first direct talks since a previous round of the peace process broke down last year, officials said on Tuesday.

Following a meeting in Kabul, the so-called Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), made up of officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China, "expressed strong support for the upcoming direct talks between the Government of Afghanistan and authorized representatives of the Taliban and other groups."

In a joint statement released by the Afghan foreign ministry, they said the first round of direct peace talks is expected to take place by the first week of March in the Pakistani capital.

On Monday, the powerful chief of the Pakistan army, Gen. Raheel Sharif met officials from Qatar, where the Taliban maintains a political office, to prepare the way for Tuesday's meeting, the fourth in a series of quadrilateral encounters aimed at laying the ground for full peace talks.

However the Taliban has been riven by factional infighting since last year's announcement of the death of the movement's founder Mullah Mohammad Omar some two years earlier. The Taliban has not yet clearly indicated whether it will take part in any talks with the Western-backed government in Kabul.

New leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour has laid down preconditions for taking part in any talks, including the withdrawal of all foreign forces, while a breakaway faction that opposes him has rejected any negotiations.

But officials in Kabul have expressed hopes that at least some parts of the movement and other insurgent groups affiliated with it can be persuaded to join.

"I think there's a lot of Taliban that want to come," the outgoing commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan Gen. John Campbell said earlier this month. "That's what's going to be hard, to get all the right people to the table."

Tuesday's four-way talks in Kabul came against a backdrop of continuing violence and increasing military pressure from the Taliban, which has stepped up its insurgency since the withdrawal of most international troops from combat in 2014.

Over the weekend, Afghan officials confirmed that troops had pulled out of two key districts in Helmand, leaving the entire northern half of the volatile province in the hands of the insurgents.
TAKE A LOOK-Iran's first national elections since nuclear deal

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Iran will on Friday hold its first national elections since the government of President Hassan Rouhani signed a deal with world powers last July to limit Iran's nuclear activities in return for an easing of economic sanctions.

Iranians will vote in parliamentary elections as well as for Iran's Assembly of Experts, which appoints the supreme leader, the person with the most clout in Iran. The run-up to the vote has been marked by an intensification of an apparent crackdown on journalists, artists and writers critical of the state.

Here is an overview of recent stories: LATEST NEWS > Moderates could influence choice of next leader > Film-maker loses appeal in pre-vote crackdown

PREVIEWS, INSIGHT > Rouhani allies face tough challenge in votes > Many women, youth feel failed by reformists > Iran's main opposition says is not a spent force

OTHER NEWS > Khomeini's grandson loses appeal to stand in election

> Iran's Rouhani calls for unity before votes > Former president criticises elimination of rivals

> Iran excludes most candidates in assembly vote > Hundreds more candidates can contest election > FACTBOXES > Parties,politics in Iran's parliamentary election
Saudi Arabia warns citizens against travel to Lebanon, citing safety

DUBAI, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry warned its citizens against travel to Lebanon and urged those present to leave for their own safety, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday.

The kingdom has issued several previous warnings about security in Lebanon, but this statement comes at a sensitive time in the two countries' diplomatic relationship.
Afghan women abused, isolated, but hold key to peace - charity

By Alex Whiting

LONDON, Feb 23 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - International concern about the rise of the Taliban and Islamic State (ISIS) in Afghanistan are sidelining women's rights, to the detriment of the country's prospects for peace and development, an international women's charity said.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with British parliamentarians this week on the issue, Women for Women International (WfWI) said the Taliban had grown stronger despite military attempts to eliminate them, and a more rounded approach was needed.

The Islamist Taliban control or threaten around one third of Afghanistan, according to U.S. estimates. Some militants have shifted their allegiance to Islamic State, which has begun challenging Taliban units in pockets of the country.

"There's a real concern that the focus on security is completely permeating all of our international development decisions and that's a real danger," said Brita Fernandez Schmidt, executive director of WfWI UK.

"I'm not arguing that we don't have to look at security ... but there is no security without development, and there is no development without security. They go hand in hand," she said in an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Key to the country's peace and development is improving the lot of its poorest and most marginalised people - rural women - helping them to gain an income and become involved in settling local disputes, she added.

The Taliban spread their control in areas that are poor and lack government services, said WfWI's country director for Afghanistan and Iraq, Mandana Hendessi.

"Often you find the growth in the Taliban insurgency is in areas where people are very poor and there is no welfare and no health provision, where people are desperate," Hendessi said.

The Taliban pour money into welfare, police the area, and set up local judges to resolve disputes, she said.

The charity says that if women can earn an income and have a voice in the community, their communities will be stronger and less likely to rely on the insurgents.

"What really matters is what happens in the community to manage conflict, and how women are involved in managing those conflicts," Hendessi said.

Women in Afghanistan are very isolated - even in cities - and are expected to stay in their homes.

They are taught to speak in hushed tones and their husbands often refer to them as the "kids" or "household", Hendessi said.

They face frequent violence in their communities, which includes stoning to death and cutting off limbs.

"Often people talk about the Taliban's violence against women, but the violence against women we see on an everyday level is from male relatives," Hendessi said.

WfWI trains village women in several parts of Afghanistan to set up their own businesses.

The women who earn money for their families gain status in the village, and can help to resolve disputes. Just leaving their homes to attend the classes gives them greater contact with what is happening in the village, Hendessi said.

At the same time, men in the village learn about women's rights from an Islamic scholar using quotes from the Koran.

"It's not foreign troops that bring liberty, democracy and women's rights, it has to come from the population," said Fernandez Schmidt.

Earlier this year, Afghan First Lady Rula Ghani announced the building of the country's first women's university, to be based in the capital Kabul.

That Ghani is a Christian Lebanese woman leading on certain issues in this predominantly Muslim country, is a "huge achievement in itself," said Hendessi.

"There are some important changes happening, but it's got to be a lot more systematic with a lot more commitment," she said, adding that the government needed more support from international players.

International resources are increasingly being put into attempts to deradicalise Muslim youth, she said.

"And the youth are always men. The point is how can we involve women? The more involved women are in decision making, the more likely that these issues can be resolved too," Hendessi said.
Niger opposition rejects initial election results, citing fraud

DAKAR, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Opposition parties in Niger on Tuesday rejected initial results from Sunday's presidential election that showed incumbent Mahamadou Issoufou in the lead, calling them fraudulent.

Provisional results from 20 of the West African country's 308 municipalities gave Issoufou 40.18 percent of the vote, more than 10 percentage points ahead of his closest rival.

"These results are completely contrary to what was expressed at the ballot box," said Amadou Boubacar Cisse, an election candidate and spokesman for the Coalition for Change group of opposition parties.

Issoufou, who has vowed to crush Islamist militants and tackle deep poverty in his country, ran against 14 other candidates in a tense vote on Sunday. The voting spilled over into Monday because of logistical problems.

The provisional results showed Hama Amadou, a one-time ally of Issoufou who has been jailed since November, received 29 percent of the vote. Seyni Oumarou, leader of the opposition, got 12 percent and Cisse less than two percent.
The Bismarck teachers union spoke out again Monday against proposed changes to the school districts leave policy.

Mike Geiermann, an attorney representing the Bismarck Education Association, urged the Bismarck School Board to honor an agreement made during negotiations last summer to hold off on changing any policies regarding sick leave.

The school board is considering revising its policy to define how sick leave can be used. The proposed changes also address employee absences for health problems and funerals, as well as workers who leave the school district but are rehired within a year.

Geiermann echoed comments from the unions president made at the last school board meeting, citing minutes from a negotiations meeting that took place in the summer of 2015. The school districts head negotiator said he indicated the districts sick leave policy would remain unchanged for two years until the next round of negotiations.

I think the other thing the board wants to keep in mind is that it made representations to the BEA this summer, he said. You need to live up to them.

School board president Lawrence King asked if the union has concerns about the content of the changes.

Geiermann said teachers need to go through the details of the proposal and then will communicate those to the board. He stressed that the associations main concern is broader.

We need to keep this agreement where it is, and it cant be unilaterally changed, he said.

He said changes to the sick leave policy must be agreed to by both the teachers union and school board during negotiations.

Superintendent Tamara Uselman said she is still researching the situation, then will respond to the teachers.

Several educators sat in the audience Monday to show their support, and one addressed the board about the importance of maintaining adequate benefits for employees.

Rebecca Young Sletten, of Bismarck High School, said the state loses teachers because of low salaries and benefits.

Young Sletten, who previously taught on Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, said the benefits offered by Bismarck Public Schools attracted her to the district.

That was like money in the bank, she said, explaining that Bismarck pays for part of employees insurance. That made a difference to me.

She encouraged the school board to consider the effect benefits changes have on families during the next round of negotiations in 2017.
UAE bans its citizens from traveling to Lebanon - State News Agency

DUBAI, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday that it was banning its citizens from traveling to Lebanon and reducing its diplomatic mission there, according to state news agency WAM.
Why Russia may be a smart business partner for Israel

By Josh Cohen

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir famously lamented that Moses "took us 40 years through the desert in order to bring us to the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil." That all changed, though, in 2009, when a massive offshore natural gas field named Tamar was discovered. The following year, an even larger field named Leviathan was also discovered in Israeli waters, and another large find was just announced in January. Israel's fields include more than 32 trillion cubic feet of gas - enough to supply the Israeli economy for 150 years, assuming the gas can actually be brought to market with the help of a suitable partner.

Since Israel possesses far more gas than it needs, Israeli leaders face an enviable dilemma: Where to export this bounty? Both economic factors - particularly the challenge of financing the development of Leviathan - as well as the Middle East's geopolitical complexities make the choice trickier than it sounds.

Israeli commentators discuss three main partner options - Egypt, Greece and Turkey - each possessing their own upsides and downsides. Yet one less-obvious option Israel's leaders should consider is Russia. Bringing in the Russian energy giant Gazprom would be controversial - and certainly not a standalone solution - but would arguably enhance Israel's security and strengthen its broader geopolitical position.

Russia wants in on Israel's gas windfall. Russia relies on Gazprom both to fund its budget and provide Moscow geopolitical leverage, and the Russians would surely prefer that Israel's gas does not compete with Gazprom's supply. This is particularly true vis-a-vis Gazprom's core European market, which Moscow naturally remains keen to protect.

Consequently, over the past four years Russia has made several attempts to enter Israel's gas market. In 2012 Gazprom bid for a 30 percent share of Leviathan, but lost out to Australia's Woodside Petroleum. The following year Gazprom signed a deal to market liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Israel's Tamar field, although that was nixed by Israel's Ministry of Energy, which prioritized using Tamar to supply Israel's domestic market. More recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin again pitched Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on allowing Gazprom to participate in developing Leviathan.

It's easy to understand Russia's interest in Israel's gas, but what's in it for Israel? For starters, under Putin's leadership, the Israeli-Russian relationship remains strong. Given ongoing tension between Israel and the Obama administration, it's not the worst thing for Israel to continue expanding its relationships with other major powers such as Russia, China or India.

Second, the Russian military remains firmly ensconced on Israel's northern border, and Putin is committed to expanding Moscow's political and military influence in the Middle East. Israel frets about Russia's presence on its border, and one high-ranking Israeli military officer noted "Now we all have to contend with the Russian bear, which appears to be here to stay with boots and everything else on the ground, in the air and at sea."

Israeli leaders, though, embrace a realpolitik view regarding their national security, and Netanyahu prefers to handle Israel's security concerns regarding Russia's presence in Syria - especially Israel's "red line" on the transfer of advanced arms to Hezbollah by Iran or Syria - via military coordination and a search for common interests. In that context, inviting Russian participation in Israel's gas industry would offer the Israelis tremendous leverage in pushing Putin to prioritize core Israeli security interests in the region.

Finally - and perhaps most intriguingly - allowing Gazprom a role in Israel's energy industry could play a direct role in securing the safety and security of Israel's offshore gas exploration infrastructure. Israel believes Hezbollah could target this infrastructure in a future conflict - something that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah already threatened - and the Israeli Navy recently purchased ships specifically to protect offshore drilling platforms. Fifty percent of Israeli power generation comes via gas from the Tamar field - and only a single pipeline connects Tamar to Israel - presenting a huge risk to Israel's energy security.

Inviting the Russians in, though, could solve this problem in a stroke. Hezbollah remains a key piece of Russia's "Shi'ite alliance," an axis that greatly benefits from Russia's airpower over Syria. This provides Moscow tremendous leverage over Hezbollah, which allows Moscow - if it so chooses - to instruct Nasrallah not to touch Israeli gas infrastructure. Indeed, if Russian citizens were located on the offshore drilling rigs, it is almost inconceivable that Hezbollah - or even Iran - would attack these installations and risk Russian civilian casualties.

Putin clearly understands this. While lobbying Netanyahu to allow Gazprom to become a partner in Leviathan, Putin promised to stop extremist groups from attacking any Israeli gas infrastructure because "no one messes with us" - a statement one Israeli energy expert described as a "Russian attempt to say that beyond the economic interest we can add another positive consideration." This is an offer Israel should consider. In effect, Israel would offer Putin a trade: We'll help you achieve one of your critical objectives - ensuring Gazprom participates in any sale of Israeli gas to Europe - in exchange for Russia's acknowledgement of Israel's special security interest's vis-a-vis Hezbollah and Iran, plus guaranteed security for Israel's Mediterranean gas infrastructure.

To be clear, a Russian-Israeli gas partnership is far from perfect and includes a number of pitfalls. For one thing, the United States would surely not welcome seeing Gazprom involved in Israel's gas bonanza. Tensions between Washington and Moscow continue to exist, and both the United States and European Union seek to lessen Gazprom's influence rather than increase it. The Israelis could therefore surely expect intense American pressure not to work with Gazprom.

Russia may not be the world's best business partner, either. Putin uses Gazprom, long hobbled by corruption, as a weapon against his opponents, denying access to gas supplies as a form of political punishment. The Israeli government would need to ensure Gazprom does not use this type of tactic in Israel. Moreover, Israel would also surely want to avoid its gas bonanza becoming a prop in any of the Kremlin's geopolitical games.

Finally, Russian involvement is far from a complete solution to Israel's gas export conundrum. Short of Moscow's commitment to spending tens of billions of dollars developing and transporting gas from Leviathan - something Russia, with its sinking economy, can hardly afford - Israel still needs to clinch a deal with a large customer such as Turkey to maximize its gas windfall. However, while Gazprom might be only one small piece of an Israeli gas game plan, the Russian security guarantees it brings to the table would promote core Israeli national security interests.
The Veterans Choice Act was created to provide U.S. veterans with the choice of getting care closer to home when VA care was more than 40 miles or 30 days away. The new program has far to go before it keeps that promise.

In Billings, Mont., recently for a small business workshop, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., heard from local veterans who had been referred by Veterans Affairs to Sheridan, Wyo., for services available in Billings hospitals. One woman told of being sent to Sheridan for an MRI scan.

Thats not the way the Veterans Choice Act is supposed to work, Tester said after the workshop at Montana State University Billings. Its been a rocky rollout. The intent is to get veterans timely care close to home.

According to information from Testers office, last week in Montana there were 5,000 unscheduled appointments through Veterans Choice, and 2,600 of those requests were older than 90 days.

Another problem is lack of timely reimbursement to private sector providers who care for veterans in the choice program, Tester said.

A member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Tester has directed his staff to hold meetings around Montana to ask veterans how the choice program is going. The meetings are continuing, but Tester said its clear Congress must cut red tape and that VA middle management in Helena, Mont., and Denver must do a better job of implementation.

We appropriated a lot of money to the VA, he said. Money is not their problem. We dont have enough doctors, we dont have enough nurses. We dont have enough administrative personnel.

A new law creating additional primary care and psychiatric residency slots still awaits funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, he said.

VA Montana continues to recruit for vacancies. Recently, its 19 health professional job postings included nurses, psychiatrists, primary care doctors, respiratory therapists and physician assistants.

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee has passed several bills that Tester supports, but none have been brought to the Senate floor. Stalled committee bills include measures introduced by senators from both parties.

Last July, the committee approved legislation concerning veterans compensation cost of living adjustments, access to immunizations and chiropractic care, provisions to expedite the veterans appeal process, to address the claims backlog, to require reporting of PTSD related to military sexual trauma, to forbid the VA secretary from giving bonuses to employees found to have performed poorly, and to improve womens health services. Seven months later, no further action has been taken.

In early December, the Senate committee passed Senate Bill 290 to increase VA accountability with increased whistle blower protection and other reforms. On the same day, the committee approved SB425, the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization introduced by Tester and Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark. That bill includes provisions to increase physician assistant pay, expand eligibility for caregiver support services, expedite survivor and funeral benefits and establish a VA office of patient advocacy. Neither of those bills has seen Senate action.

Asked about prospects for making needed changes in laws affecting U.S. veterans this election year, Tester said it depends on what the Senate leadership does. He praised Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., but pointed out that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., hasnt brought committee bills to the floor.

The VAs challenges remain complex and widespread. Its going to take acts of Congress, significant reform of the departments clunky processes and the constant pressure of veterans and their advocates to fix what ails the VA. Tester needs to keep speaking up for veterans. The House and Senate must find common ground this election year to keep moving forward to improve services to U.S. veterans.

 Billings (Mont.) Gazette
There was a time when the political atmosphere of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was dominated by the communists. The burning question for them was, who among Lenin, Mao Zedong and Karl Marx was the best. But after the emergence of the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the ideological discourse at the university transformed into one of Left versus Right.

It forced the leftists to discuss Bhagat Singh and Kabir in place of solely Lenin and Mao. While this has been an ideological victory of sorts for the nationalist forces at the campus, there is still a long and difficult road ahead.

The JNU has three leftist organisations which contest student union elections - the Students' Federation of India (SFI), All India Students' Federation (AISF) and All India Students' Association (AISA). These are the student wings of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) respectively.

The parent organisations of all the three student bodies believe in the democratic system of India and participate in elections, though their views on issues like nationalism, nationality and secessionist movements are not clear.

Besides these, the JNU has always had many small Left organisations known for their extreme views on different national issues. The programmes, seminars and campaigns organised by these organisations revolve around ways to oppose the Indian nation state and Hindu dharma.

Some organisations which come under this category are the Democratic Students' Union (DSU), New Materialists, Revolutionary Cultural Front (RCF), Campus Front of India, Krantikari Naujavan Sabha, Janrang and so on.

The most active among these is the DSU, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), whose goal is to capture India through an armed rebellion by 2050. The Indian government, led by the UPA in 2013, came up with a report which claimed that there were 128 organisations active in urban areas which worked as frontal organisations of the CPI (Maoist) that had waged a guerrilla war against India. The DSU was one of the organisations named as being active in Delhi.

While it is beyond doubt that everyone in the JNU does not support such secessionist ideologies, except a handful of students, it is also a fact that the JNU provides the most fertile ground in the capital for such forces to flourish.

In the JNU, the DSU regularly comes up with anti-India pamphlets, abusing the army, the state and the idea of India. In 2010, when the country was mourning the killing of 76 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans in Dantewada, in Chhattisgarh, the DSU thought it fit to celebrate the occasion with a cultural programme. This move had led to resistance by the nationalist forces at the campus.

The programme and ideas of these small organisations are pretty clear: open and loud support to all the secessionist movements in India with special focus on the liberation of Kashmir, celebrating the martyrdom of demon Mahishasur and the portrayal of goddess Durga as a sex worker, active support to armed rebellion by the CPI (Maoist) against the Indian state (police have captured a JNU student as a conduit of the Maoists), branding the Supreme Court verdict of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's execution as judicial killing and establishing Afzal Guru, Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon, and other terrorists as martyrs.

The recent controversy at the JNU also sprang after DSU activists attempted to mark the day of Afzal Guru's hanging as martyr day. The DSU had circulated a pamphlet before the programme which said, "This is not a nation; it is a prison house of oppressed nationalities - held under duress by the use of the army jackboot... Join the cultural evening in rage against the occupation of Kashmir by the Indian state".

While the recent programme on Afzal Guru was organised by activists of the DSU, JNUSU office-bearers were also present at the programme with their supporters. They actively participated in the programme and led the march that was conducted after it.

The emergence of these anti-national forces are against the idea of India, and they get full support from secessionist forces from both inside and outside India. A thorough inquiry of the matter by intelligence agencies and heavy crackdown on these forces is the need of the hour.

Besides the DSU, several other organisations in the JNU also hold anti-India and anti-Hindu programmes. In many of these cases, the finances and funding of parent organisations are not known. Neither do they fight student union elections, nor does their core agenda include student-centric problems.
Like Pavlov's dog (and this no compliment) the moment the US supplies F-16s to Pakistan, Indians become pitifully pathetic puddles of whines. In the days before India and US were allies, this whining was quite aggressive, and led inevitably to soothing pats and hugs from the USSR, which then consoled us with multiple times the weaponry Pakistan was receiving from the US.

The F-16 panic has been going on for 40 years. Before that it was the F-104 panic. In response to US supply of 20 or so F-104s to Pakistan, India went on to buy 250 MiG-21s. But even the 12-1 margin failed to make us confident.

Without going into the boring details, altogether the US has delivered 83 F-16s to Pakistan, 58 new and the rest used. Pakistan has bought and continues to look for second-hand F-16s. This is like India buying used Su-27s from a Third World air force, something we would never stoop to. The current provocation is a fresh deal for eight F-16s. By the time these are delivered, India will have acquired 272 Su-30 heavy fighters. These are considerably more lethal than the F-16 for attack missions.

But in the same time frame, India also purchased 98 MiG-29s, all upgraded/grading to the UPG standard, as well as 59 Mirage 2000, also being upgraded. This makes 429 new fighters to Pakistan's 64 new F-16s. We don't count the 160 Jaguars on India's side and 50 JF-17s on Pakistan's for various reasons. We also don't count PAF's used F-16s because even after modernisation, these remain the same airframe and engine. So does a 7-1 advantage in new fighters make us confident? Apparently not even a little bit. And let's not forget we rejected the US bid to supply us F-16s because we said we didn't want an old aircraft. So how come this old aircraft now becomes a threat in Pakistan's hands?

India should remember one thing. Right from 1948 to the present day, the US has always attached the greatest importance to India. It is only when we rejected the US that Washington went to Pakistan. Now, whatever the reasons for our rejection, we must realise that the US had no choice but to befriend Pakistan, given the existential threat it faced from the Soviet Union. The US had to seek every advantage it could get, wherever it could get. We should now, at least, "forgive" the US for going to Pakistan. We should also understand that, firstly, we rejected the US. Secondly, the US kept Pakistan on a very short leash so that the latter could not threaten us and finally the US tried several times to get us to reconsider. India cannot, in all logic, tell the US "We won't sleep with you, and we will mock and hate you in every world forum, but we will never allow you to sleep with Pakistan. Meanwhile we'll take all the civilian aid you give, and continue to abuse you".

India outdoes Pakistan 8-1 in GDP, 10-1 in population, 4-1 in area, 15-1 in forex reserves, 7-1 in true defence expenditure (official is 10-1). So what reason do we have to fear Pakistan, let alone eight US fighter jets? None.

We have historical reasons to fear invasions from the West, and it may be accepted that Muslim invaders may have committed the greatest genocide in history, particularly when taken against world population at the time. But that was then. What about now?

Why are we still so insecure? And how come the massive military help China is giving to Pakistan has failed to raise an eyebrow in India? Is there something magically invincible about American weapons, so that one US fighter counts for ten of ours? What message are we sending to the world and to our own people?

It is past time to simply dismiss Pakistan and to understand that even a little damage we bring upon ourselves is entirely our fault. We are simply too frightened to punish Pakistan for its transgressions against us. Any surprise that Pakistan keeps poking and poking and poking?

Just last week we lost five army/paramilitary soldiers in a terror attack by three-four Pakistanis. Instead of doing anything about it, we have been weeping fat tears about our "martyrs". They are not martyrs, but men who did their stern duty for India. A martyr is one who passively surrenders her/his life for her/his cause. Our men fought. They are not victims. A country which out of fear won't stand for itself does not deserve such men.

It's Simple logic that if we regard ourselves us effete, helpless victims of circumstance, buffeted like a leaf on a raging torrent, if we have no respect for ourselves, nor will anyone else.
FARGO  For the first time in more than 130 years, the city of Fargo bid a final goodbye Monday to a police officer shot down in the line of duty.

The funeral of Officer Jason Moszer drew an estimated 3,600 people to Scheels Arena, including 2,800 law enforcement officers, some from as far away as Texas and Indiana.

We have a hole in our hearts that we dont know how to fill, Fargo Police Chief David Todd told the crowd filled with row upon row of brown and blue uniforms glinting with gold badges.

Before the service, funeral-goers paid their respects to Moszer as he lay in repose in the arenas lobby. Framed photos of his family were tucked next to him in his flag-draped casket. Parked nearby was his Victory motorcycle, adorned with his black leather riding vest.

The sorrowful wail of bagpipes, anchored by the tap and thump of drums, opened the service officiated by the Rev. Kevin Kloster, the former Fargo police chaplain who married Moszer and his wife, Rachel.

Kloster urged mourners to let the tears flow, to let them form a collective pool at our feet that becomes a monument that honors Jasons life.

I can tell you from personal experience, the only thing that comes easy today are tears, Kloster said. They release the ache. They release the hurt. They release the emptiness. They release the anger that is within us.

Friends of Moszer eulogized the 33-year-old as a husband and stepfather dedicated to his family and to a life of service, a straight shooter with a sarcastic streak.

If you were expecting Jason to sugarcoat anything, you were talking to the wrong guy, said Drew Schwan, Moszers friend since grade school. Hes also the first person to put his game face on when it came to helping someone in need.

Schwan said Moszer would have been uncomfortable with all the attention given to his death. Instead, he would have probably preferred that everyone just go out for a beer, his friend said.

Todd described Moszer as a quiet hero and a cops cop, connecting his service as an Army combat medic in Iraq and Bosnia with his sacrifice as a police officer and, posthumously, as an organ donor. The chief thanked law enforcement officers and others for coming to honor the fallen lawman whose call sign, Edward 143, has been retired by the department.

If Jason could say it, hed say thanks for the backup, Todd said.

Moszer, a Fargo officer for six years, was shot Feb. 10 while responding to a report of domestic violence at a north Fargo home. He died the next day  the first line-of-duty death of a Fargo police officer since 1882.

The man suspected of shooting Moszer was found dead inside the home. Police believe the suspected gunman was targeting officers during a shootout.

As it turned out, Officer Jacob Rued, who counted Moszer as a friend and mentor, said goodbye to Moszer the day before he was shot.

In a eulogy, Rued told the crowd that he and Moszer had both been on a night shift together since Rued had joined the force. But Moszer was moving to a day shift. The day before Moszer was shot was the last time they would both work the night shift.

As they parted ways at the end of the night, Moszer joked with his friend: Well, Rued, I wish I could say its been fun. But he assured Rued he wasnt going anywhere. He was just moving to the day side.

I know. But Im still going to miss you. And Im still sad, Rued recalled replying.

Twenty-four hours later, he was holding Moszers hand at Sanford Medical Center, where his friend was about to die.

Life is fragile. Appreciate your life, and the life of people you love, Rued said. Its not free. And its sure not easy.

The shot that killed Moszer was a senseless act of violence, Kloster said, but he noted it was not his eternal end. That shot did not end Jasons life. It moved Jason from Earth to heaven, the pastor said.

After the ceremonial rites afforded a military veteran and a police officer, the arena stood silent, except for the sound of weeping, as honor guards presented Rachel Moszer and Moszers parents, Dave and Karen, with folded flags.

The service ended with what Kloster said was Moszers sole request for his funeral: the playing of Bon Jovis Wanted Dead or Alive.

Following the funeral, a long procession of law enforcement officers and other first responders escorted Moszer along a 21-mile route winding through West Fargo, Moorhead and Fargo, past the armory where his Minnesota National Guard unit was based, the police headquarters where he worked and the hospital where he died.

His burial will be held privately at a later date.
LONDON - England - Prince William has been unduly castigated by certain elements for not doing enough work.

Tut tut for Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge has been scolded by some people for not making an appearance to either helicopter work or royal functions.

What is all this nonsense from the hoi polloi?

I think it is symptomatic of the anti-royal sentiment emanating from the EU In crowd. These do-gooders are expecting the Prince, a new father no doubt, to work ungodly hours whilst dealing with two kids and a missus who has a penchant for massive spending. I think they should all shut up and get on with their own lives. What ever happened to knowing your place? These days too many people do not know where they belong and seem to think they have a voice or something. Bog orf! a Kensington Palace insider revealed on condition of anonymity.
Dominique Oliver-Dares started writing as a therapeutic exercise, a way to heal the injuries of her soul. It wasnt long before she began to share the healing power of her words with her community.



I started writing when I was 12 and performing when I was about 17, says Dominique, a poet, spoken-word performer and final-year student in International Development Studies. I write about things that irritate me, things that hurt me, things that confuse me.



It started as a therapeutic thing and then it took a social change narrative, which has become more important to me.



Specifically, the Darmouth, NS-born Dominique writes most often about the issues, challenges and future hopes of the African Nova Scotian community. Im really invested in the black community and thats what I tend to write about, she says. Its a big passion of mine.



That passion is not only evident in the words Dominique puts to paper, but also in the way those words emerge when she performs her poetry. Shes taken the stage at African Heritage Month events, Poets 4 Change poetry slams and numerous community events, in front of audiences ranging from students to citizens to former Governor-General of Canada Michaelle Jean.



Dominique says she gets a powerful thrill from performing.



Sitting down with one or two people in a small group, I can be shy. But I can stand up in front of 20, 30, maybe hundreds of people and bare my soul, my deepest thoughts and feelings. And I just feel so free afterwards.



I often shake, and its not because Im nervous, its more like excitement. When I walk off the stage I feel lighter.



Culture coordinator



Her art is just one way Dominique invests in the African Nova Scotian community. Shes also an event coordinator for the Black Student Advising Centre, a position that makes her an integral promoter of black and African culture at Dalhousie and in the community.



In the past several weeks, Dominique has helped spread the word about events such as Racism is Killing Us Softly: Narratives of Young Black Men and Remember Africville: A Dalhousie Journey to Africville. The latter event takes place this Friday, February 26.

See also: Student perspectives on African Heritage Month; Celebrating African Heritage Month at Dal and beyond

Dominique is applying to the Indigenous, Black and Mikmaw Initiative at the Schulich School of Law, where she hopes to continue her studies after graduating with her IDS degree in May. Its a great opportunity for Mikmaw and black students to be admitted into law school, because the justice system is not somewhere that were represented, she says.



Focusing on her application has meant turning down opportunities to perform at African Heritage Month events this year. But Dominiques passion for her community  and the month-long celebration of it  remains as strong as ever.



I think we often, as black people, forget our own contributions to society. Its just a great opportunity for us to be reminded of our role and to highlight the accomplishments of our people.



For us to feel that inclusion can boost the morale of our community and the morale of our students at Dalhousie.
This blog is mostly checking off things in a list: the movies I own, the games I'm running, character creation posts, and so on.
Old men had worse functioning for hearing, smell, and taste than did old women, according to a recent study. (Photo: AFP)

Washington D.C.: A new study that measured age-related damage to all the five senses: vision, smell, hearing, touch, and taste has found that 94 percent of older adults in the US lose at least one of the five key senses, but often more.

In the study, University of Chicago researchers examined how often multisensory losses occur and what their impact on older adults might be. They analyzed data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a population-based study of adults ages 57-85.

The study collected information about the participants' senses of vision, touch, smell, hearing, and taste. The participants were also asked to rate their physical health.

The researchers found that 67 percent of the older adults had two or more sensory losses. Of those with multisensory losses, 65 percent had substantial loss in at least one of their senses, and 22 percent experienced substantial loss in two or more senses.

The study showed that 74 percent of participants suffered impairment in their ability to taste, which was the most common sensory loss, while 38 percent of participants had a sense of touch that was "fair;" 32 percent said it was "poor."

The research found that 22 percent had smell impairment (19 percent fair/3 percent poor function) and 14 percent had corrected distance vision that was "fair;" 6 percent said it was "poor." 13 percent rated their corrected hearing as "fair;" 5 percent said it was "poor."

Older age was linked to poorer function in all five senses; the largest differences were in hearing, vision, and smell. What's more, men had worse functioning for hearing, smell, and taste than did women, although, men had better corrected vision than women. African Americans and Hispanics tended to have worse sensory function than Caucasians in all senses except hearing. Hispanics tended to have better function in taste than those from other groups.

The researchers said that losing more than one sense might explain why older adults report having a poorer quality of life and face challenges in interacting with other people and the world around them.

The researchers suggested that further studies into multi sensory loss h old promise for designing better programs to prevent or treat loss and to ease the suffering such losses cause. The study is published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
This is for the first time a top functionary of the Pakistan government has confirmed that Masood Azhar is in custody. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, named by India as the mastermind of the Pathankot attack, has been under "protective custody" since January 14, Pakistan Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz has said.

He also said it was for India to decide on dates for Foreign Secretary-level talks, postponed after the terror strike.

Mr Aziz said a Special Investigation Team from Pakistan may visit Pathankot in the first few days of March to probe the attack and that his country was pursuing the investigation seriously.

He said one of the mobile phone numbers linked to the attackers was traced to the terror group's headquarters in Pakistan's Bahawalpur and called the lodging of the FIR in connection with the Pathankot assault as a "logical and positive step" in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Mr Aziz told Headlines Today that Masood Azhar, along with a few other operatives of the JeM, has been kept under protective custody and that some of the terror outfit's premises have also been sealed. He said action will follow against Masood Azhar and others the moment evidence becomes available.

This is for the first time a top functionary of the Pakistan government has confirmed that Masood Azhar is in custody.

Mr Aziz said the FIR filed four days back in the Pathankot attack case has created legal basis for a Special Investigation Team of Pakistan to visit India to collect evidence. He said India has agreed to the SIT visit.

Asked about Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's comment that the SIT will not be allowed to go inside the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, Mr Aziz said access to crime scene always helps the investigators.

On holding of the Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries, Mr Aziz said the "ball is in India's court".

"The answer to it lies entirely with India," he said, adding he hoped prime ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif will meet on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington next month.

Pakistani authorities had lodged an FIR in connection with the Pathankot attack on February 18, without naming Masood Azhar.

The FIR was filed against "unknown persons" after weeks of probe into the terror assault that had led to the postponement of Foreign Secretary-level talks. It was registered at Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) centre in Gujranwala, Punjab province.
Hyderabad: Sources said Chief Minister and TD supremo Mr Chandrababu Naidu welcomed them into the party while the TD leaders congratulated them. On this occasion, the supporters of the leaders who joined the TD were present in large numbers.

Before the MLAs joined, the TD national president held discussions with party leaders from the respective Assembly constituencies and had conveyed to them that it had become necessary for the party to induct the MLAs keeping the partys interests in mind.

Mr Shilpa Mohan Reddy, Mr Shilpa Chakrapani Reddy from Nandyal, former minister Mr Ramasubba Reddy and Ms Laxmi Devamma, wife of slain legislator P. Siva Reddy of Jammalamadugu, had met Mr Naidu about the new entrants.

They had said that it would be difficult to adjust with the newcomers who had been their political opponents in the faction-ridden constituencies.

They have killed my husband and son, it will be difficult to adjust with such a person in Telugu Desam. We have lost everything and have became financially weak, but we will be in the TD forever, we respect Chandrababu Naidu's desire of strengthening the party," Ms Laxmi Devamma told the media.

Mr Naidu, meanwhile, convinced them that he would see that the interests of all the leaders were protected.
Bengaluru: Belying predictions of a poor performance, the Congress party won the highest number of seats in the zilla and taluk panchayat polls outdoing its 2011 poll show, after counting of votes on Tuesday. These local governing bodies play a pivotal role in the planning and execution of development programmes for each district.

The ruling party won 498 of the 1083 ZP seats up for grabs compared to the 353 seats it had won in the previous poll. The BJP came a close second bagging 408 seats but its tally has dropped from the 441 seats it had won in 2011. Similarly, the JD(S) numbers fell from 180 to 148. The Congress has a clear majority in 10 ZPs, the BJP in 7 and JD(S) in 2.

What shocked all parties was the fractured verdict in 11 zilla panchayats. Mr Deve Gowda's JD(S) is set to play a crucial role in deciding the fortunes of these ZPs, which include the CMs hometown, Mysuru, and KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar's district, Tumakuru.

Its unclear whether Mr Gowda will extend help to his former shishya, Mr Siddaramaiah after a slanging match between his son, Mr Kumaraswamy and the CM over an expensive watch.

The shock defeat of the day was in Ramanagar, where the Congress trumped local MLA Kumaraswamy. Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharges bastion, Kalaburagi fell to the BJP, which had the chagrin of seeing strongholds like Uttara Kannada slip away.
Face recognition is a means of authentication that does not require actual contact between security personnel and passengers.

New technology detects and tracks you from the second you arrive at the airport until youre out of the arrivals hall at your destination.

More and more people are traveling by plane, so automating airport security checks makes sense. The use of biometric features is a way to identify people at airports. Biometrics measures biological patterns  such as fingerprints, iris patterns, head shape or gait.

Rather than stop every single person at an airport gate, weve developed algorithms that recognise peoples faces, based on electronic passports with a photo and ID number, says Raghavendra Ramachandra, a post doctoral fellow at NTNUs Biometrics Laboratory in Gjvik, Norway.

This technology allows recognised and identified individuals to be let through automatically. Facial recognition software is already fully developed, and soon the technology company Safran Morpho will test it at several crucial airports worldwide.

Privacy is paramount

But what happens to privacy in this situation?

Privacy is our top priority. The information on individuals movements is not stored in the databases. If someone were to hack the databases, they wouldnt be able to reconstruct the data, says Ramachandra. Face recognition is the preferred method to identify people at airports, because it is easy for users. It is a means of authentication that does not require contact. In actuality, people being identified will not notice anything. One goal of the project is to increase border control security.

Different practices on different continents

Europe has strict regulations for privacy and for how to store information about people, but this is not the case everywhere. Ramachandra says that several countries in Asia (like Aadhaar in India) have initiated programmes to collect biometric information on everyone in the country. As researchers, we try to minimise the risk of personal information going astray. Theres always the possibility of being hacked when you save information digitally, but in using biometrics we try to mitigate this risk by avoiding centralised storage, he says.

EU project

Safran Morpho demonstrated the projects facial recognition research results at the FIDELITY conference held in Brussels in December 2015.

The EU FIDELITY project ended in January 2016. Over the last four years, the project developed solutions and new proposals for fast, secure and efficient real-time authentication of individuals at border crossings.

NTNU researchers in Gjvik have been involved in developing solutions for facial recognition, iris recognition, large-scale fingerprint indexing, privacy and biometric finger vein recognition.

Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
His lawyers were basing their request on a February 5 non-binding legal opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which said Assange's confinement amounted to an arbitrary detention by Sweden and Britain. (Photo: AP)

Stockholm: Lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on Monday they had asked a Stockholm court to lift a pan-European warrant for his arrest over a 2010 rape allegation.

His lawyers were basing their request on a February 5 non-binding legal opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which said Assange's confinement amounted to an arbitrary detention by Sweden and Britain.

"I think (the opinion of the UN working group) is an important fact and should be taken into account," Tomas Olsson, a lawyer for Assange, told AFP.

"We want them to retry the decision and overrule it," he said.

The 44-year-old Australian sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in June 2012 after exhausting all his legal options in Britain against extradition to Sweden over his alleged sex crimes, which he has denied.

Appeals to have the warrant dropped were also denied.

Swedish authorities want to speak to Assange about the rape allegation dating back to 2010 and whose statute of limitations does not expire until 2020.

Assange has lived at the embassy since 2012, in a small office room with a bed, computer, sun lamp, treadmill and access to a small balcony decorated with Ecuador's flag.

Assange fears that if he were sent to Sweden, he could be extradited to the United States to be tried over the publication of hundreds of thousands of classified documents.

WikiLeaks filed a complaint against Sweden and Britain to the UN working group in September 2014, claiming his confinement in the embassy was unlawful.

Both Britain and Sweden have angrily disputed the group's findings.

Founded by Assange in 2006, WikiLeaks has infuriated the United States by releasing some 500,000 secret military files on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and 250,000 diplomatic cables.
"The people smugglers are there and they're shouting 'Turkey! Who wants to go to Turkey?'" Fatima al-Ahmed recalled, after reaching the town of Kilis on the Turkish side of the frontier. (Photo: AP)

Kilis: After a harrowing 15-hour journey by minibus, dodging gunfire and explosions, a group of Syrian refugees reached a village near Turkey, desperate to cross the recently shut border into safety.

"The people smugglers are there and they're shouting 'Turkey! Who wants to go to Turkey?'" Fatima al-Ahmed recalled, after reaching the town of Kilis on the Turkish side of the frontier.

"They are mean, violent, and only think about money. They push us like beasts, hitting the women who don't walk fast enough, even when they are carrying babies.

"It's terrible, it's the law of the jungle."

The 27-year-old woman told AFP about her clandestine escape from Aleppo to Kilis in southern Turkey a week ago -- a journey that in peacetime would have taken little more than 90 minutes.

Turkey's decision to close its border with Syria has become a boon for smugglers who are charging refugees to secretly cross over.

Like the traffickers who make thousands of dollars off each boat-load of migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Italy or the Aegean to Greece, smugglers at the Turkish border take advantage of Syrians who refuse to wait in overcrowded tent camps for Ankara to possibly open up the crossing.

Fatima, sitting at a table outside a cafe in Kilis, said she crossed the border with her two-year-old son in her arms through an opening cut in the barbed wire fence.

She had decided to flee her home in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Sakhur in eastern Aleppo, when her husband was killed a month ago in the bombing while he was out looking for food.

- 'Too many people' -

The smugglers organised them "in groups of eight, with our neighbours," she said, speaking in a soft voice.

"They helped me pay, I didn't have enough money. Before, everything was organised in Aleppo, we used smugglers we trusted.

"But now since the Russian bombing, there are too many people," she said referring to the Russian aerial bombing campaign launched in September last year in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Like others in Kilis, Fatima told how the Syrian smugglers were in constant contact, by cellphone and walkie-talkie, with the Turkish smugglers who would take charge of the refugees once they were over the border.

"They made us wait, sitting on the ground under some trees, until it was time -- the time when the Turkish soldiers who they paid are on guard and look away while we pass," she said of the clandestine journey that cost around 300 euros ($330).

That sum was too high for the family of Ahmad, a scrawny 14-year-old, who looks even younger than his age.

He was among the last to survive in the ruins of Marjeh, his battered Aleppo neighbourhood. When a barrel bomb dropped from a helicopter killed two of his brothers and wounded their father, the family piled into a truck and took off for the border.

- 'We were lucky' -

"We couldn't pay the smugglers, so we hid. We crawled up to the barbed wire fence and slipped underneath it," said the teenager with a mischievous look, who has never been to school.

"We were lucky, the Turkish police found us but since we were with a lot of children, they didn't send us back. They even called for a bus."

At Kilis, the flow of refugees has begun to slow down, a sign that the closing orders given to the Turkish guards are being adhered to more.

The price of the secret passage has risen to as high as $1,000.

And no matter the price, a planned escape sometimes just doesn't work.

Yazan Ahmad, 35, has been waiting for his parents who fled the Syrian town of Tal Rifaat, which was seized last week by Kurdish militia.

"They are in a camp just on the other side," he said. "Last night, my brother paid some smugglers to try to get them out... But they failed. The Turks fired over their heads."

Meanwhile those who are stuck in Aleppo live as prisoners of Syria's five-year civil war.

"My neighbour in Aleppo, she's alone with five children, and she's desperate," Fatima said. "I spoke to her yesterday. She was crying. She doesn't know what will happen next."
A 33-year-old Punjab Police constable was found dead with gunshot wounds at a house in northeast Delhi's New Usmanpur on Monday. It is alleged that he committed suicide, but his family members claim murder, police said.



Anuj Kumar hailed from Uttar Pradeshs Muzaffarnagar district and was posted in Chandigarh. According to police, he was in the capital to undergo treatment at a deaddiction centre.



Anuj was found dead at the house of the centre's manager, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East) Veenu Bansal.



A team from New Usmanpur police station is investigating the matter, but no case has been filed so far.



The initial probe has revealed that Anuj had developed alcohol addiction. His family members had forced him to attend a de-addiction and rehabilitation centre in Gurgaon on several occasions, another police officer said.



Anuj was on medical leave for the past four months. He was last admitted to the centre on February 17. A man named Kapil, a resident of New Usmanpur, was the manager.



Police said Anuj left the centre and went to Kapils house on Saturday. A call was made to the PCR after Anuj was found dead at 1.30 am on Sunday, the officer added.



Pistol found

A team from the local police station went to the spot and found a pistol near Kapils body. He was declared brought dead at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.



He had sustained two gunshot wounds in the head, the officer said. The body has been handed over to Anujs family after post-mortem. He is survived by his 30-year-old wife Pooja and two children  seven-year-old son and a four-month-old daughter. He had joined police in 2005.



Anujs family members claim that he has been murdered. He left the centre on Saturday, but nobody cared to inform us, Pooja said. She says that she spoke to a senior officer of the centre, named Sanjiv, but failed to get proper response.




Reason doesnt seem to have had a significant influence in the election thus far. Populism, on the other hand, has been having a good run. Despite Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders appealing to very different groups and offering seemingly different platforms, theyre both populists. Actons director of research, Samuel Gregg, has noticed a striking similarity between the populist playbook Trump and Sanders use and the rhetoric that Alexander Hamilton spoke out against in the 1780s.

Writing for The Stream, Gregg warns that Populism endangers liberty:

To be sure, populism is often fueled by legitimate dissatisfaction with the status quo. Americans have good reason to be furious with their political and economic leaders, especially those who rarely venture outside the New York-Washington DC axis. When Sanders shouts that the economic system is rigged and Trump thunders against an out-of-touch political class, they have  as no less than Charles Koch (whos very critical of both mens economic policies) has affirmed  a point. One problem, however, with Trump-Sanders-like populist rhetoric and policies is that they undermine liberty. Why? Because populists dont like those guarantees of freedom  such as the separation of powers, due process, and rule of law  that might obstruct realization of their goals. Thats why Sanders tweeted that any Supreme Court nominee of mine will make overturning Citizens United one of their first decisions, and Trump has claimed that hell do things which the president has no constitutional authority to do. Criticism of populism  and a desire to resist its corroding effects on freedom  was a central theme of the life and thought of someone else who, like Sanders and Trump, spent much of his life in New York. Alexander Hamilton is perhaps best known for giving America the financial architecture that allowed the United States to transform itself into a dynamic, capital-intensive economy. But he was also deeply skeptical of populism, seeing it as a fast road to breaking the bonds that limited government power.

After the Revolutionary War, Hamilton defended Tories who were at risk of being banished or losing property to the whims of politicians in New York. While the English had not exactly acted as saints during their occupation of New York, Hamilton feared the precedent that would be set by punishing an entire group of people without fair legal proceedings. This position made him unpopular with the politicians of the time, who catered their platforms and promises to the fickle wishes of voters, but ultimately behooved the nation. What we want in the short term isnt necessarily a good idea individually and almost certainly isnt a good idea for the nation as a whole in the long term. A constitutional republic is intentionally created in order to restrain these ever changing emotions in order to keep liberty secure.

Voters today would do well to take in Hamiltons wisdom:

Hamilton understood that human beings can be passionate, even fickle, and dont always see whats in their long-term interest. Hence, one of the responsibilities of politicians in constitutional democracies is to temper this state of affairs by thinking about the nations common good and then making the case to their fellow citizens. It isnt easy. Even the strongest, most reasonable arguments often wont be enough to counter the hysteria pedaled by populists. In an age, however, in which populism increasingly prevails in the American public square, we desperately need many more Alexander Hamiltons and far fewer Donald Trumps and Bernie Sanders.

Read Alexander Hamiltons Warning to Fans of Trump and Sanders: Populism Endangers Liberty in its entirety at The Stream.
The five absconding JNU students who have resurfaced on the campus claimed on Monday that they did now show up earlier as they feared being lynched by a mob.



The students are wanted by police in conncetion with the controversial February 9 incident in which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.



Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) general secretary Rama Naga said he stayed in different parts of Delhi before deciding to show up on the campus on Monday.



He said he had been framed in the case. When asked about his decision to go in hiding, former JNUSU president Ashutosh Kumar told reporters, I live in peoples heart. If we had to be on the run, I would have headed out to a jungle. He alleged that police raided girls hostel on February 12, when the incumbent student union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on charges of sedition.



Alleged organisers of the event  Ashutosh, Rama Naga, Umar Khalid, Anant Prakash Narayan and Anirban Bhattacharya  said they will not resist arrest, but will not themselves surrender.



A look-out notice was issued for at least three of the five accused who showed up on campus. ABVP alleged that the Left-leaning JNU teachers gave shelter to the accused students.



On the morning after they made a public appearance at the administrative block, private security guards formed a human chain to shield them from the media glare.



A lecture on nationalism was conducted later on Monday evening, which was attended by hundreds of students. The campus is debating the pre-colonial sedition law, under which JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on February 12, as part of a week-long lecture series addressed by eminent scholars.



JNUSU joint secretary Saurabh Kumar Sharma, an ABVP member, said, We are very certain that these students are hiding in residences of professors on campus. We demand an enquiry into the same and the teachers supporting these students should also be penalised by the university.



The accused students who surfaced on the campus on late Sunday evening claimed they were framed using a doctored video.



Last night they suddenly emerged on campus and proudly addressed rallies. A huge gathering of students and teachers even lauded them, Sharma said.



We demand that the vice chancellor intervenes in this regard and direct the five students to surrender before police. We want JNU administration, varsity security and police to devise a strategy on how that could be facilitated without disrupting the peace on campus, he added.

The ABVP also alleged that some faculty members have links to Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.



We have received information that around 10 JNU teachers have links with the ISI agent Ghulam Nabi Fai. These faculty members are also pressurising students to support Umar Khalid and others misusing their position. A inquiry should be done against such faculty members, said Alok Singh, president ABVP JNU unit.
Commuters in south Delhi Munirka area were given saplings on the occasion of fifth car-free day on Monday to check air pollution. The Aam Aadmi Party government launched a plantation drive to observe the fifth edition of this initiative.



The sixth car-free day will be organised in northeast Delhis Loni area. At around 8 am, the car-free day kicked off with a cycle rally led by AAPs Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti on Vivekanand Marg in south Delhis Munirka on Monday. The cycle rally took off from Munirka bus stand.



Many south Delhi residents took part in the fifth car-free day which started from 8 am and continued till 4 pm between Munirka T-point and Hayat Hotel T-point on Vivekanand Marg in Munirka area.



The Delhi governments environment department said that Delhiites should also aim to increase the green cover across the city.



Besides checking the rising pollution, we should try to plant as many tress as possible, said an official while distributing saplings to the participants of the anti-pollution drive.



Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai said from now onwards the environment department will distribute saplings among general public on every car-free day.



The fourth car-free day was observed on a six-km stretch from north Delhis Vishwavidyalaya to Chhatrasal Stadium.
The city has been facing water crisis due to the negligence of the Aam Aadmi Party government and even the Supreme Court has reprimanded it saying it has not taken any administrative action in this regard, said Delhi BJP unit President Satish Upadhyay on Monday.



The water crisis in Delhi arising out of the ongoing agitations in Haryana has once again proved that the Kejriwal government lacks experience to deal with such situations. By declaring one day holiday in schools across the city, the AAP government has tried to spread an imaginative terror, he added.



He also said that there was no need to close schools across Delhi on Monday. Despite opposition by the teachers unions, the Kejriwal government forced one day holiday in all government and private schools. But the double standards of the AAP government could be seen in this case as well. A MLA of the AAP party Raghuvender Shokeen and his wife Mrs Manisha Shokeen run a public school in Nihal Vihar. This school was not closed on like other schools today. It may be mentioned that this school was in news in July last year for beating a student by the principal.



But when the government issued an order to close all schools then how come the school of his MLA Raghuvender Shokeen remained opened? Does it show that he does not care for anybody. We want to know from the Kejriwal government if it will take any action against this school?



Upadhyay said that the Kejriwal government neither contacted Haryana government for continuous supply of water from Munak Canal nor it talked to the UP and Uttrakhand governments for making alternative arrangements.



Since Friday, the government has been telling people that it will request the Supreme Court to intervene in the matter. An atmosphere was created that the Supreme Court has some administrative button which will release water from Haryana to Delhi. Today when this case was raised before the apex court made it clear that Delhi government has not taken any administrative action in this regard, he said.



Upadhyay added that for the last two days the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was making appeals to people to conserve water but his own governments functionary had a water tanker stationed outside her house.



On the one hand the CM was misleading people by saying that he will use as less water as possible, on the other hand his secretary Ms Ashwati pressurised the DJB to supply a water tanker at her official residence. The officers in her neighbourhood did not get even a drop of water for past two days.
A defiant BJP legislator O P Sharma refused to apologise before the Delhi Assemblys Ethics Committee on Monday even as the panel put off by two days its decision to recommend his expulsion from the House over misbehaviour.



Due to absence of two members of the Ethics Committee on Monday the final decision to send the recommendation for expulsion of Sharma to Speaker Ram Niwas Goel could not be taken up, said sources.



The panel postponed its meeting till Wednesday for taking the key decision for penalising Sharma for using derogatory language against a lawmaker, said sources.



AAP functionaries said the Ethics Committee during its meeting took note of the fact that Sharma had ignored five opportunities given to him to apologise for his remarks against Chandni Chowk legislator Alka Lamba during the Assembly proceedings in November 2015.



Before sending their recommendation to Speaker Ram Niwas Goel for expulsion of Sharma, the committee also took on record the fact that despite several opportunities Sharma did not offer any regret for this remarks.



Goel is likely to forward the committees suggestion to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. Sharma said the committee is biased against him.



Why should I apologise for something I have not done. The whole episode around the allegations that I used derogatory words against AAP legislator Alka Lamba is a gimmick, he said.



I praised the legislators visits to night shelters late in the night and my critics are trying to read too much into my appreciation for Lamba, said Sharma, referring to the ruckus his comment caused in the Assembly in November.



Apart from difference in interpretation of my remark, the AAP-dominated panel is trying to punish me for something for which I have already faced action like suspension from the session, he said. The insecure AAP government wants to reduce the BJPs strength in the Assembly from three to two, he said.



He said the report of the Ethics Committee would end up gathering dust like the nearly dozen wasteful Bills passed by the AAP government.



The Vishwas Nagar legislator, who was also involved in controversy over allegedly beating up JNU student sympathisers at a court last week, said he had full faith in the Constitution and his membership of the Assembly was safe due to the multiple remedies he has despite the adverse recommendation of he committee.



The 10-member committee headed by Badarpur legislator N D Sharma also described O P Sharma as a habitual offender.



Members of the committee were tight-lipped about the developments on Monday and cited the need to maintain secrecy about its contents till it is tabled in the House.



One member hinted about the outcome by saying, O P Sharma did not apologise despite the last opportunity given to him.



Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta of the BJP slammed the Ethics Committees action. The recommendation against Sharma is prejudicial. The working of the Ethics Committee is influenced by vengeance against the BJP. He was not impartially heard during the proceedings of the committee, he said.
A landmark truce is to take effect in Syria on Saturday, the United States and Russia announced, but the "cessation of hostilities" does not include the Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front, the main jihadist factions.





The leading opposition group in the five-year conflict gave its conditional acceptance to today's announcement, but Israel said it was sceptical the deal would hold, and analysts warned any pause in the fighting would be dependent on Russia, Iran and President Bashar al-Assad.



The announcement came a day after the deadliest jihadist attack in Syria's brutal civil war, with 134 people - mostly civilians - killed in a series of blasts near Damascus.



In a joint statement, Washington and Moscow said the partial truce would begin at midnight Damascus time, suspending a vicious conflict that has left more than 260,000 people dead and seen half the population displaced.

"If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people," US Secretary of State John Kerry said.



US President Barack Obama and Russia's President Vladimir Putin discussed the deal by phone, the White House said.



"This is a moment of opportunity and we are hopeful that all the parties will capitalise on it," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.

Putin said Moscow would do "whatever is necessary" to ensure Damascus respects the agreement.

"We are counting on the United States to do the same with its allies and the groups that it supports," he said.



The two global powers are pursuing separate air wars in Syria, with Russia pounding rebel targets and a US-led coalition focused on IS jihadists.



UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the deal a "long-awaited signal of hope", and urged all sides to abide by it.

There was no immediate reaction from Damascus, but the main grouping of opposition factions said it "agreed to respond positively to international efforts to reach a truce deal".



Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said he was sceptical that the ceasefire would succeed. "It is difficult for me to see a ceasefire while Daesh (the Islamic State group) and Al-Nusra Front (the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate) are not part of the process and the Russians say they will strike both organisations," he said in a statement.



The rise of IS, which has seized large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq and become the preeminent global jihadist group, has focused attention on the need for a solution. Analysts also had reservations about the deal.




In his petition, Kanhaiya has contended that he was 'falsely implicated' in the case as he had not raised any anti-national slogan.



The JNUSU leader claimed that he was wrongly arrested on the basis of an FIR which was devoid of evidence to book him under such a serious charge.



Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 and remanded to judicial custody on February 17, amid violence at Patiala House courts.



In the plea, he has also claimed that no case is made out against him as there was no evidence as he had never raised any anti-national slogan during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru university (JNU) on February 9.



Kanhaiya, who is in judicial custody till March 2, had approached the apex court directly seeking bail on the ground that his life was under threat in Tihar Jail.



Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Rebecca John and advocates Vrinda Grover and Sushil Bajaj were inside the court room representing Kanhaiya in the hearing which lasted for around 10 minutes.



The hearing of the bail plea witnessed unprecedented security arrangement in the high court premises in wake of the violence at the Patiala House Court on February 15 and 17 when unruly lawyers had assaulted Kanhaiya, litigants as well as journalists during the hearing in the case.



Kanhaiya had moved his bail plea in the high court following the direction of the Supreme Court which had refused to hear it on the ground that it will set a "dangerous precedent".



In his petition, Kanhaiya has contended that he was 'falsely implicated' in the case as he had not raised any anti-national slogan.



The JNUSU leader claimed that he was wrongly arrested on the basis of an FIR which was devoid of evidence to book him under such a serious charge.



Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 and remanded to judicial custody on February 17, amid violence at Patiala House courts.



In the plea, he has also claimed that no case is made out against him as there was no evidence as he had never raised any anti-national slogan during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru university (JNU) on February 9.



Kanhaiya, who is in judicial custody till March 2, had approached the apex court directly seeking bail on the ground that his life was under threat in Tihar Jail.



Delhi High Court today directed the city police to file by tomorrow a status report of its investigation in the sedition case in which JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested.The court's direction came while hearing Kanhaiya's bail plea which was opposed by Delhi Police. As soon as the hearing commenced before Justice Pratibha Rani at 10.30 AM, the bench said, "Are you filing a status report? If you were aware, you should have done it."Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the police, told the bench that they were opposing the bail plea of Kanhaiya.At this juncture, the bench said, "What about the status report. If you do not have the status report, I will not proceed. Ask your investigating officer to file the report."ASG Mehta, however, told the bench that they will file the status report in a sealed cover as "this is a pre-charge sheet bail and the status report cannot be shown to the accused."To this, the bench observed, "I do not need it in a sealed cover. You will have to file it. Issue notice. File the status report by tomorrow."The bench, however, clarified that the status report will be limited to the extent of bail only. As the matter commenced, senior standing counsel of Delhi government advocate Rahul Mehra opposed the appearance of ASGs Mehta and Sanjay Jain and lawyer Anil Soni, saying before appearing in the matter they should show notification in this regard."If they don't have the same (notification) they cannot stand on their legs before this court," Mehra told the bench.Responding to this, ASG Jain said, "Once the ASGs are appearing in this matter, you have no business to interfere in this issue."At this stage, the bench intervened and said, "Let's not fight over this issue. I will proceed only if status report is filed."Advocate Mehra, however, said, "They have crossed the 'laxman rekha' and I will not allow this unless the court passes an order. I am appointed by the full court reference of this high court."Mehra also contended that the status report in this matter has to be filed by the Delhi Police Commissioner and he has to clarify his stand as he had earlier said that the police will not oppose Kanhaiya's bail plea.Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Rebecca John and advocates Vrinda Grover and Sushil Bajaj were inside the court room representing Kanhaiya in the hearing which lasted for around 10 minutes.The hearing of the bail plea witnessed unprecedented security arrangement in the high court premises in wake of the violence at the Patiala House Court on February 15 and 17 when unruly lawyers had assaulted Kanhaiya, litigants as well as journalists during the hearing in the case.Kanhaiya had moved his bail plea in the high court following the direction of the Supreme Court which had refused to hear it on the ground that it will set a "dangerous precedent".


"Rajni Sir, I'm not a star, but just one of your countless fans Thalaiva @superstarrajini. Proud to be your fan!," he wrote.



For Sachin, Shah Rukh tweeted, "Sachin: Aila @sachin_rt Umpire kuch bhi kahe, mere liye toh u wil always b not-out! I am ur Fan. Jai Maharashtra!"



"Khaike paan banaraswala, suno ab @ManojTiwariMP ke voice mein Fan ka gaana!," Shah Rukh wrote introducing the Bhojpuri version. "Fan", directed by Maneesh Sharma, will hit theatres on April 15.



With his "Fan" anthem being released in six different languages, Shah Rukh Khan says the song is an ode to his idols Mahatma Gandhi, Sachin Tendulkar, Rajinikanth and Yash Chopra.The song "Jabra Fan", which debuted its Hindi version last week, has now been recorded in six more languages -- Bengali, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Marathi, Tamil and Gujarati.The 50-year-old actor said the whole nation and world is fan of Gandhiji besides him. "Gandhiji, The Father of the Nation is also the worlds biggest star. The whole nation & the world is his fan!," he tweeted along with the link of the song's Gujarati version.Shah Rukh, who is the proud owner of Kolkata Knight Riders and the state's brand ambassador too, said he is an admirer of the city of joy."City of joy, city of KKR & the city that still has the old world charm. Kolkata, aami tomake bhalo bashi! Ur fan," he wrote with the Bengali link of the song.Sharing the Punjabi version, the "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" star remembered Chopra and said he is his "ethernal fan"."Yash ji, no one has shown the purity of Punjabi culture like you did. This one's for you. I'm your eternal fan!."Shah Rukh, who earlier paid tribute to Rajinikanth in "Chennai Express", said he is proud to be a fan of the Tamil superstar.
Congress today said the President's address in Parliament was a "big disappointment" and there was "nothing new" to offer to the public.





"There was nothing new in the speech. It was full of slogans like 'sabka saath, sabka vikas'. There was nothing which will give any relief to the people. The atmosphere is tense in the country. There was nothing on this and also no mention of tension with neighbouring countries," Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said outside Parliament.



He said, "Every thing is cliche, same thing we are hearing again and again. It is a big disappointment."



"There are other problems like price rise, problems with neighbouring countries. There was nothing on these issues," he said.



On Swachh and Swasth Bharat campaigns, the Congress leader said, "We are hearing this for the last one year and 10 months. Even Swachh cess has been collected but nothing is visible on the ground. You will find filth in every nook and corner."



President Pranab Mukherjee today addressed the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament, outlining the government's agenda in the coming financial year.



Reacting to Shukla's comment, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "We do not need a certificate from Congress. We have to get it from the people of India and people have given us certificate that we are working on the right direction."






The Find HOPE Here Project will have its 1st annual General Meeting, "Hope for the Homeless in West Alabama" on Saturday, April 2, from 2-5 p.m.at Rosedale Baptist Church at 2424 28th St. in Tuscaloosa. This event is open to the public.

Some 70 local and state leaders have been personally invited. Attendees will have the opportunity to sign up for several volunteer activities, including the upcoming summer Bucket of Hope project. The press is invited. All requests for interviews and photographs should be directed to Jennifer Champion at info@hopeisnotlost.net or (205) 657-3824.

Introduction by Founder and Executive director, Jennifer Champion

Music performance by professional Christian artist, Buddy Causey

"A Bucket of HOPE" outreach program presented by co-founder and director, Patrick Champion.

"The Refuge", reveal of the plans for a future homeless shelter in Northport, AL.

Tour of the HOPE Gallery featuring more than 100 pieces of artwork centered on the topic of "hope" by local elementary and high school students. Artwork will be awarded ribbons and certificates in recognition of participation.

Refreshments will be served in the gallery.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), a panel of independent human rights experts, has pulled up the Swedish and British governments for the arbitrary detention of WikiLeaks founder-editor Julian Assange. It has called on them to restore his freedom of movement immediately and compensate him for the deprivation of liberty. Assange was accused of raping a woman in Sweden in August 2010. In December that year, he was arrested in the UK and since then has been detained there in one form or another. He was held in solitary confinement and then house arrest. Over the past three years, he is confined to the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Assange fears that if he is extradited to Sweden, he will be handed over to the US, where authorities will jail him for his publication of US military documents and diplomatic cables that reveal its diplomatic manoeuvrings, involving among other things its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 35-year jail term given to the US whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who provided Wikileaks with the secret documents, underlies Assanges fear that a similar fate awaits him in the US, forcing him to seek asylum in the Ecuador embassy.



Assanges critics accuse him of evading Swedish law. He has not as he has repeatedly expressed willingness to being questioned in his London refuge by Swedish authorities or over webcam. As the UN panel has pointed out, it is the Swedish and British governments that have displayed substantial failure to exercise due diligence. It is five years since Swedish prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Assange. Not only are they yet to press charges against him but also, they havent showed him the evidence collected against him. Neither have they given him a chance to respond. It is not the rape allegation that drives their harassment of Assange. This is a mere fig leaf being used to conceal their attempt to silence and punish him for embarrassing them.



The UN ruling is not binding. The harsh response of British and Swedish authorities indicates that they have no intention of heeding the panels call. It means that Assanges arbitrary detention can be expected to continue. This is a pity as it provides British and Swedish authorities with an opportunity to undo past mistakes. The ruling is a moral victory for Assange and for millions of activists worldwide who are campaigning for greater transparency and accountability in the way governments function. Importantly, it is an endorsement of the right to free speech and due process.


Indias overseas gold purchases are likely to hit a more than two-year low in February, as rising prices and hopes for a cut in import taxes keep buyers away, industry sources said.





While lower purchases by the worlds second-biggest consumer could dent the current rally in global bullion prices, it would mean relief for the government which has been struggling to curb gold imports that cost the country $36 billion in 2015. Indias imports of the metal are expected to drop to 25 tonnes in February, according to a median of estimates from five industry participants, including bank dealers and traders.



That would be about 67 per cent below month-ago levels and the lowest since September 2013, when arrivals were hit by a government mandate to export a fifth of all gold imports.

Global spot gold prices hit a one-year peak of $1,260.60 an ounce this month amid volatile financial markets, and are currently at $1,216. Prices have risen 15 per cent over two months, their biggest such rally since August 2011.
The number of policemen in service across the country has decreased by 1,685 in 2015 compared to the previous year even as 24 per cent of the posts remained vacant, a latest government report showed.



This has left the police forces in a situation where they have only 139 personnel for a lakh population, when the standard set by United Nations is way above at 220 police per lakh population. The figure for the United States is 256 while that of United Kingdom is 307 and Pakistan 207.



The latest Data on Police Organisation showed that there are 5.42 lakh vacancies as on January 1, 2015 in police forces across the country at a time there were 22.63 lakh sanctioned positions. States could fill only 17.21 lakh personnel while it had 17.22 lakh strength as on January 1, 2014.



The report prepared by the Bureau of Police Research and Development showed that Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of vacancies at 1.99 lakh followed by West Bengal with 45,430 posts where there are no personnel. Karnataka also finds itself in the top-five list with 33,307 vacancies while Bihar has 41,696 and Gujarat 26,110. The vacancies are adding to the burden of police forces in the country as personnel are forced to work without a break and affecting the efficiency in policing. A government-sponsored study had last year said that 75 per cent of police personnel claim they rarely manage to get a weekly off while Inspectors acknowledge that their subordinates work more than 11 hours a day.



Among the vacancies, the highest are among lower levels. There are 3.61 lakh vacancies in the post of Constables while it is a little over one lakh in Head Constable rank.

There are 24,710 posts vacant in the rank of Assistant Sub Inspector, 47,271 in Sub Inspector and 5,527 among Inspectors.



In the state intelligence apparatus, there are 11,102 vacancies while the sanctioned strength is 39,375. Ninety per cent of these vacancies are in the lower ranks between Constables and Inspectors.



There are 3,578 vacancies in Constable rank in intelligence apparatus in the state police forces, 1,950 in Head Constable, 1,121 Assistant Sub Inspectors, 3,491 Sub Inspectors and 643 Inspectors.




The powerful Naga Students Federation (NSF) said that vehicles owned and registered in Manipur would not be allowed to enter Naga inhabited areas spread over the two states of Nagaland and Manipur from Wednesday.





The decision is aimed at pressuring the Manipur government to take action against security personnel who allegedly harassed NSF members during their visit to Imphal.



We will stop entry of all Manipur vehicles into Naga populated areas unless action is taken against the police commandos who harassed our activists on February 15, said Nagaland-based NSF president Subenthing Kigam.



The NSF said its members, who were on their way to Ukhrul district in Manipur to attend the Lui Ngai Ni  the seed sowing festival of the Nagas in Manipur, were intercepted at Mantri Pukhri near Imphal.



The NSF later submitted a memorandum to Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on February 16 alleging the Manipur Police commandos harassed its delegates, snatched their mobile phones and unnecessarily detained them.




Shouting slogans against the institutional killing of Rohith Vemula and the high-handedness of the BJP government at the Centre, thousands of students and teachers from various universities marched from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar here on Tuesday.





Rohith, a research scholar of University of Hyderabad, had committed suicide on January 17, after he was suspended with other Dalit students in September 2015, following a clash with a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.



The protesters also demanded the release of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested on charges of sedition. The father of Umar Khalid, the JNU student wanted by police, shared the dais at Jantar Mantar, where Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi also put in an appearance.



As protesters passed Gole Market, schoolchildren and passers-by cheered. The marchers spoke on a range of issues during the protest.



Apart from Rahul Gandhi, politicians like D Raja, Brinda Karat and Arvind Kejriwal also joined the rally. Rohiths mother was also joined the protesters.



Demanding laws to ensure that college and university students dont face discrimination on campus, Rahul accused the BJP-led government for crushing the voice of the youth. Rohit Vemula was a symbol of Indias future and his voice was crushed and buried. This is happening in universities across the country and students voices are being muted, he said.



Khalid, wanted by police for questioning in a sedition case, stayed put at the JNU campus. His father shared the dais with student leaders. Khalids father joined the march today because he felt empathy with Rohiths mother. Like Rohiths family, his family is also being targeted. He is branded as the father of an anti-national. He came today to register his protest against the witch-hunting which is going on these days, said Mohit, a JNU student and an activist of the All India Students Association (AISA).


Actor Dilip Kumar was on Tuesday acquitted by a Mumbai magistrate court in an 18-year-old cheque bouncing case.





The 94-year-old actor, however, because of age-related problems and health condition, could not be present in the courtroom when the magistrates court at Girgaum acquitted him.



On Monday, Dilip Kumars wife Saira Banu has sent out a series of tweets, about the case and health update about the actor  Breaks my heart to inform @TheDilipKumar fans.



tomm, Tuesday, 18-yr-old court case in which Saab has been associated,will be up for judgement hearing at 14 Met. Magistrate court, Girgaum, presided by Hon. Magistrate BS Kharade... At 94 yrs, Saabs health is delicate, facing neurological problems, yet Saab has never prayed for case adjournment, hope serious consternation n stress caused dont affect his condition further. Saab needs peace n rest. I seek your prayers n support.



The case dates back to 1998 when Dilip Kumar was a honorary director of a company, which has raised funds from various sources.



There were four accused in the concerned case, out of which two have been convicted and two acquitted.



The case filed by Smita Shroff against Geekay Exim India Ltd and its 20 directors including the actor. According to the complainant, she had invested Rs 45 lakh in the company and was liable to get Rs 57.61 lakh in return. However, when a cheque was issued to her by the company, it was dishonoured following which Shroff filed a case.
 Updated: YWCA in Jerusalem Removes Hate-filled Lenten Reflection from Website | Main | Washington Post's Singling Out of Israel is in the Bag 

February 22, 2016

Palestinian Officials Seeking Greater Ties with Iran



The Palestinian Authority (PA) is hoping to upgrade its ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

According to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), a non-profit organization that translates Arab media in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), the Gaza Strip and eastern Jerusalem, the PA is making a concerted effort to court Tehran.

PMW notes that PA President Mahmoud Abbas sent a letter to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani offering congratulations on the 37th anniversary of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, Feb. 11, 2016. Abbas Zaki, a central committee member of Fatah, the movement that dominates the PA, traveled to Iran to celebrate the anniversary. On his way to the Islamic Republic, Zaki stopped at the Iranian embassy in Amman, Jordan to celebrate.

Once in Iran, Zaki told Lebanese TV station Al-Mayadeen (which claims objectivity but reportedly reflects Syrian and Iran governmental views): Iran is treating the Palestinian cause as an internal [Iranian] causeIran should be available for its primary mission, which is Palestine.?

Previous statements by Zaki seem to indicate that the primary mission,? as the Fatah leader may conceive it, it is the destruction of the Jewish state.

On March 12, 2014 Zaki said, Israelis have no religion and no principles. They are nothing but advanced tools for evilAllah will gather them so that we can kill them.?

As CAMERA has noted (Pragmatic and Self-Critical Palestinian Official Claims the U.S. Created ISIS (Again),? Jan. 20, 2016) Zaki, once called self-critical? by The Washington Post and pragmatic? by The New York Times, has claimed that the United States created the terrorist group ISIS.

PMW reports that speaking to Al-Mayadeen, Zaki extolled the virtues of the theocratic, totalitarian dictatorship in Tehran:

This anniversary has significance for us Palestinians, as it influenced life in Iran and the entire region, and created changes which still exist in the consciousness and in politicswe need to update them [Iran] about it [the Palestinian cause], especially since Iran is a key player in the Middle East.?

Perhaps referring to role of Iranian-backed terrorist groups like Hamas (the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement) and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Zaki then claimed that Palestinian Arabs are firefighters in the case of conflicts here or there.? Hamas and PIJ are sometime rivals of the PA and its ruling Fatah bloc.

PMW notes that a visit by Palestinian officials to Iran was talked about by PA President Abbas last August. At the time, Abbas said PA-Iranian relations havent been good.? According to a PMW translation of PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Abbas said Tehran would welcome a visit by Palestinian officials and the possibility of improved relations especially after the nuclear agreement between Iran and the countries of the world has been achieved.?

According to the U.S. State Department, Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism, including backing groups that call for Israels destruction like Hamas, Hezbollah, PIJ and Al-Sabireen, among others. In January 2016, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged that some of the estimated $100 billion or more in sanctions relief given to Iran as part of the agreement between the United States, China, Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Iran over the latters presumed and if confirmed illegal nuclear weapons program is likely to go to terrorism.

Perhaps with these funds in mind, Zaki told Al-Hayat Al-Jadida in August 2015 that he would go to Iran to prepare for a future visit by Abbas. The development of our ties with Iran is an inevitable step if we want to confront the Israeli occupation,? Zaki said.

Zaki did not specify who he expected to foot the bill for such a confrontation.? Sometimes travel itineraries speak louder than words.

Posted by SD at February 22, 2016 04:52 PM

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With none of the parties getting majority in 11 of the 30 Zilla Panchayats (ZP) and several of Taluk Panchayats (TPs), the ruling Congress on Tuesday said it was ready to join hands with the JD(S) to hold the reins of power.



Speaking to reporters, KPCC president G Parameshwara said possibility of an alliance depends on the willingness on part of the JD(S) to cooperate with the Congress. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and himself will soon hold a discussion and chalk out a broad framework of the alliance, he added.



None of the three major political parties of the Congress, the BJP and the JD(S) has been able to get a clear majority in 11 ZPs. As a result, the JD(S) is in demand in a majority of these ZPs. Mysuru, Kolar, Tumakuru, Shivamogga, Dharwad, Raichur, Bengaluru Urban, Yadgir, Bagalkot, Vijayapura and Belagavi are the hung ZPs.



The Congress and the JD(S) joining hands to hold the reins of power in ZPs and TPs is nothing new in the State. The two parties had formed an alliance after the 2011 panchayat polls and controlled the administration of many ZPs and TPs, including Bengaluru Urban ZP, which had got hung results.



The two parties are currently holding the reins of administration in Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike by forming an alliance.



Parameshwara said the final decision to form an alliance with the JD(S) will be left to the local leaders. The respective district incharge minister, party legislators and senior leaders will take a decision after looking into the pros and cons of an alliance.



Cabinet rejig



Though Parameshwara did not rule out the possibility of revamping the State council of ministers, he said the decision in this regard was left to the Chief Minister.



As the State party president, I have not yet discussed about revamping the council of ministers with the chief minister. It is left to the discretion of the chief minister, he added.

Asked about the Congress failing to win the ZP of his home district Tumakuru, he admitted that the party should have done better there. The Congress has faced defeat even in Koratagere, which Parameshwara used to represent. Of the four ZP seats in Koratagere, the Congress has won only one.



The JD(S), however, is playing the card close to its chest. The party leaders, JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda and State president H D Kumaraswamy, chose not speak on the Congress' offer for an alliance.



Dist leaders to take call on pact: BJP



State BJP president Pralhad Joshi has described the results of the taluk and zilla panchayat as inspiring for the party. He said that the party would leave it to the district leaders on taking support from like-minded candidates for gaining power at zilla and taluk panchayats, reports DHNS from New Delhi.



Though the party has won more seats in several places, still it is short of numbers for the formation of the local body. In such cases, the party has asked the local leaders to take decision on their own to form alliance with like-minded party or seek help from independent candidates,he said. He said the results proved that the people of Karnataka have rejected the administration of the Siddaramaiah-led government.



Break-up of seats in 30 zilla panchayats



Congress secured a majority in 10 ZPs, the BJP in seven and the JD(S) managed to wrest control of two ZPs. Hung verdict was witnessed in as many as 11 of the 30 ZPs which went to polls in two phases earlier this month. Election to the posts of the president and the vice president decides the ruling party in the panchayat body. If two candidates secure an equal number of votes - which is possible in places where two parties have equal strength - the winner will be decided through a draw of lots.
In a major setback to the Congress, the ruling party managed to bag majority only in 10 of the 30 Zilla Panchayats (ZPs) that went to polls recently, while 11 ZPs threw up a hung verdict.



The BJP managed to win in seven ZPs and the JD(S) wrested control of just two ZPs, as counting of votes was taken up simultaneously across the state on Tuesday.



In the 2011 polls, the Congress and JD(S) secured majority in four ZPs each, while the BJP had bagged 12 ZPs. The verdict was fractured in 10 ZPs. Ahead of the polls, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Home Minister and KPCC president G Parameshwara, went on record stating that the party will win in at least 20 ZPs.



But the Congress was not even able to retain its hold in Mysuru and Tumakuru ZPs, the home turf of Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara, respectively. The verdict is split in these ZPs. A solace for the party is that it managed to make inroads into the JD(S) stronghold of Ramanagara by winning a majority in the ZP, and improved its performance in Uttara Kannada, Gadag and Belagavi.



Siddaramaiah admitted that the Congress performance was not up to the mark. Though we had good expectations the results have not been very encouraging. We expected to bag 16 to 20 ZP seats, he said.



Pressure on CM

The results has also put pressure on the chief minister to go in for the long-pending Cabinet reshuffle and weed out non-performing ministers, a demand of the Congress old guard. Siddaramaiah said he will go in for Cabinet reshuffle after the Budget session.

The BJP camp was happy with the results patting their own back while stating that it was an impressive performance for a party in the Opposition in a local body election.

The BJP has regained its lost base in these elections by bagging both Dakshina Kannada and Udupi ZPs. The party also seems to be making a comeback in Ballari, where it was losing ground.



On its part, the JD(S) has managed to retain only Hassan and Mandya ZPs, but has the potential of emerging as the kingmaker in several of the 11 ZPs with a hung verdict.

Seat-wise break-up of the ZP polls put the Congress at the top slot with 498 of the total 1,083 seats, followed by the BJP with 408 seats and the JD(S) with 148.



The taluk panchayats (TPs) witnessed a more close fight. Of the 175 TPs, the Congress and the BJP bagged majority in 56 TPs each and the JD(S) in 20 TPs. As many as 43 TPs witnessed a fractured verdict.


After eight days of violence which claimed 18 lives, strife-torn Haryana is now slowly limping back to normalcy.



The mob fury and protests subsided on Tuesday as blockades on several state and national highways were lifted, clearing the way for vehicular traffic. No major incident of violence, vandalism or arson was reported on Tuesday.



The Chandigarh-Delhi national highway was opened for traffic as protesters returned home from many places where they had camped for days.



Politicians, however, were at the receiving end in Rohtak. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was heckled by angry residents who interrupted his speech. The residents shouted out their demands and asked the chief minister to make an announcement on the spot.



Former chief minister B S Hooda, too, met with the same fate. Furious residents hurled shoes at his vehicle while he was on a visit to his home turf, accompanied by son and MP Deepinder Hooda. The leaders also faced unsavory sloganeering. Reports stated that some Congress leaders were also beaten during a peace meeting of the communities and swiftly exited looking for cover.



Still on high alert

Curfew in many trouble-torn areas was lifted, but continues to be in effect in some areas as a precautionary measure, including at Bhiwani.



Security agencies continue to be on high-alert with indications of a sabotage to disrupt peace in the region. The agitation also appears to be fast spilling over to pockets in neighbouring Rajasthan, where the protest now threatens to turn violent.



In several areas, markets partially opened, but schools in all troubled areas remained closed. State roadways resumed service on some routes. People are now left to count their loses as hotels, shopping complexes, shops, schools, industries, colleges and university campuses have all been targets of the mob that went berserk.



The government has issued instructions to insurance companies to release compensation amounts within 15 days.



Many areas in strife-hit districts wore a near deserted look. Military columns continue to stay in riot-affected areas even after four days.



Columns of the Kharga Corps of the Western Command are now deployed in Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Kaithal, Rohtak and Bavana, and flag marches are being conducted along all sensitive areas in these districts to prevent any untoward incident and instil confidence among the people.





The army has also been involved in helping out the stranded passengers, particularly the aged, to safer places. Rapid deployment of Internal Security Columns was done by employing helicopters.



The Army said it restored supply of water to the national capital by taking control of the important regulators along the Munak canal. The Army is carrying out intensive patrolling along the stretches of the canal.








The police have arrested a man on the charge of sexually assaulting a 35-year-old woman.





According to the police, the suspect Munireddy alias Mahesh, an employee of a private Direct-to-Home (DTH) service company, went to the victims house on the pretext of repairing the television antenna. He found the victim alone at home, sexually assaulted her and fled the spot.



The victim informed her family members who approached the police and lodged a complaint. The police traced the suspect and arrested him. Mahesh confessed to the crime, the Cottonpet police said.


 UCC and Disciples Do The Right Thing, Delete Hateful Lenten Document | Main | Thoughtful Time Magazine Story Offers Insight on Looming Gaza Tunnel Campaign 

February 23, 2016

Reuters Relays Palestinian Claims as Fact

A Reuters article about the demolition of the homes of 2 Palestinian terrorists who murdered several innocent civilians -- Israelis, an American and a Palestinian -- adopted the Palestinian position about recent violence.

While the article presented both the Israeli claim that such demolitions serve as a deterrence to would-be terrorists and the Palestinian claim that the demolitions are collective punishment, when it came to explaining the recent wave of Palestinian terrorist stabbings, shootings, slayings and rioting, the article relayed the Palestinian position as fact, not claim. It asserted that:

The recent violence has been stoked by various factors, including a dispute over Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound and the failure of several rounds of peace talks to secure the Palestinians an independent state in Israeli-occupied territory.

This indirect shifting of the blame for violence onto Israel may be what the Palestinian leadership claims, but it is not what the Israeli leadership believes and is certainly not a given fact, as the article suggests. It is not an agreed upon fact that the failure of peace talks is what motivates terrorists to kill innocent cvilians, or that Israelis visiting the "al Aqsa mosque compound" has caused Palestinians to attack Israelis with knives and guns. Indeed, Israelis view the "al Aqsa mosque compound", otherwise known as "The Temple Mount," as the holiest site in Judaism and they cling to their right under the status quo to visit, just like members of any other faith. Israelis do not see this as the issue stoking Palestinian violence, despite efforts by the Palestinian leadership to claim it is.

Although the article's last paragraph notes that "Israel says young Palestinians are being incited to violence by their leaders and by Islamist groups calling for Israel's destruction." this is presented as a "claim" by Israel, unlike the earlier paragraph where the Palestinian position is presented as fact.

It is just these sort of subtle difference that can tinge an article with bias and skew the story toward one side's position.

Posted by RH at February 23, 2016 12:53 PM

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Smashburger is doubling down on casinos.

The Denver-based fast-casual burger chain plans to open restaurants at Harrahs Laughlin, in Laughlin, Nev., and the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, in the spring and fall, respectively.

The new additions would bring Smashburgers casino-based locations to four. The chain has restaurants in Caesars Palace Las Vegas and the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Okla.

The sheer volume of first-time-users we can generate at casino locations is a huge opportunity for a growing brand, Scott Crane, Smashburgers president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

Smashburger has more than 350 company-owned and franchise restaurants in 34 states and seven countries.

In October 2015, Philippines-based Jollibee Foods Corp. paid $100 million for a 40 percent stake in Smashburger to help fuel future growth of the brand. Smashburger earlier this month announced a franchise agreement to open 26 locations in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Alicia Wallace: 303-954-1939, awallace@denverpost.com or @aliciawallace
Your work of art could hang around in space for thousands of years.

NASA is soliciting artwork created by the public  including sketches, poems, songs, videos and Instagram posts that will hitch a ride to the asteroid Bennu on the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft being built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Jefferson County.

The #WeTheExplorers campaign is intended to spark public interest in the mission by having people express in art how the missions spirit of exploration is reflected in their own lives, NASA officials said Friday.

Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, is embarking on the first U.S. mission to collect an asteroid sample that will be returned to Earth for study. The dust and rocks from the asteroid Bennu could provide clues about the origins of Earth and the solar system, officials for the space agency said.

But only the capsule containing samples collected from Bennu, will return to Earth. The spacecraft will be left orbiting in space.

Without the weathering effects of the Earths atmosphere, the artwork that the public submits to this campaign has to the potential to exist in space for thousands of years, Morton wrote in an e-mail Friday.

The artwork, which can be submitted via Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtag #WeTheExplorers, until March 20, will be downloaded onto a 512-gigabyte thumb drive and placed onto OSIRIS-REx, said Erin Morton, the communications lead for the OSIRIS-REx Principal Investigators Office at the University of Arizona. The spacecraft already has a chip loaded with 442,000 names submitted through the Messages to Bennu campaign  more than the number of names included in the city of Miami phone book.

The OSIRIS-REx team has received thousands of art submissions since the program was unveiled Friday, Morton said. Art will be added to the drive as it arrives, until the drive is full.

People get to feel like theyre part of a mission, part of the exploring mentality, Morton said Monday. Something of them is going on this journey.

More information about the #WeTheExplorers campaign is available at dpo.st/spaceart . You can view many of the submissions by searching #WeTheExplorers on Twitter and Instagram.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems is putting the final touches on OSIRIS-REx, which is scheduled to launch in September. On Friday, OSIRIS-REx was days into a rigorous environmental testing phase that involves sitting in a 65-foot-tall vacuum chamber and being subjected to a barrage of extreme conditions it could encounter in space, Lockheed Martin spokesman Gary Napier said.

Its a very important step in the life of the spacecraft, Napier said of the weeks-long environmental test.

Once testing is complete, OSIRIS-REx will ship in May to Florida, where it will be prepared for launch.

OSIRIS-RExs 39-day launch window opens on Sept. 3. If the launch is successful, the spacecraft is expected to approach the asteroid in August 2018 and return samples to Earth in September 2023.

Alicia Wallace: 303-954-1939, awallace@denverpost.com or @aliciawallace
The Denver Office of Economic Development will emphasize assisting small businesses, retaining larger ones and promoting international trade in its 2016  JumpStart plan, which was released Monday.

Each year, Denver OED sets out different priorities. Adding affordable and workforce housing was a focus in the 2015 plan, while winning more big-box retailers was a goal in the 2014 plan.

This year, Denver will carve out $250,000 to $300,000 from the $2 million it lends small businesses under federal Community Development Block Grants for a pilot loan program.

The money will target startups in technology, health care and manufacturing, in combination with early-stage private equity when possible, said Paul Washington, OEDs executive director.

Washington said the city also is looking at ways it can share in the upside when a funded company succeeds, such as debt convertible to equity.

Another initiative to assist small businesses is the expansion of the JumpStart BizPlan Awards into something called JumpStart Academy, where applicants and others can receive guidance from successful entrepreneurs on a variety of topics.

One goal of the new JumpStart plan is to provide 40 hours a week of training courses for entrepreneurs and small businesses on a variety of topics, likely at the Commons on Champa at 1245 Champa St.

Employer retention, always a priority, gets an added emphasis in the latest plan after Denver completed a database on commercial leases and when they are coming due.

Retention is the most important work we do, Washington said.

OED is dividing up 500 firms it considers critical to the citys economy across six representatives. The goal is to open up lines of communication and provide employers a single point of contact with the city before future conversations about expansion or retention.

Washington points to the citys success in keeping the United Airlines Flight Training Center last year as how retention efforts can pay off.

Denver also is making an effort to boost its global presence after a Brookings study found the city didnt export as many goods and services as expected given the size of its economy, Washington said.

That international effort includes helping local firms tap into markets abroad and reaching out to foreign companies looking at expanding in the U.S.

Washington pointed to the success the Denver Beer Co. had breaking into Japan with the help of OED and graduate students at the University of Colorado Denver. A second export plan is underway to assist medical device makers.

Initiatives from earlier years also are getting another push, with the addition of 600 affordable housing units in the city a target.

The city also will fund the top ideas presented to address the lack of grocery stores and fresh food sources in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods.

Denver also is looking to establish a retail incubator and storefront on East Colfax Avenue to help immigrant entrepreneurs make, market and sell their wares.

Washington said a growing community of East African immigrants is settling along Colfax, and one goal of the program is to establish retailers catering to those communities.

Aldo Svaldi: 303-954-1410, asvaldi@denverpost.com or @aldosvaldi
WASHINGTON  Some victims and affected families in the mass shootings in southern California will file court papers in support of a U.S. magistrate judges order that Apple Inc. help the FBI hack into a locked iPhone as part of the terrorism investigation, a lawyer and others said Monday.

A Los Angeles attorney, Stephen Larson, said he represents several families of victims and other employees he declined to identify but who were affected by the shootings. He said the U.S. attorney in the case, Eileen Decker, sought his help. Larson said he will file a brief supporting the Justice Department before March 3.

The victims have questions that go simply beyond the criminal investigation  in terms of why this happened, how this happened, why they were targeted, is there anything about them on the iPhone  things that are more of a personal victim view, Larson said.

Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook acknowledged in a letter to employees Monday that it does not feel right to refuse to help the FBI, but he said to do so would threaten data security for millions.
Leggett & Platt Inc. is shuttering its Colorado Springs mattress spring manufacturing plant, which will result in the layoffs of 64 workers.

The Carthage, Mo.-based Leggett plans to close the facility at 6275 Lake Shore Court on June 1, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filing made Feb. 5 with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. The 64 workers were notified the same day as the state filing.

The closure is the result of a consolidation of operations, said Michael Altman, director of labor relations for the company that manufactures home and work furnishings, car seats and products such as tubing and actuators.

The companys five-person warehouse in Denver, seven-person sales and service site in Denver and seven-person distribution center in Aurora will remain operational, Altman said.

Altman said the decision to close the Colorado Springs plant was made prior to October 2015, when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspected L&P Springs Manufacturing LLC in Colorado Springs after a reported worker injury. An employee was hospitalized for serious injuries sustained after being pulled into a machine that compresses, rolls and wraps finished innerspring pads, OSHA officials alleged.

OSHA cited the company for not properly guarding manufacturing equipment and exposing workers to construction hazards and issued a $77,000 fine.

Altman said Leggett strongly disputes OSHAs claims of violations and plans to contest the findings.

Alicia Wallace: 303-954-1939, awallace@denverpost.com or @aliciawallace
Verizon Communications Inc. said Monday that it would buy the fiber-optic network business from Carl Icahns XO Communications LLC for $1.8 billion, a deal the billionaire activist investor said didnt represent a good return on his investment.

Icahn began buying XOs senior debt in 2001, a year before the company filed for bankruptcy. He is now the chairman and sole shareholder.

Although this sale to Verizon does not represent a significant annualized return on our investment, we believe that in todays environment it does represent the best achievable outcome for the companys customers, employees and owner, Icahn said in a statement.

Back in 2000, XO added a western-region headquarters in Douglas County where it told The Denver Post it employed 120 people and planned to hire up to 230 more. The company offered voice and data services and was buying up fiber-optic network capacity from the likes of locals Level 3 Communications and Qwest Communications (now CenturyLink).

In 2002, XO filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Icahn had already begun to purchase senior debt in the company and in 2011, the billionaires affiliate ACF Industries acquired XO for $1.40 per share.

Icahn said Monday that after the Herndon, Va., company emerged from bankruptcy in 2003, he had to inject extra capital several times into XO as he worked with other stakeholders to to keep XO alive and its been a bumpy road for XO ever since, Icahn said in a statement.

XO has continued to operate as a company that sells cloud-based security, storage and infrastructure services to large clients.

David Farmer, a spokesman for XO, had no information about the companys current operations in Colorado.

On its website, the company said it has a sales office at 1660 Lincoln Street in downtown Denver. But the office is not being used, according to the property management company.

XO also lists four job openings in Lone Tree. XO is a major employer for Lone Trees telecom workers, behind Broomfields Level 3, employing about 50 people, economic development director Jeff Holwell said.

Verizon, which employs about 2,100 people in Colorado, also said it would lease XOs wireless spectrum with an option to buy the spectrum by the end of 2018. Verizon said it bought the fiber-optic network in a move to densify its cell network and expand services to commercial and wholesale customers. The telecommunications company expects operational synergies of more than $1.5 billion.

The deal is subject to regulatory approval from various government agencies and expected to close in the first half of 2017.

Demand for wireless airwaves has skyrocketed over the past decade as more Americans use smartphones to surf the web and stream videos.

Verizon has been investing in mobile video recently. It agreed to buy AOL Inc. in a $4.4 billion deal last May and launched go90, a new mobile video app, in October.
Coloradans can amend their state constitution as easily as they can pass a statute, and that parity is a problem.

Citizens who should be content with passing a law at the ballot often insist on trying to embed complex measures into the constitution where they cant be adjusted no matter how flawed they turn out to be.

Thats why weve long favored raising the bar somewhat for changing the constitution while protecting the basic right.

Two years ago the legislature considered a measure that would have asked voters to double the number of signatures needed to put an amendment on the ballot. That effort foundered, as did an earlier one to raise the needed vote for a constitutional amendment from 50 percent to 60 percent.

Coloradans treasure their right to the ballot initiative. For any reform to pass, it cant appear punitive, as those arguably did.

Now comes the Building a Better Colorado coalition with its own ideas for how to strengthen requirements for amendments. The bipartisan group has filed five possible ballot measures for this fall, four of which would hike the required vote margin from 50 percent to 55 percent. Several also require petitions include the signatures of 2 percent of registered voters in each state Senate district.

Lets dispense with the second plan first. Its too clever by half and adds layers of complexity to the process  there are 35 Senate districts, after all  that are simply unwarranted. It also gives the advantage to petition drives funded by the rich, since theyll be able to deploy signature collectors far and wide in compliance with the measure.

A 55 percent rule is more straightforward, however, and voters should be given a chance to rule on it. Well want to examine more closely how it would have affected ballot measures over Colorados history before reaching a definitive opinion, but 55 percent is certainly not an impossible barrier.

Even Amendment 64 in 2012, legalizing marijuana and its retail sale, passed by slightly more than 55 percent.

But some major amendments would not have passed the 55 percent barrier, including the Taxpayers Bill of Rights and Amendment 23, which cemented a funding formula for schools into the constitution.

Citizens in most states cant amend their constitutions through popular vote, but its a valuable right that is perfectly suited to addressing cases when the political and civic elite are out of step with the popular mood. Such was true in the drive to stop the Winter Olympics in 1972 (59 percent of voters said no) and Colorados first term-limit measure in 1990 (71 percent approval).

Imagine waiting for politicians to limit their own terms.

In other words, the process of amending the constitution needs to be protected. But that doesnt mean it cant be a little harder to do than it is today.

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COLORADO SPRINGS  Bill Clinton preached inclusivity at a Sunday rally for Hillary in Colorado Springs.

His fervent 45-minute speech focused on the Democratic front-runners experience as a politician, calling her a human change-maker. He asked voters to support her in Colorados March 1 caucus.

The great challenge is to get America back to inclusive economics and inclusive politics, Clinton said. Hillary says to do this we have to tear down all the barriers keeping us from sharing the future.

Clinton drummed up support for his wifes presidential campaign, playing to the predominantly college-aged crowd by touching on topics like student loan debt, immigration reform and gun laws.

Clinton said Hillary would bring sense to the gun rights debate, likening current laws to driving without considering safety. Its like saying theres a constitutional right to travel. Please dont have a speed limit. Dont have a seat belt law.

Clinton also challenged Republican positions on immigrants and Muslims. What about all the dreamers who are terrified if the election goes the wrong way and DACA will be repealed? he said. Lets welcome the dreamers.

He called the relentless assault on Muslims a terrible mistake.

Its wrong, and its dangerous, he said.

The event, which was the second Clinton attended this weekend in Colorado, drew approximately 1,050 students and community members to Colorado Colleges Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center.

Several dozen people crowded around open doors attempting to hear what Clinton said. Colorado College Campus Safety Director Maggie Santos said several hundred were turned away.

People started lining up for the rally at 7 a.m.

Hana Wasserman, a Colorado College student, was first in line. She said she came to support Hillary Clinton because she thinks shes the most qualified Democrat. Its important to be educated, she said. Theres so much Bernie fandom that people dont understand why Hillary is the best candidate.

Wasserman noted that Colorado Colleges campus is teeming with support for the Vermont senator who is Clintons rival for the presidential nomination. She said Hillarys experience as a politician sets her apart.

Theres a lot of Bernie Sanders supporters on this campus, and I hope they are able to be rational in their decision when they vote.

Clinton edged out Sanders in Nevadas caucuses on Saturday, seizing momentum heading into the Feb. 27 South Carolina primary.

Sanders supporter Sophia Pray came because she was curious about what the former president would say. The Colorado College student said she was interested in issues like education and healthcare.

Im mainly a Bernie supporter, so Im kind of looking to be bribed, she said.

Colorado Springs resident Rozanne David attended the rally mainly out of concern for the future of her great-grandchildren.

I want them to have opportunities to get education without a huge amount of debt, she said.

David also said she was distressed about the lack of trust between law enforcement and the public, which Clinton touched upon in his speech.

People dont trust each other, she said. We need to have some coming together.

Clinton kicked off the rally by poking fun at Republic front-runner Donald Trumps campaign slogan.

We dont need to make America great again, he said. America never stopped being great. We do need to make America whole again.

Katy Canada: 303-954-1043, kcanada@denverpost.com or @KatySusanna
Detention Nation is a big, bold move for the Museo de las Americas and, no doubt, a controversial one.

For 25 years now, the Sante Fe Drive gallery has been at the heart of a visual arts exploration of what it means to be Latino in Colorado and beyond. Though the discussion has focused mainly on personal identity, with artists demonstrating, in the most colorful of ways, how they balance t he traditions of their heritage with the realities of being part of a minority group in a rapidly changing United States.

The current exhibit is different. It is political. Overtly. It takes a stand on one of the most controversial issues of our day, illegal immigration.

The artist collective Sin Huellas has installed in the gallery a mock prison mimicking detention facilities where the U.S. government holds those suspected of entering the country illegally as courts decide their fate. Barbed-wire fences and surveillance cameras, tiny bunks and exposed toilets, constant noise; the space is stark, soulless and dehumanizing.

Worse than the cramped quarters in these facilities is a prevailing emotional anxiety that the exhibit captures well. Inmates wait helplessly for word on whether they can stay in the country or face deportation to homelands where violence and poverty can be rampant, where governments can be abusive, jobs scarce, the opportunity to rise in society nonexistent.

Detention Nation sticks to the physical facts, but only to a point. It goes to great lengths to make visitors feel like theyre spending time in a jail (albeit in one thats been set up in a city thats relatively friendly to immigrants, and in one of its best galleries; factors that minimize the tension its creators hope to convey).

But its also a work of art with distinctly Latino leanings. Strewn around this prison are bodies wrapped in Mylar that hint at how incarceration strips away dignity and individuality. And printed on bed sheets that cover the bunks and climb up the walls are ghostly, white silhouettes of human forms. These are tortured souls and their spiritual presence, amid the stark realities of the faux prison, recalls the Latin American tradition of magical realism, blending fact with supernatural fiction.

The spiritual elements give the exhibit a voice and also a point of view. Clearly these people with dubious legal status  and lets be frank, some would call them criminals, others modern-day pioneers  are victims according to this exhibit.

The point is brought home by the photos and text scattered about the galleries walls. Real letters written by inmates during their incarceration are put on display, in their own handwriting, revealing physical struggles and psychological agony.

In one room there are up to 38 people. There are two toilets. 1 to urinate and one to use number 2. They are five meters from where we eat, writes Carlos in a letter from the John Corley Detention Facility in Conroe, Texas. Visitors see his letter and the envelope he mailed it in.

Pray for me so that the officers and judges heart is touched and for me to get approved, goes a letter on loose-leaf paper, sent from a facility in San Diego and signed XXOO Selene.

These detainees appear to be a varied lot, some new arrivals, some the alien minors known as dreamers in the immigration reform movement.

In this and other ways, the exhibit pulls no punches and each member of the Austin-based Sin Huellas manages to make a strong stand. There are eight in all: Delilah Montoya, Orlando Lara, Deyadira Arellano, Brenda Cruz-Wolf, Hope Sanford, Carlos Carrasco, Selene C. and Douglas Menjivar  and some of them have spent time in these facilities.

Their name translates as without a trace and refers, the group says, to the practice of erasing ones fingerprints with acid, fire or other surgical procedures in order to evade detection by ICE, or other authorities after deportation.

Theres no mystery there about the seriousness of their efforts or just how far the Museo de las Americas is going in giving them a platform. Executive director Maruca Salazar is the first to say the institution is sticking its neck out. Shes already heard from visitors who are uncomfortable with the exhibit.

But, she says, the move is intentional. At 25, the museo is looking at the ways it serves the city and how they might change. The idea to do something on immigration  pro-immigration  first came from its constituents and Salazar responded by searching for artists who were addressing the topic.

Shell be looking to see how the city  museum regulars, newcomers, funders and people on both sides of the immigration issue  responds before making her next move.

Ray Mark Rinaldi: 303-954-1540, rrinaldi@denverpost.com or @rayrinaldi

DETENTION NATION

The Museo de las Americas presents an installation by the Austin-based collective Sin Huellas. Through May 27. 861 Santa Fe Drive. $5. 303- 571-4401 or museo.org.
The success of the Robert Redfords Sundance Film Festival lies, in part, in its ability to make lasting connections. The 31-year-old event, which takes place annually in Park City, Utah, connects audiences to artists and, just as important, filmmakers to distributors.

But outside of the creativity and commerce, the Sundance Institute has a larger, civic-minded mission to make the world a better place through film  one of those vague, feel-good goals thats as meaningful or empty as its administrators wish it to be.

The numbers behind the Sundance Institutes Film Forward program suggest a serious commitment.

The 5-year-old initiative brings directors and their movies to students and young artists around the world to spark discussions and cultivate new audiences for independent movies.

To date that includes 94 trips with 44 films and 66 filmmakers that have reached 64,503 people, according to the institute. Past destinations have included India, Taiwan, Serbia, Jordan and more than a dozen U.S. cities.

I would have loved to have had something like this as a student, said director Ilinca Calugareanu, whose film Chuck Norris vs Communism comes to Denver this week as part of the Film Forward tour. Its always great to hear other filmmakers talking honestly about how they make it through the struggle, because were all struggling at all levels to turn something we fell in love with into a real film.

In Calugareanus case, thats the story of how bootlegged Western movies infiltrated 1980s Romania, helping topple Communism and winning the hearts of countless viewers behind the Iron Curtain. The docu-fiction (i.e. true story spiked with cinematic re-enactments) debuted to acclaim at Sundance in 2014 and announced Calugareanu as an international filmmaker to watch.

As a child I dont think I ever questioned where these tapes, which were so colorful and exciting, were coming from, said Calugareanu, a Romanian native, over the phone from the U.K.

And thats exactly the point of Film Forward: underlining the unifying power of movies by tracing their origin stories.

After all, these things have to come from somewhere.

Denver is one of four international destinations Film Forward will visit this year, as well as cities in Georgia, Nebraska and the U.K.

The Colorado stop includes a free screening of Chuck Norris vs. Communism (with Calugareanu on hand) at the Sie FilmCenter on Feb. 23, and a filmmaker roundtable at the Clyfford Still Museum on Feb. 24, along with director Bryan Carberry and his quirky documentary Finders Keepers, which follows the fight over a mummified leg.

Film Forward also will screen the films privately for students at Colorado Film School, University of Colorado Denver and East High School.

We are really thrilled, as Denver was hand-selected as one of four markets to host this program, said JoAnna Cintron, marketing and communications manager for the Denver Film Society, which is helping present Film Forward locally.

Regardless of how its received in Colorado, Calugareanu is excited to give her movie new life by watching and discussing it with audiences that may never attend a film festival or art-house theater.

The story of my documentary is set in a time and place that maybe seems quite far away from American audiences, which is 1980s Romania, Calugareanu said. But its also a story about film, and it has this common ground that is a love for film and Hollywood blockbusters, and how those can affect our lives everywhere.

John Wenzel: 303-954-1642, jwenzel@denverpost.com or @johnwenzel

SUNDANCE FILM FORWARD

Touring program featuring free public screenings of Finders Keepers and Chuck Norris vs. Communism, with directors Bryan Carberry and Ilinca Calugareanu. 7 p.m. Feb. 22 and 7 p.m. Feb. 23, at Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. Also: Filmmaker roundtable 7 p.m. Feb. 24 at Clyfford Still Museum. denverfilm.org or clyffordstillmuseum.org.
 Reuters Relays Palestinian Claims as Fact | Main | Hamas Reaching Out to Iran, Analysts Say 

February 23, 2016

Thoughtful Time Magazine Story Offers Insight on Looming Gaza Tunnel Campaign





So much of the news coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is tainted by bias and subjectivity. That is why it is notable when a major media outlet publishes an article on the topic that is informative and free from bias. Such was the case on Feb. 22, 2016 in Time Magazine. In "The Next War Between Israel and Hamas May Be Fought Underground," correspondent Kate Shuttleworth (with help from Mohammad al-Zaharna) provides readers with the facts and refreshing insight from interviews in Gaza about the looming danger.

Shuttleworth describes Hamas's expansive tunnel digging into Israel near the Gaza border in preparation for its next war with Israel. She manages to find unusually candid subjects to explore the diverging opinions among Gazans.

One of them, Mkhaimer Abusada, is a professor of political science at al-Azhar University in Gaza. Abusada "estimates that two-thirds of the Gazan population do not support another war with Israel," but admits there are many who do. According to Abusada,

The Palestinian community in Gaza is divided  those affiliated with Hamas are very comfortable with the strategy of digging tunnels and developing missiles. Hamas creates an illusion that Israel will be defeated and that people will be able to pray in al-Aqsa mosque  people buy this fantasy.?

Abusada also asserts that building materials intended to help rebuild homes destroyed in the last round of fighting are diverted by Hamas to help in the construction of the tunnels.

Shuttleworth also interviews a Gazan mother of a tunnel digger who firmly supports Hamas. Shuttleworth writes,

Yousra al Shobaki, mother of 22-year-old Ghazwan, who dug tunnels and fought for Hamass military wing, al-Qassam, told TIME she supports Hamas efforts. We will win in the end. I ask all the mothers in Gaza to support the jihad and to go to the mosques to teach them how to defend their country  and to teach their sons what jihad means. I wish all the young Qassam men the best in their work, and I hope they will win in the end of all these conflicts with the Israelis. There is no such thing as Israel  these people occupied our land, there is nothing called Israel.

The Time piece puts the Gaza population at 1.2 million. This estimate is in line with figures calculated by a group of Israeli demographers, whose controversial study asserts that the official Palestinian Authority figures exaggerate the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza by more than a million.

Shuttleworth's informed and objective reporting contrasts with that of longtime correspondent Karl Vick, whom CAMERA has criticized on several occasions. It also demonstrates more of a commitment to journalistic standards in covering the Israeli-Arab conflict than found at the struggling news magazine Newsweek, once regarded as Time's main competitor.

Posted by SS at February 23, 2016 03:13 PM

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The surgical technologist accused of stealing a powerful narcotic drug at Swedish Medical Center, prompting wide-scale testing of thousands of patients for HIV and hepatitis, was arrested Tuesday.

The hospital has not released any results, but a Denver attorney claimed Tuesday night that two people had tested positive for hepatitis B.

Rocky Allen, 28, shuffled into a federal courtroom Tuesday afternoon wearing bluejeans and a sweatshirt, with his arms and legs shackled. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix advised him of his rights, and Allen asked for a court-appointed lawyer.

Federal agents tried to arrest him last week, but Allen surrendered to authorities around 9 a.m. Tuesday. Officials did not say where he was in the interim.

The former surgical tech remains in custody on charges of tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by deceit, according to a U.S. attorneys office news release.

A federal grand jury indictment says Allen tampered and attempted to tamper with a syringe containing fentanyl citrate by removing the syringe containing the substance and replacing it with a similar syringe containing other substances.

Further, Allen obtained the controlled substance, fentanyl citrate, by deception and subterfuge, the indictment said.

Swedish Medical Center has asked about 3,000 patients who had surgery between Aug. 17 and Jan. 22 in the main operating rooms and in the orthopedic operating room on Oct. 28 to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Tuesday evening, Denver lawyer Jim Avery posted on Twitter that two of his patients had tested positive for hepatitis B. He later told Denver7 that Swedish was trying to suggest they got hepatitis B somewhere else, but the clients did not have hepatitis B before their surgeries at Swedish.

Allen faces one count of tampering with a consumer product that could put him in federal prison for 10 years with up to a $250,000 fine if found guilty.

Allen also faces one count of obtaining a controlled substance by deceit and subterfuge, which could land him, if convicted, in prison for four years with a $250,000 fine.

Federal authorities said the case remains under investigation.

Allen has a second court appearance Friday, when prosecutors will argue he should be held without bail.

Two Arizona hospitals have said they will offer free HIV and hepatitis tests to surgical patients who may have been put at risk by Allen. He also served as a surgical technologist in the Navy.

Allen worked at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Ariz., from May 19 to July 2, 2014, spokesman Jeff Nelson said.

Allen also previously worked for HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center in Phoenix before getting fired for a violation of a workplace policy when he tested positive for use of a controlled substance, according to the hospital.

On his application to work as a surgical tech in Colorado, Allen answered no when asked whether he had ever been fired as a surgical tech.
The surgical technologist accused of stealing a powerful narcotic drug at Swedish Medical Center had been fired by four hospitals in other states, including one that dismissed him for swapping syringes.

He also carries a bloodborne pathogen, authorities said. Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms that include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV.

Despite a drug addiction, Rocky Allen was able to move from state to state and hospital to hospital, gaining access to operating rooms and fentanyl syringes, a criminal investigator testified Friday in federal court.

Christy Berg, a special agent for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, testified that Allen accomplished this by concealing his employment history from one hospital to another. He quickly lost every job for drug-related reasons.

At one hospital, he was found passed out, Berg said. At another, he was caught going through a container for used needles.

A drug seeker is someone who will do anything to get a drug, Berg said. Theyre so desperate for their drugs they dont care about other people.

She described fentanyl as an extremely potent narcotic, 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Fentanyl is commonly used as part of anesthesia to help prevent pain after surgery or other medical procedures.

Allen, 28, was fired by Englewood-based Swedish late last month after he allegedly was caught taking a syringe containing fentanyl and replacing it with another syringe in an operating room. The hospital has contacted 2,900 patients whose surgeries occurred between Aug. 17, 2015, and Jan. 22, to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

History of hospitals

Court documents released Friday show that Swedish was not the first hospital to terminate Allen for an alleged drug diversion.

In June 2013, Allen was fired from Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., after he was observed replacing a doctors fentanyl syringe with a syringe filled with saline, according to court documents. When confronted about the switch, he produced the fentanyl syringe, which he had hidden in his sock, and admitted that he planned to inject it, his termination letter states.

The hospital did not respond immediately to a call for comment.

Allen was fired by Northwest Hospital & Medical Center in Seattle in March 2012 after working there for less than three months. A spokeswoman for Northwest confirmed Allen was employed there but said she was just learning of the situation and declined to comment further.

The Denver Post has reported that Allen had worked briefly for two Arizona hospitals and was fired from one of them, HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Hospital in Phoenix, in October 2014. Court records show he tested positive for fentanyl while working there as a surgical attendant.

Allen worked at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Ariz., for about six weeks in 2014.

Both Arizona hospitals are offering free blood tests to surgery patients during the times Allen was employed there.

Berg said she thought about 1,400 Banner Thunderbird patients have been offered tests. A spokesman would not confirm that number Friday.

Fridays hearing also raised questions about Allens military history and whether he failed to get drug-abuse treatment during a four-year stint in the Navy.

Judge Kristen Mix asked about military criminal proceedings that appeared to be related to similar conduct and ended with a general discharge from the Navy, where Allen had served as a surgical technologist.

A Navy summary of Allens service provided to The Post did not identify criminal charges or his discharge status.

Timothy O Hara, Allens lawyer, said his client was sent to Afghanistan in 2010, putting in 12-hour days, seven days a week, and he worked with individuals wounded in battle, and he observed absolute horrors.

Allen did not receive treatment from the Navy for substance abuse or post-traumatic stress, OHara said. The judge called that alarming.

Melissa Rochefort, who worked as a patient care coordinator at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bremerton, Wash., with Allen, recalled that he excelled as a surgical technologist there nearly a decade ago.

He was a sweet kid, she said. Its really sad how drugs can change a person and make them do things you would never think they would do. We loved him at the hospital.

She recently sent a text to her old friend, the person she knew as a young idealist raised in Idaho, offering him support following his indictment. He didnt reply.

The court hearing was held to decide whether Allen should be freed or kept in custody. Judge Mix ordered Allen released to a halfway house or community corrections, citing his previously clean criminal record as a civilian.

Allen left home to stay with family members in Idaho during the investigation of his activities at Swedish, and prosecutors argued he poses a flight risk.

OHara countered that Allen had kept in touch with a Colorado lawyer and came back on schedule to surrender.

Facing charges

Federal agents arrested Allen on Tuesday. He was handcuffed during the hearing, where Mix ruled that his condition be referred to using the term bloodborne pathogen.

He faces charges of tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by deceit.

A federal grand jury indictment says Allen tampered and attempted to tamper with a syringe containing fentanyl citrate by removing the syringe containing the substance and replacing it with a similar syringe containing other substances.

Berg testified that the syringe that Allen allegedly removed from the operating room was labeled to contain five times the amount of fentanyl as the one he replaced it with, Berg said. But that syringe contained no fentanyl, she said.

Allen showed up in operating Room 5 when he had been assigned to a different room, and a witness saw him approach a machine where drugs are dispensed, she said.

The witness, who said she had spotted Allen take something days earlier, saw him go over there, put down a syringe, pick up a syringe and leave the room, Berg testified.

The witness told the anesthesiologist, Dont use that syringe. He was very taken aback, she said.

A sweep of Allens locker at Swedish found a bin with three needles and a syringe, Berg said.

A urine test found Allen positive for fentanyl and marijuana, according to a state order suspending his registration as a surgical technologist.

Swedish and state health officials have not released any results concerning patients who had blood tests. A Denver attorney, James Avery, says two of his clients, a 56-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman, have tested positive for hepatitis.

Colorado regulates surgical techs, requiring them to list their work history when they register with the state. Allen did not disclose that he had been fired by other hospitals. The state does not verify information in the applications

Many states do not regulate surgical techs, and theres no nationwide oversight, either.

Diana Protopapa, a lobbyist for surgical technologists and surgical assistants in Colorado, expressed outrage that Allen moved so easily from one hospital to another, repeatedly gaining access to narcotics.

It means the lack of regulation of surgical technologists and assistants nationwide poses a serious threat to patient safety, she said. This is ridiculous.

Denver Post reporter Jesse Paul contributed to this report.

David Olinger: 303-954-1498, dolinger@denverpost.com

Rocky allens work experience

August 2015-January 2016

Swedish Medical Center, Englewood

Fired as surgical technologist after being caught allegedly removing a fentanyl syringe and replacing it with another syringe.

July-October 2014

HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center, Phoenix

Fired after testing positive for fentanyl while working as a surgical attendant.

May-July 2014

Banner Thunderbird Medical Center, Glendale, Ariz.

Surgical technologist for six weeks.

May 2013-May 2014

CMC Contractor Corp. (Department of Defense contractor), Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Yemen

Experience listed on his resume.

May-June 2013

Scripps Green Hospital, La Jolla, Calif.

Fired after he was observed allegedly switching a fentanyl syringe that a doctor was using with a syringe filled with saline.

January 2012-January 2013

CMC Contracting Corp., Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Yemen

Experience listed on his resume.

January -March 2012

Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, Seattle

Fired after working there for less than three months.

May 2007-September 2011

Received basic medical training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio; served at Navy Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., in 2007 and 2008; worked as surgical tech at U.S. Naval Hospital in Bremerton, Wash. Deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and given a general discharge.

Sources: Individual hospitals, U.S. attorneys office, U.S. Navy, court records and Allens attorney
In the five years Colorado has regulated surgical technologists in its hospitals, Rocky Allen was only the second to get suspended.

Allen, the 28-year-old hospital worker accused of stealing a powerful narcotic drug at Swedish Medical Center, had managed to move from state to state, getting fired by one hospital after another, before Colorado admitted him to work again in its operating rooms.

This happened for two reasons: Colorado is one of a handful of states that regulate surgical technologists at all. And it doesnt perform background checks to see if applicants are lying about their work or criminal history.

The way the program is set up, the Division of Professions and Occupations doesnt go about verifying the information they submit, said Cory Everett, its chief of staff.

After surgery tech Kristen Parker infected at least 18 hospital patients with hepatitis C by stealing painkillers and leaving behind her dirty syringes in 2009, Colorado enacted a law intended to prevent that from happening again.

But the divisions own records show its extremely rare for an applicant to get denied or disciplined.

As of June 2015, Colorado had 1,955 active surgical technologists, who help set up operating rooms before surgery, and 627 active surgical assistants, who help doctors during surgery.

No surgical assistant has been disciplined since the law was enacted in 2010.

One surgical technologist was revoked for diverting drugs and working while impaired. Two others voluntarily surrendered their state registrations, one for substance abuse, the other for writing fraudulent prescriptions, a history of drug abuse and a felony drug conviction not disclosed on the application for licensure.

Three have been denied registration: two for a history of DUIs and one who billed at least $4.4 million to insurance companies and patients and received at least $490,000 through this fraudulent activity in another state.

Allen was suspended in an order noting that he had tested positive at Swedish for using fentanyl, a painkiller 80 to 100 times as powerful as morphine, and marijuana.

The Colorado law regulating surgical techs and assistants is set to expire this year. A legislative hearing is scheduled this week to consider whether to sunset the law, extend it or strengthen it.

At Swedish, about 2,900 people have been offered free blood tests for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. State and hospital officials have not disclosed whether anyone is infected.

But a federal court hearing Friday disclosed that Allen carries an unnamed bloodborne pathogen. Bloodborne pathogens include, but are not limited to, the same diseases.

Two Arizona hospitals where Allen previously worked also are offering free blood tests.

At the court hearing, a special agent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration testified that a witness at Swedish saw Allen replace a fentanyl syringe with another that contained none of the painkiller.

The agent also testified that Allen was fired by a California hospital after acknowledging that he had stolen a fentanyl syringe and replaced it with saline solution.

James Avery, a lawyer who has been taking Swedish patients as clients, has said a 56-year-old man and 48-year-old woman tested positive for hepatitis.

But the man has received a letter from Swedish that described his condition as history of natural hepatitis B infection. The letter also advised, no follow-up needed, but recommended that you discuss the enclosed results with your personal physician.

Avery said the man plans to be retested by someone other than Swedish.

Swedish has not responded to questions about Averys clients from the Denver Post.

Averys clients include a woman who says Allen administered fentanyl to her, which would be illegal, and others who experienced extreme pain after surgery.

One was a 9-year-old girl in the burn unit, Avery said.

Another was Rob Brown, a Vietnam War veteran who has undergone 74 surgeries since he was injured by a land mine explosion in 1968.

He wrote to Avery that he suffered excruciating post-surgery pain at Swedish.

I was in so much pain, pain like I never experienced before including laying blown apart on the battle field, he wrote. The first day my wife had to feed me because I couldnt even move my arms without scream-level pain.

David Olinger: 303-954-1498, dolinger@denverpost.com or @dolingerdp
BOULDER  Attorneys will present closing arguments Monday in the trial of a woman accused of cutting a 7-month-old fetus out of an expectant mother and leaving her to die.

Dynel Lane has pleaded not guilty to six felony counts in the attack on March 18, 2015, including attempted first-degree murder and unlawful termination of a pregnancy. The 35-year-old is accused of attacking Michelle Wilkins and leaving the 27-year-old alone and bleeding in Lanes Longmont basement.

Boulder County prosecutors called 16 witnesses during the first two days of testimony in the trial.

Wilkins was the third witness called. She described responding to Lanes Craigslist ad for free maternity clothes and the bizarre and brutal attack that followed.

Prosecutors rested their case Friday morning after playing one of Lanes interviews with investigators. During that interview, Lane told police that Wilkins attacked her with a knife, according to the Longmont Times-Call.

Lane told the judge that she did not want to testify. Defense attorneys rested their case without calling any witnesses, according to the newspaper.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys will present their final arguments to the 12 jurors and four alternates at 9 a.m. Monday.

Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794, jsteffen@denverpost.com or @jsteffendp
COLORADO SPRINGS  During 25 years in the U.S. Army, Glen Cooper witnessed slaughter on a mass scale and lived with unrelenting tension in combat zones from Somalia to Iraq.

When you have to take your friends in a body bag and load them onto and off a truck, that is hard, said Cooper, 50, who has post-traumatic stress disorder.

The condition makes him nervous, touchy and explosive. It rocked his relationships with family and friends and made even a drive to the grocery store a nerve-grinding endeavor.

I would walk into the house and my kids toy would be on the floor, and I would get enraged, he recalled.

Last August, Cooper entered Warrior Wellness, an equine-assisted therapy program at the U.S. Air Force Academys Equestrian Center.

The PTSD hasnt disappeared, but caring for horses and riding and taking part in therapeutic exercises with the animals has given him more control and helped to calm the anxiety that dominated his life for years.

Billy Jack Barrett has been the stables manager since 1980 and launched Warrior Wellness in 2009.

I have known for years that some peoples sanctuary is on the back of a horse, said Barrett, a broad-shouldered 70-year-old Texas native in a pale gray Stetson.

He got the idea for Warrior Wellness after meeting the commander of the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Carson. The officer told him that his staff of 17 was under pressure, dealing with tension and long hours as they helped their patients. Barrett told him to bring the staffers out for a trail ride.

The unit didnt have money to pay, so Barrett told them to come on out, you can go check fences on the 950-acre ranch.

I have to check and maintain the fences, so I thought, well, shoot, they can volunteer and help, and thats what they did.

After that first ride, they brought soldiers who had been injured or were ill and who were trying to shake off the stress of combat.

Since that time, hundreds of soldiers and veterans have received help for PTSD, traumatic brain injury and other conditions.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is linked with anger and hyper-alertness, said Jeanne Springer, 59, an equine specialist at the academys Equestrian Center.

People with PTSD tend to isolate because they have learned to numb their emotions, Springer said. The horses help them relax.

There is no cost to those receiving treatment, or to taxpayers. The program is self-funded, charging for boarding, riding lessons and other services.

The Warrior Wellness program has had a partnership with the Temple Grandin Equine Center at Colorado State University the past two years.

CSU research is tested and used in the program at the Air Force Academy.

We will do the research and then advise on practices, and the academy will implement them, said Adam Daurio, director of administration for the CSU Equine Center.

The temperament of the horse is absolutely a treatment tool in these therapies, he added.

There are plans in the works for the academy to expand the program, increasing the number of people who get help through equine therapy.

Horses are sensitive to their environment and the humans they interact with, said Diane Kennedy, 63, a volunteer therapist with the program who has practiced equine-assisted therapy since 2000.

Dealing with the animals helps someone who is experiencing anxiety, anger and other symptoms to calm down, explained David Austin, 43, an Army veteran who served in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

They teach patience, because if you try to force a horse into something, you will make it more afraid. It is hard to calm down, but horses feel what you feel.  You have to learn to calm down, Austin said.

He now works full time for Warrior Wellness, helping other veterans and working at the stables, where he is an apprentice farrier.

Those who complete the therapy often make visiting the facility part of their routine. They muck out stalls, feed and water animals, interact with staff and fix fences.

You know what is great? Barrett asked a visitor. Seeing that guy (Austin) smile. When he first came here, he didnt even talk.

Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671, tmcghee@denverpost.com or @dpmcghee
BOULDER  The attack on Michelle Wilkins was terrifying, bloody and bizarre.

Neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys denied those facts Monday. But whether Dynel Lane intended to kill Wilkins when she cut her 7-month-old fetus out of her womb is the question a Boulder County jury must decide.

Jurors deliberated for roughly six hours Monday and will resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

During closing arguments, prosecutors and defense attorneys recounted how Wilkins arrived at Lanes Longmont home last March 18. Their explanations for the violent attack that followed, however, were vastly different.

Lane has pleaded not guilty to six felony counts in the attack, including attempted first-degree murder, unlawful termination of a pregnancy and first-degree assault. The 35-year-old is accused of attacking Wilkins, 27, and leaving her alone and bleeding while she cleaned up around her.

Wilkins had planned to name her daughter Aurora.

Prosecutor Catrina Weigel said Lane was obsessed with a fake pregnancy and was desperate to come up with a baby before her longtime boyfriend discovered her lie.

Lane acted intentionally as she plotted, Weigel said. She posted a Craigslist ad for free maternity clothes. After Wilkins responded to the ad, Lane lured her into the basement, where she attacked her.

This isnt something she did hastily, Weigel said. These are all intentional acts. From start to finish.

The fact that Lanes plan doesnt make sense doesnt mean there wasnt intent.

But public defender Kathryn Herold said there was no plan. The attack was hasty, impulsive and reckless, she said.

Lane had no intention of killing Wilkins, Herold said. The way Lane carried out the attack proves that she did not prepare or process.

If Lane had thought out the attack, she would have given herself more time, Herold said. And if her plan was to cut out someones baby to cover up a lie, Lane would have waited for a woman expecting a boy.

Lane had told people she was pregnant with a boy she planned to name James.

Cant you plan a little better than that if youre cutting someones baby out? Herold said. Not if youre making a hasty decision.

Herold argued that prosecutors failed to prove Lane intended to kill Wilkins. Instead, the evidence proved Lane is guilty of the lesser charge of attempted manslaughter, she said.

But District Attorney Stan Garnett told jurors that Lanes intent was clear.

The defendant knew she should have done something to help Michelle Wilkins, and she didnt, he said during rebuttal.

Lane quietly listened in the courtroom. She sat still in her chair without turning to look behind her.

Wilkins sat quietly across the courtroom and listened.

Jurors submitted multiple questions to the judge during their deliberations Monday. Chief District Court Judge Maria Berkenkotter discussed the questions with attorneys at the bench.

The content of the questions was not made public.

Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794, jsteffen@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jsteffendp
A Denver school has been taken off lockdown after police investigated a report that a weapon was seen at the middle school.

Contemporary Learning Academy at 200 E. 9th Ave. was placed on lockdown status, according to a 12:12 p.m. tweet by Denver Public Schools.

But a half hour later, school district officials announced that children and staff are safe.

Denver police officers responded to campus in response to the report and investigated, said Doug Schepman, Denver police spokesman.

Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206, kmitchell@denverpost.com or @kirkmitchell or denverpost.com/coldcases
A California hospital says it notified the federal Drug Enforcement Administration three years ago of a fentanyl theft after Rocky Allen was caught swapping syringes.

Yet the surgical technologist still was able to find jobs with three hospitals in Arizona and Colorado  where he put the health of thousands of patients at risk.

Scripps Green Hospital of La Jolla, Calif., announced Monday that 518 patients who had surgery while Allen worked there will be offered free blood tests.

That means nearly 5,000 patients in three states may have been put at risk by a 28-year-old surgical technologist with an addiction to fentanyl, a powerful narcotic drug.

Allen worked for Scripps for 20 days as a trainee in 2013 before he was fired for attempting to steal fentanyl.

The hospital said it notified the DEA on June 7, 2013, of the theft. At the time of Allens termination, Scripps did notify the (DEA) of the reason for his termination, the hospital said in a statement.

A spokesman for the DEA said he could not confirm the agency received that report.

The DEA requires practitioners including hospitals and doctors to notify the agency of the theft of controlled substances and to submit a form.

After leaving California, Allen worked briefly at two Phoenix-area hospitals, including one that fired him after a drug test found fentanyl in his system.

Swedish Medical Center in Englewood hired Allen in August. He concealed his history when he went from hospital to hospital. Swedish fired him last month after he allegedly was caught stealing a fentanyl syringe. Swedish notified 2,900 patients this month that he could have risked their exposure to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the DEA are investigating the Swedish case, and Allen faces federal criminal charges of drug diversion.

Dave Sanders, a local DEA agent, could not confirm the agency received the theft report from Scripps in 2013. But Sanders said Colorado agents recently learned about Allens problems there.

Investigators found out the employment history and contacted La Jolla and found out he was employed out there about the same time the loss and theft occurred, Sanders said.

Asked what hospitals can learn from the DEA about drug-diversion cases, Sanders said the agency does not disclose information about someone suspected of stealing drugs if there is an active investigation or a prior investigation.

But if that person has been charged with the theft, we can say that he was charged previously and they can check on their own, Sanders said.

Swedish, where a witness reported seeing Allen replace a fentanyl syringe with another containing none of the painkiller, has offered free blood tests to patients whose surgeries occurred between Aug. 17 and Jan. 22. Some of those patients have said they experienced extreme pain after their surgeries, indicating they may not have received adequate doses of painkillers.

At a federal court hearing Friday, a special agent for the FDA testified that about 1,400 patients have been offered blood tests at Banner Thunderbird hospital in Glendale, Ariz., where Allen worked for about six weeks in 2014. The hospital has not confirmed that number.

HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Hospital in Phoenix fired Allen in October 2014 after he tested positive for fentanyl. The hospital has offered tests to 97 patients.

The hearing also disclosed that Allen carries an unnamed bloodborne pathogen. Those pathogens include, but are not limited to, the diseases for which hospitals are offering tests.

At Scripps, Allen was immediately placed on investigatory leave and was fired when Scripps determined he was trying to switch a syringe of fentanyl citrate  a pain medication  with a syringe of saline, the hospital said. Because Allen was under close supervision during his training period, it is believed he would have had little opportunity to successfully switch patient medications.

The hospital said it began an internal investigation as concerns over Mr. Allens activities at hospitals through the United States came to light and that it has been working with the Health and Human Services Agency in San Diego County to determine whether patients have been put at risk.

Scripps said it had found no evidence that patients were harmed, but out of an abundance of caution, it will offer tests to patients beginning this week.

The dismissal letter in California, released in court in Colorado, says Allen was observed watching the doctor and when he turned his back to draw up medication, you were seen switching syringes and taking the syringe from the cart and placing it in your scrub pants. Less than a minute later, you said you had to get back to your room and left.

The letter says he acknowledged taking the syringe, hiding it in his sock and replacing it with a syringe full of saline.

In his hospital applications, Allen emphasized his military service and his work as a surgical tech with the Navy, including an Afghanistan deployment. Still, his applications were marked by time gaps and restaurant jobs.

Allens application for work at Scripps listed his previous employer as Northwest Hospital & Medical Center in Seattle. On the application, he listed was let go/laid off as his reason for leaving.

The form also asked, May we contact this employer?

No, he wrote.

Colorado regulates surgical technologists, but the state does not perform background checks on applicants. At Scripps, spokeswoman Janice Collins said California does not regulate them, but thats been raised now. Weve been talking to the county health department about it.

Collins said she believes Allen told the hospital he was laid off in Seattle. We didnt get anything back from our background checks that would have precluded him from being hired.

Allen was fired by Northwest in March 2012 after working there for less than three months.

Karen Peck, a Northwest spokeswoman, said the hospital does not disclose why someone was terminated. The hospital is still investigating whether to notify patients, she said.

David Olinger: 303-954-1498, dolinger@denverpost.com or @dolingerdp

Denver Post staff writer Jesse Paul contributed to this report.

Rocky Allens Work Experience

August 2015-January 2016: Swedish Medical Center, Englewood

Fired as surgical technologist after being caught allegedly removing a fentanyl syringe and replacing it with another syringe.

July-October 2014: HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center, Phoenix

Fired after testing positive for fentanyl while working as a surgical attendant.

May-July 2014: Banner Thunderbird Medical Center, Glendale, Ariz.

Surgical technologist for six weeks.

May 2013-May 2014: CMC Contractor Corp. (Department of Defense contractor), Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Yemen

Experience listed on his resume.

May-June 2013: Scripps Green Hospital, La Jolla, Calif.

Fired after he was observed allegedly switching a fentanyl syringe that a doctor was using with a syringe filled with saline.

January 2012-January 2013: CMC Contractor Corp., Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Yemen

Experience listed on his resume.

January-March 2012: Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, Seattle

Fired after working there for less than three months.

May 2007-September 2011

Received basic medical training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio; served at Navy Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., in 2007 and 2008; worked as surgical tech at U.S. Naval Hospital in Bremerton, Wash. Deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and given a general discharge.

Sources: Individual hospitals, U.S. attorneys office, U.S. Navy, court records and Allens attorney
A botched burglary led to a carjacking, chase and shootout that killed one suspect and wounded a Denver police officer in the foot, officials said Monday. A second suspect was taken into custody.

The shooting followed an initial burglary call at about 1:25 p.m. in the 3700 block of Grove Street in northwest Denver, police said.

Officers came in contact with two men who were burglary suspects in the 3400 block of Irving Street, said Doug Schepman, a Denver Police Department spokesman.

One suspect was taken into immediate custody, but an armed suspect fled on foot. Shots were fired in the area of West Moncrief Place and Lowell, Schepman said. The suspect then carjacked a vehicle, police said, and they pursued.

The incident unfolded in a busy stretch of the West Highland neighborhood, where shoppers and diners make their way along a row of restaurants and businesses.

Ashley Ziegler, 26, was working the cash register at Pizza Alley, 3499 W. 32nd Ave., when she heard a customer yell, Oh, my God, he has a gun!

Ziegler said she looked out the window and saw a tall man running down the street carrying a black pistol with a long barrel. He was firing shots as he ran toward a white car and forced a woman to get out, Ziegler said.

As the woman ran into Mondo Vino at 3601 W. 32nd Ave., the man spun the car around and sped off on Lowell.

As he was pursued by a police cruiser, the man continued firing shots from the car window, Ziegler said.

She heard at least six shots and was unsure if police were firing at the car. At least three shots hit St. Kilians Cheese Shop and Market, 3211 Lowell Blvd., Ziegler said.

The suspect lost control of the vehicle that was carjacked at West 35th and Lowell, Schepman said. A police cruiser rammed the stolen car, and a shootout ensued when the suspect emerged from the Acura sedan, he said.

Shots were exchanged between the suspect and two officers, Schepman said. The suspect was hit and pronounced (dead) at the scene.

At least four officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, Schepman said. Two of those officers were at the initial scene, where the officer was shot in the foot, and two officers fired at the end of the incident, where the suspect was shot, he said.

The female police officer was treated at Denver Health for an injury to her foot that was not considered life-threatening.

The carjacking victim was not injured, police said.

Police officers in at least eight patrol cars swarmed the scene. Lowell was shut down from 32nd to 37th avenues as officers conducted an investigation. Traffic was altered as officers stood in front of patrol cars, lights flashing, at various street corners cordoned off with police tape, moving drivers along. Investigators set up a white tent that surrounded the carjacked vehicle.

Police said it was fortunate that no bystanders were injured in the fast-moving, violent incident.

Police did not release the name of the suspect who was shot or the name of the burglary suspect who was taken into custody.

Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206, kmitchell@denverpost.com or @kirkmitchell or denverpost.com/coldcases
Reversing decades of opposition, Silverton and San Juan County leaders voted Monday to ask the state to pursue a Superfund cleanup of the Gold King and 45 other inactive mines contaminating headwaters of the Animas River.

Local leaders also are lining up Gov. John Hickenlooper and Sen. Michael Bennet as backup for dealing with the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA would be doing the cleanup  the same agency that in August botched work at the Gold King and set off a 3 million-gallon mustard-hued deluge of heavy-metals-laden acid mine drainage.

In case a concession isnt made, theyve got our back. The governor and congressional delegation can definitely help us out by talking with the EPA at a higher level, San Juan County Commissioner Scott Fetchenhier said.

And local officials are demanding the EPA continue running a temporary water treatment plant above Silverton to reduce contamination until a final cleanup is done. Superfund cleanups typically take longer than a decade, depending partly on congressional funding.

I was not in favor of Superfund. I still dont like it. But if we dont do it, it will be done for us, Commissioner Ernie Kuhlman told 90 or so residents packing Silvertons Town Hall before the vote.

If we dont make this move, they will, and we wont have a seat at the table.

Silvertons seven town trustees and San Juan Countys three commissioners voted unanimously to send a letter to Hickenlooper urging him to ask the EPA to designate a Bonita Peak Mining District environmental disaster  the first step toward a Superfund cleanup.

For years, Silverton and county officials have resisted EPA efforts to use Superfund to deal with one of the Wests worst clusters of toxic mines, which contaminate headwaters of major Western rivers. Theyve fought federal control, which results when an environmental disaster is declared, and contend the designation will hurt the tourism Silverton relies on economically now that mining jobs have moved elsewhere.

Hickenlooper was traveling and not immediately available for comment, a spokeswoman said. He has said he would support local wishes fully if theres a consensus for embarking on a Superfund cleanup.

Bennet issued a statement vowing to take up local concerns.

Hundreds of abandoned mines in Colorado are polluting our waters, endangering the health of Coloradans and holding back local economies. Cleaning up this pollution and protecting people in the region is a priority for Silverton and San Juan County, Bennet said.

A Superfund designation will help expedite the cleanup efforts. We will continue to work closely with local and state officials to ensure the communitys remaining concerns about implementation are taken into consideration throughout this process. We will also push for funding as soon as possible to ensure that the cleanup proceeds quickly.

EPA officials recently asked Hickenlooper to let them know by Feb. 29 whether Colorado supports a proposed disaster designation covering 46 inactive mine sites  including the Gold King  along the Animas headwaters.

In August, an EPA crew working at the Gold King Mine  one of thousands statewide contaminating waterways  set off the toxic deluge that oozed into three states and tribal land. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy accepted responsibility.

Silverton and San Juan County officials negotiated with the EPA to limit the scope of a disaster designation  excluding the town of Silverton  but still worry about the extent to which theyd have a voice in decision-making.

The locals are pressing the EPA to commit to running a temporary water treatment plant above Silverton until a final cleanup is done and perhaps install another plant.

The EPA put in the plant to remove millions of tons of metals sludge still draining from the Gold King, although not from other nearby mines.

Silverton officials say they want the EPA to treat waste from those mines, too, during a multiyear Superfund process.

EPA officials on Monday night did not respond to Denver Post requests for comment.

Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700, bfinley@denverpost.com or @finleybruce
 Palestinian Officials Seeking Greater Ties with Iran | Main | UCC and Disciples Do The Right Thing, Delete Hateful Lenten Document 

February 23, 2016

Washington Post's Singling Out of Israel is in the Bag

With all of the incredibly important issues requiring reporting, it is hard to understand why The Washington Post chose to highlight a 10-day trip to Israel being included in the Oscars gift bag (This Years Oscar Swag Bag Includes a $55,000 Trip to Israel"). Many countries use the opulent, high profile Oscar night as a promotional tool to boost tourism, with tours, hotel stays, and vacations. Specifically, the quarter-million-dollar gift bag includes a private 15-day walking tour of Japan valued at nearly the same price as the Israel trip, $54,000, as well as stays at the Golden Door Resort & Spa in San Marcos, California, at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, Italy, and at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como, Italy. The choice by Israels Ministry of Tourism to do the same is neither unique nor compelling. Yet, Post Israel Bureau Chief William Booth labels the Israel package as part of an effort to sell Israel as a travel destination and not a conflict zone,? overlooking the many other trips in the bag? and the fact that Israel is a travel destination, drawing over 3 million visitors per year. There is nothing revolutionary in the Ministrys move to promote its appeal to an international audience.

Furthermore, though the news of the $55,000 Israel package being offered in the gift bag sparked efforts by advocates of the Boycott, Divest, Sanction? (BDS) movement to have the certificate removed, Booth overstates the movements success. He uses Omar Barghouti, founder of the Palestinian BDS National Committee, as a credible source on the matter, despite Barghoutis hypocrisy. While advocating boycott of Israel even in academia, Barghouti himself obtained a graduate degree from Tel Aviv University. His explanation of this? My studies at Tel-Aviv University are a personal matter and I have no interest in commenting.? Barghouti has repeatedly obfuscated the fact that the intention of BDS is not a two-state solution, but dissolution of Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state in its place. According to Barghouti, Israels Ministry of Tourisms move to have this trip included on Oscar night is proof of the State desperately trying to fight its increasing isolation through bribes and intimidation rather than ending its occupation and apartheid.? In fact, this is a non-story of a country going about normal governmental and promotional business, yet Booth does not question Barghoutis statements. There is not any suggestion that, perhaps, such a conclusion is unfounded and biased.

Booth does not point to the overwhelming evidence that directly contradicts Barghoutis claim that BDS is successfully isolating Israel. There is no mention of Israel having recently signed a new trade deal with Russia, of Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, making an official visit to the State during which she stated her unequivocal support of Israel, or of the EUs decision not to remove Made in Israel? labels from products originating beyond Israels 1967 lines. All of this despite the unceasing efforts of BDS to seal Israel off from the international community. Rather than finding itself in increasingly isolation,? as Barghouti and Booth would have readers believe, Israel continues to make and be recognized for its vital contributions to research in technology, medicine, and other industries.

So, why is Israel singled out for taking identical promotional actions as several other countries? Is this evidence of some bias when it comes to Post reporting on Israel? Well, is any other country impugned or maligned in a story as unimportant as the gifts actors and directors can expect to receive at the Academy Awards?

--Rachel Frommer, CAMERA Intern



Posted by SC at February 23, 2016 09:09 AM

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Many years ago, when Oliver North was running for the Senate from Virginia, I received a call from a reporter. She told me that some church groups in the commonwealth were praying for Norths election. Then she asked if their behavior violated the separation of church and state. I explained to her that as separationism is a rule of constitutional law, only the state and not the church can violate it.

My answer got on her nerves.

That story came to mind with last weeks news that Pope Francis, returning from his visit to Mexico, had said some, um, controversial things about presidential candidate Donald Trump. Much of the commentary has focused on the likely effect of the popes comments on the Republican nomination battle. Ive found more interesting the voices questioning whether the pope should have said anything at all.

Lets get one thing straight from the beginning. Contrary to what I kept reading on the Chyron, the pope didnt actually say that Trump isnt a Christian. What Francis said was: A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.

As so often in this papacy, the proof is in the parsing. The reference to building bridges is plainly metaphorical. This suggests that Francis also had metaphor in mind when he spoke of building walls. In other words, he was speaking less of Trump than of the human heart  all of our human hearts. This interpretation is consistent with what Francis has said about immigration, and many other challenges, from the start of his papacy. It has long been his habit to take the questions asked by journalists traveling with him and turn them into teaching opportunities. I think thats what the pope was up to here, and the press simply missed his point.

But lets put that aside.

Lets take it that Im wrong, and Francis indeed announced that in his opinion, Trump isnt a Christian. Is there supposed to be something wrong with that? Religious leaders have been raining anathemas on the heads of politicians for as long as the U.S. has existed. There are always people who dont care for the practice, but its a part of the electoral landscape.

Back in 1990, when Cardinal John OConnor was warning of possible excommunication of pro-choice Catholic politicians, liberals trembled with fury, but New York Mayor Ed Koch famously shrugged: Thats his job. Three decades earlier, when Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel of New Orleans threatened to excommunicate several pro-segregation legislators, many conservatives were furious, some managing to place the blame on the Catholic president sitting in the Oval Office.

The preachers of the Social Gospel in the early 20th century told their flocks to vote for representatives who would support a fairer distribution of the nations resources. People who call themselves Christians, wrote a leader of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in 1929, should not live in comfort, accepting the dividends of industries where women toil for ten hours a day in the heat and noise of a factory for thirteen dollars a week.

We can go back a lot further. Heres the Rev. Charles Finney, the most prominent among the abolitionist clergy, preaching about the 1860 election: I should be very prone to think that no one ought to cast his vote against [a slaves] liberty for the mere sake of money or office. Everybody understood that he meant for his listeners to vote for Abraham Lincoln. Another prominent abolitionist, the Rev. Theodore Parker, had included in an 1854 sermon a list of names of politicians who should be voted out of office because of their support for slavery. Call meetings, bring out men of all parties, all forms of religion, agitate, agitate, agitate.

The pro-slavery side rejected such interference in politics. When during the 1850s a group of Protestant ministers petitioned Congress, contending that no Christian could support slavery, Senator Benjamin Butler complained that the signatories have dared to quit the pulpit and step into the political arena. Senator Stephen Douglas agreed, dismissing them as political preachers who ought to be rebuked, and required to confine themselves to their vocation.

Not every critic of the abolitionist preaching was pro-slavery. During the 1820s, for example, the great Baptist iconoclast Alexander Campbell condemned engagement with politics. Christians, he wrote, should simply submit themselves to those who had charge of earthly government, not try to change them. But even Campbell included a proviso: unless where any of their commands might require a breach of the law of Christ.

The truth is, you can pick an era you like, and you will find clergy denying that any Christian can hold a particular political position. Its all part of the tumult and diversity that is America. When the pope wades in, perhaps the news media pay more attention. But all Francis is doing is what clergy have always done.

E-mail Bloomberg View columnist Stephen L Carter at scarter01@bloomberg.net.

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The Clinton political dynasty is still alive. The Bush dynasty has been routed. Their contrasting fates, to this point at least, tell us much about our two parties, the nature of this years presidential election, and the dueling legacies themselves.

The Republican and Democratic contests are very different, beginning with the fact that Hillary Clinton did not have to deal with Donald Trump, who targeted Jeb Bush with a viciousness rarely seen in contemporary politics. For months, the self-contained former Florida governor responded ineffectually to an opponent who flouted all the norms. This only made it easier for Trump to mock him as low energy and weak.

Bush was also entitled to a certain bitterness as he watched Marco Rubio, his ambitious and impatient protege, seize his natural base in the party: voters who loathe both Trump and Ted Cruz. Rubios definition of loyalty did not include yielding to his one-time mentor.

Bush finally found his voice toward the end of his campaign, and he often stood alone in denouncing Trumps brutal Islamophobia. He thereby bravely upheld the most estimable parts of his familys public service tradition. But his efforts came too late, and were, in any event, out of tune with so many in a party eager to respond to angry and exclusionary rhetoric.

Clinton now faces only one opponent, and Bernie Sanders, especially in contrast to the often thuggish behavior of Republican candidates toward each other, has been positively courtly. Building a durable progressive wing of the Democratic Party clearly matters more to him than scoring points off Clinton.

Still, Sanders has exposed real weaknesses in Clintons long-term position. The issues he has used against her  particularly her ties to Wall Street and her acceptance of large speaking fees from financial firms  are matters Republicans will surely bring up again should she secure the Democratic nomination.

In a party whose election victories are increasingly dependent on heavy turnout among younger voters (when they dont show up, the Democrats lose, as they did in 2010 and 2014), Sanders has overwhelmed Clinton among those under 45. He did it again in Nevadas caucuses on Saturday.

Clintons trust deficit is a cliche. But, like her weakness among the young, it remains part of her own ongoing legacy problem. According to the entrance poll reported by CNN, a quarter of Nevada caucus-goers listed honesty and trustworthiness as the most important qualities they were seeking in a candidate; they backed Sanders by about 6-to-1.

Clinton prevailed anyway and her Nevada victory dealt Sanders a serious blow. The states caucus system gave Sanders energetic followers a real chance at victory. He fell short.

Endurance under trial is a defining characteristic of a Clinton brand that also has the benefit of being less established than the Bush trademark. The Clintons have been in the public consciousness since 1992. Bushes have been in presidential politics since 1980 and on the national stage since 1952, when Prescott Bush, Jebs grandfather, entered the U.S. Senate. If the Clintons arent exactly Facebook, neither are they General Motors or Studebaker.

And while frustration on the Democratic left with Bill Clintons pro-business policies has fed support for Sanders, the antipathy to both Bush presidencies on the Republican right runs far deeper. As Laura Ingraham, the conservative talk radio host, told The Washington Post in 2015: The Bushes have always underestimated the depth of the bases dissatisfaction with their policies. Moreover, even some of Bushs natural allies among Republican professionals worried that public memories of the peaceful and prosperous Bill Clinton years were much fonder than those of a George W. Bush presidency characterized by an unpopular war and a financial meltdown.

These problems fed an ambivalence in the Bush circle about the legacy issue itself. Both the Bush and Clinton logos highlighted their first rather than last names. But the exclamation point in Jeb! paradoxically underscored his awareness of the lack of enthusiasm for another Bush presidency.

Jeb can console himself that his son George P., a Texas politician, is already in the family business, and that being scorned by fellow Republicans is part of the familys tradition. When Prescott Bush successfully sought re-election to the Senate in 1956, his biographer Mickey Herskowitz recounts, some in the party hoped hed lose because of his stands in favor of immigration and higher taxes.

I was amazed, Prescott Bush said, that they would take so small a view as that of a man who was trying to do his damnedest for the Republican Party.

Jeb can relate.

E-mail E.J. Dionne Jr. at ejdionne@washpost.com. Twitter: @EJDionne.

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Traditional data in the form of scrolls, records in one of the government offices in Nepal. Photo by Prabhat Kiran.

The published version inadvertently identified Eric Schmidt as "chairman of Alphabet Inc, Google's parent company". The error is regretted.









Dharma AdhikariOne example of how a word from your own vernacular becomes foreign beyond imagination is 'data'. This word is used so frequently today that it is among the most common terms in the corpus of contemporary English language.Unsurprisingly, you will trace it to the Latin "datum", singular for data, a "thing given". But the "um" in datum sounded Sanskritique enough for me to consult a dictionary, and to my amusement, datum in Sanskrit means:. Notice also the kinship between donum (gift) in Latin and danum (gift) in Sanskrit. And "donor" is what we often mean by the much widely used Nepali words data (giver) or datri (also giver) that can be traced likewise to Sanskrit and Latin.The essence of data owes to our civilization that predates ancient Rome. The "something given" implies some form of a gift, given freely, with some measure of generosity. Today, we replace "to give' with "to transmit" or "to store", and that "something" with "information", which has apparently become everything for our data-driven age.Function has taken over the meaning. With the unprecedented data deluge in human history, and for economic logic, information management with more urgency, there is new emphasis on storage, transmission and processing. The givers and the takers are in for the digital battle.It starts with your personal device(s). I am drowning in information overload. I refuse to throw away anything hoping that someday the data could yield some patterns, perhaps something of research value! But to be honest, the data also includes sentimental clutter and I simply cannot let go of it. And now the smart phone adds to that junk, and to my woes.I might have to face my moment of worst luck any instant: data deletion, theft, file corruption, virus infection, drive failure, hardware damage or its loss, due to human errors or natural causes. Institutionally, the failure and neglect in storage, transmission and processing causes far more damage. Reports of data breaches and hacking are becoming too frequent.Globally, the volume of storage looks astounding. The Digital Universe Study (2014) by EMC Corporation, a US-based company, reported that digital information is doubling every two years and it will increase 10-fold between 2013 to 2020, from 4.4 trillion gigabytes to 44 trillion gigabytes. To put that into perspective, in four years, according to the study, the world's digital data would fill a stack of iPad Air tablets all the way to the moon 6.6 times.This exponential increase is fueled by the growth in smart phones, internet of things and wearable devices. Despite all the hype about cyberia and social media, much of the 1.5 billion gigabytes of information on the internet remains hidden, in the form of Deep/Dark Web. We ask Google a question and as it is its characteristic to respond, to give, it suggests hundreds of options. But Google has so far indexed only 200,000 gigabytes of information, and that, according to Eric Schmidt, Google's former CEO*, constitutes only 0.004 percent of the entire internet. Compare that to 13 million gigabytes of data archived at the Internet Archive.Data preservation is a key challenge. Fortunately, futuristic storage devices, such as crystal quartz and DNA programming promise much more durable, compressed and reliable techniques. With big data, information that exceeds a petabyte (1 million gigabytes), data architectures are revolutionizing business intelligence and analytics. Yet, much of the data remains raw, unstructured and unused, and increasingly insecure. It is many things: something dumped, discarded or thrown away, given freely, used meaningfully, or something kept safe, or hidden, and something stolen.Looking homeward, it is frustrating to know that data on data is a rare commodity here. It is difficult to say how much information we have been able to store, transmit, or digitize so far in the country. Government agencies and data centers seem obsessed with issues of legislation, infrastructure and marketing. We get to know little about storage, processing or preservation of data.Nonetheless, some conservative estimates are possible. The TU Central Library, with its 60,000 volumes, is 400 times smaller than the Library of Congress, whose printed materials amount to 15 terabytes or 15,000 gigabytes. We have a dozen or so national libraries of comparable size. Other traditional data including ancient scrolls and newspapers or magazines will add to that volume. The Government Integrated Data Centre (GIDC), a state-of-the-art facility, maintains 16 terabytes (16,000 gigabytes) of storage, and hosts servers of 13 ministries, and 40 other government agencies. Many of the thousands of agencies are yet to enter the digital universe.About 255 gigabytes (16 GB is audio; 4 GB is video) of content for .np domains, with 11,812,123 URLs have been archived at the Internet Archives, according to Jefferson Baily, Director of Web Archiving Programs there. Regionally, we are behind Bhutan (15,686,595) and India (1,292,822,592).For the 1,200 or so movies of 2.5-hour each, produced so far, allocate 5 terabytes of storage. Radio and TV broadcast content, music, CCTV surveillance videos, photographs, and social media content will also greatly enlarge the data volume. Industry data from banks, hotels, aviation as well as health, education, agriculture, and customs sectors will also yield enormous amount of data.In terms of transmission or usage by country's major mobile networks and internet service providers, best guesstimates by Oval Analytics put the figure at 140 terabytes a day for September-October 2015.Altogether, in our total volume of storage, we must have entered the petabyte range, without any fanfare. Mum's is the word on data volume, even for the Nepal Telecom Authority's regular management information system reports. It's data, the not-given. The culture of information control lingers. A large number of government agencies haven't appointed public information officers, as mandated by the RTI Act 2007. Moreover, turf wars between government agencies render them dysfunctional. For instance, the ICT Policy 2015 suffered major obstacles over battle for jurisdiction between the Ministry of Information and Communication and the Ministry of Science and Technology.In spite of such hurdles, "Digital Nepal" is pacing ahead slowly, but without much coordination. There are fewer sightings of our sacks of ancient scrolls and records in offices. One remarkable development following the elections in 2013 and the earthquake last year was the launch of a number of data centers, including OpenNepal and the Kathmandu Lab. The public and the private sector boast of many disparate, disjointed small islands of digitization.I was unable to ascertain the volume of data at the Central Bureau of Statistics. An official there informed that much of the data has already been digitalized and preserved in raw form, and 45 survey documents have been uploaded on its National Data Archive online. He cites the lack of a centralized data system, a clear government policy, and lack of manpower as major challenges. It is difficult to retain technical manpower, he says, because they get better pay in the private sector.Only a uniform and standardized reporting format can help eliminate data inconsistencies and omissions. A more outstanding issue is the tendency among government officials and businesses to underrate and even trivialize data. As Hemanta Shrestha, CEO of Oval Analytics put it, "The mood is 'forget about data, I will do on my own'". There are givers and no takers. Shrestha observed that there is no interest in innovation and research because there is no competition; decisions remain ad-hoc, not data-driven; and businesses are reactive rather than pro-active.As we achieve total mobile penetration, and as internet access broadens rapidly, digital coverage is no longer the major concern. We now have to worry less about infrastructure and more about the quantity and quality of data we consume, and the impact of our addictive devices in our lives. Will our electronic democracy enable secured, empowered and digitally competent citizenry? Give it some thought. Increasingly, the issue is more digital knowledge divide than digital divide. Published in, 23 February 2016
Author Roger Stone Joins Jim Paris Live to discuss his explosive new book, Jeb And The Bush Crime Family. On the heels of Jeb's departure from the presidential race, Stone shares the dark history of the Bush family from as far back as the Civil War to present day. The connections of Prescott Bush to Hitler, George H.W. Bush's CIA career and alleged association with individuals involved in the JFK assassination, Neil Bush's financial scandal, Jeb's involvement with a Florida company that was operating as a Ponzi scheme, the questionable Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, and the curiously close friendship between the Bush and Clinton families.
Googles Waze navigation app has launched a new voice pack featuring the voice of Morgan Freeman and it will be available till March 31

Googles navigation app Waze has just launched a new voice pack featuring the voice of none other the God or oration - Morgan Freeman. The move is a marketing tie-in to promote Freemans upcoming movie, London has fallen, a sequel to 2013s Olympus has fallen. In the movie, he plays the Vice President and his navigation voice guides the driver as though he or she were the President. Regardless of the promotional aspect of this move, commuters will definitely enjoy the warm and comforting voice of the man who once played God. However, the voice pack is only available till March 31, so users are advised to get it as soon. Other celebrities who have lent their voices to the the Waze app include - Arnold Schwarzenegger, Stephen Colbert, C3-PO, and more.

Waze was developed in Israel in 2007 and encourages drivers to share real-time data on traffic and road conditions. The app was acquired by Google in 2013 and reports suggested that company paid over a $1 billion for it. However, it was later revealed that the company paid $966 million to acquire the app. The app is available on Android, iOS, and Windows Phone.

We do hope that this is how the Morgan Freeman voice navigation will guide us through the app. Although we highly doubt it.
The latest lineup of Nikons compacts are powered by 1-inch CX sensors, have three variants based on the type of lens youd want, and also has an OLED touchscreen viewfinder.

Nikon is launching a new lineup of advanced point-and-shoot cameras, housing 1-inch sensors and capable of recording 4K resolution videos. The new Nikon DL lineup consists of three premium advanced compact cameras powered by the same 20.8-megapixel CX-format 1-inch sensors that are used by Nikon in its 1 mirrorless series. The new cameras house the same 1-inch sensors as inside the Sony RX100 lineup, and while these are smaller than micro four-third sensors, they sound good enough to present casual photographers or compact camera aficionados a good alternative to larger cameras with bulkier configurations.

The three cameras in the Nikon DL lineup consists of the DL18-50 with a reasonably wide angle lens, DL24-85 falling somewhere in between wide angle and telephoto, and the DL24-500 for wide optical zoom fans. Super-zoom cameras often end up sacrificing on image quality or camera dimensions while fitting the large zoom lens, and Nikons DL lineup will look to overcome just that. The DL18-50 and DL24-85 has f/1.8-2.8 aperture lenses, while the DL24-500 has an f/2.8-5.6 lens, which technically sounds like a good performer.

The other highlight of the lineup is its 4K video recording. With an increasing number of people preferring the ability of their cameras to support 4K video recording, the Nikon DL lineup will join Sonys CyberShot RX100 IV in providing 4K video recording capability. The cameras will also feature hybrid autofocus mechanism and 20fps burst shooting and 1200 fps slow motion video, although only in 1080p. You also get full manual controls, a hot shoe and an OLED touchscreen panel, to top it all.

Prices for the cameras in the US start at $650 (Rs. 44,600) and go up to $1000 (Rs. 68,700). Launch dates and pricing details for India are yet to be received, and going by the pricing, we expect the cameras to be right up the pecking order with the likes of Canon PowerShot G3X and the Sony CyberShot RX100 IV. Watch this space for more details on the latest of Nikon.
London stocks were in the red on Tuesday with Standard Chartered and BHP Billiton the biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 after disappointing earnings.

BHP Billiton led mining stocks lower after swinging to a loss for the first time in more than 16 years. The group posted a loss of $5.67bn for the six months to December 2015, compared to a profit of $5.35bn for the same period in 2014, as lower commodity prices hurt revenue. The company decided to cut its interim dividend to 16 cents a share from 62 cents a share.

Standard Chartered was under the cosh after it posted a surprise annual pre-tax loss of $1.5bn, down from profit of $4.2bn a year earlier. Revenue fell 15% to $15.4bn, missing estimates of $15.9bn.The banks decision to expand across emerging markets has left it with bad loans after an economic slowdown and slide in commodity prices. Standard Chartereds common equity Tier 1 capital ratio fell to 12.6% from 13.1% at 30 September.

GKN was also on the back foot after posting a broadly flat annual profit as growth in sales of auto and aircraft parts offset declines in agricultural components.

Drax slumped as it revealed a drop in full year earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to 169m in 2015 from 229m a year earlier amid severe market deterioration and difficult regulatory challenges.

On the upside, housebuilding stocks reversed declines after Persimmon reported a 34% increase in full year underlying profit before tax to 637m, as revenues rose 13% to 2.9bn, driven by a gain in the average selling price and a jump in legal completions.

Meggitt was also sitting higher after reporting a 1% increase in 2015 pre-tax profit on a 6% rise in revenue despite what the chief executive described as a challenging year for the group.

InterContinental Hotels rallied as it announced a robust set of final results while earnings results from Morgan Advanced Materials, Wood Group and Ladbrokes were also given the thumbs up by investors.

Meanwhile, Brexit remained in focus with the latest reports showing that bosses at more than a third of Britains biggest businesses are backing the campaign to remain in the European Union. Asda, BT, Marks & Spencer, Kingfisher and Vodafone chiefs supported a letter warning of the risks to the economy of exiting the bloc.

London Mayor Boris Johnson on Tuesday accused the business leaders of "supporting alarm and anxiety" by signing the letter. His shock decision to back the campaign to leave the EU sent the pound tumbling on Monday. The pound was down 0.26% against the US dollar at 1145 GMT on Tuesday.

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney on Tuesday said the central bank was not making a judgement on the consequences of Brexit.

In a testimony to UK lawmakers, Carney said the BoE takes into account the movement in asset prices and that moves in the pound and in options that insure against a decline in the currency at a future date have spiked to levels similar to those seen in the Scottish referendum campaign.

Elsewhere, the IFO revealed that German business confidence declined in February. The sentiment index dropped to 105.7 this month from 107.3 in January, missing analysts estimates of 106.8.

Still to come, the S&P/Case Shiller house price index is released at 1400 GMT, US consumer confidence figures are due at 1500 GMT and existing home sales data will be published at 1500 GMT.

Market Movers

FTSE 100 (UKX) 6,004.65 -0.55%

FTSE 250 (MCX) 16,288.06 -0.00%

techMARK (TASX) 3,127.65 -0.10%

FTSE 100 - Risers

Persimmon (PSN) 2,041.00p 3.45%

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) 2,535.00p 3.30%

Provident Financial (PFG) 3,292.00p 2.91%

Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 673.00p 2.20%

Barratt Developments (BDEV) 570.00p 1.79%

Sports Direct International (SPD) 405.40p 1.50%

Barclays (BARC) 167.30p 1.30%

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 545.50p 1.30%

HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 451.60p 1.28%

ARM Holdings (ARM) 955.50p 1.16%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Standard Chartered (STAN) 412.40p -5.48%

BHP Billiton (BLT) 764.00p -3.90%

Antofagasta (ANTO) 497.60p -3.85%

Anglo American (AAL) 467.75p -3.31%

GKN (GKN) 280.00p -3.08%

Inmarsat (ISAT) 990.00p -2.65%

Glencore (GLEN) 129.25p -2.38%

Tesco (TSCO) 180.35p -2.33%

Pearson (PSON) 802.00p -2.08%

BP (BP.) 350.05p -1.85%

FTSE 250 - Risers

Meggitt (MGGT) 430.80p 11.58%

Morgan Advanced Materials (MGAM) 229.50p 6.40%

Wood Group (John) (WG.) 619.00p 6.08%

Ladbrokes (LAD) 129.70p 5.96%

Indivior (INDV) 164.70p 3.85%

Tullow Oil (TLW) 169.60p 3.73%

Croda International (CRDA) 2,952.00p 3.22%

Poundland Group (PLND) 177.40p 2.72%

Pets at Home Group (PETS) 267.70p 2.41%

Auto Trader Group (AUTO) 389.30p 2.37%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

AO World (AO.) 166.70p -3.75%

International Personal Finance (IPF) 262.70p -3.42%

Drax Group (DRX) 250.20p -3.14%

Unite Group (UTG) 611.00p -2.86%

Restaurant Group (RTN) 546.50p -2.58%

Victrex plc (VCT) 1,510.00p -2.45%

Sophos Group (SOPH) 200.50p -2.24%

Computacenter (CCC) 818.00p -2.04%

Paddy Power Betfair (PPB) 10,130.00p -1.84%

Lookers (LOOK) 149.40p -1.71%
Sainsburys has been given until 18 March to improve or call off its bid for Argos owner Home Retail Group , after Frankfurt-listed giant Steinhoff International gatecrashed the party.

The grocer sought an extension from the Takeover Panel for its put up or shut up deadline to be moved back almost a month from the evening of Tuesday 23 February, with South Africa-based furniture behemoth Steinhoff having apparently making a cash approach at 175p a share that put the FTSE 100 company's offer in the shade.

Steinhoff's bid deadline is also on 18 March.

Home Retail's directors have already recommended Sainsbury's offer of 55p plus 0.321 of its shares, which equated to 161p at the time of the offer and had risen to nearer 167p by the end of last week, but will be delighted at the prospect of a bid battle.

Sainsbury's management, whose finance director John Rogers recently claimed Argos was being bought for a real price of "around 250m" due to synergies and accounting wizardry, has decided to undertake more work on the deal rather than throwing in the towel or making an immediate counter bid.

At 5bn market cap the UK supermarket group is dwarfed by 14bn-plus Steinhoff, which owns around 450 UK furniture stores under the Bensons for Beds and Harveys brands as well as circa 50 Pep & Co clothing outlets, and is majority owned by Christo Wiese, the South African retail billionaire whose UK interests also include Iceland and New Look.

But one of Home Retail's institutional shareholders told the Sunday Times they were sceptical about the Steinhoff offer due to "doubts the quality of South African cash, calling for them to begin buying shares at that price to show they are "serious".

Analysts said playing for time was a sensible move by Sainsbury's.

"We expected and so understand Sainsbury's motives for undertaking more work, noting as we do the group's clear expression that it will not overpay for Argos," said Clive Black at Shore Capital.

"Maybe extra synergies will be identified to justify a higher offer or perhaps the underlying prospects for Argos will be upwardly re-appraised on the same basis? At the same time Steinhoff may be required to reveal its hand a little more as to the financial justification of the deal to its shareholders, which may not be unhelpful."

After flying from 154p to above 173p on Monday, shares in Home Retail were moderately lower on Tuesday morning, with Sainsbury's down a further 1.1% to 252.3p as they extended declines from the day before.
Mark Zuckerberg has launched a passionate defence of Free Basics, Facebooks limited free mobile internet service that was banned in India this month, as he promised to continue to push the programme in other developing countries. Talking publicly about the setback for the first time, the Facebook chief executive on Monday said that the decision by the Indian telecoms regulator to ban the service was disappointing for the mission for what we are trying to do, and a major setback in India.  Financial Times

David Cameron faced a barrage of criticism in the House of Commons on Monday from some of the estimated 150 Tory MPs who are set to defy him over EU membership. The prime minister observed that he had endured a tough negotiation on membership terms in Brussels last week. There were moments when I wished I was in the Arctic Circle, he said.  Financial Times

The current crash in oil prices is sowing the seeds of a powerful rebound and a potential supply crunch by the end of the decade, but the prize may go to the US shale industry rather Opec, the world's energy watchdog has predicted. America's shale oil producers and Canada's oil sands will come roaring back from late 2017 onwards once the current brutal purge is over, a cycle it described as the "rise, fall and rise again" of the fracking industry.  Telegraph

Investment in the UKs embattled oil and gas industry is expected to fall by almost 90pc this year, raising urgent industry calls for the Government to reform its North Sea tax regime to safeguard the industrys future. Oil firms have been forced to dramatically slash costs in order to survivea 70pc cut in oil prices since mid-2014, but the severe drop in investment threatens thousands of North Sea jobs, said Oil and Gas UK (OGUK).  Telegraph

Sainsburys has been given until 18 March to consider whether it will return with a new bid for Home Retail Group, the owner of Argos, after its takeover attempt was gatecrashed by South Africas Steinhoff International. The supermarket sought an extension of the so-called put up or shut up deadline, previously set by City regulators for Tuesday 23 February, after Steinhoff tabled a surprise bid for Home Retail late on Friday.  Guardian

The bosses of some of Britains top companies, including budget airline easyJet, defence contractor BAE Systems and oil group Shell, have signed a letter in support of the UK remaining inside the European Union.The letter is signed by the chair or chief executive of about a third of the businesses on the FTSE 100 index of Britains largest stockmarket-listed companies. However, there are some notable absentees from the list, including Tesco and Sainsburys. Rival supermarket chain Morrisons, which dropped out of the FTSE in 2015, also declined to sign the letter, which was compiled by City PR boss Roland Rudd. The supermarket chains, which declined to back either side in the Scottish referendum, said the choice of whether to stay in the EU was one for the British people. - Guardian

House prices in some areas are rising so fast that in many cases they earn more than the families who live in them. Research by The Times and the Halifax, Britains biggest mortgage lender, shows that one in four homes is going up in value by more than their owners get paid after tax. The figures raise fears that house prices in some regions are a bubble that is bound to pop before long. The analysis compares Halifax house prices across local authorities with pay figures from the Office for National Statistics.  The Times
Here's how to nominate prep athletes of the week in 2022-23
Arace: MLS announcers signed off, don't know if they can sign back on
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BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  The founder of a Montana resort for the ultra-rich will stay in jail for failing to account for the vanished money from a Mexico property sale made in defiance of a court order, a federal judge said.

Tim Blixseth, founder of the Yellowstone Club that filed for bankruptcy in 2008, has been behind bars since last April, when he was found in contempt of court. He sold the luxury Tamarindo property, located in the Mexican state of Jalisco, for $13.8 million in 2011, violating a bankruptcy judge's order.





. . .
The US has strongly refuted the Chinese claim that what it is doing in the disputed South China Sea is akin to the American deployment of defence facilities in Hawaii, saying no other country has a claim on Hawaii. ''There is no other country that has a claim on Hawaii. But yet when you consider the land features in the South China Sea, there are a variety of overlapping territorial claims that a variety of countries have made on those features,'' White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Monday. Earnest's remarks came in response to Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying earlier on Monday who said China was doing in the South China Sea what the US does in Hawaii. ''China deploying necessary national defence facilities on its own territory is no different from the US deploying defence facilities on Hawaii,'' Hua said. (See: US 'hyping up' South China Sea issue, says Beijing). Recognising that Chinese government may have disagreement about the claims made by other countries, Earnest said that is precisely the reason the US believes all the parties should resolve their differences about this matter in a way that does not provoke a military confrontation. ''That is why we have urged all parties who are claimants to these features  the US is not among them, we've encouraged all of the countries that do have claims to resolve them in a peaceful, legal manner and to avoid confrontation and to seek to avoid escalating the tensions in that area of the world,'' Earnest said. Noting that America hoped that tensions in that part of the world would be reduced, Earnest said they can be reduced if all of the claimants to the land features in the South China Sea make the same kind of commitment that was seen from the leaders of Asean in California just last week. ''In the context of the summit, the leaders of Asean committed to not building up a military presence on those features that are the subject of competing claims,'' he said. ''That is a responsible way to resolve differences of opinion over those features, and we certainly would urge the Chinese and every other country that has a competing claim here to abide by that standard,'' Earnest said. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims.










FOUNTAIN, Florida -- The death of a 10-year-old girl, allegedly at the hands of her 15-year-old brother, stunned employees of a Florida sheriff's office who had tried to help the family in the past, an authority with the office said Monday.

"About three or four years ago, one of our deputies discovered the family living in basically a pole barn with walls that were covered with tarps," said Maj. Tommy Ford of the Bay County Sheriff's office. "We went out there and helped to put walls up and brought some food and Christmas presents for the kids."

Deputies arrested the 15-year-old boy on Sunday afternoon after finding his sister's body in a field near the home. The girl was reported missing Sunday morning. The Associated Press does not generally name juveniles accused of crimes.

Ford said the boy became a suspect during the search and that he later confessed to killing his sister. In an arrest affidavit released by the department Monday afternoon, an officer who interviewed the boy wrote that he first told investigators that he shot his sister about 3 a.m. Sunday after mistaking her for a deer. The boy later said he saw someone attack his sister and he accidentally hit her while trying to fire at the attacker. The boy changed his story a third time and said that he accidentally shot his sister while trying to teach her how to shoot his rifle.

The boy also told investigators that he cleaned his sister's body, changed her clothing and moved her to the field where the body was later found.

Ford said prosecutors could charge the 15-year-old as an adult.

Earlier Monday, Sheriff Frank McKeithen described the boy in a news conference as "hardcore," saying he acted much older than 15 when confronted by authorities.
Alastair Dobson of A Taste of Arran is to visit Donegal for Donegal Business Week

As part of Donegal Business Week, Donegals Local Enterprise Office is hosting a unique event for those working in the food sector in Donegal.

Making Donegal Famous For Food is open to anyone working in food related businesses in the county, including producers, chefs, restaurants, cafes, hotels and accommodation providers.

Taking place on Wednesday, 9th March, in The Donegal Brewing Co., Dicey Reillys, Ballyshannon, the event runs from 10.30am  1.30pm, with registration at 10am.

Making Donegal Famous For Food is an opportunity for Donegals food sector to come together to learn how, working collaboratively, they can develop their food reputation and benefit their businesses.

Guest speaker Alastair Dobson from A Taste of Arran, in Scotland, will share his experience of working collaboratively with other partners to develop his business and enhance the food reputation of the island.

Business Executive at Donegals LEO, Eve-Anne McCarron, looks after the implementation of the Donegal Food Strategy and is looking forward to welcoming Alastair Dobson to Donegal.

She said, A Taste of Arran was created in 2001, when a number of small producers on the island came together in order to 'export' their produce to mainland Scotland.

The partnership proved phenomenally successful and were delighted that anyone working in the food sector in Donegal can now benefit and learn from Alastairs experience.

Eve-Anne continued: The growth of the food sector in Donegal, together with the new interest created by the Wild Atlantic Way, offers an opportunity for food businesses in the county to work collaboratively to make a statement about the food we offer and the impression it creates of Donegal.

We promise attendees will leave with plenty of food for thought about the role they, and their peers, can play in making Donegal famous for food.

Following Alastair Dobsons talk, Eve-Anne will present The Food Coast  Donegals Good Food Initiative.

Key points include the growth of the Food Coast network and developing the brand as a mark of origin for Donegal food businesses and how this can help promote the county and its members.

Other food focused events happening during Donegal Business Week include Make Food Your Business! which takes place at The Counter, Canal Road, Letterkenny on Wednesday, 9th March from 6.30pm. Key speakers include food entrepreneur and advisor, Declan Droney, Karl Bonnar of Irish Fish Canners, Linda McLean of Mallow Mia and Richard Finney of The Counter.

Running from Monday, 7th to Friday, 11th March, Donegal Business Week is a great opportunity for Donegal businesses and start-ups to learn from, listen to and network with leaders in their field. The week culminates with the 20th Donegal Business Awards, which take place on Friday, 11th March at 12.30pm in the Villa Rose Hotel, Ballybofey. This event is open to the public and the guest speaker is Padraig OCeidigh, the Connemara man synonymous with Aer Arann.

Places at the weeks events are strictly limited, so check out the range of events and register now at www.localenterprise.ie/donegal or contact LEO on 074 91 60735.

Local Enterprise Office Donegal is supported through co-funding from the Irish Government and the European Regional Development Fund 2014  2020.

Pictured at the launch of Donegal Business Week is Liam Ward, Director of Services, Donegal County Council, alongside participants and organisers of this years event: EveAnne McCarron, The Food Coast, (Donegals Good Food Initiative), Richard Finney, The Counter, Martin Hernandez, Sage Restaurant, and Linda McClean, Mallow Mia.
Matthew Magee is one of 87 children in Donegal to have had their most cherished dreams come true, courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The charity, which relies entirely on volunteers and donations, grants wishes to children battling life threatening medical conditions such as cancer, brain tumours, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and many others.

Matthew, now 14, was diagnosed at age 8 with a craniopharyngioma brain tumour which left him visually impaired, and damaged his pituitary gland, which means he is on hormone replacement for life. The Raphoe teenager has had four surgeries and radiotherapy treatment. He continues his follow up in Crumlin Hospital with endocrinology and ophthalmology.

His mother Marilda told the Democrat that he was born with perfect sight, but it deteriorated as the tumour grew.

A year after Matthew's diagnosis, members of the Ulster Scots Agency Juvenile Pipe Band visited his school, Raphoe Central NS, and he got his first introduction to one of his great passions - drumming.

He quickly signed up for free drumming classes, given through the agency, and loved every minute.

"He couldn't wait to get out and join in the parades," Marilda explains, "that was always his dream.

But you need to have your own kilt, waistcoat, shirt etc, and that all adds up."

That's where Make-A-Wish stepped in. Last August, the charity transported Matthew and his family to a hotel room directly facing Edinburgh Castle and brought them to The Kilt Store, where he was completely fitted out from head to toe.

Not only that, Matthew and the family were given tickets to the world-famous Edinburgh Tattoo, where he was brought behind the scenes to meet many of the bands and even play with The Top Secret Band. "It really was a dream come true," Marilda recalls.

Matthew, who relies on his hearing to learn all the rhythms for the songs, is still practising away, because he has another dream in store.

"He's hoping to travel with the Ulster Scots Juvenile Pipe Band to France in August, but that depends on how well he keeps up the practising," Marilda smiles.

Make-A-Wish Ireland's fundraising Wish Day takes place on Friday, April 8th, with volunteers selling badges across Donegal.

Irene Timmins, Head of Fundraising for Make-A-Wish said, A successful Wish Day will enable us to grant more wishes to children living with life-threatening medical conditions. We have brave children on our waiting list from Donegal and with the support of people from throughout the community, Make-A-Wish can grant the wishes to these deserving children.

To learn more, visit www.makeawish.ie, ring Barbara Kilbride on 01 2052012 or send her an email at barbara@makeawish.ie
A reprieve from the winter-like temperatures and a popular running tradition could make your commute through Door County feel like a festival weekend.

The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures in the 60s, a far cry from the mid-30-degree temperatures we saw earlier in the week that caused it to snow in some parts of the area.

The Travel Wisconsin Fall Color Report has Door County at 100 percent peak, which could also bring additional traffic to the area for those looking for one last glimpse of the changing leaves. Most of the state is either at peak or past it according to the most updated entries in the report.

It is also a big weekend for runners as over 100 solo participants and 400 teams plan on tackling the Fall 50 course that stretches from Gills Rock to Sunset Park in Sturgeon Bay. Area highways and side roads will remain open to traffic, but motorists can expect some spots to be crowded because of support vehicles and spectators. You can plan your trip by clicking the link while keeping the race and its corresponding traffic in mind.
dpa ElectionsData

With dpa ElectionsData you get access to a unique collection of data. Via a programming interface (Rest-API), your developers can access detailed information, candidate profiles and live results for all national elections in the European Union and important international elections, like the US Midterm elections etc.

The data pool also includes all heads of state and government as well as about 20,000 elected members of parliament throughout the EU. In addition to their data (name, party, constituency or list position), we collect social media profiles and official websites of individuals and parties.
BILOXI, Mississippi -- A 30-year-old man faces multiple felony charges after allegedly assaulting a police officer during a traffic stop.

Biloxi police officers booked James Michael Magnusen Jr., of Biloxi, Monday on charges of assault on a police officer, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

Investigator Nick Sonnier said in a news release received by The Sun Herald the officer asked Magnusen to exit the vehicle after seeing weapons inside the vehicle and within his reach.

While being patted down for weapons, Sonnier says Magnusen assaulted the officer in an attempt to flee. A struggle ensued, but the officer was able to maintain control of Magnusen.

Magnusen is being held in lieu of $150,000 bond.

Online jail records do not list an attorney for him.
Just recently Dundalk Outcomers re-launched it's successful ebook titled Towards anti-Cyber Bullying to coincide with Safer Internet Day 2016.

In 2014 the community centre for LGBTQ people here in town had a European volunteer student working with them, that wanted to look at creating an online resource for LGBTQ cyber-bullying.

We applied for a volunteer student from Serbia to come here, Bernadine Quinn, the centre manager, told the Democrat. And her task was to organise a youth exchange to develop something that was relevant to young LGBTQ people, we felt an ebooklet would be very useful.

They felt that there was a need for it. John Murray, youth co-ordinator of Dundalk Outcomers, described homophobic bullying on the increase today.

(It is) one of the most prevalent forms of bullying in schools today," he continues, even something as common as saying 'thats gay' can have an impact on a young person gay or not.

The volunteer student found a group suitable to the task, an LGBTQ group in Cyprus called Accept LGBT Cyprus. So in September of 2014, the Outcomers team and ten young LGBTQ people (all over the age of 18) went to spend a week in Cyprus for the first Cyprian LGBTQ event ever, to discuss the properties of the booklet, to look at what they wanted it to be, about what it had to target, and to discuss the ins and outs of what it meant. John Murray describes it as being a Very intensive work process.

Then in December of 2014 the Cyprians involved came to Dundalk for the week, and by the end of that week the ebook entitled Towards anti Cyber Bullying (an book for LGBT young people) was launched.

The idea for Dundalk Outcomers was to re-launch the ebook and to make people aware of it.

Its a very valuable asset, John states, not only for LGBTQ people, though it does look at how cyberbullying can be more difficult for LGBTQ, but for all young people experiencing cyberbullying on social media, as it gives clear guidelines on how to deal with cyberbullying in general.

John's inspiration to get involved came from his own experience of viewing online videos.

It is very easy for people to say mean things to you if they feel that they are untouchable, he explains, if you look at any YouTube video especially one made by a young person and that talks about the feelings of a young person all you have to do is scroll down a maximum of ten comments and somebody is calling somebody else gay.

The difference between verbal bullying and cyberbullying is that cyberbullying is out there forever, and can be seen by everyone, he continues, Thats why it is so important to bring out an ebook like this, if youre a young LGBTQ person being bullied, you feel isolated, and online is the biggest way you can meet other LGBTQ people, and find out what it actually means to be gay.

Asked id homophobic bullying had gotten worse, Bernadine put it into context.

I think its very subjective, because I think that there are more ways to bully, when I was going to school you could only be bullied face to face. Now you have social media like Facebook and Twitter and they (bullies) have an awful lot more ways to get you at home! I suppose we dont know if its gotten worse but there are certainly more ways of doing it.

Survey

The Democrat looked at a survey carried out in 2009 called LGBT lives, the very first of its kind in Ireland, which spoke to over 1100 LGBTQ people living in Ireland about their experiences growing up LGBTQ in Ireland. 80 percent said that at some point in their lives they had been verbally bullied. 25 percent said that they had been physically assaulted because of their perceived sexual identity.

38 percent said that in school, they had witnessed a teacher making a homophobic comment, and only 4 percent said that they had an anti-bullying campaign in their school that specifically mentioned homophobia.

That has changed John said, the department of education and skill brought out a new policy on identity based bullying that specifically names homophobic and transphobic bullying. John goes into schools across Louth and Monahan to talk about LGBTQ bullying Usually, he states, "after being called because of homophobic bullying towards someone who is perceived of being LGBTQ.

It used to be, john says that if you were picked on for being gay, the initial reaction was that society was on the side of the bully. It made you feel like you are not only a victim homophobia, but a victim of a wider societal stress. I remember going to school far too long ago, he jokes and being told that I could only get an earring in one particular ear because getting in pierced in the other ear was gay.

"However I do feel that the marriage equality referendum changed that. It made the LGBTQ community feel a lot more accepted and gives people the courage to challenge the bullies and their comments and feel like they are supported.

I think as LGBTQ people we have to realise that we are part of a much larger community. We are not just Irish, we are European and there are countries in Europe who treat LGBTQ people very badly and we need to open our eyes wider. Bernadine continues.

We had a tremendous success with the marriage equality referendum. We are a country of equals and there are countries arent as fortunate as ours and we need to support them as best as we can.

Reviews

Reviews of the ebook made it sound very useful. Supposedly it was well explained using labelled diagrams making it easy to understand.

It was very informative. It provided a lot of useful information including a glossary with all of the vocabulary that you should need. Guidelines given include what you should and shouldnt do when experiencing cyber bullying, and how to protect your identity.

It also has rules on how you yourself should behave online. It gives examples of what affects bullying can have on your mind, body and the emotional and psychological effects, and gives a list of services at youre your use if you are ever cyber bullied including phone numbers and email addresses.

The Democrat asked Bernadine if she felt that there was enough awareness of it.

No, she said, I dont think that you can ever have enough awareness. I suppose Leargas, the company that we worked with in partnership around youth projects advertising it makes it available but it is never available enough.

In the end, Leargas considered it to be one of the most successful projects, according to the testimony of Bernadine.

They consider our youth exchanges to be very successful. She explains, So this year we will be doing another one in March, and the people will work on a project in DKIT College with the LGBTQ community there.

To access the e book online go to www.lgbtcb.com or to make contact with Dundalk Outcomers, go to info@outcomers.org
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- The National Weather Service in New Orleans has issued a tornado watch which includes the three Mississippi coastal counties until 5 p.m.

What the NWS describes as a "very potent system" will push into the area late Tuesday and into the evening, creating "enhanced risk" for severe storms.

The greatest risk for severe weather will be along and north of the Interstate 10 corridor, with "all modes" of severe weather possible, including tornadoes. Damaging wind gusts of up to 80 mph are possible.

In addition, a wind advisory remains in effect for the area. The weather service says the main threat of dangerous weather will be in the afternoon and evening hours.

Along with early school dismissals announced earlier, numerous local government office will also close early.

The City of Gautier will close all offices at 1 p.m., followed by the City of Ocean Springs at 2 p.m. and Jackson County offices at 3:30 p.m.
Join me as I attempt to watch 2,500 movies on DVD and Blu-Ray, including films from all around the world and spanning as many genres as I can muster. Check back often...new movies are posted daily!
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Two high-profile Jackson County court cases which had been set for trial over the past month have both been reset for May 9.

Sergio Sandoval, a former Ocean Springs school bus driver indicted on four counts of child molestation and one count of sexual battery, had been set to go to trial Monday, but the case was continued at the request of his attorney, according to the Jackson County District Attorney's Office.

Sandoval was arrested in October 2014 and originally charged with one count of lustful touching of a child after a parent filed a complaint with the Ocean Springs School District.

After a review of bus surveillance tapes, 31 more counts were added the next day.

According to a police report, Sandoval inappropriately touched a female child in a "private area" outside and inside her pants on numerous occasions. The victim told investigators Sandoval told her it was "their secret." Other students were present on the bus during at least some of the incidents.

School officials, after reviewing surveillance footage from Sandoval's bus, fired him the day he was arrested. He had been an Ocean Springs school bus driver for nine years.

Sandoval, 65, spent four days in jail before being released on a $320,000 bond.

A Jackson County Grand Jury heard testimony and reviewed evidence in March 2015 and returned an indictment on April 10. His trial will be held May 9 in Jackson County Court in Pascagoula.

Yeon Sook "Jackie" Hwang

The other postponed case is that of Yeon Sook "Jackie" Hwang, the manager of the former JJ Spa in the St. Martin community, who is accused in a federal indictment of human trafficking for the purposes of engaging in prostitution, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering to conduct unlawful activity.

Originally set for trail Jan. 4, Hwang's trial will now take place May 9 in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.

Hwang was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 6 of last year and the spa was raided by agents from multiple agencies on Nov. 18 after the indictment was unsealed.

Hwang was arraigned on the charges Dec. 1. According to testimony from FBI Agent James Grunwald during the arraignment, approximately 50 women -- many brought to the St. Martin spa from other states -- worked as prostitutes there.

In addition, Grunwald said $924,000 went through the spa during a nearly two-year period, with Hwang personally taking some $150,000 from the business. He added that investigators don't believe that was all the money which went through the spa.

U.S. Chief District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. denied bond for Hwang, agreeing with federal prosecutor's arguments that she was a flight risk. She has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshal's Service.
Im still afraid that there might be another storm. But we are more prepared now, Mary Jane Suco, one of the beneficiaries of a Shelter Repair Kit from Habitat for Humanity.

Mary Janes house was totally wrecked by Yolanda, but Thank God she did not lose a family member. She went from hopeless to just wanting her family to survive so even if releif operation were taking slow to reach them, her husband was able to make them a trmporary shelter beside the rubbles of their destroyed home. They slept in there for months until finally Habitat for Humanity was able to give them a Shelter Repair Kit.

The Shelter Repair kit is composed of construction materials and tools to rebuild homes destroyed by Typhoon Hayan a.k.a. Yolanda. As soon as the deatruction happened Habitat for Humanity was one of the fastest to respond with the relief and rebuild operations a year ago in Philippine history (November 8, 2014).

She explained that, with the Shelter Repair Kit, they were able to build an underground shelter they can escape to, in case another Yolanda happens.

Even in the midst of doubt, Mary Jane said that being provided a Shelter Repair Kit means theyve not only had a new house built, and an escape route in case of another typhoon, but most of all, it helped ease her familys trauma. We are so grateful to Habitat for Humanity for giving us the materials we needed Now we can at least sleep more soundly at night.

But that isnt all Mary Jane is doing to help her family cope and move on. My children used to be really scared. So I went to a nearby protestant church and borrowed some educational flashcards from the pastor It helps the children get over the trauma.

With one year on from the day Yolanda struck the Philippines, it was through this perseverance that allowed Mary Jane to begin again. It was her determination that permitted her to overlook the uncertainty, trauma and fear, and plant seeds in her familys life for a fresh start; another chance for the seeds of her familys life to grow and bloom.

Mary Jane was one of the lucky ones. But there are thousands more in poor living condition. Most are still living in the tent cities and are now being asked to leave the area because the land owner want their lot now for use.

Land aquisition is one of the major challenges faced by Habitat for Humanity Philippines especially in Yolanda affected areas. But they are overcoming such with a lot of help from private entities.

Habitat plans to build 33,000 core houses for the next 2 years and they dont plan to leave Typhoon Haiyan victims alone.

With that said, we need your help. I am appealing on you personally to help us raise more funds.

You can sponsor a typhoon resilient home under your name or company or brand name . Or co-sponsor with others. Or donate funds for build projects mobilization or emergency kits.

I have created sponsors/donor packages outlining where the funds will go and your mileage getting the packages ( such as but not limited to: free feature/ blog post for x months, social media promotions, feature on Facebook pages etc.)

If interested please email me at earthlingorgeous@gmail.com

Or if you want to remain anonymous you may send donations at Earthlingorgeous Give to Habitat page. This project is until June 2015. Please click here to donate! Thank you so much!

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-- Warren ZanesHenry Holt & Co.336 PagesI love music, and there are a few bands that I really like. When a book comes out as an authorized biography of an artist of one of those musicians, I have to read it. This time, I had to wait a few days as it had to be ordered into my local library. Once it came in, it was a quick read. Consideration to Warren Zanes career as a member of the Del Fuegos lends a level of credence that may not be as apparent with other writers.Theres no one quite like Muddy Wilbury. Or Charlie T. Wilbury, for that matter. Tom Petty grew up in Gainesville, Florida in a family that often knew the ugly side of discrimination. His grandmother was a Cherokee who was married to a white man. In Georgia, where they were living, this was deeply frowned upon. The family made a new start in Florida to get away from the stares and whispering.Petty grew up in a house where his father could sometimes be a bit gruff and rough with the children, while Tom sought protection from his mother. Pettys father, a hard-working man, could not understand how his son could be so unlike him. As a result, Tom was a withdrawn young man who found his escape in music, although occasionally, his fathers temper sometimes broke through in his own life.Gainesville, in the late 1960s and 1970s was a hotbed for the musical culture. Don Felder and Bernie Leadon of the Eagles attended school in Gainesville. Leadons brother, Tom, would become an original staple of Pettys early band, Mudcrutch. The original line up of the Heartbreakers all heralded from that same area.It seems that every rock story has to regale us with tales of excess, whether it be women or drugs. While Petty did have his share of drug issues, whats touched on here is his heroin addiction and how much it affected his life, privately and professionally. He was married to his first wife, Jane (and the mother of his two daughters) for 22 years. Hes been married to his second wife for 15 years. Each seems like it would be considered an eternity for a rock star.This is the story of a seemingly shy man who has vaulted to the top of the music game despite his repeated conflicts with the recording industry. Along the way he has forged friendships that have resulted in some fantastic music. George Harrison went out of his way to meet Petty, which ultimately morphed into a temporary supergroup, The Travelling Wilburys.Warren Zanes follows Petty and his bandmates from the garage days of Gainesville to the bright lights of Los Angeles. As a fellow musician himself, Zanes is able to capture the spirit of the time as well of some of the mindset of the band as various obstacles and accolades came their way. Through fighting that saw members leave and return, and even the death of a bandmate, Zanes captures the spirit of what it was like to be Tom Petty throughout the past few decades.Zanes writing style flows well. His insider views, interspersed throughout the book, give more than just a rote recollection of the events in the life of Tom Petty. The reader can hear Toms distinctive voice in the quotes on each page. It almost reads like Petty himself is telling the story to you while sitting around the patio with a beer and music playing in the background.If there was anything that didnt feel like it lived up to the rest of the book, it was the last decade or so, leading up to and following the death of Howie Epstein. It seemed to me to skip ahead without much explanation. This last bit isnt nearly as in-depth as the earlier portions of the book. It makes the ending seem a bit rushed and glossed over. After such careful research for the first part of the book, it can seem just a little disappointing.Petty: The Bigography by Warren Zanes is a well-written biography of a well-known rock star. It was done with Tom Pettys blessing, even the dark moments. Its not full of the hype or exaggeration oftentimes found in biographies of celebrities. Its down home style matches it subject very well. And its fun to read.4.5 out of 5.
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(The National Weather Service)

NEW ORLEANS -- The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for south Mississippi beginning Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. and is anticipating severe weather across the area beginning late Tuesday.

The wind advisory calls for winds to gradually increase in advance of a strong storm front, with winds reaching 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph. The advisory extends until 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, what the NWS calls a "potent" system will push into and across south Mississippi Tuesday. The "ingredients will be in place for all modes of severe weather," according to an advisory.

Severe storms with wind gusts up to 80 mph are possible, along with tornadoes. The worst of the weather is expected during the afternoon and evening hours.

Wary of that forecast, officials with the George and Greene County school districts have announced schools in those districts will close early Tuesday -- with George County schools dismissing at 1 p.m. and Greene County schools at 12:30 p.m., according to WLOX.

Other school districts are monitoring the situation, including officials in Ocean Springs, who announced at 9 p.m. Monday they would make a decision by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The official forecast for Tuesday calls for showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Otherwise, cloudy with a high near 71. The chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Tuesday night, expect showers and thunderstorms before midnight and possible a thunderstorm between midnight and 3 a.m. Some storms could be severe. The low will be around 53. The chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
Yesterday I explained why billion-dollar baby Donald Trumps boast that he will win Michigan makes almost no sense.

Strategist and pontificater Dana Houle added another key point: Michigan has the largest Muslim population of any state. George W. Bush won the Muslim vote in 2000 while losing the state and that population has only grown since then. And Muslim-Americans probably dont like the idea that Trump wants to shut down mosques and such.

But obviously my post was not enough to calm a frenzied nation.

In the last twenty-four hours, as the realization that Donald Trump is likely to be the Republican nominee sinks in with a surreal sense of horror, there have been two widely circulated pieces that Trump could win by winning states in the Rust Belt, which may or may not include Michigan. The Nations John Nichols and The Huffington Posts Zach Carter and Ryan Grim are both working off what seems to be a blaring warning bell from the AFL-CIO that Trump could do well with working-class white men.

Democrats are rightly afraid that well make the same mistake Republicans did, which is sitting stunned as Trump mocked them into a victory.

Clay Shirky laid out a pretty compelling argument that Trump is using social media to act as a parasite to invade and take over the GOP. This effect will only magnify as the year goes along and the party that warned us that Trump was getting kind of Hitlerly decides their nominee is the new Reagan.

The Washington Posts Dan Drezner suggests that the party elites never recognized the threat Trump posed and, based on conventional wisdom, they expected the media coverage that built up Trump to eventually engulf the demagogue. The belief that someone else would take care of the problem somewhat stifled the desire to build a coordinated attack.

But The New Republics Heer Jeet lays out a key point in a tweetstorm on why he thinks Trump cant win. Namely: Most of the things you can attack Trump for  his business record, his sexism and his birtherism  only help him in the primary and would hurt those attached to the attacks.

His outward bigotry acts as his conservative credentials and his years of posing as a the king of all businessman on The Apprentice make attacks on his record of suspected fraud, mysterious business alliances, and exploitation come off like backhanded praise.

The most important thing to remember is the media isnt going to beat Trump for you. Theyre going to help him win, whether they mean to or not.

NBCs Chuck Todd chucked some todd when Trump turned some of his crowds constant vitriol on the press earlier this week. But the GOP front-runner is too good of a story, too good of an interview, and too good of a profit center to ask a media with an even weaker immune system than the conservative movement to do the necessary vetting on a candidate created by Fox and Friends.

Democrats are wise to begin plotting the counter-assault now because Trumps unhinged nature makes him a unique threat. But its also a unique opportunity to tie the GOP to Trumps bigoted wailing and lust for mass deportations forever.

Thats what happened in California when Pete Wilson waged a nearly identical campaign against immigrants in 1994. But every time we make that comparison we have to remind ourselves that Wilson won that race.
NOTE: There is simply too much news arising from the poisoning of Flints drinking water to do separate posts for everything. Therefore, I am assembling various news items into a single news round-up on a semi-regular basis. You can follow all of our coverage HERE.

Former Snyder advisor concedes that running government like a business led to the poisoning of Flints water

I wrote a piece recently highlighting how, when the microphones and cameras off, many Republicans are privately conceding that running government like a business has been an epic failure and has, in fact, led to the poisoning of Flints drinking water with the powerful, odorless, tasteless, invisible neurotoxin lead. Today, the Detroit Free Press has an interview with a former advisor to Gov. Rick Snyder saying the same thing:

The drinking water catastrophe in Flint is the result of a failed model of trying to run state government like a business, says a former adviser to Gov. Rick Snyder, who also predicted the governor wont survive a recall vote if the question makes the ballot. Dennis Schornack, who retired after serving more than three years as a senior adviser on transportation issues to Snyder during his first term, is the first current or former Snyder official to directly criticize the governor and his management style for contributing to the public health crisis. Schornack said he still believes Snyder is an intelligent leader and basically a good guy. But, he said, decisions about Flints drinking water should have been dictated by science instead of finances and the bottom line. Its sort of a single dimension for decision making; thinking that if it cant be solved on a spreadsheet, it cant be solved, Schornack said in a telephone interview from Florida. He earlier served 12 years as a senior policy adviser to Republican Gov. John Engler and in between served six years on the International Joint Commission. Government is not a business  and it cannot be run like one, Schornack said. The people of Flint got stuck on the losing end of decisions driven by spreadsheets instead of water quality and public health. Having been a Snyder staffer, luckily in a spreadsheet-rich area like transportation, I lived the culture amidst its faults. Schornack said, The issue has totally spun out of the governors control, and if a recall question makes it onto the ballot, hes dead.

Yeah, weve been saying that for a very long time. Welcome to the bandwagon.

Im sure there will be more of these concessions and revelations in the coming months as Republicans and current and former Snyder administration officials begin the important effort to distance themselves as far as humanly possible from Gov. Snyders failed policies. Stay tuned.

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member says Gov. Snyder has completely ignored requests for documents

Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings, the Ranking Member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is not happy with Gov. Rick Snyder and is accusing him of completely ignoring his request for documents related to the catastrophe in Flint:

The top-ranking Democrat on a congressional committee investigating the crisis of high lead levels found in residents tap water in Flint complained Monday that Gov. Rick Snyder has failed to produce documents requested relating to the crisis and should be compelled by the committee to do so. U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, who is the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wrote in a letter to Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, that Snyder has completely ignored Cummings and U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrences request for documents related to the Flint sent Jan. 29. As I have stated many times, I believe the committee must obtain information from all levels of government  local, state and federal  in order to conduct a responsible and complete investigation, wrote Cummings, who is part of a delegation of congressional Democrats visiting Flint on Monday with U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township. Cummings and Lawrence, D-Southfield, made the request after it became clear Snyder would not be invited for the committees first hearing on Flint, asking for documents related to Flints switch to using the Flint River as a water source in April 2014 as part of a temporary cost-cutting move at a time when the city was under the control of an emergency manager appointed by Snyder.

Im not sure that pissing off such a powerful member of Congress is Gov. Snyders wisest move at the moment, particularly since he has continued to stick a finger in the eye of transparency by issuing a no-bid contract for the replacement of lead water service lines in Flint. But, hey, what do I know? Maybe those two PR firms he hired know something I dont

Gov. Snyder responds to pressure to release more Flint water crisis documents, promises to release all staff emails dating back to 2011

The pressure on Gov. Snyder to release ALL documents related to the Flint debacle is finally getting some traction. Yesterday, he promised to release all related emails, including those of his staff, going all the way back to 2011. This is essential since many of the decisions made that led to the use of the Flint River as the source of the citys drinking water were made prior to 2014, the earliest date of the emails he has released so far:

Gov. Rick Snyder said Monday his office will release thousands of pages of emails his staff sent or received related to Flints water supply switch and subsequent contamination dating back to 2011. Snyder said the release of his offices Flint records would come relatively soon after state lawyers remove any documents that would normally be exempt under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, which doesnt apply to the governors office. Youre talking thousands and thousands of emails, so I want to make sure they do it carefully and thoughtfully, Snyder told The Detroit News Editorial Board. The Republican governor stopped short of endorsing an expansion of Freedom of Information Act to make his office and the Legislature subject to the same public records law imposed on all other levels of government in the state. Michigan is one of two states that dont release emails from these branches of government open to public inspection.

Thats a good start but, of course, its high time Michigan did away with its anti-democratic law that shields the governor from FOIA requests.

These new emails are sure to give us more lurid details about how the situation in Flint was ignored and how decisions were based on how much money could be saved rather than the health and safety of Flint residents. This is going to get very interesting.

A second recall petition approved by the State Board of Canvassers

A couple of weeks ago, tea party zealot Ben Lazarus had recall petition language approved by the State Board of Canvassers. However, many folks, myself included, are dubious that this is a real effort. Rather, it may be a smokescreen to give the appearance of a recall effort that will accomplish nothing. However, yesterday, a second petition was approved, this one submitted by Detroit activist Pastor David Alexander Bullock. The focus of his recall effort is Gov. Snyders shamefully inadequate response to the Flint water crisis.

A coalition of individuals and groups will need to collect nearly a million signatures within a 60-day window to obtain the 789,133 valid signatures needed to put the recall on the May or August ballot.

Quincy Murphy, a spokesperson for the coalition, says they already have 2,000 volunteers ready to begin circulating petitions. They are also planning to recall Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, as well, since he would take over as governor if Snyder is recalled. Their first Calley recall petition was rejected the same day the Snyder recall petition was approved.

Murphy said the recall group hopes to raise $2 million for a statewide petition drive, which would likely begin this spring when the weather warms. He claimed they already have roughly 2,000 volunteers in place and are working on a website. We just dealt with the water issue, but this goes just beyond the water, Murphy said. The emergency manager law has done nothing but stripped us from our democracy. So were standing up, were standing up for democracy, and were moving forward with this recall. Murphy said the group will resubmit a proposal targeting Calley, who would take over if Snyder is ousted.

Its unfortunate that there arent a million registered voters in Flint. That would make their job a whole lot easier.

Unlike Ben Lazarus petition drive, this one is legitimate and has the potential for success if properly organized. I have been personally contacted by a large number of people who want to help. Watch this space for more information on how you can get involved as this moves forward.

USEPA now getting far more involved in Flint

The USEPA is stepping up its involvement in the response to the poisoning of Flints drinking water. They have made it clear they do not believe the city has enough qualified staff members running their water treatment plant. They also want a look at the city and states plans for replacing lead water service lines:

The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over the weekend told Flint Mayor Karen Weaver that federal regulators must review any plans to replace lead water lines in the city, including those to be done as part of a demonstration project as early as this week. On Saturday, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy wrote Weaver a letter regarding the mayors so-called Fast Start plan, through which Weaver wants to accelerate the removal of lead pipes throughout the city. McCarthy cautioned that even if pipe replacement begins, corrosion control treatments still will be required and that residents are likely to be using filtered or bottled water for at least three months afterwards. McCarthy also noted that lead service line replacement can, in some instances, result in higher levels of lead being released through the remaining pipes and suggested the city focus on targeted infrastructure work so that lead lines can be replaced with minimal disruptions or problems. [] McCarthy also reiterated concerns raised by the EPA last week that the city of Flint doesnt have enough qualified personnel working at its water system and still lacks a comprehensive plan to ensure that corrosion control is adequate to keep lead from leaching into residents taps.

This heightened scrutiny is essential given the state Department of Environmental Qualitys abysmal record.

One other thing: Keep in mind that the serious problem with inadequate staffing at the citys water treatment plant is one created by the long line of Emergency Managers that have run the city for many years, all in the name of saving money.

Obama administration creates team to investigate water-caused rashes experienced by Flint residents

One of the more perplexing problems experienced by some Flint residents are skin rashes caused by the citys water. This is not directly tied to the lead contamination and, so far, the cause is unknown. Now a four-member team from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has been formed to investigate the situation:

A four-member chemical exposure team from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expected to arrive in Flint this week to investigate rashes possibly associated with the citys water, state officials announced Monday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has requested an assessment of chemical exposure from the federal department,, according to state officials. The request comes as the state conducts its own follow-up this month with Flint residents who reported skin rashes, officials said. While working with the community and our federal partners on these investigations, the option to utilize an ACE team in Flint has been identified as an important next step, Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive with the state health department, said in a statement Monday. Were hopeful that an ACE investigation will assist us in further protecting the health of Flint residents by identifying any concerns that may be contributing to rashes and other skin concerns. Wells added that her department will work with local and federal partners to address the investigations findings.

Given the myriad trials and tribulations inflicted on the residents of Flint, one is reminded of the Biblical figure Job who God inflicted with rashes and skin sores, too.

Economic redevelopment in Flint, Detroit, and elsewhere finally seen by the Snyder administration as something maybe consider

Theres a tiny glimmer of hope that the Snyder administration may be getting it when it comes to their response to municipal fiscal crises in our state. After years of disinvestment and saving cities from fiscal crises by doing away with local government, privatizing government services to for-profit corporations, and cutting local services to the bone, the idea that maybe, possibly, some actual investment and redevelopment might be in order seems to have finally bubbled to the surface:

Michigans obligation to repair its damage to Flint isnt contained to financing lead pipe replacements and tracking the public health impacts of tainted water. Not even close. The states second largest minority-majority city, whacked by a crisis directly impacting property values and the willingness of jobs-creating businesses to invest in the city, desperately needs help with an economic redevelopment strategy that produces results. Even as Gov. Rick Snyder pushes the Legislature to approve up to $195 million for Flint, the state is preparing an economic development push that aims to deliver, among other things, new economic infrastructure to encourage investment and a brand-name grocery chain to the citys north end.

Hallelujah.

While I remain skeptical that this will be done in a way that is in the long-term interests of Flint residents, it is the first sign that the Snyder administration officials are beginning to realize what I and so many others have been shouting for years: you cant cut your way to economic vibrancy in our devastated urban centers. Austerity measures have led to the poisoning of Flints drinking water. Theyve created more debt in the Detroit Public School system without improving student outcomes and without dealing with the scandalously bad infrastructure issues DPS faces. Theyve sacrificed democracy on the altar of cost cutting with little success to show for it.

The only way this works is if local residents play a significant role. They MUST be involved to ensure that their current and future needs are addressed in a sustainable way. Lets hope that this is the beginning of something that will finally begin to address the core issues faced by these struggling cities and school districts.

The Award for the Most Callous and Unintentionally Ironic Statement of the Year (so far) goes to

Republican State Senator Tom Casperson, who is running for Congress in Michigans 1st Congressional District has a sad. Hes very worried that Gov. Snyders feelings are being hurt and that his kids might hear people saying mean things about him. Heres what he had to say in a floor speech last week:

In a Thursday morning floor speech, State Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, urged a more civil discourse over the Flint crisis, acknowledging mistakes were made but comparing some of the vitriolic attacks on Snyder to a poison in the heart, a poison of the spirit. I have a lot of respect for Gov. Snyder. I consider him a friend. I want to believe he has no malice in his heart, Casperson said. But I sense theres an attack on him almost to crucify him, to get him. And I would just caution all of us that theres more than just the man. His wife. He has children as well. Can you imagine what theyre thinking hearing what theyre hearing about their dad?

Yes, mean words are just like poison. Poison in the heart. Poison of the spirit. Poison in your water. Poison in your kids blood. Poison in your wifes bones. Poison.

Hell, its just like living in Flint, amirite?

Unbelievable.
Twitter on Wednesday gave users the option of using a new algorithmically organized feed that would deliver more relevant messages  not necessarily the newest  first.

The new approach to disseminating tweets was spearheaded by Twitters CEO Jack Dorsey, who is under pressure because of the companys lack of growth. Compared to other social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter is lagging behind in new user growth and stock performance. Naturally, that has put significant pressure on Dorsey.

However, the new timeline option doesnt amount to a sea change, suggested Brian Blau, a research director at Gartner. Rather, its a natural evolution.

People vs. Companies

The feature set of social media has evolved from MySpace, where everything was haphazard, to more organized content like Facebook, Blau told the E-Commerce Times.

Twitter doesnt have as many social signals as Facebook, but this new interest-based content will make it easier for users to see what they want, he said.

The new Twitter model could worry average users, because it gets dangerously close to Facebooks pay-to-play algorithm, observed Maria Mora, content director at Big Sea Design.

Basically, on Facebook you could have 100,000 followers, but only five of them might see a post. Facebook ultimately decides who sees what, rather than allowing posts to populate organically.

For people and brands who already have a lot of followers and organic engagement right now, its not going to affect them, because their content is still going to end up on somebodys timeline, Mora told the E-Commerce Times.

For everyday users, the implications are different. For those who dont have a ton of followers and a ton of engagement, she explained, tweets may not show up in real time the way theyre used to interacting with them.

History May Repeat

Even though use of the new algorithm is opt-in, theres cause for worry that this could be the first step toward de-democratization, Mora said, noting that Twitter hasnt done a stellar job reacting to the needs and wants of its existing users.

Last falls hearts vs. stars debate, for example, revealed that Twitter wasnt in touch with its members. Basically, Twitter changed the process for highlighting a post from clicking on a star icon to a heart icon. The biggest argument against that change was that just because a user took special notice of a post didnt necessarily translate into liking it. Users didnt want to imply they liked topics such as the Paris attacks or the migrant crisis in Europe by flagging them with hearts.

Nobody likes the hearts over the stars, but they changed that even though that wasnt a complaint, Mora pointed out. On the other hand, women have been asking for more effective ways to stop harassment, more effective reporting of people who are harassing them on Twitter  thats just one example. But instead of listening to those needs , theyre coming up with an algorithm that no one asked for. Heres a way to look at your timeline that no one asked for.

The optional reordered timeline is simply a natural progression in Twitters slow calvacade of change, countered Blau.

Theres a general interest in real-time news, he noted, so now Twitter is offering the most popular feeds and tweets up front, so they dont get lost in potentially hundreds of messages. This is a benefit to users.

Its likely that Twitter is trying to league up and be a more viable option for brands, Mora speculated.

As it stands, its not the social media site you sink ad dollars in to build brand awareness, she said, but its a great platform for customer service. Its possible Dorseys plans to evolve this strategy will, in fact, boost Twitter engagement and help attract new users  and of course, more marketing dollars.
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Right to Farm measures would consolidate even more power into the hands of the animal agriculture lobbies by barring elected officials and voters from passing commonsense rules, like stopping the extreme confinement of farm animals, or restricting the use of antibiotics. Photo by iStockphoto

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Its remarkable to see so many companies  whether food retailers like McDonalds and Costco, or major agricultural producers like Smithfield  recognizing that animal welfare matters, and making major adjustments in their business models to adapt to that reality. At the same time, many animal agriculture trade associations, with the notable exception of United Egg Producers, are digging in and calling upon their allies in state legislatures and in Congress to try to stifle reforms, advancing draconian measures that are antithetical to principles of transparency and free speech.

It speaks volumes that some of these groups are prepared to eviscerate democratic values to maintain the status quo, even as the corporate sector recognizes that the consumer base has spoken. As Ive previously discussed, agribusiness lobbyists relentlessly attack the First Amendment via ag-gag laws, which in more than half a dozen states forbid private citizens from documenting the treatment of animals. As a prior strategy, many of these agricultural interests have tried to make the ballot initiative process unworkable in their states  not exactly a statement of confidence that they think that the people share their views about how animals are treated in conventional production systems. In Missouri  which already has an ag-gag law and a right to farm measure  operators of puppy mills and factory farms arent satisfied; they are leaning on lawmakers to deny citizens access to inspection records of these facilities (pretty ironic for the Show Me State). In Oklahoma now  in what may be the most astonishing and overreaching action weve yet seen in any state  they are even trying to make it illegal for animal rights charitable organizations to solicit money from people in the state if the organization conducts national campaigns or does any lobbying whatsoever. It looks like a Missouri lawmaker just introduced a clone of that bill in the last couple of days.

But one of their biggest maneuvers this year comes in the form of so-called Right to Farm amendments to state constitutions. These highly misleading measures, better dubbed Right to Harm, would consolidate even more power into the hands of the animal agriculture lobbies by barring elected officials and voters from passing commonsense rules regulating agriculture  for example, stopping extreme confinement, or restricting the use of antibiotics. These dangerous restrictions on our democratic legislative process are popping up throughout the country. They want to wall off an entire category of our economy from regulatory or legislative oversight.

With our allies and sympathetic lawmakers, weve blocked the trade associations right to farm measure in Indiana. But last year, lawmakers in Oklahoma put a right to farm measure on this years ballot, and were facing a fierce fight there between now and November. And we are facing a pitched fight in Nebraska, where State Senator Ernie Chambers, an extraordinary animal advocate, is leading the charge to block a restrictive measure from advancing.

The Nebraska bill  which is opposed by the Nebraska Farmers Union, a group comprised of family farmers  is an assault not just on democratic decision making, but also on local control. Voters, for example, wouldnt be able to have a say in whether agribusiness should phase out forms of extreme confinement or to determine that massive amounts of animal waste cannot be dumped into streams or the backyards of neighbors. In fact, the bills sponsor, State Senator John Kuehn, has made it clear that the reason he introduced this amendment was the public scrutiny of animal cruelty exposed by the New York Times at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in his state.

The harm to animals would extend beyond chickens, pigs, and cows; breeding dogs are considered livestock under Nebraska law, and theyre inspected by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. This amendment could help puppy mill operators, who have a stronghold in Nebraska, carry on their inhumane practices without fear of stronger regulations. In the same vein, the Oklahoma right to farm measure is being pushed not just by factory farmers and puppy mills, but also by the states cockfighting community, which wants to undo a 2002 citizen initiative that outlawed their bloody spectacles.

Make no mistake. Despite the gains weve made, we are in a real battle over the treatment of animals, especially in the middle part of the country, where trade groups and their allies seem prepared to stop at nothing to thwart progress in agriculture. Dont sit on the sidelines. We need people of conscience to speak up, especially if you are a resident of one of these states. Its more than a matter of animal protection  its about your right to petition your government, and about an attempt by special interests to make the government an extension of their industry.
(Ford)

Ford has announced that the 2017 Kuga SUV will be arriving in Europe with new and updated features including SYNC3 connectivity, driver-assistive technologies and a new engine. The refreshed SUV was just unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2016.

The bold and sporty Kuga SUV has been given a refreshed design for the new model year. It now bears similar design cues to its U.S. counterpart, the 2017 Ford Escape. New features include the new muscular front grille, reshaped headlights and new LED daytime running lights. At the rear, the new Kuga also comes with redesigned taillights and an updated rear bumper.

The 2017 Ford Kuga SUV also comes with new alloy wheel designs that are available with 17-, 18-, and 19-inch wheels. Ford is also offering a new exterior color  Copper Pulse.

Inside, the cabin has been equipped with a new three-spoke steering wheel and the new SYNC3 infotainment system. The inclusion of the SYNC3 infotainment system marks the first time that the system will be available in Europe.

The SYNC3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen display allows drivers to access audio, navigation and climate control. It also features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Drivers can also use simple voice commands for apps like SYNC AppLink and and MyBoxMan.

Ford is offering the 2017 Kuga SUV with a new 1.5-liter TDCi diesel engine that delivers 118 horsepower. Customers can also choose from existing powertrain options including the 2.0-liter TDCi engine with 150 horsepower and the 1.5-liter EcoBoost gasoline engine with power output at 120, 150 or 182 horsepower.

Driver-assistive technologies for the Kuga include Perpendicular Parking technology for hands-free parking, an enhanced Active City Stop collision avoidance system and the Adaptive Front Lighting System for visibility even in low light conditions. There is also a hands-free liftgate and the intelligent all-wheel drive system.

The 2017 Ford Kuga SUV will be available for purchase in Europe later this year. More specific details, including pricing, will be revealed closer to its launch date.
(Image: EU)EU flag.

Britain's governing Conservative Party is divided on a referendum announced at the weekend by Prime Minister David Cameron on whether the United Kingdom will stay in or leave the European Union in what is known as Brexit.

Six of Cameron's Cabinet members said they would join the leave EU campaign later joined by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson who came out in favor of a "leave" vote.

But an ensuing newspaper column written by him was widely interpreted as pledging further renegotiation after such a vote and offering a cloudy argument.

The main churches, including the Church of England, are expected to support straying in the EU.

The move by Johnson, seen as a successor to Cameron to lead the Conservative Party, was viewed as a possible game changer in the referendum.

He was, however accused of lacking clarity in his stance and using it to lobby to unseat Cameron.

Cameron ridiculed Johnson in the House of Commons, the lower chamber of the British Parliament on Feb. 22.

"I have known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings," Cameron said in remarks.

They were seen to be aimed at Johnson, who has reportedly experienced trouble in his marriage.

"But I do not know any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows."

The main opposition parties in the British Parliament including the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party and the Greens support staying in the EU, But Cameron faces a tough battle from within his own party.

The (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland said that Britain's continued membership of the European Union symbolizes "real progress and hope" for the future.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Rev. Angus Morrison, said the United Kingdom would be better off remaining a member State in the face of "enormous international challenges."

He said is has never been more important to maintain a broad vision and work across boundaries to tackle the most serious and pressing issues of the day.

"The Church recognizes that the decision taken will impact our country and communities for generations to come and we call for a positive debate on the European Union that takes account of its role in promoting peace, security and international cooperation.

"While each individual will reflect and come to their own decision with integrity, the Church of Scotland takes the position that in this time of enormous international challenge, it is better for us as a country to remain within the EU."

As for the Church of England, The Daily Telegraph reported Feb. 13, it is preparing to campaign for greater European Union integration, in a move that will anger senior Conservatives ahead of the general election.

"In a deeply political intervention, the church has written a letter to the main Westminster parties in which it appears to criticize Conservative policies on the EU."
(Facebook/MadamSecretary)Elizabeth goes after the Libyan terrorist responsible for the recent bombing in the upcoming episode of "Madam Secretary."

Elizabeth (Tea Leoni) will make a last minute call to interrogate a Libyan informant about a terrorist the United States has been hunting in the upcoming episode of the CBS series "Madam Secretary."

In "Hijriyyah," CarterMatt reports that the opportunity to get valuable intel on Jibral Disah (Bobak Bakhtiari), the most-wanted terrorist in the world, will come when a Libyan ship sends a distress call. As a bargaining chip to the Italian warship that answers the panicked request, a refugee passenger will claim that he knows the whereabouts of the criminal. The Italians will give Elizabeth only 20 minutes to decide whether the Americans want to interrogate the Libyan. Will she take the bait?

After the bloody attack on American soil by the Libyan terrorists, the secretary will want to strengthen the fight against the radicals. The United States wants Disah's head on a platter and will stop at nothing until he and his cronies have paid for what they did. The refugee is the United States' first big break in capturing Disah. President Dalton (Keith Carradine) will most likely tell Elizabeth not to waste such an opportunity.

Although Elizabeth did her best to get as much intel as she could about Disah from the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), she failed to secure useful information. The Italians were particularly secretive about what they know, but Elizabeth managed to make them talk. According to them, Disah was hiding in Libya. When Dalton gave the order to blow up the said compound, the terrorist was not there.

Meanwhile, on the home front, Elizabeth and Henry (Tim Daly) will get the surprise of their lives when their daughter Stevie decides to bring her boyfriend, Jareth (Chris O'Shea), to meet them. Will the couple manage to keep their cool and graciously welcome him to their home?

"Madam Secretary" season 2 airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
(NASA Mars Exploration website)An artist's concept of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft approaching the planet.

With today's state of spacecraft technology, it will take around six months for humans to travel from Earth to Mars. However, NASA is working on a system called photonic propulsion that could propel a spacecraft to the Red Planet in at least three short days.

NASA's team of researchers, led by scientist Philip Lubin, has been working on this technology that uses the momentum of particles of light (scientifically called 'photons') to move forward. This has almost the same concept as what Bill Nye developed for his small spacecraft, LightSail, that uses the Sun's rays for it to move. The difference is that Lubin's design relies on giant Earth-based lasers.

In a teaser video for NASA 360 (shown below), Lubin explained that photonic propulsion is not a new idea, as it has always been associated with light "in both the classical and quantum mechanical way."

There are recent advances that take this from science fiction to science reality. There is no known reason why we can not do this," he further narrated.

Currently, spacecrafts are launched with the aid of burning rocket fuel or other available chemical to get the thrust they need. The fuel itself is what weighs down a spacecraft, rendering it slow even at launch. Moreover, it is far less efficient when compared to electromagnetic acceleration that uses light or other electromagnetic radiation.

"Electromagnetic acceleration is only limited by the speed of light while chemical systems are limited to the energy of chemical processes," wrote Lubin on a white paper that discusses the technology.

While Lubin and his team are yet to try out photonic propulsion, they have calculated that it could get a 100-kilogram robotic craft to the Red Planet in just about three days. Moreover, the leader scientist explained that the system could make a craft move at 30 percent the speed of light without increasing the amount of chemical energy to be used, which could still be at 50 to 100 gigawatts.

The world is yet to see real-life results, though.
Adam Parascandola, HSI director of animal protection and crisis response, lifts out a puppy from an enclosure at the dog meat farm in Wonju, South Korea. Photo by Frank Loftus/HSI

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The worst form of dog abuse in the world  in raw numbers and intensity of suffering  is flourishing in South Korea. In that industrialized nation, there are 17,000 dog meat farms operating mainly in rural enclaves and responsible for a scale of exploitation that far exceeds even the puppy mill industry in the United States.

But through the work of Humane Society International, we are starting to chip away at the problem, beginning the long process of shrinking the industry, and providing a new and better ending for these dogs.

Last week, our Animal Rescue Team began the shutdown of yet another dog meat farm in Korea  turning around the fortunes of 270 dogs slated for slaughter.

It was a bitingly cold day when our team reached the farm located on a hill in a remote, rural area of South Korea called Wonju. The smell hit us hard when we entered the plastic-covered metal enclosures where the dogs were housed, said Kelly OMeara, HSIs director of companion animals and engagement. The sound of the dogs barking was almost deafening. In the long rows of raised, cold, metal cages, with no cover from the frigid temperatures that dipped into the single digits during our rescuers visit, were huskies, golden retrievers, mastiff mixes, and some small breeds, like maltese mixes. Many were puppies, and a number of dogs were suffering from health conditions ranging from malnutrition to eye infections. Beneath the dogs cages, piles of feces had accumulated for several months.

Despite their miserable lives, most of the dogs were surprisingly friendly and curious and eager for human attention. But some were scared too, and retreated to the back of their cages, staring downwards to avoid eye contact. These dogs received little to no care or human interaction, so our presence was likely both exciting and terrifying for them, Kelly said.

The worlds eyes are increasingly set on South Korea, the venue of the Winter Olympics in 2018, and we believe this is the right time to make a push to end the dog meat trade there once and for all. South Korea is one of a handful of Asian countries where dogs are consumed, but it is the only one that intensively raises dogs on meat farms. Wonju is in the same province where the 2018 Winter Olympics will be held.

HSI has been working directly with dog meat farmers to help them to transition into humane trades. This is our fifth dog meat farm closure since last year, and our largest one so far. To date, our work has helped more than 500 dogs from the Korean dog meat trade, and most of the dogs we have transported here to the United States have found loving homes in the United States. Just as significant, we are winning support from dog meat industry workers and the Korean public who want an end to this gruesome business. Our next steps include a mass public awareness campaign, to dispel the widely held belief in South Korea that there is a difference between a pet dog and a meat dog. A majority of Koreans do not eat dogs, and increasingly Koreans are welcoming dogs into their homes as pets.

But dog meat is not a problem limited to South Korea; we are fighting this practice across other parts of Asia, including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In China, we work with and support our local partner groups in rescuing and caring for dogs rescued from trucks on their way to various slaughterhouses in the country. To date, more than 10,000 dogs have been spared from being butchered and skinned and cooked, thanks to our efforts. We target and push for the end of cruel dog meat festivals, such as the well-known Yulin festival held annually. In Vietnam, we have worked with the government to put in place a ban on cross-border trade of dogs from Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos into the country.

Meanwhile, 55 of the 270 latest rescues from the Wonju meat farm are on the verge of beginning new lives drastically different from their old ones: we have transported them to the United States, where they will have the opportunity to find homes through two of our Emergency Placement Partners  the San Francisco SPCA and San Diego Humane Society. The remaining dogs will arrive here in March and April, and HSI will set up an emergency temporary shelter in the Northeast to care for them before they are placed with various Emergency Placement Partners in the region. Three dogs have been transported to Canada for placement through our HSI Canada office.

But millions of dogs on meat farms in Korea still need our help. An estimated 2.5 million dogs are consumed annually in the country, and there are thousands of farms throughout the country ranging in size from 50 dogs to over 1,000. For confined, shivering dogs in South Korea, and for dogs in other countries caught up in the meat trade, its a fight we must win.








(Photo: REUTERS / Christian Hartmann)Pope Francis addresses the European Parliament at the institution's headquarters in Strasbourg, November 25, 2014.

Pope Francis has told European lawmakers that the world sees Europe as "somewhat elderly and haggard" during a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

One a day return trip to Strasbourg on Novembr 25 Francis said that despite a larger and stronger Union, "Europe seems to give the impression of ...feeling less and less a protagonist in a world which frequently regards it with aloofness, mistrust and even, at times, suspicion."

The Argentine pontiff urged a "united response" to the help the boatloads of migrants arriving in Europe in order to prevent the Mediterranean becoming "a vast cemetery."

It was the first time Francis had addressed the European Parliament for the first time and he urged the continent to create jobs.

The Pope said he was bringing a "a message of encouragement to return to the firm conviction of the founders of the European Union."

he said they had "envisioned a future based on the capacity to work together in bridging divisions and in fostering peace and fellowship between all the peoples of this continent.

"At the heart of this ambitious political project was confidence in man, not so much as a citizen or an economic agent, but in man, in men and women as persons endowed with transcendent dignity.

Francis denounced the global economic system for failing to share wealth making them opt for a tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, which many migrants have died trying to reach.

"The time has come to promote policies which create employment, but above all there is a need to restore dignity to labor by ensuring proper working conditions," the Pope said.

"This implies, on the one hand, finding new ways of joining market flexibility with the need for stability and security on the part of workers; these are indispensable for their human development," he said.

Francis noted Europe's immigration crisis only days after Italian ships plucked 600 migrants from the Mediterranean between Sicily and North Africa.

"There needs to be a united response to the question of migration. We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery," he said.

"The boats landing daily on the shores of Europe are filled with men and women who need acceptance and assistance," said Francis said asking European countries to pool resources to protect immigrants from human traffickers.
Again and again, state supreme courts in Washington and Kansas have deemed their states school funding formulas unconstitutional, in various rulings spread over a number of years.

In response, state legislaturesin the view of the impatient justiceshave either dragged their feet, backpedaled, or come up with inadequate solutions.

Both courts seem to be fed up.

A ruling by Kansas high court earlier this month would effectively shut the entire school system down if lawmakers fail to come up with a formula the court finds equitable by June 30. The justices are expected to decide later this year if the states current block grant formula is adequate in terms of overall funding.

And in Washington, the state continues to pay $100,000 in fines into a special accounttotaling more than $15 million so farafter the state supreme court decided last year the legislature wasnt moving fast enough to respond to the courts 2012 order to come up with a new formula and found the legislature in contempt of court.

As of last week, both legislatures were puzzling over ways to pump millions more dollars into their school districts budgets.

In Kansas, legislators met with school officials and financial analysts to discuss how to provide more money. The House passed an overall state budget that closed a $200 million budget deficit, resulting from a slash in personal income-tax rates in 2012 and 2013. But the budget doesnt answer the supreme courts demand that the legislature come up with an extra $54 million for the states poor districts.

Legislative Rumbles

Some Kansas lawmakers and state officials are making rumbles about defying what they see as a court overstepping its boundaries.

Washingtons Senate last week passed a so-called plan for a plan that sets a deadline of the end of the 2017 session to come up with a new funding formula. Another bill passed by the house would allow districts to raise their local taxes.

While some legislators believe the action will satisfy the courts mandate in McCleary v. State of Washington, others described it as telling schools the check is in the mail.

Randy Dorn, the states superintendent of instruction, said the schools cant wait another year.

This is not just a funding problem, he said, citing a teacher shortage in the rural parts of the state and a yawning achievement gap between students of color and white students. Its a civil rights issue.

Although its rare, courts sometimes fine legislaturesas the high court in Washington state has doneor threaten to shut down schools over funding formulas, said Michael A. Rebell, a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, who tracks battles over school funding formulas.

Courts in New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and West Virginia have held legislatures in contempt over school funding formulas they deemed unconstitutional, said Rebell.

In 2005, the Kansas Supreme Court said it would consider shutting down the schools if the legislature didnt craft a funding formula the court deemed sufficient. But the legislature called a special session over that summer and devised a formula before school began.

This time theyre not saying theyre considering; theyre saying, Well do it,  said Rebell of the latest decision by the Kansas justices. They said, Were not going to stand for this. Give the money to the poor districts by June 30 or well pull out the atom bomb of all remedies. Thats surely going to get the attention from legislators.

The most recent decision in Kansas stems from a 2010 lawsuit, Gannon v. State of Kansas, filed by the Dodge City, Hutchinson, Kansas City, and Wichita districts. They contended that the funding formula is both inequitable and inadequate and violates the state constitution.

The state supreme court, in 2014, ruled in the districts favor on the equity part of the lawsuit. The legislature then added $140 million to the funding formula and enacted a two-year block grant formula.

Those districts sued again, arguing that the funding formula froze funds, forcing them to increase their local property taxes to provide teachers with raises.

There are essential things our kids are doing without, said Shelly Kiblinger, the superintendent of the Hutchinson schools. Kiblinger said the district increased class sizes, laid off administrators, and last summer raised property taxes to provide teachers their first raise in years. That cost, the high court decided this month, lies with the state, not local taxpayers.

Soon after the latest decision was handed down, some state leaders said the court had overstepped its boundaries and had attempted to interrupt the budget process.

Kansas has among the best schools in the nation, and an activist Kansas Supreme Court is threatening to shut them down, Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, said in a statement.

Some Kansas lawmakers said the courts were meddling in legislative affairs. And in a move that hinted to some observers that the state will defy the courts orders, the legislature earmarked $50,000 to pay for a lawyer to represent it in future school funding cases.

In the meantime, a bill has been proposed to replace the temporary block grant formula with a formula based on class size.

And a consultant firms study that cost the legislature $2.6 million suggests that by districts spending down their rainy-day funds, the state could save a potential $193 million over the next five years.

The state impoverished itself by drastically slashing its state income tax, said John Robb, the lawyer who represented the districts in the lawsuit. Now, they claim theyre broke and they cant fund the schools. Its a self-inflicted wound.
Two K-12 initiatives that are launching this week aim to capitalize on the mounting support for taking a more holistic approach to educating poor children, a shift away from the view that has heavily emphasized that schools alone can counteract the effects of poverty.

Expected to be unveiled this week, the first effort is a new project from Harvard Universitys Education Redesign Lab that is helping local city and school leaders link agencies responsible for childrens servicessuch as mayors offices, school systems, and social services agenciesto work together to address both in-school and out-of-school factors that affect student learning.

In the six cities that are participatingOakland, Calif.; Louisville, Ky; Providence, R.I.; and Salem, Somerville, and Newton, Mass. mayors will set up childrens cabinets to coordinate the efforts.

The second initiative is a re-launch of a Broader, Bolder Approach to Education, a group which first started in 2008 and has pushed for more comprehensive, whole-child strategies for educating students in poverty that was meant to be a counter-force to the no-excuses strategy, which tended to focus on reforms related to the teaching profession. Leaders of the group say there is new momentum for their policy agenda, including passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act which requires states and districts to judge schools success on a broader set of metrics than test scores.

More Than Schooling

The Harvard project, By All Means: Redesigning Education to Restore Opportunity, is headed by Paul Reville, the Education Redesign Labs director and a former education secretary in Massachusetts. He asserts that while standards-based reforms have improved overall academic performance, many of the performance gaps between some student subgroups remain, and, in some cases, have widened.

The idea was to think about the education of children as more than just schooling, said Reville, whose Education Redesign Lab is part of Harvards Graduate School of Education.

A basic, underlying belief of this initiative is ... schools alone, as currently conceived, are insufficient to do the job of educating all students for success, Reville said.

That seems like a radical statement, he continued. It isnt that we havent made progress. But it is true that we are a long way from closing the achievement gaps that we set out very ambitiously to close at the onset of this education reform movement.

The program will focus on four key areas. The first is personalized learning, with a kind of individualized education plan that addresses in-school and out-of-school needs of students, while the second is the integration of social, emotional, and health services so schools can respond to issues that arise that may affect a childs ability to attend classes or pay attention when he or she gets there. The third area of emphasis is ensuring all students have access to enrichment activities when they are not in school, including after school and during the summer. A fourth area will be governance.

Without a comprehensive approach to address the range of challenges poor children face, the best education reforms will be futile, Reville said. He is also involved in the reboot of the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education, along with several other prominent figures in pre-K-12 policy and academia.

Elaine Weiss, the national coordinator of the Broader, Bolder group, said the re-launch was meant to shift the focus from calling attention to the poverty-education connection, to emphasizing ... the specific policies and practices that would help mitigate those connections.

The group calls for policymakers and educators to focus on early-childhood experiences, including the expansion of high-quality pre-K and state birth-to-5 systems; after-school and summer learning opportunities, which, the organization argues should be treated as a vital part of students education; and health and nutrition.

When it comes to in-school factors that need policy attention, the group calls for funding equity, improving teacher and principal quality, and more stringent accountability for charter schools.

Comprehensive Agenda

The Broader, Bolder group also urges policymakers to address racial segregation and concentrated poverty in communities by promoting integration efforts and to seek community input when making education decisions.

Weiss said many such efforts dont require additional funding, but a re-prioritization of how money is spent.

In announcing its re-newed campaign, the group will release case studies of communities that have taken a collaborative, comprehensive approach to educating children, including Vancouver, Wash., and East Durham, N.C.

We need to see a comprehensive education agenda that really begins at birth, when kids start to learn, Weiss said, and goes all the way through; that takes into account [the entire] day, and marries the best evidence of what works for all kids, and, especially, to mitigate povertys effects, with critical input from folks on the ground in each community about what they need and what they can bring to the table.
As more states embrace the SAT or the ACT as their mandated high school test, a new gulf is opening between students with disabilities and those without, and its caught the eye of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The departments civil rights division is gathering information about the practices of the College Board and ACT Inc. after persistent complaints that the testing organizations reject many requests for accommodations that are routinely provided by schools, such as extra time or frequent breaks.

That practice puts students with disabilities in a tough spot, particularly in the 23 states that now require high school students to take one of the two college-entrance exams. Students who cant get the testing accommodations theyre used to can take the exams without them and risk a compromised performance, or, in some states, they can insist on their usual accommodations and give up a key benefit their non-accommodated peers receive: a college-reportable score.

Thats because the College Board and ACT Inc. wont certify scores for use in college admissions if their tests arent taken with accommodations they approved. The organizations defend their practices, and say relatively few students end up with non-reportable scores.

Questions of equal test access are mounting as states push harder than ever to find ways to ensure that students are college-ready. Many states offer the SAT or the ACT for free to all students to expand access to college, so the test cost of $39 to $54 isnt a hurdle to the admissions process.

More recently, states have moved from offering college-admissions tests to requiring them, opening up new challenges of access for students with disabilities or those learning English. Last year, 3.6 million students took those exams. The pressure ramps up further as some states choose to use the SAT or the ACT as their high school test for federal accountabilityas the new Every Student Succeeds Act invites them to dobecause federal law requires 95 percent of students to be tested.

Sheryl Lazarus, a senior research associate at the National Center on Educational Outcomes, at the University of Minnesota, which studies students with disabilities and English-language learners, said its a major concern that some students are not getting college-reportable scores on their states mandated SAT or ACT.

The public thinks that whats happening is that states are helping kids clear a hurdle to college. But, instead, whats happening is many students are not getting the same foothold as their peers who take a college-entrance exam without accommodations, she said.

Separate and Unequal

The story of an 8th grader in Arizona illustrates the painful choices facing some students with disabilities. Her charter school requires students to take a lineup of Advanced Placement courses and exams, and the PSAT and the SAT. For years, the student has received extra time on state tests because of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is documented in the educational plan drawn up for her under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act.

But the College Board rejected her schools application for extra time on her first AP exam, and asked for additional testing to document the disability, according to the girls father, who declined to be identified for fear of endangering the familys appeal to the College Board.

The school paid more than $2,000 for more tests and resubmitted the request, but the College Board denied it again, and requested more specialized subtests, the father said. After another round of testing, which also cost the school more than $2,000, he said, the College Board denied the request a third time, saying that in the aggregate, her performance is high enough that she doesnt need accommodations, the father said.

Fearing a low score on her AP report, the girls family decided she should skip the test. She lost the opportunity to boost her grade point average, as her peers can, by factoring in AP test scores, her father said. And he fears her PSAT and SAT performance will be compromised if the familys appeal isnt granted.

What was being offered there was separate and unequal, he said.

That story troubles Eve L. Hill, a deputy assistant attorney general with the Justice Departments civil rights division. She said her office receives many reports about students who request accommodations on the SAT or the ACT and encounter barriers to getting them considered, such as receiving no answer at all, or having to respond to repeated demands for more screening tests or more documentation, and then often having their requests denied or only partially granted.

Focusing on Legal Mandates

Those kinds of problems led the Justice Department to create a new technical assistance document in September, highlighting the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and its regulations that ensure students equal access to a fair testing environment, for any test that governs high school, college, or graduate school admissions, as well as licensing or professional exams.

In partnership with the U.S. Department of Education, the Justice Department took the unusual step of inviting K-12 state leaders who oversee assessment and special education to listen to a webinar in December that detailed those ADA provisions.

Ms. Hill declined to say whether the Justice Department is planning to file suit against one or more testing companies. But such action is one of the departments options. It intervened in a California case against the Law School Admission Council, which administers the LSAT, and helped bring about a 2014 settlement of claims that test-takers had trouble getting accommodations or that their scores were flagged in ways that disadvantaged them in law school admissions.

For now, the Justice Department is asking schools, districts, and states to submit reports of inappropriate denials of testing accommodations through its online complaint form.

When a testing company demands unnecessary documentation, denies accommodations without a really good reason, or doesnt administer tests in a way that best ensures that scores reflect students knowledge and skill, rather than their disabilitiesa key tenet in ADA regulationsits potentially an ADA violation, Hill said in an interview.

The fact that some students emerge from a state-required ACT or SAT administration without a college-reportable score could run afoul of another provision of ADA regulations, which says that in contracting, states may not afford a qualified individual with a disability an opportunity to participate in or benefit from the aid, benefit, or service that is not equal to that afforded others.

Difficulty obtaining accommodations on the SAT or the ACT is an issue thats rising on states radars as they push more students to take those tests. State assessment directors have been airing their concerns about it at nationwide gatherings with colleagues, and federal education officials have at times attended those meetings or called in to hear such concerns.

Some assessment leaders are uneasy about using the college-entrance exams for accountability because of fairness questions.

One of the questions is: Is it valid to penalize a school for results when some students who are used to certain accommodations took the test without them? said Marianne Perie, the director of the University of Kansas Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation, which designs testing systems for states.

Deb Lindsey, the assessment director in Wyoming, which requires all students to take the ACT and plans to use it for accountability, said she has been pushing ACT Inc. hard to allow school-based teams to be the arbiters of accommodations on that test, the same way they are for classroom and state testing accommodations. Theyre the ones who know the students best, she said.

Lindsey said shed like to see a day when there would not be an ACT panel that reviewed the appropriateness of student accommodations requests.

A Role for States?

Some state testing leaders are increasingly uneasy about the role their state policies play in students difficult choices. Michael Hock, Vermonts assessment director, said that testing companies create the problem by rejecting many of the accommodations that states and districts permit on their own tests.

But states that mandate the SAT or the ACT, knowing some students might not get a college-reportable score, contribute to the problem, too, he said.

I think states share some culpability here because theyre willing to go along with it, Hock said. It completely disregards the needs of the student.

Joseph Martineau, who oversaw testing in Michigan for eight years before joining the Center for Assessment, which consults with states on testing issues, said he was troubled watching the parents of students with disabilities struggle to choose between encouraging their children to take the state-required ACT without the accommodations theyd been used to, or take it with them and sacrifice a college-reportable score.

It bothers him, too, that being an English-learner is not, by itself, grounds for accommodations on the test.

It was frustrating, he said. I always felt we were not doing right by the kids, and that our hands were tied. It never felt right because some students werent getting equal opportunity to show how they could perform on the entrance exam, or to use the scores the same way as their non-accommodated peers, he said.

Who Decides?

In general, states allow a greater variety of accommodations on their tests than do the private testing companies, experts said. If a students 504 plan or individualized education program specifies them, they can easily obtain supports such as Braille, a human reader or signer, use of a calculator, and text-to-speech conversions. Additional time, though, is among the most commonly requested accommodations.

Students dont have to request extended time on the Smarter Balanced exam, since its untimed. They must request it on the PARCC exam, and on many state tests that are timed. Accommodations for those tests, as for any state test, are granted by school-based IEP teams, and are routinely granted if a need is specified in the students IEP or 504 plan.

But in shifting to private testing companies for high school tests, decisions about accommodations are made at those companies discretion.

Of the 11th graders in the class of 2016 who took the ACT in states that required it, 11,200 students got scores that werent college-reportable, according to the ACT. On the SAT, no students got non-reportable scores in 2014-15 because no state that mandates the SAT permitted accommodations not approved by the College Board, spokeswoman Kate Levin said. In 2013-14, one state, Maine, did, and 125 students got non-reportable scores, she said.

ACT Inc. and the College Board said their practices on test accommodations are necessary to protect the validity and reliability of the scores. The College Board said it approves 85 percent of its accommodations requests; ACT said it approves 92 percent. Both said theyve reviewed their accommodations practices and concluded that they conform to the Justice Departments guidelines.

Requests for accommodations on the two exams are turned down most often for reasons such as failing to identify a disability, presenting no evidence that accommodations are needed, requesting inappropriate accommodations (such as asking to review the test in advance), or lacking a parents signature, the two organizations said.

Levin said that the few students who dont obtain a college-reportable score get other benefits, such as free online practice resources, score reports that detail their strengths and weaknesses, and college-planning information. Paul Weeks, the senior vice president for client relations at ACT, acknowledged that it is more difficult to secure accommodations for the ACT than it is for state tests, but said that the difficulty is a lot less than people think.

A Delicate Balance

Still, he said, ACT Inc. is constantly reviewing its accommodations practices as it tries to help states provide the testing programs they wish to offer, with maximum participation.

Its a delicate balance between meeting states needs, and students needs, and ensuring validity and reliability in the scores we provide to colleges, Weeks said.

Maine has required students to take the SAT for a decade, and its assessment director, Charlene Tucker, views the programs benefits as far outweighing its drawbacks. It gets more students thinking about college, she said, and it provides valuable reports to parents, and to schools, that help shape planning and instruction. A college-reportable score is an extra bonus that most students get, Tucker said.

Some schools might be limiting the range of accommodations they provide in day-to-day practice, andrequest on the SAT or the ACT, in anticipation of those companies approval patterns.

Michigan recently switched to the SAT after years of requiring the ACT. Laurie Vanderploeg, who oversees special education services to 14,000 students in 20 districts around Grand Rapids, said schools in her area havent had many accommodations requests rejected.

She said that could be because we tried to anticipate the accommodations that ACT typically provided, to keep them consistent across a students school years and to avoid putting a kid at risk of a non-reportable score. But she acknowledged that anticipating the accommodations ACT would likely provide may have shortchanged students who needed other kinds of supports.

Connecticut was concerned enough about the College Boards accommodations policies that it pressured the organization to expand available accommodations as part of that states recent decision to require the college-entrance exam for all students.

Commissioner of Education Dianna R. Wentzell said in an interview that her states legal and special education teams consulted with the Justice Department to be sure Connecticut was on solid footing in its accommodations requests as it negotiated an agreement with the College Board.

She said shes very impressed that the College Board was open to the shift, and that the board is going to use its work with Connecticut to study the impact, if any, of greater accessibility on the validity of exam scores.

There will still be Connecticut students whose accommodations arent approved for the SAT and who wont get college-reportable scores, Wentzell said, but the change will minimize that number and make the SAT available to more students.
Teacher-retirement systems are supposed to provide a measure of security in exchange for years of service. But for new teachers in Illinois, thats looking increasingly unlikely.

Nearly a quarter of newly hired teachers will never vest in the states Teacher Retirement System, a new analysis says. Whats more, three quarters wont even make back what they pay into the system.

Those statistics are the result of changes made by lawmakers in 2011 to scale back costs, according to the analysis, by Bellwether Education Partners, a Washington-based consulting firm.

For new teachers worried about the state of their future finances, the question might be: Is anybody in the state legislature listening?

The short answer, observers say, is probably not. Current pension-policy efforts in the state are focused chiefly on the problem that the teacher-pension system remains more than $65 billion in debt.

Though theres a growing awareness of the challenges the pension situation poses for new teachers, nobody is really thinking about what the long-term impacts are in terms of retention, said Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of public policy at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Public policy arguments and long-term effects are probably not going to drive the discussion of pension systems in the short term, he said.

Scaling Back Benefits

Years of underfunding have left the Illinois teacher-pension system in the worst financial shape in the nation. It is only 41.5 percent funded, a liability that has compounded the states debts by contributing to lower credit scores and growing interest costs.

But the state is also constrained in what it can do to pare back its pension debts. A series of benefit reductions signed into law in 2013 were thrown out by the state supreme court last year.

A parallel reform effort, begun in 2011, put all new teacher hires on a Tier II plan with significantly less generous benefits than previously offered. It takes them longer to vest in the new plan10 years rather than fiveand they have to work until at least age 67 to be eligible for retirement, up from as young as 55 under the prior system.

So steep are the scale-backs that without adjustments, the Tier II plan could by 2027 fall afoul of federal rules requiring benefits to be at least as good the minimum benefit promised to workers under Social Security, according to news reports. (Most Illinois public employees do not participate in Social Security.)

The Bellwether analysis calculates that under the Tier II formula, teachers would need to work 26 years to break even on their contributions. And 78 percent of teachers will leave teaching before that.

Ultimately, that not only puts teachers financial futures at risk, but it also could have long-term effects on whether the state can ensure a sufficient, stable teaching force, said Leslie Kan, a policy analyst at Bellwether.

It makes it a very precarious situation, Kan said. The state wants to have a robust teaching workforce but theyre reaching a point where teachers are going to push back.

The Illinois Education Association declined a request to comment on the Bellwether report.

Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has in the past floated the idea of putting veteran teachers onto a plan similar to Tier II, has been unable to reach a budget agreement with Democratic lawmakers, hampering attempts to crack the pensions nut this year.

Though he and Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, a Democrat, tentatively agreed to a plan last month to curb public employees cost-of-living or pensionable salary raises, it has been railroaded by a disagreement over unions collective bargaining rights.

Though involving a distinct retirement system, pension costs have also played a central role in the recent contract disputes between the cash-strapped Chicago district and the Chicago Teachers Union.

Cash-Balance Solution?

But some policy analysts say that states like Illinois can fix their pension systems without necessarily having to shortchange newer teachers financial futures.

Both the report from Bellwethergenerally seen as a proponent of pension-policy changesand a separate one by the Urban Institute in 2015 propose shifting from defined-benefit pension plans to hybrid, cash balance plans. Like a traditional pension system, such plans would guarantee fixed returns, and contributions would be pooled and managed externally. But as with a 401(k), teachers would not have to vest in a plan and could take their investments if they left teaching.

The analysts argue that cash-balance plans would be far better for Illinois teachers who dont stay in the profession for decadesthough they would be less lucrative than the Tier II plan for teachers who do fulfill 37 or more years.

Such plans could also guard against future underfunding since they tie benefits to contributions.

But cash-balance plans have not been tried at scale for teachers, so research on them is limited.

Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Texas now use a cash-balance plan for some public workers. California offers an optional cash-balance plan for part-time and adjunct teachers.

In Illinois, Sen. Daniel Biss introduced legislation to authorize a cash-balance plan for public employees in 2012. But the legislation went nowhere, and Biss has no plans to revisit the issue anytime soon, a staffer from his office said via email.

The Joyce Foundation funded the Bellwether analysis. (The Joyce Foundation also provides funding to support coverage of the teaching profession in Education Week.)
Louisianas attorney general has ended a political feud with the states new governor over the Common Core State Standards, saying he agrees it is time to drop a lawsuit claiming that federal authorities were trying to force states to adopt the math and English standards.

Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, had moved to dismiss the suit, filed last year by then-Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican. He had already lost at the district-court level.

Edwards said the appeal was expensive and unnecessary, given passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which bars the federal government from mandating standards.

Jeff Landry, a Republican, initially said Edwards was too quick to drop the lawsuit, leading to a war of words.
When Colin McDermott first started teaching high school history in Avon, Conn., he thought of religion as a jack in the box": It would dramatically pop up in the curriculum every few decades or centuriesin the Reformation, for instance, or the Scopes Monkey Trialbut besides that it was invisible.

McDermott had never received any particular training on how to teach about religion, and it was easy to rely on textbooks for the basics.

In the past two years, however, his approach has changed entirely. His students now examine the role of religion in most historical periods. They have used primary sources to examine how religion influenced the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, theyve explored different perspectives in Muslim communities about whether women should be required to wear veils, and theyve studied the evolution of anti-Semitism in Europe.

The change was inspired by the Hartford Teacher Education Project , a small but ambitious program that introduces secondary school history teachers to the cultural-studies method of teaching about religion, which emphasizes the internal diversity of religions and the relationship of religion to culture, economics, and society. Its part of an effort to address what the programs leader, Harvard Divinity School professor Diane L. Moore, terms religious illiteracy in the classroom and in society.

The program is growing at a time when the question of just how public schools should teach about religions, particularly Islam, has become particularly contentious. In recent months, there has been a string of widely aired controversies: Tennessees legislature, for one, is considering a bill that would ban the teaching of religion for all students except the oldest high schoolers, after parents raised concerns that children were being indoctrinated into Islam at schools across the state. In Virginia, a district shut down for a day in December after a teachers lesson on Arabic calligraphy drew protests.

Teacher Preparation

But as the nations population becomes increasingly religiously diverse, tensions about how teachers shouldor should notaddress religion are flaring regularly, if less publicly, in schools across the country. In Connecticut, McDermott said, a colleague at Avon High School drew the ire of some parents after sharing a chart that showed that not all terrorist attacks in the United States have been committed by Muslims.

The place of religion in the curriculum has always been a matter of some debate. Some argue that public schools should avoid religion altogether, while others would use schools as a place to actively teach religious values or practices.

But religion is an unavoidable part of academic content, especially in subjects such as the arts, literature, and history. In 2008, the First Amendment Center organized a consensus statement , endorsed by 22 organizations, that emphasized the importance of teaching about religions in school. The National Council for the Social Studies published a statement in 2014 affirming the place of religion in social studies curricula .

Video: Talking Religion With Students Helping students make sense of events around the world is one goal of public education, but when those events include topics like terrorism or religion, it can be hard for teachers to know what to say. Calee Prindle, who teaches at The Facing History School in New York City offers activities and ideas to help initiate difficult discussions.

That puts teachers on the high wire.

Public schools have political pressure on them, said Charles Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center and the director of the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum in Washington. And the only way they can really answer those pressures is to get it right academically.

Despite the pressure-filled environment, not a single state requires teacherseven those who are all but guaranteed to have to teach about religionto learn about religious studies, Haynes said. And few districts and education schools make time to focus on teaching about religion.

Heres all this agreement that you should be teaching about religions. But no ones actually doing much to help teachers, Haynes said. Thats particularly troubling right now, he said, as recent terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists in Paris and Beirut have raised concerns anew.

The federal government has recognized anti-Muslim bullying and misinformation as a growing problem and issued guidance to districts. Organizations such as Jihad Watch and the American Center for Law & Justice, which say that public schools are sugarcoating Islam or even attempting to indoctrinate children, have gained traction, Haynes said. At the height of concerns in Tennessee, the American Center for Law & Justice filed, and was eventually denied, requests with all 146 school districts for all curriculum related to Islam.

Haynes pointed to the recent controversies as evidence of the need for more education for teachers. In both Tennessee and Virginia, students were asked to copy portions of the shahada, the Islamic statement of faith. News media made those who complained seem wacky, Haynes said. But incorporating devotional activities, such as acting out practices or writing or reciting prayers, is generally inappropriate and not particularly educational, even if well-intentioned, he said.

Religious studies has been marginalized, Haynes said. Its not something teachers know much about.

Context and Diversity

Thats just the problem that Moore, the Harvard professor of education and religion who leads the Hartford program, is attempting to address. The cultural-studies method she developed involves a deeply contextualized understanding of religion. It emphasizes, for instance, that religions evolve over time, and that faiths are internally diverse: Not all Catholics eschew divorce or artificial birth control, for example. It highlights how power and powerlessness determine which religions have influence in any given time or place. It makes the point that religion is not just an individuals faith, but is embedded in all parts of human experience.

Moore contrasts that approach with a staple of many history textbooks: a worksheet or a chart that lays out the founder, beliefs, and origin of various world religions. That chart, she said, suggests that religions and their believers are uniform and that religion is somehow separate from its historical, political, and cultural context.

Jessica Blitzer, the social studies coordinator in the West Hartford district who helps organize the Hartford Teacher Education Project, said learning about the cultural-studies method was eye-opening. I used to think [using the chart] was a safe way of addressing things, she said. But ... its in many ways an irresponsible way. Its not a match for the complexities of what we read about online, in the media.

Blitzer said teachers using the cultural-studies method often tell students up front that they will be studying religion in an academic fashion, not challenging individuals beliefs or faith traditions.

Tom Moore, the superintendent of the West Hartford, Conn., schools and a former history teacher, said that teaching about religion can trigger fear. But he said the cultural-studies approach prepared teachers to teach religion academically and have complex conversations with high schoolers. Were not going to shy away just because its difficult to teach, he said.

Interfaith-District Collaboration

The Hartford program is a collaboration among several districts, Moore, and the Connecticut Council for Interreligious Understanding. The interfaith group manages a five-year grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to support training for teachers in the greater Hartford area. Teachers are paid $1,000 to participate in a weeklong seminar over the summer, during which they study the cultural-studies approach and practice incorporating it into their teaching. They also receive a smaller stipend for follow-up sessions.

Teachers from 12 school districts have participated so far. The programs leaders are preparing for a fourth cohort of 10 teachers, after which they hope to train teachers to educate their peers.

Though the program is brief, teachers and students credited it with transforming their understanding of religions.

Maryam Wardak, a history teacher at Hall High School in West Hartford, said the seminar helped her encourage students to question their assumptions about groups of people.

Theres a genuine interest in it because of the diversity of our world, Wardak said. The approach links well to the Common Core State Standards in literacy, which stress introducing students to primary sources, and to social studies standards focus on analysis and inquiry, she said.

During the weeklong summer seminar, teachers are asked to craft one unit. But McDermott, the Avon high school teacher, said he has since revamped nearly all of his units because of what he learned in the seminar. If theres an agenda, its that we want students to think critically and deeply about issues and to avoid black-and-white readings of history, he said.

Samantha Waddell, a senior in McDermotts Advanced Placement European History class, said that while that class touched on religion regularly, when we have a debate, were never debating the doctrine or beliefs of a religion. Its how its affected something else.

Nate Steckel, also a senior, said: I think it really helps us become more open-minded and not as ignorant. When you turn on the news, you never hear about normal people who practice Islam or Christianity. All you hear about is Westboro [the Christian group that has protested at soldiers funerals] or ISIS. In class, its not like that.
Ambitious plans to transform the University of Edinburgh's campuses will be boosted by a 200million loan from the EIB.

The loan, together with 100m from a US investment fund, will provide 300m of new investment capacity to support a range of building and refurbishment projects over the next 10 years. The investment will strengthen Edinburgh's reputation as a global leader in education and research.

The loan agreement, to be signed by Edinburgh Principal Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea and EIB Vice President Jonathan Taylor, will allow the University to step up its 1.5billion building programme.

Projects in the 10-year plan include a new home for the School of Biological Sciences, the creation of a Data Technology Institute  part of the Alan Turing Institute  and a refurbishment of the historic School of Law at Old College.

The plan also includes a redevelopment of the landmark McEwan Hall  transforming the iconic home of University graduation ceremonies into a combined ceremonial and conferencing facility.

As well as securing the EIB loan, the University has raised a further 100m of funding through a self-arranged private placement with the assistance and advice of professional advisers Ernst and Young.

Both deals have seen the University secure funding for up to 30 years at historically low levels, with a flexible repayment schedule and an average cost of borrowing of less than three per cent.

The remaining 1.2bn of the funding for the programme will be raised through capital grants, historic and new fundraising and annual surpluses for investment generated by the University.

This will be achieved while the university maintains robust, financially sustainable academic activities and its place in the global ranking of top universities.

Professor OShea said the excellent rates and flexible terms offered by the EIB reflect the bank's eagerness to support the infrastructure identified as crucial in maintaining and building on the Universitys ambition and success. He added that the agreement also underlines the EIBs view of the University of Edinburgh as a strong and reliable long-term credit partner.

In 2012, the bank provided the University with a 50m loan to support projects that included the creation of the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation, a refurbishment of the Main Library and the installation of the latest energy efficient combined heat and power network. The University has enjoyed excellent relations with the EIB team which made the current transaction run smoothly.

The EIB is directly owned by the 28 European Union member states, including a 16 per cent share held by the UK government. It has supported long-term investment in Scotland since 1974.

Lending by the EIB last year totalled 5.6bn and represented the largest annual engagement since the start of EIB lending in the UK in 1973. This supported nearly 16bn of overall investment in 40 projects across the UK, which schools, university campuses, hospitals, upgraded energy links, renewable energy projects and water infrastructure.

Professor OShea said: We are very pleased that the EIB has the confidence in us to make a commitment that equals its largest loan to date in the UK. This will be critical in helping to create employment and economic growth. The Universitys investment programme reflects its global ambition for growth in teaching, research and the transfer of knowledge. In addition being one of the worlds top 25 universities, the University of Edinburgh is a very major contributor to economic development in South East Scotland.

Mr Taylor said: The European Investment Bank recognises the ambitious development plans that will strengthen world class research, teaching facilities and student life at the University of Edinburgh over the next decade. This new 200m 30-year loan to the University of Edinburgh represents one of the largest ever loans to a European University, and reflects both the quality of the campus development plan, and the European Investment Banks clear commitment to support long-term investment in Scotland.
Washington, Feb 23 (EFE).- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that he could travel to Cuba in the coming weeks to discuss human rights ahead of next month's scheduled visit to the island by President Barack Obama.

"I may be down there in the next week or two to have a human rights dialogue, specifically," Kerry said during a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Kerry traveled to Havana last August to formally inaugurate the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, the first visit in 70 years by a top U.S. diplomat to the communist island.

Specifically, Kerry's visit would occur shortly before Obama's March 21-22 trip, the first time a sitting U.S. president will set foot on the island in 88 years.

A stop in Cuba could be used to prepare for Obama's visit and give a push to an area - human rights - that will be a priority for the U.S. president.

Cuban-American Sen. Robert Menendez, one of the biggest critics of the new U.S. policy toward Cuba, said that in the first two months of this year there have been 1,400 arrests on the island, adding that the human rights situation there is moving backwards.

Kerry acknowledged that the situation "isn't perfect," but he said that there have been certain advances in empowering the Cuban people in the private sector.

"The president hopes to press forward on the agenda of speaking to the people of Cuba about the future and obviously he is anxious to press on the rights of people to be able to demonstrate, to have democracy, to be free, to be able to speak and hang a sign in their window without being put in jail for several years," Kerry said.

The secretary of state also defended the request, included in Obama's budget proposal for fiscal 2017, for Congress to allocate $3.8 million to upgrade the U.S. Embassy in Cuba and hire another nine officials.

He said the embassy needs a bigger staff to support Washington's objectives in Cuba.
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(Staten Island Advance photos)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Reunions always serve as a time to reminisce and exchange heartfelt stories, to preserve poignant memories and rekindle shared interests and values.

No truer words were spoken for members of the Monsignor Farrell Class of 1981 who hope to accomplish that and much more at their 35th reunion set for Saturday, April 23.

The day will kick off with a 5 p.m. mass in the Monsignor Farrell High School Chapel, Oakwood, followed by dinner and an open bar from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Historic Old Bermuda Inn, Rossville.

The tab for the evening's fare is $85 per person.

For further information, contact the chairmen: Mike Smith at 732- 492-1444, Frank Tritini at 732-766-0462, or, Dr. Craig Campbell at: 347-439-9319.

ST. ANN'S 'REUNION OF A DECADE'

And while we're talking reunions, Rich Bringoli, a member of the St. Ann School Reunion Committee is spreading the word about "A Reunion Of A Decade: 1960 to 1970, set for Saturday, April 30th from 7 p.m. until midnight in the school auditorium located on Cromwell Avenue in Dongan Hills.

The evening will consist of a cocktail hour, buffet by LaFontana Restaurant, an open bar, music from the decade, dancing and fun-filled memories.

The tentative price is $65 per person.

At the same time, committee members are searching for representatives from the Classes of 1960, 1962, 1966and& 1969.

Those who are familiar with alums from these classes or for additional information contact Charles Orlando at augies1132@aol.com; Lorrie (Bambrick) Plankey at lorrieplankey50@hotmail.com or Rich Bringoli at Bongs50@aol.com.
Ely, Cambridgeshire is best known for its majestic cathedral dubbed the 'Ship of the Fens' because it dominates the flat landscape. The city, which is the second smallest in England, is about 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about 80 miles by road from London.

17:55, 17 OCT 2022
After the rumors a couple of weeks ago that were covered by me, Rich Tehrani, TMC's TechZone and Ramblings, Verizon put an offer on a slightly used CLEC with fiber and spectrum for $1.8 Billion. VZ will be buying it directly from Carl Icahn who owns XO. VZ might not be able to take ownership for 2017 due to approvals needed.

According to Bloomberg, "Verizon Communications Inc. agreed to buy fiber-optic networks from Carl Icahn's XO Communications LLC and lease spectrum for about $1.8 billion, giving the nation's largest wireless carrier more Internet bandwidth for corporate clients and airwaves to test faster wireless technology."

The Synergies will likely be a RIF of most of the 2800 employees left at XO, which will be a rounding error for Verizon Communications Inc. and its workforce of 177,700. Last reported income from XO was in $1.4B in 2011. Even if XO was still bringing that in - which they are not! - it is about 1% of VZ's 2015 revenuesof $135B.

Hard to make the revenue needle move much at $135B!

XO has been a mess for a long time, mainly because its owner since 2011, Carl Icahn at XO Holdings, hasn't done much with it but cut employees and spending. XO started in 2000 as a merger between NextLink and Concentric Hosting. Later XO acquired Allegiance Telecom in 2004 after recovering from a 2002 bankruptcy.

I wonder if the Broadsoft, UC and cloud business goes with the fiber. XO has 2 million SIP trunks, but all the press releases read fiber-optic business. That might be in keeping with the theme for Verizon - fiber-optic! Cut all ties with copper and just be fiber and cellular.

Also, the wording of the press release appears like an asset sale not a purchase of XO Holdings.

"Separately, Verizon will simultaneously lease available XO wireless spectrum, with an option to buy XO's entity that holds its spectrum by year-end 2018." [pr]

"XO holds 102 licenses to spectrum in the 28 gigahertz and 39 gigahertz range, which cover about 45 percent of the U.S., according to Bob Varettoni, a Verizon spokesman." [Bloomberg]

The XO fiber allows VZW to backhaul the small cells needed for a denser network for both 4G and the soon to be trialing 5G cellular networks.

Right now, Verizon is shutting down its public cloud infrastructure - and giving customers just two months to move! according to DCK. It is exiting competing against the computing giants of Microsoft, Amazon and Google. It will be keeping its private hosting/cloud - and no sale of its data center business formerly known as Terremark has been announced yet. (I would have thought that the data center business would have been sold to buy XO, since VZ already is soaked with debt.)

On the ILEC side, the sale of Cali, Texas and Florida ILEC assets to Frontier has not been approved yet. On other fronts, VZT is making the move to retire copper as fast as it can despite opposition from the CWA, consumers, CLECs and state agencies. The opposition to copper replacement comes from the Super Storm Sandy mess, when all the networks were down. Also, as copper is retired, CWA loses power and head count and CLECs lose access to customers, except through more expensive means like cable and ILEC fiber.
Re: Considering a teaching job in Basel 70k for two people is tight. It's doable, but tight.



No idea what kind of living standard you were used to in the bay area, though. You won't starve here on that salary, but don't expect too much either.



You may save on rent here compared to SF (if you live in the city there), but everything else will be more expensive in CH than in the US.



Basel is okay. It's not the most happening place and I think the nightlife's a little blah. Zurich is a bit better. But my guess is neither can keep up with the large cities of the US, which is understandable as they are still significantly smaller than SF or really any big city. A note here on the cost on dining out as well as nightlife: a dinner for two with a bottle of wine in a decent restaurant goes for some 100 CHF upwards. If you go dancing in a club, you will easily spend 100 CHF per night even if you're not a heavy drinker - just to get in and for a few beers between the two of you. I don't know how regularly you go out in SF, but if you do several times a week, your money will disappear here very, very fast.



Basel is moderately international, though the internationality is largely restricted to expats working in predominantly the two large pharmas here. Outside of that network, it may be difficult to blend in and please consider that many find it boring here, especially if they don't work, don't know many people and don't speak the language that would make it a little easier to blend in and integrate. I've seen many trailing spouses absolutely despise this place and return fairly quickly, though I've also seen many who loved it and never wanted to leave. It can go either way, but take the above into account (language, lack of network etc.)



So I too would ask what you are hoping for with the experience of coming here? Last edited by Samaire13; 23.02.2016 at 13:48 . Reason: Typo
Re: Living with a policeman/inspecteur Quote: Seni Dear 7070,



Such as that the plans will be handed out in advance. I might not have known for a while without your post. My thoughts mostly evolved around disruptive nights while being on call, during the weekends and holidays.

For two years, my partner was working Continental shifts and my closest, lifelong friend is a police sergeant. Because their shifts clashed, I was never had to divide my time between the two people I'm closest to. My calendar was a mass of coloured dots to show who was working what hours.



That might sound selfish, but it meant each person had my undivided attention when needed. Use this time to strengthen the friendships you have. That way you won't become resentful of the times when your partner's job comes first, and will begin to see this as your time to fill with friends and the things that interest you.



Oh...and get yourself some cordless headphones so that you can watch tv without waking your partner And if you ever get scared of being on your own in the house at night, by a little electric chainsaw. You never need to use it, the sound alone sends any chancer running for the hills. My experience is from the UK, not Switzerland.For two years, my partner was working Continental shifts and my closest, lifelong friend is a police sergeant. Because their shifts clashed, I was never had to divide my time between the two people I'm closest to. My calendar was a mass of coloured dots to show who was working what hours.That might sound selfish, but it meant each person had my undivided attention when needed. Use this time to strengthen the friendships you have. That way you won't become resentful of the times when your partner's job comes first, and will begin to see this as your time to fill with friends and the things that interest you.Oh...and get yourself some cordless headphones so that you can watch tv without waking your partnerAnd if you ever get scared of being on your own in the house at night, by a little electric chainsaw. You never need to use it, the sound alone sends any chancer running for the hills.
Just moved to Biel/Bienne Hi All,



Less than a month ago I moved over to Biel from Dublin. No, I am not Irish, I am originally Polish, but after spending 6 years in that beautiful country, I consider it my second home.



I am still looking for a job and it's proving pretty difficult as I don't speak German or French and apparently everyone in Switzerland is AT LEAST trilingual. Yes, I am not impressed at all!



I've recently started snowboarding and so far managed to break no bones. As I am a beginner I am hoping to find people who are also struggling to keep their balance going down the slope (putting you weight on the front foot is hard!) and go on snowboarding trips during the week (till I find a job, that is).



I am also trying to learn German (even thinking of joining an intensive course) so if anyone's living close to Biel and could help me master the language quicker, I'd really appreciate it.
Re: Hello! It's going to be confusing, housing in Geneva is in great demand and I'm not sure how many houses you're likely to find for rent. Most people live in apartments here. You may need to rent somewhere temporarily for a few months while you search for a longer term property. Is your company providing a relocation agent to help? Have a look at these sites to get an idea of what's available in your price range.



www.immoscout24.ch

www.immostreet.ch

www.homegate.ch

www.home.ch



What sort of school do you want? International or are you looking to put them into public school? International will be expensive with 3 kids (very!). Public schools, well you don't get a choice like in the UK, your kids will go to the nearest school to where you live. Also what ages are they?



There's lots of useful info in the various sticky threads in the different forum sections and I also suggest you get hold of a copy of "Living and Working in Switzerland" by David Hampshire. It's full of useful info for both before and after you move here. You can order it from your local bookshop or via the internet. Welcome to the forum and soon to Switzerland.It's going to be confusing, housing in Geneva is in great demand and I'm not sure how many houses you're likely to find for rent. Most people live in apartments here. You may need to rent somewhere temporarily for a few months while you search for a longer term property. Is your company providing a relocation agent to help? Have a look at these sites to get an idea of what's available in your price range.What sort of school do you want? International or are you looking to put them into public school? International will be expensive with 3 kids (very!). Public schools, well you don't get a choice like in the UK, your kids will go to the nearest school to where you live. Also what ages are they?There's lots of useful info in the various sticky threads in the different forum sections and I also suggest you get hold of a copy of "Living and Working in Switzerland" by David Hampshire. It's full of useful info for both before and after you move here. You can order it from your local bookshop or via the internet.
Re: de-registering in the "ufficion degli stranieri" after leaving Quote: kdubezerra Are you sure that's the case right after finishing my residence permit in Switzerland?

Like, I don't have to go somewhere else, than come to Spain after a while to only then enjoy the three months as tourist thing?

Do you have any source for this that I could present to authorities? However, I don't know if they are strict on you waiting outside the country to get your work visa.



Initially I would think you give the address in Spain for your de-registration here, but if you're not sure that is where you will stay maybe hold off? If your permit expires anyway and you've already left I don't see how the Swiss authorities would penalize you for waiting to de-register. Your other contracts like phone, etc. might be different though.



Whatever address you choose, be sure to keep the Swiss authorities posted so they can send you the settle-up tax bill 3 years from now. According to this page , Brazilian passport holders do not need a visa to visit Spain.However, I don't know if they are strict on you waiting outside the country to get your work visa.Initially I would think you give the address in Spain for your de-registration here, but if you're not sure that is where you will stay maybe hold off? If your permit expires anyway and you've already left I don't see how the Swiss authorities would penalize you for waiting to de-register. Your other contracts like phone, etc. might be different though.Whatever address you choose, be sure to keep the Swiss authorities posted so they can send you the settle-up tax bill 3 years from now.
The award for for Best Supporting Actress is one of the most debatable categories going into Oscar night, with any one of the five nominees having a feasible chance of winning.

Of all the acting categories at this year's Oscars, Best Supporting Actress is totally up in the air. While the race has appeared to have narrowed down to two contenders, this category is ripe for a surprise win on Oscar night.

So let's break down the nominees for Best Supporting Actress ranked from least likely to win to most likely to nab Oscar gold:

5. Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight





Despite a prolific career in the '90s that's persisted all the way through today, this is Leigh's first Oscar nomination. As the despicable criminal Daisy Domergue, the actress shines as the only prominent woman in a movie full of men. While she has some of the most memorable moments in the film, she also spends much of her screen time staying silent in the background or being beaten up. This, plus the lack of an Original Screenplay nomination for Quentin Tarantino, suggests that there's not as much support for The Hateful Eight in the Academy, which means she probably won't win.

4. Rachel McAdams - Spotlight



McAdams has by far the subtlest and quietest role in this category. As Boston Globe journalist Sacha Pfeiffer, McAdams is in a similar situation as Leigh in that she is the only prominent female in a male dominated movie. This is also the actress' first Oscar nomination. However, much of McAdams' performance is listening and taking notes. She does not have a big impactful moment or speech that would allow her to flex her acting chops. The only thing that puts McAdams above Leigh is how much the Academy clearly loves Spotlight, so she may pick up a few more votes.

3. Rooney Mara - Carol



Mara picked up her second Oscar nomination for her understated yet complex role as Therese Belivet in Carol (she was previously nominated in 2012 for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). She has been nominated at all the major precursors, but she has yet to pick up a major win over her competitors. Like McAdams, there is a subtlety to Mara's performance that rarely wins Oscars. Carol did receive six nominations, which shows some support, but a lack of precursor wins suggests she probably won't have enough support to win. It is still very possible, though.

2. Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs



Before this year's Golden Globes, Winslet was thought to be a filler nomination that wouldn't pick up any major wins. However, she went on to win both the Golden Globe and the BAFTA. Playing Joanna Hoffman in Steve Jobs, Winslet gets to de-glam, use an accent, spout numerous speeches and generally chew the scenery, so it's no surprise she's picked up some wins along the way. She won an Oscar in 2009 for her role in The Reader and this is her seventh nomination overall, so she's clearly the most well known and respected actress in this category. But that previous win and the lack of support for Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender is the only other nomination) shows that she may not get her second Oscar just yet.

1. Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl





In her first major year of prominence, Vikander has made a huge first impression. Getting major nominations and wins for her performances in both Ex Machina and The Danish Girl, it's safe to say Vikander is having her moment. In The Danish Girl, Vikander plays Gerda Wegener, the wife of a man (Eddie Redmayne) who wishes to become a woman. It is a typical suffering wife role, but she injects the performance with a lot of sympathy and she gets to show off her acting abilities throughout the film. Vikander has won the SAG Award and the Critics' Choice Award, notably defeating Winslet and the other contenders, so it's looking like it's her time. But don't be surprised if there's a big upset.

Who do you think will win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress?

The Oscars air Sunday, Feb. 28 at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT on ABC.
The biggest donor behind the Republican anti-Trump super PAC is a mystery no more.

'NCIS: LA' Season 7 Spoilers: Is Eric Ready To Enter The Field? Hetty Worries In Hilarious 'Matryoshka: Part 2' Sneak Peek

While the majority of the GOP has steered clear of criticizing the current frontrunner, the Our Principles PAC used more than $4 million to run anti-Trump ads from Iowa to South Carolina. Three million of those dollars came from Marlene Ricketts, according to MSN.

Ricketts hails from the very family that owns to Cubs, but fans of the Chicago team have been rather quiet in the wake of the reveal. It is Trumps comments on the matter that have sparked the real controversy. The politician made overt threats to the Ricketts on Twitter Monday morning.

'Hawaii Five-0' Season 6: Will Abby Chose McGarrett's Team Over The FBI? Julie Benz Speaks Out

I hear the Rickets family, who own the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $'s against me. They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2016

The tweet has since caused Twitter user to rally around the Cubs owners.

@realDonaldTrump They have right to spend their $ any way they want. You're trying to bully private citizens.I pray you never get govt power  Mrs. BACCV (@BACCV) February 22, 2016

An actual presidential candidate blackmailing the Chicago Cubs on Twitter. What a way to start a Monday. https://t.co/ezPwz6t2PE  Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) February 22, 2016

I was totally going for Trump until this. THIS crosses the line: Donald Trump goes after Cubs ownership https://t.co/ArFgMR9PCY @cbssports  Chris Karnak (@CKFilmTV) February 22, 2016

What are you thoughts on the matter? Are you for or against Ricketts' spending? Sound off in the poll below!
Delta Africa Property Holdings (formerly Delta International), the first multi-listed property fund to offer international property investors direct access to immediate high growth opportunities on the African continent outside of South Africa, has taken transfer of Barclays House, located in Cybercity, Ebene, Mauritius.

The successful acquisition marks Delta Africas first foray into the Mauritian market.

As is customary under Mauritian law, the formal deed of sale was concluded between the parties at the Mauritian notarys office on 16 February, 2016 with transfer being registered on 22 February 2016 (the effective date of the transaction was however agreed as 1 December 2015).

This yield-enhancing acquisition meets our rigid investment criteria of strong counter-party leases, underpinned by long-term contracts, commented Bronwyn Corbett, Chief Executive of Delta Africa.

We are very excited about our foray into Mauritius and support from the investment community here has been encouraging. Going forward, we plan to continue capitalising on the brand awareness and local knowledge gained in Delta Africas existing jurisdictions of Morocco and Mozambique where we have access to a large pipeline of assets, she continued.

Barclays House is a six storey office complex with 150 parking spaces comprising a gross lettable area (GLA) of 7,700m2 tenanted by Barclays Bank PLC and Clear Ocean Hotel & Resort on long term leases.

The A-grade building is located in Cybercity, Ebene, a sought-after office node 15 km south of the Mauritian capital Port Louis. Other blue chip multinational tenants in the node include Orange, IBM, HSBC, PWC, EY, MCB, Standard Bank and Standard Chartered Bank amongst others.

The purchase consideration amounts to USD13.5 million at a yield attributable to shareholders of 7.3%. Broll Indian Ocean Limited, external chartered valuers, have attributed a value of MUR490 million (approximately USD13.8 million) to the property.

The successful transfer follows earlier announcements of Delta Africas further acquisitions in Zambia and Mozambique, as well as the release of the Companys interim results for the six months ended 31 December 2015 on 18 February 2016. Delta Africa reported a 32.8% increase in its dividend to 6.17 US$ cents per share, representing an annualised dividend yield of 10.6% on the JSE and 7.1% on the SEM respectively.
(iii) Solidarity from Gujarat

The Central University of Gujarat Teachers Association (CUGTA) unequivocally reiterates its commitment to the Indian Constitution and condemns any activities that are prejudicial to its letter and spirit. The Supreme Court has unambiguously stated in previous cases that words and speech can be criminalised and punished as sedition only in situations where they are being used to incite mobs or crowds to violent action. Anyone proven guilty of any anti-national activities be brought to justice as per the due process of law.
Movimentu Kontra Okupasaun Tasi Timor

Movement Against the Occupation of the Timor Sea

Rua dos Martires da Patria, Bebora, Dili, Timor-Leste

Tel: +670-7734-8703

email: zebdiaz@gmail.com

MKOTT Declaration to the Australian Government



Dili 23 February 2016



ETAN's Pam Sexton speaks at February 23 rally at the Australian Embassy in Dili., ETAN was founded to oppose the illegal Indonesian occupation. Now, she wanted to stand up in support of Timor's sovereignty and rights as a member of the solidarity movement. There are many from the U.S., Australia and elsewhere who would be there if they could to stand for justice. Photo by Charles Scheiner. For more than 40 years, Australia has thirsted over oil and marine resources in the Timor Sea which belong to Timor-Leste according to international law and principles. From the beginning, Australia has justified their desire with a variety of arguments. For example, in 1972 Australia made a treaty with Indonesia to define their seabed border. Australia still uses the outdated 'continental shelf' argument to rationalize their occupation, domination and theft from Timor-Leste's people.



In 1974, Australian oil companies discovered the Greater Sunrise gas field. To make it easier to reap resources from Sunrise and elsewhere in Timor-Leste's territory, Australia supported Indonesia's 1975 invasion of Timor-Leste which killed nearly 200,000 people.



When Timor-Leste won independence from the illegal Indonesian occupation in 1999, Australia still desired the Timorese people's resources, and coerced Timor-Leste to accept some Australian rights to the Elang-Kakatua, Bayu-Undan and Greater Sunrise fields. They also pressured Timor-Leste to surrender its rights to the Laminaria-Corallina and Buffalo oil fields, which are in an area claimed by both countries.



Many Australian people believe that your Government has been generous to our people, but this is a misconception. Since 1999, Australia has provided approximately US$1.7 billion in military and civilian assistance for Timor-Leste through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms. During the same sixteen years, the Australian government has received nearly $5 billion dollars in revenues from oil and gas fields which rightfully belong to Timor-Leste. The more than three billion dollars Timor-Leste has 'given' to Australia makes us your largest aid donor, not the other way around.



Timor-Leste continues to endure injustices from Australia's occupation of the Timor Sea, and therefore the Movement Against the Occupation of the Timor Sea (MKOTT) asks the following of the Australian Government:



1. Australia should respect the sovereignty and dignity of the nation of Timor-Leste, as it does for other nations in the world.



2. Australia should return to the mechanisms for resolving maritime boundary disputes of the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.



3. The Government of Australia should negotiate with the Government of Timor-Leste in good faith.



4. Australia should not continue to use the 'Continental Shelf' argument which is no longer valid under international law.



5. Australia, as a large nation, should not use its economic and political power in the region to continue to take advantage of the Timorese people's future.



Viva Timor-Leste!



Viva the Maubere People!



Down with Australia's Occupation of the Timor Sea!

A protest calling for the establishment of permanent maritime boundaries along the median line half way between Australia and East Timor.took place on February 23 outside the Australian Embassy in Dili. The demonstration was organized by The Movement Against the Occupation of the Timor Sea (Movimentu Kontra Okupasaun Tasi Timor/MKOTT) has been formed by activists, students and former resistance groups. Photo by Juvinal Dias

Movement Against the Occupation of the Timor Sea letter to Australian ambassador (PDF):
NEW ORLEANS - Global warming and the intense El Nino now underway are prolonging the longest global coral die-off on record, according to NOAA scientists monitoring and forecasting the loss of corals from disease and heat stress due to record ocean temperatures. The global coral bleaching event that started in 2014 could extend well into 2017, researchers report at the Oceans Sciences Meeting here this week.

Coral bleaching happens when corals are stressed by conditions such as high temperatures. The bleaching, or whitening, occurs when the corals expel the symbiotic algae that live in their tissues. Without the algae, corals lose a significant source of food and are more vulnerable to disease. In a severe bleaching event, large swaths of reef-building corals die. This causes reefs to erode, destroying fish habitat and exposing previously protected shorelines to the destructive force of ocean waves.

Warmer ocean temperatures caused by El Ninos and global warming can lead to coral bleaching. The first mass bleaching occurred during the 1982-83 El Nino. A global bleaching event was then confirmed in 1998 during a strong El Nino that was followed by a very strong La Nina, which brings warmer waters to places like Palau and Micronesia. A second global bleaching event occurred in 2010, during a less powerful El Nino.

Scientists first observed the current global coral bleaching event beginning in mid-2014 when bleaching began in the western Pacific Ocean. In October 2015, as the current El Nino was still strengthening, NOAA scientists declared the third global bleaching event on record was underway.

New research finds that this bleaching event has persisted for 20 months and could reach into 2017, said Mark Eakin, a biological oceanographer at NOAA in College Park, Maryland, and coordinator of NOAA's Coral Reef Watch.

"This time we're in the longest coral bleaching event," Eakin said. "We're maybe looking at a 2- to 2-1/2-year-long event. Some areas have already seen bleaching two years in a row."

Eakin and his colleagues will be presenting the latest update and outlook for the global bleaching event Friday at the 2016 Ocean Sciences Meeting co-sponsored by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, The Oceanography Society and the American Geophysical Union.

The length of the event means corals in some parts of the world have no time to recover before they are hit by another bleaching event, Eakin said. The current global bleaching event is hammering some reefs repeatedly. Reefs bleached in 2015 in the Caribbean and Florida Keys, for instance, have just started to recover, but may start bleaching all over again as early as July, according to Eakin. In the Pacific, reports are just coming in that corals in Fiji's nearshore waters are bleaching with lots of dead coral.

"This is now two years in a row for Fiji and it's looking like 2016 may be worse than 2015," Eakin said.

The rate of return of bleaching events has been faster than some reefs can recover, he noted. In 1998 in Southeast Asia, for example, there was a severe bleaching event, followed by twelve years of recovery that allowed some of the more rapid-growing, branching corals to grow back. However, the slower-growing corals that build the backbone of reefs did not recover. In 2010, the same area was hit again by a global bleaching event, killing off newly-grown branching corals and many of the surviving massive corals. These reefs may see bleaching again later this year, Eakin said.

"That was only six years ago," he said. "We're seeing global bleaching again now. The frequency of mass bleaching events are going up because of global warming. We are hitting the corals, then we are hitting them again, and then again."

###

Notes for Journalists

The researchers on these studies will present an oral presentation about their work on Friday, 26 February 2016 at the Ocean Sciences Meeting. The meeting is taking place from 21 - 26 February at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Visit the Ocean Sciences Media Center for information for members of the news media.

Below is an abstract of the presentation. The abstract is part of session PC52A: Implications of Global Climate Change on the Health of Coral Reef Ecosystems I being held Friday 26 February from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT in Room 211-213.

Title: A Crucial Time for Reefs: Climate Change, El Nino, and the 2014-16 Global Bleaching Event

Oral presentation

Session #: PC52A

Abstract #: PC52A-01

Date: 26 February 2016

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Room 211-213

Authors: C. Mark Eakin: NOAA, College Park, MD, USA; and NOAA Coral Reef Watch, College Park, MD, USA;

Gang Liu: NOAA, Boulder, CO, USA; NOAA, College Park, MD, USA; and NOAA Coral Reef Watch, College Park, MD, USA;

Erick Geiger: Global Science & Technology, Inc., Greenbelt, MD; and NOAA Coral Reef Watch, College Park, MD, USA;

Scott Heron, William Skirving: NOAA, Townsville, QLD Australia; NOAA, Townsville, ME, USA; and NOAA Coral Reef Watch, College Park, MD, USA;

Jacqueline De La Cour: NOAA Coral Reef Watch, College Park, MD, USA;

Alan Strong: NOAA Coral Reef Watch, College Park, MD, USA; NOAA, College Park, MD, USA; and Global Science & Technology, Inc., Greenbelt, MD, USA;

Kyle Tirak: NOAA Coral Reef Watch, College Park, MD, USA; and Global Science & Technology, Inc., Greenbelt, MD;

Tim Burgess: NOAA, Townsville, QLD Australia.

Abstract: Anthropogenic climate change has caused an increase in the frequency and intensity of coral bleaching, mortality, and other impacts detrimental to the health and survival of coral reefs around the world. In 2014, a global-scale bleaching event, anticipated to last two years or more, began in the Pacific Ocean. Severe bleaching was documented in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Hawaii, and the Marshall Islands, among other locations. By mid-2015, severe bleaching had reached many south Pacific Islands and islands of the central to eastern equatorial Pacific, especially Kiribati and Howland and Baker Islands. Bleaching followed in the Indian Ocean, and at the time of this writing is again striking Hawaii, and parts of the Caribbean. As the ongoing El Nino continues to strengthen, long-term outlooks suggest the cycle of bleaching will continue into 2016 in at least the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Caribbean bleaching may follow again in 2016 if this event follows historical patterns.

Warming of the global ocean, the El Nino, a new Pacific oceanic feature known as "The Blob", and other patterns are imposing thermal stress capable of causing widespread negative impacts on reefs in many countries and archipelagos. If a subsequent La Nina follows, as is often the case, even more reefs will be subjected to stressful high temperatures. This is resulting in widespread bleaching, disease, and mortality at a frequency and intensity predicted in climate models nearly two decades ago. The question now is if we are seeing the onset of annually returning coral bleaching or if this is just a hint of conditions coming in future decades.

This presentation will discuss the latest information on the ongoing third global bleaching event and the impacts it may have on the biology, ecology, and potential for conservation and restoration of corals and coral reefs worldwide.

Contact information for the researchers: Mark Eakin: mark.eakin@noaa.gov, +1 (301) 502-8608

Ocean Sciences Press Office Contacts:

Nanci Bompey, AGU Public Information Department

+1 (914) 552-5759

nbompey@agu.org

Lauren Lipuma, AGU Public Information Department

+1 (504) 427-6069

llipuma@agu.org

Ben Sherman, NOAA Public Affairs

+1 (301) 713-3066

ben.sherman@noaa.gov

Alicia Clarke, NOAA Coral Program

+1 (240) 533-0776

Alicia.clarke@noaa.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 23, 2016 -- Musical styles and genres differ around the world, but the emotional power of music is universally felt. To understand this evocative force, researchers in many fields, including information science, neural perception, and signal processing, investigate music's underlying structure, examining features such as the tone, timbre, and auditory and rhythmic features of a piece.

Now a team of Japanese scientists from the University of Tokyo has developed a new approach to analyzing musical structure. The new method overcomes many of the limits of previous tools. The researchers publish their results in the journal Chaos, from AIP Publishing.

"The new and important point of our method is that it analyzes the local and global features in one framework without corrupting the underlying regularities of the original time series," said Miwa Fukino, a doctoral student at the University of Tokyo and first author on the paper. "For example, when one uses Fast Fourier Transform to get the frequency spectrum and then uses it to calculate the feature vectors of tonality, the timing information is lost in the resulting data. So, the result cannot be used for further analysis related to the timing factors," she said.

Fukino and her colleagues' new approach is based on a graphing technique called a recurrence plot, a two-dimensional analytical tool that visualizes recurrences of data. Recurrence is a basic property of complex systems, first described mathematically in the late 19th century by French mathematician and scientist Henri Poincare, in which systems return close to their initial state after a finite amount of time. The new twist the Japanese researchers added is to make a recurrence plot of recurrence plots. This provides layers of time series data to visualize simultaneously both local and global attributes of music. The researchers applied their new approach to selected classical piano pieces by Bach, Beethoven and Mozart.

Structural knowledge of music is useful for many professional applications, from composition of performance pieces to video game design to music therapists seeking a healing response. The researchers are continuing their work to reveal a scientific understanding of its evocative power.

The article, "Coarse-graining time series data: recurrence plot of recurrence plots and its application for music," is authored by Miwa Fukino, Yoshito Hirata and Kazuyuki Aihara. It will be published in the journal Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science Feb. 23, 2016 (DOI: 10.1063/1.4941371 and can be accessed at: http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/chaos/26/2/10.1063/1.4941371.

The authors of this paper are affiliated with the University of Tokyo.

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ABOUT THE JOURNAL

Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science is devoted to increasing the understanding of nonlinear phenomena and describing the manifestations in a manner comprehensible to researchers from a broad spectrum of disciplines. See: http://chaos.aip.org/
(Boston)--Justin Slade, a fourth-year medical student at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), recently was awarded the "Permanente Journal Service Quality Award" at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) National Forum. The award is to acknowledge excellence in quality improvement projects.

While a student at BUSM, Slade has brought local and national healthcare leaders to the University to speak with fellow students about patient safety and quality improvement. He also has recruited many of these same colleagues to either join or create their own quality improvement projects at Boston Medical Center (BMC)--the primary teaching hospital of BUSM.

Slade's past work focused on creating a more coordinated system of care for BMC's large population of patients with sickle cell disease. He is now working on a school-wide effort to have all medical students participate in department-defined quality initiatives during their clinical training at BMC. One component of this project includes third-year medical students on their internal medicine clerkship provide pre-discharge education to patients with limited health literacy. In doing so, he aims to improve medical students' patient education skills as well as patient satisfaction while reducing hospital readmissions. Preliminary data demonstrates that student counseling improves health literacy in these patients. Next year he plans to enter a residency training program in internal medicine.

Since 2007, The Permanente Journal has selected several quality improvement projects are presented at IHI's annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care to receive its "Service Quality Award."

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Robert Seeger, MD, division head for Basic and Translational Research of the Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) has been selected for the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMC). As the eighth recipient of the prestigious award, Seeger is recognized for a career that exemplifies the mission of the PBMTC to support research and education to improve the availability, safety and efficacy of hematopoietic cell transplantation and other cellular therapeutics for children and adolescents.

Seeger, who has served as director of the Cancer Research Program in The Saban Research Institute of CHLA since 1995, has been at the forefront of cancer immunotherapy and genetics for decades. His therapeutic research deals with immunotherapy strategies that seek to maximize natural killer cell activity with tumor-cell targeting antibodies and with agents that modify the tumor microenvironment.

Few have had as much of an impact on the understanding and treatment of a single disease as Seeger has had on neuroblastoma - from his contributions to the creation of dinutuximab, to his work on genetically based risk stratification for neuroblastoma patients, to identifying and treating patients with residual neuroblastoma post-treatment.

In 2000, as part of his effort to expand therapeutic possibilities for neuroblastoma patients, he co-founded the New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy (NANT) Consortium, which is based at CHLA.

In addition to being a world-class researcher, physician, author and advisor, Seeger is also professor of Pediatrics in the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and has made tremendous contributions to medical research by mentoring scientists and physicians who have become leaders in the field.

The PBMTC, now headquartered at CHLA, is the largest clinical trials group focused exclusively on blood and marrow transplants for children and adolescents. Under the leadership of Michael Pulsipher, MD, section head of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Endowed Chair, BMT Clinical Research at CHLA, the consortium is comprised of more than 100 pediatric BMT centers in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, with affiliate members in Europe, South America and Southeast Asia.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Seeger during the 2016 Tandem BMT Meetings of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, held in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 19.

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About Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children's hospital in California and among the top 10 in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. Children's Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. Children's Hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog at http://researchlablog.org/.
If you could travel back in time to South America thousands of years ago, you might have caught a glimpse of an animal known as a glyptodont living alongside giant ground sloths and saber-toothed cats. Glyptodonts looked like gigantic and fearsome armadillos; one of the largest species, Doedicurus, weighed as much as a ton and had a powerful club-shaped and spiky tail.

There's a good reason for the resemblance to armadillos, according to researchers who have reconstructed the family tree of these ancient beasts based on their mitochondrial genome, reconstructed from small fragments of DNA extracted from bits of a protective, bony carapace. The molecular evidence reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on February 22 confirms that gigantic armadillos are exactly what glyptodonts were.

"Glyptodonts in fact represent an extinct lineage that likely originated about 35 million years ago within the armadillo radiation," says Hendrik Poinar of McMaster University in Canada.

"Glyptodonts should probably be considered a subfamily of gigantic armadillos," adds Frederic Delsuc of CNRS in France. "We speculate that the peculiar structure of their unarticulated carapace might have evolved as a response to the functional constraint imposed by the size increase they experienced over time."

Poinar and Delsuc have had a long interest in living and extinct xenarthrans (a group including armadillos, anteaters, and sloths) and in their evolutionary relationships to each other. Recent advances in DNA capture and genome sequencing technology are now making it possible to fish DNA fragments out of fossil remains to help put those evolutionary family trees together.

In the new study, the researchers used a technical trick allowing them to specifically fish Doedicurus mitochondrial DNA out of an extract containing plenty of DNA from other sources. They used RNA baits designed from computationally reconstructed ancestral DNA sequences based on known modern sequences of glyptodonts' living relatives.

Their phylogenetic analysis establishes that glyptodonts are in fact deeply nested within the armadillo crown group, representing a distinct subfamily (Glyptodontinae) within the family known as the Chlamyphoridae, represented today by the dwarf pink fairy armadillo and the giant armadillo, for instance. Molecular dating suggests that glyptodonts diverged no earlier than about 35 million years ago, the researchers report, in good agreement with their known fossil record.

Their findings also highlight the impressive increase in glyptodonts' size over evolutionary time. The researchers estimate that the last common ancestor of glyptodonts and their living armadillo relatives weighed in at a mere 6 kilograms, suggesting a "spectacular increase in glyptodont body mass." That's consistent with the fossil record, which shows glyptodonts evolved from medium-sized forms (about 80 kilograms) to become true megafauna in the Pleistocene (reaching 2,000 kilograms) before their disappearance at the end of the last ice age.

Poinar and Delsuc say they'll continue to explore ancient DNA lifted from numerous other fossil xenarthrans, including giant ground sloths.

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Current Biology, Delsuc et al.: "The phylogenetic affinities of the extinct glyptodonts" http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.01.039

Current Biology (@CurrentBiology), published by Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that features papers across all areas of biology. Current Biology strives to foster communication across fields of biology, both by publishing important findings of general interest and through highly accessible front matter for non-specialists. For more information please visit http://www.cell.com/current-biology. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.
Before farmers settled the Midwestern United States and planted crops, the extensive root systems of prairie grasses--including the tall, strong-stemmed switchgrass species--enriched the soil, creating millions of acres of prime farmland. Today, scientists are exploring how grasses, and switchgrass in particular, can enrich the nation's biofuel supply, which is currently dominated by corn, a crop relatively easy to convert to biofuel but also in demand for food, livestock feed and industrial products.

There are many benefits to growing switchgrass. It is a native crop that grows in a range of climates across a wide swath of the United States; it is easy to maintain because, unlike corn, it doesn't need to be re-seeded every year; it is relatively resistant to disease and weather extremes; and it can be planted and harvested with commercial haying equipment.

But converting the tough lignocellulose in switchgrass cell walls into biofuels like ethanol (an additive to gasoline and one of the most common biofuels in the United States) is more difficult than converting the starch in corn. As a result, switchgrass research has largely focused on how to efficiently process it once it reaches a biorefinery.

However, a team of national laboratory and university researchers led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory is exploring the other side of the production cycle: the farm. The team is growing large test plots of switchgrass crops with the farmer in mind. For the first time, researchers have mixed different genetic varieties of switchgrass on production-size plots, hypothesizing this could increase yield by extending the growing season, varying the size of the switchgrass plants to produce a fuller crop and potentially reducing the crop's vulnerability to weather fluctuations.

The results of a seven-year study of these plots have been published in Global Change Biology-Bioenergy. The project was funded by the DOE Office of Science with support from the Argonne/UChicago Energy Initiative and grants from the United States Department of Agriculture.

"This project addresses the ecological component of bioenergy research" said Julie Jastrow, Argonne senior terrestrial ecologist. "In other words, how do you sustain yields in the field while minimizing fertilizer and pesticide use?"

From the farmer's perspective, it can be easy to overlook the benefits of switchgrass. Over time, commercial crops like corn have been selectively bred for high-productivity, improved response to fertilizers and efficient harvesting. Whereas, switchgrass is a wild grass mostly used for forage or soil restoration. Switchgrass is also slower to establish. Up front it can take three to four years for a crop to reach its most productive yields--in part, because switchgrass invests much of its initial energy developing a large root system that later minimizes the need for added fertilizer or water.

Previous studies have looked at the advantage of growing several species of prairie grass in the same plot. Species diversity is often an ecological strength, promoting growth and protecting a plant population from insect damage, pathogen build-up and weather highs and lows. However, it's easier to process a single species into ethanol, so the team wanted to find other ways of boosting productivity within the switchgrass species.

"Switchgrass has a wide distribution across the country, and there is still a lot of genetic diversity in switchgrass," Jastrow said. "And the different varieties have different traits. The southern varieties are taller with bigger leaves and stems, but they are less dense and grow fewer stems per square meter. The northern varieties are smaller but produce more stems." The stems are the primary source of lignocellulose harvested for biofuel.

Varieties also have slightly different growing seasons based on the amount of daily sunlight and the arrival of hot, summer temperatures in their native regions.

In 2008, the team planted 13 acres of switchgrass at the Fermilab National Environmental Research Park in northeastern Illinois. Through 2014, they grew three genetic varieties, or cultivars, of switchgrass, each on its own separate plot. The three switchgrass cultivars were selected from different geographic regions: the Kanlow cultivar from Oklahoma, the Cave-in-Rock cultivar from southern Illinois and the Southlow cultivar from Michigan.

The team also grew a mixture of the three cultivars to test their theory that genetic variation would promote growth. Beginning in the second year, the plots were annually harvested by a local farmer, and the bales from each plot were weighed to measure yield.

"The experiment was managed just as a farmer would manage a hayfield," said Geoff Morris, assistant professor of crop genetics at Kansas State University and lead author of the GCB-Bioenergy paper. "Our goal was to make the results as transferable as possible to a real production system."

While there was no formal method in place to study yield in relation to weather extremes, the crops were grown under some exceptional weather conditions. The area saw its wettest year on record in 2008, an historic drought and higher than normal summer temperatures in 2012 and unusually cold winters in 2009 and 2014.

"Despite the weather fluctuations, the cultivar mixture consistently produced yields equal to or greater than the best performing single cultivars," Jastrow said.

The cultivar mixture was, most consistently, the highest yielding crop, as measured by the harvested dry weight from each plot. Although the cold-adapted Southlow cultivar from Michigan was slightly higher yielding following the cold winter of 2014, it was the lowest yielding the first five years, demonstrating that, at least within the parameters of the study, increasing genetic diversity by planting a mixture of cultivars is the quickest way to establish a crop and sustain the highest overall yields.

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Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit the Office of Science website.
The European Geosciences Union (EGU) has named journalists Terri Cook and Phil McKenna as the winners of its 2016 Science Journalism Fellowship. The support will allow Cook to look into how artificial floods are used to support sustainable water development, while McKenna will report on how trees and buildings can weaken seismic vibrations.

Cook says: "It's an honour to be selected for this fellowship, which I will use to travel to Switzerland to visit the Spol River. This is one of the world's best models of a successful, long-term strategy for using dams, which have traditionally disrupted river ecosystems, to intentionally unleash floods intended to restore them. I look forward to learning more about the efforts of the many scientists and managers who have worked together to restore this and other European rivers."

McKenna will use his support to "report on ongoing efforts to understand how trees, and potentially buildings, could act as seismic metamaterials, materials that can cancel or redirect damaging earthquake waves," he writes in his winning proposal. McKenna will travel to France to watch researchers deploy a network of seismometers in a remote location, half in an open field and half inside a forest, to find out if trees can diminish simulated earthquake waves.

Terri Cook is a science and travel writer based in Boulder, Colorado, US. She has a background in geology and has published more than 60 features about geology, ecology, and the environment in ScienceNews, Scientific American, NOVA Next, Eos, EARTH, among others, as well as three popular geology books.

Phil McKenna is a freelance science journalist who has written for publications such as the New York Times, Smithsonian, New Scientist, NOVA Next and InsideClimate News. In 2013 he wrote a feature for MATTER on the climate-change implications of natural gas emissions from aging pipelines under US cities, which won two science journalism awards.

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MELBOURNE, FLA. -- One of the biggest quests in astrophysics is to find Earth-like planets around other stars - places where life may exist. Regular telescopes are not good at directly imaging such small objects because a host star's light generally drowns out the relatively dimmer light of a potential planet.

But a new development in space imaging may solve that vexing problem.

A study led by Florida Institute of Technology astrophysicist Daniel Batcheldor has demonstrated that a charge injection device, or CID, has the ability to capture light from objects tens of millions of times fainter than another object in the same picture. An exoplanet next to bright star is one such example. This ability is a result of how the CID is used as a type of camera: each individual pixel works independently and uses a special indexing system. Very bright pixels get addressed very quickly, while the faint pixels are allowed to carry on gathering the fainter light.

"If this technology can be added to future space missions, it may help us make some profound discoveries regarding our place in the universe," Batcheldor said.

The study's findings were reported in the Jan. 18, 2016, edition of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

To study exoplanets in detail, scientists are forced to make observations of these very faint objects next to bright stars. The situation is often described as the candle-next-to-the-lighthouse problem, though in reality is thousands of times worse. "Current instrument technology is very complex and expensive and still a ways off from achieving direct images of Earth-like planets," Batcheldor said.

With a grant from the American Astronomical Society, Batcheldor and several graduate students in the Physics and Space Sciences Department led the study using a CID on Florida Tech's 0.8-meter Ortega telescope. They were able to pick out objects 70 million times fainter through the glare of Sirius, the brightest star in our night sky. That's over one thousand times better than an off-the-shelf astronomical camera.

The fact that a faint object could be accurately detected through the less-than-ideal, thick Florida atmosphere makes the observations made by the CID more exciting. Batcheldor plans to test the CID later this year at a telescope on the Canary Islands, and a prototype for a CID is slated for testing on the International Space Station later this year. In both cases, the CIDs are being built by Thermo-Fisher Scientific.

Batcheldor's solution is of potential interest to scientists because it is relatively inexpensive compared to other ideas, such as an external occulter like a star shade, which would require multiple, complicated components working in tandem in space for getting a glimpse of just a few small, Earth-sized exoplanets.

"Personally, I like very simple, straightforward solutions, especially when there is a complex problem," he said. "The CID is able to look at a very bright source next to a very faint source and not experience much of the image degradation you would normally experience with a typical camera."

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Collaboration between two Texas Medical Center institutions has resulted in today's release of the country's first hospital-based rapid tests for the Zika virus.

Pathologists and clinical laboratory scientists at Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital developed the Zika direct test in a matter of weeks as part of the L.E. and Virginia Simmons Collaborative in Virus Detection and Surveillance. This sponsored program was designed to facilitate rapid development of tests for virus detection in a large metropolitan area. The tests are customized to each hospital's diagnostic laboratory and will provide results within several hours. They can be performed on blood, amniotic fluid, urine or spinal fluid, according to James Versalovic, M.D., Ph.D. pathologist-in-chief at Texas Children's and leader of the Texas Children's Zika test development team along with James Dunn, Ph.D., director of medical microbiology and virology at Texas Children's.

Zika virus, which is mostly transmitted through mosquitoes, is a flavivirus that contains RNA as its genetic material. The new diagnostic test identifies virus-specific RNA sequences to directly detect Zika virus.

"With travel-associated cases of the Zika virus becoming more prevalent in the United States, coupled with the looming increase in mosquito exposure during spring and summer months, we must be prepared for a surge of Zika testing demand," said Versalovic. "We must provide answers for anxious moms-to-be and families who may experience signs and symptoms or may simply have travel history to endemic areas."

Before this test was developed, physicians faced the possibility of long delays of testing in local and state public health laboratories and the Centers for Disease Control.

"Hospital-based testing that is state-of-the-art enables our physicians and patients to get very rapid diagnostic answers. If tests need to be repeated or if our treating doctors need to talk with our pathologists, we have the resources near patient care settings," said James M. Musser, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital and leader of the Houston Methodist test development team along with Randall J. Olsen, M.D., Ph.D., director of the molecular diagnostics laboratory.

Musser said the test was designed to detect the genetic material of the virus, its RNA, so that virus is directly detected in pregnant women and any other adult or child with this virus infection. This test is specific and can distinguish Zika virus infection from Dengue, West Nile or Chikungunya virus infections. Every viral particle contains genes in its RNA and these RNA sequences are directly detected during pregnancy in amniotic fluid or anytime in blood, spinal fluid or urine.

"This is a significant development as health authorities are recommending all pregnant women who have traveled to a place with a Zika virus outbreak get tested," Musser said.

At the current time, only registered patients at Texas Children's or Houston Methodist hospitals can receive the test but the labs will consider referral testing from other hospitals and clinics in the future.

The test will be initially offered to patients with a positive travel history and symptoms consistent with acute Zika virus infection such as a rash, arthralgias or fever or asymptomatic pregnant women with a positive travel history to any of the affected countries. The World Health Organization is now advising pregnant women to consult their doctors before traveling to places with Zika virus outbreaks and consider delaying travel. The CDC issued similar guidelines to American women last month.

The collaboration between Texas Children's and Houston Methodist Hospital was made possible by philanthropists, Virginia "Ginny" and L.E. Simmons who created the program after the 2014 Ebola virus scare highlighted the need for more focus on these infectious diseases.

"It is so great to see the progress these teams have made in such a short time. The work they are doing has such an impact on so many lives," Simmons said. "I am so grateful to know that the funds we donated are being used to make these types of advances in the Texas Medical Center."

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Researchers led by Adam T. Hirsh of the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis report that black and white Americans cope with pain differently and that blacks employ pain coping strategies more frequently than whites. The IUPUI review and analysis of 19 studies is the first to examine the entire published literature and quantify the relationship between race and the use of pain-coping strategies.

"Coping" is broadly defined as the use of behavioral and cognitive techniques to manage stress. Pain coping is the specific application of these techniques for pain management.

Hirsh, an assistant professor of psychology, and graduate students Samantha M. Meints and Megan M. Miller conducted the evidence-based review and analysis of clinical and experimental studies that included a total of 2,719 black and 3,770 white adults. "Differences in Pain Coping between Black and White Americans: A Meta-analysis" is published online in advance of print in The Journal of Pain.

Blacks were significantly more likely to use praying and hoping as pain-coping strategies than whites. Blacks were also more likely than whites to think about their pain in a catastrophic manner.

"Our findings suggest that blacks frequently use coping strategies that are associated with worse pain and functioning," said Hirsh, a clinical health psychologist. "They view themselves as helpless in the face of pain. They see the pain as magnified -- the worst pain ever. They ruminate, think about the pain all the time, and it occupies a lot of their mind space.

"This catastrophic manner of coping is frequently labeled by health providers as a negative or maladaptive approach to pain and has been associated with poor functioning," Hirsh continued. "But it may also be a potent communication strategy -- it tells others in a culture with a strong communal component that the person is really suffering and needs help. Thus, it may be helpful in some ways, such as eliciting support from other people, and unhelpful in other ways. In future studies, we will give this more nuanced investigation."

Ignoring pain rather than allowing it to interfere with the task at hand, known as task persistence, was the only coping strategy employed by whites more than blacks.

Numerous investigations have found that differences in coping strategies are associated with differences in pain intensity, adjustment to chronic pain, and psychological and physical functioning. For example, several of the studies reviewed by the IUPUI researchers found that ignoring strategies are associated with less pain, whereas praying and hoping and catastrophizing are associated with higher pain levels.

Blacks report higher levels of pain than whites for a number of conditions including AIDS, glaucoma, arthritis, post-operative pain and lower-back pain.

Blacks also experience greater pain in both clinical and experimental studies. Blacks report less-effective pain care, are unable to return to work for a longer time and have worse functional outcomes. These race differences may be partly due to differences in pain-related coping, according to Hirsh.

Chronic pain is a leading cause of work disability and costs the United States more than $600 billion annually in medical treatment and lost productivity, according to the Institute of Medicine report "Relieving Pain in America."

Understanding how different racial groups cope with pain may inform chronic pain care and support individually tailored treatment.

"How people think about their pain matters," said Hirsh. "For example, religion can be used as a passive coping strategy -- asking a higher authority to take the pain away -- or as an active coping strategy -- asking to be given strength to manage pain. Why do black and white Americans differ in the coping strategies they use for pain? Because we are talking about coping, a cognitive and emotional and behavioral approach to pain, we think these differences are largely driven by cultural differences. We will be looking into why and how that occurs in future research.

"Clinicians see patients who are becoming more and more diverse over time," he continued. "It behooves us to ask about these things and to make good use of what the patient tells us. This study speaks to the need to provide such patient-centered and culturally sensitive medical care."

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The study was supported by grant R01MD008931 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health.

The School of Science at IUPUI is committed to excellence in teaching, research and service in the biological, physical, behavioral and mathematical sciences. The school is dedicated to being a leading resource for interdisciplinary research and science education in support of Indiana's effort to expand and diversify its economy. For more information, visit science.iupui.edu.
NJIT, home to the largest computer science program among all research universities in the New York metropolitan area, continues to build a critical mass and increase its visibility as a top university for future leaders in the field of cybersecurity.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service, a program seeking proposals that address cybersecurity education and workforce development, recently awarded a $4,078,362 grant to NJIT's College of Computing Sciences.

"This is a tremendous acknowledgement of both the strength of NJIT's College of Computing Sciences and our country's need to educate top-quality cybersecurity experts," said NJIT President Joel S. Bloom. "We welcome these new scholars who will be able to take full advantage of NJIT's interdisciplinary research networks and innovation partnerships."

Federal officials also lauded the initiative. "This funding and the critical work being done at NJIT will further cement New Jersey's leading role in cutting edge STEM education and training," said U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez. "NJIT is already a premier institution with groundbreaking partnerships and workforce development programs, and this grant will further enable them to train and develop the next generation of cybersecurity leaders." Added U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, "I applaud NJIT for their leadership in cybersecurity education and research and for taking this important step to help develop the technologies needed to protect our nation's cyber infrastructure."

The NJIT Secure Computing Initiative (SCI) will be supported by the funds and capitalize on the premier polytechnic university's broad range of strengths in cybersecurity to recruit, train and place highly-successive cohorts of expert cybersecurity professionals in federal, state and local agency jobs.

Specifically, students from within and outside NJIT who are citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States funded by the grant will receive three-year scholarships that support them through the last year of their bachelor's program, as well as two years in one of the two M.S. programs in cybersecurity available at NJIT: M.S. in Cybersecurity and Privacy; M.S. in Information Technology Administration and Security.

Overall NJIT offers over 40 courses that focus on, or have a significant component of, cybersecurity.

SCI, which will be monitored by a distinguished Board of Advisors, is under the direction of College of Computing Science professors Vincent Oria, Ali Mili, Reza Curtmola and Cristian Borcea, who all have overlapping yet complementary areas of relevant expertise in such disciplines as applied cryptography, network security, system security, software security, data security, digital forensics, counter hacking, privacy, cybersecurity metrics and boast a long history of successful collaboration in scholarly endeavors.

"SCI is designed to fulfill the national needs for cybersecurity experts, to enhance discovery while promoting learning and to increase the participation of women and underrepresented groups in cybersecurity," said Borcea, who chairs NJIT's Computer Science Department.

"SCI will also produce scientific results and publicly available software that will help the nation better protect against new cyber threats," he continued. "Many of the activities that we envision for this project involve contact with the general public and are prone to sensitize society to the importance of cybersecurity."

Slated to run for five years, SCI also includes outreach activities, such as enrichment programs for high school students and provides college students across the country with the opportunity to be trained, using a novel pedagogical approach to cybersecurity education--flexible curricula, experiential learning, research-based learning, multitier mentoring--to become a part of the cybersecurity workforce urgently needed to protect the nation's critical infrastructure.

In addition to being awarded the NSF grant, NJIT, where the College of Computer Science encompasses more than a quarter of the student population, was recently designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security and houses New Jersey's Homeland Security Technology Systems Center, a Cybersecurity Research Center and a large volume of funded research piloted by the SCI team.

"We envision offering our graduates a rich educational experience, thanks to the academic and research environment that NJIT provides," said Oria. "We'll expose them to the latest technologies and advances in the field of cybersecurity, while attracting significant visibility to our institution and our program, thereby raising the profile of our graduates."

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About NJIT

One of the nation's leading public technological universities, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a top-tier research university that prepares students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT's multidisciplinary curriculum and computing-intensive approach to education provide technological proficiency, business acumen and leadership skills. With an enrollment of 11,300 graduate and undergraduate students, NJIT offers small-campus kintimacy with the resources of a major public research university. NJIT is a global leader in such fields as solar research, nanotechnology, resilient design, tissue engineering, and cybersecurity, in addition to others. NJIT ranks 5th among U.S. polytechnic universities in research expenditures, topping $110 million, and is among the top 1 percent of public colleges and universities in return on educational investment, according to PayScale.com.
COLUMBUS, Ohio--Researchers at The Ohio State University are working on a new way to treat drug-resistant cancer that the ancient Greeks would approve of--only it's not a Trojan horse, but DNA that hides the invading force.

In this case, the invading force is a common cancer drug.

In laboratory tests, leukemia cells that had become resistant to the drug absorbed it and died when the drug was hidden in a capsule made of folded up DNA.

Previously, other research groups have used the same packaging technique, known as "DNA origami," to foil drug resistance in solid tumors. This is the first time researchers have shown that the same technique works on drug-resistant leukemia cells.

The researchers have since begun testing the capsule in mice, and hope to move on to human cancer trials within a few years. Their early results appear in the journal Small.

The study involved a pre-clinical model of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that has developed resistance against the drug daunorubicin. Specifically, when molecules of daunorubicin enter an AML cell, the cell recognizes them and pumps them back out through openings in the cell wall. It's a mechanism of resistance that study co-author John Byrd of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center compared to sump pumps that draw water from a basement.

He and Carlos Castro, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, lead a collaboration focused on hiding daunorubicin inside a kind of molecular Trojan horse that can bypass the pumps so they can't eject the drug from the cell.

"Cancer cells have novel ways of resisting drugs, like these pumps, and the exciting part of packaging the drug this way is that we can circumvent those defenses so that the drug accumulates in the cancer cell and causes it to die," said Byrd, a professor of internal medicine and director of the Division of Hematology. "Potentially, we can also tailor these structures to make them deliver drugs selectively to cancer cells and not to other parts of the body where they can cause side effects."

"DNA origami nanostructures have a lot of potential for drug delivery, not just for making effective drug delivery vehicles, but enabling new ways to study drug delivery. For instance, we can vary the shape or mechanical stiffness of a structure very precisely and see how that affects entry into cells," said Castro, director of the Laboratory for Nanoengineering and Biodesign.

In tests, the researchers found that AML cells, which had previously shown resistance to daunorubicin, effectively absorbed drug molecules when they were hidden inside tiny rod-shaped capsules made of DNA. Under the microscope, the researchers tracked the capsules inside the cells with fluorescent tags.

Each capsule measures about 15 nanometers wide and 100 nanometers long--about 100 times smaller than the cancer cells it's designed to infiltrate. With four hollow, open-ended interior compartments, it looks less like a pill a human would swallow and more like an elongated cinder block.

Postdoctoral researcher Christopher Lucas said that the design maximizes the surface area available to carry the drug. "The way daunorubicin works is it tucks into the cancer cell's DNA and prevents it from replicating. So we designed a capsule structure that would have lots of accessible DNA base-pairs for it to tuck into. When the capsule breaks down, the drug molecules are freed to flood the cell."

Castro's team designed the capsules to be strong and stable, so that they wouldn't fully disintegrate and release the bulk of the drugs until it was too late for the cell to spit them back out.

And that's what they saw with a fluorescence microscope--the cells drew the capsules into the organelles that would normally digest them, if they were food. When the capsules broke down, the drugs flooded the cells and caused them to disintegrate. Most cells died within the first 15 hours after consuming the capsules.

This work is the first effort for the engineers in Castro's lab to develop a medical application for the DNA origami structures they have been building.

Though DNA is stereotypically called the "building blocks of life," engineers today use natural and synthetic DNA as literal building blocks for mechanical devices. Previously, the Ohio State engineers created tiny hinges and pistons of DNA.

As Castro pointed out, DNA is a polymer--albeit a naturally occurring one--and he and his colleagues shape it into tiny devices, tools or containers by exploiting the physical interactions of the bases that make up the polymer chain. They build chains from DNA sequences that will naturally attract and bind with one another in certain ways, so that long the long polymers automatically fold up, or "self-assemble," into useful shapes.

In the case of this DNA Trojan horse, the researchers used the genome of a common bacteriophage, a virus that infects bacteria, and synthetic strands that were designed to fold up the bacteriophage DNA. Although the folded-up shape performs a function, the DNA itself does not, explained Patrick Halley, an engineering graduate student who is doing this work to earn his master's degree.

"One of the hardest things to get across when you're introducing this technology to people is that the DNA capsule doesn't do anything except hold a shape. It's just a static, rigid structure that carries things. It doesn't encode any proteins or do anything else that we normally think of DNA as doing," Halley said.

In keeping with the idea of DNA origami manufacturing, Castro said he hopes to create a streamlined and economically viable process for building the capsules--and other shapes as well--as part of a modular drug delivery system.

Byrd said the technique should potentially work on most any form of drug-resistant cancer if further work shows it can be effectively translated to animal models, though he stopped short of suggesting that it would work against pathogens such as bacteria, where the mechanisms for drug resistance may be different.

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Other co-authors on the paper included Emily McWilliams, Matthew Webber, Randy Patton, Comert Kural and David Lucas. Funding for the research came from start-up funds provided to Castro by the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the National Cancer Institute, the D. Warren Brown Foundation, Four Winds Foundation and the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation.

Contact: Carlos Castro, 614-292-2662; Castro.39@osu.edu

John Byrd, 614-293-8330; Byrd.96@osu.edu

Written by Pam Frost Gorder, 614-292-9475; Gorder.1@osu.edu
A new study led by SDSU professor John W. Ayers finds that Charlie Sheen's HIV-positive disclosure corresponded with record levels of public engagement with HIV and HIV prevention

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2016) -- On November 17, 2015 actor Charlie Sheen on NBC's Today Show publicly disclosed he was human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive.

For some time scientists and advocates have recognized the importance of celebrity in public health. Could Sheen's disclosure, albeit tragic, generate renewed national attention for HIV and HIV prevention, providing an important public health benefit?

New research led by San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health research professor, John W. Ayers -- just published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine finds there were record highs of domestic news coverage of HIV and Google searches for information about HIV and HIV prevention following Charlie Sheen's disclosure.

"Charlie Sheen's disclosure was a potential earth shaking event for HIV prevention in the United States," Ayers said.

Identifying trends

The team relied on public archives for news media trends using the Bloomberg Terminal and Google Trends to describe HIV and HIV prevention engagement since 2004.

Focusing on the hours after Sheen's disclosure, the team monitored news reports mentioning HIV and Google searches originating from the United States broken into four categories: HIV (all searches with "HIV"), condoms (all searches with "condom" or "condoms"), HIV symptomology (all searches with "symptom," "symptoms" or "signs of" and "HIV"), and HIV testing (all searches with "test," "tests," or "testing" and "HIV").

"This big data strategy allowed us to provide a formative assessment of the potential impacts of Charlie Sheen's HIV-positive disclosure at no cost," said Benjamin Althouse, a research scientist at the Institute for Disease Modeling and the Santa Fe Institute, and data architect of the study. "We can directly assess the diffusion of media in the population and how the population is seeking out information based on the timing and content of their Google searches."

The day of Sheen's disclosure coincided with a 265 percent increase in news reports mentioning HIV (97 percent of which also mentioned Sheen) archived on the Bloomberg Terminal, even though HIV-related news reports have been in historic decline. An additional 6,500 stories were reported on Google News alone. This placed Sheen's disclosure among the top 1 percent of historic HIV-related media events.

Sheen's disclosure also corresponded with the greatest number of HIV-related Google searches ever recorded in the United States on a single day. About 2.75 million more Google searches than expected, based on previous trends, included the term HIV on the day of Sheen's disclosure, with 1.25 million more searches than expected including terms for condoms, HIV symptoms, or HIV testing; after adjusting for changes in overall search volume and historic trends.

In relative terms, all HIV searches were 417 percent higher than expected the day of Sheen's disclosure. Condom searches (such as "buy condoms") increased 75 percent. HIV symptom (such as "signs of HIV") and HIV testing (such as "find HIV testing") searches increased 540 and 214 percent, respectively, the day of Sheen's disclosure and remained higher for three days.

A public health challenge

"While no one should be forced to reveal their HIV status and all diagnoses are tragic, Sheen's disclosure may benefit public health by potentially helping many learn more about HIV and HIV prevention," Ayers said.

This potential comes on the heels of historic declines in domestic HIV awareness and prevention. Just two weeks before Sheen's disclosure Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, publicly bemoaned the state of domestic HIV control. Of the more than 1.2 million people in the United States living with HIV, nearly one in eight are unaware of their HIV-positive status.

"Sheen's disclosure could be an important event to immediately raise public consciousness around HIV, and make public health messages about HIV that much more salient," said Seth Noar, University of North Carolina professor, an expert on HIV prevention media campaigns and coauthor of the study.

"Celebrity disclosures are not new to HIV, with Rock Hudson and Magic Johnson serving as noteworthy examples. Yet, Sheen's disclosure could be different," said Eric Leas, a student of health communication at the University of California San Diego and study coauthor. "The Web 2.0 era may heighten the impact of Sheen," added Leas.

"With Sheen, unlike with Magic Johnson for instance, we have smartphones in our pockets that we can easily use to learn about HIV within seconds with a single search or click," Leas said.

"At the same time, social media can expand the effect of Sheen's disclosure beyond the initial television broadcast as networks form around celebrities."

"Sadly, the public health community may be missing the mark," Ayers added. "I'm unaware of any major HIV educational campaigns that are using Sheen's disclosure for public health outreach."

"Sheen is a controversial figure and it's incredibly hard to frame public health messages around a figure whose behavior, not unlike any non-celebrity or myself, may at times conflict with public health science," said Ayers.

Controversy itself merits additional study to stay ahead of public debate, according to Mark Dredze, research scientist with Bloomberg LP, assistant research professor at Johns Hopkins University, and study coauthor. "Public health can use and expand our approach to further monitor HIV-related trends and be responsive to these changes in near real-time."

Still, the team notes that Sheen's disclosure has already produced tremendous public health benefits. "More must be done to make the Charlie Sheen effect larger and lasting," Ayers concluded.

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AMHERST, Mass. - Results from a new climate reconstruction of how Antarctica's ice sheets responded during the last period when atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) reached levels like those expected to occur in about 30 years, plus sediment core findings reported in a companion paper, suggest that the ice sheets are more vulnerable to rising atmospheric CO2 than previously thought.

Details appear in two papers in the current Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers led by Edward Gasson and Robert DeConto at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with colleagues at Pennsylvania State University and GNS Science, New Zealand, report results of a climate and ice sheet modeling study, while Richard Levy of New Zealand and colleagues with the National Science Foundation's Antarctic drilling program (ANDRILL), report their analyses of a 3,735-foot sediment core from McMurdo Sound to reconstruct the Antarctic ice sheets' history.

The authors state that taken together, the findings highlight that large changes in the Antarctic ice sheets may be possible at lower levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide than previous studies have shown.

Gasson explains that climate researchers have long sought to create a model that simulates conditions similar to those experienced during the early to mid-Miocene, as established by sediment core data. This was likely the last time atmospheric CO2 levels were slightly higher, at 500 parts per million (ppm), than the 400 ppm level reached just last year, and global average temperatures were about 3 to 4 degrees Celsius higher than today.

But this does not mean that melting Antarctic ice sheets will raise global sea levels immediately, the researchers say. "The ice sheets will take hundreds of years to respond, so although CO2 may be at the same level as during the Miocene in the next 30 years, it doesn't mean that they will melt in 30 years," Gasson adds.

Understanding how the huge Antarctic ice sheets will respond to such warming is a major goal for climate scientists. Gasson says, "We know that the Antarctic ice sheet will eventually melt if we burn all known fossil fuel reserves, raising sea levels by over 100 feet. What these two studies show is that the Antarctic ice sheet is also vulnerable to much lower levels of carbon dioxide than we thought possible before."

Previous attempts to simulate Antarctic ice sheet retreat have been inadequate because despite direct geological evidence that large swings in the extent of ice sheets driven by small changes in atmospheric CO2 occurred, it was difficult for computer simulations to model them.

Gasson and colleagues' model includes three key new strategies that improve the simulation. In particular, Gasson and colleagues use a component that captures feedbacks between the ice sheet and climate better than before. The UMass Amherst-led modeling team authors point out that their work "largely resolves the discrepancy between geological records and ice sheet models that had previously existed."

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Samir Iqbal, a University of Texas at Arlington associate professor of electrical engineering at The University of Texas at Arlington, has been named a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry, the United Kingdom-based association representing more than 50,000 the world's leading chemical scientists.

In a letter supporting Iqbal's nomination, Sandy Dasgupta, UTA's Jenkins Garrett Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, cited Iqbal's "expertise in chemical and biological analysis."

Dasgupta cited Iqbal's recent work in the world of chemistry as evidence of his contributions to the field. He said scientific and engineering worlds are merging more and more these days.

Dasgupta cited Iqbal's published paper in The Journal of Physical Chemistry titled "3D Structural Integrity and Interactions of Single-stranded Protein-binding DNA in a Functionalized Nanopore." Dasgupta also cited Iqbal's work on the paper titled "Nucleic Acid Aptamers in Cancer Research, Diagnosis and Therapy" in Chemical Society Reviews.

Iqbal is an expert in nanotechnology and biosensors with a substantial portfolio of work in the area of cancer detection at the molecular level. His work has attracted almost $3.5 million in research funding since he joined the University in 2007.

"My research has focused on understanding and learning life at the smallest scales," Iqbal said. "This focus on nanoscale systems and devices requires a deep understanding of reactions, energies and atomic level precision.

"Thanks to some fine collaborators here at UTA, this work has transcended many, many disciplines. It is an honor to be recognized for the contributions that we have been able to make here. Having the letters 'FRSC' written with my name will bring recognition to UTA wherever I go."

Iqbal holds appointments in the College of Engineering's Electrical Engineering and Bioengineering departments, and is an adjunct professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2009 to develop new methods of detecting and isolating cancer biomarkers to improve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

His current research primarily focuses on nanotechnology and MEMS, or micro-electromechanical systems, biosensors and bio-inspired fabrication. Iqbal's research team has conducted experimental and mathematical work on facilitated transport, a phenomenon that explains travel of ions across cell walls. They have used nanoscale holes made in silicon, called nanopores, to introduce the notion of attractive and repulsive potentials from DNA duplex formations and protein binding or the lack of protein binding.

Another area of his research focuses on the use of functionalized membranes for active separation of disease-causing molecules.

Iqbal has published more than 45 journal papers and is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Physical Society, the Biophysical Society and the Biomedical Engineering Society. In 2013, Tau Beta Pi inducted him as an Eminent Engineer.

UTA Engineering Dean Khosrow Behbehani said Iqbal is very deserving of his most recent honor.

"Dr. Iqbal's election to the prestigious rank of Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry is much celebrated news," said Behbehani, who also is a bioengineering professor and Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. "It is a recognition of the importance of Dr. Iqbal's work in integrating the knowledge of chemistry with electrical and biomedical engineering to create new technologies that can fundamentally improve healthcare."

Behbehani said Iqbal's work is a shining example of the University's commitment to advancing health and the human condition under the Strategic Plan 2020: Bold Solutions | Global Impact.

The Royal Society of Chemistry is the United Kingdom's professional body for chemical scientists from all over the world. The nonprofit organization, headquartered in London, represents more than 50,000 individuals and is the largest organization in Europe for advancing the chemical sciences. The RSC is actively involved in the spheres of education, qualifications and professional conduct. It is a major publisher, and is internationally regarded as a provider of chemical databases. It is recognized throughout the world as an authoritative voice of chemistry and chemists.

Less than 1 percent of chemistry professionals worldwide achieve Fellow status, and about 6 percent of the nominees are elected each year. Of the Society's 107 total Fellows in 2015, just 5 percent were from the United States.

Fellow status is awarded to individuals who have "made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the chemical sciences; or to the advancement of the chemical sciences as a profession; or have been distinguished in the management of a chemical sciences organization."

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About The University of Texas at Arlington

The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive research institution of more than 50,000 students in campus-based and online degree programs and is the second-largest institution in The University of Texas System. The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked UTA as one of the 20 fastest-growing public research universities in the nation in 2014. U.S. News & World Report ranks UTA fifth in the nation for undergraduate diversity. The University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is ranked as the top four-year college in Texas for veterans on Military Times' 2016 Best for Vets list. Visit http://www.uta.edu to learn more, and find UTA rankings and recognition at http://www.uta.edu/uta/about/rankings.php.
Modern-day wheelchairs provide a full range of mobility solutions to those who cannot walk, but many users still battle an unwanted side effect: painful ulcers caused by sitting for long periods in the same position.

Researchers from The University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute and Human Engineering Research Laboratories at the University of Pittsburgh are developing a solution in an automated seat cushion designed to prevent pressure ulcers in wheelchair users.

The $740,000 project, funded through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program Department of Defense and awarded by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity is focused specifically on relief for wheelchair users whose impairments were caused by spinal cord injuries or other neurological complications.

UTARI's Biomedical Technology Division, led by principal research scientist Muthu Wijesundara, will work with HERL Director Rory A. Cooper to develop the smart seat cushion technology.

"This type of active monitoring and pressure relief would improve pressure ulcer prevention strategies and reduce the workload of caregivers," Wijesundara said. "Most importantly, this method would impact both the healthcare cost and quality of life for wheelchair users and their caregivers."

Cooper is a world-renowned expert in smart sensors, wheeled mobility and assistive devices for mobility impairment. He is also co-director of the National Science Foundation's Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center, a joint effort between the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

"The research and development of the smart seat cushion would be beneficial to all people with mobility impairment," Cooper said. "The less someone has to worry about the pain of ulcers, along with expensive and inadequate treatments, the sooner they can focus on other aspects of getting on with their lives and pursuing their ambitions."

The project is representative of research excellence that is advancing UTA's commitment to improve health and the human condition under the University's Strategic Plan 2020: Bold Solutions | Global Impact.

The act of sitting in a wheelchair can have unhealthy implications for people with limited mobility. Mechanical loading forces cause compression and shearing in tissues near bony regions such as the tailbone. If these loading forces are not relieved, blood flow is dramatically reduced and tissues begin to die. These lesions - known as pressure ulcers - can result in tissue loss, bone infection or sepsis.

Once pressure ulcers form, they are notoriously difficult, costly and time consuming to treat. A serious pressure ulcer requires months of treatment with costs running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the Journal of Wound Care.

Smart seat cushion technology will include real-time pressure monitoring and automated pressure modulation capabilities to help combat the formation and prevalence of pressure ulcers.

A network of sensors will generate a pressure profile map and identify vulnerable areas where pressure relief is needed. Automated pressure modulation will use this data to reconfigure the seat cushion surface to offload pressure from sensitive areas. Additionally, the seat cushion can periodically change the pressure profile to eliminate pressure buildup over time.

UTARI Executive Director Mickey McCabe said the smart cushion project is a wonderful example of UTARI's drive to develop technologies that can be commercialized in order to improve a person's quality of life.

"In this case, we're helping the users of wheelchairs to overcome an uncomfortable and even life-threatening side effect of mobility impairment," McCabe said. "This grant brings us one step closer to developing a device that will ultimately improve health and the human condition for the benefit of society."

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This work was supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs through the Spinal Cord Injury Research Program under Award No. W81XWH-15-1-0719. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense. UT Arlington Research Institute

The mission of The University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute is to bridge the gap between academic research and product development in the areas of product engineering, biomedical technologies and robotics. UTARI researchers collaborate with partners representing government, industry and higher education. UTARI serves as host of industry symposia, consortia and events that bring partners together to further research and development. Visit http://www.uta.edu/utari/about/index.php to learn more. About The University of Texas at Arlington

The University of Texas at Arlington is a Carnegie "highest research activity" institution of more than 50,000 students in campus-based and online degree programs and is the second-largest institution in The University of Texas System. The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked UTA as one of the 20 fastest-growing public research universities in the nation in 2014. U.S. News & World Report ranks UTA fifth in the nation for undergraduate diversity. UTA is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is ranked as the top four-year college in Texas for veterans on Military Times' 2016 Best for Vets list. Visit http://www.uta.edu to learn more, and find UTA rankings and recognition at http://www.uta.edu/uta/about/rankings.php.
Two Virginia Tech researchers have discovered a way to maximize the amount of electricity that can be generated from the wastewater we flush down the toilet.

As renewable energy sources go, solar rays have historically hogged the limelight.

But two Virginia Tech researchers have stolen the spotlight from the sun by discovering a way to maximize the amount of electricity that can be generated from the wastewater we flush down the toilet.

An article recently published in Scientific Reports detailing their findings speaks to a growing sustainability movement to capture energy from existing waste to potentially make treatment facilities more energy-efficient.

A shareable animated graphic on YouTube explains the science behind the discovery and shows its potential impact.

Xueyang Feng and Jason He traced bacteria, which led them to discover that the working relationship between two specific substrates produced more energy than either did separately. This work will help take the mystery out of how electrochemically-active bacteria create energy. It could help in the development of new treatment system called a microbial fuel cell.

"Tracing the bacteria gave us a major piece of the puzzle to start generating electricity in a sustainable way," said Feng, an assistant professor of biological systems engineering. "This is a step toward the growing trend to make wastewater treatment centers self-sustaining in the energy they use."

Feng is in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering; He, an associate professor of environmental engineering, is in the College of Engineering.

The discovery is important because not all organics perform the same job in the same way. Some work because they are food for the electricity-generating bacteria while others are good at conducting energy.

While one substrate known as lactate was mainly metabolized by its host bacteria to support cell growth, another substrate known as formate was oxidized to release electrons for higher electricity generation.

The team found that when these two substrates are combined, the output of energy is far greater than when they are working separately. The organics work in tandem with receptors in fuel cells, and while research using microbial fuel cells is not new, the kind of organics that Feng and He used was novel in generating electricity because they were able to measure the symbiotic nature of two particular organics.

The unique methodology that allowed them to trace the metabolic pathways of the different strains of bacteria, called carbon 13 pathway analysis, was the first time this type of isotope labeling process was used in measuring metabolism in microbes, the researchers said. The analysis works by creating a non-radioactive isotope on a carbon group that is visible through a mass spectrometry.

Harnessing energy from wastewater is a sustainability measure that even urban plants such as the wastewater treatment facilities in Washington, D.C. have already adopted. Harnessing energy using bacteria in microbial fuel cells is not the only way researchers are looking at generating energy from waste.

Treatment plants are now able to harness methane from the solids in sewage allowing towns such as Grand Junction, Colorado, to generate energy. The plant takes in 8 million gallons of wastewater and is the first city in the U.S. to fuel its vehicle fleet with energy produced from human waste.

He's research also includes work with gaseous elements, specifically ammonia. In wastewater, ammonia is a pollutant. If too much is discharged into a watershed, it feeds harmful algal blooms that can devastate aquatic ecosystems.

Mohan Qin, a second-year doctoral student in He's lab, has built a system that recovers ammonia and removes other contaminants while generating electricity at the same time. This is the first time that ammonia-driven forward osmosis has been combined with an ammonia-generating microbial electrochemical cell, Qin said.

The idea earned Qin, who is from Shandong Province, China, the 2015 Innovation Award for Best Technological Advancement from the International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technology.

The results of this work encouraged the further development of microbial fuel cells, especially system scaling up. The He lab is currently operating a 200-L microbial fuel cell system in a local wastewater treatment plant for evaluating its long term performance with actual wastes.

For now, however, Feng and He are not only giving wastewater its moment in the sun, they are making sure that, whether it's ammonia or organic waste, that producing energy from wastewater is part of a movement.

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No fewer than 92 of the 186 countries in Euromoneys country risk survey succumbed to heightened political-risk perceptions last year, as experts became more concerned by corruption, government stability, policymaking and other relevant indicators.

Sub-Saharan borrowers Burundi and Burkina Faso saw the largest downgrades to their political-risk assessment scores overall in light of their domestic instabilities:

Yemen, Moldova and Papua New Guinea featured prominently, while a number of emerging market (EM) investor favourites also evinced worsening political risk.

Russia was one, with legislative elections approaching and foreign policy a concern.

However, its political-risk score was already languishing at a low level due to a range of longstanding concerns such as corruption, and with president Vladimir Putin in control, there was less scope for further falls.

Malaysia on the other hand shed almost four political-risk points in 2015 as the developing corruption crisis at 1MDB, the state investment fund, called into question the credibility of prime minister Najib Razak.

Malaysias economic risk score fell, too, but without the heightened concern for government stability and other political-risk indicators the country would not have slipped below Iceland (to 37th) in Euromoneys global risk rankings, or caused quite as much anguish to global bond investors ascertaining the implications.

Politics dominates Turkey

Turkey, meanwhile, suffered from uncertainty surrounding the twice-staged parliamentary elections, in June and November, which ultimately delivered a majority to president Recep Tayyip Erdogans Justice and Development Party.

The government is in a strong position to pass routine legislation, but Turkish risk remains heightened by the possibility of another snap election should Erdogan fail to gain inter-party support for constitutional change aimed at ushering in a presidential-style political system.

That risks delaying structural reforms on the one hand, and ushering in a more authoritarian style of governance on the other, both of which might affect returns.

Turkeys political risks extend to its foreign policies, given the recent deterioration in relations with Russia, and the domestic security threats from Kurdish and Islamist terrorists linked to the border conflict in Syria.

Brazil and Mexico

Brazil also saw its political-risk score wane last year, first in response to a bribery scandal at state-owned oil and gas firm Petrobras tarnishing the reputation of Dilma Rousseff, the nations embattled president, whose ability to serve out a full term to 2018 remains an open question.

Rousseff is moreover facing the threat of impeachment charges for allegedly using accounting tricks to massage the budget figures.

She should survive that with sufficient parliamentary support, but must still counter any renewed social instability caused by recession and rising unemployment as Brazil stages the Summer Olympics with an economy mired in crisis.

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Peru were other Latin American borrowers which endured a rise in political risk last year, but it was Mexico which unnerved risk experts the most, shedding almost two points from its political-risk assessment score.

Corruption and drug-crime have risen in importance for Mexican investors in recent years, with attacks on politicians vowing a clampdown on drug trafficking increasing with alarming alacrity.

For Mexico, however, it is the regulatory and policymaking environment which is more of a risk than government stability, as questions arise to what extent the government will go to in implementing structural reforms in the telecoms, finance and hydrocarbons sectors, notably in light of the fall in oil prices.

Mexicos total risk score was increasing before 2013, but has flat-lined for the past two years. Like Malaysia, its risks are more political than economic, undermining its total risk score:

Not just EM phenomenon

Oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, have also seen political risks rise as the pressure on domestic policymakers increases to maintain social contracts after years of soaring oil wealth fuelling largesse.

However, it isnt just EMs where political risk is an important determinant of asset returns, certainly not since the financial crisis had such devastating global effects.

According to Tina Fordham, chief global political analyst at Citi Research, writing jointly with Carnegie director Jan Techau, the sense that political risks have actually increased in a more globalized and inter-connected world  in number if not in terms of scale  is hard to escape.

Fordham says Citi  a contributor to Euromoneys country risk survey  spends as much time monitoring non-mainstream party politics in advanced economies as much as EM-based geopolitical risks, and she sees little sign of this trend of political risk-cutting across advanced and emerging economies reversing.

Euromoney survey data clearly illustrate this fact.

Political risk increased last year in Australia, Norway, Japan, New Zealand and the US, the survey shows.

It also increased in several EU member states.

Among them were France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

Political risks were evident, too, in Poland after its elections, which as Euromoney recently remarked upon foreshadowed the shock downgrade from Standard & Poors.

Fordham sees the effects of these various political risks rising as they converge, and cites the Syria crisis as an example.

The movement of peoples displaced by the warfare has increased political risk in Europe, and Syrias problems are likely to be exacerbated by growing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

This, in turn, will affect European economies, feed into the UK Brexit debate, influence the outcome of elections and affect the EU project as a whole, all of which have the potential to buffet the financial markets.

Monitoring these political-risk events has become a complicated exercise, but one that global bond investors can hardly afford to ignore.

This article was originally published by ECR. To find out more, register for a free trial at Euromoney Country Risk.


Irans head of Atomic Energy Organisation Ali Akbar Salehi (L) and the head of the Central Bank of Iran, Valiollah Seif, on January 17 after international sanctions on Iran were lifted

The big moment arrived. On January 17, after the European Union said it had implemented regulation to removesanctions against Iran, Swift was turned back on in Iran. And, in some cases, appeared not to work.

Well, you know how it is when your computer has been switched off for a while. Apparently, reconnecting to Swift itself is a straightforward process, but the problem has arisen with the Cisco systems that are instrumental to its effective running. Some banks in Iran report either that their licences had expired while under sanctions and now need to be reissued; or that their software is no longer up to date after all the years in the wilderness.

Swift confirms to Euromoney that many Iranian banksare now exempt from the financial messaging restrictions that the EU imposed on them in March 2012.

Swift has informed the relevant stakeholders about the necessary measures that need to be put in place to make it possible for those banks that are delisted by the implementing regulation to reconnect to Swift, it says. Those banks that are delisted by the implementing regulation will now automatically be able to reconnect to Swift, following the completion of our normal connection process.

This is understood to include administrative and systems checks, connectivity and technical arrangements.

Problems

The implementing regulation does not repeal all EU sanctions on all Iranian banks, therefore Swift remains prohibited from providing specialised financial messaging services to the EU-sanctioned Iranian banks that remain listed under EU regulation, Swift says, adding that it is incorporated under Belgian law and has to comply with all related EU regulation as confirmed by the Belgian government.

Swift declines to comment on any specific problems with reconnection in Iran, nor on its arrangements with Cisco; Cisco did not respond to requests for comment.

These are purely teething problems but Euromoney understands that in the long-awaited relative freedom that has followed the implementation of the nuclear agreement, some banks are still transacting payments through intermediary banks in Oman and Turkey.

We do know, though, that most banks are at least permitted to rejoin the international banking fold.

One of the first steps following implementation was the official removal of restrictions on most banks in the Iranian banking system, says Radman Rabii at Firouzeh Asia Brokerage in Tehran. The Central Bank of Iran announced on Wednesday [January 20] that restrictions on using the Swift network have been lifted, and reconnection by Iranian banks is expected in the coming days.

The central bank then came out with a list of newly reconnected banks  including some surprising names. Several of the big private banks, such as Saman, Pasargad and Parsian, reconnected first, with two of the smaller state-run banks, Maskan and Keshavarzi, all as expected. Then the central bank named 12 further state banks that are now reconnected, among them the big names of Bank Mellat, Bank Melli, Tejarat Bank and Bank Sepah.

The last of these names is the one raising eyebrows both within and outside Iran. Sepah is the Persian word for army. Its capital was originally provided by the Army Pension Fund. It has been under US sanctions since 2007, with the US claiming then that the bank actively assisted Iran in developing missiles that could carry nuclear weapons (which the bank fervently denied).

It had always been assumed that Sepah, with such clear links to the military, would be excluded at least from the first round of sanctions relief, and indeed, when the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (the nuclear agreement)was announced, Sepah was on the list of banks that remained under sanction. Now, it appears, it no longer is.

One thing rapidly becoming clear as Irans international banking devices start up again is that the flow of capital is at first going to be with the east, not the west. Just as the tankers leaving Iran, on the morning after the sanctions were lifted, were headed for India rather than the Suez Canal, it is thought that the first foreign bank to resume full banking lines with Iran was Chinas ICBC. Then, on January 21, the Central Bank of Iran said that ICBC had formally requested the right to open branches in Iran, both on the mainland and within the free trade zone of Kish Island.

Hossein Yaqoubi Miab, the director for international affairs at the central bank, also told local media that he had received similar requests to open branches from banks in Australia, Italy and Lebanon. Now comes the next phase of Irans rehabilitation: guessing who they are.
With bank shares in Italy down by roughly 40% in the first six weeks of 2016, the government would have had to do something spectacular to turn around sentiment. From that perspective, prime minister Matteo Renzis decree on February 11, containing urgent measures to fix the banks, could hardly be seen as a success, even if it brought what would be, in calmer times, encouraging changes.

The decree contains provisions for a government guarantee over senior tranches of securitizations of non-performing loans, adding details to a plan first outlined in late January. It also contains measures to consolidate 370 Italian cooperatives, known as banche di credito cooperativo (BCC) and enacts better tax incentives for foreclosures.

Bulky items: percentage of Italian bad loans within size buckets



The hope for Italys banks, firstly, is that the guarantee could narrow the wide bid-offer spreads prevailing in sales of NPLs, speeding up efforts to reduce Italys huge NPL pile. The banks can benefit from the guarantee and deconsolidate the loans if they sell at least half of a securitizations junior tranche.

If banks receive financing for the senior tranche at a lower rate on the open market, they could offer a better price for the whole portfolio, says Matteo Bigarelli, head of equity, investments and special projects at mid-sized lender Banca Popolare dellEmilia Romagna (BPER). According to research from Mediobanca, investors could bid higher too if there is an agreement for them to service the underlying assets, as the law requires issuers to employ an external debt manager.



Salvatore Rossi,

Bank of Italy

The scheme, some say, could be of most use to banks like BPER. The biggest Italian banks have other ways to cope with their NPLs and they already did so to an extent, says Salvatore Rossi, Bank of Italys senior deputy governor.

Yet the state will only back a securitizations senior tranche if it has an investment grade rating before the application of the guarantee. That requires a sufficiently diverse portfolio, something smaller banks like BPER will find harder given their more concentrated loan books, according to Bigarelli. We are analysing our NPL portfolio to see if we can make use of the guarantee [] but this may be more useful for bigger banks, he says.

Bigger banks like Intesa Sanpaolo, UBI and UniCredit, on the other hand, have also hesitated to say they will definitely make use of the guarantee. By mid-February, the only big bank to say it was setting up a platform for the guarantee scheme was the lender with the highest NPL ratio: Monte dei Paschi di Siena, which mentioned a new partnership with a specialised bad-debt manager in its annual results.

According to Moodys, banks will only use the guarantee to securitize up to 40 billion of Italys 350 billion of NPLs. That is an estimate based on the concentration of credit, and the reticence of banks to take upfront losses on insufficiently provisioned debt. Almost half of total NPLs are in excess of 2.5 million, and only 28% are below 500,000, the agency notes.

Opting out

Meanwhile, the reform to the BCC banks would, ordinarily, be seen as another advance. The law will require hundreds of tiny local lenders to join a banking group with equity of at least 1 billion, and as in the French mutual sector, banks within the group will be legally obliged to support each other. It follows a reform last year (which did not affect the BCC) requiring the handful of big cooperatives known as popolari to convert to joint-stock status by the end of 2016, hopefully spurring mergers in the process.

There is now a debate over 15 BCC with equity of more than 200 million: whether they should be allowed to opt out of the holding bank by converting to joint-stock status. But if all 370 join together  most likely under the biggest of the existing looser central institutions, Iccrea Holding  they would create a bank with around 250 billion in assets, says Alain Laurin, banks analyst at Moodys. It would overtake Monte dei Paschi as Italys third biggest lender, and be bigger than the biggest popolari.

Italys BCC sector today reminds me of Credit Agricole, or Caisse dEpargne 25 years ago, says Laurin. This reform is the first step in that direction.

Fusing BCC banks like this will make lending decisions less vulnerable to local interests, hopes Marcello Messori, economics professor at Romes Guido Carli University in Rome. However, Laurin warns it will take years to create a more cohesive bank along the lines of the French cooperatives, with a common strategy, risk management and IT systems, and a much smaller number of individual banks within the group.

As for the guarantee scheme, it will leave a bid-offer spread that banks may struggle to cover without endangering their solvency. Banks have NPLs on their balance sheet at around 40% of face value. According to Moodys, their market value, based on the 17.5% transfer price in a state resolution process late last year, would only be 25%, at most. Mediobanca estimates the guarantee scheme will only reduce the bid-offer spread by around six percentage points of face value, roughly in line with other analysts estimates.

For Rossi, the most important part of the decree was therefore the measure to improve bid prices in the NPL market, following bankruptcy law reform last year, by encouraging foreclosure. I would expect that a true market will start once the government has implemented the other measures [around bankruptcy and collateral], says the deputy governor. If investors can be more confident that they can get their money back more quickly, theyll be able to pay a higher price.
Next month is going to be eventful, to say the least. From Toronto to Oregon, California to Seattle, youll have opportunities to see top ID scientists and scholars up against some of the best that the other side has to offer. On Saturday, March 19 from 7-9 pm at the University of Torontos Wycliffe College, Stephen Meyer will participate in a dialogue with arch-atheist cosmologist Lawrence Krauss and theistic evolutionist Denis Lamoureux. Their subject: Whats Behind It All? God, Science, and the Universe.

Dont worry, you will not need to be physically present in Toronto to follow the discussion. It will also be live-streamed on YouTube. Details are here.

On Thursday, March 10, Discovery Institute biologists Richard Sternberg and Ann Gauger will travel to Cottage Grove, OR, to offer counterprograming to the traveling Smithsonian exhibit on human origins. (Casey Luskin wrote about that here at Evolution News.) The exhibit will be on view at the Cottage Grove Public Library. Dr. Gauger and Dr. Sternberg will speak at the Cottage Grove Community Center about Science and Human Origins: What Does the Evidence Really Say? Details are here.

On Friday, March 11, in Cameron Park, CA, biologist and Center for Science & Culture fellow Dr. Cornelius Hunter will debate Dr. Michael Ruse, a softer-edged atheist than Krauss. Their topic: Is Evolution Compelling? Details are here.

Finally, on Tuesday, March 15, at Discovery Institute in Seattle, Dr. Gauger and our colleague biologist Dr. Jonathan Wells will lead an innovative four-hour program, the Intelligent Design Education Day. Note well: this is for private school and homeschool teachers and students, not public school. If you fit the profile of our intended audience, it will be an excellent opportunity to see what teaching about ID in an appropriate setting (NOT PUBLIC SCHOOL) would look like.

Of course, this is not a debate or point-counterpoint discussion like the other events, but ID poses the most profound challenge to Darwinian materialism. Unlike most Darwinists, ID proponents confront the best evidence for alternative ideas about evolution. Details are here.

These will all be lively conversations about science against the backdrop of ultimate questions on humankinds place in the universe. We hope youll join us, as geography permits. And as always, please let your friends know.
Stephen Meyers book Darwins Doubt has been out for almost three years. Paleontologist Mark McMenamin called it a game changer for the study of evolution It has over 700 reviews on Amazon (78 percent five-star, 6 percent four-star). When it came out in 2013, it ranked #7 for hardback nonfiction on the New York Times bestseller list. And last year, a follow-up book, Debating Darwins Doubt, addressed all the known objections to the original work.

To read most of the scientific journals, though, you would think they know nothing about this. Nature, PNAS, Current Biology, you name it: they avert their eyes from Meyers 500-page challenge whenever they discuss the Cambrian explosion. (The journal Science is the noble exception.) It is simply not possible that the authors of these papers, and the editors of these journals, are unaware of the controversy. Meyer has raised a significant challenge to the usual Darwinian explanation for the sudden appearance of complex animal life in the fossil record. Its time for the journals to face it and engage the scientific debate.

The leading science journal Nature, sad to say, whitewashed the controversy once again in a recent piece, What sparked the Cambrian explosion? Author Douglas Fox gives the usual positivist spin:

An evolutionary burst 540 million years ago filled the seas with an astonishing diversity of animals. The trigger behind that revolution is finally coming into focus. [Emphasis added.]

Such writing has all the comfort of Pravda telling the captives behind the Iron Curtain, deprived of alternative sources of information, that the famine will soon be over. Science should abjure a closed society. Besides, journals cannot afford the luxury of one-sided propaganda in this internet age. You cant wall off information for long. Search on Cambrian explosion and critiques pop up for the entire world to see. Not the least of those is Darwins Doubt. Journals look foolish when they adopt the three-monkey posture, Hear no controversy; see no controversy; speak no controversy. The smart strategy is to deal with it openly, so that consumers in the marketplace of ideas can decide who has the better product.

What is implied by Natures line that the trigger for the Cambrian explosion is finally coming into focus? It can only mean one thing. Its been out of focus till now. When you consider that the problem of the Cambrian explosion troubled Charles Darwin, its a sad commentary on the ability of scientists to admit being unable to focus on a solution for 157 years. Thats enough time for 31 Five-Year Plans proverbially launched by the dear leader of evolution to find the fossils that would support his theory.

But Nature isnt really looking for support. As doctrinaire believers in Darwins mechanism of natural selection, they dont need support. Its self-evident to them that an evolutionary burst filled the seas with an astonishing diversity of animals. Douglas Fox just wants to help by finding the trigger.

And what is that trigger that is finally coming into focus? Oxygen.

Sperling has looked for insights into Ediacaran oceans by studying oxygen-depleted regions in modern seas around the globe. He suggests that biologists have conventionally taken the wrong approach to thinking about how oxygen shaped animal evolution. By pooling and analysing previously published data with some of his own, he found that tiny worms survive in areas of the sea floor where oxygen levels are incredibly low  less than 0.5% of average global sea-surface concentrations. Food webs in these oxygen-poor environments are simple, and the animals feed directly on microbes. In places where sea-floor oxygen levels are a bit higher  about 0.5-3% of concentrations at the sea surface  animals are more abundant but their food webs remain limited: the animals still feed on microbes rather than on each other. But around somewhere between 3% and 10% oxygen levels, predators emerge and start to consume other animals. The implications of this finding for evolution are profound, Sperling says.The modest oxygen rise that he thinks may have occurred just before the Cambrian would have been enough to trigger a big change. If oxygen levels were 3% and they rose past that 10% threshold, that would have had a huge influence on early animal evolution, he says. Theres just so much in animal ecology, lifestyle and body size that seems to change so dramatically through those levels.

This excerpt illustrates why airing of the controversy is so drastically needed. Foxs prose hardly rises to the level of fairy tale. Would anyone outside the iron curtain of Darwinian explanations fall for a just add oxygen theory for the emergence of a trilobite or Anomalocaris?

Meyer would grant Fox and Nature all the oxygen they could ever want. He would let them inject copious quantities of oxygen bubbles into the Cambrian oceans right at the start of the explosion. No trilobites would emerge, he would argue, because the Cambrian explosion is not about gases, triggers, or influences. Its about information: the specifications to build animal body plans. That is the central challenge that the journals ignore.

Fox whitewashes the problem by repeating the party line no matter what. He offers pipe dreams that solutions will come someday, as long as everyone holds to the dogma.

Understanding how oxygen influenced the appearance of complex animals will require scientists to tease more-subtle clues out of the rocks. Weve been challenging people working on fossils to tie their fossils more closely to our oxygen proxies, says Lyons. It will mean deciphering what oxygen levels were in different ancient environments, and connecting those values with the kinds of traits exhibited by the animal fossils found in the same locations.

Communist ideologues were masters at interpreting every economic condition, including the failures in Russia and the riches in the West, in terms of class struggle and economic determinism. Yet now we look back at the fruits of that closed system.

Science should abhor iron curtains. Natures willful neglect of the controversy surrounding the Cambrian explosion subverts the ideals of science. Besides that, it just looks bad. What are they hiding behind that wall? What do they have to lose by engaging scientific challenges? Only the story that oxygen causes trilobites. Thats a tale worth losing. The time for detente, for glasnost, has arrived. Good things follow.

Image credit:  Guerrieroale / Dollar Photo Club.
The lack of a structured tax policy in the e-commerce sector is detrimental to the interests of its key stakeholders, including some major players. We spoke to some e-commerce players about their expectations from the upcoming union budget, especially about issues related to tax reforms

As the date for the unveiling of the union budget 2016 approaches closer, industrialists across the spectrum are looking forth to some key announcements, especially about the rollout of GST as part of the tax reforms undertaken by the Modi government. According to experts, one of the biggest beneficiaries of this can be the booming e-commerce sector in the country.

Currently, there are no tax laws in place to regulate the e-commerce industry in India. Hence, tax is imposed based on the understanding of the local taxation authorities and the lack of a structured tax policy in this sector is detrimental to the interests of the e-commerce players including its key stakeholders.

We spoke to some e-commerce players about their expectations from the upcoming union budget, especially related to the tax reforms, and here is what they had to say:

Kunal Bahl, Co-founder and CEO of Snapdeal:

India presents a huge opportunity as it continues to build physical and digital infrastructure for its large population, which in turn will boost economic activity and create massive employment. Given the quantum of the task, large capital inflows and suitable tax breaks can help accelerate the process. We hope that Budget 2016 will continue the task of creating a favourable, predictable and investment friendly climate for global funds seeking to participate in Indias growth story. We also look forward to announcement of policies geared towards achieving a "less cash" economy, making the economy more efficient and transparent.

During this Budget session hopefully, political consensus will also be reached on the GST Bill and it will get passed. The movement forward in indirect taxes will help align taxation with contemporary business models and will resolve varying interpretations of VAT / CST and service tax, which complicate the operating environment for e-commerce companies, including for inter-state movement of goods. On a broader note, uniformity in taxation laws across the country will significantly ease tax compliance for businesses and benefit government by bringing in easy tax administration and greater transparency.

Raghav Bahl, Founder, The Quint:

We need only two things: one, more bandwidth/spectrum; and two, a level playing field on taxes. Why should a rich, old, viable, lucrative medium like print advertising be exempt from service tax, while the fledgling, entrepreneurial, technology driven Internet advertising is skimmed?

Rohan Bhargava, Co-founder, CashKaro.com:

India action plan laid by the government has pinned a lot of expectations on what should be done and should not, but now it is time to ensure it walks the talk this budget. Aspects like the fund-of-funds, tax benefits, which are great on paper, needs to get implemented. I would like the budget to set out clear and measurable timelines with minimal bureaucratic intervention and not keep it as vague as it is now. Being an affiliate site we hope the government will present a tax policy that will address the complications of the current tax structure faced by e-commerce sites. We also hope that the GST roadmap will be shared in the budget for FY 2016-17.

Finally, we look forward to building an ecosystem which paves the ground for Innovation & Entrepreneurship in India.

Jason Kothari, Chief Executive Officer, Housing.com

As we stand on the cusp of fiscal 2016-17, there are a lot of expectations from the upcoming budget. The real estate industry is looking forward to GST becoming a reality, which will greatly benefit the ecosystem, and drive much needed transparency in the real estate transactions. We are hopeful that the regulatory bill will bring value to the homebuyers and the government will continue to provide incentives to sectors such as construction materials, while aggressively driving urban infrastructure projects. Implementation of these initiatives will create a positive sentiment in the market and have a direct impact on the future of players in the online real estate segment. Additionally, we are excited about the initiatives announced recently under the Startup India, Standup India program, that will create a conducive business environment and strengthen the entire ecosystem.

Mehul Jobanputra, Co-founder, DesiDime.com & Zingoy.com:

The government is being considerate of the start-up culture in the country. We got positive vibes from the PM & the insights at the start-up India event were truly great. We are hopeful that this budget will be pro-start-ups on mainly three points:

1) Ease of doing business.

2) As an entrepreneur all we want to do is to focus on growth and not worry about generalist complicated tax structure, typically meant for established companies. Creation of Special Economic Zones can achieve this or Innovation Centers meant only for start-ups, however we are unsure of the governments take on this.

3) Capital or direct investments by the Indian government by means of bonds, equity etc., in promising start-ups.

Saahil Goel, Co-Founder & CEO, Kraftly:

GST is yet to be passed, we hope that this tax system will be introduced at the earliest as this would reduce the cost of inter-state movement of goods, and ease the documentation requirement for small merchants. As an e-commerce company we are expecting easy taxation across states. For example Delhi has introduced DVAT for e-commerce companies as a compulsion. This creates a lot of problems, especially for start-ups. We are looking forward to a positive response from this union budget for start-ups and emerging entrepreneurs.

Manoj Gupta, Founder Craftsvilla.com:

The e-commerce segment is looking for a major boost from Budget 2016. We represent a $7 billion industry, growing at more than 40% every year. Definitely, we are looking at driving home the advantage in the future after logging some deep-rooted impact in the last fiscal. The Government of India should allow 100% FDI for e-commerce to move ahead of competition. Foreign investors can make strategic investments in smaller online retailers. This will also help the investor ecosystem in India to mature faster. Also, GST would be a game changing reform, it will enable a country wide, single market with reduced transaction costs for businesses and controlled economic volatility.

Easing regulatory norms that will not just benefit the e-commerce companies by further accelerating their growth, but will also position India as industry friendly and attract more investments from foreign investors, in turn creating a ripple effect by generating infinite employment opportunities.

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The Pound Sterling (GBP) extends losses including against the Indian rupee (INR) and other currency peers on Brexit speculation.

The GBP-INR exchange rate is enjoying a temporary rise today after the latest UK GDP figures were released, showing a consistent pace of expansion towards the end of last year.

However, the run may be short-lived, as the accompanying data shows that growing consumer spending balanced out a drop in business investment.

At time of writing, the US Dollar to Indian Rupee conversion rate is 63.64 USD/INR.

The next move for UK interest rates might not be up, according to new comments from Mark Carney, which has weakened the pound to rupee spot rate as investors have interpreted this as meaning that UK rates might be cut soon.

When asked if interest rates are more likely to rise or fall, Carney replied, over the forecast horizon interest rates are more likely than not to increase  but we are not on a preset course and of course if risks were to materialise and the global situation were to intensify to the downside, that would have implications for the path of policy.

Despite the fact that Prime Minister David Cameron secured a deal to reform the UKs relationship with the European Union, the Pound dived across the board.

Sterling depreciation is in direct response to news that Mayor of London Boris Johnson will campaign for the UK to leave the EU.

Adding to Sterling woes was disappointing results from Confederation of British Industry (CBI) data.

For your reference, here are the latest FX rates:

On Friday the Pound to British Pound exchange rate (GBP/GBP) converts at 1

The GBP to GBP exchange rate converts at 1 today.

The pound conversion rate (against euro) is quoted at 1.144 EUR/GBP.

At time of writing the pound to us dollar exchange rate is quoted at 1.126.

Please note: the FX rates above, updated 21st Oct 2022, will have a commission applied by your typical high street bank. Currency brokers specialise in these type of foreign currency transactions and can save you up to 5% on international payments compared to the banks.

Pound to Rupee Exchange Rate News and Outlook for the Week Ahead

On Monday the British pound dived the most since March 2009 when the UK endured a major banking crisis.

This was due to concerns that the popular and charismatic Mayor of London, considered a political heavyweight likely to succeed Cameron as PM, is likely to garner plenty of support for the campaign to leave the EU.

He definitely has pop-star charisma and appeal, Jacob Nell, a UK economist at Morgan Stanley, told journalists at a briefing in London. If the Out campaign get it right, they could appeal to both the anti-immigration and the deregulation group of voters and Johnson could help make voting for Brexit seem socially acceptable.

Domestic data also fuelled the Sterling downtrend after CBI Trends Total Orders and CBI Trends Selling Prices both declined beyond expectations.

Indian Rupee Exchange Rates Climb despite Rising Crude Oil Prices

Although rising crude oil prices usually corresponds with Indian Rupee weakness, given that India is one of the worlds foremost crude importers, the Rupee managed to strengthen versus many of its peers today.

The Rupee appreciation is mostly the result of improving market sentiment and heightened demand for high-yielding emerging-market assets.

Political and geopolitical tensions are still rife in India, however, which could see the Rupee resume depreciation quickly.

Protestors demanding more government jobs have recently cut off the water supply to Delhi. Whilst the government has resumed control over the water they have stated that it will take three to four days to return to normal.

With a complete absence of influential domestic data this week, the Rupee will continue to see movement in response to changes in market sentiment, oil price fluctuations and geopolitical developments.
Another rise in Aussie consumer confidence, after the large drops in January, boosted the Australian Dollar exchange rates in the mid-week session. Where next for the AUD in leading foreign exchange forecasts?

Positive UK data and negative global news have helped Pound Sterling to make gains on the Australian Dollar today.

UK GDP figures showed a steady pace of growth at the end of 2015, relieving investors who feared a slowdown, while a -6.4% drop in Chinese stocks has cooled risk-appetite slightly.

The British pound, on Thursday morning, has seen a bounce against the Australian dollar.

Yesterday had been another day of trending negatively almost across the board for Pound Sterling, but another fall in stocks saw the Australian Dollar weakened too.

The GBP to AUD exchange rate is performing better than most other Sterling today thanks to another fall in oil prices triggering an exodus to safe-haven assets.

Before we continue with the news, heres an update on today's latest FX rates for your reference;

On Friday the Pound to British Pound exchange rate (GBP/GBP) converts at 1

Today finds the pound to pound spot exchange rate priced at 1.

The pound conversion rate (against euro) is quoted at 1.144 EUR/GBP.

The live inter-bank GBP-NZD spot rate is quoted as 1.959 today.

NB: the forex rates mentioned above, revised as of 21st Oct 2022, are inter-bank prices that will require a margin from your bank. Foreign exchange brokers can save up to 5% on international payments in comparison to the banks.

A slow rate of growth in Australian wages in the final three months of 2015 has softened AUD, although it is advancing vs GBP thanks to continued EU referendum fears.

Wage growth was 0.5% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) in 2015 Q4, undercutting forecasts by ten basis points, while year-on-year (YoY) wage growth also slowed by -0.1%.

The US Consumer Confidence index has dropped much further than even the most dovish Bloomberg economist had predicted, although this has failed to weaken the USD and allow AUD to advance vs GBP and EUR.

The index for February dropped from 98.1 to 92.2, much further than the expected drop of -0.8.

The impact of volatility in the financial markets upon consumer confidence appears to have dissipated in February, with another rise in sentiment strengthening Australian Dollar exchange rates.

Confidence rose 0.6% during the latest ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence survey, with Februarys total 2.8% rise to date helping to undo some of the -4.5% drop experienced in January.

According to ANZ Chief Economist Warren Hogan, Looking ahead, developments in the policy debate, in particular around tax, are likely to influence consumer sentiment. Discussions around tax reform and spending cuts are likely to intensify ahead of the May Commonwealth Budget and could weigh on sentiment in the coming months.

Boris Johnsons decision to back the Out referendum campaign on Monday continues to cause volatility in Pound Sterling exchange rates.

Boris Johnsons allegiance to the Out campaign has sparked bitter infighting amongst the Tory party as the Brexit vote continues to dominate Pound Sterling exchange rates.

Camerons scathing attack on Boris Johnson during Mondays parliament session has caused many to wonder about the long-term damage the debate will do to the Tory party, with William Hague writing that a sustained battle within a party can open wounds that take a generation to heal. Just look at Blair and Brown and the wreckage they left behind. What can Conservatives do to avoid that fate?

Pound Sterling has remained in negative territory, although losses today have been nowhere near the severity of Mondays slump, with the potential for further drops as several Bank of England (BoE) policymakers testify to lawmakers.

Poor US data and a commodity price rally on Tuesday saw high-risk assets like the New Zealand Dollar appreciate.

Mondays disappointing US Markit Manufacturing PMI continued to weaken USD on Tuesday, allowing NZD to rise.

A commodity Dollar rally was sparked after the International Energy Agency (IEA) boosted oil prices by predicting that production of shale-gas would contract over the coming two years.

The New Zealand Dollar was also boosted after Auckland was ranked 3rd in Mercers 2016 Quality of Living survey, with Lorraine Jennings of Mercer explaining, New Zealand cities illustrate a stable infrastructure, increased availability of housing on the city fringe and life-style choices that are particularly appealing to the younger generation and this is all good news in terms of NZ based companies attracting international talent.

Mixed Data Releases Weaken Euro (EUR) Exchange Rates

After the disappointment of Mondays Eurozone PMIs, EUR exchange rates were softened again by more negative data on Tuesday.

Final German GDP figures for the last quarter of 2015 printed as expected, but the German IFO Business Climate and Expectations indexes for February showed a worse-than-expected fall in sentiment, with expectations sinking into pessimistic territory.

European Central Bank (ECB) Supervisory Council President Daniele Nouy is set to speak today at the Deutsche Bank Capital Forum, so investors will likely be dissecting any news of her comments, which could affect the Euro.
Pole emploi is the unemployment office, and the other specifics are indications that you are already paying your cotisations (social insurances). Obviously a bit difficult in the situation where you're just moving to France. It may depend a bit on what sort of visa (if any) you're moving to France on.



This is where you have to get creative. Have you sold your home in Oz? What do you have for health insurance for France? (This is where having an expat policy is going to work better than a travel policy, no matter what the consulate allows.) Do you have a lease or have you bought property in France? Basically anything to show that you're in this for the long haul and (primarily) that you won't be selling off any of the goods you're importing, at least not within the first year or two.

Cheers,

Bev
COSHOCTON, Ohio  A two-part series on backyard chickens will be held March 9 and 16 at 6 p.m. in Room B100 of the Coshocton County Services Building. This series is basic-level information for the new or prospective chicken owner.

On March 9, the topic is So Youve Got Chicks, Now What?, and will cover food, shelter, breeds, health, predators and more. On March 16, the topic is Backyard Chicken Basics, and will discuss food and shelter, bird health, predators, production and marketing and consuming meat and eggs.

The series is hosted by OSU Extension-Coshocton County, and the cost is $3 per participant per session, or $5 per person for both sessions.

Register by March 2. The registration flyer can be found online at coshocton.osu.edu, or at the OSU Extension Office at 724 South 7th Street, Coshocton. Additional questions can be referred to Tammi Rogers, at 740-622-2265.
Applicants in England for Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2016 will be able to start their online claim from the first week of March, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) said today.

The agency is encouraging farmers and agents who are planning to apply online to start their applications as early as possible, with a view to submitting completed applications from around mid-March.

Mark Grimshaw, Chief Executive of the RPA said: I want to encourage applicants to claim BPS online in 2016. We have learnt from 2015 and have made changes to the Rural Payments service for 2016.

Lots of farmers and agents have told us they are keen to apply online again but we also understand that some farmers may need a paper option and this will be available for those who need it.

Applicants will be able to view their maps online for the first time and the service has built-in elements that help to check the application.

There are four stages to completing applications. From the first week of March until around the middle of the month, applicants will be able to check the information the RPA holds already and begin to make changes, including transferring land and entitlements.

From around mid-March onwards, applicants can complete their declarations and confirm the information in their application before final submission.

Help will be available for all. There will be on-screen assistance and the option to call the Rural Services helpline on 03000 200 301 if further support is needed.

In March, the RPA will send all registered customers paper guidance about how to apply online.

The application deadline will be midnight on 16 May 2016.

BPS 2015

70,880 farmers (just over 81% of all eligible claims) have received their BPS 2015 payments, bringing the total paid out for the 2015 scheme to 1.11 billion.

Almost all eligible farmers will receive their payments by the end of March with a few thousand of the more complex cases taking slightly longer, as they did under the Single Payment Scheme.

We are working with a number of charitable organisations to support those experiencing difficulty.
The U.S. Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network withdrew a finding against Banca Privada dAndorra Friday because the bank no longer operates in a manner that poses a threat to the U.S. financial system.

In March last year, FinCEN said senior managers at Banca Privada dAndorra, known as BPA, took bribes for several years to help launder money for organized crime groups.

FinCEN designated BPA as a foreign financial institution of primary money laundering concern under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act.

Andorra regulators then seized BPA. The government fired the banks chairman and board.

In Spain, which borders Andorra, the central bank seized a BPA subsidiary, Banco de Madrid.

The majority owners of BPA are Ramon and Higini Cierco. They issued a statement Friday calling FinCENs withdrawal of its Section 311 notices a momentous victory for BPAs customers, employees, and all of its shareholders, including the majority shareholders, the Cierco family.

They said,

Since FinCEN issued its illegal notices nearly one year ago, the Ciercos have fought vigorously to clear their name, bringing suit in federal court against the U.S. Department of Treasury and FinCEN to force the withdrawal the notices. FinCENs announcement that they have withdrawn the notices vindicates the Ciercos and BPA.

Eric Lewis, a lawyer in the District of Columbia representing the Ciercos, said last year that regulators in Andorra failed to keep FinCEN informed about BPAs compliance efforts, and thats what triggered FinCENs action against the bank.

This was a dispute between regulators and BPA paid the ultimate price, Lewis said. FinCEN failed to consider that BPA was one of the premier banks in Europe with industry standard money laundering controls in place.

Lewis has been critical of FinCEN, saying the agency denies due process to foreign banks it targets.

Once FinCEN designates a bank as a primary money laundering concern, other banks wont process its transactions in the U.S.  which Lewis called the lifeblood of BPAs international banking business.

In October 2015, the Ciercos sued FinCEN and its senior officials in the United States to withdraw the notices.

The Ciercos said Friday that FinCEN withdrew the 311 notices in a blatant effort to avoid any judicial scrutiny of the legality of its actions.

On Friday, FinCEN said the steps taken by the Andorran authorities sufficiently protect the U.S. financial system from the money laundering risks previously associated with BPA.

FinCEN said,

Authorities in Andorra assumed control of BPA management and operations, arrested the chief executive officer on money laundering charges, and are in the final stages of implementing a resolution plan that is isolating the assets, liabilities, and clients of BPA that raise money laundering concerns.

FinCEN also said Friday it withdrew Section 311 findings against Liberty Reserve SA based in Costa Rica and Belarus-based JSC CredexBank. Liberty Reserve no longer exists as a foreign financial institution, FinCEN said, and JSC CredexBank no longer operates as a foreign financial institution or in a manner that poses a threat to the U.S. financial system

_____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.
Jeremy Piven has been accused of bombarding his ex-girlfriend Kate Nardi with "creepy" text messages.

Jeremy Piven

The 50-year-old actor, who dated the blonde beauty in late 2013, has allegedly sent sexy pictures to his former lover and repeatedly offered to whisk her away for a romantic dinner.

Kate's boyfriend Justin Ross Lee took to his Facebook account last night (22.02.16) and wrote: "Before I met Kate, she dated Jeremy Piven. I was always a fan and totally fine with that, except lately the guy will not stop texting her, and has become really creepy. He keeps offering to fly her places, like, 'Do you want to come to London?' and he keeps asking her to dinner."

Justin, 32 - who is a travel expert - then posted what he claims is Jeremy's personal phone number and asked his fans to call him and demand he leaves Kate alone.

According to the New York Post newspaper, the 'Entourage' star pushed Kate to send him a sexy picture before telling her that they need to "get on each other... as soon as possible."

However, a close friend of the hunky actor has thrown cold water over the claims and stated the former lovers haven't been in contact with one another since they split over two years ago.
Mourners were asked to recall their "favourite memory" of Big Ang as she was laid to rest on Monday afternoon (22.02.16) at a funeral service at Basilica of Regina Pacis in Brooklyn, New York City.

Big Ang's funeral in Brooklyn, New York City

More than 200 family, friends and fans packed the Roman Catholic church to say goodbye to the 'Mob Wives' star - whose real name was Angela Raiola - in her hometown and celebrate her high-spirited life, while Monsignor. David L. Cassato conducted a moving eulogy, during which he recalled his own fond memories with his pal.

The priest said: "Big Ang loved, she cried, she laughed, she shared - she was fully human.

"I want everyone to think of their favourite memory of Big Ang. I'm sure everyone has one that is very special, but I'm going to tell you about mine."

And holding up a picture with the native New Yorker - who was affectionately known as 'Mama Bear' - he said: "I treasure this picture to this day. ...Everyone who comes into the rectory asks about it. They say, 'You know her?' and I say she was my good friend."

He also recalled a time when Big Ang chose the winner of a raffle at his church.

He added: "When she picked the name of the winner, she said 'Where's my cut? Big Ang was fully human and fully generous. ...Today Big Ang rests in God's peace."

Big Ang sadly passed away last Thursday (18.02.16) at the age of 55, following an aggressive battle with throat cancer that had spread to her brain and lungs, after an initial diagnosis in March 2015.

Renee Graziano, who appeared in six seasons of 'Mob Wives' with Ang, was seen looking sombre while leaving the church and her brother-in-law Dominick was pictured crying.

The reality TV star's estranged husband Neil Murphy attended the service and was reportedly with the brunette beauty's bedside when she died three days ago.

A niece of a New York City Police Captain, she is survived by her sister, Janine, her two children - Raquel and Anthony D'Onofrio - and six grandchildren.

Big Ang will be entombed at Resurrection Cemetery in her hometown of Staten Island
A trio of great new images from Captain America: Civil War have been released courtesy of Empire.

Captain America: Civil War

We are counting down the weeks until Civil War hits the big screen and it looks set to be the biggest Marvel film ever.

Civil War will kick off Phase 3 of Marvel movies and will see favourites Captain America and Iron Man going head to head as Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr reprise these popular roles. I really cannot wait to see the pair in action.

The new images show Rogers and Start face to face as well as a new image of Scarlet Witch and a first look at Crossbones as Elizabeth Olsen and Frank Grillo return to these roles.

We were introduced to Grillo as Brock Rumlow in Captain America: The Winter Solider - a character that was left seriously injured by the end of the film. Olsen joined the Marvel world in last year's Avengers: Age of Ultron and it is good to see her back.

Captain America: Civil War sees Anthony and Joe Russo back in the director's chair for the first time since they steered The Winter Solider to critical and commercial success back in 2014.

Civil War is promising to be even bigger than its predecessor as the movie will feature the popular civil war storyline from the comics - I really cannot wait to see what the Russo brothers deliver this time around.

It is exciting times for the filmmaking siblings as they are set to take up the director's chair on the Avengers franchise for the first time with Infinity War later this year.

Back to Civil War, and the pair has brought together an impressive cast list as Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Sebastian Stan, Paul Bettany, Paul Rudd, and Martin Freeman are all on board. We are also going to be introduced to Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland as Black Panther and Spider-Man for the first time.

Captain America: Civil War is released 29th April.

by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Britain's Princess Anne met with volunteers at a Citzens Advice Bureau yesterday (22.02.16).

Britain's Princess Anne

The 65-year-old royal - who is the patron of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureau - was on hand to tour the Milton Keynes centre, where she handed over a 10,000 donation from Santander bank.

Ben Thomas, director of Milton Keynes' Citizens Advice Bureau, said: "Services are needed and they matter, not just to the ordinary man and woman in the street, but to some of the most vulnerable people who live in our city.

"[The donation] will help us reach those disadvantaged and vulnerable people who so badly need our help."

Meanwhile, during her visit, the Princess Royal was given a gift by schoolgirl Grace Mutchell, seven, who had to keep it a secret that she was meeting the royal.

She said: "I was excited since I knew and it was hard to keep the secret."

Whilst her mother Rachel, who volunteered her daughter to take part, added to One MK: "I was worried Grace would get would get a bit scared with so many people here but I'm really proud of her."
Britain's Princess Anne visited business leaders on a trip to Surrey.

Britain's Princess Anne

The 65-year-old royal met with an 18-year-old entrepreneur during her visit, who had been working in a nearby market since he was ten-years-old and now has his own shop at Redhill's Belfry Shopping Centre.

Danesh Amin said: "I am thrilled that HRH The Princess Royal visited the Brocks Chocs production site.

"This visit in 2016 comes during my biggest growth year - both professionally and personally, as I embark upon opening new stores, creating further employment locally and furthering my education at university. I am very excited about what the future holds for Brocks Chocs."

She also visited Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking as well as Dennys Brands in Leatherhead.

Nick Jubert, managing director of Dennys Brands, added to the Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser: "We were delighted and honoured to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to Leatherhead, both to mark our employees' commitment to the business, and to celebrate our continued success as we prepare for the opening of our flagship store in London's West End."

Whilst visiting the uniform supplier, she handed long-service awards to six employees who had been working at the firm for more than 20 years.
The Indonesian Textile Association's (API) believes the textile industry stands to gain if Indonesia eventually joins the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, but concedes that the yarn-forward clause could be a catch.If there's one thing that we need to watch out when we join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), that's the yarn-forward clause, said API Advisory Board Chairman Benny Soetrisno said at a press conference.

The Indonesian Textile Association's (API) believes the textile industry stands to gain if Indonesia eventually joins the Trans Pacific Partnership#

Soetrisno said that while the US-led TPP would likely bring more benefits than harm to the local textile industry, the country had to boost the industry's readiness at all stages of the manufacturing process.There's a provision in the TPP that will cut tariffs only for garment products made using materials sourced from the member countries, he said.Once implemented, the TPP is set to apply a yarn-forward rule of origin that requires textile and apparel products made using TPP members' yarns and fabrics to qualify for zero-tariff in trades among the member countries.The clause will also certainly apply to Indonesia as well if it joins the TPP which currently has 12 members. All the 12 signatories are now in the process of ratifying the deal in their respective countries, expected to take about two years.Indonesia's textile industry is considered to be the sector that will gain most should the country join the TPP in the coming years.API chairman Ade Sudrajat argued that he was still upbeat that joining the TPP would benefit the country's textile industry, but support from the government to develop the whole process of garment manufacturing was needed.In terms of workers, Ade said the government could, for example, help textile companies build workers' dormitories next to production plants.While a number of business sectors have been reportedly making lay-offs to improve business efficiency, many garment manufacturers have experienced workforce shortages to support expansion.The API has estimated that textile exports will surge significantly, particularly if the country joins the TPP.Indonesia's textile exports increased from $8.6 billion in 2005 to $12.7 billion in 2014, well behind the performance of Vietnam, which booked $26.2 billion from textile exports in 2014 from only $5.3 billion in 2011.Ade said that his association estimated that the TPP could more than double Indonesia's textile exports in a decade as the US is one of its major markets.The Industry Ministry's Director for textiles, leather, footwear and various industries, Muhdori, said that the textile industry was ready for the partnership as it was already properly structured .The Industry Ministry's data show that in 2014, Indonesia imported a total of $8.6 billion textiles in the form of fibre, yarn, fabric, garments, tapestry and other textile products, with a big chunk estimated to come from China, which is not a TPP member.Vietnam, which is one of the TPP signatories, had raised concerns about the yarn-forward rule of origin as it still imports some types of fabric from China. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Indonesian textile manufacturer Sri Rejeki Isman has signed a $50 million deal with Cambodia's Interior Ministry to supply uniforms for the country 's police and armed forces. The company, better known as Sritex, will soon open a garment manufacturing plant in Cambodia.The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that Sritex and the Cambodian government have agreed to set up a joint venture, named Sritex Cambodia, to establish the uniform plant and manage related procurement made by the country.

Indonesian textile manufacturer Sri Rejeki Isman has signed a $50 million deal with Cambodia's Interior Ministry to supply uniforms for the#

According to Merati Irawati, the Indonesian Embassy's Head of Economic Affairs, the company planned to build the factory in Kandal province by the end of the year, and that it would employ 400 people and supply uniforms to police and armed forces once it was up and running.Until then, Sritex said it will supply the country with uniforms from its Indonesian factories.But despite being a relatively high-profile deal, the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, which represents most of the country's garment factories, said it knew nothing about it, according to a Cambodian newspaper.Sritex is expanding its export market and plans to enter Spain, France, Hong Kong and Peru this year. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Footwear and apparel maker Woodland plans to beef up its presence in overseas markets by opening exclusive stores in the UAE and Russia where it has already set up warehouses.With the overseas expansion, Woodland is targeting 25 per cent export revenue from next year against the current return of 15 per cent. The company's turnover this year is around Rs 1,200 crore.

Footwear and apparel maker Woodland plans to beef up its presence in overseas markets by opening exclusive stores in the UAE and Russia where it has#

"The demand for the outdoor category is the same in Russia and the Middle East as it is in India. We will look to gradually expand our presence," Woodland Managing Director Harkirat Singh told PTI.Singh said the company has recently opened an office and a warehouse in Moscow after a similar exercise in Dubai. In Russia, Woodland has been using online channel for expansion, and in the UAE it has roped in distributors. The company plans to use its Dubai warehouse as a hub for supplying to other Middle Eastern and North African countries."We have been selling through distributors in these markets but now we want to grow the brand by ourselves there," Singh added.Depending on the response to the stores, Singh said, the company could open up to 10 such stores over a period of time.Through the expansion in overseas markets, Woodland, which also has presence in Hong Kong, is looking at increased contribution from exports."The current contribution of exports to the total turnover is around 15 per cent. We want it to be 25 per cent by next year," he said. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
China's C&H Garments has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rwanda's Workforce Development Authority (WDA) to enable students from technical and vocational institutions to secure training and employment opportunities.The deal signed in Rwanda's capital Kigali, is worth $516,731 and will facilitate training of least 600 students in embroidery before being taken on for work at the factory, Xinhua has reported.Anna An, C&H Garments' manager, told reporters after the signing that experts at the factory will equip Rwandan students with various textile industry skills.We need more workers at the factory and this will be an opportunity for Rwandan vocational graduates to get hands-on skills training, and as well job opportunities. We are glad to contribute towards addressing unemployment challenges in Rwanda, she said.The training is scheduled to begin on February 22 and will cover a period of 6 months.The WDA said 30 students will also be sent to China for special textile training.Jerome Gasana, WDA Director-General, said the deal is part of the government's efforts to boost the National Employment Programme (NEP) in the country We have a challenge of unemployment and this partnership will promote skills among young graduates. The garment industry is crucial to our country's growth in terms of exports sector, he said, adding 300 graduate students were taken up by the factory last year.

Rwanda's unemployment rate stands at 3.4 per cent, according to a 2012 official report. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Colombian Business Matchmaking Forum, to be held from 17 to 18 March 2016 in Bogota, Colombia showcasing a wide range of innovative and high quality products, according to its organiser - ProColombia, the Colombian government trade bureau.

The event is expected to attract 2,000 Colombian suppliers and over 1,000 international buyers from sectors like textile, apparel, accessories, chemicals etc. During the 2-day event, buyers would be assisted with a tailored programme where they meet in a one-to-one business setting with qualified suppliers.

More than a business matchmaking event, this is a contribution to the expansion of our export network. It helps our national industry grow and expand to new areas as well as give the American businesses an opportunity to explore and acquire our high-quality products manufactured with the highest innovation and attention to detail, said Maria Claudia Lacouture, ProColombia's president said in a press release.

The Colombian Business Matchmaking Forum, to be held from 17 to 18 March 2016 in Bogota, Colombia showcasing a wide range of innovative and high#

ProColombia, has played a significant role in promoting exports products including textiles and apparel from Colombia to the US, generating an increase of 3.7 percent since 2010. The Colombian government now has its focus on strengthening the growth of non-traditional products and the event is aimed to facilitate reliable trade export predominantly to US taking advantage of the Free Trade Agreement between them. (NA)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk - India
Shahrukh Khan's Raees is of the most talked about films in Bollywood, especially because it stars Pakistan's top actress Mahira Khan.

Mahira Khan who enter media as a VJ in Pakistan is debuting in Bollywood in Raees. She is one of those lucky actresses who got bestowed with the opportunity of debuting in a film starring him in the lead.

Mahira Khan became famous owing to her serials in Pakistan where her Humsafar serial starring Fawad Khan became a super hit. She recently marked her debut in Pakistani films and flourished in that as well.

Pretty much anything she touches is turning to gold and we hope that luck rubs off to Raees movie as well, because Shahrukh Khan will be seen in such a different role after a long time and we hope Raees becomes a blockbuster hit.

FLASHBACK PICS: When Kareena Kapoor Used To Party With Katrina Kaif

The actress debuted in acting post her marriage. Yes, Mahira is married and she has an adorable son as well. But sadly the marriage did not work out owing to her busy life in work.

This gorgeous actress will for sure be accepted with much love in India after Raees releases for she is not ust beautiful on the outside but she is a very talented performer who is known for her intense acting.

We can't wait for her to set the screen on fire with Shahrukh Khan! This beauty debuted on Instagram just 6 months back and has been uploading some gorgeous pictures of herself.

You must check out Mahira Khan's Instagram pictures, they will for sure make you fall in love with her!

GORGEOUS Pics Of Shahrukh's Raees Co-star Mahira Khan That Will Make You LOVE Her!
Since the moment Parineeti Chopra has slammed all the body-shamers with her new stunning avatar, she has become the talk of the town. Recently, the actress was spotted at the airport leaving for Australia and wooed us with her sexy look!

Currently, she is in Australia and having a blast there. Well, at least these pictures say so! Yes, the actress has been sharing pictures from there, on the social media and all we can say is that we can't take our eyes off her (like, literally!).

Click On 'View Photos' To Check Out All The Pictures:

To all those, who don't know, Parineeti paid a special visit to Australia to explore the Great Barrier Reef. On the work front, Parineeti is all set to return to the silver screen after two years. She will be next seen in YRF's upcoming project, Meri Pyaari Bindu.

20 JAW-DROPPING PICS Of Preity Zinta Which Prove She Would Make The Most Beautiful Bride Ever!

Talking about her two years' gap, she had said, "Speculation is bound to happen. Even though I was not shooting for a film, I never went away. I was doing a lot of events, appearances and of course I was working on myself. I released my campaign 'Build That Way' in December last year. I made it very clear that I was reading a lot of scripts and waiting for the right one."

Parineeti is now satisfied with the fact that she utilised the two years' gap to focus on getting fit which has been her long-standing goal.

Meri Pyaari Bindu isa love story, which is being produced by director Maneesh Sharma, while Akshay Roy is making his directorial debut with this film.

AHEM AHEM! Love Birds Shraddha-Aditya Roy Kapur Get Lovey-dovey On The Sets Of 'Ok Janu' (PICS)
Superstar Rajinikanth was reportedly hospitalized for a day (February 22) at Madras Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (MIOT), Chennai.

Reported as a 'routine health check-up', the Enthiran actor was seen leaving the hospital later in the day after being admitted early in the morning.

Looks like all his frequent travel to Malaysia and other places, as a part of his shooting for upcoming flick Kabali, had drained substantial amount of energy, leaving the sexagenarian in a spot of bother.

But the biggest superstar of South India is expected to resume work after resting for a couple of weeks, as advised by the well-known nephrologist, Dr. Ravichandran, according to a report.

By the second week of March, the 65 year-old-actor will join the sets of Shankar's 2.O (Enthiran 2) to feature in the important fight sequence, that will have him locking horns with Akshay Kumar.

Rajinikanth is also expected to finish dubbing for Kabali, which is now in its post-production stage. The Pa Ranjith directorial may release in the month of May.

Also Read: Rajinikanth & Kamal Haasan To Join Hands Again For A Good Cause!
The clothes of Marks & Spencer have never been very trendy and in recent years it has struggled to keep out of the red, so it was a godsend when UK fashionista Alexa Chungs tip about a suede skirt helped the British high street store to its first annual profit in four years in its last full fiscal year.

M&Ss troubles have since returned, claiming the scalp of chief executive officer Marc Bolland just last month, but for Chung the relationship appears to have gone from strength to strength. Desperate for another lucrative sales bounce, the 132 year-old retail chain just signed her up to oversee a 31-piece womenswear collection.

However, unless the Chung magic lasts, M&S is unlikely to see its long-term fortunes change.

So what if instead of relying on Twitter dressing tips, M&S turned to the more meaningful support of China, an increasingly popular destination for struggling UK companies?

An obvious potential suitor is Sanpower Group. The Chinese company bought UK department store House of Fraser for 480 million ($697.4 million) in 2014, marking the largest outbound retail merger or acquisition by a Chinese company.

House of Fraser has since reported record like-for-like annual sales and jump in profits, and also outperformed its rivals during the recent key Christmas period.

House of Fraser could next become a partner of internationally renowned British toy store Hamleys, which was bought by Chinese shoemaker C.banner for around 100 million in October 2015.

Sanpower chairman Yuan Yafei is keen on the sales merits in China of the UK high streets biggest names and plans to open the first House of Fraser store in China later this year. He has told journalists in the past that mainland citizens attach something of a cachet to many UK brands, which speaks to the power of British marketing, as well as the deliberate efforts of the UK government to cultivate closer corporate ties with the worlds second-largest economy.

Sanpower is not the only Chinese corporate to have snapped up UK brands. Lenovo Holdings Hony Capital bought PizzaExpress in 2014 for 900 million, Chinas Bright Food Group acquired breakfast cereal producer Weetabix for 1.2 billion, while Geely Holdings Groups in 2013 bought Manganese Holdings, the maker of Londons black taxi cabs, for 11.04 million.

And what shopping brand is more quintessentially British than M&S? It may sit a lot closer to the back of the fashion race than the front but its multipacks of shirts, socks, and underwear, range of sensible shoes, and cashmere pullovers are the staple for many people. Its food, meanwhile, is marketed  and priced  as just slightly upper-end.

Its in this steady if unspectacular niche that M&S has been able to earn its crust for decades.

Not just any market

However, much like its clothing line, M&Ss earnings have been steady but unspectacular for a long time.

The company reported a 600 million pretax profit for 2014/15 that was 3.4% up on the previous year. But sales of 10.31 billion ($14.98 billion) were almost flat and its international revenues were down 5.7%. Its subsequent half-year results released in November showed a marginal improvement, with group sales up a meagre 1.4% at 5 billion and pretax earnings climbing 6.1% to 284 million.

But since then the groups performance has deteriorated again. Despite a record Christmas for food sales, M&Ss newest three-month trading statement showed a 5.8% drop in like-for-like clothing and homeware sales, scuppering Bollands legacy after almost six years in charge and spurring his resignation.

As a result, the M&S share price has remained under pressure, closing February 3 at a 14-month low of 409.5 pence.

As part of its turnaround efforts M&S has tried to crack China but it has been a patchy performance so far, with the retailer closing five stores in the summer in and around Shanghai.

Still it hasnt given up yet, with a new flagship store opened in Beijing just this December and Guangzhou also in its sights.

M&S also enjoys a presence in Hong Kong and to judge by the stream of tourists going through its doors, it clearly has a mainland Chinese fan base.

The company already has some local connections, having hired Hong Kong-based brothers  Mark and Neal Lindsey  to streamline its global supply chain and slash costs. But linking up with Sanpower could give it the extra edge it needs in China. The Chinese conglomerate has heft and reach, and its consumer arm could potentially give M&S the sort of distribution possibilities the UK company would struggle to attain under its own power. M&S would also offer Sanpower a solid brand that, with a bit of marketing pizzazz and capital, might just begin to reinvigorate itself.

The likes of Uniqlo, H&M, Zara, and Gap have already successfully demonstrated the possibilities in China for low-cost international clothing companies, but they tend to target the fairly young. The huge, potential market for M&S might be the more working- and middle-aged crowd, who want decent clothing items but also want to feel they are buying a slightly higher level of quality.

Not just any acquisition

A full acquisition of M&S, the subject of considerable Qatari takeover talk back in 2013, would likely be beyond Sanpowers means or wants. The UK company has a market capitalisation approaching $10 billion and is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of around 15.8 times.

In comparison, the privately-held Chinese conglomerate controls multiple subsidiaries, and its total assets and annual gross sales stand at around Rmb100 billion ($15.23 billion), according to its website. That is a similar total to M&Ss annual sales.

However, Sanpower neednt conduct an entire acquisition. A strategic purchase of perhaps 15% might cost it 1.1 billion to 1.2 billion, and would comfortably make it the largest owner of M&S shares (currently the biggest is Capital Research and Management Company, with a 3.7% stake, according to fund research company Morningstar).

That sort of stake would offer the two companies an alliance that might help M&S successfully penetrate China. If successful, Sanpower could potentially look to increase its ownership further in a few years, potentially to just under the 30% level that would require a mandatory takeover.

The companys myriad interests and its acquisition of House of Fraser make such an acquisition a big mouthful. Yet Chinas consumer sector is growing apace, and if, as Yuan thinks, British brands offer traction, his company could do worse than associating with one of the most British of all.

What if is a column that analyses unusual M&A ideas in Asia. These deals might not take place, but perhaps they should.
Two of Asia's rarest quasi-sovereign credits choose the same day to launch landmark bond deals on Tuesday, with a $750 million global sukuk issue from Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad and a 1.1 billion deal from its Singaporean counterpart Temasek.

Both deals were ground breaking transactions in their own right given that Khazanah was bringing its first straight dollar sukuk and Temasek has never issued in euros before.

However, some market participants queried why Temasek decided to press the button on its deal knowing that Khazanah was already in the market.

"I know they're targeting different investor bases but comparisons will be inevitable so you have to wonder whether Temasek wanted to steal Khazanah's thunder," one fund manager told FinanceAsia.

Syndicate bankers replied that the timing was pure coincidence. "These are both thoughtful borrowers," said one. "They've each been preparing to come to market for a while. It's just one of those things."

And indeed, the two deals turned out to be very different beasts with a stark difference in their respective order books - a tale of fire and ice.

Khazanah struggled to build up a meaningful demand compared to previous sovereign sukuk deals from Malaysia and ended up with a club-like deal and significant allocations to Malaysia.

Temasek, by contrast, executed a true institutional offering that attracted a 2.15 billion final order book.

One thing in common the two sovereign wealth funds do share is a reputation for punchy pricing and the two new transactions showed both acting true to form, according to fund managers.

Khazanah prices through fair value

Bankers estimated that Khazanah priced about 2bp through the tightest end of fair value estimates spanning 180bp to 188bp over Treasuries.

The sovereign rated group was only able to build up a peak order book of $850 million at the time price guidance was revised from 190bp over Treasuries to between 178bp and 180bp. Bankers said a few orders dropped off at this point, but there was still enough of a margin to complete a $750 million deal.

Final pricing for the unrated Reg S Wakalah trust certificate was fixed at par with a distribution yield of 3.035%. The issuance vehicle was Danga Capital Berhad, which acted as issuer and trustee - in line with many shariah-compliant transactions where interest payments are structured as profit sharing arrangements.

Distribution stats show that 50% went to Malaysia, 39% rest of Asia and 11% Europe. By investor type banks took 81%, central banks 13% and fund managers 6%.

Syndicate bankers said they opted against using Khazanah's 3.725% August 2020 paper as a benchmark since it is denominated in Singapore dollars and trades with a different dynamic to Malaysian sovereign entities' dollar-denominated debt.

Instead, most accounts focused on the Federation of Malaysia's 4.646% July 2021 global sukuk. This was trading on a G-spread of 138bp on Tuesday, which means Khazanah has offered a 40bp premium on a like-for-like basis.

However, bankers said a number of accounts had argued for a 50bp pick up. This was partly based on the new transaction's lack of rating, which barred some accounts from participating.

It was also based on the fact that Khazanah's original debut sukuk, issued in 2006, carries an explicit sovereign guarantee. This M$2 billion ($474 million) deal matures in December 2016 but is being redeemed next month.

Another comparable was Petronas' 2.707% 2020 bond, which was trading on a G-spread of 174bp on Tuesday. Historically, Petronas has always traded through the Federation based on a two notch higher rating of A1 from Moody's compared to the sovereign's A3 rating.

Falling oil prices have put paid to that, however, and it now trades up to 40bp wider.

"Khazanah's new sukuk offers a little bit of a pick up to the sovereign sukuk and is relatively generous compared to Petronas," one banker commented.

The banker added that the syndicate expects very few loose bonds when the deal opens for trading on Wednesday. "I can see how pricing looks from the outside given the size of the order book," the banker added. "But about half this deal has gone to buy-and-hold investors in Malaysia and the order book was very clean. These are very sticky accounts."

Khazanah needed to rely on its home market because Malaysia is hardly flavour of the month with international investors right now given its oil-dependent economy and the ongoing Swiss investigation into Malaysia's state investment fund 1MDB.

In an Instagram post earlier this month, CIMB chairman Nazir Razak compared his country's situation to George RR Martin's Game of Thrones.

The brother of prime minister Najib Razak said, "So what lies ahead? The parallels with GoT continue. The future terrifies me: I just can't see how our institutions can recover, how our political atmosphere can become less toxic, how our international reputation can be repaired."

The impact of this was clearly demonstrated by the difference between Khazanah's $850 million order book and the $9 billion in demand the Federation attracted last April when it priced its fourth international sukuk - a $1.5 billion split 10- and 3-year global deal.

Some four years earlier, it had also been able to build up a similar $9 billion order book for a $2 billion split five- and 10-year sukuk.

Both tranches of the April 2015 deal are trading below issue price, with the 2025 tranche quoted at 98.76% on a yield of 3.2% during Asian trading on Tuesday and the 2045 tranche at 98.02% on a yield of 4.356%.

At the same time, there have been some signs of spread stability since the beginning of the year, with the 10-year yielding 3.67% at the end of December and the 30-year at 4.8%.

Where Khazanah's own credit is concerned, some investors were also probably focused on its falling profitability thanks to its restructuring efforts with Malaysian Airlines and the likelihood it will need to pay additional dividends to the government because of the shortfall in oil revenues.

In its ratings release, Rating Agency Malaysia (RAM) said that Khazanah's debt had spiked to M$38.8 billion last May, up from M$35.8 billion in December. Over the course of 2014, the group's interest coverage ratios also weakened from 5.54 times at the end of 2013 to 3.87 times one year later.

Joint global bookrunners for its new deal were CIMB, DBS and Standard Chartered. This is a different line up to the banks, which took Khazanah on a roadshow for a sukuk deal in mid-January before volatile global markets made the deal impossible to execute.

Then the group had mandated Barclays, CIMB, Morgan Stanley and UBS. The only bank to make it through to the final cut is CIMB, which is not that surprising given Khazanah is its single largest shareholder.

Temasek makes euro entry

While Khazanah was struggling to attract investor interest, its much larger counterpart made a successful euro debut on Tuesday, taking advantage of recent spread performance along its dollar curve.

Temasek is almost five times larger than Khazanah in terms of assets with $193.73 billion in March 2015, according to RAM, compared to Khazanah's $44.44 billion at the end of December 2014.

The triple-A rated credit raised 1.1 billion from a split six- and 12-year deal in the name of Temasek Financial after building up a combined order book of 2.15 billion, split 1.25 bilion for the six-year tranche and 900 million for the 12-year.

This was not overly large relative to the kind of demand other triple-A rated European entities attract, but was still a reasonable enough coverage ratio given the tight pricing and lack of name recognition.

Final pricing for the 600 million six-year tranche came at 99.336% on a coupon of 0.5% to yield 0.613% or 48bp over mid-swaps. It wsa initially marketed at 55bp to 60bp over.

Deal stats show that by geography Germany took 23.5%, other Europe 17.5%, the UK 14.3%, Switzerland 9.1%, France 8.9%, Netherlands 6.6%, Portugal 3.7%, Asia 12.5%, Middle East 2.5%, offshore 1.3%.

By investor type fund managers took 47.6%, other 15.8%, central banks and agencies 15.4%, insurers and pension funds 12%, banks 6.2% and private banks 3%.

The 500 million 12-year tranche was priced at 99.913% on a coupon of 1.5% to yield 1.508% or 80bp over mid-swaps. It was initially marketed at 80bp to 83bp over.

By geography 48.9% went to Germany, 18.6% to France, 7.4% to Switzerland, 6.5% to other Europe, 16% to the UK and 1.6% to Asia.

By investor type insurers and pension funds took 58.6%, fund managers 35.2%, banks 2.9%, private banks 1.6% and other 1.7%.

Temasek's closest foray in European waters came in 2010 when it raised $1.07 billion in sterling bonds. This was trading Tuesday on a mid-price of 117.88% to yield 62.4bp on a G-spread basis and 54.2bp on a Z-spread basis.

The remainder of its international bond portfolio is in dollars.

Two key comps were its 4.3% 2019 bonds and 2.375% 2023 bonds. The former was yielding around the 1.82% level on Tuesday, equating to a Z-spread of 83bp, and the latter at 2.25% on a Z-spread of 91bp.

Both have been on a tightening bias since the end of December when the 2023 was quoted around the 2.75%.

According to its website, Temasek currently has $9.75 billion outstanding.

Joint bookrunners for the deal were Barclays, Citi, Deutsche Bank and HSBC.

This story has been updated since first publication with final deal statistics.

* FinanceAsia's 7th Annual Borrowers and Investors Forum takes place in Hong Kong on March 2. For registration and more details click here.
FINRA handed out suspensions and a lifetime ban to members of a Chicago-based brokerage team for staging a market manipulation scheme. The regulator announced sanctions against three former employees of Meyers Associates for a litany of offenses involving manipulating the market for common stock of IceWEB, an Internet service provider.

The broker said to have orchestrated the scheme, George Johnson, was barred from the securities industry for life. His supervisor Christopher Wynne was suspended from working in the industry in any capacity for two years. Wynne was also fined $25,000 and barred for life from working as a principal. A third member of the team, Joseph Mahalick was fined $20,000 and suspended for six months for falsifying records. Mahalick was barred from the industry earlier this year for a separate matter related to his work with a different securities firm.

Johnson, Wynne and Mahalick consented to FINRA's findings, but settled the matter without admitting or denying guilt. The three brokers could not be reached for comment.

Officials from Meyers Associates did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The regulator's investigation found that Johnson artificially inflated IceWEB's trading price by convincing some clients to buy shares of the stock and others to sell over an eight-day period in May 2012. To do so, he often matched the orders of his own customers in what FINRA calls a "willful violation" of the Securities Exchange Act.

FINRA determined that Johnson's motive in pumping up the stock was the expectation that he would receive compensation from the issuer through a planned future private offering.

"Any broker engaging in manipulative activity poses a threat to market integrity and has no place in the securities industry," said Brad Bennett, executive vice president and chief of enforcement at FINRA in a statement.

FINRA also found that Johnson and Wynne sent customers sales materials about IceWEB while failing to disclose conflicts of interest and pertinent risks about the company. Those materials, FINRA charged, "contained misleading, exaggerated and unwarranted information."

The brokers were also charged with falsifying information on more than 100 order memoranda in a bid to cover up the market manipulation activity.

Bennett had harsh words for Wynne for failing to keep the activities of the branch office above board.

"The branch office manager, who was the first line of defense in supervising George Johnson's activities, completely failed to supervise his transactions to ensure compliance with securities laws and FINRA rules," Bennett said.

Meyers Associates has come under FINRA scrutiny in the past. In December 2008, the brokerage firm consented to a censure and fine for failing to keep adequate records, and for engaging in an improper public offering and selling unregistered securities last year.

Read more:
BROOKFIELD, NEWS -- (Marketwired) -- 02/22/16 -- Brookfield Infrastructure (NYSE: BIP)(TSX: BIP.UN) notes the announcement today, February 23rd(Australian time) by Asciano Limited ("Asciano") (click here) disclosing receipt by Asciano of letters from each of Brookfield and the Qube Consortium regarding discussions that are taking place that may lead to the development of a joint proposal to acquire Asciano by way of a Scheme of Arrangement. Brookfield Infrastructure notes that the proposal described is non-binding and conditional and there is no certainty that a transaction on the terms described will be completed.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners is a leading global infrastructure company that owns and operates high quality, long-life assets in the utilities, transport, energy and communications sectors across North and South America, Australia and Europe. We are focused on assets that generate stable cash flows and require minimal maintenance capital expenditures. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges. Further information is available at www.brookfieldinfrastructure.com. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information.

Brookfield Infrastructure is the flagship listed infrastructure company of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $225 billion of assets under management. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com

For more information, please visit our website at www.brookfieldinfrastructure.com.

Note: This news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. The words, "will", "expected", "intends", "tend to," "targets" or derivations thereof and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters identify the above mentioned and other forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the possibility of developing a joint proposal to acquire Asciano, statements with respect to Brookfield Infrastructure's assets tending to appreciate in value over time and the level of distribution growth over the next several years. Although Brookfield Infrastructure believes that these forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on them, or any other forward looking statements or information in this news release. The future performance and prospects of Brookfield Infrastructure are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and the potential proposal referred to may not eventuate or complete. Factors that could cause actual results of Brookfield Infrastructure to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by the statements in this news release are described in the documents filed by Brookfield Infrastructure with the securities regulators in Canada and the United States including under "Risk Factors" in Brookfield Infrastructure's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and other risks and factors that are described therein. Except as required by law, Brookfield Infrastructure undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts:

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners

Media:

Andrew Willis

Senior Vice President, Communications and Media

Tel: (416) 369-8263

Email: andrew.willis@brookfield.com



Brookfield Infrastructure Partners

Investors:

Melissa Low

Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications

Tel: (416) 956-5239

Email: melissa.low@brookfield.com




ZHOUZHUANG, China, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --The number ofnew yearvisitors to theancient Chinese water town of Zhouzhuang rose by nearly 25% from 2015, as more and more people came totake part in the traditional celebrations.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160222/335589

In Zhouzhuang, the ceremony onJanuary 1began in the morning when an actor portraying the legendary 14th century Ming Dynastybusiness mogul ShenWansan appeared in front of the Ancient Archway to preside over the opening ritual as town master.

Dressed in afestive robe and black boots, Shen led his whole family to worship the ancestors, presented tributes, lit candles, burned incense and gave a speech wishingfor a peaceful and prosperous year ahead.

The ceremony then continued as a parade with musicians andChinese opera figures following Shen to pass onthe blessings and good wishes to everyone in the town. The tourists who visited Zhouzhuang that day joined the parade to wander through the ancient streets and lanes.

"Celebrating the New Year's Day with such a cheerful crowd in the historic water town was truly an amazing experience," said Sam Miller, a visitor from the United States who came to Zhouzhuang on New Year's Day."I followed the paradeso hopefully that will bring megood luck in the new year."

The New Year's Day celebration in Zhouzhuang also featured traditional folk events such as dragon and lion dances, picking flower baskets, da lian xiang (a folk dance performed with bamboo sticks inlayed with copper coins), swinging boats in the lakeand rowing fast boats, all of which bestow good new year wishes on local residents and tourists.

"The grand ritual ceremony has thousands of years of history," said Mr. Zhang, general manager of Jiangsu Water-town Zhouzhuang Tourism Company."We hosted thisspecialeventwith the hope of celebrating the New Year's Day with guests from different countries. Itnot only revived the traditions and folk customs for Chinese visitors, but also provided international visitors an opportunity to experience the festive spirit of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year."

Zhouzhuang is devoted to preserving a piece of China's ancient culture and offers a comprehensive and immersive experienceso visitorscan understandmore aboutChinese history. Through celebrating festivalsand traditions passed on from one generation to another, visitors get to see cultural spectacles thatnolonger existin modern cities.

Thetown also hosted a series of events to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year from February 8, which included a 15-day carnival and traditional activities like da chun niu (an agricultural ritual featuring a gold-colored ox to wish for good harvest), a waterway parade and welcoming the God of Wealth on the fifth day.

About Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang is known for its serene natural scenery and rich cultural and historical heritage. The famous water town is one of only two Chinese locations listed on the New York Times "World's 52 Places to Go in 2015." Less than an hour's drive from Shanghai, Zhouzhuang attracts over three million tourists annuallyand is also known as "China's Number 1 Water Town" and "the Venice of the East." Jiangsu Water-town Zhouzhuang Tourism Companyhostsseveralannual events and fairs for visitors to get an immersive cultural experience in the well-preserved water town.

Contact:

ZouLei

+86-150-5023-9114

zl@zhouzhuang.net
CHICAGO (dpa-AFX) - Boeing (BA) said that it has elected Dennis Muilenburg as its next chairman, effective March 1. He succeeds James McNerney, Jr., who is stepping down from the board, while Boeing independent Lead Director Kenneth Duberstein continues in that role. Muilenburg, 52, succeeded McNerney as Boeing's 10th chief executive and joined the board last July. At that time, McNerney, 66, continued in the chairman role and announced his intent to retire from the company later this month. From 2013-2015 Muilenburg was Boeing president and chief operating officer, sharing with McNerney oversight of day-to-day business operations and stakeholder engagement. Prior to that he served as president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security and, before that, as president of that unit's services and support business. His experience includes numerous assignments in engineering and program management across the company. Muilenburg joined the company in 1985 as an engineering intern in Seattle. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
BARCELONA, SPAIN -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Mobile World Congress -- Telular Corporation, a global technology leader and provider of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for commercial telematics and security, and Jasper, a global IoT service platform leader, today announced a partnership to deliver IoT services to the commercial telematics and security markets. The partnership will integrate the Jasper Control Center IoT service platform with Telular's SkyBitz and Telguard products to enable telematics providers and security dealers to increase productivity, reduce cost and deliver new revenue-generating services to their customers worldwide.

"Telular shares our vision of providing the best IoT services to markets that depend on real-time, mission critical data that delivers clear ROI," said Macario Namie, VP of Strategy at Jasper. "Telular's support for branded and third-party solutions for telematics and security, along with Jasper's global IoT expertise, will enable greater scalability and value for our customers in these industries."

Telular, a portfolio company of Avista Capital Partners, has over 30 years of experience in the wireless IoT industry. Telular's SkyBitz division is a leader in commercial telematics with businesses focused on providing rapidly deployable solutions for enterprise fleets, local fleets, tank monitoring and petroleum logistics.

For the security industry, Telular's Telguard division provides a portfolio of communication solutions, as well as white labeled and channel support, to select partners. Current Telguard partners include Videofied for their video verification solution and Elk, DSC and 2GIG for cellular communicators and interactive services.

"Our partners have come to expect measurable cost savings from Telular's solutions. As IoT innovation has advanced, enterprises now expect it to have a demonstrable ROI," said Shawn Welsh, SVP, Product Line Management and Marketing, Telular Corporation. "Both Telular and Jasper's solutions deliver that today. This partnership will allow us to combine Telular's expertise within our markets with Jasper's global IoT expertise to help select partners rapidly deliver value-added services and cost savings to their customers, with our support."

Control Center, the Jasper IoT service platform, is an industry-leading cloud-based IoT platform that enables companies of all sizes to rapidly and cost-effectively launch, manage and monetize IoT services for any connected device. The platform, which is easily configurable to meet the unique requirements of businesses across any industry, gives companies the automation, intelligence and global scale they need to deliver IoT services worldwide. Jasper partners with 27 mobile operator groups, representing more than 100 mobile operator networks worldwide, to deliver the benefits of Control Center in over 100 countries.

About Jasper

Jasper is a global Internet of Things (IoT) platform leader. Jasper has designed its industry-leading, cloud-based IoT platform to enable companies of all sizes to rapidly and cost-effectively launch, manage and monetize IoT services on a global scale. When companies do this, they become much more than product businesses. They become service businesses, capable of automatically managing their customers' entire IoT service lifecycle, delivering increased customer value and unlocking new sources of revenue. More than 3,500 companies in over 20 industries, including many of the world's top brands, choose Jasper to fast-track their IoT services. Jasper currently partners with 27 mobile operator groups, representing more than 100 mobile operator networks worldwide.

Founded in 2004, Jasper is based in Santa Clara, California. For more information, visit www.jasper.com or follow us on Twitter @Jasper_IoT. To learn more about enterprises building IoT services that demonstrate what's possible when the digital and physical worlds converge, check out their stories at www.TitansofIoT.com.

About Telular

Telular Corporation, a portfolio company of Avista Capital Partners, is a global technology leader and provider of IoT (Internet of Things) solutions for commercial telematics and security. With over 30 years of experience and innovation in the wireless industry, Telular provides integrated event monitoring, information management and reporting services to improve process efficiency in areas such as vehicle and asset tracking, supply chain management, security, home automation, and many other residential, commercial and industrial markets. Headquartered in Chicago, Telular has additional offices in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.telular.com.
Theft of identities and personal information retains top spot, accounting for 53% of data breaches; healthcare and government overtake retail as most-targeted sectors

AMSTERDAM - February 23, 2016 - Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, today released the latest findings of the Breach Level Index (http://www.breachlevelindex.com/?utm_source=dynamic&utm_medium=press-release&utm_campaign=breach-level-index), revealing that 1,673 data breaches led to 707 million data records being compromised worldwide during 2015.

The Breach Level Index (BLI) is a global database that tracks data breaches globally and measures their severity based on multiple dimensions, including the type of data and the number of records compromised, the source of the breach, and whether or not the data was encrypted. By assigning a severity score to each breach, the Breach Level Index provides a comparative list of breaches, distinguishing nuisances from truly impactful mega breaches. Gemalto will feature the Breach Level Index and the 2015 findings next week at the 2016 RSA Conference (http://www.rsaconference.com/events/us16) in San Francisco (booth N4108).

According to the Breach Level Index, more than 3.6 billion data records have been exposed since 2013 when the index began benchmarking publicly disclosed data breaches. In 2015, malicious outsiders were the leading source of these breaches, accounting for 964, or 58% of breaches and 38% of compromised records, while identity theft remained the primary type of breach, accounting for 53% of data breaches and 40% of all compromised records.

"In 2014, consumers may have been concerned about having their credit card numbers stolen, but there are built-in protections to limit the financial risks," said Jason Hart, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Data Protection at Gemalto. "However, in 2015 criminals shifted to attacks on personal information and identity theft, which are much harder to remediate once they are stolen. As companies and devices collect ever-increasing amounts of customer information and as consumers' online digital activities become more diverse and prolific, more data about what they do, who they are and what they like is at risk to be stolen from the companies that store their data. If consumers' entire personal data and identities are being co-opted again and again by cyber thieves, trust will increasingly become the centerpiece in the calculus of which companies they do business with."

Across industries, the government sector accounted for 43% of compromised data records, up 476% from 2014 due to several very large data breaches in the United States and Turkey, and 16% of all data breaches. The healthcare sector accounted for 19% of total records compromised and 23% of all data breaches. The retail sector saw a major drop (93%) in the number of stolen data records compared to the same period last year, accounting for just 6% of stolen records and 10% of the total number of breaches in 2015. The financial services sector also saw a nearly 99% drop, representing just 0.1% of compromised data records and 15% of the total number of breaches.

While malicious outsiders accounted for the largest percentage of data breach incidents (58%), accidental loss or exposure of data records accounted for 36% of all records. The number of state-sponsored attacks accounted for 2% of data breach incidents, but the number of records compromised as a result of those attacks totaled 15% of all records exposed. Malicious insiders accounted for 14% of all data breaches and just 7% of compromised records.

In terms of geographic regions, 77% of all data breach incidents occurred in North America, with 59% of all compromised records happening in the United States. Europe accounted for 12% of overall breach incidents, followed by the Asia Pacific region at 8%.

Scoring the severity - Not all data breaches are created equal

"It is important to keep in mind that not all breaches are equal in terms of the level of severity and damage that they can bring for companies and their customers," added Hart. "Even if breach occurs, it can be a secure breach if the right security technologies, such as encryption, are properly in place to protect the most important and sensitive data. Unfortunately, this year there were several major breaches involving personal data and identities that were not encrypted when they should have been."

"The Breach Level Index is designed to serve as a guide for security professionals as they navigate the widening threat landscape. It provides CIOs and CSOs with the data they need to better classify breaches, conduct internal risk assessment and planning, and most importantly employ the right security technologies to help ensure that if a breach were to occur their high value and most sensitive data would not be compromised," concluded Hart.

For a full summary of data breach incidents by industry, source, type and geographic region, download the 2015 Breach Level Index Report [report in development] .

Related Resources:

Infographic : 2015 Breach Level Index [in development]

Secure the Breach Manifesto (http://www6.gemalto.com/bli-16/breach-manifesto)

Secure the Breach Web Site (http://www.securethebreach.com/?utm_source=dynamic&utm_medium=press-release&utm_campaign=breach-level-index)

Blog : Digital Security 2016 - This Time It's Personal (http://data-protection.safenet-inc.com/2015/12/digital-security-2016-this-time-its-personal/?utm_source=dynamic&utm_medium=press-release&utm_campaign=breach-level-index)

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security, with 2014 annual revenues of 2.5 billion and blue-chip customers in over 180 countries.

Gemalto helps people trust one another in an increasingly connected digital world. Billions of people want better lifestyles, smarter living environments, and the freedom to communicate, shop, travel, bank, entertain and work - anytime, everywhere - in ways that are enjoyable and safe. In this fast moving mobile and digital environment, we enable companies and administrations to offer a wide range of trusted and convenient services by securing financial transactions, mobile services, public and private clouds, eHealthcare systems, access to eGovernment services, the Internet and internet-of-things and transport ticketing systems.

Gemalto's unique technology portfolio - from advanced cryptographic software embedded in a variety of familiar objects, to highly robust and scalable back-office platforms for authentication, encryption and digital credential management - is delivered by our world-class service teams. Our 14,000 employees operate out of 99 offices, 34 personalization and data centers, and 24 research and software development centers located in 46 countries.

For more information visit www.gemalto.com (http://www.gemalto.com/), www.justaskgemalto.com (http://www.justaskgemalto.com/), blog.gemalto.com (http://blog.gemalto.com/), or follow @gemalto (http://twitter.com/gemalto) on Twitter.

Gemalto media contacts:

Philippe Benitez

North America

+1 512 257 3869

philippe.benitez@gemalto.com (mailto:philippe.benitez@gemalto.com) Peggy Edoire

Europe & CIS

+33 4 42 36 45 40

peggy.edoire@gemalto.com (mailto:peggy.edoire@gemalto.com) Vivian Liang

Greater China

+86 1059373046

vivian.liang@gemalto.com (mailto:vivian.liang@gemalto.com)

Ernesto Haikewitsch

Latin America

+55 11 5105 9220

ernesto.haikewitsch@gemalto.com (mailto:ernesto.haikewitsch@gemalto.com)

Kristel Teyras

Middle East & Africa

+33 1 55 01 57 89

kristel.teyras@gemalto.com (mailto:kristel.teyras@gemalto.com)

Shintaro Suzuki

Asia Pacific

+65 6317 8266

shintaro.suzuki@gemalto.com (mailto:shintaro.suzuki@gemalto.com)

Press release (PDF) (http://hugin.info/159293/R/1988157/729923.pdf)



This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Gemalto via Globenewswire



HUG#1988157


(Oslo, 23 February 2016) Statkraft, TroenderEnergi and the European investor consortium Nordic Wind Power DA will join forces to realise Europe's largest onshore wind power project in Central-Norway, comprising six onshore wind farms, with a combined capacity of 1000MW. The total investment in the wind farms amounts to approximately EUR 1.1bn. Construction will commence in Q2 2016 and commissioning will be completed in 2020.

The wind farms will be built on the Fosen peninsula, the island of Hitra and in Snillfjord, in a coastal area providing some of the best conditions for renewable energy production from wind in Europe. At 1000 MW the projects' capacity is more than the current total installed capacity of wind power in Norway. Once completed and commissioned in 2020, the wind farms will generate 3.4 TWh power annually.

The joint venture company Fosen Vind DA will be the owner of the wind farms. Statkraft will have a 52.1 per cent ownership interest in the company, along with responsibility for the project execution in the construction phase. TroenderEnergi will have an ownership stake of 7.9 per cent. Nordic Wind Power DA, a European investor consortium created by Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure Partners and backed by the Swiss utility BKW, have acquired the remaining 40.0 per cent from Agder Energi, TroenderEnergi and NTE.

The Fosen Vind project portfolio includes the Harbaksfjellet, Roan, Storheia and Kvenndalsfjellet wind farms north of the Trondheim fjord (approx. 750 MW), as well as the Geitfjellet and Hitra 2 wind farms south of the Trondheim fjord (approx. 250 MW). In comparison with the original Fosen-Snillfjord project, the estimated total generation has increased substantially while costs have come down. The original project was terminated early last summer due to lack of profitability. Later, the owners joined with Statnett to announce a new assessment of the options for designing a project with improved economics under new primary assumptions.

"This is an important day. Together with our partners Statkraft has developed the largest renewable energy project in Norway in this millennium. With a 1000MW project we become one of the leading onshore wind players", said Christian Rynning-Toennesen, CEO and President of Statkraft.

"Nordic Windpower DA is pleased to invest into Fosen Vind DA alongside two strong local partners and to contribute to building out the renewable energy production in Norway", said Dominik Bollier, Managing Partner at Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure Partners. He continued: "the consortium brings the right mix of industry know-how and capital to the table to be a long-term reliable partner for the project."

Stale Gjersvold, CEO of TroenderEnergi commented: "Fosen Vind represents an exciting new chapter for renewable energy in Norway. In a challenging economic environment, TroenderEnergi and our partners will create value and jobs to the whole of Troendelag."

The first delivery of turbines is scheduled for 2018. The project will use 278 wind turbines of 3.6 MW capacity (Vestas V117-3.45 MW and V112-3.45 MW turbines with power optimised mode to 3.6 MW).

Press conference

There will be a press conference at the Clarion Hotel & Congress in Trondheim today, 23 February, at 10:30 local time where the partners will present the project and answer questions.

Address: Brattoerkaia 1, 7010 Trondheim

The press conference may also be seen at https://livestream.com/accounts/12996210/events/4840428 (https://livestream.com/accounts/12996210/events/4840428)

After the press conference at 11:30, it will be possible for media to dial in for a conference call in English: +47 386 00 000 / Meeting number: 40170 / Pin code: 7070

For more information, please contact:

Spokesperson Knut Fjerdingstad, Statkraft, tel +47 90 18 63 10, knut.fjerdingstad@statkraft.com (mailto:knut.fjerdingstad@statkraft.com)

Senior advisor communication, Lars Magnus Gunther, Statkraft, tel +47 91 24 16 36, lars.gunther@statkraft.com (mailto:lars.gunther@statkraft.com)

Head of Investor Relations Thomas Geiran, Statkraft, tel +47 905 79 979, thomas.geiran@statkraft.com (mailto:thomas.geiran@statkraft.com)

Communication Coordinator Ragnar Sagdahl, TroenderEnergi, +47 934 23 474

Media Relations Credit Suisse AG, tel +41 844 33 88 44, media.relations@credit-suisse.com (mailto:media.relations@credit-suisse.com) Media Relations BKW AG, tel +41 58 477 51 07, media@bkw.ch (mailto:media@bkw.ch)

Note to editors:

An annual power generation of 3.4 TWh is enough renewable energy to meet the electricity needs of:

around 170,000 Norwegian households (average annual consumption: 20,000 kWh) or

around 750,000 Swiss or UK households (average annual consumption of 4,500 kWh)





About the owners:



Nordic Wind Power DA

The European investor consortium Nordic Wind power DA was created by Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure Partners (CSEIP). CSEIP is an investment boutique focused on the energy sector. The consortium is backed by BKW AG, a large Swiss utility, as the industrial partner and long-term oriented institutional investors, namely Talanx, one of the major European insurance groups, and three pension funds and professional pension schemes; ELO from Finland and VWDA and WPV from Germany. The consortium was advised by DLA Piper Global Law Firm.



Statkraft

Statkraft is a leading company in hydropower internationally and Europe's largest generator of renewable energy. The Group produces hydropower, wind power, gas-fired power and district heating and is a global player in energy market operations. Statkraft has 4200 employees in more than 20 countries.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Statkraft AS via Globenewswire



HUG#1988330


Collaboration Combines Heptagon's Mobile Eye Scan Module with IriTech's leading Biometric Technology

Heptagon (www.hptg.com), an industry leader in imaging, sensing and illumination solutions for the Internet of Things (IOT) and Smart Devices, today announced it will be demonstrating mobile iris scanning at the Heptagon booth #8.0E22 during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 in Barcelona. The solution leverages IriTech's leading edge iris recognition algorithms and software as well as Heptagon's newly launched mobile imaging demo platform. The demonstration shows a complete solution for unlocking a smartphone, tablet, PC or any Internet of Things (IoT) product and could also complement fingerprint sensors to provide added security as mobile devices becomes more crucial to our everyday lives.

Iris recognition applications in the consumer electronics market are forecasted to grow to $3.6B by 2020 making this the fastest growing segment of the iris recognition market. Heptagon and IriTech are very well suited to pursue this market space by combining in-depth consumer electronics and mobile technology know-how with in-depth iris recognition algorithms and software. Heptagon's miniaturization technology has been fine-tuned over 20 years and deployed in over 2 billion units.

"We are excited to launch our new UEYE platform together with IriTech iris scanning application here at MWC 2016," says Erik Volkerink, Heptagon's Chief Business Officer and Executive Vice President. "IriTech's leading edge algorithms and technologies have been proven to perform extremely well in large field studies."

"We are very pleased to be working with Heptagon on this Iris scanning demo," says Daehoon Kim, CEO and President of IriTech. "Mobile customers are looking for complete solutions and close collaboration between sensor and biometrics vendors is essential to drive value and adoption forward."

The new Heptagon module features proprietary illumination and a Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor system optimized for iris recognition, eye tracking, and face detection applications. The solution significantly reduces host system computational complexity, latency and power consumption. Depth information is used to improve speed and accuracy of iris scan applications and enables smaller baselines for mobile integration. The system will also benefit from the Heptagon's Focus Controlled Packaging (FCP) camera technology that allows even further miniaturization. IriTech's IrisSDK software development kit allows quick application development and deployment based on unique and proven iris recognition algorithms.

The collaboration brings together two high-value contributors in the iris recognition market creating new opportunities to reduce time-to-market for integration of iris recognition solutions in mobile, laptop, and PC applications.

About Heptagon

Heptagon (www.hptg.com) provides complete 3D/imaging, illumination and optical sensing solutions for smart devices and the internet of things. With over 2 billion units shipped and 20 years of industry firsts in miniaturizing and integrating complex hardware and software systems, Heptagon has industry leading technology and services to enhance our customer's competitiveness. Backed by world-class investors, Heptagon is a global company with research and development, sales and customer services teams located in Singapore, Zurich Switzerland, in Silicon Valley USA, and Shenzhen China.

About IriTech

IriTech, Inc. (www.iritech.com) provides iris recognition based authentication solutions to provide the highest level of security and convenience to customers. Over the years, IriTech has fostered iris biometric technology through its leadership role in developing standards for iris recognition technology, especially US [ANSI] and international [ISO] standards. IriTech is a global company Headquartered in Virginia USA with research and development, sales and customer services teams located in Seoul Korea, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam and Moscow Russia.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160222006800/en/

Contacts:

Heptagon

Scott Filler, +1 408-329-8920

pr@hptg.com
~ ICT, Environment & Energy, Chemicals, Materials & Food and Logistics Companies to be Honored ~

BANGKOK, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Thailand's outstanding companies will be celebrated at the 2016 Frost & Sullivan Thailand Excellence Awards banquet on March 23, to be held at the Dusit Thani hotel in Bangkok.

"This year's awards are expected to be bigger and better. Frost & Sullivan is excited to continue the tradition of hosting the excellence awards in Bangkok to honor the achievements of various companies in Thailand," said Mr. Koh Eng Lok, Country Director, Frost & Sullivan Thailand.

He added that it is important for companies to receive independent third-party endorsements especially in the current challenging business environment. "The validation from a credible third-party growth consultant such as Frost & Sullivan will give consumers a reason to choose a particular product or service over the others," Mr. Koh said.

He said that the 5th edition of the Thailand Excellence Awards will highlight and honor the accomplishments of Thai companies in 4 industries - ICT, Transportation & Logistics, Energy & Environment and Chemicals, Materials & Food.

Mr. Koh said that the award recipients will be identified based on an in-depth research conducted by Frost & Sullivan's analysts.

"The award categories are reviewed and evaluated yearly to reflect the current market landscape and to include new emerging trends in Thailand," he added.

The list of awards that are expected to be presented at the 2016 Frost & Sullivan Thailand Excellence Awards banquet:

Oleochemicals Company of the Year Wood Coatings Company of the Year Palm Oil Plantation Company of the Year Animal Nutritional Feed Company of the Year LED Signage New Product Innovation Property Development Customer Value Leadership Property Development Company of the Year Water Technology O&M Service Provider of the Year LED Lighting Company of the Year Biogas Company of the Year Biomass Power Company of the Year Property Development Product Leadership Water Technology System Integration Company of the Year Facilities Management - Building Operations & Maintenance Customer Value Leadership Facilities Management (Public Infrastructure Support Services) Company of the Year Facilities Management Industry (Building Operations & Maintenance) Company of the Year Industrial Bioremediation Company of the Year Unified Communications System Integrator of the Year Data Center Hosting Service Provider of the Year Managed Security Services Provider of the Year Contact Center Applications Vendor of the Year Outsourced Contact Center Service Provider of the Year Fixed Broadband Service Provider of the Year Mobile Data Service Provider of the Year Infrastructure as a Service Provider of the Year Contact Center System Integrator of the Year Unified Communications Vendor of the Year Mobile Service Provider of the Year Telecom Service Provider of the Year Project Logistics Company of the Year Oil and Gas Logistics Service Company of the Year Emerging Logistics Service Provider Company of the Year Logistics IT Solutions Company of the Year Warehouse Development Company of the Year Cold Chain Logistics Service Provider of the Year Technology Innovation in Bath Fittings

The awards banquet is by invitation only. Please visit our awards website at http://frost-apac.com/thailandawards/ or connect with us via social media - Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin for the latest news and updates. We also invite you to join the conversation using FrostAwards.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

Contact Us: Start the discussion

Media Contact

Alice Chia

Corporate Communications - Asia Pacific

Email: alice.chia@frost.com
NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE (dpa-AFX) - Thales(THLEF.PK), a French technology company focused on the aerospace and defense markets, reported Tuesday that its fiscal 2015 consolidated net income group share increased 7 percent to 765 million euros from 714 million euros last year. Adjusted net income group share was 809 million euros, compared to 562 million euros a year ago. Adjusted net income per share were 3.89 euros, compared to 2.75 euros. Sales amounted to 14.063 billion euros, up 8.4% from last year's 12.97 billion euros. Sales grew 4.5% at constant scope and exchange rates. Sales saw a slight upturn in growth on mature markets while emerging markets maintained a high level of growth. Order intake climbed 31 percent from last year to 18.88 billion euros. Further, the company said its Board will propose a dividend of 1.36 euros per share, an increase of 21 percent from last year. Looking ahead, for 2016, the company projects EBIT between 1.30 billion euros and 1.33 billion euros, an increase of 7% to 9% from last year. Orders are expected to remain high in 2016, and sales should see a mid-single digit organic growth. Further, the company upgraded medium term sales growth view, and now aims for mid-single digit organic growth for 2017 and 2018. The company also confirmed EBIT margin target of 9.5% to 10% for these years. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Finland introduces the world's most advanced 5G test network at Mobile World Congress 2016. This unique innovation ecosystem unites global telecommunications vendors, SMEs, network operators, public authorities, universities and research institutes to develop our digitalized future together. The 5G Test Network Finland is also open to companies from outside Finland, offering a robust test bed, which can be used to ensure new products and services are equipped for the new technology.

The launch is held on Tuesday 23 February at 11.00 am CET at the Finland Pavilion, #1E04 Hall 1. The keynote speaker is Anne Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland.

"5G is a vital future technology enabling very high quality multimedia and cloud-based services, as well as the future development of the Industrial Internet and other businesses, while reducing energy consumption. The 5G test network gives Finland a unique competitive edge in the race towards the digital future," says Anne Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland.

Open innovation ecosystem for future technologies

"The 5G Test Network Finland is truly extraordinary as it is built on an open innovation ecosystem, meaning that there are no operator or developer specific limitations. For the first time, the network also brings together the "big three" Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei proving ultimate openness to the ecosystem," says Pertti Lukander, Head of Industry Engagement, Nokia.

The Finnish 5G test network gives industries an exceptional opportunity to test new products and business models. The integrated test environment offers different players the first taste of 5G mobile technology functionalities and gives them the possibility to test critical technologies well before 5G becomes commercially available.

The 5G test network project connects four different test networks, each with different characteristics all supported by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation, and the 5thGear programme. The currently ongoing four test bed opportunities serve both industry and academia, offering opportunities to international research initiatives as well.

For more information about 5G Test Network Finland see press release by Tekes:

http://www.tekes.fi/en/whats-going-on/news-2016/finns-introduce-the-worlds-most-advanced-5g-test-network/

Finpro

Finpro helps Finnish SMEs go international, encourages foreign direct investment in Finland and promotes travel to Finland. Finpro is a public organization consisting of Export Finland, Visit Finland and Invest in Finland. Our almost 240 professionals work in 36 Trade Centers in 31 countries and 6 offices in Finland. www.finpro.fi Finpro Growth for Finland

Finland Pavilion Love, Peace Digitalisation

Finpro hosts the Finland Pavilion at the Mobile World Congress 2016, Barcelona, in cooperation with Tekes, BusinessOulu, Helsinki Business Hub and Tampere Region Economic Development Agency Tredea.

www.mwc16.fi

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160222005409/en/

Contacts:

Finpro

Ms. Teija Rasanen, +358 50 469 9695

Marketing Specialist

teija.rasanen@finpro.fi
Notice is hereby given that an Extraordinary General Meeting of Prosafe SE will be held at the company's registered office at 126 Stadiou Street, 6020 Larnaca, Cyprus at 9 a.m. Cyprus time on 15 March 2016.

The full notice is attached and includes the proposed resolutions, the report and recommendation of the election committee, the notice of attendance at the Extraordinary General Meeting/Proxy, detailed voting instructions and electronic voting instructions. The documents are also available on Prosafe's website www.prosafe.com (http://www.prosafe.com/)

Prosafe is the world's leading owner and operator of semi-submersible accommodation vessels. Operating profit reached USD 167 million in 2015 and net profit was USD 85.6 million. The company operates globally, employs 850 people and is headquartered in Larnaca, Cyprus. Prosafe is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange with ticker code PRS. For more information, please refer to www.prosafe.com (http://www.prosafe.com/)

Larnaca, 23 February 2016

Georgina Georgiou, General Manager

Prosafe SE

For further information, please contact:

Karl Ronny Klungtvedt, Chief Executive Officer

Prosafe Management AS

Phone: + 47 51 64 25 00

Stig Harry Christiansen, Chief Financial Officer

Prosafe Management AS

Phone: +47 51 64 25 17

Cecilie Helland Ouff, Senior Manager Finance and Investor Relations

Prosafe AS

Phone: +47 51 64 25 20



This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
--The market-leaders of Korea and Germany will collaborate in the areas of IoT and media platform, while driving technology innovations and standardization of ICT including key 5G technologies and Network-IT Infrastructure

--The parties also agreed to work together to bring innovative solutions and products/services to each other's customers

--The two companies entered into a strategic partnership agreement at MWC 2016 to strengthen their global technology leadership and deliver new value to customers

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM) and Deutsche Telekom announced today that they entered into a strategic business partnership agreement to collaborate in the fields of services, Internet of Things (IoT) and related R&D areas.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336206

With the aim to strengthen their capabilities as ICT industry leaders and to achieve new growth through joint business opportunities in Asian and European Markets, SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom will cooperate in the global sales of innovative solutions and products and work together to lead standardization of innovative technologies, including 5G enabling technologies and SDDC (Software-Defined Data Center).

- Cloud Streaming Solution, Pico Beamer, International Roaming

As part of the collaboration, SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom will also make joint efforts to expand markets for their solutions and products/services.

SK Telecom's technological competency with regard to Cloud Streaming* was successfully demonstrated through the solution tests conducted at Deutsche Telekom's T-Labs in December 2015. The two companies will conduct a feasibility test for its potential commercialization in Deutsche Telekom's footprint by the second quarter of 2016. Going forward, through partnership with Deutsche Telekom, who has 6 million TV subscribers in Europe, SK Telecom expects to secure a bridgehead to enter into the European markets with its Cloud Streaming solution.

*Provided by SK Telecom's subsidiary ENTRIX, Cloud Streaming is an innovative solution that enables even the legacy/low-end set-top boxes to support the latest user interfaces as it is built on software virtualization technologies. The solution thereby allows companies to significantly reduce costs for set-top box investment and subscriber acquisition.

Moreover, the two companies have agreed to introduce SK Telecom's pico beamer to Germany in the second quarter of 2016 and then to other countries in Europe. They also agreed to launch Deutsche Telekom's in-car Wi-Fi solution in the Korean market.

SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom will also cooperate in the international roaming service area, including quality improvements, signature of Service Level Agreements and pursuit of LTE based roaming services.

- Smart City

Another area of collaboration is in the IoT to develop innovative services in an urban setting. They are now ready to combine their efforts to mutually investigate industry leading smart city solutions. This will enable the two to serve the customer needs in the best way to make their cities smarter and to expand the related services into new markets.

- Technology R&D

Under the partnership agreement, the two companies will pursue joint R&D activities to develop cutting-edge technologies - including 5G enabling technologies - and push for their standardization, while actively taking a part in diverse global projects to drive ICT infrastructure innovations.

In particular, through development of key 5G technologies such as network slicing and mobile edge computing, they plan to drive standardization and implementation of 5G, and identify 5G key applications.

In addition, as members of the Open Compute Project, the Facebook-led open source hardware and data center design initiative, the two companies will play proactive roles to achieve innovations in the network-IT infrastructure.

Furthermore, SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom have joined the Next Generation Enterprise Network Alliance (ngena) as founding members. 'ngena' is an alliance of international telecommunications companies to provide truly international network services for enterprise customers, securely and reliably from a single source. 'ngena' is a standalone company with independent management. It comes with a completely new business model and a new technology in a greenfield setting, sharing network assets of trusted service providers.

"The idea is to create an amazing technology partnership with tangible results. The development and exchange of new services will help both companies generate more benefit for our customers," stated Tim Hottges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom. "But it's also about learning from each other. We are really impressed with SK Telecom's agility and creativity, and look forward to exchanging ideas and experiences."

"SK Telecom is excited to enter into a strategic partnership with Deutsche Telekom, which holds a strong technology and market leadership across the globe," said Jang Dong-hyun, President and CEO of SK Telecom. "By building on each other's strengths, we will unlock new growth opportunities and pave the way for the future ICT industry."

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, KSE: 017670), established in 1984, is Korea's largest telecommunications company with more than 26 million mobile subscribers, accounting for around 50% of the market. The company reached KRW 17.137 trillion in revenue in 2015. As the world's first company to commercialize CDMA, CDMA 2000 1x, CDMA EV-DO and HSDPA networks, SK Telecom launched the nation's first LTE service in July 2011. SK Telecom also became the world's first mobile carrier to commercialize 150Mbps LTE-Advanced in June 2013 and 225Mbps LTE-Advanced in June 2014 through Carrier Aggregation(CA). In line with its efforts to swiftly move towards the next-generation mobile network system, or 5G, it successfully commercialized 300Mbps tri-band LTE-A CA. As of the end of December 2015, the company has over 18.98 million LTE and LTE-Advanced subscribers. Based on its strength in network operations business, SK Telecom is seeking new growth engines through three innovative platforms namely Lifestyle Enhancement Platform, Advanced Media Platform and IoT Service Platform. For more information, please visit www.sktelecom.com or email to skt_press@sk.com.

About Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom is one of the world's leading integrated telecommunications companies with around 151 million mobile customers, 30 million fixed-network lines and more than 17 million broadband lines (as of December 31, 2014). The Group provides fixed network, mobile communications, Internet and IPTV products and services for consumers and ICT solutions for business customers and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in more than 50 countries and has approximately 228,000 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenues of EUR 62.7 billion in the 2014 financial year - more than 60 percent of it outside Germany.

Media Contact

SK Telecom

Cindy Kang

SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

(822) 6100-3836

(8210) 9113-2344

psyche@sk.com

Raphael Rashid

Edelman Korea

(822) 2022 8228

Raphael.Rashid@edelman.com

Deutsche Telekom AG

Corporate Communications

Tel: +49 228 181 - 4949

E-Mail: media@telekom.de

Further information for the media at: www.telekom.com/media and www.telekom.com/photos
LUGANO, Switzerland, February 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

- Pivotal data from anamorelin ROMANA 1 and ROMANA 2 Phase III studies published in world-leading, peer-reviewed medical journal

- Study showed anamorelin significantly improved lean body mass, body weight and symptom burden including appetite in NSCLC patients with cachexia

Helsinn, the Swiss pharmaceutical Group focused on building quality cancer care, today announces that on February 19th, the journal The Lancet Oncology published the results from the pivotal ROMANA Phase III trials assessing efficacy and safety of the ghrelin receptor agonist anamorelin in patients with Cancer Anorexia-Cachexia in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The lead author was Dr. Jennifer Temel, from the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston (USA).

The paper, "Anamorelin in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and cachexia (ROMANA 1 and ROMANA 2): results from two randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trials", can be accessed here: [http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/onlinefirst] and an executive summary of the Lancet Oncology article is available below.

Cancer Anorexia-Cachexia is a frequent condition in patients with advanced cancer, in particular in those with lung cancer. A combination of reduced food intake and altered metabolism leads to loss of lean body mass and body weight in patients affected by this condition. There are few therapeutic options and no standard of care for the management of Cancer Anorexia-Cachexia. Despite the fact that some of the currently available drugs can improve patient's appetite or increase body weight, none can substantially affect lean body mass.

The ROMANA 1 and ROMANA 2 phase III studies clinically demonstrated that anamorelin significantly improved, in respect to placebo, lean body mass and body weight, in addition to symptom burden, including appetite, in NSCLC patients with Cancer Cachexia. No differences between patients treated with anamorelin or placebo were observed for handgrip strength, one of the co-primary endpoint of the study. Improvements in patients' weight and symptom burden were rapid (as early as three weeks) and progressive, which is important in a debilitated population. Most participants in the trials were receiving chemotherapy, indicating that Cancer Anorexia-Cachexia can occur also in patients undergoing active treatment.

Ken Fearon, co-author of the paper, commented "This represents a landmark study in providing a potential key building block for the development of a comprehensive approach for the supportive care of weight-losing cancer patients."

Riccardo Braglia, Vice Chairman and Helsinn Group CEO, commented: "Cancer Anorexia-Cachexia is a debilitating disease for which there are currently few treatment options available, making these findings relevant. At Helsinn, we are committed to helping to improve quality of life for people with cancer and we are pleased that this research has been recognized by The Lancet Oncology, medical journal."

Study design of the ROMANA trials

ROMANA 1 and ROMANA 2 were two international, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase III trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of anamorelin in patients with Stage III/IV NSCLC and cachexia (5% weight loss within six months or BMI <20 kg/m[2]). ROMANA 1 enrolled 484 patients and ROMANA 2 enrolled 495 patients. Patients were randomized (2:1) to 100 mg anamorelin or placebo, given daily orally for 12 weeks, and were permitted to receive chemotherapy while on study. Efficacy was assessed through the change from baseline over 12 weeks in the co-primary endpoints, lean body mass (measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and handgrip strength, and in the secondary endpoints, which included body weight, and the anorexia-cachexia symptoms and concerns.

Key highlights from ROMANA 1 and 2

- Over 12 weeks, anamorelin significantly increased median lean body mass versus placebo in ROMANA 1 (0.99 vs -0.47 kg; p<0.001) and ROMANA 2 (0.65 vs -0.98 kg; p<0.0001); in both studies changes in handgrip strength were not different between patients receiving anamorelin or placebo.

- Anamorelin-treated patients also significantly improved compared to placebo Cancer Anorexia-Cachexia symptoms and concerns (ROMANA 1: 4.12 vs 1.92; p=0.0004; and ROMANA 2: 3.48 vs 1.34; p= 0.0016), and significantly gained body weight (ROMANA 1: 2.20 vs 0.14 kg; p<0.0001; and ROMANA 2: 0.95 vs -0.57 kg; p<0.0001).

- There were no differences in grade 3-4 drug-related adverse events between study arms. Hyperglycemia was the most common grade 3-4 drug-related adverse event occurring in 1% of patients receiving anamorelin.

Lancet Oncology Executive Summary

- Background: Patients with advanced cancer frequently experience anorexia and cachexia, which are associated with reduced food intake, altered body composition, and decreased functionality. We assessed anamorelin, a novel ghrelin-receptor agonist, on cachexia in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and cachexia.

- Methods: ROMANA 1 and ROMANA 2 were randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials done at 93 sites in 19 countries. Patients with inoperable stage III or IV non-small-cell lung cancer and cachexia (defined as 5% weight loss within 6 months or body-mass index <20 kg/m[2]) were randomly assigned 2:1 to anamorelin 100 mg orally once daily or placebo, with a computer-generated randomisation algorithm stratified by geographical region, cancer treatment status, and weight loss over the previous 6 months. Co-primary efficacy endpoints were the median change in lean body mass and handgrip strength over 12 weeks and were measured in all study participants (intention-to-treat population). Both trials are now completed and are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, numbers NCT01387269 and NCT01387282.

- Findings: From July 8, 2011, to Jan 28, 2014, 484 patients were enrolled in ROMANA 1 (323 to anamorelin, 161 to placebo), and from July 14, 2011, to Oct 31, 2013, 495 patients were enrolled in ROMANA 2 (330 to anamorelin, 165 to placebo). Over 12 weeks, lean body mass increased in patients assigned to anamorelin compared with those assigned to placebo in ROMANA 1 (median increase 099 kg [95% CI 061 to 136] vs -047 kg [-100 to 021], p<00001) and ROMANA 2 (065 kg [038 to 091] vs -098 kg [-149 to -041], p<00001). We noted no difference in handgrip strength in ROMANA 1 (-110 kg [-169 to -040] vs -158 kg [-299 to -114], p=015) or ROMANA 2 (-149 kg [-206 to -058] vs -095 kg [-156 to 004], p=065). There were no differences in grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events between study groups; the most common grade 3-4 adverse event was hyperglycaemia, occurring in one (<1%) of 320 patients given anamorelin in ROMANA 1 and in four (1%) of 330 patients given anamorelin in ROMANA 2.

- Interpretation: Anamorelin significantly increased lean body mass, but not handgrip strength in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Considering the unmet medical need for safe and effective treatments for cachexia, anamorelin might be a treatment option for patients with cancer anorexia and cachexia.

The print edition of the Lancet report will be made available in April 2016.

Notes for editors:

NSCLC

Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for roughly 85% of all lung cancer cases. Lung cancer has some of the poorest survival rates comparing to other types of cancer, based on epidemiological data, and is the most common form of cancer globally.

About anamorelin and ghrelin

Anamorelin is an investigational agent that has not yet been approved by any regulatory authority. The marketing authorization application is under review by the European Medicines Agency

Anamorelin HCl is an investigational selective, novel, orally active ghrelin receptor agonist that is under development for the treatment of Anorexia, Cachexia, and Unintended Weight Loss in NSCLC patients. Ghrelin is an endogenous peptide primarily secreted by the stomach. Upon binding to its receptor, ghrelin stimulates multiple pathways in the positive regulation of body weight, lean body mass, appetite and metabolism.

The information discussed in this release is not intended to convey conclusions about its efficacy and safety.

About Helsinn Group

Helsinn is a privately owned cancer supportive care pharmaceutical group with an extensive portfolio of marketed products and a broad development pipeline. Since 1976, Helsinn has been improving the everyday lives of patients, guided by core family values of respect, integrity and quality, through a unique integrated licensing business model working with long standing partners in pharmaceuticals, medical devices and nutritional supplement products. Helsinn is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, with operating subsidiaries in Ireland and the US (Helsinn Therapeutics), a representative office in China, as well as a product presence in about 90 countries globally.

In 2016, our 40th anniversary year, you can meet representatives from Helsinn at:

NCCN Annual Conference ( Hollywood, FL , USA, 31 March-2 April)

, USA, 31 March-2 April) ASCO Annual Meeting ( Chicago , USA , 3-7 June)

, , 3-7 June) MAASC Annual Meeting ( Adelaide, Australia , 23-25 June)

, 23-25 June) ChemOutsourcing Conference ( Parsippany, New Jersey , 19-21 September)

, 19-21 September) CPhI Worldwide ( Barcelona, Spain , 4-6 October)

, 4-6 October) ESMO Congress ( Copenhagen, Denmark , 7-11 October)

, 7-11 October) BioEurope (Koln, Germany , 4-6 November)

For more information, please visit http://www.helsinn.com

For more information, please contact:
BONN (dpa-AFX) - SK Telecom (SKM) and Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY.PK) announced they entered into a strategic business partnership agreement to collaborate in the fields of services, Internet of Things and related R&D areas. The companies will cooperate in the global sales of solutions and products and work together to lead standardization of technologies, including 5G enabling technologies and SDDC, or Software-Defined Data Center. SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom will also make joint efforts to expand markets for their solutions and products/services. Through the partnership, SK Telecom expects to secure a bridgehead to enter into the European markets with its Cloud Streaming solution. The companies have agreed to introduce SK Telecom's pico beamer to Germany, and then to other countries in Europe. They also agreed to launch Deutsche Telekom's in-car Wi-Fi solution in the Korean market. SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom will also cooperate in the international roaming service area. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Bagsvrd, Denmark, 23 February 2016 - Novo Nordisk today announced the headline results from SWITCH 1, the second of two 2x32-weeks randomised, double-blind, cross-over, treat-to-target trials, comparing the safety and efficacy of Tresiba (insulin degludec) and Lantus (insulin glargine U100). The overall purpose of the trial was to compare the hypoglycaemia occurrence in people with type 1 diabetes treated with Tresiba or insulin glargine.

In the trial, 501 people with type 1 diabetes were randomised to cross-over treatment with Tresiba and insulin glargine U100 in combination with insulin aspart. The timing of the daily injections of both Tresiba and insulin glargine was randomised equally to take place either in the morning or evening. The primary end-point of the trial was the number of treatment emergent severe or blood glucose confirmed symptomatic hypoglycaemia episodes during the maintenance period (ie after 16 weeks of treatment) in each treatment period.

From a mean baseline of 7.6%, the trial showed non-inferiority in HbA 1c reduction for Tresiba compared to insulin glargine, thus fulfilling the requirements for objectively comparing hypoglycaemia rates between the two treatments. Likewise, the end-of-trial insulin doses were similar at the end of treatment in the two treatment periods.

The trial met the primary end-point by demonstrating non-inferiority in the rate of severe or blood glucose confirmed symptomatic hypoglycemia of Tresiba compared to insulin glargine. The observed rate was 2,201 events per 100 patient years exposed to Tresiba and 2,463 events per 100 patient years exposed to insulin glargine during the maintenance period, corresponding to a statistically significant reduction of 11%.

Similarly, non-inferiority was demonstrated for the rate of severe or blood glucose confirmed symptomatic nocturnal hypoglycaemia in the maintenance period. The observed rate of severe or blood glucose confirmed symptomatic nocturnal hypoglycaemia was 277 events per 100 patient years exposed to Tresiba and 429 events per 100 patient years exposed to insulin glargine, corresponding to a statistically significant 36% reduction with Tresiba compared to insulin glargine.

Finally, superiority was demonstrated for the confirmatory secondary endpoint of proportions of subjects experiencing severe hypoglycaemia during the maintenance period. The proportion of patients experiencing severe hypoglycaemia was 10% for Tresiba and 17% for insulin glargine, corresponding to a statistically significant reduction with Tresiba compared to insulin glargine. The rates of severe hypoglycaemia were 69 and 92 events per 100 patient years exposed, respectively, corresponding to a statistically significant 35% reduction.

All of the above analyses showed similar results for the total treatment period.

In the trial, Tresiba appeared to have a safe and well-tolerated profile. Adverse events were comparable between the two treatment arms. The most common adverse events were nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infections and hypoglycaemia.

"We are very excited about these trial results, which document that Tresiba also in people with type 1 diabetes significantly reduces the risk of hypoglycaemia compared to insulin glargine" says Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, executive vice president and chief science officer of Novo Nordisk. "We expect to initiate filing of the data from the SWITCH trials with regulatory authorities in Q3 2016 with the aim of updating the label for Tresiba".

Conference call

On 24 February 2016 at 8.30 am CET, corresponding to 2.30 am EST, a conference call for investors will be held. Investors will be able to listen in via a link on the investor section of novonordisk.com.

About SWITCH 1 and 2

The two 2x32-weeks randomised, double-blind, cross-over, treat-to-target trials were initiated in January 2014 with the purpose of comparing the safety and efficacy of Tresiba and Lantus (insulin glargine U100). The overall purpose of the trials is to document the hypoglycaemia profile in type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes respectively, compared to insulin glargine U100. In SWITCH 1, 501 people with type 1 diabetes were randomised to cross-over treatment with Tresiba and insulin glargine U100 in combination with insulin aspart. In SWITCH 2, 721 people with type 2 diabetes were randomised to cross-over treatment with Tresiba and insulin glargine U100 in combination with oral antidiabetics. The results from SWITCH 2 were reported on 29 January 2016.

Lantus is a registered trademark of Sanofi.

For further information

Media: Mike Rulis +45 3079 3573 mike@novonordisk.com (mailto:mike@novonordisk.com) Ken Inchausti (US) +1 609 786 8316 kiau@novonordisk.com (mailto:kiau@novonordisk.com)



Investors: Peter Hugreffe Ankersen +45 3075 9085 phak@novonordisk.com (mailto:phak@novonordisk.com) Daniel Bohsen +45 3079 6376 dabo@novonordisk.com (mailto:dabo@novonordisk.com) Melanie Raouzeos +45 3075 3479 mrz@novonordisk.com (mailto:mrz@novonordisk.com) Kasper Veje +45 3079 8519 kpvj@novonordisk.com (mailto:kpvj@novonordisk.com)

Company announcement No 17 / 2016





Company announcement No 17 / 2016 (http://hugin.info/2013/R/1988404/730062.pdf)



This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Novo Nordisk A/S via Globenewswire



HUG#1988404


Award-winning virtual SIM technology powers world's first enterprise-class global hotspot; Simgo offers mobile network operators a brand-new high-margin business opportunity

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Simgo the world's only virtual eSIM cloud-platform (vSIM') for cellular devices,launches its vSIM' Hotspot at Mobile World Congress. Leveraging its award-winning vSIM' technology, Simgo's virtual eSIM powers the world's first enterprise-class, compact hotspot delivering seamless mobile internet (3G/4G) anytime, anyplace.

Today's global business and leisure travellers rely on data services on their smartphones and devices, whether at home or abroad. But despite the realities of global travel, road-warriors still lack practical and cost-effective solutions for continuous, reliable data for their smartphones, tablets, laptops or wearables when travelling internationally. Current solutions, such as hotspots with local SIM cards, multi-country SIM cards, or smartphone tethering are generally exorbitantly expensive or have crippling data limitations.

Simgo's latest product launch flips the script for consumers and operators. "Our vSIM Hotspot offers service providers a brand-new high-margin business opportunity. By eliminating the logistical challenges of physical SIMs, Simgo's vSIM Hotspot allows operators to offer continuous, reliable and affordable mobile internet to their customers wherever they may be in the world," said Eyal Shmueli, co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Simgo. "Using vSIM to reprogram SIMs dynamically and remotely, Simgo eliminates roaming costs, improves operating efficiency, and opens up new and recurring revenue streams for our partners.We have removed the logistical complexities of managing physical SIM cards that have until now prevented operators from creating a scalable hotspot rental market."

The vSIM Hotspot is Simgo's 4th product leveraging it's proprietary vSIM platform: it joins the vSIM integrated smart-phone covers for Apple and Samsung smartphones, vSIM cloud-platform and vSIM SDK (simgoinside') for device manufacturers and other IoT players. Simgo announced yesterday that its virtual eSIM SDK is available at no cost to manufacturers, and named industry pioneer Masahiro Inoue, founding CEO of Yahoo! Japan to its board of directors.

Simgo will be demonstrating vSIM' at Mobile World Congress Barcelona February 22-25, in Hall 5, Stand 5D81. To schedule a meeting, click here or go to https://simgo.typeform.com/to/mqDHuD

About Simgo

Simgo provides the world's leading cloud-based virtual SIM (vSIM') platform for cellular devices, developed from its patented and award-winning technology. By moving SIM management to the cloud, Simgo is shifting the paradigms of the mobile world and opening doors to new and exciting opportunities for users, operators, service providers and device manufacturers. Simgo is a 2016 partner in the Intel Ingenuity Partner Program, "a carefully selected group of startups, chosen for their vision, innovative technology, and potential to create transformative solutions and products." Simgo was awarded the first place in the Mobile Enterprise Innovation category of the 2015 CTIA MobITs awards.

For more information, visit www.simgo-mobile.com
DUBLIN, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/r932gv/prosthetic_heart) has announced the addition of the "Prosthetic Heart Valve Market by Type (Mechanical, Transcatheter, Tissue), and Geography (Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa) - Global Forecast to 2020" report to their offering.

The global prosthetic heart valve market is USD 2.87 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach USD 4.80 billion in 2020 at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2015 to 2020.

The purpose of this report is to cover the definition, description, and forecast up to 2020 of the global prosthetic heart valve market. It involves deep dive analysis of market segmentation which comprises products and geography. The report also gives the deep insights of strategic analysis of key players for the market. In this report, the global prosthetic heart valve market has been segmented based in products, into mechanical heart valve, tissue heart valve, and transcatheter heart valve.

North America contributed the largest share to the global prosthetic heart valve market in 2014. The large share can be attributed to the rising aging population; increasing number of patients suffering from rheumatic heart diseases; and growing prevalence heart and vascular system conditions, such as coronary, carotid, and peripheral artery diseases and heart rhythm disturbances in the recent years.

From an insight perspective, this research report has focused on various levels of analysis, namely, industry analysis (industry trends and PEST analysis), market share analysis of top players, supply chain analysis, and company profiles. All of these together comprise and discuss the basic views on the competitive landscape, usage patterns, emerging- and high-growth segments, high-growth regions and countries and their respective regulatory policies, government initiatives, drivers, restraints, and opportunities in the global prosthetic heart valve market.

Companies Mentioned:

Abbott Laboratories

Boston Scientific Corporation

Colibri Heart Valve, Llc

Cytograft

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Jenavalve Technology

Medtronic

Neovasc Inc.

On-X Life Technologies Inc.

Sorin S.P.A.

St. Jude Medical, Inc.

Symetis

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Market Overview

5 Prosthetic Heart Valve Market, By Type

6 Prosthetic Heart Valve Market, By Geography

7 Competitive Landscape

8 Company Profiles

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/r932gv/prosthetic_heart

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
DUBLIN, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2qll3h/hydroponics) has announced the addition of the "Hydroponics Market - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2020" report to their offering.

The global hydroponics market is projected to reach USD 395.2 Million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 16.8% from 2015 to 2020.

There have been various factors that have played a major role in driving the hydroponics market across the globe. One of the major drivers is that hydroponics provides higher yield compared to traditional agricultural techniques.

It also provides farmers the ability to grow crops in areas that cannot support crops in soil. Furthermore, hydroponics eliminates the use of artificial ripening agents and pesticides, which helps in creating nutritionally superior vegetable products.

Europe has traditionally been at the forefront of implementing advanced techniques in hydroponic smart greenhouse horticulture. Countries such as The Netherlands, Spain, and France have large areas under greenhouse cultivation. However, in The Netherlands, growers mostly cultivate their plants in simple tunnel-like greenhouses without the use of climate control technologies. Hydroponics has flourished in Scandinavian countries where traditional agriculture is nearly impossible during the winter season.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

5 Market Overview

6 Industry Trends

7 Hydroponics Market, By Equipment

8 Hydroponics Market, By Type

9 Hydroponics Market, By Input

10 Hydroponic Crop Market

11 Hydroponics Market, By Region

12 Competitive Landscape

13 Company Profiles

Companies Mentioned:

American Hydroponics, Inc.

Argus Control Systems Ltd.

General Hydroponics, Inc.

Greentech Agro, Llc

Heliospectra AB

Hydrodynamics International, Inc.

Hydrofarm, Inc.

Koninklijke Philips NV

Logiqs B.V.

Lumigrow, Inc.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2qll3h/hydroponics

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
23 February 2016

SUTHERLAND HEALTH GROUP PLC

("Sutherland Health Group" or "the Company")

ISDX Symbol: SHGP

PROPOSED WITHDRAWAL FROM ISDX GROWTH MARKET



The Board of Sutherland Health Group, a national supplier of personal care, patient hygiene, sexual health and gynaecology products to customers including the National Health Service ("NHS") announces today it has sent out a letter today to shareholders. Copies of the letter will be available at http://www.sutherlandhealth.com/ and at www.isdx.com. The text of the letter is set out below:

Dear Shareholder,

Proposed withdrawal from the ISDX Growth Market and Notice of General Meeting of the Company.

Background to and the reasons for the proposed withdrawal:-

The Company listed on the ISDX market in February 2005 (then known as OFEX) with the hope that the public offering of its shares would engender a level of interest in the Company that would gain support for its growth plans. In reality the number of shares traded over that period has been very few making it difficult for the Company to raise sufficient capital to fully fund its growth plans.

In addition, the Company has seen a decline in its turnover in the last two years, making it much harder to generate profits at the present time. The Board have taken significant steps to reduce its cost base this year, the benefit of which is beginning to show through in our management figures, but the task is being made much more difficult by the additional costs of being an ISDX growth market listed company.

The Board have already taken action to reduce corporate costs associated with being an ISDX listed company but feel that even at these reduced levels the costs are still excessive for the size of the business and more importantly do not help to generate any additional revenue or profit.

Accordingly the Board has concluded that in their opinion, it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to seek a withdrawal of the trading of its shares on the ISDX Growth Market (ISDX). This will cut costs significantly, bring the Company closer to profitable trading and enhance the possibility of dividends in the future.

With this in mind the Board are proposing a resolution to approve the withdrawal from ISDX in the Notice of General Meeting included at the end of this document.

The ISDX Rules states that such a withdrawal resolution requires the consent of not less than 75 per cent of votes cast by shareholders voting on that resolution at the General Meeting.

If the resolution is approved at the General Meeting the Company's ordinary shares are expected to be withdrawn from ISDX at the close of business on Tuesday 29 March 2016.

Effect of withdrawal for shareholders

The principal effect of the withdrawal is anticipated to be a reduction in the liquidity and marketability of the Company's shares. There would no longer be a formal market mechanism enabling shareholders to trade their shares on ISDX.

With effect from the date of withdrawal from ISDX, the Company will cease to be obliged to announce material events, administrative changes or material transactions as they occur and will not have to announce results.

The company will also no longer be required to comply with any of the additional specific corporate governance requirements for companies trading on ISDX.

Upon the withdrawal becoming effective, Alfred Henry Corporate Finance Ltd will cease to be the Company's Corporate Adviser.

However, the Board believe it is important to be able to continue the Company's CREST facility and for the ordinary shares to remain transferable should the proposal to withdraw from ISDX be approved, so it is investigating listing on a matched bargain market to enable shareholders the possibility of trading shares in the Company in the future.

The Board have always recognised the importance of good communication with shareholders and whilst there would be no formal requirement to do so, we intend to continue our communications with shareholders after withdrawing from ISDX.

The Board of Directors believe that the withdrawal from ISDX is in the best interest of the shareholders as a whole and feel that the corporate costs it is currently having to bear would be better utilised building a stronger future for the company and its shareholders.

Notice of General Meeting

A General Meeting is to be held at 10.00 am on Tuesday 29 March 2016 at the offices of the Company, Unit 1, Rivermead, Pipers Way, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG19 4EP.

Action to be taken

You will find enclosed with this document a form of proxy for use by shareholders at the General Meeting. Whether or not you intend to be present, you are requested to complete and return the form of proxy in accordance with the instructions printed thereon. To be valid, completed proxy forms must be received by Neville Registrars Ltd as soon as possible and in any event not later than 10 am on Thursday 24 March 2016 being 2 working days before the time appointed for holding the General Meeting. Completion of the Proxy Form will not preclude you from attending the meeting and voting in person if you choose.

Recommendation

The Directors consider the withdrawal from ISDX to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole and accordingly recommend that shareholders vote in favour of the resolution approving the withdrawal that will be proposed at the General Meeting. The Board of Directors intend to vote in favour in respect of their own beneficial holdings of ordinary shares amounting in aggregate to 30,156,468 ordinary shares representing 35.6 per cent of the issued share capital of the Company.

Yours sincerely

John French

Chairman

The Directors of the Issuer accept responsibility for this announcement

Enquiries:

Sutherland Health Group Plc

John French, Chairman

T: 07836 722482

Alfred Henry Corporate Finance Ltd

Jon Isaacs

T: 0207 251 3762

Notes to Editors:

Sutherland Health Group Plc is a national supplier of personal care; patient hygiene, sexual health and diagnostic products to the UK National Health Service (NHS) and other UK customers. Its aim is to supply innovative solutions to current health issues by studying current trends and working alongside leading professionals who also work within the health sector.

The company is committed to developing and marketing high quality brands and products that will benefit health professionals and consumers alike in many areas of health. The Group has established its own brands: Condomania Condoms; Sutherland Patient Hygiene and Personal Care; Lubricating Jelly; and Vision pregnancy and gynaecology diagnostics. These products have already become established within the NHS business.

The Group is ISO and MHRA registered, and at present principally manufactures and operates within the United Kingdom.

For further information on the Company visit http://www.sutherlandhealth.com/
HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwired - February 23, 2016) - Virtus Oil and Gas Corporation (OTCBB: VOIL) ("Virtus" or "the Company") today announced it has signed a letter of intent with a US subsidiary of an international Oil and Gas Company, to acquire its U.S. operated, producing Oil and Gas Fields in San Juan County, Utah.

Under the terms of the letter, VOIL has 30 days to conduct and complete its due diligence on the title, compliance, and facility review and finalize the pending offer subject to the third party Reserve Report. VOIL is currently compliant with State of Utah and the Bureau of Land Management to Operate and produce in the state of Utah and will be using previous bond in place to do this.

More details to follow.

Rupert Ireland, Rupert Ireland, CEO of Virtus, said: "This is the beginning of a few acquisitions we hope to announce to the market. My team has been thoroughly evaluating potential prospects for acquisition since our oil traces discovery in the Parowan. Our overhead and expenses make us unique in that we are trimmed so low that acquiring production makes us very attractive during the market downtime. Eventually when oil prices recover these assets will be impressive in our company's portfolio while providing cash-flow now."

Bret Murray, COO of Virtus, said: "Our focus during this downtime has been acquiring production that is cash-flow positive at these times. The experience I have in the Paradox made sense for our team to identify and acquire existing production to get revenues for VOIL. These wells have 123, 727bo cumulative since inception and near 500MCF of natural gas and all gathering lines in place to market. We have engaged the services of a Professional Engineering firm to produce a Reserve Report to gauge futures and proven reserves."

About Virtus Oil and Gas Corporation

Virtus Oil and Gas Corp. (VOIL) is a Houston-based oil and gas exploration and production company currently focused on the Parowan Project, a 55,477+/- Acre prospect targeting the Central Utah Thrust Belt. The prospect is situated near recent Utah discoveries, including Wolverine Gas and Oil's Covenant Oil Field, which is consistent with Virtus' strategy to acquire and develop oil and gas resources in proven, onshore basins in the United States.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward-looking" statements. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward looking-statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include such factors as uncertainty of consumer demand for the Company's products, as well as additional risks and uncertainties that are identified and described in the Company's SEC reports. The company will need to raise additional financing in order to advance its exploration and drilling program. Actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. The Company does not undertake, and it specifically disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, events or circumstances after the date of such statement.

Contact:

Virtus Oil and Gas Corporation

1517 San Jacinto Street

Houston, TX 77002

IR Phone: (855) 733-VOIL

IR@virtusoilandgas.com
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Media Advisory - TransCanada Corporation (TSX: TRP) (NYSE: TRP) (TransCanada) announced today it has expanded its 60-year presence in Quebec with a larger corporate provincial office located in Montreal. This new office will be home to over 40 employees from different disciplines working on the Energy East Pipeline Project and other businesses on behalf of the company.

With continued strength of our existing pipeline and power assets in the province and the need for more locally-based expertise to work closely with Quebecers on our proposed Energy East project, a new location was needed for the company's Quebec employees, said Louis Bergeron, Energy East's vice president for Quebec and New Brunswick.

"Since I began my new role I've worked to ensure Energy East has an expanded provincial presence with more Quebecers involved directly in the development of the project," said Bergeron. "The expansion of our office is a testament to our commitment to have more people on the ground here - listening to people and addressing their concerns with respect and understanding."

Employees at the new office will also support TransCanada's existing businesses in Quebec, where TransCanada employees have been living and working since the late 1950's managing the Trans Quebec & Maritimes Pipeline, and wind and natural-gas fired power generation facilities that heat the homes of Quebecers and businesses. TransCanada already employs more than 200 people working on these existing and proposed assets.

"We're committed to maximizing the economic benefits for Quebec and this office is a clear statement that TransCanada will create even more opportunities for local businesses as we develop and operate the Energy East pipeline," added Bergeron. "Opportunities above and beyond the 140 people already working on Energy East in the province and the $115 million in contracts we've signed with more than 250 Quebec suppliers and businesses."

This announcement follows a project update in early February that highlighted TransCanada signing a major agreement with an international electronics firm that would see the firm deliver a number of multi-million dollar electrical houses to secure safe, reliable and energy efficient power distribution for pump stations along the Energy East Pipeline. The agreement will create up to 120 jobs in Quebec and a further 90 spin-off jobs outside of the greater Montreal area.

As the Conference Board of Canada concluded, the $15.7 billion Energy East project will create over 3,000 jobs each year in Quebec during the nine years of planning and construction for the pipeline, along with $972 million in tax revenue for the province. When the pipeline goes into service, total tax revenues for Quebec will be $1.2 billion for the first 20 years of its operation.

Please go to our Energy East websites to read about project benefits and our commitment to safety.

http://www.oleoducenergieest.com/

http://www.energyeastpipeline.com/

Note to editors: Video and photos of TransCanada's expanded Montreal office can be found here.

With more than 65 years' experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and liquids pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada operates a network of natural gas pipelines that extends more than 67,000 kilometres (42,000 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is one of the continent's largest providers of gas storage and related services with 368 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A growing independent power producer, TransCanada owns or has interests in over 13,100 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is developing one of North America's largest liquids delivery systems. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP. Visit TransCanada.com and our blog to learn more, or connect with us on social media and 3BL Media.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

This publication contains certain information that is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties (such statements are usually accompanied by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "intend" or other similar words). Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide TransCanada security holders and potential investors with information regarding TransCanada and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of TransCanada's and its subsidiaries' future plans and financial outlook. All forward-looking statements reflect TransCanada's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this news release, and not to use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. TransCanada undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by law. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the anticipated results, refer to the quarterly news release dated February 11, 2016 and 2015 Annual Report filed under TransCanada's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Contacts:

TransCanada Media Enquiries:

Tim Duboyce / Mark Cooper

514.982.8421 or 800.608.7859



TransCanada Investor & Analyst Enquiries:

David Moneta / Stuart Kampel

403.920.7911 or 800.361.6522




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Further to the news release of December 30, 2015, Geomega Resources Inc. ("GeoMegA" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: GMA) announces the final closing (the "Final Tranche") of a non-brokered private placement offering (the "Private Placement") in the amount of $799,500, consisting of a total of 11,421,429 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.07 per Unit, of which 9,571,429 Units are currently held in escrow pending TSX Venture Exchange approval of the final documentation. As part of the Private Placement, Nexolia Investments Inc. ("Nexolia"), has acquired 7,142,857 shares of GeoMegA. Considering the first tranche of the private placement, the total gross proceeds are $1,108,075 (the "Private Placement"). GeoMegA also would like to announce that Mrs. Vicky Lavoie, President and Founder of Nexolia, has joined the Board of Directors of GeoMegA.

"GeoMegA is pleased to welcome Nexolia as a strategic investor and a local partner in the pursuit of our common goal of developing a sustainable and competitive Rare Earth Elements ("REE") industry in Northern Quebec. With Nexolia's investment, GeoMegA is looking forward to taking the Montviel project to the next stage while our private subsidiary Innord Inc. ("Innord") continues to develop its proprietary rare earths separation technology." comments Kiril Mugerman, President and CEO of GeoMegA.

Mr. Patrick Godin, Chairman of the Board, commented, "I am pleased to welcome Mrs. Lavoie as an independent Director, noting her business experience, especially her focus on economic, social, environmental and sustainable development of northern communities, her vast experience working with the First Nations, project development and her knowledge of the mining and energy sectors and natural resources".

Mrs. Vicky Lavoie, M. Sc., is a business entrepreneur focusing on contributing to sustainable, social and economic development of the remote regions by implementing projects that create jobs, offer services and provide resources through concrete, transparent and respectful actions towards the communities and the environment. As President and founder of Nexolia Inc., through demonstrating a creative and innovative entrepreneurial vision, Mrs. Lavoie became the first non-resident of the Cote-Nord to sit on the board of directors of "Comite de maximisation des retombees economiques de Sept Rivieres (COMAX)". Mrs. Lavoie is a partner at Drakkar & Partners and Ekkinox, Natural Resources & Energy, companies focusing on providing strategic solutions and job creation in the northern regions. Previously, Mrs. Lavoie served as executive director and director of business development for "Societe de developpement economique Uashat mak Mani-Utenam (SDEUM)" and as executive director and director of economic development for the Matimekosh First Nation reserve.

The Company will use the proceeds of the aggregate of the Private Placement for work on its exploration portfolio, working capital purposes, investment in Innord and the separation technology and completion of the Montviel Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA").

Each unit consisted of one common share (a "Common Share") and one-half of one share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one additional common share at a price of $0.09 per share for a period of twenty-four (24) months from February 22, 2016 (the "Closing date").

The Common Shares and Warrants acquired by the subscribers are subject to a hold period of four months plus one day from the closing date, ending on June 23, 2016, except as permitted by applicable securities legislation and the rules of TSX Venture Exchange.

Nexolia has indicated that, upon closing of this acquisition, Nexolia will own 7,142,857 Common Shares and 3,571,428 Warrants of GeoMegA, or approximately 9.2% of GeoMegA's then issued and outstanding Common Shares making it the largest current shareholder of the Company. Nexolia has further indicated that it has acquired these 7,142,857 common shares of GeoMegA for investment purposes only and, other than these Common Shares and Warrants, Nexolia has no current intention to increase its beneficial ownership of, or control or direction over, additional securities of GeoMegA.

About GeoMegA (www.geomega.ca)

GeoMegA is a mineral exploration and evaluation company focused on the discovery and sustainable development of economic deposits of metals in Quebec. GeoMegA is committed to meeting the Canadian mining industry standards and distinguishing itself with innovative engineering, stakeholders' engagement and dedication to local transformation benefits.

About Nexolia Investments Inc.

Nexolia Investments Inc. is a private company focused on investing in natural resources, renewable energy and other projects that could result in a sustainable economic development and job creation, provide services and resources to northern communities while operating in a transparent and respectful manner towards the communities and the environment in which it operates.

About Innord Inc.

GeoMegA transferred its proprietary separation process rights and laboratory equipment into Innord Inc., a wholly owned private subsidiary (see March 2, 2015 news release). The goal of Innord Inc. is to optimize the value of the proprietary separation process by facilitating its development through direct investments of key financial partners. Innord inc. holds all rights in the physical REE separation process based on electrophoresis. Electrophoresis is the migration of charged species (ions, proteins, particles) in solution in the presence of an electric field. Innord has filed patents in Canada and the United States to protect its novel separation process and is looking to file in other jurisdictions.

About the Montviel REE and niobium project

Montviel is located approximately 100 km north of Lebel-sur-Quevillon and 45 km west of the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi in the urbanized southern part of Northern Quebec. Montviel benefits from permanent road access, public infrastructure and skilled labour in the immediate project area.

GeoMegA currently has 77,433,712 common shares issued and outstanding.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding our intentions and plans. The forward-looking statements that are contained in this news release are based on various assumptions and estimates by the Company and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from results forecasted or suggested in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We caution you that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, as discussed in the Company's filings with Canadian securities agencies. Various factors may prevent or delay our plans, including but not limited to, contractor availability and performance, weather, access, mineral prices, success and failure of the exploration and development carried out at various stages of the program, and general business, economic, competitive, political and social conditions. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward- looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Kiril Mugerman

President and CEO

GeoMegA Resources Inc.

450-465-0099 ext. 3

kmugerman@geomega.ca




ANDOVER, Massachusetts, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedics, Inc., the global leader in portable ex-vivo warm perfusion of donor organs for transplantation, announces the world's first human liver transplantation using the OCS' Liver technology and the initiation of the OCS' Liver PROTECT Pivotal Trial.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160222/335964

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130425/NE01744LOGO-b

The transplant procedure was performed by Dr. James F. Markmann, Chief of Transplant Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Markmann is a principal investigator and Chairman of the Steering Committee for the PROTECT Trial. "It is our hope that the ability to preserve a liver in the manner offered by the OCS technology will save lives by making the livers we use function better and by making more organs available for transplantation," said Dr. Markmann.

The OCS' Liver PROTECT Trial is the first multi-center, randomized clinical trial in the United States for warm liver perfusion for transplantation. It is designed to assess the impact of warm oxygenated perfusion of standard and expanded-criteria donor livers on post-transplant clinical outcomes as compared to cold storage. The trial will be conducted at a network of up to 20 major liver transplant centers in the U.S.

"This is a significant milestone for TransMedics, as it represents the introduction of our third product platform (in addition to our OCS' Lung and OCS'Heart platforms), and significantly expands our overall addressable market potential. It solidifies our market leadership position given that OCS is the only multi-organ platform in the market world-wide," said Dr. Waleed Hassanein, President and CEO of TransMedics. "We are committed to continuing to drive medical innovation to make organ transplantation more successful and available for end-stage organ failure patients globally," said Dr. Hassanein.

About TransMedics, Inc.

TransMedics Inc. is the world's leader in portable ex-vivo warm perfusion and assessment of donor organs for transplantation. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, the company was founded to address the unmet need for more and better organs for transplantation. For more information, please visit: www.TransMedics.com.
Novartis International AG / Novartis shareholders approve all resolutions proposed by Board of Directors . Processed and transmitted by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Shareholders approve 19 th consecutive dividend increase to CHF 2.70 (+4%) per share for 2015



Dr. Joerg Reinhardt confirmed by shareholders as Chairman of the Novartis Board of Directors as well as all other members who have stood for re-election; Ton Buechner and Elizabeth Doherty elected as new members of the Board



Shareholders authorize the Board of Directors to execute share buybacks within the framework of a seventh share repurchase program that will allow Novartis to repurchase shares for cancellation up to a maximum of CHF 10 billion



Shareholders approve all other proposals of the Board of Directors, including the 2015 compensation report as well as future Board and Executive Committee compensation

Basel, February 23, 2016 - More than 97% of Novartis shareholders today followed the Board of Directors' recommendations for all proposed resolutions at the Group's Annual General Meeting. A total of 1,776 shareholders were present at the meeting held in Basel, representing approximately 61.6% of the issued shares of Novartis.

Shareholders approved the nineteenth consecutive dividend increase per share since the creation of Novartis in 1996, with an increase of 4% to CHF 2.70 for 2015 compared to CHF 2.60 for 2014. Payment for the 2015 dividend will be made with effect from February 29, 2016.

Votes on Compensation for the Members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee

Shareholders approved in two separate binding votes the total maximum amount of compensation for the members of the Board of Directors covering the period from the 2016 AGM to the 2017 AGM and the total maximum amount of compensation in respect of 2017 for the members of the Executive Committee. Furthermore, shareholders endorsed in an advisory vote the 2015 Compensation Report.

Annual re-election and election of Members of the Board

A large majority of shareholders re-elected Dr. Joerg Reinhardt as Chairman of the Board of Directors and each member of the Board of Directors who stood for re-election for one year. Further, shareholders elected Ton Buechner and Elizabeth Doherty as new members of the Board of Directors. Dr. Verena Briner decided not to stand for re-election. The Board of Directors thanks her for her services and commitment to Novartis as a Director and member of the Board of Director's Risk Committee.

In addition, shareholders re-elected the following members of the Board of Directors to the Compensation Committee for one year: Srikant Datar, Ph.D., Ann Fudge, Enrico Vanni, Ph.D. and William T. Winters. The Committee will be chaired by Enrico Vanni and each member will serve until the end of the next Annual General Meeting.

Furthermore, in line with the Board of Director's recommendation, shareholders also approved the cancelation of 49,878,180 shares repurchased on the second trading line under the sixth share repurchase program in the financial year 2015 and to reduce the share capital accordingly by CHF 24,939,090, from CHF 1,338,496,500 to CHF 1,313,557,410.

For a detailed listing of all resolutions presented at the 2016 Annual General Meeting, please visit: https://www.novartis.com/sites/www.novartis.com/files/2016-novartis-agm-notice.pdf (https://www.novartis.com/sites/www.novartis.com/files/2016-novartis-agm-notice.pdf)

Disclaimer

The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "authorize," "will," "recommendations," "advisory," "recommendation," or similar expressions, or by express or implied discussions regarding the potential future impact on Novartis of the matters described in this release, including matters involving the seventh share repurchase program and involving compensation of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of management regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee as to the ultimate outcome of the matters described in this release. In particular, management's expectations regarding these matters could be affected by, among other things, unexpected impacts of these matters on Novartis, including on its management and on its financial results; the potential impact of these matters on the competitiveness of Novartis or competition in general; the public reaction to these matters; the impact that the foregoing factors could have on the values attributed to the Novartis Group's assets and liabilities as recorded in the Group's consolidated balance sheet, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care and cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2015, the Group achieved net sales of USD 49.4 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 8.9 billion (USD 8.7 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 119,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are available in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com (http://www.novartis.com).

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis (http://twitter.com/novartis).

Novartis Media Relations

Central media line : +41 61 324 2200 Eric Althoff

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Novartis Investor Relations

Central phone: +41 61 324 7944 North America:  Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 Richard Pulik +1 212 830 2448 Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065 Sloan Pavsner +1 212 830 2417 Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425   Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188       e-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com (mailto:investor.relations@novartis.com) e-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com (mailto:investor.relations@novartis.com)





Media release (PDF) (http://hugin.info/134323/R/1988528/730102.pdf)


OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Federal public service professionals are taking their message of revitalizing federal science, ensuring tax fairness, and reining in outsourcing directly to Members of Parliament (MPs) in a series of one-on-one meetings being held today.

"The new majority government has indicated a far greater willingness to listen to public service professionals than the previous government," said PIPSC President Debi Daviau. "Along with opposition MPs and other Canadians, we want to ensure that our concerns continue to be heard, especially in the area of promoting evidence-based public policy. This is especially important to protecting scientific integrity, ensuring tax fairness and retaining professional expertise within the public service."

"We feel very strongly that the best way to ensure federal scientists aren't muzzled by governments in the future is to have the right of scientists to speak recognized in our collective agreements. That would ensure there exists a proper, binding process to deal with complaints and concerns that arise in the future. Science should never be silenced again," added Daviau.

"There is also an estimated $7.8 billion in uncollected taxes currently sitting in offshore tax havens," said Daviau, "yet how many MPs or other Canadians know that the costs of recovering those taxes are a mere fraction of what is owed? To a government embarking on major infrastructure spending, we think this is important to know - to say nothing of vital to efforts at ensuring the fairness of the tax system."

PIPSC members are also raising the alarm about the government's growing over-reliance on outsourcing, which circumvents federal employment standards of merit-based hiring, bilingualism, and inclusiveness. The federal government currently spends on outsourcing more than the budgets of Statistics Canada, Health Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada, the National Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission combined.

The concerns raised individually by PIPSC members in their meetings today also form the basis of the Institute's pre-budget submission to members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada represents some 55,000 public-sector scientists and other

professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government.

Contacts:

Johanne Fillion

(613) 228-6310 ext 2303

(613) 883-4900 (cell)




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Gold Standard Ventures Corp. (TSX VENTURE: GSV)(NYSE MKT: GSV) ("Gold Standard" or the "Company) today announced plans for the 2016 exploration program on its 100%-owned/controlled Railroad-Pinion Project on Nevada's Carlin Trend. The program is expected to cost $13.4 million USD and will include approximately 43,000 m of reverse-circulation (RC) and core drilling in a total of 100 holes with the majority of the drilling focused at the Dark Star and Pinion oxide gold deposits.

The program is designed to aggressively follow-up on 2015 drill results at the North Dark Star oxide gold discovery, expand known resources at Dark Star and Pinion, and test new high-value targets at North Bullion and Bald Mountain.

Jonathan Awde, CEO and Director of Gold Standard commented: "The Company is in a strong position financially with no debt and a treasury with over $40 million CAD as a result of recent investments from OceanaGold and Goldcorp. These recent corporate investments are appreciated by the company and a great compliment to the technical work and success we have been able to do in one of the most prolific gold belts in the world. Its going to be a very exciting year for our investors as we undertake aggressive exploration programs in the coming months."

Key Highlights of the Planned 2016 program include:

Exploration Program

Dark Star

-- At the North Dark Star discovery, located north of the Dark Star maiden resource, complete about 10,300 m of RC and core drilling in 22 holes to expand areas of known shallow oxide gold mineralization north and south of DS15-13. Gold mineralization is hosted in favorable carbonate rocks- bioclastic limestone, silty limestone and calcareous sandstone within a coarse conglomerate debris flow unit. This Pennsylvanian-Permian unit also hosts the main Dark Star deposit to the south, and represents a new, unconventional host rock on the Carlin Trend. -- Within the 6 km-long Dark Star Structural Corridor, complete about 10,100 m of RC drilling in 22 holes to test new targets south of the Dark Star maiden resource. The Dark Star Structural Corridor is a north- trending horst defined by gravity, CSAMT, geologic mapping, and soil sampling. The corridor is largely untested by drilling. -- As background, the maiden Dark Star NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate was completed last year by APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, Canada and included an Inferred Mineral Resource of 23.11 million tonnes grading 0.51 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), totaling 375,000 ounces of gold using a cut-off of 0.14 g Au/t (see March 3, 2015 news release). This oxide resource is open in multiple directions. The North Dark Star discovery was made in late 2015. Three holes (DS15-10, -11 and -13) completed 515m north of the maiden resource returned multiple, significant oxidized intercepts containing gold values above the cut-off grade of 0.14 g Au/t. Core hole DS15-13 intersected 15.4 meters of 1.85 grams gold per tonne (g Au/t) and 97.0 meters of 1.61 g Au/t (see January 21, 2016 news release). North Dark Star remains open in multiple directions.

Pinion

-- At Northwest Pinion, complete about 5,700 m of RC drilling to extend known oxide mineralization along the South Fault Corridor, an important control on gold mineralization at Pinion. -- At the new Sentinel Breccia target, 12 RC holes (about 3,700 m) will test for bedrock extensions to gold mineralization identified by surface rock samples. This undrilled target is a hematitic, silicified multi- lithic breccia within the footwall of the north-striking Bullion Fault Zone, located 350m north of Pinion. At a 0.14 g Au/t cutoff, continuous rock chip channel samples returned seven significant weight-averaged, composite intervals that included 27.4m of 0.35 g Au/t and 12.2m of 0.46 g Au/t (see news release dated January 25, 2016). -- At the new Irene target, 2.4 km northwest of the Pinion resource, complete approximately 1,800 m of RC drilling. Irene is located along the projection of the South Fault Corridor, an important control on gold mineralization at Pinion. At this location, north and northwest-trending gold-in-soil (values ranging from less than 1 to 325 ppb) and arsenic- in-soil (values ranging from 10 to 2670 ppm) anomalies are coincident with silicified, quartz-and-barite-veined breccias in the Chainman Formation above the favorable breccia host horizon at the top of Devil's Gate Limestone (see March 25, 2015 news release). -- At the NW Main Zone, Far Northwest and South Pinion targets, complete about 3,000 m of RC drilling to extend areas of known oxide mineralization outward from the Pinion resource.

North Bullion

-- Drill nine holes (approximately 4,800 m) to extend areas of west- northwest and north-trending, high-grade gold mineralization in the Lower Breccia Zone and test new targets recognized in multiple data sets including grade x thickness contours, structure contours, gravity and CSAMT.

Bald Mountain

-- On the northern flank of the Bullion Stock target, drill up to eight RC holes (about 3,600 m) to test new oxide gold targets developed within a 4 km-long west-northwest-striking dike-filled corridor. In 2013, core hole RRB13-01 intersected 56.1m of 1.47 g Au/t including 7.3m of 5.66 g Au/t in oxidized, multi-lithic collapse breccia (mlbx) developed along the contact between the Tripon Pass Formation and the underlying Devils Gate Limestone (see news release dated October 2, 2013). The Bald Mountain mineralization occurs in the same stratigraphic position as mlbx hosted gold at Pinion and North Bullion.

Pre-Development Program

-- Gold Standard will also initiate permitting, metallurgical and economic studies to move Pinion and Dark Star toward development.

Mac Jackson, Gold Standard's Vice President of Exploration stated: "With the recent strategic financings, we are in a great position to build on the North Dark Star discovery and aggressively explore other high quality targets at Railroad-Pinion. There is a consistent history of the growth of deposits and districts on the Carlin Trend. We are still in the early stages of exploring the Railroad-Pinion-Dark Star district. This year, we expect to add significant additional resources and move our existing deposits closer to production. With the budget we have been given and the opportunities before us, we also believe we could make another major discovery in this program."

Sampling Methodology, Chain of Custody, Quality Control and Quality Assurance:

All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the Company's project geologists and the chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility was continuously monitored. A blank or certified reference material was inserted approximately every tenth sample. Dark Star samples were delivered to Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories preparation facility in Elko, NV. The samples are crushed, pulverized and sample pulps are shipped to Bureau Veritas certified laboratory in Sparks, NV or Vancouver, BC. Pulps are digested and analyzed for gold using fire assay fusion and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish on a 30 gram split. Pinion, North Bullion and Bald Mountain samples were delivered to ALS Minerals preparation facility in Elko, NV. The samples are crushed, pulverized and sample pulps are shipped to ALS Minerals certified laboratory in Vancouver. Pulps are digested and analyzed for gold using fire assay fusion and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish on a 30 gram split. All other elements are determined by ICP analysis. Data verification of the analytical results includes a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to insure accurate and verifiable results.

The scientific and technical content and interpretations contained in this news release have been reviewed, verified and approved by Steven R. Koehler, Gold Standard's Manager of Projects, BSc. Geology and CPG-10216, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

ABOUT GOLD STANDARD VENTURES - Gold Standard is an advanced stage gold exploration company focused on district scale discoveries on its Railroad-Pinion Gold Project, located within the prolific Carlin Trend. The 2014 Pinion and Dark Star gold deposit acquisitions offer Gold Standard a potential near-term development option and further consolidates the Company's premier land package on the Carlin Trend. The Pinion deposit now has an NI43-101 compliant resource estimate consisting of an Indicated Mineral Resource of 20.84 million tonnes grading 0.63 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), totaling 423,000 ounces of gold and an Inferred Resource of 55.93 million tonnes grading 0.57 g/t Au, totaling 1,022,000 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g/t Au (announced September 10, 2014). The Dark Star deposit, 2.1 km to the east of Pinion, has a NI43-101 compliant resource estimate consisting of an Inferred Resource of 23.11 million tonnes grading 0.51 g/t Au, totaling 375,000 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g/t Au (announced March 3, 2015). The 2014 and 2015 definition and expansion of these two shallow, oxide deposits demonstrates their growth potential.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) nor the NYSE MKT accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements about our proposed exploration programs are forward looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Risk factors affecting the Company include, among others: the results from our exploration programs, global financial conditions and volatility of capital markets, uncertainty regarding the availability of additional capital, fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) and with the SEC on EDGAR (available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

CAUTIONARY NOTE FOR U.S. INVESTORS REGARDING RESERVE AND RESOURCE ESTIMATES

All resource estimates reported by the Company were calculated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Classification system. These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for descriptions of mineral properties in SEC Industry Guide 7 under Regulation S-K of the U. S. Securities Act of 1933. In particular, under U. S. standards, mineral resources may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. Accordingly, information in this press release containing descriptions of the Company's mineral properties may not be comparable to similar information made public by US public reporting companies.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Gold Standard,

Jonathan Awde, President and Director

Contacts:

Gold Standard Ventures Corp.

Jonathan Awde

President

604-669-5702

info@goldstandardv.com

www.goldstandardv.com




KOLWEZI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) Executive Chairman Robert Friedland and Chief Executive Officer Lars-Eric Johansson today welcomed the positive findings of an independent pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the first phase of development of the Kamoa Copper Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Kamoa Copper Project - a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. - has been independently ranked as the world's largest, undeveloped, high-grade copper discovery by international mining consultant Wood Mackenzie.

The Kamoa 2016 PFS was independently prepared by OreWin Pty Ltd., Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services Inc. and SRK Consulting Inc. The report reflects the initial phase of project development and describes the construction and operation of a three-million-tonne-per-annum (Mtpa) underground mine, concentrator processing facility and associated infrastructure. The first phase of mining would target high-grade copper mineralization from shallow, underground resources to yield a high-value concentrate. The planned second phase would entail a major expansion of the mine and mill, and construction of a smelter to produce blister copper.

The Kamoa 2016 PFS includes an economic analysis that is based on Probable Mineral Reserves. A NI 43-101 technical report will be filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on Ivanhoe Mines' website at www.ivanhoemines.com within 45 days of the issuance of this news release.

Highlights of the Kamoa 2016 PFS:

- Annual mine production of 3 Mtpa at an average grade of 3.86% copper over a 24-year mine life, resulting in annual copper production of approximately 100,000 tonnes. - Initial capital cost, including contingency, is US$1.2 billion, approximately US$200 million lower than estimated in the Kamoa 2013 PEA. - Life-of-mine average mine-site cash cost is US$0.75/lb of copper. - After-tax net present value (NPV) at an 8% discount rate of US$986 million. - After-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 17.2% and a payback period of 4.6 years. - High-grade copper concentrate with an average grade of 39.2% copper and very low arsenic levels. - Improvements to the mining method have the potential to reduce average mine site cash cost during the first phase to US$0.61/lb of copper, and improve the after-tax NPV at an 8% discount rate to US$1.182 billion, the IRR to 18.9% and the payback period to 4.3 years.

"The results of this independent pre-feasibility study confirm the robustness of the Kamoa Copper Project over a wide range of copper prices, with the potential for significant improvement in the results as we move forward on the Feasibility Study," said Mr. Friedland.

"We know of no other copper project in the world that offers the potential of multi-decade, large-scale, mechanized production from a near surface, stratiform deposit grading nearly 4% copper, with the demonstrated potential for further high-grade discoveries nearby, and located close to a major mining centre.

"With the support of our partners -- including our joint-venture partner, Zijin Mining, our employees, local entrepreneurs and community members, and the DRC government -- we are looking forward to building a major new, safe, mechanized copper mine on the western edge of the DRC's famous Copperbelt."

The Kamoa 2016 PFS has identified several areas for further evaluation to optimize the project's economics, including:

- The use of controlled convergence room-and-pillar mining, which has been successfully used by KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. (KGHM) at its copper- mining operations in Poland for the past 20 years. Based on detailed analysis by KGHM Cuprum R&D Centre Ltd., this mining method appears to be well suited to the Kamoa deposit and, if implemented, potentially could provide significant cost savings as there would be no requirement for cemented backfill and ore extraction ratios would increase. - Increased production up to 4 Mtpa from the proposed initial mining area, with only limited adjustments to the ore-handling and ventilation systems, thereby resulting in a more efficient use of capital.

Kamoa 2016 PFS Results

The base case described in the PFS is the construction and operation of an underground mine, concentrator processing facility and associated infrastructure. The base-case mining rate and concentrator feed capacity is 3 Mtpa. The life-of-mine production scenario schedules 71.9 million tonnes at an average grade of 3.86% copper over 24 years, producing 6.1 million tonnes of copper concentrate, containing approximately 5.3 billion pounds of copper.

The economic analysis used a long-term price assumption of US$3.00/lb of copper and returns an after-tax NPV at an 8% discount rate of US$986 million. It has an after-tax IRR of 17.2% and a payback period of 4.6 years.

The initial capital cost, including contingency, is US$1.2 billion. The initial capital cost includes a US$104 million advance payment to the DRC state-owned electricity company, SNEL, to upgrade two hydro power plants (Koni and Mwadingusha) to provide Kamoa with access to clean electricity during the initial phase of operations. The upgrading work is being led by Stucky Ltd., of Switzerland, and the advance payment is expected to be recovered through a reduction in the power tariff once Kamoa is in operation. The life-of-mine average mine site cash cost is US$0.75/lb of copper. Key results of the PFS are summarized in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1 PFS Results Summary

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Item Unit Total ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ore Processed (Life of Mine) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quantity Ore Treated kilotonne (kt) 71,893 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Feed Grade % 3.86 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Concentrate Produced (Life of Mine) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Concentrate Produced kt (dry) 6,106 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Recovery % 86.36 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Concentrate Grade % 39.20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contained Metal in Concentrate million pounds (Mlb) 5,277 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contained Metal in Concentrate kt 2,394 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key Financial Results ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Initial Capital US$M 1,213 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mine-Site Cash Cost US$/lb Payable Cu 0.75 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Cash Cost US$/lb Payable Cu 1.48 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Site Operating Costs US$/t ore 53.22 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After-Tax NPV8% US$M 986 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After-Tax IRR % 17.2% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Project Payback Period Years 4.6 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table 1.2 summarizes the financial results and Table 1.3 summarizes mine production and processing statistics.

Table 1.2 Financial Results

------------------------------ Before After Taxation Taxation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net Present Value (US$M) Undiscounted 5,791 4,096 --------------------------------------------- 4.0% 2,979 2,036 --------------------------------------------- 6.0% 2,152 1,429 --------------------------------------------- 8.0% 1,549 986 --------------------------------------------- 10.0% 1,104 657 --------------------------------------------- 12.0% 768 409 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRR - 20.7% 17.2% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Project Payback (years) - 4.1 4.6 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table 1.3 Mine Production and Processing Statistics

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Years Years LOM Item Unit LOM 1-5 6-10 AVG ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ore Processed ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quantity Ore Treated kt 71,893 2,934 3,008 2,996 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Feed Grade % 3.86 4.35 4.08 3.86 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Concentrate Produced ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Concentrate Produced kt (dry) 6,106 283 271 254 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Recovery % 86.36 87.06 86.68 86.36 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Concentrate Grade % 39.20 39.20 39.20 39.20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contained Metal in Concentrate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper kt 2,394 111 106 100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Mlb 5,277 245 234 220 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Payable Metal ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper kt 2,314 107 103 96 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Mlb 5,102 237 227 213 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Figures 1.1 and 1.2 depict the processing, concentrate and metal production, respectively.

To view Figure 1.1 Processing Production, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1044079-F1_1.pdf

To view Figure 1.2 Concentrate and Metal Production, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1044079-F1_2.pdf

To view Figure 1.3 Copper Equivalent Production for Highly-Probable Copper Projects Currently Under Construction, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1044079-F1_3.pdf

Table 1.4 summarizes unit operating costs and Table 1.5 provides a breakdown of revenue and operating costs. The capital costs for the project are detailed in Table 1.6.

Table 1.4 Unit Operating Costs

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- US$/lb Payable Copper --------------------------------------------- LOM AVG Years 1-5 Years 6-10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mine Site 0.75 0.55 0.75 Transport 0.41 0.43 0.40 Treatment & Refining Charges 0.18 0.18 0.18 Royalties & Export Tax 0.15 0.11 0.16 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total C1 Cash Cost 1.48 1.27 1.48 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table 1.5 Revenue and Operating Costs

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Description TOTAL LOM YEARS 1-5 YEARS 6-10 LOM AVG ------------------------------------------------ US$M US$/t Ore Milled ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- REVENUE Copper in Concentrate 15,305 242 226 213 REALIZATION COSTS Transport 2,082 35 30 29 Treatment & Refining 911 14 13 13 Royalties & Export Tax 748 9 12 10 Total Realization Costs 3,741 58 56 52 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net Sales Revenue 11,565 184 170 161 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SITE OPERATING COSTS Underground Mining 2,453 25 37 34 Processing 886 12 12 12 Tailings 25 0 0 0 General & Administration 511 8 7 7 SNEL Discount -109 -2 -2 -2 Customs 60 1 1 1 Total Site Operating Costs 3,826 45 56 53 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating Margin 7,738 140 114 108 Operating Margin 66.9% 75.8% 67.0% 66.9% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table 1.6 Capital Investment Summary

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Description Initial Capital Sustaining Total -------------------------------------- US$M US$M US$M ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MINING Underground Mining 508 499 1,007 Subtotal 508 499 1,007 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- POWER Power Infrastructure On Site 19 4 23 Power Supply Off Site 104 - 141 Subtotal 160 4 164 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONCENTRATE & TAILINGS Process Plant 160 8 167 Tailings 23 62 84 Subtotal 182 69 252 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INFRASTRUCTURE Plant Infrastructure 18 4 23 Other Infrastructure 8 2 10 Owners Camp 10 2 12 Contractors Camp 23 5 28 Subtotal 59 14 73 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INDIRECTS Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management 58 - 58 Subtotal 58 - 58 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- OWNERS COST Owners Cost 95 - 95 Closure - 67 67 Subtotal 95 67 162 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Capital Expenditure before Contingency 1,025 655 1,679 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contingency 189 44 233 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Capital Expenditure after Contingency 1,213 699 1,912 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To view Figure 1.4 Capital Intensity for Highly-Probable Copper Projects Currently Under Construction, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1044079-F1_4.pdf

The cash flow sensitivity to metal price variation is shown in Table 1.7 for copper prices from US$2.00/lb to US$4.00/lb.

The sensitivity of after-tax NPV to initial capital cost, direct operating costs, transport and copper feed grade is shown in Table 1.8. The table shows the impact on the base case after-tax NPV8% of US$986M.

Table 1.7 Copper Price Sensitivity

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After Tax NPV (US$M) Copper Price - US$/lb ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Discount Rate 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Undiscounted 613 2,364 4,096 5,828 7,560 4.0% -20 1,020 2,036 3,050 4,063 6.0% -206 624 1,429 2,230 3,030 8.0% -340 336 986 1,632 2,276 10.0% -438 123 657 1,187 1,714 12.0% -508 -36 409 851 1,289 15.0% -579 -206 142 486 827 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRR 3.8% 11.5% 17.2% 22.2% 26.6% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table 1.8 Additional Sensitivities

------------------------------------ Change from Base NPV8% (US$M) ---------------------------------------- Variable Units Base Value -25.0% -10.0% - 10.0% 25.0% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Initial Capital US$M 1,213 1,252 1,092 986 879 720 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Direct operating costs per tonne of ore milled US$/t 53 1,215 1,077 986 894 757 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transport costs per tonne of concentrate US$/t 356 / 300 1,122 1,040 986 931 849 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper feed grade % Cu 3.86% 175 662 986 1,308 1,794 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To view Figure 1.5 Cumulative Cash Flow, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1044079-F1_5.pdf

Kamoa Copper Project Description

The Kamoa Copper Project is a very large, stratiform copper deposit with adjacent prospective exploration areas within the Central African Copperbelt, approximately 25 kilometres west of the town of Kolwezi and about 270 kilometres west of Lubumbashi. The Kamoa copper deposit was discovered by Ivanhoe Mines in 2008.

In August 2012, the DRC government granted mining licences to Ivanhoe Mines for the Kamoa Copper Project that cover a total of 400 square kilometres. The licences are valid for 30 years and can be renewed at 15-year intervals. Mine development work at the Kamoa Copper Project began in July 2014 with construction of a box cut for the decline ramps that will provide underground access to the initial high-grade mining area in Kansoko Sud.

Ivanhoe Mines owns a 49.5% interest in Kamoa Holding Limited (Kamoa Holding), an Ivanhoe affiliate that presently owns 95%, on an indirect basis, of the Kamoa Copper Project. Zijin Mining owns a 49.5% interest in Kamoa Holding, which it acquired from Ivanhoe in December 2015 for an aggregate cash consideration of US$412 million. The remaining 1% interest in Kamoa Holding is held by privately-owned Crystal River Global Limited.

A 5%, non-dilutable interest in Kamoa Copper SA, the affiliate that owns the Kamoa Copper Project, was transferred to the DRC government on September 11, 2012, for no consideration, in accordance with the DRC Mining Code. Ivanhoe also has offered to transfer an additional 15% interest to the DRC government on terms to be negotiated. Constructive and cordial negotiations between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin and senior DRC government officials have been continuing in this regard.

On January 25, 2016, Ivanhoe announced that the Kamoa exploration team made a major new high-grade and flat-lying stratiform copper discovery, named Kakula, located approximately five kilometres southwest of Kamoa's currently defined resources. The Kakula Discovery is situated within the 400-square-kilometre Kamoa Mining Licence area and represents a major extension of the Kamoa copper deposit, which the company discovered in 2008. Two exploration drill holes completed in late 2015 in the Kakula exploration area - DD996 and DD997 - rank among the highest-grade and highest-grade-thickness intersections drilled to date within the Kamoa Mining Licence area. The Kakula Discovery is not included in the economic analysis of the Kamoa 2016 PFS. Additional details of the Kakula Discovery can be found in Ivanhoe's January 25, 2016 news release available at www.ivanhoemines.com.

To view Photo 1, Box cut (portal) at Kamoa's initial high-grade mining area - Kansoko Sud, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1044079-B1.pdf

To view Figure 1.6 Kamoa Project map showing the Indicated and Inferred Resource areas, the initial mining area at Kansoko Sud, and the Kakula exploration area, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1044079-F1_6.pdf

Updated Mineral Resource Estimate

The Mineral Resources have been defined taking into account the 2014 CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. Dr. Harry Parker, SME Registered Member, and Gordon Seibel, SME Registered Member, both employees of Amec Foster Wheeler, are the Qualified Persons for the Mineral Resource estimates. The Mineral Resources at the Kamoa Copper Project have an effective date of May 5, 2014.

Table 1.9 Kamoa Project Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources (May 2014)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Category True Contained Contained Tonnage Area Copper Thickness Copper Copper (Mt) (km2) (%) (m) (kt) (billions lbs) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 752 52.4 2.67 5.24 20,110 44.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 190 18.0 2.06 3.85 3,920 8.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Dr. Harry Parker and Gordon Seibel, both RM of SME, are the Qualified Persons for the Mineral Resources, and the effective date of the estimate is May 5, 2014. Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves. 2. Mineral Resources are reported using a total copper (TCu) cut-off grade of 1% TCu and an approximate minimum assumed thickness of 3 metres. There are reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction under assumptions of a copper price of US$3.30/lb; employment of underground mechanized room-and-pillar and drift-and-fill mining methods; and that copper concentrates will be produced and sold to a smelter. 3. Reported Mineral Resources contain no allowances for hangingwall or footwall contact boundary loss and dilution. No mining recovery has been applied. 4. True thickness ranges from 2.0 metres to 17.9 metres for Indicated Mineral Resources and 2.3 metres to 6.6 metres for Inferred Mineral Resources. 5. Depth of mineralization below the surface ranges from 10 metres to 1,320 metres for Indicated Mineral Resources and 20 metres to 1,560 metres for Inferred Mineral Resources. 6. Approximate drill-hole spacings are 800 metres for Inferred Mineral Resources and 400 metres for Indicated Mineral Resources. 7. Tonnage and grade measurements are in metric units. Contained copper tonnes are reported using metric units; contained copper pounds use imperial units. Tonnages are rounded to the nearest million tonnes; grades are rounded to two decimal places. 8. Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tonnes, grade and contained metal content.

Mineral Reserve

The Kamoa 2016 PFS Mineral Reserve has been estimated by Qualified Person Bernard Peters, Technical Director - Mining, OreWin Pty Ltd. using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves to conform to the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The total Mineral Reserve for the Kamoa Project is shown in Table 1.10. The Mineral Reserve is based on the May 2014 Mineral Resource reported in the Kamoa 2016 PFS. The Mineral Reserve is entirely a Probable Mineral Reserve that was converted from Indicated Mineral Resources. The effective date of the Mineral Reserve statement is February 18, 2016.

The production plan defined for the Kamoa 2016 PFS Mineral Reserve represents the first phase of the development plan defined in the Kamoa 2013 PEA. The Kamoa 2013 PEA production scenario assumed that there would be an initial period of concentrate production, followed by an expansion of the mine and concentrator and construction of a smelter.

Table 1.10 Kamoa 2016 PFS Mineral Reserve Statement

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Copper Tonnage Copper (Recovered (Recovered (Mt) (%) Mlb) kt) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proven Mineral Reserve - - - - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Probable Mineral Reserve 71.9 3.86 5,102 2,314 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mineral Reserve 71.9 3.86 5,102 2,314 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The copper price used for calculating the financial analysis is long- term copper at US$3.00/lb. The analysis has been calculated with assumptions for smelter refining and treatment charges, deductions and payment terms, concentrate transport, metallurgical recoveries and royalties. 2. For mine planning, the copper price used to calculate block model Net Smelter Returns was US$3.00/lb. 3. An elevated cut-off grade of US$100.00/t NSR was used to define the stoping blocks. A marginal cut-off grade of 1% copper was used to defined ore and waste. 4. Indicated Mineral Resources were used to report Probable Mineral Reserves. 5. The reference point for the Mineral Reserves is mill feed. 6. The Mineral Reserves reported above are not additive to the Mineral Resources.

The Kamoa 2016 PFS Mineral Reserve ranges between depths of 170 metres and 1,200 metres below surface and the average dip is approximately 16 degrees. Given the favourable mining characteristics of the Kamoa Mineral Resource, it is considered amenable to large-scale, mechanized, room-and-pillar or drift-and-fill (D&F) mining. The dip and geometry of the resource make it conducive to stepped room-and-pillar (SR&P) mining in the shallow portions of the deposit, transitioning to drift-and-fill mining in the deeper sections. The arrangement of the declines at Kansoko Sud and the Mineral Reserve mining areas are shown in Figure 1.8.

To view Figure 1.8 Plan showing the Box Cut (portal), the planned declines at Kansoko Sud, and the Mineral Reserve mining areas, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1044079-F1_8.pdf

Alternative Mining Method

In parallel with the Kamoa 2016 PFS, an alternative mining method - controlled convergence room-and-pillar mining - was investigated for its suitability for use on the Kamoa deposit. Controlled convergence room-and-pillar mining does not require cemented backfill and instead pillars are stripped to allow the controlled convergence of the backs and floors. This potentially could provide significant cost savings as there is no requirement for cemented backfill and the Mineral Reserve extraction ratios are higher. The controlled convergence room-and-pillar mining method has been successfully implemented by KGHM at its copper mining operations in Poland for the past 20 years.

Ivanhoe engaged KGHM Cuprum R&D Centre Ltd. in early 2015 to study the applicability of this method to Kamoa. The results of the study were received toward the end of 2015 and indicate that the Kamoa deposit is suited to the application of the controlled convergence room-and-pillar mining method. The KGHM Cuprum study suggests that with the completion of the primary and secondary mining, the controlled convergence room-and-pillar mining method is capable of extracting 75% to more than 90% of the in-situ Mineral Reserve.

A sensitivity analysis to the base case Kamoa 2016 PFS economic analysis is shown in Table 1.11, where capital and operating costs associated with cemented backfill have been excluded and the in-situ Mineral Reserve extraction ratio has been increased.

Table 1.11 Mining Method Comparison - Overall Results

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Controlled SR&P Convergence and D&F Room-and-Pillar Item Unit (With Fill) (No Fill) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ore Processed PFS Base Case PFS Sensitivity ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quantity Ore Treated kt 71,893 71,893 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Feed Grade % 3.86 3.86 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Concentrate Produced ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Concentrate Produced kt (dry) 6,106 6,106 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Recovery % 86.36 86.36 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper Concentrate Grade % 39.20 39.20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Payable Copper Mlb 5,102 5,102 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key Financial Results ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Initial Capital US$M 1,213 1,155 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mine Site Cash Cost US$/lb Payable Cu 0.75 0.61 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Cash Cost US$/lb Payable Cu 1.48 1.35 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Site Operating Costs US$/t ore 53.22 43.54 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After Tax NPV8% US$M 986 1,182 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After Tax IRR % 17.2% 18.9% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Project Payback Period Years 4.6 4.3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Metallurgical Test Work and Concentrator Design

Between 2010 and 2015, a series of metallurgical test work programs were completed on drill core samples of known Kamoa copper mineralization. These investigations focused on metallurgical characterization and flow-sheet development for the processing of hypogene and supergene copper mineralization.

Bench-scale metallurgical flotation test work carried out at XPS Consulting and Testwork Services laboratories in Falconbridge, Ontario, Canada, has shown positive results. The most recent work was conducted on composite samples of drill core from the Kansoko Sud and Kansoko Centrale areas in the southern part of the Kamoa Mineral Resource area. Two master composite samples were formulated; one representative of the first four to five years of planned mine production, and the second representative of years five to fifteen of mine production. Test work on the master composite representative of the early years of mining, and grading 3.61% copper, produced a copper recovery of 85.4% at a concentrate grade of 37.0% copper. Material from the later years of mining, and grading 3.20% copper, produced a copper recovery of 89.2% at a concentrate grade of 35.0% copper using the same flowsheet.

Average arsenic levels in the concentrate were measured to be approximately 0.02%, which is significantly lower than the limit of 0.5% imposed by Chinese smelters. Very low arsenic levels in concentrate are expected to attract a premium from copper-concentrate traders.

The concentrator design incorporates a run-of-mine stockpile, followed by primary and secondary crushing on surface. The crushed material with a design size distribution of 80% passing (or p80) 9 millimetres (mm), is fed into a two-stage ball milling circuit for further size reduction to a target grind size p80 of 53 micrometres. The milled slurry is subjected to rougher flotation followed by scavenger flotation. The high-grade, or fast-floating rougher concentrate, and medium-grade or slow-floating scavenger concentrate are collected separately. The rougher concentrate is upgraded in two stages of cleaning to produce a high-grade increment to final concentrate. The medium-grade scavenger concentrate and tailings from the two rougher cleaning stages are combined and re-ground to a p80 of 10 micrometres before being cleaned in two stages. The cleaned scavenger concentrate then is combined with the cleaned rougher concentrate to form the final concentrate. The final concentrate is thickened before being pumped to the concentrate filter. Filter cake then is bagged for shipment to market.

Electric Power

Electric power for the Kamoa Copper Project is planned to be sourced from three hydro power plants: Koni, Mwadingusha and Nzilo 1. A financing agreement with SNEL has been finalized for upgrading these plants to secure a long-term, clean, sustainable power supply to meet the requirements of Kamoa's planned mine and smelter development.

The Kamoa 2016 PFS initial capital cost of US$1.2 billion includes a US$104 million advance payment to SNEL to upgrade two of the hydro-power plants, Koni and Mwadingusha, to provide Kamoa with hydro-electric power during the initial phase of operations. The upgrading work is being led by Stucky Ltd. and the advance payment is expected to be recovered through a reduction in the power tariff once Kamoa is in operation. Kamoa initially will be powered by existing capacity on the national grid and on-site diesel generators, until upgrading work on the hydro-power plants has been completed.

Transportation

A phased logistics solution is proposed in the Kamoa 2016 PFS. Initially the corridor between southern DRC and Durban in South Africa is viewed as the most attractive and reliable export route. As soon as the railroad between Kolwezi and Dilolo, a town near the DRC-Angolan border, is rehabilitated, Kamoa's production is expected to be transported by rail to the port of Lobito in Angola.

Qualified persons, Quality Control and Assurance

The following companies have undertaken work in preparation of the Kamoa 2016 PFS:

- OreWin - Overall report preparation, mining, Mineral Reserve estimation and economic analysis. - Amec Foster Wheeler - Mineral Resource estimation, processing and infrastructure. - SRK Consulting - Mine geotechnical recommendations.

The independent Qualified Persons responsible for preparing the Kamoa 2016 PFS, on which the technical report will be based include Bernard Peters (OreWin); Dr. Harry Parker (Amec Foster Wheeler); Gordon Seibel (Amec Foster Wheeler); Dean David (Amec Foster Wheeler); and William Joughin (SRK). Each Qualified Person has reviewed and approved the information in this news release relevant to the portion of the Kamoa 2016 PFS for which they are responsible.

Other scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Stephen Torr, P.Geo., Ivanhoe Mines' Vice President, Project Geology and Evaluation, a Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Torr has verified the technical data disclosed in this news release.

Ivanhoe Mines maintains a comprehensive chain of custody and QA-QC program on assays from its Kamoa Copper Project. Half-sawn core is processed at its on-site preparation laboratory in Kamoa, prepared samples then are shipped by secure courier to Bureau Veritas Minerals (BVM) Laboratories in Australia, an ISO17025 accredited facility. Copper assays are determined at BVM by mixed-acid digestion with ICP finish. Industry-standard certified reference materials and blanks are inserted into the sample stream prior to dispatch to BVM. For detailed information about assay methods and data verification measures used to support the scientific and technical information, please refer to the current technical report on the Kamoa Copper Project on the SEDAR profile of Ivanhoe Mines at www.sedar.com.

Ivanhoe Mines will be filing a current NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Kamoa Copper Project within 45 days of this news release.

Data Verification

Amec Foster Wheeler reviewed the sample chain of custody, quality assurance and control procedures, and qualifications of analytical laboratories. Amec Foster Wheeler is of the opinion that the procedures and QA/QC control are acceptable to support Mineral Resource estimation. Amec Foster Wheeler also audited the assay database, core logging, and geological interpretations on a number of occasions between 2009 and 2015, and has found no material issues with the data as a result of these audits.

In the opinion of the Amec Foster Wheeler Qualified Persons, the data verification programs undertaken on the data collected from the Project support the geological interpretations. The analytical and database quality and the data collected can support Mineral Resource estimation.

About Ivanhoe Mines

Ivanhoe Mines is advancing and developing its three principal projects:

- The Kamoa Copper Discovery in a previously unknown extension of the Central African Copperbelt in the DRC's Lualaba Province. - The Platreef Discovery of platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, gold and rhodium on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa. - The historic, high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper mine, also on the Copperbelt in the DRC.

Cautionary statement on forward-looking information

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including without limitation, the timing and results of: (i) the timing and terms of transfer of an additional 15% interest in the Kamoa Copper Project to the DRC government; (ii) all of the results of the pre-feasibility study; (iii) the use of the alternative controlled convergence room-and-pillar mining method; (iv) increased production in subsequent phases of up to 4 Mtpa; (v) the expectation that concentrate with very low arsenic levels to attract a premium from traders; (vi) the expectation that Kamoa's production is to be transported by rail to the port of Lobito once the the railroad between Kolwezi and Dilolo is rehabilitated; (vii) the expectation that the advance payment to SNEL will be recovered through a reduction in the power tariff once Kamoa is in operation; and (viii) the delineation of a mineral resource at the Kakula exploration target. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.

As well, all of the results of the pre-feasibility study of the Kamoa Project constitute forward-looking information, including estimates of internal rates of return (including an after tax internal rate of return of 17.2% with a payback period of 4.6 years), net present value (including a project NPV of US$986 million at an 8% discount rate), future production (including an annual production rate of 100,000 tonnes of copper in the first phase of development), estimates of cash cost (including mine site cash cost of US$0.75/lb and C1 cash cost per pound of US$1.48), assumed long term price for copper of US$3.00 per pound, proposed mining plans and methods (including the potential to use the alternate controlled convergence room-and-pillar mining method, mine life estimates, cash flow forecasts, metal recoveries, and estimates of capital and operating costs (including initial capital costs of US$1.2 billion). Furthermore, with respect to this specific forward-looking information concerning the development of the Kamoa Project, the company has based its assumptions and analysis on certain factors that are inherently uncertain. Uncertainties include among others: (i) the adequacy of infrastructure (including the rehabilitation of the Koni, Mwadingusha and Nzilo 1 hydroelectric power plants); (ii) unforeseen changes in geological characteristics; (iii) metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization; (iv) the ability to develop adequate processing capacity; (v) the price of copper; (vi) the availability of equipment and facilities necessary to complete development; (vii) the cost of consumables and mining and processing equipment; (viii) unforeseen technological and engineering problems; (ix) accidents or acts of sabotage or terrorism; (x) currency fluctuations; (xi) changes in laws or regulations; (xii) the availability and productivity of skilled labour; (xiii) the regulation of the mining industry by various governmental agencies; and (xiv) political factors.

This release also contains references to estimates of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The estimation of Mineral Resources is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation (including estimated future production from the Kamoa Project, the anticipated tonnages and grades that will be mined and the estimated level of recovery that will be realized), which may prove to be unreliable and depend, to a certain extent, upon the analysis of drilling results and statistical inferences that may ultimately prove to be inaccurate. Mineral Resource estimates may have to be re-estimated based on: (i) fluctuations in copper price; (ii) results of drilling, (iii) metallurgical testing and other studies; (iv) proposed mining operations, including dilution; (v) the evaluation of mine plans subsequent to the date of any estimates; and (vi) the possible failure to receive required permits, approvals and licenses. Mineral Reserves are also disclosed in this release. Mineral Reserves are those portions of Mineral Resources that have demonstrated economic viability after taking into account all mining factors. Mineral Reserves may, in the future, cease to be a Mineral Reserve if economic viability can no longer be demonstrated because of, among other things, adverse changes in commodity prices, changes in law or regulation or changes to mine plans.

Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed here, as well as unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social, political or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices (and copper in particular); limitations and availability of capital; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results (including the actual results of drilling and exploration activities), or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release.

The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in the company's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis report and Annual Information Form, available at www.sedar.com.

Contacts:

Ivanhoe Mines - Investors

Bill Trenaman

+1.604.331.9834



Ivanhoe Mines - Media

North America:

Bob Williamson

+1.604.512.4856



South Africa:

Jeremy Michaels

+27.82.939.4812

www.ivanhoemines.com






BASEL (dpa-AFX) - Swiss drug maker Novartis AG (NVS) said its shareholders have approved all resolutions proposed by its board of directors. The company noted that more than 97 percent of Novartis shareholders today followed the board of directors' recommendations for all proposed resolutions at the Group's Annual General Meeting.



The shareholders have approved the nineteenth consecutive dividend increase to 2.70 Swiss franks per share for 2015, an increase of 4 percent.



Further, Dr. Joerg Reinhardt has been confirmed by the company's shareholders as Chairman of the Novartis board of directors as well as all other members who have stood for re-election for one year. Ton Buechner and Elizabeth Doherty have been elected as new members of the Board.



Novartis shareholders have also authorized the board of directors to execute share buybacks within the framework of a seventh share repurchase program that will allow the company to repurchase shares for cancellation up to a maximum of 10 billion Swiss franks.



The shareholders approved the cancellation of 49.88 million shares repurchased on the second trading line under the sixth share repurchase program in the financial year 2015, and to reduce the share capital accordingly by 24.94 million franks from 1.34 billion franks to 1.31 billion franks.



Shareholders have also approved all other proposals of the board, including the 2015 compensation report as well as future Board and Executive Committee compensation.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- In late 2014, the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) and its colleagues from the St. Lawrence Beluga Project relaunched the Adopt a Beluga campaign in an effort to raise funds for St. Lawrence beluga research. Since then, 24 belugas have found sponsors. The latter include Quebec City and Montreal mayors Regis Labeaume and Denis Coderre, respectively, Quebec Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change David Heurtel, Mylene Paquette, Canadian Steamship Lines and several companies within Quebec and throughout Canada.

Creative Initiatives

Soon after the campaign kicked off, a movement of solidarity took root in the cities of Quebec City, Montreal, Levis as well as the municipalities of Tadoussac, Chateauguay, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and Beauharnois for the adoption of a group of 10 belugas by some forty riverside municipalities along the St. Lawrence. "Because we believe in the importance of a healthy St. Lawrence, because belugas are the most eloquent reflection of the St. Lawrence, we enthusiastically support the Adopt a Beluga campaign", declared Mayor Labeaume. Through the contest entitled Our Beluga's Name is..., students from some one hundred elementary school classes across Quebec suggested names for these 10 belugas: Belibec, Splash and company.

The founders of Les Bieres Belugas Ltee introduced a Golden Ale in June in an effort to adopt the beluga AL. Students also teamed up to take part in the movement. "By adopting a beluga, we're not merely protecting a marine animal, but also helping to preserve everything around them", explains Marie-Pier Raymond, who helped spearhead the adoption of DL0217 by students at the Cegep Edouard-Montpetit near Montreal. Other citizens chose to get on board by participating in the collective adoption of the female beluga Athena: Connor Smith-Hott, age 6, contributed a cheque for $50 - the entire content of his piggy bank - when he visited Tadoussac, while Jonah Gapes, 10th grade student from Jonquiere, raised $1,000 all by himself.

Call for an Even Larger Family

During the adoption campaign initiated in 1988, 122 belugas were able to find sponsors. Today, a new family is being formed, and GREMM President and Scientific Director Robert Michaud aspires to see it grow. "Despite the conservation measures taken and the partial protection of its habitat, the St. Lawrence beluga population is declining. We are observing unexplained mortalities in newborns. They need us now more than ever", Mr. Michaud reminds us.

To learn more:

St. Lawrence Beluga Project

Adopt a Beluga campaign

With the Belugas bulletin

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Josiane Cabana

GREMM

418-780-3274




Cima Group, a telecommunications and digital transactions conglomerate, announced today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, that its expansion into new verticals, focusing on the innovation to support the evolution of consumer behavioral trends has produced tangible success with their entry into the healthcare market. Cima Group companies will rapidly pursue e-health, finance, and other verticals.

Cima Group's recent success with adding e-health clients to its portfolio on the Auris platform, marks an important change in direction for the digital conglomerate, as it recognizes the importance of aggregating the right technology to solve market trend challenges.

"The industry and our clients demand change, and we are focusing on growth and evolution," stated Juan Martin Gomez, CEO of Cima Group. "We are developing an expansive portfolio of products that are on the leading edge of tomorrow's technology. This puts Cima Group at the core of the digital economy, and into different segments like finance, healthcare, and the connected home."

It is evident that technology is evolving and becoming more mobile, more agile and more open. It is increasingly relying on being ubiquitously connected, whether through a mobile handset, tablet, or M2M device. Cima Group has created the ecosystem that allows its platform to continue evolving while being at the center of the digital economy through a rich portfolio of APIs.

"We already have a successful ecosystem in place that is integrating one of the world's largest PoS and electronic transaction providers with one of the world's largest MVNOs," explained Conrad D'Souza, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for Cima Group. "This flexibility on our platform provides exceptionally simplistic integration with healthcare, financial markets and other key verticals monetizing the digital economy."

Cima Group is working with a number of start-ups and cutting-edge technology partners that position Cima beyond the core of communications and into PoS, distribution channels, and into its client's homes.

"We envision our technology and capabilities being leveraged into our client's home, car, work place, health care, and buying decisions," added Mr. Gomez.

About Cima Group

Cima Group is committed to delivering simple solutions through reliable technology and innovative services. Cima Group is a global telecommunications and digital solutions provider and integrator since 1981. More info

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223005614/en/

Contacts:

Cima Group

Sara Ajami, 786-991-2000

Marketing Manager

pr@cimagroup.com
CARLSBAD, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- ThreatSTOP, the company that makes threat intelligence actionable in real time, today announced CEO and Founder Tom Byrnes will be moderating a panel of security experts at RSA Conference 2016 titled, "Malware as a Service: Kill the Supply Chain." RSA Conference 2016 will be held February 29 to March 4 at Moscone Center in San Francisco. The panel will take place March 2, at 10:20 am in room 3005.

The distinguished panel will discuss how cybercriminals are essentially business people keenly focused on growing revenue, minimizing costs, innovating and reaching ever growing, larger markets the same way as legitimate businesses. Just like other executives, they have adopted highly effective cloud services and instituted sophisticated business models such as supply chains for malware and services, outsourcing, and affiliate marketing.

By sharing their knowledge and expertise, the panelists will explain how to find the weak points within criminal enterprises and help put them out of business. Unravelling the supply chain may best be accomplished by finding ways to put pressure on customers or users of their services rather than direct attacks on the criminals.

Panelists include Lance James, Chief Scientist, Flashpoint, Marcus Sachs, Chief Security Officer for the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and Johannes Ullrich, Dean of Research for the SANS Technology Institute, responsible for the SANS Internet Storm Center (ISC). Byrnes, who served as senior leadership for three successful security startups, will moderate.

During RSA, Byrnes will also speak at:

AGC Partners 12th Annual West Coast Information Security and Technology Growth Conference, Westin St. Francis in San Francisco on February 29 at 10:15 am.

Cybertech "Securing the Internet of Things" on February 29 at 12:15 pm.





ThreatSTOP will be exhibiting in booth N4714.

About ThreatSTOP

ThreatSTOP is a network security company offering a cloud-based threat protection service that prevents cyberattacks and data theft across multiple network layers (edge routers, firewalls and DNS servers). It can protect any enterprise network, from virtual cloud networks to branch LANs to the largest carrier networks. The ThreatSTOP Shield Platform leverages market-leading threat intelligence to deflect inbound and outbound threats, including DDoS, malware, phishing and ransomware attacks, and prevent data exfiltration and corruption. For more information visit www.threatstop.com.

CONTACTS:

Michael Becce

MRB Public Relations, Inc.

Email Contact

(732) 758-1100 x104



Brigitte Engel

ThreatSTOP

Email Contact

(760) 542-1550 x4394




.PET Public General Availability: February 23, 2016

Afilias, a leading domain registry operator,today announced public availability for the new "dot PET" or .PET top level domain; .PET is now open for everyone! If you are a pet lover, rescuer, or business that offers services or products for pets, then .PET is the best Internet address for you.

The .PET domain is available at: http://get.pet/find-a-domain

In the US alone, the pet industry in 2015 had sales of $61 billion dollars. This includes everything from vet visits to specialized pet-friendly nail polishes. .PET domains instantly convey to pet lovers that a site is all about pets, pet products and/or pet services. .PET is unrestricted, so it's easy to get, easy to remember and ideal for marketing pet related items. Pet industry companies, veterinarians, breeders, animal rescues, pet owners, pet-owner focused markets like pet daycares and resorts will all benefit from the .PET TLD.

"When it comes to rescues, shelters, clubs, associations and pet lovers of all kinds, .PET is the perfect choice of internet address," said Roland LaPlante, chief marketing officer of Afilias. ".PET is designed to help pet lovers more easily find pet-related products and services on the Internet. It even works for sites dedicated to the pet itself (e.g. grumpycat.pet)!"

About Afilias

Afilias is the world's second largest domain registry, with millions of domain names under management. Afilias powers a wide variety of top-level domains, including TLDs for countries, cities, brands, communities and generic terms. Afilias' specialized technology makes Internet addresses more accessible and useful through a broad range of applications, including Internet domain registry services, managed DNS, and mobile Web services. For more information on Afilias services, visit www.afilias.info.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223005416/en/

Contacts:

Afilias

Alan Wallace

215-706-5716

press@afilias.info
NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Ensyn's Chairman, Dr. Robert Graham, has received the 2016 Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in Bioenergy. Dr. Graham was presented the award at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference held in Washington, DC. The award was presented to Dr. Graham by Jim Lane, Editor and Publisher, Biofuels Digest.

Commenting on the award, Jim Lane said, "Bob Graham founded Ensyn in the early 1980s and has led his company over an impressive 32-year career, overseeing both the technical and business elements of the company's development. After successful deployment of Ensyn's RTP technology in several industries, Ensyn is now building-out production capacity for the fuels business. This includes the potentially game-changing Refinery Co-processing application in which Ensyn's biocrude is used by refineries as a renewable feedstock to make lower carbon intensity ASTM specification gasoline and diesel. Dr. Graham is only the third recipient in the history of this award, and we congratulate him on this honor."

About the Holmberg Award for Bioenergy

The Holmberg Award for Bioenergy was established in early 2014 and was named after Lt. Colonel William (Bill) Holmberg. Holmberg had a long and distinguished military career and was the most highly-decorated graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, class of 1951, and so recognized by President George W. Bush during his speech to the USNA Class of 2001. Bill is one of the longtime Directors of the American Council on Renewable Energy and, over his long career in renewable energy, held senior positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. In these positions he helped to pioneer the ethanol and biodiesel industries. He retired from the federal government at the Senior Executive Service level. Bill spent an additional twenty-one years in the private sector, managing small businesses and associations relating to biofuels, including the New Uses Council and the Biomass Coordinating Council. He's been a steadfast champion in nearly every fight that the renewable fuels movement has faced, now and in decades past.

The Holmberg Award has only been awarded three times. The first award, in 2014, was presented to Bill Holmberg and the second, in 2015, was given posthumously to Guido Ghisolfi, former CEO of Beta Renewables. Dr. Graham is the third recipient.

About Ensyn Corporation

Ensyn utilizes a proprietary and innovative process to produce a biocrude from forest and agricultural residues that is suitable for both heating applications and further upgrading in existing oil refineries. Ensyn and its predecessor companies have been applying its core RTP technology for more than 25 years for the production of food ingredients, chemicals and heating fuels. Ensyn is currently in the process of increasing production capacity for a broader commercialization of its fuels business. Ensyn owns and operates a commercial production facility in Ontario, Canada from which it sells RFO to industrial and commercial heating customers in the U.S. and Canada. Additional RFO production capacity is under development in Quebec, Canada; Aracruz, Brazil; and in the U.S. State of Georgia. Ensyn is executing its business plan in conjunction with key strategic relationships, including Honeywell UOP, Fibria Celulose S.A., Arbec Forest Products and Chevron Technology Ventures.

Contacts:

Ensyn Corporation

Ian Barnett

EVP

+1 (647) 203-6588

www.ensyn.com




CHICAGO, IL -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: MEI), a global designer and manufacturer of electro-mechanical devices, will release its third-quarter Fiscal 2016 results for the period ended January 30, 2016, on Thursday, March 3, 2016, before the market opens.

Following the release, the Company will conduct a conference call and Webcast to review financial and operational highlights led by its President and Chief Executive Officer, Donald W. Duda, and Chief Financial Officer, Douglas A. Koman, at 10:00 a.m. Central time.

To participate in the conference call, please dial (877) 407-8033 (domestic) or (201) 689-8033 (international) at least five minutes prior to the start of the event. A simultaneous Webcast can be accessed through the Company's Web site, www.methode.com, by selecting the Investor Relations page, and then clicking on the "Webcast" icon.

A replay of the conference call, as well as an MP3 download, will be available shortly after the call through April 3, 2016, by dialing (877) 660-6853 (domestic) or (201) 612-7415 (international) and providing Conference ID number 13631249. On the Internet, a replay will be available for 30 days through the Company's Web site, www.methode.com, by selecting the Investor Relations page and then clicking on the "Webcast" icon.

About Methode Electronics, Inc.

Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: MEI) is a global developer of custom engineered and application specific products and solutions with manufacturing, design and testing facilities in China, Egypt, Germany, India, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. We design, manufacture and market devices employing electrical, electronic, wireless, safety radio remote control, sensing and optical technologies to control and convey signals through sensors, interconnections and controls. Our business is managed on a segment basis, with those segments being Automotive, Interface, Power Products and Other. Our components are in the primary end markets of the automobile, computer, information processing and networking equipment, voice and data communication systems, consumer electronics, appliances, aerospace vehicles and industrial equipment industries. Further information can be found on Methode's Website at www.methode.com.

For Methode Electronics Inc. - Investor Contacts:



Kristine Walczak

Dresner Corporate Services

312-780-7205

kwalczak@dresnerco.com



Philip Kranz

Dresner Corporate Services

312-780-7240

pkranz@dresnerco.com




DENVER, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Ubiquitech Software Corp. (www.ubiquitechsoftware.com) (OTC PINK: UBQU), an International Technology and Services company that owns the division HempLife Today (www.hemplife.com), is announcing year over year revenue growth in excess of 300% for 2015. The Company reported revenues of $3,049,465 for the year ended November 30, 2015 versus revenues of $929,499 for the same period in 2014.

"We are excited to have met our internal revenue projections for the fiscal year 2015," said Tim Zorn, CEO of HempLifeToday. "And our growth plans are on track as we move through 2016. We are proud to be an industry leader and look forward to continuing to establish the company as an innovator in the CBD marketplace."

During 2015, HempLife Today continued its expansion in the growing CBD oil industry. As the leader in online sales of CBD Oil derived from Hemp, the Company continues to bring new products to market under its proprietary brand of CannazALL CBD products. This includes its popular Tinctures, Oils, Vape Oils, new Capsules, and Combo Packs, as well as new products to be launched during 2016. HempLife Today continues to add new loyal customers as it expands its presence and message through its newly launched affiliate partner program.

About Ubiquitech Software Corp.

Ubiquitech Software Corp., through its subsidiaries is a dynamic multi-media, multi-faceted corporation utilizing state-of-the-art global internet marketing, Direct Response (DRTV) Television, Radio, and traditional marketing, to drive traffic to the new and emerging multi-billion dollar industries like its subsidiary HempLifeToday.com.

HempLifeToday focuses on the exciting and dynamic new thinking in the world today that recognizes the important health and life enriching enhancement that CBD Oil from the Hemp plant can bring. Through its network of quality USA growers HempLifeToday.com has developed four CannazALL CBD oil products that include its popular CBD Tincture, Oil, Capsules and e-liquid.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects", "intends', "believes', and similar expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timely development and market acceptance of products and technologies, the ability to secure additional sources of finance, the ability to reduce operating expenses, and other factors described in the Company's filings with the OTC Markets Group. The actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statement due to such risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.

Contact:

Investor Relations

E-mail: Info@UbiquitechSoftwareCorp.com




VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - February 23, 2016) -INCA ONE GOLD CORP. (TSX VENTURE: IO) ("Inca One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that SUNAT, the Peruvian tax and customs authority, has issued to Inca One's wholly owned subsidiary, Chala One SAC ("Chala One"), its first IGV/VAT (Impuesto General a las Ventas/Value Added Tax) refund cheque in the amount of S/1.1 million (the equivalent of approximately US$310,000 at current exchange rates) representing a three-month filing period from 2015. The Company views this first refund payment as another validation of our administrative and compliance processes and a major indication the formalization process in Peru is progressing successfully. All other IGV refunds are in the process of review and completion.

Chala One was also notified by SUNAT that the Company had been moved up from the small company tax group into the large company tax group, consistent with the scale of our operations. This move should streamline the monthly IGV filing and refund process ideally enacting faster and more reliable refunds.

A SUNAT IGV audit process was required to attain the refund relating to mineral purchases (and the respective exported gold sales) where 18% IGV was charged by our suppliers. As of February 2016, SUNAT was withholding the equivalent of US$2.2 million in IGV owed to Chala One. The Company expects to receive the remaining refunds within the first half of this year. The above noted and subsequent refunds will provide additional working capital for continued mineral purchases.

"We are thrilled that almost a year to the day after commencing commercial production we have received our first IGV tax refund, following a thorough and careful audit of our purchasing process by SUNAT. We can testify that the government of Peru is serious about its formalization process," commented President and CEO Edward Kelly. "We congratulate our administrative staff for this achievement, notwithstanding the significant impact this has had on our business and the amount of capital tied up in this process. We further would like to thank our shareholders and lenders for their understanding and belief in our in-country Peruvian team to make this refund possible."

About Inca One

Inca One is a Canadian-based mineral processing company with a gold milling facility in Peru, servicing government-permitted, small-scale miners. As part of the terms of the original purchase agreement for the Chala, Peru processing facility, Inca One has an agreement between its wholly owned subsidiary, Chala One SAC, and the seller and initial permit applicant, to operate under the umbrella of formalization until the successful completion of all the environmental and operating permits. Peru, a highly mineral-rich country, is one of the world's top producers of gold, silver, copper and zinc, with substantial production coming from small scale miners who need government permitted milling facilities to process their mineral (such as the Company's Chala Plant).

On behalf of the Board,

Edward Kelly,

President and CEO

INCA ONE GOLD CORP.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

Statements regarding the Company which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements due to factors such as: (i) fluctuation of mineral prices; (ii) a change in market conditions; and (iii) the fact that the Company has limited operating experience with its Chala plant and future operational results may not be accurately predicted based on this limited information to date. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update any changes to such statements. Inca One believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon.

This news release deals only with the Company's Chala plant, which is an industrial project. This presentation does not deal at all with the Company's sole mineral exploration property, the Corizona property. Investors should note that no resource has been established on the Corizona property and all of the material currently being processed at the Chala plant is received from local small-scale mining operations.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

For More Information Contact:

Konstantine Tsakumis

Inca One Gold Corp.

Email: irincagold@incaone.com

Telephone: 604-568-4877
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - February 23, 2016) - Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd. ("GLH" or the "Company") (CSE: GLH) is pleased to announce the launch of the first two Dixie Elixir and Edibles THC infused chocolate bars ever sold in Oregon. As part of the Company's licensing and manufacturing agreement with Dixie Brands, Inc., the parent company of Dixie Elixirs and Edibles ("Dixie"), both the 180MG milk-chocolate Crispy Kraken and 180MG dark chocolate Toasted Rooster bars are available immediately and are being sold in medical dispensaries throughout the state.

Looking to capitalize on the growing trend and demand for gourmet, quality crafted edibles and drinks, the chocolate bars are the first of many products to be made available between the Company and Dixie in the state of Oregon. The Company is expecting to launch additional Dixie products made with GoldenXTRX's premium 100% pure CO2 cannabis oil concentrate in the coming months. These products include but are not limited to Lifted Citrus Acai, Wild Berry Lemonade Elixir, and Dixie's full line of mints which includes Orange Zest Awakening, Peppermint Relaxing and 1:1 CBD to TCH ratio "Synergy" Berry mints.

The two THC-infused chocolate bars, Crispy Kraken and Toasted Rooster are artisanal crafted and made with all natural ingredients. These products deliver a sophisticated and gourmet edible experience, and have a proven track record with consumers in other jurisdictions.

Crispy Kraken: Filled with 34% of premium cacoa milk chocolate and a layer of crispy crunchy goodness, this delectable chocolate bar is made with GoldenXTRX's premium CO2 cannabis oil.

Toasted Rooster: The Toasted Rooster is a gourmet dark chocolate experience, made of 70% cacao dark chocolate, toasted pepitas, pink Himalayan sea salt and blended with 180mg of GoldenXTRX premium CO2 cannabis oil. Studies have shown chocolate with 70% cacao provides significant health benefits including lowering blood glucose levels, and lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. It also helps prevent heart disease and other vascular problems. (Free Radical Biology and Medicine - 2004/The Journal of Nutrition - 2008)

"This launch represents the first of many milestones in our partnership with Dixie. We are excited to introduce Dixie's products infused with GoldenXTRX's premium cannabis oil concentrate into the Oregon marketplace. We collectively made the decision to start manufacturing chocolate bars because we believe the current market segment for healthy, high quality ingredients is currently underserved and consumers are looking for quality and consistency with their selection of edible products," said Don Robinson, CEO of Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd.

"We couldn't be prouder to have Dixie's products finally in the hands of the patients, and soon to be consumers, of Oregon," said Tripp Keber, CEO of Dixie Brands, Inc. "Our chocolate line of products will be the first of many Dixie products that we hope to bring to Oregon, all of which will reflect the quality and expertise we have developed nationally at Dixie, but infused with local Oregon pride and excellence that we believe only GoldenXTRX can deliver."

About Golden Leaf Holdings:

Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd. is one of the largest cannabis oil and solution providers in North America. It's a leading cannabis products company in Oregon built around recognized brands. GLH leverages a strong management team with cannabis and food industry experience to complement its expertise in growing, extracting, refining and selling cannabis oil.

About Dixie Brands, Inc.

Located in Denver, Colorado, Dixie Brands, Inc., (Dixie) through its affiliates across the country, has been formulating and producing award-winning THC and CBD-infused products since 2009. What began as a single flagship product, the Dixie Elixir (a THC-infused soda), has now expanded to over 30 different products across over 100 SKUs, representing the industry's finest edibles, tinctures, topicals and connoisseur grade extractions. In addition, Dixie Brands launched two new CBD product lines: Aceso, is a suite of "hemp 2.0" products designed to provide general wellness and relief from minor aches and pains as well as mild-anxiety. Therabis is a pet supplement formulated by an experienced veterinarian and designed to provide pets, and their owners, with relief for itching, mild-anxiety and greater joint mobility. To find out more about Dixie's innovative products, or about how Dixie is building the future of cannabis, please visit us at http://www.dixiebrands.com.

Disclaimer: This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Corporation's future business operation, expectations of gross sales, the opinions or beliefs of management, and future business goals. Generally, forward looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Corporation to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to general business, economic and competitive uncertainties, regulatory risks, market risks, risks inherent in manufacturing operations and other risks of the cannabis industry and risks relating to the Corporation's ability to introduce additional edible products into the Oregon market. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is provided herein for the purpose of presenting information about management's current expectations relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purpose. The Corporation does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

For further information, please contact:

Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd. Investor Relations:

John Aird

Investor Relations, Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd.

T: 416.725.6458

E: jaird@goldenleafholdings.com
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- ScholarChip, the premier one-card identity and attendance platform for K12 schools, demonstrates that by automating attendance, school districts can dramatically improve state financial aid by increasing their Average Daily Attendance (ADA) accuracy. Making only a one percent modification can impact funding for education, sometimes by a million dollars a year, depending on the state and school district.

"When you do the math, the results can be considerable," said Maged Atiya, PhD, ScholarChip CEO/CTO. "And when states rely heavily on ADA for a large part of their operating budget, like those in the south and west, a Smart Card ID System can easily pay for itself within the first year."

ADA is calculated by taking the aggregate number of days of attendance of all students during a school year, divided by the number of days school is in session during that year. This clerical task falls on teachers, and if they don't know if a student is expected to be late, is in the nurse's office, is at an off-campus event, or has another scheduled issue, that student could be mistakenly marked absent. These types of miscounts happen all the time.

In Texas, for example, an average school district contains approximately 28,000 students, with 1,600 teachers in 35 schools. It's possible to assume that when those teachers count so many students by hand, there is a reasonable chance for mistakes to be made. Multiply that by 180 teaching days and the potential for inaccuracy is exceedingly high.

On March 18, 2015, The Dallas Morning News reported that, "Texas schools are spending an average $9,559 per student in the current school year." The National Education Association of Texas says these funds are received from a number of sources, including local property taxes, and the State and Federal government. The State of Texas provides 40 percent of that expenditure.

$9,559 x 40% = $3,824 per student received from the State of Texas

Consider that in a normal year the absentee rate could range between 5 and 18 percent. On average, that means approximately 11.5 percent of students are out of school.

28,000 x 11.5% = 3,220 students

28,000 - 3,220 = 24,780

For 24,780 students that are in school, it can be said that teachers consistently mark one percent of students absent by mistake:

24,780 x 1% = 247.8

247.8 x $3,824 per student = $947,587 lost annually

Therefore, if an average school district increases ADA accuracy by only one percent, it can signify almost one million dollars in extra revenue for that year that could be spent on computers, software, art supplies, musical instruments, day trips, salaries, new classrooms, overhead, or any other expense that a district or school might have. A small increase in ADA accuracy means a huge increase in funds.

ScholarChip uses passive ISO-standard contactless ID cards that have no battery. They draw power from the reader; students must take action to check in, like tapping it on a screen, therefore they do not infringe on privacy. This process makes it very easy to track where students are, and districts can get an accurate count of how many people have checked in at any particular time. Also, these cards are more durable, hence they have a lower overall cost. Their form factor is identical to standard cards, making adoption easier, too. Students too young to use cards can use a small plastic fob attached to their book bag.

Automating the attendance process with ScholarChip's Smart ID Card technology also means increased school safety through services like secure door access; quicker student attendance issue intervention; and improved cafeteria and school lunch program accountability, to name only a few additional benefits.

About ScholarChip

ScholarChip has pioneered the concept of a centralized and integrated School Safety and Operations System-a true academic one card solution. To meet the growing need for mobile technology in schools, ScholarChip has developed Apps and smart ID cards that operate seamlessly with NFC mobile devices. In addition, ScholarChip's Higher Education services extend to high performance Tuition Payment Plans, Loan Servicing and a compliant Payment Gateway. For more information visit http://www.scholarchip.com.

ScholarChip is a registered trademark of ScholarChip. Other product and company names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=2967728



Contact:

Nancy Napurski

Lionheart Communications

585-967-3348

Email Contact




CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Pan Orient Energy Corp. (TSX VENTURE: POE), on behalf of its 71.8% owned subsidiary Andora Energy Corporation ("Andora"), is providing an update for Andora's Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ("SAGD") oil sands project at Sawn Lake Alberta, Canada.

Highlights

-- Bitumen production in 2016 at the Sawn Lake Demonstration Project has reached a steady state production level over the past seven weeks of 606 barrels per day ("BOPD") (303 BOPD net to Andora) with an instantaneous steam-oil ratio ("ISOR") of 2.2 from the one SAGD wellpair. Bitumen production, on a 100% basis, averaged 596 BOPD with an ISOR of 2.2 in January and has averaged 620 BOPD with an ISOR of 2.1 during the first 21 days of February. A December 31, 2014 contingent resources report by Sproule Unconventional Limited assigned the following values to the demonstration project SAGD well pair as 2016 averages: Low Case of 242 BOPD with an ISOR of 5.7; Best Case of 345 BOPD with an ISOR of 4: High Case of 449 BOPD with an ISOR of 3.1 -- The demonstration project commenced bitumen production in September 2014 and has successfully captured the key data associated with the objectives of the demonstration project. The demonstration project has: -- demonstrated that the SAGD process works in the Bluesky formation at Sawn Lake -- established characteristics of ramp up through stabilization of SAGD performance -- indicated the productive capability and ISOR, and -- provided critical information required for well and facility design associated with future commercial development. -- Given the current low price environment for bitumen, Andora and its joint venture partners have decided to suspend the Sawn Lake Demonstration Project operations at the end of February 2016. This decision considers the expectation that extremely low bitumen prices may continue for some time and the estimated time required for approval of the 3,200 BOPD expansion application at the demonstration project site, which is being submitted in March 2016. -- It is expected that a reactivation of the demonstration project facility and wellpair would be considered as part of a potential commercial expansion to 3,200 BOPD. An expansion is dependent on regulatory approval, completion of detailed engineering and a higher commodity price environment to support project economics and financing. -- Work continues with respect to submitting the expansion application, and updating the Sawn Lake reservoir model and contingent resource report to incorporate the results of the demonstration project. -- Production results to date are not necessarily indicative of long-term performance or of ultimate recovery and the Sawn Lake demonstration project has not yet proven that it is commercially viable.

Andora's SAGD Oil Sands Project at Sawn Lake

-- Andora is focused on developing the bitumen resources at the Sawn Lake property in the Peace River Oil Sands Region using SAGD development. -- Andora has interests in 88 sections of oil sands leases at Sawn Lake, within the central Alberta Peace River Oil Sands area. Andora is the operator of both the 12 section Central Block, in which it holds a 50% working interest, and the 16 section South Block, in which it holds a 100% interest. In addition, the North Block contains nine sections where Andora is the operator with a 100% working interest, and an additional 51 sections where Andora has a 10% working interest and is a non- operator. -- At December 31, 2014 a National Instrument 51-101 compliant contingent resources evaluation for Andora's oil sands project at Sawn Lake Alberta, Canada, was prepared by Sproule Unconventional Limited ("Sproule") based on development using SAGD. Contingent resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from known accumulations using established technology or technology under development, but which are not currently considered to be commercially recoverable due to one or more contingencies. The contingent resources volumes estimated in the Sproule Unconventional report are considered contingent until such time as commercial recovery has been confirmed with SAGD production rates from a SAGD pilot, regulatory approvals for commercial SAGD development have been obtained and the company has a firm commercial development plan and funding for the commercial development. Contingent Resources are further classified as "High", "Best" and "Low" in accordance with the level of certainty. There is no certainty that it will be economically viable to produce any of the reported contingent resources volumes. The December 31, 2014 contingent resources report did not incorporate the results of the Sawn Lake demonstration project to that date since those results were very early stage at that point as the steam chamber continued to build. The "Best Case" company gross contingent resources at Sawn Lake in the December 31, 2014 report were 214 million barrels of bitumen recoverable attributed to Andora's working interests. The Central Block was assigned 139 million barrels of bitumen recoverable, the South Block was assigned 74 million barrels of bitumen recoverable and the North Block was assigned 1 million barrels of bitumen recoverable. This represented 154 million barrels of recoverable bitumen attributed to the 71.8% ownership interest of Pan Orient in Andora. Reference is made to Pan Orient's Annual Information Form Dated April 30, 2015, available on SEDAR, for additional information.

Sawn Lake SAGD Demonstration Project

-- The first step towards determining the commercial viability of the SAGD recovery process at Sawn Lake is a demonstration project to establish that the SAGD process works in the Bluesky formation reservoir and to provide an indication of the productivity of the reservoir and the amount of steam injection required to produce the bitumen, which are key components in assessing the potential for SAGD development at Sawn Lake. -- Andora is the operator and holds a 50% working interest in the demonstration project, located in the Central Block of Sawn Lake, which commenced in 2013. The demonstration project consists of one SAGD well pair drilled to a depth of 650 meters and a horizontal length of 780 meters and the SAGD facility for steam generation, water handling and bitumen treating. Steam injection commenced May 21, 2014, bitumen production commenced September 16, 2014 and the steam chamber reached the top of the Bluesky formation sandstone reservoir in October 2015.

Pan Orient is a Calgary, Alberta based oil and gas exploration and production company with operations located onshore Thailand, Indonesia and in Western Canada.

This news release contains forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is generally identifiable by the terminology used, such as "expect", "believe", "estimate", "should", "anticipate" and "potential" or other similar wording. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, references to: the success and stability of bitumen production rates and associated steam oil ratio and the commencement and duration of suspension of the Sawn Lake Demonstration Project, potential reactivation of the project and the factors on which any reactivation is dependent and forward looking information contained in the contingent resources evaluation prepared by Sproule . By their very nature, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release require Pan Orient and its management to make assumptions that may not materialize or that may not be accurate. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which could cause actual results, expectations, achievements or performance to differ materially, including without limitation: changes in project schedules, well test, operating and reservoir performance, the effects of weather and climate change, other technical and economic factors or revisions and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Pan Orient. Although Pan Orient believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned that well test results, when announced, will not necessarily be indicative of long-term performance or of ultimate recovery.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Pan Orient Energy Corp.

Jeff Chisholm

President and CEO (located in Bangkok, Thailand)

jeff@panorient.ca



Pan Orient Energy Corp.

Bill Ostlund

Vice President Finance and CFO

(403) 294-1770




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- SIRIOS RESOURCES (TSX VENTURE: SOI) is pleased to announce that Goldcorp Inc. (TSX: G)(NYSE: GG) ("Goldcorp") has agreed to purchase, through a private placement, 7,400,000 units (the "Units") of Sirios for gross proceeds of C$962,000. Each Unit, offered at C$0.13, consists of one common share of Sirios and a half warrant. Each full warrant gives the holder the right to purchase one common share at C$ 0.20 during the eighteen months following the closing date.

The financing is expected to close on March 2nd, 2016, following which Goldcorp will own approximately 9.9 per cent of the company's issued and outstanding shares on an undiluted basis. The net proceeds of the placement will be used to further advance the company's Cheechoo project, as well as for general corporate and working capital purposes.

Dominique Doucet, President of Sirios, stated: "We are very pleased to welcome Goldcorp as a shareholder of Sirios. We also view this investment as a validation of the exploration success we have had at Cheechoo. With the proceeds from this placement, we are on our way to complete our exploration commitments in securing the full ownership of Cheechoo."

Provided that Goldcorp holds not less than 5 per cent of the company, Goldcorp will have the following rights:

-- Anti-dilution rights allowing it to maintain its equity ownership interest in Sirios; -- The right to participate in any future equity financings to acquire up to a 19.9-per-cent ownership position in Sirios.

Goldcorp will also have the right to match non-equity financing and tolling arrangement related to future exploration and development of Cheechoo as well as the right to request the formation of a technical committee for Cheechoo.

There will be a hold period of four months and one day on all securities issued under this placement which is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. No finder's fees will be paid for the placement.

2016 Convention of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC)

For the third year in a row, the Cheechoo gold project was selected to be part of displayed projects at the Core Shack by organizers of the 2016 Convention of Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC). The convention will take place from March 6th to 9th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Sirios will present the most recent results on Cheechoo on March 8th and 9th at booth 3105B of the Core Shack. Anybody interested are also invited to come and meet the representatives of Sirios at booth 2910 of the Investors Exchange.

For more information concerning Sirios at the convention, please visit the website of PDAC:

http://www.pdac.ca/convention/programming/investors-exchange

http://www.pdac.ca/convention/programming/core-shack

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Dominique Doucet, President

(514) 510-7961

ddoucet@sirios.com



Christian Guilbaud, V.P. Corporate Development

(514) 813-7862

cguilbaud@videotron.ca

Fax: (514) 510-7964

www.sirios.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Eurasian Minerals Inc. (the "Company" or "EMX") (TSX VENTURE: EMX)(NYSE MKT: EMXX) is pleased to announce the execution of a purchase agreement (the "Agreement") for net smelter return ("NSR") royalty interests on the Maggie Creek and Afgan gold properties from Golden Predator US Holding Corp. ("Golden Predator"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Till Capital Ltd. ("TCL"). Golden Predator owns a 2% NSR royalty on all precious metals and a 1% NSR royalty on all other minerals for the Maggie Creek property, which is located north-northeast of Newmont Mining Corporation's ("Newmont") Gold Quarry open pit operations on the Carlin Trend, and a 1% NSR royalty on all minerals for the Afgan property, which occurs on the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend. The addition of these two royalty assets will strengthen EMX's growing Nevada gold portfolio that includes the Leeville royalty property on the Northern Carlin Trend, as well as the Maggie Creek South royalty property located south-southeast of Gold Quarry (please see attached North Central Nevada location map).

Commercial Terms Overview. A summary of the Agreement's commercial terms includes:

-- Purchase by EMX of Golden Predator's NSR royalties covering the Maggie Creek (2% NSR on precious metals and 1% NSR royalty on all other minerals) and Afgan (1% NSR royalty) properties; -- Issuance by EMX of 250,000 EMX shares to TCL as consideration for the purchase; and -- Approval by the TSX Venture and NYSE MKT exchanges as a condition precedent to closing the transaction.

Royalty Asset Overview. Maggie Creek and Afgan are sediment-hosted gold royalty assets occurring within Nevada's prolific Carlin and Battle Mountain-Eureka Trends, respectively. Both properties have significant upside potential as demonstrated by historic drilling and surface exploration assessments.

Maggie Creek. The Maggie Creek royalty property is located 14.5 kilometers (9 miles) northwest of Carlin, Nevada, and approximately two kilometers (approx. 1.2 miles) north-northeast of Newmont's Gold Quarry mining operations (please see attached Maggie Creek District location map). The project is covered by 102 unpatented lode mining claims controlled by Renaissance Gold Inc. ("Renaissance")(1). Maggie Creek occurs along the northeast projection of the Gold Quarry fault zone, which is an important mineralizing control at the Gold Quarry mine. Exploration has been conducted by companies that include Wolfpack Gold, Newmont, Barrick, Western States, Teck, Cordex, and Freeport. Most of the historic drilling consisted of shallow, vertical holes that did not thoroughly test Carlin-type targets in the "upper plate" or "lower plate" rocks of the Roberts Mountain Allocthon. Notably, a window of favorable lower plate carbonate rocks is exposed in the Maggie Creek claim block just north of Newmont's Rainbow deposit (described in NBMG Bulletin 111, 2002). Moderate to strong Carlin-type hydrothermal alteration (silicification, argillization, and decalcification) extends north from Rainbow onto the Maggie Creek land position.

The proposed acquisition of Golden Predator's Maggie Creek royalty complements EMX's existing Maggie Creek South 3% NSR royalty property which occurs approximately 1.5 kilometers (approx. 1 mile) south-southeast of Gold Quarry, and covers about 5.2 square kilometers (2 square miles). Maggie Creek South occurs on the southeast projection of the Good Hope fault trend, which has an alignment of deposits along its length including Mike, Tusc, Mac, and Gold Quarry, as well as the down-dip projection of favorable host rocks. Taken together, the Maggie Creek and Maggie Creek South royalty properties cover approximately 12.5 square kilometers (4.8 square miles) of prospective ground in a world-class gold mining district.

Afgan. The Afgan royalty property is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Eureka, Nevada. The Afgan claim block consists of 73 unpatented lode mining claims controlled by McEwen Mining Inc.(2) The property hosts a semi-continuous, 1,050 by 450 meter (approx. 3,500 by 1,500 feet), north-northwest oriented zone of oxide gold mineralization delineated by historic drilling programs. The mineralization occurs along the contact of thinly bedded siltstones of the Webb Formation with the underlying Devils Gate Limestone.

The Afgan property has an historic resource estimate at a cut-off grade of 0.006 oz/ton gold comprised of 3.206 million indicated tons averaging 0.021 oz/ton gold, and 3.972 million inferred tons averaging 0.014 oz/ton gold as reported by Mine Development Associates ("MDA") of Reno, Nevada (see previous owner NV Gold Corporation's SEDAR filed technical report with an effective date of May 9, 2011, and prepared by MDA's independent Qualified Person Michael M. Gustin, P.Geo.). MDA's historic resource estimate utilized inverse distance estimation constrained within interpreted mineral domains. The historic resource is not constrained by an open pit. EMX has not completed sufficient work to verify the MDA historic resource estimate and is not treating it as a current resource. The historic estimate should not be relied upon until it can be confirmed. However, the historic resource is considered relevant to provide context for the gold mineralization at Afgan. Additional work to verify the historic resource would include review of new exploration information, re-examination of the cut-off grade using a current metal price, and constraining the resource within an open pit shell configuration. The historic resource is contained within the Afgan claim block, and as noted in MDA's technical report, is open for expansion.

(1 )See Renaissance Gold's web site at www.rengold.com and September 14, 2015 news release.

(2) See previous owner NV Gold Corporation's February 1, 2016 news release.

Comments on Adjacent Properties. Gold Quarry and other deposits of the district provide context for the Maggie Creek and Maggie Creek South royalty properties, which occur in a similar geologic setting. However, this is not necessarily indicative that Maggie Creek or Maggie Creek South host mineralization with similar tonnages or grades.

About EMX. Eurasian Minerals leverages asset ownership and exploration insight into partnerships that advance our mineral properties, with EMX retaining royalty interests. EMX complements its generative business with strategic investment and third party royalty acquisition.

Mr. Dean D. Turner, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed and approved disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward looking statements" that reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about its future results. When used in this news release, words such as "estimate," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company's future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause Eurasian's actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to: unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company's MD&A for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2015 (the"MD&A") and most recently filed Annual Information Form for the year ended period ended December 31, 2014 (the "AIF"), actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC's EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.

To view the maps accompanying this press release, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1044037m.pdf

Contacts:

Eurasian Minerals Inc.

David M. Cole

President and Chief Executive Officer

(303) 979-6666

Dave@EurasianMinerals.com



Eurasian Minerals Inc.

Scott Close

Director of Investor Relations

(303) 973-8585

SClose@EurasianMinerals.com

www.EurasianMinerals.com




Intrepid Aviation is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement for the long-term lease of seven (7) Rolls-Royce powered A330-300 aircraft with Turkish Airlines.

"This agreement is the culmination of a highly collaborative effort that will see the aircraft delivery stream commencing in 2016 following the installation of a new, dual-class cabin interior, further accelerating Turkish Airlines' strong growth trajectory," said Doug Winter, Intrepid's President Chief Commercial Officer.

"We are very pleased to welcome Turkish Airlines as a new customer to Intrepid. Turkish Airlines has distinguished itself as one of the world's most successful airlines and globally recognized brands," added Intrepid's Chief Executive Officer, Olaf Sachau.

"On behalf of Turkish Airlines, we want to thank the Intrepid team for their flexible, partnership driven approach in bringing this unique opportunity together. We look forward to a long and successful cooperation between our companies", concluded Ahmet Bolat Ph.D, Turkish Airlines' Chief Investment Technology Officer.

ABOUT INTREPID AVIATION:

Intrepid Aviation is a privately held commercial aircraft lessor, which owns commercial aircraft leased to airline operators worldwide. Intrepid Aviation focuses primarily on twin-engine widebody and large narrowbody equipment, such as the Airbus A330 A321 and Boeing B777 B787 families of aircraft.

For more information on Intrepid Aviation, www.intrepidaviation.com

ABOUT INTREPID AVIATION'S SHAREHOLDERS, RESERVOIR CAPITAL CENTERBRIDGE PARTNERS:

Reservoir Capital Group LLC. was established in 1998 as a privately held investment firm with a flexible, opportunistic investment approach and has approximately $7 billion in assets under management. Centerbridge Partners, LP. is a private investment firm headquartered in New York City with approximately $25 billion in capital under management.

ABOUT TURKISH AIRLINES:

Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is a 4-star airline today with a fleet of 300 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 284 destinations worldwide with 235 international and 49 domestic. According to Skytrax survey of 2015, Turkish Airlines was chosen "Europe's Best Airline" for the fifth and "Best Airline in Southern Europe" for the seventh consecutive time. Having won in 2010 the world's "Best Economy Catering Service", in 2013 the world's "Best Business Catering Service", and in 2014 "Best Business Catering Service" awards, Turkish Airlines was awarded in 2015 the world's "Best Business Class Lounge Dining" and "Best Business Airline Lounge" prizes in the Skytrax survey. More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on www.turkishairlines.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223006118/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Samantha Whitford, +1 203-905-4230

media@intrepidaviation.com
BOULDER, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Spectralink Corporation ("Spectralink"), a global leader in mobile communications solutions for the healthcare industry, today announced several feature and service enhancements to its PIVOT smartphone product line, including a new PIVOT model and new service offerings. These services and features extend the capabilities of PIVOT smartphones to support additional healthcare applications with lower total cost of ownership, addressing the need for critical mobile communication in acute care environments.

Key feature and service enhancements include a new PIVOT handset with rear facing camera, an Android 5.1 operating system update, next generation device management and configuration solution, new maintenance offerings, and additional device accessories. This latest generation solution builds on the proven quality, durability, and reliability of PIVOT smartphones used today in hospitals throughout the world.

"We are committed to providing healthcare customers with mobility solutions that meet the unique needs of their environment," said Ashish Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer of Spectralink. "These enhancements to the PIVOT portfolio were driven by listening to our customers and delivering solutions that further increase ROI through improved patient care and patient satisfaction."

Delivering enterprise-grade voice quality with a familiar smartphone user experience, Spectralink's PIVOT enhancements benefit customers with:

The ability to convey more information with the embedded high resolution camera on the new PIVOT:SC (8744) handset

Faster implementation of new applications and features with support for the latest Android 5.1 software (Lollipop)

Swifter provisioning and improved management with new Configuration Management Server 2.0 supporting both premises-based and hosted deployments

Investment protection and lower TCO with new WorkSmart Services maintenance offerings SpectraCare and SpectraCare Plus

New device carrying and charging options to support unique healthcare applications

Built on the industry-standard Android operating system, PIVOT combines the power of enterprise-grade, purpose-built mobile solutions with the familiarity and ease-of-use of today's consumer smartphones. PIVOT is durable, ergonomic, easy to use and offers HD voice quality, seamless voice over Wi-Fi roaming, and wireless local area network (WLAN) interoperability, all backed by strong support services.

PIVOT devices are available in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand starting at a list price of US $995. The PIVOT:SC (8744) model will be available in April at a list price of US $1095.

Spectralink will be demonstrating the complete PIVOT portfolio and recent enhancements at the upcoming HIMSS16 Conference & Exhibition, February 29 - March 4, 2016 in Las Vegas at booth 443 and in the Intelligent Health Pavilion booth 11665.

About Spectralink

Spectralink -- The WorkSmart Company -- is the global leader in purpose-built wireless communications. Since 1990, Spectralink Corporation has deployed over 3 million purpose-built handset devices to customers around the world, enabling millions of workers to work smarter, with more efficient and reliable in-building communications. Spectralink solutions enable voice, texts, alarms, alerts, and key applications every minute of every day. They are highly interoperable with the leading enterprise call control, Wi-Fi access points and workflow applications. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Spectralink brings productivity, reliability and ease of use to mobile workers everywhere. For more information, please visit www.spectralink.com or call 303-441-7500.

Follow Spectralink on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

For further information, please contact:



Steve Stewart

Head of Marketing

Spectralink

Office: +1 303-441-7558 (US MT timezone)

Mobile: +1 303-809-6009 (US MT timezone)

Email Contact




PETERSBURG, VA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- This April, Pamplin Historical Park will offer its 13th annual spring tour starting with a welcome reception and talk on Thursday, April 21 and activities ending on Sunday, April 24 at 5pm. Historians will lead participants on tours of key sites that were part of Defending Washington campaigns in the 1860s.

A. Wilson Greene, Executive Director of Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, and local historians will guide visitors through the several campaigns that threatened Washington, D.C. between 1861 and 1864. Highlights include walking and driving guided tours of Manassas, Ball's Bluff, Monocacy, Ft. Stevens, the Frederick Douglass House, and Lincoln's Cottage, where President Lincoln spent nearly a quarter of his term in residence.

"Our spring tour is a great way to experience what it might have been like in the 1860s in Virginia," said park creator Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. "Pamplin Historical Park is a great resource for people to learn more about the Civil War and its lasting impact on American history."

The spring tour weekend kicks off on Thursday, April 21 where visitors will share in the experiences and stories of the brave soldiers. The weekend will include meals, tours and talks as well as lodging. Space is limited and reservations are required. For more information and to sign up, visit http://www.pamplinpark.org/pdfs/ST16.pdf

Located in Dinwiddie County, Va., the 424-acre Pamplin Historical Park houses four museums, four antebellum homes, battlefield fortifications, interpretive trails and living history venues. The park's centerpiece is the award-winning National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, which uses MP3 audio players along with computers, videos, life-sized dioramas, more than 1,000 original objects and a multisensory battlefield simulation to tell the story of the three million common soldiers who fought in the war.

Throughout the year, Pamplin Historical Park hosts events designed for both families and history enthusiasts. For reservations or more information, call 804-861-2408 or visit www.pamplinpark.org/events.html.

About Pamplin Historical Park

One of "Virginia's Best Places to Visit," according to the Travel Channel, and designated as a National Historic Landmark, Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is a 424-acre Civil War campus located in Dinwiddie County, Va., offering a combination of high-tech museums and hands-on experiences. The park has four world-class museums and four antebellum homes. The park is the site of the Petersburg Breakthrough of April 2, 1865, and hosts America's premier Civil War participatory experience, Civil War Adventure Camp. For more information, please call 804-861-2408 or visit www.pamplinpark.org.

About Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr.

Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. is the creator of Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier. He is one of America's leading historic preservationists. For more information about Pamplin's preservation efforts, visit www.pamplincollection.org.

Contact:

Wendy Lane Stevens

503-546-7897

wendy@lanepr.com




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Syrian government and the main opposition umbrella group say they accept the terms of a deal for nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria, which is scheduled to come into effect on Saturday. The government said it would stop combat operations in line with the agreement announced Monday by US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) Ceasefire Taskforce. But the opposition said it will accept the plan only after Syrian forces halt sieges and air strikes targeting civilians. The nationwide cessation of hostilities is to apply to any party currently engaged in military or paramilitary hostilities against any other parties other than 'Daesh', 'Jabhat al-Nusra', or other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council, says the deal. In order to promote the effective implementation of the cessation of hostilities, the ISSG Ceasefire Task Force has been established under UN auspices, including political and military officials from the co-chairs and other Task Force members. The UN Office of the Special Envoy for Syria (OSE) serves as secretariat. To achieve this goal and to promote an effective and sustainable cessation of hostilities, the Russian and the United States Governments will establish a communication hotline. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Projects include adapting a brain-computer interface to an exoskeleton system to provide mobility to quadriplegics, and using near-infrared radiation to slow Parkinson's disease

Clinatec, the biomedical research center focused on applying micro- and nanotechnology innovations to health care, today announced an international, 30 million fund drive to help support its work in diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and motor disabilities.

Founded in 2009 by Prof. Alim Louis Benabid, a pioneer in developing deep brain stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, and Jean Therme, director of CEA, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, Clinatec brings together a multidisciplinary team of more than 100 doctors, researchers, biologists and scientists in state-of-the-art labs.

Benabid, chairman of Clinatec, received a Breakthrough Prize in 2015, was a co-recipient of the 2014 Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, and received the 2013 Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson's Research, presented by The Michael J. Fox Foundation.

"Professor Benabid's contributions to the field of Parkinson's disease research, and to improving lives of those living with the disease, are well-documented. Today, deep brain stimulation remains a viable option for many with PD, and one that can offer life-altering results," said Todd Sherer, CEO of The Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Benabid said Clinatec's goal is to build on previous medical and scientific advances with micro- and nanotechnologies to accelerate the development and use of innovative treatments for some of humankind's most debilitating and costly diseases.

"To this end, Clinatec was founded on a unique business model that combines the talents and expertise of a very broad range of professionals, which gives us the flexibility to approach treatments and cures from promising, new vantage points," he said.

Clinatec's current projects include:

Adapting a brain-computer interface to an exoskeleton system to provide mobility to quadriplegics. Clinatec teams already have demonstrated the feasibility of controlling equipment attached to the body and connected to the human cortex. This project awaits human trials.

The start of clinical trials for the Near Infrared Radiation (NIR) project, which is investigating the progress of Parkinson's disease through the neuro-protective effect of near infrared light. When applied to the precise spot in the brain where PD and other diseases cause irreversible damage, near-infrared radiation can prevent damage. By protecting the neurons, this process could avoid the gradual degradation of the patient's faculties and the major disabilities that follow. An intracranial NIR system is currently under development.

The fund-raising campaign is led by Alain Merieux, chairman of Institut Merieux, an international medicine and public health concern focused on diagnostics, immunotherapy and nutrition.

"Since its beginning, the Merieux Institute has worked on developing biology and innovative medicine that is accessible to all. This is an ambition we share with Clinatec, one of the world's most unique research centers," Merieux said. "Together with Clinatec, we are taking part in the fight against diseases that can affect all of us, and by supporting Clinatec, we are joining a great scientific, medical and human initiative."

The Edmond J. Safra Foundation, which has supported Clinatec since its creation, has pledged to match up to 5 million in donations raised by June 30, 2016. "Professor Benabid and his colleagues represent hope for millions of patients and their families. Many thanks to those who will join in bringing their support to their endeavor," Mrs. Lily Safra commented.

In addition to CEA support, Clinatec's teams include personnel from the Grenoble University Hospital Centre, Universite Joseph Fourier and INSERM.

About Clinatec

Clinatec The Edmond J. Safra Biomedical Research Center conducts research on the frontier of health care and micro- and nanoelectronics. Its teams of medical doctors, biologists, mathematicians, engineers and other specialists bring a unique, multi-disciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and motor disabilities, and development of innovative biomedical devices to improve patient lives. The teams are comprised of personnel from the Grenoble University Hospital Centre, CEA, Universite Joseph Fourier and INSERM. Clinatec is based in Grenoble, France, within the CEA research center.

www.clinatec.fr/en

To support Clinatec: visit http://www.clinatec.fr/en/support-us/make-a-donation/

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223006166/en/

Contacts:

Clinatec

Thierry Bosc, 06 07 45 80 14

Fundraising Campaign Director

thierry.bosc@clinatec.fr
BARCELONA, Spain, February 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Tech Mahindra, a specialist in digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering, today announced plans to build IoT solutions by utilizing the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite. This announcement aims to create a set of new customer experience by integrating the entire value chain of client businesses through product conceptualization, development, manufacturing, supply chain and aftermarket services.

Tech Mahindra, with its vision of 'Connected World, Connected Solutions', is uniquely positioned to synergize on the three important tenets of IOT implementation - connected front-end Devices/Sensors, a robust platform providing data hub/analytics offerings and the integration of the back-end with enterprise systems to complete the value chain impact.

Tech Mahindra will focus on addressing a variety of business needs with offerings such as connected vehicles, connected aircraft connected care, connected industrial equipments, connected factories, connected homes and connected cities, which are built around its industry-leading innovative Connected Engineering Framework implementing the IOT architecture.

Tech Mahindra plans to launch an IoT Centre of Excellence in Bangalore, India, to focus on building solutions across industry by utilizing the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite, toward enriching the end-customer experience. The company plans to launch Customer Experience Centers in other geographies such as the US, Europe, India and China to allow customers and organizations to experience digital solutions with measurable outcomes.

CP Gurnani, Managing Director & CEO, Tech Mahindra, said, "We believe IOT-enabled digital business transformation will create significant opportunities in the manufacturing, healthcare, transportation and energy segments for both the organizations. We are excited about enhancing our relationship with Microsoft, which will enable our clients derive significant value in their transformation journey."

"We believe that TechM's IoT Customer Experience Center, coupled with a sharp industry focus and depth of experience around the IoT value chain, will enable our customers to drive increased efficiency and productivity in their businesses," said Jean-Philippe Courtois, president, Microsoft International.

Tech Mahindra will host analysts and its customers at its "Connectivity Suite (Ce - Enhance, Evolve & Experience)" in Hall No. 5; Stand 5G51 at the Mobile World Congress, which will take place between February 22 and 25, 2016 at Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain.

Integrated Engineering Solutions(IES) delivers solutions enabling 'Future Digital Enterprise' across Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Telecom, Industrial Equipment, Transportation, Consumer Products, Energy and Utilities and Hi-Tech products. With 50+ exclusive engineering development centers supporting new program launches and 120+ marquee global customers, IES is recognized as an established player for Engineering Services in the industry.

Media contact:

Richa Shah

richa.shah@techmahindra.com

+91 4030675190


ZHOUZHUANG, China, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- From February 8 to 22, the ancient water town Zhouzhuang hosted a 15-day traditional celebration consisting of traditional customs to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336294

At this years celebration tourists were invited to join the locals in a series of activities to get the full holiday experience that is absent in modern cities.

The carnival officially kicked off on February 8, the first day on the lunar calendar with the ceremony da chun niu, a traditional ceremony hoping for the blessings of a good harvest that involves hitting a gold colored ox to wish for good harvest in the new year, it's also a reminder to people that the spring ploughing is just around the corner.

Tourists from around the world gathered in front of the ancient archway in the morning to see the spectacle. The town master dressed in a traditional costume first performed the ritual by burning incense as offering to ancestors, presenting rice wine as offering to heaven and earth as well as reading an oration to express good wishes for the New Year. He then hit the ox 10 times and everyone then came up to touch the ox for good luck.

"Zhouzhuang chose to host the da chun niu ceremony on the first day of the Lunar New Year because it best represents the New Year wishes as an inheritance of the traditions and cultural heritage, it's also an opportunity to show international tourists the Chinese Lunar New Year customs," said Mr. Zhang, general manager of Jiangsu Water-town Zhouzhuang Tourism Company.

The event lasted one week, tourists who visited Zhouzhuang during the Chinese Lunar New Year all had the chance of touching the golden ox.

Alice Brown, a visitor from Canada, came to Zhouzhuang this year to experience a true Chinese Lunar New Year.

"I arrived on Chinese New Year's Eve and I was very excited to see such a festive town that kept all the traditions and customs which I wouldn't find in big cities, I joined the locals the next day to see da chun niu and touched the golden ox, I hope that will bring me good luck in the new year," she said. "I also visited the festival bazaars for some Spring Festival shopping, it's an unforgettable experience."

On fifth day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which was the birthday of God of Wealth, Zhouzhuang hosted the ritual when the town master and an entourage holding tributes stepped on the 100-meter "road of fortune" and prayed good fortune at the temple as well as letting the visitors through the "gate of fortune."

This year Zhouzhuang also added new Lunar New Year activities such as the festival bazaar, Kunqu opera performance at the Ancient Opera Stage and New Year rice cake tastings at Shen's Kitchen.

"We focused on the Spring Festival culture and customs to create a cheerful and authentic atmosphere," said Zhang.

About Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang is a water town in China that has preserved 900 years of Chinese history in both its architectures and folk customs. It's an ideal destination for those wishing to explore both the natural treasures and cultural heritages with natural scenery and locals living in the original lifestyle. Zhouzhuang is also one of the only two Chinese locations listed on the New York Times "World's 52 Places to go in 2015."

For more information contact:

Zou Lei

+86-150-5023-9114

zl@zhouzhuang.net




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Three very special dogs arrived in Montreal after being rescued by Humane Society International from a South Korea dog meat operation. The HSI Animal Rescue Team brought another 50 dogs from the same facility to the United States yesterday.

The dogs include two puppies - Sophie and Sally - who were born into a life of suffering on a dog meat farm. They made the trip with an adult female dog named Cinta. All three dogs are now safe with their foster family in Ottawa under the care of Freedom Dog Rescue.

The operator of the dog meat farm entered an agreement with HSI to shut down the farm and relinquish all of his dogs. An additional 200 dogs rescued from the farm will be transported to the U.S. and Canada in April. A team of veterinarians and animal care specialists with HSI will care for these dogs in the meantime.

Andrew Plumbly, campaign manager for HSI/Canada, assisted in the rescue in South Korea and said: "When we entered the facility, the suffering of these dogs and puppies was clear and overwhelming. They were huddled miserably in wire cages with no bedding or protection from the extreme cold temperatures. If we hadn't intervened I don't know how much longer they would have survived in that place. The death they would have ultimately faced in a dog slaughterhouse would have been horrific. Thankfully these dogs now have a chance at better lives in Canada and the United States."

HSI is working in countries across Asia to end the grisly dog meat trade. This includes intercepting trucks crammed with dogs headed for slaughter in China, providing funding to train officials for improved enforcement of laws and support care for confiscated animals, helping dog meat farmers in South Korea transition to more humane ways of making a living, and helping to lead the Asia Canine Protection Alliance to tackle the illegal trade of dogs from Thailand and Laos into Vietnam.

The trip would not be possible without the support and assistance of Air Canada.

For more information, visit hsi.org/dogmeat. B-roll and photos of the facility and the dogs' arrival in Canada are available here.

Humane Society International/Canada is a leading force for animal protection, with active programs in companion animals, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammal preservation, farm animal welfare and animals in research. HSI/Canada is proud to be a part of Humane Society International which, together with its partners, constitutes one of the world's largest animal protection organizations. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide - on the Web at www.hsicanada.ca

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Christopher Pare

514 395-2914 / cell: 438 402-0643

cpare@hsi.org




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Monday, US President Barack Obama sent to the Congress FY 2016 emergency supplemental appropriations request of $1.9 billion to respond to Zika virus transmission across the United States and internationally. This funding would build upon ongoing preparedness efforts and provide resources for the Departments of Health and Human Services and State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 50 laboratory-confirmed cases of the Zika virus among U.S. travelers from December 2015 - February 5, 2016. In addition, the Pan American Health Organization reports 26 countries and territories in the Americas with local Zika transmission. The World Health Organization declared the Zika virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. My foremost priority is to protect the health and safety of Americans, the President said in a letter sent to the Speaker. 'This request supports the necessary steps to fortify our domestic health system, detect and respond to any potential Zika outbreaks at home, and to limit the spread in other countries,' he added. In addition to the funding request, transfer authority is requested to allow for sufficient response and flexibility across the Federal Government to address changing circumstances and emerging needs related to the Zika virus. The President urged the Congress to act expeditiously in considering this important request. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Nearly six months ago, we noted that for the most part, presidential candidates websites were pretty skimpy when it came to education issues . Since that blog post, 12

Republican hopefuls and two Democrats have dropped out of the race. But as the remaining candidates have had a lot more time to beef up their ideas and plans for the online public, are they now more sumo wrestler or scarecrow?

Weve checked back in with candidates official campaign websites to see what theyve put up about education. In addition, for this check-up, weve also scanned their Facebook pages since Sept. 1 of last year to see what, if anything, theyve said about education.

This isnt a comprehensive look at all the forums where candidates might have mentioned education, including other places on the Internet and in debates (the results for the latter are pretty thin, though). But for these two major Internet sources, here is what weve found from each of the five remaining Republicans and the two remaining Democrats. Heres one interesting discovery: All the candidates except one have posted something education-related on their Facebook pages since September. So which one posted a goose egg? Read on.

Republicans

 Ben Carson

Campaign Website: The retired pediatric neurosurgeon is the most recent candidate among the remaining eight that weve profiled in our Five Facts blog series. In Carsons education platform , which he unveiled Jan. 8, Carson gets into his support for school choice and what he calls an education system thats failing Americas children.

Facebook: As we also noted, Carson took to his Facebook page to clarify remarks he made about property taxes as they related to public schools. He said that while funding is an issue for low-performing schools, he doesnt want a national pooling and subsequent redistribution of that tax revenue. When he unveiled his official campaign platform, he posted a video to Facebook saying that taking power over education away from the federal bureaucracy and empowering the American people is the only way that, We the People can have the kind of nation that was envisioned by our founders. We must #ReviveEdu.



Today, I am proud to unveil my education plan which will provide more school choice while empowering parents and teachers. To be successful, we must take the federal bureaucracy out of education and concentrate on empowering the American people. This is the only way that We the People can have the kind of nation that was envisioned by our founders. We must #ReviveEdu. Read my full plan here: crsn.co/ReviveEdu Posted by Dr. Ben Carson on Friday, January 8, 2016

 Ted Cruz

Campaign Website: Cruz doesnt appear to have significantly updated the K-12 section of his website over the last six months. The last time we checked the Jobs & Opportunity section of the site, the junior senator from Texas mentioned his support for federal legislation to expand school choicethat section is still there. Hes also backed a bill to allow significant state flexibility from federal K-12 accountability mandateshowever, thats not mentioned on his website.

Facebook: Since September of last year, Cruz has not mentioned any education-related topic on his Facebook page.

 John Kasich

Campaign Website: The Ohio governor has an education section of his website that features eight specific ideas or policy proposals. Kasich says he wants states to adopt their own learning standards and not those mandated by Washington. (Supporters of the common core and observers might say thats already the case.) Kasich also stresses a couple of policies that hes pushed for in Ohio: a third grade reading guarantee that requires those students to demonstrate literacy or be held back, with some exceptions; and expanding school choice, particularly through vouchers.

Facebook: In a video posted Feb. 8, Kasich talked about ways to tackle high student debt. And at the end of January, he highlighted a town hall in which he described how he wants to change how education works. (One key aspect of his plan that weve previously mentioned: He wants to turn a lot of what the U.S. Department of Education does now into block grants to states.)

 Marco Rubio

Campaign Website: Last time we checked in with the junior senator from Florida in August, he had pledged to create a system of schools that prepared more high school graduates for work . Now, he has a section of his website that promises to improve K-12 by creating a national school choice scholarship program, reducing the federal footprint in schools, and supporting innovation, such as virtual education. He also touts his record in the Senate backing the same bill on state flexibility that Cruz did. And his site also features a video of a GOP debate in which Rubio expresses his opposition to the common core.

Facebook: Last week, Rubio posted a video in which he discusses school choice for disadvantaged students and majority minority schools. (See below.) Hes also posted about how he wants to stop the federal government from exerting more control over and pumping more money into a failed system.

MUST-WATCH. Marco Rubio answered a question about race, education, poverty, and criminal justice at a town hall in SC: Posted by Team Marco on Monday, February 15, 2016

 Donald Trump

Campaign Website: On Trumps campaign website, theres no standalone section on education policy . That was true last August as well.

Facebook: Last month, Trump put a video on his campaign Facebook page promising the end of the Common Core State Standards and bemoaning Americas international standing when it comes to student test scores. The real estate developer has also praised his college volunteers and said they shouldnt be saddled with large government debt, and hes linked to a story about his time in military school.

Democrats

 Hillary Clinton

Campaign Website: Last year we reported that Clintons website didnt share any real specifics about any K-12 ideas. And now? Clinton makes broad statements about providing quality education to all students, for example, and taking advantage of opportunities in the Every Student Succeeds Act, even though she says it isnt a perfect law. Elsewhere on her site, she says she wants universal access to preschool for all 4-year-olds within 10 years, for example. And she doesnt want anyone attending a four-year public institution of higher education to have to borrow money for tuition, books, or fees. But there doesnt appear to be any specifics that the former secretary of state wants done regarding K-12.

Facebook: When it comes to Facebook, Clinton has mentioned her time working as an attorney with the Childrens Defense Fund in Alabama, as well as posted a video about gun violence at schools during a campaign stop in New Hampshire. And on Facebook, the campaign brought out the Big Dog (former President Bill Clinton) to talk about Clintons work overseeing new educational standards in Arkansas when he was governor there.

She wasn't elected to anything, she just made something good happen." President Bill Clinton on Hillary's work to improve opportunities for kids in Arkansas. Posted by Hillary Clinton on Saturday, January 30, 2016

 Bernie Sanders

Campaign Website: On his website, Vermonts junior senator has previously decried the inequitable circumstances in schools that black students often face. These circumstances, Sanders says, include being taught by a higher share of first-year teachers than their peers.

But today, Sanders still doesnt have a standalone section on his website about K-12 education.

Facebook: On at least two occasions, Sanders has published posts about how the recent economic crisis was not caused by public-sector employees, including teachers, but by greed on Wall Street. And hes also made a pitch for taking money out of jails and putting more into education. And before the Iowa caucuses, he enlisted actor and normal high school student Justin Long and a difficult-to-open locker to encourage students to get involved in his campaign.

Justin Long Wants You to Get Out the Caucus Normal high school student Justin Long wants to tell you something that normal students should be doing across the country on a normal basis... and it involves https://berniesanders.com Posted by Bernie Sanders on Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Education Week Library contributed to this story.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .


LONDON (dpa-AFX) - London Stock Exchange Group Plc (LSE.L) said that its board of directors and the management board of German stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse AG (DBOEF.PK, DBOEY.PK) have confirmed that they are in detailed discussions about a potential merger of equals of the two businesses. The potential merger would be structured as an all-share merger of equals under a new holding company.



Under the terms of the potential merger, London stok exchange or LSE shareholders would be entitled to receive 0.4421 new shares in exchange for each LSE share and Deutsche Boerse shareholders would be entitled to receive one new share in exchange for each Deutsche Boerse share.



Based on this exchange ratio, Deutsche Boerse shareholders are expected to hold 54.4 per cent, and LSE shareholders would hold the remaining 45.6 per cent of the enlarged issued and to be issued share capital of the combined company. The combined group would have a unitary board composed of equal numbers of LSE and Deutsche Boerse directors.



LSE and Deutsche Boerse said they believe that the potential merger would offer the prospect of enhanced growth, significant customer benefits including cross-margining between listed and OTC derivatives clearing, as well as substantial revenue and cost synergies and increased shareholder value.



All key businesses of LSE and Deutsche Boerse would continue to operate under their current brand names. LSE and Deutsche Boerse said they expect to provide a further update in due course.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
GRAND BAIE, MAURITIUS -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Alphamin Resources Corp (TSX VENTURE: AFM) ("Alphamin" or the "Company") is pleased to report on the results of its Feasibility Study for its 84.55% owned Bisie Tin Project (Bisie) in east central Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The study supports a technically simple underground mining operation with recovery of tin via gravity separation methods that offers low unit capital and operating costs, rapid payback and strong financial performance at metal prices of US$14,800/t tin.

"The Bisie Project is an ideal foundation on which to build a mining company, and act as a catalyst for the economic development of North Kivu. It is straightforward, financeable, resilient, and has tremendous opportunity to grow. We are delighted to have reached such an important milestone, and feel strongly that our development approach is ideally suited to the attributes of the orebody." Said Boris Kamstra, Chief Executive Officer.

Base Case Operating Highlights and Project Performance

-- Tin price $14,800/t -- Probable Mineral Reserves 3.04Mt @ 3.76% Sn containing 114,366 tonnes tin (at a 1.8% Sn cut-off grade) -- Production 9,000 tonnes per annum over 10.5 year mine life -- Initial CAPEX US$119.2 million -- NPV @ 15% (after tax) US$84.7 million -- IRR (after tax) 36.4%

The economic highlights throughout this release represent the 100% Project valuation. Alphamin owns an effective 84.55% interest in the Project.

The Bisie Project stands out in the world of tin development projects. With very high tin grades, excellent metallurgical recoveries, very low levels of deleterious materials in concentrate, an approved mining license, modest capital requirements and low operating costs, our projected margins are healthy", said Boris Kamstra, CEO of Alphamin Resources Corp. "In addition, the Project has been designed to provide flexibility to scale up and take advantage of the potential to deliver additional tin metal from the known areas of mineralisation, as demonstrated by our exploration team's efforts at Mpama North. The foundations for a profitable tin producer are in place today with a proven management team to lead us forward."

The feasibility study supports an underground mine at the Mpama North orebody containing over 190,000 tonnes of tin from defined Mineral Resources. The process plant is designed to treat the run of mine material using proven gravity separation methods.

The proposed Bisie Project implementation plan is over a period of 18 months, with underground ore development and stoping commencing 12 months before first production of tin in concentrate, which is anticipated in Q4 2018. The project requires an estimated initial capital expenditure of US$119.3 million to support the construction of an access road, underground mine, process plant, tailings dam and associated facilities with a process capacity of 360 ktpa. The mine is estimated to produce on average 9,000 tonnes of tin contained in concentrate per year over a 10.5 year mine life, with all-in operating costs of $8,450/t Sn.

It is anticipated that the Bisie Project would employ approximately 700 people during construction, and create approximately 450 permanent local jobs during operations along with significant economic benefits in an area of the DRC that has seen little foreign investment.

MDM Engineering led the Bisie Project Feasibility Study, which included input from leading consultants such as Bara Consulting, Epoch and The MSA Group.

Base Case Operating Highlights and Project Performance

-------------------------------------------------------- ECONOMIC ASSUMPTIONS -------------------------------------------------------- Plant throughput 360ktpa -------------------------------------------------------- Sn price (Q4 2015) $ 14,800/t -------------------------------------------------------- Oil price (Q4 2015) $ 56/barrel -------------------------------------------------------- Government royalty (% of gross revenue) 2% -------------------------------------------------------- Local government levy (% of gross revenue) 1% -------------------------------------------------------- Corporate tax rate (%) 30% -------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------- FINANCIAL ANALYSIS -------------------------------------------------------- Economic indicator Units Value -------------------------------------------------------- Ungeared NPV15 (real after tax) US$ million 84.7 -------------------------------------------------------- Ungeared IRR (real after tax) % 36.4 -------------------------------------------------------- Average EBITDA/annum (real terms) US$ million 54.1 -------------------------------------------------------- Peak funding (real terms) US$ million 123.7 -------------------------------------------------------- Payback period from first production months 26 -------------------------------------------------------- Average Production tpa 9,000 -------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- CAPITAL COSTS ------------------------------------- Area US$M ------------------------------------- Mining 21.7 ------------------------------------- Plant 44.5 ------------------------------------- Transport and logistics 5.0 ------------------------------------- Tailings and waste management 3.3 ------------------------------------- Access road 19.1 ------------------------------------- Engineering & Management Fees 10.1 ------------------------------------- Pre-Production & Owners Costs 15.3 ------------------------------------- Total Capital Costs 119.2 ------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ OPERATING COSTS ------------------------------------------------------------ US$ per ton US$ per ton Activity milled Sn ------------------------------------------------------------ Mining 72.4 2,671 ------------------------------------------------------------ Processing 20.5 755 ------------------------------------------------------------ Site infrastructure 5.5 203 ------------------------------------------------------------ Administration and general 42.0 1,550 ------------------------------------------------------------ Transport of concentrate 23.4 863 ------------------------------------------------------------ Marketing fees and treatment charges 39.5 1,458 ------------------------------------------------------------ Royalties 25.7 947 ------------------------------------------------------------ Total Costs 228.8 8,448 ------------------------------------------------------------

Economic Sensitivities

The study results show that the Bisie Project has the potential to remain strongly profitable at lower tin prices as well as at increased prices for key consumables. For example, a 20% increase in the oil price would reduce the Project NPV by only 8%.

To view the associated figure, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/arc_figs.pdf

Mining

The Mpama North orebody will be mined by contractors using proven underground mechanised mining methods to deliver ore to the process plant at a rate of 30ktpm. No Inferred Mineral Resources have been included in the estimation of Mineral Reserves. Mineral Reserves (converting only Indicated Mineral Resources) of 3.04Mt at a grade of 3.76% Sn using a cut-off grade of 1.8% Sn have been estimated by Bara. As there are no Measured Mineral Resources in the Mineral Resource estimate, only Indicated Mineral Resources are used in the determination of the Mineral Reserve estimate.

Processing and Tin Recovery

A comprehensive program of metallurgical testing was executed to support the Feasibility Study. Test work included mineralogical work, heavy liquid and dense media separation, spiral and jigging test work, thickening and filtration test work as well as pilot scale process plant test work. A total of 19 variability samples were tested to verify the results of the pilot testing campaign.

Overall metallurgical recovery of 79% was achieved under laboratory conditions. Factoring in operating conditions and operator skill levels, an overall recovery of 72% has been applied in the evaluation of the Project economics.

The Bisie Tin Project process plant has been designed to process 42ktpm. The design is based on recovery of tin into concentrate through conventional gravity separation methods. Mined ore will be crushed to 100% passing 10mm. The coarse material (-10mm to +1mm) accounts for 75% of the mass flow and the tin contained in this size fraction will be recovered in conventional jigs. The fine material (-1mm) makes up the balance of the material and the tin contained in this stream will be recovered using spirals. The concentrates from both the jigs and spirals will be milled and subjected to flotation to remove sulphide material. The tin rich concentrate (greater than 60% Sn) will be thickened, filtered and dispatched for transport to the smelter for further refining.

Capital Costs

The total pre-production capital cost (CAPEX) is estimated at US$119.2 million, inclusive of first fills, strategic spares and contingencies. The initial capital costs include the design and development of the access road, underground mine, process plant, tailings storage facility and all associated services required for the operation of the mine.

------------------------------------- CAPITAL COSTS ------------------------------------- Area US$M ------------------------------------- Mining 21.7 ------------------------------------- Plant 44.5 ------------------------------------- Transport and logistics 5.0 ------------------------------------- Tailings and waste management 3.3 ------------------------------------- Access road 19.1 ------------------------------------- Engineering & Management Fees 10.1 ------------------------------------- Pre-Production & Owners Costs 15.3 ------------------------------------- Total Capital Costs 119.2 -------------------------------------

Operating Costs

Unit and total operating costs were estimated for the Bisie Project over the life of the project. Operating costs were developed from first principles for processing and administration using operating plans as the basis for consideration of labour, materials and consumables. Mining operating costs have been estimated using contractor mining rates developed through a competitive tender process.

Primary on-mine cost drivers are diesel fuel ($1.43/L) and explosives ($3,400/t). Labour costs have been modelled on existing operations in the DRC employing work schedules which are compliant with the DRC Labour Code.

Off-mine costs are based on trucking the concentrate to Goma using rough terrain vehicles. In Goma the concentrate will be transferred to standard triaxle truck and transported to Dar es Salam for shipping to Malaysia.

Royalties have been calculated on the net on mine revenue and are payable to the Central Government at 2% and the Provincial Government at 1%.

------------------------------------------------------------ OPERATING COSTS ------------------------------------------------------------ US$ per ton US$ per ton Activity milled Sn ------------------------------------------------------------ Mining 72.4 2,671 ------------------------------------------------------------ Processing 20.5 755 ------------------------------------------------------------ Site infrastructure 5.5 203 ------------------------------------------------------------ Administration and general 42.0 1,550 ------------------------------------------------------------ Transport of concentrate 23.4 863 ------------------------------------------------------------ Marketing fees and treatment charges 39.5 1,458 ------------------------------------------------------------ Royalties 25.7 947 ------------------------------------------------------------ Total Costs 228.8 8,448 ------------------------------------------------------------

Mineral Resources

As part of the Feasibility Study the Mineral Resource estimates were updated in October 2015, detailed in the Independent Technical Report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report - 15 October 2015 Mineral Resource Estimate". The Mineral Resources contains 155,300 tonnes tin of Indicated Mineral Resource and 38,900 tonnes tin of Inferred Mineral Resources declared at a 0.5% Sn cut-off grade.

--------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Sn Sn tonnes Cu Zn Pb Ag Classification (millions) % (thousands) % % ppm g/t --------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 3.94 3.94 155.3 0.31 0.15 110 2.7 --------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 0.84 4.64 38.9 0.22 0.13 140 1.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------

Mineral Reserves

A mining cut-off grade of 1.8% Sn was calculated for the proposed Sub-Level Caving mining method and was applied to the Indicated Mineral Resources declared to determine the volume of Mineral Resources that would be payable based on the cut off calculation assumptions. Based on the mining method selected and distribution of the Inferred Mineral Resources some of the Inferred Mineral Resources will unavoidably be included in the mining plan. However, in declaring Mineral Reserves, the Inferred Mineral Resources in the mining plan have been filtered out such that they do not contribute to the determination of Mineral Reserves in any way.

The modifying factors applied to convert the mineral resource estimate to mineral reserves is based on the Sub-Level Caving mining method selected and the mining designs generated are as follows:

-- Cut-off grade 1.8% Sn -- Draw point shutoff grade 1.5% Sn -- Ore Recovery 84% -- Planned Dilution 19% -- Unplanned Dilution 24% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Conversion of Mineral Resource to Mineral Reserves ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Modification Step Tonnes Sn Grade Sn Content Factor (t) (%) (t) Notes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resource Model Indicated Resources @ 1.8% Sn COG 2,710,000 5.21% 141,276 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Planned dilution/Resource Exclusion 513,070 -792 2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mine Design - including planned dilution 3,223,070 4.36% 140,484 3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unplanned dilution 24% 789,493 0.00% 0 4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mine Design - Diluted 4,012,563 3.50% 140,484 5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mine Design - after 1.5% Sn shut- off grade 3,609,332 3.74% 135,064 6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ore loss 16% (568,971) 3.74% -20,698 7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mine Design - Diluted and Recovered @ 1.5% Sn COG 3,040,360 3.76% 114,366 8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes:

1. Indicated mineral resources 2. Practical development and stope shapes designed around indicated resources. This process results in unpayable resources being included into a stope or development end - Planned dilution. Also some outlying payable resource blocks which cannot be included into a practical mining shape are excluded - Resource Exclusion. 3. Total resource modified by planned dilution and resource exclusions. 4. Un-planned dilution estimated to account for waste included in run of mine ore. 5. Total resource modified by planned dilution, resource exclusions and unplanned dilution. 6. A shutoff grade of 1.5% is applied to determine the material which reports to the plant. 7. Weighted average of 16% ore loss applied to account for ore not recovered from the draw point. 8. Total mining inventory after application of all modifying factors - Mineral Reserves

No Inferred Mineral Resources have been included in the estimation of Mineral Reserves.

-------------------------------------------- Mineral Reserves -------------------------------------------- Tonnes Sn Sn tonnes Classification (millions) % (thousands) -------------------------------------------- Probable 3.04 3.76 114,366 --------------------------------------------

Environment

The Project is fully permitted to commence with construction and operation activities. Alphamin has completed the required environmental studies and management plans have been developed to mitigate against the potential negative environmental impacts of the Project.

Managing Social and Community Risk

Alphamin has in place a robust and proactive program of community outreach and engagement. Alphamin has committed to spend 4% of its in-country operational expenses on social infrastructure and economic development. This investment will be governed with representative input from affected communities and managed by the Lowa Alliance, a not for profit registered organisation. The development of an industrial mine at Bisie will also generate leveraging of Government of DRC and donor resources for additional investment in community infrastructure and social and economic development in the project affected communities.

Artisanal miners are widespread throughout the DRC. Alphamin has worked proactively with the artisanal miners themselves, the government authorities and the implementers and international donors involved in implementing conflict-free mineral supply chains to provide more attractive economic options as the miners face depleting surface minerals and increasing pressure to comply with DRC law and global supply chain expectations for conflict-free minerals. Artisanal miners working on the Bisie Project site have moved away due to increasingly difficult mining conditions, a falling tin price and more stringent controls on the provenance of concentrates by traders and smelters. Alphamin has taken this opportunity to secure its Bisie Project by fencing-off the mining site and will continue preserving its legal rights to develop Bisie whilst assisting artisanal miners to transition from illegal status to legal on conflict-free certified sites elsewhere in the region.

Through the initiatives of the global tin industry regarding the trade of conflict minerals in the Great Lakes Region, burden of proof falls primarily on supply chain operators and exporters to prove the direct source of the tin concentrate produced for smelting. That material which is not traceable to its direct source is unsaleable in the open market, since global smelters are under increasing pressure to assure certification and chain of custody to their customers. The complexities of certifying tin concentrates makes the product less appealing to armed groups and so reduces the risk of an attack on the mine or transporters with the intention to forcefully gain occupation of the mine site or steal final product.

Project schedule to production

The proposed project development schedule allows for 18 months for the mine construction program. Certain early works are required to gain access to the mine site as illustrated below.

To view the associated figure, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/arc_figs.pdf

Permitting

The Bisie Project is contained within Permis de Exploitation (Mining Permit) PE13155. The permit was issued in February 2015 and is valid until 2045. In terms of the DRC Mining Code, the holder of a mining permit is entitled to

-- Build the installations and infrastructure required for mining exploitation; -- Use the water and wood within the mining area for the requirements of the mining operation, subject to the conditions of the environmental management plan; -- Use, transport and freely sell the products originating from the mining area; and -- Proceed with concentration, metallurgical treatment, as well as the transformation of mineral substances extracted from the deposit within the mining area.

Alphamin holds legal title to additional exploration permits (PR10346, PR5266 and PR5267) adjacent to PE13155.

Funding strategy

Peak funding for the Project is estimated to be US$123m which comprises the development capital together with the working capital required up to the point when cash flows turn positive. Alphamin envisages funding this with a combination of equity and debt.

Prior to commencing with the implementation of the Project, a complete funding solution is required and the equity and debt are therefore inter-dependent. Accordingly, the target date for financial close in respect of this is early 2017 to enable development to commence at that time.

Opportunities and Next Steps

The Feasibility Study confirms that the Bisie Project is scalable. Whilst the Feasibility Study is based on the Mpama North orebody, Alphamin's exploration success in proving up this world class orebody demonstrates the potential to add additional tin bearing material from Mpama South and potential extensions to the mineralisation at depth at Mpama North to extend the life of mine or provide incremental feed for the Bisie Project process plant.

The Company believes there are opportunities to further improve the economics of the Bisie Project through continued engineering, capital cost reductions, and potential process plant engineering initiatives. Capital cost estimates for the project at this level of study are believed to be conservative. During the next 9-12 months, until funding has been secured, the Company will vigorously investigate ways to reduce capital expenditures. For example, the earthworks, civils, tailings and road construction activities can be awarded to a single contractor with potential savings to the project in preliminary and general costs. By implementing smarter contracting strategies we may be able to realize significant savings. Other key areas of focus to reduce the upfront capital costs will be the design of the access road and on-site infrastructure in a phased approach. This could defer capital costs into the operational phase of the Project and so reduce the capital at risk to the Company.

Conclusion

The completion of the 2016 Feasibility Study for the Bisie Project is an important step towards demonstrating the robust nature of the Project and progressing the Project towards execution and production. With only a limited number of active industrial scale tin mines outside of China and Indonesia and the majority of potential new projects facing significant technical, financing, permitting and other challenges, the Project is believed to be the most advanced developing tin project in the world.

It has the significant advantages of being a very high grade tin orebody, with favourable metallurgical properties and having an approved mining license. There is no other known tin project in the world that can commit to construction under present price conditions, and as such, the Bisie Project is expected to become the next tin producer.

Important Notice

Although Alphamin discloses its Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Statement in accordance with the requirements of the applicable disclosure standards, this news release is based on estimates, which while prepared by Qualified Persons, are subject to numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities and classification of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (including subjective judgments and determinations based on available geological, technical, contracted and economic information). Therefore, these statements should not be interpreted as assurances of mine life or of the profitability of current or future operations.

Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves prepared by or under the supervision of different Qualified Persons are estimates based on different technical assumptions (all of which comply with the applicable mining standards) and may vary as a result. There is no assurance that had such estimates been prepared by the same professional geoscientists and engineers applying a uniform methodology, they would not differ substantially from the information contained herein.

Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve information contained herein is based on engineering, metallurgical, economic and geological data assembled, and analysed by both Alphamin and third parties. Estimates as to both quantity and quality are periodically updated to reflect extraction of commodities and new drilling or other data received. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities and qualities of Mineral Reserves and costs to mine them, including many modifying factors beyond Alphamin's control. Estimates of Mineral Reserves necessarily depend upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, all of which may vary considerably from the actual results, such as:

-- geological continuity and mining conditions, which may not be fully identified by available exploration data, or which may differ from experience in current operations; and -- the assumed effects of regulation and taxes by governmental agencies and assumptions concerning commodity prices, operating costs, mining technology improvements, severance and excise tax, development costs and reclamation costs.

Further, Mineral Resource estimates, prepared in accordance with applicable mining standards are based on concentrations or occurrences of minerals that are judged to have reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction, but for which the economics of extraction cannot be assessed, whether because of insufficiency of geological information or lack of feasibility analysis, or for which economic extraction cannot be justified at the time of reporting. Consequently, Mineral Resources are of a higher risk and are less likely to be accurately estimated or recovered than Mineral Reserves. As well, Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have a demonstrated economic viability and require economic analysis to prove their viability for extraction.

Assumptions that are valid at the time of estimation may change significantly when new information becomes available, requiring a reassessment of Mineral Reserves. Such changes in Mineral Reserves could also impact depreciation and amortisation rates, asset carrying values, and provisions for close down, restoration and environmental remediation costs.

If the prices of the commodities produced by Alphamin decrease, or if there are adverse changes in treatment charges or foreign exchange rates, certain of Alphamin's Mineral Reserves, which are currently classified as Probable may cease to be classified as recoverable, as they become uneconomic to mine. In addition, changes in operating, capital or other costs may have the same effect by rendering certain Mineral Reserves uneconomic to mine in the future. Should such reductions occur, material write-downs of its investment in mining properties or the discontinuation of development might be required, and there could be material delays in the development of new projects, increased net losses and reduced cash flow. Moreover, short-term operating factors relating to Mineral Reserves, such as the need for orderly development of the mineral deposit or the processing of new or different mineral grades, may cause a mining operation to be unprofitable in any particular accounting period.

No assurance can be given that the anticipated tonnages and grades will be achieved or that the indicated level of recovery will be realised. The volume and grade of Mineral Reserves actually recovered and rates of production from the Company's present Mineral Reserves may be less than geological measurements of the Mineral Reserves, which may result in Alphamin realising less value from such Mineral Reserves than has been predicted. In the future, short term operating factors relating to Mineral Reserves, such as the need for development of ore bodies and other Mineral Resources, or the processing of different ore grades, may cause Mineral Reserves to be modified or Alphamin's operations to be unprofitable in a particular period.

No assurance can be given that the indicated amount of Mineral Reserves of ore or other minerals will be recovered, or will be recovered at the prices assumed. Mineral Reserve estimates are based on limited sampling and, consequently, are uncertain because the samples may not be representative of the entire ore body and Mineral Resource. As a better understanding of the ore body or Mineral Resource is obtained, the Mineral Reserve estimates may change significantly, either positively or negatively.

For these reasons, estimates and classifications of Mineral Reserves prepared by different engineers or by the same engineers at different times may vary substantially. Actual commodity tonnage recovered from identified Mineral Reserves and revenue and expenditures with respect to the Mineral Reserves may vary materially from estimates. Accordingly, these reserve estimates may not accurately reflect Alphamin's actual Mineral Reserves. Any inaccuracy in the estimates related to the Mineral Reserves could result in lower than expected revenue, higher than expected costs and decreased profitability.

All units are metric throughout this Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Statement, unless otherwise stated.

All Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves contained in this release should be read subject to the above risks and modifying factors. The effective date of all Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves in this news release is December 31, 2015. The data was prepared by or under the supervision of a Qualified Person ('QP') as defined in NI 43-101.

Industry Terms and Abbreviations

The following industry terms and abbreviations are used within this document:

CIM Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Cu Copper kpta Thousand tonnes per annum kptm Thousand tonnes per month LOM Life of Mine Mt Million tonnes NI National Instrument QP Qualified Person ROM Run of Mine Sn Tin USD United States of America dollar % Percentage

'Mine cut-off grade' is defined as the level of mineral in an ore below which it is not economically feasible to mine.

CIM Definition Standards Definitions or similar

The following definitions have been applied in estimating the Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves disclosed within this release.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mineral Is the economically mineable part of a Measured and/or Indicated Reserve: Mineral Resource? It includes diluting materials and allowances for losses, which may occur when the material is mined or extracted and is defined by studies at a Pre-Feasibility or Feasibility level as appropriate that include application of modifying factors. Such studies demonstrate that, at a time of reporting, extraction could be reasonably justified. The reference point at which Mineral Reserves are defined, usually the point where the ore is delivered to the processing plant, must be stated. It is important that, in all situations where the reference point is difference, such as for a saleable product, a clarifying statement is included to ensure that the reader is fully informed as to what is being publically reported. The public disclosure of a Mineral Reserve must be demonstrated by a Pre- Feasibility study or Feasibility study. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Probable Is the economically mineable part of an Indicated, and, in some Mineral circumstances, a Measured Mineral Resource? The confidence in Reserve: modifying factors applying to a Probable Mineral Reserve is lower than that applying to a Proven Mineral Reserve. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proven Is the economically mineable part of a Measured Mineral Resource? Mineral A Proven Mineral Reserve implies a high degree of confidence in Reserve: the modifying factors. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mineral Is a concentration or occurrence of solid material of economic Resource: interest in or on the Earth's crust in such form, grade or quality and quantity that there are reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction? The location, quantity, grade, or quality, continuity, and other geological characteristics of a Mineral Resource are known, estimated or interpreted from specific geological evidence and knowledge, including sampling. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured Is that part of a Mineral Resource for which quantity, grade or Mineral quality, densities, shape, and physical characteristics are Resource: estimated with confidence sufficient to allow the application of modifying factors to support detailed mine planning and final evaluation of the economic viability of the deposit. Geological evidence is derived from detailed and reliable exploration, sampling and testing and is sufficient to confirm geological and grade or quality continuity between points of observation. The estimate has a higher level of confidence than that applying to either an Indicated Mineral Resource or an Inferred Mineral Resource. It may be converted to a Proven Mineral Reserve or to a Probable Mineral Reserve. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated Is that part of a Mineral Resource for which quantity, grade or Mineral quality, densities, shape and physical characteristics are Resource: estimated with sufficient confidence to allow the application of modifying factors to support mine planning and evaluation of the economic viability of the deposit. Geological evidence is derived from adequately detailed and reliable exploration, sampling, and testing and is sufficient to assume geological and grade or quality continuity between points of observation. The estimate has a lower level of confidence than that applying to a Measured Mineral Resource and may only be converted to a Probable Mineral Reserve. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred Is that part of a Mineral Resource for which quantity and grade or Mineral quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence Resource: and sampling. Geological evidence is sufficient to imply, but not verify geological and grade or quality continuity. The estimate has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Qualified Persons

Mr. Andrew Pooley (B.Eng. (Hons) (Eng.)) is the Managing Director of Bara Consulting, an independent mine design consulting company to Alphamin and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects. Mr Pooley has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this press release.

Mr. J.C. Witley (BSc Hons, MSc (Eng)) is a Principal Mineral Resource Consultant for The MSA Group, an independent geological consulting company to Alphamin and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects. Mr Witley has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this press release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Boris Kamstra, Chief Executive Officer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this News Release.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Information in this news release that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained herein include, without limitation, statements relating to mineral reserve estimates, mineral resource estimates, realization of mineral reserve and resource estimates, capital and operating costs estimates, the timing and amount of future production, costs of production, success of mining operations, the ranking of the project in terms of cash cost and production, permitting, economic return estimates, power and storage facilities, life of mine, social, community and environmental impacts, metal markets and sales prices, purchasers for Alphamin's products, environmental assessment and permitting, securing sufficient financing on acceptable terms, opportunities for short and long term optimization of the Bisie Tin Project, and continued positive discussions and relationships with local communities and stakeholders. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Although Alphamin has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expected results described in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: Alphamin's ability to secure sufficient financing to advance and complete the Bisie Tin Project, uncertainties associated with Alphamin's resource and reserve estimates, uncertainties regarding global supply and demand for tin and market and sales prices, uncertainties associated with securing off-take agreements and customer contracts, uncertainties with respect to social, community and environmental impacts, adverse political events, uncertainties with respect to optimization opportunities for the Bisie Tin Project, as well as those risk factors set out in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure documents available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Alphamin disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Alphamin Resources Corp

Boris Kamstra

Chief Executive Officer

+230 269 4166

Grand Baie, Mauritius

www.alphaminresources.com




CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - February 23, 2016) - The use of third parties has indeed helped financial institutions to grow revenues, cut costs, and improve the customer experience. However, these proven upsides have come with equally apparent downsides: more frequent operational setbacks such as major service interruptions, mishandling of customer or employee data, and non-compliance with laws and regulations. With the right approach to managing risk, firms can turn third parties into strategic assets.

Mary Kay Merkt, SVP, Director, Vendor Management & Procurement at Johnson Bank, recently shared with marcus evans how to build healthy vendor partnerships through thorough contract management processes and data management systems:

How do due diligence standards and vendor outsourcing go hand-in-hand?

MKM: When an institution decides to outsource a service(s) to a third-party, it is their established due diligence standards that guide and monitor the oversight of that vendor relationship. The monitoring of categories such as risk assessments, business continuity plans, SOC reports, financial status, and etc. are key to measuring the inherent risk of the vendor relationship. This is the foundation for establishing controls to reduce risk and anticipate potential risks in the future.

What types of analytical methodologies are available to aid in the evaluation of third parties?

MKM: There are a number of analytical methodologies to aid in the evaluation of third parties. One of the most important processes performed in financial institutions is the evaluation, selection and continual measurement of vendors. Some institutions use the AHP or a hybrid version to calculate overall scores.

For example, these methods can be used with a variety of components of the vendor management program:

Vendor Selection: identifying the criteria for vendor selection, calculating weights to each criteria, negotiating, and reference checks

Vendor Performance: quality of service, delivery of reports, responsiveness to inquiries, compliance, and agility / flexibility to changes

Why is a bank's data storage model important to its defense against outside threats?

MKM: Whether the data storage is housed internally or outsourced, knowing the specifics of your data storage model provides the institution a key advantage to managing and anticipating potential risks. As the saying goes... "Know What You Don't Know!" is important to successful management of vendor relationships and protection against threats outside or inside the institution. To mitigate threats, you must be aware of the impact and probability of risks to reduce or eliminate them. Many institutions have a good handle on external risks because they have implemented disaster recovery (DR), business continuance and security measures to protect their data and applications.

How can a balanced risk sharing approach with the third party strengthen the first line of defense?

MKM: No matter how effective institutions are at managing third parties, there is no way to outsource the risk that comes with this decision. Ultimately, institutions are responsible for the impact on their reputation, financial viability and customers. Most institutions have mature controls and approaches that help lock down IT and security risks. They should apply the same consistency and discipline to managing the risks that come with their vendor relationships. The first line of defense can be strengthened by driving a balanced risk sharing approach with their third parties. This is illustrated by building regularly scheduled business reviews into the contract during the negotiation phase, reviewing the SSAE16 / SOC Reports for exceptions and accessing internal controls.

How do you plan for potential regulatory and business updates when creating a contract with a vendor?

MKM: To plan for potential regulatory and business updates related to contract management, we eliminated the "evergreen" type contracts that automatically renew. Automatic renewal type contracts can lead to complacency by the vendor and vendor relationship manager and many times these contracts have automatic increases built-in for year-over-year price increases. Within our contract general terms & conditions (GTC's), we have specific language to ensure the vendor is responsible for complying with all laws (including all statutes, ordinances, regulations, orders and codes) applicable to their business performance under the contract. With mission critical and high risk vendors, we expand the language to include language ensuring that the vendor will enable compliance by us and all requirements imposed by banking regulators having jurisdiction over us. Additionally, we include language related to changes in business processes, technology, security, and etc. as well as including system changes, enhancements, and requiring business reviews at least quarterly.

Mary Kay Merkt is the Director of Vendor Management & Procurement at Johnson Bank in Racine, WI. She has been active in the area of Vendor Management and Procurement for over 33 years. Last year, Mary Kay's responsibilities expanded to include Business Continuity Management and Incident Response, broadening her role within the Risk Management Area. In her current role, Mary Kay spearheads continuous process improvements across all business lines, develops risk assessment models, and negotiates enterprise contracts seeking cost savings and innovative ideas from vendors.

Mary Kay is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and is a Certified Regulatory Vendor Program Manager (CRVPM). She is an Instructor for the Wisconsin Bankers Association and currently serving as Director of the Bank Operations School. Mary Kay is a Certified Toastmaster with Toastmaster International.

Join Mary Kay at the 2016 Edition: Third Party Risk Management for Banks Conference, June 7-8, 2016 in Chicago, IL. View the conference agenda to check out Mary Kay's case study topic. For more information, please contact Tyler Kelch, Digital Marketing Manager, marcus evans at 312.894.6310 or Tylerke@marcusevansch.com.

About marcus evans

marcus evans conferences annually produce over 2,000 high quality events designed to provide key strategic business information, best practice and networking opportunities for senior industry decision-makers. Our global reach is utilized to attract over 30,000 speakers annually; ensuring niche focused subject matter presented directly by practitioners and a diversity of information to assist our clients in adopting best practice in all business disciplines.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/2/23/11G084096/Images/Untitled-309a36506197a2e1b22abc4e86bbd1ee.jpg

Tyler Kelch

Digital Marketing Manager

marcus evans

312.894.6310

Tylerke@marcusevansch.com
DUBLIN, February 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The global missile market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.05% by 2019, according to a recent report available from Research and Markets. The report states that many countries are upgrading their defense capabilities through the manufacturing and development of advanced aircraft, which boosts the development of missile systems. The report's findings were echoed today by news of Thales SA's increased profit for 2015. The multinational company specialize in the manufacturing of missile systems, and reported a 44% surge in profit last year, spurred on by high growth in military-equipment deliveries.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130307/600769 )



Thales predicted earnings before interest and taxes of EUR 1.13-1.15 billion. However, the company today reported a 23% rise, and earnings before interest and taxes of EUR 1.22 billion. The forecast for 2016 is between EUR 1.3-1.33 billion. Thales accredited the growth to increased defense budgets in the France, Germany and the U.K., and noted that a defense spending inflection point had been reached.

Thales makes more than half of its revenue from military equipment sales, and growth is expected in a number of related markets. The global military communications market is expected to be worth USD 40 billion by 2020, as noted in a recent report. This value could be higher if western European countries continue the current high purchasing trend.

The global defense drones market is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 6% by 2020, but this market may also see growth thanks to increased defense budgets. As one of Europe's biggest defense drones manufacturers, Thales are likely to encourage the purchasing of such equipment.

For further information on this topic, and a full list of all related documentation, please visit the Aerospace and Defense section at http://www.researchandmarkets.com/rm/MHRJ.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-23/thales-raises-sales-forecast-as-military-gains-push-2015-profit

About Research and Markets

Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - February 23, 2016) - Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), an open source project developing a common, Linux-based software stack for the connected car, today announced Collabora, HI Corporation, MediaTek and Witz Corporation are joining the project. These new AGL members are helping to advance open collaboration and automotive software development for the cars of the future.

"AGL is experiencing great momentum and awareness coming out of CES, which has been a real boost for the project," said Dan Cauchy, general manager of Automotive, The Linux Foundation. "A range of companies, including many of the world's largest auto OEMs, see value in leveraging open source to deliver rapid innovation in the auto industry."

AGL is also hosting its bi-annual all-member meeting today in Tokyo, Japan, at the Panasonic Center. With a growing member base, AGL participants from the automotive, communications and semiconductor industries, as well as individual developers, are meeting to collaborate on the development and roadmap for AGL Unified Code Base.

About the newest members:

Collabora Ltd. is a global software consultancy specializing in delivering the benefits of open source to the commercial world. Collabora combines over ten years of open source software expertise with hard-won experience from working in numerous industries. Collabora is engaged with key actors in the automotive market, helping them effectively take open source technologies from the community to real-world consumers, re-using existing components to reduce time to market and focus on product differentiation.

"As a long time member of The Linux Foundation, now host to new projects such as Automotive Grade Linux, we look forward to further our involvements with the foundation and its members," said Guy Lunardi, VP of Business Development at Collabora. "We're joining AGL so that we can participate directly in upstream development of open source, specifically in the connected car space and do what we can to advance the project's success and its potential adoption by our customers."

HI CORPORATION, as a member of the Artspark group, is committed to "Digital Monozukuri (making things with strong craftsmanship spirit)," as well as to contributing to deliver products and services that can enrich people's mind and heart. Through studying and researching human interface design for digital products to enrich the lives of people, they have been focusing on the IP (Intellectual Property) that HI CORPORATION has to offer.

"We are strongly committed to supporting open source as much as possible in the motor vehicle space," said Tomonobu Aoyama, president of HI Corporation. "By participating in AGL, we believe we'll ultimately be able to enhance the products and services we deliver to our customers."

MediaTek Inc. is a pioneering fabless semiconductor company and a market leader in cutting-edge systems-on-chip (SoC) for mobile devices, wireless networking, smart TV and IoT. MediaTek's tightly-integrated, innovative chip designs help manufacturers optimize supply chains, reduce the development time of new products, and extend a competitive edge in crowded markets. By building technologies that help connect individuals to the world around them, MediaTek is enabling people to expand their horizons and more easily achieve their goals.

"MediaTek sees great opportunity for chipset technology in infotainment systems," said JC Hsu, MediaTek's corporate vice president and general manager of IoT Business Unit. "By working with AGL we believe connected car innovation will evolve much faster and have a much broader industry impact."

WITZ Corporation is an embedded system integrator founded in 1997 and based in Nagoya City, Japan. The company has expertise ranging in Functional Safety, Realtime Operating System, Model Based Development and Embedded System Security.

"We have great hopes of achieving IVI technology success through a partnership with Automotive Grade Linux," said Hiroyuki Hattori, Chief Executive Officer of WITZ Corporation. "We believe that we can provide key engineering methods for AGL. WITZ looks forward to collaborating with AGL."

About Automotive Grade Linux (AGL)

Automotive Grade Linux is an open source project that aims to accelerate the development and adoption of a fully open software stack for the connected car. Leveraging the power and strength of Linux at its core, AGL is uniting automakers and technology companies to develop a common platform that offers OEMs complete control of the user experience so the industry can rapidly innovate where it counts. The AGL platform is available to all, and anyone can participate in its development. Learn more: http://automotivelinux.org/.

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is a nonprofit consortium dedicated to fostering the growth of Linux and collaborative software development. Founded in 2000, the organization sponsors the work of Linux creator Linus Torvalds and promotes, protects and advances the Linux operating system and collaborative software development by marshaling the resources of its members and the open source community. The Linux Foundation provides a neutral forum for collaboration and education by hosting Collaborative Projects, Linux conferences including LinuxCon, and generating original research and content that advances the understanding of Linux and collaborative software development. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

Additional Resources

Developer Resources

About the AGL Community

Participating in Automotive Grade Linux

Media Inquiries

Kristi Tan

The Linux Foundation

pr@linuxfoundation.org
MIAMI BEACH, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Go EZ Corporation (OTCQB: GEZC) (the "Company" or "GoEZ"), an emerging mobile and e-commerce company, is pleased to announce, is pleased to provide a corporate update and announces plans for its expanded corporate strategy.

Go EZ Corporation is an emerging, fully integrated development company, focused in mobile and ecommerce solutions. Go EZ is led by a veteran team of Silicon Valley Internet technologies & telecommunications pioneers, with rich global industry experience.

"At Go EZ, we are proud to position ourselves as the only pure public true play mobile solutions company. We focus our efforts toward our long-term strategy to create a global brand in this rapidly growing $100 billion mobile market. As such, we have to be different than others in that, we are focused on innovation and with a long-term perspective. Our strategy is to develop technology, products and services that significantly makes people's life "Go EZ". In this pursuit, we may do things that we believe will have a major and positive impact in the market we serve, yet at times the near term financial results may not be obvious," said Abraham Cinta as CEO of GoEZ.

"We look forward to continue the acquisition activities; we completed a strategic acquisition and were able to further test the market with a second property under management. Our pipeline is focused on a 20+ retail stores cluster, a major distributor for Latin America as well as online stores to complement and enhance our sales efforts. We are determined to have a growing network of strategic partners to participate and expand the distribution to our products and business into new markets," stated Abraham Cinta, CEO of Go EZ Corporation.

GoEz growth initiatives for 2016 comprise the following key elements:

Market Leading Brand: GoEZ is the only pure play public mobile company.

Research & Development of New Technologies: Our team of veteran Silicon Valley and internet technologies pioneers including the developers of the first virtual reality technology are contributing to the development of game changing technologies within the industry.

Distribution: Go EZ seeks to be at everybody's fingertips, and is constantly looking to develop a distribution network that will cover America and other continents.

Last year was crucial to our development; we were able to solidify our presence in Miami, as well as to launch innovative products and brands such as the Go EZ SmartWatch. We were able to reach the market that has allowed us to cement the basis of our expansion plan.

Apart from the development of products and technologies, the company is planning to capitalize the need of mobility and connectivity as well as commerce solutions for those with little access to professional systems only big corporations have, we are currently targeting the large number of small-medium retail outlets through our partners across the U.S. This development might not only service these retail outlets but also might place our brands in thousands of stores across America.

In addition to its present focus, the company is planning to exploit its technology, to develop new channels of distribution.

"Our vision is to capture the opportunity created by the convergence of mobile and ecommerce. We at Go EZ understand that in today's wireless world, people are not confined to a physical place and are always connected online. At Go EZ, we strive to make peoples' lives EZ. We seek to provide the ultimate EZ solutions for our customer's mobile experience," added Abraham Cinta, CEO.

About Go EZ Corp

Go EZ Corporation is an emerging, fully integrated company, focused in mobile and ecommerce solutions. Go EZ is led by a veteran team of Silicon Valley Internet technologies & telecommunications pioneers, with rich global industry experience. Additional information is available on the Company's website: www.goezcorporation.com or contact Investor Relations at: ir@GoEZCorp.com

Safe Harbor Statement: Certain statements and information included in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Federal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in such statements. Additional discussion of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from management's projections, estimates and expectations is contained in the Company's SEC filings. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or developments, except as required by federal securities laws.

Go EZ Corporation

ir@GoEZCorp.com

www.goezcorporation.com




BARCELONA, SPAIN -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Mobile World Congress -- Keezel Company (www.keezel.co), creators of the world's first one-button Internet freedom device, announced today it has partnered with PureVPN, Le VPN and ProXPN to provide its customers with the largest and most reliable VPN network in the world. Keezel users, who connect to a Wi-Fi network anywhere in the world with the device, will now have access to more than 1,250 servers in over 160 countries.

Keezel is designed for everyday users anywhere in the world, packing top-notch security and flexibility in a user-friendly, one-button-only device. The Keezel can protect up to 5 or 6 of your devices at the same time, connecting through Wi-Fi and enabling the Keezel to operate completely wireless. The rechargeable device also has 4x an iPhone battery allowing travelers to charge their devices while away from home.

The partnerships with PureVPN, Le VPN and ProXPN will enable Keezel to provide online security and privacy to all consumers. All of Keezel's VPN partners have ZERO logging policies, at least 256-bit encryption and the Keezel device itself provides an additional layer of privacy by completely separating customer information and Internet traffic data, which are handled (not monitored) on the Keezel and provider sides, respectively.

"Before Keezel, the complexity required to protect your privacy and unlock access to country-blocked content on every device was beyond the grasp of non-technical people and a hassle for everyone else. Keezel, with our VPN partners, now allows everyone to access everything the web has to offer, in a secure and private way, with a one-button, simple to use device," commented Aike Muller, Co-founder of Keezel Company.

"Le VPN is enthusiastic to partner with Keezel to help offer VPN technology to everyone," states Ksenia Votinova, COO of Le VPN. "We are excited to contribute to the further spread of internet security and online freedom around the world, by bringing our world-class team of information security specialists to the mix."

"Keezel has developed true VPN innovation, providing the benefits of VPN to the masses," said Fahad Ali, head of strategic partnership and alliances at PureVPN. "Our VPN network of 550+ servers and top-of-the-line 256-bit encryption ensure the highest level of security and speed for Keezel users."

"We haven't seen a hardware device like Keezel that so easily offers privacy and security with just a click of a button," said Mike Strouse, CEO and Founder of ProXPN. "I see this device as a game changer that all of our clients need in this day and age of privacy invasion. I know I won't go anywhere without mine."

About Keezel Company

Keezel Company, creators of the world's first one-button secure VPN device, brings online easy security and privacy to everyone, across all devices. Keezel is an easy-to-use device that provides secure, fast and reliable browsing for all, no matter where they are. Through its partnerships with multiple VPN providers, Keezel Company offers users the largest and most reliable VPN network in the world. Keezel devices will begin shipping to more than 70 countries in 2016 and will be available in retail stores later. Keezel Company is based in Amsterdam and was founded February 2015.

Media Contact

Jessica Hasson

PulpPR for Keezel

jessica@pulppr.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Oban Mining Corporation (TSX: OBM) ("Oban") and NioGold Mining Corporation (TSX VENTURE: NOX) ("NioGold") are pleased to announce that two leading independent proxy advisory firms that provide voting recommendations to institutional investors (being Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS") and Glass Lewis & Co. ("Glass Lewis"), have each recommended that shareholders approve the proposed business combination of Oban and NioGold pursuant to which Oban will, among other things, acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of NioGold by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "Arrangement").

Recommendation to NioGold Shareholders

ISS has recommended that shareholders of NioGold vote FOR the special resolution to approve the proposed Arrangement stating that, "In light of the significant implied premium and the reasonable strategic rationale, shareholder approval of this resolution is warranted."

Recommendation to Oban Shareholders

The leading independent proxy advisory firms, ISS and Glass Lewis, have recommended that shareholders of Oban vote FOR the ordinary resolutions to approve the issuance of common shares of Oban in connection with the Arrangement and the private placement of 10,521,700 subscription receipts of Oban sold on a "best efforts" private placement basis on February 3, 2016 (the "Share Issuance Resolution"). Specifically, Glass Lewis confirms that, "the all-stock consideration and concurrent placement stand to not only preserve Oban's existing cash balance, but, in fact, expand the combined firm's liquidity and position Oban to independently pursue further exploration and development with greater certainty in the near to medium term. Based on these factors and the unanimous support of the board, we believe shareholders should support the NioGold arrangement."

Additional information concerning the Arrangement and the Share Issuance Resolution among other matters, can be found in the joint management information circular of Oban and NioGold dated February 3, 2016 (the "Circular"). An electronic copy of the Circular is available on Oban's website at www.obanmining.com and on NioGold's website www.niogold.com. The Circular is also available on SEDAR under the issuer profiles of both companies at www.sedar.com.

NioGold Meeting

The special meeting of shareholder of NioGold is scheduled to be held at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on Friday March 4, 2016 at the offices of Bennett Jones LLP, Suite 3400, One First Canadian Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5X 1A4.

Oban Meeting

The special meeting of shareholder of Oban is scheduled to be held at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on Friday March 4, 2016 at the offices of Bennett Jones LLP, Suite 3400, One First Canadian Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5X 1A4.

Proxy Submission Deadlines

-- NioGold Shareholders: 10:00 a.m. (EST) on Wednesday March 2, 2016. -- Oban Shareholders: 11:00 a.m. (EST) on Wednesday March 2, 2016.

Shareholder Questions

Shareholders who have questions or require assistance with voting may contact the proxy solicitation agent of Oban and NioGold, Laurel Hill Advisory Group, at:

North America Toll Free: 1-877-452-7184 Collect Calls Outside North America: 416-304-0211 Email: assistance@laurelhill.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT - PLEASE VOTE TODAY The Board of Directors of Oban and NioGold UNANIMOUSLY recommend that Shareholders vote IN FAVOUR of the Arrangement ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved of the information contained herein.

Contacts:

Oban Mining Corporation

John Burzynski

President & Chief Executive Officer

(416) 848-9504



NioGold Mining Corporation

Robert Wares

President & Chief Executive Officer

(604) 856-9887




NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 23, 2016 - Today Reuters, the world's largest international multimedia news provider, released the White House Run (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/white-house-run/id1077919545) app for iPhone, a mobile game that lets voters simulate a U.S. presidential candidate and run for election, as well as catch up on Reuters political and polling news.

Reuters White House Run is a 2016 presidential election simulation rooted in a data story. Users are able to build their own candidate and jump into an election by declaring positions on the issues, as well as test their knowledge of current events. The candidate's electability is determined by actual Reuters/Ipsos polling data, giving users a realistic experience of understanding the role of public opinion in choosing America's next leader. Users will also have access to current Reuters political news and polling results at their fingertips within the app.

"White House Run allows users to engage with Reuters' rich polling data and news in a fresh way," said Reginald Chua, Executive Editor, Editorial Operations, Data and Innovation at Reuters. "It's a fun opportunity to see how users' own views compare with public opinion, and how well their stances on the issues would fare among the public compared to other White House Run users."

Built on the SAP Mobile Platform, Reuters White House Run capitalizes on the rich pool of polling data collected by the online Reuters/Ipsos polls across business, politics and elections, current affairs and lifestyle topics. In 2012, Reuters embarked on an ambitious polling project that set the standard for news organizations. Instead of using telephones to gather results on a semi-regular basis, Reuters partnered with the research firm Ipsos to reach a huge number of pre-screened respondents online. As a result, Reuters/Ipsos have not only polled far more people than a traditional telephone survey can reach, but have been continuously polling for more than three years, asking hundreds of questions of more than 11,000 people every month.

Reuters

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world's largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com.

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchange.

CONTACTS Heather Carpenter



PR Manager, Head of Special Projects



Reuters



heather.carpenter@thomsonreuters.com (mailto:heather.carpenter@thomsonreuters.com)



646-223-8551













This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Thomson Reuters Corporation via Globenewswire



HUG#1988731


NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - February 23, 2016) - SmartMetric, Inc. (OTCQB: SMME) SmartMetric is pleased to announce that it will be showing its first in the world biometric fingerprint activated EMV chip card that has a built in fingerprint scanner used to validate the card user and activate the card's EMV credit card chip.

The President & CEO of SmartMetric, Chaya Hendrick will also be speaking at the Payments Summit where she will be unveiling the SmartMetric card to the Smart Card Alliance conference and exhibition attendees.

We are very excited to be unveiling our amazing world first biometric card technology that takes the security of credit and debit cards to a whole new level. Other companies have tried to copy what we have created but all have failed in coming out with a functional credit card with a built in fingerprint reader that also has a functional built in rechargeable power source. Where other companies trying to copy us have met a brick wall amongst other things has been the lack of ability in reducing the size and in particular the thickness of the complex electronic components needed to be embedded inside the card, said SmartMetric's President today.

Apart from us being the world's first credit card thin biometric fingerprint card our card is on average 50% less than other companies stated release price. The average cost per card of powered electronic cards is between $90.00 to $120.00 a card. SmartMetric has been able to achieve efficiencies in its own component manufacturing along with overall manufacturing cost saving that allows the company to offer its card for $50.00

It has taken years of R&D to engineer our own components to create the super thin electronics such as our cortex processor, memory etc along with an incredibly thin tissue paper thin circuit board said Chaya Hendrick. Of course we could have released a much thicker card that wouldn't have conformed to ISO credit card size and thickness but from the outset we wanted our card to be able to work with existing payment card terminals and ATM's the company President said.

The SmartMetric biometric card uses a miniature super thin fingerprint reader made by SmartMetric that sits inside EMV chip cards. There are more than 3.4 billion EMV chip cards in use around the world. SmartMetric is looking at selling into this market at a price of $50.00 per card and thereby providing the consumer with a much safer credit card to protect against identity and data theft.

SmartMetric is now in talks with card issuing Banks in North America and Europe and will be soon introducing its card to Banks in South East Asia and Latin America.

About SmartMetric: SmartMetric has created a safer and better user validation and identification technology for payment and identity cards using a person's individual and unique biometrics to validate and identify the card user. The company has created a super miniature fully functional powerful fingerprint scanner that fits inside a payments card as well as identity and secure log on cards. Using an internal Cortex processor built in the card the SmartMetric biometric card scans, reads and matches a person's fingerprint in less than 0.25 seconds. The card's internal scanner is powered by a rechargeable battery developed by SmartMetric and also embedded inside the payments and identity card. SmartMetric is a publicly traded fully reporting company on the United States OTCQB exchange.

To view a video of the SmartMetric biometric chip card follow this link -- https://youtu.be/zSX59uHoHqU. To view the company website: www.smartmetric.com.

Safe Harbor Statement: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the Company's business strategy and future plans of operations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific to the matters discussed in this press release. These and other important factors, including those mentioned in various Securities and Exchange Commission filings made periodically by the Company, may cause the Company's actual results and performance to differ materially from the future results and performance expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to provide public updates, revisions or amendments to any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect changes in the Company's expectations or future events. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors.

SmartMetric, Inc.

Head Office:

702.990.3687



Media Enquiries Direct:

786.269.2238

Email: info@smartmetric.com



Investor Relations

Everest Corporate Advisors, Inc.

702.334.7791 or 415.250.0105
Washington

State officials, union leaders, and others testifying Tuesday before the Senate education committees oversight hearing on the Every Student Succeeds Act largely agreed on one point: The new flexibility for states and districts could lead to real progress.

But there was less agreement about the extent to which that new latitude could be challenging for schoolsor even detrimental to students, particularly historically disadvantaged ones.

Senators quizzed those testifying about how they were rethinking school accountability under ESSA, whether they felt like they will have enough time to create and finalize their plans in order to receive federal funds, and whether the U.S. Department of Education should use a light touch or be aggressive when regulating under the new law.

And its a safe bet that many of these same questions will come up in the Senate education committee on Thursday, when its members hold a confirmation hearing for acting Secretary of Education John B. King Jr.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate education committee, said in his opening remarks that ESSA represents a major and appropriate shift in control over education policy to the states, and an example of Washington actually working well. But those two things alone, he stressed, wont necessarily mean the law would be carried out as he and other champions of ESSA intend: A law that is not properly implemented is not worth the paper its printed on.

Meanwhile, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the committees ranking Democrat, stressed that ESSA contains important guardrails that are important for the Education Department to keep in mind as it develops regulations for the law. She also said civil rights groups and other like-minded stakeholders should be included in discussions and considerations about the laws impact.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Actthe current version of which is ESSA"is at its heart a civil rights law, Murray noted in her opening statement.

Two weeks ago, the House subcommittee on K-12 held its own oversight hearing on ESSA. On Thursday, the full House Education and the Workforce Committee will hold another oversight hearing on the new law .

Readiness of States and Schools

In prepared testimony, Wisconsin Superintendent Tony Evers (who might have received the most attention and questions from lawmakers) stressed the importance for balance under ESSA. He said that while he did not want top-down mandates and over-regulation from Washington, guidance provided by the Education Department on key issues has proven helpful to his state.

In states like Wisconsin, we welcome oversight of the progress we are making, but it is important that states and local districts have the flexibility to identify how we achieve the goals we have set for students, the measures we include in our accountability system, the weight we give these measures, and how we design interventions that reflect the realities facing unique student populations across the state, said Evers, who is also the president of the Council of Chief State School Officers.

And Gov. Gary Herbert, R-Utah, chairman of the National Governors Association (which heartily endorsed ESSA before it was signed), made a similar point, saying that state solutions would work best in order to leverage education as a tool for lifting children out of poverty. Governors see ESSA as an opportunity to set high, but realistic, expectations for schools, he said.

(Remember, under ESSA, the old adequate yearly progress requirement is out, and states have more leeway to set academic goals for students, even though the former No Child Left Behind Acts annual testing mandates for grades 3-8 and high school remain.)

Those remarks probably were music to Alexanders ears. Just last weekend, in fact, Alexander made a pitch to the nations governors at an NGA meeting to use their extensive power under ESSA to reconsider or remake education policy as they see fit, and to build in state coalitions to help implement the law.

Teachers union leaders also praised new breathing room under ESSA, but put a different spin on it.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, for example, made a pitch to lawmakers to give teachers, in particular, and other school leaders time and latitude to help redesign accountability systems that measure what students need to know and what supports and resources teachers would need to help students realize those learning objectives. To help that process, Weingarten told lawmakers, there should be a pause on high-stakes accountability pegged to testing.

We have gone through many, many reforms, where there is a rush to publish and a rush to create, and no attention paid to the implementation, she said.

On teacher evaluations in particular, its an open question to what extent states will alter or toss out their current systems, since ESSA now gives the federal government no say over those evaluations. Thats a big change from the Race to the Top competitive-grant program and NCLB waivers, which included specific requirements regarding evaluations and their use of student performance.

However, to dismiss the important role the Education Department has under ESSA, and to minimize the progress minority students have made during the last 15 years under the NCLB law, would be a major mistake, Kati Haycock, the president of the Education Trust, told senators. Haycock stated that the track record of states and districts in protecting vulnerable students was not a good one.

Recognizing the need for state and local decision-making does not mean, as some have suggested, that the only real role for the department of education is to cut checks, Haycock said.

How Much Time is Enough Time?

Alexander asked Evers to what extent he thought states should be realistically expected to complete new plans to comply with ESSA by the summer of 2017 and put them into effect for the 2017-18 school year. Evers said he thought that deadline, roughly 18 months away, was a fair one. Evers said he planned to convene groups of stakeholders to discuss ESSA starting in the spring, for example. (Click here for more about the timeline for ESSA , including the development of regulations.)

And Haycock said that states initial approaches to accountability ESSA could evolve based on evidence. As people learn more about what indicators are helpful in working on improvement, those can be added later on, she told lawmakers.

Weingarten and National Education Association Vice President Becky Pringle, however, expressed concerns that without enough time, states wouldnt take full advantage of the flexibility and options presented by ESSA to consider non-academic indicators and other factors in accountability. New and helpful indicators of students social-emotional status, which could have a significant impact on accountability under ESSA, could be productively examined, Weingarten noted.

By contrast, if states feel rushed, Pringle argued, They will tinker around the edges of accountability systems, losing the opportunity they have under ESSA, and failing students.

Alexander also asked Pringle and Weingarten the right way to approach teacher evaluations in states, given the newfound stability in federal policy and flexibility for states. Pringle responded that instead of evaluations that, in the past, used a test and punish approach, new evaluations might consider new factors like teacher contributions outside the classrooms and in broader communities.

Weve got to root it in the idea that the evaluation is about improving professional practice, so that all students can learn. Thats a very different paradigm, Pringle told Alexander.

In a similar vein, responding to a question from Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., about the place of testing under ESSA, Evers said that a lot of the overtesting was largely at the local level and not related to the volume of state exams: The issue is more likely how the test results are used, rather than the amount of testing.

Data and Services



Both Evers and David R. Schuler, president of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, stressed the value of good data, which was the subject of questioning by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who said that data is critical to ensuring that federal money is being spent appropriately. (Warren also made a pitch for federal officials to strengthen accountability regulations, not weaken them.)

And Schuler said the ability of states under ESSA to use college admissions tests instead of traditional state exams would help students, in particular.

However, Schuler also said that the Education Department, as part of what should be its not-overly-aggressive approach to ESSA regulation, should not place too much of a burden on districts, especially rural ones, when it comes to compliance with regulations and data-reporting. Federal officials, he said, should first see whether states have a lot of the data the Education Department might already be seeking as it provides guidance and regulations concerning ESSA, for example.

Please do not duplicate your efforts, Schuler said.

Pringle and Weingarten also discussed resource equity with Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. Weingarten made a pitch for connecting how more-equitable resources for schools, like additional incentives for teachers, could improve school turnaround efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
NOVA Chemicals Corporation, 1000 Seventh Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 5L5

www.novachemicals.com (http://www.novachemicals.com/) | 412.490.4000 tel

Calgary, Alberta (February 23, 2016) - NOVA Chemicals Corporation (NOVA Chemicals) today announced that Julie Beck will join NOVA Chemicals as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective February 29, 2016. She will be located at NOVA Chemicals' Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. Commercial Center. Ms. Beck previously served as Vice President, Finance and divisional Chief Financial Officer of Joy Global's Underground Mining segment and brings with her an extensive background in corporate finance, treasury and strategy.

"I really look forward to building on my past experience and working alongside the NOVA Chemicals team," stated Beck. "NOVA Chemicals has a great culture of innovation and collaboration and I can't wait to get started."

Beck will be a part of NOVA Chemicals' senior management team and will succeed Todd Karran as CFO, who was named Chief Executive Officer in 2015.

"I'm thrilled to welcome Julie to NOVA Chemicals where she will help shape the future of our company," stated Mr. Karran. "As we look forward to continued growth in a changing marketplace, Julie's experience and leadership will help play a critical role in our ability to enable our customers to deliver products that make everyday life healthier, easier and safer."

About NOVA Chemicals Corporation

NOVA Chemicals develops and manufactures chemicals, plastic resins and end-products that make everyday life safer, healthier and easier. Our employees work to ensure health, safety, security and environmental stewardship through our commitment to sustainability and Responsible Care. NOVA Chemicals, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Visit NOVA Chemicals on the Internet at www.novachemicals.com (http://www.novachemicals.com/).

Download headshot (http://www.novachem.com/Content%20Images/Company/beck-hs-full.png)

Download bio (http://www.novachem.com/ExWeb%20Documents/Company/juliebeck-bio.pdf)

# # #

Media inquiries, please contact:

Pace Markowitz

Director, Communications

E-mail: pace.markowitz@novachem.com

Investor Inquiries, please contact:

Tracey Simpson

Leader, External Financial Reporting

E-mail: tracey.simpson@novachem.com

The NOVA Chemicals logo is a registered trademarks of NOVA Brands Ltd.; authorized use.

Responsible Care is a registered trademark of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada.





This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: NOVA Chemicals Corporation via Globenewswire



HUG#1988720


Conference call and webcast on Wednesday, February 24th at 15:00 pm CET/09:00 am EST

GRASPA entered European MAA registration phase for treatment of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Further EU and US clinical development plans in ALL established

Clinical programs in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and pancreatic cancer on track

25.4 million raised in December 2015 private placement

Solid cash position of 45.6 million at year-end

Regulatory News:

ERYTECH Pharma (Paris:ERYP) (ADR:EYRYY) (Euronext Paris: ERYP), the French biopharmaceutical company developing 'tumor starvation' treatments for acute leukemia and other oncology indications with unmet medical needs, today provided a business update and reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Business Highlights

Centralized Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for GRASPA submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Further development plans of ERY-ASP (GRASPA) for treatment of ALL finalized

Third safety review completed in Phase 2b acute myeloid leukemia (AML) study

Original recruitment objective reached in Phase 2 pancreatic cancer study; enrollment continues to further increase statistical power of study

Preclinical development of new product candidates progressing and IP portfolio strengthened

Financial Highlights

25.4 million raised in successful private placement in December 2015 with prominent institutional investors in the United States and Europe

Net loss of 15.0 million reflecting increased activity level in advancing clinical trials

Entered 2016 with solid cash position of 45.6 million

Level 1 ADR program in the U.S. initiated; intention to conduct registered IPO in the U.S. announced

Anticipated Key 2016 Milestones

EU marketing authorization of GRASPA for ALL

Completion of U.S. Phase 1 ALL study

Results of Phase 2 study for treatment of pancreatic cancer

Initiation of new clinical studies

"2015 was a transformational year for ERYTECH as we executed on a variety of key strategic, clinical and operational initiatives. In the third quarter, we submitted our EMA Marketing Authorization Application for GRASPA for the treatment of ALL," said Gil Beyen, Chairman and CEO of ERYTECH. "In addition, we have made substantive progress in the clinical development of GRASPA in other indications including AML and pancreatic cancer, and advanced our preclinical product pipeline. Looking ahead to the next twelve months, we have a number of anticipated catalysts including continued progress in our ongoing studies, the initiation of new trials, the results of our Phase 2 study of GRASPA in pancreatic cancer, and our potential first product approval in Europe. We believe that our novel ERYCAPS platform technology has significant potential in transforming the treatment of rare cancers and orphan diseases. Our December 2015 private placement strengthened our balance sheet and has positioned ERYTECH for further advancing key development projects."

Business Update

Centralized Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for GRASPA submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for treatment of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

In September 2015, ERYTECH submitted its MAA for GRASPA to the EMA for the treatment of ALL. The MAA for GRASPA, ERYTECH's lead product candidate, consisting of asparaginase encapsulated in red blood cells, is based on the positive findings of the GRASPALL 2009-06 study, a pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trial comparing GRASPA to native L-asparaginase in children and adults suffering from relapsed or refractory ALL. The Company is in the process of addressing the EMA's Committee on Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) questions, and plans to complete its responses as expeditiously as possible to target a potential approval of GRASPA by the end of the year.

In June 2015, ERYTECH reported complete results of its GRASPALL 2009-06 study in a plenary session at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Additional two-year follow-up data were presented in December at the 2015 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.

Further development plans of ERY-ASP (GRASPA) for treatment of ALL finalized

ERYTECH currently has two other clinical studies of ERY-ASP (GRASPA) in ALL ongoing: a dose-escalating Phase 1 study in adults newly diagnosed with ALL in the US and an Expanded Access Program (EAP) in France in ALL patients that cannot be treated with other forms of asparaginase due to the risk of developing allergic reactions or other adverse events.

Leveraging the data generated in the previous clinical studies of ERY-ASP and building on its two ongoing studies, ERYTECH is preparing two global pivotal studies in ALL patients aiming at product approval in the United States and label extension in Europe. Upon completion of the U.S. Phase 1 study, ERYTECH also intends to continue with a pivotal study in adults with newly diagnosed ALL in the U.S.

Third safety review completed in Phase 2b acute myeloid leukemia (AML) study

The ENFORCE 1 study is a multinational, randomized, controlled Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of GRASPA in the treatment of newly diagnosed AML patients over 65 years of age and unfit for intensive chemotherapy. At the end of 2015, an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) completed its third safety assessment of data from 105 patients enrolled in the trial, based on the positive review, ERYTECH continued enrollment in the trial. Earlier safety reviews took place when 30 and 60 patients had been treated in the study. The Company is on-track to complete enrollment in 2016, with primary results expected in 2017.

Original recruitment objective reached in Phase 2 pancreatic cancer study; enrollment continues to further increase statistical power of study

The ERY-ASP pancreatic cancer Phase 2 study is a multicenter, randomized trial in second-line treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. In this study, conducted in France, ERY-ASP in addition to the standard of care (gemcitabine or FOLFOX regimen) is being compared to the standard of care alone in a 2-to-1 randomization. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS) at 4 months. A pre-planned safety analysis of the first 24 patients treated was performed by an independent DSMB. The DSMB raised no safety concerns, and recommended the continuation of enrollment in the study. The original target enrollment of approximately 90 patients was recently reached. ERYTECH has elected to continue enrollment with a goal of increasing the statistical power of the study and better evaluating the treatment in subgroups. Primary results of the study are expected in Q4 2016.

Preclinical development of new product candidates progressing and IP portfolio strengthened

Progress has been made in the following preclinical development programs:

The work accomplished in the government co-funded TEDAC program to broaden the use of ERYTECH's encapsulation technology to other enzymes has led to the identification of two promising new 'tumor starvation' drug candidates, ERY-MET and ERY-ADI. ERY-MET consists of methionine-?-lyase (MGL) encapsulated inside red blood cells. ERY-ADI is arginine-deiminase (ADI) encapsulated in red blood cells. Based on these promising preclinical results, the Company intends to continue the development of these candidates with the goal of initiating clinical trials.

In addition to the use of the ERYCAPS platform to encapsulate enzymes to increase their circulating activity and reduce their toxicity, the Company is expanding the use of its ERYCAPS technology to the field of immunotherapy. By loading red blood cells with specific antigens and subsequently modifying the cells' membranes to make them target specific antigen-presenting cells in the liver or spleen, ERYTECH has observed promising proof-of-concept data in three different tumor models. It plans to continue developing this platform in order to confirm preclinical data and to determine its development strategy.

During 2015, certain of ERYTECH's patents were granted and a patent application was filed. ERYTECH currently holds 13 patent families encompassing 136 granted patents and 90 patent applications. These patents cover the technology platform and applications thereof in and outside oncology. In addition, the Company holds an exclusive license from the National Institutes of Health (USA), covering a diagnostic method to predict the efficacy of L-asparaginase.

Financial Update

25.4 million raised in private placement supported by prominent U.S. and European institutional investors

In December 2015, ERYTECH completed a 25.4 million private placement with a group of qualified investors in the Unites States and Europe. 940,000 ordinary shares were issued in the private placement. The proceeds from the private placement will enable ERYTECH to further expand key clinical programs, including the development of ERY-ASP/GRASPA for the treatment of ALL as a first line therapy in the United States and Europe and for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as well as a Phase 1 clinical trial of ERY-MET. Additionally, the funds will be used to advance certain preclinical programs, such as ERYTECH's immuno-therapy program, support the further development of its ERYCAPS technology platform and help prepare the company for future expansion.

Net loss of 15.0 million reflecting increased activity level in advancing clinical programs

ERYTECH's key financial figures for the full year of 2015 compared with the same period of the previous year are summarized below:

Key figures (in thousands of euros):

FY 2015 FY 2014 Revenues 0 0 Other income 2,929 2,026 Total operating income 2,929 2,026 Operating expenses: Research development (10,776) (6,613) General administrative (7,736) (4,361) Total operating expenses (18,512) (10,974) Operating loss (15,583) (8,948) Financial income 567 68 Income tax 3 20 Net Loss (15,013) (8,860)

Net loss for 2015 was 15.0 million, compared to 8.9 million in 2014. The 6.2 million increase was primarily due to the 7.5 million increase in operating expenses, both for R&D and G&A activities. The increase included 1.4 million related to the preparation for a potential registered public offering in the United States and a 1.5 million non-cash expense related to the issuance of share-based warrants. The increase in operating expenses was partially offset by a 0.9 million increase in operating income and a 0.5 million increase in financial income.

R&D expenses increased by 4.2 million. The increase was primarily the result of a 1.5 million increase in consumables and third-party services related to clinical trials conducted in 2015; a 1.5 million increase in personnel expenses due to increasing headcount and share-based compensation issued to R&D personnel; and a 1.2 million increase in direct research and development expenses, mostly related to the TEDAC program.

G&A expenses increased by 3.4 million. The increase was primarily due to a 1.9 million increase in services, subcontracting and fees, including 1.4 million related to the preparation of a potential registered public offering in the United States, and a 2.0 million increase in other expenses, including a 1.6 million expense related to share-based warrants issued to board members.

The increase in expenses was partially offset by the 0.9 million increase in operating income, related to higher research tax credits (CIR) of 0.7 million, which reflected the increased effort in R&D activities, as well as a 0.1 million increase in non-refundable grants from Bpifrance for the TEDAC program and a 0.1 million increase in other income related to the re-invoicing to ERYTECH's partner Orphan Europe of AML study expenses.

Financial income increased 0.5 million with the full-year impact of interest-bearing investments related to ERYTECH's October 2014 follow-on offering on Euronext Paris.

Entered 2016 with solid cash position of 45.6 million

As of December 31, 2015, ERYTECH had cash and cash equivalents totaling 45.6 million, compared with 37.0 million on December 31, 2014. Net cash generation for the 12-month period ended December 31, 2015 was 8.6 million. The cash generation in 2015 was mainly the result of the 22.7 million net proceeds from the Company's December 2015 private placement of ordinary shares. Total cash utilization in 2015, excluding the December 2015 capital raise, was 14.1 million, mainly related to operating activities, as a result of ERYTECH's continued efforts to advance its research and development programs, as well as increased general and administrative expenses. Total cash utilization in 2015 included a 1.4 million expense for the preparation of a potential registered public offering in the United States, as well as a 2.3 million increase in receivables related to delays in the receipt of 2014 research tax credits and other tax credits.

Level 1 ADR program in the U.S. initiated; intention to conduct registered initial public offering in the U.S. announced

In January 2015, ERYTECH initiated an American Depositary Receipt (ADR) Level 1 program in the United States as part of its strategy to increase visibility with investors in the United States. ERYTECH's ADRs are traded in the U.S. on the over-the-counter (OTC) market under the ticker symbol "EYRYY." Each ERYTECH ADR represents one ERYTECH ordinary share as traded on Euronext Paris. The Bank of New York Mellon acts as the depository for the Level 1 ADR program.

ERYTECH continues to assess its financing options depending on market conditions, including, as previously announced, a registered initial public offering in the United States whose timing and terms have not yet been determined.

The financial report for the full year 2015, approved by the board of directors on February 19, 2016, is available on ERYTECH's website.

ERYTECH is also pleased to announce the launch of its newly redesigned website and corporate logo as part of its new branding strategy. Visitors are encouraged to visit www.erytech.com.

Next financial updates:

Financial highlights for the 1st quarter of 2016: May 10, 2016 (after market close), followed by a conference call and webcast on May 11, 2016 (3:00pm CET/9:00am ET)

Upcoming participations at investor conferences:

BioCapital Europe, March 9, Amsterdam

ODDO Biotech/Medtech Forum, March 31, Paris

Kempen Life Sciences Conference, April 7, Amsterdam

Gilbert Dupont Healthcare Meeting, May 10, Paris

SFAF Bio Day, May 17, Paris

Jefferies Healthcare Conference, June 7-10, New-York

France Biotech Life Sciences Day, June 9, San Francisco

About ERYTECH and ERY-ASP (GRASPA): www.erytech.com

Founded in Lyon, France in 2004, ERYTECH is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for rare forms of cancer and orphan diseases. Leveraging its proprietary ERYCAPS platform, which uses a novel technology to encapsulate therapeutic drug substances inside red blood cells, ERYTECH has developed a pipeline of product candidates targeting markets with high unmet medical needs. ERYTECH's initial focus is on the treatment of blood cancers, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), by depriving tumors of nutrients necessary for their survival. ERYTECH has recently filed for European Marketing Authorization for its lead product candidate, ERY-ASP, also known under the trade name GRASPA, following positive efficacy and safety results from its completed Phase 2/3 pivotal clinical trial in Europe in children and adults with relapsed or refractory ALL. ERYTECH also has an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of ERY-ASP in the United States in adults with newly diagnosed ALL, and a Phase 2b clinical trial in Europe in elderly patients with newly diagnosed AML, each in combination with chemotherapy.

ERY-ASP consists of an enzyme, L-asparaginase, encapsulated inside donor-derived red blood cells. L-asparaginase depletes asparagine, a naturally occurring amino acid essential for the survival and proliferation of cancer cells, from circulating blood plasma. Every year over 50,000 patients in Europe and the United States are diagnosed with ALL or AML. For about 80% of these patients, mainly adults and relapsing patients, current forms of L-asparaginase cannot be used due to their toxicity or as a result of allergic reactions. ERYTECH believes that the safety and efficacy profile of ERY-ASP/GRASPA, as observed in its Phase 2/3 pivotal clinical trial, offers an attractive alternative option for the treatment of leukemia patients.

ERYTECH believes that ERY-ASP has the potential as a treatment approach in solid tumors and is conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial in Europe in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. In addition to its current product candidates that focus on using encapsulated enzymes to induce tumor starvation, ERYTECH is exploring the use of its platform for developing cancer vaccines and enzyme replacement therapies.

The EMA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have granted orphan drug designations for ERY-ASP/GRASPA for the treatment of ALL, AML and pancreatic cancer. ERYTECH produces ERY-ASP at its own GMP-approved and operational manufacturing site in Lyon (France), and at a site for clinical production in Philadelphia (USA). ERYTECH has entered into licensing and distribution partnership agreements for ERY-ASP for ALL and AML in Europe with Orphan Europe (Recordati Group), and for ALL in Israel with TEVA, which will market the product under the GRASPA brand name.

ERYTECH is listed on Euronext regulated market in Paris (ISIN code: FR0011471135, ticker: ERYP) and is part of the CAC Healthcare, CAC Pharma Bio, CAC Mid Small, CAC All Tradable, EnterNext PEA-PME 150 and Next Biotech indexes. ERYTECH is also listed in the U.S. under an ADR level 1 program (OTC, ticker EYRYY).

Forward-looking information

This document may contain forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the financial position, results of operations, business strategy, plans, objectives and anticipated future performance of ERYTECH and of the market in which it operates. Certain of these statements, forecasts and estimates can be recognized by the use of words such as, without limitation, "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "plans", "seeks", "estimates", "may", "will" and "continue" and similar expressions. They include all matters that are not historical facts. Such statements, forecasts and estimates are based on various assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable when made but may or may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict and may depend upon factors that are beyond ERYTECH's control. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline product candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. Therefore, actual results may turn out to be materially different from the anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements, forecasts and estimates. Documents filed by ERYTECH Pharma with the French Autorite des Marches Financiers (www.amf-france.org), also available on ERYTECH's website (www.erytech.com) describe such risks and uncertainties. Given these uncertainties, no representations are made as to the accuracy or fairness of such forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates only speak as of the date of the publication of this document. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. ERYTECH disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statement, forecast or estimates to reflect any change in ERYTECH's expectations with regard thereto, or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement, forecast or estimate is based, except to the extent required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223006564/en/

Contacts:

ERYTECH

Gil Beyen

Chairman and CEO

Eric Soyer

CFO and COO

+33 4 78 74 44 38

investors@erytech.com

or

The Ruth Group

Investor relations

Lee Roth, +1-646-536-7012

lroth@theruthgroup.com

or

Media relations

Kirsten Thomas, +1-508-280-6592

kthomas@theruthgroup.com

or

NewCap

Julien Perez

Investor relations

Nicolas Merigeau

Media relations

+33 1 44 71 98 52

erytech@newcap.eu
BARCELONA, Spain, February 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Apricots, an escort agency based in Catalonia, has been formally requested by the organizers of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), through its executive management Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA), to remove one of its billboards for the duration of the Congress. Located at the confluence of the Gran Via as it passes through L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, the billboard appears near the Feria de Barcelona hosting the event and main traffic artery from the airport in Barcelona. The organizers have made the request in the interests of creating a comfortable environment for delegates to the Congress from around the world.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336447 )

Although not obliged to, Apricots has agreed to withdraw the billboard during the MWC and demonstrate its commitment to the city of Barcelona and its international reputation. Javier Martinez, CEO of Apricots, noted, "Increased demand is not specifically due to the celebration of the Mobile World Congress, but rather a consequence of the large increase of visitors in the city. "

The Apricots billboard has, in the two previous editions of the MWC, been contested by attendees of the event. This year, the escort agency has agreed to its retirement for two reasons: "First, to demonstrate the transparency of our activities and, moreover, to support the smooth development of the most important event in Barcelona, the birthplace of Apricots, "said Martinez.

"For us, it is of utmost importance that our practice be ethical, voluntary and legal," insists the CEO of Apricots. In Catalonia, the legality of escort services was established in 2002, with the approval of Decree 217/2002 and current inclusion in Decree 112/2010.
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - February 23, 2016) - The world's leading mineral exploration and mining event -- the PDAC Convention -- is just around the corner!

The annual convention, now in its 84 th year, brings the mineral exploration and mining community to Toronto and has recently attracted between 23,000 and 30,000 attendees from more than 125 countries.

"The annual PDAC Convention attracts executives, government officials, prospectors, analysts, investors and brokers from all over the world, including the United States, Australia, Peru, Mexico, Chile and South Africa -- which is more countries than the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics," says PDAC President Rod Thomas. "It is an iconic event for the city of Toronto that provides huge tourism opportunities and injects upwards of $60 million each year into the local economy."

The PDAC 2016 Convention offers first-time displays, along with an exciting lineup of Programs, Short Courses, the Trade Show, Investors Exchange and social and networking events.

Highlights of the PDAC 2016 Convention:

Meet Gianni Kovacevic as he kicks off his Realistic Environmentalist North America Tour, where he will drive his Tesla from Toronto to Tesla headquarters in Palo Alto, California.

For the first time a selection of visually-stunning minerals from the Kirwin Collection, on loan from the Royal Ontario Museum, will be available for everyone to see up close in Trade Show North. Trade Show North is free to the public.

Celebrate 100 years of history with the Royal Canadian Mint and examine new proprietary anti-counterfeiting technology.

The Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange will be opening and closing the market from the floor of the PDAC Convention. Visit the TMX booth to watch delegations from around the world open and close the market.

An assortment of rough, cut and polished De Beers Canadian diamonds will be on display.

This year's Keynote Session will look at the future of exploration and development into 2026.

The PDAC 2016 Convention takes place March 6-9 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Visit www.pdac.ca/convention for more information and check out the video.

About the PDAC

The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) is the national voice of Canada's mineral exploration and development industry. With a membership of over 8,000, the PDAC's mission is to promote a responsible, vibrant and sustainable Canadian mineral exploration and development sector. The PDAC encourages leading practices in technical, environmental, safety and social performance in Canada and internationally.

Media contact



Kristy Kenny

Coordinator of Communications

Prospectors & Development Association of Canada

416 362 1969 ext. 233

kkenny@pdac.ca
LONDON, February 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Vision Direct Group Ltd ("Vision Direct"), Europe's leading online contact lens retailer, with sales of around 33 million in 2015, announces today that it has been acquired by Essilor International, the world leader in ophthalmic optics.

The management of Vision Direct will remain in place, and will leverage Essilor International's capabilities to continue growing the Vision Direct business, through broadening its optical products offering and further geographic expansion.

Michael Kraftman, CEO of Vision Direct, commented:

"This transaction represents a major milestone for our business. Our new ownership provides a platform from which to rapidly extend the base of customers we serve with a wider range of vision products. My management team and I are really excited by the opportunity afforded from becoming part of the Essilor family."

Vision Direct was a privately held, institutionally backed business. Shareholders who sold their shares in this transaction include Octopus Titan VCT plc, Fidelity UK Smaller Companies Fund and Artemis VCT plc.

Sonenshine Partners served as financial advisor to Vision Direct on this transaction while Stephenson Harwood acted as legal counsel.

Note to editors:

About Vision Direct

Vision Direct is Europe's largest online contact lens supplier, stocking over 1 million lenses from world leading brands, including Focus Dailies, Air Optix and Acuvue Moist. Vision Direct does a majority of its business in the UK and in Ireland, but is also active in several other European countries.

Vision Direct enjoys a reputation for excellent customer service and is dedicated to making the purchase of contact lenses easy, quick and affordable. It offers free, fast delivery and seven days a week customer support. Customers can order their lenses through the UK Vision Direct website, http://www.VisionDirect.co.uk, any of its six other European web properties, or by phone to any of its local language call centres. Customers can also benefit from a free repeat prescription and reminder service, and receive free eye care advice from Vision Direct's resident opticians.

Vision Direct was recently named One to Watch in the 2015 Companies to Inspire Britain report published by the London Stock Exchange.

For further information, please contact:

Michael Kraftman, CEO, Vision Direct

Tel: +44(0)20-8099-4931

Email: michael.kraftman@VisionDirect.co.uk

Address: 6 Camden High Street, London, NW1 0JH

Website: http://www.VisionDirect.co.uk


According to Technavio's latest report, the global premium cosmetics market is expected to exceed USD 126 billion by 2019 growing at a CAGR of 4% during the forecast period.

The global premium cosmetics market is expected to maintain its positive growth trend during the forecast period owing to the introduction of new products. For instance, Lakme added a new line in its skin care and premium cosmetics line through the addition of Lakme Absolute in 2014.

According to Arushi Thakur, a lead research analyst at Technavio for cosmetics and toiletry research, "Customization and personalization of fragrances and skin care products continue to play a dominant role in the growth of the market in the premium segment. In addition, social media and celebrity endorsements have also contributed to the growth of the market."

In this report, Technavio covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global premium cosmetics market 2015-2019.The report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the top seven vendors operating in the market. The market is segmented into the following four regions:

Americas

Europe

APAC

MEA

Americas: largest market for premium cosmetics

The Americas was the largest segment in the global premium cosmetics market with product innovation and technological advances being the major growth drivers in this region.

In Latin America, sales of popular cosmetics are expected to increase with Brazil accounting for 58% of the consumption of cosmetics in Latin America.

In the US, there is a growing demand for natural and organic cosmetics and brands like Priti NYC and Scotch NYC are catering to the needs of the customers. The market in the Americas has witnessed positive growth in the premium fragrances segment. The manufacturers selling super premium fragrances costing over USD100 a bottle have been able sell their products by using powerful marketing strategies.

Request for a sample: http://goo.gl/9oBP5Y

Europe: changing lifestyles boost market

Europe is the second largest region in the global premium cosmetics market. In the color cosmetics segment, in Germany, L'Oreal continued to lead the market in the mass and premium segments in 2014.

L'Oreal targeted consumers having sensitive skin and those who look for brands having a medical touch rather than a merely decorative purpose with its premium brand Vichy, which is mainly sold through pharmacies.

"The evolving buying pattern of consumers is a major growth driver in this market with changing lifestyle motivating them to use more premium products," says Arushi.

APAC: fastest growing market for premium cosmetics

The APAC market stands as one of the fastest growing markets in the premium cosmetics segment. In this region, the skin care segment continues to play a dominant role in the market especially with its anti-ageing products and facial moisturizers.

The emerging middle-class population, with its increasing disposable income, has driven the market growth. China, India, and Japan are the major countries in this region. L'Oreal has become one of the most important players in China. The company has found its place in the local market due to its high-end positioning strategy by playing the card of affordable luxury for its Garnier brand.

Premium players like Estee Lauder and L'Oreal have all targeted China as a major market in this segment. Estee Lauder has even launched the country specific skin care brand named, Osiao. In Japan, however, local players such as Kao and Shiseido continue to dominate the market.

MEA: rapidly growing market

In the Middle East, the premium fragrances market was estimated at over USD 2 billion in 2014. With respect to the premium skin care and fragrance markets in this region, the sophisticated youth demographic, growing urbanization, rising middle-class population and higher disposable income are factors which will drive the growth of the market.

The younger population of consumers is eager to try new brands, in particular international high-end brands like Chanel, Gucci, and Dior. The premium segment accounted for 42% of cosmetic sales in the Middle East.

Key Vendors:

Chanel

Coty Inc.

Estee Lauder

KAO Corporation

L'Oreal

LVMH

Shiseido

Some of the other prominent vendors listed in the report are: Amway, Clarins, Markwins Beauty Products, P&G, and Unilever

Browse Related Reports:

Global Color Cosmetics Market 2015-2019

Cosmetics Market in Brazil 2015-2019

Global Cosmetic and Perfume Glass Bottle Market 2015-2019

Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223005725/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com

media@technavio.com
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
BROOKFIELD, Wisconsin, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Cielo (formerly Pinstripe), the world's leading strategic Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) partner, today reflects on 2015, a year marked by industry-leading growth, global expansion, investments in technology and top talent, and prestigious industry accolades.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336468LOGO

Commenting on the organization's success in 2015 and ambitious plans for the future, Sue Marks, Founder and CEO of Cielo, said, "Our achievements are a testament to our expert teams across the globe who are committed to delivering outstanding RPO solutions that make talent a true differentiator for our clients. In 2016, a renewed focus on innovation, the customer and candidate experience and an accelerated investment in staff development will continue to fuel our growth and set the stage for another fantastic year at Cielo."

Cielo's exclusive SkyRecruit candidate engagement platform launched to all Cielo client teams in 2015. The only global recruitment technology offered by an RPO provider, SkyRecruit is the core enabler of Cielo's high-tech and high-touch approach to recruitment. Cielo will continue to make significant investments in the platform in 2016, including expanding its impact on the hiring manager experience.

Further investments in the company's ability to exceed its clients' expectations were made in the form of five new members of its senior management team across its territories in 2015. Cielo also invested in a larger office in Singapore to support its growth in the APAC region and established a new European Recruitment Center in Budapest to attract, source and hire quality talent for clients across Europe. Cielo will continue to grow its physical footprint in 2016, formally opening a location in Buenos Aires in response to growing client needs in the Latin America region. Cielo's global presence entering 2016 includes 1,400 employees, serving 130 clients across 69 countries in 32 languages.

While setting record sales and growth of its high-volume portfolio in 2015, Cielo also maintained high client satisfaction levels across all clients, as illustrated by its top three ranking on the HRO Today magazine's annual "Baker's Dozen" list of RPO firms globally and in Europe. Cielo Healthcare was honored to repeat its number one ranking on the Healthcare industry category.

Additionally, Cielo continued its domination of the HRO Today Forum awards, based on real client results, in Europe and North America with regional Best Partnership in Recruiting Excellence recognitions through its work with Dialog and Bristol-Myers Squibb, respectively. 2015 was the third time that Cielo has won the Recruiting Excellence award in Europe, and the fourth consecutive win in North America. Cielo's Brand Practice was also recognized in Europe for Best Use of Social Media through its work with AB InBev.

For more information about Cielo's services, please visit www.cielotalent.com.

About Cielo

Cielo is the world's leading strategic Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) partner. Cielo leverages its global reach, local talent acquisition expertise and customized solutions to help clients achieve a sustained advantage and outstanding business outcomes through their talent practices. Under its WE BECOME YOU' philosophy, Cielo's dedicated recruitment teams primarily serve clients in the financial and business services, consumer brands, technology and media, engineering, life sciences and healthcare industries. Cielo's global presence includes 1,400 employees, serving 130 clients across 69 countries in 32 languages. This footprint includes Moorland Gray, the largest and most successful executive search firm in the Middle East. The industry has verified Cielo's reputation for executing innovative solutions that provide business impact through numerous awards and recognitions, including its annual top three leadership position on the HRO Today RPO Baker's Dozen listing, Peak Matrix Leader placement by Everest Group and Industry Leader designation by NelsonHall. Cielo knows talent is rising - and with it, an organization's opportunity to rise above. For more information, visit cielotalent.com.

Cielo Contact:

Bethany Perkins

bethany.perkins@cielotalent.com

+1 262.439.1443
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has drawn the ire of the organizers of the Conservative Political Action Conference amid indications he will not attend the event next month. In a statement released Tuesday, the American Conservative Union accused Rubio of making a 'rookie mistake' by purportedly deciding to skip the conference, which is scheduled for March 2nd through 5th. 'Today the Rubio campaign informed ACU's chairman that their candidate is unwilling to make time to meet with activists and answer their questions at CPAC 2016,' the ACU said. The group added, 'Sen. Rubio cannot have it both ways: he cannot hope to be the inspirational leader of conservatives and at the same time hide at the very moments when activists who comprise the heart and soul of the movement assemble and organize.' The ACU noted Rubio's Republican presidential rivals Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., and Ben Carson are scheduled to speak at the event. However, a Rubio campaign spokesperson said the campaign's March schedule is still to be determined and noted the senator may attend the conference. (Photo Credit: Michael Vadon) Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
GRIMSBY, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Andrew Peller Limited (TSX: ADW.A)(TSX: ADW.B) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Jalger Limited, a company controlled by Dr. Joseph A. Peller, a director and former officer of the Company, to purchase for cancellation 100,000 Class A Non-Voting Shares of the Company. The purchase price for the shares is $2,254,150, representing $22.54 per share, a price calculated based on the simple average of the closing price of Class A Non-Voting Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for 20 business days preceding the date of the agreement. The share purchase is expected to be completed as soon as practicable. Upon completion of the purchase, notice will be available on www.sedar.com.

The share purchase will be completed pursuant to an order of the Ontario Securities Commission exempting the Company from the issuer bid requirements contained in the Securities Act (Ontario) on the basis that, among other things, Dr. Peller is a former officer and current director of Andrew Peller Limited. Pursuant to the order and in accordance with the conditions contained therein, the Company may purchase additional Class A Non-Voting shares from Jalger Limited over the ensuing 12 months.

Following the share purchase, Dr. Peller will control, both directly and indirectly, 1,458,435 Class A Non-Voting shares and 1,999,404 Class B Voting shares of the Company (representing approximately 13.0% and 66.6% of the issued and outstanding Class A Non-Voting Shares and Class B Voting Shares, respectively).

About Andrew Peller Limited

Andrew Peller Limited is a leading producer and marketer of quality wines in Canada. With wineries in British Columbia, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, the Company markets wines produced from grapes grown in Ontario's Niagara Peninsula, British Columbia's Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, and from vineyards around the world. The Company's award-winning premium and ultra-premium VQA brands include Peller Estates, Trius, Hillebrand, Thirty Bench, Crush, Wayne Gretzky, Sandhill, Calona Vineyards Artist Series, and Red Rooster. Complementing these premium brands are a number of popularly priced varietal brands including Peller Estates French Cross in the East, Peller Estates Proprietors Reserve in the West, Copper Moon, XOXO, skinnygrape, Black Cellar and Verano. Hochtaler, Domaine D'Or, Schloss Laderheim, Royal, and Sommet are our key value priced brands. The Company produces wine based liqueurs and cocktails under the brand Panama Jack and wine based spritzers under the skinnygrape brand. The Company imports wines from major wine regions around the world to blend with domestic wine to craft these popularly priced and value priced brands. With a focus on serving the needs of all wine consumers, the Company produces and markets premium personal winemaking products through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Global Vintners Inc., the recognized leader in personal winemaking products. Global Vintners distributes products through over 170 Winexpert authorized retailers and more than 600 independent retailers across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and China. Global Vintners award-winning premium and ultra- premium winemaking brands include Selection, Vintners Reserve, Island Mist, KenRidge, Cheeky Monkey, Ultimate Estate Reserve, Traditional Vintage, and Cellar Craft. The Company owns and operates over 100 well-positioned independent retail locations in Ontario under The Wine Shop, Wine Country Vintners, and Wine Country Merchants store names. The Company also owns Andrew Peller

Import Agency and The Small Winemaker's Collection Inc.; both of these wine agencies are importers of premium wines from around the world and are marketing agents for these fine wines. The Company's products are sold predominantly in Canada with a focus on export sales for its icewine and personal winemaking products. More information about the Company can be found at www.andrewpeller.com.

Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains certain statements which may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to anticipated or assumed events or results and, in some cases, can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this news release, including the anticipated closing date of the share purchase and the potential purchase by the Company of additional shares from Jalger Limited may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Company. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information. The forward-looking information contained herein is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

Andrew Peller Limited common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbols ADW.A and ADW.B).

Contacts:

Andrew Peller Limited

Mr. Brian D. Athaide

CFO and EVP Human Resources & Information Technology

(905) 643-4131 Ext. 2210

brian.athaide@andrewpeller.com




The test scores of students who used vouchers to enter a Louisiana private school dropped significantly compared to their peers who remained in public schools.

Thats one of the major findings in a series of four new studies released by the Education Research Alliance at Tulane University and The Education Reform Demonstration Project at the University of Arkansas.

The researchers also found that increased competition may have slightly improved test scores in surrounding public schools while overall decreasing segregation in Louisiana schools. Vouchers had no effect on students non-cognitive skills such as grit and self-esteem.

The Louisiana Scholarship Program was first created as a pilot in 2008 and expanded statewide in 2012. Researchers looked at state test scores over a two-year period from students in 3rd through 6th grades who had originally attended public schools before entering the voucher program in the 2012-13 school year (you can dig into the full methodology here ).

Although voucher students test scores in English/language arts dropped compared to students who were not awarded vouchers, the negative outcomes were especially prominent in math in the first year of the program.

"[A]n LSP scholarship user who was performing at roughly the 50th percentile at baseline fell 24 percentile points below their control group counterparts in math after one year, wrote the researchers in a policy brief on their findings . By year two, they were 13 percentile points below.

There could be several reasons for this, the researchers theorize, including a lack of alignment between state standards and private school curricula, the quality of the private schools participating in the program, the success of other education reform policies, and whether the receiving private schools were prepared to educate low-income students coming from poorly performing public schools.

Louisianas voucher program allows low-income students or those attending public schools graded C, D, or F to use state money toward tuition at a private school.

The ERA study on voucher student academic achievement echoes the findings outlined in a working paper from researchers at the University of California, Berkley, Duke University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that was published in December.

The results of this voucher study are a far cry from the run-away positive impacts that the Education Research Alliance found charter schools had on student outcomes in New Orleans in a series of studies released in August.

Related stories:
IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - February 23, 2016) - SmartBug Media, a leading inbound marketing agency assisting businesses in generating leads, increasing awareness, and building brand loyalty, today announced it is publishing a guide to using growth-driven design to maximize the marketing potential of a company's website. The e-book What Is Growth-Driven Design? is available as a free download at http://www.smartbugmedia.com/growth-driven-design-ebook.

Design is perhaps the most crucial component of a strong marketing platform because of its impact on so many key assets that are used to attract, convert, and delight potential leads and customers. Yet many marketers focus on the look of their websites without considering the strategy behind their designs. Growth-driven design is essential not only for the appearance of a website, but also, and perhaps more importantly, for the long-term marketing goals companies hope to achieve and exceed. SmartBug's new e-book explores this concept. Among the guide's features:

What growth-driven design (GDD) is and how it works

Five strategic planning goals companies should make when implanting GDD

Several tactical steps companies should take after launching their websites

The cost benefits of GDD

"Growth-driven design takes customers into consideration by looking into the analytics and assessing their behaviors," says Ryan Malone, SmartBug's CEO and Founder. "Once a company can figure out how leads and customers are behaving on its website, it can better provide the information they need. Our new e-book delves into the myriad possibilities and potential of growth-driven design."

To download this e-book or learn more about SmartBug Media, visit http://www.smartbugmedia.com.

About SmartBug

SmartBug Media is a nationally recognized and full-service inbound marketing agency that helps companies utilize inbound and content marketing to increase leads, customers, and revenue. A HubSpot Diamond Partner and top-ranked agency, SmartBug boasts the highest ROI documented from any HubSpot partner-3,558% and 14,500% ROI on a six-month and three-year campaign, respectively. SmartBug Media invests heavily in marketing talent, agency processes, content, and creative to consistently exceed customer expectations. For more information, visit http://www.smartbugmedia.com or call 949-236-6448.

Ryan Malone

SmartBug Media

949-236-6448 x700

pr@smartbugmedia.com
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- Cogeco Inc. (TSX: CGO) ("Cogeco" or the "Corporation") announced today that Gestion Audem Inc. has entered into an agreement for the sale of 144,090 subordinate voting shares on a private placement basis. The transaction does not alter the control of Cogeco since, upon completion of this transaction, Gestion Audem will retain control and ownership over 1,809,660 multiple voting shares and 365,720 subordinate voting shares of Cogeco, representing in aggregate 70.5% of the voting rights associated with all shares of Cogeco (compared to 70.8% of the voting rights prior to the transaction).

"This transaction represents only a small percentage of Gestion Audem's holding in Cogeco Inc.," said Louis Audet, president of Gestion Audem Inc. "On behalf of all members of the Audet Family, I wish to confirm that we remain fully committed to maintaining a controlling ownership position and to continue to grow Cogeco, which was founded by our father Henri Audet almost sixty years ago."

The transaction is expected to close on or about February 26, 2016, subject to customary closing conditions.

ABOUT COGECO INC.

Cogeco Inc. is a diversified holding corporation which operates in the communications and media sectors. Through its Cogeco Communications Inc. subsidiary, Cogeco provides its residential and business customers with video, Internet and telephony services through its two-way broadband fibre networks. Cogeco Communications Inc. operates in Canada under the Cogeco Connexion name in Quebec and Ontario, and in the United States under the Atlantic Broadband name in western Pennsylvania, south Florida, Maryland / Delaware, South Carolina and eastern Connecticut. Through Cogeco Peer 1, Cogeco Communications Inc. provides its business customers with a suite of information technology services (colocation, network connectivity, managed hosting, cloud services and managed IT services), through its 21 data centres, extensive FastFiber Network and more than 50 points-of-presence in North America and Europe. Through its subsidiary Cogeco Media, Cogeco owns and operates 13 radio stations across most of Quebec with complementary radio formats serving a wide range of audiences as well as Cogeco News, its news agency. Cogeco's subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CGO). The subordinate voting shares of Cogeco Communications Inc. are also listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA).

Contacts:

Information and interview requests:

Nancy Bouffard

Corporate Communications Director

Cogeco Inc.

(514) 764-4613

Nancy.Bouffard@cogeco.com




RENO, NEVADA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- NuLegacy Gold Corporation ("NuLegacy") (TSX VENTURE: NUG)(OTCQX: NULGF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Barrick Gold Corporation ("Barrick") pursuant to which NuLegacy has agreed to acquire Barrick's 30% working interest in the 23 sq. mile Redhill property (the "Property") in Nevada which hosts the Iceberg gold deposit.

As of the date hereof, NuLegacy holds a 70% working interest in the Property through a joint venture with Barrick.

In exchange, NuLegacy will issue 32 million shares to Barrick at a deemed price of C$0.125 per share, and grant a 2% net profits interest royalty from commercial production on the Property.

Barrick has the right to nominate one director to NuLegacy's board and participate pro rata in all future issuances of shares or convertible securities.

Barrick has agreed to provide NuLegacy with certain stand still and voting restrictions in favour of NuLegacy in respect of the shares for a period of two years, subject to certain conditions.

"We are pleased that Barrick has entrusted the advancement of this exciting undeveloped gold prospect in Nevada to NuLegacy," says NuLegacy Director Alex Davidson.

On closing, Barrick will become NuLegacy's largest shareholder.

The transaction is expected to close on or about March 1, 2016 and is conditional on, among other things, the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V").

The Iceberg gold deposit, located in the Cortez gold trend of Nevada, is adjacent(i) to three of Barrick's multi-million ounce Carlin-type gold deposits that are its lowest cost and politically safest gold assets(ii), and has an established exploration target of 90-110 million tonnes of 0.9 to 1.1 grams of gold per tonne(iii).

On Behalf Of NuLegacy Gold Corporation

James E Anderson, Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Roger Steininger, NuLegacy's chief operating officer is a Certified Professional Geologist (CPG 7417) and the qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects responsible for preparing and reviewing the scientific and technical information contained in this news release

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. There are no known resources or reserves in the Iceberg deposit and the proposed exploration programs are exploratory searches for commercial bodies of ore. In addition, the presence of gold deposits on properties adjacent or in close proximity to the Iceberg Deposit is not necessarily indicative of the gold mineralization on the Iceberg Deposit. All of the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com including our annual management's discussion and analysis dated July 28, 2015 for the year ended March 31, 2015. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required under applicable securities legislation.

(i) The similarity and close proximity of these deposits in the Cortez Trend is not necessarily indicative of the gold mineralization in the Iceberg deposit. (ii) As extracted from Barrick's Q4-2013 and Q1-2014 reports. (iii) These figures are conceptual in nature and derived from a compilation of 149 historic and 34 NuLegacy drill holes in and around the Iceberg deposit. To date, there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

Contacts:

NuLegacy Gold Corporation

James Anderson

604-638-4959

james@nuggold.com



NuLegacy Gold Corporation

Albert Matter

604-638-4959

albert@nuggold.com



NuLegacy Gold Corporation

Roger Steininger

COO

604-638-4959

roger@nuggold.com

www.nulegacygold.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/23/16 -- (TSX: CMR)(TSX: CMR.A) BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited ("BlackRock Canada"), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK), today announced the final February 2016 cash distributions for the iShares Premium Money Market ETF. Unitholders of record on February 24, 2016 will receive cash distributions payable on February 29, 2016.

Details regarding the final "per unit" distribution amounts are as follows:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash Distribution Fund Name Fund Ticker Per Unit ($) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- iShares Premium Money Market ETF CMR 0.01681 ------------------------------ CMR.A 0.00478 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Further information on the iShares ETFs can be found at www.blackrock.com/ca.

About BlackRock

BlackRock is a global leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients. At December 31, 2015, BlackRock's AUM was US$4.645 trillion. BlackRock helps clients around the world meet their goals and overcome challenges with a range of products that include separate accounts, mutual funds, iShares (exchange-traded funds), and other pooled investment vehicles. BlackRock also offers risk management, advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of institutional investors through BlackRock Solutions. As of December 31, 2015, the firm had approximately 13,000 employees in more than 30 countries and a major presence in global markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East and Africa. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.blackrock.com/ca / Twitter: @BlackRockCA / Blog: www.blackrockblog.com/can

About iShares ETFs

iShares is a global leader in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with more than a decade of expertise and commitment to individual and institutional investors of all sizes. With over 700 funds globally across multiple asset classes and strategies and more than US$1 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2015, iShares helps clients around the world build the core of their portfolios, meet specific investment goals and implement market views. iShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock, trusted to manage more money than any other investment firm (1).

(1) Based on US$4.645 trillion in AUM as of 12/31/15.

iShares ETFs are managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited.

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investing in iShares ETFs. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing. Fund securities are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any other government deposit insurer. There can be no assurances that the fund will be able to maintain its net asset value per security at a constant amount or that the full amount of your investment in the fund will be returned to you. The fund is not guaranteed, its values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional.

Contacts:

Contact for Media:

Maeve Hannigan

T - 416-643-4058

Email: Maeve.Hannigan@blackrock.com




Nokia Growth Partners (NGP) has closed a new $350m fund dedicated to IoT companies.

The fund, sponsored by Nokia, will invest in companies focused on developing Connected Enterprise, Consumer Solutions, Connected Car and Digital Health technologies, as well as enabling capabilities in big data and analytics.

The fund, which invests in the US, Europe, India and China, aims to support Nokia in defining future business opportunities and the technical underpinnings for the IoT market. Working closely with operators, enterprises and an ecosystem of partners through its IoT community, the Finnish TLC company expects IoT to create new industries and opportunities in connected mobility, smart cities, public safety and healthcare and the connected home.

The new vehicle brought NGPs total assets under management to over $1 billion, including $500m available for new investments.

Commenting on the close, Nokia President and CEO Rajeev Suri said: The $350 million Internet of Things investment fund, tasked with finding and funding the best entrepreneurs across the world, reflects our strong intent to be a leader in the technologies that connect people and things, while establishing successful partnerships for both Nokia and the investee companies.

FinSMEs

23/02/2016
NuoDB, a Cambridge, MA-based database for cloud-enabled global applications, completed a $17m funding round.

Backers included existing investors Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, Longworth Venture Partners, and Morgenthaler Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to further refine its database offering while also expanding sales and marketing efforts.

Led by Bob Walmsley, President and CEO, NuoDB provides an SQL database for the cloud and the modern datacenter that allows businesses to face daily application deployments, which requires them to maintain business continuity and applicaton performance and ensure geo-distributed data management.

The ACID compliant database distributes tasks among different several processors to avoid bottlenecks of data and uses peer-to-peer messaging to route tasks to nodes.

The company also has offices in Dublin and Belfast.

FinSMEs

22/03/2017
Reflektion, a San Mateo, California-based provider of a real-time individualized commerce platform, raised $18m in Series B funding.

The round was led by Battery Ventures, with participation from Hasso Plattner Ventures and Intel Capital as well as prior private investors Marc Benioff and Ray Lane. In conjunction with the funding, Dharmesh Thakker, a Battery general partner, joined Reflektions board of directors.

The company, which has raised $29.3m in total funding, intends to use the funds to further grow its client base, develop new products and expand into international markets.

Led by CEO Sean Moran, Reflektion provides the Individualized Commerce predictive analytics platform built around capturing, analyzing and responding to each individual shoppers preferences and intent in real time. Clients including The Walt Disney Company, Converse, Uniqlo, Godiva and other brands use the companys solutions to monetize webstore traffic using artificial intelligence, data science and applications.

FinSMEs

23/02/2016
PLEASE REMEMBER TO ORDER FROM AMAZON THOUGH FMF.CLICK ON ANY BOOK WE LIST TO GET TO AMAZON, AND THEN ORDER WHATEVER. thanxxx

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2ND EDITION!!! I hope to have some news soon about the 2nd edition of hole in my heart. Sorry for the delay!

THANK YOU AND LEGAL NOTICE As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. THANK YOU TO ALL THE READERS WHO REMEMBER TO GO TO AMAZON VIA FIRST MOTHER FORUM. IT MATTERS NOT WHAT YOU PURCHASE.

From the New York Times



"Lorraine Dusky, a writer who relinquished a daughter as a young single mother in New York State in 1966, supports opening the records. She reported in her 2015 memoir that in the handful of states that offered women the opportunity to remove their names from original birth certificates, only a small fraction of women  fewer than 1 percent  chose to do so." -- Dont Keep Adopted People in the Dark by Gabrielle Glaser, June 19, 2018

From the New York Times "On FirstMotherForum.com, a blog that discusses issues among women who had given children up for adoption, Lorraine Dusky, one of the sites authors, praised the series (ABC's 10-episode Find My Family): 'Maybe this will be heard by people who think it is unloyal somehow for a person to search out his or her roots, parents, family, when it is a most natural desire of consciousness.' --Two Reality Shows Stir Publicity and Anger"--Dec. 6, 2009.

This blog takes cookies.

"It shouldn't take a miracle to find people you are related to by blood."--Jenn Gentlesk

EMAIL US AT forumfirstmother@gmail.com

Oregon court records available Instructions and forms for accessing adoption records are on the Oregon Judicial Department's website.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE Material from First Mother Forum may be quoted as long as FMF is credited and with a link to original source here. Over 350 words, contact for permission: forumfirstmother@gmail.com.
Mumbai: A Mumbai court on Tuesday acquitted veteran Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar from alleged involvement in an 18-year-old cheque bouncing case.

Dilip Kumar, 94, was not present in the court when the matter came up for hearing before 14th Court Metropolitan Magistrate BS Kharade.

The case dates back to 1998 when the actor was the honorary chairman of an export company, Geekay Exim India Ltd, which subsequently defaulted on repayments.

The company had raised loans of millions of rupees from people across India and later issued cheques for repayment of the outstandings.

However, some cheques allegedly were dishonoured by the banks and court cases were filed for default against all the top officials of the company, Dilip Kumar and four others.

Though Dilip Kumar was not directly concerned with the day-to-day affairs of the company, he continued to fight all the cases, including the last one in which he secured acquittal on Tuesday.

He was granted relief in all other similar cases against the company on the same grounds, barring one.

According to Section 141 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, the complainant must prove that the accused was involved in the day-to-day functioning of the company. Since that was not proved, Magistrate Kharade acquitted Dilip Kumar.

Incidentally, on Monday, Dilip Kumar's wife and former actress Saira Banu expressed concerns over her husband's fragile health and requested his fans to pray that "the stress-related to the 18-year old case" should not further affect him.

"At 94 yrs, Saab's health is delicate, facing neurological problems, yet Saab has never prayed for case adjournment..."

"Hope serious consternation n stress caused don't affect his condition further. Saab needs peace n rest. I seek your prayers n support."

IANS
Kansas lawmakers rejected a bill on Monday that would require the states education department to create ethnic studies courses and standards, according to the Wichita Eagle .

Kansas is the latest in a number of states to consider, and ultimately reject, ethnic studies in public schools. Californias legislature approved a bill requiring ethnic studies last year, but it was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown in October. Arizonas legislature banned ethnic studies courses in 2010; a federal court of appeals is currently considering a challenge to that law .

Kansas advocates argue that ethnic studies courses lead to more academic engagement among students of color and would help all students have a more comprehensive understanding of history. In January, Stanford University researchers released a study showing that students in San Francisco who took ethnic studies fared better in other academic courses.

A number of individual school districts in California, including San Francisco, now require students in every high school to take a course in ethnic studies.

But requiring such courses at the state level has proved difficult.

In California, the governor said the proposed ethnic studies law was unnecessary and redundant since the state is already reviewing its curriculum. In Arizona, legislators who opposed ethnic studies argued that such courses, which examine history through the point of view of specific ethnic groups, fostered animosity between races.

In Kansas, the House of Representatives had initially approved an amendment that added an ethnic studies requirement to a bill that would require schools to teach financial literacy classes. But hours later, the bill fell through, after a number of members changed their votes.

Some credited their change of heart to one representatives speech about how he feared usurping the role of the states department of education by adding requirements. But other lawmakers had argued that the bill was discriminatory because it did not include white Americans.

Kansas lawmakers may still consider a separate bill, first introduced last year, that focuses entirely on ethnic studies and would require the state department of education to create relevant standards and curriculum. That bill has not yet been up for a vote.

Meanwhile, Kansas lawmakers have another substantial education bill ahead of them: The state is again considering whether to ditch the Common Core State Standards . A similar proposal was considered, and then rejected, last year. Stay tuned.

Related :


New York: Soon after the disclosure by actor Charlie Sheen on TV that he was HIV-positive, there has been a surge in both news coverage of HIV and Google searches for information about HIV and HIV prevention, a new study has found.

A computer scientist from Johns Hopkins University analysed online news and search engine records to gauge the public's response to actor Charlie Sheen's disclosure on NBC's "TODAY Show" in November last year that he was HIV-positive.

"Charlie Sheen's disclosure was potentially the most significant domestic HIV prevention event ever," said Mark Dredze from Johns Hopkins.

The researchers knew that the involvement of a celebrity often raises public awareness about a health issue.

They wondered whether Sheen's disclosure had shone a fresh spotlight on HIV and in doing so, produced an important public health benefit.

To find out, the team turned to public archives for news media trends, using the Bloomberg Terminal and Google Trends to collect data describing HIV and HIV prevention engagement since 2004.

Focusing on the hours after Sheen's disclosure, the team monitored news reports mentioning HIV and Google searches originating from the US, said the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine.

This big data strategy allowed researchers to provide a formative assessment of the potential impacts of Charlie Sheen's HIV-positive disclosure at no cost.

The day of Sheen's disclosure coincided with a 265 percent increase in news reports mentioning HIV (97 percent of which also mentioned Sheen) archived on the Bloomberg Terminal.

An additional 6,500 stories were reported on Google News alone. This placed Sheen's disclosure among the top one percent of historic HIV-related media events.

Sheen's disclosure also corresponded with the greatest number of HIV-related Google searches ever recorded in the US on a single day.

In relative terms, all HIV searches were 417 percent higher than expected the day of Sheen's disclosure, the study noted.

IANS
Mumbai: Filmmaker Prakash Jha says the ongoing debate about being national and anti-national which has been happening in the country is "great comedy".

The 63-year-old helmer says even before the "intolerance" debate in the country could settle down, the new issue has come up about (being) national and anti-national. When asked about the ongoing row in JNU, Jha said, "I think its a great comedy which is going on. I look at it as a huge comedy. In our country there was the whole debate about tolerance, intolerance... Before that comedy act got over now

this comedy of (being) national and anti national (has come up)."

JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested under sedition charges in connection with an event held on the New Delhi-based JNU campus where anti-national slogans were raised allegedly.

The filmmaker, who has helmed socio-political films like Gangaajal, Apaharan and Satyagraha, says the society is constantly churning new ideas and feels things have to be questioned as India is still a young democracy.

"It's a society which is constantly churning its ideas and ideologies which are coming up. We are still young as far as democracy is concerned. It is nice that people talk about it and come up with these ideas and the way they are being used," he told reporters here.

"I feel it's fantastic. For many it is sad that certain things are happening but then you realise it is a part of our life. We are dealing with it every single day. Things have to be questioned, opposed and understood," he added.

Jha was speaking at the song launch of his upcoming Priyanka Chopra-starrer Jai Gangaajal.

The actress plays an IPS officer, Abha Mathur, in the sequel to Ajay Devgn-starrer Gangaajal (2003).

Jha said not everyone in the country can have the same opinion but at least there is freedom of expression. "Some channels will speak a different language, some will speak other language. How can everybody be in unison, look at things from the same eye, it's not possible. Thankfully, in our country we have freedom to say whatever we want to, even if it's offensive. I am enjoying this drama," he added.

Even though Jha has made films on relevant issues, the director said he has no plans to make a movie on the JNU issue as of yet.

"Not at all. We have a new idea for our next film and I am working on it. A film cannot be made on this as it is a very small idea... I don't have any plans to make a film on the JNU issue. But yes I am observing everything."

Jai Gangaajal, directed and co-produced by Jha, revolves around a female police officer, who takes on some powerful and influential men in her district.

PTI
By Prashant Deshpande and Parth Shah

Budgetary policies play a significant role in enhancing the economic growth of the country. At present, the ruling dispensation in India has turned its focus towards growth and consolidation through strengthening of the manufacturing and service sectors.

The sectors which need attention includes the education sector which has a larger socio economic footprint on the development. Also, in a growing economy the nascent sector of the aviation industry , namely, the Maintenance, repair, overhauling (MRO) sector is plagued by several inefficiencies of cost and there is a great deal that can be expected from the budget that may assist in bolstering growth of these industries.

Education plays a significant role in creating youth-driven economy and Prime Minister has always laid emphasis on scaling up skills of the youth as is evident from the Skill India initiative launched a few months back. To help develop this sector exemptions were granted to recognized educational institutes under service tax.

Prior to July 2014, auxiliary educational services and services for renting of immovable property received by the education institutes were also outside the service tax purview. Auxiliary education service was given an expansive meaning and it covered within its ambit most of the services ordinarily received by the education institutes. However, post July 2014, the scope of the said exemption was curtailed down to provide exemption only to services of transportation of students/staff, catering, security and housekeeping, and services pertaining to admission and conduct of examinations.

Since education institutes do not have any service tax liability on their services of education, service tax paid on services procured by them add up to their cost, making education costly. It is expected that the exemptions granted to the services provided to an education institute be restored back to make education more affordable.

Like Skill India another significant initiative of the Government is Make in India which is expected to provide a perfect landscape and opportunities for several sectors. One such sector is aircraft MRO.

The MRO sector in India is still at a nascent stage and with preference towards air travel growing in the country, the industry in all likelihood has the potential to grow big. However, presently India lacks cost competitiveness in the global market and thus forcing several airlines to choose overseas markets for MRO services than carrying out such activities in India.

There are several reasons behind it, tax being one of them. Currently activity of MRO is subjected to service tax at the effective rate of 14.5% making the said service more costly. Thus, exemption from service tax will operate in tandem with the customs duty relief on parts imported and will help the aviation industry to optimize cost of aircraft operations.

Programs like Skill India and Make in India are testimony to the present governments intention to bolster inclusive growth and development of India. Sectors like education and civil aviation have expectations for positive changes in this years budget for affordability and sustainability of operations.

(Prashant Deshpande, is Partner and Parth Shah, Deputy Manager with Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP. Views expressed are personal)
By Raju Kumar

Is India back on the world map as a lucrative investment jurisdiction? Does the world see the Make in India dream becoming a reality? Well, the $222 billion investment pledges received during the Make in India week do resonate the revived positive sentiment!

In fact, recent policy measures have clearly been lauded by the investor community. Clarity on applicability of MAT for foreign investors, setting up of high level committee to interact with trade and industry and bringing clarity on tax laws, relaxation in the Foreign Direct Investment regulations for certain sectors, signing of advance pricing agreements, are some such measures.

This wave of positive sentiments will continue only if we keep surfing right. The Indian government and tax authorities will need to keep up with the expectations of foreign investors to continue on the growth trajectory. Providing investment allowances and R&D benefits for the Make in India projects in the 2016 budget could be a good starting point.

Reducing the DDT rate along with the proposed corporate tax reduction to 25 percent could help investors repatriate greater profits back home. Providing for non-applicability of MAT on exempt incomes/entities could provide true meaning to the exemptions.

Moreover, as we move towards a truly globalised world, income tax exemption for cross border mergers should also be introduced, after their inclusion in the Companies Act 2013.

With respect to the dreaded indirect transfer regime of India, specific exclusions for intra group transfers (other than amalgamation and demerger) and transfers by listed foreign entities should be considered. An investor favours a tax jurisdiction which provides certainty on taxes even if tax rates are on a higher side.

Acceptance of recommendations made by the Easwar Committee on tax procedure simplification would make life easier for tax payers, besides reducing litigation, and strengthening Indias position on Ease of doing business index.

A reality which could hit hard in the 2016 budget will be the mandatory action plans of the OECDs Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. Actions like preventing harmful tax practices, treaty abuse, country-by-country reporting, and dispute resolution could potentially find their way into the Statute.

Nevertheless, Action 13 provides for country-by-country reporting which prescribes a three- tiered documentation approach consisting of the Master file (high level information about the MNCs business, transfer pricing policies, and agreements with tax authorities), local file (capturing material transactions of the local taxpayer) and Country-by-country report (CBCR).

The CBCR shall capture information relating to global allocation of MNEs income and taxes together with certain indicators of location of economic activity within the MNE group. High level information about the jurisdictional allocation of profits, revenues, employees and assets would also get captured. This will be the most critical item which will bring about greater transparency in the global tax systems.

Another provision which could seek a substance-based residency of corporations is the Place of Effective Management (POEM) provision, which though applicable from the financial year 2015-16, should be deferred by another year due to lack of final guidelines till now.

Deferring applicability of these provisions to financial year 2016-17 would allow tax payers to have better law compliant implementation.

Last, but not the least, measures which improve ease of doing business in India shall be highly appreciated by the global investor community.

Only saying Atithi Devo Bhava would not suffice, now is the time for action and not lip service. So lets get our act together, and make Incredible India an incredibly desirable investment jurisdiction.

(The author is Partner, Tax, EY. With inputs from Nikita Nanda, senior tax professional, EY)
For a nation otherwise given to waffling and quibbling, Indias income tax law has been ruthlessly no-nonsensical, often getting under foreign companies skins. All Indian companies are residents, period. And all non-residents are non-residents, also period except if they choose to commit hara-kiri by having their entire control and management in India during the relevant financial year. Predictably, no foreign company has ever walked into the trap so much so that all foreign companies are practically non-residents. A resident of India has to pay tax on his global income whereas a non-resident has to pay tax to the Indian government only on his Indian income. But lest foreign companies and other non-residents thumb their noses at the Indian taxman, the income tax law for good measure has business connection and other rules that obliges them to pay India income tax to the extent an income has its source or moorings in India. Did Vodafone tax imbroglio spring into your mind? Yes, it is the source rule that is at the heart of the bitter struggle between the Indian tax authorities and the UK Company Vodafone.

The US law however is namby-pamby. To be sure, it also taxes US domiciled companies on their global income at a stiff rate of 35 percent but unlike India it gives wiggle-room to US based companies by setting store by the key personnels residential status which can be evanescent rather than by setting store by registration which is durable and immutable. Small wonder, Ireland beckons profitable US companies with its soft 12.5 percent corporate tax as opposed to the US forbidding rate of 35 percent. It is the done thing among US tax planners to arrange for merger with an obscure company in a tax-friendly country like Ireland or Panama and pretend that with the change in management, the residential status has also shifted to where the obscure company is located. This is only a facade with business as usual -- control continued to be exercised from the USA.

Apple computers attracted the ire of Inland Revenue authorities a few years ago. Now it is Pfizer even though it swears that it is synergy and not tax avoidance that is at the core of its merger with Allergan. Be that as it may.

India can easily empathise with the US Inland Revenue because our source rule of taxation has been designed precisely to enable India to collect tax when a non-resident has earned income thanks to a substantial and real connection with India. Indeed Laffaire Vodafone is all about such connection -- controlling interest in Hutchs telecom operations in India was passed onto Vodafone in Camay Island. Similarly, if a US Company cocks a snook at its tax authorities despite doing substantial business in the USA, its tax authorities are bound to be peeved.

The US Congress is aghast at the Pfizer temerity, and is planning wholesome changes in its domicile or residential status rule. It would do well to take a leaf out of the Indian tax law -- if a company is incorporated in the USA, it is a resident of the US and hence obliged to pay tax in the USA.

The country where business is done is justified in expecting to earn tax on such transaction. This is however not to say that a US company exporting to India should pay tax to the Indian government. Indeed our income tax law doesnt seek to tax a US company exporting from the USA except when it has business connection in India like a selling agent in India who procures orders from Indian businesses on its behalf. It however invited opprobrium when it resorted to tax overreach like seeking to tax royalty earned by a foreign company merely on the ground that the technology was going to be used in India. Likewise a foreign bank is required to pay tax in India on the interest earned if the loan amount is going to be used for setting up a business in India or for other income earning activity.
By Prakash Nanda

The Indian Army gets the lions share in every defence budget. In fact, it consumes more than half of the total resources allocated to the countrys military every year. Last financial year, it had got 53 percent of the total budgetary allocations. And given the fact that the Army is the largest of the three services, this trend will hold true in the forthcoming budget proposals, too.

But the question is: Will that be still enough for the Army? In all probability the answer is No. And this answer is also based on the existing trend. As is well known, defence budgetary allocations for the services have two components: revenue and capital. Under the revenue head come maintenance and working expenses (including pay and allowances), expenditure on working and upkeep of the projects and this includes renewals/replacements and additions/improvements/extension of already sanctioned assets.

It may be noted here that out of this revenue head as much as 65 percent goes towards the salary and perks for one of the largest standing armies of the world that we have. May be this percentage will go up as the government is about to implement the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations. And if one adds other essential things for the Army personnel such as clothing, fuel and transportation, it is a Herculean task to manage with the remaining funds for ammunition, spares, stores and maintenance of assets.

No wonder why every passing year one witnesses an increasing gap between projected amount for the revenue head by the Army and the exact allocations in the budget. During the year 2010-11, the gap between the projected amount and allocated amount was Rs 5,465.49 crore; this increased to Rs 13,740.69 crore in 2011-12. Though the gap decreased during the year 2012-13 to Rs 6,534.59 crore, it again increased to Rs 12,236.18 crore during 2013-14 and as high as Rs 12,993.86 crore during 2014-15.

What about the capital head that covers all significant expenditures on acquiring new assets (including weapons systems), capacity-enhancing measures for the existing assets, and all charges for the construction and equipment of a new project as well as charges for intermediate maintenance of the work while not yet opened for service? In other words, capital head includes the expenditure on the modernisation of the Army as a whole.

Reportedly, the Army is on a modernisation drive, with around 680 procurement projects worth over Rs 200,000 crore for the current 12th Plan of 2012-17 (it may be noted that Our Defence Capability Plan covers 15 years time span). Out of these, 31 are said to be in priority; these include bullet-proof jackets, night-vision devices, ballistic helmets, new-generation assault rifles with interchangeable barrels, close-quarter battle carbines and light machine guns, tanks, howitzers, and artillery ammunition and missiles.

According to a recent news report, Seventeen new contracts worth Rs 2,820 crore were signed for the Army in 2011-2012. The figure jumped to 29 contracts worth Rs 7,222 crore in 2012-2013. The tally stands at 17 contracts worth Rs 11,777 crore in the ongoing fiscal. Another 23 contracts, worth around Rs 12,000 crore, are in the pipeline. The important ones include the over Rs 2,000 crore deal for 15,000 3UBK Invar missiles for T-90S tanks and the Rs 1,200 crore one for two additional troops of the Israeli Heron spy drones. The really critical projects are still stuck in the long-winded procurement process.

It may be noted here that our Defence capability Plan draws out a Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP), which, in turn, consists of five-year plans called Services Capital Acquisition Plan (SCAP). Annual Acquisition Plan (AAP) of each Service is a two year roll on plan for capital acquisitions and consists of the schemes included in SCAP. Every AAP draft has Part A comprising of carry over schemes from AAP of the previous year and approved schemes and Part B that talks of new proposals. And it so happens that more than 90 percent of the capital budget goes on committed liabilities, leaving little for fresh acquisitions.

Coming to the budgetary allocations on capital expenditure of the Army, it has been seen that there has been huge gap between the projected and allocated amount of Rs 4,382.20 crore, Rs 6,400.99 crore, Rs 8,996.80 crore, Rs 7,644.25 crore and Rs 15,402.55 crore for the years 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively. In the 2015-16 budget, the decline was massive, nearly Rs 20,000 crore.

But what is worse is that the available funds under the capital-head are usually unspent and returned to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Available data suggests that the Army could not utilise its modernisation budget fully for the last seven years in a row except for the year 2007- 08. During the year 2008-09, it could not spend Rs 2,461.29 crore; in 2009-10, Rs 1,502.19 crore; in 2010-11, Rs 666.27 crore; in 2011-12, Rs 3,386.56 crore; in 2012-13, Rs 2,852.35 crore; and in 2013-14 Rs 2,900.55 crore. But here is the catch. Though the MoD has to be blamed for not planning properly and thus surrendering the funds, the main culprit happens to be the MoF.

As General Mrinal Suman, one of the leading authorities on defence expenditure, says, One of the oddities of the Indian dispensation is that closer to the end of a financial year, efforts are made by MoF to withdraw unspent funds from all ministries to reduce fiscal deficit. As the Finance Division of MoD functions under the fiscal directions of MoF, it does not clear/concur any major expenditure unless given a green signal by MoF, thereby forcing MoD to surrender funds. Worse, MoD gets blamed for not spending the allotted funds.

No wonder why the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has pointed out that meagre funds for the Army, or our armed forces as a whole, cannot be justified through the standard answers like 'The allocations made to the Services are based upon the ceilings conveyed by the Ministry of Finance. In view of the shortfall in the allocations made by the Ministry of Finance as compared to the overall requirements projected by this Ministry (MoD), shortfalls are bound to arise in the allocations made to individual Services.

If that is the case, why is there no system of carrying forward the unspent funds to the next financial year? Why are surrendered funds (which, in reality, is forced by the MoF) lapse and go to the kitty of MoF?

Will Finance Minister Arun Jaitley kindly answer these questions during his budget-speech?

The author is editor of Geopolitics, a military journal.
The world's biggest oil producers may consider "other steps" to eliminate a persistent global oversupply if a recent deal to freeze current output holds firm for several months, the top official of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said on Monday.

OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri reiterated the group's readiness to work with non-OPEC producers to tackle a supply glut that has knocked prices to their lowest in over a decade. He told the IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston that the tentative pact to freeze output reached last week between Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar was just a start.

Al-Badri admitted the oil cartel had not expected prices to fall so sharply since the group decided in late 2014 not to cut output in the face of rising global supplies, fuelled in large part by the fast growth of the U.S. shale production.

"This cycle is very nasty," Badri said.

He said OPEC had also held talks with other key producers including Brazil, China, Oman and Mexico on a possible freeze.

Other steps could include a production cut.

"Let us freeze production... If this is successful we can take other steps in the future," Badri said. Parties must first manage to cap output levels for three to four months, he added.

He nevertheless cautioned that when oil prices recover from their current levels in the mid-$30 per barrel to around $60 per barrel, shale producers would quickly start drilling again, capping any gains.

Global production exceeded demand by as much as 2 million barrels per day last year. A gradual decline in output due to lower investment is expected to balance the market in early 2017, according to the International Energy Agency.

However, a huge build in global oil inventories, which Badri said has reached 350 million barrels, means it will take longer for prices to recover.

MORE ACTORS

Badri was confident that OPEC still has a vital role in the global oil market.

"We are not dead. We are alive and alive and alive for many years more," he told reporters.

But he underlined that understanding between OPEC and non-OPEC producers is increasingly necessary to balance the market.

Addressing a room filled with hundreds of global oil executives, Badri said he was willing to speak with U.S. officials about the collapse in oil prices.

The rout in prices of more than 70 percent in 20 months, is not the same as oil's previous boom-bust cycles, he said.

"I don't know how we are going to live together," Badri said of the once booming shale oil sector. "If prices will go up in 2017 or 2018, the price rally will be capped by U.S. shale oil. That's what is different this time."

Any deal on a production freeze would be tough to implement. Iran, which has pledged to increase output sharply since sanctions were lifted last month, has yet to formally sign on to the agreement, leaving its implementation uncertain.

The current oil price slump has been longer and deeper than most energy professionals and analysts had anticipated, but already some officials are growing concerned that the deep cuts in capital spending - for two years in a row - risk leaving the world short of crude oil several years down the road.

"This is a seed for a very high price in the future," Badri said.

(Reporting by CERAWeek Team; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Marguerita Choy)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Hyderabad: The government, law enforcing agencies, religious scholars and media have to work together to stop Indian Muslim youth from getting attracted to terror outfit Islamic State, eminent religious scholars said on Tuesday.

Maulana Sajjad Nomani, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani and others said fatwas, or edicts, alone can't prevent the youth from joining the ranks and called for going to the root of the problem.

Nomani, who is a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said that leaving the issue of stopping the youth to scholars is not fair.

Stating that injustice is the root of the problem, the scholars said the ulema have to come forward to ensure that the disgruntled youth follow the right path to get justice in a democratic way and in accordance with the constitution.

The scholars were addressing a select gathering of senior police officers and intellectuals at the end of a three-day international conference on life and teachings of Prophet Muhammed.

Telangana's Director General of Police Anurag Sharma was among the officers who attended the event, presided over by AIMPLB secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani.

Nomani narrated an incident of Maharashtra's Kolhapur in which some police officials were caught on camera while trying to frame a Muslim youth for alleged links with the IS. If the law enforcing agencies handle the issue like this, it would not be easy to stop the youth, he said.

He pointed out that hundreds of Islamic scholars across the world have given fatwas that those working for Islamic State don't represent true Islam. "They (IS) misunderstood Islam. They are misguided," he said.

The scholar said that IS a strong but misguided reaction to the repression let loose by the international forces and youth from the countries which witnessed severe repression got attracted to the organisation.

But unlike other countries, very few youth in India tried to join IS, he said.

The conference, attended by 300 scholars from India and abroad, passed eight resolutions. "The terror outfits like the ISIS are not even remotely associated with the idea of Islam. Their deeds and actions are absolutely un-Islamic and against humanity," said one of the resolutions.

Stating that Islamic law forbids killing of innocent people, a resolution called upon all to refrain from extremism and unjust use of power.

The conference, hosted by Al Mahadul Aali Al Islami (Institute for research and specialisation in Islamic sciences), decided to prepare and distribute among people literature on the life and ways of Prophet Muhammed.

"Muslims must follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammed and strike to make their live and social conduct according to the exemplary life of the Prophet. Muslims must respect the principles of peaceful interfaith coexistence and equality of human race," said another resolution.

Calling for respect of spiritual leaders of all faiths, the conference demanded a legislation to punish those who hurt religious sentiments through academic syllabi or any media.

It voiced concern that history books in India are tampering with the history and sometimes publishing baseless stories about Prophet Muhammed and his companions. It urged the government to look into the matter seriously and ensure that before publishing any religious matter about any faith, the scholars of those faiths are consulted.

IANS
New Delhi: In its latest report on the JNU row, Delhi Police has cited evidence collected by the varsity's internal inquiry committee suggesting that eight students, including JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, allegedly indulged in raising unconstitutional slogans.

But, on the basis of the evidence collected by the investigators so far on their own, the police in its report has failed to pinpoint anyone who the eye witnesses, including police personnel and JNU staff, had specifically claimed to have seen raising anti-national slogans.

In its report sent to the Commissioner's office on Sunday, the police also maintained that they "did not enter into the JNU complex without requisition from the concerned authorities", sources said.

The report also specifically lists 29 slogans which were witnessed to have been raised at the event and the list doesn't include the "Pakistan Zindabad" phrase which was mentioned in the statement attached with the FIR, registered on the basis of a video clip obtained from a news channel, they said.

The same slogan was also mentioned in a status report prepared by the police soon after the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar.

Citing the findings of the internal inquiry committee of JNU, the police in its report said that evidence against the eight students include misinterpretation of the proposed event as a cultural evening, forcibly holding the event despite the permission being withdrawn, creating law & order situation in the campus and raising unconstitutional slogans.

In the report, the police also said that local police present at the event witnessed unabated raising of anti-national and unconstitutional slogans by one group, while the another group was countering them, they said.

But the report still fails to clarify who were the ones actually involved in such sloganeering.

The list of evidence collected by the investigators against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar include his "presence" in a group raising unconstitutional and anti-national slogans, attributed to eye-witnesses and the news channel video clip on the basis of which the sedition case was registered.

The report has also mentioned Umar Khalid and Anirban as the main organisers of the event but again did not specify whether the two of them were particularly spotted raising anti-national slogans.

Five JNU students, including Umar Khalid, who the police were looking out for across cities, resurfaced in the varsity's campus on Sunday night but the police have not arrested them yet.

In an apparent U-turn in the police's approach in the case, senior officials now claim that they are waiting for the students to surrender on their own, but the five have ruled it out.

Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi had on Monday said that the final call will be taken by the investigating officer of the case and to enter the varsity's campus or not will be the decision of DCP (South) Prem Nath who is heading the probe.

Police had registered a case of sedition in connection with an event held at Jawaharlal University campus, to mark the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

On 12 February, the police arrested JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar in connection with the case and started a search operation for others, including Umar Khalid and Anirban.

PTI
The headlines have been uniformly negative for a while, and especially right now. A 26/11-style invasion in Pampore, Jammu and Kashmir, and the deaths of two young captains from the elite special forces. A violent agitation by Jats seeking reservation. An alleged acid attack on a tribal activist. Seditious students in Jawaharlal Nehru University, who claim freedom of speech for what sounds suspiciously like ISPR propaganda. Communists hack yet another Hindu activist to death in Kannur, Kerala.

And we just went through convulsions over the suicide of an allegedly SC student in Hyderabad.

There is other important news thats not getting a hearing or a platform: The critical budget that is due shortly. The #MakeinIndia effort that is apparently attracting investment and entrepreneurship. The important #NationalHerald case that could well send some Congress leaders to jail. The continued subversion of the democratic process and the virtual shutdown of Parliament, as the Congress continues its scorched-earth tactics.

In light of an impending global slowdown, if not outright recession, India is one of the few bright spots in the world economy  or at least that seems to be the general sentiment among economists and investors. The prime minister seems to be putting his entire thrust on development  much to the chagrin of Hindu supporters who expected some relief from the usual apartheid memes like the Right to Education and the continued looting of temples by state authorities.

The prime minister is generally correct in his laser-like focus on development, in that almost all of Indias problems will be ameliorated if only there were rapid development. The fundamental problems Indians face  and have faced through decades of Congress sloganeering  are roti, kapda and makaan. But there are definite concerns that, despite all the good intentions, not much is actually happening on the ground. Retroactive taxation efforts persist; the stumble in the stock markets and the depreciation of the rupee indicate that Indias competitive advantage remains elusive.

While efforts in support of development and economic growth are constrained both by global issues and by the mutinies that seem to swell up, gain propaganda points, and then disappear, it is worth asking the question: Who has the motive to keep India on the boil? Just looking at the history of agitations; there were the Patels, the Kapus, the Jats, and so forth. They seem to swell up spontaneously.

The sudden appearance, massive media attention, and then the disappearance of these causes (as well as the perennial question of whether Ishrat Jahan was a terrorist) suggests that there is a method to this madness. It is orchestrated, planned, induced and managed. It is not random. There is someone who is pulling the strings.

Who might that be?

There are at least four suspects, who have the motive and the means:

1) The Congress

2) China and the Communists

3) Pakistan

4) The Deep State

The Congress Party has one major motive: To keep Sonia Gandhi and son out of jail (of course, theyd also prefer to have them ruling the country). It appears that the courts are closing in on them in the National Herald case, which appears to be an open-and-shut case of embezzlement, despite the efforts of highly-paid lawyers to pretend that it was not. The Congress will do anything, and I mean anything, to avoid this eventuality. In fact, the government should work out a plea-bargain deal with them: The Gandhis (all of them) go into voluntary exile in Italy, return their ill-gotten wealth stashed abroad, and the case will be dropped. Or else they go to jail. Truly, an offer they cannot refuse. If there is such a resolution, the various agitations will stop instantaneously, and the blockades of Parliament as well.

China is beginning to realise that its delusions of grandeur are somewhat premature: Beijing has bitten off more than it can chew in the South China Sea, and it is beginning to feel the pinch as the American money-men put the screws on its economy. A trillion dollars have fled China in the last year. But its a high return-on-investment deal to put a few million dollars into the pockets of Indian communists that will be turned into agit-prop, law and order problems, and, as needed, a slew of political murders. A communist leader in Kerala declared openly some time ago that they had carried out a whole lot of murders, and would continue to do so. Keeping India down is just pure competitive tactics.

Pakistan continues to needle India, as its army and the ISI have no intention of letting go their goal of capturing all or most of India as part of their to-be-established Caliphate. Pathankot, now Pampore, and numerous other incidents show that they have the means, the sleeper cells, and the local support they need to keep on imposing costs on India. This sub-critical warfare is low-cost, convenient, and has the effect of force-multiplication. They also believe that time and demography are on their side. They believe that, with a little help from the Congress and the Communists, they will be able to get rid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (as Mani Shankar Aiyar pleaded with them) and bring back a pliant Manmohan Singh 2.0.

The most intriguing of all is the #Deepstate of the West. I wrote in these columns a year ago about how the Deep State treats India  for all practical purposes  as one of its new #AxisOfEvil opponents, the others being Russia and Japan. I also predicted that the Deep States assault would be couched in womens rights, SC/ST rights, air pollution etc, and to my chagrin, I was right.

Ye of little faith, who didnt believe me, I told you so!

There is nothing morally wrong in what the usual suspects are doing  it is merely self-preservation and suppression of a current or potential foe. But all of them would like India to be, at the minimum, a poverty-stricken supplier of raw materials, coolies and converts, and a market for dumping their obsolete goods; at the maximum, they would want India to be balkanised into a whole set of 'statelets'. None of this is good for India.

This is what the Modi government is up against.

All of these forces are quite happy with the status quo ante. And they do have a series of plans to escalate the assaults. Plan A was to create electoral stumbling blocks. Plan B is to create lawlessness and riots (as envisaged by our good friends at the UC Berkeleys ACRPR, about which I was the first to write two years ago). Plan C is more extreme, and you can imagine what it is.

These assaults on India will keep coming. The paid media, NGOs, the Ford Foundation, the Bill Gates Foundation, The New York Times, The Economist, The Guardian, the communists, jihadis and so on will be pressed into service. The prime minister has two choices: Either keep taking the punishment, or fight back. Throw a couple of media types in jail, kick out The New York Times, The Economist and the Ford Foundation, orchestrate a couple of 'unfortunate accidents' to ISI generals: You get the drift. If they feel some pain, those assaulting India will think twice. Else, we will see these death by a thousand cuts incidents proliferating.

And no, they are not Naipauls million mutinies.
By now you may have heard that theres a set of common science standards that some states are adopting called the Next Generation Science Standards. But if thats about where your knowledge ends, dont worry, youre not alone.

The science standards have undoubtedly taken a backseat to the Common Core State Standards, which have been the subject of ongoing political and instructional controversy. But as of last week, 18 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Next Generation Science Standards meaning millions of students will soon be learning the new benchmarks in their classrooms. And many more individual school districts have jumped the gun on their states , and decided to bring the science standards to their schools ahead of statewide adoption.

So why havent the Next Generation standards , which outline what K-12 students need to know about physical, life, and earth and space sciences, gotten the same attention and backlash as the common core? First, theyve been adopted much more slowly. While nearly every single state adopted the common-core standards within nine months of when they were published, were two years into having the common science standards, and just over a third of states have opted in. Second, the states that have adopted them are taking their time with implementation. In many places, the transition will take three or four years, or even longer. And third, there are currently no assessments attached to the science standards, so the stakes are much lower for teachers, schools, and students than they are with the common core.

There has been some pushback regarding the standards language on climate change. The NGSS say that global warming is happening and that human activities are a primary cause, a view that 95 percent of climate scientists agree with. Thats caused a bit of hubbub, in particular in West Virginia .

But dont be fooledthe train is chugging along on these science standards. More states will adopt, more teachers will implement, and there will be assessments soon enough. So with all of that on the horizon, heres what youll want to know about the standards themselves.

1) The standards prize performance over memorization. They dont just ask students to memorize the factsthey ask students to apply them, analyze them, interpret them, compare them, and make models of them.

2) The standards are multilayered. Each standard has a performance expectation (see No. 1 above) and three additional dimensions": science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts . Its a bit confusing, but think of the performance expectation as the standard itselfwhat students will be expected to do by the end of the year. The other dimensions describe how to act like a scientist and make connections across the science fields while learning the facts. In essence, the point is to fully integrate knowing and doing in the classroom.

3) They include a lot of engineering and design. This is completely new to many teachersespecially at the elementary level. Think about it: How many teachers have taken an engineering class? Very few. Teachers will need professional development and good curricula to help with this.

4) The standards link up with the common core. For each performance expectation, the NGSS document has a list of common-core math and English/language arts standards that it can be linked to. Theres no real requirement teachers do this, but its an acknowledgement that the two standards initiatives go hand in hand.

5) Some people say the NGSS dont focus enough on specific science concepts. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute gave the standards a C grade, saying theyre too broad and general and lack essential content. Some teachers have said they deemphasize factual content as well, instead focusing on practices and application, which is different from most previous state standards.

6) But overall the standards have a lot of support from the science education community. The NGSS are based on research about how students best learn science, and a lot of professors, scientists, education department folks, industry representatives, and teachers have come out in support of them .

7) Teachers dont have enough materials aligned to the standards. I hear this again and againthat the standards are great but teachers have nothing to teach them with. Many districts are creating materials of their own for now. But this is very hard work, and theres a lot of hunger for more products in this realm.

8) Assessments will be here soon. Some pilot tests are underway already. In Illinois, officials are promising to have NGSS-aligned tests ready by this spring. And theres a good chance that once there are operational tests in place, more ears will perk up, and increasing backlash to the standards wont be far behind.

(Top Image: From the Next Generation Science Standards document, with labeling by Paul Bruno)

For more on the Next Generation Science Standards:
New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the city police to file by Wednesday a status report of its investigation in the sedition case in which JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar has been arrested.

The court's direction came while hearing Kanhaiya's bail plea which was opposed by Delhi Police.

As soon as the hearing commenced before Justice Pratibha Rani at 10.30 am, the bench said, "Are you filing a status report? If you were aware, you should have done it."

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the police, told the bench that they were opposing the bail plea of Kanhaiya.

At this juncture, the bench said, "What about the status report. If you do not have the status report, I will not proceed. Ask your investigating officer to file the report."

ASG Mehta, however, told the bench that they will file the status report in a sealed cover as "this is a pre-charge sheet bail and the status report cannot be shown to the accused."

To this, the bench observed, "I do not need it in a sealed cover. You will have to file it. Issue notice. File the status report by tomorrow."

The bench, however, clarified that the status report will be limited to the extent of bail only.

As the matter commenced, senior standing counsel of Delhi government advocate Rahul Mehra opposed the appearance of ASGsMehta and Sanjay Jain and lawyer Anil Soni, saying before appearing in the matter they should show notification in this

regard.

"If they don't have the same (notification) they cannot stand on their legs before this court," Mehra told the bench.

Responding to this, ASG Jain said, "Once the ASGs are appearing in this matter, you have no business to interfere in this issue."

At this stage, the bench intervened and said, "Let's not fight over this issue. I will proceed only if status report is filed."

Advocate Mehra, however, said, "They have crossed the 'laxman rekha' and I will not allow this unless the court passes an order. I am appointed by the full court reference of this high court."

Mehra also contended that the status report in this matter has to be filed by the Delhi Police Commissioner and he has to clarify his stand as he had earlier said that the police will not oppose Kanhaiya's bail plea.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Rebecca John and advocates Vrinda Grover and Sushil Bajaj were inside the court room representing Kanhaiya in the hearing which lasted for around 10 minutes.

The hearing of the bail plea witnessed unprecedented security arrangement in the high court premises in wake of the violence at the Patiala House Court on 15 and 17 February when unruly lawyers had assaulted Kanhaiya, litigants as well as journalists uring the hearing in the case.

Kanhaiya had moved his bail plea in the high court following the direction of the Supreme Court which had refused to hear it on the ground that it will set a "dangerous precedent".

In his petition, Kanhaiya has contended that he was 'falsely implicated' in the case as he had not raised any anti-national slogan.

The JNUSU leader claimed that he was wrongly arrested on the basis of an FIR which was devoid of evidence to book him under such a serious charge.

Kanhaiya was arrested on 12 February and remanded to judicial custody on 17 February, amid violence at Patiala House courts.

In the plea, he has also claimed that no case is made out against him as there was no evidence as he had never raised any anti-national slogan during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru university (JNU) on 9 February.

Kanhaiya, who is in judicial custody till 2 March, had approached the apex court directly seeking bail on the ground that his life was under threat in Tihar Jail.

PTI
New Delhi: Five members of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiyas family are currently serving in the defence forces and one, a CRFF jawan, laid down his life while fighting insurgents. This brief backdrop should be a sober reminder to those in the media and elsewhere trying to paint him anti-national by contrasting the sacrifices made by the armed forces on the border and the slogan-shouting episode in JNU.

Kanhaiya can never be an anti-national. Patriotism is in our blood and we do not need any certificate of nationalism from the killers of Gandhi  the Father of the Nation. Five sons of my family are protecting the country at the borders. We lost one of our brave sons (Dilip Singh, a CRPF jawan) four years ago in an ambush by insurgents at Manipur. Today, they (the right wing forces) are using the names of people like Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad and Dr Ambekar to prove their nationalism. But they perhaps do not know, had they been alive, they would have supported Kanhaiya, 83-year-old Rajendra Singh, uncle of the JNUSU president, told Firstpost.

His village, Birut, in Bihars Begusarai district played an important role in the freedom struggle. It is called the Bardoli of this region because of the role it played in the civil disobedience movement. No one can forget the account of local martyrs during the August revolt of 1942. He claimed he and his colleagues looted the weapons of British when they entered their village. We had to flee the village and be on the run for days, he added.

The angry but disappointed comrade, who is associated with the CPI since 1956, said the booking of Kanhaiya on sedition charges has left us in a state of shock. Kanhaiya is fighting a battle of ideology and it will go long. Such situations will keep coming in his way. He will face it bravely because he is a revolutionary, he said.

Rajendra added that JNU and its students are being targeted because only Left can fight back the fascist forces and save the countrys plurality. The crackdown on JNU, according to him, was a conspiracy to crush peoples movements by those who lost in Delhi and Bihar. He said his entire family was inspired by former JNUSU president comrade Chandrashekhar who was gunned down at Siwan in Bihar several years ago and that his anniversary in March is a household function in their Hasnatpur tola in Begusarai.

Singh had gone to meet Kanhaiya in Tihar jail on Monday and he became emotional seeing him behind bars. Kanhaiya held my hand and consoled me saying that he was following the path I had shown him  the path of truth, the path to fight injustice. He asked me has he done anything that would make his parents and the entire family ashamed of him. I assured him that he had the full family support and should proceed on the leftist path, which our family has always believed in, he said.

Kanhaiya has been kept in isolation and a 12-member quick-reaction team has been deployed around the cell to keep a 24-hour watch to avoid any untoward incident. He is devoting his time reading and writing a diary on his experience in the prison.

Kanhaiyas uncle is sure that his nephew will come out clean, but asks who will repay the loss the media has caused with its irresponsible reporting. Though we have full support of the village and our fellow villagers are standing with us, but it is also true that the media has created a suspicion. It has not done its duty properly. It has played with the future of Kanhaiya, he complained.

Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break silence, Singh said, He (the PM), as he claims, comes from a poor family, like we do. He should break his silence, a lot is expected from him.

Kanhaiyas elder brother Manikant Singh, who is accompanying his uncle, says he was shocked when his younger brother was slapped with sedition charges. I cannot even dream that my brother can be a traitor. I have full faith in my brother. The allegations against him are baseless and false. And I am sure the truth will prevail, he told Firstpost.

Asked about Kanhaiyas childhood, he said his brother was always a brilliant student. Except grade 10, he secured first position in all classes. He is a good painter as well. He was very much interested in extracurricular activities. He used to take part in debates in schools and therefore, he is a good orator today, said the elder brother.

Kanhaiya graduated in geography from Commerce College  a constituent unit of Magadh University, Bodh Gaya  in Patna. He earned masters in Sociology from Nalanda University. He completed M Phil from JNU and now pursuing PhD.

He has deep cultural and political imprints of our family and believes reformist ideology. And therefore, he acquired a revolutionary tone and tenor. He is fighting for the causes of poor, Dalits and other marginalised groups of the society since beginning. He is of the view that if we do not try to become the voice of the voiceless, then who else and what is the benefit of pursuing PhD, said Manikant.

Asked what does he except from the court (Delhi HC), which hear Kanhaiyas bail plea on Tuesday, he said, It will be a haste to say anything on bail because the government will use all its state machinery against him.

I wont be surprised, he said, if more doctored videos are presented. We already know of audio clips being overlaid in an earlier video. Now, it may be time to insert visuals to implicate Kanhaiya, since no seditious slogan or utterance has been made by him.

He was worried about the safety and security of his brother after the lawyers, who attacked Kanhaiya, JNU students and teachers and journalists at Patiala House court, were caught on camera threatening of future attacks including, hurling of bombs and murder.

Kanhaiyas mother Meena Devi, who could not come to see his son because of her ailing husband, was extremely emotional while talking to Firstpost over phone and her prime concern was the safety and security of his son.

My heart stopped when I saw my son being assaulted by goons in black at the court complex. I was helpless, I could not do anything, said the inconsolable mother warning the government and the police ensure that Kanhaiya was doing well in the jail and outside.

She said her son did not need to explain anything as he had not committed any crime. I am sure that he will walk free soon and be acquitted of all charges. Kanhaiya, you do not need to worry about anything. You are brave like your father and the entire family, said Meena Devi, who works as an anganwadi worker.
By Shishir Tripathi

American novelist Harper Lee who died on 19 February wrote in her greatly admired novel To Kill a Mockingbird that, People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.

The hero of the novel Atticus Finch also told us how to be objective in assessing an event; by deleting the adjectives so that we would have the facts.

What happened in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in last two weeks following the alleged raising of anti-national slogans by some students of the university and outsiders is marred by the collective failure of the university administration and Delhi police to delete objectives and knowingly, unknowingly, overlooking the facts.

On the day following the arrest of the JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, a visit to the campus confirmed a wider consensus on two issues: the arrest of Kumar under sedition charges and the malicious branding of the university. Majority of the students who spoke on the issue opposed both of it.

Ten days after that, the situation remains same. Most of the students are backing Kanhaiya and a palpable angst can be seen against the branding of the university as hub of anti-national- activities'.

On 15 February at the Periyar hostel in JNU, slogans of Tej se bolo kaun hai hum ? Bharatwasi Bharatwasi was echoing. It was the same campus which was much in news for its anti-India sloganeering just three days ago. When it came to raising of anti-India slogans, students opposed the move in unison.

On Monday evening as the possible surrender of the Umar Kahlid and other four students were being deliberated upon, it was clear that the five students did not have the support of entire student fraternity as in Kanhaiyas case. The administrative block which saw the crowd swelling only as the lecture on nationalism started, hardly displayed full-hearted support to Khalid and his four comrades.

In the din of jump to judgement and 'brand them anti-national' race, what was left behind was to understand that students see the entire episode as series of events and have different take on them.

First, the raising of anti-India slogans: Most of the students rejected and opposed such sloganeering but at the same time casted aspersions on the authenticity of the video. They also called for not mixing up the issues and seeing them in particular contexts. Raising slogans in favour of Afzal Guru and Kasab is different. A lot of students here comes from Kashmir and have reason and context to support Afzal Guru but I dont think anyone can justify any support to a terrorist like Kasab, said a student. Two of the accused students Anant Prakash Narayan and Rama Naga, while speaking to Firstpost, several times stressed the fact that they were nowhere shown in the video raising slogans but were still booked under sedition and named in the FIR. They reacted sharply when asked by a news channel about their probable surrender, We are not criminals or terrorist that we are being asked to surrender.

Second, pressing of sedition charges: When out of their political mould; talking like a fellow students, even those with clear cut right wing leaning and some of the ABVP supporters felt that slapping of sedition charges against Kanhaiya was a bit too much. However there seemed a clear divide when role of democratic students union (DSU) and other accused student were concerned.

Third, branding of JNU: As one of the student remarked, fringe elements and denigrated free-floaters are the real trouble makers; the aim should be to target and weed them out, not clamping down on campus politics. Students felt that any kind of malicious branding would affect their career and called for show of restrain by media.

It does not require the smarts of an articulate public intellectual to understand where the government faltered in dealing with the JNU issue. Sitting at the canteen at the administrative block with a cup of tea with a research scholar from any of the schools in JNU is enough to understand why sloganeering by some students escalated to a standoff between the students and the government.

As the videos of alleged sloganeering surfaced, the university administration should have investigated the matter through an internal process before allowing the police to arrest the Kanhaiya Kumar. If found guilty, then the future course of action with government authorities and police could have been deliberated upon. The media should have shown some restraint before jumping the guns and branding the students as 'anti-national' and casting grave aspersions on the secular and nationalist culture of the university. The crisis could have been avoided if objectives like anti-national' had been divorced from personal bias and prejudice. The police would have been able to appreciate that evidence for such conclusions was yet to be verified, said a student of SIS.

But then as Lee had cautioned long years ago that we see what we want to see.
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Kanhaiya's bail plea to be heard on 24 February by the Delhi HC. Delhi Police oppose bail; HC asks for a status report.

Delhi Police submits report against Kanhaiya Kumar to High Court. The report claims that Kanhaiya was seen in the footage shouting anti-national slogans; a law and order situation was created on JNU campus. High Court has also agreed to hear Delhi Police's plea seeking permission to enter Jawaharlal Nehru University.

A number of students from across Mumbai universities and colleges have started a petition seeking the immediate release of Kanhaiya Kumar.

The march is being led primarily by students from Hyderabad Central University, but students from all over the country have joined in. The march has become more significant in the wake of Kanhaiya Kumar's arrest and the JNU row.

Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and a few other leaders from Aam Aadmi Party present. The Rohith Vemula issue has assumed bigger proportions, it would appear.

Arvind Kejriwal said, "If someone try to go against the nation, he won't be spared. Similarly if innocents will be harassed like centre is doing it won't be tolerated. Modiji ab bhi samay hai sudhar jaiye, warna janta AAP ko ukhaad phekegi." (People will throw you out Modiji if you don't mend your ways of dealing).

Knowing it full well that the attack would come against the government from all quarters, the BJP fielded HRD minister Smriti Irani who showed uncharacteristic aggression in defending herself. She, along with minister of labour Bandaru Dattatreya, has been accused of goading the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) administration to take action against Vemula. In the ensuing din, the House was adjourned second time. The crux of the issue was that parties are engaged in a fierce competitive politics to claim their pro-dalit credentials.

And Rohith Vemulas suicide is learnt to have evoked strong emotion among Dalits of UP and turned them against the BJP. This is the precise reason why the BSP disrupted the functioning to pre-empt any attempt to appropriate sympathies of Dalits. Taken aback by the BSPs tactical brilliance, the Congress and other parties also joined in and vociferously supported Mayawatis demand to reveal the facts of the inquiry constituted to probe Rohiths suicide and circumstances.

As the Raja Sabha met after 10 minute of adjournment, the scene was characterised by deja vu. Not without reason, BSP chief Mayawati raised the issue of Rohith Vemulas suicide vehemently in the question to take the wind out of the parties sails. In view of the UP election, Mayawati cannot afford to let the ruling party and principal opposition, the Congress, monopolise the debate on Dalits. She was quite conscious of nearly 25 percent of the Dalit votes that form her strong support base in the countrys largest state.

Kumar is being deprived of his liberties primarily because of the incompetence of the Delhi Police conducting a thorough investigation.

Kanhaiya Kumar's position as JNUSU president could mean that he could potentially influence witnesses who were present at that demonstration. The remaining accused are 'absconding' (technically not arrested). Kanhaiya Kumar's release means they could all go underground or off the radar. Police is opposing bail at this point. If witness statements had been recorded initially instead of relying on a video clip which is still pending verification, the police would have had their case in order.

Initially, Bassi did not oppose bail because he had video clips and that meant he did not need witnesses. Now, the video clips are turning out to be doctored, which means Bassi needs witness testimonies to make his case, a Bombay High Court lawyer told Firstpost.

India seems to be in the grip of an epidemic of feeling of victimisation. A few days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had talked about a conspiracy to tarnish his image. A few hours ago, Rahul Gandhi told media that there may be a conspiracy to not allow him to speak in Parliament. And now lawyer Chauhan claims people are out to get him. If only he had taken the precaution, not the one prescribed by Gyan Dev Ahuja, before opening his mouth in front of a hidden camera.

"But are we going to give respectability to those whose primary ideology is that they're going to break this country?" he said.

"Some amount of radical romancing can also take place in institutions," he said.

"Youngsters do many things and when they grow up, they realise they shouldn't have done many of those things," said the Finance Minister.

"If some student belonging to a weaker section of society suffers mental distress, that issue has to be discussed," said Jaitley. "The core issue does not relate to the amount of academic license that exists," he said.

'Are we going to give respectability to those whose primary ideology is that they're going to break this country?'

"The question is: Does the Indian constitutional order allow this? To say that this kind of act must be ignored by the state is wrong. It is an issue over the geography and territory of India which is under attack today," he said.

"Vandalism is condemnable. But here's what the leftist philosophy is in this case: 'Let us concentrate on vandalism, which is condemnable. But at the same time, sedition must become a part of free speech.' Can hate speech become free speech?" he said.

"Of course, what happened in Patiala House is condemnable. But vandalism is condemnable. And sedition is free speech?" said Jaitley.

"I publicly pay homage to him. What I never publicly disclose that I also spoke to his mother," said Irani. "There are many who can be accused of identifying him as a vote bank," she said.

"I have been told not to get agitated," said Smriti Irani as she began her speech by quoting lines from Macbeth.

Many can be accused of identifying Rohith as a vote bank: Smriti Irani

"What is happening here? It is highly objectionable!" thundered Anand Sharma. "Tomorrow, if any of the ministers bring in any derogatory reference, what are we reducing this House to?"

As soon as Irani finished reading this out, a huge uproar erupted in the Parliament.

She also said that document described Durga as a "sex worker called Durga who enticed Mahishasur into marriage. Every year, thousand of Durga puja pandals are erected showing her in a bad light, in a sexual position."

"The document said that Durga Puja is a controversial, racist festival where a fair-skinned goddess is depicted killing a dark demon," Irani said.

"What is Mahishasura martyrdom day?" Irani said. She then again quoted the document.

Irani then said that some minority students who were protesting against this festival were beaten up by Left-leaning JNU students.

"And it (the JNU document) also speaks about a public meeting that they have the right to hold a festival called Mahishasura martyrdom day," she said.

Irani then quoted a JNU document which, according to Irani's speech, said that "the execution of Afzal Guru was a nervous attempt by Congress."

"There is an accusation that Mehmood ki topi Ahmed par hai. Pata nahi kiski topi kiske sar pe hai...main bina topi ke hoon," she said.

"We cannot tolerate such activities in our universities. We cannot allow the students to be influenced by fringe elements," said Venkaiah Naidu in Lok Sabha.

"We are only requesting you not to express solidarity with divisive forces," said Naidu.

"The Prime Minister is very clear. The country has to go forward. We are undeterred by these attempts," Naidu said, as he targeted the Opposition over its criticism of the government.

"Instead of running for photo opportunities, the political leadership should ponder over why incidents like the Rohith Vemula suicide happened. The entire country should think seriously. This is not the first case," Venkaiah Naidu said.

"I publicly pay homage to him. What I never publicly disclose that I also spoke to his mother," said Irani. "There are many who can be accused of identifying him as a vote bank," she said.

"I have been told not to get agitated," said Smriti Irani as she began her speech by quoting lines from Macbeth.

Many can be accused of identifying Rohith as a vote bank: Smriti Irani

Sitharam Yechury lashed out in the House and asked Smriti Irani to focus on the point at hand.

"Do we say to them that if you are a Dalit child belonging to an ideology not favourable to us, you can die for all we care?" she said.

"What are we as a united House telling this generation of ours?" Irani said.

Opposition members began shouting as Smriti Irani tried responding to the allegations made against her.

"I am grateful for the anomalies which Azad sahab corrected in his speech today," Irani said.

"There are many who have said that history is being distorted and all Sanghis are being put in ICHR," said Smriti Irani. She then pointed out that there was a member of ICHR who was not, in fact, a Sanghi. "If there was an intention to saffronise education, why would I pick a scholar who is not aligned to my organisation?" she said.

"What is happening here? It is highly objectionable!" thundered Anand Sharma. "Tomorrow, if any of the ministers bring in any derogatory reference, what are we reducing this House to?"

As soon as Irani finished reading this out, a huge uproar erupted in the Parliament.

She also said that document described Durga as a "sex worker called Durga who enticed Mahishasur into marriage. Every year, thousand of Durga puja pandals are erected showing her in a bad light, in a sexual position."

"The document said that Durga Puja is a controversial, racist festival where a fair-skinned goddess is depicted killing a dark demon," Irani said.

"What is Mahishasura martyrdom day?" Irani said. She then again quoted the document.

Irani then said that some minority students who were protesting against this festival were beaten up by Left-leaning JNU students.

"And it (the JNU document) also speaks about a public meeting that they have the right to hold a festival called Mahishasura martyrdom day," she said.

Irani then quoted a JNU document which, according to Irani's speech, said that "the execution of Afzal Guru was a nervous attempt by Congress."

"There is an accusation that Mehmood ki topi Ahmed par hai. Pata nahi kiski topi kiske sar pe hai...main bina topi ke hoon," she said.

As the Mahishasura martyrdom day issue rocked the House, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day.

JNU Student Union president, Kanhaiya Kumar's bail plea will be heard on Wednesday by the Delhi High Court after the Supreme Court dismissed the petition on 19 February after which he was remanded to Tihar Jail. One of the key focus of the plea is likely to be around the allegedly doctored video clip used by the Delhi police to arrest him on the charges of sedition.

Zee News' Vishwa Deepak had resigned last week citing that the channel had intentionally misinterpreted the video clip to brand some students as anti-national.

Kanhaiya's lawyer had directly moved the the Supreme Court for bail, but the apex court asked his advocate to move the high court for bail, noting that bypassing the high court would set a wrong precedent.

The student leader had directly moved his bail plea before the Supreme Court invoking its jurisdiction under article 32, under which a citizen can move the apex court for enforcing his fundamental rights.

Besides bail, Kanhaiya Kumar had sought direction for his safety and security from the apex court.

Invoking Article 21 guaranteeing right to life and personal liberty and pointing to the atmosphere of violence that prevailed in Patiala House Court complex on 15 and 17 February, he, in his petition in apex court, had said that the manner in which his physical harassment was allowed to take place was a clear pointer to the violation of his right to access justice delivery system.

Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case on February 12 after an event held on the university campus against hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Security will be beefed up in the high court to avoid any untoward incident, in view of the violence seen in the Patiala House courts when Kanhaiya Kumar was produced for hearing.

Apart from Kanhaiya, two other JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, facing the charge of sedition, surrendered before the police late on Tuesday, hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant them protection from arrest.

The duo, who returned to the JNU campus last Sunday after having gone missing since 12 February, drove from the administrative bloc to the main gate of the university, got into a Delhi Police vehicle and were taken to an undisclosed destination.

Police sources said Khalid and Bhattacharya surrendered at around midnight.

The two have been placed under police custody at South Campus police station. They will be produced before a magistrate on Wenesday morning, the sources said.

Besides Kumar, Khalid and Bhattacharya, the other students are Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash.

Delhi Police had issued a look-out notice on 20 February against Khalid, Bhattacharya, Naga, Ashutosh and Prakash.

Earlier, Khalid and Bhattacharya left the JNU campus at around 11.50 pm on Tuesday night for the surrender.

The university students formed a human chain to prevent the media from following Khalid and Bhattacharya when they were leaving the campus on Tuesday evening.

The National Capital Region is also being shaken up by 10,000 students who will be protesting at Jantar Mantar and India Gate on 23-24 February in solidarity with the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University and dalit scholar Rohith Vemula who committed suicide in University of Hyderabad. The JNU row and Rohith Vemula's suicide have both sparked great debate in the country about the freedom of speech, the right to dissent, police brutality and overreach.

According to The Indian Express, the slogan of the protests is "humein chahiye azaadi, hum chheen ke lenge" (We want freedom and we will snatch it). The protest is being organised by Joint Action Committe (JAC) for Social Justice and Hyderabad Central University (HCU). The report also points out that students from TISS, TIFR, Mumbai University will join the protests.

According to Mid-Day, a number of students from across Mumbai universities and colleges have started a petition seeking the immediate release of Kanhaiya Kumar.

Others accused of sedition and branded as "absconding" by the Delhi police, Umar Khalid and others will also be moving the High Court seeking security to surrender.

With inputs from agencies
Add Maryland to the list of states to find that students tended to score better when taking the 2014-15 PARCC exams on paper instead of by computer.

Paper results in the state were higher than online results for every tested grade in English/language arts and on higher-level math exams, according to an analysis prepared by the state department of education and presented to the state board of education Tuesday.

Differences between the student populations who took the exams via different modes of administration accounted for a portion of the score discrepancies, according to the analysis. But a bigger factor was students readiness for the technology platform, including developing extended written responses on a computer and responding to multimedia content.

A lot of this has to do with getting our instruction on board [with the new tests and Common Core State Standards they are meant to assess] and making students more aware of whats required for an adequate response, said Doug Strader, the assessment director for the Maryland education department, in an interview.

Those findings echo a pattern of score discrepancies by mode of administration found across the multi-state Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, one of two consortia to develop and administer last year new tests aligned with the common core. The apparent mode-of-administration effect was first reported by Education Week earlier this month.

Colorado, Illinois, and Rhode Island have found similar patterns within their states. The Baltimore County schools, one of the largest districts in Maryland, also found such a pattern, then used statistical techniques to isolate the impact of testing format. The district found that after controlling for student and school characteristics, students were between 3 percent and 9 percent more likely to score proficient on the paper-and-pencil version of the math exam, depending on their grade level. Students were 11 percent to 14 percent more likely to score proficient on the paper version of the E/LA exam.

According to the new analysis from the Maryland education department, 80 percent of the more than 876,000 Maryland students who took the PARCC exams last spring did so online.

In math, the advantage for paper-based test-takers was most pronounced on upper-grade and higher-level tests, such as 8th grade math and Algebra I and II. About 55 percent of students who took the Algebra I exam on paper scored proficient or advanced, for example, compared to fewer than 30 percent of those who took the exam online.

The advantage for paper-based test-takers was found in every grade (3-8 and 10) on the English/language arts exam. Among 4th graders, for example, just over 50 percent of students who took the E/LA test on paper scored proficient or advanced, compared to fewer than 40 percent of those who took the exam online.

Paper-best test-takers tended to be higher-performing on previous state exams, a difference that accounted for about 40 percent of the discrepancy between paper and online results on this years PARCC. African-American students, English-language learners, students from low-income families, and students with disabilities did not appear to be significantly disproportionately affected, according to Strader.

And there was no evidence of technical flaws in the development, administration, scoring, or reporting of the assessment, according to the state analysis.

That leaves student readiness for technology as the biggest factor explaining the score discrepancies. In other words, scores in some cases reflected not what students know and are able to do, but their familiarity and capabilities with the computer-based platform on which the test was administered.

Test items that required more involved responsesfor example, developing a longer written response to be entered via computerappeared to be the biggest problem in the online version of the exams, according to the state report.

Through informal discussions with test-takers of both modes, there was a common theme of not knowing what was expected to score well on the extended response items [via computer], according to the report. Students shared that they would default to the size of the response box to better determine how much was enough.

Students also described having little experience developing extended responses from start to finish with the use of technology, according to the report.

Several states have dropped the PARCC exams since last school year, but the overall push for more online testing appears to be moving forward unabated.

Maryland schools will again administer the PARCC exams, during a 30-day window between April 4 and June 10. The state expects the test to be fully online by next school year, with the exception of students who require an accommodation.

Like many states, Maryland has delayed using the results of PARCC exams for high stakes, such as student graduation or teacher evaluation, during the transition.

Photo: A student at Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington, Mass., reviews a question on a PARCC practice test before 2014 field-testing of the computer-based assessments.--Gretchen Ertl for Education Week-File

See also:
Lagos, Nigeria: The Nigerian Navy on Monday rescued an oil tanker, Genco Maximus, which was hijacked by pirates with 11 Indian crew members on board off the Ivory Coast on 11 February, as it escorted the tanker safely into Port Lagos on Monday. The Nigerian sailors killed one pirate and arrested five others during the rescue operation, the navy said.

Although External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said that 10 of the 11 Indian crew members have been rescued, whereabouts of an eleventh crew member, Mumbai-based 27-year-old Rohan Ruparelia who is being held captive along with a Pakistani national by two hijackers who escaped in a pirate vessel, are still unknown.

We have rescued 10 Indians with the help of Nigerian Navy. We are trying to rescue 11th Indian and a Pakistani crew member from the pirates.  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) February 21, 2016

A ship 'Maximus' with 11 Indian crew members was hijacked by pirates off the Ivory Coast last Saturday. On our request the ship was /2  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) February 21, 2016

Zankhana Ruparelia, Rohans sister, who has been in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and the High Commission of India in Nigeria since the abduction, said: The Indian defense attache and in charge of the rescue operation, Captain Gautam Marwaha, put me in touch with the rescued crew members. They said that they were neither physically assaulted nor mentally harassed. They took my brother and the other Pakistani national as hostage because they were the youngest and fittest of the lot and they wanted someone from the crew to help them navigate through the African waters effortlessly.

We are doing everything to rescue your brother from the pirates. Pl do not worry. https://t.co/0CuO12Szpr  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) February 21, 2016

The last conversation I had with Rohan was on 5 February when they were at the shore of Ivory Coast and could communicate with people. Captain of Maximus ship, Pillai, assured us that no harm would be done to my brother and there are looking out for the two captives. The authorities have been very supportive, she added.

Marwaha said that they have not yet received any ransom demand or an offer for barter as they have five pirates in custody.

The Panama-flagged Maximus, owned by a company in the United Arab Emirates and on lease to a South Korean shipping company, steamed in with four captured hijackers from Nigeria and Ghana and the crew of 18 from India, Pakistan, China, South Korea, Sudan and Ghana, said Rear Admiral Henry Babalola.

The bandits were after the tankers 4,700 tons of diesel fuel when they seized it on 11 February off the coast of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the navy said.

Babalola, who commanded Saturdays rescue, described a tense standoff as the pirates denied the ship was the Maximus, calling it instead the MT Elvis 3, as they had hand-painted over the name in white. We tried diplomacy, but they refused to surrender, Babalola said. Sailors stormed the ship when one pirate opened fire, taking special care because the vessel is highly flammable, he said.

Its the third time in five years that the ship has been hijacked in the Gulf of Guinea area, according to two maritime ship-tracking websites. The last time, in 2014 when it was called the SP Brussels, one crew member and two pirates were killed and six captured after a shootout with the Nigerian Navy just outside anchorage in Lagos, Nigerias Atlantic Ocean-side commercial center.

With inputs from Agencies
New Delhi: Amid demands from teachers and students that the JNU administration should seek JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar's release and dropping of sedition charge, the varsity on Tuesday said both the issues are beyond its control.

The varsity authorities also said that they are receiving messages from across the country requesting "firm action" so that similar incidents don't happen in future.

"We have not arrested Kanhaiya, we have also not charged anyone with sedition. It is for the police and court to take a call in this matter. Both these demands are beyond our control," JNU Registrar Bhupinder Zutshi told PTI.

JNU students and teachers on Monday appealed to vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar to take a stand in favour of the five students who were being looked for by the police in a sedition case and surfaced on the campus after being on the run for over 10 days.

A meeting of the top JNU officials, chaired by the VC on Monday, deliberated on the return of the five students to the campus but could not take a decision whether police should be allowed to enter the campus to arrest them or the students should be asked to surrender.

"Police have not approached us so far for any permission to enter the campus for arrest of these students. Neither we have approached them," Zutshi said.

The vice chancellor had also called a meeting of deans of all the schools and chairpersons of all the special centres to apprise them about steps being taken to restore normalcy on campus.

"The VC also had a discussion with staff and Karamcharis association who condemned the 'unlawful' activities and asked the administration to take effective steps," he added.

The five students  Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, JNUSU General Secretary Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash  had gone missing from the campus since 12 February after Kanhaiya was arrested on sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-India slogans in a controversial event at the campus.

They had on Monday refused to surrender, saying they are ready to be arrested but police officials maintained that their team kept waiting outside the varsity premises for permission from the VC.

PTI
New Delhi: Amid demands from teachers and students that the JNU administration should seek JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar's release and dropping of sedition charge, the varsity on Tuesday said that both the issues are beyond its control.

"We have not arrested Kanhaiya, we have also not charged anyone with sedition. It is for the police and court to take a call in this matter. Both these demands are beyond our control," JNU registrar Bhupinder Zutshi said.

JNU students and teachers on Monday appealed to Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar to stand in favour of the five students who were being hunted by the police in the sedition case. The students surfaced on the campus after being on the run for over 10 days.

A meeting held on Monday by the top JNU officials, chaired by the VC , deliberated on the return of the five students to the campus but could not take a decision whether police should be allowed to enter the campus to arrest them or the students should be asked to surrender.

"Police have not approached us so far for any permission to enter the campus for arrest of these students. Neither we have approached them," Zutshi said.

The five students  Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, JNUSU General Secretary Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash had gone missing from the campus since 12 February after Kanhaiya was arrested on sedition charge for allegedly raising anti-India slogans in a controversial event at the campus.

PTI
By Ajay Kumar

Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi has emphatically asserted while speaking on the issue of the five students of JNU that the police want to arrest, and that "police are looking for them, they should join the investigation. If they are innocent, they should produce evidence of their innocence."

As commonsense and patronising as this may sound , it has an essential and fundamental flaw  the law of our land is fundamentally postulated on the principle that any accused is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty by the prosecution beyond reasonable doubt. In layman's terms, this would mean that the police and the prosecution (both of which are parts of the executive arm of the state) have the onus to prove absolutely the guilt of any accused; so the accused do not have to prove their innocence. Such statements, coming from the commissioner while the investigation in the Delhi police's own words is "ongoing" is something that is a cause for concern for almost every ordinary citizen.

The law requires that the state establish the guilt of the accused. In fact, the police cannot pronounce a person innocent or guilty. Only a competent court can. Even then, a court cannot pronounce someone innocent, at the most it can pronounce a person as "not guilty".

The rule exists, because it is impossible to prove a negation, a statement in the negative cannot be proved but only an assertive statement can be proved or disproved, which is why the law makes the negation the default state more commonly referred to as "innocent until proven guilty"

The students that the Delhi police were searching for went into hiding right after the incident but turned up on campus last night and were courting arrest. The police chief has asked them to surrender because he cannot arrest them on the JNU campus and the vice-chancellor has denied permission to the police to enter campus. The students want security assurances from the police, saying they went into hiding fearing mob justice and vendetta.

This has resulted in a stand off, but the important question people need to ask is, why are people afraid of being taken into police custody? Is this fear, a genuine fear?

During the period of 2007-2012, 11,820 people died in the custody of the Indian police establishment as per the National Human Rights Commission. In fact, an Indian media outlet has quoted lawyers claiming that they beat up Mr.Kanhaiya Kumar while he was in police custody and forced him to say "Bharat Mata ki Jai" before they would let him go.

There has been no statement from the Delhi Police denying this accusation. One would think an accusation like this would be cause for concern and necessitate an immediate and complete denial, rather than press conferences on some activities of a few young people on a university campus.

We are well aware that there is a lackadaisical approach by the police insofar as it concerns people in their custody. If memory serves us right, we will remember that it was this same police establishment that couldn't prevent Mr.Ram Singh (accused in the December 2012 Delhi gangrape case) from hanging himself in his jail cell. As a result Ram Singh was never actually pronounced guilty of his crime, the prosecution against him was simply abated doing no justice to the victim or the state.

Common citizens in India are afraid to approach the police even when they are victims of crime as that is the image of the police that has been created as a result of their past and continuing conduct. Statements such as Mr.Bassi's that call on people to prove their innocence to the police, only goes further to destroy what little public confidence is left in the institution.

Further, the police should avoid using terms like "innocent" and "guilty" while by their own admission an investigation is on going. If the clips are still being sent for "verification" as per the police's statement , is there enough basis to warrant an arrest at all? Can't the police use the provisions under the Code of Criminal Procedure and summon them to take down their statement? Have the police managed to establish that their presence on campus is a continuing threat to law and order?

Once the JNU investigation is over, there is a need to have a inquiry into the way the police have handled the matter. This is something of grave concern to any citizen. The police should not be seen to be taking sides in a matter. It must toe the line of the law in the manner in which they conduct their investigation. They need to explain why their first reaction is to effect an arrest even before a statement has been recorded or the clips have been verified. They need to explain why they aren't initiating process against JNU professors and teachers who have admitted to helping the students go underground and avoid arrest. They need to explain why they were unable to prevent the ruckus that went on in the Patiala House Courts. Is there a police review trying to see how there was a failure in doing their jobs in protecting the accused and preventing a ruckus?
By Srinivasa Prasad

By way of Delhi and Bihar assembly elections, the BJP had its political test in 2015. It miserably failed that test.

The Congress and the CPM will have their own tests in 2016. In a few months from now, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and Assam will go to polls.

Of these, the Congress rules two: Assam and, through a party-led front, Kerala. There is a good chance that it will retain Assam but lose Kerala. If it wants to win the test, it must retain both.

The CPM-led front has a neat chance of wresting Kerala, which it lost narrowly in 2011. If it wants to win the test, it must keep this winning edge till the polling day.

In Tamil Nadu, its a head-on collision between AIADMKs Jayalalithaa and DMKs M. Karunanidhi as always. The Congress (with the DMK camp) and the CPM (part of a third front) and BJP (looking for partners) are only also-rans there. And as of now Mamata Banerjee looks unshakeable in West Bengal.

The BJP rules none of the four states or the union territory of Puducherry. It has nothing to lose. On the other hand, if lucky, it may even walk away with a victory in Assam with help from Asom Gana Parishad.

So its a test for the Congress, and its a test for the CPM.

And how do they want to go about winning their respective tests? By holding each others hands in West Bengal and getting at each others throats in Kerala.

They believe their goal in West Bengal is laudable: throwing out the evil Mamata Banerjee out of power. But how effective that strategy will be against the Queen Bee of Trinamool Congress and what collective good it will do to the Congress and the CPM is questionable. What seems likely, however, is that it will do plenty of individual damage to both the parties in Kerala.

And for the CPM, which suffers from an identity crisis politically and ideologically following its rout in West Bengal in 2011 and in the national elections in 2014, such an alliance will only push it deeper into the abyss as it approaches the Big Test against Narendra Modi in 2019.

The win-win alliance that the CPM is talking about in West Bengal may end up in lose-lose disaster for the party in the long run.

The central leaderships of both the Congress and CPM are yet to take a final call on this proposition. And its no secret that CPMs general secretary Sitaram Yechury tacitly supports the idea, and former general secretary Prakash Karat openly detests it.

But there is little doubt that whether there is an official alliance between them or not, the parties will unofficially work out seat adjustments or take that innovative Indian route of friendly contests. They are already working together on select issues under the banner of Save Democracy, which sounds innocent but fools nobody.

All this has, meanwhile, petrified both the parties in Kerala, where each has high stakes. The CPM in the state is dreading it most, considering that the party has a clear edge over all others in the coming elections.

A pre-poll survey by Asianet-C-Fore confirmed it last week when it said the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will win Kerala with 77 to 82 of the 140 seats and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) will be runner-up with 55 to 60. The BJP, which has never won a single assembly seat here, is projected to get three to five.

The survey said LDFs vote share would, however, reduce from the 44.9 per cent of the 2011 election to 41, and that UDFs would dip from 45.8 per cent to 37. It predicted that the BJP would get 18 per cent of the votes, against the last elections 6 per cent, eating into the vote bases of both the fronts.

The going is indeed good for the CPM in Kerala. But what impact the partys desperate deal with the Congress in West Bengal might have on the Kerala voters mind is anybodys guess. One guess is that, as the polling day nears, more voters will dump the Congress and the Left and plump for BJP.

Such an alliance, be it official or unofficial, may well turn out to be a historic blunderto borrow a phrase used by Jyoti Basu in describing the CPMs decision not to make him the Prime Minister when the chance came in 1996.

It would also mean that the CPM has forgotten the very reasons why it lost West Bengal in 2011 after ruling it for a straight 34 years, and why it finds itself in the dismal situation that it is in across India.

Some CPM leaders admit candidly that they lost West Bengal because the party had given a go-by to what it was supposed to stand for. It failed workers: they suffered because of the record number of lockouts. It wronged peasants: the government snatched their lands in a brutal fashion that would have made Stalin-era Russian communists smirk with satisfaction. Industry was out. Unemployment was in. A 2007 study by the National Sample Survey (NSS) said that about a tenth of the families in West Bengal starved for many months a year, the highest for any Indian state.

After the West Bengal rout came the BJPs 2014 triumph in the national elections. And at its 21st Congress at Visakhapatnam in April 2015, the CPM leaders did plenty of soul-searching and laid down for themselves many dos and donts.

Excerpts from the Political Resolution they passed in Visakhapatnam:

Section 2.69: While the main direction of the struggle is against the BJP, the Party will continue to oppose the Congress. It has pursued neo-liberal policies and it is the Congress-led UPA governments anti-people policies and massive corruption which helped the BJP to acquire popular support. The Party will have no understanding or electoral alliance with the Congress.

Section 2.86: The Left and democratic front is the real alternative to the BJP, the Congress and other bourgeois-landlord forces.

Section 2.78: In Kerala, the Party and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) have been conducting struggles against the anti-people policies of the UDF government.

So its the same Congress which the CPM castigated less than a year ago for its neo-liberal, anti-people, bourgeois-landlord policies and for its massive corruption that a majority of the partys leaders in West Bengal are cozying up to. In fact, corruption figured 21 times in that resolution.

And it is corruption that the Asianet-C-Fore survey in Kerala said was the chief concern of most of the people polled. Some 57 per cent believed that the bribery allegations that con-queen Saritha Nair of the solar scam made against Congress leaders including Chief Minister Oommen Chandy were true.

The Lavalin corruption case, which hangs over CPMs state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan like the sword of Damocles, was cited by 56 per cent of them as an issue. Vijayan is CPMs front-runner for the Chief Ministers job.

The BJP would be too glad to spice up its campaign against corruption in Kerala with the charge that the Congress and the CPM, while fighting each other here, struck a time-serving alliance elsewhere. That prospect terrifies leaders of the Congress, the CPM and even the other LDF partners.

The only senior CPM leader in Kerala to back the idea of such an alliance is V S Achuthanandan, the 92-year-old former Chief Minister. Some say he is angling for a quid pro quo deal: He is trying to please the pro-alliance West Bengal members in the Politburo and the Central Committee and get their support to become the Chief Minister once again if the party wins Kerala.

The choice before the CPM is a simple one. Violate the decisions taken at Visakhapatnam and commit a political hara-kiri or give itself an image make-over in preparation for Battle-2019. The BJP, at least internally, is already talking about plans to ensure a second term for Narendra Modi.
The Detroit schools and city government officials have agreed on a timeline for fixing safety and health violations in the districts school buildings, with the district getting extra time to finish repairs at some buildings.

After Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan spotted a rodent during a school visit , building checks were conducted in the schools believed to be most problematic. The inspections, which will include all charter schools within the citys borders, are set to be completed by the end of April.

The agreement covers the first schools inspected by the city that require repairs. Additional schools will be added as inspections progress.

City officials began inspecting all of Detroits schools in January after protests by teachers and parents about problems including rodents, water leaks, mold, broken glass, and busted heating systems. A Detroit schools spokeswoman told the Detroit News that the district has been working diligently to remedy the violations cited in the city inspection reports as well as the issues submitted by schools into the districts online work order system.

The Detroit Federation of Teachers, along with the American Federation of Teachers, sued the Detroit school system last month over building conditions, asking for the removal of district emergency manager Darnell Earley. Education Week blogger Sarah Tully wrote this month about Detroit parents joining the lawsuit .

Earlier this month, the Detroit schools announced it had redirected $300,000 in its budget to address critical needs outlined in the reports, but Earley estimates the district will need $50 million to repair all its buildings .

Facing withering criticism, Earley will step down at the end of the month , ending his time as district leader several months before his tenure was set to expire. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has not yet named Earleys successor.
New Delhi: BJP hit back at Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday over his charge that the government was crushing dissent in universities, saying he had become the "biggest face of negative politics" and all parties conspiring against the Modi Government had joined hands with Congress.

Party national secretary Shrikant Sharma said it would have been better had the Congress vice president gone to the JNU to ask students, who are accused in a sedition case, to surrender. "Instead, he goes to Jantar Mantar to add fuel to the fire. We condemn his remarks in strongest terms. If somebody has emerged as the biggest face of negative politicise, it is Rahul Gandhi. He should not do his poisonous politics over students," he said at a media briefing.

Sharma alleged that the parties which had "looted" the country during the UPA's 10-year rule had joined hands to "defame the honest and pro-poor" Modi government.

The BJP leader touched on the PM Narendra Modi's humble background and accused Congress of conspiring against him. "Congress hates the son of a poor family who has become the Prime Minister. What we are seeing is the height of its hate politics," he claimed.

He referred to a number of previous issues like attack on churches and allegation of spying on Rahul Gandhi over which Congress and other opposition parties had targeted the government, insisting that their charges proved to be "false".

Claiming that Congress divided the country due to its "lust for power", Sharma also said the party was indulging in "low level politics" to target the BJP government.

PTI
Bengaluru: The ruling Congress on Tuesday won more seats in elections to Karnataka's local bodies spanning zila panchayats (ZPs) and taluk panchayats (TPs), leaving the opposition BJP and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) behind.

"Of the total 1,083 ZP seats, the Congress won 498 (45 percent), followed by the BJP with 408, JD-S with 148, independents with 27 and one each by the Janata Dal-United and the CPI-M," state Election Commissioner PN Srinivasachari told reporters here after votes were counted in all the 30 districts across the state.

In the TP poll, of the 3,884 seats across the state, the Congress secured a whopping 1,705 seats (44 percent), followed by the BJP with 1,362, the JD-S 610, the Karnataka Janata Party 9, the JD-U 8, the CPI 6, the BSP 5 and others 8. Independents (rpt Independents) won 179 seats across the state.

Polling was held in two phases across the state  15 districts each on 13 February and 20 February  and was peaceful, barring stray incidents.

The ruling Congress bagged more ZP seats in 15 districts, the BJP in 13 districts and the JD-S in 2 districts (Hassan and Mandya).

Though reduced to a regional party with large presence in the state, the JD-S, led by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, drew blank in 10 districts.

As a main opposition party, the BJP drew blank in two districts  Ramanagara and Mandya districts.

Breaching the Congress bastion, the BJP got more seats in Kalaburgi and Raichur districts in the state's erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

The Congress, however, surprised the BJP in Belagavi, winning 43 out of 90 seats, while the latter got 39 seats.

In Taluk Panchayats (TPs) too, the Congress won more seats in 14 districts, followed by the BJP in 12 districts and the JD-S in four districts.

IANS
Tamil Nadu woke up to a splash of red, black and yellow on the front pages of all dailies. In five years you would have seen the Chief Minister on stickers, on banners, even on television. Have you seen her in person? screamed the advertisement. Following this was a hashtag #EnnammaIpdiPanreengalemma (Tamil dialogue meaning What Amma, Why are you doing such things Amma?) which has amused Twitterati no end.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has launched its election campaign on the day the Chief Minister and ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief Jayalalithaas 19-year-old case on disproportionate assets began to be heard in the Supreme Court. The prosecution, the Karnataka government began its final arguments in Supreme Court in their appeal against the acquittal of Jayalalithaa in a Rs 65 crore corruption case by the Karnataka High Court in May 2015.

The DMKs heir apparent MK Stalin tweeted  Do u want an absentee CM who's seen only on stickers and hoardings, even during floods? A video too has been released online by the DMK showing a young man saying the same dialogue that appeared in newspapers. (You can pull out the video from this account- ) The hashtag has also unleashed a number of memes mocking the ruling party and the Chief Minister  like this one by Kalaimani A .

The AIADMK has hit back in a similar vein through WhatsApp and social media. Their repartee goes like this  In five years you would have seen Karunanidhi at the weddings of actresses, at functions held just to praise him, you would have even watched shows like Maanada Mayilaada (sarcastic dig at a popular dance show on Kalaignar TV which Karuna is said to be fond of). Have you seen him in the state Assembly? Another meme along similar lines goes on to use the hashtag #EnnadaIpdipanreengaleda (Tamil term da is used to refer to men/boys to show familiarity).

The hashtag #EnnammaIpdipanreengalemma used by the DMK is a popular phrase among the youth since 2015, when it was originally used by television host Lakshmy Ramakrishnan during her show Solvathellam Unmai on Zee Tamil. The phrase caught popular imagination and was used widely in movies and songs subsequently in a mocking, comic manner.

Political analysts say that the DMK choosing to use slogans linked with popular culture is a tradition. DMKs political culture has always been linked with popular culture  with cinema, drama and mass media, said Gnani Sankaran, author and political hawk. There is nothing surprising about them using phrases like these. The DMK always tries to be trendy, he laughed.

In the 1950s when the Congress was in power and the DMK sat in the Opposition, there was a railway accident near Ariyalur, narrated Gnani. Ovi Alagesan was the Railway Minister at the time. In line with the popular culture at the time, the DMK coined the slogan  Ariyalur Alagesa, nee aandadhu podhaadha, makkal maandadhu podhaadha meaning Ariyalur Alagesan, isnt it time for you to stop ruling and for people to stop suffering?

Similarly in the 1950s there was a practice, a relic of the British Raj, whereby legislative Assembly sessions would be held in the cool climes of Ooty in summer. The DMK coined a slogan in those days  Umbi eriyudhu, kudal karugudhu, kulukulu Ooty oru kaeda meaning Stomachs are burning, intestines are melting, where is the need for chilly Ooty?

This campaign by the DMK is targeted mainly at young voters, the upwardly mobile and tech savvy who want access to leaders and demand engagement. The AIADMK, on the other hand, is on a massive branding spree, erecting banners and hoardings of their leader across the state, on buses and even at mass weddings conducted by the party. The ruling party is hoping that the welfare schemes rolled out by this regime would stand them in good stead in the upcoming Assembly polls.

It looks like a very difficult election, said Gnani Sankaran. There are no specific trends indicated. Even now there is no perceptible anti-AIADMK mood despite the opposition making a lot of noise. At the moment it appears that there is also a possibility of a hung Assembly in the elections. That would be a first for Tamil Nadu if it happens, he said.

The DMK is also pinning its hopes on the appeal in Supreme Court against Jayalalithaas acquittal swinging their way. Arguments have commenced in the appeal and the verdict would be a crucial one for Tamil Nadu as it would mean the difference between a possible jail term and a possible consecutive term as Chief Minister for Jayalalithaa.

For the first time, Tamil Nadus politics is witnessing many fronts as smaller parties group together to form various alternative fronts against the two major Dravidian parties. How these fronts will splinter votes and how alliances will take shape will likely decide the victor in 2016. The final countdown has begun  for all leaders and political parties in the southern state.
Chennai: As the political heat rises ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, DMK Tuesday launched a hard-hitting advertisement campaign against AIADMK in newspapers and television channels, drawing a counter-offensive from the ruling party using social media.

In (the past) five years, you would have seen the Chief Minister (Jayalalithaa) in stickers, banners and even in televisionhave you seen her in person? asked full-page advertisements in Tamil and English dailies today.

The reference reiterates DMKs charge that the CM had not personally visited flood-hit people across the state. DMK was also critical of her practice of inaugurating projects via video-conference rather than going to the spot.

During flood relief work last year, charges were levelled in social media that AIADMK workers were persuading NGOs to paste stickers of Jayalalithaa on relief material, which was dismissed by the ruling party as false. It is a rumour, a canard spread by unscrupulous elements, AIADMK had said.

Jayalalithaa had toured parts of Chennai, including her R K Nagar constituency after the October-November rains. After the December rains, she did an aerial survey of the flood- affected regions. She also reached out to people through her audio messages.

DMK ads on the front page used a popular comical dialogue Ennamma Ipppadi Panreengaley ma,? (Why are you doing like this?) after posing the question first.

It ended with Let it (AIADMK rule) end, let it (DMK rule) dawn, a slogan coined for DMK treasurer Stalins Namakku Naame campaign and DMKs symbol of rising sun appearing prominently. Television commercials in leading Tamil channels also had the same content packed in a voice over.

Responding quickly, AIADMK sought to ridicule its arch rival by posing questions in the same fashion and it was circulated in social media and mobile messaging platforms.

In (the past) five years, you would have seen Karunanidhi in the weddings of actresses, in felicitations arranged for him by himself, in Manada Mayilada shows (a dance show on DMK-run Kalaignar TV). Have you seen him in Tamil Nadu Assembly? it said.

It retained the comical slogan of Ennamma and said Ozhiyattum (Let it go) and embossed it below the DMK symbol of the rising sun.

PTI
Rahul Gandhi has announced that he wishes to end discrimination in colleges and universities by bringing a law. Speaking during a students solidarity march at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, the Gandhi scion said: We need an anti-discrimination law enacted in all colleges and universities that stops any kind of prejudice and bigotry against the weaker section. We in Congress party are also mulling over it to get such a law enacted that stops the student oppression.

And the Congress vice-president plans to bring the law by engaging in a dialogue with student protestors, with whom he has made friends.

To begin with, Rahuls new-found wish should be taken as a healthy sign  because if such a law has to be enacted, the Parliament has to function normally to debate, discuss and pass it.

That is a welcome development given the fact that the last two sessions of the Parliament were washed away due to Congresss strategy of disruption.

Is Rahul showing signs of a change of heart by arguing for yet another of his rights series of legislations?

If one looks at the fine print or his speech in totality, delivered to express solidarity with protestors on Rohith Vemula and JNU issue, the Congress vice-president is indicating that he has only hardened his position vis-a-vis Modi government and is gearing up to force another round of adjournments in Parliament, which has now become a routine than an exception.

Rahuls six-minute speech was full of rhetoric against Modi government and the RSS, his every word indicative of the line he and his party are going to take in the Budget session.

Woh jo wahan (Hyderabad) dharna kar rahe hain unke saath meri dosti ban gayi hai

The Congress vice-president revealed that he suggested about need for a law to end discrimination when he had gone to Hyderabad to express solidarity with those protesting against university authorities and Modi government on Vemulas suicide.

But Rahul, a third-term MP and someone who was very much a part of the Manmohan Singh governments command centre for 10 years, should know that it is the government of the day which formulates a legislation, brings that up in Parliament for discussion and passage, subsequently sends that to the President for assent and for Gazette notification to enact it as law of the land.

So if the Gandhi scion is really serious about any such law, he should have been talking to the government  the Parliamentary Affairs minister, law minister, minister of the department concerned, leader of the House and with the Prime Minister, not with a group of protesting students in Hyderabad or elsewhere.

It is beneath the Congress dynasty heir, perhaps, to engage with ministers or tier-two, tier-three leaders other than the Prime Minister. And Narendra Modi wouldnt give him the honour of engaging directly, at least till the time he elevates himself to the post of Congress president.

Rahul does, however, have an option of moving that bill in Parliament, which is perhaps being drafted on his suggestion by Ambedkar Students Association which draws its ideological strength from radical Left.

He can move it as a Private Members Bill in second half of on one of the Fridays of the Budget session or later, depending on his luck  its on basis of a lottery that an individual private members bill is taken up for consideration in either House of Parliament  and of course, his discretion to allow the Parliament to function during those hours.

But given the fact that Congress has a miniscule 44-member presence in the Lok Sabha, fate of that bill is anybodys guess. But if Rahul chooses to do so, he will surely hit the headlines and gain a talking point.

Interestingly, Rahul began his speech by taking a potshot at the President for not including in his joint session of Parliament address any reference to Rohith Vemula or Hayrana Jat stir.

Mai soch raha tha( on Presidents speech), sochte sochte baat samajh me aiye ki pure samay bite samay ki baat kar rahe hain. Yehi RSS ki soch hai bite samay ki baat karna...

Consider this  the Congress vice-president very well knows that the first session of every year begins with a mandatory Presidents address where the government gives him a draft on its achievements and the preceding year and what it proposes to do in the year ahead.

Presidential speeches in long decades of Congress rules have been on same lines. No contentious issues are taken up and they are mostly boring to ordinary citizens.

So there is nothing special or objectionable in President Pranab Mukherjees address today, unless Rahul wants to initiate a debate on the format itself and wishes to propose a change in that.

Rahuls out-of-the-box thinking is good but he should also be careful about bringing up the Jat quota stir in Haryana.

An audio clip has purportedly confirmed what was suspected since the beginning that Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had allegedly instigated not just the quota protests but his close supporters were doing every bit of mischief to fan violence.

PS: Arvind Kejriwal arrived at Jantar Mantar about an hour after Rahul Gandhi left and in his characteristic style took on PM Modi and the BJP.

He too talked about need for a new law to protect dissenting students and autonomy of universities. The question is  Is Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal moving closer or are these two competitors competing to take pole positions against Narendra Modi and BJP?
How states and districts implement the Every Student Succeeds Act will make, or break, the laws provisions for English-language learners, the former director of the U.S. Department of Educations office of bilingual education office told members of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

Testifying before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, Delia Pompa heaped praise on the Every Student Succeeds Acts push to address the needs and diversity of English-learners while also holding states and districts more accountable for their performance. But Pompa spent just as much time stressing that creating and enforcing regulations are key for the law, if it is to truly benefit the nations 5 million students learning English as another language.

The primary responsibility ... rests squarely on the shoulders of states and districts, which have been given greater authority under ESSA to interpret the new mandates. But they cant do it alone, Pompa says in her prepared testimony.

The bottom line is that the new, important EL policies ... will not be effective if the overall accountability that states develop are not strong enough to ensure that schools are held accountable for the success of all children.

Pompa, the senior fellow for education policy at the Migration Policy Institutes National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy. She is also a former kindergarten teacher, a Houston school system administrator, and an assistant commissioner of the Texas Education Agency.

The issues that Pompa addressed are common among the nations K-12 English-learners advocates, who are hopeful yet wary of how the law will affect public education for ELLs .

Pompa was one of six education officials testifying before committee on ESSA implementation. Heres a look at her testimony:

Pompa

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STOCKHOLM Lawyers for Julian Assange have asked a Swedish court to overturn an arrest warrant for the Wikileaks founder following a ruling by a U.N. panel that his stay in Ecuador's London embassy amounts to arbitrary detention.

Assange, 44, took refuge at the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations, which he denies, that he committed rape in 2010.

He says the accusation is a ploy that would eventually lead to his extradition to the United States, where a criminal investigation into the activities of WikiLeaks is still open.

"We consider that there have arisen a number of new circumstances which mean there is reason to review the earlier decision," Thomas Olsson, one of Assange's lawyers, said on Monday.

A second lawyer representing Assange said he remained willing to be questioned in the Ecuadoran embassy, according to Sweden's national news agency.

Ecuador has granted Assange asylum and he says his rights have been infringed because he is unable to travel to the South American country.

Both Britain and Sweden denied that Assange was being deprived of freedom and the Swedish prosecutor in charge of the case has said she will renew an application to interview Assange.

Prosecutor Marianne Ny said the U.N. panels' non-binding ruling had no impact on the case.

In 2010, WikiLeaks released more than 90,000 secret documents on the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan, followed by almost 400,000 U.S. military reports detailing operations in Iraq. Those disclosures were followed by release of millions of diplomatic cables dating back to 1973.

A U.S. Grand Jury investigation into WikiLeaks is ongoing.

(Reporting by Daniel Dickson)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Suva: The death toll from Fiji's super-cyclone hit 29 on Tuesday, with officials saying the Pacific nation's recovery from the devastating storm could take months.

As aid efforts intensified, communications were established with some of the worst-hit remote communities, revealing the scale of the disaster.

"The official death toll now is 29, another eight bodies were found on the island of Koro since yesterday," said government spokesperson Ewan Perrin in an interview to Radio New Zealand. He added, "We are expecting it to rise but we're hoping it's going to rise by a very small number."

Severe tropical cyclone Winston, the most powerful storm ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, lashed the island nation overnight on 20 February, packing wind gusts of 325 kilometres (202 miles) per hour and leaving a trail of destruction.

About 8,500 people are still sheltered in evacuation centres and Perrin said some villages had hardly any buildings still standing.

"We're still trying to get people on the ground in these areas to do a detailed assessment of the damage. We're just taking it day-by day," he said. "In some places people are going to be displaced for months because they've lost everything."

According to the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, the rising toll makes Winston the deadliest cyclone to ever hit Fiji, last being cyclone Eric in 1993.

"We haven't been able to make contact with all parts of Fiji, although with the assistance of the New Zealand Air Force we've managed to do aerial inspections across almost all of the islands," Perrin added.

"There's considerable damage of course across the top of the main island (Viti Levu) and the island of Koro, which took pretty much a direct hit."

The New Zealand Air Force photographs show entire villages flattened by the first category five storm to hit Fiji. Many homes were reduced to piles of kindling, with roofs and furniture strewn about by the wind. People were seen standing on rooftops seeking help from the passing military planes.

"The images emerging from early aerial assessments of affected areas are truly heartbreaking, leaving little doubt about the ferocity of this cyclone," said the UN's Fiji coordinator Osnat Lubrani. "It is clear from these catastrophic impacts that Fiji is facing a long road to recovery."

Power is gradually being restored in the main centres and the roads are being cleared of felled trees.

The international airport at Nadi also reopened on Monday, allowing international tourists caught up in the disaster, to

return home.

AFP
Washington: President Barack Obama on Tuesday presented a long-awaited roadmap to close the controversial US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, saying it was time to shutter a facility that betrayed US interests and values.

With less than a year left in office, Obama unveiled a plan that says the United States should continue to transfer low-risk detainees to other countries and which describes how 13 possible replacement facilities could save the US taxpayer millions of dollars each year.

"For many years, it's been clear that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security. It undermines it," Obama said in a White House address.

"This is about closing a chapter in our history. It reflects the lessons that we've learned since 9/11  lessons that need to guide our nation going forward."

A total of 91 suspected jihadists remain at Guantanamo, a prison that once housed about 700 inmates at its peak and has become synonymous around the world with torture, indefinite detention and orange jumpsuits.

Obama has pushed for Guantanamo's closure since taking office in 2009, but his efforts have been thwarted by Republican lawmakers, many of whom see it as a useful tool in combating terror. Obama says the opposite is true, and that the facility feeds into anti-US, jihadist propaganda.

The US president also has faced opposition from within his own administration, with the Pentagon accused of slow-pedalling transfers and overstating closure costs.

"This plan deserves a fair hearing, even in an election year," Obama said Tuesday.

'Dangerous precedent'

The Guantanamo Bay closure plan, which took months to produce, gives few specifics on where a US facility would be, but military officials have previously listed Fort Leavenworth, Kansas or the US Navy brig in Charleston, South Carolina among the possible destinations for inmates.

Those locations, however, face objections from local politicians.

The US leader has long argued that many Guantanamo prisoners should be transferred overseas and some should be tried by military courts.

A small number  those deemed too dangerous to release but too difficult to prosecute  would be held in the United States.

But Congress has placed a ban on transfers to the US, deepening the legal thicket.

Human rights groups worry this would only extend detentions without trial and create a "Guantanamo North."

"The possibility of a new, parallel system of lifelong incarceration inside the United States without charge would set a dangerous precedent," Amnesty International said in a statement.

"If successfully mounted, it would be a devastating blow to basic principles of criminal justice."

Saving money?

The plan says a US facility would save money over time. It currently costs about $455 million each year to run Guantanamo, and a US site would reduce that amount by up to $180 million.

Most of the savings would come from a decrease in the number of troops guarding the reduced population on the US mainland, but it could cost as much as $475 million in one-time expenses to move the men and build or update a facility to hold them.

"However, within three to five years the lower operating costs of a US facility with fewer detainees ... could fully offset these transition costs," the report notes.

91 prisoners left

Both as a candidate and while president, Obama promised to close Guantanamo, arguing indefinite detention and "enhanced interrogation" violated the nation's values and handed militants a potent recruiting tool.

Efforts to transfer prisoners overseas have been stymied by unrest in Yemen  a likely destination for many  and by recidivism among those already released.

Still, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has in recent weeks signed off on a flurry of transfers, and last month, the prison's population dropped below 100 for the first time.

Today, 91 inmates remain. Of them, 35 have been approved for release. The rest face ongoing, indefinite detention.

Perhaps the most notorious prisoner is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who along with four co-defendants is charged with plotting the 11 September, 2001 attacks.

The Guantanamo Bay military prison was opened in January 2002 on a US naval base on a coastal spit of land in southeastern Cuba, leased from Havana under a treaty dating back to 1903.

It was set up after the 9/11 attacks under the administration of then-president George W Bush to deal with prisoners who were termed "enemy combatants" and denied many US legal rights.

AFP
ROME Italy has agreed to let armed drones take off from its soil to defend U.S.-led forces against Islamic State in North Africa, an Italian defence ministry official said on Monday.

The agreement covers only defensive missions and not offensive action, such as the attack on a suspected militant training camp in Sabratha, Libya, that killed dozens last week.

Italy will decide whether to authorise drone departures from the Sigonella air base in Sicily case by case, and only if each mission's aim is to protect personnel on the ground. No request has been made yet to use the drones and they have not been armed, said the official, who asked not to be named.

U.S. officials have been trying to persuade Italy to let them conduct such operations from the Sigonella air base for more than a year, the Wall Street Journal reported. (on.wsj.com/1oY6AYO)

Islamic State is exploiting the chaos in Libya, where two rival governments have been contending for power since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011, to establish bases and conduct raids both in Libya and in neighbouring Tunisia.

The U.S. attack last week on one such base, in Sabratha, near the Tunisian border, targeted Noureddine Chouchane, a Tunisian militant linked to two raids in Tunisia that killed dozens, mostly tourists. The aircraft that carried out that attack took off from a base in Britain.

Neither Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's office nor U.S. defence officials immediately responded to requests for comment.

Italy has repeatedly said it would not take part in military strikes in Libya without the express request of a recognised government.

U.S. officials are pushing for drones destined for offensive operations like the Sabratha strike to take off from Sicily, but Italian officials have balked at that step, fearing domestic opposition, the Wall Street Journal reported.

(Reporting by Isla Binnie, additional reporting by Yeganeh Torbati in Washington, editing by Larry King and Crispian Balmer)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
WASHINGTON The militarization of facilities in the South China Sea does not help resolve maritime claims there, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said before he was to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry struck a combative tone ahead of Wang's visit by saying China's South China Sea military deployments are no different from U.S. deployments on Hawaii.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims.

The United States is "encouraging the peaceful resolution of competing maritime claims in the South China Sea  a goal that is definitely not helped by the militarization of facilities in that region," Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The United States last week accused China of raising tensions in the South China Sea by its apparent deployment of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island, a move China has neither confirmed nor denied.

Asked whether the South China Sea and the missiles would come up when Wang meets Kerry, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Washington should not use the issue of military facilities on the islands as a "pretext to make a fuss."

Kerry and Wang are due to meet at 2 p.m. (1900 GMT).

The United States and China appear close to an agreement on another issue, the shape of a U.N. Security Council resolution against North Korea for carrying out its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6, Kerry said.

China and the United States have not entirely seen eye to eye on how strong the response should be to North Korea since the nuclear test, with Washington urging harsh punitive measures and Beijing emphasizing dialogue.

China, North Korea's most important ally and largest trading partner, has historically been reluctant to put undue pressure on its southern neighbour for fear of destabilising the country and unleashing a flood of refugees across their border.

"We are on the verge of having an agreement, hopefully, with China," Kerry said. "We have made progress in the negotiation in New York in coming up with a substantial and improved U.N. Security Council resolution."

(Reporting By Arshad Mohammed and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Susan Heavey and Jonathan Oatis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. A man working as an Uber driver admitted to the fatal weekend shootings of six people in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a police detective testified on Monday in a case raising questions about how the car service vets its drivers.

Jason Dalton, 45, was denied bail as he made his first court appearance on 16 charges including six of murder that can bring life in prison.

Dalton told detectives "he took people's lives," Kalamazoo Public Safety Detective Cory Ghiringhelli testified in a county district court ahead of the suspect's arraignment.

Dalton appeared via a video link and was seen on a monitor at the Kalamazoo County court wearing glasses and dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit.

When asked if he had anything to say, Dalton, who appeared emotionless through the proceedings, said he preferred to "remain silent."

The judge denied bail and set March 3 for the next hearing.

After the hearing Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Getting told reporters Dalton had been cooperative with authorities but possible motives for the shootings were still unclear.

"No one understands why it happened, and that adds to the fear and the sorrow," Getting said.

Prosecutors alleged Dalton randomly shot multiple times at people during a five-hour period on Saturday at an apartment complex, a car dealership and a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Kalamazoo, about 150 miles (240 km) west of Detroit.

Police were investigating reports Dalton drove customers of the Uber car-hailing service the night of the rampage. Two people were wounded in the shootings, including a teenage girl who was initially thought to have died.

Initial checks with a key federal agency indicate Dalton was unknown to both law enforcement and counter terrorism agencies for having any known connection to extremist groups.

President Barack Obama said on Monday he had spoken to the mayor and top law enforcement in Kalamazoo about the shootings and pledged whatever federal support they need.

"Earlier this year, I took some steps that will make it harder for dangerous people like this individual to buy a gun. But clearly, we're going to need to do more if we're going to keep innocent Americans safe," Obama said in remarks before the National Governors Association at the White House.

Uber said on Monday it would not be changing the way it screened its drivers following the weekend shooting spree. It also said Dalton had received "very favourable" feedback from riders.

"There were no red flags, if you will, that we could anticipate something like this," said Uber's chief security officer, Joe Sullivan.

Uber drivers use their personal vehicles to ferry customers at prices generally below those of established taxi companies. Critics contend vetting is inadequate and the company never meets potential drivers in person.

"A background check is just that - a background check. It does not foresee the future," Ed Davis, of the Uber Safety Advisory Board, told a teleconference with reporters.

The Dalton family said in a statement: "There are no words which can express our shock and disbelief, and we are devastated and saddened for the victims and the families of the victims," Michigan State Police said the shooting began at about 5:30 p.m. (2230 GMT) on Saturday with a woman wounded outside an apartment building. At about 10 p.m., Richard Smith and his son Tyler were killed at the car dealership.

About 15 minutes later four women identified as Mary Lou Nye, 62, of Baroda, Michigan; and Dorothy Brown, 74; Barbara Hawthorne, 68; and Mary Jo Nye, 60, were fatally shot outside the restaurant.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Mark Hosenball and Ayesha Rascoe in Washington, D.C. Curtis Skinner in San Francisco, Barbara Goldberg in New York, Mary Wisniewski in Chicago and Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott and Tom Brown)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
WASHINGTON The militarization of facilities in the South China Sea does not help efforts to resolve maritime claims there, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said before he was to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday.

The United States is "encouraging the peaceful resolution of competing maritime claims in the South China Sea  a goal that is definitely not helped by the militarization of facilities in that region," Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry struck a combative tone ahead of Wang's visit by saying China's South China Sea military deployments are no different from U.S. deployments on Hawaii.

The United States last week accused China of raising tensions in the South China Sea by its apparent deployment of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island, a move China has neither confirmed nor denied.

Asked whether the South China Sea and the missiles would come up when Wang meets Kerry, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Washington should not use the issue of military facilities on the islands as a "pretext to make a fuss."

"The U.S. is not involved in the South China Sea dispute, and this is not and should not become a problem between China and the United States," the spokeswoman told reporters on Monday.

Kerry and Wang are due to meet at 2 p.m. (1900 GMT).

(Reporting By Arshad Mohammed and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Susan Heavey and Jonathan Oatis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
WASHINGTON President Barack Obama launched a final push on Tuesday to persuade Congress to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, despite strong opposition from lawmakers who do not want detainees transferred to the United States.

The president, a Democrat, pleaded with the Republican-led Congress to give his proposal a "fair hearing" and said he did not want to pass the issue to his successor in January.

The Pentagon-authored plan proposes 13 potential sites on U.S. soil to hold some 30-60 detainees in maximum-security prisons, but does not identify the facilities.

U.S. law bars transfers to the United States, and lawmakers are unlikely to lift those restrictions, especially in an election year.

Well review President Obamas plan," Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. "But since it includes bringing dangerous terrorists to facilities in U.S. communities, he should know that the bipartisan will of Congress has already been expressed against that proposal.

Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, said Obama had yet to convince Americans that moving the prisoners to the United States was smart or safe.

Obama is considering taking unilateral executive action to close the facility, situated in a U.S. naval station in southeast Cuba, if Congress does not vote to allow transfers to the United States.

Republicans oppose any executive order, and issuing one would almost certainly set off legal challenges and further sour Obama's poor relations with Congress.

The Guantanamo prisoners were rounded up overseas when the United States became embroiled in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. The facility came to symbolize aggressive detention practices that opened the United States to accusations of torture. Most detainees have been held without trial for more than a decade.

"Let us go ahead and close this chapter," Obama said. "I dont want to pass this problem on to the next president, whoever it is. And if, as a nation, we dont deal with this now, when will we deal with it?"

Obama pledged to close Guantanamo as a candidate for the White House in 2008. Doing so would fulfil that pledge and boost his legacy during his final year in office. Pressing his case now thrust the issue into the 2016 presidential campaign.

"Not only are we not going to close Guantanamo - when I am president, if we capture a terrorist alive, they are ... going to Guantanamo and we are going to find out everything they know," said Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio.

HIGH COST

The plan would send detainees who have been cleared for transfer to their homelands or third countries and transfer remaining prisoners to U.S. soil to be held in maximum-security prisons. Congress has banned such transfers to the United States since 2011.

Though the Pentagon has previously noted some of the sites it surveyed for use as potential U.S. facilities, the administration wants to avoid fuelling any political outcry in important swing states before the Nov. 8 presidential election.

The White House has sought to buttress its argument for closing the prison by focusing on its high cost. Obama said nearly $450 million was spent last year alone to keep it running. The new plan would be cheaper, officials said.

The transfer and closure costs would be $290 million to $475 million, an administration official told reporters, while housing remaining detainees in the United States would be $65 million to $85 million less expensive than at the Cuba facility, meaning the transfer bill would be offset in 3 to 5 years.

The administration hopes sending the plan to Congress will spur lawmakers to help choose a facility they find amenable, but the White House is well aware the plan may not move at all.

"I am very clear-eyed about the hurdles to finally closing Guantanamo. The politics of this are tough," Obama said.

"Part of my message to the American people here is were already holding a bunch of really dangerous terrorists here in the United States ... and there have been no incidents. Weve managed it just fine."

The Guantanamo facility, which Obama said once held nearly 800 people, now houses 91 detainees. Some 35 prisoners will be transferred to other countries in the coming months, bringing the final number below 60, officials said.

More prisoners could be transferred other countries as well, potentially lowering that number further. Obama said military commissions would continue to be used to try some of the prisoners, but he said that process also required reform.

Obama noted that his predecessor, Republican President George W. Bush, transferred hundreds of prisoners out of Guantanamo and wanted to close it. Republican Senator John McCain, Obama's 2008 presidential opponent and a former prisoner of war during U.S. involvement in Vietnam, also wanted it shut.

(Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, David Morgan, Richard Cowan, Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Howard Goller and Alistair Bell)

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Karachi: Pakistan's embattled former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf has been advised to undergo an angiography by doctors who examined him at his residence in Karachi on Sunday.

Musharraf, 70, arrived amidst heavy security last night from Islamabad and is expected to stay in the city for a week.

A source in his party, the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), claimed that Musharraf had been examined after complaining of a persistent back pain.

"The doctors visited him at his residence today," the source claimed.

"Arrangements have been made to have his backbone tests at the PNS Shifa hospital in a special ward later tonight," a source, who declined to be named, claimed.

He said the three-member team of doctors also advised him to undergo an angiography after examining his earlier medical reports.

Musharraf earlier in the day was slated to go to the PNS Shifa, a navy hospital, for his checkup but apparently the plan was changed due to security reasons.

There was a heavy security presence at his residence in the General's colony in Zamzama area.

Lawyers of the former president may also file an application in the Sindh High Court seeking the removal of Musharraf's name from the Exit Control List (ECL) so that he can travel abroad.

The source said Musharraf decided to come to Karachi due to security issues at his Chak Shahzad farmhouse in Islamabad as well as medical reasons.

The former president was admitted to the AFIC on 2 January when he complained of heart problems on his way to a special court set up for his high treason trial for abrogating the constitution and detaining judges in 2007.

Musharraf last year returned to Pakistan from exile before the May general elections and since then he has been based in either Rawalpindi or Islamabad.

PTI
Lahore: Pakistani authorities have conducted raids in some cities of Punjab province and arrested several suspects in connection with the attack on an Indian air base in Pathankot last month, a media report said.

"The raids were conducted in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Jhelum and Dina cities in Punjab province during the last two days, and some suspects were arrested," an unnamed Interior Ministry official was quoted as saying by the BBC Urdu.

They have been shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation, the official added.

Pakistan has also started investigations regarding the telephone numbers provided by India and used in planning the attacks on the Pathankot airbase. The authorities are looking for those involved directly in the attacks or the facilitators of the attackers, the BBC said.

Special teams comprising police and other law-enforcers are conducting raids across the country, especially in central Punjab cities.

"It is suspected that the arrested people have been in contact with the alleged extremists in the near past," the official said, adding that these people went underground when news stories were run by the media after the attacks.

He said these suspects had stopped the use of their mobile numbers (SIMs) and because of this locating them had become very difficult. He, however, said those points are being searched for the suspects where they had last used the said mobile numbers.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the mobile numbers provided by India in the Pathankot case were also included in the case registered by the Pakistani authorities.

He said during the investigation, several people have been detained for questioning. He, however, did not provide the details of those arrested.

Pakistani authorities had lodged an FIR in connection with the Pathankot attack on 18 February.

The FIR was filed against "unknown persons" after weeks of probe into the terror assault that had led to the postponement of Foreign Secretary-level talks.

Seven security personnel were killed when suspected terrorists of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) stormed the Pathankot airbase on 2 January.

India has blamed JeM for the attack and identified Masood Azhar as the mastermind of the attack. It has also blamed his brother Rauf and five others for carrying out the attack.

Meanwhile, the Dawn said the registration of the FIR appears to have paved the way for a series of next steps.

"The first of those steps is likely to be a trip by Pakistani investigators to India to gather evidence on the basis of which collaborators and architects of the Pathankot air base attack may be formally charged," the paper said.

"The Pathankot attack is an early and serious test of the intentions of both the Pakistani and Indian establishments."

The paper said there has been no attempt in Pakistan to downplay the Jaish-e-Mohammed role in the Pathankot attack.

Insisting on resumption of dialogue, it said, "For reasons of both security and prosperity, the governments of India and Pakistan owe it to their publics to restart and sustain a bilateral dialogue."

PTI
UPDATED

The U.S. Department of Education wants all states to start using a standard approach in measuring whether they are identifying minority students for special education services at higher rates than their peers.

In a proposed rule released Tuesday , officials said that the change would likely prompt many more districts to be classified as having significant disproportionality, which, under the Individuals with Disabilities Act, means they would have to set aside a portion of their federal funds to fix the problem. Significant disproportionality also applies to student discipline, and to student placementfor example, whether a student is moved outside of a regular classroom.

The work is imperative, said Michael K. Yudin, the assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitiative services, during a call with reporters.

Its not about identifying bad actors. Its an opportunity to check practices and supports, Yudin said Monday. We cant begin this hard work unless were honest and forthright about the disparities that we see.

Currently, states are allowed to develop their own formulas to measure what the law calls significant disproportionality in special education. Districts with significant disproportionality are required to set aside 15 percent of their federal special education money for early-intervention services.

But a 2013 report from the Government Accountability Office found that only about 2 percent of the nations school districts were flagged for having an overrepresentation of minorities in special education. In the 2009-10 school year, the report said, 356 of about 13,000 school districts nationwide were required to provide extra services to students because of overidentification. Half those districts were clustered in five states; 73 districts were in Louisiana alone. The GAO recommended using a standard calculation.

The data weve seen makes it very clear that we, as a country, are not living up to the intent of the law, said acting Education Secretary John B. King Jr. on Monday.

Education Department Finds Significant Disproportionality in Many Districts

For example, the department said, its own data showed that 876 school districts gave African-American students with disabilities short-term, out-of-school suspensions at least twice as often as all other students with disabilities for three years in a row.

Disparities are also prevalent in the discipline of students of color with disabilities, the department says. With the exception of Latino and Asian-American students, more than 1 out of 4 boys of color with disabilities and nearly 1 in 5 girls of color with disabilities receive an out-of-school suspension.

The proposed rule would expand how the 15 percent set-aside can be used by districts flagged for minority overrepresentation. Currently, the money can only be used for programs to benefit K-12 students who do not have disabilities, the logic being that appropriate early intervention could keep those students from needing special education services at all.

But some state education officials have argued that the current set-aside rule provides an incentive for districts to keep overidentification rates low, so that they can use all of their federal special education money on students who are actually covered under the IDEA.

The new rule loosens that restriction, allowing districts to use set-aside funds for students both with and without disabilities. The set-aside funds could also be used for children as young as 3.

The departments move is sure to spark some disagreement. In 2014, when it sought comments on whether a standard definition of disproportionality would be needed, many state education officials warned of the dangers of an approach that ignores the unique issues of individual school districts.

Several states signed on to comments from the Alexandria, Va.-based National Association of State Directors of Special Education.

NASDSE recognizes that the overidentification of minority students in special education is a concern that should be addressed, the group said. The temptation to address this concern by developing a standard approach is great. ... But, if our nation has learned just one thing since the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law, it would be that one size does not fit all. 

Related Stories:

for the latest news on special education policies, practices, and trends.
WASHINGTON Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio received boosts Monday in his drive to become the mainstream Republican alternative to front-runner Donald Trump, with a string of high-profile endorsements and missteps by rival Ted Cruz's campaign.

Rubio, who eked out a second-place finish in South Carolina's primary by fewer than 1,000 votes over Cruz on Saturday, racked up endorsements from prominent Republicans including U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and former presidential candidate Bob Dole.

Rubio and Cruz came out of South Carolina with sharper criticism of Trump, who swept the Southern state with a comfortable margin of victory. At the same time, the two senators' rivalry intensified - and soured.

Cruz fired his main spokesman, Rick Tyler, on Monday afternoon over a video that falsely showed Rubio dismissing the Bible.

Tyler had apologized late on Sunday for posting "an inaccurate story" involving a video purporting to show Rubio referring to the Bible and saying, "Not many answers in it." Tyler had retweeted a link to the misleading video and posted it on Facebook.

Cruz fired Tyler the next day, saying his campaign did not question the faith of other candidates. "That's why I'm asking for Rick Tyler's resignation," Cruz said.

The first-term senators from Texas and Florida are locked in a battle to become their party's alternative to political outsider Trump in Nevada's caucus on Tuesday, the last Republican presidential contest before the busy voting month of March.

Tyler's dismissal came amid intense criticism of the Cruz campaign as dishonest from both Rubio and Trump.

Rubio spokesman Alex Conant called Cruz a "candidate willing to do or say anything to get elected" and urged him to apologise.

"There is a culture in the Cruz campaign, from top to bottom, that no lie is too big and no trick too dirty," he said.

Trump seized the opportunity to pile on Cruz, whom he has repeatedly characterized as a liar.

"Wow, Ted Cruz falsely suggested Marco Rubio mocked the Bible and was just forced to fire his Communications Director. More dirty tricks!" the billionaire businessman from New York said on Twitter.

"Ted Cruz has now apologized to Marco Rubio and Ben Carson for fraud and dirty tricks. No wonder he has lost Evangelical support!," continued Trump, who has derided Cruz for failing to live up to expectations he would get solid support from evangelical Christians in South Carolina.

Trump was the big winner in that state on Saturday, finishing ahead of Rubio by 10 percentage points.

Opinion polls show Rubio and Cruz running close in Nevada, and both candidates hope to get a boost going into the contests in a dozen states on March 1. Super Tuesday is the crown jewel in the state-by-state nominating contests to pick the Republican and Democratic candidates for the Nov. 8 presidential election.

Rubio on Monday also secured the backing of three Republican leaders from Nevada: U.S. Senator Dean Heller and U.S. Representatives Cresent Hardy and Mark Amodei.

Senator Hatch said that, unlike many in the Republican establishment, he did not dislike Trump.

"I just feel that Rubio is the more serious candidate. And I feel he has the background to be able to really help turn this mess around, Hatch told Reuters.

(Additional reporting by Emily Stephenson, Megan Cassella, Susan Cornwell, Eric Beech; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Paris: Microsoft founder Bill Gates is backing the FBI in its standoff with Apple over unlocking an iPhone in the probe of last year's deadly San Bernardino attacks, a media report said on Tuesday.

Breaking ranks from Silicon Valley companies who support Apple in its refusal to hack the phone of one of the attackers, Gates said technology companies should be forced to co-operate with law enforcement in terrorism investigations, reported the Financial Times.

Gates disagrees with Apple chief Tim Cook who claims that the government is looking for a "back door" into phones and that

compliance would set a wider precedent.

Syed Farook, a US citizen, and his Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik in December gunned down 14 people at an office party in

San Bernardino, California, before they were killed in a police shootout.

The FT report comes a day after a poll indicated that a majority of Americans also back the FBI in its battle against Apple.

The Pew Research Center survey found 51 per cent of respondents supported the effort to require Apple to help unlock the iPhone, while 38 per cent said Apple should not unlock the phone to ensure the security of other users' communications.

Apple's challenge of a court order to unlock the phone opens up a new front in the long-running battle between technology companies and the government over encryption.

US magistrate Judge Sheri Pym ordered Apple last week to provide "reasonable technical assistance" to the FBI, including disabling an auto-erase feature after too many unsuccessful attempts made to unlock the iPhone 5C.

Apple rejected the order, saying it was "too dangerous" to create such a back door.

AFP
LJUBLJANA The Slovenian army will be sent to guard the border with Croatia and help police control the flow of migrants into the country under legislation passed by parliament late on Monday.

The act giving the army the power to control the migrant flow was passed by 69 votes to five, parliamentary speaker Milan Brglez said.

Prime Minister Miro Cerar told a news conference ahead of the parliamentary session that the army would be assigned to the border duty for three months only.

"This will be no military action (of the army). The army will just help police in guarding the border and direct migrants who may want to cross the green border into the reception centres," Cerar said. Numbers of soldiers helping police will depend upon the size of migrant flows.

Slovenia's move follows an announcement by its northern neighbour, Austria, that it will limit the inflow of migrants into the country.

Since October, when Hungary sealed off its border with Croatia and pushed the migrant wave west to Slovenia, about 474,000 migrants have entered Slovenia on their way to Austria and other northern European states.

Slovenia, with two million citizens, is the smallest country on the Balkan migrant route. Interior Minister Vesna Gyorkos Znidar said earlier on Monday the country would do everything to prevent it from becoming a bottleneck for migrants.

(Reporting By Marja Novak; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Jonathan Oatis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Kabul: Taliban militants on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 14 people in Parwan province.

A Taliban suicide bomber targeted police patrol team in Siagurd district of Parwan province on Monday, Xinhua cited the group as saying.

Those killed included six police personnel and seven civilians in addition to the bomber, a police official said.

The suicide bombing in Siaguard district of Parwan province took place just one day before holding the four-nation talks in Kabul on Tuesday.

The four-nation talks will discuss the Afghan peace process and find a roadmap for bringing Taliban into negotiating table to end lingering crisis through dialogue.

Taliban militants, according to local observers, would intensify their activities ahead of proposed peace talks and possible sitting with government on negotiating table.

IANS
Kabul: An Afghan official says talks in Kabul between representatives of four countries trying to end Afghanistan's war with the Taliban are likely to set a date for a face-to-face meeting between the two sides.

Representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States are due to meet Tuesday for a fourth round of discussions setting conditions for eventual peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban.

Javid Faisal, deputy spokesman for Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, says the delegates "should give a date for the first direct peace talks."

Earlier meetings have set a roadmap for formal peace talks. The insurgency is now in its 15th year.

The process is expected to take months, possibly years. These preliminary meetings setting conditions for a future dialogue do not include the Taliban.

Delegates agreed at their last meeting in Islamabad on 6 February to work toward bringing the two sides together to restart a peace process  derailed last summer by the revelation that the Taliban's one-eyed leader Mullah Mohammad Omar had been dead for more than two years  before the end of February.

In remarks opening the meeting Tuesday, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani reiterated that details of the first proposed meeting would be announced before the end of this month.

The four countries have called on the Taliban to enter peace talks with Kabul and work toward cutting violence that has killed thousands of Afghan civilians since the insurgency started almost 15 years ago.

Taliban leaders, who fled across the Pakistan border to escape the 2001 US invasion, are believed to be harbored by Pakistani authorities, in particular the ISI intelligence agency, in cities including Quetta, Karachi and Peshawar. While Pakistan denies providing safe havens for the insurgents, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has led accusations that the Taliban are a proxy force for Islamabad's regional interests.

This deep mistrust of Pakistan means that "it is three against one around the talks table," said an Afghan official who asked not to be named as the sensitivity of the issue meant he had no authority to speak publicly.

While China is a reluctant international peace broker, as its own foreign policy is built on a principle of "non-interference" in other countries' affairs, its presence does appear to be yielding results. Analysts agreed that China does appear to be exerting a useful influence on its ally, Islamabad.

"Their close, longstanding security relationship gives China unique leverage but there are also positive incentives," said Andrew Small, an expert on China's relationships with Pakistan and Afghanistan, and author of "The China-Pakistan Axis."

China's multi-billion dollar development plans for Pakistan, through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, require a "stable neighborhood," Small said. "China's presence at the talks is also a reassurance that Pakistan's interests will be looked after in any settlement  they're a trusted partner and it reduces the Pakistani anxiety about deals being done behind their back."

China also has ties with the Taliban dating to their 1996-2001 rule when Beijing sent representatives to Kabul and Kandahar to secure guarantees that anti-Beijing groups such as the East Turkistan Islamic Movement would not use Afghanistan as a base from which to attack China. Beijing fears the Muslim Uighurs of the far-west Xinjiang province, which shares a short border with Afghanistan, present a nascent threat to its national security, through groups like the ETIM.

Raffaello Pantucci, director of international security studies at London's Royal United Services Institute, said all parties to the peace process realize that China "is the one regional power which has lots of money, meaning they all want Chinese support and investment," he said.

Afghanistan has long courted Chinese investment in developing its infrastructure and minerals sector. China has ambitions for Afghanistan's raw materials as well as using the country as a route to the markets of the west.

Three officials close to the talks process have said that Pakistan's representatives had earlier given assurances that violence will be noticeably reduced in coming weeks. As the Taliban are fighting Afghan forces on multiple fronts, their willingness to comply with Afghan demands for a reduction in violence should become clear as the warmer weather approaches.

The Taliban have announced the date of their so-called spring offensive most years since launching their insurgency, a ritual the officials said could be suspended this year, helping build trust between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

AP
Beijing: Beijing is installing radar facilities on its artificial islands in the disputed SouthChina Sea, an American think tank has said, in a move that could "significantly change" the operational landscape.

Satellite imagery of Cuarteron reef in the Spratly islands released by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows what appears to be a high-frequency radar installation, as well as a lighthouse, underground bunker, helipad and other communications equipment.

The photographs come only a week after US officials said China had deployed surface to air missiles in the Paracel islands further north, and with tensions mounting in the strategically vital region.

"Placement of a high frequency radar on Cuarteron Reef would significantly bolster Chinas ability to monitor surface and air traffic coming north from the Malacca Straits and other strategically important channels," said CSIS's Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

Images of other small reefs nearby which China has transformed into artificial islands -- Gaven, Hughes, and Johnson South -- revealed other features identified by CSIS as possible radar towers, gun emplacements, bunkers, helipads, and quays.

CSIS said that while the earlier deployment of HQ-9 surface to air missiles was "notable", it "does not alter the military balance in the South China Sea".

But it went on: "New radar facilities being developed in the Spratlys, on the other hand, could significantly change the operational landscape."

The US has in recent months sent warships to sail within 12 nautical miles -- the usual territorial limit around natural land -- of a disputed island and one of China's artificial constructions in what it says is a defence of the right to free passage.

Beijing claims almost the whole of the South China Sea -- through which a third of the world's oil passes -- while several other littoral states have competing claims, as does Taiwan.

Last week China confirmed it had placed "weapons" on Woody Island in the Paracels, defending what it said was its sovereign right to do so.

Beijing says it defends the right to freedom of navigation, and insists its island building aims to provide public goods, such as search and rescue facilities, but maintains it has the right to deploy necessary "self-defence" capabilities.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi was heading to Washington on Tuesday for talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry, where the issue was expected to be on the agenda.

Kerry told reporters last week: "There is every evidence, every day, that there has been an increase of militarisation of one kind or another. It's of a serious concern."

US President Barack Obama last week called for "tangible steps" to lower tensions in the region.

AFP
Cliven Bundy Indicted on 16 Felony Charges

The Nevada rancher involved in a 2014 standoff with federal rangers over cattle grazing has been indicted on 16 felony charges. Cliven Bundy, his sons Ryan and Ammon, and two other associates face federal conspiracy, assault on a federal officer, and obstruction of justice charges, among other offenses.

The indictments stem from an armed-standoff with Bureau of Land Management agents over Bundy's refusal to pay grazing fees to the BLM. The standoff gained national media attention and sparked support from militia members and states' rights groups.

Cattle Call of Charges

Cliven and friends sure got their money's worth. The federal grand jury indictment includes:

1 count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.

1 count of conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer.

4 counts of using and carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

2 counts of assault on a federal officer.

2 counts of threatening a federal law enforcement officer.

3 counts of obstruction of the due administration of justice.

2 counts of interference with interstate commerce by extortion.

1 count of interstate travel in aid of extortion.

The Department of Justice will also seek five counts of criminal forfeiture, meaning if Bundy were convicted he would forfeit property derived from the proceeds of the crimes totaling an estimated $3 million. Bundy allegedly hasn't paid federal grazing fees since 1993.

This Land Is Our Land

The Bureau of Land Management oversees almost 250 million acres of public land throughout the west. While the land essentially belongs to the public, the BLM is tasked with sustaining "the health, diversity, and productivity of America's public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations." The BLM regulates cattle grazing on its land under the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, which allows the federal government to charge grazing fees for cattle on federal land.

Bundy has said that he does not recognize the federal police power over the "sovereign state of Nevada" nor does he recognize the federal court's jurisdiction in his case. That didn't stop him, however, from requesting a court-appointed attorney at his first court appearance. He remains in federal custody awaiting trial.

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Ex-Priest Arrested in Decades-Old TX Beauty Queen Murder

The reason reality television got so much traction is because truth is stranger than fiction. This is best evidenced by reading crime news, stories like this month's arrest in Arizona of a Texas priest for the murder of a beauty queen half a century ago, reported by the Associated Press.

John Feit, the ex-priest who more than 55 years ago took the final confession of a Texas schoolteacher and beauty queen, 25-year-old Irene Garza, has long been suspected of murder. But efforts to indict him have failed before. Reports are unclear on what new evidence led to the priest's arrest now. But Feit, 83 years old, says he plans to fight extradition to Texas.

Feit in Court

Feit appeared in court, reportedly using a walker and looking very frail. He is being held for extradition to Texas, where an unsolved murder has haunted the city of McAllen for 56 years. "This whole thing makes no sense to me because the crime in question took place in 1960," Feit told the court.

Although Texas prosecutors would not reveal what additional information was found allowing for an arrest now, they sounded confident that closure is forthcoming. "The arrest of John Feit ... is the first step in providing justice for the murder of Ms. Irene Garza. After nearly 56 years, Ms. Garza's family and our community will finally see that justice is served," Hidalgo County District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez said in a statement..

Feit admitted that he saw Garza -- Miss All South Texas Sweetheart 1958 -- before her death and that he took her confession. But he has always denied killing her. Garza's bludgeoned body was found in an irrigation canal days after her death. She had been raped.

Too Long for a Trial?

Although Feit expressed his wonderment that the case continues, there is no statute of limitations for murder in Texas or elsewhere. Many crimes cannot be charged after a certain amount of time has passed, but murder is an exception.

Feit left the priesthood in 1972 and married. He worked for Catholic charity St. Vincent de Paul in Phoenix, Arizona for a while, said executive director Steve Zabilski. He said he was shocked by Feit's arrest "because John is one of the most kind and caring and truly compassionate people that I've ever met. And anyone would say that."

But two priests in Texas have said that he confessed to the crime. And there is physical evidence linking Feit to the murder, so he may yet finish his days in prison after allegedly evading it all this time.

Related Resources:
'The Good Wife': Good Law? -- Season 7, Episode 15

You know what they say: Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you. Seeing as how everyone is paranoid on the Good Wife these days, it could be they're after everybody.

Between FBI investigations, NSA eavesdroppers, and law firm maneuvering, no one appears safe, especially Alicia, the calm and sober center of the show's Venn diagram of intrigue. Who else has a bull's-eye on their back? Let's take a legal look at last night's episode, "Targets."

Episode Recap (Spoiler Alert):

There's an FBI investigation closing in on Peter, although about what we don't know yet. And there's certainly something going on with the female partners at Lockhart, Agos and Lee, but what they're up to we also don't know yet.

So most of the legal action of this week's episode centers around Alicia's involvement on a panel convened to decide whether there is a legal justification to place an ISIS recruiter on a targeting kill list. The calculation is only muddied by the fact that the recruiter is an American.

Legal Roots:

The first question the panel faces is whether Massoud Tahan is an "enemy combatant." Alicia turns this question on its head by pointing out that Massoud has "purposefully and materially supported hostilities against the United States" as a recruiter; by providing "bodies for the bombs."

Federal law prohibits providing material support to terrorists, but, as an American citizen, Massoud (nee Lance Hopper) is entitled to due process. In this case, that process entails determining whether Massoud presents an imminent threat of attack on the United States. The panel votes that he is, and we learn later he was killed in a drone strike.

Legal Fiction:

While we'd like to believe that drone strikes on American citizens are fiction, it is all too factual. Not only may Americans find themselves in as innocent bystanders in drone attacks targeting terrorists, but a Department of Justice memo has laid out the legal justification for the United States killing Americans overseas if they pose an "imminent threat" to the country.

Legal Babble

Conflict of Interest: In a more entertaining side plot this week, our old friend Elsbeth Tascioni returns, along with her ex-husband Mike and Chihuahua Tommy. Eli wants Elsbeth to find out why the FBI is after Peter, but midway through her investigation she finds out she has a conflict of interest with another client. American Bar Association rules prohibit a lawyer from representing a client if "the representation of one client will be directly adverse to another client," or "there is a significant risk that the representation of one or more clients will be materially limited by the lawyer's responsibilities to another client."

Legal Verdict

"Do you think I drink too much?" Well, Alicia, you're an attorney, so chances are you're already drunk. So maybe having sex with Jason Crouse instead of downing that tequila is a good idea. And with only seven more episodes to sort out all this mess, we might need a drink, too. Cheers!

What did you think of this week's episode of "The Good Wife"? Is the show guilty of making any legal mistakes? Check back here for more legal recaps of "The Good Wife," and send us a tweet at @FindLawConsumer with the hashtag #TheGoodWife.

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'Muslim-free' Gun Range Bars Army Reservist, Gets Sued

Back in August, we wrote about a Florida gun range proclaiming itself "Muslim-free" and promptly being sued. We wrote how this kind of religious discrimination was probably a bad idea, from a moral, legal, and profitable standpoint. Apparently Chad and Nicole Neal over at Save Yourself Survival and Tactical Gun Range in Muskogee County, Oklahoma aren't regular readers.

First, Save Yourself posted a sign out front that declared the shooting range "Muslim-free." Then it denied access to Raja'ee Fatihah, a U.S. Army reservist, an avid shooter, and a Muslim. Unsurprisingly, Fatihah is suing Save Yourself for discrimination.

Right to Refuse Religion?

Yes, business owners, there are some instances when you can legally refuse service to customers. But basing that refusal on a customer's religious beliefs is illegal under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title II of the Act prohibits businesses open to the public from discrimination or segregation based on religion.

This is exactly what Fatihah claims happened when he went to Save Yourself last October. After filling out a liability waiver, Fatihah informed Nicole Neal he was Muslim. According to the lawsuit, both Nicole and Chad Neal then "armed themselves with handguns and refused to allow Fatihah to use the gun range," and asked if he was there to commit an act of violence or "jihad." When he's not on active military duty, Fatihah is an investigator for the State of Oklahoma, with previous stints in the University of Oklahoma Police Department and the university's ROTC program.

Reason, or Lack Thereof

The Neals' lawyer, Robert J. Muise, claims they asked Fatihah to leave because he became belligerent. "Not only do our clients have a right to refuse to serve someone they believe to be a public safety risk," Muise told the Guardian, "they have an obligation to their other customers, employees, and the community to do so."

Fatihah denies that he was aggressive before being asked to leave. His lawsuit claims the Neals accused him of being there to murder them, on their belief that Sharia law requires him to do so. Fatihah is asking for an injunction against the range's ban on Muslim customers, as well as monetary damages.

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Diseased Kidney Transplant Not Negligence, Jury Finds

You need an organ. Doctors warn that it will take a while unless you are willing to risk taking an organ from a less than ideal donor. What do you do? And if something goes wrong, who will you successfully sue?

A Massachusetts case decided last week provides a scary but interesting perspective. Doctors and an organ bank that transferred a diseased kidney from an alcoholic homeless man to a patient in need of a transplant, giving him a rare rodent virus, were found not guilty of negligence in a medical context by a jury last week. The transplant patient died. Let's look at the details, according to ABC News, and why no negligence was found here.

You Were Warned

In 2008, Pierre Dimanche, a patient awaiting a kidney transplant, was told about a possible donor. The donor was homeless and an alcoholic, so not necessarily a great candidate for passing on body parts. But the patient was desperate and, although warned, decided to risk the kidney transfer.

Unfortunately, the donor turned out to be more problematic than imagined. He had a rare rodent disease that infected the transplant patient, who did not survive.

The patient's daughter sued the doctors and organ donor agency for negligence, arguing that they breached their duty of care to her father and caused his death. But the jury -- after 7 hours of deliberations, which is an indication that this was not an easy decision -- found the defendants not guilty of negligence.

The decision was based on the fact that the transplant patient was warned of the risks of accepting an organ from a questionable donor. Attorneys for the doctors and organ bank say the man was classified as a high-risk donor and Dimanche was told this. As such, he assumed the risks, including contracting a disease that doesn't normally afflict humans.

Consult With Counsel

As this case shows, negligence cases can be difficult to prove. Sometimes even shocking situations prove not to be negligence. However, if you or someone you know has been injured, do speak to a lawyer. Many attorneys consult for free or a minimal fee and will be happy to assess your case.

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Sony unveiled the Xperia XA, its latest mid-range smartphone in the new Xperia X series at the MWC in Barcelona. We got to check out the smartphone at the Sony booth, here are our hands-on impressions of the smartphone and its photo gallery.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yfiuz-PXAE

The Xperia XA has a 5-inch HD curved glass edge-to-edge display, is powered by a Octa-core (4 x 2.0 GHz + 4 x 1.0 GHz) MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755) processor with 700MHz Mali T860MP2 GPU and has 2GB of RAM. It runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). The display is a bit glossy and is prone to fingerprints.

On the top there is a earpiece, below that there is a Sony branding, along with a 8MP camera with Sony IMX219 Exmor R sensor and 88-degree wide viewing angle. There are also the usual set of proximity and ambient light sensors.

Even though it has huge bezels, the phone doesnt have capacitive touch buttons and uses on-screen buttons.

On the right side there is a circular power button along with volume rockers and a dedicated camera shutter button.

The microSD and the nano SIM slot are present under the protective flap. It also comes in dual SIM variant depending on the market. It measures 143.6 x 66.8 x 7.9 mm and weighs 137.3 grams.

There is a 13MP camera on the back with LED flash, 1/3 IMX258 Exmos RS sensor and 1080p video recording.

The back is made of plastic. The connectivity features include, 4G LTE, dual-band WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS and NFC.

It has a 2300 mAh built-in battery with Qnovos Adaptive Charging technology. The Xperia XA comes in White, Graphite Black, Lime Gold and Rose Gold colors. It is already available for pre-order in Europe for 299 EUR (Rs. 22646 approx.) and will go on sale sometime in Summer 2016.

Srivatsan contributed to this post
We know some visitors come to the website because a domain name leads them to here. If you are interested in buying 
In a surprising move to meet the customers' demands, Tesco will no longer be selling crescent shaped croissants and will be selling "straight" ones instead.

From last Friday, all Tesco own - brand croissants are scheduled to sell "straight" croissants only.

According to the retailer, it had taken the decision to appease the customers and a survey showed that 75 percent of Tesco customers "preferred straight ones" because of the "spreadability factor" and because they looked more "sophisticated", reported Buzzfeed News.

"After demand for crescent shaped croissants started falling, we spoke to our customers and nearly 75% of them told us that they preferred straight ones," said Tesco's croissant buyer, Harry Jones.

"At the heart of the move away from curved croissants is the spreadability factor. The majority of shoppers find it easier to spread jam, or their preferred filling, on a straighter shape with a single sweeping motion," he went on to say.

"With the crescent-shaped croissants, it's more fiddly and most people can take up to three attempts to achieve perfect coverage, which increases the potential for accidents involving sticky fingers and tables."

The supermarket said the change is part of a wider range of improvements it is making to key bakery products, including putting more chocolate chips in its own brand brioche and creamier ganache in its chocolate cakes, according to The Guardian.

While some shoppers were pleased with Tesco's initiative to change the shape of the croissant and appreciated that on Twitter, others were quite furious with the change and went on to say that this was another sign that the UK was moving further away from Europe.

Sainsbury's and Waitrose confirmed they sold both curved and straight croissants and had no plans to discontinue either type.

"The easiest way to enjoy a curved croissant is to do it the French way - by dunking it into a dollop of jam," a Waitrose representative said.
What happened?

Citigroup (C 1.51%) is reaching a bit deeper into its vault this year to compensate its CEO Michael Corbat for his performance in 2015. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the bank revealed that it will award Corbat $16.5 million, 27% higher than the pay package he was granted for 2014.

Of that total, "only" $1.5 million is base salary -- the same level as the previous year. The remainder is variable compensation, the bulk of which will be company stock.

In the filing, the banking giant wrote that its decision to lift its chief's pay package was based on "Citi's solid operating performance in 2015 and progress toward Citi's financial targets and the execution priorities Mr. Corbat has established."

Does it matter?

Neither the total amount of the package nor the size of the raise is out of line with current standards in big banking.

JPMorgan Chase awarded CEO Jamie Dimon a total of $27 million for 2015, a 35% raise over the previous year. Meanwhile, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan is getting a 23% bump with a package worth $16 million.

Citigroup faces many of the headwinds that JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America do at the moment, but it also has unique challenges. To mention but one, it has a big global presence, with a great many units around the world. Not only does this make it a tough beast to wrangle but it also exposes the bank to sluggish economies abroad and a higher degree of currency risk. It's not doing a bad job of coping with these, so stockholders shouldn't be too upset that Corbat's getting some more frosting for his efforts.

Meanwhile, Citigroup investors are more concerned with the bank's continued recovery from the financial crisis (it still has not fully climbed back to its old share price). So, as with JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America when their 2015 CEO pay envelopes were revealed, we shouldn't expect too much impact on Citigroup stock from the news of Corbat's new compensation.
Cannabis is enjoying a major public-image improvement. After all, we've learned that the THC in marijuana has medicinal uses, while the plant fibers in hemp have countless uses in manufacturing. The legitimacy of marijuana is growing as states legalize it and corporations invest substantial resources in cannabinoid research and development.

No matter your stance on cannabis, you should get to know the world's most high-profile plant. So here are some facts and figures on marijuana that may surprise or impress you:

In Colorado, (legal) sales of recreational and medical marijuana totaled nearly $1 billion in 2015

Marijuana is a bigger business than many people realize. Although some are worried about the long-term health effects of marijuana use, it's clear that legalization comes with some benefits to society -- namely, more jobs and tax revenue. In 2014, Colorado collected $76 million in total marijuana-related taxes, and it had collected an additional $87 million from January through August of 2015 -- and much of that revenue went to schools. Indeed, the state collects more from marijuana taxes than from alcohol taxes. Personal-finance website NerdWallet estimated that full nationwide legalization could bring in more than $3 billion in annual tax revenue to our 50 states.

About 700,000 people are arrested annually on marijuana-related charges

That's a lot of people -- and most of them are not dangerous drug kingpins or even local distributors. Fully 88% of those arrested in 2014 were arrested for possession of marijuana, often in small amounts. In fact, a whopping 40% of all drug-related arrests in 2014 were for marijuana possession and not production or sale. That's a huge drain on our criminal justice and penal systems, suggesting that there could be substantial taxpayer savings if restrictions on the drug were relaxed or the drug were legalized.

There are more than 25,000 product applications for industrial hemp -- and countless more

Hemp is often thought of as another word for marijuana, but it's actually a different member of the cannabis family with far lower levels of THC -- the ingredient that delivers the drug's high. Hemp as a crop has vast potential, but the widespread farming of it is not currently legal -- even though it was brought to America in 1645 by the Puritans and was grown by George Washington, too. Per the North American Industrial Hemp Council, hemp is very fibrous and can be used to make high-quality paper; it's resistant to many pests, reducing the need for pesticides; and it can be processed with fewer pollutive chemicals. Indeed, hemp can yield four times as much fiber per acre than the average forest.

The first e-commerce transaction was a marijuana sale

That's one tidbit in John Markoff 's 2005 book What the Dormouse Said: How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry:

In 1971 or 1972, Stanford students using Arpanet accounts at Stanford University's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory engaged in a commercial transaction with their counterparts at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before Amazon or even eBay, the seminal act of e-commerce was a drug deal. The students used the network to quietly arrange the sale of an undetermined amount of marijuana.

E-commerce has clearly grown like gangbusters since then, expected to top $300 billion in 2016. The more legalized marijuana becomes in America, the more it will be sold by retailers -- perhaps even online eventually.

You needn't be a marijuana user to be interested in the contentious plant. Cannabis is sure to have an interesting few decades as we explore its benefits, research its risks, and draft laws that maximize the former and minimize the latter. Stay tuned.
SpaceX will attempt to land another rocket on Wednesday, shortly after delivering an SES-9 commercial communications satellite into geostationary transfer orbit, or GTO, if everything goes according to plan. The company will broadcast the launch and landing attempt live. If you'll be tuning in, however, don't get your hopes up: The company doesn't expect the experimental landing to succeed this time around.

SES-9 mission

After a successful static fire test on Monday of its Falcon 9 rocket to confirm its readiness, SpaceX is targeting an evening launch at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Wednesday. A 90-minute launch window opens at 6:46 p.m. ET.

For the mission to be considered a success, SpaceX will need to successfully deploy the SES-9 into GTO. The deployment of the satellite will take place about 31 minutes after liftoff, SpaceX said in a press release.

SES-9 will provide expansion and replacement capacity to serve the video, enterprise, mobility and government sectors in fast-growing markets across Northeast Asia, South Asia and Indonesia. The additional capacity on SES-9 will enable direct-to-home operators to broadcast more local content and increase their SD and HDTV channel line-up to 22 million households across Asia-Pacific, in markets such as India, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Furthermore, SES-9 will deliver high-speed broadband and mobile backhaul for remote regions, as as well as support maritime connectivity, providing coverage for 26,00 vessels expected to sail maritime Asia-Pacific routes this year.

SES-9 is SES' largest satellite dedicated to the Asia-Pacific region.

Another landing attempt

In addition to the launch, SpaceX will try to land its Falcon 9 first stage -- the larger portion of the rocket used to propel the payload up from the earth -- on a droneship at sea. The droneship landing zone reads in big letters, "Of Course I Still Love You."

SpaceX still considers these landing attempts "experimental." The company has tried and failed to land its rocket at sea three times. Each time, the rocket made it to the barge but experienced malfunctions either just before or during landing. In the most recent droneship landing attempt, the first stage would have likely landed successfully if it weren't for one of the landing legs' failure to lock.

Falcon lands on droneship, but the lockout collet doesn't latch on one the four legs, causing it to tip over post landing. Root cause may have been ice buildup due to condensation from heavy fog at liftoff. A video posted by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Jan 17, 2016 at 7:07pm PST

"Falcon lands on droneship, but the lockout collet doesn't latch on one the four legs, causing it to tip over post landing," Musk said in a caption of an Instagram post. "Root cause may have been ice buildup due to condensation from heavy fog at liftoff."

Notably, SpaceX did successfully land its Falcon 9 first stage in December when it attempted to land on ground for the first time. But, depending on the rocket's GTO flight path, it's not always possible for the Falcon 9 to return to the more ideal landing conditions on solid ground. This is why it's important for SpaceX to add successful droneship landings to its capabilities.

It's unlikely this mission will mark SpaceX's first successful landing at sea. Since SpaceX has agreed with SES to alter its initial flight path for Falcon 9 in order to deploy SES-9 higher, reducing the time required for the satellite's solo journey to its designated place in orbit, the company does not expect a successful landing this time.

"Given this mission's unique GTO profile, a successful landing is not expected," SpaceX said in a press release. But the space company's bleak outlook for the landing isn't stopping it from trying.

The launch and landing attempt will be broadcast live on SpaceX's YouTube channel.
The name John O'Hara may not mean much today, but in the mid 20th century it helped define American literature. One of the most important - and popular - authors of his day, O'Hara churned out several acclaimed short stories and novels that provide a fascinating social history of America. Fran Lebowitz called him "the real F. Scott Fitzgerald," and though his difficult personality and inflated ego affected the quality of his later books, he remains a noteworthy literary figure.

Sadly, Hollywood butchered most of his works, emphasizing their sensational, racy aspects while gutting their thought-provoking themes. Most, like the horrendous 'Butterfield 8' (which even its star, Elizabeth Taylor, classified as a piece of trash at the time of its release), are nothing more than slick, tawdry soap operas devoid of substance. 'From the Terrace,' which is noteworthy only as one of 10 films that co-star the husband-and-wife team of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, also fits snugly into that dubious category.

In this case, however, O'Hara must shoulder a portion of the blame. The author reportedly contributed to the script (although he received no credit), probably in the hope of salvaging some of the novel's meat, but reducing an almost 900-page book to 144 minutes of screen time required exhaustive excisions. Only the juicy parts were spared, and even those had to be sanitized, thanks to the eras overbearing censors. Sadly, O'Hara didn't wield enough power to save the subtleties or lighten the heavy-handed approach of producer and director Mark Robson, who labors mightily to duplicate the blockbuster success he had with a far inferior and twice as salacious potboiler, Peyton Place.

From the moment the film begins, its clear From the Terrace will be a glossy, angst-ridden melodrama of the highest order, packed with family scandal, ponderous soul-searching, illicit romance, and a seething sexual undercurrent that still titillates today. As Alfred Eaton, the neglected, often spurned son of a heartless mill magnate (Leon Ames) and his unstable, alcoholic wife (Myrna Loy), Newman portrays the type of brooding, rebellious young man his late buddy James Dean personified, but does so with a petulant macho swagger that oozes sex appeal while masking an aching vulnerability and repressed sensitivity. Newman spends much of the movie sulking, just like his Brick does in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but the dialogue here, written by the usually reliable Ernest Lehman, is far less incisive and meaningful than that of Tennessee Williams.

After a chilly homecoming from World War II, Alfred leaves the palatial family manor in Philadelphia and strikes out on his own, doggedly pursuing wealth and position in the hope of eventually one-upping his disdainful dad, who never got over the death of Alfreds brother and has ignored and resented his surviving son ever since. At a party, Alfred meets Mary St. John (Woodward), an icy blonde socialite with a wild heart and headstrong attitude, and relentlessly woos her. They marry against the wishes of her stuffy family, but Alfreds laser focus on his work leaves Mary feeling rejected, bored, and sexually unfulfilled. To retaliate, she brazenly rekindles an affair with her former beau, Dr. Jim Roper (Patrick ONeal), which fractures her marriage and sends a lonely, disillusioned Alfred into the arms of wholesome country girl Natalie Benzinger (Ina Balin), the upstanding daughter of a business associate. Plenty of fireworks ensue as the messy liaisons play themselves out against a backdrop of corporate intrigue and marital strife.

Newman and Woodward possess electric chemistry, and their scenes together crackle with both sexual tension and a brittle air of mutual disdain. Casting them as battling marrieds who ceaselessly and often viciously bait each other, rather than dewy-eyed romantics who vow to preserve their love against all odds, goes against their persona as a devoted couple, but its an enticing and unexpected twist. And though their sniping may seem tepid compared to the barbs another legendary couple, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, hurl at each other in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' (produced a mere six years later), its potent enough to infuse an often dismal film with some much-needed spunk. From the Terrace sorely lags whenever Newman and Woodward dont share the screen, and sadly, thats far too often.

Much of the movies dull second half centers on the syrupy relationship between Alfred and Natalie, whos not nearly as captivating as her selfish, bitchy rival, who Woodward plays to the hilt. At times, she goes overboard, but who can blame her? The film's only source of amusement is Woodward spewing a constant stream of venom laced with an artificial air of propriety while decked out in a series of elegant outfits designed by Travilla, who often dressed Marilyn Monroe. By comparison, Natalie is a tiresome wallflower, and Balins doe-eyed, overly earnest portrayal only makes us like the wicked Mary even more. Myrna Loy chucks her perfect wife image and enjoys a couple of early histrionic scenes as Alfreds deeply troubled mother, but she soon vanishes from the story never to return.

From the Terrace strives to depict the soul-crushing emptiness that comes from greed, materialism, and overbearing ambition and make an important statement about their cancerous nature, but this bloated tale of one mans humanistic awakening loses its sting early on and becomes a lugubrious bore. Good performances keep the film afloat, but without the talented and magnetic Newman and Woodward, this slushy soap opera would sink like a stone.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'From the Terrace' arrives on Blu-ray in a limited to 3,000 edition packaged in a standard case. An eight-page booklet featuring an essay by film historian Julie Kirgo, an array of photos, and a color reproduction of the movie's poster art is tucked inside the front cover. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.
The American people might benefit from a visit to Gamblers Anonymous, but when it comes to choosing the next president, they definitely dont need a shrink.

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, then American voters are clearly sane, if not sober. After two terms of President Obamas hope and change that, as I see it, delivered little of either, the people are ready to roll the dice.

American voters are finally so fed up with politics as usual that theyve actually developed an uncharacteristically voracious appetite for risk.

If the 2016 primaries are any indication, the electorate seems willing to take a flyer on a casino magnate slash reality TV star and a full-blown socialist who seems to think we can tax our way to prosperity. Wonder what the Vegas odds were on that combination just eight months ago? Somewhere between slim and none, Im guessing.

Nobody knows wholl be left standing come November, but back when Donald Trump stood in his eponymous tower and announced his candidacy and the citizens of this great land had yet to Feel the Bern, who in their right mind thought the Donald and Bernie Sanders would be anywhere near this close to the White House?

Dont get me wrong. From the day the guy most known for the phrase Youre fired! stood for the cameras and proclaimed without a trace of humility, I will be the greatest jobs president God ever created, I knew he meant every word, and that his attitude and message could resonate with the American people.

But I never expected him to become the odds-on favorite to win the Republican nomination. And while Sanders is still a long shot to beat the venerable Hilary Clinton, the very fact that their delegate count is practically neck and neck at 51 to 52 (not counting superdelegates) just a week from Super Tuesday is quite a shocker.

We usually associate entrepreneurs, entertainers and athletes with risk-takers, not Joe six-pack and his middle-class friends in the fat part of the American bell curve. Clearly, the powerful populist movement behind Trump and Sanders demonstrates that many if not most of us are through  as in put a fork in us, were done  with the dysfunction and incompetence of the political establishment in Washington.

Make no mistake. When it comes to these two candidates, we are gambling Vegas style.

Lets start with Trump. Yes, some of his businesses have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring. Four times, to be exact. No, nobody knows if he means to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, hit China with a 45% tariff or boycott Apples products. And even his supporters arent sure if hes serious when he calls people idiots, dumb, neurotic, or bimbos.

While its certainly his right to say he thinks its disgraceful for the Pope to question his Christianity and for Apple CEO Tim Cook to decline to help the FBI unlock an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino terror attack, even Trump recently admitted that he probably needs to start acting more presidential  pretty soon.

That leaves us to wonder if the man with an increasingly decent chance of becoming the next resident of the White House just shoots off his mouth and asks questions later, or maybe he really is the type of leader whos prone to Ready, Fire, Aim, in that order. If its the latter, is it not risky to have his finger on the proverbial button?

And what about Sanders? Is it better or worse that the lifelong socialist means every word he says about making college tuition free, expanding health care coverage to all Americans through a single-payer system, spending $1 trillion on infrastructure, expanding Social Security and providing 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for all workers?

By some estimates, Sanders social programs would cost upwards of $18 trillion. He plans to pay for some of this unprecedented government expansion with $6.5 trillion in across-the-board tax increases that would weigh most heavily on big business and the wealthy. But I cant see how it wouldnt end up expanding our already astronomical national debt of $19 trillion.

The very notion of abandoning the core principles of personal responsibility and free-market capitalism that made America the greatest nation on Earth by setting into motion a massive plan to redistribute wealth and reengineer the economy has got to be about the riskiest bet of all time.

This new appetite for risk reveals just how done the electorate is with the status quo in Washington. This is what people do when youve pushed them too far for too long. If this isnt a wake-up call to the permanent political class  that were willing to try almost anything rather than sit back and watch you muck up our country  then maybe it is time to throw the bums out and start over.
When it comes to the standoff between Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and the FBI, former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, told the FOX Business Networks Maria Bartiromo this ultimately needs to be solved by Congress.

As far as I can see, this case really is about one phone because Apple will control the whole process of I think what the FBI is looking for -- is the phone to be taken and sort of turned over to them without this capacity to turn off after 10 tries. So that is totally within the belly work of Apple. I dont see why it raises it the potential for it to be hacked, he added.

Tim Cook sent an open letter to Apple employees on Monday reiterating the companys position in the Apple, FBI iPhone case and his desire for the government to drop All Writs Acts demands.

You need a judicial decree, thats what the Fourth Amendment is all about. Its against unreasonable search absent a warrant based on oath an affirmation. Thats the system of government that we have here. It goes back hundreds of years. So just Willy-nilly do these sorts of things? No, its just not going to happen, he said.

Kelly discussed Apples security and why he believes the government is reasonable for trying to get the information.

Everybody wants privacy, but the public is also concerned about its safety, and now theyre moving to the side of security...I think Tim Cook drew the line in the sand, probably in the wrong place, with the 5C phones because this technology is improving, the 6, the 6S. Apparently, they say its impossible to get into those.

Kelly noted that Apple has unlocked 70 other phones in private.

Law enforcement is of course doing all their activities pursuant to the constitution and theres certainly restrictions around that are, but as far intelligence is concerned its a little less restrictive. They have more options to get information than the law enforcement does.

He also provided insight into Obamas budget cuts to anti-terrorism funding.

Chuck Schumer has been a stalwart as far as getting resources for New York City. Dont forget this city has had two major attacks. 2,700 people killed here. On the Bloomberg watch, we had 16 plots and there have been more plots against the city since then. This is still the number one target, no question about it. The city needs those resources.
Image: Sysco.

Monday brought a continuation of last week's stock market gains to Wall Street, and much of the gains were concentrated in previously hard-hit areas of the market, such as materials and energy. Major market benchmarks were up about 1.5% on the day. Crude oil prices jumped above the $33 per-barrel mark, and key commodity prices like copper surged higher, as well, on support from energy and from the Chinese stock market.

Yet even though many stocks in the energy and materials sectors climbed substantially, others outside those areas were mixed. Among the poorer losers on Monday were Lumber Liquidators , Sysco , and Dean Foods .

Lumber Liquidators plunged 20%. The flooring specialist fell after the Centers for Disease Control released information in a report saying that it had previously underestimated the exposure to formaldehyde from certain types of laminate flooring that the company produced. The CDC upped its estimate of cancer incidence from a range of two to nine per 100,000 to a higher range of six to 30 per 100,000.

For its part, Lumber Liquidators said that the CDC overestimates the health risk from its laminate flooring products, and that it looks forward to the agency's review of its work. Nevertheless, the issue continues to attract negative attention for the company, and with added health risks like asthma and other respiratory problems, Lumber Liquidators could take a while to recover from this episode.

Sysco dropped 5% after announcing that it would acquire U.K. food services and distribution company Brakes Group for $3.1 billion. Sysco argued that the deal will expand the company's presence within the U.K. and Ireland, as well as the European continent, and it expects that further moves to grow its overall footprint will follow in the future.

CEO Bill DeLaney said that it expects "to experience little distraction from integration given the minimal overlap of the businesses," but he also pointed to the value of establishing more extensive business operations in the European region to serve as a base of operations for expansion down the road. With rival U.S. Foods likely looking to seek capital in an IPO in the near future, Sysco hopes to cement its grip over the food-services industry both in the U.S., and abroad.

Finally, elsewhere in the food arena, dairy giant Dean Foods fell 8% in the wake of its fourth-quarter financial report. The company said that adjusted net income nearly quintupled, to $33 million, producing adjusted earnings of $0.36 per share. That topped expectations, and initially caused Dean Foods' stock to climb; but later reflection among investors seemed to focus on a shortfall in revenue, and on the deteriorating state of the U.S. milk market.

Dean Foods said that total fluid milk volumes domestically fell 1.1% during the quarter, and the company's market share of the market fell by nearly a full percentage point compared to the previous year, to 34.7%. Expectations for further declines in volume during the current quarter outweighed a more upbeat outlook for the remainder of 2016, but the company's results weren't nearly as one-sidedly negative as the stock move suggests.

The article Why Lumber Liquidators, Sysco, and Dean Foods Slumped Today originally appeared on Fool.com.

Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Lumber Liquidators. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Albert Einstein reportedly once said, "The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." If you buy, sell, finance or own real estate, it gets even worse. Property and taxes go together like blood and leeches.

Yet there's no reason to pay more than the minimum, and the Internal Revenue Code actually gives property owners lots of tax breaks.

"For many homeowners, real estate taxes and mortgage interest are by far some of their biggest tax deductions," says Art Ford, a certified public accountant in Boston. "If I pay $1,500 a month in mortgage interest, that's an $18,000-a-year deduction."

So before you belly up to the nearest bar or start pulling your hair out, here are some commonly asked questions about taxes and homeownership. Knowing these answers will help keep your tax bill as low as possible.

No. 1: How much of my mortgage payment is tax deductible?On a Schedule A, you can generally deduct the following:

Interest on debt used to buy, build or improve your primary or second home (called acquisition debt), as long as mortgages totaled $1 million or less ($500,000 if single or married filing separately).

Mortgage insurance (or funding fees for government loans) for loans taken after 2006 as long as your adjusted gross income does not exceed $100,000 for a married couple (half that for singles and those married filing separately).

Property taxes on first and second homes (if you itemize your deductions).

No. 2: I sold my home this year. Will I owe capital gains tax?As long as the property was your principal residence for at least two of the last five years, you can exclude $250,000 of your profit ($500,000 for married couples) from your federal taxable income. If you profited less than the $250,000/$500,000 threshold, no extra form is required. You can do this as often as every two years.

If you made a higher profit or otherwise don't qualify for the exclusion (say, you sold after just one year), Ford says you'll generally owe up to 23.8% in federal taxes on your gains over and above the "excluded" amount. (Your actual rate will vary depending on your income.)

But when calculating your taxable gains, Ford suggests looking beyond what you originally paid for your home. You should also factor in anything that you spent on home improvements while you owned the property.

Say you and your spouse bought a place for $100,000 two decades ago, lived there as your primary residence and sold the home for $800,000. You'd ordinarily have to pay capital-gains taxes on $200,000 -- your $800,000 sale price minus your $100,000 purchase price minus the $500,000 exclusion for married couples.

However, if you spent $150,000 on upgrades, you can deduct that from your capital gain. In the example above, that would reduce your taxable profit from $200,000 to just $50,000.

That said, IRS Publication 523 notes that you generally can't deduct repairs or maintenance, only "improvements" that are designed to increase your home's value. Unfortunately, the rules for what's a "repair" versus an "improvement" are pretty vague.

For instance, the IRS says fixing a broken windowpane is a repair, but replacing it as part of a project to swap out all of your home's windows is an improvement. So, consult with a tax professional or read IRS Publication 523 for further guidance.

If you still have taxable profits on your home after factoring in all of the above, you'll report your gains on a Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses. There are special rules for vacation homes. You may be able to exclude some or all of your gain.

Remember, different states have different rules. Always consult with a tax professional if you need personal advice.

No. 3: I lost money on the sale of my home. Do I get to deduct the loss?Loss on the sale of a personal residence is treated like a loss on the sale of any personal property. It is not deductible. Losses on investment properties are deductible.

No. 4: Are my closing costs tax deductible?You can claim a deduction for real estate taxes you paid as part of your mortgage closing costs. The same goes for prepaid interest. It will be included on the 1098 formyour lender sends you.

What about points?

The IRS has a flowchart that you can use to see if points are fully deductible. In general, you must have paid points to build, buy or improve your primary residence in order to deduct the entire amount in the year they were paid. Otherwise, they may still be deducted but on a prorated basis.

No. 5: What happens with points on a refinance?This deduction is often overlooked, and it could be worth a lot. When you pay points on a refinance, they have to be prorated.

For example, if you paid $3,000 in points on a 30-year mortgage, you can deduct $100 a year for 30 years. But if you refinanced again this year and have prorated points that have not yet been deducted -- for example, you are 10 years into a 30-year loan and have only deducted $1,000 of $3,000 in points paid -- you can deduct the remaining $2,000 in the year you refinance.

No. 6: Does a mortgage modification affect my taxes?If you modify your mortgage, one consequence might be that you pay so much less interest that you will save more by choosing the standard deduction rather than itemizing. Don't just assume that itemizing is always best because you did it in the past.

No. 7: Does a foreclosure, short sale. or principal reduction affect my taxes?Homeowners who lost their homes to either a foreclosure, short sale or had a bank "forgive" part of their mortgage principal (this could have occurred during a loan modification) used to have to pay income taxes on any money that their lender agreed to write off.

But the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 and subsequent extensions changed that for loans restructured between 2007 and 2016 for primary residences. For those tax years, you don't have to consider the discharge of mortgage debt as taxable income.

However, the 2007 law doesn't cover investment properties and vacation homes, nor does it apply to forgiven home equity loans.

Lastly, some jurisdictions require filers to pay state income taxes on forgiven mortgage debt, so check with a tax professional about your personal situation.

No. 8: Can I deduct prepayment penalties?Prepayment penalties paid on a mortgage are tax deductible in the year that they are paid.

No. 9: What expenses am I not allowed to deduct from my income?Unless your property is a rental or investment, you don't get tax breaks for the following:

Hazard insurance.

Homeowners association dues.

Principal payments.

General closing costs like appraisal fees or title insurance.

Local assessments to improve your neighborhood.

No. 10: Does the so-called "Obamacare" tax affect gains from property sales?The 2010 "Obamacare" Affordable Care Act added an extra 3.8% tax on capital gains incurred by certain high-income taxpayers.

If you fall under the law's requirements, you'll have to pay 23.8% in federal income taxes on your home-sale profits over and above the $250,000/$500,000 exclusion rather than the 20% rate that you'd otherwise face.

However, this extra tax only applies to single or head-of-household filers who have a $200,000 adjusted gross income or married joint filers with a $250,000 adjusted gross income. And remember, the first $250,000 of a single taxpayer's profits ($500,000 for joint filers) is federally tax free.

No. 11: How does the U.S. Supreme Court's gay-marriage ruling affect same-sex couples?The Supreme Court's June 2015 ruling legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states doesn't affect same-sex couples' federal income taxes because the IRS has recognized legal gay marriages for tax purposes since 2013.

An earlier Supreme Court ruling that partly invalidated 1996's Defense of Marriage Act prompted the tax agency to decide that same-sex couples married in any U.S. or foreign jurisdiction that recognized gay marriage could file tax returns jointly. The rule applied even if gay couples later moved to states that didn't allow gay marriage.

However, last summer's landmark high-court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide means gay couples in states that previously banned the practice should have the right to file state or local income-tax returns jointly for 2015 for the first time.

No. 12: Does my income affect my tax deductions?The IRS has increased the maximum adjusted gross income that filers can have for 2015 and still fully itemize deductions -- good news for wealthy homeowners who want to claim things like the mortgage-interest tax break.

Married joint filers can have $309,900 AGIs and still itemize all deductions, up from $305,050 in 2014. Singles can make an adjusted $258,250 versus $254,200 previously, while married couples filing separately can have $154,950 AGIs, up from $152,525 in 2014. Above those limits, IRS rules begin to phase out what percentage of expenses you can deduct.

Conversely, the IRS has also boosted standard deductions for 2015. Married joint filers who don't itemize can claim a standard $12,600 versus $12,400 in 2014, while singles and married people filing separately can $6,300 instead of $6,200 a year earlier. (Heads of household can receive $9,250, up from $9,100 in 2014.)

Smart homeowners will do the math to see which works out better for them -- itemizing or taking the standard deduction.

Lisa Greene-Lewis, an accountant with TurboTax, says many homeowners will do better by itemizing instead of simply claiming the standard deduction. "The mortgage-interest deduction is one of the biggest itemized deductions for many people for sure," she says. "That's usually the one that puts homeowners over the threshold to where itemizing makes sense."

Knowing what tax deductions are available to you can help minimize the tax man's bite come April 18. After all, the law says you have to pay taxes -- but there's no reason to leave Uncle Sam a tip.

Gina Pogol was the original author of this article.

Related articles:

This article originally appeared at HSH.com.

The article 12 Essential Tax Questions for Homeowners originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Oil prices fell 4 percent on Tuesday after Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi ruled out any production cuts, restating the kingdom's rationale for maintaining output was that demand would absorb excess crude that has crushed prices over the past 20 months.

Big oil exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia have proposed to freeze output at January levels, which were near record highs, only if other producers also do the same.

More meetings on the potential freezes will be held in March, al-Naimi told the IHS CERAweek conference in Houston, adding that he expects most of the countries that count to freeze crude production levels.

Analysts and traders remain skeptical that the freeze will be effective in rebalancing the market.

"Saudi Arabia is going to continue pumping - that's the bottom line," said Tariq Zahir, managing member of Tyche Capital Advisors in Laurel Hollow, New York. "The level of trust is not there to implement cuts.".

Even if there is a freeze, it may not represent a reduction that would have an impact.

"If they freeze production at January levels when you're already oversupplied by around a million barrels per day it just prolongs that situation of oversupply," said Energy Aspects analyst Dominic Haywood.

Also, Iran, now free of Western sanctions that hurt its crude trade, is seen as unlikely to agree to an output cap. According to a report from Iran's student news agency ISNA, the country's oil minister said the production freeze is "laughable," because it does not allow Iran to regain its production share.

Benchmark Brent crude futures settled down $1.42, or 4 percent, at $33.27 a barrel, while U.S. crude futures fell $1.52, or 4.6 percent, to $31.87 a barrel.

Tuesday's comments compounded prevailing bearish sentiment on the first day of trading for the April U.S. crude futures contract.

OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri said on Monday that if successful, a freeze could trigger other action but the days when the producer group was responsible for cutting output alone are over.

He told the CERAWeek conference the tentative pact to freeze output reached last week between Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar was just a start.

An estimated 1 million to 2 million barrels of oil are being produced daily in excess of demand.

Investment bank Jefferies expects OPEC output to hit 32.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter, including higher Iranian output, with markets starting to rebalance by the third quarter as production outside OPEC falls by 800,000 bpd this year.

While the market held steady after giving up 4 percent, a further retreat is possible. If U.S. crude futures drop below $31.30 a barrel, there may another downward leg, said Zahir, adding that crude stockpiles are expected to build as refineries shut for spring maintenance.

(By Jessica Resnick-Ault; Additional reporting by Sarah McFarlane in London and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Jonathan Oatis)
Oil prices eased on Tuesday, eroding some of the previous day's gains, over doubts a potential production freeze will have any impact on the existing global overhang of unwanted crude.

Big oil exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia have proposed to freeze output at January levels, which were near record highs, only if other producers also do the same.

"If they freeze production at January levels when you're already over supplied by around a million barrels per day it just prolongs that situation of oversupply," said Energy Aspects' analyst Dominic Haywood.

Also, Iran, now free of western sanctions that hurt its crude trade, is seen unlikely to agree to an output cap.

Benchmark Brent crude futures were down 9 cents at $34.60 a barrel at 1310 GMT, while U.S. crude futures fell 37 cents to $33.02 a barrel.

"Without concrete actions (to cut production), we remain highly skeptical that prices could be moving higher," Singapore-based brokerage Phillip Futures said.

OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri said on Monday that if successful a freeze could trigger other action but the days when the producer group was responsible for cutting output alone are over.

He told the IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston the tentative pact to freeze output reached last week between Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar was just a start.

An estimated 1 million to 2 million barrels of oil are being produced daily in excess of demand.

Investment bank Jefferies expects OPEC output to hit 32.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter, including higher Iranian output, with markets starting to rebalance by the third quarter as production outside OPEC falls by 800,000 bpd this year.

Oil prices jumped more than 5 percent on Monday on projections by the International Energy Agency (IEA) that U.S. shale oil production could fall by 600,000 bpd this year and another 200,000 bpd in 2017.

Commerzbank said in a daily note that volatility would continue until there were clear indications that oil supply was declining.

Energy Aspects' Haywood said prices should pick up in the second half of the year and into 2017 as U.S. producers respond to lower prices by cutting output.

"It's been a bit more delayed than we expected simply because shale production has been so resilient," he said.

(Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Susan Thomas and David Evans)
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HGTV's new show, Flip or Flop. Image source: Scripps Networks.

Scripps Networks , the owner of popular TV channels HGTV and Food Network, posted fourth-quarter earnings results on Feb. 23. Sales and profits surged higher, powered by a booming international business and healthy advertising gains in the U.S. markets.

Here's how the headline figures stacked up against the prior-year period:

Q4 2015 Actuals Q4 2014 Actuals Growth (YOY) Revenue $852 million $669 million 27% Net Income $165 million $132 million 25% EPS $1.27 $0.96 32%

Data source: Scripps' financial filings.

What happened this quarter?The 27% sales spike was mostly due to higher revenue from Scripps' international networks, which posted a 500% jump to $163 million. That segment now accounts for 11% of sales, up from just 3% in 2014. Other highlights of the quarter included:

Revenue in the U.S. improved by 8%, compared to a 6% uptick in Q3. The difference was advertising, which jumped 8% higher this quarter (compared to 5% in Q3). That's enough to trounce rival Discovery Communications ' , whose ad sales rose by 5% in Q4. For the full year, Scripps' U.S. advertising business rose 4%, edging out Discovery's 3% gain.

' , whose ad sales rose by 5% in Q4. For the full year, Scripps' U.S. advertising business rose 4%, edging out Discovery's 3% gain. Profit on the U.S. side rose at a much slower pace than revenue, though, which pushed the segment's operating margin down to 44% from 47% a year ago.

HGTV was again Scripps' standout performer, with revenue up 8% for the quarter and 7% for the year.

Travel Channel posted the smallest percentage gain out of the network's biggest channels, and it was the only brand to see lower sales in 2015.

What management had to say"These results exemplify the strong and consistent execution of our strategy," CEO Kenneth Lowe said in a press release. "Our core television lifestyle networks are growing in demand by viewers and advertisers, while our international expansion continues to make a significant contribution to the overall robust health of the company," he said.

The key to Scripps' market-beating growth this quarter was "strong advertising demand" for its portfolio of brands, executives said, which allowed the company to raise its ad pricing. That growth, especially from the HGTV, Food Network, and DIY Network channels, was partially offset by weak results at the Travel Channel.

Looking forwardIn response, executives are repositioning the Travel Channel brand and have installed new leadership at the top of the struggling network. Other key challenges they'll have to face include fast-rising programming costs and hefty integration expenses tied to merging Scripps' operations with Polish media giant TVN. Together, these issues will likely put pressure on profitability over the next year.

But there's no question that Scripps is enjoying strong viewership momentum heading into 2016. In fact, all six of its major U.S. networks posted "increasing impressions in January compared to the same period in 2015," management said, suggesting the media giant's healthy growth pace could hold even as TV watching splinters away from traditional linear broadcasting. "Every day we are increasing the number of connections [our] brands make with consumers around the world. As a result, we're well positioned to maximize the value we can generate from the audiences we deliver across multiple platforms," Lowe explained.

The article Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. Earnings Jump 32% on Advertising Strength originally appeared on Fool.com.

Demitrios Kalogeropoulos has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Discovery Communications. The Motley Fool recommends Scripps Networks Interactive. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
What: Shares of McDermott International are up 12.5% as of 3:30 p.m. EST today after posting a better-than-expected net gain this past quarter.

So What: The bar for McDermott to jump over this quarter was pretty low as consensus estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ had the company posting a normalized net loss of ($0.12) per share. McDermott easily cleared that hurdle, though, as it posted a net gain of $0.06. The biggest reason for the surprise turnaround was the company's ability to cut costs to improve margins. McDermott's fourth-quarter adjusted operating margin came in at 7.2%, up from 3.6% in the same quarter last year.

Another bright spot for the company was its ability to grow its order backlog. At the end of the quarter, total order backlog was $4.2 billion, up from $3.6 billion last year. The large uptick in orders was a result of winning engineering, procurement, construction, and installation contracts for ONGC in India, and an unnamed operator in Trinidad.

Now What: One of the items that McDermott has going for it right now that few other oil services companies can claim is that McDermott has a very large market share in the Middle East. Despite the large downturns in oil and gas activity outside the Gulf States, McDermott has secured some large contracts in the region that gives it stable work throughout this downturn. The company did see some revenue declines in the quarter, but the drastic improvement in margins more than made up for it.

If the company can maintain these higher margins, then the decent backlog totals should help McDermott weather this oil market storm until other parts of the world are ready to spend on new major oil and gas development projects.

The article Wall Street Liked McDermott International's Earnings, and Sent Shares Flying Today originally appeared on Fool.com.

Tyler Crowe has no position in any stocks mentioned.You can follow him at Fool.comor on Twitter@TylerCroweFool. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
A New York gynecologist who admitted to sexually abusing two female patients lost his medical license Tuesday, but will avoid serving jail time. Dr. Robert Hadden had been charged with assaulting six pregnant patients, but in a deal admitted to criminal sex act in the third degree and forcible touching, The New York Daily News reported.

When asked by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Ronald Zweibel if he as a health care provider engaged in an act of oral sexual conduct against a patient for no valid medical purpose while she was incapable of consent he responded yes, the newspaper reported. He also admitted to an attack on May 7, 2012 in which he forcibly touched the sexual and other intimate parts of another victim for the purpose of degrading and abusing such person (to) gratify (his) sexual desire.

The newspaper noted it was not clear why he was offered a deal that did not include community service or probation.

He will have to register as a level one sex offender in New York state.


This blog is looking for wisdom, to have and to share. It is also looking for other rare character traits like good humor, courage, and honor. It is not an easy road, because all of us fall short. But God is love, forgiveness and grace. Those who believe in Him and repent of their sins have the promise of His Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Way.
Doctors at a British hospital used a sandwich bag to help save a premature babys life after his family rushed him to the hospital, Express.co.uk reported. The parents, Jennifer and Jonthan Derwent, of Avonwick, Devon, are now raising money for the medical team who cared for their newborn.

Jennifer, 32, was reportedly out shopping when she began suffering from stomach pains that she thought were harmless. Jonathan, 38, who had helped deliver the couples previous child at home, rushed her to the hospital to avoid having to do so again for their second.

At Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Devon, Isaac Derwent was born 10 weeks early weighing 3 pounds and 11 ounces. After exiting the womb, doctors wrapped him in a sandwich bag to help him stay warm before placing him in an incubator to emulate the environment of the womb.

"It was quite shocking to give birth and then for the first thing to happen is they put your baby in a sandwich bag, Jennifer told Express.co.uk. "We do have a picture of him in it, which I am sure we can all laugh about when he gets older. But it kept him warm and helped him get better.

The news website reported that baby Isaac spent five weeks in a special care unit following his birth.

In 2015, the Telegraph reported that doctors in Britain helped save a baby born a little over 1 pound by using a sandwich bag to keep her warm. She was born three months premature no bigger than her mothers hand.
Teaching children to eat at a leisurely pace may help to prevent overeating and weight gain, says a study published online in the journal Pediatric Obesity. Children who waited 30 seconds between each bite lost an average of 3.4 percent of their body weight during a year-long research project, while those who didnt pace their eating saw their weight increase by as much as 12.6 percent, the study found.

The study focused on developing good table manners, rather than limiting portion size to curb overeating, the researchers said.

Slowing food intake may trigger feelings of fullness even after consuming less food, the study suggested. The so-called satiety signal, which is generated by hormones, enzymes and other factors in the gastrointestinal tract, normally develops about 15 minutes after the start of eating, regardless of the quantity of food consumed, the study said.

From 2011 to 2012, a research team from California and Mexico regularly monitored the height, weight and blood pressure of 68 school children, age 12 to 13 years old, in Durango, Mexico. At the start of the study, 43.1 percent were overweight or obese.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.
Two Texas hospitals announced their collaboration on the first hospital-based rapid tests for Zika virus on Tuesday.

Texas Childrens Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital worked together to develop the test in a matter of weeks. The Zika direct tests can be performed on blood, amniotic fluid, urine or spinal fluid, can be customized for each hospitals diagnostic laboratory and will provide results within several hours, according to a news release.

The test is designed to detect the genetic material of the virus and can distinguish Zika virus from dengue, West Nile or chikungunya virus infections. It will initially be offered to patients with a positive travel history and symptoms consistent with Zika including rash, joint pain and fever, as well as asymptomatic pregnant women with a positive travel history.

With travel-associated cases of the Zika virus becoming more prevalent in the United States, coupled with the looming increase in mosquito exposure during spring and summer months, we must be prepared for a surge of Zika testing demand, Dr. James Versalovic, pathologist-in-chief at Texas Childrens Hospital and leader of the hospitals development team, said in a news release. We must provide answers for anxious moms-to-be and families who may experience signs and symptoms or may simply have travel history to endemic areas.

With currently available testing, physicians faced the possibility of long delays through local and state public health laboratories and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Hospital-based testing that is state-of-the-art enables our physicians and patients to get very rapid diagnostic answers. If tests need to be repeated or if our treating doctors need to talk with our pathologists, we have the resources near patient care settings, Dr. James M. Musser, chair of the department of pathology and genomic medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital and leader of the hospitals development team, said in the news release.

The direct test is currently available to registered patients at the two medical centers, but the labs will consider referral testing from other hospitals and clinics in the future.

The World Health Organization declared Zika to be an international health emergency on February 1. According to the CDC, the virus has spread to at least 32 countries and territories, mostly in the Americas. Two U.S.-Brazilian studies will have initial results in May on whether Zika is causing birth defects and other neurological disorders, a senior U.S. public health official said on February 19.
Three's a crowd right? Well, that's where we find ourselves now on the GOP side for the presidential race. Trump, Rubio, and Cruz. Yes, Donald Trump won South Carolina soundly, but look what happens when you add up the percentages between Rubio and Cruz. At roughly 44-percent of the vote, the combo beats Donald Trump. Moving forward, Rubio and Cruz will continue to split the vote and that may mean Trump will continue to win. There's no reason for either of them to even think about getting out of the race. Cruz has a lot of southern states coming up -- thought to be strong for his camp --- and then the Texas primary, his home state. The negatives? His original plan to capture the majority of evangelicals in the south didn't pan out in South Carolina and could be predictive of what will happen moving forward. Advantages for Rubio? He will more than likely benefit from Jeb Bush being out of the race and if John Kasich doesn't survive one could argue those votes would go to him as well. On the other hand, you still can't get past three's a crowd, and as long as both Rubio and Cruz continue to split the anti-trump vote, the longer Donald Trump will continue to win.


The Syrian regime, with Russias help, is about to encircle and besiege hundreds of thousands of civilians in Aleppo, Syrias second largest city. This will be a turning point for American national security, and not for the better.

The siege of Aleppo, unless somehow averted, will transform the Syrian opposition into something far worse for American interests at home and abroad.

The opposition forces now inside the city include U.S.-supported groups that are relatively independent from jihadist forces. They cannot prevent the encirclement of Aleppo, however, and may not survive the siege.

Those who do survive are more likely over time to submit to the leadership of Al Qaedas Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al Nusra, and other hardline elements that can help them endure when no one else offers assistance. They may actually merge with these jihadi groups.

If America continues its inaction as the Russians and the regime tighten the noose around Aleppo, we may lose our best hope of forming a non-jihadi opposition we can work with.

Inaction and self-defeating diplomacy remain Americans policy, however. We are begging the Russians to agree to a ceasefire without recognizing Russias true aims.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has deliberately created the policy crisis America now faces. He is not fighting ISIS and does not prioritize defeating jihadist groups in Syria.

Instead, Russian airstrikes are weakening the oppositions defenses in the outskirts of Aleppo, setting conditions for a final assault by pro-regime forces. They are also destroying critical infrastructure and hospitals to force civilians to flee.

Assad has already reduced much of Aleppo to rubble using barrel bombs and airstrikes, and the humanitarian situation is dire even before the siege has begun.

Russias offer of a cessation of hostilities is duplicitous because it excludes Aleppo. Any truce Secretary Kerry might obtain from Putin will only tie the hands of the international community while Russia helps Assad destroy the opposition.

The outcome of Russias intervention thus far has been better than Putin likely imagined. He is building an air and naval base on the Mediterranean, securing the Assad regime, and undermining NATO by provoking Turkey.

He is doing all of this unchallenged, and with a relatively minor commitment of resources. He has every reason to continue his current course.

The destruction of the non-jihadi opposition in Aleppo will be a strategic disaster. American national security depends on the destruction of ISIS and Al Qaeda, and opposition groups in Aleppo are among the strongest anti-ISIS actors in Syria. They have been fighting ISIS since early 2014 and want to destroy ISIS with American support.

But they will not abandon their war against Assad to fight ISIS, which the U.S. in the past has asked them to do in order to receive support. This is why U.S. programs have failed in the past. The U.S. would need instead to help these fighters against Assad and ISIS simultaneously in order to leverage them in the anti-ISIS fight.

Faced with imminent destruction at Assads hands, the threat of ISIS, and no help from the U.S., these groups will look to Jabhat al Nusra in desperation.

Jabhat al Nusra is already strong in northern Syria, where it is building a base for global jihad. It has nearly succeeded in completing such a base in Idlib Province. The U.S. cannot allow it to succeed in Aleppo, too, where opposition groups are still willing to constrain it.

The U.S. must act now to prevent Russia from producing an even more dangerous future for American security and to salvage what we can in the wars against ISIS and Al Qaeda.

The Obama administration should take three immediate steps put an obstacle in his path and preserve American options in Syria: provide immediate support to opposition groups in Aleppo; airdrop humanitarian supplies; and establish a safe zone along the Syrian  Turkish border.

Doing so will not stop Putin entirely, nor will it defeat jihadists that threaten the homeland.

But it will at least keep alive the option for the next U.S. president to recognize what Americas vital national security interests in Syria really are and act on that recognition.
I wanted to share some poignant memories of Justice Antonin Scalia. During the summer after my second year of law school, I decided to take the non-traditional route and enrolled in a legal study program in Italy. I was familiar with the country and fluent in the language, and there would be a special guest lecturer for the final week of the four-week program. The first three weeks were quite memorable, but it was during the fourth week that a life-altering encounter took place.

I watched from the kitchen window as Justice Antonin Scalia exited his white Italian rental car. I observed him assisting his wife, Maureen, and his septuagenarian aunts, Eva and Lenora, from the car and onto the path toward our villa in the outskirts of the historic city of Siena, overlooking the hills of Tuscany. Having been tasked with preparing the meal for our group, I was sporting an apron and covered in tomato sauce. But at that moment, what troubled me was that none of my classmates or professors were welcoming the Justice and his family to our feast. Though I was inappropriately attired, I alone approached the family and started the conversation to welcome them for their weeklong stay in Tuscany.

This brilliant and powerful jurist wasted no time finding his way to the tiny kitchen in which I was cooking. He ripped off a piece of the unsalted Tuscan bread and submerged it in my sauce. Waiting for his reaction was like waiting for a foreperson to read a jury's verdict. Upon his rather vocal approval, his next order of business was to locate the Chianti, in order to wash down the Italian delicacies lying on the table before him.

In those first minutes alone with the man whose aunts were calling "Nino," I gushed about my father being an attorney and my maternal grandfather having been one in the 1930s, when there were very few Italian-American lawyers. We chatted about our shared Sicilian heritage and, as New Yorkers often do when they meet, we determined we were both New York Yankees fans.

I was just 23 years old and had completed my second year at the City University of New York School of Law; he was 55 years old and had just completed his fifth term as an associate justice on our nation's highest court. He was also the most prestigious Italian-American individual this country had ever seen. We clearly were in two totally different stratospheres in this universe, but one thing was certain: There was a palpable chemistry between us. What I could not realize 25 years ago was what a significant role Justice Scalia would play as a mentor, a role model and a friend  not only in the law, but even more so in life.

After that magical week with the justice and his family in Italy, I would see him two or three times a year. Yet whenever I had quality time alone with him, I walked away with another life lesson that I hold close to my heart to this day. He was very kind to me and very generous with his advice and time. As the years went on and he became the "celebrity" of the court, he remained the grounded and real New Yorker I had met years before in the hills of Tuscany.

He took his work very seriously, but he never took himself too seriously  at least not in my company. As busy as he was and despite all of the demands on his time, he never denied me the opportunity to bring friends and family to watch oral arguments from his private box in the well of the Court, and then to visit him afterward in his chambers. Sometimes the visit would be accompanied by a behind-the-scenes tour of the Supreme Court, given by the Justice himself, or by lunch, either in his chambers or at one of his favorite restaurants. At my request, he willingly accepted the Rapallo Award given by the Columbian Lawyers Association, 1st Judicial Department, and he accepted the role of keynote speaker at the National District Attorneys lunch. Most recently, he participated in a forum at the Brooklyn Bar Association so that, in his words, he could "make you look presidential even before you are president of the organization.

Of the many lessons I learned from the justice  always lead with your strongest argument to a judge; only wear a navy or dark gray suit to the court; have dinner with your family as often as possible; you can never be over-prepared when you enter a courtroom  the overarching theme of all of his words of wisdom was: If youre going to do something, DO IT RIGHT! Do it the way it is supposed to be done and strive for 100 percent.

He followed the same mantra in the courtroom and in his written opinions, and it was that same philosophy that brought him joy in his pursuit of opera, religion, hunting, food and wine. As I deeply mourn his loss, I find comfort in the fact that whenever tempted to take a shortcut, whether in the law or in life, I will have my Uncle Nino on my shoulder, barking, "Do it the right way or don't do it at all!"

Overall, he was so much fun to spend time with; simply put, he was a very cool guy. I have had the privilege of meeting dozens of notable individuals in the course of my career. I cannot imagine any of them filling the void Justice Scalia has left in my life.

Your Honor, I will look at my diploma citing my admission to your Court with you as my sponsor with pride in my heart and soul. Thank you for your service to our country, your unwavering loyalty to our Constitution and for everything you have taught me to make me be a better lawyer and a better man.

You will be missed.
After losses in Nevada and South Carolina theres no doubt that Bernie Sanders faces a tough uphill battle for the Democratic nomination. But as an economic conservative, I urge Super Tuesday voters to give Bernie a closer look.

On some key areas of policy, his views should be attractive to disaffected voters on both the left and right, who togetheras demonstrated by Donald Trumps and Sanders strong challenges to political establishments in the primarieslikely constitute a majority of the general electorate.

Increasing the economy is monopolized. For example, prices for medical procedures and insurance are much higher in locales where the Affordable Care Act has permitted hospitals and insurance companies to enjoy limited competition.

Germans pay about a third less for health careand the British nearly halfthan Americans. ObamaCare didnt make it cheaper but instead imposes terrible bureaucratic burdens and requires too many young people to purchase coverage with huge deductibles they cannot afford.

Bush Care, which mainstream Republicans want to resurrect with tax deductions and other gimmicks, left too many people without insurance, because sometimes the free market doesnt work very well.

Like it or not, sometimes, the government has to create a regulated public utility or do the job itself. A single payer system in the model of Britain, as both Sanders and Trump have advocated, may be the only way to relieve the hassles and rein in high costs.

In the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown, Dodd-Frank has not limited the power of the big banks. Instead it has imposed mindless reporting burdens onto community bankswho didnt cause the crisis in the first place. Now small businesses cant get loans and create enough jobs.

Big banks are absorbing smaller regional banks, gambling with our deposits on commodities and foreign exchange, and stuffing executives pockets with huge bonuses.

Bernies got it right on the big banksbust them up and instigate more competition

His skepticism of free tradesupported by many moderates in both partiesis well founded. With Republican support, President Obama implemented a free trade pact with South Korea that has ballooned the bilateral trade deficit and killed 130,000 jobs.

Overall, badly implemented trade deals are costing Americans some 4 million jobs.

Certainly, I find many of Bernies redistributionist policies too expensive and badly conceived.

Soak the rich taxes and free tuition wont fix income inequality.

Aggressive taxes could easily drive more businesses off shore and make everyone poorer in the bargain.

We hardly need to send everyone to college. The problem with higher education is not access but high pricesmore subsidies wont fix that.

However, the country is already spending a ton on national health care. Its really a problem of redirecting that money to a national health care agencybusinesses and ordinary folks may be paying more taxes to fund it but they will get to skip those huge health insurance premiums, co-pays and deductibles.

Banks have proven too big to regulate and their huge political contributions have motivated federal antitrust cops to turn a blind eye to their abusive behavior.

After taking huge federal subsidies to build a green factory in Indiana, Carrier is moving operations to Mexico. You got to admit, its executives know how to mine the system but workers and taxpayers get the shaft.

I would prefer any of the Republicans to Hillary Clinton. She is too tainted by acts of questionable integrity, too beholden to powerful business interests that are bilking ordinary Americans and fighting battles long ago wonyoung women now receive 60 percent of college degrees, often earn more than young men and increasingly are assuming positions of leadership throughout society.

Bernie is straightforward and honest. He learned about the dreams of ordinary people the same place I didplaying stickball on the streets of New York.

Hes a sweetheart.
Tuesday, February 23 marks another important deadline in the struggle between the White House and Congress over closing the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay.

As mandated by the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, the president is required to submit a comprehensive strategy for how to detain current and future enemy combatants. In common language hes got to lay out whats next after Gitmo.

President Obama spoke forcefully Tuesday morning, declaring that he is absolutely committed to closing Gitmo. Anyone who listened to the president cannot doubt his passion for this issue and his commitment.

The president said we ought to step back and look at the facts about Guantanamo. What a great idea.

While Guantanamo got off to a rocky start in 2002, today its broadly recognized as one of the worlds best run prisons. I know because Ive been there dozens of times while a Pentagon spokesman. And its kept us safe from another 9/11. Closing it without a better plan to protect Americans is misguided and endangers us all.

After seven years of virtual judo to block Mr. Obamas signature issue on national security, Congress must stand tough now.

Why? Because transferring Gitmo detainees to the U.S. mainland would be a public safety nightmare.

How so?

First, because judges could let the detainees go free. Many of the current detainees are held under indefinite detention status since the United States didnt have battlefield detectives chasing Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives in Afghanistan and Pakistan. That means we cant convict them in court. Just like we could not we convict 400,000 Nazi prisoners detained here during World War II. Such a suggestion would have been ridiculous.

Yet due to modern lawfare, many Americans have been confused into believing the try them or release them defense attorney argument. Under that mentality, activist judges would line up for jurisdiction and it wouldnt be long before dangerous jihadists walk out of prison.

Dont believe me? Just Google the name Ali Al-Marri. He went from an Illinois-based Al Qaeda sleeper cell agent trained in poisons, to a detainee held at the Navys Charleston Brig, to a free man in Qatar.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and other pro-closure colleagues like to cite the high conviction rate of terrorists in U.S. courts. Yet comparing them to Gitmo is misleading because those federal cases have rock-solid evidence trails from the FBI and local police. Thats apples and oranges to most enemy combatants captured overseas during wartime.

Second, sending Gitmo detainees to the U.S. mainland would only change the zip code, while putting local communities in places like Colorado, Kansas and South Carolina at elevated risk for violent protests at best, terrorist attacks at worst. Think of a hybrid blend of Ferguson, Baltimore, Chattanooga and San Bernardino.

The Armys old School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Georgia provides a hint of what could be in store. For decades, its been the site of annual mass protests as far-left activists gather to rage against abuses by former foreign military students in 1980s Central America. At its peak, up to 17,000 people would turn Columbus, Georgia upside down, with hundreds arrested for storming the base.

In addition to fighting off Team Obama from just down Pennsylvania Avenue, Congress also must engage the American people on why Gitmo should remain open for business.

Some Senators and Representatives certainly have done this and they deserve our thanks.

But we need many more to follow their lead. As theyll tell you, its not easy to block an administration that picked the closure of Gitmo as Priority No. 1, since Day One. And this isnt exactly a White House thats famous for compromise, to boot.

Congress must continually remind Americans that, according to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), nearly 1 in 3 ex-Gitmo detainees are confirmed or suspected of returning to terrorism.

And our elected representatives should also help to expose the fuzzy math on actual Gitmo costs. The White House intentionally keeps the per detainee figure high through the excessive number of 2,000 troops who are deployed to Guantanamo for less than 100 detainees. Together with satellite TV, four catered Halal meals a day, Wii-Fits and other amenities available to the detainees, Gitmo costs are the biggest fraud, waste and abuse in modern military history. And yet, how many trillions of dollars did the 9/11 attacks eventually cost?

Members of Congress must also keep challenging the myth that Gitmo is a top propaganda tool for jihadists. Not only do recent think tank studies rate this as false, a simple timeline of history helps too. The 9/11 terror attacks, East Africa Embassy bombings and USS Cole bombing all pre-dated the detainment of enemy combatants at Gitmo.

Ideally, our current commander in chief would take the hint from Congress and just give it a rest. But since that doesnt appear likely, we need our Senators and Representatives to hang tough. Ladies and gentlemen of the Congress were counting on it.
Recently, a Chinese firm, Chongqing Casin Enterprise Group (CCEG), announced its desire to purchase the Chicago Stock Exchange. In response, 45 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives joined me in writing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to request a rigorous investigation of this transaction.

Some might question why such a transaction should be reviewed by the committee charged with protecting Americas security when foreign interests attempt acquisitions. To me, the integrity of Americas financial system and the safety and security of our nations economic assets raise significant national security issues. Not only is the economic strength of our country potentially at risk, but so is the economic security of our people. Indeed, the two go hand-in-hand.

Americas national security may be increasingly at risk as sources for technology disperse across the globe. The question is not whether we should source technology offshore: we are all aware of our increasingly globalized economy, and in many ways that should be facilitated by government. However, we need to have confidence in the suppliers we use and the risks that exist.

Day after day, Americans read about new cyber-attacks and state-sponsored espionage attempts. Our federal government must do all it can to protect the safety and security of our networks.

America is one of the most open countries for foreign ownership. Last year, Chinese investment in the U.S. for the first time exceeded U.S. investment flows into China. Investments by China, or any other country, can be a good thing as long as we evaluate the assets that are being acquired and the potential risks that may exist. Each year, CFIUS evaluates dozens of transactions, the majority of which are approved without issue. However, some are simply withdrawn and a few are rejected because of potential risks to our national security. We should be open to foreign investment when it is in our nations best interests.

Chinese investment often suffers from a lack of transparency. The intentions of their government and individual companies are opaque. China is guided by its Five Year Plans and policies articulated by the Chinese Communist Party and State Council. Proposed overseas investments by Chinese entities over a certain dollar threshold have to be filed with the government. The State Council has stated that it would no longer review those transactions, but the filing process makes clear that the government is monitoring.

Thoughtful observers of China would concur that an acquisition of a major U.S. asset by a Chinese firm would require Chinese government approval. Until China discloses more information, we should remain skeptical of their objectives.

Given the lack of transparency in China, we do not know the extent of state influence on this company. The Chinese government maintains a dominant role in many domestic market sectors. CCEG conducts business in many of these state-dominant markets which would likely require close ties to the state  particularly in the environmental protection areas which are state-sensitive.

Moreover, the chairman of CCEG, Shengju Lu, holds a seat on an important industry committee, overseen directly by the mayor of the Chongqing Municipality  implying a direct political connection. According to initial reports, CCEGs financial assets were originally owned by the Chinese government, and the company was created to absorb those state-controlled assets in 1997.

China has historically been the leading market and currency manipulator in the world. Given that the purchase of the Chicago Stock Exchange yields direct access to the $22 trillion American equity market, CFIUS must ensure that CCEG is truly a free market enterprise immune from state influence. Furthermore, state influence in this matter could allow the Chinese government access to vast amounts of financial data of individuals and institutions, as well as the ability to shut down or alter trading should there be any confrontation between our two countries.

Late last year, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a Securities and Exchange Commission entity tasked with promoting our financial security, was unable to come to an agreement with China on financial accounting and transparency issues. With the current volatility in the nascent Chinese markets and the fact that they are still in their infancy, we risk significantly harming Americas economic infrastructure if a thorough CFIUS review does not occur. Inherent in our consideration is the direct impact on our national security and the interests of the American people.

Lastly, CCEGs acquisition of the Chicago Stock Exchange could serve as a pipeline for other Chinese state-influenced firms to access American markets  particularly, firms that would otherwise have trouble expanding in the United States due to a variety of infringements and transgressions, including transparency, corruption, and security. For example, over the past decade, Chinese state-owned telecommunication companies have had a difficult time expanding due to widespread cybersecurity breaches. In 2012, the House Intelligence Committee conducted a review on Chinese state-owned telecommunication companies and urged both the government and private sector not to contract with those entities  a remarkable open-source conclusion given that committees access to intelligence resources.

American businesses largely adhere to transparency, openness, and rule of law in the marketplace. We have civil laws to enforce compliance. As a Member of Congress who sits on the Financial Services Committee, I support those principles in our open and free markets. In China, however, transparency offenses extend to every aspect of the ubiquitous hand of its governance, including into its marketplace, military, maritime claims, space activities, human rights violations, foreign investment practices, law enforcement practices, currency treatment, and the treatment towards journalists and dissidents.

Severely lacking in their culture and government is a commitment to equity and justice. At present in China, there is a major campaign against government and industry corruption, with many high ranking officials being complicit of self-dealing violations.

Recognizing the volatile Chinese economy, widespread internal corruption, lack of transparency, state-dominance over domestic companies, and the evidence of ongoing cyber-attacks on U.S. industry, it is essential that CFIUS thoroughly review this purchase with broad considerations to ensure we do not provide the Chinese government access to manipulate American markets and place our own interests at significant risk.
Senate Republican leaders Monday seized on comments made by Vice President Joe Biden 24 years ago, when the then-senator from Delaware said the Senate should not consider a Supreme Court nominee during an election year.

"Once the political season is underway and it is, action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over," Biden said in June 1992 on the Senate floor, according to a C-SPAN recording of his remarks.

&amp;amp;nbsp;

Biden was referring to a hypothetical situation, since the Senate was not considering a nominee at the time of his remarks. But the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia earlier this month has left a precarious 4-4 ideological balance between right- and left-leaning justices as they consider cases on abortion, voting rights, Obama's health care law and other polarizing issues.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., reiterated the stance he took hours after Scalia's death that the next president should select a court nominee. He said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, whose statements have wavered, agreed with him.

But separately, McConnell's press office and Grassley in a floor speech went further and cited the 1992 Biden remarks. Grassley called the comments "The Biden Rules" and said the vice president "knows what the Senate should do."

Biden defended himself in a written statement, saying that in his 1992 speech he said the Senate and White House should cooperate "to ensure the court functions as the founding fathers intended." He said under his long-time leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the chamber considered nine Supreme Court nominees "and the current Senate has a constitutional duty to do the same."

Both sides have spent days unearthing comments members of the other party made about court nominations years ago under presidents of different parties when the political circumstances were reversed.

McConnell's assertion that the president elected this November should nominate the replacement has drawn support from nearly all Republicans and irate, solid opposition from Democrats. Yet as the two parties girded for what promises to be a months-long battle, some cracks have appeared on the GOP side.

Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill.  who faces a difficult re-election race this year in a Democratic-leaning state  distributed an opinion column he'd written for the Chicago Sun-Times saying he looks forward to Obama selecting a nominee.

"I also recognize my duty as a senator to either vote in support or opposition to that nominee following a fair and thorough hearing along with a complete and transparent release of all requested information," Kirk wrote.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she favored Judiciary Committee hearings "so that there can be an in-depth vetting of the nominee and his or her views." Several other GOP senators said they'd defer to a decision by Grassley about holding hearings, including Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., Rob Portman, R-Ohio and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who face re-election contests in November.

Obama is expected to announce his nomination in coming weeks. GOP senators will gather on Tuesday for the first time since Scalia's death to discuss their path forward.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


ABC News reports that President Obama has sent a plan to close Guantanamo Bay to congress. Good luck, Mr. President!

"We recognize that this is going to be a challenge," he said. "We are going to keep making the case to Congress."

The president's plan has four primary element, including transferring to other countries detainees who are already designated for transfer. Although 91 detainees are now at Guantanamo, 35 are already eligible for transfer if the administration can find another country to take them. Officials anticipate getting the prison's population below 60 later this year.

The plan aims at accelerating periodic reviews of authority to detain an individual, prosecuting detainees who are facing charges, and working with Congress to establish a location in the homeland to securely hold detainees who cannot be transferred. Lastly, the president wants to move all remaining detainees to the United States.
Marco Rubio picked up a flurry of endorsements Monday from key Republicans in his bid for the GOP presidential nomination, as the GOP establishment appeared to coalesce behind the Florida senator as its best hope to head off Donald Trump.

The endorsements, including support from former Senate Majority Leader and one-time presidential candidate Bob Dole, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, came after Jeb Bush exited the race and on the heels of a series of blunders by the campaign of Rubio rival Ted Cruz.

"I just feel that Rubio is the more serious candidate."  Bob Dole

Whats happened here is that a lot of mainstream Republicans realize if they want to stop Trump, their best bet is Marco Rubio, even over Ted Cruz, GOP strategist Ford OConnell told The Washington Times.



While it is not clear that the support of old guard Republicans will be enough to stop Trump in an election campaign dominated by insurgent candidates, party members expressed doubt that anger at Washington will be enough to defeat presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton.

"I just feel that Rubio is the more serious candidate," Dole told Reuters. "And I feel he has the background to be able to really help turn this mess around.

Rubio barely edged out Cruz in the most recent primary, in South Carolina, but finished well behind Trump, who establishment Republicans are wary of.

Cruz, meanwhile, fired spokesman Rick Tyler on Monday over a video that falsely showed Rubio dismissing the Bible. Tyler had apologized a day earlier for retweeting a link to the "inaccurate story" involving a video purporting to show Rubio referring to the Bible and saying, "Not many answers in it."

The firing of Tyler followed other accusations of dirty tricks by the Cruz campaign, dating back to his victory in the Iowa caucuses.

Yet another strong conservative leader is joining our campaign! Welcome to the team, Gov. @AsaHutchinson!  Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 23, 2016

Dole told ABC News his endorsement of Rubio was a direct result of Bush dropping out.

"Now that my good friend Jeb Bush is no longer running, I'm supporting Rubio," Dole told ABC's "Political Powerhouse" podcast.

Hutchinson, a respected former Congressman, likened Rubio to Ronald Reagan in a glowing statement of support.

"The more I've watched this election unfold, the more I've come to see that Marco Rubio is the only candidate who can unite our nation the way Ronald Reagan once did," Hutchinson said.

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said in a statement Monday that Rubio's message, generally less strident than the rhetoric of his rivals, is most likely to win the White House in November.



"Im supporting Marco Rubio for president because he has the ideas, the principles, and the toughness necessary to bring reform to Washington," Flake said. "In an election where serious solutions are seriously lacking, Marco Rubio has proven that he can inspire more than just anger in Americans who are looking for an alternative to the status quo."
Parts of Jeb Bush's formidable donor network already are gravitating to Marco Rubio within days of his exit from the race, sensing a quickly narrowing window to disrupt Donald Trump's march to the nomination.

While the more than $150 million of campaign and super PAC cash pumped into Bush's bid did little for the former Florida governor, his money men and women hope they can put their cash to more effective use this time.

This has been a relatively seamless transition for me, and I believe for so many others, Bush donor and former Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman told FoxNews.com, citing Rubio's electability and vision among the reasons for backing him.

The folks I was working with on the Bush campaign, my sense is almost unanimity in them moving over to Team Rubio, Coleman said.

Though some saw Rubio's challenge against Bush as a betrayal of his former mentor, the bad blood may not be enough to prevent Bush donors from leaping to Rubio anyway.

And Trump is a factor.

With Bush out, and frontrunner Trump racking up delegates through primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Bush's donors told FoxNews.com they are moving fast in order to rally around the candidate they believe can beat the billionaire businessman.

Bobbie Kilberg, a Republican fundraiser who supported Chris Christie and then Bush, says she made the decision as early as Sunday morning to move her support to Rubio.

Its become exceptionally clear that it is time for mainstream Republicans to coalesce around one mainstream candidate they can support and who can win elections, Kilberg said. Theres a sense of urgency here that the window will close shortly.

Bush made headlines in 2015 for accruing an enormous war chest and rolodex of donors, in a fundraising blitz that became known as shock and awe." Yet it wasnt to be for Bush, who won less than 8 percent in South Carolinas primary Saturday and swiftly dropped out of the race for the White House.

Kilberg cant say exactly how many other Bush donors will move to Rubio, but says she has seen a lot of interest from fellow donors.

On Sunday morning, before noon I had nine phone calls from people saying If youre going to Rubio, were going with you and thats a lot of calls and emails to get before Sunday lunchtime, she said.

My prediction is youre going to see a very strong movement of people from supporting Bush and Christie going to Rubio. Hes the clear alternative and its time we all did this.

Top GOP donor and Bush backer Dirk Van Dongen also told FoxNews.com in an email late Monday that he was moving his support to Rubio.

There are some signs that Ohio Gov. John Kasich may also be a minor beneficiary of Bushs exit. Billionaire Stephen Druckenmiller told The New York Times Monday that he was backing Kasich, a big win for the struggling candidate.

Although Rubio has scooped up most of the political endorsements since Saturday's primary, Kasich has also picked up a few endorsements, including former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld and Nevada Speaker of the Assembly John Hambrick, both former Bush backers.

Coleman, who was also a Bush surrogate and even worked the "spin room" for him at the most recent South Carolina debate, said while many donors respect the Ohio governor, his perceived steep path to victory is dissuading many potential backers from putting their money behind him.

I have respect for the governor, but theres no path there. Hes got strength in a couple of states and thats it, Coleman said.

Kasich has a long way up the road to where he can be competitive and viable, agreed veteran GOP strategist Rick Wilson, who is backing Rubio. Kasich is the one pro-ObamaCare candidate and hes about to run into a buzzsaw of southern states that hate ObamaCare with a passion.

Wilson also dismissed Ted Cruz -- though he, unlike Rubio, has actually won an early-state contest -- as a possible option for donors looking to deny Trump.

There is a lot of questioning of Cruzs political judgment in the donor community. He spent months with his lips attached to Donald Trumps backside, Wilson told FoxNews.com. He was so eager to await the collapse of Trump and eat up his voters, hes now put himself in a very tough position attacking Trump.

Polls still show Rubio has a significant uphill climb to beat Trump. Ahead of Tuesdays caucuses in Nevada, polls show Trump ahead by over 20 points, and Rubio has yet to win a primary or a caucus.

The RealClearPolitics average of recent national polls shows Trump leading the pack with 34 percent, followed by Cruz with 20 percent and Rubio with 16.

Rubio backers are gambling that as other candidates drop out and voters and donors unite around Rubio, the gap will narrow.

None of this is going to be easy for anyone, and its going to get loud, Wilson said. But folks are rallying to Marco  because hes the one guy who can beat Trump and who will be the most effective against Hillary Clinton in the fall."
Secretary of State John Kerry told lawmakers on Tuesday he is uncertain whether the proposed cease-fire in Syria will work, but said it is the only option on the table if a political settlement in the war-torn country is the goal.

Still, Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, hes not going to vouch for the plan.

Im not going to say this process is sure to work because I dont know, he said.

Kerrys comments come one day after the U.S. and Russia pitched a plan to implement a cease-fire in Syria. Despite the deal, nagging questions remain over the enforcement of the truce and how violations of the agreement will be handled.

While skeptical of its success, Kerry told lawmakers that if the cease-fire, which goes into effect Saturday, leads to the flow of humanitarian assistance to the ravaged country, it would be a benefit.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said she's concerned Russia won't honor the truce and it will become a "rope-a-dope deal."

"It may be," Kerry replied.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the committee's chairman, said he has no confidence Russia would abide by the cease-fire agreement. Corker also said Russia is using refugees as a "weapon of war" against Europe. Corker and other Republican senators chided Kerry for the lack of leverage the U.S. has against Russia if Moscow violates the terms of the agreement.

"Russia knows there will be no Plan B," Corker said. But Kerry said it would be a mistake to underestimate President Obama's potential for taking punitive action against Moscow.

The war in Syria has claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people and displaced 11 million more.

The truce, which is set to go into effect Saturday, does not cover the Islamic State extremist group, the Al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front and any other militias designated as terrorist organizations by the U.N. Security Council.

Both the U.S. and Russia are still targeting those groups with airstrikes.

The Syrian government and the main umbrella for Syrian opposition and rebel groups announced Tuesday their conditional acceptance of the cease-fire.

But even if the cease-fire is implemented, the fighting and violence in Syria won't stop.

Despite the agreement, Russia is almost certain to continue an air campaign that it insists is targeting terrorists. But the U.S. and its partners said Russia is mainly hitting moderate opposition groups and killing civilians.

While ISIS tries to expand its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and neighboring Iraq, al-Nusra is unlikely to end its effort to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Kurds have been fighting ISIS, even as they face attacks from America's NATO ally Turkey. And Assad has his own history of broken promises when it comes to military action.

In congressional testimony two weeks ago, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Russia's campaign in Syria "has eclipsed its aggression in the Crimea and Ukraine as the most serious flashpoint in U.S.-Russian relations."

"Unlike Russia's obscured hand in Ukraine, its actions in Syria are being played out in daily headlines that report on Russia's indiscriminate bombing and its support of the Syrian regime in areas where moderate forces are aiming to get out from under the rule of the Assad regime," Clapper said.

As objectionable as Russia's involvement in Syria is, the only prospect for peace is through a negotiated cease-fire, humanitarian relief and a serious attempt at negotiating a political resolution, said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. That approach is "far preferable to our deploying tens of thousands of American troops in an attempt to move the balance of the battlefield back against Assad," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Obama detailed Tuesday a four-point plan he'll submit to Congress to eventually close the detention facility at Guantanamo, Cuba -- a plan that includes releasing more of the remaining 91 detainees, while transferring others to an as-yet determined facility on U.S. soil.



Much of the president's plan, which represents a final effort to fulfill his 2008 campaign pledge to close the facility, still must be approved by Congress, and includes:

-- The careful transfer of 35 detainees to overseas countries;

-- Accelerating the review process for the roughly 56 remaining detainees to see whether theyre eligible for transfer;

-- Using all of the legal tools available to resolve the cases of detainees in the commission process; and,

-- Work with Congress to select a secure transfer location on U.S. soil.

We can improve our security, uphold our highest values around the world and save Americans money in the process, Obama said in introductory remarks meant to frame the four key points.

The Guantanamo facility, on the U.S. Naval base in Cuba, was opened in January 2002 in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks to house captured terror suspects.

The plan presented Tuesday was similar to a draft plan the Pentagon recently released.

A new facility would cost as much as $475 million to build.

Obama said closing the facility would be less of a drain on U.S. military resources and save taxpayers $85 million annually, and as much as $1.7 billion over 20 years.

He also suggested that the facility has outlived its usefulness and become a dark spot on U.S. foreign policy, considering allies point out some detainees have been held for perhaps as long as 15 years without receiving a verdict in their military commission trials.

Obama also argued that terror groups are using the issue of detention without an expedient trial as a propaganda tool to recruit more members.

This closes a chapter in our history, Obama said of his plan. It reflects the lessons of 9/11.

Any closure plan faces stiff opposition in Congress, which has passed legislation banning any effort to move detainees to the U.S.

Texas GOP Rep. Mac Thornberry, chairman of House Armed Services Committee, declined comment on the latest plan until he finishes his review of it -- but has told Obama what Congress expects such a plan to include.

A committee aide, however, told Fox News on Tuesday that the administration plan is not compliant."

New Hampshire GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte said: "While the administration asserts that transferring detainees and closing Guantanamo is in America's national security interests, they refuse to level with the American people regarding the terrorist activities and affiliations of the detainees who remain at Guantanamo."

The administration in recent months submitted a draft plan with 13 new, potential U.S. locations -- seven prison facilities in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas, and six others on military bases.

Obama didnt say whether the plan addresses what to do with any top-members of the Islamic State terror groups should they be captured on the battlefield. But he made clear some of the detainees remain a continuing and significant threat and must be held somewhere.

According to officials, the administration plan states a U.S. facility would cost $265 million to $305 million to operate each year. The annual operating cost for Guantanamo is $445 million, but the officials said the Cuba detention center will need about $225 million in repairs and construction costs for continued use.

They said a facility will cost $290 million to $475 million to build, depending on the location.

Congress has been demanding the Guantanamo plan for months, and members representing South Carolina, Kansas and Colorado have voiced opposition to housing the detainees in their states.

Those members and others in the GOP-controlled Congress argue that such a facility poses a national security risk, particularly a terror attack -- concerns that Obama brushed aside in Tuesday's opening remarks.

He acknowledged the idea of detainees on U.S. soil can be scary. But he argued that terrorists who tried or successfully carried out attacks on Times Square, at the Boston Marathon and on a commercial jet head to Detroit have been convicted in a federal court and are in U.S. prisons.

Let us go ahead and close this chapter, Obama said Tuesday, from the White House.

At its peak in 2003, Guantanamo held nearly 680 detainees, and there were about 245 when Obama took office. He has relocated 147 of them.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In a play on his famous movie, director Spike Lee urged black voters in South Carolina to "Do the Right Thing" and throw their support behind Bernie Sanders in Saturdays Democratic primary.

Wake up! Wake up, South Carolina! Lee says in the new 1-minute radio ad. This is your dude, Spike Lee. And you know that I know that you know that the system is rigged! And for too long weve given our votes to corporate puppets. Sold the okie doke. Ninety-nine percent of Americans were hurt by the Great Recession of 2008, and many are still recovering."

Lee says those are reasons why hes officially endorsing my brother, Bernie Sanders.

Bernie takes no money from corporations. Nada. Which means hes not on the tape and, when Bernie gets into the White House, he will do the right thing! Lee said, referencing his movie.

Lee also tells voters to note Sanders participation in Martin Luther King Jr.s March on Washington in 1963.

He fought for wealth and education equality throughout his whole career, Lee said, making a reference to Sanders' arrest in Chicago for protesting segregation in public schools. No flippin, no floppin. Enough talk.

Last week, Sanders and Clinton squared off in the Nevada Democratic caucus, where Clinton beat out Sanders in her second win toward the Democratic presidential nomination.
The Inevitable Hillary Clinton has returned.

The media have spoken and again bestowed the cloak of inevitability on the Democratic front-runner.

One five-point win over Bernie Sanders in the Nevada caucuses was all it took. In other words, the Democratic race was fun while it lasted.

You might think the pundits would be allergic to the I-word. After all, they first described Hillary that way in 2007, and yet she lost.

Then they described Hillary that way in 2015, and she plummeted in the polls, finished a few coin flips ahead of Bernie in Iowa and got decimated in New Hampshire.

But here it is in Slate: Winning Nevada makes Hillary Clintons nomination virtually inevitable.

Or as the Huffington Posts banner headline put it: BERNING OUT?

Heres the deal: Clintons campaign said all along that her strength with black voters would swamp Sanders once they got past the first two mostly white states. That happened in Nevada over the weekend, and will likely happen this week in South Carolina, which has a large African-American population. So as long as Hillary doesnt lose the FBI primary, the medias verdict is that the Sanders surge is over.

You can see one outlet after another jumping off the Bernie bandwagon:

His path to the Democratic nomination, already steep, has narrowed considerably now that Clinton has re-established herself as the all-but-prohibitive front-runner, says the Washington Post.

The New York Times does the math:

The often overlooked delegate count in the Democratic primary shows Mr. Sanders slipping significantly behind Hillary Clinton in the race for the nomination, and the odds of his overtaking her growing increasingly remote. Mrs. Clinton has 502 delegates to Mr. Sanderss 70; 2,383 are needed to win the nomination.

The aforementioned Slate piece:

By winning, Team Clinton doesnt just score delegatesit proves its theory of the race. The Clinton campaign believes that Sanders strength and enthusiasm is illusory; that it reflects the peculiar demographics of Iowa and New Hampshirerural states with few minoritiesmore than any pro-Bernie tide in the Democratic Party. Nevada, in other words, was a test. If Clinton lost, then it presaged a tighter race in South Carolina and beyond, and possibly one that ended with a Sanders nomination. Now, instead, we have a race that essentially looks like it did in the beginning of the year.

And Politico says Sanders young voters may be unreliable:

More than a half million college students from 14 states will be on spring break at the same time that the presidential campaign train chugs onto their campuses, according to a POLITICO analysis of the March 5 to March 26 primary and caucus states.

For Sanders to keep his momentum into April, hes going to need to turn the #FeeltheBern college crowds enthusiasm into real live votes. But thats a lot harder to do when those students have fanned out far away from their classrooms and are binge-watching Netflix on their parents couches or partying in New Orleans rather than caucusing in Bangor.

To be sure, Sanders has done far better in this campaign than anyone, including me, imagined. Even his narrow loss in Nevada was a comeback from a 25-point deficit. The 74-year-old senator has fired up the liberal grass roots, exposed serious weaknesses in Clintons candidacy and pushed her to the left.

But Ive been arguing that the media never truly took Sanders seriously as a plausible nominee. If they had, they would be doing a much more thorough vetting of his policies, his background and his record.

Case in point: this piece by Paul Krugman, the liberal New York Times columnist and Nobel Prize-winning economist. What he writes about was barely a story, but would have been huge if Sanders was viewed as a major-league contender. In fact, the press would have gotten there first:

Four former Democratic chairmen and chairwomen of the presidents Council of Economic Advisers  three who served under Barack Obama, one who served under Bill Clinton  released a stinging open letter to Bernie Sanders and Gerald Friedman, a University of Massachusetts professor who has been a major source of the Sanders campaigns numbers. The economists called out the campaign for citing extreme claims by Mr. Friedman that exceed even the most grandiose predictions by Republicans and could undermine the credibility of the progressive economic agenda.

Mr. Friedman outdoes the G.O.P. by claiming that the Sanders plan would produce 5.3 percent growth a year over the next decadeSorry, but theres just no way to justify this stuff. For wonks like me, it is, frankly, horrifying.

But you dont have to be a wonk to know that a 5.3 percent growth rate is wildly unrealistic.

Maybe the political pundits are wrong. Maybe Sanders will figure out how to make inroads in the minority community and Clinton will lose traction. But after so much early chatter about a Hillary coronation, the media are right back where they started.
A weird world of warlike ants and well-armored termites has been found preserved in amber.

The insect fossils, entombed in Burmese amber from Myanmar, date back 99 million years for the ants and 100 million years for the termites. The fossils reveal the startling sociality of these insects very early in their development. The ants cluster together with others of their kind and, in one case, engage in pitched jaw-to-jaw battle. The termites show different body adaptations for soldiers and workers, a hallmark of specialized roles.

"Up until now, the oldest [termite] soldiers that we knew about were 20 million years old, so we have 80 million years longer of a record," said study researcher Philip Barden, a postdoctoral scientist at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York. [See Photos of the Battling Ants and Termites Trapped in Amber]

Tough termites

Termites are the oldest known social animal group, Barden told Live Science, and fossil and genetic evidence suggests they emerged in the early Cretaceous period, between 146 million and 100 million years ago. Termite fossils older than 100 million years have been found, he said, but only of winged reproductive termites. The Burmese amber specimens, which are housed in the AMNH collection, are the oldest evidence of castes. Termite colonies today, just like in the Cretaceous, are made up of reproductive individuals with wings, workers responsible for constructing tunnels and collecting food and soldiers responsible for defense.

Workers and soldiers are easy to tell apart, Barden said, because workers are soft and featureless, and soldiers have hard, distinctive heads and strong mandibles. [Gallery: Out-of-This-World Images of Insects]

"A worker is just very killable, and the soldier is like an armored tank of a thing," Barden said.

Reporting online Feb. 11 in the journal Current Biology, the researchers christened one of the newly discovered species found in the amber Gigantotermes rex. The termite was nearly an inch (2 centimeters) long, with thick mandibles. Another new species. Krishnatermes yoddha, got its name from the late termite researcher Kumar Krishna and the Hindi word "Yod'dha," or warrior. All three castes of K. yoddha were found, including a thick-headed soldier, a far more fragile worker and a reproductive termite with diaphanous wings.

It's interesting to find such a clear delineation of roles so early in termite development, because ants  termites' main nemeses  were not yet ecologically dominant 100 million years ago, Barden said.

"It seems that the termite soldier caste isn't necessarily to deal with these early ants," he said. "It was already well-developed when ants were kind of taking their baby steps."

Ancient ants

Those ant baby steps were outlined in a companion paper, also published online in Current Biology. Barden and his colleagues examined Burmese amber fossils of ants from 99 million years ago, only 1 million years younger than the oldest known ant fossils, which were found in France. Ants probably evolved some 50 million years before these fossils, in the late Jurassic or early Cretaceous, but no fossils have been found from that period.

The new fossils reveal that by 99 million years ago, ants were social; though they make up a mere 1 percent of the insect fossils found in the amber, they cluster together far more often than would be expected by chance. For example, the likelihood that one specimen that held 11 Gerontoformica spiralis ants and one Haidomyrmex zigrasi ant would exist by mere happenstance is 1 in 31 quadrillion, the researchers reported. Another piece of amber contains 21 ants of three different species.

One of the most stunning fossils captured workers of two species, G. spiralis and G. tendir, locked in mortal combat with their jaws clasped around each other's appendages. Before either could emerge victorious, amber enveloped the battle, freezing it in place.

The discovery of ant "warfare" is just one line of evidence showing complex social behavior in these insects, Barden said. The researchers also found fossilized workers and queens, revealing that these specializations already existed in ant colonies in the Cretaceous. The discovery was also exciting, Barden said, because the ants are so alien compared with the pests raiding kitchen cabinets today.

Take the Haidomyrmex genus. These now-extinct ants had huge mandibles that may have snapped shut to impale their prey, Barden said. Haidomyrmex (which means "hell ant") survived for at least 20 million years, and its specializations suggest it may have depended on a particular, but unknown, type of prey. Another species, newly described from the Burmese samples, had a camel-like head and bizarre mouthparts covered in pointy hairs.

"It looks almost like 'Predator' from the movies," Barden said.

These long-lost lineages are to today's ants what dinosaurs are to modern birds, Barden said  early adaptions that have now been lost. He and his colleagues are now studying more Burmese fossils as well as the genetics of modern insects to understand how these creatures and their social structures evolved.

"The fossils can be really illuminating for learning about things that are alive today," Barden said. "And the things alive today and the genes within them can be really illuminating for learning about how these early things lived."

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A mysterious religious artifact has surfaced during renovations at Bethlehems famous Church of the Nativity, officials say.

According to the Times of Israel, the artifact is made of brass, silver, shells and stones. It was covered in plaster and found near a window in the church that reportedly was built by Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena in the fourth century. Although officials confirmed that the artifact has been cleaned up, it is not on display, and there are no images of it as yet.

Related: Archaeologists in the UK unearth 3,000-year-old wheel

Ziad al-Bandak, a Palestinian presidential adviser for Christian Affairs, said the artifact is, of great religious and historical value.

The church itself is built over the cave where the birth of Jesus is said to have taken place. Considered to be one of Christianitys holiest sites, the present day building is listed as endangered by UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency. Over the centuries, the building fell into disrepair and is undergoing a vast and costly renovation in order to save it.

Until two years ago, water leaked in through a broken roof that has been replaced, according to the AP, which also noted that mosaic tiles within the building are being retouched for the first time in nearly a thousand years.

The AP also wrote that funding for the first phase drew interest from a variety of parties, including the Palestinian private sector, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches and donations from other countries.

Related: Amateur archaeologist discovers lost Spanish settlement in Florida Panhandle

Al-Bandak said $8 million has already been spent and an additional $11 million will be needed for further updates.

The AP added that the project is expected to take at least another three years, and will include work on stone capitals and columns as well as on the ancient floor mosaics currently covered by stone flooring.

Al-Bandak told the AP that the completed first phase is already a source of pride. "We are very proud of it because when we protect our national heritage, our history, we protect our future."
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has broken with other Silicon Valley giants by backing the FBI in its battle with Apple over hacking into a locked iPhone as part of the investigation into last December's San Bernardino terror attack.

In an interview with the Financial Times published Tuesday, Gates said a court order requiring Apple to help the FBI access a work phone belonging to gunman Syed Farook was " a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case."

Gates went on to compare the FBI's request to accessing bank and telephone records. However, he added that the government must be subject to rules about when it can access such information.

"I hope that we have that debate so that the safeguards are built and so people do not opt  and this will be country by country  [to say] it is better that the government does not have access to any information," Gates said.

The San Bernardino County-issued iPhone 5C was used by Farook, who with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people at an office holiday party in December before they died in a gun battle with police. The government said they had been at least partly inspired by ISIS.



Data curated by FindTheData

The couple physically destroyed two personal phones so completely that the FBI has been unable to recover information from them.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that creating such software is a dangerous precedent that would threaten data security for millions by making essentially a master key that could later be duplicated and used against other phones.



Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday expressed his support for Apple while in Barcelona, Spain, to speak at the Mobile World Congress, saying he believes in helping the government in its fight against terrorism but that encryption is important.



"I don't think that back doors into encryption is going to increase security or is in the direction the world is going," he said.

Twitter boss Jack Dorsey also tweeted his support last week for Cook's "leadership", while Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the order for Apple to hack the phone "could be a troubling precedent."

Meanwhile, family members of attack victims and survivors intend to file court papers in support of the original order by a federal magistrate.

The victims "have questions that go simply beyond the criminal investigation ... in terms of why this happened, how this happened, why they were targeted, is there anything about them on the iPhone -- things that are more of a personal victim" view, attorney Stephen Larson said, adding that the brief would be filed before March 3.



Robert Velasco, whose 27-year-old daughter Yvette Velasco was killed in the shooting, told The Associated Press that he didn't have to think long before agreeing to have his name added to the legal filing in support of the FBI.



"It is important to me to have my name in there," Velasco said. "I lost my daughter in this and I want the court to see that I am seeking justice for my daughter."

Gregory Clayborn, whose 27-year-old daughter, Sierra, died in the attack, said he hasn't been asked to join the case but believes Apple is obligated to unlock the phone.



"This makes me a little bit angry with Apple," Clayborn said. "It makes me question their interest in the safety of this country."



Clayborn said he understands Apple's concerns, but unlocking one phone for the FBI, he said, is "as simple as it gets."



The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An SUV caught fire and exploded on a Tennessee road Sunday, causing nearly everything in the vehicle to be destroyed except a Bible left untouched in the front seat.

The Memphis Police Department responded to the scene around 2:30 p.m. Sunday when the Jeep Laredo left Tennessee State Route 385 and went up in flames after it was swiped by another vehicle, Fox 13 Memphis reported.

A witness to the crash, Eugene McNiel, told Fox 13 he was only about 20 yard away when he saw the car clip the Jeep and jumped out of his truck to help.

"I didn't care. I wanted to save that man's life because I don't want to see (anybody) get burned up in (a) car, he said.

Officials told Fox 13 a Memphis police officer and several nearby motorists were able to pull the trapped driver out of the burning vehicle before it exploded, and later recovered the undamaged bible.

"That is God," McNiel told Fox 13. "You don't believe? (Then) I don't know what to say."

The driver of the Jeep was transported a nearby hospital with non-critical injuries.

Click for more from FOX13Memphis.com.
Update: All is not what it seems: it appears that the artists and the public were duped by a third party into passing off an illicitly obtained official scan as one that had been made by covert means.

Nora Al-Badri and Jan Nikolai Nelles, an Iraqi/German artistic duo, covertly scanned a famous looted Egyptian treasure, the Bust of Queen Nefertiti, from its contested perch in Berlin's Neues Museum.

The hi-rez 3D file is now free to download and print  the artists have printed their own full-size epoxy resin replica.

The original is the crown jewel of the Neues Museum, but Egyptian curators have long agitate for its repatriation to Egypt  it was looted from an Egyptian site in Amarna in 1912 by German archaeologists. The artists have donated their replica bust to the Cairo museum.

The Neues Museum is believed to have made its own scan of the bust, but it does not share 3D models of its collection as a rule, and has a generally guarded posture towards such data.

It's possible that the artists violated the museum's conditions of admission by making their scan, but the bust itself is not in copyright. It's my belief that trafficking in the 3D model by people who never agreed to the museum's terms (that is, people who've never bought a ticket) is perfectly legal, though it may enrage the museum and possibly prompt legal action against the artists, whom, I suspect, would relish the fight.

As scanning becomes easier and more reliable (it's already possible to produce high quality scans from 2D photos shot from multiple angles, using algorithms that infer geometry from the stills), museums will have to contest with this kind of action more often, since banning scanners will soon be synonymous with banning cameras  and before long, that will be synonymous with banning assistive devices for patrons with visual impairments.

In a gesture of clear defiance to institutional order, Al-Badri and Nelles leaked the information at Europe's largest hacker conference, the annual Chaos Communication Congress. Within 24 hours, at least 1,000 people had already downloaded the torrent from the original seed, and many of them became seeders as well. Since then, the pair has also received requests from Egyptian universities asking to use the information for academic purposes and even businesses wondering if they may use it to create souvenirs. Nefertiti's bust is one of the most copied works from Ancient Egypt  aside from those with illicit intents, others have used photogrammetry to reconstruct it  and its allure and high-profile presence make it a particularly charged work to engage with in discussions of ownership and institutional representations of artifacts. "The head of Nefertiti represents all the other millions of stolen and looted artifacts all over the world currently happening, for example, in Syria, Iraq, and in Egypt," Al-Badri said. "Archaeological artifacts as a cultural memory originate for the most part from the Global South; however, a vast number of important objects can be found in Western museums and private collections. We should face the fact that the colonial structures continue to exist today and still produce their inherent symbolic struggles." Al-Badri and Nelles take issue, for instance, with the Neues Museum's method of displaying the bust, which apparently does not provide viewers with any context of how it arrived at the museum  thus transforming it and creating a new history tantamount to fiction, they believe. Over the years, the bust has become a symbol of German identity, a status cemented by the fact that the museum is state-run, and many Egyptians have long condemned this shaping of identity with an object from their cultural heritage.



Artists Covertly Scan Bust of Nefertiti and Release the Data for Free Online

[Claire Voon/Hyperallergic]





(via Bruce Sterling)
The cargo ship that sank in a hurricane last year was on a Coast Guard list of vessels with the most "potential for risk," a designation that would have triggered more safety inspections.

In testimony Monday at an investigative hearing in Jacksonville looking into El Faro's Oct. 1 sinking, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Kyle McAvoy said the El Faro's name was among 10 percent of ships considered at risk.

McAvoy said staff was preparing to release the list when they learned the El Faro had gone missing.

The 40-year-old El Faro sank in 15,000 feet of water after losing propulsion and getting caught in Hurricane Joaquin. All 33 people aboard died.

McAvoy said the Coast Guard released the list with El Faro's name still on it even after learning that it sank.
Police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found over the weekend at the bottom of a laundry chute at the tallest hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas.

Officer Michael Rodriguez said Monday homicide detectives were summoned early Sunday after the woman was found dead at the D Las Vegas on Fremont Street.

Rodriguez says the case is being investigated as a suspicious death.

The woman's name and how she died weren't immediately made public.

The 34-story D Las Vegas has almost 640 rooms. It was known for many years as Fitzgeralds.

Hotel spokeswoman Lorena Amaya issued a statement calling the death unfortunate, but declining to comment about the investigation. Amaya says the hotel is cooperating with authorities.
Two suspects have been arrested in the brutal beating of an Iraq War veteran outside a McDonalds in Washington, D.C., FOX 5 reported Tuesday.

Police arrested a 17-year-old male and a 17-year-old female suspected of participating in the attack on Marine vet Christopher Marquez on Feb. 12. The male was charged with aggravated assault and the female was charged with robbery, according to the Marine Corps Times. The names of the suspects have not been released.

Authorities said a third suspect has been identified in the assault, though that person is not in custody, FOX 5 reported.

Marquez, 30, said the incident began when he was accosted by a group of teens while he was eating in the back corner of a McDonalds restaurant.

And they stopped at my table, and they went around my table in a group. Almost like confronting me, Marquez told Fox & Friends. And they were asking me about the movement, if I thought black lives matter. And I was ignoring them because they were actually just trying to intimidate me. It just seemed like they just wanted confrontation and I wasnt going to play along with that. I just wanted to eat my food and leave. And then they started calling me a racist.

When Marquez left the restaurant, several members of the group attacked him.

Surveillance video of the assault shows one individual walk up close behind Marquez and bash him in the back of the head, immediately knocking him to the sidewalk. Other members of the group appear to kick Marquez before someone tears his wallet from his pants.

It was a hate crime, said Marquez, who was treated for head trauma at George Washington University Hospital. They targeted me because of my skin color.

The thieves ended up stealing $400 in cash, three credit cards and a VA medical card from Marquez, who earned a Bronze Star during his time in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2011. After he left the Marines, Marquez made an unsuccessful bid for a California congressional seat in 2014. He now studies at American University in Washington, D.C.

A GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Marquez has reached $34,277 in six days.
All eyes on Nevada (again) as the Republican caucus for the GOP is today. Candidates all over the state yesterday.

Trump leads most polls there, and the battle again seems to be for second place among Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.

Cruz fired a top aide yesterday after it emerged that a clip of Rubio had been edited to make him say the opposite of what he actually said. The allegations of dirty tricks have followed Cruz since Iowa.

Marco Rubio continues to pick up major party endorsements including 12 new gubernatorial and congressional endorsements.

Trump went on offense against the caucus system though he urged supporters to take part. Hes also coming under blistering criticism for attacks on the media as some of his crowds are becoming increasingly aggressive towards the press.

The Washington Post reports today on the fears from some politicians that a victory for Trump or Cruz for the GOP nomination could hit them in November.

1100EST -- Sen Rubio holds a rally. Silverton Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV. LIVE via LiveU

1245EST -- Sen Cruz holds a rally. Journey Community Church, Fernley, NV. LIVE via LiveU

1200EST -- OH Kasich holds a town hall meeting. Kennesaw State Univ, Kennesaw, GA. LIVE via LiveU

1300EST -- Dr Ben Carson holds a town hall meeting. Sun City Summerlin, Las Vegas, NV. LIVE via LiveU

1000EST -- Motions hearing in Judicial Watch v. US Dept of State at US District Court in DC, in relation to Huma Abedien. FNC EDITORIAL COVER

1200EST -- Sen Sanders holds a rally. Norfolk Scope Arena, Norfolk, VA. LIVE via LiveU

New polling out of Ohio shows Hillary Clinton with a big lead over Bernie Sanders. Heres how Quinnipiac put it in a release this morning:

Not even native son Gov. John Kasich can stop the Donald Trump steamroller as Kasich falls behind the Republican front-runner 31  26 percent among Ohio likely Republican primary voters, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is at 21 percent with Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at 13 percent and Dr. Ben Carson at 5 percent.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont 55  40 percent among Ohio likely Democratic primary voters, the independent Quinnipiac University Poll finds.

The Pentagon is sending a plan to close Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and the military prison there. 91 prisoners are left at the U.S. military base. President Obama promised to close Gitmo when he ran for President in 2007, but Congress has refused.

President Obama speaking on Gitmo today at 10:30am from the White House.

The Syrian government says it accepts a proposed truce and cease fire set to begin Saturday. The caveat is that is says it will continue operations against ISIS and Al Qaeda which could give them an out.

Secretary of State John Kerry testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today, and give details on that possible Syrian cease fire.

1000EST -- Secy Kerry testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Cmte on the FY 2017 Dept of State Budget Request. LIVE

Kerry will also meet with Chinas top diplomat where the contested islands in the South China Sea will likely come up.

Representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the U.S. are meeting to talk about peace talks with the Taliban.

Stocks surged yesterday, but look to open lower as oil and commodity prices fall.

We get several reads on the housing market today.

The Wall Street journal reporting the Justice Department wants Apple to unlock phones in about a dozen cases around the country.

The New York Times today asks Does Apple have a moral obligation to help the government or its customers?

For more news, follow me on Twitter: @ClintPHenderson
A man convicted in a Connecticut home invasion that left a woman and her two daughters dead in 2007 is set to go before a judge in a bid to win a new trial.

Appellate lawyers for Joshua Komisarjevsky (koh-mih-sar-JEF'-skee) are expected to argue Tuesday in New Haven Superior Court that his trial lawyers weren't provided with police phone call recordings crucial to the defense.

Police in Cheshire had said the recordings were destroyed during a lightning strike at the police station in 2010 before Komisarjevsky's trial, but backups of the recordings were found in 2014 at town hall.

Prosecutors say nothing in the recordings warrants a new trial.

Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes were convicted of killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters, ages 11 and 17.
A federal judges order earlier this month that California public schools turn a trove of personal information on millions of children over to two nonprofits has parents worried and privacy rights advocates outraged.

The nonprofits, who advocate for special needs kids, say they need access to information on a state database to gauge compliance with federal law, but critics dont believe Social Security numbers, home addresses and other sensitive records should be included. The ruling by Judge Kimberly Mueller of the Eastern District of California, grants access to data on all students enrolled in Golden State public schools at any time since 2008, a number estimated at 10 million.

People are confused, worried and angry.  Bill Ainsworth, spokesman for the California Department of Education

People are confused, worried and angry, said Bill Ainsworth, a spokesman for the California Department of Education.

The order from Mueller, who sits in Sacramento, stems from a 2012 lawsuit filed by two special needs advocacy groups, the Morgan Hill Concerned Parents Association and the Concerned Parents Association, alleging local educational agencies have failed to accommodate children with disabilities in compliance with federal law.

The non-profits wanted to access the database for an effective analysis and claims it offered the Department various scenarios for obtaining percentages and related statistics without ever having to see personal records, but they say the Department refused. Eventually, Mueller ordered that the plaintiffs simply be able to access the entire database of student information to perform the analysis. Varying degrees of sensitive data is embedded with student files in the database.

Critics say the ruling could also potentially expose statewide assessment results, progress reports, behavior and disciplinary information, special education evaluations and records pertaining to health, mental health and medical information.

We characterize the data release as risky, unnecessary and unprecedented, said Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum. Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, warned that one lapse could have devastating consequences for Californias students.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act are federal laws in place to protect the privacy of students. The state ensures compliance with a vast database, which the plaintiffs would have access to under the ruling. Attempts to reach a deal limiting the information made available to the groups have failed.

State education officials have been inundated with thousands of calls from parents, educators and school districts over the past week, according to Ainsworth. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson is a strong supporter of privacy rights, Ainsworth said, but now must follow the order.

"The California Department of Education has been fighting vigorously to defend the privacy rights of students throughout California, but we are required to comply with the court order in this case," Ainsworth said.

The department alleges that last year it provided the organizations with all the information from a California Special Education Management Information System database, which includes records of special education students and those being tested, but with personal data extracted. However, the plaintiffs continued to seek students information in a database containing personal details, according to education officials.

Angry parents lashed out at California Concerned Parents, prompting the organization to deactivate its Facebook page citing the significant number of comments that included profanity, threatening language or veered off topic.

The organization claims the information previously offered is insufficient, but insists it doesnt want sensitive data such as Social Security numbers. Officials said no information has been turned over yet, but that it will be handled with discretion when it is.

The information has not yet been released to them and they have yet to be told the day of the release, Christine English, vice president of the California Concerned Parents, told FoxNews.com. The information will never be released to the association, only to their attorneys and consultants  less than 10 people. Every possible precaution is already under way to safeguard the data.

The non-profit insists that it requires data about every student in California -- not just those with disabilities -- so that it can make such determinations as whether a disproportionate number of certain ethnicities receive certain services and to test CDEs contention that its educational programs are compliant with state and federal law.

Muellers order addressed security concerns by barring distribution of the data outside the parties involved and ordering that the group return or destroy as soon as it completed its analysis. Mueller also appointed a magistrate and a special master to ensure compliance with all aspects of her order.

Still, there is no way to ensure against a data breach once the information is turned over, according to attorneys who followed the case.

Im shocked that the court would allow this type of disclosure that would be a treasure trove for identity thieves, Beverly Hills-based attorney Troy Slaten said. Identity thieves already preyed on minors because they tend to have clean histories.

Fellow attorney Rosa Noyola agreed, noting that even large corporations with sophisticated security measures have been susceptible to hacking and leaks.

If Target and BlueCross can fall victims to security breaches, how is a non-profit, with presumably limited resources, able to ensure that personal information is kept secure? Noyola said.

Parents, guardians and former students now over the age of 18 have until April 1 to register their objection to the disclosure by submitting a request to the court either in a letter to the court or by printing out and mailing a special form. It is not clear if doing so would create an automatic exemption.

Still, critics say the process for objecting has not been made clear, and Ainsworth was dubious that information on those who opt out could be removed from the database.
A Marine veteran claims he was barred from attending his daughters June graduation because he objected to what he saw as the schools promotion of Islam and -- after voicing his concern to the school -- was issued a no-trespass order, The Washington Post reported.

John Kevin Wood, the ex-Marine, reportedly said that in 2014 one of his daughter's classes required that she memorize the Five Pillars of Islam and recite the shahada, which is also known as the Muslim statement of faith that includes, There is no God but Allah. School papers were submitted to a federal court that allege  among other statements  one included that Muslims faith is stronger than the average Christian.

Wood's daughter completed the class, but refused to submit the assignments that focused on Islam and received zeroes on them, which hurt her overall GPA, a spokeswoman from the Thomas More Law Center told FoxNews.com. She is set to graduate on June 4, but Wood may still be barred.

The First Amendment prohibits the promotion of the religion of Islam over other faiths, such as Christianity or Judaism, in our public schools, a federal complaint reportedly stated.

Officials from La Plata High School in Charles County, Md., due to the pending litigation, could not comment on this particular case, but said that the 2014 assignment that Wood objected to was in a World History class that was intended to focus on Middle Eastern empires. The curriculum also reportedly touched on Christianity and Buddhism to name a few.

Wood submitted classroom materials that he says shows the lessons violate the girls civil rights. One item stresses that Islam, at heart, is a peaceful religion and that jihad is a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty; a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline.

Wood, a Marine veteran who lost friends in Desert Storm, had called the school to ask for an alternative lesson for his daughter, but the school reportedly responded by banning him, stating that he made verbal threats against the school.

Wood insists no physical threat was ever made.
A person of interest was in custody Monday after police discovered the bullet-riddled body of a California woman only a few miles from where she was last seen alive, KTVU reported.

Stacey Aguilar, 22, was last seen  reportedly unharmed  leaving a birthday party with her boyfriend at 11 p.m. on Feb. 13, according to ABC 7. Her boyfriend was arrested for alleged domestic violence against Aguilar when Aguilar was reported missing on Feb. 16, and though he has been questioned in her disappearance, Hayward police would not say if Aguilars boyfriend was the same person taken into custody in connection with her death.

Authorities did say the person in custody was being detained on an unrelated charge, NBC Bay Area reported.

We do have a person of interest in custody, Urban told ABC7. We cannot release the name of the person until charges are actually brought with the district attorney.

But police said they were confident Aguilars killer was locked up.

The people in the community can sleep at night knowing theres not a murderer on the loose, Urban said.

Authorities found Aguilars body at noon on Saturday in a rural area in Fremont, just a few miles from where she was last seen. Even before finding her body, however, police on Friday classified the case as a homicide.

The evidence indicated that this was something more than a missing person case, Urban said, according to KRON.

The Alameda County Coroners Bureau found multiple gunshot wounds on Aguilars body and completed an autopsy, though the results have not yet been released due to the ongoing investigation.

Aguilar has a 7-year-old son who lives with Aguilars mom in Mexico, according to NBC Bay Area.
The ridesharing service Uber acknowledged Monday that it had received at least one complaint about Kalamazoo shooting suspect Jason Dalton shortly before he began his alleged rampage that killed six people and injured 2 others Saturday.

The company's disclosure came on the same day Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said that Dalton, 45, picked up Uber fares after the first shooting, at around 6 p.m. Saturday evening, and probably got more riders after subsequent shootings that night.

Passenger Matt Mellen told WWMT that that he hailed a ride at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, more than an hour before the shootings began. Mellen said Dalton introduced himself as "Me-Me" and had a dog in the backseat.

Mellen sat in front. About a mile into the trip, Dalton got a phone call, and when he hung up, he began driving recklessly, blowing through stop signs and sideswiping cars, Mellen said.

"We were driving through medians, driving through the lawn, speeding along, and when we came to a stop, I jumped out of the car and ran away," Mellen said. He said he called police and that when he got to his friend's house, his fiancee, Mckenzie Waite, posted a warning to friends on Facebook.

"I'm upset because I tried contacting Uber after I had talked to the police, saying that we needed to get this guy off the road," Mellen told the station.

An Uber spokesperson confirmed to The Guardian that the company had received a complaint about Dalton Saturday, but had not prioritized it because it was about erratic driving rather than a report of physical violence.

"Remember were doing 3 million rides a day. How do you prioritize that feedback and how do you think about it?," the spokesperson said. "Because we get a lot of people saying bad driving and theres two sides to that and sometimes, its not fair to deactivate them or not give them a warning."

When alerted to unsafe driving, Uber policy is to contact the driver. The Uber spokesperson contacted by the Guardian, who did not want to be quoted by name, said the company had not managed to speak with Dalton by the time of the shootings.

Dalton passed a background check and became a driver on Jan. 25. He had given about 100 rides, the company said.

Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said Uber is cooperating with law enforcement officials, and he believes the company will "help us fill in some timeline gaps."

Investigators are particularly interested in communication between Dalton and Uber, as well as customers he might have driven, the sheriff said.

The attacks began outside the Meadows apartment complex on the eastern edge of Kalamazoo County, where a woman was shot multiple times. She survived.

A little more than four hours later and 15 miles away, a father and his 17-year-old son were fatally shot while looking at cars at a car dealership.

Fifteen minutes after that, five people were gunned down in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Four of them died. A 14-year-old girl survived with a head wound and was hospitalized in critical condition.

Dalton appeared briefly in court by video link Monday and was charged with six counts of murder. A judge denied him bail.

Dalton admitted "that he took people's lives," Kalamazoo police Det. Cory Ghiringhelli told the court. The murder charges carry a mandatory life sentence. Michigan does not have the death penalty.

Police and prosecutors have not provided a motive. The victims had no apparent connection to the gunman.

Getting dismissed the idea that Dalton was seeking a particular person when authorities say he shot the first victim. The prosecutor said Dalton called the woman by a different name only "to get her attention" before shooting her outside of her apartment.

Questions about motive and Dalton's frame of mind are "going to be the hardest to answer for anybody," Fuller said. He expects some answers to emerge in court, but he doubts they will be satisfying.

"In the end, I ask people, because I keep hearing this question of why, 'What would be the answer that would be an acceptable answer for you?' They have to think about it for a moment, and they say, 'Probably nothing.'

"I have to say, 'You are probably correct.' I can't imagine what the answer would be that would let us go, 'OK, we understand now.' Because we are not going to understand," the sheriff said.

Many handguns and long guns were seized from Dalton's home. But there was no indication that he was prohibited from owning the weapons, said Donald Dawkins, a Detroit-based spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which was assisting police.

In a statement issued Monday, Dalton's family offered condolences to the families of the victims and thanked law-enforcement officials, saying their "quick and decisive action prevented any further acts of violence."

The family said it planned to help authorities with the investigation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


The Egyptian military admitted Monday it made a mistake when one of its courts sentenced a 4-year-old boy to life in prison for murder.

The mixup last week was connected to the boys name, Ahmed Mansour Qurani Ali, which is similar to a 16-year-old who should have received the sentence, military spokesman Col. Mohammad Samir said, according to the BBC.

Samir wrote in a Facebook post that Ahmed Mansour Qurani Sharara was the real suspect. It is unclear what will happen to the teen.

Ahmed was convicted of four counts of murder and eight counts of attempted murder and sentenced along with more than 115 others in connection with a 2014 pro-Muslim Brother riot targeting military intelligence and health ministry facilities, The Telegraph reports.

The military has not revealed what the next steps will be since it admitted the error.

Lawyers for Mansour Qurani, the young boys father, claimed the Western Cairo Military Court refused to consider the 4-year-olds birth certificate as proof he would have been just a 1-year-old at the time of the riot, and so logically unable to have participated, according to the Egypt Independent.

I am appealing to all officials to keep my son with me. They wont take him from me. This is unfair, Qurani told Dream satellite channel, according to the Egypt Independent.

Qurani was also convicted in connection to the riot and sentenced to 28 years in prison. He claims he was taken into custody for refusing to give his child over to the police.

"Officers knocked on my door and asked to hand over my 4-year-old son. When I refused, they took me to the police station, Qurani told Dream satellite. He claims he was then remanded for 15 days.

Egypts military court system has come under international scrutiny for its secrecy and frequent citizen arrests, but Egyptian authorities have described their actions as essential to the countrys fight against terrorism. More than 40,000 people are believed to have been jailed in the past two years, the BBC adds.
An honest essay has numerous characteristics: original thinking, a good structure, balanced arguments, and plenty more.

But one aspect often overlooked is that an honest essay should be interesting. It should spark the readers curiosity, keep them absorbed, make them want to stay reading and learn more. An uneventful article risks losing the readers attention; whether or not the points you create are excellent, a flat style, or poor handling of a dry subject material can undermine the positive aspects of the essay. The matter is that a lot of students think that essays should be like this: they believe that a flat, dry style is suited to the needs of educational writing and dont even consider that the teacher reading their essay wants to search out the essay interesting. You might want to have online essay editor service to boost your confidence in writing with an error-free output. Academic writing doesnt need to be  and shouldnt be  bland. The excellent news is that there is much stuff you can do to create your essay more attractive, while youll be able only to do such a lot while remaining within the formal confines of educational writing. Lets study what theyre.

Have an interest in what youre writing about

Dont go overboard, but youll be able to let your passion for your subject show.

If theres one thing bound to inject interest into your writing, its being fascinated by what youre writing about. Passion for a subject matter comes across naturally in your essay, typically making it more lively and fascinating and infusing an infectious enthusiasm into your words  within the same way that its easy to talk knowledgeably to someone about something you discover fascinating.

Include fascinating details

Another factor that may make an essay boring maybe a dry material. Some topic areas are naturally dry, and it falls to you to form the article more interesting through your written style and by trying to seek out fascinating snippets of knowledge to incorporate, which will liven it up a small amount and make the data easier to relate to. A way of doing this with a dry subject is to create what youre talking about that seems relevant to the critical world, as this is often easier for the reader to relate to.

Emulate the fashion of writers you discover interesting

When you read lots, you subconsciously start emulating the fashion of the writers you have read. Reading benefits you a lot, as this exposes you to a spread of designs, and youll start to require the characteristics of these you discover interesting to read.

Borrow some creative writing techniques

Theres a limit to the quantity of actual story-telling youll do when youre writing an essay; in the end, essays should be objective, factual and balanced, which doesnt, initially glance, feel considerably like story-telling. However, youll apply a number of the principles of story-telling to create your writing more interesting.

consider your own opinion

Take the time to figure out what its that you think instead of regurgitating the opinions of others.

Cut the waffle

Rambling on and on is dull and almost bound to lose the interest of your reader. Youre in danger of waffling if youre not completely clear about what you wish to mention or havent thought carefully about how youre visiting structure your argument. Doing all your research correctly and writing an essay plan before you begin will help prevent this problem.

Editing is a vital part of the essay-writing process, so edit the waffle once youve done a primary draft. Read through your essay objectively and eliminate the bits that arent relevant to the argument or labor the purpose.

employing a thesaurus isnt always a decent thing

Avoid using unfamiliar words in an essay; theres too great a likelihood that youre misusing them.

You may think that employing a thesaurus to seek out more complicated words will make your writing more exciting or sound more academic, but using overly high-brow language can have the incorrect effect.

Avoid repetitive phrasing

Please avoid using the identical phrase structure again and again: its a recipe for dullness! Instead, use a variety of syntax that demonstrates your writing capabilities and makes your writing more interesting. Mix simple, compound, and complicated sentences to avoid your paper becoming predictable.

Use some figurative language

Using analogies with nature can often make concepts more accessible for readers to know.

As weve already seen, its easy to finish up rambling when youre explaining complex concepts  mainly after you dont know it yourself. One way of forcing yourself to think about a couple of pictures, present it more simply and engagingly is to form figurative language. This implies explaining something by comparing it with something else, as in an analogy.

Employ rhetorical questions

Anticipate the questions your reader might ask.

One of the ways ancient orators held the eye of their audiences and increased the dramatic effect of their speeches was by using the statement. A decent place to use a statement is at the top of a paragraph, to steer into the following one, or at the start of a replacement section to introduce a brand new area for exploration.

Proofread

Finally, you may write the top interesting essay an instructor has ever read. Still, youll undermine your good work if its plagued by errors, which distract the reader from the particular content and can probably annoy them.
China apparently has been building radar faciltiies on some of the artificial islands it constructed in the South China Sea in a move to bolster its military power in the region, according to a report released Tuesday by a U.S.-based think tank.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says the radars on the outposts of Gaven, Hughes, Johnson South and Cuarteron reefs in the disputed Spratly Islands "speak to a long-term anti-access strategy by Chinaone that would see it establish effective control over the sea and airspace throughout the South China Sea."

The report cited satellite images taken between late January and mid-February of this year that appear to show radar towers on four artificial islands in the Spratlys.

The report was released one week after Fox News reported that China had deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system as well as a radar system on Woody Island, part of the Paracel Island chain located north of the Spratlys.

The release of the report also coincides with the first day of a three-day visit to the U.S. by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which the issue of competing South China Sea claims is expected to be discussed, as well as North Korea's latest nuclear test.

China has been building islands on top of reefs and atolls it controls, then adding air strips, harbors and other infrastructure that would help consolidate its control. Five other governments also hold maritime claims that overlap with Beijing's, and the U.S. has said it is concerned about China's militarization of the area.

The Obama administration is under congressional pressure to step up the U.S. response to China's actions. Lawmakers are expected to raise their concerns at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday with the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific.



State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Monday that the U.S. would continue to press China to stop its militarization in the South China Sea. He called for a diplomatic process to settle territorial claims peacefully.



A couple of U.S. Navy operations close to disputed land since October have already riled Beijing, which claims that U.S. "reconnaissance" is responsible for stoking tensions in a region where Washington is not a claimant.

In an editorial Tuesday, China's official Xinhua News Agency said divisions over Korea and the South China Sea had been "amplified thanks partly to Washington's hidden agendas and recklessness."

"It is also noteworthy that it is Washington that is fanning up the flames by flexing its muscles in the South China Sea and by emboldening nations in their territorial disputes with China," the editorial said.



On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying restated Beijing's position that the Spratly Islands are "indisputably Chinas territory" and claimed "necessary and limited deployment of defensive facilities is the exercise of Chinas self-preservation rights, which are granted by international law."

"The deployment of defense facilities on China's own territory," Hua said, "is no different from what U.S. does in Hawaii."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.
EXCLUSIVE: In a move likely to further increase already volatile tensions in the region, China has deployed fighter jets to a contested island in the South China Sea, the same island where China deployed surface-to-air missiles last week, two U.S. officials tell Fox News.

The dramatic escalation came as Secretary of State John Kerry hosted his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, at the State Department.

Wang said Tuesday he hoped that close up military flights and patrols by U.S. Navy ships over the contested islands would end.

Kerry said he wanted China to end its militarization of the contested islands in the South China Sea.

"We want to halt the expansion and the militarization of occupied features," he said.

His Chinese counterpart added that he didn't want to see any more U.S. military over flights or patrols.

"We dont hope to see any more close-up military reconnaissance or the dispatch of missile destroyers or strategic bombers to the South China Sea," said Foreign Minister Wang.

Kerry however refused to blame China directly for the the military buildup in the South China Sea.

"It is important for all of the nations  China, Philippines, Vietnam, others  not to engage in any unilateral steps of reclamation, of building, of militarization. And the fact is that there have been steps by China, by Vietnam, by others that have unfortunately created an escalatory cycle," he said Tuesday.

Chinese Shenyang J-11s (Flanker) and Xian JH-7s (Flounder) have been seen by U.S. intelligence on Woody Island in the past few days, the same island where Fox News reported exclusively last week that China had sent two batteries of HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles while President Obama was hosting 10 Southeast Asian leaders in Palm Springs.

One U.S. official put the number of Chinese warplanes in the single digits, under ten, he said.

Wang was supposed to visit the Pentagon Tuesday, but the visit was canceled. It was not immediately clear which side canceled the visit. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said a scheduling conflict prevented the meeting, when asked by Fox News at Tuesday's press briefing.

When asked about the earlier Fox News story in Beijing, Wang said the deployment of the missiles was for defensive purposes.

Woody Island is the largest island in the Paracel chain of islands in the South China Sea, and has had a runway since the early 1990s. It lies 250 miles southeast of a major Chinese submarine base on Hainan Island. China has claimed Woody Island since the 1950s, but it is contested by Taiwan and Vietnam.

In the last two years, China has created 3,000 acres of artificial islands atop reefs hundreds of miles south of Woody Island in the Spratly chain of islands. One runway was tested in January, when two commercial airliners landed at Fiery Cross Reef.

After the deployment of fighter jets to Woody Island, officials are concerned the Chinese might send them south to the Spratly islands next.

Ahead of Wangs visit to Washington, a spokeswoman likened Chinas military buildup on Woody Island to the U.S. Navys in Hawaii.

There is no difference between Chinas deployment of necessary national defense facilities on its own territory and the defense installation by the U.S. in Hawaii, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Monday.

More than $5 trillion of worth of natural resources and goods transit the South China Sea each year.

Earlier Tuesday, the head of the U.S. militarys Pacific Command said China is clearly militarizing the South China Sea, in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"Youd have to believe in a flat Earth to believe otherwise," Admiral Harry Harris said.

China has sent fighter jets to Woody Island before. In November, Chinese state media published images showing J-11 fighter jets on the island, but this was the first deployment of fighter jets since the Chinese sent commercial airliners to test the runway at one of its artificial islands in the South China Sea.

The Pentagon sailed a guided-missile destroyer past a contested island in the South China Sea as a result. Late last year, the U.S. military conducted a flight of B-52 bombers and another warship to conduct a freedom of navigation exercise.

The commander of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said Monday that he is wary of the situation in the South China Sea being painted as a battle between the United States and China, but added the presence of a Chinese missile system on a disputed island will not stop the U.S. military from flying over the region.

"I wish it wasn't portrayed as U.S. versus China," U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin told reporters in Sydney. "This shouldn't seem provocative. What we're trying to ensure is that all countries, no matter size or strength, can pursue their interests based on the law of the sea and not have that endangered by some of these actions."

The Chinese foreign minister asked the media on Tuesday not to forget the strategic bombers the U.S. has flown in the past, but also expressed a shared desire to resolve disputes through peaceful dialogue.

"We take the foreign minister at his word today that he wants to see this resolved through dialogue," said Kerry.

When asked to asses U.S.-China relations, Foreign Minister Wang said China's relationship with the U.S. was hard to explain.

"Oftentimes one cannot simply give a definition to it," he said.

The Chinese have protested the previous moves and vowed consequences.

On Monday, new civilian satellite imagery from CSIS showed a possible high frequency radar installation being constructed in late January.

The imagery shows radar installations on Chinas artificial islands in the Spratley Island chain of reefs-Gaven, Hughes, Johnson South, and primarily on Cuarteron reefsthe outhermost island in the South China Sea.
The foreign ministers of France and Germany, on a visit to the Ukrainian capital, are expressing concern about political tensions that are impeding reform efforts, and about the persisting conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The two countries have been key in trying to resolve the fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces, a war that has killed more than 9,000, and helped devise a cease-fire called a year ago. But that truce has appeared increasingly frayed in recent months.

The Ukrainian government has yet to pass legislation that would allow elections in the east, part of the cease-fire agreement. Western governments also are concerned that attempts to tackle endemic corruption have been only fitful.

"The situation in Ukrainian politics now reminds one of a storm," German minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Tuesday.
An Israeli official appealed to the countrys prime minister Tuesday to fast-track the move of an ammonia storage facility before the terrorist group Hezbollah makes good on its threat to blow up the complex.

The request from Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes as Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanon-based and Iranian-backed terrorist group, warned last week in a televised address of a possible strike at the facility, which houses 15 tons of ammonia, in Haifa, Israels third-largest city.

"Hezbollah has a 'nuclear bomb' -- Haifa has 15 tons of ammonia, and any Hezbollah missile attack will turn them into a nuclear bomb that would cause the deaths of tens of thousands," Nasrallah said from his bunker near Beirut.

Israeli officials acknowledged that an attack on the storage facility would pose a serious risk to the local population in the northern port city. Tel Aviv has discussed relocating the tank for more than three years, but the Hezbollah threat appeared to add a new sense of urgency to the effort.

"We are alone in this battle," Yahav told Israel's Army Radio, Reuters reported. "There are a million people around this depot here. It is a gaseous material. It is very, very dangerous material."

"The ammonia tank is an environmental and security risk, added Environment Minister Avi Gabai, in an interview with IsraelNationalNews.com. We are working to remove the dangerous tank from Haifa through the establishment of an ammonia production plant in the south, and we will accept proposals from bidders to build the plant at the end of March."

Gabais predecessor, Amir Peretz, said in 2013 that he would act urgently to remove the huge ammonia plant.

In a defiantly tongue-in-cheek statement following Nasrallahs threat, the city of Haifa thanked the Hezbollah leader for raising the issue and putting the issue on the front burner.

"We will continue to fight with all the means at our disposal for the safety and health of residents of the north, city officials said in a statement. We do not think that the country should be run according to Nasrallah's haughty speeches, but we are happy that he is assisting in bringing this most important and worrying issue to the agenda, even if it comes from a frightened man who has for years been hiding in a bunker in Lebanon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Home Care Assistance Receives 2016 Best of Home Care Employer of Choice Award

Home Care Assistance of Greater Phoenix is recognized for the Second consecutive year as one of the top home care agencies in the country based on employee satisfaction.

February 23, 2016 // Franchising.com // Phoenix, AZ  Home Care Assistance of Greater Phoenix, the premier provider of in-home care for seniors, is honored to be recognized as a 2016 Best of Home Care Employer of Choice. This prestigious award is given to home care providers who rank in the top 50th percentile in one or more employee satisfaction categories, based on monthly satisfaction interviews conducted by Home Care Pulse.

The Best of Home Care Awards recognize the leading home care businesses, the best of the best, said Home Care Pulse Founder and CEO Aaron Marcum. We are excited to announce these award-winners and celebrate their dedication to providing quality in-home care.

Home Care Pulse created these awards to identify the top in-home care agencies that demonstrate a passion for client and employee satisfaction and thereby help families make better care decisions for their aging loved ones. Companies are evaluated based on agency training, communication, overall quality of care, caregiver performance, caregiver morale, response to problems and recommendation of services.

We are very pleased to be recognized as a quality leader in home care, said Jeff Hill, owner of Home Care Assistance of Greater Phoenix. We are in a business where we care for peopleclients and caregiversand recognize that our employees are our most valuable asset. Its satisfying to know that our efforts in making Home Care Assistance a great place to work do not go unnoticed by our staff.

At Home Care Assistance, care plans are tailored to clients individual needs and preferences. Clients are also expertly matched with thoroughly trained, screened and conscientious caregivers. With a mission to change the way the world ages, Home Care Assistance helps seniors live well at home through innovative offerings such as their proprietary Balanced Care Method, which emphasizes scientifically studied lifestyle behaviors of the longest living people on Earth, and the Cognitive Therapeutics Method, an activities-based program designed to delay the onset and progression of cognitive decline.

Home Care Assistance of Greater Phoenix is located at 3143 E. Lincoln Dr., Phoenix AZ 85016. To learn more about Home Care Assistance and how they are changing the way the world ages, please visit www.homecareassistancephoenix.com or call 602-388-1085.

About Home Care Assistance

Home Care Assistance is the leading provider of home care for seniors across the United States, Canada and Australia. Our mission is to change the way the world ages. We provide older adults with quality care that enables them to live happier, healthier lives at home. Our services are distinguished by the caliber of our caregivers, the responsiveness of our staff and our expertise in home care. We embrace a positive, balanced approach to aging centered on the evolving needs of older adults. A 2016 Franchise500 and Inc. 5000 Company, Home Care Assistance has received numerous industry awards including Entrepreneurs Fastest-Growing Franchises and Franchise Business Reviews Top 50. For more information about Home Care Assistance, our services and franchise opportunities, visithomecareassistance.com or franchise.homecareassistance.com.

SOURCE Home Care Assistance

Media Contact:

Kathryn Zakskorn

Director of Franchise Marketing

650-462-9501

kzakskorn@homecareassistance.com

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JDog Junk Removal & Hauling Strengthens Leadership Team with Addition of Major General James Lariviere

Nations Only U.S. Military Brand Adds to Joint Chiefs Advisory Board

BERWYN, Pa. - February 23, 2016 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - JDog Junk Removal & Hauling, a company dedicated to increasing post-military career opportunities for veterans, has bolstered its leadership team with the addition of Marine Corps Reserve Major General James Lariviere to the JDog Joint Chiefs Advisory Board. The team of advisors is comprised of highly-placed military veterans and successful entrepreneurs who provide leadership and counsel to the company and its franchisees.

Major General Lariviere has more than 20 years of senior civilian and military experience in the Marine Corps Reserve, and has over a decade of experience on Capitol Hill serving as a military legislative assistant. He also served as the Staff Director and Minority Staff Director of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and worked as a senior public policy advisor assisting companies to develop legislative marketing strategies in the defense, homeland security and veterans affairs sectors.

Also on the advisory board is retired Marine Major General Douglas ODell, retired Army Captain Larry Liss, and Forrest Pragoff, whose leadership experience includes President General of the nations first military veterans organization, the Society of the Cincinnati.

It is an honor to join a company whose number one mission is to reduce the veteran unemployment rate, said Lariviere. I am excited for the opportunity to provide leadership at JDog and look forward to serving military veteran franchisees across the nation.

JDog has been experiencing rapid growth in the past 12 months, increasing its number of franchise locations from five to 44. JDog also debuted in six states in 2015, including California, Illinois, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Carolina and North Carolina.

The company sells franchises exclusively to military veterans and their family members. Franchise owners operate easily recognizable, camouflage vehicles and trailers and wear military-style uniforms. JDog recycles and repurposes a substantial amount of the collected material. The Philadelphia-based company works closely with local and national organizations like Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity, as well as local schools, churches and hospitals to donate useful items to those in need.

It is extremely rewarding to work with these decorated veterans and distinguished leaders on the JDog Joint Chiefs Advisory Board, said Jerry Flanagan, Founder and CEO of JDog. The mentorship they are able to provide to our franchisees is invaluable as we continue to expand the brand across the nation.

About JDog Junk Removal & Hauling

JDog Junk Removal & Hauling is a national company that awards franchises exclusively to military veterans and veteran family members  people who understand the notion of service to our country, hard work, and dedication. The company is committed to offering its proven operating model to veterans and military family members, enabling them to realize the American dream of business ownership. JDog has awarded 44 territories operating in 24 states and is actively looking for qualified franchisees to join the JDog movement nationwide. For more information on JDog Junk Removal & Hauling, please visit www.jdogjunkremoval.com.

SOURCE JDog Junk Removal & Hauling

Contact:

Helene Sankovitch

Fishman PR

(847) 945-1300

hsankovitch@fishmanpr.com

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National Company Awards San Angelo Business "Franchise of the Year"

Just Between Friends Event Receives Prestigious Award

Mompreneur helps thousands of families save & earn money at her popular consignment event.

February 23, 2016 // Franchising.com // San Angelo, Texas - North Americas leading childrens and maternity consignment sales franchise system, Just Between Friends, has chosen San Angelo business owner Sandy Jameson as Franchise of the Year. Jameson owns and operates the successful Just Between Friends (JBF) event that happens twice a year.

For more than nine years, Jameson has helped thousands of families throughout San Angelo save money and earn money on items for their children and families. At Just Between Friends events (JBF), local families sign up as consignors and sell the new and gently used childrens items their families have outgrown. They can earn between 65% and 70% of the selling price and literally turn clutter into cash. Families also shop at the JBF events and typically save 50 to 90% on items for their children: clothing, toys, baby equipment, furniture and much more.

The independent judges that chose the San Angelo franchise said key deciding factors included Jamesons strong customer service and her attention to how the sale looks and feels. They praised her for creating an elite JBF team and her ability to foster a strong community of JBF enthusiasts. These strategies have paid off as the San Angelo sale has grown consistently each year. In addition, JBF of San Angelo also received the Economic Development Community Impact Award in April 2015 from the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce.

The judges were also impressed at how one of Jamesons top team members was her father Ron Soldano. Sadly, he passed away this year, leaving a big hole in the event. Soldano would always welcome the shoppers, consignors and JBF team members with a big smile. To honor him, the JBF team wore commemorative t-shirts with Pops Crew across the back in memory of this beloved team member.

Sandy Jameson is a leader in JBF. She has shown that customer service and consistent excellence will lead to success. I am thrilled that the judges recognize her achievements both as a small business owner and also for giving back to the community of San Angelo, explained Just Between Friends CEO and Co-founder Shannon Wilburn.

Jameson and her events also support Rust Street Ministries by donating the admission fee as well as any unsold items. In 2015, JBF of San Angelo donated $2040.00 cash to the charity and $85,000 in donated items. In 2014 they donated $2400 cash and $76,000 in donations.

Jameson is also a leader within the Just Between Friends Franchise System. She has worked as a trainer, a smart group leader and served on the CPC. She also received the award for largest increase in sales her first year and won JBFs Super Nova award twice.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Sandy Jameson or with JBF Co-founder and CEO Shannon Wilburn, contact Diane White at 918-770-3905 or DianeWhite@jbfsale.com We can also provide photos and video.

About Just Between Friends

In 1997, Just Between Friends was created in a living room in Tulsa, Oklahoma when Shannon Wilburn, a mother of two young children, and her friend Daven Tackett hosted a sale with 17 friends as consignors and had gross sales of $2000. In 2015, that same sale hosted two events and grossed almost 1 million dollars. The sales caught on with families and grew, so in 2003, they formed Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc. Wilburn is now sole owner and CEO of Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc., which has 153 franchises in 28 states and one in Canada. System wide sales in 2015 topped 27 million and they expect to top 29 million in 2016. In June 2015, Forbes Magazine named Just Between Friends one of the top five franchises in the United States, up from #10 in 2014. JBF was also named one of Entrepreneur Magazines Top 500 Franchises in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Just Between Friends Franchise Systems Inc. also received a Franchisee Satisfaction Award and was named in the Top 50 franchises by Franchise Business Review for the past 6 years. JBF has been featured on numerous national television shows including The Today Show, Good Morning America, Real Biz with Rebecca Jarvis, Fox News, CBS Early Show, ABC News, CNN, Headline News, Inside Edition and CNBCs The Big Idea. They have also been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Inc.com as well as many top markets including Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco and Philadelphia and on popular websites www.yahoo.com, www.sheknows.com and Disney website www.family.com.

SOURCE Just Between Friends

Contact:

Diane White

P: 918-770-3905

E: DianeWhite@jbfsale.com

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Nations Leading Restaurant and Hospitality Recruitment Firm Launches New Franchise Location in Covington

Local Entrepreneur to Open Patrice & Associates Office in Northern Kentucky

February 23, 2016 // Franchising.com // Covington, Ky. - Patrice & Associates, the nations preeminent strategic partner in the restaurant industry, announced today the opening of its first franchise in Kentucky to meet the growing management needs at local restaurants and other related hospitality businesses.

Bill Bunch, local resident, will run day-to-day operations for Patrice & Associates in Northern Kentucky. In this new phase of his career, Bunch plans to leverage his professional background, which includes more than 20 years of experience in leading brand strategies, managing advertising and publications plans, and successfully driving sales within companies such as The Patron Spirits Company and Seagrams Americas.

In Northern Kentucky, more and more restaurants are heavily relying on recruiters to find the best talent, Bunch said. I am eager to connect these great restaurants with bright personalities and hard workers in the community.

Patrice Rice, CEO and founder of Patrice & Associates, began the hospitality management recruiting company more than twenty years ago out of her basement. She recently launched a growth initiative for the company, seeking to expand by opening franchised Patrice & Associate offices. Now, one of the largest privately held search firms in the country, Patrice & Associates fills positions for thousands of U.S. restaurants and guides thousands of management candidates to new job opportunities.

We are happy to have Bill join the Patrice & Associates family, Rice said. With his people-oriented background and years of experience managing the best teams, Bill is a perfect fit for our team.

Patrice & Associates has evolved from a hospitality-staffing agency to a strategic partner for restaurant brands. Restaurant companies today are looking for more than a resume, they are seeking talent that can embody the culture and have a positive impact on the brands growth.

The $625 billion hospitality industry employing 12 million people in the United States has proven resistant to the recent forces of the recession. Rice began franchising her hospitality industry recruiting business four years ago in the midst of the Great Recession. It has continued to grow rapidly with more than 50 regional franchise offices spread across the entire nation. Patrice & Associates currently has more than 600 managerial positions to fill.

For more on Patrice & Associates and Bill Bunch, please visit www.patriceandassociates.com or email bbunch@patriceandassociates.com.

About Patrice & Associates

As the preeminent hospitality recruiting service in the U.S. since 1989, Patrice & Associates helps thousands of managerial candidates every year find rewarding jobs in the restaurant and hospitality industry. The company has exclusive recruiting partnerships with some the nations largest restaurant chains and hotels to ensure those hospitality venues recruit the top managers in their industry. Currently, there are more than 50 franchise units across dozens of states. Patrice & Associates is growing its franchise base dramatically in the next few years, expecting to add more than 100 franchisees to help fill 1,100 open territories nationwide. For more information about Patrice & Associates, visit http://www.PatriceAndAssociates.com. To learn about available franchise opportunities, call (301) 327-5059 or email Patrice Rice at patricer@PatriceAndAssociates.com.

SOURCE Patrice & Associates

Media Contact:

Niveen Saleh

All Points Public Relations

(847) 897-7489

nsaleh@allpointspr.com

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WASHINGTONWhen the calendar turns to March in this year of the irate voter, the first wave of congressional Republicans will find out whether they have their very own Dave Brat awaiting them.

Brat was an underfunded, obscure college professor who shocked the political world in 2014 by ousting House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in what was supposed to be a no-contest Republican primary in Virginia. He now holds the Richmond-area seat and is one of the chambers more conservative and recalcitrant members.

Next month, GOP House members in a crescent curving from Texas to Illinois face the first congressional primaries in this incumbent-bashing, anti-establishment season of billionaire Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, two leading Republican presidential contenders.

Nearly all House members are expected to survive. But a few face contests being watched for possible upsets by conservative challengers. Among them: Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady of Texas, Reps. Martha Roby and Bradley Byrne of Alabama and John Shimkus of Illinois.

Its an open question whether well see any serious candidates on the fringe right, said Rob Engstrom, national political director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has started TV advertising backing Roby and Byrne and could engage in other House races. He said that March 1, when Alabama, Arkansas and Texas have the initial House primaries, is a very important day to measure and determine what the score is.

Mississippi House primaries are March 8, followed by Ohio and Illinois a week later. March 15 House contests in North Carolina were delayed until June because of a dispute over redrawing district boundaries.

As usual, most incumbents have overwhelming financial and name-recognition advantages. In Texas, Bradys campaign raised $1.6 million last year, compared with $64,000 for the best financed of his three challengers, pool company owner and former state Rep. Steve Toth.

That edge has long made most officeholders impossible to topple. In 2014, just five sitting House members lost party primaries. But 2016 poses a new test, with voters ill feelings toward Washington, fanned by Trump and Cruz, fueling conservatives hopes of defeating Republicans deemed too willing to cut deals.

The frustration and anger thats out there would indicate that this is the year you get beat from the right, said Rep. Mark Meadows, RN.C., like Brat a member of the rebellious House Freedom Caucus that last year helped push House Speaker John Boehner, ROhio, to quit Congress. If you dont get beat this year, you will be golden for a long time.

The surly mood has prompted the conservative Club for Growth to run hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of TV ads attacking Shimkus and Rep. Renee Ellmers in a now-delayed North Carolina race. Club commercials also back conservative Warren Davidsons bid for Boehners vacant seat in western Ohio, which if successful would be a symbolic coup.

Other groups including FreedomWorks, Citizens United Political Victory Fund and the Senate Conservatives Fund are helping conservative contenders. Meadows said the House Freedom Caucus is aiding conservative candidates for vacant House seats but not challenging incumbents.

Brady is among 13 Texas GOP House incumbents facing primary opponents, challenges that are mostly considered long-shots. Hes represented his district north of Houston for two decades and last fall became chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, a combination that makes him a household name locally and a national magnet for political contributions.

He also boasts endorsements from National Right to Life, the National Rifle Association and a sky-high 95 percent lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union. A primary defeat of a sitting Ways and Means chairman would be unprecedented, says Eric Ostermeier, research associate at the University of Minnesotas Center for the Study of Politics and Governance.

A lot of things get said during election season, Brady emailed supporters, but the facts about my dedication to conservative, limited government principles are clear.

Toth says Brady isnt conservative enough. He says anger toward establishment Republicans is off the charts and predicts hell be helped by the Texas March 1 presidential primary, the same day as the states congressional primaries.

Seventy percent of the people who come to the polls here in Texas are going to be voting for either Trump or Cruz, said Toth. And theyre not going to pull the lever for Kevin Brady.

Wally Wilkerson Jr., longtime Republican Party chairman in Montgomery County, the districts largest, cites a very unusual political climate with lots of unhappy voters.

The congressman is taking it seriously, Wilkerson says of his re-election race. If I was advising him, thats what Id tell him.

In rural southern Illinois, the $1.3 million Shimkus reported raising last year was nearly 10 times what challenger Kyle McCarter reported collecting. But playing on anti-incumbent fever, a Club for Growth ad targeting the 10-term lawmaker says, A guy whos been in Washington 20 years aint going to fix it.

In a recent interview, Shimkus cited his supporters.

If youre endorsed by the National Right to Life, by the NRA and the Farm Bureau, its hard for anybody to say youre not representing the district, he said.
McKee Homes, Inc. Participating in a Special Realtor's Appreciation Luncheon

Recognizing top Realtors who have worked in the Knightdale Station Community, McKee Homes is planning a special event later this month.

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RALEIGH, N.C. -- This month, McKee Homes will host an appreciation luncheon for regional Realtors who have served in the Knightdale Station community. One of the fastest growing towns in Eastern Wake County, Knightdale offers a newly designed park with many amenities, and is just nine miles from downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. There are over 800 homes designed and in the planning stage for the new neighborhood. McKee Homes is recognizing the professional work of area real estate agents.

"We are pleased to be one of the three builders contributing to Knightdale Station," said McKee Homes President, Pat McKee. "At this special luncheon, we will be acknowledging the dedication of each Realtor that has been involved in showing and marketing new homes in the community."

The Broker Appreciation Luncheon will be specially catered by Catering Works, a premier catering company of Raleigh, North Carolina. The luncheon will surely be elegant due to the high-quality food, which will be artfully presented by the event company, and is planned in celebration of the hard working professional real estate agents. The event will also include cash prizes for the honorees. The luncheon will take place on February 24, 2016, at 11:30 a.m.

The master-planned neighborhood includes a new YMCA and a classical education academy for children. It offers affordable new homes for people of all ages. For more information about the Knightdale Station neighborhood, visit http://www.knightdalestation.com/ and to view available homes being built by McKee Homes, visit http://www.mckeehomesnc.com/neighborhood/knightdale-station.

About McKee Homes, Inc.:

A family-owned business, McKee Homes offers an easy-going home building and buying experience. With over 20 highly functional floor plans, the Raleigh, North Carolina area contractor builds beautiful, energy-efficient homes made with quality craftsmanship. Many add on options are available, along with specialty features and material upgrades. Founded in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the home builder now offers new homes in Pinehurst, Wilmington, Fort Bragg, Raleigh, and surrounding areas.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.mckeehomesnc.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Pat McKee

Organization: McKee Homes

Address: 5112 Pine Birch Dr Raleigh, NC 27606

Phone: 919-344-0906

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/mckee-homes-inc-participating-in-a-special-realtors-appreciation-luncheon/104675

Release ID: 104675

For more information visit r



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Amish author, Rachel Stoltzfus Offers Updated Release of The Wedding Season.

Christian author, Rachel Stoltzfus offers updated release of The Wedding Season, the third in her bestselling Winter of Faith series. Readers will enjoy this exciting new release with editorial revisions and updated content for 99c through 2/25/2016.

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Lancaster County Amish book readers looking for an engrossing Amish ebook can purchase an updated release of The Wedding Season by Rachel Stoltzfus for 0.99 through 2/25/2016. This book was originally exclusive to Kindle, but is now also available on Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Page Foundry and 24Symbols. It is Book 3 of the bestselling Winter of Faith series.

In The Wedding Season, with Miriam Beiler's stalker, Lance Newman in police custody, Miriam and John's future together seems bright and hopeful. But when Miriam is called to speak at Lance Newman's trial, readers will be riveted, wondering if she will find the strength to face her abuser. And when another suitor wants to steal John away, readers will wonder which Amish girl will marry in the upcoming wedding season.

Readers can learn more about this Lancaster County Amish book here: http://familychristianbookstore.net/index.php/2016...

Christian author, Rachel Stoltzfus strives in her fiction to present a fair and honest representation of a love that is both romantic and sweet. Christian readers will find this book absorbing, dynamic, and ultimately uplifting.

Readers have raved about the first edition of The Wedding Season.

Amazon reader, Natalie says: "Wow. This is nice. I love the characters. It's a good length. Love the cover image. Highly recommended."

A second Amazon.com reader, Punkin raves, "This book is a great peek into Amish lives. I very much appreciated their beliefs and traditions along with the strict standards and by which they live in community with each other."

And a third Amazon.com reader, Jeannie Smith Cash, explains, "This is book 3 and it's a wonderful story too. Rachel you've done it again. I loved all three books. Again if you read it you won't be sorry."

Readers can learn more about The Wedding Season here: http://familychristianbookstore.net/index.php/2016...

The Wedding Season is being offered 0.99 on Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Page Foundry and 24Symbols. It is also available in Paperback through Createspace for $8.99.

About Global Grafx Press:

Global Grafx Press was founded in 1997. This Christian book distributor is known for publishing great Western romance novels and Amish authors as well as Western Historical fiction. They are committed to helping Christian readers find the best, clean Christian books online and hope that their readers enjoy browsing their Christian Bookstore. Those interested in learning more about Global Grafx Press can do so at http://familychristianbookstore.net.

For more information about us, please visit http://familychristianbookstore.net

Contact Info:

Name: Book Maven

Organization: Global Grafx Press

Address: 823 Old Westtown Road, Suite B1

Phone: 267-530-1611

Release ID: 104677

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Hatched Media Continues To Disrupt Australian Media Industry By Signing Dairy Australia

Hatched Media is a media agency providing small, agile and dynamic teams to revolutionize marketing for the 21st century, and it has just announced the signing of a massive client in Dairy Australia.

San Francisco, CA -- February 23, 2016 (FPRC) -- For too long media agencies have been judged on the size of their billings rather than the quality of their thinking. This has resulted in the media landscape being saturated by large global networks, and their quest for dominance has led to a generic offering, complete with major client and staff dissatisfaction. In an industry defined by sameness comes Hatched Media, a small but lithe agency that is disrupting the industry and landing major clients. Their latest signing is Dairy Australia, a monolith big enough to suggest that the company has now hit the big time by staying small.



Hatched is based on a different, superior and a better agency model. Fiercely independent, its profits arent returned to international offices to fatten their overall bottom line. Theyre returned to the business, thus ensuring there are enough resources and time available to fully service clients.



Hatched Media believes better means better, and that the best way to attract new talent is not with an AFL season pass, concert tickets or a bottle of Grange. Its with better wages, a better work environment and by making sure their workload is achievable without committing to a 60-hour week.



This approach has won them both staff and business. Clients are starting to realise that the bright lights of a global network are not quite what they seem. In a world where everyone has access to the same data, its the people who set Hatched apart.



One of the countrys leading organizations, Dairy Australia, is one client who understands that sometimes smaller really is better. They have entrusted Hatched with their biggest campaign to date. The fully integrated campaign includes sponsorship of Channel 7s high-anticipated Molly mini-series, integration into the Logie Awards and more.



Dairy Australia joins well-known brands such as Boost Juice, Village Cinemas, Fernwood Fitness, Hairhouse Warehouse, Melbourne Storm, Gold Coast Suns, Rolld, Huawei and Dennis Family Homes, showing our approach is really hitting home.



Glenys Zucco (Consumer Marketing Manager- Dairy Australia ) agrees that bigger does not necessarily mean better and states, Hatched Media have been a wonderful addition to our business- we were particularly impressed with the depth of insights behind the media strategy and recommendations. The team at Hatched are very responsive, highly professional and passionate all while being excellent media negotiators and have delivered great value for our media dollars At Hatched we know what its like to start small and stand tall. Our success has come from the quality of our people and their thinking. Were staffed by media industry experts who know their business and their clients', without having to do a google search..



About Hatched Media: Hatched Media offer the big cost savings that the monoliths can deliver without the cumbersome turnaround times that tend to come with them. Dealing with just a couple of people with decades of experience, clients reach countless numbers of audience as a result. Their focus on better instead of more means outstanding results at amazing value. For more information please visit: http://www.hatchedmedia.com.au/





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ShapeHost Launches New Spring Sale Offering Savings Of Up To 35% On VPS Packages (Tue 8th Mar 16)

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Royal Cliff Receives ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Certification (Wed 2nd Mar 16)
A & M Pest Control Los Angeles Launches New Annihilate Those Bugs Website To Promote Services Online

A & M Pest Control are Los Angeles best and most experienced exterminators, and they have launched a new website to promote their services online using the latest SEO techniques.

Los Angeles, CA -- February 23, 2016 (FPRC) -- Insects are the most populous group of animals to live on land, and have created homes for themselves in every arena, including successfully colonizing both the natural and urban environments. During the cold months of winter they seek refuge in the warm homes of humans, and in spring, they begin to breed. As such, demand for pest control in temperate climes like Los Angeles is about to go through the roof, and A & M Pest Control are preparing for this spike in demand with a new website.



The new website has been launched in order to help the company take advantage of the latest online marketing techniques and approaches. The website is integrated with Google Maps location data, making it easy to find locally on mobile apps and devices, while having a fully responsive design that loads seamlessly on any device.



The website also makes use of the latest on-page SEO techniques ( http://annihilatethosebugs.com/los-angeles/pest-control/ ), helping the business acquire organic searches from major traffic sources like Google, Bing and Yahoo. The website also features details of their team and services, together with video testimonials from former customers, so the site is as compelling to the human end users as it is to the algorithms that help get them to the site in the first place.



A spokesperson for A & M Pest Control explained, We are thrilled to be able to launch a new website in time to help more people than ever. The bug population is on the cusp of its biggest explosion of the year, and we want to make sure individuals are prepared an equipped to deal with this by calling in the best and most effective exterminators available. Our teams use heat, freezing and chemical methods to destroy insect populations and ensure they do not return, all at great prices, with fast response times.



About A & M Pest Control: A & M Pest Control is the premier pest control company in Los Angeles, ideal for anyone looking for a quick and painless solution to pest control problems. The company specialize in the eradication and elimination of rodents, mice, rats, cockroaches, bed bugs, ants, carpet beetles, mosquitoes, flies and more using the latest techniques and technologies available. Their experienced team of exterminators offer outstanding service for outstanding value. For more information please visit: http://annihilatethosebugs.com







Send an email to Orlando Gonzalez of r

(310) 601-4700

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Boogie Monster Celebrates Long String Of Recent Projects And Accomplishments

These projects, showcased at http://boogiemonster.com.au/, include a video for The Swan Valley as well as television commercials for major brands like Synergy and Barbagallo.

Perth, Western Australia -- February 23, 2016 (FPRC) -- Boogie Monster, a premier Perth-based video production company, is celebrating a recent string of successful projects. These projects include web videos, television commercials, and other work for major international brands. Those who are interested in seeing their work can get a glimpse of these recent projects at http://boogiemonster.com.au/tv-commercials-documentary/ .



Steve Vojkovic, the leader of the Boogie Monster team who has over 20 years of experience in the business, stated Every member of our team loves what they do, and it has been such a pleasure being able to bring that passion into the recent projects we have worked on. We strive to make our video projects impactful, speaking with images that visually and emotionally connect with a particular audience to inspire them and bring them into that brands story. We appreciate having had the opportunity to do that for some major international companies.



One of the recent projects that Boogie Monster is celebrating is a video produced for The Swan Valley. The video has been selected for showing on Singapore Airlines'' inbound flights. In addition, the company has wrapped a series of videos for 360 Health and Community and have completed animation and post work on stunning television commercials for well-known brands like Synergy and Barbagallo. The Boogie Monster team is especially proud of the recent series of television commercials that they provided colour correction and beauty enhancement work for Regina Miracle, an international supplier for Victoria''s Secret.



Vojkovic goes on to say, We celebrate these projects because we wholeheartedly believe that they will enhance these brands in major ways. Video is the wave of the future when it comes to advertising and business, but its not enough just to embrace the new technology. Brands need to make sure that they are setting themselves apart with their video content, and thats exactly what weve aimed to help these companies do.



Log on to http://boogiemonster.com.au/corporate-web-video/ to see footage from Boogie Monsters recent projects and learn more about what they have to offer.



About Boogie Monster:



Boogie Monster is Perth's go-to team for video production, web videos, animation and all forms of TV and film post-production. With over 20 years of experience, including working internationally on high-end Hollywood feature films, Steve Vojkovic leads the team to bring any client's idea or project to life on the screen. Situated high above West Leederville, Boogie Monster's purpose-built studios feature multiple suites for editing, motion graphics, and animation, and they feature Perth's only colour grading theatre with real-time capabilities. They also feature systems capable of finishing in fully uncompressed 4K resolution and auto-stereoscopic capabilities. Boogie Monster's role in a client's project can be as little or as much as they like and thats what makes their relationship with their clients so special. Whether they guide them from start to finish on their short or long-form production or they contribute to just a stage of the journey, Boogie Moster guarantees that client projects are their utmost priority.





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Michigan Pure Painting Has Expanded Its Service Area To Include Canton, Michigan

Michigan Pure Painting is proud to announce that they are expanding their painting services to Canton, Michigan, to help serve more Michigan residents than ever before.

San Francisco, CA -- February 23, 2016 (FPRC) -- Painting seems simple at first, but the artistry is soon revealed when people attempt to repaint their own interior and exterior surfaces, and it takes several layers, a lot of paint, an experienced hand and even more stress to result in an even finish. Smart individuals will hire a reputable expert to efficiently and effectively repaint their external and internal surfaces in time for the big spring clean. Michigan Pure Painting has just expanded its services to Canton, Michigan, to help more people than ever enjoy superb surfaces.



The new service area will enable the company to expand their services into a brand new area of Michigan, having previously established an outstanding reputation for corporate and residential jobs in Ann Arbor and Monroe. The company has selectively expanded its team in order to offer the same high quality service to both existing and new territories, to cope with increased demand.



The painting contractors can achieve outstanding results in both interior and exterior painting, with reasonable prices and service that exceeds expectations, meaning residents of Canton need look no further when looking to fix up their weathered walls, extending a hundred percent satisfaction guarantee on all jobs.



A spokesperson for Michigan Pure Painting explained, We are very excited about this opportunity to be able to serve the residents of Canton MI with our interior painting and exterior painting services. Unlike many painters and decorators, we promise to be on time and on budget with our painting jobs, and we will never ask individuals to pay for optional extras and treatments  we do the job right first time for the price we quoted. This simple, straightforward, honest and reliable service has helped us succeed in other parts of Michigan, and we have every confidence the people of Canton will respect this ethos and give us a chance as they look to refresh their homes for spring and summer 2016.



About Michigan Pure Painting: Michigan Pure Painting is a local painting company that serves Monroe, Ann Arbor and now Canton, Michigan. They provide painting services for residential and commercial properties, and their services include interior painting and exterior painting. Their experienced and expert team can offer outstanding results at competitive prices.



For more information about us, please visit http://michiganpurepainting.com/





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(415) 632 1664

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Pregnancy Exercise Publishes New Guide Into Training For Fitness While Pregnant (Thu 3rd Mar 16)

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Global Lightweight Materials Market is growing with a CAGR of 8.4 % from 2015 to 2022

Global Market News has released report on "Global Lightweight Materials Market 2016".

Deerfield Beach, FL, United States of America February 23, 2016 /GlobalMarketNews.us/ --

The Global Lightweight Materials Market is accounted for $95.75 million in 2015 and is expected to reach $168.23 million by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period. Increasing innovations in the automotive industry, growing number of vehicles and rising stringency of government regulations are the key factors driving the market growth. Safety and technological constraints and high price of lightweight materials are restraining the market. Rising demand in wind energy sector and upcoming regulations in emerging countries provide ample opportunities for players in the market. In 2015, transportation was the largest application segment, constituting for more than 80% of demand for lightweight materials.

Request For Report Sample Here:

http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/lightweight-materials-global-market-outlook-46841#RequestSample

Some of the key players in the market include Bayer AG, DuPont, PPG Industries, Inc., Alcoa Inc, 3M Company, Huntsman Corporation, TIMET, Formosa Plastics, BASF SE, Aleris International Inc, ArcelorMittal S.A., Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, Toray Industries, Inc., Hexcel Corporation and Styron LLC.

Applications Covered:

o Energy

o Transportation

o Trucks

o Commercial

o Automobile

o Railways

o Other vehicles

o Defense

o Medical

Do Inquiry About This Report Here:

http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/lightweight-materials-global-market-outlook-46841#InquiryForBuying

Products Type Covered:

o Plastics

o Polypropylene

o Polycarbonate

o Composites

o Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic

o Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic

o Metals

o Magnesium

o Titanium

o Aluminum

o High strength steel

Regions Covered:

o North America

o US

o Canada

o Mexico

o Europe

o Germany

o France

o Italy

o UK

o Spain

o Rest of Europe

o Asia Pacific

o Japan

o China

o India

o Australia

o New Zealand

o Rest of Asia Pacific

o Rest of the World

o Middle East

o Brazil

o Argentina

o South Africa

o Egypt

What our report offers:

 Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments

 Market share analysis of the top industry players

 Strategic recommendations for the new entrants

 Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets

 Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)

 Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations

 Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends

 Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments

 Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements

About Market Research Store:

Market Research Store, we have market research reports from competent publishers. Our Research Specialists have thorough knowledge about offerings from different publishers and different reports on respective industries. They will help you refine search parameters and get desired results at your doorstep. Here you can review the complete range of available reports, review the scope of study and methodology of reports. Apart from the published market research reports, we also provide customized study on any topic to meet the varied requirements of our clients.

Whether you are looking for new product trends, competitive analysis or study on existing or emerging markets, Market Research Store has best offerings and expertise to get the critical information for you. You can also choose the option to purchase full reports or sections from the report or only charts or tables.

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Global Bottled Water Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Segment and Forecast 2014-2020

Zion Research has published a new report titled "Bottled Water Market: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 2014  2020".

Deerfield Beach, FL (GlobalMarketNews.us) February 23, 2016 - According to the report, the global bottled water market was valued at approximately USD 170.0 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach approximately USD 280.0 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of around 8.5% between 2015 and 2020. In terms of volume, global bottled water market stood at around 290.0 billion liters in 2014.

Water is an incredibly important aspect of daily lives. Bottled water is a necessary and reliable way to deliver safe drinking water. There are various types of bottled water such as spring water, purified water, mineral water, ground water and others. Bottled water is packaged in plastic or glass bottles. Bottled water can be carbonated or not. Bottled water offers good taste, quality, and convenience

Get Sample Research Report: http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/bottled-water-market-z39681#RequestSample

The global bottled water market is mainly driven by increased health awareness and changing consumer life style. The bottled water market is expected to witness rapid growth fueled by strong demand for clean, flavored and hygienic drinking water. Other important factors driving the bottled water market are advancement in user friendly packaging. Strong growth of tourism industry and portability of hygienic bottled water is also expected to trigger demand of bottled water. However, stringent regulations regarding packaging of water and bottled water standards is expected to hamper the growth of the market to some extent. Moreover, easy availability of tap water and rising concerns with regarding increasing plastic waste is expected to present challenge for industry participants.

Still, carbonated, flavored and functional bottled water are the key product segments of the bottled water market. The still bottled water product segment held the largest share in the global bottled water market and accounted over 60% share in overall consumption in 2014. However, still bottled water segment is expected to exhibit moderate growth during the forecast period. Carbonated was the second largest segment of the bottled water market in 2014. Carbonated bottled water is expected to witness slight decline in its market share in the years to come. Flavored and functional water segment are also expected to witness rapid growth during the forecast period. Rapid growth of bottled water market can be attributed to rising concern regarding health & wellness.

Browse the full Bottled water (Still, Carbonated, Flavored and Functional Bottled Water) Market: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Segment, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2020 report at http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/bottled-water-market-z39681

Asia Pacific was the leading regional market for bottled water, with over 30% share of total consumption in 2014. Huge population, strong economical growth, increasing disposable income, coupled with changing lifestyle has been resulted into strong growth of bottled water market in Asia Pacific region. Asia Pacific is expected to remain major regional market for bottled water during the next five years. North America and Europe are expected grow at a moderate pace forecast period. However, North America and Europe are expected to experience decline its market share during the forecast period. Latin America and Middle East are also expected to witness robust growth of bottled water market in the years to come.

Do inquiry Before Purchasing Report: http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/bottled-water-market-z39681#InquiryForBuying

Some of the key players in the global bottled water market include Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Inc., Nestle Waters, Ajegroup SA, Groupe Danone, CG Roxane, LLC, Fonti Di Vinadio S.P.A., LLC, Icelandic Water Holdings ehf., Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd, HassiaWaters International GmbH & Co. KG, Grupo Vichy Catalan and Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co., Ltd.

This report segments the global bottled water market as follows:

Global Bottled Water Market: Product Segment Analysis

Still

Carbonated

Flavored

Functional

Global Bottled Water Market: Regional Segment Analysis

North America U.S.

Europe Germany France UK

Asia Pacific China Japan India

Latin America Brazil

Middle East and Africa

Related Published Reports:

Bottled Water Market  http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/bottled-water-market-z39681

 Fast Food Market  http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/fast-food-market-z39802

 http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/fast-food-market-z39802 U.S. Pet Food Market  http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/us-pet-food-market-34819

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Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers No Win No Fee Legal Aid Service Launched

Berglund & Johnson, a Los Angeles-based personal injury law group, launched an improved legal aid contingency fee service for victims of traffic and workplace accidents, medical negligence, abuse or neglect and product or premises liability.

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The Irvine Los Angeles-based law group Berglund & Johnson launched a newly improved legal representation service covering traffic, workplace, medical negligence, abuse or neglect and product or premises liability personal injuries on a contingency fee basis.

More information is available at http://personalinjurylawgrouplosangeles.com.

Berglund & Johnson is a law firm with over three decades of experience assisting victims of life-disrupting personal injuries in Southern California. The firm is now offering a "no recuperation, no cost" policy allowing its customers to benefit from the necessary legal representation without paying for a lawyer's time on a per hour basis.

Berglund & Johnson's contingency fee representation is available in case of workplace or construction accidents; medical devices, drugs and implants malfunction; bicycle, motorcycle, car, truck, train and airplane accidents; elder abuse and nursing home negligence; mesothelioma cancer caused by asbestos inhalation and product or premises liability.

The law firm provides advice and information on the different legal rights and choices available in case of a personal injury and representation in case of a compensation lawsuit. Berglund & Johnson's legal team has taken and won hundreds of personal injury cases from small settlements to major trials and has been acknowledged by Martindale-Hubbell for its exceptional legal capability and adherence to ethical values.

The litigation is led by the experienced personal injury attorneys Daniel W. Johnson, Christopher B. Townsley, Benjamin J. Jesudasson and Robert E. Makley. The group has won some of the biggest personal injury cases and compensations in California against General Motors, Ford Motor Business, Union Oil, the State of California, Heidelberg Printing Presses and numerous significant healthcare facilities.

Berglund & Johnson is also available for free phone or email legal consultations where personal injury victims can find out more about their legal rights and prospects. The website features further information on the firm's policy, attorneys, practice areas and success record.

The law firm explains that "in the occasion of any injury, it is really vital that the victim gets in touch with an injury lawyer right away. Substantial experience dealing with significant injury cases and a performance history of finishing the cases effectively and acquiring the rightful compensation for their customers are essential".

For more information about us, please visit http://personalinjurylawgrouplosangeles.com

Contact Info:

Name: Tom Nimz

Organization: Personal Injury Law Group Los Angeles

Address: 19200 Von Karman Ave, 4th Floor, Irvine, Los Angeles

Phone: (844) 855-2005

Release ID: 104764

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New Season Hunting Decoys & Game Calls Launched On Camping Web-Store

Camping Gear Supplies, an online resource for hiking, camping and outdoors activities has launched a new range of hunting gear. This ensures hunters are well prepared for the migratory waterfowl game season, with game calls, hunting decoys and camping equipment.

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Online outdoors, hiking and camping supplies store, Camping Gear Supplies, has launched a new range of hunting equipment in time for the hunting season, including game calls and hunting decoys, in addition to providing tips for seasonal activities and preparation for camping trips. For more information visit: http://campinggearsupplies.net.

Camping Gear Supplies says now during February is the time for hunters to prepare for duck and goose hunting season, applicable in several states across the US and Canada. It also advises to check with state hunting regulatory bodies, as it aims to encourage responsible, legal hunting. It reminds hunters that migratory waterfowl must not be hunted during their breeding and molting season, but rather when the populations have reached their maximum.

Camping Gear Supplies offers game calls, hunting decoys, binoculars, clothing, vision and hearing protection, game and trail cameras and fixed blade hunting knives. The next season to prepare for on the hunting calendar is for spring turkey game, typically in March and April, but once again hunters are advised to check with their state hunting authority. For turkey hunting they also provide scopes, and archery equipment such as bows, arrows, crossbows, shafts, quivers and so on.

The other side to hunting may also involve camping. Regardless, of whether camping for holiday, leisure or outdoors activity, Camp Gear Supplies provides plenty of tips and advice on camping, particularly preparation and sticking to essentials, as the most common mistake people tend to make is to overpack; but forgetting essential items. These include: bringing enough food and water to avoid unnecessary and potentially far away trips, making sure a first aid kit is included; bringing a cell phone in case of emergency; and to pack minimalist, necessary items only.

Other vital items are survival kits containing survival knife, flare gun, waterproof matches, batteries and flashlight and dryer lint to use as kindling for starting a campfire. Camping Gear Supplies explains how to prepare in advance by checking weather conditions, and also to explain any dangers or risks to camping companions, including children. Children tend to love camping making it an ideal family activity.

The Camping Gear Supplies website contains many more tips for those looking to enjoy a great camping experience, including equipment and outdoor activities.

For more information about us, please visit http://campinggearsupplies.net

Contact Info:

Name: Kou Assiseve

Organization: Camping Gear Suppies

Address: G7H 7J3, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada

Phone: 0143897652

Release ID: 104761

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Recent Press Releases By The Same User

Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17)

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Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17)

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Web Design Singapore Website Launched By OOJO

OOJO PTE offers comprehensive marketing services in Singapore. The web design business is able to provide SEO, website design and other marketing techniques

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Source: http://marketersmedia.com/web-design-singapore-website-launched-by-oojo/104789

Release ID: 104789

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Managers are now having to contemplate a potential Brexit.

On Friday (19 February), prime minister David Cameron announced he had formerly renegotiated terms for Britain within the European Union that meant he would put his heart and soul into the Stay In campaign.

A referendum date for voting on whether to stay in the European Union has been set as 23 June and London Mayor Boris Johnson has been swift to announce he will push for the nation to leave the EU.

So what does this mean for your clients funds? Here three investment houses share their thoughts on what a Brexit could mean for clients coffers.

Brexit will have minimal impact

Ben Gutteridge, head of fund research at Brewin Dolphin, agreed with comments made by Neil Woodford last week that suggest empirical and fundamental evidence implies Brexit concerns are likely to have a minimal impact on UK asset prices.

He said while Sterling experienced its biggest daily move in 11 months following Mr Johnsons decision to back the EU exit campaign it was vital to note sterling weakness is not a precursor to asset price underperformance.

Mr Gutteridge said: Indeed it is tangibly the opposite. Given the international dominance of FTSE earnings sterling weakness is a positive and, as a result, UK markets are trading firmer.

Brexit to be bad for UK businesses

However Pioneer Investments head of government bonds Cosimo Marasciulo said a Brexit scenario would likely lead to lower ratings for the UK government and, by implication, potentially UK companies as well.

He said the currency will likely continue to be under pressure.

Overall, he said a Brexit scenario would be negative for UK businesses and the UK economy.

Mr Marasciulo said: It could take up to two years for the UK to negotiate leaving the European Union, and much longer to re-negotiate bilateral trade deals with all the UKs trading partners.

Investment decisions would be put on hold, the pound sterling would probably depreciate and inward investment would be at risk.

That is before trying to figure out what would happen to Scotland and Scottish companies (we would expect Scotland to seek another referendum on leaving the UK and on remaining within the EU).

On credit markets, we foresee a modest widening of credit spreads, mainly driven by UK issuers but also by peripheral (Italian and Spanish) issuers, as the prospective implications of an EU break-up begin to be debated.

In this vein, UK bank spreads have already widened compared to other banks.

Brexit produces volatility - and opportunities

Mark Martin, manager of the Neptune UK Mid Cap fund, said uncertainty created by the very possibility of Britain leaving the EU is likely to result in further volatility, and opportunities, in the near term.

He said fears over Brexit and the global economy have combined to cause a healthy element of concern in the market and as a result he is finding a lot more value right now than he was six months ago.
Royal Londons Steve Webb has warned chancellor George Osbornes March Budget could amount to daylight robbery if he replaces the current system with a pension Isa or a low flat-rate of tax relief.

In a hard-hitting report published today (23 February), Royal London warned against Mr Osborne implementing the dramatic changes he is expected to announce next month.

Former pensions minister Steve Webb, who is now director of policy at Royal London, said the March Budget could be the biggest example of daylight robbery since the days of Dick Turpin.

He said: A pension Isa steals billions of pounds in tax revenues from the next generation who will need the money to fund the public services of an ageing society.

If the chancellor opts for a low flat-rate of tax relief, he will be stealing billions of pounds today from the support we give to hard-pressed savers.

By looking at the options for reform, the report called for the new system to provide stability and simplicity and stressed that it would be a grave mistake to slash the support available for savers.

The pension Isa was an idea floated by the chancellor in his July 2015 Budget, which would abolish up-front tax-relief.

Mr Webb said this would, in effect, be like the present government stealing funding from the next generation for the public services they will need as our society ages.

It has also been suggested Mr Osborne will offer a flat-rate relief, a system where everyone gets the same rate of top-up to their pension contributions regardless of their income.

The Royal London report pointed out a low flat rate, such as 25 per cent, would take billions of pounds out of support for long-term saving.

Royal London calculated a flat rate of 25 per cent would be worth little more than 2 per week extra for basic rate taxpayers and represent a major disincentive to pension saving for higher earners.

The report sets out some of the chancellors options for continuing with recent practice of making further detailed changes to the limits and structure of tax relief without fundamental reform.

Mr Webb argued this would be the worst of all worlds, creating yet more uncertainty and complexity and missing a once-in-a-generation chance to simplify the system.

He said: We need a reform which helps savers and offers simplification and stability, such as a generous flat rate of up-front relief combined with the abolition of the lifetime limit on pension saving. Anything else would be a huge missed opportunity.

Keith Churchouse, chartered financial planner at Guildford-based Chapters Financial, disagreed with the suggestion flat-rate relief would be daylight robbery.

High-rate tax earners only account for a relatively small proportion of the UK public. I think it would be a great distribution of wealth across all areas and may encourage more people to save into pensions. However, those who are in a higher rate of tax are going to be very upset.
Bank of Scotland took the top spot in the Financial Ombudsman Services latest list of shame while Sesame remained the most complained about intermediary business.

Banks yet again took the top five spots on the Financial Ombudsman Services list of the companies with the most new complaints made against them in the latter half of 2015.

Bank of Scotland Plc had 22,089 complaints made against it, Lloyds Bank accounted for 21,304 new complaints received by the ombudsman, Barclays Bank got 17,781, HSBC Bank got 10,997, and National Westminster Bank received 9,330.

Sesame Limited saw 116 new complaints made about their advisers in the second half of 2015.

Openwork Limited had 79 complaints made against it, St Jamess Place Wealth Management had 61 complaints, Positive Solutions received 37 and Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management Limited saw 31 new complaints made by clients to Fos in the latter half of 2015.

The figures showed the ombudsman took on a total of 164,347 new cases in the second half of 2015  a slight decrease of 6 per cent on the previous period.

Of the total cases referred to the ombudsman in the second half of 2015 PPI made up 56 per cent of new complaints  with 92,667 new PPI complaints, almost the same as in the previous period.

These complaints were generated by 220 businesses and the average uphold rate over the six month period was 53 per cent.

Chief ombudsman Caroline Wayman said: The financial services sector has been through a challenging and volatile period in the eight years since the ombudsman first began to publish data about individual financial businesses.

Though it still makes sense to plan for uncertainty and change ahead, the signs are that complaints are now broadly levelling off as we move onto a more even keel in the coming year.

During 2015, PPI complaints finally began to approach stable levels  but were still seeing the volume of cases at a much higher level than many people expected.

Complaints about financial products other than PPI decreased by 10 per cent to 71,663, reflecting a downward trend in areas such as packaged bank accounts, mortgages and pensions.

In the first half of 2015 Sesame was once again the most complained-about advice firm having also held this dubious honour in the second half of 2014.

Between 1 January and 30 June this year there were 172 complaints against Sesame - although only 27 per cent of these were upheld.

The company which was most complained about between January and June 2015 was Bank of Scotland Plc with 20,288 complaints followed closely by Barclays Bank with 20,021.

Adviser View

Dan Clayden, director of Devon-based Clayden Associates, said: One of the big reasons for complaints in recent years has been PPI and obviously that is coming to the end of the road so that may be why complaints are starting to level out.

I would hope it would be down to good financial advice and good regulation.
Total sales of organic produce are set to return to pre-recession levels this year, a report has suggested.

Growth of the sector amounted to 4.9% in 2015, taking the value of sales to 1.95bn  just shy of its 2008 peak, according to the Soil Associations annual market report presented in London this week.

It marks a third year of consecutive growth for organic produce, which was hit hard by the cut in consumer spending during the economic downturn.

See also: Key market facts for anyone considering organic farming

The charitys chief executive, Helen Browning, said while supermarkets had slightly increased sales, growth was mainly coming from dynamic expansion by independent retailers.

According to the data, supermarket sales grew 3.2%, or by 42.3m, in 2015. This compared with sales of so-called box schemes (home delivery), which were up 19.3m, and independent retailers sales up 21.5m.

There had also been a shift in the demographics, with the so-called millennials  shoppers born between 1980 and 2000  now dominating the market, said Mrs Browning.

Web savvy consumers

Those consumers are comfortable ordering on the web, and are seeking the health benefits that organic bring, according to Rob Howard, managing director at Riverford, which specialises in the mail order of organic groceries.

He said the business had seen about 10% growth in 2015, and suggested online shopping, especially subscription-based models, may be on the cusp of going truly mainstream.

More generally, he felt consumers were eating less meat overall, but were also choosing higher-quality cuts when they did indulge  both trends a boon for organic sales.

Convenience was also a factor growing in importance, with the firm now selling 1,500 recipe boxes each week, which contain everything required for a meal.

Opportunities

Avoiding pesticides remains the top reason people choose organic, according to the latest market research. Peter Melchett, policy director at the Soil Association, suggested that presented an opportunity for arable farmers.

He said his wheat was holding up its value at 200/t, while his neighbours conventional crop was selling at about 90/t and had faced higher input costs.

Organic farms automatically qualified for greening payments, reducing the amount of conservation a farmer may need to undertake, added Lord Melchett.

There are also opportunities to export. While the UK is the third largest organic producer by volume, after France and Germany, it falls well below other countries in terms of market share across Europe. In Denmark, organic products account for 7.6% food and drink sales, for example. Here it is closer to 1.4%.

This is driven in part by higher government support for organics in the Nordic countries. As such, that region, as well as northern Europe, presented good opportunities for export, said Mrs Browning. Organic produce was also well placed to meet the governments aims to sell more food to Asia.

Overseas markets remain a key priority for organic farmers in the UK, added Ms Brown, with 9% of sales already accounted for by export.

Fewer organic farmers

Despite the buoyant market signals, some 200 organic farmers ended their Soil Association registration in 2015, and the total area of land farmed organically in the UK also declined by about 25,000ha.

But those who continued in organic farming increased their acreage by 10ha, on average, reflecting consolidation in line with the rest of agriculture.

Simon Crichton, of Triodos Bank, said that trend was beginning to reverse. Confidence in dairying in particular was on the increase, he suggested, with Defra statistics suggesting the organic herd grew 7.7% last year, despite consumption declining.

The Soil Association also said enquiries about converting to organic were up, but conceded it was a long process between enquiry and final conversion.
British agriculture needs a bold plan from government to ensure a sustainable future for farm businesses and the nations food production, conference delegates will be told today at the NFU conference in Birmingham.

Some 1,300 farmers and other industry stakeholders are attending the two-day conference at the Birmingham ICC on 23-24 February.

NFU president Meurig Raymond will use the conference to call for actions to back the words from Defra on the governments proposed 25-year plan for food and farming.

His call comes as farmers face what the NFU has described as unparalleled financial pressures from supermarket price wars, delayed support payments, volatile markets and extreme weather.

See also: Patience wears thin over Defras plan for farming

Mr Raymond said: British farming has felt blow after blow in recent years  one thing I know for sure is there is no possible way that any sector can carry on in the same vein.

Farmers borrowed 17.8bn from banks in 2015  a record high. This paints a picture of the many businesses having the profit squeezed out of them.

Viable businesses cannot continue operating without profit and farms are no exception.

A commodity slump across a range of sectors has seen December 2015 average prices for milk, wheat and pigs all down more than 30% from the same period two years ago.

Spring lamb prices in 2015 were down 11% on the five-year average.

Mr Raymond said: We are calling on the government to provide the tools our sector needs to overcome the challenges and ensure they thrive.

The 25-year food and farming plan must address the fundamental issues of productivity and competitiveness. It needs to see a culture change about how we value food and farming.

Resilience and competitiveness are central to sustainable, profitable farm businesses, said Mr Raymond.

It is crucial that Defras plan ensures British farmers have access to the same agri-tech developments as its competitors  such as world-class plant protection products and novel breeding techniques.

Further downward price pressure on the horticultural sector in particular is expected following the introduction of the National Living Wage from April.

The lack of consultation or effort to help horticultural businesses make the National Living Wage workable threatened to devastate fruit and vegetable businesses, said Mr Raymond.

The implications of the introduction of a National Living Wage will be catastrophic for our horticultural sector, he added.

Many horticultural businesses rely on manual labour more than other sectors of the industry because a lot of fruit and vegetables cant be harvested and packed by machines.

Increasing wages combined with low fruit and vegetables prices had the the potential to make many growers unprofitable within just three years, said Mr Raymond.

We arent against a living wage in principle, but it must be sustainable for businesses and workers.

The governments long-term plan for farming  promised after the Conservative government was elected last year  must ensure a properly functioning supply chain, said Mr Raymond.

It must be one where consumers are able to see clearly marketed British food and buy British because of the quality and values that underlie our production, he said.

The NFU is also calling for a commitment to increase UK self-sufficiency in food production.

The UK has the fastest growing population in Europe  we must be able to feed the nation domestically and reduce the reliance on imported food.

Being 62% self-sufficient is not something we should settle for and the projected decline to 53% by 2040 is not an option for the sector.

The future should see our industry reach its productive potential and Defras plan has the power to enable farmers to do just that. The plan must back the future of British farming.

Defra secretary Liz Truss is expected to underline the governments commitment to farming in a keynote speech to conference delegates on Tuesday (23 February).
A UK vote to leave the European Union would be a leap into the dark followed by years of complication and risk for British farmers, Defra secretary Liz Truss has warned.

Ms Truss set out the case for the UK to remain a member of the European Union at the NFU annual conference on Tuesday (23 February).

By voting to remain, we can work within a reformed EU to reduce bureaucracy and secure further reform while still enjoying the significant benefits of the single market, she said.

The single market gave UK food and farming businesses access to 500 million consumers, Ms Truss told 1,300 conference delegates at the Birmingham ICC.

I believe we would be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed Europe but ultimately it will be for the British people to decide

Liz Truss

We are able to export our high quality products freely without the trade barriers we deal with elsewhere  and with a say in the rules.

See also: Have your say in our EU in or out poll

Food and farming was the UKs largest manufacturing industry employing 3.8 million people, with 60% of UK food and farming exports to the European Union bringing in 11bn.

Ms Truss said: At a time of severe price volatility and global market uncertainty, I believe it would be wrong to take a leap in the dark.

The years of complication and risk caused by negotiating withdrawal would be a distraction from our efforts to build a world-leading food and farming industry that brings jobs and growth to Britain.

The new settlement secured by Prime Minister David Cameron with other EU leaders had given the UK the best of both worlds, said Ms Truss.

See also: Defra ministers divided over EU referendum

She added: I am proud to be part of the government that it is delivering on its commitment to have an in-out referendum.

I believe we would be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed Europe but ultimately it will be for the British people to decide.

The NFU has not yet said whether it favours the UK remaining within the EU or leaving.

But earlier, NFU president Meurig Raymond cautioned against a so-called Brexit.

This is a huge area of uncertainty for farming, he told delegates.

If the vote is to leave the EU there will be at least another two years of uncertainty ad new arrangements are negotiated.

Defra minister George Eustice, who has joined the out campaign in favour of the UK leaving the EU, is expected to address farmers on the second day of the conference (24 February).
Story Highlights Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida, up from No. 7 in 2012-2013

Charleston, West Virginia, had the lowest well-being in 2014-2015

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, topped all large metro areas

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Residents of Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida, had the highest well-being across 190 communities Gallup and Healthways surveyed in 2014-2015, edging out Salinas, California. The remaining communities rounding out the top five were North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida; Fort Collins, Colorado; and the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts.

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island's top ranking is an improvement from its No. 7 position in 2012-2013, and its Well-Being Index score in 2014-2015 slightly exceeded Salinas' score when extended to two decimal points. Other communities that typically have ranked in the top 15 for well-being since 2008 include Boulder, Colorado; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Provo-Orem, Utah.

Charleston, West Virginia, earned the lowest well-being score in 2014-2015, with a number of Rust Belt communities accounting for most of the remaining lowest-ranked states. Many of the lowest well-being communities in 2014-2015 have consistently been among the lowest since 2008, including Charleston; Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma; Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, North Carolina; Huntington-Ashland, West Virginia-Kentucky-Ohio; and Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, Indiana, had much higher rankings in prior years and appeared on the list of lowest well-being communities for the first time in 2014-2015.

These community-level data are based on more than 353,000 interviews with U.S. adults across all 50 states, conducted Jan. 2, 2014, through Dec. 30, 2015. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index is calculated on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 represents the lowest possible well-being and 100 represents the highest possible well-being. The Well-Being Index scores for the nation and for each community are composed of metrics within each of the five essential elements of well-being:

Purpose: liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals

liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals Social: having supportive relationships and love in your life

having supportive relationships and love in your life Financial: managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security

managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security Community: liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community

liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community Physical: having good health and enough energy to get things done daily

In most cases, a difference of 1.0 to 2.0 points in the Well-Being Index score of any two communities represents a statistically significant gap, and is characterized by meaningfully large differences in at least some of the individual metrics that make up the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The Well-Being Index for the U.S. in 2015 was 61.7, essentially unchanged from 61.6 in 2014.

Corpus Christi, Texas, Leads Communities in Purpose and Social Well-Being

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island residents had the highest community well-being nationally, contributing to the community's top well-being ranking overall. Corpus Christi, Texas, led the nation in both purpose and social well-being, but did not perform as well in the other three elements, resulting in an overall rank of 35th. North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota had the best financial well-being, while Boulder topped all communities in physical well-being.

Residents of Charleston had the lowest or second lowest well-being in three of the five elements: purpose, financial and physical. Similarly, Fort Smith was among the lowest three communities for social, financial and physical well-being. Flint, Michigan, which has suffered from a water purity crisis in recent months, was in the bottom three for community well-being, trailing only Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Rockford, Illinois. Flint has historically been among the lowest communities for overall well-being.

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Tops All Large Metros in Well-Being

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara residents had the highest well-being among the nation's 53 largest communities, those with at least 1 million residents. Austin-Round Rock, Texas, placed second among large communities. Both have commonly been among the top large metropolitan areas for overall well-being since measurement began in 2008.

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia, historically one of the highest well-being cities in the U.S., had a lower score in 2014-2015 than in previous years, dropping to eighth among large communities and 38th overall nationally.

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Michigan, and Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio, join Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson among the lowest three large communities.

Implications

U.S. communities are at the front lines of American well-being. City leaders are often able to create and sustain a culture of well-being in ways that leaders of more geographically diverse states cannot. This is critical, as well-being can have a very real effect on a wide variety of outcomes for a community. For example, communities with low well-being, as a whole, have residents with significantly higher obesity rates and double the heart attack incidence, thus incurring substantially higher healthcare costs. Conversely, communities with high well-being tend to have residents who learn and do interesting things daily, have safe places to exercise, have high energy levels and believe that their water is safe to drink.

One area that is critical to creating and maintaining high well-being in communities is jobs. Globally, individuals who report that now is a "good time" to find a job have substantially higher well-being than those who do not, and those who are employed full time for an employer evaluate their lives much better than others in the workforce do. In addition, being unemployed or involuntarily employed part time has been linked to depression, a common characteristic of individuals and communities with low well-being. The economic vibrancy of communities, in turn, reflects these broader relationships. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, for example, leads the nation in economic confidence, and seven of the top 10 large metros nationally in economic confidence are among the highest 12 large metro areas in well-being.

As community leaders think about strategies to improve residents' lives, they should simultaneously consider the relationship between good jobs and well-being. Good jobs in a community boost the well-being of its residents, and residents with higher well-being attract potential employers seeking a workforce that has better job performance, less absenteeism and lower healthcare utilization.

Read the State of Community Well-Being report to see the full rankings.

Survey Methods

Results are based on a subset of 353,983 telephone interviews with U.S. adults across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, conducted Jan. 2, 2014, through Dec. 30, 2015. In 2014, 176,702 interviews were conducted nationally; in 2015, 177,281 interviews were conducted. Gallup conducts 500 telephone interviews daily, resulting in a sample that projects to an estimated 95% of all U.S. adults. Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) are based on U.S. Office of Management and Budget definitions. Only MSAs with at least 300 completed interviews are reported, and results for each MSA are uniquely weighted according to Nielsen Claritas demographic targets.

The margin of sampling error for the reported communities ranges from 1.7 points for the least populated to 0.3 points for the most heavily populated. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects due to weighting.

For data collected prior to Sept. 1, 2015, each daily sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 50% cellphone respondents and 50% landline respondents. For data collected between Sept. 1, 2015, and Dec. 30, 2015, each daily sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents. Additional minimum quotas by time zone and within region are included in the sampling approach.

Learn more about how the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index works.
March 1, 1936  Feb. 17, 2016

Lynn Arlet Cowdrey Sr., 79, of Brownsville died Feb. 17 in Lebanon.

Lynn was born in Weiser, Idaho, on March 1, 1936, to Floyd and Golda Cowdrey. The family moved first to Crawfordsville and then to Brownsville in the early 1940s. Lynn went to Brownsville Grade School and attended Brownsville High School. Upon leaving high school, he and his brother, Darle, went to look for work in California. Not able to find a job due to his age, Lynn came back to Oregon and found work as a ranch hand in Eastern Oregon. Shortly after his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the United States Army and after basic training in Fort Ord, California, he served in Hawaii until 1956 and the Army Reserve until 1962.

Upon his discharge from the regular Army in 1956 he came back home and installed indoor plumbing in the family home, built a sheep shed, and helped out on the family farm. While in Brownsville, Lynn met Elma Loy (Peggy) Wedlock, who would be the love of his life. After a short time he again left for Central Oregon where his brother Gene had told him the Maupin Sawmill was hiring. He and Peggy exchanged weekend trips to see each other until they were married in Goldendale, Washington, in May of 1957. While living in Maupin, they had three children, Lynn Jr., Michael Lorin and Deanna Loy.

In 1962 Lynn came home from work at the saw mill and told Peggy, "We're moving!" Shortly thereafter the family moved to Lebanon and Lynn began working at US Plywood and learned to shear sheep. After working at the two jobs for a short time, Lynn left the plywood mill and went to shearing full time. As he built his shearing business Lynn made sure the family was taken care of by working odd jobs building fence, tearing down barns, and doing general farm work.

In the next few years Lynn worked tirelessly to build a successful shearing business. His reputation for honesty, dependability, and an easy-going manner made him a favorite amongst the sheep men and women in the Willamette Valley and beyond. Lynn was also an innovator in the shearing business, building the first mobile shearing unit ever used in the Willamette Valley. Now several shearers use them.

Lynn would shear for more than 51 years during which time he would shear and tag nearly three quarters of a million sheep. In July of 1979, son Mike would join Lynn in the shearing business and they would shear together until Lynns retirement. At age 74 while shearing with Mike for Tony Wahl, Lynn sheared 100 head of sheep. At the end of the day, he looked over at Mike, smiled and said, There you go, when youre 74 thats your goal. When asked about his shearing career, Lynn would say hed do it all over again and the only thing hed change is that he would start shearing earlier.

Lynn was a devoted husband, father, uncle, grandfather and friend. His fun loving nature and quick wit were evident in the time since his passing as the family went through the thousands of pictures taken over the years. The family spent hours remembering the good times, reliving the adventures, and seeing the story of a life well-lived unfold before their eyes. Lynn instilled in all his children the value of hard work, enjoying life, and, when things werent going well, remembering that the main thing is.. Dont get excited.

As the end of his life neared, Alzheimers would take Lynns capacity to work, his ability to carry on a conversation, and eventually his memories, but it never touched his spirit. Even in his last days there were times that the glint would return to his eyes and a crooked, mischievous smile would cross his face as he spent time with the loved ones he held so dear.

Lynn was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd and Golda; brothers Gene and Jerry; sister Phyllis; and grandson Troy.

He is survived by his wife, Peggy of Brownsville; brothers Darle and Dwight of Brownsville, and Don of Ashwood; sons Lynn Jr. and wife Toni of Maupin/Alsea, and Mike (Sheri Brown) of Scio; daughter Dea of Albany; stepsons Paul, Steve and Mark, all of Missouri; 18 grandchildren; and 34 great-grandchildren.

The family would like to express our gratitude to the loving, caring staff at Bridge Creek Memory Care in Lebanon. Your kind and compassionate attention made a difficult time easier for Lynn, Peggy, and the entire family. During that time, you became more than caregivers; you became friends.

In lieu of flowers Peggy requests that a donation be made in Lynns name to Bridge Creek Memory Care of Lebanon. All donations will be gifted to the support staff that cared for Lynn.

A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Assembly of God in Brownsville.
This log includes incidents in which there might have been a public disturbance or a risk to the public. Information comes from the Corvallis Police Department, the Benton County Sheriffs Office and Oregon State Police. It does not include all calls for service. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. People arrested or suspected in crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise.

Corvallis Police Department

SATURDAY, FEB. 20

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: 4:45 a.m., 800 block Northeast Woodcrest. An officer arrested Cody James Derrick, 23, of Corvallis, while responding to a domestic dispute in which Derrick allegedly choked a woman and hit her in the face multiple times. The woman reportedly suffered broken orbital bones in her face and was taken to Oregon Health & Science University for emergency surgery to repair damage to her eye. Derrick was charged with second-degree assault, strangulation, and coercion.

Benton County Sheriffs Office

SATURDAY, FEB. 20

DUII: 8:31 p.m., Highway 20 and Mustang Lane, Philomath. A deputy arrested Randy Jeff Nicholson, 30, of Millersburg, on a charge of DUII. He reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.18 percent.

DUII: 3:09 p.m., Northwest Springhill Drive and Independence Highway, Albany. A deputy responding to a report of a crash arrested Phillip Reed James, 22, of Monmouth, for charges of DUII, reckless driving, and reckless endangering. He reportedly had a blood alcohol of 0.19 percent.

FRIDAY, FEB. 19

DUII: 7:08 p.m., Applegate Street and South 10th Street. A deputy arrested Mathew Douglas Sloan, 25, of Portland, for a charge of DUII.
LEBANON  In Ethiopia  which sits in the Horn of Africa on the far eastern border of the continent  one in 16 pregnancies ends in infant death, compared to one in 2,800 in developed countries.

The vast majority of the countrys 91 million residents live in poverty, subsisting by growing wheat, teff or coffee, and earning less than $1 per day.

Daily life between there and the mid-valley is as different as night and day.

But thanks to the 120-bed Soddo Christian Hospital, there is a strong bond between mid-valley residents and their counterparts more than 8,500 miles away.

In December, the Lang family of rural Lebanon  Jonah, 39, and Becky, 36, their daughters, Adrianne, 12, Stella, 10, and Charlotte, 7, and grandparents Will and Lynne Tucker of Scio  forged strong bonds with missionaries serving the region and the hospital.

We have been long-time friends with Brad and Bethany Canfield, Becky Lang said. Brad is the administrator of the Soddo Christian Hospital.

Canfield was formerly employed at the Lebanon Express and Samaritan Health Services before being called spiritually to aid the people of Ethiopia in 2015.

The hospital was founded in 2005 and has recorded 163,000 patient visits, completed more than 26,000 operations and delivered nearly 4,000 babies.

It is funded by the St. Lukes Health Care Foundation, based in Wheaton, Illinois, along with local support from the Calvary Chapel in Corvallis, among many others.

The Langs are members of the River Center church in Lebanon, and both Jonah and Becky have prior missionary experience. Becky is a homemaker and home-school teacher and Jonah is a firefighter in Clackamas County.

Between them, they have traveled to Brazil, Venezuela, Thailand and China, meeting a variety of mission needs.

Being able to take on a family mission trip once our youngest was able to handle it has been on our radar for some time, Becky said.

The Langs planned out a three-week trip in December and her parents, the Tuckers, spent 10 days, including travel.

Our goal was to act as support for the long-term missionaries there, Becky said. We wanted to encourage them and to help them get refreshed, to make their jobs easier. They deal with poverty every day, and it is mentally fatiguing.

For Jonah and Will, there was plenty to do fixing the home the Canfields live in about 20 minutes from the hospital.

We worked on many things around the house, especially electrical needs, Tucker said. The wires were put together without wiring nuts, so the connections wore down and there were open shorts. The home is made of mud and concrete, so there is little chance of a fire, but its still not good.

The crew put together 18 50-pound containers of food and tools.

We took school supplies, food, clothing, canning jars, and even some hams for Christmas, Becky said. The Canfield boys really wanted some macaroni and cheese.

The family learned quickly why mission work in a third-world country can be so trying.

The electrical grid is very unreliable, Becky said. The power went off and on while we there, and it has been off since we left the end of December. The Canfields have a generator they run a couple hours per day to keep their refrigerator and freezer cold.

There are gas-burning stoves to cook with when the electricity is out and, more importantly, boil the murky water that comes from a nearby stream.

People spend all day hauling water, Becky said. From children to adults, its a big part of everyones daily schedule.

The girls learned how to hand wash clothing as a new life skill, and they learned some words in an extremely complex language that includes hundreds of letters.

The group visited the hospital a few times, singing carols there at Christmas, but primarily focused on the compound where the missionaries live.
New Years Eve : Two more arrested in Cologne assaults

Two more arrested in Cologne assaults Foto: Markus Bohm/Archiv

Cologne Two men have been arrested for their alleged crimes on New Years Eve in Cologne. They are part of a continuing investigation by criminal police.

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Two months following the sexual assaults and thefts near the Cologne central train station on New Years Eve, two more men have been arrested. The 21 and 22-year-old men were taken into custody in Steinfurt and Zeven/Niedersachsen.

The 21-year-old man is alleged to have harassed and shoved a man, at the same time stealing his wallet from his pants pocket. Several witnesses were able to hold the suspect while one summoned police. Police took identification from the man, an Algerian asylum seeker, but they could not retrieve the wallet. He was let go by police. Cologne prosecutors since then issued an arrest warrant for the Algerian man for aggravated theft. He was discovered in a security control on Thursday, February 18. Police arrested him and the next day he was put before a judge and subsequently jailed.

On Sunday, investigators in Zeven were also successful; they were able to arrest a 22-year-old man accused of stealing a mobile phone on New Years Eve. He was found during a police inspection. The man is an asylum seeker from Morocco. He is thought to have stolen a cell phone from a 23-year-old at 1:30 a.m. on Konrad-Adenauer road along the shoreline. He was also taken before a judge and is now sitting in jail.
Climate Astronauts : UN Music competition prize winners

Foto: Silke Elbern

Oberkassel Fourth graders win UN music competition with their song Climate Astronauts.

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Fourth graders at the Gottfried Kinkel School were one of three winners of a music competition put on by the United Nations. The music contest for young people was held at the end of the year during the climate summit in Paris. On Monday, they received the award for their song, Climate Astronauts.

The language of the competition was English and the song had been written almost entirely in English with a nice pop melody. Guest of honor at the award ceremony was Nick Nutall from the UN Climate Secretariat (UNFCCC), and the event was conducted in both English and German. Nutall praised the childrens song, saying it showed how everyone could live in a more environmentally friendly way.

Climate Astronauts tells about little astronauts who try to improve the climate by riding bikes instead of cars, saving water while brushing teeth and planting trees. One of the prize winners, Luis said We like to sing but I dont know if were good or not. In any case, Mayor Ashok Sridharan was also present and he asked for the text to the kids school song so he could sing along. He also praised the kids for their efforts and noted that they would be the ones in the future who live with the effects of climate change.

Two other prize winning groups came from the U.S. and Indonesia. The text and song Climate Astronauts can be found here.
1

They've come up with a genius design that converts the heat from your cup of coffee (or anything, really, as long as it's hot) into power. Generating electricity is not limited to Coffee mugs but anything that 's hot.

2

The designers came up with a tabletop that harvests heat from whatever you put on it. Then you set your phone on the table, near where an X marks the spot, and the energy is transferred right into your phone - so it's wireless to boot.

3

The project, called Heat Harvest, came out of the Space 10 lab, an IKEA initiative where up-and-coming designers work on products that will make urban living that much better.

4

Heat Harvest is a device that can either stand alone or be integrated into household items, such as tables, to capture wasted heat from our everyday objects and turn it into free, green electricity that can be reused at home.

5

Uses Wireless Charging. It's an efficient and sustainable solution to our modern society where lot of electricity is wasted.
Jat Regiment

Known for their military powers, many Jats were recruited into the British-India Army during World War I. A large number of Jats serve in the Indian Armed Forces and form one of the largest ethnic groups in the army -- The Jat Regiment. The Jat Regiment has refused to part with the Roman numeral IX even though it no longer occupies the its ninth position in the regimental hierarchy unlike in the 1920s.

The Jat Caste is part of the Kashtriya and Vaish Castes and historically, as well as ethnically, part of the same clans as the Rajputs. The Jats are a people of north-western India, who form a considerable proportion of the population in the Punjab, Rajputana and the adjoining districts, and are also widely scattered through Sind and Baluchistan. They enlisted under the banner of Mahommed bin Kasim, but at a later date offered a vigorous resistance to the Arab invaders. In 836 they were overthrown by Amran, who imposed on them a tribute of dogs, and used their arms to vanquish the Meds. In 1025, however, they had gathered audacity, not only to invade Mansura, and compel the abjuration of the Muslim amir, but to attack the victorious army of Mahmud, laden with the spoil of Somnath. Chastisement duly ensued: a formidable flotilla, collected at Multan, shattered in thousands the comparatively defenceless Jat boats on the Indus, and annihilated their national pretensions.

The Sikh religion was founded by Baba Guru Nanak (1469-1539), whose prime aim was to increase communal harmony between the Muslims and the Hindus. Initially the Sikhs were confined to the north West Indian region of Punjab (in modern India and Pakistan) and were mostly peasants from the sturdy "Jat" caste.

It is not until the decay of the Mogul Empire that the Jats again appear in history. One branch of them, settled south of Agra, mainly by bold plundering raids founded two dynasties at Bharatpur and Dholpur. Another branch, settled north-west of Delhi, who adopted the Sikh religion, ultimately made themselves dominant throughout the Punjab under Ranjit Singh, and were represented in their original home by the Phulkian houses of Patiala, Jind and Nabha. It was from this latter branch that the Sikh regiments of the Indian army were recruited.

The confusion in the caste system begins by the use of the word caste. The Indians in their different languages use the word 'Jat' for any community who have something common like religion, language, origin, or similar geographical background. The Indians also use the word 'Jat' for Varna. The Portuguese, who were the first European power to arrive in India, distorted the word 'Jat' into caste. The British who arrived to India much later after the Portuguese also used the word caste. The British used the word Caste instead of Jat and Varna.

The Jats, also called Choudhary, occupy a prominent position in Rajasthan being the largest group in this region. They are divided into 12 chief clans and about 230 minor gotras. Though the origin of the Jat tribe is shrouded in mystery, the Jats still betray tribal traits. Agriculture has always been the main occupation of the Jats, but now they are branching out in other fields like military and police. They are also well represented in government civil services. One of the dominating Castes amongst the Punjabis are the Jats. Jats are in the main landlords and farmers and consider themselves to be of a superior stock than any of the so called Untouchable Castes; especially the Chamar Caste which is the dominant Untouchable Caste in the Punjab

The Chief of Army Staff made a special instant award of "Unit Citation" to 17th Battalion, The Jat Regiment for their meritorious and gallant performance during the battles of Whale Back & Pimple I on night 05/06 July and Pimple II on 08 July 1999, in Dras Sector. The unit performed with distinction during Operation "Vijay" and displayed exemplary valour and grit in the face of the enemy.

In December 2001 the Indian Government conferred the benefits of reservation on 90 new backward castes in 16 states. This was in addition to the 116 castes which were included in the list of backward castes in October 2001 and 126 in November 2000. The liberal attitude of the BJP government in granting reservation to any caste that asked for it manifested itself in Rajasthan when the Prime Minister declared Jats a caste eligible for reservation. It was believed to have helped the BJP in the last Lok Sabha elections, particularly when the Congress could not honor its pre-poll promise on this score. The Uttar Pradesh government took its cue from his announcement and declared the Jats in the state a backward caste.

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U.S., Israel Begin Weeklong Ballistic Missile Defense Exercise

By Lisa Ferdinando DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, February 22, 2016  The United States and Israel began a weeklong ballistic missile defense exercise yesterday, a Pentagon spokesman said today.

Juniper Cobra is held every two years between United States European Command and the Israeli military, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters. The exercise is intended to improve cohesion and interoperability between the two nations in the event of a ballistic missile attack against Israel.

'[The] exercise is our nation's premier exercise in the region and with Israel,' he said. 'This is the 8th in a series of biennial exercises between the two militaries dating back to 2001.'

More than 1,700 U.S. service members, civilian employees and contractors are taking part, Davis noted.

Planning for the exercise began more than a year ago and is not related to any specific events or developments in the region, he said.

The training includes a 'computer-simulated scenario about challenges Israel could face,' Davis explained.

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Ban welcomes cessation of hostilities pact in Syria as 'signal of hope;' condemns bombings

22 February 2016  United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the agreement announced today by United States Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) Ceasefire Taskforce, on the terms of a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria scheduled to come into effect on Saturday.

Noting the "lengthy and detailed discussions" that preceded the announcement, Mr. Ban, in a statement attributable to his spokesperson said he believes the agreement, if respected, would constitute a significant step forward in the implementation of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), which gave the UN an enhanced role in shepherding the opposing sides to talks for a political transition, endorsing a timetable for a ceasefire, a new constitution and elections.

"It demonstrates the commitment of the ISSG to exert influence on the warring parties to bring about an immediate reduction in violence as a first step towards a more durable ceasefire," Mr. Ban stressed, adding that the agreement "further contributes to creating an environment conducive for the resumption of political negotiations."

"Above all, it is a long-awaited signal of hope to the Syrian people that after five years of conflict there may be an end to their suffering in sight," Mr. Ban said.

Urging the parties to abide by the terms of the agreement, the Secretary-General said the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria stands ready to support implementation, both on the ground in Damascus and in Geneva. The UN will also count on the cooperation of ISSG members  the Arab League, the European Union, the United Nations, and 17 countries, including the US and Russia  as all stakeholders jointly set the implementation mechanism in motion.

"Much work now lies ahead to ensure its implementation, and the international community, the ISSG and the Syrian parties must remain steadfast in their resolve," Mr. Ban emphasized.

Earlier, the UN chief condemned the multiple bombings yesterday in Damascus and Homs, Syria, which reportedly killed at least 155 people, mainly civilians, and injured several hundred more.

"Those responsible for these atrocious and deliberate attacks on civilians must be held accountable," said Mr. Ban in a statement attributable to his spokesperson.

The Secretary-General extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved families affected by the bombings, which were claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL/Da'esh, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

Yesterday, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, strongly condemned the bombings as well.

In a statement attributable to his spokesperson, Mr. de Mistura, condemned "yet another set of car bomb and suicide explosions in Damascus and Homs cities."

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Norwegian English

Norwegian aluminium company Norsk Hydro ASA's fully owned subsidiary Hydro Energi AS has signed a long-term power contract with Nordic Wind Power DA, a Norwegian wind power consortium, for annual baseload supply of between 0.6 and 1 TWh in the period from 2020 to 2039.

"We are happy to contribute to realizing the Fosen wind power project, the largest onshore wind power project in Europe, ensuring safe industrial offtake for around a third of the annual production capacity for a significant time period," says President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzg.

"This demonstrates the synergies between industry development in Norway and developing renewable energy sources", says Brandtzg.

The contract covers annual supply of around 0.6 terawatt hours (TWh) during 2020, around 1.0 TWh annually in the period from 2021 to 2035, and around 0.7 TWh annually from 2036 to 2039, resulting in around 18 TWh over the 20-year period.

The contract will contribute to supplying power to Hydro's aluminium plants, including the Karmy Technology Pilot, after the existing long-term power contract with Norwegian state utility Statkraft expires in 2020.

Norwegian hydropower producers Statkraft (52.1%) and TrnderEnergi (7.9%), and Nordic Wind Power DA (40.0%), are building Europe's largest onshore wind power project in Central Norway, which includes six onshore wind farms. Nordic Wind Power DA is a European investor consortium created by Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure Partners, an investment boutique focused on the energy sector, and backed by Swiss utility BKW AG, among others.

Investor contact

Contact Olena Lepikhina

Cellular +47 96853035

E-mail Olena.Lepikhina@hydro.com

Press contact

Contact yvind Breivik

Cellular +47 40226686

E-mail Oyvind.Breivik@hydro.com
MEBANE, N.C.  The soft, white wad Kevin Damewood of Kingsdown mattress company held in his hand looked like cotton. But looks can be deceiving.

The mattress industry does, in typical places, use words like cotton, said Damewood, executive vice president for sales and marketing at Kingsdown, a 112-year-old employee-owned mattress company based in Mebane. But in that term is a lot of other stuff.

That stuff  chemicals, glue, polyester and other synthetic materials commonly used in mattress making  is what Kingsdown is avoiding in one line it recently debuted, Diamond Royale.

Call this new collection farm fresh. Kingsdown uses local farmers, including Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington, to manufacture the mattresses. The farm raises sheep naturally, and sells their wool to Kingsdown for the mattresses.

The mattresses were shown off at the Las Vegas Market a year ago and hit retail last week. They start at $10,000 for a queen set, but go for as much as $20,000.

Kingsdown executives say there is a clientele for this product  people who want more than just their food home grown.

And the company, which considers itself a luxury mattress manufacturer, figured it made sense for it to jump into this uber high-end market.

Its the pinnacle of what it is we do, Damewood said at the companys manufacturing facility last week.

But before it could venture into this area, the company first had to find a partner. And thats where Olga Elder came in. Elder had been an insurance agent in Durham for 25 years, but decided about 10 years ago that she wanted a simpler life.

I knew that I wanted to be with nature, Elder said.

Elder began looking for farms to buy and found Stoney Mountain. She later met the man who would become her husband, John, who had a background in farming. The couple started with just five sheep. As many as 60 roamed the property last week.

A few grazed under the watch of two llamas the Elders use as guards for their flock. On another side of the nearly 60-acre farm, a group of rams huddled together chewing cud. Thats a sign that theyre happy, John Elder said.

Sheep farming is a livelihood that has suffered to foreign competition, much like other industries, Olga Elder said.

She said people are buying wool cheaper from other countries. So American farmers arent making money and are getting out of the business, she said.

Elder said most wool leaves the country to be processed chemically  and cheaply  in other countries. Sourcing it locally, as Kingsdown is doing, is saving farmers, Elder said.

We can offer a transparent product, Elder said. We can tell you with assurance that this wool hasnt been treated with chemicals.

The Elders employ numerous natural tactics to raise their sheep. They dont use any chemicals to grow their grass, and they compost. Elder said they avoid medicating the sheep for problems such as parasites, instead using alternative methods to treat them.

Elder had been raising her sheep naturally before Kingsdown approached her in 2014, so she didnt hesitate when the company asked her to partner with it on the new line. She has a network of about 10 other farmers in the area that she works with to provide wool for the mattresses.

Its a beautiful cause, she said. There was no question about that.

Kingsdown has four other manufacturing facilities in the United States, but Diamond Royale is made only in Mebane by a small team of employees. The cotton used in the mattresses is unbleached and cleaned without using chemicals.

In addition to the layers of natural wool and cotton, the mattresses innerspring coils are hand-tied and pocketed in cotton muslin.

The end result is on display on a bed in Kingsdowns showroom in downtown Mebane: a mattress that, at 350-400 pounds, is plushly stuffed. No foam, no chemicals, no polyester.

Just natural farm product, Damewood said.
From a vision he had a long time ago to open a guest ranch where people could come from the city and enjoy the country life  the chickens, ducks, horses and other animals  Gary Holmes, along with his wife, Julie, have turned more than 800 acres of Cluster Springs farmland into Shangrila.

Friday morning Holmes joined Agricultural Marketing and Development Director Kimley Blanks and Halifax County Extension Agent of Agriculture and Natural Resources Ashley Nauta at the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority meeting to highlight future plans for the countys horse industry.

Included in those future ideas are potential plans for hosting expos, festivals and local and regional horse shows.

However, before that can take place at the Halifax County Event Center (former fairgrounds), the arena needs attention, according to Nauta who pointed to expanding its size, painting and repairing the fence and revitalizing the footing. Additional equine stabling also is needed at the site before horse lovers from across the state can be invited to horse shows and festivals at the former fairgrounds outdoor arena.

In addition to trails at Shangrila, currently the county offers 18 miles of horse trails at Staunton River State Park and a one-mile segment at the Tobacco Heritage Trail.

Potential exists for an extensive regional network of public trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors, Nauta said.

For example, along the Tobacco Heritage Trail, development is needed from Sutherlin to South Boston, South Boston to Randolph and a corridor running along the western edge of the Staunton River and northern edge of the Dan River, east of South Boston.

Equestrian specific trail needs include soft trail surface, horse trailer parking and access, higher railings on bridges, tie-ups and water troughs at the rest areas and signs and trail markings specifically to alert equestrian users at crossings.

According to the 2012 U. S. Agriculture Census, 148 equine farms, home to 694 horses, are located in Halifax County, but Nauta told IDA board members its probably closer to double that number.

Assets in the equine industry here include agritourism, breeders, trainers, lessons and boarding.

Across the state in 2010, Nauta said horse business made a $1.2 billion annual economic impact and generated $65.3 million in state and local taxes along with more than 16,000 jobs with the largest economic impact in Northern Virginia.

Horse owners spent $873 million annually on horse-related expenses for an average of $4,060 per horse.

Nearly 1,200 horse shows and events were held throughout the state generating $25 million in revenue.

A total of 939,000 people attended Virginia horse shows and competitions last year, with out-of-state participants spending an average of $3,100 per event.

While the number of farms in Virginia is decreasing, the number of farms with horses is actually increasing.

Here in Halifax County, Shangrila Guest Ranch is proud to be making its own contribution to the states agritourism numbers boasting all inclusive horseback riding vacation packages, corporate workshops and retreats, horsemanship clinics and hourly and day trail riding.

Blanks described it as the only guest ranch of its kind in the state.

When we came here, 12 years later to me its still, every time I get on a horse and go out here, Im so fascinated with the terrain and the layout. And I could spend the rest of my life here traveling on trails as an adventurer, Holmes told IDA board members.

After trail riding all across the United States, Holmes said he chose Halifax County for its topography.

This area up here, when you cross a creek and go through a field and turn a corner, its just like youre in a whole other world. However, Halifax County is pretty much still a secret to the horse community.

He is working hard to increase the exposure of Halifax Countys equine offerings to attract local and international tourists.

To date, Shangrila Farms has attracted horse-lovers from 21 states plus parts of nine European countries, one African country and four Asian countries.

Many have returned two to three times because Halifax County has become so special to these people, Holmes said.

Shangrila has expanded by necessity, not only to preserve land but also to have enough pasture for more than 30 horses to graze to their hearts content.

He left IDA members with this thought:

After traveling with their horses for many years across various states and participating in numerous trail rides, the Holmes chose Halifax County to be their home.

The country setting, horse-friendly areas and supportive community were major factors in their decision making process.

In efforts to preserve farmland and forests from the errors of unplanned development, Holmes said he and his family now have acquired over 800 acres for farm use and trail preservation.

In doing so, the farms and trails connect to additional land owners which share the same interest, resulting in a vast network of trails and thousands of acres to ride and enjoy nature.

IDA board members were encouraged to pay a visit to Shangrila which is equipped to handle 16 guests overnight and 40 to 50 in a days time. The camp also offers capacity for camping for horses and trailers.

In other action Friday morning, IDA directors adopted a financial statement for January and were encouraged by the number of prospects currently eyeing the county for business.

Under properties and prospects, Committee Chairman Chris Lumsden said, We hope over the next few months to have an announcement or two. We feel good about the direction we are moving.

IDA Executive Director Matt Leonard added, We are currently working with prospects in all of our targeted sectors including aerospace, agribusiness, automotive, bio data and wood products.

Updating IDA members on construction work at the Southern Virginia Advanced Manufacturing Center (former Daystrom building), the IDA executive director told members, he has received very positive responses from prospects and is getting good feedback.

The IDA is planning to hold an upcoming meeting at the newly refurbished Southern Virginia Advanced Manufacturing Center when the weather warms up.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 22, 2016) - Aberdeen International Inc. ("Aberdeen", or the "Company") (TSX:AAB) is pleased to provide a corporate and operational update on African Thunder Platinum ("ATP").

African Thunder Platinum closed the acquisition of its platinum assets in early 2015 with the startup of the Smokey Hills mine occurring in January and the completion of mill commissioning on April 29, 2015. During the second half of 2015 (July to December), African Thunder continued to experience significant progress on increasing production from the mine, however the pace of the underground development and production ramp-up fell short of the Company's initial expectations due to several factors, including poor equipment availability, several senior management changes, and employee absenteeism that was at the root of low overall mining productivity. These issues are being addressed to the Company's satisfaction and production results in 2016 have shown significant improvement.

For 2015, the mine produced 234,000 tons of ore and development material at an average grade of 3.1 g/t 4E PGM (platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold) and total production of 16,381 oz 4E. As is typical in South African platinum mines, the material recovered in development of adits and raises is blended with the higher-grade ore from stopes, lowering the overall grade delivered to the mill, depending on the ratio of ore to development material. This ratio of ore to development material is lower during ramp-up and should stabilize as full production is achieved. The mill has been operating since April and has been delivering results as expected, with a weighted average recovery over the calendar year of 75%, which includes lower recovery over the first few months of operation. Overall PGM recoveries trended towards the design level of 80% and the mill has achieved a recovery rate of 79% over the first six weeks of 2016.

Production early in 2016 has improved over the fourth calendar quarter of 2015, with underground production so far in February achieving approximately 80% of the full production plan of 42,000 tpm. We are currently estimating that our year-to-date mining costs (on a per tonne basis) would place the mine in a very competitive position relative to the South African platinum mining sector. That being said, the mine is still ramping up production, and the ratio of development material to stoping ore is higher than it would be at steady-state production, so we are still seeing lower grade delivered to the mill, than what is required to achieve the full production rate of 60,000 oz/yr PGM.

2016 PLANNING AT SMOKEY HILLS

After experiencing a setback in production levels in the fourth calendar quarter of 2015, African Thunder has resumed growing production levels from the mine, and is on pace in February to achieve record monthly production from Smokey Hills. In reviewing the production and development plans in the context of the current PGM market it is clear that accelerated development would be required for several more months in order to achieve full production and steady profitability from the underground mine. Therefore African Thunder is reviewing its options, which include operating under the status quo with an effort to lower costs and improve efficiency, or commence an orderly care and maintenance (i.e. temporary shutdown) to prepare for restart of operations when platinum and palladium prices are higher in the future. African Thunder is currently engaged in a consultation process with its workforce and is expected to reach a decision on the 2016 plan later next month.

APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

On December 3, 2015, African Thunder hired Rodney O'Reilly as Chief Operating Officer. For several months prior to the hiring; African Thunder employed a temporary consultant to manage the mining operations. Rodney is a Professional Certified Mining Engineer in South Africa, with more than 30 years experience in the mining industry. Immediately prior to joining African Thunder, Rodney was General Manager of Glencore's Eland Platinum Mine near Rustenburg, South Africa. Over seven years Rodney managed all facets of the operation, including an open pit, underground mine more than double the size and throughput of Smokey Hills, as well and the PGM concentrator plant. Production at Eland was suspended in 2015 due to low platinum-palladium prices. Since taking over operating duties at African Thunder, the Company has achieved improved production levels and efficiency at Smokey Hills.

APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR TO AFRICAN THUNDER PLATINUM

African Thunder has also appointed Sakhile Ngcobo, Ph.D candidate with a Masters Degree in Rural Resource Management, to the Board of Directors, and in addition he has taken on a consulting role with the Company helping manage community relations and permitting and government matters. Sakhile recently served as Executive Head of Corporate Affairs for DeBeers South Africa. Sakhile is an expert in managing stakeholder relations in the mining sector and serves on several other corporate boards in South Africa.

OTHER OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

During the year, our African Thunder team unlocked several positive developments that bode well for optimizing production and costs in the future, including:

Identified a significant inventory of broken ore (from pre-2013 mining activites) in the mine that can be recovered cheaply The mine recovered 2,748 tonnes in January and expected to exceed that figure in February.

Designed several open pits that may allow for lower-cost mining in the near future While the first production from Smokey Hills was via open pit, all the current mining is underground in the Hill 2 and Hill 3 zones. The mine has identified opportunities to significantly extend the strike length of the existing open pits and is planning the engage a permitting process this year that would allow for extraction as part of the overall mine plan.

Completed a concentrate sale agreement with Auramet that allows for more frequent and predictable cash flows from the mine. Impala Refining Services (IRS) has a contract to treat the PGM concentrate produced at Smokey Hills

Applied for the chrome rights for the Smokey Hills property, allowing for recovery of chrome concentrates. Chrome occurs in high concentrations in the ore and the plant was designed with the capability to separate chrome for by-product sale

Ran a successful batch campaign through our mill consisting of PGM-rich chrome tailings from a nearby operation. This could be an alternative source of mill feed in the future and there are several chrome mines in the area that lack the ability to recover PGM from their ores.



UPDATED CAPITAL STRUCTURE

Aberdeen and Pala have continued to financially support African Thunder during the production ramp up period. At the present time, Aberdeen owns approximately 47.5% of African Thunder (Pala also owns 47.5%) and has invested CAD $14,960,000 ($15,379,000 including transaction costs) to date.

Aberdeen's President and CEO David Stein commented, "While the past year has seen continued weakness in the mining sector, including lower platinum and palladium prices, we believe we are putting together an excellent PGM mining company. The longer-term fundaments of platinum and palladium continue to be strong as governments commit to tackling air pollution from vehicles. Investors have few choices when it comes to this exciting sector, and African Thunder has now demonstrated that it can achieve low-cost production, and it continues to have tremendous production growth opportunities from both the Smokey Hills mine and the Kalplats project".

QUALIFIED PERSON

Mike Hoffman P.Eng., a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical aspects of this press release. As a former director of Aberdeen, Mr. Hoffman is not independent of Aberdeen.

ABOUT ABERDEEN INTERNATIONAL

Aberdeen International is a private equity investor and advisor focusing on the global mining and natural resources industry. African Thunder Platinum, Aberdeen's premiere investment, is a lower-cost platinum group metals producer in South Africa's well-known Bushveld Complex. Aberdeen has further enhanced its mineral investment holdings with the acquisition of the lucrative Diablillos lithium project in Argentina.

For additional information, please visit our website at www.aberdeeninternational.ca and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and check out Aberdeen's YouTube Channel.

Cautionary Notes

Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "plans", "proposes", "estimates", "intends", "expects", "believes", "may", "will" and include without limitation, statements regarding, proceeds to be received on closing or subsequently, the ability of the Company to generate additional value for shareholders as a result of such transactions, past success as an indicator of future success; net asset value of the Company; the potential of investee companies and the appreciation of their share price; the Company's plan of business operations; industry opportunities and dynamics and anticipated returns. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, metal prices, competition, financing risks, acquisition risks, risks inherent in the mining industry, and regulatory risks. Most of these factors are beyond the control of the Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb 23, 2016) - Eurasian Minerals Inc. (the "Company" or "EMX") (TSX VENTURE:EMX)(NYSE MKT:EMXX) is pleased to announce the execution of a purchase agreement (the "Agreement") for net smelter return ("NSR") royalty interests on the Maggie Creek and Afgan gold properties from Golden Predator US Holding Corp. ("Golden Predator"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Till Capital Ltd. ("TCL"). Golden Predator owns a 2% NSR royalty on all precious metals and a 1% NSR royalty on all other minerals for the Maggie Creek property, which is located north-northeast of Newmont Mining Corp.'s ("Newmont") Gold Quarry open pit operations on the Carlin Trend, and a 1% NSR royalty on all minerals for the Afgan property, which occurs on the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend. The addition of these two royalty assets will strengthen EMX's growing Nevada gold portfolio that includes the Leeville royalty property on the Northern Carlin Trend, as well as the Maggie Creek South royalty property located south-southeast of Gold Quarry (please see attached North Central Nevada location map).

Commercial Terms Overview. A summary of the Agreement's commercial terms includes:

Purchase by EMX of Golden Predator's NSR royalties covering the Maggie Creek (2% NSR on precious metals and 1% NSR royalty on all other minerals) and Afgan (1% NSR royalty) properties;

Issuance by EMX of 250,000 EMX shares to TCL as consideration for the purchase; and

Approval by the TSX Venture and NYSE MKT exchanges as a condition precedent to closing the transaction.

Royalty Asset Overview. Maggie Creek and Afgan are sediment-hosted gold royalty assets occurring within Nevada's prolific Carlin and Battle Mountain-Eureka Trends, respectively. Both properties have significant upside potential as demonstrated by historic drilling and surface exploration assessments.

Maggie Creek. The Maggie Creek royalty property is located 14.5 kilometers (9 miles) northwest of Carlin, Nevada, and approximately two kilometers (~1.2 miles) north-northeast of Newmont's Gold Quarry mining operations (please see attached Maggie Creek District location map). The project is covered by 102 unpatented lode mining claims controlled by Renaissance Gold Inc. ("Renaissance")1. Maggie Creek occurs along the northeast projection of the Gold Quarry fault zone, which is an important mineralizing control at the Gold Quarry mine. Exploration has been conducted by companies that include Wolfpack Gold, Newmont, Barrick, Western States, Teck, Cordex, and Freeport. Most of the historic drilling consisted of shallow, vertical holes that did not thoroughly test Carlin-type targets in the "upper plate" or "lower plate" rocks of the Roberts Mountain Allocthon. Notably, a window of favorable lower plate carbonate rocks is exposed in the Maggie Creek claim block just north of Newmont's Rainbow deposit (described in NBMG Bulletin 111, 2002). Moderate to strong Carlin-type hydrothermal alteration (silicification, argillization, and decalcification) extends north from Rainbow onto the Maggie Creek land position.

The proposed acquisition of Golden Predator's Maggie Creek royalty complements EMX's existing Maggie Creek South 3% NSR royalty property which occurs approximately 1.5 kilometers (~1 mile) south-southeast of Gold Quarry, and covers about 5.2 square kilometers (2 square miles). Maggie Creek South occurs on the southeast projection of the Good Hope fault trend, which has an alignment of deposits along its length including Mike, Tusc, Mac, and Gold Quarry, as well as the down-dip projection of favorable host rocks. Taken together, the Maggie Creek and Maggie Creek South royalty properties cover approximately 12.5 square kilometers (4.8 square miles) of prospective ground in a world-class gold mining district.

Afgan. The Afgan royalty property is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Eureka, Nevada. The Afgan claim block consists of 73 unpatented lode mining claims controlled by McEwen Mining Inc.2 The property hosts a semi-continuous, 1,050 by 450 meter (~3,500 by 1,500 feet), north-northwest oriented zone of oxide gold mineralization delineated by historic drilling programs. The mineralization occurs along the contact of thinly bedded siltstones of the Webb Formation with the underlying Devils Gate Limestone.

The Afgan property has an historic resource estimate at a cut-off grade of 0.006 oz/ton gold comprised of 3.206 million indicated tons averaging 0.021 oz/ton gold, and 3.972 million inferred tons averaging 0.014 oz/ton gold as reported by Mine Development Associates ("MDA") of Reno, Nevada (see previous owner NV Gold Corp.'s SEDAR filed technical report with an effective date of May 9, 2011, and prepared by MDA's independent Qualified Person Michael M. Gustin, P.Geo.). MDA's historic resource estimate utilized inverse distance estimation constrained within interpreted mineral domains. The historic resource is not constrained by an open pit. EMX has not completed sufficient work to verify the MDA historic resource estimate and is not treating it as a current resource. The historic estimate should not be relied upon until it can be confirmed. However, the historic resource is considered relevant to provide context for the gold mineralization at Afgan. Additional work to verify the historic resource would include review of new exploration information, re-examination of the cut-off grade using a current metal price, and constraining the resource within an open pit shell configuration. The historic resource is contained within the Afgan claim block, and as noted in MDA's technical report, is open for expansion.

1 See Renaissance Gold's web site at www.rengold.com and September 14, 2015 news release.

2 See previous owner NV Gold Corp.'s February 1, 2016 news release.

Comments on Adjacent Properties. Gold Quarry and other deposits of the district provide context for the Maggie Creek and Maggie Creek South royalty properties, which occur in a similar geologic setting. However, this is not necessarily indicative that Maggie Creek or Maggie Creek South host mineralization with similar tonnages or grades.

About EMX. Eurasian Minerals leverages asset ownership and exploration insight into partnerships that advance our mineral properties, with EMX retaining royalty interests. EMX complements its generative business with strategic investment and third party royalty acquisition.

Mr. Dean D. Turner, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed and approved disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward looking statements" that reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about its future results. When used in this news release, words such as "estimate," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company's future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause Eurasian's actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to: unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company's MD&A for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2015 (the"MD&A") and most recently filed Annual Information Form for the year ended period ended December 31, 2014 (the "AIF"), actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC's EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.

To view the maps accompanying this press release, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1044037m.pdf
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - February 23, 2016) - LeadFX Inc. (the "Company" or "LeadFX") (TSX: LFX) is pleased to announce the launch of its new website and brand. The new corporate website (www.leadfxinc.com) was designed to offer our shareholders an enhanced, user-friendly experience where they can easily access news, information, financial documents and regulatory filings. Along with the new website, we are excited to unveil the new brand for the Company. The new brand reflects an innovative lead-silver Company that is focused on sustainable development and building long term value for our shareholders.

"The previously announced acquisition, consolidation, and name change received strong shareholder support and we are pleased to offer our shareholders an improved, investor-driven website and a modern brand that reflects our strategic focus," said Wayne Richardson, President and CEO.

LeadFX is a Canadian-based mining company focused on the development of lead-silver projects located in stable jurisdictions. Our current portfolio includes a restart-ready lead operation in Western Australia and a development project in Utah, USA. The Company is developing opportunities at its new properties in North America to underpin future cash flow and growth. LeadFX trades under the symbol "LFX" on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Additional information on LeadFX is available on at SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the Company's website at www.leadfxinc.com
TORONTO, Feb. 23, 2016 /CNW/ - Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX: WDO) is pleased to announce encouraging early underground drill results from the 2016 exploration program at its wholly-owned Eagle River Mine, located west of Wawa, Ontario.

The program that commenced in January is targeting parallel gold zones to the north of the main No. 8 Zone orebody. Initial drilling in the western portion of the mine has traced the No. 7 Zone approximately 150 metres (500 feet) up-plunge to the 900 metre level where it remains open to surface. (Figures 1 & 2, and Table 1).

HIGHLIGHTS (see Table 1):

Hole 900-E-75: 14.82 grams per tonne ("gAu/t") over 3.37 metres true width

Hole 900-E-78: 13.63 gAu/t over 5.50 metres true width

Hole 900-E-79: 13.97 gAu/t over 6.22 metres true width

Hole 900-E-81: 19.57 gAu/t over 2.95 metres true width

Hole 900-E-82: 9.72 gAu/t over 4.71 metres true width

Hole 900-E-84: 7.09 gAu/t over 7.49 metres true width

Rolly Uloth, President and CEO, commented, "We have had a strong start to 2016 on one of our principal exploration targets. Drilling has traced the No. 7 Zone up-plunge from 1,000 metre depth. We are mobilizing a surface drill to test below the surface showing and in April an additional underground drill will move to the 350 metre level to test intermediate depths. As this Zone is located close to existing infrastructure, success on the target could have broad implications for future mine planning and production flexibility, particularly if these strong grades and substantial widths persist."

GEOLOGICAL CONTEXT / IMPLICATIONS

The Eagle River Mine is hosted by a 2.0 km by 0.5 km elliptical quartz diorite stock. Mineralization is hosted by east-west, steeply north dipping laminated quartz veins. The mine is serviced by a shaft and ramp system with the deepest mining level currently at 900 metres. Drilling to date has traced mineralization to 1,200 metre depth, beyond which it remains open.

To date, the mine has produced 1,051,000 ounces of gold from 3,600,000 tonnes at a recovered grade of 9.1 gAu/tonne with the bulk of production coming from the main No. 8 vein structure.

The recent recognition of two new parallel structures, the No. 7 and No. 300 structures, located 200m and 400m, respectively, to the north has prompted an aggressive exploration and development program. In 2015, the 300 Zone commenced initial production.

In 2016, a key target of the exploration effort is to trace the up-plunge projection of the No. 7 Zone structure from a reserve block at 1,000 metre depth to an existing surface showing (Figure 2). These initial drill results support this thesis and may provide an opportunity to advance the high grade No. 7 Zone more rapidly into the production sequence. The No. 7 Zone currently carries our best grade reserves (Press Release dated February 10, 2016) and these new drill results continue to demonstrate strong grades over substantial true widths.

Two additional drills will be added to more rapidly define this target. A surface drill program commencing March 1, 2016, will explore the near surface projection of 7 Zone. In April a third underground drill will be mobilized to the 350 metre level of the mine to further test the 7 Zone at intermediate depths.

TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE

The technical disclosure in this press release has been compiled and reviewed by George N. Mannard, PGeo., VP Exploration of Wesdome and "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 disclosure standards. Assaying is performed at the Eagle River Mine Assay office by fire assay methods on 25 gram aliquots. QA/QC protocols involve regular lab duplicates and replicates, standards and blanks.

ABOUT WESDOME

Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. is in its 28th year of continuous gold mining operations in Canada. The Company is currently producing gold at the Eagle River Complex located near Wawa, Ontario from the Eagle River and Mishi gold mines. Wesdome's goal is to expand current operations at both mines over the next four years through mill expansion and exploration. Wesdome has significant upside through ownership of its two other properties, the Kiena Mine Complex in Val d'Or, Quebec and the Moss Lake gold deposit located 100 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. These assets are being explored and evaluated to be developed in the appropriate gold price environment. The Company has approximately 118 million shares issued and outstanding and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WDO."

This news release contains "forward-looking information" which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the future financial or operating performance of the Company and its projects. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances, management's estimates or opinions should change, except as required by securities legislation. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company has included in this news release certain non-IFRS performance measures, including, but not limited to, mine operating profit, mining and processing costs and cash costs. Cash costs per ounce reflect actual mine operating costs incurred during the fiscal period divided by the number of ounces produced. These measures are not defined under IFRS and therefore should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to or more meaningful than, net income (loss) or cash flow from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of our financial performance or liquidity. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash flow

Table 1

NO. 7 ZONE SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS Hole No. From

(m) To

(m) Corelength

(m) True Width

(m) Grade

(gAu/t) Cut Grade *

(60 gAu/t) 900-E-74 199.35 201.10 1.75 1.52 51.15 26.99 900-E-75 159.60 164.00 4.40 3.37 14.82 7.71 900-E-76 122.50 124.65 2.15 1.52 1.29 1.29 900-E-77 174.90 177.65 2.75 1.77 15.57 14.88 900-E-78 131.25 139.80 8.55 5.50 13.63 12.47 900-E-79 117.20 126.00 8.80 6.22 13.97 11.55 900-E-80 124.00 125.95 1.95 1.49 0.06 0.06 900-E-81 184.50 189.65 5.15 2.95 19.57 12.44 900-E-82 139.75 145.50 5.75 4.71 9.72 7.28 900-E-83 193.00 195.60 2.60 1.49 0.97 0.97 900-E-84 122.65 130.40 7.75 7.49 7.09 6.65

*high assays are cut to 60 gAu/t



SOURCE Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd.
Thinking local: Alex Retief loves the diversity of NSW wines. Photo: Sarah Keayes

Just what exactly is this development and why should you care? Because Precinct 75 is a miniature Portland in the backstreets of St Peters. It's where you'll find Maniax  an axe-throwing workshop where you can learn to chuck a tomahawk (hey  you know who you want to be standing behind, come the zombie apocalypse). It's also where you'll find the Design Twins, purveyors of beautiful, expensive pot planters and Sibella Court  she of the dusty apothecary bottle, deliciously rough linen and just the right tarnish on the brass. There's Sample Coffee roasters, Willie the Boatman craft brewers, a film studio, tiny design houses  truly, the spirit of 2016 is alive in St Peters.

And now, Alex Retief has joined the fray, launching Australia's first large-scale urban winery. This isn't a new idea; we've had them on a slightly smaller scale before (the late Sam Hughes and the Natural Selection Theory were doing some very experimental wine things in their inner west digs, including regularly playing music to a series of clay eggs filled with wine) and they're massive in the US and Canada. London Cru, the city's proto winery, even brings its grapes in from Bordeaux.

But this is the first in Australia to do it on a large scale. And really, could anything be more Precinct 75 than an urban winery neighbouring a design studio? Maybe. Because Retief, among the many things he has planned, intends to do collaborations with Rosebery craft distillers Archie Rose (it'll be a Retief vermouth to go with the signature Archie Rose gin) as well as a barrel-aged beer with Newtown's star brewheads Young Henry's.

The whole precinct is in the old Taubman's building, which, although established in the early 1900s, became a virtual squat by 1960. Then in 2013, the place was given a power hose, and a plan was put in place to create a collection of like-minded businesses to revitalise the area. Much as Rosebery's The Cannery gave the south-west a new lease on life, so too does this collection of artisanal excellence.

It was while he was living in Bordeaux that Retief first started thinking about having his own winery. "It was just that passion for regional local wines where we don't really see that in Sydney and NSW. That passion from the restaurants or the local residents for our local wines." The idea of something quite urbanised and city-centric started forming when Retief collaborated with the Bourke Street Bakery guys in Potts Point, and another in Surry Hills with Nomad. "It was really amazing seeing the locals' reactions to the winemaking process and being part of it," says Retief. "It just grounded the whole idea of having an urban winery where everyone can come along and just watch it or come and get their hands dirty if they want, or just sit with a glass of wine and see what's going on."

The idea is something community-focused, interactive. The website will be a constant update of when the grapes are coming, how the harvest is looking and how members of the general public can become involved. The idea is that eventually it won't just be Retief's wine on show but a spectrum of what NSW has to offer. "I plan to bring sommeliers here on a regular basis to show what can be done," he says.

Flash forward a year, and Retief wants his winery to be as much of a destination as a wine bar. "I want people to be playing backgammon, sitting here trying a glass of chardonnay and then being able to talk about it and saying how good Orange wines are," he says. "Because what I find really interesting about NSW regions is that they are so diverse within the one state. You have as big a difference as between Bordeaux and Burgundy from the other side of France as you do within Orange and Tumbarumba. We can make wines that are such different styles  all great in their own way  but varied because of the many regions and that's what people don't know."

Urban Winery, 75 Mary Street, St Peters, aretief.com.au. Winery opens early March.
Going underground: Indu, a curious mix of glamour, ambition and philanthropy. Photo: Steven Siewert

Address Basement, 350 George Street (enter off Angel Place) Sydney, New South Wales 2000 View map Book online Opening hours Mon-Fri noon-late; Sat 5pm-late Features Accepts bookings, Business lunch, Family friendly, Long lunch, Private dining, Romance-first date, Licensed, Wheelchair access, Gluten-free options, Vegetarian friendly Prices Moderate (mains $20-$40) Chef No head chef, currently Payments eftpos, AMEX, Cash, Visa, Mastercard Phone 02 9223 0158

There's a terrific new modern Indian restaurant in town, called "Fire Safety Door. Do Not Obstruct". That's what it says on the entrance, anyway.

Walking through Angel Place, it's difficult to tell the tradesman-like doorway from any other. But go down those workaday stairs to the basement, and suddenly you're on some other, very beautiful, planet, called Indu.

Garlands of scarlet flowers and banks of ceremonial brass bells float overhead, and huge vats of fragrant spices line a path that wends past white-jacketed chefs working on Indian flatbreads in an on-view kitchen.

Ammas red lentil dhal served with flaky paratha. Photo: Steven Siewert

There's a smart cocktail bar, a couple of semi-private rooms that evoke mud-bricked railway tunnels, handsome three-quarter-moon booths and another spotlit kitchen that is home to head chef Bimal Kumar.

Like owner Dr Sam Prince's previous restaurant offering, Mejico, Indu shows heavy investment in interior design and sensory overload. Beneath the showbiz, however, lies good intent. Prince has designed Indu as an homage to the authentic, generous home cooking of Indian villages, partnering with grassroots organisation Palmera to assist women living in rural villages throughout Sri Lanka.

For starters, there is a Sri Lankan take on ceviche ($20), with New Zealand sea bass marinated in coconut vinegar with freshly grated coconut, chilli shreds and crisp-fried string hoppers (lacy pancakes).

Watermelon and fresh mint salad. Photo: Steven Siewert

Just as Mejico adds theatre to the dining experience by preparing tableside guacamole, Indu prepares its Sri Lankan coconut sambol ($14) in a stone mortar at the table, combining freshly grated coconut (a rare treat), red chilli, red onion and devilled cashew nuts, and serving it  a little bizarrely, to a non Sri Lankan  with freshly baked Indian milk buns.

There are some real deal-breakers on the subcontinental menu that make it difficult to actually stop eating. One, the slow-cooked red lentil dhal ($12), for instance, which is simultaneously luxurious and homely.

Two, the golden, scrunchy folds of flaky paratha bread ($6).

Go-to dish: 'The great lamb raan' is marinated and slow-roasted for two days. Photo: Steven Siewert

Three, the signature dish of lamb shoulder raan, marinated in a sweetly spiced masala, slowly braised and roasted ($45 half serve), then served on a wooden board with a smear of fresh mint chutney and a topknot of sweet-sour onion sambol.

It's well worth bundling your lamb, lentils and paratha orders together for a Sunday roast, Indian village style.

Dosai here are soft, buttery crepes, served flat and topped with various fillings; sad news for those addicted to the textural tension of the crisp newspaper roll version. Smoked goat's leg ($18) makes a tip-top topping (good to see goat on a menu), perked up with zucchini raita, pomegranate and a smoky chilli and bacon jam.

Refreshing: Watermelon and mint popsicle. Photo: Steven Siewert

The drinks list kicks off with custom-made cocktails  the two I try feel unbalanced  then segues into a neat French/Oz wine list that includes a silky, savoury 2013 Chateau de Pizay beaujolais ($15/$64), a workhorse gamay not scared of spice.

Order without thought and you could be stopped in your tracks with a few too many rich and thick coconut-based sauces, but there are enough salads, raitas and good rice to give you a breather. Popsicles of watermelon and fresh mint ($6) are an icy-but-nicey way to finish on a fresh note.

It's a curious mix of glamour, ambition, philanthropy, super-cheery serving staff, and a playlist that acknowledges all music stopped when John Lennon died, but Indu's raging enthusiasm for colourful, fragrant Indian and Sri Lankan food is instantly contagious. So feel free to enter, should you find it. Just don't obstruct anything.

THE LOWDOWN

Best bit: Great use of fresh coconut.

Worst bit: It's all a bit hyperactive and needs an edit.

Go-to dish: "The great lamb raan", marinated and slow-roasted 48 hours with yoghurt and spice, $45 half serve.

Terry Durack is chief restaurant critic for The Sydney Morning Herald and senior reviewer for the Good Food Guide. This rating is based on the Good Food Guide scoring system.

www.indudining.com.au
Noma in Sydney: (from left) Tess Davison, Katherine Bont, Rene Redzepi, James Spreadbury, Tamara Archer and Beau Clugston map out their Barangaroo menu. Photo: Edwina Pickles

Are you a hospitality student who missed out on a seat at Noma Australia, or just couldn't afford the $485 price tag while studying? Well, there might be a way you can eat at the Sydney residence of Copenhagen's most celebrated restaurant without spending a cent.

For each week until the end of its 10-week Barangaroo pop-up, the Noma team is offering four culinary and hospitality students a chance to eat there free of charge. After the meal, students will be given a tour of the kitchen and meet Noma executive chef and mastermind Rene Redzepi and other members of the crew.

Crumbed abalone with native seaweeds and bunya nut. Photo: Edwina Pickles

Students keen to experience abalone schnitzel and crocodile-fat-topped clams on the house can apply to sydstudents@noma.dk with an answer to the question "What does tomorrow's meal look like?". Students can draw, film, photograph or write their answer, which will be reviewed and judged by the Noma team for its "passion, insight, ideas and creativity".

"Tomorrow's Meal" is also the theme for Rene Redzepi's sold-out MAD SYD food symposium at Sydney Opera House on April 3.

"We have felt only warmth and generosity from our new friends and neighbours over the last month and now we would like to be able to give back, in small part, to the next generation of Australian chefs and waiters," said the Noma team on its website.

Noma's Australian clams, mussels and oysters topped with crisp chicken skin brushed with crocodile fat.

Entry is open to NSW residents only and the first four winners will be notified on February 26 and eat at the restaurant the following weekend. Final entries must be received by March 25. See the Noma website for full terms and conditions.
It was the best of times, it was the wurst of times.

Testing $300 worth of supermarket sausage  36 varieties from the four major outlets  was always going to be a challenge for our testers' stomachs.

So why do it in the first place?

Ask people for their opinions about what makes a great sausage and they either pull a face (Why would you want to taste test sausages? What's the point?), or they'll say: The best ones are outside Bunnings.

The best ones are not outside Bunnings.

The top 10 sausages were also cooked on a Weber barbecue. Photo: Tim Grey

On the whole, those are budget-level slurry tubes. Because they are served hot, charred, covered in sauce, mustard and onions, and we are hungry when we buy one, they're fine. As long as we don't think about it too much.

But in the supermarket you'll find dozens of varieties, from those sausage sizzle bulk packs to such exotica as Jamie Oliver's "Italian-style veal and pork sausages with fennel and red wine" ($8.50). You do need to engage with the sausage. Maybe not with how it's been made, but at least at the level of which will taste best.

Which raises questions. Can you buy a decent sausage from a bog-standard supermarket? Which has the best ones? Is it worth spending more on the "gourmet" varieties?

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We put those questions to the taste test, and the results were quite surprising. Aldi was the winning supermarket with four of their five own-brand sausages making the top 10. Coles was next with three varieties in the top 10, Woolworths scored one, with two IGA supermarkets (All Natural Sausage Company and Outback Spirit) podium winners in first and third place, and a Jamie Oliver sausage at number two.

For our experiment, we visited a typical suburban Coles supermarket, a Woolworths, an Aldi and two local IGAs. We bought every sausage variety we could find  a total of 36.

We can't say with certainty we sampled every sausage on offer in every supermarket across the land, but it was a representative sample, taking in cheapo barbecue-fillers, oddities like "Chicago-style cheesy brats", pricey organics from Cherry Tree and Macro, own-brand premium lines such as "Coles' Finest", high-end lines like King Island and Beak, and celebrity-endorsed recipes from Heston Blumenthal (Coles) and Jamie Oliver (Woolworths).

(Clockwise from left): Tasters Jessica Dale, Fred Siggins, Roslyn Grundy and Gemima Cody assess the bangers. Photo: Tim Grey

A gun team of restaurant critics, editors, and food and drink writers put their palates on the line. They were Peter Barrett, food writer; Gemima Cody, Good Food restaurant critic; Richard Cornish, Good Food columnist; Jessica Dale, editorial assistant; Roslyn Grundy, editor, The Age Good Food Guide; Michael Harry, producer, Executive Style; Matt Holden, food writer; Fred Siggins, drinks writer and consultant; and Mark Stehle, German-born sausage-meister.

And to keep our reviewers on their toes, we threw in a couple of vegetarian varieties and a pack of "Kanga Bangers" made with roo and bush tomato.

This is how we conducted the test:

1. We gathered together nine tasters, who were directed to try every sausage "blind" (each sample was assigned a number and plated identically), without bread or condiments, and to score out of 10 for appearance, aroma, casing, texture, meat-fat balance and overall flavour.

2. For the elimination round, we cooked the sausages in the oven. This was controversial as it doesn't brown them well, but it left them juicy, consistently cooked and uncontaminated by competing flavours.

3. We split our testers into two groups, one sampling and rating 18 sausages, the other testing 19. The top five sausages from each group went into the final round.

4. We cooked the top 10 sausages on a Weber barbecue for maximum appeal.

5. Each taster rated each sausage individually, without conferring, and we ranked the winners.

Each sausage was marked on appearance, aroma, casing, texture, meat-fat balance and overall flavour. Photo: Tim Grey

The findings? A very mixed bag.

From the elimination round, our tasters' appearance, aroma and flavour feedback ranged from "Found a vein!!" (Coles Pork, Honey, and Rosemary) to "unwashed person" (a heady combo of chicken, rocket and parmesan). Positive feedback included "good casing" (Peppercorn Extra Lean Beef) and "tastes like childhood" (Coles beef, herb and garlic).

Three sausages scored zero in the first round. They were Gourmet Game Bush Tomato Kangaroo ("absolute horror"), the Vegie Delights Thai, Chilli and Lime Chicken-style ("all filler, no meat") and chicken parmesan. Surprises were Jamie's Classic Cumberland Pork Sausages bombing out ("smells like armpit"), even though its stablemate ended up in second spot. Despite Heston's promise that his $8 pork and sage sausages were "sensational", our tasters didn't agree. King Island's beef sausages with onion and parsley were also a surprising omission from the final round.

You don't always get a better sausage when you pay more: some of the "gourmet" varieties were plain weird. Kudos to Woolworths for using free-range chicken in your chicken and camembert snags but you needn't have bothered.

A big name doesn't guarantee a good sausage: Jamie's were good, but Heston's Pork and Sage (for Coles) didn't make the top 10.

We tried to slip a couple of vegetarian sausages into the mix. They didn't compete successfully. Neither did the kangaroo snags. But chicken sausages can be OK (as long as they don't have camembert in them).

We were disappointed with the $9.47 beef sausages from Cherry Tree Organics.

Aldi is good value: four of the top 10 were from Aldi.

It's possible to eat a maximum of three sausages without feeling sick  unless you employ a sausage spittoon, but the less we say about that the better.

And, as we said, at least nobody vomited.

The team tasted 36 varieties of sausage. Photo: Tim Grey

The top 10

1. The All Natural Sausage Company (Available at Coles)

Italian Sausage $7 (44.7 points)

The packaging prominently displays the ingredients: lean pork, red wine, ground rice, parsley, garlic, salt, herbs and spices, chilli. And our reviewers responded. "Clearly a sausage made from real, life-food," Gemima wrote. "I'm a fan of chilli and it packed just enough punch," wrote Peter. Matt scored it down, finding it "very porky and garlicky", but Richard conceded: "Yeah, give me some sangiovese and some crusty bread and I'll be happy." (Also highly recommended is the All Natural Sausage Company's traditional chicken sausage, $7).

2. Created With Jamie (made exclusively for Woolworths)

Italian-Style Veal and Pork Sausages with Fennel and Red Wine $7.99 (41.8)

Our tasters were of one mind about its appearance: "More real than some of the others", "looks like it's made of real food", "like a real sausage rather than an industrial sausage". And it delivered in flavour, too, with the fennel, herbs and garlic quite obvious. A couple noted a "slightly artificial" aftertaste, but overall the verdict was positive. "Would go back," said one reviewer, which, in this contest, was high praise.

3. Outback Spirit (Available at Coles)

Pork Sausages with Kakadu Plum and Lemon Aspen $5 (41)

It didn't grill up perfectly (Roslyn wondered if it was chicken; Richard likened it to "Geoffrey Edelsten's neck") but most were impressed with its well-balanced texture, low-ish grease content and "pleasant" flavour, generally coming away with positive feelings about it despite its appearance.

4. Brannan's Butchery (Aldi-owned brand)

Pork and Apple Cider Gourmet Sausages (gluten-free) $6.49 (38.3)

Very middle-of-the-road, this one: no great highs, nor much criticism either. Nobody picked up the cider in the blind tasting, but several noted it tasted fruity, or of cinnamon or red wine. Our reviewers found it "generally appealing" in appearance, while disagreeing on whether it was juicy or too "fatty", and, overall, were a bit underwhelmed, calling it "pleasing", "not badly made", "underwhelming" and "innocuous".

5. Brannan's Butchery (Aldi-owned brand)

Lamb and Rosemary Gourmet Sausages (gluten free) $6.49 (38.18)

None of our reviewers picked this was lamb, but they liked the herby flavour, with one noting "nothing artificial or weird" and another suggesting it "could come across as a high-end butcher's sausage". Yet it didn't quite rouse passions. "Juicy, fatty, vibrant, nice flavour," wrote one tester, "yet I am unmoved."

6. Coles Finest (Coles-owned brand)

RSPCA Approved Chicken $7 (37)

A historic moment for a chicken sausage, making it into a top-10 snag list against porky competition. "Nice and bland," gushed one taster. "I feel like this is the most refreshing sausage," wrote another. The key to its success was probably the visible herbs, which livened up an otherwise "mushy" looking interior and added much-needed flavour. But there was no getting away from its origins: "Aren't chicken sausages a bit weird?" wrote one reviewer. "A little weird," agreed another.

7. Coles Finest (Coles-owned brand)

Australian Angus Beef with Garlic and Parsley (gluten free) $7 (36.8)

Easy on the eye, this looked "just like a banger should", with "lovely colour". Our tasters also picked up the advertised garlic and herbs, and some liked its "meaty" texture. But several found it too fatty or greasy. "It's disappointing when something looks better than it tastes."

8. Coles Sausages (Coles-owned brand)

Beef, Herb and Garlic $4.50 (34.5)

"A basic, totally acceptable, Bunnings sizzle option," said one taster, which summed up the group. It browned up well, looked tasty  and yet the flavour was slightly disappointing, one taster summarising it as "bland, salty and not much else going on". "Not bad, not great," said another.

9. Brannan's Butchery (Aldi-owned brand)

Thin sausages (gluten free) $3.69 (32.9)

Aldi's basic barbecue fodder divided our tasters, with some disliking its simple construction  "cheap and nasty", "industrial", "hot dog"  but others applauding its honesty: "no weird bits", "sausage sizzle snag", "classic sausage". The verdict: inoffensive "but not awesome".

10. Brannan's Butchery (Aldi-owned brand)

Juicy Pork Sausages $3.69 (32.2)

Damned by faint praise: our testers declared it "very processed, in a good way", as seen at "a thousand fundraisers". Several commented on how salty it tasted, and on its finely textured meat, which some found "mushy", but others didn't mind. "A well-made industrial sausage," concluded Richard.

Here's the list of all the sausages we tried:

 Peppercorn Food Company Extra Lean Beef Sausages, $7.99

 Peppercorn Food Company Extra Lean Pork Sausages with Ginger and Shallots, $7.99

 The All Natural Sausage Company Italian Sausage, $7

 Bert's Steakhouse Butcher's Sausages, $6.86

 Farm Foods Chicago Style Cheesy Brats, $7

 Coles Finest RSPCA Approved Chicken, $7

 Coles Sausages Pork, Honey and Rosemary, $5.50

 Coles Sausages Thin BBQ Beef, $4.50

 Coles Sausages with Chicken with Parsley, $5.50

 Coles Sausages Beef, Herb and Garlic, $5.50

 Coles Sausages Thick BBQ Beef, $4.50

 Coles Finest Traditional Recipe Chorizo, $7

 Coles Finest Angus Beef with Garlic and Parsley, $7

 Gourmet Game Kangaroo and Bush Tomato, $5.49

 Outback Spirit Pork with Kakadu Plum and Lemon Aspen, $5

 Heston For Coles Pork and Sage, $8

 Cherry Tree Organics Traditional Beef, $9.47

 King Island Beef Sausages with Onion and Parsley, $6.25

 Vegie Delights Meat Free BBQ Sausages, $7.98

 Vegie Delights Thai Chilli and Lime, $7.49

 Beak and Sons Traditional Beef, $7

 Beak and Sons Tuscan Pork, $7

 Beak and Sons smoky chorizo, $7

 Created with Jamie Classic Cumberland Pork, $8.50

 Created with Jamie Italian-style Veal and Pork with fennel; and red wine, $8.50

 Macro Organic Lamb, Mint and Rosemary, $7.50

 Brannan's Butchery (Aldi) Thin, $3.49

 Brannan's Butchery (Aldi) Juicy Pork, $3.49

 Brannan's Butchery (Aldi) Pork and Apple Cider, $6.49

 Brannan's Butchery (Aldi) Lamb and Rosemary, $6.49

 Brannan's Butchery (Aldi) Angus Beef, Garlic and Parsley, $6.49

 Woolworth's Gold Succulent Lamb with Mint, Rosemary and Australian Honey, $7.99

 Woolworth's Gold Free Range Chicken with Camembert and Sauteed Onion, $7.99

 Woolworth's Gold Chicken with Rocket and Parmesan, $8.50

 Woolworths Select Aussie Beef, $6

 Woolworths Chicken Sausages, $6.29
Judge Penny Roberts looks back at career on bench

Long-time County Court-at-Law No. 2 judge said she's looking forward to life's next chapters but remembered a circuitous journey to the bench
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Edward Castillo, Arlington

I have had the pleasure of working closely with Andrew Graves as both a prosecutor as well as in private practice.

Andrew and I were on the same prosecution court team while employed at the busy district attorney's office in Fort Worth several years ago. I since have been able to work with Andrew on other legal matters for private citizens.

I can attest to you that Andrew has what it takes to be your next district attorney. He is smart, talented, and one of the most ethical people I know.

My experience with Andrew resulted in a lifelong friendship, and I am proud to ask you to cast your vote for one of the finest attorneys in Texas to be your 119th DA. Vote for my friend, Andrew Graves.
Kitsilano, a lovely old neighborhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, looks much the same as it did a century ago when it was designed around a streetcar line. It still has enormous homes perched on lawns with alleys in the back, all within sight of downtowns shimmering skyscrapers.But unlike in 1930, when the neighborhood was home to a population of about 28,000, a lot more people live in Kitsilano now. By 2011, about 41,000 were living there. With family sizes smaller, the number of residences has increased by an even larger percentage. But just where are these new people and their homes if Kitsilano looks largely unchanged?They are tucked away, here and there. The big old houses have been split upinto two, three or even five apartments,at first illegally and then in recent years with the citys encouragement. Developers and architects have gotten good at swelling these homes with additional rooms and floors without much altering their curb appearance. Along back alleys, new freestanding homes, locally called laneway houses, have been added.The result is a lot more dwellings, and that density has several advantages. It keeps housing prices lower and gives more people a chance to live in a popular neighborhood. The large number of people make it more likely that a nice shop or cafe will open up. And it gives the area the population it needs to make transit work, be it bus, streetcar or a public bike program.The one thing that hasnt come to Kitsilano, however, is new tall buildings. The scale and character of the neighborhood has stayed much the same as it was when artists and hippies rediscovered the rundown area in the 1960s.In debates over housing, there is often a false linkage between housing and height. If you want to substantially add housing, or what planning geeks call density, people sometimes talk as if you have no choice but to go up -- often by a lot. Sometimes developers and their advocates promote this dubious assertion.It is an important issue, because as Americans and cities fall in love again with walkable neighborhoods, and with related amenities such as convenient transit and vibrant streetfront shopping, there also is a growing recognition that having more people per square foot makes these things possible. The Kitsilano method, which a planner friend of mine called invisible density, is one way to do it.Thats not to suggest that nobody is putting up tall buildings in Vancouver. In the heart of downtown, for example, the city has its well known point towers, skyscraper-high apartment buildings atop street-level stores and businesses. They have given the city an identity and distinct skyline, as well as a lot of new homes.In the nearby West End, though, the city is going for a mix of these two approaches. This district has both single-family homes and mid-rise apartment buildings. It would be nice to have more of the latter, say city planners. To allow this to happen, the city is beginning to tackle one of the most productive avenues for adding more housing: parking policies.Michael Gordon, a senior downtown Vancouver planner, says the city is now researching parking in the West End with the idea of encouraging what is called shared parking. Under such a plan, a parking space in a private garage could serve more than one driver. Apartment buildings whose spaces are largely empty during the day could serve business traffic, and spaces in commercial buildings could serve residential parkers at night. If shared parking were possible, more buildings could be constructed without having to add parking spaces proportionally.Reducing or even changing the supply of parking has long been an acutely sensitive subject, but Gordon believes this is changing because young people care less about parking. We see a real generational divide, Gordon says. There are those who are all wound up about parking, and there are those who are really looking for a larger apartment so they can have a child or two.Other cities are exploring this as well. The popular Capitol Hill District in Seattle has produced a report calledthat examines specific technologies that can be used to make the idea work. A range of studies show that the more parking is decoupled from residential rent, the lower the cost of housing, the report says. Additionally, by only allowing one user for a given parking space, individual users are denied the opportunity to lower their costs through sharing. A well-designed shared parking system should reduce the amount of parking spaces built in new construction and further separate parking payments from residential and commercial rents.What is exciting is that technology, similar to that which is making Zipcars and Uber-style services possible, will probably make sharing a parking space easier. Apps and real-time feeds can tell us where parking spaces are available. When put in place with other policies, such as getting rid of minimum parking space requirements for new buildings, the result can be more housing at lower costs.As many Americans and others embrace what some call urban lifestyles, and as the dream of the home in the suburbs with the three-car garage becomes less universal, just how to get to the kind of residential density that works becomes a more important issue. Understanding that adding homes doesnt have to equal adding height is one step.
For the fourth year in a row, the Legislature has rejected extending Medicaid coverage to 20,000 low-income Wyomingites.The state Senate voted 20-10 against on Friday on an amendment to the 2017-18 biennial budget bill that would have restored about $268 million in federal Medicaid expansion funding.A subsequent amendment, which called for spending extra state funds to boost other health programs in addition to accepting the expansion, was rejected on a 19-11 vote.Yet another amendment was introduced several hours later, this one authorizing the director of the Department of Health, the state insurance commissioner and the governor to negotiate with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for a state plan amendment to expand Medicaid services. It failed on a vote of 21-9.
Last June, on a school playground in Las Vegas, a Republican governor plopped into a chair before a folding metal table, applied a gray pen to a slip of paper, and broke into a jaunty grin while a throng of elementary students clapped politely. With that signature, Brian Sandoval passed part of an education package derived from an enormous tax increase well north of a billion dollars, the largest tax hike in the 151-year history of Nevada.Since then, Sandoval has found himself somewhat lonely on the Republican stagewhich is ironic, perhaps, for a handsome, hugely popular Latino star in a party eager to showcase its Hispanic credentials, a man who has been leading a state that has been thoroughly combed for months by Republican presidential candidates ahead of the Nevada caucuses on Tuesday. Only a week ago in South Carolina, the endorsement of another high-wattage GOP star, Nikki Haley, was huge news and may well have turned the tide of the raceor at least driven Jeb Bush out when Haley crushed his hopes by endorsing his rival Marco Rubio.But the courting of Sandoval, if you can call it that, has been a far more subtle affair for the GOP presidential candidates. He is in the unenviable position of being seen as an ideological apostate who simultaneously boasts approval ratings in the high-to-mid 60s. When the general election comes, Sandovals endorsement will be desperately needed; Democrats privately fear he could be a potent weapon to drive Latino and Hispanic turnout. But in an unpredictable and highly partisan GOP caucus, with many conservative Republicans alleging betrayal by Sandoval over his historic tax hike and threatening revolt, the endorsement of the Nevada governor is seen as more of a headache than a helpmate. And no one is quite sure what to do about him.Theres way more opposition to the governor within the Republican legislative caucus than the Democratic one, says David Damore, a professor of political science at UNLV. Hes by far the most popular political figure in the state  yet its this unspoken part of the caucuses on the Republican side that the presidential candidates need to keep their distance. Unspoken seems about right: In dozens of events in the 72-hour period leading up to the caucuses, hardly any candidate has mentioned Sandoval, a feat that would be difficult to imagine in South Carolina or Iowa, both primary states with (far less popular) Republican governors.Sandovals problems arent exactly unique: John Kasich, a friend of the governors, likes to tout his centrist agenda in Ohio. But even compared to Kasich, Sandovals record wouldn't be easy to embrace if you're running for president. The tax increases Sandoval signed have since funded a landmark overhaul in public educationlikely to become his signature achievement and a bold gamble meant to turn around what is frequently ranked the worst state education system in the country. Yet education is simply the most recent of a long list of Sandovals conservative heresies: The abortion rights governor has embraced Obamacare; lauded immigration reform and DREAMers; fiercely championed renewable energy; and taken lesser known actions on police body cameras, drivers licenses for undocumented aliens and multiple moves to squelch Republican-led tort reform.
Safety Restraint Use All Fatalities Bus Passengers Bus Drivers Lap And Shoulder Belt Used 22 3 19 Lap Belt Used 5 1 4 None Used/Not Applicable 72 53 19 Child Safety/Booster Seat Used 1 1 0 Unknown 6 3 3

Year Crashes Bus Drivers Killed Passengers Killed Passengers Age  18 Killed 2005 9 5 5 4 2006 5 3 5 4 2007 4 4 1 1 2008 13 4 15 14 2009 4 2 3 3 2010 15 6 9 9 2011 10 7 4 3 2012 10 6 8 8 2013 7 4 4 3 2014 6 4 7 3

School Bus Fatality Data

school-bus-map.jpg

Each year, school buses log more than 4 billion miles on U.S. roadways, transporting roughly 25 million students. But despite all the inherent risks, the number of students killed in school bus crashes is relatively small.The federal government, though, is now calling on states and local districts to make school buses even safer. In a policy reversal late last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommended that all school buses be equipped with lap and shoulder seat belts after previously rejecting such requirements.To show how often and where accidents occur,compiled 10 years of the most recent federal data on school bus traffic fatalities from 2005 through 2014.Most school buses arent equipped with any kind of seat belts. Six states have varying laws requiring seat belts in school buses, while some districts have opted to phase new seat belt-equipped buses into their fleets.Its no surprise, then, that of the 61 school bus passengers killed between 2005 and 2014, only four were wearing seat belts.Some buses are equipped with older lap belts, but safety advocates are calling for newer lap and shoulder belts, commonly referred to as three-point seat belts. Of course, whether the belts are used properly and the circumstances of a crash can potentially hinder their effectiveness.School bus accidents resulting in loss of life remain a rare occurrence. Over the 10-year period, 106 passengers or drivers were killed -- that's fewer than 11 a year on average. For only school-age passengers, an average of about five deaths occur each year.The states with the most fatalities over the 10-year period were Florida (8) and Pennsylvania (11). Only a few regions experienced multiple fatal crashes. In Pittsburgh, three bus drivers lost their lives in separate incidents, most recently in 2010. In Indianapolis, three drivers were killed in separate incidents, and last month, a bus jumped a curb and fatally struck an elementary school principal.Its much more difficult to track injuries from bus accidents. A 2006 study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics estimated that 17,000 children suffer school-bus related injuries a year, with only 42 percent of those resulting from crashes. In states like Texas, school districts are required by law to submit annual reports to the state on school bus accidents. But a recent report in thenoted that some reported tallies were incomplete or misleading.Regardless of which set of numbers one parses, its clear that serious school bus crashes are very, very rare. Consider this: An estimated 0.01 fatalities occur for every 100 million miles children travel to and from school in buses, compared to 0.7 fatalities for those traveling in passenger vehicles, according to NHTSA. The majority of all students killed while commuting ride in vehicles driven by teens.In fact, far more school-age pedestrians are killed than children riding in buses. Between 2003 and 2012, 119 pedestrians age 18 and younger were killed in accidents considered to be school transportation-related, compared to 55 riding in school buses, according to NHTSA calculations Governing
School Bus Fatalities Data

school-bus-map.jpg

When Los Angeles Unified School District students take their seats on school buses each morning, they buckle up, just as they would in cars. The district is one of the select few throughout the country with seat belts in its school buses, but more may soon follow suit.Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reversed its longstanding policy, now recommending that students wear lap and shoulder belts on all school buses. Although NHTSA stopped short of proposing a mandate, several state legislatures are currently weighing bills on the issue.Currently, California is the only state with a law, implemented in 2004 and 2005, that requires lap and shoulder belts on all newly-manufactured buses. Florida, New Jersey and New York call for less stringent lap belts. Louisiana and Texas also passed laws requiring safety restraints, but neither legislature is allocating funding.Theres not going to be a magic new source of funding, said Charlie Hood, the executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services. But we think were going to see a lot more conversation and movement in this direction.Most proposed state laws require seat belts in all newly-purchased school buses, phasing them into districts fleets over time. Retrofitting existing buses with seat belts is more costly because the seat frames typically have to be replaced, said Hood.Legislation to establish new seat belt requirements or strengthen existing laws has been introduced in at least eight states. Proposals in Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina and West Virginia set varying targets to equip new or existing buses with safety restraints. Legislators in New Jersey and New York, meanwhile, want to bolster state law to mandate lap and shoulder seat belts.The Los Angeles Unified School District was one of the countrys earliest adopters. It first purchased buses with seat belts in the 1980s and 90s, and more than 80 percent of the districts fleet is now equipped with them.Theres an acceptance of the reality that seat belts are here, and its becoming more of a normal thing on school buses, said Donald Wilkes, the districts transportation director.The district encourages drivers to regularly check belts to ensure theyre working property. Students undergo annual training on how to ride safely, and stickers on buses remind them to buckle up.Still, Wilkes conceded that a small segment of students -- mostly those in middle school -- dont always buckle up. State law doesnt require students to use seat belts.For now, any federal mandate appears unlikely. One industry group, the National Association for Pupil Transportation, said that the decision should be left to states and local districts because theyre in the best position to make determinations, given budget constraints.A major barrier to seat belts in school buses, after all, is funding. On average, NHTSA estimates the incremental cost of eqipping a large bus with lap and shoulder belts ranges from $7,300 to $10,300. Many cash-strapped school districts arent in a position to upgrade their buses.In Texas, a 2009 law authorized state funding, but the grants only covered the additional cost of seat belts in new buses. Just four districts ended up receiving $417,000 of the $10 million in available funding. At the time, districts had incurred steep reductions in state funding, so few were in the market to purchase new buses, said Debbie Ratcliffe, a Texas Education Agency spokeswoman. More recently, the Houston Independent School District announced all its new buses will be equipped with lap and shoulder belts after a crash last fall claimed the lives of two high school students.Across the country, most buses transporting students to and from school rely on a safety concept known as compartmentalization. Absent any seat belts, tall, closely-spaced padded seats form protective barriers around passengers. But compartmentalization does leave children vulnerable in the event of a side-impact collision or rollover.Still, an extremely low number of students die in school bus accidents. A review of the most recent federal data indicates that an average of just five school-age passengers are killed each year. Injuries are harder to peg, but one 2006 study estimated 17,000 school bus-related injuries occur annually, when pedestrians and all other types of accidents are considered.NHTSA estimates that lap and shoulder belts in all school buses could save two lives annually. Additionally, said Hood, districts with seat belts in school buses are reporting improvements in student behavior as theyre less likely to hurt others or distract drivers when buckled up.Opponents argue that seat belts may hinder an evacuation of a school bus, and students may use belt buckles as weapons. And seat belts will fail to prevent a limited number of fatalities. A 14-year-old girl died after jumping out of the emergency exit of a moving New Jersey school bus in 2013, for instance. In one of the deadliest accidents to occur in recent years, a bus collided with two dump trucks on an Indiana highway. Four special needs students, who were wearing safety restraints, all died in that 2008 wreck.NHTSA, in a presentation last summer, pointed out that any loss in school bus capacity resulting from safety belts could lead students to use alternative, less safe means of transportation. A pilot project conducted in Alabama also concluded the state would be better off investing in measures that would improve safety of students as theyre boarding or exiting buses, which is when many fatalities occur. Costs far exceed benefits, and school bus seat belts appear to be less cost-effective than other types of safety treatments, the study concluded.Despite the drawbacks, NHTSAs seat belt recommendation represents a possible turning point thats likely to lead more state legislatures to take up the issue. Given the costs involved and needs in other areas, though, any widespread shift in policy will take time.Governing
Remarkably powerful software

Facebooks director of AI research Yann LeCun demonstrates the power of M.

Even the military is going open source

Open source AI makes business sense

The worlds biggest technology companies are handing over the keys to their success, making their artificial intelligence systems open-source.Traditionally, computer users could see the end product of what a piece of software did by, for instance, writing a document in Microsoft Word or playing a video game. But the underlying programming  the source code  was proprietary, kept from public view. Opening source material in computer science is a big deal because the more people that look at code, the more likely it is that bugs and long-term opportunities and risks can be worked out.Openness is increasingly a big deal in science as well, for similar reasons. The traditional approach to science involves collecting data, analyzing the data and publishing the findings in a paper. As with computer programs, the results were traditionally visible to readers, but the actual sources  the data and often the software that ran the analyses  were not freely available. Making the source available to all has obvious communitarian appeal ; the business appeal of open source is less obvious.Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Amazon have been making remarkable progress developing artificial intelligence systems. Recently they have released much of their work to the public for free use, exploration, adaptation and perhaps improvement.This seems bizarre: why would companies reveal the methods at the core of their businesses? And what does their embrace of open-source AI say about the current state of artificial intelligence?Each technology thats being revealed displays remarkable capabilities that go well beyond what was possible even just 10 years ago. They center on what is called deep learning  an approach that organizes layers of neural networks hierarchically to analyze very large data sets not just in search of simple statistics but also seeking to identify rich and interesting abstract patterns.Among the technologies that major tech companies have opened recently are:To understand what is driving these trends toward open source AI, it is helpful to consider other organizations in the broader social context in which these companies operate.One useful comparison is DARPA , the research arm of the U.S. Department of Defense. It is hard to imagine an organization likely to be more concerned about others taking advantage of open information. Yet, DARPA has made a big push toward open-source machine learning technologies.Indeed, the DARPA XDATA program resulted in a catalog of state-of-the-art machine learning, visualization and other technologies that anyone can download, use and modify to build custom AI tools. (I was a research lead on the CrossCat BayesDB project that was supported through this program.)The fact that DARPA and the Defense Department are so supportive of open-sourcing strongly indicates that the advantages of open sourcing outweigh the disadvantages of making high-quality tools available to potential adversaries.Another useful comparison is the OpenAI project, recently announced by tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Sam Altman, among others. The effort will study the ethics of creating and releasing machines with increasing abilities to interact with and understand the world.While these goals will be familiar to anyone who has read Isaac Asimov , they belie a deeper issue: even experts do not understand when or how AI might become powerful enough to cause harm, damage or injury.Open sourcing of code allows many people to think through the consequences both individually and together. Ideally, that effort will advance software that is increasingly powerful and useful, but also broadly understandable in its mechanisms and their implications.AI systems involve large  often very very large  amounts of code, so much that it stretches the ability of any single individual to understand in both breadth and depth. Scrutiny, troubleshooting and bug-fixing are especially important in AI, where we are not designing tools to do a specific job (e.g., build a car), but to learn, adapt and make decisions in our stead. The stakes are larger both for the positive and potentially negative outcomes.Neither the motivations of DARPA nor OpenAI explain exactly why these commercial technology companies are open sourcing their AI code. As technology companies, their concerns are more immediate and concrete. After all, if nobody is using their products, then what good are nice clean code and well-intentioned algorithms?There is a common view within the industry that technology companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon are not in the businesses one might assume. Over the long run, Google and Facebook are not really in the business of selling ads, and Amazon is not in the business of selling merchandise. No, these technology companies are powered by your eyeballs (and data). Their currency is users. Google, for example, gives away email and search for free to draw users to its products; it needs to innovate quickly, producing more and better products to ensure you stay with the company.These companies open-source their AI software because they wish to be the foundations on which other people innovate. Any entrepreneur who does so successfully can be bought up and easily integrated into the larger parent. AI is central because it, by design, learns and adapts, and even makes decisions. AI is more than a product: it is a product generator. In the near future, AI will not be relegated to serving up images or consumer products, but will be used to identify and capitalize on new opportunities by innovating new products.Open-sourcing AI serves these companies' broader goals of staying at the cutting edge of technology. In this sense, they are not giving away the keys to their success: they are paving the way to their own future.
(TNS)  WASHINGTON  This week, a delighted Internet audience discovered that JebBush.com redirects visitors to front-runner Donald Trumps campaign website.Its an easy joke. Noticing that the Bush campaign, which uses jeb2016.com, had failed to register the other domain as a precaution, someone else decided to have some fun.Hunting for and buying domain names that presidential campaigns may have overlooked has become a popular sport this election season. Part prank, part Internet attack ad, this trend also gives any online users with some cash or a good sense of timing the ability to reach thousands in a matter of hours and drive the conversation.Some websites are juvenile in their simplicity. After Trump was defeated by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the Iowa caucus, loser.com was redirected to his Wikipedia biography. In a similar vein, taunting the businessmans bravado and oft-repeated line about winning at everything, Nobodyrememberswhocameinsecond.com took visitors to his Wikipedia page as well. As of Feb. 19, it redirects to a YouTube video of comedians poking fun at his campaign.Another creative netizen bought TedCruzforAmerica.com last summer and decided to redirect it to different sites depending on what is in the news.Last summer it redirected to HealthCare.gov, the site for President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act, against which Cruz led a government shutdown in 2013. At another point it took people to articles critical of Cruzs policies. This week the website took over social media once more when users discovered it took them to the Canadian governments immigration page.Although Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, he became an automatic U.S. citizen through his American mother. That hasnt stopped the issue of whether hes a natural-born citizen from haunting him on the campaign trail, leading the candidate to emphatically say at Wednesdays CNN town hall in Greenville, S.C.: I never breathed a breath of air on this planet when I was not a U.S. citizen.The number of fake campaign domains continues to grow. Bernieforpresident.com leads to a page giving the choice between Bernie Sanders and Bernie Lomax, the fictional dead character from the film Weekend at Bernies. TedCruz.com just leads to a bare-bones site with the words Support President Obama. Immigration Reform Now!Some websites dont just redirect, but also use the attention as a platform to make a point about a candidate. HillaryClinton2016.com leads to a Huffington Post-style website consisting entirely of critical articles, leading with Hillarys gender fabrications.CarlyFiorina.org leads to a stark white-on-gray page that declares, Carly Fiorina failed to register this domain. So Im using it to tell you how many people she laid off at Hewlett-Packard. It was this many.Its followed by a seemingly endless wall of sad face emoticons that ends with the line, Thats 30,000 people she laid off. People with families.The message is simple but effective. And while these website pranks are unlikely to lead to genuine confusion among voters, their tendency to go viral on social media gives the public a new way to criticize a candidate or draw attention to a certain policy.If the timing is right, these websites can be more than just a joke. They can highlight a campaigns shortcomings and feed a certain narrative illustrated best by the poor Jeb sentiment that has been prevalent on social media. Bushs struggling campaign has garnered a strange kind of pity on Twitter and Facebook. His most-shared clips recently have been the moment when he told a New Hampshire audience to please clap and a video labeled Jeb hug  sad times in which he enthusiastically embraced a supporter who said he might vote for him.When the Internet rediscovered this week that the domain bearing Bushs name went straight to Trumps website  this had been first noticed by the media in December  the timing was perfect. Popular news outlets including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post and Vox wrote about the site, the latters headline declaring, How badly is Bush getting owned in this primary? JebBush.com goes to DonaldJTrump.com.The Trump campaign said it was not involved with the website, and the owner used a privacy system to remain unlisted.Innovative jokers are likely to have plenty of material in the coming months. Some have taken a different approach to give their favorite candidate a boost online: berniesingles.com, a dating site to meet and connect with other Sanders supporters, already has over 1,000 registered users. But thats another story.
(TNS) -- Employers would be barred from asking workers or job applicants to hand over passwords to private social media accounts under a bill that is moving through the state House.House Bill 1739 was introduced by Rep. Matthew LoPresti (D, Ewa Villages- Ocean Pointe-Ewa Beach) and 18 co-sponsors, an unusually high number. It has cleared the Labor and Public Employment Committee and was heard Friday by the Judiciary Committee, which plans to vote on it next week.We need to expand our notions of privacy to include social interaction on the Internet, LoPresti said in an interview Friday. Just because its on the Internet does not mean its public.People send private messages via social media and often restrict some of their posts to just friends rather than showing them to everyone, he noted.The bill would restrict employers from gaining access to employees social media activity that is not publicly available, with certain exceptions. LoPresti said the move is needed to update privacy rights in the digital age.When the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, there wasnt email, there wasnt social media, he said. But they wrote that you have the right of privacy of your papers. How does that translate in the 21st century? I believe that translates to we have a right to the privacy of our files. We dont have reams and reams of paper files anymore. We have digital files.The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects a citizens right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.HB 1739, HD 1, explicitly allows employers to gain access to private social media accounts in the course of investigations into matters such as harassment or discrimination claims as well as employee misconduct involving transfer of confidential information.Those provisions were included after the Labor Committee heard the bill, in response to suggestions from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and the State Privacy and Security Coalition Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based group made up of 25 major technology and media companies.The bill does not hold employers liable for inadvertently capturing personal information during a lawful virus scan or firewall, unless they go on to share that information or use it to access an employee account.At Fridays hearing, technology experts asked legislators to broaden that provision beyond specifically virus scans or firewalls to include inadvertent collection of personal information through network monitoring tools or routine monitoring for service quality or security.Attorney David Louie, representing Facebook, also asked legislators to tighten language to ensure that co-workers, and even employers, are not automatically prohibited from reaching out via social media to friend colleagues.We support the intent of the bill, it looks fine for most of it, but there is some overly broad language that we think creates a potential problem, Louie said.The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii testified that a growing number of employers are asking job applicants and employees to give them passwords to private social networking accounts.Social media platforms have this instant message feature, so if your employer has access to your social media account, it is tantamount to them reading your personal emails, Mandy Finlay, advocacy coordinator for the ACLU, told legislators at the hearing Friday.Just as an employer should never be permitted to go to an employees house and look through her personal letters, diary and/or photographs, employers have no legitimate business interest in accessing an individuals communication sent electronically.But the Chamber of Commerce, which represents 1,000 businesses, questioned the need for the bill in the first place.While we understand the reasoning behind the proposed bill, we have also seen instances where unnecessary laws create unintended consequences, the chamber said in written testimony. The chamber hasnt seen any empirical evidence that private employers routinely request access to applicant and employee personal social media.Supporters of the bill include the High Tech Development Corp., the ILWU Local 142, UNITE HERE Local 5 and the LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.The proposed legislation would not affect background checks on prospective employees. And employers would still be free to ask for passwords for work-related accounts and business devices.
Nico Hulkenberg has admitted he is not among those who support the closing of the cockpits in formula one.

It is believed F1 is close to adopting the so-called 'halo' concept for 2017, to reduce the risk of head injuries.

GPDA chief Alex Wurz had said the initiative has the full support of the drivers, but Hulkenberg said: "For me it's a personal thing, but I just think formula one cars should remain open."

Asked if he simply doesn't like the look of the 'halo', he added: "No, nothing like that. I just think that in general, open-wheel cockpits should be open."

Hulkenberg's view is interesting given that, in 2015, he won Le Mans with the closed-cockpit Porsche, but he explained: "That's something else. Prototypes have always looked like that.

"Single seaters were always open and they should stay open," the German added.

(GMM)
Flavio Briatore has warned organisers of the Italian grand prix not to play hardball with Bernie Ecclestone.

As negotiations over a new deal for Monza drag on, regional Lombardy president Roberto Maroni warned last week that "There can be no formula one without Monza".

"I think Maroni's right," Briatore told Italian radio Rai Gr Parlamento. "That the Italian grand prix remaining at Monza is 90 per cent, as long as the (Italian automobile club) Aci pays Ecclestone's price.

"There is still an important difference," the Italian, a long-time friend and business partner of Ecclestone's, added.

"Bernie is not interested in who pays him, but that he is paid."

Finally, Briatore also said he agreed with Ecclestone about not wanting to go and visit their old friend Michael Schumacher at his home in Switzerland.

"I want to remember him as he was," Briatore said. "It would be too painful to see him as he is now.

"It will not help to go and see him so I prefer to keep the pictures of him that I have in my mind," he added.
While the Barcelona pitlane was full of brand new F1 cars, the bulk of the paddock banter on Monday was actually about politics.

It had been triggered by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who told a British newspaper just hours before the first pre-season test began that he would not waste money on a ticket to a grand prix.

"It's a bit surprising when someone says something like that about his own product," Nico Hulkenberg told Bild newspaper.

Ecclestone's barbs had been fired in all directions, including at Toto Wolff who is one of the main obstacles to radical rules change for 2017 and beyond.

"If that's the way he wants to tread as a promoter," Wolff said, "then that's his decision."

Others were less forgiving.

"Everything is just starting to get going, everyone is very positive and he (Ecclestone) has to do this and destroy everything," F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda blasted.

"I just don't understand why he does it -- the master of the sport being so critical.

"We are having a big meeting with Bernie and I hope someone asks him his reasons for saying those things," Lauda added.

The meeting Lauda is referring to will happen in Geneva on Tuesday, and it is billed as F1's last chance to pass radical reform for 2017 with a majority vote.

"I think Bernie is frustrated with where formula one is," said Red Bull's Christian Horner, who like Ecclestone would like significant rule changes to pass.

"In the old days it would have been easier to fix it. Now we have this democracy it's very hard to get everyone to agree.

"But we need to do it now because if we need unanimous agreement then you might as well forget it," Horner added.

That is because Mercedes, the back-to-back world champions in the controversial 'power unit' era, will not agree to changes that are too radical.

"We believe that an excessive increase in aerodynamic downforce could hurt formula one and be difficult for the tyre manufacturer to cope with," Wolff insisted.

"It's like asking the engine guys to build a 2000hp engine. They will say it's impossible. Yet we are going to ask Pirelli to do something impossible?

"We are not against change, but there are diverse opinions from staying where we are to making the cars into aeroplanes. There has to be balance. The outcome is unknown," said Wolff.

As for Ecclestone's criticisms, Wolff answered: "When I came into the sport, I was upset with criticism but now I understand that Bernie and the headlines is part of formula one.

"Ecclestone always says directly what he does not like, and this causes a reaction. It has always been like that. He is the promoter and these are his tactics."

Indeed, Ecclestone is believed to be preparing to table a proposal in Geneva to give out points to the top-ten qualifiers but then reverse the grid.

"Let's see what happens," said Horner. "He wants to shake things up a bit -- he's the promoter, he's got to sell formula one around the world and he wants it to be the most exciting and spectacular that it can possibly be."

Ecclestone also has some other allies who are alarmed that the trend for television ratings in the past few years is sharply downwards.

"He (Ecclestone) is the commercial leader of the sport so if you see your TV figures going down it is concerning," said McLaren-Honda's Eric Boullier.

"We are in favour of making the sport more exciting, faster. We have been talking about this for a long time, so if we can't agree (on Tuesday) that is a failure in my opinion," the McLaren team boss added.

(GMM)
The EU and Brazil signed an agreement to develop 5G, the next generation of communication networks. The Commission also started work on an action plan to deploy the technology in the EU by 2020. 5G will be the backbone of the EU Digital Single Market, industries of the future, modern public services and innovative applications such as connected cars, smart homes or mobile health services.

By 2020, there will be 26 billion connected devices and 70% of people will own a smartphone. To face this global challenge, the EU joined forces with Brazil to strengthen cooperation in this strategic area and to make sure that 5G does not develop in silos at the international level. The EU and Brazil, which are close trading partners, have been cooperating on information and communication technologies since 2008.

This agreement follows similar key cooperation initiatives with South Korea, Japan and China.

The EU and Brazil have committed to developing a global definition of 5G and to identifying the services (for example connected cars, the Internet of Things or very high-definition video streaming) which should be the first delivered by 5G networks.

The two partners will also work to define common standards in order to have a stronger position on the global stage. They will cooperate in identifying the most promising radio frequencies to meet the additional spectrum requirements for 5G, especially in the framework of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In addition, they will promote the deployment of 5G in fields such as smart cities, agro-food, education, health, transport or energy as well as possibilities for joint research projects in this area.

Cooperation agreements are also being discussed with India and the United States.

Earlier this month, the European Commission presented a proposal to coordinate the use of the 700 MHz band for mobile services. Mobile operators using the 700 MHz band will be able to offer higher-speed and higher-quality broadband (i.e. without service interruption) to consumers and cover wider areas, including rural and remote regions.

It would enable Europe to move ahead and provide mobile broadband speeds beyond 100 Mb/s and catch up with leading regions in 4G mobile broadband take-up (such as South Korea or the USA). As soon as specific 5G standards and associated technology and equipment are available by 2020, mobile operators will be in a good position to roll out 5G services.

Further steps to coordinate spectrum in the EU will be part of the forthcoming review of EU telecoms rules foreseen for autumn 2016.
As described in a paper in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science , the single-stage EA process achieves high biofuel yields (18.2 kg ethanol per 100 kg untreated corn stover, dry weight basis), comparable to those achieved using ionic liquid pretreatments. The EA process achieves these ethanol yields at industrially-relevant conditions using low enzyme loading (7.5 mg protein per g glucan) and high solids loading (8% glucan, w/v).

A team from the US, China and India, led by researchers from Michigan State University, has developed a new liquid ammonia biomass pretreatment methodology called Extractive Ammonia (EA). EA-pretreated corn stover delivers a higher fermentable sugar yield compared to the older Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) process while using 60% lower enzyme loading.

The EA-pretreated biomass hydrolysates are readily fermentable due to removal of lignin-derived inhibitors while preserving the microbial nutrient availability.

The EA process also preserves extracted lignin functionalities, offering the potential to co-produce lignin-derived fuels and chemicals in the biorefinery.



Process design differences between Extractive Ammonia (EA) and AFEX pretreatment. (a) EA laboratory equipment set up and mass balances for pretreatment performed at 120 C, 6:1 ammonia:biomass weight ratio (NH 3 :BM) for 30 min residence time on corn stover with 10% (w/w) moisture (dry weight basis). (b) AFEX laboratory equipment setup and mass balances for optimal AFEX conditions to pretreat corn stover. Source: Sousa et al. Click to enlarge.

EA pretreatment involves a three-stage process: reaction; extraction; and product/solvent recovery. In the reaction process, liquid ammonia and biomass are combined in a reactor at a sufficiently high loading to fully immerse the biomass at a defined temperature and residence time. Unlike the older AFEX process (earlier post), external heat is required during EA pretreatment to increase reaction temperature due to the absence of high moisture levels.

As temperature increases, ammonia pressure builds up until a new vaporliquid equilibrium is established. During this stage, the celluloseammonia complex is formed, ester bonds are cleaved, and lignin is partly solubilized in the liquid ammonia phase. Similarly to the AFEX process, EA pretreatment promotes ammonolysis of cell wall ester crosslinks that are particularly abundant in monocots. These key reactions disrupt ligninpolysaccharide crosslinks, thereby enabling biomass deconstruction by improving access of enzymes to embedded structural carbohydrates.

In the extraction stage, the EA-pretreated biomass is filtered to separate the ammonia-soluble components from residual solids. During this stage, lignin is extracted, and CIIIa highly digestible cellulose allomorphis formed from the celluloseammonia complex as ammonia is continuously removed from the biomass into an extract-collection vessel.

Nitrogen overpressure is used to maintain ammonia in the liquid state at constant temperature.

During the recovery stage, the ammonia is evaporated from the extractives, which are subsequently recovered as a dark brown viscous liquid. About 0.022 g ammonia per 100 g biomass input cannot be recycled due to reactions between ammonia and the biomass. The remaining ammonia is recoverable and can be recycled.

EA simultaneously converts native crystalline cellulose to a highly digestible cellulose allomorph and selectively extracts up to 45% of the lignin from lignocellulosic biomass with near-quantitative retention of all polysaccharides.

Although CIII can be produced at room temperature, the EA pretreatment is more effective at higher temperatures, which are required to maximize ester bond cleavage, lignin solubilization, and thereby improve enzyme accessibility to CIII.

Resources
The Guilford County Board of Education will host two public forums to hear from parents and community members regarding the role, presence and impact of school resource officers in Guilford County Schools.

Both forums will start at 7 p.m. and are scheduled for:

l Monday, at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts Auditorium, 825 Washington St. in High Point

l March 3, Grimsley High School Auditorium, 801 Westover Terrace in Greensboro

Citizens may also sign up to address the board during the public comment period at any of the upcoming regular board meetings, scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 8 and March 24 in the central office board room at 712 N. Eugene St. in Greensboro. Speakers must sign up by calling (336) 370-8100 by 5 p.m. the day of the meeting or arrive at the meeting site between 5:45 and 6 p.m. to sign up prior to the meeting.

The board is holding separate public forums to discuss the next superintendent. For information on those forums, visit www.gcsnc.com/pages/gcsnc/News/School_Board_Seeks_Public_Inpu.

Charter school to host two enrollment discussions

Gate City Charter Academy, a free public charter school, will host two enrollment information meetings today. Meetings will take place at 4 and 7 p.m. at Peeler Recreation Center, 1300 Sykes Ave. in Greensboro.

The academy, operated by National Heritage Academies, will serve students in grades kindergarten through fifth for the 2016-2017 school year.

The school will add one grade level per year, until a full K-8 school is established.

For information, call (866) 642-3676 or visit www.gatecitycharteracademy.org.
The 1991 Gulf War saw only 100 hours of ground fighting as U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation, but echoes of that conflict have lingered for decades in the Middle East.

The war pushed America into opening military bases in the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, drawing the anger of an upstart militant named Osama bin Laden and laying the groundwork for al-Qaida attacks leading up to Sept. 11, 2001. Saddam Hussein, demonized as being worse than Adolf Hitler by President George H.W. Bush, would outlast his American rival in power until Bush's son launched the 2003 American-led invasion that toppled the Iraqi dictator.

Now, 25 years after the first U.S. Marines swept across the border into Kuwait, American forces are battling the extremist Islamic State group, born out of al-Qaida, in the splintered territories of Iraq and Syria. The Arab allies that joined the 1991 coalition are fighting their own conflicts at home and abroad, as Iran vies for greater regional power following a nuclear deal with world powers.

Iraq itself is now fragmented and war-torn to a degree few could have imagined after that 1991 U.S. victory. The IS jihadis have imposed their rule over many of the Sunni-dominated areas of the country, Kurds in the north have their own virtual mini-state and Shiites  many of them allied to Iran  lead the government in Baghdad.

In all, the United States finds itself in the quandary it hoped to avoid back in 1991.

"Had we taken all of Iraq, we would have been like the dinosaur in the tar pit  we would still be there, and we, not the United Nations, would be bearing the costs for that occupation," the late U.S. Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of Desert Storm, wrote in his memoirs.

Iraq invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, angry that the tiny neighbor and the United Arab Emirates had ignored OPEC quotas, which Saddam claimed cost his nation $14 billion. Saddam also accused Kuwait of stealing $2.4 billion by pumping crude from a disputed oil field and demanded that Kuwait write off an estimated $15 billion of debt that Iraq had accumulated during its 1980s war with Iran.

Fearing Saudi Arabia could be invaded next, U.S. officials moved quickly to deploy troops to the region. After months of negotiations and warnings, the U.S. launched its assault on Iraqi forces in Kuwait on Feb. 24, 1991.

In purely military and political terms, the first Gulf War marked a tremendous success for the U.S., which was still haunted by Vietnam. America suffered 148 combat deaths during the entire conflict, while 467 troops were wounded out of more than 500,000 deployed, according to the Defense Department. The U.S. held together an allied army, its war effort was supported by a number of United Nations resolutions, and the conflict cemented its position as the sole world power following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

America's Arab allies also footed much of the bill for the $61 billion war, with both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait contributing some $16 billion, while the United Arab Emirates offered $4 billion, according to U.S. congressional reports. Japan and Germany together contributed another $16 billion, while South Korea gave $251 million. The U.S. covered the rest.

The key players in the Arab world at the time of the conflict are now long gone.

Saudi King Fahd died in 2005. A popular uprising toppled Egyptian autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Syria's totalitarian ruler Hafez Assad, a longtime U.S. foe who joined the Gulf War effort to reap billions in aid and diplomatic benefits, died in 2000. His son, President Bashar Assad, still clings to power amid a five-year civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people and flooded Europe with tens of thousands fleeing violence across the region.

In Israel, the memory of Iraqi Scud missile-fire prompted the military to speed up a missile-defense program that included the development of its Iron Dome rocket-defense system with the help of the Americans. Then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, a hard-liner, held back from retaliating at the request of Bush, who feared losing Arab support for the war. Though American aid to Israel exceeds $3 billion a year, relations have been strained over stalled Palestinian peace talks.

Yet despite seeing his forces routed from Kuwait, Saddam clung to power and survived an uprising by both Shiites and Kurds following the war. The U.S. and its allies began to patrol a northern and southern no-fly zone to protect the Shiites and the Kurds while Saddam remained a thorn in the side of American politics for more than a decade.

"I miscalculated," Bush said in a December 1995 interview. "I thought he'd be gone."

It would take President George W. Bush's 2003 invasion to end Saddam's reign, coming amid the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan. In its aftermath, al-Qaida in Iraq would arise and be put down by a U.S. military surge, coupled with the support of Sunni tribesmen. But as the U.S. withdrew from Iraq and Baghdad stopped supporting the Sunni tribesmen, the Islamic State group emerged from the ashes of al-Qaida in Iraq and in 2014, took control of about a third of both Iraq and neighboring Syria.

Today, the U.S. finds itself mired in a long war feared by Schwarzkopf and others who oversaw Operation Desert Storm. Oil prices, which sparked Saddam's invasion of Kuwait, have dropped to under $30 a barrel from more than $100 in just a year and a half.

The cause, in part, is the same OPEC overproduction the late dictator Saddam railed against across the splintered Middle East.
Even atheists, says Late, Late Show host James Corden, admire Pope Francis for his humanity, humility and compassion. So Donald Trump must be less than godless to call Francis disgraceful for having the effrontery to point out the blatantly obvious unChristian character of some of Trumps proposed policies.

At the very least, money cant buy class, but whats really disgraceful are Trumps antics as a vicious demagogue, pandering to hate and fear and degrading political discourse to childish and scurrilous insult. And, as democracies give people the government they deserve, it would be even more disgraceful for the electorate to be so benighted as to elect as president a crass buffoon who, rather than making America great again, would doubtless only make us reviled and ridiculed among the nations.
GREENWICH  Greenwich has been awarded $2 million to upgrade signs and lights along the Glenville corridor and improve the Glenville/Pemberwick road intersection.

The town was one 10 municipalities and three transit districts to share a $20 million federal grant designed for transportation projects that will reduce energy use or improve traffic flow or air quality. The Glenville work will improve traffic flow and safety, town representatives said.

Were very happy to see it, said Vince DiMarco, communications director for the Pemberwick/Glenville Association. It comes at a very good time, too, because were working on the Pemberwick/Glenville Neighborhood Plan with the town. This is one of the biggest items that people have been asking for attention on.

According to town Deputy Commissioner of Public Works James Michel, designing the improvements will be a joint project of the town, the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Public hearings will be part of the process. He expected the project to be completed by 2020.

The money is part of the Federal Highway Administrations Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. The grants are used to offset the cost of traffic improvements and will be paid out as a reimbursement once the work is done.

To qualify for the grant, a municipality had to show the project would result in reduced vehicle exhaust emissions and be cost effective

Michel said the town was very happy to see the money because it would allow the work to be done at minimal cost to taxpayers.

I view our transportation system through the lenses of safety, congestion, and commerce, said Greenwich resident and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4th). The Glenville corridor is already busy, and if we dont stay on top of traffic and infrastructure improvement, then were going to see longer commutes, more accidents and less money flowing into our businesses as people opt to stay home instead of shopping or going to restaurants. Two million dollars is a great start toward creating a system that works for Greenwich families.

Stamford, Norwalk and Bridgeport also received grant monies. Statewide, the grants will pay for more bus routes in heavily traveled corridors and better passenger information signs, among other projects.

According to Gov. Dannel Malloys office, the Connecticut Department of Transportation will begin working with Greenwich and the other municipalities over the course of the next month to set up the projects.

This federal funding is a win-win for Connecticuts transportation infrastructure by modernizing our transportation systems and cutting exhaust emissions to improve air quality, said Greenwich resident and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn). Local leaders know best how to solve town traffic problems and reduce energy use. We need more federal investment in these areas.

Michel said the project coordination could get started as early as April and last through September; design and approval process could run from about September 2016 to about September 2018. Construction would likely start in September 2018 and end about September 2020.

kborsuk@scni.com
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BRIDGEPORT  For the second time in nearly 20 years the city Monday was in the national spotlight over gun rights  this time with Newtown families fighting to keep assault weapons out of the hands of potential killers.

In 1998 then-Mayor Joseph Ganim sued gunmakers to reimburse the city for the hundreds of thousands of dollars he claimed were lost through gun violence.

Ganim lost that case  but it is now being used to bolster the lawsuit by families of the Sandy Hook tragedy against the maker and distributor of the assault weapon to kill 20 students and six teachers in 2012.

How does that reconcile with the Ganim case? Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis asked the lawyers for Remington, the manufacturer of the AR-15 after a lengthy argument that the Sandy Hook families have no standing to sue.

For more than 15 minutes the lawyers for gunmakers and dealers and the Sandy Hook families argued the merits of the ground-breaking Ganim case from different sides.

That case, the first of its kind to be filed in the U.S., was chalked up as a win by the gun makers when an appeals court ruled the city had no standing to sue the countrys gunmakers and that only individual victims of gun violence could sue.

But the Sandy Hook families hope to use the Ganim decision as a weapon in their legal arsenal  they are individual victims of gun violence.

Following a nearly three-hour hearing, Judge Bellis continued the case to April 19, at which time she said she expects to file a lengthy decision on whether she will allow the case to go before a jury.

The Sandy Hook families are suing Remington, the manufacturer of the AR-15 used by Adam Lanza to kill the children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Also named in the suit are Camfour Inc. of Westfield, Mass., which distributed the gun for Remington, and the now-defunct Riverview Sales Inc. of East Windsor, which sold the gun to Lanzas mother, Nancy Lanza in 2010.

The gun manufacturer has warned that if the judge allows the case to go forward, it could open the door to many more lawsuits against gun companies.

The frustration could clearly be seen as the families of the Sandy Hook victims stood before a crowd of media Monday afternoon during a pre-court press conference in the office of Koskoff, Koskoff and Bieder on Fairfield Avenue.

Since the deaths of their loved ones on Dec. 14, 2012, the families have devoted their lives to making a difference and yet they have seen little come to fruition.

All we want is to prevent other families and communities from going through the same thing, said Nicole Hockley, whose 6-year-old son, Dylan, was shot to death in the elementary school with 19 of his schoolmates and six educators that day.

Remington and the other defendants argue that they are they protected under the 2005 law, known as the Protection of the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. They argue that they followed the law by manufacturing a legal gun and selling it to the mother of the shooter after a background check.

The reason we are making this lawsuit is because of the unique instrument that was used in this case, said lead lawyer, Joshua Koskoff, as local and national media represented crowded the small conference room. An instrument that was designed by the U.S. military -- the AR-15.

Koskoff maintains the AR-15 was never designed for use by the public but in fact to kill as many members of an enemy force it could in the least amount of time.

That same weapon was found on Victoria Sotos classroom floor on Dec. 14, 2012, he added, a reference to the teacher who died at Sandy Hook Elementry School defending her students.

We want to have our day in court, said Mark Barden, father of 7-year-old Daniel who died in the school. I feel we have a legitimate case.

Bill Sherlach, whose wife Mary was killed at Sandy Hook, spoke for many of the families when he vowed they were not going away.

I have the rest of my life to spend on this issue, he said.

But the lawyers for the gun companies and sellers made it clear they arent going anywhere either.

Sitting in a line at a table behind the plaintiffs lawyer, they urged Judge Bellis to throw the lawsuit out.

Congress has expressed its clear intention that these type of lawsuits shall not be brought, argued Remingtons lawyer, James Vogt.

We are the ones who sold the firearm to Nancy Lanza but we did not sell it to Adam Lanza, argued Peter Berry, the lawyer for the gun store. There is no allegation our client ever met Adam Lanza.
El Reys iced Vietnamese coffee. Photo: Melissa Hom

There has never been a better time to drink coffee in New York City. Shops that name-check specialty roasters are popping up from south Brooklyn to northwestern Queens, new cafes boast the latest and greatest in caffeine-extracting technology, and theres even an active coffee scene in Flushings Korean commercial district. Its increasingly easy, in other words, to find a great cup of coffee, no matter where you are. With all these shops and specialty roasters, though, the question becomes where to find the best of the best. Here are the top 22 coffee shops in New York City.

Abraco (East Village)

Its minuscule size, total lack of indoor seating, and somewhat limited hours (though it now thankfully stays open until 6 p.m.) didnt stop Abraco from developing an outsize, devoted following willing to squeeze in for a cappuccino or freshly brewed drip coffee. Owner Jamie McCormick, a former Blue Bottle barista whose appearances behind the La Marzocco regulars follow closely, takes a focused approach to both roasting, which he does in Greenpoint, and brewing, favoring blends and consistency of flavor  which explains why fans still flock here like they do.

Blue Bottles New Orleansstyle iced coffee. Photo: Matt Dutile/Matt Dutile 2013 www.mattdutile.com

Blue Bottle (Boerum Hill, Chelsea, Hells Kitchen, Meatpacking District, Midtown East, and Williamsburg)

James Freemans Oakland-based company is the star of the third-wave coffee scene, thanks to its founders stringent standards. The coffee is tip-top across the board, but if youre looking for something unique, get the exceptional New Orleans style cold brew, which has cemented its cult-favorite status.

Box Kite (Upper West Side)

The tiny, tidy St. Marks original became exceedingly popular thanks to top-notch espresso drinks and pour-over coffee made by focused, adept baristas. It has since closed, but the Upper West Side location, which has counter seating only, remains a destination. Using beans sourced from roasters like Michigans Madcap and San Franciscos trendy Ritual, they put an emphasis on clean, complex flavors.



Culture Espresso (Midtown West)

These artsy west-side shops would stand out anywhere in the city, but theyre particularly welcome in quality-caffeine-starved midtown. The espresso is a boon to midtown breakfasters, who are drawn by the top-notch espresso drinks brewed with Heart espresso, of Portland, Oregon; the ridiculously good cookies, baked in-house, are a nice bonus.

El Reys iced Vietnamese coffee being made. Photo: Melissa Hom

El Rey (Lower East Side)

Though the sunny, California-chic cafe has gradually become better known for its healthy-living cuisine, its a more than dependable source for your caffeine fix. The beans are exclusively from Parlor; the baristas are skilled at making your standard espresso drinks; and for a change of pace, theres iced Vietnamese coffee on tap. For those counting, the (sometimes vegan) pastries are unusual and often delicious.

Everyman Espresso (East Village and Soho)

Theres some serious talent pulling your shots at this no-frills, low-key cafe with two locations. The Soho shop is presided over by barista champion Sam Lewontin, and the espresso they serve is exactingly made, very tasty, and perfectly portioned with milk thats just hot and foamy enough. For those looking to try something new, theres a rotating selection of boutique, in-season beans at a higher price tag.

Hi-Collar (East Village)

This St. Marks Street cafe, which becomes a sake bar at night, is modeled after the kissatens of Japan, which makes it a unique addition to the citys scene. It offers pour-over and Aeropress coffees, but specializes in siphon coffee, made with the precise brewing method that produces notably fruity flavors. Seven varieties of beans, with an emphasis on Ethiopia and Kenya, are available, and you can expect light-bodied brews with fruity, citrusy, and floral flavors. During lunch, theres traditional kissaten food, like a pork-katsu sandwich and Japanese-style pancakes.

Joe (Chelsea, Midtown East, Morningside Heights, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, and West Village)

This chic but family-friendly mini-chain roasts coffee in-house and has become a New York favorite for its combination of superior coffee and affable, warm service. There are ten locations spread around Manhattan, and the crown jewel of the family is Chelseas Joe Pro Shop, which stocks a rotating selection of micro-roasters and is a great place to learn what kind of coffee gets you going.

La Casa del Caffe (Morris Park)

This small Bronx cafe doesnt traffic in gourmet beans, and its proof of how much a gifted barista can get out of a more ordinary product. The owner and shot-puller, Anna Agovino, is a immigrant from southern Italy who came to coffee-making late in life. Her dark, bitter, and heavy-roasted espresso is out of vogue with todays emphasis on fruity, lighter flavors, but its masterfully made.

Working the Modbar at Little Collins. Photo: ?2013 Liz Clayman Photography Inc.

Little Collins (Midtown East)

This midtown-by-way-of-Melbourne shop is one of the best of the citys new crop of Australian cafes. The excellent espresso is made with the citys first high-tech Modbar, which has electronic components that offer extensive control over things like pressure and temperature, and is served in Down Under variations such as the cortado-like piccolo latte and its better-known cousin, the flat white. As at other Australian spots, the food is ambitious by cafe standards.

Making a cortado at Maialino. Photo: Melissa Hom

Maialino (Gramercy)

Restaurants with great coffee are rarer than they should be; Danny Meyers Roman trattoria is celebrated as a notable exception. The coffee at this handsome and friendly cafe can compete with that of any dedicated cafe, and the well-trained baristas use beans like the smooth, chocolaty Los Rosales from coastal Colombia. Along with cortados and lattes, youll find the slightly more obscure shakerato, espresso shaken over ice and served with simple syrup and an orange twist. Unsurprisingly, the well-stocked pastry case is a real draw.

Marlow & Sons (Williamsburg)

The sunny front cafe and general store at Andrew Tarlows neighborhood restaurant is a great place to go discover your next favorite roaster. Over the years, beans have been sourced, variously, from such of-the-moment brands as Four Barrels and George Howell, which was founded by an industry veteran with over 40 years of experience, and its always top-quality. One note: Because theres only one barista making coffee, its best to go on weekdays, when its more low-key and slower.



Ninth Street Espresso (Chelsea, East Village, Midtown East, and Gowanus)

Since ushering in New Yorks third-wave era in 2001, Ninth Street has expanded, at the clip of a Chemex, from its Alphabet City home. Founder Ken Nye has placed an emphasis on simplicity and traditional drinks since the beginning, and the menu, thankfully, remains focused on the Italian classics.

Parlor Coffee (Williamsburg)

Since opening as pop-up in the back room of a trendy Brooklyn barbershop, where it still operates, Parlor has kept it simple by serving espresso and only espresso  and roasting the beans in-house, despite the constraints. The micro-roaster quickly developed a cult following for its perfectionist ways and, thanks in part to a roastery and tasting room in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, has become the local coffee of choice for the latest wave of New Brooklyn shops and restaurants.



Plowshares (Upper West Side)

The upstate roasters first New York City outpost is home to some of the best coffee youll find up- or downtown  a boon for this neighborhood. The cafe is, no surprise for those familiar with the low-key brand, quietly committed to making a very good cup of coffee, exclusively brewed with the beans owner Anthony Kurutz carefully roasts in small, 30-pound batches.

Chemex at Third Rail. Photo: Matt Dutile/Matt Dutile 2013 www.mattdutile.com

Third Rail Coffee (East Village and Greenwich Village)

The Sullivan Street original is compact even by Manhattan standards, but the espresso  theres a single-origin and a blend  is worth the squeeze. It became instantly notable when it opened for its use of the Chemex brewing method, but maintains a dedicated following because of its consistent quality. The East Village sequel is, comparatively, large, but the baristas are just as attentive, and the coffee equally excellent.



Southside Coffee (Sunset Park)

The cafe is know for its espresso drinks, so find out what the buzz is about and get a shot of George Howells ever-evolving, seasonal Alchemy blend. Southside also makes its drip coffee with beans from that esteemed roaster, and the laid-back, pretense-free atmosphere makes this one of the better places in town to linger over your mug. Just dont forget to order one of chef-owner Josh Sobels sublime breakfast sandwiches: Paired with the delicious coffee, its one of the citys best wake-up calls.

Supercrowns coffee milk shake with Photo: Melissa Hom

Supercrown Coffee Roasters (Bushwick)

Along with the very well-done standards, like a smooth cortado with perfectly creamy milk and a pleasantly acidic drip coffee, this sunny, industrial-chic cafe and micro-roaster serves creative, thoughtful specialty drinks, like a coffee milkshake and hot chocolate spiked with espresso during the winter, that are built around the flavors of specific beans. Co-founded by Darlene Scherer, who was on the cusp of the third-wave movement when she opened Gorilla Coffee in 2002, its one of the most exciting additions to New Yorks coffee scene in recent years.

Sweetleaf (Greenpoint, Long Island City, and Williamsburg)

This Queens favorite became Long Island Citys go-to cafe through charming, friendly service coupled with an ambitious coffee program. Its since expanded to include a Williamsburg location, a Greenpoint roastery, and a combination cafe-cocktail bar (in partnership with nearby bar Dutch Kills) on the LIC waterfront. Any one will do, but the original still holds a place in its devoted fans hearts.



Tobys Estate (Flatiron, Midtown East, West Village, and Williamsburg)

The shots here, another Australian import, are among the best youll find in town, thanks in part to the very precise, pressure-controlled Strada machine it introduced to New York at its Williamsburg location. Theyre equally as adept with pour-over coffee and roast an array of single-origin beans with a variety of different flavors, so you can pick and choose depending on your tastes.

Variety (Bushwick, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg)

Variety has been a consistent source of East Williamsburgs best coffee during its tenure as the premier locals cafe for Graham Avenue residents. The cozy original is always bustling and a solid place to post up over a cappuccino. Less busy and comfortably spacious is the Bushwick outpost, which opened in 2014, and where theyre now roasting their own beans.



WTF Coffee Lab (Fort Greene)

The counter-seating-only cafe offers several brewing methods, from your standard sock pot to Chemex, on a sliding scale of body to flavor. The whole shop looks like a laboratory, and the focus on flavor is so strict that a handful of drinks (cortados, the Spanish-style bon bon, even straight espresso) are only available to drink in-house, but youre rewarded with a coffee thats very much worth the fuss.

The original Sweetleaf in Long Island City. Photo: Matt Dutile/Matt Dutile 2013 www.mattdutile.com

This post is updated regularly.
Best avoid for the time being. Photo: Maytag Dairy Farms

Makers of cheap cheese are busy removing wood-pulp fillers, but the good stuff seems to be plagued by a listeria problem right now. Maytag Dairy Farms, the maker of whats sometimes called Americas Roquefort, is recalling 1,100 pounds of its blue cheese after the bacteria turned up in tests at its Iowa facility. The recall applies to wedges (in the four- and eight-ounce sizes), wheels (in the two- and four-pound sizes), and five-pound bags of crumbles that were sold to stores and restaurants or purchased online between December 11, 2015, and February 11, 2016.

The cheeses have one of 20 possible lot and batch numbers on the packaging; the FDA has posted a list of them. For the moment, Maytag has suspended production while the FDA and the state of Iowa investigate the cause. No illnesses have been reported so far, but, as always, health officials suggest people throw out the affected cheeses.

[Maytag]
One on one Interview with Sony: One on one

At the MWC 2016 we had a one-on-one chat with Sony representatives and had a chance to ask them the hard questions.

We started with the new Xperia X family that Sony unveiled yesterday. We - and plenty of our readers - were disheartened with the reveal that the Xperia X Performance won't launch in the US and Europe.



Sony Xperia X Performance

Except that turns out to not be true - it's heading to the Netherlands at least. Sony says that the Performance is definitely launching in Asia first, but there will be units sold in Europe at the same time. It's just that the decision which countries get it hasn't been made yet.

We asked about benchmarks of the new Snapdragon 820 chipset, but Sony said "no" and clarified they are interested in real life performance rather than synthetic benchmarks.

From the top dog, we moved to the Sony Xperia XA. Yesterday it impressed us with its narrow bezels. Apparently, the other two Xs have thicker bezels because of the metal frame and because the side-mounted fingerprint reader needs extra room.



Sony Xperia X Performance

And the XA has neither of these things. Sony was adamant that the best place for a fingerprint reader is on the side, at least without it the engineers could slim down the bezels.

The improvements to the Xperia X and X Performance camera are mainly in the speed and accuracy of the tracking autofocus. So don't expect better quality in static shots, but there will be fewer shots (and videos) ruined by people moving around.

We also asked why is it that other manufacturers sometimes achieve better image quality by using Sony IMX sensors than Sony itself does.



Sony Xperia X Performance

The official answer is that Sony cameras are optimized for "performance." Performance meaning how photos and videos from the camera look great both on the phone's screen and on a computer screen. The selfie camera, in particular, has been tuned to view on large screens.

We're not terribly satisfied with this canned response - how else would you view a digital photo except on a screen (small or large)!?

Finally, we got a chance to ask questions about the 4K screen on the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium. Sony is happy with how it performs and says it gets the job done for people who need 4K resolution. There are no plans to add 4K support to more of the Z5 Premium interface and app package.

The questions & answers portion was over, but before we left we got to fondle a few cases for the X-series (these particular cases we handled were for the Xperia X Performance).

The transparent case is the most interesting one - it covers the screen, but still allows you to operate the phone without opening it. Unfortunately, this case didn't work but not because of a hardware issue.



The translucent case

No, the issue turned out to be a software one - the app needed to make the case work wasn't available. That's right, cases need apps now. The case has built-in NFC to automatically trigger the app, so we think it's just an issue of disabling pocket mode (not unlocking the phone if the proximity sensor detects something) and turning on glove mode.



The translucent case

Anyway, the other cases are standard flip cases without all the magic of the translucent one (but with all the protection).
Yesterday was a truly busy day at MWC, perhaps even a bit too busy with LG, Samsung and Huawei, to name a few, all bombarding us with interesting announcements. Amidst all the commotion, we narrowly missed Lenovo, which quietly announced a pair of mid-range Android smartphones - the Vibe K5 and K5 Plus.

Lenovo Vibe K5 and Vibe K5 Plus

Thankfully, we took note and returned to Lenovo's booth for some hands-on time with the units. First things first - a quick specs rundown. Both models have a 5-inch display the difference being in the resolution - 720p for the basic one and 1080p for the Plus. Both LCD panels look perfectly adequate, although not exceptional in any way. Sharpness and colors seem good, but glare is perhaps a bit too much for our taste. Still, it might be the show floor lighting and we won't rush to any judgment.



Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus

The other major difference has to do with the processors - a Snapdragon 415 inside the Vibe K5 and a Snapdragon 616 for the Vibe K5 Plus variant, which shouldn't actually be that far apart in terms of performance. The rest of their shared specs sheet includes 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 16GB of storage, plus a microSD card slot and a 2,750 mAh user-replaceable battery.



Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus

This all makes for a nicely-rounded mod-range package that might not set any performance record but is still perfectly adequate in delivering the full Android experience. The removable battery is also a nice touch in our opinion, as we believe its convenience still enjoys a lot of fan love. And judging by the lengths LG went to in this department with the G5, we are not the only ones to share this view.



Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus

This coincides with our initial impression of the floor models - the Android 5.1 ROM showed no noticeable problems or performance hiccups. The camera setup consists of a 13MP main shooter and a 5MP one on the front. Also, both devices are LTE-enabled, Dual SIM.



Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus

Another major aspect of the Vibe K5 is sound. Lenovo is marketing them as audio-centric devices, which it justifies with the included Dolby Atmos support and dual speaker setup. The latter sound pretty good, but again, we can't really judge the full-scale merits of the audio experience before we get our hands on a test unit and put it through our rigorous loudspeaker and output tests, which will surely happen eventually.

As for the built quality and feel of the K5 and K5 Plus - they are definitely solid, and the slight curve around both sides on the back make for a slicker look. That particular design trend is gaining momentum quick.




Haiti - ALERT : Fraud attempt for U.S. VISA and Scholarships





In a note, the US Embassy in Haiti invites the Haitian people to exercise caution face a fraud attempt to U.S. VISA and Scholarships, organized by a group of racketeers.



"he Embassy of the United States to Port-au-Prince invites to be careful, because a group using Sophia Martellys name is falsely claiming that they can provide visas and scholarships to study in the United States. Its not true !



The group is using the fake email address ambassadeamericaine.haiti@yahoo.com / unmaria51@gmail.com with a point of contact named Samuel at +509-3990-6218 and an accountant named Evelia Jean Charles.



Remember the ONLY way to get a visa is to apply directly with the U.S. Embassy. NEVER pay an outside group who claims they can get you a visa. Using racketeers like these could get you permanently banned from entering the United States."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Education : The Ministry deplores and condemns !





The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) deplores and condemns the untimely demonstrations that affect the functioning of some schools in Grande-Riviere du Nord for almost two weeks (where students gathered in the streets on Monday again, at the instigation of certain groups to asks in particular the departure of a Government Commissioner), which have a serious impact on youth training, could exacerbate educational failure in this region.



In addition, the ministry said to be "deeply alarmed" by a similar situation that seems to grow in Pilate where armed individuals have, among others, also disrupted Monday, February 22 the courses at the Centre Lafontant Jean.



MENFP is also concerned that in Mirebalais, the same day "of teachers of Mirebalais high school paralyzed the functioning of several educational institutions to require 6 appointment letters while MENFP expects the establishment of the new government for the resumption of process of ongoing regularization of staff.



MENFP appeals to the sense of responsibility of all stakeholders to prevent school was taken hostage by interest groups "and appealed for calm and understanding to ensure the right to education of our children.



Just like the National Pact on the quality of education that request, in its commitment #3 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-15429-haiti-education-towards-a-national-pact-for-quality-education.html

to subtract the education system of clientelism and negative influences, the Ministry invites all sectors "To protect the school, the only institution capable of ensuring sustainable development and ensure a better future for our young people."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politic : The FUSION rejects the invitation of Jocelerme Privert





Following the invitation of the acting President Jocelerme Privert sent by its Secretary General, Anthony Barbier to the Management Board of the Party of Social Democrats Fusion (FUSION) to discuss the issue of choosing a Prime minister, of a provisional government and the continuation of the election, in its response letter, signed by its Secretary General Rosemond Pradel dated February 22, 2016, the FUSION responds not to be "ready to participate in this process, which is very far from bringing a viable and sustainable solution to this deep crisis: electoral, political, economic and social. The FUSION does not believe that the path taken so far may help resolve the crisis resulting of fraudulent elections of 9 August and 25 October [...]"



The Fusion emphasizes "[...] We believe that this democracy at discount that the Core Group wants to impose us at all costs, by conducting presidential elections in the next three months, is far from the dimension of this societal crisis and systemic gnawing the country for several decades [...] Wanting to continue the elections in these circumstances is to accept that nothing had happened on 9 August and 25 October 2015 [...]"



Believing "we have an obligation to propose a national project in which all sectors of society (political sector, civil society, churches, the business sector...)

are mobilizing to lay the foundations for a new Haiti in the interest of all Haitians. It is with this approach that the Fusion party of Social Democrats is part today and its leaders are ready, on behalf of the supreme interests of the Nation, to meet all the established authorities de facto to discuss of that."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping politics...





Jean William Jeanty declines the invitation of Privert

In a letter addressed to Anthony Barbier, General Secretary of the Presidency, Jean William Jeanty the National Coordinator of the Party Konbit Travaye Peyizan pou Libere Ayiti/ (KONTRAPEPLA) declines the invitation to a meeting concerning a consultation on the formation of a new government and the continuation of the electoral process.



The PHTK proposes 2 choices of PM

During his meeting with the President a.i. Jocelerme Privert, about the choice of a Prime minister, the Haitian Tet Kale Party (PHTK) proposed to keep Evans Paul to his post or appoint Dr. Florence Duperval Guillaume (current Minister of Health), as the next Prime minister.



Opposition wants to impose Turneb Delpe as PM

Several popular organizations of the radical opposition, close to the "People's Patriotic Movement Dessalinien" (MOPOD) denounces the attitude of the President a.i. which did not add the name of Dr. Turneb Delpe on the list of candidates for the position of Prime minister while this name was proposed to him by popular organizations during a meeting at the National Palace. These organizations are threatening to take to the streets to force President Privertto appoint Turneb Delpe as Prime minister of the transitional government...



Representative of the press in CEP

According Guyler C. Delva, head of SOS Journalists, the press sector have appointed its new representative to the next Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), it would be Leopold Berlanger, CEO of Radio Vision 2000, according to Delva, this choice results of vote of several media-related organizations, including the Association of Haitian media (ANMH).



NOTICE : Recall of official vehicles of the Presidency

The General Secretariat of the Presidency, engaged in an exhaustive inventory of the fleet of the National Palace, reminds all those in possession of the vehicles registered in the records of the Presidency, to please route them to the services of Transportation and the National Palace Garage, within 72 hours from the publication of this release. After this period, the General Secretariat will be obliged to take all measures and steps to recover the vehicles.



Representative in CEP

Monday, Jocelerme Privert met the Economic Forum of the Private Sector, the discussions focused on the economic problems of the country, the electoral issue and the social situation in Haiti. Regarding the future representative of the Private Sector to the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) Gregory Brandt, Coordinator of the Forum reported having already opened the call for applications and announced that the Forum will submit the name of its representative Wednesday, February 24.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















An employer who dismissed a man after deciding the injuries he suffered in a skydiving accident would prevent him from doing his job has lost an unfair dismissal case and been ordered to give the employee his job back.



Peter Norman, a maintenance technician for Lion Dairy and Drinks Milk Limited, had been off work for around 14 months recovering from serious injuries after falling 10 metres in a skydiving accident and breaking both his legs.



Norman was dismissed by his employer in April 2015 after his boss acted upon an independent medical report stating he was no longer able to perform the inherent requirements of his position.



Upon appealing to the Fair Work Commission, the applicant maintains that there was no valid reason for his dismissal because his own physician had cleared him to return to work in March 2015, and argued that he was denied procedural fairness.



While the doctor appointed by his employer advised that Norman was unfit to perform all the inherent requirements of his job, Normans own orthopaedic surgeon disagreed with this report and gave him the all-clear to resume his pre-injury employment.



Although his employer initially requested to speak to his orthopaedic surgeon, the applicant refused to provide unlimited access to his medical records, instead offering to pass on written questions to his doctor.



However, his employer chose not to follow up on this offer and instead of investigating the discrepancies any further, terminated his employment based on the advice received in the independent medical report.



at the present time you are unfit to perform all the inherent requirements of the job of a Mechanical Technician (Fitter) and it is not possible to say if you will improve to a level which you can undertake normal duties, the employer-appointed doctor reported.



However, the commissioner overturned this advice, preferring the advice of Normans orthopaedic surgeon who stated that while the applicant had not achieved his pre-injury as at 25 March 2015 but that:

This is rarely achieved where there has been serious injury and an extended absence from work and that, at best, a recovery to 95% - 98% is achievable, his surgeon wrote in his clearance report.



The commission noted that the employer had failed to follow procedural fairness and should have conducted further investigations when confronted with the discrepancy of medical reports, the commission said.



Since he held the reputation of being a diligent worker and there were no issues with his performance or conduct, the commission ordered Norman to be reinstated to his position.



I am satisfied that professional and viable working relationships can be re-established in the workplace, the Commissioner said, noting that the applicant enjoys the support and respect of his co-workers.




Bahai Celebration for Watauga, Ashe, Avery Sun.

The Bahais of Watauga, Ashe and Avery counties will meet for their annual celebration of service and hospitality at 11am on Sunday 28 February in Stony Fork. There will be prayers, readings and music followed by a covered dish lunch. All are welcome. For more information and directions call 268 2191.

Poetry from Wales at Library on Saturday

There will be a celebration of Poetry from Wales at 2.30pm on Saturday 27 February in the meeting room of the Watauga County Public Library. The event will be co-sponsored by the Behind the Stacks Poetry Group and Watauga County Arts Council.

This years event, which is back by popular request, will also feature music on the Celtic harp played by Laura Lavarnway. Poetry will be read by Mary Gray, Elizabeth Percival and friends.

St. Davids Day, the National Day of Wales, falls on March 1st each year so this event is being held as close as possible to that date.

We will be celebrating the rich heritage of poetry from Wales from very early times up to the present day. Some was written in English, others have been translated from Welsh. People here are more familiar with Irish and Scottish culture than they are with Welsh and this is a chance for us to share a little of the rich culture of Wales. The harp has been popular in Wales for a very long time and we are delighted to welcome Laura whose music will enrich the program. says Mary Gray.

There will be refreshments. All are welcome and admission is free. For more information call Mary Gray (828) 264 5620.

Community Blood Drive March 24 at App State

March 24, 2016

Appalachian State University Clubs and Organizations Blood Drive

231 Plemmons Student Union

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 28608

11:00 AM  3:00 PM

More public drives can be found at Community Blood Center of the Carolinas website www.cbcc.us. CBCC has donation centers in Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia, Hickory, and Greensboro (http://www.cbcc.us/about/donor-center-hours.php for center hours).

Call 704-972-4700 or go to www.cbcc.us to make an appointment at any location.

*Please note CBCCs minimum weight requirement for blood donors is 120 pounds.

About Community Blood Center of the Carolinas

The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) is a non-profit community-based blood center and the primary blood supplier to 27 regional hospitals, serving 19 North Carolina and three South Carolina counties. CBCC focuses exclusively on gathering red blood cells, platelets and plasma from volunteer donors to save local lives here in the Carolinas. Every drop stays here, saving local lives. CBCC is a member of Americas Blood Centers, North Americas largest network of community-based, independent blood centers providing more than 50% of the nations blood supply.

Free iLasik Seminar in Hickory March 8

Graystone Eye and Refractive Surgeon, R.E. Trey Oursler, will host a free seminar on Tuesday, March 8th at 6 pm on the lower level of their Hickory office. Graystone Eye is located in the McDonald Crossing business park near the intersection of McDonald Parkway and Tate Boulevard.

Participants will learn about vision correction procedures including iLASIK, advanced technology lens replacement options, and KAMRA, a new option that reduces dependence on reading glasses.

All participants over the age of 18 will receive a certificate valued at $500 toward either procedure, and be eligible to win a $1000 discount certificate to be given away at the end of the presentation.

For further information or to register for this event, call 828-304-6611, or go online at www.graystonelasik.com.

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With less than a month until North Carolina holds its presidential primary elections, Republican registered voters  and those Independents who lean Republican  favor real estate mogul Donald Trump over all other candidates vying to be the GOP nominee in the 2016 race for the White House, according to the latest Elon University Poll.

But Trump would currently lose a general election match-up to Democratic Partys frontrunner  former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton  among all likely voters.

Its not that North Carolinians love Clinton, the Elon University Poll found. When respondents were asked their opinions about a series of hypothetical match-ups this fall, Clinton and Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz were in a statistical dead heat  and Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio would likely carry North Carolina.

Yet neither Cruz nor Rubio hold the same command as Trump in the crowded Republican field.

And on the Democratic side of the election, despite trailing Hillary Clinton in North Carolina in their partys primary election, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would also beat Trump and Cruz in a hypothetical match-up. However, in North Carolina, Sanders would fall to Rubio in a potential match-up.

The Elon University Polls live-caller, dual frame (landline and cell phone) survey of 1,530 likely voters was conducted Feb. 15-19, 2016. The survey had a margin of error of 2.51 percentage points for a sample of North Carolinian likely voters weighted by age, gender, race and phone use.

With questions asked just of the 733 registered Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents, the margin of error was 3.62 percentage points. With questions asked of the 728 registered Democrats and Democratic-leaning Independents, the margin of error was 3.63 percentage points.

FAVORED CANDIDATES in the REPUBLICAN RACE

Donald Trump: 28 percent

Ted Cruz: 19 percent

Marco Rubio: 16 percent

Ben Carson: 10 percent

John Kasich: 7 percent

Jeb Bush*: 4 percent

Other: 1 percent

Undecided: 15 percent

* Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush announced the suspension of his campaign following the South Carolina primaries on February 20, 2016, one day after the Elon University Poll concluded its calls.

Rubio stands the most to gain in North Carolina as the Republican field narrows. Registered Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents were asked about their second choice for the partys nominee, and Rubios name was cited by 22 percent of respondents. Cruz was named by 18 percent of respondents, and Carson by 13 percent. Nine percent of respondents named Trump as their second choice.

Trump holds another distinction in the latest Elon University Poll: topping the list of worst choice for president. Thirty-nine percent of all likely voters described Trump as such. He was followed on the worst choice list by Clinton at 29 percent and Sanders at 12 percent.

As in the rest of the nation, Trump leads North Carolina in having both the most supporters among GOP primary voters and the most detractors among just about everyone else, said Assistant Professor Kenneth Fernandez, director of the Elon University Poll. The paradox of Trump is that he is simultaneously leading the Republican field while being the Republican that voters in both parties are most likely to say would make the worst president of the United States.

FAVORED CANDIDATES in the DEMOCRATIC RACE

Hillary Clinton: 47 percent

Bernie Sanders: 37 percent

Other: 1 percent

Undecided/Dont Know: 14 percent

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons 10-point lead over Sanders, a United State senator from Vermont, is smaller than it was in November when she led Sanders by 33 points. Clinton does better with those voters who are registered Democrats (58-28%) ; Sanders does better among Independents who lean Democratic (66-25%).

Consistent with his national surge in recent months, Bernie Sanders has gained ground in North Carolina on Hillary Clinton, said Assistant Professor Jason Husser, assistant director of the Elon University Poll. However, Clintons numbers suggest she is still the strong favorite to win the Old North State primary. Clinton retains a solid lead among Democratic voters who arent white males.

HYPOTHETICAL HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCH-UPS

Trump v. Clinton

Donald Trump: 41 percent

Hillary Clinton: 47 percent

Neither/Someone Else: 9 percent

Dont Know: 4 percent

Trump v. Sanders:

Donald Trump: 40 percent

Bernie Sanders: 48 percent

Neither/Someone Else: 8 percent

Dont Know: 4 percent

Cruz v. Clinton

Ted Cruz: 46 percent

Hillary Clinton: 46 percent

Neither/Someone Else: 5 percent

Dont Know: 4 percent

Cruz v. Sanders

Ted Cruz: 43 percent

Bernie Sanders: 47 percent

Neither/Someone Else: 6 percent

Dont Know: 4 percent

Rubio v. Clinton

Marco Rubio: 48 percent

Hillary Clinton: 45 percent

Neither/Someone Else: 3 percent

Dont Know: 4 percent

Rubio v. Sanders

Marco Rubio: 46 percent

Bernie Sanders: 43 percent

Neither/Someone Else: 5 percent

Dont Know: 6 percent

NORTH CAROLINAS GUBERNATORIAL RACE

Roy Cooper: 42 percent

Pat McCrory: 40 percent

Neither/Someone Else: 3 percent

Dont Know: 16 percent

Men slightly favor McCrory, the incumbent Republican, 44-41 percent over Cooper, the states Democratic attorney general. Women favor Cooper 42-37 percent. Independents are nearly divided on the race with a slight edge (39-37 percent) in support of Cooper.

Our recent finding is consistent with almost all publicly available surveys in showing that the race for governor of North Carolina is likely to be historically close and competitive, Fernandez said. Both Governor McCrory and Attorney General Cooper should prepare for a tough fight between now and November.

SUPREME COURT VACANCY

The Elon University Polls February survey started two days after the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. As Scalias death created a political stir over President Barack Obamas role of nominating a successor, the poll asked respondents what they think should happen with a replacement.

Obama should nominate now: 57 percent

Allow next president to nominate: 35 percent

Democrats (84 percent) and Independents (57 percent) both supported the idea of Obama making a nomination now. Republicans (67 percent) felt the next president should make the nomination.

ABOUT THE ELON UNIVERSITY POLL

The Elon University Poll conducts frequent statewide surveys on issues of importance to North Carolinians. Information from these polls is shared with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policymaking through the better understanding of citizens opinion.

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230216 Bougainville becomes beggar for its own money.

By Joe Elijah

The Launching of the Tax Payer Education & Awareness Program yesterday, took many Business Houses by surprised, when the ABG Minister for Finance and Planning Mr. Albert Punghau and the ABG Collector of Taxes in Bougainville Mr. Gabriel Pantei, took them that the National Government gets 70% of Bougainville internal revenue while ABG gets only 30% of tax income generated in the Region.

A Business man who asked for anatomy told New Dawn FM today that, Bougainville has not learned from its past mistake from the Bougainville Copper agreement, where the National government gave Bougainville only 17% of what was taxable in the Region.

Now Bougainville is seen to be begging for the other percentage from PNG Government, of what is taxable in Bougainville, he said in the first place, Bougainville should have just been given 70% and the National Government 30% or the other way around in relations to tax distribution amongst the two Governments.

Bougainville according to many Business Houses will need an increase in tax distribution to move forward financially and to meet its many infrastructures still in the planning stages



Ends


Roughly a dozen surgeons and two dozen nurses participated in what was the first face transplant surgery performed in Finland and the Nordics, the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) states in a press release .

A 21-hour surgery that will go down in history was performed at the Toolo Hospital in Helsinki earlier this year.

A face transplant is a very challenging surgical operation that is only performed as a last resort on patients with extensive facial damage, HUS points out. In the operation, the damaged tissue is replaced surgically with the facial tissue of a brain-dead donor.

It currently seems that the surgery was a success. The patient has recovered according to plan, but the functionality of the transplanted tissue and the possible rejection reaction are being monitored carefully, states HUS.

HUS began its preparatory work on transplant surgeries a number of years ago. More than 30 doctors from various fields of medicine have contributed to the preparatory work after the appointment of the task force on facial tissue transplantation in 2011.

The surgery performed at the Toolo Hospital was the 35th of its kind in the world. The first face transplant in the world was carried out in France in 2005.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Stubb commented on a joint exercise hosted by the Karelian Air Command in Rissala, Northern Savonia, in a blog post on Monday by reminding that the Government of Prime Minister Juha Sipila (Centre) has committed to increasing international co-operation in the domain of security policy.

Joint military exercises conducted by Finland and the United States may be a new, but hardly unexpected, phenomenon, says Alexander Stubb (NCP), the Minister of Finance.

None of this should come as a surprise to anyone, for it has been written down crystal clearly in the government programme, he stated.

The United States, he also estimated, is the most important bilateral partner for the Finnish Defence Forces.

The co-operation has been developed ever since Finland equipped its Air Forces with American-made Hornets. That was over twenty years ago, so this is by no means a new issue. What is new is that the United States is yet again investing in exercising with Europe, he argues.

Antti Rinne, the chairperson of the Social Democratic Party, estimated in a guest contribution to MTV on Sunday that inviting American machines of war to Finland has aroused questions and uncertainty about [the foreign and security policy] of Finland.

Stubb responded by pointing out that Rinne should be well aware of the objectives of the national foreign and security policy.

I am more surprised by the puzzlement of Antti Rinne. Rinne was a member of the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy in my Government. He should therefore be familiar with the decisions [of the committee]  with the fact that Finland will increase international co-operation and participate in military exercises, he stated.

He also conceded that the decisions should be communicated more effectively to the Parliament.

Paavo Vayrynen (Centre), a Member of the European Parliament, argued on his blog on Monday that Finland should back its policy of military non-alignment with actions.

I recognise that Vayrynen is concerned about the international co-operation conducted by the Defence Forces. Vayrynen may be hoping that Finland re-align its foreign and security policy between Russia and the West in the vein of the 1970s. We have no intention whatsoever to alter the stable position of Finland as part of the EU and the West, wrote Stubb.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
230216 Business Houses in Bougainville given a voluntary tax payer approval

By Joe. Elijah

Business Houses operating in Bougainville have been relaxed and given a voluntary Tax Payer approval for an indefinite period.

Mr. Pantei revealed this during the launching of the Tax Payer Education & Awareness program launching yesterday at Kuri Village resort.

According to the Director of Collector of Tax for Bougainville Tax Office, Mr Gabriel Pantei, ABG is facing a down turn of its internal revenue for 2016 and 2017 financial year, because it is now a BEC Decision which was delivered by the ABG Finance and Planning Minister himself Mr, Albert Punghau.

Speaking on the Topic of the theme;CREATING VOLUNTARY TAXPAYER COMPLIANCE IN AROB Mr Pantei said, many Business Houses were told they will not be forced to pay taxes to IRC BUT, again under the ABG Peace Agreement, every Business Houses in Bougainville must pay their taxes when they are operating in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

As the Collector of Taxes, Mr Pantei said, he has been mandated to collect tax for ABG so that Bougainville can have more infrastructure developments in preparation for the referendum and possibly independents for Bougainville.

Only by paying taxes to the Government, Bougainville will see more infrastructure and an economy boom in the Region, Mr Pantei said.

Mean while the current tax arrangement between the National and the Autonomous Bougainville Government is PNG Government gets 70% of the tax revenue in Bougainville while ABG gets 30% of what is taxable in the Region.

Ends


A bride-to-be spat in the face of a Luas security guard and punched another one in the face after drinking free champagne at a wedding fair.

A court heard that Sheryl Hoey had been attending the event in Dublin's Citywest Hotel (right) and had consumed "a lot of free champagne" that was on offer at the fair.

Sergeant Michael Ahern told Judge John Lindsay that gardai had been called, as Hoey had been fighting with another woman.

Spat

He told Tallaght District Court that Luas security had been called to the scene and Hoey had spat in the face of one security guard and punched another one, also in the face.

Sgt Ahern said Hoey was very aggressive when approached by the gardai, and was arrested.

He said Hoey (31), Jervis Place, Upper Abbey Street, Dublin 1, had six previous convictions. She admitted to assaulting two security guards at the Citywest Luas stop on January 10, 2016.

She also admitted to public drunkenness and breaching the peace on the same date.

Hoey's lawyer, Gabby Deane, said she had been attending a wedding fair in Citywest, and that her client is due to marry in July.

Ms Dean said Hoey had blacked out and had no recollection of the incident due to the amount of free champagne she had consumed at the event.

The court was told that Hoey is "extremely remorseful" for her actions, and she pleaded with the court not to leave her with a conviction on her record.

The court heard that the accused had completed her Leaving Cert in 1996 and that she had worked as a shop assistant for more than 10 years.

Judge Lindsay commented on the fact that Hoey had spat in one guard's face and punched another.

He said he would put it back for a month for Hoey to pay 250 compensation to each guard, and he would strike it out.
Trevor Lawlor, 32, who has been jailed for life, for attacking two women in their homes in front of their children.

A Dublin man who raped a woman in front of her young child has been jailed for life.

Trevor Lawlor (32) was only prevented from raping a second woman when he was disturbed by her boyfriend.

Lawlor, originally from Blanchardstown in Dublin, carried out the horror attacks in Manchester on July 10 last year.

He was previously jailed for six years at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin in 2004 after sneaking into a woman's house and raping her. Lawlor, who was just 18 at the time, pleaded guilty to raping the 39-year-old woman on August 29, 2002.

"I didn't know what came over me. I am not like that," Lawlor told gardai after his arrest.

Drunk

The court heard Lawlor said he had drunk over 15 cans earlier that night and had gone into the her house when he found the front door slightly open.

Mr Justice Paul Carney certified Lawlor as a sex offender and suspended the last 12 months of the sentence.

Manchester Crown Court was yesterday told of the "chillingly similar circumstances" of the latest attack, when he forced his way into the home of his victim after he lied he was being chased by police.

In the early hours of July 10 last year, Lawlor entered an address in Newton Heath, Manchester, uninvited, and woke his victim while she was in bed lying next to her young son.

He threatened to slit the woman's throat and then removed his clothing before his victim's partner returned.

Following a struggle in the bedroom, Lawlor fled the scene only in his underwear and T-shirt and knocked on the door of a woman who lived nearby.

Known to the defendant, the woman let him in after he told her he had been kidnapped and needed to escape his attackers.

Prosecutors said this charity was repaid in a "shocking manner" with a violent and gratuitous assault while her toddler son was in her arms.

Lawlor - under the influence of alcohol and drugs - repeatedly punched her to the head and face, leaving his victim in fear of her life, the prosecutor said.

Before he raped her, Lawlor shouted to the baby: "This is all your mother is worth", and: "This is what your f****** mother deserves."

The badly-beaten woman escaped her home and alerted a neighbour, who only recognised her by her voice.

The neighbour then went to retrieve the baby, who was also blood-soaked and appeared to be traumatised and "in a daze".

Caging Lawlor for life with a minimum of 10 years in prison, Judge Hilary Manley told him: "I am convinced that you have a hatred for women and a need to use, degrade and humiliate them. Put simply, I am wholly satisfied you pose a dangerous and substantial risk to the public, particularly women and children."

The judge said Lawlor had "stolen the innocence" of his first victim's son, who witnessed the entire episode, while "only time will tell" what psychological impact had been caused to the second victim's son.

Assault

"This was a campaign of rape and sexual assault against vulnerable women in their homes in the direct presence of their young children, with no effort to spare those children of the traumatic spectacle - in fact, quite the reverse."

Lawlor was given a life term for the rape and concurrent sentences for a number of other offences, including trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence and making a threat to kill.

Hunter Gray, defending, said Lawlor expressed his remorse to his two victims.

"He wants to change. He knows his behaviour is wrong. He is willing to access any support he can get so that [the complainants] or any female is not subjected to this sort of conduct again," he said.

Judge Manley stressed that Lawlor could not be considered for release by the Parole Board until the minimum term had expired, and if freed would be on licence for the rest of his life.
A "notorious" convicted murderer threatened to rip the head off a prison officer - leaving the man fearing for his life, a court has heard.

Jeffrey Dumbrell (35), who is serving a life sentence, was being held in a high-security segregation unit at the time but has since moved to a wing with a number of other prisoners.

Garda Stephen Cullen told the prosecution that the prison officer was in an office in the segregation unit when Dumbrell stormed in.

Dumbrell tried to pick up a chair, but was stopped and was very aggressive.

He told the man: "If you ever get smart with me through the gate, I will rip your fucking head off."

The following day there was another verbal exchange after the prison officer noticed Dumbrell pacing in an agitated state.

The prison officer said he would take any threats from Dumbrell very seriously.

He said he felt stressed and was looking over his shoulder ever since. He felt his life was in danger.

The court heard the prison officer did not wish to attend court or complete a victim impact statement.

Gda Cullen agreed with the defence that Dumbrell was a "notorious prisoner".

He agreed that until recently, Dumbrell and one other prisoner had been held in an "extra- high security unit" manned by a group of dedicated prison officers in Wheatfield Prison.

Dumbrell, formerly of Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making threats to kill a prison officer at Wheatfield Prison on December 10, 2014.

He has 10 previous convictions, including ones for murder, assault and larceny.

Remorse

The defence said he was instructed that the guilty plea was motivated by remorse and Dumbrell's desire to show he was capable of change. He submitted that Dumbrell had shown signs of progress.

He said his client had for a long time been in something akin to solitary confinement but now found that by co-operating with the prison authorities he was in a far better situation.

Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned sentencing until this morning.
230216HELP US TO HELP YOU

BY Tom Kathoa



An appeal for financial assistance for the running of the re-established Arawa School of Nursing is being prepared.



However, a committee member, Dr. Joe VELOSI said the school needs money for the construction of classrooms and accommodation for its students and lecturers.



He said the establishment of the school of nursing is the most important project for the region.



The health department has lost a lot of medical officers including nurses as a result of the Bougainville crisis; many others have left through retirement while at the same time the population has doubled during the same period.



Dr. Velosi said student s attending nursing colleges are guaranteed of employment the day after they graduate from the school unlike other institutions where they will find jobs.



Ends


This is to expand on an excellent article in the Courier entitled "superdelegates help Clinton expand her lead." This article points out that although Sanders won overwhelmingly in New Hampshire and was in a virtual tie with Clinton in Iowa, Clinton is slaughtering Sanders in delegate count. How can this happen in a supposed "democratic" election process? Who are the superdelegates who seemingly can sway a primary election?

Superdelegates are elected representatives in Congress, Senate, governors and some former congressmen and senators, party donors, political advocates, union leaders, party loyalists, former presidents, insiders, local persons. [You can type superdelegate into a search engine to see exactly who they are.] They are appointed by party rules, yes appointed, to be a superdelegate and can cast a vote at the nominating conventions for a person of their choosing, not your choosing.

How did superdelegates come about? The Democratic Party was unhappy with the grass roots selections of McGovern [1972] and Carter [1976] and the chaos of the 1968 convention and the near miss by McCarthy. The party decided it was necessary to institute a mechanism where the party would select a candidate supporting the party platform and whom the party thought was more electable. Hence, the establishment of party loyalists as superdelegates who would act as a safety valve against grass roots candidates in the primary process.

To update how superdelegates weigh on the primary election, if only the election results from Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada were counted [the only elections as of this writing,] Sanders has 51 delegates and Clinton has 51 delegates. However, adding in the pledged superdelegates, Sanders has 70 delegates and Clinton has 502.

How did this system "square" with a party platform which champions voting rights?

Kerry E. Haynes | Abingdon, Virginia
Six school board candidates compete for three seats

There are six candidates for three Washington County Board of Education seats in the Nov. 8 election. Three incumbents face challengers.
This weekend might be the last warm one we have in awhile
This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/
The death of two para commando officers in an encounter with terrorists has raised disturbing questions over defence forces new counter-insurgency tactics, especially in urban areas. A section of the army believes that instead of playing a waiting game, a pattern of conducting quick operations has emerged because of which casualties are rising.

There could definitely be some pressure from the very top to complete the operation within the minimum possible time. Here (in Pampore), they (terrorists) were holed up in a building and couldnt have run away, so why the rush to send paras in the first place, when we could have got them anyway? a senior army official said, wishing not to be named.

Last year, two colonels fell to the bullets of terrorists in J&K, prompting defence minister Manohar Parrikar to direct the army to ensure it took no casualties as far as possible.

Read: Three militants killed as Pampore encounter ends, LeT hand suspected

Army officials say one reason why the casualties have risen is that terrorists have refined their tactics and are striking targets where they can cause a high number of casualties, hold out for a long time against the security forces and create media hype.

We can easily blow up a building and kill the terrorists but what about the collateral damage? So we have to strike a delicate balance and are willing to suffer casualties to save civilians, Lieutenant General BS Jaswal, a former northern army commander, said.

The generally acceptable ratio of casualties between the army and terrorists is 1:10, though it can vary in cases of urban conflict. In a three-day operation at Pampore three army personnel and two CRPF jawans died while three terrorists were killed. In the Pathankot attack last month, seven security personnel, including Lt Col Niranjan Kumar of the National Security Guard, died while five terrorists were killed.

Officers said protecting civilians was the top priority in Pampore. There were a lot of civilians in the building when the terrorists entered it. Our main focus was to evacuate them to safety. We launched a joint operation and used bullet-proof vehicles to evacuate 120 civilians from the building, Major General Arvind Dutta, GoC, Victor Force, said after the operation.

A report in local daily Greater Kashmir said on Sunday that employees who were in the building, wishing not to be named, said the terrorists allowed them to leave.

Last year, 37 security personnel died in terrorist violence in Kashmir.

Read: In Kashmir, army caught between enemy bullets and friendly brickbats
Although its been a quarter-century since India came out of its era of socialist economics and pro-Soviet foreign policy, recent discussions I held with intellectuals in New Delhi and elsewhere suggest that foreign policy specialists in India are still thinking through their role in the world, especially vis-a-vis the United States, China, and West Asia.

Although the first two countries rightly attract most attention, West Asia presents acute challenges to India  plus a dash of opportunity. Some of the principal connections to that volatile region are the following.

Islamism: Islamic influence has historically nearly always moved from West Asia to other regions, including South Asia, and almost never the reverse. At present, that is the case with the Islamist doctrine  the contention that to become rich and strong, Muslims must revert to a medieval model and fully apply Islamic laws  which bellows out most strongly from Saudi Arabia and Iran. Their influence radicalises traditionally moderate Muslim populations in many regions and carries dire implications for India.

Iranian aggression: Two factors inspire a favourable Indian attitude toward Iran: Deep historical, cultural ties and a hostile Pakistan that sits between them. Unless kept in check, this predisposition can degenerate into appeasement. The Iranian regime has already deployed violence in India, its bellicosity threatens the energy supplies India depends on in the Persian Gulf, and its drive for nuclear weapons destabilises the region. In this light, New Delhi, having signed its first-ever defence agreement with Qatar in 2008 and its second with Saudi Arabia in 2014, is positive, whereas deepening Indian investment in Irans Chabahar port will likely hamstring Indian policy.

Goading Pakistan: Riyadhs money supports Pakistani confrontation with India in two key ways: By massively funding madrassas and by generously helping to pay for the Islamic nuclear bomb that is exclusively India-centric.

Trade and expatriates: As the worlds third-largest importer of crude oil, India both depends on West Asia and is needed by it to sell to. The $150 billion trade with just the six GCC countries made up about a fifth of Indias annual trade even as Indians are among the largest direct investors in Persian Gulf real estate. Indian workers in West Asia number about 6.5 million and are an important source to India of both financial remittances and of Wahhabi influence.

Alliance with Israel: Growing relations with Israel offer a singularly bright note. Both practise democracy and secularism, ally with the United States, and possess nuclear weapons. Both have substantial Muslim minorities whose loyalties remain in question as both countries face a potential existential threat from Pakistan and Iran. In areas where Israel is a world leader, such as water technology, medicine, security, and hi-tech innovation, Indians need what Israelis have to offer even as Israelis need the vast Indian market. Indeed, New Delhi is about to purchase $3 billion in Israeli military hardware, Israels largest-ever sale.

Already important, the India-West Asia relationship is growing with time in dangers and potential. The question looming ahead is how well Indians can derive from West Asia what benefits them while avoiding whats toxic. Given the many complexities of that tie, this will not be easy.

(Daniel Pipes is president, Middle East Forum. The views expressed are personal)

Read:

India should recalibrate ties with West Asian powers

The Sunni-Shia split: Why conflict defines Saudi-Iran relations

Indias ties with West Asia to get a boost
I took the morning flight from Ahmedabad to Delhi on December 5, 1992, and landed at the vice-chancellors lodge at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). There were some policemen and security staff there. All the doors and windows were closed. The policemen were sent back to the police station and the security men to look after the universitys main gate. The doors and windows were opened, so fresh air could come into the V-Cs small bungalow.

From day one I let it be known that the V-C is available to each JNU student, if need be, the same day. Many nights this meant after 10pm. Every day, I would get a list of students who had completed their M Phil or PhD. I wrote a handwritten letter to each student who scored an A grade and all PhD students, saying how proud we were of their performance and how the university looked forward to their contributions to their profession and to the country. From Egypt to Canada, from Paris to Brasilia, somebody will tap my shoulder and would say, Sir, you were my V-C, I treasure the letter you wrote to me.

A teacher has many rewards. But we also had our share of problems. Protesting against proposals to raise resources from non-government sources, the students were not allowing the Academic Council to meet on the campus. The university V-C is about moral authority and I was not giving up that space. It was suggested that we call in the police. To me that was equally unacceptable as that, too, would mean ceding authority. For once the police came in, they would be the authority in charge, and if a boy threw a stone, the police would retaliate with force. These were our students and I told the student union activists stopping me that I was going on satyagraha until they let us in. I wrote a letter to the chancellor, PN Haksar, reporting the events and that I was instructing the finance officer to deduct my salary for the days I was on satyagraha. Haksar wrote an open letter to the community on bended knees, asking them to sort out the matters within the rules. Within two hours more than 50 teachers were standing with me in solidarity. Within two days the students gave in.

On another occasion some of them demonstrated at Jantar Mantar and were dutifully arrested. I spoke to the additional secretary (home) and the deputy superintendent of police in charge of Parliament Street police station, and got an assurance that they would be released in a few hours.

Read: JNU circumstances have changed, oppose Kanhaiyas bail now: Bassi

V-Cs were not allowed to go to the hostels. Not knowing this, when I joined, I went to a hostel to eat my lunch and such visits became a common feature. If I did not go to a hostel in a particular semester, it became a matter of concern. The V-C ignores our hostel. Each hostel mess would invite me to all their celebrations, including Eid and Diwali.

A visiting Japanese scholar from Nagoya University had described the hostels in JNU as some of the most democratic societies anywhere. Every evening, out-of-the-box thinkers and leaders were invited to speak on problems and issues of the day: LK Advani on Opposition perspectives, comrade Vinod Mishra of the CPI (ML), and leaders, thinkers and alumni alike. The session would end only after all the problems are solved, which meant that the last question had to be answered before the meeting dispersed. This is the reason that JNU students do so well in the UPSC exams for the higher civil services. I found out when I chaired a committee set up to develop the recruitment and training policies for the higher civil services. They are all trained in disciplined argumentation and would breeze through any discussion.

And, it is humbug to say that they are all of one ideological hue. The late Manohar Lal Sondhi, a proud JNUite, a member of the National Executive of the BJP, appointed by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as chairman of the Indian Council for Social Science Research, was a favourite teacher and respected colleague. Like others he revelled in debate and the fiercely independent academic culture of a great university.

Read: Budget session: Modi govt to go on offensive in Parliament over JNU row

Now the HRD ministry is concentrating on flag hoisting in universities. Flag hoisting was a great event at JNU. The flag was raised at each hostel and in the Plaza on August 15 and January 26. Chandra Shekhar, (CPI-ML), who was president of the JNU students union, after the official flag hoisting, asked me to attend his flag hoisting at the Ganga Hostel, where a small tricolour was unfurled on a small bamboo pole, by the oldest Dalit Class IV lady employee.

Nationalism is not jingoism but love for your country in a quiet unstated manner, a commitment to it and willingness to fight for your ideals for it. I was teaching economics at the University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College and had decided to come back to India. When some of the worlds top economists asked me why I did so, I said these, sirs, were matters of the heart and not money and global prestige.

Read: JNU row: Perfect case study to show how media is losing its credibility

Tens of thousands apply to JNU and only a thousand are admitted. These students are the first among equals, idealistic and intellectually inquisitive. Intensely patriotic, they are angry with those who play with its ideals.

JNU does not just teach skills in the way the IIMs or IITs do. It creates the skills to change the world. If Nalanda, Al Azhar, Berkeley and Oxford only taught skills there would be no progress because skills work the existing systems. JNU pursues the holy grail of knowledge in its complete form. As we say: Satyamev Jayate.

(YK Alagh is a former Union minister and former vice-chancellor, JNU. The views expressed are personal)
The incident of Rohith Vemulas suicide and the touching philosophical note that he has written engendered a global protest but the central Government is trying to project it as an accident that got politicised by the opposition parties. Rahul Gandhis two visits, particularly the January 30 sit-in with the students on hunger strike is being projected as deliberate politicisation of the issue. To have a clear understanding one must understand where the political party interference started there. We, therefore, must carefully look at the letter written by the Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya to the minister of human resource development Smriti Irani.

The letter addressed to Irani on his ministrys letterhead reads as follows: As you are aware, I represent Secunderabad in parliament which constitutes a major part of Hyderabad. Hyderabad University, a central University located in Hyderabad has, in recent past, become a den of casteist, extremist and anti-national politics. This could be visualised from the fact that when Yakub Menon (sic not Memon) was hanged, a dominant student union that is, Ambedkar Student Association has held protests against the execution. When Shri Shushil Kumar, president of ABVP in the campus protested against this, he was manhandled and as a result he was admitted in the hospital. What is more shocking is that the university administration has become a mute spectator to such events...

Members of various student organisations collected at Arts Faculty in North Campus to express solidarity with Rohith Vemula. (Saumya Khandelwal/ Hindustan Times)

As the minister informed the country after Rohiths death that he did not write any letter that he just forwarded somebodys representation is not correct. The above mentioned is not a forwarding letter but it is a letter written for serious consideration of the MHRD minister herself. Secondly, the content of the letter is about the law and order problem not about labour related issues like wages, recruitments and so on, of the university employees. Why did the ABVP get the letter written by him as a minister? If they wanted just an MPs intervention the HCU comes under Chevella constituency, which is represented by Konda Vishweshwar Reddy of Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

If the law and order problem was so serious Dattatreya should have written this letter to Telangana home minister or the Union home ministry. Why has this letter has gone to the minister of MHRD? The contents of the letter are purely about tackling the law and order issues. It just does not talk about one incident of protests about Yakub Memon hanging protest. It informs MHRD minister that the HCU has become a den of casteist, extremist and anti-national politics. In fact the letter reads like an intelligence report.

Read: Rohith Vemula, death of a philosopher to purify higher education

As part of the moral responsibility of minister he did not take impartial view of student activities but acted like a karyakartha of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who was working to strengthen its student wing  the ABVP  on the campus. Did any other ruling party minister in the past  be it the Congress or any other party  write letters on such law and order issues to MHRD or to the Home ministry? There is no evidence.

Assuming that ASA activists were extremists and anti-nationals, assuming that they had guns and bombs with them what should have ABVP done? It should have gone to the police authorities of the state Government. But since they are in power at the national level they thought that their ministers are everything. Even if the protest against Memons hanging was anti-national, as the letter of the minister claims, the complaint should have gone to the police of the state not to the MHRD.

Now that Rohith has left a moving suicide note and that too he died in the process of their struggle for justice after expulsion, the issue has rocked the nation. (Saumya Khandelwal/ Hindustan Times)

The MHRD has written several letters about the action taken report, naturally against the extremists and anti-nationals of ASA. As a result what happened, the whole nation knows now.

The question here is what kind of inter-departmental letter writing should take place between different ministries, which is a natural course of administration. It normally would be about the issues concerning that particular ministry. In this case Dattatreya by completely rubbing off ministerial neutrality politicised a quarrel between two student organizations. This lead to the events that happened one after the other.

As a teacher with more 38 years teaching experience, in both state (Osmania) and a central university (Maulana Azad National Urdu University), I feel this kind of political interference has huge implications for higher education.

Students of several educational institutions and organisations protest against the suicide of Rohith Vemula. (PTI)

When one minister writes to the other on issues like this all enquiries are bypassed. Here Dattatreya has vouched for what happening as the truth. And it was not an issue of higher education standard, syllabus or an injustice in an appointment, or of wages of contract labour so and so forth.

The ministries and the Indian parliament must address this issue. Now that Rohith has left a moving suicide note and that too he died in the process of their struggle for justice after expulsion, the issue has rocked the nation. The nation has to debate about the moral responsibility of ministers. The nation should also debate about the complex forms of discrimination that could kill young brains that otherwise could produce knowledge that this country and the world could prosper with.

Kancha Ilaiah is the author of Why I am Not a Hindu and the director of Alberuni Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad.

The views expressed are personal.
Governor Ram Naresh Yadav (87) who read out just the first and last para of his address to the MP assembly due to health problems presented a rosy picture of the states fiscal health as the assemblys budget session began on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi found mention in the governors address at least twice.

Unlike his address in 2015 when the Opposition had shown disrespect to him given accusation against him in Vyapam scam they listened to him with rapt attention and showed their respect to him by standing from their seats when he entered the House.

Yadav did not occupy his chair. He read out the first and the last para of his written text and left the House within a few minutes choosing a short route as he was said to be having a difficulty in standing for a long given some knee joint related problem. The speaker Sitasharan Sharma announced the address deemed as read out.

Governor said the government was committed to keeping the promises in Jansankalp-2013 and implementing Vision-2018. I hope, the government will spare no effort in this direction, he added.

Referring to the drought situation in the state, he said the farmers and agriculture suffered unprecedented loss. Showing sensitivity towards the farmers, the government deposited Rs 4600 crore directly in the bank accounts of the farmers.

The states fiscal management is satisfactory. For the last 11 years the state is revenue surplus state. The states gross domestic product in 2003-04 was Rs 1.02 lakh crore which went up Rs 5.08 lakh crore in 2014-15, a four fold increase, said the governor.

He said the previous financial year the growth rate in gross domestic product was 10.19%, which was the highest in the country. During the period the planned budget increased by more than ten times while non-planned budget was controlled successfully. Now, 99% of the payments were made through electronic medium.

He said interest payment (on loans) was drastically reduced from 22.44 of revenue receipts in 2003-04 to 7.98% in 2014-15.

Governor said implementation of projects worth Rs 29000 crore was going on at different stages. In the past 2 years the government had given a grant of Rs 27000 crore to farmers.

The states growth rate in agriculture sector in 2014-15 was 20.11 which was highest in the country. As per Prime Minister Narendra Modis a goal is set to double the farmers income in the next 5 years, said the governor.

The governor said a detailed project report for metro rail system for Indore and Bhopal was being made. The first phase was over. Similar project was being undertaken for Jabalpur and Gwalior too.

The government aims at providing 55 liters of water to every person. Drinking water was made available to 7785 habitats against the target of 7500 this year, he added.

He said infant mortality rate was reduced by 3 points and child mortality rate by 4 points, highest in the country.
National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee, who has portrayed the life of gay professor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras in the upcoming film Aligarh, says he doesnt read a script if it is not written in Hindi. I am very passionate about Hindi language. Satya made me a commercially successful actor. After that I slowly started getting work in this industry. The day I realised I am in a position to make demands, I decided not to read any directors script if it is not typed in Hindi. I am stubborn on this issue, Manoj said at the Lit-O-Fest, a literature festival in Mumbai.

Manoj also said that the Hindi language is his strength. People are often sluggish to find a Hindi typist. Although I stick to point that if they want me to read the script, it must be in Hindi. Once a producer or director gave excuse of other actors, I told him that it is not my lookout if they do not know Hindi well. Hindi language is my strength. I want my script in Hindi only, he added.

Read: The brilliance of Manoj Bajpayee: With Aligarh, hell redefine himself

Read: The makers of Aligarh talk about creating films with a conscience

The Shool actor said that he believes in encouraging literary work in Hindi and feels literary festivals should be organised frequently. Giving an example of megastar of Amitabh Bachchan, he said: Amit ji is a big admirer and supporter of his father Harivansh Rai Bachchans work. He always attempts to bring Harivanshjis work in public in different ways. So it is our responsibility to inspire Hindi writers and poets because they are hugely contributing to make our Hindi culture rich.

Watch: Manoj Bajpayee in Aligarh trailer

On the work front, Manoj is gearing up for the release of Hansal Mehtas film Aligarh, which is based on the real life incident of Dr. Srinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was suspended from his job because of his sexual orientation.

Aligarh will release on Friday.

Vote for #HTOscars at http://read.ht/BApr
If the government brings an inequitable aviation policy that abolishes the 5/20 rule on flying abroad but retains the route dispersal guidelines (RDG), the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) will go to court.

If the policy is inequitable we will have no choice (but to approach court), IndiGo promoter Rahul Bhatia told HT.

With the government set to take a final call on the national civil aviation policy, the battle between the FIA, which comprises of IndiGo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways and GoAir, and new startup airlines Vistara and AirAsia India, has further intensified.

While the FIA wants the 5/20 rule, which bars airlines from starting international operations till they have a fleet of 20 aircraft and five years of domestic flying experience to stay, the Tata Group-backed Vistara and AirAsia India want it to be abolished.

Unfortunately, 5/20 has always been seen in isolation and never in conjunction with RDG. If you say abolish 5/20 and RDG, we have no issues at all. But we cannot abolish 5/20 and not abolish RDG. That creates inequity in the arena and you would create two classes of airlines, Bhatia said.

Under RDG, airlines are required to deploy a certain percentage of their total capacity in the North-East (NE), J-K, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

Basically what they are saying is that we cannot withdraw even one single flight from the NE, Ladakh and other areas and these guys can come and immediately start to fly overseas without this obligation on them. This creates a completely unlevel-playing field, SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh said.

It means once you have built up a certain amount of operations in the last 8-10 years, whether it is 50 or 100 aircraft, it is now cast in stone and you cannot reduce it, IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh said.

The new guy, he said, who has 510 planes has to deploy only 2-3 planes on these unviable routes, while he can go on and increase his fleet to 100 or 200. Lets make it truly free for all. But this sort of a reverse discrimination as opposed to protectionism is what we just cannot understand the logic of, Ghosh said.

These two applicants did not go through the scrutiny of the substantial ownership and effective control (SOEC) and they will fail that test even today because they are controlled by foreign carriers. You are trying to change the policy for someone whose very existence is under question, Bhatia said.

Responding to Tata Group chairman emeritus Ratan Tatas tweet that incumbent airlines were lobbying for protection and preferential treatment, Bhatia said: How come he has not raised this issue before till his interest became vested in these two companies? How come he hasnt raised this issue in the last 10 years?

We as Indian carriers are not able to operate an airline with the same level of control in those countries that are being allowed in ours. We cannot go and set up shop in Singapore and Malaysia with the same lack of effective control by their guys as they are being allowed in this country, he said.

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One of the main prerequisites to defeating ISIS in Iraq and stabilizing the country is the establishment of an independent Sunni Iraqi state alongside the current Shiite government and the autonomous Kurdish entity. As long as the Sunni Iraqis do not know what the future has in store for them, they will be unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices to battle ISIS only to benefit the Shiite government in Baghdad, which they despise even more than ISIS. Concurrently with the fight against ISIS, the Obama administration must begin to negotiate with the Shiite government in Baghdad over the future status of the Sunnis in Iraq.





For the White House to still believe that Iraq somehow can be stitched together following the defeat of ISIS is a gross illusion. Iraq's partition into three entities became de facto immediately following the Iraq war in 2003.





Having lost their dominance of Iraq to the Shiites in 2003 after 81 years of continuous rule, the Sunnis still refuse to accept what they consider to be a historic travesty. This was further aggravated by eight years of the Shiite government led by Nouri al-Maliki, who abused his power and marginalized, mistreated, and victimized the Sunni community.
Often slammed for delays, the government has now asked industrial corridors to award infrastructure and manufacturing projects only after the bidding companies show they have acquired the land needed.

Projects should be awarded only after land acquisition is complete. Till now, this was not the practice, a senior government official said.

The change came after suggestions from the Prime Ministers Office and the cabinet secretariat, which have been monitoring projects on a regular basis. Senior members of both the offices suggested this approach after conducting detailed discussions, the official said.

Following delays in implementation of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) due to bureaucratic reasons, the government has sent notices to nascent corridors as well, such as the Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC), Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC), Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) and Bengaluru- Mumbai Economic Corridor (BMEC).

Land acquisition by states is very slow. As a project approach, the corporation has now decided that it would award contacts only after possession of land, Alkesh Kumar Sharma, CEO and MD of DMIC, told HT. Land is an issue in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where DMIC had proposed creating logistic hubs, Sharma said. Rajasthan is moving forward addressing these issues, but even they are slow in acquisition.

The official said the advisory council has been asked to prepared a detailed report on the progress of corridors. As movement on the CBIC project is picking up pace, the Southern Zonal Council has been asked to prepare the project report only accounting (for) the acquired land. The council is working with Japan International Corporation Agency on this.

A parliamentary panel was recently told to undertake field visits before preparing its report.

Earlier, the government wanted the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce to study only the DMIC, as it has shown the maximum progress. However, the panel decided to undertake an in-depth study of the problems affecting all industrial corridors in a report titled Growth and Development of Industrial Corridors in India, which is likely to be tabled during the Budget session of Parliament that started on Tuesday.
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Monday tried to extend an olive branch to mobile phone companies, on which the popular social network company increasingly relies, but which are also among his biggest critics.

Speaking for the third straight year to an annual gathering of telecom executives at the Mobile World Congress , Zuckerberg sought to show his company could be a valuable, if truculent, ally to the wireless industry.

He described a new project Facebook is working on with major telecom players, including Nokia, Deutsche Telekom, SK Telecom and Intel to help rapidly build far faster mobile networks at lower costs.

But while listing the various ways Facebook was prepared to help network operators contend with spiralling consumer appetites for data, he also criticised and made more demands on the industry.

Zuckerberg challenged the priorities for next-generation 5G networks, which the industry is gearing up to deliver around 2020.

He called them faster connections for rich people and said the companies should make more effort to finish the job of making sure that everyone in the world gets Internet access.

More than 4 billion people have no access to the Internet, he noted.

Telecom operators complain that companies like Facebook and Google Inc that offer data-heavy mobile services are effectively free-loading on the big investments they must make to keep fixed-line and mobile networks from becoming overloaded.

Facebook has always had a love-hate relationship with carriers, Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson said after Zuckerbergs comments.

Further complicating his relationships with the telecom industry, Zuckerberg said video would be the next big driver for Facebook growth, putting more pressure on existing networks. Its users watch more than 100 million hours of video daily.

While criticizing the industry for failing to do more to reach unconnected populations, Zuckerberg is a leading proponent of new virtual reality cameras that he said could be a killer app for 5G but which would place vast new demands on networks.

He also defended Facebooks Free Basics program, through which the company works with operators in emerging markets to offer a pared-back free Internet service to reach consumers who cannot afford data plans.

The Indian government introduced rules blocking Internet services from having different pricing policies for accessing different parts of the web, effectively shuttering the Free Basics program in that country, one of Facebooks most important emerging markets.

Zuckerberg is kicking off a tour of Europe on Monday that includes a town hall meeting in Berlin on Thursday.

Facebook has faced criticism in Germany in recent months from politicians and regulators over its privacy practices and a slow response to anti-immigrant postings by neo-Nazi sympathisers on the popular social network.
After nearly three dry days, areas of north and central Delhi received water on Tuesday while West Delhi remained parched and dependent on Delhi Jal Board (DJB) tankers.

Partial supply has been restored in some parts of north and central Delhi. Seventy tankers from these areas have been diverted to west Delhi, Delhi water minister and DJB chairperson Kapil Mishra said on Tuesday morning.

However, until Munak Canal, which supplies 60 per cent of the capitals total water requirement, is repaired, normal water supply cannot be expected. The canal was extensively damaged by protesters demanding reservations for Jats before the Army took control of the reservoir. Jal Board officials say the repairs will take a few days as the canal has been badly damaged at Mandora, 20 kms from Hyderpur plant in Delhi.

Read more| Jat stir: Delhi dodges major water crisis but woes far from over

Mishra wrote separate letters to Union home minister Rajnath Singh and defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday, requesting deployment of army engineers as soon as possible.

He also wrote to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to facilitate early resumption of water supply to Delhi.

A special DJB team is on its way to Munak and Khubdu to assess the damage and to work with Haryana authorities and army for repairing. News is that some water has been released from Haryana last night. Hopefully, partial supply can be restored in west Delhi by evening, Mishra said, adding that supply will remain limited till the canal is completely repaired.

Delhis water demand is 1,100 million gallons daily (MGD). The city is currently getting around 240 MGD from Okhla (20MGD), Wazirabad (123 MGD), and Chandrawal (95 MGD) water treatment plants that have been functional at 100% capacity, according to DJB CEO, Keshav Chandra.

The Haryana government has also released 100 cusecs of water, being provided through tankers in many parts, Chandra said. However, this will not be enough to mitigate Delhis water shortage.

In most NDMC areas, residents said over 70% of the normal water supply was resumed on Monday morning. Similar reports came from North and other parts of Central Delhi. However, some areas are still waiting for the supply. For more than 72 hours, we have got no water in Ghantaghar, Azad Market, Roshnara Road, Haqeeqat Nagar and North campus. We are just hearing fake claims of water supply being resumed, Ashok Bhasin of the North Delhi RWA Federation told Hindustan Times.

Another worry the city has is the fluctuating contamination level at the Wazirabad pond. This affects the quality of water available for the treatment plants and thereby the quantity of water to reach homes in the Capital.

Read more| After 5 days and 19 deaths, some Jat groups call off quota agitation

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Brace for a fortnight to get your regular, daily supply of water.

Engineers will take that many days to repair the Munak canal, Delhis 102km water lifeline running through neighbouring Haryana, which was extensively damaged in stretches during the violent Jat stir for reservation in jobs and colleges.

Jat men and women laid siege to the aqueduct for four days, choking supply in west, north and south Delhi. But authorities managed to partly restore the distribution system after the army on Monday took control of the canal, which brings 60% of the citys tap water from a Yamuna reservoir.

The worst is over but we have to continue saving water. Only drinking water is available. Haryana and Delhi are working on a war footing, Delhi Jal Board chairperson Kapil Mishra said after visiting the canal on Tuesday evening.

Read | Jat stir damage to Munak canal highlights Delhis water vulnerability

The army is still guarding parts of this crucial water supply line, which brings close to 580 million gallons of water from Haryana each day.

But contrasting statements belie the coordination between the two states. Haryanas irrigation department said 70% water supply to Delhi has been restored. Delhi said the city was getting only a fraction of what Haryana had released.

The army is still guarding parts of the Munak canal, which brings close to 580 million gallons of water to Delhi from Haryana each day. (Ravi Choudhary/HT Photo)

Haryana said it released 406 million gallons of water on Tuesday, which is expected to reach Delhi early on Wednesday through alternative routes  the Yamuna link and Delhi sub-branch.

Losses because of leakage are very high on the sub-branch.

The Delhi government expects only 80 million gallons from Harnaya on Tuesday night while the level of the Wazirabad pond, from where water is diverted to the Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla treatment plants, is falling drastically.

Read | Jat stir: Delhi dodges major water crisis but woes far from over

The three plants, with a total capacity of 238 million gallons daily (MGD), became functional on Tuesday evening. This means, Delhi will have supply of 600 MGD on Wednesday as opposed to the 900 MGD it normally gets.

The water shortage continues in west Delhi, especially localities such as Dwarka, while the citys north and central zones have found some relief.

Haryana irrigation department chief engineer Birender Singh said supporters of the Jat quota movement damaged the Munak canal near Garhi-Bindroli village and at Mandora, where the sluice gates are located. He said it will take at least two weeks to restore 100% water flow to Delhi.

(With inputs from Rajesh Ahuja)
Engineers were working to restore New Delhis full water supply on Tuesday after Jat protesters damaged a key canal in Haryana and disrupted supplies over the weekend - highlighting the extreme water vulnerability faced by the national capitals residents.

Some supplies resumed to northern and central parts of New Delhi, and will hopefully reach western neighbourhoods by Tuesday evening, said Delhis water minister, Kapil Mishra. In the meantime, 70 water tankers have been sent to western areas of the city where taps have been dry for up to two days.

The destruction of the Munak canal link by protesters demanding quotas in government jobs and educational institutions has focused attention on Delhis precarious water supply. The canal, which channels water from north Indian rivers, accounts for about 60% of the citys water supply. Another 25% comes from groundwater, while the polluted Yamuna River supplies about 12%.

Read: Traffic restored on NH-1, Khattar assures action against rioters

Yet even when the Munak canal flow is unimpeded, the overall water supply is not enough to meet Delhis needs, and shortages are common during the dry seasons.

The situation is especially bad for the most people living in slums or riverside shanties, where many rely on sewage-tainted river water, leaks from broken pipes or deliveries by municipal water trucks. Others in Delhi draw heavily from the ground, leading the citys aquifer levels to decline by 4 metres (13 feet) in the last decade, according to the Central Ground Water Board.

When protesters from the Jat community breached the canal wall on Saturday, they effectively cut off about two-thirds of Delhis water.

Clashes between the protesters and government forces left 15 people dead before Jat leaders agreed on Monday to end the demonstrations while negotiating with officials, and the Indian Army took control of the canal.

Residents of Sanjay Colony, a slum in southwest New Delhi, said on Tuesday that this weeks water shortage was making an already bad situation worse.

Read: Jat stir: Delhi dodges major water crisis but woes far from over

We already spend a lot of hours trying to get water, said Indrapal, a security worker who gave only his first name. People havent been able to go to work.

They worried that a water crisis created by political protesters was setting a bad precedent for the capitals water security.

People are facing a water crisis at Najafgarh in New Delhi. (Arun Sharma/HT Photo)

Now its the Jat community. Later it will be someone else asking for something, a Sanjay Colony resident named Lila said. The government has been slow in reacting.

Ram Lal, a man who runs a small shop in the slum, also criticised the protesters, saying they have done wrong. They should not have cut the water supply. Because of that, we couldnt get our water tanker.

Authorities in Delhi had issued warnings over the weekend of impending water shortages, advising residents to use the resource sparingly and cancelling all school classes on Monday. But while some residents were filling buckets and bottles in case the situation worsened, others, including many wealthier households that rely on groundwater, were buffeted from the crisis.

Delhi water board authorities were working with experts in the army and Haryana state on Tuesday to repair the damage done by the protesters, said Mishra, the Delhi water minister. Of the citys three water treatment plants, one was again working at full capacity, while the other two had resumed operations at 50-60% capacity.
Incident after incident over the past week suggests that India is witnessing a wave of vigilantism, with individuals and private groups taking the law into their hands  to avenge injustice, real or imagined. In the worlds most populous democracy with an established civil service, a time-tested police force and an independent judiciary, this is a disturbing portent.

The most visible of vigilante events has been the violence in New Delhis Patiala House courts where journalists were bashed up as they waited to see the trial of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, accused of sedition. Police watched mutely. Kumar was also visibly roughed up. A sting operation has revealed the contours of the brazenness with which the chief vigilante,Vikram Singh Chauhan, a small-time advocate who has been photographed in the past with none less than the nations home minister, defends his act. Never mind that he has no proof, or that he is no authority to enforce the law.

A BJP MLA claiming proof of moral turpitude (which has no legal standing in India) at JNU has reeled off statistics to prove drinking and sex at the university, never mind its authenticity or relevance. In Varanasi, at a function presided over by the prime minister, an unidentified man slapped a slogan-shouting youth who demanded union rights. A BJP mayor issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the authorities at Aligarh Muslim University for action against what she claimed was the serving of beef biryani at its canteen. In Chhattisgarh, journalist Malini Subramaniam was forced to leave after a self-styled anti-Maoist group tried to intimidate her, said to be with the blessings of the local police, because her work focused on state atrocities.

There is a pattern in all this, one in which those in positions of power respond with silence, while those associated with them run amok. Apart from the fact that rule of law is indispensable for democracy and good governance, it is also a prerequisite for economic prosperity. Vigilante justice is no way to raise Indias status as an investment destination in the eyes of the world.

Read:

Students, journos assaulted near Delhi court hearing JNU sedition case

Youth slapped in BHU for shouting slogans at Modis event

3,000 condoms, 4,000 beedis: BJP MLA calls JNU hub for sex and drugs
Calling for retaining the existing autonomy of Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), the Prime Ministers Office has told the education ministry to rework its draft bill to ensure that it does not lead to excessive regulation of the premier institutes.

The human resource development (HRD) ministry had proposed a bill to give IIMs a status of institutes of national importance that would have empowered the IIMs to grant degrees, and not diplomas. The prime ministers office is learnt to have advised the education ministry against any dilution of the autonomy of IIMs.

The 16 IIMs have established a reputation of being premier institutions for management studies, but continue to give diploma in management since they do not have status of a university.

In accordance with the long standing demand for providing them the status of institutions of national importance like the IITs, MHRD had formulated the draft bill and sent it to the PMO before putting it up for cabinet consideration sources said.

According to officials, the PMO has raised several objections to the various provisions of control that are present in the bill which allows HRD an opportunity to intervene in the IIM functioning, including the appointment of IIM directors through the President and inspecting the institutes.

The draft Bill with the diluted provisions including giving the power of appointment of the directors to the Visitor (President of India) was reportedly agreed to by the IIMs. However, PMO has raised concern over it as the provision for inspection would mean that the ministry can send a team to investigate any complaint, said a senior HRD official.

If the draft Bill is not amended this year and presented before the Parliament for its approval in the budget session, students will have to settle with a diploma.

The objections have arisen out of the concern to protect the autonomy of these institutions without trying to regulate. We are discussing the various issues and the observations of the PMO in this regard, said a senior HRD official.

The bill has run into controversies from day one since certain provisions were drafted to provide control of government on the affairs of IIMs. All IIMs had opposed the move. The HRD ministry refused to comment on the matter.

Read more: IIM governing bodies to retain autonomy as govt waters down bill

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Two incidents of corporal punishment in Madhya Pradesh in the last week suggest the menace going on unabated in the state with government not being able to effectively check it.

Of the recent incidents, a couple of days back a 12-year-old boy in Jabalpur was allegedly beaten up, leading to a fractured arm, for not bringing Rs 100 and food grains for a religious function at the school.

On February 18, a Class 7 student was injured when a teacher threw a pen at him that hit him in the right eye.

A couple of months back, a Class 5 student in Singrauli district was slapped in the face by his tabla teacher leading to a damaged eardrum for allegedly making mistakes during session.

In September 2015, a Class 9 student in Dhar was injured when he was hit by a teacher at Saraswati Shishu Mandir. In August, a Class 8 student in Shivpuri district was beaten up by his teacher as he failed to answer a question.

Earlier, in 2013, a 10-year-old boy died after being beaten by two of his teachers in a school in Betul.

Few incidents of corporal punishment in government schools: Minister

State school education minister Deepak Joshi, however, says that there are few incidents of corporal punishment in government schools.

As far as private schools are concerned, if any incident of corporal punishment is proved against them then we will cancel the registration of the school, he says.

Panel issued a set of guidelines on corporal punishment

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights issued a set of guidelines on corporal punishment and measures to end the practice.

The commissions guidelines states that the responsibility of safeguarding children from punishment lies with teachers and management of the education institutions.

The Supreme Court too has banned corporal punishment in educational institutions. The Union ministry for women and child development too has issued a set of guidelines to ban corporal punishment.

No screening tests are taken for teachers and they are not trained on how to tackle students in class without punishing them, says M Zameeruddin, an educationalist.

When a teacher uses violence on children it is the outburst of his/her personal frustration. Teachers have no knowledge of child psychology, he says.

The profession is being handled by people who dont care about children or their future.

Shweta Katariya, a student councillor, says corporal punishment changes the life of a child and hampers his or her self-confidence and social skills.

Children are in constant fear and submit to violence... They express signs of grief or hurt in their behavior but it often is overlooked, she says.

The CBSE has warned schools and issued guidelines on corporal punishment.

The CBSE has directed that schools need to hold soft skills training for teachers every three years to train them how to conduct themselves in class and how to treat students, she says.

MP schools not sparing the rod

December 4, 2012: Ten-year-old Aslam Ansari died allegedly after he was thrashed by two teachers of a government primary school in Betul district for breaking a bucket.

October 15, 2012: Shahdols Government Excellence School student, Noushad, sustained serious injuries in his ears after he was thrashed by his teacher, RP Sharma, for not taking tuition from him

February 10, 2014: A Class 9 student of Ujjains Active English High School committed suicide allegedly after being tortured by the principal and a teacher over fees. The boy had jumped into the Undasa pond and drowned. The two accused have been arrested

September 12, 2015: Class 1 student, Sagar Singh, 6, was thrashed allegedly by his teacher for not getting his monthly exam report card signed by his parents in Chhatarpur district. The family registered a case against the accused teacher. The two sides reached a compromise later.

February 3, 2016: A Class 5 student of Carmel Convent, Neemuch, was thrashed allegedly by two teachers after he had a scuffle with his classmates. Victim Nilesh Bansal suffered serious injuries in his ear. Statements of both parties were recorded. Police are yet to file the charge sheet

February 18, 2016: Chetan Romole, a Class 7 student of Jain Central High School in Gwalior district, lost vision in one eye after a teacher allegedly threw a pen at him that accidently hit his right eye. District education officer, Vikash Joshi, has set up a three-member committee to inquire into the incident

February 19, 2016: A Class 7 student suffered a fracture on his arm after he was allegedly beaten up by a teacher at Shishu Mandir School in Gohalpur of Jabalpur district. A complaint has been lodged by the victims father against the school and the teacher.

(With inputs from Anupam Pateriya from Sagar, Mustafa from Neemuch and Sandeep Vatsa from Ujjain)

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On Monday afternoon, almost 200 men from all over the country reached the Fashion Design Council of India office in Okhla for a rare audition for male models, for a menswear show at the upcoming fashion week. While Delhi and Mumbai-based aspirants were seen as a part of the contestant pool, a major chunk of the men belonged to Haryana, Rajasthan and other areas affected by the ongoing Jat agitation.

Chandigarh-based Tejeshwar Singh re-counted a night of horror as he hailed a cab to come to Delhi. I had a really stressful time travelling to the city. The roads were completely jammed, we saw abandoned charred cars, there were tree branches broken and scattered on the highway that we manually removed  it was just a scary experience overall, he said.

Read: Jat stir damage to Munak canal highlights Delhis water vulnerability

Read: Jat quota stir sends airfares soaring, Delhi-Chandigarh Rs 99,000

We also discovered that one of the judges on the panel, Jaipur-based fashion designer Rohit Kamra couldnt be a part of the auditions because he was unable to travel to Delhi owing to the unrest.Model Nitin Rao, who hails from Rewari in Haryana says that it was a tricky situation for some. A large number of men who want to be models and are here to audition for the fashion week belong to various parts of Haryana. So, a lot of those coming from the state and even those taking the Delhi-Jaipur highway had roadblocks to face, however, the situation was better for those who came in today (Monday morning) itself. For Fashion Design Council of India president Sunil Sethi, it was heartening to see the turnout. Its great to see the numbers and the spirit of the contestants who made it here despite the obstacles, he said.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more.

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The 50-hour stand-off with terrorists in Pampore has spurred the Jammu and Kashmir police to review the security of vulnerable government buildings in Srinagar, especially unguarded multi-storeyed structures located at strategic places.

Though DGP K Rajendra admitted to Hindustan Times that the security strategy in the region needed to be reworked, he said the police force was bound by certain practical concerns. In the initial days of the militancy, all government-run buildings were protected. Buildings of strategic importance are protected even now, but we cant secure each and every government building as the number is too large, he said.

Even in Pathankot, Pakistani militants had used multi-storey buildings as a fortified bunker against security forces. Prior to that, on January 7, 2010, a 20-hour-long encounter had ensued after terrorists entered a hotel in Srinagars Lal Chowk area. The longest such encounter in Kashmir took place at its capital citys BSNL office in November 2003, with the gunbattle extending to as long as three days.

The Pampore siege began on Saturday evening, when militants took refuge in the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) complex after attacking a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bus on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. Army officials said the militants were holed up in the main building, which has about 40 to 50 rooms. The operation was prolonged because the building had to be cleared room to room.

The sprawling 15-acre EDI campus and the multi-storey buildings therein provided militants with an effective vantage point, allowing them to prolong the encounter and cause maximum damage to security forces, said an official source.

Rajendra said that though the militants had deliberately chosen the EDI building, investigators were yet to ascertain whether it was a Fidayeen attack (suicide mission).

Six people  two army captains, two CRPF troopers, a Para 9 Special Force soldier and a civilian  were initially killed in the encounter. The 48-hour-long Pampore encounter finally ended on Monday afternoon, with security forces eliminating all the three militants.

The state police chief said the militants appeared to be foreigners. Although infiltration has been bought down to a trickle, it does happen occasionally. These militants may have infiltrated some time back, he said.

Rajendra said that though no militant organisation claimed responsibility for the attack, an initial probe indicated has that the Lashkar-e-Taiba may be involved. Nobody had owned up to the Pathankot encounter either he added.

Meanwhile, the United Jihad Council (UJC)  a conglomerate of militant organisations  conferred the Hilal-e-Shujhat bravery award posthumously on the three militants killed in Pampore. Disclosing that UJC chief Syed Salahuddin conveyed a special meeting to offer tributes to the three, group spokesperson Syed Sadaqat Hussain told local news agency CNS that it was high time India read the writing on the wall.

Attacks on Indias security forces will be intensified, and our men will continue to target its establishments, he said.

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Of the four states and a union territory going to polls concurrently, the BJP fancies its chances in Assam the most. But like the ruling Congress, it is wary of the mid-decade uncertainty that has forced coalition on the state since the 1990s.

A reason behind this uncertainty is a third party  All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) led by perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal  that has been on the rise since its birth in 2005. Also responsible is the dissension in each of these parties besides poor performance of their MLAs.

But the mid-decade blues first.

In 1996, the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was short of the majority mark of 64 in the 126-member house. It stitched up an alliance with other regional and communist parties to form the government.

The Congress fared worse than AGP in 2006 but forged an alliance with Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) to retain power. After an overwhelming victory in 2011, it faces what is billed as the most unpredictable election. The BPF has switched over to BJP, which admits to have done a reality check on its Mission 84 seats. The saffron partys failed bid to have AGP on board, analysts say, has betrayed a certain lack of confidence in going it alone.

The possibility of BJP and AGP splitting votes has put the Congress, battling anti-incumbency after 15 years of rule, on a stronger wicket. But the Congress too is wary of the uncertainties and has had parleys with AGP as well as AIUDF that has threatened its hold among the 34% Muslims in the state.

Muslims were said to be solidly behind Congress until the arrival of AIUDF and its now-defunct predecessor, United Minorities Front. With AIUDF expected to hold sway in Muslim-dominated districts of western, central and southern Assam, the Congress-BJP are likely to fight it out in some 80 seats, mostly in central and eastern Assam.

Both the mainstream parties, aware of the importance of non-Muslim voters who fear being overrun by illegal migrants, have been exposing each others secret understanding with the allegedly pro-Bangladeshi AIUDF. The AIUDF has hit back, going to the extent of naming its moles in the Congress and BJP.

The AIUDFs association with Congress, allegedly soft towards Bangladeshis, is expected to help BJP reap dividends from the Bangladeshi phobia. The Congress, on the other hand, has labelled BJP and AIUDF as two sides of the same communal coin.

Everyone knows who is communal. We are not pro-Bangladeshis but we dont want genuine Indian citizens, Muslims or Hindus, to be victimised, Ajmal said. The Bangladeshis issue has been a staple in every election since 1983; it helped BJP bag seven of 14 Lok Sabha seats in 2014. Mandate 2016 would be no different, but scheduled tribe status for six communities including tea tribes or Adivasis  another traditional Congress vote bank that BJP has eaten into  seems to have occupied as much space.

The issue of secret killings  popular phrase for extra-judicial execution of 400 kin of United Liberation Front of Asom members  has also staged a comeback after the 2001 polls. The Congress is wielding it to hit out at both AGP and BJP.

These killings happened (1998-2001) during the AGP rule with support from the then NDA government, chief minister Tarun Gogoi said.

For AGP and newer parties such as Liberal Democratic Party, the issue is holding on to regionalism against mainstream parties. There are also the issues of development packages, corruption, mega dams, flood and erosion, tribal rights, boundary rows with adjoining north-eastern states and special status for Assam.

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The violent agitation by Jats demanding reservation in government jobs and education in Haryana has brought the unambiguous fault lines in the states council of ministers to the fore.

Its first manifestation became visible on Monday.

Anil Vij, the health minister in the Manohar Lal Khattar government, expressed his disapproval at the declaration of a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and government job to the next of the kin of those who were killed in the violence.

Vij, who is a Punjabi, was irked that the announcement was made by his cabinet colleagues despite the fact that they had reached a consensus in the cabinet meeting saying it was not the right time do so. The announcement was made by education minister Ram Bilas Sharma soon after the meeting got over.

There was unanimity in the Cabinet meeting that announcing compensation for loss of lives may further complicate the situation. No one can say with surety at this hour as to who all were innocent or not. Besides, divergent voices are being heard with regards to the quantum of compensation ranging from Rs 25 lakh per deceased to Rs 1 crore, a BJP source, privy to the details of the cabinet meeting, said.

The health minister, who is known for his plain speak and often takes conflicting stand, was also upset at the governments soft approach in dealing with rioters and its failure to take stern action against Jat protestors. His Monday morning tweet gave a peek into his mind.

I will speak to the chief minister today about the action being taken against the perpetrators of violence, Vij wrote on Twitter.

During the cabinet meeting, Vij reportedly told his colleagues that compensation cannot be given to the perpetrators who were killed by the police and the army. After the announcement was made by his cabinet colleague, a furious health minister expressed his annoyance to Khattar and an influential cabinet minister, who was not present in the meeting.

He then left the chief ministers office at the civil secretariat sulking. Khattar convened another meeting of his ministers at his house on Monday evening to placate Vij
Every home in Sultanpur village in Bihars Biharsharif district has donated money to help the father of a minor girl, who was allegedly raped by Nawada MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav, in his fight for justice.

The girl, who lives in a rented house in Biharsharif with her siblings, was allegedly taken to the Rashtriya Janata Dal legislators house at Pathra English locality of Bakhtiyarpur in Patna district on February 6 by a woman, who has been identified as Sulekha Devi, and was raped there.

The next day, the girl was threatened with dire consequences before being sent back to Biharsharif, where she studies. She informed her parents, who in turn filed a complaint with the womens police station.

We know that the girls father is not economically sound. And, you wont believe it, when the sad, traumatic incident became known due to police visiting his home several days later, the entire village sprung up as one and stood by him in solidarity, Dhamendra Kumar, a villager, said.

Villagers know the father, who sells small provisions to support his family of six, as a soft-spoken, well-respected man, who has no feud - small or big- with anyone.

The man works hard to keep body and soul together and sent his two girls and a boy to Biharsharif to pursue their education. How he manages is a story in immense courage. The incident has shattered the confidence of parents whose wards live alone in rented buildings in Biharsharif for the same reason. Some have already withdrawn their wards. They are seething with rage. Khauff (fear) aur gussa (anger) aisa hai, another resident said.

They say the family now keeps to itself and no one has seen the father and the mother outside the house after the incident came out in the open. Angry villagers have unanimously called for justice.

We would have lynched him, had we got our hands on the legislator. We elect such people to help us live with dignity and protect us, and here he is preying on us. If the life and dignity of our mothers and sisters is compromised, what will desperate men do, said Rajiv Kumar, an engineering student, said.

The entire village is one on the idea that it will fight the battle for this young girl, come what may. We want to see a logical end of this case in the punishment of Raj Ballabh, he added.

Police inaction

Nalanda police did not file an FIR on February 6, the day the complaint was made, but did so only at the orders of Patna Range DIG Shalin on February 12. The MLA has been absconding since then. He has also been suspended by the party.

Yadav has been charged under sections of protection of children from sexual offences act (POCSO) for luring a minor and abducting her. The girl has recognised the house where she was allegedly raped and also identified Yadav as the man who raped her from his pictures.

The girl has also said in her complaint registered under section 164 that Sulekha Devi, the woman abducted her and took her to the MLAs residence, demanded Rs 25,000 to 30,000 for her services. She is yet to be arrested.

Dr Krishna, the doctor who was authorised by police to conduct the girls medical examination, had mentioned in her report that the 15-year-old was habituated to sex. However, her version has been contradicted by all villagers at Sultanpur, where people say the entire family was above any suspicion and their characters could not be questioned.

They have lived here for decades and are actually loved. Their childrens characters are impeccable, not a speck of doubt anywhere, Kumar said.

Demand for justice

People with banners protesting the rape and vowing vengeance can be seen in village. They have even squatted on roads affecting blockades as the entire area simmered with anger. The only question that people ask of journalists is whether the absconding MLA has been arrested.

He should be hanged publicly, Jai Mahto, a social activist from the area, said.

There is complete revulsion and disbelief, a sentiment not known or seen easily in these parts. Several such issues have surfaced, but the people have never boiled over, as is visible now. This can happen to anyone, is the general feeling, reason why, every home, every person has identified with the victim and resolved to fight her war, Mahto added.

Yadav failed to appear in Biharsharif court expired on Thursday the deadline prescribed for his surrender in the case.

On Saturday, a special court rejected Yadavs anticipatory bail application saying that the application was not maintainable since the charge was of a serious nature.

The bail petition was moved in the Biharsharif court after the police procured arrest and search warrants against the MLA, who has been on the run to avoid arrest.

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The Budget session of Parliament is all set for a stormy start on Tuesday with major opposition parties planning to corner the government on the Jat agitation for reservation and the Jawaharlal Nehru University row over nationalism.

At the all-party meeting on Monday convened by parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu, the Opposition dubbed the BJP-RSS stand on the JNU row as fascist nationalism, drawing a parallel between the Nazi regimes false propaganda with the doctored evidence against students of the capitals premier university.

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12: 30 pm Concluding his speech, President Pranab Mukherjee said democratic temper calls for debate and discussion and not disruption or obstruction of Parliament.

12: 15 pm The government will allow women in all fighter streams of the armed forces, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday.

Shakti, which means power, is the manifestation of female energy. This shakti defines our strength. My government has approved induction of women as short service commission officers and as fighter pilots in Indian Air Force, he said.

In the future, my government will induct women in all fighter streams of our armed forces, the President said in his address to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

12 PM Addressing the joint session of Parliament, President Pranab Mukherjee said poverty is the worst form of violence. Poorest of poor entitled to nations resources My government will make this goal possible through social security and financial inclusion, he added.

My govt in particular is focussed on Garibon Ki Unnati, Kisano Ki Samridhi and Yuvaon Ka Rozgar.

In his customary address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament outlining governments agenda in the coming financial year, he also declared that the government will constantly strive for smooth and construction conduct of Parliamentary business.

The president said the government has launched 3 new social security and pension schemes and is committed to provide housing to all by 2022.

My governments innovative initiatives have helped India jump 12 places in the latest rankings by World Bank on Ease of Doing Business, he said.

Highlighting the governments achievements, Mukherjee said Make in India initiative has resulted in a 39% increase in FDI inflow despite adverse global investment climate.

There has also been a strong focus on strengthening ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha & sowa-rigpa and homoeopathy, he said.

Mukherjee was addressing the parliamentarians of both the houses -- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha -- in a joint sitting ahead of the commencement of the budget session.

He said: The development philosophy of the government was Sabka saath, Sabka vikas.

He said that the government was for the welfare of the farmers, who were a vital part for the nations prosperity.

11: 15 AM Well being of farmers is vital to the nations prosperity: Mukherjee

While measures have been taken to eliminate scope of corruption, government has been unsparing in punishing the corrupt, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday.

My Governments mission of skilling India has gained momentum; 76 lakh people have been trained last year #PresidentMukherjee  President of India (@RashtrapatiBhvn) February 23, 2016

My Government has launched Start-Up India campaign which would deepen, expand & support innovation eco system in country #PresidentMukherjee  President of India (@RashtrapatiBhvn) February 23, 2016

On the coal sector, the President said the government has introduced dynamic and comprehensive reforms and conducted transparent auction/allocation of over 70 coal blocks. These, he said, will immensely benefit the eastern states in years to come.

Strong emphasis on increasing coal production has resulted in a record 9.8 per cent growth in CILs coal production and highest-ever output of coal. This has also led to reduced imports of coal, Mukherjee said.

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: the world is one family. My Government is committed to this principle: President Pranab Mukherjee @RashtrapatiBhvn  PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 23, 2016

My Government is focused on Sabka Vikas, beyond just the economic advancements that dominate headlines: President Pranab Mukherjee  PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 23, 2016
Photographs and a short video clip of an additional district magistrate (ADM) urinating in open close to the Triveni Sangam  the holy confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati  considered sacred by lakhs of Hindus, has gone viral on social media.

The clip shows Allahabads ADM (Nazul) OP Shrivastav relieving himself close to the Triveni Sangam, wearing a Clean Ganga t-shirt.

As per reports, the photographs were clicked on Sunday when the senior PCS officer was at location to discuss arrangements for Triveni Mahotsav, which kicked-off on Tuesday.

The incident took place immediately after the District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar wrapped up a media briefing of the Triveni Mahotsav at Allahabad Boat Club and for which all officials including the DM and the ADM (Nazul) were sporting specially embossed t-shirts Clean Ganga.

Watch | ADM caught urinating close to Sangam





The ADMs act, at a time when stress is being laid on Clean India mission has left many upset.

Dubbing the act as unpardonable offence Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Laxmikanth Bajpai has asked state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to suspend the official.

It is an unpardonable offence and a condemnable act. The entire country led by the PM is working towards cleaning Ganga and Yamuna while this official has shown disrespect to the holy river as well as the sentiments of the people. The DM, Allahabad should immediately take action against him. I also urge UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to suspend this official, Bajpai told Hindustan Times.

Bajpai said that he was sending the photographs and the clipping to the union water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation minister Uma Bharti as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The official, following his photographs and video urinating close to Sangam going viral, has expressed regret and cited ill health as the reason for the act. I deeply regret the act. I am diabetic and could not control myself, he said.

District magistrate, Allahabad Sanjay Kumar said that he has entrusted inquiry into the incident to chief development officer, Allahabad Atal Rai. I will act after getting his report, he added.

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A Mumbai court acquitted veteran actor Dilip Kumar in a cheque bounce case on Tuesday, ending an 18-year-old legal battle.

The case against Kumar  then a director of Geekay Exim (India) Limited  was filed in a magistrate court by Smita Shroff, an investor who had reportedly put in a sum of Rs 45 lakh into the company with expectations of good returns. Though the company issued a cheque of Rs 57.61 lakh to her in 1998, it allegedly bounced.

The same year, Shroff filed a cheque bounce case against 20 directors of the firm  including Kumar.

We dropped the case against 16 of the directors during the course of the hearing because many of them became untraceable... Therefore, we decided to proceed against four of the 20 directors, said Rashid Khan, who represented Shroff.

Declaring that the complainant had failed to prove the active participation of Kumar and another accused  Vimalkumar Rathi  in the companys day to day activities, the court acquitted the two. However, it convicted two others, A Sathuraman and Gopalkrishna Rathi, awarding them one-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000.

Expressing concern over case-related stress affecting Kumars health, his wife Saira Banu had asked his well-wishers to pray for him on Monday. At 94 yrs, Saabs health is delicate, facing neurological problems she tweeted.

Kumar, who acted in classics like Mughal-e-Azam and Devdas, received the prestigious Padma Vibhushan Award in 2015 for his contribution to Indian cinema.
In a major blow to opposition leader Jaganmohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh, four MLAs and one MLC of the YSR Congress party joined the ruling Telugu Desam Party on Monday.

The departure of senior MLA Bhuma Nagi Reddy and his legislator-daughter Akhila Priya is a major blow to the YSRCP in Kurnool district, its stronghold. Two legislators from Reddys home turf Kadapa district -- MLA Adinarayana Reddy, MLC Narayana Reddy, also gave a jolt to him. The fifth legislator to have jumped to the party in power is Vijayawada West MLA Jaleel Khan.

The move by the TDP to welcome YSRCP MLAs comes barely days after Reddy claimed that several TDP MLAs were in touch with him and that he will bring down the TDP government of Chandrababu Naidu at a right time.

On Monday, TDP leaders claimed that more MLAs are slated to join chief minister Naidus side attracted by his development approach in the state.

This is just the beginning (of the exodus of YSRCP MLAs to TDP). YSRCP will be empty in no time, said Bonda Umamaheshwar Rao, a TDP MLA.

The development in Andhra Pradesh comes at a time when several TDP MLAs in Telangana have joined the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, (TRS) majorly thinning the Telugu Desams presence in the newly-formed state.

The YSRC legislators drove to the riverfront residence of Naidu, where they were formally welcomed into TDP. Several ministers were present on the occasion.

The TDP chief held a series of talks with his party leaders from Kurnool and Kadapa districts to placate them over the entry of the YSRC legislators.

Kadapa TDP leader Ramasubba Reddy had been strongly opposing the entry of his bitter rival Adinarayana into the party though he said he would go by the party chiefs decision.

For a second time in a week Naidu called Ramasubba, a former minister, to Vijayawada to convince him on Adinarayanas entry into the TDP.

Similarly, Kurnool district TDP President Silpa Chakrapani Reddy and his brother Mohan Reddy were opposed to the return of Bhuma to the party.

Deputy chief minister KE Krishna Murthy, however, earlier said he would welcome Bhuma and his daughter into the party.

We joined the Telugu Desam for development of not only our respective constituencies but also the state, one of the MLAs said.

(With PTI inputs)
The Centres hard handling of the Jawaharlal Nehru University case, and several other previous cases of dissent involving NGOs and minorities, is providing a template to states and its law enforcement officials on ways to tackle those who question their politics and policies.

Read more: JNU row: Patriots build nation, dont assault imaginary enemies

Take for example, Chhattisgarh. If the Centre is branding dissenters as anti-nationalists, Chhattisgarh is painting them as pro-Maoists to justify its actions, much of it illegal, against them.

In fact, the state doesnt even need a central template on how to choke anti-state voices because it has been quite adept at doing the same under the garb of anti-Maoist operations.

But what is happening at the central level is not only emboldening chief minister Raman Singhs government and other states but also providing them with the confidence and moral support they need to harass and scare those who dare to question its decisions.

Read more: Expressing your opinion shouldnt be a dangerous act in India

No room for dissent

In the last few weeks, there have been four victims of the techniques that Chhattisgarh has perfected, the latest being the vicious chemical attack on tribal activist and AAP leader Soni Sori by unknown assailants in Dantewada district on February 20.

The attack came just a few days after Sori tried to lodge a police complaint against controversial IPS officer and Bastar range Inspector General (IG) of Police SRP Kalluri for alleged intimidation.

This is not the first time Sori has been attacked; in 2011, she was arrested on charges of helping Maoists and was lodged in Dantewada jail. She claimed that she was stripped naked and tortured with electric shocks on the orders of the then police chief.

In the last few weeks, two woman lawyers who helped tribals fight legal battles against the state, and a journalist who raised uncomfortable questions about the state machinery and human rights violation, have been forced to leave Chhattisgarh.

Read more: After journalist, lawyers forcibly evicted in Bastar

In 2010, the state hounded out Himanshu Kumar, a Dantewada-based activist even though he had worked in collaboration with the government to implement schemes for education, healthcare, women empowerment and cleanliness for 22 years.

Kumar fell out with the state after he started providing legal aid to poor tribals accused of helping Maoists.

Read more: In Chhattisgarh, children face Maoist threat for speaking up

And who can forget the Binayak Sen case? In 2010, the public health specialist was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by Raipur Sessions Court for sedition and helping Maoists set up a network to fight the state.

Sen was granted bail in 2011 by the Supreme Court which gave no reason for the order. Sen has filed an appeal before the Chhattisgarh High Court and the case is pending.

If this is the state of affairs in mainland India, can we expect any better in the insurgency-hit Northeast? In October last year, five newspaper editors in Nagaland were asked by Assam Rifles to desist from covering the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K), which was declared a terror organisation by the Centre on September 28 last year.

The pattern that is emerging is not only alarming but is also undermining the very constitutional values that the country has been proud of.

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In the narrow lanes of Kailawada village in the district of Muzaffarnagar, past the sugarcane fields and a local police chowki, young boys snicker when I ask them for directions to the house of Suresh Chaudhary. He will take you there, one of the older ones among the group gestures to his younger friend, slapping him playfully on his head.

Outside the house of the Chaudharys, a small door painted in a vibrant green opens into an expansive courtyard. The men step out, and stare at us with a mix of apprehension and suspicion. About a month ago, after the video of the rape of their daughter, Rani, went viral in the village and beyond, the family registered an FIR alleging rape and blackmail by local youths. Since then, the Jat family has been host to several unannounced visitors -- local politicians, police personnel, and officials of the district administration.

Ranis case is one of at least three such sporadic incidents in the region -- involving Hindu women and Muslim men -- that were widely reported by the national and regional press, and used by the BJP to bolster its claims of protecting the honour of women in its campaign for the district by-polls, held last week, where it emerged victorious. In a district where the memories of the 2013 riots, set off by an incident of eve-teasing involving a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy, are still fresh, the cases of those such as Rani have only provided a shot in the arm for the BJPs election campaign, one that many believe might have repercussions for partys campaign for the state assembly polls next year.

Back in Kailawada, the Chaudharys are still getting used to strangers. They take a few minutes to open up, after a local activist reassures them. Ranis father, a farmer, sobs softly, ruing the fate of his daughter who is an MA and has been defamed in the village, before he asks for her to come out and speak to us.

Rani, the 24-year-old woman in the video, is inconsolable, and narrates her story: how the accused would follow her when she would go to college, and she would always ignore his advances. One day, the youth and his friend stopped her on the way, threatened her to accompany them to a hotel and after drugging her, filmed the entire episode.

They told me to laugh, to behave normally as if I was enjoying it, or they would kill my brother, she says, wiping the steady stream of tears off her face.

In the FIR, Rani claims that the accused had been blackmailing her for money for a couple of years, before he finally released the video through local youths who run a mobile shop in the village. All those involved in the incident were arrested, and several others connected with the case are being rounded up, locals say.

The politics of force versus consent

Outside the Chaudhary house, however, a parallel narrative about this case is also doing the rounds. A senior police official claims that the video shows the couple engaging in consensual activities. A local, who did not wish to be named, also claimed the two were involved, and that trouble only broke after the video fell into the hands of youths who ran a mobile repair shop in the village. These youths sold the video in the village for a few rupees, and possibly even uploaded it on a porn site.

Rani says that she knows that one of the main accused, who ran a kabaadi shop (scrap dealer), is claiming that the video was released by others, and not him, but she insists that he is lying. I did everything that he wanted, even gave him money, then why did he not delete the video all this while? Now, people in the village are saying that because I am laughing, sab meri marzi se hua hai (it was all consensual).

In Kailawada, after a rape video involving a Hindu woman and a Muslim man went viral, people said that they were trying to ensure communal harmony prevailed in the village. (Sanjeev Verma/ HT photo)

The conflicting claims of consent or force must be situated in the broader context of how intimate relationships between young men and women in the region are defined, and who stands to gain from foregrounding a particular narrative. These relationships are mediated by a control over womens sexual autonomy, the notion of honour that rests in the female body -- especially when she chooses a partner belonging to a different caste, class and religion -- and a rampant culture of violence against women, aided by the ease of access to mobile phones and social media.

For those aiming to advance their political interests in the region, however, constructing their claims around the narrative of force makes for a good political pitch. Bahu beti ke samman mein, Kapil Dev maidan mein (Kapil Dev is fighting for the honour of the daughter-in-law and the daughter) reads one of the main slogans of the BJPs election campaign for the by-polls. This campaign must be read in the context of the partys love jihad bogey that it had been using to mobilise votes in the region for a while now.

Sanjeev Balyan, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Muzaffarnagar MP, who visited Kailawada and Chhapra villages where rape videos went viral last month. (Sanjeev Verma/ HT photo)

Which is why Sanjeev Balyan, Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare and Muzaffarnagar MP, was among the prominent visitors to the Chaudhary household, threatening to hold a mahapanchayat unless the accused were caught within three days.

A few days before he visited the Chaudharys, Balyan also went to Chhapra, about an hours drive from Kailawada, where Sheela, a 35-year-old ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) worker, committed suicide after her rape video went viral in the village. A fact-finding report by a group of activists from several NGOs states that the accused was forcing the victim to enter into a relationship with him, failing which he raped her, made a video and circulated it in the village.

Here too, a parallel narrative around the case suggests that the victim and the accused were in a relationship, and it is only when the accused demanded sexual favours for his friends and the woman resisted, that he raped her, recorded it and released it. According to the source of the latter narrative, Sheela is believed to have complained to the former pradhan of her village, who instead of helping her, passed on the video to her husband and son, which led to her eventual suicide.

The lack of power to negotiate the terms of the relationship might be apparent in both instances, however, these cases were twisted to maximise political gains. It [sexual violence] is a big problem here. How can anyone be safe when police stations are sold [because of corruption], says Balyan.

A local stringer in the district, who works for a prominent English news daily, insists that the problem of love jihad that the BJP has been raising must be tackled. These boys target Hindu women, tying kalawa on their wrists. What is this behaviour? How come the girls involved are never Muslim? he tells me.

Contrary to their claims, though, the love -jihad bogey received a huge blow in the region when Meeruts Shalu Tyagi and Kaleem ended up getting married last year. Their case made headlines in 2014, when a case of gangrape and forced conversion was registered against Kaleem by Shalu, who later admitted that she was forced to do so by her parents. Local Hindutva groups turned this into a case of love jihad. Only, Shalu returned from the shelter home to marry Kaleem last year.

Women passing by the a police station near the village of Kailawada where last month, a rape video of a local woman went viral in the village, and beyond. (Sanjeev Verma/ HT photo)

A local police official near Kailawada village concedes it is not uncommon for the girls family to cry rape and abduction once things are out in the open. Ranis case wouldnt have become such a big deal here if it didnt involve the two communities, he says.

A woman constable from Chhapra also says that many cases of rape and kidnapping are usually registered by parents trying to protect the honour of the family once they discover their daughters are in a relationship that they were unaware of, or are opposed to. I know of a girl who left her village to work in a factory in Haridwar, and started staying with her friend. She and her friends brother became lovers, and the woman refused to come back to her parents. Her parents lodged a false complaint of abduction, she says.

A senior police official at this police station conceded that such incidents were not uncommon, and that the police was compelled to go along with the womans statement, even if she was making the statement under duress or with other intentions.

Rehana Adeeb, an activist with the Muzaffarnagar-based NGO Astitva, confirms that many cases of rape that reach the police stations are filed by parents who are against inter-caste and inter-religious alliances. However, she also adds that violence against women in the area is rampant. She hands me a stack of clippings of news reports of violence against women, including leaked rape videos, a murder of a woman by her boyfriend over her alleged involvement with another man, and a case of a woman being burnt alive by her husband and son. None of these received the kind of attention that video cases did. A large number of women who are really affected by violence are unable to come out and report it because either they dont understand the process, or they are under pressure from the community to keep these under wraps, she says.

Picking up the pieces

Regardless of the din around the two cases, however, in Chhapra and Kailawada, the two families believe they are far from leading a normal life. In Chhapra, in the house of Sheela, her teenaged son appears forlorn, his voice threatening to choke with tears every time he begins to speak.

While the district administration promised the family Rs 30,000 after an agitation by ASHA workers outside the village, the family says they eventually received a cheque of Rs five lakh. Neighbours say that the house was being run by Sheelas income as an ASHA worker. Now, they worry about the future of her three children. Can you do something for the children? a neighbour asks this reporter.

In Kailawada too, Rani laments that the high-profile visits of the politicians and district administration have hardly worked out in her favour. Those who circulated the clip at the mobile shop have been let off, she says, and wonders whether the two main accused would be out soon too.

A scene in Muzaffarnagars Kailawada village, where the rape video of a local woman went viral in January. (Sanjeev Verma/ HT photo)

Both Rani and her mother claim that the Mohammedan boys have the support of the new pradhan. The pradhan of the village, in turn, claims that in the name of the video, the police has been rounding up innocent Muslim boys in the village.

A week later, in the course of a telephonic conversation, however, Rani suggests that the politics in her village is more complex. She alleges that the Mohammedan boys were also receiving support from the villages former pradhan, incidentally, also a Jat, and a distant relative. People in the village are using this to defame us. It seems that everyone is only waiting for us to sell off our land for cheap, and leave, she tells me, over a call that she makes from her fathers phone.

We are living, but we are not alive. Can you please ensure that these boys are not let off? she says before hanging up.

READ: Muzaffarnagar after 3 years: Riot victims, witnesses get cold feet

READ: Muzaffarnagar gangrape victim commits suicide after video goes viral

Disclaimer: Names of victims and families have been changed to protect their identities.

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India seems to be taking steps to crush all gender barriers in the armed forces to allow women to serve on-board submarines, in ground combat positions and tank units. Even the US army does not have women in infantry and armoured units.

Indicating an imminent radical overhaul in the Indian military, President Pranab Mukherjee, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces, said on Tuesday that the government would allow women to serve in all fighter streams.

In the future, my government will induct women in all fighter streams of our armed forces, the President said.

He made the significant announcement during his address to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, barely four months after the government approved an Indian Air Force (IAF) plan in October making women eligible to fly warplanes from June 2017.

As first reported by Hindustan Times, three IAF women are undergoing stage-II training at Hakimpet near Hyderabad to become Indias first female combat pilots.

The decision  a watershed in the airforces 83-year history  has been taken on an experimental basis and the government will review it after five years.

The IAF had to crush internal resistance to grant women equal opportunity in the service. Women were allowed to join the military outside the medical stream for the first time in 1992.

Shakti, which means power, is the manifestation of female energy. This shakti defines our strength, the President said.

Read: Combat ban lifted, women to fly warplanes from June 2017

However, a cross-section of armed forces officers HT spoke to appeared clueless about any plan to open all combat roles to women. The armed forces account for more than 3,300 women officers, all of whom are in non-combat roles. The Indian army does not induct women at the level of jawans, unlike the paramilitary forces.

Sceptics have raised questions about having women in close-combat roles and feel mixed-sex units may not be able to deliver in a war or even during counter-terrorism operations.

Read: Women to soon be inducted as fighter pilots in IAF: Air force chief

Other concerns revolve around women being taken as prisoners of war and their ability to serve in extreme conditions such as Siachen where a deadly avalanche killed 10 soldiers recently. Even the US and the UK do not have women in front-line ground combat as of now. Gender equality is fine, but you may have to draw the line somewhere in the armed forces, a source said.

Navies of the US, the UK and France have recently allowed women to serve on-board submarines. Navy sources said they were unaware of any proposal to allow women to serve on-board warships, including submarines.

Read: Live: Govt will allow women in all fighter streams, says Prez

We do not have warships that can accommodate mixed-gender crews, a source said. Military officials, however, said women officers were doing a splendid job in their current roles and were in no way lagging behind their male counterparts.
The Jat agitation demanding OBC quota reservations entered day 10 on Tuesday with several blockades being cleared on highways. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar will visit Rohtak, one of the worst affected towns by the agitation, following which he will head to the national capital to meet a high-powered government panel on the issue.

Read more: In pics | After brief period of calm, Jat protesters revive agitation

Nearly 20 people died in the protests that injured more than 180 people and damaged both public and private property. The Haryana government announced full compensation for property damage as well as an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to families of those killed.

Read more: After 5 days and 19 deaths, some Jat groups call off quota agitation

Read more: Jat quota stir: Punjab roadways suffers Rs 30-lakh loss

The state government also decided to immediately assess the role of all civil and police personnel involved for any discrepancy during the agitation in a state cabinet meeting chaired by Khattar on Monday.

The BJP-led Haryana government has been struggling to contain the agitation which intensified over the week, even offering to bring the bill declaring Jats and four other castes under other backward classes in the assembly. However Jat leaders rejected the proposal claiming it was ineffectual and instead demanded that an ordinance be passed first.

Read more: Jat protests: How caste quotas have triggered a race to the bottom

Khattar has been appealing to protesters to maintain law and order and call off the agitation, saying the state government was ready to hear their demands.

No one will be benefited by damaging public property. I urge everyone not to be swayed by unfounded rumours and maintain peace in the state, he said.

Khattar, along with state agriculture minister OP Dhankar and state finance minister Captain Abhimanyu, will tour Rohtak before meeting with a BJP-appointed committee headed by Union Parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu to discuss further action.

Read more: History repeats itself as yet another Central govt faces a Jat stir
Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi said on Tuesday circumstances surrounding the Jawaharlal Nehru University sedition row had changed and they were now opposing students union president Kanhaiya Kumars bail plea as he is bound to impact investigation.

The circumstances there were when I mentioned this (not opposing Kanhaiyas bail), those have totally changed. Kanhaiya did show some repentance when he issued that appeal. He has denied issuing that appeal. He has made certain false allegations, Bassi told reporters while talking to them on the polices plan of action in the case.

Bassi had earlier asserted the police will not oppose Kanhaiyas bail, maintaining that a young man like him should be given another chance.

The Delhi high court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Delhi Police and asked it file a status report on the bail plea of Kanhaiya.

Kanhaiya was arrested in a sedition case on February 12 after an event held on the university campus against the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during the rally.

We have reasonable apprehension that if he will come out on bail, he is bound to impact investigation influence witnesses indulge in activities which will be in violation of penal laws. That is why we have opposed the grant of bail to Kanihaiya and we will further oppose the grant of bail to Kanhaiya, the police commissioner said.

On Tuesday, the HC also agreed to give an urgent hearing to a plea seeking immediate arrest of five JNU students, including Umar Khalid, accused of raising anti-India slogans.

Citing media reports, the petition said that on February 21, the five students wanted in the case resurfaced in JNU at around 8pm, adding that the vice-chancellor refused to give permission to Delhi Police to enter the university campus to arrest the students.

Hence it is crystal clear from the above mentioned facts that the respondents have no respect for the law of the land and taking the country to ransom by playing dirty politics, the petition said.

On the polices stand in the case, Bassi said: This was a very serious crime, where seditious speeches and slogans were made. We know that after the incident, the people who committed the crime had run away. Now they have come back.

Right now, there is no imminent threat to life or property, so we are handling the situation with patience. Our tactics are dynamic in nature. We are waiting that good sense will prevail among them and they will cooperate with law enforcement authorities.

If we feel that they are unlikely to cooperate, then we have all the options available and we will not be shy of using them, he said.

Read:

JNU Bassi ke bas ka nahi: Thousands march for Kanhaiya Kumar

SC refuses to hear Kanhaiya Kumars bail plea, asks him to approach HC

JNU row: Student leader Kanhaiya Kumar bail plea to be heard by HC on Feb 22
Allegations made by a Zee News journalist that the video footage, on the basis of which a sedition case was filed against JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, did not clearly show students shouting anti-India slogans may weaken the polices case.

Vishwa Deepak, an output producer with the channel, resigned on Sunday, saying he was unhappy with the channels coverage of the Arvind Kejriwal government, JNU case and the controversy surrounding the intolerance row among other issues.

Police officials said a probe could be ordered if they receive a formal complaint from the journalist.

In his letter, Deepak alleged that the channel added the blurb  Pakistan Zindabad  on the screen even though the words were not clearly audible in the video.

There was no Pakistan Zindabad in the clipping, so why did we show that clipping repeatedly? But we assumed it to be Pakistan Zindabad and carried it to spread unrest and mayhem. How did we assume that the voices audible... was that of Kanhaiya and his friends? the letter said.

HT was the first to report on February 18 that the case against Kanhaiya appeared to be an afterthought. Though the area station house officer and his men has seen the protest, the police didnt file any case against the students on February 9.

The case investigating officer in the FIR said, The following day (February 10), a news item on Zee News showed that on the previous day the JNU students had shouted anti-India and Pakistan Zindabad slogans. The officer put on record in the FIR that the SHO had written to the editor of Zee News and acquired the clips.

It was on the basis of this footage that police registered a case of sedition on February 11.

Zee News in a statement said Deepak was not involved in any of the stories related to the JNU row. ... He never discussed any issues with anybody in the organisation. His resignation is an internal matter, read a statement forwarded by its editor Sudhir Chaudhary.
A Delhi police incident report on the February 9 JNU protest - prepared by the DCP - has accused students of shouting anti-India and inflammatory slogans, but the slogans mentioned by police does not include Pakistan Zindabad.

The students have been charged with sedition on the basis of a news channel footage where they were supposedly heard shouting Pakistan Zindabad, among other slogans. The police report, submitted to Police Commissioner BS Bassi, does not match with the footage provided by the channel. Legal experts believe that the case against the students could fall apart, if the footage is found to be doctored.

Police in their FIR registered against JNU students union President Kanhaiya Kumar and others accused them of shouting anti-India slogans and Pakistan Zindabad, which police learnt from a clipping shown by Zee News on February 10, a day after the incident.

A journalist who resigned from Zee News in his resignation had alleged that when they first saw the footage of the clipping in office, the newsroom was divided and unsure if the footage had the slogan Pakistan Zindabad. The journalist has also accused the channel of repeatedly playing a blurb on the screen accusing students of shouting the slogans while in reality it was clearly inaudible.

The Delhi government has already sent the footage for forensic examination to check if it was tampered with to frame the students. Police have also asked the channel for the original memory card of the camera through which the clipping was recorded.

Read: Sedition case: HC notice to Delhi Police on Kanhaiyas bail plea

According to the contents of the report, the students have been accused of shouting 28 slogans like  Afzal Guru Maqbool Bhatt Zindabad, Kashmir ki Azaadi tak jung rahegi, Bharat ki Barbadi tak jung rahegi, Go India go back, Indian Army Murdabad, Kitne Afzal marogey har ghar se Afzal niklega, Bandook ke dum pe lengay azadi.

The DCPs incident report is at odds at the report prepared by an Inspector of Delhi police intelligence branch who filed a report on February 12, informing that the students had shouted many anti-India slogans and the words Pakistan Zindabad.

Read: Communist pagal: Umar Khalid a voice of social justice for friends
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, accused of sedition for shouting anti-India slogans, surrendered outside the institutes gate on Tuesday night and were taken to South Campus RK Puram police station.

The duo came out of the universitys administrative block around 11.30pm and walked towards the main gate surrounded by hundreds of students, who formed a human chain and chanted Comrade Kanhaiya, Lal Salam.

Police waiting outside JNU didnt enter the campus. The two students were put in a police van and driven around for some time, apparently to dodge mediapersons, after they surrendered.

Read | Delhi HC refuses Umar interim shield from arrest in JNU sedition row

A leader of the ultra-Leftist Democratic Students Union (DSU), Banojyotsna Lahiri, said they will return soon. There is no need for anyone to be sad as the comrades will come back, she said as DSU members stopped mediapersons from speaking to the Khalid and Bhattacharya.

The midnight drama unfolded after the Delhi high court refused to grant interim protection from arrest to Khalid and Bhattacharya, who had appealed for safe passage and a choice of place to surrender.

The court said it cannot allow them to surrender according to their whims and fancies. There are procedures  which have to be followed, Justice Pratibha Rani said.

Read | We fear lynching and witch-hunt: JNU student charged with sedition

Besides, the court directed Delhi Police to file a status report on arrested JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumars bail plea by Wednesday, the next date of hearing. The court, which advised the accused students to follow the rule of law, will also hear pleas of Khalid and Bhattacharya.

Kumar has been charged with sedition and arrested after TV news reported students making hate speeches and shouting anti-India slogans at a February 9 event on the campus to mark the anniversary of 2003 Parliament attack convict Afzal Gurus hanging.

Police opposed the bail plea of Kumar, who was arrested 11 days ago. If he comes out on bail, he is bound to impact the investigation and influence witnesses. He is likely to indulge in activities that could break penal laws. That is why we have opposed his bail, police chief BS Bassi said.

Khalid, a PhD scholar and former member of the ultra-radical DSU, was the organiser of the event. He, Bhattacharya, JNU student union general secretary Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash Narayan were accused by police of shouting seditious slogans.

They were hiding since Kumars arrest but resurfaced on the campus on Sunday night. They have not been arrested but police chief Bassi issued a warning. If we feel that they are unlikely to abide by the law, we have options available and we will not shy away from using them, he said.

Read | Wont hesitate to use options if 5 JNU students dont cooperate: Bassi

Rama Naga, Ashutosh and Anant have agreed to cooperate with the police investigation.

When the court heard in the afternoon Khalid and Bhattacharyas appeal for protection from arrest until their surrender, it asked the petitioners to secretly give details of the date, place and time where they will give in.

Their counsel, Kamini Jaiswal, told the court that her clients were facing threat to life and limb, constantly. She referred to media reports of some advocates threatening to kill the students.

Heavy security ringed the high court complex after violence at the Patiala House courts on February 15 and 17 when rogue lawyers assaulted Kumar, litigants as well as journalists.

Kumar, who will be in judicial custody till March 2, had moved his bail plea in the high court following a Supreme Court direction. He had approached the top court for bail citing threat to his life in Tihar jail.

He contended that he was falsely implicated and wrongly arrested on the basis of an FIR, which has no evidence that he had shouted anti-national slogans.

Delhi Police, in their latest report, cited evidence collected by the JNU internal inquiry committee that suggests eight students, including Kumar, allegedly shouted unconstitutional slogans.

But they failed to pinpoint anyone who eyewitnesses, including police personnel and JNU staff, had specifically claimed to have seen chanting anti-national slogans.

The report lists 29 slogans but doesnt include Pakistan Zindabad, which was mentioned in the statement attached with the FIR, registered on the basis of a video clip obtained from Zee News.

The list of evidence against Kumar includes his presence in a group shouting slogans, attributed to eyewitnesses and the news channels footage.

The report mentions Khalid and Bhattacharya as the event organizers. But again, it does not specify whether the two were particularly spotted shouting anti-national slogans.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal joined a protest by students over the JNU sedition row and Hyderabad university scholar Rohith Vemulas suicide, saying the Narendra Modi-led government seems to be at war with the students of the country.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader charged central ministers with driving Vemula to suicide.

Vemula committed suicide on January 17, triggering widespread protests demanding action against central ministers Smriti Irani, Bandaru Dattatreya and others, blaming them for the suicide.

Five Dalit students, including Vemula, were suspended in September last year following a clash with a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.

On Tuesday, hundreds of students and faculty members of various universities took out a march from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar to condemn the institutional killing of student Vemula and JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumars arrest.

Watch | Student groups demand justice for Vemula

<span itemprop="name" content="Watch | Student groups demand justice for Vemula"></span><span itemprop="description" content="Scores of members of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) students wings, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and National Students&#x27; Union of India (NSUI) held a protest march at Jantar Mantar demanding justice for Rohith Vemula. NSUI President Roji John said students from the entire nation have joined hand to demand justice for the Dalit scholar. Rohith, a Ph.D. student at the university, had committed suicide after being suspended from the Hyderabad Central University in connection with an alleged attack on an ABVP leader."></span><span itemprop="duration" content="61"></span><span itemprop="thumbnail" content="http://cfvod.kaltura.com/p/1679921/sp/167992100/thumbnail/entry_id/0_udgaxsp4/version/100012/acv/192"></span><span itemprop="width" content="640"></span><span itemprop="height" content="362"></span>

Kanhaiya was arrested in a sedition case on February 12 after an event held on the university campus against execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He allegedly shouted anti-India slogans during the rally.

Mounting a fresh attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the rally, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi accused the Modi government and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of crushing voices of dissent of college and university students across the country. He pitched for a law to protect them from discrimination and suppression.

We need a law to ensure that students in colleges and universities do not face discrimination and their voice is not stifled, Gandhi said, lending his support to the students

Gandhi also slammed the government for not including issues like Vemulas death and difficulties being faced by students of universities in President Pranab Mukherjees address to Parliament.

Accusing the Centre of muzzling the voice of students across universities in the country if they differed with the ideology of the RSS, Gandhi said the Congress will fight to bring a law to check such suppression.

With inputs from agencies
One of the three lawyers who allegedly assaulted journalists, Jawaharlal Nehru University teachers and students at the Patiala House court last week was arrested on Tuesday.

Yashpal Singhs arrest came a day after a television channel aired a sting operation done on Singh and Vikram Chauhan in which they claimed they thrashed JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar.

Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 after a rally at Delhis prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University called to mark the 2013 hanging of Kashmiri separatist Mohammed Afzal Guru over a deadly 2001 attack on Parliament.

On Tuesday, Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi asserted coercive action would be taken against them. The lawyers had failed to present themselves before the police despite being summoned. We have the option of taking coercive action against them. We will go with the law and arrest them if it demands so, Bassi said in an interview to a news channel.

The police had issued summons to Chauhan, Singh and Om Sharma to join investigations, following which Sharma presented himself before them and was arrested. But the other two were yet to appear.

In the sting operation, they were seen saying there were plans to assault Kanhaiya again in prison. One of them said they spared Kanhaiya only after making him shout a slogan praising India.

One of the lawyers was seen saying he would not sign a bail bond only to land in jail so he could beat up Kanhaiya again inside the jail. He said they had full support of the police during the scuffle at the court premises.

Hundreds of lawyers had marched in New Delhi on Friday, demanding action against certain JNU students whom they dubbed anti-national.

Led by Chauhan and Singh, the protesting lawyers raised slogans like do not spare traitors and Vande Mataram.

They defended outbreaks of violence at court hearings last week that saw lawyers attack 32-year-old Kumar as he entered the court and stones thrown at journalists covering the case.

(With inputs from agencies)

Read:

BCI to suspend lawyers found guilty of violence in Patiala Court

JNU row: Another scuffle at Patiala House, lawyers beat up journalists

Lawyers turn violent again, SC steps in to ensure Kanhaiyas safety
We the Left, stressed professor Aditya Mukherjee in a recent television show on the raging debate over the arrest of JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, slapped with sedition charges.

That a we the Left assertion has found its way into prime-time airwaves and newspaper front pages in ample measures after a long time has warmed the hearts of mainstream Left parties such as the CPI and CPI(M).

The JNU controversy, in more ways than one, was a god-sent opportunity for the professedly godless Left parties. It has brought them back into media space, once they disproportionately commanded, but lost out after a series of electoral debacles and their inability to reinvent themselves.

The lost romance between youths and Leftist ideals has become a worry for these parties for quite some time now. For instance, youths constitute only 6.5% of total membership of the largest left party CPI (M) in a country where 51.8% of the population is below 35 years.

And CPI, the oldest Indian political party after the Congress, whose student wing Kanhaiya Kumar represents, has just one Lok Sabha MP (from Kerala). Kumar hails from Begusarai, once the cradle of the CPI in Bihar, but the party is nowhere in the electoral reckoning in the state now.

The students agitation at JNU is something mainstream Left parties were desperately searching for. It is another matter that it is not exactly the kind of controversy they were looking for. But despite all the negative publicity, the controversy is helping mainstream Left parties in some ways. There are around 32 Left parties in the country, most of them in a race to prove who is the real Left.

The larger Left, which goes beyond the Left political parties, has reclaimed its space -- both intellectual and political -- to some extent in the aftermath of the protests at JNU. Left-leaning teachers, public figures, many of whom started moving away from the mainstream parties seem to have found their bearings now. The way the JNU protests gathered steam and the manner in which it polarised even professionals like lawyers and journalists kept the issue alive in mainstream media as well as social media.

Many Left minds who backed the JNU protests are more of Nehruvian socialists than communists. They have been keeping a low profile in recent times, failing to identify themselves with the ways of the Left parties.

That has begun to change. The suave general secretary of CPI (M) Sitaram Yechury, if he plays his cards well, can make political capital out of this.

But one shouldnt class everyone who is supporting the JNU protest as genuine Leftists. Many of them have grudges against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reasons other than ideology. Some of them feel Modi should have benefitted from their talents, but the Prime Minister didnt care. They too are part of the chorus of the Left-minded and they ought to be seen through.

It may not be a refined statement to make but the fact remains that an upper caste Kumar (a Bhumihar from Bihar) being anti-national is not something that is easily digested by those with a north Indian sensibility. At the same time it is not easy for the Left to gain politically against the BJP in the national vs anti-national debate in northern parts of India. But such shrill protests can benefit them in the forthcoming elections in West Bengal and Kerala.

But it is a no-brainer that Noam Chomsky supporting an agitation has no more than applause value in electoral terms in north India. Militant trade unionism and seeing private capital as absolute evil are no ways to win electoral base in a country that has enough peasantry, poor, displaced and those left out of the liberalisation process.

Whether the ongoing protests on JNU campus, where leaders like Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat had cut their political teeth, can revive the Left has no immediate answers. For, the dialectics of electoral politics goes beyond reclaiming part of lost media space.

(Views expressed are personal. The writer tweets @jayanthjacob)

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The Maharashtra state government has allotted more than 600 acres of land to the Patanajli Yogpeeth, run by yoga guru Baba Ramdev, for setting up an orange processing plant and units for its ayurvedic products.

Union transport minister and MP from Nagpur, Nitin Gadkari, guardian minister for Nagpur district Chandrasekhar Bawankule and Balkrishna of Pantanjali Yogpeeth signed an MoU with the state government on Friday which handed over 200 acres in Katol, Nagpur district, for the processing plant and 450 acres in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the MIHAN region for its ayurvedic products.

Gadkari has also tasked the yoga guru with undertaking research in sources of natural medicines found abundantly in Vidarbhas tribal areas and remote terrains. The move is aimed at boosting development of tribal areas and generate employment opportunities in the Maoist-hit Gadchiroli district.

Patanjali, which is known for its personal care products and food and beverage, will invest over Rs 2,000 crore for its proposed ventures in the region.

The project is expected to start as soon as land and other facilities are provided to Patanjali Yogpeeth. According to the proposal, Patanjali will buy forest products like amla, honey, aloe vera and gooseberries in bulk from the rich forest reserves of Vidarbha region to make its products.

The opposition however has accused the government of blatant favouritism in tying up with the company, saying the allotted land was given at a concessional rate.

Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Nawab Malik said if the government really had plans of promoting forest produce, it could have issued advertisements or floated tenders. This was the Bharatiya Janata Party was trying to usurp forest lands, he charged.

The allotted SEZ land is part of the investment heavy Multi Modal International Passenger and Cargo Hub in Nagpur.
National security adviser AK Doval had a second secret meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Lt Gen (retd) Naseer Khan Janjua in Paris in the second week of January, highly placed sources have told HT. The two had earlier met in Bangkok on December 6.

Doval was in Paris in mid-January and met French President Francois Hollande who came to India as chief guest for the Republic Day parade. The meeting in Paris with Janjua came soon after the Pathankot airbase attack on January 2 carried out by terrorists belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad.

By the time Doval and Janjua met in Paris, India already had taped evidence of the Jaishs involvement in the Pathankot attack. Doval made it clear that Pakistan needed to take effective action against the terror group before the foreign secretaries could meet to take the composite dialogue forward, a senior official familiar with the development said.

Efforts by HT to contact Doval did not elicit a response, while the PMO refused to comment.

Read | Peace talks only if Pak acts against Pathankot plotters: Doval

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise stopover at Lahore on December 25 on his way back from Kabul and just as the two sides were gearing up for the foreign secretary-level talks, the Jaish attack in Pathankot threatened to derail the peace process.

Doval and Janjua have been in constant touch since then and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while assuring action against those responsible for the attack also announced the formation of a special investigation team (SIT).

Read | India, Pakistan NSAs hold breakthrough talks in Bangkok

An FIR was finally registered against unnamed members of the JeM last week, paving the way for the SIT to visit India. The team is likely to visit in early March. We are now exploring the scope of the teams visit which would also like to go to the airbase in Pathankot and take fingerprints of the slain terrorists whose bodies are being preserved. We would like to match the fingerprints through our biometric system, a Pakistani official said.

The engagement between the two NSAs has ensured that talks dont break down between the two sides. Government officials when contacted did not want to comment on the second secret meeting between Doval and Janjua. The two are in regular touch, has been the constant refrain from the ministry of external affairs.

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Jawaharlal Nehru University vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar on Monday assured the teachers association that the administration will not allow police inside the campus, while Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi said the five students, who are facing sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-India slogans, should join the probe.

The decision not to allow police inside the campus came after a general body meeting between the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) and the vice chancellor, in which the teachers put forward five demands.

Read more: Delhis top cop, BS Bassi, has a curious view on dealing with mobs

The VC said he will respond to the points put forward in the meeting tomorrow (Tuesday). He also assured that police will not enter the campus, JNUTA general secretary Bikramaditya Choudhary said.

The decision came after five students accused of sedition surfaced in the campus late on Sunday evening. There was speculation that they may be arrested.

The five students -- Umar Khalid, Anant Prakash Narayan, Ashutosh Kumar, Rama Naga and Anirban Bhattacharya -- said they escaped and hid themselves fearing mob lynching and not police.

Read more: JNU row: HC to hear Kanhaiya bail plea today, focus on doctored tape

They had disappeared from the JNU campus after the February 9 event held to mark the anniversaries of executions of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front co-founder Maqbool Bhat.

JNU has been on the boil over the arrest of its students union president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges following the February 9 event. Anti-India slogans were allegedly raised at the gathering.

Read more: JNU sedition row: When media became part of the story

Bassi told reporters that the five students should join the probe and prove they are innocent.

They (the students) should join the probe. If they are innocent, they should present evidence of their innocence, Bassi told reporters.

Asked if police would enter the JNU campus to arrest the students, Bassi said: I am confident that my team is competent enough to deal with the matter.

The investigating officer would take the best available option. The world is full of opportunities and options, he said.

Police have proper evidence against the one who has been arrested, and in future too arrests will be made only after proper probe, Bassi added.

Khalid, who addressed students in front of the administration block of JNU late on Sunday evening, said he was not a terrorist, adding that the BJP government needed an excuse to target the campus.

My name is Umar Khalid and Im not a terrorist, he said, condemning the media trial that branded him a terrorist.

The attack (on the university) is not because of the programme which was organised on Feburary 9, but because the government needs an excuse to attack us.

The media, all this while, presented a lot of things about me. The media trial, this propaganda... I know what my family is going through, he added.

He refuted media reports that he made 800 calls to the Gulf or Kashmir a few days before the programme was organised.

A retired professor of JNU, meanwhile, came down heavily on the vice chancellor for letting the university plunge into an unprecedented crisis and said allowing police inside the campus was a disaster by him.

Within two weeks of your taking over as vice chancellor of JNU, the university has been plunged into an unprecedented crisis over an event, which was not very unusual in JNU or any other university, retired professor Chaman Lal, who also studied in the university before becoming a faculty member there, said in a letter to Jagadesh Kumar.

I really feel sorry for you, you should have known JNU better before accepting this challenge. It is better not to wear the shoes which does not fit ones feet, he said.

He also expressed surprise that as a guardian of Kanhaiya Kumar, Jagadesh Kumar has not uttered even a word on those state protected black coated lawyers who attacked Kanhaiya Kumar.

JNUTAs demands to the vice chancellor include disallowing police inside the campus, removal of the registrar, reconstitution of the committee to investigate the matter, dropping all charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy against students and release of Kanhaiya Kumar on unconditional bail.
he Delhi high court on Tuesday issued a notice to the city police on the bail plea of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and asked it to submit a status report by Wednesday.

Additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi Police said since it was a pre-chargesheet bail application, police should be allowed to file the status report in a sealed cover. Delhi Police have opposed Kumars bail plea saying an investigation into the case is on.

Justice Pratibha Rani rejected the request saying: No sealed cover is required. Its just a bail application and the petitioners have the right to know (why police have opposed the bail).

The HC also directed Delhi Police to give a copy of its status report on the bail plea to Kanhaiyas counsel Rebecca John.

Read More | Standoff near JNU gates, cops await surrender of 5 wanted students

In his bail plea, Kanhaiya has said he was wrongly arrested on the basis of an FIR which was devoid of evidence to book him under such a serious charge. His counsel said the petition is limited to bail for Kanhaiya who was arrested on February 12 and later sent to judicial custody till March 2.

Kanhaiya was arrested for allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during an event in the university campus to commemorate the anniversary of the execution of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

AAPs senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra sought to represent Delhi Police in Kanhaiyas bail plea, but it was opposed by ASGs Mehta and Sanjay Jain.

Justice Rani refused to entertain the issue saying it was not a place to settle personal scores and posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday.

Kanhaiya had moved the HC after the Supreme Court refused to entertain a similar plea saying approaching it directly would set a dangerous precedent and asked him to move the HC.

Another bench headed by justice BD Ahmed agreed to hear pleas filed by JNU students Umer Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya seeking security before they surrender. Their pleas will be heard on Tuesday afternoon.

Security at the high court was strengthened for the hearing and entry to the courtroom was restricted to lawyers involved in the case, family members and a few journalists.

Read More | JNU row: Sting video shows lawyers claiming they beat Kanhaiya

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The Delhi high court on Tuesday refused interim protection from arrest to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who had sought to surrender at an undisclosed location and time in a sedition case.

Besides, the court directed Delhi Police to file a status report on arrested JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumars bail plea by Wednesday, the next date of hearing. The court, which advised the accused students to follow the rule of law, will also hear pleas of Khalid and Bhattacharya.

Kumar was charged with sedition and arrested after TV news reported students making hate speeches and shouting anti-India slogans at a February 9 event on the campus to mark the anniversary of 2003 Parliament attack convict Afzal Gurus hanging.

Police opposed the bail plea of Kumar, who was arrested 11 days ago.

Read: JNU row circumstances have changed, against Kanhaiyas bail now: Bassi

Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi, who last week said police will not contest Kumars bail application, justified the change in stand, saying circumstances have changed.

If he comes out on bail, he is bound to impact the investigation and influence witnesses. He is likely to indulge in activities that could break penal laws. That is why we have opposed his bail, Bassi said.

Khalid, a PhD scholar and former member of the ultra-radical Democratic Students Union (DSU), was the organiser of the event. He, Bhattacharya, JNU student union general secretary Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash Narayan were accused by police of shouting seditious slogans.

They were hiding since Kumars arrest but resurfaced on the campus on Sunday night. Police have not arrested them, though Bassi issued a warning. If we feel that they are unlikely to abide by the law, we have options available and we will not shy away from using them, he said.

Rama Naga, Ashutosh and Anant have agreed to cooperate with the police investigation.

When the court heard in the afternoon Khalid and Bhattacharyas appeal for protection from arrest until their surrender, it asked the petitioners to secretly give details of the date, place and time where they will give in.

Read: Communist pagal: Umar Khalid a voice of social justice, say friends

Earlier, DCP (South) Prem Nath did not agree to the place where the duo wished to surrender, saying it was not accessible to police.

Khalid and Bhattacharyas counsel Kamini Jaiswal told the court that her clients were facing threat to life and limb, constantly. She referred to media reports of some advocates threatening to kill the students.

Heavy security ringed the high court complex after violence at the Patiala House courts on February 15 and 17 when rogue lawyers assaulted Kumar, litigants as well as journalists.

Kumar, who will be in judicial custody till March 2, had moved his bail plea in the high court following a Supreme Court direction. He had approached the top court for bail citing threat to his life in Tihar jail.

He contended that he was falsely implicated and wrongly arrested on the basis of an FIR, which has no evidence that he had shouted anti-national slogans.

Delhi Police, in their latest report, cited evidence collected by the JNU internal inquiry committee that suggests eight students, including Kumar, allegedly shouted unconstitutional slogans.

But they failed to pinpoint anyone who eyewitnesses, including police personnel and JNU staff, had specifically claimed to have seen chanting anti-national slogans.

Read: Rahul, Kejriwal join stir against Modi govt over JNU row, Vemula suicide

The report lists 29 slogans but doesnt include Pakistan Zindabad, which was mentioned in the statement attached with the FIR, registered on the basis of a video clip obtained from Zee News.

The list of evidence against Kumar includes his presence in a group shouting slogans, attributed to eyewitnesses and the news channels footage.

The report mentions Khalid and Bhattacharya as the event organizers. But again, it does not specify whether the two were particularly spotted shouting anti-national slogans.

Another bench of the court dismissed for technical reasons a plea for immediate arrest of five JNU students accused of anti-national slogans. It asked the petitioner, a Delhi-based lawyer, to file a fresh petition.

With inputs from agencies
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modis assertion that there is a conspiracy to destabilise his government, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday asked if India will remain stable under the current circumstances, what with the rise in terrorist attacks and the ongoing activities of anti-national elements in JNU.

The country is not safe and we are lagging in stopping the dangers emanating from Pakistan... Anti-national elements in JNU spoke in favour of Afzal Guru and ISIS supporters waved their flags in Jammu and Kashmir at the same time, an editorial in the Senas mouthpiece Saamana commented.

Addressing a rally in Bargarh in Odisha on Sunday, Modi had said that NGOs and black marketeers were conspiring to destabilise his government and defame him.

In Odisha, Modi said attempts are being made to destabilise the NDA government. We are happy that he at least spoke about NDA. But, looking at the current turn of events, will the country remain stable? Governments come and go, but let the country remain intact, the Sena said.

The Pathankot terror attack was also a conspiracy to defame Modi government and destabilise it. Just after the attack, Pakistan-sponsored terror activities increased and around 25 jawans have been martyred in the last one month, it said.

Everyday, bodies of our slain army men are being brought to their homes and thus peoples anger towards Pakistan is only increasing. This is why Modi government facing slander. If people feel that we are lagging in fighting terrorists who sneak into our country, they should understand Modis plight, it said.

Mentioning the high farmer suicide rate in Maharashtra, it said that this has now spread to Marathwada and north Maharashtra iva the Vidarbha region.

The slander (directed towards the NDA government) is unbearable for us as well but black-marketeers are not behind it. There has been a revenue loss of Rs 20,000 crore and more than 10 people have died due to Jat protests in Haryana. Who is hatching this conspiracy in Modis regime, the editorial concluded.
Violence affected areas of Haryana limped back to normalcy on Tuesday even as authorities remained cautious about some parts which were still tense in the aftermath of the Jat agitation which paralysed life in the state in the last nine days.

Officials said that traffic had been restored on the Delhi-Ambala national highway No. 1 (NH-1). Three people were killed when Jat protesters blocked the highway on Monday, forcing security forces to open fire on them.

Traffic was also restored on the Delhi-Hisar NH-10, especially near Sampla town, police said.

Curfew was relaxed in Rohtak town, the worst hit by the Jat agitation violence, as Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar reached the town on Tuesday to take stock of the situation.

Action will be taken against rioters who set fire to shops, looted property, Khattar said in Rohtak.

Rohtak: Haryana CM ML Khattar heckled by people affected by #jatreservation protests, 'murdabad' slogans raised pic.twitter.com/EU5SMk0n92  ANI (@ANI_news) February 23, 2016

Rohtak: People raise 'murdabad' slogans, gherao Haryana CM ML Khattar car while CM is inside the Canal guest house. pic.twitter.com/VBQ9vsRb8R  ANI (@ANI_news) February 23, 2016

Hisar and Kaithal districts remained tense after members of Jat and non-Jat communities headed for a clash. Army and paramilitary forces remained on high alert in both districts.

State government officials claimed here that road and railway blockades by Jat protesters were being removed from various places.

Earlier, uncertainty prevailed over the fate of the ongoing Jat agitation for reservation as the protesters continued blockades and protests at various places. The agitation entered its 10th day on Tuesday.

Despite the BJP promising reservation for the Jat community in Haryana and assuring that a bill will be brought in the next session of Haryana assembly, Jat protesters had not ended their agitation in Rohtak, Hisar, Sonipat and Jhajjar districts.

Uncertainty prevailed over restoring traffic on NH-1 (Delhi-Ambala) even though authorities claimed that all protesters have been removed from the highway and army was patrolling the affected parts.

Army and paramilitary forces remained stationed in the violence-hit districts.

In Jind, the district administration relaxed curfew on Tuesday. Offices, schools, colleges and other institutions are likely to re-open after a three-day break.

While unconfirmed reports put the death toll at 19, including three people killed in firing by security forces on rioters who were blocking the NH-1 in Sonipat district on Monday, the state government claimed that 16 people were killed.

Over 200 people have been injured in the mindless frenzy that has ravaged the state bordering Delhi. The loss to property is estimated to be in hundreds of crores.

The Jat protesters are demanding reservation under the OBC category in government jobs and educational institutions.

Read more: Jat stir: Sikh volunteers run 24-hour langar for stranded

Some places in Haryana remained tense on Monday, with Jats demanding job quotas indulging in fresh violence and triggering a backlash by other communities, leading to curfew. More security forces were rushed to maintain law and order.

The Haryana government has decided to give full compensation for the damage caused to private property, residential or commercial, and to immediately assess the role of civil and police officers for dereliction of duty.

Police sources said the Jats fought pitched battles with soldiers by hurling stones and bricks near Larsoli village, 55 km from New Delhi. Highway resorts and eating joints were also set on fire and damaged. The army fired at them, leaving three dead and a few injured.

The state government also decided to give an ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakh to the next of kin of those innocent people killed in the ongoing agitation and employment to a member of the family of the deceased. Also, no false case would be registered against anyone, Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said.
With the government having expressed no hesitation in discussing the Jawaharlal Nehru University row in Parliament, the nation braces itself as a turbulent Budget Session will begin on Tuesday during which President Pranab Mukherjee will address a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

During the session, the Rail Budget will be presented on 25th and the General Budget on 29th of February.

The first phase of the Session will come to an end on March 16 and the second phase will begin April 25 and conclude on May 13.

Read more: Jat protests, JNU to be ammo against BJP in Budget session

The Bills which will come up for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha include GST, Real Estate, Anti-Hijacking, National Waterways and Whistle Blowers Protection. In the Lok Sabha, the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Amendment Bill is among others which will be taken up for discussion and passage.

Asserting that the government was ready to discuss the current state of unrest at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Union parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu earlier said that there were different views on the issue which needs to be addressed and debated.

Read more: PM Modis conspiracy theories: Is he losing the plot?

Its a big country and yes there are several issues. Thats what the Parliament is there for, to discuss those issues. Government has no hesitation in discussing JNU or Hyderabad University or any other issues. There are different views on it which needs to be debated, Naidu told the media here after chairing an all-party meeting.

The Congress and some other opposition members are set to target the government on a range of issues including the JNU row, the Jat agitation and the unrest in Hyderabad varsity following the suicide of a Dalit student.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday accused the BJP-led government of unleashing its divisive agenda by generating a wholly unwarranted debate on patriotism and nationalism and said it was the governments responsibility to ensure that parliament functions.

Read more: History repeats itself as yet another Central govt faces a Jat stir

The party issued a statement after the meeting, saying educational institutions have not only been a target but high priority in the RSSs nefarious agenda to impose their ideology in the universities and colleges.

The Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana of totally mishandling the situation arising out of the agitation by the Jats for quota and the central government of murder of the Constitution in Arunachal Pradesh.

Read more: I am PM of India, not of BJP: Modi offers olive branch, Oppn divided

It said the party will raise these issues in parliament in cooperation with other like-minded parties.

Gandhi said the Congress wants parliament to function but the government refuses to accept the democratic right of the Opposition to raise burning public issues.

Making a veiled reference to the controversies surrounding Jawaharlal Nehru University, the suicide of a Dalit youth in Hyderabad university and the violence in a Delhi court ahead of proceedings concerning JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, Gandhi said the CWC meeting took place in the most disturbing circumstances that are causing grave disquiet across the country.

Meanwhile, urging the opposition parties to cooperate in running parliament smoothly, Naidu said everyone would have an opportunity to raise issues but discussions should take place according to rules.

There should be debate, but without disruption, said the minister.

Naidu said Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill and real estate bill were key reform legislation that need to be passed in the budget session.

He said the government has been trying consistently to make parliament function smoothly, as reflected in Prime Minister Narendra Modis meeting last week with leaders of political parties.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said that Congress would extend its support to the bills based on their merit.

Noting his party would raise issues like the terrorist attack on Pathankot airbase on January 2, JNU, and Hyderabad University, he said generations of Congressmen have been making sacrifices for the country and the party does not need lessons from the Bharatiya Janata Party in patriotism.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the government has not accepted the partys demands on the GST bill.

He said that the bills on which there was a broad consensus could be taken up for consideration in the first phase of session from February 23 to March 16 and other bills during the second phase between April 25 and May 13.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury meanwhile accused the government of continuously spoiling the atmosphere in the country.

The JNU has been on the boil after a police crackdown on students accused of shouting anti-India slogans.

There has also been unrest and violence arising out of demonstrations in Haryana by members of the Jat community to demand reservations in education and jobs.

Earlier, Hyderabad Central University had erupted into protests against alleged harassment of Dalit students following the suicide on January 17 of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula.
In the dead of a cold February night, they grew apprehensive, if not scared, and whispered in hushed tones that police may enter the moonlit campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) that has become a new battleground of a right-to-speak-versus-nationalism debate in India.

There were minor disruptions but the student protesters largely stood ground and continued listening to their leaders making speeches, denying what they were fighting for is anti-national as alleged by police and right-wing Hindu activists.

The revolution, as many of the protesters called it, turned into the battle of ultimatums with police waiting outside the campus to be allowed in and the student leaders, facing arrest on charges of sedition, refusing to surrender.

My name is Umar Khalid and Im not a terrorist, said the most wanted student leader who was among the five who surfaced in the campus after days of hiding. Four others who had disappeared were Anant Prakash Narayan, Ashutosh Kumar, Rama Naga and Anirban Bhattacharya,

One of their leaders, Kanhaiya Kumar, also accused of sedition, is already behind bars in Delhi.

They fear us, they fear our struggles, they fear us because we think, the 28-year-old PhD student said, reffering to the government and its saffron-allies.

As the crowd erupted in loud cheers, Khalid alleged that they were not being hunted down because of a controversial meeting on Kashmir they had organised on February 9. A doctored video clip showed him and other students shouting anti-national slogans in the event. They had not done that.

The attack (on the university) is not because of the program which was organised on February 9, but because the government needs an excuse to attack us, he said.

By this time, Delhi policemen in at least four vans had assembled outside the campus to arrest the fugitives in one of the premium educational institutions in India which has long been known to be a Left bastion.

But a couple of guards at the main gate of the campus towards dingy Munirka neighborhood stopped them and said they wanted to talk to university authorities before allowing them in.

They came and wanted to enter the campus. But we spoke with the authorities who didnt allow them to enter, one of the guards told IANS.

Meanwhile, speeches continued as more students, who were sleeping, woke up to join the protesters. The numbers quickly turned into hundreds. Roughly, 500 to 600, one of the students estimated. Perhaps more.

The energy levels were high and so was the sloganeering even as the apprehensions about a possible police raid continued.

Somebody informed the crowd that the policemen have been denied entry and soon the crowd erupted loudly.

Though the speeches largely revolved around serious topic like liberty, equality and right to speak, there were burst-into-giggle moments as well.

The media also came in for some flak.

One of the speakers, mimicked some Indian TV anchors, shouting, screaming, yelling on the top of their voices, in their noisy news programmes.

Khalid also condemned the media trial that branded him as a terrorist.

I have come to know so many things about myself that I myself did not know, he said.

I dont have a passport, but I learnt (from the media) that Ive been to Pakistan twice. I felt like laughing about how it would be when Jaish-e-Mohammed (terror group) comes to know that someone like me is being linked with them. Perhaps, they will protest in Jhandewalan against such a charge.

As the night grew deeper, the crowd started thinning out. The protests ended around 2.30 a.m. But the protestors stayed around. Soon, the protests gave way to poetry and singing sessions.

They scattered in small groups around bonfires. Some were reciting Hindi, Urdu and English poems. Others were singing in hope of a brighter morning awaiting the dark night.

A few of them found shelters under staircases, corridors or even in the campus lawns to sleep. The policemen still outside, perhaps waiting for an order to enter.

A little past 6 a.m., as the glow filtered across the sky after a long night, many of them awoke to plan more protests for the day.

The brighter morning they were hoping for had not yet dawned.
Wading into the JNU row, IIT-Madras teachers have expressed concern over institutions of higher learning being converted into warzones, saying that calling for the countrys dismemberment and ruin in the name of dissent is not acceptable.

In a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee, the 56 faculty members said there is a need to save educational institutions from the scholarship of abuse and hate and sought his intervention.

We feel concerned about the situation in the country where institutions of higher learning are being converted into war zones by some academicians, politicians and sections of media.

We support intellectual freedom, and alternative views are a must for democracy and creativity. However, there is a deep distortion of the meaning of academic freedom which is leading to a vitiated atmosphere in the campuses, they said.

Read: JNU row: Delhi HC refuses to grant interim protection to Umar, Anirban

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case on February 12 after an event held on the university campus against execution of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He allegedly shouting anti-India slogans during the rally.

Shouting slogans and holding placards, thousands of students and teachers marched through the heart of the national capital on Tuesday to protest the recent suicide of Hyderabad university Kanhaiya Kumar and Kanhaiyas arrest.

They have requested the President to take steps for saving educational institutions from the scholarship of abuse, hate and discord and restoring the atmosphere of sobriety, reflection and harmony necessary for genuine scholarship, Shreepad Karmalkar, a professor and one of the signatories, said in a statement.

Read: Central ministers drove Rohith to commit suicide: Kejriwal

In the name of academic autonomy, angry academics should not wage their ideological wars, nor can an institute campus be beyond the norms of the society outside in matters of abusive and hateful expressions. Calling for dismemberment and ruin of our country in the name of dissent is not acceptable, even in a university, the letter said.
New Delhi: AISA leader Rama Naga, the general secretary of Jawaharlal Nehru University students union (JNUSU), and one of the six JNU students charged with sedition, said the video clippings of the controversial February 9 event have been doctored and that he and his fellow students never raised any anti-India slogans.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Naga said they have complete faith in the judicial system of the country. Excerpts:

What happened on the night of February 9?

I had gone to the administrative block to fix the route of a new bus which has been acquired by JNU when I received a call from a student that the administration had cancelled permission to hold a cultural event Country Without A Post Office just 15 minutes before it was scheduled to take place at 5pm.

The organisers of the event wanted me to ask to the authorities of the university why the permission was denied at such a short notice due to a complaint from ABVP students. I called the registrar and he denied that any permission of this sort had been given. When I told him that the permission letter had the signature of the dean of students welfare, the dean who was sitting next to him at that time said that he was taking back the permission granted earlier. He also said that he was not given the complete details of the event.

The students, who had gathered for the event, then moved away from the badminton court area, where the event was supposed to take place, and went under a tree near the Sabarmati hostel and decided to continue their scheduled programme there. The organisers of the event, who were earlier members of Democratic Students Union (DSU), but are now independent students as they have resigned from organisation, had called some outsiders for this event. These outsiders started raising anti-India slogans at the event and I immediately protested against this. JNUSU office bearers present on the spot opposed such slogans. At the end of the cultural event, the organisers decided to march from Sabarmati to Ganga Dhaba with a mashal(torchlight).

A group of ABVP students had also gathered on the other side of the road of Sabarmati hostel near 24X7 Dhaba. They also had some outsiders with them and were also raising slogans. Seeing trouble ahead and fearing a clash between the two groups, I asked JNUs G4S supervisor Surya Prakash and JNU administration security officer OP Yadav to form a human chain separating the two groups. I was also part of this human chain. Both these groups then marched towards the Ganga Dhaba raising slogans.

What is your take on the alleged anti-India slogans shown in the video clippings on television news channels?

We as JNUSU office bearers opposed the anti-India slogans raised by some outsiders on February 9. We also took out leaflets on February 11, condemning the slogan shouting. We completely disassociated ourselves from this kind of activity. The video clippings have been doctored and at no time during the protests Kanhaiya had raised anti-India slogans. The video of the protest which took place on February 11 at the admin block was taken and audio clips from February 9 protests were merged with it.

Where were you when the police was searching for you?

I along with former JNUSU president Ashutosh and former JNUSU vice-president Anant were near the campus but could not co-operate with the police due to the fear of mob lynching and witch-hunting. Male police officers were entering the womens hostel to pick up students.

My intention, however, was to co-operate with the investigation. I cannot tell the whereabouts of other missing students during this period as I was not in touch with them.

You have been accused of being anti-national? What do you have to say on this?

We are not anti-India or anti-constitutional. We have complete faith in the Constitution . We have complete faith and respect for the unity and integrity of the nation. We love our nation and its people and we also have complete faith in our judicial system.

Read more: Delhi HC refuses to grant interim protection to Umar, Anirban

What do you have to say about the support which you are receiving from the JNU community and the universities around the world?

The way the teachers, students and karamcharis of the university have come in full support of the students union representatives and tried to save the soul of JNU, will be remembered in the history. I am thankful to everyone who came in support.

Security guards form a chain around a JNU building where students accused of sedition have taken shelter. (Sushil Kumar/ HT photo)

What is the plan now?

We are dependent on the vice-chancellor of the university whether he wants to call the police in the campus and get us arrested on not. The V-C should use his power to say no to the entry of police on the campus. But if he allows the police to come in and arrest us then we will fully co-operate with the police and the judicial process. Our VC should write to Delhi Police to rollback the sedition charges against JNU students and all rusticated students should be taken back.

The internal inquiry committee created by the administration to probe the incident should also be reconstituted. We will not appear in front of the committee unless these measures are taken.

People say that JNU is run by tax-payers money and students are using it to promote anti-national activities in the campus? What do you have to say on this?

No doubt institutes like JNU run on tax-payers money, but we are not misusing it. We work to serve our community and we have love for our country. JNU students have contributed a lot to the country by providing many administrators and well-known academicians. The JNU community, including the students union, does not identify itself with the outsiders who had come in the campus and were raising anti-India slogans. Identify the outsiders, or even if any insider was involved in anti-India activity, and let the law of the land be applied to such people.

Tell us something about yourself.

I belong to Ramgiri village of one of the most deprived Koraput district of Odisha. I did my primary level studies in a village school and then moved to a high school three kilometre away. Having completed my Class 12 from a block school and graduation in political science from Vikram Dev College in Jeypore town of Koraput district I came to JNU in 2012.

I am presently in the final year of my MPhil in Centre for Political studies. I am the first student from my area who has come to study in JNU. My father sells bangles moving from one village to another in the area and none of my parents are literate. Our survival depends on the money he earns from this. I am the youngest in the family and have a elder brother and sister.

Read more: Unusual silence on JNU campus but students say wont be silenced

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Two American doctors have argued certain procedures to alter female genitals ought to be tolerated by liberal societies amid a campaign by Dawoodi Bohra women to stop the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM).

Kavita Shah Arora and Allan J Jacobs in their paper have compared FGM, which is considered a violation of child rights by UNICEF, with male circumcision. Jacobs is the director of gynecologic oncology at Coney Island Hospital and teaches bioethics at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York. Arora is an assistant professor of reproductive biology and bioethics at Case Western Reserve University.

In liberal societies that accept male circumcision, room for discussion surrounding the acceptability of FGA exists, the paper, published in the Journal of Medical Ethics by British Medical Journal, says.

The authors say that a small surgical nick or a minimalistic procedure that alters the appearance of a girls genitalia should be allowed as a compromise to the issue of FGM.

Watch: Indias Dark Secret: Female Genital Mutilation

Arora, in an email response, told HT, Despite over thirty years of advocacy, the prevalence of female genital alteration (FGA) remains high and is largely unchanged in regions where it is largely practiced. The current strategy of labeling FGA a human rights violation is flawed medically, ethically, and from a policy perspective.

They have classified five different types of FGM which they call female genital alteration or FGA. The classification is based on the invasiveness and the impact of the procedure on the womans private parts.

We advocate for a novel categorization system for FGA that groups procedures by effect on the female child and not on the process. In this way, we can accept some FGA procedures that have minimal impact on the child (as a compromise position with the potential for improved success versus the current strategy), while continuing to oppose the more deleterious procedures, Arora said.

Read: Each One Reach One: Campaign against female genital mutilation launched

Arora said that both male circumcision and FGA are procedures performed upon the genitalia of minors without their consent and for primarily non-therapeutic reasons.

While male circumcision does decrease the incidence of penile cancer and transmission of sexually-transmitted infections, the main reason for its practice is not for medical benefit but for these religious and or cultural reasons. Therefore, requiring FGA to have medical benefit is an unfair standard since we do not require that of male circumcision.

We re-emphasise that we do not support the more severe FGA procedures, nor would we diminish the international efforts to end the practice of these procedures, authors, however, said.

They have been criticised for their views.

In her response to the paper, Ruth Macklin of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine has said that not all cultural traditions deserve respect. There are many procedures people use to change the natural body, like piercing ears and noses, and having cosmetic surgery, which are done with consent. However, the ears of baby girls are pierced without their consent.

It is a minor procedure and not designed to control women, as is the case with FGA, she said in an email response.

Read: Replace female genital mutilation with new rites, says UN chief

Macklin added that no compromise is ethically acceptable. The only proper response would be for the authorities to enforce a law prohibiting FGA, she said.

Delhi-based publisher Masooma Ranalvi, an anti-FGM activist who was also subjected to the procedure, said that any form of FGM is unacceptable. There are no medical benefits of FGM; it is a strong cultural practice which is steeped in a patriarchal foundation that a womans sexual desire has to be curbed for ensuring sanctity of a marriage, Ranalvi said.

Ranalvi is one of the 17 women in India who have appealed to Union minister of women and child development Maneka Gandhi in an online petition against the practice which is gathering steam with over 45,000 signatures.

Dr Arianne Shahvisi, of the department of ethics at the University of Sussex, has also said a minimalist approach to FGA is unlikely to fulfill the intentions of the procedure.

According to UNICEF, at least 200 million women in 30 countries in the world have been subjected to the procedure. While India does not have a law banning the procedure some countries, including Australia, have banned the custom. It is believed that the procedure is performed to control womens sexual appetite.

Read more about female genital mutilation here
A speech on Sunday night by Umar Khalid, a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student, has gone viral on social media and has been reported widely in mainstream media. What make his speech interesting are his comments on the media and the way sections of the media covered the JNU crackdown.

The Delhi Police have issued a lookout notice against Khalid and four other students. These five students are facing charges of sedition for allegedly raising anti-national slogans in the university campus. The police have so far shown restraint and seem to be handling the situation better than how they did little over a week ago when they stormed into the campus and arrested a student leader, Kanhaiya Kumar, on what now appears to be doctored footage  evidence freely shown by some media outlets who either did not care to check the veracity of the video, or, worse, did not mind in distorting facts in their line of duty.

Read more: JNU row: Police case may suffer setback after journalists claims

Khalid, in his speech, spoke about the battle students across universities are waging, about ways the authorities intimidated his family, how the government is selling India to US interests, that there will be no more Rohiths, among others.

But his comments on the media and its role in distorting the facts about the student agitation are what we need to ponder on. He said that even after it became clear that there were no Jaish-e-Mohammad connection, [the media] has not given a disclaimer, apologised or done anything to correct it, each media house that distorted the facts will have to answer and no one knows how to distort facts and lie better than the media.

Read more: I am Umar Khalid and Im not a terrorist: JNU student returns to campus

Even if one were to ignore the views of a Left-leaning student leader like Khalid, the decline in the credibility of the media cannot be ignored. While this has been a gradual decline reflected in different forms, it took a couple of agitating students to dramatically draw attention to it.

There was a time, in Independent Indias recent past, when the media was associated with words like truth, freedom and justice. Today, unfortunately, thats not the case. Many people fear media persons and loathe what they represent  much like they do the police or goons who masquerade as lawyers.

Perhaps that is why words like dalal, agents and fixers are associated with certain sections of the media. Perhaps that is why when a minister chooses a derogatory tag like presstitutes, many people nod in agreement.

If the JNU crackdown and the events that followed have exposed something, more than the agenda of the central government or the conduct of the Delhi Police force, it is the partisan and irresponsible sections of the media in India.

Read more: Kanhaiya sedition case falls if doctored tape aired: Legal experts

This is not the first, nor will it be the last, time the media are being caught on the wrong foot. But this is disturbingly important because it is one of those rare occasions when both sections of social and mainstream media simultaneously misrepresented facts, vilified innocent people and misguided the nation.

The advent of social media was seen as an antidote to the firm grip media outlets had on the dissemination of information. With platforms like Twitter and Facebook, news no longer was the propriety of a select few  social media, in that sense, democratised access to information. The flow of news, since then, has shifted to such an extent that it is often social media that decides the narrative in the mainstream.

The JNU crackdown, in this light, is a unique example and a case study of how both social and mainstream media can form a symbiotic pair where one feeds on the other.

Serious questions remain for the media to answer. More checks and balances on the media by the government  which would eventually mean curbing the shrinking space for press freedom  will be counter-productive. But at the same time, how much has self-regulation helped? Has the Press Council of India, set up with the object of preserving the freedom of the press and of maintaining and improving the standards of press in India been able to take appropriate steps? An irony in this is that any corrective measures in the media will have to come from within... but, like the question in the fable, Who will bell the cat?

Read more: JNU sedition row: When media became part of the story

However, there are positives too to take away from these recent developments. The way sections of the media, and well-known journalists, have conducted themselves has left little to doubt about their ideological leanings and journalistic credentials. Hopefully the veneer of credibility, the alleged for-the-people stand and the moral authority with which they have been going about doing journalism will now take a serious beating. The sensationalism that was till now being dressed up as news, will give way for more relevant issues, constructive dialogues and meaningful debates.

There is hope that things will change for the better because the one thing that distinguishes journalism from gossip is credibility, which is lost the moment people realise that what is being peddled as news is nothing but an agenda. And no matter how loud you shout, a fake video is no evidence  not even for a phoney media trial.

Today, more than ever, the media has to look within and turn those difficult questions about professionalism and objectivity onto itself. Its not an easy process, but purgation never is.

It is only when these sandcastles of credibility crumble and these Trojan horses of neutrality are exposed will journalism start its ascent to its rightful place in the eyes of the people  as the fourth pillar of this democracy. Failing this, in the popular psyche of the nation, the media will find itself snugly placed along with primetime TV soap operas  as nothing but TRP-generating, highly-entertaining evening circuses meant to entertain and distract the people.

Read more: Sedition case: HC notice to Delhi Police on Kanhaiyas bail plea

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Fliers in Patna can now heave a sigh of relief. For, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has finally issued aerodrome licence to the Jai Prakash Narayan International airport here.

Though essentially a technical formality, the grant of licence broadly means that the DGCA has certified the airport safe for operations. The Patna airport caters to 21 daily scheduled flights, which will go up to 24 in the summer schedule from March 27.

The DGCA had introduced the system of issuing licences to airports in India in 2006. However, since the Patna airport did not conform to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) norms, the DGCA had withheld its licence. The DGCA had even classified it among 13 critical airports in India.

Airport director RS Lahoria said: We worked on the deficiencies pointed out by the DGCA and addressed them in the last nine months. We sent the action taken report some 2-3 months ago and the DGCAs approval finally came through.

Among the many deficiencies the DGCA had pointed out were lack of full-scale mock drill exercise, pruning of trees on runway-25 (zoo end), basic strip (ideally should be 150 metres from the centre-line of runway, but the Patna airport has sought exemption) and runway end safety area (a 90x90 metre sand pit at the end of runway to stop a plane from overshooting the runway).

The Airports Authority of India was also tasked with removing mobile towers, which came in the approach funnel of the runway. Besides, it also had to set up runway visual range (RVR) equipment (gives electronic reading of runway) and extend the approach light from 220 metres to 420 metres. Together, these will help reduce the minimum visibility, which is 1200 metres now, required for flight operation, reducing flight delays, especially during winters.

The Patna airport was also mandated to remove rubber deposits on runway, to make the coefficient of runway friction efficient for aircraft safety. An Alliance Air jet had crashed in Patna in July 2000, killing more than 50 people on board.

Safety audits undertaken by the DGCA thereafter had declared it unsafe for operations. The DGCA had even threatened to re-notify the runway length and restrict air operation to smaller aircraft like turbo jets.

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Another special train from Chandigarh departed for Delhis Anand Vihar station at 11am on Tuesday, carrying over 1,200 passengers. But the other trains remain cancelled for the fifth consecutive day, and bus services continued to be disrupted till the filing of this report late afternoon.

No direct bus was available for Delhi. This happened despite reports that the NH-1 was now open. In all, 150 Haryana Roadways buses did depart from Chandigarh but mostly for Ambala, 15 up to Karnal and six for Panipat. Only one Punjab Roadways bus left for Meerut, which is the alternative route to the national capital.

The train would reach Delhi after six hours, via Ambala, Saharanpur, Meerut and Ghaziabad, and then make the journey back starting 10.30pm. A special train had departed for the Anand Vihar station via this western Uttar Pradesh route at 4.30pm on Monday too.
Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has warned state Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh to be prepared for the third consecutive defeat at the hands of the Akali-BJP alliance in the 2017 assembly elections.

Interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of a sangat darshan programme in Lambi assembly segment here on Monday, Badal said the Captains dream of forming the government would be shattered in 2017 and the alliance would give a crushing defeat to him and his party.

Badal said the wise people of the state had rejected Amarinders royal style of politics for two consecutive terms, adding that they would do it yet again.

On the sops being announced by Amarinder to woo voters, the chief minister said the state Congress president knew very well that he would not come to power, so he was desperately promising the moon to everybody.

The SAD-BJP government has delivered everything promised to the people. Punjab is witnessing an era of overall development and prosperity, Badal said.

On Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals upcoming Punjab tour, Badal said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leaders would have no bearing on the state polity.

FARMER SUICIDES: CENTRE MUST TAKE STEPS, SAYS CM

On farmer suicides, the chief minister said the Union government must initiate steps to resolve this problem, which was the result of low income and high agricultural inputs.

Low agriculture production due to decrease in land holdings is another reason due to which farmers are forced to take the extreme step. The state government is completely aware of this problem and every possible effort is being made to supplement farmers income by encouraging them to enter the allied farming sector and motivating the youth to go for skill training, he added.

The chief minister expressed concern at the loss of life and property in Haryana due to the ongoing Jat agitation.

Badal held sangat darshan programmes in the villages of Chappianwali, Kolianwali, Dhani Kundan Singh, Dhani Barki and Burj Sidhwan under the Lambi assembly segment.
Congress workers gheraoed Sultanwind police station on Monday after a party worker and his son were allegedly thrashed by three SAD leaders on Sunday.

Babbu Gareeb, a social worker from Sultanwind and his son Raju, were allegedly beaten up by three SAD leaders identified as Rinku, his brother Raju and their friend Babblu, all residents of Tej Nagar, first at their own house and then were later taken to the house of the accused, where they were bashed up again and thrown out.

The duo has been admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital with injuries in their head, forehead and legs. The police were earlier avoiding registration of a case against the accused. The supporters of the injured claimed that on being quizzed about the development, the cops initially feigned ignorance about the matter.

Thereafter, the protesters literally lifted the injured from the hospital and brought them to the police station following which the cops booked the accused under sections 365, 452, 324, 323, 342, 506, 148, 149 of the IPC and sections 25, 27 of the Arms Act, which left the Congress workers incensed again as they wanted an attempt to murder case to be registered against the accused.

On Monday, more than 500 irate Congressmen and residents of Tej Nagar and Sultanwind, led by District Congress Committee (DCC) rural president Gurjit Singh Aujla, former MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) secretary Dinesh Bassi, besieged Sultanwind police station seeking action against the accused including their arrest and invocation of section 307 (Attempt to murder) of the IPC in the case.

The protesters have given the cops two days to do so, failing which they have warned of besieging the office of the Amritsar police commissioner. Mondays siege lasted for about five hours. With the protesters threatening to besiege the office of the Amritsar police commissioner, senior police officials and a sub divisional magistrate (SDM) visited the spot. The dharna was lifted after the officials visiting the spot assured the protesters that their demand would be fulfilled.

Talking to the media, Gurjit Singh Aujla, DCC (rural) president, said he had received complaints from the residents of Tej Nagar that the accused possessed weapons and were often seen firing in the air, which unleashed tension in the area. Their arms licenses should be cancelled, he demanded.

Charging the accused with dabbling in drug peddling, the protesters demanded the arrest of the accused and registration of an attempt to murder case against them. Inspector Manjit Singh, SHO, Sultanwind police station, said no arrests have been made yet in the case as the accused are absconding. Efforts are being made to arrest them, he said.
Congress workers gheraoed Sultanwind police station on Monday after a party worker and his son were allegedly thrashed by three SAD leaders on Sunday.

Babbu Gareeb, a social worker from Sultanwind and his son Raju, were allegedly beaten up by three SAD leaders identified as Rinku, his brother Raju and their friend Babblu, all residents of Tej Nagar, first at their own house and then were later taken to the house of the accused, where they were bashed up again and thrown out.

The duo has been admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital with injuries in their head, forehead and legs. The police were earlier avoiding registration of a case against the accused. The supporters of the injured claimed that on being quizzed about the development, the cops initially feigned ignorance about the matter.

Thereafter, the protesters literally lifted the injured from the hospital and brought them to the police station following which the cops booked the accused under sections 365, 452, 324, 323, 342, 506, 148, 149 of the IPC and sections 25, 27 of the Arms Act, which left the Congress workers incensed again as they wanted an attempt to murder case to be registered against the accused.

On Monday, more than 500 irate Congressmen and residents of Tej Nagar and Sultanwind, led by District Congress Committee (DCC) rural president Gurjit Singh Aujla, for mer MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) secretary Dinesh Bassi, besieged Sultanwind police station seeking action against the accused including their arrest and invocation of section 307 (Attempt to murder) of the IPC in the case.

The protesters have given the cops two days to do so, failing which they have warned of besieging the office of the Amritsar police commissioner. Mondays siege lasted for about five hours. With the protesters threatening to besiege the office of the Amritsar police commissioner, senior police officials and a sub divisional magistrate (SDM) visited the spot. The dharna was lifted after the officials visiting the spot assured the protesters that their demand would be fulfilled.

Talking to the media, Gurjit Singh Aujla, DCC (rural) president, said he had received complaints from the residents of Tej Nagar that the accused possessed weapons and were often seen firing in the air, which unleashed tension in the area. Their arms licenses should be cancelled, he demanded.

Charging the accused with dabbling in drug peddling, the protesters demanded the arrest of the accused and registration of an attempt to murder case against them. Inspector Manjit Singh, SHO, Sultanwind police station, said no arrests have been made yet in the case as the accused are absconding. Efforts are being made to arrest them, he said.
Lashing out at Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Capt Amarinder Singh for calling Delhi chief minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal as incompetent CM, Congress turncoat Sukhpal Khaira on Tuesday said that the Congress MP must explain his callous role as a legislator and as a parliamentarian first.

Praising Kejriwal, Khaira said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener has completed one year as a very successful CM, who introduced innovative working like the odd-even number scheme, besides rooting out corruption from Delhi, while Capt has completely failed to play the role of an effective and an efficient leader of the opposition.

As per the RTI, during his tenure as MLA in the 13th Vidhan Sabha, Capt Amarinder Singh only attended house proceedings for 13 days. Similarly, during his stint as MLA in the 14th Vidhan Sabha, Amarinder, before being elected as MP from Amritsar, attended assembly proceedings for only 3 days, Khaira said in a press statement.

Capt. Amarinder Singh not only remained absent as a legislator, but even on the days he attended the Vidhan Sabha sessions, he just sat as a mute spectator and never participated in any meaningful discussions or debates, he said.

As per RTI information, Capt never raised a single question during the Question Hour as an MLA in 2007-12. Neither did he utilise the facility of calling attention motion in the same term, he added.

He said Amarinder, in order to defend himself, did speak for 3 hours and 8 minutes during the 2007-12 sessions, but he miserably failed to indulge in any debate in the Vidhan Sabha proceedings from 2012-14, as he is on record of speaking for only 3 minutes and 36 seconds.

His record is no better as Amritsar MP, he said.

Amarinder has utterly failed to perform his duties as an important leader of the opposition towards his party and the people of Punjab. It is because of such callous, inefficient and ineffective leaders that the graph of Congress party has declined substantially, he said.
While observing that state should be given more time for restoring normalcy, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday asked the Haryana government to file status report on Jat agitation by Monday. The agitation has claimed 19 lives and caused extensive damage to public and private property.

A division bench comprising justices S K Mittal and H S Sidhu gave the directions to the states advocate general BR Mahajan on a PIL filed by Bhiwani resident Murari Lal Gupta. The petitioner alleged that there is no law and order situation in the whole of Haryana particularly Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jind districts. He submitted that the whole of Rohtak has been converted into ashes due to acts of arson, violence and vandalism.

The bench hoped that the people of Haryana will understand the situation and keep calm. The court said that all political parties and their leaders should think about the welfare of people.

Let Haryana remain Haryana as it is known. Otherwise it will go back by 50 years, the bench observed. The petitioner submitted that there is atmosphere of terror in Haryana and the ground reality as is being projected by the government is far from truth.

The bench also asked the AG of Haryana to prepare an inventory of the deaths and loss suffered by the innocent people. Otherwise at a later stage even the insurance companies may deny the relief on the ground that the files are not available, the bench observed.

The AG pointed out that two petitions in this regard are also pending before the Supreme Court which are likely to be taken up on Wednesday.
The members of the Jat community on Tuesday lifted blockades from Mayyar and Ramayan village of the district after the deputy commissioner assured them that the government has agreed upon their demand of reservation.

Talking to HT, All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) district president Rambhagat said: We are lifting blockades as the same has been done by the protesters in Rohtak and Sampla. The deputy commissioner Chander Shakher Khare, visited our dharna spot on Monday late night and assured us that the government is working on giving us reservation. So, we decided to ask youth to lift blockades from Hisar, Adampur, Agroha and Kajla by 10 am on Tuesday morning, he said.

Talking about the incidents of violence, he said: I want to clarify that not even a single Jat youths was involved in any kind of arson and violence in Hisar district. We protested peacefully and if something has happened in Hisar city, we were not involved in it.

Meanwhile, curfew will impose in Hisar and in some villages of Hansi sub-division after 100 to 150 youths gathered in the city and went on a rampage, smashing car windows and breaking in shops at Red square market.

Deputy commissioner Chander Shakher Khare said, Curfew was relaxed in Hisar and Hansi between 6am to 8am. But curfew was reinforced in the disrict. Police and army have been conducting flag march to restore peace in the city. We have requested everyone to stay indoors during curfew.

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Contrary to other farmers claims of harvesting less yield of potato during this season due to extreme cold, a progressive farmer of Jai Singh Wala village claimed to have harvested a better crop this time using a bed plantation technique at his farm.

Jagmohan Singh, also sarpanch of the village, who is growing potato on 83 acres of land, has successfully doubled his earning using some innovative farming tips.

Normally one-acre farm gives around 100 to 125 quintals of potato yield to the farmers using the ridge plantation method, but with this bed plantation method, I am successfully procuring 170 quintals of potato per acre, Jagmohan said.

SHIFTING FROM RIDGE TO BED PLANTATION

Jagmohan said that earlier they had adopted th e36-inch bed technique in which they used to sow two rows of potatoes and used the traditional furrow irrigation method to irrigate the crop from both sides.

In the 36-inch bed plantation, it takes 32-35 half-quintal seed bags for an acre, which produces a yield of 135 quintals per acre.

In a new experiment, I have broadened the ridge from 36 inches to 72 inches and switched to the sprinkler irrigation method, said Jagmohan, who has been cultivating potatoes with this new technique for last two years.

In the 72-inch bed, the farmer, who has to specially extend the breadth of his tractor to make it run on a broadened bed, is now sowing five rows of potato on a single bed resulting in increase of yield to 170 quintals per acre with mere 40-45 half-quintal bags of seed giving a profit of Rs 1 lakh per acre.

While, the ridge plantation method could only give you a maximum profit of Rs 40,000 per acre, as that consumes extra electricity for water and needs extra fertilisers and pesticides.

BENEFITS OF BED PLANTATION TECH

Jaswinder Singh Brar, agriculture development officer (ADO), said that the bed plantation technique not only helps to increase the yield of the crop, but it is very helpful for a healthy crop as well.

It increases water using efficiency of the crop, helps in absorbing nutrients and smoothens the aeration facility of the crop which ultimately gives good results, he said.

Experts said that the furrow irrigation method not only wastes water, but a flood of water becomes hindrance for the crop to absorb nutrients.

In this bed method, I use only 15 kg urea in an acre while other farmers spray quintals of urea in one acre which increases nitrogen in the crop which is unhealthy for the consumer, Jagmohan said.

PADDY STRAW AS FERTILISER

The farmer has also stopped the practise of burning straw, left after harvesting of paddy crop and is using it as fertiliser in his farms, which is also contributing to produce a good crop.

I have imported a straw-chopper mulcher from Italy, which helps to shred the straw in bits, which is then ploughed into the soil for decomposition and helps to make micro-flora and microorganisms in the soil to make it healthy, Jagmohan said.

OTHER CROPS

ADO Jaswinder said that farmers could also sow other crops, including wheat, all type of vegetables, sunflowers, maize and sugarcane using the bed plantation technique.

Sowing a crop on beds could reduce the usage of irrigation by 40% and will be helpful in saving water, he added
The PGI Nurses Welfare Association on Tuesday declared that the nurses of the institute at Chandigarh are going to join the protest called by All India Nurses Federation by taking a mass casual leave on February 26.

President of the association, Lakhvinder Singh said that a majority of the nurses of the PGIMER have already handed over duly filled casual leave porforma to the association in advance for submission to the PGI administration. He claimed that the mass casual leave action will be a complete success.

The Association will also take part in all future actions called by the federation on all India level, including indefinite strike in case government is still adamant for not accepting the demands of the nurses, he said.

The PGI administration is also not accepting the demand of the association to frame the 6-hour duty roster for the newly recruited nurses in the PGI. We will agitate on this issue too until this demand is not accepted by the administration, Singh said.
: Teachers Eligibility Test (TET)-pass and unemployed ETT teachers staged a rally at the Teachers Home here on Monday, but failed to hold a protest march as the police locked them in the building of the Teachers Home for three hours and released them after 4pm.

State committee member of the TET Pass BEd Unemployed ETT Action Committee, Punjab, Jagpreet Singh, said that they staged a rally to highlight their demands and to protest against the faulty educational policies of the Punjab government.

He said that they had planned to hold a protest march from Teachers Home to the deputy commissioners office and to give a memorandum there, but the police locked the gates of the building and stopped them from coming out to organise the protest march.

Jagpreet said since 2011, as many as 6,500 ETT candidates had cleared the TET by December 2015, but the government has announced to fill only 4,500 posts of ETT teachers and about 2,000 ETT TET pass candidates will remain jobless after clearing the TET while many of them are going to be overage soon.

He said, The education department accepted in an RTI response that there are about 10,417 posts of ETT teachers are vacant in government primary schools, but the government will fill only 4,500 posts.

State committee member Ravinder Kamboj said a meeting had been fixed with deputy commissioner on Tuesday to arrange a meeting of teachers with chief minister Prakash Singh Badal. If the government failed to accept their demands, they would intensify the agitation, he added.
All India Youth Congress (AIYC) chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has appealed to the rank-and-file of the Congress party to maintain unity as infighting could ruin the chances of the party in the next assembly polls.

At times the fault for our defeat does not lie with the electorate. The fault lies in our own party as those who do not get party tickets for the assembly poll, decide to rebel and contest as independents, he pointed out while appealing to all Congressmen to always remain united, no matter what the circumstances are.

Addressing a public rally organised by the Punjab unit of the Youth Congress at Nawanpind village in the Jandiala assembly segment on Sunday, he said at the time of the elections, partymen should sink whatever personnel differences that they may be having with each other. The rally was part of the Kuch Suniye, Kuch Sunaiye, Congress Ko Vapis Le Aaye programme that has been launched by the Youth Congress and will cover all the 117 assembly segments of the state. Under this programme, before addressing the rally, Raja Warring interacted with the people to know about their grievances and difficulties. So far, he has covered 20 assembly segments and hopes to complete the task in the next two months.

Whatever issues or problems that the people highlight will be taken note of. Then we will include some of these issues in the election manifesto of the party. So our manifesto for the next polls will be a peoples manifesto, he added while interacting with a farmer who complained of the low prices that they get for their produce in the mandis.

A young speaker complained of the fake criminal cases that were registered against some of his friends in his village as they supported the Congress in the last assembly polls, the AIYC chief said such cases have been registered all over Punjab.

He made it clear that if the Congress comes to power in Punjab, the officials behind the registration of such cases will have to account for their acts.
Parents of newborns will now be kept informed about the immunisation schedules of their infants, as the Ludhiana administration has launched a short message service (SMS) facility to keep them updated.

Deputy commissioner Ravi Bhagat on Tuesday formally launched the M-Sehat scheme, in which mobile phones would be used under Mother Child Tracking System (MCTS) for immunisation of infants.

An SMS would be sent to the parents of children reminding them about immunisation of the child at the nearby health centre or hospital.

The messages will be sent in English as well as Punjabi keeping in view the rural and urban population of the district.

Bhagat said, M-Sehat is a mobile SMS facility through which parents of the child and area Auxiliary Nursing Midwife (ANM) will be intimated about the childs immunisation from time to time for a period of one year.

He said, The facility aims at ensuring that no child is left without proper immunisation. Six very important injections are to be administered to a newly born child in the first year of birth and if they are left, it affects the childs health.

Bhagat said, It has been noticed that some parents forget about the vaccination dates of their children due to which the childs health suffers. In some cases, even the ANMs forget to intimate parents on time. But, this facility will resolve such issues.

He said, These SMSes will include details such as parents name, childs name, immunisation date and address of nearby government dispensary or hospital. These messages will be sent every Tuesday and Thursday. But, the messages will not be delivered on mobile phones with Do Not Disturb option activated.

Civil surgeon Dr Renu Chhatwal said, The SMS facility will allow the parents to know about their nearest health centre. Those people who have registered their children with the health department will be informed through SMS.

District immunisation officer Dr Balwinder Singh said, The health department will also launch a mobile app that will have similar features. It will communicate the dates of immunisation and other relevant information to the parents, who have downloaded the app.
Veteran Malayalam actor Mohanlals blog exhorting people to respect their right to freedom and soldiers who valiantly fight to defend the country has triggered widespread reactions.

In the blog titled How can we live after the death of India, Mohanlal commented on the issue of nationalism and spoke about soldiers and their sacrifice for the country instead of directly commenting on the ongoing controversy in Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Many criticised the actor, also a lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army, for mixing patriotism with events unfolding in JNU. Angry left student outfits organised protest marches on some campuses and some reports also said the superstars posters were torn and smeared with black paint in some places.

Read: What good is us living when India is dying, asks Mohanlal

Without mentioning JNU, the actor, an avid blogger, talked about Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Sudheesh who died recently without ever meeting his five-month-old daughter.

He wrote that it is shameful that those who sit in the comfort of their homes speak about freedom and nationalism. He wrote in Malayalam that while it is important to respect freedom and it is equally important to respect the price at which it comes.

We cover ourselves in thick blankets at the first sign of chill. We have hot water to brush and bath. After utilising these comforts we go to universities and colleges to discuss about our soldiers, abuse and question them. Our country is the soil we stand on, the air we breathe, water we drink and finally we will part of it when die, he said in the post.

Malayalam director Vinayan said his position would only help politicians who want to exploit the mounting divisive tendencies in the country. No doubt anti-nationals should be punished. But mixing patriotism with freedom of expression raises some suspicion, he wrote on his blog.

CPI(M) legislator MB Rajesh also criticised the actor asking him to read the last letter of Rohith Vemula, the Dalit student who committed suicide on University of Hyderabad campus.

Many left-leaning writers and intellectuals too criticised his blog saying it surfaced at an inappropriate time.

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The most celebrated of filmmakers do not have it easy in todays India -- where in addition to quirky censorship, political and quasi-political organisations impede screenings with their dogmatic views. So, when the young Kerala director, Sanalkumar Sasidharan, decided to title his upcoming movie Sexy Durga, it ought to have called for enormous guts.

In a telephone conversation from his home in Thiruvananthapuram, he told this writer this morning that he would not change the title of his film, whose shoot begins on March 20. To be completed in a single schedule, Sexy Durga, will have just 10 scenes (or shots, as he calls them) playing over 100 minutes or so.

The story and screenplay of Sexy Durga has been written by Sasidharan who says he will not change the title of his film. (Sanalkumar Sasidharan)

Rajshree Despande -- who was part of Pan Nalins 2015 Angry Indian Goddesses -- will essay the lead in Sexy Durga.

Read: Madhavans return to Tamil cinema is actioner Vikram Vedha

The story and screenplay, written by Sasidharan, will convey what he feels is a painful reality in this country today. While women are revered and worshipped as mothers and daughters, they are also exploited and subject to terrible cruelty by the society, he says.

Sasidharan, known for his powerfully evocative cinema, made An Off-Day Game in 2015, which traces the adventure of five men whose holiday fun of boozing and banter turns viciously cruel. (Sanalkumar Sasidharan)

Sexy Durga will convey through a fictionalised true story how the community dishonours and demeans a woman when she is sexually abused, sensationalising the incident and viewing the outrage as a social, religious and political issue. Never as a humanitarian issue. Women continue to be treated as commodities, especially in Kerala, Sasidharan regrets.

Sasidharan is known for his powerfully evocative cinema. His earlier An Off-Day Game, which was screened at National Film Development Corporation of Indias Film Bazaar in Goa last November, traces the adventure of five men whose holiday fun of boozing and banter turns viciously cruel.

Miruthan review: Nothing novel about the first Tamil zombie film

An Off-Day Game, based on a best-selling short story by Malayalam writer R Unni, is deeply intriguing. (Sanalkumar Sasidharan)

Set in a desolate bungalow, we see the men getting drunk and arguing about who would kill the rooster. Soon, other arguments keep the group exercised, allegations and counter-allegations, providing both a pastime and cause for rancour. One of the men is so livid that he walks out of the bungalow in pouring rain -- till the others chase him, cajole him for many minutes before he agrees to return to what threatens to become a terribly tragic party.

Sethupathi review: A film for Vijay, and he has to win

An Off-Day Game -- based on a best-selling short story by Malayalam writer R Unni --is deeply intriguing, exploring subjects like political corruption, caste prejudices and colour discrimination. Many layered and crisply narrated, the movie is compelling, and is all set to travel the festival circuit.

Sexy Durga may well turn out to be as riveting as an An Off-Day Game, the title adding to the allure.

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Ten months after two earthquakes devastated Nepal, the bodies of 48 unidentified victims are rotting in a Kathmandu hospital because of the lack of refrigeration facilities.

Hospital authorities have asked the government to dispose of the body parts, kept in 33 packets, immediately as there is a fear of the spread of diseases.

We believe the packets contain parts of 48 individuals. They are in very bad state as the refrigerated container stopped functioning two months ago, said Rijen Shrestha of the Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH).

The bodies are of victims who lost their lives in Kathmandu Valley, Dolakha district and Langtang in Rasuwa district, a popular trekking route where more than 100 local residents and foreigners were believed to have died.

We have identified the gender of some bodies. Some foreigners are there as well, but since many bodies were just skeletons when they were brought here, we cant be certain, Shrestha said.

The problem arose when the refrigerated container, in which the bodies were stored, stopped functioning and the hospital authorities couldnt find anyone to repair it.

With temperatures in the Kathmandu Valley rising with each passing day, the bodies have started decomposing at a very fast rate. This prompted the hospital to ask for their disposal.

We have formed a committee to take care of the problem. They will identify a place to bury the bodies and dispose of them as soon as possible, Ram Krishna Subedi, chief district officer of Kathmandu, told Hindustan Times.

He said the bodies could not be cremated as relatives of the victims might seek possession of the remains. Hence, they will be buried in carefully prepared containers.

Last years earthquakes in April and May claimed nearly 9,000 victims in 14 of the worst affected districts. Dozens of bodies are still believed to be buried under rubble at many places.

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Priti Patel, Britains minister of state for employment, believes exiting the European Union will provide a massive boost to relations with India, and help develop stronger trade links allegedly hampered by EU laws.

Patel, 43, born in London to an Indian family that migrated from Uganda, is one of the high profile ministers in the David Cameron government who have joined the Brexit camp campaigning for Britain to vote to leave the EU in the June 23 referendum.

She told Hindustan Times: Voting to leave the European Union would be a massive boost to UK-India relations. New opportunities for the UK and India to cooperate more closely and develop stronger trading links would emerge as the UK re-aligns its foreign policy and trade priorities.

Patel, who holds a position called Indian diaspora champion and attends cabinet meetings, said the community can make a real and positive difference to the future of Britain and India by voting to leave the EU.

Citizens of the Commonwealth over the age of 18 and living in the UK can vote in the referendum.

Over the last 40 years, the UKs membership of the EU has acted as a barrier to developing trade and investment partnerships with the rest of the world, including India. Remaining within the EU will mean the UK will be in a weaker position to forge the closer trading ties that would benefit the Indian and UK economies, Patel said.

Importantly, an independent Britain free from the EU can ensure that we realise the full potential of our special relationship with India, she said. Patel was closely involved in Prime Minister Narendra Modis November visit to London, and recently travelled to India.

British businesses, including those set up and established by members of the diaspora living in the UK, are eager to access the Indian market and build mutually beneficial trade deals with businesses in India, she said.

Although the focus of the Conservative government on enhancing our relationship with India has led to an increase in trade since 2010, we could go further if we were not held back by the vested self-interests of the EU, Patel said.

Indeed, one of the reasons why our trading links with India were inadequate when we came to government in 2010 was because of the focus that Britain had given to trade within Europe as a result of membership of the EU.

According to Patel, in contrast to what was happening in India on the economic front, the EU was on a downward spiral with high unemployment, little or no growth, and economies in crisis.

While the EU is losing influence globally and becoming increasingly inward-looking, India is taking a leadership role on the world stage. The UK shares Indias outward-looking worldview and is keen to work more closely with India to support its ascent. In closer partnership together we can support more free trade and cooperate on other issues such as international security, she said.

I know that many members of the Indian diaspora find it deeply unfair that other EU nationals effectively get special treatment. This can and will change if Britain leaves the EU. A vote to leave the EU is a vote to bring back control over immigration policy to the UK.

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When three American astronauts heard what they described as outer spacey music while orbiting the moon in 1969, they discussed whether they should tell their superiors about the weird sounds because no one would believe them.

The audio recordings of those sounds, made while the Apollo 10 spacecraft passed the dark side of the Moon and was out of radio contact with the Earth for about an hour, lay buried in Nasas archives for nearly 50 years.

Transcripts of the conversation between astronauts Eugene Cernan, Thomas Stafford and John Young were released in 2008 but the actual recordings of the sounds were declassified only recently. They have now been used on an episode of Nasas Unexplained Files, a show on the Discovery channel.

That music even sounds outer-spacey, doesnt it? You hear that? That whistling sound? one of the astronauts is heard saying on the recording

Did you hear that whistling sound too? Stafford, the flight commander, is heard asking. Cernan replied: Yes. Sounds like - you know, outer-space type music.

Cernan described the sounds as weird music while Young said they would have to find out about that.

The astronauts discussed whether they should tell others about the sounds. Thats just like something from outer space, really. Whos going to believe it? Cernan asked. Nobody. Shall we tell them about it? Young replied.

Cernan then said they ought to think about it some.

The origin of the sounds are still not clear but sceptics say they were a technical glitch or caused by interference from VHF radios in the lunar module and command module that were close to each other. Scientists have also said the sounds could have been caused by charged particles interacting with a planets magnetic field.

A statement from NASA quoted Cernan as suggesting the sounds were probably just radio interference. He added: I dont remember that incident exciting me enough to take it seriously.

Michael Collins, the pilot of the Apollo 11 spacecraft that carried Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the Moon, said he too had heard an eerie woo-woo sound. But he wrote in his book, Carrying the Fire: An Astronauts Journeys, that NASA radio technicians had warned him in advance about interference between two radios resulting in such sounds.

Had I not been warned about it, it would have scared the hell out of me, he wrote.
Pakistans parliament on Tuesday became the worlds first to run fully on solar power.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the solar power system, which provides 62MW to the parliament and a surplus 18MW to the national grid.

The project was completed in seven months at a cost of Rs280.61 million. First announced in 2014, the venture was funded by China as an act of friendship. It was officially launched during President Xi Jinpings visit last year.

Sharid said, It is encouraging to note that the parliaments solar plant will not only meet its own energy requirements but the additional electricity will contribute to the national grid.

The solar plant will help the parliament save around Rs12 million in electricity bills every year, officials said.

Munawar Abbas Shah, special secretary at the National Assembly, told the media earlier that this is the first project of its kind in a public building in Pakistan, and more public buildings will be converted to solar power.
The student protests in India are a result of the inevitable clash between left and right ideologies but they are unlikely to shake Prime Minster Narendra Modis government, Chinese state media said in a rare opinion piece on the unrest.

The focus of the protests is the right to free speech but at the heart of the debate is the wide ideological divide between the RSS and BJP on one side, and the left-leaning Jawaharlal Nehru University and liberals on the other, said the piece in the nationalistic Global Times newspaper.

The Communist Party of China (CPC)-ruled country has a history of violence against students, most infamously in 1989, when the military opened fire and deployed tanks at Tiananmen Square in Beijing to suppress a student-led pro-reform and democracy movement.

The students wanted political reform but CPC elders clamped down on the agitation with, what many say, was disproportionate force.

In October 2014 and again earlier this month, the Chinese government quelled student protests with force in the financial hub of Hong Kong.

India-based Chinese state media has kept reportage on the students protests restricted to news reports. The Global Times opinion piece is possibly the first one to share an opinion on what a section of academics in China thinks about the demonstrations.

Ever since Indian PM Narendra Modi took office, left-wing forces that uphold secularism have always been lashing out at the BJP and its political offshoot Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for promoting Hindutva (Hindu nationalism), hampering the freedom of expression and jeopardising Indias tentative harmony, Zhang Shujian from the influential China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) wrote.

Zhang traced events from last years beef ban and attacks on social activists by right-wing forces, saying it angered Indian intellectuals and cultural figures and prompted the debate on intolerance.

Facing the accusation, the BJP has not flinched, but engaged in the debate against the left wing with great fanfare. Being pushed to the eye of the storm in the ideological confrontation was only a matter of time for the JNU, a traditional front of Indias left wing, Zhang added.

But the protests are unlikely to shake Modis hold on power or popularity, the writer concluded.

In the by-elections on February 13, the BJP won four out of 12 seats, including Muzaffarnagar, the worst-hit area of communal clashes between the Hindu and Muslim communities. This reflects that the controversy, for the moment, is not strong enough to shake Modis throne, Zhang wrote.
An Indo-Canadian Sikh comedian was forced to take off his turban at a US Airport during a routine security check, just weeks after a Sikh-American actor was barred from boarding a flight in Mexico for refusing to take off his turban.

Jasmeet Singh, more popularly known as JusReign on YouTube, wrote about the incident on Twitter, NewYork Daily reported.

So the (agents) made me take off my turban in extra screening or they said I wouldnt be able to be let through to catch my flight, he tweeted.

so the @tsa made me take off my turban in extra screening or they said I wouldn't be able to be let through to catch my flight  Jasmeet Singh (@JusReign) February 22, 2016

After finding absolutely nothing wrong because a turban is just cloth and the whole thing is stupid I ask for a mirror to tie it back again.

after finding absolutely nothing wrong because a turban is just cloth and the whole thing is stupid I ask for a mirror to tie it back again  Jasmeet Singh (@JusReign) February 22, 2016

The agent tells me there are no mirrors and that I can just walk down the terminal to the nearest restroom without my turban on, Singh tweeted.

the agent tells me there are no mirrors and that I can just walk down the terminal to the nearest restroom 



without my turban on   Jasmeet Singh (@JusReign) February 22, 2016

Turbans are mandatory in public for Sikh men, and are worn to protect the hair, as well as to convey a sense of identity.

On February 9, Waris Ahluwalia, a Sikh-American actor, model and designer, was barred from boarding an Aeromexico flight from Mexico City to New York after he refused to remove his turban during a security check.

Read: Turban flight: Designer Waris Ahluwalia not allowed to board flight

The incident garnered swift condemnation from the fashion industry.

Mexicos flag carrier later apologised to the 41-year-old actor saying it recognises and is proud of the diversity of its passengers.

We apologise to Mr Waris Ahluwalia for the bad experience he went through with one of our security personnel, Aeromexico said in a statement.
Justin Trudeau will become the first Canadian Prime Minister ever to take part in a pride parade organised by the LGBT community in Toronto.

This years Parade will make Canadian history, with Justin Trudeau participating as the first ever sitting Prime Minister to march, Pride Toronto said in a statement on Monday.

Trudeau, responding to Pride Torontos announcement on social media, tweeted saying Very much look forward to being there again, this time as PM.

Trudeau is expected to march in the 36th edition of annual pride parade on July 3.

[Its] big news in Canada but big news around the world, Pride Torontos executive director Mathieu Chantelois told BuzzFeed Canada.

Very much look forward to being there again, this time as PM. #PrideTO https://t.co/cz5gBLZNyD  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 22, 2016

Not only because he is probably the sexiest politician alive but also because there has never been a leader of a country to walk in a parade, at least not that we know of, he said.

Pride Toronto, the official organisers, are introducing Pride Month which will begin on June 1 with its inaugural city proclamation and the raising of the Rainbow flag at Toronto City Hall in June and will culminate with the parade.

Organisers said the campaign for Canadas first-ever Pride Month will also feature Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and partner Jane Rounthewaite and Toronto Mayor John Tory who will participate this year.

Trudeau has gained popularity for his off-beat approach in various policy matters. His because its 2015 retort to a question about his half-female cabinet had gone viral worldwide with many public figures applauding the response.

His stance on the ongoing migrant crisis, when he openly welcomed refugees from Syria, amidst a relatively cold response from other Western nations has also added to his image as a new age leader. Photos of Trudeau welcoming a refugee family from Syria at the airport with warm clothing were shared widely on various social media platforms.
A landmark truce is to take effect in Syria on Saturday, the United States and Russia announced, but the cessation of hostilities does not include the Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front, the main jihadist factions.

The leading opposition group in the five-year conflict gave its conditional acceptance to Mondays announcement, but Israel said it was sceptical the deal would hold, and analysts warned any pause in the fighting would be dependent on Russia, Iran and President Bashar al-Assad.

The announcement came a day after the deadliest jihadist attack in Syrias brutal civil war, with 134 people -- mostly civilians -- killed in a series of blasts near Damascus.

In a joint statement, Washington and Moscow said the partial truce would begin at midnight Damascus time (2200 GMT Friday), suspending a vicious conflict that has left more than 260,000 people dead and seen half the population displaced.

If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people, US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

US President Barack Obama and Russias President Vladimir Putin discussed the deal by phone, the White House said.

This is a moment of opportunity and we are hopeful that all the parties will capitalise on it, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.

Putin said Moscow would do whatever is necessary to ensure Damascus respects the agreement.

We are counting on the United States to do the same with its allies and the groups that it supports, he said.

The two global powers are pursuing separate air wars in Syria, with Russia pounding rebel targets and a US-led coalition focused on IS jihadists.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the deal a long-awaited signal of hope, and urged all sides to abide by it.

Will ceasefire hold?

There was no immediate reaction from Damascus, but the main grouping of opposition factions said it agreed to respond positively to international efforts to reach a truce deal.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said he was sceptical that the ceasefire would succeed.

It is difficult for me to see a ceasefire while Daesh (the Islamic State group) and Al-Nusra Front (the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate) are not part of the process and the Russians say they will strike both organisations, he said in a statement.

The rise of IS, which has seized large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq and become the preeminent global jihadist group, has focused attention on the need for a solution.

Analysts also had reservations about the deal.

This depends entirely on the good faith of Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime, none of whom have shown much good faith in the last five years, Frederic C. Hof, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who formerly worked on US Syria policy, told the New York Times.

Russia began air strikes in Syria last September against what it said were terrorists, but has been accused of bombing non-jihadist rebel forces in support of Assad, a longtime ally.

Iran has sent military advisers to Syria and the Tehran-backed Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah has deployed at least 6,000 militants to fight alongside Assads forces.

The 17-nation International Syria Support Group backing Syrias peace process agreed at a meeting in Munich earlier this month to implement a ceasefire by last week, but that truce never materialised.

Hopes for humanitarian aid

The opposition High Negotiations Committee said its commitment to the truce was conditional on the lifting of sieges, the release of prisoners, a halt to bombardment of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

A convoy of 44 trucks carrying humanitarian aid had entered Moadamiyet al-Sham, near Damascus, overseen by the Red Crescent and the United Nations, on Monday, state news agency SANA reported.

Once the cessation of hostilities takes hold, the UN would work to secure access to as many places as possible in order to deliver humanitarian aid, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

The ceasefire announcement came just a day after IS claimed responsibility for two deadly attacks in regime-held areas, which a monitor said killed 134 people near a shrine south of Damascus and at least 64 in Homs.

The shrine bombings marked the deadliest jihadist attack since Syrias conflict erupted in March 2011, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Shortly after the truce was announced, Assad issued a decree for parliamentary elections to be held on April 13.

The last such elections were held in May 2012 and although multiple parties were allowed to stand, most of the 250 lawmakers who were elected were from the ruling Baath party.
At 106 years old, shes seen more than a dozen presidents come and go, but Virginia McLaurin says she can finally die happy after meeting President Barack Obama.

Video of the centenarian shaking her groove with excitement quickly went viral on the Internet after last weeks Black History Month reception at the White House.





The grandmother said that when she saw the president and first lady Michelle Obama in the flesh, she was so happy, she started dancing.

She says in a video interview that she never imagined shed have the opportunity.

McLaurin had started an online White House petition for a visit more than a year ago. The African-American said in the petition that she never thought shed live to see a black president.
Post-Covid Prospects: Argentina

Argentina, already in a recession when the Covid-19 pandemic first hit in 2020, has been enjoying a remarkable recovery. However, its still facing economic difficulties. This article looks at how the worlds eighth largest country is introducing reforms to rein in its runaway inflation and restore financial credibility, while at the same time looking to diversify trade and investment through its membership of the BRI.
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Barrick Gold Corporation, the world's largest gold miner, announced today that it considering spending about $2 billion on operations in Nevada and Peru starting in 2019. After a year during which the Toronto-based gold producer sold off numerous assets in order to manage massive debts, chairman John Thornton discussed the possible acquisitions at the company's first investor day in five years, according to the Globe and Mail.

"We will, over time, prove to you that we are not only discerning sellers... We are also discerning buyers, capable of consistently creating per-share value for our owners," Thornton announced to attendees in New York.

He did not explain what kinds of prospective acquisitions might be sought, but the company suggested that it could spend $2 billion to add or accelerate the gold production projects at the Cortez, Goldrush and Turquoise Ridge properties in Nevada, and at the Lagunas Norte mine in Peru.

No final decision has been made, but a pre-feasibility study estimated that a $1 billion initial capital investment in its Goldrush project in Nevada, based on a start of construction in 2020, would produce 440,000 ounces of gold a year, with all-in sustaining costs of $665 per ounce, explained Reuters. To boost production at Turquoise Ridge, $300 to $325 million would be needed, and the Cortez project would require an estimated $153 million, with construction starting in 2019 or 2020.

Additionally, around $640 million would be necessary to extend Peru's Lagunas Norte project by another nine years, according to Canadian Mining Journal.

Barrick Gold Corp., along with its numerous international subsidiary companies, maintains a problematic human rights and environmental record. At Barrick's North Mara Gold Mine in Tanzania, for example, watchdog MiningWatch Canada reported that site security used excessive force towards miners, with victims and their families conveying stories of gang rape and severe beatings. Victims were forced to sign contracts that relinquished their right to take legal action against Barrick Gold and its subsidiaries.

The company, which has one of the highest debt loads of any gold miner - with outstanding debt of about $9.77 billion as of Dec. 31 - sold many of its non-core assets in order to cut debt by $3 billion last year, according to Reuters.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Cara McCollum, a former Miss New Jersey winner and Miss America contestant, died on Monday morning at the age of 24 just a week after a car accident.

McCollum was critically injured when her vehicle spun off a highway in New Jersey and crashed head on into a tree. She was traveling alone and her seatbelt wasn't on. She died at the Cooper University Hospital, according to Variety.

The Prayers for Cara Facebook page confirmed that McCollum's family was with her in the operating room when she died at 4:31 a.m. "We've prayed constantly for a miracle, and we believe God has answered our prayers," the announcement read. "Although it's not the miracle that we first envisioned, it's a miracle nonetheless."

The family went on to thank McCollum's supporters for their prayers and revealed that she made the decision to donate her organs before she died.

McCollum, originally from Arkansas, was a resident of Margate, N.J. and attended Princeton University. She won Miss New Jersey in 2013 and represented the state in Miss America 2014.

McCollum served as an anchor for a local news program in Southern New Jersey called "SNJ Today," HNGN previously reported.

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Hamburg, Germany's second-largest city, has just taken a significant step in the fight against unsustainable waste, announcing that it will ban the use of single-serve coffee pods from all government-run buildings, according to FOX News.

Coffee pods have grown in popularity in recent years, bolstered by the convenience that they offer. However, as convenient as they are, coffee pods are notoriously difficult to recycle, mainly because the pods themselves are made of a mixture of plastic and aluminum.

In an announcement over the weekend, Jan Dube of the Hamburg Department of the Environment and Energy stated that the pods are causing unnecessary resource consumption, reports The Examiner.

"These portion packs cause unnecessary resource consumption and waste generation, and often contain polluting aluminium. It's 6 grams of coffee in 3 grams of packaging. We in Hamburg thought that these shouldn't be bought with taxpayers' money," Dube said.

It is estimated that thousands of the little pods are buried in landfills every day. In fact, it is believed that if all the coffee pods buried in landfills are placed end-to-end, they would make a chain long enough to circle the globe 12 times over, reports The Business Insider.

Of course, Hamburg's sanctions against the use of coffee pods only apply to government-owned buildings. However, the German city's stance on the waste issue caused by the non-recyclable pods is a definitive step towards combating excessive consumption nonetheless.

For more world news, click here.

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The hacktivist group Anonymous has chosen the Cincinnati police department as its latest target after a black man who is believed to have been unarmed was shot to death by officers on Wednesday, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The attack was announced in a short YouTube video in which hackers told police that they had released the personal data of 52 officers in retaliation for the shooting.

The shooting in question is that of Paul Gaston, 37, who was shot nine times by officers after allegedly refusing to follow orders to lie down on the ground, according to the Business Insider. Gaston was confronted by police after it was reported that he was driving erratically and had crashed into a utility pole, according to Fox News. Officers say that Gaston refused to follow orders to lie down on the ground and was shot after seemingly reaching into his waistband for a weapon, which was later understood to be a plastic toy BB gun.

"We have a message to not only the Cincinnati police department but to every law enforcement officer," Anonymous warned officers in its video, which was released over the weekend and contains a clip of the shooting. "When you murder a human being... we will make your information public record. We will data dump as many officers as we see fit for each situation."

Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac was among those targeted by the data leak, although the information had seemingly been taken down as of 4:30 a.m. Monday, according to WLWT5. Email addresses, street addresses, social media accounts and other personal data was released during the leak, including personal information related to officers' family members. It is currently unknown how precisely the hack occurred, and Cincinnati police are working to assess the damage and find out who is responsible.

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Families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims are arguing that the reckless promotion and marketing of military-style weapons was a contributing factor in the 2012 shooting that devastated a community, according to USA Today. A Connecticut Superior Court Judge will soon rule whether the lawsuit levelled against Remington Arms, manufacturers of shooter Adam Lanza's AR-15, will be able to continue.

Attorney Josh Koskoff argues that Remington should not sell the weapon to civilians at all, given that it is made for military use and "is built for mass casualty assaults" and to deliver "more wounds, of greater severity, in more victims, in less time," according to the Hartford Courant. Koskoff aims to prove that the highly militaristic style and and marketing method of Remington weapons constitutes "negligent entrustment," a legal term that refers to allowing someone to use something despite the likelihood that they will use it to do harm, according to the New York Daily News.

The lawsuit was filed in December 2014 by nine of the families involved and one school administrator but has shifted between federal and state court as gun manufacturers have attempted to challenge it, according to NPR. If successful, the lawsuit will constitute an exception to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PCLAA), which was passed by Congress in 2005 to protect firearms manufacturers from lawsuits and has been notoriously difficult to challenge over the years.

"We did our homework on the weapon. It will be clear to anybody who hears the history of this weapon that it was designed specifically for the military and selling it to civilians is reckless," Koskoff told reporters this week. "The tragedy that occurred at Sandy Hook is exactly what it was designed for - to kill people during an assault."

A ruling is not expected for a few months, but providing it is not dismissed, Koskoff believes that the lawsuit will shed some light on "the covert world of gun sales."

"These families deserve nothing less than the opportunity to learn what decisions were made and how this weapon was able to infiltrate communities without any accountability," Koskoff said in an interview.

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Investigations have begun after 13 bald eagles were discovered dead in Maryland, according to Reuters. A spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated that the birds' cause of death was unknown until a medical examination could take place and that it was not certain whether the birds had been killed deliberately.

The birds were discovered on Saturday afternoon by a man who was looking for deer antlers on the ground but discovered the bodies of four dead eagles, according to the Associated Press. Maryland Natural Resources Police spokesperson Candy Thomson stated that officers found an additional nine eagle bodies after searching the grounds themselves.

The incident marks the single largest mass death of bald eagles in Maryland in the past three decades, according to NBC News. While the cause of death of the birds is currently unknown, the bodies showed no signs of trauma, and it is believed that they all died within a similar time frame. Thomson has suggested that consumption of poisoned animal carcasses as one possible answer to the mystery.

"What happens is that when farms have rodent problems, landowners will put out poison to control it, and the eagles will eat the poisoned animals," Thomson told reporters.

Bald eagles stopped being classed as an endangered species in 2007 but remain protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Act.

A $10,000 reward has been offered for any information regarding the birds' deaths that could lead to a conviction, coming out of the pocket of various federal wildlife authorities and nonprofit organizations, according to the Baltimore Sun. Authorities have urged anyone with relevant details to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement in Cambridge.

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An 18-year-old has been charged with impersonating a peace officer and telecommunications fraud after managing to successfully pose as a senator and speak to children at Mohawk High School in Ohio, according to NBC New York. Izaha Akins took the place of Republican Sen. David Burke of Marysville in what Burke called an "extremely elaborate scheme" that was not discovered for weeks. Akins, who is president of the Democrats club at Ohio State University, reportedly pulled off the stunt in an effort to make a point about security.

Akins gained entrance to the school back in December after claiming to have replaced Burke as a result of illness, according to the Toledo Blade. He received a tour of the school and gave a talk to the class on political processes and participation, according to Mohawk Schools Superintendent Ken Ratliff. Akins was also provided with a car and driver for the day by Reineke Ford, who often work in conjunction with the school district.

The impersonation wasn't discovered until weeks later, when the real Sen. Burke appeared for his scheduled speech and school authorities realized their mistake. Akins told the Toledo Blade that he posed as the senator in order to make a point about the lack of proper security in rural schools, which he believes suffer from "the small community effect - they think that this can never happen to us."

Akins was arrested on Feb. 12, with a statement obtained by Buzzfeed News claiming that his actions were "the result of an ambitious young person seeking to make a positive difference in the world." The statement also emphasized the fact that Izaha's actions "were not about him or his getting famous" but was merely a "failed attempt at investigative reporting and activism."

"I was duping to prove a point, that these kinds of things can happen," Akins told the Toledo Blade. "They could have easily Googled me and they didn't."

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President Barack Obama's long-awaited plan to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay was delivered to Congress Tuesday morning, eight years after Obama pledged to do so during his 2008 presidential campaign to shutter the detention facility he labels "contrary to our values."

"It's been clear that the detention center at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security," Obama said from the Roosevelt Room at the White House, according to NBC News. "It undermines our standing in the world."

His intentions to close the prison has been the crux of his annual State of the Union addresses ever since taking office in 2009. His plan calls for up to $475 million in construction costs, some of which will cover the transfer of some of the remaining 91 detainees to U.S. facilities. As opposed to the annual $400-450 million in costs to maintain the prison, the Pentagon estimates it could save up to $85 million a year, recouping the one-time costs in about five years, by moving the detainees elsewhere.

Defense officials hope the plan will convince Congress to allow for the transfer of nearly 60 detainees to the U.S., despite them repeatedly passing legislation which has banned any efforts in the past.

"The administration seeks an active dialogue with Congress on this issue and looks forward to working with Congress to identify the most appropriate location as soon as possible," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said, according to USA Today.

The plan identifies 13 potential sites, according to CNN, including existing facilities in South Carolina, Kansas and Colorado, as well as new facilities at unnamed military bases across the country.

The debate over the moving of the detainees has been a long lasting one, with a majority of lawmakers arguing that detainees shouldn't be moved for national security reasons, while Obama argues that it costs the U.S. too much to maintain the Cuban prison.

"There is far too much money that is spent to operate that prison when there are more cost-effective alternatives available. And we certainly would like to work with the Congress to make those alternatives a reality because we know that those alternatives don't weaken our national security. In fact, they strengthen it. They enhance it," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. "And it would take away  by closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay  a chief recruiting tool that we know is used by terrorist organizations about the world."

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Real world and television political figures collided Monday night when Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton visited the set of ABC's "Scandal." Clinton took a number of pictures with the cast of the political drama including Kerry Washingotn, Scott Foley, Darby Stanchfield, and even the fake president himself - Tony Goldwyn.

Clinton stopped by the "Scandal" set during her fundraising trip to Los Angeles where she held two fundraisers. While Clinton will not actually appear on-screen, according to Variety, she did take time to talk with the cast of the show.

"So, this happened while I was directing tonight. No big deal. #imwithher," said Foley in a post that showed Clinton laughing alongside Goldwyn.

"A good friend came by set today," Washington captioned a photo of Clinton going to shake hands with someone. "Proud to say... #imwithher."

A number of the actors in the cast of "Scandal" have already voiced their support for Clinton in the 2016 presidential race. Goldywn campaigned for her during the Nevada primary last week, according to the Hollywood Reporter, and "Scandal" creator and executive producer, Shonda Rhimes, already joined Clinton's #ImWithHer campaign in a video put together by Lena Dunham.

"I'm with her because I want to maintain my freedoms," Rhimes said.

"Scandal" is not the first show Clinton has stopped by on her quest for the White House. Last year, Clinton filmed a cameo for Season 3 of the Comedy Central series "Broad City," which stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson and is executively produced by Amy Poehler.

"Scandal" airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.

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LG has announced the Rolling Bot, which is a home security/pet babysitter. Using an 8-megapixel camera, the device allows pet owners to keep track of the animal in the home and even allows them to talk to their beloved, The Daily Mail Reports.

It has a laser that it can use to entertain the pets while they are home alone, and according to CNET the round-shaped robot can even dance. The robot even has the capability to beep or chirp, Tech Crunch reports.

Rolling Bot can be controlled through an app on LG's G5 smartphone. It can use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections that also allow it to connect with other smart-home devices, CNET reports.

The device was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona along with the G5 phone, which is expected to go on sale in April.

LG said the release of the robot was about six months away, according to The Daily Mail.

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A Starbucks regular got service with more than just a smile last week after a cashier told him she had been learning American Sign Language just to communicate better with him, according to the Washington Post. Ibby Piracha, who lives in Leesburg, Va., and is deaf, posted about the interaction on Facebook, where it quickly went viral.

Piracha is a frequent customer at the Starbucks in question, purchasing coffee there once or twice a week. He usually uses his phone to order his drink and was surprised on Friday morning to be handed a piece of paper by the cashier telling him that she was learning sign language, according to ABC News.

"I've been learning ASL just so you can have the same experience as everyone else," the note reads in Piracha's Facebook post. After handing over the note, the cashier proceeded to surprise Piracha further by asking what he wanted to order in sign language, according to ABC affiliate WJLA.

The move is one that Piracha considers to be a show of support for the deaf community, telling the Washington Post that often deaf people "feel kind of pushed away" and that he wishes "hearing people were a little more assertive to learn more about us and our community." In sharing the post on Facebook, Piracha hoped that hearing people would "see and understand" how the hearing community can support the deaf community.

"She was saying she looked on YouTube because she had a lot of customers that came in using text," Piracha told ABC News. "I was very surprised she was willing to learn [sign language], and it shows she respects deaf people... She's an inspiration."

A spokesperson for Starbucks said that the company is proud that the employee is "taking this initiative to learn American Sign Language." Employees at the Starbucks location told the media that they could not be available for comment.

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Police are treating the death of a Californian woman who was found at the bottom of a laundry chute in a Las Vegas hotel as "suspicious," according to the N.Y. Daily News. Kalli Medina-Brown, a 26-year-old legal secretary, was found dead in the D Las Vegas, the city's tallest hotel and casino.

Medina-Brown was celebrating her birthday with friends and her husband when she allegedly had a medical episode and fell down the chute, according to reports by the Huffington Post. She was discovered at approximately 2:40 a.m. on Sunday morning in a third-floor storage area. Homicide detectives were called to the scene after the circumstances surrounding her death were deemed suspicious, according to KVVU-TV.

The trip to Vegas was in honour of Medina-Brown's 27th birthday, making the incident all the more poignant. Friends of Medina-Brown have been left devastated by the incident, with her childhood friends telling CBS Sacramento that Medina-Brown "was the responsible one" and that she was known within their social circles as calm and mature.

"I told her I hope you have a great time. I hope you enjoy yourself, be safe," Medina-Brown's best friend of 17 years, Sierra Roraback, told CBS Sacramento. "There has to be justice in order to have [closure] on the situation and sleep a little better... We have to figure out who did this, we have to figure out what happened."

The cause of death is still currently unknown but the hotel has confirmed that it is cooperating with the authorities. A spokesperson for the hotel said in a statement that they were "saddened by the unfortunate incident" and that they could not comment on the ongoing investigation, according to KTNV.

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The tiny "hobbits" that went extinct on an Indonesian island approximately 15,000 years ago are not Homo sapiens but a completely different species of human, according to a new study by a research duo from Paris-Descartes University and France's Natural History Museum. The fossils of the Homo floresiensis, which are dubbed "hobbits" due to their small size, were discovered in 2003 on the island of Flores, and since then, debate has raged over whether they are an unknown branch of early humans or simply modern humans that were deformed by disease.

Up until now, may academic studies have examined the issue, each pointing either one direction or the other. While some believe that the Flores people descended from larger H. sapiens, gradually becoming smaller over hundreds of generations as their food supply diminished, others point to H. floresiensis as modern humans who were affected by a genetic disorder, possibly due to a lack of iodine that stimulated dwarf cretinism.

The new study used high-tech tools to re-examine the layers of an H. floresiensis skull, in particular the remains of Liang Bua 1 (LB1), whose cranium is the most intact out of the nine known specimens. Using these tools, they were able to obtain high-resolution images to create maps of bone thickness variation and view the skulls in more detail than ever before.



"So far, we have been basing our conclusions on images where you don't really see very much," Antoine Balzeau, lead author of the study, said in a press release. "There is a lot of information contained in bone layers of the skull," he said, adding that "there were no characteristics from our species."

Furthermore, although they found minor maladies, there was no evidence of any sort of genetic diseases.

Although the scientists have concluded that the "hobbits" are not the same species as H. sapiens, the team was still unable to determine if they are shrunken versions of H. erectus or it they are a unique species in their own right.

The study was published in the Feb. 18 issue of the Journal of Human Evolution.

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T here are good investment opportunities for prospective landlords all across the country, whatever your budget. The key is to find the areas that offer good rentability and the possibility of price growth...

350,000 budget: Bristol

According to Hometracks latest UK cities house price index, Bristol prices soared 11.2 per cent last year, to an average 238,200.

This is better than Oxford or Cambridge, and not far off Londons 13.3 per cent growth.

George Cardale, head of residential development sales at Savills Bristol office, recommends either a safe bet  a prime central location, such as Clifton or the harbourside, where a two-bedroom apartment would cost around 350,000 to 400,000  or a bigger gamble on an emerging location outside the city centre where prices will be lower, yields higher and, if the area (he suggests Easton or Bedminster) fulfils its potential, higher capital growth, too.

Because of the university Bristol has a large student population, many of whom remain in the city after graduation, says Cardale. It is a solid employment centre, especially for professional services and finance, and is far enough from London for many companies to have head-quarters in the city. Bristol offers an attractive lifestyle  its somewhere people want to live.

Average house prices: buying-to-let outside London 1 /6 Average house prices: buying-to-let outside London Brighton and Hove One-bedroom flats in the centre start at 150,000 and are likely to earn a monthly rent of 650. Carmarthen, Wales You can pick up a three-bedroom terrace house in the centre for 70,000 to 80,000.  Jeff Morgan 12 / Alamy Stock Photo Bristol Bristol prices soared 11.2 per cent last year, to an average 238,200 which is better than Oxford or Cambridge, and not far off Londons 13.3 per cent growth.  eye35 / Alamy Stock Photo Basildon, Essex You could buy a good flat or even a small house for around 200,000. Birmingham A two-bedroom flat in Birmingham's fashionable Jewellery Quarter costs around 250,000 and Raj Bedi, managing director of Martin & Co Birmingham, believes that a yield of six to seven per cent would not be an unreasonable aim for a landlord.  Nick Maslen / Alamy Stock Photo

250,000 budget: Birmingham

With high-speed rail on its way to the Midlands, and major firms such as HSBC relocating, Birminghams star is on the rise.

The city centre has enjoyed great regeneration over the past 10 to 15 years and, according to Knight Frank, prices have risen 10 per cent in the past year alone. A two- bedroom flat in the fashionable Jewellery Quarter would cost around 250,000 and Raj Bedi, managing director of Martin & Co Birmingham, believes that a yield of six to seven per cent would not be an unreasonable aim for a landlord.

If you are looking for an up-and-coming location, try the Gun Quarter in the north-east of the city centre, where former munitions factories are rapidly being turned into flats, priced about 200,000 for two bedrooms.

For the family market, Bedi recommends leafy Edgbaston, where a four- to five-bedroom detached house costs from about 400,000. Edgbaston has good schools and there are plans to upgrade its shopping and create a major new healthcare facility in the area.

Vyse Street in Birmingham's jewellery quarter: prices have risen 10 per cent in the past year alone /  Nick Maslen / Alamy Stock Photo

200,000 budget: Basildon, Essex

With annual price increases of 11 per cent, the market in Basildon is booming. But average prices still stand at 214,392, meaning you could buy a good flat or even a small house for around 200,000. Ian Marston, national field manager at House Network, believes an investment in Basildon will pay dividends, with plans for a major regeneration of the town centre and several big developments in the pipeline. Its 40 minutes from Fenchurch Street station.

The area has something for everyone, with a world-class sporting village used for the 2012 Olympic Games, vibrant nights out at Basildon Festival Leisure Park and close links to nearby trendsetting areas such as Leigh-on-Sea, says Marston. It is ideal for young professionals wanting something quick on the commute but close to a town centre, or for growing families who want to take advantage of some of the local parks or recreational activities.

Marston calculates that investors could enjoy yields of six per cent-plus on a two-bedroom flat, or around 5.5 per cent on a three-bedroom house.

Booming: There are plans for a major redevelopment of Basildon, Essex where average house prices are still around the 200,000 mark

150,000 budget: Brighton and Hove

Buying in this perennially booming London commuter location is a lot cheaper than investing in the capital itself, with one-bedroom flats in the centre starting at 150,000 and likely to earn a monthly rent of 650. This bottom end of the rental market is always in demand with tenants as their budget does not stretch very far in the town centre  so voids in the tenancy tend to be few and far between, a vital part of a successful buy to let, says buying agent Sally Fraser of Stacks Property Search.

Many landlords have been achieving an increase in the rent with the student market of about five per cent year on year, offering a return in the region of five to six per cent.

For student lets, investors should look for a central location with good bus links to both the city centre and the Sussex University campus.

Family homes for 70,000: head to Carmarthen, West Wales for a bargain /  Jeff Morgan 12 / Alamy Stock Photo

75,000 budget: Carmarthen, Wales

If you want to keep entry costs at rock bottom, then this county town could be ideal  you can pick up a three-bedroom terrace house in the centre for 70,000 to 80,000.

Carol Peett, managing director of West Wales Property Finders, recommends the area because of high rental demand, thanks to the University of Wales Trinity St David campus. Demand will also increase for posher homes because the West Wales General Hospital is expanding and the S4C TV studio is relocating from Cardiff. The large 74 million St Catherines Walk shopping centre has brought a new vitality to the town and it is the chosen place to live for many who work in Llanelli, Swansea and even Cardiff, says Peett.

The proximity to glorious beaches and stunning countryside as well as the theatre, restaurants, art galleries and great shopping make it a popular place for singles, families and retirees.

You could pick up a three-bedroom semi for around 115,000, a four-bedroom detached house for under 200,000, or a Georgian four- bedroom family house for less than 300,000. But Wales has struggled to shake off the recession, so dont expect any madly exciting capital growth in the near future.
After I returned from Viet Nam in 1971 I completed my senior year of college at the hotel school of Florida State University. The Chair of the department was Peter Dukas who taught a class on food & beverage management which used a text book he had authored called, "How To Operate A Restaurant". Long ago, I loaned the book out and never got it back so I can't quote him exactly.

Professor Dukas used to love to make us memorize lists. Through the prism of over 44 years, I still remember his favorite list, seven steps to food cost control. Over the years I have used that mental checklist and adapted from it but it remains applicable today.

ORDERING  The first step is to order right. This means having detailed recipes, preparing purchasing specifications, doing comparative shopping based on those specifications, and comparing quality, price and service, etc. Oh yes, and don't order too early in order to avoid spoilage, wasted storage space and lost interest on your money. Don't order too late, so premium costs and delivery charges accrue. Professor Dukas also stressed that standing orders were a bad habit. RECEIVING  The fundamentals are obvious: count; weigh; inspect for condition and quality; verify against the purchase order; keep the receiving area clean and uncluttered; limit access to the receiving area; train the person receiving and make him or her responsible. Get credit memos from the delivery driver. STORING  Is the method and place of storage for the various items appropriate for the item? Is it secure from pilferage? Are the shelves strong enough for the product, allowing air circulation and are they easy to clean? Are all items stored at a temperature appropriate for that product? Are items dated (with year, in some cases) and priced? Is the storage area orderly and clean? Consider labeling shelves noting stocking quantities. ISSUING  What process is issuing based on? Who has access or authority to issue or take things from the secured store rooms and walk-ins? Are issues being made in appropriate quantities and at appropriate times? Is there a rationale behind the volume or par stocks and are these reviewed periodically? Are issues being accounted for? Is a perpetual inventory or sign out sheet designed specifically for your operation or a particular store room in use? PREPARATION  Apologies are necessary to any omissions in this category because it has been a long time since I worked in a kitchen regularly. Phrases that come to mind include: trim properly; use trimmings for stock pots and other recipes if possible. Proper tools, sharp knives, clean and neat working area, work space that make sense for the preparation to eliminate wasted time and steps, enforcing a policy of following recipes, and having photos of finished products available and used regularly are also critical. Enough said, as I suspect my readers know a lot more than I do about this! COOKING  Various considerations here, again my readers know more than I. Proper temperatures, proper cooking times, following recipes carefully, using photographs of finished products, correct size, material, and type of utensils and cookware, clean work area. SERVING  Serving is not only about portion control, it is also about decisions made regarding portion size and presentation. With a buffet, it is obvious. Proper serving utensils, proper holding/serving equipment, right presentation order, plate sizes, etc. The discipline needed for these elements isn't easy to enforce, especially in tight labor markets. Dining room service should be easy to control using good kitchen supervisors, trained cooks, photographs for both cooks and servers, etc. Watch what comes back from bused tables to see if portions are proper. Marketing decisions may drive large portions but if the patrons are not eating it or taking it home, the portion size or the recipe should be reconsidered. Proper china for each item served is important for both presentation and portion control.

Work hard on your cost controls and be consistent about them. Two other elements of controlling food cost cover all seven categories: tools and training. Give your staff the ability, knowledge, resources, and confidence to do their jobs properly and to your specifications. Inconsistency and failure to enforce procedures will drive costs skyward. Failure here is truly throwing money away.

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The 2016 Digital Marketing Strategy Conference brought together some of the most innovative minds in the industry to discuss where travel is heading. The common theme was disruption. A successful digital front is now the norm and a basic expectation of the consumer, and it's apparent that hotels must now innovate their digital channels to produce the most personalized and responsive content for their guests.

The day was opened by Dr. Laila Rach, who (hilariously) took over the role of both Emcee and the Keynote speaker, and discussed what disruption looked like in the past, and how hotels can innovate to ensure they're standing out in today's digital economy. The point was driven home by two of this year's Adrian Award winners, one of whom unlocked a scarcely used feature of Twitter to gain both social awareness and bookings. It was apparent that the key to innovation is answering the customer need, before they know they have it. With a new breed of travelers who are more mobile and current than any generation before, understanding a brand's core audience and their interests and disinterests are what make up a successful campaign.

"When all think alike, then no one is thinking". Walter Lippman

Over the remainder of the day, the same questions were asked- in an industry where customer experience is everything, how can we be hospitable before a guest even enters a hotel? The answer- personalize the relationship, from the very first website visit to the post stay interaction. This can sometimes be tricky for hotels as they ensure guests needs are met with the available technology. Many spoke on the importance of integrating the most successful and powerful solutions with one another to create a customer centric platform that gives an experience in a way no one else can.

Google Account Executive, Shaun Aukland, touched on how this same question is affected by mobile. Mobile responsiveness will be a huge focus for all business moving forward as it recently surpassed desktop in search... and these searchers are some of the most fleeting. The mobile customer can be unpredictable and just having a nice mobile app is no longer enough to keep visitors engaged. For the industry, collecting audience data and creating a seamless and personal experience across devices will be key in 2016.

Though the conference was full of innovation, case studies, and success across the industry, the round table discussion closed the day shedding some light the opportunities that still lie within hospitality. Amazon, Zappos, and Nordstrom were referenced as the company's hotels should take after as they create a unique and innovative digital landscape for their brand. It was apparent that the growth of OTA's and new Google features are on the mind of these industry professionals as they continue to successfully grow the top brands in the industry.

Overall the day was a fun and exciting view into what's to come for hospitality. The entire industry is embracing the new technology and processes that can both broaden their reach and create the experience that travelers are looking for. Here's to a year of change- can't wait for the HSMAI DMSC '17!

Spring Engage allows hotel marketing professionals to build better and longer relationships with their site visitors.

Focused on intentionality, the Spring Engage platform holds the tools for hotels to give site visitors the most meaningful and relevant expereince each time they're on site.

Beth Harvey

Spring Engage
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View Kamal Naamani's LinkedIn Profile

Kamal Naamani is a graduate of Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario - Canada

aamani joined the group in June 2015 as group director of operations. He is responsible for overseeing the operations of the companys growing portfolio of new developments, including the Al Habtoor City. In his expanded new leadership role, Naamani will oversee all owned and managed Habtoor hotels in the United Arab Emirates, as well as Habtoor Catering and Habtoor Laundry Operations. The Al Habtoor Group has been actively expanding its hospitality portfolio locally and abroad. Earlier this week it announced the acquisition of the Hotel Imperial, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Vienna. This came fresh on the heels of the groups first London Hotel  The Hilton London Wembley. Before joining the group, Naamani was managing director, Asia Pacific at Pragma Group, based in Shanghai, China and has over 21 years of luxury hotel experience in senior levels with Fairmont Raffles Hotels and Resorts in many key destinations around the world. The Al Habtoor Groups hospitality division includes 14 world-class hotels; seven locally and seven abroad.
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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced that industry-innovator Westin Hotels & Resorts is set to debut in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in Summer 2017. Owned by Jackson Street Holdings and managed by White Lodging, The Westin Milwaukee will open on the US Bank campus at the heart of downtown with financing from BMO Harris and Anchor Bank.

"The Westin Milwaukee is a highly anticipated addition to our growing portfolio and is poised to energize the lodging market at the heart of this city's vibrant downtown," said Bob Jacobs, Vice President of Brand Management, North America, Westin Hotels & Resorts. "From our iconic Heavenly Bed to our Gear Lending partnership with New Balance, we look forward to welcoming guests to The Westin Milwaukee, ensuring that they leave feeling better than when they arrived."

The newly constructed Westin will feature 220 guestrooms and suites, with stunning views overlooking Lake Michigan and the downtown skyline, designed to inspire a sense of well-being. The hotel will also feature 9,000 square feet of well-appointed meeting facilities, a unique fine dining restaurant and lobby bar, featuring the Westin brand's signature nutrient-rich SuperFoodsRX menu, the WestinWORKOUT gym and Westin's innovative programs and instinctive service that aim to transform every aspect of a guest's stay into a revitalizing experience.

"The Westin Milwaukee will be connected indoors to over 3,000 people working in downtown and will be the closest hotel to Lake Michigan, offering business and leisure travelers a unique well-being proposition, as only Westin can," said Chris Anderson, Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer with White Lodging. "We're thrilled to continue our great relationship with Jackson Street, especially playing a role in a beautiful addition to the Milwaukee skyline and the introduction of an elevated wellness brand to the market."

"The Westin Milwaukee will mark an important debut for Westin, paving the way for the further development of Starwood's lifestyle brands in this key mid-western market," said Allison Reid, Senior Vice President of Development, North America, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. "Having recently surpassed 200 hotels globally, the Westin brand continues to gain momentum in North America and around the world, propelled by the success of its distinctive well-being positioning and the enthusiasm of owners and developers who are eager to bring the brand to new markets."

Just minutes from the shores of Lake Michigan, The Westin Milwaukee will connect directly to the US Bank Complex's Galleria level and is close to the corporate headquarters of Northwestern Mutual, Johnson Controlsare the Wisconsin Center, the BMO Harris Bradley Center and Milwaukee Art Museum. The hotel is also walking distance to East Town Market, the historic Third Ward District and the shops and restaurants on the Milwaukee River Walk.
SpringHill Suites Minneapolis West

Interstate Hotels & Resorts along with Waramaug Hospitality announced today an investment in a collection of ten Marriott branded extended-stay hotels in partnership with Gatehouse Capital, an advisory client of Arch Street Capital Advisors, LLC.

Interstate Hotels & Resorts along with Waramaug Hospitality announced today an investment in a collection of ten Marriott branded extended-stay hotels in partnership with Gatehouse Capital, an advisory client of Arch Street Capital Advisors, LLC. Gatehouse Capital is a part of the larger Gatehouse Financial Group, Ltd. Interstate will operate the hotels under a long-term agreement.

The properties, aggregating to 1,103 rooms, are located throughout strategic submarkets of Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Detroit with three SpringHill Suites by Marriott and seven TownePlace Suites by Marriott. The portfolio includes: the SpringHill Suites Minneapolis West and TownePlace Suites Minneapolis West in St. Louis Park, Minn.; SpringHill Suites Eagan and TownePlace Suites Eagan in Eagan, Minn.; SpringHill Suites Eden Prairie and TownePlace Suites Eden Prairie in Eden Prairie, Minn.; the TownePlace Suites Livonia in Livonia, Minn.; TownePlace Suites Dearborn in Dearborn, Mich.; TownePlace Suites Sterling Heights in Sterling Heights, Mich.; TownePlace Suites Brookfield in Brookfield, Wis.

"Interstate's success is due in part to its strategic partnerships," said Leslie Ng, Interstate's chief investment officer. "We are delighted to have a leading international investor like Gatehouse Capital as our partner as well as continuing our work with Waramaug, a highly regarded firm in the hospitality sector. With significant renovations, strong corporate lodging market conditions and highly recognized brands, we are confident we will maximize investment returns."

"2015 was a very successful year with the addition of 11 assets to our portfolio of select and full service hotels," said Paul Nussbaum, Founder and Chairman, Waramaug Hospitality. "Waramaug is poised to find opportunities to enhance and expand our portfolio in markets where we expect to enjoy continued rate and occupancy growth in the foreseeable future."

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Fahed Boodai, Executive Chairman of Gatehouse Financial Group added, "Gatehouse continues to build on its excellent track record of real estate investment in the US and UK in partnership with best-in-class operators and investors such as Interstate and Waramaug. The Portfolio is an excellent addition to the investment portfolio and we are confident the partnership with Interstate and Waramaug will prove to be extremely valuable in maximizing returns."

The Interstate, Gatehouse, and Waramaug partnership plans to begin a comprehensive renovation of the portfolio including a transformation of the public spaces, guestrooms, and building exteriors. Seven TownePlace Suites hotels, with new lobbies and new and expanded breakfast rooms, will undergo full renovations to guestrooms and corridors, along with enhancements to bathrooms. Two SpringHill Suites are completely renovated and will have additional touches. The SpringHill Suites in Eagan, Minneapolis, will have a complete renovation including all rooms, bathrooms, and public spaces.

Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of a 50/50 joint venture between subsidiaries of Thayer Lodging Group and Jin Jiang Hotels, is the leading U.S.-based global hotel management company, operating branded full- and select-service hotels and resorts, convention centers and independent hotels worldwide. Interstate and its affiliates manage nearly 435 hotels with over 77,000 rooms in North America, the UK, Europe, Russia and the CIS, and China, including ownership interest in 42 hotels. In addition, Interstate has executed agreements to manage 37 hotels with over 5,100 rooms under construction or development throughout the world.
A horrifying tale about the collapse of industrial society? No, its not a new episode of Fair City, its Stephen Fingletons brilliant Northern Ireland-set drama, The Survivalist.

For fairly obvious reasons, the vast majority of films set in Northern Ireland tend to be about The Troubles, but not writer/director Stephen Fingletons post-apocalyptic drama The Survivalist.

The scarily stark debut feature from the 32-year-old Derryman is set in the wilds of the Ulster countryside in an unspecified year, following the inevitable exhaustion of the planets oil supply and subsequent collapse of industrialised society.

I have an idea of when the film is set, Fingleton explains, but I tend not to tell people because I think its a bit more frightening if its uncertain. I think to some extent even the idea of years isnt relevant anymore. Theres a complete lack of historical context to the characters and the lives theyre living. Its set in Northern Ireland, but The Troubles arent even a reference point for any of the characters. They probably dont even remember them in terms of whats going on.

The film was shot in just under four weeks in the summer of 2014. The survivalist of the title is played by Belfast actor Martin McCann  previously best known for his convincing turn as U2s frontman in Nick Hamms Killing Bono. A highly paranoid, shotgun-wielding hermit, he farms a small plot of land hidden deep in the countryside, partly fertilised by the decaying bodies of those who have stumbled upon his hideaway and attempted to steal his limited supply of crops.

When a mother and daughter (Olwen Fouere and Mia Goth) approach his isolated shack in search of food, he initially keeps them at gunpoint. They ultimately agree to trade sex for a meal, but even after theyve fulfilled their end of the bargain, trust remains shaky at best. Its only when other dangerous intruders arrive that the bond between the three begins to strengthen.

Fingleton was inspired to write the film after seeing American director Chris Smiths 2009 film, Collapse. Its a documentary that was about Peak Oil Theory  a very plausible account of how industrial society will destroy itself through growth. I was interested in making a film about the choices people will make when industrial society comes to an end  because it will come to an end.

The first 15 minutes or so of the film feature absolutely no dialogue. That kind of thing is a risk unless you have an actor of Martins tremendous charisma. Hes got a tremendous face, hes got the ability to communicate a huge point without saying a word. If I didnt have Martin in the film I dont think it would have worked, but I trusted his ability to convey the trauma, the needs and the desires of that character without vocalising any of them.

As stripped down as its title suggests, the film has no soundtrack. And speaking of stripping down, while the three lead actors all appear naked onscreen, the sex scenes are decidedly un-erotic.

Although a first timer, Fingleton handled those nude scenes sensitively. Its always difficult shooting scenes in which actors need to be physically intimate with each other because the separation between the characters and themselves becomes a point of negotiation. So each had to respond to each actors needs and ultimately do what each of them was prepared to do. Olwen is actually very experienced at playing her body in certain ways for stage productions, and was perhaps the most comfortable, which I thought was interesting because we were really trying to say something in the way we depicted Olwen and her body in the movie.

Fingleton has been dabbling in the world of film since his early twenties. Basically I started making short films at university and after that I worked in an office while making guerilla short films and writing scripts. I was just waiting for the right project to pitch it for financing, and that project was The Survivalist.

Hes undoubtedly talented. Three years ago, his short film SLR  a thriller about a man obsessed with pornography  was shortlisted for an Oscar. Unfortunately, he wasnt at the ceremony.

No, you only get there if you are actually nominated, he sighs. My friend Michael Lennox was shortlisted, and he was nominated, and he made sure to send me loads of pictures of himself hanging around with celebrities like Bradley Cooper, telling me he wished I was there. That was very nice of him.

Fingleton may yet get his own back on Lennox. Already a big success on the festival circuit, The Survivalist won awards at Tribeca and Sitges, and has also been nominated for a BAFTA. Meanwhile, hes already been commissioned by a Hollywood studio to direct a big-budget feature.

I am working on a science fiction project for a very interesting company in the United States, which is all very top secret at the moment, he admits. I cant say too much, but it will be a multiplex movie presenting a frightening version about what our future is. Not quite as frightening as The Survivalist, perhaps, but one that will scare audiences nonetheless.

Hes really enjoying the perks of working under contract to a big studio. Well, this year Im going to be going back and forth to and from Los Angeles as many times as possible because Im getting business class flights, which is a fantastic experience, he laughs. Im finding whatever excuse I can to get over there and enjoy them. That film aside, Im going to be mainly writing and Im going to be also working with several other writers on projects for me to direct.

The Survivalist aired on February 12
The Catholic Church don't fare very well either...

The highlight of Des Bishop's otherwise pretty uninspiring election special last night was supplied by the Rubberbandits and their Guide To Mental Health.

"Our politicians don't seem to be that concerned with mental health," Blindboy charges. "Think about it; our public mental health system is almost non-existent. It veers towards institutionalisation. It views a lot of emotional unease as physical illness which is best treated with medication, even though the studies prove that medication isn't as effective as talk therapies like CDT, especially for anxiety and depression. But maybe the politicians are scared. What if poor mental health is so deeply engrained in the Irish psych that no political party will accept such a massive responsibility?"

There then follows a surgical disembowelment of the Catholic Church vis a vis their nurturing of many of the mental health issues Ireland's still trying to tackle today.

See him comprehensively nail it at

[link]facebook.com/TheRubberbandits/videos/10153855579047200[/link]
As you can see from the company name, Changing Technologies Inc (OTCMKTS:CHGT, CHGT message board) wants to change technologies. How many pieces of technology has it managed to change so far?

None.

When it first landed in Pennyland, the company started issuing bombastic press releases in an attempt to convince investors that CHGT will grow just as quickly as the 3-D printing industry. The figures in the latest 10-Q show pretty definitively that this isn't happening:

cash: $589

current assets: $1,464

current liabilities: $237,560

quarterly revenues: $1,269

quarterly net loss: $283,261

It is indeed a fact that CHGT started selling some 3-D printed products a few months ago, but it's painfully obvious that the sales are not exactly huge. This, by the way, is hardly a surprise considering the fact that Marco Valenzuela, CHGT's CEO who also appears to be a 3-D designer, is selling the same exact products through his own website (screenshot links here and here).

Predictably, thanks to the dismal sales and the discrepancy between the optimism in the press releases and what is actually going on, CHGT has lost a huge portion of its value. When it logged its first active sessions during the third quarter of 2014, the ticker was hovering around the $3 per share mark. Right now, after a painful 28% crash yesterday, it's sitting at a little over $0.14.

So, the people who fell for the unnecessary PR optimism have probably seen a vast portion of their money go down the drain. But has anyone profited from CHGT?

Well, the people who took part in the initial public offering and bought 15 million shares (as adjusted for the stock split) for $30 thousand have probably made some money already. We've no idea whether they still have some shares left, but even if they're out, the potential for a significant amount of discounted stock hitting the open market remains.

Last year, CHGT issued just over $450 thousand worth of notes convertible at fixed prices ranging from $0.02 to $0.09 per share. The profit margin for the note holders is still quite huge, and they might be eager to take advantage of it.

Make sure you bear this in mind while reading through CHGT's forward-looking press releases.
Make a Great Career in Corporate Training and Education Management Program

Posted by SANTANU SEN on Tuesday, 02-23-2016 12:38 am

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The business world has become more competitive in recent years. With the advent of sophisticated technologies now new tool have emerged with new amenities. In order to survive in this cut-throat market place, every employee needs to be well trained with the improvised machines. Today, every organization is making sure that the employees or workers should perform well according to their capabilities. It does not matter whether it is big or small organization, every start-up company has to start focusing on corporate training program in Dubai. These are quite crucial for any organizations to increase the productivity. In fact, the requirement for such corporate training is increasing at more companies due to the fast pace of business today. Corporate Training and Its Impact on Work-Culture: A well-organized training program can actually help a business to grow in future. Every training program is organized by an organization with the basic strategy and objectives. It also required for...

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Transitions Group Announces Barney Lehnherr as President; Brent Dorrah Moves to VP of Furniture Division Leading Corporate Housing and Furniture Rental company announces promotion of new President and Vice President.

Posted by Press Releases on Tuesday, 02-23-2016 3:36 am

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Wichita, Kansas (PRWEB) February 17, 2016Bill Jackson, Founder of Transitions Group, Inc.(TG), an employee-owned industry leader that manages multiple companies catering to people in transition, recently announced the promotion of Barney Lehnherr to President of Transitions Group, Inc., with Brent Dorrah taking over Barneys role as Vice President of the Furniture Division of TG.Bill Jackson said in his announcement, I have watched with pride as our team has built our company from a very small initial investment with one location in Wichita, KS into a mid-sized company with locations in 12 cities throughout the Midwest and grossing $35 million in sales this year. While I have been President and CEO for the last 30 years, I am not responsible for this great growth that weve experienced. Its the incredible team we have built that deserves that recognition.Barney Lehnherr, who has served Transitions Group with merit and leadership for nearly 20 years as V...

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UBA Partners with Lillis, McKibben, Bongiovanni & Co., One of Pennsylvanias Oldest and Largest Employee Benefits Firms Benefits-Focused Agency Joins Global Network of Independent Employee Benefits Advisory Firms

Posted by Press Releases on Tuesday, 02-23-2016 3:45 am

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Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) February 17, 2016United Benefit Advisors (UBA), the nations leading independent employee benefits advisory organization, is pleased to welcome Lillis, McKibben, Bongiovanni & Co. as its newest Partner Firm. Located in Erie, Pennsylvania, they focus on providing benefits their clients can rely on.For more than 35 years, Lillis, McKibben, Bongiovanni & Co. has been providing group employee benefit plans for employers large and small in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Western New York, and Northeastern Ohio. As one of the oldest employee benefits firms in the area, their experienced plan managers will work with you to create a benefit plan strategically aligned with your company's goals.Our new relationship will add value to the expertise and services we currently deliver to help our clients better manage their health care costs, mitigate compliance risk, and align their benefit strategy with their companys goals, says Bill Lillis, P...

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.storybox {border:none; padding:0px} Michael Ulrich The Darla Moore School of Business HR Competency Study: Round 7 Insights The impact of HR competencies & HR department activities on HR value creation Sponsored by the Ross School at the University of Michigan and The RBL Group along with 22 regional partners around the world, we are delighted to present the results of the 7th round of the HR competency study (HRCS). For almost 30 years the HRCS has empirically defined the competencies of HR professionals and how those competencies impact performance. In this round we collected over 30,000 worldwide surveys rating the competencies and performance of more than 4,000 HR professionals from more than 1,500 organization units. The results simultaneously build upon insights from prior rounds and generate new insights for the HR. What Drives the Perceived Performance of Individual HR Professionals? Competencies of HR Professionals We found that about 50% of the perceived performance of HR professionals that we can explain in our study comes from their perceived competencies. HR professionals deliver business value through nine competencies (see model in figure 1). Business success comes when we can effectively translate business strategy into the right employee actions. HR professionals who help the organization effectively translate strategy into action must first be competent strategic positioners  i.e. they must have and apply knowledge...
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-23 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] North Rhine-Westphalia FinMin Borjans' exclusive statement to ANA-MPA [02] Helicopter pilot foils hijack attempt, part of an escape plan for convicted terrorist [03] 1,130 refugees arrive at Piraeus port on Tuesday [04] Afghan refugees transferred to Athens from Idomeni [05] Tsipras' meeting with ministers on refugee issue ended [01] North Rhine-Westphalia FinMin Borjans' exclusive statement to ANA-MPA North Rhine-Westphalia Finance Minister Norbert Walter-Borjans in an exclusive interview with ANA-MPA said that he had offered his cooperation in issues of tax audits to the Greek government since 2012, but the then government was not interested, in contrast to the current government of Alexis Tsipras. "I can only repeat what I said during my visit to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and to deputy ministers Tryfon Alexiadis and Dimitris Papangelopoulos last month: In 2012 I repeatedly offered cooperation to the representatives of the Greek government. (...) There was no interest from the then government - in contrast to the current government - although German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble had clearly expressed his support to such a cooperation. But it lies within each government to decide whether or not to accept such a cooperation," North Rhine-Westphalia Finance Minister Norbert Walter-Borjans stated. [02] Helicopter pilot foils hijack attempt, part of an escape plan for convicted terrorist A helicopter pilot foiled an attempted hijack of his apparatus by an armed woman who authorities believe wanted to use it to help convicted terrorist Nikos Maziotis escape from Korydallos prison, Greece's anti-terrorism unit announced on Monday. In 2013, Maziotis was convicted in absentia to 50 years in prison for setting up the now-defunct Revolutionary Struggle terrorist group, simple complicity in attempted murder, and a series of attacks claimed by group. He had been on the run since 2012 and was arrested in July 2014. According to the anti-terrorist squad, the helicopter was leased by a woman who has since been identified by the pilot as Maziotis' wife, Pola Roupa, at the municipality of Ermionida, in the Argolis regional unit of the Peloponnese on Sunday, and was supposed to fly to the island of Kythnos after picking up six more passengers. Describing the incident in an announcement, anti-terror police said that the helicopter was near Athens, when the woman pulled out a gun and told the pilot to redirect the aircraft towards the city. The pilot immediately tried to disarm the woman which caused him to lose control of the helicopter and start to lose altitude. During the struggle, the woman shot him three times without injuring him. Instead, the bullets pierced the instruments. Amazingly, the pilot managed to land the helicopter at an uninhabited mountainous area near the town of Thiva. The woman immediately opened the door and run away. Anti-terror police found Roupa's gun in the helicopter, along with a wig and more objects from which police are expecting to collect DNA data. [03] 1,130 refugees arrive at Piraeus port on Tuesday "Blue Star 1" ferry with 1,130 refugees aboard from Mytilene and Chios arrives at Piraeus port on Tuesday. Another ferry "Diagoras" with 10 refugees will dock at Piraeus within the day. [04] Afghan refugees transferred to Athens from Idomeni Refugees from Afghanistan that were at the Greek-Fyrom crossing point at Idomeni are currently transferred to Athens after police's operation to remove them from the railway tracks. The place where the refugees will be hosted in Athens will be decided a few while before their arrival to the Greek capital and, said Migration Ministry sources. Currently, the refugees hospitality centers at Eleonas, Elliniko and Schisto are full, however, the Afghans will be sent to the centers depending on the vacancies after the departures that will take place on Tuesday. [05] Tsipras' meeting with ministers on refugee issue ended The high-level meeting on the refugee crisis chaired by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras ended on Monday evening. The meeting was attended by the relevant ministers. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-23 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] We will toughen our stance towards neighbouring countries that do not accept refugees, says Migration Min Mouzalas [02] Farmers to decide on their future stance on Tuesday [03] Foreign Ministry's demarche to Austria regarding a meeting on refugees in Vienna [01] We will toughen our stance towards neighbouring countries that do not accept refugees, says Migration Min Mouzalas "We will toughen our stance to the neighbouring countries that do not accept refugees," Alternate Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas on Tuesday said to ANA-MPA's radio "Praktorio FM", noting also that Greece will intensify the diplomatic pressure. "Five police chiefs of the countries of Wisegrad and unfortunately of Austria abolished the EU prime ministers' decision that was taken 15 hours ago. These things are unprecedented for the European idea," said Mouzalas stressing that the refugees from Afghanistan that have blocked the railway tracks at the Greek-Fyrom borders at Idomeni were removed and are currently on their way to Athens where they will be hosted in special places. Mouzalas called on all Greek citizens to assist and estimated that the condition will be very soon under control. [02] Farmers to decide on their future stance on Tuesday Farmers of northern Greece are 'numb' after their meeting with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday. General meetings will be held on Tuesday at the majority of the blocks of northern Greece during which they will decide on their future stance. Currently, the traffic at the customs of Promachonas and Exochi on the Greek-Bulgarian borders is conducted smoothly. [03] Foreign Ministry's demarche to Austria regarding a meeting on refugees in Vienna Greece made a demarche to Austria regarding the initiative to hold a meeting of Foreign Ministers of Austria and the Western Balkan countries on the refugee issue in the absence of Greece. Greek Ambassador Petros Mavroidis delivered the demarche to the ambassador of Austria in Athens Andrea Ikic-Bohm on Monday. Mavroeidis stressed through this unilateral move, which is not at all friendly towards our country, an attempt is being made, in the absence of Greece, to take decisions that directly concern Greece and the Greek borders. Finally, he underscored that Greece, which is shouldering a disproportionate burden of a refugee and migration crisis caused by the actions of others. A corresponding demarche was delivered by our Embassy in Vienna to the Foreign Ministry of Austria. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-23 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Mitsotakis: Between ecumenical gov't and early elections I prefer latter [02] Tsipras phone contact with Dutch PM Rutte over refugee crisis [03] Protesting farmers close customs posts on border with Bulgaria [04] Commission, Dutch presidency refer to 'European approach' to refugee crisis [01] Mitsotakis: Between ecumenical gov't and early elections I prefer latter Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his concern over NATO's involvement in patrols in the eastern Aegean aimed at cracking down on migrant smuggling, speaking during a television interview Monday evening. "We said 'yes' from the beginning, but we have also said this: specify from the beginning the operational details, who goes where...," he said, charging that those forecasting that Greece's borders will be closed as pessimists. "I went to Brussels and did not criticise the Greek government's delays over the last six months. I said the government is trying while Europe has not done what it should have. I did my job and kept a responsible stance," he said, noting that "we are sitting on a bomb. It is imperative to consider alternative scenarios." Regarding his relations with President of Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos, whom he did not back during a parliament vote to elect a new president last year, Mitsotakis said he does not regret for his decision, while adding that Pavlopoulos is a good president. He sternly rejected speculation that he was pressured by members of the European People's Party and during his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, noting that on the refugee crisis, in particular, the German Chancellor backed Greek positions. On the economy, Mitsotakis stressed that a Grexit would be a disaster for the country. Referring to the broadcast TV licences, he said the relevant law will not be applied and will have huge constitutional problems, while he wondered why the government is allocating only four TV licences. He also accused the government of trying to control the media sector. On the possibility of early elections, Mitsotakis said that "between an ecumenical government and early elections I prefer elections. Our economy can withstand another round of elections." "I will not provoke them and I do not want them," he said and rejected the possibility of a coalition government with another prime minister. Asked if he was what is known in Greece as a "neoliberal", Mitsotakis said he is a central-right neo-liberal" adding that the central-right can enunciate social policy better that the so-called left. "The most important social policy is the creation of jobs," he said, adding that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' programme lacks social awareness. Regarding the so-called "Borjans list" of Greek depositors abroad, Mitsotakis claimed that the names of Greek depositors were included in early 2015 and quoted Borjans' statements. [02] Tsipras phone contact with Dutch PM Rutte over refugee crisis Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday expressed his displeasure to Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte over EU's weakness to ensure implementation of a unanimous decision regarding the refugees crisis, which was reached at the recent European Council meeting. Tsipras spoke to Rutte by phone on Tuesday. In referring to Wednesday's meeting of the Interior and Foreign Ministers of Austria with the ministers of the countries of the western Balkans, Tsipras underlined the need the decisions on the management of the refugee flow to be taken collectively and without exclusions. The Netherlands currently holds the EU presidency. [03] Protesting farmers close customs posts on border with Bulgaria Protesting farmers in the eastern Macedonia district on Tuesday announced that they would block off the Promachonas border post on the Greek-Bulgarian frontier indefinitely. The decision was taken at a meeting held in the early afternoon, where participating farmers said they decided to initially close the border post only to trucks. At the Exochi border post, the farmers will hold a meeting later in the afternoon, while reports state that the Greek-Bulgarian border will close on Tuesday evening. [04] Commission, Dutch presidency refer to 'European approach' to refugee crisis BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA / C. Vasilaki) a The European Commission and the Dutch EU presidency issued a joint statement on Tuesday expressing their determination to pursue a "European approach" to the ongoing refugee crisis. "We understand the pressure the different countries concerned are facing. We are concerned about the developments along the Balkan route and the humanitarian crisis that might unfold in certain countries especially in Greece," the statement by Dutch Minister for Migration Klaas Dijkhoff and European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, reads. The Dutch Presidency of the Council and the Commission are in constant contact with all relevant actors and countries along the Western Balkans and are closely following the developments in the region and on the ground at the border crossings, they said, adding however, that all countries involved have a responsibility and obligation to respect the European rules and put an end to the 'wave through' approach. "While doing so, governments should take into account the effects in neighbouring countries," the two officials added, while prompting all countries and actors along the route to "prepare the necessary contingency planning to be able to address humanitarian needs, including reception capacities". In parallel, they said, the Commission is coordinating a contingency planning effort, to offer support in case of a humanitarian crisis both outside and within the EU, as well as to further coordinate border management. "All Member States should act in a joint spirit of solidarity and responsibility, especially in times when unity and common solutions are needed," the statement concludes, noting that the Commission and the Presidency, as well as the EU as a whole stand ready to assist. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
The 2015 Canadian federal election was hailed as a new high for voter turnout after years of slumping returns.

But many still didn't turn up at the ballot box. And now Statistics Canada can say why.

A report released by the data-gathering body on Monday showed that Canadian voters give two main reasons for not voting in the federal election.

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Of the 23 per cent of eligible voters who didn't cast ballots, most (32 per cent) cited a lack of interest in politics, while others (23 per cent) felt they were too busy to make a trip to the voting station.

Eligible voters between the ages of 25 and 34, and 35 and 44 were most likely to say they were too busy to vote (30 per cent each). And the highest proportion of these people came from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario (25 per cent each).

But those weren't the only reasons people gave for not voting. Almost half of non-voters stayed away from the ballot box because of health or everyday life reasons such as not being in town (12 per cent) or being sick, or having a disability (12 per cent).

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Prince Edward Island had the most people who said they turned out to vote at 86 per cent.

Newfoundland and Labrador, meanwhile, saw the fewest with 67 per cent.

This was consistent with results from the federal election in 2011, when both provinces again saw the highest and lowest turnouts, respectively.

A table provided by Statistics Canada showed that turnout was lowest among the youngest demographic (18 to 24), though it went up with every age group except for those aged 75 years and older.

Prior to the election, Carleton University professor Jonathan Malloy provided some insight into lower voter turnout among young people, in an interview with CBC News.

"One thing that comes out in the evidence of not just 20-year-olds but also 30-year-olds and 40-year-olds is they only want to vote if they feel it's authentic," he said.

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"They don't want to vote if they don't feel informed about the issues, that they are cynical about people, they don't want to go in and hold their nose and vote for just anybody."

Statistics Canada drew its data from the November 2015 Labour Force Survey (LFS), in which respondents were asked why they didn't vote.

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Travelling with food allergies can be a scary concept. However, exploring the world and experiencing new cultures is fully achievable with some planning and research. As a parent of a child with multiple food allergies, here is my list of the top 10 things to consider when planning a vacation with food allergies:

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1. Medical Details: Get Organized

Getting your medications and documentation organized is one of the most important things you need to take care of before you leave the comforts of your home:

Double check the expiry dates on your epinephrine autoinjectors to ensure they will not expire while you are on vacation. Plan to bring two or more autoinjectors with you and bring travel-sized Benadryl and any other medications you require.

Consider bringing extra medications with you in different bags, in case one piece of luggage goes missing.

Have prescriptions for your medications with you in case you need to purchase some while you are on your trip.

Get a doctor's note confirming your allergies and the fact that you require access to emergency medications, such as epinephrine, and that you need to bring your own food. Make sure the note states that you are in good health and fit to fly, and that it also contains contact information for your doctor. This letter may come in handy if you are challenged when entering the airport or passing through customs.

2. Purchase Travel Insurance

Purchasing travel insurance for food allergies is something that requires research. Every insurance company has different policies on pre-existing conditions, stabilization periods and disclosure requirements, and you want to make sure you select an insurance policy that will cover your needs if an emergency arises. Get some recommendations from other families living with food allergies in your area, and then arm yourself with a list of questions for insurance companies or insurance brokers.

3. Select An Allergy-Friendly Airline

If travelling by air, select an allergy-friendly airline with policies in place that can help make travelling with food allergies safer and less stressful. Ideally you'd want to fly with an airline that will allow you to board early to wipe down the seating area, make an announcement to all passengers alerting them that someone with a life-threatening food allergy is on board, and will alter their snack selection or create a buffer zone if you have an airborne nut allergy. A great resource is Allergic Living Magazine's Airline Comparison Chart that lists the allergy policies across 13 major air carriers in North America.

4. Bring Snacks Or Meals To Eat While In Transit

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Some airlines may offer meals to accommodate food allergies, but bringing your own food to eat while in transit is the best way to minimize risks while flying. Pack food that doesn't require heating or refrigeration, such as sandwiches, granola bars, roasted chickpeas and other high protein snacks. Note the liquid volume restrictions for air travel and remember that soups and stews can be considered liquids, so you may have issues bringing a container filled with stew with you on a flight.

5. Select Accommodations With A Kitchenette

Having the ability to store and prepare your own food is essential if you're travelling with food allergies. Many hotels offer refrigerators and microwaves in guest rooms, or you can make arrangements in advance to have access to a refrigerator and a microwave in the hotel. Don't forget to pack some microwave-safe containers with you. There are also non-traditional lodgings like furnished apartments or vacation home rentals that have full kitchens, dining areas and washing facilities that can make travel more comfortable. If you are looking at all-inclusive resorts, make sure you talk to the hotel management and the kitchen manager to find out if they are willing and able to make accommodations for food allergies.

6. Become Familiar With Medical Facilities In the Area You Will be Visiting

While it's important for all travellers to know the names and locations of the hospitals in the areas that they will be visiting in case of an emergency, living with food allergies elevates the likelihood of requiring medical attention. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the local emergency phone numbers, as not all countries use 9-1-1 as an emergency number.

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7. Learn The Language

Learn the words and proper pronunciation for your allergens in the local language. It'll also be helpful to have some key phrases memorized such as "I have food allergies" or "Does this contain [your food allergen(s)]?" You may want to create chef cards or allergy cards in the local language and bring them with you to help communicate your food allergy needs.

8. Research Allergy-Friendly Restaurants

It's always fun to taste local food when visiting a new place. Eating at restaurants can be tricky with food allergies, but if you do a little research in advance, you might be able to find allergy-friendly restaurants in the areas you will be visiting or find a local dish that doesn't contain any of your allergens. Reach out to allergy forums on social media or contact your hotel concierge for a local perspective, then contact the restaurant directly.

9. Allergy-Friendly Groceries

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The ease of finding grocery stores to purchase foods at depends on where you are travelling to. In some regions, you may only have access to meat and vegetable markets, while other areas might have familiar grocery chains and big box stores. When faced with foreign languages and potentially inconsistent labelling practices, your best bet will be to stick to preparing whole foods and avoiding packaged goods.

10. Bring Staples With You

Make sure you pack some safe snacks and other staples  such as granola bars, rice cakes or nut butter alternatives  in case you are not able to get to a grocery store right away. Delayed or cancelled flights can change arrival times, and the last thing you want is to be stuck without any food to eat, or to be in a position where you would have risk eating potentially unsafe food. If you're planning to cook, it might also be helpful to bring travel-sized portions of spices and sauces that you normally use so that you don't need to purchase the full size while on vacation.

Share your tips for travelling with food allergies in the comments. Safe travels!

Pauline Osena is a food allergy advocate and founder of HypeFoodie.com, an online resource for allergy-friendly living. This former dairy junkie became an expert in allergy-friendly cuisine while figuring out how to feed her child with multiple food allergies. Pauline aims to inspire culinary adventures and experimentation with her series, "An Allergy-Friendly Makeover," and shares the valuable knowledge she has gained from her trials, errors and adventures in living with food allergies with "The Allergy-Friendly Top 10." Pauline's short-term goals include getting a full night's sleep and drinking her entire cup of coffee while hot.

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Renowned Danish architect Bjarke Ingels is bringing his brand of eye-catching modernism to Toronto, with a new condo complex on King Street West that promises to change the face of the city.

Ingels design calls for a 500-unit condo complex composed of 12 foot-by-12 foot cubicles in an arrangement that makes them look pixelated. The aim is to elicit the feel of a Mediterranean mountain town, as Ingels told the Globe and Mail.

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The building is designed to integrate with the immediate community  a dense area of restaurants and nightlife. At the entrances, the building rises up from the ground, allowing pedestrians to walk underneath it, potentially all the way to the next city block.

In the few days since Ingels released some preliminary images, the as-yet unnamed complex has gotten the attention of architecture and design blogs  not surprising, given the architects track record of award-winning designs.

The scale of the project is so broken down that it almost looks like a bundle of homes rather than a big new building, Ingels told the Globe.

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This isnt Ingels first project in Canada. Hes the architect behind Vancouver House, a planned condo tower that will rise at the base of the citys Granville Bridge. The building won the World Architecture Festivals best future residential project award in 2015.

Vancouver House, a planned condo complex next to the Granville Street Bridge.

Ingels also designed the Telus Sky Tower, a 750,000-square-foot office tower in Calgary that broke ground last year. Given the problems in Calgarys office market these days, this building is likely to face challenges in its early days.

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A design for the Telus Sky Tower in Calgary.

Ingels will be giving a talk in Toronto this week on the theme of how architecture can create communities. His own view of Toronto architecture seems to be that its not particularly diverse for a city of such cultural diversity.

People are different, and so places to live and neighbourhoods should be different. It would be sad if the most diverse city in the world had the most homogenous real estate.

Ingels' Toronto condo design is being built for Allied Properties and Westbank Developments, which last year partnered to develop the site at 489-539 King Street West.

"Well ... be able to ensure that the site makes an optimal contribution to King & Spadina, one of Torontos most extraordinary downtown neighbourhoods, Allied Properties CEO Michael Emory said at the time.
Two Alberta MPs are in hot water after tweeting about a bingo game the pair were playing during question period in the House of Commons Monday.

Conservative MP Kerry Diotte, who represents Edmonton Griesbach, tweeted a photo of a "Liberal Buzz Word Bingo" card with squares that included the words "Indigenous," "middle class" and "Syrians."

A free space in the centre read, "Min of Finance stands and buttons coat."

Diotte was quickly ridiculed over his decision to play bingo during sitting hours in the House.

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McCauley, the Conservative MP representing Edmonton West, also tweeted an image of the bingo card, with the caption "Getting ready for Question Period."

The Internet wasn't too happy with the tweets. Both have since been deleted.

@davecournoyer@KerryDiotte@KellyMcCauleyMP I think most would agree "Syrians" isn't a buzz word, but the victims of a tragic war.  Duncan Wojtaszek (@phendrana) February 23, 2016

@KerryDiotte What the hell is wrong with you, Indigenous are your constituents - not a buzzword. Stop playing games in HOC & work. #CdnPoli  Dave Beninger (@DaveBeninger) February 23, 2016

Many were upset to see constituents' identities referred to as "buzz words."

@a_zabjek@KerryDiotte Exactly. And our Edmonton Griesbach riding is home to many new Canadians and a significant Indigenous population.  Janis Irwin (@JanisIrwin) February 23, 2016

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John Brassard, Conservative MP for Barrie-Innisfil in Ontario, also tweeted that he would be playing along with the bingo game. He has since apologized for his comment, as have McCauley and Diotte.

I apologize for some tweets I made yesterday. They were juvenile. I'm very sorry I offended people with them. #YEG#cdnpoli  KerryDiotte (@KerryDiotte) February 23, 2016

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You won't be seeing Emma Watson on the big screen for a little while.

The Harry Potter star told Paper magazine she is taking a year off of acting to focus on her personal development and to focus on her feminist studies by reading a new book each week, in addition to the books she reads monthly as part of her book club.

"I almost thought about going and doing a year of gender studies, then I realized that I was learning so much by being on the ground and just speaking with people and doing my reading. That I was learning so much on my own," she told feminist icon bell hooks.

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Throughout Watson's lengthy sit-down with hook, the two, who identify each other as their "girl crush," discuss everything from the strength and downfall of Watson's famous female heroine Hermione to Watson's personal growth and work for the UN.

But it's not going to all be downtime for the Brown University graduate. She's also busy preparing for the HeForShe arts week, a university tour, launching the HeForShe website and completing a yoga level 3 teaching certificate.

"It's a really cool period of time for me. My work that I do for the UN is all very clearly outlined, but my personal views and opinions are still being defined, really. So it'll be an interesting time," Watson noted about her Hollywood sabbatical.

While Watson won't be making any new films for a while, fans can still watch her on the big screen later this year when "The Circle" is released, and then again in 2017, when the real-life adaptation of "Beauty and The Beast" is scheduled to enter theatres.

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Canadian comedian Jasmeet Singh spoke out on Twitter Monday, after he was forced to remove his turban for an airport security check in San Francisco.

The Sikh YouTuber, who is better known as JusReign, took off his turban for a private search after U.S. Transportation Security Administration workers told him he wouldn't be allowed on his flight otherwise.

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Jasmeet Singh says he was forced to remove is turban at a U.S. airport. (Chris So/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Upon finding nothing inside the turban, Singh wrote agents denied his request for a mirror to retie his turban, and he was forced to walk in public looking for the nearest restroom with his hair uncovered.

after finding absolutely nothing wrong because a turban is just cloth and the whole thing is stupid I ask for a mirror to tie it back again  Jasmeet Singh (@JusReign) February 22, 2016

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the agent tells me there are no mirrors and that I can just walk down the terminal to the nearest restroom  without my turban on   Jasmeet Singh (@JusReign) February 22, 2016

According to The Sikh Coalition, it's mandatory for followers of Sikhism to wear a turban in public, as it's a symbol of "love and obedience to the wishes of the founders of their faith."

"What was the point in taking me to the private room," Singh asked on Twitter, slamming the TSA for not accommodating his request for a mirror after he "cooperated" with their search.

Singh continued to say he knows Sikh men who travel without their turbans out of fear, but he'll continue to wear his.

Several Twitter users spoke out to support Singh, and criticized TSA for their behaviour.

@JusReign@TSA that makes me so sick and sad. i'm so sorry. it's shameful that that is happening to you in 2016  angry mom (@electrabadlands) February 22, 2016

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@TSA I am a sikh & wear a turban. so far I felt safe at airports, bt after what you did to @JusReign i feel i'm not welcome anymore  Jaskaran Khalsa (@JasCitrus) February 23, 2016

Cmon now, @TSA. Shaking my head after reading about how y'all treated @JusReign. And countless other Sikhs in America. God Bless  Gurpreet Sarin (@gurpreetsarin) February 22, 2016

Singh himself accused the organization of taking "pride" in the fact it's "riddled with xenophobia."

nah only thing u can pride yourself in is how much you're riddled with xenophobia https://t.co/9TbuhBhU0N  Jasmeet Singh (@JusReign) February 22, 2016

Similar incident just weeks ago

This is the second time in a month a prominent Sikh entertainer has spoken out about being targeted at an airport because of their religious apparel.

Two weeks ago, American designer and actor Waris Alhuwalia was banned from an Aeromexico flight when he refused to remove his turban. Alhuwalia posted about the incident on Instagram, and was later issued an apology by the Mexican airline.

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OTTAWA  The Liberal government is weeks behind in its plan to reform the Senate through the appointment of independent senators, the minister in charge of the plan warned Tuesday.

Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef told reporters that the promised five new senators  including the new government representative in the Senate  will be named "this spring."

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Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef speaks in the House of Commons. (Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/CP)

The appointment process is taking longer than expected, she suggested, because an independent advisory board charged with selecting the shortlist of names for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking more time than anticipated.

"It's about [having] a good balance of meeting the deadline that we've set for ourselves and also making sure that they're doing the due diligence they need to do in selecting those named," Monsef said.

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In December, Monsef and Government House Leader Dominic LeBlanc said the expedited appointments would be made "by the end of January."

"The presence of the new non-partisan senators will help inject a new spirit of non-partisanship into the Senate early in the new Parliament," Monsef told reporters. "They will have an immediate impact by assisting the current complement of senators who work to fulfil the Senate's important roles both in the Chamber and on committees."

But the government's advisory board was only struck on Jan. 19, according to its news release.

No government leader in upper chamber

On Jan. 29, it issued a public call asking Canadian organizations to "identify exceptional individuals who could fill current vacancies" in the Senate. Organizations were told that they and the nominees would have to complete an application form before Feb. 15.

Senators were told a Senate government leader  the person charged with shepherding Trudeau's legislation in the upper chamber before it can become law  would be named by the end of February or in early March.

That now appears highly unlikely.

Trudeau was expected to quickly name five independent senators  two from Ontario, two from Manitoba and one from Quebec  provinces with the most Senate vacancies. There are currently 23 vacancies: one empty seat each for Prince Edward Island and British Columbia, two each for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, three for Manitoba, six for Quebec, and eight for Ontario.

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The other 18 senators would be named by the end of 2016 through a new permanent process that would give Canadians the chance to nominate themselves.

The Hill Times reported earlier this week that the advisory board was expected to recommended 25 candidates to Trudeau by Feb. 25.

That list won't be made public.

Monsef and LeBlanc are both expected to appear before the Senate's committee on Rules, Procedures and Rights of Parliament Wednesday evening to discuss the new appointment process and its possible impact on the upper chamber.

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Saudi Arabias oil minister has a solution for the global oil glut: Instead of cutting oil production, wait for the worlds most expensive producers to go bust.

Ali Al-Naimi didnt specifically single out the U.S.s shale oil fields and Canadas oilsands as the targets of his comments at an oil industry conference in Houston, Tex., on Tuesday. But as those two are among the most expensive oil plays in the world today, the target of his comments was clear.

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Efficient markets will determine where on the cost curve the marginal barrel resides, Al-Naimi said, as quoted at Forbes. He added later: Inefficient producers will have to get out.

Al-Naimi rejected the idea of an OPEC production cut, saying they won't work to boost oil prices. Cutting production would mean low-cost producers like Saudi Arabia would be subsidizing higher-cost ones.

Low-cost producers cutting their own production only delays an inevitable reckoning," he said.

Al-Naimi was careful not to single out any one country, in the wake of accusations Saudi Arabia is trying to run the U.S.'s shale oil play out of business. "We have not declared war on shale or on production from any given country or company,'' he said.

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This chart from the International Energy Agency shows Canada and the U.S. are among the most expensive places to launch oil extraction projects.

Al-Naimi says the global oil glut will end, though he won't predict when.

While rejecting production cuts as unrealistic, Al-Naimi endorses a freeze on production at current levels if major producing countries go along. The freeze idea, floated last week by Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar, faces uncertain prospects. Iran, just coming off international sanctions, wants to boost its production.

Canadian oil production has continued to grow throughout the oil price slump, largely because oilsands operations are expensive to shut down once they're started, and new oilsands projects, started years ago, have continued to come online.

But a recent report from the International Energy Agency suggested production growth could flatline entirely in Canada in the coming years.
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A refugee family fleeing violence in Syria faced a terrifying situation Sunday, after a bullet tore through the window of their 12-year-old niece's bedroom.

The shooting happened in the northeast Calgary community of Rundle late Sunday morning. The young girl was making her bed when a bullet flew through her window.

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The bullet was found lodged just below the ceiling, and was likely fired from the back alley, the Calgary Herald reported.

It was a harrowing experience for a family hoping to escape conflict.

They feel really unsafe  they just came from war. To them, theyve been running away from those bombings. Theyve run away from (Syria) for a better life and peace and look what happened," Nazha Elhedri, a friend of the family, told Metro News.

Elhedri said the family only moved into the Rundle home two weeks ago. The 12-year-old girl was orphaned when her father was killed by a bomb back in Syria, Metro reported.

Police say the attack was targeted, but not for the family  it was likely meant for the tenant in the basement. The incident is still under investigation.

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Calgary's police chief expressed concern in November last year that the city was seeing an increase in gun violence.

There were over 80 shootings in Calgary in 2015, according to The Canadian Press.

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THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

If you quote Ralph Waldo Emerson three times in a speech, you should be certain there is no debate about whether Emerson actually said those words.

The affable chairman of the CRTC, Jean-Pierre Blais, delivered a "state of the industry" speech in Toronto on Feb. 17, 2016. But Mr. Blais has shown a tendency to rely on dubious information in speeches and policies.

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Mr. Blais has positioned the CRTC as a champion of the consumer -- for example, introducing shorter and more consumer-friendly mobile phone contracts and more choice in cable channels. These are notable achievements, although the commission's data show that the monthly bills for cable and mobile phones have increased steadily during his time on the job.

Mr. Blais, a career bureaucrat, seems to believe the Canadians who appear before him at hearings, write letters or complete online questionnaires represent average people.

However, many of the "ordinary" people who participate in CRTC proceedings do so because they are lobbied by vested interests or are the types who complain to the local councilman about garbage pick-up. Broadcasters and industry groups make a concerted effort to get Canadians to appear before and write letters of support to the commission.

Online questionnaires have exacerbated this problem. When the commission puts a questionnaire up on its web site, industry groups often urge all their members or employees to complete it and the sample is not representative of Canadians.

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On those occasions when the commission has undertaken legitimate, scientific surveys of Canadians, they only pose questions determined by the CRTC.

For example, a 2013 telephone survey conducted by Harris/Decima for a major TV policy hearing did not ask the 800 randomly chosen respondents about U.S. ads in the Super Bowl or several other contentious issues that the commission later ruled on, including sweeping new rules for Canadian content. The survey only lasted eight minutes, so there was ample opportunity to explore such issues.

In his speech Mr. Blais states unequivocally that Canadians are "telling us they want to take back control over their communication system." He emphasizes that "Canadians told us during Let's Talk TV that the basic packages offered by their cable and satellite providers were too big and too expensive."

Yet, the Harris/Decima poll commissioned by the CRTC for this very proceeding (and the only evidence that could claim to be representative of average people) found that only one in five respondents said they were dissatisfied with the service of their cable/satellite company and fewer than one in three were dissatisfied with the flexibility to modify/cancel their contract.

Most importantly, only about one in three said they were dissatisfied with the flexibility in selecting channels. Even when it came to price, less than half said they were dissatisfied with the price of cable, surprisingly low since it is akin to asking people if they like paying taxes. In other words, the Canadians surveyed by Harris/Decima on behalf of the CRTC don't seem to agree with Mr. Blais.

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Source: CRTC 2013 Harris/Decima Survey

Elsewhere in the speech the chairman says: "Local television news is failing us." Then he states that local news, according to Numeris data, is successful, attracting 20 per cent of households in some markets. Somewhat of a mixed message, especially since Numeris surveys measure people, not households.

The chairman's use of numbers is suspect, generally. For example, he states that the new tablet version of the newspaper La Presse reached a "daily readership (of) 243,000... well above the paper's peak printed circulation of 221,000 in 1971."

Again, circulation, the number of papers sold, is not comparable to the number of readers, and the readership number quoted is less than half that claimed by La Presse.

The rogue use of surveys and numbers makes one question the chairman's oft-mentioned claim that "There is more than enough money in the broadcasting system..." Yet Mr. Blais provides no supporting evidence, no comparisons with other countries, etc.

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In his speech the chairman says, "The old way of doing business -- of squeezing every last drop of profit out of... made-in-America content -- is no longer sustainable." However, a variant of the same model is currently used around the world and is growing.

Most countries try to complement big-budget U.S. movies and series and rely on those U.S. productions to fill their schedules. The more successful of these countries spend much more on TV production than Canada.

Canada is last among G7 countries when it comes to TV revenues, including funding for public broadcasters. The U.S. TV industry has more than 30 times our English TV revenues.

The chairman's opinion that there is more than enough money in the Canadian broadcasting system is troubling. One can appreciate the frustration Mr. Blais has with station owners and executives who spend money on "yachts and private helicopters" and cry poor before the CRTC; but, realistically, Hollywood producers have much larger yachts with helicopters on the rear deck.

The CRTC contributed to the yacht problem by allowing TV station owners in Canada to trade and sell their station licences at exorbitant rates. TV is famously said to be a licence to print money, but the licence itself is a bank vault, some of which have been sold for billions of dollars. Mr. Blais can begin to resolve this problem by curbing the sale of licences and requiring more from new owners.

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Mr. Blais appears to have good intentions but he is ignoring real Canadians and empirical evidence.

For a solution he need look no further than another government agency, the Copyright Board, which is considering a request to double the fees that Canadian cable and satellite companies pay for the right to carry programs from distant TV stations.

This would inject more than $100 million annually of new money directly to TV programmers. Mr. Blais would be wise to use his considerable talents and the power of the CRTC to find similar sources of funding and, while he's at it, reduce the cost of cable and mobile phones.

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pixelheadphoto via Getty Images African American mother talking with her daughter.

Who made the decisions when you were a child? My home was something of an 'oligarchy' with a very small group (Mom and Dad) calling all the shots. I remember my father saying, when my brother and I tried to weigh in, "this isn't a democracy, kids!"

I chuckle to think how my parents would have felt about the modern-day "family meeting" that's used in many Canadian homes. Some families I know swear by it. Topics like TV time or household chores are discussed as a group, with kids' ideas heard, written down, carefully considered and sometimes even implemented.

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The wisdom of kids at the table

As parents, my husband and I haven't been great about holding family meetings. We're often pressed for time and low on patience, and need to find workable solutions - fast. But here's the problem: in leaving our kids out of decision-making we often miss out on their critical insights and some darned good ideas.

For years, my husband and I insisted that all homework be done at precisely 3:30 p.m. with video games later on. As we grew to understand the social and academic crucible in which our growing kids operate, we finally took their advice.

We now give our boys an hour to mindlessly blow off steam as soon as they come in the door. What a difference it's made to the entire evening! Homework is done better, we get more help with evening chores, and the kids seem less stressed in general. Why didn't we do it years ago?

Young people talk Syria

I felt the same sense of humility while listening to a live chat World Vision organized a few days ago, about the crisis of the war in Syria. At the centre was Ahmad, a boy from Syria who moved to Mississauga with his mother and siblings three years ago. Questions to Ahmad from dozens of young people were typed, Facebooked or Skyped from around the country.

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Thanks to questions from the young people who participated, here are five things that may give Canadians a new perspective on the Syrian crisis:

Children can be affected by conflict in different ways. Ahmad was at risk of being a child soldier in one of the world's bloodiest conflicts if he'd stayed in Syria. "My age? I'm 17 years old," he said. "And if I go back to Syria, I'm the age that should be participating in the army. And when someone goes into the army, he doesn't go back to his home." It made me think anew about what a five-year conflict can mean for a young person coming of age in Syria. Conflict places adult burdens on children. Ahmad misses his father in Syria very much. But he's willing to make a new start in Canada nonetheless. "I really miss my Dad, but we have to face real facts," he said with the wisdom and maturity I'd normally ascribe to a much older person. "I seriously cannot actually go back."

In Lebanon, 14-year-old Ali is eager to continue with his schooling. But as a refugee, he must work to support his family. Ahmad's own education would likely have been jeopardized, if he'd stayed in the region. World Vision photo

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Children are incredibly resilient. Ahmad has somehow come up to speed on a full course-load of Canadian high school subjects in just three years, despite knowing almost no English when he arrived. I struggle to imagine what kind of work, determination and commitment that would have required.

Syrian newcomers are determined and hard-working. Ahmad has high expectations for his fellow Syrian youth, as they arrive in Canada - no matter what they've been through. "You should not give up and say 'well, language is hard, I don't know English'" he said. "If they don't try, they don't get what they want. No one can be successful if they don't work as hard in his life."

Syrian newcomers can make great neighbours. Ahmad understands the qualities of the Syrian people that can help them thrive here in Canada. "We knew all of our neighbours, even people from far," he remembers. "Syria was a very friendly place, especially our town - we help each other. We used to be very nice to each other."

We need to hear more

I clicked 'close' on the chat badly wanting to hear more. No statistics, no daily news stories, have given me the same perspective as this one-hour youth chat.

Canada and the international community needs to hear the perspective of young people like Ahmad as it makes decisions on how to address the crisis in Syria, and where we place our priorities. Young people across Canada and around the world - whether they are inside Syria, Syrian refugees, or even those who have never been to Syria - need to be urged to share their voices more frequently. They need more forums through which to communicate.

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Any meaningful and inclusive peace process entails the inclusion of young people. That's why World Vision Canada is urging the Government of Canada to focus on ensuring their voices are heard. Let's involve them in the discussion. By doing so, I'm convinced we will arrive at sustainable solutions we could never have imagined without them.

13-year-old Abdul grew up learning revolutionary anthems in Syria. At this World Vision child-friendly space in Jordan, he's now learning songs about the beauty of his home country. World Vision photo
When newly minted sub captain David Marquet took command of the U.S. nuclear submarine the USS Sante Fe back in the 1980s, he quickly discovered the shortcomings of the traditional naval master and commander leadership style.

Keynote speaker David Marquet at the 2016 HRPA Annual Conference in Toronto.

"On our first day out of port we were doing some drills out in the Pacific and I decided to put a little stress on the crew," said Marquet during a keynote at the Human Resources Professionals Association's (HRPA) 2016 Annual Conference in January. "I switched power from the nuclear reactor to the electric auxiliary motors and told an officer to go to 2/3 power. He gave me a funny look and then went ahead and gave the order--all while knowing that was an impossibility on this new generation sub.

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"He did what he was told without advising it wasn't an option because I had told him to and he was afraid of questioning and embarrassing me."

Marquet, a former US Navy captain turned author and leadership consultant, decided that day to buck naval tradition and stop giving orders--instead giving more decision-making authority to both his officers and crew.

His leadership experiment turned the terribly underperforming USS Santa Fe--"the Enron of the US Navy"--into one the best-performing submarines in the U.S. fleet within 12 months and produced a crop of naval officers that went on to successfully command other subs. Marquet wrote about his experience and leadership vision in the 2012 book Turn This Ship Around!: A Captain's Guide to Creating Leadership at Every Level.

While Marquet's decision to go from "know all, tell all" leadership to a more flat, collaborative approach was partly borne out of necessity (he was assigned at the last minute to the more modern sub that he knew little about and relied heavily on the crew for technical guidance), he quickly discovered that letting go of control helped create a far more engaged and effective crew. "We went from one leader to 124 active, thinking leaders," he said. "The crew went from being primarily motivated by avoiding mistakes--and doing nothing for fear of sticking their neck out--to being motivated by performance and trying new things."

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Creating a decision-making culture

However, to encourage a more collaborative culture, Marquet says leaders must first create an environment that makes it safe to say "I don't know" and to voice their opinion.

"Organizations that operate with a sense of crisis all the time make people feel unsafe and creates an 'us vs them' type environment where people don't work together," he says. And on an individual level, stressed out people do not make great decisions--stress shuts down the part of the brain responsible for executive function and moves it to the brain's primitive "fight or flight" area responsible for survival. And a stressed out employee cares about little more than self-preservation, according to Marquet.

Creating a safe environment means changing your leadership language, moving away from fear-inducing questions like "Are you done"? to a more indirect "How is progress on the project"?; or "Are you sure"? to "How sure are you"?

It also means moving away from the silo-creating "they" to a more collaborative "we".

"On the Santa Fe, I banished "they" from our lexicon because no matter if you're in the engine room, the kitchen or the bridge, we're all interrelated on a nuclear sub--and that applies to all organizations," he says. "If someone came to me with a 'they need this..' they got ignored until it was rephrased. Soon the whole crew was saying 'we' and it went a long way to creating a culture of collaboration and teamwork."

Matching skills with decision-making

However, when you give people more control, a leader also has to give them the skills and competence to make decisions effectively, says Marquet.

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"Build trust in your people's decision making by having conversations to hear what they're thinking--then you'll know what the gaps are in competence."

Ultimately, you want your people moving up the leadership ladder, going from being told what to do, to providing opinions and recommendations, to advising what they intend to do and what they have done.

The more comfortable your people are in making decisions on their own, the more control the leader is giving up.

"It's both scary and liberating," says Marquet.

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Gary Blakeley via Getty Images Sir Wilfrid Laurier

November of this year will mark the 175th birthday of Canada's first French-Canadian Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Commemorations are already underway with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute celebrating his life and legacy with a dinner on February 24th at the Canadian Museum of History.

Holding a number of political records Laurier might be described as the "Rocket Richard" of Canadian politics (or better yet Wayne Gretsky). He shares the record for the most consecutive federal elections won (four), and his 15-year tenure remains the longest unbroken term of office among prime ministers. His nearly 45 years (1874-1919) of service in the House of Commons is a record as is his near 32 years as the longest-serving leader of a major Canadian political party.

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In perhaps his most quoted passage, Laurier predicted that the 20th century would belong to Canada. At the end of the 20th century, when Canada received the number one ranking in the United Nations Human Development Index, Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien proudly boasted that Laurier's forecast proved true. Undoubtedly many patriotic Canadians happily concurred (in 2014, Canada stood ninth in the same UN rankings).

In the aftermath of the 2015 election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau borrowed another popular passage from Laurier's repertoire when referring to the "sunny ways." In this case Trudeau's "positive politics" was equated with the "sunny way" of doing politics. From the late 19th century on, Laurier's sunny ways emerged as a euphemism for finding the political middle ground or compromise when addressing complex issues. The specific compromise in question was on the thorny issue of Catholic and French language education in Manitoba. In March 1890, the province's Liberal Premier Thomas Greenway abolished public funding of Catholic schools.

Laurier urged the Manitoba government to be more generous towards its minority and shortly after he was elected the prime minister successfully called for an amendment to the Manitoba Schools Act that allowed Catholic teachers to be employed in certain circumstances and offered some religious-instruction privileges with public schools.

Regrettably, on minority language issues, our country's history offers too many examples of some rather cloudy measures. A year after the defeat of Laurier's Liberals in the 1911 federal election, Ontario Conservative Premier James Whitney introduced Regulation 17, which made English the official language of education in the province and restricted French to the first two years of elementary school (in 1913 it was changed slightly to allow one hour of French teaching a day). At the time, some 10 per cent of Ontario's population was French Canadian, much of it concentrated in areas bordering the province of Quebec. To support bilingual education, Franco-Ontarians created a French-Canadian Education Association. But they faced important opposition to bilingual schools from both English Protestants and Irish Catholics (the latter wanted Catholic education but in the English language).

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The measure was the object of rather vehement criticism in Quebec and Laurier feared that it would damage the fragile relationship between English and French Canadians that was a cornerstone of Federal Liberal party fortunes. Guided by his sunny approach, Laurier called on the Ontario government to amend the legislation to allow French children to be educated in their own language. In an address aimed at Ontarians, Laurier stated: "when I ask that every child of my own race receive an English language education will you refuse also the privilege of an education in the language of our fathers and mothers?" [1].

But his appeal proved to no avail. Much the displeasure of Laurier there was little hope for a sunny resolution of the issue and the results were indeed a major a setback for relations between English and French Canadians. Although Regulation 17 was repealed in 1927, as regards official recognition of French language schools in Ontario, it took another 40 plus years for the "sun to rise." We can be thankful that our current political leadership chooses to draw upon the sunnier disposition of past political leaders and choose the better side of our history when it comes to minority rights.

Wishing success to the Macdonald-Laurier Institute on the Laurier commemoration!

Reference:

[1] Roderick Stewart, Wilfrid Laurier: A Pledge for Canada, XYZ Publishing, 2002, p.125

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Last year, Rev. Chris New at my home Church -- Southminster-Steinhauer United (SSUC), invited me for a joint Christian-Muslim reflection in the wake of the Paris tragedy and the Syrian refugee crisis. I shared the following words with the beautiful congregation.

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video from SSUC, starts around the 25:00 time mark

My mother in Pakistan asked me if I was safe. She was concerned about news of backlash against Muslim communities in the wake of yet another terrorist attack. The Paris tragedy led to hateful incidents in Ontario. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of terrorist attacks, Muslims of all stripes find themselves on the defensive. This includes those in interfaith relationships who are raising their children in multi-faith traditions.

I told my mother that I was in the safest place on Earth. So many blasts have taken place in my home city of Lahore in Pakistan, that I have lost count. In fact, my sister witnessed one from a distance. Due to my work on Islamic law and same-sex unions, I am cautious of Muslim majority countries. Given the hysteria related to Muslims, I do not go to Conferences in the U.S. either.

Canada is my sanctuary. I fell in love with her people the day I set foot at the Calgary International Airport in the summer of 2000. I had missed my connecting flight to Edmonton and was quite concerned about additional expenses given my limited funds. Yet, with a smile on her face, an older lady with a cowboy hat told me I needn't worry about that. Since that day I did not have to worry about much.

I have been protected by the love of the wonderful people, who have become my family and friends in this city. I live next to an amazing neighbour, Rob Wells, who has been there for me in some of my most difficult of times. He brought me to SSUC. My late grandmother would often tell me to attend this Church, for Jesus also belongs to Muslims and that prayers are heard in the different houses of Allah.

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At SSUC, Anne McCracken nudged me to write. Along with Rev. Nancy Steeves, I welcomed a baby boy in an interfaith Muslim-Christian ceremony. I have even performed a Muslim funeral at this Church when conservative Muslim doors were shut. Like the work of our ministers, Rev. Nancy Steeves and Rev. Chris New, I have tried very hard to offer an expansive vision of Islam.

I fully acknowledge that the Qur'an like any ancient religious text is imbued with contradictions of its own. As in the Star Wars movie, it can be wielded for the light side or the dark side of the force. There are texts that condone violence and those which condemn it. The Qur'an can be used to stoke supremacism or promote pluralism. Indeed, as the Prophet's cousin Imam Ali asserted, "The Book is Silent for it is us who speak."

Canadians refuse to give into hysteria, as they do in other countries.

In the present trying times, one extremist group after another rears its ugly head. This includes the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, and the most recent incarnation ISIS. Yet, my colleagues at Universalist Muslims and I refuse to let go of Islam. We cannot in good conscience leave religion to the hands of hateful ideologues, of which there is no dearth in this world.

We choose to stay to offer hope and inspiration, to facilitate ease and comfort and to show a path of an all-inclusive Islam. For us faith is not about mindless religious rituals or rigid laws. For us the uncompromising concept of Tawhid (Oneness) is about being at peace with ourselves and about embracing our unity in diversity.

We believe that all of us, gay and straight, religious and atheist, white and beautifully coloured, are all part of one body. If one part of this body aches, the rest of the body suffers. We fully embrace the Prophet's teaching that echoes Matthew 25 that Allah is within the sick, the hungry and the thirsty and that we find Allah by caring for the vulnerable and the poor.

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I know Pakistanis gave into fear and so poorly treated Hindus, Christians, Ahmadis and Shiis. When the army bombed the Taliban, Pakistani provinces refused internally displaced refugees out of fear that that the Taliban would come in. Pakistan surely has a large army and even nukes but Canada is strong where Pakistan is weak, for we refuse to give into hate.

Canadians refuse to give into hysteria, as they do in other countries. We rose up for a woman who wasn't even a citizen for a niqab, which is even discouraged in Muslim rituals like the daily prayer and the Hajj -pilgrimage to Mecca. Cold Lake citizens came out to remove the mosque graffiti. Similarly, Canadian communities galvanized against the recent hateful attacks in Ontario. Indeed, the way we put hate mongors and self-serving politicians in their place speaks of the immense reservoirs of Canadian strength.

All of this makes me proud and safe to say, Mamma, do not worry for I live in a place where my people follow that ancient piece of wisdom echoed by Muhammad and uttered by Jesus over 2000 years ago in Aramaic -- Hivu lkum (Love One Another).
LWA/Dann Tardif via Getty Images Two teenage female science students examining a double helix model, Toronto, Canada

Dear Teens,

I see what you've been doing. I've been noticing it for a while now. Almost weekly you are solving intractable problems that have had adults stymied for years. A cheap way to check for pancreatic cancer. Stopping the spread of germs on planes. Cutlery that scans for bacteria. A rain and fireproof sleeping bag for the homeless. The list gets longer each time I look.

And what amazes me is that even when you don't have many resources, you're re-inventing the world. You're doing it with scraps from dump heaps and in places where there are few books and only occasional electricity.

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I'm envious. You're just newly arrived here on this planet and yet you seem to see much more than we who have been here for many decades. Perhaps we have become jaded or too resigned to the world we know?

Of course it helps that you don't have to invent mathematics. Or the printing press. Or the Internet. With easy access to the collective pantry of human ideas, you are deftly repurposing and reconfiguring what you find here.

And you do this despite what you learned in kindergarten, one of the first lessons in school: stay inside the lines. Luckily for us, you realize that colouring outside the lines can create a completely different picture. It's outside conventional lines of thought that creative solutions lie. As you are well aware, it's outside we'll all have to go if we have any hope of leaving a livable planet for your children.

You're quite concerned about the state of the planet you find yourself on and so apart from all the scientific breakthroughs you're making, you're also stirring change socially and politically in ways that sometimes stuns.

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Those of us who are watching you know that Malala Yousafzi is not an anomaly, that there are many like her who refuse to accept the norm as normal for young women. We know not all 12-year-olds can start an organization like Free the Children but there are many more like Craig Kielburger who want to end social iniquities such as child slavery. We know that First Nations youth are "idle no more" despite their inheritance of a painful legacy. And we know that Victoria Barrett, who is suing the Obama administration, is at the vanguard of youth demanding that something be done to mitigate climate change.

There are multitudes of you with many brilliant ideas but too often those ideas are being buried beneath your boredom and frustration in schools. It was no surprise to see in a recent study by Yale that 75% of you are either bored or frustrated or tired in schools. It's certainly no surprise to Sir Ken Robinson who has for decades been urging schools to allow you to be who you are: creative problem solvers.

But despite his message resonating with teachers worldwide, too many politicians insist that you become human calculators, writers of the 5-paragraph essay and memorizers of the information you can access within nanoseconds on that device in your pocket.

It's no wonder that many of you are tired. I would be exhausted every day if I had to adjust and adapt to a new environment every hour as you do in schools. How do you cope with being in Biology for an hour and then completely changing your train of thought to adapt to French or Physics in the next hour? How do you adjust to the emotional climate of so many different classrooms and teachers each day? The effort must be daunting!

I wish that schools nurtured your creativity instead of punishing it. I wish that you were given time each day to allow your ideas to gestate. And I fervently wish that public schools were funded as a priority so that you had all the tools you needed to show us what we cannot see.

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If these wishes came true for all of you and not just a few, I can't imagine what you could do.

But I bet you can.

In admiration,
Murtaza Haider

It's the age-old battle between form and function. In the name of beautifying streets and the desire to create urban promenades, we often end up with poorly planned arterials that subject pedestrians and others to unnecessary safety risks.

Look no further than the Front Street at Union Station in Toronto, where every morning a flood of commuters inundates the neighbouring streets, forcing pedestrians and vehicles to share space when they are least willing to yield.

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The culprit is an artificially narrowed road segment outside of Union Station. The street has been "beautified" and made "pedestrian friendly." Or so we have been told. With no signage for priority use at the most contested piece of road real estate in Canada, pedestrians and drivers are fighting it out.

Outside Union Station it's the Monday morning blues and then some. Earlier this morning, cars were lined up with frustrated drivers trapped in a single lane in each direction. Pedestrians in hundreds were crossing the Front Street mid-block. A cab driver was relentlessly blaring his horn trying unsuccessfully to prevent a flooding stream of pedestrians from crossing the road. A black Jeep, fortunately at crawling speed, inadvertently touches a young pedestrian. She turns around in anger and kicks the Jeep's side door.

No one seemed to be enjoying the beautified street.

It doesn't have to be this way. When it comes to streets and arterials, form should follow function (and safety).

Union Station is the busiest transportation hub in Canada offering urban, regional and intercity bus and rail services. In addition, it is located in Canada's busiest and largest employment centre. Why then is the road segment opposite Union Station narrowed to a single lane in each direction? This results in queues that stretch back to intersections at Bay Street and University Avenue, an entire city block in either direction.

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Transportation Engineering recommends providing safe and efficient access by road to Union Station so that commuters, in addition to arriving by other transit modes, could be driven in cars or cabs to board the multitude of transit services. Such consideration seems not even an afterthought for Union Station where the redesigned road segment seems planned to choke rather than to facilitate traffic.

You might think that if the road is not helping traffic, it must be helping the pedestrians. Not really. During rush hours, the place resembles a war zone between GO Train commuters who cross the street where Front Street narrows down to one lane in each direction.

GO Trains arrive at Union Station often with over 1,600 passengers per train. When several trains arrive at Union within minutes of each other, a steady stream of pedestrians pours onto the neighbouring streets, including Front Street where hundreds cross the street mid-block.

Obvious signs or signals (e.g., crosswalk) to advise who has the right of way are missing, which results in a battle of nerves between drives and pedestrians that often matures into kicking and shouting, as was the case this Monday morning.

It doesn't have to be this way. When it comes to streets and arterials, form should follow function (and safety). The primary function of the Front Street is to link the largest employment centre in Canada with the most active transport hub. It involves crossing the Front Street more so than strolling along it. One can beautify the street after one has engineered the street for its primary use. This seems not to be the case with Front Street.

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The drivers and pedestrians would be well-served if one were to consider the following changes. In the interest of pedestrian safety, the city should restrict pedestrians from crossing the Front Street mid-block between Bay Streets and University Avenue. Pedestrians are most vulnerable crossing at mid-block than at signalized intersections.

The intersections at Bay Street and University Avenue should be reconfigured for pedestrian priority for morning and evening rush hours. Given the large pedestrian volumes, the intersection at Bay and Front Streets is a good candidate for a pedestrian scramble, like the one at Yonge and Dundas Streets.

Since the Front Street serves prominent destinations on both north and south sides, it requires vehicular (cab) access for commuters heading to Union Station and those to Royal York Hotel or the neighbouring office towers.

Reducing the street to one lane causes unnecessary blockage when an idle vehicle, boarding or alighting a passenger, occupies the lane. Restoring two lanes in each direction will allow a parking lane for cabs and others, while the traffic can flow in the other lane.

One hopes are that once the work on Union Station is finally finished, Torontonians would have a functioning transit hub that looks pretty and also moves people efficiently and safely.

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Just imagine walking bare-footed on melted tar roads under a scorching sun and intense heat for one hour, and then forced to run for three hours in shackled legs. You are given no food or water for the duration of the six hours. Well, this is exactly what happened to some elephants near the world renowned Guruvayur temple in Kerala.

According to the Heritage Animal Task Force (HATF) Secretary Mr. Venkitachalam, 27 elephants were forced to walk to a racing ground between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on melting tar roads beneath the blistering sun and 40 degree Celsius heat, denied of food and water.

Then between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. they were forced to participate in a running race, their legs heavily shackled. The first mahout sitting atop each elephant continued to prod the animals with the banned bull hook and poke his toes in the most sensitive part behind the elephants' ears, while the second mahout on the ground hit the animal with a 10-metre-long pole to inflict maximum torture and make the elephants run faster.

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Photo Credit: HATF

Photo Credit: HATF

Hundreds of spectators witnessing the race unaware of suffering of elephants

And why do they organize this annual elephant running race? Just so people can have fun, as the elephants endure the torturous competition and are pushed to win!! Most people in Kerala don't seems to realize that forcing shackled elephants to run is one of the worst kinds of cruelty. And few people seem to have even a basic understanding that the soft-cushioned feet of elephants are made for lush jungles and marshes, not hard concrete or hot tarmac or granite floors.

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Photo Credit: HATF

Winner, Gopi Kannan was forced to salute before Lord Krishna in Guruvayur Temple

The winner, Gopi Kannan, will now have the "honour" of carrying Lord Krishna's idol during the festivities that begin today. He'll be kept inside the temple and paraded on the hard granite floor. This winner was subjected to brutality during the race, and will endure more torture after the race for 10 additional days. Two years back Ramankutty of Guruvayur Temple, the adjudged winner of elephant race, collapsed and was unable to function for five days.

The world-renowned Guruvayur Temple has also rented out its elephants, going against the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 that lists India's heritage animal in the schedule 1 category, which cannot be exploited for profit.

But this temple possesses 53 elephants, most of which are rented out for huge sums of money. I've been informed that one of the most popular rentals, an elephant named Padhmanabhan, will fetch more than 220,000 Indian Rupees (over US$3,600) per day, as of March 10.

Photo Credit: HATF

Guruvayur Padhmanabhan

Clearly, the laws of the land are being openly flouted. HATF secretary V.K. Venkitchalam decries that the Guruvayur Temple authorities are getting off the hook with impunity. "This type of blatant violation of law is the brain work of the Guruvayoor Devaswom administration which is headed by politically appointed Chairman," he says. "The administrator of the Guruvayoor Devaswom is none other than the Additional District Magistrate. The District Collector of Thrissur is the former administrator of Guruvayoor Devaswom... The manual of Guruvayoor Devaswom does not contain anything which empowers its managing committee to earn money by using Elephants kept by the Devaswom."

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Another temple near Trissur district paraded Kerala's tallest elephant, despite his physical disability. Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran is blind in his right eye, and has a track record of killing close to 20 people and three elephants.

Photo Credit: Tony Azios, Gods in Shackles Cinematographer

Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran is blind in his right eye

Three Kerala veterinarians had conducted a thorough medical examination in 2010, and declared that Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran is disabled. But regardless, the temple forced this majestic animal to parade until around 4:00pm when he began to display aggression. He is one of the many elephants featured in Gods in Shackles, a documentary that exposes the despicable treatment of Kerala's captive elephants. You can learn more about the film by clicking HERE

It was only recently that Kerala's Chief Wildlife Warden issued an order, prohibiting the use of disabled elephants in temples and festivals (enclosed at the bottom of this article). Additionally, elephants with a history of killing people must be kept away from the public. But here again, the laws of the land were being flouted in the broad day light with absolute latitude.

It's no surprise that elephants are revolting. An elephant named Vayalassery Arjunan was pushed so far that he killed his mahout. HATF Secretary claims, Arjunan was one of the 10 elephants paraded without proper permits. Worse yet, this elephant also displayed symptoms of musth, an annual period when bull elephants come into heat and become dominant. In the wild they mate and fight with other bulls, but in captivity they have no way of releasing their energy reserves. So they become aggressive, which often results in tragic loss of lives.

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Photo credit: HATFAll four legs shackled to palm trees, Arjunan is deprived of his basic needs

Since this tragic event Arjunan has been shackled to a palm tree, with no roof to shade him from the blistering sun. He is unable to move and deprived of food and water -- a punishment he will suffer for 15 days. These tolerant animals revolt only when they are pushed to the extremes. But sadly when they do so, the torture is intensified and they are subjected to such severe corporal punishment.

Yet another elephant called Chamapuzha Unnikrishnan rampaged for six hours, toppling motorcycles and trees with his mahout atop his back. Veterinarians had to tranquilize this bull elephant. He was allegedly transferred illegally from another district.

"This shows the unlawful manner in which elephant contractors and festival organizes flout elephant parade rules with tacit support of forest officials. The district Collector of Ernakulam remains a mute spectator. The district collector is the chairman of the district's elephant monitoring committee."

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Photo Credit: HATF

Chamapuzha Unnikrishnan rampaged for six hours
More than 450 potential suicide attempts on the railways were prevented in less than a year thanks to special training for staff to identify people at risk.

Since April 1 last year, Network Rail staff, train operators and British Transport Police have intervened 458 times - more than once a day - to help vulnerable people showing signs of suicidal behaviour.

Network Rail said it estimated more than 1,000 potential suicide attempts were prevented in the three years up to July 2015, thanks to the Managing Suicidal Contacts training provided in partnership with charity The Samaritans.

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The latest figure suggests a significant increase in the number of interventions in 2014/15.

Network Rail says the Samaritans-provided training was the reason its staff were intervening to help people at risk more

A Network Rail spokeswoman told The Huffington Post UK that it "attributes the increase in interventions to the training".

"Its why weve invested so heavily in it," she said. "Its clear that as more staff are trained and are aware of the programme, more interventions are being recorded."

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More than 11,500 rail staff completed the training, which teaches "confidence and listening skills" to approach people in distress and lead them to a place of safety.

Andrew Wellbeloved, a mobile operations manager at Network Rail, said the training equipped him to approach a man who was "confused and disorientated" and "in a state of despair" at a station in the north west.

He was sitting on a platform bench, rocking back and forth with one foot in front of the other.

When Wellbeloved approached him, he said he "wanted to die". Wellbeloved moved him from the platform to his van, where he called the emergency services and asked them not to use their sirens for fear of further alarming the man. They took the man to hospital.

"I was nervous as I hadnt been involved in a situation like that before, but the memory of my training gave me the confidence to speak to him, Wellbeloved said.

The training helped me remain calm and gave me confidence, as I felt as though I knew what I had to do.

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Neena Naylor

Train dispatcher Neena Naylor intervened to help a woman standing on a platform at Birmingham New Street who had a "glazed" look in her eyes, asking her if there was anything she could help her with.

"It was at that point she turned and looked at me and said 'I don't know'," Naylor says. "That's when she became hysterical. I remember saying 'keep focused on me, there's no one else here, no one else matters, it's just me and you'.

"It was just enough to keep her safe and enough for British Transport Police to arrive."

Suicides on the railways account for around 5% of suicides nationally, Network Rail says. In 2014/15, 314 people killed themselves on railways - the vast majority of railways deaths - a 4% increase on the previous year and a large increase on the 220 suicides in 2002/03.

Ian Stevens, suicide prevention programme manager for Network Rail said: "Any death on the railway is a tragedy but the impact is felt not only by those who knew the person but by the train driver and station staff and those who are involved in the aftermath.

"We want to do everything we can to stop this from happening, and if it does, to help our people deal with it.

By training thousands of railway staff to identify and help vulnerable people, Samaritans have helped us to save lives, reduce trauma to our people and keep the railway running for the millions that depend on it.

"A continued collaborative approach across the industry and everyone working in mental health is needed to tackle this societal problem and to help us keep Britain moving by rail."

Network Rail and The Samaritans are rolling out a new series of posters to stations across England, Scotland and Wales, as part of the charity 'We Listen' campaign that promotes its listening service by phone to help people.

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The posters highlight individual words of sentences to show the hidden messages within people's insistence that they are not well.

One of the posters from the Samaritans' 'We Listen' campaign

Stevens said: "Millions of people travel by rail and visit stations every day, so were well placed and proud to support Samaritans We Listen campaign and help spread the message that you dont have to go it alone with your troubles when life is tough."
Boris Johnson has been slammed as "deeply hypocritical" for campaigning for Brexit, despite "acknowledging the benefits membership brings London" - including to Europe's biggest infrastructure project, Crossrail.

The London mayor unveiled the new name for Crossrail today, at a ceremony with the Queen, announcing that the major rail scheme would be named the Elizabeth Line after Her Majesty.

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Johnson is believed to have come up with the name himself.

In 2009, the Mayor of London praised the European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU's bank, after it granted Londons multi-billion-pound Crossrail project a staggering 1 billion loan.

Johnson meets the Queen as she arrived at the construction site of the Bond Street Crossrail station

At the time, the Guardian reported that Boris Johnson said: "Our good friends at the EIB have provided us with a billion more reasons to proceed with the unstoppable force that is Crossrail.

It is one of the largest loans ever secured for a transport project and I am especially pleased to have this backing for our drive to provide London with the facilities required to keep the capital one of the world's leading cities."

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But Stronger In's chief campaign spokesman, James McGrory, told The Huffington Post UK: "The 1 billion European Investment Bank loan to help Crossrail is a great demonstration of how London is stronger in Europe.

The new Crossrail line has been named after the Queen

EU funding is helping to build Britains infrastructure, attract investment to this country, and create jobs in Britain.

For Boris Johnson to campaign for Britain to leave Europe after acknowledging the benefits membership brings London is deeply hypocritical.

It is a betrayal of our great capital city and Londoners for Boris Johnsons last act as Mayor to turn his back on London and back leaving Europe.

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The Crossrail project is costing 15.9 billion in total, with Transport for London (TfL) and the Greater London authority responsible for 7.7 billion of the cost while central government provides around 5 billion.

Although the EIB does lend to states outside the EU, it seems that a UK outside the union could find it harder to secure such a large loan again.

Boris Johnson poses with Crossrail workers

Richard Willis, press officer at the EIB, told The Huffington Post UK that over the years, Britain had received vastly greater sums of cash than its non-EU partners.

He said: Looking over recent years, what weve done to support investment in the UK, compared with over the same time frame lending to investment in non-EU countries within Europe, it was 1 billion between Norway and Switzerland compared to 43 billion in the UK.

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He also pointed out that the single largest loan the EIB has ever given was to the UK (1.6 billion for National Grid).

Willis did add, however, that it was not possible to say for sure what would happen in the case of a Leave vote.
David Cameron has said he wants a "civilized" argument with Boris Johnson over Brexit, the day after he ridiculed the London mayor in the House of Commons.

The prime minister said today he believed Boris has a "very strong future in British politics", but attacked his Tory rival for being "wrong" for believing Britain should leave the European Union.

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"I have huge respect for Boris as a politician. he is a great friend of mine. He is a fantastic mayor of London. He has a lot to give to the Conservative Party. He has a lot to give to this country. But on this issue I think he has got it wrong and I think he has reached the wrong conclusion," Cameron said.

Cameron said he expected a "a strong and passionate debate" between the pair over the course of the referendum campaign but hoped it would be "very reasonable and civilised".

Yesterday, Cameron used his statement to MPs on the referendum to brutally dismiss Boris' arguments for Brexit. Eurosceptic MPs later asked the prime minister to "be kind to Boris" during the campaign.

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Speaking outside his London home this morning, Boris insisted there was "no doubt" that the Conservative Party would "unite again around David Cameron's leadership" once the referendum was over.

Former Conservative leader and foreign secretary William Hague warned today the party must avoid "a sustained battle" over the EU during the referendum that would "take a generation to heal".

Speaking to 02 workers in Slough today, Cameron rammed home the message that being prime minister had made him more pro-European.

And he repeated the claim he has no ulterior motive driving his position - a phrase seen as a dig at Boris' Tory leadership ambitions.

"I'm saying this because I feel this so strongly. I am not standing again as prime minister and I want people to know that I'm speaking about this issue after thinking about it very very deeply ," he said.

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"I think six, ten, 15 years ago, I don't think I believed that Europe was as important to our security as I believe it is today, because I've seen with my own eyes just how important the security and intelligence sharing of information is."

"I'm not sure six, maybe 10 years ago, I thought Europe was so important for Britain getting things done in the world."
A mum has shared a photo of her breast milk, which changed colour at a time when her baby was ill.

Mallory Smothers uploaded a photo of two pouches of breast milk - one pumped before her baby became ill and one after.

The mother believes, after reading an article from a medical journal, that her milk had produced antibodies to help her baby fight off the illness.

So yall.. This is just cuckoo awesome-- I read an article from a medical journal not too long ago about how Mom's milk... Posted by Mallory Smothers on Sunday, 14 February 2016

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"This doctor discusses that when a baby nurses, it creates a vacuum in which the infant's saliva sneaks into the mother's nipple," Smothers explained about the article she read.

"There, it is believed that mammary gland receptors interpret the 'baby spit backwash' for bacteria and viruses and, if they detect something amiss, mum's body will actually change the milk's composition by producing customised antibodies."

Smothers also cited a 2013 Clinical and Translational Immunology study that found when a baby is ill, the numbers of leukocytes (cells in the blood) in its mother's breast milk spike.

"I filed [the information] away in the back of my mind until I was packing frozen milk into the big deep freeze today," Smothers continued on the post.

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"I pumped the milk on the left Thursday night before we laid down for bed. I nurse baby every two hours or so overnight and don't pump until we get up for the day.

"I noticed in the wee hours of Friday morning, she was congested, irritable, and sneezing a lot. Probably a cold, right?

"When we got up Friday morning, I pumped, just as we always do. What I pumped is on the right side of the photo."

Smothers believes the milk on the right resembles "colostrum" - the "super milk full of antibodies and leukocytes" produced during the first few days after birth.

The Facebook post, uploaded on Sunday 14 February, has been shared more than 70,000 times in nine days.

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Other mums claim their breast milk also changed colour when they were feeding their sick babies.

"I breastfed both my two and found this to be very true - our bodies are truly amazing," wrote one mother on the post.

"I've actually noticed that before too," another commented. "Just didn't realise that's why my milk was different."

Mallory Smothers believed her body was reacting to the needs of her baby

In her post Smothers made reference to research by Katie Hinde, PhD, a biologist and associate professor at the Center for Evolution and Medicine at the School of Human Evolution & Social Change at Arizona State University.

In October 2015, Hinde told journalist Leslie Goldman in an email interview that when a baby nurses, it creates a vacuum in which the infant's saliva sneaks into the mother's nipple.

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Hinde said, according to Mom.me: "There, it is believed that mammary gland receptors interpret the 'baby spit backwash' for bacteria and viruses and, if they detect something amiss (i.e. the baby is sick or fighting off an infection), her body will actually change the milk's immunological composition.

"Putting this all together, some scientists hypothesise that this could be one of the ways babies let mums 'know' about their condition and mums respond with infection-fighting antibodies."

Janet Fyle, professional policy advisor at the Royal College of Midwives said it is certainly possible the mother's belief that the composition of her milk changed is correct.

"The body does a lot of stuff we don't understand," she told The Huffington Post UK. "The mother might be right and breast milk does change sometimes.

"The mother has quoted what a scientist has said - who tend to know a bit more than the rest of of us. I don't want to dispute what she's saying.

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"The body does wonderful things and so does breast milk. The saliva reaction she talks about is when the nipple absorbs bacteria and realises the baby is unwell.

"So it is possible - never underestimate the power of the body."
A British Airways plane was targeted by a laser beam as it approached London Heathrow Airport on Monday evening, police have confirmed.

Officers are investigating the incident, which saw a laser being shone in the direction of a plane coming into land at Europe's busiest airport.

It is the second incident of its kind in the past 10 days. On Sunday, February 14, a flight heading to New York was forced to turn back to Heathrow after a laser beam was shone into the cockpit.

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A BA flight was targeted by a laser beam on Monday [file image]

A Met Police spokesman said: "Police are investigating an incident where a laser was shone into the direction of an incoming flight into Heathrow Airport.

"The incident happened at around 19:47 hours on Monday, 22 February. It did not endanger the aircraft."

Police confirmed that they are still trying to establish where the offence took place.

There have not been any arrests yet.

Pilots did not have to turn back and the plane was able to travel to Amsterdam safely.

A British Airways spokesman said: "The safety of our crew and our customers is always our highest priority.

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"Our pilots report any incidents so that the authorities can investigate and take appropriate action. We take such matters extremely seriously."

Last week, the National Police Air Service warned of the "serious concern" that laser beams pose to the aviation industry.

Ollie Dismore, Director of Operations for the National Police Air Service, said: "In an attack, a laser pointer is deliberately or recklessly shone at airborne aircraft, sometimes persistently over a period of minutes.

"The impact on a pilot is at the very least distracting, but can be serious enough to cause temporary 'flash' blindness and in some cases; lasting eye damage."

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The service said that there have been about 1,800 laser strikes on aircraft in the past year,

Dismore added: "What may seem harmless fun to the culprit could potentially have devastating consequences for the crew and passengers in the aircraft as well as innocent members of public on the ground.
Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe may kill up to 200 lions due to a drop in the number of trophy hunters venturing to the country following Cecil the Lion's death last year.

Walter Palmer, the American dentist who paid to kill the 13-year-old beast, was heavily condemned for his actions, which has driven trophy hunters - and their cash - away from the southern African state, claim conservationists.

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Walter Palmer (left) sparked international outrage after killing Cecil the Lion

Bubye Valley Conservancy has more than 500 lions, believed to be the largest number in Zimbabwe's wildlife areas.

Bubye, which was created and is sustained by sport hunting operations, has dubbed the lack of trophy hunters due to the lion's killing last year as "the Cecil effect".

It is now appealing for other institutions or wildlife sanctuaries to take some of its lions.

Blondie Leathem, general manager of Bubye Valley Conservancy, told The Telegraph: I wish we could give about 200 of our lions away to ease the overpopulation.

If anyone knows of a suitable habitat for them where they will not land up in human conflict, or in wildlife areas where they will not be beaten up because of existing prides, please let us know and help us raise the money to move them.

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Some 200 lions face being killed if no other location is found for them.

But animal protection groups have raised concerns about the proposed cull, saying that Bubye Valley Conservancy should not have relied on trophy hunting to manage animal populations.

A spokesman from World Animal Protection told the Huffington Post UK: Culling of wild animals should always be a last resort and only used when evidence suggests that it is needed to protect an ecosystem and all of the animals in it.

Bubye Valley Conservancy should never have relied on commercial big game hunting to manage its wild lion populations. This is not only cruel but entirely unnecessary.

For example, education programmes can help to increase community tolerance for lions, preventing unnecessary deaths of people and their livestock.

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The protected lion known as Cecil strolls around in Hwange National Park, in Hwange, Zimbabwe in 2012

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) lambasted the Bubye Valley Conservancy's stance, saying that hunters who the ones responsible for the extinction of so many species.

PETAs Director Mimi Bekhechi said to the Huffington Post UK: "The idea that lions need humans to control their numbers is arrogance.

"Nature always has maintained animal populations by gauging the amount of food available, not by considering the number of hunters. Hunters are responsible for extinctions of all manner of animals, from mammals to birds, all over the world.

"Hunting for sport, often under the guise of trying to help feed people or help nature achieve a 'balance', is selfish, sickening and abhorrently cruel, and when shot, many lions, like the famous Cecil, endure lingering, painful deaths.

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"In their natural savannah homelands, lions live in prides, roam miles of territory, dutifully and responsibly raise their young and, as best they can, avoid all contact with humans.

"It is the captive-breeding programmes designed to give tourists photo ops with lion cubs, who are turned into shooting targets when they grow up, that need to be culled, not lions."

Cecil's death sparked international outrage last summer and renewed calls for trophy hunting to cease.

Tributes to Cecil the Lion were left outside Walter Palmer's dentist practice

Palmer is believed to have paid wildlife guides 35,000 to let him hunt and kill Zimbabwe's beloved lion in Hwange National Park in July last year.

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Cecil's decapitated, skinned body was found about half a mile out of the national park, after being lured out at night with bait. Animals can only be killed within the park during the day - and with a permit.

The animal was wounded by Palmer's bow and arrow before finally being shot dead 40 hours later. The animal's collar was also removed, breaking the park's rules.

Johnny Rodrigues, the head of Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said at the time: "He was one of the most beautiful animals to look at. He never bothered anybody."

Palmer, who was convicted of poaching a bear in the US several years ago, escaped being charged in Zimbabwe after a cabinet minister said that he had not broken any of the country's hunting laws.

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Walter Palmer escaped being charged in Zimbabwe

Palmer always maintained that, as far as he was aware, the hunt was legal and he had secured the proper documents.

He released a statement saying: "I hired several professional guides, and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted.

"I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favourite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt."

Despite Palmer's protestations, he faced a vitriolic backlash and was forced to close his dental practice for weeks in order to avoid abuse.

Also on the Huffington Post UK:
Commuters were left panicked on Monday night when builders accidentally drilled down into a London Underground tunnel, causing debris to fall on passing trains.

The Central Line was part suspended at 5.30pm for three hours last night between Marble Arch and Shepherds Bush.

The contractors were thought to be working on an extension to the Westfield shopping centre in White City.

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People on the carriages said that the trains were hit by falling rocks and debris.

PIC: Last night's Central line suspension caused by Westfield contractors drilling hole in tunnel. Now good service pic.twitter.com/HClKIMSQFg  Tom Edwards (@BBCTomEdwards) February 23, 2016

Rocks and stones falling onto the train roof between shepherds bush and white city. Thankfully appears nobody hurt.  Lawrence Kenny (@Lawrence_Kenny) February 22, 2016

Lawrence Kenny, 27, told the Evening Standard: It was really loud. Everyone was in complete shock.

People were looking around in disbelief. Some people clearly thought we were under attack or there might have been a bomb.

Some people came rushing into our carriage from the one in front trying to get away. We must have been showered with the debris for 30 seconds or so.

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Kenny said that some of the rocks were the size of rugby balls.

Fuck sake. Contractors have just accidentally drilled through the central line tunnel at Shepherds Bush. How does this even happen x.x  Lupus (@LupusLondonwolf) February 22, 2016

Apparently the tube tunnel collapsed (while a train passed through!) between white city and shepherds bush. Under the works at Westfield :-\  Dawn (@Dawnf1) February 22, 2016

TFL said that the work being carried out was nothing to do with them, but external contractors.

A spokesman also said that no damage was caused to the train or track.

Peter McNaught, Operations Director, said: "The Central line was part suspended yesterday evening due to an obstruction on the track in the Shepherd's Bush area, caused by external contractors involved in building work in the local area.

"Our engineers worked hard to clear the debris as quickly as possible and ensure the line was safe to reopen to passengers.

"We will be carrying out a full investigation into the cause of this issue alongside those involved."
Charlotte Church has hit out at her neighbours for speaking to the press about the noise levels at her 30th birthday party.

Police were called to the singers house in the Welsh village of Dinas Powys in the Vale of Glamorgan, after residents complained about the noise coming from her 1.5m mansion on Saturday (20 February) night.

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Charlotte Church

One neighbour described it as a warzone, as Charlotte and about 100 guests partied until 5.30am.

The unnamed resident told SWNS (via The Telegraph): "I called the police about 4.30am. I was sick of hearing this wailing coming out over a speaker system. I presume it was Charlotte singing. Put it this way - she's no longer got the voice of an angel.

"No one else would get away with behaving like that. It was like a warzone."

Another added: "It was absolutely appalling. The point is, if that had been me or you having a party until that time of the morning the police would have soon been around and put a stop to it."

Police confirmed that they received five separate calls in relation to the party, and those responsible were contacted but no arrests were made.

Charlotte has since taken to Twitter to address the complaints, writing: To some of my 'neighbours', I'd really appreciate you coming and speaking to me direct if there's an issue rather than the gutter press.

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Also the description of my 30th party turning my village into a 'war zone' is utterly hysterical. Loud Abba is not similar to a war zone!!!!

To some of my 'neighbours', I'd really appreciate you coming and speaking to me direct if there's an issue rather than the gutter press.  Charlotte Church (@charlottechurch) February 23, 2016

Also the description of my 30th party turning my village into a 'war zone' is utterly hysterical. Loud Abba is not similar to a war zone!!!!  Charlotte Church (@charlottechurch) February 23, 2016

However, she did issue an apology to those she kept awake with the noise.

Also apologies to those who were affected by the noise. It won't happen again. Xx, she added.

Also apologies to those who were affected by the noise. It won't happen again. Xx  Charlotte Church (@charlottechurch) February 23, 2016

Charlotte also shared an image from her bash, writing: Thank you for all my birthday wishes! 30! Wooooh!xxx.

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Thank you for all my birthday wishes! 30! Wooooh!xxx pic.twitter.com/NL77KiTeIj  Charlotte Church (@charlottechurch) February 23, 2016

She moved into the mansion following her split from Gavin Henson in 2010, and currently resides there with her children Ruby, eight, and seven-year-old Dexter, and musician boyfriend Jonathan Powell.

Tap the picture to launch the slideshow...
Najma* was walking home with a friend from school when she asked her if she too had been "cut".

"She just gave me a blank stare," the 20-year-old recalls. "It was only after asking my teachers the next day and when I explained what FGM involved that I realised none of them knew what I was talking about."

When Najma moved to England after fleeing Somalia to escape persecution from the Al-Shabaab terrorist organisation, she just assumed everyone in Britain underwent female genital mutilation (FGM).

"I wondered if the girls here got stitched up," she says.

Najma underwent the procedure when she was 11 years old.

"I was taken to the room that I shared with my mum, and asked to lie down, my face towards the sky. I was held by three women, one holding the upper part of my body, and two pulling my legs apart."

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"I realised none of my teachers knew what I was talking about."

Her mother had left the room, unable to bear what her daughter was about to go through.

"She didn't want it to happen," Najma explains. "I remember feeling cold hands tagging at my genitalia, pulling and parting, readying the skin for the blade.

"Warm blood ran down my lower body as the lady separated the clitoris from the rest of my body, without using any anaesthetics."

At some point during the horrific incident, Najma lost her sense of feeling.

"All I could feel was the blade tearing through my flesh, the back and forth movement like a saw on a piece of wood, but not the pain - my body had gone numb.

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"I started screaming, thinking I was going to die."

A piece of string was tied to Najma from her waist downwards, to keep her legs together in the hope of speeding up the healing process. All in all it took about three weeks for the schoolgirl to physically recover, but "many years" for her to heal emotionally.

But Najma wasn't forced to undergo FGM; she wanted to.

"I was driven by the need to feel that I belonged. It was a way of forging a new identity for myself. The women in my family had been sewn up, my mother included."

At the time, the schoolgirl did not know what FGM entailed, she just knew "girls changed afterwards".

"They became a lot quieter, a sign which is often confused for maturity.

"It was a personal choice. But I now understand why it was so difficult to convince my mother to let me go through that barbaric practice."

Although FGM is illegal in the UK, and recognised as a form of child abuse, many young girls are being taken abroad to have the procedure. Figures published in 2014 revealed more than 1,700 females had been treated by the NHS in the space of just six months.

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The NHS estimates as many as 137,000 women in the UK are affected, but says the true number is unkown due to the "hidden" nature of the crime.

The mutilation is usually carried out on young girls between infancy and the age of 15, before puberty starts. The procedure is traditionally carried out by a woman with no medical training, using no anaesthetic. FGM can sometimes cause death due to bleeding and infection.

Najma, who lives in Sheffield, is now working with youth charity Fixers to raise awareness about FGM and encourage others to speak out about the practice.

"I want to change the perception of what a woman should be and what it means to be a woman.

"I am doing this to save one more child's smile, life and happiness- to prove that you don't have to be cut to be clean or whole.

"I am doing this because I know what it means to not be whole, to be constricted under the shade of selfish motives in the name of tradition.

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"I want to help people question the practice of FGM and gain a clear understanding of where it stems from and why the previous generations carried it out. It most certainly isn't for any health benefits."

You can read more about Najma's Fixers campaign here.
Iain Duncan Smith has been challenged over why voters should believe him over security experts when it comes to defending the United Kingdom from terrorism.

The work and pensions secretary has argued Britain should leave the European Union, in part, as remaining a member leaves the country open to a Paris-style terrorist attack.

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However the former head of MI5 and the current director of Europol have dismissed the suggestion Brexit would increase public safety.

IDS has warned EU membership leaves the UK open to terror threats

Speaking to BBC Newsnight's Evan Davis on Monday evening, Duncan Smith said he was concerned if Britain chose to remain at the referendum, non-European extremists would gain citizenship in other EU states and then use those passports to freely travel to the UK.

"I am genuinely and deeply concerned about potential threats to this country," he said. "Of all the capital cities of Europe, I think London is probably the most significant target."

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However Davis challenged the former Tory leader on what difference Brexit would make. "What are we going to be able to do when an Italian or German passport holder comes to the border that we can't do now?" he asked. "We are not going to require visas from Germany and Italy are we?"

"What are we stopped from doing now that you would like us to do?," he asked. "When you talk of a Paris attack, people might picture bombers from Brussels coming through by car, as they drove straight to Paris, as there is a borderless zone.

"But we have a border. We do explosives checks when you come on the tunnel. We have two people standing at Dover checking the cars as they come through."

Newsnight's Evan Davis challenged IDS over Brexit

Duncan Smith insisted that "being in control" would allow the UK to decide what other checks to make at the border. "We would be able to create, as we had in the past, a system whereby if we felt suspicious about some individuals and we wanted to therefore not allow them in, that is our right to say 'no' to them," he said.

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His claim that Brexit would help prevent a Paris-style attack has been contradicted by security experts including Jonathan Evans, a former director general of MI5. He has argued the UKs membership of the EU underpins the overall stability of Europe".

"Open borders pose policing and intelligence challenges but are only one aspect of the overall security picture. In my experience the terrorist threats to the UK in recent years, including many that have arisen within our own communities, have not been the result of EU border policy," he said.

And Europol director Rob Wainwright has said Brexit would make it harder for the UK to obtain information about potential terrorist and criminal threats from its European neighbours.

"If you take that infrastructure that (the British police) have helped to design over the past 40 years, it would make the United Kingdom's job harder to protect citizens from terror," he has warned.

Asked who the public should believe when it came to security, the work and pensions secretary or a former head of Britain's domestic intelligence service and the current British head of the EU's law enforcement agency , Duncan Smith told Davis: "They don't have to believe anyone.

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"They just have to make their own judgement if they think what I am saying, if we control our borders, on balance it is more likely we will be secure." Duncan Smith added it was "impossible to argue" that leaving the EU would not introduce an "added element" of security.
NASA has revealed that a massive meteor crashed into the Atlantic ocean earlier this month with the force equivalent to an atomic bomb. However nobody had a clue that it had happened.

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Despite having the destructive power of the Hiroshima bomb (around 13,000 tons of TNT), this particular fireball was actually pretty small, exploding over the South Atlantic ocean on February 6.

In comparison, the Chelyabinsk which struck in 2013 reportedly weighed around 10 tonnes and released roughly the energy equivalent to 500,000 tonnes of TNT.

Contrary to Hollywood's depiction of meteors it is rarely the impact that causes the most amount of collateral damage. Instead it's the energy that's released when the meteor breaks up in the atmosphere.

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The Chelyabinsk meteor caused over 1,000 injuries when it exploded above the city.

Travelling at anywhere over 33,000mph these objects will superheat, compress and then 'vaporise' many kilometres above the Earth's surface.

It's this process which causes the huge release of energy and in the case of Chelyabinsk, caused almost a city's worth of windows to shatter, injuring thousands in the process.

Hubble captures a comet as part of its Near Earth Object Program which tracks potentially dangerous objects in space.

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As astronomy blogger Phil Plait points out this occurrence, while dramatic, is actually not that uncommon.

"Impacts like this happen several times per year on average, with most going unseen."

So why hasn't a city or populated area been hit by a meteor yet? Well Plait has a beautifully simple answer:

"The Earth is mostly water, and even where theres land, its sparsely populated overall."

Despite worries of population overcrowding, the human race is not as big a target for potentially devastating meteors as we'd like to think.
The mother of a girl who was detained at a Thai airport on Tuesday after going missing has spoken of her relief that "our Gracie has been found".

Grace Taylor was located at Krabi Airport and detained after she walked away from police while blowing a whistle. Her mother Sam Taylor had raised the alarm after her daughter failed to make contact with her family since February 16 while she was backpacking in Pattaya.

After Grace was found, Taylor posted a message on Facebook saying "We don't as yet know what has happened.

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The mother of Grace Taylor has made a desperate appeal for help finding her daughter who is missing in Thailand

"We are working to get her home safely. Thank you all so very much for your efforts and kind words of encouragement and thank goodness for the power of social media over the last few days plus the help of the Police and local authorities in Thailand."

Grace, 21, was detained after refusing to speak to officers and trying to walk away while blowing a whistle when they approached her.

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Police Lieutenant Colonel Jetsada Chanpoom is quoted in the Mirror as saying: "Tourist police officers and immigration officials have found Grace Taylor at Krabi airport.

Grace was said to have been "very stressed and frightened"

"She has spoken to embassy officials and we expect she will be leaving Thailand. She is feeling sick but we do not believe there was any crime involved."

Dorset Police said it was contacted by Interpol overnight and had been told Grace was being cared for by an officer from the tourist police.

A spokesman added: "Her family have been informed and arrangements are under way to bring Grace back to England."

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Grace called her mother from Ao Nang, in Krabi province, on Monday and sounded "very stressed and frightened saying that people were trying to hurt her", Taylor said in a post on Facebook.

The family, from Swanage, Dorset, booked her a flight from Krabi airport but Grace did not board the plane even though she was believed to have arrived there between 8.30pm and 9.30pm local time.

Grace was booked a ticket from Krabi, but missed her flight

In a post on Monday, Taylor said: "Grace contacted us at 11am today from Ao Nang, she was very stressed and frightened saying that people were trying to hurt her and were following her and she wanted to come home.

"We calmed her down and booked her a flight from Krabi tonight but she apparently reached the airport but didn't catch her flight and has gone missing again.

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"We are desperately worried, all previous backpacker sightings have reported that she is disorientated and not in a good mental state."

Taylor has reported her missing to Dorset Police and the Foreign Office (FO) and appealed for backpackers in the country to help locate Grace.

Sam Taylor's Facebook plea for help finding her daughter

A family member would be flying to Thailand to join the search and bring her home, Taylor added.

An FO spokesman said: "We are in touch with local authorities about a British national who was reported missing in Thailand and are providing consular assistance to the family."
A school in the US has apologised after it singled out black students to attend an assembly on the dangers of joining a gang.

Maumelle High School in Arkansas told all African-American students in the ninth grade to attend the talk from a local pastor, who spoke to the teenagers about gangs, violence and drugs.

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"[Where] does that leave kids that are mixed? Oh, you know, thats my other side thats calling, let me go learn about gang-banging. To me, its just wrong on every level," Arron Perkins, whose sister attended the assembly, told KATV news. "She felt it was very racist."

The female students were also reportedly asked why they were attracted to gang members.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas sent a letter to the school asking for some more information about the assembly.

"Segregating students by race for a school assembly raises grave concerns for the equal protection of the students present," the letter read. "If this occurred as reported to us, to be called out in a racially segregated fashion and singled out for a lecture on gangs and drugs violated these students' rights to equal protection under the law.."

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The school district has since explained the assembly was part of the districts "court-ordered desegregation efforts which encourage programs and opportunities tailored to minority students", the Washington Times reported.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in front of former President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea during a caucus night rally at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign is tapping up wealthy donors in Britain as she fights Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination.

On Tuesday evening, Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, is due to attend a sold out event at a private art gallery in Mayfair, London. Tickets to the discussion hosted by Vogue editor Anna Wintour cost either $500 or $1,000. For their money, guests also get a photo with Chelsea.

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Attendance at a dinner reception later in the evening at the home of Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet will have set Clinton fans back $2,700 each.

Over the course of the next month, former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, former Indiana senator Evan Bayh and Clinton adviser Jake Sullivan will also travel to London for fundraisers.

Chelsea Clinton campaigns with Hillary and Bill

Next month, Americans living in the UK will be able to vote in the party's so-called Global Primary, to choose between Hillary Clinton and Sanders.

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Chelsea Clinton was due to hold a conference call with Democrats living in Britain on Tuesday to argue the case for her mother's candidacy.

In a message for Democrats abroad, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who succeeded Clinton after President Obama named the former First Lady secretary of state, warned of "turbulent times".

"If you've been following the campaign from the other side of the Atlantic then you know how high the stakes are with this year's election," she said.
Footage of a 'vile' man dumping a homeless person's belongings across a busy city centre street has emerged in Manchester.

Stunned witnesses filmed the unnamed man as he threw the items on the road for no apparent reason.

Passersby can be seen physically attempting to intervene as the perpetrator carried out his attack on Deansgate.

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The man spread out the homeless persons belongings

During the video clip the man can be seen walking into the road, carrying a sleeping bag and tarpaulin amongst other items.

He leaves them in the middle of the road as vehicles attempt to dodge the debris left in the street.

The belongings were reportedly owned by a rough sleeper situated in a nearby shop doorway.

Greater Manchester Police say that the man has since been banned from visiting the city centre.

A witness spoke to Manchester Evening News and said: "This absolutely vile human being took it upon himself to throw a homeless lads stuff in the road for no reason whatsoever.

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"He carried on throwing it in the road until police arrived. It takes a heartless man to do this to somebodys belongings, someone who sleeps rough in this weather".

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said the man was told to leave after behaving aggressively, and was given a notice to leave order - and will not be allowed in the city centre for a specified amount of time.

Usually the amount of time given in these instances is 24 hours.
A powerful video has highlighted the ongoing problems with how the media represents the transgender community.

Five trans activists discussed the issue with The Huffington Post with one person posing the pertinent question: "Why do you only hear about trans people when were in a casket or on TV?"

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The group hit out at only being portrayed as "entertainers" and "victims" and only appearing on TV when they are the victims of violence or abuse.

Transgender activists have spoken out against media representation

"Suddenly, were pop culture fixtures and even though we had our own tipping point, we only seem to get media attention when were the targets of hate crimes," trans activist Riley Rubin Pogensky said, referring to a cover of TIME Magazine.

The cover, released in 2014, featured transgender actress Laverne Cox and read: "The Transgender Tipping Point, America's next civil rights frontier".

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Discussing the point that they don't have a problem with being represented, but with how it's done, Aaryn Lang continued:

"Us gender nonconforming and trans folks are happy for the media attention, but were so much more than just entertainers and victims.

"Trans representation falls short of presenting trans people as people".

Laverne Cox on the cover of TIME Magazine

The group then leave a poignant message for viewers and broadcasters, offering a solution to the problem.

"Heres our message to the media about what it can do better, starting with: represent all kinds of trans people.

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"When the media features only the most conventional representations of trans people, it sends the message that if were any different, our lives dont matter as much.

"Our storylines almost always revolve around the same narrative, that doesnt fit everyones unique experience.

"Were actually not all trapped in the wrong bodies and we actually dont all transition," the group said.

Kimmie Kadan then added: "Show us as multi-dimensional with diverse professions, not just as victims and punchlines."

The message sent by the transgender activists comes at a time when numerous trans people are murdered just for being themselves.

In 2016, there has already been three confirmed murders of trans people.

While in 2015, as many as twenty were killed.

The video ends in reflection of the killings, as the group send a clear message to fixing the coverage.

"Were glad that the media is finally reporting on violence against trans people. But the media often overlooks the nuances of our gender expression.

"And we shouldnt have to be murdered or take our own lives, to be worthy of media coverage.

"When you report on murder, touch on how gender nonconforming people are also victims of violence.

"And finally, trans people are some of the most creative people on the planet.

"Embrace us in your writers rooms and news outlets.

"Were more than qualified to tell our own stories.
Among the paraphernalia assembled in the meticulously recreated 1969 'home' of the emergent proto-rock superstar, Jimi Hendrix, newly opened to the public at 23, Brook St, Mayfair, is a boxed Bang and Olufsen turntable, unopened.*

It is unlikely that Jimi would have predicted that, 45 years after his demise, the hottest piece of hi-fi 'kit' would be 'THE TURNTABLE'.

Evidently, in Christmas week 2015, retailer HMV were flogging one turntable per minute (that'll be 10,080, then), with the purple prose of the venerable NME gushing "the news is the latest in a string of statistics showing the resurgence in popularity of the format".

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So, the Jimi Hendrix vinyl experience is clearly being enjoyed by a myriad of enthusiasts enticed by the novelty of vinyl and the gentle romance of the record player, or, more specifically, a 'portable turntable with built in speakers'.

Amazon's best seller, the Jensen 3-speed JTA-420, can be yours for $47.39 (32.70) and while obviously not wishing to call into question the quality of this estimable product, the idea of some random assemblage of wires and knobs in a suitcase magicking up something resembling coherent sounds from any old piece of plastic is rather quaint, although not necessarily the zenith of decades of development in the Audio realm.

Impervious to qualms regarding such niceties as 'sound quality', once in possession of the coveted TURNABLE, the putative vinyl junky scurries off, rabid-eyed and salivating, scuttling down darkened back alleys in search of a dealer.

Record dealer, naturally...

If you want the GOOD STUFF, you will be drawn to the surviving 'specialists', who stock RARE records, sleeves displayed in much-fingered, serially re-used, proudly unhygienic plastic covers.

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If you want the genuinely good stuff, the originals are likely to be way beyond your pocket, which is probably just as well considering these antiquities have survived a few decades and are arguably better off going to homes well-heeled enough to afford equipment manufactured by the workforce descended from Svend Olufsen and his superbly-monickered business partner, Peter Bang.

Jimi would turn in his grave (Greenwood Memorial Park, Washington State) at the thought of 'styli' fashioned from crudely-hewn slivers of flint excavated from the nearest available quarry gouging lumps out of his 'Electric Ladyland', an original copy of which would set you back comfortably more than you paid for your Christmas box of tricks.

The safest bet all round is in investing in new vinyl, which could be yours to desecrate at your leisure for around fifteen quid. By 'new' we're talking reissued albums from the vast reserves of back catalogue occupying the vaults of The Music Industry (RIP), the most enduring examples of which date from around the days of Hendrix and his unopened box.

Should you be feeling particularly fiendish, you could always take up the unheralded alternative 78rpm option offered up by your Jensen 'device' and track down some slabs of shellac with which to conduct your dissection experiments. Most actually predate vinyl (which, surprisingly was first introduced in 1931), and the last days of manufacture were over before Jimi released Hey Joe.

Playing such relics will put your stylus to the ultimate test and beyond and ensure pristine sound enhancement for your enjoyment of - for example - Kanye's 2010 smash UK Album Chart Top, er, 20 Smash, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, in all its limited-edition, triple-vinyl splendour.

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So, the turntable is back. I knew my lucky pre-decimalisation pennies would come in handy. Again...
The recent report by the Mental Health Task Force chaired by Paul Farmer of Mind is the latest call for employment to be recognized as a "health outcome" - why is this such an important milestone?

Last week the HuffPo blogger, Kate Lee, wrote she was worried that the aspiration to get her well and back in work, work as a health outcome, was because the 'system', so to speak, wanted her back paying taxes. The NHS shouldn't aim get people back in work purely because of the health of the UK tax base, though we can't shy away from the pressures ill health does place on our welfare and health system. Paul Farmers report puts the cost of mental health to our economy at 105 billion a year - this is not a sustainable figure. But crucially, I would argue, that in this case the needs of the individual and the state are not at odds and that work as a health outcome is also about promoting good mental health in individuals.

When we ask what each of us hope for when we access the health care system, the evidence is that we want to see our health improved or restored. How often do we stop to ask ourselves why? What is our health and wellbeing for? It may seem obvious that it's not just the absence of illness or disease that we seek, but an improvement in our quality of our life, a restoration of function and of our ability do the things that we want to do.

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One in four of us may find the question prompted by a mental health condition in our lifetime, and for one in eight of us that question may arise this year. For the 31million people who are working in the UK, one early relevant measure of the success of any health intervention in terms of restoring function, is our timely "return to work." We know that being in good work is associated with better health and well-being for ourselves and our families. Sadly, if it is a mental health condition that is the underlying reason for our absence, and the time we are away from work is more than 4 weeks, one in four of us may never return to work.

And yet return to work is not seen as a goal; the performance of health care systems and the success of medical interventions seldom assesses whether it helped a patient return to work. It is so under the radar, that in one study of US physicians, while 99% of records included patient age and gender, a job history was found in fewer than 30%. While it may be important to measure time spent in a hospital bed infection and readmission rates in terms of the quality and efficiency of a service, measuring return to work and return to function is long overdue, and until "return to work" is seen as an clinical outcome, clinicians are unlikely to see it as a goal.

Kate worryingly also wrote 'When I did return to being gainfully employed my care stopped'. This should not be the case and of course all support dropping out from under you when you go back to work, often a stressful situation in and of itself, isn't going to help you stay in work. Employers need to support employees if they are going to return to work successfully. Occupational Heath experts should have worked with Kate to understand her needs, make necessary adjustments and support her to stay well.

Occupational health specialists have a key role to play in bridging the gaps between the world of clinical care and the workplace for patients who all too easily fall between the cracks in the health and social care "system". There is an urgent need to make timely, high quality, highly trusted occupational health advice available to all people of working age, if return to work good work, and the ability to stay in good work is to be a reality, particularly for people with mental health conditions.

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When we see "return to work" and return to function as measures of success for clinical interventions, it will be a great step forward and a catalyst for clinicians and occupational health specialists to see each other as partners in achieving patient centered outcomes.
Increasing social inequality is, along with a healthy environment, the most pressing issue facing the world, the UK and growing cities like Bristol. The fact is there are many people and communities in our relatively prosperous city that are unable to progress up the social and economic ladder. During the 50 years I have lived in Bristol, I have always aimed to tackle inequality through positive action, through regeneration and jobs. This has, of course, particularly exercised my mind for the three years I have been mayor, and warrants a moral response by all of us. It is a chronic issue that has been with us for decades, where city leaders have continuously failed and I am determined we shall buck this trend in Bristol.

I am not interested in fine words, but in action, and the work has already started here. It is disappointing that I see so many party politicians failing to grasp the complex problems and borrowing national policy positions that don't address or resolve inequality and the ongoing issues in our city. It is important to understand the historical and complex causes of inequality and poverty in Bristol and other cities. Once we have got to grips with these causes then we can move forward in addressing this crucial challenge.

Before I was elected in 2012 the greatest causes of deprivation were unemployment and unequal education and skills opportunities, as highlighted in The Bristol Deprivation Report based on 2008-12 surveys. This issue is shown to be most significant in the areas of Whitchurch Park, Hartcliffe, Southmead, Filwood and Lawrence Hill, demonstrating it is not as simple as a North/South divide, as it is sometimes painted, but much more complex.

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Like many others cities, inequality in Bristol begins before birth. Expecting mothers exposed to greater air pollution are more likely to have babies with lower birth weight which can impact on intelligence and increase the likelihood of developmental delays and cognitive and behavioural challenges in children. In Bristol, key indicators of health deprivation are mood and anxiety disorders in children. These effects are more likely to be experienced by mothers who live in socioe-conomically disadvantaged areas with less access to alternative forms of transport and green spaces. We are working to solve this in Bristol through expanding our transport infrastructure and investing in our urban parks and wildlife.

This gap in inequality continues into school. This is where ethnicity, socio-economic status, and gender can, sadly, play a key role in determining a child's future. A 2012 report by Bristol University found that

"Somali learners, Eastern European boys, White/Black Caribbean boys, Gypsy/Roma and Traveller learners are below average at each Key Stage. White British and ethnic minority boy learners eligible for free school meals are significantly "at risk of underachievement".

The majority of these children come from the most deprived areas of Bristol. Even more, these children have a substantially decreased opportunity to attend university in the future. Inequality in higher education participation and attainment by people from lower income households has grown sharply in the UK since the 1980s as a result of decreased financial support available to lower income families. In the last few years, Westminster taking billions from welfare has damaged equality in Bristol.

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Once people are eligible to work in Bristol there have been historic inequalities faced by those who live in the most deprived areas, despite the fact Bristol fares better than the UK average in terms of employment and income.

It is clear that there are various causes of inequality that affects people for different reasons. Other serious forms of inequality are based on gender, sexual orientation, disability, size and type of family, language, citizenship/immigration status, national origin. As a result, there are persistent and different kinds of inequalities and levels of poverty that vary for every person at various stages of their lives. There is clearly no one direct cause of poverty.

Any responsible policymaker must take all this into when developing policy to reduce poverty. There is no "silver bullet" political solution that can "cure" social inequality or poverty for all and it is certainly not cured by fine words. This is by no means an excuse not to tackle poverty or social inequality. On the contrary, this complex understanding requires that policymakers prioritise tackling inequality and poverty meticulously, continuously, and relevant to local circumstances. This complex understanding of the causes of poverty and social inequality call for local policies made by and for the people facing the issues that confront them and not borrowed from a national or party policy template devised in Westminster.

This is why we must continue to make strategic local investments in education and skills attainment for children and adults and match that with vital mentoring services (during childhood and adulthood), high quality employment opportunities, and access to skills training. As a 2016 Learning City, Bristol is set to tackle these disparities head on.

In particular, we are targeting investment in the most highly deprived areas and I want to ensure we continue to do so. Since I was elected, unemployment and job seekers allowance have significantly reduced. Bristol is now performing well, being the number one UK place for startups. We have the lowest business closure rate, and have experienced the greatest economic growth of any major city outside London and the South East.

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By no means do I imply that the City Council or I are entirely responsible for this. The drivers of economic growth are many and varied, but this is a substantially different picture than that I inherited. We are also investing in major public transport infrastructure to allow people to have access to these new economic opportunities. I am only too aware from my many visits across Bristol and from my Mayor's Question Times, that not everyone has been able to partake in this economic growth and that this growth has not translated into better life outcomes for all. That is why we have fought and must continue to fight for economic and social justice for all, despite historic cuts to social services coming from Westminster. This is something that requires everyone to come together from both the public and private sectors.

My vision for tackling inequality is long-term and unashamedly biased towards Bristol. From 20mph, to RPZ, to metrobus, to engagement hubs, to 10,000 new primary school places, to children planting 30,000 trees, to a rainbow cabinet - all these are integral evidence-based policies that help secure a foundation to position Bristol to sustainability and fiercely tackle inequality. However, if we are to tackle social inequality seriously we all must play a role from the way we understand the roots of the problem to how we engage with our society on a daily basis. Our individual actions have a global effect on the lives of others. Like all change, the time of transition is the most difficult, frustrating, and can feel endless. We are now making some real change in Bristol, nobody can dispute that, but it does take time. The journey to economic and social justice is long and hard. It requires fundamental changes to alter generations of poverty and inequality. Our duty as policy makers is to ensure that the journey towards justice is practical for daily lives of Bristolians and not entirely idealistic. I am hopeful that everyone will begin to experience some of the positive effects of these policies that will, I am sure, lead us to a more socially, environmentally and economically just society.
Richard Brookes, the Vice President for Union Development at the National Union of Students (NUS), wrote in an article on the 18th January for the Huffington Post that yes we must protect freedom of speech, but this should not be 'at the cost of student safety'.

The view that Brookes takes, like many other student 'representatives' now, is one of the student body - and minorities in particular - as a mass of helpless and impressionable infants. It is as a patronizing and unfair view.

Firstly, the Spiked 'University Free Speech Rankings' come under attack. Brookes notes universities are ranked down for having bullying, harassment, and equal opportunity policies. He says calling this laughable 'is an understatement'. Yet he mischaracterizes the rankings. Having these sorts of policies does not immediately rank a university down in terms of free speech. Rather, policies are assessed in terms of their individual content. A bullying policy, for example, may be used to restrict free debate on the grounds that criticizing say, a well-known campus feminist, is considered 'bullying'. It is the specific content of these policies when they actively restrict free speech that results in a university being marked down, not the existence of the policies themselves.

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Brookes also talks about no-platforming policies for racists and fascists that, according to him, do not mean 'wrapping students in cotton wool'. Yet that is exactly what it means. It means telling students that they are too fragile to handle these 'dangerous' ideas. They are told if they are exposed to people espousing ideas and beliefs that may be considered distasteful, immoral, even abhorrent or reprehensible, then they will be irreversibly traumatized by the words they hear. Yet university is not and should not be a safe space. Reality is not a safe space.

I should also say at this point that it is important not to conflate defence of somebody's free speech with defence of what they're saying. It often goes that if I defend a transophobic person's right to speak, I therefore defend transphobia. This is blatantly ridiculous.

Brookes goes on to make the claim that 'student unions house some of the most interesting and diverse debates'. I don't doubt that unions hold interesting debates; I watch them all the time at my own. Yet what about the endless bans on speakers including Julie Bindel, Germaine Greer, Milo Yiannopoulos and Katie Hopkins? Do you know what makes debates considerably more interesting? A diverse range of opinions - including those that are controversial - being given a platform so that the most abhorrent ideas can be publically torn to shreds.

'It would be wonderful if the principles of freedom of speech meant everyone had equal right to speak. But unfortunately...it is the most powerful, those who are able to shout loudest, who are heard above the rest.'

Richard Brooks appears to have a very warped idea of what we're trying to achieve. We do want equal debate, and that is exactly what we're not getting at the moment. Free speech campaigns and organizations wouldn't be emerging and proliferating otherwise. We're not saying you need to put a hate speaker in a room alone with a group of students. But give them a platform so that they can be debated. Students will make up their minds who is right, trust me. Students do not deserve to be patronized and infantilized. Yet this is exactly what Brookes does when he speak about the 'detriment of the marginalized'. Here he plays the liberator and protector. He speaks for the vulnerable and the marginalized. Even if there were swathes of vulnerable and marginalized students across the country, they can speak for themselves. He is the one doing them a disservice when he says 'Their student's union is the one place they feel safe'. He then follows this with 'students live in the real world'. The irony here is almost fatal. Yes, they do live in the real world, where there are real outspoken people and real controversial ideas.

When Brookes claims that 'Nobody is arguing universities and student's unions should be devoid of debate' he is somehow missing that this is the exact direction we're going in. Student unions are starting to resemble Soviet police states. He says

'It is laughable to suggest that freedom of expression has no limits and that line is drawn at those who do not believe in freedom of speech at all'

Firstly I'm not sure why this is laughable. Secondly, it seems, that it is Richard Brookes who does not believe in freedom of speech at all. His method of dealing with those who do not like free speech is to make sure they don't have it themselves. This is preposterous.

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Another 'feminism'-inspired social media debate is brewing at my university and, once again, you'll find me with my head in my hands. I didn't participate in the previous debate and I don't plan to change my ways in the new one. It's quite likely that this week's new debate will resemble last term's debate, in both nature and in quality.

For anyone unaware of the previous debate to which I am referring, I shall do my best to explain briefly and without bias.

The University of York planned to celebrate International Men's Day, but a petition of a few hundred signatures against it prompted the university to cancel the day. A counter-petition of a few thousand signatures failed to convince the university administration to take back its decision to cancel the day. Someone went to the national papers and alerted them to what was happening on the campus, resulting in national coverage and some comments in the House of Commons from Members of Parliament.

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Those are the bare facts. Meanwhile, across social media, hundreds of individuals were posting, sharing and commenting, messaging each other and Tweeting, in a mixture of reasoned discussion and deliberate malicious abuse. There were people blaming feminists for supposedly showing that women mattered more to the university than men; there were people saying that feminists were men-hating free-speech-destroying nutcases; there were people saying that International Men's Day was an opportunity for misogynists to run riot...

...and there were some of us who just sat and watched with no interest in getting involved in the wash of polluted and half-baked rubbish that had come out of a legitimate, formal challenge to a university-sponsored event.

As a keen student journalist I would happily facilitate a proper medium on which a debate could be held, but I don't really want to get involved in any of the fighting myself. It's not cowardice - I do have opinions on the matters at hand - but I refuse to get involved in any arguments on Facebook and other social media sites.

Facebook commentaries are regularly misunderstood, misrepresented and taken out of context; they (and their responses) are also frequently hindered by poor spelling and grammar, or are, quite simply, bad. We come to university to learn and also to challenge our own beliefs and thoughts through our exposure to new texts and ideas; Facebook is not the means by which we should express them. You won't find professionals working in the academic departments attaching smileys and Emoticons to badly-worded, jumbled, nonsensical balderdash, written in a rush to reply to a criticism; nor will they present a hundred biased definitions of feminism, or whatever topic of discussion is on the table, that, by ensuring that no one is singing from the same hymn sheet, spoil the entire conversation.

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I have written comments on some friends' posts in the past, but luckily my friends have been smart enough to suggest we settle a matter of contention over emails or even through Skype. Unfortunately it seems that some other people can't help themselves. One user has kindly written an "open letter" to the newly-elected Women's Officers of the student union, calling one of their ideas "deluded" and another "demeaning and patronising." Comments from other users on his lengthy post include, "You're an idiot," "I read the first sentence and that was all I needed to know what was to follow," and "This is so bad I can't even formulate a response right now". As usual, what followed was a stream of comments from multiple users, all responding to different people, some throwing in the odd insult here and there.

Elsewhere, the mockery of a transgender student, newly elected as a union LGBTQ officer, was rife across anonymous social media. The student tried to read out some of the abuse as she ascended to the stage on the results night, but was quickly cut off by one of the hosts, eager to snatch his microphone back to keep the peace. "I've seen starving Ethiopian children who look less miserable than [her]," read one comment. Reading both instances, I recalled exactly the things that occurred when International Men's Day was cancelled.

As I wrote earlier, I don't want much part in this. I'm not going to lay any blame on any 'factions', be they the so-called social justice warriors, liberals, conservatives, fascists, 'raging atheists', feminists and Feminazis, meninists, bigots, 'haters' and so on who supposedly roam the Internet in packs and with whom they cannot be reasoned; there is no single group that is responsible for so much rubbish, and anyone who tells you that there is such a group would be exposing his own allegiance to another position. I don't align myself to any group, nor do I want to be, nor do I wish to lay the blame on one of them.

If you want to challenge someone, challenge them on their ideas and challenge them formally. Write for the campus paper (preferably mine, if that's all right?) and set out your ideas as you would in an essay; book a room in the university and host a formal debate to examine ideas, policies and movements, not sexualities and appearances.

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One. Looks.

Fat and flamboyant, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump are alike well known for their blond locks which are of the type that used to be described in shampoo adverts as 'unmanageable'. Just like both of them.

Two. Smugness.

Born into wealth and privilege, both of these men have been surrounded from birth by devoted families who have added to their sense of self worth. Far from suffering from the modern malaise of low self esteem they appear to have the opposite problem. They both seem to have come to the conclusion that their good fortune is not the result principally of chance, but that these richly-deserved rewards have been bestowed on them by the gods because of their brilliance.

Three. Ego-driven politics.

For a long time, I had a theory that Trump had no intention of actually winning the Republican nomination. It seemed to me that he was doing the whole thing for publicity - his brand is all he has basically - but that he didn't actually have the hard cash to fund a run for the White House. As in the movie 'The Producers', I saw him with his advisers certain that he had come up with a new statement that would put him safely to the back of the pack. "I've got it!"

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But then, to his chagrin, each new outrage has only added to his support. It's all gone a bit too far now, and I am starting to think he means it. But I still feel that his principal concern is not how he can serve his country, but what's in this for Donald J. Trump.

Equally with Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, there seems to be a political calculation behind him coming out against remaining in the EU which is that he will be the only serious candidate for the next leadership of the Conservative Party who is on the 'Out' side. He was always going to be an 'Outie' but he made a great play of waiting for the deal and agonising over his decision before rattling out a text to the PM, minutes before his press conference. It was a pantomime.

Boris has always been destined for greatness, in his own eyes at least. Thus far it has not properly mantled around his shoulders. 'Boris Bikes' forsooth, are hardly the stuff of legend. A lively and colourful character who adds to the gaiety of the public stage, he has been a popular Mayor of London and has written a readable biography of his hero Winston Churchill. These are no mean achievements. But he wants more. However Boris is possibly more Falstaff than Henry IV.

Four. Nostalgia

Both Trump and Johnson base their current campaigns on a hankering over past glories.

Trump's main promise to the American people is that he will "make America great again." He promises to return the USA to a mythologised past in which American companies and American citizens are protected from the effects of globalisation. Locked down borders, protectionism in business. (Unusually for a Republican, he opposes US free trade agreements with China.) But ironically, there would be no clearer sign of a once-great country in decline than the election of such a backward-looking leader. Harking back to the past and fearing to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the future isn't likely to work that well in practice.

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Ironically, given his position on Europe, Johnson is related to lots of European royal families. Growing up he was fed stories of the past glories of the de Pfeffers and confided to the BBC his memories of the locked chest of family silver which his relatives carted round the place for half a century.

His main opposition to the EU is not based on the fear of free movement of labour, although he is happy to have the support of economically marginalised voters who see it as a threat.

He is the effective leader of the faction who see the Europe Union as a threat to the sovereignty and democratic traditions of Great Britain. He doesn't see a future in which sovereignty must be shared and where Britain has to work in partnership with the other democratic nations of Europe.

At bottom, he would like to see Great Britain's Imperial Parliament calling the shots as it once did, when half the globe was coloured pink. Like his associate Michael Gove who as Education Secretary pontificated about reintroducing the "Our Island Story" version of British history, Johnson's dubious politics are based on nostalgia for the Empire.

Five. Impending Failure

Any major political party has to be effectively a coalition between different factions. It is sometimes the case that a particular faction is strong enough to impose a leader on the whole party. That is what happened with Jeremy Corbyn in the case of the British Labour Party.

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This may be what is happening in the case of Donald Trump. The angry white voters who see their historic advantage being eroded see him as their spokesman. If, however he does gain the Republican nomination, which is still unlikely, he doesn't have a frog's chance on the motorway of being elected President of the USA. He has very little traction outside his own faction.
Those who know me, or have read my work before, will know that I can often be outspoken when required. The inclination to speak up, I've often found, stems from a varied range of emotions that largely stop and start at my beliefs on egalitarianism. Frankly, in the year 2016, if we can't speak to one another without considering their race, sex or other socially unimportant features, we need to knock our heads together.

But, for me at least, it is not the severity of the outrage which controls the severity of my outburst - that relies solely on two components: shock value and hypocrisy.

I've been a journalist for a fair amount of time and, as anyone who has ever graced the news desk will know: journalists hate shock jocks and hypocrites. Why? Because everything thinks we love them and, the truth is, we don't. Most reporters, in watching someone make a colossal moron of themselves, will be furious that this obvious PR stunt will detract from actual, genuine news. Successful PRs and lobbyists might well believe they can influence the news at their very whim - but their ignorance is laid bare when they boast of such feats in one breath while begging a stubborn journo for better coverage with the next.

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So, as you can imagine, every journalist in Britain is begging for the day that Donald Trump will be ruled out of the presidential race and resigns to narcissistically self-titular skyscraper to live out the rest of his unashamed days. After calling for a ban for Muslims entering the country and full surveillance on American mosques, the eccentric is unlikely to be a contender.

A segment of his book was recently highlighted in my social media feeds that stuck in my mind. It was an excerpt of the Republican candidate's 1987 book in which he unveiled the media strategy that helped build his $10 billion empire. Released just 17 years after coming to prominence (for racial profiling, no less) Trump's book, The Art of the Deal, came on the back of a turbulent decade in the casino trade, in which the young Trump went bankrupt. Despite a staggering 75,000 people attending the opening night of Trump's $1bn Taj Mahal casino in April 1990, in just over a year he was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The particular quote that caught my eye read: "One thing I've learned about the press is that they're always hungry for a good story, and the more sensational the better." Revolutionary, Donald. His arrogance here is clearly summed up in the assumption that down-right bigotry is only newsworthy when it comes from his mouth. "The point is that if you are a little different, or a little outrageous, or if you do things that are bold or controversial, the press is going to write about you."

He adds: "I'm not saying that they necessarily like me. Sometimes they write positively, and sometimes they write negatively. But from a pure business point of view, the benefits of being written about have far outweighed the drawbacks.. that's why a little hyperbole never hurts".

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While reading, it is difficult to forget the words of Herman Goering at the Nuremberg Trials, where he was quoted on the fascists' ability to bend the will of the people. He said: "Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."

Trump's dangerous advice, written in a best-selling book in 1987, just a few years just before reality television and the fame-accessibility boom, could not have possibly left society entirely uninflected. In recent years, we have seen dozens of fame-hungry, outspoken try to reach the top of VIP lists with equally dangerous and threatening rhetoric aimed at raising their own profile.

Such media strategies have benefited such great British institutions such as Samantha Brick, Josie Cunningham, Katie Hopkins, and now the second favourite candidate to be the president of the United States of America.
I have been knocking around politics for so long that I didn't think it was possible for me to become utterly shocked at the venality, ambition and horror of one man's ego. But this evening I have been proved totally wrong. Boris Johnson has proved beyond all reasonable doubt that he is a copper bottomed, double dealing, hypocritical little shit.

For a man 13 days ago who wrote eloquently of all the reasons we should stay in the EU and who weeks previously had made it fairly clear that he wanted to remain, the reek of u-turned burnt rubber and the aftershave of political greed infects the air.

The really awful thing was how contrived it all was. I suspect that he wanted to storm out of cabinet and bathe in the political glory. Cameron sniffed the wind and didn't let it happen. But there is no glory here. Just betrayal and a level of morality which would make an Algerian brothel owner blush.

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If the Corbyn and Trump phenomenon is anything to go by Boris is the embodiment of everything that the public despise about politicians. The effortless, wealthy ooze of entitlement, the laziness of mind and the incontinence of mouth, coupled with a psychotic drive to be Prime Minister.

Some of you will accuse me as a REMAINER of being terrified of the Boris pull. Quite the opposite. The public will repulsed with his cynical opportunism along with his new bed fellows Farage and Galloway.

I can't wait for his first serious media grilling when he will have to answer for all that he has written, all that he has said and why he pretends not to understand that Cameron has protected the City of London against unfair EU competition. If the OUTERS win the day the city of London will be fucked.

This is the biggest mistake of his political life. And it will be mortal. When the party faithful see the havoc he will wreak he will never be forgiven. Well I hope so because if this dreadful little man ever becomes leader of my party then I and so many moderates will move on. Many will say that Boris is his own worst enemy. Not while I'm about.

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[Photo credit: Diajeng Lestari, HijUp]

This week, Indonesian brand and e-commerce platform HijUp made an appearance at London Fashion Week. Early in 2015 they took venture funding between $US1 million and $US10 million from a pool of global investors.

I caught up with HijUp's founder and CEO Diajeng Lestari. Over the years we've bumped into each other a few times in Southeast Asia and the Gulf, sharing notes on what's going on in this space - and it's great to see Indonesia wow a London crowd and bring a flavour of Muslim culture, which even many British Muslims know little about. Diajeng is a pretty laid back soul and her goal:

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"I want to make Muslim women feel proud of who they are - neither inferior, nor superior... just their ultimate self, with style and pleasing themselves."

Diajeng Lestari, CEO, HijUp

[Photo credit: Diajeng Lestari, HijUp]

In the International Fashion Showcase section, HijUp presented the work of four designers - Zaskia Sungkar, Jenahara Nasution, Restu Anggraini, and Dian Pelangi under the theme of 'Beauty and Creativity through the Elements of Life': wind, light, water, and fire.

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[Photo credit: Diajeng Lestari, HijUp]

We all understand that fashion means much more than practical clothing functionality - and it's more about clothes serving the functional purpose of providing emotional connections, messaging, symbolism, culture and experiences that define us as being human.

For many, the term 'Modest Fashion' may seem like an oxymoron. I mean, isn't the whole idea of being 'fashionable' driven by a desire to celebrate being seen with the right look amongst the in-crowd, having that recognized and ratified, and which then leads to the accrual of a form of social currency?

[Photo credit: Diajeng Lestari, HijUp]

Is it possible to be modest in the pursuit of being fashionable? Or should we take modest in this context, by definition, as fashion that covers flesh? Is the inference then that covering one's modesty (flesh) evokes something any less sultry or alluring; and if it isn't doing that, does that detract from the essence of being modest?

These are some of the debates that I've had and read about surrounding the whole Muslim Modest Fashion movement. If you're one of the in-crowd, then these questions matter little - because there is no conflict, it is simply free honest expression.

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[Photo credit: Diajeng Lestari, HijUp]

Personally, I don't like the term modest fashion. I prefer the term Hijabers that sprung from a movement in Indonesia, of Muslim females who wanted to create their own form of expression - through the clothes that they wear, which signaled their own state of mind and worldview. This makes them no different than the Hip-hop, Grunge, Punk, and Goth movements that I found myself swept along with when I was a youth.

So 'modest' I think is a red herring that opens the back door to politically infused debates with non-Muslims and Muslims about Islam's role in modern society. In doing so, depending on what camp you're in, clothes have become the smoking gun or the eye candy for propaganda campaigns in which Muslim women unfortunately are the doe-eyed deers in the spotlight. But the objectification of all women is nothing new. Key questions are who is in control and who benefits from all of this?

Let's focus on the Hijabers grassroots movement who are in control, gaining momentum, wider interest and starting to cross-over. The potential of a brand from an emerging market like Indonesia is massive. Indonesia is made up of over 14,000 islands, has a population of about 255 million people, 205 million of which are Muslim, making it the most populous Muslim-majority country. And let's not forget the 1.7 billion Muslims spread across all continents that share the same faith, which have led to the Muslim fashion market being estimated at $US224 billion worldwide.

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[Photo credit: Diajeng Lestari, HijUp]
Sana Rezwan is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Indelust.com, the curated online luxury lifestyle boutique for independent and ethical fashion, art and design from the Indian Sub-continent.

Since 2007, Sana has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Creative Director of 23 Carat, a creative consulting agency for the fashion industry in India and New York.

In 2011, Sana founded MAISON, a luxury women's concept store with a pop-up cinema and art gallery in Bangalore, India, where she brought international luxury brands to the forefront of Indian fashion including Givenchy, Saint Laurent, Chloe, Thakoon, Giuseppe Zanotti, Carven, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Acne and Joseph.

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Sana previously worked in the PR, Marketing and Buying Departments of respected luxury brands such as Giorgio Armani, Stella McCartney, Jasmine Di Milo and Liberty in London until 2010.

Sana has also worked as a Consulting Fashion Director for emerging designer Charles Harbison in addition to contributing to VOGUE India, Hello! India and ELLE India as a freelance contributor.

Sana currently resides in New York City and is part of the Creative Advisory Council of the NEST Guild, a New York-based, non-profit organization that is dedicated to building and reviving artisan traditions and businesses in developing countries. Additionally, Sana currently sits on the Advisory Board for India and served on Assocham India's 3rd Annual India Luxury Summit panel in October 2015.

How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?

I remember wanting to run my own business ever since I was a little girl. I think to be a successful entrepreneur you have to be a good leader, so in that sense, I was fortunate to have been brought up in a family of entrepreneurs that valued independent thinking and encouraged me to take risks.

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I have always been creatively inclined so I was naturally drawn to fashion because it combined my artistic and commercial interests. But fashion is a tough business in every sense - from getting a job to understanding production cycles to sales and marketing, etc. I knew I would have to leave India to get the right education and work experience that would allow me to one day start my own business. I have had some great teachers and bosses that guided me along the way, so I feel strongly that as a leader it is my responsibility to provide education and mentorship opportunities to people on my team.

Over the past twelve years, I've lived and worked in London, India and now New York. Living across all these different time zones and cultures has made me more flexible and, I like to think, more innovative as a leader. For example, the US and Europe are mature luxury markets where people are super talented and experienced in very niche areas. You have to give these types of professionals enough autonomy to create in order to effectively leverage off of their experience and differentiate your brand in a hyper competitive market. In countries like India, luxury is still an evolving concept - very exciting, huge potential, but still nascent. These types of markets call for a different type of leader - more hands-on in terms of establishing systems and working with people on execution. When I started my store, I personally developed the functional capabilities of each member of my team, from Store Management to Merchandising to Public Relations and E-commerce Management.

How has your previous employment experience aided your position at Indelust?

I started my career in London, one of the most competitive and challenging fashion cities in the world. I worked with some of the top brands and design houses like Stella McCartney, Giorgio Armani and Liberty.

But it was always my intention to take what I learned abroad and apply it back home in India. While my interest in the creative world definitely inspired me to start my businesses, they really came about as a response to a market problem: the difficulty international luxury brands faced when entering the Indian market. I set up 23 Carat to assist luxury brands like Givenchy and Emilio Pucci expand into India. I later used 23 Carat as a platform to launch Maison, a high-end women's fashion concept store that carried international luxury brands in Bangalore, and across India through its e-commerce site.

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When I decided to close Maison and move to New York, I saw the reverse problem, in a sense, which was the lack of access Indian designers had to the rest of the world. Having been part of the international luxury fashion industry for so many years, I was drawn to India's rich history in craft and handmade goods. I felt it was important to create a platform that showcased our tradition in today's perspective. Given all the ethical issues surrounding high fashion (think Rana Plaza), I also wanted to make sure that whatever we did would have some positive social impact. That is how Indelust was born.

Indelust works in two ways: 1) we ethically source fashion, art and home from emerging designers that make a positive social impact or are reviewed by NEST, our non-profit NGO partner; and 2) we work with artisan groups from economically disadvantaged communities to help them reclaim their livelihoods. There are so many handcrafting traditions that have been around for centuries but are now close to extinction. The few clusters that do exist today are a testament to our heritage in the Indian Sub-Continent and that is why we chose to help revive and support them.

What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at Indelust?

We face a fair amount of logistical challenges given the time difference and distance between New York, where I live, and Bangalore, where we are headquartered. This means daily 5am conference calls so I can speak to each member of my team, and traveling to India 5-6 times a year for three weeks at a time. But all of this is so worth it - I get to visit my family in India often, while continuing to live in a city that inspires me every day.

In theory, everyone is for ethically sourced goods; however, when it comes time to make the purchase, not everyone will take the time to find a company that ensures product supply chain transparency, or one that sources from a local artisan rather than a factory that manufactures 1,000 shirts per minute. Our main challenge is to reach the customer that wants a beautiful product and cares about where it comes from. We then need to provide the right user experience to connect the customer to the story behind each product.

What advice can you offer women who are seeking to start their own business?

My advice is to make sure you are passionate about what you do and understand the sacrifices that are inherent to running your own business. I know it's a cliche, but I think having your own business is like having a child - you are always on. I don't think I've managed to switch off completely for more than 3 days over the past 2 years we have been working on Indelust. In fact, I remember working through my wedding and honeymoon! Some days you don't have the right answers, or, even worse, you don't even know the right questions to ask! But you still have to keep moving on and believe in what you are doing. Eventually things fall into place or you figure a way around the problem.

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How do you maintain a work/life balance?

Because I am my own boss, there aren't any defined work hours. However busy or long my day is, though, I make sure to take an hour of "me time." This could be working out, cooking or just meeting a friend. Aside from that I love to spend every opportunity I have with my amazing husband. And that is as balanced as things can get for me right now.

What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?

Women in India in general suffer from gender discrimination; they struggle to get employed and their safety is always in question, which was highlighted by the 2012 New Delhi rape incident. There are few repercussions for those who mistreat women in the workplace, whether it is sexual harassment, abuse, forced overtime and so on. There are several political parties that promise women empowerment as part of their campaigns but none have spelt out how they plan to make these changes.

How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?

Mentorship was a completely new concept for me, and I was only introduced to it once I moved to New York a few years ago. During my first few months of being in the city, a friend of mine connected me to Liz Bacelar, the founder of Fashion Decoded. She instantly took me on as her mentee. She challenged me to think differently, helped me turn an idea into a real business and provided guidance when I was lost. Liz has been more than just a mentor to me; she is my role model and more importantly a great friend who I have tremendous respect for.

Which other female leaders do you admire and why?

Aside from Liz, I admire Sofia Amoruso. She is the model millionaire millennial that made it big in fashion tech. She is young, strong and leads with confidence and has a positive attitude. Many women, young or old aspire to be like her.

What do you want Indelust to accomplish in the next year?
How was Africa? I hear this question from friends and family on a regular basis. There's nothing really shocking about this question because I do travel to Africa all the time. But imagine for a second if I went to Mexico - would they ask me how Latin America was?

Language says a lot about how we collectively perceive reality. If Kanye West

you'd rather open up one school in Africa like you really helped the country...  KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

can't resist calling Africa a country - at least the rest of us mere mortals, privileged enough to discover the cultural differences across Africa, must pay attention to the language. Otherwise in the minds of many "Africa" will remain a nebulous entity that's rising from diseases, crimes and poverty to the status of a land of new possibilities and opportunities. Where everyone now wants to dig without really knowing what they will find.

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Ebola outbreak, apart from taking away many lives, brought to the world's attention a disturbing geographic glitch. A few days after returning from Kampala, I attended a social gathering in London. A rather smart looking gentleman withdrew his handshake once it was mentioned that I've just completed a short mission in the capital of Uganda. He then proceeded to enquire about the risks of Ebola. I asked him whether he would consider travelling to Moscow if a plague would take over Lisbon?

Until you start travelling across Africa, you remain oblivious to how in Europe, very little is known about the geographic locations and cultural identities of individual countries on the African continent. We hear about African fashion, African prints, African voices and African music... As if an entire continent composed of over 50 countries was one single state with common culture and history.

I'm not a tourist; I travel to East Africa for work, so my time for careful observations is very limited. But even during my intense sprints I've discovered that despite a common landscape of colourful one-stored shops, terracotta roads and whizzing motorbikes - Africa is anything but connected and monolithic.

Each place has its unique striking features: the Congolese flamboyance in Kinshasa, so beautifully conjured in their sapeurs or Afro-dandies; the hilly curves of Kigali that shyly hide the beauty of the city yet once you give into the journey it grips you for life, almost reflecting Rwandan temperament; the sky scrapers of crowded Nairobi, which I call the New York of East Africa...

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But also think of the top and bottom of the African continent with landscapes and lifestyles so contrasting from the rest of its body that we almost forget it's "Africa". North Africa, with its mint tea, tajines, deserts and souks is closer to the Middle East in our collective minds than Africa. Many don't realise when they travel to Morocco that they are actually in "Africa". South Africa's progressive development and infrastructures has set it aside from the rest of the continent. Both worlds that sandwich the continent highlight its fascinating diversity.

Africa is also logistically disconnected. To my generation, brought up during the peak of European inter-railing and exchange programs, it is incredibly striking to see how difficult it is to navigate within the continent itself. To fly from one neighbouring country to another in Central Africa, you need to do a five-hour detour via Nairobi or Johannesburg. A journey that would take longer than going somewhere in Europe and back. This prevents the continent from merging on many different levels.

People are further disconnected through linguistic barriers. Uganda, for example, counts over a dozen various spoken languages with some groups unable to communicate together within the frontiers of their own country. If two Europeans meet, we automatically speak English (some with more enthusiasm than others). The lingua franca of two Africans is slightly more problematic - it could be English, Swahili or French depending on what part of the continent they come from...
Photo (c) Stephen Young, Courtesy of Shaya

If you go to New Orleans everybody knows you have to eat beignets at the Cafe du Monde, try a Louisiana po' boy sandwich and sample the Big Easy's own super-sandwich, the muffuletta. You won't find a better muffuletta than at the Central Grocery at 923 Decatur Street, where they were invented by Italian immigrants who wanted a reminder of their Mediterranean homeland.

The constant focus on local specialities, though, ignores the fact that New Orleans has as vibrant an international food scene as any other major city. In fact as New Orleans has always had a love affair with food and flavours - and the occasional beverage - the city is even more welcoming to foods of all kinds than most. On a recent visit we sampled not only beignets, muffulettas and Creole cuisine but Caribbean, Israeli and classic American diner food too.

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Whenever we mentioned we were going to dinner at Shaya, on Magazine Street, everyone not only knew it but had either been there or were longing to go. 'How did you get a table?' they would ask, showing how hot Shaya is right now. The answer was by having friends in the right places and being prepared to dine at 5.30pm. Even then the place was packed to overflowing, with people keen to try the food of chef Alon Shaya, inspired by his Israeli upbringing and by the vibrant mix of influences from the Mediterranean, Middle East, North Africa, and even Eastern Europe.

Photo (c) Stephen Young, Courtesy of Shaya

With its light-wood walls and cream furniture, and a separate bar area, Shaya was fine casual dining at its best. Were we really in Louisiana, we wondered, as we studied a menu that had a whole section devoted to different kinds of hummus, and a range of meze from Moroccan carrots to Israeli salad and that Turkish eggplant dish to die for, baba ganoush. We tried wood-roasted Brussel sprouts served with tahini, red onions and something called duqqa, which turned out to be an Egyptian mix of herbs, nuts and spices.

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Photo (c) Graham Blackall, Courtesy of Shaya

The waiter showed that the staff had had perfect training. He knew every dish and every ingredient of every dish, and was friendly and solicitous without being in your face the whole time.

Photo (c) Graham Blackall, Courtesy of Shaya

A signature entree of slow-cooked lamb with whipped feta, walnut and pomegranate tabouleh tasted as wonderful as it sounds, our only regret being that we'd stuffed ourselves so much on the deliciously more-ish nibbles and meze that we couldn't finish the American-sized portions. Did we want to take it with us? Well, we would have if - oh good grief, is that the time? - we didn't have tickets for a concert at the Jazz Market by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. Could they call us a taxi?

Photo (c) Graham Blackall, Courtesy of Shaya

Shaya is in the laid-back and funky Magazine Street district of New Orleans, about four miles east of the French Quarter but easily reached by trolley or taxi. Oh yes, there's much more to the Big Easy than Bourbon Street and beignets.

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Shaya

4213 Magazine Street

New Orleans, Louisiana 70115

Phone: (504) 891 4213

MORE INFORMATION

The author was a guest of The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. For more information on New Orleans see www.neworleanscvb.com as well as their Facebook page, Twitter account (@VisitNewOrleans) and Instagram (@VisitNewOrleans) page.

STAYING THERE

Mike Gerrard stayed at the historic Dauphine Orleans Hotel, 415 Dauphine Street in the French Quarter.

GETTING THERE

City breaks in New Orleans are available through the North America Travel Service. American Sky offers fly-drives with two nights in New Orleans. Intrepid Travel has a Southern Comfort USA small group tour which also includes two nights in New Orleans.

THE AUTHOR

Mike Gerrard is an award-winning British travel writer who divides his time between the UK and his home in Arizona. He specialises in writing about the USA and is co-editor of the 101 USA Holidays website.

THE PHOTOS
It must be an awkward place at the Johnson dinner table, your Dad is pro-Europe and your brother heads a European-centric venture; just get your head down and eat your dinner Boris.

Last week Boris Johnson MP came out in favour of the United Kingdom ending our menage a trois with the European Union, launching his campaign with the powerful statement "I will be advocating Vote Leave, or whatever the team is called" which he made on his door step.

But is it really a shock that BoJo is coming out in favour of Brexit, you could suggest this isn't anything to do with Europe or crawling back our sovereignty.

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Talking about the issue of sovereignty, you could make the point that out of 121 acts of Parliament that were passed over the last term that only 4 acts were passed to fit EU legislation, but that is for another time and place.

It might actually be something to do with the majority of the Tory party being in favour of leaving the EU, Boris has a leadership card to win first and the rest of the voting demographic can wait.

But is Boris truly the bad guy in the Tory Party 'inner' camp?

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers MP also nailed her colours as a Brexitier which is a curious decision taking into account Northern Ireland shares a border with Europe.

Around 60% of the Northern Irish are vehemently against leaving Europe considering young people will lose 425 million in EU Peace programme, the Good Friday Agreement is underpinned by European Law and the damage it have on the country's agriculture industry with it potentially losing 1.9 billion in trade.

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Ms Villiers is rated very highly as a future Conservative leader, is she putting her future ambitions over Northern Ireland in the hope of a future jostle for power maybe? If that's true it makes Boris Johnson's potential appeasement to party members look far less significant in comparison.

It's clear that Boris Johnson is a bigger beast to Villiers with him being one of the only UK politicians with a positive polling rating and it's clear his split from the Prime Minister has caused seismic ripples in the parliamentarian arm the Conservative Party.

But with Johnson's casting such a large showdown over the populist machine it could have hidden a real aggressive play to wrestle power away from the top boys.

Of course you can't discount IDS, Gove and Priti Patel but if Villiers views and ambition are strong enough to put over half an entire country's apprehension, that's a lady who isn't afraid to play rapacious tactics.
Society is fascinated by twins, triplets and quads. As a mother of twins, I've become accustomed to being asked questions by curious, but well-meaning strangers. This was especially common in the early days, when my double buggy seemed to be a magnet for people. 'Are they twins?' (yes) 'Are they identical?' (I don't know) 'It must be much busier than just having one?' (I'm not sure. I've never had just one) 'How do you cope with two babies crying and not sleeping at the same time?' (with coffee... lots of it).

I've worked as an obstetrician for over 20 years, and during this time I've seen many mothers and families react to the news that they're expecting twins or triplets. One thing many people don't consider is that, whilst finding out you're pregnant with multiples can be very exciting; it can also be very scary. Not only are parents faced with the reality that they will have to cope with not one, but two (or even three or four) babies; but they are also told their pregnancy is high risk.

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Improving maternity care is a hot topic at the moment, with the NHS releasing the findings of a year-long maternity review today. This report comes just three months after Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt revealed an ambitious plan to halve the number of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths by 2030. It's especially encouraging to see multiple births, and other complicated pregnancies, mentioned throughout the report. This is ground-breaking, as in previous reports these pregnancies have been overlooked.

But now the hard work begins: ensuring these recommendations are implemented.

If we're to meet Jeremy Hunt's 2030 target, it's vital the recommendations of this report are taken into account. Multiples and other high risk pregnancies make up a disproportionate number of neonatal deaths and stillbirths. Each multiple birth baby is twice as likely to be stillborn as a singleton, and almost five times more likely to die in neonatal care. Sadly, the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show the multiple birth stillbirth rate rose by 11.5% between 2013 and 2014.

In addition, multiple birth parents have expressed high levels of dissatisfaction about the advice they received during their care. In a recent report released by Tamba, nearly a third of parents of multiples described the advice they received from their consultants as poor or very poor, up from 11 per cent in 2012. Likewise, dissatisfaction with the advice given by midwives has doubled amongst parents of multiples since 2012, rising from 16 per cent to 32 per cent.

I find it very distressing to hear that some multiple birth mothers are not receiving the care they need. As a trustee at Tamba, I hear many stories from parents who have had excellent care. However, sadly, the charity also gets many calls from parents who have not felt listened to or respected during their pregnancy. One mum recently told Tamba how her she nearly lost her two boys, because a twin-specific complication wasn't picked up until it was almost too late:

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"After we had our 12 week scan we were told we were expecting non-identical twins. I was told this meant I would have less scans as there was less risk of complications [than an identical twin pregnancy], so I went eight weeks without a scan. Then, at our 20 week scan, we discovered that our boys had stage three twin-to-twin-transfusion syndrome, an illness which only affects identical twins who share a placenta. We were lucky that our boys both survived!"

Cases like this highlight what can go wrong when multiples do not have the specialist care they need, and this must change. In the past, multiples and other high risk groups have been overlooked when it comes to pregnancy care. Only 1.5% of maternities result in a multiple birth, yet twin and higher multiple babies account for 7% of all stillbirths and 13% of neonatal deaths.
5 questions about the push for an Australian head of state.

What's wrong with the Queen?

Nothing.

Queen Elizabeth II is the only reigning monarch to have visited Australia, and many Australians hold her in high regard for her service to the nation.

Some republicans, like former-Prime Minister Julia Gillard, even support the idea that Australia should become a republic once the Queen leaves the throne.

But the issue isn't about the Queen, nor the prospect of Charles and Camilla. It's about the highest office in Australia being occupied by an Australian rather than an unelected figure on the other side of the world.

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Didn't you already have a referendum on this?

Yes, in 1999.

Support for a republic was high then, but disagreement over how the head of state would be selected saw the movement splinter. Faced with the prospect of a President who would be selected by parliament rather than public vote, Australia voted against what many described as an undemocratic model.

But like the British referendum on EC membership in 1975, a single vote rarely puts to rest such a contentious issue. What was right for Australia (and Britain) then is not necessarily right now.

Support is once again climbing, with the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and almost every state and territory leader supporting the notion of a republic. But consensus on a republican model will be needed before change can happen.

Isn't Australia loyal to the UK?

The republican movement isn't about loyalty to Britain, but one of Australia growing as a nation.

Australia and Britain share many political and legal similarities, but our cultural differences can be profound.

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In 2014, then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott was ridiculed for resurrecting the distinctly-foreign honours of knights and dames almost 30 years after they were abolished.

The derision was only surpassed when Mr Abbott awarded a knighthood to Prince Philip without consulting his peers - an act that would eventually cost him his job as PM.

An Australian head of state would be exactly that - Australian. Not an unelected foreign aristocrat, nor the product of a haphazard attempt to apply foreign titles in a far-off context.

Why leave the Commonwealth?

Australia is firmly placed in the Commonwealth, with no plans to leave.

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of countries who share common values. Although the Queen is the head of the group, she has no official title within the member states due to her position.

India is a republic, Tonga has its own monarch (Tupou VI) and Mozambique was never a British colony, and yet they all come together as members of the Commonwealth.

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Why bother?

Because symbols matter.

Australia is slowly but surely coming to terms with the fact that our country has more than 40,000 years of history, most of it indigenous.

As we recognize both the treasures of our history and the suffering of so many Indigenous Australians over the past 228 years, it's little surprise that the symbols we created for white Australia are coming into question.

From singing the national anthem in indigenous languages to slowly recognising the National Day as a day of pain for many, Australia is taking baby steps to 'walk the walk' and not just 'talk the talk' of equality and fairness.

It's about choosing symbols that reflect us as a diverse but unified nation, and with a head of state who represents our unique values.

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Last month's Primates Conference saw 38 leaders of the Anglican Church travel to Canterbury to discuss the status of LGBT people within the Anglican Communion. Canterbury is the focal point of the Anglican Communion's 85 million worshippers. The site has been a place of Christian worship for 1400 years. Three months ago I made my own pilgrimage to Canterbury. I wanted to experience England's holiest site.

The cathedral soars above the red tiled roofs of Canterbury, an arching crown of perpendicular spires. I walked through ancient meandering streets, up towards the cathedral close. A medieval gate stood in front of me. Gnarled sandstone melted away in the dappled December sunlight. Reticulated with pitted iron, rivulets of light trace the ridges of oak on the gate house doors. A jigsaw of worn flagstones and cobbles paves the way towards the cathedral's entrance. Countless pilgrims have made this journey before. Vast buttresses allow for bays of soaring windows. Corniced vaults sit on stained glass wings, the sunlight giving movement to their ascent. Sculptures project out above the entrance. A choir of filigree sandstone saints, dignified on their hexagonal pedestals are framed in recessed niches. Gilded iron trickles underneath this waterfall of stone. The cathedral inspires awe in the viewer, a Christian pyramid. It represents solidity, age and permanence, the heart of the Anglican Communion.

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In the past LGBT people have been discriminated against within Christianity, including by the Church of England and the other Protestant Churches comprising the Anglican Communion. This makes me angry. Lives have been shattered by the prejudice of misinterpreted religious teaching. The shadow of hatred and repression has fallen on many LGBT worshippers. This cannot continue.

Jesus' message is one of love and the Church of England has a responsibility to advance, not hinder, the inclusion of LGBT people. Despite my Christianity, I sometimes struggle to see any good in those Christians who seek to criticise and exclude LGBT worshippers. It is hard not to resent them for their homophobia. I have to remind myself that God's love extends to every Christian, even the most vehement homophobe.

The conference culminated in the decision to formally penalise the Episcopal Church for its decision to sanction same-sex marriages in church. The Episcopal Church has been barred from many aspects of the Anglican decision making process for three years. I was shocked and upset by this collective criticism of the Episcopal Church. The criticism seems regressive, a step backwards which reinforces prejudice. As an LGBT member of the Church of England I am a little envious of my US Episcopal counterparts because of the Episcopal Church's viewpoint on same-sex marriage. I did not find it difficult to reconcile Christianity with my sexuality. As a gay man, who was until a few years ago an atheist or an agnostic, I feel more empowered than ever with Christianity in my life. My faith drives me forward, reinforcing my identity. Celebrating my love for another man in church through a marriage ceremony is important to me. Despite the remarks in John Sentamu's recent letter to the Daily Telegraph, confirming the two archbishops' traditional viewpoint on same-sex marriage, I am hopeful that, with time, same-sex marriage will be endorsed by the Church of England. The YouGov poll following the conference showed that the majority of Church of England Christians now approve of same-sex marriage. We will continue to fight for this important change.

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This year marks the 15th anniversary of Student Volunteering Week, which takes place 22-28 February 2016. SVW is an annual celebration of the not for profit work that students all over the UK engage in; work which is often at the frontline of community development, adds to their university experience and makes a difference overseas. Although Student Volunteering Week had humble beginnings, it is now a popular nationwide campaign and this year alone over 10,000 students are expected to participate in events up and down the UK. The campaign is run by the lovely people over at Student Hubs, in conjunction with the NUS.

I fell into volunteering a bit accidentally; it definitely wasn't something I planned! I struggled with my mental health as a teenager and depression and anxiety followed me to University. I was walking through the Students Union one day, and in typical student-style there was a bloke there getting his chest waxed for charity. I stood for a little while to revel in the commotion and as I approached I noticed that it was the 'Cardiff Mental Wealth society'; a student group aimed at raising awareness of mental health and promoting positive wellbeing on campus. They had one of those little clipboards for students to register their interest, so I slung a pound into the collection bucket and left my details.

It wasn't some huge 'a-ha' moment for me; I had checked out the student volunteering centre long before but nothing really took my interest. But when I got a text from a guy called Nate in the year above me asking if I would be free to help out with a cake sale the next week, which would accompany the 'What do you do for yours?' campaign to ask students how they look after their mental health I couldn't see why not. Plus I was going through an episode of depression at the time and at least that way I knew I would see some people and get out the house even if I was feeling bad.

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The campaign went really well; we ran round the union asking students how they look after their mental health, offering yummy treats to anybody who took part and we even made it into a spot in the local paper! It felt as if I was finally doing something which turned my experiences into something positive; I was part of a team who dared to talk about mental health and prioritised student wellbeing over top grades.

The rest, they say is history. I got very involved in Cardiff Mental Wealth and the other committee members encouraged me to speak out about my experiences. I penned an article for the Gair Rhydd, Cardiff's student newspaper on eating disorders, based on my own experiences. The article was spotted online by the CEO of a student eating disorder charity who got in touch and asked me if I would be interested in setting up a self-help project at Cardiff. It was perfect. I was already in the momentum of mental health campaigning and the prospect of being able to make a bigger difference by running a self-help group for students with eating disorders was very attractive.

Needless to say my final year was very busy; I balanced my dissertation with leading the Cardiff Mental Wealth project and coordinating and setting up the Cardiff SRSH project for students with eating disorders. On top of this I took on my first trusteeship at SRSH. Volunteering gave me as much back as I put into it; it gave me a sense of purpose and self-esteem, and a wonderful group of friends who had similar interests to me and were willing to share their stories of volunteering and recovery.

My volunteering experiences at University were the catalyst to me choosing to pursue a career in the charity sector. Funnily enough I started my career working for Student Hubs on their graduate scheme, and during that year Mental Wealth UK and SRSH merged to become Student Minds.

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London - a city of hopes, dreams and a vast number of inhabitants - and it's growing. Already one of the world's most notable metropolises, the Greater London Authority says London is currently home to 8.6million people, but this figure is predicted to reach 11 million by 2050. That's not even taking into consideration London's booming tourism economy; a recent study found that London has become the second most visited city in the world, receiving almost 17.4m visitors in 2014.

With so many people crowded into one place, the challenges faced by the London Mayor and his team are immense. Just think about some of the following statistics and insights:

London's busiest railway station, Waterloo, sees around 82 million passengers per year

There are so many children at a school age that just over half (51%) of all local government spending in the capital goes on education

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The housing gap continues to be a major challenge with an increase of 540,000 households in London over ten years but only 430,000 new homes built.

With the upcoming Mayor of London and London Assembly Elections taking place on 5 May this year it will be interesting to follow the candidates' proposals to tackle London's issues while retaining its crown as one of the leading cities in the world. I applaud recent proposals to mimic some of New York City's initiatives such as appointing a Chief Digital Officer, and to turn London into a 'Smart City' using data-driven analysis to run it. Regardless of who wins the election, data analysis must be a key part of the future Mayor's strategy, drawing on insights - such as those referenced above - to create a better-run (and smarter) city.

Becoming a smarter city can take many forms. This could be by fitting sensors on objects such as traffic and street lights throughout a city so public transportation departments can conduct digital road experiments or even fitting sensors on bins so collection services can be optimised. Amsterdam's fire brigade, for example, maps the risks in the city by capturing information from 600,000 objects such as buildings, railways and roads, so they can respond better in emergencies. Or it may even be through improving hospitals within cities. Within the NHS we're seeing some Trusts such as Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust use data analysis to reduce A&E waiting times, which in turn helps them improve patient care for local residents.

There's no denying London has already taken steps to make the city smarter - the introduction of Oyster cards being a good example of this when it comes to trying to reduce rush hour congestions - but we will need to see more in the next office. Countries such as Singapore and Barcelona are making huge strides in creating silicon metropolises and we will need to see this passion replicated here.

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It may even help candidates politically in the long run. As former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg announces this week that he is considering running for the US presidency, it's significant that the data-driven technocrat was a champion of New York's Smart City initiatives. During his term as mayor there's no denying that he improved and streamlined various systems and operations throughout the city, and a lot of this was achieved by his ambition to modernise the city by making decisions based on reliable data.
Walthamstow is hitting peak gentrification. Previously best known as home of East 17 and the end of the Victoria line, now we feature in every property programme and magazine going as a hotspot. We even won the record for the most estate agents per square mile in the country.

Where once housing was below market price, and rents equally affordable, now it's the top of my casework as local MP. As people are pushed out of the private sector so they look to the social sector to act. They face a council with over 20,000 on its housing waiting list- leading them to heart-breaking decisions to rehouse people not just out of borough, but out of the city altogether.

Investment in our area is bringing jobs and hope to our high street of a better quality of life for all. Yet our community is being fractured by a perfect storm of housing benefit caps, low wages, a lack of properties and speculation on prices. Increasingly developers are acting like vultures, picking the bones of Walthamstow's precious housing stock for quick profits at the expense of local people. Two estates embody the difference between community led renewal and one driven purely by market forces- between social cleansing and social regeneration.

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In the 18 years I've lived in Walthamstow, damp, overcrowding and decay have been the defining features of the 1960s Marlowe Road estate. That it has taken until 2015 to tackle this reflects a difficult truth about investment by governments of all political hues in housing. But finally following six years of consultation, the bulldozers move in this summer to rebuild the entire estate.

Including private homes alongside the new flats helps the council cross subsidize rebuilding all but ten of the old social properties. All the current council tenants have the option to return when the new homes are built. The ex right-to-buy homeowners whose properties will be demolished will also receive the market value of their properties, plus 10%, and an offer of an equity loan to ensure they can buy one of the new houses if they want to stay. To date, of the 214 households affected, 15 private homes have been bought out by the council, 58 council tenants have chosen to move elsewhere and a further 34 say they want to join them leaving and so are in the process of doing so. 43 have yet to make up their minds and the remaining 64 have decided to stay. They will therefore be first to move into the new buildings and the remaining properties will go to those on the council waiting list. No one can deny this project will be disruptive, to both private and social residents. However, when it's finished it will offer decent social housing and desperately needed new homes to both old and new residents.

Ten minutes down the road from the Marlowe Estate is Butterfields - an estate facing a very different future. Previously owned by the anti poverty charity Glasspools, they sold the entire estate to private developers late last year to capitalise on London's housing price boom. To no one's shock except apparently Glasspools, the private developers are now evicting the residents and putting the flats up for quick sale via auction. Unlike the Marlowe Road residents, to date no compensation or new homes lie ahead for Butterfields tenants. Most are low paid workers who can ill afford moving costs, let alone the higher rents they likely face elsewhere.

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Resolving Walthamstow's housing problems isn't just about building more council houses - it's also about addressing the pressures created by speculation in both the private rented sector and home ownership markets. The E17 Housing Awards were the brainchild of local residents- they recognised individual homeowners and tenants can fear reprisals if they complain, but acting collectively to highlight those who exploit residents is a powerful statement. Indeed, these actions led to the end of double charging- where estate agents charged both the buyer and seller of a property a fee for the same service. That agents now turn up to the awards, and complain about them, shows how scrutiny is starting to change their behaviour.

We want to achieve more than breaking up the dominance by some agencies of our housing market. That's why at the Awards we also heard what impact Sadiq Khan's London living rent could have. We put our case to the Council to mutalise their letting agency, offering landlords lower fees in return for a stake in the business and longer tenancies. This could create competition to take on letting agents who push up prices. Above all, we talked about how we can build more houses and cut the costs of keeping a roof above your family's head. There's lots to do - whether Sadiq's commitment build genuinely affordable housing, stopping overseas investors leaving homes empty in London or continuing the push for tenants fees to be abolished.
The usual churn of politics has been somewhat more violent over the weekend. The papers, filled with posturing and opinion over the EU Referendum made it all seem suddenly very real; and constant drip of Brexiteers suddenly felt like it was something more flood-like when big BoJo blew his beans.

My opinions on the matter, such as they are, were outlined in a column last week: my plea for the Prime Minister and the rest of the Remain campaign to start getting passionate about Europe was well received. There was, however, an undertone of fairly patronising guff about the wee Scot-Nat who'd somehow finally understood that he was wrong all along about his own referendum which actually had the opposite effect: pushing me to ponder how different the two referendums are.

Let's deal with our Exit-facing chums first: They are a political group seemingly devoid of a consistent worldview: what is a (in many cases justified) series of gripes (or what for Yes-voters were called grievances) against an unwieldy European Union has transformed into a utopian fantasy of a Britain becoming something it is no longer capable of being.

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I too have seen those I consider normally to be capable of reasoned analysis be dazzled by the lure of easy solutions: it was with some disappointment that I read of my predecessor in Glasgow South, Tom Harris deciding to throw his lot in with the Brexiteers: I had disagreed with Tom on the constitution before, but have always found him to be reasoned and principled, and had been looking forward to agreeing with him on this.

I have resolved to read as much as I can what has motivated people like him to seek such a radical solution, learning the lessons of those who choose to dismiss my own referendum beliefs without even a cursory glance. Sadly though, it seems if you scratch below the surface of the average Leave pitch, and you find precious little in terms of what they want to see Britain become.

Contrast this with the Yes campaign: much was made of the surface Utopianism; the wish trees, amateur poetry and other such soft soap: but this was all built on a solid, thought-out worldview. Scottish independence would be facilitated, strengthened and nourished by being part of global institutions.

The campaign to fund a statue for Professor Sir Neil McCormick revealed an intellectual lodestar for the movement, for the idea that Independence (firmly within the European family of nations) was but a first step. Many recently have recently written about his fundamentally utilitarian approach to the constitution: and I also believe that's where the surge that took us from 30% close to the majority in the referendum: people who, for many years, had resisted the lure of the SNP because they simply weren't convinced, finally backed the idea of independence because they could see it being this first step towards creating a better country.

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In light of this, it leaves me speechless that there are still others who see our support for remaining in the EU as some sort of political calculation: wishing for Britain to leave the EU so Scotland could stay in it would be plain daft, and conflict sharply with the Scotland (and the England) we would like to see.

But what for the Outers? No one has put forward a convincing path towards Britain becoming anything else other than a medium-sized nation looking into Europe; a middle power, willingly denying itself of the last one thing that gave it any heft. Where are the thinkers on the leave side? Do we have to content ourself with Priti Patel and her desire to rid us of these pesky European labour laws in order to turn us into South Korea? Is there anything else to the Anglosphere idea put forward by Daniel Hannan beyond a common language and assumed goodwill?

I wanted to see Scotland become an active member of the community of nations, because I could see many good examples of similar smaller nations who had done so and thrived. These are the small states who helped cajole the bigger powers into a rules-based international order, because they demonstrated it would be to everyone's benefit. It is wholly depressing to me that today, as that system is being put under pressure from many sides, so many would try to abandon it, without any real idea of what they would replace it with.

My endlessly talented constituent Andrew Tickell wrote this week about how stark the choice in Scotland now was: but he also ended by sounding a note of caution about what the calamity of Brexit could do for the assumptions we have in the SNP. I agree to a point, but am not so pessimistic: we know our values, we are confident in ourselves, and we must hold our nerve - the dream of an independent Scotland in a strong European Union may be dented by Brexit, but that does not mean we should not still strive for it.

Where we must learn from this rather odd debate is in not letting go of the essential practicality of what we wish to see. We must also always seek to understand our opponents, because failing to do so will see us fall into a similar trap our opponents fell into during the first referendum.

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Fairfax Media

CANBERRA -- Immigration Minister Peter Dutton survived two potentially embarrassing motions against him in parliament on Monday, as the fallout from the Baby Asha asylum seeker case stretches on.

During Question Time on Monday afternoon, Greens MP Adam Bandt posed a question to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, which was answered by Dutton, about whether he agreed that immigration detention harmed children.

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During Dutton's answer -- where he said that "I am not going to preside over a situation where we have people self-harming to come to hospitals in this country because they believe that is the route out into the Australian community for Australian citizenship" -- Bandt was seen to yell angrily in the direction of Dutton. Soon after, independent MP Andrew Wilkie attempted to pose a point, but was blocked by the Speaker.

As soon as question time ended, Wilkie then rose to move a motion against Dutton, asking he be censured "for implying that the Baby Asha was deliberately harmed as a means of facilitating asylum seeker access to Australia".

"What the Minister said during question time today I found to be one of the ugliest things I have heard in this place in my five and a half years serving here," Wilkie said.

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"I find that absolutely appalling."

Bandt spoke in support of Wilkie's motion.

"The Minister has implied that babies and children are in hospital or may end up in hospital as part of some deliberate co-ordinated attempt to blackmail this government. That is a disgusting statement," he railed.

Dutton responded that his earlier comments had been wrongly interpreted, calling it a "cooked-up situation."

The motion was eventually defeated as the Coalition and Labor voted it down, with shadow immigration minister Richard Marles claiming that Wilkie's accusations over Dutton's comments were incorrect.

Earlier, Labor MP Andrew Giles wasted little time on the first morning of the new sitting week, moving a motion in the House of Representatives that the government apologise to aid and development agency Save The Children after the group was expelled from Nauru in 2014. A report into the incident, released in heavily redacted form in January, found that the circumstances "did not warrant issuing the removal" of the staff, after claims workers had encouraged asylum seekers on Nauru to self harm.

Giles called on the government to apologise to Save the Children and its staff for the incident, and to acknowledge "the great work done by Save the Children Australia in aid, development and helping vulnerable children."

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After debate in the house, including government MP Ewen Jones reflecting on time he spent with Save The Children workers in Papua New Guinea, the debate was adjourned to a later date.
Fairfax Media

CANBERRA -- Liberal National Party MP George Christensen has declared a "war" on "radical Islam", setting up a website to "expose radical Islamic practices" and "political correctness".

Christensen, the Member for Dawson, in Queensland, promoted his new website -- titled "War on Radical Islam" -- on Facebook on Tuesday morning. He asked followers to contribute to the project, saying that he was offering as payment "a whopping total of nothing" but argued that contributors would "be helping fight for a cause which could determine the future of Western civilisation, freedom, liberty and humankind".

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The website, which we have decided not to link to and which we have blocked out from Christensen's above Facebook post, features a logo which includes a targeting cross on a man in a head covering and holding a rifle, while the letter "I" in "Islam" has been replaced with a sword.

The site goes further in its description:

"This website will feature articles and items critical of radical Islam and its appeasers and will promote solutions to the issue such as a reformation to Islam and support for moderate Muslims seeking to reform their faith. This website will be predominantly from an Australian point-of-view, however articles and items it will feature will not be exclusively focused on Australia."

Christensen has previously stated that Australia was "at war" with Islam. In July 2015, speaking at a rally held by far-right group Reclaim Australia -- which infamously held a 10th "anniversary" for the 2005 Cronulla race riots -- Christensen said: "we would be foolishly naive to think that we are not at war with radical Islam."

He later posted an entire blog on his website on the same topic.

Christensen at the Reclaim rally in 2015
Paul Bradbury via Getty Images Business people standing in queue at airport

Scammers are exploiting confused Australian travellers heading to Canada by charging 17 times the cost of a new electronic travel authorisation form.

The new online form, to be introduced in March 15 this year, will be needed by all Aussies heading to Canada except for visa holders.

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It costs $7CAD and is valid for five years but scammers have set up alternate websites charging $122 for the same service.

The Consulate General of Canada said there had been multiple reports of scams, and directed travellers to the correct website.

As for the form itself, the consulate said it "means travellers to Canada can expect a faster service upon arrival at the border" and could be applied for within minutes using a mobile phone.

The form applies to all travellers, including those from the Commonwealth, even though Canadians don't need to fill out a similar form to enter some commonwealth locations like Britain. Canadians entering Australia, however, do have to fill out a similar form for a fee.

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WANDER WOMEN COLLECTIVE via Getty Images Australian girl coming out of the water at beach

We think we look like this... but we don't.

It's not really news to us that we're fat. I mean, we know when we have trouble doing up the pants that fitted comfortably six months ago. And we know when we're eating that bacon and egg roll that it's not the ideal breakfast and certainly not the ideal morning tea.

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And we know when we look around us we're not the only ones. Those other people in the line at McDonald's could do with a few more salads and a few less thick shakes, couldn't they?

And we know the kids should get out more and run around. But they're safe there on the couch... where we can see them.

And we know 3,000 steps in one day is pathetic but there's just so much work to do, and so many Facebook posts to keep up with -- so the last lunch-time walk just gets further and further in the past.

And it's hard getting home in time to make dinner and a KFC bucket every now and again isn't going to kill anyone. Once a month, or maybe twice last week...

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And really, our kids aren't the fattest ones in their class.

And we're Australian -- the rest of the world thinks we're a bunch of bronzed beach babes, don't they? So we must be doing something right.

And what's the government doing about it?

Pass me a Coke. There's a 24-pack in the pantry that was on special.

No, it's not news that we're fat (yes, we -- statistically speaking, more people reading this will be overweight or obese than not).

As topics go, it sure ain't sexy.

Here are some seriously unsexy numbers:

In 2014-2015, 63.4 percent of Australian adults were overweight or obese -- up from 56.3 percent in 1995.

One in four Australian children are overweight.

Heart disease is our biggest killer.

And we visit fast-food outlets 51.5 million times a month.

Yeah, we know! Don't get all judgy on us...

Well how about this:

The ABS says in 2008 the total cost of obesity to our economy was $58 billion.

It costs hospitals, straining under our collective weight, an extra $1.2 billion per year.

We're losing productivity. We're less innovative. We're a drain on the budget. We're a preventable drain on the health system.

Still don't care?

Overweight people are less educated and earn less. They are less productive and report a lower quality of life.

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They get diabetes at a far higher rate. They have more joint pain. It affects their relationships, their fertility and their enjoyment of parenting.

You'll get all the details of these facts in coming days as we roll out our coverage of one of the biggest single challenges facing Australian society.

Today's post lays out the barest of the shocking facts. Tomorrow, we examine the economic costs and the next day the measurable, and immeasurable, costs to individuals.

It's a national crisis. There's no denying it -- our bottom line is suffering.

It's a problem for individuals, schools, cultural and sporting groups, employers and the government -- and not one of these groups or people can fix it alone.

While we have the perennial argument about banning junk-food advertising, no one is expecting the health department to mandate our portion sizes for us or boot us off Netflix to head out for a run.

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While we demand employers bring in healthy workplace practices, businesses are also being saddled with a workforce in less-than-its-best shape.

And yes, individuals have to take responsibility for what we put in our own mouths and what we teach our children to put in theirs.

What's the answer? Well, I have to admit we don't know.

I often bore dinner party companions to sleep with my insistence that cooking should be compulsory for all school students for the full 13 years of school. That's just one idea.

But we're going to spend this year looking for as many answers as we can find. Small ideas. Big ideas. Ideas that are already making a difference.

We need to have an honest conversation about what's gone wrong and what we might do as a society, as families and as individuals, to turn it around.

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Yes the government has a vested interest in whipping us into shape -- but it can't do it for us.

No it's not news, but we can no longer pretend it's someone else's problem.
Today is National Toast Day, which John Kasich is observing by being white, bland and utterly cooked. President Obama put forward a plan to close Gitmo, saying "If you like your habeas corpus, you can keep it." And Senate Judiciary Republicans won't meet with President Obama's Supreme Court pick, because if there's one thing they've learned from reporters, it's that elected officials can walk around the Capitol freely without speaking to unwarranted solicitors. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016:

GOP NEVADA CAUCUS TONIGHT - Megan Cassella: "Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio aimed to outpoll rival Ted Cruz in Nevada's caucus on Tuesday to bolster his position as the establishment favorite for his party's nomination for the Nov. 8 election. Looming over the tight race between the two first-term Cuban-American U.S. senators is Republican front-runner Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman who has won two of the first three state nominating contests and is expected to dominate the field in Nevada. With Trump, a blunt-spoken political outsider, commanding a double-digit lead in a handful of Nevada opinion polls, political strategists in the state said Rubio and Cruz had the more modest goal: a clear win over the other, which could propel them through the busy voting month of March. 'They're playing for second,' said Nevada political analyst Jon Ralston." [Reuters]

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LALALALA THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CAN'T HEAR YOUUUUUUUU - This ends with Orrin Hatch walking around the Capitol Complex with giant sunglasses and comically large Beats By Dre headphones. Amanda Terkel, Jen Bendery and Laura Barron-Lopez: "Senate Republicans on Tuesday launched an unprecedented blockade of President Barack Obama's yet-to-be-named Supreme Court pick, saying they won't give any nominee a hearing or even meet with the candidate. 'I don't know how many times we need to say this,' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters. 'The Judiciary Committee has unanimously recommended to me that we not hold a hearing. I don't know the purpose of such a visit. I would not be inclined to take one myself.' Supreme Court nominees typically make courtesy calls to senators, so that lawmakers can get to know them on a more personal level and question them in a more intimate setting. But on Tuesday, at least five senior Republican senators -- McConnell, John Barrasso (Wyo.), John Cornyn (Texas), Orrin Hatch (Utah) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) -- said they won't participate in this tradition for an Obama nominee." [HuffPost]

Haircuts: Sara Bondioli

DELANEY DOWNER - Since January, members of the U.S. Senate have been negotiating a half-billion-dollar measure to help Flint, Michigan, remove lead pipes that have poisoned potentially thousands of children. That has changed. Senators involved in the negotiation said on Tuesday that their proposal isn't just about Flint anymore -- they also want to help communities that could face a similar fate. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) told reporters the measure would have a national scope "so other folks would be able to get some of these resources if they're similarly situated." Many cities in the U.S. have lead pipes just like Flint's. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates 10 million American homes and businesses receive water from service lines that are at least partially made from lead -- a deadly neurotoxin that can cause a range of health problems, including permanent brain damage in small children. [w/ HuffPost's Laura Barron-Lopez]

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Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Get your own copy. It's free! Sign up here. Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill





In bookstores never.

OBAMA PUT FORWARDS PLAN TO CLOSE GITMO - Wonder how much space this storyline will get at his presidential library. Jessica Schulberg: "The Pentagon released a long-anticipated plan outlining the steps the Obama administration will take to close the notorious Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The document released Tuesday morning contained few surprises and failed to remedy conflicts between President Barack Obamas aspirations to shut down Guantanamo during his final year in office and legal restrictions imposed by Republicans in Congress that prevent the president from sending any of the remaining detainees to the U.S. It was released not because of a breakthrough agreement between the White House and Congress but because of a deadline set by lawmakers for the details of a comprehensive strategy on how to detain current and future people captured as part of the broad-reaching war on terror." [HuffPost]

TRUMP EXAGGERATES: SHOCKING REPORT - Susanne Craig and David Chen: "Mr. Trump has embraced his roots as a New Yorker as being crucial to his presidential bid, and in so doing, the Republican candidate has given the impression as he crossed the country that he is a force to reckon with in the city of his birth. But while Trump remains a visible brand name around the citys five boroughs, it is much harder to discern his imprint as a classic power broker, someone who is feared and can make things happen with a phone call or a quiet aside with the right person at the right time. ..His real estate holdings in New York are modest; he did not make the top 10 in lists of major condominium developers and power players in real estate in the city...The major banks, for their part, say they are leery of lending to him after having lost millions of dollars on past deals." [NYT]

RUBIO TO SKIP CPAC - We keep telling ourselves the same thing every year. Rebecca Savransky: "The American Conservative Union (ACU), which hosts the event, said in a statement to Breitbart News that Rubio and his campaign have made a "rookie mistake," adding, however, that the Florida senator has a conservative record and high rating from the organization. 'Today the Rubio campaign informed ACUs chairman that their candidate is unwilling to make time to meet with activists and answer their questions at CPAC 2016,' ACU said in the statement. 'Sen. Rubio cannot have it both ways: he cannot hope to be the inspirational leader of conservatives and at the same time hide at the very moments when activists who compose the heart and soul of the movement assemble and organize.' Rubio's spokesman, Alex Conant, said in an email to Breitbart News that 'we have not set our March schedule yet,' when asked why Rubio was skipping CPAC, which will be held from March 2 to 5 at National Harbor Maryland, near Washington, D.C." [The Hill]

BEN CARSON SAYS FALSE THING - Almost as bad as his statements about why the Roman Empire fell (they didn't have beards, Ben!). Glenn Thrush: "Carson, speaking during a half-hour sit-down with POLITICOs Off Message podcast as he waited for the results of Saturdays South Carolina primary (he finished sixth out of six), laid out his views on racism  and his belief that his experience as poor black kid in 1960s Detroit represents the real experience of his people in way that Barack Obama could never understand. 'Hes an African American. He was, you know, raised white,' said the world-renowned neurosurgeon, whose single mother worked three jobs  and occasionally relied on government aid  to elevate Carson and his older brother from the grinding poverty of ghetto life." [Politico]

Ben Carson's internal monologue when someone's being obnoxious: "That used to be a cute little baby. I wonder what happened."

GLENN BECK'S QUIXOTIC MISSION - Namely, to completely untether himself from reality. Michael Calderone: "As Glenn Beck has campaigned for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the conservative host has repeatedly wielded a copy of a Don Quixote he claims was owned by George Washington... Beck pulled out the book again in recent days while stumping for Cruz in Nevada, according to reporters in attendance, and apparently gave it to an audience member to hold. But the museum at Mount Vernon, Washington's Virginia home, says the first president's copy of Don Quixote is stored safely in its collection. A Mount Vernon spokeswoman told HuffPost that it's in the rare books vault at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, the presidential library in Washington's home. Mount Vernon even displays images of the book on its website." [HuffPost]

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BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here are some pets dealing with stairs

BERNIE SANDERS' SUPPORTERS LIKE WEED - Not mentioned here: That a man named "Joe Birkenstock" is quoted in the piece. Michael Beckel: "The 29-year-old resident of Portland, Oregon, is marketing homemade ceramic pipes emblazoned with decals of Sanders head and campaign logo. Her pro-Sanders 'smoking ware' -- targeted at the 'Burners for Bernie' set -- sells for $60 apiece. And she advertises that 10 percent of her proceeds will benefit the self-described socialist from Vermont who has emerged as an unexpectedly serious challenger to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Partys presidential nomination...While most observers say political campaigns are unlikely to take legal action against their own supporters, attorneys say entrepreneurs open themselves to risk by using candidates names, likenesses or logos -- especially when promising to donate a specific portion of their sales." [CPI]

IT'S GETTING CHIPPY OUT THERE, FOLKS - Dave Jamieson: "Supporters of Bernie Sanders gathered at a union hall in Seattle for a 'Labor for Bernie' rally Sunday. Early in the event, attendees were told that one speaker wouldn't be taking the podium as planned. Jeff Johnson, the head of the Washington State Labor Council, had been pressured not to speak at the Democratic presidential candidate's event, an emcee told the crowd. A major international labor union had threatened to pull funding from Johnson's group if he did, the emcee said.Johnson's group is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, the premiere labor federation in the U.S. The AFL-CIO has not yet endorsed anyone for president, and until it does so, state councils like Johnson's are expected to stay in line and not publicly back any particular candidates." [HuffPost]

COMFORT FOOD

- The deeply upsetting reason why many millennials don't eat cereal.

- How the original Game Boy worked.

- Child enjoys virtual reality.

TWITTERAMA

@SonnyBunch: That thing where twitter is consumed with something and you are like jfc, why, it does not matter.'

And then you remember nothing matters.



@aedwardslevy:

does donald trump have a ceiling?

does donald trump have a floor?

does donald trump have walls?

does donald trump have stainless steel appli

@SimonMaloy: "and that's why I'm endorsing Marco Rubio for president"



"thank you, Mitt, I welcome your support"



[in unison] "hah, terrific"
On January 18, 2016, two charismatic Boston Latin School students posted a YouTube video, launching phase one of a movement to voice the concerns of their school club, Boston Latin School's Black Leaders Aspiring for Change and Knowledge. In the video , BLS B.L.A.C.K. president, Meggie Noel, and active member, Kylie Webster-Cazeau, directly address BLS administration and call for a twitter conversation #BLackatBLS where current students and alumni expose the unheard experiences of students of color at BLS.

According to the Boston Globe, Boston Public Schools announced an investigation on the students claims to have submitted a "binder full of evidence" to their administration which included racist social media posts from white BLS students in the wake of the non-indictment of Darren Wilson for killing Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. BLS administration's failure to properly and efficiently address these concerns in November 2014 has culminated into a citywide protest titled "BlackatBPS" where students from all Boston public schools are demanding to be heard.
By Vineet Vijayraj Thapar, Lead Creative, Digitas Health LifeBrands, San Francisco

Culture, technology, and services are evolving fast, in exciting, and unexpected ways. That's putting great pressure on ad agencies to be quicker, sharper, and go deeper to create greater value for brands. So how do they evolve to meet this challenge? Here are five things that agencies can do right now to ensure relevance.

Stop 'staying busy' and retool for speed and accuracy now.Reflecting the impatience of our times, clients are hungry to see rapid value from agencies. They want to see what bang they're getting for each hard-earned buck. So agencies must rearm to work efficiently, but also to add more value rapidly. That requires being equipped with nimble structure, while preserving creative freedom. "Staying busy" happens when agencies don't have clear, objective, and easily adaptable methodologies in place. Whether it's generating new ideas throughout the project life cycle, or creating brand frameworks responsive to a more empowered customer, agencies need to retool now for speed and accuracy. Even as they chase surprise and delight, enabling teams with structured but nimble ways to quickly understand how the dots are connected means they will spend more time beyond the tablestake, where real value (and delight) gets created. Educate people out of silos.Agencies don't invest enough in teaching teams how to problem solve. People are left to figure it out on their own, which can lead to risk aversion and group think. Teaching teams how to use the frameworks and techniques in the agency toolkit gives them confidence, and familiarizes them with the box they need to think out of. This allows for a more 'guided' implosion of silos. And people need this encouragement to hone their ability fast. Balance design thinking and lateral thinking with freeform creativity.Agencies need to adopt design thinking to give greater gravitas to the creative process. It's not about being pedantic; it's about ensuring that views are informed by both feelings and facts. Feelings become infinitely more powerful when they are backed by objective, rational analysis, not just subjective opinion. Design thinking allows for rapid understanding and modeling of insights through techniques like empathy mapping, shadowing, etc., and iterates towards perfection. On the other hand, Edward de Bono's "Six hats" is an example of lateral thinking. It forces each team member to think from many unique perspectives, or hats, getting to actionable insights quickly and thoroughly. These techniques are intended to make discovery and problem solving an informed and accountable activity, while preserving space for gut and intuition. To agencies used to a free-form approach these can feel awkward the first few times. But as a habit they become liberating experiences. Create a culture of wild ideation.Agencies need to adopt ideation as a value-added activity in itself. Most of the time ideation happens only on client projects. But agencies need to start investing in ideation as a wild, free form activity independent of their work. Give all your amazing thinkers and creators theoretical problems to solve so that teams are always exercising their mind-muscle and staying in an ideation mindset. Institutionalize creation of ideas and points-of-view, and everybody within the agency should be empowered to participate, not just people with 'creative' in their title. What differentiates agencies, or team members, are the crazy ideas they dream up and then realize in the proper context. Open the windows and let your environment in.It is crucial that agencies tap into the world of brilliance that surrounds them. We live in fast-paced, innovative times, surrounded by revolutionary ideas bubbling up in every corner of the world. Creating meaningful partnerships with companies and people outside of the agency, and allowing the agency culture to absorb inspiration from external sources is critical. My office is based in the middle of the San Francisco technology gulch-fiercely technological, competitive, and full of ideas--San Francisco is the first place where new technology and ideas get tested and launched. The bars and coffee houses here buzz with inventive energy. For an agency to thrive in this environment, it must participate in and feed from that energy, as we do. This energy would be very different if we were in New York, LA, Chicago, or Philadelphia. By participating in and reflecting the environment that surrounds us, we bring greater value to our work.

For decades, people have said that ad agencies are headed towards obsolescence. Today, with the ubiquity of new channels, platforms, & media, and savvy customers, that message is being heard more than ever. However, advertising continues to be a cultural arbiter and morphs with the times to find relevance and thrive. It's never 'game over' for advertising, but agencies must respond to new cultural realities constantly. Meeting challenging expectations and delivering greater value to customers who are demanding better, smarter, deeper answers is the new cultural reality. To stay relevant, agencies must make genuine change happen from within, and allow teams to find joy and thrive.

About the Author

Vineet and his team partner with client brands to mine audience insights, articulate transformational journeys and touch points, brainstorm ideas, and push conceptual boundaries to achieve business objectives. Before joining the San Francisco office, Vineet led Digitas Health LifeBrands' creative offer in Europe, influencing strategy for global clients. While in London he helped to launch the DHLB brand in the EU, and grow the agency's profile with multiple major award wins, such as Cannes, AdAge, Mashable, The Drum, Clios, OMMA, Communique, PM360, and The Creative Floor, among others. His work has been highlighted at TEDx, WHO, and the United Nations.
BERLIN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 16: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures during a press conference together with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery following the 6th German-Israeli government consultations on February 16, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. The two governments are scheduled to discuss issues including the Middle East peace process, cyber crime, German-language education in Israel, climate change and development policy in Africa. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu,

I write this letter to you with a heavy heart as it pains me deeply to see the beautiful dream of a strong and proud Israel, the country that was expected to embrace what is virtuous, moral, and just, now losing its reason for being--as a free and secure Jewish state living in peace and harmony with its neighbors.

The state's social fabric is being torn apart by political divisiveness and economic injustice. The country is increasingly isolated, degenerating into a garrison state surrounding itself with walls and fences, vilified by friends and reviled by enemies.

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As the Prime Minister who served longest in this position, the country is virtually crumbling under your watch. The question is, where are you leading the people, and what will be in store for them tomorrow as Israel is now at a fateful cross-road and facing an uncertain future?

Certainly you and those who follow you in good faith will disagree with my analysis, but I urge you to look carefully into the dire issues I am raising here as they unfold, for which you are now more responsible than any of your predecessors.

You conveniently surround yourself with a corrupt political elite--ministers with no morals, no compunction, and nothing but an insatiable lust for power. They are consumed by their personal political agendas and absorbed in domestic corruption and intrigues.

You have several such ministers--among them a Justice Minister, Ayelet Shaked, who endorsed the idea that "the entire Palestinian people is the enemy" which is nothing short of a call for indiscriminate killing that will include "its elderly and its women, its cities and its villages, its properties and its infrastructure"; an Education Minister, Naftali Bennett, who wants to annex most of the West Bank without giving a single thought to the ominous danger that such an ill-fated scheme would inflict on Israel; and a Cultural Minister, Miri Regev, who is out to stifle freedom of the arts and expression--who make a mockery of Israel's democratic foundation and institutions.

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You backed three draconian bills: one would suspend Knesset members who deny Israel as a Jewish and democratic state; the second would withdraw funding from cultural institutions deemed "not loyal" to Israel; and the third would require leftwing NGOs who receive foreign funding to label themselves as such in any publication (while exempting privately-funded right-wing NGOs). You are enveloped in an ideological siege with a ghetto mentality and selective religious precepts, supported by a blind chorus of parliamentarians that only echoes your distorted tune.

You manipulate the public with national security concerns and falsely connect security to borders, only to usurp more Palestinian land and defend the ruinous settlement policy.

You delight in facing an inept political opposition--relegated to a permanent state of suspension--and are thrilled to see them decaying with no political plans to challenge you to find a solution to the endemic Palestinian conflict on which you politically thrive. With these lame opposition parties sitting on the fringes of political despair, they have now become easy to co-opt in support of your misguided domestic, foreign, and Palestinian-targeted policies, all in the name of national unity.

You still boast about Israel's economic prowess, when in fact the economy as a whole is in a state of stagnation and labor productivity is the lowest among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, and a handful of billionaires control the financial heart of the state while tens of thousands of families are scrambling to survive.

More than 1.7 million Israelis are living in poverty--775,000 of whom are children--while hundreds of millions of dollars are siphoned off to spend on illegal settlements and hundreds of millions more are spent to protect the settlers, leaving Arab villages and towns with mostly Middle Eastern Jews to rot.

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The gulf between the rich and poor is widening. The top 10 percent of the population earns 15 times that of the bottom 10 percent, making Israel one of the most unequal countries in the developed world. Tourism is diving, foreign investments are plunging, and the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement is gaining momentum.

The corruption and criminality among top officials is staggering; more than 10 ministers and at least 12 members of the Knesset have been convicted of crimes over the past 20 years alone. Former President Moshe Katsav and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were sentenced to seven years and 19 months in prison, respectively. Scores more were indicted, but escaped punishment through various legal loopholes often accorded to top officials.

You discriminate against Israeli Arabs (who constitute 20 percent of the population) with your government's policy of unequal treatment, and then question their loyalty to the state.

Radical Zionists like you claim that a multi-culturist Israel cannot survive - that apartheid, or something like it, is the only viable alternative - essentially repeating the argument which was used in earlier European history against the Jews themselves.

I might add with deep sorrow that discrimination is not confined to the Israeli Arabs, but extends to Middle Eastern and Ethiopian Jews four generations after the establishment of the State of Israel. The May 2015 violent clashes between police and Jews of Ethiopian origin only reveal the depth of Israel's social disparity.

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Israel's President Reuven Rivlin, from your own Likud Party, could not have made the reality more painfully clear than when he stated, "Protesters in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv revealed an open and bloody wound in the heart of Israeli society. This is a wound of a community sounding the alarm at what they feel is discrimination, racism and disregard of their needs. We must take a good hard look at this wound."

Demographically, the country is facing a grave danger. The number of Israelis emigrating from Israel is roughly equal to the number of those who immigrate to Israel. Nearly one million Israelis, representing 13 percent of the population, emigrated from Israel in the past 20 years. Several polls consistently show that given the opportunity, 30 percent of Israelis would consider leaving the country, mainly for economic reasons and the lack of a prospect of ending the debilitating conflict with the Palestinians.

In particular, the immigration of young American and European Jews to Israel is consistently trending downward. Many of them have lost the sense of pioneering spirit and excitement that gripped their earlier counterparts who wanted to be a part of a historic enterprise unmatched by any in contemporary human experience.

The Palestinians

You treat the Palestinians in the territories like objects, to be used and abused contingent on the call of the hour. You violate their human rights with brazen impunity and never came to grips with the debilitating and dreadful impact of nearly 50 years of occupation.

You scornfully claim, "The Jewish people are not foreign occupiers." You never wanted to understand the meaning of being utterly overpowered by another, of having one's house raided in the middle of the night, terrifying women and children, one's village arbitrarily divided by the building of fences, one's home destroyed, and of losing the sense of having any control over one's life.

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Invoking memories of the Holocaust as if to justify the mistreatment of the Palestinians only debases the historical relevance of this unprecedented human tragedy. One would think that those who suffered as much as the Jews would treat others with care and sensitivity. That the victim can become a victimizer is painful to face, but it is a reality nonetheless. Having suffered so much does not give you the license to oppress and persecute others.

US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, no less, put it succinctly when he said, "...too many attacks on Palestinians lack a vigorous investigation or response by Israeli authorities...Too much vigilantism [in the West Bank] goes unchecked, and at times there seems to be two standards of adherence to the rule of law, one for Israelis, and another for Palestinians."

Not that I exempt Palestinians of their role, but by you and your ministers' own actions and policy toward the Palestinians, you are inciting hostility and ultimately fostering violent extremism. You use national security to justify your prejudicial policies, including the mistreatment of the Palestinians and the expansion of settlements that became the mantra of Israel's domestic policy, using old and tired talking points about national security which are dismissed as empty, self-convincing gospel.

You speak in support of a two-state solution, but you have never lifted a finger to advance it; your actions only point to the opposite direction. Yes, although the Palestinians have made scores of mistakes and are likely to make many others that will severely undermine their own national interests, they are here to stay.

Israel must determine its own destiny and not leave it to the Palestinians' whims. You claim that the Palestinians do not want peace, but by being the far more powerful party, you can take a calculated risk, and assume the responsibility to pave the way for eventually reaching a peace agreement instead of further entrenching Israel in the occupied territories. This will make the conflict ever more intractable when coexistence is inevitable under any circumstance.

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Time is not on Israel's side, and even though they are suffering, the Palestinians can wait. You cannot freeze the status quo, and given the regional turmoil, violent extremism targeting Israel will only increase.

Without a carefully thought-out plan to gradually disengage from the occupied territories, there will likely be a million settlers within a few years. This will amount to a de facto annexation of the West Bank, from which Israel will be unable to extract itself without perpetual violent confrontations with the Palestinians and risking a civil war, should a decision be made to evacuate a substantial number of settlers.

Ending the occupation is not a charitable gift to the Palestinians. Only by accepting their right to a state of their own will Israel remain a Jewish and democratic state enjoying peace and security, instead of being drawn toward an abyss from which there is no salvation.

Israel is the only country in the modern era that has maintained, in defiance of the international community, a military occupation for nearly five decades. The Israelis' complacency about the occupation is adversely affecting Jews all over the world, and as long as the occupation lingers, anti-Semitism will continue to rise.

What has added potency to the substantial rise in anti-Semitism in recent years is your disregard of the international consensus about the illegality of the settlements, the policy of the continuing occupation, and your disregard of the Palestinians' suffering and right to self-determination.

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Did you consider what would be the ramifications of what you said during the last election, which I believe reflects your true position, that there would be no Palestinian state under your watch? There will be no peace with the Arab states, Jordan and Egypt (regardless of how they feel toward the Palestinians) may well abrogate their peace treaties with Israel under mounting regional and public pressure, the wrath of the EU will be immeasurable, the US will lose patience (if it hasn't already) and no longer provide Israel with automatic political cover, and the world will blame Israel for feeding into the region's instability; much of this is already happening.

Israel will constantly live in a state of violence and insecurity, but perhaps this is precisely what you want--to spread fear and use scare tactics to foment public anxiety by painting every Palestinian as a terrorist, as if the occupation has nothing to do with Palestinian extremism.

On foreign policy

A sound and constructive foreign policy is foreign to you, which is consequently alienating Israel's allies and bewildering its friends.

You wantonly discard diplomatic conventions and protocol; you willfully undercut President Obama by addressing a joint session of US Congress, challenging him on the Iran deal only to fail miserably, baffling Democratic and Republican leaders alike.

You clashed with US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro for criticizing Israel's policy in the West Bank, and condescendingly

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You berated Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, who called for a credible investigation of Palestinian killings, and publicly sparred with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who stated "...it is human nature to react to occupation".

You antagonized Secretary of State Kerry, who highlighted "the injustice of settlement building", prompting various US officials to call you "myopic, entitled, untrustworthy, routinely disrespectful and focused solely on short-term political tactics to keep [your] right-wing constituency in line."

As the US and EU are wholly convinced that the settlements represent the main obstacle to peace, you are now not only inviting criticism but forcing both to take measures to awaken the Israelis to the harsh reality of the settlements and your perilous ideology.

Due to your imprudent policies, Israel has few friends left. Anti-Israel sentiment is on the rise not only in Europe but in the US as well, which provides the last bastion of public support for Israel.

Starting with the EU's demand to label settlement products, you remain typically dismissive, shaming the EU and blaming them for applying double standards. You revert to the old narrative of accusing any critics of your policy as being anti-Semitic in order to deflect from your ill-advised actions which are bound to backfire.

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EU members are growing increasingly skeptical that you will ever seek peace based on a two-state solution, and they will more than likely over time become less restrained to impose sanctions. The EU could potentially expand the sanctions on goods manufactured in Israel proper as well and ratchet up its political pressure on Israel to end the oppressive occupation.

The French government is now preparing to convene an international conference to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because they see no hope that you would enter into serious bilateral negotiations if left to your own devices. Your reaction was as always dismissive, using again the worn-out argument that a solution can be found only through direct negotiation. You offer to resume peace talks unconditionally but then refuse to discuss borders first, and still insist that the Palestinians must first recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

And here is the irony of it all--while Iran's President Rouhani received red carpet treatment in Italy and France, you are being cast as a loathsome leader blinded by a defunct ideology decades past its time.

Israel's destiny

Israel's achievements in science, technology, medicine, agriculture, and many other fields in less than seven decades is nothing short of a miracle. This miracle became a reality due to the incredible resourcefulness, creativity, and dedication of men and women who committed to building a powerful and proud nation that offers a safe haven in perpetuity for the Jews. These unprecedented accomplishments, however, mean little unless Israel can live in peace and all of its citizens can enjoy equality and freedom, which are the pillars on which Israel's very future rests.

What is your vision of Israel's future? Do you know where the country will be in a decade or even less? I challenge you to provide a clear answer. If you truly take to heart Israel's security and wellbeing, then you must save it from the very self-destructive path that you have paved with fear, anxiety, and bloodshed.

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You must focus on reforming Israel's dysfunctional political system instead of capitalizing on it to promote your narrow political agenda.

You must make a supreme effort to bridge the alarming gap between rich and poor, and provide job opportunities for the tens of thousands of young men and women who want financial stability and growth so that they can build a promising future in Israel rather than seek employment abroad.

You must focus on rebuilding the run-down neighborhoods mostly occupied by Israeli Arabs and Jews of Middle Eastern origin, instead of channeling each year surpluses of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to the settlements.

You must provide adequate funding for hospitals, and health care to the poor whose social security assistance has cruelly and shamelessly been cut in recent years, especially for Holocaust survivors and others who are forced to choose between feeding their families and paying their electric bills, and who can't afford to buy lifesaving medicine they desperately need.

You must allocate more funding for schools that would allow thousands of young men and women to attend colleges, instead of cutting budgets for secular and Christian schools while diverting funds to orthodox students, who enjoy free tuition.

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You must now choose to live with the Palestinians in peace and prosper together, or live by the sword and violently consume one another. You must never forget that Israeli and Palestinian destinies are irreversibly intertwined.

You must restore Israel's stature among the community of nations as a true democracy that treats all of its citizens, regardless of sect, ethnicity, or religion, equitably rather than engage in discriminatory policies that will only erode Israel's standing.

You must reach out to the international community, strengthen Israel's alliances, and mitigate differences with its enemies. Remember, Israel will always need the political support of the international community and military and political assistance from the US in particular, not the other way around.

You must recommit to the moral principles that gave birth to Israel, starting with an honest public narrative based on Israel's reality on all fronts instead of engaging in a fictional, self-indulgent narrative that distorts the truth the country and its people are facing.

Having said all this, nothing will make me happier should by some miracle you rise to the historic occasion and heed the call of the hour and answer the plea of the people to end the conflict with the Palestinians, and make Israel proud again for its unsurpassed achievements in all spheres of life.

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You have demonstrated tremendous political and leadership skills to reach the pinnacle you currently enjoy, but sadly, you have chosen misguided policies that undermine Israel's security and prospects for peace.

You should use those same qualities to lead the country and realize its destiny as a Jewish, democratic, and secure state on friendly terms with its neighbors. This will not be an aberration; many leaders before you have demonstrated the courage, vision, and capacity to drastically change course that time and circumstances have dictated. You can too if you only will it.

Yitzhak Rabin, Anwar Sadat, Mikhail Gorbachev, F.W. de Klerk, and many others came to recognize the new realities, and decided to take the risks and change course out of conviction that the country and the people need a revolutionary change of direction and deserve a trusted leadership that will guide them to a better and more promising tomorrow.

This is the legacy I would want to leave behind if I were you.
NEW DELHI -- "Duck, you f**ker, duck!" The cameraman leapt off the fence as a large rock whistled through the air and clanged into the broadcast van parked outside Patiala House, one of New Delhi's six district courts.

Inside the court premises, on Feb. 17, a mob of lawyers strutted about the landscaped lawns, waving upraised fists, sticks and Indian flags and flinging rocks and abuse at the television cameras positioned beyond the tall iron gates of the courthouse.

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"He's here!" The lawyers darted towards the rear entrance of the compound and pounced upon Kanhaiya Kumar, a slender, bearded graduate student, as he appeared before the court. On Feb. 12, Kumar, who is the student union president of Jawaharlal Nehru University, one of India's premier public universities, was arrested for allegedly raising "anti-national" slogans on campus and booked for sedition under a 156-year-old colonial era law.

"Shoot the traitor! Hang the traitor!" the lawyers screamed as they punched, kicked and slapped Kumar until ineffectual policemen dragged him away to the magistrate's chambers. "Long live Mother India! Long live Mother India! Mother, we bow before you!"

Later, the mob would charge at the gates once more, flinging stones at reporters, harassing women, thumbing their noses at the law. The police did little to stand in their way.

The violent lawyers -- some of whom were associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party, India's ruling party -- would later justify their behavior on TV, claiming they were unable to tolerate any insults to the nation.

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"I was standing at a courthouse in the heart of the national capital, not far from the Supreme Court, the highest seat of justice in the land, and I was beaten by lawyers," a TV reporter who was attacked when he recorded the violence told me. "It's unbelievable."

Kumar, after being arrested for sedition, is taken to court on Feb. 17 in New Delhi, India. The hearing descended into chaos as protesting lawyers chanting pro-government slogans barged into a courthouse compound. (Virender Singh Gosain/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

A fever of political dissent has swept India's universities. The unrest, government ministers claim, is the work of forces determined to destroy the country from within. In a speech on Feb. 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at a presumed campaign by unnamed nongovernmental organizations to destabilize his government at the behest of their presumed foreign funders.

Since assuming power in May 2014, Modi's government has branded dissenters -- filmmakers, actors, writers, students, scholars, activists and environmentalists -- as "anti-nationals." In the name of national interest, students have been jailed, businesses vandalized, film screenings halted and the consumption of beef criminalized to the extent that mobs of enraged Hindu activists have lynched Muslims on the suspicion of eating beef or transporting cows to slaughter.

Government-funded educational institutions have received special attention: in one memorable instance, a prestigious film institute found its new chairman was an actor whose only qualification appeared to be a career-defining role as Prince Yudhisthira in a television series based on the Hindu epic "Mahabharata."

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'I was beaten by lawyers. It's unbelievable.'

The current wave of unrest began in January, when Rohith Vemula, a young PhD scholar at Hyderabad Central University, a public university in southern India, died by suicide after a senior BJP minister denounced him as being "anti-national."

Vemula was the son of a single mother who worked as a tailor for about $2 a day to raise him and his two siblings. Vemula and his family are Dalit, the lowest group in India's caste hierarchy and one of the most discriminated against.

His suicide in Hyderabad and the events that have followed point to a question both fraught and fundamental: What does it mean to live in this land -- if you are Dalit? Or Muslim? Or Kashmiri? Or just unhappy with your government?

A student is detained by police on Jan. 27 in New Delhi during a protest after Vemula's death. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Two years after young people overwhelmingly voted Modi to power, spirited resistance in campuses across the country suggests the politics of India's youth are more fluid and assertive than expected. The mid-1990s empowerment of historically oppressed castes, narratives of economic aspiration from the 2000s and an instinctive suspicion of authoritarianism have come together to forge a bold poetic new politics of desire that has befuddled even ruthless and astute politicians like the prime minister.

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"I always wanted to be a writer. A writer of science, like Carl Sagan," Vemula wrote in a letter that has been cited widely since his death. But, he continued, "the value of a man was reduced to his immediate identity and nearest possibility. To a vote. To a number. To a thing. Never was a man treated as a mind. As a glorious thing made up of star dust. In every field, in studies, in streets, in politics, and in dying and living."

'The value of a man was reduced to his immediate identity and nearest possibility.'

Modi's government uses outdated laws, a pliant police force and Hindu student organizations as a battering ram to crush this awakening, exacerbating the discord between a prime minister determined to stamp his authority on an unruly nation and students enraptured by a thrilling moment of unlikely solidarities that could define their generation.

From September to November last year, the Ministry of Human Resource Development sent five separate letters to Hyderabad Central University, demanding action on a complaint by Bandaru Dattatreya, the minister of labor and employment.

"Hyderabad Central University," Dattatreya claimed, had become "a den of casteist, extremist and anti-national politics." At the heart of this conspiracy, he alleged, was a group of Dalit students from the Ambedkar Students Association -- Rohith Vemula's organization.

Police use water cannons on activists from various student organizations during a protest on Jan. 18 in New Delhi, India. (Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

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The ASA and Rohith's ideas are informed by the Dalit position in the caste system. But this understanding of structural forms of violence and oppression offered Rohith a broader critique of state power -- like the use of the Indian army to smother an independence movement in Kashmir, the suppression of religious minorities -- particularly Muslims -- and the use of capital punishment. This put him at odds with the right-wing BJP and its campus affiliate, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad or All Indian Student Council.

On campus, Vemula's conflict with the ABVP began in July 2015 over his opposition to the death penalty for Yakub Memon, a Muslim convicted of participating in planning the 1993 bomb blasts in Mumbai. As friction between the two groups escalated, one member of the ABVP approached Dattatreya, the BJP minister, claiming Vemula and his ASA comrades had assaulted a member of the ABVP. A medical examination disputed the ABVP student's claim.

In August, Dattatreya wrote to his colleagues in government, claiming the ASA was involved in anti-national activities. The Ministry of Human Resource Development put pressure on the university administration, and Vemula and his friends were evicted from the university hostel.

What does it mean to live in this land?

"Rohith and our other four friends set up a small tent, a 'velivada' or a Dalit ghetto, in the center of the university on Jan. 4 after the ruthless administration locked their rooms," wrote Ayoob Rahman, Vemula's friend, in the Hindustan Times. "In the extreme cold of winter, the 'velivada' became the center of all kinds of revolutions."

Yet the punishment clearly left a mark. "Supply a nice rope to the rooms of all Dalit students," Vemula wrote in a letter to the university vice chancellor, accusing him of undermining the Dalit self-respect movement at the behest of the ABVP. "I request your highness to make preparations for the facility 'euthanasia' for students like me."

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A month later, Vemula found his rope -- the blue banner of the ASA -- and hung himself from the fan of a friend's hostel room.

Police detain an activist on Jan. 18 in New Delhi, India, during a protest after Vemula's death. (Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Like Vemula, Kanhaiya Kumar, too, was raised by his mother, a village midwife who earned a salary of about $60 a month. In September 2015, Kumar won the election for student union president of New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University as a candidate from the student wing of the Communist Party of India. Rama Naga, who won the post of general secretary as a candidate from the All India Students Association, a Marxist-Leninist formation, is Dalit like Vemula and the son of a bangle seller in one of India's poorest districts.

"I gave my entrance exam in Tamil -- I didn't have the confidence to write in English before I came to JNU," V. Lenin, a PhD scholar, former student president and the son of a factory worker, told me. "JNU has the most diverse student body in the country, which is why we show solidarity with protest movements everywhere. This also makes us a target."

On Jan. 30, Kumar, Naga and Lenin joined hundreds of JNU students in a demonstration outside the office of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP's parent organization.

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"We felt that persecution by BJP ministers like Dattatreya and Smriti Irani [the minister for education] were responsible for pushing Rohith over the edge," Lenin said. "The whole country saw what happened next."

Footage from the march shows policemen and goons in plainclothes violently attacking a group of peaceful protestors, including several women.

"Certain kinds of people are always part of the ruling class," Rakesh Ranjan, a PhD scholar at JNU who also comes from a tiny village with no secondary school, said to me. "When people historically denied the opportunity to see themselves as thinking, independent, autonomous beings begin to assert themselves, the system strikes back. And that is what we saw."

As videos of the attack went viral, the opposition accused the police of working hand in glove with right-wing thugs to suppress a demonstration over the death of a Dalit student.

"The government lost its credibility after Rohith's death," Lenin said. "They were just looking for an opportunity to crush the university."

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News filtering in from across the country suggested as much. At Haryana Central University, for instance, the local ABVP chapter filed a police complaint against "anti-nationals" for conducting a candle-lit march in Vemula's memory.

"We complained to the police because they claimed that the BJP and ABVP had a role in Vemula's death," Naresh Chandra, a district president of the ABVP in Haryana, told me. "We noticed that communists from JNU routinely come to our university to spread their ideas amongst the students, and complained to the police about this."

On Feb. 9, the government got its opportunity to attack. A group of students, unaffiliated with any of the parties on campus, organized an event at JNU titled "The Country Without a Post Office." It was described on a poster as a "cultural evening of protest ... in solidarity with the struggle of the Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination."

The next day, Zee News, a Hindi television channel, released dark, grainy footage, purportedly from the event, that showed shadowy figures chanting slogans calling for Kashmiri independence, the disintegration of the Indian federation and "Long Live Pakistan." A BJP member of parliament filed a report at a local police station, complaining of seditious activities on campus, and police raided the JNU hostel.

On "The Newshour" on Times Now, India's equivalent of Fox News, Arnab Goswami, a news anchor, invited Umar Khalid, one of the organizers on television, and accused him of treason.

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"You are more dangerous to this country than Maoist terrorists," Goswami began, his voice rising to a screaming crescendo. "These students cannot be allowed to disgrace our campuses anymore. These are not leftists -- these are a motley combination of anti-national forces."

'You are more dangerous to this country than Maoist terrorists.'

The week following Goswami's broadcast was a frenzy of shocking hysteria. Kumar was arrested for sedition -- despite no evidence that he was involved in the event in any way, except for attending it. Prior to his arrest, he stood before his fellow students and laid out his vision for the country.

"We stand for equal rights. We stand for the right to live. Rohith had to lose his life to stand for these rights," he said. "We challenge the central government -- we will not allow in JNU whatever it did in the case of Rohith. Rohith will not lose his life here. We will not forget Rohith's sacrifice. We will stand for freedom of expression."

BJP workers responded by releasing a fake video clip that purported to show Khalid and Kumar chanting offensive slogans. Violence broke out in district courts each time Kumar was presented in court. O.P. Sharma, an elected BJP legislator, was filmed thrashing one of Kumar's supporters laid prostrate on the tarmac outside the courthouse.

"I would have shot him if I had a gun," Sharma said when asked to account for his behavior.

Rajnath Singh, the home minister -- second only to Modi in seniority -- claimed that the JNU event, which most students described as thinly attended, had the support of Hafiz Saeed, a Pakistani cleric with a $10 million U.S. government bounty on his head. Singh's claim was based on tweets from an unverified Twitter account. Saeed released a video response on YouTube, disowning the tweets.

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"I was surprised," said the bearded cleric in the video. "I haven't said anything about this. I neither tweeted anything and this account ... is also fake."

BJP activists protest on Feb. 20 against what they say are "anti-national activities" following Kumar's arrest. (DIPTENDU DUTTA/AFP/Getty Images)

Last week, tens of thousands of students from JNU and elsewhere, alumni, trade unionists, pensioners, artists, musicians and academics marched through central Delhi to demand Kumar's release.

As young scholars chanted slogans against the government, former students, now professors themselves, reflected on what the culture of a university really means.

"JNU doesn't just represent a particular worldview. It is a place where people see themselves as minds, as critical and independent minds," said Mukul Mangalik, who graduated in the 1980s and now teaches history at Delhi University. "This is what I carried from JNU and teach my students today: everything must be questioned."

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The night before, at Kumar's hostel, his friends remembered how JNU turned a quiet, soft-spoken village boy into a fiery and sophisticated orator.

"Until the presidential debates last year, no one even knew who Kanhaiya was," Rakesh Chandra, a friend, recalled. "He spoke politely to everyone, immersed himself in party work but didn't really stand out."

On the night of one debate, his friends recalled, he delivered his speech to loud cheers. But the moment Chandra remembers was from when he took questions from the audience.

After a heated discussion on caste, gender and religion, someone stood up and jokingly said, "But comrade, what is the solution for the bedbugs in our hostels?"

"Kanhaiya didn't miss a beat," Chandra said. "'Politics,' he said. 'The solution to the bedbugs will be political.'"

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This was produced by The WorldPost, which is published by the Berggruen Institute.
Democratic voters have a choice between two candidates. Which candidate is the better choice depends on what you think is possible for us to achieve.

If you think we are stuck with the power system we have -- in which moneyed interests take over the American democracy and get to call more and more of the shots, and where politicians can be rewarded rather than punished for betraying the American people -- Secretary Clinton is an admirable choice. She is intelligent, hard-working, and has shown over many years a concern for the well-being of American families.

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She has pledged that, if she is elected president, she will work with the system as it is to work toward many of the same goals that have also inspired me to run.

Like me, she wants for Americans to have health care coverage, just as the citizens of every other advanced society do.

But she thinks that the health insurance companies and Big Pharma will inevitably have veto power over what kind of health insurance system we can have in the United States, and that there's nothing we can do about that.

I believe that together, we the people can regain the power to make those choices that are best for America.

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Like me, Secretary Clinton wants for our country to respond to the challenge of climate change.

But she thinks our responses have to take into account the enormous political power the fossil fuel companies now have. Which is probably why it took her so long to oppose the terribly ill-advised Keystone pipeline project.

I believe that together, we the people can overcome that corporate choke-hold on our progress.

Like me, Hillary is concerned with how wealth and income in America are being transferred from the distressed middle class to the very richest and to the corporate system.

But she believes that we have to accept as given that corporate power gets to choose our economic arrangements even if they hurt America's working families. And that probably explains why she came only lately to oppose the TPP trade agreement which, the American people should understand, represents a power grab by corporate America.

I believe that, together, we can create a political revolution that ends this rigged economy, making our economic system serve all Americans, not just the billionaire class and the corporate system.

Like me, she recognizes that - to accomplish anything - we have to deal with the determination of the Republicans now controlling Congress to block anything that a Democratic president tries to accomplish.



But she apparently accepts as a given that the Republicans can practice this kind of across-the-board obstructionism without paying the political price such behavior deserves. And that's why, I believe, she speaks about "reaching across the aisle" - even though President Obama has reached across that aisle time and again, only to get his hand bitten by Republicans who had no interest whatever in working with him to find good solutions for America.

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I believe that we do not have to accept this unacceptable Republican obstructionism and that, by calling out this destructive Republican conduct, we can together compel this Republican Party to choose between becoming again the constructive conservative party America needs, or having its power taken away by the American people.

Like me, Secretary Clinton wants to rescue our democracy from the corrupting influence of Big Money and, in particular, to overturn that terrible Supreme Court decision, Citizens United.

But Citizens United can only be overturned by a constitutional amendment. And there's no way that any such amendment can be passed in the absence of a political revolution of the kind that Ms. Clinton says is impossible.

I believe that, together, we can create such a political revolution, and that now is the time to do it.

I have been involved in politics my whole adult life. But never did I think I would make a serious run for the presidency--not until the past couple of years. Not until I saw how we are fast losing our democracy, how we are already far along the road of being governed by the Money Power, and how urgent it is that we take back the people's government. We have no time to lose!

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I decided to run because I understood that establishment politics - which accepts the status quo of the distribution of power in America today -- could never reverse course and hand back power to the American people.



I understood that nothing short of a political revolution - the American people coming together, organizing, and acting with the tools we still have in our democratic system - could turn around this movement from democracy toward oligarchy.

I understood that what our founders had in mind when they said "all men are created equal" and spoke of "the consent of the governed" - that the great American principles of "one person, one vote" and government not just of the people but by and for the people as well - could be restored in letter and in spirit only if the American people rise up and demand it.

I am running to provide the American people the vehicle to do just that.

But if you believe that such a thing is impossible, then it makes sense for you to vote for Secretary Clinton.

She is indeed, as she says, tested and prepared. Tested by being the target for decades of vicious attacks from her right-wing enemies. She's shown herself to be tough and resilient. Prepared by spending those same decades in political life, occupying various important roles--including First Lady, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State.

She would probably do as good a job of working for the American people within the status quo in the political arena as anyone could.

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But if you do decide that the political revolution I'm talking about is impossible, I deeply believe that you should also recognize that you are helping to consign us to a future in which

power will not be restored to the American people where it belongs;

we will not be able to move America vigorously and creatively into a new energy future to meet the challenge of climate change;

we will not be able to achieve what other advanced societies have achieved--a health care system that delivers world-class health care at half what we're paying now for one that doesn't even rank in the top 20;

we will not be able to restore the balance we once had between the power of workers and the power of the giant corporations that employ them;

we will not be able to compel today's Republican Party to become the constructive conservative party America needs for it to be;

we will not be able to unstack the deck that consigns average Americans to stagnant or falling wages, even as the economy grows;

we will not be able to restore the American dream, in which each generation can have it better than its parents.

That is why the political revolution I speak of is so necessary. And I am running for president because I do believe it is also still possible.

That is why I am asking for your vote, to make me your nominee for president, so that - together - we can achieve it.
http://artists.letssingit.com/headless-chickens-lyrics-cruise-control-p5d61l5

Sometimes days seem to move just like a big fat man

sometimes days seem to end up where they first began

I've got my t.v tuned to channel you

because there's nothing else that i can do

maybe i should set my heart for cruise control

...maybe I've got alot of you inside my brain

maybe I'd better shave my memory again

then I'll smile and blow it all away

and send you postcards from another day

maybe I should of set my heart for cruise control

...when panic overrides my soul give me cruise control

sometimes days seem to move just like a big fat man

sometimes days seem to end up where they first began

and then it looks like I drove you away

I'll tell myself you didn't want to stay

maybe I should have set my heart for cruise control

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What does it mean?

Ted Cruz Fires Communications Director: What does it mean?



Rick Tyler succeeded my old friend Tony Blankley as Newt Gingrich's communications director. I had brought Tony, my friend who I knew from junior high school, back to Washington to be legislative counselor for newly-elected Member of Congress Bobbi Fiedler. Tony later moved from Capitol Hill to the Department of Education and the White House before signing on, without even an interview, with the man who would shortly become Speaker of the House.

Yesterday Mr. Tyler, who has been serving as communications director to the presidential campaign of Sen. Ted Cruz, apologized to Sen. Marco Rubio for posting an inaccurate story. Showing Rubio walking past a Ted Cruz staffer, the video included incorrect subtitles - suggesting that Rubio said the Bible "didn't have many answers in it." Rubio says he said: "The answer to every question you'll ever have is in that Book."

Sen. Rubio, at least as a political tactic to put Cruz on the defensive, was right to call for Tyler's firing. Political campaign staff members are, those of us who have run campaigns know, expendable. In some cases, the person is fired to take the rap. Was he pursuing a campaign policy? Or perhaps the victim of the way the campaign operates?

However, although we don't know all the facts, Tyler already had publicly apologized and said "I would not knowingly post something that is false," and Marco Rubio had accepted the apology. Why wasn't Mr. Tyler's mea culpa sufficiently reassuring?

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Sen. Cruz said no matter what the explanation, he would not question anyone's faith. Evangelicals, who ought to be supporting Ted Cruz or Ben Carson, have instead given a plurality to Donald Trump, who jas questioned the Baptist faith of Cruz and the Seventh Day Adventist faith of Carson. Just days after Pope Francis had questioned whether Donald Trump was a Christian, here was a ranking Ted Cruz operative questioning Marco Rubio's faith. Both Cruz and Rubio had sided with Trump in that controversy.

If Cruz did not fire Tyler, the issue would remain alive. But even though he has fired Tyler, Cruz remains on the defensive. And, of course, the main beneficiary of all this is not Rubio, but Trump who, for the time being, still sees Cruz as his threat.

Tony Blankley would never have released the video with the wrong subtitles. He would have carefully verified the video and audio. If it were correct and its release served a strategic purpose, only then would Tony release it, orchestrated for the best impact.

Rick Tyler is a competent professional and is considered to be a man of integrity. So why would he release the video without checking it? Surely he would know that it would be disputed, even disproven. Can we assume then that he thought it was genuine? Still, he should have carefully validated its authenticity and accuracy, perhaps checking with witnesses so he could defend it if challenged.

Tyler's action seemed impulsive. This relates partly to the Internet age, in which campaigns move in fast-forward mode. There is no wait, as there once was, for the evening news, or the next morning's newspaper. Within minutes, via social media, a story is everywhere, and reactions are instance.

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Tyler's imprudence also may relate to the Cruz-Rubio rivalry. At least for now, they seem to be competing for the anti-Trump position and there is a frenzy. Cruz has the financial advantage, but Rubio and his SuperPACs might benefit from Jeb's departure from the race. Until Rubio proves more of a threat, Trump will focus on Cruz, that's the way Trump operates. The only exception was Jeb -- who was never a threat to Trump, but Trump used him as a whipping boy prop.

But there is another reason for what might seem rash behavior. Tyler may have felt pressure to deliver, given the current attack mode of the Cruz campaign. This is at odds with Cruz' originally positive campaign, bereft of personal attacks, that Cruz initially pursued. Remember, for example, when Cruz did a joint rally with Trump to oppose the Iran deal. And Cruz for months would not criticize "Donald." Perhaps Cruz now wants to return to the status quo ante, his position that he does not want to jeopardize the general election by undercutting his rivals.

But how can Cruz ignore Trump, who cleverly has questioned the bona fides of Cruz. Trump even suggested that Cruz might not be constitutionally eligible for the presidency. Each time Cruz in turn disputes Trump's record, Trump calls Cruz a liar. But more to the point, the Cruz campaign has given Trump ammunition. Who can say, the outcome would have been different in Iowa, as Trump claims, that is, if the Iowa results would have been different if the Cruz campaign workers had not implied at the caucuses that Ben Carson might be dropping out? And days earlier the Cruz campaign had mailed a deceptive mailing that Trump keeps mentioning in his attacks on the credibility of Cruz, who Trump now calls "the biggest liar in politics."



This mailing was short-term gratification for the zealous Cruz staff, but it haunts the Cruz campaign.

At the end of the day, who is Ted Cruz?

It was the task of the Cruz inner circle and Mr. Tyler to help define a man acknowledged to be highly intelligent and deeply principled, and quite possible the most literate and learned candidate in the race. Among the entire original group of seventeen candidates, Ted Cruz was the most knowledgeable and philosophically based conservative. His liberal detractors say he looks like Lou Costello or Joe McCarthy, but they cannot refute the well-reasoned arguments that Cruz advances.

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Cruz has a high tech campaign, and his managers gleefully and imprudently publicize proprietary specifics. All that ego-tripping doesn't help their candidate. But no amount of technology can compensate for what the Cruz team has so far failed to provide for its articulate and intense candidate. Focus groups would clearly have shown that Cruz seems to talk at people, not to people, that he seems structured, formal, unapproachable, ideological, and rigid.

At a social event a few days ago I encountered several people, former liberals who had become very conservative, who thought highly of Cruz but were supporting Rubio. I asked why. They said they preferred Cruz but felt he seemed to be "obnoxious," and they thought Rubio would fare better as the nominee in November.

The Cruz campaign focus groups would have shown, or should have shown the challenges with the persona of Ted Cruz and pointed the way to help this highly intelligent man become more human, personable, charming, likable -- however you want to say it. Of course, this requires high level campaign people with direct access to the candidates who have the institutional memory and judgment and smarts and rapport to work with him closely. You don't resolve these challenges with high tech. This is a people thing.

Any campaign polling would have uncovered even more than what the public polls are showing - trouble within the Cruz base of evangelicals. What Cruz needed was not a superior database of more voter logarithmns, but wise counsel from thoughtful strategists to enhance his persona There has been ample time to reconcile the authenticity of Cruz with a charm course. Why was last year squandered?

The Cruz campaign has all the bells and whistles. The immigration commercial was superb. But what about humanizing Ted Cruz? Sen. Cruz often acts like he is speaking to Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), the Intercollegiate Studies institute (ISI) or, most of all the Federalist Society. Even if he were to talk to a hardcore conservative group, the television coverage to a much wider audience can be key.

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Does he really believe this election is "a referendum on the Supreme Court"? Maybe, but he is, or should be, talking to America.

Donald Trump says he is a "common sense conservative." Ted Cruz says he is a "constitutional conservative." Mark Levin's radio listeners know what a "constitutional conservative" is. But for everyone else, the rhetoric of Ted Cruz at times seems arcane and esoteric.


All the money in the world couldn't convey why he was even running.

For all the progressive whiners reading this, the dismal failure of the Jeb Bush campaign refutes your oft-repeated proposition that money in politics is everything. The main problem with Big Government is simply that government is Big, because the interventionist ideology of contemporary liberals prevails. Thus, the special interests and lobbyists and crony capitalism are not causes, but consequences of government gone wild, with its reckless disregard for constitutional limits.

Accordingly, Citizens United does not, for practical reasons, need to be repealed, and it surely celebrates the United States Constitution. This U.S. Supreme Court decision supported the constitutionality of free speech (yes, as Antonin Scalia, whose funeral along with Margaret Thatcher's President Obama avoided, eloquently explained, people spend money on speech).

How candidates project themselves in (free) media is more important than in their (paid) media. In my own state of California, Mitt Romney's campaign operatives in 2010 spent $180 million on Meg Whitman's losing campaign for governor. Money cannot buy you love, or electoral success.

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And in the Internet age, Donald Trump, even more than others, has shown the importance of, say, Twitter. And Bernie Sanders has shown the vast sums that can be raised quickly, and at almost no cost, over the Internet. In the high-tech edge of an unbounded news cycle, interested voters make up their mind without regard to often mediocre and always repetitive 30-second spots churned for advertising commissions. Yes, money in campaigns remains dispositive, but not conclusive.

This article should be required reading for the Donor Class. That's because the Jeb Bush fiasco not only refutes the need to quash Citizens United, or amend the Constitution to overrule it, but the campaign's meltdown is a textbook case of what's wrong with campaigns, the Republican Establishment, and the politically clueless Super Rich. For six months or more, Jeb Bush has been a prop for Donald Trump to help Trump take on all three.

The wealthy Mel Sembler, who served honorably as George H.W. Bush's Ambassador to Italy and served on the board of Jeb's super PAC, was not much of a fiduciary for Jeb. Mr. Sembler will not admit that he and his very wealthy friends were taken to the cleaners. Probably speaking for his unbowed Big Money colleagues, he insists, "We did the best we could in deploying of resources....The timing was not right for Jeb." You fool, if you ran your business this way, you would have no money to waste on politics. That $100 million-plus squandered on Jeb's nonstarter campaign could have been competently spread later this year over many contested Senate and House races. Even then money in politics is a necessary condition, it is not a sufficient condition, to win.

Indeed, part of Donald Trump's pitch is that he, a quintessential successful businessman, runs an optimal, cost-effective campaign. And Mr. Trump is right: his cost-per-vote is so much lower than that of Jeb, Cruz, Rubio, and so many others. The Bush campaign was a top-down, top-heavy behemoth like the Federal government. In debates Jeb unfortunately became a straight man for Trump, and allowed his campaign to become an object of ridicule.

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If the billionaires who back the candidates applied the same standard to campaigns that they applied to their own successful business ventures, they might not get involved. Certainly the "business plan" that Mr. Sembler approved for the Bush campaign's SuperPAC lacked the most fundamental prerequisite -- a viable and relevant candidate with a reason to be running. If there were any doubt that the plan itself was flawed, consider that as more and more money was spent, Bush dropped precipitously. How could that be?

There was no evidence that the television ad campaign was having any effect. In a solid political campaign, you pretest possible ads in focus groups, or you test ads discretely within a single media market -- testing before and after a "flight" of ads. For Bush, as in the case of Meg Whitman, the campaign doubled down on ads that were not working. Why? Both the Whitman campaign and Bush campaign had plenty of money for research. It turns out, for example, that Whitman in her race for governor spent an astounding $2 million on polls and focus groups.

Everything the main Bush backers say is known now -- in retrospect -- was known at the start of the Bush campaign, or over last summer. Anecdotal evidence was there last year -- earlier in the year, even before Jeb formally announced, and formal research -- focus groups and surveys --later indicated why Bush was not moving forward but was moving backward. The inherent reasons against Jeb would not disappear.

One might ask, only half in jest, what would have happened if the Bush campaign (mainly the SuperPAC) spent absolutely nothing on television ads. After all, Bush was approaching placebo level. Tracking surveys during the costly Bush debacle showed the campaign strategy, such as it was, was not succeeding. In business, when your marketing plan is failing, when your ads are not working, you review and revamp the marketing plan, you create new ads. You don't double down on a flawed strategy or buy more air time for ads that don't work. Tracking surveys would have shown the campaign was not working. Were they taken? Why were their findings ignored?

Why won't Mr. Sembler and the others admit they drank the Kool-Aid and bought into a candidacy and campaign that made no sense -- with or without Mr Trump in the race? Instead they claim the mood of the country explains the failure of a campaign that never should have existed.

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"Times have changed, the country has changed, the electorate has changed," Sembler, who is a former finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, told the Tampa Bay Times. "i don't understand our country anymore." The outrage of voters is real and is a factor in 2016. But it was not subtle but evident in polling and focus groups. Does Sembler watch television? Does he talk to cab drivers? Waiters or waitresses?

And all this discussion does not detract from the lack of a rationale for Jeb Bush to have run for president. There was never any reason for the son of a president, the brother of another president, to run for president -- there was no groundswell of support except among Mr. Sembler's wealthy colleagues and the Republican Establishment.

And, therefore this question is for Mr. Sembler, an honorable and well-intentioned man, and for the other fat cats: If the timing was not right, why did Jeb run? Was it because The Establishment wanted a third President Bush, for another round of cabinet, sub-cabinet, and commission appointments, status ambassadorships, and other patronage and trade deals? All this is not to take away from Bush as an intelligent and capable man who was a solid governor in Florida. He is a class act. We knew all this before Jeb announced, but no one except the insiders cared.

Jeb's decision to run, coupled with his "shock and awe" fundraising, validated, if not caused, Mitt Romney's likely decision not to run but had zero effect on the other candidates, including Jeb's rebellious protege Marco Rubio. Jeb's inner circle naively thought Rubio would not run, as if he were a corporate vice president waiting for his turn as corporate CEO, and they underestimated the appeal of the glib Rubio. Say what you will, Rubio had a 21st century spiel. Nor did Jeb's team grasp that Rubio running in itself was a putdown of Jeb, and Jeb's clumsy attack on Rubio in a debate backfired.

Most importantly, the early obsession of Jeb's team on money, to the exclusion of the fundamental question of candidacy, necessarily overlooked the obvious: unlike Marco (the new generation), there simply was no story line for Jeb to run.

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Throughout Jeb's ordeal -- and that's what his campaign was -- I noted many times that Jeb was schizoid, running as "Jeb!" to avoid his last name, and simultaneously, even gratuitously, invoking his father and brother, and later his mother, at every turn. At the outset he was "his own man" and yet immediately surrounded himself with Bush has-beens, including octogenarian James Baker. Instead, Jeb at least could have surrounded himself with under age-45 policy advisers and focused on New Age issues.

"My dad is the greatest man alive" sounded like Jeb was giving a Bar Mitzvah speech, but he is neither thirteen nor Jewish. Jeb complaining that Trump attacked his brother and his mother only dug a deeper hole for a candidacy artificially created by Big Money. Even if Trump never ran, there was no pathway for Jeb to be nominated. No one around Jeb will concede this point, because such a concession goes to the troublesome core of Jeb's problematic candidacy.

Jeb Bush finally, without suspense, suspended his campaign Saturday, following the predictable South Carolina results, but this was perhaps the most anti-climactic move in recent political history. I could have written the future postmortem when Jeb announced; even back then, I had predicted his campaign was inherently doomed. Already by last June, Jeb had raised many tens of millions, with so much more in the pipeline; his mega-rich donors, disputing my prognosis, assured me that, with vast sums en route and recycled political Beltway consultants and veteran Bush staff members from the Beltway's Central Casting, Jeb would be the last man standing.

My prescience had nothing to do with Donald Trump, who announced a couple of days after Jeb. For me it was always: Why is Jeb running? Now, once Jeb is out of the race, Trump becomes their convenient explanation for an embarrassment of riches that spent most of the $150 million raised. Only after Meg Whitman lost in her 2010 race for governor of California, did her team then claim victory was always impossible (reality check: she could have won).

"It would be difficult for any solutions-oriented conservative to tackle Trump in this environment, much less one who was seen as having been so much a part of the establishment," observed Jeb's "chief strategist" Sally Bradshaw to the Washington Post. You know a campaign is in trouble when there is a senior strategist who doesn't speak English ("solutions-oriented conservative"), amidst untold other strategists.

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Mike Murphy was the "chief strategist" for Bush's super PAC, Right to Rise. And what does my son or daughter have a "right to rise" to? "Our theory was to dominate the establishment lane," Murphy, a competent ad-maker, deadpanned. "The problem was a huge anti-establishment wave. The establishment lane was smaller than we thought it would be." Perhaps the super PAC should have been called, accurately, "Establishment Lane." The only thing missing here is a Diamond Lane for two or more candidates driving in the same car.

If the existence of Trump explains the Jeb debacle, then why was Jeb's massive campaign budget deployed to attack others, especially Marco Rubio? To some of Jeb's major donors, it was a "rule or ruin" spoiler approach. If Jeb can't win, why should Marco?

More the point, with all the polling and focus groups done by Jeb's campaign and other campaigns, how could the "anti-establishment wave" (that Jeb's "strategists" now cite as alibi) be a surprise, or even hidden. The Jeb ad campaigns consistently had little effect, yet they kept running the ads that didn't connect. It almost seemed as if this campaign, like so many others, was initially donor driven (to have the proverbial "dog in this race") and then vendor driven ("we have the money, spend it"). The Washington Post analysis generously claims the Bush team "miscalculated" the role of television commercials in 2016. But we know from years back that in a Republican primary a candidate's persona on television news and broadcast interviews, and in debates, can trump (an apt pun) the impact of television ads. Voters are not stupid, they know ads are paid for, compared to the authenticity of the candidate talking in news or debate context.

The Post article says Jeb's advisers expected Republican voters to "flock" to him when they learned about his eight-year record as Florida governor. Really? But since he left public office in 2007, Jeb has not been visible, no public persona, and no preparation to run. With all the time in the world to prepare, he entered the race with bad posture, nerdy glasses (recently, finally contact lenses), and no prepared responses for the most obvious questions, such as whether he ("Here's the deal") would have gone into Iraq.

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And we now learn that Jeb's own polling four months ago confirmed what I knew intuitively, that two-thirds of Republican voters were down on a Bush dynasty. There was widely known Bush fatigue well before he announced. Therefore, why would Jeb's record matter? There was no reason to make this campaign, or a November campaign, a referendum on George W. Bush's presidency. That already happened eight years ago.

A candidate needs a reason to run, the campaign needs a rationale, a narrative, a storyline, and whatever you call it. We know that Jeb's mother, the venerable Barbara Bush, initially opposed the candidacy. It was never flattering for Jeb that he reconsidered, only after the matriarch did. "Unless he engages in public introspection atypical of his clan," wrote Todd Purdum in Vanity Fair, "we may never know what combination of sibling rivalry and public-spiritedness impelled Bush to embark upon a bruising, even humiliating, campaign."

There never was sentiment for a third Bush president, except among the Beltway lobbyists who sought influence and patronage. No polls or focus groups contradicted what I knew to be the case from my own conversations with friends, relatives, and people I did not even know -- there was, there is, Bush fatigue. Did Jeb's team keep their own research findings from the mega-bucks donors? And in a matchup between Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush, the false Bill Clinton legacy (a peace and prosperity not because of, but despite, President Clinton) would prevail over the mainstream media's negatively spun George W. Bush legacy (an unpopular war and financial meltdown).

In short, after Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, there was no support for a Bush dynasty. In contrast, years after President John F. Kennedy and then his brother, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, were assassinated, there was enthusiasm for another brother, Sen. Ted Kennedy to run for president. But Teddy's campaign collapsed in a single sound bite, when CBS anchor Roger Mudd asked, "Why are you running?" Teddy was incoherent, and though Mudd did not grasp the significance, the Kennedy campaign disintegrated in that moment. So many times, when a candidate can't tell me why he is running, I say, don't run.

The whole Jeb campaign glossed over a plausible raison d'etat, especially as he described himself as best qualified to be "commander in chief." Like the other Republicans on the debate stage (except for relatively insignificant Lindsey Graham), Jeb did not serve in the military. And Jeb seemed to lack the command presence of, say, a Donald Trump. In fact, the nicer Jeb seemed, the weaker he appeared, as Trump caricatured him. A workaholic as governor, Jeb was easily dismissed by Trump as "low-energy," because in the first few debates Jeb seemed like he didn't want to be there. The origins of this perceived lethargy lay, then, in Jeb's illusory, if not contrived, candidacy that Sembler and the Fat Cats thought money could overcome.

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Now the Establishment Money moves to Marco Rubio. Take the money, Marco, but run away from these people.

As I write this, Bob Dole has endorsed you. Not a good sign.
Educators bristle when their work is narrowly characterized as workforce development. Progressives tend to emphasize the broader purposes of K-12 education. However, given the widespread economic anxiety evident in the current presidential election, maybe more attention should be paid to how education, work, and respect interact.

Respect? Yes, respect!

Rodney Dangerfield delivered, "I don't get no respect," as a self-deprecating comic line. But for the nation, lack of respect is a deadly serious and widespread perception. Its roots are growing inequality and the sense that life chances are just not fair. We all identify with the need for respect and the pain of its loss. How voters- and the policy makers they elect- respond to inequality-driven resentment will determine whether we turn to xenophobia and racism or instead reject divisiveness to find common cause across our differences.

In the United States, with its emphasis on individualism, respect comes with the personal security of a decent well-paying job. Unfortunately, jobs that pay a living wage are increasingly in short supply and contingent upon- but by no means ensured by- a post-secondary degree.

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Creating sufficient good jobs and equitable education to rebuild a shared sense of fairness will not come about as a result of the current narrow emphasis on individuals. A turn toward inclusiveness and solidarity will only succeed when there is concrete government action to mediate inequity. Unfortunately, over that last several decades the United States developed a bipartisan allergy to government responsibility for social well-being.

In his first inaugural address, Ronald Reagan famously said, "Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem." So, began a decades-long, largely successful, drive to denigrate shared solutions and promote market-driven, individual solutions to complex social problems in employment and education and a simultaneous rise in inequality. Devastatingly, the mainstream Democratic Party- at least since the advent of the Democratic Leadership Council- has turned toward rather away from a market ethos.

Until recently, there has been little or no call for solutions such as a government sponsored, infrastructure-rebuilding program that could provide decent jobs for millions. The result has been crumbling bridges, roads, parks and schools accompanied by persistent underemployment- and unemployment, depressed wages, and inevitably, resentment. Simultaneously, the influence of unions as a force for the collective solutions has declined and with it the potential for unifying multiracial struggles.

Similarly, in education-the subject of the remainder of this essay- many Democrats have embraced personal choice policies such as charter schools while largely ignoring social solutions such as integration or equitable school funding. Education policies have been characterized by bipartisan embrace of the half-truth that a sound education is the surest route to a well-paying job while ignoring government action to ensure full employment and robust social services.

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That is why "college and career ready" has been such a powerfully resonant phrase on behalf of market-based, individually focused education reform policies. Without a good education, no job, and, therefore, no respect, is in the future of any young person.

There is an ongoing debate about the place of workforce preparation in K-12 education. Recent Washington Post articles quoted, Rex Tillerson, ExxonMobil's chairman and chief executive as saying, "I'm not sure public schools understand that we're their customer--that we, the business community, are your customer... What they don't understand is they are producing a product at the end of that high school graduation... Now is that product in a form that we, the customer, can use it? Or is it defective, and we're not interested?" "Education activists," the article reported, "were swift in their condemnation. The job of public schools is not, they say, to supply a workforce for Big Business, but, rather, to educate young people to participate fully in American democratic society."

We should not have to choose among the varied purposes of education. However, corporations should no more control education policy than they should any other arena of public life. The profitability requirements of the modern global corporations are clearly not always aligned with meeting the needs of all Americans.

While the extremely wealthy have contributed mightily to influence current education policies, it is important to remember that the emphasis on workforce development appeals to two distinct audiences. In recent parlance, the business community is interested in what the multi-national management consultant firm, McKinsey & Company calls talent development. From that perspective, business success depends on gaining competitive advantage in acquiring employees with the right skills for the least cost. To the extent that talent development costs are accomplished ahead of hiring at public expense, employers gain financially. Talent that is more abundant than available positions drives wages down and profits up. Some talent features are specific, such as the ability and knowledge to write computer code. Other valued abilities fall into the "soft-skills" domain, such as collaboration, communication, and problem-solving attitudes and skills.

However, the workforce development emphasis also appeals to many parents. Wealthy and upper-middle-class parents want to preserve their employment advantages for their children. That is why access to private schools and the resource advantages that come with property tax funding of local schools endures. The remaining less well off parents know where respect comes from too, and they want it for their children. When some opt for a charter school, they know it is not a solution for everyone. However, since governments are not offering viable systemic solutions some people inevitably choose individual survival.

Respect for all in education does not mean public funding for charter schools or vouchers for some. It does not mean funding schools through inequitable local property taxes. It does not mean prioritizing lowering employee training costs over a well-rounded education for all. It does mean funding education through general tax revenue in which wealthy corporations and individuals pay their fair share.

2016, let's embrace Aretha's call, "All [we're] askin' is for a little respect. " We want jobs and education for all of us to rebuild our future. We do not want jobs or schools for just some of us.

Arthur H. Camins is the director of the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J. He has taught and been an administrator in New York City, Massachusetts and Louisville, Kentucky. The ideas expressed in this article are his alone and do not represent Stevens Institute. His education policy writing is collected at http://www.arthurcamins.com. He tweets at https://twitter.com/arthurcamins.


"Lolita" is European immigrant Vladimir Nabokov's disturbing masterpiece published more than 50 years ago and still popular in bookstores. It was considered both indecent and a masterpiece of fiction at the time. Yet nowadays, the story of a venerable middle-aged Englishman, Humbert, and his disastrous love affair with his 12-year-old popsy wopsy American stepdaughter Dolores "Lolita" Haze, of whose mother he married because of his love for her, is considered a classic -- no discussion. This post-war road novel can be viewed as a metaphor for Europe's relationship with America with a European man and an American girl desperately running around the US in an effort to leave behind the past towards non-existing future.

These days, while watching the real and ongoing war in Syria and the Syrian refugees' escape towards a blurred future, we are the witnesses of many heartbreaking stories between Europe, the West in general and the Arab, Muslim world. Knowing that they are not nonfiction is more agonizing, though.

Last week, reading Algerian writer Kamel Daoud's bias op-ed in The New York Times titled "The Sexual Misery of the Arab World" greatly upset me as a human. He even went further with his self-ingested orientalism in the last paragraph to reproaching all Muslims, echoing Samuel P. Huntington's "The Clash of Civilization and the Remaking of World Order," indicating that "People in the West are discovering, with anxiety and fear, that sex in the Muslim world is sick, and that the disease is spreading to their own lands." It is perplexing to understand how he globally denigrated the sexual politics of the "Arab even Muslim world" as if the West is fully enlightened when it comes to sex.

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In the article, Daoud references the incident that took place on New Year's Eve at Cologne's central train station and related it to a rape culture that was imported into Germany by refugees. Nevertheless, some local journalists disagree with the view. "Germany's rape culture is deeply rooted in our collective psyche," indicates Stefanie Lohaus and Anne Wizorek in news outlet VICE Germany. They added: "According to Bei Der Study, 13 percent of German women have experienced a form of criminal sexualized violence but only 8 percent of these women filed a complaint with the police ... That means that an incredible 95 percent of women in Germany who experience sexual violence don't report it to the police." I was shocked to read that according to current German law, in order to get a conviction for sexual assault, the victim must prove that they resisted the violence. (This is not any better than the Turkish law, is it?).

Meanwhile, the other day, I came across to the cover of Polish magazine wSieci and the headline read "Islamic Rape of Europe" on top of a picture of brown skinned and dark haired arms and hands grabbing hold of an attractive white woman. It seems to imply by the hairy armed Muslim men that Islam takes away civilized, vulnerable Europe's decency by depicting a dainty white woman screaming for help.

It is completely pathetic and scandalous to promote these ideas at a time when millions are seeking refuge and help in Europe. The fear mongering, scapegoat seeking tactics and Islamophobia will not solve any problem and will worsen the situation.

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Can't intellectuals of the East act more responsibly for the sake of humanity instead of trying to use the opportunity to expand their reputation? Daoud simply ignores diverse and varied social contexts to tell a baseless story of the Arab/Muslim world's inferiority to the Western world. Well, it is undeniable that there are serious problems in the Arabic society if you look at the issue from the narrow Salafist and tribal culture view, but this doesn't represent normal life in Arab or Muslim societies.

Also, when it comes to "sick sex" can't the West bridge the divide better if it acknowledged and confronted its own society's sexual problems? According to the National Sexual Research Center (NSVRC), in the US one in five women have been raped at some point in their lives. A 2014 study published by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights declared that one in three women in Europe have suffered some form of physical or sexual assault.

Well, it's about time for many in the West (and East who are parroting what others want to hear) to realize that what they are doing is wrong. Give a chance to good literature, art and science in order to support the refugees. Stop dehumanizing them and see their actual capacity. While bigotry against Muslims is on the rise, aiming to instill more fear and hate among people who are already tense towards Muslims does not help solve the refugee crisis but creates a more serious problem.

For more Arzu Kaya-Uranli
Nighttime view of the White House, Washington D.C.

In a May 2011 Newsweek column, the late film critic Roger Ebert exposed the bottom line behind Hollywood's unquenchable appetite for remakes and sequels. "No movie executive has ever been fired for greenlighting a sequel," he wrote. "Once a brand has been established in the marketplace, it makes sound business sense to repeat the formula. ... [N]othing is harder to get financed than an original idea, or easier than a retread."

Although Ebert's musings are nearly five years old and were confined to the cinema, they apply to politics today--especially to the campaign of GOP front-runner Donald Trump. Far from being a unique candidate who has broken all the traditional rules of electioneering, as he is often portrayed by the mainstream media, Trump, too, is a remake.

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Some commentators looking for historical antecedents have compared Trump with corporate executive and failed 1940 Republican presidential nominee Wendell Willkie. Others have likened him to Andrew Jackson, our intemperate seventh president, and to the Louisiana demagogue Huey Long. Still others have drawn parallels between Trump and Italian strongmen Benito Mussolini and Silvio Berlusconi. Some have even asked if Trump is the new Reagan.

From my perspective, however, Trump is the sequel to none other than the 38th governor of the great state of California: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I'm not the first observer to proffer a Trump-Schwarzenegger comparison. Reporters such as Seema Mehta and Kaleb Horton, writing respectively for the Los Angeles Times and Vanity Fair, have crafted earlier takes on the subject. Their work is good journalism and well worth reading.

But as a longtime California resident and one who served as an administrative law judge during Schwarzenegger's governorship, I have a more personal understanding of the link between the two men that harkens back to the political malaise that gripped the state in 2003 and paved the way for Arnold's ascension.

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In my research for this column, I came across a New York Times op-ed published in late September of that year about the special election that had been set for October as a result of a citizens' petition drive to recall Schwarzenegger's predecessor, former Gov. Gray Davis, from office. The election had been a hot topic among my colleagues ever since Schwarzenegger announced over the summer--on "The Tonight Show"--that he would throw his hat in the ring. Most of us thought the idea was laughable.

Todd Purdum, then the Times' Los Angeles bureau chief and now a senior writer at Politico and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, cautioned otherwise in the op-ed. The recall, in his view, was neither a laughing matter nor some kind of idiosyncratic California affectation. Instead, Purdum wrote, it was part of a ground-shifting trend sweeping the nation, marked by widespread voter disaffection with economic stagnation, spiraling budget deficits, crumbling industrial infrastructures and disillusionment with feckless establishment politicians.

The column's headline asked: "As California Goes, So Goes the Country?" And while Purdum carefully steered away from offering a definitive answer, he leaned toward the affirmative, referring to the "germs" of dissatisfaction and distrust that were "pulsing through the bloodstream of American democracy."

Two weeks after the article's publication, Davis indeed was removed and Schwarzenegger was chosen by a landslide margin to replace him. The once-unthinkable had happened, as the muscle-bound seven-time Mr. Olympia, serial misogynist and buffoonish action-movie star with no prior experience in elected office suddenly became the leader of the nation's most populous state, and in effect, my boss.

I have never laid eyes on Trump, but seeing his quest for the presidency through the prism of Schwarzenegger's rise brings back painful memories, and casts the likenesses between the two men and their pursuit of political power in bold relief.

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Although Trump was born in the U.S. of German-Scottish heritage and Schwarzenegger immigrated here from Austria at age 21, they share strikingly similar backgrounds, styles and outlooks.

Both were reared by tough, archly conservative fathers. Fred Trump was a prominent New York real estate developer, whose company was sued by the Justice Department in 1973 for discriminating against African-Americans in apartment rentals. A 1927 New York Times article listed a "Fred Trump" as among those arrested in a Memorial Day street brawl between police and the Ku Klux Klan. In a 2015 interview with the Times, Donald branded the report "totally false."

Schwarzenegger's father was a small-town police chief. In the years leading up to World War II, Gustav Schwarzenegger joined the Nazi Party and applied for membership in the SA, the party's paramilitary wing. While Arnold has never flirted with similar affiliations, he expressed admiration for Hitler's oratorical and leadership abilities in the rough cut of the 1977 bodybuilding documentary, "Pumping Iron."

By all accounts, Schwarzenegger and Trump are fantastically wealthy, and each has benefitted enormously from our bloated celebrity culture. Trump paved his road to fortune and fame by expanding his father's real estate empire and as a "reality" TV host on the hit series, "The Celebrity Apprentice."

Schwarzenegger, who became a household name playing Conan the Barbarian, among other iconic roles, is slated to take over as MC of "Celebrity Apprentice" later this year. Rumor has it that he'll replace Trump's catchphrase--"You're fired"--with his own signature send-off: "You're terminated."

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Renowned for their dogged work ethics, Trump and Schwarzenegger have touted their success in the private sector as assets for government service and as proof of their independence from special interests. Because he had no need to draw a taxpayer-funded paycheck, Schwarzenegger opted to serve as governor without a salary. In kindred fashion, from the outset of his presidential run, Trump has boasted that he alone among the candidates is self-funded and beholden to no one.

The pair also share grandiose and famously narcissistic character traits. "I knew I was a winner back in the late sixties," Schwarzenegger wrote in his 1977 biography, "The Education of a Bodybuilder." "I knew I was destined for great things." On the stump in 2003, he promised every Californian "a fantastic job." In his first State of the State address the following January, he promised not simply to move what he called the "boxes" of the state bureaucracy around, but to "blow them up."

One-upping Schwarzenegger, Trump has made "greatness" and "winning" the twin pillars of his candidacy. In his official website, he's described as "the very definition of the American success story, continually setting the standards of excellence." Along the trail, he's promised to be the greatest jobs president and the greatest commander in chief, and to hire only the greatest minds to work in his administration.

Mixing a blend of populism and hard-right scapegoating, Schwarzenegger as governor promoted moderate stands on the environment and gay marriage while savaging state employees with unpaid furloughs and threatening pay cuts in a failed effort to restore fiscal solvency and discipline. Trump, for his part, has sounded almost liberal when he has spoken about his early opposition to the Iraq War and his support for Social Security and Medicare, even as he has viciously targeted illegal immigration and Muslims as the cause of the country's many maladies.

Both men are also adept in the art of intimidation and delivering stinging insults. During his storied bodybuilding career, Schwarzenegger was renowned for practicing "psychological warfare" to best his competitors. Once installed in Sacramento, he tried to employ the technique against his Democratic opponents in the state legislature, openly deriding them as "girlie men." At one point in 2009, he sent the president pro tem of the state Senate a metal sculpture of bull testicles to encourage him to fall in line with proposed social-service spending cuts.

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The fifth principle listed by Trump in his widely read book, "The Art of the Deal," is "Use Your Leverage." "The worst thing you can possibly do in a deal is seem desperate to make it," he wrote. "That makes the other guy smell blood and then you're dead." Trump's legendary penchant for insulting opponents and critics to gain leverage was cataloged in a recent edition of "The Upshot," the New York Times data-crunching feature, entitled, "The 199 People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List."

But by far and away the most critical component of the Schwarzenegger/Trump axis is their appeal to return state and country to a mythical yesteryear. Schwarzenegger's principal 2003 campaign slogan was "Let's Bring California Back." Trump's omnipresent 2016 slogan is "Make America Great Again."

In 2012, in a Truthdig column on the Supreme Court, I wrote about the pernicious effect of such appeals that I believe holds even greater currency now in the race for president:

For today's tea-party-dominated Republicans, the glorified past is steeped in racial- and gender-based nostalgia. It is a vision of America drawn from simplistic and distorted allusions to the wisdom of the Founding Fathers, the infantile hyper-individualism of Ayn Rand and, on a more mundane level, patriarchal 1950s sitcoms like "Leave It to Beaver." It is a vision in which clean-cut, white, Christian men hold all positions of responsibility and lead prosperous suburban lives with dutiful and well-coiffed spouses like June Cleaver at their sides. It is a vision in which racial minorities, to the extent that they are ever seen, happily accept their second-class citizenship.

In 2003, California voters made a horrible mistake electing Schwarzenegger, thinking he could return them to glory. Instead of restoring the state's lost luster, he wrecked its finances, leaving it with a $28 billion budget deficit and skulking out of office in 2011 and back to Hollywood with an approval rating of 23 percent.

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As president, would Trump do the same for the nation as a whole? Undoubtedly, but only if we allow him to write his own Hollywood ending and elect him in the first place.
Ladies and gentlemen as we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. We're preparing for arrival into Trumplandia!

Here in Great New America, 11 million undocumented immigrants have been forced from their homes and deported. Muslim citizens wait in humiliating mile-long lines to register with the federal government; thousands of refugees have been blocked from entering this country. Gays no longer have the right to marry and women have lost the right to choose. And our President is firing verbal shots at the Vatican. This is the grand new country Donald Trump has promised us.

In Trumplandia, all the men are white, the women subservient and the children all grow up to be bullies.

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When Donald Trump says, "Make America Great Again," he's harkening back to a romanticized 1950s, when our demographics were different. American life was simpler and 90 percent white. If you were middle class and Caucasian, your trajectory was on the upswing. If you were African-American, not so much.

We've become accustomed to the bully in the china shop. Outrageous policies elicit little more than winces. Trump offended South Carolinians with his foul language and by mouthing the word "pussy," while his intolerance causes not a peep. With the exception of Pope Francis, few question Trump's plan to deport millions. In Trumplandia! complacency rules.

To curate my book, Quotations from Chairman Trump, I steeped myself in Trump quotes from the stump, reading his tweets, statements, listening to his interviews and speeches in search of la creme de la creme of his messages. I rearranged and contextualized his quotes to create a different kind of narrative. Like the first little red book, Trump shares Mao's grandiosity and authoritarianism. But in compiling the book, I channeled the old Stephen Colbert and the new Larry Wilmore because satire has a way of revealing the truth.

Even while insisting Mexicans love him, on June 16, 2015, Trump told Bill O'Reilly on The O'Reilly Factor, "The wall will go up and Mexico will start behaving." That sounds less like doctrine and more like a 1950s dad scolding his four-year-old for spilling cherry Jell-O.

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On September 19, 2015, in a speech in Urbandale, Iowa, Trump declared, "I love the Muslims. I think they're great people." By the next day his love had subsided. Though he was still painting a group portrait with the same wide roller, he told Jake Tapper on State of the Union, "I mean it wasn't people from Sweden that blew up the World Trade Center."

After the San Bernardino killings, he went further, reading aloud his statement in third person: "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on." That disingenuous last clause allows Trump and TV personalities such as Sean Hannity to act as though the candidate is requesting a hiatus from human rights, as if it's nothing more than a break between seasons of VEEP.

For his obfuscation and tall tales, the media must harbor much of the blame. Reporters don't mind Trump tweeting that they're dopes, clowns, fat and have low IQs, but they won't risk a Trump boycott. Trump sells Viagra, Levitra and the news.

Few commentators are willing to push beyond Trumpian two syllable responses such as stronger, better, cheaper. Obamacare will be replaced by something cheaper and better. We'll bring jobs back from China. Rebuild the military. Care for vets. The world will fear us again. All you have to do is consult Carl Icahn and make deals. John Harwood was right, this is a comic book version of a campaign.



Image Credit: RosettaBooks

Even when he appears to be supportive, Trump's language betrays him. Forget his sexist remarks that Megyn Kelly "has blood coming out of her wherever" or that "sadly," Heidi Klum "is no longer a 10." He can't help but reveal himself when he speaks about women as a class. On August 11, 2015, he told CNN's Chris Cuomo, "When I talk about health issues, I will take care of women like nobody else can. I will be so good to women. I cherish women. I will be so good to women. I will work hard to protect women."

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Because he surrounds himself with sycophants, it doesn't occur to Trump that women find his remarks paternalistic and repugnant. In 2016, women want freedom from harassment and equal pay for equal work. Who besides Melania wants to be cherished, protected or loved by Trump?

Still, plenty of Republicans applaud his bully politics. The higher a person's status, the better Trump feels about humiliating them, which explains why he insulted Mitt Romney -- "I have a Gucci store that's worth more money than Romney" -- and Ambassador Caroline Kennedy -- "She went to the White House, she said, 'I'd love to have a job. I have nothing to do.'" A chapter in my book called "Falling Stars," is full of cocktail party full of famous people Trump targeted.

For many of us, Trump is popcorn munching horror show we can't turn away from. Even if he fails to become the GOP nominee, his bloodstained politics will continue to discolor the race. And Trump's divisive politics will cast a long shadow on more Presidential races than the one he has so thoroughly disrupted.

Carol Pogash is editor of the new little red book, Quotations From Chairman Trump. An author and journalist, she lives in northern California where she writes stories mostly for The New York Times. Follow her on Twitter at @cpogash.

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My quarter-life crisis struck the year after graduating college when I realized I'd chosen a path I didn't actually want.

Though I felt alone, I wasn't. A recent study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Development found that 39 percent of men and 49 percent of women reported feeling in "crisis" in their 20s. Common symptoms are a "nagging sense of falsity" and feeling that one is "still a kid." In consequence, says Emerging Adulthood author Jeffrey Arnett, we "go in a lot of directions, change jobs a lot, change love partners" -- all in attempt to figure out who we are and how we fit in the world.

In short, we're lost. And, though we technically know where we are, the solutions to getting found are the same for 20-somethings as they are for those physically lost in the wilderness.

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Drawing from psychologist Kenneth Hill's research on The Psychology of Lost, below are five steps to figure out your life path and stop floundering:

1. Detach from your default direction.

In initial effort to convince themselves they're not lost, some lost people adhere desperately to one path, even if it's the wrong one. Lost-in-the-wilderness speak calls this "route traveling" or "trail running." When the hope of rescue via the chosen route is "quashed, as it often is, [people] rarely reverse their direction on the route to go the other way," says Hill.

We do the same thing in our twenties. Instead admitting we're stumped, we blindly follow the track set before us -- whether it's our parents' path, the route we chose right out of college or what we feel we "should" be doing -- even when our depression, anxiety or anger indicate it's not working.

If you're scared to do something different, remember that very few people instinctively know what they want to do with their lives -- and it's never too late to figure it out. Neuroscience reveals that our brains aren't set in stone; instead, they continually adapt in response to what we learn and experience throughout our lives. Our brains literally make new neural pathways every day. If the most powerful tool in your body can get onboard with any new path you pick, it's not too late to try again.

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2) Stay put.

Once they realize they're lost, most people freak out. But anxiety only exacerbates disorientation. Hill writes that when emotional arousal (e.g., distress, dread, fear) is high, "thoughts tend to scatter in irrelevant directions, making the person unable to concentrate on solving even simple problems." They consequently engage in "random traveling," where they move around haphazardly "following the path of least resistance with no apparent purpose." In millennials, this is the running-around-like-chickens-without-heads phase. The method is nearly always ineffective.

My first year out of college, I moved to Canada, picked up stone carving, decided to go to massage school, applied for my Ph.D. in English and became a receptionist. But in trying so many things simultaneously, I lost my footing and forgot what was important to me.

Thus the best approach for reorientation, says Hill, is calmly staying put -- at least until we get our bearings. One of the most useful quotes to me during my shiny things phase was "don't run faster when you've lost your way." Or, as author Jeff Goins writes, "Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I need to listen to my life to tell me who I am." This is how:

3) Find your landmarks.

Savvy hikers use a prominent landmark as their base; wherever they go, they keep it in view. Without landmarks -- whether it's a map, mountains or a well-defined trail -- getting lost in the wilderness is inevitable. Similarly, if we don't define what actually matters to us in our 20s, we'll get lost in the chaos of what everyone else is doing and where we think we "should" be going.

So once we've halted and detached from our default direction, we need to look up, step back and assess the milestones that will guide us toward a fulfilling life. Answer these questions, from The Art of Work:

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1. What do I love?

2. What am I good at?

3. What does the world need?

These are your cairns to purpose. If you think your answers are in conflict, see Step 5. Write your answers on sticky notes or somewhere you'll see them. Whenever you get carried away with all the shiny things, use your cairns to backtrack.

Sometimes we resist identifying any one thing for fear of missing out on others. But we can't base our return map on projected future landmarks or 50 landmarks in all different directions -- which is why we need to pick just a few items we love the most and are the best at. Odds are, those fundamental answers won't change much. Fasten yourself to them and they'll pull you home.

4) Create an action plan.

Of course, no search party is being organized on the metaphorically-lost 20-something's behalf. We're on our own for the first time ever, and that's the whole problem. So we have to be our own search squad. And rescue teams always have a plan before they dispatch.

After calmly staying put and using landmarks to decide your general desired direction, create a map out. My landmark identifier is my sketchbook, where I explore what I'm inspired by, who I am and what I love. My trail map is my planner, where I plot out everything I want to do and when in concrete terms and methodical steps. If we don't keep track of time, we'll sink back into the course of least resistance. Find what works for you, and then prevent self-sabotage with daily systems to hold yourself accountable.

5) Stop making excuses.

We can only feel in control of our destination if we take responsibility for it. For lost hikers, taking responsibility for the outcome of their search is a matter of life and death. For 20-somethings, it's much easier to avoid the stakes of our non-action. Common 20-something excuses include "I'm not smart enough," "the time isn't right." "I have bad luck." "It's my employer's fault" and "the economy is bad."

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Smith, an economics professor at the University of Waterloo, argues that your self-talk will determine the trajectory of your career. Smith says many use the excuse, "Yes, I would pursue a great career, but I value human relationships more than accomplishment." But this is a false dichotomy. Instead, we can decide, "I want to be a great friend. I want to be a great spouse. I want to be a great parent, and I will not sacrifice them on the altar of great accomplishment."

Neuroscience reveals that what we tell ourselves directly contributes to the result. For example, our brains get a performance boost from believing effort trumps genetics. In one study, a group told that genetics play a minor role in intelligence showed higher levels of efficiency and attention after errors on a test than those told genes played a major role. The act of making excuses, then, may be holding you back more than any one of your actual excuses.

*****

Determining our own path for the first time after departing the structured womb of adolescence and college can feel overwhelming and bewildering. Hill calls the wilderness version "woods shock." But statistics are on your side: 91 percent of outdoor search efforts find the lost person alive, and 80 percent of people who reported having a quarter-life crisis in the International Journal's study said it resulted in "an overall positive outcome." What's more, those who had quarter-life crises were significantly less likely to have mid-life crises.

With planned, purposeful steps, we can choose a life we won't regret.

*****

A version of this article originally appeared in Psychology Today.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, listens to U.S. President Barack Obama deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016. Obama said he regrets that political divisiveness in the U.S. grew during his seven years in the White House and he plans to use his final State of the Union address Tuesday night to call for the nation to unite. Photographer: Drew Angerer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The U.S. Constitution provides the president with the power to nominate an individual to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. And it also gives Congress the role of 'advice and consent':

"He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent, of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law."

This straightforward statement calls on Congress to provide advice and consent to the president on his nominee. Nowhere does it state that a president in his last year of office cannot nominate someone. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others have thrown out a lot of supposed 'precedent' for not moving forward with a nomination in an election year with a lame duck president. Considering that President Obama is the first lame duck president in 116 years to be placed in the position of filling an unexpected judicial vacancy during his final 11 months in office, there really is no precedent.

On Monday, Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley announced that he would follow the "Biden Rule" -- based on a floor statement then Senator Biden made in 1992 stating: "Once the political season is under way, action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over." The only thing this statement proves is that neither party can claim the high road when it comes to politics vs. duty

The argument has also been made that we should wait until after the election so the "people' can weigh in. The people have already weighed in. They elected a president and 100 Senators who are supposed to serve as their voice. Unfortunately there have been few voices of reason raised. One who has spoken out, Maine Senator Susan Collins, said "It is the duty of the Senate, under the Constitution, to give our advice and give our consent or withhold our consent. I believe we should follow the regular order and give careful consideration to any nominee that the president may send to the Senate."

On Tuesday, Senator McConnell ended the discussion when he announced "Presidents have a right to nominate just as the Senate has its constitutional right to provide or withhold consent. In this case, the Senate will withhold it."

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Hispanic voter voting in polling place

By Darryl Lorenzo Wellington



Every four years, America has a "porch talk" in South Carolina as attention shifts to the first in the south presidential primary.

This year, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders vie for the Democratic nomination in a state where I lived for many years and where Black Americans comprise half of the registered Democrats.



South Carolina has been known as "a bellwether" state that holds its primary early and forecasts which way black voters will swing nationally.



That theory certainly held up in 2008. There were three big Democrats that year. Hilary Clinton. John Edwards. And a young senator from Illinois. We know whose campaign steamrolled the majority of votes.

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I remember the enthusiasm and ebullience that year. My mother initially leaned toward Clinton. Then one day close to the primary I called her and Mom (who never admitted to changing her mind) informed me she always supported Obama. Really, Mom?

"We have to stick together" she said.

South Carolina is a Republican-controlled state in which most black voters believe that fidelity to the Democratic Party leverages support for blacks in fights with conservative Republicans over local issues involving economic resources and education. Roadblocks to progress have occurred when voter apathy among blacks and Republican super-majorities have taken hold.



In 2008, Obama won the primary against Hillary Clinton by carrying 78 percent of the black vote. This accurately forecast his national sweep, winning the presidency with the backing of a really quite astonishing 96 percent of black voters.

Eight years later, my Mom has passed and I no longer live in South Carolina.

But in the tradition of "porch talk" (free-flowing and unabashed chit chat conducted on Southern porches) I called home to Charleston, South Carolina, where I couldn't have selected three better conversationalists - African Americans who happened to be supporters of three different Democratic candidates. (That's right - three candidates.)

Pam Gibbs is a retired teachers' assistant, 67, a round-faced, soft spoken woman, experienced with working with children, who tends to hold her peace until she (as Southerners say) "gets riled." Pam has also been a dedicated activist fighting racial disparities in opportunity and education.

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She supports Clinton.

"Because of my social work, I get a lot of stuff from progressives online. It reads like we don't know what's in our own best interest. I'm 67. I know something." Pam cites her concern that the Sanders "revolution" is simply unrealistic, literally "a dream ... I think it's a movement full of young, mostly white, people with the attitude, 'This is what we want whether we get it or not.' It's not a movement for low income people."

"He'll lose. Then there will probably be a Republican house, a Republican Senate and a Republican president, and that's scary.

Pam says she felt "confused" after learning that Bernie Sanders only recently became a Democrat. She isn't convinced he warrants the party's support, given that for most of his career he served as an independent. Like most of her friends, Pam is a loyal Democrat. That said, she will vote for Sanders if he prevails.

Polls indicate that many African American voters, especially older blacks have trouble "feeling the Bern," as one newspaper put it, or express concern Sanders' candidacy could decimate the Democratic Party.

Another black Charlestonian, Fletcher Williams, 29, is a multi-media artist whose beautiful, social realist drawings depict the horrors of Black-on-Black crime. Fletcher says only Bernie Sanders represents "my values. I mean he supports the $15 an hour minimum wage, free education, universal healthcare, maternity leave and a real standard of living. I have a friend who lives in Denmark, and he couldn't be happier with the social support."

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Fletcher epitomizes the polls that indicate Sanders has strong support among people under thirty. He doesn't care that Sanders isn't a traditional Democrat.



Fletcher doesn't feel the campaign is biased toward "white" issues. "Free higher education is not for white people. It's for all people. And those Wall Street millionaires Sanders wants to tax aren't black."

He says people in an older generation, like Pam Gibbs, have likely experienced being pushed aside and their ideas shot down, but that is no reason to think Sanders' campaign will fail. He says challenges to the status quo, like civil rights and slavery, were thought to be impossible too once.

"There has to be a time that the people stand up."

He agrees with Pam on one point. "The Republicans winning, that's not going to help," he says. Fletcher hesitantly and reluctantly concedes he could vote for Hilary Clinton if she prevails.



A third voter, Muhiyyidin D'baha, 30, is a community organizer with Black Lives Matter. His group met with Bernie Sanders for fifteen minutes, in late 2015 shortly after the controversy when two BLM activists disrupted a Sanders rally in Seattle.

Muhiyyidin prefers Sanders to Clinton, but distrusts the traditional model of "top-down" party politics. He supports Willie Wilson, a little known third candidate from Chicago in the Democratic race.

My conversations left me wishing I could gather Pam Gibbs, Fletcher Williams and Muhiyyidin D'baha together for a real porch talk to debate how "safe bets" vs. "political revolutions," old school vs. new school voting, generational differences, "bottom-up" grassroots movements and a weakening of traditional loyalty to the Democratic Party will influence the black vote. We need to raise the voices of people like Pam, Fletcher and Muhiyyidin.

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Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump speaks about Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, left, as Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., right, during the CBS News Republican presidential debate at the Peace Center, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

There are two obvious conclusions to draw from the current state of the Republican presidential race right now -- in fact, they're so incredibly obvious that (of course) they're being almost completely ignored by the punditocracy comfortably ensconced within the Washington Beltway. The first is that the only scheme for successfully derailing Donald Trump's march to the Republican nomination would be for either Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio to almost immediately drop out of the race. The second conclusion is the obvious corollary to the first -- that this is simply not going to happen. Meaning Trump is getting very close to being undeniably the presumptive GOP nominee.

Saturday's primary results in South Carolina killed off most of the nonsensical "magical thinking" about Trump that's been rampant within both conservative media circles and within the establishment of the Republican Party. Up until this weekend, many have convinced themselves (and others) that Trump would inevitably crash and burn at some point, after which we would see the real race for the nomination begin. There was never anything to base this belief upon, of course, since Trump has proved over and over again -- for the past eight months -- that nothing he ever said or did would cause a loss of voter support. Nothing. The list of statements (any one of which would have completely killed any other candidate's chances) Trump has made to prove this point grows longer by the day -- and none of them have mattered one tiny bit. Each time the pundits and party insiders proclaimed "he's simply gone too far this time," Trump actually rose in the polls. He is Reaganesque in one crucial way -- he is the ultimate "Teflon" candidate, because nothing sticks to him, at all.

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Throughout this entire period, pundits and establishmentarians alike convinced themselves, over and over again, that since they personally could not conceive of Trump becoming the GOP nominee, such a thing was almost by definition inconceivable. This is a logical fallacy -- "because I believe a thing to be true, it must be true." All along, it wasn't true, and it is still not true now.

There are still some clinging to such magical thinking even now, after they've been proven wrong for eight solid months. The current theme of this magical thinking is that Trump "has a ceiling" of only about a third of the Republican electorate, and thus he remains eminently beatable. This is the nonsense that prompted me to write this article today.

Both Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have entered into an almost surreal conceptual space, following Trump's big South Carolina win. They've apparently convinced themselves that "it's really a two-man race," consisting of them and Trump. Cruz and Rubio think that by ignoring each other, somehow (magically) this will become true and they will be in a head-to-head contest with Trump. Of course, to be charitable, perhaps it is no more than campaign spin, meant to convince reporters to write stories about this mythical two-man race. In other words, perhaps Cruz and Rubio don't really believe it themselves. One would like to hope this is true, since it in no way reflects reality. Whether the Cruz or Rubio campaigns admit it or not, it is now a three-man race.

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But this wishful thinking is precisely why Trump is now positioned to run the tables and wrap up the nomination by the end of March (unless he does so earlier, in mid-March). Because the only possible way for him to lose is if the race did turn into a two-man contest. Which just isn't going to happen, or at least not soon enough to make enough difference.

Both Rubio and Cruz not only have Trump to contend with and each other to beat, they're also being dogged from behind by candidates who are no more than spoilers in the race, at this point. Marco Rubio got pretty excited by the news that Jeb Bush was ending his campaign, for obvious reasons. But the second campaign suspension announcement that Rubio truly needed did not actually materialize Saturday night. John Kasich is staying in, and will likely stay in at least until his home state of Ohio votes. Kasich's continued campaign hurts Rubio because it gives all those Bush voters someplace else to go (that is not extremist or looney). Even if Kasich continues to pull only single digits in primaries, that may be enough to deny Rubio the chance of ever catching up to Trump. Even without Kasich, Rubio would have to struggle mightily to do so, but with Kasich still in, it may be impossible.

Ted Cruz also has a spoiler, one with a very personal vendetta against him. Ben Carson has convinced himself that the reason he lost Iowa was because Cruz campaigners told his voters that he was dropping out of the race. Carson even got Cruz to apologize to him in the middle of a televised debate, which is pretty stunning (apologies of this sort are as rare as hen's teeth). Carson draws from pretty much the same demographic groups as Cruz, meaning that he siphons off a small portion of voters who would otherwise likely back Cruz. Like Kasich, this is a small percentage overall, but it might be enough that Cruz can never again catch Trump in a primary (except perhaps in his home state of Texas).

That's all bad enough news for Cruz and Rubio. But the worst news is that both of these candidates have so far had their own ceilings of support, and excepting the Cruz victory in Iowa, they have been far below the level of support Trump has gotten. Bluntly, the two are running hard against each other for second place -- and that's not the way to win the nomination. They are both currently touting their magical math (in their "two-man race" myth) -- that "70 percent" of Republicans won't vote for Trump, therefore he is still eminently beatable. By them, of course. But in the first place that 70 percent number is a bit high (65 percent would be more accurate), and in the second place it is still being split between four candidates. Cruz and Rubio would sincerely like to just award themselves all of the non-Trump vote, but that's not exactly the way elections work.

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The only way to test the theory is exactly what is not going to happen, in fact. Because it would require either Cruz or Rubio to stand up tomorrow -- after they lose Nevada to Trump -- and announce that for the good of the party they were ending their campaign. If you believe this is going to happen, then I have some land in Nevada to sell you with the promise that it'll soon become beachfront property -- right after California slides off into the sea.

Ted Cruz is not going to drop out for the good of the party. Ted Cruz cares not a whit for the good of the Republican Party, in fact. His entire Senate career proves this beyond any shadow of a doubt. He will stay in the race until at least mid-March, and probably far beyond. He is on a personal crusade against what he calls the "Washington Cartel," and crusaders aren't known for loyalty to anything other than their own windmill-tilting.

Marco Rubio is also not going to drop out for the good of the party, because by conventional Washington wisdom "the good of the party" is now defined as Rubio's own candidacy. With Rubio out of the race, it truly would be a Cruz-versus-Trump contest, where the good of the Republican Party loses no matter who emerges on top. So quitting isn't even a conceivable option for Rubio -- because if he quits, it'll harm the party one way or another. John Kasich is just not a viable alternative, it goes without saying.

Let's engage in our own magical thinking, just for fun. Let's say that after coming in third in Nevada, Ted Cruz announces he's ending his run. Would that be enough for Rubio to have a solid chance? Cruz voters might flock to Ben Carson (who has zero chance of winning anything), but a portion of them would indeed back Rubio in their hatred of Trump. Rubio would be the only one left standing with any chance of defeating Trump, and many voters base their decision on who has an real shot at victory. By attrition, Rubio will be the only one left for voters who will never vote for Trump but still want a chance of their candidate winning the nomination. This would have to happen either before Super Tuesday or perhaps immediately afterwards to have any chance of success, though. Rubio will soon have a lot of money (as Bush donors migrate towards his campaign), and in a two-man race perhaps Trump will indeed hit his ceiling. Rubio could start edging Trump out (perhaps by margins of something like 48 percent to 42 percent) and start amassing the delegates he'll need to win the nomination. Stranger things have happened, but for this to work it'd have to take place before Trump piles up such a commanding delegate lead that he'd be uncatchable. In other words, before the end of March (and even that may be too late).

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In our second magical-thinking scenario, it is Marco Rubio who announces he's throwing in the towel after placing third in Nevada. This opens up the race for Cruz, who would take on Trump head-to-head. Many of Rubio's voters could migrate to John Kasich, but again some of them care more about winning than voting for a candidate whose views align with theirs perfectly. Some just want to see Trump defeated. These voters would all (reluctantly) decide to back Cruz. Again, if Trump truly does have a ceiling (in a two-man race), then Cruz has the chance of edging him out. Rubio dropping out before Super Tuesday would be the best (and perhaps only) chance of this working, though. Already being called "SEC Tuesday" for the number of Southern states voting, Cruz could win big in the South with the evangelical vote added to the "anybody but Trump" vote. If Cruz won enough states outright, it could put Trump and Cruz roughly even in the delegate race, which would then give Cruz an excellent chance of actually winning the nomination.

You'll notice, however, that those two previous paragraphs are pretty fantastical in their assumptions. Can anyone picture either Rubio or Cruz dropping out any time soon? Even a crushing defeat on Super Tuesday is not going to give either man doubts, because they'll still be trying to convince the media that second place (or third place) is still somehow a "victory." It takes an enormous amount of ego to run for the highest office in the land, and neither Rubio nor Cruz seems to be lacking in the high estimation they hold of themselves. They're not going to quit the race until it becomes painfully obvious that they have zero chance of winning. In fact, the three-man nature of the race gives both Cruz and Rubio a straw to grasp at throughout the entire primary calendar -- because the other bit of magical thinking coming out of Washington these days is that the GOP might have an open convention, where no candidate piles up an outright majority of candidates beforehand. This means anyone could be nominated, even the third-place finisher in the delegate race. It's obvious that this possibility -- far-fetched though it may be -- is likely enough of a reason for both Cruz and Rubio to hang on until the bitter end.

Which brings us back to where we started. The facts are simple, barring Trump crashing and burning on his own (which has yet to happen, of course). Rubio's only chance is Cruz dropping out. Cruz's only chance is Rubio dropping out. Neither man, though, is about to drop out -- and by the time one of them does, it will likely be too late to stop the Trump juggernaut. For those not inclined to believe in magic, this is the hard, cold reality. Donald Trump is within sight of becoming the presumptive Republican nominee, and the window for that to change in any dramatic way is shutting fast.

Chris Weigant blogs at:
FLINT, MI - FEBRUARY 19: People gather in front of a church before participating in a national mile-long march to highlight the push for clean water in Flint February 19, 2016 in Flint, Michigan. The march was organized in part by Rev. Jesse Jackson. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

The water crisis in Flint is a tragedy. As it has unfolded, we have learned the massive cost that these families have been asked to pay, with their health and their lives and their security. And the reason for this crime against humanity? The pursuit of the almighty dollar by a few people in power. As that reality sets in, so does the shock. The knowledge that our own government, members of our society, could willingly and knowingly poison a population for profit is almost too much to bear. But, the idea was no stranger to Earley or Ambrose or Snyder. The ability of those in power to subjugate their fellow man for personal gain has been a doctrine of this country since it began.

From the time of Christopher Columbus's "discovery" until now, this has been business as usual for the Americas. The enslavement of Native peoples in the mid-1500s, the slave trade of African Americans, the Seminole War, the Trail of Tears, the forced sterilization of African American and Native American women, the Indian Removal Act, the Dred Scott decision, the Japanese Internment Camps, and the denial of rights to women. Perhaps we have been able to deny, and side step our own shame and responsibility, shielded by the cloak that is the freedom and bravery woven in the flag of America. A mistake is made when we forget that many heroes of that flag were those of color, the female sex, the poor, and found freedom and bravery fighting their oppressors here at home. Another mistake is made when we think that history is now over.

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We are a product of our environment. And when that environment justifies, even subsidizes the discrimination, exploitation, and abuse of those less powerful, the message is sent. Not just to our leaders, who we call upon to bear the responsibility, but to ourselves, as we subtley support this way of living as acceptable. That is why the movement of those in the public eye--the journalists, the celebrities--is so important not just to the victims of Flint, but to our country as a whole. And, as happy as I am to see help given where help is needed, a question keeps popping into my mind. "What about Tribal America?"

Because, much like Flint, they have been having a water crisis of their own.

There are 15,000 abandoned Uranium mines in 14 states in this country. In New Mexico and Arizona, during the 1940's, the government started mining for uranium on the Navajo reservation. From 1944 to 1986, four million tons of uranium ore were extracted. The Navajo didn't understand radioactive waste. They swam in the contaminated water. They showered with it, laundered with it, cooked with it, and drank it. They built hogans and corrals and roads with the mine waste. That changed in 1979. A dam broke at the United Nuclear Corporation Mill. This occurred less than four months after Three Mile Island. It released over three times the radiation, making it the biggest nuclear spill in U.S. history. Yet, no one heard of it. Heaps of waste are still radioactive 30 years later. This poisoning even spawned its own new disease, labeled "Navajo neuropathy." The Navajo may now understand the effects of radioactivity better than anyone.

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This year, the EPA "accidentally" breached containment at the Gold King Mine in Colorado. It actually was a failure of the EPA to use proper procedure and safety protocols. And then, the EPA waited 24 hours to report the blowout. The spill covered 110 acres of the Animas river with sludge an inch thick on the bottom. That toxic sludge flowed down into the San Juan River, the lifeblood of the Navajo reservation.

Farmers made the choice to turn off irrigation, leaving thousands of acres of crops without water. Crops that their people need for food, and to sell as their only income. They made that choice to protect the land. This was a giant decision, especially for a tribe that has as many as 40 percent of homes without running water.

The Navajo are 60 times more likely than other Americans to live without running water or a toilet. On the Reservation, 44 percent of the children live in poverty. With no running water, families bring water in, bucket by bucket, from outdoor plastic storage tubs. It can be a 100 mile round trip journey to get water supplies for these families, and many don't have a car. They instead rely on the Navajo "Water Lady", Darlene Arviso, who is a literal life saving Angel to the people of this desert. She drives a yellow water tanker, and visits 250 homes to deliver water, only once a month. While most American families use an average of 400 gallons a day, these families use an average of just 7 gallons. And if they run out? Well, then they run out. And they often do.

The American Indians of New Mexico and Arizona were not allowed to vote until 1948, so as water rights were being allocated, they were not part of the equation. The only water source they are then left with is underground, where even if they can find it, it may not be drinkable. The water underground is laced with Uranium. The Reservation has many wells, but the people don't dare use them anymore, after others started getting sick.

The EPA promised help to the Navajo in response to the Gold King spill. That help started to trickle in, a week later, with a delivery of hay for the livestock, and then culminated with water delivered in repurposed filtered oil tanks. When Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye inspected the water, he found it was contaminated. The water came out oily and brown, and a brown sludge covered his finger when placed in the spigot. The EPA and its contractor, Triple S Trucking, insisted that the tanks had been properly cleaned. The Navajo Nation rejected the water, and sent the tanks back.

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This left them still with a devastating lack of water. The EPA then issued a statement that the Animas and San Juan Rivers have returned to their pre-spill state. Other communities in Colorado and New Mexico have turned on their intakes. The Navajo have not, relying instead on their own internal safety testing. Still looming is the Sunnyside Mine, near the Gold King. Warnings have been issued that the bulkheads there are at extreme risk of failure, causing not 3 million gallons of toxic spill, but billions of gallons into the Animas. No action has been taken.

And, the Navajo are not alone.

South Dakota has 272 abandoned Uranium mines, which are contaminating the Cheyenne River and other waterways. The Cave Hills area of South Dakota currently has 104 abandoned open pit uranium mines. One mine alone, which is located 200 yards from an elementary school in Ludlow, emits more than 4 times per hour the radiation that is being emitted by the Fukushima Power Plant in Japan. In Wyoming, there are hundreds of abandoned open pit mines in the Powder River Basin alone. Clark Fork, Montana's largest river, was found to have been contaminated with arsenic, lead, copper, zinc and cadmium for 120 acres, all the way to Missoula.

In North Dakota, a fracking pipe line leak spilled 3 million gallons of brine, a toxic mix of salt, fracking fluids and petroleum, into two creeks that reach the Missouri River, a source of drinking water for nearby populations. The EPA has estimated that mining has polluted at least 40 percentof the stream reaches in the headwaters of western watersheds. Given the trustworthiness of the EPA on matters of public safety and environmental protection, one can guess this estimate to be much higher. If old mines were the only problem, that would be too large a problem for any community to bear. Sadly, those in high positions are once again wielding power over whole communities, through means that can only be found legal by extremely loose definitions of the law. From the Ho Chunk burial mounds in Wisconsin, to the Keweenaw Bay Indians fight against Kennecot Eagle Minerals, to the Arizona land giveaway to Resolution Mining, for a copper mine to built at the Apache ceremonial grounds of Oak Flats, put in place by John McCain, a long time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

The man-made catastrophe of Flint gives us all an opportunity. It allows us to see, in concrete, human, life and death terms, the cost of our status quo. It allows us to see the underbelly of our society that needs to be brought to witness; racism, classicism, consumerism, political corruption, systematic abuse, and environmental desecration. We, as a people, are at a turning point in our evolution. We have the choice to face our darkest choices and correct them, or to witness our own physical and spiritual demise.

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We can choose to face and witness. We can choose to be called to action, and in turn call for better. Because, in this great, beautiful country of which we are all temporary guests, we have the freedom to do so. We, as a people, have the bravery to turn against what is easy, what is comfortable, what is a lifestyle, or an expected right. And we do that because we have a vision of our future that is more than what is being offered. We have done it before, hundreds of thousands of brave men and women, from all walks of life, have stood for the right. We can do it again. Let Flint be a first step.
He's one of the most controversial figures of 2015, internationally. In just a few weeks, he went from obscure economist known only within his field to household name, in Europe and worldwide, without even trying. He didn't hesitate to take on the European leadership's entire economic staff. He rattled German Chancellor Angela Merkel--and many more. During his term as finance minister, something happened that months earlier might have seemed like science fiction: the banks in his country closed for week's and capital controls were imposed for the first time in a European Union member-state. He was popular but also ridiculed by some for his ideas and his behavior. But he broke convention, even when it came to dress code as he appeared alongside his EU counterparts in the casual chic garb more suited to a rock star than a career politician. I'm sure you've already guessed for who am I talking about.

Yanis Varoufakis was born March 24, 1961 and is an academic economist who was a member of the Greek parliament from January to September 2015. He represented the ruling Syriza party and held the position of Minister of Finance for seven months. He voted against the terms of the third bailout package for Greece. In December 2015, he announced plans to launch a pan-European movement the following February.This movement was launched on February 9 in Berlin under the name DiEM25. Although it wasn't embraced by mega-ton names that would create buzz, the launch was joined, either personally or via statements, by Brian Eno, Julian Assange, Slavoj Zizek, and other figures who have sway with a large number of European citizens who have never been party members and was thus an important element that made people take note of the launch.

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DiEM25--whose motto is "The European Union will be democratised. Or it will disintegrate!"--charged the entire European leadership for a lack of democracy and for manipulating it for the gain of specific big interests.

One of the Berlin launch's most interesting moments came when a Greek in the audience accused Mr Varoufakis of being responsible for the capital controls imposed within Greece after the government called a referendum over the new bailout terms Greece's creditors had proposed. Protesting loudly, the man blamed the fact that he was unable to receive his salary from Greece on Mr Varoufakis; sensing the former finance minister's sarcasm, he even blamed him for the earthquake that shook San Francisco at the start of the previous century! (Of course, it's worth noting here that the frustrated Greek citizen was a reporter for one of Greece's biggest private channels--a channel that has been accused by the party, to which the former minister once belonged, as supporting vested interests and corruption.) "In 1967, democracy in Greece was taken down by tanks. In 2015, this was done by banks," Mr Varoufakis replied. "You can blame me, I'm ok with that, but you need to see the real reason. Bureaucrats, who can't see further than their noses or even understand their own countries' needs, closed the banks. The troika is responsible for the fact that you can't get your salary from Greece"

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He said it's most likely DiEM25 would fail, but that his utopia is perhaps the only response to the European dystopia.
In this photo made on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, James B. Comey, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, speaks at a news conference at the Martha Dixon FBI Field Office in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Knowing even a little of James Comey's post 9-11 background, it becomes rather hard to believe the FBI Director is sincerely leveling with the American public in his latest quest to compel Apple (and other encrypted communication companies) to create a mechanism for government access, that he is solely motivated by his desire to "look the (San Bernardino) survivors in the eye" and tell them the FBI has followed up on all investigative leads.



It should be recalled that Comey gained his reputation for legal integrity based on one dramatic night (in March 2004), during his 20 months as deputy attorney general, confronting Bush Administration officials in John Ashcroft's hospital room. Even though almost no one understood "what the Ashcroft 'hospital showdown' on NSA spying was all about" until a couple weeks after Comey was confirmed as FBI Director in July 2013 -- see this article that seems to finally piece it all together -- it was known that no DOJ official, including Comey, generally opposed the illegal warrantless monitoring program that went into effect just days after the 9-11 attacks. Except for a few whistleblowers, the only internal debate that developed was how to do it. In addition to the illegal "Presidential Program" monitoring of Americans, Comey supported and signed off on the Bush Administration's torture tactics as well as years-long indefinite detentions that denied some American citizens their right to counsel and other constitutional rights.

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But Comey's reputation as a man of law, albeit mostly false, preceded him. Other than some grilling about the torture he had approved of, almost none of the hard questions I suggested in this New York Times opinion piece for Judiciary Committee Senators were asked of Comey during his Senate confirmation hearings. Maybe Apple could still ask him some of them!

If the FBI Director is truly concerned about the "proper balance" in upholding the law as well as effectively investigating crimes, reducing terrorism and helping crime victims, how could he let himself fall so far off balance after 9-11? What integrity exists in going along with the Bush Administration when it "went to the (lawless) dark side" and when it ginned up war on Iraq, a country that had nothing to do with the 9-11 attacks and which has only served to increase worldwide terrorism that led to the terrible creation of ISIS, all of which served to inspire the San Bernardino shooters? Don't Comey and his colleagues who shilled for war on Iraq, who support the other "regime changes" and aerial bombing campaigns targeting Syria, Libya, Yemen, Pakistan and other countries of the mid-east, understand how blowback works?! I would think it would indeed be hard for any official who went along with the architects of the illegal wars and the Middle East destabilization plans to face the poor victims of the ensuing blowback whether or not able to get into terrorists' phones after an attack.



Maybe most disingenuous of all is Comey's new assertion that he is not trying to set a precedent. Does he not know that the government's "Plan B" secret agenda to create "work-a-rounds" to defeat encryption recently came to light? Does he expect us to believe that he was not part of the secret White House meeting last fall where senior national security officials ordered agencies to find ways to counter encryption software and gain access to the most heavily protected user data on the most secure consumer devices, including Apple Inc.'s?

If it's only a "narrow" legal issue at play, then why has the FBI Director spent so much time lately giving scary speeches that law enforcement is "going dark," arguing that encrypted private communications are inherently dangerous, that the government needs ways to counter such privacy? The truth is that there is little likelihood, from everything we already know about the San Bernardino couple's lack of actual connectedness to Islamic extremist groups, that the Apple iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters holds any real clues to future attacks. Comey is good to mention, in his Lawfare piece, this potential for nothing of value residing on this particular Apple phone. Yet he disingenuously claims the legal issue is a narrow one when the only reason the case has been seized upon is due to the public relations impact of the San Bernardino shootings as the best example to open the door. FBI and DOJ speakers were previously more honest pointing to the wider danger of child predators, serial killers, members of criminal organizations along with terrorists all potentially able to freely communicate via secure encryption, to justify the need to establish a wider precedent.



Speaking of opening the door to wider applications, we should recall what was said after Snowden's disclosures informed Americans about the massive data collection taking place and after the subsequent discovery that key intelligence officials lied when they tried to justify their illegal monitoring by claiming that the bulk collection of mostly non-relevant data had proven effective in preventing terrorist attacks. Officials ultimately could only come up with one flimsy example showing how their bulk collection, despite being able to defeat privacy worldwide and despite billions of dollars spent, had detected a taxi driver sending $8500 in "material support" to Somalia. Some of us have tried for years to refute the notion that adding more hay to the haystack somehow helps to find the needle but nothing has deterred the FBI from its haystack mindset. It sent a Deputy Assistant Director to inform the Judiciary Committee of just the opposite, that in that one Somalian case, "In order to find the needle, ... we needed the haystack." Some Senators then seized upon this upside-down logic to justify the NSA's massive data collection.

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So I cannot help be skeptical that, instead of a narrow focus to get phone companies to help the government in discrete terrorism investigations where probable cause exists, it's actually their admitted mindset of wanting to create ever bigger haystacks, by vacuuming up more and more communication data, that fuels the government's drive to defeat communication privacy. In fact it was exactly that mindset behind the extension (beyond any common sense interpretation) of Section 215 of the Patriot Act, which Comey and others supported and helped engineer, just a few months after the famous hospital room standoff. Although the Patriot Act section on its face permitted only the collection of records deemed "relevant" to an "authorized" national security case, these government officials secretly decided and were able to get the FISA court's secret approval, to stretch that narrow language to mean collection of all phone records, whether relevant or not.

Despite the above reasons for skepticism, I would nonetheless agree that unbreakable encrypted criminal communications do pose serious problems for law enforcement and serious issues for society as a whole. Since he's leading the charge, I only wish the current FBI Director could be more honest about his past and current actions some of which were egregiously illegal and counterproductive, helping increase the level of terrorism in the world. For James Comey is undoubtedly correct when he writes,

It should be resolved by the American people deciding how we want to govern ourselves in a world we have never seen before. We shouldn't drift to a place--or be pushed to a place by the loudest voices--because finding the right place, the right balance, will matter to every American for a very long time.
People listen to the radio as the results of the presidential elections are announced in Kireka, a Kampala suburb on February 20, 2016.Uganda's top opposition leader Kizza Besigye said poll results Saturday handing President Yoweri Museveni a fifth term should be rejected, in a statement issued while under house arrest surrounded by dozens of police. The veteran 71-year-old Museveni won 60 percent of the vote in the sometimes chaotic elections, far ahead of the 35 percent garnered by Besigye. / AFP / ISAAC KASAMANI (Photo credit should read ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP/Getty Images)

By CPJ Staff

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni claimed victory on Monday after an election season of repeated attacks on the media and the free flow of information. Broadcast outlets were arbitrarily closed for hosting opposition politicians and critical journalists were threatened, harassed, and physically assaulted.

After polls opened on February 18, Uganda's communications commission cited an unspecified threat to national security and blocked access to Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp until around 9.15 p.m. Museveni discussed social media on television that day, telling viewers, "Some people misuse those pathways. You know how they use them--telling lies. If you want a right, use it properly."

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The international community condemned the decision to block social media. On Monday, CPJ joined Access Now and other rights groups in calling on members of the African Union and United Nations to also condemn the Internet shutdown. A copy of the letter can be viewed here.

CPJ documented a number of tactics the government used to stifle media freedom in the run up to voting, including the arbitrary closure of stations which hosted opposition figures, threats to journalists seen as being critical of the ruling party, and physical assaults.

Campaigners say the authorities deployed a broad arsenal of tools, some blunt and others more subtle, to create a media landscape going into the election which was heavily skewed in favor of President Museveni's ruling party.

"They don't always have to jail you or close you down," said Haruna Kanaabi, executive secretary of the Independent Media Council, an association of media houses which seeks to offer a self-regulatory system for the Ugandan media.

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"Instead, a few well-placed calls to senior editors at state-owned media houses and intense pressure on the proprietors of privately owned media have served to yield rampant self-censorship and created an environment of fear and uncertainty in newsrooms in addition as well to the more coercive measures," Kanaabi told CPJ.

Reports of beatings against journalists have continued to surface in an environment which Kanaabi described as exceedingly hostile.
By now everyone knows that Justice Scalia died recently. Most people also know that he was a bastion of Conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court. At least, that is how he is usually described (it's actually a bit more complicated than that.) And some people now also know about his unlikely friendship with Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg.

I'd like to focus on that last fact.

But first, a brief word from our sponsor: "The Law". The main issue that comes up whenever Scalia's name is uttered is whether judges should simply strictly apply laws, especially the Constitution, exactly as they are written, or whether judges should modify their interpretations over time as society changes.

The former approach is often called Strict Constructionism or Originalism. Legal scholars, who amuse themselves with such things, might disagree that those two concepts amount to the same thing. But they are close enough for rock and roll (or opera)... or in this case, "close enough for "The Law".

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Which brings us to the latter approach: The Living Constitution is a term used to describe the idea that legal interpretations can, and should, adapt to changing social mores. Judges who believe in this approach are often accused of being judicial activists, who are essentially 'legislating from the Bench'.

I don't want to wade into those shark-infested waters (get it? Shark infested?) No, that is just too close to politics for me. I try to be neutral here, or at least as neutral as humanly possible. However, I will say this: for everyone who believes strongly that laws are to be strictly interpreted I merely ask whether you have read those laws, especially the Constitution.

There are volumes and volumes and volumes of case law, interpreting various sections of the Constitution. For example, even strict constructionists (an approach that was strongly influenced by two Stanford Lawyer Supreme Court Justices by the way, O'Connor and Rehnquist) agree that we are protected from illegal searches of cars and automobiles and computers and cell phones by the Constitution. The same judges also argue that gay marriage has nothing to do with Constitutional protections since the Framers couldn't possibly have considered that when they wrote the Constitution. So please explain to me how they considered computers and cell phones. I don't get it.

Moreover, often the sacred "text" everyone upholds, as being beyond anything other than strict interpretation, is in reality only a few sentences. The Fourth Amendment that is used to protect us from those illegal cell phone searches? It's exactly 54 words long, none of which are "cell phone". Literally millions of words have been written interpreting these few words in every type of court in the country, which seems to exceed the word limit if it is to be so strictly construed.

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Here is what The Fourth Amendment actually says, for those of you who have never read it:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

That's it.

By the way, when this very text was once floated as an amendment to a bill in Congress it was, incredibly, voted down by people who would probably call themselves strict constructionists.

I know, I know, legal scholars would scoff at my simplistic analysis, and point out that technology would be covered by the words "effects" or "papers" (which is often how constitutional protections are applied to computers, although I personally keep no paper inside my computer, strictly speaking). I'm just pointing out that there is some serious room for disagreement over these ideas.

Which is what I want to talk about: disagreement. You see, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia have disagreed over the years about these things more than any other two justices you can name. They are complete polar opposites. But guess what? They were also best buddies, as Justice Ginsburg poignantly pointed out when she found out her friend had died.

You can find video of them on stage discussing their differences and friendship. In it, Scalia suggests that they should be called "The Odd Couple." He also says, referring to his colleague, "What's not to like? Except her views on the law of course." It is truly charming. So charming that an entire opera was actually written about them.

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I love to read Scalia. He sure has a lot to say for someone who believes that we should simply read a few words and know precisely how to interpret him. I once had a case where we were arguing perhaps my all time favorite Scalia opinion, Crawford. The judge was a bit... uh, well, I can't say this so I won't. But let's just say they had apparently not had time to read Crawford (one of the most significant cases to come down in recent memory) and announced that they were going to take "five minutes" to read it.

Good Luck! It is not a short opinion. In five minutes you can barely get past his analysis of the treason trial of Sir Walter Raleigh. As a student of legal history, Justice Scalia had some serious chops. I have nothing but respect for his intelligence, even if I often disagreed with his positions.

However, I often did agree with him. People who crow about his anti-Liberal views obviously are like that judge... a bit behind on their reading. Recently he penned Johnson, a case that has resulted in about a thousand emails in my in box from Federal Criminal Defense attorneys, which I predicted when it was issued. Johnson was extremely favorable and helpful to a certain segment of our community. Anti gay marriage folks? No. That was another opinion he wrote, a scathing dissent in Obergefell. Johnson actually protected the rights of armed criminals and has resulted in sentence reductions for some of what are arguably the most serious criminals around. Figure that one out.

That Crawford case? It made it harder for the police to prove that someone was guilty of Domestic Violence, by taking a hard line approach to the Right to Confront Witnesses, the issue in Sir Walter's case. So tell me again that Scalia was a one dimensional law-and-order type.

The fact is that things are not that simple. The Law is complex, whether you are an Originalist or a Living Constitutionalist, which is how it came to be that Ginsburg and Scalia developed their friendship. They may have disagreed, but they respected each other and were able to set aside their differences and have fun: riding elephants in India, drinking too much wine before dinner so that Ginsburg fell asleep at the State of the Union address (my personal favorite), and on and on. Two friends having fun.

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That is my point. A point that the trolls and other simpletons out there just don't get.

It's okay to disagree.

It is what our entire system of Government is based upon. But it's also okay to find common ground, whether it is riding elephants or sneaking wine before major speeches, and it's also about mutual respect. If more people in positions of power embraced that concept we might be able to set aside our differences and come together; maybe even get some work done.
1. Bernie Sanders wasn't really part of the Civil Rights movement. Let's get the most ridiculous myth out of the way first. Following Sen. Sanders' historic victory in New Hampshire, the esteemed Civil Rights leader Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) said of Bernie Sanders' activism, "I never saw him, I never met him ... I met Hillary Clinton. I met President Clinton." This insinuation, apart from Rep. Lewis contradicting his own previous statements about when he met the Clintons (1991 FYI), obviously serves to inflate Sec. Clinton's involvement in the movement and diminish Sen. Sanders'.



Quite contrary to that off-handed dismissal, Bernie Sanders was an outspoken leader of the University of Chicago's campus chapter of the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) and, in 1961, organized a 15-day sit-in at the administration building to protest segregated campus housing. In the spring of 1962, he merged his CORE chapter with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), of which Rep. Lewis became chairman a year later. In 1963, Bernie Sanders participated in the March on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King and, after returning to Chicago, was arrested while protesting segregation at a South Side school. In contrast, Hillary Clinton was a "Goldwater Girl" in 1964. To be fair, she was 16 at the time so I won't fault her for sharing her conservative father's ideologies. However, to lead the public to believe that Bernie's Civil Rights record was anything less than impeccable, or that Hillary was somehow similar in her activism, is completely disingenuous.



2. Bernie Sanders is a single-issue candidate. In the most recent democratic debates, her political ads and even her victory speech in Nevada, Hillary Clinton has made the claim that Bernie Sanders is a "single-issue candidate", that issue being income and wealth inequality. Aside from the fact the "single issue" is actually the culmination of many issues, the Clinton campaign must either think the American people are ignorant or don't know how to Google. Sen. Sanders has made it abundantly clear in speeches, debates and on his website that issues such as tuition-free public higher education, climate change, rebuilding our nation's infrastructure, racial justice, equal pay for women, single-payer healthcare, campaign finance reform, comprehensive immigration policy, combatting ISIS, $15 minimum wage, etc., etc. are what he stands for in this election.



3. Bernie Sanders' supporters are all "Bernie Bros". Sen. Sanders has been asked time and again recently about misogynistic individuals known as "Bernie Bros". These "supporters" have allegedly made offensive sexist remarks online about Sec. Clinton and her supporters. Bernie has roundly denounced these so-called supporters of his, saying "Anybody who supports me and is engaged in sexist attacks is unacceptable, I do not want that support." In any movement involving millions of people there are bound to be a handful of bad actors whose motives and intentions are questionable at best. This is what the "Bernie Bros" represent, nothing more.



4. Bernie Sanders accepted speaking fees from private interest groups as well. Last year, Hillary Clinton made $675,000 for just three speeches given to Goldman Sachs. Since 2001, she and her husband have made over $153 Million in paid speaking fees alone (averaging over $210,000/speech). Bernie Sanders made a whopping $1,867.42 last year for three speaking engagements, all of which he donated to charity. To say it's like comparing apples and oranges would be the understatement of the century.



5. Hillary Clinton is more electable than Bernie Sanders. Finally, say what you will about the veracity of primary polling, but the latest national Quinnipiac poll pitting Sen. Sanders and Sec. Clinton against the top Republican contenders shows Bernie topping Hillary in head to head matches with each. Not only that, but Clinton actually LOSES in every one of those match-ups! In addition, Bernie's favorability ratings are 51 percent favorable to 36 percent unfavorable, whereas Hillary's are 37 percent favorable to 58 percent unfavorable. So, if your main concern is electing a Democrat to the White House in November, then you'd better start paying attention to who the American people think is better suited to do just that: Bernie Sanders.


Photo courtesy of Flickr.

The first two weeks of January returns for the S&P 500 index were the worst in history. That statement is true. The index returned -7.93 percent for the period from Jan. 4-15, which was its worst ever start to the year. How many times have you read or heard some variation of this in a headline?

Pundits are misleading you

The pundits were out in force conveying the significance of this bad start to the rest of us. This comment from Daniel Deming, managing director at KKM Financial, was typical: "I guess it makes a little more difficult hole (at the) start of the year for the market to dig itself out of."

The import of this hand-wringing was clear. Hunker down for a bad year for the markets. Consider "fleeing to safety."

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January returns are not predictive

The reality is that returns in January have little predictive power. An analysis of January returns, comparing them to returns for the subsequent February through December from 1926 through 2015, demonstrates this point. A negative January was followed by positive returns in the following 11 months 59 percent of the time. The average return was a positive seven percent.

What about years when January returns were really bad? In the five years when January had the worst returns, the average return for the ensuing year was 13.8 percent.

Significant declines in the S&P 500 are not predictive

What about the fact that the S&P 500 was down by more than 10 percent from its high on Nov. 3, 2015, through Jan. 15, 2016? Isn't that the beginning of a downward trend?

Since 1926, there have been 152 times when the S&P 500 declined by 10 percent. The annualized compound return for the next year was 11.95 percent. For the next five years, it was 10.07 percent.

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There have been 39 times when the S&P 500 declined by 20 percent. The annualized compound return for the next year was 10.43 percent, and over the next five years it was 9.63 percent.

Market volatility is not "abnormal"

The drop in the S&P 500 has been combined with what many commentators have dramatically (and incorrectly) hyped as "a volatile year for financial markets."

The message is clear. January was a terrible start to the year. The markets are abnormally volatile. It's time to bail.

Don't believe it.

From 2010 through 2015, the return of S&P 500 index was 12.98 percent, with an annualized standard deviation (a measure of volatility) of 13.09. In the previous eight decades (starting in 1930), returns varied widely, but volatility was higher in six of those decades.

Your plan of action

How should investors use this information?

Ignore most of the financial media. It appeals to fear, anxiety and greed.

Stick to a disciplined financial plan.

Pay no attention to short-term market returns.

Focus on your asset allocation, global diversification and low costs.

Dan Solin is a New York Times bestselling author of the Smartest series of books, including The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read, The Smartest Retirement Book You'll Ever Read and his latest, The Smartest Sales Book You'll Ever Read.

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Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the Africa 2016 forum on February 20, 2016, in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.More than 1,200 delegates including some heads of state will negotiate business agreements for the next two days at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, to attract private sector investments in Africa. / AFP / MOHAMED EL-SHAHED (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/Getty Images)

The awfulness of military strongman Abdul-Fattah al-Sisi's of Egypt is becoming scarily clearer by the day. Lawlessness and police abuse of citizens is the norm. Disappearances, common. Torture, a tool of choice.

All this is done in the name of fighting terrorism and an Islamic-based armed rebellion. But of course, as befits a venerable pattern of dictatorship, there is always time to repress and frighten any regime critics, real or imagined.

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The brazenness of secret police abuse in Egypt makes this wave of government repression especially frightening. It's as if, having been driven off the streets by pro-democracy demonstrators in 2011, police are determined to remind Egyptians not only that they are back, but back with full impunity of action. Human rights activists inside and outside Egypt have decried the chronic abuse of the authorities, whose plainclothes agents now roam Cairo's streets.

On February 19, Sisi himself seemed to acknowledge that something is rotten. He ordered his toothless parliament to produce a law holding police "accountable" for killing citizens.

His order followed the police shooting of a taxi drive over a fare dispute. Demonstrations broke out in the Darb El-Ahmar neighborhood of Cairo -- despite the fact that since taking office in 2014, Sisi has cracked down on demonstrations of any sort. But there is nothing that scares the current Egyptian regime more than protests of angry poor people. Egyptian newspaper Al Masry Al Youm reported that a mob beat up the killer. He was transported to a hospital in "critical condition."

Last week, thousands of doctors and their supporters gathered outside the Egyptian Medical Syndicate in Cairo calling for the prosecution of police officers who assaulted two doctors in Cairo's Matareya hospital. The policemen attacked the physicians because they refused to authorize the officer's extended sick leave.

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The officers involved were questioned about the assault and then released.

Violent police are simply let off the hook. Courts failed to punish killers responsible for the deaths of hundreds of demonstrators in 2011. And impunity goes on. This month, Egypt's highest court reversed a 15-year jail sentence handed down by a lower court to a policeman for killing in Alexandria Shaimaa Sabbagh, a demonstrator who marched during peaceful political protest in January, 2015.

Gone are the days when online activism could organize protest or express dissent. Instead of shutting down the Internet the way Hosni Mubarak did briefly during Arab Spring, Sisi has marshaled the Internet to spy on and prosecute dissidents. His police collect bulk data and courts harshly sentence online critics. Recently, a law student was given three years jail time for posting a picture of Sisi in a Mickey Mouse cap on Facebook.

Several activists involved in the 2011 efforts to oust Hosni Mubarak have been jailed among the thousands of Islamists put away. Not sure what this has to do with Sisi's war on terror.

Meanwhile, at least 25 journalists were jailed last year, according to the Committee to Protect journalists. "Perhaps nowhere has the climate for the press deteriorated more rapidly than in Egypt, now the second worst jailer (after China) of journalists worldwide. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi continues to use the pretext of national security to clamp down on dissent," CPJ wrote last December. Supine television stations have been recruited to sliming regime opponents with accusations of engaging in sex escapades to working for foreign powers.

The West is mostly willing to ignore what goes on in Egypt. The old formula of partnering with dictatorship to put down radical Islamists reigns supreme. The possibility that Sisi is driving Egyptians into the hands of terror groups has apparently crossed nobody's mind.

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The horrific disappearance and torture murder of Italian graduate student, Giulio Regeni, in Cairo momentarily prompted Western indignation. His death bore the hallmarks of police torture that has been visited on Egyptians for decades. Even if his death did not occur at the hands of security agents, the event served as a reminder of the endemic abuse faced by Egyptian at the hands of the authorities. An investigation is underway.

Of course, the Egyptian government counterbalances its investigative skills with the need to present a tranquil face to the world: Sisi has yet to acknowledge that last year's bombing of a Russian passenger plane over the Sinai Peninsula was an act of terror. If more than 200 dead can't elicit an account of what happened, the single death of an Italian student is unlikely to bring forth evidence of a government atrocity.

And anyway, if Regeni's death scares away students like him-he was researching labor unions, whose activities Sisi has effectively banned--that's a plus for the regime.
February 21 marks the anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X, just over a half century ago. Malcolm X articulated a message of racial justice that made him far ahead of his time. He believed the black struggle for civil rights must be expanded to the level of human rights, a message which the Black Lives Matter movement should incorporate into the current public discussion on race in order to move it forward.

As the nation grapples with the seemingly intractable nature of institutional racism and inequities in the justice system, the slain leader resonates with a Black Lives Matter movement born decades after his death. Yet, this nascent movement fights the same hopelessly persistent problem of American racism, one born of the badge of slavery.

Malcolm had much to say regarding the precarious, if not ephemeral or even illusory nature of civil rights for African-Americans, who were originally noncitizens, regarded as property and not human, and therefore excluded from the protections of the Constitution. "They don't need additional legislation to make anyone who comes to this country a citizen, but when it comes to the rights of the black people who are the descendants of slaves, then new legislation is necessary," he said.

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Making a clear distinction between civil rights and human rights, Malcolm X framed the former as a domestic affairs issue. "Whenever you are in a civil-rights struggle, whether you know it or not, you are confining yourself to the jurisdiction of Uncle Sam. No one from the outside world can speak out in your behalf as long as your struggle is a civil-rights struggle," he argued. "Civil rights means you're asking Uncle Sam to treat you right. Human rights are something you were born with."

And pleading to America for equal, just and fair treatment has been an elusive proposition for African-Americans. "There is something about civil rights that makes it almost impossible for us to get," Malcolm X argued. After all, in a nation that often stands in blissful denial over the very existence of racial inequities, the benefits conferred by white skin privilege have been so ingrained as to become normalized. Any suggestion that the playing field should be leveled, that inclusivity should reign and the wrongs should be eradicated, is met with white backlash, false claims of "reverse racism" and a form of self-righteous grievance also known as "white tears."

Further, the way in which the victims of racism are treated in the U.S. reflects a refusal to come to terms with it. While institutional racism is hardwired into the fiber of America, the victims of racial injustice are left to prove that someone intended to discriminate against them. A stumbling block to justice, the civil rights mindset assumes that the ability to read the mind or heart of an accused perpetrator of racism is of greater consequence than the existence of systemic, multigenerational barriers to equality--of systems of oppression that steal lives, livelihoods and spirits in broad daylight and on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, the human rights approach to racism focuses on the end result, the damage that has been done. "When we begin to get in this area, we need new friends, we need new allies," Malcolm noted, as the civil rights struggle is elevated to one of human rights. When African-Americans begin to view their plight with a human rights lens, they are able to link their predicament with that of people of African descent in Latin America, Europe and throughout the diaspora. And in the process, they establish connections with groups such as the Roma in Europe, the Dalits in India, and the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

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Ten Kurds were shot by Turkish troops in Cizre, Turkey, on January 20. Video of the shooting went viral, causing international outrage. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, urged Turkey to a conduct a "thorough, independent, impartial investigation." Zeid emphasized, "If State operatives commit human rights violations, they must be prosecuted." The Cizre incident is part of pattern. Under the guise of fighting terrorism, several hundred Kurdish civilians have been killed since July 2015.

This article draws on international experience in comparable situations, informing options to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the Cizre incident. The first and primary responsibility rests with the Government of Turkey. The Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court enshrined the responsibility of the national authorities to bring those responsible to justice. Consistent with its obligation in international law, Turkey should announce the establishment of a national commission of inquiry to investigate alleged war crimes.

To be credible, the national commission of inquiry must be transparent, independent and well resourced. The commissioners and experts would be persons of high moral standing, respected by society. They will require independence, access, and full support of the government to conduct a credible investigation.

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It is unlikely, however, that the Turkish authorities will set-up a national commission of inquiry. The commission would have a mandate to investigate the government, which is allegedly responsible.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made eradication of the PKK a national policy. Erdogan has promised to "cleanse" the country of PKK elements and drain the swamp of its supporters.

If Turkey is unwilling or unable to hold the perpetrators accountable, the UN should consider investigating and prosecuting those responsible.

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) could consider the Cizre incident at its upcoming meeting in March. UNHRC members could adopt a resolution, calling on Turkey to investigate. The resolution would require Turkey to report on its investigation at the UNHRC's next session in June.

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The UNHRC has alternatives if Turkey stonewalls. It can endorse a UN fact-finding mission. The fact-finding mission would not have a mandate to adjudicate or determine civil and criminal liability. It would simply look into what happened.

As a next step, the UNHRC could create a commission of inquiry. The primary objective of a commission of inquiry would be to establish accountability for violations that have taken place, so that those responsible for violations are brought to justice.

Previous UN commissions of inquiry have been tasked with producing a historical record of an incident, and establishing whether violations of human rights law and/or humanitarian law have occurred.

The commission of inquiry could also have broader objectives: investigating whether violations are systematic and widespread; reporting on a State's ability to deal with the violations; and considering the root causes of the situation.

Over the past 20 years, the UN established many commissions. Cases include the former Yugoslavia, Darfur, Timor-Leste, Lebanon and Guinea. More recent international human rights investigations have taken place in Cote d'Ivoire, Libya, Palestinian territories, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and the Central African Republic.

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If the commission concludes there is a pattern of abuses and that the State is complicit, it could propose establishing an ad hoc Tribunal to identify and ensure accountability for the criminal actions by States or individuals concerned.

Examples include the International Criminal Tribunal in Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal in Rwanda, the Special Court in Sierra Leone, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the Special Tribunal for Cambodia (or the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia), and the Ad-Hoc Court for East Timor.Though consent from the government concerned is preferable, the UN Security Council (UNSC) can still move forward with the establishment of a commission. Over Sudan's objections, for example, the UNSC established the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur to "investigate reports of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law in Darfur by all parties," to "determine also whether or not acts of genocide have occurred."

Turkey's diplomats will adamantly resist a role for the UN. They will dispute the facts, claiming the incident occurred in the context of fighting terrorism. They will argue that Turkey is the victim - not the perpetrator.

The international community should doggedly determine responsibility, lest similar killings recur. If the situation is at an impasse, Member States may have the possibility of proposing a Universal Periodic Review or appoint a Special Rapporteur to review the case. A UNSC resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter could overcome Turkey's objections.

Turkey is at a crossroads. Impunity lies down one road. Impunity will further entrench extremism and violence. Down the other road is accountability, helping to avert the escalation of deadly violence. International action would serve as a wake-up call, putting Turkey back on the democratic path.

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One morning my teenage daughter emerged from her bedroom to ask, "Can you believe what happened in Syria yesterday?" Surprised (and pretty sure she hadn't secretly subscribed to the The New York Times), I got a bigger surprise when I learned where she'd picked up this news... "Snapchat."

Say what?

If you're like most parents, you've probably been duly warned about this app. Best known as a social networking platform where users share photo and video messages that disappear almost immediately after being viewed, Snapchat quickly gained something of a reputation, fair or not, as a "sexting" app when it first launched in 2011. Personally, I was advised just recently to "delete this dangerous app from my teen's phone" (that's a direct quote from an Internet "expert" in my region). So hearing from my daughter that she was using the app to keep abreast of news (not her primary usage of Snapchat to be sure), only confirmed what I've long been thinking.

Snapchat is the app to watch. Here's why:

It's Making News

Believe it or not, Snapchat has been quietly (well, quietly to any of us over the age of 30 anyway) establishing itself as a legitimate journalistic force. It recently debuted its very own news show, called Good Luck America, putting the company's head of news, Peter Hamby (a former CNN correspondent), on the campaign trail in Iowa. The gamble seems to be paying off, according to a Snapchat spokesperson I spoke with, "Two times more young people between 18-24 watched the first GOP debate on Snapchat than on TV."

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Snapchat also made a name for itself as something of a breaking news platform during the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, this past December with a curated "story" (more about Snapchat stories in a minute) called "California Shooting." Made up of user-generated video and images, this live story provided its 100 million daily active users (yes you read that right) with updates and powerful imagery direct from the scene, even as traditional media outlets were still scrambling to cover the story.

The app seems to be invigorating citizen journalism by making it fun and easy for Snapchatters to share and watch the "news" they've stopped watching on TV.

Users Are "Discover"ing

Last year, Snapchat launched something it calls "Discover." This functionality gives users content from a number of top media companies like The Wall Street Journal, Vice, BuzzFeed, ESPN, Food Network, National Geographic, Cosmopolitan, CNN, Daily Mail and more. Each of these companies is adapting its news to fit the Snapchat style, providing the app with short, snappy, fresh daily content (yes it disappears after a day), easily accessible through the tap of a round colorful icon.

Recently, for example, I opened the app and swiped once to find a screen full of news options. I chose to watch a short piece from The Wall Street Journal called, "Apple CEO Tim Cook's Dangerous Game." It was a visually pleasing combination of text and video delivered via a story that I found engaging, informative and pleasantly ad-free (at least for now). Plus I was able to watch/read the whole thing while waiting on hold for a call. Although I doubt there's a teen in the world that uses Snapchat because of this feature, they must be stumbling upon it nevertheless because the app's media partners consider it as a promising platform for reaching that elusive millennial audience.

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Telling Stories

In A Whole New Mind, author Daniel Pink outlines six fundamental abilities that will be essential for personal and professional success in the future. One of these is the ability to tell a story. As Pink writes, "We are our stories," and Snapchat gets that.

"My Story," is arguably one of Snapchat's most loved features (at least according to the teens I know). Here's how it works: By stringing together selected "snaps" (their videos and images) users can create a chronological narrative of their day that can be viewed for 24 hours. Users can set up their privacy settings so that these stories can be viewed by friends, a specially selected group, or by the entire universe of Snapchatters. Teens I know use it to share the funny moments of their day with an inner circle of friends.

"Live Stories" offers up collections of daily moments from users in cities around the world. You can see, for example, how someone in faraway Amsterdam spent his or her day. Evidently the company is receiving so many Live Story submissions from some parts of the world that it's expanding it to include multiple snaps for each moment. There's also something new called "Story Explorer" that lets users swipe up on any snap inside a Live Story to see the same moment from several different angles. If your head is spinning, join the club. The point is that Snapchat has tapped into what anthropologists have known for a long time -- storytelling is central to human existence.

Learning New Skills. On Snapchat? Really?

These Snapchat stories honor the true nature of storytelling -- they are compiled in a sequential order with a beginning, middle and end. According to a Snapchat spokesperson, "Users are incredibly creative in building these narrative arcs." Plus the tools, and thus the stories, are getting better. So good in fact that the app just struck a deal called "Tribeca Snapchat Shorts" with the Tribeca Film Festival and will be featuring the best "stories" during the upcoming New York City film fest.

Most adults I know want young people learning the fundamentals of visual storytelling because no matter what they choose to do in life, this is an important skill in an increasingly visual world. Snapchat lets them practice this in a fun, if sometimes also a ridiculously silly, cringe-worthy, and shouldn't-they-be-doing-something-else manner (at least by adult standards). But they sure enjoy it. According to a Snapchat spokesperson I spoke with, "60 percent of people who use Snapchat daily create content every day." (Just to remind you, that's 60 percent of 100-plus million daily active Snapchatters. You do the math!).

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Less Pressure

Social media loads a lot of pressure on teens. For example, there's the pressure of knowing their "digital footprints" are possibly being scrutinized by future colleges and employers, and that's one of the primary reasons they like Snapchat so much. On this app their mistakes and embarrassing moments largely disappear (except when they're screen-captured, but evidently Snapchat has a tool that alerts users when this happens).

Teens also experience pressure from wanting to look and/or sound just right in front of their peers, that much about youth hasn't changed. Because of this, most young people carefully curate (usually) their image on, say, Facebook (if they use it at all) and Instagram (which most still use), but they don't have to worry about this so much on Snapchat because of the whole disappearing thing. When I asked about the concept of snaps disappearing, a Snapchat spokesperson responded that on their app, "you aren't the sum of everything you have ever done, you're the result." In other words, the pressure is (mostly) off because tomorrow your snaps or story will (sort of) be yesterday's news.

Two Things That Can Make Snapchat (and Every App) Better

I hope I don't sound like an apologist or cheerleader for Snapchat because I know that, just like every tool introduced since the beginning of time, it can be used for harm or for good. But telling teens to delete it (good luck with that by the way) isn't a solution to reducing harm. A better solution is for all of us to work together at keeping kids under 13 off the app (according to Snapchat's Terms of Service, users must be 13 years of age to use the app) and to make sure young people are learning digital citizenship skills to use it well.

As David Ryan Polgar, co-founder of the Digital Citizenship Summit and tireless advocate for digital citizenship, reminds us:

For every story of social media misuse, there are countless others where teens utilize a platform to create art, get politically involved, or raise money for a friend's illness. While it is crucial to focus on curbing misuse, it is also important to encourage all the times it goes wonderfully right.

So that's why I believe Snapchat is the app to watch, particularly if you are a parent of a teen, because chances are they are Snapchatting as you are reading this (there are 7 billion video views on Snapchat every day, as many people as are on the planet). So why not ask your teen to explain the features I just tried describing above? They'll surely do a better job. Maybe they'll even share the story of their day with you. Who knows? Anything is possible.

Also on HuffPost:
The commercials are low-key, but omnipresent. Gentle, warm encouragement, the key message only implicit: vote for the political candidates on the take from the fossil fuel industry.

"I am an energy voter" commercials are from skilled professionals and they are persuasive. They promise jobs, low prices at the pump, warm homes, and energy independence for our nation.

Benefits for all, or so it seems. In reality, in the end, benefits flow mainly to a handful of people, the fossil fuel magnates, who prefer to be anonymous.

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"I am an energy voter" commercials, in effect, ask us to place our offspring on a sacrificial alter. As we raise the knife, unlike Abraham, we hear no voice telling us to stop, to put down the knife. Young people do not cry out. Adults are fooled and compliant.

Yet the science is crystal clear. We have a climate and energy crisis, an emergency. Regional climate change is beginning. In the U.S. Southwest it means increasingly hot summers, stronger droughts, more extreme fires, and when rain occurs, heavier rain and floods.

As climate change grows, rapidly shifting climate zones will drive many species to extinction. As many as half of all species could be committed to extinction by the end of this century.

The largest economic effect will occur via rising sea level, as ice sheets begin to collapse by mid-century. More than half of the world's largest cities could become dysfunctional this century.

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Social and economic disruptions from such consequences would be devastating. It is not difficult to imagine that conflicts arising from forced migrations and economic collapse could make the planet ungovernable, threatening the fabric of civilization.

Halting climate change requires fossil fuel phase-out in a few decades, thus emission reductions of several percent per year. Informed politicians understand the situation, but are afraid to tell the public what is needed. They feel impotent in competition with "I am an Energy Voter."

In the United Nations Paris Accord last December world leaders promised to try to reduce future emissions. These politicians shamelessly clapped each other on the back, pretending they had accomplished something important. However, they had agreed beforehand not to even discuss the only action that could rapidly reduce global emissions.

It is not rocket science. As long as fossil fuels are the cheapest fuel, they will be burned. Fossil fuels only seem cheap, because the price does not include their full cost to society. Human health costs of pollution are borne by the public, not fossil fuel companies. Growing costs of climate change are also borne directly by the public or by governments, which also means the public.

Fossil fuel prices can be made honest by collecting a rising carbon fee from fossil fuel companies at the domestic sources of oil, gas and coal, i.e., the domestic mines or ports of entry. If the money is distributed 100 percent to the public, an equal amount to each legal resident, it is revenue neutral. Thus it is not a tax and does not make the government bigger.

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A carbon fee makes fossil fuels more expensive, allowing clean energies and energy efficiency to compete. Almost two-thirds of the public, people doing better than average in limiting their fossil fuel use, would receive more in their monthly dividend, transferred electronically to their bank account or debit card, than they pay in increased prices.

This carbon "fee & dividend" is progressive. Wealthy people, who travel more and have larger houses, have a large carbon footprint. Given today's income disparities, this modest change seems beneficial, giving the little guy something to build on, if he uses the dividend wisely.

By the time the fee reaches $100 per ton of carbon dioxide, it will add $1 per gallon at the pump, but the annual dividend will be about $1500, thus $4500 for a family with two or more children (half shares for children). Incidentally, the fee & dividend will provide a big incentive for illegal immigrants to become legal or go home.

Economic studies show that fee & dividend spurs the economy, creates millions of jobs, and increases gross domestic product. It modernizes our energy infrastructure, and our manufacturers will have products to sell worldwide.

A rising carbon fee is the only practical way to phase down global emissions. If the U.S. and China agree to a carbon fee, it can become near global. Participating nations would place a border duty on products from non-participating nations and give fee rebates to domestic manufacturers exporting to the latter nations.

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Citizens Climate Lobby, which now has 265 chapters in the U.S., and I have proposed fee & dividend to numerous politicians. Liberals tend to say "let's use the fee for social programs or invest it in solar panels." Bad idea. Let the market choose among technologies and efficiency. Conservatives say "let's use the fee to reduce taxes," usually specific taxes rich people abhor.
Today I was humbled and honored to be among global vaccine experts and officials from all 26 African "meningitis belt" countries in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to celebrate one of Africa's biggest public health achievements -- the introduction of a vaccine, MenAfriVac. This vaccine was designed, developed and produced for use in Africa, and in five years of use has nearly eliminated meningitis A from the continent.

Fearsome epidemics of meningitis had swept across countries in sub-Saharan Africa for a century, killing and disabling young people every year and they were becoming more frequent and widespread throughout Africa, placing a great burden on individuals, families and the health systems of meningitis belt countries. An outbreak of meningitis A in 1996 infected over 250,000 people and killed over 25,000 in just a few months.

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The introduction in 2010 of this new vaccine against meningitis A has resulted in one of the biggest immunization success stories in sub-Saharan Africa -- near elimination of a deadly infectious disease.

As of mid-2015, the vaccination campaigns had reached more than 235 million people aged 1 through 29 years in 16 countries.

The vaccine also helped to pioneer the efficiency and reach of mass immunization campaigns in remote areas of Africa, paving the way for other vaccines to follow.

Now we are at a crucial moment -- coming together to celebrate the success of this partnership, share the lessons learned, and carefully plan for future use of the vaccine so that the meningitis A epidemics don't come roaring back.

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Countries now need to sustain the protection that initial mass vaccination campaigns provided by putting the vaccine into their routine immunization programs. This means everything from financing and procuring the vaccines to delivering the vaccines and monitoring coverage in communities.

African leadership is the key to this success - it's only through these efforts that we can make this transition successfully and sustain protection against epidemic meningitis.
Content shared on social media has ever-increasing potential to be used as evidence of wartime atrocities and human rights violations. However, traditional social media models are stifling activists and burying evidence. There is a need for more tools and technologies built specifically for activists.

User-generated content shared over social media is vital to the advancement of human rights by increasing awareness, encouraging action and providing evidence of abuses so perpetrators can be held to account. Despite the value of this type of media, existing technologies are restrictive of activists and grassroots organizations, meaning there is room for innovation to better accommodate the needs of these communities.

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Mobile technology and social media are changing the way stories are told and who gets to tell them. Any protest participant with a cell phone and a data connection can produce a testament to be shared with the wider world. In nations where mainstream media is subject to state influence, the ideal way for anti-government activists to present their content to a wide audience is through social media.

These platforms are valuable tools to modern protest movements, allowing communication and organization between activists. But content shared on social media related to these movements is equally valuable to the traction of human rights campaigns. A compelling piece of citizen journalism shared through a peer-to-peer network can act as a rallying cry, galvanizing supporters and influencing bystanders, creating a ripple of influence that causes others to stand against violations and attempt to change the status quo.

Content shared on social media has increasing potential to be used as evidence of wartime atrocities and human rights violations. And in many cases, citizen journalism is the most reliable means of communicating news to a global audience. Countless examples of first-hand video from the civil war in Syria, uploaded to YouTube and shared via Facebook and Twitter, provide a trove of evidence unparalleled in contemporary conflicts. In Ukraine, pro-government forces and separatist rebels alike have shared posts on social media purporting to show evidence of Russian participation in the conflict.

This raw content acts as an unfiltered record, giving it immense value and the potential to hold perpetrators of human rights violations and the powers that support them accountable. Following verification and forensic reconstruction by prosecutors and human rights advocates, these videos are potential evidence that may one day be brought before an international court.

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Despite the impact and influence of social media on the advancement of human rights, existing technologies aren't doing enough to meet the needs of activists, or to broadcast and preserve the important content they generate.

Twitter has been the primary platform in many human rights campaigns and popular uprisings. However, flaws inherent in the technology have worked to silence activists and prevent the efficient archiving of media. Content can be subject to deliberate concealment: when protesters in Mexico adopted the hashtag "#YoMeCanse" to demand answers in the case of the missing students of Ayotzinapa, bots employed by pro-government entities spammed the hashtag until it was useless in the consolidation of information and the organization of activists in the field. This phenomenon can also happen organically, as is often the case in the progression of a movement, when hashtags meant to amass media are morphed or dropped altogether as a protest becomes a conflict.

Another platform activists rely on suffers from a distinct yet similar set of problems. Facebook's ongoing crackdown on pseudonyms has created an unsafe environment for activists and whistle-blowers fearing government reprisal, and censorship from the platform's administrators has resulted in the exclusion of dissidents. In recent years, accounts managed by supporters of the Syrian opposition have been suspended for posting content Facebook has judged to contain "graphic imagery" or "calls to violence."

Facebook also requires organizations to pay for a "boost" in order for their content to reach every follower. Unfortunately, this tactic aimed at businesses also affects grassroots organizations, which often lack the material means to pay such a promotion. To compound this, Facebook newsfeeds are reliant on an algorithm governed by "likes," which can result in content from conflict zones being concealed in favour of lighter fare.

These deficiencies of traditional social media mean there is room for emerging technologies built specifically for the needs of activists, taking into consideration user security, censorship circumvention and wide-ranging message reach. In 2010 our organization, Majal, launched CrowdVoice.org, a platform that uses crowdsourcing and crowd-verification to archive and preserve content created by social movements. Users do not have to sign up or provide any identifying information to contribute to these archives. The project has since grown considerably, now including interactive contextualizing features in the form of timelines and infographics.

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CrowdVoice has had an impact as a resource for citizen media that can be difficult to access on traditional platforms. Media outlets like The Guardian, Al Jazeera, and UN News Centre have showcased evidence of abuses gathered by CrowdVoice to illustrate a wide range of issues, from the conflict in Syria to the abuse of migrant workers in the Persian Gulf. As a further testament to its impact, CrowdVoice was censored in both Yemen and Bahrain after local activists adopted it to collect evidence of abuses by these governments.

As new citizen media from protests and conflicts is uploaded and shared across the web, emerging and existing platforms must prove they are committed to hosting valuable citizen-generated content with attention to its safekeeping and integrity, careful archiving of media in a way that is searchable and accessible, and no monetary cost to promote visibility. Likewise, we as a global community must safeguard and support those who take risks by sharing this evidence, allowing for anonymity and employing enhanced digital security. Only continued innovation geared towards the needs of the communities generating this evidence will ensure citizen media's full potential for bringing about awareness, action and justice.

Three Challenges

1. Emerging and existing social media platforms must continually strive to protect user data and identities, and guard against bad actor surveillance.

2. Ongoing government censorship makes it difficult for users in certain regions to access critical media, particularly on mobile networks, where it's more difficult to bypass.

3. We must find new and better ways to gauge the veracity of content posted to social media. Verification can never be entirely automated, but requiring all content to be checked using manual labour can overwhelm grassroots organizations as they attempt to separate fact from fiction.

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Amidst an uprising of Americans against police brutality - namely white cops disproportionately terrorizing black women and men and walking free of consequences - a cop actually getting indicted and charged for the killing of an unarmed black man should have been cause for celebration for a deserved - no, necessary - victory for justice. Having been a vocal advocate against the excessive police violence towards black and brown people, it was therefore difficult to trust my initial tentative reaction: the swiftness of this latest verdict was made more unsettling considering that the cop charged is Asian American.

The details surrounding NYPD's officer Peter Liang's case appeared relatively clear compared to many others of police brutality. Reports mostly agree that he entered a dark stairwell with his finger on the trigger of his gun. When a noise startled him, his accidental firing of the gun ricocheted and killed the man entering the stairwell, Akai Gurley. Many argue that his rookie status and the accidental nature of the shooting should be taken into consideration when deciding his verdict. Others argue for an equally valid consideration, "Who should be responsible for the death of Akai Gurley, another tragic death at the hands of the police?"

Despite indictment of police officers tripling in 2015, charges for civilian deaths remain extremely rare. Officer Liang's charge for manslaughter and the unprecedentedly low attendance of his trial immediately generate curiosity around how police privileges and protection are distributed, particularly when case after case of white cops killing unarmed black people are allowed to walk free even when compelling evidence implicated unreasonable force. Even more curiously, the first and only cop so far to be charged for the death of Eric Garner is a black female sergeant. For every person who finds it merely coincidental that both officers are of color, far more peers of color call "bullshit" on what appears to be a display of white supremacy. Just because a person of color has "made it" into prestigious company as a doctor, lawyer, executive, or police, the deeply rooted protection of white interest doesn't cease to persecute and provoke in sometimes subtle ways, even blaming the victim for their own injustices.

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For many of our black peers, their everyday lived experiences confirm the pervasiveness of white supremacy. This, however, is an opportune time to dialogue with my Asian peers, many of whom actively distance themselves from discussions around race. Perhaps coaxed by an uneasy feeling of injustice surrounding Officer Liang's charge, some engaged Asians now find themselves embroiled in the middle of an uprising fighting for black lives. Still, Asian voices remain scarce in racial discourses despite the reality that though varying in magnitude, similar racial injustices afflict both black and Asian communities in uncanny parallel. The objectification of our bodies manifests in over-sexualizing the black male and Asian female while effeminizing the Asian male. The sweeping micro-aggressions triggered by our culturally identifiable names reinforce stereotypes that Asians are perpetually foreign and blacks are less qualified for employment. To the matter at hand, Asian Pacific American Advocates, a grassroots human rights organization based in New York City, calls attention to the reality that police brutality affects Asians, too. In the face of our shared struggles and the unique opportunity to resist in unison, that our communities remain distanced and divided warrants a deeper understanding of what stands in the way of Afro-Asian solidarity.

The model minority myth arose around the time of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's. Rooted to serve white interest, the myth's crafty language was intended to pit Asian and Black communities against each other. The myth deceivingly praises Asian communities for their relatively quiet and subdued approach to assimilation (in spite having suffered through multiple anti-Asian legislations, poor railroad working conditions, and suffocating internment camps), while carefully insinuating the black community's fight for civil rights as raucous and ill advised. As increasingly distressed communities of color found solidarity with each other, the success of this myth was critical in disbanding any developing people-power. Constructs like this is consistent with divide and conquer strategies of European colonialism and evidenced by extremist States like Iran and China, yet the fabrication of such a myth is of our own democratic politics. In Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of Model Minority, author Ellen Wu positions "the model minority as a critical, even necessary, lever of white supremacy, resting upon and drawing its power from the fulcrum of anti-black racism."

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It is testament to the efficacy of this myth that black and Asian communities remain divided today, with many Asian people often readily subscribing to and preaching anti-black narratives (and the reverse also true.) Therefore, the fundamental crime of the model minority myth is that it succeeded in creating a false and lasting sense of hierarchy between the black and Asian communities.

It is not my intention to undermine the racism and discrimination against Asian communities suffered throughout our history and that remain keenly present today. Still, the history of Asians in the U.S. has notable differences from the nature by which African-American ancestors arrived in this country through the transatlantic slave trade. The anti-black racism that gave rise to the normalized and systemic practice of possessing black bodies set the stage for sweeping racist ideologies, which coursed through institutions, legislations, and livelihoods over the span of centuries. The same anti-black racism, under the guise of different names, afflicts the most basic, everyday quality of life of black people today. That black and Asian histories are so different is precisely the reason why it is significant, because they have positioned generations of Americans for different opportunities and outcomes.

The myth's pernicious and hierarchical dividing tactics of comparing black and Asian struggles, however foolish and incalculable, succeeded to beget ongoing resentment and tensions between the two communities. In major cities like Los Angeles and Atlanta, hate crimes resulting from high racial tension are not uncommon. Even more compelling, though, is the unflinching act of persevering through and overcoming our racial differences and histories. In fact, black and Asian communities come from a powerful - even radical - history of building and resisting together. In the San Francisco Bay Area, there is recognition that though the two communities are divided, there remains a desire to overcome tensions by building trust and working together. Groups like Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE) in the SF Bay Area, Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence (CAAAV) in NYC, and the digital community of #Asians4BlackLives, springing out of the national #BlackLivesMatter movement, build coalition across Asian communities around the narrative of anti-racism and solidarity with the black community.

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In this moment, where racial injustices against Black Americans have the unfortunate spotlight of a disturbing and prevalent reality, there is an important call to action for Asian Americans - that is to critically and emphatically challenge the history of anti-black ideas we have come to believe in, and then shed them. Once we recognize that the model minority myth has intentionally and thoughtfully bamboozled us, the renewed power of choice instantly awaits, and we are empowered to arch our misguidance against each other toward a solidarity in our fight against the true common threat - white supremacy.
"First rule of maintaining a healthy marriage while parenting an infant is nothing thats said between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. can be held against you."
In my last post, I talked about two kinds of faith, and it was clear from the responses that some don't think faith can seek understanding and thus undergo scrutiny.

In that post, I presented the 20th century writer and intellectual C. S. Lewis as an example of that type of faith. Here I hope to clarify my meaning.

First of all, I've rarely found Lewis simplistic or pat. In fact, in him I discovered a kindred spirit -- one for whom faith was by no means self-evident or devoid of serious reflection, a person who struggled with Jesus as a unique revelation of God, who took religious faith seriously with all his powers of thought. Lewis's writings thus engage his readers. (This is the central thesis of my book C. S. Lewis and the Crisis of a Christian.) Debra Winger studied Lewis in preparation for her role as Lewis's wife, Joy Davidman, in the film Shadowlands and offered this evaluation of Lewis: "He may make difficult questions accessible. I don't think he makes answers 'easy.' I don't think he answers questions. He discusses them."

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His writings possess a fluidity of style and mind that slowly engaged me as a fellow lover of books and, when I first read him, a soon-to-be undergraduate in comparative literature. And in him I met a fellow seeker who spent his life in a secular, world-class university, a place where Christianity, if treated at all, was passe, a vestige of western civilization that had long ago thrown off such infantile beliefs. Even more, as graduate of the prestigious "Greats" program at Oxford, he knew intimately the history of the western canon.

It was sometime in the last year or two of high school that I first read Mere Christianity, Lewis's presentation and defense of Christianity (two tasks that almost always appeared together for him no matter what the subject). I returned to Mere Christianity in college, I was astonished: here a writer, a Christian at that, was somehow making the whole Christian faith reasonable. I had been taught that Christianity was anything but reasoned. The most reasonable author I had read to date was also a proponent of this severely unreasoned faith. Lewis taught me that Christian faith requires and sustains serious reflection, but is not ultimately somber. The content of faith is important, serious, but never frivolous: "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."

In fact, faith and the experience of God lead to joy.

And although I didn't really know who this Lewis guy was, nor what a truly world-class mind he possessed, he made sense. It was so similar to a sentiment that Lewis himself would record -- and which I read many years later -- about his own reading, as a young college atheist, of the Catholic journalist G.K. Chesterton and his book The Everlasting Man that set out "the whole Christian outline of history" in a quite reasonable form, concluding that, "Chesterton was 'the most sensible man alive 'apart from his Christianity.' Now, I veritably believe, I thought -- I didn't of course say; words would have revealed the nonsense -- that Christianity itself was very sensible 'apart from its Christianity.'"

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Even in this citation, Lewis demonstrates that, though witty (i.e., the irony of attempting to believe Christianity is sensible "apart from its Christianity"), he was never frivolous. As his friends would remind us, Lewis was a very funny man. Faith therefore could be both intellectually engaging and hilarious. As his former student Alastair Fowler once remarked, "Lewis seemed always on the verge of hilarity -- between a chuckle and a roar."

But he knew that humor could also lead to trivializing important topics. In his famous imagined correspondence between a senior and a junior devil about how to tempt the human soul, The Screwtape Letters, he called it Flippancy when the joke is always assumed:

No one actually makes it; but every serious subject is discussed in a manner which implies that they have already found a ridiculous side to it.

Accordingly, his humor supported his exposition but never dominated or diminished it.

Lewis taught me that Christian faith could withstand serious intellectual engagement. And Lewis engaged instead of simply defending in his apologetics. In fact, as I interrogated other philosophies (for example, the thought of French poststructuralist Michel Foucault was hot at Berkeley in those days) they actually didn't stand up as well. And so I was being won over, and I began to engage it.


Photo by Enzi Box

This piece, which was developed in Iowa and at the Hollywood Fringe Festival last year, is the story of identical twin sisters, one of whom is disabled, living in Berlin during the growing turmoil of Nazi Germany. Playwright Janet Schlapkohl, whose mother was an identical twin and whose grandmother emigrated from Germany, was struck by the plight of the disabled in Nazi Germany, where they were often killed, sterilized or otherwise maltreated.

As an adjunct professor at the University of Iowa, Schlapkohl got to know identical twin sisters Elizabeth and Emily Hinkler, who were undergraduates in the theater department, and decided to write a play for them. What emerged was the story of Magda (Emily Hinkler), the outgoing and energetic sister, and Matilde (Elizabeth Hinkler), the disabled twin who is more cerebral than her sister and writes the sketches that Magda performs nightly in the Berlin cabarets.

While the play deals with the fate of the disabled under the Nazis, the heart of the story is the relationship between the two sisters. Their bond is forged in iron, and their different circumstances do little to impact the vibrant, often contentious dynamic between them. But it is clear that nothing - not the Nazi regime, not their desperate poverty and not Matilde's disability - could ever break that bond.

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The performances are excellent. Emily Hinkler plays the extroverted Magda, who is determined to build a future for the sisters - always together. Elizabeth Hinkler plays Matilde, who is more intellectual and introverted, struggles with the injustices the world and dreams big about the possibilities in life. Both actresses are exceptional in their performances and the onstage relationship that they evoke. Casting the twin actresses provides an extra measure of texture and depth to the production.
U.S. shale has weathered the oil crash better than many expected, but the stubborn persistence of low prices through 2016 could amount to the "straw breaking the camel's back" for shale production.

The International Energy Agency released its Medium Term Oil Market Report on February 22 at the IHS CERA Week conference in Houston, an annual confab for the elite of the oil industry. In its report, the IEA sees U.S. shale finally capitulating this year, falling by 600,000 barrels per day, plus another contraction of 200,000 barrels per day in 2017. By then, oil prices should rebound as supply and demand converge.

But, it won't be the end of U.S. shale, the IEA says. "Anybody who believes that we have seen the last of rising LTO production in the United States should think again; by the end of our forecast in 2021, total U.S. liquids production will have increased by a net 1.3 mb/d compared to 2015," the IEA wrote decisively. LTO refers to "light, tight, oil," or light oil from shale.

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The near-term prospects don't look so good, however. The Paris-based energy agency believes that crude oil markets will remain oversupplied throughout 2016, with the glut expected to be around 1.1 million barrels per day (mb/d). The supply overhang will disappear in 2017, but the extraordinary levels of oil currently siting in storage will delay a rise in oil prices.

The pain will be felt far and wide. Shale companies are slashing spending, laying off workers, and forgoing drilling plans in an effort to avoid bankruptcy. Collectively, OPEC has seen oil export revenues fall from a peak of USD$1.2 trillion in 2012 down to USD$500 billion in 2015. Revenues will further decline to just USD$320 billion this year.

The usual caveats apply to the IEA's projections. The expectation of persistently low prices obviously could be upended by a major supply outage due to some unforeseen geopolitical event. An unexpected demand surge could cause markets to tighten faster. An OPEC production cut would slash supplies more than anticipated. However, assuming those scenarios do not play out, 2016 will be another year for low oil prices.

The longer term looks different. The IEA expects annual demand growth of 1.2 mb/d, which it says is a "very solid outlook in historical terms." That will mean the world surpasses 100 mb/d in demand somewhere around 2019 or 2020.

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The dramatic cuts in upstream investment, including in OPEC countries, could lead to a shortfall in supply somewhere down the road. Venezuela, Nigeria, and Algeria are undergoing "massive economic retrenchment," which will "reduce their ability to invest in the oil sector." Not only that, but political upheaval in countries suffering from economic crisis, particularly in Venezuela, could lead to production declines.

Globally, investment in the oil industry fell by 24 percent in 2015 and will decline by another 17 percent this year. Spending money now when oil is $30 per barrel may not make sense for individual companies, but the end result could be a shortage in supply towards the end of the decade. With production relatively inelastic in the short-term, we could see a few years of stagnant supply while demand rises. As those curves cross, it will be challenging for new output to kick into gear to meet rising demand. New production takes time.

Crucially, today's spare capacity is limited. Saudi Arabia is producing almost flat out, and only has a 1.5 mb/d or so sitting on the sidelines. Iran has some latent production capacity that it is bringing back. But beyond those two countries, the world has few options to respond to a near-term supply crunch. "The risk of a sharp oil price rise towards the later part of our forecast arising from insufficient investment is as potentially de-stabilizing as the sharp oil price fall has proved to be," the IEA warned. It may be hard to envision while everyone is drowning in oil, but the IEA sees a supply shortage looming by 2020.
With the White House's announcement that President Obama will be visiting Cuba in March, President Obama will become the second sitting American president after Calvin Coolidge to visit Cuba in nine decades. This historic announcement provides the opportunity not only to help define President Obama's legacy, but to also prove that two countries once divided by generations of strife can come together through diplomacy to support the American and Cuban people.

President Obama's visit comes at a pivotal moment for our country. At a time of heightened political divisiveness in and out of Washington on nearly every issue, support for a new Cuba policy cuts through tired party politics. Seventy-two percent of Americans from both parties agree that it's time for Congress to end the embargo and open the U.S. up for business and travel with our Cuban neighbors. The Cuban people overwhelmingly support this as well, as 97 percent of them favor ending the embargo.

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This agreement among Americans on both sides of the aisle, and in rural areas and cities alike, is why we launched Engage Cuba, a bipartisan coalition dedicated to ending the Cuban travel and trade embargo. We work with local community leaders and business people from across the country who can envision a future with renewed U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations and can see the increased economic activity that comes with it. It is amazing to see bipartisan leaders across diverse sectors in states such as Tennessee and Ohio come together through Engage Cuba State Councils to stand united in their support for ending the Cuban embargo, and because of the possibilities ahead, that support will only continue to grow.

Renewed U.S.-Cuba relations is appealing to Americans because at the center of this burgeoning relationship is the core American principle of opportunity. Engagement with Cuba presents numerous prospects for U.S. businesses and the Cuban people. According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, trade with Cuba could generate $4.3 billion in American exports.

There is ample room for American businesses across all sectors to gain a foothold in the Cuban market, especially in agriculture. Cuba imports 80 percent of its food from far away countries such as Brazil and Argentina. But if the embargo were to be lifted, Cubans could instead import fresh and nutritious food from its close neighbor, the United States, and American farmers could bring their products to a largely untapped market while delivering quality, affordable food to the Cuban people.

This is just one of the many economic opportunities President Obama will witness when he visits Cuba. With the need for infrastructure investment, telecommunications expansion and so much more, each day the U.S. cannot trade with Cuba is a missed opportunity. The current embargo halts job growth and economic development in places that need it most -- both in Cuba and here in America. But these changes are not solely the responsibility of the U.S. In order to build on this diplomatic moment, Cuba has to do its part to continue to open its economy and support greater economic ties with the United States.

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As the President embarks on his first visit to Cuba, and opens up additional possibilities to engage with Cuba in the future, he is continuing the significant progress made over the last year. Just recently, the U.S. and Cuba reached an agreement to commence commercial flights for the first time in 50 years. In a short time, millions of Americans will have the opportunity to visit Cuba and soak in its rich and vibrant culture. And just this week, U.S. and Cuban trade officials met to discuss additional regulatory changes that can be made to support trade and commerce.

So we should celebrate President Obama's trip to Cuba as a historic moment, one that seeks to put an end to the conflict and tension that defined the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba for decades. After years of a failed policy, it is time for our country to engage with Cuba and ensure our foreign policy encourages opportunity that is good for both Americans and Cubans.

James Williams is the President of Engage Cuba, the leading coalition of private companies and organizations working to end the travel and trade embargo on Cuba.
Colorado Springs' Republican Mayor John Suthers told the Colorado Springs Gazette Tuesday that turning the hospital provider fee into a TABOR-defined enterprise would be "by far the easiest, least painful solution for the taxpayers" to address Colorado's budget woes.

But in his interview with Gazette reporter Megan Schrader, Suthers repeats the misinformation that Obamacare's expansion of Colorado's Medicaid program, which provides health care to the poor, is eating up state money now.

Suthers: "A lot of the animosity surrounding this goes back to the fact that they are saying look if we didn't participate in the Medicaid expansion we wouldn't need all this money, and the provider fee was basically a means to pay for the expansion. I understand all of that, but having the provider fee in the TABOR calculation is going to create immense problems going forward. It's just going to get bigger and bigger and bigger and if you don't take it out I don't know what's going to happen."

The animosity-filled people who told Suthers that Colorado "wouldn't need all this money" if it weren't for Obamacare's Medicaid expansion are actually factually wrong.

Colorado's Medicaid expansion has so far cost Colorado nothing (Here at page 26). It's been 100 percent paid for by the federal government, which will slide down to paying 90 percent of the costs by 2020.

Next year, Colorado will contribute about $41 million toward covering Obamacare's new Medicaid enrollees. If Colorado were paying the full 10 percent now, the state would contribute $142 million. And Suthers is correct that the Hospital Provider Fee, which is used to cover various health care services for poor people who can't afford them, is earmarked to pay for this.

But $41 million is a fraction of the $768 million projected to be collected by the Hospital provider fee next year. In 2017-2018, the state contribution to covering Obamacare's Medicaid enrollees, which looks to be on the order of $75 million, is still a fraction of the HPF money collected. So the HPF appears to be a solid source of funds for covering Colorado's contibution to Obamacare's Medicaid expansion.

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"Call him out for the monster that he is."

That's the message Jewel Miller, mother of Eric Garner's youngest daughter, Legacy, has for the Department of Justice this week. Miller, 38, is helping to organize a rally in front of the U.S. Attorney's Brooklyn office Wednesday morning. She and others want the feds to bring charges against Daniel Pantaleo, the NYPD detective who choked Garner to death in 2014.

Earlier this month it was reported that federal prosecutors have begun to show evidence to a grand jury, raising hopes that Pantaleo, who was not indicted by Staten Island grand jury, might face justice. Iris Baez, whose son Anthony was also infamously choked to death by a cop in 1994, saw her son's killer, police officer (and police union delegate) Frank Livoti, eventually convicted in federal court for violating Anthony's civil rights. Baez, who will also be at the rally Wednesday, says that the feds won't bring charges unless they know they can win.

The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into Garner's death back in December of 2014, fourteen months ago. Miller wants to pressure U.S. Attorney Robert Capers, who has shown he can prosecute corrupt cops, and Attorney General Loretta Lynch. It was Lynch who has apparently put an internal NYPD investigation on hold, according to police commissioner Bill Bratton, allowing the NYPD to drag their feet on any potential disciplinary actions (i.e. firing him--though no one should be surprised if the department simply doesn't charge Pantaleo with anything).

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"Show us that you guys are gonna do you job," Miller says of the feds. "How can we have peace?"

Miller and Garner's daughter, Legacy, is now 19 months. She has started to say "Daddy" and "Eric" when shown her father's picture, Miller says. "It's emotional for me to have to raise her like that." She says she sometimes rethinks her decision to have kids when she has to explain to her other older children why the justice system has so emphatically failed Eric. "July 17th is everyday for me," she says, referring to the day Pantaleo and other police officers piled onto to Garner on a Staten Island street.

Benjamin Lawton Sr., Garner's first cousin, says that those other officers and even the EMT workers on the scene that day should have been punished. Last month an NYPD sergeant on the scene of the Garner incident, Kizzy Adonis, was disciplined by the department, losing her gun and badge. "If she's wrong, then they're all wrong", Lawton says, noting that Adonis was black while the officers who actually jumped on his cousin were white.

"He's still collecting money, he's still enjoying a pension", a frustrated Lawton says of Pantaleo. His last memory of Eric is seeing him at a memorial and family cookout. In fact, Lawton says, Garner had returned from a family get-together in Baltimore shortly before he was killed. He went out to the block to say hi to some of his friends before Pantaleo approached him. He wasn't even selling cigarettes that day, as most reports have described it. He was breaking up a fight, "doing the police's work", when the cops stepped out of their cars.

Lawton says he hopes that the feds are up to the task after former district attorney (and now congressman) Daniel Donovan "made sure there wasn't going to be an indictment." The Justice Department has "more than enough evidence", Lawton says. "How long does it take to do an investigation? What's left to investigate?"

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Meanwhile Miller says says little has changed since Garner's death. Born and raised in Staten Island, Miller says that things in the borough are going back to normal. At her job working for the Parks Department she's reminded of the disparate racial realities that still exist today. She notices trees and flowers being planted early in some neighborhoods, with other areas not even getting cleaned or given basic maintenance. It's things like this that make her cynical to talk of elections or candidates.
As a nation, what do we commemorate, and how do we commemorate it?

This is the thoughtful question posed by Harriet F. Senie in her new book, Memorials to Shattered Myths: Vietnam to 9/11. Her book introduces readers to the paths we have traveled in establishing monuments and commemorations following terror attacks and other tragedies.

Issue Introduced with Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The first memorial for close examination in Memorials to Shattered Myths is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The VVM set the precedent of the therapeutic memorial.

Senie points out that the listing of the names brings people to the monument for the types of reasons one usually visits a cemetery--a quiet time of personal remembrance. But because this war was so vehemently contested, the memorial has also served to unify Americans. We are brought together by shared regret over the men and women who lost their lives there and relief that we have finally done something to recognize them.

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The book continues with well-documented discussions of our memorials to the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, the tragedy of Columbine, and the multi-faceted attack the country suffered on September 11, 2001.

Three-Tiered Approach

The author, who is Director of the M.A. Program in Art History and Art Museum Studies at City College at CUNY and co-founder of the international organization Public Art Dialogue, makes a case for a three-tiered approach to monument-building. She fully acknowledges the immediate need to grieve----anything from flowers by a roadside to stuffed animals left at Columbine--is perfect for that first form of a memorial.

Senie notes that because final monuments require planning, fund-raising and community permits, there is a real need for the interim memorial. This memorial is the right one to be planned by the victims' families. The process of coming together can be therapeutic, and this also provides a blueprint for what mourners would like to see in the final monument.

The Final Monument

The word monument derives from the Latin, with the root word "moneo," meaning to warn, writes Senie. A permanent monument should be something that serves to warn or remind with regard to conduct of future events.

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Senie suggests that for the final monument the right team is one that can maintain perspective; people who are outside the tragedy. She calls for using professionals.

While the story of loss should always be told, there needs to be a way to tell the story of why the tragedy occurred (such as at Columbine or Sandy Hook Elementary School). In addition, light should be shed on the broader result of the tragedy.

She notes that 9/11 demonstrated our vulnerability to international terrorism, yet the monument and museum memorialize the event primarily by replaying what happened. She sees a bigger and more difficult story in telling how our society and our civil liberties have changed as a result of this threat.

Unification shouldn't be the Primary Goal

Senie writes that President Bill Clinton frequently stated: "Oklahoma City made us all Americans again." She describes this story of rebirth from tragedy as a diversion--not the story that should be the prime focus of a permanent memorial.

While feeling a community has come together from a tragedy and that strength has built hope in the future, the true hope would come if there were signs that our government was prepared to address the basic ill that led to the problem.

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Currently our monuments step away from the possibility of discussing complex societal issues; we lose the story of the dire acts, which allows for no study of the circumstances that caused them.

While Harriet Senie's thesis is worthy of our attention, I wonder about its practicality.

While presidential monuments fall into a different category, one would think the decision-making there would be easier than the decisions after a tragedy. However, we need only read about the ongoing wrangling over the monument to the former supreme commander of the Allied Forces and former president Dwight D. Eisenhower to understand that for every opinion there is an opposing opinion.

Perhaps the goal for future monuments following tragedies is to allow room for later interpretation. While Senie does not spend a great deal of time on the Holocaust Memorial in Washington, she notes that the museum lets people reflect upon the moral and spiritual questions raised by the Holocaust; that it presents to visitors an opportunity to consider their own responsibility as citizens.

As Senie conveys, the best monuments remember those who died, but they also give context to the events that led to the tragedy. By telling a broader story with a memorial, a monument can launch thought and debate to those who live long after the actual event that is being commemorated.

For information on the book, click here.
I began my journey towards a grateful life sitting in the parking lot of a funeral home.

On the back of an envelope containing my cable bill, I scrawled random thoughts; the serene beauty of the lake, the divers, his friends, the cool rain that mingled with my tears as I stood on the shoreline, the 4th of July fireworks that illuminated the night sky, as if heaven was welcoming my beautiful son home.

And so began what I call the most awake years of my life. My 23-year-old son Stephen was dead, and I was shattered into a million pieces. I was groundless, looking desperately for the rug that had been pulled from beneath my normal life, only to find that someone had taken the damn floor too.

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So I surrendered to it. I had always thought I was a fixer, a woman of strength. But this time, I had nothing. Sitting on a bump in the sand at the edge of Jordan Lake, my life was stripped bare. I looked to the heavens and wondered if I would survive this pain, and begged for help. Grieving with gratitude was the answer I received.

It seemed counter-intuitive to even think of thankfulness at the darkest moment of my life. But I knew this was to be my path. From that moment, I knew that this was a conversation that I needed to have with others about how we perceive and journey through grief and loss.

So I started to write. My younger son Brendan and I agreed that if we could find "one little thing" each day to be thankful for, we would get through this. Each day we would look for simple blessings and I would write about it. On particularly difficult days, I could not even completely inhale because of the physical ache in my chest from the pain of losing my beautiful boy. So I would give thanks that this broken heart of mine continued to beat.

As the days, weeks and months passed, our list of tiny blessings continued to grow, bringing flickers of light and hope along with it. We found we couldn't just limit it to one little thing any longer. Blessings were sprouting up all over the place. Butterflies, belly laughs with snorts included, fresh strawberries, naps, a letter from Stephen's friend, birds, chats with my son or a moment of normalcy with my husband.

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It did not change the pain of the loss. But it did alleviate some of the suffering. I started to see that all these one little things were actually the big things that really gave meaning to my life. This path of gratitude was healing me, and tethering me to the present moment as I grieved. And in the present moment, I was okay.

I decided to invite others to the conversation, and through the power of social media, connected with thousands of people from all over the world on their own personal grief journey. Each person's grief was as individual as their fingerprint. Some grief was related to the death of someone dear; others suffered the ending of a relationship. I befriended people struggling against the grip of addiction, grieving the loss of their very sense of self. I have been humbled by their strength, and honored that they decided to walk with me for a while, looking for the simple blessings that they could tie together each day. Together, we've discovered that we can still be happy, even when things are less than perfect. We are having a new conversation about grief.

Six years later, I am often at a loss for words when people ask me how I feel about how much this has grown. I have released two books, and our Facebook group Just One Little Thing has over 120,000 members from over fifty countries speaking over forty languages. I like to call our members JOLT'ers, and I consider each and every one of them my family. They show up each day to give thanks, to talk about the good things happening in the world, and to share how they are making a difference in their neck of the woods.

It's a little petri dish of humanity, and it is beautiful. Nothing thrills me more than watching a man from Ireland encourage a mother from Ohio, or a woman from British Columbia realize that she is working through the same grief as a young man in Egypt.

There is a man from Chicago who has applied the concept of JOLT to his work at an addictions center. There is a teacher in Africa who shared the message of JOLT to the children in her dirt floor classroom. Even horses have become JOLT'ers, with Equine Therapists sharing the message in Pennsylvania.

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This happened because I decided to listen to that quiet voice within, and allow the transformative power of grief to guide me. My purpose now is to tell others that not only can they be okay, but that they find hope and happiness after hardship.

I now look at each day as a gift.

With each step I take and every ripple of hope that continues to circle the globe, I feel Stephen smiling.

And that is one big thing.
Irish republican politician and president of the Sinn FAin political party Gerry Adams talks to the press on December 4, 2014 during his visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah to meet with Palestinian officials. AFP PHOTO/ABBAS MOMANI (Photo credit should read ABBAS MOMANI/AFP/Getty Images)

In April, Ireland will celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Easter Rising, the failed rebellion of an overpowered band of Irish republicans.

The heavy-handed response of British troops ended up martyring the republican cause, their lethal overreaction ultimately changing, and hardening, Irish public opinion in favor of independence from the United Kingdom.

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Under the penumbra of this year's centennial celebrations, Irish voters will go to the polls on February 26, after Enda Kenny, Ireland's Taoiseach (prime minister) announced at the beginning of the month the dissolution of the Irish parliament, the Dail, to ask voters to reelect his center-right Fine Gael, along with its junior coalition partner, Ireland's social democratic Labour Party.

Polls show that Sinn Fein, which hopes to capitalize on several factors toward what would be a historic victory, could wind up as the second-largest party for the first time in the history of the Republic of Ireland. Hoping to peel off disaffected Labour voters, Sinn Fein might even be within striking distance of first place, given that no single party will come close to an absolute majority.

There's every expectation that Sinn Fein could easily double its 2011 performance of 9.9%, giving the hard-left republicans their best showing in any general election in the history of the Republic of Ireland. Polls over the weekend gave Sinn Fein anywhere from 15 percent to 19 percent of the vote, tied with the more socially conservative Fianna Fail. Labour falls down to just 6 percent, while a bevy of independents, ranging from right-wing Catholics to proponents of drug legalization, are winning another 22 percent to 28 percent of the vote. In the first leader's debate, the other party leaders attached Adams not for his party's anti-austerity stand, but for his party's principled opposition to Ireland's special criminal court, which many critics argue violates the principle of due process.

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Labour leader Joan Burton literally kicked off the new year by falling out of a boat. The party and its voters lean far to the left of the policies enacted over Kenny's five-year government, ceding space on the left end of the political spectrum to Sinn Fein. Even in better circumstances, the travails of the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom and the Free Democratic Party in Germany show that the role of junior coalition partner is thankless - voters seem to give them no credit for the successes and more than their share of the blame for the failures. Ireland's Green Party lost all six of its seats in 2011 after a stint in government alongside Fianna Fail.

With or without Labour, however, Fine Gael is unlikely to have enough seats to form a majority. So if Sinn Fein, as expected, finishes in a strong third place, it could cause a political earthquake with aftershocks felt in London, Washington and Brussels. Both Fine Gael's Kenny and Fianna Fail's leader, former foreign affairs minister Micheal Martin, have ruled out joining a coalition government with Sinn Fein. That could mean new elections later this year or a possible 'grand coalition' between the two center-right parties. They have been reluctant to embrace such a coalition, in part because it could eventually make Sinn Fein an even more powerful contrast in opposition.

In one sense, it's great news that Sinn Fein is waging its political fight as a normalized political party, the same way that the nationalist left does today in the Basque Country, and not through the armed struggle of political terrorism (even if Sinn Fein, as a formal matter, was always separate from the more militant Irish Republican Army).

It would be a fitting emotional result on the eve of the Easter Rising's centennial for the party that the Republic of Ireland's founding father, Eamon de Valera, once led long ago, long before a series of party splits that led to de Valera's founding of Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein's radical turn in the post-independence era.

But it's not nostalgia that's propelling Sinn Fein in 2016. Nor is it widespread love for Sinn Fein's leader, Gerry Adams, whose past IRA ties make him and his party especially toxic as a potential coalition partner.

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Instead, it's the two currents that have jolted the European Union for the last decade -- the dual rise of anti-austerity politics and populist euroscepticism. For the rest of mainstream Europe and the United States, the political rise of Sinn Fein could complicate ties with a country that's historically been an enthusiastic member of the European Union, a case study for the EU's approach to economic policy and a key strategic player in U.S.-European relations.

Economic growth alone might not be enough today's political climate

It's no surprise that voters in Ireland are weary of economic pain after years of what amounts to a grinding internal devaluation. Voters in the 2011 election angrily turfed out Fianna Fail, which had been Ireland's "natural party of government," ruling for 61 of the republic's then 79-year history. The electorate blamed Fianna Fail and former prime minister Bertie Ahern, who stepped down in 2008 after 11 consecutive years in power, for Ireland's housing bubble and the economic recession that resulted from the triple crunch of the 2008-09 global financial crisis, Ireland's resulting bank failures and the eurozone's sovereign debt crisis.

In November 2010, Ireland accepted a 85 billion bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund after the Irish government intervened to nationalize and shore up its collapsing banking industry. That lumped Ireland alongside Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain in the unflattering 'PIIGS' category of Europe's most troubled economies.

The Fine Gael-led government has largely implemented the terms of that bailout, and Kenny has a record of slow and steady progress to show for it. Ireland exited its bailout program in 2013, and negotiations over the liquidation of the Anglo Irish Bank, nationalized at the height of the Irish banking crisis, allowed the government to defer its obligations for decades. Despite Kenny's work to cut the deficit, he managed to preserve Ireland's attractive 12.5 percent corporate tax rate, a point of pride among political elites who have aggressively marketed Ireland as a business-friendly jurisdiction (though perhaps not to Ireland's struggling working class). Earlier this month, the Irish unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent, its lowest level in seven years, far off a high of over 15 percent in early 2012 and far below unemployment in Spain and Greece, the two countries still suffering the most from the eurozone crisis. Moreover, Ireland's GDP growth surged to 5.4 percent in 2014 and the latest estimates for 2015 pit growth at 6.6 percent, higher than any other country in the European Union.

Despite the recovery, Ireland is still feels a far ways off from the once-mighty "Celtic Tiger" days. For many voters, however, talk of "recovery" is still premature, and economic inequality and uncertainty remain high, most especially for the unemployed. Sinn Fein, now the only major political party that didn't embrace the EU/IMF bailout, has become the sole clarion of anti-austerity sentiment in Ireland.

A look across the Atlantic world shows that it is not surprising that Sinn Fein is winning so much support. Moreover, in a world where Alexis Tsipras and SYRIZA are running Greece's government, where anti-austerity movements like Podemos have scrambled Spanish politics and communists are part of a left-front government in Portugal, where hard-left Jeremy Corbyn leads the British Labour Party and democratic socialist Bernie Sanders is holding his own in the early Democratic Party presidential primary contests in the United States, it is clear that there's growing appetite for a more full-throated brand of leftist policy. That's especially true among young voters who, in Ireland, associate Sinn Fein more with Corbyn-style socialism than with political terrorism.

Even in 'case study' Ireland, European integration is losing popularity

A Sinn Fein surge in 2016 would also demonstrate that even in Ireland, which enthusiastically joined the European Economic Community in 1973 and benefited handsomely from European cohesion and structural funds to develop its economy, the European project is losing its luster. Sinn Fein does not want Ireland to leave the European Union or even the eurozone, but it is still the country's least EU-friendly major party, and that won it more MEPs than any other party except Fine Gael in the May 2014 European parliamentary elections.

It's true that Ireland often plays a plucky role in European affairs. Twice in the past 15 years, Irish voters initially rejected attempts at greater European integration, the Nice Treaty in June 2001 and the Lisbon Treaty in June 2008 (treaty changes are deemed constitutional amendments in Ireland and, accordingly, subject to referendum). Moreover, those rejections came in far rosier economic times.

It's impossible to know how a newly empowered Sinn Fein could impact the coming "Brexit" referendum later this year or in 2017, in which British voters may choose to leave the European Union altogether. Though both the Scottish National Party and Sinn Fein nominally support the campaign for the United Kingdom to stay in the European Union, both parties and their respective causes of Scottish and Irish nationalism could benefit greatly from the Brexit chaos. A full Brexit could easily result in economic, political and diplomatic pandemonium, giving the SNP a hook for a new independence referendum. In the same way, Brexit might also unleash renewed interest in reuniting Northern Ireland with Ireland or, at minimum, potentially disrupt the gains of two decades of Northern Irish peace and the tenuous power-sharing agreement between Protestant unionists and Irish Catholic republicans.

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Meanwhile, Sinn Fein has time to wait.

Increasingly, the Catholic-heavy social conservatism that Fianna Fail has traditionally promoted is less in sync with an electorate that's far more tolerant of abortion and LGBT rights than a generation ago. The most recent Fine Gael government in 2013 enacted legislating decriminalizing abortion for the first time (when the life of the mother is at risk). In 2015, Irish voters overwhelmingly embraced same-sex marriage. Sinn Fein, though many of its grassroots supporters are religious traditionalists, has increasingly shifted to a progressive viewpoint on both issues.

Adams, age 67, still dogged by legal troubles and the moral ghosts of the 1970s and 1980s, will not go on forever. Deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald is especially popular in Ireland's south, and as the heir apparent for the party leadership when (and if) Adams retires, her succession would go a long way in cleansing the party from its most unsavory connections to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. McDonald, born in 1969 to a middle-class Dublin family, represents a generational change from Adams and the IRA years, and her political star has been rising steadily for a decade. As one of two Sinn Fein representatives in the European Parliament, McDonald focused on employment matters, impressing policymakers from Brussels to Dublin. Just as Nicola Sturgeon has proven far more adept in Scotland than her mentor Alex Salmond, McDonald in Ireland could catapult a post-Adams Sinn Fein even higher in the years to come.
BERKELEY, CA - MARCH 25: One-ounce bags of medicinal marijuana are displayed at the Berkeley Patients Group March 25, 2010 in Berkeley, California. California Secretary of State Debra Bowen certified a ballot initiative late Wednesday to legalize the possession and sale of marijuana in the State of California after proponents of the measure submitted over 690,000 signatures. The measure will appear on the November 2 general election ballot. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

In my experience, good public policy is best shaped by the dispassionate analysis of what in practice has worked, or not. Policy based on common assumptions and popular sentiments can become a recipe for mistaken prescriptions and misguided interventions.

Nowhere is this divorce between rhetoric and reality more evident than in the formulation of global drug policies, where too often emotions and ideology rather than evidence have prevailed.

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Take the case of the medical use of cannabis. By looking carefully at the evidence from the United States, we now know that legalizing the use of cannabis for medical purposes has not, as opponents argued, led to an increase in its use by teenagers. By contrast, there has been a near tripling of American deaths from heroin overdoses between 2010 and 2013, even though the law and its severe punishments remain unchanged.

This year, between April 19 and 21, the United Nations General Assembly will hold a special session on drugs and the world will have a chance to change course. As we approach that event, we need to ask ourselves if we are on the right policy path. More specifically, how do we deal with what the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has called the "unintended consequences" of the policies of the last 50 years, which have helped, among other things, to create a vast, international criminal market in drugs that fuels violence, corruption and instability? Just think of the 16,000 murders in Mexico in 2013, many of which are directly linked to drug trafficking.

A War on People

Globally, the "war on drugs" has not succeeded. Some estimate that enforcing global prohibition costs at least $100 billion (90.7 billion) a year, but as many as 300 million people now use drugs worldwide, contributing to a global illicit market with a turnover of $330 billion a year, one of the largest commodity markets in the world.

Prohibition has had little impact on the supply of or demand for drugs. When law enforcement succeeds in one area, drug production simply moves to another region or country, drug trafficking moves to another route and drug users switch to a different drug. Nor has prohibition significantly reduced use. Studies have consistently failed to establish the existence of a link between the harshness of a country's drug laws and its levels of drug use. The widespread criminalization and punishment of people who use drugs, the over-crowded prisons, mean that the war on drugs is, to a significant degree, a war on drug users -- a war on people.

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Africa is sadly an example of these problems. The West Africa Commission on Drugs, which my foundation convened, reported last year that the region has now become not only a major transit point between producers in Latin America and consumers in Europe, but an area where consumption is increasing. Drug money, and the criminality associated with it, is fostering corruption and violence. The stability of countries and the region as a whole is under threat.

I believe that drugs have destroyed many lives, but wrong government policies have destroyed many more. We all want to protect our families from the potential harm of drugs. But if our children do develop a drug problem, surely we will want them cared for as patients in need of treatment and not branded as criminals.

Stop Stigmatizing and Start Helping

The tendency in many parts of the world to stigmatize and incarcerate drug users has prevented many from seeking medical treatment. In what other areas of public health do we criminalize patients in need of help? Punitive measures have sent many people to prison, where their drug use has worsened. A criminal record for a young person for a minor drug offence can be a far greater threat to their well-being than occasional drug use.

The original intent of drug policy, according to the UN Convention on Narcotic Drugs, was to protect the "health and welfare of mankind." We need to refocus international and national policy on this key objective.

This requires us to take four critical steps.

First, we must decriminalize personal drug use. The use of drugs is harmful and reducing those harms is a task for the public health system, not the courts. This must be coupled with the strengthening of treatment services, especially in middle and low-income countries.

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Second, we need to accept that a drug-free world is an illusion. We must focus instead on ensuring that drugs cause the least possible harm. Harm reduction measures, such as needle exchange programs, can make a real difference. Germany adopted such measures early on and the level of HIV infections among injecting drug users is close to 5 percent, compared to over 40 percent in some countries which resist this pragmatic approach.

Third, we have to look at regulation and public education rather than the total suppression of drugs, which we know will not work. The steps taken successfully to reduce tobacco consumption (a very powerful and damaging addiction) show what can be achieved. It is regulation and education, not the threat of prison, which has cut the number of smokers in many countries. Higher taxes, restrictions on sale and effective anti-smoking campaigns have delivered the right results.

The legal sale of cannabis is a reality that started with California legalizing the sale of cannabis for medical use in 1996. Since then, 22 US states and some European countries have followed suit. Others have gone further still. A voter initiative which gained a majority at the ballot box has caused Colorado to legalize the sale of cannabis for recreational use. Last year, Colorado collected around $135 million in taxes and license fees related to legal cannabis sales. Others have taken less commercial routes. Users of Spain's cannabis social clubs can grow and buy cannabis through small non-commercial organizations. And Canada looks likely to become the first G7 country to regulate the sale of cannabis next year.

Legal Regulation Protects Health

Initial trends show us that where cannabis has been legalized, there has been no explosion in drug use or drug-related crime. The size of the black market has been reduced and thousands of young people have been spared criminal records. But a regulated market is not a free market. We need to carefully think through what needs regulating, and what does not. While most cannabis use is occasional, moderate and not associated with significant problems, it is nonetheless precisely because of its potential risks that it needs to be regulated.

And therefore, the fourth and final step is to recognize that drugs must be regulated precisely because they are risky. It is time to acknowledge that drugs are infinitely more dangerous if they are left solely in the hands of criminals who have no concerns about health and safety. Legal regulation protects health. Consumers need to be aware of what they are taking and have clear information on health risks and how to minimize them. Governments need to be able to regulate vendors and outlets according to how much harm a drug can cause. The most risky drugs should never be available "over the counter" but only via medical prescription for people registered as dependent users, as is already happening in Switzerland.

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Scientific evidence and our concern for health and human rights must shape drug policy. This means making sure that fewer people die from drug overdoses and that small-time offenders do not end up in jail where their drug problems get worse. It is time for a smarter, health-based approach to drug policy.

It is time for countries, such as Germany, which have adopted better policies at home, to strongly advocate for policy change abroad. The United Nations General Assembly special session on the world drug problem would be a good place to start.

This piece first appeared on Spiegel.
On February 24, representatives from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala will meet with Vice President Biden in Washington to discuss the past and future of the Alliance for Prosperity, a multi-year U.S. aid package to Central America. This meeting comes in the wake of the release of the State Department's 2017 foreign budget justification, which outlines President Obama's plan for foreign funding over the next year.

Around this time last year, the Obama Administration proposed a $1 billion aid package, which called for an increase in U.S. aid in response to the unaccompanied child migrant crisis. The proposal initially promised an unprecedented proportion of aid for development purposes ($540 million), but over the course of a year was reduced and watered-down, with the House and Senate eventually cutting development and economic assistance from the package and going above and beyond Obama's request for defense and counterdrug spending. It wasn't until mid-January 2016, a year and a half after the child migrant crisis made headlines, that the U.S. government announced any special plan to protect Central American migrants. As of November 2015, only six Central American children of about 5,000 applicants had arrived in the U.S. with legal refugee status.

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While proposals for social and economic aid to address the problems of citizen insecurity and lack of opportunity in Central America have faced significant obstacles, it was easy to find guns and interdiction technology for Mexico's Southern border. Congress responded quickly to keep Central American migrants from ever reaching the U.S.-Mexico border, where they are legally required to receive a trial. In 2015, the U.S. provided extra $79 million over Obama's proposal to secure Mexico's southern border through the U.S.-Mexico Merida Initiative. This spending anticipated Plan Frontera Sur, a Mexican effort to control the flow of Central American migrants traveling through Mexico, mirroring the militarization of Mexico's border to the north. U.S. and Mexican migration officials deny that the U.S. has funded Frontera Sur itself, but it has become increasingly clear that the U.S. promoted the program through significant equipment donations and technical assistance.

For the past eight years, the majority of U.S. funding to Central America, through the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) and the Alliance for Prosperity, has been dedicated to military and police aid, especially anti-narcotics programs. CARSI prioritized the goals of the War on Drugs over those of protecting the people of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The abuses carried out by CARSI-funded "elite" military and police forces in Honduras and El Salvador have been widely documented.

In El Salvador, specifically, the U.S. has applauded programs like "Mano Dura," which promised to destroy gangs but instead resulted in those same gangs adopting more sophisticated and diversified funding schemes. In 2012, the U.S. also refused to support attempts at gang reconciliation, a failure that has been interpreted as one of the driving factors behind El Salvador's alarming murder rate. A much smaller proportion of funding has been dedicated to supporting institutional development projects, like judicial reform.

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Even the limited amount of foreign aid appropriated for development and economic support to the region has not been free of problems. For example, the Department of Defense is responsible for its own development assistance account, blurring how funding is actually proportioned between security and development assistance. Although there are mechanisms in place that withhold a portion of U.S. foreign military aid until certain conditions are met, these conditions reflect U.S. immigration interests more than a U.S. commitment to promoting accountability: quite notably, 25 percent of the funds are subject to U.S. determination that Central America is making efforts to stop its citizens from leaving. And fifty percent are subject to the Northern Triangle's progress on anti-corruption and other institutional efforts. Yet none of these programs guarantee protection for migrants, nor do they provide mechanisms of accountability to control how funds are dispersed.

Although Obama's original proposal still included much of the police and military aid of the CARSI model, the package proposed in February 2015, rebranded as the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle, aimed to triple foreign aid to the region. It originally included an additional $422 million of development assistance to address the push factors driving Central Americans to migrate in the first place: things like weak institutions, lack of educational and professional opportunities, and endemic violence. To be sure, the proposal was not all that radical; funding numbers still dwarfed in comparison to the astronomical amounts of money Obama has funnelled into the U.S. deportation regime. But proposing increased funding for development assistance seemed a step in the right direction.

When the proposal finally reached the House floor six months later, legislators significantly reduced the amount of money requested for development initiatives, while nearly doubling previous Department of Defense-designated funding for counternarcotics strategies that have proven time and again to be ineffective. And Congress had already allocated the $79 million over Obama's original request for the Merida Initiative to secure Mexico's southern border, which helped Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto quickly implement Plan Frontera Sur. This track record does not bode well for future funding to the region.

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As a result of Frontera Sur, Mexico increased border apprehensions of migrants from the Northern Triangle by about 40 percent -- and nearly doubled deportations, according to Victoria Reitig, a policy analyst on Central American and Mexican migration at the Migration Policy Institute. Meanwhile, data from Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) points to even higher detention rates: in January and February 2015, the INM detained 28,862 migrants compared to 14,612 migrants for that same period in 2014 -- an increase of around 98 percent. By pushing the problem of border crossings south, the U.S. has justified its failure to address the root causes of Central American migration.

[pullquote]"From an enforcement perspective, the SBP [Southern Border Plan] has been a success," Reitig said. However, "From a human rights perspective, SBP has been much less successful."[/pullquote] According to the Migration Policy Institute, Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) recorded 268 complaints filed against the INM for violations of human rights at migrant detention centers during the first six months of Frontera Sur. In addition, stories of INM officials demanding bribes have been the topic of many news stories.

According to a recent report published by Georgetown University Law Center, many children entering Mexico are not screened for international protection by the Mexican government and are unaware of their rights to apply for asylum. "Migrant children are one of the most vulnerable populations," wrote co-author Mary Nelson. "Yet, they are left to fend for themselves when asking for protection."

U.S. officials have denied that Frontera Sur is a ploy to keep Central Americans from facing a judge in the United States, but it seems clear that the initiative has been a money-saver for the U.S. government -- and a major political win for anti-immigration hardliners in Washington.

Since the $1 billion aid package arrived to Congress, it took the Obama Administration well over a year to provide any concrete plans to protect Central American migrants. Only in mid-January of 2016 did the U.S. government announce its own migrant protection program. Under the program, the U.S. has pledged to open additional refugee processing centers in Mexico, Belize, and Costa Rica in order to more efficiently assess refugee status claims for as many as 9,000 residents of the Northern Triangle. But even this effort has been mired in contradiction. At the same time the new processing centers were announced, the Obama Administration authorized the Department of Homeland Security to carry out a string of early-morning raids on hundreds of undocumented Central Americans residing in the United States.

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Civil rights groups quickly denounced the raids as scare tactics meant to deter migrants from coming to the United States. These deportations, which then Senator Obama had been critical of, blatantly defy international norms that state that a person cannot be sent back to a country where they face threats to their life and person. Deterrence schemes, such as a multi-billion dollar public relations campaign sponsored by the U.S.-government last year to warn Central American parents of the dangers of migrating, do not address the validity or severity of violence these families face in their home countries. The message sent becomes: you're not safe there, but you're not safe here, either. While Congress continues to rebuke any efforts to focus on the structural factors motivating migration, the Obama administration has continued to adopt short-term, violent solutions that will do nothing to change migration patterns.

In June 2015, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson anticipated at least in part, the consequences of increased security aid without other reforms. As Jacobson told a group at the D.C.-based Wilson Center last June, [pullquote]"I fear... that Congress is only going to authorize the security part [of the Central America aid proposal] and say we don't need the rest... And that is a recipe for disaster. Unless we do everything, we will fail. And we will have more migration crises."[/pullquote]

What Jacobson's comments -- and actions of the Obama Administration more generally -- have avoided is the crux of the issue: the fact that it's security aid itself that has exacerbated the region's ongoing migration crisis.

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The 2017 congressional budget justification, released February 9, in many ways echoes last year's proposal, though the initial proposal for development aid is somewhat lower -- at around $310 million for Central America's Northern Triangle countries. As occurred last year, we can expect these numbers will be whittled down as the bill goes through Congress, while lawmakers eagerly go beyond budget requests for border enforcement. Past experience suggests that any tempered optimism about the direction of U.S. aid is as fleeting and incomplete as the mechanisms in place to protect Central American migrants.
A homeless man holds a sign asking for money while resting at the entrance to a subway station, Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

The American people have a deep sense of fairness. We are angry about the dramatic rise in the pay gap between the top 100 CEOs and the average worker -- a gap which has widened from $45 to $1 in 1970 to a whopping $844 to $1 today. (Please see Runaway Inequality for more data)

A new study shows that runaway inequality also is creating a more deadly gap -- a growing life expectancy gap between the rich and the poor.

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Just as with inequality, there always has been a gap in life expectancy based on income. But something new and disturbing is now underway: The life expectancy gap is accelerating. Runaway inequality is robbing lower income groups of the longevity they deserve.

This was not expected. On the contrary, as our country grew richer and richer, we believed the gap would narrow. Advances in medicine, health education and our overall standard of living should have increased the life-spans for every group, regardless of income, race or ethnicity.

Unfortunately, the picture is quite bleak for the bottom 10 percent. Among low-income women the average life expectancy has not budged over the last generation, holding steady at 80.4 years. Low income men saw a slight increase from 74.3 years to 76.0 years.

Meanwhile, if you're the beneficiary of runaway inequality, break out the Champagne and birthday candles. Your average life expectancy has jumped from 84.1 to 90.5 years of age for wealthy women, and from 79.3 to 88 years for well-off men.

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Instead of narrowing, the longevity gap between rich and poor has actually increased by seven long years during the reign of runaway inequality!

The Longevity Gap is Color Coded

While this is a tragedy for all low-income Americans, it is of special importance to people of color.

Blacks households comprise 24% of those earning less than15,000 year but only 5% of those households earning more than200,000 per year.

Hispanic families comprise 15% of the poorest households and 5% of the richest.

Meanwhile white households comprise 56% of the those in the lowest income brackets and 80% of the highest brackets. (Percentages derived from data found here)

A Focus on Class is a Focus on Race

The Sanders campaign is being criticized for concentrating too much on class and not enough on race -- that he is a single issue candidate who is insensitive to racial disparities.

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But if you care about the gross unfairness of the longevity gap, a focus on class is very much a focus on race. In addition, such a focus could produce powerful alliances, since 56% of the poor are white. There's a rainbow coalition for economic and racial justice to be formed.

It is critically important to understand that the elites who prosper from runaway inequality are willing to accommodate a demand that removes racial disparities among the poor and among the rich. Establishment elites would embrace such diversity as long as they could continue to profit from runaway inequality.

But we close the obscene wealth and income gap, while also eliminating poverty entirely. That requires a redistribution of income and wealth from financial and corporate elites to the rest of us, something those elites are fiercely resisting.

Neo-liberalism and the Drive for Austerity

Reversing runaway inequality and the gruesome longevity gap requires that we understand how we got here.

In the late 1970s a new political-economic philosophy captured both political parties -- academics call it neo-liberalism -- Bernie calls it the establishment. These new policies consisted of cuts in taxes, cuts in regulations, cuts in the social safety net and a reduction of the power of labor unions.

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This was supposed to lead to a massive profit and investment boom that would make all boats rise. Unfortunately, these policies, especially the deregulation of Wall Street, unleashed the forces of runaway inequality. The result: prosperity and longevity for the rich, austerity for the rest of us.

With the new economic philosophy came a new social philosophy. You are on your own. If you're poor, do something about it. If you're unemployed, go find a job. If you want to go to college, take out loans. If you want a poverty program, go to jail.

The entire notion of public job creation, especially for young people of color and the poor, was taken off the table. Instead, many of those at the bottom of the income ladder were vacuumed up into the criminal justice system. As inequality grew, so did the prison population. We now have the most prisoners in the world, both in total number and as a percentage of the population.

For more than 40 years this neo-liberal model went unchallenged. Yes, there were differences between the parties. Liberal neo-liberals support more social diversity on race, gender and sexual orientation and slightly less austerity. But neither party interfers with runway inequality as they compete for campaign donations from economic elites, (as well as fat speaking fees and lucrative financial jobs after leaving political office.)

Then came the financial crash and the Great Recession. All that financial deregulation, so forcefully promoted by Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush came home to roost. But Wall Street used its enormous political muscle within the neoliberal establishment to get the bailouts it needed. The rest of American took the hit.

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Since then, the largest banks have grown even bigger while 95 percent of all the new income generated by the economy has gone to the top 1 percent.

Occupy, Warren and Sanders

Neo-liberalism was so deeply embedded in Congress that by the summer of 2011, President Obama called for more austerity. Not only did he succeed in cutting government jobs (among the most important middle class jobs for people of color) but he wanted a "grand bargain" with the Republicans that included cuts in Social Security.

But Occupy Wall Street beat it back in the fall of 2011. OWS completely changed the subject from austerity to inequality as "We are the 99%" captured the political discourse.

The 900 Occupy encampments around the world tapped into the deep anger Americans felt towards Wall Street and the politicians who coddled the rich and powerful. But Occupy couldn't build the lasting organizational and political structures needed to capture it.

Elizabeth Warren picked up the banner. Like no other Democrat she took Wall Street to task again and again. She became a national phenomena as she successfully ran for the Senate.

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And now Bernie.

The Sanders campaign is a direct assault on the neo-liberal establishment. Hillary, however, is part of it. Her donors, her advisors, her media contacts, and her family all are of the top one percent. They represent the liberal wing of the neo-liberal establishment and are among the winners of runaway inequality.

Hillary claims that her positions are the same as Bernie's, but they are not.

He wants a $15 minimum wage, She wants 12, a big difference if you are poor.

He wants a financial transaction tax to pay for free higher education. She wants neither.

He wants to break up the big banks. She only wants more oversight.

He wants single-payer universal health care. She wants to keep the private insurance companies in play.

Every one of Bernie's policies is an attack on runaway inequality and the neo-liberal establishment. Hillary's positions can be accommodated within that establishment. It is not an accident that Wall Street paid so much to hear Hillary speak. It is not an accident that they are contributing millions to her Super-Pac.

But it is short-sighted to think that Wall Street is buying Hillary's votes. Rather, they are re-cementing her into the neo-liberal framework. She can be for change, but not enough to reverse runaway inequality.

The Shameless Embrace of Obama

Since Hillary can not directly attack her own backers and advisors -- the elite establishment that profits from runaway inequality and poverty -- her racial justice strategy is to wrap herself around President Obama.

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It's not a racial dog whistle -- it's a bullhorn.

Any critique of her neo-liberalism, or her health care position, or her Wall Street speaking fees and Super-Pac contributions is instantly reframed as an attack on the first black president. "He did it too!"

But the American people are not stupid. After 40 years of neo-liberal disaster unfairness and austerity, we have had enough. We don't want a growing longevity gap, a growing income gap, a growing wealth gap, and a growing racial gap. We don't want the most prisoners in the world, the most child poverty and the most expensive health care system.

We no longer want to live in a country torn apart by runaway inequality and we want someone who is willing fight the rigged economic system, political corruption and "the billionaire class."

Bernie's doing just that and that is precisely what worries Team Hillary.

(This article originally appeared on Alternet.org)
"It is natural to use the earth as a canvas. I think of earth as a sculpture in space." -- Lita Albuquerque



Lita Albuquerque beside Embodiment at Art Basel/Kohn Gallery booth, 2015

Photo courtesy of Eric Minh Swenson

Susan Sontag argues that "whatever goal is set for art, eventually proves restrictive, matched against the widest goals of consciousness." While Sontag famously defined art as a "form of consciousness," she also insists that "outgrown maps of consciousness are redrawn." The expansive form of consciousness in Albuquerque's artworks comes from "always thinking from the perspective of outer space looking back at the earth." This expansive perspective is both futuristic and ancient because astrophysicists, astronauts, poets, philosophers and stargazers always draw from deep space to marvel at the mysteries of life.

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Bernard Berenson contends that the consciousness in painting is created by "space composition" which "woos us away from our tight, painfully limited selves, [and] dissolves us into the space presented." For Berenson, the greatest artists are always "space composers." What space could be more expansive than infinite deep outer space -- the perspective from which Albuquerque views life on earth?

Albuquerque explains that the first astronomical images of earth in 1969 revolutionized perspective and underlie her approach to making art that explores the way the Earth is in a solar system, a stellar system, a galactic system and a cosmic system. She expands Berenson's idea of "space composition" in painting by exploring new ways of using light reflection in multi-media works to immerse the viewer in perceptual fields that create a feeling of the ever-expanding deep outer space. This exploration has led her to remote parts of the world to stage large ephemeral land works and to experiment with innovative ways of using natural transformative materials to create a celestial quality in minimalist light and space works.



Opening for 20/20 Accelerando

USC Fisher Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 2016

Photo courtesy of Eric Minh Swenson

L.A. viewers currently have a rare opportunity to appreciate the depth and breadth of this internationally renowned artist in two simultaneous exhibitions: Embodiment, a solo exhibition of beautiful wall sculptures at Kohn Gallery (January 9 - February 27, 2016) and 20/20 Accelerando, a poetic film with a sculpture installation, at USC Fisher Museum (January 27 - April 10, 2016). This haunting film that Albuquerque wrote after a dream -- with music by Robbie C. Williamson, choreography by her daughter Jasmine Croissant and star language by Cassandra Bickman for the opening performance -- adds an extra dimension which contextualizes the exhibition of objects at Kohn Gallery.

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Albuquerque's wall sculptures are initially enjoyed formalistically, for their sheer beauty. But the interplay of squares and symbolic circles -- which are minimalist at heart -- have deeper metaphysical meanings which are understood better in relation to her poetic film. The text for the film came from a dream about a female astronaut from the 25th century "on a mission to spread interstellar consciousness." But when she crash lands on earth on 6,000 B.C., she forgets her mission, forcing her on a heroine's journey "of remembrance and self-discovery." This recalls Platonic ideas about memory, but also reminds us of the Greek myth of Psyche who fell to earth as a dewdrop and had to perform character-building tasks to unite her divine and earthly nature -- with the guidance of Eros -- a tale which Carl Jung and Erich Neumann used to illustrate feminine psychology. Albuquerque says the film came from a desire to introduce the feminine, and symbolizes her own journey to authentically claim "who I am." The film is filled with images of nature which blur past, present and future. At times, the images and music is frightening, and at one point there was music vibrating so much through my body, I thought I was having heart palpitations. When I recounted my experience to Albuquerque, she said, "that is what I want."



Performance with 20/20 Accelerando

USC Fisher Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 2016

Photo courtesy of Eric Minh Swenson

The beautiful abstract wall pieces at Kohn Gallery are also based on interstellar consciousness, but use reflected light to create a more subtle celestial ambience. The glowing resin discs -- resembling gold suns and silver moons -- cast shimmering reflections on the floor and change from concave to convex when viewed from different angles because they reflect light differently at different times of day, symbolizing the space / time / light continuum. But these also create the ambiance of moving through Los Angeles at night or walking around the Griffith Observatory.

These are labor-intensive works, utilizing Albuquerque's expansive skill set. They comprise thirty or forty layers of white or black gesso before the application of further top layers of hand-mixed color. Albuquerque uses natural pigments: like rose madder (from lake roots), soft purple resuvianite (from Mt. Vesuvius) and pigments used in a century old Japanese painting technique, Enogu. The density of the background reflects light -- instead of absorbing light -- like deep outer space, and creates auras around the glowing discs that resemble moving stars in the sky. Michael Kohn (a former Flash Art editor, with a gift for words) explains "the center highly reflects light, creating a beautiful dichotomy that is all within one space. When we think about deep space and about stars, we think about the profundity of its depth and the reflective quality of the stars, which these capture as closely as I've seen." Kohn explains that when we see light effects that are rare occurrences like a rainbow, "we as non-scientists with a long experience of art can ascribe these rare light occurrences to something metaphysical. Then we are moved and think about the human experience -- which is what all great art does."



Aether Acceleration, 2016

Pigment on panel and white gold leaf on resin, 84 x 84 inches

Installation photo courtesy of Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles

Color and composition can always be appreciated at a purely formalist level, but only contain metaphysical meanings when they make the viewer's body vibrate in response to the art, which itself vibrates. Albuquerque titles this exhibition Embodiment because she understands the importance of what she calls "accelerations that function like perceptual acceleration for the viewer when something gets accelerated in the body, which is a consciousness of perception."

Art is physical, but it is only when the viewer feels its vibration in the body that art really takes on a further sublime quality, filling us with awe. 20/20 Accelerando explores this idea with an inner narrative about the female astronaut's recovering memory. Time is multi-dimensional in Albuquerque's film, which combines figurative imagery from different historic periods, but the Embodiment artworks change within the time of viewing as the viewer physically moves around the gallery space. Albuquerque is sometimes called "The Queen of the Now," because she draws from her daily meditation practices of being fully present in the moment and the space she inhabits as the inspiration for her art practice.

Albuquerque's interest in the vibratory quality of color is "a way of bringing attention to the different vibrations that affect us." She calls this our "response ability." At first glance, a color might look like purple, but on further reflection it is not really purple but another variation of brownish-purple. Her gold and silver discs are really concaves, but seen from a distance they can turn into convexes. These colors and compositions require serious attention because their inner life is so rich and metaphoric. As the Embodiment title suggests, these artworks are corporeal, so the discs are also like beating hearts, and the density of the background has a fecundity that suggests the power of natural growth in nature, the human body and feminine psyche. Merleau Ponty said every painterly technique "is a technique of the body." From a phenomenological perspective, the body is the locus for experiencing the world from the inside out -- and thus provides the most powerful metaphors for painting.



Albion, 2015

Obsidian, honey, glass, steel, 25 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 24 1/2 inches; pedestal 27 1/2 x 24 x 24 inches

Installation photo courtesy of Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles

Art is physical and the vibratory quality of great art must be felt in the body, just like music. As Walter Pater says, "All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music." The film's music combined with the performers chanting the names of stars in the opening performative sculpture demonstrates this idea. Albuquerque's wall sculptures also explore this idea, but in a more gentle, abstract way. Her sculptures are made of transformative materials with metaphysical meanings: like honey, which is the nectar of the stars (because bees pollinate to the rising of certain stars), salt which is a mineral and copper which is a conductor. In Albion -- which means "world soul" -- she combines obsidian and honey, hardness and sweetness. Albuquerque says her signature ultramarine is blue, "not because it forces itself upon us, but because it draws us after it." But it also recalls her childhood growing up in Tunisia, looking out at the vast Mediterranean Sea and sky.

Albuquerque was the recipient of MOCA's Distinguished Women in the Arts award in 2014. Her works have been exhibited at numerous museums, including MOCA, LACMA, DFMOMA, Musee d'art Moderne in Paris, National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi and Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.



Lita Albuquerque at the reception for 20/20 Accelerando

USA Fisher Museum of Art, Los Angeles

Photo courtesy of Eric Minh Swenson

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The grand scale, inter-disciplinary, inter-generational, collaborative nature of Albuquerque's artwork is expansive -- in every sense of the word. Her artwork is expansive in breadth -- extending from land works in the Antarctic and the Arctic, to the Mojave Desert and even the Pyramids in Giza. It is expansive in vision, extending from a fascination with rocks and natural pigments to stargazing, from sacred sites to our technological era, and from ancient mythologies to astrophysics. Most significantly, her artwork is expansive in the way it accelerates the perception of the viewer in apparently minimalist works which use light to evoke a sense of the space-time continuum.

The expansiveness of Albuquerque's curiosity in the mysteries of life is infectious. Leo Tolstoy defined art as infectiousness, arguing that when we are "infected by the feelings which the author has felt, it is art." The expansive feeling in Albuquerque's artwork is uplifting and inspires the viewer to feel her wonderment. Albuquerque is a teacher -- in every sense of the word -- who inspires generations of artists: those she teaches at Art Center College of Art (where she is on core faculty of the graduate program), and the younger artists she collaborates with in an expanded skill set of different talents - like Hollywood productions.



Embodiment installation, 2016

Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles

Installation photo courtesy of Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles

Neuroscientists recently discovered that the brain chemistry of art lovers viewing art they love, or music lovers listening to music they love, or book lovers reading books they love, effects the same areas of the brain, as falling in love. So, "What's Love Got to Do with It?" Everything.

It is taboo to talk about love in art criticism because it is assumed that love cannot be discussed with criticality even though it is the subject of the greatest literature and music. In academic, postmodern art-speak, it is considered more serious to talk critically about abject art, pathetic art, transgressive art or ugly art. This is disembodied intellectualism, disconnected from any curiosity about nature and the stars and confined to deconstructing culture, which is sadly limiting.

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In contrast, love is the most expansive feeling and connects body, mind and spirit with nature -- which is joyful limitlessness. Albuquerque literally pours love into her labor-intensive artwork through applying multiple layers of gesso, before adding layers of natural pigments with such care to resemble the stars she loves so much. Again, "we are infected by the feelings" she feels and "it is art." (Tolstoy)
In the United States, our system for treating mental illness is so broken that sometimes people with mental health issues will break the law so that they can get treated in jail. People used to think putting the mentally ill in asylums was unacceptable, but now we lock them up. Mental illness is the only physical ailment we treat as criminally punishable.

One person who has a lot to say about the mentally ill in jail is Los Angeles County Assistant Sheriff Terri McDonald. She oversees the Los Angeles County Jail System, the largest in the United States. It is also the largest mental health facility in the nation, with one in five inmates suffering from mental illness. McDonald stated, "The mentally ill often come into the jails for crimes of poverty, homelessness, and addiction." Community-based settings would be better for them, but because those programs have disappeared, jail has become the only place for the mentally ill to go. "This is one of the most shameful parts of criminal justice across America," said McDonald. The assistant sheriff further explained that when mentally ill citizens are stealing, yelling, and acting out, police officers do not have any place to put them, and, therefore, they bring them to the jails. The jails are not designed and staffed to treat the mentally ill, so they are strained. The mentally ill are stabilized in jail, but they have often only committed small crimes, so they are released after a short while into the community where wraparound (individualized community-based) services are lacking for them. Also, mixing the mentally ill with hardened criminals can be very harmful. What McDonald would like to see is a great deal of attention put into community treatment for mentally ill individuals with criminal records. This can be difficult because oftentimes community members do not want these types of individuals in their communities. There needs to be better education in the community and better reentry services upon release.

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We could downsize jails and increase treatment in the community. The problem with this is that communities oftentimes have a difficult time accepting facilities where the mentally ill live. If they feel this way, it is difficult to teach them compassion. McDonald shared that if you were in a room with 100 people and you asked them if they know someone who is mentally ill or has substance abuse problems, most of them would say they do. Most citizens realize we do not need to put these individuals in jail or prison. People just say "not in my neighborhood."

To change people's minds, McDonald shared that it is important to explain to them that most people with mental illness are not inherently violent and dangerous. People are scared of the mentally ill, so they need to be educated about them. The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a great resource for this. Some with mental illness may alarm others because they might be disheveled or yelling. They are American citizens who are suffering in our streets. They have a right to live that way because the laws about being a danger to self and others protect them from being placed in a setting against their will.
Palestinian demonstraters stand on top of the Israeli controvertial separation wall separating the West Bank city of Abu Dis (R) from east Jerusalem, during clashes with Israeli security forces, on October 28, 2015. AFP PHOTO / AHMAD GHARABLI (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images)

Every year, the University of Pennsylvania's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) stages two public events on campus: The first is a memorial for the Palestinians killed in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli Defense Forces. To commemorate them, we place a single black flag for each person in front of the main building on campus. The second event is a mock wall demonstration that symbolizes the actual 155-kilometer-long wall separating Israel and the West Bank. Posters cover the mock wall that explain the structure's illegality under international law and the ways in which it encroaches on the everyday lives of the Palestinians living behind it.

In honoring the lives of those lost in the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and in making our minority voice heard in a predominantly pro-Israel campus, our members and demonstrations have been subject to routine backlash. This has ranged from harassment and threats of physical harm to angry observers uprooting our memorial in protest.

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One of the most recent assaults against our public events came in the form of an op-ed in our school newspaper, the Daily Pennsylvanian, in which the past president of the pro-Israel group on campus referred to our Gaza memorial as "noise" and "propaganda." He ended his article by asking the Penn community to "see past [this] noise."

In response, we, the Palestinian students involved in SJP wrote an op-ed detailing our experiences as Palestinians on campus, our experiences living within "the noise."

We were not alone in our frustration with this article, the Progressive Jewish Alliance (PJA) at Penn also chose to write a response addressing the claims made in the piece. Out of respect for our experiences as Palestinians, PJA insisted on having our article published first.

The Daily Pennsylvanian's op-ed team, however, ignored PJA's request, saying "we're either going to publish your column without SJP's, or not at all." They felt that PJA's article was "more of a response" even though the original article had been directly aimed at our group and its demonstrations.

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The following is the op-ed that we originally submitted. We hope you read it and listen to our voice. Here are three stories from Palestinian students at our university:

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Walking down Locust, I'm hit with so much noise. I try hard to fight through it and make it to the other side, politely refusing flyers and declining tickets to acapella shows. But one voice hits me too hard to ignore. "Do you want a free trip to Israel?"

I grew up hearing about Palestine although I have never been there. Palestine lives for me in the memories of my grandparents, memories that were passed down to me. There's something about memories -- through them I can live again. I live the pain of longing for home, a pain that my family has felt for generations, a pain that my grandmother felt for the first time in 1948.

The noise of Locust becomes the sounds of Irgun members torching houses in my grandma's neighborhood in Jaffa. My grandma's father is packing their belongings and getting ready to flee their home into neighboring Jordan. I hear families on the streets, carrying their homes on their backs, making their way into refugee status.

Pain for Palestinians is not exclusive to the diaspora, to those of us who cannot go back.



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I remember being excited for field trips. When I was in the sixth grade, my school wanted to take us to the zoo. Landlocked in Ramallah, I always wanted to see the beach, but figured the zoo was the next best thing.

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I remember filling my backpack the night before, wanting to be there so badly. I remember forgetting that I was Palestinian. The checkpoints made sure that I would never forget again. We waited eight hours at a checkpoint called Zaatara just to get to a city one hour away. We showed them our permits, our itinerary, our school IDs, but still I never got to see that zoo.

There is a unique humiliation that comes from being unable to move in your own country, being a child treated like a criminal. A child imprisoned within a concrete wall that snakes illegally through villages and separates farmer from land, brother from brother, and olive tree from water. This wall that stands outside of internationally recognized borders.

These restrictions remind me that I am a Palestinian in the West Bank. I will never hear the sound of waves hitting the shore, only the noise of soldiers shouting at checkpoints.

Pain for Palestinians is not exclusive to those behind the wall.



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I remember touching down in Tel-Aviv. As I drove past beautiful olive trees and rolling hills, I did not let the soldiers with guns lining the road bother me. I felt relieved that I no longer had to live in Palestine through the memories of my parents because now I was free to make my own.

"They hate us," she said as we walked through a mall. They kept staring. "They hate us because those three settler boys were kidnapped and killed in the West Bank."

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I had heard of the tragic death of these boys and knew that only four hours away, many were losing their lives in Gaza in retaliation. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know how to stop the stares. I could only communicate with my cousin in Arabic, which is why they wouldn't stop staring. So I stopped talking and let the noise of the mall fill my silence.

I am a Christian Palestinian citizen of Israel and I exist as an other in my ancestral homeland.

Events from that summer worked to stain the relief I felt when I landed. The memories I made of dabke at weddings, hummus and falafel at my uncle's house, and of seeing my teta (grandma) for the first time in over a decade will be tarnished with stares in malls, reminders of how small I look before soldiers -- before heavy black machine guns.

Reminders of birthright posters on Locust, reminders of torched houses, of places I cannot return to and of places I can never see outside of my memories. I respond, "Yes, of course I want a free trip to Israel."

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I am the Palestinian students of Penn Students for Justice in Palestine. The students that planned the memorial called noise. That pushed flags into tough earth while tougher words were flung at us. Our stories are not exceptional. We tell our stories for the ones who cannot tell theirs. Their stories are more than just noise -- their stories are why we make the noise.
Republican presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks during a campaign rally in Wakefield, Mass., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Governor John Kasich caused quite a stir Tuesday at a presidential candidate forum when he said "women came out of their kitchens" to help him get elected early in his career. His presidential campaign spokesman dismissed the remark as meaning the campaigns were home grown affairs "run out of his friends' kitchens." If that small slip into sexism was telling, it wasn't nearly as insulting to women as what followed.

A young nursing student reminded the candidate that Planned Parenthood's largest percentage of services are for STD treatment and prevention. She then asked "Could you please tell me the economic and public health benefit of defunding an organization that has treated of four million people for STD services just in the past year?" Kasich began his answer with a falsehood, saying Planned Parenthood had "discredited itself."

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Wait a minute governor -- you've got that backwards. The organization that deceptively accused Planned Parenthood of "selling body parts" has not only been discredited, the leaders have been indicted for deception. At the same time the Harris County grand jury absolved Planned Parenthood of wrongdoing in the made-up, made-for-Republican-candidates "scandal." And by the way, according to Forbes, the bill Kasich just signed to defund Planned Parenthood will actually deny services like cancer screenings to over 50,000 Ohio women. That's because Ohio law already prohibited using the money for providing abortions, so that $1.3 million would have gone to other life-saving services.

It got worse. Kasich then had the gall to claim "We have robust women's health funding in Ohio" and quickly pivoted to the issue of infant mortality. Infant mortality is important, but this was a classic case of ducking the question. He emphasized the greatest "hot spots" of infant mortality are in minority communities and "we're going to crack that as well" -- apparently meaning his administration hasn't quite gotten around to it.

Moving on, he skipped the rock across the original question again, with two-word phrases on early childhood and day care. And the pay gap - sort of. He said "women have to be in a position of flexibility in the workforce so they can gain the experience and wages men have." Translation: You girls just don't have the experience men have, and that's what causes the pay gap. No discrimination involved. Just be more flexible. Then, as if the mere fact would seal the deal with female voters, he threw in that he has a wife and two daughters.

Finally returning to the original question, Kasich ended by saying if he is elected president "we will robustly fund issue of women's health and give the states flexibility to deliver it however they think they should." Great. That means block granting Medicaid, and the flexibility he so reveres would mean cutting off services for mammograms and std testing, instituting unaffordable co-pays, and ending birth control services if state legislatures want to spend the money some other way.

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Today, the Earth got a little hotter, and a little more crowded.

Bizarre Biodiversity - another reason to preserve forests, as this Brazilian Gorbatkov illustrates. (No, really, this is not photoshopped.) Source funganssi.blogspot.com

Forests: the cheapest way to store carbon

Forests Matter - storing vast amounts of carbon that are released into the atmosphere as climate-changing gases when forests are destroyed. Conserving and restoring forests are vital to combating climate change.Source ajunglescientists.wordpress.com

OO The Really Green Solution To Climate Change - why saving forests has emerged as a key part of the global climate picture.



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When we harm forests, we harm ourselves.

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If You Don't Vote For Climate Action, You Can Forget The Rest - in a climate-changing world of famine, drought, rising seas, giant storms and heat waves, there will be no security in jobs, health, wealth, or national safety. There will be chaos ensuing from increasing crises and disasters. Vote.



OO Global Warming Policies We Set Today Will Determine The Next 10,000 Years - of global warming, a new study shows -- and whether our civilization survives or not: history shows that harmful climate change has destroyed civilizations before.

This time, it could be worldwide. Let's keep "The Hunger Games" in the realm of fiction.



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@@ Climate Change 101: Why Care?

What You Need to Know - Bill Nye tells it all in five minutes amid graphic, dynamic, engaging, compelling imagery. Check it Out!

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OO Arctic Sea Ice Is Melting In Winter - Right Now! Earlier than it has ever before been known to do so. Bad news for this polar ice cap, a major planetary thermal shield protecting us from absorbing too much heat from the sun. Provided at the Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis.



Related Headline:

OO January 2016 Hits New Low in Arctic Ice by satellite data, showing yet further loss of this major solar thermal shield for the planet.



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OO Just days after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling clouded the future of a new United Nations climate pact, the passing of one of its justices has boosted the pact's chances of succeeding. Who knows what God was thinking...

OO Scalia's Sad Death Could Be Good

News For Climate Change - given that his conservative vote in a court of 5 conservative and 4 moderate judges was vital to placing a recent hold on Obama's Clean Power Plan, which would help limit climate-changing emissions significantly.

Holding back the plan could also chill investment in clean energy.

With the current 4 vs 4 court, any tie votes mean the lower court ruling will stand - and for the Clean Power Plan, that liberal lower court is likely to allow the plan to proceed.



Related Headline:

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OO Move To Cleaner Power Continues, Despite Supreme Court's Ruling and appears to have had little initial effect on the electricity providers most directly affected by the Clean Power Plan.



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OO Australia's Financial Folly of Fossil Fuels:

$1000s Lost Yearly From Retirement Savings in Fossil Fuel Investments



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GOOD CLEAN NEWS

LEDs In, CFLs Out - is likely under a new bulb efficiency standard by the US Department of Energy. LEDs now come in all shapes and sizes.

OO DOE Proposes Light Bulb Standard that would likely lead to the phase-out of compact fluorescent lights.



OO Washington State: Lawmakers Consider A Carbon Tax to tax residents and businesses on their carbon emissions.



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Credit Eugene Garcia at AP

OO China Breezes Past EU To Become Wind Power Leader installing half of all new wind capacity worldwide last year.



OO Huge Year for Wind Power in Europe - as offshore wind investments in Europe doubled in 2015, with the European Union's total offshore wind capacity now more than 11 gigawatts of power.



OO Dutch Lawmakers Call For Halt To Wood Energy Subsidies burning wood creates climate changing emissions.



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Plugging A Flying Loophole in last December's landmark Paris agreement, governments proposed for the first time to reduce climate pollution from airplanes.

OO Global Initiative Introduces First Proposal To Reduce Airplane Pollution



OO The Tipping Point

For Investing In Renewable Energy? as oil prices bottom out and fossil fuels no longer offer strong returns, investment dollars are starting to move to renewable energy.



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OO Chinese Market Electrifying For 'Green' Vehicles - as government subsidies fuel a boom in electric vehicles.



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GOOD IDEAS

OO 12 Ways To Mobilize The Money Needed To Stop Climate Change - A panel of experts share their ideas. Takeaways:

Tax Wall Street

Remind politicians to spend tax funds on addressing climate change

Leverage funds to attract more funding

ensure pledged funding to developing countries is received

ensure funding gets to the right targets at the right times

train utilities on how to integrate clean energy into the grid

offer clean energy incentives

tighten regulations on dirty energy

think long term.

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OO What These Christians Are Giving Up For Lent: Fossil Fuels - UK faith groups are helping communities switch to alternative energy.



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OO Avoid Massive Tree Farms - World-wide tree plantations, soil modification or bioenergy crops could add to the planetary harm of global warming, scientist warns.



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CLUELESS LEADERSHIP

Debate 'Climate Vacuum', Redux 2012 - how the years fly and temperatures rise, but some things never change... Credit Chappatte at International Herald Tribune

OO The Presidential Race:

Debate Media Ignore Climate Change,

But DO Ask Dumb Questions - while the country's top scientists have some very relevant questions to pose.



OO New Federal Gas Storage Regulations Likely To Mimic Industry's Guidelines which don't require emergency shutoffs or safer pipes.



OO Nearly 3,000 Climate Scientists Worldwide Condemn

Australia's Dramatic Research Cuts - as the government plans to cut as many as 350 climate science research jobs..



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OO Most US Science Teachers Don't Understand

Or Teach Climate Change Enough - spending an average 1-2 hours yearly to educate students on it, a recent survey shows.



Related Headline:

OO Most US Science Teachers Are Teaching Climate Change --

But Not Always Correctly



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Credit Victor Juhasz at the RollingStone

OO The Koch Brothers' Dirty War on Solar Power - as the price of solar power drops dramatically, fossil fuel profiteers are fighting its rise.

Investor-owned utilities, and Koch-brothers-funded front groups like American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), are mounting a fierce, rear-guard resistance at the state level -- pushing rate hikes and punishing fees for homeowners who turn to solar power.

Their efforts have darkened green-energy prospects in could-be solar superpowers like Arizona, Nevada - and especially Florida.



Related Headlines:

OO Rooftop Solar Providers Face A Cloudier Future with losses mounting at rooftop solar companies as some states have withdrawn their support, and cheap natural gas isn't helping matters.



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OO Massachusetts: State Lawmakers Let Major Solar Incentives Die





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CLIMATE LEADERSHIP

The Cost of Burning Fossil Fuels? Priceless! Credit Tom Toles at the Washington Post

OO Why So Many Economists Back Obama's Idea of a Tax on Oil - because so many costly side-effects of fossil fuel burning and production aren't taken into account when assigning a real price to it - a big "market failure" that a tax could address.



OO Obama Seeks Nearly $13 Billion to Expand Clean-Energy Research by 2021, nearly doubling US investment, as part of a broader commitment to curb the effects of climate change.



Related Headline:

OO White House Details Massive Clean-Tech Spending Plan



When the Clueless Are In Charge... Credit Lalo Alcaraz

OO Obama Plan Aims for 'Climate Smart' Economy -

GOP Congress Will Likely Kill It - the president's push for clean energy policies in his $4.1 trillion fiscal 2017 budget is expected to be largely ignored by the Republican-controlled Congress.



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OO UN Chief Praises Canada's Trudeau For Role In Climate-Change Talks but urged him to spend more of Canada's wealth on the world's poorest people.



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SOCIAL REPERCUSSIONS

When California's Agriculture Goes, So Will This... Source Wikipedia

OO California's Water Supply At Risk From Warmer Winters - and with temperatures expected to be above normal this winter, California's snowpack may once again fall short.

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OO California's Driest County Despairs: No Running Water And No Solutions - Living day-to-day in a community without running water finally wore the Serrato family down.



OO Warming World Helps Spread For Zika-Carrying Mosquitos as the warm, wet conditions in which they thrive spread northward because of climate change - even into central California.



Surrounded by an Encroaching Sea - this village will have to move as rising seas and worsening storms eventually flood their land.

OO The Relocation Costs of Climate Change:

Obama Wants To Spend $2+ Billion - in his new fiscal budget, much of it on relocating entire coastal communities.



OO Zimbabwe Calls For $1.6 Billion In Aid To Pay For Food after a drought that has badly affected harvests and left 3 million people in need.



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Related Headline:

OO UNDP Raises $60 Million For Food Aid In Drought-Hit Zimbabwe and is feeding only 1 million of the 3 million people left hungry from the recent drought.



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NATURAL REPERCUSSIONS

Imagine Driving Into That... I did.

OO More Rain, Less Snow For U.S. Winters shows a new analysis, but not necessarily less precipitation overall, although that is happening in some areas, notably California, and the southwest.



OO Global Warming: Uneven Changes Across Planet - with even the likely modest 2 degrees C rise in average temperature. Takeaways:

Mediterranean countries, Brazil and the US would experience a 3 C rise;

Arctic night temps would soar 6 C

Oceans and loss of Arctic ice are partly responsible for the unevenness.

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Going, Going ... as climate change blocks access to their food via proliferating icebergs. Credit D. Lewins at picture-alliance

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OO 150,000 Antarctic Penguins Perished - after a huge iceberg cut off their access to the sea, forcing them to trek dozens of kilometers to find food. Scientists warn this colony of birds could be gone within 20 years.



OO Warmer Seas Speed Up Antarctic Ice Melt - New scientific studies provide a further warning of the increasing vulnerability of Antarctic glaciers to faster melting as temperatures rise in the Southern Ocean.



Beautiful Native plants are struggling to keep up with changes around them as pollution from fuel burning and deforestation continues to warm the planet.

OO Climate Change Is Leaving Native Plants Behind shows a new California study, which means ecosystems could be unraveling -- and not just there, but worldwide.

Collapsing Into Melting Ground will be the story for far more infrastructures in the far north, as permafrost melts.

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OO Canada: Yukon To Feel Impacts Of Climate Change says a new report. Takeaways:

It's heated up 4 degrees F since 1965 - and 8 F during its winters;

Glaciers and sea ice and are melting fast;

Melting permafrost is destabilizing costly infrastructures;

Wildlife Are Stressed By Climate Change, Too Credit USFS

Annual precipitation is rising, as are flood risks;

Storms are likely to worsen;

Stress on wildlife will increase.

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FOSSIL FUEL FOLLIES

Methane Leaks Threaten US Cities as this graphic of methane leaks in Boston, MA, shows. Source NOAA, US Navy et al data at www.skepticalscience.com

OO California's Gas Leak Capped --

But Next Gas Disaster Could Happen Soon - The question isn't if, but where and when -- and how long a community will have to shout before someone hears them.



OO Utah: Oil Sands Project Is Paused - as weak oil prices continue to discourage fossil fuel projects, showing just how much fossil fuels make the US dependent on foreign conditions, rather than foster energy independence, like clean energy.



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OO Oil Firms Kept State's Gas Supply Tight To Hike Price says a consumer group about Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp., of deliberately starving California's gasoline market of supplies last year in a bid to push up prices. Can you spell monopoly?



Czechs Invest In Pollution and Climate Change - by investing in the junk energy of foreign coal.

OO Czech Billionaires Invest in German Dirty Coal - as Germany invests in clean energy instead.



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If we do not grow sustainably,

Our children will die inhumanely.



@@ Myth vs Truth: The Huge Value of Contraception is an incisive, heartfelt recognition of the value of contraception by Sarah Brown, CEO, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy



Unintended Pregnancy Costs US Taxpayers:

Unintended Pregnancies Cost US Taxypayers Nearly $11 Billion Yearly

-the Guttmacher Institute

Teen Childbearing Alone Cost US Taxpayers $9+ Billion In 2010

And the costs of raising a child usually ensures decades, if not a life, of poverty for its mother.

- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Help prevent unintended pregnancies in your community:

publicize where women can access affordable contraception.

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They can go here to find locations:

And there are many more actions you can do, right here.

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SOLAR KEEPS SMILING

OO California Solar Industry Job Growth Reaches Record Levels - in 2015, with the addition of more than 20,000 new jobs within the state -- over half of the industry's positions created nationwide, says a new report.



OO In 20 US States Rooftop Solar Is Just As Cheap As Dirty Fossil Fuel Power - But rate design and net energy metering will determine tomorrow's solar economics, says a new analysis.



OO Going Solar? Here Are 9 Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Installer - the good news? $20,000 in average savings over 20 years. But before investing in solar, you need to ask prospective installers:



Are Your Installers Certified? by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners?

how long have you been operating, and how much have you installed?

NABCEP Certified (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners)?

licensed and insured as a solar installer or electrician in my state?

subcontracting any part of it? If yes, to whom? What are their qualifications?

What are the electrical codes in this area, and how do you adhere to them?

What are the names of the module and inverter manufacturers? What are their warranties?

Will My Installation Look Like This? Source www.solsystems.com

what about the racking, mounts and fasteners manufacturers and warranties?

names and contact information of three references for your company?

photos of systems you've installed that are similar to the one I want?

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Boom in Energy Storage Goes Worldwide as systems are deployed to make clean energy a reliable source of clean electricity. Source berc.berkeley.edu

OO Energy Storage Enters India's Solar Mission as a major state-owned Indian PV tender includes it as part of the smoother integration of renewables into the grid nationwide.



OO Australia Is Getting Serious About Battery Storage



Check it out here, right now!

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WHY WE SHOULD ACT NOW: RISING RISKS

Daily Climate Change: Global Map of Unusual Temperatures, Feb 23, 2016

How unusual has the weather been? No one event is "caused" by climate change, but global warming, which is predicted to increase unusual, extreme weather, is having a daily effect on weather, worldwide.

Looking above at recent temperature anomalies, much of the US and the waters surrounding it are experiencing warmer than normal temperatures: the eastern Pacific warm spot continues to prevent much rain from reaching California, sending it into further drought.

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The Arctic and North Pole are going BONKERS! Sea ice up there is now melting, even though there is little sunlight reaching the area - it's dark most of the time up there in February.

This is bad news for our Arctic thermal shield of ice. Hotter than usual temperatures continue to dominate human habitats.

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There is, of course, much more news on the consequences and solutions to climate change. To get it, check out this annotated resource list I've compiled, "Climate Change News Resources," at Wordpress.com here. For more information on the science of climate change, its consequences and solutions you can view my annotated list of online information resources here.

To help you understand just what science does and does NOT do, check this out!
For the past seven years, I have visualized a meeting with the president, our president, Barack Obama. I always wanted to ask him questions about criminal justice reform, police brutality and how we can give more opportunities to young people. Then it happened. I received a call from my colleague Ebonie, and heard the words: "Tomorrow, you will meet with the president". I took a deep breath and told her I looked forward to the opportunity. Once off of the phone, I sat and reflected on my life and all of the events during my 18 years on earth that led me to this huge opportunity.

Youth advocacy has been a cornerstone of everything I've done. When I was just 10-years-old, I founded Youth in Action and began mobilizing young folks across the country to take a stand on issues like bullying, gun violence and drugs. For the past four years, I've been honored to serve as the National Youth Director of National Action Network Youth Move under the guidance and leadership of civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton. As a passionate voice for my generation and the issues facing us, I was grateful to have such a unique opportunity to be in the room with the President and this first-of-its-kind gathering.

As I got out of the car on Thursday and walked up those White House steps, I could feel the rich history of those who had walked up those same stairs before me. The meeting was scheduled for an hour, but we went 30 minutes over because there was just so much to discuss. Members of the President's Cabinet were there such as Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ Vanita Gupta, Domestic Policy Advisor and the Director of the Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Munoz, lawyer Neil Eggleston and Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity Roy Austin Jr. The meeting also included different generations of the civil rights movement all there with one focus: how to work together to keep us progressing forward.

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The President focused on criminal justice reform, improving relations between the police and the people they serve, ending the school-to-prison pipeline and more. Despite what some media outlets or blogs would have you believe, the meeting at the White House was more than just a get-together; it was validation. Validation of the work our elders have done and are still doing.

Validation that young people care about the issues plaguing our communities. Validation that not only do we care, but we have ideas and strategies on how to solve those issues.

I felt like this was the beginning of a collaboration between the White House and the people in the room who represented both grassroots movements and long-established civil rights organizations.

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While I had known many of them through the years, there was still a certain atmosphere of nervousness and excitement. There was coffee and water in the most fancy little cups. And President Obama walked in with tea! It was an experience that I will never forget.
In an interview in October 2010, then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., made what would become one of the most repeated (and embellished) quotes of the Barack Obama presidency.

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president," McConnell, now the Senate majority leader, told the National Journal.

As the Washington Post explained in fall 2012, McConnell's words and the date they were spoken often have been inaccurately represented in the years since, generally by Democrats eager to present evidence of unyielding partisan opposition to Obama's every move.

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But as the Illinois state budget battle kicked into high gear last summer and fall, I've heard references to McConnell's famous quote in a different context. This time it was invoked in defense of a Republican -- Gov. Bruce Rauner -- who has had limited success with a Democrat-led Legislature.

The logic was along these lines: How can Democrats excoriate a Republican Congress for not bending to the wishes of President Obama while at the same time applauding a Democratic Illinois General Assembly for not cooperating on Rauner's reform agenda?

The question ignores one fundamental nuance in the Illinois debate, where the gridlock comes from Democrats opposing Rauner's use of reforms as leverage for negotiating a budget. House Speaker Michael Madigan has stated, ad nauseum, his pledge to work "professionally and cooperatively" with Rauner on the budget, but only if Rauner leaves his reform agenda for another day. To a lot of Illinois Republicans, that position misses the entire point of Rauner's argument. It's the Illinois equivalent of McConnell's "single most important thing" quote.

Following a press conference in Springfield last week in which students and college administrators called on Rauner and the General Assembly to fund higher education, I asked U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin if he saw parallels between Obama's treatment in his first term in Washington and Rauner's in Springfield thus far.

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Here's his answer:

Durbin faults Rauner for not recognizing his own inexperience in politics and failing to differentiate between success in governing and success in the business world. Rauner's approach on unions and in his dealings with Madigan, Durbin said, have not created a "conducive atmosphere for negotiating."

Given Madigan's statements about Rauner's reforms being "non-budget issues," though, one has to wonder whether such an atmosphere ever could exist.
On Monday, the Pew Research Center released a new poll surrounding the current battle between Apple and the Department of Justice with some telling results: 51 percent said Apple should unlock the San Bernardino suspect's iPhone, only 38 percent said they should not unlock the phone and 11 percent didn't offer an opinion on the situation. In other words, a majority of those polled -- from both the left and right it should be noted -- were in favor of Apple complying with the order to unlock the phone. What's clear from this latest survey is that regardless of Party affiliation, and despite revelations of unwarranted surveillance and increased government intrusion, people would rather give up more of their privacy in favor of a false sense of security. The simple reality is that fear was, is and always will be the greatest motivator to get the masses to support things -- even when those things may in fact harm them in the long run.

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"Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation," wrote Apple's CEO Tim Cook last week. "In the wrong hands, this software - which does not exist today -- would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession. The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: building a version of IOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control."

And therein lies the crux of the issue. As Apple and other tech experts argue, building such a system would pretty much open up Pandora's box. If they were to create a separate operating system, there is no way to stop others, including cyber criminals, from using such a system. If the FBI were to win this case, there is also no limit as to how many local law enforcement agencies would request to utilize such an operating system to open iPhones in cases they are handling. In fact, officials from around the country have already stated their intent to do precisely that. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said his office has 175 iPhones it can't open because of encryption, and even penned an op-ed for the New York Times on Sunday trying to make the case for law enforcement.

The pushback against Apple has been so fierce from all ends of the spectrum, including from Presidential candidates of course. But what's clear is that there is a lack of information that is actually reaching the people. Apple outlined its position on a Q&A page on its site and emphasized that the government should withdraw its demands under the All Writs Act and, instead form "a commission or other panel of experts on intelligence, technology, and civil liberties to discuss the implications for law enforcement, national security, privacy, and personal freedoms." This point is key. Why is the government persistent in pushing for a legal measure that will set a precedent for other local agencies, as well as set a precedent for future methods to get tech giants to create alternatives to their own security structures?

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Neither Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai of Google, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, or anyone else siding with Apple want to prevent the FBI from doing their job and keeping Americans safe. In fact, as Cook highlighted, Apple suggested that the FBI pair the San Bernardino shooter's phone to a previously joined network in order to back up the data and retrieve it. But as he stated, Apple learned that while the attacker's iPhone was in FBI custody, the Apple ID password was changed and therefore the phone could no longer access iCloud services. Perhaps the question we should all be asking is why the FBI didn't listen to Apple's suggestions, or why they perhaps went ahead with their own attempts to crack the phone first when they clearly didn't know what they were doing. Now they want to turn around and make Apple the bad guys.

In December, President Obama delivered a rare Sunday night speech from the Oval Office where one of his strongest lines was: "Freedom is more powerful than fear". But do we truly believe that? While freedom is great incentive for people to innovate, create and advance society (like so many in the tech industry have done), fear pushes folks to action like not much else can. Fear is why many Americans supported the invasion of Iraq circa '03 and were misled into believing that they had 'weapons of mass destruction'. Fear is why we collectively gave up so many of our liberties and why we allowed intrusive policies like the Patriot Act to become law. Fear is why we saw the rise of mass surveillance, metadata collection and an invasion of our privacy. Fear is why people are okay with looking the other way when innocent civilians are killed from our wars, our drone campaigns and our actions with other allies around the world. Are we now going to allow fear to drive us to give up even more of our liberties? Or will freedom truly win over fear?

If there was a way to unlock the attackers' phones without creating a brand new operating system, I'm pretty sure Tim Cook and others would have been more than willing to share and assist the FBI with it. To suggest that they are somehow doing this for publicity is absolutely absurd when, as the Pew poll indicates, most Americans are in favor of them unlocking the iPhone, and candidates like Trump have called for a boycott of Apple products if they don't comply with the court order. That clearly isn't good publicity. Rather, tech giants like Apple are just trying to ensure that the bedrock principles of Silicon Valley itself -- advancing society via technology while maintaining protections for its users -- remains intact.

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This isn't an issue about the privacy rights of the San Bernardino shooters or any other alleged killers; it's about the privacy that we all hold dear in our own lives. If there was a mechanism by which to bypass security features, anyone's iPhone could conceivably be decoded remotely. Aside from the obvious implications of that, we need to think of other consequences as well. Even the accusation of committing any crime could be enough incentive for authorities to get into someone's phone and potentially use anything they find to make their case. A presumption of innocence could virtually (no pun intended) cease to exist.
"Now if I f---- this model, and she just bleach her a---h---, and I get bleach on my t-shirt, I'mma feel like an a---h---."

It's safe to say upon hearing this particular lyric from the song "Father Stretch My Hands Part 1" from Kanye West's newest album The Life of Pablo, most people aren't going to say, "Ah yes! The Gospel music I've been waiting for!" Granted, I would assume the majority of West's listeners aren't Christian, but even to my college contemporaries the lyric sounds crass and cringe-worthy.

While this may seem like one of the more memorable lines, I find the natural progression of the album presents an incredibly conflicted Christian wrapped up in his own pride, persona, and popular culture lifestyle aching to find his way to God.

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I'll admit, when I first heard he had genre-ed his album as Gospel, I thought he must be kidding. I've had a rocky past with Kanye. I was unsure what to make of his publicized antics, his odd fashion sense, and his "prolific" Yeezus.

I won't mince words; I thought he was a narcissistic heretic whose self-obsession peaked as he declared "I am a God" on his last album. When I heard "This is a God dream" from The Life of Pablo's opening track "Ultralight Beam," I thought, oh boy, here we go again. But then I hear the sampled "Father Stretch My Hands" by Pastor T.L. Barrett proclaiming "You're the only power," and I think, maybe he's actually praising God?

But then in the very next song using the same Barrett sample, I hear, "I got broads in Atlanta, twisting dope, lean, and the Fanta," from another sample of "Panda" by Desiigner. So now he's asking God to stretch his hands in religious fervor but also supporting drug-induced promiscuity. Right. Makes total sense. Except for the fact that it doesn't, and in this disparity we are shown the true essence of Kanye West.

The title The Life of Pablo itself already tells of a trinity of personality inspired by a lyric from "No More Parties in L.A.;" as Pablo Picasso he feels unparalleled genius and creativity in his artistic ventures; as Pablo Escobar he feels unparalleled guilt and sin in his public persona; as Paul the Apostle (Pablo in Spanish) he feels unparalleled loyalty and reverence in his praise to God.

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It doesn't hurt to notice that he chose a trinity to describe himself, much like the Holy Trinity. I would argue we can nickname his three-entity persona the catholic "Human Trinity," as it embodies the conflict between pride, shame, and reverence we as religious followers experience.

Each track deserves a ten-page critical analysis on its conflict between composition, lyricism, sampling and historical significance, features, and relevance to current events. But for the sake of time, let's look at the album as three parts Pablo to a whole West.

Opening with "Ultralight Beam," "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1," and "Pt. 2," West explains his self-comparison to Paul the Apostle, from being struck blind by a heavenly light, to going forth and proclaiming the Word of God to the world, all the while feeling forever guilty for his past life of sin. His interspersed profanities and images of gluttony reveal that he knows he hasn't always been the most obedient Child of God. Still, He doesn't give up on West, so West won't give up on Him.

The next two-thirds of the album detail his past "Highlights," but also his insatiable desire for recognition that shines through in his satirical track "I Love Kanye." "Lowlights" seems to be an afterthought without real congruency to this group of songs, proving West is mostly focused on his success as an artistic genius and businessman.

And yet, there is a pervading aura of failure and fear that he will "lose half of what [he] own[s]." West even admits he is always "lost in...[his] doubt," and he needs the help of his family to guide him back to his real purpose.

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In this juxtaposition between fame's glory and fame's torture, West appears proud of his hard work, shame-faced at his gluttony, faithful to his family, but fearful of his weakness. Throw this battle of simultaneous narcissism and shame into the mix of his religious shortcomings, and you get Kanye West: the artist-turned-celebrity, but most importantly the Christian that was, but wasn't, but tried, and failed, but tried and tried and will always try, but failed and failed and will always fail; and therefore he is.
Continued police brutality in an age of social media and video sharing has awakened a racially charged fire in America we know now as Black Lives Matter. The flames have primarily been fuelled by the headline-grabbing deaths of black men including Trayvon Martin and Freddie Gray. But what about the women?

Black women in America today are not immune to the intolerance, profiling, and even brutality of their male counterparts, often targeted in the same exact way. They also face experiences of distinctly gendered violence in the form of sexual exploitation and violence, too often left unreported.

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So where's the outcry? Where are their names in the protesters signs? Tonya TKO certainly wants to know, and as she broadcasted to her thousands of followers on YouTube, she's just about done.

In a follow-up to her November 2015 video, we got the opportunity to get totally candid with Tonya-who is currently facing tough times of her own , living out of her car due to a crazy string of money issues, and still trying to get production started on her show-on some of the issues facing black women today, and hear why she thinks they keep getting lost in conversation.

"We focus our attention on how every 28 hours a Black person in the US is killed by the police", Tonya explains. "We usually highlight the Black males murdered, yet some of the Black people killed by police are female." The roots of this disconnect, she continues, due (at least in part) to "the appreciated value of male life across the globe". As Tonya sees it, it's a gender-less crisis, so why aren't we hearing more female names in the headlines when the crimes do occur?

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Then comes the issue of crimes that do follow gendered, and even racial, patterns. "Every 19 hours in the US a Black woman is killed by a man she was dating or married to, while one in six women in the US in her life will be sexually assaulted; a number for black women that jumps dramatically to one in five," Tonya points. Horrifying numbers by any standard, and something that triggers an emotional response from TKO, as she then looks to what she sees as the biggest problem when it comes to the community's response. "We talk to girls about not getting raped, but where's the conversation to boys about not raping? Why do we place the blame on the victims, finding them at fault because of the way they were dressed? The commonality between all cases of rape is the rapist. If it weren't for rapists, no rapes would occur."

So why, as Tonya so frustratingly professes, are we still blaming short skirts, provocative dresses, or the inability for females to properly guard their bodies? It's a question that's even more puzzling to her as she addresses a further underlying issue, in that the general understanding of the crime itself still remains blurred. "I believe many people are confused by dramatizations of violent stranger-rape, when the majority of rapes occur with persons whom the victims are acquainted, and aren't violent at all". They instead occur "when consent not only is not given, but also when it can not be NOT be given - like coercion, or when the woman feels she has no choice but to relent and allow the violation of her body."
Many different aspects of Justice Scalia's legacy on the Supreme Court have been discussed extensively since his death, but one important issue has largely escaped attention: his outsized role in promoting the use of forced arbitration in consumer, employment and a wide range of other types of contracts. Fine print forced arbitration clauses bar consumers and workers from going to court, but require them to go into a corporate-designed private dispute resolution system where they are forbidden to be a part of a class action. As the New York Times set forth in a series of remarkably thorough and well-researched stories, forced arbitration has allowed corporations to break the law and get away with it in a wide variety of settings.

Justice Scalia played a central role in bringing about this state of affairs. He was not only a reliable vote for enforcing arbitration clauses and expanding the 1925 Federal Arbitration Act far beyond the intentions of its framers, but he also wrote the most controversial and significant of the Court's decisions enforcing forced arbitration clauses. In American Express v. Italian Colors, for example, in 2013 Justice Scalia wrote the majority opinion in a sharply divided 5-4 decision holding that a take-it-or-leave-it arbitration clause could be used to prevent small businesses from actually pursuing their claims for abuse of monopoly power under the antitrust laws.This built upon Justice Scalia's 2011 opinion for the Court in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, which overturned (without mentioning) more than 100 decisions where appellate courts in 20 states and the majority of circuits, and district courts throughout the country, had previously held that where a provision banning class actions in an arbitration clause was proven to prevent individuals from vindicating their rights under consumer protection or civil rights laws, that the clause couldn't be enforced. In Concepcion, Justice Scalia invented a new rule of federal law that wiped away basic state contract law rules against contracts that let corporations just opt out of basic laws.

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So what does this mean for what will happen to forced arbitration now that Justice Scalia is no longer on the Court? Well, obviously everything hinges upon who ultimately succeeds him. But if the next Justice is one who refuses to put corporations' rights to force people into arbitration ahead of all other federal and state laws, there is reason to believe that the Court may reverse decisions such as Italian Colors and Concepcion.

One of the strongest hints as to this possibility was offered by none other than Justice Scalia's close personal friend Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, just a few weeks before his death. In speaking at Brandeis University, Justice Ginsburg was reflecting on a disastrous series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions from the early decades of the 1900s, where it struck down minimum wage laws and many other worker protections as supposedly violating the corporate right to freedom of contract. And Justice Ginsburg linked this long discredited line of cases (the most famous of which is Lochner v. New York) with Italian Colors and Concepcion:

I was reminded of Lochner reading some decisions of the Court concerning workers, consumers, credit card holders who signed agreements saying "if you have a dispute with us, you can bring it only in arbitration -- not in court -- and you cannot use the class action. You must sue for your individual claim, which might be 30 dollars, and that's it." And that has also been described as tied to liberty of contract.

It is hard to read these words without understanding that Justice Ginsburg is indicating that Concepcion and Italian Colors are not just wrong, they are disastrously wrong, usurping the power of legislators to protect workers and consumers. Similarly, in a dissent in a very recent decision (DirecTV v. Imburgia), Justice Ginsburg noted that the Court's "decisions have predictably resulted in the deprivation of consumers' rights to seek redress for losses, and, turning the coin, they have insulated powerful economic interests from liability for violations of consumer-protection laws."

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That's telling it like it is!

Justice Ginsburg is hardly the only justice to question the legitimacy of Justice Scalia's most aggressive opinions promoting forced arbitration. In the Italian Colors case, Justice Kagan wrote an eloquent, even fierce dissent, that described the majority opinion as a "betrayal" of both the Court's own prior arbitration decisions (the Court always used to say that arbitration just meant shifting a case from one forum (court) to another (arbitration), but was not supposed to mean that people lost their underlying substantive rights) and of the antitrust laws.
LAS VEGAS, NV - FEBRUARY 22: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at South Point Arena in Las Vegas, NV on Monday Feb. 22, 2016. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

President Trump said he was "just fooling around" this morning when he placed two pieces of bacon -- a forbidden food in the Muslim religion -- between the pages of the Quran at the annual National Prayer Breakfast. The action instantly provoked a crisis that threatens to plunge the world into Armageddon.

"Everything has to be so fucking P.C." the President told reporters. "Nobody's allowed to have fun anymore. The bacon needed blotting, okay? It was greasy. The Washington Hilton kitchen probably has a Mexican chef."

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Video of the desecration, in which the President slammed Islam's holiest book shut on the strips of pork while making snorting pig noises, went viral seconds after he tweeted it, and ISIS leaders instantly issued a statement declaring it an act of war "that will be swiftly and violently avenged." The President responded to this threat forcefully.

"You know who these people are? They're low energy losers who make Jeb Bush look like a human tornado," he said of the terrorist group responsible for tens of thousands of deaths. "They're pussies. I take seriously the threats of people who aren't pussies."

Despite his having offended dozens of nations and brought the U.S. to the brink of war during his first two weeks in office, the latest polls show that the 35% of the electorate that voted for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio almost three months ago continues to support him unwaveringly.

"I just love the way he doesn't take shit from anyone," said Cincinnati bus driver Gregory Johnson. "Obama was a shit-taker. Donald Trump does not take any shit. He gives shit. That's the difference."

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"He says what he thinks. It's like he can't help it," Miami waitress Phyllis Alston said. "He's not your typical politician who's gonna hold his tongue just to keep his country from getting nuked. That's why I love him."

The President scoffed at the notion that he had placed in dire peril the citizens he so recently took an oath to protect.
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As Donald Trump continues his Shermanesque march through the Republican primaries, the Wall Street Journal continues to fire relentless volleys of cheap shots, pot shots, and the paper's much hoped for gut shot. Just consider last week's run-up to what would be Trump's resounding South Carolina victory.

Just days prior to the vote, the editorial page demanded Trump release his tax returns to call into question the true wealth of the undisputed billionaire. In a front page lead story, reporters also featured a cooked up poll claiming to show Trump falling behind Ted Cruz in a national poll.

This poll result was laughable on its face considering Cruz's weak South Carolina showing. Cruz lost every single county, including those neck deep in evangelicals.

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More broadly, the WSJ has waged a relentless war on Trump's promise to crack down on China's currency manipulation. It has falsely called into question Trump's clear understanding of the Trans-Pacific Partnership - which the WSJ supports and Trump accurately describes as a horrible deal for American workers and domestic manufacturers.

As reported in Breitbart, the WSJ is also fond of using op-ed surrogates to nip at Trump's heels. Examples include a "pseudo-economics hit piece by Mary O'Grady" on Trump's anti-NAFTA position, a Karl Rove "take-out" piece declaring Trump as a debate loser, and another Rove stiletto describing Trump as the Democrat's "dream nominee" who would get "creamed" in the general election.

Just why is the world's journalistic beacon of capitalism trying to assassinate the character and candidacy of one of the world's leading beacons of capitalism in action? The answer may be found in two words: Rupert Murdoch.

In a modern day version of Moby Dick, Murdoch has long sought to capture the "Red Whale" that is China - and Murdoch has done this with far more success than Ahab. As a result of his quest, Mr. Murdoch's television channels broadcast more programming into China than any other foreign media group..

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Nor is Murdoch's success surprising given these New York Times volleys against the media mogul:

Many big companies have sought to break into the Chinese market over the past two decades, but few of them have been as ardent and unrelenting as Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Mr. Murdoch has flattered Communist Party leaders and done business with their children. His Fox News network helped China's leading state broadcaster develop a news website. ... Mr. Murdoch cooperates closely with China's censors and state broadcasters. ... He cultivates political ties that he hopes will insulate his business ventures from regulatory interference ... In speeches and interviews, Mr. Murdoch often supports the policies of Chinese leaders and attacks their critics. ... His courtship has made him the Chinese leadership's favorite foreign media baron.

Given Murdoch's deep China connections, it is hardly surprising that his media outlets around the globe regularly take a soft line on China - and a harder and harder line on Trump's candidacy.

At the top of this designated hitter's list is the Wall Street Journal. But what is also surprising is that the outspoken commentators at America's Fox News also go along with Murdoch's peculiar form of self-censorship.

Indeed, if there ever were a forum for Right Wing commentators to jump hard on the myriad dimensions of an emerging China Threat, it would be at "fair and balanced" Fox. Yet you rarely hear a peep on this issue from the mouths of Neil Cavuto, Sean Hannity, Charles Krauthammer, Bill O'Reilly, or Trump's designated hit woman at Fox -- Megyn Kelly.

Instead, the task of exposing the complex dimensions of China's military buildup - what should be quite literally "red meat" to America's Right Wing - has fallen on the shoulders of conservative specialty outlets with far smaller audiences like Bill Gertz's Free Beacon.
Guillermo Martinez Guerra mentions a monumental purchase of a special kind of machine gun named "Galil," which was rumored to be almost concluded with Israel. This strange contract to buy obsolete and expensive guns would bring its signatories large payoffs.

"Let's investigate, and if it really involves corruption we'll organize a debate in the House on it," Lucio proposes. "We need to show Colombians as soon as possible that they haven't elected us for nothing, that things are going to change."

...Camilo refuses to give me precise information because Colt was competing against the Galils on the bid and he thinks it wouldn't be correct to disclose information against his competitor, especially after losing the contract against them. He tells me only one thing: "Go to it, dig around--it's a rotten contract, disastrous for Colombia...

These documents show us what's really going on: Colombia is buying an old factory to manufacture Galils, at the full asking price. The seller has obviously found no buyer other than the Colombian army to purchase not the machines, but the obsolete equipment to produce them! Of course, the contract is accompanied by a payment under the table. But that's not all: the Galil is a rifle designed for use in the desert; it's known to jam when it gets wet, and it won't function properly in a tropical climate. To equip our soldiers with this weapon--if we ever manage to produce it--when the guerrillas have modern, well-adapted arms is simply suicidal.

With this information in hand, we hold our first press conference. Journalists rush to attend and the impact is enormous...We're nicknamed the "Four Musketeers of anticorruption." ...

...He opens an investigation of the parties who signed the contract for the Galils. The scandal can no longer be covered up. The factory, which was paid for and delivered, has not produced a single gun, and never will. It's a monumental mess. "We've been able to uncover the existence of fraudulent conduct on the part of three high level officials,"... men, who are to be the scapegoats. As is often the case in Colombia, this maneuver will do away with a scandal without having to prosecute the highest officials responsible for the bribe. The real culprits are too important, and hence, untouchable.

Once again the press evades its responsibilities. There isn't a single acknowledgment that we, "the Four Musketeers," the ones who fought alone to dismantle this rotten net of corrupted officials, the ones who were attacked so as to be silences--not a single recognition that we were right. Not one single article expresses astonishment at the legislators' cowardly blindness. Not a single word stigmatizes this government, these military men, who are so deeply implicated. When the journalist rush to his office, Fernando Botero acts surprised, haughtily draping himself in the wounded dignity of the state. "it is essential that the judicial system be allowed to do its work," he has the gall to say. "Let it identify the guilty parties and punish the in proportion to their responsibilities.

But the contract is honored and the bribes handed out. Worse yet, the same judicial system that is so quick to cover up a state scandal opens an investigation into my activities on the basis of anonymous letters addressed to the prosecutor. Journalists give me this news with a kind of delighted curiosity, waiting for my reaction. I move again to the frontline--by a strange coincidence--on precisely the day that the Galil affair is buried.

These big front-page newspaper headlines announcing that I'm under investigation are a new, crushing blow for me. For the second time, I feel the extent of the power at the disposal of a corrupt state--the power to annihilate anyone who gets in the way. I've seen what this kind of state is capable of, and I'm truly afraid. It is the first time in my life that I have to deal with the judiciary. My friend, Maria Paulina Espinosa, is also very worried about me. She sends me a man who will henceforth be at my side every time the judicial system tries to take me down: Hugo Escobar Sierra... "My child," he says to me "you don't realize what a monster you've challenged. They know they don't have anything on you, but they will stop at nothing to discredit you... He accompanies to each of my depositions, and I notice that his presence intimidates the officials...

...Finally, I hear the official in charge of investigating my case utter these incredible words: "We are going to close the investigation of you because we haven't found anything. I'm going to close the investigation of you because we haven't found anything. I'm going to give you a certificate stating that the case is closed. But on one condition: you say nothing about it to the press. Remember that we can always reopen an investigation whenever we like."

This is barely veiled blackmail. That very evening, I send a copy of the certificate to all the national newspapers expecting this would be a scoop for them. Not a word of it was to be printed by a press whose independence is praised throughout the world...

At the end of November 1994, we've finished with the Israeli rifles, and my three colleagues and I have finally gained credibility in the eyes of the country. The public now recognizes that we're on an important track. The first step in our campaign against corruption is to change mind-sets at the highest levels of government...
These questions originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.

Answers by Andrea Navedo, actress, Jane The Virgin, on Quora.

A: It feels pretty groundbreaking for me and I feel a sense of pride. I had a general meeting with the heads of casting before I even knew about "Jane The Virgin" months before my audition. I remember sitting in the waiting room and watching on the monitors the trailers of the CW shows airing at that time and thinking to myself "where are the people of color?" "What am I doing here?" "I don't fit this CW mold." Little did I know at that time that I would be one of the actors to break that mold. Of course much of the credit goes to the heads of the network who had the foresight to see the value that diversity would bring to the network. But I also had the foresight to know that I as a Latina had something to offer. I am glad that I showed up.

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...

A: There are so many but one of my favorites was when we were filming the pilot. We had some down time in the makeup trailer and were talking about how grateful we were to be working on such a unique show that was so diverse. We knew it was special. We also remarked on how we as a cast had such good chemistry and how we wanted to keep the good and positive vibes going. We had decided at that moment to make a pact that if we had gotten picked up for series that we would continue to be grateful and positive. To this date I can honestly say that all seven of us have remained true to that pact and continue to bring a positive and grateful attitude to set.

...

A: If anyone were to be my favorite cast member it would be Ivonne, but I love all my cast mates equally. However, for Ivonne I hold a special place in my heart. She is not only a working Latina actress in her sixties but she has been supporting herself for many years as an actor which is no small feat. And she has been working since the days where it wasn't popular to cast diversely. Besides that she has amazing talents. She not only can act but she can sing and dance. She has had many incarnations in her life from studying to be a nun, to becoming Miss Puerto Rico to her one woman show on TV in Puerto Rico to Broadway. And that is just scratching the surface. I wish I had known of her when I was growing up because there weren't any real and positive role models for me. It would have been very encouraging for my self-esteem. At least I get to enjoy her now and witness her at her craft as 'Alba' on "Jane the Virgin." It is truly inspiring to me to watch her work.

...

A:
A few months ago, we met an American filmmaker who perfectly captured a turning point in our country's drug war. His documentary film, "Cartel Land," which was recently nominated for an Oscar and won a prestigious George Polk Award, made us -- and many self-described drug war analysts -- look like opinionated snobs.

We thought this conflict was all about good guys vs. bad guys, but the filmmaker showed us it was far more complicated than that.

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In fall of 2013, Matthew Heineman traveled to Michoacan, Mexico, to produce a documentary on the rising vigilante movement. Heineman, who was planning on shooting for a few weeks, ended up staying for almost a year, gaining unprecedented access and practically embedding with the country's most visible autodefensa (the Mexican term for self-defense group). The result: a documentary that's chilling beyond the most imaginative Hollywood script.

And unlike many films focusing on the country's infamous drug lords, "Cartel Land" focused on the citizenry, the collateral damage and is ultimately homage to those who risk their lives to tell it like it is.

Freedom House ranks Mexico as one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists. According to a report by watchdog organization Articulo 19, more than 80 journalists have been killed since 2000, most cases happening in the states of Veracruz, Tamaulipas, and Michoacan.

Following those reporters that want to go deep, Heineman's camera places the audience in the midst of gunfire: crouching on the streets of Michoacan to dodge flying bullets and witnessing a child beg for his father's life as the vigilantes, who suspect the man of being in cahoots with the Knight's Templar Cartel, put him on a van that will take him to a torture chamber where many others await.

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Mexico's impunity problem jumps out of the screen.

According to the 2015 Index for Global Impunity-Mexico (IGI-MEX), only 7 out of every 100 crimes are reported in Mexico and only 4.46 percent of these result in prison sentences. In short, the study estimates only 1 percent of crimes are punished.

But the film puts a human face on the stats and many in the audience, at least in Mexico, are left wondering: How did a young gringo, whose previous film is about health care, manage to do this?

First and foremost, Heineman has a blue passport. And in Mexico that can be the difference between living and dying when reporting in the trenches of the drug war.

Still, when bullets are flying no one will stop and ask if you're an American citizen. Heineman was bold and gained the trust of Jose Manuel Mireles, a small town physician turned vigilante leader and popularly known as El Doctor, or The Doctor. And Mireles, who invites Heineman's camera, allows himself to be filmed in all his humanity, whether he's delivering an inspiring speech or cheating on his wife.

The movie captures The Doctor's arc, from rising folk hero to a weakened man who's both isolated by the very own movement he helped create and persecuted by the Mexican government. And as the movement spins out of his control, it eventually transforms into the very monster it intended to fight. As the story progresses, some of the vigilantes turn to drug trafficking and commit rampant abuses against anyone accused of being a Knight's Templar.

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Heineman was able to capture a specific moment on Mexico's war on drugs, and more importantly, he understood it. He portrays the sprit of Mexican people, who, regardless of their government, face the country's problems with whatever they have at hand.

For many Michoacanos, that meant picking up a gun.

The film says more about the violence and anomie in Mexican society than any media report, study or documentary for that matter. The documentary's cinematic and journalistic boldness shows that film is a medium that works best when it makes a statement: institutions in many regions of Mexico have failed and have been surpassed by organized crime.

It's this lack of rule of law that pushes many men like imprisoned vigilante leader Jose Manuel Mireles to take up arms and avenge the death of a loved one. "What would you do?" Mireles asks Heineman in the film. "Wait for them to come and get you? Or buy one of these [rifles] and defend yourself?"

In Mexico, regardless of the administration in turn, it's getting increasingly hard to entrust the police, military and the same old politicians with providing basic safety, security, and rule of law.

Corruption and drug trafficking exist on both sides of the Rio Grande, but in Mexico, in places like Michoacan, Guerrero, Tamaulipas and Veracruz, the lines between authorities and narcos, good and evil, often get blurred.

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Criminals easily infiltrate municipal authorities, those Mayors who refuse to get bought get killed and the Fourth Estate, the brave press that could shed light on what's happening, often gets silenced.

All this is latent in Heineman's film. He's a young gringo who surprisingly grasps Mexico's impunity problem in all its dimensions. More importantly, his camera doesn't judge as much as it shows the complexity of the country's violence.

The film also links Mexico's vigilante movement with that of a few Arizona minutemen. However, the strongest ties between both nations surface in the first and final scenes, where once heroic vigilantes are now preparing the latest meth batch in the middle of the desert.

And Heineman, the gringo, refuses to let his own country off the hook, as one of the masked vigilantes (who in an incendiary twist of fate also happens to have allegiances to a cartel and the Mexican government) tells the camera that an American father and his stepson came to teach the group how to cook to fulfill America's voracious appetite for drugs.

Also on HuffPost:

11 Awesome Things About Mexico See Gallery
One of the silent crises confronting our world today is the pervasive and unprecedented degradation of biological diversity on our planet. Consider that the current extinction rate is more than 1,000 times the baseline extinction rate. According to IUCN, 18,788 species out of 52,017 assessed are facing extinction. Of the 5,490 mammals found in the world today, 78 are already extinct in the wild and another 728 are endangered. Imagine that of the world's 6,285 amphibian species, 1,895 are endangered. As the Pulitzer-Prize winning author, Elizabeth Kolbert noted in her book, The Sixth Extinction, the current trend, represents the greatest mass extinction event since the dinosaurs were wiped off the planet 65 million years ago, between the Cretaceous and Paleogene eras. What will the world look like fifty or a hundred years from now when so many species will be gone? What will it mean for the ecosystems and life cycles on the planet?

While the degradation of biological diversity is sometimes lumped into the catchall of 'climate change,' both biodiversity loss and climate change can both be attributed to a deeper root cause, namely the destruction and fragmentation of wild habitat, especially primary forest. In Asia alone, the amount of deforestation that has occurred in the last few decades, has been nothing short of catastrophic. The numbers speak for themselves: Consider that between 1990 and 2010, Malaysia lost 8.6 percent of its forest cover or 7,413 square miles of primary forest in 20 years. In China, less than 1 percent of its forest area remains under protected status. What few forests exist are usually no more than wood lots, with hedged rows of trees being grown for commercial wood.

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Indonesia has been the frontline in the struggle against deforestation. As late as 1900, the country was still a densely forested landscape, with 84 percent of the land area covered in tropical forests, harboring some of the most incredible biodiversity in the world. Indonesia's coverage of 170 million hectares in 1990, fell to just 100 million hectares by the end of the 20th century, as forest was replaced with palm and rubber plantations. The story is the same across Asia, whether Cambodia's Cardamom mountains, the Tonle Sap in Myanmar, or the rainforests of Kalimantan in Borneo. One need only glance at photographer James Hilton's work documenting the destruction of the Leucer ecosystem in Aceh, to see and feel the devastation that is occurring in the geological blinking of an eye.

The damage doesn't stop at the coastline. According to WWF, one-quarter of coral reefs worldwide are already damaged beyond repair. Globally, 70 percent of all coral reef are threatened, and several reports have sited that by 2030, there may be no Great Barrier Reef left in the world. What will the world look like when coral reef is gone, except in aquariums? What will be the impact on the global water cycle and on aquatic species, which have already plummeted due to overfishing, sedimentation, pollution, and acidification of oceans due to climate change.

What is driving this extermination of primary forest, coral reef, and biological diversity and what can we do about it?

A major cause of deforestation has been the lack of sustainable economic alternatives. Across Asia, hundreds of millions of rural people, especially youth, are struggling for a basic livelihood, and that many of the forests, consequently, are being destroyed in favor of raw extraction of natural resources, to meet daily livelihood needs. Cutting down forest in favor of palm oil, rubber, coffee, and other 'mono-culture' cash crops which are perceived to provide more regularized, predictable income in a globalized market economy, is another major factor driving habitat loss.

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In the context of Nepal, the story is not much different. According to the UN State of the World's Forests Report (2007), between 1990 and 2005, the country lost 4,500 square miles of forest, or one-fourth of its total forest coverage in just 15 years. This was due largely to haphazard urbanization secondary to rural road construction, the lack of sustainable economic alternatives, inadequate environmental education and agro-forestry related support to farmers, and the complete absence of an economic model that incentivizes biodiversity and habitat conservation at the village level.

What is astounding is that even as huge swaths of forest are being cut down in the country, according to WWF, between 1998 and 2008 alone, 353 new species were discovered in the Himalayas, which is equal to the discovery of 35 new species each year. The tragedy of this is that some species that go extinct in the coming years, will never even have been discovered or known to science.

Confronted with such challenges, can anything be done to avert dangerous tipping points? What are the models to emulate and how can conservation of biodiversity and habitats be incentivized using policy and economic levers? What are the scalable ideas that can create real change on the ground, but also meet the scale of the problem?

In Nepal, where more than 85 percent of the country practices agriculture, what is the role for farmers in conservation? In a youthful country where 34.6 percent of the population is under the age of 14, what is the proper role of youth and the education system?

The eastern region of Nepal comprises one of the world's 34 biodiversity hotspots, with more species found here than most places in the world. This biological diversity is predicated on the intense physical heterogeneity associated with the Himalayan range, which has given rise to 118 different forest types and 27 important bird areas (IBAs). The 'island biogeography' effect, usually discussed in the context of oceanic islands, can also be observed in Nepal, where the folds of the terrain give rise to many, isolated micro-climates depending on exposure, rain shadow and other factors.

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Two years ago, as a response to the biodiversity emergency facing Nepal and the world, in thinking about the proper role of education in safeguarding the environment, I helped co-founded KTK-BELT, with Canadian Architect Priyanka Bista and local teacher and conservationist Kumar Bishwakarma, to build a continuous forest corridor from Koshi Tappu (67 m.), Nepal's first RAMSAR site and largest aquatic bird reserve, to Mt. Kanchenjunga (8,586 m.), as an 8,000 m. 'vertical university' to teach and conserve the more than 6,600 flowering plant species, 1,200 angiosperms, 800 bird species and 180 different kinds of mammals found in eastern Nepal.

The 'vertical university' was born from the simple proposition that in a mountainous country like Nepal, where there is exceptional diversity from the tropical plains to the alpine Himalayas, conventional education paradigms where students sit in a stationary classroom, divorced from their surroundings, make little sense. The "professors" of the vertical university may not hold a Ph.D. or even have set foot in school, but as local farmers, they possess intricate, inter-generational knowledge regarding native species and habitats which is critical for Nepal's youth to attain.

The vertical university will deepen place-based skills in sustainable technology, craft, and medicinal plants, and seeks to conserve and to stimulate local knowledge while also creating sustainable livelihood opportunities. It does this through establishing "learning grounds," which are micro-conservation hubs -- the "classrooms" of the university at different locations across the landscape, each offering something new.

Nepal is a paradoxical country. Everywhere there are shortages of energy, water, fuel, and supplies. Yet few places in the world are endowed with more natural resources, physical diversity, and diversity of culture and languages. It's also a country where education is deeply valued. Putting all of this together, it is the perfect melting pot to realize an idea like this.

If successful, the 'vertical university' is a model that could be replicated across Asia. An inspiration for this initiative was the "Re-Wilding Europe" project in the Netherlands, which sought to create a land trust to revive lost species, including the mastodons, and which will cut through different countries in Europe. An Asia BELT could be comprised of different learning grounds, each doing its bit at a local level to conserve species and sub-species agro-biodiversity.

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About 28 days ago, we launched this Kickstarter campaign to build a prototype of the 'vertical university' in Morang district. More than 240 people from around the world have since joined the movement and contributed $101,443 to create a KTK-BELT youth fellows program and to develop an agro-diversity seed bank, educational plant trail and bird conservation zone, among other projects. The link is still live for two more days.

Those wishing to learn more can visit the KTK-BELT website. Progress on the 'vertical university' will be tracked on a new website, theverticaluniversity.org, which will be live on February 26, 2016, and on our Facebook page.

The great conservationist Aldo Leopold once said, 'To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.' Acknowledging that we are undergoing a mass extinction as has only occurred a handful of times in the planet's history, we must strive to 'keep every cog and wheel' until we can implement better social, political and economic systems, which conserve biodiversity and the habitats which sustain it.
Last Thursday, I woke up, put on my favorite suit and brought the voices, stories, and demands of ColorOfChange members to the President of the United States of America.

Along with other civil rights leaders, I visited the White House to meet with President Obama, Attorney General Lynch, Senior Advisor Valarie Jarrett and several members of the President's team. I went to represent the ColorOfChange members and Black folks who have been calling for action from the executive branch - the President and the Department of Justice - on a wide range of criminal justice and police reforms. I went to the meeting because their voice has made ColorOfChange unignorable. I accepted the invite knowing that no single meeting or gesture changes power - but the work to organize, agitate and amplify must continue and increase. I went with belief that presence alone isn't power - it doesn't change written or unwritten rules - but presence is important to building power. And without outside power, our movement has no leverage. I went to the meeting understanding that any elected official despite their politics, inspirational backstory or good intentions has to be pushed and challenged. That is how we make democracy work.

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During the 90-minute meeting with the President and his staff, I reminded him of ColorOfChange members working to fight the race-baiting attacks against him and his family during the 2008 election, our two-year corporate campaign that led to the firing of Glenn Beck (our campaign forced over 200 advertisers to pull their support from the Fox News show) for Beck's racist attacks on the President and his consistent on-air racism. However, I spent the majority of my time urging the DOJ to use its power to deal with the civil right violations with money bail that kept folks like Sandra Bland in Texas and Kalief Browder in Rikers Island in the hands of the state.

I spoke about our work around district attorney and prosecutor elections (the President responded by saying that it was a very smart strategy - I welcomed him to bring his voice to this work). I talked through our current and upcoming campaigns on private prisons, prison labor and all the other structures that incentivize mass incarceration and directly asked the President to help us elevate the connections between money in politics and mass incarceration. I spoke about the need for culture change and our growing work in Hollywood to change images and perceptions because in less than a year President Obama will be a powerful person with a big platform and some free time. I also let him know that we had some challenges with the federal legislation on criminal justice reform; I made it clear that while we respect the desire to "get something done," the amendments being batted around would do more long-term damage than good.

This was my first time sitting face-to-face with the President to ask questions and share ideas. He is a person who has inspired me and many ColorOfChange members and represents progress and change; a man we have both supported and ran campaigns where he was the target. In the Eisenhower room where the meeting took place were some friends to ColorOfChange and some leaders and organizations that we've been at odds with publicly on issues like Net Neutrality and corporate influence. At ColorOfChange, we value our independence and haven't spent a lot of our time in endless meetings on Capitol Hill or in government offices. We've worked to build the type of people-powered campaigns that rely more on our strategy and members than our money and connections.

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Photo by Glen Dimock

A new year and the same fight exists in the United States with more than 1,000 gun-related deaths as of February 2016, close to 60 injured or killed children ages 0-11 and over 300 teens injured or killed. Mothers are having to bury their children prematurely from violent deaths--dreams unreached, a horrific reality that has become an all too often occurrence in society.

And even amidst the tears and pain, mothers are banning together in large numbers and massive diversity across the United States lobbying for stricter gun laws, spreading love and hope on some of Chicago's toughest streets and sending the message that action is needed now.

"We can end gun violence," shouted mothers and community members of Central Illinois Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America on a warm December day through the quiet streets of Champaign, Illinois. Decorated in orange in unity with other Orange Walks that took place across the United States on December 12, 2015, community members and families--children, mothers, and fathers held up orange and white signs calling for an end to gun violence as onlookers looked quizzically at the display.

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Photo by Glen Dimock

"End the silence. End gun violence," they repeated. They walked through Champaign, Illinois streets, eventually ending their rally at the local police department where one mother shared personal stories of her loss to gun violence and commitment to ending it.

Speaking to community members at the police station, Mary Kay Mace, mother of Ryanne Mace, held up a photo and shared fond memories of her daughter who was shot and killed in a Northern Illinois University Classroom. She shared how her daughter aspired to be a mental health counselor.

In the front row of the room in the police station, mother, Mary Brown-Smith, sat listening too grief-stricken to speak, visibly shaken about the death of her son Rashidi Overstreet shot and killed in Champaign, IL in 2014.

And continuing the ongoing fight against gun violence, mothers like Tamar Manasseh, who have not experienced such tragedy as Mary Brown-Smith and Mary Kay Mace, have also been prompted to join the fight against gun violence.

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Manasseh, of Mothers Against Senseless Killings (M.A.S.K) in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, discussed the death of her daughter's schoolmate as an igniter for her to do something to help her home community that is affected by gun violence.

"It took me a lifetime to get to the beginning of M.A.SK," she said about her journey starting the organization made up of volunteers who cook and spend time with Englewood residents on some of the toughest streets in Chicago. Originally from Englewood but having left as an adult, she mentioned her concern "became full blown terror" after the death of teen Hadiya Pendleton who was shot and killed in Chicago a week after performing at President Obama's Inauguration. Manasseh further stated that it takes a collective effort to combat gun violence.

"Everybody has something that they can give and something that they can be and everyone is important," she said while explaining her influence from a Judaism principle, tikkun olam, meaning repair of the world.

As part of the University of Illinois YMCA Lecture Series, "Breaking Down Racism: Fighting Racial Injustice in the U.S., Manasseh spoke to a diverse crowd on January 29, 2016, members of Central Illinois Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in the audience in solidarity of fighting to prevent gun deaths.

Lauren Quinn, a mom and local leader of the Central Illinois Moms Demand Action, introduced Manasseh at the University of Illinois YMCA event.

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"It is so frustrating to see the number of shootings, not just mass, but also everyday shootings," Quinn said when discussing her role in fighting for better gun laws. She also added that she can deal with tragedies related to gun violence better knowing that she is involved in her role with Mothers Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

At the same event, attendees could witness Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence's "The Unforgotten" exhibit, showing the tragic consequences of gun violence. Eight faceless figures, colorfully clothed standing in the lobby of the University of Illinois YMCA in remembrance of Blair Holt, Jitka Vesel, Ryanne Mace, Hadiya Pendleton, Terrell Bosley, Thomas Vandenberk, Porche Foster, and Michael Bailey--victims of diverse backgrounds all lost to gun violence.

And as numbers gun deaths in America reach over 1,600 as of February 2016--over 300 in Chicago alone shot, it is clear that mothers around the nation are not willing to accept their children or anyone else's children being violently shot and killed as a norm. Mothers are keeping hope that one day there will be an end to gun violence.
What happens when you look at someone?

The Practice:

See beings, not bodies.

Why?

When we encounter someone, usually the mind automatically slots the person into a category: man, woman, your friend Tom, the kid next door, etc. Watch this happen in your own mind as you meet or talk with a co-worker, salesclerk, or family member.

In effect, the mind summarizes and simplifies tons of details into a single thing -- a human thing to be sure, but one with an umbrella label that makes it easy to know how to act. For example: "Oh, that's my boss (or mother-in-law, or boyfriend, or traffic cop, or waiter) ... and now I know what to do. Good."

This labeling process is fast, efficient, and gets to the essentials. As our ancestors evolved, rapid sorting of friend or foe was very useful. For example, if you're a mouse, as soon as you smell something in the "cat" category, that's all you need to know: freeze or run like crazy!

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On the other hand, categorizing has lots of problems. It fixes attention on surface features of the person's body, such as age, gender, attractiveness, or role. It leads to objectifying others (e.g., "pretty woman," "authority figure") rather than respecting their humanity. It tricks us into thinking that a person comprised of changing complexities is a static unified entity. It's easier to feel threatened by someone you've labeled as this or that. And categorizing is the start of the slippery slope toward "us" and "them," prejudice, and discrimination.

Flip it around, too: what's it like for you when you can tell that another person has slotted you into some category? In effect, they've thingified you, turned you into a kind of "it" to be managed or used or dismissed, and lost sight of you as a "thou." What's this feel like? Personally, I don't like it much. Of course, it's a two-way street: if we don't like it when it's done to us, that's a good reason not to do it to others.

How?

This practice can get abstract or intellectual, so try to bring it down to earth and close to your experience.

When you encounter or talk with someone, instead of reacting to what their body looks like or is doing or what category it falls into:

Be aware of the many things they are, such as: son, brother, father, uncle, schoolteacher, agnostic, retired, American, fisherman, politically conservative, cancer survivor, friendly, smart, donor to the YMCA, reader of detective novels, etc. etc.

Recognize some of the many thoughts, feelings, and reactions swirling around in the mind of the other person. Knowing the complexity of your own mind, try to imagine some of the many bubbling-up contents in their stream of consciousness.

Being aware of your own changes -- alert one moment and sleepy another, nervous now and calm later -- see changes happening in the other person.

Feeling how things land on you, tune into the sense of things landing on the other person. There is an experiencing of things over there -- pleasure and pain, ease and stress, joy and sorrow -- just like there is in you. This inherent subjectivity to experience, this quality of be-ing, underlies and transcends any particular attribute, identity, or role a person might have.

Knowing that there is more to you than any label could ever encompass, and that there is a mystery at the heart of you -- perhaps a sacred one at that -- offer the other person the gift of knowing this about them as well.

At first, try this practice with someone who is neutral to you, that you don't know well, like another driver in traffic or a person in line with you at the deli. Then try it both with people who are close to you -- such as a friend, family member, or mate -- and with people who are challenging for you, such as a critical relative, intimidating boss, or rebellious teenager.

The more significant the relationship, the more it helps to see beings, not bodies.
I truly believe that film is the literature of this century. It pulls together all of the arts -- the spoken word, writing, music, dance, painting, photography and more -- to deliver stories that can have emotional impact across generations and continents, language notwithstanding. When Secretary of State John Kerry meets with studio heads to discuss how to counter the narratives of ISIS, no one is particularly surprised.

Yet what makes a given film compelling is not just its subject matter, but the skill of the filmmakers who take us on a journey with them. The Academy Award-nominated film "Spotlight" explores one of the most horrific crimes of our time -- the physical and spiritual abuse of thousands of children by priests of the Catholic Church. We know how the story ends. We know that the reporters from The Boston Globe won a Pulitzer for their investigative efforts. Yet the film packs a wallop audiences simply don't anticipate. Why?

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As the dean of Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University, I see hundreds of young people each year pursuing their dreams of working in film. For them, "Spotlight" offers a unique lesson in filmmaking -- how the way a story is told builds a foundation for emotional catharsis: how can a downbeat story still be uplifting? How can we leave the theater feeling enlightened about a subject we thought we already understood?

"Spotlight" is a detective story. It begins with the specific and spirals up to the universal. With the exception of the opening scene -- in which a single priest is arrested and then turned loose, only to be moved to another parish by his superiors -- the film unfolds entirely through dramatic incident. It does not rely on flashbacks or voiceover. What we see is happening in the present, establishing a sense of dramatic immediacy that allows us to empathize with both the victims and the reporters who are attempting to unravel this horrific story.

The style of the film reflects what the characters experience. Sophisticated tracking shots follow them through the offices of the newspaper and the streets of Boston, where doors are often slammed in their faces. They are always moving, constantly trying to get around the obstacles they encounter. While more traditional filmmaking depends on a scene shot from many angles and cut together, this shooting style demands detailed planning up front so that the shots still give us views from various angles, but seemingly all in real time.

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The real story was incredibly complex, involving legal maneuvering, research in old record books, and waiting in courtrooms for access to documents -- incidents that are neither visually compelling nor easily explained. But by taking on us a journey with the reporters and allowing us to see the impact of the investigation on their lives, the filmmakers convey both the growing urgency and the desperation the characters feel. We feel it too, in real time.

We see Rachel McAdams actively pursuing interviews, yet listening patiently as victims reveal their pain while victims' rights advocate, Neal Huff, as head of the Survivors Network, expresses his despair that no one is really listening. We see Mark Ruffalo literally run as his sense of the scope of the crimes grows, along with his fear that the abuse will continue unless the vast conspiracy that covered it up can be untangled and made public.

And we feel the cross-currents -- as the reporters worry that their story will be scooped by a rival paper. We see the manipulation, when the Cardinal (Len Cariou) tells the new editor (Liev Schreiber), an outsider, that another paper lost subscribers because it disagreed with the church -- and then sends him away with a copy of the Catechism. And we see the constant pressure from Schreiber pushing the "Spotlight" team to indict the system, not just the priests whose names they already have.

Finally, in a twist that leaves audiences gasping, the filmmakers wait until the credits to deliver their final punch. What began with the story of one priest arrested becomes universal, as a list of hundreds of cities around the world where abuse was uncovered scrolls across the screen.

For me, the scope of this horror was finally also personal, when the name of my town was among those rolling by. That is the lesson for young filmmakers -- to find a way through compelling storytelling to take us on a journey beyond what we think we know to an ending that hits us in the gut -- and stays with us as we leave the theater. Those credits are the equivalent of the chorus in a Greek play: we have witnessed misery side-by-side with human greatness.

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That is the power of film, a storytelling art form that is truly the literature of this century.

Also on HuffPost:
Ten year old boy at chalkboard full of trigonometry, algebra, and calculus problems.

Coauthored by Danyal Hameed.

The inaugural Muslim Awards for Excellence (MAX) Gala, taking place in Toronto, Canada on March 24, is an initiative to recognize and honour the achievements and contributions of Canadian Muslims. Inspired by the Islamic Golden Age, the MAX Gala will honor and motivate contemporary outstanding Muslim achievers in Canada.

Islamic history is replete with pioneering inventions and discoveries, many of which are ingrained in modern society, such as:

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1. Public Libraries

During the early decades of Islam, mosques acted as hubs for intellectual discourse across the Muslim lands. They were not only places of worship, but also housed libraries full of books on religion, philosophy and science. These libraries were open to the masses and not just the ruling and intellectual elite, as was the common practice then.

2. Surgical Tools

The great 10th-century Muslim surgeon Qasim al Zahrawi, described as the father of surgery, invented many surgical tools still used in modern medicine, including the scalpel, the surgical needle and surgical scissors. He also discovered catgut as a reliable material to administer internal stitches as it can be absorbed by the body, preventing the need for a second surgery to remove them.

3. Algebra

The study of algebra flourished during the Islamic Golden Age under the scholarship of mathematician al-Khwarizmi. The word algebra is derived from 'al-jabr', an operation he used to solve quadratic equations. The introduction of algebra as a unifying theory significantly broadened the concept of mathematics and its development path.

4. Optics

In the 11th century, the scientist Ibn Haytham overturned ancient ideas of how our eyes see. While some said light rays came out of the eyes, others thought something entered the eyes to represent an object. Through systematic reason and experiment, Ibn Haytham discovered that light is not emitted from the eye itself, but in fact is reflected off an object and enters the eye.

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Woman successful hiking climbing silhouette in mountains, motivation and inspiration in beautiful sunset and ocean. Female hiker with arms up outstretched on mountain top looking at beautiful night sunset inspirational landscape.

aka Fan Letter for Larry Fink

We all know about the glass that has a midline, depicting the optimist/pessimist divide. The glass half-full, glass half-empty construct is a lesson on perspective, and it's a choice that we often have in our everyday lives.



Lately I've noticed leaders working with another useful perspective: looking ahead with a longer view, instead of looking back.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson told his 280,000 employees: "There is a need to retool yourself, and you should not expect to stop." People who do not spend five to 10 hours a week online learning, he added, "will obsolete themselves with the technology."

Ford Motor Company, most associated with cars and trucks, has engaged a team examining Transportation firsthand and conducting simple, granular research. They're clocking commuting times themselves, noting aromas and vibes on existing subway routes. (Police dog on the platform? Check.) Far from the traditional assembly line, this is Transportation with a capital "T": "a complicated, gnarly problem with a complex ecosystem of stakeholders." This team appetite for disruptive solutions reminds me of founder Henry Ford, who moved the nation from the horse-and-buggy.

If you're not in finance, you may not be familiar with BlackRock, but it's actually the world's largest money-manager, with $4.3 trillion in assets. The word "influential" doesn't begin to cover it. So when the CEO, Larry Fink, sent a letter to global CEOs earlier this month, it was surely read. Fink's theme to world business leaders? A demand, polite but unequivocal, to look ahead and think long-term.

Corporate messages are "too often backwards-looking and don't do enough to articulate management's vision and plans for the future," he wrote. "This perspective on the future, however, is what investors and all stakeholders truly need, including, for example, how the company is navigating the competitive landscape, how it is innovating, how it is adapting to technological disruption or geopolitical events, where it is investing, and how it is developing its talent." Larry Fink, 2/2/16 letter to CEOs

As the new book Originals points out, people like Fink, Stephenson, and Henry Ford have something special in common: they move the world forward. Author (and WeSpire advisor) Adam Grant explains that they possess a sense of vuja de.

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Vuja de?

It's the inverse of deja vu, where a situation seems strangely familiar--already lived, but elusively so, as in a dream. Vuja de reveals a clear line of sight that points elegantly ahead from the present scenario to an entirely new space. Warby Parker, Uber, Spotify, Spanx all have Originals behind them: innovators who looked at an entrenched system and saw a way to improve it. Professor gurus like Grant and Seth Godin cultivate this potential in all of us.

When you think about it, the long view approach makes a ton of sense, because it naturally promotes ownership and responsibility. Viewing ourselves as owners, and being responsible for things, we start to take care of those things--things like our families, our property, our communities, our teams, our health, our finances, our companies--thoughtfully, as if they were our very own.



Which, in fact, they are.

Larry Fink's recommendation to CEOs busts the safe and tidy short-term ledger, provides a vuja de prescription to produce meaningful, sustainable positive impact. This is the way forward, it's leadership for our times--and it's the same emphasis we draw on and support every day at WeSpire.

"Generating sustainable returns over time requires a sharper focus not only on governance, but also on environmental and social factors facing companies today. These issues offer both risks and opportunities, but for too long, companies have not considered them core to their business - even when the world's political leaders are increasingly focused on them, as demonstrated by the Paris Climate Accord. Over the long-term, environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues--ranging from climate change to diversity to board effectiveness--have real and quantifiable financial impacts."
Over the last three weeks, I have spent a significant amount of time traveling the country. I have been visiting early caucus and primary states, while studying the democratic engagement process in the 2016 election, through a program at Wake Forest University, called Wake the Vote. The Wake the Vote cohort is made up of 23 students at Wake Forest, from freshman to senior, ranging the ideological spectrum, all with the goal of increasing democratic engagement among millennial voters. Every student in the cohort is randomly assigned to work for a candidate, with no regard for their personal ideological preference. In Iowa, I was assigned to work for Ted Cruz; in New Hampshire, I worked with Hillary Clinton; and this past weekend, in South Carolina, I volunteered for Marco Rubio.

Those who know me well (or even do not know me at all) know that I am a fervent liberal, progressive, socialist, etc. Whatever term you have for left-leaning individuals, that's probably me. I have embraced many liberal pejoratives that many others have shied away from. I am proud to be serving as the President of the Wake Forest University College Democrats and Political Director of the College Democrats of North Carolina. But it may come as a shock to people that the experiences I have had working with, and talking to, conservatives and Republicans on these trips have been much more meaningful than the interactions I have had with liberals and Democrats.

Before you ask, no, I am not considering voting Republican in 2016, and in fact, I am probably more liberal than I have been in my life. Side note: in Iowa, after posting a picture on Facebook and Instagram of me at Ted Cruz headquarters in Iowa holding a "Choose Cruz" sign with the caption, "I'm excited to be GOTVing [getting out the vote] for @sentedcruz today! Fun to be at the Iowa Caucuses with #wakethevote. True Courageous Conservatism.", I was faced with a firestorm of messages from people who were concerned that I had gone over to the "dark side" and joined the enemy, and even faced criticism from those who I have worked with on the College Democrats of North Carolina Board. Despite my strong desires to stick with my Democratic roots, I have learned a lot from these experiences, which should help me in both my current leadership roles, and in any future roles.

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When entering both the Cruz campaign and the Rubio campaign, I put on a Republican persona. I realized quickly, in order to get the most of this experience, I had to pretend to be one of them. As someone who enjoys a bit of acting, I embraced the challenge, as a piece of method acting. Done were the stories of my experiences with the College Democrats, and beginning were faux anecdotes about the College Republicans and working for principled conservative candidates in North Carolina. This was especially interesting since I was working with some of my fellow College Democrats. Only once was my cover close to blown [while I was at Rubio headquarters in South Carolina], after I remarked about "how much stronger the College Republicans chapter was at Wake Forest [than the College Democrats], and how much of a dope the president of the Wake Forest College Democrats is." After that remark, one of my friends commented about how I was like that president who I was criticizing, before catching herself, realizing what I was doing.

Reflecting on what I have learned across all three campaigns (but focusing on the two Republican ones), I have learned how similar both parties' grassroots supporters are. When I was at Rubio headquarters, the median age couldn't have been much over 25; it was not the affluent whitewashed room that some Democrats may have expected (in fact, the diversity in the Rubio campaign office may have rivaled the diversity in one of our College Democrats meetings at Wake Forest); and the people were shockingly friendly. Most of the conservatives I talked to did not necessarily have misguided opinions, but they just held different priorities and different worldviews than I personally hold. Personally, as a progressive I hold a high degree of trust in institutions such as the government and schools as vehicles for social mobility, many conservatives are likely to credit churches (especially apparent when working in the Cruz headquarters) and businesses (especially apparent when working in the Rubio office) as the best mechanisms for economic mobility. Neither view is necessarily correct or incorrect, but based on a certain perception of the world, you are likely to lean in one way or the other.

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When I talk to some of my counterparts who are College Democrats presidents, or leaders, at other universities, it frustrates me when I hear how adversarial their relationships are with their universities' College Republican chapters. My belief is that these feelings are likely reciprocated. I feel fortunate that at Wake Forest, the College Republicans and College Democrats have a peaceful, if not friendly, relationship. This bifurcation is unhealthy for the future of our American democracy. Today, you can look at the College Republican chapters and College Democrats chapters as the future voices of the parties, and people should be concerned that many of these leaders choose to ostracize all those who do not agree with their points of view. Looking forward, my goal is to not place everyone who disagrees with me in a one size fits all box. Now, more than ever, I believe that having diverse points of view at the table is incredibly important.

These trips have been challenges, but they have prepared me well for the future. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store, but I know I am ready to face these challenges head on. I am ready to fight for progressive principles in 2016, but I also realize that sometimes I need to slow down and listen to what conservatives have to say. When you need a fresh look at something, take a look at the other side; you never know how much you may learn. Stay tuned.
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iranian women MPs partricipate in the joint session of the cabinet and parliament in Tehran, 18 August 2004. Twelve MPs from 12 Majlis commissions are to air their views on various issues tabled for discussion during the session. Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel stressed on the sidelines of the open session that while the government and parliament may have different views, they both have common legal commitments. Iran's conservative-dominated parliament voted down a bid by its reformist predecessor to support women's rights and enforce gender equality.AFP PHOTO/Henghameh FAHIMI (Photo credit should read HENGHAMEH FAHIMI/AFP/Getty Images)

On February 26, Iranians will vote in the first round of "elections" for the country's 290-seat parliament and the 88-member assembly of experts, a group of Islamic theologians tasked with electing another Supreme Leader in the event of Ali Khamenei's death.

According to Iranian media outlets, over 60 percent of some 12,000 candidates were disqualified by the all-powerful Guardian Council of the Constitution. The Guardian Council consists of six religious experts chosen by the Supreme Leader, and six "lawyers" appointed by the head of the judiciary, which is itself appointed by the Supreme Leader. This Council is tasked with filtering candidates in terms of their loyalty to the regime and dedication "in thought and in practice," to Khomeinist doctrine of the "guardianship of the jurisprudent" (Wilayat al-Faqih).

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Therefore, only 161 Islamic theologians were approved to run for the assembly of experts. Not a single one of Iran's 35 million women made the list. Not a single woman could be invited to the inner circle of power, the circle responsible for picking the guide to whom the Constitution will submit its body and soul. In the sham parliamentary elections, most women vying for seats were disqualified.

Former women MPs have not taken sufficient initiative to alter the country's misogynist legislation.

Nine of the members of the outgoing government were women, all of them fierce partisans of the Sharia of the mullahs. Former women MPs have not taken sufficient initiative to alter the country's misogynist legislation, nor have they done anything to lift the suffering Iranian women have endured for the past 37 years.

These nine MPs have not protested against the killings of 63 women under President Hassan Rouhani. They voted to enact gender segregation in the workplace, the ban on women traveling without the permission of their husbands or fathers, financial penalties for women not wearing headscarves 'properly,' and an arsenal of other policies that encroach on women's privacy.

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It is perhaps better not to dwell on the number of women in the upcoming parliament, since the mullahs in chadors (a garment worn by Muslim women) are more misogynistic than their counterparts in turbans.

In an interview on February 15 with the state-run news agency Fars, Maryam Varzdar, a so-called women's expert, did not hesitate to declare that "the majlis (assembly) is an important arena in which legislative competence, and not the presence of women, must count. We believe that women are more interested in women's issues, while an elected official entering parliament represents all the people."

According to Varzdar, "the majlis must be pious, devout and God-fearing." She considers the Iranian-Islamic way of life to be under threat. "The virtue and vice of society depends on the virtue and vice of of women," she said.

It seems that these mullahs, these men and women who purport to be the representatives of Islam, have completely forgotten the fact that the first person who believed in the revelation of the Qur'an and the message of the Prophet Muhammad was his wife Khadija, a remarkable woman who was a considerable help in the difficult early days of Islam. Khadija was the first convert to Islam and an advisor to the Prophet of Islam. She was followed by a long line of independent women and officials, who the Prophet allowed to take part in political, economic, social and religious decisions.

Finally, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, fearing a popular boycott of the elections, has issued a series of fatwas (religious edicts) to encourage the people to vote. Even though women generally need the permission of their fathers or husbands to leave the house, Khamenei said that "a woman's participation in elections is not subject to her husband's consent."

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ISTANBUL, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 23: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during 'High Level Partnership Forum focusing on progress in Somalia' at Conrad hotel in Istanbul, Turkey on February 23, 2016. (Photo by Berk Ozkan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

It has always been a matter of historical curiosity that one of the American diplomats who was deeply involved in the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was named Achilles. As the head of the State Department's Office of Western European Affairs after World War II and the eventual U.S. Vice Deputy of the North Atlantic Council, Theodore Achilles played a lead role in drafting the treaty that was designed to deter an expansionist Soviet Union from engaging in an armed attack on Western Europe. With 11 European nations joining the U.S. as founding members in 1949, the alliance quickly grew to include two other countries - Greece and Turkey - by 1952 and today encompasses 28 members.

It's a reflection of how difficult it was to imagine that any member of the organization would betray the rest of the alliance that to this day, NATO has no formal mechanism to remove a member in bad standing or to even define what would constitute "bad standing." Yet, nearly three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO members still make the same solemn vow to one another, known as Article 5, that they made in 1949: that an attack against any member state will be considered an attack against all member states, and will draw an immediate and mutual response. For nearly seven decades, this combination of factors has been the potential Achilles heel of NATO: that one day, its members would be called to defend the actions of a rogue member who no longer shares the values of the alliance but whose behavior puts its "allies" in danger while creating a nightmare scenario for the global order.

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After 67 years, that day has arrived: Turkey, which for half a century was a stalwart ally in the Middle East while proving that a Muslim-majority nation could be both secular and democratic, has moved so far away from its NATO allies that it is widely acknowledged to be defiantly supporting the Islamic State in Syria in its war against the West. Since Islamist strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power in 2003, Turkey has taken a harshly authoritarian turn, embracing Islamic terrorists of every stripe while picking fights it can't finish across the region - including an escalating war with 25 million ISIS-battling Kurds and a cold war turning hot with Russia, whose plane it rashly shot down in November. With those fights coming home to roost - as bombs explode in its cities and with enemies at its borders - Turkish leaders are now demanding unconditional NATO support, with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu declaring on Saturday that he expects "our U.S. ally to support Turkey with no ifs or buts."

But it's too little, too late. NATO shouldn't come to Turkey's defense - instead, it should begin proceedings immediately to determine if the lengthy and growing list of Turkish transgressions against the West, including its support for Islamic terrorists, have merit. And if they do - and they most certainly do - the Alliance's supreme decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, should formally oust Turkey from NATO for good before its belligerence and continual aggression drags the international community into World War III.

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This is an action that is long overdue. As I argued five years ago, "Erdogan, who is Islamist to the core, who once famously declared that "the mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets, and the faithful our soldiers"--seems to see himself as the Islamic leader of a post-Arab-Spring Muslim world." He has spent the past 13 years dismantling every part of Turkish society that made it secular and democratic, remodeling the country, as Caroline Glick of the Center for Security Policy once wrote, "into a hybrid of Putinist autocracy and Iranian theocracy." Last fall, he even went so far as to praise the executive powers once granted to Adolph Hitler.

Under Erdogan's leadership, our NATO ally has arrested more journalists than China, jailed thousands of students for the crime of free speech, and replaced secular schools with Islamic-focused madrassas. He has publicly flaunted his support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood while accusing long-time ally Israel of "crimes against humanity," violated an arms ban to Gaza, bought an air defense system (and nearly missiles) from the Chinese in defiance of NATO, and denied America the use of its own air base to conduct strikes during the Iraqi War and later against Islamic terrorists in Syria. As Western allies fought to help repel Islamic State fighters in the town of Kobani in Western Syria two years ago, Turkish tanks sat quietly just across the border.

In fact, there is strong evidence (compiled by Columbia University) that Turkey has been "tacitly fueling the ISIS war machine." There is evidence to show that Turkey, as Near East Outlook recently put it, allowed "jihadists from around the world to swarm into Syria by crossing through Turkey's territory;" that Turkey, as journalist Ted Galen Carpenter writes, "has allowed ISIS to ship oil from northern Syria into Turkey for sale on the global market;" that Erdogan's own son has collaborated with ISIS to sell that oil, which is "the lifeblood of the death-dealing Islamic State"; and that supply trucks have been allowed to pass freely across Turkey in route to ISIS fighters. There is also "evidence of more direct assistance," as Forbes puts it, "providing equipment, passports, training, medical care, and perhaps more to Islamic radicals;" and that Erdogan's government, according to a former U.S. Ambassador, worked directly with the al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, the al-Nusrah Front.

While Ankara pretends to take military action against ISIS, with its obsessive view of the Kurds, it has engaged in a relentless series of artillery strikes against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) that are routing ISIS troops in northern Syria. The Kurds are the largest ethnic group on earth without a homeland - 25 million Sunni Muslims who live at the combined corners where Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey meet. Turkey has waged a bloody, three-decade civil war against its 14 million Kurds - known as the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK - claiming more than 40,000 lives. The most recent peace process failed when Turkey again targeted the PKK, plunging the southeast of the country back into war while increasingly worrying Erdogan that Syrian and Turkish Kurds will join forces just across Turkey's border.

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The Kurds, like the Turks, are sometimes seen through the lens of who they used to be, and not who they are now. In 1997, Turkey convinced the U.S. to put the PKK on its list of terrorist organizations, and Erdogan claims Syria's Kurds are guilty by association. But in fact, the YPG has worked so closely with the U.S. against Islamic terrorists that the Washington Post recently referred to its members as "U.S. proxy forces." The Kurds - whether in Syria, Iraq, or Turkey - are, by all accounts, the fiercest and most courageous fighters on the ground in the war against the Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria. What's more, the group represents a powerful alternative to the apocalyptic vision of Islamic jihadists, embodying what has been described as "a level of gender equality, a respect for secularism and minorities, and a modern, moderate, and ecumenical conception of Islam that are, to say the least, rare in the region."

The Turkish government has tried to lay blame for recent bombings in Ankara at the feet of the YPG in an attempt to sway the U.S. to oppose the Kurds. An exasperated Erdogan railed about the loyalties of the West, accused the U.S. of creating a "sea of blood" in the region by supporting the Kurds, and issued an ultimatum: he demanded that the time had come for America to choose between Turkey and the Kurds.

I couldn't agree more: the time has come for the U.S. to choose the Kurds over Erdogan's Turkey.

Critics argue that the Kurds are unwilling to take the fight to ISIS beyond their borders, but this actually presents the U.S. with an opportunity. In exchange for fighting ISIS throughout the region, an international coalition can offer the Kurds their own state. A Kurdish state would become a critical regional ally for the US and play an invaluable role in filling the power vacuum that has emerged in the Middle East. With the help of the U.S., a Kurdish state could also help to accommodate Syrian refugees that have overwhelmed immigration systems in Turkey and Europe. In the long term, it would serve as a valuable regional partner to stabilize the region, and it would set a strong example of successful democracy. In other words, Kurdistan could play the role that Turkey used to play.

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It's been said that the difference between being Achilles and almost being Achilles is the difference between living and dying. NATO can do without an Achilles heel: It's time to kick Turkey out for good.
Batten the hatches. Here comes Raise.me!

In a matter of days I've gone from knowing nothing about Raise.me to being inundated with information. Raise.me is an organization that purports to provide wonderful scholarship opportunities to high school students, particularly those who are less privileged and less likely to have sophisticated guidance in choosing a college and financing their education.

First awareness came via an uncritical New York Times piece describing Raise.me. After visiting their website I've received emails hoping my school might guide students to the program. Apparently many colleges and universities have signed on. If nothing else, this venture has good PR and marketing capabilities. I use the word "venture" intentionally, as will shortly be clear.

Interested readers can visit the site to find details on the mechanics of the programs, but here is a short overview: Beginning in 9th grade, students register for the program and earn "dollars" for various things, including grades, grade point averages, AP courses, extra-curricular activities and others. Individual colleges assign their own values, so college X may offer $300 for an "A" and university Y offers only $100. The students then accumulate "dollars" that will be granted in scholarships by the college when and if the college admits the student.

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Too good to be true? Probably. Misleading? Perhaps.

First, I must register an objection to monetizing student choices. Extrinsic motivators are fleeting and often counterproductive. There are already enough incentives that drive America's students to see learning as an exercise in credential accumulation rather than seeking enlightenment, joy, creation or curiosity. This program is a more sophisticated version of the programs instituted in some urban schools, where small children are treated like laboratory animals, earning small rewards for compliant behavior or good grades.

Raise.me takes the already stressful process of college application and presses it needlessly into years when students should be exploring, taking risks, having fun and not be encumbered by the pressure of getting in to college. (This is also the case with the new college application process, Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success, supported by all the Ivy League schools and 80 or so other highly selective colleges. Like Raise.me, the Coalition intrudes needlessly on adolescence by pressing kids into the college game earlier and earlier.)

Raise.me is opaque in ways that invite skepticism. Start with the name -- Raise.me. I know of no other domain name ending in ".me." Is Raise.me profit or not for profit? Did they cleverly avoid .com identification with the .me designation?

The background story suggests someone is in it for the money. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Raise.me is also known as Raise Labs, Inc., a privately held company financed primarily by venture capitalists. Venture capitalism is not inherently evil, but venture capitalism is surely not charitable. Raise.me seems to be a very sophisticated "cause-related" business, seeking to capitalize on student and family anxiety, concerns about higher education costs, and colleges' hopes to capture more student interest at an earlier point in their academic lives.

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My skepticism includes the misleading listing of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a primary funder, implying that the scholarships are coming in part from such philanthropic sources. I could not find Raise.me listed as a Gates Foundation grantee. Raise.me won a very small prize in a Gates-sponsored business app contest, completely unrelated to any students' actual scholarships.

Of greater concern is that there is no evidence the accumulated "dollars" actually add to what a student might have received in a total aid package from any university. In business terms, dollars are fungible, and any credit given for Raise.me earnings can be (and seems to be) deducted from other sources the college might have applied. A few reports on College Confidential indicate that my skepticism is warranted. In other words, the program drives students to a college, but probably has no impact on the financial aid package that would otherwise have been awarded. And of course that's almost certainly true! No college would allow its discretionary aid awards to be dictated by a program like Raise.me.

Because I'm the head of a school, I'm even more skeptical that Raise.me uses well-intentioned teachers and counselors to drive business to the site. I do not plan to be complicit in monetizing learning or accelerating college anxiety.

A few questions for Raise.me and the colleges who have signed on: I'd like to know what Raise.me has predicted as returns for its venture capital investors. I'd like to know how Raise.me profits in the process. What's the revenue stream? I'd like to know whether colleges have promised to add Raise.me dollars to every package or whether, as I suspect, it is just taking money from one pocket and placing it into another.

It strikes me as a very clever promotion, earning money for the investors/founders and luring applicants to colleges, using students, teachers, counselors and parents as unwitting collaborators.

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And weirdly--stay with me here--the same sort of hype came with a once game-changing, now grudgingly essential kitchen appliance: the microwave.

Formerly known as the Radarange back in the 1960s, the $500 appliance was hailed by its maker (and military defense contractor) Raytheon as "the greatest cooking discovery since fire" in early advertisements.

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And surprisingly, some chefs today are in agreement.

"The microwave is the ultimate molecular gastronomy tool. It's underrated," Richard Blais, the chef at Juniper & Ivy in San Diego, bemoans. "It's the food you put in it that's usually subpar, not the poor old microwave."

So which foods does the greatest achievement of Percy Spencer, the original self-taught tech dude and Raytheon's legendary head of power tubes, deserve to send tons of tiny radio waves through? We're glad you asked. Here's how to harness the full potential of your microwave.

 Fry, Fry Again

Skip the vat of hot oil, thermometers and hot oil-related anxiety for this simple way of frying leafy herbs into crackly, crisp submission. Thomas Chen, the chef/owner of Tuome in New York City, brushes a bit of oil onto his herb of choice--maybe a bit of sage for porky maiale al latte--then puts it in the microwave for a few seconds. Bonus: It leaves the shape of the leaves intact, especially thinner, fussier ones like parsley. "Visually, it's more appealing to crisp parsley in the microwave, because it stays flat," Chen says.

 Oleo Atcha, Gurl

Punch for a party in a pinch? Easy, right? Not if you're going the traditional route by swirling a bit of aromatic oleo saccharum, the sugary, citrusy elixir essential to 19th-century cocktails. However, instead of waiting a whole day for the ingredients to meld together, Justin Lavenue whips his up in a mere five minutes at The Roosevelt Room in Austin. "We use a microwave all of the time to make quick oleo saccharums for punches," Lavenue says. "The heat draws out the oils of citrus peels and breaks down the sugar quicker."

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RELATED This Grill Literally Uses Rocket Science to Help You Cook 

 En Papillote: French for "Just Nuke It"

Yeah, that's a lie, but Tim Meyers, the sous chef at Charlie Bird in New York City, is tres, tres proud of his fish en papillote hack, aka parchment fish. "I've got no problem admitting I still use mine at home to prepare fish en papillote," Meyers says. "Although the package is being cooked in the oven, you are essentially steaming the fish." The key to pulling this off, though, is constantly checking the fish. "Prepare the fish the same way and pop it in the microwave for a couple minutes at intervals," Meyers explains. "You'll find that the result is an excellent substitute for turning your oven on in August."

 Let Them Eat Cake

Far better than microwaving raw cookie dough for a rather oily but acceptable snack, the light-as-air sponge cake dreamed up by Ferran Adria continues to inspire today. At Acadia in Chicago, chef Ryan McCaskey reinvents the molecular gastronomic classic with his foie gras carrot cake. "The spiced cake is shot out of an iSi canister then microwaved for 38 seconds, so you get the lightest, fluffiest cake," McCaskey says. "We then partially dehydrate it for one hour, which gives it a slightly crunchy texture."

 Reheat the Right Stuff

Sure, chefs rely on their microwaves to warm things up. However, exactly what you stick in the microwave is important, according to George Mendes, the chef/owner of Aldea and Lupulo in New York City. "The microwave is especially great for preheating purees, like potatoes or root vegetables, Mendes says. "It beats having to heat the purees in a pot, which almost always begins to stick to the bottom once you turn your eyes or stop continuously mixing with a spoon or spatula."

Also on HuffPost:
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a Nevada Democratic caucus rally, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Last week, candidate Hillary Clinton was asked by CBS's Scott Pelley if she has always told the truth. Her answer was less than straight-forward. She said she had always tried to tell the truth. Some, including many a conservative and Republican operative, as well as mainstream media like the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, immediately pounced on the response as an act of equivocation, a parsing of words. (For that, her husband Bill Clinton, is the poster child -- he who in 1998 said "depends on what the meaning of "is" is.)

The Washington Post headline read "Hillary Clinton's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad answer..."

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Now, no one can quarrel with the observation that Hillary has a trust problem. A small minority of New Hampshire voters said they trusted her. But I would like to take the hazardous position of defending her response -- and no, I am not a Hillary supporter -- at least, not yet.

What Hillary said is she has always tried to tell the truth. The correct answer, her critics argue, is "Yes, I have always told the truth." But had she said that she would, in my view -- and I suspect, many others -- have lost all credibility. Why? Because no one always tells the truth, and especially not politicians. This is not a cynical view, it is a realistic one. Non-politicians are constantly lying, if for no other reason, to spare the feelings of loved ones and friends, to conceal a dreaded diagnosis, to minimize a spouse's weight gain. But "white lies" are lies. (And who among us has not lied for other, less noble reasons of self-interest?) Were I asked the Hillary question, I hope I would have had the courage to respond as Hillary did, that I have always tried. But the truth is that I have not always told the truth. Twisted as it may sound, such an admission may not be a sign of deceitfulness, but of honesty.

Particularly in the political arena, the occasion -- nay, the demand -- to lie is constant. Giving in to it is but one measure of spine and character. But leaving it at that is too simplistic a view. The absolute truth-teller in politics is doomed from the get-go. We celebrate a politician's vision, one who can articulate broad ambitions and lofty goals, and we penalize those who are mired in details and candid in handicapping their chances of success. And we extol those who possess the diplomatic trait -- but a part of diplomacy and negotiation is often the ability to gain advantage without showing one's entire hand. The bluff, familiar to every card player and pol, is an act of posturing that is well short of truth.

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We have a phrase for those who do not "mince words," a phrase which itself telegraphs a certain bluntness and lack of civility. We call them "brutally honest." It is a trait that suggests the speaker is offensive and insensitive to those he or she addresses. In the public realm, such brutal adherence to truth alienates others (I will get to Trump in a moment,) obliterates the chances for compromise and reconciliation, and leaves lingering resentments.

And when we speak of lying we usually limit our discussion to talk of crimes of commission -- saying something false, a fabrication. But truth-telling involves more than the absence of a lie -- it necessarily calls for a responsibility to provide a full and honest response. Withholding vital information or proper context from citizens is itself an act of deception. Such crimes of omission are common among politicians. Honoring matters of classification and national security, privacy, personnel issues, and a host of other concerns -- not to mention that rarity, good taste -- often means a politician will "skirt the truth" -- a lovely and delicate term that means something other than truth itself. Amazing the number of synonyms and euphemisms we have developed to draw distinctions between outright condemnation and flexibility when it comes to truth-telling. Most politicians have the wisdom and good sense not to respond honestly to inquiries that are out of bounds. Those of a certain age may remember Jimmy Carter confessing to Playboy magazine back in 1976 that he had committed mental adultery many times -- what today would be called "TMI."

I am not defending Hillary Clinton. That is something she can do for herself -- or not. What concerns me is the creation of a bogus standard, one that is unattainable in both the private and public realm, and one which ironically invites lying and misrepresentation. Demanding that a politician swear to a lifetime of fidelity to truth does nothing but set the stage for inevitable disappointment and disillusionment. The slick are rewarded, the honest penalized.

What we ask of them is that they always try to tell the truth, that that is their default position. But to ask them to unfailingly and indiscriminately utter the truth in all its full glory on all occasions is to ask them to commit personal and political suicide and to sacrifice all prospects for comity and bipartisanship. Another self-sanctimonious politician is the last thing we need. They may appeal to the smug and hypocritical, but ultimately they do not usher in an age of candor -- just more rancor and disharmony.

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Which brings me to Donald Trump. Perhaps it is his willingness to blurt out whatever comes into his combed-over head, his contempt for the feelings of others, his willingness to lay waste to the landscape as he vents his true feelings (although the trueness of those feelings leaves many, including myself, in doubt) that is his appeal to voters who mistake rudeness for candor. The scourge of political protocol and verbal restraint, he is the embodiment of that fantasy figure -- the political truth-teller. To that class of citizens who crave candor above all else in a candidate -- and I do mean all else -- perhaps Trump is The Man. To me, he is a caricature of the truth-teller, someone who has parlayed the middle finger into a campaign promise. And, I fear -- or is it, I hope? -- the biggest liar of them all, cloaked as he is in the mantle of the One True Honest Politician. Ask him if he has always told the truth, and I suspect -- depending on the day -- he would not hesitate to say "yes" -- if that is what we want him to say.

Credit Hillary that she did not.

I am not oblivious to the dangers of my own argument. It opens the door to putting the ends above the means, to lying for the greater good, to leaving truth in the hands of the beholder. But alas, that door has always been open, and for good reason. We are human. That is not an excuse, it is a condition. There's a reason that fact-checkers like Politifact and those of other major news organizations are fully employed - and why no candidate has fully passed muster. There is also a reason why citizens have developed what the writer Ernest Hemingway once called a "shock-proof B_ _ _ S _ _ _ detector." As citizens, we have learned to bake such liberties with the truth into our assessments, to discount them as we do when we hear an ad. I do not condone such license-taking and I shudder to start separating out the acceptable lies from the unacceptable, but I also do not want one candidate held to a standard that no other can pass or to set a verbal trap for anyone with half a conscience.

As for Hillary's answer, I would not say it was the most artful, ("artful" too can be code for ambiguity and dissemblance) but it did get at something of the complexity of the issue. It is a complexity that is toxic on the campaign trail, and particularly to Hillary who inadvertently raised it in her response. But to insist upon the simplicity of a statement that she never lied, comforting as it may be to some -- and preposterous as it would have been to others -- is not the outcome we should seek from those running for office. Perhaps the correct question is the one we should ask of ourselves -- have we always told the truth, the full truth, and what would our own lives look like if we had?
After reading through Killer Mike's tweets in support of reparations for slavery the other day, I was reminded of my own observations on the subject from activists and scholars in and around the Black community. This happened in New York City around the early to mid 2000's, where I lived and worked in Harlem for several years while attending the School of Visual Arts (SVA).

As the only non-Black employee -- and non-Black person there 99% of the time -- in the then Kev's Copy Center on Lenox Ave., I did graphic design and typing services with themes often reflecting elements of the local/Black American culture. This ranged from hip hop, jazz, local salons, Sylvia's Soul Food across the street, or just formatting in type what a customer wrote out on looseleaf paper.

One such order was from someone who, according to customer service, went by the name of Chief Red Deer. I never saw him but believe he was working on a book. So I was handed a stack of papers with his handwriting in red ink entitled Mentalnomics.

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Reading the first page as I typed, I initially dismissed it as visceral and poorly written. My reaction likely came from a childhood attending mostly White, affluent suburban schools (though barely keeping up with the Joneses), having just stepped foot in the big city. This was the case with many of the typing jobs, given the rough quality of education in a low-income demographic. It soon became clear that Mentalnomics was Red Deer's take on reparations, and the effects of slavery.

After making it through a few pages though, the message started to speak louder than the delivery. Red Deer emphasized how the psychological effects of slavery should be taken into account. He stressed how the social and emotional complexities are passed down in Black families, apart from any real world compensation. This was back in 2002 so I don't remember much more than that, but that I am writing about it today is evident of how it managed to reach me.

Another customer who looked at least in his 40's, with a newsboy cap and the unassuming eyes of a child, was Henry "Mitch" Mitchell. He would always say hello when he walked in, take a seat and casually talk to me despite my awkwardness as an outsider there. He was an activist for the organization Reparations Now, which pushed for reparations in the form of financial aid for qualifying African Americans' education, among other things.

One day Mitch asked me to do a side gig, because he wanted me to treat it as more than just work. He needed a flyer to present at an upcoming RN meeting, and leant me a book of an artist depicting slavery in pencil drawings (I wish I had remembered the artist's name). Mitch's friendly nature was enough for me to say yes, despite my crazy full-time student/work schedule.

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What I particularly remember from this book is the depiction of slaves shelved in ships like cargo, for the long trip across the Atlantic. If they weren't laying down and packed like sardines, they were chained by ankle, wrist, and neck, in a crouched position on their feet. I couldn't not convey this intensity in the flyer, so I felt compelled to put as much as I could into it.



The flyer I designed for Mitch with his writing, from the early 2000's. Note: My career and the quality of my work have come a long way since.

After handing it off to Mitch, he asked how much he owed me. He was right about it being more than just work, so I offered it to him for free as a token of support. His eyes lit up in disbelief: "Really?!!"

It wasn't until weeks later, when I asked how RN liked the flyer that I got the real payoff. Mitch informed me about their meeting where he presented the flyer. He announced how a "half White, half Asiatic man" (my mom is a Japanese immigrant) volunteered to create it for free, to which "the whole room went silent." This could be interpreted in different ways, but I'd like to think it gave them a little hope that other people beyond their community cared.

Native Africans in the area would also stop by the shop every now and then. You could tell because from head wrap to sandals, they were adorned with the colorful, prestigious attire of their culture. They also had lovely accents. It was here that I was informed of a tension between native African and Black Americans in Harlem, from both groups. I imagine it may have reflected apparent clashes in how they came off to each other, given the nurturing of their minority/majority statuses and histories in contrasting societies.

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Meanwhile at SVA, I took a Postcolonial Africa class for the reputable professor. Indeed she showed a well-versed knowledge of the subject. She mostly sat and talked to us conversationally through different African countries' conflicts and timelines.

Though we did not cover the topic of slavery, toward the end of class one day I asked this African American professor about her opinion on reparations. She immediately batted her hand and with a sour face, responded with something like, "People should let that go already."

While anyone can come up with logical reasons for or against reparations, what Mentalnomics sparked for me was considering how the psychological effects linger to this day. Could reparations change that? Can it make a difference for the people whose forefathers built the Capitol Building? Whereas I did not think much of it before, I believe if approached in a way as Reparations Now proposed, through education benefits for example, then yes I would gladly contribute my tax dollars to it.
In rural Malawi it is not uncommon for neighbours to see a skeletal man being pushed in a wheelbarrow by his son or his brother. The frail man is being taken to the nearest clinic because he is too sick from HIV to walk. When they arrive, he is given anti-retroviral medication. But it is likely to be too late. So instead of being sent home, he is sent to the men's ward nicknamed the "death ward".

On the other hand, most women in rural Malawi regularly walk to the clinic. They receive dedicated services for their pregnancies and for their young children and are routinely tested for HIV. If they are found to be infected they are immediately started on anti-retroviral medication. This enables them to live many more years with HIV and blocks the transmission of HIV to their children.

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It is well known that there are more HIV positive women than men in sub-Saharan Africa. While women are more likely to be infected, men account for 60% of all HIV-related deaths. Most are related to poor use of HIV testing and treatment.

In eastern and southern Africa, the regions most affected by HIV, over 65% of men who are HIV positive have never started treatment. HIV is a manageable disease when treated well. If it is not treated, or treated too late, it becomes a death sentence.

Why aren't men tested and treated for HIV? The standard response is that men refuse to admit that they need help. Alternatively, they refuse to attend a clinic considering health care a woman's activity. It is a common and perhaps universal stereotype: the macho man who refuses to see a doctor, opting instead to "man up".

But is a macho ideal of manhood really to blame?

A focus on women, but what about the men?

International organisations regularly examine factors outside of women's control that limit their use of health services. Gender inequality, poverty and the distance they have to travel to access a health centre are often to blame.

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The international community has thus channelled money and other resources to remove barriers to testing and treatment for women. There is a logic to this approach. Focusing on women means that we can prevent new infections in utero and during birth, thus saving the lives of children.

Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation-Malawi / Chris Cox

As a result, HIV services are tailored to women of childbearing age and their children. Pregnant women are routinely tested and women are exposed to HIV prevention messages during most family planning, antenatal, or child wellness visits.

In a growing number of countries, pregnant and breastfeeding HIV positive women are automatically started on HIV treatment for life. This happens regardless of whether they meet the standard eligibility criteria.

Despite these successes for women, HIV policymakers have not fully understood why men are not using services. Answering this question is critical to understand the problem of missing men.

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Our research found that the way HIV testing and treatment is offered makes a big difference for men's use of care. Unlike women, men are not targeted by HIV policies to ensure they are tested and treated. As a result, heterosexual men have become a marginalised group when it comes to HIV services. They are systematically disadvantaged in their access to care.

We found that in southern Malawi there are limited options available for men to test and start treatment. They must seek out HIV services for themselves and are not actively recruited as is the case with pregnant women.

Men who do choose to get tested can go to a public or private clinic. Both scenarios present problems.

Public clinics are typically tailored to women. They are inevitably crowded with women waiting to see a nurse, increasing waiting times for services and making public clinics "woman's spaces" that men believe are not intended for them. In smaller public facilities, HIV services may only be available during hours when pregnant women are served. This again limits men's access to care. When HIV services are so focused on women, can we expect men to access them?

Private clinics provide a more male-friendly alternative, but paying for care is a luxury most cannot afford.

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The alternative is to forego testing altogether. For many, this will mean an untimely death.

Turning the tide

There is good justification to prioritise services for women and the children they bear and care for. But to stem the tide of the HIV pandemic, men must be included.

We are not advocating that there needs be an equal number of health services for men. Instead, we propose that more must be done for men than is currently offered.

The international community has done a great deal to keep women and their children alive through the AIDS epidemic. It should not continue to overlook their husbands and fathers.

Dedicated male-friendly HIV services are needed. The alternative scenario is dismal. Sons will continue to wheel their skeletal fathers to "death wards", where they die of something that could have been managed. Men's use of health services can be improved - we have seen it happen for women.

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A pharmacy employee in New York looks for medication as she works to fill a prescription. Lucas Jackson/Reuters

The United States is facing a shortage of prescription drugs, ranging from antibiotics to cancer treatments. These shortages are putting the medical profession in the frequent position of deciding who will get the drugs that are in short supply and, more importantly, who will not.

Physicians and hospitals always have had to make rationing decisions in times of shortage. But these decisions usually are made behind the scenes. A recent New York Times article about the drug shortages shines a light on the rationing that is occurring.

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According to the article, the decision-making process varies considerably across institutions. For instance, in some hospitals formal ethics committees make these decisions. At others, these decisions are made by individual physicians, pharmacists or even drug company executives.

And, as the article also reports, patients typically are not told of the shortage and have no idea that their choice of treatment has been limited, even though the decision may delay their recovery, increase their pain or, in some cases, potentially accelerate their death.

As legal experts in medical ethics and disability law who have conducted research on the allocation of medical resources, we were struck by the general lack of awareness of the law evident in the article. The fact is, there are civil rights laws and state laws governing informed consent that apply to such decisions, even in times of public health emergencies and medical shortages.

These laws constrain physician decision-making and must be taken into account on the front end in making treatment or distribution decisions for all patients and in particular, we would argue, for patients with disabilities.

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Bias against people with disabilities

In 1990, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide protection to people with disabilities and assure equal opportunity, access and participation in all areas of public life. The ADA applies to both public and private hospitals, as well as physicians providing care to patients.

The ADA prohibits the use of any eligibility criteria that would screen out people with disabilities from receiving necessary services, including medical care.

But, in the past, drug and treatment allocation protocols or distribution plans created by medical professionals in times of shortage have failed to acknowledge that the ADA limits their discretion.

In 2013, we reviewed the allocation protocols developed by public health and medical organizations in providing critical care, such as ventilators, to guide medical decision-making in the event of shortages during an H1NI flu pandemic.

Some of these groups have made recommendations that physicians restrict access to treatment based on patients' diagnosed disability, their anticipated quality of life, the duration or intensity of their need for care and the treatment effectiveness.

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All of these criteria to varying degrees raise the troubling potential for disability bias to play a role.

For example, categorically preventing all individuals with severe mental retardation from all access to ventilators clearly violates the ADA. Likewise, refusing to treat an individual with cystic fibrosis for swine flu because he will still have cystic fibrosis after treatment, and thus a "poor quality of life," is unlawful.

Quality of life assessments allow the prejudices of health professionals and laypeople, who systematically underestimate the quality of life experienced by people with disabilities, to result in the denial of treatment.

Patients need to know how shortages affect their care. Doctor and patient image via www.shutterstock.com.

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To stop bias, decisions should be made in the open

Given this background, there is little reason to believe that allocation decisions in other situations where medicine or equipment is in short supply will be free from bias against people with disabilities.

The New York Times article coincided with the publication of an ethical framework for allocating pediatric cancer drugs in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The authors bring attention both to a persistent problem of drug shortages and to the need for a more transparent and inclusive process for deciding who should get rationed drugs.

Although this particular decision framework laudably rejects consideration of disability, it fails to recognize or discuss the fact that such consideration is legally impermissible under the ADA. As to the kinds of ad hoc decision-making described in the New York Times article, they are even less likely to appreciate what the ADA requires.

Secrecy prevents informed consent

The secrecy surrounding allocation decisions is also in conflict with state laws concerning informed consent.

Patients have a right to know when and why their physicians restrict their access to viable treatment options. State tort law governs when a physician must give this information to her patients. Indeed, state courts explicitly lay out when a physician must give this information to her patients.

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Just over half the states have adopted a physician-centered standard that allows the profession to determine when disclosure is desirable. Other states have adopted the more liberal patient-centered standard, which requires physicians to disclose information that most patients would find relevant to their treatment. Under either standard, physicians have a legal obligation to inform patients of shortages when the shortages affect their care, the risks they face, or their prognosis.

Patients have the right to make informed decisions about their treatment options. This includes knowing when they are being denied effective and otherwise recommended treatment because there is a drug shortage.

The drug shortages are not likely to go away any time soon. Although the medical profession must make hard choices about how to allocate care, these decisions need not and should not be shrouded in mystery.

We need to acknowledge that rationing decisions are being made in the U.S. health system. The limitations on care, the reasons for them and how care will be dispensed should be debated openly.

And those discussions must include the voices of people with disabilities, who so often have been impacted by such decisions. They should also include civil rights experts who can ensure that any allocation protocol incorporates the legal protections society already has put in place.

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It is neither fair for physicians to bear this burden alone nor right for people with disabilities unknowingly to be affected at the most fundamental level by decisions made behind closed doors.




Q&A with the Curator of Jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and Hollywood's Red Carpet Jeweler, Neil Lane



By Heidi Legg

Hollywood is awash in glitter, glamour, and experimentation this week as stylists, designers, and jewelers clamor for influence on the Red Carpet at the Academy Awards. Back in Boston, February doldrums have set in with sub-zero temperatures leaving the pale northeast native scavenging for morsels of color in salt-stained boots and tired winter coats that shed feathers. Where could there possibly be a crossover?

In an unusual pairing of scholarly study and Hollywood performance, Emily Stoehrer, the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Curator of Jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will watch closely this week as her dissertation subject, jeweler to the stars Neil Lane, adorns everyone from Madonna to Jennifer Lawrence on the Red Carpet. Yes, he is the same celebrity who appears on the Bachelor with designer engagement rings and who lent his name to Kay Jewelers to supply the masses. Yet, Stoehrer takes pause on what she says is a dual legacy of collector and marketing genius, and narrows in on the one legacy she covets and labels as a magnificent collection with some of the most important pieces from the 20th Century. I sat down with the two of them, separately, to discover how this Hollywood jeweler to the stars built his collection and how he has caught the stern eye of one of the great institutions long run by Boston Brahmin blue-blood elite.

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Neil, this is our most glamorous interview yet.

N: It is, for me.

Thank you for making the time.

N: I'll do anything. No, we're not busy. No, we're really not. We only have 350 pieces of jewelry out for the Academy Awards.

Emily Stoehrer from the blue-blood bastion of Boston's MFA is studying your work from a scholarly angle. What do you think of this?

N: Isn't this crazy? Emily decides to do her thesis on me and she says, 'you did this and that by yourself and you don't have any backing. You didn't have any money. How did you do this?' If I had been schlepping around in Paris at four o'clock in the morning at the flea markets in the bitter cold because I thought I was going to be rich and famous - are you crazy?

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But I loved it. I was fascinated by this stuff, going to Kovel's Antiques to understand what the hell I had found. 'Oh look, there's a mark on the bottom.' I didn't know things had been marked on the bottom. I had the best time. You have to understand before I got serious about business, I was the most carefree happy guy in the world. I was going out to the Bowery with other artists and I was garbage picking. I was painting. I was exhibiting. I didn't have to worry about my art being sold because I was making money at the flea market selling vintage posters.

How did you originally start collecting vintage jewels?

N: I started collecting things people threw out on the street. They weren't even called 'collectibles.' There was no name for it because it was mostly junk and, as a little kid, I was fascinated by it. I was fascinated by my neighborhood, by the old people and the old houses. When I started college, it became a hobby. I was painting and drawing at art school and I started selling all these things I'd found at the flea market. When I made enough money, the first thing I did was go to Paris. That's where I learned Western Art, where I discovered the whole world of Paris and the whole world of the Art Nouveau. I started collecting very, very slowly and carefully because I didn't have the means to collect.

With the jewelry, I was still in my aesthetic stage and I was looking for interesting things. I wasn't necessarily looking for platinum and diamonds. I wouldn't have understood it. I was still more aesthetically involved in Art Nouveau and the nuance of lines. In London, I learned about Merle Bennett and Liberty & Company and Archibald & Knox. It was lots of bits of silver with little blue enamels and little vases and cigarette cases that were fifty dollars to 100 pounds. In Paris I would go around to the antique shops and look around for little bits of gold Art Nouveau. If I told you how I developed my eye, it was because I didn't have any money.

It sounds like the famous 10,000-hour rule coined by Malcolm Gladwell.

N: It was a process. If I saw something at a flea market, let's say a two-handle vase and it was $100, I didn't buy it because I wasn't sure. Then I went on to the next booth twenty feet away and I saw something similar and that was also $100, and I kept seeing something similar. Before I'd spent $100, I really needed to teach myself about what I was buying. Let's say a couple hours later I saw something for $300 and it had three handles instead of two handles - that's how I taught myself. I kept on looking and looking and looking and looking before I spent the money.

I didn't have a teacher. I didn't really have a mentor. I studied at the Art Students League and I studied with some well known artists, but in jewelry, I had no mentor. I learned by looking and then I bought books. I bought every book that ever came out on jewelry whether it was fifty dollars, thirty-five dollars, or seventy dollars. That's something I did that other people didn't. I absorbed the images. I didn't have a clue coming from Brooklyn what a piece of jewelry with a maker's mark on it meant. I didn't know anything like that. I learned and learned and learned. What you said about the 10,000 hours, I think I probably put fifty billion hours in it.

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Emily, why did you decide to study Neil Lane?

E: I first met Neil six years ago as he prepared to give a lecture on his collection at the MFA when I was a curatorial research fellow there. I was the assistant to Yvonne Markowitz who was then the jewelry curator. After that, he and I would talk on the phone and he'd ask me for my opinion.

How did you come to do your thesis on his work?

E: Yvonne had known Neil forever. They had gone to jewelry camp together in Orono, Maine, which was started by Ruth and Dr. Joe Sataloff in 1979, who was very fond of and friendly with Yvonne. Years later, in 2012, when I was choosing my dissertation topic, he came up in conversation. The conversation was around how he had this amazing collection and that he was doing this really interesting thing in Hollywood and on the red carpet creating an interest in vintage jewels. At the same time, the average consumer of red carpet images doesn't necessarily know they're seeing vintage jewelry. They have to dig a little bit to realize that what he's showing as the Neil Lane collection is actually, oftentimes, very historic.

When you met, Neil had already been in LA a long time. When do you see his work and the red carpet intersect?

E: Jewelry was really becoming more and more prominent on the red carpet and I didn't know why. It was interesting in my research to explore this, which brought me to LA and led me to significant research into the Jewelers Circular Keystone (JCK), an industry periodical like Women's Wear Daily. Basically in the 1990s a group called the Diamond Information Center decided that Hollywood would be a good place to disseminate jewelry as a way to get Americans to want to wear more diamond jewelry. They arrive on the scene and one of the few jewelers was Neil Lane with his small booth in an antique center. The Diamond Information Center really helped him to access that world.

He was also showing something totally different. I interviewed stylist Rachel Zoe - the biggest - and she talked about how Neil's jewels often were appealing to her clients because they were different and bold. I think that because there was this commercialism creeping into Hollywood, vintage jewelry or fashion also offered an 'other.' It was something that seemed somehow not commercial and something where you could be one of a kind and unique because the jewels were one of a kind. At the time of my thesis, Neil was already working for Kay Jewelers and Jared, and many people knew him for those mainstream commercial ventures. Even today, people don't necessarily know the many layers that he's working on nor about his work as an artist.

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Once people started buying your work, did you know you were becoming a movement in Hollywood?



N: Oh, my God. No. No. If you had said to me years ago that one day you're going to be in Hollywood designing jewels, not only selling them to the most famous people in the world, the most beautiful, and being involved in red carpets and being with Kay Jewelers and designing rings for America, I would've probably said, 'you're crazy. You're nuts. I don't want to do that.'



Early on you worked with Madonna. How did that come to be?

N: Madonna has probably been my biggest muse. I have worked with Madonna for probably eighteen years. I created the giant M for her for the Gap campaign. Again, it was collaboration. She wasn't going to just give me this gig for the Gap thing. She really wanted to see if I could handle it and she had every jeweler in the world on the trailer sets. But I kept on coming up with more jewels and more designs and more jewels. She was the first one to take jeans upscale and she did it with Missy Elliott for Gap.

The Saturday before the shoot, I had these two diamond necklaces on her neck and she was looking in the mirror at the studio. It was like kismet. She said, 'I need something. Something's missing' and I think it was her - I give her the credit -- 'it needs a giant M' and that night I kept the workshop open and we made a giant diamond M. That became such a huge rage and she wore her M everywhere afterward.

Are all the stones Neil uses vintage?

E: Sometimes. That's really how he got started and I've been interested in the Hollywood red carpet story of his career. Celebrities would either be drawn to old stones or old settings and he would sometimes make a ring around a stone that he was given or had found for them, or find a stone for a ring that they had. Or he designed one inspired by things that he had in his shop. For him, it's always been a mix of old and new and the complexity of it is what I think defines him.

N: When I did start to design jewelry, I was actually using old stones. Living in Paris, that was my aesthetic. I didn't have a contemporary design because I'm living in the contemporary but my aesthetic was something from the past. When I stated to design, the word 'vintage' didn't exist out here, Heidi. I started using it but it didn't really exist. Now it has a meaning but it didn't before. No one really can define vintage. If you ask someone who's twenty-one what vintage is - 'I don't know. It looks old and it's cool.'

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I first came to Hollywood with a bag of antique jewelry and I started working with a lot of young people in Hollywood. Red carpets weren't as popular and they certainly didn't have so many starlets. They didn't have Netflix or all these content players. The biggest movie stars when I came here were Barbra Streisand and Goldie Hawn. And Goldie Hawn used to bring her daughter Kate as a little girl to my little counter to try on jewelry. When Kate got engaged for the first time to Chris Robinson, her ring came from me.

These young starlets were reverting back to the 1950s, and jewelers like Harry Winston loved putting these big diamond necklaces on these girls. I could see something was wrong. Before that, you would see Armani, the king of the red carpets, with very simple jewelry like a diamond bracelet: a line bracelet, diamond studs, or a diamond bar broach. I'm not talking about Elizabeth Taylor but the young starlets. I started making diamond chains, Edwardian chains, and I made colorful earrings in a Renaissance style and a Victorian style and the people I was dealing with asked me, 'could we wear that? Could we borrow that?' At that time, I didn't understand anything about loaning jewelry. It's a long history.

When we look at Neil through his public persona, there is this dichotomy. As a curator of historic jewelry owned by royalty and major collectors, how do you deal with this?

E: It's been interesting to do this research and dive into the '90s and 2000s because you see that fashion does things first and then jewelry takes a few years to catch up. If we look ten years ago, we saw a lot of fashion designers doing capsule collections and putting their name along with Target or H & M in the same way Neil Lane put his name with Kay Jewelers and Jared. He's making his name available to a much larger audience because before that his brand was so exclusive. He still has that exclusivity in his own high-end designs, and in many ways the vintage jewels are his babies and what really inspires all of his other work.

What do you think Emily is capturing?

N: She's recognizing something in me that I don't really spend much time thinking about. What she's saying to me is 'Neil, do you realize that you have a profound effect on fashion and the jewelry industry? Do you realize that?' And I think she's wanted to chronicle it and try to understand it.

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From my perspective, I might say, 'Okay, I see that. I see that my years in France, my years of studying vintage and the aesthetic and creating diamond rings have really altered the whole bridal scene in America.' I can see, yes, that my coming to Hollywood changed the aesthetic. People are more comfortable wearing color on the red carpet and wearing different things. Yes. But for me it's just my journey and someone talking about it is pleasant. As a human being, your whole life is captured in three seconds. Your brain can see everything in fifty seconds from the beginning. I see myself as a little boy in Brooklyn; I see him going to Paris; I see myself at the flea markets. It's all very quick. But it did take years and years and years to get here.

Emily, what will be Neil's legacy?

E: I believe he has a dual legacy. First, he has a legacy as a collector who lends his things to important museum exhibitions. We had some jewelry here last fall and he's lent more recently to an exhibition in Chicago. Then there is the legacy of commercial Jared and Kay Jewelers and the Bachelor where you actually see Neil Lane and you see some of his own designs.

For many people, they'll remember him that way and think of him as this celebrity jeweler and a celebrity in his own right with his appearances on TV. But for museum-goers, and someone interested in the history of jewelry, he's assembled this magnificent collection with some of the most important pieces from the 20th Century. These collector pieces have all kinds of tangible memories of Hollywood history or jewelry history and that's the story I'd like more people to know about.

You work at one of the most blue blood institutions in the country and yet, we are talking about Neil Lane and the Hollywood red carpet. Does this surprise you?

E: It's interesting. Boston is typically not a place where you see a lot of flashy jewels - except at the MFA. We're actually the first museum in the country to have a full time curator of jewelry, and that's thanks to Susan Kaplan who endowed my position in her family foundation. Susan has been really involved with the museum with her passion and love of jewelry for many years, and it's actually a conversation with her that led me to think about doing my dissertation on Neil's collection.

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I think we're doing something really exciting and different in Boston. While Boston traditionally doesn't have this reputation for being interested in jewelry, I think that we've broken that stereotype here at the museum. People come here and they're almost immediately met with our jewelry gallery and it's become a real hot spot in the museum. I think people are really eager to see what we're collecting and what we're doing.

Neil, if any of your pieces go into a museum, which piece would you choose?

N: The things that I've done in America - I think the things I created for Madonna on all her stage shows and all the M's and the jewel that I created for her Rebel Heart Tour. I created an amazing jewel for her. I might give you a picture with that. I've never given that to anyone. The picture she used on her album is her face wrapped up in cords. You'll see it. It's white. I took that idea of wrapping it in cords with string and I took the rebel heart motif. I created a heart wrapped up in strings and diamonds and then I used celestial material. I used meteorite to create it so it would give it energy. It's called Rebel Heart.
Traveling in Europe is not cheap. A night of debauchery in Amsterdam, a few too many pints in Dublin, getting pickpocketed in the Louvre, before you know it there are no Euros left in your new European carry-all.

But not to fear, there are still plenty of fun and enlightening and totally free things to do on your trip. Here are some of the best.

Amsterdam

Free concerts

Assuming you're a classical music aficionado and/or trying to show the Australian girl from the hostel how 'cultured' you are, then you'll be pleased with Amsterdam's many free orchestra performances. The Dutch National Opera & Ballet and Concertegebouw Orchestra hold complimentary lunchtime concerts on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, respectively. There's also the Muziekgebouw aan t' IJ, a slick-looking concert hall where conservatoire students play gratis on the last Thursday of every month.

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Athens

Filopappou Hill

The Acropolis is incredible, but it sucks for two reasons: 1) summer admission is going up to $22, and: 2) throngs of tourists crowding your Parthenon selfies. So head down to Filopappou Hill for a panoramic view of Athens, the Acropolis, and even the Aegean Sea. Walking up, there are also a couple more cool (and yes, free) attractions to be found, like a 16th-century church and the prison where Socrates is thought to have died.

Barcelona

Go to the beach

In Catalonia's capital, the best things in life really are free -- namely, the sun and all that sand. Barcelona has plenty to beaches to choose from -- from relaxed to raver's paradise (at least at night) -- and the further you get away from the city, the more pristine and peaceful the scenery gets.

Berlin

Bearpit Karaoke

Don't miss the Mauerpark flea market, where you'll find thousands gathered at a legendary daytime karaoke party. Located by a former death strip that separated East and West, some of the vocal talent is admittedly depressing -- but some will also blow you away.

Budapest

Gellert Hill Cave Church

For a tiny chapel carved into rock, Gellert Hill Cave's got an amazing history. It was first constructed in the 1920s and served as a field hospital during WWII before being sealed for 40 years. Open again, monks hold ceremonies here regularly.

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Edinburgh

Free Fringe Festival

Every year, Scotland's capital is home to a festival offering live music, standup comedy, and theater shows free of charge. This year's event is scheduled for August and will be the biggest yet, with over 300 performances across dozens of venues.

London

Guided tour at the Tate Modern

You've probably already got this modern art gallery on your London bucket list (after all, it costs nothing), but make the most of it by catching one of four complimentary daily tours. That way, you can also learn the difference between a Turner, a Pollock, and what's just a used Kleenex on the floor.

Madrid

Museo Nacional del Prado

For a taste of classic art, check out Spain's main national art museum during the evening when there's no entry fee. Here you can find one of the finest collections of European art, including paintings and sculptures from as far back as the 12th century.

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Of all the intriguing concepts in my gathering of "untranslatable words," few are stranger or more alluring to me than those hailing from Japan. Okay, having read Edward Said, I'm wary of the risk of "orientalizing" this fascinating country, of romantically constructing it as the mystic "other." But that said, as someone who is captivated by Buddhism, I'm entranced by those Japanese words which seem to crystallise its insights in a direct yet poetic way.

Indeed, there is a rich and vibrant tradition in Japan of communicating the wisdom of Buddhism -- and Zen in particular -- through the subtle yet potent vehicle of aesthetics. In fact, aesthetics are particularly effective at doing this. Zen aims to bypass the limits of conceptual thought, and to "point directly" into the "suchness" of reality. And, art is uniquely effective at just this kind of pointing. As such, Japan has developed a myriad of art forms -- from flower arrangement to swordsmanship, poetry to painting -- to articulate and facilitate spiritual insights. Among these spiritual insights are certain perceptual-emotional "moods" that Zen aims to evoke. According to the great Alan Watts, who was so influential in helping bring Zen to the West, three key moods are treasured above all: mono no aware, wabi-sabi, and yugen. I should like to dwell here on the first of these, mono no aware ().

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The term was coined by Motoori Norinaga, the eighteenth century literary scholar, by combining aware, which means sensitivity or sadness, and mono, which means "things." Norinaga saw this mood as being at the very centre of Japanese culture, encapsulating the pathos derived from awareness of the fleeting, impermanent nature of life. This is captured in the opening of the epic 14th Century Japanese folktale, The Tale of the Heike:

The sound of the Gion shoja bells echoes the impermanence of all things...

The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night.

Recognition of the impermanence and transience of life is a central tenet of Buddhism, and indeed of most Eastern philosophies. Buddhism holds that life is marked by three key qualities. The first two are impermanence and insubstantiality, referred to in Japanese respectively as mujo () and muga () However, unfortunately, most of us live in denial or ignorance of mujo and muga, clinging resolutely to phenomena that are intrinsically subject to change. This kind of clinging is then the cause of the third "mark" of existence, namely ku (), which translates as dissatisfaction or suffering. However, the promise of Buddhism is that liberation can be found through a deep understanding and acceptance of mujo and muga.

This is where mono no aware comes in. With this mood, acceptance of impermanence and insubstantiality is elevated into an aesthetic sensibility, a state of mind that actually appreciates this ephemerality. This does not mean impermanence is welcomed or celebrated. There is still sadness present in mono no aware, a sorrow at this transiency, of the loss of people and things that are precious to us. However, this melancholy is suffused with a quiet rejoicing in the fact that we had the chance to witness the beauty of life at all, however fleetingly. We are sighing rather than weeping. This mood was captured with particular genius by the poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), arguably the greatest master of the Haiku. Many of his poems are revered as perfectly articulating mono no aware, perhaps above all this...

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Summer grasses --

the only remains

of warriors' dreams.

Moreover, mono no aware recognises that this ephemerality is somehow integral to beauty, that beauty depends on this kind of transiency. In Zen the pre-eminent symbol of mono no aware is the cherry blossom, whose fragile efflorescence captivates our attention so briefly during the first bloom of spring. Crucially, our appreciation of its beauty is heightened by our awareness of its transiency, in a way that would be missing if its delicate blossoms were a permanent feature of our landscape. And as we reflect on this intertwining of beauty and transciency, it may perhaps elevate our appreciation of all that is dear to us. As expressed by Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350):

If man were never to fade away like the dews of Adashino...

how things would lose their power to move us!
Last week, on February 15, 2016, some of the most enterprising entrepreneurs of color convened in Miami, Florida to pitch start-ups and ventures at the Power Moves Miami Conference, a space filled with innovation and discovery.

In 2014, CEO Earl Robinson launched PowerMoves Nola, a national initiative to connect entrepreneurs of color to mentors, capital, support and investment opportunities. So far, PowerMoves has already helped nearly 100 companies secure more than $27 million in capital commitments. This year, PowerMoves expanded to the sandy beaches of Miami to join Black Tech Week. Sponsors Morgan Stanley and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation invested a whopping $1.2 million to support the launch and planting, seeking to grant access to resources that entrepreneurs of color have historically been denied.

While there, PowerMoves Miami held numerous intensive and informative boot camps that allowed entrepreneurs to walk away with sound advice. There were also several pitch competitions that provided entrepreneurs with the opportunity to pitch their ideas and win nearly $25,000.

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Statistically, within the marketplace, Black and Hispanic students earn nearly 20 percent of computer science degrees, but make up only 9 percent of the technology industry and less than 1 percent of technology company founders. Additionally, according to data analysis from Silk, African-Americans and Latinos make up only 4 percent and 5 percent of the overall tech workforce, respectively. Through forming strategic partnerships, PowerMoves and its partners are actively removing the barriers that prevent entrepreneurs from entering and competing in the marketplace.

Carla Harris, Morgan Stanley's Vice Chairman, Global Wealth Management and Senior Client Advisor, discussed the importance of having events like PowerMoves Miami. Impressed by the caliber of entrepreneurs at this year's conference, she stated, "PowerMoves Miami has been able to source high quality, high growth entrepreneurs and develop them." She predicted that PowerMoves Miami will be the place for great investors and entrepreneurs of color to meet and build with one another. "This will be the place where you will be able to find entrepreneurs of color on a larger scale."

Sheila Herrling, Case Foundation's SVP of Social Innovation, said the same. In a conversation, Herrling mentioned that the obstacles preventing the visibility of entrepreneurs of color is due to the standard myths of entrepreneurism which, in turn, affects participation. To offset this, she shared, we must "tap into the social capital" that entrepreneurs of color possess-something she feels PowerMoves is doing in real time.

Earl Robinson, CEO of PowerMoves and the New Orleans Startup fund, stated that, "people tend to overcomplicate entrepreneurship. When a really talented entrepreneur receives the right capital it can assist his/her community. PowerMoves was put in place to "even out the unevenness of wealth distribution in some communities and make sure those communities have heroes that are well resourced." Of the 11 female entrepreneurs of color to ever accrue over a million dollars for their companies, 4 came through PowerMoves. This impressive track record speaks to the tremendous impact of this organization and highlights the fact that the fast growing number of entrepreneurs in the U.S. are black women, who have grown in number by an outstanding 322% since 1997 (Fortune).

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Relocating from NOLA, the 2016 PowerMoves Conference worked in conjunction with Black Tech Week to inject African American and Afro Caribbean entrepreneurs into Miami's financial ecosystem. Felicia Fletcher, founder of Black Tech Week, asserted that: "You have to build the city that you want. Black Tech Week is our gift to the ecosystem in Miami... There is such genius and raw talent in our community. We don't need to leave our community to be successful." She was echoed by the Knight Foundation's Matt Hagan, who affirmed the viability of Black businesses in stating, "Ecosystems are what we focus on. Diversity is our competitive advantage."

PowerMoves Miami is a shining example of black innovation and ingenuity. It has set a new precedent for entrepreneurs of color and affirms the widespread belief that our leaders are already among us.
A Palestinian girl walks in flooded water following a winter storm in the village of Al-Moghraga near the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on February 22, 2016. / AFP / MAHMUD HAMS (Photo credit should read MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images)

Federica MogheriniHigh Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Vice President of the European Commission

Re: Your lack of meaningful assistance to Gaza

Ms. Mogherini:

I am very appreciative that the European Union, under your leadership, has begun to do what my own country will never do: Apply real, bottom-line pressure to Israel.

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The most that members of the U.S. administration have done, visibly at least, is comment that they are "concerned and perplexed" about Israel's continuing expansion of settlements and unchecked vigilantism against Palestinians. In his speech to the Institute for National Security Studies' 9th International Conference in Tel Aviv Jan. 18, U.S. Ambassador Daniel Shapiro devoted seven full paragraphs to assuring Israelis that "our security ties have never been stronger." And yet, he still was the target for vociferous criticism from Prime Minister Netanyahu et. al. for saying what most of us would recognize as a gross understatement: "At times, there seem to be two standards of adherence to the rule of law: one for Israelis and another for Palestinians." Then again...what can he do when his own party's presidential frontrunner writes in the Forward that "Israel is more than a country -- it's a dream," and that she "will combat growing efforts to isolate Israel internationally and to undermine its future as a Jewish state, including the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement..."

I have long wondered why European leaders have allowed the United States to drive international policy toward Israel. Now, finally, it appears the EU is ready to take a more leadership role. In recent days, I was pleasantly surprised to read the announcement that a new resolution reaffirms the decision to label settlement products -- which some believe could lead to sanctions as these illegal towns and villages on Palestinian land persist and expand. The same resolution calls on Israel to prosecute settlers who use violence against Palestinians.

I also hear the European Union is considering demanding reimbursement from Israel for the demolition of buildings constructed with funds donated by the EU as part of its humanitarian aid. That's encouraging!

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However, you seem to be forgetting about Gaza -- which is why the Euro-Mediterranean Monitor for Human Rights has launched a petition, with a goal of delivering 10,000 signatures or more, right to your desk.

We have just marked the completion of 10 years of Israeli control and blockade -- increasingly augmented by Egypt, which opened its Rafah crossing with Gaza for just 20 days in 2015. More than a million Palestinians in Gaza are unable to make a living by freely fishing, farming and trading goods, or to leave for study abroad, medical care, work and family visits.

As you know, Israel imposed that blockade in response to the democratic election in which the Hamas party won a majority of parliamentary seats. Bear with me as I remind you of the consequences.

Of the 1.9 million population: 43% are unemployed (62% of youth and women -- the highest rate in the world). 40% live below the poverty line. 60% are food insecure. 55% suffer from clinical depression. 40% receive water just five to eight hours every three days due to insufficient power supply.

A few other sobering facts: Gaza's per capita income is 32% lower than in 1994. Exports are fewer than 4% of their pre-blockade levels. The manufacturing sector has shrunk by 60%. Power is out 12-16 hours every day. 90-95% of the water is unfit for drinking. The waiting time for some surgeries at Gaza's largest hospital is up to 18 months.

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You and other EU officials seem to be stuck in a self-imposed time warp, still clinging to the belief this will all be reversed with a two-state "solution." Honestly, though, that ceased to be anything but an illusion when the number of illegal settlers in the West Bank soared into the hundreds of thousands, and the collective efforts of the Israeli, U.S., European and Egyptian governments helped cement a permanent divide between the two main Palestinian parties, Hamas and Fatah. (If you haven't read the Vanity Fair expose that revealed the formative U.S. role in that debacle, you should.)

This is what I read about your draft resolution in the news: "The EU will consider further action to protect the viability of the two-state solution, which is constantly eroded by new facts on the ground." The resolution reportedly backs France's suggestion that an international "support group" be established to promote the perpetual peace process, and to convene an international peace conference designed to restart "regional, multi-sided negotiations between Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab states. When will the politicians wake up to the reality that most activists know already? The two-state "solution" is no solution; it's a fable that serves as a convenient excuse to keep kicking the can down the road.

So, then, what's the quickest way to break the back of the blockade of Gaza? A functioning seaport. Re-opening Gaza's seaport would provide a secure and dignified passageway to and from the outside world, free from dependence on the usually absent goodwill of Israel and Egypt.

Gaza City has a long history as a hub for regional trade and travel. However, since 1967, Israel has controlled all of Gaza's 43 km territorial waters, blocking ships from reaching the city or departing from it. It is the only Mediterranean port closed to shipping as well as human traffic.

In 2002, the Israeli navy caused extensive damage to the Gaza harbor. Local fishermen are routinely forced to turn back far short of the 12-24 nautical-mile mark for the best catches, and 10 activist attempts to sail in and break the blockade have been forcibly prevented from entering local waters (once killing nine passengers. However, with the required degree of political will, including the withdrawal of trade privileges if necessary, the European Union could, I believe, make a port a reality once again. In fact, a detailed plan already exists, including notes on what infrastructure is needed and how security could be handled (an international naval force).

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The people of Gaza have suffered enough under the blockade, Federica. Stop holding out for the two-state myth and do something guaranteed to restore to the Palestinians some of the self-determination they've been denied for the last 10-plus years. Restore their seaport; it's rightfully theirs.
By Rahma Sghaier From Tunisia

Five years after the revolution of "Dignity," the country is still transitioning. Many observers praised Tunisia's "budding democracy" and celebrated its last milestones: a new constitution, new promised democratic institutions, new political actors and just recently the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet; a coalition of civil society organizations. All of these achievements garnered international attention and raised expectations for the country's advancement on the democratic path.

However, recent events call for a serious re-evaluation of such achievements. Following a plethora of human rights violations, the Tunisian civil society realized that the fight for dignity has just begun.

Police Abuse: The Situation is Alarming

"Ben Ali is gone, all the faces changed but the system is still the same; the police are still corrupt; they are still terrorizing us" said Afraa Benazza in an interview by Nawaat; a Tunisian 17-year-old student who was arrested in the City of Kef on December 16th when she was on her way to protest against the demolition of a local historical site that was to be replaced it with a guest house.

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Afraa claims that she was humiliated, sexually harassed and physically and verbally abused by various officers in the police station for expressing her opinion on her Facebook wall. Despite being a minor, she was detained there all night and wasn't allowed to call her mother or a lawyer.

The next day, on December the 17th-which marks exactly 5 years from the outbreak of the Tunisian revolution- Afraa was still in custody. She receives threats from the Chief of Police himself vowing that "they will come for her once she turns 18" before being released.

This incident sheds light on the multiple violations against Tunisian people and the arbitrary conduct of police officers, as does the case of Adnen Meddeb and Amine Mabrouk, two young Carthage Film Festival volunteers who were arrested for breaching the curfew and were beaten-up and charged with drug use because of a pack of rolling papers found in their car.

Indecency seems to be the favorite excuse for police to harass youth, ranging from arresting adults for consensual sexual activity to harassing teenagers for holding hands in front of their high-school, without forgetting handing out jail sentences for having pornography on one's personal computer.

These practices speak to the Tunisian collective memory of the history of police despotism and prosecutions in the name of "ethics". The same could be said about the out-dated Tunisian penal code.

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The Tunisian Penal Code: Medieval and Unconstitutional

The police abuses that have just been mentioned are only the beginning of the nightmare. The bodily integrity of Tunisian citizens is violated in the name of a penal code that heavily criminalizes homosexuality (A.230), adultery (A.236) and cannabis use (A.52), and routinely performs anal and vaginal exams and urine testing in complicity with forensic doctors.

Statistics are rather terrifying when it comes to the number of people jailed for cannabis use under the article 52 of the penal code; more than 7000 Tunisians, or more than a third of the incarcerated population.

For the most part, these prisoners are college-aged men who were denied their right to freedom and education for the simple mistake of smoking a joint. Once incarcerated, these vulnerable individuals are often subjected to multiple forms of abuse and brainwashing, especially from Islamist fundamentalists.

If the law's way of dealing with cannabis users seems outdated, ineffective and rather destructive, it is totally unconstitutional when it comes to criminalizing same sex relationships. The article 230 of the Tunisian Penal Code criminalizes 'sodomy and lesbianism', and carries a maximum prison term of three years. This article is anti-constitutionnal according to Pr. Wahid Ferchichi as it violates the right to dignity and bodily integrity granted by the Article 23 of the Tunisian constitution. It also violates the Article 21 which declares the principle of non-discrimination.

In fact, marking the International Day for Human Rights, six Tunisian men were sentenced to three years in prison for sodomy after being subjected to anal exams; "a shocking example of deep-rooted state sanctioned discrimination against LGBTI people in the country", said Amnesty International in a press release.

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Anal exams are considered as an act of torture by international human rights conventions and are discredited as unscientific by Amnesty International.

The men were also banned from residing in their city (Kairouan) for a period of five years, citing Articles 5 and 22 of the penal code. "According to a lawyer involved in the case, this is the first known case in which such punishment has been used in recent years", says the same release. This sentence is a serious attack on the freedom of movement guaranteed by Article 24 of the Tunisian constitution and Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In reaction to these last events, Tunisian social and mainstream media has been boiling. And while the vast majority had shown great support to Afraa, opinions were divided regarding the topic of homosexuality.

LGBT associations and groups in Tunisia denounce the homophobic speech spread by mainstream media, dehumanizing homosexuals and potentially fueling hate crimes like the recent heinous murder carried by a 23 year old man against his gay brother in Zaghouan, as was reported by the LGBTI association "Without Restrictions".

Human Rights Defenders: United and Loud

Human rights organizations and LGBTI associations in Tunisia stood up together against the state's homophobic practices. Human Rights Watch and 13 other organisations and associations published a common press release to denounce the Article 230 and to end the "gross invasion of private life and bodily integrity", said Amna Guellali, the Tunisia director at Human Rights Watch.

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Celebrities, artists, university professors, bloggers and human rights activists were featured in an online campaign launched by LGBTQI association "Mawjoudin We Exist" on December 10th, the International Human Rights Day, to advocate for the decriminalization of homosexuality in Tunisia.

"We started our campaign "We Exist, But We are Criminalized" at this symbolic date, the day we received the Nobel Peace Price and 6 Tunisian citizens were sentenced to jail and banned from their city because of their sexual orientation. It was such a contradiction and we wanted to raise awareness about this inequality. We aim to abrogate the article 230 and to have a law that protects homosexuals against hate crimes." said Ali Bousselmi, co-founder of "Mawjoudin".

The human rights defenders are united as well against what they have called in another common press release "the draconian actions of the state", calling to amend the Article 52 and to abrogate Articles 230 and 236.

The Tunisian civil society is aware that the fight for dignity, freedom and complete equality shouldn't only be led in the halls of the parliament and against the political power but also it has to reach every house and every screen in a increasingly radicalized society. Tunisian Youth are looking for answers and the state does not give them any. They are therefore the prey of terrorist organisations and groups.

The challenges are multiple and critical but hope lies in the strong will of human rights defenders who refuse to remain silent.

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There is no doubt that Egypt faces a slew of challenges and potentially dire consequences related to the Renaissance Dam that Ethiopia is currently constructing at the headwaters of the Nile. Some politicians and media personalities have attempted to characterize the construction of the Renaissance Dam as a side effect of the "January of misfortunes," part of the false claim that the revolution of January 25, 2011 has brought Egypt nothing but misfortunes and calamity. But the documented reality is that Ethiopia began planning the dam in the early 1990s, and the Egyptian failure to prevent this eventuality has always been there since the idea's initial inception, when Addis Ababa started this project. Now, the project is finally coming to fruition after threats of military intervention and several international conferences.

Many Egyptians feel that Ethiopia's actions throughout the past few decades have demonstrated Ethiopia's indifference to the downstream countries that will be affected by the dam, namely Egypt and Sudan. Yet Sudan, with its diverse alternate water sources, faces a fate much less fraught than the disaster that threatens Egypt if the dam is completed. However, if Egyptians want to better understand how this dam came to be so they could mitigate or even prevent Egypt's losses, then they will have to recognize that their political leaderships have committed and continue commit many errors over the years in managing the Nile issue with Ethiopia. Such errors, intentional or unintentional, may amount to a betrayal of the Egyptian people.

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An analogy with a similar water issue in the south of the African continent maybe useful. In 1998, the results of the parliamentary elections in the Kingdom of Lesotho, a landlocked enclave in the northern part of South Africa, resulted in allegations of fraud against the winning party. This triggered widespread disturbances and rumors of a military coup. South Africa, under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, so often heralded as a promoter of peace, immediately took the initiative, issuing a resolution from the South African Development Community (SADC) to send South African troops representing the group to intervene in Lesotho.

While ostensibly intending to stabilize Lesotho, this South African intervention was realpolitik, intending to assure its control over the Kates Dam in the Maloti mountains that lies beneath Lesotho's capital Maseru and supplies water to the strategic Witwatersrand region of South Africa. Yet South Africa's military efforts to ensure water security for their people met with no international resistance - despite the fact that South Africa has substantial additional sources of water at the national level.

Of course, Egypt at present fares poorly in comparison to South Africa in terms of economic power, political stability, and military capability. Nor is it an immediate neighboring country to Ethiopia, as is the case with South Africa and Lesotho. What is significant about this comparison is that the possible disaster threatening a region-and only a region-of South Africa pales in comparison to the eminent disaster which threatens the whole of Egypt by tampering with its exclusive water source.

This example of South Africa is not a call to rush into military action, but it does help frame the current issue of water rights in the context of contractual agreement and historical regional expectations. Moreover, it raises questions about the way this issue has been managed by the Egyptian governments. Answering these questions may help develop the beginning of a path to understanding how Egypt has reached such a miserable state in the of water issue, as well as potential first steps forward if Egyptians are serious about looking for a way out. Egypt now faces the reality of the Renaissance Dam, with its unfavorable parameters imposed by Ethiopia on Egypt through the support and agreement of ten Nile Basin countries. More shockingly, Egypt also faces the tacit and latent support of this endeavor by successive political leaderships of Egypt.

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To understand the history of the dam, one must first examine the Nile Basin Initiative, launched in 1999 as a successor to the Technical Committee for the Promotion of the Development and Environmental Protection of the Nile Basin (TECCONILE) of 1993, whose initial objectives were studying the feasibility of development projects and promoting prudent management of Nile waters. The Nile Basin Initiative notably included Ethiopia and Kenya, which had not participated in TECCONILE. The Egyptian government encouraged their membership in the name of inclusion and extending the benefit of the Nile's waters to all Nile basin countries. But with the inclusion of Ethiopia and Kenya, Egypt had effectively mobilized all the basin countries against itself on the negotiating table. Sudan was the exception to this all-against-one scenario, sometimes providing support for Egypt depending on the Sudanese government's volatile relations with the Egyptian regime.

The Nile Basin Initiative was a marked departure from Egypt's historic protection of the Nile for its national interests. The Egyptian government had long advocated that international law should govern relations relating to water issues between riparian states, assisted by bilateral agreements that conform to said international law. In the case of Egypt, the bilateral agreements that have long governed water quotas for the downstream countries are the same that demarcated the geopolitical borders of Nile basin countries, emphasizing the centrality of water to state identity and requirements. By initiating and supporting the Nile Basin Initiative, Egypt so markedly departed from its historical policy to which the country had committed itself for hundreds of years -- that no country should tamper with its minimal water quota keeping the country alive.

If negotiations relating to a dam at the head of the Nile River were inevitable, then the terms should have been negotiated through bilateral treaties that positioned the two countries on equal footing rather than the collective negotiations that Egypt ultimately sought, which placed it at a disadvantage as the one opposing voice among many.

As the Nile Basin Initiative became a collective negotiation, the international interest in supporting Ethiopian development placed Egypt at a further disadvantage. International financial institutions like the World Bank tirelessly promoted both the Nile Basin Initiative and the eventual Renaissance Dam, apparently in order to promote the commercialization of the Nile. To convert the waters of an international river into a commodity to be sold by the country at the river's headwaters to both Sudan and Egypt will provide Ethiopia with much needed revenue, but it represents a life threatening danger to Egypt. Egypt faces a financial catastrophe, and the agreements themselves represent an unprecedented and flagrant violation of international agreements which regulate the relationships between riparian states.

Some may seek to justify the Nile Basin Initiative by stating that its initial goals had no relation to the reexamination of water apportionments of Egypt and Sudan, the outcome it ultimately facilitated. It true that the Initiative was theoretically launched to develop programs intended to provide proper guidance in the use of water for agriculture, electricity networks, and the development of Lake Albert's fisheries. It also hoped to explore other ecological questions, such as ways to combat the water hyacinth in the Kiera river and means of developing basins in Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and Uganda. The Initiative was also intended to facilitate the establishment of the Eastern Nile program, which aims to develop a statistical planning model for the Eastern Nile in order to measure the impact of development projects.

These were the goals initially announced for the Nile Basin Initiative. But the principal objective that all parties involved have been aware of tacitly since day one has been the renegotiation of Nile waters and facilitation of the Renaissance Dam. Promoting the initiative, the Egyptian regime has been aware from the start that it has made Egypt lose the upper hand in these negotiation. To claim ignorance as an excuse falls under the heading of grave incompetence, perhaps reaching the level of treachery. That no one has been held accountable for the Egyptian allowance for the dam to move forward is another black mark for Egypt.

The issues presented here provide one piece of a puzzle that, if fully understood, might steer Egypt and the countries at the headwaters of the Nile onto a track that allows Egypt to avoid the potential disasters of water starvation. Were this to be accomplished, these countries might solve the most looming threat dangerous to peace and security of the African continent.

Yehia Ghanem is a journalist specializing in foreign policy and the former chairman of the board of directors at Dar al-Hilal.
"Buyers are also seeking a simpler lifestyle and more time to enjoy their loved ones or soulful desires," says Byron Fears, a Colorado-based tiny-home builder. That's certainly true for John Cole, a 25-year-old yoga teacher, who just moved into his own 200-square-foot dream home--complete with a dedicated yoga area. "The tiny-home movement is very yogic," says Cole. "Decluttering and cleanliness are required, and not having the same kind of financial overhead allows me to really live in the moment and do what brings me the most joy."

Wondering if Tadasana is the only pose Cole will be able to practice in his minimal space? "There's actually plenty of room to roll out my yoga mat to practice and meditate," he says. In fact, there's even enough room for Cole's live-in girlfriend -- and the couple's pet bunny -- to practice beside him. "Yoga teaches us that we already have everything we need to be happy; living in a tiny home is a nice reminder of that truth," he says.
The recent post, 20 Things Every First-Generation Latino College Student Should Know, really inspired me to reflect on my own experience as a first-generation Latina college graduate. I noticed, however, that the list spoke to current college students and decided to share my personal response with advice to soon-to-be first-generation Latino college graduates about the journey ahead. This is the advice that I wish I had read as a college senior and 22-year-old, and advice that I now share with you.



Over the past few years, I've cried many, many times feeling defeated and thinking that I didn't have a chance to make it as a communications professional. But with the support of my loved ones and those who believed in me, I've been able to get up and fight for my dreams! As I near 27, I can honestly tell you that I've never been happier and felt more fulfilled in my career than now. You see the road to success is full of challenges, but I want you to know that you can live your dream life. So have the courage to push towards your dream job after graduation and enjoy the journey ahead of you!



Here's my advice to you:



1. Relax. Take the next couple of months to be present. Don't stress yourself out trying to make your 5-year plan now. Instead, focus all your energy on your studies, make the time to hang out with friends, and create fun memories.

2. Travel. With the real world ahead of you, it's easy to get lost in what you want to do for the rest of your life. Why not get lost in a trip around the world after graduation?

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3. Thinking About Grad School? I highly encourage anyone who is thinking about grad school to do research! Visit schools, speak with current students, and don't be afraid to travel to another city to accomplish your degree in.

4. Volunteer. Maybe you're not ready to enter the real world? Or perhaps you're looking to make a difference and gain skills necessary to succeed? This is a great alternative!

5. Don't Be Shy! Have the courage to SPEAK up for your dreams and believe in your abilities. There is only one of YOU, and the world needs you!

6. Polish Your Resume. Don't be afraid to email your school's career center during/after graduation for help! They're more than happy to help review your resume and they probably have great resources available to you online. (Hint: Save your resume to LinkedIn and keep it up-to-date.)

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7. Attend Networking Events In Your City. Prepare by creating, printing and bringing your business cards to the events. Also, dress up for success it will help you swap business cards during the event. (Hint: Follow-up via LinkedIn the next day.)

8. Apply to Internships. I can't stress how important this is to your career! Don't be afraid to apply for internships and accept an offer, because in some instances you can be hired afterward! It's a great opportunity to strengthen your skills.

9. Find A Mentor. Don't be shy about reaching out to the professionals that you meet at networking events and ask to meet you for a one-on-one chat at a coffee place. This is a great way to have your questions/doubts answered about the field you're hoping to be in. At the end, take the opportunity to ask if he/she would be interested in mentoring you.

10. Write About Your Experiences. The best way to make sense of your journey as a professional adult is to jot down everything you've experienced! From job rejections to internship experiences and to the time you got your first job offer! It will make you stronger.

11. Write Down Your Goals and Dreams. This will be your go-to reminder whenever you're going through an obstacle! Remind yourself of what you want to accomplish.

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12. There's Nothing Wrong With Living At Home After Graduation. Yes! If your parents are supportive of you living at home while you work towards your dream job -- then take it! Plus, you get to create special more special moments with your family!

13. Don't Buy A Car! If you're thinking of moving to another city, attending grad school or are living in a large city where public transportation is within arms reach, then save it and put that towards your student loans.

14. Save and Learn to Manage Your Money. The sooner you learn to save and manage your money, the sooner you will get out of student debt. (Hint: Your future self will thank you once you're ready to purchase a home or car!)

15. Spend On Experiences. Okay, you must be thinking, "but you said to save!" True. But life is an experience worth living and investing in the experiences that you enjoy is also important to boost your happiness!

16. Practice Gratitude. Whether you decide to pray or mediate this will help you to stay grounded and help lead you to lead a happier and fulfilling life. And don't forget to thank those who help you along the way.

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17. Read Articles that Pertain to Your Field. You should never stop learning! Follow your favorite publications on social media, and stay on top of the trends that are circling your field.

18. Create A Presence on Social Media. You already spend time on social media. So why not use one of your platforms like Twitter to share your expertise on? Share your knowledge and create your own expertise voice.

19. Never Forget about Your Culture and Where You Come From. If you were raised in a household where your culture and/or Spanish language was valued, then don't ever be ashamed of it! Let it continue to be a part of you.

20. Don't give up! You will get a few rejections from the jobs/internships that you apply to, but that doesn't mean that you should give up! Have the courage to keep pushing until you land your first opportunity!
Hindustan Times via Getty Images NEW DELHI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 18: JNU students, professors and CPI party members protest for the release of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, at JNU Campus on February 18, 2016 in New Delhi, India. The ripple effect of protests against the arrest of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges is visible in a wave of demonstrations in educational institutions across India. Delhi's Patiala House Court on Wednesday sent JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar to judicial custody till March 2. JNU has been on the boil over the arrest of its student's Union President Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges after some students organised a meet to mark the anniversaries of executions of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- A debate over the JNU row seems imminent on the first day of the budget session today, with both the government and the opposition reportedly keen to discuss the issue.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has been vocal about her criticism for the government's handling of the issue. "The ruling establishment seems to have lost all sense of balance, and of proportion," she said yesterday at a Congress Working Committee meeting. "It appears determined to undermine all democratic norms. It seems hell-bent to destroy the spirit of inquiry, the spirit of questioning, the spirit of debate and dissent."

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According to reports, the opposition wants to raise the JNU issue, Pathankot terror attack, and Dalit student Rohith Vemula's suicide in Parliament.

The government has prioritised 32 items for the session, which includes 11 bills pending in Rajya Sabha and one in the Lok Sabha.

While an all-party meeting to discuss the agenda for the session was called by Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday morning, another was called by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in the evening.

Naidu said the was the government was concerned about recent incidents in different universities, and will enable discussion all burning issues.

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"Several parties want discussion on issues such as reservations, JNU and Hyderabad University. We are prepared for it," he said.

Urging the opposition parties to cooperate in running parliament smoothly, Naidu said everyone would have an opportunity to raise issues but discussions should take place according to rules.

There should be debate, but without disruption, said the minister.

Several BJP MPs, meanwhile, have given notices for discussing the JNU issue, according to a DNA report which quoted unnamed party sources. The BJP plans to defend its reaction to the JNU row on nationalism grounds. Last week, BJP chief Amit Shah had accused Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi of joining hands with "anti-national" JNU students.

ABVP members take out protest march against the anti-national activities in JNU on 12 February, 2016 in New Delhi.

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Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said that Congress would extend its support to the bills based on their merit.

Noting his party would raise issues like the terrorist attack on Pathankot airbase earlier last month, the attack on teachers and students of JNU, and death of a Dalit students in Hyderabad University, he said generations of Congressmen have been making sacrifices for the country and the party does not need lessons from the Bharatiya Janata Party in patriotism.

In a statement, the Congress meeting, which was attended by party vice president Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, lamented that Constitutional values and democratic norms are under "systematic assault".

"What has happened in a leading institution of higher learning and indeed in similar institutions, and the violence and hooliganism that happened in a court in the nation's capital has shocked the Nation", it said.

"It is a planned attack on the freedom of expression and the freedom to differ. A totally manufactured debate on patriotism and nationalism is being generated through manipulated news-clips to cover up the Government's failures and its heavy-handedness in dealing with student protesters", the apex policy making body of the Congress said.

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The Congress in cooperation with other like-minded parties will raise these and other issues when Parliament begins Tuesday, the CWC said.

"Parliament's duty is to debate and legislate," it said.

Gandhi said that contrary to what the government has been saying, Congress wants to make it clear once and for all that it wants Parliament to function, to legislate.

"The problem is not with us, it is with the government which refuses to accept that the democratic right of the Opposition is to raise burning public issues for debate and discussion. It is the government's responsibility to ensure that Parliament functions," she said.

Meanwhile, contentious bills like the Goods & Services Tax (GST) Bill will not be brought up in the first half of the session, Congress has clarified. Contentious bills should not be brought. Bring only those bills on which there is a general agreement. Bills like GST will not come in the first half of the session, Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha told PTI.

The first half of the Budget session starts today and runs till 16 March. It will then resume on 25 April and continue until 17 May.

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(with agency inputs)

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When comparing the publicly stated views and intents of the DCF with other community based donors, however, we find that the DCF is unusually explicit and prescriptive on appropriate disciplinary formations, what constitutes good or acceptable scholarship, and, indeed, what constitutes good or acceptable scholars

The committee deems the DCFs statements targeting faculty based on race, ethnicity, religion, and nationality antithetical to UCIs mission of creating a safe academic environment that is conducive to sharing and critically examining knowledge and values.

UCI Committee Report as quoted by Scroll.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers a public speech to a crowd of mostly Indian nationals at the Singapore Expo, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015 in Singapore. Modi is on a two-day official visit to the city-state. (AP Photo/Joseph Nair)

NEW DELHI -- The Indian government has decided to set up a special media cyber cell to counter negative news, according to a report in Indian Express.

The government will keep a watch on the narrative in all such threads. Every time a negative narrative surfaces, a possible counter would be initiatedthrough press releases, briefings or press conferences, depending on the intensity or standing of the post, according to an unnamed source quoted in the report.

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This comes a month after the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), which looks after India's political, economic, energy and strategic security concerns, proposed that a National Media Analytics Centre (NMAC) should be created to monitor news on websites, blogs, television, newspapers and even social media outlets like Facebook and YouTube.

While this proposal was sent to Press Information Bureau director general Frank Noronha by Deputy National Security Advisor Arvind Gupta, as per the report, a four-member committee that examined it has apparently said there is no space for it in the National Media Centre.

Earlier this month, the Prime Minister's Office had asked its ministries to take action on media reports that portray the government in negative light.

The NMAC proposal is reportedly based on tracking software designed by Ponnurangam Kumaraguru, who is an Assistant Professor at the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology in Delhi.

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Governments in other countries have adopted different measures to counter negative news. While it is common for governments to adopt a strategy to correct false or distorted news reports through its press wings  Thailand's military government recently announced an aggressive PR campaign against such "misinformation"  India may be going more the South Korea way by tracking and countering individual writers. Last week, Japan too cracked down on media for not showing "fairness" by portraying the country's economy in shambles.

Not only would this software track negative stories appearing across media and social platforms, it would also be able to analyse the "past pattern" of the writer, thereby tracking any bias. The software would also help recall the past pattern of the writer to check the number of times he took a negative or positive stand, his background, and preferences of websites and areas of interest to judge whether they were aimed at fomenting trouble or radicalisation, unnamed sources told Express.

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CHANDIGARH--Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was heckled today and an angry crowd gheraoed his vehicle as he visited Jat dominated Rohtak district, the epicentre of the stir, even as he assured that strict action would be taken against who caused damage to public and private property.

As soon as he reached Rohtak, the Chief Minister's car was gheraoed by angry people who raised slogans like "Haryana Police murdabad" to protest the state police's alleged failure in controlling the violent situation.

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Khattar was also shown black flags and was even heckled by the crowd. People also hooted against Khattar and demanded strict action against people who took the city to ransom.

Addressing the people demanding strict action against "looters", Khattar assured them that strictest action possible will be taken against those who set shops and commercial establishments on fire and caused damage to private property.

Rohtak, which was the epicenter of the Jat stir, saw massive damage to private property belonging to non-Jats.

In the city to review the situation, Khattar said the state government will give full compensation to those persons whose property was damaged during the Jat agitation.

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He said the state government would also give jobs to affected families of those who are poor and economically backward.

The first time MLA said the state government would also take strict action against those officers be it from district administration or police department for dereliction in duty.

"State government will take action against those government and police officers who made any lapse in performing their duty," he further said.

He also assured the people that the government would take action against people who burnt shops and commercial establishments.

Meanwhile, curfew today remained in force in Hissar, Hansi and Bhiwani towns while a four-hour relaxation was given in the worst-hit Rohtak district.

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However, there was a slight respite for commuters as Jat protesters were lifting the various road and rail blockades set up in various parts of the state.

Traffic had resumed on the arterial Ambala-Delhi Highway up to Panipat and officials hoped that as the situation normalises in Sonipat, the onward traffic would resume soon after its disruption due to the Jat agitation which has claimed 19 lives and caused extensive damage to property.

Officials said that curfew was in force in Hissar, Hansi and Bhiwani towns while it was lifted from Jind town.

However, the situation remained tense in Jat dominated areas like Rohtak and Sonipat.

In Rohtak, which has been the epicentre of pro quota agitation in Haryana, the district administration gave a four-hour relaxation to allow people to buy essential items.

"During the last 24 hours, there is no report of any untoward incident in the district," said a senior official of Rohtak Police today.

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He said curfew will continue to be imposed in the Jat dominated district till there is complete normalcy.

The BJP-appointed high-powered committee, headed by senior Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu, to examine the demand of Jats for quota in central jobs, has called Khattar for deliberations today to ascertain the state's views on the subject.

Cracks in Khattar Cabinet

The agitation has brought fore the fault lines in the states council of ministers.

Anil Vij, the health minister in the Manohar Lal Khattar government, expressed his disapproval at the declaration of a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and government job to the next of the kin of those who were killed in the violence.

Vij, who is a Punjabi, was reportedly irked that the announcement was made by his cabinet colleagues despite the fact that they had reached a consensus in the cabinet meeting saying it was not the right time do so, reported Hindustan Times.

HC Wants Jat Stir Report By Monday

In another development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the Haryana Government to file a status report by Monday next on the Jat agitation.

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A division bench comprising justices S K Mittal and H S Sidhu gave the directions to the states advocate general BR Mahajan on a PIL filed by Bhiwani resident Murari Lal Gupta.

Let Haryana remain Haryana as it is known. Otherwise it will go back by 50 years, the bench observed.

Normalcy In Some Parts Of Haryana

Meanwhile, in Jind, another Jat dominated area, the district administration has lifted curfew.

"We have lifted the curfew. There is about 80 per cent normalcy in Jind district. But we are on the watch," Jind Deputy Commissioner, Vinay Singh said.

In Hisar, Jat protestors lifted their dharna from the railway track at Mayyar in the district clearing the Delhi-Hissar rail route.

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The railway track was closed on February 11 after Jat protesters sat on dharna.

The traffic is expected to be restored after inspection of the track by the railway authorities.

Deputy Commissioner of Hissar Chander Shekhar Khare said in Hisar that the protestors have left from the spot.

Spokesman of All India Jat Aarakshan Sanghursh Samiti Ram Bhagat Malik told reporters today that they had vacated the track in view of the action initiated by the Centre in connection with the Jat reservation issue.

Other factions of Jat bodies are also in the process of retreating from dharna sites. .

However, the bus service to Delhi and other places, including Rohtak, Chandigarh and Bhiwani, has not been restored as there are many blockades, including trees on the National Highway which are being cleared.

Curfew continued in five villages of Hisar district in view of prevailing tension in view of face off between Jats and non-Jats Jats in the area yesterday.

The curfew was imposed in five villages of Sisai, Pano Bolan, Kali Rava, Sainipura and Dhanipal falling in Hansi sub-division of the district.

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Army and police were patrolling the affected villages.

Haryana government yesterday said that it would fully compensate those who suffered loss of private property during the Jat agitation.

The state government also announced a relief of Rs 10 lakh to family of each deceased. Besides government job to a family member would be given and no case against innocent persons would be registered.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Hindustan Times via Getty Images SRINAGAR, INDIA - FEBRUARY 22: Columns of smoke come out from the top floor of Entrepreneurship Development Institute building in which militants were holed up during a gunfight on February 22, 2016 in Sempora, Pampore on the outskirts of Srinagar, India. Three militants barged into the institute building on Saturday soon after attacking a convoy of security forces, leaving three CRPF jawans dead and eight injured. One civilian, Abdul Gani Mir died after sustaining a bullet injury later. (Photo by Waseem Andrabi/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- While Indian security forces were fighting terrorists holed up in the Entrepreneurship Development Institute building in Pampore, loud speakers from local mosques in Kashmir were blaring praise for 'mujahid' (holy warriors).

On Tuesday, The Times of India reported that mosques in localities like Frestabal, Drangbal, Kadlabal and Sempora played recordings throughout Monday, eulogizing the militants, and blared slogans such as "Jaago, jaago subah hui" (Get up, get up, it is morning), Jivey, jivey Pakistan (Live, Live Pakistan) and Hum kya chahatey: azadi (We want independence).

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Three terrorists were killed in the three-day encounter on the outskirts of Srinagar, which also claimed the lives of five Indian soldiers including two captains.

The army believes the terrorists belonged to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organization.

While the police could not enter the mosque to stop these recordings, hundreds of youth tried to cross the rivulet neat the government building to prevent the security from launching combat operations against the terrorists, TOI reported.

Intelligence agencies believe that these recordings were supplied by Pakistan, an IB source told TOI.

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The assistant sub-inspector of police who was assaulted, forced to hold a saffron flag and paraded in a town in Maharashtra on Saturday, marking yet another case of violence unleashed by extreme right wing activists, said that he was let down by his own colleagues.

Shocking: Muslim policeman beaten up/paraded on street with saffron flag in Latur village for doing his duty/ shame pic.twitter.com/Db5lV2WZOy  imtiaz jaleel (@imtiaz_jaleel) February 20, 2016

Yunus Sheikh said calls to the control room requesting reinforcements did not yield any results.

The incident happened when he, along with K. Awaskar, a head constable, tried to prevent a mob from hoisting a saffron flag near Ambedkar Chowk, categorised as a sensitive area, to mark Shivaji Jayanti. Sheikh said that he was only doing his duty and had even assured that he would help them find a better place to hoist the flat.

latur (Maharahstra): In an apparent display of anarchy, a Muslim policeman is beaten up badly and paraded in the... https://t.co/O9PSQaAZOI  Sabrang (@sabrangindia) February 22, 2016

I phoned the control room and appraised them about the situation. Using my mobile, I called the in-charge of the Renapur station on his cellphone. But still, they failed to send reinforcements in time. The policemen reached Pangaon by 10.10 am. By then, the mob had assaulted me brutally and humiliated me by parading me, the 50-year old officer told The Indian Express.

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Nationalist goons, yet again. " Policeman beaten up/paraded on street with saffron flag in Latur village... https://t.co/EbbvNtjoIX  Rajesh Griglani (@griglani) February 21, 2016

The police on Sunday arrested 16 youths who belonged to a little-known organisation called Shivaji Jayanti Mandal.

Latur Superintendent of Police Dyaneshwar Chavan said reinforcements reached the spot by 9.50 am after two calls were received from Sheikh at 8.30 am and 8.45 am.

@Dev_Fadnavis Muslim policeman at duty beaten up and paraded in Latur, will ur govt take any action on this goons.https://t.co/OojngfAJD3  Imran Shaikh (@shaikh_imran61) February 21, 2016

Maharashtra Director General of Police Pravin Dixit said the Aurangabad Inspector General has been asked to visit the spot and submit a report.

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Shocking: Muslim policeman beaten up/paraded on street wd saffron flag in Latur village for doing his duty. pic.twitter.com/gQCzqdjbYn  Salman Nizami (@SalmanNizamii) February 21, 2016

I begged them to let me go but I was mercilessly beaten until I collapsed. The mob took me to the same spot where I had stopped them from hoisting the flag. They made me hoist the same flag there and forced me to chant Jai Bhawani, Jai Shivaji, said Sheikh.

RT BJPScams: Policeman Beaten Up, Paraded With Saffron Flag in Latur, Maharashtra. #DisastrousPMpic.twitter.com/qdq7WImmGk  Rahul Upadhyay (@upadhyayrahul55) February 21, 2016

Sheikhs 28-year-old son Farooq Yunus Sheikh alleged that his father was singled out by the mob.

The other constable who had also restrained the crowd from hoisting the flag the previous night was not paraded or attacked the way my father was. They spared him but not my father. What are we to make out of this? asked Farooq, who works for an IT firm in Pune.

If reinforcements had be sent on time, my father would not have been attacked. In every case, a departmental enquiry is ordered, we hope that this case is no different, he said.

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Peppered with criticism and questions about his expensive watch, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has decided to declare the diamond studded accessory as a state asset.

The Hublot watch valued at around 70 lakh, had come under the scanner earlier this month when Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former CM HD Kumaraswamy compared Siddaramaiah's accessory to his 'so-called socialist credentials'.

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If opposition leaders are dreaming I'd lose my job for wearing an expensive watch, it will remain their dream.

But now, according to The Times of India, Siddaramaiah has decided to take on the opposition head-on and declare the expensive bauble's worth openly and put an end to the controversy.

"If opposition leaders are dreaming I'd lose my job for wearing an expensive watch, it will remain their dream," he told reporters on Sunday.

According to NDTV, BJP in Karnataka has approached the Enforcement Directorate on the issue, and Prahlad Joshi, the state party chief, has hinted that he may raise the issue in Parliament.

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#WatchWars Sources indicate that @CMofKarnataka has decided to declare his 70 lakh watch as an asset before IT dept https://t.co/zoZ5Ejnbuv  NewsX (@NewsX) February 23, 2016

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Hindustan Times via Getty Images NEW DELHI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 22: The JNU students having a meeting during their protest against the sedition charges leveled against their fellow students at JNU on February 22, 2016 in New Delhi, India. Five JNU students Umar Khalid, Anant Prakash Narayan, Ashutosh Kumar, Rama Naga and Anirban Bhattacharya accused of sedition reappeared on the campus on Sunday, having spent 10 days in hiding. The five students are accused of allegedly planning an event on February 9 against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, where anti-national slogans were allegedly shouted. Police waited outside the university gates on Monday but did not enter the campus in the absence of mandatory permission from the vice-chancellor. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

The Morning Wrap is HuffPost India's selection of interesting news and opinion from the day's newspapers. Subscribe here to receive it in your inbox each weekday morning.

Essential HuffPost

The 48-hour fierce gun battle on the outskirts of Srinagar ended with the killing of three heavily-armed terrorists holed up in a government building situated along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. Army lost three elite commandos  two Captains and a Lance Naik  in the gunfight.

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In a stinging editorial, The New York Times has blamed the Modi government for cracking down on JNU students and stifling freedom of expression in India. The authoritarian drift of the Modi government has come under sharp criticism by the newspaper which squarely blamed it for the lynch mob mentality witnessed in New Delhi in recent days.

Watch how a 106-year-old woman turned the White House visit into a dance party. And the Obamas could barely keep up with her.

A student of Banaras Hindu University was allegedly beaten up by BJP workers after he shouted out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pleading him to listen to the students' voice.

The Islamic State has claimed the gruesome killing of a Hindu head priest in Bangladesh using guns and cleavers at a temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the dreaded group against a Hindu in a series of similar assaults on religious minorities.

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Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar was taken into protective custody" after the assault on Pathankot airbase and one of the mobile phone numbers linked to the attackers was traced to the terror groups headquarters, Pakistans foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz has said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi accused the BJP-led government of unleashing its divisive agenda by generating a wholly unwarranted debate on patriotism and nationalism to cover up its failures.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will serve as an inspiration to high school students in Andhra Pradesh from the coming academic year, beginning June 2016. Along with a few other names, he will figure in the lesson titled Spoorthi Pradaathulu (Role Models) in the Telugu non-detailed book for eighth standard.

A cost-cutting exercise by the Finance Ministry has sparked off a major inter-ministerial battle with the Ministry of External Affairs, with sources warning it could affect Indias representations at major international summits.

The government is planning to set up a special media cell to track content online, and counter news and comments that it decides are negative or provocative. Every time a negative narrative surfaces, a possible counter would be initiated  through press releases, briefings or press conferences, depending on the intensity or standing of the post, said sources.

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Off The Front Page

Tamil Nadu is ensuring that its traffic cops stay cool this summer. Efforts are on to ensure they are given lemon juice and buttermilk to beat the heat. It is a state-wide initiative undertaken to help the traffic police personnel from getting dehydrated.

Newlywed couples in Madhya Pradeshs Betul district, in addition to silver rings, saris, shirts and sweets, will be starting their journey together with a brand-new toilet, courtesy of the local administration.

In Madhurai, comic strips depicting stories of child sexual abuse were distributed among street children as part of an awareness rally. The idea was to teach the vulnerable kids the difference between good touch and bad touch.

Surgeons in Mumbai are experimenting with three-dimensional (3D) printed models of organs in complex surgeries. Doctors at Sir HN Hospital printed a 3D kidney, which helped the surgeons have a dry run before actually operating on the patient who had a cancerous tumour on the kidney.

After a gap of almost one year, a family in UP was reunited with their lost 13-year-old daughter because of the efforts of Childline. The girl had been begging at a Bareilly junction for a year and had also become addicted to inhalation of whitener.

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Opinion

The Indian state has made it amply clear. It listens to the mob. Speak loudly AND carry a big stick and the home minister will meet you more than halfway. Merely chant slogans loudly and you can be charged with sedition, videos of your speeches doctored and played on prime time television, and you can be beaten up by lawyers in a courthouse, writes Sandip Roy in HuffPost India.

Umar is the son every parent should desire and be proud of, writes Apoorvanand in The Indian Express. For if not Umar, what should youth be? How unfortunate would be a nation which has only obedient, conformist minds as its youth  youth who fight only for placements with fat pay packets; who are ready to turn into cogs and wheels of the machinery, which turns profit for a few and crushes the rest of humanity.

The Modi government came to power on a promise of delivering faster growth and more jobs. We have seen two years of growth below 8 per cent. Its hard to see the political authority reconciling itself to another year or two of the same growth rate  that would wash out most of the tenure of the present government. A departure from the fiscal consolidation path is the best answer to flagging growth. The risk to macro-economic stability can be managed, writes TT Ram Mohan in The Hindu.

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the agent tells me there are no mirrors and that I can just walk down the terminal to the nearest restroom 

without my turban on 

 Jasmeet Singh (@JusReign) February 22, 2016
Hindustan Times via Getty Images NEW DELHI, INDIA - JUNE 13: Protesters from Rashtriya Dalit Mahila Andolan shout slogans during a protest outside Uttar Pradesh Bhawan against the Uttar Pradesh government over recent gangrape and murder of Dalit teens in state on June 13, 2014 in New Delhi, India. Gangrape and hanging of two teenage cousins, had triggered global outrage and put Uttar Pradesh government in a spot for failing to check the rising incidents of sex crimes in the state. (Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- In another tragic episode of lawlessness in Uttar Pradesh, a teenager was shot dead for speaking against the men who were harassing her in Sitapur.

Instead of acting on a complaint filed by the family of the 15-year-old, local reports suggest that the U.P. police brokered a compromise between the men and the teenager's family members, who are quite poor.

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The teenager and her elder sister were returning home after finishing their chores as domestic help on Monday evening, according to local reports. The prime accused, Kuldeep and Pujari, who were on a bike, approached the two girls when they were crossing a forested area. Kuldeep allegedly shot the teenager.

While Kuldeep and Pujari have been arrested and the pistol recovered, the police is still looking for Lokesh, the third man who was allegedly at the scene of the crime.

The teenager's father told Times Now that the local police apprehended the two men following the complaint about the harassment, a few years earlier, but they were freed after a compromise was brokered.

"They used to harass us everyday," the teenager's elder sister told the news channel

"He (Kuldeep) got down from the bike and shot her. My sister is dead," she said.

The police have denied that the teenager's family had made a written complaint.

Samajvadi Party leader C.P. Rai said he was "ashamed" of the episode in Sitapur, but he added that it was difficult for the ruling government to control every incident in such a huge state.

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Earlier this month, the body of a 17-year-old girl was found near Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's house in Lucknow, five days after she went missing. She was allegedly raped and murdered.

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Hutchinson's Orscheln Farm store has become a Bomgaars location

The Hutchinson store was one of 73 the FTC said Tractor Supply could not own due to anti-trust concerns. Transition to new store could take 15 months.
New rates set in December by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board and collected by SoundExchange without warning eliminated a lower tier for small net broadcasters. The result is that most, including hundreds served by the now-defunct Live365, are being forced off the air. On popular webcaster, Radio Paradise, is reaching out to SoundExchange board member David Byrne for help.

In an open letter to Talking Head founder and SoundExchnage board member David Byrne, Bill Goldsmith, the founder and sole DJ of net broadcaster Radio Paradise appealed for another look at new rates being charged small internet broadcasters.

Some excerpts with bold added:

"For the past 16 years, my wife Rebecca and I have run Radio Paradise, an eclectic Internet radio station with a loyal worldwide following. We've been successful enough to make the station a full-time job, and our sole means of support

As a New Yorker, you're probably familiar with WFUV and are aware of the role that they, and stations like them, play in the musical ecosystem. It's very similar to the role played by Radio Paradise and our peers.

Imagine if WFUV were required to pay $0.0017 every time one listener heard one song. Let's do the math. If they have 10,000 listeners (they probably have more a good deal of the time) that's $17 per song. At 12 songs per hour, that's $204 per hour, or $4896 per day

That's exactly what Radio Paradise and other independent Internet radio stations are now expected to pay to Sound Exchange under the new CRB rates. Large operations like Pandora, Apple and Spotify can afford to negotiate private deals with the large music conglomerates. FM broadcasters can afford to lobby Congress to continue paying nothing at all to the artists that Sound Exchange represents. We have none of those options available to us.

when the CRB decision was released in December 2015 we were stunned to learn that no provisions whatsoever were made for stations like ours, and at the new CRB rates our royalty payments would approximately equal  perhaps exceed  our gross income. The same is true for every other independent web radio operator.

We have reached out to Sound Exchange in the hope that some arrangement can be made that will allow stations like Radio Paradise to continue to flourish. As a Sound Exchange board member, we would very much appreciate your support.
The news that Google is bowing out of the insurance market should not be read as either a failure of online comparison services or a validation of agents who have shunned technology, industry figures say.The pending closure of Google Compare was confirmed Monday in an email the company sent to partners, which stated Google would start winding down and ultimately end its comparison-shopping site for auto insurance, credit cards and mortgages. Both US and UK services will terminate March 23.In the email, Google said the auto insurance comparison site hasnt driven the success we hoped for, and that the company will be focusing more intently on AdWords and future innovations.Once billed as a serious threat to insurance agents  Forrester analyst Ellen Carney famously suggested the 40,000 agencies in the US could absolutely shrink by a quarter  the service operated for less than a year before Google decided to pull the plug. However, both partners and competitors of Google say this closure has more to do with the companys good business sense than a sign that the online comparison model is flawed.A corporation known for its innovation, Google has historically been quick to axe any venture that doesnt deliver. March or April news that Google is restructuring or foregoing certain businesses, such as the 2013 announcement that ended Google Reader, are common and often referred to as the companys spring cleaning.The closure of Google Compare fits that pattern, industry figures say  particularly after last years reorganization into Alphabet Inc., a conglomerate and parent company to Google.It wasnt overly shocking. Its always been strange that Google came into the industry, said Laird Rixford, president of Insurance Technologies Corp., the Texas-based software provider that powered Compares back-end rating system.Rixford observed that as Googles main revenue source is keyword-based advertising, the extension into auto insurance essentially cannibalized the companys $50- to $300-per-word revenue stream.A failure to attract some of the countrys larger auto insurers, such as Allstate or Progressive, also damaged the company.As of earlier this month, Google Compare had launched in just four states  a far cry from the two dozen states Google said it expected to be serving by its first anniversary.Another reason Google Compare may have failed to take off is an ongoing reliance on insurance agents.While online insurance offerings have increased over the years, a majority of auto purchases are still completed through individual agents. And, in the more complex world of small business insurance, a November survey from the Deloitte Center for Financial Services found that 83% of American small business owners report satisfaction with their current agent.The comparatively hands-off approach presented by Google Compare probably hurt the service, said Adam Lyons, chief executive officer with The Zebra, an Austin-based comparison company.Auto insurance is a complex product and a lot of folks underestimate that, Lyons told Insurance Business America. I think Google really focused on the pricing piece, and while that approach works very well for some products, you need to be more involved and have a deeper understanding of others. Insurance is proving to be one of those.The treatment of auto insurance as a commodity was one of the reasons The Zebra chose to pass on an opportunity to work with Google Compare, Lyons said. Now, the company has recently closed $17 million in Series A funding and plans to use Googles failed venture as a cautionary tale.I think the lesson learned is that you need to help folks understand what insurance is as a product, said Lyons.To that end, the company is heavily focused on educating consumers through carrier comparisons, a guide to Insurance  in Plain English, and the creation of its publication, Quoted. And as always, human interaction will be key.Regardless of the continued importance of personal insurance consultation to the auto product, agents should not interpret Google Compares exit as time for a victory lap, warns Rixford.Agents need to remain vigilant [because] the consumer has changed over the years, he told IBA. Google was trying to chase that opportunity.Now that Google has abandoned that pursuit, there is plenty of room for other companies to take its place as a leader in the online comparison space. Apart from The Zebra, MIT-developed Insurify recently pulled in $2 million in seed money and Chubb last month took out a 24% stake in CoverHound. Compare.com also remains a major player.And though these comparison tools have their roots in auto insurance, they have not been shy about expressing interest in expanding their services to homeowners and small business lines.With these new players nipping at their heels, Rixford argues that now is the time for insurance agents to invest in comparative raters and other technology to meet new consumer expectations.Dont rest on your laurels, he warned.
Reports indicate that Google is calling it quits on the insurance business.Just over one year after the search engine titan announced it was launching an online comparison service for auto insurance, partners with Google Compare say they were informed the company is shutting down the operation on a global basis.Insurance Technologies Corp., the Texas-based software provider that powered Google Compares back-end rating system, was told directly by the company Monday that it will close its entire online comparison business over the next 30 days. Other carriers partnered with Google confirmed the pending exit.Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but it is believed the firm will make a formal announcement on Tuesday.Both partners and competitors of Google say they were not surprised by the news.It wasnt overly shocking  its always been strange that Google came into the industry, Laird Rixford, president of ITC , told Insurance Business America.Rixford observed that as Googles main revenue source is keyword-based advertising, the extension into auto insurance essentially cannibalized the companys $50- to $300-per-word revenue stream. Now, he expects Google to return to its core competencies while the appetite for online comparison services is left to other competitors.One such player is The Zebra, an Austin-based comparison company that recently closed $17 million in Series A funding. Chief Executive Adam Lyons told IBA that The Zebra had passed on the opportunity to work with Google, and that the companys exit provides a powerful lesson in making online insurance services work for consumers.Auto insurance is a complex product and a lot of folks underestimate that, Lyons said. I think Google really focused on the pricing piece, and while that approach works very well for some products, you need to be more involved and have a deeper understanding of others. Insurance is proving to be one of those.As such, a focus on education and human relationships will drive the success of other players in the space, Lyons said, stressing that the insurance agent role is not one that will vanish quickly.Regardless, agents should not interpret Google Compares exit as time for a victory lap, warns Rixford.Agents need to remain vigilant, Rixford told IBA. The consumer has changed over the years and the opportunity to meet their needs and can be met by todays independent agents through online comparative raters and other technology.Dont rest on your laurels, he said.
Four More Shots Please S3 Review: This Old Wine In New Bottle Doesn't Get You Drunk As Easily Anymore
We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector
Press Release: Statement by IMF Deputy Managing Director Furusawa at the Conclusion of a Visit to Chad

Press Release No. 16/74

February 23, 2016

Mr. Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement today in NDjamena at the conclusion of his visit to Chad:

My visit to Chad has been extremely fruitful. I wish to thank President Idris Deby Itno and the Chadian authorities for our substantive discussions.

In my meetings with the authorities, I acknowledged the challenges posed by the massive negative external shocks  the collapse in oil prices and the deterioration in regional security- that currently affect Chad. The current economic conjuncture presents both opportunities and challenges in terms of pushing forward with structural reforms and I stressed the need to maintain a prudent fiscal policy strategy consistent with macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability. I reiterated the Funds willingness to continue to support the country through financial and technical assistance to help address Chads immediate fiscal challenges.

I also had the opportunity to meet ambassadors and technical partners. On this occasion, I noted that technical assistance from all development partners is crucial in helping the Chadian authorities to design and implement structural reforms. I reassured them of the Funds willingness to continue to support Chads efforts to improve the countrys resilience to external shocks.

My meeting with the private sector was an opportunity to get firsthand information from the people who deal more directly with the impact of the current crisis on the economic activity. I heard about the challenges and prospects of their respective economic sectors, and we discussed ways to better tackle the constraints they face to further develop, expand, and diversify the local economic activities.

To the group of academics and students I met during my visit, I explained our work with the Chadian authorities through continued policy dialogue, technical assistance, and financial support, with the view to help the country preserve its social and poverty reduction priority spending, including in education.

I was heartened to visit the Resource Center for the Blind Youth, a community-led structure that contributes to empowering and developing visually impaired children, and provides eye care in the communities.

I would like to sincerely thank again the government and the people of Chad for their warm welcome and wonderful hospitality. The IMF remains Chads steadfast partner in meeting the challenges of the future.
Governor Brown Announces Appointments

Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:

Steven Cliff, 46, of Sacramento, has been appointed senior advisor to the chair at the California Air Resources Board. Cliff has served as assistant director of sustainability at the California Department of Transportation since 2014. He served in several positions at the California Air Resources Board from 2008 to 2014, including assistant chief of the Stationary Source Division, chief of the divisions Climate Change Markets Branch, manager of the Office of Climate Changes Program Development Section and air pollution specialist. Cliff has been an associate professional researcher at the Institute of Transportation Studies Air Quality Research Center at the University of California, Davis since 2011, where he has served in several positions since 1998, including an associate professional researcher and assistant professional researcher in the Department of Applied Science and admissions chair in the Atmospheric Science Graduate Group. He has been approved program coordinator at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Advanced Light Source since 2004, where he has held several positions since 2001, including beamline scientist and primary research team coordinator. Cliff earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in chemistry from the University of California, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $145,788. Cliff is a Republican.

Fernando Giraldo, 48, of Aptos, has been appointed to the California Sex Offender Management Board. Giraldo has been chief probation officer at the Santa Cruz County Probation Department since 2013, where he has served in several positions since 1995, including assistant chief probation officer, juvenile division director, assistant superintendent, assistant probation division director and deputy probation officer. He was a treatment coordinator and counselor at Triad Community Services from 1990 to 1995. Giraldo earned a Master of Social Work degree from San Jose State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Giraldo is a Democrat.

Myrian Solis Coronel, 35, of Chula Vista, has been reappointed to the California State Park and Recreation Commission, where she has served since 2013. Solis Coronel has been manager of marketing and national partnerships at REI since 2011, where she was a community relations administrator from 2008 to 2011. She was a manager at KPBS Public Broadcasting from 2002 to 2008. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Solis Coronel is a Democrat.

Anthea Hartig, 51, of San Mateo, has been reappointed to the California State Park and Recreation Commission, where she has served since 2015. Hartig has been executive director at the California Historical Society since 2011. She was regional director at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Western Office from 2005 to 2011 and an assistant professor at La Sierra University from 2000 to 2005. Hartig was chair of the California State Historic Resources Commission from 2001 to 2005. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in history from the University of California, Riverside. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Hartig is a Democrat.

Douglas Metz, 82, of Coronado, has been reappointed to the California Boating and Waterways Commission, where he has served since 2006. Metz has been chairman at Metz and Associates since 1998. He was senior counsel at the King Law Group from 2007 to 2013 and chief executive officer and general counsel at Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America Inc. from 1977 to 1998. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Wayne State University Law School. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Metz is a Republican.

Frank Peralta, 69, of Bonita, has been reappointed to the California Boating and Waterways Commission, where he has served since 2012. Peralta has been a court bailiff at the San Diego County Superior Court since 2003. He served as a deputy sheriff at the San Diego County Sheriffs Department from 1974 to 2003. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Peralta is registered without party preference.

J. Keith Gilless, 60, of San Francisco, has been reappointed to the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, where he has been chair since 2013 and has served since 2011. Gilless has been dean at the University of California, Berkeley College of Natural Resources since 2008, where he has served as a professor of forest economics since 1983. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in forestry and agricultural economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Gilless is a Democrat.

Kevin Murphy, 47, of Morgan Hill, has been reappointed to the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, where he has served since 2013. Murphy has been fire captain at the Santa Clara County Fire Department since 1999, where he has served in several positions since 1990, including hazardous materials specialist, arson investigator, firefighter, engineer and emergency medical technician. He was a park trail volunteer at the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commissions Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area from 1992 to 1997. Murphy is a member of the American Motorcyclist Association, Hollister Hills Off-Road Association and the Sacramento Pacific International Trials Society Club. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Murphy is registered without party preference.

Paul Slavik, 73, of Huntington Beach, has been reappointed to the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, where he has served since 2008. Slavik held several positions at the American Honda Motor Company from 1976 to 2005, including national off-highway motor vehicle coordinator, field service representative and dealer technical advisor. He is a member of the American Motorcyclist Association. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Slavik is a Republican.
Volunteers Needed for Bighorn Sheep Survey

Arcadia, California - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Society for Conservation of Bighorn Sheep (SCBS) are seeking volunteers to assist biologists with a bighorn sheep survey in Southern California on March 5 and 6. Volunteers will be needed on Saturday evening and all day Sunday.

No survey experience is necessary to participate but volunteers must attend an orientation on Saturday, March 5, at 6 p.m. at the Angeles National Forest Supervisors Office, 701 N. Anita Ave., Arcadia.

Volunteers will hike to designated observation sites in the San Gabriel Mountains early Sunday morning to count and record bighorn sheep. Volunteer groups will be led by a representative from CDFW, USFS or SCBS. Participants must be at least 16 years old and capable of hiking one mile in rugged terrain, although most survey routes are longer. In general, hikes will not be along trails and accessing survey points will involve scrambling over boulders, climbing up steep slopes and/or bush-whacking through chaparral.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring binoculars or spotting scopes in addition to hiking gear. Mountain weather can be unpredictable and participants should be prepared to spend several hours hiking and additional time making observations in cold and windy weather. Volunteers will need to start hiking early Sunday morning.

For volunteers who wish to camp, complimentary campsites will be available on a first come, first served basis at the Applewhite Campground in Lytle Creek the nights of March 4 and March 5.

Surveys for bighorn sheep in the San Gabriel range have been conducted annually since 1979. The mountain range once held an estimated 740 sheep, which made the San Gabriel population the largest population of desert bighorn sheep in California. The bighorn population declined over 80 percent through the 1980s, but appears to be on the increase with recent estimates yielding approximately 400 animals.

To volunteer, please sign up online at www.sangabrielbighorn.org. If you do not have access to the Internet, you may call either (909) 627-1613 or (909) 584-9012 to receive a volunteer packet.
Electronic health records can help catch undiagnosed cases of Type 2 diabetes

Los Angeles, California - In 2012, a group of UCLA researchers set out to mine thousands of electronic health records for a more accurate and less expensive way to identify people who have undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes. The researchers got much more than they bargained for.

Not only did they develop an algorithm with the potential to vastly increase the number of correct diagnoses of the disease by refining the pool of candidates who are put forward for screening; they also uncovered several previously unknown risk factors for diabetes, including a history of sexual and gender identity disorders, intestinal infections and a category of illnesses that includes such sexually transmitted diseases as chlamydia.

The findings appear February 16 in the Journal of Biomedical Informatics.

With widespread implementation, these discoveries have the potential to dramatically decrease the number of undetected cases of Type 2 diabetes, prevent complications from the disease and save lives, said Ariana Anderson, the studys lead author and an assistant research professor and statistician at UCLAs Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.

Anderson and Mark Cohen, a Semel Institute professor in residence, led a team that examined electronic records for 9,948 people from hospitals, clinics and doctors offices in all 50 states. Although the patients themselves were not identifiable, the records included their vital signs, prescription medications and reported ailments, categorized according to the International Classification of Diseases diagnostic codes.

The researchers used half of the records to refine an algorithm that allowed them to predict the likelihood of an individual having diabetes, and then tested this pre-screening tool on the other half. They found that having any diagnosis of sexual and gender identity disorders increased the risk for Type 2 diabetes by roughly 130 percent  about the same as high blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor.

Other health conditions were shown to be nearly as important risk factors for the disease. Among them were a history of viral infections and chlamydia (which increase peoples risk for diabetes by 82 percent) and a history of intestinal infections such as colitis, enteritis and gastroenteritis (88 percent increase). In fact, those predictors were nearly as strong as having a high body mass index (101 percent increase).

Herpes zoster had previously been shown to have a link to diabetes, and the project confirmed that connection (finding that it increases the risk by about 90 percent)  along with some other lesser-known risk factors. Chicken pox, shingles and a range of other viral infections (which are grouped together under one ICD diagnostic code) increased the risk for Type 2 diabetes as much as high cholesterol, the team found.

Researchers also determined certain factors that appear to be related to a lower risk for diabetes. Being prone to migraines, for instance, reduced an individuals risk for the disease by the same amount as being 29 years younger. And people taking anti-anxiety and anti-seizure medications such as clonazepam and diazepam had a significantly lower risk.

The overall message is that ordinary record keeping that doctors do is a very, very rich source of information, Cohen said. If you use a computerized approach to studying patterns in that data, you can greatly improve diagnosis and medical care.

The researchers are affiliated with a laboratory run by Cohen that uses mathematical modeling to analyze large quantities of brain images. The team has applied similar techniques to predict diseases, including epilepsy and irritable bowel syndrome. In this case, they targeted Type 2 diabetes because so many Americans with diabetes have yet to be diagnosed.

Additional research will be required to determine the medical reasons that certain factors correlate with greater or lesser risk. And because the analysis was based largely on diagnostic codes, rather than actual individual diagnoses, the findings are not fine-grained enough to tell precisely which conditions are linked to diabetes.

For instance, the ICD code for sexual and gender identity disorders includes a wide range of conditions ranging from transexualism to exhibitionism, and the researchers do not know which one or ones are most important for a diabetes diagnosis. Similarly, the code for viral and chlamydial infections encompasses a wide range of conditions, including the human papillomavirus, chlamydia and coxsackie virus, which causes conjunctivitis and hand, foot and mouth disease.

Traditionally, medical providers have determined whom to screen for the disease based on a limited range of factors, including blood pressure, BMI, age, gender and whether or not they smoke. But the pre-screening tool based on the entirety of a patients electronic health record proved 2.5 percent better at identifying people with diabetes than the standard approach, and 14 percent better at identifying those who do not have it. The researchers calculated that if the new method were used nationally, it would identify 400,000 people who have not yet been diagnosed with the disease.

Given that 1 in 4 people with diabetes dont know they have the disease, Anderson said, its very important to be able to say, This person has all these other diagnoses, so were a little bit more confident that she is likely to have diabetes. We need to be sure to give her the formal laboratory test, even if shes asymptomatic.

Mining big data for ways to improve medical care emerged as a national trend following the 2009 economic stimulus package, which included incentives for digitizing medical records. Advocates argue that using computers to uncover unexpected patterns in vast amounts of data  or machine learning  has the power to revolutionize medicine.

Left untreated, diabetes can cause blindness or lead to problems with the feet and legs that necessitate amputation. Although current approaches to screening for the disease are generally accurate, they can be costly and onerous because they involve blood draws and fasting for lengthy periods of time.

Theres so much more information available in the medical record that could be used to determine whether a patient needs to be screened, and this information isnt currently being used, said Cohen, who also is the director of UCLAs Laboratory of Integrative Neuroimaging Technology. This is a treasure trove of information that has not begun to be exploited to the full extent possible.

The research was supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
Better Accuracy Out of Thin or Thick Air

Washington, DC - NIST scientists have devised and improved a prototype instrument the size of a loaf of bread that can substantially increase the accuracy of length measurements in commerce. Perhaps surprisingly, it does so by achieving the most accurate measure of the refractive index of air reported to date.

An enormous share of U.S. industry depends critically on very precise dimensional measurements, frequently on the scale of nanometers (nm, billionths of a meter) or even smaller. Such measurements can only be made by using light, typically laser light, using a device called an interferometer which measures lengths in terms of the wavelength of light. For example, the diameter of a pinhead is about 2400 wavelengths of red light.

In vacuum, the wavelength is determined only by the frequency of the light, which can be controlled and measured with exquisite precision. But the vast majority of commercial dimensional measurements are made in air, where wavelength also depends on the refractive index* of the air, which is a function of temperature, pressure, and composition (particularly humidity).

Air decreases the wavelength of light by some amount around 3 parts in 10,000. Slight variations in that number might not seem significant. But for the nanometer-scale needs of modern manufacturing, they're huge.

So dimensional measurements have to be corrected to take account of the refractive index of air. Traditionally this has been done by measuring the airs temperature, humidity, pressure, and CO2 content (with four separate instruments) and using those values to calculate a correction. That complicated method, however, yields uncertainties of a few parts in 108  still an order of magnitude short of industry needs.

Thats why Patrick Egan and Jack Stone of the Engineering Physics Division in NISTs Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) have been working for years on a way to measure absolute refractive index directly using an instrument called a Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometer, which is basically a cylindrical cavity with mirrors at each end.

First, all gas is removed from the cavity and a laser beam is sent in. Scientists measure the frequency of the resonant (standing) wave that forms in the vacuum. Then the cavity is filled with room air and the resonant frequency  which differs from the vacuum frequency by an amount that depends on the refractive index of the air  is measured again. The difference in the two frequencies is a measure of the refractive index.

Recently, in collaboration with PMLs Sensor Science Division, Egan and colleagues reported** design and fabrication of an FP device that could measure refractive index with uncertainties as low as 3 parts in 1010  but only for very dry gas. At higher humidity levels, water permeates the mirror coatings, altering the apparent path length over which the light travels, and limiting accuracy to about 2 parts in 108, or almost 100 times less accurate than what can be achieved with dry gas. The relative humidity in a typical workplace setting is in the range of 40% to 50%, so the team set out to find a way to correct for the humidity effect.

The result is a new instrument called the Monolithic Interferometer for Refractometry (MIRE) that is designed to run in tandem with the FP interferometer and correct for humidity effects. In the MIRE, two beams of laser light about 12 mm apart travel along two parallel routes of exactly the same length. One laser beam passes through the inside of a 25 cm long cell that is permanently held at vacuum.

The other beam travels outside the cell through air or another gas in which the humidity can be varied. MIRE measures the phase difference (relative alignment of the crests of light waves) between the vacuum and humid air paths. Because the gas cells uncoated optics are not susceptible to humidity effects, the phase difference provides a humidity correction for the primary FP instrument.

Apparatus of this kind is customarily constructed on an optical table, with the constituent parts screwed down tightly into the tables stainless steel top. Thats not satisfactory for Egan. The components are much too free to move around, he says. Theres too much slop in the system. By which he means that components can drift (expand or contract and bend or tilt, changing the path length that the beam travels) over the course of many hours. Some labs get a 2 nm drift over that period. The best have something in the range of 100 picometers (pm, or one-thousandth of a nanometer).

Because of the innovating new design, the MIRE drifts by only 6 pm (about 2% of the diameter of an atom of iron) over the course of 10 hours, the length of time required to incrementally vary the humidity in the cell, let everything reach equilibrium, and begin the measurement cycle again.

Its monolithic construction results from immobile fused-silica components bonded with hydroxide-catalysis to a rectangular fused-silica plate. Preliminary tests indicate that when the MIRE is used to correct for humidity change, the FP device can measure refractive index to an uncertainty of about 6 parts in a billion. Subsequent improvements may reduce that figure. The effect could be significant.

For example, bearing manufacture is a billion-dollar industry in need of very small uncertainties, says Dan Sawyer, Group Leader in the Engineering Physics Division. If we measure a really large part, currently our uncertainty is limited by how well we can do the refractive index corrections. Patricks working on fundamentally reducing and removing that barrier. That can change the uncertainty on very critical, high-value parts.

Jay Hendricks, Group Leader in PMLs collaborating Sensor Science Division, agrees: There are many very precise measurements that have to be done in air, and there are also very precise measurements that have to be done when, say, you'reking semiconductor chips. To get the precision they need, chip-makers measure in a vacuum. But wouldnt be nice to take that precision out of the vacuum and put it on the factory floor where you can now do sub-nanometer precision in air?
On the Occasion of Estonia's National Day

Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the citizens of the United States, I offer my warmest congratulations to the people of Estonia as you celebrate on February 24th the anniversary of the founding of your Republic.

"As NATO Allies, our two countries work closely to promote peace, freedom, and prosperity around the world. Estonians should be proud of the respect their nation has earned because of the strength of its democratic institutions, its participation in multilateral peacekeeping missions, its unwavering support for European integration and transatlantic unity, and its leadership in fostering innovation, e-governance, and cybersecurity. Estonia is also justly admired for its achievements in the arts, including its award-winning filmmakers and the works of revered composer Arvo Part.

"Since Estonias founding in 1918, through wars both hot and cold, the United States and Estonia have remained stalwart partners and friends. On this special occasion, I wish the people of Estonia the very best as we pay tribute to those whose past sacrifice and future hopes have made Estonia the resilient and vibrant country it is today."
Watch: This Video Of Woman Failing At Archery, Hitting Arrow On Head Is Hilarious
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The usual awards race discussion has taken a bit of a backseat this year, due in part to the media emphasis on the diversity debate but also because, well, it hasnt really been the best year for film.

Someone has to win these damn statuettes though, so who will it be?

Heres a look at the best bets, dark horses and the personal favourites of our film team, for the major categories:

Best Picture

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Room

Spotlight

Who will win: Spotlight. The bookies might be backing The Revenant, but it would be incredible if the Academy gave the top prize to Inarritu two years in a row, especially given few would argue that Birdman wasnt vastly superior to it.

Who should win: Room was a wonderful surprise but perhaps lacks that big movie feel necessary for the prize. Spotlight was enthralling but feels a bit worthy, more of a pat on the back for good journalism than good filmmaking. It might be nice to see the incredible ambition of Mad Max: Fury Road recognised here, but Id like to see it go to The Big Short. It trod the line between comedy and drama perfectly, managed to make complex finance engrossing, and arguably lampooned the banking sector better than The Wolf of Wall Street did.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett, Carol

Brie Larson, Room

Jennifer Lawrence, Joy

Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years

Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Who will win: Brie Larson.

Who should win: Brie Larson. Were all in agreement over here on that one. The other nominees are phenomenally talented, but Blanchetts role mostly involved smoking seductively, Joy failed to really make a splash and Rampling was superb but surely an outsider. Dont entirely count out Saoirse Ronan though.

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo

Matt Damon, The Martian

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Who will one: Leonardo DiCaprio, and not because this is his best performance (I can think of at least three or four that were better) but because the Academy knows hes due it. Being owed an Oscar isnt a guarantee youll get it, but among a fairly weak field it seems almost certain this is his year. Who are they going to give it to, Matt Damon for cracking dad jokes on Mars?!

Who should win: Leonardo DiCaprio. Let him have it! Fassbender and Cranstons performances were solid and Redmaynes was very skilful, but he got the well done, you transformed yourself award last year.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight

Rooney Mara, Carol

Rachel McAdams, Spotlight

Alicia Vikander. The Danish Girl

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Who will win: Alicia Vikander, because everyone loved Ex Machina too and its sorely missing from the main Oscars categories.

Who should win: Alicia Vikander. Jennifer Jason Leigh wasnt really given that much to do in The Hateful Eight and Rooney Maras Carol role was hugely divisive - wonderfully still for some, blankly mute for others.

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Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale, The Big Short

Tom Hardy, The Revenant

Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight

Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Who will win: Sylvester Stallone. Its a fairly open field, but Hollywood loves a veteran bringing back the magic narrative.

Who should win: Tom Hardy or Christian Bale. The formers performance was more restrained than DiCaprios in The Revenant, but in my opinion better - Fitzgerald was a brilliantly cruel and selfish antagonist. Bale really nailed social awkwardness and anxiety without overdoing it in The Big Short though, and you yearned for him to be on screen more.

Best Animated Feature Film

Anomalisa

Boy and the World

Inside Out

Shaun the Sheep Movie

When Marnie Was There

Who will win: Inside Out looks to have this sewn up, everyone loves a Pixar movie that also packs an emotional punch for adults.

Who should win: Anomalisa. Maybe it wasnt executed perfectly, but an adult-orientated stop-motion animation was such a brave idea and a welcome return for Charlie Kaufman, who frankly could really use the award.

Carol, Ed Lachman

The Hateful Eight, Robert Richardson

Mad Max: Fury Road, John Seale

The Revenant, Emmanuel Lubezki

Sicario, Roger Deakins

Who will win: The Revenant. You have to put quibbles with the soul of the movie to the side for this category, and theres no denying Lubezki made it look absolutely beautiful, especially that wonderfully, oddly balletic battle scene. An argument recently erupted among cinematographers over deceptive CGI in films like The Revenant however.

Who should win: The Revenant. Although Carol was beautifully shot too.

Best Director

Adam McKay, The Big Short

George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Alejandro G. Inarritu, The Revenant

Lenny Abrahamson, Room

Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

Who will win: Inarritu. Everyone seems to love the lengths that he went to in the freezing cold to make this film happen. Even if his crew don't.
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Their hit 1995 movie Fargo may have been adapted for a recent small screen series starring Martin Freeman, but the Coen brothers have revealed that they lack any desire to do a Woody Allen and dip their Oscar-winning toes into television.

Despite modern times being widely hailed as a Golden Age for TV and many actors signing up for series such as House of Cards and Game of Thrones, the filmmaking duo are simply not very interested.

Were perfectly happy with it, we have no problem with it, it just feels divorced from our film somehow, Joel told Radio Times when asked for his thoughts on the Fargo remake.

Heres the thing. We work short. Our longest movie is two hours two minutes (2008s No Country for Old Men). So six hours, or 56 hours, episode after episode, its just not how we think about stories. I mean, after two hours with a character we feel were pretty much done with them.

Ethan also contemplated the idea of moving into television, only to find it similarly distasteful. Would it be interesting to do something like that at some point? I dont even know where youd start, frankly, he said.

So thats that then, the Coen brothers marriage to the silver screen is as solid as ever and TVs seductive charms will have to search elsewhere for a new target.

Read the full interview with Joel and Ethan Coen in the new issue of Radio Times, on sale from Tuesday 23 February
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Dick van Dyke may now be 90 years old, but the Mary Poppins star has retained every ounce of charm and spirit which made his role as Bert in the 1964 film so beloved by audiences.

Dyke teamed up with actor/dancer Derek Hough to recreate the classic 'Step in Time' sequence from the Disney musical, as part of ABC's televised special Disneyland 60, celebrating the park's landmark anniversary.

Mary Poppins was a musical always close to the heart of Walt Disney, whose favourite song was reportedly 'Feed the Birds', so it was a particularly fitting tribute to the innovator's incredible legacy.

Hough took on the majority of Dyke's original role as chimney sweep Bert, recreating the famous high-kicking, spinning choreography of the original; though Dyke made an appearance at the end, much to the crowd's delight.

Perfect timing, as well, for the reported Mary Poppins sequel currently being prepped with Emily Blunt in the titular role. Set 20 years later in Depression-era London, will Disney still look to include an older Bert in some manner?

The special also saw Harrison Ford introduce a first look at the planned Star Wars experiences at Disneyland and Walt Disney Resort.
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Alas, awards season is coming to an end. After months of celebrating the best films of 2015, Hollywood is readying itself for the biggest awards ceremony of them all, the Oscars.

This years contest has been mired with controversy, the lack of diversity among nominees being discussed countless times by actors and members of the Academy.

Come Sunday night (early Monday morning for us Brits) however, talk of diversity will likely be put on the backburner as the stars adorn the red carpet, eagerly awaiting the results.

Heres everything you need to know about the ceremony itself, from where is it and what time to who is nominated and where to watch.

This year's Oscars take place on Sunday 28 February at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles (Getty Images)

Where will the Oscars take place?

The Oscars take place at the Dolby Theatre - formerly the Kodak theatre - in Los Angeles. The ceremony has taken place there since 2002.

When do things kick off and how long are the awards?

Celebrities will be hitting the red carpet on Sunday 28 February at 4pm (Midnight GMT), with the ceremony scheduled to start at 5.30pm (1.30am GMT). On average, the ceremony lasts around three and a half hours, however, in 2002, they ran on for four hours 23 minutes.

How can I watch the Oscars in the UK?

Sky has set up a special, Oscar-dedicated channel for the occasion called Sky Movies Oscar. It goes live on 22 February and will run until 6 March. You can stream the channel through Now TV with a Sky Movies Month Pass, which can be accessed through almost anything, from a laptop to Playstation 4.

Who is nominated?

Leonardo DiCaprio. Oh, and all these people as well. But most importantly Leo. It is the sixth time he has been nominated for an Oscar (sixth!) having never previously won. Could this be his year? Heres who our film team thinks should win.

Who is hosting and presenting?

Chris Rock is hosting the awards and has apparently re-written his opening monologue to mention the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. Guests presenting awards include Emily Blunt, Steve Carell, JJ Abrams, Tina Fey and Henry Cavil. Meanwhile, Dave Grohl has been booked in for a special performance.

Who is boycotting the awards?

#OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Show all 19 1 /19 #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Jada Pinkett-Smith Today is Martin Luther Kings birthday, and I cant help but ask the question: Is it time that people of color recognize how much power and influence we have amassed that we no longer need to ask to be invited anywhere? I ask the question: Have we come to a new time and place where we recognize that we can no longer beg for the love, acknowledge, or respect of any group? - Posted on her Facebook page. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Will Smith "The beauty of Hollywood combined with American ideals is the ultimate dream for humanity: the basis of the American concept of anything is possible, with hard work and dedication, no matter your race or religion, creed, none of that matters in America. I think that diversity is the American superpower. That's why we are great. So many different people from so many different places adding their ideas and their inspiration and their influences to this beautiful American gumbo and for me, at its best, Hollywood represents and then creates the imagery for that beauty. But for my part, I think I have to fight for and protect the ideals that make our country and make our Hollywood community great. So when I look at the series of nominations of the Academy, it's not reflecting that beauty." - Quote from ABC News appearance. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Reese Witherspoon "I really appreciated this article in TIME on the lack of racial and gender diversity in this year's Oscar nominations. So disappointed that some of 2015's best films, filmmakers and performances were not recognized... Nothing can diminish the quality of their work, but these filmmakers deserve recognition. As an Academy member, I would love to see a more diverse voting membership." - Posted on her Facebook page. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Spike Lee "This whole Academy thing is a misdirection play. We're chasing a guy down the field, he doesn't even have the ball. The other guy's high-stepping in the end zone. It goes further than the Academy Awards. It has to go back to the gatekeepers. We're not in the room. The executives, when they have these greenlight meetings quarterly, they look at the scripts and see who's in it and decide what we're making and what we're not making." - Quote from ABC appearance. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say George Clooney "If you think back 10 years ago, the Academy was doing a better job. Think about how many more African Americans were nominated. I would also make the argument, I dont think its a problem of who youre picking as much as it is: How many options are available to minorities in film, particularly in quality films? There should be 20 or 30 or 40 films of the quality that people would consider for the Oscars. By the way, were talking about African Americans. For Hispanics, its even worse. We need to get better at this. We used to be better at it." - Interview with Variety. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Snoop Dogg Somebody was actually like am I gonna watch the motherf***ing Oscars. F*** no. What the f*** am I going to watch that bulls*** for? They aint got no n***** nominated. All these great movies and all this great s*** yall keep stealing from us. F*** you! F*** you! - Posted on his Instagram page. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Don Cheadle "Yo, Chris. Come check me out at #TheOscars this year. They got me parking cars on G level." - Posted on his Twitter page, directed at host Chris Rock. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Mark Ruffalo I woke up in the morning thinking, what is the right way to do this? Because if you look at Martin Luther Kings legacy, what he was saying was that the good people who dont act are much worse than the wrongdoers who are purposefully not acting and dont know the right way. - Quote from interview with BBC News. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Lupita Nyong'o "I am disappointed by the lack of inclusion in this year's Academy Awards nominations. It has me thinking about unconscious prejudice and what merits prestige in our culture. The awards should not dictate the terms of art in our modern society, but rather be a diverse reflection of the best of what our art has to offer today. I stand with my peers who are calling for change in expanding the stories that are told and recognition of the people who tell them." - Posted on her Instagram page. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Tyrese Gibson "This is not us saying we're against the Oscars because we're gonna combat racism. We're just saying, 'Yo, this is not cool.' You can't be doing this in 2016 and act as if no one is gonna notice." - Quote from interview with People. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say David Oyelowo The reason why the Oscars are so important is because it is the zenith, it is the epitome, it is the height of celebration of artistic endeavor within the filmmaking community. We grow up aspiring, dreaming, longing to be accepted into that august establishment because it is the height of excellence. I would like to walk away and say it doesnt matter, but it does, because that acknowledgement changes the trajectory of your life, your career, and the culture of the world we live in. This institution doesnt reflect its president and it doesnt reflect this room. I am an Academy member and it doesnt reflect me, and it doesnt reflect this nation." - Speech at gala honoring Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Brie Larson "Thank you @hollywoodreporter for covering this very unique moment in my life! It was wonderful spending time with all of you. Personally, I'm interested in reading their article on #OscarsSoWhite. This is a conversation that deserves attention." - Posted on her Instagram page. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say How many black films are being produced every year? How are they being distributed? The films that are being made, are the big-time producers thinking outside of the box in terms of how to cast the role? Can you cast a black woman in that role? Can you cast a black man in that role? You can change the Academy, but if there are no black films being produced, what is there to vote for? - Quote from interview with Entertainment Weekly. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Charlotte Rampling "It is racist to whites. One can never really know, but perhaps the black actors did not deserve to make the final list. Why classify people? These days everyone is more or less accepted... People will always say: Him, hes less handsome; Him, hes too black; He is too white... someone will always be saying You are too [this or that]... But do we have to take from this that there should be lots of minorities everywhere?" - Quote from interview on Europe 1. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Michael Caine Theres loads of black actors. In the end you can't vote for an actor because he's black. You can't say 'I'm going to vote for him, he's not very good, but he's black, I'll vote for him'. You have to give a good performance and I'm sure people have. I saw Idris Elba (in Beasts Of No Nation).I thought he was wonderful. Be patient. Of course it will come. It took years to get an Oscar, years. - Quote from interview with Radio 4 Today programme. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Steve McQueen "This is exactly like MTV was in the 1980s. Could you imagine now if MTV only showed music videos by a majority of white people, then after 11 oclock it showed a majority of black people? Could you imagine that happening now? Its the same situation happening in the movies. Hopefully, when people look back at this in 20 years, itll be like seeing that David Bowie clip in 1983 [of artist critiquing channel for not featuring black artists]. I dont even want to wait 20 years. Forgive me; Im hoping in 12 months or so we can look back and say this was a watershed moment, and thank God we put that right." Quote from interview with The Guardian. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Julie Delpy "Two years ago, I said something about the Academy being very white male, which is the reality, and I was slashed to pieces by the media. It's funny - women can't talk. I sometimes wish I were African American because people don't bash them afterwards. It's the hardest to be a woman. Feminism is something people hate above all. Nothing worse than being a woman in this business. I really believe that." Delpy has since clarified these remarks, saying, "I'm very sorry for how I expressed myself. It was never meant to diminish the injustice done to African American artists or to any other people that struggle for equal opportunities and rights; on the contrary. All I was trying to do is to address the issues of inequality of opportunity in the industry for women as well (as I am a woman)." Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Clint Eastwood "I don't know anything about it. All I know is there's thousands of people in the Academy, and the majority of them haven't won Oscars. A lot of people are crying, I guess." - Quoted by TMZ. Getty #OscarsSoWhite: What Hollywood has to say Ellen Page Its awful, and I think what just happened in regards to the nominations two years in a row is a reflection of the industry itself, and the lack of diversity in all positions. Its so upsetting that were still having this conversation. I dont know what to say other than its so disheartening, and I feel like we all have to be doing what we can to make a change, because were supposed to be telling stories that reflect human experience, and we cant just be showing one group of people." Quote from interview with The Wrap. Getty

Spike Lee, Will Smith and Jada Pinket Smith have all said they will be boycotting the event because of the lack of diversity among nominees in the acting categories. Several others have also spoken out against the Academy, with the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite trending when the nominees were announced.

Anything else I need to know?

In case you were wondering, the Oscars gift bag the actors are given contains over $200,000 worth of goodies, including a trip to Israel, sex toy and a Vampire breast lift.
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Earlier this year, Doctor Who fans in the US were caught off-guard; the series was suddenly taken off Netflix, leaving anyone not caught up unable to watch the series anymore.

Luckily, the BBC sci-fi programme will be back in March, just not on the same streaming service.

Instead, Amazon Prime has picked up the show, with episodes being made available to stream in the US through Prime video.

Meanwhile, across the pond in the UK, Doctor Who is set to leave Netflix in May, with there reportedly only being a chance it may stay on the service.

Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Show all 13 1 /13 Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Reece Shearsmith Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Bethany Black Channel 4 Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Elaine Tan Getty Images Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Maisie Williams Getty Images Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Paul Kaye Rex Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Morven Christie (left) in The Sinking of the Laconia Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cas Rufus Hound Getty Images Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Rebecca Front Channel 4 Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Arsher Ali Rex Features Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Steven Robertson Rex Features Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Colin McFarlane Rex Features Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Sophie Stone Rex Features Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Doctor Who series 9 guest cast Neil Fingleton Rex Features

Neither Netflix nor Amazon has commented on whether Doctor Who will be moving over to Prime in the UK.

When the programme initially left the streaming service in February, many speculated it may have been because the BBC could be planning its own subscription service in the US.

Unfortunately, for now, US fans wanting to stream Doctor Who is going to have to subscribe to the $99 yearly service that is Amazon Prime.

With no more episodes coming until 2017, it may be the only way to get a Doctor Who fix this year.
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The set at Elstree Studios that has served EastEnders for 30 years is to be demolished, with a new 15 million one being built that will include a mosque located just off Albert Square.

The new set will be 20 per cent bigger, according to the Sun, with the mosque being the soaps first religious building and an addition designed to reflect a more authentic version of east London.

The tabloid was quick to talk up the possibility of a radicalisation/terrorism plot-line, quoting a source as saying: Its been considered and discussed.

The soap wants to be up to date and timely. It is a realistic storyline for an East London community.

An EastEnders spokesperson was quick to crush this claim however, telling the Evening Standard: There are no current plans for a radicalisation storyline."

 Eastenders spin-off

EastEnders was praised last year for highlighting the true meaning of Islam during an episode broadcast in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.

One brief scene saw Muslim character Tamwar (Himesh Patel) attempt to explain his religion to girlfriend Nancy (Maddy Hill), after she asked him what an Arabic passage he had marked in The Quran meant.

Do good to relatives, orphans, the needy, the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour whos a stranger, to the companion at your side, and to the traveller, it read.

Tamwar said: That to me is what Islam is about. Be kind to people, family and strangers alike, and love them.
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Controversial adverts from the NHS and British Heart Foundation were among most complained about commercials of 2015, raising concerns that health organisations are relying on distressing messages to shock the public.

A Department of Health advert, part of a Public Health England anti-smoking campaign, which showed a cigarette containing flesh prompted 181 complaints. The Advertising Standards Authority rejected complaints that the adverts were too graphic and gruesome because they contained an important health message.

The British Heart Foundation advert also made the annual top ten with 219 complaints. The TV and cinema message showed a boy sitting in a classroom talking to his father who had died from a heart attack was considered distressing. The ASA ruled the effect would not be widespread.

The most complained advert of the year however was MoneySuperMarket.coms epic strut film of a man walking down a street and dancing while wearing denim shorts and high-heeled shoes.

More than 1,500 viewers complained, saying the man's clothing and dance moves were overtly sexual. Again the complaints were not upheld.

However a controversial Protein World poster campaign showing a woman in a bikini promoting a weight loss collection, the fifth most complained about ad, was censured, due to concerns about a range of health and weight loss claims.

MoneySuperMarket.coms epic strut wsa the most complained-about advert

Guy Parker, ASA Chief Executive, said Our Top 10 for 2015 will no doubt get people talking about whether the ads are or arent offensive, but there are important issues at stake here. Advertisers must take care not to cause serious or widespread offence, but we dont play a numbers game.

Parker added: While matters of offence can grab the headlines, the bulk of our work is the less glamorous task of tackling misleading advertising. Thats why were taking a more proactive approach to address the issues which affect consumers the most before complaints need to be made.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2022 A salmon leaps up the weir at Hexham in Northumberland, despite the drought warnings and low water levels, the River Tyne is still flowing well allowing the salmon and sea trout to head up river to spawn. Every year tens of thousands of salmon make the once-in-a-lifetime journey along the Tyne to spawn, having been out a sea PA

Top 10 most complained about adverts in 2015 - Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)

* MoneySuperMarket.com - 1,513 complaints, not upheld. Viewers complained that the TV and internet ad featuring a man dancing in high heels and denim shorts was offensive due to its overtly sexual content.

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* Booking.com - 683 complaints, not upheld. This TV and cinema ad prompted complaints that the ad was offensive and encouraged bad language amongst children by using the word booking in place of a swear word. The ASA ruled it was a light-hearted play on words.

* PayPal (UK) - 464 complaints, not upheld. Viewers were concerned that the TV advert, which shows two children worried that their parents have not bought them Christmas presents, would cast doubt over Santa's existence.

* Booking.com - 407 complaints, not upheld. Complainants found this TV ad featuring a man sitting on a boat before jumping off and swimming ashore offensive due to its use of the word booking. The ASA ruled as before.

* Protein World - 380 complaints, not upheld. The ASA told Protein World that their posters asking people if they were beach body ready could not appear again in their current form, but ultimately found the campaign was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

Thousands spoke out against the 'sexist' nature of the Protein World promotion

* British Heart Foundation - 219 complaints, not upheld. The TV and cinema ad showing a boy sitting in a classroom talking to his father who had died from a heart attack was considered distressing, but the ASA ruled the effect would not be widespread.

* Booking.com - 201 complaints, not upheld. The TV ad showed a story of a couple who met at a hotel and involved wordplay around the word booking. The ASA ruled as before.

* Department of Health - 181 complaints, not upheld. Part of a Public Health England anti-smoking campaign, the graphic and gruesome ads showed a cigarette which contained flesh, but the ASA found they contained an important health message.

* Nicocigs - 145 complaints, not upheld. A TV ad for an electronic cigarette was criticised for potentially appealing to children, however the ASA noted the ad was not scheduled around programmes that would appeal to children and was not in a style that would appeal to them.

* Omega Pharma - 136 complaints, upheld. Two women were seen exchanging texts comparing their bodies before heading on holiday in this TV and YouTube ad. The ASA banned it for presenting an irresponsible approach to body image and confidence.
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As reclusive geology student Howard (Greg McHugh) declared himself the Fritzl of revision, we were reminded of the strength of Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrongs university-set show. Its close-to-the-bone, dark comedy with a house of brilliantly drawn characters that are elevated from student stereotypes to personalities whose ludicrous moments we savour  even if uni is a distant memory.

The six are all heightened versions of people everyone meets at university, particularly obnoxious toff JP (Jack Whitehall) and deluded, insecure Oregon (real name Melissa, played by Charlotte Ritchie) and pretentious literature student Kingsley (Joe Thomas), who in this episode started eating imported cornflakes to give himself foibles. Theyd entered their final two terms and the fear started to kick in, hence why Howard had bunked down below stairs to revise. The revelation that the house had a cellar too provided one of JPs best one-liners: 'Now you tell me. And all this time I've been storing my wine in a rack, like some....accountant.

We were treated to double the posho action as JPs brother Tomothy (Richard Goulding) was in town. With the same shiny, pasty pink hue as our prime minister, it was hard to look at and listen to him without thinking of pigs and drinking societies. He was ostensibly up north to help JP take advantage of the old-boy network that had helped him secure a graduate job as a banker. In reality, he was using time away from his family to indulge in a bit of flirty shirty with Oregon.

Zawe Ashtons weirdly mesmerising Vod was on usual outrageous form, turning to drug dealing to pay off her debts. Crisis was averted when the pill she flogged to Tomothy turned out to be harmless, but at least we learnt that dealings an occupational hazard, kids  while having a laugh about it. The funs running out, said Josie (Kimberley Nixon) at one point, which is why Im going to savour every bit of it until finals.
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I feel like James Bond as I glance surreptitiously around London Victoria station looking for my mark. It's approaching rush hour so the station is crowded, making me anonymous and the approaching transaction all the more clandestine. I pull my scarf over my face, bracing myself against the bitter chill. My secret mission? To collect a jacket.

Fed up with splashing cash on the high street, I've decided to try Sweden's new clothes-sharing initiative, ShareWear. It's a simple enough concept: photos of clothes are posted on Instagram along with a description (including size), and the hashtag ShareWear. The first person to comment below the photo gets to wear the item for a week, before passing it forward using the same method.

The scheme  which started in Stockholm but has since spread to cities around the world that include Barcelona, Paris, and New York  is all about sustainable fashion. No money changes hands and you're not allowed to hold on to the clothes  the project relies entirely on goodwill.

The trend is yet to gain much traction in the UK, so I take matters into my own hands. Scouring the hashtag on Instagram, I eventually spot a photo of a small, navy-blue jacket made by Swedish designers House of Dagmar, posted by a 24-year-old lifestyle blogger, Chana Thorpe. I follow protocol, commenting below the photo to ask if the jacket is still available. Within minutes Thorpe, who lives in Sidcup, replies and we arrange to meet at Victoria station the following day so I can collect my swag.

The ShareWear initiative was set up in reaction to the millions of textiles thrown away each year around the world. As well as encouraging people to think more ethically about their clothing, the project's creators also hope to offer fashionistas a sustainable solution to fast fashion. The aim of ShareWear is to inspire a more sustainable way of being fashionable, Henrik Selin, head of the Department for Intercultural Dialogue at Swedish Institute, says. Sharing clothes instead of throwing them away is good for your wallet and the environment.

But ShareWear isn't the only clothes-sharing initiative out there. In fact, sharing clothes online has never been more on trend. Rentez-vous  which launched in 2014 and has been described as the AirBnB of fashion  allows people to rent out their own designer clobber, while Girl Meets Dress lets users loan glamorous dresses for special occasions before sending them back after the event. The website even handles the dry cleaning.

Fortunately, Thorpe has very kindly washed the jacket for me. She hands it over with some reluctance outside Lush. I didn't really get much time to wear it because I was ill, she says. She tells me she first spotted the scheme because she follows Vogue on Twitter. She found a few items she liked on Instagram but they were all in different countries. When I saw that the jacket was available in London, I was like, 'I'm on that, I want it,' she says. The former textiles teacher has even posted a photo of her own shoes using the hashtag. It really excited me that my pair of shoes could potentially travel the world, she says.

Meet the stars of Instagram Show all 10 1 /10 Meet the stars of Instagram Meet the stars of Instagram Charlie Barker Barkers following is greater than the combined circulations of Hello! and OK! magazines Meet the stars of Instagram Charlie Barker Barker says: I wanted to get a tattoo on the palm of my hand and because it was painful I was like, 'what do I believe in enough to get tattooed on my hand for the rest of my life?', and I was like  Hello Kitty Meet the stars of Instagram Charlie Barker With a photographic glimpse  or at least suggestion  of a life of colour and attitude, Barker has earned the sort of fame that only exists on Instagram Meet the stars of Instagram Brian Whittaker Sixteen-year-old Whittaker has a quarter of a million followers Meet the stars of Instagram Brian Whittaker Whittakers style and physique make him popular, but conversations with girls typically end when they ask his age Meet the stars of Instagram Brian Whittaker An image of Whittaker's dog on Instagram. Whittaker says he has made new friends in real life, and thousands more on Instagram, many of whom he messages Meet the stars of Instagram Olivia Knight-Butler Twenty-year-old Knight-Butler has 15,000 followers Meet the stars of Instagram Olivia Knight-Butler Knight-Butler calls her account a channel, and fills it with fashion and lifestyle shots Meet the stars of Instagram Olivia Knight-Butler Knight-Butler says: There are followers who like my photos without fail, and they're mostly younger girls who want to know about my life. Meet the stars of Instagram Olivia Knight-Butler Knight-Butler had eating problems when she was 15 and 16. A need to be best at everything bled into social media and she later had to decide if Instagram was part of the problem or solution Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.

The chief editor at the Ethical Fashion Forum, Sarah Ditty, says many people are motivated by the story behind a piece of clothing. Think about your own clothing. You have tops that you've worn on special occasions, she says. You may not wear it anymore but any time you look at it, it takes you down a trip on memory lane. Ditty, who thinks clothes-sharing is part and parcel of the current sharing-economy trend, says she hopes the ShareWear initiative will inspire more people to think responsibly. For some people, it's going to be the ethical consideration that inspires them to take part, and for some people it's going to be an easy way to get new, free clothes, she says. Hopefully  for those who just want new, free clothes  maybe this will spark an interest in using their clothes in a more ethical, responsible, conscious way.

As with all social-media schemes, ShareWear will only work if enough people join. Keen to see what might happen, I post a photo of a Kurt Geiger clutch on my own Instagram page, with an explanation of the project and the all-important ShareWear hashtag. The picture gets a few likes from friends and is shared by ShareWear's profile, but the only person who comments underneath it is a girl from Spain. I'm not sure clocking up air miles to deliver the garments is in keeping with the initiative's sustainable ethos.
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The final day of the autumn/winter 2016 season of London Fashion Week was marked by two very different brands tackling similar ideas in their own way.

First was Victoria Beckham, who talked journalists through her new Victoria Victoria Beckham collection in her Mayfair store.

Beckham has embraced a more casual and carefree approach to getting dressed of late, but yesterday came perhaps the ultimate signal of this new mood, namely frayed denim. The raw edges in question were to be found on a cropped pair of kick flare jeans in her collection for autumn/winter, the dark indigo denim needle punched onto navy wool to create a structural rigour that showed she has not distanced herself entirely from her more formal past.

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Its important to have fun with this collection, but not too much fun, said Beckham as she talked through her designs for the new season, as her husband sat in the corner following a coffee run.

Beckham is due to open her second store next month in Hong Kong, and designing for the multiple territories, and their distinct climates, in which she sells has long been a priority. This is a winter collection, but it drops in June, said the designer.

Were a global brand so I have to look at clients across the world. Theres always an element of buy now, wear now in all of the collections we do. Nothings too heavy, lots of layering pieces.

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Although less expensive than her mainline collection, Beckham was keen to play up the handiwork that went into many pieces, including a black dress embroidered with brightly coloured raffia to create a dense floral pattern that will retail for 1,200 and a shocking pink coat fronted with scrunched tulle flowers. The colour palette was punchier and more experimental than Beckham has been known for with regal purple and burnt orange providing a clash that was almost subversive given the name on the label, while ruffles on T-shirts and at the hem of trousers showed more of her lesser-seen playful side. Frayed denim, ruffles and a riotous colour palette are something of a signature for MarquesAlmedia, a design duo whose influence has permeated much of the fashion industry since they launched in 2011. They also held a show on 23 February at Olympia.

This was one of their best, full of energy and packed with covetable pieces which were broken up and layered in a way that was wholly convincing and befitting of the designers cool girl aesthetic.

Marta Marques and Paolo Almeida have long offered something effortlessly rebellious and heavily tinged with Nineties nostalgia, but this proved that theyre able to move things on too, with stronger sportswear influences than in the past and a vibrant colour palette.

Things are too serious, too much about how many jumpers you are going to sell, said Marques. It has always been about attitude and mood for us, so it made sense to let it be free and allow the looks to fall organically together.
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On a damp January evening, the diners who are bundling into the steamed-window warmth of the Edinburgh Food Studio have no idea what they are about to eat. Wide-eyed in candlelight and crammed around communal tables, as the first plate arrives they are still none the wiser.

We do not publish our menu. Our four-course tasting menu is a real-time creative response to seasonal ingredients, says the website. Which might sound like a sweaty-palmed MasterChef challenge or the word-made-flesh in terms of the local, seasonal, sustainable ethos  or just downright disorganised. One advantage of advertising spontaneity is that you can add extra dishes on a whim to showcase whatever the rummage around the market has unearthed. I count seven.

For the diners, it's a leap of faith, a gastronomic adventure. It might be the antithesis of the planned and painstakingly perfected Michelin-starred approach, but the dishes delivered with a flourish look anything but hastily thrown together. They are exquisite, from the tiny morsel of chestnut pate on a mini oatcake with thyme and gorse flowers to the plate of brassicas: an artistic arrangement of red cabbage, cavolo nero (a cousin of kale), Brussel sprouts, curly red kale, turnip, sauerkraut and a mustard vinaigrette  one of the prettiest ways to get your five a day. The Basic Bitch celeriac, meanwhile, is unidentifiable, roasted with turmeric, garlic sauce and bitter cress into a soft, melting mouthful.

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It's not the first time the idea of the menu has been tampered with, of course. At Aizle in Edinburgh (aizle.co.uk), diners are given a list of ingredients with no further clue as to how they will be grouped together  make sure you have Google to hand to decipher the more obscure names.

The Edinburgh Food Studio (edinburghfoodstudio.com), a crowd-funding success story, doesn't stop at messing with the menu. Set up by young chefs Ben Reade, who for three years was the head of research and development at the Nordic Food Lab in Copenhagen, and his partner Sashana Souza Zanella, an anthropologist and chef from Montreal, it plays with our preconceptions. A sometimes-restaurant (Thursday to Saturday), sometimes-culinaryclassroom, it's a gastronomic chameleon.

People tend to categorise food businesses too much, Reade explains. You're either a cafe or a bistro or a cooking school. That's boring. Which is why their plan is to juggle running a restaurant with guest workshops and researching Scotland's food heritage.

We're nerds at heart, Reade explains. Both graduates of the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy, Reade delivered a paper at the Food on the Edge symposium in Galway in Ireland last year, and their plan is to plough half of their profits back into research.

We were scared at the beginning that people weren't going to 'get' the project, Souza Zanella adds. People couldn't put us in a box. A restaurant is open five nights minimum. And the island in the middle of the room  it's not like a restaurant. It's purpose-built for a mix of activities. People are slowly understanding.

Collaboration is also key. Guest chefs so far have included Gary Goldie, who, after 25 years in the kitchen, became a full-time forager. Nobody could believe the wild food available in the depths of winter, Souza Zanella tells me. Each plate featured around eight foraged ingredients from scurvy grass to woodruff and lady's smock. As a business model, she thinks it's the way forward. A company that has a lot of diversity is more sustainable.

Their focus on research is in line with a growing back-to-the-future trend in Scotland, looking to the country's food heritage, the traditional recipes and forgotten ingredients to create something refreshingly modern. In Glasgow, Craig Grozier's Fallachan Nights in Studio 93 (fallachandining.co.uk) is another multipurpose space hosting guerilla bespoke dining experiences. His philosophy is local, seasonal, wild and progressive, his dishes include herring in oatmeal, gooseberry beer and dill and clootie dumpling with burnt spruce trunk vinegar, and have one foot in the past, the other sprinting forward. He will be guesting at the Edinburgh Food Studio at the end of February, leading a nose-to-tail event.

Ben Reade and his partner Sashana Souza Zanella (Martin Hunter)

They've called it nose-to-tail, Souza Zanella explains, so they don't scare people away. Fish offal can do that. The whole animal can be eaten. So why don't we eat it all? A lot of fishermen throw half of the fish back into the sea. In other countries they use the guts to make fish sauce and the fish liver for a kind of foie gras. It's another nod to sustainability.

Lewis-born chef Murdo Alex Macritchie, meanwhile, is also delving into the archives, resurrecting forgotten Gaelic dishes, refining them and giving them a modern slant for his pioneering New Hebridean cuisine. Currently Claudia Schiffer's private chef, he has just launched Haar, a series of pop-up 13-course supper clubs (details on Facebook). Think peat smoked potato, pickled radish, smoke, alongside cured wild rabbit loin, salt baked turnip, prune and sour grape juice, pine oil. The next, at the end of March, is in the state-of-the-art National Trust Battle of Culloden site near Inverness.

I grew up eating a lot of traditional Hebridean food such as salt fish and meat, he says. Fried cudaig and herring, fresh vegetables from the croft, duff (clootie dumpling) and, of course Guga, a salted young gannet eaten mainly by the Ness folk of Lewis. I wanted to create a style of food that had its own unique identity showcasing the amazing natural larder of the Hebrides and fusing traditional cooking methods with more modern techniques.

His experimentation can be seen in the Ceann Cropaig cracker, crab & rapeseed oil, based on the classic island dish, Ceaan Cropaig: fish liver mixed with oatmeal cooked inside a cod's head. Macritchie reinvents it making a porridge with pinhead oatmeal, using fish stock from boiling the head and adding the liver, brown crab meat and cream. Spreading the mixture thinly, he dehydrates it to make crackers with an intense Ceann Cropaig flavour, which are then topped with a mayonnaise made with rapeseed oil, mussels, fresh white crab meat and wood sorrel.

Reade is keen to point out that their research isn't solely focused on historical influences. It is a look to the past but it's also a look to the geography and the climate, which is what defines our agriculture and therefore the food available to us.

Food trends in 2016 Show all 11 1 /11 Food trends in 2016 Food trends in 2016 Celeriac root We had a kale obsession in 2015, but 2016s vegetable sine qua non is predicted to be the knobbly celeriac root. Celeriac milk (Tom Hunt at Poco in Bristol serves it with winter mussels and wild water celery), celeriac cooked in Galician beef fat (from Adam Rawson of Pachamama, hot new chef in the capital) and salt-baked celeriac (to be found in Matthew and Iain Penningtons kitchens at The Ethicurean in the West Country) are just a few examples. Getty Images Food trends in 2016 Middle Eastern food The Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookbook (24.95, Phaidon) by grand-dame Salma Hage, author of the bestseller The Lebanese Kitchen (whose halva is pictured here), is out in April  Liz & Max Haarala Hamilton Food trends in 2016 Non-alcoholic cocktails Grain Store mixologist Tony Conigliaro has created Roman Redhead, a riot of red grape juice, beetroot, pale ale and verjus, and Rose Iced Tea (black tea, rose petals, anise essence, pictured here) Food trends in 2016 Gin The discerning will be slurping Hepple gin  from chef Valentine Warner and cocktail guru Nick Strangeway  which is punctuated with bog-myrtle nuances Food trends in 2016 Argyll and Bute Restaurant followers are getting in a froth about Pam Brunton in Scotland, who opened the Inver restaurant in Argyll and Bute to acclaim last year Food trends in 2016 Andy Olivers Som Saa One of the most eagerly awaited restaurants of 2016 will be the permanent incarnation of Andy Olivers remarkable pop-up Som Saa opening very soon in east London. Oliver, who worked at Thai god David Thompsons Nahm in Bangkok, raised a whopping 700,000 through crowdfunding, and is renowned for his piquant Thai flavours and obsessive attention to detail, including in his home ferments and DIY coconut cream  Adam Weatherley Food trends in 2016 Venison Another ruminant in vogue is venison, with Sainsburys doubling its line for 2016. It provides a protein-packed punch, with B vitamins and iron, and its low in fat. Its entry into the mainstream is in part thanks to the Scottish restaurant Mac and Wild, just opened in London, whose Celtic head chef Andy Waugh (who also runs the Wild Game Co) has been touting it as street food for years (his venison burger pictured here) Food trends in 2016 Goat From Brett Grahams The Ledbury to Angela Hartnetts kitchens at Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest, Cabrito is the go-to goat supplier among the chef cognoscenti (roasted loin of kid pictured here)  but this year, domestic cooks can get in on the action, as Sushila Moles and James Whetlor of Cabrito offer their meat through Ocado Mike Lusmore / mikelusmore.com Food trends in 2016 Coffee Coffee sage George Crawford is launching the much-anticipated Cupsmith with his partner, Emma. Crawford believes that 2016 is the year purist coffee will finally meet the masses; Cupsmiths mission will be to make craft coffee as popular as craft beer on the high street. The company roasts Arabica beans in small batches, improving its quality  but sells it online, at cupsmith.com, in an approachable way: expect cheerful packaging and names such as Afternoon Reviver Coffee (designed for drinking with milk  no matter how uncouth, most of us want milk) and Glorious Espresso Julia Conway Food trends in 2016 120-day-old steak Hanging meat for extremely long lengths of time has become an art. In Cumbria, Lake Road Kitchens James Cross is plating up 120-day-old steak (pictured here). The beef is from influential ager Dan Austin of Lake District Farmers, who is currently investigating the individual bacterial cultures that go into this maturing process Food trends in 2016 Lotus root Diners can expect root-to-stem dining - cue the full lotus deployed by the Michelin-starred Indian Benares in its kamal kakdi aur paneer korma Getty Images

Travelling around the country, meeting farmers, fishermen and producers, listening to the nation's food stories, other issues are thrown up, he says: 'What is Scottish?' is one of the questions we ask regularly. What is traditional and what is endemic? Food in itself is a blend of cultures and we're also looking at the importance of immigrant cultures in Scotland. Things get assimilated gradually so what we choose to call Scottish is open to interpretation.

Potatoes, for instance. Spuds are a traditional crofting staple, but potatoes originate from Peru. What could be more Scottish than neeps and tatties? Or more basic? Yet the Highland Burgundy is a glorious red heritage variety. And the couple recently wowed diners more usually dazzled by the curated plates of Instagram with a simple turnip puree. People were so shocked. Neep puree just doesn't sound sexy, says Souza Zanella, laughing.

Leapfrogging borders, dabbling with time travel, this is one culinary journey that is guaranteed to be anything but boring.
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The University of Surrey is at the centre of a multi-billion pound research race to find a phone network which will deliver Internet speeds 100 times quicker than the fastest current services.

The campus universitys 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC) is working with telecoms giants and other companies to discover the fifth generation of wireless technology and usher in the Internet of Things, when smartphones are capable of operating home appliances and controlling driverless cars.

The introduction of 5G technology could happen as early as 2018 and would offer mobile Internet speeds capable of downloading an entire film in five seconds.

When UK phone users were first offered 4G  with the launch by phone provider EE of services in 11 cities in October 2012 - Surreys 5GIC was already researching the fifth generation service.

Professor Rahim Tafazolli, head of the centre, told The Independent that the approach of 5G is the only topic being discussed at the Mobile World Congress, taking place this week in Barcelona. Its much hotter than the race for 4G, which was developed gradually, he said. 5G has not only manufacturers and operators involved in development of technologies but also universities and national initiatives.

Professor Tafazolli said the centres ambition was to have a 5G network capable of supporting about 1 million devices connected to the Internet per square kilometre.

With one third of its funding coming from the British government, the centre was the first state-supported 5G initiative. Countries including Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Russia have since entered the race, with telecoms companies including Ericsson and Huawei also spending large sums on research. Professor Tafazolli said that 5G needed to operate to a global standard across national boundaries. It is a healthy competition. Everybody has to have a share of that technology because it is going to be deployed everywhere in the world.

He said 5G was not as simple as merely introducing another level of broadband communication. It is a new wave of technologies that will transform the economyand help with health, transport, energy, the environment and many other different things  thats why it is becoming an initiative for governments.

The remaining two-thirds of the centres funding comes from an alliance of 24 industry partners including telecoms companies, the BBC and the media regulator Ofcom. The 5GIC also partners with 30 small and medium sized UK companies who are being given insights to create products and applications that work with this exciting new technology.
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Whistleblowing website WikiLeaks has published top secret documents which they claim show the US intercepted private communications between German chancellor Angela Merkel and UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon.

The recently released documents also claim to show America's National Security Agency (NSA) listened in on exchanges between other allied heads of state and the UN refugee agency.

One of the phone conversations apparently recorded by the NSA was between Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, in which the two allied leaders discussed how Italy could help repair Israel's relationship with the US in 2010.

They reportedly also listened in on an account of a 2011 meeting between Merkel, Berlusconi and former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, which was described by Berlusconi's personal adviser Valetino Valentini.

Valentini apparently said the meeting was "tense and very harsh toward the Rome government," and claimed Sarkozy told Berlusconi that the Italian banking system could "pop like the cork in a champagne bottle" if he didn't bring in "strong, concrete" measures to remedy Italy's debt problem.

The intercepted conversation between Ban Ki-moon and Merkel, which took place in 2008, was apparently about how the EU would show strong leadership in the UN climate conference in Poznan.

WikiLeaks editor and founder Julian Assange, who has been living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012, said the bugging showed the US was "intent on protecting its largest oil companies" ahead of the climate meeting.

The WikiLeaks releases also claim to show that the NSA targeted representatives of the UN refugee agency for bugging, and listened in on conversations about secret World Trade Organisation issues between Japanese and EU trade ministers.

These recent leaks are not the first which claim to show that the US spied on allied EU leaders. In June last year, the French government called the practice "unacceptable" after WikiLeaks revealed the US had bugged the phones of the country's last three presidents.

President Francois Hollande later called President Barack Obama to demand guarantees that US spy agencies were no longer listening to his private conversations.

Merkel also discussed the issue with Obama after last year's releases, telling him that "spying between friends just isn't on," the Guardian reported.
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Pregnant women should be given a budget of around 3,000 which could allow them to appoint their own midwife, a major review into maternity services has concluded.

Under the proposed scheme, women would be told about all local providers of NHS care and the services they offer - including private companies offering home births, hypnobirthing and acupuncture. They would then be able to make decisions about how and where they receive care.

Expectant mothers may chose a provider who ensures continuity of care from the same midwife throughout pregnancy, birth and postnatal care, the authors said. Women would also be able to choose a hospital near their workplace for routine scans and a hospital closer to home for the birth of their child.

The authors of the National Maternity Review likened the scheme to personal health budgets where people with long-term conditions and disabilities are given a say over how NHS money is spent on them.

However, some have criticised the personal health budgets scheme for being open to abuse, with reports of people using their budgets to buy holidays or computer consoles. The reviews authors said that only accredited providers would be eligible under this scheme.

The recommendations for giving women greater freedom in where they have their babies comes on the back of half the maternity services in England being deemed inadequate or

requiring improvement in terms of their safety.

The review highlights some stark concerns over the safety of maternity services, even though there have been drastic improvements in the last decade. The authors said hospitals are not always admitting when something has gone wrong.

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. 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The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests  but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty

It is clear that under-reporting of safety incidents is widespread, they said. Safety is inconsistent across maternity services, and there is scope for significant improvement in many.

They added: The quality of maternity services has been improving but not all are provided to a consistent, high level of quality. The safety of maternity services must be improved.

Professor Sir Mike Richards, chief inspector of hospitals at the Care Quality Commission, welcomed the report.

He said: As the report makes clear, every single woman deserves to receive personalised care that is based around their individual needs and decisions when having a baby. This is echoed in the findings from CQCs latest national maternity survey which reinforce the importance of NHS trusts focussing on women's individual needs and choices.

Todays report and CQCs survey findings both highlight improvements in women's experiences of NHS maternity services in recent years, but also show some variation in the quality of services as an area needing to be addressed.

As a result of CQCs inspections, just over 60 per cent of trust maternity services have been rated as either good or outstanding, 34 per cent rated as requires improvement and 4 per cent as inadequate. Where we have found concerns we have told trusts that improvements must be made.

Susan Robinson, acting national director of Healthwatch England, said: Its great to see the review explore some of the ways that new and expectant mums can contribute to the learning process, including a range of new apps that will allow them to access information, book appointments and share their experiences.

Crucially, when things do go wrong, the introduction of a common standard for serious investigations by the NHS would also provide a vital platform for learning in exceptional circumstances.
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Financial companies are still failing to deal properly with customer complaints, judging by the latest figures from the Financial Ombudsman.

They reveal that the numbers of complaints about mis-sold PPI remain high while there continue to be alarmingly large numbers of decisions ruled against some financial institutions.

The banks have repeatedly faced accusations that they have compounded their crimes in the biggest scandal ever to hit the industry by using delaying tactics to try to wear people down in the hope that they will give up their claims.

Past Ombudsman figures have highlighted Lloyds Bank as one of the worst for using the tactic, and yesterdays figures reveal that 78 per cent of the complaints against the bank were upheld between July and December 2015.

That is the same upheld rate as in the first six months of the year but actually higher than the 74 per cent of complaints upheld again the bank between July and December 2014. That suggests Lloyds is making even less of an effort to deal fairly with customers looking for the compensation they are entitled to.

The credit card companies also appear to be poor at dealing with complaints. Capital One was ruled against in 74 per cent of cases taken to the Ombudsman while at MBNA the figure was 69 per cent.

In contrast, while Bank of Scotland had more complaints than any other individual financial business, the number upheld against it was less than half, at 47 per cent.

The compensation bill from the banks forced to repay consumers mis-sold PPI is fast approaching 30bn and despite the Financial Conduct Authority planning to put a deadline on complaints of spring 2018, there is little sign of a let up in the tide of fed-up consumers.

The figures reveal there were 92,667 new PPI complaints in the last six months of 2015, almost the same as the previous six months when there 94,091. However the number of complaints about financial companies taken to the Ombudsman fell slightly in the second half. It took on 164,347 new cases, a fall of 6 per cent from the first six months of the year.
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When the Government introduced a 5p charge for plastic bags in October 2015, it said that retailers should pass on the money to charities and non-profits.

The Government has said that retailers must keep track of how many plastic bags theyve given out and where the proceeds have gone.

The only money from the charge that retailers can keep are those reasonably incurred completing transactions, communicating information, obtaining expert advice or carrying on similar activities to enable the seller to comply.

The cost of producing the bag is not considered a reasonable cost.

Tesco sends 3.4p of every 5p to local grants for environmental improvement works through Bags of Help. Another 0.83p goes on VAT.

Of the remaining 0.77p, 0.354p, or about 7 per cent of the 5p, is paid to Groundwork to run the scheme.

This year Tesco has spent around 0.416p of each 5p setting up its tills, communicating the change to customers and colleagues so that they don't forget their bags.

Sainsburys did away with single-use plastic bags in favour of a sturdier orange bag that can be recycled and exchanged for a new one when it becomes damaged.

The Guardian has reported that 1p of the 5p the bag costs go to charity, which is lower than some other retailers.

Sainsburys said that it couldnt confirm how much it gives to charity because the information was commercially sensitive. A spokeswoman confirmed that Sainsburys doesnt make any money from its carrier bags and that all profits are donated to local causes, such as charities and hospices.

 All you need to know about the 5p plastic bag charge

Asda said the 5p bag charge less VAT, or 4.16p a bag, will be donated to charities and good causes in England.

Proceeds from Asda carrier bag sales in England over the next year are going to help fund the construction of a new dementia research centre in London.

Morrisons is donating 5p less VAT, or 4.16p a bag, to the Morrisons Foundation.

(GETTY IMAGES)

Morrisons has also published the amount it earned from similar schemes in Wales and Scotland. In Wales, Morrisons made 479,822 out of the 5p bag charge between 2014 and 2015 and donated 399,851 to charity. The remainder went on VAT.

Waitrose said: Every penny raised from the sale of carrier bags at Waitrose branches in England will go into a new community and environmental fund - with no deduction for costs.

For the first year we'll be joining with a number of other supermarkets to give the money in this fund to a new world centre of excellence which is being created at University College London, for the care, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's.

Aldi has charged for plastic bags since it first opened in the UK in 1990. It increased the rate from 3p to 5p in July 2015, slightly ahead of the minimum 5p charge introduced by the Government in October.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Aldi said it donates every penny it makes from carrier bags to the RSPB for three years from July 2012, which is expected to bring in around 2 million for charity.

Lidl also charged for plastic bags before the Governments levy.

It has committed to donating a minimum of 1million over a 12 month period, with the proceeds from its single-use carrier bags to be split equally between both Keep Britain Tidy and the children and young peoples cancer support charity CLIC Sargent, Lidl UKs ongoing partner.
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Mars has recalled Mars and Snickers bars and other products in 55 countries after plastic was found in bars.

Roel Govers, spokesman for Mars in the Netherlands, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the recall affects 55 countries but didn't immediately provide further details.

The company had earlier issued a statement to Reuters saying that the recall was to prevent customers who bought the products from consuming them.

The Dutch food safety authority posted what it said was a Mars press release on its website. The press release recalled all Mars and Snickers products, Milky Way Minis and Miniatures, as well as certain kinds of Celebrations with best before dates between June 19, 2016, and January 8, 2017.

The press release said that Mars Netherlands had informed the authorities and was working closely with them.

Mars didnt detail the volume of products affected or what financial impact the recall would have.

Mars was not immediately available for comment.

The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 Show all 20 1 /20 The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 1. British Airways British Airways has come top of a list of the best British brands for third year in the row. The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 2. Rolex Rolex retained second position, also for the third year running, but faced increasing competition from third placed LEGO The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 3. Lego LEGO jumped up eight places in 2016 The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 4. Dyson Dyson, the electronic goods specialist, climbed ten places to fourth, its highest ever position in the survey, following a high profile advertising campaign fronted by eponymous entrepreneur James Dyson The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 5. Gillette The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 6. Mercedes-Benz Mercedes Benz only sent 55 C55 AMG estates to the UK in right-hand drive The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 7. Apple Core values: Apple was ordered to pay $625.6m by a court in East Texas The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 8. Jaguar The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 9. Kellog's The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 10. Andrex Andrex puppy: Soft, strong and very long... no wait, thats the product, not the pup. Very sweet, though The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 11. Nike The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 12. Heinz Heinz, Jaguar and Marks & Spencer all re-entered the top 20, replacing Boots, BMW and Fairy. The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 13. Coca-Cola The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 14. John Lewis John Lewis' festive advert features a girl, Lily, who connects by telescope with an old man alone on the Moon The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 15. Haagen-Dazs 5. Haagen-Dazs chocolate fondant 3.29 for 200ml, tesco.com Overwhelmingly chocolatey  with both chocolate ice cream, sauce and brownies in the mix. Just don't eat more than one. The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 16. Google Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 17. Virgin Atlantic Winging it: behind-the-scenes documentary 'Virgin Atlantic: Up in the Air' ITV The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 18. Marks & Spencer Getty The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 19. Amazon.co.uk AFP The 20 best-loved British brands in 2016 20. Microsoft The biggest faller within the Top 20 was US tech giant Microsoft, which dropped 16 places. Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

In December, Mars issued a recall of its Dove Chocolate Assortment Snowflakes that were sold at a one major retailer in the US over the Christmas period.

The voluntary recall was for undeclared peanuts, wheat and egg ingredients found in the chocolate, which can cause allergies.
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Mars, the US chocolate maker, has confirmed that a massive product recall affecting 55 countries includes the UK.

In the UK the products affected included funsize Mars and Milky Way bars and certain kinds of boxes of Celebrations after bits of plastic were found in the chocolate.

Roel Govers, spokesman for Mars in the Netherlands, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the recall affects 55 countries but didn't immediately provide further details.

The company had earlier issued a statement to Reuters saying that the recall was to prevent customers who bought the products from consuming them.

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Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Rogue trader A French court cut the damages owed by rogue trader Jerome Kerviel from 4.9bn (4.2bn) to just 1m (860,000). The court ruled on that Kerviel was partly responsible for massive losses suffered in 2008 by his former employer Societe Generale through his reckless trades. Kerviel has consistently maintained that bosses at the French bank knew what he was doing all along. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Barclays CEO under investigation for trying to identify whistleblower - Monday Paril 10 Authorities have launched an investigation into Barclays chief executive officer Jes Staley for trying to identify a whistleblower, the bank said on Monday. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) are both investigating Mr Staley after the bank notified them that Mr Staley had tried to identify the author of two anonymous letters, which were sent to the board and a senior executive in June 2016. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures UK to crack down on bank money laundering after reports of 65bn Russian scam, City minister says - March 2017 The Economic Secretary to the Treasury has vowed that the Government will crack down on money laundering practices, after several of the UK's biggest banks were accused of processing money from a Russian scam, believed to involve up to $80bn (65bn). Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former HBOS bankers convicted of bribery and fraud over 245m loan scam - February 2017 Two former HBOS bankers were among six people found guilty of bribery and fraud that cost customers and shareholders hundreds of millions of pounds, the BBC reports. Lynden Scourfield, 54, a manager at HBOS, forced struggling clients to use the services of his friends David Mills, 60, and Michael Bancroft, 73. In return, the two businessmen arranged sex parties, cash and lavish gifts. 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Mark Johnson, global head of foreign exchange cash trading in London, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday. He will appear before a federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Bloomberg said. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Former PwC employees found guilty in 'Luxleaks' tax scandal - June 2016 Two ex- PricewaterhouseCoopers staffers were found guilty in Luxembourg of stealing confidential tax files that helped unleash a global scandal over generous fiscal deals for hundreds of international companies. Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet face suspended sentences of 12 months and 9 months and were ordered to pay fines of 1,500 (1,230) and 1,000 (822) for their role in the so-called LuxLeaks scandal. Despite the minimal sentences, the ruling was described by Deltours lawyer as shocking and a terrible anomaly. 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The Dutch food safety authority posted what it said was a Mars press release on its website. The press release recalled all Mars and Snickers products, Milky Way Minis and Miniatures, as well as certain kinds of Celebrations with best before dates between June 19, 2016, and January 8, 2017.

The press release said that Mars Netherlands had informed the authorities and was working closely with them.

Mars didnt detail the volume of products affected or what financial impact the recall would have.

Mars was not immediately available for comment. A full list of products affected was reportedly available at the German Mars website, which was not responding on Tuesday afternoon.
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Only 36 of the biggest 100 companies in the UK have signed a letter, published in the Times, backing David Camerons position that the UK should stay inside the European Union.

Signees include EasyJet, the defence company BAE systems, the chief executives of Heathrow and Gatwick airports and the oil group Shell.

They say that leaving the EU would threaten jobs and deter investment in the UK.

Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Lloyds and Barclays are among the absent FTSE 100 companies.

Nigel Wilson, chief executive of Legal and General, Alison Brittain, the chief executive of Whitbread, Jeff Fairburn, chief executive of Persimmon, and Robert Noel, chief executive of Land Securities, all refused to sign the letter.

All four provide regular business advice to David Cameron as members of the prime minister's business advisory group.

Downing Street has dismissed suggestions that far fewer FTSE bosses were willing to sign up than was hoped, putting it down to internal bureaucracy, including certain procedures that companies must go through before they can back a political campaign.

Some of the 64 FTSE 100 companies that didnt sign have revealed why:

Backing Europe will deter customers, according to Sainsburys, Morrisons and Tesco.

Tesco said in a statement: The referendum on EU membership is a decision for the people of Britain. Whatever that decision is, our focus will continue to be on serving customers.

Companies are keen to be seen as "neutral" to avoid offending customers on either side of the debate.

We have thousands of employees and customers and no doubt there are strong opinions on both sides. The board has discussed it, and Persimmon has decided to remain firmly neutral," a spokesman for Persimmon said.

Sainsburys said it was an apolitical organisation and that the referendum is a matter for the people.

Some companies haven't made up their mind yet. A spokesman from Legal and General told the Independent that the board had always planned to discuss the EU referendum once the PM has presented his deal.

The letter was too general. That's the reason that Robert Noel, chief executive of Land Securities, decided not to sign. He is personally pro-EU, but it was felt that since Land Securities only operates in a domestic setting, the letter was too general to sign.

What has the EU ever done for us? Show all 7 1 /7 What has the EU ever done for us? What has the EU ever done for us? 1. It gives you freedom to live, work and retire anywhere in Europe As a member of the EU, UK citizens benefit from freedom of movement across the continent. Considered one of the so-called four pillars of the European Union, this freedom allows all EU citizens to live, work and travel in other member states. What has the EU ever done for us? 2. It sustains millions of jobs A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, released in October 2015, suggested 3.1 million British jobs were linked to the UKs exports to the EU. What has the EU ever done for us? 3. Your holiday is much easier - and safer Freedom to travel is one of the most exercised benefits of EU membership, with Britons having made 31 million visits to the EU in 2014 alone. But a lot of the benefits of being an EU citizen are either taken for granted or go unnoticed. What has the EU ever done for us? 4. It means you're less likely to get ripped off Consumer protection is a key benefit of the EUs single market, and ensures members of the British public receive equal consumer rights when shopping anywhere in Europe. What has the EU ever done for us? 5. It offers greater protection from terrorists, paedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime Another example of a lesser-known advantage of EU membership is the benefit of cross-country coordination and cooperation in the fight against crime. What has the EU ever done for us? 6. Our businesses depend on it According to 71% of all members of the Confederation of British Influence (CBI), and 67 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the EU has had an overall positive impact on their business. What has the EU ever done for us? 7. We have greater influence Robin Niblett, Director of think-tank Chatham House, stated in a report published last year: For a mid-sized country like the UK, which will never again be economically dominant either globally or regionally, and whose diplomatic and military resources are declining in relative terms, being a major player in a strong regional institution can offer a critical lever for international influence.

The vote is a matter for the British people, according to Lloyds Banking Group.

The chairman of Lloyds, Lord Blackwell, has spoken out about the need to reform the EU.

Then there is the issue of company policy. The chairman of Barclays, John McFarlane, has said that signing the letter would be against company policy.

The letter appeared in the Times after David Cameron presented the terms of his EU agreement to the House of Commons.

A referendum will be held on June 23.
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An archbishop in Singapore has said expressed concern about an upcoming Madonna concert in the country, telling Church followers they have a moral obligation not to support anti-Christian and immoral values.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore have published a statement on their website which explains how Archbishop William Goh has communicated the Catholic Churchs grave concerns over Madonnas scheduled performance in the country on 28 February, as part of her Rebel Heart world tour.

Many have expressed their concern and even outrage at the performers disrespectful use of Catholic and other Christian symbols during her performance, the statement says, and that in multi-racial, multi-religious Singapore, we cannot afford to be overly permissive in favour of artistic expression at the expense of respect for ones religion.

On previous dates, the tour has featured the 57-year-old pole dancing on a crucifix shape and dancers dressed in nuns habits. The Church claim in their statement that authorities have reassured them restrictions have been placed to ensure that religiously-offensive content that breaches local guidelines will not be allowed on stage in Singapore. On a website for the event, it is also listed as only allowing admissions for over 18s due to sexual references in the show.

Madonna, queen of the Noughties Show all 14 1 /14 Madonna, queen of the Noughties Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280283.bin GETTY Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280441.bin 2009 AFP Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280442.bin 2009 AFP Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280443.bin Getty Images Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280444.bin 2008 Getty Images Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280445.bin 2007 Getty Images Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280446.bin 2007 Getty Images Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280447.bin 2006 AFP Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280448.bin 2006 Getty Images Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280449.bin 2005 Getty Images Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280450.bin 2004 Getty Images Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280451.bin 2004 Getty Images Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280452.bin 2001 Getty Images Madonna, queen of the Noughties 280453.bin Getty Images

Archbishop Goh said Church followers have a moral obligation not to support those who denigrate and insult religions, including anti-Christian and immoral values promoted by the Secular world.

Being present (at these events) in itself is a counter-witness. Obedience to God and his commandments must come before the arts, Archbishop Goh said.

As the people of God, we should subscribe to authentic Arts that lead us to God through the appreciation of beauty, harmony, goodness, truth and love, respect, unity and the transcendent; and not support the pseudo arts that promote sensuality, rebellion, disrespect, pornography, contamination of the mind of the young, abusive freedom, individualism at the expense of the common good, vulgarity, lies and half-truths.

This is not the first time Madonna has upset a faction of the Catholic church. She was famously condemned by the Vatican when releasing her video for "Like a Prayer" in 1989 and in 2006 the Vatican criticised her again for staging a mock crucifixion against a glitterball-style cross when performing in Rome as part of her Confessions tour.

The Independent has contacted a representative for Madonna for comment.
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Russell Brand has lambasted Boris Johnson, calling him a Jihadi John machine in a public video on Facebook.

The 40-year-old comedian accused the Conservative London mayor of helping to grow terrorists like Mohammed Emwazi - the terrorist who was killed by a drone strike last year who is widely known as Jihadi John.

The mentality of Boris Johnson creates more problems, the allegiances of Boris Johnson create more problems, argued the British stand-up comedian turned activist.

The activities of organisations that he belongs to, that he supports, create these problems.

Boris Johnson grows Jihadi Johns - he is a Jihadi John machine.

Boris Johnson is a jihadi machine Posted by Russell Brand on Sunday, February 21, 2016

Jihadi John is just one. Once Jihadi John is dead that's the end of Jihadi John but Boris Johnson can create thousands of others.

The 45-second video has triggered a mixed response on Facebook, with many criticising the Essex-born star.

Would love Russell to explain how Boris Johnson grows Jihadi Johns. Is he under the impression Boris devised the Quran and the Hadiths and jihadist ideology? wrote Richard Finlay.

Niamh Smith wrote, I thought you were ducking out of politics after the last time you f***** up?

Russell, I respect your Green Peace attitude but if you think for one second that a Jihadi Jon wouldn't think twice about cutting your head off with a knife because it would get media attention then think again.

"The difference between Mr Johnson and Jihadi Jon is that Boris wouldn't even contemplate such inhumane acts, wrote Carlos Heath.

In Quotes: Russell Brand's revolution Show all 8 1 /8 In Quotes: Russell Brand's revolution In Quotes: Russell Brand's revolution At his Cambridge Union address in January 2014, Russell Brand issued calls for revolution, declaring it an imminent possibility. In Quotes: Russell Brand's revolution Give us something to vote for then we will vote for it," he continued. In Quotes: Russell Brand's revolution Give us a system that is truly representative." In Quotes: Russell Brand's revolution Use this education that you are receiving to bring about ideas that can benefit not just you but all of us. In Quotes: Russell Brand's revolution He also declared that Socialism is Christianity politicised, suggested that all drugs should be legalised and called Topshop boss Philip Green a c**t In Quotes: Russell Brand's revolution Spiritual life advice was on offer for students, too. In Quotes: Russell Brand's revolution Dont be materialistic; it doesnt help, just develop spiritually. I try to find union with everything, he said, before adding: Were all fucked, so be nice. In Quotes: Russell Brand's revolution Amber Cowburn, Deputy Press Officer for the union, told The Cambridge Student: It was a really exciting talk by such a dynamic and energetic showman."

Others were more positive about Brands video, praising him for his political input.

Yes Russell is slightly insane but his political views are something we all need to hear, instead we have the men in suits who determine our fait and lead us into war. It's dangerous to think these bunch of idiots have so much power over the country, said Pamela Hackney.

Keep being a fly in the ointment of the 1% elite- the mass murderers of the planet!!!!! People, I think it is not enough to just make Russell a mouthpiece & applaud him. Become a fly in the ointment yourself, in whatever way, shape or form you can!!! wrote Paul Lawrence Russell.

Brand posted his video amid fervent speculation about whether or not Mr Johnson would support the campaign to leave the EU. He later announced he was supporting Brexit.

Back in August last year, Brand announced he was quitting social media and his current affairs YouTube programme The Trews because he was sick of himself "becoming the story".
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Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan said her mum did not want her to win the award when she was 13 years old because she was too young and she did not expect to win.

The twice-nominated Oscar actress told Time Out New York that her mothers reasoning was also due to her father Paul Ronan, who is also an actor and who had spent a long time building up his career.

After youve put in years of hard work, the award or the nomination represents something much greater, she said.

Ms Ronan, nominated this year for her leading role in Brooklyn", said when she was 13 she did not expect to win the award and was glad for the ceremony to be over.

To be honest, by the time they got to my category, I was starving. [] You dont get fed when you go to the Oscars.

Thats what we were thinking about more than anything: All right, grand, Tilda [Swinton]s up there getting the award. Can we go and get a burger and chips now?

The 21-year-old will be on Broadway for the first time from March, playing the character of Abigail in Arthur Millers The Crucible, the story of the Salem witch trials in the 17th century.

The adaptation is directed by Ivo Van Hove, who directed David Bowies last musical Lazarus" and also a recent production of Arthur Millers A View from the Bridge.

"Ivo likes silence. He likes things to be quiet. And he's not into a lot of shouting or volume or any of that kind of stuff," she said.

She is also set to star in her second Ian McEwan adaptation On Chesil Beach, set in 1960s England, which tells the tale of a young couple becoming increasingly tense before they consummate their marriage.

Ms Ronan played the character of Briony Tallis in Ian McEwan's Atonement in 2007.
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A lawyer representing an inmate featured in the documentary Making a Murderer has collected a new DNA sample as part of her effort to have his conviction overturned.

As Kathleen Zellner launches what has become a very public defence of Steven Avery, she has revealed that she visited her client at the Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin. In a post on Twitter, she said she had gathered a fresh sample of DNA.

Collected samples for new tests. The inevitable is cominghe was smiling so were we, she wrote.

Avery made international headlines when his story became the subject of a Netflix documentary that was broadcast late last year. It revealed how the 53-year had been wrongly convicted of a rape and served 18 years in jail.

It also told how, as he sued the Manitowoc County and its sheriff for $36m in damages for wrongful conviction, he was accused of the murder of a young photographer, Teresa Halbach.

 Making A Murderer- Where are they now?

In 2007, he and his nephew, Brendan Dassey, were convicted of the murder of Ms Halbach and given life sentences, despite the pair continuing to protest their innocence.

In January, after the documentary secured a huge viewership, it was announced that Avery had obtained a new legal team, led by Ms Zellner and the Midwest Innocence Project. The lawyers soon filed a fresh appeal, seeking a new trial, and Ms Zellner began tweeting updates of her work, and attacking the prosecution case, lead by Ken Kratz.

Calumet County prosecutor Ken Kratz led the cases against Avery and his nephew (AP)

For all her public comments on social media, Ms Zellner has appeared less keen to speak directly to the media. However, this week she gave a rare interview to TheLipTV in which she said she believed the case against her client was slight and that it was obvious who the real killer was.

Its the evidence, she said. In having had a number of these cases, it has the signature of a wrongful conviction case. They only focused on him. They did not look at a lot of other suspects, certainly some very key people they should have been looking at.

Timeline: Steven Avery's convictions Show all 5 1 /5 Timeline: Steven Avery's convictions Timeline: Steven Avery's convictions 1985: Steven Avery is falsely convicted of raping a Penny Beernsten She was jogging along the shore of Lake Michigan when she was threatened with a knife and attacked. Ms Beernsten identified Avery as her rapist from a line-up that did not include the actual attacker. AFP/Getty Images Timeline: Steven Avery's convictions 2003: Conviction overturned Avery's 32-year prison sentence was overturned after DNA testing by the Wisconsin Innocence Project proved his innocence and found a hair from Gregory Allen. He was convicted of the rape and Avery was released. Timeline: Steven Avery's convictions 2004: Avery files federal lawsuit against Manitowoc County police A Wisconsin Department of Justice investigation found police had committed no criminal offences or ethics violations, sparking a lawsuit from Avery seeking $36 million compensation. Timeline: Steven Avery's convictions 2005: Avery is arrested for Teresa Halbach's murder His Avery Auto Salvage business was the freelance photographer's last appointment of 31 October. She was reported missing four days later and police later found her car, bones, teeth and belongings at the site. Avery pleaded not guilty but was sentenced to life in prison in 2007. Timeline: Steven Avery's convictions 201: Netflix releases Making a Murderer The 10-episode documentary came after Avery's conviction was upheld in a 2011 appeal.

She added: There was a very poor investigation done of the victims background, who she was involved with, the circumstances of her life. It had all of the hallmarks of a wrongful conviction case.

Last month, Ms Zellner also gave an insight into her hope that advances in forensic testing could help her client.

Since 2007 there have been significant advances in forensic testing and so clearly were going, the clearest way to do this is with scientific testing and thats what we will be asking to do, she said.

Earlier this month, Manitowoc County asked for more time to gather documents related to Averys case, as he seeks a new trial. The request was granted by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and the county now has until March 2 to comply.
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For millions of Italians the funeral of Umberto Eco in Milan was significant not only as a commemoration of a great public intellectual; it was also an important symbol of another Italy, far removed from bunga bunga, the Mafia and tacky TV game shows.

The Italy of art, culture and literature that has changed the world is still there, away from the headlines, said speakers who paid tribute to the celebrated philosopher, academic and novelist, who died on Friday, aged 84, from cancer.

Recommended Read more Italian PM leads tributes after Umberto Eco dies aged 84

Huge crowds arrived at Milans Castello Sforzesco for the event, for which the state broadcaster RAI provided live coverage.

Milans Mayor Giuliano Pisapia hailed Eco as a great and unforgettable genius who was kind and gentle and had the ability to talk to anyone and everyone.

Mr Pisapia praised Eco for being a leading proponent of good politics, as opposed to the venal and murky law-making that has stained Italian life for many decades.

Notable deaths in 2016 Show all 42 1 /42 Notable deaths in 2016 Notable deaths in 2016 Debbie Reynolds was an American actress, singer, businesswoman, film historian, and humanitarian. She died on December 28 in Los Angeles Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Actress Carrie Fisher died on December 27 aged 60 Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Comedian and Actor Ricky Harris died on December 26 aged 54 Rex Notable deaths in 2016 British singer George Michael died on 25 December aged 53 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Rick Parfitt OBE was an English musician, best known for being a singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist in the rock band Status Quo. He died on December 24 in Marbella, Spain Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Lord Jenkin of Roding died at the age of 90 on the 21 December PA wire Notable deaths in 2016 Rabbi Lionel Blue died on the 19 December Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Zsa Zsa Gabor died on December 18 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Leonard Cohen died on 7 November Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Grand secretary of the Orange Order Drew Nelson died on 10 October aged 60 after a short illness PA Notable deaths in 2016 Aaron Pryor, the relentless junior welterweight died Sunday, Oct. 9, at the age of 60 at his home in Cincinnati after a long battle with heart disease AP Notable deaths in 2016 Polish Director Andrzej Wajda died on October 9, aged 90 Reuters Notable deaths in 2016 Stylianos Pattakos has died following a stroke on 8th October. He was 103 years old. AP Notable deaths in 2016 Dickie Jeeps, was an English rugby union player who played for Northampton. He represented and captained both the England national rugby union team and the British Lions in the 1950s and 1960s. He died on 8th October. He was 84 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Duke of Westminster Billionaire landowner the Duke of Westminster, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor has died on 9 August, aged 64 Rex Features Notable deaths in 2016 Christina Knudsen Sir Roger Moores stepdaughter Christina Knudsen has died from cancer on 25 July at teh age of 47 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Caroline Aherne The actress Caroline Aherne has died from cancer on 2 July at the age of 52 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Christina Grimmie Christina Grimmie, 22, who was an American singer and songwriter, known for her participation in the NBC singing competition The Voice, was signing autographs at a concert venue in Orlando on 10 June when an assailant shot her. Grimmie was transported to a local hospital where she died from her wounds on 11 June Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Kimbo Slice Former UFC and Bellator MMA fighter Kimbo Slice died after being admitted to hospital in Florida on 6 June, aged 42 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Muhammad Ali The three-time former heavyweight world champion died after being admitted to hospital with a respiratory illness on 3 June, aged 74 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Sally Brampton Brampton who was the launch editor of the UK edition of Elle magazine has died on 10 May, aged 60 Grant Triplow/REX/Shutterstock Notable deaths in 2016 Billy Paul The soul singer Billy Paul, who was best known for his single Me and Mrs Jones, has died on 24 April, aged 81 Noel Vasquez/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Prince Prince, the legendary musician, has been found dead at his Paisley Park recording studio on 21 April. He was 57 Notable deaths in 2016 Chyna WWE icon Joan Laurer dies aged 45 after being found at California home on 20 April Notable deaths in 2016 Victoria Wood The five-time Bafta-winning actress and comedian Victoria Wood has died on 20 April at her London home after a short illness with cancer. She was 62 Notable deaths in 2016 David Gest The entertainer and former husband of Liza Minnelli, David Gest has been found dead on 12 April in the Four Seasons hotel in Canary Warf, London. He was 62-years-old PA Notable deaths in 2016 Denise Robertson Denise Robertson, an agony aunt on This Morning for over 30 years, has died on 1 April, aged 83 Notable deaths in 2016 Zaha Hadid Dame Zaha Hadid, the prominent architect best known for designs such as the London Olympic Aquatic Centre and the Guangzhou Opera House, has died of a heart attack on 31 March, aged 65 2010 AFP Notable deaths in 2016 Ronnie Corbett British entertainer Ronnie Corbett has passed away on 31 March at the age of 85 2014 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Imre Kertesz Hungarian writer and Holocaust survivor Imre Kertesz, who won the 2002 Nobel Literature Prize, has died on 31 March, at the age of 86 REUTERS Notable deaths in 2016 Rob Ford Rob Ford, the former controversial mayor of Toronto, has died following a battle with a rare form of cancer. The 46-year-old passed away at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto on 22 March Notable deaths in 2016 Joey Feek Joey (left) passed away in March after a two-year cancer illness. She was part of country music duo, Joey + Rory, with her husband Rory (right) Jason Merritt/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Umberto Eco Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco died 19 February 2016 aged 84 EPA Notable deaths in 2016 Harper Lee Harper Lee, the American novelist known for writing 'To Kill a Mockingbird', died February 19, 2016 aged 89 2005 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Vanity Vanity, pictured performing in 1983, died aged 57 REX Features Notable deaths in 2016 Dave Mirra The BMX legend's body found inside truck with gunshot wound after apparent suicide aged 41 Notable deaths in 2016 Harry Harpham The former miner became Sheffield Labour MP in May after many years as a local councillor. He died after succumbing to cancer, at the age of 61. Notable deaths in 2016 Dale Griffin The Mott the Hoople drummer died on January 17, aged 67 REX Notable deaths in 2016 Rene Angelil Celine Dion's husband and manager Rene Angelil has lost his battle with cancer on 14 January, aged 73 2011 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Alan Rickman Legendary actor Alan Rickman has died on 14 January at the age of 69 after battle with pancreatic cancer. He is largely regarded as one of the most beloved British actors of our generation with roles in Love Actually, Die Hard, Michael Collins, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and an illustrious stage career 2015 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Maurice White The Earth, Wind & Fire founder died aged 74. The nine-piece band sold more than 90 million albums worldwide and won six Grammy awards Notable deaths in 2016 Lawrence Phillips Former NFL star found dead in prison cell on 13 January in suspected suicide, aged 40 AFP/Getty Images

The writers withering put-downs of Silvio Berlusconi were not forgotten by the Italian right in the form of Libero newspaper, which has questioned his cultural legacy.

But speakers at his funeral, including the Culture Minister, Dario Franceschini, paid tribute to Ecos worldwide influence and huge popular appeal, as revealed by the success of highbrow novels such as Foucaults Pendulum and The Name of the Rose.

His final book, a collection of essays named Pape Satan Aleppe, will be published on Friday.
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Ebola can stay buried in survivors tissue meaning that its effects could continue long after people have apparently recovered, experts have said. And while there is no reason to worry about a return of the virus in the UK, its persistence could be a way that it will flare back up again.

Pauline Cafferkey, who became known as the Ebola nurse after she received treatment for the deadly virus earlier this year, has gone back into hospital for treatment for the third time. And it appears that having lasting effects long after apparent recovery, even though it doesnt mean that people can catch it twice.

The re-emergence of problems appears to be because the disease is hanging around in hard-to-reach areas of the body, according to experts. That means the risk of transmission is low, but there is a risk that further outbreaks can be triggered, according to experts.

Recommended Read more Pauline Cafferkey back in hospital because of complications from Ebola

Ms Cafferkey worked in Sierra Leone until the end of 2014. When she came back to the UK, she was diagnosed with the virus and went to treatment in isolation at the Royal Free Hospital, which is a specialist in Ebola and other infectious diseases.

Towards the end of January, the hospital said that she was free from infection and was released.

But she has now returned to the same hospital twice, as she battles complications arising from her original infection.

Ebola patients are put into isolation in intensive care. They have their blood oxygen levels and blood pressure monitored, and their organs are supported, until they can return to their previous state.

It isnt clear what treatment Ms Cafferkey is undergoing now that she has returned to hospital for the second time. But it is related to her previous exposure to the virus, according to experts.

Scientists are still not entirely sure about what the long-term effects of Ebola are.

"It seems that some of the ongoing health problems with people's eyes, joints and hair loss are actually caused not by the after-effects of Ebola, but by the small amounts of Ebola which is still residing somewhere in the body," Dr Ben Neuman, a virologist at the University of Reading, told BBC Radio Scotland.

"It's surprising and we're just learning how to deal with this."

 WHO declares Ebola outbreak over as Liberia gets all-clear

Health experts said that the way the disease lives on in tissue could be a potential way of it coming back, however.

"We know that Ebola virus can shelter in the body in what are called immune privileged sites such as the eye, central nervous system and testes, said Julian Hiscox, professor of infection and global health at the University of Liverpool.

"Due to the sheer scale of this outbreak compared to previous ones, we are going to see aspects of Ebola virus infection that we have not observed before.

"I think the persistence of the virus in asymptomatic individuals is a potential reservoir of the virus. We know that infectious virus is present in semen for a number of months. It's why men who have had Ebola and recovered are advised to abstain or wear condoms."

But the return of the effects of the disease in McAfferkey doesnt necessarily mean that the virus is flaring back up.

"The good news is that it's probably not going to be infectious, said Dr Neuman. The virus, once it is removed from the blood once, tends to retreat into the hard-to-access compartments of the body.

In pictures: Ebola virus Show all 62 1 /62 In pictures: Ebola virus In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A health worker from Sierra Leone's Red Cross Society Burial Team 7 carries the corpse of a child in Freetown In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A health workers from the Sierra Leone's Red Cross Society Burial Team 7 is sprayed with desinfectant after removing a corpse from a house in Freetown In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Health workers from Sierra Leone's Red Cross Society Burial Team 7 prepare to remove a body from a house in Freetown AFP In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Health workers from the Sierra Leone's Red Cross Society Burial Team 7 place a body in a grave at King Tom cemetary in Freetown In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Mustapha Rogers of the Red Cross talks as health workers from the Sierra Leone's Red Cross Society Burial Team 7 remove a corpse from a house in Freetown In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A citizen from Mali arrives at a hospital in Murcia city, south-eastern Spain. The protocol for a possible case of Ebola has been activated as the man, who arrived from Mali to Jumilla town in Murcia province five days ago, presents clinical symptoms of high fever and vomiting EPA In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Kenyan medical workers show how to handle an infected Ebola patient on a portable negative pressure bed at the Kenyatta national hospital in Nairobi Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A health worker sprays disinfectant onto a college in Monrovia, Liberia AP In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A burial team in protective gear bury the body of a woman suspected to have died from Ebola virus in Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Healthcare workers in protective gear work at an Ebola treatment center in the west of Freetown, Sierra Leone AP Photo/Michael Duff In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A healthcare worker in protective gear is sprayed with disinfectant after working in an Ebola treatment center in the west of Freetown, Sierra Leone In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A member of the NGO U Fondation leaves a house after visiting quarantined family members suffering from the Ebola virus in Monrovia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus An Ebola sign placed infront of a home in West Point slum area of Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A Liberian man carries his sick brother suspected of having Ebola after being delayed admission to the Island Clinic Ebola Treatment Unit due to a lack of beds at the clinic on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Health workers remove the body a woman who died from the Ebola virus in the Aberdeen district of Freetown, Sierra Leone In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A health worker fixes another health worker's protective suit in the Aberdeen district of Freetown, Sierra Leone In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Health workers spray themselves with chlorine disinfectants after removing the body a woman who died of Ebola virus in the Aberdeen district of Freetown, Sierra Leone In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A woman crawls towards the body of her sister as Ebola burial team members take her sister Mekie Nagbe (28) for cremation in Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Sophia Doe sits with her grandchildren Beauty Mandi, 9 months (L) and Arthuneh Qunoh, 9, (R), while watching the arrival an Ebola burial team to take away the body of her daughter Mekie Nagbe, 28, for cremation in Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Varney Jonson (46) grieves as an Ebola burial team takes away the body of his wife Nama Fambule for cremation in Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Family members grieve as Ebola burial team members prepare to remove the body of Nama Fambule for cremation in Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A Liberian burial squad carry the body of an Ebola victim in Marshall, Margini county, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus An Ebola burial team dresses in protective clothing before collecting the body of a woman (54) from her home in the New Kru Town suburb of Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus An Ebola burial team carries the body of a woman (54) through the New Kru Town suburb of Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus An Ebola burial team dresses in protective clothing before collecting the body of a woman (54) from her home in the New Kru Town suburb of Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Health workers in protective gear carry the body of a woman suspected to have died from Ebola virus, from a house in New Kru Town at the outskirt of Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Volunteers in protective suit bury the body of a person who died from Ebola in Waterloo, some 30 kilometers southeast of Freetown FLORIAN PLAUCHEUR/AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Nowa Paye (9) is taken to an ambulance after showing signs of the Ebola infection in the village of Freeman Reserve, about 30 miles north of Monrovia, Liberia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Medical staff members burn clothes belonging to patients suffering from Ebola, at the French medical NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Monrovia PASCAL GUYOT/AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A medical staff member wearing a protective suit walks past the crematorium where victims of Ebola are burned in Monrovia In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A Liberian burial team wearing protective clothing loads the body of a 60-year-old Ebola victim after retrieving him from his home Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Sick women rest while hoping to enter the new Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Ebola treatment center near Monrovia, Liberia Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Hanah Siafa walks in the rain with her children Josephine, 10, and Elija, six, while waiting to enter the new Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Ebola treatment center in Monrovia, Liberia Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus UNICEF health workers walk through the streets, going house to house to speak about Ebola prevention in New Kru Town, Liberia. The virus has killed more than 1,000 people in four African countries Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Local residents watch as public health advocates stage an Ebola awareness and prevention event in Monrovia, Liberia Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Public health advocates stage an Ebola awareness and prevention event in Monrovia, Liberia. The Liberian government and international groups are trying to convince residents of the danger and are urging people to wash their hands to help prevent the spread of the epidemic Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Hanah Siafa lies with her children Josephine, 10, and Elija, six, while hoping to enter the new Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Ebola treatment center Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A health worker examines patients for Ebola inside a screening tent, at the Kenema Government Hospital AP In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A health worker cleans his hands with chlorinated water before entering an Ebola screening tent at the Kenema Government Hospital, about 86 miles from Sierra Leones capital Freetown AP In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Aid workers and doctors transfer Miguel Pajares, a Spanish priest who was infected with the Ebola virus while working in Liberia, from a plane to an ambulance as he leaves the Torrejon de Ardoz military airbase, near Madrid, Spain AP Photo/Spanish Defense Ministry In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A Liberian money exchanger washes hands between customers as a precaution to prevent infection with the deadly Ebola virus while conducting business in downtown Monrovia, Liberia EPA In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A Liberian health worker sprays disinfectant on a drivers boots to stop the spread of the deadly Ebola virus at the Christian charity Samaritan Purse head offices in Monrovia, Liberia. Over 660 people have died of Ebola in West Africa in 2014 making it the world's deadliest outbreak to date according to statistics from the World Health Organisation EPA In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A Liberian taxi driver wears protective gloves as a precaution to prevent infection with the deadly Ebola virus whilst driving in downtown Monrovia, Liberia. Many Liberians have taken to wearing gloves and washing hands after every interaction in an attempt to curb the spread of the deadly virus EPA In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A Liberian money exchanger wears protective gloves as a precaution to prevent infection with the deadly Ebola virus while transacting business with customers in downtown Monrovia, Liberia EPA In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A woman from Liberia takes food to a sick relative in the Ebola isolation unit at the ELWA Hospital where US doctor Kent Bradley is being quarantined having contracted the Ebola virus. Over 660 people have died of Ebola in West Africa in 2014 making it the world's deadliest outbreak to date according to statistics from the World Health Organisation EPA In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus The disease has now spread to Liberia and, for the first time, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, killing at least 672 people in 1,201 cases, according to the World Health Organisations latest figures AP In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Health specialists prepare for work in an isolation ward for patients at the Medecins Sans Frontieres facility in southern Guinea AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A Liberian street vendor wears protective gloves as a precaution to prevent infection with the deadly Ebola virus while transacting business with customers in downtown Monrovia, Liberia EPA In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A nurse from Liberia sprays preventives to disinfect the waiting area for visitors at the ELWA Hospital where a US doctor Kent Bradley is being quarantined in the hospitals isolation unit having contracted the Ebola virus, Monrovia, Liberia EPA In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Staff of the 'Doctors without Borders' ('Medecin sans frontieres') medical aid organisation carry the body of a person killed by the virus In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A Liberia man (right) talks to a nurse (left) about the health of his relative who is in the isolation unit of the ELWA Hospital where a US doctor Kent Bradley is being quarantined having contracted the Ebola virus, Monrovia, Liberia EPA In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A nurse from Liberia walks to spray preventives to disinfect the waiting area for visitors at the ELWA Hospital where a US doctor Kent Bradley is being quarantined in the hospitals isolation unit having contracted the Ebola virus EPA In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Staff of the Christian charity Samaritan's Purse put on protective gear in the ELWA hospital in the Liberian capital Monrovia AFP In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Lagos State Health Commissioner Jide Idris, speaks, during a news conference in Lagos, Nigeria. No one knows for sure just how many people Patrick Sawyer came into contact with the day he boarded a flight in Liberia, had a stopover in Ghana, changed planes in Togo, and then arrived in Nigeria, where authorities say he died days later from Ebola AP Photo/Sunday Alamba In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Staff of the Christian charity Samaritan's Purse put on protective gear in the ELWA hospital in the Liberian capital Monrovia. An American doctor battling West Africa's Ebola epidemic has himself fallen sick with the disease in Liberia, Samaritan's Purse said AP In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Protective gear including boots, gloves, masks and suits, drying after being used in a treatment room in the ELWA hospital in the Liberian capital Monrovia AFP In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A Liberian man holding a Civet being sold on a roadside as bush meat in Lofa County. Bush meat is one of the major carriers of the Ebola virus. The Liberian government and International partners have warned people to not eat it. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that a total of 888 Ebola cases including 539 deaths have been recorded in West Africa since February AFP In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus People unload protection and healthcare material at Conakry's airport, to help fight the spread of the Ebola virus and treat people who have been already infected AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Body of evidence: health workers transport a casket of a nun whose death resulted from an Ebola infection in Zaire in 1995 Getty In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Peter Piot in Yambuku, northern Congo (then Zaire), in 1976, where he was part of the original team to discover the Ebola virus J Breman In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus A member of Doctors Without Borders helps to unload protection and healthcare materials in Guinea Getty In pictures: Ebola virus Ebola virus Doctors in protective gear work inside the Medecins Sans Frontieres isolation ward as Guinea faced the worst ever outbreak of the Ebola virus Getty Images

The NHS in Greater Glasgow and Clydes director of public health, Dr Emilia Crighton, assured the public that there was a very low risk to the public of the problems returning.

Paulines condition is a complication of a previous infection with the Ebola virus, Dr Crighton said. The risk to the public is very low. In line with normal procedures in cases such as this, we have identified a small number of close contacts of Paulines that we will be following up as a precaution.

A version of this article was originally published on 9 October 2015
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A world-renowned concert pianist was strangled and beaten to death by her jealous musician husband after he lost his temper on their second wedding anniversary, a court was told.

Russian-born Natalia Strelchenko, 38, also known as Natalia Strelle, was found with head and neck injuries at the Manchester home she shared with Norwegian double bass player John Martin in August last year.

She had been struck with such force that her jawbone was snapped in half and her facial bones were floating free from the rest of her skull.

Recommended Read more Man charged with murder of international concert pianist

Mr Martin, 48, was jealous because his wifes career had taken off while his had not, a jury at Manchester Crown Court was told.

This is quite simply a case of anger  pure and simple anger, prosecutor Robert Hall said. This defendant was not getting what he wanted and reached a point where he lost his temper in a very dramatic fashion.

Mr Martin denies the murder, or manslaughter, of his wife. He has also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of a male youth who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Ms Strelchenko had played piano from the age of eight and became a talented pianist, gaining entry to the prestigious St Petersburg State Conservatory. At the peak of her powers, Mr Hall said, she performed in concerts with a full orchestra.

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On the night of the alleged murder a Polish violinist friend stayed the night with the couple at their home in Newton Heath, Manchester, and said she witnessed Mr Martin throwing himself and Ms Strelchenko down the stairs before strangling her.

The woman fled and raised the alarm. Martin, who was in an upstairs bedroom when police arrived, repeatedly shouted kill me as he was arrested. He later told police he had no recollection of what had happened.

Mr Hall said Mr Martin still maintains he has no memory of the events of 30 August last year. The mental state of the defendant will become an important consideration for you as the trial progresses, Mr Hall told the jury.

Recommended Murder investigation launched into death of concert pianist

Ms Strelchenko had moved to Manchester in 2009 following the breakdown of her first marriage and met the defendant a year later. They had, Mr Hall told the jury, a tempestuous relationship and police had been repeatedly called to their home.

She complained that the defendant controlled her, he told the jury. He was very jealous if she was out with him  jealousy made worse by the fact that, to all intents and purposes, her career had taken off while his had not. They would also argue regularly about such matters as financial affairs and who should keep the house clean.

In early August last year, the jury was told, Mr Martin threw Ms Strelchenko out of the house. She returned three days before her death but relations remained tense, the jury heard. On the night Ms Strelchenko died, Mr Martin left the house and texted the word hopeless to a friend. When he returned to the house, Mr Hall said, his mood was particularly threatening. The trial continues.
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Police are hunting a man pictured with a drawn-on moustache in connection with a triple assault in London in the early hours of New Years Day.

Believed to have been in fancy dress, the man is suspected of headbutting one of his victims in the incident at around 2.50am - leaving the 42-year-old man with permanent scars.

He is also accused of throwing a 28-year-old woman to the ground and holding her down to prevent her trying to help during the attack in the Tudor Barn pub, Eltham.

Police say they man also punched another male victim, aged 34, in the face.

He was treated in hospital for bruising and swelling to his lip and damage to his front teeth, which police say has caused irreparable nerve and root damage.

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Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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According to CCTV images, the suspect also had a drawn-on soul-patch beard just below his top lip and was wearing a pink long-sleeved shirt.

Metropolitan Police described him as white, of large build, and around 6ft tall.

The suspect was aged between 45 and 50, spoke with a London accent and had very short hair.

PC Martyn Peattie, from Plumstead CID, said: "These three victims all suffered at the hands of this man and have been left with injures that required urgent hospital treatment.

"This attack was completely unprovoked and I urge anyone who can identify the suspect to contact me. Any information will be treated in the strictest confidence."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Plumstead CID on 07825 273811 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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A man who sexually attacked two women in front of their young children has been given a life term for rape.

Trevor Lawlor, 32, raped one of his victims in view of her son, who was just a toddler, a jury at Manchester Crown court heard.

He was only prevented from raping the other woman when her boyfriend unexpectedly returned to the house.

Before he raped her, Lawlor shouted to the baby: "This is all your mother is worth", and: "This is what your f****** mother deserves."

Lawlor, a resident of Tetlow Street, Manchester, was also jailed in Ireland in 2004 for raping a woman in chillingly similar circumstances, a jury heard.

Sentencing Lawlor, who is originally from Dublin, Ireland, Judge Hilary Manley said: "I am convinced that you have a hatred for women and a need to use, degrade and humiliate them.

"Put simply, I am wholly satisfied you pose a dangerous and substantial risk to the public, particularly women and children."

In the early hours of 10 July 2015, Lawlor broke in to a home in Newton Heath, Manchester and woke his victim while she was in bed lying next to her young son.

He threatened to slit the woman's throat if they made a noise and then removed his clothing before his victim's partner returned.

Following a struggle in the bedroom, Lawlor fled the scene in his underwear and T-shirt and knocked on the door of a woman who lived nearby.

Known to the defendant, the woman let him in after he told her he had been kidnapped and needed to escape his attackers.

Justin Hayhoe, prosecuting, said the complainant's charity was repaid in a "shocking manner" with a violent and gratuitous assault on her while her toddler son was in her arms.

Lawlor - under the influence of alcohol and drugs - repeatedly punched her to the head and face as his victim eventually feigned unconsciousness, as she believed she she was going to be killed, said the prosecutor.

The badly beaten woman managed to escape and alert a neighbour, who only recognised her by her voice.

The neighbour then went to retrieve the baby who was also blood-soaked and appeared to be traumatised and "in a daze".

Judge Manley told Lawlor he had "stolen the innocence" of his first victim's son, who witnessed the entire episode, while "only time will tell" what psychological impact had been caused to the second victim's son.

Lawlor, of Failsworth, was arrested in Manchester city centre later the same day of the attacks and made no comment to detectives.

He went on to plead guilty at earlier hearings to rape, attempted rape, assault by penetration, wounding with intent to cause grievious bodily harm, trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence and making a threat to kill.

Lawlor was given a life term for the rape and concurrent sentences for the other offences.

Additional reporting by Press Association
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When he was a small boy, Nick Arnolds grandfather entertained him with stories of a gory medieval battle between Vikings and Saxons which had, according to local legend, taken place close to his home in the north Devon countryside.

Fate took Mr Arnold down the path of a career as a successful childrens science writer but he never forgot his grandfathers tales and his decision to investigate the reality behind the folklore looks set to change the understanding of English history.

After five years of research, the author of the popular Horrible Science series has pinpointed for the first time the site of the battle as an encounter not between rampaging Vikings and Saxons but the decisive clash in the fight for control of England started by the Battle of Hastings.

A sequel to the confrontation which left King Harold dead at the hands of William the Conquerors Norman army in 1066 has been tracked by Mr Arnold to a quiet valley between the Devonshire towns of Appledore and Northam.

Academics have described the finding as a significant breakthrough in English medieval history.

Nick Arnold in Appledore, Devon, where he says a clash took place after the Battle of Hastings

The battle, fought three years after William I was installed as King of England, took place after Harolds two bereaved and vengeful sons - Edmund and Godwine - raised an army in Ireland and sailed to the north Devon coast on 64 longships with the intention of claiming back the throne from the Norman invader.

It was not to be. The Anglo-Saxon and Irish force was seemingly surprised by a waiting Norman and English army, resulting in a nine-hour Battle of Northam which left 3,000 dead and the invasion force routed.

Mr Arnold, who despite his work in explaining science is a historian by training, managed to locate the battlefield via a painstaking process of comparing contemporary accounts of the battle with maps and data to calculate the time of dusk and the tides on the date of the clash - 26 June 1069.

A combination of factors, including the fact that sunset and the high tide coincided on that day, led to the author to conclude that the battle could only have taken place within a few minutes of Godwine and Edmunds landing place at Appledore.

Mr Arnold said: Its been like a piece of detective work. Once you arrive at the conclusion that the battle must have taken place between Northam and Appledore you have to look at the terrain to see where the fighting could have taken place. In the end there was only one possibility, a rather picturesque valley which miraculously hasnt been built on.

A section of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Norman Conquest of England and the Battle of Hastings (Getty) (Getty Images)

Inside me is the child who listened to my grandfather and always wanted to be a historian. Now that dream has come true and I think it changes the way we look at this period. It wasnt until this battle that the Norman conquest was secured and if Harolds sons had won it would have changed English history by cutting short French influence from Normandy.

The author, whose research has been peer reviewed by early medieval historians and is to be re-published by the Battlefields Trust, is now calling for the site close to Northam to be granted protected status and further researched with the possibility of archaeological excavation.

Benjamin Hudson, professor of medieval history at Pennsylvania State University, hailed the research as a significant contribution to the history of medieval Britain.

Mr Arnold said: I think my grandfather would have been absolutely thrilled to know that there was something in his stories.
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Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly ordered officials to demand anti-Israel posters put up on the London Underground be taken down.

More than 100 of the unauthorised posters were displayed by London Palestine Action to mark Israeli Apartheid Week.

Transport for London (TfL) called them an act of vandalism and vowed to remove them as quickly as possible, while a Jewish group said the stunt put strain on inter-community relations in the capital.

The Tube posters were being taken down on Tuesday (London Palestine Action)

The adverts accused the BBC of pro-Israel bias and condemned G4S-run prisons, the 2014 Gaza war, arms trade and house demolitions.

Activists had hailed a wave of truth hitting London Underground on Sunday, dubbing its authentic-looking adverts subvertisments.

Israel and its supporters are used to having the mainstream media repeat their talking points, London Palestine Action said in a statement.

We put up around 150 posters on the tube to shine a spotlight on the support Israel gets from the UK: the government, arms industry, and companies like G4S.

At a time when the government is undermining local democracy to protect Israel, its vital to show that well continue to take action in solidarity with the Palestinian popular resistance.

The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Getty Images The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child

The stunt came after plans emerged to ban public institutions and councils boycotting products from Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement.

It prompted the Israeli Prime Minister to instruct the head of his foreign ministry to demand the posters be removed in a meeting with his British counterparts.

Yair Lapid, head of the Yesh Atid party, claimed he spoke to Boris Johnson on the matter and was reassured by the London Mayor that action would be taken, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The residents of London entered the Underground and found a series of anti-Semitic, anti-Israel signs calling us an apartheid state, accusing us of torturing children, or murder, of terrible things, Mr Lapid reportedly told a meeting.

I talked to Johnson, a great friend of Israel, and explained to him that the State of Israel will not tolerate such things.

The Tube posters were being taken down on Tuesday (London Palestine Action)

The London Jewish Forum accused activists of seeking to undermine the UKs relationship with Israel and foster discomfort.

These posters are awful smears that do nothing to contribute to peace and dialogue, placing significant strains on inter-community relations across London, a spokesperson said.

The Israeli Embassy in London confirmed that Mr Netanyahu instructed the director-general of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs to raise the issue.

Over the past few weeks weve witnessed the ugly side of BDS activism: from vandalism on the tube, to violence at Kings College, to serious allegations of antisemitism at Oxford," a spokesperson said. "When your agenda is based on hatred and divisiveness rather than dialogue, these results are inevitable."

British Transport Police responded to complaints on Twitter on Monday by saying it was working with TfL to establish the full circumstances.

Officers were urging people to alert them to the posters locations so they could be removed.

A spokesperson for TfL said: These are not authorised adverts. It is fly posting and therefore an act of vandalism which we take extremely seriously.

Our staff and contractors are working to immediately remove any found on our network.
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The Heathrow 13 are steeling themselves to be sent to prison on 24 February for their protest against the London airports expansion but remain defiant, saying their actions have focused attention on the damage air travel does to the planet.

In a surprise move last month, Judge Deborah Wright said she planned to jail the protesters after finding them guilty of aggravated trespass.

She paid tribute to their passion about the environment  saying they were all principled people  before telling them that custodial sentences were almost inevitable.

The Heathrow protest  part of the Plane Stupid campaign to end airport expansion  saw the group cut a hole in a fence and make their way on to the north runway. The demonstration on 13 July forced the cancellation of 25 flights.

As they prepare to return to Willesden Magistrates Court today for sentencing, members of the campaign group and their relatives told The Independent of their growing fears about prison, but insisted they were proud of their protest, saying it had significantly raised the profile of the contribution air travel was making to global warming.

As the day gets closer I become more nervous about the practical stuff  the physical reality of being in prison. Ive been warned to be ready for a strip-search and that it might not be a fun experience, said Danielle Paffard, an Oxford biology graduate who helped set up the UK Uncut tax avoidance protest group that occupied branches of Topshop and Vodafone.

12 of the Heathrow protesters (Rob Basto not included), from left: (top row) Danielle Pafford; Ella Gilbert; Melanie Strickland; Kara Moses; (middle) Alistair Tamlit; Graham Thompson; Edward Thacker; Sheila Menon; (bottom) Sam Sender; Richard Hawkins; Cameron Kaye and Rebecca Sanderson

Danielles mother, Marguerite, added: I feel sad at the moment that shes having to go through this but I feel like shell survive.

Another parent  Tim, the father of Heathrow 13 member Rebecca Sanderson  said a custodial sentence would smack of retribution, a medieval desire to punish, which is not appropriate for people of exceptional character and conviction.

Graham Thompson, a Greenpeace press officer and member of the 13, said: I am nervous. I have never been to prison before so its an unknown quantity. But we would be much better off than the average prisoner because we would be there for a reason. I feel we have helped to raise the profile on climate change and aviation  we seem to be getting more and more support for our campaign.

If the Heathrow 13 are jailed, this would be the first time environmental protesters have gone to prison for the offence of aggravated trespass since it came into force two decades ago. As family members we are outraged by this totally disproportionate threat of a prison sentence. If any of these courageous and principled people are sent to prison we pledge ourselves to campaign vigorously to secure their immediate release. It is imperative that we protect the right to peaceful protest for us all, said a spokesman for the relatives.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said that jailing the group would represent a deliberate attempt to put people off taking action... a really important part of democracy.
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A visitor from Mars might well have been baffled by the obsession of the TV news bulletins last Sunday evening with two almost identical black-painted front doors. One, a number 20, had Boris Johnson emerging from it, dressed in a prime ministerial costume of dark suit and clean white shirt, to address one of the best orchestrated spontaneous media scrums for years. The other, a certain No 10, had no one coming in or out, and apparently no one eagerly waiting outside it. The message was clear  Brexit Boris was firing the opening salvo in what threatens to become a very nasty Tory civil war. All so carefully stage-managed for maximum visual contrast, it hardly mattered that his spoken words were still bumbling, self-contradictory and hardly the sort of rousing call to arms you might expect.

Anyone with residual doubts about Johnson's desire to expel Cameron from the premiership could hardly fail to have read the signals. Here was the would-be hugely popular new PM (of a free and reinvigorated Britain) just waiting for battle to begin!

Meanwhile, across town behind the Downing Street curtains, Johnson's long-time rival (but no, never friend), was in danger of being cast as the general in desperate search of some troops. Dave's New Deal with Europe, for all the clean shirts and countless packets of Haribo sweets that Cameron had invested in it, was never going to be able to compete in media terms with Boris's box-office bugle. The pervading silence was heavy with bitter intent.

So yes, what a triumph for Johnson: proven master of the media; political player of unparalleled popular power; man of conscience (or so he claimed to the assembled reporters while looking hastily at his shoes) over career.

Indeed, apparently so taken was the Mayor of London with the selflessness of his high-drama decision to back the Leave the EU campaign, that he seemed temporarily to have forgotten the name of his prime minister. That was not the only personal slight he delivered to his fellow Old Etonian that day. We are told that he informed Dave, as Johnson crushingly likes to call him, of his decision to join the Outers gang by text only nine minutes before he told the rest of the world. Courtesy has never been Johnson's strong point.

Behind you: Johnson was two years ahead of Cameron at Eton, which must make his leadership irksome (AFP/Getty)

Can we really blame Cameron therefore when he launched into Boris on Monday in a dramatic session in the Commons? Finally, he could say  in public  what he no doubt has for so long been thinking in private: that the mayor was putting Boris before Britain and that some of his ideas, notably the flaky one about winning a better deal in a second referendum, were for the birds. At least there was a new honesty in the air when Johnson shouted rubbish, rubbish! from the back benches. But when two Tory Old Etonians go to war, eloquence does appear to be one of the first casualties.

The real world beyond the excitable Westminster media cadre seems to have been less impressed with Johnsonian showmanship. Monday morning, freaked by the idea that the Mayor of London really might gamble with the future of his city's financial prosperity for the sake of personal ambition, the markets cut sterling to levels not seen for nearly seven years. That blow to national interests is not likely to have impinged significantly (if at all) on Johnson's focus on the Downing Street prize he has desired with every fibre of his being for so long. He knows that, in all probability, this running for the Brexit door represents his last and best chance of achieving his goal.

In private and often in public, at least until a few days ago, Johnson voices great sympathy for the European project and its underlying aims of greater peace and prosperity. He has been known to defend the EU and its protagonists compellingly when others attack it. I have heard him do so myself. His family is inextricably linked with the Commission and the Parliament  indeed his father Stanley worked for the former and was a member of the latter and draws a handsome EU pension. Johnson was educated in Brussels, courted his second wife Marina there, and his eldest daughter Lara was born in one of its hospitals. He speaks French, Spanish, Italian and German far better than he would dare let on in the presence of another Englishman. The trouble is I'm not an Outer, he said himself, only a month or so ago.

 PM 'disappointed' by Boris

And yet, clearly the scenario of Cameron's political demise following an Out vote in June, followed by his own swift and triumphant coronation as Tory leader and prime minister was just too much to resist. Just last week, special forces were sent out to test the waters in the form of his fiercely Europhile Marina  who once told me she personally cornered the proprietor of the Daily Mail to berate him over his paper's unfair and inaccurate reporting on the EU. Marina wrote an essay apparently attacking Dave's Deal for being politically expedient but in legalistic terms entirely ducking the red card issue of the erosion of sovereignty. Needless to say, her words featured prominently in the newspaper she had once so fiercely scorned.

With Johnson himself, any such private European beliefs have always been outweighed by his own blond ambition. Back in the 1990s, when I worked with him for The Daily Telegraph in Brussels, he was making his name by writing excoriating and highly creative Eurosceptic copy about the Commission supposedly banning prawn cocktail-flavoured crisps or making fishermen wear hairnets. As the then EU correspondent for this newspaper, David Usborne, remarked on Johnson's perennial drive for the main prize: He compromised his intellectual integrity to get on, adding that Johnson knew all too well that he was writing out of his ass. Others, less polite, described Johnson's work in Brussels as lying and conniving.

David Cameron used his speech on the EU referendum to attack Boris Johnson's position (AFP/Getty Images)

The man himself once admitted that he had merely spotted a market opportunity to make his name with such inventive stories when the consensus was broadly in favour of the European project. To write these explosive tracts took some formidable powers of re-invention from the then predominant Bumbling Boris, which were unleashed by what became known as the Four O'Clock Rant. During this daily deadline ritual, for which he would lock his office door to guarantee complete seclusion, he would proceed to hurl expletives at a ragged yucca plant on his desk for several minutes to work himself up into a requisite frenzy of focus and creativity. The shouting could be heard clearly on the street below. He admits that one hand still bears a scar where the force of his emotions snapped a Biro.

Another telling off-guard moment back then came when Johnson admitted he got a huge kick out of trying to change the course of history even if that would mean throwing rocks into glasshouses and listening to the shattering of glass. More recently, he subtitled his book The Churchill Factor (which contains 31 references to himself in the introduction alone and which resembles something of a personal manifesto rather than biography of another) with the words How One Man Made History.

Those who knew him well back in Brussels, would surely recognise some of the motives inherent in his actions now  as well as his absurdly grandiose fondness for comparing himself to Britain's greatest wartime leader (and fellow journalist, painter etc). He loves the feeling and excitement of power, without necessarily having any plans for what to do with it beyond his own advancement and pleasure.

Boris Johnson, left, has been in regular contact with the Prime Minister ahead of the EU summit (AFP)

Johnson has also, appropriately enough for a man accustomed to unfathomable good fortune, harboured a long-time fondness for a gamble. Again and again in his life, he has risked the wrath of his employers, his colleagues and, of course, Marina by privileging his own self-interest over theirs, and again and again he has got away with it. At Eton, Oxford, The Spectator, The Daily Telegraph, Henley, Uxbridge and the London mayoralty he has succeeded, without always investing the usually necessary effort and commitment. No doubt his calculation this time is that his undoubted genius for self-promotion will allow him to get away with this latest dicing with danger, too  after all, even his father Stanley has publicly acknowledged that if Britain votes In then his son has just made a career-ending decision.

Both Johnsons would be the first to appreciate the younger one's undoubted gifts for winning campaigns, proven twice against the odds in London mayoral elections. No doubt his expectations depend on that Borissian fairy dust turning votes in his direction this time, too. The bookies believe he has called it right  making him the new favourite for next Tory leader (replacing George Osborne, whose pennant is inextricably tied to the Remain mast) and cutting the odds for his success from 3/1 to 5/2. And some polls suggest Johnson could lure an extra 10 per cent to the Outer side.

But there are obvious questions. What exactly are his reasons for Brexit? (He has not spelt them out in any convincing detail beyond vague references to saving money and taking back control?) Is he really a genuine Outer when he's already talking about a second referendum to stay In? And what will his role be over the months leading up to the referendum to make that happen? Will he content himself with accusing the PM, as he has done this week from the safety of City Hall, of scaremongering and wildly exaggerating the potential downsides of Brexit? If so, by holding back, could he survive an In vote? Are we seeing yet another demonstration of Johnson's favourite policy, that of having his cake and eating it?

It is notable that he is spurning the idea of entering what he calls blimming debates or sharing platforms with fellow Outers. Nigel Farage and George Galloway would certainly not count as his comrades of choice  although it is difficult to name anyone who would. Michael Gove, the fellow Outer who dined with Johnson last week and would seem to be more in tune with him politically has, in truth, never trusted him or been his friend. Indeed, only a year ago, the Justice Secretary was branding Johnson as unfit to govern (an opinion, by the way, shared by the Court of Appeal).

In truth, Cameron is not the only colleague  politician or journalist  that Johnson has alienated over the years. His fellow Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames (who helped Johnson with his best-selling book on his grandfather) effectively called him a liar on Twitter this week by saying he really isn't an Outer by conviction. The former MP Jerry Hayes simply branded him a copper-bottomed, hypocritical little shit.

They and many others have come to realise that Johnson is only really comfortable as a soloist. For all his apparently unscripted asides during his public speaking, he likes to be rigidly rehearsed before opening his mouth. Avoiding debates on such a momentous national question as to whether we should remain within the EU may save Johnson from the extempore pressures he dislikes, but it is also hardly prime ministerial. He has rarely performed well in the Commons, a bearpit where bumbling and long-winded attempts at humour fall flat.

Johnson has always believed that Cameron's job in Downing Street was rightly his; that he is cleverer, more original, more popular, more entitled to occupy the pinnacle of power in this country than the (in his view) undistinguished but super-privileged son of Berkshire who beat him to the top. Yes, the fact that Cameron was two years below him at Eton  a terrifically hierarchical school  rankles deeply. As does the fact that it was Boris who shone there, not Cameron. Masters recall Johnson as a remarkable teenager. They do not recall Cameron at all.

Of course this academic superiority was reversed at Oxford University, to Johnson's eternal disgust, when Dave scooped a First to Johnson's 2:1. But only in PPE, Johnson likes to scoff when teased on this subject, rather than a real subject like Greats.

Until now, Cameron and Johnson have pretended in public that they are friends who joke around and make helpful criticisms of each other, as friends do. Yet while Cameron might have been shocked by the scale and style of Johnson's betrayal he can hardly have been surprised. Sure, he has sat faithfully in the audience at Johnson's conference speeches every year, looking as if his cheeks were going to explode at the effort of grinning through barely veiled jokes and jibes at his expense. But then Cameron has long had to tolerate  at least in public  the disloyal antics of London's mayor because his popularity made him untouchable.

In pictures: David Cameron and Boris Johnson visit a Crossrail construction site Show all 5 1 /5 In pictures: David Cameron and Boris Johnson visit a Crossrail construction site In pictures: David Cameron and Boris Johnson visit a Crossrail construction site London Crossrail, the largest infrastructure project in Europe, which will provide a new link across London, has reached the half-way stage In pictures: David Cameron and Boris Johnson visit a Crossrail construction site London Prime Minister David Cameron and Mayor of London Boris Johnson during a visit to a Crossrail construction site underneath Tottenham Court Road In pictures: David Cameron and Boris Johnson visit a Crossrail construction site London The Crossrail project, which is expected to be completed in 2018, will link Berkshire, west of London with Essex, east of London In pictures: David Cameron and Boris Johnson visit a Crossrail construction site London David Cameron smiles as he visits a Crossrail construction site underneath Tottenham Court Road In pictures: David Cameron and Boris Johnson visit a Crossrail construction site London Crossrail will add 10 percent more capacity to London's rail network and help cope with the city's forecast population growth to 10 million people in 2030 from 8.4 million now. Around 10,000 people currently work on Crossrail and the project is supporting 55,000 jobs around the country during its construction

Now the gloves are off. Cameron owes Johnson nothing; he no longer needs to indulge the man he once called his star player. Time will tell who wins this contest, but it is possible that Cameron will survive to take his revenge.

Johnson is a figure of enormous gifts and talents. He has popularity, charm, brains, self-belief, charisma, sex appeal, wit, a talent for good luck and lashings of celebrity gold dust. He is probably the most complex and interesting public figure in Britain today and fascinates people across the globe. He could still do so much for his country, if he put his mind to it. But his decision  against his own natural instincts  to opt for Out is yet another example of where those who know him well believe he has gone for the self-serving rather then the principled. And for a man blessed with so much, that is a huge shame.

Sonia Purnell is the author of 'Just Boris: A Tale of Blond Ambition' (Aurum Press, 8.99)

The Rivals: When politics got personal

Blair vs Brown

The TB-GBs, as they were called, afflicted Labour for the entire Blair government, and for some time after. Entering parliament together as fellow modernisers, Brown was the senior partner, even teaching Blair how to write press releases and craft soundbites. They fell out after it became clear Blair would run for leader in 1994. A misunderstood pledge over dinner, Mandelson and Cherie fuelled the grudge.

Thatcher vs Heseltine

Long before Bojo, there were tales of blond ambition. Heseltine represented an older tradition of Toryism: pro-European, one- nation, socially concerned. The other, well, the opposite. But they shared a liking for power. Heseltine ended her time in Number 10; but the assassin did not seize the crown in 1990, and John Major  who had no rivals  stayed as PM for the next six years.

Gladstone vs Disraeli

This was perhaps the first feud to combine personal loathing with something that approximated to the modern party system. Liberal Gladstone stood for social reform, abstinence and Home Rule for Ireland; Tory Disraeli made Victoria Empress of India, made friends with the brewers and invented a type of working-class Toryism that was to prove remarkably resilient.

Jenkins vs Crosland

Although contemporaries, Crosland made the earlier progress as a top social democratic thinker, and was a kind of mentor to Jenkins. 'Woy', the more Asquithian of the two, was socially ambitious and inclined to anecdote above ideology. Public school and Oxford educated, both long coveted the Labour leadership, and premiership, but lost out in 1976 to Plymouth lad James Callaghan.
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Civil servants will be banned from helping ministers campaigning for Brexit to make their case, as Whitehall departments prepare for months of chaotic government splits over the EU referendum.

Instructions from the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, mean that Michael Gove, Iain Duncan Smith and other ministers supporting the Out campaign will also be unable to access some official papers.

With five Cabinet ministers and more than 20 junior ministers and parliamentary private secretaries opposing the Governments stance, several Whitehall departments are split down the middle between the Leave and Remain camps.

Divisions were laid bare as the Environment Secretary Liz Truss told a major meeting of British farmers that the UKs multi-billion agricultural industry would be better off if the country stayed in the EU, even as her colleague, the farming minister George Eustice, said farmers should be freed from EU regulations.

Addressing the National Farmers Union at its annual conference, Ms Truss said that leaving the EU could bring years of complication and risk to the food and farming sector, the UKs largest manufacturing industry.

However, in comments to the BBC, Mr Eustice said farming could flourish without the constraints of EU law, singling out GM crops as an innovation that had been held back as a result of the UKs membership.

In a move that will anger Brexit supporters, one set of rules has been drawn up for civil servants and special advisers working for ministers who back David Camerons call to stay in the EU, and another working for those who are pro-Brexit.

several Whitehall departments are split down the middle between the Leave and Remain camps (Getty)

A memo circulated yesterday by the Cabinet Secretary told Whitehall chiefs that the civil service supports the government of the day in developing and implementing its policies. This includes supporting the government to make the case for the UK to remain in a reformed EU.

He added that civil servants are allowed to provide briefs or write speeches for ministers who want to go out campaigning for the Remain position but warned: It will not be appropriate or permissible for the civil service to support ministers who oppose the governments official position by providing briefing or speech material on this matter.

The edict includes access to official departmental papers relating to the referendum that ministers have not already seen.

 PM 'disappointed' by Boris

Special advisers are bound by the same rules, except that those who back Brexit will have the option of resigning from their jobs to join a campaign, and be re-employed when the referendum is over. Any special advisers seeking to work either part- or full-time for one of the opposing campaigns will have to see the Prime Ministers approval, the letter states.

Leader of the House of Commons Chris Grayling, who is campaigning for Brexit, urged David Cameron to be careful over the civil services role in the EU debate.

What we cant be seen to be doing is to be spending large amounts of public money, large amounts of public time, on one side of the argument or the other, he told Sky News.

So I dont expect the Prime Minister not to access government support, it is after all government policy, it was agreed on Saturday by a majority of Cabinet ministers. But I think that everyone involved has to be careful.

Challenged by Conservative backbencher Nadine Dorries over the civil services role in coordinating a letter signed by business chiefs, urging the UK to remain in the EU, Mr Cameron said this week that the Government had a clear view in favour of staying in the EU and that the civil service would support the Government in that role.

Commenting on Sir Jeremys letter, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: Government resources should not be used to support a minister in taking a personal position that differs from the Governments position.

Sir Jeremys instructions are in line with the rules laid down for civil servants during the 1975 referendum campaign. At that time, the main form of communication with the public was through leaflets delivered free to every household by the Post Office.
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Labour members support for Jeremy Corbyn has stayed very strong since his election in September, new polling shows.

A YouGov study commissioned by the Election Data website found 72 per cent of Labour members approved of Mr Corbyn, with 17 per cent disapproving.

Mr Corbyn won the Labour leadership with a knock-out blow in the first round of the contest  with 59.5 per cent of the vote.

The high support was despite 41 per cent of Labour members saying it was unlikely that Mr Corbyn would win the next election in 2020.

The poll also shows that if Labour had another leadership election in which Mr Corbyn and his close ally John McDonnell did not stand, a plurality of members would simply not vote.

This is a surprising result but Would Not Vote is ineligible due to the fact that it is not a human being at all but a statement of intent, Election Data wrote in its analysis.

Presumably those members who would not vote in such a scenario are so angry at the impertinence of the question they express their dissatisfaction through choosing not to vote at all.

The party has practically doubled in size since Mr Corbyn won the leadership election  with the flood of new members apparently favouring the Labour leader.

The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Show all 11 1 /11 The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He called Hezbollah and Hamas friends True. In a speech made to the Stop the War Coalition in 2009, Mr Corbyn called representatives from both groups friends after inviting them to Parliament. He later told Channel 4 he wanted both groups, who have factions designated as international terror organisations, to be part of the debate for the Middle East peace process. I use (the word friends) in a collective way, saying our friends are prepared to talk, he added. Does it mean I agree with Hamas and what it does? No. Does it mean I agree with Hezbollah and what they do? No. Reuters The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn thinks the death of Osama bin Laden was a tragedy Partly false. David Cameron used this as a line of attack at the Conservative Party conference but appears to have left out all context from Mr Corbyns original remarks. In an 2011 interview on Iranian television, the then-backbencher said the fact the al-Qaeda leader was not put on trial was the tragedy, continuing: The World Trade Center was a tragedy, the attack on Afghanistan was a tragedy, the war in Iraq was a tragedy. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is haunted by the legacy of his evil great-great-grandfather False. A Daily Express expose revealed that the Labour leaders ancestor, James Sargent, was the despotic master of a Victorian workhouse. Addressing the report at the Labour conference, Mr Corbyn said he had never heard of him before, adding: I want to take this opportunity to apologise for not doing the decent thing and going back in time and having a chat with him about his appalling behaviour. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn raised a motion about pigeon bombs in Parliament This one is true. On 21 May 2004, Mr Corbyn raised an early day motion entitled pigeon bombs, proposing that the House register being appalled but barely surprised that MI5 reportedly proposed to load pigeons with explosives as a weapon. The motion continued: The House believes that humans represent the most obscene, perverted, cruel, uncivilised and lethal species ever to inhabit the planet and looks forward to the day when the inevitable asteroid slams into the earth and wipes them out thus giving nature the opportunity to start again. It was not carried. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He rides a Communist bicycle False. A report in The Times referred to Mr Corbyn, known for his cycling, riding a Chairman Mao-style bicycle earlier this year. Less thorough journalists might have referred to it as just a bicycle, but no, so we have to conclude that whenever we see somebody on a bicycle from now on, there goes another supporter of Chairman Mao, he later joked. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn 'Jeremy Corbyn will appoint a special minister for Jews' False so far. The Sun report in December was allegedly based on a rumour passed to the paper by a Daily Express columnist who has written pieces critical of the Labour leader in the past. The minister did not materialise in his shadow cabinet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn wishes Britain would abolish its Army False. Another gem from The Sun took comments made at a Hiroshima remembrance parade in August 2012 where Mr Corbyn supported Costa Ricas move to abolish it armed forces. Wouldnt it be wonderful if every politician around the worldabolished the army and took pride in the fact that they dont have an army, he added. The caveat that every politician must take the step suggests Mr Corbyn does not support UK disarmament just yet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn stole sandwiches meant for veterans False. The Guido Fawkes blog claimed that the Labour leader took sandwiches meant for veterans at at Battle of Britain memorial service in September but a photo later emerged showing him being handed one by Costa volunteers, who later confirmed they were given to all guests. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He missed the induction into the Queens privy council True. After much speculation about Mr Corbyns republican views and willingness to bow to the monarch, his office confirmed that he did not attend the official induction to the privy council because of a prior engagement, but did not rule out joining the body. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn refuses to sing the national anthem. Partly true. The Labour leader was filmed standing in silence as God Save the Queen was sung at a Battle of Britain remembrance service but will reportedly sing it in future. Mr Corbyn was elusive on the issue in an interview, saying he would show memorials respect in the proper way, but sources said he would sing the anthem at future occasions. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cheese True. The group lists its purpose as the following: To increase awareness of issues surrounding the dairy industry and focus on economic issues affecting the dairy industry and producers.

Women members were particularly supportive of the leader, with 78 per cent in favour, 18 points net higher than men when including disapprovals. Young people were also 11 points net more supportive than those over 60.

The partys middle class ABC1 social grade members were less supportive than its working class C2DE members with a nine-point gap in net support.

Londoners were the least supportive of Mr Corbyn compared to the rest of the country, where support was spread broadly equally,

The study however shows a big contrast between the views of Labour members, the partys more casual voters, and the general public.

Approval was still positive but less overwhelming for Labour voters  who liked Mr Corbyn by 43 per cent to 26 per cent against.

The British public at large however disapproved of Mr Corbyn by a similar margin  47 per cent against and 23 per cent in favour.
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Junior doctors have a launched a legal challenge to Jeremy Hunts decision to impose a new contract, and announced that three fresh strikes will hit the NHS in the spring.

Preparing the ground for a new phase in the bitter conflict between the British Medical Association and the Government, the medical union claimed that ministers had failed to assess whether the contract might discriminate against particular groups of junior doctors.

It also announced three 48-hour strikes affecting non-emergency services, to take place in March and April.

Recommended Read more BMA announces three further 48 hour strikes and legal challenge

The decision came as a former Government advisor on patient safety called on ministers to apologise to junior doctors over their handling of the contract dispute, and to freeze its imposition for up to three years.

Don Berwick, a US expert who helped shape Barack Obamas health policy and conducted a review of NHS patient safety under the Coalition, said the Government had made a mistake and needed to find a way out.

You cannot achieve excellence in combat with your future workforce, it makes no sense at all, he said at an event at the Kings Fund think-tank on 23 February.

Jeremy Hunt announced the imposition of the new junior doctor contract, which will cut weekend pay rates in exchange for an increase in basic pay, earlier this month, after being advised by his chief negotiator that talks with the BMA had reached a dead end.

 Jeremy Hunt imposes Junior Doctors contract

The imposed contract, while providing better terms for junior doctors on pay and working hours than the Governments previous offers, is still opposed by the BMA, who say that cuts to out-of-hours pay would heavily impact specialties that demand the most night and weekend shifts, such as A&E, maternity and paediatrics.

Danny Mortimer, chief executive of the NHS Employers organisation, which has negotiated the new contract on behalf of the Government, said the disruption a new wave of strikes would cause was unnecessary and urged junior doctors to look at the contract in detail.

I strongly believe that the final contract is safe, fair and reasonable, he said.

 Andrew Marr reads junior doctors' letters to Jeremy Hunt

However, Dr Johann Malawana, chair of the BMAs junior doctor committee, said that junior doctors had no confidence in the new contract.

In recent weeks I have heard from thousands of junior doctors across the country, and the resounding message is that they cannot and will not accept what the Government is trying to do, he said.

Imposing this contract will seriously undermine the ability of the NHS to recruit and retain junior doctors in areas of medicine with the most unsocial hours, where there are already staffing shortages.

The contract imposed by the Government is intended to be cost-neutral, but the BMA says that if ministers want to deliver on a manifesto pledge of improving weekend services in hospitals, then more doctors, nurses, and support staff would be needed.

The BMAs judicial review application will centre on whether the Government carried out an Equality Impact Assessment of the new contract before imposing it, and whether this met a legal requirement to pay due regard to eliminate discrimination.

It is thought that the BMA will argue that the new contract may discriminate against women, who are more likely to be part-time doctors, who the union says are more likely to lose out under the new contract.

A Department of Health spokesperson said the new wave of strike action was completely unnecessary and would lead to tens of thousands of cancelled operations.

The new contract will mean an average 13.5 per cent basic pay rise, and will bring down the maximum number of hours doctors can work. We urge junior doctors to look at the detail of the contract and the clear benefits it brings, the spokesperson said.
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Junior doctors will go on strike for three further 48-hour periods in an attempt to stop a new contract, the British Medical Association has announced.

The BMA, doctors' professional association, has also said it will mount a legal challenge to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt's policy in the courts.

The three strikes are scheduled to begin on Wednesday 9 March, Wednesday 6 April, and Tuesday 26 April. They all begin at 8 am on those days.

Recommended Read more Jeremy Hunt event cancelled after junior doctors buy tickets

The latest actions are in response to the decision by Mr Hunt to unilaterally impose the new contracts without the consent or agreement of junior doctors.

The Government says the new contract will improve patient care at the weekends but junior doctors say it will incentivise unsafe staffing rosters and put patient care at risk

The legal challenge over the contract is based on the BMA's assertion that the Government has not properly performed an equalities impact assessment before deciding to impose the new contract.

Dr Johann Malawana, chair of the BMA's junior doctor committee chair, said junior doctors would not accept the new contract and called for the Government to re-enter industrial talks, which have been suspended.

Imposing this contract will seriously undermine the ability of the NHS to recruit and retain junior doctors in areas of medicine with the most unsocial hours, where there are already staffing shortages. This will have a significant impact on areas such as emergency medicine, maternity care and paediatrics, to name but a few," he said.

We have already seen NHS chief executives refusing to support an imposition, and patient representatives have said they are appalled by this move. Added to this, the Governments former adviser on patient safety, Don Berwick, has said it should apologise to junior doctors over the contract dispute. The Government must listen to the chorus of concern coming from all quarters and reconsider this disastrous approach.

In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 20,000 Junior Doctors marched through central London in protest at the new contract changes the government is trying to impose which they say will be unfair and unsafe In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors protest in London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK 4 year old Cassius takes part in a demonstration in Westminster, in support of junior doctors over changes to NHS contracts, London In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Protest over proposed changes to junior doctors' contracts, Leeds In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors and NHS staff protesting against the health service cuts and the proposed contract changes offered by the government outside Parliament In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Over 5000 junior doctors rallied in Waterloo place, before marching through Whitehall and onto Parliament Square, in opposition to Jeremy Hunt's new working conditions for doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Demonstrators listen to speeches in Waterloo Place during the 'Let's Save the NHS' rally and protest march by junior doctors In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK Junior doctors marched in London to highlight their plight In pictures: Junior doctors protests in UK A protester at a demonstration in support of junior doctors in London

The fact is, junior doctors already work around the clock, seven days a week and they do so under their existing contract. If the Government wants more seven-day services then, quite simply, it needs more doctors, nurses and support staff, and the extra investment necessary to deliver them. Rather than address these issues head on, the Government wants to introduce a contract that is unfair and in which junior doctors have no confidence.

The Government can avert this action by re-entering talks with the BMA and addressing the outstanding issues and concerns junior doctors have, rather than simply ignoring them. If it pushes ahead with plans to impose a contract that junior doctors have resoundingly rejected we will be left with no option but to take this action. The Government must put patients before politics, get back around the table and find a negotiated solution to this dispute.

The British Medical Association had previously said it would look at all options available to it in order to prevent the contract from being implemented.

Junior doctors have already staged two days of strike action as part of negotiations; those who voted were 98 per cent in favour of taking action.

As with previous strikes, emergency care will continue to be offered during stoppages.

A Department of Health spokesperson said the newly imposed contract would actually benefit doctors.

Further strike action is completely unnecessary and will mean tens of thousands more patients face cancelled operations  over a contract that was 90 per cent agreed with the BMA and which senior NHS leaders including Simon Stevens have endorsed as fair and safe," they said.

The new contract will mean an average 13.5% basic pay rise, and will bring down the maximum number of hours doctors can work.

We urge junior doctors to look at the detail of the contract and the clear benefits it brings.
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Nine in 10 English councils are set to use special new powers to impose council tax hikes of up to four per cent this year, raising funds to alleviate a growing crisis in care services for the elderly and disabled.

However, town hall leaders warned taxpayers that the 372m that could be raised may not be enough to prevent services deteriorating even further.

Councils are setting their final budgets for 2016/17 in the coming weeks, in the context of a 2.5bn cut in their central government funding for local services.

Recommended Read more Local authorities allowed to increase council tax by two per cent

To provide some protection for care funding, Chancellor George Osborne included a two per cent social care precept in his autumn Spending Review.

Councils already have the power to increase taxes by as much as 1.99 per cent. The precept allows a further two per cent increase, but all of the extra money raised must be spent on social care.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said that 143 of the 152 local authorities in England that provide social care services are either considering or have approved the precept  reflecting widespread recognition that core funding will not be enough to sure-up care services that now support 400,000 fewer elderly and vulnerable compared to 2010, following swingeing cuts to council budgets under the Coalition Government.

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The LGA said much of the extra income will be absorbed by the estimated 330m cost imposed by the Governments new national minimum wage, which will affect many council carers and care home employees.

The Care and Support Alliance, which represents 75 national care charities, said that the Government was asking councils to achieve the impossible and urged the Government to alleviate a degree of the suffering of elderly care service users by committing to increased central funding.

Councils expect that other services  such as road-works, childrens centres and libraries  could suffer as money is diverted to protect elderly care.

The LGAs vice chair Nick Forbes said that care services were at breaking point leaving councils with no choice but to raise council tax.

Vulnerable members of the community still face an uncertain future next year where the dignified care and support they deserve, such as help getting dressed, fed or getting out and about, remains at risk, he said.

Vital social care services will increasingly be unable to help ease the growing pressure on the NHS and the threat of a care home crisis is still very real.

Mr Forbes said the Government should use next months Budget to bring forward 700m of extra funding for council care services  pledged by the end of the decade  so that town halls could put the money to use as soon as this year.

A Government spokesman said that care services should be an absolute priority for councils.

Councils will have almost 200 billion to spend on local services, over the lifetime of this parliament, the spokesman said. This means councils can deliver services their residents value, while council tax bills are expected to be lower in real terms by the end of this Parliament than they were in 2010.

George Osborne's social care precept allows a further two per cent tax increase, but all of the extra money raised must be spent on social care (Getty)

The 'social care precept'

The social care precept was introduced by George Osborne to calm growing fears over the council-funded social care systems ability to meet the needs of an ageing population.

It allows councils to increase council tax by an extra two per cent above their existing powers.

The Government says the precept will raise 2bn by 2020 for social care services  but this estimate has been challenged by the independent Kings Fund think tank which puts the figure at a maximum 800m.

The Kings Fund and LGA also warn that the precept will increase inequality between rich and poor elderly care service users, with wealthier areas able to raise more in council tax than poorer ones.
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At some point over the next four months, David Cameron is likely to have to whip off his jacket, roll up his sleeves and exalt that the EU Referendum really pumps him up.

To the great relief of the hundreds of staff at o2 HQ in Slough early on 23 February, that point has not yet been reached. The jacket came off - it always does - but the cufflinks remained in place, serving their function as Prime Ministerial pump-up tachograph, limiting levels to moderate.

The people of o2, to their credit, nodded along quietly as the Prime Minister outlined what a success his renegotiation had been, only openly laughing when he claimed, Its great to be here in Slough. Bullshit, like mobile data, comes with limits you shouldnt try and exceed.

He even brought Karren Brady with him, the West Ham chairman whose employment by leading Tory party donors, elevation to the peerage and bargain basement tenancy of the taxpayer funded Olympic Stadium are all entirely unrelated. It might have felt a long way for her to travel to give a three sentence long introduction bigging up the UKs special status as negotiated by Dave, but she made herself useful by holding the PMs jacket - a courtesy as yet unextended to any Apprentice candidate.

David Cameron knows he only really has one message to sell. Why take the risk? If youre not certain, surely the best thing to do is to back the side that has the security and the safety of what we know, he told them. It almost helps that as of now, the counterpoint is Boris Johnson. Stick with what you know. Bojo might be the megalols option but therell be wiff waff induced nuclear holocaust by Christmas.

There were words of conciliation for Boris.  A great friend, with a bright future in British politics. But for the meantime, a convenient foil for whats become known as Project Fear.

That project was on full view again as the o2 staff sat diligently through the PMs most well worn pro-Eu factoid. That it was only thanks to the European arrest warrant that one of the failed 21/7 bombers was able to be extradited, and whos now serving a 40 year prison sentence, here in the UK. Thats reassuring, but a lingering doubt remains as to the actual security risk posed by a jihadist unable to blow himself up and who then flees to a country with a long established extradition arrangement with the UK. You could almost feel sorry for him. 40 years is a long time to sit and wonder why you didnt just run to Julian Assanges bedroom in the Ecuadorian embassy. Sure, its not much, not when you thought you were getting eternal life and 92 virgins, but at least theres a balcony.

Recommended Read more Tories back away from David Cameron in row over Europe

Being a Spanish owned telecommunications behemoth based in the UK and heavily linked with the recent reduction in data roaming charges - an EU-engineered victory for trans-European sexting that ranks right up there with its primary achievement of staving off World War Three - its not surprising Mr Cameron chose o2 as the latest stop on his Why Risk It? tour. Not that long ago, he was boring some German train parts manufacturers in Chippenham with the same material.

Who might be next? Belgian chocolateers based in Blackburn? Valerie from the Patisserie? Technically, the UKs biggest export to Europe is tourism. The staff at Alton Towers could certainly do with a few choice words on risk aversion. What about Madame Tussauds? He could even get Margaret Thatcher to introduce him. He might even have to roll up his sleeves. We shall have to wait and see.
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The military prison at Guantanamo Bay was established in January 2002 to hold detainees swept up in President George W Bushs so-called war on terror. It was intentionally established on a US naval base on the tip of Cuba that Mr Bushs lawyers argued was beyond the reach of usual US law.

Mr Obama vowed to close the camp on the say he assumed office (AP)

Jumpsuits

With the world alarmed by images of the first inmates arriving - wearing orange jumpsuits, handcuffs, ear-muffs and goggles and being forced to their knees - US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld claimed they represented the worst of the worst. It very quickly emerged that many of the detainees had been sold to the Americans, either via Pakistans ISI intelligence agency, or else from Afghan warlords. US officials confirmed that bounties had been paid. Among those wrongly detained was Sami al-Haj, is a Sudanese journalist who was captured on his first assignment for Al Jazeera.

Abuse

Although it was claimed the prisoners were being kept in humane conditions, within the first two year it was revealed that inmates were subjected to Abu Ghraib-style torture and sexual humiliation in which they were stripped naked, forced to sodomise one another and taunted by naked female American soldiers, Several dozen prisoners sought to take their own lives. In October 2003, such was the situation the Red Cross - the only outside organization with regular access to the prisoners - broke its silence and said it had noticed a worrying deterioration in the mental health of the men.

Military commissions

Despite a loud campaign by legal activists and scholars, the Bush administration insisted that the prisoners were not eligible to be tried by either the usual US civilian courts or under normal military court martials. It also claimed the protections enforced by the Geneva Conventions were not applicable. It established new system of legal military commission hearings with with inmate had only the minimum legal resumes or rights.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is accused of masterminding the 9/11 attacks (AP)

KSM

Among those the US has sought to try under this process is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused of being the ringleader of the 9/11 attacks. A report published in late 2014 revealed he had been waterboarded 180 times in black sites in Poland and Romania. Mohammed has been brought for various hearing before panels at Guantanamo, but progress has been stumbling. Ten prisoners are still involved in military commission process. Around 60 prisoners still not cleared for release have never been charged.

Gitmo: The Movie - Inside Guantanamo Bay Show all 6 1 /6 Gitmo: The Movie - Inside Guantanamo Bay Gitmo: The Movie - Inside Guantanamo Bay 304009.bin AFP / GETTY IMAGES Gitmo: The Movie - Inside Guantanamo Bay 304021.bin Gitmo: The Movie - Inside Guantanamo Bay 304022.bin Gitmo: The Movie - Inside Guantanamo Bay 304023.bin Gitmo: The Movie - Inside Guantanamo Bay 304024.bin Gitmo: The Movie - Inside Guantanamo Bay 304025.bin

Supreme Court

In 2008 the United States Supreme Court ruled that detainees had the right of access to US federal courts to petition under habeas corpus to challenge their detentions, and that the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 and the Military Commissions Act of 2006 were flawed. A revised Military Commissions Act was passed by Congress in 2009 to address the court's concerns.

 Moazzam Begg on Guantanamo Bay. Arrest, life inside and its future

91 left

More than 800 men have passed through Guantanamos cells. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama revealed that after after the release of hundreds of inmates to their own countries, or else a third country, just 91 remained. He said planned to step up efforts to release those who had passed the required process to determine they were no longer a threat.
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Montreal is to ban single-use plastic bags in a bid to reduce waste, it has been announced.

The Canadian city will ban the sale of traditional plastic bags, however businesses will still be able to sell thicker bags for life for 5 cents. Thin bags used to hold medicines, dry cleaning, fruit or vegetables will still be allowed, The Montreal Gazette reports.

The ban will come into effect in 2018. Local government has said it will run a public education programme prior to the ban to raise awareness and garner public support.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said that he hoped plastic bag usage would slowly die out. He told The Montreal Gazette: In a few years, these plastic bags used by billions worldwide will be a thing of another era.

However, the announcement has been met with resistance by local business owners amid concerns that it could curtail commerce. Local businesses have argued that the ban will stop people from dropping into local shops to purchase a small number of items, instead delaying until large weekly shops.

Francois Vincent, director of provincial affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, said: We are disappointed because we showed a survey to the committee that said 54 per cent of our members were against a total ban. They were for the objective of reducing plastic bags for a better environment, but they were afraid of the impact on the economy because it will cost them more.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Montreal was one of the first cities to introduce a 5 cent charge for plastic bag use in 2007. The measure was heralded a success, with plastic bag use reducing by 50 per cent.

In 2011, Wales introduced a plastic bag charge of 5p and subsequently saw bag use drop by 71 per cent. Scotland and Northern Ireland followed suit in 2014. In October 2015, England became the last part of the UK to extend the plastic bag charges.
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Just hours after the city council in Charlotte, North Carolina extended protection against discrimination to gays and transgender people in the city, the speaker of the state's House of Representatives vowed to "correct this radical course."

Speaker Tim Moore said, "the Charlotte City Council has gone against all common sense and has created a major public safety issue by opening all bathrooms and changing rooms to the general public," the Charlotte Observer reported.

Mr. Moore was referring to the most controversial part of the anti-discrimination law that allows transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify. Opponents of the ordinance have said it would allow would-be predators access to bathrooms they're not supposed to be using.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory over the weekend took a stance against the law, saying that if the city council passed the ordinance, it would likely force the state government into action to ban it.

Other than the contentious bathroom clause, the anti-discrimination ordinance also prevents businesses from denying service to gays and transgender people, adding to existing protections on age, race and gender.

"This ordinance is impossible to regulate as intended, and creates undue regulatory burdens on private businesses," Speaker Moore said. "I join my conservative colleagues and Gov. McCrory in exploring legislative intervention."

It's not immediately clear what the North Carolina legislature will do in response to the law's passing in Charlotte.

Follow @PaytonGuion on Twitter.



Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article61932507.html#storylink=cpy



Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article61932507.html#storylink=cpy
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Sheathed in 24-carat gold-infused glass, the word TRUMP emblazoned at its summit, the Trump International Hotel provides Republican frontrunner Donald Trump with a presence in Las Vegas that no other presidential candidate can match: his name on the skyline.

With the GOP race arriving in Nevada, this 64-storey erection, mere yards from the Vegas Strip, offers a telling glimpse of The Donalds self-image. At a shop in the lobby, guests can purchase merchandise including Trump sparkling wine, Trump cuff-links and $18 (13) sticks of the own-brand deodorant, Success by Trump.

The tower is a rallying point for Trump supporters such as 63-year-old Dane Senser, from California, who stood outside on Sunday morning brandishing two giant playing cards: the ace of hearts, which bore a portrait of Mr Trump and his campaign slogan Make America Great Again; and a joker, with a picture of Mr Trumps prospective Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

Mr Senser, a small-business owner, said he was inspired by Mr Trumps bestselling business tome, The Art of the Deal, to get his life back on track after losing his home to foreclosure. When I saw he was running, I got so inspired. I said, This mans gonna be President, and Im gonna help him.

Yet the race-baiting billionaire, who is expected to claim another comfortable victory at Tuesday's Nevada caucuses, has not always won big in Vegas.

Dane Senser said he was inspired by Mr Trumps bestselling business tome, The Art of the Deal (Tim Walker)

Mr Trump shares ownership of the Trump International 50-50 with developer Phillip Ruffin. The tallest residential building in the city, the tower has no gambling facilities, but was designed as a $1.2bn luxury condo and timeshare development. During construction, Mr Trump promoted the project on his reality television show, The Apprentice, insisting it would be the crown jewel of the Las Vegas Strip.

After the tower opened on the eve of the economic crisis, however, many prospective condo owners demanded their deposits back. Some even brought lawsuits. They were dismissed, but plans for a second tower on the site were put on hold, and the building began operating as a hotel instead.

When condo sales were relaunched in 2012, penthouses that had once been expected to fetch up to $6m (4.2m) were instead offered for $3.5m. Today, the tower is surrounded by empty brownfield sites, where other planned resort projects were postponed indefinitely during the recession.

Trump International is also embroiled in a dispute with its 700-plus workforce, which recently voted to unionise. The National Labour Relations Board sided with the workers, but Trump management still refuses to recognise the union, which says about 98 per cent of hospitality workers on the Strip are unionised, and that Trump employees are paid $3 an hour less than union rates.

The Trump organisation claimed union representatives had engaged in severe misconduct ahead of the vote to unionise in December. Representatives from the Culinary Workers union planned to picket outside the hotel on caucus day, according to its spokesperson Bethany Khan, who added: Mr Trump says hes a great negotiator, so were wondering why he hasnt negotiated with us yet.

Recommended Read more Donald Trump heads the polls in 10 of the next 14 states to vote

Mr Trump is on slightly better terms with the citys billionaires, such as Steve Wynn, owner of the eponymous Wynn hotel and casino, just across the Strip from the Trump tower. During the 1990s, the two fought a protracted, public feud over their rival developments in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but they have since patched up their differences.

In pictures: US Elections 2016 Show all 15 1 /15 In pictures: US Elections 2016 In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to supporters after rival candidate Hillary Clinton was projected as the winner in the Nevada Democratic caucuses Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes photos with workers at her campaign office in Des Moines, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, second from left, prays before lunch with supporters at Drake Diner in Des Moines, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Governor. Martin O'Malley, speaks during a campaign stop in Waterloo, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks, as his wife Jane OMeara Sanders looks on, at a campaign event at Iowa State University Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio speaks at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks at a campaign event at Fireside Pub and Steak House in Manchester, Iowa. Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum visiting supporters at a house party in West Des Moines, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican candidate Ted Cruz campaigns at Greene County Community Centre in Jefferson, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Senator Rand Paul speaks during a Caucus rally at his Des Moines headquarters in Iowa Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican candidate Jeb Bush speaks at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa AFP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin introducing the arrival of Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 A portrait of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders at his campaign headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Campaign badges on sale ahead of a Trump rally at the Ramada Waterloo Hotel and Convention Centre in Waterloo, Iowa Getty

Last year it was reported that Mr Wynn was acting as an unofficial adviser to the Trump campaign, though he struggled to comprehend his former rivals political success. It certainly is a spectacular and perverse moment in political history, he told Vegas-based political reporter Jon Ralston.

Sheldon Adelson, the major Republican donor who owns the Venetian resort and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, has not personally endorsed any candidate, though his newspaper recently backed Marco Rubio.

Professor Eric Herzik, who chairs the political science department at the University of Nevada, Reno, said Mr Trumps staunchest support in the Silver State comes not from billionaires, but from an angry middle class. Trumps natural allies are people who are angry with the system, he said. Nevada was hit as hard as any state in the economic downturn and it still hasnt recovered. Nevadans think, 'Were not getting help, but the rich banks are'. Ironically, theyve turned to the wealthiest guy running to represent their interests.

Mr Trumps rally at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas on Monday night was pitched as one of the largest in Nevada political history. Mr Senser said he would be there.

Trump is a blue-collar billionaire. He understands people like me; thats why hes resonating, he said, as he posed for photographs with his playing cards at the entrance to the Trump hotel. A short time later, he was shooed away from the premises by security.
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Texas Senator Ted Cruz has demanded the resignation of his presidential campaigns national spokesman, Rick Tyler, after Mr Tyler tweeted a video purporting to show Mr Cruzs rival Marco Rubio cracking a joke about the Bible. The video turned out to be false, and Mr Tyler later deleted his tweet, but too late to avoid accusations of dirty tricks  and too late to save his job, as Mr Cruz tried to swerve any potential political potholes ahead of Tuesdays Republican caucuses in Nevada.

The clip in question shows Mr Rubio walking into a hotel lobby where Mr Cruzs father, pastor Rafael Cruz, is reading the Bible with another campaign staffer. The subtitles, reportedly added by a college newspaper, misquoted Mr Rubio as saying: Got a good book there, not many answers in it. In fact, the Rubio campaign pointed out, the Florida Senator had said the Bible contained all the answers.

At a press conference in Las Vegas on Monday afternoon, Mr Cruz acknowledged that his campaign should not have sent the video, saying: Thats why Ive asked for Rick Tylers resignation.

Mr Cruz touted Mr Tylers exit as evidence that his was the only major campaign acting honourably in the rough-and-tumble race to the Republican nomination. I had made clear in this campaign that we will conduct this campaign with the very highest standards of integrity, the Texas Senator went on. None of you have heard me throw the kind of insults at Marco Rubio that he throws at me every single day. If other candidates choose to go into the gutter, we will not do the same.

The Rubio, Trump and Carson campaigns have all called Mr Cruzs ethics into question in recent weeks, with GOP front-runner Donald Trump describing his ultra-conservative rival as the biggest liar in politics. The Rubio campaign said Mr Cruz was willing to do or say anything to get elected. But Mr Cruz accused both Mr Rubio and Mr Trump of relying on utter fabrications in their attacks on him, claiming his competitors all scream liar, liar, liar rather than discuss substance.

Republican presidential nominations Show all 9 1 /9 Republican presidential nominations Republican presidential nominations Jeb Bush Who he is: Brother of former President George W. Bush and son of former President George H. W. Bush, Mr Bush has formed a Political Action Committee and is exploring a presidential bid. He was the governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. The issues: Mr Bush has indicated that his campaign would focus on the economy, foreign policy and energy. He is also known as a proponent of education reform. Getty Republican presidential nominations Marco Rubio Who he is: Mr Rubio is a US senator from Florida who has served since 2011. He is an early favourite to receive heavy donations from ultra-rich donors the Koch brothers. The issues: Mr Rubio has said the biggest issue facing the US in the near future is foreign policy and dealing with threats from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. AP Republican presidential nominations Ben Carson Who he is: Dr Carson is a retired neurosurgeon, who became one of the most prominent physicians in the US. He has no political experience, but has formed a PAC to consider a run for president. The issues: A big proponent of smaller government, Dr Carson holds a tough stance on illegal immigration and is staunchly opposed to government involvement in health care. Getty Republican presidential nominations Ted Cruz Who he is: Mr Cruz has served as a US senator from Texas since 2013 and previously was the solicitor general of the state from 2003 to 2008. The issues: Mr Cruz is strongly against illegal immigration and figures to offer a presidential campaign heavy on foreign policy. He supports tough sanctions on both Russia and Iran. EPA/SHAWN THEW Republican presidential nominations Carly Fiorina Who she is: Ms Fiorina is the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and a former executive at AT&T. She also was a 2010 nominee from California for the US Senate. The issues: Ms Fiorina, should she run, will campaign as a pro-business candidate whose background as chief executive of a major company proves she can handle the US economy. Getty Images Republican presidential nominations Mike Huckabee Who he is: Mr Huckabee was the governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007 and ran for president in 2008. An ordained Baptist minister, he also hosted a talk show on Fox News until early this month. The issues: Mr Huckabee supports tax reform and often touts the FairTax, which would eliminate income and payroll taxes in favour of a uniform sales tax. getty images Republican presidential nominations Rand Paul Who he is: Mr Paul has served as a US senator from Kentucky since 2011. He is a libertarian and son of former US Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. The issues: Mr Paul supports balanced spending by the government, unlike some of his peers in the Republican Party who oppose most government spending. He has been called an isolationist by some political pundits. AP Republican presidential nominations Scott Walker - OUT Who he is: Mr Walker has served as the governor of Wisconsin since 2011 and has long been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. Mr Walker this week launched a PAC to prepare for a presidential run. The issues: Mr Walker opposes compromise with Democrats on key issues and would encourage increasing the fight against Isis. AP Republican presidential nominations Rick Perry - OUT Who he is: Mr Paul has served as a US senator from Kentucky since 2011. He is a libertarian and son of former US Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. The issues: Mr Paul supports balanced spending by the government, unlike some of his peers in the Republican Party who oppose most government spending. He has been called an isolationist by some political pundits. Getty

Mr Cruz, who came a disappointing third in Saturdays South Carolina primary, behind Mr Trump and Mr Rubio, has tweaked his message to appeal to prospective Republican voters in Nevada, which is still climbing out of its economic slump more slowly than the rest of the US. During a rally at a community gymnasium in North Las Vegas, he described illegal immigration as a powerful anchor, dragging down wages in the troubled Silver State.

He has also vowed, as President, to return the 85 per cent of Nevada owned by the US government to the people of Nevada. The government owns vast swathes of the West, to the anger of anti-government activists, such as those who took over a wildlife refuge in Oregon last month.

While he condemned the occupation, Mr Cruz has aligned himself with the cause, and he was heckled for that position by protesters during the Las Vegas rally. One of the protesters was Melissa Peterson, 36, the president of the Las Vegas contemporary arts centre, who was booed from the room by Cruz supporters.

I love my public lands, Ms Peterson said afterwards. Ted Cruz has said if hes elected President hes going to turn over our national monuments to the state of Nevada, and I know my state  we dont have the resources to properly manage them, and theyll be sold off for private development and mining. I do not want to be a Nevadan whose state is for sale.
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On the verge of another likely victory in the Nevada Republican caucuses, Donald Trump said of a heckler at a rally in Las Vegas that he would like to punch him in the face.

In any other election, such an outburst might have brought the candidates campaign to an ignominious end, but at Mr Trumps event it drew only laughter and loud applause. The rally at the South Point Arena was attended by a capacity crowd of around 8,000, and touted by its organisers as the biggest political gathering in Nevada history.

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The punch comment was of a piece with Mr Trumps belligerent rhetoric, which in recent days has been directed largely at his conservative rival, Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Mr Cruzs previously ultra-disciplined campaign made a misstep on Sunday, when spokesman Rick Tyler tweeted a video of Marco Rubio apparently mocking the Bible.

The video turned out to be false, and Mr Cruz has demanded Mr Tylers resignation. Yet his dismissal has done little to dissuade Mr Trump from depicting the Texas Senator as a slippery customer. Cruz lies more than any human being Ive ever dealt with... [hes] sick, Mr Trump said at his rally, tweeting earlier that Mr Cruz had been disloyal to the very capable Mr Tyler.

At the rally, Mr Trumps supporters were invigorated by what they saw as his straight-talking approach. Corrections officer Erika Von Tagen, 30, said his pugnacity was precisely his appeal. We need to be strong in the eyes of our enemies, she said. Hes a good face for this nation.

 Trump on Protester - 'I'd Like to Punch Him in the Face'

Retired stockbroker Joe Russi, 52, said he backed Mr Trump in large part due to his business credentials. Its not Democrats and Republicans anymore, its businessmen and socialists, he said. We need someone who can handle the country and the debt we have as a businessman.

At his own rally in Las Vegas this morning, hours before the caucuses, Florida Senator Marco Rubio claimed he was the one remaining candidate capable of uniting Republicans to beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in Novembers general election. It cant just be about electing the loudest person in the room, he insisted, yet in Nevada neither he nor Mr Cruz has managed to draw crowds half as large as the bombastic front-runner.

Recommended Read more Donald Trump heads the polls in 10 of the next 14 states to vote

Mr Trump and Mr Rubio both have personal ties to the Silver State. Mr Trump owns 50 per cent of the 64-storey Trump International Hotel, yards from the Las Vegas Strip. Mr Rubio, by contrast, spent part of his childhood in Las Vegas, where his father worked as a casino barman and his mother as a hotel maid. Portraying himself as a champion of the citys low-income hospitality workers, Mr Rubio promised to spread the conservative message to people who are living the way I grew up.

Yet the immigrant workers who make up much of the citys labour force are unlikely to be a significant voting presence at the GOP caucuses. Indeed, the crowds at the three major candidates Las Vegas events were all overwhelmingly white.
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China has said it will increase the threshold at which it will warn people about air pollution in Beijing.

From March, the highest alert will only be issued when the daily average air quality index is forecast to exceed 500 for a day, 300 for two days in a row or 200 for four days.

At present, a red alert is issued when the AQI is forecast to exceed 200, a level the US deems very unhealthy, for at least three days.

China's smoggy capital will almost double the number of air monitoring stations to give a better idea about the true state of the city's air quality.

An extra 30 stations will be added to the 35 already in operation in places like schools, Zhang Dawei, director of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Centre, told Xinhua news agency.

Beijing frequently features near the top of the list of China's most polluted cities as emissions from vehicles and heavy industry combine with weather conditions to raise smog levels.

Last month it emerged that a businessman was selling jars of fresh air to people in China for 80 each.

Leo De Watts, 27, sells air collected in the British countryside and ships it over to polluted cities Shanghai and Beijing, where the wealthy elite pay a hefty sum for a few seconds of inhalation.

In December, a restaurant started putting a surcharge on top of customers food bills as an air cleaning fee.

The worst bouts of air pollution tend to coincide with periods of low wind.

"After the upgrade ... we will have more data about the city's air quality," Zhang was quoted as saying.

It did not give a timeframe for when the new stations would come online.

For Beijing and its surroundings, the government has set a target for 2020 of reducing pollution by 40 percent from 2013 levels. A senior environment official said on Friday the city's air quality has improved over the last two years.

The authorities have increased efforts to reduce air pollution in the wake of the city's first "red alerts" in December last year, when hazardous smog engulfed the city.

The average annual PM 2.5 level in Beijing is around 56. That's still far higher than the World Health Organisation's 'healthy' rating of 25.

Of the top 10 most polluted cities in the world, six are in India, with three in Pakistan and one in Iran.
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The Irish Prime Minister has apologised after calling voters whingers, it has been reported.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny made the remarks whilst canvassing this weekend for the upcoming general election. Mr Kenny described those who are constantly bemoaning like of economic opportunity in County Mayo as whingers. He said: These people are All-Ireland champions when it comes to whinging, The Irish Times reports.

When asked to clarify who he was referring to, he said: Locals. Nothing to do with national politics at all. Obviously you get this all the time. Sometimes I find that people find it difficult to see any good anywhere anytime.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Mr Kenny, leader of the Fine Gael party, said yesterday that the comments were not in fact directed at the electorate but at his political opponents Fianna Fail. He said wished to unreservedly withdraw any offence caused by his remarks.

This Friday 26 February will see Ireland go to the polls to elect 158 representatives for the lower parliamentary chamber, Dail Eireann. Most recent pollings indicate that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have equal support and are likely to form a coalition government.
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Swedish authorities have refused to confirm or deny reports that a 16-year-old girl has been rescued from the Isis militant group - for the second time.

A statement from the Kurdish authorities, which identified the girl by name, said the Swedish national was rescued near Mosul in Iraq by Kurdish special forces in a raid on 17 February.

According to the Kurdistan Regional Security Council, the girl was misled by an Isis member in Sweden to travel to Syria and later to Mosul last year.

Speaking to The Independent, a spokesperson for the Swedish foreign ministry said authorities in Stockholm had no information to give relating to the case.

But various Swedish media outlets reported that the girl is believed to be the same as the pregnant teenager who was rescued from Isis captivity while eight months pregnant in October last year.

Details surrounding the two rescue attempts remain unclear, though it was reported at the time that she had travelled to Syria with her 19-year-old boyfriend.

The Kurds claimed they were called upon by Swedish authorities to facilitate the latest rescue mission, and that members of the girl's family in Boras, around 60km east of Gothenburg, were aware of the attempts to locate and rescue her.

The girl was being held and cared for in Kurdish territory, the statement released on Tuesday said. She will be transferred to Swedish authorities to return home once necessary arrangements are put in place, it added.

In pictures: The rise of Isis Show all 74 1 /74 In pictures: The rise of Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from Islamic State group sit on their tank during a parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from the Islamic State group pray at the Tabqa air base after capturing it from the Syrian government in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from extremist Islamic State group parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping A video uploaded to social networks shows men in underwear being marched barefoot along a desert road before being allegedly executed by Isis Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Haruna Yukawa after his capture by Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Khalinda Sharaf Ajour, a Yazidi, says two of her daughters were captured by Isis militants Washington Post In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Spokesperson for Isis Vice News via Youtube In pictures: The rise of Isis A pro-Isis leaflet A pro-Isis leaflet handed out on Oxford Street In London Ghaffar Hussain In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Isis Jihadists burn their passports In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A man collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A woman collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid Local civilians queue for aid administered by Isis. Since it declared a caliphate the group has increasingly been delivering services such as healthcare, and distributing aid and free fuel In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces detain men suspected of being militants of the Isis group in Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Mourners carry the coffin of a Shi'ite volunteer from the brigades of peace, who joined the Iraqi army and was killed during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Samarra, during his funeral in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Shiite Turkmen family fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, arrives at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Arbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi A photograph made from a video by the jihadist affiliated group Furqan Media via their twitter account allegedly showing Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivering a sermon during Friday prayers at a mosque in Mosul. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamist caliphate in the territory under the group's control in Iraq and Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Smoke and debris go up in the air as Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul. Images posted online show that Islamic extremists have destroyed at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory - the city of Mosul and the town of Tal Afar - they have seized in northern Iraq in recent weeks In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq A bulldozer destroys Sunni's Ahmed al-Rifai shrine and tomb in Mahlabiya district outside of Tal Afar In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces celebrate after clashes with followers of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi, in front of his home in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi at his home after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A vehicle burns in front of a home of a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman holds her exhausted son as over 1000 Iraqis who have fled fighting in and around the city of Mosul and Tal Afar wait at a Kurdish checkpoint in the hopes of entering a temporary displacement camp in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees Displaced Iraqi women hold pots as they queue to receive food during the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at an encampment for displaced Iraqis who fled from Mosul and other towns, in the Khazer area outside Irbil, north Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A militant Islamist fighter waving a flag, cheers as he takes part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa. The fighters held the parade to celebrate their declaration of an Islamic "caliphate" after the group captured territory in neighbouring Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters wave flags as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters travel in a vehicle as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade with a missile in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from an al-Qaida splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from the splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters hold a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A member loyal to the Isis waves an Isis flag in Raqqa In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi anti-government gunmen from Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. The United Nations warned that Iraq is at a "crossroads" and appealed for restraint, as a bloody four-day wave of violence killed 195 people. The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that broke out in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago, raising fears of a return to all-out sectarian conflict In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces hold up a flag of the Isis group they captured during an operation to regain control of Dallah Abbas north of Baqouba, the capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Isis fighters parade in the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Isis group, demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony after completing their field training in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Kurdish Peshmerga troops fire a cannon during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Jalawla, Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference Iraqi Prime Minister's security spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference about the latest military development in Iraq, in the capital Baghdad. Iraqi forces pressed a campaign to retake militant-held Tikrit, clashing with jihadist-led Sunni militants nearby and pounding positions inside the city with air strikes in their biggest counter-offensive so far In pictures: The rise of Isis A police station building destroyed by Isis fighters An exterior view of a police station building destroyed by gunmen in Mosul city, northern Iraq. Iraq's new parliament is expected to convene to start the process of setting up a new government, despite deepening political rifts and an ongoing Islamist-led insurgency. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani issued a decree inviting the new House of Representatives to meet and form a new government In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Smoke billows from an area controlled by the Isis between the Iraqi towns of Naojul and Tuz Khurmatu, both located north of the capital Baghdad, as Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces take part in an operation to repel the Sunni militants In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An elderly Iraqi woman is helped into a temporary displacement camp for Iraqis caught-up in the fighting in and around the city of Mosul in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Christian woman fleeing the violence in the village of Qaraqush, about 30 kms east of the northern province of Nineveh, cries upon her arrival at a community center in the Kurdish city of Arbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman, who fled with her family from the northern city of Mosul, prays with a copy of the Quran AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq The body of an Isis militant killed during clashes with Iraqi security forces on the outskirts of the city of Samarra Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi civilians inspect the damage at a market after an air strike by the Iraqi army in central Mosul EPA In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Members of the Al-Abbas brigades, who volunteered to protect the Shiite Muslim holy sites in Karbala against Sunni militants fighting the Baghdad government, parade in the streets of the city AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Shia tribesmen gather in Baghdad to take up arms against Sunni insurgents marching on the capital. Thousands have volunteered to bolster defences AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A van carrying volunteers joining Iraqi security forces against Jihadist militants. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced the Iraqi government would arm and equip civilians who volunteered to fight AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters of the Isis group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle down a main road at the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An Islamist fighter, identified as Abu Muthanna al-Yemeni from Britain (R), speaks in this still image taken undated video shot at an unknown location and uploaded to a social media website. Five Islamist fighters identified as Australian and British nationals have called on Muslims to join the wars in Syria and Iraq, in the new video released by the Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Al-Qaida inspired militants stand with captured Iraqi Army Humvee at a checkpoint belonging to Iraqi Army outside Beiji refinery some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad. The fighting at Beiji comes as Iraq has asked the U.S. for airstrikes targeting the militants from the Isis group. While U.S. President Barack Obama has not fully ruled out the possibility of launching airstrikes, such action is not imminent in part because intelligence agencies have been unable to identify clear targets on the ground, officials said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants attacked Iraq's main oil refinein Baiji as they pressed an offensive that has seen them capture swathes of territory, a manager and a refinery employee said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants from the Isis group parading with their weapons in the northern city of Baiji in the in Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A smoke rises after an attack by Isis militants on the country's largest oil refinery in Beiji, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. Iraqi security forces battled insurgents targeting the country's main oil refinery and said they regained partial control of a city near the Syrian border, trying to blunt an offensive by Sunni militants who diplomats fear may have also seized some 100 foreign workers In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group stand next to captured vehicles left behind by Iraqi security forces at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province. For militant groups, the fight over public perception can be even more important than actual combat, turning military losses into propaganda victories and battlefield successes into powerful tools to build support for the cause In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An injured fighter (C) from the Isis group after a battle with Iraqi soldiers at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis aiming at advancing Iraqi troops at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group taking position at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group inspecting vehicles of the Iraqi army after they were seized at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq One Iraqi captive, a corporal, is reluctant to say the slogan, and has to be shouted at repeatedly before he obeys Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group force captured Iraqi security forces members to the transport In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group transporting dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members to an unknown location in the Salaheddin province ahead of executing them In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A major offensive spearheaded by Isis but also involving supporters of executed dictator Saddam Hussein has overrun all of one province and chunks of three others In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group executing dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants taking position at a Iraqi border post on the Syrian-Iraqi border between the Iraqi Nineveh province and the Syrian town of Al-Hasakah In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis rebels show their flag after seizing an army post AFP/Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants waving an Islamist flag after the seizure of an Iraqi army checkpoint in Salahuddin Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Demonstrators chant slogans as they carry al-Qaida flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. In the week since it captured Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, a Muslim extremist group has tried to win over residents and has stopped short of widely enforcing its strict brand of Islamic law, residents say. Churches remain unharmed and street cleaners are back at work

Swedish authorities have previously described the Gothenburg region as a hotbed for extremism. Terror expert Magnus Ranstorp said in late 2014 that of 150 Swedes believed to have travelled to join Isis, around a third were from the area.

Since then, the number of Swedes who have been recruited as foreign fighters for Isis is likely to have increased dramatically. The country is behind only Belgium among European and Western nations for its number of Isis foreign fighters per capita.

Last week, a 17-year-old girl from Linkoping, Sweden, was sentenced to a year in prison in Austria after being found guilty of trying to join Isis.

Police said a search of her phone showed she had praised the Paris terror attacks and was planning to meet with two other Swedish teens to head to Syria.

Despite Mosul being Isis's stronghold in Iraq, Kurdish forces have been lined up just a few miles away since the offensive to take back Sinjar last year. They are awaiting international and Iraqi government support for an offensive on the city itself.
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It has been more than 5,000 years since an unfortunate encounter with another stone-age man armed with a bow and arrow saw Otzi the iceman the South Tyrol meet his maker. And still scientists wont leave him in peace.

Since Otzi was found poking out of a glacier, 3,000 metres up in the Otz Valley in the Italian Alps in 1991, the iceman has proved a mine of information about Alpine life in the Neolithic period.

Now researchers in the provincial capital Bolzano hope to recreate his voice by constructing a model of his vocal tract with CT scans. And by recreating the timbre and colour of the icemans voice, specialists in Bolzano and Padua will get the worlds oldest mummy to speak stone-age vowels.

The remarkable research follows the DNA sequencing of the iceman, who rests in a sterile, glass box at 7C in 100 per cent humidity, the permanent star exhibit in Bolzanos South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology.

Rolando Fustos, an ENT consultant at the citys San Maurizio Hospital, who is leading the new project, said there were particular difficulties working with a 5,300-year-old, specially conserved body  by far the oldest mummified person ever found; those of ancient Egypt are at least 1,000 years younger.

For a start, we cant use MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans because of the condition of the mummified body, he said.

The other problem is the position hes in, with his arm across his throat, which makes the CT scanning more difficult.

But providing there are no more unforeseen difficulties, Im fairly confident we will be able to synthesise the sound of his voice within the next few months. After the scans are completed, the voice will be synthesised by special equipment at the National Research Council laboratories in Padua.

Obviously we dont know what language he spoke back then, but we will, I think, be able to reproduce the colour or timbre of his vowel sounds and show how they might be different in the way that Sicilians or people from London, say, pronounce the letter a differently, Dr Fustos said.

The discovery of Otzi in the Italian Alps in 1991 provided information about life in the Neolithic period (AFP/Getty)

Anthropologists have already gleaned that Otzi, who was about 5ft 5in tall, weighed about 59kg and was aged about 45 when he died, had three broken ribs, the intestinal parasite whipworm and the ulcer-causing H pylori infection in his gut, as well as signs of arterial disease.

Scientists have also pieced together his attire  a goatskin loincloth, leather leggings, a goatskin coat and a cloak of grass stitched together with animal sinews.

Otzi might be considered ahead of his time in the style stakes. While todays young Italians like to cover their calves, necks and knuckles in ugly spider-web tattoos, Otzi had beaten them to it, with carbon tattoos consisting of dots and lines.

But it was the nature of Otzis death that has most captured the imagination. Initially, it was thought that he froze in a blizzard.

But CT scans have since revealed that his body contained a flint-headed arrow that entered through his shoulder, rupturing the key blood vessel carrying blood from his heart to his left arm. Otzi was murdered.

Despite the scientific finds and the good publicity for Bolzano, some people have questioned how recently someone has to have died before theyre entitled to a proper burial.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

Dr Albert Zink, the scientist in charge of Otzis preservation, has previously acknowledged this issue. There has been some discussion on this, he said, But this man is 5,300 years old.

We do treat him with respect; and, besides, even if we were to bury him, we wouldnt be able to do it according to his customs because we dont know what they were.

And even when Otzi speaks in the next few months, he wont be able to tell them.
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A Swedish doctor who abducted a woman and kept her locked in a bunker for almost a week has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Martin Peter Trenneborg, who held the woman for six days, had admitted to kidnapping her but denied and was acquitted of a rape charge. The prosecutor said he had planned to hold her prisoner for years.

Stockholms District Court said in a unanimous verdict that the doctor had planned the deed for a long time. Furthermore, the doctor subjected the victim to serious risks by medicating her and by keeping her locked up in very unpleasant forms in the light- and soundproof bunker, it said.

The doctor, 38, drugged the woman  who has not been named  with strawberries spiked with a sedative in Stockholm, before taking her to a bunker in his isolated house in southern Sweden, 340 miles away. Trenneborg claimed he suffered a mental disorder at the time, but the court described the disorder as not serious, adding that it had not affected the verdict. He was ordered to pay 180,000 kronor (15,130) in damages to the woman.

Reuters
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More than 100,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe so far this year  more than eight times the rate seen during the same period in 2015.

Humanitarian organisations have already raised concern about the huge numbers and their implications as border controls continue to tighten on the long route to western Europe and the political will to welcome asylum seekers wanes.

Governments and aid agencies hoped that winter weather would slow the tide of flimsy smugglers boats being sent from Turkey to Greek islands but Greece alone has received more than 97,000 arrivals since the start of 2016, according to International Organisation for Migration (IOM) figures.

Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily.

More than 410 migrants and refugees have died during the same period, mostly in the stretch of the Aegean where Alan Kurdi drowned last year.

Syrian refugees make up almost half of those arriving in Greece, while a quarter are from Afghanistan, 17 per cent from Iraq and others from Iran, Pakistan, Morocco, Bangladesh, Somalia and other countries of origin.

Meanwhile, smugglers are continuing to abandon large boats off the coast of north Africa, which was the dominant route used in the early part of last year.

Following several days with no arrivals mainly due to rough seas, a total of 940 migrants were rescued on Monday off the coast of Sicily, most of whom had fled violence in Sub-Saharan Africa and Libya.

Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily.

Flavio Di Giacomo, the IOMs spokesperson for Italy, said: We are still registering the arrival of many vulnerable migrants, who are often in very bad condition, having been subjected to violence by smugglers in Libya.

We are also still seeing many women victims of trafficking  an alarming trend already registered in 2015.

A spokesperson for the IOM told the Independent it was difficult to predict how numbers would develop through the year but said the increase on January and February was concerning.

Last year, the number of arrivals grew through the spring and summer to peak in October, before slowly dropping off as winter set in and ending the year at a total of 1.015 million.

Save the Children, which is helping the youngest and most vulnerable refugees arriving in Europe, cautioned that the unprecedented nature of the crisis was making it difficult to plan a response.

Refugees use their sleeping blankets to keep warm as they walk along snow covered fields after crossing the Macedonian border into Serbia, near the village of Miratovac

Caroline Anning, a spokesperson for the charity, said: Based on previous trends, we had thought the numbers of people arriving would drop to a small amount in winter, as cold temperatures and dangerous seas make the journey even more difficult.

The numbers have gone down, but thousands of people are still arriving every day.

Their determination in the face of winter storms and increasingly strict European border controls demonstrates how desperate families are to flee the brutal conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, where most refugees are arriving from.

In addition to the freezing winter temperatures on the well-trodden Balkan route, border controls and immigration crackdowns are stranding hundreds of thousands of refugees along the way to destination countries.

New restrictions in Macedonia are preventing Afghans being allowed through, despite the fact they make up around a quarter of arrivals and that around half are women and children.

Macedonian policemen stand in front of a gate over rail tracks as migrants wait behind at the Greek-Macedonian border, after additional passage restrictions imposed by Macedonian authorities left hundreds of them stranded near the village of Idomeni, Greece.

More than 5,000 people are now trapped at the border, Save the Children estimate, with resources to provide water, food and shelter quickly running out.

Meanwhile, French authorities are planning to evict asylum seekers from part of the jungle camp in Calais, and Austria and Slovenias decisions to cap arrivals were having a knock-on effect along the route.

Greece and Italy have long complained at being left to shoulder the bulk of the strain the refugee crisis is putting on Europe and fear restrictions will worsen the situation at arrival points.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said there was also concern about continued deaths at sea, with 340 children having died since the world was shocked by photos of Alan Kurdis body in August.

There is still no solution for families like the Kurdis whose lives are in danger , a spokesperson told the Independent.

What is needed is safe and legal channels to seek safety in the EU so people arent forced to take these journeys and put their lives and their childrens lives at risk.
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Vienna has been named the best city in the world to live for its quality of life, beating New York, Paris and London  none of which even make it into the top 35 rankings.

The Austrian capital has topped the 18th Mercer Quality of Life survey, closely followed by Zurich and Auckland.

German cities dominated the top 10 with Munich, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt all ranking highly.

The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life Show all 12 1 /12 The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 1. Vienna The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 2. Zurich The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 3. Auckland The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 4. Munich The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 5. Vancouver The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 6. Dusselfdorf The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 7. Frankfurt The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 8. Geneva The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 9. Copenhagen The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 10. Sydney The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 11. Amsterdam The 20 best cities to live in the world for quality of life 12. Wellington

Sydney and Vancouver were the only two other cities outside of Europe to make it into the top 10.

The annual survey assesses the socioeconomic conditions of a city in addition to health, housing and education to determine its place on the list, and is used as a tool by companies to determine where they should send staff.

Mercer includes a personal safety ranking based on internal stability, crime levels, performance of local law enforcement and the home countrys relationship with other countries.

The European cities with the best quality of life www.statista.com (Statista)

While Luxembourg, Bern, Helsinki and Zurich top the personal safety list, Paris, London, Madrid and Athens all rank in the 70s or below as many suffered either terrorist attacks or social unrest in the last few years.

Baghdad ranked as the worst city to live in both in terms of quality of life and personal safety, out of the list of 230 cities.
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The Egyptian military has acknowledged a military court made a mistake when it sentenced a four-year-old boy to life in prison for murder.

Military spokesman Colonel Mohammed Samir said the court should have sentenced a 16-year-old boy with a similar name instead, the BBC reports.

Ahmed Mansour Qurani Ali was convicted of committing four murders, attempting another eight, vandalising government property and threatening police officers - all when he was just one year old.

The boy was one of 115 defendants who were all handed life sentences at the same time at the court in western Cairo for crimes allegedly committed in early 2014.

In a Facebook post in Arabic, Colonel Samir said a boy with a similar name, Ahmed Mansour Qurani Sharara, 16, should have been sentenced instead.

It is unclear what will happen to the four-year-old now.

His defence attorney, Faisal al-Sayd, previously argued his name had been added to the list by mistake, as the court did not pass his birth certificate on to the judge to prove he had been born in September 2012.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Another lawyer told the Jerusalem Post the case showed "there is no justice in Egypt".

He added: The Egyptian scales of justice are not reversible. There is no justice in Egypt. No reason. Logic committed suicide a while ago. Egypt went crazy. Egypt is ruled by a bunch of lunatics."

Egypt has been ruled by military dictatorship under President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi since Mohammed Morsi's democratically elected government was ousted in 2013, following mass protests.

Around 40,000 opposition supporters are believed to have been jacked in a government crackdown on dissent.
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Street rallies are banned, as are loudspeakers. Irans first parliamentary election campaign since the nuclear deal with the West began as an understated affair.

But in the final days before voting on 26 February, the campaign has suddenly gathered pace. Posters, in vivid array, have appeared almost overnight on walls around Tehran. The number of campaign meetings has surged. Irans voters are acutely aware of the huge importance of what is about to take place.

Recommended Read more On the front line with Iranian forces battling outside Aleppo

The results of the election will be crucial not only for the 77 million people of Iran, but for the wider international community as well. A good showing by the liberals will bolster the government of President Hassan Rouhani, which signed last years historic nuclear agreement with world powers, and help its drive to bring the country in from the cold.

A victory for the hardliners, on the other hand, could mean a slide back into confrontation with world powers, the possibility of the nuclear agreement unravelling, and the return of the sanctions which for so long crippled Irans economy.

Yasmine, 23, an art student at Tehran University, said: Foreign investment is coming in and this is the ideal opportunity to have a modern parliament which can make the right decisions to take advantage.

Recommended Read more Young voters have power in Iran and must take part in elections

We have been through very difficult times and we, the young people, want a better future. We think these elections could be the start. As young Iranians we want to be able to enjoy our full rights, without being afraid.

The elections on 26 February are not only for Irans parliament, the Majlis, but also the Assembly of Experts, the body of clerics who from time to time elect the countrys Supreme Leader. Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is now 76 and apparently ailing, so that the Experts, themselves elected for eight years, are likely to choose Irans next ultimate holder of power.

 What's life really like in Iran? Films offer rare insight

There are fears that the result has already been fixed: the countrys Guardian Council, which vets all candidates, has refused to allow thousands of reformists to run. Among them was Hassan Khomeini, who had been thought to be untouchable as the grandson of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. The cleric, 43, who likes to send theological, political and social messages via Instagram, has just lost his appeal against disqualification.

But the reformists are not about to give up. They are not going to boycott the polls, as was initially proposed by a disillusioned few; such abstention by some in 2013 merely enabled Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the hardline former president and bitter foe of liberalism, to consolidate his power. They have, instead, mobilised.

Hundreds packed into a hall in central Tehran in one rally to show their support of a reformist coalition. The mood was one of defiance; the word reform in every chant, every cry, a demonstration of the insistent thirst for change. Viva reform, You cannot kill reform, Reform will be the winner, they roared out.

Liberal movement leader Mohammad Reza Aref (AP)

The liberal movements leader for the parliamentary vote is Mohammad Reza Aref, a university professor who stepped down as a presidential candidate in 2013 to give Mr Rouhani a chance to win. Mohammad Khatami, the former president, a venerated figure among progressives, is their patron.

Their choice for Supreme Leader is Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, another of Irans original leaders after the fall of the Shah, and a key adviser to Ayatollah Khomeini during the Iran-Iraq war.

But it is allies of the reformists in unexpected quarters who may be their salvation. Ali Larijani, the veteran Speaker of the Majlis who leads a group of around 50 conservative MPs, is likely to swing his considerable political clout to back them. Among other conservatives a well-known former MP, Ali Motahari, has officially joined the reform list.

Mr Larijani has become increasingly concerned about the hardliners. He supported President Rouhani in his search for the nuclear accord and attempt to institute economic reforms, and was castigated in return by zealots.

Three of the most prominent hard-line leaders  Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, head of the Seminary Teachers of Qom; Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Kermani, chief of the Combatant Clergy Association, and Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, of the Endurance Front  asked Mr Larijani to join them against the common liberal enemy. He was quick to decline their invitation.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. 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A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. 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Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. 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The decision to bar Hassan Khomeini caused regrets among some in the religious centre of Qom. He is known as a moderate person, handsome, charismatic, articulate and open minded, said Fazel Meyboudi, a cleric. He will come back strong for the next elections, he has eight more years to be popular.

The Guardian Council has maintained that Mr Khomeinis disqualification was unconnected with politics, but that he was simply too inexperienced to become an Expert. Lets face it, he is just a kid, said Hamidreza Taraghi, an analyst close to the clerical traditionalists. Most of the Councils 88 members are more than 80.

Reformists believe that if only half those who voted for Mr Rouhani when he ran for the presidency back the alliance of liberals and conservatives, three of Irans most hard-line leaders will be thwarted in their own election attempts.

Some politicians described as conservatives are not really conservatives in many issues so they can support reform, Kazem Jalali, an experienced MP, pointed out. The situation is complex.

A woman walks past electoral posters for the upcoming elections in Tehran (Getty) (Getty Images)

It is not always easy to place politicians in the mosaic of Iranian politics and religion. Former MP Mr Motahari had been a critic of the establishment and the security apparatus. He has since taken up the case of Sattar Beheshti, a blogger who died in police custody, and has declared that civil rights must continue to advance.

The first step was the 2013 presidential elections, and the next step would be the Parliamentary elections, he has said. All this has burnished his new liberal credentials.

Yet Mr Motahari is also fiercely involved in another campaign  against women wearing leggings in public. Irans interior minister, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, was summoned to Parliament for failing to clamp down on the fashionable garment. MPs peered at photographs of women wearing leggings. Mr Fazli protested that this was not proof that hijab laws were being widely flouted  but he was censured just the same.

Womens representation remains woefully low in Parliament; only 49 have served there since 1979. President Rouhani has talked of empowering women in politics but has done little to turn this into reality. A campaign was launched last autumn to raise the number of female MPs from the current nine to 30 per cent, but activists hold out little hope.

Young women as well as young men believe that, for now, the main problem they face is the lack of jobs. The building block must be the economy which is in a terrible state, said Mohammad, a 26 year old student of English at Tehran University. International sanctions have been damaging on both psychological and economic levels. But our politicians have also really mismanaged the economy. Ahmadinejad was the one guilty, Rouhani is trying to sort out the mess.

The students were also united in their fervent belief that the reformists will win in the end. OK, so they have unfairly dismissed many candidates, said Navid, a philosophy student. But the secret is people turning up to vote. If enough people do that, reform will win. We are talking to people, telling them they will really regret it if they let this opportunity slip away.
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The Syrian opposition has agreed to a temporary truce with Bashar al-Assads forces after weeks of failed attempts to secure a peace agreement.

The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which represents the main bloc of anti-government rebels, announced this morning that its co-operation was conditional on guarantees that Russia and other allies of the regime would stop air strikes and artillery bombardment on civilian areas.

Dr Riad Hijab, the alliances co-ordinator, said his group was committed to efforts to end Syrian bloodshed and push all parties to the negotiating table.

Syrian rebels attack the headquarters of Assad's regime forces in the villages of Nubul and al-Zahraa in Aleppo, Syria (Getty)

Representatives held an emergency meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday after the US and Russia negotiated the terms of a prospective truce to start on Saturday.

But Isis, the al-Qaeda linked Jabhat al-Nusra group and other militias designated as terrorist organisations by the UN have not been invited to talks and will not be bound by their outcome.

Recommended Read more Isis claims responsibility as at least 130 killed in Damascus and Homs

A temporary cessation of hostilities was initially planned to start last week following discussions in Munich but was derailed by continued fighting including a regime advance in Aleppo province.

The HNC said any further attacks by Assad and its allies would end the ceasefire and called resolutions from the UN and International Syria Support Group (ISSG) to be implemented to end sieges, allow the delivery of humanitarian aid, release detainees and stop bombardment.

Dr Hijab said he did not expect the Assad regime and its allies to stop its campaign, signalling that the HNC may be preparing to continue fighting.

In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis

Our position is clear, he added. We are doing our part in accordance with the ISSG agreement in Munich, and acting according to the limits of the authority granted to us by the components of the HNC.

The HNC is going to continue to discuss, and consult with our international friends and allies, and then we will respond formally.

Major questions remain over how the truce, which has not formally been accepted by the Syrian government, will be enforced and how groups will be reprimanded for any violations.

It was unclear how continued operations against Isis and other extremists by the US-led international coalition and Russia would affect the agreement.

The Kremlin has insisted the group is its main target but opposition groups and Western leaders have alleged its strikes have mainly targeted areas controlled by the opposition, killing countless civilians.

Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin (GETTY IMAGES)

A five-page plan released by the US State Department set a deadline for compliance at midnight on 26 February and stipulated that there must be no attempts to seize territory, although the proportionate use of force for self-defence is allowed.

It was published after Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin agreed the plans in a phone call.

Josh Earnest, the official White House spokesperson, admitted it would be difficult to implement, adding: We know there are a lot of obstacles, and there are sure to be some setbacks.

The Russian President called the agreement a last real chance to put an end to the many years of bloodshed and violence and said in a televised address that while Moscow negotiates with the Assad regime, he expects Washington to do the same with the opposition groups it supports.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General also welcomed the agreement as a long-awaited signal of hope to the Syrian people but warned that much work lies ahead for its implementation.

Hours after the agreement was announced, Assad issued a decree setting parliamentary elections for 31 April, signalling possible co-operation with a UN Security Council resolution calling for a vote to be held during an 18-month transition period hoped to end the five-year conflict.

Elections were already due as the current parliament's four-year term expires in May.

Additional reporting by AP
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The Syrian government has accepted the terms of a ceasefire due to start on Saturday but has vowed to continue its fight against unspecified terrorist groups.

A temporary truce drawn up by the US and Russia had already been accepted by opposition groups, on the condition that Bashar al-Assads regime stopped its advance based on Russian air strikes.

But the agreement stipulates that operations against Isis and al-Qaeda affiliates may continue, as well as the proportionate use of force for self-defence, diminishing hopes for an effective half in the conflict that has so far killed more than 250,000 people.

A poster in Nubl featuring Vladimir Putin, Bashar al-Assad and the Hezbollah leader Sayed Hassan Nasrallah (Nelofer Pazira)

A statement released by the Syrian foreign ministry this morning said it would halt combat operations against groups except Isis, Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist groups.

A spokesperson said Damascus would be co-ordinating with Russia to define the areas and rebel groups covered by the ceasefire but reserved the right to respond to any breach of the conditions.

Recommended Read more Syrian opposition groups agree to temporary ceasefire

He also said that any move by its opponents to strengthen their positions could destroy the fragile agreement.

Assad showed little sign of support for a peaceful solution earlier this month, when he vowed to take the whole of Syria back by force.

The Syrian President told the AFP news agency that his government classed all armed opposition groups as terrorists.

I dont think that the term opposition can be used to describe somebody carrying a weapon, he said.

Suppose that you mean to say moderate terrorists this is a different term. Saying that, you mean that they do not belong to Daesh (Isis), al-Nusra, or to these extremist groupsevery terrorist is an enemy.

In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis

Barack Obama, David Cameron and other Western leaders have repeatedly said there is no future for Assad in Syria and argued he must be removed before peace can be secured, but Vladimir Putins intervention to support his ally in September has turned the balance of power in the regimes favour.

The Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, said the proposed ceasefire must be implemented fully and faithfully to have any hope of bringing about a lasting political settlement.

But it will only succeed if there is a major change of behaviour by the Syrian regime and its backers, he added.

Russia, in particular, must honour this agreement by ending its attacks on Syrian civilians and moderate opposition groups, and by using its influence to ensure the Syrian regime does the same.

Russia needs to demonstrate its compliance by clearly only targeting Daesh and those recognised as terrorists by the international community. It is now time for action, not words.

Mr Hammond repeated British calls for political transition away from Assad, to a government that can represent all Syrians.

Members of the civil defence pull a boy out from under the rubble of a building following air strikes by suspected Russian warplanes backing the Syrian government on the Sahour neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on February 16, 2016. (AFP / THAER MOHAMMEDTHAER MOHAMMED/AFP/Getty Images)

A temporary cessation of hostilities was initially planned to start last week following discussions in Munich but was derailed by continued fighting including a regime advance in Aleppo province.

Major questions remain over how the truce will be enforced and how groups will be reprimanded for any violations.

The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which represents the main bloc of anti-government rebels, agreed the terms after the US and Russia negotiated the terms of a prospective truce to start on Saturday.

But Isis, the al-Qaeda linked Jabhat al-Nusra group and other militias designated as terrorist groups by the UN have not been invited to talks and will not be bound by their outcome.

It was unclear how continued operations against extremists would affect the agreement.

The Kremlin has insisted Isis is its main target but opposition groups and Western leaders have alleged its strikes have mainly targeted areas controlled by the opposition, killing countless civilians.

Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin (GETTY IMAGES)

A five-page plan released by the US State Department set a deadline for compliance at midnight on 26 February and stipulated that there must be no attempts to seize territory, although, operations against UN-designated terrorist groups and the proportionate use of force for self-defence is allowed.

It was published after Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin agreed the plans in a phone call.

Josh Earnest, the official White House spokesperson, admitted it would be difficult to implement, adding: We know there are a lot of obstacles, and there are sure to be some setbacks.

The Russian President called the agreement a last real chance to put an end to the many years of bloodshed and violence and said in a televised address that while Moscow negotiates with the Assad regime, he expects Washington to do the same with the opposition groups it supports.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General also welcomed the agreement as a long-awaited signal of hope to the Syrian people but warned that much work lies ahead for its implementation.

Hours after the agreement was announced, Assad issued a decree setting parliamentary elections for 31 April, signalling possible co-operation with a UN Security Council resolution calling for a vote to be held during an 18-month transition period hoped to end the five-year conflict.

Elections were already due as the current parliament's four-year term expires in May.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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A Chinese takeaway and delivery service in Worcester for my collection of Genuine Shop Names, from Toby Barrett.

 An extraordinary day in the House of Commons yesterday. The two main party leaders spoke to the intense discomfort of their own benches behind them. David Cameron was heard in silence on the Conservative side, broken by occasional barracking, including Boris Johnson shouting, "Rubbish!" The Labour side, meanwhile, had not enjoyed themselves as much since 2007.

Then Jeremy Corbyn stood up to reply and the roles were reversed. "The bankers the bonuses the Tories," was an approximate paraphrase. I cannot think of a worse speech delivered by a party leader from the despatch box:

The European Union will be a vital part of how we, as a country, meet those challenges, so it is therefore more than disappointing that the Prime Ministers deal has failed to address a single one of those issues. Last week, like him, I was in Brussels meeting Heads of Government and leaders of European Socialist parties, one of whom said to me  [Hon. Members: Who are you?] [Laughter.] No. What they said  [Interruption.] The Conservative party might care to think for a moment about what is going on. One person said to me, and I thought it was quite profound, We are discussing the future of a continent and one English Tory has reduced it to the issue of taking away benefits  from workers and children. The reality is that this entire negotiation has not been about the challenges facing our continent or about the issues facing the people of Britain. Indeed, it has been a theatrical sideshow about trying to appease  or failing to appease  half of the Prime Ministers own Conservative party.

Do read the whole thing if you can bear it.

I have written for The Independent today on Labour's failure to provide leadership on the European question, at a time when the Conservatives are so deeply divided.

 Clarification needed. "Were going to settle all that later," the Prime Minister told Andrew Marr on Sunday about how in-work benefits for new EU arrivals will be phased in during their first four years in this country. Is that not an important detail? Does it not have to be negotiated with the European Parliament? Will it be settled before the British people vote on 23 June?

 The Top 10 in The New Review, the Independent on Sunday magazine, was Titles That Give Away the Ending.

There were many other good nominations. Gina Jolliffe proposed Brief Encounter: "It was not going to extend to a diamond anniversary..."

Julia Hartley-Brewer suggested The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, "although that actually tells the story backwards".

Many correspondents including Darren Sugg and Sarah Terry wanted The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and there were nominations for Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Warwick Smith) and The End of the Affair (Terry Stiastny).

Sahar Zivan suggested Snakes on a Plane, saying that it "gets extra credit for giving away not just the ending, but the whole film". I excluded it because it has also been nominated for forthcoming Top 10 Films In Which the Pitch Must Have Been the Title, suggested by Peter Stewart (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is another). Daniel Jackson says they are called high-concept films, which is a brilliant euphemism.

Phillip Edwards drew my attention to a list of Spoilerific Titles at Good Reads.

And finally, Graham Fildes nominated The One That Got Away:

A book by Kendal Burt and James Leasor that was adapted to make a movie of the same title starring Hardy Kruger in 1957. The story was based on true events, namely the fact that Luftwaffe pilot Franz von Werra, shot down over Britain in 1940 and captured, became the only German prisoner of war of the Second World War to escape and make it home to Germany.

 Sign up here to receive a daily "Catch-Up Service" email (9am Sunday to Friday) with links to new posts by John Rentoul.
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On 13 July 2015, 13 Plane Stupid activists  including myself  occupied the northern runway at Heathrow Airport. At around 3.45am a hole was cut in the perimeter fence. We walked over to the runway, erected a tripod and some Harris fencing, and locked on to each other using arm tubes, D-locks and chains. Our occupation lasted more than 6 hours and 25 flights were cancelled as a result, saving hundreds of tons of CO2 from being emitted that day. We were eventually removed, arrested and charged with aggravated trespass and unauthorised entry into a restricted zone.

During our trial in January, we argued that our actions were reasonable, proportionate and necessary in order to prevent death and serious injury via air pollution and climate change. Globally, 300,000 people are already dying each year due to the effects of climate change. They are mainly people of colour in the global south, in poor communities and indigenous groups. They are among the most marginalised and the least responsible for causing catastrophic climate change.

Judge Deborah Wright said it was indisputable that aviation causes climate change, yet she still found us guilty and told us to expect jail. Today we are to be sentenced. If we go to jail, we will be the first climate activists to be imprisoned in the UK.

Much of the attention surrounding our action has focused on the injustice and draconian threat of being locked up for our actions. Clearly none of us would choose imprisonment. However, its important that this is not singled out as the main injustice in our campaign. The real injustice is climate change. The real injustice is that the majority of the worlds population  those in the global south, those who suffered at the hands of colonialism  are the ones who are affected by the exuberant lifestyles of the few.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. 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The science is clear: airplane emissions are the fastest-growing source of CO2 in the UK. With current growth rates in the aviation sector, it is highly unlikely that we will meet our legally binding commitments in the 2008 Climate Change Act. This is without expanding airports or building new ones. If we are to take climate change seriously, there can be no new UK runway at all.

Following decades of failed negotiations on climate deals, broken promises by this Government over being the greenest ever, a complete U-turn on David Camerons no ifs, no buts pledge for no third runway at Heathrow, it is clear that the democratic process is not working.

There is growing outrage over the broken promises, and also over the fact that people like me will be repressed for taking action. The momentum that is building behind our campaign means there will only be more effective and disruptive actions against aviation and fossil fuels.

Actions such as ours are among the most effective ways for people to stop climate change. We are willing to take them in pursuit of a just and liveable planet.

If the Government does choose to go ahead with expanding Heathrow or Gatwick, it will demonstrate that it is not acting in the best interests of those it is supposed to serve. Currently, 15 per cent of the population take 70 per cent of flights in this country. These rich, frequent flyers are the ones driving aviation expansion. To build another runway would be to act on behalf of a rich minority, who benefit from this decision, while the rest of us are left to mop up the mess in terms of pollution and the advance of dangerous climate change.

The effect airplane emmissions have on global warming lays bare the hideous inequalities that are so prevalent in our world.

The fight against aviation is not limited to Heathrow or Gatwick. We stand shoulder to shoulder with other struggles around the world, from the Northern Forests Defence in fighting a third airport in Istanbul, to La Zad in Notre-Dame-des-Landes, calling for a day of action on 27 February, to which Plane Stupid is planning to respond in solidarity. When we say no new runways, we mean no new runways, anywhere. We risk jail so we can act in solidarity with all those affected by climate chaos, and all those working for better worlds.

Alistair Tamlit is a member of Plane Stupid, a campaign group that takes direct action to highlight the effects of the aviation industry on global climate change
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Respect for elders is an overrated principle; holding it in the scorn that it deserves has ever been a strength of the LGBTQ rights movement.

When a complacent gay establishment sat meekly annoyed by Margaret Thatchers assault on pretended families, it fell to a young Stonewall to organise. And from the nineties, as Stonewall sat plump and established, activists such as Peter Tatchell demanded that 21-year-olds should not have their freedom robbed for daring to love their 20year-old boyfriends.

Recommended Read more Pop stars are embroiled in a bitter battle to be the most feminist

It was in that spirit that I attended the Cambridge Union last November to debate against Peter Tatchell on the betrayal of trans-inclusion by an ossified Gay Establishment. I was uncompromising, and confronted Peter on why trans healthcare, the spousal veto and representation has been left on the backburner by organisations still largely run by white, gay, establishment figures.

Still, I have been taken aback by the incoherent ferocity of recent attacks on the considerate, well mannered man I faced across the dispatch box - a man who has literally spilled blood for my rights, and the rights of many of those who signed that open letter.

The charges are that Tatchell is a hypocrite because he has called for the banning of anti-gay Muslim speakers while criticising NUS LGBT officer Fran Cowling for (in that cumbersome phrase) no platforming him. Worse, the letter slithers round the accusation that he is an Islamophobe, a racist, a transphobe and a bully. Not a scintilla of evidence is offered; instead we are treated to so many straw men you could have a straw kiki.

Perhaps the Islamophobia they are referring to is Tatchells opposition to Muslim preacher Abu Usamah, who believes gay people should be crucified, speaking at UCL? Or maybe its when he urged his supporters to join the anti-EDL demonstration in Tower Hamlets, holding placards saying: Gays & Muslims Unite. Fight All Hate?

The primary attack is that Tatchell is hypocrite because resorting to tactics such as outing anti-gay bishops is just the same sort of thing as no platforming - despite being, well, completely different.

Tatchell considers no-platforming to be a legitimate tactic and even said of Cowling: If she does not want to speak alongside me, thats her right. I respect her choice. The accusations made against him are perplexing. It may be that Germaine Greers attempts to designate true womanhood" are still sufficiently nasty to protest her speaking opportunities. But just because a person would rather defeat these notions in open debate, as a tactical alternative, does not mean they condone such views. In the same way that we can support the BNPs right to stand for election but not associate with their views, we should respect Tatchells consistency in advocating uncensored debate does not commit him to be a defender of any one of those views.

Fran Cowling is not, as some have characterised her, a poor student picked upon. She is a student politician in one of the most internecine and political unions in the country. She sought election to take a public platform and represent LGBT students interests. It is not an example of bullying to ask her to provide evidence for her claim that a prominent activist is a racist.

If the generational discontent of young activists is to come to its promise of a true progressive equality movement then it must do better than smears and straw. No-platforming may be a legitimate tool to deal with enemies of equality, but so is standing at a lectern, presenting arguments and analysing evidence.

When someone challenges you in the debating chamber to back up your assertions, there is nowhere to flee and there is a tremendous value to that - a value that Tatchells critics, who pen righteous condemnations from soft offices about a man protesting on hard streets against harder thugs, might ponder before they dismiss it as capitulation or endorsement.
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The elections in Iran could hardly come at a more pivotal moment, for the country and for the region. With the nuclear deal heralding the end of crippling international sanctions, the Islamic Republic is due a huge cash boost: whether the spinning wheels of commerce drive forward a hardline agenda, or a more liberal one, will depend in no small part on the result of the ballots on 26 February.

The Western-educated moderate President, Hassan Rouhani, will remain in place. But the parliament beneath him, and the Assembly of Experts in some ways above him, are up for renewal.

Recent elections have highlighted the schism between Irans young, tech-savvy population and an arthritic system of council elders and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps ex-soldiers who hold many of the levers to power, and form a close circle around the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In 2009, protests about a disputed election result led to hundreds of liberals being arrested, in a violent state crackdown. That quietened public expressions of dissent. But come 2013, the same demographic turned out en masse to boost the candidacy of Mr Rouhani, the sole moderate in a field of anti-Western reactionaries. It is imperative for the future of Iran that these elections witness a repeat.

Recommended Read more Iran election campaign ignites as reformers try to thwart hardliners

Hardliners have done everything possible to narrow the field in their favour. Mr Rouhani called for thousands of citizens to run for office, in an attempt to buttress his support base, and make the state more reflective of outside society. However, the conservative Guardian Council  which vets candidates  has denied thousands of reformists the chance to run for parliament, and 80 per cent of all those going for the Assembly of Experts (including all the women, and the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who has criticised the IRGC for meddling in politics). Their hope is that this cull will lead to a lower turnout, with the kind of voters who listen to Western music  formerly forbidden  becoming so unenthused with the candidates as to forgo casting a vote.

Despite Mr Rouhanis signal achievement in securing a nuclear deal, his domestic attempts at political, cultural and economic reform have been strangled by the right-leaning parliament. There is a risk of disappointment leading to disaffection, which will play into the hands of Mr Khameneis cabal.

As we report, however, liberal voters appear to have adapted to the gerrymandering of the regime and are attempting to drive the vote up on the basis of excluding as many hardliners as possible, rather than embracing candidates for their own merits. Two notable conservatives  Ali Larjani, the Speaker of the Iranian parliament, and Ali Motahari  are expected to benefit most from these marriages of convenience.

If the hardliners win out, the prospects for Irans economy and regional security invite some anxiety. A boost to hardliners in parliament will translate to a more aggressive foreign policy, with more funding for Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, and a likely renewal of hostilities with Sunni Saudi Arabia. Should conservatives sweep the board in the Assembly of Experts, it could have even more deleterious consequences.

Mr Khamenei is 76, and rumoured to have prostate cancer. It is the duty of the Assembly to select his successor, should he pass away during the delegates eight-year term. Mr Khameneis vision for Iran lies at odds with the open-minded, prosperous nation desired by so many of his countrys young people. A replacement cut from the same cloth will put a drag on the kind of progress Iran is capable of.

Voters should bear that in mind, and turn out on 26 February. Working within a compromised system, they still hold great sway.
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So far nearly all the arguments deployed by politicians, the press, and even in Letters to the Editor, have been depressingly short-term and insular. Hardly anyone seems to be taking a broader, longer-term, geostrategic view.

We Brits are Europeans. We may live on an offshore island (though within sight of the mainland and connected by a tunnel), but we are part of Europe and have been tied up in its affairs since well before the start of recorded history.

Have half of us taken leave of our senses? Do we really think it wise, let alone remotely intelligent, to deny ourselves any further opportunity to shape and steer the destiny of our continent? Do we really want to condemn our grandchildren to Little England powerlessness when, but for the imbecility of their forebears, they might have been part of the directing triumvirate, with Germany and France, of one of the worlds five major power blocs (assuming that the others will be China, India, North America and Russia)?

We need to vote to stay, and then to get stuck in as the powerful, enthusiastic, leading member of the Union, which surely now is our rightful place in a world which we will then continue to be able to shape, And this means we must for ever stop whingeing, demanding special treatment, and general shilly-shallying, and instead show the other members that we are still a force to be reckoned with, capable of co-operation and leadership.

Richard Thomas

Winchelsea, East Sussex

Euroscepticism is yet another manifestation of Britains post-empire, post-workshop-of-the-world, retro stage, in which yearning for the glories of the past takes precedence over facing the realities of todays and tomorrows world.

The tawdriness of Ukip, the regressive jingoism of the Conservative Party and the desperate clinging to our alliance with the US and nuclear arsenal in order to punch above our weight are not only further signs of this, but also of our decline. They are indicative of a retarding loss of national identity that all post-empire societies experience, whether they be Portugal, Spain or China. Few, like Japan (and now China), take the bull by the horns and forge ahead with a newly crafted identity suited to the new world they find themselves in.

Exiting the EU will be harking back to a past that has ceased to exist; but, worse still, it will firmly entrench the retro-Conservatives, whom a truncated UK and changes in constituency boundaries and party funding will make politically unassailable for decades. Retro-Tories out for their own self-aggrandisement, like Boris Johnson, are only too well aware of this and willing to exploit it to the full by, inter alia, harping on about a theoretical parliamentary sovereignty, while ignoring Britains democratic deficit that is all too redolent of a feudalistic past.

It is now vital that England, like Scotland, drops its negative, anti-EU reactionism and crafts a new, positive, forward-looking identity, if it is not to become just another post-empire backwater.

Frank Richardson

Forncett St Peter, Norfolk

The decision to vote In or Out should be informed not by history but by geography. Our prime EU marketplace is worth more than $16trn and it is to be found on our doorstep, unlike the markets that the outers want us to prioritise.

John Whitehead

London EC2

Industry driven out of London

Well done Jenny Jones AM for speaking out (letter, 19 February) about the expulsion of industry from London. Several hundred thousand jobs are at stake, more than 10 per cent of the 32-borough total.

A growing part of a great citys economy is being kicked way beyond the places Baroness Jones mentions. In Tottenham and Barking, Edmonton and Park Royal, Hayes, Croydon, Walthamstow, Dagenham and elsewhere, big swathes of occupied industrial accommodation are being offered up for suburbanisation. In every high street, and each subtly mixed locality, the smaller scale industrial activities are being stripped out, replaced with only housing.

My own small manufacturing business has been a part of the metropolitan economy since 1947, making aluminium trays and trolleys, providing good jobs and proudly exporting to 30 countries. We have no interest in leaving our city, do not want to drive to a shed behind shrubberies elsewhere; we would rather fold the company.

We are part of London, we welcome its complexity and its growth, we participate in its remarkable entrepreneurial momentum. Yet we now feel unwelcome and threatened. Last summer we had to move to make way for a housing estate. Our new home, behind Asda on the Old Kent Road, now seems destined also to become a place of only homes.

Londons industry does not get to vote and there are no lobby groups speaking up for us, yet I hear us calling out as loud as our many small voices can: please London, turn your inventiveness towards building the type of city we surely all want, a joyously mixed city, able to accommodate and welcome. Do not expel us, rather embrace us, because a good city has industry.

Mark Brearley

Kaymet London Ltd

London SE1

Ambitious Boris puts UK in peril

Boris may prance and pirouette for press and public but his personal ambition might yet prove the decisive factor in the dissolution of the UK.

If the country as a whole votes to leave the EU and, as is likely, the Scottish people do not, then the oddly quiescent SNP, secretly delighted by the timing of the referendum, will have all that it needs to push for another vote on independence, a vote it will almost certainly win.

Boris is not a stupid man, but above and beyond the normal reach of moral or political constraint, he is an ambitious one. The ruthless Tweedledum-Tweedledee games of a bunch of old Etonians and family Johnson could well prove the tipping point in the disintegration of the UK.

Christopher Dawes

London W1

So Boris wants us to divorce Europe so that we can renegotiate (again!) and remarry on better terms. Brilliant!

Why does anyone still take this man seriously?

George Binney

London NW2

A generation of women robbed

We are frequently told that the basic state pension is now 115 a week. My 85-year-old mother only gets 70 a week. I queried this with the Pension Service, I assumed there must have been a mistake.

However, it seems that despite the fact that she has diligently paid all her National Insurance contributions, they confirmed to my amazement that this is the correct amount for a married (albeit long separated) woman of her age.

It seems that a generation of women, who were encouraged to stay at home to look after their husbands and children, are now only entitled to 60 per cent of the state pension. This is sex discrimination and just plain unjust. What is the Government going to do about it?

Caroline Moxley

South Brent, Devon

No more booze cruise after Brexit

So, four months to go, and we are already in the silly season, with all sorts of deliberately misleading stories being told, and daft questions being asked about What Brexit Will Mean to Each of Us.

I have just one. Do we all understand that Brexit will mean the end of the booze cruise and grocery shopping in Calais? I suspect that is more important to more individuals than the politicians realise. I hope those individuals know what they stand to lose when they vote against all the Polish dentists and Romanian builders coming here to work for them.

Elspeth Christie

Kirkhaugh, Northumberland

Rights and duties of travellers

In pursuing the legal rights of Gypsies and Travellers I hope lawyers like Sasha Barton will not forget the concomitant responsibilities that go with them (letter, 22 February).

From long involvement in public parks I am aware not only of the constant threat of legal trespass to these places of public benefit but of the associated total disregard and damage done to them by her clients.

I know of no other group which has such contempt for the conventions and laws by which the rest of us strive to live.

Dominic Kirkham

Manchester

Town halls, stay out of foreign policy

Your editorial of 20 February (Let them boycott: local councils should have the right to refuse goods produced in Israeli settlements) completely misses the point: the job of local councils is to run local services, not to dictate the countrys foreign policy.

That is the job of central government, whose policies are vetted by the electorate at the general election.

William Stockler

London NW3
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Do all expectant mothers really want personalised care plans, as proposed by the National Maternity Review? They already exist in some form in the NHS, although things do not always go to plan, quite literally.

My birth plan, which I went through with one of my many community midwives, was roughly this: I would like to give birth in what I am told is one of the best hospitals for obstetrics in Europe, which also happens to be the nearest hospital to my house. Once there I would like pain relief commensurate with how much pain I am in. FYI, I am going to need quite a lot because my pelvis is narrow  great for skinny jeans, but not a lot of use for childbirth. Simple and straightforward. Or so I thought.

From the very first moment I visited the community midwife team, based in my GP surgery, shortly after finding out I was pregnant, the pressure was on for me to have a home birth. Photos of sweating, happy mothers sprawled out on their sofas with their babies on their chests adorned the walls. Lovely scenes, and I admire any woman who can give birth at home. But it is not for me.

I was adamant from the start I did not want a home birth. I wanted pain relief in the same way Id like anaesthetic for a hernia or a hip replacement. But more importantly, I was worried that if there was a problem and medical intervention was needed (which, as it turned out, it was) I wanted to be in that world-class hospital.

Despite being clear about my choices, I was in labour for 32 hours before being admitted to hospital and even then the community midwife was resistant. Between 4am and 8am on a Saturday, I was in the labour ward of the hospital, with the midwife at my side. But then her shift ended, her replacement phoned in sick (or did she just not want to come to the hospital? I will never know) and I was left with gas and air. The hospital midwives left me alone for eight hours, because it was a weekend and they were short-staffed. I was not progressing (despite the agonising pain), so I was moved from the labour room to the antenatal ward.

Between 10am and 6pm we were barely seen until my screams were so loud and relentless that I was finally inspected, and then given an epidural at 8pm. By 5am on Sunday, I was prepped for an emergency Caesarean because of my failure to progress. But my baby was already stuck halfway, so eventually she was delivered by forceps at 5.46am, safe and well. Despite the bad experience of hospital, I dread to think what would have happened if I had stayed at home, because I still would have been rushed in for an emergency Caesarean anyway. My experience is one of countless other less-than-perfect ones that mothers go through all the time  and in some tragic cases it ends in neonatal or maternal death.

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. 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The National Maternity Review, chaired by the Tory peer Baroness Cumberlege, has come up with some good recommendations to improve care before and after birth, including detailed personalised care plans, greater continuity from midwives and heightened awareness of maternal mental health. Yet her headline proposal  for mothers to have personal control over the 3,000 cost to the NHS of having a baby  is worrying.

Greater control is one thing but, as I experienced, what actually happens can be a long way from what you ask for. What if a mother makes a commitment early on to choose one provider, but then changes her mind days before her due date? Although there is no cost to the individual, placing the burden on mothers, with a price tag attached, is yet more pressure and yet another thing for pregnant women to worry about.

Most worrying of all is the clear agenda that the NMR, like the wider medical profession, has in favour of home births. The Cumberlege report is explicit: This report envisages more births taking place in the community, ie in midwifery care and at home As a result, there may be lower demand for obstetric services.

It then suggests that more maternity wards in hospitals will close: A large proportion of the costs of obstetric units are fixed because they need to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week regardless of the volume of services they provide Providers should be encouraged to drive out waste across maternity care.

Is this the choice that mothers really want? I doubt it.

It is true, as the report notes, that only 25 per cent of women would choose to give birth in a hospital obstetric unit. Yet this does not mean 75 per cent of women want to give birth at home. Far from it; only 10 per cent would choose this option.

In fact, a majority of expectant mothers  49 per cent  want to give birth in an alongside midwifery unit or AMU. That is, a birthing unit at the same site as a hospital. Clearly women want to have the assurance, as I did, that medical staff are close at hand if something goes wrong.

So why the obsession with home births, when this is what only one in 10 mothers wants? Clearly this is about money: it costs the NHS 600 more if a woman gives birth in hospital than at home. The NHS budget is under strain, but why should mothers put up with all the pain and risk to their unborn child as a way to save money?
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers has rejected suggestions that UK withdrawal from the EU would require border checks to be reinstated with the Republic.

Ms Villiers, who is campaigning for Brexit, said there was "every reason to suggest" that the UK and Ireland could maintain free movement under the kind of common travel area arrangement which existed before the two countries joined the EU in 1973.

She dismissed calls for her to step down from her Cabinet position while campaigning for a Leave vote, telling BBC Radio 4's World at One: "I think it's perfectly reasonable for me to have chosen a side in this referendum. The great thing is that every single person in the UK, including in Northern Ireland, will get to take this decision, not just the Secretary of State.

Asked whether Brexit would mean tighter border controls with the Republic, Ms Villiers said: "That's not inevitable at all. We've always had a much closer relationship with the citizens of the Republic of Ireland than with the rest of the EU.

"It's perfectly possible to maintain that free movement with Irish citizens. After all we give them privileges in the UK which we accord to no other EU citizens, like the right to vote in our elections."

It was "certainly not impossible" to manage the risk of migrants from third countries crossing into the UK from Ireland, she insisted.

And she added: "I don't think anyone should assume that border checks should be introduced as a result of a UK exit.

"We are in the area of scare stories. We do need to recognise that the relationship between the UK and Ireland when it comes to this common travel area is decades older than our EU membership and doesn't depend on it.

"We've run an effective common travel area for many decades with the Republic of Ireland and there's every reason to suggest that that would continue whether we leave the EU or we don't. It's manifestly in our interests to ensure that ease of passage across the border between North and South is as easy as possible. No-one is wanting to wind the clock back and to introduce the kind of security checks at the border that there were during the Troubles."

Ms Villiers played down the risk that companies would relocate south of the border to the Republic in order to remain in the EU, insisting Northern Ireland will remain an "immensely competitive" place to do business.

"I think Northern Ireland would still be immensely competitive outside the EU," she said. "It has a phenomenally successful manufacturing base. It has companies that are selling all round the world. And there are many large global companies that have made it absolutely clear that they would continue to invest in the UK if we withdraw from the EU, and they wouldn't face the same costs that come with the European Union at the moment."
Hill sheep farmers could increase profits through more crossbreeding and establishing producer groups to target specific markets, a conference heard.

Michael Diskin from Teagasc Athenry said the sector has been reliant on Mediterranean markets including Portugal, Spain and Italy to take the lighter carcasses from the hill flocks.

However, he pointed out there has been a 54pc decline in exports to the Mediterranean countries in recent years as the downturn took hold.

Prof Diskin, who addressed the Teagasc Hill Sheep conference attended by almost 300 farmers in Ballybofey, Co Donegal, said a proportion of the hill breed ewes should be crossed with breeds such as Belclare, Bluefaced Leicester or Texel to produce quality replacements or lambs for slaughter.

He acknowledged that hill land was variable but some of the better upland areas may be more suitable for crossbreds.

"Typically the crossbred lamb would be 3-4kg heavier at weaning than the purebred hill lamb," he said.

However, he cautioned the primary aim must still be to produce replacement ewes for the hill breeds.

Crossbreds

Prof Diskin highlighted a study in Athenry that showed Texel cross lambs had higher performance than the Scottish Blackface lambs, had higher intake, proved more efficient converters of ration and had better carcase confirmation. He pointed out they nearly all reached the French market specification.

Prof Diskin said they may also be suitable as breeding replacements for lowland flocks.

Seamus Campbell from Teagasc in Carndonagh pointed out Donegal has the largest sheep flock with around 100,000 to 110,000 hill breeding ewes in the county.

He said the typical output from the hill flocks was low at around 0.8 lambs weaned per ewe mated.

"Within Donegal from the 100,000 plus hill breeding ewes, even at low output levels there is potential to produce 30,000 crossbred lambs," said Mr Campbell.

"There is clearly a valuable resource within the hill flocks of Co Donegal that could be exploited if there were more organised sales of crossbred females such as Mules, Suffolk crossed with Cheviot, Belclare crosses, and Hilltex within the county. These females are in demand by lowland producers seeking quality prolific replacements."

It was also highlighted that many purchasers are now anxious to acquire and willing to pay extra for sheep that are vaccinated and have a known high health status. Mr Campbell said this could be targeted through producer groups.
Who do farmers need representing them in the next Government?

Is it Labour who tried to include farm assets in means tests for college grants? Or is it Fianna Fail, whose promise of 200 per suckler cow smacks of auction politics?

Or Sinn Fein, who have mooted a tax on all assets worth over 1m? While not included in their election manifesto, and apparently limited to farms that do not generate an income, it sounds woolly to me. How many farms will not be able to generate an income in 2016 with the way price trends are going?

During the unending political debates that have dominated the air-waves and print media over the last month, it is disconcerting how little time or comment has been given by politicians to the impending income crisis in farming.

In the aftermath of the boom, farmers were commended for providing one of the few growth areas of an otherwise imploding economy.

But now, when the country appears to be turning a corner and all the signs are for an annus horribilis in agriculture, the farming community looks in danger of becoming an after-thought. Apart from highlighting his jobs plan for rural Ireland during a visit to a sheep shed in Co Carlow, have you heard Enda Kenny mention farming in his many interviews?

So what do farmers need from a ruling party or coalition? Dairying is as good a case study as any.

Up to last April, the safety-net of the quota system effectively put a floor under dairy incomes. Now it is up to the sector itself to ensure that there's a living to be made out of it.

This includes co-ops ensuring that forward price contracts are available to help farmers park some of the risk of increasingly volatile markets. We need to see the smaller co-ops that don't have big enough customers to offer this working more closely together.

We also need access to credit at fair rates to bankroll sound businesses through downturns.

But we need our politicians to actively push the agenda on these issues. Why is a Glanbia initiative on getting cheaper credit to farmers that was proposed in 2014 still months away from being available?

Farmers also need to foster a taxation policy that helps them deal with the wild swings of the commodity markets. The Government has made progress on this, but it hasn't exhausted all the options yet, and foot-dragging when markets are crashing is no use.

They also need somebody who is on their side when they are up against immeasurably more powerful forces. The beef sector, and the recent recalculation of factory weight limits, is a case in point.

Who we have in power does count, and what they are saying - or aren't as the case may be - is important. So make sure your voice is heard, and cast a vote this Friday.
Alan Dukes has reacted angrily to the questions asked by Catherine Murphy about the wind-down of IBRC

The ex-chairman of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) has criticised a TD over what he described as "unsubstantiated and unprincipled slurs" on the integrity of former board members.

Alan Dukes issued the strongly-worded broadside to Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy, whose questions helped trigger a commission of investigation into the sale of certain assets by the former Anglo Irish Bank involving major losses.

These include the sale of contracting firm Siteserv to Millington involving a write-down of 119m.

In a statement issued last week, Ms Murphy questioned whether Finance Minister Michael Noonan was forced to prematurely wind down IBRC due to the "fractured" relationship between his officials and senior IBRC management.

She also questioned whether deals were done without the knowledge of Mr Noonan, saying she believed the Department of Finance was excluded from key meetings regarding write-downs and credit arrangements agreed by IBRC.

But in an email to Ms Murphy, which has been seen by the Irish Independent, Mr Dukes branded the suggestions being made by the TD as "scurrilous".

He also gave the TD an unredacted copy of a letter he had written to Mr Noonan in 2013.

This stated that the Department of Finance was provided with the minutes of board meetings and all papers presented to the board, and had also been entitled to have an observer at every board meeting.

In the email to Ms Murphy, Mr Dukes said the letter showed there were "no grounds for your scurrilous suggestion that 'the minister was forced to act prematurely in winding up IBRC because he was worried about what was happening in IBRC outside of his control'.

"On the contrary, they show that the Department of Finance had every means of being fully informed of the bank's activities."

He asked Ms Murphy to cease what he described as "unsubstantiated and unprincipled slurs on the integrity of the board and management of the post-nationalisation entity".

Mr Dukes was appointed public interest director to Anglo in November 2008 and subsequently became chairman in July 2010.

He remained in that position until Anglo - by then known as the IBRC - was placed in special liquidation in February 2013.

Last night, Ms Murphy confirmed she had received Mr Dukes' email, but insisted she was standing over her remarks.

"We need to have the information [on asset sales] out in the public arena," she said.

"It is not just about me being satisfied. It is about citizens of this country being satisfied. They are the ones who are carrying the can for this.

"This is not about personalities. It is about understanding why certain decisions were made."

The row comes a week after the Office of the Information Commissioner strongly criticised the department's "unsatisfactory" handling of a request from Ms Murphy for documents relating to the liquidation of IBRC.
Insulation giant Kingspan will seek to maximise its business in the UK, regardless of whether voters there decide to leave the European Union in June's referendum, according to chief executive Gene Murtagh.

Cavan-based Kingspan generates 30pc of its business in the UK, with the group yesterday reporting record revenue of 2.77bn for 2015.

"It's significant for us one way or the other," Mr Murtagh told the Irish Independent. "Whether a Brexit is negative or positive, to be quite honest I don't know.

"If the UK does opt out, and my own view is that it won't eventually do that, it will do it for what it believes are the right reasons. If on that basis, the UK market and economy becomes stronger, that's clearly a positive for Kingspan."

However, asked if he would like to see the UK remain in or leave the EU, Mr Murtagh said that on balance, he would prefer "more of the same".

The chief executive also indicated he'd be reluctant to see the Government or the Central Bank intervene to spur home building in Ireland, despite home construction failing by a wide margin to meet demand.

"I don't think it's any harm if Ireland gradually gets back on its feet rather than getting back with a bang (in relation to housing)," he said.

"I know there's more demand there than supply, but I think piece by piece the market will recover.

"The industry was demolished seven or eight years ago and it's impractical to think that you can simply return there in terms of capability and infrastructure, but it will get there gradually."

Mr Murtagh was speaking as Kingspan reported a record set of results, boosted by acquisitions, currency tailwinds and a generally improved environment in the UK.

Its revenue of 2.77bn was 47pc higher year-on-year, while the group's trading profit jumped 72pc to 256m. The results were better than expected by analysts. Kingspan's full-year dividend also rose 54pc in respect of 2015. Excluding currency gains, revenue was 38pc higher, while trading profit was up 58pc on the same basis.

Kingspan completed two major acquisitions last year - the building products unit of Canadian firm Vicwest, for 139m, and the 320m purchase of Belgium's Joris Ide, its largest ever acquisition.

Mr Murtagh said the group has the firepower to spend up to 500m this year on acquisitions, but said it might equally spend nothing.

He said many potential sellers had unrealistic expectations for the value of their businesses.
Primark, which trades as Penneys here, said the brand has been well received in the United States

Sales at Primark are expected to have climbed 4pc in the six months to the end of this week as trading improved after Christmas and margins strengthened.

Associated British Foods (ABF), which owns the chain that trades as Penneys in Ireland, said that on a constant currency basis, sales at the retailer are likely to be 7.5pc higher in the period.

"Cumulative like-for-like sales have improved since the January trading update and are expected to be level with last year in the first half after better trading during the period since then," it said in a trading update.

Dublin-headquartered Primark's sales had been hit in the run-up to Christmas and during the festive season as a result of unseasonably warm weather.

"Early trading at our two new stores in the US has been encouraging," added ABF, "with the range and concept being well-received."

The company opened its first ever US store last September, in Boston.

"We expect to open a further six stores in the US later this calendar year and a 70,000 sq ft store in the American Dream shopping mall in New Jersey in calendar 2017," it said.

"Our plans are well advanced for the opening, in April, of our first Italian store at Arese, north-west of Milan, and we also plan to add a store in a mall north of Florence by the summer of 2017."

ABF's activities stretch from retail and grocery, to agricultural products and sugar production.

It said that the underlying trading outlook for the group for the full year is unchanged.
SuperValu, the country's biggest grocery retailer, said it generated 2.6bn of sales last year - a record for the group - as online shopping helped to boost its performance.

But the figure is less than 1pc higher than the 2.58bn it recorded in 2014, despite the chain having toppled Tesco last year to become Ireland's biggest grocery retailer. Sales in 2013 were 2.1bn.

The brand, controlled by Cork-based Musgrave, said five stores will join the chain this year, creating 350 jobs. That will involve an investment of 28m, according to Musgrave.

The most recent data from research group Kantar Worldpanel showed that SuperValu retained its number one position in Ireland's grocery market, with a 25pc share in the 12 weeks to January 31. That compared to Tesco's 24.5pc share and 24.1pc for Dunnes Stores.

SuperValu recorded 4.4pc growth in the value of its sales during that period, compared to 5.1pc at Dunnes, and 1.1pc at Tesco. SuperValu, which has 221 stores, said online shopping was a "key sales driver" last year, with the value of sales in the segment rising 32pc in the last six months of the year, year-on-year.

It said that its active online shopping base grew by 23.6pc last year, and that the SuperValu online shopping app had 129pc more downloads last year compared to 2014.

Online shopping has traditionally performed very well for rival Tesco also, particularly in Dublin. Dunnes Stores has also been eyeing a launch of its online grocery service.

The managing director of SuperValu, Martin Kelleher, said that the chain's online customer base accounts for about 2pc to 3pc of overall sales, and he would expect it to stabilise at around the 3pc mark.

"We're not trying to replace shoppers coming into shops - it's an 'and' rather than an 'or'," he said.

Mr Kelleher added that SuperValu is also examining an in-store coffee brand for both takeaway and possibly consumption in-store. He declined to reveal further details until the project has been refined. Last year, Dunnes Stores bought the small Cafe Sol chain, with plans to roll out in-store cafes at some of its busiest outlets.

Mr Kelleher also added that he's not overly concerned about necessarily retaining the top grocery spot.

"It's a nice outcome, but it's not the be-all and end-all," he said. "It's about being as good as we can be. If you keep doing that, the number one will look after itself. We don't get a beating on the stockmarket if these things change. It's about long-term sustainability."

SuperValu held its national conference in Killarney, Co Kerry, yesterday.
The rift between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Apple is driving a fault line through Silicon Valley.

Bill Gates is the latest tech personality to come out in the stand-off between Apple and the FBI over unlocking one of the San Bernardino terrorist's phone.

Bucking the trend, Gates has sided with the FBI, claiming that technology companies should be compelled to work with law enforcement in terrorism investigations.

"This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information," Gates told the Financial Times. "They are not asking for a general thing, they are asking for a particular case."

While we believe the FBIs intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products. And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect.

Gates' comment follows Tim Cook's warning that creating a tool to help the FBI break into Syed Rizwan's iPhone 5c will set a "dangerous precedent".

"The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone. But thats simply not true. Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices," Cook said in a rare letter to Apple customers last week.

"In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks  from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable."

Cook later called for the formation of a commission of technology, intelligence and civil liberties experts to discuss the implications of the rift for law enforcement, national security, privacy and personal freedoms.

This case is about much more than a single phone or a single investigation, so when we received the governments order we knew we had to speak out, he wrote. At stake is the data security of hundreds of millions of law-abiding people, and setting a dangerous precedent that threatens everyones civil liberties.

We don't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land. I hope thoughtful people will take the time to understand that.

Gates disagrees with this argument and said that the FBI is requesting the back door only on this occasion. Comparing it to getting bank records, he said: "Let's say the bank had tied a ribbon around the disk drive and said, 'Don't make me cut this ribbon because you'll make me cut it many times.'"

With the comments, Gates breaks ranks with Silicon Valley giants Apple, Google, Facebook and Whatsapp. Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Google chief executive, and Jan Koum, WhatsApp founder, have come out publicly in support of Apple.

"We are sympathetic with Apple on this one," Zuckerberg said at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona yesterday. "Back doors are not effective or the right thing to do."

James Comey, FBI director, told opponents to "stop saying the world is going to end", as he assured the public that he does not want to "set a master key loose on the land" on Sunday. But, according to the Wall Street Journal, the Department of Justice is trying to get access to a further 12 iPhones in separate court cases.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
A boy tests the 'Oculus VR' virtual device, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

The Majestic, a luxury hotel in central Barcelona, is bumping up room prices by two-thirds as delegates including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg troop into Spain's second city for the annual Mobile World Congress.

"This is the biggest week of the year for hoteliers," said Santiago Martin, communications manager for the Majestic Hotel Group. The hotel, which normally charges 300 a night for a standard room, will charge 500 as the annual gathering of the mobile industry draws almost 100,000 visitors, he said.

Barcelona's tourism and conference trade is proving a bonanza for its hoteliers as economic growth lures business at the same time that the City Hall is trying to limit the number of visitors.

Mayor Ada Colau, elected last year on a platform with anti-austerity party Podemos, has frozen new hotel licences for a year to slow tourist numbers.

The Mobile World Congress last year attracted more than 94,000 attendees from 200 countries. Over 3,800 journalists covered the event attended by 2,200 companies. This year's keynote speakers include Zuckerberg, Vodafone Group chief executive Vittorio Colao and Ford boss Mark Fields.

The opening of the week-long congress was marred by a subway strike in central Barcelona, with underground services due to be cut by half during peak hours. (Bloomberg)
Here are the main business stories from this morning's papers:

Irish Independent

* Jobs will be lost if the result of the General Election leads to political instability or gives a greater sway to fringe elements, the countrys top business leaders have warned in a letter to the Irish Independent.

Executives working with a range of national and international companies have joined forces to ask voters to look at the global economic situation.

With polls suggesting the country could be heading for a hung Dail, they warn: Ireland needs a stable government capable of making the right policy choices for the future. In the letter, the senior business people write that the recovery is at a critical point.

* Bank of Ireland bosses believe the lender can ride out the effects of a UK exit from the European Union with relatively little impact.

The country's biggest bank yesterday reported a 30pc increase in profits to 1.2bn for 2015.

After paying off the last of its expensive bailout debts this year, Bank of Ireland said it will resume payment of a "modest" shareholder dividend in 2017.

* Insulation giant Kingspan will seek to maximise its business in the UK, regardless of whether voters there decide to leave the European Union in June's referendum, according to chief executive Gene Murtagh.

Cavan-based Kingspan generates 30pc of its business in the UK, with the group yesterday reporting record revenue of 2.77bn for 2015.

"It's significant for us one way or the other," Mr Murtagh told the Irish Independent. "Whether a Brexit is negative or positive, to be quite honest I don't know.

The Irish Times

* Bank of Ireland's deficit in its defined pension scheme grew by 250m in January due to volatility in the stock markets.

According to the bank's CEO, Andrew Keating, BoI has the situation under control as the bank is still generating capital.

In the bank's full year results, posted yesterday, it had a 1.2bn pretax profit, which encouraged shares to rise by 5.3pc.

* The value of the sterling hit a seven-year low yesterday after the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, decided to throw his weight behind the leave campaign.

Mr Johnson announced that he would support the 'leave' vote in the upcoming referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.

The sell-off yesterday made the pound the worst performing currency of the day.

* Kingspan is prepared to spend a half a billion euros to buy up its rivals in a bid to expand its business.

Sales in the firm jumped 47pc last year thanks to contributions from Belgian-based Joris Ide and Canadian firm Wicwest.

The firm's chief executive, Gene Murtagh, said the firm has a considerable appetite to continue acquiring firms.

Irish Examiner

* David Cameron took a swipe at the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, in the House of Commons yesterday after the mayor decided to put his weight behind the 'leave' vote.

Mr Cameron was speaking in the House of Commons where he gave a nod to Mr Johnson's failed marriage and his supposed ambitions to succeed Mr Cameron as Prime Minister.

The British Prime Minister also said that he had Britain's interests at heart when standing against a Brexit due to his intentions to step down.

* Bank of Ireland reaffirmed its intentions to pay a dividend in 2017, the bank's first since the financial crash in 2007.

Strong profits for last year, posted yesterday, also helped claw back some of the share value that has been lost by the bank in the opening month and a half of the year.

The stock markets have reacted adversely to the possibility of another economic slowdown with many fearing for bank stock, however yesterday's results proved a welcome reprieve.

* Local residents have put up opposition to a proposed 4m JD Wetherspoon Pub and Hotel on Camden Street.

The residents are saying that enough is enough as the UK pub chain looks to build on the site of a former homeless hostel.

A number of objections have been lodged about the pub, which if launched will create 100 new jobs.
Actress Brie Larson poses backstage with her award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her work in "Room" at the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California January 30, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Actress Saoirse Ronan attends The 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 30, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. 25650_018 (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Turner)

Meadhbh McGrath examines Irish actress Saoirse Ronan's chances at Sunday's 88th annual Academy Awards.

Nominees:

Cate Blanchett  Carol

Brie Larson  Room

Jennifer Lawrence  Joy

Charlotte Rampling  45 Years

Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn

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Expand Close Actress Brie Larson poses backstage with her award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her work in "Room" at the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California January 30, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake / Facebook

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Whatsapp Actress Brie Larson poses backstage with her award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her work in "Room" at the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California January 30, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake

When it comes to Best Actress, the Academy (and Hollywood in general) prefers its women young. Amongst the nominees this year are Jennifer Lawrence (25), Saoirse Ronan (21) and the frontrunner Brie Larson (26).

Larsons frontrunner status has a lot to do with her Oscar narrative - that of the charming young ingenue. Jennifer Lawrence has been keeping that seat warm the past few years, since her first nomination for A Winters Bone in 2011 and her subsequent win for Silver Linings Playbook in 2013. Despite her Golden Globe win last month, there hasnt been much love for Joy, and Lawrence is unlikely to take home the gold on Sunday night.

It gives an interesting (and dismaying) insight into what the Academy considers the prime of an actresss career.

Theres a notable history of actresses in their twenties getting nominated (and winning). The narrative of the charming young ingenue brought great success to the likes of Reese Witherspoon (who won in 2006 for Walk the Line) and Natalie Portman (who won in 2011 for Black Swan), who both took home Oscars before they hit 30, and nominations for Emma Stone, Rooney Mara, and Carey Mulligan.

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Of course, Larson is up against a pair of fellow ingenues, so what sets her campaign apart? For one thing, it helps that there's a personal story behind her performance.

Larson has spoken very eloquently about her childhood and being raised by a single mum. Although Larson herself is not a mother, she played one very convincingly by incorporating her experience and memories of her own mothers struggle into her portrayal.

Expand Close Actress Saoirse Ronan attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards nominee luncheon on February 8, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) / Facebook

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The ability to tie your performance or your film into something deeply personal is a fail-safe way to ensure your Oscar campaign is remembered when it comes to filling out that ballot. Room has also earned nods for Best Picture, Best Director (Irishman Lenny Abrahamson's first nomination) and Best Screenplay, so theres clearly significant support for the film in the Academy.

The legendary Oscar campaigner Harvey Weinstein is really pushing for Cate Blanchett to win for Carol, but she already has two in the bag, and quite a recent two  for The Aviator in 2005, and for Blue Jasmine in 2014. On top of that, her film has proved divisive, with some voters saying they found the romantic drama cold and emotionally distant.

For awhile, Charlotte Rampling seemed like a dark horse in the race for her impeccable performance in 45 Years. Shes the oldest nominee in the category at 70, and voters can get excited about giving a critical favourite with nearly 50 years experience her first taste of Oscar glory.

It worked for Jessica Tandy (then 80 years old) in 1990 when she won for Driving Miss Daisy, the first nomination in her nearly 60-year career.

However, Rampling didnt do herself any favours when she spoke bluntly about the #OscarsSoWhite diversity scandal surrounding this years ceremony, calling the movement racist against whites. She went on: One can never really know, but sometimes maybe black actors did not deserve to make the final list.

Expand Close Gripping: Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay in a scene from Room / Facebook

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Not only did her comments make headlines, but they likely put an end to any chances she had of taking home a statue.

For a long time, it looked like Best Actress would be a head-to-head battle between Larson and Saoirse Ronan, but at this point Larson is pretty much a shoo in.

Shes taken home the most hardware so far, and, as well as earning critical praise for her performance in Room; shes gained the love of audiences and voters alike as the sweetheart lighting up the campaign trail  remember her Golden Globes acceptance speech where she promised to write a thank you note to anyone she had forgotten to mention? Those types of speeches can do a lot to help a nominees odds.

So, does Saoirse have a chance? If nothing else, now everyone in Hollywood is very confident about pronouncing her name. Both actresses have the ingenue narrative working for them, but while Ronan gives an excellent performance in an otherwise quite traditional film, Larsons film is much more challenging.

This is also Ronans second nomination, having competed in the best supporting actress race back in 2008 for Atonement. Larson, on the other hand, has received critical acclaim for indies like Short Term 12, but was relatively unknown even six months ago as Amy Schumers well-behaved sister in the summer hit Trainwreck.

Although Larsons win seems inevitable at this point, Saoirse Ronan is the only other nominee who could cause a possible upset in this category, but it would be a shock. Best Actress looks like Larsons to lose.
Hollywood star Liam Neeson is to be honoured at this year's Irish Film and TV Awards.

The Ballymena-born star will receive an award for outstanding contribution to cinema.

Oscar-nominated Neeson said he was "honoured and humbled" with the accolade.

"I am following in the footsteps of an illustrious group of Irish filmmakers before me such as John Boorman, Neil Jordan, Maureen O'Hara and Jim Sheridan," he said.

"I look forward to coming to Dublin to celebrate with our home industry and with my colleagues and friends."

Neesen has made 84 movies and has just completed work on Martin Scorsese's new movie, Silence.

The Iftas take place in the Mansion House on April 9.
Ashley James - David Walliams's rumoured love interest - has said that she "can't wait" to guest-present Xpose.

Blonde bombshell Ashley James (27) will face the cameras on TV3's show this Thursday and Friday.

The former Made in Chelsea star - who is signed with First Options agency in Dublin - is joining forces with Aisling O'Loughlin and company on the popular show.

"I'm always so happy to come to Ireland and hang out. Plus, I'm really excited to work with such an awesome and reputable show," she said.

The budding presenter - who has been linked with Little Britain star Walliams - has already hosted several red-carpet events and interviewed some of the biggest musical acts at festivals around Britain.

Meanwhile, TV3 said that interviews for new talent to provide maternity cover for Karen Koster and Aisling O'Loughlin would begin soon. A spokesman said their replacements would be announced shortly.
A lawyer representing an inmate featured in the documentary Making a Murderer has collected a new DNA sample as part of her effort to have his conviction overturned.

As Kathleen Zellner launches what has become a very public defence of Steven Avery, she has revealed that she visited her client at the Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin. In a post on Twitter, she said she had gathered a fresh sample of DNA.

Expand Close Calumet County prosecutor Ken Kratz led the cases against Avery and his nephew / Facebook

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Collected samples for new tests. The inevitable is cominghe was smiling so were we, she wrote.

Avery made international headlines when his story became the subject of a Netflix documentary that was broadcast late last year. It revealed how the 53-year had been wrongly convicted of a rape and served 18 years in jail.

It also told how, as he sued the Manitowoc County and its sheriff for $36m in damages for wrongful conviction, he was accused of the murder of a young photographer, Teresa Halbach.

In 2007, he and his nephew, Brendan Dassey, were convicted of the murder of Ms Halbach and given life sentences, despite the pair continuing to protest their innocence.

Framing SA twice results in real rapist & murderer never being charged. Who is being served & protected except MCSD? #MakingAMurderer  Kathleen Zellner (@ZellnerLaw) February 21, 2016

Fifth trip to Steven Avery. Collected samples for new tests. The inevitable is coming--he was smiling so were we. #MakingAMurderer #Science+  Kathleen Zellner (@ZellnerLaw) February 20, 2016

Fifth trip to Steven Avery. Collected samples for new tests. The inevitable is coming--he was smiling so were we. #MakingAMurderer #Science+  Kathleen Zellner (@ZellnerLaw) February 20, 2016

In January, after the documentary secured a huge viewership, it was announced that Avery had obtained a new legal team, led by Ms Zellner and the Midwest Innocence Project. The lawyers soon filed a fresh appeal, seeking a new trial, and Ms Zellner began tweeting updates of her work, and attacking the prosecution case, lead by Ken Kratz.

For all her public comments on social media, Ms Zellner has appeared less keen to speak directly to the media. However, this week she gave a rare interview to TheLipTV in which she said she believed the case against her client was slight and that it was obvious who the real killer was.

Its the evidence, she said. In having had a number of these cases, it has the signature of a wrongful conviction case. They only focused on him. They did not look at a lot of other suspects, certainly some very key people they should have been looking at.

She added: There was a very poor investigation done of the victims background, who she was involved with, the circumstances of her life. It had all of the hallmarks of a wrongful conviction case.

Last month, Ms Zellner also gave an insight into her hope that advances in forensic testing could help her client.Since 2007 there have been significant advances in forensic testing and so clearly were going, the clearest way to do this is with scientific testing and thats what we will be asking to do, she said.

Earlier this month, Manitowoc County asked for more time to gather documents related to Averys case, as he seeks a new trial. The request was granted by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and the county now has until March 2 to comply
The last time Des Bishop graced our television screens he was in a strange and confusing country, attempting to communicate with locals who spoke an indecipherable language. Clearly a year living in China would stand to him as he trained a light on the knotty realm of Irish politics.

On the heels of Sunday night's Facebook Election Special here was further evidence of RTE's commitment to reaching out to younger voters. And, while we didn't get to see Leo Varadkar biffed by a boom-mic on this occasion, there were nonetheless plenty of talking points. Below is what we learned.

1. Bishop is a Surprisingly Persuasive Straight Man

Say what you like about his comedy  and people do  as a straight-up host Bishop was a revelation. With polling day looming, he understood the stakes were high and that, though humour of course had its place, so did seriousness.

2. He's Watched the Daily Show  A Lot

Bishop's election special was essentially a decent cover version of Jon Stewart-era Daily Show. Is there anything wrong with this? Channel 4 had its own tilt at the formula with the lamentable 10 O'Clock Live and everyone loved them for it. So if Bishop scored zero for originality his Jon Stewart riff was nonetheless better than that of Charlie Brooker, Lauren Laverne and David Mitchell combined.

3) He Was Angry

Many of us will have experienced a swirl of emotions leading up to election day. Yet Bishop seemed to articulate our slow-bubbling rage better than anyone else. All we want is a decently run county  is that too much to ask? Bishop suggested it was not.

4. He Has Some Decent Researchers

You could have removed Bishop's gags and the 45-minute broadcast would have still been worth watching. Video segments revealed politicians of every hue to be cynical blatherers, willing to say whatever the punters wished to hear.

5. Donald Trump Has Nothing On The Healy-Raes

The Donald doesn't come close, said Bishop. For real political pizazz you only have to look to the first family of rural Kerry politics. He cut to a video of someone pushing one of the Healy-Raes on the stump, which he likened to the south-west's answer to an Isis promo.

6. Des Was Stung in the Property Bubble

Apparently endless sold-out comedy shows pay quite well as, in 2005, Bishop bought TWO houses in Rialto, Dublin. The estate agent told him it was a "no brainer". It's true, said Bishop. Only someone without a brain would have invested in an "up-and-coming area" that never went anywhere.

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7. He Likes Skittles

How to demonstrate the gulf between the vast profits reaped by multi-nationals and the paltry tax they pay in Ireland? What about the world's largest bag of skittles  set next to a single candy for comparison. Metaphors don't come any more delicious.
A young child, whose thighs were allegedly scarred because of overly thick elastic in a baby pants, was today awarded more than 17,000 damages against designer label Ralph Lauren.

Barrister Fiona Crawford, counsel for the child, told the Circuit Civil Court the pants had been bought by a friend in Brown Thomass Dublin store as a present for her following her birth.

It was while she was on holidays 10 weeks later with her parents, that she had been dressed in the new pink outfit, a dress and pants combination, in which she had become very agitated after several hours.

Ms Crawford, who appeared with Patrick Geaney solicitors for the child and her mum, said that when the child was being prepared for bed that evening her mother noticed red wields on her babys outer thighs.

On returning from holiday the mum had brought the child to her GP, who deemed the babys injuries as unconnected with any allergic reaction or bruising and referred her to consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon David ODonovan.

Ms Crawford told Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, that the child's injuries had been photographed at the time and on several occasions afterwards until their complete disappearance after two-and-a-half-years.

She said Professor Julian Ellis, a Nottinghamshire expert in the technology of elastic fabrics, had forensically examined the pants in early 2012 and found the elastic used had been twice as powerful as he would recommend even for an adult.

Prof Ellis said the Ralph Loren New York brand had been stitched into the garments which had been made in China and had been labelled as suitable for a three to six months old girl.

Ms Crawford told the court that plastic surgeon ODonovan had found residual scarring on the child's outer thighs secondary to a tight constriction band in the area where an elasticated baby-grow might fit against a babys skin.

She said his report noted that the only treatment required for the injuries had been massage with Bio oil by the babys mother. Three years after the incident the surgeon noted there were no marks and no need for any treatment.

Ms Crawford said the defendants, Ralph Lauren Ireland Limited, had delivered a full defence to the claim and liability was in issue. A settlement offer of 17,500 had been made and she was recommending the court approve it.

She told the court the child's skin, while significantly marked, had never been broken and there had never been any weeping of the wounds. Judge Groarke approved the offer and awarded the child and her mum their legal costs.
Ms Dean said Hoey had drunk a lot of free Champagne that had been on offer. Getty Images

A bride-to-be spat in one Luas security guard's face and punched another after drinking too much free alcohol at a wedding fair, a court heard.

Sheryl Hoey had been attending a wedding fair in Citywest Convention Centre in Saggart, Co Dublin, when she drank a lot of free Champagne that was on offer, Tallaght District Court was told.

Sergeant Michael Ahern told Judge John Lindsay that gardai had been called to a Luas stop after reports of a woman fighting with another female.

He said Luas security staff had also been called to the scene and Hoey had spat in the face of one security guard and punched another one in the face.

Aggressive

Sgt Ahern said Hoey was very aggressive when approached by the gardai and she was arrested.

Hoey (31), of Jervis Place, Upper Abbey Street, Dublin 1, admitted to assaulting two security guards at the Citywest Luas stop on January 10, 2015.

She also admitted to public drunkenness and breaching the peace at the Citywest Luas stop on the same date.

Hoey's lawyer, Gabby Deane, said Hoey - who is getting married in July - had been at a wedding fair in Citywest.

Ms Dean said Hoey had drunk a lot of free Champagne that had been on offer.

She said Hoey had blacked out and had no recollection of the incident.

Ms Dean told the court that Hoey was "extremely remorseful" for her actions.

The court also heard that Hoey had six previous convictions at the time.

Judge Lindsay commented that Hoey spat in one guard's face and punched another.

He said he would put the case back for a month to give Hoey the time to pay 250 compensation to each guard and he would strike it out.
Robert Howard is believed to have died from natural causes (Kent Police/PA)

The last man to see Arlene Arkinson alive said he hoped the schoolgirl was "cold and hungry" two weeks after she went missing, a coroners' court has been told.

Convicted child killer Robert Howard made the callous remark as he drove two other teenage girls to a disco in August 1994.

Expand Close Robert Howard is believed to have died from natural causes (Kent Police/PA) / Facebook

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In a statement read to Belfast Coroner's Court, Arlene's friend, Donna Quinn, said: "We thought she had just gone away somewhere.

"He (Howard) said: 'I hope she is cold and hungry wherever she is, for the bother she has caused us.'"

Fifteen-year-old Arlene, from Castlederg in Co Tyrone, vanished after a night out at a disco across the Irish border in Bundoran, Co Donegal.

She was last seen with Howard, who died in prison last year aged 71.

Howard was acquitted of her murder in 2005 by a jury which was unaware of his conviction for killing a 14-year-old in Kent.

However, he always remained the prime suspect in the Arkinson case.

Ms Quinn, who was aged 18 in 1994, was giving evidence during the sixth day of the long-delayed inquest.

She had invited Arlene, her then boyfriend Patrick John Heggarty and Robert Howard - who was dating her mother - out for the night in Bundoran.

All four travelled together in Howard's car and on the return journey, an intoxicated Ms Quinn and Mr Heggarty were dropped off first.

Despite being aware that Howard was on bail for an alleged sex attack and that he had expressed an interest in one of her friends, Ms Quinn was not concerned about Arlene's safety when she was driven off late at night alone in his car.

"Arlene wouldn't have looked at him any way," she said.

Under cross-examination from Frank O'Donoghue, barrister for the Coroners' Service, she also admitted that several days after the teen's disappearance, Howard had warned her not to say that Arlene had been in their company.

"He wanted you to lie about Arlene Arkinson being with you?" said Mr O'Donoghue.

"Yeah," replied Ms Quinn, who also asked her boyfriend to lie.

When asked why Howard had asked her not to tell the truth, Ms Quinn added: "He said he did not like the Arkinsons and because he was out on bail or something."

In another statement read to the court it was claimed Howard had denied having sex with Arlene.

The lawyer asked: "You knew that Howard liked young women, and here was Arlene being left with Howard at 3am in the morning. It can only mean one thing.

"You are asking him if he had sex with Arlene and he said that he didn't."

Ms Quinn said: "Aye, but I didn't mean it like that."

Howard was a regular visitor to her home at Churchtown Park in Castlederg and was like a father figure, it was claimed.

"He used to buy me and Francey (her brother) fags and give us sweets," said Ms Quinn.

It also emerged that Howard never again worn the white shirt and black trousers he had put on that night, on August 13 1994.

Mr O'Donoghue said: "Bob Howard was not a wealthy man, but you never saw those clothes, that white shirt or black trousers? It never crossed your mind to ask what happened to them?"

Ms Quinn replied: "It didn't actually, no."

There were emotional scenes as Ms Quinn and her mother Patricia entered the courtroom.

At one point Ms Quinn Snr shouted as Arlene's sister Kathleen Arkinson took her seat on the opposite side of the courtroom.

Donna Quinn wept as she sat in the public gallery awaiting to take her place in the witness stand.

Earlier, Patrick John Heggarty, also known as Sean Heggarty, told the court he was still haunted by the case.

When asked by a lawyer for the Police Service of Northern Ireland if he had any idea where the Arlene was buried, he replied: "Absolutely not."

Mr Heggarty added: "I wonder about Arlene every day. What happened from a normal night to turn into this. Unbelievable.

"I can safely say, I could see no difference that particular night than any other night that I have been out.

"I can't understand."

The case has been adjourned.
A deaf woman was allegedly raped by two men in a caravan after arranging a meeting over social media, a court heard today.

Police claimed one of the pair had manipulated and coerced her into getting a taxi to the traveller site in west Belfast.

The woman has also alleged her drink may have been spiked during the incident on the Glen Road early on Friday.

David Spence, 18, and Francis Gavin, 23, appeared before magistrates in the city accused of carrying out the sex attack.

Both men deny charges of rape, insisting all contact with the woman in her thirties was consensual.

Spence, a trainee joiner from Ardcaoin Avenue in the Dunmurry area, was granted bail on conditions that include a ban on accessing computers.

But Gavin, of Glen Road Heights in Belfast, remains in custody while checks are carried out on proposed addresses.

A judge was told the woman had been in contact with Spence through a social media site before a meeting was arranged.

Describing her as vulnerable, an investigating detective said she made it clear that she was not interested in having sex at the encounter.

The officer claimed Spence had ignored requests to come to her house, instead arranging for a taxi to bring her to the Glen Road traveller encampment.

Following the alleged attack he said she left the caravan and walked a quarter of a mile down a lane in the dark before reporting the incident at the first house with lights on.

Defence barrister Tom McCreanor, for Spence, put it to the officer that his client and the woman had "intimate and suggestive" social media exchanges before meeting.

The detective replied: "She does mention she likes sex. However, she is saying that's within a long-term relationship."

Photographs were also sent between her and Spence, the court heard.

Asked if the woman's vulnerability related to a hearing issue, the officer said: "This lady is profoundly deaf."

He also claimed: "From the content of text messages there was bit of manipulation or coercion."

But Mr McCreanor argued that his client had been in "consensual and encouraged communication" with the woman.

He told the court she willingly got a taxi to the caravan and was never prevented from leaving.

Granting bail for Spence to return to court in four weeks, District Judge Fiona Bagnall ordered him to live with his parents under curfew.

He was banned from using mobile phones, computers and accessing social media sites, and must not go near either the alleged victim's home or the traveller site.

Gavin also faces unrelated charges of common assault, criminal damage to a window and possession of a knuckle duster over an incident on January 25.

Defence solicitor Eamon O'Connor stressed his client is not accused of making any of the arrangements to meet the alleged rape victim.

"He was at the site when the alleged injured party arrived," Mr O'Connor said.

"He made the case in ten interviews that any contact between himself and this lady was entirely by consent."

During cross-examination the detective confirmed the woman claimed her drink may have been spiked.

Forensic tests are still being carried out to establish if it was.

But with police claiming Gavin has used six addresses in the last five years, his bail application was adjourned for further checks on where he might live if released.
A landmark legal case seeking to clarify how the existence of an unborn child should be recorded in the event of their mother's death has been dropped.

Patrick Enright, whose pregnant wife Mary died in a road traffic accident, announced he was abandoning the High Court action against the State.

The move came after a coroner last month decided that a death certificate could be issued for the couple's unborn daughter Mollie.

Mr Enright said he was dropping the constitutional challenge as he had now done everything in his power to have Mollie's existence acknowledged.

He had initiated the proceedings in September 2014 seeking that Mollie be recognised as a person and also seeking clarification on how her existence should be recorded.

Central to the case was whether or not Mollie could be technically considered to have been born. Without such a declaration, it would not have been possible for a death certificate to be issued.

In a statement, Mr Enright said a legal difficulty was identified concerning the registration of Mollie under the Civil Registration Act 2004. He said that before the inquest it did not appear Mollie came within the definition of a stillbirth as defined by the Act. Mr Enright said that in the months leading up to the inquest, the coroner had indicated he would give a narrative verdict and would leave it up to a registrar to decide how to deal with the issue of how Mollie's life and death was recorded.

However, on the morning of the inquest, Tipperary coroner Paul Morris decided Mollie should be registered as a stillbirth.

He found that "as a matter of law, the removal or separation of the non-living foetus in the course of an autopsy from the mother, is a birth, and therefore her death is registerable as a stillbirth".

Mary Enright (28) died after a head-on collision with a car driven by Cork schoolboy Robert Stoker (17) near Bansha, Co Tipperary, in March 2012.

At the hearing last month, a jury found that both Mrs Enright and Mr Stoker died as a result of multi-traumatic injuries received in a road collision.

The jury also found that Mollie had died due to a lack of oxygen following her mother's death.

In his statement, Mr Enright said: "I have now decided with the full support of Mary's family and my own family that the constitutional challenge should be discontinued as we feel that we have now done all that is within our power to have Mollie's life and existence acknowledged.

"As Mollie's family, we would like to thank all those who have been a source of support to us in any way."
John Stokes (25) had only been released from a five year jail term (Stock)

A father of three who threatened an acquaintance with a crossbow has been jailed for this, mugging a woman and stealing a handbag from an elderly lady.

John Stokes (25) of Beachside, Riverchapel, Gorey had only been released from a five year jail term when he came to Mary Kate McDonagh's friend's home armed with two carving knives.

He terrified the woman but she managed to get Stokes out of the house. He returned, this time armed with a bow and arrow. Stokes pushed the metal arrow through the letterbox and although he held onto it he told Ms McDonagh he would stick you to the wall.

The woman was terrified and believed she would be killed if Stokes let the arrow go. He left a short time later.

Stokes pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to production of a crossbow while threatening to kill Ms McDonagh at Pearse House, Pearse Street, Dublin on December 28, 2014.

He also pleaded to robbing a handbag at Clyde Court, Ballsbridge on January 24, 2015 and to stealing a handbag a Baggot Street Lower on February 19, 2015.

Stokes has 48 previous convictions mostly for road traffic offences but which include theft, robbery, false imprisonment, burglary and possession of knives.

Detective Garda Anthony Gilleran told Noel Devitt BL, prosecuting that after he was arrested for the offence Stokes said his life was under threat and he was in fear of being shot. He was using cocaine and tablets, the court heard.

A victim impact report before the court said that Ms McDonagh and Stokes have since made their peace.

Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Stokes to five and half years in prison with the final 18 months suspended on condition that he engage with the Probation Service for two years upon his release.

She said each offence was serious in its own right and each had nasty elements.

The judge accepted that Stokes had abused alcohol and drugs, had a difficult childhood, had little education and very little structure in his life.

She said it was no surprise that he relapsed very quickly back into criminality as there was no post release supervision order in place when he got out of jail in December 2014.

Judge Greally acknowledged that Stokes has since tried to arrest the tide of criminality, engaged in a local community project and removed himself from the company of his negative peers.

David Staunton BL, defending said Stokes was a member of the travelling community and one of 12 children. He had a difficult upbringing and left school at an early age.

He said Stokes was a father of three young children and asked the judge to accept he was capable of demonstrating some reform. A probation report before the court concluded that Stokes was at a moderate risk of re-offending.

Gda Patrick O'Brien said Stokes knocked Deirdre Walsh to the ground and robbed her mobile phone and handbag off her. CCTV captured the assault and the attacker making off in a car with three alloy wheels.

Gardai spotted the car a few days later and arrested the driver, who was Stokes. In interview he made admissions and told garda that it wouldn't have happened if it were not for the drugs.

Ms Walsh was left with a black eye and a bruised face and her victim impact statement said she was embarrassed for some time after the mugging because of her injuries. She said in her statement that the memory of the incident will have an enduring effect on me.

On February 19, 2015 an elderly couple Patricia and Clive Carroll were walking at midnight on their way home from a night at the Gaiety theatre when Ms Carroll felt someone tugging at her handbag.

She turned to see Stokes running off to a waiting getaway car. The couple gave chase and were later able to give gardai a good description and part registration of the vehicle.

Gda Lee Gavin said he and a colleague spotted Stokes and another man sitting in the vehicle later that same evening. The men were riffling through a handbag and as soon as they saw gardai the other man drove off.

Following a short chase Stokes was arrested. He made no admissions in interview and was aggressive towards gardai.

The handbag and its contents were returned to Ms Carroll. Gda Gavin said it was clear from the victim impact statement that the victim was a very admirable and resilient woman.

He said she was much more aware when she was out and about now that she could be a victim of crime.
A number of the allegations faced by Dr Intan Besri, of Dublin 13, were not proven beyond reasonable doubt. Stock picture

A GP was found guilty of poor professional performance after appearing before a Medical Council inquiry over her care of a female patient who later died of advanced colon cancer.

However a number of the allegations faced by Dr Intan Besri, of Dublin 13, were not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Dr Besri, a GP working as a locum at the College Gate Clinic at Ballymun Road, Glasnevin, faced a number of allegations in relation to Breeda Fayne, who was seen by the GP on two occasions between February and April 2012.

Ms Fayne, who died of advanced colon cancer two years ago, made a complaint to the Medical Council in April 2013.

Yesterday the inquiry was informed that Dr Besri was willing to admit to six of the factual allegations.

The allegations that Dr Besri admitted to were in relation to her failure to develop an appropriate management plan for Ms Fayne, who came to visit her on February 8, 2012, and failure to make adequate notes regarding that and a later visit.

Admissions

On foot of these admissions by Dr Besri, the inquiry committee found that, collectively, they amounted to poor professional performance. Sanctions will be determined at a later date.

In announcing their findings, the committee members offered their condolences to Ms Fayne's widower and son.

The inquiry previously heard that Ms Fayne said she went to visit Dr Besri in February 2012, complaining of pain on her left side. Dr Besri requested an abdominal MRI for Mrs Fayne but, instead, an MRI of the pelvis was performed, for reasons unknown to the inquiry.

Simon Mills, representing Dr Besri, pointed out that this was an isolated case involving a single patient. While there was ultimately a tragic outcome for Mrs. Fayne and her family, it was never alleged that any act or omission on the part of Dr Besri lead to Mrs Fayne's death.

Since 2012, Dr Besri, who obtained her medical degree from UCD in 2001, has taken a number of steps to develop herself professionally and adopted an improved note-taking system.
An Irish student accused of making 23 hoax bomb calls to schools, businesses and airports in the US is to appear in court on Thursday.

The unnamed 19-year-old faces charges of placing calls to the institutions in 2012.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief inspector Ian Wilson said: "We have conducted substantial and lengthy enquiries with a range of law enforcement agencies which have resulted in a series of charges being examined by the court.

"We will continue to liaise with authorities in the US and with the young man and his family."

He will appear at Laganside Magistrates' Court in Belfast to face a preliminary enquiry which will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

The PSNI said: "The individual is being dealt with by way of indictable summons and faces 23 charges of making calls to a variety of institutions including schools, businesses and airports."
Independent TD Joan Collins is taking an appeal against the High Court's rejection of her challenge over the issuing of the promissory notes. Pic: Courtpix

A law under which the Minister for Finance issued 31bn promissory notes for Anglo Irish Bank and other financial institutions did not amount to a "blank cheque", the State has told the Supreme Court.

Independent TD Joan Collins is taking an appeal against the High Court's rejection of her challenge over the issuing of the promissory notes.

The State contends the minister was empowered to issue the notes under the 2008 Credit Institutions (Financial Stabilisation) Act, which was enacted by the Oireachtas with the aim of averting a banking collapse.

Ms Collins maintains the notes were issued without a Dail vote in breach of constitutional provisions dealing with appropriation of public money.

The case relates to promissory notes issued for Anglo, Irish Nationwide Building Society (INBS) and Educational Building Society (EBS). Anglo and INBS were later nationalised.

In submissions, Michael McDowell, SC for the State, disputed two core arguments advanced by Ms Collins.

He disagreed a statutory power to charge the central fund is unconstitutional unless that charge is pre-quantified or there is an outer limit on it. He also rejected arguments that it is unconstitutional for the minister to charge a public fund under statute unless the imposition of the charge has been considered in advance by the Dail.

During exchanges with Mr McDowell, Mr Justice Peter Charleton said he did not see evidence the Dail considered this expenditure via estimates.

There may be an Act saying there is an emergency and "you have got to do what it takes", the issue for the court is whether that is constitutional, the judge said. He also queried whether the State's position amounted to saying: "You discuss the groceries, but not the purchase of the house".

The court will resume hearing the appeal on a date to be confirmed.
Rachel Crawshaw pictured at Mallow District court in relation to an suspected arson attack in which two men died in north Cork. Pic Cork Courts Ltd

A young woman was charged with manslaughter and arson over a fire at an apartment complex in which two men died.

Rachel Crawshaw (28) was charged with two counts of manslaughter and one count of arson arising from a fatal fire at a St Joseph's Road apartment complex in Mallow, Co Cork two years ago.

The fire, which was detected shortly before 4am on March 13, resulted in the death of friends Greg Lonergan (36) and John Palmer (37).

Two others, including the defendant, were rescued by Gardai and Mallow Fire Brigade officials.

Judge Brian Sheridan heard evidence of arrest, caution and charge from Det Sergeant Michael Corbett.

Det Sgt Corbett said Crawshaw was arrested at 7.20pm on Monday evening at Cork Airport on foot of a district court warrant.

She was taken to Mallow Garda Station where she was formally charged.

The court was told that, after caution, Crawshaw made no reply to gardai.

She is charged with two counts of unlawful killing relating to Mr Lonergan and Mr Palmer between March 12-13 2014 at Granary Court apartments in Mallow.

The charges are brought contrary to common law.

She is also charged with one count of arson, contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Damage Act, 1991, at the same place and date.

Inspector Tony O'Sullivan said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has instructed that the matter be dealt with on indictment before the Circuit Criminal Court.

He said there was no bail application at the current time and said gardai would require time to prepare and serve the book of evidence.

Judge Sheridan remanded Crawshaw of No Fixed Abode in custody to appear again before Mallow District Court on March 1 next.

Crawshaw, who appeared in court wearing black leggings and a black top, did not speak during the brief hearing.

Mr Lonergan had lived at a number of addresses in both Cork city and county while Mr Palmer was originally from Tymon North in Tallaght, Dublin.

Gardai and Mallow Fire Brigade managed to rescue a number of people from the area in the minutes after the blaze was first detected on March 13 2014.

However, the fire spread with such speed that officers were unable to gain access for a time through smoke-filled hallways and rooms to a rented upper floor apartment.

When officers with breathing apparatus managed to get into rooms in that apartment, they discovered the two men.

Both died despite desperate attempts to revive them at the scene.
Joan Burton chats to Erin Gallimore at Shellybanks Educate Together National School in Ballsbridge. Photo: Tom Burke

The Labour Party will promise soldiers and gardai the chance to set their pay, if elected to Government.

The pledge will allow bodies representing the gardai and the army to take part in talks to set their salaries.

The Garda Representative Association and other defence forces groups are barred from collective bargaining. Gardai and the Army are also banned from striking.

Tanaiste Joan Burton said this was part of her party's plan to "update Ireland's industrial relation laws, within the appropriate frameworks".

Meanwhile, Ms Burton does not believe left-wing parties can form a government, saying their main concern is to prove "how left-wing they all can be".

Speaking at the launch of Labour's education access plan where the party pledged to deliver more than 100 new multi-denominational schools by 2021, she said these "supposed-left politicians" shy away from decision making.

Ms Burton doubted Sinn Fein could lead a coalition after it made plans to share power with anti-water charges groups.

Ms Burton also ruled out a possibility of sharing power with Independents as their demands "could not be met".

"Would you be able to fund it (a Government) if you have people coming in not with a list of demands but a trolley load of them?" she asked.
MOST Sinn Fein voters believe the Special Court Criminal Court must be kept in operation.

But Sinn Fein leaders still insist it must be abolished  even though it would not be a red line issue in any future talks about government.

A new Ipsos MRBI survey today shows that two out of three Irish voters believe the non-jury, three-judge Court is needed to combat terrorism and organised crime.

Seven out of 10 Fine Gael, Labour, Fianna Fail and Independent voters want to retain the Court. Sinn Fein has maintained its call for abolition despite the upsurge in gangland killings.

Opinion is more evenly divided with Sinn Fein voters. But 45pc of them want to keep the Court  while 40pc hold with the official party line that it should be abolished.

Asked about the findings today, Sinn Fein finance spokesman, Pearse Doherty said nothing had changed.

We believe in trial by jury and we believe juries can be protected by special measures as they are throughout Europe. We want to see the Special Criminal Court abolished and so do the Irish Council of Civil Liberties, Amnesty and many other human rights groups, Mr Doherty said.

But Mr Doherty said the Special Criminal Court was not a red line issue for the party in this election. He said issues like reversing health service cuts took precedence over the future of the Court.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny listens to Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanangan, Minister Richard Bruton Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Paudie Coffey, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment with Special Responsibility for Housing, Planning and Coordination of the Construction 2020 Strategy at 'eishtec' in Waterford during a visit to the plant. Pic: Steve Humphreys

Ministers have been forced to defend Taoiseach Enda Kenny amid concerns in Fine Gael that his campaign performance has damaged the party's chances.

After 48 hours of his "All-Ireland champion whingers" gaffe dominating the news cycle, Mr Kenny finally moved to clarify the remarks he made in Castlebar on Saturday. He said he was referring to Fianna Fail politicians in the town, not ordinary members of the public.

It came amid mixed results for Mr Kenny's party in opinion polls and issues earlier in the campaign, such as the length of time he took to rule out a post-election deal with Independent TD Michael Lowry.

Fine Gael sources last night told the Irish Independent of internal concern at Mr Kenny's performance so far.

"So much of the campaign has been spent talking about his mistakes... We had hoped for better but it's not over yet," said a source.

Another noted that while the party is fully behind Mr Kenny, the events of recent weeks will be remembered with "a level of anxiety".

Mr Kenny last night offered his "full apologies to the people of Castlebar".

"There was no offence meant to any member of the public. I was having a political go at a small number of Fianna Fail councillors," Mr Kenny said on RTE's 'Six One' news.

Earlier, at a press conference, Mr Kenny was asked if he regretted what he said. "Mea Culpa. I accept I should have clarified my remarks," he said. He added that the public are "quite entitled to give me their anxieties and their concerns."

Mr Kenny was asked if he believes Fine Gael was pleased with his performance on the campaign trail.

"I've made mistakes in my life," Mr Kenny said, adding that he had now clarified the 'whingeing' comments.

"I've always admitted my failings," Mr Kenny continued.

"On the other hand, I can look back with pride on the last five years with a team that had to make the most difficult decisions of any since the foundation of the State."

Ministers Charlie Flanagan, Richard Bruton and junior minister Paudie Coffey were asked what marks out of 10 they'd give Mr Kenny on his campaign performance.

Mr Flanagan described Mr Kenny as an "outstanding Taoiseach" who has received "plaudits right across the globe".

Mr Bruton - who previously challenged Mr Kenny for leadership of Fine Gael with a failed heave in 2010 - said that "leaders are measured really by how they react at times of crisis".

"It hasn't been perfect. We all acknowledge mistakes can be made but we are in such a much better place under Enda's leadership than we were when we started on this journey... On that score, the Taoiseach is an outstanding success."

Mr Coffey said: "I've the fullest of support in An Taoiseach and his colleagues for the track record from where they've brought us in the last five years."

Asked if that meant they were all giving Mr Kenny 10 out of 10 for his campaign performance report card, Mr Flanagan replied "11".

Fianna Fail councillor in the Castlebar district Al McDonnell last night said: "The apology is late and you can't undo what's said."

His party colleague Cllr Blackie K Gavin said: "People here are very hurt, the town council is gone, we've lost jobs here."
James Bannon getting a lift off the Garda today, inset left, Paul Hogan, inset right, James Bannon

A SINN Fein election candidate has made an official complaint to gardai over allegations Fine Gael rivals removed his leaflets from letter boxes.

Councillor Paul Hogan has accused a canvasser with Fine Gael TD James Bannon of stealing his election leaflets.

The incident is alleged to have happened on Monday night as the pair canvassed in the Creevaghbeg estate in Ballymahon, Co Longford.

Gardai confirmed an investigation is underway.

Mr Bannon denies the allegations.

He also stood by his earlier explanation that a member of his canvassing team was only reading the leaflet.

What happened I think a fella that canvasses with me, he just looked at a leaflet and put it back in, and that was it, and they swarmed on him, he added.

What have I to apologise for? Nothing - I have to apologise for nothing, he added.

Cllr Hogan said he had no choice but to go to gardai at 3.30pm today as he had given Mr Bannon and his team until 3pm today to apologise.

He said he has given gardai the names of at least five witnesses to question who will verify his complaint.

Cllr Hogan also maintained gardai may be bale to bring charges for theft, a more serious count of interfering with letterboxes, or under the electoral act for trying to influence the outcome of an election.

This has certainly left a bad taste in peoples mouths in the area, he told the Irish Independent.
Election 2016 candidate Kathleen Funchion (Sinn Fein) gets to grips with Caesar The Snake during KCLR's I'm A Politician Get Me Out Of Here. Photo: Ken McGuire/KCLR

Politics is often like a pit of vipers but some of our election hopefuls came face to face with the real thing as part of a radio station stunt. Some of the brave candidates in the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency took KCLR Live's 'I'm a politician, get me out of here' challenge.

Caesar, a six-foot boa constrictor, was produced and the candidates - including Sinn Fein's Kathleen Funchion and People Before Profit's Adrienne Wallace began to squirm. "What's the best way to do this now?," Funchion asked. "Don't squeeze him," came the advice. "He's getting very tight on my neck," she said.

Next up was Adrienne, who had a few light screams. "It's like a joint of beef or something. It's really heavy and squidgey," she said. It was definitely a political debate with a difference.

Funchion said afterwards: "It was nerve-wracking but I'm glad I took part." Wallace said: "I thought I'd be a lot braver than I was." Later, a scorpion was thrown into the mix. It's not often Floating Voter feels sorry for politicians; and we didn't this time either. More of this, please.

They said what...

Christy Burke on homelessness: "The Government will promise you the deer in the park, but you have to go catch them yourself."

The tweeting voter

"It didn't take long #Whingers."

Richard Chambers

@newschambers

*****

We've had our fair share of dodgy music videos during this General Election campaign, including one or two belters from Kerry.

However, one candidate from the Kingdom thought outside the sand box for his social media offering. Independent candidate Michael 'Pixie' O'Gorman took inspiration from his surroundings and created a sand-art video.

Mr O'Gorman, who posted the video "Political Beach Art takes Inch by storm" on Facebook, surely hopes he won't be swept away with the tide.

*****

The Social Democrats style themselves as shooting from the hip when it comes to addressing the tough issues. So who better to document them than the cinematographer behind 'Love/Hate'.

Ciaran Tanham has gone from filming Nidge, Tommy and Fran to focussing his camera on Stephen, Roisin and Catherine handing out leaflets on the campaign trail.
Micheal Martin has dismissed suggestions he would serve as a rotating Taoiseach in a Fine Gael/Fianna Fail coalition.

Former Fianna Fail junior minister Conor Lenihan suggested Mr Martin should demand to hold the Taoiseachs office for a period if a Grand Coalition was formed with Fine Gael after the General Election.

However, speaking outside Ballyroan Community Centre in the Dublin South West constituency, Mr Martin said: Its not a consideration.

I know Conor has come late into the campaign in terms of the article he has written but I wouldnt see it as a practical possibility, he added.

Mr Martin said recent opinion polls showing a surge in his popularity tested his general scepticism of public surveys.

I cant turn around now and say all of a sudden they have become right. Theyre volatile, they go up and they go down, I know that, he added.

Read More

However, he said the poll, which showed him with a 54pc public satisfaction rating, may be due to the threatening election strategies used by other parties.

The other campaigns went awry in terms there was a lot of threatening going on. People dont like that. There was a lot saying you better vote for us or everything will fall apart, there will be chaos, he said.

Mr Martin also conceded people have not forgotten he served in Cabinet during the economic collapse and said he still has a lot of work to do to win back the publics trust.

I dont think people have forgotten anything. I think people are very focused on their experiences and they are looking to politicians in terms of solutions to that and I would also say, and allowing for that poll, I am under no illusions, he said.

Lets be honest people are wary of politicians bringing promises. We have a lot of work to do and I have a lot of work to do to ensure trust with the Irish people and regain trust with the Irish people, he added.
The Minister for Health said he is "embarrassed and ashamed" after a grandfather, struck by a brain haemorrhage, died after lying on a trolley in a hospital corridor for 12 hours.

Eddie Moloney (73) was rushed to University Hospital Limericks emergency department last October where it was discovered he had a bleed in his brain.

Before his death, Mr Moloney was left on a trolley for hours and was left to die in a busy public ward, his children told RTE Ones The Big Picture  Irelands Health Service.

When he arrived, the emergency department was too busy to allocate a bed and he was left on a trolley for 12 hours.

There was a brain scan done and thats when they knew the extent of the bleed, that our father wouldnt be waking up ever again, his daughter Joanne said.

It was chaos, it was a Friday night in the hospital.

There was a lot of drunk people around on trollies.

There was a drunk man right beside my father who was so drunk that when he went to sit up on his bed, he fell off his trolley and banged into my mother, while she was trying to rub my dads hands and talk to him.

I was devastated for my mum, and the distress she was in.

Joanne said she was amazed that there was not anywhere private for the family to go.

They had said he wasnt going to make it through the night, Mr Moloneys son Paul said.

He was put [in the hallway] to die and again, its not the staffs fault.

No one who spends their whole life working should go through that at the end of life and thats my whole thing as well, take care of these situations first. Before you take care of anything else in this country, the health service is absolutely at the top of the list, surely.

Mr Moloney survived the night and was given a bed the next morning. He died a day later in a busy public ward with little or no privacy.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar responded to the Moloneys case on the Claire Byrne Live debate which aired following the Prime Time report.

I am deeply ashamed and embarrassed if anyone has that sort of end-of-life experience in our health service and it makes me more determined to do something about it, the Minister said.

The ideal situation of course is that any end of life patient should be in a private room.

University Hospital Limerick told RTE that it regrets if any patient or their families has a poor experience.

Where possible, a patient identified as being at the end of life is prioritised for a bed, it said.

In a busy hospital environment, this is not always possible.

It acknowledged that the emergency department is too small and not fit for purpose but that a new state-of-the-art emergency department will open in the first quarter of 2017.

The Minister for Health also said more single rooms were needed in hospitals.

Theres a limited number of private rooms in our hospitals and priority goes first to patients who have infection control issues, people with cancer and CF who might get infection, then those who might infect others and then end-of-life patients.

What we need is more single rooms and thats why every new hospital is single room only, the new childrens hospital will be single rooms only, the new block in Limerick is single room only, there is a new emergency department now built in Limerick, it will open next year, it should have been built ages ago

We really are making these things happen but its going to take time, he added.

In a poll conducted for Claire Byrne Live, 55pc of people said they would forgo tax cuts for greater investment in the health service. In the same poll, 34pc of respondents answered no and 11pc answered dont know.
Health minister Leo Varadkar has said he is "embarrassed and ashamed" after a grandfather, struck by a brain haemorrhage, died after lying on a trolley in a hospital corridor for 12 hours.

Eddie Moloney (73) was rushed to University Hospital Limerick's emergency department last October where tests showed a bleed in his brain.

But he was left on a trolley for 12 hours and moved to a busy public ward with a television blaring nearby, his children told RTE One's 'The Big Picture - Ireland's Health Service'.

"It was chaos, it was a Friday night in the hospital," his daughter Joanne said. "There was a lot of drunk people around on trollies.

"There was a drunk man right beside my father who was so drunk that when he went to sit up on his bed, he fell off his trolley and banged into my mother, while she was trying to rub my dad's hands and talk to him."

Mr Moloney survived the night and was given a bed the next morning, but died a day later in a busy public ward with "little or no privacy".

Mr Moloney's son Paul added: "No one who spends their whole life working should go through that at the end of life and that's my whole thing as well: take care of these situations first. Before you take care of anything else in this country, the health service is absolutely at the top of the list, surely."

Mr Varadkar told the 'Claire Byrne Live' debate, which was aired after the 'Prime Time' report: "I am deeply ashamed and embarrassed if anyone has that sort of end-of-life experience in our health service. It makes me more determined to do something about it."
Martin Ferris cast a serious slur on Brian Stack in his 2006 biography. Photo: Tom Burke

Sinn Fein TD Martin Ferris claims he does not know anything about the Provisional IRA murder of prison officer Brian Stack despite his central role in the terrorist group at the time of the brutal killing.

Mr Ferris spent more than a decade jailed in Portlaoise Prison, where Mr Stack served, and has made disparaging comments about the prison officer.

When asked if he had any information on Mr Stack's death, Mr Ferris said: "No, no information, absolutely none."

Sinn Fein is under mounting pressure over its failure to assist the investigation and has faced damning criticism from Mr Stack's son Austin.

Writing in today's Irish Independent, Mr Stack accuses Gerry Adams of "playing the victim" and trying to deflect attention from his family's trauma after he alleged two senior Sinn Fein figures were involved in his father's murder.

"Gerry Adams' response when I placed this information in the public domain last week was to deflect the issue away from these two murderers whom he protects," he writes.

"He firstly played the victim himself and tried to make out that he has somehow suffered in a similar way to my family."

Mr Adams faced questioning over the murder during an interview on RTE Radio One and clashed with Fine Gael's Meath East TD Regina Doherty on radio station LMFM.

Mr Adams also came under pressure from his own deputy leader, Mary Lou McDonald, who urged him to give any information he had on Mr Stack's murder to gardai after he claimed to have been given the names of two Sinn Fein members involved in the crime.

Her comments follow conflicting accounts over how Mr Adams received the names of two Sinn Fein members alleged to be involved in the killing.

He claimed he was given the information by Austin Stack but this was strongly denied by the prison officer's son.

Brian Stack was shot by the IRA in Dublin in 1983 and died of his injuries 18 months later.

In 2013, the IRA finally admitted responsibility for the killing at a meeting with the victim's family, which had been set up by Mr Adams.

Last week, Brian Stack said he obtained credible information suggesting two senior Sinn Fein figures, both of whom currently hold office, were involved in the murder.

In his biography, 'Martin Ferris - Man of Kerry', the deputy attacks the character of Mr Stack which caused upset to his family.

He described Mr Stack as "a particularly vindictive individual" who "was also despised by prison officers and prisoners other than republicans".

Yesterday, Ms McDonald said there was "absolutely" a responsibility on all citizens, including Mr Adams, to give details of crimes to gardai.

"All of us and Gerry included are on the record (saying) where there has been an offence or any criminal action information needs to go to An Garda Siochana. They are the duly constituted body to investigate these matters," she said.

"I'm sure any information Gerry would have (would be given to gardai)," she added.

Sinn Fein did not respond yesterday to all attempts to establish whether Mr Adams had passed the allegations he has received on to gardai.
Luas passengers have been hit by delays due to an escalation in work-to-rule action after a sudden, marked upsurge in drivers' toilet breaks

Luas passengers have been hit by delays due to an escalation in work-to-rule action after a sudden, marked upsurge in drivers' toilet breaks.

Transdev, which operates the tram system, has warned that it may sack workers after a steep hike in 'personal needs breaks' since last week.

It has written to Siptu, warning the union that it will seek legal advice with a view to "recovering any financial penalties" it suffers as a result of lost services.

The company warned that any staff member who delays the service "will be liable to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal".

The letter, sent to Siptu assistant industrial organiser John Murphy, says that last Wednesday 16 breaks were taken.

There were 26 on Saturday, when there was a concert in the 3Arena, and 18 on Sunday.

In total, 60 toilet breaks were taken over the three days, which resulted in "significant delays" to the tram system. This "consequently caused serious disruption to members of the travelling public".

The 60 toilet breaks in three days compares with just 22 taken in over a month between January 1 and February 5. The letter from Transdev to Siptu says that there has never been a day historically where these levels of toilet breaks were needed.

The ramped-up action comes as Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe warned that further strikes at the Luas would "wreck" the light rail service.

Mr Donohoe also warned that everyone who attends last-ditch talks to resolve the dispute over pay rises "has to have realistic expectations".

Talks starting tomorrow follow two highly disruptive 48-hour strikes that brought services on both the red and green lines to a halt.

Without an agreement, the highly disruptive industrial action that has hit up to 90,000 commuters a day will escalate to another strike on March 8, followed by a further 24-hour stoppage on St Patrick's Day.

Staff have demanded pay rises ranging from 8.5pc to 53.8pc and big improvements in working conditions, including free GP care and better-paid overtime.

Transdev will consider wage increases of only between 1pc and 3pc.

Mr Donohoe said it was imperative that talks to avert the looming strikes take place on a realistic basis.

"Everybody has to have realistic expectations and demands as they go into the negotiations because continuation of these strikes will wreck the Luas," he said.

"It will cause huge damage to our city, the commuters and to the Luas itself and it is in everybody's interest now that discussions begin this week."

The minister noted that staff had already sacrificed a bonus payment worth up to 3,000 each because they went on strike.

This is a penalty outlined in their collective agreement with their employer.
DART commuters have been warned to expect significant delays this morning after a truck hit a bridge this morning.

Northern Commuter services have also been impacted following the incident near Malahide station.

Delays are expected to ease late morning into early afternoon.

Meanwhile, an incident on an Iarnrod Eireann train has lead to further delays for rail commuters this morning.

The Drogheda to Pearse St station train due to leave at 9.35am is running at least 20 minutes behind.

The delay is due to "anti-social behaviour" on board this train, according to Irish Rail.

More details to follow...
The AK-47 assault rifles used in the Regency Hotel attack may have been stolen from an IRA arms dump over a decade ago.

The high-powered weapons were used by associates of slain gangster Gary Hutch in the brutal attack in which rival mobster David Byrne (34) was murdered and two of his pals were shot.

Sources have revealed that the use of the AK-47s in the attack has increased tension among senior dissident Republicans in the capital. reports indicated that a long-time close associate of Gerry The Monk Hutch is now being blamed for stealing the weapons more than 10 years ago.

This veteran IRA figure attended the funeral of revenge murder victim Eddie Hutch last Friday. It has emerged that he is being investigated for providing the high-powered weapons used in the hotel attack.

This individual is a true veteran of the gangland scene in the capital for four decades and he has managed to always keep his head above water, a source said.

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But serious questions are now being asked about him and his relationship with the gang who carried out that shooting.

There has long been a belief that weapons of this calibre were stolen from an IRA stockpile well over 10 years ago and there is now major suspicion that this individual was behind that.

The view among senior IRA figures is that these weapons should never have got into the hands of the gangsters who were involved in that attack, the source said.

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Tensions remained high in the capital this week, with gardai fearful of more revenge attacks in the bitter feud that has already claimed three lives.

The sons of cartel boss Christy Kinahan, Daniel and Christopher Jnr, are understood to still be in the capital. They are believed to have attended a social event in the Islandbridge area of the city on Saturday night, which passed off without incident.

Expand Close Eddie Hutchs murder was in response to the attack at the Regency Hotel. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook

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The whereabouts of the cartels number one target Gerry The Monk Hutch are unknown, but he is thought to be in hiding and is not believed to have left the country.

Massive garda investigations into the murders of Byrne and Hutch are continuing. Sources have revealed that it is expected that a number of targeted searches of properties will take place this week.

Gardai have identified most of the six-man gang involved in the Regency Hotel attack and the four-man mob involved in the Hutch murder.

Armed officers are continuing to mount operations to ensure there are no more murders  more than 40 gang members and their families have been warned of threats against their lives.

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The security operation has also spread to the countrys jail system, with a number of associates of Gary Hutch in protective custody. These include his brother, Derek Del Boy Hutch, and Eddie Hutchs son Alan.

Neither Alan or Del Boy were granted compassionate leave from jail to attend Eddies funeral last week.

Jail authorities are aware of serious threats on a number of individuals because of this feud and with that in mind a special plan has been put in place to ensure the safety of a number of prisoners, a jail source said.

Yesterday, the Herald revealed that a young criminal believed to be involved in the murder of David Byrne had surrendered himself to prison authorities over fears he will be targeted in revenge attacks.

Another associate of the Hutch family also surrendered himself to gardai on a theft warrant on February 6.

The man, who is not suspected of involvement in the feud, is believed to have taken the decision because he fears for his safety.
A woman is due to appear before a Cork District Court today in relation to a fire in which two men died.

The woman, in her late 20s, is scheduled to appear before Mallow District Court at 10.30 am today on arson and manslaughter charges.

The charges are related to a fire on March 13, 2014 just off Mallow town centre in which two men died.

Greg Lonergan (36) and John Palmer (37) died as a result of a blaze which ripped through an apartment complex on St Joseph's Road. Mr Lonergan had lived at a number of addresses in both Cork city and county while Mr Palmer was originally from Tymon North in Tallaght, Dublin.

Gardai and Mallow Fire Brigade managed to rescue a number of people from the area.

However, the fire spread with such speed that officers were unable to gain access for a time through smoke-filled hallways and rooms to a rented upper floor apartment.

When officers with breathing apparatus managed to get into rooms in that apartment, they discovered the two men.

Both died despite desperate attempts to revive them at the scene.

Gardai initially treated the fire as accidental but a major investigation was launched once the preliminary results of forensic tests became known.
Friends: Yvonne Tumelty (54) enjoys a cup of tea with Stella Mc Kenna (91), who she met through the ALONE charity. Photo: Frank Mc Grath

For more than 30 years, Stella McKenna and her husband ran a B&B in their Dublin home. The house was always full of guests and they used to keep a map of the world pinned to the wall of their dining room and mark off all the countries their visitors hailed from.

"We had people from everywhere," says Stella (91) enthusiastically. "From Mexico to Yugoslavia, someone from every country in the world stayed with us."

But the house is quiet now and the map has long since disappeared, put away somewhere, she's not sure where.

Her husband passed away several years ago and they never had children. Though still mentally alert, Stella's body isn't as able as it was and she can't leave her house without a walking frame and someone to help. The impromptu lunches she used to enjoy with friends in town are gone, and bustling B&B days are just a happy memory.

"It's the same building in bricks and mortar," she says. "But it's a different house, the atmosphere is different. I was used to people coming and going and I enjoyed that. Now I'm alone.

"I have great neighbours and I love getting visits from my nieces and nephews but there would be some days when I don't see anybody and times when I do feel lonely."

A new survey released last week reveals that loneliness is one of the biggest concerns facing older people. The research, conducted ahead of the General Election 2016 by ALONE, a charity that supports older people to age at home, found that, along with worrying about poor health and financial difficulties, OAPs' biggest fear was feeling alone.

"It's always been an issue but now it's become a sort of plague of our time," says Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE. "One-in-three over 65s live on their own, a number that's only going to continue to climb, and a huge proportion of them feel isolated or lonely."

There are multiple reasons feeding into the rise of loneliness. Family sizes are smaller, more couples are separating or divorcing, increased emigration, changes in the composition of communities and housing. We're living longer but with that comes age-related issues such as decreased mobility.

Exacerbating the problem is the lack of suitable housing stock - there's an urgent need for an option for elderly people that falls between independent living and residential care - and there's also a stigma that dogs loneliness and prevents people asking for help.

"I've had patients where loneliness has been the major factor in their decision to go into a nursing home," says Dr Kevin McCarroll from Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing.

"I also had one patient who came into hospital purely because they were lonely but pretended there was something else going on. Others just don't want to go home because they're on their own."

Such scenarios are heartbreaking to hear, that someone would rather sit in a hospital ward than in their own home, but the problem of loneliness in the elderly goes beyond being merely sad.

"Studies show that being lonely is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day in terms of the negative impact it has on health," reveals Dr McCarroll.

It's hard to pinpoint whether mental and physical health issues precipitate feelings of isolation or vice versa, but it's clear there's a correlation.

"People who are lonely are more likely to be physically unhealthy and it's a big risk factor for depression," explains Dr McCarroll. "There's increased mortality, increased risk of institutionalism. Then there are associated behaviours, such as people who are lonely might be more likely to turn to alcohol abuse, have poorer access to health care and have a less healthy lifestyle."

Some studies have suggested that loneliness might also alter the cortisol stress response, cause dysfunction in certain parts of the brain and have a negative impact on the immune system.

"Some of that's conjecture and related to animal models," explains Dr McCarroll. "But it's clear loneliness is bad for your health."

"Loneliness kills, and it needs to be acknowledged as a killer," agrees Peter Kavanagh, head of communications and public affairs at Active Retirement Ireland, a national network of groups that seeks to stand up for and empower older people.

"I don't believe we, as a society, take the threat loneliness poses serious enough. In an age dominated by technology and social media, many people feel more isolated than ever before."

Certainly our youth-centric culture doesn't respect or revere age the way other societies around the world do. Some countries have gone as a far as legislating to ensure the younger generation reaches out to its elders.

China's Elderly Rights Law orders adult children to visit their ageing parents and "never neglect or snub" elderly people. Singapore, the Ukraine and France have similar tenets.

In Ireland we tend to equate value with youth and earning potential, and once someone is no longer working they can disappear off society's radar very easily. It's something that many old people are unprepared for.

"We all expect to slow down with age and people are very stoic about that," says Sean. "But nothing prepares people for the pain and isolation of nobody wanting to hear their opinions or listen to what they have to say."

Alone runs a befriending service which matches volunteers with elderly people looking for companionship. Every quarter another 35 volunteers are trained and matched up with someone to befriend. Older people can request the service or be referred, and the charity endeavours to match them with someone with shared interests who will visit them for an hour each week at a time that suits them both.

"It's a bit like a match-making service," laughs mum of three Yvonne Tumelty (54), who has been befriending Stella the past four months.

"You're asked about hobbies and interests, male or female, smoking or non-smoking and location - then matched with someone with those things in common."

Stella looks forward to Yvonne's meetings and loves chatting with her with about her former life as a nurse, working in Canada or running the B&B.

"We talk about the past," says Stella. "She's wonderful. I just look forward to her coming to see me and talking over a cup of tea."

Yvonne, a childcare manager, also enjoys their chats. When she signed up to the scheme it was because her children were older and she felt she had time on her hands that could be put to good use. But she's fond of the older lady's company and can empathise with something of what she's going through.

"My husband passed away a few years ago so we have that in common," says Yvonne. "You never think you will feel isolated but things change. For me, I thought I would grow old with my husband. Now I know I will be living on my own when I'm Stella's age.

"It wasn't why I signed up for the service but it did dawn on me that there are times when I'm lonely too and I'm also benefiting from our visits."

Perhaps we don't like to look too closely at the problems associated with age because we fear growing old ourselves, but 'elderly issues' are everyone's issue and the sad reality is that older people often don't, or can't, shout loudest for help.

"Loneliness is a preventable health issue," says Sean simply. "That's the awful thing, it can be fixed very easily. But we need to stop seeing it as an 'elderly issue' and accept that we all have a role to play, because it affects all of us."

For more information on ALONE visit alone.ie or contact (01) 6791032

The elderly in isolation: the facts

 One in three over 65s live on their own

 According to the organisation Age Friendly Ireland, one third of those aged over 65 has reported feeling lonely

 Some studies have shown that older people who experience high levels of isolation are almost twice as likely to die within six years compared to those who feel engaged in relationships and the community

 Loneliness has been shown to have links with mental and physical health issues including depression, a higher risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease and reduced immune system response

 Our population is growing by 20,000 additional older people every year. By 2036 it's estimated that 20pc of the population will be aged 65 and older

 It's estimated that, on average, those aged 80 plus spend 80pc of their time in the home

 A recent study in the UK found that two fifths of older people said that the television was their main source of company
Actor Charlie Sheen's bombshell announcement on a US chat show that he is HIV-positive may have had a massive public health benefit, research suggests.

After his admission on NBC's Today Show last November, HIV-related Google searches in the US hit record levels.

The number of news reports mentioning the Aids virus also soared.

Experts said the surge in awareness was likely to be a boost for public health.

"Charlie Sheen's disclosure was a potential earth-shaking event for HIV prevention in the United States," said Prof John Ayers, from San Diego State University in California.

"While no one should be forced to reveal their HIV status and all diagnoses are tragic, Sheen's disclosure may benefit public health by potentially helping many learn more about HIV and HIV prevention."

Sheen, who starred in sitcom Two And A Half Men as well as the movies Wall Street and Platoon, was the highest-paid actor on TV in 2010.

But a year later his life and career were in a tailspin as reports of alcohol and drug abuse, marital problems and mental instability hit the headlines. His contract for Two And A Half Men was terminated in March 2011.

His public announcement that he had been diagnosed HIV-positive four years earlier caused a sensation.

To assess its impact, Prof Ayers led a team of researchers who scoured Google search histories and monitored news coverage.

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They found that the day of Sheen's disclosure coincided with a 265pc increase in news reports mentioning HIV.

An additional 6,500 stories were reported on the Google News website alone.

Sheen's appearance on the Today Show also corresponded with the greatest number of HIV-related Google searches ever recorded on a single day in the US.

About 2.75 million more searches including the term "HIV" were made than expected, based on previous trends - a rise of 417pc.

In addition, 1.25 million more searches than expected were made that included the terms "condoms", "HIV symptoms", and "HIV testing".

This was against a background of apparent declining interest in HIV as a health issue.

Between 2004 and 2015, the rate of news reporting about HIV had reduced from 67 stories per 1,000 to only 12, said the researchers.

Of more than 1.2 million people in the US believed to be living with HIV, nearly one in eight are said to be unaware that they have the virus.
The mother of an Irish teenager has launched a public appeal to help raise vital funds, which will be used to freeze her daughters eggs and allow her to conceive in the future.

Leona Tynans daughter Shauntelle (17) was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Histiocytosis X, in 2015 but because she has already begun treatment for the disease, she is not entitled to have a state-funded procedure to freeze her eggs and protect her fertility.

The 17-year-old from Carlow has been undergoing chemotherapy for five consecutive days in every 21 to help battle the disease and is at the centre of a fundraising campaign to support her ongoing medical care in Texas, where she is undergoing life saving treatment.

However, the teens mother Leona hopes that the family will be able to raise in excess of 4,000 to help freeze Shauntelles eggs before they are destroyed by the effects of chemotherapy treatment.

My daughter has deteriorated and was transferred to Beaumont because so many parts of her brain and hormones have been affected by her treatment. It was advised that she attend the Rotunda IVF clinic to have her eggs retrieved for future use as she may not ever be able to conceive, she said.

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However, this option was never explained to us before Shan began her treatment. Because Shauntelle did not avail of egg retrieval before chemotherapy commenced she is unable to have the procedure funded. She will have to go private. This means each consult will cost 160 and egg retrieval and freezing will cost in excess of 4000, she said.

The mum revealed that the situation is very distressing for Shauntelle, as she is looking towards a bright future to get her through the dark days of her cancer treatment.

Obviously time is not on our side regarding an appeal. Shauntelle is very anxious to have the option to start a family in the future.

This has left my daughter distraught and we do not have time for a lengthy appeal when she needs the procedure so soon, said Leona.

Earlier this year, brave schoolgirl Shan opened up about her experience as part of Independent.ies Living with Cancer week.

I don't want sympathy I just want to win this battle. Everyone tells me I'm strong and honestly when I look at everything I feel strong, the weak moments done define me the strong ones do, Shan said.

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They get me to tomorrow and give me a peek into my future, the future I want full of love, travel, adventure and good health.

Someone once told me that life only gives you what it knows you can handle so in a way I'm clinging onto that in the hope that I will fight and I will survive the battle, said Shan.

To donate to Shans campaign please visit www.idonate.ie
No-one wants to spend the first day of a holiday recovering from a flight. Here are our ten tips for grabbing some sleep on a plane.

1. Splurge on your seat

How to sleep on a plane? One solution is to fly business class.

Or better still, fly first class, says Dr Richard Dawood, a specialist in Travel Medicine at London's Fleet Street Clinic, and the editor of Travellers Health: how to stay healthy abroad (OUP). It's a nice option if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, airlines recognise the high premium passengers place on being able to sleep in comfort while they travel," he says.

They have turned the lie-flat, premium seat into almost an art form - but know that they can also charge premium fares for the privilege. Nonetheless, it is sensible to travel in the highest or most comfortable class that you can afford.

Even if you cannot travel in a premium class, you may be able to pay a little more for a seat with extra leg room. Most airlines offer this option.

2. Pick a quiet spot

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Research by easyJet revealed that the most in-demand seat on a plane is in 7F, near the front of the plane - presumably for the perceived ease of disembarkation.

Those seeking peace and quiet may wish to avoid the front, however, as this is where parents with babies will often travel, and where flight attendants will be clattering around with drinks trolleys.

So consider the back of the aircraft. Window seats obviously reduce the chance of being disturbed and also give you somewhere to rest your head.

3. Keep it loose  except around your calves

If you are aiming to sleep, travel in comfortable, non-constricting clothing (apart from compression stockings). Wearing loose clothing will help you drift off and also prevent against deep vein thrombosis (DVT) which occurs when your blood flow is restricted.

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4. Which position?

For those in first- or business-class, this is a no-brainer.

What about the rest of us? While there seems to be a minority that prefer to catch 40 winks while hunched over their seat-back tables, Dr Dawood believes that the best position (controversially for those behind you) is to recline as much as possible and make yourself as comfortable as conditions permit."

Sitting up straight also contributes to lower back pain, according to research for the British Chiropractic Association, which suggests that leaning slightly back at a 135 degree angle is best as the least pressure is placed on the spinal discs.

Movement of the discs was most likely in a 90 degree upright position, it added, making it the least safe, while the slouched, hunched-over position resulted in some wear and tear on the lowest spinal levels.

Other downsides for those who like to lean forward with their head resting against the back of the chair in front include the undue pressure on your neck, the likelihood of being woken by the movements of the chair in front, and the fact that the slump is possibly the least dignified position to be seen in.

There may be unoccupied seats on the flight that you can overflow into - consider asking cabin crew if you can move should you spot an empty row.

If you are lucky enough to have a free neighbouring seat, you can curl up foetal-style on your side, though forget about trying this if youve got long legs.

5. Get your buckle out

There is nothing more annoying than being on the verge of nodding off, only for a member of cabin crew to prod you, trying to find out whether you're buckled up. Keeping your seatbelt visible above your clothes before take off will prevent this.

6. Be in no mood to chat

Politely deter your neighbour from engaging in mid-flight small talk by waving a book around, plugging in headphones, or muttering to yourself in an obscure foreign language.

7. Dont drink too much

While the soporific effects of booze are well known, Dr Dawood suggests avoiding caffeine-laced drinks and alcohol on a flight. Try drinking a herbal tea, he recommends instead. Its a good idea not to eat a full or heavy meal too.

Keeping hydrated will help you avoid waking with a dry mouth later thanks to the air conditioning and lip balm adds another preventative barrier. The cabin air in Dreamliners is more humid than on other planes, partly because they are made from composites and so less likely to rust due to humidity.

If youre worried about getting stuck in a queue for the toilets, it might be an idea to set an alarm to go off 30-45 minutes before you land to give yourself ample time and beat the rush.

8. Dont watch TV

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The light from the screens keeps your brain awake. If the environment is noisy, try some relaxing music, advises Dr Dawood, perhaps with noise-cancelling headphones. If it is very noisy, switch to something louder.

9. Try a pillow

Ideally, you should bring your own pillow. My current favourite pillow is a Tempur, said Dr Dawood. Alternatively, if you want to start a trend, try one of these more unusual sleeping aides. The "ostrich" pillow, for example, is a good choice for narcoleptics everywhere, or the "elastic band" pillow - also guaranteed to cut dead conversation with your neighbour.

Sketches supporting the application, along with mock-ups produced by the website PatentYogi, demonstrate that it can be strapped to the head-rest at the back of a seat, allowing a traveller to lean forward and rest their weight against it in a bid to enjoy a little slumber on a long-haul service  with the cushion supporting the chest and a pillow (with a hole to leave space for breathing) taking care of the head and face.

10. If all else fails - pop a pill

Sleeping tablets can help overcome noise and discomfort, said Dr Dawood. But they should only be used on journeys that are long enough, and only if you can lie down flat.

Sleeping deeply in a cramped, upright, seated position can significantly increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and should therefore be avoided. (If you really must do this, be sure to wear compression stockings.)

Short-acting sleeping pills can be used to provide as little as four hours of sleep - but it is difficult to get more than four hours of uninterrupted sleep on anything shorter than a six-hour flight.

Taking a longer-acting pill on a short flight can leave you feeling drowsy and disorientated, unable to act in a crisis, and with an impaired memory of events around the time of the flight. Discuss the best choice with your doctor or travel clinic.

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Did you know Iceland is now just a direct flight away? Model and food writer Roz Purcell picks her favourite excursions.

Want to escape for a long weekend?

When searching for somewhere close and cheap to reach, I've always tended to look east, towards the popular city breaks of Europe. Iceland seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime destination - somewhere exotic and far away.

Not so. Iceland is a completely different experience, but WOW Air now flies direct to Reykjavik from Dublin Airport. Within 2.5 hours, you can be soaking up spine-tingling views, epic landscapes and thrilling adventures in the land of fire and ice.

Excursions are the best way to see as much of the country as possible in a short time. Operators provide all the equipment you need, many offer multiple activities and sightseeing options, and most will do hotel pick-ups and drop-offs too.

Here are the unmissables!

1. Chase the Northern Lights

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I say chase, because the lights are not guaranteed.

The aurora borealis are one of Iceland's best excursions, but youve got a better chance of seeing them in the winter months, and there are Northern Lights forecasts, so make sure to check them a few days before travelling.

Tours can be cancelled due to bad weather, but theyll also reschedule you for another night if you dont see the lights.

Roz recommends: For photos, bring a tripod - you can pick up small and flexible tripods for travelling that take up very little room.

Details: mountaineers.is; from IS 22,000/150pp

2. Take in a thermal pool

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Iceland is famous for its natural thermal pools - from the Blue Lagoon to the Secret Lagoon, which isnt really much of a secret!

These are included as part of many day excursions, and you'll get plenty of time to relax and take lots of selfies! All you will need is your swimming suit - they provide towels, showers and changing facilities.

If you're really inquisitive, my advice is to find the locals' hidden lagoons! Icelanders can be very secretive about the locations, but if you befriend one you can go to these tourist-free spots and soak up the real Icelandic atmosphere - I didnt tell you that!

Roz recommends: Go to the Blue Lagoon in the afternoon, it gets a little quieter and the light is amazing... a gorgeous sunset backdrop.

Details: bluelagoon.com; from 40pp

2. Do the Golden circle

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The Golden Circle is a tourist loop taking in several attractions within about 100km of Reykjavik, including the geysers, rift valley and Gullfoss waterfall.

These are some of the most amazing holiday backdrops, so much so that it looks like you have been photoshopped in! Most guides give an overview of the area while driving (we even got ghost stories), and short videos and maps at the stops give you a sense of where everything is.

The vast and surreal countryside works in both in winter and summer; you get two completely different landscapes!

Roz recommends: In winter, bring heavily gripped shoes or hiking runners. For photos, bring touch gloves that allow you to use your index finger without freezing.

Details: mountaineers.is; day tour with snowmobiling from IS46,000/315pp

3. Go snorkelling

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Seriously - its not as cold as you may think!

Every Icelander I told I was going snorkelling questioned my sanity, but it is actually one of the most popular activities in the country. I dreaded the cold, but the thought of snorkeling in rift valley between the tectonic plates overruled any doubt.

You will be reluctant to de-layer out in the elements, but with a little peer pressure from the t-shirt wearing guides you feel like a bit of a wuss and just get on with it. Expect to be kitted out in a Top Gun-style jumpsuit, a thick dry suit, thermal hood, gloves and flippers... the only thing you need to bring are extra pairs of socks to keep your toes toasty.

I can assure you the coldest part is waiting to get in - the water is around zero-degrees, but there is no wind and once you look beneath you completely forget all other senses. The water is crystal clear as you float between rock crevasses filled with the most vibrant shades of blue, red and green.

For some, the Angelina Jolie lip effect they warn you about may be a bonus. However, I was genuinely scared that my lips would explode. It lasts about 30 minutes, and Scuba diving is offered for experienced divers.

Roz recommends: Take the half day snorkeling tour, as the pit stops afterwards double up with a lot of the other tours and return you to your hotel for a hot lunch and Jacuzzi... the perfect apres swim recovery.

Details: dive.is; from IS17,990/123pp

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4. Go Snowmobiling

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Are you the adventurous type?

Dont worry, you dont have to be Fernando Alonso to take part in this adventure, although you know you are in for some action when a modified monster truck pulls up at the hotel lobby.

Expect a scenic and smooth ride until you reach the edge of the glacier, when the skilled drivers take you off-road, up and down snow dunes and across frozen rivers, making sure you get the adrenaline pumping before snowmobiling.

You'll be fully kitted out in warm gear for the tour, and a brief run-through on how to drive the snowmobiles is followed by a F1-style starting line-up. Daredevil or not, the security of being surrounded by fluffy snow makes you braver and faster, as you explore the second largest glacier in Europe and Iceland at high speed.

If you like the outdoors, come back again and try an ice cave and glacier hiking excursion. Tourists I met said it is one of Iceland's best excursions, and I met a lot of professional photographers who had travelled specifically to Iceland for it. It's definitely on my list for the next trip (three-day trips are the norm, although a full-day cave visit is available from Reykjavik too).

Roz recommends: All year round activity, however the ride is a bit smoother on the fresh snow during the winter months!

Details: mountaineers.is; from 248pp for 7-8 hours.

5. Horse Trekking

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Fancy being among the few people to experience the 'tolt - the fifth gait said to be unique to Icelandic horses, and one so smooth you can hold a glass of champagne with no spills?

Icelandic Horses are a national treasure, and the breed is highly protected. There are over 100,000 of the animals in Iceland, and horse trekking tours are available year-round, though I'd recommend it most during the summer period, where you can escape into the highlands and see a different Iceland.

There lots of options for the horse trekking from half day, full day, right up to week long excursions. They can be tailored to groups to include different elements like visiting spas, home dining, and whale watching.

Roz recommends: Most excursions include a light lunch, but do bring snacks, because it can be a very long day, and you dont want to be hangry on holiday!

Details: islenskihesturinn.is; from 100 for a half-day

6. Sample the nightlife

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Ok, it's not an excursion, but bot all Icelandic adventures need to involve leaving the city behind...

Iceland's nightlife revolves around live music and Icelandic beers, and the Reykjavik scene really punches above its weight for such a small city.

Borg is the main beer recommended by the locals - but there are lots of options. Beer was banned up until 1989, and since then they have made up for lost time by creating loads of unique and quality brews. The cocktails are also very unique and mostly locally sourced with delicious flavors like birch liquor.

During the winter months, Reykjavik's streets seem empty, but people are hidden away from the cold in snug pubs and late restaurants. Most restaurants also stay open until midnight and many have bars attached.

Roz recommends: Casual wear is the look, so please dont pack any heels - you wont get very far on the ice anyway!

Get there

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Roz travelled as a guest of WOW Air (wowair.ie), which flies direct from Dublin Airport to Reykjavik with one-way fares from 79pp as we publish.

What to pack

Lots of these activities sound a bit nippy, but dress smart and you wont notice that crisp cold air! Here's my essential packing list for excursions:

Long Sleeve thermal base layers; top and bottoms

Long Sleeve Top & pants, with a comfy, stretchy material

Sock liner; or light socks as a base layer

Thick wool socks

Quilted insulated jacket

Small backpack or bag for snacks and supplies!

Sunglasses - it's cold, but the sun can get strong!

Ski Gloves; I would recommend maybe wearing lighter gloves beneath with index touch for taking photos.

Wool Hat

Hiking Boots or Trail Runners

For Ice Hiking, you'll need crampons (non-slip shoe covers)

Waterproof case for your phone  handy for thermal pool snaps!

Where to stay

To make the most of your stay, book accommodation in central Reykjavik - within walking distance of the main streets Laugavegur and Bankastrti, so before booking check the hotel's location out a map.

Roz stayed with Center Hotels (centerhotels.com), which has a range of hotels in some of the most stately houses in Reykjavik.

NB: All prices subject to availability.

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'Much more is needed from the Taoiseach himself in tonights debate. Its not enough for him just to not make any mistakes.'

Enda Kenny has three days to save his job. The notion will be rubbished by Fine Gael figures. But it's undoubtedly the case. The 'Sunday Independent' Millward Brown poll, and yesterday's ISPOS/MRBI result, both brought flashing red lights for Fine Gael.

The momentum in this topsy turvy campaign is with Micheal Martin/Fianna Fail and, of course, the Independents.

Fine Gael, with an insipid, error-prone campaign, is at best stalled, at worst going backwards. The presumed coronation of Kenny has turned into an unseemly scrap.

Fine Gael has been pulled back into the field. The odds of 1-10 on Kenny being returned as Taoiseach seemed about right for months. Now, suddenly, they look ridiculous.

At 27pc, Fine Gael would be doing very well to get to 50 seats. If Fianna Fail gets to 25/26pc, which is quite possible, then the margin between the parties could be as close as makes no difference.

What then? A revolving Taoiseach in a FG/FF combination? A second general election? Both are possible.

But it also has to be asked if Enda Kenny could survive as leader if Fine Gael is down nearly 30 seats from 2011?

No party leader in the history of the State has overseen such a loss and continued in the job (sorry, Micheal Martin doesn't count).

The big worry for Fine Gael is the two opinion polls become self-fulfilling - that the Martin/FF momentum becomes the narrative. Fine Gael needs to find a way to change that, and quickly.

How does it do it? First and foremost, it needs to stop making stupid mistakes. That means not calling people "whingers" and then defending the comment. It means not going down cul-de-sacs like it did on the ridiculous 'fiscal space'. It also means strategists not saying stupid things in off-the-record briefings to journalists, like "we're going to scare the s*** out of people". That level of arrogance and cynicism is only going to alienate voters.

Secondly, Fine Gael, and Kenny in particular, needs to change the record in relation to its 'Fianna Fail wrecked the economy' mantra. After five years of FG and Labour in government, it is beyond jaded and prompts national eye-rolling. It just smacks of making excuses for their own failings.

It also runs the risk of alienating one-time FF voters who switched to Fine Gael for 2011. Fine Gael needs those votes, including transfers, particularly in constituencies such as Dublin North-West, Dublin Central, Dublin Rathdown, Clare and Galway West, where it won't be in direct competition with FF for final seats.

Many commentators won't like it, but negative campaigning will still have a role to play - there's a reason why the US parties run those negative adverts. They work.

But it needs to be more nuanced than - and lacking the hubris of - the 'FF is the devil incarnate' lines, so beloved of Fine Gael ministers - and the aforementioned public declarations of intent to terrify voters.

It's a completely legitimate tactic though to remind people of the dangers of instability. And to point out what has happened in Spain, Greece and Portugal, in cautioning voters not to 'sleep walk' towards a hung Dail and political gridlock.

Simon Harris's comparison with the Bord Gais ads (where it warns the public not to leave it to somebody else to report a smell of gas) is a clever, gentle reminder to the electorate to use their vote judiciously.

Fine Gael, of course, needs to be careful to acknowledge that many voters have still not felt the upturn (something it has failed miserably in doing so far).

But, at the same time, getting across its message that the best way to 'bring the recovery home' - a subtle, but important, change to 'keeping the recovery going' - lies with returning this government.

One of the mysteries of the Fine Gael campaign is the failure to promote alternative voices to Kenny's. One of the Taoiseach's strengths over the past five years has been his willingness to delegate, but it's been largely absent in the campaign.

It's puzzling why Eoghan Harris's advice suggesting that Enda lead the campaign on the canvass (where he excels), and Varadkar, Noonan et al fronting the media side, wasn't followed.

Mind you, as Harris also pointed out in recent days, none of the Cabinet heavy hitters have been overly impressive in the limited opportunities they've got.

Certainly none of them have come close to doing what Brian Cowen did for FF in 2007, when he took on, and beat, the opposition single-handedly. More is needed from them between now and Friday than the milk and water served up to date.

And more, much more, is needed from the Taoiseach himself in tonight's debate. It's not enough for him just to 'not make any mistakes'. Martin has made all the running over the past two weeks. He's been sharper and more impressive. Kenny has looked ill-at-ease and unconvincing. He needs to win the hearts and minds of those undecided voters - of which there remain plenty.

It's a big challenge. Kenny has met challenges before. Many doubted he could ever be Taoiseach, much less perform well in the job. He defied those doubters. But the next three days will dictate if he gets to choose the timing of his exit.

Shane Coleman presents 'The Sunday Show' on Newstalk at 10am.
During the course of the last two weeks, the public has yet again seen at first hand the utter contempt that Sinn Fein - and in particular its leadership - has for the institutions of this State, the victims that they and their illegal army have left in their wake, and also their disingenuous attitude towards the truth.

It is because of this that I felt compelled to bring to the public's attention several matters which I believe need to be addressed by both Sinn Fein and its leadership.

Yet again, the response from Sinn Fein has come in two waves. The first response comes from Gerry Adams and, as always, is one of avoidance, denial and cover-up. Then the second wave comes in the form of the army of social media trolls whose tactic is to intimidate those who question Sinn Fein's political agenda.

My father was the Chief Prison Officer in Portlaoise Prison in 1983 when he was shot on a Dublin street by the IRA. He was left severely brain damaged and paralysed, and he died 18 months later. The IRA murdered my father because he was the main stumbling block in its efforts to affect a mass break-out. The decision to murder my father was taken at a leadership level within the IRA. It has been alleged to me by several reliable and unconnected sources over the last two years that the person who ultimately sanctioned my dad's murder was a man who now holds a very senior Sinn Fein position, and is a very recognisable figure. It has also been alleged to me by the same sources that another senior Sinn Fein politician was present when the operation was being planned.

Gerry Adams's response when I placed this information in the public domain last week was to deflect the issue away from these two murderers whom he protects. He firstly played the victim himself and tried to make out that he has somehow suffered in a similar way to my family. He also adopted this tactic when my brother Oliver and I first met him. At that meeting, I quite clearly told him that he was not the victim and I went on to outline to him the suffering his organisation had caused my family. It is quite painful for all of us who suffered at the hands of Sinn Fein/IRA to see them continually playing the victim. Let me be quite clear - my dad was not any enemy combatant, he never held a gun in his life and he was a man of peace and tolerance. Adams then told me to "move on" and secondly to "embrace" those who have harmed my family as he has said that he did. This was a very calculated, disingenuous response as Adams knows I have tried to do this by meeting him and allowing myself and my brother to be taken in a blacked-out van to a secret location to meet the IRA leadership.

I am a very prominent advocate of a Truth Commission - one in which the whole truth should be told. Adams and the IRA told my family 70pc of the truth. They withheld the truth about who sanctioned my father's murder as it suited them politically: one of their very senior figures was the person who sanctioned the murder.

Gerry Adams now says that he knows who these individuals are; he has incorrectly claimed that he received this information from me. I purposely refused to give him this information when asked, as I believe he was always in possession of the identities of those figures. I again call on Sinn Fein to suspend these individuals pending investigation and for these individuals to turn themselves in. Through his lack of response in relation to this issue, Adams continues to protect these murderers.

During my father's time working in Portlaoise Prison, he would have come across Martin Ferris. This is an individual who served a lengthy sentence for importing arms and explosives into this country and who has never denied his role in what he called a war. To the best of my knowledge, there was no war being fought in Kerry during the 1980s.

In his autobiography, Ferris casts a very vindictive slur on my father's character. He makes some very generalised accusations and does not reference any particular incident. This was a very crafty way of defaming the character of a man his friends murdered and Ferris at no stage ever reported any allegation of mistreatment to the gardai.

These slurs have been very hurtful to my family and their sole aim was to inflict further hurt on us long after my father had died.

Sinn Fein likes to pontificate about justice being seen to be fair. Its argument in relation to the Special Criminal Court is that everybody should be entitled to be tried by a jury of their peers.

Maybe Ferris is off message here but surely a servant of the State like Brian Stack is entitled to the same procedures of fairness that he would afford to the murderers and criminals who reside within the ranks of Sinn Fein.

My family asked this week that Ferris withdraw these allegations, apologise and make a donation to a charity from the proceeds of his book.

The response we got was to be expected from an individual who would put such slurs in print in the first place.

He completely ignored the questions posed and just reiterated the by-now standard Sinn Fein mantra "this man should not have been killed".

The questions I posed this week are quite legitimate in the context of my family's suffering but also in the context of what this country will do on Friday.

They were aimed at securing truth and placing information in the public domain.

The responses that I received demonstrated just how much the army wing is still in control of Sinn Fein and how far it is away from being considered in any way, shape or form a legitimate political party worthy of high office.
'It seems, not for the first time in recent political history, that a hard fall is likely to be followed by a hard landing'

A hard fall can be followed by a hard bounce, depending on substance. The plummeting fortunes of the Coalition suggest that the 'Recovery' mantra did not carry weight with the public - its substance was questioned. It seems, not for the first time in recent political history, that a hard fall is likely to be followed by a hard landing. Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tanaiste Joan Burton and Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams have all found themselves going backwards, through nobody's fault but their own.

From the outset, the consensus was that this election was the Coalition's to lose, and few imagined that the slide would be so accelerated. It is not surprising therefore that business leaders are getting a little anxious.

As matters unfold across the water and the prospect of a Brexit has to be looked at realistically, the case for strong leadership, a stamp of authority and political direction could hardly be more pressing. Instead, we have Sinn Fein and the Independents with a combined total of 43pc. Elections in Spain, Greece and Portugal threw up various leadership scenarios, which fuelled more uncertainty, doing little to shore up economic solidity.

A slipshod, and at times shambolic, campaign has holed Mr Kenny's promise to deliver stability below the waterline. We are moving inexorably towards a hung Dail.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail between them have only managed to garner 51pc of the vote, if the polls are accurate.

Such a volatile political atmosphere points towards instability. With an estimated 18pc of the electorate yet to decide which way to vote, tonight's leadership debate could be more telling than most. With jobs and livelihoods on the line, it behoves all not just to think about what's on offer, but on who can deliver. There are ample permutations from which a government can be formed. No party has delivered a message sufficiently powerful or resonant with the electorate to assert real momentum. The time to do so is fast running out. Those who might wish a plague on all of their houses would do well to remember that the fate of the country is inextricably linked to that of the Dail. Yet it would be a help if many of our politicians were as energised and as convincing about what they actually stand for as opposed to that which they stand against.

A right to protest does not include blockades

The American author Richard Armour wrote: "Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with Right or Left, instead of right or wrong." Once more, politicians have been stopped going about their democratic business by water protesters. It hardly matters whether the protesters were from the 'Right' or 'Left'; this was wrong. Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin had their cars stopped by protesters. The incidents were not as serious as that experienced by Joan Burton, but no one has the right to interfere with another person's right of free movement.

One can only imagine the paens of protest from water protesters were they to find their cars blocked when they sought to go about their daily lives by members of Fianna Fail or Fine Gael. The air would be thick with civil liberties claims.

In a democracy, the right to protest is absolute, but it does not come with the right to interfere with someone else. This weekend, the capital's main street was given over to water protesters, who held a dignified and legitimate demonstration.

Barracking and blockading politicians around the country are not rights and are a disservice to both politics and democracy.
I don't write from atop a sandbag in the Shannon but as someone who has experience in our Republic of being: unemployed, well-paid, a student, an orphan, provided for by the State and later taxed as a higher earner, a country dweller and a city slicker, a drinker, an emigrant, a tenant, a landlord, a lapsed Catholic, an investor and an eejit. So I muse sometimes that I have an insight into the public consciousness. On the cusp of a General Election, I consider myself a floating voter with questions on my mind.

How has Fine Gael not learned the lessons of the past when it comes to talking down to citizens? Irish people are happy to trust and to "sacrifice themselves for the common good", but can quickly rebel when they feel like they are being patronised.

If they are punished for this apparent arrogance, they only have themselves to blame.

How can Enda Kenny - a man who has shown himself at once to be in tandem with the mood of the nation in the case of the Magdalene women - be so naive to the fact that the recovery has not been felt by the majority of people?

While most will see the need for pragmatism in financial affairs, it's hard to stomach hospital wards and Dundrum Town Centre being simultaneously overcrowded.

Didn't a poll (for what they're worth) just tell him that we've had enough of the language of austerity and that Irish people are willing to forego tax breaks in place of looking after the most vulnerable people in our society?

Instead, Fine Gael seemingly tried to push a scare agenda when it should have dealt in the hard facts that got it elected last time out.

Micheal Martin may have seen this coming after he himself misjudged the nation's appetite for the company line during the Lisbon Referendum. He is now the most popular leader simply by being the least annoying. If his 'reward' is to be a junior coalition partner, and the two forces of the Civil War are pushed together in the interests of the State, will the result be one of unbounded energy in pursuit of the good of the country, or the nuclear fallout of a Left-Right divide emerging with Sinn Fein the leader of the Opposition? This a party that seems to have no idea where the figures are buried lest it remember the source of the tweet which made a mockery of the last presidential election.

Has Labour actually done a lot wrong except alienate itself from its own voter base and mis-manage Joan Burton? From a working class background to the upper echelons of Irish public life, she should be projecting herself as an inspirational figure to young women and anyone who has grown up in limited financial circumstances!

So what really are the big issues of the day? Emigration is not forced in the vast majority of cases, just check the beaches of NSW or the bars of Toronto for your answer to that.

I'd be so proud of my country if we developed a world class health service for people who are ill. I'm sure of one thing: the need to vote. If you are on the edge of poverty, know that in this sense at least your voice holds as much value as the wealthiest person in the country.

Padraig Armstrong

Harold's Cross, Dublin

Path to affordable housing

As we approach another election where housing is again an issue, we should pause and remember that all the recent governments have aimed for the same thing: expensive housing. Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour, the Greens, PDs ... all the same.

Only the Central Bank has belatedly obstructed this shared political aim. But all governments have had the same policy. Governments will subsidise house buying, subsidise house rentals, limit house building, all driving prices up, but not take any path that might lead to affordable housing being generally available.

It's true now and it's been true for decades. Irish governments want housing to be expensive. The Irish people must like it that way. Perhaps it's time to admit it. Or confront it.

Hugh Sheehy

Merrion Road, Dublin

Up the champion whingers

Up Mayo. After years of trying they have been declared supreme whingeing champions by the Taoiseach himself, who then proceeded to give an Olympic class demonstration of the noble art itself. His chosen topic: not being appreciated by an ungrateful electorate.

There was another occurrence yesterday which may give us all cause to whinge. It was the declaration by Boris Johnson, the highly-influential mayor of London, that he will campaign for Britain to leave the European Union. He cites danger of the EU becoming an undemocratic dictatorship as his primary motivation. We have experienced what he talks about - twice we voted in referendums in what we thought was a democratic way and twice our puny democracy was smothered. Greece received similar treatment less than a year ago.

The EU message is simple: do what we tell you or we will allow you to starve. We capitulated; we pay debts that were never ours and cheered as Greeks were condemned to scavenging in dustbins.

Democracy with such a price is not democracy at all.

Padraic Neary

Tubbercurry, Co Sligo

SF 'posturing on economy'

So Gerry Adams tells us in the televised leaders' debates that he believes Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour all rolled over for the Troika.

Even after the collapse of the position of Greek political party Syriza in the face of Troika opposition, Adams - advocating similar policies - maintains the myth that he would have done a better job with the country's finances. He would not have "rolled over", he tells us.

There are echoes in these haughty words of his accusations that - during the Troubles - the SDLP "rolled over" to the unionists and the British before the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. This was an agreement that was based largely on SDLP policies that Adams signed his party up to.

However, we shouldn't be surprised at Sinn Fein's posturing on the economy. It regarded itself as purist on the North too in times gone by. In fact, the same Sinn Fein tactics were used in the North before the 1998 Agreement of posturing by making demands in absolutist terms like 'Brits out', taking up uncompromising and undeliverable positions and then, ultimately, abandoning its entire policy position and falling compliantly in behind the SDLP. Eat your heart out, Syriza.

There isn't the slightest chance that Sinn Fein would take on the Troika. And Adams knows it.

John O'Connell

Derry
Russell Brand has accused Boris Johnson of growing terrorists in his latest online rant.

On Sunday the London mayor put an end to months of speculation, saying that David Cameron's re-negotiation had failed to deliver fundamental change in Britain's relationship with Brussels and that he would be campaigning to leave the EU.

After the announcement by the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP, Brand posted a 45-second video clip on his Facebook page accusing Boris of growing Jihadi Johns.

The Islamic State fighter and executioner, Mohammed Emwazi, was given the nickname of Jihadi John in 2014 after the terrorist group published a video of him appearing to behead the US hostage, journalist James Foley.

Brand's video begins with Boris discussing on an LBC radio show how those that glorify the execution of innocent journalists and aid workers should be on the receiving end of any anger.

The former husband of Katy Perry slams the Tory MP claiming that he is "wrong" and that you need to "look at why they are violent in order to stop the violence".

He added: "The mentality of Boris Johnson creates more problems, the allegiances of Boris Johnson creates more problems, the activities of organisations that he belongs to that he supports create these problems.

"Boris Johnson grows Jihadi Johns, he is a Jihadi John machine, Jihadi John is just one. B ut once Jihadi John is dead that is the end of Jihadi John, but Boris Johnson can create thousands of others."

But even fans of the comedian were left questioning the logic behind his latest rant.

Claire Custard said on social media: "Yes Boris Johnson maybe a diehard conservative with an allegiance to oligarchs , tax dodgers and general corporate scum but how the hell is he responsible for the likes of Jihadi John?"

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Jane King added: "Russell Brand the biggest gob on the planet who would do anything for attention! I think you talked more sense when you were on drugs mate!"

While Brian Rowe branded the comedian a "crackpot" in a comment under his latest video.

Despite pledging to stay out of politics after Ed Miliband lost the general election for Labour last year, Brand posted the clip which has so far garnered more than 247,00 views.
Roastee Charlie Sheen speaks onstage at Comedy Central's Roast of Charlie Sheen held at Sony Studios on September 10, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Charlie Sheen arrives at Comedy Central's Roast of Charlie Sheen held at Sony Studios on September 10, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Charlie Sheen has blamed his bizarre rants in 2011 on taking too much testosterone.

The 50-year-old actor hit headlines when he was fired from Two and a Half Men in 2011 and went on a series of rants against the show and its creator Chuck Lorre, who he called a "clown" and a "turd". In addition, in February that year Charlie said in a Today interview that he didn't need to go to rehab because the manual for Alcoholics Anonymous was "written for normal people, people that aren't special, people that don't have tiger blood, you know, Adonis DNA."

Now Charlie, who announced his HIV positive status last November, has revealed that overdoing it on the steroid hormone testosterone was to blame.

That was a very specific period of time that did feel very out-of-body and very just detached from all things real, Charlie says in an interview on The Dr. Oz Show due to air on Wednesday. I felt superhuman during some of that.

Expand Close Roastee Charlie Sheen speaks onstage at Comedy Central's Roast of Charlie Sheen held at Sony Studios on September 10, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Roastee Charlie Sheen speaks onstage at Comedy Central's Roast of Charlie Sheen held at Sony Studios on September 10, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

"It was a lot of highs and lows. I was taking a lot of testosterone cream, and I think I went too far with it. It was kind of like a borderline . . . not a (ste)roid rage, but a (ste)roid disengage.

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More of the fighting talk during that period included Charlie boasting "I am on a drug. Its called Charlie Sheen. Its not available, because if you try it once, you will die", "you can't process me with a normal brain" and "they picked a fight with a warlock".

He even coined a live tour from his behaviour at the time, entitled My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat Is Not an Option, but admits he "cringes a little" looking back on that.

Expand Close Charlie Sheen with ex-lovers Bree Olson and Natalie Kenly in 2011 / Facebook

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"It was nice to give people a bunch of slogans and T-shirts and all that. (But) the rest of it was a lot of work. he said. "There were things about that person that were empowering, that were vibrant... but I didnt like the anger. I tend to be victimised by my anger at times.

At this time, Charlie filed a $100 million lawsuit against Lorre and Warner Bros. Television, the broadcasters of Two and a Half Men. This was later settled.
Robson Green has said he would want "some kind of revenge" if someone he knew and loved was the victim of a crime.

The Northumberland-born actor co-stars in ITV drama Grantchester as Detective Inspector Geordie Keating, alongside Happy Valley's James Norton as vicar Sidney Chambers.

Set in the 1950s, it centres around an unlikely partnership between the no-nonsense copper and the clergyman's more intuitive techniques of obtaining information from witnesses and suspects.

The forthcoming second series will tackle the death penalty when a murder suspect faces paying the ultimate price.

MPs voted for the permanent abolition of the penalty for murder in 1969.

"Sidney and Geordie are poles apart on capital punishment: Sidney is against the death penalty, Geordie sees it as justice," Green told The Radio Times.

"The whole beauty of Grantchester is that the politics are implicit in the characters."

The storyline revolving around this issue creates a convincing conflict between the two men, testing their friendship in ways neither imagined.

Green shared his personal view on the subject of capital punishment.

"I know that if someone I loved and cared about was hurt, I'd want some kind of revenge," he said.

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"But I guess that's where the justice system comes in, to stop us acting on our basic impulses."

Adapted from the novel Sidney Chambers And The Shadow Of Death by James Runcie, Grantchester's first series was a success for ITV in 2014.

The series average consolidated at 6.6 million viewers, which is a strong debut in these days of video streaming services and multi channel TV.

On screen, Chambers and Keating have forged a friendship in spite of their differing approaches and beliefs.

Series one established the premise and the characters, but now the second has the freedom to further develop the duo and take them to places the audience may not expect.

In some respects, Green appears to be as down to earth as the detective he plays.

"I'm not a method actor," he admitted.

"And if I find myself surrounded by actors who take their work home with them, I've got a sign I put out - I got myself one of those triangular ones like a roadworks sign - which says Danger: Actors at Work."

The themes in the ITV series are universal, which may explain its popularity with viewers.

"Grantchester is my happy place," said Green. "If it wasn't for the body count, I'd move there tomorrow."

:: Grantchester is broadcast on ITV at 9pm on March 2.
Khloe Kardashian has accused her ex-boyfriend, basketball ace James Harden, of cheating on her after pressuring the reality star to commit to an exclusive relationship.

Kim Kardashian's younger sister recently split from the Houston Rockets player after embarking on a romance last July.

Now the Keeping Up With the Kardashians beauty has opened up about the failed relationship after she was quizzed about her love life by actress Lisa Rinna during a Los Angeles taping of her Kocktails with Khloe talk show.

During the candid chat, which will air in the U.S. on Wednesday, Khloe claimed James broke his own vow of monogamy.

"I don't want to put up with people that you want to be monogamous, but then you're not monogamous," she explained. "I've always said, 'It's long distance, we don't need to be monogamous. There's a lot of s**t going on in both of our lives; you live in Houston, I live in L.A... Let's just see each other when we see each other'."

However, James reportedly rejected the idea and instead pleaded with Khloe to commit herself to the romance.

"Why wouldn't you say, 'OK, that's great,'" she questioned. "Instead (of) forcing a relationship. 'Let's be committed, let's be committed', he wanted that. I mean, I wanted it but I wanted to be realistic. I was like, 'It's unfair, I'm working so much right now... You're in Houston... We don't need to be committed.'

"He sought me out, he wanted to be committed... then wasn't committed."

Khloe goes on to insist she has evidence to prove James was unfaithful.

"I was like, 'Great, this guy is in it for the long haul, let's do it', and then I found out he wasn't," she added. "And I have the receipts to prove it!"

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The 31-year-old's relationship with James was further complicated by drama surrounding Khloe's estranged husband, former sportsman Lamar Odom, who was found unconscious after collapsing due to a drug overdose at a Nevada brothel in October (15). Khloe, who previously also dated rapper French Montana, flew to be by Lamar's side and has continued to aid in his recovery process.
File photo taken on February 27, 2015 shows Celeste Nurse (2nd L), the mother of a South African girl who was abducted after birth in 1997, leaving the Cape Town magistrates' court with family members, after attending a hearing during which a 50-year old woman appeared for allegedly kidnapping Nurse's daughter

A South African woman has pleaded not guilty to charges that she kidnapped a baby from a hospital nearly 19 years ago and raised the child as her own.

The woman faces charges of kidnapping, fraud and breaking South Africa's child protection laws, the African News Agency reported.

The woman told the court she had adopted the baby after struggling with infertility.

She said she was not aware the child was kidnapped, and the woman who facilitated the adoption told her a young woman had given the child up.

State prosecutors say the woman, now 50, allegedly snatched a three-day-old baby from her sleeping mother's hospital bedside in 1997. The prosecution also says the woman allegedly defrauded authorities when she registered the child as her own daughter in 2003, changing her birth date, the agency reported.

Celeste Nurse, the girl's biological mother, broke down in court as she recalled the day her daughter went missing, the agency reported.

Semi-conscious after a morphine drip, she thought a nurse picked up her crying baby. When she woke up her baby was gone.

"I was crying my heart out in the foetal position," said Morne Nurse, the girl's biological father, recalling the same day.

The Nurse family found their kidnapped daughter last year after their second daughter befriended a girl at school who looked remarkably like her.

After a police investigation and DNA tests, that new friend turned out to be their missing child. The alleged kidnapper was arrested and released on bail last March.

The girl, now 18 and known publicly by her birth name Zephany, uses the name given to her by her alleged kidnapper. A judge ordered that neither the woman nor the girl may be identified.
US republican candidate Donald Trump said he wanted to punch a protester "in the face" at a rally last night.

Trump claimed the protester was "nasty as hell" and he accused the man of trying to punch the security officers forcing him out of the rally. Witnesses said the man did not appear to be fighting off those officers.

"I'd like to punch him in the face," Trump said, remarking that a man disrupting his rally was escorted out with a smile on his face. "He's smiling, having a good time."

"In the old days," Trump added, protesters would be "carried out on stretchers."

"We're not allowed to push back anymore," Trump said.

Yesterday, Trump declined to say the Republican nomination was his to lose, but he quickly went on to declare: "I'm really on my way."

Complete but unofficial returns in South Carolina yesterday put Mr Trump way out ahead, with Mr Rubio squeaking past Mr Cruz for second.

But with roughly 70pc of Republicans in national polls declining to back Mr Trump, Mr Cruz and Mr Rubio tried to cast themselves as the one candidate around whom what Mr Rubio calls the "alternative-to-Donald-Trump vote" can coalesce.
Donald Trump is ahead in three quarters of the next dozen states to vote in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, including Nevada, which makes its choice today.

Of the 11 states voting in the crucial 'Super Tuesday' on March 1, latest polls showed the billionaire with seemingly insurmountable margins in Massachusetts, Alabama and Vermont, with narrower advantages in Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Alaska.

"Trump, amazingly, is in a commanding position to become the Republican presidential nominee," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Centre for Politics.

"If someone is going to beat Trump then Senator Marco Rubio probably has the best shot but the hour is growing late. You have to start winning, but where?"

Mr Trump won easy victories in the previous two states to vote, South Carolina and New Hampshire.

As the candidates arrived in Nevada, the property mogul said he could "run the table". But he added: "You can always be stopped. I have competitors who are very smart people."

Mr Rubio claimed 70pc of Republicans would never vote for Mr Trump and, as others dropped out, it would become a two-person race that he would win by "uniting the party".

Latest polls in Nevada showed Mr Trump with a lead of at least 16 points over Mr Rubio and Senator Ted Cruz. But polls in the state are notoriously unreliable due to the transient working population in the main city, Las Vegas.

Mr Rubio, the 44-year-old from Florida, believed he could upset the predictions, partly because he spent six years in Las Vegas as a child.

During his childhood Mr Rubio and his family also briefly became Mormons, and members of the religion make up one quarter of the Republicans expected to vote in Nevada.

Ted Cruz, the Texan senator, was focusing his campaign on rural areas ahead of the vote.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton overcame a strong surge by rival Bernie Sanders to capture Nevada's Democratic caucuses on Saturday, easing the anxiety of some of her supporters.

Mrs Clinton won the backing of voters who said electability and experience were important in their vote.

She capitalised on a more diverse Democratic electorate who helped her rebound after a second-place finish to Sanders in the New Hampshire primary.

"Some may have doubted us, but we never doubted each other," Clinton told her cheering supporters during a victory rally in Las Vegas. But Mr Sanders claimed his campaign had an electoral wind at its back.

Mrs Clinton's next test will be in the Democrats' South Carolina primary on Saturday.
I am a European. I lived many years in Brussels. I rather love the old place. And so I resent the way we continually confuse Europe - the home of the greatest and richest culture in the world, to which Britain is and will be an eternal contributor - with the political project of the European Union. It is, therefore, vital to stress that there is nothing necessarily anti-European or xenophobic in wanting to vote Leave on June 23.

And it is important to remember: it isn't the British people that have changed. It is the European Union.

In the 28 years since I first started writing about the Common Market - as it was then still known - the project has morphed and grown in such a way as to be unrecognisable, rather as the vast new Euro palaces of glass and steel now lour over the little cobbled streets in the heart of the Belgian capital.

When I went to Brussels in 1989, I found well-meaning officials trying to break down barriers to trade with a new procedure - agreed by Margaret Thatcher - called Qualified Majority Voting. The efforts at harmonisation were occasionally comical, and I informed readers about euro-condoms and the great war against the prawn cocktail flavour crisp. And then came German reunification, and the panicked efforts of Delors, Kohl and Mitterrand to "lock" Germany into Europe with the euro; and since then the pace of integration has never really slackened.

As new countries have joined, we have seen a hurried expansion in the areas for Qualified Majority Voting, so that Britain can be overruled more and more often (as has happened in the past five years). We have had not just the Maastricht Treaty, but Amsterdam, Nice, Lisbon, every one of them representing an extension of EU authority and a centralisation in Brussels. According to the House of Commons library, anything between 15pc and 50pc of UK legislation now comes from the EU; and remember that this type of legislation is very special.

It is unstoppable, and it is irreversible - since it can only be repealed by the EU itself. Ask how much EU legislation the Commission has actually taken back under its various programmes for streamlining bureaucracy. The answer is none. That is why EU law is likened to a ratchet, clicking only forwards. We are seeing a slow and invisible process of legal colonisation, as the EU infiltrates just about every area of public policy. Then - and this is the key point - the EU acquires supremacy in any field that it touches; because it is one of the planks of membership, agreed in 1972, that any question involving the EU must go to Luxembourg, to be adjudicated by the European Court of Justice.

It was one thing when that court contented itself with the single market, and ensuring that there was free and fair trade across the EU. We are now way beyond that stage.

Under the Lisbon Treaty, the court has taken on the ability to vindicate people's rights under the 55-clause 'Charter of Fundamental Human Rights', including such peculiar entitlements as the right to found a school, or the right to "pursue a freely chosen occupation" anywhere in the EU, or the right to start a business.

These are not fundamental rights as we normally understand them, and the mind boggles as to how they will be enforced. Tony Blair told us he had an opt-out from this charter.

Alas, that opt-out has not proved legally durable, and there are real fears about the activism of the court. The more the EU does, the less room there is for national decision-making. Sometimes these EU rules sound simply ludicrous, like the rule that you can't recycle a teabag, or that children under eight cannot blow up balloons, or the limits on the power of vacuum cleaners. Sometimes they can be truly infuriating - like the time I discovered, in 2013, that there was nothing we could do to bring in better-designed cab windows for trucks, to stop cyclists being crushed. It had to be done at a European level, and the French were opposed.

Sometimes the public can see all too plainly the impotence of their own elected politicians - as with immigration. That enrages them; not so much the numbers as the lack of control. That is what we mean by loss of sovereignty - the inability of people to kick out, at elections, the men and women who control their lives.

We are seeing an alienation of the people from the power they should hold, and I am sure this is contributing to the sense of disengagement, the apathy, the view that politicians are "all the same" and can change nothing, and to the rise of extremist parties.

Democracy matters; and I find it deeply worrying that the Greeks are effectively being told what to do with their budgets and public spending, in spite of huge suffering among the population.

And now the EU wants to go further. There is a document floating around Brussels called 'The Five Presidents Report', in which the leaders of the various EU institutions map out ways to save the euro. It all involves more integration: a social union, a political union, a budgetary union. At a time when Brussels should be devolving power, it is hauling more and more towards the centre, and there is no way Britain can be unaffected.

David Cameron has done his very best, and he has achieved more than many expected. There is some useful language about stopping "ever-closer union" from applying to the UK, about protecting the euro outs from the euro ins, and about competition and deregulation.

There is only one way to get the change the UK needs, and that is to vote to go, because all EU history shows that they only really listen to a population when it says No. The fundamental problem remains: that they have an ideal that we do not share. They want to create a truly federal union, e pluribus unum, when most British people do not.

It is time for the UK to seek a new relationship, in which we manage to extricate ourselves from most of the supranational elements. We will hear a lot in the coming weeks about the risks of this option; the risk to the economy, the risk to the City of London, and so on; and though those risks cannot be entirely dismissed, I think they are likely to be exaggerated. We have heard this kind of thing before, about the decision to opt out of the euro, and the very opposite turned out to be the case.

I also accept there is a risk that a vote to Leave the EU, as it currently stands, will cause fresh tensions in the union between England and Scotland. On the other hand, most of the evidence I have seen suggests that the Scots will vote on roughly the same lines as the English.

There will be charges that a Brexit would embolden Putin, though it seems to me he is more likely to be emboldened, for instance, by the West's relative passivity in Syria.

Above all, it will be said that whatever the democratic deficiencies, Britain would be better off remaining in because of the "influence" involved. This is less and less persuasive to me. Only 4pc of people running the Commission are UK nationals, when Britain contains 12pc of the EU population. It is not clear why the Commission should be best placed to know the needs of UK business and industry, rather than the myriad officials at UK Trade & Investment or the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

If the 'Leave' side wins, it will indeed be necessary to negotiate a large number of trade deals at great speed. But why should that be impossible? We have become so used to Nanny in Brussels that we have become infantilised, incapable of imagining an independent future. The British used to run the biggest empire the world has ever seen, and with a much smaller domestic population and a relatively tiny civil s ervice. Are we really unable to do trade deals? We will have at least two years in which the existing treaties will be in force.

The real risk is to the general morale of Europe, and to the prestige of the EU project. We should take that seriously.

We should remember that this federalist vision is not an ignoble idea. It was born of the highest motives - to keep the peace in Europe. The people who run the various EU institutions - whom we like to ply with crass abuse - are, in my experience, principled and thoughtful officials. They have done some very good things: I think of the work of Leon Brittan, for instance, as competition commissioner, and his fight against state aid.

They just have a different view of the way Europe should be constructed. I would hope they would see a vote to leave as a challenge, not just to strike a new and harmonious relationship with Britain (in which those benefits could be retained) but to recover some of the competitiveness that the continent has lost in the last decades.

Whatever happens, Britain needs to be supportive of its friends and allies - but on the lines originally proposed by Winston Churchill: interested, associated, but not absorbed; with Europe - but not comprised. The British have spent 500 years trying to stop continental European powers uniting against us. There is no reason (if everyone is sensible) why that should happen now, and every reason for friendliness.

For many Conservatives, this has already been a pretty agonising business. Many of us are deeply internally divided, and we are divided between us. We know that we do not agree on the substance, but I hope we can all agree to concentrate on the arguments; to play the ball and not the man.

At the end of it all, we want to get a result, and then unite around David Cameron - continuing to deliver better jobs, better housing, better health, education and a better quality of life for our constituents for whom the EU is not always the number one issue.

This is the right moment to have a referendum, because as Europe changes, Britain is changing too. Britain is a truly great country that is now going places at extraordinary speed.

We are the European, if not the world, leaders in so many sectors of the 21st-century economy; not just financial services, but business services, the media, biosciences, universities, the arts, technology of all kinds; and we still have a dizzyingly fertile manufacturing sector.

Now is the time to spearhead the success of those products and services not just in Europe, but in growth markets beyond. This is a moment to be brave, to reach out - not to hug the skirts of Nurse in Brussels, and refer all decisions to someone else.

We have given so much to the world, in ideas and culture, but the most valuable British export and the one for which we are most famous is the one that is now increasingly in question: parliamentary democracy - the way the people express their power.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to vote for change in Britain's relations with Europe. This is the only opportunity we will have to show that we care about self-rule. A vote to Remain will be taken in Brussels as a green light for more federalism, and for the erosion of democracy.

In the next few weeks, the views of people like me will matter less, because the choice belongs to those who are really sovereign - the people of the UK. And in the matter of their own sovereignty the people, by definition, will get it right. ( Daily Telegraph London)

Boris Johnson is the Mayor of London and a Conservative MP

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
The entrance to the soundproof bunker

A courtroom sketch of Trenneborg (left) and his lawyer

The underground bunker where Trenneborg planned to keep his victim for 10 years AFP/Swedish police authority

A Swedish court has sentenced a doctor to 10 years in prison for abducting a woman and locking her in a homemade bunker, but acquitted him of charges of aggravated rape.

In a unanimous verdict, Stockholm District Court said Martin Trenneborg meticulously planned the abduction over a long period of time and subjected the victim to serious risk by sedating her and keeping her locked up in a soundproof bunker for almost a week.

The 38-year-old doctor, who claimed he was suffering a mental disorder at the time, was ordered to pay 180,000 kronor (15,000) in damages to the woman.

The court said it found insufficient evidence that Trenneborg subjected the victim to sexual intercourse when she was sedated.

Expand Close A courtroom sketch of Trenneborg (left) and his lawyer / Facebook

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Sweet maker Mars is recalling some of its chocolate bars after plastic was found in one of its products, which are made in the Netherlands.

The recall affects 55 countries, including Ireland, and the sweets affected here are the Funsize Mars, Milky Way, Funsize Mix Variety Pack and Celebrations.

In a statement today, Mars Ireland said it was taking the "precautionary step of recalling products produced in the Netherlands (Veghel) due to possibility of plastic contamination in our products."

The statement said that the products were being recalled "after a piece of plastic was found in one of our products. In some instances, such a piece of plastic could present a choking hazard."

Mars Ireland said there have been no reports of any plastic contamination in its Irish products. There has only been one consumer complaint so far, the statement revealed.

"No other varieties of chocolate, pack formats or bar sizes are affected in Ireland and no other best before dates or products manufactured at any other location are impacted."

The dates affected are as follows: Box of Celebrations 380g with expiration date May 8th 2016; Box of Celebrations 380g with expiration date July 17th 2016; Funsize Mix Variety Pack 358g with expiration date July 24th 2016; Funsize Mars 250g with expiration dates September 4th 2016, September 11th 2016 and September 18th 2016; Funsize Milky Way 227g with expiration date October 2nd 2016

Earlier today, the German dpa news agency, citing Mars in Germany, said the voluntary recall affects products produced early this year in the Netherlands.

Roel Govers, spokesman for Mars in the Netherlands, said the recall affects 55 countries but did not provide further details.

The Dutch food safety authority posted what it said was a Mars press release on its website, saying a piece of plastic had been found in a product that could lead to choking.

The statement said that the products were being recalled "after a piece of plastic was found in one of our products. In some instances, such a piece of plastic could present a choking hazard.

Mars in Germany confirmed it was one of the countries affected and said in a statement that the recall affected products with best before" dates from June 19 2016 to January 8 2017.

"We have intentionally chosen a long production time-frame in order to ensure that all possibly affected products are recalled," the company said in a statement, adding that it was in "close contact" with food safety authorities.

Mars is privately held and based in McLean, Virginia.

The Mars family owns the secretive company, making it one of the wealthiest families in the US, according to business research company Hoover's.
Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers during their advance on Mosul, in northern Iraq

A teenage Swedish girl being held by Islamic State militants has been rescued in a raid by Kurdish special forces.

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Security services estimate that hundreds of Western men and women have left Europe and elsewhere to join Islamic State since they overran large parts of Iraq and Syria in June 2014.

Earlier this month, a mother who took her 14-month-old son to Syria to join Islamic State fighters was jailed for six years by a British court.
A woman carries a child to hospital after he was injured in the triple blast in Sayyida Zeinab, a predominantly Shiite Muslim suburb of Damascus Photo: AP

Russia has said bomb attacks which killed at least 140 people in Syria were aimed at "subverting attempts" to reach a political settlement. Its foreign ministry condemned the "atrocious crimes of extremists".

Sunday's bombs hit the Shia shrine of Sayyida Zeinab, south of Syria's capital Damascus, and the city of Homs. So-called Islamic State (Isil) said it carried out the attacks. Both targeted areas dominated by Islamic minorities reviled by Isil.

Four blasts in Sayyida Zeinab killed at least 83 people, according to state media. A monitoring group reported that 57 people, mainly civilians, were killed in a double car bombing in Homs.

The UK-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) put the toll from the Damascus attacks at 120 and said they were among the deadliest to occur during the whole of Syria's civil war

Isil claimed responsibility for a triple blast in Sayyida Zeinab, saying two of its members set off a car bomb before detonating their explosive belts.

Residents said the attack was about half-a-mile from one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines and did not damage it.

A triple explosion in Sayyida Zeinab killed 45 people last month.

The blasts came hours after two explosions in the central city of Homs killed and wounded scores of people.

The day of violence follows diplomatic moves aimed at organising a truce. Earlier, US secretary of state John Kerry said a "provisional agreement'' had been reached on a ceasefire in Syria's five-year civil war.

Mr Kerry, who spoke alongside Jordanian foreign minister Nasser Judeh in Amman, Jordan, revealed he had spoken earlier with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, about the agreement.

Now, he said, both the US and Russia planned to reach out to the various sides of the ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile, a Syrian opposition activist group says heavy fighting has cut off the government's only supply route to the northeastern city of Aleppo.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said clashes were under way yesterday along the southeastern approaches to the city, which is bitterly divided between the government and the rebels, and also around the town of Khanaser. A news agency close to Isil said the group had cut the road.

Aleppo, Syria's largest city and one-time commercial centre, is divided between the government and its opponents, while Isil holds a wide front to the east of the city.

Fighting has been fierce in Aleppo province in recent weeks amid a government offensive aimed at cutting off the rebel stronghold.

On Sunday, Syria's main political opposition met to discuss a proposed ceasefire, whose potential for even limited success was undercut by a spike in violence claimed by Isil.

The meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, focussed on Syrian armed factions' demand for international guarantees that Iran and Russia will implement the ceasefire, the negotiating committee of the National Syrian Coalition opposition group said on Twitter.

The coalition's chief negotiator will report on his meeting with armed factions in Turkey last week and then the group will give its final position on the truce, its vice president, Hisham Marwah, said by phone from Istanbul.

The US and Russia, which back opposing sides in the five-year conflict, have been pressing for a halt in the bloodshed that has killed more than 260,000 and displaced half of Syria's 23 million people.

On Sunday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said a limited ceasefire may be reached soon, after his government and Russia agreed provisionally on its terms.
Celeste Nurse, the mother of the girl who was kidnapped as a baby, arrives at court in Cape Town (AP)

A South African woman has pleaded not guilty to charges that she kidnapped a baby from a hospital nearly 19 years ago and raised the child as her own.

The woman faces charges of kidnapping, fraud and breaking South Africa's child protection laws, the African News Agency reported.

The woman told the court she had adopted the baby after struggling with infertility.

She said she was not aware the child was kidnapped, and the woman who facilitated the adoption told her a young woman had given the child up.

State prosecutors say the woman, now 50, allegedly snatched a three-day-old baby from her sleeping mother's hospital bedside in 1997. The prosecution also says the woman allegedly defrauded authorities when she registered the child as her own daughter in 2003, changing her birth date, the agency reported.

Celeste Nurse, the girl's biological mother, broke down in court as she recalled the day her daughter went missing, the agency reported.

Semi-conscious after a morphine drip, she thought a nurse picked up her crying baby. When she woke up her baby was gone.

"I was crying my heart out in the foetal position," said Morne Nurse, the girl's biological father, recalling the same day.

The Nurse family found their kidnapped daughter last year after their second daughter befriended a girl at school who looked remarkably like her.

After a police investigation and DNA tests, that new friend turned out to be their missing child. The alleged kidnapper was arrested and released on bail last March.

The girl, now 18 and known publicly by her birth name Zephany, uses the name given to her by her alleged kidnapper. A judge ordered that neither the woman nor the girl may be identified.
We take a look at the main stories from overnight and what it says in todays papers.

Abroad:

A Palestinian detainee has entered uncharted medical territory with a hunger strike of 89 days - longer than protest fasts by other Palestinians or by prisoners in Northern Ireland in 1981, an advocacy group has said. Mohammed al-Qeq, 33, a long-time activist in the Islamic militant Hamas group, is under observation at an Israeli hospital, but has refused all treatment unless he is released. A doctor who visited him earlier this month described his condition as "extremely grave" and said he could barely speak or hear.

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The US and Russia have agreed on a new ceasefire for Syria that will take effect on Saturday. Syria's warring government and rebels still need to accept the deal. The timeline for a hoped-for breakthrough comes after the former Cold War foes, backing opposing sides in the conflict, said they had finalised the details of a "cessation of hostilities" between President Bashar Assad's government and armed opposition groups after five years of violence that has killed more than 250,000 people.

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The papers:

A Sinn Fein candidate has demanded an apology by 3pm today from a sitting TD or he will press charges against a canvasser for the alleged theft of election leaflets. Gardai were called to a housing estate in Ballymahon, Co Longford last night after a heated dispute between Sinn Fein's Paul Hogan and Fine Gael's James Bannon. Mr Hogan told the Irish Independent he has five witnesses who saw someone they believed to be a canvasser for the TD remove the Sinn Feiner's literature from post boxes in the Creevaghbeg estate.

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Jobs will be lost if the result of the General Election leads to political instability or gives a greater sway to fringe elements, the countrys top business leaders have warned in a letter to the Irish Independent. Executives working with a range of national and international companies have joined forces to ask voters to look at the global economic situation. With polls suggesting the country could be heading for a hung Dail, they warn: Ireland needs a stable government capable of making the right policy choices for the future. In the letter, the senior business people write that the recovery is at a critical point.

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The Herald reports that the AK-47 assault rifles used in the Regency Hotel attack may have been stolen from an IRA arms dump over a decade ago. The high-powered weapons were used by associates of slain gangster Gary Hutch in the brutal attack in which rival mobster David Byrne (34) was murdered and two of his pals were shot. Sources have revealed that the use of the AK-47s in the attack has increased tension among senior dissident Republicans in the capital. reports indicated that a long-time close associate of Gerry The Monk Hutch is now being blamed for stealing the weapons more than 10 years ago.

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Both The Herald and the Irish Daily Star lead with the story that a Dublin man who poses a "dangerous and substantial risk" to women and children has been jailed for life for raping a woman in front of her child. Trevor Lawlor (32) was only prevented from raping a second woman when he was disturbed by her boyfriend. Lawlor, originally from Blanchardstown in Dublin, carried out the horror attacks in Manchester on July 10 last year. He was previously jailed for six years at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin in 2004 after sneaking into a woman's house and raping her. Lawlor, who was just 18 at the time, pleaded guilty to raping the 39-year-old woman on August 29, 2002.
SC Supreme Court hears challenge to 6-week abortion law

The SC law, temporarily blocked until the court considers its fate, is being challenged on the grounds that it violates privacy rights in constitution.
Jeffrey Scott Miller

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By Jenny Arnold, Independent Mail Coverage Partner The Spartanburg Herald-Journal

A guard at Tyger River Correctional Institution has been charged with misconduct in office, accused of providing impressions and plans for keys that could have helped inmates free themselves from their cells.

Arrest warrants state that Jeffrey Scott Miller, 24, of 201 Harrington St., Enoree, has been charged with two counts each of misconduct in office and aiding an escape.

A report from the Department of Corrections states that Miller provided Styrofoam impression patterns of a master key to one of the prison's housing units to inmate James T. Robinson, 36. Robinson is serving a 12-year sentence at Tyger River for a kidnapping from Anderson County.

The master key accessed the front and back doors, wings and all of the inmates' rooms in the housing unit, according to the report.

Miller is also accused of providing drawn outlines and patterns of another key to the same unit to inmate Maurice Harvey, 30, the report states. That key opened the back doors of the unit. Harvey is serving a 20-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter from Laurens County.

If the inmates had been able to craft keys using the patterns and impressions, more than just the pair would have been able to escape, Newsom said. Other correctional officers confiscated the drawings and impressions and changed locks before any escapes could be made.

"We've got some folks (prisoners) that are pretty good at crafting, and it's not unusual for guards to confiscate plans like this," Department of Corrections spokesman Clark Newsom said. "You would not believe the people who could just look at a key and come up with a copy."

Miller was a corporal at the Tyger River prison. Newsom said Miller resigned June 28 when the investigation began. He had worked at the medium security prison since Aug. 2, 2012, and had worked as a correctional officer in Florida before working at Tyger River, Newsom said.

The case remains under investigation by the investigator assigned to Tyger River Correctional Institution, Newsom said. The report states that Miller admitted to providing the patterns and impressions but does not state a motive.

Newsom said it's not unusual for guards to be motivated to aid prisoners by the promise of money.

"The inmates know some of these officers don't make more than $25,000 to $26,000 a year," Newsom said. "The guards are working with the best cons in the world, and an inmate can turn (a guard) in a second if (he or she) is in trouble."

Newsom said he wasn't sure if the inmates involved would be punished. That could include loss of phone, canteen or visitation privileges.

Miller was booked at the Spartanburg County jail Wednesday, and he was awaiting a bond hearing.

Sentences can vary for misconduct-in-office charges, but a conviction for aiding escape is a felony punishable up to 10 years.
To what extent have you managed to improve your market share in the fabrics business?

Are you seeing bigger opportunities in US and Europe?

In the domestic market, what trends are you seeing?

What growth do you see for the textile sector?

Tell us about your expansion plans?

Brief us about your JV with French Treves?

Comment on your financials?

What is your promoter holding?

What growth do you expect for the current fiscal?

. with a B. Tech. (Chem.) from IIT, Mumbai and a OPM from Harvard University, USA has more than 25 years of experience in the Textile Industry. He travels extensively to Europe, US and other developed countries promoting Banswara and has created a long list of marquee clients all over the world as a result the exports of the company have increased substantially over the last ten years.incorporated in the year 1976, is a vertically integrated textile solutions Company, present across the verticals of fiber to fashion. Over the span of over 3 decades they have evolved from a spinning unit in Banswara, Rajasthan to a global player in fabric and garments. Banswara Syntex exports its products to more than 50 countries with nearly 50% exports to Europe alone.Replying toof, Ravindra K Toshniwal says "While lower crude prices are keeping realisations in check, we expect to maintain the run-rate of the Q3 with respect to our profitability and margins in Q4. FY17 promises further improvements."The first 9 months of FY16 has been good we have been able to increase the share of our fabrics business from 39% to 45%. We have made inroads into Japan while continued to increased our penetration in the markets of US & Europe  exports as of 9M FY16 is at 46%.We have also invested in intellectual capital by hiring new designers in Europe and US for which we have already seen some benefit in the year to date but expect the full potential to coming in over the next few years.We see huge opportunities this year. We completed a major CAPEX last year and now are putting the new capacity in use for value added products in fabrics while we are also increasing suiting productions. Looking at our geographic reach we had limited presence in Europe and US. There lies huge opportunities in these markets for the next few years and we have set up new marketing and design teams targeting the same. Japan has also risen as a new market especially for trousers in our garments segment.In domestic markets, we are witnessing increasing use of lycra-based fabrics where we have a substantial opportunity. Slow conversion of commodity to value added products is a challenge we are working hard to speed up.The textile industry is growing well and the textile export from India is expected to grow from $41 billion in 2015 to $82 billion by 2021 a CAGR of ~10%. We are also seeing the Indian Government taking various initiatives such as the 3% subvention under Interest Equalisation Scheme to boost exports. There is also the Revised Restructured Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (RRTUFS) which covers manufacturing of major machinery for technical textile and others.We completed most of our major expansion by the Financial Year 2015 and currently only have some small CAPEX in-terms of some modernisation and enhancement in value added products which is currently already underway.Treves is a France based automotive textile company with whom we entered into Joint Venture in 2012 to provide them Fabric Cut Panels & Laminated Fabric for Interior of Automobiles. We are currently only catering to the OEM market which offers good opportunity. We have seen some pick-up in the business and the response from the market is good, particularly with Renault and Nissan.The nine month of the year was good with total revenue of Rs. 916.3 crore. EBITDA margin improved from 12% to 13% by focusing more on higher value added segments such as Value Added Fabric & Garments. PAT margin improved from 0.59% to 2.81% in the same period also with led by reduction in Interest costs. We have started getting the benefits from the new Interest Equalisation scheme and we have also reduced with debt levels substantially this year.The promoters currently hold 59.1%.While lower crude prices are keeping realisations in check, we expect to maintain the run-rate of the Q3 with respect to our profitability and margins in Q4. FY 16-17 promises further improvements.
RAW Pressery, Indias first and leading cold-pressed fresh juice company, recently received Series B funding worth $4.5 million from three equal partners  Sequoia, Saama Capital and DSG partners. This was a follow-up to the first round that invited $1.8 million from Sequoia in February 2015. The fresh capital will give an impetus to the companys plans of introducing new flavours, increasing production capacity and initiating brand-building activities.Talking about the development, Mr. Anuj Rakyan, Founder, RAW Pressery said, RAW Pressery will greatly benefit from the valuable experience of reputed investors like Sequoia, Saama Capital and DSGCP. With this fund-raise we aim to make our fresh beverages more accessible, available and affordable. We will add 8 more juices and smoothies ranging from Rs.50 to Rs.150 to cater to our young conscious audience. Our distribution footprint will scale rapidly to 12 cities and cover modern trade, institutions, HORECA and direct-to-home channels. The continuous involvement and support of our investors reinforces our vision to be Indias leading clean-label beverage brand in a rapidly growing global market.Highlighting the reasons behind choosing RAW Pressery, Ash Lilani, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Saama Capital, states, We are very excited about our investment in Raw Pressery. From the very beginning, we have been impressed with Anujs vision and his ability to build a great team. Most importantly, we believe RAW Pressery has a terrific product. Globally, the category of cold pressed juices and all natural beverage is growing very fast and has huge potential. The focus on wellness and the individual being more conscious of what they consume is a growing trend, even in India and is only going to continue getting larger. After much diligence, we found Raw to have the best product in India by far. It is all natural with no added sugar or water and truly embodies the companys slogan of All Good, No Bad"RAW Pressery is currently available in 7 cities  Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Gurgaon, Hyderabad and Chennai at over 300 points of sale. It will expand its presence to 12 cities and 1500-1800 points of sale in FY17. With our main focus on product quality and safety, we are building Indias first state-of-the-art cold-pressed facility to ramp up our production and support distribution efforts. The company culture stems from a team who are passionate about providing taste and benefit in daily nourishment through superior service, ambitious growth and socially responsible practices.
Dr. Reddys participated at the recently concluded IIFL Enterprising India Global Investor Conference in Mumbai. The company continues to make progress on its efforts to transfer 10-12 critical products out of the USFDA impacted facilities. Management reiterated guidance of USD50-70mn sales from each proprietary product during the peak year i.e. within 2-3 years of launch. Dr. Reddys may have to take a write-off in Venezuela during 4QFY16 if the local government decides to devalue the currency. India business growth is expected to continue in high double digits led by UCB acquired portfolio, in-licensing deals and improving traction in Sofosbuvir.Dr. Reddys is working on site-transferring 10-12 critical products for the US market from its USFDA warning letter impacted facilities. These 10-12 products constitute ~70-80% of the companys revenues from the 3 impacted facilities. Although companys gGleevec API is sourced from a third-party, company is working to transfer the formulation to one of its other facility. Dr. Reddys expects to launch gGleevec in FY17. Based on companys past experience with gNexium, it takes on average 8-9 months in total to get a site-transfer approval from USFDA (other than existing products which are site-transferred through CBE-30 route).Dr. Reddys expects to launch the two recently approved proprietary products, Sernivo (betamethasone) and Zembrace (sumatriptan 3mg) during the first quarter of next fiscal. Company stated that Sumatriptan 3mg has better efficacy and safety as compared to currently marketed generic strengths of 4mg and 6mg of Sumatriptan. For this product, company will target only those patients which are currently on oral therapy. Hence, Zembrace wouldnt cannibalize Dr. Reddys gSumatriptan autoinjector sales.Dr. Reddys current outstanding receivables in Venezuela are USD60mn. Company indicated that it may have to take a write-off on this if the company fails to receive any fund repatriation during the quarter or if the Venezuelan government devalues the currency.Source: IIFL Institutional Equities
Czech carmaker Skoda will be launching the third generation of the its Superb line in India on February 23. Debuting in the Geneva Motor Show, the car is called "best Skoda ever" by the company, and is expected to priced between Rs. 22-26 lakh. (Indiainfoline)Tata Motors cool new hatchback, much applauded at its first public showcase at the Auto Expo 2016, in New Delhi (Greater Noida), was today renamed TIAGO with the culmination of a successful crowdsourcing of the name through the #Fantastico Name Hunt. The company had announced the intent to rename previously named Zica (acronym derived from Zippy Car) as the right and responsible action following the hardships caused by the virus outbreak across many countries. (IndiaInfoline)Renault expects India to be one of its top five markets in 2016, even as the French carmaker aims to capture a 5% share in the country's passenger vehicle sales by the end of next year by driving in products targeted at the local buyer. (ET)Supreme Court on Monday asked for crash-test report of quadricycles, whose manufacture has been allowed by the Centre, after a battery of top lawyers hired by the autorickshaw drivers' association argued against launch of the vehicle that could end domination of three-wheelers in city transport. (ET)Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL) has put on hold the appointment of petrol pump dealers following a reminder by the government that the policy guiding the appointments was in abeyance, officials said.Organisers of a car show in eastern Germany's Leipzig on Monday scrapped the bi-annual gathering after several exhibitors dropped out. "In there last few days there has been an unprecedented development -- many car manufacturers cancelled their participation in quick succession," said Martin Buhl-Wagner, who heads the Leipzig exhibition. "That leaves us with no other option but to cancel the show," he added. (AFP)The National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench in Pune will preside over a consultative process on March 21, involving senior transport and environment officials from the central and the state governments and the pollution control boards, over noise standards for vehicle horns. (TNN)The beleaguered joint venture (JV) for small trucks between Japanese auto major Nissan and Hinduja group flagship Ashok Leyland hit a nadir with Nissan issuing a termination of licence notice to one of their three JV companies, effectively sounding a death knell to the idea of growing the business together. (TNN)
The Maharashtra government on Monday said that strict action would be taken against sugar mills that fail to export the mandatory quota."Sugar mills will have to export their quota for the industry to survive. They won't be able to sustain with current prices if they avoid exporting sugar. The dead stock might also adversely affect the sugar prices," Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.He was addressing a meeting of the cooperative sugar mill owners at the Y.B. Chavan Centre in Mumbai.The decision of mandatory export would lead to a nominal increase of around INR 2 to 3 in sugar prices, Maharashtra's Cooperatives Minister Chandrakant Patil said."This nominal increase too would help the farmers in a big way. Upward spiral of sugar prices is expected to begin with this decision, as this year sugar production fell by around 25 per cent and next year it is likely to be half compared to previous year," Patil said.Last week, the Government made it mandatory for sugar mills to export four million tonnes of sugar each in the 2015-16 season (October-September) and improve cash flows so that they can make payments to the farmers.Following the Centre's directive, the Maharashtra government has instructed all sugar factories to export 14 lakh metric tonne sugar (at least 12% of the year's total stock) as soon as possible to control sugar prices."If excess sugar is not exported, the prices will fall and farmers will have to bear losses," said Patil.
We had a meeting with the management of Marico at the IIFL investor conference. The company is aiming for 8-10% volume growth in the domestic business. Persisting deflationary environment and savings in advertising spends should lead to improvement in margins. Further, Marico aims to increase the contribution from products other than coconut oil in Bangladesh and is also looking at acquisitions in the personal care space in new geographies. Below are the key takeaways from the meeting

No material change in demand environment:

Volume led growth continues to be a priority as the company is targeting 8-10% volume growth in the overall domestic business. Marico expects revenue growth of 6-8% in coconut oil, 13-15% in value added hair oils and 10-11% in Saffola in the near term. Rural growth continues to outpace urban with expansion in distribution. Rural sales currently contribute 33% to the overall domestic top-line and the company expects to increase it to 37%. International business is expected to grow 11-14% in constant currency terms.

Slight improvement expected in margins:

Persisting deflationary environment could result in price de-growth in the near term, while savings in advertising spend should lead to EBITDA margin expansion. Lower tax rate in the MENA region after the business turns profitable, would also boost profitability. Higher ROCE over the years has helped Marico to increase its dividend pay-out and the trends would be sustained in the absence of any big acquisitions.

International business:

In Bangladesh, the company is focusing on the non-coconut oil portfolio. Several Indian brands have been cross pollinated to Bangladesh. The Vietnam business is back on the growth path after the management changes, reporting a 7% constant currency growth in the last quarter. Middle East business should turn profitable in the coming year, while in Egypt, the company has completed its distribution transition. Marico is also looking to grow in new geographies with operations in East Africa and Cambodia started.

Acquisition plans, others:

Marico is looking out for acquisitions in the personal care space in East Africa and south-east Asia. In Ayurvedic oils, Marico has a presence in southern India in the form of Parachute Ayurvedic which is expected to clock a turnover of Rs.600mn in FY16. A different blend is being prototyped in Maharashtra which would be spread across northern India, if successful. In Saffola oats, Marico currently has 8 variants and expects sales of Rs.1200mn from these in FY16. In body lotions, changes in marketing mix are being tried to spur growth, as market shares have stagnated at 6%. Management stated the new products in skin care would be launched if these efforts in lotions are successful. While aroma therapy has not gained traction, mustard oil has done well and has been extended to other states beyond Rajasthan.
Iran's return to the global oil market will add supply to an oversaturated market, but the country faces challenges in ramping up its production, says Moody's Investors Service.

While Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed on February 16 to freeze their oil output in an attempt to stabilize prices, that deal doesn't yet include Iran. Moody's forecasts that Iran will add more than 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) to the global oil market in 2016, further pressurizing oil prices.

However, Iran still faces significant hurdles to boost its oil production meaningfully beyond those levels, according to the report "Iran's Ability to Boost Oil Production Faces Technical and Political Hurdles."

To raise production Iran needs to regain its customer base, attract investment to upgrade its oil fields, and successfully cirumnavigate a range of political risks.

"Iran will try to increase exports to China, but regional rivalries could hinder this effort, with Saudi Arabia currently being China's largest crude supplier," said Waheed Sheikh, a Moody's Associate Analyst. "China will likely maintain its crude import policies rather than risk damaging ties with either of the countries."

Another hurdle for Iran is its ageing oil infrastructure, which industry experts say requires $150 billion-$200 billion of capital investment to modernize. "Many integrated oil companies are simply unable to invest right now because low oil prices have weakened their earnings and pushed their cash flow deeper in the red," said Sheikh. "Integrated oil companies will need to cut capital spending through at least 2016."

In addition, oil companies in the US are prohibited from investing in Iran as the US maintains primary sanctions on the country related to terrorism and ballistic missile development.

Iran's failure to comply with these sanctions or with the P5+1 nuclear agreement, signed by China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, and the US represents a political risk, as do parliamentary elections set to take place in Iran this month. These elections will decide whether hardline conservatives or reformists come to power, which could influence whether Iran pursues rapprochement with the US.
NTPC: The Government of India is selling 5% of its stake in India's largest power producer NTPC via Offer for Sale (OFS) today. The Floor Price for the Offer is set to be Rs. 122, and the government is expecting to mop up Rs. 5000 crore through the sale.ONGC, RIL: State run oil and gas exploration company ONGC has demanded compensation of $1.4 billion from Reliance Industries for siphoning of gas from its well in the Krishna-Godavari basin, as per reports.Cairn India, Vedanta & PNB: Cairn India, Vedanta & PNB to be excluded from Nifty 50 with effect from April, 1.Aurobindo Pharma, Bharti Infratel, Eicher Motors: Aurobindo Pharma, Bharti Infratel will be included in Nifty 50, while Eicher Motors, Tata Motors DVR will also be included In Nifty 50 with effect from April, 1.Vijaya Bank: Vijaya Bank has said it will issue additional Tier-I bonds to raise Rs 500 crore.BHEL: Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) is all set to secure a major power contract worth $1.6 billion in Bangladesh beating competition from China as per reports.Thermax: The company received an order worth Rs.353 crore from Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (RCF) to execute an energy efficiency improvement project.Wipro: Wipro has entered into a partnership with Verveba Telecom, LLC, a premiere telecom network engineering company specializing in network planning, design, deployment and mobile radio network optimization services for telecom service providers.Inox Wind: The company has commissioned common power evacuation systems at its Lahori site in Madhya Pradesh.UltraTech Cement: US buyout firm KKR and Ultra-Tech, are in the race to acquire cement division of Jaiprakash Associates, according to reports.Ujaas Energy: The company has received an order from Airport Authority of India (AAI) for Grid Connected Ground Mounted Solar Photo Voltaic Power Plant for Jaipur Airport of 1800 KWp. The approx cost of the order is Rs. 10.82/- Crore.Tata Comm: Tata Communications launched Data Roaming Boost, a global service that enables mobile network operators and service providers to deliver a significantly improved mobile internet experience for their customers, with the potential to halve the time it takes to open a webpage or application on their smart device whilst they are traveling overseas.Godrej Consumer: The company will increase shareholding in many of its joint ventures as part of its consolidation process.JSW Steel: The company said that it has re-commissioned the Blast Furnaces at its Viiayanagar and Salem Works.HCL Tech: HCL Technologies (HCL) and Symantec announced their plan to expand their current partnership to help enterprises in areas of cloud security, cyber threats, and forensic solutions.Adani Ports: Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd. is actively looking at acquisitions to complete its string of pearls ports strategy, reports a business daily. CEO Karan Adani is leading the drive, it adds.Bharti Airtel: The promoters of Bharti Airtel Ltd, the Mittal family and SingTel, are looking to acquire an additional 6% stake in the telecom firm, as per media reports.Ricoh India: The company has got an order worth Rs. 344 crore from Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation for Supply, Installation and Commissioning of Computer Hardware, Connected Accessories, Software, Maintenance of Equipment(s) and provision of Computer Education Services in 2000 Government & Government Aided High Schools in the State of Odisha on Five Years BOOT Model Project under ICT@School Scheme.Rajesh Exports: The company bagged an order worth Rs.840 crore in the UAE.Jet Airways: Jet Airways is expanding its operations to Bangkok with the launch of new daily flights from its hubs in Mumbai and Delhi.PVV Infra: PVV Infra Ltd has informed BSE that the company has received an order for construction of prefab toilets under "Swatch Vidayalaya Abhiyan programme" from NPCC Ltd (NATIONAL PROJECT CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION LIMITED), a Government of India undertaking, for construction/installation of pre-fabricated toilets in six districts of Odisha.
The Zero Bench initiative is driving countrys second largest IT firm, Infosys, towards automation and futuristic technologies aggressively pacing towards companys $20 billion revenue by 2020.CEO Vishal Sikka gave glimpses of Infosys road ahead led by automation and virtual reality at the Kotak Institutional Equities Investor Conference Chasing Growth 2016 held in Mumbai on Monday. He addressed the keynote on Automation and future of IT services at the investors summit.Infosys had 9,000 of its engineers sitting on the bench (without any specific project), which has been highly criticised by Sikka since he took over as the CEO of the software giant in August 2014. He has strategically employed about 70% of the people on the bench so far with at least one project in the Zero Bench programme. He said that he aims at $80,000 revenue per employee under his $20 billion by 2020 vision. He believes, the programme will help the company achieve a target of 30% margin on $20 billion revenue by 2020.Sikka has been engaging his engineers with Zero Distance and Design Thinking initiatives to enhance creativity. Zero Distance, an extension of the user-centric process of Design Thinking, is an effort to make engineers think imaginatively. Infosys projects that Zero Distance initiative will help its clients save more than $1 billion a year.Without design-thinking, there can be no zero-distance, and without zero-distance, there is no large-scale mechanism to address the outcome of large-scale design-thinking, the creativity of tens of thousands of people. Zero Distance was born out of a desire to see Infoscions become proactive and innovative because this was the number one criticism from clients for Infosys and for the industry in general, Sikka had said in an interview to Mint recently.Sikka has been also working extensively on reverse pyramid process. Elaborating, he said at the investors summit, In certain service lines, we are trying out a radical delayering and create this reverse pyramid where the project managers and teams are in front working directly with customers and taking decisions."Reports state that Sikka is looking to cut down redundant organisational layers and working on a pilot project with 10,000 people, breaking down its traditional, five-layer organisational structure into a two-tiered one.Call it reverse pyramid or Zero Bench initiative, analysts believe that Sikka is likely to cut down the headcount, as he himself puts it at the investors summit, Automation will drive margins up while enabling companies to use fewer employees. The IT major managed to free up over 1,100 people in the third quarter of FY16 using these technologies.The automation shift is inevitable, the Infosys CEO said in Mumbai. He said the people-only model will have to be replaced. On asked whether automation would kill jobs, Sikka said, Automation creates more opportunities than it displaces. The question is whether we have the ability to teach the skills to our people which are relevant today. Here is a huge force behind that is powering this change in numbers and that force is automation.Sikka is keen on adopting people plus software approach. He said on Monday, The people plus software approach ensures that the margins go up because less number of people work on a project.Infosys is already working on assisted driving projects with clients such as automobile maker Toyota and aircraft maker Boeing. With American technology firm GE, Infosys worked on a project to make 30 additional sensors for landing gears of an aircraft.While announcing Q3 FY16 results, Vishal Sikka said, Alongside grassroots innovation, we continue to see growing adoption of our Aikido services, bringing the power of intelligent systems, automation and software to amplify the skills and imaginations of our people.Sikkas focus on automation is also seen as a solution to the pricing pressure. Sikka was quoted saying at the end of Q2, The reason for the pricing pressure is multifold -given the state of the industry, the increasing pressure on IT departments, better competitiveness and automation. All these things are putting downward pricing pressure on the basic people-only model.
Cordelia Lewis-Burks, current vice chair of the Indiana Democratic Party, has seen it all and has achieved her distinguished level of success because of her passion to serve those around her.

As a West Virginia native and a pastors daughter, Lewis-Burks would often witness residents seeking the opinion of her father through the means of politics. Lewis-Burks and her father often debated about the candidates.

He and I would have debates at the dinner table about politics and we got into some great disputes, said Lewis-Burks laughing.

She says politics simply runs in her blood.

After leaving West Virginia, she went to Chicago where she volunteered for Congressman William Dawsons campaign, starting from the lowest level as a volunteer by making phone calls and mailing letters.

In 1959 she moved to Indiana where she worked as a clerk at the voting polls in addition to her full-time job.

Lewis-Burks worked at the former Central State Hospital for 20 years as a licensed practical nurse. After being offered an internship opportunity with a non-profit organization called the A. Philip Randolph Institute, she threw in the towel at the hospital.

I went to my director at the hospital and it was very difficult to tell him that I had been given an opportunity with A. Philip Randolph as an intern with the Indiana AFL-CIO. I loved what I did (as a nurse). I was the first African-American to hold the position of staff representative, she said.

Since then, she has been noted for her many positions within the Democratic Party such as campaign work for Bill Clintons 1996 presidential campaign as well as Barack Obamas senatorial campaign in Illinois.

Lewis-Burks recalls a special moment with President Obama.

The last time the president visited I got a call and they made arrangements for me to meet with him. He remembered when I worked for his campaign. He said, Are you going to stick with me Cordelia? and I told him I am like a tree planted by the water and I shall not be moved.

In 1989 Lewis-Burks served as the chief lobbyist in Indianas American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees International Union (AFSCME) where she traveled the nation working on campaigns.

My interest in politics is to get good people elected to offices, people who saw their mission as pulling up those below them, not run for office, was her response after she declined to run for a City-County Council at-large seat.

Former Gov. Frank OBannon asked if Lewis-Burks could fill the term of vice chair of the party and she accepted. In 2012 she planned on stepping down until U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly asked if she would be interested in retaining the seat.

My effort is that our community sees the importance of voting and how it sincerely impacts their everyday life. I remember my voting place at The Childrens Museum in 2008 where people were lined up in the streets at 5:30 in the morning to vote. I said Oh my God my dream has come true. I wondered if this could happen all of the time, she said as she expressed her concerns for the future. She fears for the younger generation in regards to the upcoming election.

Being the vice chairwoman, Lewis-Burks is automatically a member of the national committee. In recent news, Lewis-Burks has been elected to the National Executive Committee of the National Democratic Party in Washington, the only person from Indiana. She also sits on the Board of Directors at The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis.

John Zody, chair of the Indiana Democratic Party, says that Lewis-Burks has served as a huge resource for him.

Shes family, he said. Ive known her for 15 years and shes always there to offer feedback. Shes just an extremely hard worker.

My mission wasnt to elevate myself in the party, but the work Ive done caused the elevation, Lewis-Burks said, who has been formally retired since 2005.

She says if she had not been chief lobbyist for AFSCME in the 1980s, she wouldnt have had the opportunities she has held in her later years. She says she loves when young people come to her and want to advance themselves politically.

I always tell young people who are looking to fill higher political positions that the lowest level is where you have to start. Look for places where you can serve in community organizations, said Lewis-Burks, who is one of the founding members of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. I know that you have to be invited into some of these organizations, but you have to share yourself with the community.

When not immersing herself in politics, she enjoys working in her yard planting flowers, reading up on things happening in her local community and enjoying shows at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. With nine great-grandchildren and five grandchildren she keeps busy and likes to surround herself with her family.
Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) Indiana welcomes its 1,000th baby! The milestone signifies the nurse-home visiting programs efforts to improve the lives of vulnerable mothers, babies and families in Indiana, which has the seventh worst infant mortality rate in the nation at seven infant deaths for every 1,000 live births in 2013.

NFP pairs each low-income mother pregnant with her first child with a registered nurse for ongoing home visits through the childs second birthday. NFP nurses support mothers and families in providing the very best start for their children during the earliest, most developmentally critical years.

Hoosier mothers and babies lives are improved because of NFP Indiana, said Kent A. Kramer, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana. In just over four years, the mothers of these 1,000 babies took a chance and welcomed a nurse into their homes.

Implemented in Indiana exclusively by Goodwill, NFP began in Marion County in November 2011 and currently serves more than 500 families there. In 2015, the program expanded to Delaware, Lake, Madison, Tippecanoe and White counties, with a capacity to serve more than 1,000 families.

This milestone also means that the mothers of these 1,000 babies:

Had their physical status regularly assessed and were assisted in entering early prenatal care

Learned how to keep their baby healthy and safe

Received education and support to read and play with their infant to enhance brain development

Counseled on the benefits of breastfeeding and how to get started

Received resources, support and guidance for housing, education, employment and child care

These mothers experienced the support of a caring nurse who focused on their strengths and encouraged their desire to do the best for their babies, Kramer said. They developed a strong, supportive relationship that helped them have a healthy pregnancy and birth, learn to bond with their baby, breastfeed if they chose, connect with resources and more. This work helps save lives and empowers families to become self-sufficient.

Darnee Thompsons son, Torrance Colbert III, is one of the 1,000 babies born to moms in NFP. Torrance was born in August 2015, but Darnee met Michelle, her NFP nurse, a year earlier. Sadly, that pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Michelle visited with Darnee to talk about grieving, tips on coping with grief and shared resources that Darnee used to get counseling.

When Darnee got pregnant again, she reached out to Michelle and started the NFP program anew. This pregnancy was considered high risk  she had gestational diabetes and also needed to have a procedure to help her carry this baby to full term. Michelle helped Darnee understand her medical situation, and Darnees mom and boyfriend also have participated in Michelles visits.

My nurse Michelle always answers my questions, Darnee said. I knew I wanted to breastfeed my son, but I also knew he would have to take a bottle (of breastmilk) when I returned to work. Michelle and I talked about what I can do to be successful with both.

Michelle also helped Darnee to meet her employment goal of using her previously acquired certification as a nursing assistant (CNA) by connecting her with Goodwills job readiness and placement program. With that support, Darnee went from a temp-to-hire customer service position to a home health aide with St. Vincent Health at an increased wage that helps support her family.

As the only NFP implemented by a Goodwill, NFP Indiana nurses work with dedicated consultants to access high-quality community resources that assist families with financial matters, housing, transportation, child care, educational opportunities, employment and health care. Once families complete the nurse-home visitation program, they have the option of continuing with the NFP Graduate program, which focuses on supporting families with developmental milestones, school readiness, child care and more.

NFP Indiana is funded by federal grants administered by the Indiana State Department of Health, including MIECHV and Title V, and individual philanthropic and partner contributions, including IU Health, The Netherleigh Fund and The Glick Fund of the Central Indiana Community foundation and others.

NFP Indianas 2015 Outcomes

On average, NFP moms began prenatal care at 9 weeks

Of those who self-reported smoking, 58% quit prior to giving birth

90% of babies born at full term

91% of infants born at a healthy weight

89% of moms initiated breastfeeding

33% of babies still breastfed at 6 months; 19% at 12 months

96% of babies had up-to-date immunizations at 6 months; 95% at 24 months

207 graduates to date (rolling completion based on childs age) who have completed the 2.5 year program

Self-Sufficiency of graduates

22% of moms, age 18 and older, increased their employment

33% of moms without a high school diploma earned it while in NFP; a third of this group also obtained post-secondary education or certification

28.4% of graduates increased educational level during program

At one year post-enrollment, 24% of households had an increase in income and benefits

Also one year post-enrollment, 53% of clients with 12 or fewer years of education had an increase in educational attainment

To be eligible for NFP, a woman must be pregnant with her first baby, at less than 28 weeks in her pregnancy, and be at 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) or below (equivalent to the Medicaid eligibility requirement; for a two-person household, i.e. for a pregnant woman living alone, this would be $31,460 or less).

Participation in NFP is free and voluntary. Health care and other service providers may refer qualifying mothers, who may also self-refer. Self-referrals can be made and more information is available via email at nfp@goodwillindy.org or phone at 317-524-3999. Service providers can make a referral by calling or completing a form at goodwillindy.org/nfp.
Crowds have become a part of the Indian lifestyle. Malls, markets, metros, restaurants and movie theatres are all full of people. Not that it is a problem, but sometimes, crowded places make you feel exhausted. Once in a while, everyone needs a moment of silence, and some emptiness at a place where you can actually feel time passing by slowly.

Read on as we take you through 9 abandoned places in India that will make you realise how peaceful silence is!

1. Ancient Mandu, Madhya Pradesh

Flickr.com/Jean-Pierre Dalbera

Not many people know that the ancient settlement of Mandu was the capital city of a Muslim state from 1401 and 1561. However, it has been abandoned for the last 400 years. The fortress town, located in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, is full of ornate stone mosques, palaces, Jain temples and other glorious structures. The highlight of this place is a ship palace between two artificial lakes, and a royal complex that still bears witness to the great life of its residents. The nearest airport is Indore from where Mandu is a 99-km drive. The closest railway station is Ratlam. Additionally, Mandu is well connected with other cities through a good road network.

2. Fatehpur Sikri, Agra

Flickr.com/sandeepachetan

Fatehpur Sikri was founded in 1569 as the capital of the Mughal Empire by Emperor Akbar, It is a walled city that consists of royal palaces, courts, a mosque, and a harem among other buildings. This splendid site was abandoned in 1585 due to shortage of water and proximity to areas that were in turmoil. After establishing a new base, the king never returned. Its been uninhabited ever since. Fatehpur Sikri remains one of the rare sites in terms of level of preservation as most of it looks untouched. The complex is made of the locally found red sandstone and boasts a dramatic 177-foot-high entrance. Agra railway station and airport are the closest ways to connect to this place. The drive from Agra to Fatehpur Sikri is 35 km long.

3. Chiktan, Ladakh

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Chiktan Castles construction is certainly unique. It is composed of rammed earth and stone masonry with mud mortar. It was architect and carpenter Shinkhen Chandan who made this castle with timber to support its ceilings as well as to frame the doors and windows. Chiktan Castle was always a symbol of unity, strength,brotherhood and community for the locals. It was abandoned several times during the course of history, but wasnt deserted until the late 19th century. Negligence and the elements have left the castle in an advanced state of decay. Chiktan fort is located in the Kargil district, and the closest airport is Srinagar from where you can drive down to the fort.

4. Bhangarh, Rajasthan

travel.siliconindia.com

Bhangarh fort is a 300 km drive from Delhi, located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. It is considered one of the most haunted places in India. The fort was built by Man Singh 1, but was eventually deserted because there was a fear of ghosts haunting this fort. Locals believe that various paranormal activities occur here and allegedly people who stay at this place after sunset vanish forever. A board by the Archaeological Survey of India states that no one is allowed to stay in the fort before dawn and after dusk. The Jaipur Airport, at a distance of 56 kms, is nearest to Bhangarh. The nearest railway station is Dausa Junction, 22 kms away and by road it is an easy 250 kms road journey.

5. Shaniwar Wada, Pune

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Shaniwarwada is an 18th-century fort in the city of Pune, Maharashtra. It was constructed in 1732, and was the seat of Peshwa rulers of Maratha empire, until the East India Company took over. In 1828, the structure was destroyed by an unexplained fire, and was left alone. Today, the surviving structures are being maintained as a tourist site. Its easy to reach this place - the closest airport and railway station are located in Pune city.

6. Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu

financialexpress

Dhanoshkudi is one of the most famous tourist spots in Tamil Nadu, and yet isnt visited by many people because its quite tough to get there. It is the site of the only land border between India and Sri Lanka. Dhanushkodi was a tourist hub and a pilgrimage town until a 1964 cyclone destroyed the railway line from Mandapam, cutting off all access. On the night the cyclone hit, a passenger train was going to this place from Pamban with 110 passengers, but a massive tidal wave from the storm washed away the entire train, leaving no survivors. A total of 1800 people died, with most houses and other structures in Dhanushkodi flooded or marooned. Tourism experts recommend taking a bus/cab from Rameshwaram to visit this place.

7. Vijayanagra, Karnataka

karmaindia

Once upon a time, Vijayanagra was home to 500,000 inhabitants, and was considered the second-largest city in the world. Vijayanagara or modern day Hampi was a powerful kingdom in India. But in 1565, the empires armies suffered an unbelievable defeat, and the capital was taken over by those who razed, depopulated and destroyed the city. The whole area was revamped into an agricultural society for centuries. After the construction of two hydroelectric facilities in the 20th century, it witnessed a rapid growth in the local population. Today, its ruins are still abandoned, and it is officially a historic site with the surrounding area having 2.5 million residents.

8. Brij Raj Bhavan, Rajasthan

hauntedindia.blogspot

The story of Brij Raj Bhavan is not only one of abandonment, but is also rather spooky. Apparently, the guards at Brij Raj Bhavan Palace were slapped whenever they dozed off on duty. People say that it was due to the presence of a supervisor who monitored them, but in reality there was no living being in sight. According to the myths, there exists a harmless ghost, Major Burton. He was murdered by Indian sepoys during the Mutiny of 1857. With a cane in hand, the Major is said to haunt this 178-year-old palace that was converted into heritage hotel in the 80s.

9. Jal Mahal, Rajasthan

Flickr

Jal Mahal is an abandoned palace set in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur, Rajasthan. For the longest time, no one had an idea about why this palace was built. However, locals believe that it was constructed as a royal summer retreat for parties. The beautiful palace was neglected for more than 200 years, after sewage filled water seeping through cracks in the red sandstone walls, which were designed to hold back millions of litres of water, ruined the structure. The restoration project took about 6 years. The locals arrange many boat trips that can be booked to visit the palace.
We all love Kareena Kapoor for giving us one of the best mantras for life! Yes, the unforgettable line was 'Main apni favorite hoon' in Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met. In real life too, she is a lot like Geet. If you have read her earlier interviews, she doesn't like filtering much. She is honest, candid and most importantly, brutally honest.

In a recent interview with TOI, Kareena Kapoor Khan got candid about a lot of things. From her cousin Ranbir Kapoor's break-up to her holiday plans, here's Kareena Kapoor Khan uncensored.



1. On being asked if she's enjoying being a royal in real life, she said:

Pinterest

"Ufff, I'm not a Begum. My mother-in-law (Sharmila Tagore) will always be the eternal Begum of Pataudi. She is an amazing mother, wife and actor, gorgeous, worldly wise and energetic. We share a close bond. I love going to the Pataudi palace, it's now home for me."

2. Even when her contemporaries detest spilling the beans about Bollywood's 'Kapoor Khandaan', Kareena revealed,

An old photograph of Kapoor Khandaan (Photo: Pinkvilla)

"Saif describes us as a crazy, Italian mafia family. There are always 30 dishes on the table and everybody is focussed on the food and drinks. My family is the best thing in my life and no matter which part of the world I am, I will always make it to birthdays and anniversaries. I feel most grounded and connected when my grandmother (Krishna Raj Kapoor) is around."

Star India

"Even if Ranbir has spoken about it to me, it's a personal matter that I'd never discuss it with the media. I love my brother and wish him only the best in life, always." What an ideal sister, she is ! *Sigh*

4. Even when marriages in Bollywood hardly stand the test of time, Kareena was asked if she has found the 'key' to make marriages work, she said,

Pinterest

"There's no formula. Sometimes after 20 years, a relationship just doesn't work, you meet someone else and something just clicks.."

5. Just because she belongs to the film fraternity, talking about relationships and filmy gossip it is a strict no-no on her dining table! She confessed,

dozdrapeac.tk

"We don't only socialise with industry folk, in fact, we don't even attend Bollywood parties or film screenings."

6. Not many know that Kareena has turned down over six scripts in the last three months. One of the films was Raj Kumar Gupta's 'Section 84', where she was offered to play a schizophrenic and Sanjay Gupta's revenge-drama 'Kaabil' opposite Hrithik Roshan! To this, she had the BEST POSSIBLE RESPONSE!

"Yes, I have become choosy, I don't want to do films back-to-back. I am not insecure, I'd rather go off on a holiday with Saif!"

8. Kareena's candid confession on how she was roped in for R Balki's Ki and Ki is damn cute!

KoiMoi

Everyone knows that Kareena plays an ambitious career woman with a stay-at-home husband. It was while she was holidaying in London when Arjun Kapoor called her and started talking about a new film he'd just signed. Kareena revealed, "I had watched 'Cheeni Kum' and 'Paa' and was extremely happy for him. A week later, Balki offered me the same film," Kareena reminisces, admitting that she was initially unsure but halfway into the reading, she was on board. "We were like two kids on the sets and Balki would scold us, tell us to stop talking and laughing so he could shot."

9. Kareena is pretty sorted in the head about what she wants! According to her, films should be '70 days of fun experience'. She added,

Kareena Kapoor and Diljit Dosanjh on the sets of Udta Punjab

"I am not a part of any particular camp, I just want to chill and be comfortable while I shoot. I even said yes to Abhishek Chaubey's 'Udta Punjab' for the same reason. The film excites me as an actor."

This is a pretty CHILL response!

10. She even cleared her stand on why she 'reportedly' refused to play Priya Dutt in Rajkumar Hirani's Sanjay Dutt biopic, with Ranbir Kapoor playing the actor.

"I don't know where this bizarre rumour came from. I don't bother clarifying these things because I don't think anyone cares. I don't even know who's making the film or who's in it."

11. Kareena revealed that she has no plans of starting new projects till June 2016. Instead, she said that her *Holiday mode* is on & all she wants is to 'explore exotic destinations'!

Mid-Day

"I tend to go back to the same places. I'm not a bag-packer and enjoy travelling in luxury. I'd like to visit south of Italy, the Aurora Borealis Nothern Lights and the Grand Canyon.."

And she ended the interview by saying,

"I can't sing and don't wish to direct or produce, but I'd definitely want to write my autobiography." Now that has surely left us EXCITED!
nofilmschool

Finally, here's a positive move from our Censor Board. It's time to rejoice for all Leonardo DiCaprio fans in the country, as his latest film, The Revenant, is all set to release in India without any cuts! Yes! Remember how recently the Censor Board courted a lot of controversy over the cuts it made in the latest James Bond movie, Spectre, and more recently, Deadpool.

Even though people were anticipating cuts in Leo's survival flick, The Revenant, which is already a front-runner at this year's Oscars, has thankfully earned no cuts from our Censor Board. The movie hits the Indian theatres this Friday and has been passed with an A-certificate.

A spokesperson of the film said, "We are relieved that the CBFC has cleared the film without any cuts considering the film has a lot of violence and cuss words and usually their stance on such films have been very rigid".

He also added, "CBFC was particularly impressed with The Revenant as the film has won quite a few prestigious awards and is a front-runner at the Oscars this year. They also mentioned that if it was any other film, they wouldn't have been so easy."

Inspired by true events, the film is about one mans epic adventure of survival and revenge. And now that even the Indian release has no cuts, it'll definitely be great to catch it on the big screen!
If the Narendra Modi government has its way, soon there will be a special media cell to track content online. It will be tasked with identifying and countering news content, which the government feel are negative propaganda.

PTI

It was first put forward last month by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) which proposed a National Media Analytics Centre (NMAC).

This will keep a tab on round-the-clock blogs, web portals of TV channels and newspapers, and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Mint

The government will keep a watch on the narrative in all such threads. Every time a negative narrative surfaces, a possible counter would be initiated, through press releases, briefings or press conferences, depending on the intensity or standing of the post, The Indian Express quoting sources reported.

NMAC proposal is reportedly based on tracking software designed by Ponnurangam Kumaraguru, who is an Assistant Professor at the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology in Delhi.

Not only would this software track negative stories appearing across media and social platforms, it would also be able to analyse the "past pattern" of the writer, thereby tracking any bias.

Reuters

The government had earlier setup New Media Wing, which monitored social media, and the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre that tracked some 600-plus channels round the clock.

This also comes at a time when the government has been under fire, especially on the online world for its handling of issues like Dadri, Rohit Vemula and most recently JNU.
Veteran actor turned activist Anupam Kher has come out in support of a Change.Org petition to 'Include Ethnic Cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits in School Textbooks'.

Prime Mini: Include Ethnic Cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits in School Textbooks - Sign the Peti... https://t.co/269LP8imBD via ChangeOrg_India  Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) February 20, 2016

Many believe that the systematic removal of Kashmiri Pandits, the original inheritors of the Valley is India's biggest communal genocide, in which lakhs of Kashmiri Pandit Hindus were displaced

Evicted after threats of rape and murder by Islamist radicals who used the call of the azaan to draw participants into India's biggest land grab, these people were secretly shipped away in army convoy trucks to find shelter across the nation. Their demands were ignored by successive governments, and today these pandits, easily identified with their fair skin, light eyes, and distinctive names (including Kher and Haq) are afraid to go back to the land that gave them their identity and language.

Kher, a Kashmiri Pandit himself, has been an outspoken proponent of the rights of Kashmiri Pandits.

Our destroyed houses still tell our bleeding stories. We once lived there thinking of a bright future. #KPExodusDay pic.twitter.com/8bI4AkOd3l  Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) January 19, 2016

Ticket to exile: Bus ticket purchased by family on 19th Jan., 1990 when we were forced out of Kashmir. #KPExodusDay pic.twitter.com/dXBzVrKXoT  Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) January 19, 2016

The petition is by a Dr. Suchitra Kaul Misra.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she is a Laughter Yoga & Wellness Consultant with certification in Laughter Yoga, Neurolinguistic programming and quantum hypnotherapy.

At the time of writing this, the petition had reached 928 out of a total 1000 signatures, and over 200 comments.
Gyan Dev Ahuja, a BJP MLA from Ramgarh in Rajasthan has stooped to a new low in the battle of words over the JNU controversy.

Firstpost

According to the MLA daily 50,000 pieces of bones, 3,000 used condoms, 500 used abortion injections, 10,000 cigarette pieces, aluminium foils among other things, are found at JNU campus.

Ahuja didn't stop there, he went on to claim that girls and boys dance naked at cultural programmes in the campus.

PTI

Calling the students anti-nationals, Ahuja also demanded them to be brought to the book. His bizarre statement came on Monday during a march "against traitor".

So what was his source for the information? Well it turns out, he got it from social media!

I want to put before you the facts, which have come through social media and television channels" he said. Calling Congress Vice president Rahul Gandhi an anti-national, Ahuja said such people must be shot dead.

PTI
If their brazen disregard to the law of the land the lawyers who ran riot inside the Patiala House court last week, attacking JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar and journalists wasn't enough, now a sting operation by a TV channel have shown them bragging about the incident.

Facebook

The sting aired by India Today shows that the assault on Kanhaiya was pre-planned and they even had brought men from outside clad in lawyers uniforms.

"We beat up Kanhaiya Kumar for three hours to make him say Bharat Mata ki jai, Vikram Singh Chauhan, who led the attack said.

"

Twitter

"We bashed him for three hours. He wet his pants. We beat him up so much," he added.

Yashpal Singh, who is a former additional secretary of the BAR Council, also confirmed that Kumar was beaten up until he soiled his pants.

PTI

Singh claimed that from the 1,000-strong police force stationed at the court were supportive of the lawyers actions.

Every policeman there said that had they not been in uniforms, they too would have joined us in the attack, Yashpal Singh claimed.

"We will not leave him. We'll beat him up. I will get a petrol bomb. No matter what cases are filed against me. I will not leave him even if I'm charged with murder", he went on to claim.

Indian Express

This is in contrast to their earlier claim that a mob of students had resorted to the violence and not the advocates.

The lawyers also claimed that there was no complaint or evidence against them and the mob of students had indulged in the violence.

Livelaw

Even while there was ample evidence of the attack Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi had repeatedly claimed that there was no evidence for it.

#AfzalCourtScuffle: Top cop BS Bassi gives clean chit. 'Kanhaiya was not attacked.We managed the situation well. https://t.co/xS7pxJdu3y  NewsX (@NewsX) February 17, 2016

After being pulled up by the Supreme Court, the Bar Council of India is yet to decide on taking action against the lawyers.
After making his mark in the FMCG sector, yoga guru Baba Ramdev is eyeing entry into an all together new field, education.

PTI

That is right, the yoga guru plans to set up a fully fledged university in the national capital in the next five years.

And he has set the bar so high for the upcoming university; offering Harvard and Cambridge standard education in India

"The university would cater education to one lakh students in different streams. The standard of education would be such that students of Harvard and Cambridge would be tempted to study here," Ramdev said.

However it is not yet clear whether the project will become real or what courses will be on offer.

oneyearmba/ Representational Image

An estimated three lakh Indians seek education abroad every year because they can't find their course of choice in India..
Police in Switzerland has arrested a 24-year-old Gambian for the murder of an American woman last month.

Facebook

Lauren Mann, an American studying in the Austrian capital Vienna was found dead in her apartment last month.

The incident was reported on January 25 by Lauren's employer after she failed to show up for work without warning.

Later police found her body half-naked, face-down on a mattress in her apartment.

Daily Mail

According to reports, Lauren had given shelter to the accused who has been identified as 25-year-old Abdou, who had lost her asylum claim. He had gone missing ever since the crime was reported.

Daily Mail

He was arrested by Swizz police from near an asylum center in Bern. Police said that he was trying to seek refugee status in Switzerland after fleeing from Austria. Austrian authorities will now have to request his extradition from Switzerland.

The immigrant was earlier known to German police for the rape of a minor girl.

The incident also comes to light at a time when there is an increasing sentiment against asylum seekers due to the increasing number of serious crimes including rapes and murders.
For more than a year now, the Namma Metro is running between Peenya and Sampige Road (Reach III of Phase 1). But one of the pillars on this stretch (pillar 282) is on a site that has not been acquired from the land owner.

A doctor from Bengaluru who works in the USA had the biggest surprise of his life returning home, as he found a huge Namma Metro pillar on his residential plot

The BDA and Namma Metro pointed fingers at each other. The doctor's site which was originally 50x80 sq ft has reduced to 15x80 sq ft and become utterly unusable. Dr OL Prabhu, 59, Bengalurean who practises medicine in San Diego, California, US, approached the HC against the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). His claim is that BMRCL has illegally taken possession of his property and put up a construction, 'Metro Pillar No 282' on it. He was neither kept in the know that his property was required for the construction nor was he paid any compensation.

Prabhu had purchased the site, measuring 50x80 ft, from the BDA under a sale deed on March 9, 2000. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had isued a khatha in his name and he has been paying taxes on the property since then. When the Namma Metro work started on Chord Road near Iskcon temple, BMRCL realised that it needed part of Prabhu's site. But it approached the BDA seeking permission. "The BDA unknowingly indicated that it was a vacant land on which BMRCL was at liberty to erect the pier and it was accordingly erected," according to Prabhu's petition before the HC.

Coming home to shock

Prabhu, who was abroad during this period came home to find the construction on his property. He approached the BDA seeking clarification. BDA, realising its mistake, took BMRCL into confidence. But there was no remedy forthcoming from them. Prabhu had no option but to approach the HC. The BMRCL counsel told the HC that it was "left with no alternative but to intitiate acquisition proceedings as a matter of formality to determine the compensation payable to the petitioner." BMRCL tentatively suggested that the compensation would be a sum of Rs 5,000 per sqft and this would be subject to the determination by a final award. But Prabhu's advocate told the court that the government guidance value itself for the said site was Rs 9,000 per sqft.

This amount would be paid within four weeks, Justice Anand Byrareddy ordered on February 15. The HC said that the question of enhanced compensation was left open. The proceedings for determination of compensation would also be initiated within four weeks, the court ordered. The site was 50x80 ft, but now it is only 15x80 ft.
Murder, for lack of a better word, is how I am choosing to describe the following incident. Because people have lost all shame and humanity when it comes to indulging their narcissism.

Two peacocks were killed at Yunnan Wild Animal Park in southwest China after a group of people grabbed them after luring them with food, and plucked their feathers by yanking them by their tails. All for a few selfies.

Weibo

A few images were uploaded on Weibo - the Chinese microblogging site - that showed visitors grabbing the peacocks to satiate their hunger for selfies.

The zoo confirmed the incident and said that the incident indeed happened on February 12. Mr. Bai, a representative at the zoo told Huaxi Metropolis Daily that this was the first time an incident like this had happened and the zoo workers had strongly conveyed to the visitors not to touch the birds.

Weibo

The news comes barely a week after two dolphins were killed after tourists had pulled them out of the ocean in Argentina. And in India, people didn't shy away from clicking selfies every time a dead whale washed ashore.

The zookeepers rushed to free the peacocks but sadly a 5-year-old bird died out of panic just within half-an-hour of being grabbed.

A veterinarian Dr. Li told City Times that peacocks can die due to extreme fright, and also suffer heart attacks in incidents of shock.
Sherene Zarrabi is a student in Oklahoma. In September 2015, she started working for Dainty Hooligan retail store. Soon she began posting her photos on Instagram, wearing the store's clothes. Little did she know, however, that she would be body shamed by none other than the store's CEO.

Instagram

The email she received from her boss shows how hate breeds in the hearts of certain people:

"Hello,

"Something I want to make sure you keep in mind. I want size small, the stereotypical 'model' to model our clothes. Please use our pictures of our models if Stillwater store can't find someone who would be considered 'model material.' This is not to put anyone down but to communicate expectations of presenting our brand. Don't take it personal, all I ask for is really good representation. In exchange for the freedom, I ask you to take down all pictures of anyone that doesn't fit the criteria.

Thanks,

Jessica"

Instagram

But Sherene didn't hesitate for a moment to hold her own, and gave the most fitting reply:

"I just want to start by saying this: I am fully comfortable with who I am and the way I look. I have recently been attacked and discriminated against by the owner of Dainty Hooligan. She went on our stores Instagram and deleted all of the pictures where I was modeling the clothing and then sent this email to my manager. I do not want to [represent] or support a business that has such archaic values and beliefs. THIS is the reason young girls have body image issues. This is disgusting. I quit immediately and I suggest that my friends and family do not support Dainty Hooligan. Love yourself, no matter what you look like. "

Not only did her response pervade social media, but also got noticed by her previous employer!

You go girl, the world's your oyster!
Follow us on mwc 2016 10 highlights of mark zuckerberg s speech

New Delhi: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a surprise visit at Mobile World Congress on Monday. The 32 year old entrepreneur talked on multiple topics starting from his newborn daughter to his plans for virtual reality. But he mostly discussed wireless connectivity and his plans to continue rolling out programs aimed at delivering affordable Internet access in every part of the world.

Here are 10 key highlight of Mark Zuckerberg's speech at Mobile World Congress

 "Facebook isn't a company that hits a roadblock and gives up," Zuckerberg said. "We take the hits and try to get better." This was said to address Internet.org and Facebook's struggles to bring affordable Internet around the world, which has met opposition because of net neutrality concerns.

 It's 2016 and 4 billion people still don't have access to the Internet, he said. Facebook's mission is to connect everyone in the world, he added. He insisted on the fact that Facebook believes that everyone in the world should have access to the Internet.

 He discussed that Free Basics is not really about making money, it is just about getting people online. He points out that none of the Basic services run ads and that they've successfully managed to bring 19 million people in 38 countries online.

 He said VR is far more than just gaming. It is about interest, putting people in the moment, giving them an opportunity to experience a scene first hand, even if they're not really there.

 Zuckerberg said 5G networks will be essential to increase the quality of the VR experience, because users will probably need 4K displays for each eye. "In order to do that, I think this (VR) will be one of the killer apps of 5G networks," he said.

 He said he thinks mobile video in 2016 will be as impactful as mobile social was in 2011 and 2012.

 When he was asked about his experience where he live-streamed a video on Facebook, Zuckerberg said, That's a new power that people didn't have in the past, he said. In the live-streaming video he had 150,000 viewers within 5 minutes.

 He also spoke about the relationship between telecom sector and the app developers and called it a symbiotic relationship. He said that app developers demand for bandwidth, which is ultimately what telcos sell. People don't pay to use Facebook, they pay to use data.

 We're sympathetic with Apple. He said that people want encryption and they will use it. But he also agreed that stopping terrorism is definitely the right thing to do.

 Mark Zuckerberg had announced that he would donate 99 percent of his wealth for the betterment of the world, when his daughter was born. On asking him about how is he going to make that happen, he said that there were many different ways to go about improving the world. A lot of narratives are about how things are getting worse. I feel it's the opposite. Things are getting better and technology is integral to it. Our children should live dramatically better lives than all of us have been able to.

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Follow us on death threat salman khan s life in danger cops trying to track unknown caller

Mumbai: Superstar Salman Khan is at the target of some people who are trying to harm him, suggest media reports.

Mumbai police are trying to track down an unknown person who alerted them of possible threats to eliminate the superstar last week, an official said here on Tuesday.

The first call was received by the Police Control Room on February 16 followed by another call the next day.

It is not confirmed whether there is one or more than one person involved in the threat call as the anonymous caller claimed to have overheard some persons who were plotting to harm the Bollywood actor.

The calls were soon traced to PCOs in south Mumbai's Marine Lines and suburban Malad.

Though the police have not yet taken cognizance of the matter or lodged any complaint, they are attempting to trace out the caller by checking CCTVs installed in those areas for further investigations, the official said.

Latest Bollywood News
Follow us on i am happiest when i am on the sets says aditya roy kapur

Mumbai: Actor Aditya Roy Kapur, who was last seen in Fitoor, says he wants to have more releases as he feels happy when he is on the set.

Ask Aditya why he is not doing too many films and he told IANS: Its not a matter of being choosy as an actor but a matter of liking the right script. Like any other actor I want to be part of good projects. I want to have more releases and work more. I am happiest when I am on the sets.

Aditya received appreciation for his role in Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor, a film that also featured Katrina Kaif and Tabu.

The actor will now be seen with Shraddha Kapoor in Ok Janu' which is based on live-in relationships.

When asked about his take on live-in relationships, Aditya said: As long as it works well for the couple its fine and It's a cool to be part of this film.

OK Janu is a remake of the Tamil super hit OK Kanmani. The original, which was helmed by Mani Ratnam, featured Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menon in lead.

Latest Bollywood News
Follow us on divorce aftermath ksg celebrates with bipasha jennifer winget upset with decree on social media

New Delhi: Actress Jennifer Winget who was granted divorce from husband Karan Singh Grover on January 11, 2016 was shocked after she learnt a copy of her divorce decree has been doing the rounds of social media.

The TV couple had filed for divorce with mutual consent. The decree of their divorce which formally means their marriage has ended came on the same day of Karan Singh Grover's birthday.

Expressing her disgust on the leak of the document, Jennifer told a leading daily, I'm deeply appalled & shocked to learn that such a private & confidential document like my divorce decree is doing the rounds of social media. It's strange that I'm yet to receive the decree, but it's already doing the rounds of social media.

While Jennifer seems upset about the entire incident, little or no impact has happened on KSG. He is celebrating his birthday with his rumoured girlfriend Bipasha Basu in Goa.

It was also being said that Bipasha's proximity with Karan was one of the reasons things ended between KSG and Jenny. However, since all three chose to stay tight lipped on these rumours, these speculations died a slow death.

Jennifer also added, Wonder whose malafide intent is this, since the relationship is now a FIRM THING OF THE PAST! Though she hasn't taken any name in her last statement, we wonder if she is pointing towards Karan for the leak. Let's wait to see how Karan reacts to this.

Latest Bollywood News
Follow us on kareena kapoor opens up on ranbir katrina break up

New Delhi: You must be living under the rock if by now you are not aware of the much hyped break-up of the year so far.

Yes! You guess that right. We are talking about the break-up of Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif.

Their split not just came as a rude shock for everyone but also started a trend of break-ups in B-town as several couples announced their split soon after Ranbir-Katrina parted ways.

Although, it's been over a month that Ranbir-Katrina called it quits, yet the now ex-couple has maintained a stoic stance over their break-up.

While Ranbir has been avoiding the media attention post his break-up, Katrina, on the other hand, has been dodging the questions about the Tamasha' actor and their split quite smartly.

However, people are still curious to know the reason behind the fallout between the couple.

In fact, so far the respective ex-flames of Ranbir and Katrina along with the Kapoor family have also been on the radar for making Ranbir-Katrina part ways.

But now, Ranbir's sister Kareena has come out in support of the actor in this tough time.

During a recent media interaction, when Bebo was quizzed about Ranbir's break-up she stated that she loves her brother and won't disclose his personal matters.

Even if Ranbir has spoken about it to me, it's a personal matter that I'd never discuss it with the media. I love my brother and wish him only the best in life, always, Kareena was reported saying,

Recently, Rishi Kapoor too had stated that he won't be doing a match making for his son and let him live his life his way.

It seems that the entire Kapoor family is supporting their loving scion during his break-up phase.

Currently, Ranbir Kapoor is shooting for his much delayed movie Jagga Jasoos' opposite Katrina Kaif which is expected to hit the screens in July-end or August this year.

Latest Bollywood News
Follow us on neerja bhanot s classmates thank sonam for bringing her back to life after 30 years

Mumbai: Actress Sonam Kapoor is flooded with words of appreciation for her act in "Neerja" as Neerja Bhanot, who lost her life while saving others on a hijacked flight. Classmates of the late air hostess have also thanked the actress for bringing her back to life on the silver screen.

The actress was touched by a special message by Bhanot's classmates, and credited director Ram Madhvani for being the captain of the film.

Sonam took to Twitter to share an image of the tribute by one of Bhanot's classmates.

The message read: Dear Sonam, I wonder if you will get to read this message. Your critics and colleagues will congratulate you for your performance as Neerja and I believe you will win awards and accolades in truck loads for this movie. But to us who were Neerja's classmates in school you did something much much more.

You brought her back to life after nearly 30 years. She is now back amongst us again. And for that on behalf of the Batch 78 Bombay Scottish Aluminii, her friends and family, I thank you. Sanjit Shastri - batch of 78 Bombay.

To this, Sonam said: Ram this is all you... Thank you for making me an honorary alumni... I humbly accept this beautiful tribute to #neerja by her pals of #bombayscottish class of '78 ... This has truly truly moved me.

Neerja tells the story of how Neerja lost her life while saving passengers from terrorists on board hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 in September 1986.

And a special screening was organised for alumni of the Bombay Scottish School here on Friday. The film also stars Shabana Azmi and Shekhar Ravjiani.

Latest Bollywood News
Follow us on neerja bhanot s father recalled his last conversation with his laado before the pan am hijack

New Delhi: Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor is winning several accolades these days because of her phenomenal performance in her recent release Neerja'.

The movie is a biopic based on Neerja Bhanot, a 23 year old flight attendant, who sacrificed her life in order to save the lives of over 300 passengers on Pan Am Flight 73 on September 5, 1986.

Ever since Neerja' has hit the silver screens, the nation has been moved by the courage and fearless attitude of the brave-heart soul Neerja Bhanot.

However, it had been quite difficult for the Neerja's family to bear her loss who were waiting for their daughter to celebrate her 23rd birthday on September 7.

Soon after Neerja's unfortunate death, her father Harish Bhanot wrote a heart-breaking letter in Hindustan Times. Harish mentioned about his last conversation with his Laado' along with what happened during the Pan Am hijack which will leave you in bits.

Here's an extract from the letter:

Of late, Neerja was doing a lot of modelling. She had returned from Frankfurt on Tuesday (September 2) morning. She spent all of Wednesday shooting. On Thursday, she had yet another prestigious assignment. She reported for shooting at 9 a.m. and returned home only around 8 p.m. The hard day did not tell on her, she bounced about saying that she had the most satisfying shooting day ever with director Ayesha Sayani, whom she described as a highly talented professional. She had a light dinner and went to sleep after telling her mother to wake her up 90 minutes before the pick-up call from Pan Am. Her mother was keen that she should telephone Pan Am to get excused because she had a hard day. But a highly duty conscious Neerja did not oblige her mother.

Pan Am informed that the pickup time will be 1.15 a.m. (Sept 5). Her mother had to knock the door really hard to wake up Neerja. She had the usual cold bath. While she was getting ready, we talked. I asked her, how many friends had she invited to her birthday on Sept. 7. She replied, None because she would be returning only on Sunday morning. She wished the birthday party to be just a family affair.

I learnt of the Pan Am plane hijacking at Karachi, at a press conference. I felt uneasy. As I reached my own office, I had a telephone call from Mr. Irfan Khan of Hindustan Lever. He advised me to be with him, mainly because his office had better facilities to get the latest information from Karachi.

What happened at Karachi airport? As the terrorists rushed up the letter to capture the aircraft, Neerja dashed to inform the captain in the cockpit. A terrorist, however, caught her by her handy ponytail but she was able to shout the hijack code. Another flight attendant who got her code conveyed it to the cockpit.

Obviously, the cabin crew, including the two pursers, did not know the action the cockpit crew takes on hearing the hijack code. It is now known that the 3 member cockpit crew - pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer - slipped away, leaving the aircraft, 400 passengers and the 13 member cabin-crew at the mercy of an emotionally surcharged 4 member team of burly terrorists. Since Neerja was the cabin-crew leader, she took over the command, as soon as she found that the three seniors (cockpit crew) had deserted them.

Neerja's notes say that she had to follow up the hijacking warning with 6 steps. In the Karachi situation, she was required to communicate with the hijackers. Her smiles, even in deep distress, won a response. She looked after the passengers, within permissible limits. Her smiles were taken as an assurance by the passengers and crew members that the worst was over.

The power generator was running out of fuel and voltage was falling. Then something happened. Neerja was standing close to the leader of the terrorists. The light had become very dim. Suddenly, guns began vomiting fire within the aircraft. Neerja jumped to the emergency exit and threw it open.

According to Mrs. Malti Krishnaswamy and other eyewitnesses, Neerja was caught by the leader of the terrorists and shot point blank. In the dead body I saw bullets had hit her in the abdomen, on the shoulder near the neck and in the arm. When she opened the emergency exit, she could have herself been the first to slide down the chute. But she was the captain, who believed that she had to be the last person to quit - alive or dead.

The terrorists guns became silent only after spitting out the last bullet. The cabin crew got together on the tarmac and found the leader missing. Two crew members ran back to the aircraft to find a profusely bleeding Neerja at her post of duty. The shock of being hit by bullets did not stop her heart-beat. She had been bleeding, from at least two bullet wounds, for nearly 15 minutes. But she was in her full senses and told her 2 colleagues to take care of her bullet-hit arm. With a little assistance, she slid down the chute to be received at the other end by another member of the crew. She was helped to walk to the ambulance. But she became a martyr before any medical assistance could help her to survive.

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Follow us on pan am hijack survivor reveals how neerja bhanot was shot dead

New Delhi: Ever since Ram Madhvani's Neerja' starring Sonam Kapoor in the lead was announced, everyone was curious to know about the real Neerja Bhanot.

Neerja' has been the story of courage and fearless attitude of one brave-heart soul Neerja Bhanot who, at the age of 23, saved the lived of over 300 passengers on Pan Am Flight 73 that was hijacked in Karachi in September 1986.

While everyone is appreciating Sonam Kapoor's performance in the movie and are saluting the sacrifice of Neerja Bhanot, a survivor of the fateful incident has come forward recalling the dreadful incident.

I saw her getting shot. She was shot in the head, point blank. Sitting in the sixth row from the front, I saw her during her last moments, Dr Kishore Murthy, who was one of the survivors Pan Am hijack, told a leading daily.

Read More: Neerja Bhanot was not the 'hero' of Pan Am hijack, claim crew members

Neerja was absolutely calm and efficient through the horrific episode. She was the first one to alert the captain, the co-pilot and first officers about a possible hijack and it was on her instruction they made their way out from the cockpit, ensuring that the plane could not take off. She was a true global citizen and did not discriminate between Indians and Americans. I remember she and another flight attendant helped us out of the exit door when one of the terrorists was targeting us. There was constant firing of rounds. The auxiliary power unit had failed and the terrorists feared a commando attack. Hence, they started firing indiscriminately. She was very caring towards all the passengers, especially the elderly and children. I didn't see her lose her cool for even a moment. She was very efficient during the crisis, he recalled further.

Dr Murthy's wife Dr. Veena Bharti, who has worked closely with Neerja's family to document her life, has revealed some important details about Neerja's death.

She has dismissed the reports saying that Neerja died while protecting three children. She was guiding the passengers to the emergency exit. That is when the terrorists were firing constantly fearing a commando attack. They saw Neerja relentlessly trying to help the passengers out and that is when they caught her by her ponytail and shot her point blank, Dr. Veena was reportedly quoted saying.

Neerja's sacrifice didn't go unnoticed and the brave-heart soul became the youngest recipient of India's highest peacetime military award for bravery, the Ashok Chakra.

Latest Bollywood News
Follow us on govt has lost all sense of balance sonia on jnu row

New Delhi: A combative Sonia Gandhi on Monday accused the Modi government of having "lost all sense of balance" and undermining democratic norms over the JNU row, making it clear that Congress will take up the issue aggressively along with like-minded parties in the Budget session of Parliament beginning Tuesday

"The ruling establishment seems to have lost all sense of balance, and of proportion. It appears determined to undermine all democratic norms. It seems hell-bent to destroy the spirit of inquiry, the spirit of questioning, the spirit of debate and dissent

"First, it muzzled our voice in the Lok Sabha. Then it silenced civil society activists and organisations. Now is the turn of universities", Gandhi said while addressing a meeting of the Congress Working Committee.

In a statement, the CWC meeting, which was attended by party vice president Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, lamented that Constitutional values and democratic norms are under "systematic assault".

"What has happened in a leading institution of higher learning and indeed in similar institutions, and the violence and hooliganism that happened in a court in the nation's capital has shocked the Nation", it said.

"It is a planned attack on the freedom of expression and the freedom to differ. A totally manufactured debate on patriotism and nationalism is being generated through manipulated news-clips to cover up the Government's failures and its heavy-handedness in dealing with student protesters", the apex policy making body of the Congress said.

The Congress in cooperation with other like-minded parties will raise these and other issues when Parliament begins Tuesday, the CWC said

"Parliament's duty is to debate and legislate," it said.

Gandhi said that contrary to what the government has been saying, Congress wants to make it clear once and for all that it wants Parliament to function, to legislate.

"The problem is not with us, it is with the government which refuses to accept that the democratic right of the Opposition is to raise burning public issues for debate and discussion. It is the government's responsibility to ensure that Parliament functions," she said.

Latest India News
Follow us on i am being targeted because i am a dalit rama naga

New Delhi: JNUSU leader Rama Naga, who is one of the five students accused of sedition, today said he is being targeted not for indulging in any "anti-national" activity but because he is a Dalit.

"The issue of slogans on February 9 is merely a pretext.

It is not just 'Afzal ki baat' but 'Ambedkar ki baat' too that is leading to sedition charges. I am being targeted not because of indulging in any anti-national activity but for being a Dalit," the JNU Students Union General Secretary said.

"We know that yesterday in Gwalior JNU teacher Vivek Kumar was fired upon and copies of Constitution were burnt when he was delivering a talk on Ambedkar," he said.

Naga along with Umar Khalid, Anant Prakash, Ashutosh Kumar and Anirban Bhattacharya had last night returned to the JNU campus after being in hiding since February 12 following the arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges.

The student leader also said "the Vice Chancellor (of JNU) will take a call" on whether they will surrender to police.

A JNUSU statement meanwhile said: "We as JNUSU office bearers are committed to defend freedom of expression of students and will fight criminalisation of dissent.

"We are the ones fighting against 'bharat ki barbadi' at the hands of communal and corporate fascism.

Latest India News
Follow us on india second largest importer of arms in 2015 pakistan at no. 10

New Delhi: India was the second largest arms importer in the world in 2015, down from no. 1 position in the previous year,a military think tank database reveals.

Saudi Arabia has ebbed India to become the largest importer of arms in the world, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in its survey report.

The study also revealed that Pakistan has climbed down one spot from last year's 9th position to no. 10 this year.

India spent arms worth $3,078m in 2015. In comparison,Pakistan spent $735 million on arms imports in 2015.

The United States and Russia maintain their leading positions in exports of major weapons during the period of 2011-2015, the survey revealed.

The top five exporters accounted for 74 percent of all arms sales, with the U.S. and Russia supplying a total of 58 percent.

Indian arms Purchases

Indian arms imports accounted for 15% of the global total from 2010-2014, making it the largest buyer by a wide margin.From 2005 to 2009, this position was held by China, according to Globalist.

70% of India's arms purchases from 2010-2014 were from Russia, which has traditionally been India's top arms provider.

India's major arms imports from 2010 through 2014 were three times greater than arms imports to those two neighboring countries over the same period.

The Modi regime is also making a push for manufacturing high end weapons in the country under the 'Make in India' flagship Programme.

Pakistan's arms purchases

The largest exporter of arms to Pakistan in 2015 was China, with arms transfers worth $565 million, followed by the United States (US) with $66m in arms transfers.

Pakistan is also China's largest buyer for arms, accounting for 35 per cent of total arms sales in the country, followed by Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Latest India News
Follow us on pampore attack jamaat ud dawa praises let for 48 hour gunbattle

New Delhi: In yet another proof that shows Pakistan is safe haven for terrorists acting against India, militant group Jamaat-ud-Dawa has made a public statement praising Lashkar-e-Taiba for the 48-hour gunbattle in Kashmir's Pampore, which claimed the lives of 5 Indian security personnel.

In a series of tweets, group's social media cell head, Taha Muneeb, said, "We have always morally supported all Kashmiri mujahideen groups for their legitimate struggle."

"We don't support any single group but each and every Kashmiri freedom fighter, LeT not an exception," he added.

"Leave Kashmir and save your coward army from Kashmiri mujahideen Lashkar-e-Taiba," his further tweeted.

The 48-hour long gunfight between a group of heavily-armed guerrillas and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pampore town had started on Saturday when guerrillas attacked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bus at Sempora (Pampore) on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. The gunfight ended yesterday evening killing 6 people, including five security personnel.

The army said that guerrillas are believed to belong to Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant outfit, which was last year designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States.

The Hafiz Saeed-led group, a major irritant in the already strained relationship between India and Pakistan, supporting the Pampore attack can hit the India-Pakistan efforts to renew the diplomatic engagement, which has been stalled since last month's attack at an IAF base in Pathankot.

The United Nations Security Council had earlier imposed sanctions on both the JuD and Lashkar following the 26/11 attacks. But the groups continue to operate freely in Pakistan and support anti-India elements inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Latest India News
Follow us on jnu row delhi hc defers kanhaiya kumar bail plea till tomorrow

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today deferred the hearing of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar's bail plea by tomorrow and directed the Delhi Police to file a status report of the investigation in the case on the day.

As soon as the hearing commenced before Justice Pratibha Rani at 10.30 AM, the bench said, "Are you filing a status report? If you were aware, you should have done it."

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the police, told the bench that they were opposing the bail plea of Kanhaiya. Earlier BS Bassi had said that Delhi Police will not oppose the Kanhaiya's bail plea.

At this juncture, the bench said, "What about the status report. If you do not have the status report, I will not proceed. Ask your investigating officer to file the report."

ASG Mehta, however, told the bench that they will file the status report in a sealed cover as "this is a pre-charge sheet bail and the status report cannot be shown to the accused."

To this, the bench observed, "I do not need it in a sealed cover. You will have to file it. Issue notice. File the status report by tomorrow."

The bench, however, clarified that the status report will be limited to the extent of bail only.

As the matter commenced, senior standing counsel of Delhi government advocate Rahul Mehra opposed the appearance of ASGs Mehta and Sanjay Jain and lawyer Anil Soni, saying before appearing in the matter they should show notification in this regard.

"If they don't have the same (notification) they cannot stand on their legs before this court," Mehra told the bench.

Responding to this, ASG Jain said, "Once the ASGs are appearing in this matter, you have no business to interfere in this issue."

At this stage, the bench intervened and said, "Let's not fight over this issue. I will proceed only if status report is filed."

Advocate Mehra, however, said, "They have crossed the 'laxman rekha' and I will not allow this unless the court passes an order. I am appointed by the full court reference of this High Court."

Mehra also contended that the status report in this matter has to be filed by the Delhi Police Commissioner and he has to clarify his stand as he had earlier said that the police will not oppose Kanhaiya's bail plea.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Rebecca John and advocates Vrinda Grover and Sushil Bajaj were inside the court room representing Kanhaiya in the hearing which lasted for around 10 minutes.

The hearing of the bail plea witnessed unprecedented security arrangement in the high court premises in wake of the violence at the Patiala House Court on February 15 and 17 when unruly lawyers had assaulted Kanhaiya, litigants as well as journalists during the hearing in the case.

Kanhaiya had moved his bail plea in the high court following the direction of the Supreme Court which had refused to hear it on the ground that it will set a "dangerous precedent".

In his petition, Kanhaiya has contended that he was 'falsely implicated' in the case as he had not raised any anti-national slogan.

The JNUSU leader claimed that he was wrongly arrested on the basis of an FIR which was devoid of evidence to book him under such a serious charge.

Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 and remanded to judicial custody on February 17, amid violence at Patiala House courts.

In the plea, he has also claimed that no case is made out against him as there was no evidence as he had never raised any anti-national slogan during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru university (JNU) on February 9.

Kanhaiya, who is in judicial custody till March 2, had approached the apex court directly seeking bail on the ground that his life was under threat in Tihar Jail.

With PTI Inputs

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Follow us on jnu row tight security at delhi hc for kanhaiya kumar s bail plea hearing

New Delhi: Security was increased at the Delhi High Court today for a hearing on JNUSU student Kanhaiya Kumar's request for bail, charged with sedition, in which he has contended that he was 'falsely implicated' in the case as he had not raised any anti-national slogan.

The plea is listed for hearing before Justice Pratibha Rani at 10.30 am. In his bail plea, Kanhaiya has claimed that he was wrongly arrested on the basis of an FIR which was devoid of evidence to book him under such a serious charge.

His counsel has said that the petition is limited to bail for Kanhaiya who was arrested on February 12 and remanded to judicial custody on February 17, amid violence at Patiala House courts which was the scene of attacks on the student leader and journalists by a group of unruly lawyers.

In the plea, he has also claimed that no case is made out against him as there was no evidence as he had never raised any anti-national slogan during the event organised in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on February 9.

He had moved the High Court after the Supreme Court refused to hear his bail plea on the ground that it will set a "dangerous precedent" and asked him to approach the High Court.

Kanhaiya, who is in judicial custody till March 2, had approached the apex court directly seeking bail on the ground that his life was under threat in the Tihar Jail.

He was arrested on sedition charge following a controversial event at JNU campus where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.

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Follow us on masood azhar in custody says pak puts talk ball in india s court

New Delhi: Days after Pakistani authorities lodged an FIR in connection with the Pathankot IAF base terror attack, Pakistan's top diplomat Sartaj Aziz said that Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar, the mastermind of the strike, has been under 'protective custody' since January 14.

Azhar, along with a few other operatives of the JeM, has been kept under protective custody and that some of the terror outfit's premises have also been sealed, he said, adding that 'action will follow against Azhar and others the moment evidence becomes available'.

This is for the first time a top functionary of the Pakistan government has confirmed that Masood Azhar is in custody. Aziz, who is Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj, also said that 'it was for India to decide on dates for Foreign Secretary-level talks'.

His remark comes amid reports that officials from both the sides are in touch for rescheduling the crucial Foreign Secretary-level meeting which was postponed after January 2 attack. Pakistan, which wants an early dialogue with India, is hoping the confirmation would soothe nerves.

'Modi-Sharif may meet next month'

"The ball is in India's court," he said. "The answer to it lies entirely with India," he said, adding he hoped PM Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif will meet on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington next month.

On Pakistan's SIT officials visit to India, he said the visit may come in first few days of March to probe the attack and that his country was pursuing the investigation 'seriously'.

He said one of the mobile phone numbers linked to the attackers was traced to the terror group's headquarters in Pakistan's Bahawalpur and called the lodging of the FIR in connection with the Pathankot assault as a "logical and positive step" in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Aziz said the FIR filed four days back in the Pathankot attack case has created legal basis for a Special Investigation Team of Pakistan to visit India to collect evidence. He said India has agreed to the SIT visit.

Asked about Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's comment that the SIT will not be allowed to go inside the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, Aziz said access to crime scene always helps the investigators.

Pakistani authorities had lodged an FIR in connection with the Pathankot attack on February 18, without naming Masood Azhar. The FIR was filed against "unknown persons" after weeks of probe into the terror assault that had led to the postponement of Foreign Secretary-level talks. It was registered at Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) centre in Gujranwala, Punjab province.

'India, Pak can vacate Siachen'

Further stating that Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi share a 'good chemistry', the former's Foreign Affairs Advisor said that the two sides can withdraw forces from Siachen with a mutual understanding.

"PM Modi's willingness to enhance relations with Pakistan is seen. Modi-Sharif have actual affection for one another. PM Modi's Lahore stopover was extremely appreciated in Pakistan", he said.

"India and Pak can vacate Siachen on mutual understanding, we can revise the proposal. India-Pak NSAs are in common contact," he added.

Aziz's remark holds significance as it comes in the backdrop of avalanche in Siachen earlier this month which claimed the lives of 9 Indian jawans.

Latest India News
Follow us on jnu row accused umar khalid anirban surrender to delhi police

New Delhi: After a tense standoff between the police and the JNU administration, two accused students in a case of sedition - Umar Khalid and Anriban - have surrendered to the Delhi Police and have been taken to an undisclosed location.

Both students, suspected to be the main protagonists of the February 9 event where anti-India slogans werre allegedly raised, were escorted out of the campus by a private security agency of the JNU in a vehicle. The police said that the two have been taken in for questioning by the police and were not arrested. Their location, however, has not been disclosed by the police.

The Delhi High Court had earlier on Tuesday asked the two Jawaharlal Nehru University students charged with sedition over anti-India slogans to surrender before the police and follow due process of law, while agreeing to hear a plea to surrender at a place of their choice.

The two students  Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya  moved the High Court today expressing their willingness to surrender but sought the court's directions over police protection for them to avoid any untoward incident. The two students cited the recent manhandling of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, facing similar charges, while he was being produced in court.

Making it clear to the JNU students that it cannot allow them to surrender in the manner they wished as it would amount to going by their "whims and fancies", the judge expressed her disagreement with the plea of the students to allow them a safe passage, saying due procedure must be followed.

"There are procedures under the statute which have to be followed," Justice Pratibha Rani said while expressing her disagreement with the plea of JNU students  Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya  that they be given a safe passage and be allowed to choose the place of their surrender.

The judge said, "One should not exceed the scope of any petition and the prayer made in it" which included that the accused on surrender be sent to judicial custody by the high court itself instead of producing them before a trial court.

"The remand proceedings have to be done by a trial court and it (high court) cannot go by their (the two petitioners') whims and fancies.

"The moment the accused are arrested, he or she has to be produced within 24 hours before a trial court judge, who will decide the remand of the accused persons," the judge said.

When advocate Kamini Jaiswal, appearing for the students, argued for the need of safe passage to surrender, Justice Rani shot back "What do you mean, I should give you safe passage? Why this court (not trial court)? Let us go by the procedure."

The court, while hearing their plea, has asked the two students to submit before it in written the time and place they want to surrender. The matter has now been posted for hearing for tomorrow, when the court will hear the plea of Kanhaiya Kumar.

However, the judge called the students' lawyer and a senior official of the Delhi police to a chamber instead of the courtroom and asked them their plan for the surrender. The safe place suggested by the students' lawyer, however, was objected to by the police official present there. While the court did not reveal the place of surrender offered by the students, sources said the students wanted to surrender in JNU while the police wanted the students to surrender at a court or police station.

Umar Khalid, and four other students (all charged with sedition), surfaced at the JNU campus late night on Sunday after being absconding since the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of sedition. It is alleged that the six students organised an event where anti-India slogans were purportedly raised. The event, held on February 9 in the university campus, commemorated the death of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

There has been a standoff between the JNU administration and the Delhi police over the arrest of the five students. While Delhi top cop B S Bassi has asked the students, also facing lookout notices by the police to surrender and join the probe, the university administration is not willing to allow the police inside the university campus.

Meanwhile, the hearing on the bail plea of Kanhaiya Kumar will also be taken up tomorrow, along with the plea by Umar and Anirban over their surrender.

The move comes on a day when thousands of university students from across the country converged at the capital's Jantar Mantar demanding justice for Rohith Vemula, a Dalit scholar from Hyderabad who committed suicide in the university hostel.

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Follow us on iranian fatwa against salman rushdie renewed new bounty stands at 4 million

Tehran: Iran's 27-year-long fatwa against author Salman Rushdie has been renewed with state-run media outlets adding $600,000 to a bounty for the killing of the British author over the publishing of his book "The Satanic Verses".

The Fatwa,which was issued by late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, was renewed after 40 state-run media outlets pooled together to increase the bounty offered for Rushdie's killing, the Guardian website reported.

The Ayatollah called for the death of the book's author along with anyone "involved in its publication".

Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator of The Satanic Verses, was stabbed to death outside his office at Tsukuba University, the Italian translator Ettore Capriolo survived being stabbed at his apartment in Milan, and the novel's Norwegian publisher was shot three times in the back and left for dead outside his home in Oslo.

The new money has brought the total bounty to nearly $4 million.

Fars News Agency, which is closely affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was among the largest contributors, donating one billion Rials - nearly $30,000.

Iranian hardliners say Khomeini's decree is irrevocable and eternal after his death. A wealthy Iranian religious organisation offered $2.7 million reward to anyone carrying out the fatwa and in 2012 it increased the amount to $3.3 million.

By now, millions of dollars have been allocated to reward Rushdie's killer.

The fatwa, which caused Rushdie to go into hiding and hire full-time bodyguards, caused an international outcry. Britain, Rushdie's country of residence, severed diplomatic relations with Iran for close to a decade.

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Follow us on this is no time to divide the west david cameron on brexit risks

London: A vote to leave the European Union would be "a great leap into the unknown" at a perilous time for Britain and the West, Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday, as uncertainty over the U.K.'s future in the bloc sent the pound plunging on currency markets.

As the political battle for Britain's future entered high gear ahead of a June 23 referendum, Cameron told lawmakers that membership in the 28-nation EU boosted the country's economy and security.

He told the House of Commons that in the face of threats including Russia's muscle-flexing President Vladimir Putin and Islamic State group attackers in the Middle East, "this is no time to divide the West."

"Leaving the EU may briefly make us feel more sovereign," he said, but argued the U.K. would be "stronger, safer and better off" within the EU.

Cameron said a deal he struck Friday with 27 other EU leaders gives Britain "special status," exempting the U.K. from ever-closer political bonds within the bloc and protecting the rights of the pound against the euro currency used by 19 EU countries.

But Cameron's Conservative Party is deeply split on the issue, with as many as half its 330 legislators  and at least six of the 23 Cabinet ministers  in favor of leaving the EU.

In a sign of the uncertainty stirred up by the EU vote, the pound dropped to a seven-year low of $1.4058 before rebounding slightly, and also sagged 0.5 percent against the euro. Bookmakers shortened the odds on a vote to leave  though betting markets still favor a "remain" victory.

UBS Wealth Management said Monday it put the probability of a British EU exit  known as "Brexit"  at 30 percent.

Simon Smith, chief economist at FxPro, said the next four months "won't be a fun time" for the pound, which has weakened in recent months.

"It's more the uncertainty that will weigh on the currency, rather than investors taking a view on the outcome and the implications for the economy, which are hard to argue either way," he said.

Many big businesses have warned that leaving the EU  with its open internal market of 500 million people  would hammer the British economy. But London Mayor Boris Johnson, a high-profile supporter of an "out" vote, said fears of economic catastrophe were "wildly exaggerated."

He likened the predictions to those who had issued apocalyptic warnings that if Britain did not join the euro single currency, the City of London financial district would suffer and "great mutant rats would gnaw the faces of the last bankers."

However, Johnson suggested his goal is to vote to leave, then reopen negotiations on better terms for remaining in the EU.

"All EU history shows that they only really listen to a population when it says 'no,'" he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

Cameron scoffed at the notion.

Comparing the relationship with Europe to a marriage, he said: "I don't know any (couples) who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows."

Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said Sunday that the EU's "open border," and the inflow of millions of migrants from the Middle East and Africa, made it more likely terrorists could slip into the U.K.  though Britain is not part of the EU's borderless Schengen zone.

But Rob Wainwright, director of the European police cooperation agency Europol, said that leaving the EU and the police cooperation capabilities it offers "would make the U.K.'s job harder, I think, to protect the citizens from terrorism and organized crime."

Other European leaders have sometimes expressed annoyance at Britain's demands, but want the U.K., with its economic and diplomatic clout, to remain in the bloc.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Monday that he hoped "good sense will prevail" in the British referendum.

A "leave" vote would take Britain out of the European Union after more than 40 years, and could lead to a break-up of the United Kingdom. Polls suggest Scottish voters, who rejected independence in a 2014 referendum, are more firmly pro-European than their English neighbors.

"If we are forced out of the EU I am certain the public in Scotland will demand a (new) referendum on Scottish independence," Scottish National Party lawmaker Angus Robertson said.

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Follow us on us russia announce new syria ceasefire plan from february 27

Damascus/ United Nations: The United States and Russia have announced the plan for a cessation of hostilities in Syria that will begin on February 27, even as major questions over enforcing and responding to violations of the truce were left unresolved.

In a joint statement, the two countries said the ceasefire agreement will not apply to 'Daesh', also known as the Islamic State (ISIS), 'Jabhat al-Nusra', or other terrorist organisations designated by the UN Security Council.

Any party engaged in conflicts in Syria will indicate to Russia or the US their commitment to and acceptance of the terms for the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12.00 (Damascus time) on February 27, said the joint statement.

"I am gratified to see the final arrangements concluded today for a cessation of hostilities in Syria and call on all parties to accept and fully comply with its terms," US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

If implemented and adhered to, Kerry said, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people.

Russia-US military action to continue against ISIS

Russia and the US are prepared to work together to exchange information and develop procedures necessary for preventing parties participating in the ceasefire from being attacked by Russia, the US-led anti-ISIS coalition, and the Syrian government, said the joint statement.

Russian and the US military actions, including airstrikes, will continue against ISIS, "Jabhat al-Nusra," and other terrorist organisations.

Moscow and Washington will also establish a communication hotline and, if necessary and appropriate, a working group to exchange relevant information after the cessation of hostilities has gone into effect.

"This is a moment of promise, but the fulfilment of that promise depends on actions," Kerry said. "We are all aware of the significant challenges ahead."

UN hails US-Russian accord

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed an agreement announced by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the terms of a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria scheduled to come into effect on February 27.

"The secretary-general strongly urges the parties to abide by the terms of the agreement," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

Earlier on Monday, Kerry and Lavrov reached a provisional agreement on terms of a cessation of hostilities in Syria, where more than 250,000 people have been killed since March 2011.

The two Foreign Ministers are the co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) Ceasefire Taskforce formed in Munich, Germany.

"Much work now lies ahead to ensure its implementation, and the international community, the ISSG and the Syrian parties must remain steadfast in their resolve," the statement said.

With Agency Inputs

Latest World News
Follow us on us slams china for comparing south china sea with hawaii

Washington: The United States has dismissed a contention by China that sought to draw parallels with the country's installations in the disputed South China Sea with the US deploying defence facilities in Hawaii.

There is no other country that has a claim on Hawaii. But yet when you consider the land features in the South China Sea, there are a variety of overlapping territorial claims that a variety of countries have made on those features, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Monday.

Earnest's remarks came in response to Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying who on Monday said China was doing in the South China Sea what the US does in Hawaii.

China deploying necessary national defence facilities on its own territory is no different from the US deploying defence facilities on Hawaii, Hua said.

Recognising that Chinese government may have disagreements about the claims made by other countries, Earnest said that is precisely the reason why US believes all the parties should resolve their differences on this matter in a way that does not provoke a military confrontation.

That is why we have urged all parties who are claimants to these features - the US is not among them, we've encouraged all of the countries that do have claims to resolve them in a peaceful, legal manner and to avoid confrontation and to seek to avoid escalating the tensions in that area of the world, Earnest said.

Noting that America hoped that tensions in that part of the world would be reduced, Earnest said they can be reduced if all of the claimants to the land features in the South China Sea make the same kind of commitment that was seen from the leaders of ASEAN in California just last week.

In the context of the summit, the leaders of ASEAN committed to not building up a military presence on those features that are the subject of competing claims, he said.

That is a responsible way to resolve differences of opinion over those features, and we certainly would urge the Chinese and every other country that has a competing claim here to abide by that standard, Earnest said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Follow us on will our mps listen to president and allow parliament to function

New Delhi: The Budget Session of Parliament has been set in motion with the President Pranab Mukherjee addressing the join sitting of the two houses Tuesday.

Budget session, in one sense, is the most important session of Parliament as the government presents its economic and financial vision and spriorities on the floor of the two houses. The government has to seek parliament's approval for all its expenses and that's one reason why the lower house, where the government of the day enjoys majority, has been given authority to override the objections of upper house as far as money bills are concerned.

The government of the day usually does not face any challenge in getting money bills in Lok Sabha owing to its majority and Modi government has brute majority in the lower house but it's equally important for members of the both the houses to discuss and debate the initiatives taken by the government. The opposition in the Rajya Sabha can't stop the passage of money bills but it can definitely add value by putting forward its valuable suggestions.

All this is possible only if the parliament functions smoothly without any disruption. This is easier said than done given the fact that the last two sessions, Winter Session and before that the Monsoon Session, were reduced to complete washouts.

That's why President Pranab Mukherjee while addressing the joint sitting of the two houses today reminded the political leaders that Parliament is a place for debate and discussions and not for disruption or obstruction. The statement of the President underlined his apprehensions of the opposition parties repeating their obstructionist approach this time as well.

Read Also: President Pranab Mukherjee calls for discussion, not disruption of Parliament

The question is  will the opposition parties pay heed to the sane advice rendered by the President of India?

Do our MPs and their leaders need to be reminded time and again that they have been elected to discuss and debate' and not to disrupt or obstruct' as the President rightly pointed out?

This is not to say that the ruling party has no role in ensuring smooth functioning of the parliament. In fact, the onus actually lies more on the ruling party to ensure that they take into account the genuine concerns of the opposition and try their best to resolve the differences.

To be fair to this government, they displayed their willingness to discuss issues in the parliament in last two sessions. Even this time, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has clearly said that the government is ready to discuss every issue including the contentious JNU row.

However, the signs emanating from opposition parties do not inspire confidence. After the customary all-party meet before budget session, the opposition has accused the government of setting the agenda for disruption. And it gives enough hints for things that are likely to follow in this session.

The opposition looks all set to fiercely raise issues like sedition case involving JNU students, Rohit Vemulla's suicide, Jat reservation etc and they have every right to do so but let them do it in a way that is in line with the spirit of our democratic set-up.

The problem arises when political parties and their leaders willingly allow themselves to become prisoners of history. The Congress is not ready to allow passage of GST bill because the BJP, when in opposition, had not cooperated with them on this bill. That they don't see anything wrong in disrupting the Parliament because the BJP had also done the same thing when it was in opposition.

How can we ignore that this tu-tu-main-mainbetween Congress-led opposition and BJP is doing a great disservice to the development of the country. Should our political leadership, both ffrom ruling party and opposition, not display statesmanship and forget the acrimonies of the past? Should they not join hands to resolve serious issues bothering different sections of the society- from students and labourers to farmers and businessmen?

Members of Parliament must be reminded that huge amount of money is spent on the functioning of the two houses. Under no circumstance, tax-payer's money should be wasted by continuously disrupting the parliament.

The opposition has every right to question the government, censure the government if they have committed any mistake, make them answerable if they are not fulfilling their electoral promises but all this can be done only through civilised debate and discussion. Disruption is never an advisable option in parliamentary democracy.

Interestingly, political leaders don't mind discussing issues, including those which are most contentious, on TV channels but they refuse to discuss the same on the floor of the parliament. Is it not an insult to the mandate of the country and expectations of the common man? Let our MPs think over it- calmly and sincerely.
Follow us on government will take a call at right time on ratan tata s complaint of lobbying mahesh sharma

Delhi: A day after industrialist Ratan Tata accused older airlines of lobbying to retain the rule allowing overseas flights by Indian carriers, Union minister Mahesh Sharma on Monday said the government would take a call on such issues at the right time.

The minister of state for civil aviation also said he welcomed the suggestions made by Tata.

"We salute him (Ratan Tata). As an Indian citizen, he has given a suggestion. We welcome his suggestion. We will try to take a call on his suggestion," Sharma told reporters here.

"We as a government are here to address and take call on such issues which come from various stakeholders and well wishers. The government will take a call at the right time," the minister said.

Tata Group chairman emeritus had said that established carriers were using "monopolistic pressures" to retain "preferential treatment" under the 5/20 rule that allows an Indian carrier to fly abroad only after it operates domestically for five years and has a 20-aircraft fleet.

The government is in advanced stages of finalising the new civil aviation policy, including taking a call on the 5/20 norm.

While a final decision is yet to be taken, one of the proposal in the draft aviation policy is to scrap the 5/20 rule.

AirAsia India and Vistara - two airlines operated by the Tatas through joint ventures - are presently ineligible to operate overseas under the 5/20 norm, which requires an Indian carrier to have minimum five years operational experience and at least 20 planes to operate international flights.

While several older airlines including SpiceJet, Jet Airways, IndiGo and GoAir are vehemently opposing any move to scrap the 5/20 norm, Tata had applauded the civil aviation ministry's proposal to remove the "controversial" rule.

"The lobbying for discriminating policies between old and new airlines is reminiscent of protectionist and monopolistic pressures by vested interests' entities who seem to fear competition, as in a variety of other sectors over the years," Tata had said in a message posted on his Twitter on Sunday.

"One hopes when the new policy is introduced it will be free of discrimination and protectionism, so that Indian aviation can grow for the benefit of consumer and the common man not to serve the interests of select beneficiaries of protectionism," he had said.
Follow us on govt committed to forging mutually respectable ties with pak pranab mukherjee

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee today said the government is committed to forging a "mutually respectful relationship" with Pakistan while asserting that "firm and effective" steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism.

In his customary address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament outlining the government's agenda in the coming financial year, he said the government is fully committed to firmly dealing with all challenges concerning the security of the country.

"Terrorism is a global threat and strong counter measures are necessary worldwide to eradicate it completely," Mukherjee said, congratulating the security forces for successfully foiling the recent terror attack at the Pathankot air base.

He said, "Firm and effective steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism."

Turning to Pakistan, the President said the government is committed to forging a "mutually respectful relationship" with Pakistan and in creating an environment of cooperation in combating cross-border terrorism.

"My government believes in a secure and prosperous future for our neighbourhood", he said, adding that "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: The world is one family" is the principle to which the government is committed.

"Its expression is most resonant in the steps we have taken in reaching out to our neighbours," he said at the outset.
Follow us on haryana s health minister anil vij upset over agitation by jats

Chandigarh: Haryana's Health Minister Anil Vij today got upset over some issue when he, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and some of their cabinet colleagues were having an informal discussion on the situation in the state in the wake of the ongoing Jat agitation.

The Chief Minister had summoned a cabinet meeting here in the afternoon to take stock of the situation. After the meeting was over, the group sat down for an informal discussion, sources said.

During the discussion, Vij reportedly got upset over some issue and even offered to resign but was calmed down by Khattar, who later called him to his residence to pacify him.

After the meeting with the Chief Minister at his house, Vij left for his Ambala residence.

Asked about the issue when he reached Ambala Cantt, Vij, who clearly looked off mood and upset, merely said, "I met Chief Minister, there is nothing more to say."

Before leaving for Chandigarh from Ambala earlier in the day, Vij had in a tweet said "today, I will meet the Chief Minister and talk to him about those who have suffered heavy loss due to the Jat agitation and will also seek action against the culprits (behind the violence and arson)".

Sources said Vij made a mention of the issue in the informal discussion with Khattar and cabinet colleagues.
Follow us on jat stir hooda s role under scanner as his aide s tape inciting violence sparks row

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing Jat agitation, a 90-second audio clip of a purported conversation between a close aide of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and a Khap leader, allegedly to incite violence, has gone viral on the Internet, prompting the BJP government to say it will order an inquiry.

Prof Virender, advisor to former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of Congress, accepted that the voice in the clip is his but alleged the conversation has been "doctored".

Leader of Opposition in Haryana Assembly, Abhay Singh Chautala said the clip makes it clear how "attempt" is being made to "instigate" the protesters "sitting peacefully".

Chautala further blamed Congress leader and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for fuelling violence.

Hooda and his family's, including his son and Congress MLA from Rohtak, Deepender Hooda, timely exit before the jat protest turned violent has raised eyebrows.

Even as his hometown Rohtak was burning Hooda chose to leave for New Delhi to go on a hunger strike to appeal for peace and harmony. No attempts were made to douse the fires at home.

The maximum carnage was witnessed in Rohtak and Jhajjar areas, former Haryana chief minister BS Hooda's political strongholds.

The mob went on a rampage all along a 7-km stretch from the IG Police's office to Quila Road. Curiously, Hooda's house and properties were untouched while neighboring houses were torched, according to online news portal Firstpost.

The BJP's state Finance Minster, Capt. Abhimanyu's house was completely looted and burnt while his family, who were home when the mob attacked, had to flee to safety. The same treatment was meted out to BJP MLA, Manish Grover.

While senior INLD leader Chautala sought an inquiry and punishment to those found guilty of instigating the protesters, he also said, "One thing becomes clear that the government is illegally tapping everyone's phones."

When contacted, Virender told PTI, "I don't know if my phone was being tapped. But someone has uploaded the clip with malafide intention."

He said he was talking to Khap leader Capt Man Singh over phone. "Nowhere have I talked about instigating Jats or anyone. Moreover, the conversation is an old one, much before the current unrest started," he said.

"I am, in fact, telling Capt that peace should not be disturbed. Where have I talked about instigating anyone? The clip has been doctored," he claimed.

Health Minister Anil Vij said when despite government's attempts the stir intensified it was suspected some forces wanted it to flare up.

"We suspected there was some director behind the scene who who was trying to inflict damage on the state to reap political benefits. Our government will order an inquiry into the clip which has gone viral. Anyone who is found guilty of inflamming passions won't be spared," Vij told reporters.

Haryana's Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said there is something "fishy" in the clip.

"Government will investigate the matter, whatever steps need to be taken as per law, we'll take," Sharma said.

"Things have started to come out before the public now. We are appealing to the people of Haryana they must cooperate in restoring peace, order and harmony," Sharma said.

Haryana Janhit Congress chief Kuldeep Bishnoi said that "in the garb of reservation, some political leaders in the state were playing dirty caste politics".
Follow us on army takes control of munak canal water supply in delhi to resume soon

New Delhi: Normal supply of water to Delhi from Haryana, which had been disrupted due to the Jat stir, is likely to be restored today as security forces have taken control of the Munak Canal after evicting Jat protesters.

Two columns of the Army, CRPF and Haryana Police personnel took over control of the canal at around 4 AM, official sources said, adding that all protesters who were squatting at the site were evicted.

Good news. Army takes control of Munak canal gates. Trying to assess in how much time water would reach Delhi and whether any damage done to canal lining, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted this morning.

Haryana's Irrigation Department officials are at the spot and were engaged in carrying out repairs at the spot. Normal water supply should be restored during the day, the sources said.

Earlier this morning, Arvind Kejriwal urged the Central government to get the Munak canal started in Haryana, saying the national capital had 'completely run out of water'. "We've completely run out of water. I appeal to the Centre with folded hands to immediately intervene and get Munak canal started in Haryana," Kejriwal said in a tweet.

With the national capital facing a severe water crisis as the Jat stir in Haryana shows no signs of subsiding, the city government has ordered all government, private schools and government offices to be closed today.

The Munak canal in Haryana, which supplies water to many parts of Delhi, was shut down after it was vandalised by a section of Jats demanding quota in government jobs and educational institutions.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia this morning said that there was no water supply to his residence. "So! dry day starts from today (Monday)? No water supply at my home this morning. No hope to get water in Munak canal. Tough days ahead for Delhi," he said in a tweet.

The government has termed the water crisis in the national capital 'unprecedented' and warned that the situation might worsen in the next few days if the supply from Haryana was not immediately restored.

It has also deferred all examination and admission process due to the ongoing water crisis. "The ongoing examinations and admission process will be postponed. The situation will be assessed and further decisions will be taken afterwards," Sisodia said.

Yesterday, the Chief Minister had chaired a high-level emergency meeting to discuss the crisis. He said that barring Rashtrapati Bhavan, offices and residences of the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, defence installations, hospitals and fire brigade, water will be rationed equally among others. He said his residence and office will also come under water rationing.

"Barring President, PM, CJI, defence installations, hospitals, fire brigades- water to be equally rationed amongst all. Please save water," Kejriwal had said.

The Delhi government had on Saturday late night moved the Supreme Court, seeking a direction to the Centre to intervene and ensure water supply from Munak canal.

Delhi has nine water treatment plants which together produce 820 million gallons per day (MGD) of potable water. Of these, only two - Sonia Vihar and Bhagirathi - fed by water from Uttar Pradesh are operational. The current production is only 240 MGD. Delhi gets its bulk of water supply from Haryana.
Follow us on budget session of parliament set to start on a stormy note

New Delhi: The Budget Session of Parliament that begins today is set for a stormy start as the opposition Congress said that it would not shy away from raising the JNU issue along with Rohith Vemula's suicide, the Jat agitations and the Pathankot attack in the House.

The Lok Sabha Speaker on Monday called an all-party meeting to seek a path forward to ensure that the coming session does not fall prey to protests holding legislative business to ransom.

"The government is committed to uphold the Constitution in letter and spirit and firmly believes in peace, unity and integration of the nation as the key operational principles for delivering on the development promised to the people," Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said after the all-party meeting.

On the other hand, Congress has also made it clear that it would not fall short of attacking the government on issues that it feels need debate. The fate of the Goods and Services Tax Bill, which has been stuck for parliamentary approval for a long time, remains unclear as the opposition parties are pressing the government to debate the JNU issue before legislative business begins in Parliament.

The Congress Working Committee met on Monday and indications are that this session is going to be no different from the others. Congress president Sonia Gandhi said that democratic and liberal values were under severe assault under the present government.

Contrary to what the government has been saying, let me once and for all make it absolutely clearwe want Parliament to function, to legislate. The problem is not with us, it is with the government which refuses to accept that the democratic right of the Opposition is to raise burning public issues for debate and discussion. It is the government's responsibility to ensure that Parliament functions, she said.

A statement issued by the party later faulted the government for having started a totally manufactured debate on patriotism and nationalism through manipulated news-clips to cover up for its failures.

The Congress party will, in cooperation with other like-minded parties, raise these and other issues when Parliament begins, a statement issued by the Congress on the CWC meeting said.

While the Centre has said it will counter all such allegations, it has already agreed to the opposition's demand for a debate on the issue, saying it is in favour of bringing the truth on the matter in front of the country and also clear the way forward. However, the Congress appears to be in no mood to relent.

"The Congress will play its role of a constructive opposition, but the responsibility of running the parliament depends on the government. It is the government's mentality that is responsible for disruptions, the Congress statement reads.

Meanwhile, regional parties like the Akali Dal, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Janata Dal (United) have urged the Congress to let the houses function. The last several parliament sessions have been completely washed out by protests by opposition parties.
Follow us on president calls for discussion not disruption of parliament

New Delhi: The Budget Session of Parliament commenced with the address of President Pranab Mukherjee today. During the session, the Rail Budget will be presented on 25th and General Budget on 29th of this month. The first phase of the Session will come to an end on 16th of next month. The second phase will start from 25th April and conclude on 13th May.

While addressing the parliamentarians, he said that removing poverty and destitution from India was the sacred responsibility' of the Indian government.

"Removing poverty and destitution is our most sacred responsibility. My government has launched three new social security and pension schemes and focused on the welfare of poors, farmers and jobs for the youth," said Mukherjee.

He said that the development philosophy of the government was for the welfare of the farmers, who were a vital part for the nation's prosperity'.

"My government is placed in making this goal possible through financial inclusion and social security," he added.

Highlights of President's speech:

* Let us embrace those ideals as we stake our claim on the future

* In the words of Netaji, Nationalism is inspired by the highest ideals of the human race, Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram: President

* It is time to repay that debt, by building the country that freedom fighters envisioned: President

* We owe a great debt to our freedom fighters: President

* Let us all collectively endeavour to build a flourishing and prosperous India: President

* I urge all MPs to discharge their solemn responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation: President

* Let noble thoughts come from all directions should be the spirit behind debate in this temple of democracy: President

* Our Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people: President

* It reinforced our cultural, commercial and strategic connect with our immediate and extended maritime neighbourhood: President

* India's second International Fleet Review attended by 50 foreign navies: President

* My Government has fulfilled its commitment to implement four decades old demand of One Rank One Pension: President

* Acknowledgement must not hinge on ceremony or noble gestures of gratitude alone: President

* Government will constantly strive for smooth & constructive conduct of Parliamentary business: President Pranab Mukherjee

* Parliament reflects the supreme will of people. Democratic temper calls for debate & discussion & not disruption or obstruction: President

* Sabka Vikas means that backward sections of society are equally valued and are genuine stakeholders in the country's progress: President

* We must ensure that the poor and deprived are truly empowered to take advantage of opportunities to improve their lives: President Mukherjee

* My Government is focused on Sabka Vikas, beyond just the economic advancements that dominate headlines: President Pranab Mukherjee

* Government played a proactive role in addressing climate change by launching International Solar Alliance: President Pranab Mukherjee

* Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: the world is one family. My Government is committed to this principle: President

* We reached out to the world, both on land and sea: President Pranab Mukherjee

* Working to ensure that our Armed Forces will be equipped with the most capable and sophisticated armaments in the world: President

* Govt launched Gold Monetization Scheme & Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme in Nov 2015 to ensure productive utilization of idle assets: President

* Government's concerted efforts to tackle menace of black money have started yielding results: President

* Inflation, fiscal deficit & current account deficit have decreased. India recorded highest ever foreign exchange reserves in 2015: President

* GDP growth has increased making India the world's fastest growing economy among large economies: President

* Varanasi and Jaipur have been declared as the first two Indian cities to be part of the UNESCO Creative Cities network: President

* Building upon the success over the past year, my Government's endeavour is to scale new heights in Space: President

* The country recorded the highest ever software exports during 2015: President

* Twenty nine Electronic Manufacturing Clusters are under development: President

* Setting up world-class infrastructure for Electronics manufacturing across the country remains a priority for my Government: President

* Domestic Air Passenger traffic has registered a substantial growth during the year: President

* My Government is also working on a new Civil Aviation Policy with thrust on connectivity to small cities: President

* My Government has revived a majority of the 73 stalled road projects, completed construction of 7,200 km of highways: President

* By March 2019, under PMGSY, one lakh seventy eight thousand rural habitations will be connected with all weather roads: President

* Highest ever increase in rail capital expenditure was achieved in 2015: President

* My Government has initiated several ambitious measures for improving sanitation standards at Railway Stations & Trains: President

* The National Scholarship Portal provides a one-stop platform for applications for all scholarships: President

* National Institutional Ranking Framework has been launched for higher educational institutions: President

* My government has given impetus to research through the launch of IMPRINT India: President

* My Government aims to create a Shikshit Swasth Swachh Bharat, an educated, healthy and clean India #PresidentMukherjee

* My Government has launched Start-Up India campaign which would deepen, expand & support innovation eco system in country: President

* Udyog Aadhar Portal has been set up to facilitate online registration of MSMEs: President

* Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises provide large-scale employment: President

* Youth are future of country & ensuring Yuvaon ko Rojgaar through massive employment generation is a top goal for my government: President

* Make In India a success. Make in India initiative has achieved 39 per cent increase in FDI inflow despite adverse global investment climate: President

* Govt introduced dynamic & comprehensive reforms in Coal sector & conducted transparent auction/ allocation of over 70 coal blocks: President

* In the year 2015 India witnessed the highest ever generation of electricity: President

* Today under my Government, solar power is affordable and accessible to thousands of people: President

* Government has envisaged increasing the renewable energy capacity manifold to 175 GW by 2022: President

* Government has been unsparing in punishing those who are found guilty of corruption: President

* My Government has taken measures to eliminate the scope for corruption: President

* As part of the Namami Gange Programme, my government is implementing several projects in all 118 cities and complete sanitation solutions for 1,649 gram panchayats, on the banks of the holy Ganga: President

* Assistance to farmers afflicted by natural calamity has been increased by 50% and eligibility norms have been relaxed: President

* Government has launched farmer-friendly Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, with lowest-ever premium rates for farmers: President

* My Government firmly believes economic development and environmental protection can co-exist: President

* During last year, 342 camps were conducted, aids & assistive devices distributed to over 1.7 lakh persons with disabilities: President

* My Government has launched the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan: President

* Strong focus on holistic healthcare, strengthening Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Sowa-Rigpa & Homoeopathy : President

* Happy to inform we have successfully eliminated Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus well before global targeted timeline of December 2015: President

* My government's mission of skilling India has gained momentum: President

* Rural development is one of our top priorities: President

* Highest urea production was achieved in 2015. Government realises role of animal husbandry, dairy & fisheries sectors: President

* Government protecting Ambedkar legacy: President

* Inclusive development drives government: President

* Government is committed to the philosophy of 'per drop, more crop' : President

* Well being of farmers is vital to the nation's prosperity: President Pranab Mukherjee

* My government is committed to provide 'Housing for All': President

* MGNREGA sscheme has been revamped to ensure efficient disbursements of wages and creation of productive assets: President

* My government has launched 3 new social security and pension schemes: President

* My government in particular is focussed on 'Garibon Ki Unnati', 'Kisano Ki Samridhi' and 'Yuvaon Ka Rozgar': President

* Development philosophy is captured in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas': President

* My government is placed in making this goal possible through financial inclusion and social security: President

* My government in particular is focused on the welfare of poor, farmers and jobs for the youth: President

* President starts addressing joint session of Parliament

* President reaches Parliament

* President Pranab Mukherjee leaves for Parliament

* I wish that the Parliament session will be fruitful and there is constructive criticism as well: PM Modi

* I am hopeful of a constructive Budget Session, says PM Narendra Modi

* PM Narendra Modi reaches Parliament for budget session.

* The government was not going to shutdown the Jawaharlal Nehru University. There are misconceptions that the university was going to be closed. These are all propaganda: Naidu

* The government was also ready to discuss the JNU row, Hyderabad issue or reservation, and it was not hesitating to discuss any issue if allowed by the chair

* Whether it is the rail budget, the general budget or the vote of thanks on the presidential address, the government is ready to discuss all issues after the budget gets passed in the Parliament: Naidu

* Government ready to discuss all issues the Congress wanted to be discussed in the Budget session of Parliament: Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu

The government has prioritised 32 items for the session including 11 Bills pending in the Rajya Sabha and one in the Lok Sabha besides transacting financial business related to budget.

The Bills which will come up for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha include GST, Real Estate, Anti-Hijacking, National Waterways and Whistle Blowers Protection. In the Lok Sabha, the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Amendment Bill is among others which will be taken up for discussion and passage.
Follow us on opposition debunks pm s contention of conspiracy to destabilise government

New Delhi: Opposition today debunked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's contention that a conspiracy to destabilise the government and "defame" him was being launched and said it was a counter offensive to ward off the imminent attack on NDA in the budget session.

"This was a counter offensive so that we do not go on the offensive. It is not that we are on the defensive. We submit to the Prime Minister that please rein in your party leaders," Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters.

He said that there has not been a single instance of any action being taken against anyone of the ruling party, who had made controversial remarks.

"The government and the ruling party should own up," he said frowning upon the debate started about nationalism after the JNU row.

Accusing the Prime Minister of failing to take any action against such people, he cited an instance of Rajiv Gandhi sacking a party general secretary in 1988-89 when he had made a remark on the Ayodhya issue, which was at variance with the party line.

"BJP leaders shoot off their mouth but no action is taken against them," Azad said.

CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury accused the government of bringing an "atmosphere of anarchy" in the country, in an apparent reference to the way the BJP and its allied government handled the Jat reservation in Haryana, the Patel quota row in Gujarat and Kapus' agitation in Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a farmer's rally in Bargarh in Odisha, Modi had yesterday said that disgruntled NGOs and black-marketeers were conspiring to destabilise his government and "defame" him and asserted that he will not bow to any machinations. He said some people were not able to digest the fact that a "chai wala" (tea seller) has become the Prime Minister and hence were conspiring all the time to bring him down.

"You would have seen in the recent past, there is attack on me all the time. Some people are continuously at it. They are not able to digest how Modi became the Prime Minister, how a 'chai wala' became the Prime Minister, they cannot swallow it," he had said.
Follow us on president calls for discussion not disruption of parliament

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee today said that Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people and democratic temper calls for debate and discussion, and not disruption or obstruction. He said the government will constantly strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliamentary business.

In his customary address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament outlining government's agenda in the coming financial year, he urged all members of Parliament to discharge their solemn responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation.

"Our Parliament reflects the supreme will of the people. Democratic temper calls for debate and discussion, and not disruption of obstruction. My government will constantly strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliamentary business. I urge all Members of Parliament to discharge their solemn responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation and mutual accommodation. Let us all collectively endeavour to build a flourishing and prosperous India," the President said in his more than hour-long address.

The President remarks assume significance in the context of repeated disruption of business on various issues, loss of time of Parliament and the stalling of legislative business in Rajya Sabha where the government lacks majority.

The 20-page speech was heard in rapt attention by members in the central hall of Parliament whenever he spoke of the government achievements and new announcements.

"Let noble thoughts come from all directions, should be the spirit behind the debate in this temple of democracy. Being a member of this great institution bestows great honour as well as important responsibilities," Mukherjee said.

Terrorism a global threat: President

Asserting that the government is fully committed to firmly dealing with all challenges concerning the security of the country, the President said terrorism is a global threat and strong counter-terrorism measures are necessary worldwide to eradicate it completely.

"Let me congratulate the security forces in successfully foiling the recent attack at the Pathankot air base by terrorists. Firm and effective steps will be taken to deal with any situation arising out of cross-border terrorism," he said.

"My government is committed to forging a mutually respectful relationship with Pakistan and in creating an environment of cooperation in combating cross border terrorism," Mukherjee said while referring to the government's foreign policy.

He said the government believes in a secure and prosperous future for the neighbourhood while committing itself to the principle of 'the world is one family'.

Elaborating on the focus of the government 'development for all' beyond just the economic advancements that dominate headlines, the President said the country must ensure that the poor and deprived were truly empowered to take advantage of opportunities to improve their lives.

"Development for all means that backward sections of society are equally valued and are genuine stakeholders in the country's progress. Development for all implies that we tackle the pollution, traffic, and garbage problems that plague our cities," he said.

Mukherjee said 'development for all' also meant development of the entire world which was why India has to be a responsible member of the global comity of nations helping humanity solve major challenges such as terrorism, climate change and financial instability.

Prez lauds Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna

The President said the government is focused on poverty eradication, farmers' prosperity and massive employment generation.

"The overriding goal for my government is poverty eradication," he said adding the poorest of the poor were entitled to the first charge on the nation's resources. Removing the scourge of poverty and destitution was government's most sacred moral responsibility, Mukherjee said it was pledge to making this goal possible through financial inclusion and social security, the two wings on which human aspiration takes fight.

"To this end, my government has placed great emphasis on food security, Housing for All and subsidies that reach those who need them the most, when they need them the most," he said.

The President said under the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna he was proud to say that it was the world's most successful financial inclusion programme.

"Under the programme, out of over 21 crore accounts opened, 15 crore accounts are operational with an aggregate deposit of over Rs.32,000 crore. The programme has gone beyond mere opening of bank accounts to becoming a platform for poverty eradication by offering basic financial services and security to the poor," he said.

To universalise social security, the President said, the government has launched three new insurance and pension schemes which afford insurance to hitherto uncovered sections of society.

He said targeted subsidies ensure that benefits reach the deserving. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has so far been extended to 42 schemes funded by the government. "PAHAL has become the largest direct cash transfer programme of its kind in the world, with nearly 15 crore beneficiaries. Since June 2014, the food security coverage has more than doubled to cover over 68 crore persons."

The 'Give-It-Up' campaign in tandem with the Give-Back programmes has released subsidised fresh connections to 50 lakh below-poverty-line families.

"More than 62 lakh LPG consumers have voluntarily surrendered their LPG consumers have surrendered their LPG subsidy under the campaign. The highest number of new cooking gas connections to the rural poor were distributed in 2015," he said.

Laws amended to promote ease of business: Prez

The President said the government has fostered competitive cooperation among various states to enhance 'Ease of Doing Business'. State governments were being encouraged and supported to simplify procedures, introduce e-enabled processes and invest in infrastructure to improve investment climate.

"A series of reforms have been initiated to help convert job seekers into job creators. My government has launched the Start-Up India campaign which would deepen, expand and support the innovation eco system in the country," he said.

Mukherjee said a landmark agreement with Japan will make the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor a reality. By March 2019, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, 1.78 lakh habitations will be connected with all-weather roads.

"My government has revived a majority of the 73 stalled road projects, completed construction of 7,200 km of high ways and awarded 12,900 km of highway projects which is the highest-ever number of new highway kilometres awarded," he said amidst thumping of desks by members.

India fastest growing economy: President

India, the President, said is a haven of stability in an increasingly turbulent global economy. GDP growth has increased making India the world's fastest growing economy among large economies. Inflation, fiscal deficit and current account deficit have all decreased.

India recorded the highest-ever foreign exchange reserves in 2015, he said.

Mukherjee said the government's concerted efforts to tackle the menace of black money have started yielding results. With the enactment of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, a stringent legislative framework has been put in place to combat the menace.

The Gold Monetisation Scheme and Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme in November, 2015 has been launched to ensure productive utilisation of idle assets.

He said the government has taken a number of measures to put in place a simplified, progressive and non-adversarial tax regime by incorporating international prevalent best practices in tax administration.

A gamut of taxpayer facilities like e-filing of returns and various forms, electronic processing and retrieval of documents and online grievance redressal are now available to the citizen, he said.

With PTI Inputs
Follow us on rohith vemula march rahul gandhi arvind kejriwal join protest

New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today lent their participation to a protest march organised by the family and friends of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide in the university campus in Hyderabad. The protest march saw hundreds of students, including those from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), express their solidarity to the cause.

Though both leaders did not share stage  they marked their appearance at different times - they did mark their presence felt at the protest venue, expressing similar views against the ruling dispensation.

Targeting the Narendra Modi-led government over the issue of Rohtih Vemula's suicide and the JNU row, Rahul Gandhi said that voices with new ideas were being crushed in the country. "Our universities are being encroached upon. Rohith's voice was muzzled. We need a law which doesn't let students' voices in colleges and universities be stifled," he said addressing the crowd.

Attacking the RSS over its ideologies, Rahul said, Rohith talked about future of India, but RSS doesn't support that but only support talking about the past," he added.

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal also launched an attack on the BJP saying that this government was at war with the students of this country.

"If someone tries to go against the nation, he won't be spared. Similarly, if innocents will be harassed like what the Centre is doing, it won't be tolerated. Modiji ab bhi samay hai sudhar jaiye, warna janta aap ko ukhaad phekegi. (People will throw you out Modiji if you don't mend your ways of dealing).

All the thugs and loafers are nationalists, whereas Aamir Khan and Rohith Vemula are anti-nationalist, he said in an apparent dig at the Centre's handling of affairs.

Held under the banner of Joint Action Committee for Social Justice of University of Hyderabad, the march was organised from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar. Students of the JNU demanding the release of Kanhaiya Kumar also joined in the protest.

Rohith Vemula committed suicide in a hostel room of University of Hyderabad on January 17th.

Bhartiya Janta Party's student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), was blamed for forcing Rohith to take such an extreme step.
Follow us on sumitra mahajan stresses need for new parliament building

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today cited the difficulties she faces in providing adequate facilities to members as one of the reasons for her proposal to have a new Parliament building.

Mahajan said that in the coming days, the strength of the Lok Sabha could increase after a fresh delimitation and the present structure will find it difficult to accomodate more people.

She said that in an effort to make Parliament paper-free,she wants members to access the House documents online inside the Lok Sabha chambers. "But there is no space to put computers.

TMC members said at the time of voting they find it difficult to adjust on the benches," she explained.

She said since the present structure is a heritage building, not many changes can be made.

The Heritage Committee of Parliament had met recently to approve providing PNG (gas) pipelines in Parliament Building so that people can be served fresh food in canteens.

"There was often a complaint that chapatis are not warm.Now that has been taken care of," she said.

She said since M Venkaiah Naidu is both Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development Minister, he will have to decide on the future course of action.

"These things often take time. The new place which should not be away from the present complex and other things take time," she explained.

Mahajan said she agreed with the proposal mooted by her predecessor Meira Kumar to go for a new building. "I have now put the file in process," she said.

She said one of the passing thougths was that Rajya Sabha can meet in the Lok Sabha chambers in the coming days. "There were a lot of suggestions. I am just sharing them," she said,adding everything is not in writing.

She had late last year written to Naidu asking him to consider initiating action for construction of a new Parliament building and suggested two options for the alternative site, one within the Parliament complex itself and another across the Rajpath.

Sources said the possible follow-up to the letter is that the Urban Development Ministry will prepare a note for the Cabinet where the matter could be considered.
Follow us on we need a law to end discrimination in education rahul gandhi

New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today reached Jantar Mantar to join protest by students who demand justice for Rohith Vemula, the Hyderabad research scholar who committed suicide last month.

Addressing the students, Rahul slammed RSS for muzzling the voice of students

He said," Rohith talked about future of India, but RSS doesn't support that but only support talking about past."

Demanding a law to end discrimination, Rahul said,"When I went to Hyderabad, I suggested that we need a law for Universities for ending discrimination."

"Our universities are being encroached upon. Rohith's voice was muzzled. We need a law which doesn't let students' voices in colleges and universities be stifled," he said.

"We need a law which doesn't let students' voices in colleges & universities be stifled,"he added.

Rohit Vemula's family is also present at the "Chalo Dilli" protest.

Vemula committed suicide inside University of Hyderabad hostel room on January 17 after being reportedly targeted by right wing organisations.

Delhi Chief Minsiter Arvind Kejriwal will also join protest to express solidarity with Rohith's family and to speak to the students.

He tweeted that he would go to Jantar Mantar to express solidarity with Rohith's family and to speak to the students.

Hundreds of students, including those from the Jawaharlal Nehru University joined the protest march organised under the banner of Joint Action Committee for Social Justice of University of Hyderabad from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar.

As the march began, protesters carried placards and shouted slogans demanding a "Rohit Act" to end caste discrimination in education.

"We have never seen such an anti-student government. The future of educational institutions is at stake," said an activist.

"This protest is for millions of Rohith Vemulas, Dalits, minorities and women who have been denied freedom of speech, expression and basic education," she added.
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Exporting Death: When It Comes to Arming the Planet, America Is Unrivaled



New report shows that over the past five years, the United States was the top arms exporter in the world.



By Sarah Lazare February 23, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Alternet " - The United States is driving the global surge in militarization, as the number one arms exporter over the past five yearsduring which it shipped deadly weapons to at least 96 countriesaccording to a disturbing new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). From 2011 to 2015, the U.S. oversaw the dramatic rise in weapons transfers, the global volume of which jumped a stunning 14 percent compared to levels seen during the previous five years. The Middle East was the top recipient of American arms, and within the region, Saudi Arabia was the number one importer. These shipments continued despite human rights calls for an arms embargo, over concerns that the Saudi-led coalition is committing widespread war crimes in Yemen. In fact, SIPRI researchers note that the coalition has been able to continue its relentless aerial assault of Yemen thanks primarily to U.S. and European shipments. A coalition of Arab states is putting mainly U.S.- and European-sourced advanced arms into use in Yemen, said Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Program. Worldwide, U.S. arms exports over the past five years jumped 27 percent over 2006-2010 levels. Weapons exports are poised to rise even more. As regional conflicts and tensions continue to mount, the U.S. remains the leading global arms supplier by a significant margin, said Dr. Aude Fleurant, director of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Program. [T]he U.S. arms industry has large outstanding export orders, including for a total of 611 F-35 combat aircraft to 9 states. Coming in behind the United States, Russia, China, France, and Germany were in the top five exporters. The top five importers were India, Saudi Arabia, China, the UAE and Australia. The U.S. led the world in arms exports during a period of rising conflict and war, leading to levels of human displacement not seen since World War II. The United Nations Refugee Agency estimated last year that one out of every 122 people on the planet has been violently uprooted from their homes by war and persecution, thereby forced to become refugees, asylum seekers, or internally displaced people. If all of these displaced people formed a country, it would be the 24th largest in the world. Sarah Lazare is a staff writer for AlterNet. A former staff writer for Common Dreams, Sarah co-edited the book About Face: Military Resisters Turn Against War. Follow her on Twitter at @sarahlazare.
By Gilad Atzmon The headline above is not an anti Semitic rant delivered by a militant Jew hater. It was yesterdays headline in the ultra kosher Jewish Forward. The Forward, once a Jewish socialist magazine, gave a spectacular demonstration of Jewish insularity. The Magazine is troubled by the fact that Sanders has downplayed his Jewish heritage almost to the point of renunciation. In his victory speech in the New Hampshire primary Sanders said, I am the son of a Polish immigrant. According to the Forward, Sanders did not identify as the son of a Jewish immigrant or, even more simply, as a Jew. I guess that the Forward believes that Sanders cant just be an assimilated American. They demand that he adhere to his Jewish roots and his people. But why? Why are the Jews are so fearful of the American dream? Is not being a socialist in America Jewish enough for the Jews at Forward? In The Wandering Who I elaborated extensively on the notion of Pre Traumatic Stress Disorder. I argued that while some people are truly tormented by a past event, Jewish culture facilitates a unique mental condition in which the Jewish subject is tormented by a phantasmic event set in the future. Jews are indoctrinated to think at least one holocaust ahead. And The Jewish Forward has provided exactly such a scenario. But as the nomination process continues, it is imperative that Sanders name this background often  because you better believe the Republicans and the conservative press will, if he gets the nomination. According to the Jewish outlet, Bernie better identify as a Jew before the anti-Semitic Republican Goyim decide to do it for him. They will be using oblique and coded language in small-town newspapers, and using more direct language on conservative radio, his opponents will call into question both his loyalty to America and his fundamental Americanism. Hang on a minute, why shouldnt the American people question the loyalty of any presidential candidate? The Jewish Forward predicts that Sanders success may call attention to some questions regarding Jewish loyalty to the empire. Why would a Jewish outlet be concerned with such a question? Is it because Rabbi Valerie Lieber, the author of the opinion piece, knows that Jewish loyalty to America is a legitimate issue? Should we assume that the Rabbi knows that AIPAC, the Jewish American Lobby that dominates American foreign policy, is primarily loyal to Israel? Is the Rabbi concerned that many American Jewish youngsters fly to Israel to join the IDF rather than displaying their loyalty to the United States by joining the Marines and fighting the wars inflicted on America by the Lobby? The Forward is not going to wait for Sanders to make his Jewish background into an issue. They call upon the tribe to do it for him. Rather than passively hoping that Sanders takes control of the narrative, we should all be speaking up about his Jewish heritage. They simply ask allTo Out Bernie Sanders as a Jew. In an ideal world, according to the Forward, Sanderss Jewish identity wouldnt be an issue for his campaign one way or another. But we do not live in an ideal world. Let me translate this Talmudic sophistry into English. In an ideal Goyim-less world Sanders Jewishness wouldnt be an issue. There wouldnt be Goyim to challenge his Jewishness. But, unfortunately (unlike the Palestinians), the Goyim are here to stay. However, Sanders is actually doing pretty well in spite of being a Jew. In the real world American youngsters are loving Sanders. In the real world, a person can be an American first. In the real world Sanders may be nominated in spite of his Jewish origin. I guess that the Forward knows little about the real world; all they know is that in the Jewish tribal world the Jew is always primarily Jewish. They just cant let Bernie be. For the Forward socialist = Jewish. So whether or not Bernie thinks of himself as a Jew, his Republican opponents will. Their surrogates wont stop at painting him as a New York socialist; even if he leaves out the word Jew, they will not. But here is a Talmudic question to the Forward rabbinical board. If New York Socialist=Jewish why should Bernie Sanders declare himself Jewish twice? In the crudest manner, the Rabbi ends his piece declaring: Lets begin to out Sanders as a Jew now, so that if the country is not ready for a Jewish president, he wont win the nomination. Obviously, American Jewish institutions do not want a Jew at the helm for the same reason their British brethren opposed Ed Miliband. The Jewish Lobby knows that it is much easier to squeeze a Zionist global conflict out of a Goy than to get a single M16 from a Jewish leader. Gilad Atzmon is a British Jazz artist and author. Gilad was born in Israel in 1963 and trained at the Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem (Composition and Jazz). Gilad writes on political matters, social issues, Jewish identity and culture. His papers are published on very many press outlets around the world. http://www.gilad.co.uk
Presstitutes At Work By Paul Craig Roberts February 23, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - This morning I was stuck in front of a Fox News broadcast for a short period and then with a NPR news program. It was enough to convince me that Nazi propaganda during Hitlers Third Reich was very mild compared to the constant stream of dangerous lies that are pumped out constantly by the American media. The New York Times, Washington Post, and a couple of think-tank types were represented on NPR. They delivered the most crude propaganda imaginable and questioned no US government statement. Did you know that all the trouble in Syria is due to the Russians and Assad? The US has no blame whatsoever. The US is trying to fight ISIS (which the US created, aids and abets), but the evil Russians and Assad are fighting the innocent democratic rebels who are trying to bring democracy to Syria as a replacement for a brutal dictator (elected by a large majority vote). The Russians are also bombing schools and hospitals, collateral damage when the US does it but war crimes when the Russians are accused of doing it. The accusers had no evidence for their accusations against Russia beyond the unverified claims of the US government. Despite nonexistent Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, nonexistent Iranian nukes, and nonexistent use of chemical weapons by Assad against his own people, the talking heads continue to accept without question whatever the US government says. I was especially disappointed in Karen DeYoung. As a young reporter she aggressively covered the neoconservatives misadventures in Nicaragua. However, to become the Washington Posts senior foreign affairs reporter she had to give up and join the presstitutes. Did you know that China was militarizing the South China Sea by building up atolls to accommodate runways and by placing weapons on the site? It is not militarization when the exceptional country allocates 60% of its large fleet to the Pacific, declares the South China Sea, which is thousands of miles from America, to be an area of American national interest, and sends warships to patrol the sea. Thats simply countering the Chinese threat. Did you know that the clamor by the British people for UK exit from the European Union has nothing to do with preserving UK national sovereignty and the legal protections of British civil liberty? It is all to do with rejecting refugees, a sign of racism. Fox News informed us that due to his great service to our nation, Justice Antonin Scalia was lying in state in the Supreme Court to be paid homage by both the government representatives and public victims of the police state of which he was an architect. Under Republican leadership the Supreme Court has helped the executive branch elevate its authority above that of the US Constitution, refusing to even hear challenges to indefinite detention. Among Scalias accomplishments are:  Stopping the Florida vote recount in order to install George W. Bush as President  Kentucky v. King: police should have greater leeway to break into homes without a warrant  Florence v. Burlington: allowing jail officials freedom of action is more important

than protecting American citizens from debasing strip searches. Like the Supreme Court the presstitutes have aligned themselves with the rich and powerful. Fox News reported that Marco Rubio, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, declared that to make the poor rich requires making the rich poor and we shouldnt make the rich poor. Apparently, Fox News believes that aligning Rubio with the One Percent is helpful to his political career. Fox showed Rubios audience cheering and applauding his defense of the One Percent. This is democratic America where the people have no representation. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order .
Thirteen-year-old Pelumi Fawibe, an apprentice photographer, has yet to recover from pains after his boss, Olajide Olaoye, reportedly damaged his scrotum while he was beating him with a wire for being obstinate.

Our correspondent learnt that the boy had been living with the boss for three years before the incident happened on Sunday, February 15, at his shop in Ile Epo bus stop, Badagry, Lagos.

Fawibe was said to have been admitted to the Badagry General Hospital, while the boss was arrested by the police from Area K, but was released afterwards.

Residents around Olaoyes shop told PUNCH Metro that on Monday that the boss had consistently assaulted the boy.

An eyewitness, who identified himself only as Gbade, said the extent of the injury to Fawibes private parts prompted people to alert the police.

He said, The boys scrotum became swollen and was bleeding after he beat him up. He claimed the wire hit the boys private parts by accident. We invited the police who arrested him, but he had been released. He said the boy was stubborn. Is that how to discipline?

It was gathered that the man had told Fawibe to wash his clothes on that day, but the apprentice allegedly went to play with his friends and returned in the afternoon.

The action was said to have infuriated Olaoye who instructed him to kneel down and raise a piece of stone. It was learnt that the stone fell from Fawibes hands on the head of a boy in front of him.

The apprentice, who spoke in Yoruba, said, I am learning photography under him (Olaoye). He is my uncle and I have been living with him for three years.

The stone fell from my hands because I was tired. He picked a wire and started beating me until it hit me in the scrotum. The spot is still paining me. I dont want to live with him again; I want to go back to my mother.

However, the boss said Fawibe was notorious for coming home late, stealing and absconding from the shop. He said the injury to his private parts was accidental, adding that he would take him back to his mother soon.

He is a very stubborn boy. His mother brought him to me three years ago. I enrolled him in a primary school and he is also my apprentice. He is in Basic 3 now whereas he ought to have finished, but he is dull. His stubbornness provoked me to beat him up. I mean well for him. He usually returned home late.

That Sunday, I told him to wash his clothes at the shop. He left home and went somewhere else to play. He came back in the afternoon and I was angry with him. I told him to raise a stone and assigned a boy to flog him if he did not raise his hands properly.

He let the stone fall on the boys head and that was why I beat him up. I didnt intend to harm his private parts. It was a mistake. I would have taken him back to his mother, but he is still receiving treatment at the hospital and I want him to recover fully, he said.

Olaoyes brother, Seyi, said the matter had been resolved.

That boy is too stubborn. He can make you do what you dont intend to do. The police have resolved the matter.

The Lagos State Police spokesperson, SP Dolapo Badmos, promised to get back to correspondent with comments on the incident but had yet to do so as of press time.

Source: Punch
Ahead of the expiration of the tenure of the President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor in July, tension is already mounting within the Christian community following alleged plans by President Muhammadu Buhari and All Progressives Congress, APC, to install a Northern successor.

This appeared to be a repeat of what transpired during the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Already, APC, is said to be interested in sponsoring a pro-Buhari clergy from the North to avoid any radical opposition to his administration from the Christian community.

A group of Christians under the umbrella of Christ Redeemers Union, yesterday, claimed that the Presidency was interested in CAN election for some selfish reasons.

But the Presidency debunked the allegation, saying Buhari did not interfere in an internal affairs of any organisation.

Reacting, the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Communications), Mr. Femi Adesina, dismissed the allegation, saying Buhari does not interfere in the internal affairs of any organisation.

He said: It means that some Nigerians dont know their President; Your President, Muhammadu Buhari did not interfere in things like that; so they need to know the person who is their President.

The National Director of CRU, Dr. Ebenezer Olusola Abednego, who disclosed this to newsmen, in Abuja, said that Christians would resist any plan by the Presidency to instal its in CAN Presidency.

Olusola explained that the APC government was desperate to ensure the emergence of its candidate in CAN who will lead the Nigerian Christians community.

We have it on good authority that any leader being installed by the Presidency in CAN would avoid any virulent criticism of the Buhari government and this has informed their desperate to install a leadership that will not be critical.

But we are vehemently opposed to government meddling into a purely religious affairs and should the Presidency succeed in installing an APC/Buhari stooge in CAN, we will pull out of CAN. We are ready for them, we have it on good authority that some Muslim leaders from the North are behind the plot. But by the power in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, every knee shall bow and they wont succeed.

Reacting to this, the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Communications), Mr. Femi Adesina, dismissed the allegation, saying Buhari does not interfere in the internal affairs of any organisation.

He said: It means that some Nigerians dont know their President; Your President, Muhammadu Buhari does not interfere in things like that; so they need to know the person who is their President.

The people making the allegation cant insist that they are correct because that is the man for you and Buhari doesnt interfere in anything. If he doesnt interfere in State elections where his own party, APC is having candidates, how will he interfere in CAN elections? They dont know their President.

Source: Vanguard
The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has declared that Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, is worth more to its cause than some political office holders in the Southeast, who it described as stooges and cowards.

Gov. Fayose had last Saturday faulted the application by the federal government to secretly try the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, by using mask-wearing prosecution witnesses.

The governor had described the move as a mockery of democracy.

In its reaction, MASSOB, in a statement signed on Monday by its leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu, condemned the silence of some Igbo Governors and federal lawmakers on the plight of Kanu and other detained Biafran agitators, wondering if Igbo blood is running in their veins.

While hailing Governor Fayose for his staunch support for the defense of the detained IPOB leader and non-violent Biafran agitators, the group said: Governor Fayoses sympathy on Biafra and outburst against Buhari led wicked administration, which exhibited religious, ethnic and personal hatred has proved him as a true nationalist, who has the interest of the people at heart.

The factional MASSOB leader lamented that whereas Governors from the northern part of the country were collaborating with Boko Haram, just as their Southwest counterparts were doing with the Odua Peoples Congress, OPC, their Southeast counterparts have refused to identify with the genuine Biafra struggle.

According to Madu, The northern and western Governors/senators openly and secretly collaborate and work with Boko-Haram and Odua Peoples congress (OPC) respectively for the interest of their ethnic block but their Igbo counterparts are always shying away as cowards.

While expressing delight that some Niger-Delta groups have joined the Biafran struggle, he said, The rising of more south-south groups for Biafra, with the existing ones from south-east shall spell more doom for Nigeria unless Nnamdi Kanu and other agitators are released, which will soften the tempo of the current agitation.

MASSOB under my leadership will continue to maintain our non-violent principles and work in collaboration with other genuine Biafran groups both at home and in Diaspora and other relevant international organizations in preparation of Biafran referendum, which the major part have been achieved.
The threat by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff that former Minister of Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, will not go scot free for accusing of him of being a Boko Haram sponsor, has been described as an empty threat by the latter.

Sheriff, whose emergence as the national chairman of PDP has been greeted with opposition from within the party, had shortly after his formal assumption of office on Monday in Abuja, told reporters that Fani-Kayode would not go scot-free for making false allegations against him.

According to the PDP chair, he cannot be a Boko Haram sponsor when the terrorist sect has killed members of his family and also marked him for assassination. He added that there is presently no court case against him due to his alleged sponsorship of the sect.

But the former minister, who vehemently opposed the choice of Sheriff, a two-term governor of Borno State as chairman of the PDP, insisted that a Boko Haram sponsor cannot lead the opposition party.

Fielding question from journalists shortly after the opening session of PDP Former Ministers Forum on Tuesday, Fani-Kayode said it was unfortunate that Sheriff, who came in as National Chairman to move the party forward, was issuing threats to members.

This, I think is unacceptable and nobody is intimidated. The fact of the matter is that he (Sheriff) wants to set Nigeria on fire. He also wants to set PDP on fire and that fire is going to consume him and him alone, the ex-minister said.

Fani-Kayode, who was spokesperson of the Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign in the 2015 general elections, stressed his readiness to meet Sheriff in court, boasting that I am not like anybody he has met before in his life, He will meet a resistance he never expected.
The Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC) on Tuesday said it could effectively prosecute the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, without necessarily involving former President Goodluck Jonathan in the case.

The EFCCs position was sequel to an argument by the PDP spokesman that since Jonathan was allegedly involved in the process leading to the payment of funds for his presidential campaign, he ought to have been invited as a witness in the case.

Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited, are currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly receiving N400m from the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for security services, which he allegedly diverted to fund the PDPs activities.

The PDP spokesperson and his company are also accused of contravening the money laundering Act by making $2m suspicious investment.

At the conclusion of the prosecutions witness last week, Metuh filed a no-case submission in court.

In the application, he argued among others, that the prosecution failed to make out a prima facie case against him by not inviting the ex-president as its witness.

The anti-graft agency, however, in a counter-submission, stated that it had conveniently made out a case against Metuh for which the court should direct him to enter defence.

According to the EFCC, Mr. Jonathan is not a necessary prosecution witness, adding that it had effectively built a case against the accused with the number of witnesses invited to testify in court.

It, therefore, urged the court to dismiss Metuhs no-case argument.
WARRINIGER Delta Avengers, the militant group which claimed responsibility for blowing up the Forcados Terminal Pipeline in Delta State, recently, has served notice of attacks on more oil installations in the region until the Federal Government addresses its grievances.

Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, yesterday vowed not to resign despite criticisms trailing his emergence.

Thisday

Former Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, former Permanent Secretary and a director in the ministry were yesterday in Abuja arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged financial crimes.

Daily Times

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has criticised Governor Ayo Fayoses opposition to the Single Treasury Account (TSA) policy of the Federal Government, saying his stance smacks of deliberate ploy to conceal fraud.

Guardian

THERE was an indication yesterday that the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Crude Oil Swap has formally invited former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to tell the panel her role in the product swap arrangements with oil marketing companies in the country

Daily Trust

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday arrived Riyadh to commence a week-long visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has urged the Minister of Interior, Major General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) to look into the prevention of its president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba from travelling from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja to Lome, Togo, by officials of Asky Airline.

The NLC in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, explained that the officials of Asky Airline denied Comrade Wabba boarding, despite tendering his ECOWAS Travel Certificate duly issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria on behalf of ECOWAS.

The statement noted that officials of the said airline claimed that they were acting on the instructions of the Togolese Government, which the NLC says translates to the fact that the Government of Togo, a member of ECOWAS, does not recognize the travel document tendered by Comrade Wabba.

The statement reads, Comrade Wabbas ECOWAS travel document was issued on July 16, 2015 and has an expiration date of July 15, 2017. He has used the same document to enter into Senegal and Ghana in the past. We are not aware of the fact that the Republic of Togo has withdrawn its membership of ECOWAS. And if it is a subsisting member of ECOWAS, we find it inexplicable that it could mete out this kind of treatment to travelers of Nigerian origin.

We hold the view that Nigerians, wherever they are, are deserving of protection if they act within the law. Comrade Ayuba Wabba was expected at Lome this morning for an activity of ITUC-Africa. The disruption of his travel plan and by extension, denial of his participation at this major activity, has caused him considerable embarrassment as well as constituted a set-back to the Nigeria Labour Congress and Nigeria. Other Nigerians who have been so similarly treated, no doubt, have suffered various degrees of losses.

In light of the above, we would wish to invite your intervention on this matter, at least, in order to save future occurrences.

The NLC further said that Immigration officials, who witnessed the episode, lamented that many Nigerians have been subjected to this humiliating experience, adding that at the time of ticket purchase, the Airline did not deem it necessary to warn prospective passengers of ECOWAS origin that the Togolese Government does not accept or recognize the ECOWAS Travel Certificate.

According to the statement, pages of Comrade Wabbas ECOWAS Travel Certificate was copied to Minister of Foreign Affairs; Executive Secretary, ECOWAS Commission; The Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Togo in Nigeria; and Controller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service.
General Ekpemupolo, also known as General Tompolo, General Officer Commanding defunct Camp 5, Niger Delta Militant Zone in Gbaramutu Kingdom must not be arrested by the EFCC, if the entire Niger Delta struggle started by Isaac Adaka Boro, will not go extinct, and I believe that Niger Delta elders and politicians should discuss with the FG before a great humiliation is brought to the region.

In a recent write-up titled Tompolo Boys Defy Buhari, Vows to Set Nigeria Ablaze I elaborated on the current standoff that the dilemma is that if Tompolo surrenders, humiliation untold will accompany him. Ibori may be better than him. If Tompolo fights back, the nation will burn but Gbaramutu Kingdom will be another case of human rights violations in the hands of security agencies. If Tompolo capitulates, the Niger Delta struggle will be buried because this man has enough influence to marshal out formidable forces more than the rest of the groups.

Referring to my initial release on Tompolo titled War in the creeks as Buhari Tompolo Alliance Crumbles I pointed out how Tompolo and Buhari alliance dealt a blow to the Nnamdi Kanu led struggle as early as August 2015 even before the latters arrest thus , Therefore, before that Biafran struggle too off, many ingredients were already compromised, including Tompolo factor. Many persons had informed me of Tompolos position of the Biafra agitations and I warned those relying on his support to go and sit down and support the change regime because an ingredient in the arms struggle had already opted out in return for government favors and protection. The Buhari they called old, sick, brain dead had shown that he is in fact an expert strategic planner than his numerous loud mouthed critics.

Going further I explained Tompolos travails thus Tompolo is now running helter skelter. The cookies had crumbled. The Nigerian Navy wants him out of the way for humiliating them out of their constitutional duties. He knew there is trouble and he gathered his boys and asked them to prepare to defend their fatherland. They were mobilized, re-armed and kept on standby to defend the militant leader against any military incursion In the course of the standoff, oil facilities were blown off.

These two arguments in the two previous write-ups form my views that it is safer for Nigeria and the Niger Delta Struggle if Tompolo is not arrested. I want to make it clear that I am not a fan of Tompolo. I do not support the use of violence as means of settling dispute and have condemned the gruesome murder of IPOB Biafrans in Aba and Onitsha, Shiite Muslims in Zaria and people living in the North East by Boko Haram and their government accomplices. I do not fancy arms bearing thugs taking over government apparatus and as such cannot be a Tompolo fan.

Also, I do not appreciate corrupt persons and those who loot the public funds, and Tompolos hands are not clean. I know also of agents who helped him in Tompolos bunkering business and oil theft even when policing the waterways on behalf of Jonathan regime

.

I came out hard against corruption during the build up to the 2015 presidential elections when over N30 billion naira was given to some religious ministers cutting across all denominations to tell their congregants that Buhari will Islamize Nigeria if elected. I mobilized clerics who opposed these theories in many cities and ensured that the lying prophets were disgraced. Some members of Christian Association of Nigeria, Jamaatu Nasril Islam, Ohanaeze, MASSOB, OPC and all who fleeced Jonathan of billions during elections will not forget me in a hurry.

However, Tompolos case is a delicate issue. I will discuss how delicate it is to Nigeria in later articles so that we do not bring many problems on the economy at this point when the naira is losing value every day, while trying to arrest an irritant militant. Tompolo represents the most organized face of Niger Delta militancy. His Camp 5 was the most disciplined, organized, equipped and funded militant command before it was disbanded during Yaraduas amnesty programme.

Niger Delta Warlords knows that Tompolo is a General among Generals. Africanus Ukparasia aka General Africa, Ebikabowei Victor Ben a.k.a General Boyloaf, General Ateke Tom, Mujahdeen Asari Dokubo, Gneral Nature among others are still powerful within the region but they are not as efficient as Tompolo.

General John Togo has been killed by soldiers, after he refused to heed the advice of General Tompolo and Boyloaf. Henry Okah is in prison in South Africa, betrayed by kinsman Goodluck Jonathan. The war generals are diminishing and soon the area will be a conquered territory.

The arrest and jailing of Tompolo will signify the conquering of the Niger Delta struggle and make a mess of whatever Isaac Adaka Boro and Ken Saro Wiwa died for.

I have attended to hundreds of enquiries on how to resolve the Tompolo Buhari- EFCC-Keyamo impasse and advised that Niger Delta Elders should intervene, ask the APC led government for an out of curt settlement. Tompolo should be asked to voluntaririly release his share of the looted N30 billon naira back to Federal Government treasury. In return, the ex-militant will be let off the hook to continue his private life. If this option is taken, there will be peace in that region.

If these elders sit down and let EFCC capture, handcuff, imprison and humiliate Tompolo, they should know that it is Niger Delta that has been captured. Asari Dokubo , Ateke Tom and Boyloaf will be the next in slow succession, and there are enough charges to nail them anytime.

If Tompolo decides to fight back, which is most likely, export terminal and internal pipelines will be blown up as retaliation for his arrest. I hope the military is prepared to contain the embarrassment.

It is in Nigerias best interest that Tompolo is not arrested, but asked to return his loot quietly. It is also in the best interest of Niger Deltans that the humiliation of Tompolo does not follow that of Jonathan, thus let their elders act fast and save the zone from national embarrassment..
Ahead of the March 19 rerun election in Rivers South East Senatorial District, the senatorial liaison office of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Magnus Ngei Abe, has been attacked by suspected political thugs.

The office was attacked in Bori, Ogoni on Monday by armed men clad in army uniform.

According to eyewitness account, the attackers, who brandished sophisticated weapons, threw dynamites and bombs into the senatorial office of the APC candidate, forcing both staff and visitors to run for dear life.

Meanwhile some staff and visitors who escaped are yet to be accounted for, a statement by Parry Saroh Benson, spokesperson to Senator Abe said yesterday.

The statement recalled that the state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, had some few days ago at the 50th Birthday celebration of Senator Lee Maeba in Luuwa, Khana Local Government Area of the state, charged Peoples Democratic Party supporters that he will not be happy unless they stop Abes re-election bid by all means.

The event of today has clearly shown that the charge by the Governor to his supporters to stop Senator Abe has just begun by the attack on the senatorial liaison office, the statement said.

Senator Abes spokesperson described the attack as a cheap attempt to intimidate APC supporters and instil fear in them so as not to participate in the forthcoming re-run election.

I want to call on all our supporters and all law abiding citizens of the Rivers South-East Senatorial District especially the people of Ogoni, not to take laws in their hands nor do anything that will lead to loss of lives and property but to remain resolute and ready to participate fully in the forthcoming re-run election in the area, Benson said.

He went further to say, the struggle to liberate Ogoniland, Rivers State and particularly Rivers South East Senatorial District from the claws of political gangsters, criminals and thugs masquerading as political leaders cannot be won without sacrifice.

The statement noted that the reign of impunity, violence and lawlessness has reached its zenith in Rivers State and we cannot pretend that any kind of election could be held under this atmosphere unless something is done to bring to book the perpetrators of this heinous crime as March, 2016 may not be different from March, 2015.

We do not need to wait until the Omoku experience repeat itself in Bori where over 20 persons were killed in one day. Therefore, I call on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Police and other security agents in the State to act fast in order to forestall further attacks by criminal gangs on the people, Benson concluded.
Members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday rose from a marathon meeting with one message  Ali Modu Sheriff must resign as national chairman of the PDP.

The Acting BoT chairman, senator Walid Jibrin, who presided over the meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, spoke on behalf of the trustees.

According to Jibrin, as the conscience of the PDP, the BoT was in the best position to know the right candidate for the chairmanship of the party.

The trustees, he said were consulting with other organs of the party on how to ease Sheriff out from office.

We are going to propose viable solution to this problem after we must have consulted with other organs and relevant stakeholders in the party, Jibrin said.

He declined further comments.

The meeting was attended by Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, Senator Stella Omu, Senator Jonah Jang, Mrs. Josephine Anenih, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Abdullahi Kure and Maina Waziri, among others.
The senator representing Zamfara Central on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, Kabiru Marafa, has declared that nobody can suspend him from the Senate for some views he recently expressed in an interview.

Some senators had dragged Marafa, a member of the anti-Bukola Saraki group, Unity Forum, before the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, over alleged misconduct.

The senators  Isah Misau and Matthew Urhoghide  had accused their colleague of granting press interviews that rubbished the reputation of the National Assembly.

Senator Marafa, however, shunned the committee despite his earlier promise to appear before it and defend himself.

Ahead of the Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led Committee submitting its report during plenary today at the Senate, it is believed that Marafa may be suspended.

But in a reaction yesterday, the senator said rather than suspending him, it is Senate President Saraki that should be suspended.

At a press briefing in Abuja, Marafa insisted that there was no offensive remarks in the said interviews he granted the press.

Nobody, I repeat, nobody in that Senate can suspend me over those remarks I made in the said interviews, he boasted. Rather, it is the Senate President, Bukola Saraki that should be suspended by the Senate for turning things upside down within the last eight months from forgery of Standing Orders to illegally increasing the number of standing committees in the Senate from 57 to 65, with attendant violation of ranking rules in their compositions.

And above all, refusing to resign as Senate President in the face of his trial for corruption charges at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and invariably battering the image of the Senate.

Saraki should remember that when the issue first came up in August or September last year, we didnt tell him to resign. So, he cannot by whatever means now, gag us and gag our mouths.

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigerian gives us the right to say our opinions, to air our views and nobody can deny us that, Senator Marafa maintained.

The senator linked the controversy generated by the alleged missing 2016 Budget to machinations by fifth columnists operating on behalf of Senate President Saraki, saying These fifth columnists were shouting at different times that the budget was missing, the budget had been doctored, the budget was padded and that it could no longer be passed as earlier planned.

Honestly speaking if am to comment on the controversy that has been trailing the 2016 budget in the Senate, I will say it is all the work of the fifth columnists there.

You remember we woke up after 15 days or so of the receipt of the budget in the National Assembly. We woke up one day and the Senate President just came and said there was no budget, that the budget was stolen, thus embarrassing everybody. But the following day, the Speaker came out to say the budget was not stolen.

Next, they said the budget was doctored, next they said the budget was padded, next they said there were discrepancies all over the place.

We knew how they came into the leadership of the National Assembly or the Senate. Was it a coincidence that the issue of padding and everything just came up after the Supreme Court told Saraki to go and face your trial?
A British cathedral sought to reassure visitors on Monday that they could still view a massive sculpture following a Facebook post by the statues creator saying the church had moved it because people kept bumping into it while texting. The Salisbury Cathedral, located about 90 miles outside of London, said in a tweet on Monday under the Twitter handle @SalisburyCath: Dont worry, you can still see The Kiss at the Cathedral. Weve moved the sculpture onto the lawn #Relationships.

The Kiss is a 20-foot sculpture of clasping hands by artist Sophie Ryder. On Tuesday, Ryder posted a video on Facebook of a crane moving the statue, with the comment We had to move the kiss because people were walking through texting and said they bumped their heads! Oh well!!

The Cathedral did not respond immediately to a Reuters request for comment on why it moved the sculpture. Several social media users poked fun at the statues relocation to the cathedral lawn. Visitors were originally meant to follow a path through the clasped hands.

GrumpyGitRant (@GRumpGitRant) said in a tweet on Monday: Its safe now to visit #salisbury cathedral. The kiss statue better known as the #claspedhands is no longer a danger. I think it is crazy it was moved, wrote Karin Muir on Ryders Facebook page. Maybe if more people bumped their heads whilst walking and texting, theyd stop doing it sooner.

UPI.
The BlackBerry is all but dead, with the company having abandoned its own operating system in favor of an older version of Android. Even if BlackBerry keeps investing in deep Android security integration, as it has done in the BlackBerry Priv, it's clear BlackBerry's limited resources will keep it lagging the pace of change in mobile.

That's been a major concern for high-security businesses, which really depend on the all-stack security model BlackBerry has long delivered, interlocking the hardware and OS to ensure tampering is detected and thwarted.

Samsung wants to fill that vacuum, and later this year it'll take a significant step to do so. The company has been moving in this direction for several years, through its Knox efforts. The first version of Knox wasn't all it was cracked up to be, but the company has made significant progress since then and has been rewarded with a growing clientele in the defense and financial sectors.

Samsung's variant of Android 6.0 Marshmallow will debut in the new Galaxy S7 lineup and be available, along with the required Marshmallow upgrades, for the older Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 lineups, as well as for its premium Galaxy Tab S tablet series.

All versions of Knox already tie the Samsung hardware to the security system running on the device -- at a layer below the operating system. As the developer of both the hardware and security system, Samsung has the same advantage that BlackBerry has long enjoyed in such integration. (Apple's iOS devices also have vertically integrated security, but Apple severely restricts access to that stack, so government agencies and others can't customize it in the way that Samsung allows.)

On flagship devices such as the Galaxy S7, the new Knox-enabled hardware integration in Samsung's Marshmallow version will also support Android for Work, Google's managed-container technology, which debuted a year ago. Thus, companies that standardize on the recent Samsung mobile devices can choose either Android for Work or Knox as their security systems -- or both.

Other manufacturers' devices that run Android for Work won't get that hardware integration, of course, but IT would have a common console for all devices. The approach would work well for a company that issues Samsung devices for high-security users and lets other users choose their own Android device.

Samsung's security efforts go beyond supporting Android for Work. The new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones bring back the SD card removed a year ago in the S6 lineup, a decision that had dismayed many users. Samsung smartly put the SD card in the same tray that holds the SIM card, minimizing the structural work needed within the phone bezel and the number of holes in the device.

Users can enable or disable encryption on the cards, and IT can force the SD card to be encrypted using standard mobile management policies. That's par for the course these days.

Where Samsung goes a step further is in its support for layered encryption for the SD card. Samsung has APIs that let companies develop finer-grained control of card encryption, such as allowing IT access to wipe it while only letting the authorized user -- or even specific apps -- work on the contents.

Whether the encryption is all-or-nothing or layered, the SD card itself can only be decrypted on the device where its was encrypted, so encrypted SD cards cannot be swapped with other devices, including computers, for content sharing. And there is no backdoor for decryption by others, Samsung notes. Apple uses the same approach to keep users' encrypted contents fully secured.

That layered approach to SD card encryption should appeal to security-conscious organizations that have long favored the BlackBerry. But they'll need to do custom development to use that layering -- so far no commercial tools are available. Maybe one of the mobile management vendors will get into this action.

Mobile devices are very secure; too many IT organizations have unjustified fears around mobile security -- but there is a class of user that needs more than the very good security that Apple's iOS and the latest versions of Google's Android provide. For them, Samsung increasingly looks like the new gold standard to replace BlackBerry.
Facebook executives have long made it clear that they want everyone on the planet to use their social network. If they have to spend time and money to accelerate wireless performance to help make that happen, they will.

As of this week, they have.

[ See what hardware, software, development tools, and cloud services came out on top in the InfoWorld 2016 Technology of the Year Awards. | Cut to the key news in tech with the InfoWorld Daily newsletter, our summary of the top tech happenings. ]

On Sunday, Facebook took the wraps off its TIP (Telecom Infra Project), which is tasked with accelerating the development of telecommunications networking hardware.

Taking a page from its earlier Open Compute Project effort for data centers, Facebook is joining forces with Intel, Nokia, and several telecommunications companies, including Germany's Deutsche Telekom, to share designs and technological advances for open source hardware and software.

Facebook, Intel, and Nokia will work on the new designs. The telecoms will use the technology based on those designs.

"Every day, more people and more devices around the world are coming online, and it's becoming easier to share data-intensive experiences like video and virtual reality," wrote Jay Parikh, Facebook's global head of engineering and infrastructure, in a blog post . "Scaling traditional telecom infrastructure to meet this global data challenge is not moving as fast as people need it to. We know there isn't a single solution for this, and no one company can tackle the problem alone."

Is Facebook diving into the challenge of designing wireless hardware and software? It might seem like a far cry from social networking, but Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group, said the move makes sense.

"Both Facebook and Google know that the more content people pursue and consume across the web, the more people will be using their respective services," Olds said. "So if Facebook believes that wireless technology isn't advancing quickly enough, it makes sense for them to become more directly involved in its evolution."

It makes even more sense for Facebook to create a team to tackle wireless technology after it created another team with the Open Compute Project about five years ago to build better data centers.

This week's move is a slight change in direction but the same strategy  to pull together forces in advanced technology that eventually will help the business.

"Facebook is at the forefront of reinventing the way we think about industry after industry," said Jeff Kagan, an independent industry analyst. "I expect Facebook to continue to reinvent itself, year after year. They don't simply find a new market opportunity and stick there. They are a constantly moving target."

Speeding up advances in wireless technology also should help Facebook with its efforts in virtual reality.

"Facebook is one of the pioneers in virtual reality, which, when it gets going, will take a huge amount of compute and network bandwidth to bring to life," Olds said. "The more bandwidth customers have at their disposal, the better their virtual reality experience will be. If Facebook can become the first provider to give customers an ultra realistic virtual reality immersion, then the world will beat a path to their door."

Speaking Sunday at a Samsung event in Barcelona before the start of Mobile World Congress, Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg called virtual reality "the next platform."

Zuckerberg said virtual reality is moving beyond gaming and into areas where friends can gather, where a child's first steps might be recorded in 360-degree VR, and eventually, to meetings in the enterprise.

Olds said it's hard to find a downside for Facebook to take on wireless service when it could help the company gain a larger user base and propel virtual reality.

"It's hard to see how it could hurt them, other than losing some money if it goes south," he added.

This story, "Needing more wireless infrastructure, Facebook will design its own" was originally published by Computerworld .
Its not only Apple. Hundreds of technology companies large and small are engaged in a historic battle to determine how much access governments can have to your personal information. This includes Google, Microsoft, and nearly every technology company that has significantly impacted your life over the last two decades.

The fight for personal privacy versus the states right to know has been a battle for millennia. Aristotle made the key distinction between the public and private spheres thousands of years ago. Benjamin Franklin is famously quoted by privacy advocates for saying, Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Governments have always tried to erode personal privacy. They think that in order to protect the state and its citizens, the veil of personal privacy should be pulled back whenever necessary.

I understand the impulse to eliminate privacy protections. At least half of my friends and acquaintances -- even my wife -- cant understand my passion for the topic. They say they arent doing anything illegal and those who marshal legal arguments against the government invading privacy must be hiding something.

So let me state some of the concerns that privacy advocates have against an even more intrusive government and see if it persuades you one way or the other.

The surveillance state

First, theres not much left of your privacy as it stands. Corporations and government agencies already have far more access to our personal lives than most people would imagine or allow. If you want to understand the complete picture, read Bruce Schneiers Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control the World. Bruce is no conspiracy theorist, but if you read his well-researched books and blog posts, you might have a hard time telling the difference between what he puts out there and the ramblings of the New World Order crew.

One of my favorite anecdotes in Data and Goliath is about the father who sues a retailer for sending pregnancy information and sales pitches to his teenage daughter. He had to drop the lawsuit after he learned that the online retailer knew more than he did.

Were unknowingly surveilled and often permanently recorded by dozens of electronic devices each day. You may hate stoplight cameras, but did you know these cameras often record and store every license plate that passes by, whether or not you ran the light? Plus, your cars GPS and various computers can enable police to know exactly where youve been.

Theres little our governments dont already know about us. They know what you read and buy. They know where you drive, where you go on the Internet, who you communicate with.

The problem is that a society without privacy protections is not a free society. Although the government may tout extreme, individual circumstances that justify violation of privacy, once a new Rubicon is crossed, it's never uncrossed. In nearly every instance where governments have been given the legal right to invade our privacy, they exceed the given authority and exercise those privacy invasions to far more people and instances than permitted by a specific case.

Read anything written by James Bamford. His first book, published in 1983 and called the Puzzle Palace, reveals almost everything you might learn from a modern NSA whistleblower. The privacy abuses cited over three decades ago are still occurring -- at even more alarming levels. When the NSA or another spying agency is caught in an illegal act, the most common response, even after public uproar, is for politicians to legalize those illegal actions retroactively. It seems nothing any spying agency can do is considered truly illegal anymore. And they want the ability to do more of it.

It's not about the iPhone

On the face of it, the Apple case, where the FBI seeks more information about the San Bernardino terrorists, would seem like a small intrusion on personal freedom. After all, the government wants access to a single device of a known terrorist. What could be the harm in that? You might wonder why Apple or anyone else is against it.

In fact, the underlying issue is foundational to our freedom.

I routinely travel to countries where simply questioning a leaders strategy in public is enough to get you locked up for a long time. These arent empty threats. People are picked up in bars and restaurants for voicing disagreements and never heard from again. People are locked in prison for talking smack about their employers on Facebook. In America, you can be fired for being that stupid, but you wont be arrested unless you make an illegal threat. I routinely travel to countries where even your supposedly encrypted communications are recorded. No warrants, no suspicion -- because it can be done.

Thats why the Apple case is so important. One small decision can have all sorts of implications. If the government gets the right to insert backdoors or break encryption on a terrorists phone, then that decision can be applied to everyone. It hurts our personal privacy, it hurts our global competitiveness, and it hurts our survival as a free people.

So I applaud Apple, Google, Microsoft, and all the other technology firms for fighting on our behalf. Theres not a whole lot of our privacy left. They're trying to protect what little remains.
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On an unusually warm February day in New York City, the Clinton Foundation's Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convened its annual winter meeting, bringing together over 450 leaders across the public and private sectors to discuss and (hopefully) make progress on some of the most difficult challenges of our time. Invited to the meeting, I came to observe and learn more about CGI and the foundation's ongoing strategy for women's empowerment.

The day's events included President Bill Clinton in conversation with Chobani yogurt executive Hamdi Ulukayawho, by the way, is one of IP's favorite donors for coming to the rescue of Syrian refugeesas well as several topic-specific breakout sessions and a plenary with Chelsea Clinton engaging finance and philanthropy leaders in dialogue about LGBT issues and the refugee crisis. Also on my agenda was an interview with Terri McCullough, Director of the No Ceilings Initiative at the foundation.

In 2015, McCullough was tasked to oversee the creation of the Full Participation Report, funded by the Clinton Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The report brings together 850,000 data points on women and girls worldwide and lays out a plan for addressing the problems, including making gender equality the standard across the globe and working to change cultural norms and attitudes that hold women back.

McCullough described how No Ceilings was created when Secretary Clinton came to the foundation in 2013, and she and Chelsea began to explore how to leverage the existing research on gender equality. They began asking big questions, said McCullough, such as: "How can we make a case to the important actors who can make change that women's equality is the smart thing to do? How can we drive home an economics-based case to say, if we empower girls and women and we provide more opportunities for them, everyone benefits?"

No Ceilings decided to create the Full Participation Report in order to give the available data on women and girls a new coherence, and hopefully fuel new directions for the gender equality movement.

"Having spent time working on Capitol Hill, one of my deep frustrations was that when you looked at legislation and advocacy, there wasn't always a lot of gender-disaggregated data," McCullough said. "And what we had was not very reliable, so I was deeply invested in the idea that we could go through a rigorous process to learn about the status of women now, and use that data to make the case for where we need to go."

The historical frame of the Full Participation project is important. In 1995, at the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, leaders from governments and civil society around the world came together and committed to ensuring that women and girls have the opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of life. Hillary Clinton famously declared, "Women's rights are human rights" at that conference.

At the 20th anniversary marker of that moment, the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation joined with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to "gather data and analyze the gains made for women and girls over the last two decades, as well as the gaps that remain." Other organizations, including the Wyss Foundation, the Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation for Women and Girls, Corning, and the Leslois Shaw Foundation have supported this effort. A wide range of experts contributed to this work including the Economist Intelligence Unit and the WORLD Policy Analysis Center at UCLA.

The result is a research hub that has gathered the available data on women and girls from over 197 countries spanning more than 20 years. "We wanted to set up a road map to make the case for gender equality even more clear," said McCullough. "We aimed to turn up as many nuggets of research as we could on the status of women worldwide."

The report looks at a wide range of issueseconomics, health, education, political empowerment and gender-based violence, coming at this data with big questions: "What do womens and girls lives look like around the world 20 years after the Beijing conference? What barriers remain? How have laws and policies progressed over the same period? What information do we still need in order to assess the status of women and girls?"

The end result is a hefty and sobering report that offers the long view on women's progress over the past 20 years, and the gaps that still remain to be addressed in the future.

The good news on women's progress: "Women are living longer and healthier lives than ever before," said McCullough. "Maternal mortality has improved. Access to primary education is almost equitable."

But the report also turns up some data showing how little movement there has been for women worldwide on some broad markers. One of the most startling findings for McCullough was that women have remained stagnant in workforce participation over the past 20 yearsat least according to official statistics. In developing nations, though, women are more likely to be participating in the informal economy, and therefore this work is not counted. Women are also more likely to be doing domestic labor and child care in the home, or subsistence agriculture, none of which are counted by the labor participation statistics.
The former Wildwood Industries plant in at 903 S. Morrissey Ave. in Bloomington, Ill., has been converted into a mixed-use complex offering self-storage as well as business-incubator and office space. Morrissey Drive Self-Storage opened last week, but the office component has yet to be named, according to the source. The 156,000-square-foot building currently provides 10,000 square feet of office space, 45,000 feet of storage and 55,000 of warehouse space that can be used for light manufacturing, said owner and developer Scott Garth.

We opened last week, but really havent done much yet with promotion, Garth told the source. So we still have a few things to work on, but it took us more than a year to get to this point and we are very happy with the progress.

The city didnt provide any incentives for the renovation, according to the source. It cost several million dollars, but my employees and I put a lot of work ourselves into it, so an exact dollar amount on what it took to get to this point is hard to say, Garth said. There was a lot of concrete work that had to be done and it took us a long time. There are a ton of man hours in this.

Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner and several of the citys economic-development leaders toured the property last week. Its a unique facility. He took a dilapidated property and turned it into something fantastic, Renner said.

It shows you dont have to keep building outside of the community walls. You can find some treasures inside the community as well, and that is what he found here, added Kyle Ham, CEO of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council, which offers programs and resources to local businesses.

The incubator and office space could also lead to new jobs and business opportunities for residents, said Charlie Moore, president of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce. I see a lot of potential here. Its been very well done, and it leads to a very professional business setting and atmosphere.

The single-story brick building has served as an assembly plant and warehouse for many businesses since it opened 71 years ago. Leaf- and vacuum-bag manufacturer Wildwood Industries vacated it in 2009 after the company went bankrupt. Owners Gary and Toni Jo Wilder were charged and sentenced the following year for defrauding more than $213 million from lenders to fund manufacturing equipment that didnt exist, according to the FBI.
2015 was the Year of Collateral Damage in cyber security as cyber attacks touched people who never dreamed they might be involved in a security breach, according to a new report.The HP Enterprise Security Research Cyber Risk Report 2016 noted that two high profile attacks in particular caused concern for those who would be otherwise safe.If 2014 was the Year of the Breach, 2015 was the Year of Collateral Damage as certain attacks touched people who never dreamed they might be involved in a security breach, the report states.Both the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Ashley Madison breaches affected those who never had direct contact with either entity, and whose information resided in their networks only as it related to someone elseor, in the case of the Ashley Madison breach, did not appear at all but could be easily deduced from revealed data.With the OPM breach, the true targets of the breach may be people who never themselves consented to inclusion in the OPM databaseand who may be in danger thanks to its compromise.Data compromise is no longer just about getting payment card information. Its about getting the information capable of changing someones life forever.The interconnectivity of this data provides brokers with further information to approach clients with that highlight the importance of cyber cover for a range of businesses.The report also notes that businesses using apps are also becoming more of a target for hackers and cyber criminals as they provide the easiest way into a network.The perimeter to your network is no longer where you think it is, the report continues.With todays mobile devices and broad interconnectivity, the actual perimeter to your network is likely right in your pocket.Attackers realise this as well and have shifted their focus from servers and operating systems directly to applications.They see this as the easiest route to accessing sensitive enterprise data and are doing everything they can to exploit it.Todays security practitioner must understand the risk of convenience and interconnectivity to adequately protect it.The report concludes that, whilst the threat of cyber attack is not going away, smart businesses will still be able to protect themselves.In the coming years, the complexities of legislation and international events will have a greater impact in the realms of security and privacy, the report concluded.As a result, network defenders need to understand the complexities of privacy issues as thoroughly as they understand the impact of security vulnerabilities. Instead of symmetric responses to threats, tomorrows network defender must understand how to respond asymmetrically to threats through automated analysis, wide-reaching fixes, and a community-based defense.While the threat of cyberattack is unlikely to go away, thoughtful planning can continue to increase both the physical and intellectual price an attacker must pay to successfully exploit an enterprise.
Business plans for the next four years revealed
Nine oceanfront homeowners in Bay Head, New Jersey, are asking a judge to declare that the state has no legal right to seize parts of privately owned beaches for a protective dune project.

In court papers filed Feb. 19, the homeowners say the Department of Environmental Protection cannot use eminent domain to acquire easements for the dune project in Bay Head. Their request only applies to properties in Bay Head, but if it is granted, it could affect similar battles being fought over the dune project elsewhere along the states 127-mile coast.

Governments use eminent domain to take private property for a public purpose after compensating the owners for it.

The plaintiffs include Lawrence Bathgate, who was the national Republican finance chairman under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He raised money for both of George W. Bushs presidential campaigns and Jeb Bushs campaign.

The state Attorney Generals Office, which is defending the case for the DEP, declined comment. A hearing on the request is expected to be held March 18.

Bay Head is one of several communities fighting back against the dune project. Some residents, including some of the plaintiffs, have paid millions of dollars for a rock wall that they claim protects them better than sand dunes.

Bathgate told The Associated Press in October that Bay Head homeowners just want to be left alone to protect their own homes, at their own expense.

In 2013, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie began pushing for a protective sand dune project nearly a year after Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of the Jersey shore. Many oceanfront residents signed easements for free or for a nominal fee, allowing the work to be done.

But others have vociferously opposed the plan and sued the state to block it, including the city of Margate, just south of Atlantic City, and home and private beach owners in Point Pleasant Beach.

The privately owned Jenkinsons beach in Point Pleasant Beach also is suing the state and federal governments over the plan but has been engaged in settlement talks.

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman wrote a court filing last month seeking an extension until March 11. He said progress is being made and the parties are actively involved in discussions.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Homeowners New Jersey
Authorities said a former New York City police officer has been sentenced to two to six years in state prison for a scheme to defraud auto insurance companies.

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the sentencing of Jose E. Urena Monday.

This elaborate scheme was a brazen attempt to game the insurance system for profit, Schneiderman said. This conviction and prison sentence sends a clear message: there must be one set of rules for everyone, including those sworn to uphold the law.

An investigation by the attorney generals Auto Insurance Fraud Unit found that while Urena was employed as a New York City Police Officer, he submitted four fraudulent auto insurance claims in two years, and filed false documents and gave false testimony in an attempt to conceal his crimes.

In October 2014, Urena was arrested on an 11-count indictment in New York County. In November 2014, the attorney general re-arrested Urena on a related second indictment in Westchester County.

According to the indictments and statements made by prosecutors, as well as Urenas admissions in court, in May 2012, Urena falsely reported a claim to Nationwide Insurance Company that his leased 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML350 had been vandalized.

After Nationwide paid $9,289 for the vandalism claim, Urena used the money to repair pre-existing damage to the car, authorities said.

In January 2013, Urena filed a second fraudulent claim for the same Mercedes-Benz. Just one day before his lease on the Mercedes was due to expire, when the car was almost $2,000 over the allowable mileage limit and one week after cashing a $6,242 insurance check for repairs that were never made, Urena reported the car stolen.

But authorities said that in fact, it had not been stolen; Urena had given the keys to an individual to dispose of the Mercedes, so that he would not be responsible for any payments he owed. Just hours after the alleged theft took place, the Mercedes was found burned out in a warehouse district in the Bronx.

As part of a subsequent Nationwide investigation into his theft claim, Urena signed a notarized affidavit of vehicle theft, falsely swearing that his car had been stolen. Authorities said that in addition, he lied during a Nationwide deposition, stating that the Mercedes had been stolen and it had been in good condition when it had been stolen.

Authorities said that just two months later, in March 2013, Urena was having trouble making payments on a financed 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550. To free himself from financial responsibility for that car, Urena staged an accident by rear-ending a U-Haul truck, after which his insurer, GEICO, wrote off the Mercedes as a total loss.

Urenas fourth false claim occurred in July 2014, when he submitted a claim to GEICO after his 2011 Dodge Charger was involved in an accident. Urena inflated the amount of the claim to cover the cost of repairing pre-existing damage to the car and to make cosmetic improvements.

He used part of the resulting $7,503 insurance payout to add features to the car including a new grille, expensive tires and a painted roof.

Urena pleaded guilty in New York County Supreme Court in August 2015 to one count of insurance fraud in the third degree (a Class D felony) and one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree (a Class E felony).

His sentence will run concurrently with the previous sentence of one to three years in prison that he received in Westchester County for his guilty plea to one count of falsifying business records in the first degree (a class E felony).

Urena officially resigned his position as an New York City Police Department officer prior to pleading guilty in Westchester County.

The NYPDs Internal Affairs Bureau, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Nationwide Insurance Company, GEICO Insurance Company, Mercedes Benz, and the New York State Department of Financial Services assisted in investigating this case.

Topics Auto Claims Fraud New York
Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has hired Edith Quintrell as its U.S.-based underwriting development director for its Global Financial Risks division.



Quintrell previously was director of operations of the World Banks political risk insurance arm, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). She will be based in Washington, D.C. complementing LSMs underwriting teams in London, Paris and Singapore.

Quintrells role will focus on developing LSMs product capabilities and service offering to clients and brokers, with an emphasis on growing its business with public agencies such as multilaterals, export credit agencies and development finance institutions.

During her tenure with MIGA from 2007, she was responsible for the origination and underwriting of guarantees and developing the agencys business in a number of areas, including infrastructure, post-conflict countries, frontier markets, south-south investment and sub-Saharan Africa.

Prior to joining MIGA, Quintrell held various senior level positions in the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) including vice president for Insurance and director of Technical Operations.

She was also active in the Berne Union, including as chair of the Investment Insurance Committee. Earlier in her career, she worked at the Pan American Development Foundation, a non-governmental organisation in Washington, D.C.

LSM offers specialty and commercial insurance and reinsurance products across key UK, European, Middle East, U.S. and other international locations.
Bermuda-based Mt. Logan Re Ltd. announced the appointment of Martin Burke as its chief financial officer, effective Feb. 22, 2016.

Burke has 15 years of experience in senior finance roles in the reinsurance industry and was most recently with Sirius International (Bermuda), where he served as vice president and controller. Prior to joining Sirius in 2007, Burke had worked for Marsh (Bermuda) and Interpolis Re (Dublin, Ireland). Burke is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Management Accountant (CMA).

Rick Pagnani, president and chief executive officer of Mt. Logan Re, commented that Burke has experience in both re/insurance and the capital markets and, consequently, is perfectly suited to help as we continue to expand and evolve our platform in response to investor demands and the further emerging opportunities within the convergence market.

* Mt. Logan Re Ltd. is Everest Re Group Ltd.s special purpose reinsurer formed in January 2013 to provide collateralized capacity to the property catastrophe reinsurance market.

Source: Mt. Logan Re Ltd.

Topics Reinsurance
Johnson & Johnson must pay $72 million to the family of a woman who blamed her fatal ovarian cancer on the companys talcum powder in the first state-court case over the claims to go to trial.

Jurors in St. Louis concluded J&J should pay $10 million in compensatory damages and $62 million in a punishment award to the family of Jackie Fox, who died of ovarian cancer last year after using Johnsons baby powder and another talc-based product for years.

Its the first time a jury has ordered J&J, the worlds largest maker of health-care products, to pay damages over claims that it knew decades ago that its talc-based products could cause cancer and failed to warn consumers.

We have no higher responsibility than the health and safety of consumers and we are disappointed with the outcome of the trial, Carol Goodrich, a J&J spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement. We sympathize with the plaintiffs family but firmly believe the safety of cosmetic talc is supported by decades of scientific evidence.

J&J is facing about 1,200 suits claiming studies have linked its Johnsons Baby Powder and its Shower-to-Shower product to ovarian cancer. Women contend the company knew of the risk and failed to warn customers.

Decisive Documents

The jury foreman, Krista Smith, called the companys internal documents decisive for jurors, who reached the verdict after four hours of deliberations.

It was really clear they were hiding something, said Smith, 39, of St Louis. All they had to do was put a warning label on.

Allen Smith, a lawyer for the family, said, It was a just verdict given the horrible conduct of Johnson & Johnson.

J&J marketed its Shower to Shower brand talc for feminine hygiene. One 1988 ad promised just a sprinkle a day keeps odor away. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., which acquired the Shower to Shower brand in 2012, wasnt a defendant in the St. Louis case.

Wallboard, Balloons

Talc is used in products as varied as wallboard and the powder that keeps elastic balloons from sticking together. Baby powder is estimated to be an $18.8 million market in the U.S., according to the Statistic Brain Research Group. About 19 percent of U.S. households use J&Js brand, according to another research group, Statista.

Cornstarch has been widely substituted for talc as an absorbent in baby powder and feminine hygiene products. The American Cancer Society advised in 1999 that women use cornstarch-based products in the genital area.

J&J, which introduced a baby powder using cornstarch in the 1970s, continues to offer products that include talc and maintains the substance is safe.

In Foxs case, her familys lawyers urged jurors to find J&J officials hid its talc products health risks and should pay at least $22 million in damages.

J&J officials will not change their behavior until good people like you act, Allen Smith, one of the familys attorneys, told the St. Louis jury in closing arguments.

Proof Issue

J&Js lawyers countered that the family couldnt prove the companys talcum-based products directly caused or contributed to the development of Foxs cancer.

The evidence is very clear that the cause of the cancer was unknown, Gene Williams, one of the drugmakers lawyers, argued to the jury.

The case is the first in which a jury has awarded damages over J&Js talc products. A federal jury in North Dakota found in 2013 that a womans use of its talc-based body powder contributed to her developing ovarian cancer. The panel awarded no damages, however.

The case is Fox v. Johnson & Johnson, Cause No. 1422-CC09012-01, Division 10, Missouri Circuit Court, 22nd Judicial District (St. Louis).

With assistance from Margaret Cronin Fisk and Michelle Fay Cortez

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
It appears Google Compares grand experiment in online comparison shopping for auto insurance is dead  for now at least.

Insurance Journal has learned that two of Google Compares major partners were told today that the giant tech firm is shutting down its online shopping comparison undertaking.

One former partner, Compare.com, heard the news not from Google, but from several of its carriers that are partners in Google Compare. Another unnamed partner confirmed it had been told of the pending shutdown. A third major partner described the Google move as going dark and that the business is retooling.

A Google spokesman couldnt be immediately reached for comment. An official announcement from Google is expected to be made on Tuesday.

Just being Google does not predicate success. They were not the first to try nor will they be the last.

It was a bit shocking today to hear that they are exiting, Compare.com CEO Andrew Rose told Insurance Journal.

Rose said he was told it was a global exit, and that Google Compare isnt just exiting the insurance business but also credit cards, banking products, the mortgage products in the U.S. and the U.K.

Rose said the U.K. Compare operations were also informed of Googles exit, which he said is perplexing because online comparison shopping is strong in the U.K.

Its just interesting to see them throwing in the towel, he said.

Keith Moore, CEO and president of CoverHound.com  one of Googles initial platform partners when it launched Google Compare  says Googles plan is to go dark to retool all of its consumer product sites and improve the customer experience.

We think its a smart move and something we have been pushing for all along, Moore said. We are still engaged with them and still have an active partnership and hope that partnership will continue down the road.

Moore said there were a few carriers that Google was having challenges with outside of its relationship with CoverHound, and that the decision to pull the site was to address those issues.

We gave [Google] a lot of guidance on what we thought was best for consumers and some of the carriers directly couldnt deliver on that and we could, he said. The customer experience is everything.

For now, CoverHounds contract with Google is still in place.

When down the road CoverHounds relationship with Google will resume Moore wouldnt say, just that he considers the partnership to be on pause.

He also doesnt expect Googles hiatus from insurance will affect CoverHounds business directly, as the search engine giants Google Compare platform only brought in about 10 percent of CoverHounds business.

We are in good shape and think that the decision will make us even better from a customer experience standpoint, Moore said, adding the company has plans to announce other partnerships soon. I am very optimistic. Its a good time to be in insurance.

This comes just over a year after Google made a big splash with news it was getting into the insurance business. It was made official in March 2015 when the deal between the Mountain View, Calif.-based tech giant and major partners Compare.com and CoverHound was made known to the public.

Googles announcement included the unveiling of an online comparison tool that listed several major carriers as partners. Named as partners in the release were carriers Mercury Insurance and MetLife. Other large carriers subsequently signed on.

Participation in Google Compare was based on a flexible cost-per-acquisition model, but payment wasnt a factor in ranking or eligibility, according to Google.

Googles presence caused worry of a massive market disruption, particularly among independent agents. A month before the announcement amid rumors of Googles entry into the insurance business W.R. Berkley Corp. CEO William R. Berkley said every agent who sells personal auto coverage should be afraid, be very afraid.

Another partner was Insurance Technologies Corp., a Carrollton, Texas-based software provider.

In its role with Google Compare, ITC provided auto insurance quotes to online consumers through its rating application program interface for its comparative rating system TurboRater, a system already in use by insurance agents.

Ultimately I would not be surprised with Google exiting the market. It often seemed like a little bit of a distraction for them, said Laird Rixford, president of ITC.

Rixford noted the model conflicted with Googles main source of revenue, which is pay-per-click.

They were almost cannibalizing that model, he said.

Some have observed that Google Compare was moving much slower than anticipated.

Brian Sullivan, editor for Risk Information Inc., has been tracking the progress of Google Compare.

Sullivan said at an industry conference last month that Google Compare has only launched in four states in the nine months since they set out to tackle the U.S. market. They had expected to be in about two dozen states, Sullivan said.

They were going to X amount of traffic and they had 10 percent of the traffic they thought, he continued.

He reasoned they were going very slowly because they underestimated the complexity of personal auto.

Rixford said theres a lesson in this apparent failure.

Just being Google does not predicate success, Rixford said. They were not the first to try nor will they be the last.

ITCs Rixford said the market for online comparison is fluid and changing, and that the future market leader is probably not even around yet.

He added that U.S. consumers are still enamored with their agents.

The news comes a week after Citigroup analyst Todd Baults bold suggestion that Googles parent, Alphabet Inc., should buy American International Group Inc. to expand further into insurance.

Related:

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions USA Training Development Google
The widow of one of the 33 crew members killed when the El Faro sank in a hurricane last fall called on Friday for stricter oversight of decisions by shipping companies and their captains to sail in adverse weather.

Rochelle Hamms husband, 49-year-old Frank Hamm of Baltimore, died on Oct. 1 when the El Faro went down off the Bahamas in the worst cargo shipping disaster involving a U.S.-flagged vessel in more than three decades.

The U.S. Coast Guard began hearings last week to investigate the sinking. At a press conference outside the hearing site in Jacksonville, Florida, Rochelle Hamm said U.S. lawmakers should establish third-party oversight of shipping companies similar to the role of air traffic controllers for planes.

Executives of Tote Services, which operated the El Faro, testified this week that ship captains have full responsibility for deciding when it is safe to sail and the route.

They said it was Captain Michael Davidsons call to depart Jacksonville with a storm brewing in the Atlantic, and said they did not closely monitor the El Faros cargo run to Puerto Rico as a tropical storm strengthened into Hurricane Joaquin.

Hamm said in a phone interview that she came up with the idea she pitched in a Change.org petition for tighter safety regulations after northern airports closed and thousands of flights were canceled in January during a snowstorm.

Nothing moved, said Hamm, 44. You didnt see planes coming in or going out.

Hamm is among the family members of dead crew members who have sued Tote in federal court.

We feel strongly that this company had knowledge of the oncoming storm, said Hamms lawyer, Angelo Patacca. If information is available, you cant just stick your head in the sand.

Davidson, a veteran mariner from Maine, reported the 790-foot (241-meter) El Faro lost propulsion and took on water before it sank. After the vessel was lost, the company bought a subscription for a bad-weather routing system for its ships, Tote Services president, Philip Greene, testified this week.

The Coast Guards hearings continue through Thursday with testimony expected from other Tote employees, a ship inspection company that worked on the El Faro and Coast Guard personnel.

The investigation could result in civil charges. If any criminal actions are found, that evidence would be turned over to the Justice Department for consideration of criminal charges, Coast Guard spokeswoman Alana Ingram said.

(Reporting by Barbara Liston in Orlando, Florida; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Leslie Adler)

Topics USA
An Arkansas insurance agent has been charged with fraud and ordered to pay $127,748.06 in restitution.

The Arkansas Insurance Department revoked the resident producers license of Samuel Bowron Phillips of Fort Smith following a Jan. 26 hearing over an October 2015 complaint against Phillips alleging that he moved four fixed indexed retirement annuities worth $127,748.06 belonging to a Fort Smith couple from their then-current company to Paradigm Financial Partners LLC of Barling.

The couple never received any policies or documentation from Paradigm. The transaction resulted in a loss of value in the annuities of $27,259.76.

Currently, the owners of the annuities do not have access or know the location of their retirement investment.

During the course of AIDs investigation it was determined Paradigm was never an insurance agency, and that the Secretary of States office had revoked the license of the company. AID also contacted a similarly-named Paradigm Financial Partners located in Connecticut. The company stated it had no knowledge of the annuities in question, and had never done business with Phillips.

Phillips was charged last week in federal court with 11 counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, and three counts of money laundering. According to the federal complaint, Phillips opened checking accounts in the name of Paradigm Financial Partners and one other company.

AIDs Criminal Investigation Division assisted with the federal investigation into Phillips providing investigators with information, including checks deposited into Phillips checking accounts and bank surveillance video.

Topics Agencies Fraud Arkansas
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has launched a new website for customers, agents and other stakeholders that, according to the company, offers a more comprehensive gateway into the states insurer of last resort.

Launched Feb. 1, the new site provides a wider array of policy and corporate information, as well as a new search function that will allow policyholders and agents to access information and manage their policies.

Citizens reported the new website www.citizensfla.com has seen nearly 193,369 visits since its launch on February 1. Of those visits, approximately 21 percent are new and 79 percent are returning visitors, according to Google Analytics. Currently, more than 5,804 users have registered with the site, including 278 adjusters and 4,895 agents

The development team includes more than a dozen Citizens employees from across the company, bringing together a group that included personnel with expertise in information technology, communications, graphic design, consumer outreach and agent services.

Topics Florida Agencies
Students at San Francisco State University will have to come back from the future now that hoverboards have been banned from campus due to fire concerns.

Administrators informed students by email Monday that the two-wheeled, self-balancing devices are prohibited on school grounds and in dormitories, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The boards are popular but have been linked to fire hazards. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a letter Thursday noting 52 reports of fires that users say were caused by hoverboards in 24 states. The government says it will seize or recall any boards that fail to meet federal safety standards.

In January, an alert homeowner in Sonoma County saved his house after finding his daughters hoverboard shooting sparks.

Hoverhoards arent the only transportation device banned on the San Francisco State University campus of nearly 30,000 students. Bicycles, scooters, roller skates and skateboards are also prohibited.

Yet on Thursday, the newspaper said, dozens of bicyclists and skaters rolled through the main quad. A hoverboard was nowhere in sight. Students expressed mix opinions about the new rule.

They dont say much about the skateboards everywhere, so I dont see the problem with hoverboards, said student Wajma Naik, 20. Its not like theyre racing down anything.

Thandiwe Cato, a 21-year-old business student, said she liked the hoverboard ban because it might make it easier for walkers.

Im not going to say I dont like hoverboards, because Ive never tried one, she said. But anything that gets in my way as Im walking to class I do not like.

The use of hoverboards is legal on California streets and bike lanes. Riders must be over 16, wear a helmet and ride on a road with a speed limit no higher than 35 mph.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Education Universities
Anthony John Diaz, 35, was arraigned today in the Fresno County Superior Court in California to answer charges that he allegedly stole insurance premiums from policyholders.

Diaz was arrested earlier this month by California Department of Insurance detectives and booked on felony charges of diverting funds, grand theft and embezzlement.

Investigators with the departments investigation division reportedly uncovered evidence that Diaz, a licensed agent, allegedly pocketed $13,815 in automobile policy premiums and unauthorized brokers fees by diverting premium payments from approximately 90 policies he sold.

According to investigators, customers would sign up for an insurance policy on a newly purchased used vehicle, Diaz would pocket the premium payment, which was often cash, and input the information into the companys computers.

The premium amount would then be taken out of the insurance companys trust account. This scheme resulted in the policyholder having coverage, but Diazs alleged embezzlement meant the insurance company actually paid for the policy, according to the department.

The insurer discovered the theft, fired Diaz, and reported the fraud to the department.

Diaz is currently out on $20,000 bail. The department issued an order suspending Diazs agent license; he is not currently allowed to transact insurance business.

No matter what form insurance fraud takes, it is costly to insurers, consumers, and Californias economy, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a statement. Careful monitoring by the insurer, coupled with the investigative work by Department of Insurance investigators, uncovered Diazs alleged crimes.

Topics California Auto Agencies
Unum, a provider of financial protection benefits, has selected Majesco software for policy administration and billing for its life and annuities and group products, the company announced today.

The selection expands Unums business with the software provider, following Unum UKs implementation of Majescos administration for group protection in 2014. Unum's goal is to modernize its business to meet demands in the employee benefits market.

As the employee benefits market continues to rapidly change and grow, our business technology platform is an important component of our continued success, said Kate Miller, global chief information officer at Unum. Majesco offers a robust, modern technology solution that will enable us to provide innovative and valuable financial protection benefits coupled with service excellence.

Unums businesses in the U.S. and UK serve 178,000 companies across those regions, offering life, disability, accident and critical illness coverage.
The abrupt news that Google is shutting down its U.S. and UK insurance aggregators, Google Compare, within a month rocked an industry that has spent the better part of the year since its launch wondering what the technology behemoth's next move would be.

A sigh of relief that Google is gone might not be the right reaction, however, says Ellen Carney of Forrester, who has been studying the Google-insurance interaction for the past couple years. Google's ability to start and stop initiatives on a dime, returning with improvements after reflecting on what it's learned, are why the Silicon Valley company has grown into a legend.

Google is licensed to sell insurance in 49 states -- all except Rhode Island, Carney notes. She believes the company would only take on the effort to do so if it still saw insurance in its long-term plans. She noted that Keith Moore, CEO of online agency and Google partner Coverhound, told the Wall Street Journal that his understanding is that Google will retool and relaunch the site at some time in the future.

"You are going to have some insurance carriers who think the lesson is going to be 'we can fall back on what we did before,'" Carney says. "But the smart ones will understand that Google is tweaking their offering and coming back."

In fact, there are plenty of ways the company can keep its finger on the pulse pulse of insurance, says Matt Josefowicz of Novarica, who also cautioned insurers in a blog entry against thinking the company is going away for good.

Google isnt leaving insurance. Theyve decided that selling through aggregators isnt the right play for them right now," says Josefowicz, who notes that Google can make more money per click on auto-insurance related terms through AdWords than it could on commissions from sales. "They continue to dominate in advertising, and their data-related capabilities like Google Maps are in wide use. They may have realized its a better business for them to sell supplies than take the field themselves.

Consumers are interested in what Google has to offer: Forrester's North American Financial Services Online Benchmark Recontact Survey 2015, which surveyed 10,000 U.S. adults with insurance, found that while only 3% of respondents had used Google's site, a further 8% were interested but hadn't yet and 39% hadn't heard of it but were interested.

Carney says that in that light, Google's decision to pull the plug now and potentially re-tool indicates that it is playing by a different set or rules than the insurance industry has traditionally when it comes to testing new ideas -- or at least, modern implementations of tried-and-true successes.

"Frequent small failures, building an agile business, were in that world now," she says. "It may come back with an experience for consumers thats actually more classic-agent like."

Whatever form Google returns to the industry in -- or if it does -- the impact of a technology giant's attention to the the industry has been profound. Insurers are more attentive to the digital consumer than ever before, and the pressure from Google forced carriers and agents to be more innovative from a technology perspective.

"Google had people thinking differently and taking action," Carney says. "If they dont come back out, at least it made people think different and generated new ideas in insurance."
Join ITR and TMF Groups tax experts at 2pm CET (1pm GMT) on November 15 as they discuss how finance leaders are increasingly faced with doing more with less, and how CFOs should adapt.
Un ottobre da sogno per Antonio Conte: lex ct della Nazionale italiana, attualmente alla guida del Chelsea, nelle ultime quattro gare di Premier League ha collezionato solo successi, conditi da 11 reti segnate e addirittura nessuna incassata. Numeri da record che non sono certo passati inosservati alla Federazione inglese, la quale ha conferito al tecnico leccese lambito premio di Manager del mese.

Unavventura oltremanica iniziata in sordina, quella di Conte, pur a fronte di tre vittorie nelle prime tre gare di campionato. A far vacillare, anche se solo per un momento, le certezze del patron del club londinese, Roman Abramovich, i risultati conseguiti tra la 4a e la 6a giornata, coincisi con un pareggio sul campo dello Swansea City e, soprattutto, con le due pesanti sconfitte subite dal Liverpool, sul terreno casalingo di Stamford Bridge, e dallArsenal. In particolare, la debacle interna coi Reds, aveva irritato non poco il numero uno russo, poiche occorsa proprio nel giorno della sua 250esima partita da presidente della societa.

Come detto, solo un momento. Dopo lincontro dellEmirates, il tecnico salentino cambia modulo, adottando un piu equilibrato 3-4-3 e inserendo elementi di corsa come lo spagnolo Pedro. Una svolta totale perche, di li in poi, il Chelsea inanellera solo e soltanto vittorie: 2 gol allHull City e al Southampton in trasferta, 3 ai campioni dInghilterra del Leicester e 4 allo United in casa, con un meraviglioso numero zero nella casella delle reti subite. Un fantastico poker, ottenuto tra l1 e il 29 ottobre. Un cambio di marcia sbalorditivo, confermato dal 5 a 0 rifilato ai toffees dellEverton nel primo match di novembre, e una scalata che, man mano, ha portato i blues al secondo posto in classifica, a soli 2 punti dal Liverpool capolista.

E allora, non poteva mancare il riconoscimento di migliore allenatore del mese, ottenuto surclassando tecnici del calibro di Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) e Mark Hughes (Southampton). Tanta, ovviamente, la soddisfazione: E un grande onore e voglio condividerlo con i giocatori e con la societa  ha dichiarato Conte sul sito ufficiale della Premier League -. E la prima volta che lavoro in un altro Paese, con una cultura diversa, e portare la propria filosofia non e facile, ma ora sono contento di questa scelta.

A completare la festa, la premiazione del fantasista belga, Eden Hazard, come miglior giocatore di ottobre. Due risultati importanti per il club, ottimo incentivo per la rincorsa al trono dei campioni, occupato dal Leicester di Ranieri. Il prossimo appuntamento per l11 di Conte sara al Riverside Stadium, tana del Middlesborough neopromosso. Il tempo di festeggiare e gia finito.
Quasi 10 milioni di italiani si metteranno in viaggio per la Pasqua 2017, con un incremento del 2,3% rispetto allo stesso periodo dello scorso anno. Il 93% scegliera di rimanere in Italia mentre il restante 7% optera per una localita estera. E in crescita anche il giro daffari, che si attesta a quota 3,34 miliardi di euro (+3,6%). Emerge dai dati previsionali di Federalberghi sulle vacanze pasquali degli italiani.

Le mete preferite dagli italiani che rimarranno nel Belpaese saranno le localita darte (29,1%), il mare (28,8%), la montagna (21,4%) e i laghi (4,5%). Per chi andra allestero, le grandi capitali europee assorbiranno il 69,5% della domanda, seguito dal 13,8% delle localita marine e crociere. La permanenza media si attestera sulle 3,4 notti (contro le 3,5 notti del 2016) con una spesa media comprensiva di tutte le voci (trasporto, alloggio, cibo e divertimenti) pari a 337 euro (contro i 332 euro del 2016) con un dettaglio di 310 euro per chi restera in Italia e di 679 euro per chi scegliera destinazioni estere. La struttura ricettiva preferita, sara per il 32,5% la casa di parenti e amici, seguita dallalbergo (26,7%), dalla casa di proprieta (14,6%), dai bed and breakfast (10,4%), dallagriturismo (4,4%), dai residence (3,4%) e dallappartamento in affitto (3%).

Con questi presupposti, il segnale positivo che ci viene dal mercato consente di analizzare la situazione con moderato ottimismo  ha commentato il presidente di Federalberghi, Bernabo Bocca  vi e senzaltro da considerare il calendario che questanno colloca le festivita a meta del mese di aprile. E anche se la durata dei pernottamenti sara lievemente inferiore rispetto allo scorso anno, occorre leggere questa lieve flessione nella giusta prospettiva, tenendo conto delle occasioni di vacanza che gli italiani avranno nelle prossime due settimane, con i ponti del 25 aprile e del primo maggio. Le imprese del settore, ha aggiunto, chiedono a gran voce misure concrete volte a contrastare labusivismo, ridurre la pressione fiscale, potenziare le infrastrutture. Ultimo ma non meno importante, a quasi un mese dallabrogazione dei voucher, siamo ancora in attesa dello strumento alternativo che dovra mettere le imprese in condizione di far fronte alle esigenze di flessibilita imposte dal mercato.
Occasional recessions, market crashes, and COVID-19 notwithstanding, there is little doubt that life has improved steadily in recent decades. Products and services that were once the province of the rich became widely available as living standards rose. No business better exemplified the democratization of services than the airline industry. Low-cost carriers (LCCs) were at the forefront of that movement. Here we will take a closer look at that segment of the industry.

The Changing Face of Air Travel

In the old days, flying was a luxury experience. Airlines primarily catered to the affluent and business travelers. Flyers were a pampered lot, plied with food and wine. In those days, flights were seldom full. One could stretch out on the adjacent empty seat and enjoy a nap in the hushed passenger cabin.

Air travel grew in popularity, with the industry offering more flights and lower fares after deregulation, As the passenger traffic swelled, air travel's cachet faded just as low-cost carriers arrived, pushing fares even lower. It now costs extra to secure more leg room or glass of wine in a business or first-class section of the cabin. All too often, air travelers have been forced to put up with long delays, overcrowded flights, lengthy security procedures and noisy cabins.

The Rise of Low-Cost Carriers

While many bemoaned the decline in quality, the number of complaints was not exceptionally high compared to the greater number of air travelers. That was because airfares dropped substantially after adjusting for inflation. Consumers have always known that you get what you pay for. Paying cheap fares for no-frills air travel was a bargain accepted by the majority of air travelers. Those who pined for the glamour days of flying always had the option of paying more for first class.

Deregulation

Pioneers including Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) ushered in mass air travel in the U.S. during the 1970s. In that same decade, the deregulation of the U.S. airline industry accelerated the widespread use of low-cost carriers. The 1978 Airline Deregulation Act partly shifted control over air travel from the government to the private sector. That led to the termination of the once all-powerful Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in 1984.

The CAB previously had an iron grip on critical aspects of the U.S. airline industry. It controlled the pricing of airline services, agreements between carriers, and mergers within the industry. Airlines were only able to compete on tangible factors, such as food, service quality, and cabin crew. Their hands were tied concerning the most crucial consideration for most consumersticket price.

The Results of Deregulation

The liberalization of the airline industry yielded spectacular results. The number of U.S. air traveler enplanements soared from 205 million in 1975 to a record 927 million by 2019. Adjusting for inflation, the average price of a domestic round-trip ticket in the U.S. fell from $566.10 in 1990 to $367.34 in 2019. That's a decline of about 35%, but the drop mostly took place between 1990 and 2005. Airlines also went from filling about 54% of seats in 1975 to using 85% of their seating capacity in 2019.

Around the World

The low-cost carrier revolution spread worldwide between 1990 and 2020. The LCCs came to Europe in the 1990s and Asia in the 2000s. Flagship national airlines still exist in most countries. Italy even renationalized Alitalia during the coronavirus crisis. Low-cost carriers had been making progress for years. However, the extreme stress of dealing with the coronavirus put their survival at stake, especially in newer markets.

Why Low-Cost Carriers Soared

The success of low-cost carriers before 2020 can be attributed to many innovations and developments since the 1970s.

The Point-To-Point Model

Many large airlines were quick to adopt the hub-and-spoke model after deregulation. In that model, a major airport becomes the hub, and other destinations become the spoke. However, LCCs abandoned that system in favor of the point-to-point model.

The hub-and-spoke system allows airlines to consolidate their passengers at the hub and then fly on to their ultimate destinations (the spokes) in smaller aircraft. That boosts the percentage of seats filled, which helps to drive down fares. Furthermore, the hub-and-spoke system increases the number of possible destinations. However, it also has some drawbacks, such as the high costs required to maintain such a complex infrastructure. The hub-and-spoke system also imposes longer travel times on customers who must transit through the hubs. Finally, it is vulnerable to cascading flight delays caused by hub congestion.

The point-to-point system, on the other hand, connects each origin and destination via nonstop flights. That provides substantial cost savings by eliminating the intermediate stop at the hub, which gets rid of costs related to hub development. The point-to-point system also reduces total travel time and enables better aircraft utilization. Limited geographical reach is the major constraint of the point-to-point model. Unfortunately, direct flights are not economically viable for many city pairs.

Discount Pricing

The higher efficiency and better fleet utilization of LCCs, coupled with their reduced costs, enable them to offer significant airfare discounts. Ticket pricing is now the biggest competitive factor for airlines. Most consumers want to reach their destinations quickly and economically, and are willing to give up in-flight food and entertainment to save money. This drive for economy also extends to business travelers as companies increasingly clamp down on travel costs.

Technology Adoption

The widespread adoption of ticketless travel and Internet distribution has been a boon for LCCs. It decreases the need for complex and expensive ticketing systems used by legacy airlines to handle their complicated pricing structures. The emergence of the internet as the primary medium for booking tickets has dramatically increased the transparency of ticket pricing. That works in favor of the low-cost carriers because of their lower fares.

Fleet Uniformity

A significant benefit of the point-to-point model is that LCCs can use a single fleet type. They frequently do not have much variability in passenger demand between the major city pairs that they serve. Traditional carriers often need larger planes to carry passengers between hubs, and smaller ones for flights to the spokes. The fleet uniformity of low-cost carriers leads to lower training and maintenance costs.

Motivated Staff

Several LCCs prided themselves on the high motivation levels of their employees. They motivated employees with competitive compensation, incentives like profit-sharing, and a strong corporate brand identity. Additionally, most LCCs tend to fly shorter routes. That means employees might only be away from home for a few hours, as opposed to a couple of days or longer for long-haul flights. More time at home can also be good for morale.

Pandemic Symptoms

Fewer Flyers

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically cut demand for air travel. According to Airlines for America, the number of commercial flights globally declined about 75% between March and May in 2020. At the same time, U.S. passenger airlines reduced flights by 74% domestically and 93% internationally. Even worse, the number of passengers on a typical domestic flight fell from a range of 85 to 100 to just 10. However, the average number of passengers rebounded to around 30 by the middle of May. It was clear airlines could not long operate under those conditions.

The Bailout

In March 2020 the airline industry secured nearly $60 billion in U.S. government funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, saving the industry from bankruptcy. However, there were strings attached that have significant consequences for potential investors. The airlines had to agree to forego layoffs, stock buybacks, and dividend payments. The dire situation for airline earnings was already highly unfavorable to buybacks and dividends, so those restrictions mattered little. The prohibition of layoffs, on the other hand, limited the companies; flexibility in adapting to a dramatically different business environment. Nonetheless, the aid represented a significant win for the airlines and their employees.

Buffett Departs

Legendary investor Warren Buffett sold in 2020 all the airline stocks owned by his company Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A). Berkshire Hathaway's holdings were in the larger airlines, including a substantial stake in the large low-cost carrier Southwest. Buffett's company paid $7 billion to $8 billion for its stakes in the airlines, but they were worth closer to $4 billion when sold amid the COVID-19 pandemic, marking a rare loss for Buffett and his firm. "I don't know that three, four years from now people will fly as many passenger miles as they did last year," Buffett said. "You've got too many planes."

Startup Success Stories?

The economic environment after the pandemic could be extremely favorable to new entrants in the low-cost carrier space. Fear of the virus is likely to decline dramatically under most scenarios, unleashing repressed demand. The industry's contraction during the pandemic promises to leave many older planes on the market, along with additional gates and take-off slots at some airports. That, in turn, could lower startup costs for new low-cost carriers. New LCCs would also be free of the massive debt and restrictive agreements with governments weighing down the incumbent carriers.

The Biggest LCCs in the U.S.

While startups seem likely to emerge in the future, large established low-cost carriers are not going away. The top U.S. low-cost carriers are listed below.

Southwest Airlines Co.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (LUV) began operations in 1971. It became the largest U.S. carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and also operated the world's largest fleet of Boeing aircraft. Southwest had a 17.7% share of the domestic U.S. air travel market in the 12 months through October 2021, just behind American's 18.5%. As of Feb. 8, 2022, Southwest had a market capitalization of $27.2 billion.

JetBlue Airways Corp.

JetBlue (JBLU) launched in 2000 and grew to become one of the largest U.S. passenger carriers by focusing on some of the top U.S. travel markets. JetBlue differentiated itself by offering the most legroom in coach class, as well as free TV and broadband Internet service on its flights. JetBlue had a 5.3% share of domestic U.S. air travel in the 12 months through October 2021. The company had a market capitalization of $4.9 billion as of Feb 8, 2022.

Spirit Airlines, Inc.

Spirit (SAVE) has operations in the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean. The airline's strategy is to offer an unbundled, stripped-down "Bare Fare" and charge customers for options like baggage, seat assignments, and refreshments. Spirit launched its initial public offering in May 2011 and had a market capitalization of $2.8 billion as of Feb. 8, 2022. Spirit matched JetBlue with a 5.3% share of the domestic U.S. air travel in the year through October 2021. On Feb. 7, 2022, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines parent Frontier Group Holdings, Inc. (ULCC) announced the two companies planned to merge in a deal valued at $6.6 billion. The combined airline would be the fifth-largest in the U.S.

Allegiant Travel Co.

Allegiant Travel (ALGT) is the parent company of Allegiant Air, which was founded in 1997. Allegiant focuses on the U.S. domestic market, flying passengers from small and mid-sized cities to top holiday destinations like Las Vegas and Honolulu. Allegiant Travel had a market capitalization of $3.2 billion as of Feb. 8, 2022.

The Bottom Line

Whether one calls them low-cost carriers or LCCs, budget airline stocks are risky investments. However, high risks sometimes give investors high returns. While the stocks have already rallied impressively from their 2020 lows, the rebound in air travel as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides may drive additional gains for the shares of low-cost carriers.
Crude oil is the most valuable commodity by trading turnover and one of the most widely used. In a world with many consumers and producers, a single country or organization can no longer "control" crude oil prices set in highly liquid global markets.

But that wasn't always the case. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was created in 1960 to protect the interests of Mideast crude exporters in a market dominated--and fixed--by the U.S., at the time the world's largest consumer and producer.

Arab members of OPEC would demonstrate oil exporters' growing power in 1973 with a damaging oil embargo targeting the U.S. and other supporters of Israel in the West. The episode marked the peak of OPEC's leverage over the oil markets amid rapidly declining U.S. production.

The fortunes of OPEC and the U.S. have continued to fluctuate in the years since with oil booms and busts, and the resurgence of domestic U.S. output based on advances in hydraulic fracturing. The development of new energy production in the North Sea, Canadian oil sands and off the coasts of Africa, Australia and the Americas has limited the global sway of OPEC and U.S. producers alike, amid rapid consumption growth in China, India and other developing countries.

In this article, we explore the historical rivalry between OPEC and the U.S. and its evolution.

Key Takeaways OPEC and OPEC+ are groupings of oil exporting countries that use supply quotas in an effort to secure the highest long-term prices for their members

Both groups set their supply targets by consensus, though Saudi Arabia plays an outsized role as the top exporter with most spare capacity.

OPEC was formed to counter U.S. dominance of oil markets in the 1950s, and the 1973-1974 Arab oil embargo cemented its reputation as a U.S. rival.

Global oil markets increasingly connecting Asian consumers with a broad group of OPEC and non-OPEC producers are too large and diverse to be dominated by a single country or group.

United States

The U.S. was the world's leading producer and consumer of crude oil in 1960, the year OPEC was formed. While U.S. crude imports already totaled a million barrels per day, it was at prices set by the country's internationally dominant oil companies and backed by import quotas.

The U.S. adopted quotas limiting imports to 9% of domestic consumption in 1959. Five years earlier, a consortium of U.S. oil companies gained control of Iran's crude production after a Western-backed coup.

Strong U.S. consumption growth during the 1960s, coupled with decline in domestic crude output throughout the 1970s, increased the market power of oil exporters including OPEC. Images of long lines at gas stations in the U.S. during the 1973-1974 oil embargo cemented a view of OPEC as an adversary among Americans.

The energy conservation measures and exploration efforts prompted by high oil prices in the 1970s laid the seeds for the 1980s energy slump that followed.

As U.S. domestic output rebounded amid rapid development of shale resources starting in 2011, the rivalry with OPEC revived as a competition between producers. When Saudi Arabia raised output starting in 2014, depressing crude oil prices, it did so with the stated aim of reversing big recent gains in U.S. shale production.

A steady supply of legislative proposals in the U.S. Congress starting in 2000 sought to make OPEC subject to U.S. antitrust laws as a cartel. None have been enacted.

OPEC

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was formed in 1960 by developing country exporters to assert control over their domestic production and global supply. The five founding members were Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. Following subsequent additions and a few departures, OPEC currently has these 13 members:

Algeria

Angola

Congo

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Iran

Iraq

Kuwait

Libya

Nigeria

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Venezuela

Each member of the organization has one vote and all OPEC decisions on oil production require unanimous consent. (New members may be admitted with approval from three-quarters of the membership, including all founding countries.)

In practice, Saudia Arabia has historically enjoyed an outsized role in OPEC decision-making because it is by far the organization's top producer and exporter, with an even larger share of aggregate spare production capacity within the group. In 2021, Saudi Arabia accounted for 34% of OPEC's crude oil output, more than twice as much as Iraq, the second-largest producer in the organization. OPEC crude oil accounted for 28% of global petroleum liquids production in January 2022.

All OPEC members benefit from higher prices as a result of the supply quotas adopted by the organization, but each member also has an incentive to supply crude above its quota to maximize oil revenue. The scale of Saudi Arabia's production relative to that of other OPEC members gives those countries an additional incentive to supply as much crude as OPEC's dominant producer will tolerate. As a result, accusations of cheating on quotas have surfaced throughout the organization's history, challenging critics' claims it is an effective cartel.

How OPEC Works By charter, each member country has one vote and oil supply agreements among members require unanimous consent. In practice, Saudi Arabia plays a dominant role by virtue of its status as OPEC's biggest producer and the country with most unused production capacity. Member states frequently supply more oil than their quotas specify.

In late 2016, OPEC agreed to coordinate crude oil supply with 10 non-OPEC countries under the OPEC+ umbrella. The non-OPEC members joining OPEC+ were Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Mexico, Bahrain, Brunei, Oman, Sudan, and South Sudan. OPEC+ supply agreements, like OPEC's, require consensus among members.

While Russia's crude oil production rivals Saudi Arabia's, it has much less spare production capacity. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reiterated Saudi Arabia's commitment to OPEC+.

OPEC vs. the United StatesThe Future

Every time gas prices rise, millions of U.S. motorists take notice. No other consumer product has prices so prominently displayed or frequently discussed. Since the 1970s, U.S. politicians have frequently blamed OPEC for energy price increases.

As a group of national producers often described as a cartel and concentrated in the Middle East, a region long perceived as hostile to U.S. interests, OPEC has been an easy target. In recent years, the group has sought to improve its image in the U.S., with limited results.

In the short term, OPEC and U.S. shale producers continue to compete for global market share. Unlike OPEC, U.S. companies are subject to antitrust provisions barring them from coordinating supply plans. Shale drilling incurs higher production costs than do the traditional vertical wells in Saudi oil fields. Shale resources also have steeper decline curves, meaning production from shale wells declines faster than from conventional ones.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects U.S. crude oil production to peak in 2030-2035, while OPEC production is expected to continue rising through 2050.

Much of the growth in energy consumption is expected to take place in developing Asian countries, where petroleum liquids demand is expected to grow 1.8% annually through 2050, three times as fast as in the U.S.

As OPEC ships more of its crude to Asia while U.S. production and consumption growth slow over time, the historic rivalry between the U.S. and OPEC could diminish. But it could flare anew subject to geopolitical risks including climate change and the future of the recently weakened U.S.-Saudi relationship.
Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) reports fourth quarter 2020 earnings in Tuesday's pre-market, with analysts looking for a profit of $0.02 per share on $48.8 billion in revenue. If met, earnings per share (EPS) will mark a 98% profit decline compared to the same quarter last year. The stock ended a five-month slide in October after posting a 29.0% year-over-year revenue decline and has gained more than 40% since that time.

Key Takeaways Exxon Mobil is expected to report a small profit in Tuesday's earnings report.

The stock has been stuck in a downtrend for seven years.

Price action has recouped less than half the losses posted in the first quarter of 2020.

New initiatives to reduce emotions are unlikely to improve Exxon's standing with climate change activists.

Rival Chevron Corporation (CVX) missed fourth quarter top- and bottom-line estimates on Friday, posting a 30.5% year-over-year revenue decline. This sub-par performance is weighing on Exxon expectations, raising the odds for a sell-the-news reaction. Things got so bad for the fossil fuel industry in 2020 that Exxon Mobil and Chevron discussed a merger of equals, but crude oil's advance into 2021 ended those discussions. Even so, Exxon Mobil stock has recouped less than half of the losses posted in the first quarter of 2020, highlighting significant technical damage, compounded by a brutal seven-year downtrend.

The company just announced new steps to reduce emissions in a nod to the Biden administration, enacting "initiatives to commercialize technologies which are key to reducing emissions and meeting societal goals consistent with the Paris Agreement." It may be too little too late, with alternative energies maturing into a multi-billion dollar powerhouse. The passing of the torch from Baby Boomers to the Millennial generation has also encoded the demise of fossil fuels, making it unlikely that Exxon will be considered a "friend of the Earth" any time soon.

Wall Street consensus on Exxon Mobil stock has improved in the past three months to a current "Hold" rating, based upon 10 "Buy," 14 "Hold," and 4 "Sell" recommendations. Price targets currently range from a low of $36.50 to a Street-high $79, while the stock is set to open Monday's session about $5 below the median $50 target. This humble placement should limit downside if the quarterly report fails to inspire buying interest.

Tip The Paris Agreement, also known as the Paris Climate Accord, is an agreement among the leaders of over 180 countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the global temperature increase to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) above pre-industrial levels by the year 2100.

Exxon-Mobil Monthly Chart (2000  2021)

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A multi-year uptrend topped out at $47.72 in 2000, giving way to a decline that posted a four-year low at $29.75 in 2002. A strong recovery wave broke out to a new high in 2004, ahead of impressive gains into the 2008 top in the low $90s. The stock lost about one-third of its value during the economic collapse and turned higher into the new decade, breaking out in 2013 and posting an all-time high at $104.76 one year later.

Sellers then took control, grinding out a downtrend that broke 2015 support at $66.55 during the pandemic decline. The stock hit an 18-year low in March and bounced strongly, stalling at 200-day exponential moving average (EMA) resistance in the $50s in June. A selloff into October found support just above the first quarter low, yielding an uptick that mounted the moving average earlier this month. However, the stock is still trading below June resistance, marking a level that needs to be crossed to stoke additional buying interest.

Tip The 200-day moving average is considered a key indicator by traders and market analysts for determining overall long-term market trends. The indicator appears as a line on a chart and meanders higher and lower along with the longer-term price moves in the stock, commodity, or whatever instrument that is being charted.

The Bottom Line

Exxon Mobil reports fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday, with sentiment deteriorating after last week's miss by Chevron.

Disclosure: The author held no positions in the aforementioned securities at the time of publication.
The eurozone, also called the euro area, is a union of 19 European Union member states that have officially adopted the euro as their primary currency and sole legal tender. These member states exist under one monetary authority, the Eurosystem. At the beginning of 2018, Italy was the third-largest economy in the currency bloc. When Italy entered into a deep political and economic crisis, it was a concern for the European Union (EU) as well as for the global markets. At the time, Italy accounted for 11% of the EU's gross domestic product (GDP).

At the end of September 2018, the ruling coalition comprising the Five Star Movement (M5S)a political party that espoused a populist, antiestablishment view (and was critical of the EU)and the Lega Nordalso a political party in Italysubmitted their 2019 budget to the European Commission.

The proposed spending plan called for a deficit equal to 2.4% of the gross domestic product (GDP). At the same time, Italy's total government debt was equal to 131% of the GDP (more than double the eurozone limit); the eurozone contingent had been pressuring Italy to decrease its debt. As a result, this move upset Italy's eurozone partners.

Key Takeaways The euro zone's third-largest nation has plunged into deep political and economic crisis, which has become a concern for the European Union (EU) as well as for the global markets.

Italy has been a problematic state for many years. In a nutshell, a weak economy and a failure to form a workable political coalition have caused the problems in Italy.

Italy ranks among the countries with the most significant sovereign debtaround 2.8 trillion euros and countingand has been facing a double-digit unemployment rate since 2012.

Failure to Form a Stable Government

Political chaos and the failure to form a stable coalition government were at the root of the problems in Italy. Despite several weeks of prolonged discussions and negotiation, an agreement failed to materialize between the EU-skeptic populist group, M5S, and the pro-EU establishment lawmakers. This left the country in a deep political and economic crisis.

After the March 2018 vote produced a hung parliament, Italy was without a proper government. At this time, the populist M5S party emerged as the largest contender; they attempted to join the far-right Lega Nord party to form a coalition government. While the two groups agreed on Giuseppe Conte, a law professor, to be their prime ministerial candidate, his surprise resignation shortly thereafter caused a stir.

This development was attributed to President Sergio Mattarellas refusal to accept a euro-skeptic candidate Paolo Savona as economy minister. Savona has been an opponent of the single currency in the past, calling it a German Cage. He has also advocated for a Plan B alternative to EU membership.

Under the law, the Italian president has the authority to block individual cabinet appointments. As M5S and Lega Nord refused to offer a different choice for finance minister, the coalition went for a toss. Instead, President Mattarella appointed former International Monetary Fund (IMF) official Carlo Cottarelli as interim prime minister; this paved the way for another round of elections. Cottarelli thus became responsible for planning the new elections, as well as for introducing the new budget. (Cottarelli has a reputation of significantly cutting down on public spending, which has earned him the title "Mr. Scissors.")

Unfortunately, this decision by the president did not bode well with the M5S and Lega Nord parties. Mattarella, who was instituted by the earlier pro-EU government, faced calls for impeachment from the leaders of M5S, as a result of Mattarellas refusal to accept Savona as economy minister, appointing Cottarelli as interim prime minister, and mandating fresh elections. At the time, Lega Nord's leaders did not support the impeachment that the leaders of M5S were calling for. When these political developments hit the Italian economy, it caused further turmoil.

Weak Fundamentals in the Italian Economy

Many of Italy's economic problems were longstanding, including a high number of problem loans on its central banks balance sheets, combined with decades of slow growth. It ranks among the countries with the most significant government debtaround 2.8 trillion euros in 2018and the country has moreover been facing high unemployment since even before the 2007-2009 financial crisis made things worse.

In fact, after the 2008 financial crises, Italy never made any significant strides towards a recovery. Greece and Italy were the two of the advanced economies carrying the highest debt burden at the beginning of the crisis; in subsequent years, only Greece has suffered a more severe and more protracted economic depression.

2.3 trillion euros The amount of Italy's debt.

However, the bigger challenge faced by Italy is surrounding the snap elections, meant to take place in early 2019. Experts opine that it will be fought over the country's role in the EU and eurozone. The voting, as well as the results, will put a big question mark over the EU's future. The elections are seen as a quasi-referendum about Italy's role in the EU. The economic impact of Italian developments is also a cause of concern as the nation appears set to join other ailing economies, like Spain and Portugal, leading to larger problems for the EU.

If the anti-Brussels, anti-euro coalition comes to power with a decisive majority, the fate of the EU and the euro common currency will be at risk.

The Bottom Line

Though the current Italian crisis is worse than that of Greece in 2015, the situation is not a death-knell. The EU survived a crisis in 2012 when several smaller EU members were perceived to be potential defaulters and fears were looming large that the euro would collapse. Mario Draghi, head of the European Central Bank (ECB), unveiled the emergency program of bond buying, which ended the risk of a destructive debt spiral and boosted investors confidence.

Going forward, it will be a volatile situation in Italy and in the eurozone until the election sorts things out. A clear mandate to pro-EU groups is expected to soothe the situation, but a victory for anti-EU parties may deepen the crisis, while hung results may see fresh attempts at coalitions.
Billionaires play an outsized role in shaping the global economy, politics, and philanthropy. Forbes puts the number of billionaires in the world at 2,668 in 2022. The wealthiest among them belong to an even more exclusive club and wield still more power. Many of these billionaires are founders of technology giants, with much of their wealth still invested in the companies they started.

They can, however, still borrow against that wealth to avoid selling stock, deferring (or eliminating for heirs) taxes on unrealized capital gains in the process. Multi-billionaires can also take advantage of a panoply of tax deductions to offset reported income, leaving some on this list paying no income tax in recent years.

With so much of their wealth in publicly traded stocks, the net worth of the richest can fluctuate with market valuations. For example, Elon Musk, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Tesla (TSLA) and the richest person in the world, saw his net worth surge in 2021 thanks to the increase in the share price of Tesla Tesla shares rose nearly 50% in 2021. He currently owns 16% of the company. His net worth as of September 2022 was $241 billion.

In contrast, Meta Platforms (META) founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg fell out of the top 10 in February 2022, when the company's share price plunged after a disappointing earnings report. Zuckerberg's net worth was reported to be $59.7 billion in September 2022.

Below are the 10 wealthiest people on the planet as of the same date, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. All figures are current as of Oct. 4, 2022, unless otherwise stated.

Key Takeaways Elon Musk, the co-founder and CEO of Tesla, is the richest person in the world with a net worth of $241 billion.

Behind Musk is the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, with an estimated net worth of $151 billion.

Billionaires with the largest increases in their wealth in 2021 included Musk, LVMH Chair and CEO Bernard Arnault, and Google co-founder Larry Page.

Six of the top 10 billionaires made their fortunes in technology, with Arnault, Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett, Adani Group founder Gautam Adani, and Reliance Industry's Mukesh Ambani being the exceptions.

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg dropped off the top 10 list in February 2022.

1. Elon Musk

Age: 51

51 Residence: Texas

Texas Co-founder and CEO: Tesla

Tesla Net Worth: $228 billion

$228 billion Tesla Ownership Stake: 15% ($99.3 billion)

15% ($99.3 billion) Other Assets: Space Exploration Technologies ($46.9 billion private asset), The Boring Company ($3.33 billion private asset), Twitter ($3.8 billion public asset), $17.8 billion in cash

Elon Musk was born in South Africa and attended a university in Canada before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned bachelor's degrees in physics and economics. Two days after enrolling in a graduate physics program at Stanford University, Musk deferred attendance to launch Zip2, one of the earliest online navigation services. He reinvested a portion of the proceeds from this startup to create X.com, the online payment system that was sold to eBay (EBAY) and ultimately became PayPal Holdings (PYPL).

In 2004, Musk became a major funder of Tesla Motors (now Tesla), which led to his current position as CEO of the electric vehicle company. In addition to its line of electric automobiles, Tesla produces energy storage devices, automobile accessories, and, through its acquisition of SolarCity in 2016, solar power systems. Musk is also CEO and chief engineer of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), a developer of space launch rockets.



In 2020, Tesla shares soared 740% to propel Musk up the wealth rankings. In December 2020, Tesla joined the S&P 500, becoming the largest company added. In January 2021, Musk became the richest person in the worlda title he's held since then.



Image courtesy Getty Images/Saul Martinez.

In a Nov. 6, 2021 tweet, Musk asked his Twitter (TWTR) audience whether he should sell 10% of his Tesla stock, framing the issue as a response to criticism of unrealized capital gains as a means of avoiding taxes. He proceeded to sell shares worth $16.4 billion over the remainder of 2021.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, cited a media report that Musk paid no income tax for 2018 to argue for the adoption of a wealth tax. "And if you opened your eyes for 2 seconds, you would realize I will pay more taxes than any American in history this year," Musk responded on Twitter.



Thanks to the surge in Tesla shares in 2021 and private transactions boosting the reported valuation of SpaceX, Musk's lead in the global wealth rankings has continued to grow. His net worth hit a high of $340 billion in November 2021.

In April 2022, Musk began a campaign to take Twitter private, which culminated in a $44 billion buyout. Musk planned to fund the deal with $21 billion of his own capital. In the run-up to the buyout announcement, Musk sold 9.6 million shares of Tesla, valued at roughly $8.5 billion.

In July 2022, Musk decided to back out of the Twitter buyout. Twitter filed a lawsuit against Musk to force the buyout to go through. Musk countersued the company but then reversed course and, in October 2022, declared he was willing to buy Twitter after all.

2. Jeff Bezos

Age: 58

58 Residence: Washington

Washington Founder and Executive Chair: Amazon (AMZN)

Amazon (AMZN) Net Worth: $144 billion

$144 billion Amazon Ownership Stake: 10% ($121 billion)

10% ($121 billion) Other Assets: Blue Origin ($9.15 billion private asset), The Washington Post ($250 million private asset), and $14.1 billion in cash

In 1994, Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com in a garage in Seattle, shortly after he resigned from the hedge fund giant D.E. Shaw. He had originally pitched the idea of an online bookstore to his former boss David E. Shaw, who wasnt interested.

Though Amazon originally started out selling books, it has since morphed into a one-stop shop for everything under the sun and is expected to overtake Walmart as the worlds largest retailer by 2024. Amazon's pattern of constant diversification is evident in some of its unexpected expansions, which include acquiring Whole Foods in 2017 and entering the pharmacy business the same year.

Bezos owned as much as 16% of Amazon in 2019 before transferring 4% to his former wife MacKenzie Scott as part of their divorce proceedings. In 2020, Amazons share price jumped 76% on the heightened demand for online shopping amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 5, 2021, Bezos stepped down as CEO of the e-commerce giant, becoming its executive chair.

Image courtesy Getty Images/Alex Wong.

Bezos originally took Amazon public in 1997 and went on to become the first man since Bill Gates in 1999 to achieve a net worth of more than $100 billion. Bezos other projects include aerospace company Blue Origin, The Washington Post (which he purchased in 2013), and the 10,000-year clockalso known as the Long Now.

On July 20, 2021, Bezos, his brother Mark, aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and Dutch student Oliver Daemen completed Blue Origin's first successful crewed flight, reaching an altitude of more than 66 miles before landing safely. Bezos' wealth peaked at $211 billion in the same month.

3. Bernard Arnault

Age: 73

73 Residence: Paris

Paris CEO and Chair: LVMH (LVMUY)

LVMH (LVMUY) Net Worth: $141 billion

$141 billion Christian Dior Ownership Stake: 97.5% ($111 billion total)

97.5% ($111 billion total) Other Assets: Moelis & Company equity ($21.3 billion public asset), Hermes equity (undisclosed stake), and $8.9 billion in cash

French national Bernard Arnault is the chair and CEO of LVMH, the worlds largest luxury goods company. LVMH brands include Louis Vuitton, Hennessey, Marc Jacobs, and Sephora.

Most of Arnault's wealth comes from his massive stake in Christian Dior SE, the holding company that controls 41.2% of LVMH. His shares in Christian Dior SE, plus an additional 6.2% in LVMH, are held through his family-owned holding company, Groupe Familial Arnault.

An engineer by training, Arnault first showed his business acumen while working for his fathers construction firm, Ferret-Savinel, taking charge of the company in 1971. He converted Ferret-Savinel to a real estate company named Ferinel Inc. in 1979.



Image courtesy Getty/Christophe Morin.

Arnault remained Ferinel's chair for another six years, until he acquired and reorganized luxury goods maker Financiere Agache in 1984, eventually selling all its holdings other than Christian Dior and Le Bon Marche. He was invited to invest in LVMH in 1987 and became the majority shareholder, chair of the board, and CEO of the company two years later.

4. Gautam Adani

Age: 60

60 Residence: Gurgaon, India

Gurgaon, India Founder and Chair: Adani Group

Adani Group Net Worth: $125 billion

$125 billion Adani Enterprises, Power. and Transmissions Ownership Stakes: 75% each ($72.4 billion)

75% each ($72.4 billion) Other Assets: 65% of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone ($12.2 billion public asset), 61% of Adani Green Energy ($24.5 billion public asset), 37% of Adani Total Gas ($16.2 billion public asset)

Gautam Adani, the founder of Adani Group, surpassed Mukesh Ambani in March 2022 as the richest person in Asia. Adani, via his ownership of Adani Group, owns major stakes in six key Indian companies, including a 75% stake in Adani Enterprises, Adani Power, and Adani Transmissions, as well as a 65% stake in Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone, 61% stake in Adani Green Energy, and 37% stake in Adani Total Gas.

The combined market capitalization of companies owned by the Adani Group is $238.4 billion (as of Sept. 6, 2022). Adani entered the power generation market in 2009 with Adani Power. Adani created Adani Enterprises in 1988 to import and export commodities. In 1994, his company was granted approval to develop a harbor facility at Mundra Port, which is now the largest private port in India.

Adani dropped out of college and previously worked in the diamond trade. Now, Adani has the largest port operator, closely-held thermal coal producer, and coal trader in India. In 2020, he purchased a 74% stake in Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, India's second-busiest airport.

The billionaire was kidnapped and held for ransom in 1997. Adani was also in Mumbais Taj hotel during the 2008 terrorist attack.



5. Bill Gates

Age: 66

66 Residence: Washington

Washington Co-founder: Microsoft (MSFT)

Microsoft (MSFT) Net Worth: $111 billion

$111 billion Microsoft Ownership Stake: 1.3% ($25.6 billion)

1.3% ($25.6 billion) Other Assets: Cascade Investment LLC ($51.8 billion public assets), $52.4 billion in cash



While attending Harvard University in 1975, Bill Gates went to work alongside his childhood friend Paul Allen to develop new software for the original microcomputers. Following this projects success, Gates dropped out of Harvard during his junior year and founded Microsoft with Allen.

The largest software company in the world, Microsoft also produces a line of personal computers, provides email services through its Exchange server, and sells video game systems and associated game devices. It has recently invested heavily in cloud services.

Gates shifted from the company's CEO to the role of board chair in 2008. He joined Berkshire Hathaways board in 2004. He stepped down from both boards on March 13, 2020.

Bill Gates has much of his net worth in Cascade Investment LLC. Cascade is a privately-held investment vehicle that owns a variety of stocks including Canadian National Railway (CNR), Deere (DE), and Republic Services (RSG), as well as private investments in real estate and energy.

Image courtesy Getty Images/Jack Taylor.

In 2000, Gates' two philanthropic organizationsthe William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundationmerged to create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, still co-chaired by Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates. Through the foundation, they have spent billions to fight polio and malaria. The foundation pledged $50 million in 2014 to help fight Ebola. As of 2021, the foundation had spent more than $1.9 billion to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2010, alongside Warren Buffett, Bill Gates launched the Giving Pledge, a campaign encouraging the wealthy to commit to donating most of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

Bill and Melinda French Gates divorced on Aug. 2, 2021. With the divorce, roughly $5 billion in equities was transferred to French Gates.

Bill Gates is the largest private owner of farmland in the U.S. with over 268,000 acres.

6. Warren Buffett

Age: 92

92 Residence: Nebraska

Nebraska CEO: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) Net Worth: $98.2 billion

$98.2 billion Berkshire Hathaway Ownership Stake: 16% ($97.1 billion)

16% ($97.1 billion) Other Assets: $1.03 billion in cash

The most famous living value investor, Warren Buffett filed his first tax return in 1944 at age 14, declaring earnings from his boyhood paper route. He first bought shares in a textile company called Berkshire Hathaway in 1962, becoming the majority shareholder by 1965. Buffett expanded the company's holdings to insurance and other investments in 1967.

Berkshire Hathaway is now a $705 billion-dollar market cap company, with a single share of stock (Class A shares) trading at more than $439,000 as of Aug. 5, 2022.

Widely known as the Oracle of Omaha, Buffett is a buy-and-hold investor who built his fortune by acquiring undervalued companies. More recently, Berkshire Hathaway has invested in large, well-known companies. Its portfolio of wholly owned subsidiaries includes interests in insurance, energy distribution, and railroads as well as consumer products.

Buffett is a notable Bitcoin skeptic.

Image courtesy Getty Images/Alex Wong.

Buffett has dedicated much of his wealth to philanthropy. Between 2006 and 2020, he gave away $41 billionmostly to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and his childrens charities. Buffett launched the Giving Pledge alongside Bill Gates in 2010.

Now 92 years old, Buffett still serves as CEO, but in 2021 he hinted that his successor might be Gregory Abel, head of Berkshires non-insurance operations.

7. Larry Page

Age: 49

49 Residence: California

California Co-founder and Board Member: Alphabet (GOOG)

Alphabet (GOOG) Net Worth: $93.6 billion

$93.6 billion Alphabet Ownership Stake: 6% ($79.5 billion total)

6% ($79.5 billion total) Other Assets: $14.1 billion in cash

Like several of the tech billionaires on this list, Larry Page embarked on his path to fame and fortune in a college dorm room. While attending Stanford University in 1995, Page and his friend Sergey Brin came up with the idea of improving internet data extraction. The duo devised a new search engine technology they dubbed Backrub after its ability to assess links to a page.

From there, Page and Brin went on to found Google in 1998, with Page serving as CEO of the company until 2001, and again between 2011 and 2019.

Google is the world's dominant internet search engine, accounting for more than 92% of global search requests. In 2006, the company purchased YouTube, the top platform for user-submitted videos.

After acquiring Android in 2005, Google released the Android mobile phone operating system in 2008. Google reorganized in 2015, becoming a subsidiary of Alphabet, a holding company.



Image courtesy Getty Images/Justin Sullivan.

Page was among early investors in Planetary Resources, a space exploration and asteroid-mining company. Established in 2009, the company was acquired by blockchain firm ConsenSys in 2018 amid funding problems. He has also shown an interest in flying car companies, investing in both Kitty Hawk and Opener.

Shares of Google soared almost 50% in 2021, moving Page and Brin up the billionaire list. Page's net worth went from just below $52 billion in March 2020 to the current $98.7 billion.



8. Sergey Brin

Age: 49

49 Residence: California

California Co-founder and Board Member: Alphabet (GOOG)

Alphabet (GOOG) Net Worth: $89.6 billion

$89.6 billion Alphabet Ownership Stake: 6% ($75.4 billion total)

6% ($75.4 billion total) Other Assets: $14.2 billion in cash

Sergey Brin was born in Moscow, Russia, moving to the U.S. with his family when he was six in 1979. After co-founding Google with Larry Page in 1998, Brin became Google's president of technology when Eric Schmidt took over as CEO in 2001. He held the same post at the Alphabet holding company after it was established in 2015, stepping down in 2019 when Sundar Pichai took over as CEO.

In addition to its dominant internet search engine, Google offers a suite of online tools and services known as Google Workspace, which includes Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google Meet, Google Chat, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and more. Google also offers a variety of electronic devices, including Pixel smartphones, computers, and tablets, Nest smart home devices, and Stadia gaming platform.



Image courtesy Getty Images/Tim Mosenfelder.

Brin spent much of 2019 focusing on X, Alphabets research laboratory responsible for innovative technologies like Waymo self-driving cars and Google Glass smart glasses.

He has donated millions of dollars to Parkinsons disease research, partnering with The Michael J. Fox Foundation.



9. Steve Ballmer

Age: 66

66 Residence: Washington

Washington Owner: Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers Net Worth: $88.4 billion

$88.4 billion Microsoft Ownership Stake: 4% ($79.4 billion total)

4% ($79.4 billion total) Other Assets: Los Angeles Clippers ($3.16 billion private asset), $5.8 billion in cash

Steve Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 after Bill Gates convinced him to drop out of Stanford University's MBA program. He was Microsoft's 30th employee. Ballmer went on to succeed Gates as Microsoft CEO in 2000. He held the position until stepping down in 2014. Ballmer oversaw Microsoft's 2011 purchase of Skype for $8.5 billion.

Ballmer owns an estimated 4% of Microsoft, making him the software giant's largest individual shareholder. In 2014, shortly after stepping down as Microsoft CEO, Ballmer purchased the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team for $2 billion.

Image courtesy Getty Images/Steven Ferdman.

Ballmer lived in the same dorm and on the same floor as Bill Gates while the two attended Harvard University. The brotherly relationship between the two became strained when Ballmer started pushing the tech company into hardware, such as the Surface tablet and the Windows mobile phone, during his tenure as CEO.

10. Mukesh Ambani

Age: 65

65 Residence: Mumbai, India

Mumbai, India Owner: Reliance Industries

Reliance Industries Net Worth: $83.7 billion

$83.7 billion Reliance Ownership Stake: 42% ($84.2 billion total)

42% ($84.2 billion total) Other Assets: $410 million in real estate



Mukesh Ambani is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, the world's largest oil refiner and one of the world's most valuable companies.

The conglomerate was founded by Ambani's father, Dhirubhai Ambani in 1966 as a textiles company and is now one of the leading segments of India's economy. Reliance's operations include oil and gas, petrochemicals, refining, retail, and media.

About half of Ambani's wealth is derived from his stake in Reliance, which amounts to 42% of the public company. He owns Antilia, a real estate complex in Mumbai that's worth $410 million. Ambani also owns the Mumbai Indians, a professional cricket team.

In 2016, Ambani launched a 4G phone network across India, netting more than 420 million subscribers, and is planning to launch 5G services.

The Bottom Line

If you want to get a little closer to making the richest billionaires rankings, you might need to become a technological innovator or luxury retail mastermind. Or you could keep it simple and focus on value investing.

It also wouldnt hurt to have been born to wealth. However, the greatest fortunes on this list started as good ideas that people with creativity, drive, and connections used to build some of the world's largest companies.
Existing shareholders of a company's stock receive notification, typically by mail, when the company declares a dividend payment. Included in the information, along with the amount of the dividend, the record date, and the payment date is the ex-dividend date. Investors who do not already own shares of a company's stock can find weekly listings of upcoming ex-dividend dates through financial and investment information websites, such as Barrons.com.

There are three important dates involved with the process of a company paying a dividend: the declaration date, the ex-dividend date, and the record date.

The Declaration Date

The declaration date is when a company's board of directors announces that the company will be paying a dividend. In the declaration, the company discloses the amount of the dividend and the ex-dividend, record and payment dates. Companies often issue dividend declarations on a regular quarterly, semi-annual or annual schedule. Dividend declarations often accompany earnings announcements.

Existing shareholders receive the declaration information directly from the company, usually by a notice in the mail. Investing information websites regularly publish upcoming ex-dividend dates, along with the amount of the dividend.

The Ex-Dividend Date

The ex-dividend date is the critical date that determines who qualifies to receive the dividend. To receive the dividend, investors must purchase the stock no later than the day before the ex-dividend date. Before trading begins on the ex-dividend date, the share price is reduced by the exchange in the amount of the dividend. Beyond that point, the stock is trading ex-, or without, the dividend. The ex-dividend date in the United States is one business day prior to the record date.

The Record Date

The record date is simply the date when the company officially records the stockholders who are eligible to receive the dividend  the shareholders who purchased the stock prior to the ex-dividend date.

The Payment Date

The final date associated with dividend payments is the payment date, the date when the company pays the dividend. The payment date typically follows the ex-dividend date by about a month.
Retirement planning is a multistep process that evolves over time. To have a comfortable, secureand funretirement, you need to build the financial cushion that will fund it all. The fun part is why it makes sense to pay attention to the seriousand perhaps boringpart: planning how youll get there.

Retirement planning starts with thinking about your retirement goals and how long you have to meet them. Then you need to look at the types of retirement accounts that can help you raise the money to fund your future. As you save that money, you have to invest it to enable it to grow.

The last part of planning is taxes: If youve received tax deductions over the years for the money that youve contributed to your retirement accounts, then a significant tax bill awaits when you start withdrawing those savings. There are ways to minimize the retirement tax hit while you save for the futureand to continue the process when that day arrives and you actually stop working.

Well get into all of these issues here. But first, start by learning the five steps that everyone should take, no matter what their age, to build a solid retirement plan.

Key Takeaways Retirement planning should include determining time horizons, estimating expenses, calculating required after-tax returns, assessing risk tolerance, and doing estate planning.

Start planning for retirement as soon as you can to take advantage of the power of compounding.

Younger investors can take more risk with their investments, while investors closer to retirement should be more conservative.

Retirement plans evolve through the years, which means portfolios should be rebalanced and estate plans updated as needed.

Your career, family size, age of retirement, and post-retirement goals will all factor in to retirement planning.

How Much Do You Need to Save for Retirement?

Before anyone starts crunching the numbers on their retirement goals, they will need a good idea of how much money they need to save. Naturally, this will depend on many situational factors, such as their annual income and the age when they plan to retire.

While there is no fixed rule about how much money to save, many retirement experts offer rules of thumb such as saving about $1 million, or 12 years of one's pre-retirement annual income. Others recommend the 4% rule, which suggests that retirees should spend no more than 4% of their retirement savings each year in order to ensure a comfortable retirement.

Since everyone's circumstances are different, it is worth sitting down to calculate the ideal retirement savings for your own situation.



Order your copy of the print edition of Investopedia's Retirement Guide for more assistance in building the best plan for your retirement.

Factors to Consider

As you begin to think about retirement, it is worthwhile to consider some of the factors that will affect your retirement goals. For example: what are your family plans? For many people, starting a family is a central life goal, but having children can also put a large dent in your savings. For that reason, the type of family you hope to have will play a factor in your retirement planning.

Likewise, it is also worth thinking about your plans for retirement, including any changes to your home or residence. Many people dream of travel during retirement, and while it can be an exciting adventure, extensive travel will eat away at your retirement savings faster than staying at home. On the other hand, moving to a country with an extremely low cost of living may allow you to stretch out your savings while enjoying a high living standard.

Finally, one should also consider the different types of tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Most Americans qualify for social security, but those benefits are rarely enough to support all of their expenses in retirement.

While pension funds were once the norm for skilled professionals, they have largely been replaced by self-funded plans like 401(k) or IRA accounts. Since these have a maximum contribution limit, your retirement strategy will depend on what types of tax-advantaged accounts are available to you.

Once you have thought these factors through, these are the next steps for planning your retirement:

1. Understand Your Time Horizon

Your current age and expected retirement age create the initial groundwork for an effective retirement strategy. The longer the time from today to retirement, the higher the level of risk that your portfolio can withstand. If youre young and have 30-plus years until retirement, you can have the majority of your assets in riskier investments, such as stocks. There will be volatility, but stocks have historically outperformed other securities, such as bonds, over long time periods. The main word here is long, meaning at least more than 10 years.

Additionally, you need returns that outpace inflation so you can maintain your purchasing power during retirement. Inflation is like an acorn. It starts out small, but given enough time, can turn into a mighty oak tree, says Chris Hammond, a Savannah, Tenn., financial advisor and founder of RetirementPlanningMadeEasy.com.

Weve all heardand wantcompound growth on our money, Hammond adds. Well, inflation is like compound anti-growth, as it erodes the value of your money. A seemingly small inflation rate of 3% will erode the value of your savings by 50% over approximately 24 years. Doesnt seem like much each year, but given enough time, it has a huge impact.

In general, the older you are, the more your portfolio should be focused on income and the preservation of capital. This means a higher allocation in less risky securities, such as bonds, that wont give you the returns of stocks but will be less volatile and provide income that you can use to live on. You will also have less concern about inflation. A 64-year-old who is planning on retiring next year does not have the same issues about a rise in the cost of living as a much younger professional who has just entered the workforce.

You should break up your retirement plan into multiple components. Lets say a parent wants to retire in two years, pay for a childs education at age 18, and move to Florida. From the perspective of forming a retirement plan, the investment strategy would be broken up into three periods: two years until retirement (contributions are still made into the plan), saving and paying for college, and living in Florida (regular withdrawals to cover living expenses).

A multistage retirement plan must integrate various time horizons, along with the corresponding liquidity needs, to determine the optimal allocation strategy. You should also be rebalancing your portfolio over time as your time horizon changes.

You might not think that saving a few bucks here and there in your 20s means much, but the power of compounding will make it worth much more by the time you need it.

2. Determine Retirement Spending Needs

Having realistic expectations about post-retirement spending habits will help you define the required size of a retirement portfolio. Most people believe that after retirement, their annual spending will amount to only 70% to 80% of what they spent previously.

Such an assumption is often proven unrealistic, especially if the mortgage has not been paid off or if unforeseen medical expenses occur. Retired adults also sometimes spend their first years splurging on travel or other bucket-list goals.

For retired adults to have enough savings for retirement, I believe that the ratio should be closer to 100%, says David G. Niggel, CFP, ChFC, AIF, founder, president, and CEO of Key Wealth Partners LLC in Litilz, Pa. The cost of living is increasing every yearespecially healthcare expenses. People are living longer and want to thrive in retirement. Retired adults need more income for a longer time, so they will need to save and invest accordingly.

As, by definition, retired adults are no longer at work for eight or more hours a day, they have more time to travel, go sightseeing, shop, and engage in other expensive activities. Accurate retirement spending goals help in the planning process as more spending in the future requires additional savings today.

One of the factorsif not the largestin the longevity of your retirement portfolio is your withdrawal rate. Having an accurate estimate of what your expenses will be in retirement is so important because it will affect how much you withdraw each year and how you invest your account. If you understate your expenses, you easily outlive your portfolio, or if you overstate your expenses, you can risk not living the type of lifestyle you want in retirement, says Kevin Michels, CFP, EA, financial planner, and president of Medicus Wealth Planning in Draper, Utah.

Your longevity also needs to be considered when planning for retirement, so you dont outlast your savings. The average life span of individuals is increasing.

Actuarial life tables are available to estimate the longevity rates of individuals and couples (this is referred to as longevity risk).

Additionally, you might need more money than you think if you want to purchase a home or fund your childrens education post-retirement. Those outlays have to be factored into the overall retirement plan. Remember to update your plan once a year to make sure that you are keeping on track with your savings.

Retirement planning accuracy can be improved by specifying and estimating early retirement activities, accounting for unexpected expenses in middle retirement, and forecasting what-if late-retirement medical costs, explains Alex Whitehouse, AIF, CRPC, CWS, president, and CEO of Whitehouse Wealth Management in Vancouver, Wash.

3. Calculate After-Tax Rate of Investment Returns

Once the expected time horizons and spending requirements are determined, the after-tax real rate of return must be calculated to assess the feasibility of the portfolio producing the needed income. A required rate of return in excess of 10% (before taxes) is normally an unrealistic expectation, even for long-term investing. As you age, this return threshold goes down, as low-risk retirement portfolios are largely composed of low-yielding fixed-income securities.

If, for example, an individual has a retirement portfolio worth $400,000 and income needs of $50,000, assuming no taxes and the preservation of the portfolio balance, they are relying on an excessive 12.5% return to get by. A primary advantage of planning for retirement at an early age is that the portfolio can be grown to safeguard a realistic rate of return. Using a gross retirement investment account of $1 million, the expected return would be a much more reasonable 5%.

Depending on the type of retirement account that you hold, investment returns are typically taxed. Therefore, the actual rate of return must be calculated on an after-tax basis. However, determining your tax status when you begin to withdraw funds is a crucial component of the retirement planning process.

4. Assess Risk Tolerance vs. Investment Goals

Whether its you or a professional money manager who is in charge of the investment decisions, a proper portfolio allocation that balances the concerns of risk aversion and returns objectives is arguably the most important step in retirement planning. How much risk are you willing to take to meet your objectives? Should some income be set aside in risk-free Treasury bonds for required expenditures?

You need to make sure that you are comfortable with the risks being taken in your portfolio and know what is necessary and what is a luxury. Dont be a micromanager who reacts to daily market noise, advises Craig L. Israelsen, Ph.D., designer of 7Twelve Portfolio in Springville, Utah.

'Helicopter investors tend to overmanage their portfolios," Israelsen adds. "When the various mutual funds in your portfolio have a bad year, add more money to them. The mutual fund you are unhappy with this year may be next years best performerso dont bail out on it.

Markets will go through long cycles of up and down and, if you are investing money you wont need to touch for 40 years, you can afford to see your portfolio value rise and fall with those cycles, says John R. Frye, CFA, senior advisor at Carnegie Investment Counsel. When the market declines, buydont sell. Refuse to give in to panic. If shirts went on sale, 20% off, youd want to buy, right? Why not stocks if they went on sale 20% off?

$12.06 million The 2022 ceiling for assets in an estate that are exempt from federal estate taxes. Amounts above that limit are subject to estate taxes.

5. Stay on Top of Estate Planning

Estate planning is another key step in a well-rounded retirement plan, and each aspect requires the expertise of different professionals, such as lawyers and accountants, in that specific field. Life insurance is also an important part of an estate plan and the retirement planning process. Having both a proper estate plan and life insurance coverage ensures that your assets are distributed in a manner of your choosing and that your loved ones will not experience financial hardship following your death. A carefully outlined plan also aids in avoiding an expensive and often lengthy probate process.

Tax planning is another crucial part of the estate planning process. If an individual wishes to leave assets to family members or a charity, the tax implications of either gifting or passing them through the estate process must be compared.

A common retirement plan investment approach is based on producing returns that meet yearly inflation-adjusted living expenses while preserving the value of the portfolio. The portfolio is then transferred to the beneficiaries of the deceased. You should consult a tax advisor to determine the correct plan for the individual.

Estate planning will vary over an investors lifetime, says Mark T. Hebner, founder and president of Index Fund Advisors Inc. in Irvine, Calif., and author of Index Funds: The 12-Step Recovery Program for Active Investors. Early on, matters such as powers of attorney and wills are necessary. Once you start a family, a trust may be something that becomes an important component of your financial plan.

Later on in life, how you would like your money disbursed will be of the utmost importance in terms of cost and taxes, Hebner adds. Working with a fee-only estate planning attorney can assist in preparing and maintaining this aspect of your overall financial plan.

What Is Risk Tolerance? Risk tolerance is how much of a loss youre willing to endure within your portfolio. Risk tolerance depends on a number of factors, including your financial goals, income, and age.

How Much Should I Save for Retirement? One rule of thumb is to save 15% of your gross annual earnings every year. In a perfect world, savings would begin in your 20s and last throughout your working years.

What Age Is Considered Early Retirement? Age 65 is typically considered early retirement. When it comes to Social Security, you can start collecting retirement benefits as early as age 62. But you wont receive full benefits as you would if you wait to collect them at full retirement age instead.



The Bottom Line

The burden of retirement planning is falling on individuals now more than ever. Few employees can count on an employer-provided defined-benefit pension, especially in the private sector. The switch to defined-contribution plans, such as 401(k)s, also means that managing the investments becomes your responsibility, not your employers.

One of the most challenging aspects of creating a comprehensive retirement plan is striking a balance between realistic return expectations and a desired standard of living. The best solution is to focus on creating a flexible portfolio that can be updated regularly to reflect changing market conditions and retirement objectives.
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Vancouver, Delta, BC - October 20, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering EV and automotive stocks releases a special report featuring Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), covering the continued growth of the EV market as government policy and infrastructure plans sync up with consumer and investor interest in the EV space.

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The green Island of Ireland has for centuries produced high quality food for Irish people. This food has been appreciated by distant onlookers for years; there is no need to admire these products from afar any more as they begin to emerge in our local stores and online around the U.S. Here is IrishCentrals examples of high quality Irish food and drink products currently on the rise in the US.



1. Irish Burren Smokehouse Salmon

The Burren Smokehouse, a family-run business set up over twenty years ago by Birgitta & Peter Curtin is famous for its high quality organic and premium oak smoked Irish salmon. Located close to the worlds famous Burren in Co. Clare on the west coast of Ireland. Burren Smokehouse is renowned worldwide for their incredibly high quality salmon, which is smoked to perfection over oak shavings, for a mild, delicate flavor and melt in the mouth texture.

Burren Smokehouse has won various awards including the great taste awards, reinforcing their positioning as a premium high quality salmon. Ireland is the source of some of the finest salmon in the world. We are now giving American consumers the opportunity to taste the great flavour of Burren Smokehouses artisanal oak smoked salmon states Susan Weldon, US brand ambassador for Burren Smokehouse. We are currently available in Dean & Deluca stores nationwide, or online at www.foodireland.com.

Burren Smokehouse salmon is a perfect complement to a semi-soft cheese, why not try it with Kerrygolds Cashel Blue cheese, for more recipes ideas go online to www.burrensmokehouse.ie.



2. Kerrygold Cashel Blue Cheese

Try Kerrygold Blue Cashel in SVillage store 3-6 today. pic.twitter.com/SKz5EWXQ7l  Weaver Street Market (@WeaverStreet) November 15, 2015

Developed in 1984, Cashel Blue is Irelands original artisan blue cheese and is the creation of the husband and wife team of Jane and Louis Grubb. The cheese is made entirely by hand on the Grubb family farm near Cashel in County Tipperary, Ireland. This acclaimed cheese won gold at the World Cheese Awards in 2006 and 2010.

Like all Kerrygold dairy products, only milk from cows that graze on Irelands luxuriant pastures is used, and no artificial growth hormones are allowed. The majority of the milk used to make Cashel Blue comes from the pedigreed Friesian dairy herd on the farm. Cashel Blue is semi-soft and a volumptuously creamy cheese. It has a round, full flavor and slight blue tang. This cheese ages beautifully and the flavors become more pronounced over time.

Kerrygold Cashel Blue is perfect in a salad, on its own or introduced into a tasty dish. For more information on Kerrygold Cashel Blue, please visit www.kerrygoldusa.com or for further recipe ideas, please visit www.cashelbue.com.



3. Mollys Irish Cream Liqueur

Arguably the world's best Irish Cream served over ice! #MollysMoment pic.twitter.com/FHSkbfLb4n  Molly's Irish Cream (@MollysIrishUSA) March 15, 2016

Originating from the small town of Bailiesboro in Cavan, Ireland and inspired by the mythical Irish muse at the heart of countless Celtic poems and songs, Mollys Irish cream will be sure to warm your senses.

As winner of the gold medal award from the beverage testing institute, Mollys is truly a delicious blend of fresh Irish dairy cream and the finest aged spirits. With a smooth, gentle and yet wonderfully intricate character, Mollys enhances those moments shared with friends and family. Click here for more info on Molly's.

4. Cu Chulainn Irish Whiskey

Cu Chulainn, named after Ireland's greatest mythological hero and distilled by the global award winning Cooley distillery in Ireland, produces an incredibly smooth Irish whiskey. With a pleasant floral sweet oaky aroma and a complex fresh sweet vanilla taste, you are left with soft oak and lingering sweet malt finish as the elegance of the taste softens.

Matured for a minimum of four years in American bourbon oak casks, the result is this exceptionally smooth Irish whiskey which is full of character, full of integrity and fully inspired by the legend that is Cu Chulainn.

Esteemed by whiskey drinkers, this Irish whiskey can also be enjoyed as an aperitif, alongside a meal or as an after dinner drink due to its smooth elegant finish. Learn more about the Cooley Distillery, purchased this year by Jim Beam - exciting things are in store.

Tasting Cooleeney, Gortnamona & Dunbarra @GreenacresWine Be sure to pop in and try some! pic.twitter.com/OSdhzrGPbO  Cooleeney Farm (@CooleeneyFarm) March 13, 2015

Breda Maher and her husband Jim began making cheese in 1986 on their beautiful farm in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. All the milk used comes from the Mahers own herd of 200 pedigree Friesians which the family have built up over generations. Daru, which is a semi-hard, pasteurized cows milk cheese, is known for its robust and earthy hints of cellar and mushrooms. Gleann Oir is also a semi-hard cheese with a distinctive chalky texture. Gleann Oir is made with goats milk and has a very different taste and appearance to cheeses developed from cows milk. Both cheeses are a welcome presence on cheese boards and a great complementing ingredient in a variety of recipes. You can find a range of Irish cheeses in Dean & Deluca and Murrays Cheese ~ which also provides mail order to many states outside NY, for more information please visit www.irishfarmsteadcheese.com.



6. Flahavans





Flahavans Oatmeal is Ireland's leading oatmeal brand, established in 1785. The sixth generation family-owned company is Irelands oldest privately owned business and truly is the porridge that Ireland has grown up with. This delicious oatmeal is now available in the U.S. and can be purchased in most major U.S. retailers. Available in three varieties, Steel Cut, Quick Cook Steal Cut and Rolled Oats there is an oat for everyone. It can be purchased at many major US supermarkets, including Walmart and Wegman's.



7. Lily O Briens





Lily O'Brien's Chocolates started life as the brainchild of Mary Ann O'Brien who, having recovered from a debilitating illness in the early 1990s, she discovered her true passion for all things chocolate.

Embarking on a journey of discovery, Mary Ann honed her chocolate-making skills working with world-class chefs and chocolatiers in both South Africa and Europe before starting her own mini enterprise from her Co. Kildare kitchen in 1992. With little more than two saucepans, a wooden spoon and her then toddler, Lily, who acted as production manager!

Mary Ann began to create high quality chocolate recipes for friends and family. Not satisfied with the scale of her enterprise, she soon expanded in the hope of positioning excellent Irish chocolate on the world map. Naming the company after her daughter Lily seemed like the most natural thing to do at the time and since then Lily O'Brien's chocolates have established itself as one of Ireland's best-loved chocolatiers. View the company's website here.



8. O Haras Craft Beer

Seamus & Kay O'Hara began making O'Hara's range of craft beers in 1996, in Bagenalstown, County Carlow, Ireland. Their business began as a quest to make flavorsome brews as there was little choice offered by the large beer companies that dominated the market. O'Hara's were one of the first craft beers to kick off the micro-brewing revolution in Ireland. O'Hara's range includes a full bodied stout and a traditional Irish red ale and can be enjoyed in a host of bars across New York City. The range is also available in selected retailers and a number of U.S. states.

Seamus O Hara, the brewery founder, is passionate about quality: We have gone back to basics and brew our beers as they used to be brewed  with natural ingredients and no artificial additives. We believe this leads to a superior quality product with robust body, taste, flavor and aroma. More info here.

*Originally published in 2011.
A rare photo of Ned Kelly taken as a publicity stunt to sway public sympathy for the Kelly Gang was revealed in 2016 for the first time in 137 years.

The photograph was captured in 1879, a year before the gangs last shootout with the police, during which the bandits infamously wore homemade metal armor suits.

At the time the photograph was taken, the Irish-born Kelly and his gang had a price of 8,000 on their heads, the equivalent of 732,600 today, reports Dailystar.co.uk. However, despite being wanted for killing policemen and armed robberies, the outlaws enjoyed public sympathy as many thought of the men as larrakins, an Australian term meaning youngsters who were mischievous and rowdy but had good hearts.

Even today, Kelly is looked at by many as a folk hero nearly 140 years after his death.

In the rare photo, Kelly stands in the middle of his gang with his brother Dan on his left and Steve Hart on his right. The 3.5 inches by 2-inch picture, which was taken in the Victoria enclave of Euroa, has been pasted on a Tasmanian photographers card, then glued again to 1920s Kodak paper.

The mens signatures are underneath the portraits, although since Kelly couldnt write it is likely his brother signed for him.

It is believed that the photo was intended to be printed in a newspaper to garner public sympathy, but Australian authorities suppressed the image as well as a letter in which Kelly declared he was "a widows son outlawed and my orders must be obeyed.

Kelly claimed he was a victim of Irish-Australian oppression  at the time the Irish were not allowed to go to school or own horses. Neds innocent mother was imprisoned during the Kelly Outbreak.

Tom Thompson, a specialist at Lawsons, the Australian auction house that has the photo, said: "The photograph shows three larrakins at work, on the run and with a price on their heads, feeling comfortable enough to show themselves off to a fairly sympathetic population.

"At this time Ned Kelly was issuing statements to the press, written by Joe Byrne, in response to his mothers imprisonment and general persecution of his family.

"I expect this was allowed to be created in the same way that Kelly felt a letter would be taken up by the press to 'exhibit' their cause, to champion the suppressed Irish in Victoria.

"The Kellys were noted for larrakin behavior, wearing what we might call hip style for the period, with longer hair, and fashionable clothes.

"Id imagine this picture was done for a bit of a lark and for press exposure.

"However, the reality is this picture and several of Kellys other letters were not published because of police pressure on the proprietors.

"Ned Kelly remains one of the four or five mythic figures that helped propel the country into a position of handling the hardship of living in the new world, while still struggling with the clash of class and religious dramas brought over from the old country.

"The Victorian Police were formalized by drawing on the Irish Police force, and many old enmities resurfaced in the new land.

"The Kelly Outbreak, whereby the Kelly Gang was outlawed initially for little rhyme or reason, had its Robin Hood effect here, with the noble outlaw being on the run from the evil sheriffs of old Blighty."

The 25-year-old Kelly was the only member of his gang to survive the siege at Glenrowan in Victoria, and was hanged at Melbourne Gaol in 1880.

This report from ABC Science in 2015 looks at the infamous Kelly Gang Armour:

* Originally published in 2016, updated in November 2020.
By Fiachra O Cionnaith and Daniel McConnell

Both the Taoiseach and the Fianna Fail leader have been met by protestors at separate events in Dublin and Waterford.

Micheal Martin was on a visit to Crumlin in the Dublin South Central constituency, when he was heckled by members of the Right 2 Change movement, and anti-austerity charges protesters..

Today started well for Micheal Martin with polls indicating rising support for Fianna Fail. Then this happened #ge16 pic.twitter.com/WMfzKH8iPG  Naomi O'Leary (@NaomiOhReally) February 22, 2016

Planned visits to local shops were cancelled as a result of the demonstration.

About to start a street canvass with local councillor Catherine Ardagh, Mr Martin was subjected to repeated chanting from the group which arrived at her constituency office. The handful of protesters repeatedly chanted: "Banks got bailed out, we got sold out".

As tensions escalated, Mr Martin was ushered into a nearby car with Ms Ardagh. At this point, the protesters stood in front of the car and refused to move for a number of moments.

"Angry anti-austerity protesters chase Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin out of Crumlin village #ge16 pic.twitter.com/pzoQteOUmp" #dubsc  John O'Donovan (@JohnJODonovan) February 22, 2016

Mr Martin's car then travelled to a nearby street and he sped to the car, but once again the car was blocked by the protesters for a short time.

Mr Martin then attempted to continue his canvass, walking down the villages Main Street.

He walked in and out of businesses and local shops trying to canvass, but the protesters continued to heckle.

Mr Martin told one protestor he was denying people the freedom of mobility, and told the protesters they were being "undemocratic" by trying to prevent him walk the streets..

He said: "You should allow people freedom of speech and the freedom of mobility, and you're not doing that."

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Enda Kenny had to deal with a group of anti-water protesters at an event in Waterford.

The under-fire Fine Gael leader had to contend with loud shouts of 'Kenny, Kenny, Kenny, out, out, out'. Minor instances of "argy-bargy" broke out as gardai attempted to clear a path for Mr Kenny's car through the small group of protesters.

Mr Kenny had just arrived at the offices of Eistec when the protesters began their heckling.

Around a dozen protesters chanting in Waterford as Enda Kenny visits the city #GE16 pic.twitter.com/3bFMv8nJbC  Pat McGrath (@patmcgrath) February 22, 2016

Anti-water charge protesters heckle Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Waterford ##GE16 pic.twitter.com/txrHd6hT6x  Cormac McQuinn (@CormacMcQuinn) February 22, 2016
The stock market rout since the start of the year has hit European bank stocks hard, as fears mount the slowdown in the world economy could yet spill over to all banks.

However, in an upbeat presentation yesterday, Irelands largest lender said it would meet its own deadline to redistribute cash to shareholders.

It would start paying at a modest level its first dividend next year and increase the payment prudently over a number of years thereafter.

CEO Richie Boucher said a 30% jump in underlying pre-tax profit to 1.2bn in 2015 reflected profitable trading across all its divisions.

The bank will meet expectations to pay out over 200m in dividends based on 2016 earnings, early next year, said Darren McKinley, analyst at Merrion Capital.

As owner of 14% of the bank, that implies the Government gets over 25m next year and up to 70m by 2018.

Mr McKinley said significant headlines of the 2015 earnings included the value of the loan book increasing for the first time since the crisis, while non-performing loans were approaching normal levels for a bank operating outside a period of crisis.

John Cronin, head of financials research at Investec Ireland, said the market responded positively to the earnings.

Non-performing loans fell by 3.8bn through the year, the bank said, while its total loan book into Ireland and the UK  where it has a long standing tie-up with the Post Office  has risen.

In a media briefing, Mr Boucher gave little away about the housing market or the effects on the bank if the UK were to vote on June 23 to leave the EU.

The shortage of new housing remained a big feature of the housing mortgage market, he said, as he repeated the banks views that the year-old Central Bank home loan rules were good for the Irish economy.

He again defended the bank against critics of its high variable mortgage rates, saying the bank offers fixed-rate mortgages to both existing and new customers.

He said the British economy was resilient though the bank could be affected by volatility of the sterling exchange rate. He said that in Ireland and the UK, the bank was exposed to two high- growth economies.
The Cavan-headquartered international specialist building materials firm yesterday reported a 47% jump in annual revenues, to just under 2.8bn, with post-tax profits up by 79% to 190.6m and earnings per share climbing 70% to 106.7c.

Trading profit was ahead 72% at 256m and the companys full-year dividend amounts to 25c per share; 54% ahead of 2014 levels.

The core insulated panels business saw 60% revenue growth, to nearly 1.8bn and an 85% jump in trading profit to 165.2m.

Acquisitions contributed 654m to group revenue, but strong organic growth was also seen in North America, the UK, Turkey, and the Middle East, while sales volume growth of 10% was noted in Ireland.

Kingspan spent 490.5m on acquisitons last year.

That spend was dominated by the significant boost to its insulated panels arm via the 138.3m purchase of North American firm Vicwest Building Products and the 320.4m takeover of Belgian player, Joris Ide, which was Kingspans largest ever single acquisition.

Kingspan chief executive, Gene Murtagh said the two additions have performed ahead of expectations and that another 500m, at least, could be spent on purchases this year without damaging the groups balance sheet.

Kingspans net debt currently stands at 328m and is just over one times ebitda and comfortably under managements ceiling of two times earnings.

Mr Murtagh said the company has a healthy pipeline of acquisition targets and is willing to growth further, this way, in its core European and North American markets. However, it still harbours longer term ambitions to grow into Asia and South America.

Kingspan will still spend around 80m per annum over the next couple of years on organic growth too. This spend will go on a mix of refurbishing existing facilities and opening new ones across Europe, North America, and Australia.

Management said that despite recent acquisitions, Kingspans core model remains grounded in organic growth.

In terms of outlook, management said a strong start has been made to 2016, helped by a strong order book and a mild winter season.

Asked about the prospect of the UK leaving the EU, Mr Murtagh said it remains to be seen, but suggested that if Brexit is positive for the UK it will be positive for Kingspan.

The companys share price  down 4% this year so far was up by over 2.1% yesterday at 23.84.
The 2m Internet of Things (IoT) industrial platform  known as Infinite  allows companies to trial and test a range of solutions across the IoT spectrum before scaling them into production.

Established by EMC, in partnership with Vodafone, the Infinite testbed has helped drive innovation and opportunities across a wide-range of industries in the region, including financial services and healthcare since its launch last year.

Assavies technology is being used to underpin the innovation testbed by providing the underlying connectivity needed for the project to function.

The continuing global adoption of IoT is delivering millions of euro of revenue for Asavie each year.

The company has also announced its membership of the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), which co-ordinates and prioritises different online projects across the globe, having been founded in 2014 by AT&T, Cisco, GE, IBM, and Intel.

We look forward to contributing to the advancement of innovation around the IoT through our involvement with both Infinite and the Industrial Internet Consortium, said Asavie chief executive, Ralph Shaw.

By partnering with Infinite we are able to demonstrate to both large and small companies the potential of the IoT to generate increased cost efficiencies in their existing business processes, as well as driving new revenues and business channels.

EMC Ireland chief technology officer Donagh Buckley, based in the companys Cork office, also lauded the role Asavie is playing in helping businesses road-test their innovations through the Infinite innovation platform.

Asavie is fulfilling an important role in the industrial IoT community through their involvement with Infinite, he said.

Infinite is proving to be a valuable industrial internet testbed for a growing number of industries including Smart Cities and healthcare.

"As the need for more dynamic systems continues to grow, organisations are utilising mobile networks to connect to virtual systems. Asavie PassBridge technology enables companies prove the viability of doing all this in a secure scalable manner.

Separately, Asavie announced a second partnership to provide its PassBridge technology to eir to power its IoT Connect service.

The Eir service will allow companies to work mobily by connecting devices and other assets outside of an office to the Internet and collect real-time data.

We are delighted to partner with Asavie to deliver IoT services nationwide, said Eir business managing director Bill Archer said.

Together with Asavie, eir Business makes managing connected devices easier than ever, so businesses can focus on, collecting their data, refining their applications and ultimately building a better service for their customers.
The application on the site of a former homeless hostel at Camden Hall is part of a plan by the UK stock market listed Wetherspoon to open 30 pubs in Ireland over the next five years.

However, a number of objections have been lodged by local residents about the 2,300 sq ft bar and a 98-bed hotel at the site in a scheme that will create 100 jobs if it gets the green light.
Ireland has the potential to become a significant supplier to the Middle East region, said Mr Hussey at the Gulfood 2016 trade fair in Dubai.

While we export 90% of what we produce in Ireland, it is estimated that as much as 80-90% of food consumed in the Gulf region is imported.
Brinks Ireland is closing its cash in transit business in the Republic and is trying to sell its business in the North, according to Siptu official Brendan Carr.

Mr Carr said 130 jobs will be lost in Dublin, while 70 job will go in Cork and Galway.

The union yesterday condemned the announcement saying that as recently as last month, Brinks staff had accepted savings to try to save jobs at the firm.

The 200 lost jobs involve licensed personnel and represent a huge proportion of the 1,200 jobs involved in the industry in the Republic, Siptu said.

Mr Carr said he welcomed attempts by Business and Employment Minister Ged Nash to try and save as many jobs as possible.

The hope remains, he said, that the contracts operated by Brinks would be transferred to other firms.

These jobs have been endangered, in part, due to the operation of low-cost employers in the security industry, said Mr Carr.

These companies do not adhere to the established terms and conditions of employment in the cash in transit sector.

These operators are expanding by undermining workers conditions in what is an extremely difficult industry with a resulting decline in standards.

Brinks Ireland could not be contacted for comment.
It is an eclectic mix, but one that has rewarded investors handsomely.

In the past decade ABF has delivered a total return of 380%, compared with 47% for the FTSE All Share Index.

Diversification helped power Primark from its birth in the 1960s as an Irish discount clothing chain to aggressive expansion across Europe and more recently into the US.

Unusually, compared to other clothing companies, it is been able to grow without a spike in borrowing  its debt to common equity ratio is just 14.1%, compared with 63.3% at Marks & Spencer.

Primarks growth threatens to upend the balance across all of ABFs the companies.

It already accounts for 42% of ABFs sales and 59% of operating profit, and analysts at Liberum forecast that it could double sales and profits over the next five years.

Its all down to its move across the Atlantic.

Customers of all ages are already responding well to its low prices, but landlords will be falling over themselves to lure Primark into their malls  they have got holes to fill in their properties as the likes of Macys, JC Penney, and Gap cut back on stores.

In contrast, profit from sugar operations has dissolved from 35% of ABFs total in 2013 to just 4% in the year to September 2015.

While Primark is in a growth phase and the global environment proves fragile, the cashflows from the rest of ABF offer a nice safety cushion. But once its growth is more entrenched, Primarks profits will far surpass that of the rest of ABF.

Then there are the valuations. According to Shore Capital, Primark will generate about 500mn (646.5m) of post-tax profit in the year to September 2016, and account for 18.5bn, or about three quarters, of ABFs 25bn value.

That puts Primark on about 37 times the next 12 months earnings, a hefty premium to both Spains Inditex, the owner of the Zara retail brand, and Swedens Hennes & Mauritz.

However, Shore forecasts that post-tax profits will expand to about 700m in 2018, putting it on valuation of about 26 times, not that far from Inditex.

Thats too lowif the US turbo-charges Primarks sales, it should command a bigger premium.

The remainder, including sugar production and groceries such as Ryvita crackers and Kingsmill bread, are on about the same valuation as the broader packaged food industry.

That looks fair for now, but might look mean if the sugar business finally recovers. So pretty soon there could be value to be realised by spinning out Primark, or even perhaps the remaining rump of companies under the ABF umbrella.
Detective Sergeant Vincent OSullivan said the sexual abuse was carried out when the accused was in his 20s and the victim was only 12 or 13.

It happened when he walked her to the bus stop after babysitting. He would stop on the way and bring her into a convent yard and sexually assault her against a wall by pulling down her underwear and putting his penis between her legs.

The accused, who is now 57, denied all of the sexual assaults and was put on trial earlier this month on five counts. The jury found him guilty of four of them at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Det Sgt OSullivan said the complainant recently confronted the accused man publically. He was in a shopping centre with his wife  her sister. She met him and confronted him for the first time about sexually assaulting her back in 1982.

The complainant said his response was that it was a consensual affair at the time. Det Sgt OSullivan said the complainant was only 12 or 13 at the time.

Judge Sean O Donnabhain imposed a total sentence of four years with the last year suspended, and he said that what characterised the accused was his me, me, me attitude and that he had never admitted his crime.

The victim stated yesterday: I dont know if people understand that when youre abused by someone you know it is very frightening to see how that person can interact with others as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. It makes me suspicious of everyone. Are they only pretending to be nice? I felt alone and worthless.

My transition from childhood to teenager to adulthood was thwarted because of the degrading and demeaning treatment from someone who should have been trustworthy.

The effects didnt diminish as the years went by as I became more withdrawn from my family. I became the odd one out. I became angry with those I had confided in because they said they felt powerless to do anything.

I needed the abuser to see and understand that what he did was wrong and caused so much hurt and damage. Its not OK to make a person feel worthless and robbed of their dignity for your own gratification.

It does not surprise me that someone who could do that to a child would not have the decency to plead guilty and spare another human being the despair of a trial.

It didnt surprise me somebody who has never contributed to family or society but yet has an overwhelming sense of entitlement to anything and everything that makes his own life easier was not going to admit guilt and would rather put me through cross-examination in court in front of strangers.
The court will resume, on a later date, hearing the appeal by Independent TD Joan Collins against the High Courts rejection of her challenge over the issuing of the promissory notes.

The State contends the minister was empowered to issue the notes under a 2008 law, the Credit Institutions (Financial Stabilisation) Act.
After a couple of days of heel dragging, Kenny finally accepted he had caused controversy by doing the one thing politicians should never do. He told the truth.

The Taoiseach yesterday finally held up his hands over his whingers remarks.

Of course, the Irish people are whingers. We are notorious whingers, but if you are a political leader in a campaign that is not exactly going well, you dont say it.

Having said originally the comment was directed at locals in his home town of Castlebar, Co Mayo, he later claimed he was talking about Fianna Fail.

Finally, Kenny said he wanted to withdraw the comments.

The gaffe-prone Kenny had also declined an earlier opportunity to clarify his remarks and apologise and kill the controversy.

I accept that I should have clarified my remarks. Mea Culpa. This is strictly a local issue.

Kenny said it was nothing to do with any member of the public, adding: I unreservedly withdraw that.

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However, his remarks had been seized on by his political opponents.

Even his own TDs sought to disown his comments. Kerry TD Brendan Griffin on RTEs Drivetime made it clear where he stood on the whingers saga.

No the people of Kerry are most certainly not whingers. The Taoiseach has moved to clarify the remarks, he said in a tone which was far harsher than the words spoken.

But yesterday was one of those days Kenny, Im sure, wished he didnt get out of bed.

In addition to having to issue his Mea Culpa, both he and Martin were confronted by angry protestors on the campaign trail.

Kenny had to deal with a group of anti-water protestors at an event in Waterford.

The under-fire Fine Gael leader had to contend with loud shouts of Kenny, Kenny, Kenny, out, out, out.

He had just arrived at the offices of Eistec when the protestors began their heckling.

Minor instances of argy-bargy broke out as gardai attempted to clear a path for Mr Kennys car.

Meanwhile, Martins on-street walkabout in the Dublin suburb of Crumlin was interrupted and curtailed after he was engaged by a small group of anti- austerity charges protesters.

It's all to play for as Election 2016 campaigns enter their final days https://t.co/qJKrzBNKHd (DOD) #GE16 pic.twitter.com/7lsAXaI5Wh  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) February 22, 2016

About to start a street canvass with local councillor Catherine Ardagh, Mr Martin was subjected to repeated chanting from the group which arrived at her constituency office.

The protestors repeatedly chanted: Banks got bailed out, we got sold out.

As tensions escalated, Mr Martin was ushered into a nearby car with Ms Ardagh.

At this point, the protesters stood in front of the car and refused to move for a number of moments.

Mr Martins car then travelled to a nearby street but again the car was blocked by the protestors for a short time.

Mr Martin then attempted again to continue his canvass, walking down the villages Main St.

He walked in and out of businesses and local shops trying to canvass but the protestors continued to heckle.

He also claimed they were being undemocratic by trying to prevent him walking the streets.

Meanwhile, the left-wing collective yesterday confirmed that they would support Sinn Feins Gerry Adams for Taoiseach.

But, given the first item on the agenda in left-wing politics is the split, there is no hope of that happening.

But, attention now shifts to tonights make or break final leaders debate on RTEs Primetime.

Tanaiste Joan Burton, of the four leaders involved, needs to have a good night.

She failed to land any blows in the first two debates, and was widely seen as being the poorest performer in the seven-way event in Limerick last week.

Burton is not only fighting for her own seat, but she is fighting to save her beleaguered party, which appears to be facing wipeout. Kenny, too, has ground to make up given the faltering nature of the Fine Gael campaign and has to avoid the kind of clangers he has engaged in.

For Martin, he can expect his record in government up to 2011 to come under sharper focus as his opponents seek to fix the boundary to the march of his party.

All to play for on Day 22.

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The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at the Dublin Childrens Court where he was served with a book of evidence.

Judge John OConnor warned the boy, who was accompanied to the hearing by his mother, that if he intended to use an alibi in his defence he must notify the prosecution. He said the teenager, who remains on bail, was being returned for trial to appear on a later date during the current term of the Central Criminal Court.
Brian Keane, of no fixed abode, had admitted assault causing harm to Kamil Fital, aged 47, at Woodbrook Lawn, and with the same offence in connection with Hubert Fital then aged 17 , on November 11, 2014.

At about 5.25am, the Fital family, comprising four children and their parents, were asleep in their home at Monavalley. The mother woken by a noise became aware someone was rifling trough the glove compartment of the family car.

She woke two teenage sons and her husband. One son, Hubert, and her husband decided to tackle him and chase him away, Detective Garda Ernie Henderson agreed with Tom Rice at sentencing at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee.

However, Keane produced a knife and stabbed the teenager in the forehead and when the father went to save his son, he was knocked down and stabbed in the chest and repeatedly in both legs. The father suffered eight stab wounds in total.

Another son, Robert, arrived with an iron bar and managed to save his father.

Hubert received a number of stitches in hospital. Kamil suffered a severed artery and had to be transferred to Cork from Kerry General Hospital. He suffered potential loss of life and major trauma to his chest.

He lost consciousness and when he woke the people around me were talking Polish, English, and Russian, Mr Fital said in a victim impact statement read to the court by Det Gda Henderson.

He no longer works as a painter. His day begins with painkillers and a year later he suffered a heart attack.

I am feeling useless to my family now and I feel dependant on them, he said.

Keane was arrested after the incident, identified by the fact he spoke Russian. He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm last year. The court heard he was now 24. He was adopted by a Tralee couple from a Russian orphanage at the age of eight or nine and after growing up in Tralee, went to the Midlands, where he was involved in arson and burglary, and was jailed for four years in 2010.

Anthony Sammon, defending, said his client had had addiction problems but was a model prisoner: This young man who has an appalling record is a model prisoner he has spent all his adult life in prison.

He said Keane was trying to change his life, was in counselling and a Samaritans group in prison, and was sorry for what he had done to the family. He would accept any sentence handed down, counsel said.

Judge Thomas E ODonnell said the impact on the victim and his family would not be lost sight of. He has asked the advice of the probation service and adjourned sentence, remanding Keane in continuing custody.
The delegation from the city of Xuzhou will include senior representatives from a number of large, influential companies based in the city and in the wider province renowned for its machinery, energy and food production sectors, as well as potential investors. The construction machinery manufacturer XCMG is the largest company based in Xuzhou.

The delegation, which is being hosted by Cork County Council, will also attend a business seminar in County Hall on Monday hosted by the county mayor. Prominent members of Corks business community, including representatives from Cork Chamber, Dairygold, it@Cork, Pfizer and Bank of Ireland, will speak at the seminar focusing on the key areas identified for potential growth including, food and beverage, ICT, education, pharmaceuticals and finance.
The addition of these mainly more affluent areas is likely to help Fianna Fail candidate John Lahart.

Anti-Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit member Paul Murphy is very strong in the area and he will be hoping to bring in second candidate, Sandra Fay.

Both candidates have divided up the consistency, with Mr Murphy taking everything east of the Old Bawn Rd, and Ms Fay asking for first choice in the area to the west.

However, Sinn Feins Sean Crowe will also be battling to bring in running mate Sarah Holland.

Labour won two out of what was formerly a four-seater last time around, but the question now is whether they will be even left with one after Fridays vote.

Eamon Moloney won a seat for Labour in the last general election; however, he resigned from the party last year after disagreeing with a two-candidate strategy that Labour had proposed for Dublin South-West.

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He is now running as an Independent but will have a massive battle on his hands to retain his Dail seat.

Pat Rabbitte also took a seat for Labour in 2011, but he has decided not to run for another term. The party have selected Pamela Kearns as their candidate.

Fine Gael have put forward three candidates  Colm Brophy, Anne-Marie Dermody, and Karen Warren.

It is expected there will be at least one Fine Gael seat in the constituency and while the bookies favoured appeared to be Mr Brophy, Ms Dermody has a high profile on the ground and is running a strong campaign.

It's all to play for as Election 2016 campaigns enter their final days https://t.co/qJKrzBNKHd (DOD) #GE16 pic.twitter.com/7lsAXaI5Wh  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) February 22, 2016

Senator Katherine Zappone, who is running as an Independent, will put up good fight, as will Renuas Ronan McMahon.

Water charges is an important issue in this constituency.

Jobstown was at the centre of one of the nastiest anti-water protests which saw Tanaiste Joan Burton locked into her car for at least two hours as she tried to leave an event.

In the working-class areas, such as much of Tallaght, crime, housing, as well as jobs are high on the agenda, while childcare and housing is important for the vast majority of constituents.

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These exchanges were contained in a memo of interview Detective Garda Thomas OSullivan had with Anthony Kelleher, which was read to the jury at his trial yesterday.

Mr Kelleher, aged 42, denies a charge of assaulting his wife Siobhan Kelleher causing her serious harm at the family home in Curraheen, Raleigh North, Macroom, Co Cork, on June 12, 2014.

Siobhan was beaten to within an inch of her life by you, the detective said.

Mr Kelleher replied: I didnt do it.

Are you aware her injuries are going to be lifelong injuries? Detective Garda OSullivan asked him in an interview eight months after the disputed incident.

Mr Kelleher replied: I was told she was making a good recovery.

Did you drag her by the ponytail out on to the landing? he was asked.

Mr Kelleher replied: No.

Did you ever hit her? he was asked, and replied, No.

Did you ever kick her? he was asked, and said, No.

Did you throw her down the stairs? the detective asked.

Mr Kelleher said: No.

He denied ever putting her in fear or saying to his wife during a hospital visit that if she went to the gardai, he would  among other alleged threats  kill himself.

During his interview, he said his wife used to hide drink around the house, and that she used to be falling around the place after drinking.

He said it became the new norm and he felt very disappointed.

He said he never lost his temper and never became physical in a row with his wife.

Mr Kelleher said he told the ambulance service his wife had fallen down the stairs. Asked why he thought she fell, he said she was disoriented from smoking cigarettes.

Detective Garda OSullivan asked the accused during an interview how he would describe his wife in terms of being truthful or lying and he replied, It depends.

The detective said Ms Kelleher had numerous old healing fractures.

The accused said his wife had complained previously of pain in her side and he had taken her to the doctor.

The jury had a transcript read to them by Siobhan Lankford, prosecuting, of the conversation the accused had with the person who took the emergency phone call on the night of June 12, 2014.

My wife fell downstairs. She seems to be breathing very heavily or something I dont know. [Asked what caused the fall.] Drink. She has a gash to the side of her head. There is bruising. She has her tongue between her teeth. Bruising on her body as well. She has had a couple of falls.

Oh my God lads, I hope shell be alright now. I cant believe this, he said, during the phone call.

Judge Sean O Donnabhain told the jury to return to Cork Circuit Criminal Court today for medical evidence in the case.
Images of the larger-than-life pensioner, with his long white hair and cowboy hat, have been lighting up social media again in recent days, thanks to a portrait drawn by Cork artist Leila Doherty.

Joe was one of three men captured on camera by Irish Examiner photographer Dan Linehan as they celebrated the reopening of the Top of Coom after their local pub, claimed to be the highest in Ireland, was destroyed in a devastating fire in 2012.

Dans video of the three men, featuring Joe feeding a lamb from a bottle, was watched more than 500,000 times on YouTube as viewers around the world attempted to decipher the dialect of the farmers from the mountainous area straddling the Cork-Kerry border. Indeed many wrongly assumed that Joe, Dan Kelleher, and Johnny McCarthy were conversing in Irish as they raised a glass to the end of their two-year drought without a pub in the locality, near the Gaeltacht village of Cuil Aodha.

Leila Doherty, an artist based in Burnfort, near Mallow, had never met Joe Kelly or visited the Top of Coom when she was commissioned to turn Dan Linehans photographs into artworks. Using pastel pencils, she recreated one scene of all three men in the bar, and another of Joe with the lamb under one arm, pint of stout clutched in the other hand.

And then she put the portrait of Joe on social media. I dont often put my pictures up on Faceboook, but hes very distinctive and I thought the colours worked well, said Leila, aged 24.

And over in Cuil Aodha Joe declared himself delighted with the likeness. I think its bloody fine, he said. I do a bit of painting with the acrylics, but if I tried to paint a picture of myself I know I couldnt do myself justice.

He was equally delighted to find himself a hit on social media a second time around thanks to Leilas artistic skills.And Dans verdict was that the drawing of Joe had captured his character perfectly and described the portrait version of his photograph as magnificent.

Dan was present again on Sunday, when the artist finally came face-to-face with the men whose expressions she had become so familiar with on paper. Leila made the journey out to meet Joe, Dan, and Johnny for the first time and to unveil her artwork  where else but at the bar in the mountains at the Top of Coom?
Barrister Ross Gorman told Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain that the website design company Huguenot XMi Ltd, through its Cork-based directors, Daniel Noel Coughlan MD and Dan Byrne, was seeking court protection from its creditors while a financial rescue plan was sought. Mr Gorman said Mr Coughlan, of Foxford Drive, Garryduff, Cork, and Mr Byrne, of Merton Lodge, Model Farm Rd, Cork, were asking the court to put the company in examinership, as it was insolvent.

Judge Ni Chulachain granted the companys request and appointed Joseph Walsh, chartered accountant with Hughes Blake, as interim examiner to draw up a survival plan to save the company and the jobs of its 14 employees.
His driver, Gerry Rigney, says he would hate to think about the mileage their BMW 4x4 has clocked up on the N7 between Limerick and Dublin. Between these journeys, Mr Noonan continues his trek through every estate in the city.

Today, Mr Noonan begins with a canvass and then its on to Dublin for meetings at party headquarters before he heads for RTE and a Six-One interview with Brian Dobson.

He was out yesterday afternoon for a canvass of Shannon Banks, his 53rd of the Limerick campaign.

I have to spend a lot of time in Dublin during the campaign and that means a lot of time in the car. I have a great campaign team here in Limerick and thats essential in allowing me get work done in Dublin as well as keeping up with the campaign here on the ground, he said.

Timmy OConnor has been with Mr Noonan since his first campaign in 1974 when he won a seat on Limerick County Council. A retired post office official from Broadford, he said: I am one of the three canvass organisers. We have three canvasses a day, at 11am, 2pm, and 7pm. In all we have a pool of over 160 canvassers.

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We are getting a very good response and people appreciate what Michael has done for the country and for Limerick. We are very confident we can hold our two seats with Michael and Kieran ODonnell.

Aileen Browne, from Charleville, is another of Mr Noonans canvass organisers. I got to know Michael when I moved to Limerick in 1998 for a time, she said.

She joked that by day shes out looking for blood with the blood-transfusion service and by night shes out looking for votes. Ms Browne was director of elections for Fine Gael in Limerick in 2011. I ran in the local elections in 2014 and I finished sixth in the five-seat Fermoy Municipal District.

Shortly after arriving in Shannon Banks, Mr Noonan encounters Gerard Brilley, a former pupil of his at Crescent College Comprehensive where Mr Noonan taught English, economics, and geography. Mr Brilley, aged 54 said: He was a very good teacher and he gave us a good grounding. Ill give him the vote.

Down the street, Pat and Christine Murphy were pleasantly surprised that the minister was paying a personal call on them. Mr Murphy, a retired accountant said: Ive been living here 42 years and this is a first.

Ms Murphy gave Mr Noonan a warm welcome: Its lovely to see you and have you calling. I know you are a very busy man. There are ministers and ministers, but you have done excellent work for the country. We are people who appreciate what you have done and well look after you on Friday.

As the canvassers move through the estate, Alan Kavanagh, one of Mr Noonans advisers, gives directions to fan out and get to as many doors as possible. Every few minutes he directs the candidate to residents who want to have a word about one thing or another.

It's all to play for as Election 2016 campaigns enter their final days https://t.co/qJKrzBNKHd (DOD) #GE16 pic.twitter.com/7lsAXaI5Wh  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) February 22, 2016

Dan OConnell, from Abbeydorney, like Mr Noonan, also taught at Crescent Comprehensive before he retired.

He said: When I first came to Limerick in 1976 to teach at the Comp, Michael trained me in as a probationer young teacher. I have campaigned with him since he gave up teaching for politics. Its a privilege to be involved with a man like him and to be a friend of his.

Mr Noonan, speaking to the canvassers, said: Keep working right to the end, because a lot of people havent made up their minds yet. What I would say to the undecided voters is that everybody has a concern about the future of the country and that Fine Gael and Labour in government have a good record in getting the country out of the state of bankruptcy it was and getting a strong recovery under way.

Its important if we want to have proper health services, more nurses, more gardai, more teachers, that we have a strong recovery to give us the resources to do all the things we want to do. So I am saying to people: Support the re-election of the Government.

Asked about the possibility of a hung Dail, Mr Noonan said: I wouldnt be concerned about it yet. Well wait and see. The polls are contradictory in many ways and I think one can rely too much on the polls. The canvass were on is much better than the polls, so well see what happens.

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The Japanese company  which has fallen behind the likes of Apple, Samsung, and HTC in the smartphone game  came out fighting at the technology conference with its range of Xperia X handsets.

Users will be particularly keen to see how the smart battery technology, which Sony claims can deliver up to two days battery life stands, stands up to scrutiny.

If the manufacturers claims are to be believed not only will the phone hold its charge for longer but the lifespan of the battery will also be extended as a result of additional technology developed by Qnovo which can adapt its charging patterns depending on the health of the battery.

The company has based its new models around three features it claims the Xperia brand is known for: Camera, battery, and design.

The sleek design is complemented by matching covers which will be available in four different colours from this summer.

On the camera front, the new Predictive Hybrid Autofocus in the Xperia X and Xperia X Performance models lets the user capture unblurred images of moving subjects by predicting the subjects motion.

Sonys latest attempt to attract users back to its handsets also comes with some added oomph in the shape of Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor driving the Xperia X and the Snapdragon 820 processor running on the Xperia X Performance.

The joker in the pack of yesterdays device launches also came courtesy of Sony, which unveiled Xperia Ear  an in-ear artificial intelligence assistant.

The device  worn in the same way as bluetooth headset  links wirelessly to the users smartphone to reduce how often the handset itself is needed. An app can then deliver information on any number of things from Facebook and Twitter notifications to news and weather updates. Its also voice-activated in the way Siri works on the iPhone.

Also launched at the event, which is expected to attract up to 100,000 attendees over the course of four days, was smartphone stalwart Samsungs latest handsets  the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

As expected, the latest additions to the Galaxy family include an always-on display which displays notifications as well as the time in low power mode when not in use.

The thinking behind the feature is to reduce the number of times the phone has to swing into action fully by always displaying key pieces of information.

Some old favourites also return with the slightly chunkier S7 handsets having been cut adrift with last years S6. Both phones can support 200GB of extra memory with the return of a microSD slot while the S7s are also water resistant.

Chinese smartphone maker ZTE unveiled some nice looking new handsets with the mid-range Blade V7 and V7 Lite while LG also got in on the action with its LG G5 which is being heralded as the Korean firms most daring handset yet.

Huawei also took the opportunity to launch its rival to the iPad Pro and Microsoft Surface with its MateBook.
Homeless groups and charities have described the figures as shocking and extremely alarming.

According to the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), 134 families (with 269 children) became homeless in the capital in January  the highest figure for any month on record. Of these, 125 had never been homeless before.

The previous highest monthly figure was 84 families in August 2015. The latest figure is a 148% rise on January 2015 when 54 families were homeless in Dublin.

The number of families in emergency accommodation now stands at 769, which includes some 1,570 children.

Focus Ireland director of advocacy, Mike Allen, said the figures showed that the so-called recovery has not reached large swathes of communities and people.

The continued massive rise in family homelessness is due to the prolonged crisis in the private rented sector. One key aspect of this crisis is lending agencies foreclosing on buy-to-let landlords and then evicting the tenants.

The repossession of buy-to-let landlords, often by banks owned by the Irish people, is a growing phenomenon and may account for up to half the recent cases of family homelessness, he said.

Focus Ireland said that, despite this issue being included in the Governments 20 point plan on homelessness in December 2014, no response whatsoever has been put in place to deal with the issue.

Sam McGuinness from the Dublin Simon Community described the figures as shocking and said there needed to be a move away from emergency, short-term responses which are now becoming long-term realities.

We urgently need to move away from an emergency-led response as we cannot keep offering people short-term solutions that have now become long term.

Providing people with the support to stay in their homes, together with ensuring the provision of affordable housing with support to move them out of homelessness, will be the only way we are going to solve this crisis long term, he said.

Pat Doyle, the chief executive of the Peter McVerry Trust, described the figures as very concerning and said if they were repeated or even exceeded on a monthly basis throughout the year, the consequences would be enormous. The statement from the DRHE clearly points out that rent supplement rates must be raised with immediate effect. Efforts to prevent homelessness must be immediately ramped up and all necessary resources made available to prevent individuals, couples and families from becoming homeless, he said.

General election: 7
Frank J Schorn lodged the legal challenge with the New York City Human Rights Commission after he claimed the timing of the meeting would mean he would miss the citys parade.

Mr Schorn, who is also vice-president of the Emerald Isle Immigration Centre, was quoted on website irishcentral.com as saying: The insensitive scheduling of parent-teacher meetings on March 17 has put me in an untenable position of choosing between my ethnic and religious heritage and my duty to help my students. I foresee being prevented from attending any Irish cultural events on March 17.
And so it was in Barcelona where, fresh from launching one of its finest smartphones, LG followed it up with a robot designed predominantly to entertain your cat. No, really.

The Seoul, South Korea, company decided to have a little fun on the opening day of Mobile World Congress by unveiling its Rolling Bot  a smartphone-controlled robot that roams your home when you cant. The palm-sized sphere, which resembles Star Wars BB-8 and boasts an 8-megapixel camera, can control home appliances and monitor your home  but its main selling point appears to be its ability to keep your cat entertained while youre out.

In the companys own words: LGs Rolling Bot can keep an eye on your home and be your cats new best friend.

Thanks for that.

Selling point is an overstatement, however, given that LG hasnt provided any information as to how much your cats new best friend will set you back once its available to buy.

If LGs questionable decision to cater for the feline market captured the imagination more than most devices, a number of eye-catching prototypes were also unveiled.

GMSA, the company behind Mobile World Congress, is predicting that close to three quarters of the worlds population will be connected to a mobile network by 2020, with 1bn new users signed up by then. It appears those in the mobile sector are looking for increasingly novel ways to harness that growth.

As part of its drive to expand its Xperia range beyond handsets, Sony announced three product concepts, including a personal home assistant. The Xperia Agent  which resembles an air freshener but boasts quite a bit more brain power  will interact with its surroundings, turn devices on and off, and generally make your life a little easier. A promo video shows the assistant welcoming its owner home and switching on the lights, for instance.

A prototype projector, which it is envisaged could turn surfaces such as a wall or table into an interactive dashboard, was also unveiled.

If the opening day is anything to go by, the worlds premier mobile event is likely to have a few more surprises up its sleeve yet.
For a long time now, the figure of 10% has been bandied about to estimate the amount of drugs that are seized.

Its a figure stubbornly difficult to stand up or even to ascertain where exactly it came from.

Successive garda bosses working in the drugs area rubbished it, saying the seizure rate was higher, although they could never put a figure on it.

Now we have a figure, for heroin at least. And garda bosses aint going to like it. Its 3%.

Its not an estimate from a half-baked university paper, but from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

In consolation, Ireland does not differ much from our neighbours, suggesting a consistency, even a credibility, to the estimates.

Irelands interception rate of 2.9% compares to 4.8% in Britain, 2.2% in Germany, 3.2% in France, 2.3% in Denmark, 3.9% in Portugal, 2.2% in Austria, 4.2% in Belgium, 1.4% in the Czech Republic and 6.4% in the Netherlands.

The study, Drug Money: The Illicit Proceeds of Opiates Trafficked of the Balkan Route, is one of very few such research projects.

The report was based on data between 2009 and 2012. It examined the heroin trade, from production in Afghanistan, via Iran and Turkey and through the Balkan route, to the wholesale and retail markets of Europe.

The report gives a best estimate that 958kg of heroin (adjusted for purity) is trafficked into Ireland, on average, every year. It estimates that 27.5kg are seized every year, and that 931kg gets through on to the street.

The UN report takes an average of 29 studies on usage rates among heroin users, giving them an estimate of 44g (pure) of heroin used a year. Working backwards from the 931kg consumed, that suggests around 21,160 users.

The 44g yearly total divided by 365 days suggest a daily consumption of 0.12g of pure heroin.

Based on Irish recorded seizure figures, this would translate into roughly 0.22g of street heroin a day, or about a fifth of a gramme.

Johnny Connolly is a criminologist attached to Trinity College Dublin and researcher on drug markets. He thinks the daily consumption estimate is about right. He puts it at between 0.3g and 0.5g of street heroin, of roughly 30% purity. This translates to 0.1g to 0.2g of pure heroin, similar to the UN estimate.

Where Dr Connolly differs, is on the number of heroin users.

He said the UN study appeared to use Irish official data from 2006, which put the number of heroin users are 20,800. But experts at the time said the figure was inflated or an overestimate. (We are currently awaiting an updated estimate.)

Dr Connolly puts the number of heroin users closer to 15,000, which includes up to 10,000 who are receiving methadone treatment. Based on this, he estimates the total amount users are consuming between 547.5kg and 657kg of pure heroin (as opposed to 931kg).

Using the UN figure of 27.5kg being seized a year, he suggests an interception rate of between 4% and 4.8%.

I would say this is more accurate, he said. At the same time, we are not really talking about a huge difference. Law enforcement often use the 10% figure, so really we are quibbling between 3% and 5%. And UK research estimates you need to be seizing 80% to make a difference.

A senior garda told the Irish Examiner that it was impossible to say how much heroin was coming into the country. He said that, last year, 85kg of heroin was seized.

There are substantial amounts coming in, but we dont know how much, he said. I think these [UN] figures are very speculative, 3% or 10% are as accurate as each other.

He was most critical of the gross profits the UN report estimated Irish heroin traffickers were earning  at 600m a year.

No, all day no, he said. Its mad stuff. They are certainly not earning 600m.

Dr Connolly said the profit estimate is the one he most disputes: I do think the profits are way too high. I would say its almost half that of the report.

The Ana Liffey Drug Project says an average user spends between 40 and 80 a day on heroin (each bag costs 20).

Dr Connolly said that if you took an average of 60, it would suggest a yearly spend of 320m by 15,000 heroin users.

He said part of the reason for the variation in figures is the lack of publicly available information by the gardai on seizures and the market.

Of course there are gaps [with the study] because we havent the research here, said Dr Connolly. Studies like this help us begin that analysis and thats really important. If we are trying to get to grips with drug laws, we have to analyse the market, from production to retail, and this is what this study has done in relation to heroin.

It is very difficult work to do and huge resources have gone into the report, but it is just the beginning.

He said the research showed that massive money was being made after heroin is brought in and purchased by wholesalers and regional dealers.

There are massive profit margins at the middle level and thats where police resources should go. Its where there is a need for asset seizures.

Dr Connolly said the money from those assets needs to be reinvested locally: Thats to displace the drug economy and provide alternatives to young people.

He said that whether the profits are 600m or 320m, they still outstrip the States entire drug-related budget, of around 200m.

He said the UN report raises wider, and deeper, issues about our drug laws.

This has profound implications for the whole concept of supply control. You have to ask what does supply control achieve?

Dr Connolly said the possession of all drugs for personal use should be decriminalised, not only to benefit the health of users, but to free up garda resources to target for dealers. He said there should then be a debate about regulating drug markets.

The senior garda said the most important objective in relation to seizures was the impact on the gang and the importance of the people arrested, not the quantity.

Its quality prisoners that we are after, he said. The street operations [targeting street dealers] are very important for local communities, but quality prisoners are a main goal.

We aim to destabilise and dismantle crime groups and, if we can, break them up. If they are taken out properly it is very difficult for them to bounce back.

Experts are currently reviewing the last National Drugs Strategy and the next one will be drafted this year.

They could do a lot worse than add the UN study to their reading list.

* A video news report on the Irish heroin problem from 2013
David Cameron took a swipe at Boris Johnson over the EU referendum as the two top Tories came up against one another in the House of Commons for the first time since the London mayor declared his support for Brexit.

The British prime minister used a statement to MPs to dismiss the idea, reportedly floated by Mr Johnson, that a leave vote could be a prelude to securing a better deal in a second referendum.

And, in what seemed a lightly veiled reference to the mayors apparent ambition to succeed him as prime minister, Mr Cameron told the Commons that his own pledge to step down at the general election meant he had no agenda other than the interests of Britain.

Making clear that a leave vote would be followed by withdrawal negotiations under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, Mr Cameron said: Sadly, Ive known a number of couples who have begun divorce proceedings, but I dont know any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows.

His comment was greeted by laughter from Labour MPs directed at Mr Johnson, whose own first marriage was dissolved in 1993.

Mr Johnson was one of the first backbench MPs to be called to ask Mr Cameron a question, to loud approval from eurosceptic backbenchers, but opted not to use the opportunity to speak at length on his decisions to back Brexit.

Instead, the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP simply asked Mr Cameron to explain to the House and to the country in exactly what way this deal returns sovereignty over any field of law-making to these Houses of Parliament.

Mr Cameron responded: This deal brings back some welfare powers, it brings back some immigration powers, it brings back some bail-out powers, but, more than that, because it carves us forever out of ever-closer union, it means that that ratchet of the European court taking power away from this country cannot happen in future.

I wont dwell on the irony that some people who want to vote to leave apparently want to use a leave vote to remain. Such an approach also ignores more profound points about democracy, diplomacy and legality.

This is a straight democratic decision, staying in or leaving and no Government can ignore that.

"Having a second negotiation followed by a second referendum is not on the ballot paper. For a prime minister to ignore the express will of the British people to leave the EU would not just be wrong, itd be undemocratic.

Mr Cameron outlined to MPs the changes to migrant benefits, economic regulation, red tape, and national sovereignty which he believes he secured in last Fridays late night deal, and warned a vote to leave would mean risk, uncertainty, and a leap in the dark.

Jovial Labour MPs gleefully mocked the PM over splits on the Conservative side of the chamber, where many eurosceptic MPs sat stony-faced to listen to their leader make the case for continued membership.

In a sign of the way the EU issue has divided Tory opinion, Mr Cameron was flanked on the Government frontbench by leader of the commons Chris Grayling, who is campaigning for Brexit, and home secretary Theresa May, who disappointed some supporters of Brexit when she declared she would vote to Remain.

Mr Cameron ended by saying: Im not standing for re-election. I have no other agenda than what is best for our country.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said it was more than disappointing that Mr Camerons renegotiation had failed to address the major challenges facing Europe, including dealing with climate change, making global businesses pay fair taxes, and tackling terrorism.

Downing St stressed that the Brexit process would begin straightaway if the UK voted to leave.

Asked whether the comment on marriage and divorce was a veiled reference to Mr Johnson, the source said: It was a reference to some people, who have suggested that the British people could vote to leave the EU and that somehow you might ignore and turn your back on the decision of the British people and go forward and try to secure a second renegotiation.

"The prime ministers view on that, and our manifesto made very clear, is that we will respect the outcome of the referendum
The Northern Ireland secretary came under pressure from Labour to ensure the Police Service of Northern Ireland and coroners office receive extra funding to help deal with responsibilities connected to the conflict.

Ms Villiers told the House of Commons she will take very seriously a request to provide cash for inquests if a credible reform package is put together.
The officials said that the two superpowers have agreed on the terms and conditions for the cessation of hostilities.

The announcement caps weeks of diplomacy that intensified in the past few days, aimed at reaching a temporary truce that would allow the parties to return to the negotiating table in Geneva.
Asia North Korean Officer: Tensions Rising on DMZ

Tensions have increased significantly along the Demilitarized Zone since North Koreas recent nuclear test and rocket launch, says a North Korean officer.

PANMUNJOM, North Korea  Tensions have increased significantly along the Demilitarized Zone since North Koreas recent nuclear test and rocket launch, a North Korean military official told The Associated Press on Monday, adding that while he could not comment on operational details, the reality is that it is touch and go.

Though parts of the worlds most fortified border can seem like a tourist trap, drawing throngs of camera-happy visitors on both sides every year, to the military-trained eye the Cold War-style standoff along the 257-kilometer (160-mile) DMZestablished when the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treatyis an incident waiting to happen.

Thats now truer than ever, the North Korean officer said, as tensions are escalating between Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington. Thousands of US troops are deployed in South Korea and units based around the DMZ have the motto Be Ready to Fight Tonight.

People come here and they think its like a resort. But if you know it better, you know how dangerous it is, Lt. Col. Nam Dong Ho of the North Korean Peoples Army said in Panmunjom, the truce village where the armistice was signed.

Nam said tensions have increased significantly since the nuclear test in January and rocket launch earlier this month. Something could happen at any time, he said.

To stand on the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone is almost otherworldly.

After crossing through military checkpoints and passing roadside concrete structures rigged to detonate and keep any vehicles from passingdefenses that are also common in the Souththe air is peaceful and fresh, and birds can be heard chirping as they fly over a carefully manicured landscape dotted with rock monuments and meticulously maintained historical buildings.

But closer to the Demarcation Line that marks the actual border, soldiers stand rigidly on guard, armed and intimidating, often just a few steps away from their South Korean counterparts.

On Monday, the surreal feeling at the Demarcation Line was heightened by the absence of anyonesoldiers or civiliansvisible on the Souths side.

South Korea halted tours to its side of the DMZ the day after the Jan. 6 nuclear test, when it also announced it would resume cross-border propaganda broadcasts, which have in the past brought strong recriminations from North Korea. The tours have gradually resumed. A popular observatory where people can catch a glimpse into the North via binoculars was set to reopen Tuesday.

Along with restarting the broadcasts, South Korean President Park Geun-hye responded to the Norths nuclear test and launch by shutting down a joint industrial park in Kaesong, a city just north of the DMZ, and telling the South Korean National Assembly that if North Korean leader Kim Jong Un doesnt change his ways his regime will surely collapsepredictably outraging the North.

North Korea reacted by putting the industrial park under military control, cutting off emergency hotlines with Seoul andthrough its state-run mediaaccusing Park of being a traitor and a senile granny.

I dont even want to utter her name, Nam said. Im just a soldier so I dont know how the situation has changed. But as the Kaesong industrial zone has been totally closed by South Korea, our people and army are getting more enraged.

Nam said the broadcasts cannot be heard in Panmunjom during the day, which he suggested was because the South doesnt want them to be heard by South Korean tourists.

But when its quiet, late at night, you can hear them here, he said.

North Korea says it is developing nuclear weapons for self-defense and has the sovereign right to launch satellites as part of a peaceful space program. But both are generally seen as violating longstanding United Nations resolutions. The UN Security Council is still discussing its response, but the United States, Japan and South Korea have already announced new sanctions on the already-heavily sanctioned North.

The standoff is likely to get worse before it gets better.

Keeping its own military profile high, the United States flew four stealth F-22 fighter jets over South Korea and reaffirmed it maintains an ironclad commitment to the defense of its ally after the rocket launch. Last month, it sent a nuclear-capable B-52 bomber over South Korea following the Norths nuclear test.

South Korea and the United States are expected to hold large-scale war games next month.

South Koreas defense minister has said about 15,000 US troops will take part in the annual exercises, double the number Washington normally sends. The two countries have also begun preparatory talks to deploy a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in South Korea.

That is strongly opposed by neighboring powers China and Russia, since the radar would allow Washington to reach well into their territory as well.

Nam, the North Korean officer, said he remains focused on his duties. But he added that, now that North Korea says it has an H-bomba claim disputed by some outside expertsthe US might be better advised to focus on negotiating a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War.

On the international stage, the US talks about peace, he said. But it should not interfere in the affairs of other countries.
Asia US Wants Leadership Role for India in Asia-Pacific

Indias leadership is needed in the Asia-Pacific region, and the United States is prepared to cooperate with India as never before on the high seas.
Burma Conflict and Powerful Companies Stoke Land Disputes in Kachin State

At the expense of poor farmers, land grabs have been on the rise since conflict re-erupted in Kachin State.

WAI MAW TOWNSHIP, Kachin State  La Laung Daung Nan vividly remembers the last day of April 2015.

Alone in front of the two-acre plot of land her family had been allocated in a United Nations-led project, she waited for fellow villagers to turn up. They had been sent by officials and were coming to take down the barbed wire that protected her rubber saplings from the trampling of cows and buffalos.

When they came, I pleaded with them not to do it, that we are from the same village, she recalled, sitting on the bamboo floor of her stilt home with three other aggrieved farmers. Her words fell on deaf ears. The next day, roaming animals seeking pasture left few traces of the 11-month-old saplings.

Daung Nan, her husband and 16 others in Naung Chain, a dusty village a 40-minute motorbike ride away from the state capital Myitkyina, are in a legal tussle with village authorities over land they consider theirs, but which officials say is part of the 1,600 acres designated as grazing ground.

The villagers say they were not consulted about plans to turn their land into grazing grounds and believe it was a ploy by officials who planned to profit from renting out 300 acres to a Chinese company for a banana plantation.

Sa Yaw Haung Khaung, the village administrator, defended the land seizure in an interview with Myanmar Now, saying officials acted according to the law. He played down the impact on villagers, saying the Chinese concession covered only 70 acres for growing watermelons. It would have generated income for the whole village but it was abandoned following protests, he added.

On the other side of Myitkyina, in Shwe Aite village, more than a dozen people braved the cold to tell their stories of loss of farmland to this correspondent.

Many said the local administrators threatened them with lawsuits for refusing to move to accommodate village expansion. Others lost their farms to a new college building. Yet some blame the military, including a 65-year-old who was evicted to make way for a telecommunications tower which never materialized.

In December 2015, civil society group Land in Our Hands released a report after speaking to more than 2,500 people within 329 villages across six states and seven regions in Burma. Based on their findings, Kachin State has the second largest number of land confiscations after Shan State.

These local battles are an illustration of not only of land rights disputes engulfing Kachin, Burmas northernmost state bordering China, but also of the whole country, a largely agrarian nation emerging from decades of brutal military rule where land rights are fragile and victims of injustice have little recourse.

Rampant Land Seizures

Land confiscations in Kachin have been so rampant there is little vacant land left. Villagers are too scared to speak up. There are more landless people now and many are struggling to survive, Bawk Ja Lum Nyoi, a fiery political activist known for taking on powerful interests, told Myanmar Now.

In Kachin, the land disputes have been fueled by the outgoing Thein Sein governments liberalization policies that have driven up land prices and attracted foreign and domestic investment, say analysts.

The renewed Kachin conflict has weakened communities rights and displaced more than 100,000 civilians, many of whom worry whether they will still be able to access their farmland when peace returns. They accuse the army of seizing swathes of land.

Meanwhile, junta-era issues such as a heavy military presence across the state, oppression of ethnic minorities and the unchecked exploitation of natural resources persist.

If land disputes remain unresolved they will be detrimental to the peace process and overall stability of Kachin State, activists say. Many are hoping the new government and parliament led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) will help the situation.

We hope the NLD will be fair and come up with good solutions, said Lahpai Zaw Tawng from Kachin State Farmers Network, who has been helping the Naung Chain villagers.

Many farmers do not dare to demand the return of land confiscated by the military. We will have to see if we can push for that under the new government.

Land Key to Peace and Democracy

Changes in land ownership and use have emerged as one of the key issues during Burmas political and economic transition, with deep resentment and protests over land acquisitionsoften dubbed land grabsfor infrastructure, development or large-scale agricultural projects.

Up to 70 percent of Burmas labor force is estimated to be directly or indirectly engaged in agriculture. The sector accounts for 44 percent of the GDP, according to consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

All land in Burma is owned by the government but farmers are given land use or tillage rights, making land use a particularly sensitive issue for small-scale farmers who make up the majority of Burmas population of 51 million.

Yet these rights are neither respected on the ground in practice, nor provide protection against land grabbing, activists said.

The 2015 Land in Our Hands report found 42.9 percent of respondents said they possessed legal documents issued by the government when their land was confiscated.

The issue is even more sensitive in ethnic areas. Ethnic minorities make up an estimated 30 to 40 percent of Burmas population, and ethnic states occupy some 57 percent of the total land area.

Burmas current land problem is linked to ethnic conflict, said the Netherlands-based Transnational Institute in its recent report on land issues in the country.

Important questions around access to and control of land are at the heart of the civil war, and unless they are addressed well, real peace is likely to remain out of reach, it said.

Bawk Ja, chairperson of National Democratic Force (NDF) in Kachin State who took the powerful Yuzana company to court over a land grabbing case and has been jailed for her political activities, agrees. Without resolving the land issue, theres no way you can achieve real peace, she said.

Ruled By Guns

Activists like Bawk Ja and Zaw Tawng are educating villagers of their rights so they are better able to stand up for themselves. It is a long process, however.

Shwe Aite villagers like Arr Ti, 65, and Yaing Myaw, 45, remember shaking with fear during a meeting a few years ago when a senior military official came to their village.

He put his pistol down on the table first before telling us we have to move. Then he asked, Anyone want to say anything? I was so scared, Yaing Myaw said.

But theyve become emboldened in the past year or two. With help from Bawk Ja, they sent letters to central authorities about their cases, and defiantly returned to their homes and farms.

Im not giving in. Its my land, said Arr Ti, who was asked in 2006 to leave her orchard, which she has owned since 1982. The army told her it was confiscated to build a telecommunications tower, but nothing has been built so far.

Land grabs have become so politically contentious that Burmas military-backed parliament set up the Farmland Investigation Commission in 2012, tasked with scrutinizing land grabs.

In just under two years, the commission has received more than 30,000 cases. Of these, only two-thirds have been heard, and in fewer than 1,000  a mere 4 percent  has it ruled that compensation is justified, wrote Namati, an international NGO working on land rights in an editorial.

Many are hoping that the new NLD-led government will keep the promises made in its election manifesto, which include fair resolution of disputes, establishing land tenure security and support for the landless.

It also says the party would strive, in accordance with the law, to ensure the return to farmers of illegally-lost land, and payment of compensation and restitution and defend against illegal land confiscation practices.

Dr. Khun Win Thaung is an NLD lawmaker in the Upper House representing Kachin State Constituency (11). The former veterinarian lost his government job in the 1988 protests and spent five years in jail. He said his job gave him a unique understanding of the struggles farmers face.

Farmers are our benefactors and Im aware of the suffering they have endured. We will try our best to resolve these land issues, he told Myanmar Now.

Daung Nan and her husband, La Ban Khan Phan, have begun to prepare their land again, while keeping up the fight to save it from becoming a grazing ground. They plan to grow rice this time, in line with the authorities edict that slow-growing crops were not allowed within the grazing ground.

If we havent made such a fuss, we wouldve lost all this land to the Chinese company, said Khan Phan, his hands on the wooden stakes that once fenced off his land.

This story first appeared on Myanmar Now.
Burma Door to NCA Still Open, Aung Min Tells UNFC Members in Chiang Mai

Burmas chief peace negotiator Aung Min held a series of meetings with ethnic leaders in northern Thailands Chiang Mai this week, including from the UNFC.

CHIANG MAI, Thailand  Presidents Office minister and Burmas chief peace negotiator Aung Min held a series of meetings with ethnic leaders in northern Thailands Chiang Mai this week, including representatives of an ethnic alliance whose members remain outside the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA).

On Monday, Aung Min met representatives of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), accompanied by former lieutenant general Khin Zaw Oo and advisors from the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC). The Presidents Office minister also met separately with members of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) whose armed wing, the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S), has recently clashed with the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), a UNFC member.

Aung Min initially requested to meet with UNFC member groups separately, an approach rejected by the alliance who insisted on meeting as a body.

We came to see our friends and briefed them on updates regarding the NCA process, Aung Min told reporters after the meeting. He said the door was still open for non-signatory groups to sign the agreement concluded in October last year.

We have to try step by step, he said.

Current UNFC members, which include the Kachin Independence Organization and the Shan State Army-North, rebuffed the so-called nationwide pact on the grounds that it was not inclusive of all ethnic armed groups.

The alliance suspended two of its members, the Chin National Front and the Pa-O National Liberation Organization, after they signed the agreement. Another signatory, the Karen National Union (KNU), left the alliance prior to the NCA signing.

We generally talked about how we could proceed in the future to finish up our work [on the peace process], said UNFC general secretary Khu Oo Reh following the dialogue.

Hla Maung Shwe of the MPC said further meetings may be scheduled this week as the government delegation will remain in Chiang Mai for a few more days.

During a brief meeting with RCSS representatives on Monday, Aung Min urged for the reduction of tensions with the TNLA, according to spokespersons for both parties.

We would also be able to help if they ask us, for a venue [for dialogue] and other issues. The minister would be able to join, said Hla Maung Shwe, while adding that the governments capacity to intervene was limited, as the opposing forces included a signatory and non-signatory armed group.

The TNLA has previously accused the SSA-S of cooperating with the Burma Army during military operations, a charge the Shan armed group has repeatedly denied.

Khin Zaw Oo met separately with RCSS chairman Yawd Serk on Tuesday morning. No details of the meeting were officially disclosed.
Burma Environmental Network Demands Incoming Govt End Salween Dam Projects

Save the Salween Network, a group of river protection and ethnic civil society groups, has called on the government to halt all Salween River dam projects.

RANGOON  Save the Salween Network (SSN), a group of nine river protection and ethnic civil society groups, released a statement on Monday calling on the incoming government to halt all projects on the Salween River, which extends through China, Burma and Thailand.

In accordance with the new governments promise to guarantee ethnic rights and set up a federal democratic system, the Save the Salween Network urges the new government to stop all plans to build dams on the Salween River, as they will have disastrous impacts on the lives of countless ethnic communities in Burma, the statement read.

This is not only going to create misunderstanding between ethnic peoples and the new government, but will also have impacts on ethnic armed groups and the current peace process.

Saw Tha Phoe of Karen River Watch, a network member, said that the SSN is worried about news of an agreement between the Chinese and Burmese governments on Feb. 2 to build 18 new dams along Burmas rivers, though details of the agreement were not publicized.

The government did not officially release any details about the 18 dams. We just know that there are plans to build dams along the Salween River, Saw Tha Phoe told The Irrawaddy.

We want to know why this is being so hurriedly done when the governments term is ending. When the NLD [National League for Democracy] government takes power, they will have to take care of what the previous government did.

According to Saw Tha Phoe, six hydropower dams are already underway on the Salween River: Kunlong, Mann Taung, Mong Ton (Tasang) and Naung Pa in Shan State, Ywathit in Karenni State, and Hatgyi in Karen State.

The Burma Rivers Network has said previously that these dam projects, which have a combined capacity of 15,000 megawatts and which are funded by Chinese, Burmese and Thai investors, pose a threat to the future of locals and to the Salween basins rich biodiversity.

The Mong Ton dam, planned on the Salween River in Shan State, will be the largest hydropower project in Southeast Asia, and will threaten the lives, homes and property of countless communities in Shan, Karenni, Karen and Mon states, the network said.

According to research along the Salween by earthquake experts, the building of dams will have seismically disruptive impacts on major fault lines, and should definitely not go ahead, the network added.

The current Salween dam projects, the network said, are also violating the human rights and indigenous rights of local people.

The Salween dam projects are fuelling tension and conflict between different ethnic armed groups, SSN said. Government troops are also using the pretext of providing security for the dams to expand their presence in ethnic areas. This is threatening the peace process and the lives, homes and property of local ethnic peoples.
Burma KNU Criticized After Signing MoU on Hydropower Dam

The Karen National Union faces criticism after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Burmese government on a Pegu Division dam.

The Karen National Union (KNU) is under criticism after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Burmese government on a hydropower project known as the Baw Ka Hta dam.

Saw Tar Doh Moo, the head of Thoo Lay Company Limited, a business body owned by the KNU, signed the MoU with Aye Hsan of the Electrical Power Management Department on February 18 in Naypyidaw. When completed, the dam in Pegu Divisions Kyaukkyi Township would be capable of producing 160 megawatts of electricity. This electricity would reportedly be distributed throughout Pegu Division and Karen State.

Both local civilians and members of the KNU leadership spoke out on social media against the signing of the MoU, pointing out that proper assessments and consultations had not been conducted for the dam, named for its location on the Ba Ka Hta River.

We only heard [about the dam] from news on the internet. We dont know everything in detail. We [senior leaders at KNUs central committee] should know about it, Saw Thaw Thee Bwe, the first general secretary of the KNU, told The Irrawaddy.

Saw Thaw Thee Bwe said that the Thoo Lay Company should formally explore the impact of the project before proceeding with an MoU. He explained that protocol required that the results of the research be presented to the KNU central committee before a decision could be made.

After these assessments, the local community, NGOs and environmentalists should get involved to advise on the consequences of the dam. Then we should inform local villagers, said Saw Thaw Thee Bwe. Now we dont know [enough] about the MoU.

Hsa Moo, media coordinator of Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN) confirmed that no social or environmental impact assessments had been carried out prior to the MoU. She also told The Irrawaddy that ethnic Karen villagers around the Baw Ka Hta project feared that the dam would cause them to lose their land.

Referencing another local dam project also in Pegu Division, Hsa Moo said locals did not want to have to relocate like those in the areas affected by the Shwegyin River hydropower project. The 75-megawatt Shwegyin dam displaced thousands of people from 45 villages when construction began in 2002 and was later completed in 2011. Those who were forced to abandon their homes reportedly did not receive any compensation.

Local villagers are indigenous people, but they are lacking [a role] in decision making. The Shwegyin dam negatively impacted local peoplethey lost their land and villages. They became internally displaced, Hsa Moo said.

The dam project should be transparent and accountable, she added. Local villagers should be consulted and allowed to participate in the decision making process.

The Thoo Lay company engages in oil and gas extraction, mining, construction, and car imports. Tar Doh Moo, the head of the company, could not be reached by phone for comment at the time of reporting.
Burma Ministry Exempts 5 Temples from Ban on Bagan Temple Access

The Ministry of Culture has clarified an announcement issued Monday prohibiting visitors from ascending the temples of Bagan which was met with criticism.

RANGOON  Burmas Ministry of Culture has modified an announcement originally issued Monday prohibiting visitors from ascending the ancient temples of Bagan which was met with criticism by tourism professionals who instead urged the government to set limits on the ban.

According to an initial announcement released by the culture ministry on its Facebook page, visitors would no longer be allowed to climb the steps of stupas and temples in the ancient city, effective March 1.

However, in an additional statement released late on Tuesday, the ministry stipulated that the ban would not include five templesPyathatgyi, Shwesandaw, South Guni, North Guni and Thitsar Wadi.

The government body had cited the practice as dangerous to tourists and suggested that the crowds of visitors were weakening the durability and strength of the ancient structures.

The ministrys clarification came after several tourism professionals had spoken out, claiming that a total ban would not be an inappropriate answer to the strains placed on preserving the monuments heritage.

Thadoe Thuzar Aung, general secretary of the Union of Myanmar Travel Association (UMTA) and the managing director of Authentic Myanmar Travel and Tours, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the association encouraged the ministry to implement systematic methods to filter access and collect more positive suggestions from tourism-related associations.

Recruiting skilled staff to privilege access to the tops of the temples could be one of the options, she said.

The general secretary is also concerned that the ban could have made it difficult for photographers and media representatives to get digital footage of the ancient city.

The ministrys former announcement on Monday stated that many visitors wear revealing clothing to the temples and dance or sleep in their vicinity, which disrespects the cultural heritage of the ancient kingdom.

An experienced English-speaking tour guide, Haymar Aung, told The Irrawaddy that there are two famous spots in Bagan from which sunsets can be viewed, and that huge crowds of tourists throng to these prime viewpointson the tops of templesdaily. She did, however, express concern about tourists who desecrate the ancient heritage site.

Action should be taken against such manners. But when access [to the top of pagodas] is banned, they wont have any other unique things to do in Bagan, Haymar Aung said.

The dream of every visitor who goes to Bagan is to enjoy watching the sunset or the sunrise from the top of a pagoda and to take pictures, she added.

Since October of last year, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has advocated for a partnership between the Ministry of Culture and UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to build a a viewing mount around Bagans Sulamani Temple. No green light has been given for the project to date, JICA confirmed to The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Cultures original announcement was released after a video went viral on social media last week featuring a group of people from a local medical company, known as Lucky Time Trading, dancing on top of Bagans Pyathadar Temple on February 17. The company later apologized in state-run newspapers for organizing the event.
Burma Nationalists Plan Rally in Defense of Article 59(f)

A group of nationalists plan to hold a rally on Sunday in support of Article 59(f) of Burmas Constitution, which bars Suu Kyi from the presidency.

RANGOON  A group of Buddhist nationalists plan to hold a rally in the coming days in support of Article 59(f) of Burmas Constitution, which bars Aung San Suu Kyi from the presidency.

Win Ko Ko Latt, of the Myanmar Nationalist Network, told The Irrawaddy that the ambition of the rally, planned for Rangoons Bo Sein Hman grounds, is in defense of 59(f), which precludes anyone with a foreign spouse or children from assuming the presidency, disqualifying Suu Kyi, whose two children are British nationals, as was her late husband.

Article 59(b) of the military-drafted charter states that the president and vice president should be Burmese citizens whose parents were born in Burma. Rally organizers are aiming to keep both articles intact.

We believe these two sections should be present. We heard that the amendment or suspension of Article 59(f) would be discussed in the Parliament to allow Suu Kyi to become president. Were worried that would stop Parliament and lead to a military coup, Win Ko Ko Latt said.

As negotiations between the NLD and the military continue behind closed doors, one notion first floated late last year centers on the possible suspension of the clause. Opinions are divided on whether this has currency, with several military representatives expressing their opposition to such a move.

On Tuesday, Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing appeared to hose down suggestions of any moves to sidestep the charter in the near-term.

[N]ecessary provisions should be amended at an appropriate time in accordance with the chapter XII of the constitution, Min Aung Hlaing said, according to the military-run Myawaddy newspaper, as reported by Reuters.

Win Ko Ko Latt said the group is currently seeking permission from authorities to hold the rally on Feb. 28 and added that they anticipate collecting a petition with some 1,000 signatures. Former Upper House lawmaker Khin Wine Kyi, lawyer Aye Paing and chairman of the Peace and Diversity Party Nay Myo Wai are scheduled to give speeches at the rally.

The Myanmar Nationalist Network, as well as some rally speakers, includes supporters of the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ba Tha, which pushed for contentious race and religion protection laws last year.

Organizers contend however that they are not against Suu Kyi leading the country.

We arent objecting to Suu Kyi becoming president. We heard that her two sons and their spouses can seek Burmese citizenship. If Suu Kyi were to become the president in that way, without touching the article, we could accept that, Win Ko Ko Latt said.

Outgoing Minister of Information Ye Htut suggested exactly that in an interview with Voice of America last week, though the ministers comment was largely seen as disingenuous.
Burma On the Frontline of the TNLA, SSA-S Divide

In conflict-torn Kyaukme Township, several villages are now largely abandoned after conflict between Taang and Shan armed forces since early February.

KYAUKME TOWNSHIP, Shan State  After a bumpy two-day drive from Rangoon, The Irrawaddy arrived in Kyauk Hpyu, Kyaukme Township, to find a village largely abandoned.

It was Feb. 18. The day prior, fighting had broken out in the area between the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S). Most locals in the village of around 50 homes had fled to the town of Kyaukme, around two hours away by car, to shelter in monasteries.

A detachment of TNLA soldiers had taken up residence in the village and warned us not to proceed any further. Ahead was a conflict zone.

Sergeant Soe Naing, surrounded by guns, ammunition and other military equipment, welcomed us into one home with hot tea and a lunch of vegetables and fried beans.

Sorry I cannot give you good food, but this is good for us, the Taang soldier said. We just got back from the frontline last night.

He claimed that six artillery shells had rained down on the village the previous day during a SSA-S attack on the Taang forces.

Members of the TNLA sat around the village with tired faces and dirt-streaked uniforms. Some of them slept under the raised houses, while others stayed indoors.

On Feb. 19, some soldiers took us to Kyaukme Townships Ton San village where ethnic Palaung (Taang) Buddhist monks were preparing for a traditional prayer ceremony for those killed during the clashes.

The TNLA soldiers did not provide details on the number of troops killed during almost two weeks of fighting.

Both sides have many causalities, said a soldier known as Col. Robert. Reports on the ground have not yet come in detail.

They Shot Us, We Shot Back

Col. Robert described an operation by the TNLA on Feb. 7 to take a SSA-S base, known as Loi Rin, during which civilians quickly found themselves in the firing line.

The base is situated in Kyaukme Township and surrounded by four villages, Nyaung Maung, Nyaung Pang Hla, Ja Dee Houng and Ja Dee Jan.

They shot us, we shot them back. It was very big fighting, Robert said. I went to hide in a house then I heard some women were shouting and asking for help. There were six female school teachers and they were locked in a house and were almost killed amid the fighting.

The women were escorted to a monastery for their safety, he said.

Fierce fighting in the area, which Robert said continued until Feb. 17 and spread to other villages in the township including Tauk San, caused hundreds of civilians to flee their homes.

We considered the villagers, therefore we ordered our troops to withdraw, he said. We have sympathy for the villagers who have fled. The [SSA-S] came to control our areas, therefore we had to launch a military offensive against them.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that as of Feb. 16, 3,330 people were displaced in Kyaukme Township and over 1,000 were displaced in Namkham Township.

Fighting between the two armed groups first flared in November last year, one month after the signing of the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement. The SSA-S was one of eight armed groups to sign the pact, while the TNLA was excluded by the government from the negotiations.

A Villagers View of the TNLA

Some Palaung villagers have mixed feelings about the armed group that claims to defend them.

Mai Soe Maung, a 28-year-old ethnic Palaung community leader in the isolated village of Myo Thit in Kyaukme Township, said the TNLA offers villagers protection, but in turn seeks tangible support. This not only includes extracting a tax from villagers but also demanding that one male member of each family serve in the Taang force.

When the TNLA are not present, the villagers feel they need their protection, said Mai Soe Maung. But when we have it, they dont treat the locals well enough.

Myo Thit is famous for its high quality tea on the back of which many locals have earned their living. But in recent months, in light of conflict and tensions, many have sought work in China. The village is now eerily quiet.

The families of the young men and boys who join the TNLA still have to support them, Mai Soe Maung said. The people here are poor. If they have to buy a phone for their children, they owe a debt for it, he says.

TNLA troops used to stay inside the village, according to Mai Soe Maung, but problems arose when soldiers were inebriated.

They have guns, but our villagers have no guns. They have the power when there is a problem. Therefore we make them stay outside the village now, he said. I do my best when they ask for help. But I feel very sad sometimes when their men on the ground treat [us] badly.

I feel sometimes that I just want to leave my village. But I need to stay tolerant as I need to do more for the development of my community.

Negotiations

The Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) has offered to mediate between the two ethnic armed groups and the conflict was discussed at a recent meeting of armed groups in Thailands Chiang Mai under the United Nationalities Federal Council alliance. The TNLA is a member of the grouping but the SSA-S is not.

We will see what results will come out of the negotiations [facilitated by the] SSPP and UNFC. Then we will decide what we should do next, said Robert.

Presidents Office Minister Aung Min also met with representatives of the Restoration Council of Shan State, the political wing of the SSA-S, on Monday evening in Chiang Mai, and reportedly urged for tensions to be scaled back.

Members of the TNLA have alleged that the SSA-S was cooperating with the Burma Army during military operations, claims the Shan armed group has stridently denied.

If the government told them to go back to their place, there would be no more problems here, said Robert, who stressed that the conflict was between armed groups, not between the Palaung and Shan people.

This is just a military issue, not an ethnic issue, he said.
Burma Over 600,000 Hopefuls Set to Take Burmas Matriculation Exam

According to state media, 671,431 students both inside and outside Burma have registered to take the national matriculation exam, slated for March 9 to 18.
How to Effectively Deliver IT Projects in the Digital Age

An incalculable number of upgrade releases occur every yearand yet most are still frantic affairs, full of missteps and hurried decision-making, says Jim Manias, vice president of sales and marketing at Advanced Systems Concepts, a job scheduling and workload automation product and services provider in Morristown, N.J. With all the releases happening in the software world, one would think the process would have evolved into a science by now. Unfortunately, this isnt the case.

For anyone who is familiar with how upgrade releases typically happen, its difficult to argue the point. I discussed the issue in a recent email interview with Manias, the fruit of which was a list of 10 ways software product teams can do a better job of releasing upgrade versions that are reliable and that foster goodwill with customers. Heres the list Manias came up with:

1. Time well.

A few years ago in 2011, HP held a major press event for its upcoming TouchPad, a major challenger to Apples iPad. The event captured the attention of both consumers and the press. Yet by the time HP unveiled the product, six months had gone byand interest in the product had waned considerably. A scant two months later, HP discontinued not only the TouchPad, but the companys entire webOS hardware line.

Timing is critical to a successful release. Stick to a schedule and keep your industrys priorities in mind. If you announce too early, and the product isnt available on time, customers will not be happy and your releases will appear to be unreliable. You also have to factor in timing when it comes to holidays and other industry events. For example, releasing a B2B product or service at the end of December wouldnt make much sense, because people are generally out of the office around that time. Make sure all your milestones are well-planned and achievable, with margins for error factored in.

2. Kill the bugs.

No one wants to release a product with major errors. So why does it happen so often? Inadequate planning, poor testing, and premature announcements are just some of the reasons. Releasing a buggy version or product can be very, very difficult to recover from. It frustrates the customer, jeopardizes hard-earned trust, and creates problems post-release. No matter how good your marketing campaign is, if your product has major bugs, youll feel the backlash.

3. Test for performance.

Enterprise customers have different implementations, environments and systems. So dont limit yourself to one testing environment; test under a wide range of conditions. If your app relies on internal servers, be sure to load-test themand then test them under an even bigger load to ensure your servers can withstand the peak demand associated with the update.

4. Test for compatibility.

Many teams never account for their enterprise customers past use of the product. Its important to ensure that any customization or data stores customers have associated with your product will operate as expected under the new release. Wherever possible, test against the tailored conditions your biggest customers have established in order to assure seamless compatibility.

5. Review pricing impact.

If you are adopting a new pricing model, youll need to reevaluate its impact on the companys sales strategy, as well as on your sales organization. Will pricing affect sales commissions? How might that situation change your sales projections? Dont forget to review your support fees and levels of support, in case adjustments are warranted.

6. Promote.

Build a landing page that generates excitement for your upgrade well ahead of time. Make sure industry analysts have a chance to learn about whats coming, and work with your public relations firm to get the word out to key influencers in the media. Blogs and well-timed articles can be a great help in a successful launch.

7. Coordinate.

A successful launch plan synchronizes all departments, including Engineering, QA, Marketing, Sales, Tech Support and Training. Everyone needs to be moving in the same direction; you cant have Engineering and Marketing ready to launch, while Training hasnt yet built the next versions capabilities into its courseware. Wise coordination extends to your external audiences, as well. Communicate with your customers what requirements are necessary, and give them time to prepare.

8. Train.

Support teams need to be educated and comfortable with the new features and capabilities so that when issues arise, solutions are in hand. Supply your knowledge base with articles and how-to videos that address the new version, and respond quickly to questions over social media with tips and how-tos.

9. Get behind the wheel.

Adequate testing includes your own test drive. Download the upgrade kit, and then install and try the new features for yourself, just as a customer would. By testing all the links and steps yourself, youll avoid a lot of customer frustration.

10. Listen.

Inevitably, some users will have trouble with your new upgrade. Dont brush them off or minimize their concerns; take part in forums and blogs as an opportunity to learn and respond to requests. In the end, wise preparation and effective implementation make a software release successful. Take the time to plan, organize, execute, and learnand in your customers eyes youll be upgrading your reputation, along with your software.

A contributing writer on IT management and career topics with IT Business Edge since 2009, Don Tennant began his technology journalism career in 1990 in Hong Kong, where he served as editor of the Hong Kong edition of Computerworld. After returning to the U.S. in 2000, he became Editor in Chief of the U.S. edition of Computerworld, and later assumed the editorial directorship of Computerworld and InfoWorld. Don was presented with the 2007 Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity by American Business Media, and he is a recipient of the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for editorial excellence in news coverage. Follow him on Twitter @dontennant.
The SMEs believe that with 122 Federal awards, the Fair Work Act is unnecessarily complicated, with almost two in three of the small business operators supporting reducing the number of Federal Awards to simplify the Act.



The SMEs were surveyed by accounting software provider MYOB.



MYOB CEO Tim Reed said SME operators want to do the right thing by their people, but keeping track of all the details across multiple awards can be tough.





From speaking to our clients, we know it can be a real barrier to hiring new staff. SMEs want to do the right thing but are worried about getting it wrong under a complex system. Were all for Government moving ahead on a simpler Fair Work Act, and its great to see this on the agenda of new Small Business Ombudsman, Kate Carnell.This latest MYOB SME Snapshot also asked SMEs about the recent debate around increasing the GST rate to 15%, and. over half (52%) gave the proposal the thumbs down, with 35% concerned their customers would spend less as a result.Reforming GST would have provided the opportunity to make GST much simpler for small businesses  the productivity benefits could have been massive, Reed said.With the Prime Minister now taking a GST change off the cards, wed encourage Government to now take some simple steps to reduce the GST compliance burden on small business.In an environment thats all about boosting productivity and innovation, reducing the $13.7 billion that SMEs spend complying with GST and giving them back the 84 hours a year that SMEs spend on average collecting tax for the Australian Government will free them up to grow their businesses and be more successful.The SME Snapshot also asked businesses where they would like to focus or invest more this year.The survey also found that training and development was the number one area of focus for 39% of SMEs, while 38% said that new technology was also key.Online marketing (23%), new software (18%) and new staff (18% ) rounded out the top five.
According to the latest report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, mobile penetration in the US and Europes Big Five Countries has reached 91% - while in urban China that number has risen to 97%.



As Kantar observes, nearly everyone now has a mobile phone, and if those numbers are not staggering enough  65% of Americans, 74% of Europeans, and 72% of urban Chinese consumers now own a smartphone.



With this kind of market penetration already in place, some in the industry are wondering where future sales will come from, said Carolina Milanesi, chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, one of the authors of the paper.





As is often the case, the answer depends on how you look at it.And, during 2016, Milanesi estimates, smartphone sales will be largely based on: Convincing die-hard feature phone users that they need a smartphone Persuading smartphone owners that they want and need the next big thingKantar also forecasts that changes in smartphone OS market share, along with sales for the two top smartphone brands (Apple and Samsung), will come mainly from convincing users to switch from the competition.Many feature phone owners simply do not want a smartphone, Milanesi says.Price is the biggest hurdle in getting feature phone users to upgrade to a smartphone. In Germany, 79% of recent feature phone buyers spent less than 60 on their device, while just 19% of smartphone buyers spent that amount. Smartphone buyers spent a total average of 276, while feature phone buyers spent an average of only 57.In another key finding, Kantar says feature phone owners across markets are challenged in finding smartphones that offer what they consider a good value for money spent.According to Kantar, feature phone owners are unlikely to upgrade to a smartphone until they can no longer rely on their current device. While looking year over year might not be enough to see a clear trend, examining the past three years makes it clear that smartphone life cycles are getting longer, says Milanesi.In mature markets, Kantar finds that the profitable high end of the market is saturated - in the US, the high-end segment, devices with an unsubsidised price of more than $500 represented 48% of sales in 2015, growing a mere 9% over 2014, while in the EU5, where the high-end segment represented just 27% of sales, growth was commensurately lower than in the US, coming in at 6%.So, what should the industry expect for 2016?According to Milanesi, 48% of smartphone owners in the EU5 are currently planning to upgrade their smartphone over the next 12 months and, she says, this number decreases to 46% in the US, and 28% in urban China.At the same time, consumer brand preference for their next device varies a little by region, but two brand names that remain prominent are Apple and Samsung.In the US, 40% of consumers planning to change their device prefer Apple, and another 35% prefer Samsung. Then, there is a large gap before we get to Motorola (6% preference) and LG (5%). In the EU5, the leadership position among preferred brands is reversed, with Samsung at 37% and Apple at 29%, Milanesi reports.For the foreseeable future, Milanesi believes the smartphone will remain the device around which millions of people organise their lives.With market saturation, there are no longer hundreds of millions shopping for a first smartphone, but there are hundreds of millions who will carry smartphones everywhere they go.The smartphone market will never again see the growth of the past ten years. But, the opportunities to monetise from what has already been built are there, for those with the vision to find and seize them, Milanesi concludes.



To read the full Kantar Worldpanel ComTech paper, click here.

Table 1: Smartphones Life Cycles by Country (Number of Months)

USA China EU5 France Germany Great Britain Italy Spain Smartphones 2015 21.6 19.5 20.4 21.6 18.8 23.5 17.7 20.0 Smartphones 2014 20.9 21.8 19.5 19.4 18.2 22.0 18.7 18.2 Smartphones 2013 20.5 18.6 18.3 18.0 17.1 20.0 18.6 16.6

Source: Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, February 2016
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) today rebutted accounts in the media, and implications by Apple, that it or San Bernardino County messed up when the iCloud password for the iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook was reset days after a shooting that left 14 dead.

On Dec. 6, FBI investigators, with the approval of San Bernardino County and the assistance of its IT staff, reset the password of Farook's iCloud account. San Bernardino County owned the iPhone 5C, had supplied it to Farook for his job as a health inspector, and controlled Farook's iCloud account.

[ BACKGROUND: DOJ ups ante: New motion asks court to force Apple to help FBI crack attacker's iPhone ]

Forook, along with this wife, Tashfeen Malik, are accused of killing 14 in San Bernardino, Calif., on Dec. 2. They died four hours later in a shootout with police.

"A logical next step was to obtain access to iCloud backups for the phone in order to obtain evidence related to the investigation in the days following the attack," the FBI said today in a statement emailed to Computerworld.

Re/code first reported Sunday on the FBI's statement.

"[The FBI] was able to reset the password in order to provide immediate access to the iCloud backup data," the agency said in its statement.

After serving a search warrant on Apple, the FBI obtained the phone's last iCloud backup, dated Oct. 19.

But questions remain about what would have happened had the FBI and San Bernardino County not reset the iCloud account password on Dec. 6. If the iCloud Backup feature in iOS is enabled, the phone is supposed to automatically back up when it's connected to power and connected to an already-known Wi-Fi network, assuming there's enough space in the account and the iPhone's screen is locked.

Some have posited that had the phone been connected to a power outlet and a Wi-Fi network -- specifically a known network, such as one at Farook's residence -- it would have automatically backed up the appropriate content to iCloud.

According to reports, Apple executives speaking to an invite-only group of reporters Friday suggested that the FBI botched the job by resetting the device's iCloud password. It might have been possible to collect a new backup's contents if it had held off, they said.

Apple implied as much in a FAQ it published early Monday. "One of the strongest suggestions we offered [the FBI] was that they pair the phone to a previously joined network, which would allow them to back up the phone and get the data they are now asking for," Apple said. "Unfortunately, we learned that while the attacker's iPhone was in FBI custody the Apple ID password associated with the phone was changed. Changing this password meant the phone could no longer access iCloud services."

The FBI didn't directly contest that, but argued that there was probably more information on the iPhone 5C than could be gathered from an iCloud backup.

"It is unknown whether an additional iCloud backup of the phone after that date [of Oct. 19, 2015] -- if one had been technically possible -- would have yielded any data," the agency acknowledged. "[But] even if the password had not been changed and Apple could have turned on the auto-backup and loaded it to the cloud, there might be information on the phone that would not be accessible without Apple's assistance as required by the All Writs Act order, since the iCloud backup does not contain everything on an iPhone."

The latter -- that there may be a wealth of information not included in the backup -- has been a point the Department of Justice (DOJ) has made repeatedly in its filings with the federal court that has ordered Apple to help investigators access the phone.

Authorities want Apple to create a modified version of iOS that disables an auto-erase feature -- triggered after 10 incorrect passcode entries -- and removes the forced delays between passcode guesses. The FBI would then conduct a brute-force passcode crack from a personal computer at high speeds to uncover the passcode -- which unlocks the device -- and so examine all the data there.

Apple must be the one that crafts such a tool since only updates signed by the company's digital certificate will be accepted by an iPhone.

Even if resetting the iCloud password was a mistake, the FBI said, Apple remains obligated to assist. "The reset of the iCloud account password does not impact Apple's ability to assist with the the court order under the All Writs Act," said the agency, referring to the 1789 law cited by the DOJ when it asked a federal judge to force Apple to help.

"As the government's pleadings state, the government's objective was, and still is, to extract as much evidence as possible from the phone," the FBI added. "Through previous testing, we know that direct data extraction from an iOS device often provides more data than an iCloud backup contains."

It's possible that Farook turned off the iCloud auto-backup at some point after Oct. 19, although he used the phone after that date, the FBI said. He may also not have charged it when a known Wi-Fi network was available.

Apple has said it will not comply with the court's order to assist the FBI because it would set what it called "a very dangerous precedent." Apple has until Friday to file its objections with the California federal court. That court has set a March 22 date for oral hearings, and will accept amicus briefs from interested parties until March 3.

This story, "FBI rebuts criticism that it reset terrorist's iCloud password after attack" was originally published by Computerworld .
Better mobile messaging for Android is on the horizon. As part of the Mobile rld Congress festivities, the GSM Association announced that its partnered up with 15 global carriers to push adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS).

RCS brings the features found in third-party services like Facebook Messenger, atsApp, Hangouts, others to stard messaging, such as real-time typing read notifications, support for higher-resolution images, location sharing, emoticons. st like with Apples iMessage, you wont have to sign up for another account with a third-party service, as it will be integrated with your phones stard messaging.

has pledged to build a dedicated RCS client thanks to its acquisition of be, a carrier-based messaging platform. This would enable carriers to tap into bes platform in order to deliver RCS, or they can build their own infrastructure. T-Mobile has already rolled out some support for RCS with its own Advanced Messaging service.

Expect to hear more about this at I/O, as thats usually a prime venue for to announce new initiatives or exp on major projects.

y this matters: SMS MMS messaging can be a pain point for Android users when compared to the ione, which offers a zippier, although proprietary, system with iMessage (which is not without its own issues, it should be noted). RCS is exciting because it can bring this type of capability to everyone regardless of device. Though how much Apple would support this remains to be seen, as universal open stards are not usually the companys forte.
Despite having six kids, Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie recently confessed that she once never really wanted to become a mother, Today reported.

"It's strange. I never wanted to have a baby. I nerver wanted to be pregnant. I never babysat. I never thought of myself as a mother," Jolie-Pitt told the Associated Press during her return to Cambodia for her film "First They Killed My Father" after 16 years since she shot "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider." It was during an early trip to this place with the U.N. that brought her to certain realizations about motherhood.

In addition to now 14-year-old Maddox, Jolie and Brad Pitt have also adopted 12-year-old Pax and 11-year-old daughter Zahara. They are both biological parents to daughter Shiloh, who is now 9, and 7-year-old twins Knox and daughter Vivienne. It almost seems unbelievable that the mother of all these adorable kids didn't have an ounce of desire for becoming one someday. To Jolie, she knew that this is the moment where her life is in line, and she thinks she is where she should really be.

"When I first came to Cambodia, it changed me. It changed my perspective. I realized there was so much about history that I had not been taught in school, and so much about life that I needed to understand, and I was very humbled by it," she added. Jolie grew up in Los Angeles where she felt "real emptiness."

The Cambodians struck her with graciousness and warmth in spite of the fact that a tragic occurrence has taken an estimated 2 million lives. It prompted her to contact the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees before finally joining as a Goodwill ambassador in 2001.

Filmmaker Rithy Panh, who happens to be Jolie's co-producer, joked about her being a Cambodian during her previous life. "I don't think they authorized Hollywood to come here," Panh said. "They authorized Angelina Jolie. It's not the same. She is special. She has a special relationship with the Cambodian people. There is a mutual respect."

Stay tuned for more Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt news here!
The former operator of the closed Yadkin Valley Community Hospital is fighting a request for class-action status of an employees lawsuit pursuing salaries and benefits tied to the WARN Act.

The Yadkinville hospital was shut down May 22 by CAH Acquisition 10 LLC. CAH remained in the hospital until the county took possession through a court agreement July 15.

The employees  Carrie Hutson, Jeanna Simmons and Jenifer Swanner  filed their complaint in the Middle District of N.C. in September.

Huston worked at the hospital for more than three years, while Simmons worked eight years and Swanner more than 13 years.

Their class-action lawsuit could cover most of the 150 affected employees.

They are suing CAH, HMC/CAH Consolidated Inc., which held the hospital license, and parent company Rural Community Hospitals of America LLC.

CAH filed a dismissal request Oct. 6 and its response to the class-action request Friday.

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act was enacted in 1989.

It was intended to prevent situations where rank-and-file employees would show up for work only to discover that their employer has shut down without notice.

The act requires companies that are planning large job cuts  defined as more than 50 employees  to notify their state and local governments, as well as affected workers, at least 60 days in advance.

No WARN Act notice has been filed with the Yadkinville mayors office and N.C. Commerce Department.

The federal Labor Department has no authority to enforce WARN Act regulations, hear employee complaints, investigate potential wrongdoing or file lawsuits representing employees. Employees must file a lawsuit in federal court to assert WARN rights.

The employees accuse CAH of not meeting the acts requirements, such as 60 days of pay and benefit contributions if the closing is immediate, as well as access to COBRA insurance benefits for 60 days.

When a company presents a WARN notice to Commerce, the state responds by sending employment officials to help with job placement and job skills.

CAH said it gave a WARN notice to employees on Feb. 27, 2015, that it planned to close the hospital April 30.

CAH and Yadkin officials reached an agreement April 2 for CAH to continue to provide services through July 31 to give Yadkin officials more time to negotiate for a new hospital operator.

Plaintiffs said CAH officials told department heads to tell employees on Feb. 28 to disregard the notice out of concern that key employees would pursue employment elsewhere.

CAH denied making that statement.

What one plaintiff was told may not necessarily apply to another plaintiff, let alone members of the unnamed purported class, CAH said.

It asks the court to defer any class-action ruling until the discovery process is complete.

Even though the Feb. 27 notice apparently never went beyond employees, CAH contends that it fulfilled its WARN obligations.

Edward Powell, attorney for Yadkin County, said Tuesday that all we ever had was a draft that they threatened to send out if a lease amendment wasnt approved prior to the end of February.

CAH also claims the three plaintiffs are not typical or adequate class representatives.

CAH says Shawn Bright, its top executive at Yadkin Valley, kept employees up to date on negotiations, including as late as nine days before the hospital was shut down.

According to the plaintiffs lawsuit, employees were told that if they had left early, it could accelerate the closing of the hospital.

CAH Acquisition said it began to lose hospital personnel after issuing the WARN notice to employees, as well as after Yadkin officials said they had no interest in extending the lease beyond July 31.

An attorney for the plaintiffs, Michael Kornbluth of Taibi Kornbluth Law Group PA of Durham, has said that one purpose of a WARN notice is to allow employees to begin job searches before the 60-day period ends, thus employers should expect to lose employees during that process.
WASHINGTON  President Barack Obama's plan to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba slammed into a wall of Republican opposition on Tuesday, stopping cold Obama's hope for a bipartisan effort to "close a chapter" that began in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The long-awaited proposal, which was requested by Congress, is Obama's last attempt to make good on an unfulfilled campaign promise by persuading Congress to change the law that prohibits moving detainees accused of violent extremist acts to U.S. soil. Fourteen years after the facility opened and seven years after Obama took office, the president argued it was "finally" time to shutter a facility that has sparked persistent legal battles, become a recruitment tool for Islamic militants and garnered strong opposition from some allies abroad.

"I don't want to pass this problem onto the next president, whoever it is," Obama said in an appearance at the White House. "If we don't do what's required now, I think future generations are going to look back and ask why we failed to act when the right course, the right side of history, and justice and our best American traditions was clear."

Despite the big ambitions, Obama's proposed path remained unclear. The plan leaves unanswered the politically thorny question of where in the U.S a new facility would be located. It offered broad cost estimates. The White House described it as more of a conversation starter than a definitive outline.

Republican leaders in Congress showed no interest in having that conversation.

"We will review President Obama's plan but since it includes bringing dangerous terrorists to facilities in U.S. communities, he knows that the bipartisan will of Congress has already been expressed against that proposal," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Obama had yet to convince Americans that moving detainees to U.S. soil is "smart or safe."

"It is against the law  and it will stay against the law," Ryan said.

Even Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a former prisoner of war and an advocate of closing the prison, called Obama's report a "vague menu of options," which does not include a policy for dealing with future detainees.

Obama has "missed a major chance to convince the Congress and the American people that he has a responsible plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility," he said.

It's not clear whether that chance ever existed. Momentum to close the facility has slowed dramatically under Obama's tenure. Congress remains deadlocked on far less contentious matters, and the issue has little resonance on the presidential campaign trail.

Still, for Obama, the facility stands as painful reminder of the limits on his power: His first executive order sketched out a timeline for closing the prison, but was ultimately derailed by Congress.

The White House has not ruled out the possibility that the president may again attempt to close the prison through executive action  a move that would directly challenge Congress' authority. The plan submitted Tuesday does not address that option.

Instead, the proposal reflects the administration's strategy of shrinking the population, hoping the cost of housing the diminished population would ultimately make closure inevitable.

Under the plan, roughly 35 of the 91 current detainees will be transferred to other countries in the coming months, leaving up to 60 detainees who are either facing trial by military commission or have been determined to be too dangerous to release but are not facing charges.

Those detainees would be relocated to a U.S. facility that could cost up to $475 million to build, but would ultimately be offset by as much as $180 million per year in operating cost savings. The annual operating cost for Guantanamo is $445 million. The U.S. facilities would cost between $265 million and $305 million to operate each year, according to the proposal.

The plan considers, but does not name, 13 different locations in the U.S., including seven existing prison facilities in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas, as well as six other locations at current correctional facilities on state, federal or military sites in several states. It also notes that there could be all new construction on existing military bases. The plan doesn't recommend a preferred site.

Naming a site would have certainly further antagonized some members of Congress. Those representing South Carolina, Kansas and Colorado already have voiced opposition to housing the detainees in their states.

Advocates of closing Guantanamo say the prison has long been a recruiting tool for militant groups and that holding extremists suspected of violent acts indefinitely without charges or trial sparks anger and dismay among U.S. allies.

Opponents, however, say changing the detention center's ZIP code won't eliminate that problem.

Obama's proposal faced criticism even from those who endorse closing the detention center. His initial campaign pledge was widely viewed as a promise to end the practice of detaining prisoners indefinitely without charge, not to bring that practice to the U.S., said Naureen Shah, director of Amnesty International USA's Security and Human Rights Program.

"Whatever the president proposes, even if it doesn't come to fruition, the administration is changing the goal posts on this issue," she said.
Whether its the people we associate with, the food we eat, or the news we read, the trend for the last 60-plus years has been for more diversity and more individual choice. We are no longer a one-size-fits-all type of society. But that often means challenging our old ways and being open to new ideas. But change and new competition can be unsettling to those not used to facing them. One example in education today is the reaction of conventional school advocates to the growing popularity of charter schools.

On the pages of this paper and others across the state, the debate surrounding charters is reaching a crescendo. One can see why. The law permitting charters passed 20 years ago, but a 100-school cap was only lifted in 2011. Back then, 41,000 students were educated at charters in this state. Today, that number has doubled to 82,000.

Too many advocates of conventional schools reacted by attacking charter schools as unfair competitors. They claim charters are not really public schools. That funding for charter students is somehow taken from their conventional school friends. That charters are not effective or accountable. Even that the plan is to replace all conventional schools with charters.

Improving education is a goal we all share. Most studies show giving parents choices  like charters or magnet schools  help achieve that goal. Healthy competition means more choices. But conventional school leaders need to see charters as allies toward a common goal  rather than unfair competitors  for the competition to be healthy. That is the attitude almost all charter leaders take.

As head of the largest charter school organization in the state, let me say flat out that conventional public schools will always be the choice of most parents. We need strong conventional schools in North Carolina. No one thinks we can have just charter schools here. A charter education is not right for all, but it is proving the right choice for many. We all need to support both conventional and charter schools so parents can find the best fit for their child.

First and foremost, charter schools need to be recognized as public schools. They receive their funding from the taxpayers and are regulated by the state, just like conventional public schools. An independent board oversees them, rather than a school district office.

Charter funding does come from the same pots. But so do the students. Since charters are funded on the same per-pupil basis, simple math tells you that per-pupil funding for conventional students would stay the same. They do not lose funding for their own education because their friends choose to go to public charters. They might even gain some because not all local money is shared with charters  and charters get no money for buildings. All charters want is fair and equal funding for the kids that have chosen to be educated there.

Charters do adhere to different rules  though the expectations are the same. Charters are not jealous of their flexibility. If conventional school leaders feel it would help them to have all or some of the charter rules, they have charter support.

Teachers who choose to work at a charter often do so because they became frustrated with the red tape that takes their time from teaching. I once asked a principal why he had moved from a conventional school to a charter school. I will never forget his answer, Because they respect my mind here!

Charters are being held accountable. If a charter scores a D or F performance grade and scores below 60 percent proficiency for two of three years, the school does not receive extra help like a conventional school deemed low performing. It can lose its charter and be closed down. The data tells us exceeding 60 percent proficiency is a high standard in this state.

Nearly half of all charters received an A or B School Performance Grade. Fully 62 percent of charter schools exceeded the composite performance in Grade Level Proficiency of their home school district. There is always room for improvement, but charters are providing our children with quality education.

Healthy competition will benefit all schools, but so will a healthy respect for an ally in the same fight. The only thing that would change if charters were eliminated is the choice for parents. What needs to change is the us versus them mentality because all kids who attend public schools of whatever type are our kids.
All Politics Blog From Milwaukee, Madison and beyond, a daily dose of political news and glimpses behind the scenes SHARE

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Madison -- The candidates for state Supreme Court will meet next month in a debate that is to be aired statewide on radio and television.

The hour-long debate between Justice Rebecca Bradley and Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. March 18 by Wisconsin Public Television and Wisconsin Public Radio. The forum is sponsored by the two public broadcasting networks and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Moderating the debate are Wisconsin Public Television's Frederica Freyberg and Wisconsin Public Radio's Shawn Johnson.

The debate will be held at Wisconsin Public Television's studio on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

The election is April 5.
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It appears Bank Mutual Corp. has averted a proxy fight this spring by agreeing to nominate the candidate of an activist shareholder to its board of directors.

The Brown Deer-based parent company of Bank Mutual banks said Monday it has reached an agreement in which Mike I. Shafir, an analyst with Clover Partners L.P., would be added to the board. Under the plan, the board would be expanded to 10 directors from nine. Bank Mutual's original three candidates would remain nominees, and Clover wouldn't oppose them.

Last month, Clover Partners, a Dallas hedge fund with holdings in many community banks, said it planned to put up its own candidate or candidates for Bank Mutual's board at the company's annual shareholders meeting May 2. Johnny Guerry, managing partner of Clover Partners, had said his firm was dissatisfied with the operational results of the bank and its strategic direction.

But in a statement released Monday by Bank Mutual, Guerry is quoted as saying he is pleased about the agreement in which Shafir will join the board "and actively work with the board on behalf of shareholders."

Bank Mutual executives were familiar with Shafir.

"We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Clover Partners and look forward to having Mike Shafir as a new director," Dave Baumgarten, chief executive of Bank Mutual Corp., said in the statement. "We have known Mike for many years as an investment professional focused on the financial institutions industry, and we look forward to his contributions to the board."

Bank Mutual, with assets of about $2.5 billion, is the third-largest bank based in Wisconsin, behind Associated Bank and Johnson Bank.

Clover Partners is a hedge fund with about $240 million in assets under management.
Business partners Tommy Torkelson (left) and Craig Dunek hold some of their black garlic prized by foodies. Credit: Mark Hoffman

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La Farge  Craig Dunek and Tommy Torkelson wear gas masks at work.

Tens of thousands of garlic bulbs will turn an otherwise clear-eyed person into a tearful mess. It's not just the garlic but the process that turns the fragrant vegetable into black garlic, a trendy menu item that's showing up on a growing number of restaurant plates.

Dunek and Torkelson started Black Garlic North America a couple years ago after Dunek picked up some fresh bulbs at a Door County farmers market and planted them. When he dug them up the following summer he was impressed with their heartiness after surviving the harsh Wisconsin winter.

"I hung them up in our basement and my wife came home and said, 'Why does the whole house reek of garlic?' Little did she know," Dunek joked.

Dunek and Torkelson met while working at Organic Valley Dairy in La Farge. Dunek ran the product development team but had aspirations to become an entrepreneur. The two often discussed their dream of starting their own business, but it wasn't until Dunek harvested his first garlic crop that inspiration struck.

Dunek, who earned undergraduate degrees in chemistry and microbiology and a master's in mycology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, began researching garlic online and eventually discovered black garlic. He soon found there was only one black garlic company in the United States and noticed the culinary staple  which has been used in Korea and other Asian countries for years  was becoming popular in America.

"I asked Google the question  ways to commercialize garlic," said Dunek, a native of Sparta. "I clicked on blackgarlic.com, and I thought, 'Huh?' Totally intrigued. I gotta order some of this. It's like nothing else. I tasted it and was blown away."

However, there was no black garlic recipe to follow, no how-to manual. So in 2011, Torkelson and Dunek began to construct their own prototype chamber to turn fresh garlic bulbs into black garlic through a carefully calibrated combination of relative humidity, heat and a change in atmospheric pressure before drying. Their method is proprietary, and Dunek said he has no interest in patenting it because then it would no longer be a secret.

At Black Garlic North America's facility on Dunek's property in rural La Farge, the walk-in chambers were covered over in brown paper when Milwaukee Journal Sentinel journalists visited. But the pair were happy to show off large drying racks, each loaded down with 1,000 pounds of bulbs going through the final paces of becoming black garlic.

Dunek explained in detail the chemical changes garlic bulbs go through in the fermentation process, which is complicated but ultimately ends in a product that actually tastes nothing like garlic. It takes approximately 120 days from start to finish, with garlic bulbs grown nearby as well as garlic imported from California, Mexico and elsewhere to keep their operation running year-round. Dunek and Torkelson plant an acre to 11/2 acres of garlic  with yields of 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of garlic per acre  on Dunek's land each year, including German White, Montana Giant and Asian Tempest varieties.

Customers buy either direct from Black Garlic North America, through Amazon or via the company's distributor. The black garlic is shipped across the U.S. and Canada as well as to U.S. air bases around the world, Torkelson said. The company's largest customers include chefs as well as people who tell them they eat a clove or two of black garlic every morning to lower their cholesterol  though there's no scientific evidence or studies showing black garlic has any healthful properties.

"I'd say our customers are split among the health conscious and foodies," said Torkelson, whose father is a master cheesemaker.

Ellen Byington, who owns a restaurant in nearby Wonewoc, had never heard of black garlic until she met Dunek at the farmers market in Hillsboro. She and her husband wanted to use local produce when they started Kelley's Woodfired Bistro in 2014, named after their daughter, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef who has a restaurant in Quincy, Ill.

Their daughter helped them choose an appetizer recipe that's been on the menu since they opened  a mushroom and black garlic crostini with white wine, Parmesan cheese and herbs. It's their bestselling appetizer.

"Most people have not heard of it. Once they try it they do think it's wonderful. I've brought out samples so they can see what it looks like," said Byington, who buys a two-pound container every six weeks. "It has the texture of a gummy bear, and it's really pretty sweet."

It's difficult to describe black garlic because it doesn't really taste like anything else and it doesn't leave behind the dreaded garlic breath. Dunek compares it to umami and uses it like salt and pepper to season his food.

Recipes on the Black Garlic North America website include appetizers, salads and main dishes and even dessert  a chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. Dunek's wife, Kelly, likes black garlic in a homemade mac and cheese, Dunek is partial to asparagus with black garlic and a rosemary glaze and Torkelson likes black garlic in omelets and pizza. Dunek has even made a black garlic granola, which was a hit at the Hillsboro farmers market, with rolled oats, light brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, salt, maple cream, vanilla extract, almonds and black garlic puree.

Black Garlic North America sells jars of pureed black garlic, packages of whole cloves and 5- and 10-ounce jars of peeled cloves. Prices range from $12 for a 5-ounce jar of peeled black garlic and $16 for a 7-ounce jar of puree to $7 for a package of two bulbs and $30 for a gift pack of puree, peeled black garlic and bulbs.

On a recent day Seth Armour worked in a room of the 3,500 square-foot business, de-carding black garlic cloves and hand-packing it in jars. Armour is one of three employees, not including Dunek and Torkelson, at the company, which is planning to hire another full-time worker to keep up with demand. Armour said he likes his job because he's learning much about the business, but there's at least one drawback.

"Normally my dog Kai, a border collie, is really receptive when I come home. But when I come in after working with black garlic all day he takes one sniff and goes the other way," Armour said.
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A well-known business executive with strong ties to Wisconsin is moving his Florida company's headquarters to Milwaukee, creating management jobs and possibly paving the way for manufacturing here.

Tim Sullivan, the former chief executive of Bucyrus International Inc. (now Caterpillar Inc.'s mining equipment division) said Monday he's moving REV Group Inc. from Orlando, Fla., to offices in downtown Milwaukee and possibly the suburbs over the next few months.

REV Group is a privately held manufacturer of ambulances, firetrucks, buses, shuttle vans, motor homes and other specialty vehicles. It has about $2 billion in annual revenue, 5,700 employees and 15 factories in Indiana, Michigan, Kansas, New York, North Carolina, Florida and Texas.

Sullivan said he's close to finalizing a location for REV Group's headquarters, downtown, and for a second location nearby.

The move will create 50 management and support jobs over the next two years, and possibly many more positions as the company pursues a growth plan that includes becoming a publicly traded firm in the next 12 months.

The move "is going to happen fairly quickly. I think we are probably a week or two from nailing down our locations," said Sullivan, REV Group's president and chief executive officer.

"I plan to be in Milwaukee by the first Monday in April," he added.

This will be the second headquarters that Sullivan has brought to Milwaukee since his 35-year career at South Milwaukee-based Bucyrus Inc. ended in 2011 after the mining equipment company was acquired by Caterpillar. The first company was Gardner Denver Inc., a manufacturer of industrial compressors and other equipment, that now has its headquarters in Milwaukee's Third Ward.

In moving to Milwaukee, REV Group will be closer to its manufacturing plants in Indiana and Michigan. There also are other reasons for the decision, according to Sullivan, who in 2009 was named Business Leader of the Year by the Harvard Business School Club of Wisconsin.

"Wisconsin is a manufacturing state, and Milwaukee is a manufacturing city. When I look at the talent we have in Orlando, they are good people, but I am used to working with a senior team that has a great deal of manufacturing expertise," he said.

Most of the management isn't likely to make the move, according to Sullivan, who has been president and chief executive of REV Group for about 18 months, after having held that position at Gardner Denver Inc. for about a year.

"I didn't have a lot of hands go up when I asked people if they wanted to move from Orlando to Milwaukee," he said.

REV Group, previously known as Allied Specialty Vehicles, is a group of companies in various niches such as firetrucks, ambulances, shuttle vans and trucks used at freight terminals. It has experienced growth as the market for vehicles bought by municipalities has slowly recovered from the recession.

The company is owned by private equity investors. Sullivan said the plan is to take it public, in the next 12 months, to generate capital for accelerated growth.

"This company is going to grow very rapidly over the next three to five years and be much larger because the market potential is there," he said.

REV Group is streamlining its operations, seeking cost efficiencies, although there aren't plans to close factories.

"You have to be really careful about that because there is a tremendous amount of local knowledge. ... Even in a very sophisticated plant, there's just a lot of local knowledge that is gained over time and is almost impossible to replicate," Sullivan said.

As the company grows, it could add manufacturing in Wisconsin.

"That would probably be our first choice if something did come up. Having the headquarters in Milwaukee really puts Wisconsin in the pole position, as far as manufacturing goes," Sullivan said.

REV Group strongly considered moving its headquarters to Chicago, partly because that city is the company's largest buyer of firetrucks, ambulances, buses and other vehicles.

However, for a variety of reasons including job-creation tax credits that are expected to come from Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Milwaukee edged out Chicago.

Cities realize benefits from company headquarters, including the management jobs and preferences when it comes to expansions.

The competition for companies is intense, said Jim Paetsch, vice president of the economic development group Milwaukee 7.

"This is a big win for the region; we couldn't be more pleased that REV has decided to relocate to Milwaukee. ... We think there will be a significant number of benefits that will flow our way for years to come," Paetsch said.
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This may a chicken/egg debate, but either the acoustics of Schwann Hall on the Wisconsin Lutheran College campus are a particularly good match for the sound of the Philomusica String Quartet, or the quartet is particularly good at playing to the hall. Maybe it's a bit of both

Philomusica, now quartet in residence at Wisconsin Lutheran College, offered up a program of Saint-Saens, Glazunov and Tchaikovsky Monday evening, delivering rich, well-blended sounds and tightly knit ensemble playing.

The program opened with the Saint-Saens String Quartet No. 2 in G Major, written in 1919, when the composer was 84.

The piece is fascinatingly out of its time.

For context, Stravinsky was in his late 30s when Saint-Saens penned this work of neoclassical clarity, decidedly anti-Romantic emotional reserve, and conservative harmonies.

Philomusica gave the quartet an elegant, polished reading, balancing layered melodic lines and creating a beautifully meshed ensemble sound, if with a few musically tepid passages along the way.

Glazunov's tuneful, vigorous "Novelettes" followed. The quartet dug into the three-movement piece with emphatic accents, sweeping phrases and enough raw energy to give parts of the piece an infectious folk-music feel.

From the foot-tapping character and momentum of the first movement and some lovely cello playing and beautifully blended sounds in the second movement, to a high-spirited involving take on the final movement, the Glazunov was fun to hear.

Philomusica brought along a couple of friends, violist Erin Pipal and cellist Peter Szczepanek, to close the concert with Tchaikovsky's String Sextet in D minor ("Souvenir de Florence").

Somewhat needless to say, adding two more players created a bigger, denser sound than the quartet alone could have produced.

What does need saying is that this was an artfully layered, well-balanced, colorful sound, delivered with like-mind expressive intent and momentum.

Compelling, lilting melodies, pulsing pizzicato lines, beautifully wrought solo lines traded between Szczepanek and violinist Jeanyi Kim, and highly nuanced playing, if with a few uncertain bars near the piece's finale, received a well-earned standing ovation.

Whether it was the hall flattering the quartet or the quartet playing the acoustics of the hall, Philomusica sounded great at Wisconsin Lutheran on Monday.
The Domes are closed as county officials launch a repair job to protect the public from falling pieces. Credit: Mike De Sisti

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The Sugar Maple, will celebrate its eighth anniversary on April 1.

No gifts, please. The staff prefers you help them raise $10,000 toward renovation of the Mitchell Park Domes during a silent auction, raffle and bottle share from noon to 5 p.m. April 3.

Read on for more beer events and dates for upcoming beer festivals:

Feb. 27: It's a timely but unusual combination. The Brass Tap, 7808 W. Layton Ave., Greenfield, pairs Girl Scout cookies with craft beers starting at 2 p.m., according to The Brass Tap on Facebook.

Feb. 27: The Cruise Bar & Restaurant, 28747 N. Lake Drive, Waterford, taps "Rare Brews for Winter Blues" at 4 p.m. On the menu: 2015 Black Gold and 2015 Cassian Sunset, an Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with coffee, vanilla and cinnamon along with The Promise, an American strong ale aged in tequila barrels, according to The Cruise Facebook page.

Feb. 28: Sugar Maple, 441 E. Lincoln Ave., spotlights Alpine Beer as part of its brewery series. Tickets are $15 and include samples. Mario Lopez (not that Mario Lopez) is the special guest from 4 to 6 p.m., according to The Sugar Maple Facebook page.

March 2: Octopi Brewing Co. will show off flagship beers of the brewery's house brand 3rd Sign at Ray's Growler Gallery, 8930 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa. Each style of beer receives two interpretations. Look for Madagascar; Sumatra; Jungle IPA; a limited version of Castor sour; and porters Beatrice and Pollox. The takeover begins at 5 p.m.

March 3: Barley's Angels Milwaukee hosts a meeting at the Milwaukee County Historical Society, 910 N. Old World 3rd St. Starting at 6 p.m., members can stroll through the exhibit "Brew City MKE: Craft, Culture, Community." See the Barley's Angels Facebook page.

March 3: Dress appropriately. It's the Blakkr Tie Formal at 7 p.m. at Sugar Maple, 441 E. Lincoln Ave. It's a chance to taste the 2016 Blakkr, a collaboration beer between Surly, Three Floyds and Real Ale. Suggestions of correct attire are at the Blakkr event Facebook page.

March 10:The Milwaukee County Historical Society, 910 N. Old World 3rd St., hosts a panel discussion on the city's changing beer scene called Evolution to Revolution featuring industry leaders at 6:30 p.m., part of the "Brew City MKE: Craft, Culture, Community" exhibit. Admission is $5.

March 10: Burnhearts, 2599 S. Logan Ave., breaks out some barrel aged Hinterland brews including a mystery firkin. The beer is tapped at 7 p.m., according to the Hinterland event Facebook page.

March 12: Rock Bottom Brewery kicks off the 50th annual Shamrock Club St. Patrick's Day Parade with Kegs and Eggs! from 9 to 11 a.m. at the brewery, 740 N. Plankinton Ave. The deal includes all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet and bottomless tap beers. Admission is $20; $25 at the door, according to the Kegs and Eggs! event page on Facebook.

Other dates to keep in mind:

 The eighth annual Kohler Festival of Beer opens April 29 with Hops at the Shops and includes a weekend of seminars and tastings through May 1.

 Milwaukee Beer Week kicks off on April 16 and the annual Crafts & Drafts Spring Beer Festival is set for April 17 at Serb Hall, 5101 W. Oklahoma Ave.

 Tickets are on sale now for Firkin Fest which will be held July 23 at Cathedral Square Park. Ticket prices start at $49 for general admission and $80 for VIP.

For a guide to beer news and more, check out Tap Milwaukee's Beer Here page.
Deuki Hong has always been fascinated by food. As a child, he couldn't wait for Saturday afternoons so he could watch hours of cooking shows on PBS.

At age 15, he got his start in restaurant kitchens, working with Aaron Sanchez, who convinced him to attend the Culinary Institute of America. From there, he went on to work with David Chang at Momofuku Noodle Bar followed by the three-star Michelin Jean-Georges.

All the while, his Korean food roots were there. He began exploring, and the more he learned the more he wanted to share. A collaboration was born.

Traveling from New York to Los Angeles, Hong teamed up with writer Matt Rodbard hunting down Korean foods throughout the country. The pair spent two years gathering recipes and stories from Korean neighborhoods.

Putting it all together, they've created "Koreatown: A Cookbook" ($30, Clarkson Potter, in stores this month. Taking an inquisitive and informative approach, they present a guide to ingredients and recipes, and touch base with chefs around the country who are delving into the Korean pantry.

This is a guide for Korean food lovers who want to go beyond bibimbap and Korean barbecue, offering birthday seaweed soup, spicy chicken stew, seafood, dumplings and a tempting collection of cocktails. Tapping chefs who are working Korean flavor into their recipes, they've included dishes from Hugh Acheson, Eric Ripert, Sean Brock and others.

Hong, 26, lives in Manhattan, and now runs his own kitchen at Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong in New York City's Koreatown.

Q.You name your home economics teacher and high school principal in the book, saying you wouldn't be cooking without them. How did you get started?

A. It does start with high school...I'm telling my friend how much I love PBS and cooking shows, he says, "Oh, my dad does restaurants." That got me introduced to Aaron Sanchez. I went to work for him the next week, was there for two years. That's how it all started.

Q.What's a necessity when stocking the Korean kitchen?

A. I would definitely say the main foundations of Korean cooking are the jangs, the fermented products, the soybean paste, the chili paste. After you make soybean paste the byproduct is soy sauce. Then, too, the standard trio of garlic, ginger and onions, those Asian ingredients.

If you have soybean paste and chili paste you can make a good amount of recipes with that and some soy sauce.

Q.What do you want people to take from this book?

A. We didn't want to be one of those Korean food made simple books. There is no substitute for Korean soybean paste or chili paste. It is funny that we're talking to you in Milwaukee. We always kind of use your place as a test. We always say we want someone in Milwaukee to be able to use this book.

Q.Where did you start your journey for this cookbook?

A. Matt Rodbard, a food writer  all of this was his idea. I fell in love with the idea, and I was just like let me be a part of it. We did, and we went from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between. Pretty much if you had Korean something in your town, we were there.

Q.How are you describing this cookbook and your approach?

A. We're saying this is the first cookbook written in the perspective of the Koreatowns. A lot of other cookbooks are celebrity figures or Korean grandmothers. This is just two totally different city kids who love Korean food. We love and respect it.

Q.What's your Korean comfort food?

A. I always go back to my mom's spicy chicken stew. That really is the first recipe I learned to make. My mom really is a terrible cook, but she makes three Korean dishes really, really, really well. This is one of those that connects me back to my mom, my home and the true definition of comfort food.

Koreans make birthday seaweed soup. We're not a cake country. We're more like here's a thing of soup. Any of the stews are things anyone can make.

Q.Why is now the right time to talk about Korean foods around the country?

A. Especially with chefs and kids coming out of culinary school when I first graduated seven years ago, no one was doing Korean food. Not a single person. It was all I'm getting a job at this high-end place or that well-known place. Now the story is a little different. It is OK to embrace your culture and cook your food.

Q.Do you see a shift in influence or approach by chefs incorporating Korean touches into menus?

A. Absolutely. I think for chefs K-town was always a go-to spot. Chefs have had kimchi and shortribs before. Their interpretation before was to put kimchi on it and call it Korean.

Now, you've got chefs like Danny Bowien at Mission Chinese or Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin incorporating Korean flavors. I'm a fanboy of these chefs cooking what I consider my food. Korean food is just about fermentation, and that fermentation flavor is being implemented on a lot of menus to get that deep umami flavor.

Q.The cookbook mentions French pastries and breads are a big part of Koreatown bakeries. What's your go-to dessert?

A. I'm not a big pastry guy, but when it comes to Korean desserts, there is one that tops every dessert on planet earth: The Korean shaved ice. It is similar to Filipino halo-halo, but ours is better. The combination of fresh fruit and the roasted red beans is super refreshing.

Q.What is important to understand about Korean food?

A. If you wanted to explain Italian food to somebody you wouldn't say just pizza. That's incomplete. We want you to know all aspects of Korean food. It is more than kimchi. We'll talk about the cuisine, not just the pretty dolled up version, but this hardworking group of people filled with grit who fought to maintain and not taint the authenticity of traditional dishes brought from home.

Any Koreatown you go, there is little doctoring of stuff. Yes, you'll get interpretations and riffs there, but you won't see my parents' generation catering to the American public. It is the "for us, by us" mentality. Korea is a peninsula. People forget that. We fish from the same sea Japan does, but Japan is known for sashimi and sushi. Koreans are avid noodle lovers and seafood lovers. We want the complete representation.

Q.When you talk about fish sauce, you highly recommend Red Boat. Why?

A. We're just honest. We genuinely love the product. There was no sponsorships and no one gave us anything to be in the book.

Q.What do your parents think about this cookbook?

A. My mom thinks she's a celebrity. We were doing an interview for my hometown newspaper, and I told my mom and dad, "They want to interview you." My mom and dad did their hair, then realized that it was a phone interview. I have incredibly supportive parents.

Q.Have you been to Korea?

A. I'm going at the end of this year. You can't just go for the weekend. Since age 15, I haven't had time. End of this year I'll be taking a couple weeks to head there, then Tokyo.
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After nine years, a massive coupon fraud case in federal court will have to wait a little longer for a resolution.

An expected three-week jury trial for the last two defendants, Thomas Balsiger and James Currey, was scheduled to begin Tuesday but hit a snag when Balsiger went to a Milwaukee hospital early in the morning after experiencing chest pains.

U.S. District Judge Charles Clevert was told of Balsiger's health problems in court Tuesday.

The judge issued an arrest warrant for Balsiger, ordering U.S. marshals to confirm Balsiger's location and determine if he is able to appear in court.

He later withdrew the warrant after Balsiger's serious medical condition was confirmed at an afternoon hearing. Another status hearing was set for Monday.

Clevert also decided against severing the cases of Balsiger and Currey, who appeared in court Tuesday ready to proceed, with his attorney, James Darnell.

Prosecutors have said they would prefer to have one trial rather than procuring more than 30 out-of-state witnesses for two separate trials.

"We want to do this case once and we want to do it right," Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Brown Watzka said.

Balsiger and Currey are both charged with numerous counts of fraud and conspiracy. Other defendants earlier reached plea agreements.

Balsiger, of El Paso, Texas, who is the former CEO of International Outsourcing Services, chose to represent himself after his attorney died in 2014, though the court has provided a lawyer, Patrick Coffey, to help as needed. Coffey appeared on Balsiger's behalf Tuesday and said Balsiger was admitted to the hospital.

In March 2007, a grand jury in Milwaukee indicted the nation's biggest coupon processor and nearly a dozen people, including company executives, alleging they stole $250 million over 10 years.

According to court documents, executives from International Outsourcing systematically defrauded manufacturers and retail stores across the country by cashing coupons they knew were not used by customers.

Prosecutors say the defendants used "chop crews" to cut out coupons and put them in concrete mixers to make them look worn and submitting them for reimbursement.

Balsiger has argued investigators don't understand the coupon business and alleged prosecutorial misconduct. The company mixed coupons from small and large retailers for convenience, not fraud, he contends.

Prosecutors have countered that it is a clear case of fraud.

A key piece of evidence appears to be a memo from December 2005 in which Balsiger is alleged to have admitted coupons were being diverted. Clevert earlier ruled that the memo was admissible evidence in the trial.

The case started in Milwaukee in 2001 when the FBI here began investigating a large coupon-redemption check sent to a small store that didn't even accept coupons.

Since the indictment was handed down, two judges on the case have moved into semiretirement, a U.S. attorney has come and gone, a two-term president has nearly run his course, one of the lawyers has died and the case has gone to the appeals court, twice.

John Diedrich of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel speaks to reporters between sessions at an Open Government Summit his office hosted at the Madison Concourse Hotel in Madison last July. Credit: Associated Press

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Last year, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel announced the appointment of Misha Tseytlin as the solicitor general for the state. Naming a state solicitor general is not without precedent  many states have such positions and, indeed, I appointed a career assistant attorney general to serve in that capacity during my tenure at the state Department of Justice.

Generally, state "SG's" work to ensure that the appellate work of attorneys representing their state is consistent  that the state speaks with "one voice" in its appellate advocacy. As well, the SG is often personally responsible for such advocacy in major cases in which the state has interest.

Schimel, however, has taken the office to a new level. Despite opposition to an SG position by his predecessor, J.B. Van Hollen, Schimel obtained more than $1 million from the legislature for funding of a special Office of Solicitor General with not just an SG, but deputies and staff to support the political agenda of the Legislature, Gov. Scott Walker and Schimel.

Before his appointment as solicitor general, Tseytlin never practiced law in Wisconsin. He was not a member of the Wisconsin Bar. Instead, Tseytlin has built his reputation in his young legal career in the eastern U.S. as an active member of the conservative Federalist Society, working at a noted right-wing Washington, D.C., law firm, clerking for a conservative Supreme Court justice and serving as SG for West Virginia, fighting laws to protect the environment and exonerating the wrongdoings of Big Coal.

Recently, Schimel and Tseytlin have gone too far.

Wisconsin, through Schimel, has used the resources of the new office to advocate through an amicus, or friend of the court brief, in support of a Texas law impacting women's access to abortion services. The law requires that doctors performing abortions hold admitting privileges to nearby hospitals. Effectively, the law limits women's access to a constitutionally protected health care procedure.

Admittedly, Wisconsin has passed a law similar to that of Texas, and that law also is under appellate review. Facially, Schimel and Tseytlin have reason to weigh in. It's the rationale intervening and the argument in support of the law that begs our concern.

The Wisconsin brief claims that a 2013 criminal matter involving horrifically abusive practices of a single physician providing abortions in Philadelphia gives rise to its interest in the Texas case. Schimel and Tseytlin argue that laws requiring hospital admitting privileges of clinic doctors will, somehow, afford the state regulatory opportunity to prevent such an incident. The state's conclusion  that a rogue doctor's abuses will be stopped because of a hospital admitting privilege requirement  defies medical science. It also defies logic.

It could be argued that the Wisconsin rationale for intervention is farcical at worst, disingenuous at best. The real consequence of admitting privilege laws is to limit women's right to access full reproductive services, especially in rural areas.

More important is the premise of the Wisconsin argument to the court and its impact on a wide range of issues addressed in legislation. Schimel, through his advocate, attempts to narrow the court's ability to review the subjective legislative motives in abrogating the constitutional rights of citizens  essentially, it doesn't matter why legislators pass a restrictive law; it matters only if any argument can be made that the law is OK.

As applied in this case, the state argues that it doesn't matter why legislators passed this law to limit women's right to reproductive health care services  it only matters that the law can be "justified" in any far-fetched crazy way, shape or form.

The long-term consequences of this rationale are horrible. It limits our courts' ability to review the panoply of political issues addressed by legislators that infringe on well-settled constitutional rights. The time-tested checks and balances on which our government is premised are ignored, leaving the rights of those in the minority to the whims of the Legislature and governor. Regardless of the legal pros and cons, this aggressive advocacy to support a political agenda is a million-dollar waste of money.

Peg Lautenschlager, a Fond du Lac Democrat, is a Wisconsin lawyer who served as state attorney general, U.S. attorney and district attorney. She also served in the state Assembly. She is a member of the board of directors for NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin.
Justice Ann Walsh Bradleys uncle, Leo Olson of Reedsburg, tried to use his veterans ID card to vote in last weeks primary for a seat on the state Supreme Court, but that form of identification cant be used under the states voter ID law. Credit: Mike De Sisti

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Madison  A state Supreme Court justice on Tuesday urged Gov. Scott Walker to allow people to use veterans ID cards to vote after her uncle who fought at Iwo Jima was unable to cast a ballot in last week's primary election.

"It makes no sense to me that this proud patriot with a veterans card displaying his photo would be turned away from the polls and denied the right to vote," Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote to the Republican governor.

In her letter, Bradley said her uncle had fought at Iwo Jima, the bloody World War II battle that was immortalized in a photo of the U.S. flag being raised on the tiny Pacific island.

Tuesday marked the 71st anniversary of the 1945 flag raising.

Bradley's uncle, Leo Olson of Reedsburg, tried to use his veterans ID card to vote in last week's primary for a seat on the state Supreme Court, but that form of identification can't be used under the state's voter ID law.

Olson does not have a driver's license.

That could soon change because of legislation the state Senate is to take up next month. Even if approved, it may not be in place for the April 5 election, when voters will decide the state Supreme Court race and cast ballots in the presidential primaries.

"He considers voting part of his patriotic duty," Bradley wrote to Walker. "Yet, last week this proud patriot of 90 years of age was embarrassed and confused when he went to the polls and was denied his right to vote.

"When he presented his veterans administration card with his picture on it, he was told that the card was not listed as 'acceptable' proof of his identity. He responded: 'You mean veterans can't vote?'"

Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said the governor planned to sign legislation that would allow voters to use veterans ID cards to vote if it gets to him. That is expected to happen next month.

Bradley did not identify her uncle by name in her letter, but his other relatives did in correspondence with the state Government Accountability Board, which runs state elections.

Bradley is not related to Justice Rebecca Bradley, who is on the April 5 ballot for a 10-year term on the high court. She faces Appeals Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg.

Walker and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature approved the voter ID law in 2011, but for years it was blocked by court orders.

State and federal courts in 2014 found the voter ID law to be constitutional, and last week's election was the first statewide contest since then with the measure in place.

Ann Bradley was in the minority in state Supreme Court's decisions upholding the voter ID law. In two cases, she joined a dissent and concluded the law was unconstitutional.

Reid Magney, a spokesman for the Government Accountability Board, said there were relatively few problems running last week's election. He said there was no way to know how many other situations such as Olson's had arisen.

Olson's wife, Elaine, emailed the accountability board to complain about what had happened.

She wrote that her husband uses his veterans ID to fly and he was angry and frustrated that he couldn't use it to vote.

The election came at a difficult time for him because it was near the anniversary when his cousin and best friend died in a foxhole beside him, she wrote.

"The humiliation that this caused him was heartbreaking. Whoever wrote this document needs to amend it to add vets," she wrote.

Kevin Kennedy, the accountability board's director, alerted her that those who are confined because of age, illness or infirmity can vote absentee without having to show an ID. He helped her submit paperwork to get Leo Olson on that list.

The voter ID law also allows people to get free state ID cards for voting from Division of Motor Vehicles offices.

To vote under the voter ID law, people must show Wisconsin driver's licenses, state-issued ID cards, military IDs, passports, tribal IDs, naturalization certificates or limited types of college IDs, provided they also have documentation they are currently enrolled in school.

The state Senate is expected to take up a wide-ranging bill on March 15 that includes a provision that would allow veterans cards to be used for voting.

That legislation would also allow people to go online to register to vote and end the ability of special registration deputies to sign up people to vote on street corners and in other public places.

In his email to Elaine Olson, Kennedy wrote that he did not think the provision on veterans IDs would be in place for the April 5 election.
Holocaust survivor Samuel Willenberg displays a map of the Treblinka extermination camp in 2010. Willenberg died Friday at 93. Credit: Associated Press

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Moshav Udim, Israel The death of 93-year-old Holocaust survivor Samuel Willenberg marks the passing of the last link to the notorious death camp of Treblinka, perhaps the most vivid example of Nazi Germany's attempt to destroy European Jewry.

But the death of Willenberg, who was buried Monday, also symbolizes a looming transition in the field of Holocaust commemoration, as historians and educators prepare for a world without survivors and the challenge of maintaining the memory of the Nazi genocide without the aid of those who witnessed it.

Willenberg, one of just 67 men known to have survived Treblinka after a revolt, devoted his final years to preserving the memory of more than 875,000 people systematically murdered in a one-year killing spree there at the height of World War II.

He was a frequent public speaker, wrote a book, "Surviving Treblinka," and led dozens of youth missions to the remnants of the destroyed camp in Poland. Later in life, he took to sculpting to describe his experiences, and his bronze statues reflected what he saw  Jews standing on a train platform, a father removing his son's shoes before entering the gas chambers, a young girl having her head shaved and prisoners removing bodies.

"It was his life's mission. He saw himself as the echo of the murdered, as their loudspeaker. He lived it daily and in many ways, he never left Treblinka," said Gideon Greif, chief historian of the Shem Olam institute, who knew Willenberg well. "He was committed to making sure that the voices of the victims were not forgotten ... and now that personal element is gone."

Hundreds paid homage at Willenberg's funeral in central Israel, including dignitaries from Israel and abroad who recognized the watershed moment of his passing. In his eulogy, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin called him a "symbol for an entire generation of heroic Holocaust survivors."

More than 70 years after the war, the window is rapidly closing on the survivors' ability to relay their stories. About 180,000 elderly survivors remain in Israel, with a similar number worldwide, but more than 1,000 die each month, and experts predict that within seven years, none will be well enough to share anything of significance.

That prospect has become the central challenge of Holocaust institutes around the world. An oral history of testimonies has been collected and filmed, original items have been restored and exhibited, and descendants are receiving training on how to carry on their parents' stories.

"There is a huge added value to hearing survivor testimony firsthand," said Naama Egozi, a trainer of teachers at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial's International School of Holocaust Studies. "You can read a book or watch a movie, but there is just no substitute to someone who can say, 'I was there.'"

Willenberg was among the most powerful of these witnesses. With a booming voice and a storyteller's charisma, he recounted his ordeal in detail in a wide-reaching interview with The Associated Press in 2010, tearing up on several occasions.

His two sisters were murdered at the camp, and he described his own survival as "sheer chance. It wasn't because of God. He wasn't there. He was on vacation."

Along with the lesser known Belzec and Sobibor camps, Treblinka was designed with the sole intention of exterminating Jews, as opposed to others that had at least a facade of being prison or labor camps. Treblinka's victims were transported there in cattle cars and gassed to death almost immediately upon arrival.

Only a select few  mostly young, strong men like Willenberg, who was 20 at the time  were assigned to maintenance work instead.

In all, the Nazis and their collaborators killed about 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. The death toll at Treblinka was second only to Auschwitz, a prison camp where more than a million Jews died in gas chambers or from starvation, disease and forced labor.

On Aug. 2, 1943, Willenberg joined a group of Jews who stole some weapons, set fire to the camp and headed to the woods. Hundreds fled, but most were shot and killed by Nazi troops or captured by Polish villagers who returned them.

The survivors became the only source of knowledge about Treblinka, because the Nazis all but destroyed it in a frantic bid to cover their tracks. All that remains today are a series of concrete slabs representing the train tracks and mounds of gravel with a memorial of stone tablets representing lost communities.

Willenberg was shot in the leg during the escape and kept running, ignoring dead friends in his path. He said his blue eyes and "non-Jewish" look allowed him to survive in the countryside before arriving in Warsaw and joining the Polish underground.

"It never leaves me," he said in 2010. "It stays in my head. It goes with me always."

To read stories

To read accounts of a trip by Elizabeth "Betsy" Brenner, publisher and president of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, to Poland to honor Holocaust victims, go to jsonline.com/holocaust.
Milwaukee Ald. Bob Donovan  who is challenging Mayor Tom Barrett in the April 5 election  has been a strong tough-on-crime advocate over the years, but has had his own run-ins with the law. Credit: Mike De Sisti

Over the years, Milwaukee Ald. Bob Donovan has melded his no-nonsense approach with a law-and-order platform.

Donovan  who squares off against Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett for the city's top job on April 5  is just a regular guy standing up for local authorities combating crime.

Except when it comes to his own issues.

For instance, when he was in his 30s, Donovan was cited for disorderly conduct for peeking through a hole in a partition between restroom stalls in a men's room at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Then, in his 40s, Donovan agreed to pay a $2,500 fine and to avoid any involvement with nonprofits for two years as part of a deal in which federal authorities dropped a misdemeanor fraud charge against him.

More recently, the four-term Common Council member has hired as his campaign's social media director a guy who was convicted in 2012 of three theft-related charges for trying to bilk Milwaukee Journal Sentinel subscribers. The staffer also is the subject of several tax warrants.

No one argues that these are the most important issues in the campaign. But all of the incidents are getting mentioned regularly on blogs, Facebook and other websites.

Instead of letting them percolate beneath the surface during the mayor's race, I talked to Donovan about all three incidents so he could provide his side of the story. At the time, the south side alderman said he "appreciated" being asked directly about the matters.

"I suspected these things would come up, and if you're the guy to bring them up, then God bless you," said Donovan, 59, shortly after being endorsed by the Milwaukee Police Association. "I guess everything is fair in love and war  and politics."

In each case, however, Donovan challenged details in police or court records or downplayed the significance of the events. Even so, he addressed each in a gracious and matter-of-fact way.

Let's start with his 1992 disorderly conduct citation.

According to a Journal Sentinel story in 2000, Donovan was observed by a UWM police officer "peeking through a hole the size of nickel in a partition between two restroom stalls" for about 10 minutes, the police record stated. The report said: "Donovan stated that he has frequented Mitchell Hall restroom for years for the purposes of either watching men masturbate, or to have sex with men in the restroom."

Donovan did not contest the ticket, paying the $93 fine.

Asked about the matter last month, Donovan said he did not see the information in the police report when he was ticketed, adding that he never said what he was quoted as saying. Asked if he thought the cop made it up, Donovan said, "I have no idea where that came from."

According to Donovan, he stopped by Mitchell Hall, a graduate studies building, during a work break on June 19, 1992, to see if there were any night classes he could take. Donovan, who was 36 at the time, was working for Batzner Pest Control. He doesn't have a college degree.

While in the bathroom, he said he saw the peephole and put a piece of paper in it. But he said he removed the paper and looked through it because of what was going on in the next stall.

"Yes, I looked through the peephole. The individual was behaving strangely," Donovan said, suggesting the man  who turned out to be a UWM officer  was jumping up and down. "I don't believe you would have reacted any different."

He said he wanted to make one point clear: He was doing "nothing lewd" in the men's room.

"Nothing, nothing," he emphasized. "I was not masturbating. I was not doing anything."

Still, the ticket has made the rounds every time Donovan has run for office, except during his initial bid in 1996. Yet the south side alderman has continued to win.

"It looks terrible, I don't deny that," Donovan said. "What are you going to do?"

Then there is his run-in with federal authorities in 2005.

Originally, Donovan was charged by federal authorities with misdemeanor fraud as part of their attempt to clean up City Hall. Eventually, four aldermen were convicted between 2002 and 2007.

Donovan was accused of failing to disclose his financial ties to a nonprofit community group, the Milwaukee Alliance, that he founded after being elected to the Common Council in 2000. Donovan's wife, Kathy, worked for the nonprofit.

Donovan voted in August 2001 to approve a $200,000 block grant to the alliance from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds. His campaign also made donations to the nonprofit to help it cover a cash shortfall.

Federal prosecutors dropped the charge after they discovered that Donovan had disclosed his links to the alliance in a letter to city ethics officials in 2002.

His attorney, Michael Fitzgerald, said at the time that he doubted then-U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic would have brought the charge had he been aware of the document at the outset.

As part of the deal to dismiss the criminal complaint, Donovan agreed to pay a $2,500 "penalty" to the city, play no role in providing money to the alliance and have no association with a nonprofit receiving federal funds for two years.

The alliance also agreed to shut down.

Last month, Donovan said he signed off on those conditions on his own.

"I agreed to that after they dropped the charge," he said. "It originally came from them, but it had nothing to do with dropping the charge."

So why agree to such a deal?

"Because I wanted to move on with my life," Donovan said.

But the nine-page "noncriminal resolution of a pending charge" document makes it clear that prosecutors withdrew their complaint in exchange for Donovan's agreement to pay the fine and avoid contact with nonprofits for two years. If he failed to hold up his end of the deal, the agreement stated, the feds could have reinstated the criminal charge.

"I'm not going to mince words on something like that," Donovan said.

Most recently, Donovan hired Stephen C. Schumacher as his campaign's social media director, having paid him more than $27,000 since April to oversee Twitter and Facebook accounts. Schumacher also acknowledged running the Facebook page opposing the Milwaukee streetcar, a proposal pushed by Barrett and opposed by Donovan.

In 2012, Schumacher pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of attempted theft. He paid off the $1,223 fine for the offenses last year.

The complaint said Schumacher's brother-in-law impersonated a Journal Sentinel carrier and solicited tips from Elm Grove subscribers shortly before Christmas. Subscribers were directed to send the tips to a post office box that Schumacher set up.

Schumacher knew which newspaper routes were open because he was an independent contractor who did retail delivery for the paper. He said he and the Journal Sentinel agreed to end the contract after he was charged.

"I've said it was stupid. And it was a mistake," Schumacher said. "I knew from the beginning it was the wrong thing to do."

In addition, Schumacher is listed on state records as owing some $28,000 in state income taxes. His troubles were first reported by Urban Milwaukee last year.

Donovan said he went ahead and hired Schumacher because he came "highly recommended." The alderman said Schumacher was good at his job.

As for his theft convictions, Donovan said, "He's very sorry for that and he's paid his debt to society."

Quite forgiving for the normally tough-on-crime pol.

Michael Crivello  head of the Milwaukee Police Association, which endorsed Donovan  said it was "remarkable" that events from nearly 25 years ago were being dredged up.

"Take a look at the merits of the man and what that person has done for the city," Crivello said. "This alderman has had a continual focus on the people of the city" as well as safety issues.

Donovan isn't backing down either.

Last week, he went on Facebook to launch a pre-emptive strike against an upcoming column on his disorderly conduct ticket.

In an 845-word post, Donovan said he was the victim of a "TMZ-like gossip article" that used information that came "during a disrespectful and at times vulgar" interview with the Journal Sentinel.

The truth is, Donovan said, he should have fought the original ticket but didn't because he simply wanted "to put the issue behind me."

He also challenged the legitimacy of the court records in the case, saying he was never presented with these reports. He said there are no recordings or handwritten notes attributing the salacious comments to him.

"Finally, don't think Bice's gossip article isn't payback from the Journal Sentinel for all the factual attacks I've made on them over the years and especially during this campaign  it is just that, payback," Donovan said in the post. "But that's all right, folks, I have a tough skin."

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.
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The news comes amid rising tensions between the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia and Arabs in Syria.

The first group of Arab fighters joined the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the YPG, according to Kurdish media.

The YPG has been known to include non-Kurdish forces, including Western, Turkish and Assyrian fighters, and it is part of a U.S.-backed coalition, the Syrian Democratic Forces, that includes some Arab militias.

However, ANF News reported Monday that 34 young fighters were the first Arabs to actually graduate from the YPGs military academy, where they were provided with military and ideological lessons.

OPINION: Rojavas Democratic, Feminist Revolution a Source of Hope among Horror

Several Arab rebel groups have allied with the YPG, taking advantage of the military and political support the group receives as part of its fight against the Islamic State group. The YPG claims its ultimate goal is to establish a democratic self-governing Kurdish region in Syria.

More Arab youths join the ranks of YPG in Efrin / ANFhttps://t.co/IsFSS812hY#TwitterKurds pic.twitter.com/ee3eWXirNZ  Em Bernadin (@em_bernadin) February 21, 2016

An anonymous French volunteer, one of hundreds of Westerners who have reportedly joined the YPG, told VICE News that most fighters are people who are politically motivated and are here more for the Rojava revolution than for (fighting) the Islamic State.

Middle East Eye has previously reported that Christians, Druze, Turkmen, Assyrians and Sunni Arabs fight with YPG units. The group has an estimated 15,000 fighters, including an allied militia for women known as the YPG.

ANALYSIS: Kurdish Resistance to Islamic State Group

The YPG is seen as one of the strongest and most democratic forces fighting against the IS group. Support from the United States, in the form of both weapons and airstrikes, has bolstered its standing, prompting some Syrian rebel groups to align with the YPG through the umbrella of the Syrian Democratic Forces.

"So many people left out, left voiceless, who dont want to be part of the radical Islam movement, they need somewhere to address themselves, this provides them with an opportunity, Mutlu Civiroglu, a Kurdish analyst based in Washington, told Middle East Eye.

The YPG is a self-styled Marxist and atheist guerrilla group.

News of Arabs joining the YPG comes amid rising Kurdish-Arab tensions. Amnesty International has accused the YPG of carrying about abuses in some Arab villages and the militia has recently taken advantage of Russian airstrikes near Aleppo to expand its reach into territory with large Arab populations.

Residents of Arab villages liberated by YPG & allies welcome fighters on the way to #Shaddadi #Syria pic.twitter.com/FgKaesjXpC @Kurdistan_RDK  curdistani (@curdistani) February 18, 2016

The YPGs political wing, the PYD, has denied allegations of war crimes, maintaining that it never targets civilians and noting that Arabs, Christians and other minorities have been elected to govern PYD-controlled cantons.

"The YPG cares about the Kurdish-Arab brotherhood and is not fighting Arabs as promoted by the media," a spokesperson claimed.

Via TeleSur



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Kurdish YPG & Allies Liberate Shaddadi from ISIS, Combat Footage, 2016
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TeleSur |  



President Obama is making his case to the nation to finally close the much maligned detention center in his final year in office.



President Barack Obama presented a four point plan Tuesday to close Guantanamo once and for all the president said. The plan now lies in the control of Congress to approve the closure, or not.



H/t Wikipedia

When it becomes clear that something is not working as intended, that it does not advance our national security its time to change course, said President Barack Obama at a press conference. Guantanamo does not advance our national security efforts.

Among the four main elements of the plan are: to ensure those 35 of the 91 detainees that have already been approved for transfer will be transferred; accelerate periodic reviews of remaining detainees to determine weather their remaining detention is necessary; use federal legal tools to deal with to remaining detainees and not military commissions, this includes those 10 detainees still being held under law of war detention that do not currently qualify for federal trials; and to work with Congress to find secure places in the U.S. in which to transfer detainees.

According to testimony from officials before Obamas speech, the closure plan submitted to Congress references 13 potential sites for detainees to be transferred to U.S. soil but does not endorse one specific facility.

The officials also told reporters that the cost of the transfer of detainees and closure would be $290 million to $475 million. Housing the remaining detainees in the United States would be $65 million to $85 million cheaper than at the Cuba facility, the official said, so costs would be offset within three to five years.

Obama also highlighted the long term savings to taxpayers that would result from closing the military prison, saving $85 million after only one year, $300 million over 10 years and at least $1.7 billion over 20.

The plan has already been criticized by some human rights activists who say it does not go far enough to ensure Guantanamos closure.

According to the Center for Constitutional Rights, The centerpiece of the plan  moving those detainees who have not been and will never be charged with any crime to a prison in the U.S.  does not close Guantanamo, it merely relocates it to a new ZIP Code.

The organization also said there is nothing new in the plan, but it only lays out steps to finally release the men who have already been cleared for transfer, most for year, and strengthening and speeding up the Periodic Review Board (PRB) process  but talk is cheap, it said in a statement immediately following the presidents speech.

However, Omar Shakir, a fellow for the Center for Constitutional Rights who works on Guantanamo legal cases, said that Obama could actually bypass Congress with these measures.

There are many steps in Obamas plan that he has ample authority to carry out, Shakir told teleSUR. But he added that it would be very difficult to have any confidence in this administration following through.

The plan must now be approved by Congress before it is implemented, which many say will be a hard sell. The Republican-controlled Congress has shown no signs that it will actually be interested in closing the facility once they see Obamas plan. Some of the leaders, including House speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, have directly said that Guantanamo Bay should remain open.

I would leave it just the way it is, and I would probably fill it up with more people that are looking to kill us, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump said in an interviw Sunday.

Nethertheless, throughout his speech President Obama emphasized the bipartisan support that once existed to close the detention center. He reminded the press that even former Republican President George W. Bush said he wanted to close the prison and admitted that most of the detainees who have been released over the years were under Bushs administration.

Obama also highlighted several reasons for closing the facility and why it should be considered a non-partisan issue.

According to President, Guantanamo serves as propaganda for terrorists, is costly for U.S. taxpayers, harms the U.S.s relationship with allied nations that are pushing for the prisons closure, and argued that keeping the facility open undermines U.S. values.

President Bush said he wanted to close Guantanamo  but he didnt get it done and it was passed to me. Ive been trying for 7 years to get this closed, and have spent countless hours on this, said Obama. Our closest allies have raised this as an issue repeatedly  and I do not want to pass this onto the next president.

Via TeleSur
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By Thalif Deen | (Inter Press Service) |  

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 22 2016 (IPS)  The continued decline in oil prices is threatening to have a direct and indirect impact on several fronts, including development aid, migrant workers and remittances, voluntary contributions to UN agencies, humanitarian assistance to refugees and infrastructure-building in the Gulf countries.

Still, the drop in oil revenues is unlikely to have any immediate impact on uninterrupted arms supplies to the Middle East  even as military conflicts and insurgencies in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Libya show no signs of de-escalation.

The military intervention in Yemen by a coalition of Arab states, which began in 2015, was facilitated by high levels of arms imports by several countries in the coalition, says a new report released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The nine-member Saudi-led coalition battling Youthi rebels in Yemen includes Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and Sudan.

In 20112015, Saudi Arabias arms imports alone increased by 275 per cent compared with 20062010.

Although concerns have been raised in arms-supplying states over Saudi air attacks in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is expected to continue to receive large numbers of major arms from those statesspecifically from the US, UK and France  in the next five years, says SIPRI.

The report said arms on order include 150 combat aircraft and thousands of air-to-surface missiles and anti-tank missiles from the US, 14 combat aircraft from the UK and an undisclosed but large number of armoured vehicles from Canada with turrets from Belgium.

The US, which also provides military intelligence to the Saudis on the situation on the ground in Yemen, has complained about the increasing number of civilian casualties attributed both to Saudi and rebel forces.

Asked if arms purchases will decline if oil prices keep falling, Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the Arms and Military Expenditure Programme at SIPRI told IPS: Its hard to see how Saudi Arabia can keep up the pace, even though it will depend on how much long-term benefits it may gain from low oil prices, which push other oil suppliers with much higher production costs out of the market.

However, in terms of deliveries right now, several major contracts for arms supplies to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE are being implemented, with deliveries on-going or starting soon, he added.

That means, in terms of deliveries, the volumes of arms imports by these countries are scheduled to remain high for the coming five years or so, Wezeman pointed out.

The decline in oil prices in the world market has been described as the lowest in nearly 13 years, with the price of a barrel falling to less than $30 last week compared with a high of $110 in 2014.

The recession in the oil market has also resulted in mass staff lay-offs in US alternate energy companies, including shale producers, which have either declared bankruptcies or struggling to survive.

On average, oil producing countries in the Middle East depend on oil revenues for anything between 25 to 75 percent of their budgetary incomes.

The SIPRI report says that with a 33 per cent share of total arms exports, the US was the top arms exporter in 20112015.

Its exports of major weapons increased by 27 per cent compared with 20062010, and the US delivered major weapons to at least 96 states in 20112015, a significantly higher number of export destinations than any other supplier.

The largest recipients were Saudi Arabia, accounting for 9.7 per cent of US arms exports, and the UAE with 9.1 per cent.

At the regional level, the Middle East was the largest recipient of US weapons, accounting for 41 per cent of arms exports.

Asia and Oceania received 40 per cent and Europe 9.9 per cent. Supplies of aircraft accounted for 59 per cent of the volume of US arms exports.

As of the end of 2015, the US had numerous outstanding large arms export contracts, including contracts to supply a total of 611 of its new generation F-35 combat aircraft to nine states.

Wezeman told IPS most countries in the Saudi-led coalition use mainly US or European arms.

Russia and China have not succeeded yet in getting many major contracts in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar or Morocco despite their attempts at seeking markets.

From what I can see, it has been predominantly US supplied equipment that has been used by the collation leaders, followed by UK and French equipment. But as detailed information is limited, a more accurate assessment is difficult to make, he said.

In particular, Russia and somewhat less China, he said, have been more successful in Egypt, which has long sought for diversification of its arms suppliers in the knowledge that the US has a tendency to impose restrictions or temporary embargoes in reaction to internal political developments.

In addition, he pointed out, price is an important factor too, Wezeman said.

The SIPRI report also said the UAE has continuously had high levels of arms imports since 2001and its arms imports increased by 35 per cent between 20062010 and 20112015.

Qatari arms imports rose by 279 per cent between 20062010 and 20112015. These imports included the first deliveries of a number of large arms contracts that will substantially increase the size of Qatars military arsenal.

Some of the outstanding deliveries include 24 combat helicopters, nine air defence systems and three airborne early warning aircraft from the US, 24 combat aircraft from France and 52 tanks from Germany.

Arms imports by Egypt grew by 37 per cent between 20062010 and 20112015.

Egyptian arms imports rose steeply in 2015. The US lifted a partial suspension of arms supplies to Egypt and delivered 12 combat aircraft, and France delivered a frigate within months of a deal being signed.

In 2014 and 2015 Egypt signed a number of large deals for weapons from France, Germany and Russia.

The SIPRI report also said that six of the top 10 largest arms importers in the five-year period 20112015 are in Asia and Oceania: India (14 per cent of global arms imports), China (4.7 per cent), Australia (3.6 per cent), Pakistan (3.3 per cent), Viet Nam (2.9 per cent) and South Korea (2.6 per cent).

The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@aol.com

Licensed from Inter Press Service

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

Channel 4 News: Yemen conflict: Should UK sell arms to Saudi Arabia?
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Maan News Agency |  

BETHLEHEM (Maan)  Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamallah and European Union representative Ralph Tarraf on Sunday laid the pave-stone of the first wastewater treatment plant in the northern occupied West Bank district of Tubas.

An EU statement said the large-scale project would serve around 34,000 people living in Tubas city as well as the outlying villages of Tayasir and Aqqaba. It is also set to provide treated water for agricultural use for farmers across the district.

Tarraf said: Access to clean water is a fundamental human right. Palestinians are not just facing severe drinking-water shortages but also limited quantities for agricultural use. This comes together with the issue of untreated wastewater which has very negative consequences on health and environment.

There has to date not been any sewage network in the area. The statement said that wastewater from Tubas district flows untreated into the environment reaching agricultural areas and surrounding villages either through the cesspits and vacuum trucks.

The project is expected to significantly reduce health risks for the population of Tubas and contamination of the environment. It will also allow the re-use of treated wastewater in agriculture hence conserving limited groundwater resources in Palestine, the statement said.

The 24 million dollar project consists of a wastewater treatment plant, sewage collection network and an irrigation scheme for the reuse of treated water. It is expected to be completed in September 2017.

According the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have on average access to 60 liters of water per day  far below the World Health Organizations recommended daily 100 liters of water per person.

Israeli rights group BTselem estimates that Israeli citizens consume an estimated daily average of 183 liters of water, per person  three times more than Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Since 2011, the EU has invested nearly 104 million dollars in the water, sanitation and solid waste management sectors in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Via Maan News Agency



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Middle East Eye from last year:  Palestine: Its the water stupid
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 22, 2016) - Latin American Minerals Inc. (TSX VENTURE:LAT) (the "Company" or "LAT") is pleased to provide an update of events pertaining to mining and exploration on its Paso Yobai gold mining operation in Paraguay.

In order to determine the most efficient and cost effective methods for producing gold from the Company's operation, the services of the John T. Boyd Company, Professional Mining Consultants (BOYD) based in Pittsburg, PA (http://www.jtboyd.com), were engaged in December 2015. Their review included assessment of the Paso Yobai process plant as well as near term plant feed alternatives and includes specific recommendations to maximize near-term cash flow generating potential under the scope of Phase I; the reprocessing of tailings and stockpiles. This analysis and report have now been received.

In its Phase I Report, BOYD has recommended several important changes to improve recoveries, improve operating efficiency and reduce operating costs. These changes are projected to be fully implemented with full production reached by July 2016, including approximately two months of commissioning and ramp-up time. BOYD has estimated that monthly production should rise to roughly 300 ounces of gold per month for the balance of 2016.

"The BOYD report has provided a great deal of insight as to what is required from a processing and metallurgical standpoint which will enable the Company to achieve a higher recovery rate, greater throughput and significantly lower production cost per ounce of gold produced.

"Phase 2 envisages further extraction of soft saprolite from the existing Independencia Mine pit and Phase 3 will focus on the mining of hard rock from the Independencia pit. The timing of these phases will be dependent on gold price and financing, however only the front end of the operating process will require minor changes to handle the different material," said Basil Botha, Chairman.

In addition, the Company will be appointing a qualified mining engineer to be stationed at the mine site full time to manage day-to-day mining and processing operations, with on-going oversight by BOYD's engineers and metallurgists.

The Company is currently seeking investment partners to fund the required upgrades to the gold processing plant, either through a debt facility or via a gold streaming arrangement.

Miles Rideout has been appointed VP Exploration to initially focus on the evaluation of the drill-ready targets on the Paso Yobai project. Through previously completed geophysical surveys, soil and auger samples, and trenching, the Company has identified six high quality target areas and is actively seeking potential joint venture partners to advance the project.

A new community relations program has been launched in co-operation with the Mayor and Municipality of Paso Yobai. Included in this program are road repairs and a program to assist local schools. The Company's community relations team is preparing a plan and budget for a more extensive program, once gold production is restarted.

Following an oversubscribed private placement of $1,566,962 on November 2015, a 10:1 consolidation of the shares of LAT was undertaken on 30th December 2015. The current capital structure is 28,503,137 shares outstanding, plus 19,610,156 warrants, which are net of 500,000 warrants that expired on February 4, 2016.

Insiders now hold 6.09% of the company and total options issued stand at 2,546,500.

About BOYD

The John T. Boyd Company is highly respected as an international mining consultant for its mining acumen and ethical conduct. As premier mining consultants, BOYD's technical reports are highly regarded by major financial institutions and government agencies. BOYD has successfully balanced the objective of meeting the Company's requirements with realistic and independent reporting.

About the Company

Latin American Minerals Inc. is a mineral exploration and gold mining company with its core gold and diamond projects in Paraguay. The Company is currently expanding its Independencia Mine gold processing plant to encompass vat-leach gold recovery from mineralization extracted in open pit mining activities at its fully permitted mining concession.

Management has identified six gold zones for drill testing on the Company's adjacent exploration claims, which are part of the Company's 15,020 hectare Paso Yobai gold project.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - February 22, 2016) - Almaden Minerals Ltd. ("Almaden" or "the Company") (TSX: AMM) (NYSE MKT: AAU) is pleased to announce partial assay results from Almaden's Ixtaca Zone exploration and development program at the Company's 100% owned Tuligtic project, Mexico. Drill hole TU-15-457 was drilled into limestone hosted mineralisation in the core of the updated PEA pit, between holes on section 10 + 500, in order to better define the high grade zone and to provide additional metallurgical sample material for the final stages of the Company's ongoing Pre-Feasibility ("PFS") metallurgical program. Highlights from hole TU-15-457 released today include the following intercepts:

Hole # From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) TU-15-457 94.50 108.00 13.50 0.93 79.3 including 94.50 96.00 1.50 4.72 403.0 TU-15-457 119.00 162.00 43.00 2.26 85.7 including 125.30 130.00 4.70 1.70 148.3 including 148.50 161.25 12.75 6.10 158.5 TU-15-457 184.00 196.00 12.00 0.35 27.8 including 184.00 185.70 1.70 0.68 148.5

Recently the Company released a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on the Ixtaca deposit (see news release dated December 9th, 2015). Approximately 97% of the mineral resources incorporated into the updated PEA mine plan were in the Measured and Indicated categories. The Company is currently designing a 2016 exploration drill program to test for additional high grade vein structures immediately adjacent to known mineralisation and the PEA pit. J.D. Poliquin, chairman of Almaden, stated, "Today's results once again show the continuity of the high grade core of the Ixtaca deposit. We are now focussed on developing the Ixtaca deposit into a significant precious metals producer in Mexico and are currently busy with engineering work and studies towards producing a PFS."

About the Ixtaca Deposit PFS Program

Development related activities are currently underway, including advanced engineering and environmental baseline studies to meet the requirements of a PFS and the submittal of an environmental permit application and risk assessment to the Mexican regulatory agency responsible for mine permitting. To date Almaden has completed or initiated the following studies:

Hydrologic studies including the drilling of water test wells and installation of hydrologic equipment for baseline monitoring of existing subsurface water flow and quality on the project site (installation complete, monitoring ongoing);

Baseline surface water quality and flow measurements (monitoring ongoing);

Geochemical characterization of rock materials (complete);

Condemnation drilling of areas where mine infrastructure is planned (complete);

Geotechnical drilling to confirm foundation, footing and subsurface material quality (final holes based on updated mine plan are planned for March, 2016);

Geomechanical drilling to confirm rock strength, hardness and pit slope parameters (complete);

PFS level metallurgical test work (ongoing);

Flora and fauna studies (complete);

Installation of a weather station (complete);

The Company has selected independent engineers Moose Mountain Technical Services and Knight Piesold Ltd. to prepare a PFS study. MMTS is an association of Geologists, Engineers and Technicians providing experienced knowledge in Geology, Mine Engineering, and Metallurgical Services and Support to the mining industry for over 15 years. Through their network of associates they provide an integrated team of experts and QP's. Services range from early grassroots exploration and development, block model builds, resource and reserve estimates, advanced planning and studies for mine proposals (including operational support), process design and permitting process guidance and support. MMTS has experience working on coal, gold, silver, copper, molybdenum, and tungsten deposits throughout North and South America and around the world. A list of specific projects worked on by MMTS can be found at www.moosemmc.com.

KP is an international consulting firm and recognized leader in providing engineering and environmental services. KP's expertise has been applied to hundreds of surface and underground mining projects in all stages of development and a broad range of environmental settings. KP provides industry leading services in water and waste management, tailings disposal, heap leach pads, rock mechanics and environmental services, and has been recognized for innovative services that meet high standards of reliability, security and cost effectiveness.

About the Ixtaca Drilling Program and the Ixtaca Project

The 100% owned Ixtaca Zone is a blind discovery made by the Company in 2010 on claims staked by the Company. The deposit is an epithermal gold-silver deposit, mostly hosted by veins in carbonate units and crosscutting dykes ("basement rocks") with a minor component of disseminated mineralisation hosted in overlying volcanic rocks.

The Ixtaca deposit is located in a developed part of Mexico in Puebla State, the location of significant manufacturing investments including Volkswagen and Audi plants. The project is accessed by paved road and is roughly 20 kilometres from an industrial park with rail service where significant manufacturers such as Kimberly Clarke have facilities. Any potential mining operation at Ixtaca would be located in an area previously logged or cleared with negligible to no current land usage.

The Company has access to the entire project area and works closely with local officials and residents. The Company has employed roughly 70 people in its exploration program who live local to the Ixtaca deposit. For example, local employees have made up virtually all the drilling staff and have been trained on the job to operate the Company's wholly owned drills. The Company has implemented a comprehensive science based and objective community relations and education program for employees and all local stakeholders to transparently explain the exploration and development program underway as well as the potential impacts and benefits of any possible future mining operation at Ixtaca. The Company regards the local inhabitants to be major stakeholders in the Ixtaca deposit's future along with the Company's shareholders. Every effort is being made to create an open and clear dialogue with our stakeholders to ensure that any possible development scenarios that could evolve from the anticipated PFS are properly understood and communicated throughout the course of the Company's exploration and development program. To better explain the impacts of a mining operation at Ixtaca the Company has conducted numerous tours for local residents to third party operated mines in Mexico so that interested individuals can form their own opinions based on first-hand experience. The Company invites all interested parties to visit www.almadenminerals.com to find out more about our community development, education and outreach programs.

Technical Details of the Ixtaca Drilling Program

The Main Ixtaca and Ixtaca North Zones of veining are interpreted to have a north-easterly trend. Holes to date suggest that the Main Ixtaca and Ixtaca North Zones are sub vertical with local variations. This interpretation suggests that true widths range from approximately 35% of intersected widths for a -70 degree hole to 94% of intersected widths for a -20 degree hole. The drilling completed to date has traced mineralisation over 1,000 meters along this northeast trend. The Chemalaco (Northeast Extension) Zone strikes roughly north-south (340 azimuth) and dips at 55 degrees to the west. This interpretation suggests that true widths range from approximately 82% of intersected widths for a -70 degree hole to 99% of intersected widths for a -40 degree hole.

Morgan J. Poliquin, Ph.D., P.Eng., a qualified person ("QP") under the meaning of NI 43-101, the President CEO and a Director of the Company, reviewed the technical information in this news release. The analyses reported were carried out at ALS Chemex Laboratories of North Vancouver using industry standard analytical techniques. For gold, samples are first analysed by fire assay and atomic absorption spectroscopy ("AAS"). Samples that return values greater than 10 g/t gold using this technique are then re-analysed by fire assay but with a gravimetric finish. Silver is first analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy ("ICP-AES"). Samples that return values greater than 100 g/t silver by ICP-AES are then re analysed by HF-HNO 3 -HCLO 4 digestion with HCL leach and ICP-AES finish. Of these samples those that return silver values greater than 1,500 g/t are further analysed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Gold equivalent ("AuEq" or "Gold Eq.") and silver equivalent ("AgEq" or "Silver Eq.") values were calculated using silver to gold ratios of 50 to 1. The ratio of 50 to 1 was used for the sake of consistency with past news releases. Intervals that returned assays below detection were assigned zero values. Metallurgical recoveries and net smelter returns are assumed to be 100% for these calculations.

Blanks, field duplicates and certified standards were inserted into the sample stream as part of Almaden's quality assurance and control program which complies with National Instrument 43-101 requirements.

Cautionary Note concerning estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources

This news release uses terms that comply with reporting standards in Canada and certain estimates are made in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes Canadian standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and mineral resource information contained herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by United States companies.

This news release uses the terms "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" to comply with reporting standards in Canada. We advise United States investors that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the SEC does not recognize them. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the mineral deposits in such categories will ever be converted into mineral reserves under SEC definitions. These terms have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. Therefore, United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of the "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" exist. In accordance with Canadian rules, estimates of "inferred mineral resources" cannot form the basis of pre-feasibility or other economic studies. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of the "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" will ever be upgraded to a higher category.

About Almaden

Almaden Minerals Ltd. is a well-financed company which owns 100% of the Tuligtic project in Puebla State, Mexico. Tuligtic covers the Ixtaca Gold-Silver Deposit, which was discovered by Almaden in 2010.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Morgan Poliquin"

Morgan J. Poliquin, Ph.D., P.Eng.

President, CEO and Director

Almaden Minerals Ltd.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) nor the NYSE MKT have reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release which has been prepared by management.. Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, certain information presented constitutes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, those with respect to potential expansion of mineralization, potential size of mineralized zone, and size and timing of exploration and development programs, estimated project capital and other project costs and the timing of submission and receipt and availability of regulatory approvals involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement of Almaden to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks related to international operations and joint ventures, the actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations, uncertainty in the estimation of mineral resources, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, environmental risks and hazards, increased infrastructure and/or operating costs, labour and employment matters, and government regulation and permitting requirements as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Almaden's Annual Information form and Almaden's latest Form 20-F on file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. Although Almaden has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Almaden disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required pursuant to applicable securities laws. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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New York City, 02/22/2016 /SubmitPressRelease123/

New York Car Accident Attorney Resource Advises on Sending a Notification Letter after a Crash

A qualified New York car accident attorney will inform you that sending a notification letter is a very crucial part when youre beginning to form your case for an auto crash settlement.

The letter is designed to inform that at-fault party of your intention to seek compensation for your injuries and any and all damages related to your case. You can learn more about what constitutes as damages in your car accident case by clicking here.

At CarAccidentCases.com, we want to emphasize the fact that the notification letter is very important if one of two things is true. First, it is a way to notify the other driver if you were not able to obtain his or her insurance information at the scene of the accident. This often occurs for victims whose injuries are severe, and so the only thing theyre worried about at that moment is getting medical attention. Secondly, you may use a notification letter to inform the other driver of your intention to sue for damages if he or she does not have car insurance. While this doesnt happen quite as much, it does happen. However, if you do have the other insurance companys information, you can send a copy of this letter to them directly as well.

When writing your notification letter, remember to keep it simple. You want to be sure your letter is free from any errors, and you want to avoid giving too much information. You may not have all of the details about your medical treatments or about your car estimates, but its not necessary to include them in this particular letter. This information is best reserved for your personal injury demand letter, which will be sent when you have more details. Simply include the date and approximate time of your accident, and your intention to pursue compensation. This serves as proper notice to the other driver, and his or her insurance company if that applies.

Taking the proper steps after youve been in a car accident will help the settlement process proceed much faster. A New York car accident attorney can help you with the notification letter, and all of the other steps that need to be taken for you to have a much quicker resolution and compensation for your case.

You can read additional information about taking the proper steps after an auto accident by checking out our recent article, Steps to Take if Youre in a Car Accident.

You can also find additional information on our blog regarding the following car crash topics:

source: http://caraccidentcases.com/new-york-car-accident-attorney-resource-advises-on-sending-a-notification-letter-after-a-crash/

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02/23/2016 // Hartford, CT, USA // cttriallawyers // Neil Ferstand // (press release)

Funny story. About a decade and a half ago, doctors and organized medical lobbies were picketing state capitols, threatening to leave states because of high malpractice insurance rates. Since they were doing this everywhere, Im not sure where they were all going. France maybe?

In 2003, the American Medical Association was so sure of its claim that doctors were abandoning states, that they managed to get the U.S. General Accountability Office to study the data. I guess the AMA was convinced theyd find support for the argument that a widespread health care access crisis existed in this country. And that the legal system was to blame. And that the only way patients  particularly women and babies  would have access to doctors would be if they gave up their legal rights should they be harmed from negligent or reckless care.

The GAO did the study, alright. But what they found instead was that the AMA and doctors groups were basically lying. To put it nicely, they found the AMAs arguments to be inaccurate and not substantiated. To the extent they could find any access problems at all, they were isolated and the result of numerous factors having nothing at all to do with the legal system or malpractice insurance.

See here for lots of other studies finding the same thing. Take the work of the Center for Health Workforce, part of the School of Public Health, State University of New York in Albany,which annually surveys physicians about why they leave New York State  a state with some of the highest insurance rates in the nation. They found in 2014, only 45% of newly trained physicians reported plans to practice in the state. But the single biggest reason these new doctors list for leaving New York is to be closer to their family (27%), followed by better jobs and salary elsewhere (14%). And as for the Cost of Malpractice Insurance," what percentage leave because of that? 0. That would be zero percent who leave because of malpractice costs. Notably, New Yorks legal system is not even listed as a reason. And this has been the situation for years.

But the truth has not stopped doctors from engaging in access to care fear-mongering. In Texas, the very same year the GAO published its report, the headline of a glossy brochure handed to patients all over the state was Who Will Deliver Your Baby?. Medical societies argued that the only way to bring doctors to underserved areas of Texas was for patients to enact a severe cap on damages, which voters  and the legislature  proceeded to do. But as has been repeatedly shown since the Texas Observer first pointed it out in 2007 in the article Baby, I Lied, not only did doctors not return to the states underserved areas after the cap was enacted, they never came back to the state at all.

Today, Maryland doctors are threatening that women wont have access to their OB/GYNs unless the state completely removes the right to jury trial for families of newborns who are catastrophically injured due to negligent care. (See our recent coverage.)

And I love this one. The head of the Connecticut State Medical Association recently went on a rant about doctors woes, targeting his greatest wrath for the liability system, which is used by patients who are harmed by negligent health care and sue because they need compensation  even though barely anyone actually does this. No matter. He says doctors are leaving Connecticut. Citing absolutely no evidence (because there is none), he claims, liability costs are a major part of this retention problem. Boy would I like to sic the Center for Health Workforce, School of Public Health, State University of New York in Albany, on this guy. Come to New York, my friend.

Then he says:

Connecticut physicians have been up front and consistent in asking our elected officials to step back and consider the entire liability system (including tort law and alternative dispute mechanisms, such as health courts). Much has changed since the last review in 2005, so it is simply common sense to ask for another systemic look at our states liability system.

Oh Ill say much has changed. First of all, we now know that preventable medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America and as noted, the vast majority of preventable errors that physicians commit never result in a claim at all. Whats more, since 2006, doctors nationwide have benefited from steadily dropping malpractice insurance rates. As the editor of industry publication Medical Liability Monitor put it,

For almost a decade, medical malpractice insurance rates have been declining while industry profits remain historically high. While many attribute the declining rates to increased competition for a shrinking market, the industrys historic profitability has been buoyed by historically low claims frequency and indemnity severity as well as healthy reserve releases.

In other words, the number and size of claims are declining while insurance companies are rolling in dough. Now thats something every legislature is the country should be looking into.

First published by PopTort.com

Feb. 19, 2016

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Address: 150 Trumbull Street, 2nd Floor Hartford, Connecticut 06103

Phone: 860 522-4345

Url: http://ctlablog.org/where-have-all-the-doctors-gone_13816.html

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Lee Jun Ki recently shared the story of his casting in the Hollywood film "Resident Evil; The Final Chapter."

The film's director Paul W.S. Anderson contacted Lee by emailing his agency, Namoo Actors.

"The director said in the email that he was impressed by Lee's action dramas and influence in Asia," said a representative of Namoo Actors told the Hollywood Reporter.

Lee is popular throughout Asia because of his roles in films such as the k-movie "The King and The Clown" and the Korean-Japanese film "Virgin Snow." He is also known for his roles in dramas such as 'Two Weeks" and "The Scholar Who Walked The Night." But his international popularity was not the only factor in the director's decision making. Lee had to audition for the part but the director did not speak Korean.

"Director Paul W. S. Anderson, who didn't speak Korean, muted video footage of me acting and analyzed my expressions and emotions before deciding to hire me," said Lee in an interview with the magazine Allure. "He didn't just pick me because of my reputation as a Hallyu actor. That moved me."

In the film Lee plays Umbrella Corporation's Commander Lee. The evil company is conducting genetic research and is responsible for a virus that turns people into zombies. Humanity is in trouble.

Lee began working in the film in the fall of 2015, traveling to Cape Town, South Africa to shoot the first scenes. While filming, the 33-year-old actor told Allure that he especially enjoyed working with actress Milla Jovovich.

"Lead actress Milla Jovovich inspired me the most with her stunt acting," said Lee. "I love stunts too. When we were filming, we tried to synchronize our stunt action scenes as much as possible, and she was receptive to many of my suggestions."

Jovovich posted a selfie of herself with Lee on her Instagram. It said, "Night shoots with the incredible Korean actor and 3rd Dan martial artist Joon Gi."

The final installment of the "Resident Evil" film series is Lee's first Hollywood project, but it will probably not be his last. Other Korean stars that have crossed over into Hollywood productions, include Lee Byung Hun, Choi Min Sik, Go Ah Sung and Song Kang Ho.

The "Resident Evil" film series is based on the video game of the same name. The film's premiere is scheduled for January 2017.

Lee Jun Ki's next drama is "Moon Lovers."
In September and October, Justice Antonin Scalia told audiences at two different law schools that it would not surprise him if the death penalty were ruled unconstitutional while he was still on the court. Scalia had previously identified himself as the fifth vote on a court divided four to four on the issue. He could not have known that his sudden death a few months later might be the vehicle for that very eventuality.

All of the Republican candidates can be expected to nominate a candidate for the Supreme Court who will follow Scalias lead in upholding the constitutionality of capital punishment. Of the remaining presidential candidates, only Bernie Sanders opposes the death penalty.

It is less clear how Hillary Clinton  a death penalty proponent  would expect her nominee to answer the question.

If Clinton wins, and nominates a candidate with a strong civil rights background, the death penalty will very likely be abolished.

Unfortunately, Hillary Clinton has a 20-year history of enacting criminal justice policy that exploits the publics fear of crime and invariably results in a racially disparate impact on poor minorities. The Clintons championing of the 1994 Crime Bill  which contributed to the mass incarceration of poor minorities  and the 1996 Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act  which raised procedural bars to claims of actual innocence  are both examples of the Clintons pandering to the publics tough-on-crime sensibilities to achieve political ends.

It reflects an approach to governing which is poisoned  by a tendency to choose political expediency over ethics and morality.

Last week, Clinton made headlines for barking like a dog while telling a folksy story about her husbands early campaigns in Arkansas. The barking incident was an unintended reminder of the Clintons involvement in the 1992 execution of a 250-pound lobotomized man-child named Ricky Ray Rector. A 1993 New Yorker article by Marshall Frady, Death in Arkansas, described how Rector repetitively performed a little shuffle dance, and alternatingly giggled to himself like a child or barked like a dog, as he waited in his cell to be executed on Arkansas death row. Bill Clinton, who was embroiled in a sex scandal that threatened to derail his presidential campaign, had returned to Arkansas to personally preside over Rectors execution.

Christopher Hitchens described Rector as a lumpen failure of a man who, after killing a police officer turned the gun on himself, destroying a good portion of his brain and then had the mental faculties of a small child.

Frady described the frantic efforts of one of Rectors lawyers to reach Clinton on the day of the execution. Jeff Rosenzweig had grown up with Clinton in Hot Springs, Ark. When he finally reached Clinton, Rosenzweig explained the severity of Rectors mental deficits. Executing Rector, Rosenzweig told Clinton, would be the equivalent of executing a child. Clinton wouldnt budge.

The execution proceeded that evening after a one-hour delay, punctuated by Rectors loud groans, as prison officials struggled to find a usable vein. Once the chemicals started to flow, it took Rector 19 minutes to die amid his intermittent gasps for air.

Rector had been sacrificed on the altar of the Clintons political ambitions; or, as Frady said one of Rectors earlier lawyers put it, Poor ole Ricky Rectors timing just happened to be real bad.

Speaking last week from his law office in Little Rock, Arkansas, Rosenzweig said the Clintons decision to save the 1992 campaign by killing Rector was certainly a Faustian bargain.

Nat Hentoff is a nationally renowned authority on the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights.
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Fifty-three-year-old homeless woman with diabetic ketoacidosis and severe emphysema exacerbation. And suffering from adomicilia, too, I added in my head.

Much like apraxia means the inability to perform purposeful movements (praxis), adomicilia jokingly means those who are not domiciled, a pretentious attempt at gallows humor in the medical profession.

I read through the patients electronic record imagining a withered woman, wrinkled from years of drinking and smoking, perhaps with signs of schizophrenia. Most of the long-term homeless I encounter are men. Approximately 25 percent of the homeless are estimated to have mental health problems and nearly 40 percent have substance abuse issues. I categorized Helen immediately.

She defied my expectations. When I met her, Helen was sitting on the edge of a bed trying to catch her breath, the oxygen piped into her nose. She was pleasant with excellent hygiene and was well spoken with no signs of either mental illness or substance abuse. After a decade of working with people in poverty outside the United States, I realized that I still retain a judgmental streak toward those in poverty in my own country.

Yet Helens story is similar to many of the homeless in America today. She lost her house in Kentucky during the market crash. Some bad luck and certainly some poor decisions had led her to life on the street a few years later. She was not a long-term homeless woman, but merely transient for a few months until she could find an alternative. In fact, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, while there are 630,000 people homeless in America at any one time, nearly 2.5 million are homeless at some point over the course of a year.

In downtown Gainesville, Florida, my home base when Im not in Haiti, dozens of homeless people sleep in the main square every night. The powers that be deem them a nuisance. In 2010, the city enacted an ordinance limiting the number of meals the downtown shelter could serve to 130 per day. The goal was to stop attracting homeless people with the promise of free food since the city couldnt actually ban them from the public space of the central park. After a year of pressure from citizen activists, the government rescinded the ordinance, but still sought ways to resolve the problem.

Grace Marketplace is a relatively new homeless shelter on the grounds of the former county prison. It has only a few dozen beds, two orders of magnitude short of addressing demand. The Gainesville Sun reports over 2,000 homeless in a city of only 125,000, meaning that the per capita rate is nearly double that of New York City. To make matters worse, the mentally ill at the shelter are generally not eligible for substance abuse treatment. While Obamacare mandated that treatment for substance abuse be available to all Medicaid recipients, it does not include those states that refused the expansion as Florida did.

To assist Helen, wed need to do more than just treat her medical conditions. She needs health insurance, oxygen for her emphysema, insulin for her diabetes, and nicotine patches to help her quit smoking. She had moved to Florida nine months earlier and was trying to fill out the paperwork through Grace Marketplace to get Florida Medicaid. However, one cannot receive Medicaid without a permanent address, further complicating matters for the homeless. Its an all-too-common story, especially pre-Obamacare, in which time period half the country remains mired.

Helen hadnt taken any diabetes medications since her move. Her blood tests showed sugar levels averaging over two times normal, enough to cause a heart attack, a stroke or shut down her kidneys. Luckily, a program exists in Florida to distribute free nicotine patches in an effort to reduce the costs of care.

That Sunday, Helens son walked into the room, well dressed and well mannered. I often think of the homeless as people who have lost contact with their families, having nobody to lean on when things got tough. I explained the situation to her son, and he agreed that she should stay in the hospital until we could coordinate everything. He said he was looking for solutions to her adomicilia and should have something for her soon.

Hospitals typically buy poor patients a months supply of medications in order to make it easier to discharge patients. While it may seem charitable  many hospitals refer to this as their charity care program  a cynic might say such programs have quite the opposite impetus: To discharge non-paying patients as soon as possible. By giving patients $200 worth of medication, the hospital saves $1,000 each night theyre not in the hospital and may fill the bed with a paying customer. Monday morning, we enrolled Helen in the program.

Helen lives in a small tent city around Grace Marketplace dubbed Dignity Village. There is certainly dignity in not having to be chased out by police or threatened with robbery as one might in another public space, but I doubt any of the residents would choose to live there if they had a more dignified option.

Do you have a refrigerator to put the insulin in? I asked Helen. In developing countries we advise patients to place their insulin in a clay pot filled with sand and water and set it in a corner. This prevents the insulin from spoiling before it is consumed.

I have a cooler, and I can walk to the ice machine at the community center every day, she replied. Inside a tent in the Florida heat, insulin wouldnt last three days. Tents and coolers full of ice sounded eerily similar to post-earthquake Haiti. An absurd smile crossed my face as I pondered how those who reside on the lower end of the scale in one location resemble those on the lower end of the other.

Medically, Helen requires oxygen at baseline since her blood levels of oxygen are so low. Quitting smoking would certainly be the first step. Millions of insured people smoke, and most have access to oxygen when their tired lungs start to give out. Helen would have to pay cash for her oxygen, which no one can afford. In the richest country in the history of the world, people who require it are routinely denied access to oxygen, the most fundamental element for life.

I changed her insulin to a twice-a-day regimen that would be much cheaper and easier to use than other options. While not perfect, the fact that she might actually be able to afford and use the insulin meant she could have some coverage beyond the month of free medications. We gave Helen a follow-up appointment at the hospital clinic and sent her home without oxygen, a home that is a tent on the old prison grounds with a cooler full of ice.

Vincent DeGennaro, Jr. is an internal medicine physician and president, Equal Health International. He blogs at An American Doctor in Haiti and can be reached on Twitter @DoctorGlobal.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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In his State of the Union address in 2016, President Obama pledged a new national effort to find a cure for cancer. This is the cancer moonshot. Last year, he announced the launch of the Precision Medicine Initiative  a bold new research effort to revolutionize how we improve health and treat disease. These two strategies together hold the promise of curing cancer or, at least, transforming it into a manageable chronic disease.

Negotiations and collaborations are launching now to decide which research trends and areas deserve the most support. Only disruptive innovations will be able to transform the status quo in cancer, leading patients to get more personalized and faster cancer care, while letting physicians do their job more effectively. Here are the technologies and trends that could help achieve the cancer moonshot.

Prevention and diagnosis

Cancer diagnosis must be early and accurate. Many cancer types cannot be detected early enough at the moment, while others are detected in time, but treated too severely. This notion requires not only great healthcare facilities and new diagnosis technologies, but also the proactivity of patients.

Fluid biopsy

During cancer treatments, re-biopsies are needed many times. It means a new sample from the ever-changing tumor must be obtained to define the next step of the therapy. With the current, invasive biopsy techniques, this is a huge challenge not only for patients, but also for caregivers. Fluid biopsy extracts cancer cells from a simple blood sample. As Illumina, the DNA sequencer giant, just announced a spin-off focused solely on making fluid biopsy commercially viable, it might be the next big thing in oncology.

Real-time cancer diagnostics

An intelligent surgical knife (the iKnife) was developed by Zoltan Takats of Imperial College London and works by using an old technology where an electrical current heats tissue to make incisions with minimal blood loss, but with iKnife the vaporized smoke is analyzed by a mass spectrometer to detect the chemicals in the biological sample. This allows real-time identification of malignant tissue. Surgeons will love this surgical Jedi knife which can significantly reduce the length of operations in oncology.

Understanding genetic and lifestyle causes of diseases

By getting a clear knowledge about what genetic and environmental factors lead to the different types of cancers, including the given patients own genetic makeup, it would be possible to catch cancer in its infancy. This requires process innovation in healthcare, as well as more precise and specific cancer biomarkers supported by better screening technologies. Cancer Research UKs Cancer Grand Challenges feature a call for researchers to discover new, previously unknown carcinogenic events, bringing this trend closer to reality.

Treatment

Today, we either use chemotherapy to destroy any reproducing cells causing serious side effects; or targeted therapies which show low rates of response due to heterogeneity of the tumor and the poor accuracy of matching treatments to patients. The price of new drugs is going up steeply, and personalized drugs cost even more, while effective cancer care be widely available to everyone.

Next-generation targeted therapies

In the case of AIDS, combining drugs with different targets resulted in the treatment that finally put a dent in the disease. Research shows the same applies to cancer, but combining the increasing number of cancer therapies has so far proven difficult due to the sheer number of possible combinations. New approaches in the field of systems biology that use computer models to predict therapy effects are promising to cut through this complexity, and deliver effective combinational therapies in the coming years. All the while, new approaches like immunotherapies put emphasis on making the patients immune system sensitive to cancer cells again, this way letting the immune system fight back.

Molecular cancer diagnostics

Companies like Foundation Medicine are creating customized treatment plans based on the genetic makeup of the patients tumor. They sequence DNA from the patients tumor, and try to match the key mutations to drugs on the market or clinical trials already on the way. Over time, this will become the standard for assigning cancer treatment regimes.

Artificial intelligence based therapy design

Even if we can extract tumor cells from blood and sequence their DNA as fast as possible, making a decision about which treatment to choose next is still a struggle. No oncologist can see through the millions of studies and thousands of clinical trials by keeping all of the patients parameters and mutations in mind. Artificial intelligence algorithms can. IBMs supercomputer Watson has been used in oncology for years, finding the most personalized treatment by sifting through all available evidence in minutes.

Multi-functional radiology

Without doubt, the future belongs to interdisciplinary innovations. Neurosurgeons at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance for delivering gene therapy as a potential treatment for brain tumors. Similar innovations in treatment delivery would decrease side effects significantly while boosting treatment effectiveness.

In silico trials

Current clinical trials take years and cost more than 2 billion dollars for every approved treatment. The number of failed drug candidates is enormous, so spending years and millions on a clinical trial is no guarantee it will lead to an approved treatment. This is a huge risk for pharma companies. In silico trials using advanced biological networks, or the organs-on-a-chip technique would enable analysing on hundreds of thousands of drug candidates on billions of virtual human physiological models in seconds with supercomputers. It would make drug discovery faster than ever.

DNA cages

Most cancer treatments today destroy not only cancerous cells, but also healthy ones. The ultimate goal is delivering drugs only to cells that need to be treated. Using DNA cages holding a payload of drugs might be the answer. This method could be used in clinical trials soon. Cancer cells can trigger the DNA cage to open and thus the drug could only make an impact on those cells, but not the healthy ones.

Precision surgery

Surgeons using surgical robots such as DaVinci are capable of performing operations with previously unachievable precision. By making the robot an extension of the surgeons mind and skills, operating tumors in early stages, or tumors in close proximity to sensitive organs might become more feasible than ever.

Monitoring and providing care

The diagnosis of cancer is a huge event in someones life  theres a reason cancer patients consider their life after to be the New Normal. Although patients meet their caregivers in person many times, they are left to cope with chronic pain and powerful side effects for the rest of the year. New technologies could improve their experience forever.

Embedded, implanted and digestible sensors

In many cases, measuring health parameters at home would be a huge addition to cancer care. Measuring body temperature, for example, is a key in monitoring the effects of chemotherapy. What if a sensor on the patients skin could constantly measure body temperature and notify the patient when fever goes up? Digestible pillcams could be used to perform non-invasive routine checkups on the digestive system at home. Implanted sensors or digital tattoos could monitor every important vital sign, triggering an alarm to both the patient and the caregiver, so interventions can be planned as quickly as possible.

Measuring lab markers at home

Another important element of cancer care is blood tests. During chemotherapy, blood markers, especially, white blood cell count must be checked routinely to make sure the patients immune system is still intact. Qloudlab plans to roll out a device that would allow patients to check blood cell counts at home.

Social media networks

Networking sites such as SmartPatients and Inspire were designed to help patients find and support each other without geographical limitations. These patients can discuss symptoms, offer advice and moral support, and help cope with treatment side-effects like never before. The feeling of community and seeing others cope with the same hardships can boost not just the mental, but the physical well-being of cancer patients as well.

Pain management

Cancer and its treatments can induce extreme, chronic pain, and in the past, cancer patients were relegated to continuous, increasing doses of painkillers. Companies are now developing devices that help ease symptoms and side effects. A good example is Quell, a wearable technology with intensive nerve stimulation that is clinically proven to help manage chronic pain. Its use is FDA approved during the day while the patient is active, as well as at night during sleep.

All these technologies show amazing promise, and some of them are already in use. We need to keep on pushing the limits to get to a stage where the diagnosis of cancer is not a life-altering event that often brings an untimely end to a patients life, but, at least, a manageable, chronic condition.

Bertalan Mesko is the medical futurist and author of The Guide to the Future of Medicine and My Health: Upgraded: Revolutionary Technologies To Bring A Healthier Future. He can be reached at the Medical Futurist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Source: JT Long of The Gold Report (2/23/16)

https://www.streetwisereports.com/pub/na/eric-coffin-can-see-the-end-of-the-gold-bear-market-and-this-is-what-he-is-doing-about-it

When the New York markets run out of steam, the gold market gets hot. HRA Editor Eric Coffin has been watching the companies with the best assets, waiting for just this moment.

In this interview with The Gold Report , he shares the names of the best in the gold, silver, copper and uranium spaces and tells you where you can go to talk to the CEOs.

Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners 1-Year Chart

The Gold Report: You singled out negative bond rates and a downward New York stock market as two of the factors that would make gold look more attractive in 2016. What are the other forces pushing gold to the $1,200 an ounce ($1,200/oz) level?

Eric Coffin: I think we're simply getting to the end of the gold bear market. We may just be running out of sellers. I think all of the hot moneyand even the warm moneyis pretty much out of it. Most of the funds were completely out by late 2015. That's part of the reason why I suspect that even though the major markets in New York are likely to fall at least 20% from the highs this year, I don't expect a repeat of 2008 and the wholesale selling in gold stocks. Back then, gold and gold stocks bottomed four months before New York did but that came after selling that ended a multiyear bull market. Everybody and their dog owned gold stocks heading into 2008. At the start of 2016 "nobody" owned them. I don't think we have a similar situation where a fall in New York means gold stocks get thrown out like the baby with the bath water. I think this time around you'll actually see more buying than selling because most traders are still very underweight gold stocks and gold itself, for that matter.

Plus, central banks seem to be running out of rabbits to pull out of their magic hats. Some hedge fund managers are expecting Quantitative Easing (QE) 4. Maybe we'll see it, but Congress would go nuts if the Federal Reserve announced another QE program during an election year. There is a chance of a return to near zero rates later this year in the U.S. We already have negative rates in some countries. There's no indication that's going to change any time soon. The European Central Bank is making noises about going even more negative, and Japan may too. I don't think this is a short-term thing; it's a trend that's going to take a while to resolve. That's positive for the gold market.

TGR: How big of a factor is China for gold and other commodities?

EC: Gold is a funny market. There's a large contingent of traders and most trading occurs in the futures market where it's paper rather than actual bullion changing hands. It's hard to argue that physical gold buying in China, India or anywhere else matters when trading volumes in the futures markets are so much larger and drive the price most of the time. That said, there is no doubt that saleable global physical gold supply has been shrinking for some time. Gold generally moves from West to East and gets put into people's safety deposit boxes and central bank vaults. The day may come where that movement is large enough that it's really going to start pushing the price. I don't think there's a lot of doubt that central bank buying and buying out of China is taking all of the annual production and then some.

Plus, I think we've seen peak gold production for the foreseeable future. We're far enough now from the highs of the gold price and the funding capital expenditures (capex) for new mines that I don't think we're going to see growth in mine production now for probably several years. All of those things are positive.

TGR: Are you anticipating that because of the lack of investment in exploration over the last few years, the gold mining equities will outperform the price of the metal?

EC: Normally, when you get a trend change like this, the miners tend to be more volatile and have higher beta than the actual underlying commodities. So I think it's reasonable to assume that if the metal price goes up, say, 25%, select gold equities could go up 100%. I would expect the gold miners to significantly, in percentage terms, outperform the gold price on the way up. That's normally how it goes.

TGR: Will some do better than others?

EC: In percentage terms, if you're 100% convinced that gold is going to be, say, $400/oz higher next year, theoretically you'd probably get your biggest percentage gains from the really crappy miners that are very marginal right now. If they are on death's door and priced that way, a big move gives them a new lease on life and they should see the biggest gains. I don't argue that logic but I have always had a philosophical issue with following the really crappy miners. I prefer to follow companies that have strong management and the best-looking projects. That gives me some downside protection if the commodity they mine doesn't have a big short-term move.

But if gold goes up 20% from here, which I don't think is an unreasonable target, and builds a new base around $1,200/oz, the next target on the upside is $1,500/oz. With that kind of a move, all the miners will do really well.

TGR: What are some examples of quality companies you think could outperform?

EC: I don't follow a lot of the producers in the newsletter since there is so much existing research on them. Goldcorp Inc. (G:TSX; GG:NYSE) has been on the list since it took over Virginia Mines. It will have a good run.

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. (AEM:TSX; AEM:NYSE) is a very well run company, and I think it will continue to do well.

Some of the miners with projects outside the U.S., like Goldcorp, Agnico Eagle, Richmont Mines Inc. (RIC:NYSE.MKT; RIC:TSX) and Claude Resources Inc. (CRJ:TSX) , have had some added lift from the fact that the bulk of their production is in Canada. They're selling gold at $1,600/oz in Canadian dollars and benefitting from the lower Canadian cost structure. Some of the South African and Australian companies are in similar situations. Assuming my thesis about a weakening U.S. dollar this year continues to hold, I wouldn't expect to see a lot more drop in the Aussie and South African currencies. Canada might get a little more drop if the oil price does badly. We may see less outperformance from "non U.S." names going forward if they don't get more currency tailwinds.

Continued increases in the price of gold in U.S. dollars should really help more U.S.-based producers like Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM:NYSE) . Relative to other producers, Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX:TSX; ABX:NYSE) or Newmont is going to get more advantage out of the gold price going up $300/oz in U.S. dollar terms.

TGR: Do you anticipate more mergers and acquisitions (M&As) once things start to look up?

EC: Probably. Companies have had their heads handed to them for the last three or four years for some fairly stupid and expensive M&A. But when a sector gets hot, M&A always seems to come back. I would think some of these companies also need to restock their project pipelines. None of them really wanted to do deals with cheap stock, but if their stock goes up 50% or 100% and they view it as being expensive currency again, I think you'll see M&A lift again. The market has a short memory.

TGR: What does your thesis on China mean for copper?

EC: China has been a huge negative for base metals. It is negative in actual termschanges in demandand even more so in sentiment terms because traders fear the slowdown will worsen. But the actual import numbers for December 2015 show imports of finished and unfinished copper into China were the second highest month in history. Copper inventories are not really that ugly. It is always difficult to know what to believe when it comes to Chinese economic readings, but based on the current supply/demand structure, copper probably gets significantly better going into next year.

There is a lot of concern about supply growth, but in my experience, mines never get built as fast as predicted. That is why I'm pretty skeptical of the projection of a 6% or 7% increase in copper supply in the next couple of years. I don't see copper prices getting much below $2/pound ($2/lb) and staying there for very long and, if China doesn't really decelerate this year, we could see some price gains by year-end. I've been mildly bearish on copper for two or three years. But I think the worst is over.

TGR: Are you still following some copper stories?

EC: I follow Excelsior Mining Corp. (MIN:TSX.V) , which is working on permitting an in situ recovery (ISR) copper project in Arizona, which has very low capex and pretty low operating costs, too. It basically has to finish its feasibility and get through permitting, which will take a year or two. But the numbers for its Gunnison project are very strong. It's trading at a tiny fraction of its net present value.

Earlier stage, I'm following a couple of exploration stories. One that I like is Arena Minerals Inc. (AN:TSX.V) , which has a very large property position right in the middle of the porphyry belt in Chile. It has optioned out most of that to three majorsTeck Resources Ltd. (TCK:TSX; TCK:NYSE), B2Gold Corp. (BTG:NYSE; BTO:TSX; B2G:NSX) and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp. (JOGMEC).

There is little outcrop exposure and the local cover material makes both traditional geophysical and geochemical methods unreliable for targeting. This is basically blind drilling based on structural studies and geologic inference. It's like playing Battleship with a drill. JOGMEC looks as if it has hit the edges in a couple of porphyry systems. It is in the midst of permitting another 280 holes. Teck is drilling and should be reporting over the next month or so. I believe B2Gold begins drilling again next month. That's part of what I like about it. It's going to have huge news flow all through the year and the target scale is large. This is elephant country.

TGR: What are some other copper companies you are following?

EC: A company that has been at a couple of our Subscriber Investment Summits is NovaCopper Inc. (NCQ:TSX; NCQ:NYSE.MKT) . It's a spinout from NOVAGOLD (NG:TSX; NG:NYSE.MKT) with a number of large, high-grade copper projects in Alaska. They're very impressive projects. Alaska is a good place to mine because it has the state and the local native corporations on its side, so it's one of those when-not-if stories. It is just going to work its way through the permitting and getting a road constructed. Tens of millions of tons of 4% or 5% copper are there. There aren't many deposits like that around.

Nevsun Resources Ltd. (NSU:TSX; NSU:NYSE.MKT) is another company I've followed for years. It has the Bisha mine in Eritrea. Currently, it's classified as a copper producer, but by the time we get to year-end, it's going to be 50/50 copper/zinc, in term of revenues. Bisha is very high grade. I don't think Nevsun is making a lot of money at $2/lb. I don't think anybody is making a lot of money at $2/lb, but I think it is generating good cash flow, and the company is debt free unlike most of its competitors. It has about $3/share in working capital and it's only a $4 stock. Nevsun is one that I've had on the list for a long time because it started out as a gold producer when the gold prices were really high. Bisha shifted to copper-dominant production just as the copper price went to $5/lb.

I think zinc is going to have a pretty good year next year. By the time that rolls around, Nevsun is going to be a big zinc producer. It is still drilling off discoveries on the property close to Bisha and expanding the Bisha resource itself and could be mining for 20 years. It also has a lot of potential to be an acquirer. It just hasn't found the right thing yet, but it has CA$600 million (CA$600M) in cash on the balance sheet. I personally think if that cash pile keeps growing, it is also a takeover target because even if an acquiring company isn't crazy about Eritrea, it's not a very high-risk takeover play when you're getting $600M and no debt as part of the deal.

TGR: Silver did not outperform when gold jumped at the beginning of this month. What does that mean for silver mining companies?

EC: It means times are a little bit easier but not a lot easier just yet for silver mining companies. It's gone up some, but at the prices prevailing a month ago, I think you'd be hard pressed to find many companies that were making money.

Silver is not viewed as a currency. Silver does have a big industrial component, so when commodities in general are getting sold, it's going to have more of a problem fighting that pro-cyclicality. If gold prices get positive enough, at some point during that move I would expect to see a larger percentage move in silver simply because some people who are looking for precious metals will jump on that. And it's a much smaller market. It's a market that can get moved a lot farther percentage-wise. At some point the silver people are going to get some joy out of it, but I just don't think it's a natural asset class that gets bought when markets are uncertain.

TGR: Are there some specific silver companies that could do better than others?

EC: One company I added was First Majestic Silver Corp. (FR:TSX; AG:NYSE; FMV:FSE) . Currently, all of its operations are in Mexico. Because the peso is one of the currencies that struggled against the U.S. dollar, that has benefitted First Majestic. Virtually all of its operational and management personnel are based in Mexico and are Mexican nationals. Those people know what they're doing. First Majestic has a very good balance sheet without a lot of debt. It has a couple of revolving lines that it can use for takeovers later if it wants. It took over SilverCrest Mines late last year. That's when I added it to the list. That gave it a little bit more gold weighting, which I think is going to help it even more. It has been a good growth story.

I still follow the spinoff company from that transaction, SilverCrest Metals Inc. (SIL:TSX.V) , which will be presenting at the subscriber summit as well. It's basically a management story. I also like the two gold-silver exploration projects. The one that it looks like it is going to focus on, Las Chispas, has a lot of history but hasn't seen a lot of work for decades. It's a Mexican project that has been on the back burner for 60 or 70 years. Historically, it was an extremely high-grade producer. I'm hoping the company will be drilling by the time that the subscriber summit starts. The company is trading at about its cash value right now. There is really no exploration bonus on this thing at all, so per share you're basically paying what's in the bank account. And you are getting for free the team that built SilverCrest Mines and sold it for $150M. In an emerging bull market, that is the kind of team you want to get behind.

TGR: Why have oil prices turned out to be a depressant rather than a supporter of the overall stock market? Shouldn't lower energy prices help most companies?

EC: They do in theory. The problem is that you have to get past the fact that the oil sector is a pretty important one. When that entire sector has been decimated for two years, that's a big drag on the equity indexes before you even start looking at what it does for the rest of the economy. Also, it doesn't seem that the American consumer is spending this effective tax break from low oil prices. There is a school of thought that says those savings are just getting eaten up by things like higher medical costs so they're not turning into discretionary spending.

Wall Street also underestimates the importance of the oil and gas sector as an employment driver. I've seen estimates of the employment loss from the falling oil price of about 100,000 jobs. Those are not waitress jobs. These are people getting paid $50 an hour. That's been depressing the average wage and keeping the country from seeing a wage gain everybody expected when the unemployment rate hit 5%. That's just my pet theory.

Plus, the U.S. simply isn't a big oil importer anymore. So it didn't do as much good for the U.S. economy as it might have for, say, the European economy, which is not a significant oil producer.

TGR: Do you see oil prices turning around in 2016?

EC: I think probably before the end of 2016. They have had a nice bounce here. Turning around? Yes. Are they really going to go very far? I have trouble envisioning the oil price getting much more than $3540 a barrel ($3540/bbl) this year unless there is actually some kind of an agreement between OPEC and Russia, cutting production by 2 or 3 million barrels a day. I think it would take something that dramatic to give oil a big move because there are massive aboveground inventories now, and they're still growing. I'm not sold on the idea that we're not going to still see a little lower oil price before we see a higher one. I don't see oil above $50/bbl for a couple of years.

TGR: Do uranium prices depend more on oil prices or reactor restarts in Japan, and construction in China and India?

EC: Short term, you seem to get moves in the uranium price based on the oil price swings, which makes no sense to me whatsoever. I see no reason why there should be any connection at all. They are very different things, and the timelines are so long in the uranium sector that the price of a barrel of oil should be irrelevant to buying a contract to fuel a nuclear reactor. But when you get big swings in oil, it seems to affect uranium prices at least on the edges.

The bigger thing for uranium is it also has aboveground stock that has to get worked through. That's going to take a couple more years. After Fukushima, when essentially the entire Japanese and German reactor fleet was shut off, that added a lot more aboveground stock. That's probably going to take another two or three years to work off. That said, I don't think it will take two or three years for the price to start to move because the utilities tend to want to lock in supply years in advance.

When you're running a reactor, you want to be running it near capacity. Reactors are so bloody expensive to build and operate, you don't want to be running them at 50% capacity. Paying an extra $20/lb for uranium is negligible in what it does to your operating costs. Forward charts of what's contracted for by utilities fall off in the next year. I think as we get later into this year and into next year, there are going to be more utilities saying we want to know we're going to have these deliveries five years out, so we're willing to pay up a bit to make sure we have those.

On the other side, with prices at the current $3334/lb level, there is going to be virtually no production growth whatsoever. Even the ISR guys are essentially trading dollars for dollars. Those projects don't get capitalized at $35/lb unless you have a government of Korea or China that doesn't really care what the price is. They just want to know they're getting the supply security.

TGR: Because the timeline for exploration and permitting is so long term, are there some companies that you're following because they might be ready when the market does turn?

EC: I'm really only following one uranium stock. That's Energy Fuels Inc. (EFR:TSX; UUUU:NYSE.MKT; EFRFF:OTCQX) . The company has ISR production and a little bit of conventional production tailored to meet existing long-term contracts. The long-term price of most of its contracts is about $55/lb. It makes a bit of money at that. Energy Fuels has just expanded its ISR production a little bit, but it is also in the middle of permitting two larger resources. It owns the only conventional uranium mill in the U.S., and it can take advantage of a price move. Uranium is one of those funny markets where if things start to move, it could move quickly, so I wanted to be positioned in something where I felt we were getting a really good price. I wrote it up at $2.50/share in December because it had a pretty bad tax-loss season. It's trading at about CA$3.303.40/share now.

If we do get a spike and the price goes up to $70/lb, Energy Fuels is in a position to sign long-term contracts and actually deliver uranium into those contracts. It's probably going to do 800,000 lbs this year, but it could take that up to a couple of million pounds fairly easily with very little capex. It would just be a matter of starting to produce from these small conventional deposits and feeding them into the mill it already owns.

One uranium company that will be at the subscriber summit is NexGen Energy Ltd. (NXE:TSX.V; NXGEF:OTCQX) . It is one of the most impressive uranium discoveries in history. It is going to come out with its initial resource later this year, and from the looks of things, it could be at least a couple of hundred million pounds of high-grade ore. It's a pretty spectacular deposit. And it looks as if it could potentially be a lot bigger than that. NexGen routinely puts out unbelievable drill holes, of up to 40 meters of 8% or 10% uranium. We don't see drill holes like that anywhere but in the Athabasca. It's one of those projects that some company is going to feel it has to own. It's just too impressive a project not to get bought by somebody.

TGR: Tell me about the summit and what you hope the attendees will take away from the event.

EC: The Subscriber Investment Summit will be held in Toronto on March 5, the day before the PDAC Convention starts. It's at the Hilton downtown. Keith Schaefer, Tommy Humphreys and I will be doing short presentations on where we think the market is going. We also have three pretty interesting guest speakers. One of them, an energy expert out in the U.S. that Keith swears by, heads an extremely expensive institutional service, so that will be pretty exclusive. The other two people are hedge fund managers. One of them has some pretty pointed things to say about a number of oil and gas companies. The other person made a name for himself shorting Bre-X.

Plus, some 15 companies will be presenting. I'm hoping attendees come away with a set of really good ideas for a market that is bottoming. The worst is probably just about over. So now is the time you want to hear from mining CEOs. There are two hours of catered lunch breaks and coffee breaks, plus a cocktail reception after the show so investors will have plenty of time to talk to the CEOs and get questions answered. Everybody walks away with a set of all the day's presentations on a stick. You should be set up to be able to narrow it down to three or four deals to put on your radar screen. It's a very strong set of companies. What differentiates the Subscriber Summit from a lot of the other resource conferences is that it is a curated list. The companies have to be invited by the newsletter writers. And we turn away a number of companies at every one of these shows.

We limit attendance to no more than 300 people. Because the attendees are also invitedmost of them are off the subscriber list for the newslettersyou don't have 5,000 people who are running in there, trying to grab pens and squeeze balls. It's a couple hundred people who are there because they actually buy this stuff. They're there to do deals and they're serious. They find the Summit is a great networking opportunity, not just with the companies but also with other investors like themselves.

TGR: Thank you for your time, Eric.

Eric Coffin is the editor of the HRA (Hard Rock Analyst) family of publications. Responsible for the "financial analysis" side of HRA, Coffin has a degree in corporate and investment finance. He has extensive experience in merger and acquisitions and small-company financing and promotion. For many years, he tracked the financial performance and funding of all exchange-listed Canadian mining companies and has helped with the formation of several successful exploration ventures. Coffin was one of the first analysts to point out the disastrous effects of gold hedging and gold loan-capital financing in 1997. He also predicted the start of the current secular bull market in commodities based on the movement of the U.S. dollar in 2001 and the acceleration of growth in Asia and India. Coffin can be reached at hra@publishers-mgmt.com or the website hraadvisory.com.

Email: jluther@streetwisereports.com
Suanne Martinsmith sets a table at The Home Made Cafe in Port Orchard.

SHARE Eric Von Marbod, center, of Port Orchard, Anthony Cota of Port Orchard, right, and CJ Journigan from Orlando have a meal at Home Made Cafe. The former church that now houses Home Made Cafe was built in Brownsville in 1895, then was disassembled and barged over to Port Orchard in the 1930s. Suanne Martinsmith, left, and Paul Robinson, owners of the Home Made Cafe in Port Orchard, work in the restaurants kitchen recently. The restaurant, which opened in 2012 in a church basement, specializes in home cooking with ingredients made from scratch.

By Terri Gleich, For the Kitsap Sun

PORT ORCHARD  When Suanne Martinsmith and her daughters peered into a shuttered downtown Port Orchard church in October 2010, they saw stained glass windows transform the gray daylight into striking jewel tones and had an epiphany.

Over the next two and a half years, they converted the church basement into the Home Made Cafe, a cozy eatery that nourishes souls in a different way  with lovingly prepared comfort food and attentive service.

It seems fitting. The cafe serves the kind of hearty home cooking that would have been on the menu at many potlucks and receptions during the building's 120-year history.

"There's nothing better than homemade food," said Martinsmith. "We make everything from scratch. It's not quick. You're going to wait a minute for your food. But it's worth the wait."

Customers seem to agree. Business has doubled since the restaurant opened in October 2012. And Seattle's Boxy Magazine named it a hidden gem, praising the cafe's sausage gravy and fluffy biscuits as the best in Kitsap.

Ed and Rachael Anderson found the cafe about two years ago and fell in love. "Every morning since we discovered it, we go and have breakfast," Rachael Anderson said. "It's the best place in town."

She likes the veggie omelet. Her husband orders the breakfast burrito.

"The only thing we don't like is that they're closed one day a week," said Ed Anderson.

The cafe seats 49 and is open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday. It's furnished with thrift-store finds, including salvaged wooden doors that create intimate dining nooks. Martinsmith also does catering and is searching for a second space in downtown Port Orchard to operate as an event venue.

A former art teacher, Martinsmith grew up cooking with her dad, a Spaniard who recreated his mother's recipes from memory. She put herself through college by working at bars and restaurants, and learned to tend bar when her parents owned the Vashon Tavern in the mid-1980s.

Like her parent's tavern, Home Made Cafe is a family business. Daughter Ruby, 20, is a waitress and manages the front of the house and 17-year-old Lily works part-time as a line cook when she's not attending the Tacoma School of the Arts. Martinsmith's partner of 10 years, Paul Robinson, is a chef and his son, Levi, buses tables. The blended clan lives above the restaurant.

The church was built in 1895 in Brownsville, then disassembled and moved by barge to Port Orchard in the 1930s. Over the years, it has been home to a Lutheran congregation, private school, wedding chapel and a caterer, who painted the two-story building lavender.

The structure had been empty for a few years when Martinsmith, her family and friends renovated it, adding a courtyard for summer dining. Menu items are named after many of the volunteers.

Signature dishes include tortilla soup filled with tender chicken and chunks of veggies, the tri-fold bean burrito fried in olive oil and the Seahawk sandwich with meatloaf, bacon, cheddar, provolone, tomato, red onion, pickles and special sauce on grilled sourdough. Sandwiches run $9 to $12 and are served with fries, potato salad or green salad.

"You don't leave here hungry," said Martinsmith.

The breakfast menu includes a wide range of omelets, skillets and scrambles for $10 to $11.50. There are also pancakes, French toast and breakfast sandwiches, including the Veggie McMartin with a scrambled egg, provolone, tomato and spinach on an English muffin with home fries for $6.99.

The potato salad recipe comes from Martinsmith's mother and the chocolate Bundt cake is from a 1930s cookbook that belonged to Robinson's grandmother. A self-taught chef, Robinson has honed his skills at several restaurants, including the former Clubhouse Grill.

"He's a great gravy, soup and sauce guy," said Martinsmith. "We joke he's the silent chef because he's so focused on what he's doing."

Martinsmith is focused on making food from scratch, in part, because her daughter, Lily, is allergic to fructose. While researching the issue, she found that 67 percent of processed food contains high fructose corn syrup. There's no added fructose on the menu at Home Made Cafe, except for the pancake syrup, and real maple syrup is available for an extra charge.

"I think why we're so successful is because we're all very passionate about this," Martinsmith said. "Food is nurturing to the soul and a connection and I love that."

Home Made Cafe

Where: 537 Dekalb St., Port Orchard

Contact: 360-908-5026, http://www.homemadecafe537.com

Hours: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Info: Cash and credit/debit cards accepted. Reservations suggested for parties of more than five on weekdays and four on weekends. Handicapped accessible
In this illustration of a 28-car, all-electric ferry, the cutaway includes the batteries, which are in the white blocks.

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By Ed Friedrich of the Kitsap Sun

BREMERTON  Bremerton firms are developing concepts for possibly the first plug-in ferry in America.

EESImarine is tackling battery banks and the electrical system, and Art Anderson Associates is responsible for initial design concepts and mechanical systems for a boat that might someday sail between Anacortes and Guemes Island.

Skagit County needs to replace the 36-year-old Guemes before long and is exploring battery power. County commissioners Dec. 29 authorized working with Art Anderson on an all-electric ferry feasibility study.

The hurdle now is funding. The state's Clean Energy Fund, issuing grants to research, develop and demonstrate clean energy technologies, appeared to be a promising source.

"That was one where we could get a pretty good chunk of money and this exact type of project is what they're looking for," Joe Payne of EESImarine said. "We have to have (nonstate) matching funds by the end of this month, so it doesn't look hopeful."

A 28-car, double-ended EZE (electric zero emissions) ferry would cost an estimated $10.5 million, about $600,000 more than a traditional diesel boat, Payne said. It would save $170,000 a year in operating costs, paying for itself in less than five years. So why are there no electric ferries already?

"Everybody's worried about something new," Payne said, and only in the past few years has sufficient power been packed into smaller batteries.

There's one all-electric ferry in the world, in fact. The 120-car Ampere began operating last year in Norway.

The five-eighths-mile Anacortes-Guemes route is perfect for a pilot project to prove the concept, said Payne, a retired Navy captain who worked for marine engineering firms, including Art Anderson, before starting his own consulting business two years ago.

The proposed ferry, though no detailed design has been completed, would be 150 feet long and 50 feet wide. A six-hour overnight charge would keep it running the next day  23 to 26 round trips.

Besides costing less to propel, a battery-powered all-electric ferry would require less maintenance. There would be no engine overhauls, oil changes, fuel spills, diesel fill-ups, engine cooling systems or engine starting systems. Propulsion motors would be the only moving parts.

"Moving parts are what kill things," Payne said.

Though an electric ferry might be new and unproven, its parts wouldn't be.

"Every piece of technology in the entire system we're proposing is proven technology," Payne said. "We're just putting it in a different application."

Rachel Rowe, Skagit's ferry operations division manager, couldn't be reached Monday but said in an earlier news release that the county was excited to be working with the Bremerton firms on an innovative project that could benefit the residents, marine industry and environment.

Art Anderson Associates and Skagit County will continue to pursue funding for the project.
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By Kitsap Sun Staff

MASON COUNTY  A Mason County man has become the first person in Washington to test positive for the Zika virus, according to the state Department of Health.

The man, who is in his 20s, traveled to Zika-affected areas in the South Pacific before returning to Washington and visiting a Thurston County hospital, according to a news release.

"Because many people travel to and from places where Zika is spreading, we've been expecting to have imported cases of Zika virus disease," said Dr. Scott Lindquist, state epidemiologist for communicable diseases.

According to the Department of Health, the Zika virus is transmitted by a type of mosquito that does not live in Washington. Health officials advise people to contact their health care provider if they have traveled in Zika-affected areas and are pregnant or having symptoms of the illness. The virus is active in parts of the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, South America, the South Pacific and Cape Verde, Africa.

There is no vaccine to prevent Zika and no specific medial treatment for people who are infected, according to the Department of Health. The virus typically results in mild illness. About 80 percent of people infected never show symptoms. There have been increased reports of newborn microcephaly and other negative effects on pregnancy that could be related to Zika. Health officials advise women who are pregnant or who might become pregnant to consider delaying travel or to be especially careful in avoiding mosquito bites in Zika-affected areas.

Virus information and travel advisories can be found here.
Washington Youth Academy teacher Tod Hall works with cadets at the Bremerton school. Hall is in Washington, D.C., this week accepting a teaching award for his work at the academy.

SHARE Washington Youth Academy teacher Tod Hall gives a smile as he and cadets participate in a Kitsap Regional Library program. Cadets run through a drill in the courtyard at the Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton.

By Terri Gleich, Special to the Kitsap Sun

BREMERTON  Washington Youth Academy English teacher Tod Hall often ends class with a song, strumming a bullet-riddled guitar that he found at a Bremerton thrift shop.

The guitar, which was in danger of being thrown away, is like the students he works with at the military-style residential school. They are headed in the wrong direction, on the way to being written off by parents, their schools and society.

Just as Hall coaxes beguiling music from the beat-up guitar, he brings out the best in his charges, providing life lessons as well as academic help to teens who have dropped out of high school or are at risk of doing so.

"This program helps students put themselves back on track," the 57-year-old father of two said. "It's not a jail, but it's close. It's not a therapy program, but it's close."

Hall is being honored Tuesday in Washington, D.C., as the national teacher of the year by the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Foundation. Washington Youth Academy (WYA) is one of the country's 37 ChalleNGe programs, which provide a second chance for struggling youths ages 16-18.

In a letter nominating Hall for the prize, WYA Director Larry Pierce said the former Marine has transformed cadets who were failing English at home into award-winning speechwriters. He's given them tools to be successful beyond the classroom.

"I've seen students open up like never before with a song or rap they've written about deep life lessons and scars," Pierce wrote. "Mr. Hall will bring out his guitar and start singing and the next thing we know, the students are right there learning about the structure of poetry and how words in song can be just as impactful as words on paper, if not more so."

Former Cadet Patricia Ayala said Hall's award is long overdue. Ayala completed the WYA program in 2014 and graduated from her Pasco high school on time. The 18-year-old now works as a security guard and said Hall has a gift for motivating students.

A song he wrote called "Hold on WYA" still inspires her, particularly the line, "Nothing ever changes in a day."

"I know I have to keep trying day by day to make a true change," she said. "I always have to try because one day's work will never be enough to get the real change you're looking for."

Isaac Trujillo, 17, of Bremerton, who is five weeks into the program, praised Hall for helping him learn how to express his emotions in a controlled way. Trujillo fell behind in school because he was working to help support his single mother and five brothers, but he aspires to go to culinary school and open his own bakery.

"Everyday before school, I can't wait to get to English," he said. "This program is amazing."

Hall comes from a family of educators but didn't turn to teaching until after serving as a Marine and working as a police officer. He changed careers after coming to a realization: "I would rather work with young people to change their lives than catch them when it's too late."

He taught at several schools in North Kitsap and Bremerton before becoming a founding faculty member of WYA in 2008 and developing the school's English curriculum. He continues to be a student as well, working on his doctorate in educational leadership at Seattle's City University.

Although WYA is a partnership between the National Guard and the Bremerton School District, Hall said the staff is not trying to turn the kids into soldiers. The school uses military customs and conventions to teach students discipline and other skills necessary to take charge of their lives.

"They come angry. They've been hurt. They need to forgive and move on," Hall said.

"It's a second chance to turn around their lives. The shy become bold. The disorganized become organized. The bullies learn to follow. The fluffy ones get skinny."

The voluntary program is open to all Washington high school students and accepts about 150 cadets each semester for an intensive 22-week residential program followed by a lengthy mentorship.

The academy is tough enough that 10-20 percent of students drop out each term. Those who stay wear uniforms, line up in military formation twice a day and get up at 4:45 a.m. six days a week and 6 a.m. Saturdays for fitness training. In addition to a rigorous academic schedule meant to help lagging students catch up with peers, each student must create a post-residential action plan that includes a high school diploma or GED and a career plan.

A true believer in the power of the program, Hall stressed that he is accepting his award on behalf of the entire staff. "There's no cook of the year. There's no custodian of the year. They're all so dedicated."
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By Andrew Binion of the Kitsap Sun

SILVERDALE  There were no dramatic confessions from the witness stand Monday at Klahowya Secondary School, or even a stand from which a witnesses could make a confession.

It wasn't that kind of court.

The three judges from Division II Court of Appeals hearing oral arguments in the school's auditorium were real judges, however  two of whom are elected in part by Kitsap voters. And their decisions could become precedent that steers how much attention Western Washington cities give to maintaining roads for bicyclists and how far the government can go when monitoring drunken drivers on probation.

For the students on hand who watched the two oral arguments  and who gave the three-judge panel a larger audience than they typically get when holding court in Tacoma  it was a glimpse at a part of the judiciary system many don't know much about.

The court has hit the road before and been held in Kitsap schools for the benefit of students and the community, but not for more than 10 years.

"It's been a while," said Judge Lisa Sutton, who replaced former Judge J. Robin Hunt, of Bainbridge Island, who retired in 2014.

Although the work of the appellate-level courts might be esoteric to much of the public, Sutton said for those involved in the cases it is of paramount importance.

"For many people, this is the last resort for them," Sutton said.

The first case students saw concerned a woman's lawsuit against Port Orchard  dismissed by former Superior Court Judge Jay Roof  which boils down to the responsibility a city has to maintain roads suitable for bicycles.

The woman, Pamela O'Neill, a bicycle commuter, suffered a broken collarbone and a punctured lung from a 2008 crash on Sidney Avenue. The roadway is steep and is made up of concrete plates that have shifted over the years. She alleged that the condition of the road led to her crash.

However, Roof tossed the case before trial, ruling that an expert O'Neill retained was not qualified to give an opinion on the case and that the city did not have proper notice there was a danger to cyclists. Roof also found that a person who rides a bike is engaged in a sport and therefore assumes the risk of someone engaged in sport.

Unlike trials, where facts are evaluated by a jury, appellate judges don't accept new facts and there are no witnesses. During short presentations by lawyers who argue whether the lower court ruled correctly, judges frequently interrupt to ask questions.

In fact, asking question is the point of holding oral arguments, Hunt said, as most appellate cases are decided based on the written briefs filed by attorneys.

If a majority of the court agrees the lawsuit was improperly dismissed, it can return to Superior Court for trial.

Leaness Gorley, a junior, found the discussion interesting and said she found herself siding with the woman injured in the bike wreck.

"Shouldn't we be trying to push people to ride bicycles more often?" she said.

Senior Cassandra Wade had her own question about the case, noting that it isn't just four-wheeled vehicles, or nonmotorized two-wheel vehicles, that could be in danger on some roads.

"What happens if it was a motorcycle?" Wade asked.

Wade said she might consider a career in law, though she is mostly interested in pursuing work as a chef. For Gorley, she likes some aspects of the law but doesn't see herself as able to argue a point with which she does not agree.

The second case heard Monday concerned a woman named Brittanie Olsen who pleaded guilty to drunken driving in Jefferson County District Court in 2014. The court ordered her to submit to random urine tests to ensure she abstained from drugs and alcohol. Olsen successfully appealed that order to Superior Court, arguing that the District Court order amounted to unconstitutional searches. The Superior Court agreed, and the Jefferson County prosecutor appealed the decision.

The appellate-level decisions on the matters might not be filed for some time. From start to finish, an appeal can take up to two years. If those involved in the cases disagree with the decision, they can appeal it to the state Supreme Court, which can pick and choose what cases to accept, something the appeals courts cannot do.

Assistant Principal Bjorn Danielson said the experience provided valuable exposure to the students, who might know something about trial court procedure from watching TV and movies.

"Something like this bridges the gap between what they see on TV and real life checks and balances," he said.
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By Rob Putaansuu, mayor of Port Orchard, and Jill Guernsey, mayor of Gig Harbor

Washingtonians are serious about open government laws to hold their government accountable, and rightly so.

In 1972, Washington's voters adopted Initiative 276, regarding government's responsibility to maintain public records and make them available to the public. Over the last three decades, public disclosure laws were frequently modified. Then in 2006, public disclosure statutes were revised again and recodified into what we now know as the Public Records Act, or PRA.

The amount of time and attention devoted to these laws over the years is evidence of their importance. The PRA protects citizens' rights to know what their government is doing and how taxpayer dollars are spent.

However, as currently drafted, the PRA fails to protect all citizens from a few requesters who abuse the law for personal gain.

In 2015, the city of Port Orchard processed 249 public records requests, totaling 933 staff hours, which cost the city $35,207. The city paid an additional $4,340 for attorneys to assist in the processing of records requests. Of the requests received, the majority of the processing time was spent on only a handful of voluminous requests made by a few individuals.

The city of Gig Harbor has experienced a 63 percent increase in public records requests since 2012.

Many requests are made by average citizens who would like a copy of a police report or a document from a city council meeting, but that is not always the case. The growing number of serial, harassing and profit-motivated public records requesters creates an unnecessary financial strain on local governments that have limited resources.

These requests are not only hurting local governments, they are doing so at the expense of all citizens. Taxpayers should not subsidize these requesters who undermine the intent of the law.

In response to this ongoing problem, the Legislature is currently considering House Bill 2576. Sponsored by Rep. Joan McBride, D-Kirkland, and Rep. Terry Nealey, R-Dayton, the bill is a modest proposal to provide some alternatives for local governments and requesters.

Even open government advocates admit there is a problem with the current PRA and the unlimited liberty it gives certain requesters. House Bill 2576 is a step toward addressing this problem and would protect the average requester and ensure our local governments have the ability to consider harassing requesters as they see fit.

Cities are committed to transparent government and need this prudent solution to minimize public records requests that monopolize common resources for personal gain. This bill allows local governments to find the solution that is best for their jurisdiction.
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By John Crisp

Just imagine: A President of the United States who can't get along with the Pope.

This odd conflict cropped up last week when Pope Francis, returning from his trip to Mexico, said that a man who builds walls rather than bridges is "not a Christian." Potential president Donald Trump took offense, calling the Pope's remarks "disgraceful." He stopped just short of saying, "What a loser!"

I'm not a Catholic, but I like this pope. I'll like him even more when he relaxes the church's rules on contraception and the status of women. Nevertheless, it's refreshing to hear him call out candidates who use their Christian faith as a tool to achieve political traction.

In fact, the pope could have hit Trump much harder. He didn't mention the obligation of the followers of Christ to emulate his humility, love and compassion. He didn't mention laying up treasures in Heaven rather than on Earth. Or loving your enemies. Turning the other cheek. Suffering the little children. And so on.

And what about this remarkably un-Christian position articulated last week during Trump's town hall meeting in South Carolina?

In response to a string of questions, Trump turned readily to the familiar, well-rehearsed positions that he's recited dozens of times, but this one stood out and should give us pause: He said that if he's elected president, the United States will be a nation that unashamedly uses torture.

Sometimes we've split hairs over waterboarding. Some people say it's torture. Others say it's no worse than fraternity hazing. Trump blows right past this distinction. Of course we'll waterboard, he says, but it's "not nearly tough enough." He'd do something "much worse," "much stronger."

In fact, he says, "Don't tell me torture doesn't work  torture works." So there it is, out in the open: A vote for Trump is a vote for torture.

Of course, the United States has used torture in the past, but we've usually had the good taste to be embarrassed about it and attempt to cover it up. Thus George W. Bush asserted that "this government does not torture people," in the same way that Bill Clinton insisted, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." Both men declared their innocence while maintaining a private, disingenuous definition of the offense.

No more of that. One of Trump's virtues, integral to his appeal, is his willingness to speak his mind bluntly, without regard to anyone who might be squeamish about torture or, for that matter, national or international law.

Still, electing a president who is openly willing to accept a barbaric practice that we've spent centuries trying to abolish, feels like opening a door into a dark room with something very ugly inside. Some political positions are matters of opinion and perspective; others  such as the use or nonuse of torture  change who we really are.

Or maybe not. I may be overestimating the strength of Americans' scruples about torture. After all, on Saturday night in South Carolina, Trump devastated opponents who are a little less willing to publicly advocate sinking to the level of brutality employed by, say, the Islamic State.

Torture is an ugly thing, but it's not impossible to make a philosophical case for its use. Its proponents always turn quickly to the ticking-time-bomb scenario, and maybe even Pope Francis, in his pragmatism, would say that the brutal torture of a single terrorist in order to save thousands of innocent children can be justified.

But in practice, torture is almost never used in this fanciful way. Its practical value for extracting information is questionable. Often it's used as a weapon, to terrorize and intimidate the enemy. Sometimes it's used for no real purpose except as a brutal manifestation of the inhumanity of war. And politicians sometimes use the threat of torture to assert their manliness and willingness to use any end to achieve a goal, despite considerations of morality.

And on this alone the pope might have effectively questioned Trump's devotion to the gospel of peace, love and forgiveness.

John M. Crisp, an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service, teaches in the English Department at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. Readers may send him email at jcrisp@delmar.edu.
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MUSIC HISTORY

Beck Cultural Exchange Center, 1927 Dandridge Ave., will host a program on the history of the Negro Spiritual at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. Dr. Naima Bush explores the history of the development of the spiritual with a capella demonstrations and original music. Using storytelling, audience participation, poetry and music, the program traces the roots of this original American art form from its beginnings in West Africa and its apex on Southern plantations to its influence on modern music.

IJAMS AND FOOD

Ijams Nature Center in South Knoxville has two programs coming up on preparing food.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, learn the secrets of making cheese at home from local foodie Jackie Hardin. Participants will make homemade mozzarella and ricotta and learn tips and variations to give it some extra flavor. This program includes a demonstration and tasting. The fee is $20. Call 865-577-4717, ext. 110 to register.

At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, learn how to make sushi. The class is intended for beginners. Participants will make veggie California rolls. Class fee is $20.

Both classes are intended for adults. To register for either class, call 865-577-4717 ext. 110.

MUSIC FEST

Jubilee Community Arts hosts the 47th annual Jubilee Festival Friday through Sunday, Feb. 26-28, at the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. Performers include the Lost Fiddle String Band, Kelle Jolly, the Tennessee Stifflegs, John Alvis and Friends, the Knox County Jug Stompers, Y'uns, Camp Hollow String Band, Possum Crossing, Roy Harper, Mike & Marcia Bryant, the Bearded and the Mumbillies. Performances begin at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. an old harp singing will be held.

Admission each night is $12 or $10 for JCA members, students, seniors 65+. Advance tickets are $11 general audience Go to http://jubileearts.org/

With the advance purchase of one adult ticket through JCA ticket outlets, up to three children's tickets may be purchased for a penny each. Penny tickets are limited and must be reserved in advance through the JCA office at 865-522-5851.

WATER WORKSHOP

"More Sponge, Less Duck, How to Make a Water-healthy Landscape" will be presented from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the UT Arboretum Auditorium, 901 S. Illinois Ave., Oak Ridge. Presented by Dr. Andrea Ludwig, assistant professor at the Department of Biosystems and Engineering and Soil Science at the UT Institute of Agriculture, the program will begin with a walk outside. Lecture will follow. The program is free but donations accepted.

Info: www.utarboretumsociety.org or 865-483-3571.

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By Mary Constantine of the Knoxville News Sentinel

An East Tennessee Food Festival has been added this year to Knoxville Restaurant Week, an annual culinary benefit for Second Harvest of East Tennessee.

The festival is a one-day event to begin at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Knoxville Convention Center. More than 30 restaurants will gather to offer tasting samples of their food. There will be a cash bar. Cost is $25 and tickets may be purchased at www.secondharvestetn.org. Guests will vote for their favorite dish.

The evening will include a chef cook-off contest from 6-8 p.m. Competing will be chefs Trevor Stockton of RT Lodge, Jeff Carter of Aubrey's Corp., Cedric Coant with the Holiday Inn Cedar Bluff and one as yet unnamed chef. They will prepare a meal on center stage using ingredients from a pantry provided by US Foods and a secret ingredient chosen by Second Harvest.

Many at the festival will serve samples of what they will be offering during Restaurant Week, which also kicks off on Sunday and runs through Friday, March 4. Currently 29 restaurants are participating in the week-long fundraiser, offering a select menu at a pre-fixe price of $35 or $45 per person.

Elaine Streno, executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, said the addition of the one-day festival is a solution for those who have been unable to enjoy many of the offerings that Restaurant Week provides.

"We have had people convey disappointment for not being able to enjoy all that Restaurant Week offers so we thought let's kick this up a notch and let them sample a selection of restaurants at one time," Streno, said.

It was an idea brought forth by US Foods, which has agreed to underwrite the event. The company hosts a similar event in Nashville.

"Dolph Reissig, (VP of local sales of US Foods) has a passion for our feeding programs and a passion for wanting to help," Streno said.

Of the 30 vendors participating in the festival, 19 are also participating during Restaurant Week. Those include Citico's Restaurant and Club, Old City Wine Bar, Nothing Bundt Cakes, RT Lodge, Big Kahuna Wings, Nick & J's Cafe, Seasons Innovative Bar & Grille and Primo's Italian, which previously operated as ICON Lounge.

Deron Little, chef/owner of Seasons Innovative Bar & Grille, said this is the fourth year he has participated in the event.

"It's a great cause and anything to do with food and fellowship I want to be involved in," he said.

His restaurant will serve a smoked pork medallion topped with apple compote with goat cheese and balsamic reduction at the festival and a three-course meal including a choice of filet and shrimp or a filet and chicken, plus dessert during Restaurant Week.

"Not only is it a good way to draw guests into a restaurant they may have never dined at before but the festival is a great chance for the chef and restaurant community to come together in one place," Little said.

Tony Cappiello is excited to be participating in the festival and Restaurant Week so he can show off the transformation that's taken place at Primo's Italian Restaurant at the Sunsphere. It formerly operated as ICON Lounge.

"We have a new menu and new decor with a more romantic atmosphere. When you exit the elevators you will find a traditional dining area to the left with communal tables used mostly for parties of 8 to 12 and to the right we have five leather couches that face the windows. When it comes to a view, the only thing that rivals us in Knoxville is Club LeConte," he said.

There's also a new $4 valet service being offered at the base of the Sunsphere under the Clinch Ave. viaduct..

Chef Bruce Bogartz has developed the new menu for Primo's, and he said it's the best menu he's ever created.

A menu of select pasta dishes including pasta seafood Fra Diavolo, with clams, mussels, shrimp, crawfish, and spiced marinara served over saffron-flavored Bucatini pasta, will be served at the one-day festival and offered during Restaurant Week.

"We've created a destination dining spot and not just a let's drink and look out the window spot. The food is phenomenal up here, and so is the view," he said.

For more information on Restaurant Week visit www.SecondHarvestEtn.com
SHARE Kathleen Celeste McBride (St. Johns County Sheriff's Office)

By News Sentinel Staff

KNOXVILLE  A couple facing charges in a South Knox County carjacking now are suspected in another carjacking attempt committed moments earlier, authorities said.

Randy Shane Duffey, 29, and Kathleen Celeste McBride, 30, remained in custody Monday in Florida where they were captured Sunday.

The pair are accused of taking a 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible from an unidentified victim at the intersection of Hodges Ferry and Kimberlin Heights roads about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the Knox County Sheriff's Office. KCSO has not specified whether either suspect was armed, nor was it specified whether the victim was injured.

On Monday, the Sheriff's Office said a second victim reported she had a similar confrontation moments earlier about a half-mile away near the corner of Kimberlin Heights and Twin Springs roads.

The victim told detectives an SUV cut her off in the middle of the roadway  much like the other carjacking victim reported.

A man KCSO identified as Duffey exited the SUV and demanded the woman to get out of her vehicle. The woman drove away.

Duffey and McBride were involved in a pursuit with the Tennessee Highway Patrol shortly before the carjacking, according to KCSO.

The couple turned up Sunday afternoon in St. Augustine, Fla., where they were involved in a hit-and-run crash , according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office. Moments later, the couple pulled into a woman's driveway driving the stolen Mitsubishi, and McBride threatened the woman with a metal bar, demanding her car keys, Florida authorities said.

The woman refused and the two suspects ran away in different directions. Both were taken into custody soon after.

Duffey now is being held in Florida on charges of grand theft auto and burglary. McBride is charged with grand theft auto, attempted grand theft auto and assault with intent to commit a felony.

More details as they develop online and in Tuesday's News Sentinel.
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By News Sentinel Staff

KINGSTON  A 28-year-old man has been indicted on charges of possessing and distributing child pornography.

Daniel Edward Clotfelter, listed as a Rockwood resident on arrest records but reported on the Roane County grand jury indictment as living in Decatur, Tenn., is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and aggravated sexual exploitation.

He was indicted Wednesday and arrested Friday, according to records. Clotfelter on Monday remained in the Roane County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bond.

He is accused of having on Dec. 14 more than 100 images and videos of a minor "engaged in sexual activity or simulated sexual activity" and of distributing more than 25 images and videos between April 25 and Nov. 24, 2015.

More details as they develop online and in Tuesday's News Sentinel.
Heather E. Taylor (ROANE CO SHERIFF's OFFICE)

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By News Sentinel Staff

KINGSTON  A Harriman couple have been indicted on sex charges involving a 5-year-old child.

James R. Wallace, 27, and Heather Elizabeth Taylor, both listed as residents of a Spence Drive address, were indicted last week by a Roane County grand jury.

Wallace is accused of the aggravated sexual battery of the child between May 1, 2014, and Aug. 25, 2015, while Taylor is accused of facilitating Wallace's sex crimes and neglecting the child.

Taylor, according to the indictment, furnished "substantial assistance" to Wallace in his having sexual contact with the child, while Wallace is also charged with child abuse.

An agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is listed as one of the state's witnesses.

Wallace posted bond after his arrest, while Taylor remained in the Roane County Jail Monday in lieu of $75,000 bond.

More details as they develop online and in Tuesday's News Sentinel
Mary Cherry-Marks, right, hugs the Rev. Valentino McNeal in reaction to Chancellor Michael Moyers dismissing an ouster lawsuit against McNeal, pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church,on Tuesday. Members of the church decided they no longer wished to have McNeal lead their congregation. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

SHARE The Rev. Valentino McNeal listens to Preston Hawkins, attorney for the Mount Olive Baptist Church members, during their dispute before Chancellor Michael Moyers on Tuesday. Moyers dismissed the case, saying the court does not have jurisdiction in the case. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) Mary Cherry-Marks, right, reacts to Chancellor Michael Moyers dismissing the case Tuesday against Mount Olive Baptist Church pastor the Rev. Valentino McNeal, center, citing no authority in the case. Members of Mount Olive Baptist Church decided they no longer wished to have McNeal lead their congregation. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) Chancellor Michael Moyers said he was personally torn by his decision, but Tennessee law did not allow him to intervene in the Mount Olive Baptist Church dispute between church members and the Rev. Valentino McNeal. In a 86-5 vote in May, members of Mount Olive Baptist Church decided they no longer wished to have the Rev. McNeal lead their congregation. Moyers dismissed the congregations lawsuit Tuesday that sought McNeals ouster. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

By Lydia X. McCoy of the Knoxville News Sentinel

A Knox County judge has "hesitantly and reluctantly" dismissed a lawsuit by Mount Olive Baptist Church members trying to oust their pastor.

Chancellor Mike Moyers told the packed courtroom on Tuesday he struggled with that decision.

"The membership of this church cannot in a civil fashion put its preferences into action, and yet at the heart of this case is the question of who is allowed to be pastor of this church," he said.

"I can't avoid that; that's why we are all here. As much as it troubles me, the Tennessee cases are clear again and again and again that we cannot intervene. ... I hesitantly and reluctantly grant the motion to dismiss."

Moyers said he hoped the Court of Appeals would give him and other courts guidance on the issue for future cases.

Although Moyers dismissed the case, the battle at the church is not over  this week another case was filed in Knox County Circuit Court against several banks and church members around the handling of the church's funds and bank accounts.

In May, the congregation voted 86-5 that members no longer wanted the Rev. Valentino McNeal lead their church, but McNeal has refused to leave. In July, six of the church's members filed a petition in Knox County Chancery Court asking for the court's help in removing McNeal as pastor.

The petition noted "disturbing changes" at the church, including the use of the building, the removal of several members from prominent positions in the church and how the church's money was being spent.

Moyers ruled in December the court did not have the ability to remove McNeal, but could rule on control of church property. He advised church members to amend their complaint to be more specific on issues of control of the church property.

Attorneys Preston Hawkins and Ursula Bailey, representing church members in the case, did not comment after Tuesday's hearing but said they plan to appeal Moyers' decision.

During the hearing Hawkins argued there is no dispute a vote was taken and the outcome was to oust McNeal. "We had the ability to hire McNeal; we have the ability to fire him. This court can't save this man's job; because this church has already made its decision."

McNeal's attorney, Beecher Bartlett, said after the hearing Moyers upheld the First Amendment. If the case is appealed, he said, their argument will be upheld.

"There is a lot of Tennessee case law on this," he said. "It's not an issue that they haven't addressed time and time again  I think the court of appeals will say the same thing because there's a long line of cases on these same issues."

McNeal said he thought the judge's ruling was the right one.

"It's God's church. The church doesn't belong to the people. It doesn't belong to the civil government. It doesn't belong to the pastor. It belongs to God and God has remedies to help the church conduct its business when we conduct it according to His word and that's what this whole case is really about. The church people failed to conduct God's business according to God's word. So they allowed the secular courts to get involved in it and help them to do what only God can do. So I understand Judge Moyers' reluctance, however he's not God."
By Richard Locker, locker@knoxnews.com

NASHVILLE  The state Legislature confirmed Roger Amos Page of Jackson as the newest member of the Tennessee Supreme Court on Monday evening.

Meeting in a joint session, the Senate voted 30-0 and the House 97-0 to confirm Gov. Bill Haslam's appointment of Page to a vacancy created by the retirement in September of Gary Wade, now dean of Lincoln Memorial University's law school in Knoxville.

Page, 60, served on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals since his appointment there by Haslam in December 2011. He previously was a Circuit Court judge for Chester, Henderson and Madison counties. The governor selected him in January from among three nominees forwarded him by the Governor's Council for Judicial Appointments.

The Legislature's action made history on two fronts:

The confirmation is the first under the state's new appellate court selection process ratified by voters in 2014 as an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution, requiring appointment by the governor and confirmation by the General Assembly. Tennesseans will vote in 2022 to retain or replace him, if he chooses to seek a full eight-year term at that time.

Page's confirmation creates a Republican majority on the five-member court for the first time in modern Tennessee history. He joins Jeffrey Bivens and Holly Kirby in the GOP majority. Cornelia Clark and Chief Justice Sharon Lee are the court's two Democrats.

The new justice had a another professional career before law school as a pharmacist, unique among his colleagues on the court. Page entered the pre-pharmacy program at the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1973, then transferred to the UT College of Pharmacy in Memphis, where he received a bachelor's degree in pharmacy in 1978. He worked as a pharmacist and assistant store manager for Walgreens until 1981, when he entered law school, and continued working part-time, filling his last prescription "the day before I took the Tennessee bar examination in 1984," Page wrote on his application for the Supreme Court position last fall.
SHARE John Morgan

By Adam Tamburin, The Tennessean

State lawmakers considering Gov. Bill Haslam's plan to overhaul Tennessee's public college system heard from one of its harshest critics Tuesday, when John Morgan blasted the plan during a wide-ranging meeting with House members.

The plan, which would create independent governing boards for six universities overseen by the Tennessee Board of Regents, has broad support from Republican leadership in the General Assembly and several university presidents. But Morgan, former chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents college system, has been outspoken against it, and resigned in January because he thought the plan was "unworkable."

During his testimony to the House Education Administration & Planning Committee on Tuesday, Morgan reiterated many of his previous critiques, calling the move a "mistake" that would amp up competition between colleges that had been partners under the Board of Regents system. He said that competition would ultimately weaken colleges such as Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech universities.

Continue reading at The Tennessean.
Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. saw their share of the global TV market drop in 2015 as Chinese rivals expanded their presence by narrowing their technology gap with the leading players, data showed Tuesday.



Samsung and LG posted a combined market share of 33.6 percent in the global TV market last year, down 37.1 percent from a year earlier, the data compiled by industry tracker IHS Technology showed.



In contrast, Hisense, TCL, Skyworth and other Chinese brands accounted for 27.5 percent of the market last year, up 5.7 percentage points from the previous year.



The market gap between South Korean and Chinese companies dropped to 6.1 percentage points last year from 15.3 percentage points in 2014.



By company, Samsung held 21 percent of the market in 2015, down from 22.5 percent posted a year earlier, while LG share fell to 12.6 percent from 14.5 percent.



Hisense's portion advanced 0.7 percentage point on-year to 5.6 percent, while that of TCL also moved up to 5.6 percent.



Japanese companies, including Sony Corp., saw their combined market share dip 3.5 percentage points to 15.3 percent on-year in 2015.



Industry watchers said that despite their lower market shares, which were based on total shipments, Samsung and LG actually increased their profits in the TV segment thanks to increased demand for high-end models. (Yonhap)




By Lee Hyo-sik





Chung Il-young, CEO of Incheon International Airport Corp.

The Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC), headed by CEO Chung Il-young, was fined for unfairly slashing expenses that it ought to pay to a builder for the construction of the airport's second passenger terminal, the country's antitrust agency said Tuesday.

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) also ordered the operator of Korea's largest airport to stop unduly meddling in the management of restaurants and other retail businesses, which lease space at the airport. IIAC was told not to unilaterally change the store locations of its tenants.

"We expect these latest decisions will warn state-run companies, many of which have taken advantage of their superior status over builders and other private entities looking to sign business deals with them," an FTC official said. "We will continue to monitor and penalize public enterprises that conduct unfair practices in order to reap undue profits at the expense of private players."

The agency said it imposed a 3.2 billion won fine on IIAC for unfairly cutting the construction costs of the airport's second terminal by 2.3 billion won. After Hanjin Heavy Industries proposed using construction techniques that could save expenses by 2.3 billion won, IIAC lowered the budget by the same amount, depriving the builder of a chance to realize an additional 2.3 billion won profit. The FTC said this violates the nation's Fair Trade Act.

The IIAC's order to require Hanjin to be financially responsible for any design changes is tantamount to an unfair business practice, violating the State Contract Act, it said.

In May 2014, Hanjin accepted these unfair terms because it desperately needed to secure the 562 billion won contract. The project is scheduled to be completed by August 2017.

In addition, the IIAC was ordered not to force operators of restaurants and other eateries, which pay rent for space at the airport, to lower prices of their products. The FTC also demanded that the airport authority refrain from unilaterally changing the locations of its tenants without obtaining consent from them.

However, the IIAC fiercely protested the FTC's decisions, saying that it will file an administrative lawsuit against the antitrust agency if it has to.

"We haven't yet been notified by the FTC," an IIAC spokesman said. "It is unfortunate that the agency did not reflect our views in its decision. We will thoroughly review the FTC's ruling and decide what to do. We will take the case to court if necessary."
A South Korean man has been found dead outside an apartment in Peru, the South Korean Embassy and a Lima newspaper said Monday.

The man, identified as Jeong, 34, was found early on Feb. 16, in the flower bed of an apartment building in Lima where he had been staying, according to Peruvian daily El Comercio and the embassy.

El Comercio reported that Jeong had been drinking with two South Korean colleagues before he fell from the 11th floor.

The newspaper quoted police and witnesses as saying he had two marks that appeared to be bullet or stab wounds on his left leg. He was wearing shorts and a short-sleeve shirt.

The three South Koreans had been in business talks with video game companies. The talks started on the eve of the incident and lasted until early the next morning, according to El Comercio.

Peruvian police are questioning the other two South Koreans.
By Kang Seung-woo



The rival parties agreed Monday to pass a bill addressing the dismal human rights record in North Korea at the National Assembly, possibly before the end of this week.



After the agreement between the leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) was reached, North Korea's main propaganda website, Uriminzokkiri, slammed the accord.



"In our socialist society, no human rights problem exists," it said. "The South had better take care of its own human rights abuses."



Since the bill was first proposed in 2005, it has been the subject of serious ideological disagreements between the conservative and liberal parties because the latter has shied away from the issue out of concerns that it could harm inter-Korean relations.



The bill calls for the establishment of a foundation to conduct research on the repressive state's human rights abuses and seek preventive measures.



In addition, an archive to preserve written testimonies and other information on rights abuses by the North Korean regime will be set up in order to pursue Pyongyang's accountability for rights crimes in the future.



Also, the bill envisions creating a 10-member advisory committee under the wing of the Ministry of Unification, while the ministry is required to map out plans to promote human rights protections in the North and report these to parliament.



It mandates that South Korea also provide humanitarian aid in line with international monitoring standards.



The government welcomed the agreement, saying that human rights are a universal right.



"It is an absolutely necessary law for the development of inter-Korean ties and the future of the nation in the long term," an official of the unification ministry told reporters.



Former Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo, who was the nation's first lawmaker to propose the bill in 2005, also said it is just that the parliament is ready to pass the bill although it took so long to achieve this.



"According to the Constitution, North and South Korea is one country and North Koreans are our people, so we should have paid attention to human rights abuses in North Korea," Kim said.



North Korea has long been accused of human rights abuses, ranging from holding political prisoners in concentration camps to torture and carrying out public executions.



The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the referral of its leader, Kim Jong-un, to the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity in both 2014 and 2015  although the repressive state has condemned such moves as a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime.



The bill has been pending at the National Assembly for months due to the wrangling over its wording between the Saenuri Party and the MPK.



The latter insisted that the need to improve human rights in the North and secure peace on the Korean Peninsula should be given equal emphasis in political dialog while the Saenuri Party argued that the stress should be put on the issue of human rights.




Deployment could hurt Seoul-Beijing ties: Chinese envoy



By Jun Ji-hye



South Korea and the United States have postponed the start of their scheduled working-level discussions on the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here, due to talks underway between Beijing and Washington on further sanctions against North Korea.



The Ministry of National Defense announced the allies' decision to delay the signing of a terms of reference for the working-level talks just hours before a ceremony, Tuesday. The talks are intended to iron out details of the deployment.



Based on the signing, the Joint Working Group (JWG) was supposed to hold its first meeting to discuss details of the deployment including possible locations later this week. With the signing delayed, the THAAD talks will also be postponed, the ministry said.



"The signing of the terms of reference for the JWG, originally scheduled for today (Tuesday), will be put off by one or two days as something has yet to be finalized," said defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun.



While Moon did not clarify what the allies are finalizing, it is speculated that China and the U.S. talks on a resolution of the U.N. Security Council apparently affected the THAAD discussions, as the ministry's announcement was timed to coincide with a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the U.S. to meet with Secretary of State John Kerry.



Wang will stay in the U.S. for three days.



Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Qiu Guohong expressed strong concerns about THAAD deployment in Korea during his meeting with Kim Jong-in, interim leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, Tuesday, according to the party.



Qiu said during the meeting that the deployment seriously affects China's national interest.



"If this issue damages China's national interest, bilateral relations between South Korea and China will be damaged too, and they will be difficult to quickly recover," he said.



Seoul and Washington want to produce a resolution that contains stronger and more effective sanctions against the isolated state that has shown no sign of abandoning its nuclear ambitions, evidenced by a fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and the launch of a long-range rocket on Feb. 7. But China, the North's closest ally, has been reluctant to impose harsher measures on Pyongyang.



Observers say that South Korea and the U.S. seem unlikely to push for the THAAD discussions at the JWG until the talks between Wang and Kerry are finished, considering that China has long been opposed to the deployment of a THAAD battery on the peninsula, out of concerns that its radar could spy on Beijing's military activities.



China is also apparently concerned that the deployment would become an opportunity for South Korea, the U.S. and Japan to strengthen their military cooperation, which will expand American influence in Northeast Asia.



Observers say that the delay in discussions might have been inevitable not to provoke China ahead of the discussion of the U.N. resolution, given that Beijing's cooperation is essential to implement meaningful sanctions, as it is one of five veto-holding permanent members of the UNSC, and the main provider of food and fuel aid to the impoverished North.



Defense spokesman Moon refused to answer a question on whether Beijing and Washington's talks on a U.N. resolution influenced the delay of the discussions, only saying that allies are finalizing the content of the terms of reference of the JWG.



The ministry stressed that whether to host a THAAD battery is South Korea's sovereign right, and the issue is not linked with Beijing's participation in the UNSC discussions on sanctions.



But the U.S. has hinted at using the THAAD issue to pressure China to join hands for "a resolution with real teeth" against the North.



Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken said last week that the U.S. would have to take steps to establish a larger deterrent in South Korea in the absence of Chinese cooperation, pointing out that THAAD is just one example of U.S. strategy.



On Feb. 7, hours after North Korea launched a long-range rocket in violation of U.N. resolutions, Seoul and Washington announced their decision to officially discuss THAAD deployment here to better deter nuclear and missile threats from the Kim Jong-un regime.





Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye




By Choi Sung-jin



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's shift to a "party-first" policy could face resistance from the military unless the policy is backed by economic growth, a report says.



The shift in priority from military to party by the third-generation dictator was possible because of the military's relative concession, says the Seoul National University of Education report, compiled at the Unification Ministry's request.



Kim's father, Kim Jong-il, put priority on the military in 1997 during the so-called March of Hardship, concentrating power and vested interests held by the Workers' Party and the Cabinet in the military, the report says. The military-first policy was intended to maintain the regime through physical oppression because popular support for the party had crumbled since the rationing system collapsed.



The current leader, on the other hand, moved back from the military to the party, dispersing power concentrated in the military.



"As the goal of becoming a military power has been met to some extent with three nuclear tests, North Korean residents and the elite within party and cabinet could no longer endure the expansion of the military's role and importance at the expense of people's economy," the report says.



What is needed now is compensation for past sacrifices by becoming an economically prosperous nation, the report notes, saying, "Economic recovery can't help but become the foremost priority of Kim Jong-un."



Kim's decision to hold a Workers' Party congress, the first in 36 years, also reflects such circumstances, the report says.



"What matters most now is how much the people's economy has improved over the past four years," the report says. "If North Koreans think the incumbent regime is not making progress in the people's economy, the legitimacy of party-oriented system will weaken sharply."



Noting that the stability of Kim Jong-un regime and party-military relationship hinges on two factors -- economic growth and military spending -- the report says, "If Kim's economic policy fails, the military, rather than the general public, will move first, demanding him to readjust the party-military relationship and return to a military-first policy."




By Chung Ah-young





Huh Joon-young

Prosecutors raided the office and home of a close aide to Huh Joon-young, former president of the Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail), Tuesday, investigating allegations of the creation of a slush fund involving a now-scrapped urban development project on the state-run rail operator's land in Yongsan, central Seoul.



A dozen investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office seized contracts, account books, internal reports and computer hard drives from the office and home of the aide, surnamed Sohn, in Seoul.



Prosecutors said that they recently found fresh evidence of corruption involving Sohn's company while investigating the case against Huh.



Residents in Yongsan and Korail's subcontractors related to the failed project filed a complaint against Huh last year for breach of trust and bribery.



The investigation is focusing on Huh, who headed Korail between 2009 and 2011 before the project was canceled.



Investigators said that they detected evidence that Huh allegedly pressured the project contractors to place orders through Sohn's waste disposal company and Sohn allegedly created the slush fund.



Samsung C&T, the main developer of the project, placed orders worth 12.7 billion won with Sohn's company, although it was small and had no prior experience in waste disposal.



Suspicions are that the order was made at Huh's request, as Samsung C&T initially opposed placing orders with the firm.



Prosecutors are looking into whether Sohn bribed Huh in exchange for business favors and created the slush fund for him.



They plan to summon Sohn soon, while Huh too will face questioning.



Later in 2010, Samsung C&T withdrew from its role as the lead contractor in the project due to a financial dispute with Korail, and Lotte Tour Development took over.



The complainants claimed that Huh offered favors to Lotte in making the contract, resulting in losses worth 1 trillion won to Korail.



The project, proposed in 2006, was deemed Korea's largest property development project, transforming a former rail yard and surrounding neighborhood near a key railroad station into an international business district at a total cost of 31 trillion won.



Dubbed Yongsan Dreamhub, it was originally designed to include a large international complex of offices, malls, hotels and apartments on a 566,800-square-meter lot.



But the plan was officially cancelled in 2013, after a seven-year struggle with financial difficulties resulted in a failure to repay a 5.2 billion won loan, killing the project.



Huh stepped down from his post at Korail in 2011 to run in the general election.

Prior to his Korail post, he served as the nation's police chief. He now serves as president of conservative NGO the Korea Freedom Federation (KFF).
South Korea's police chief held talks with his Chinese counterparts in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss ways to bolster cooperation on cybercrime, repatriation of fugitives and anti-terrorism, officials said.



Kang Sin-myeong, Commissioner-General of the National Police Agency, arrived in Beijing earlier in the day on the final leg of his two-nation tour that included the United Arab Emirates.



Kang and his Chinese counterparts also discussed plans to form a three-way public safety consultative body with Japan, officials said.



The plan was proposed at a trilateral summit of leaders of South Korea, Japan and China in November last year.



South Korea and China signed a treaty for the repatriation of fugitives in 2002.

Last year, 38 South Korean criminal suspects who fled to China were returned home, while South Korea repatriated 10 Chinese fugitives. (Yonhap)




By Yi Whan-woo

North Korea is mobilizing its artists for propaganda-themed projects in dictatorial states as a new measure to earn hard currency and prop up its cash-strapped regime, according to diplomatic sources, Tuesday.

The sources said Pyongyang's state-run Mansudae art studio has been producing murals, mausoleums, statues, sculptures and other special artworks that are aimed at propagandizing the regime and its despots in a host of countries.

The studio has over 4,000 staffers that are specialized in building gigantic monuments and memorials featuring the three-generations of North Korean leadership  Kim Jong-un and his late ancestors Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.

The studio's clients include Benin, Botswana, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

The sources said the studio's international business arm, Mansudae Overseas Projects, is responsible for Pyongyang's multi-million dollar cultural trade.

"I speculate such trade will grow and it could possibly replace North Korea's manual laborers abroad who mostly work in construction," said Kim Yong-hyun, a North Korean studies professor at Dongguk University.

Mansudae Overseas Projects's latest cultural export was Angkor Panorama museum and its showpieces in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Located near the UNSECO world heritage site of Ankor Watt, the museum, which opened in December, is reported to have cost $24 million, according to the online edition of The Guardian, a British newspaper.

One of its main artworks includes the panoramic paintings that depict Cambodian history, such as the Cham War between the Khmers and the Vietnamese in 1471 as well as the construction of Bayon Temple in the 12th or early 13th century.

Other commissioned artworks of Mansudae are Botswana's Three Dikgosi Monument; Senegal's African Renaissance monument; Namibia's Heroes' Acre; Benin's King Behazin's Statue and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's statue of former dictator, Laurent Kabila, The Guardian said.

North Korea has faced growing international pressure for pocketing the wages earned by its laborers who are forced to work abroad.
South Korea and the United States held working-level consultations here Tuesday on tightening the screw on North Korea for its provocations, the Foreign Ministry said.



Kim Gunn, the ministry's director general for North Korean nuclear affairs, met with Jennifer Fowler, deputy assistant secretary of treasury for terrorist financing.



They "consulted on ways to strengthen sanctions on North Korea," it said.



The two sides focused on how to cooperate in efforts to enhance the effectiveness of sanctions in response to Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.



The U.S. official also briefed Kim on the Obama administration's preparation for implementing new legislation on imposing additional sanctions on the North, said the ministry. It did not provide details. (Yonhap)




By Jon Dunbar



A fire tore through Insa-dong three years ago on Feb. 17, 2013, worrying Koreans and foreigners alike that the beloved neighborhood they know was destroyed.



A few months later, the city lifted a 35-year development ban on the district, partly to grant permission for the streets to be widened and enable access for fire trucks. Once again, everyone lost their minds, fearing this was the end of Insa-dong as we knew it.



The following year, residents of a large corner of the same neighborhood, adjacent to the site of the fire, were unceremoniously evicted and their homes were demolished. And nobody cared. As this wasn't the corner of Insa-dong visited by tourists: it was mostly quaint little bars, saunas, motels and offices huddled together behind the formidable Jongno Tower, its imposing ring-shaped upper level not unlike J.R.R. Tolkien's Eye of Sauron surveying its domain.



Compared to the nearby cobblestoned car-free streets lined with souvenir shops we think of as Insa-dong, this was a humbler, more lived-in side of the same neighborhood without tourist attractions. From a pragmatic perspective, this was inevitable, but we should hope for a new place for the people, businesses and communities of that area to prosper.



They represent the era of Korea's transition from one of the world's poorest countries to one of its wealthiest, which may be why the city is so eager to forget. Likely, even many of the people of this area were themselves ready to move on up, recalling those old flea-trap buildings without nostalgia.



The whole block was fenced off after they were emptied out, but less to prevent trespassers than to shield them from public view. So they were torn down, unobserved except by demolition workers and the unblinking gaze of the Jongno Tower.



Shortly after the buildings were knocked down, a taller white fence adorned with images of Jongno's cultural assets went up around this lot. It seemed that development in this zone was over for now, pending construction of the new building. But something curious happened.



Windows were installed in the fence along the main road, giving citizens a view of the other side, as archaeologists from the Cultural Heritage Administration moved in and did a full survey of the 1.73 acre site. This has become standard procedure in the downtown core, as most modern buildings were constructed atop the ruins of older structures.



They uncovered 37 ancient residential buildings dating back to the Joseon Dynasty, (1392-1910), and online images of the dig went viral around April 2015.



But by the time people were looking at the pictures, the survey was starting to wrap up and removal of the artifacts had begun.



Well, what did you expect? Could the city preserve the ancient relics, maybe even rebuild them? That's certainly worth asking, but should the same then be done for all archaeologically significant sites? There wouldn't be room enough for those of us living today.



The ruins had to make way for a new, bigger structure, just as the 20th century buildings did.



But having seen newly opened high-rises in the area, including the D Tower, Gran Seoul and The-K Twin Towers, I don't think we've seen the last of those Insa-dong ruins. At those three buildings  and in others  the ground levels, glass floors have been installed, under which lie excavated relics, preserved just as the archaeologists uncovered them, complete with signs explaining their original purpose and significance. These super-new structures have leapfrogged over the 20th century legacy to look back on the capital's Joseon roots.



It gives the city a sense of timelessness, but these buildings doubtlessly come with an expiration date. Perhaps someday, these new buildings will be blanketed off and torn down. Maybe then, with advanced technology currently beyond our grasp, archaeologists will conjure up a similar view into our modern familiar Insa-dong.



Jon Dunbar is a copy editor of The Korea Times and a resident of Jongno-gu.
Lee Seong-hyon, right, a China expert at the Sejong Institute, gesticulates at a roundtable hosted by The Korea Times in its conference room, Monday. Clockwise from Lee are the paper's chief editorial writer Oh Young-jin; Kurt Achin, TBS radio show host; the paper's columnist John Burton and journalist/copy editor David Nicoll. Michael Breen, who is about to resume his bi-weekly columns, was delayed and is not in the photo. The topic was Seoul's decision to close the Gaeseong Industrial Complex -- the last vestige of inter-Korean cooperation -- and other North Korea-related issues.

/ Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Lee Seong-hyon

Three years ago when war correspondents descended upon Seoul, I had a sense that they would waste their time. It was a time when tensions were so high on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of North Korea's third nuclear test that people were talking about the possibility of another war.

My Chinese friends bombarded me with questions on whether they should cancel their trips to Korea. Some expat English teachers in Seoul were soon on one-way flights back home.

I made a few calls. I met a few people. I found out that North Korean officials were visiting Beijing and promoting tourism. They assured their Chinese counterparts that "nothing will happen."

Tension was even more highly charged in the aftermath of Pyongyang's shelling of the South's Yeonpyeong Island in 2010. The Seoul government was publicly vowing revenge. Some South Korean media outlets were talking about F-16s, hovering over the West Sea, waiting for an order to bomb North Korea. However, my sources told me that they didn't see F-16s on their radar screens. President Lee Myung-bak at that time ordered the military to "contain" the crisis, I was told. So, I sat back and relaxed.












By Kurt Achin



I gratefully accepted the Korea Times' invitation to participate in a roundtable on North Korea the other day. In doing so, I reminded the group that I was speaking purely in a personal capacity, and not on behalf of any organization whatsoever.



Our discussion revolved mainly around the suspension/closing of the Gaeesong Industrial Complex, which has been both celebrated and lamented as the death of the Sunshine policy of "engaging" North Korea.

The zone perhaps best exemplifies what I perceive to be the central flaw of the "sunshine policy" of inter-Korean reconciliation: it was a mechanism for purchasing fairly shallow optics of reconciliation at exorbitant prices, while doing little or nothing to change North Korea fundamentally.



Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo essentially admitted on the record recently what all but the most doe-eyed Pyongyang supporters long accepted as fact: the North Korean government has been skimming off the lion's portion of hard currency "wages" allotted to Kaesong workers.

His Tennessee two-step on whether the money was diverted specifically to nuclear weapons programs may as well remain an afterthought: hard currency, a noted scholar has pointed out, is fungible.

Thus, even if not specifically earmarked for nukes, the money relieved fiscal pressures on other regime line items, thereby freeing up funds for weapons. (The same dynamic comes into play when visitors purchase inflated tour packages to bow to statues.)



Showcase projects and the pay-to-play inter-Korean summits that was its genesis may have made a degree of sense in an era when levers to move North Korea seemed truly nonexistent.

Today, however, we have much better insights into the seismic forces that are transforming North Korea border-to-border, and not just for those connected to a relatively tiny capitalist theme park of hand-picked employees.



Devote a tiny fraction of the annual Kaesong wages to loading up USB drives with Korean dramas and documentaries and make them available to Chinese traders, and watch what happens. Enhancing broadcast availability across all platforms will inform more North Koreans than the Kaesong zone ever could.

The government should also take a very light touch in enforcing bans on money transfers to the North, allowing defectors to send funds to family members via emerging networks will put far more hard currency directly in the pockets of ordinary North Koreans than the sham wages in Gaeseong.

Those funds are quite likely to be invested in grass roots trading activities, fueling the North's bottom-up marketization. Enough with the kabuki theater of paying North Korea's regime for feel-good optics  the era has come to opt for real change, by engaging North Korea's people.





Kurt Achin, a former journalist, now works as TBS radio show host.












South Korea and the United States plan to sign an accord this week on launching official talks to deploy the advanced American anti-ballistic missile defense system, the Defense Ministry here said Tuesday.



The signing of the "terms of reference" over the possible positioning of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) unit in the Northeast Asian country will take place on Wednesday or Thursday, as the countries have yet to iron out some details, ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said.



The allies had previously planned to hold the signing ceremony on Tuesday.



After signing the agreement, Seoul and Washington will establish a joint working group to negotiate the sensitive THAAD issue, including cost-sharing and a candidate site.



Hours after North Korea launched a long-range rocket carrying a satellite on Feb. 7, the allies announced plans to begin talks on bringing THAAD into the peninsula.



(Yonhap)




SK Telecom CEO Jang Dong-hyun, right, signs a partnership deal with Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Hoettges, at the SK Telecom booth at the Fira Gran Via exhibition center in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday (KST). They agreed to collaborate on R&D for next-generation telecom technologies. / Courtesy of SK Telecom



By Kim Yoo-chul

BARCELONA, Spain  SK Telecom, the top telecom firm in Korea by market share, agreed with Deutsche Telekom to expand their bilateral partnership in the area of Internet of Things (IoT) and research projects.

The agreement comes as the Korean firm is actively exploring overseas partnership to spur its next growth beyond traditional models during the current mobile convention here.

The partnership is calling for the two to collaborate in the following categories  cloud streaming, international roaming, smart city and technology research and development (R&D)  SK said in a statement.

Given Korean telecom companies' weak presence in the global market, the latest bilateral pact is expected to help SK Telecom gain a bigger foothold in the global telecommunication industry.

"SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom will cooperate in the global sales of innovative solutions and products and work together to lead standardization of innovative technologies, including 5G technologies and the Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC)," the statement said, Tuesday (Seoul time).

As part of the collaboration, SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom will also make joint efforts to promote SK's cloud streaming service.

"The two companies will conduct a feasibility test for its potential commercialization within Deutsche Telekom's footprint by the second quarter of 2016. Through partnership with Deutsche Telekom, which has 6 million TV subscribers in Europe, SK Telecom expects to secure a bridgehead to enter into the European markets with its cloud streaming," according to the release.

Another point is that the German telecom operator plans to introduce SK's pico beamer, a laser projector, to Germany starting from the second quarter of this year and to expand beamer sales to other European countries.

The two companies will also cooperate in the international roaming service area, including quality improvements and LTE-based roaming services.

Another area of collaboration is in the Internet of Things (IoT) to develop innovative services in urban settings.

"The two sides are ready to combine their efforts to mutually investigate industry leading smart city solutions. This will enable the two to serve customer needs in the best ways possible to make their cities smarter and to expand the related services into new markets," the release added.

The two telecom firms will also jointly develop futuristic business models by participating in diverse global projects.

"The two companies plan to drive standardization and implementation of fifth-generation (5G)," it said, adding SK will also team up with its German partner to promote the "Next Generation Enterprise Network Alliance" as founding members. The alliance is aimed at providing international network services for corporate customers, securely and reliably from a single source.

"The idea is to create an amazing technology partnership with tangible results. The development and exchange of new services will help both companies generate more benefits for our customers," said Tim Hoettges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom. "We are really impressed with SK Telecom's agility and creativity, and look forward to exchanging ideas and experiences."

SK Telecom CEO Jang Dong-hyun has been maintaining a solid personal partnership with the Deutsche Telekom CEO, in what officials say is a "hidden force" to help SK Telecom enter into a period of strategic partnership.
Ko Dong-jin, president of Samsung Electronics' mobile business division, speaks at a dinner meeting with Korean reporters held in a restaurant in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday (KST), on the sidelines of this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC).

/ Courtesy of Samsung Electronics



By Kim Yoo-chul





BARCELONA, Spain  With the launch of its new Galaxy S7, Samsung is looking for ways to differentiate its handsets from other Android makers and bring a new user experience to market in competition with its key rivals.

Ko Dong-jin, president of Samsung's mobile division, said early Tuesday (KST), that the company has shifted its focus toward the main smartphone features customers are most concerned with  camera function, viewing quality, battery life and virtual reality (VR).

"Samsung's top priority is to offer what customers want. This is why the Galaxy S7 handsets have microSD slots; while we made little design overhaul. We are strengthening open collaboration to bring something new to devices," Ko said during a dinner with Korean reporters on the sidelines of this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

The top executive said the two Galaxy S7 handsets  one rigid and the other curved  have received a warm initial response from major carriers and partners. But he declined to comment about the devices' sales targets. Typically Samsung preferred to provide its guidance in sales on the release of its new flagship models.

But, with the S7, it has the confidence to leave the design of its latest phones very similar to last year's S6 range thanks to other improvements, he said.

This contrasts to the strategies of other companies, as some of Samsung's rivals have struggled to communicate improvements when keeping their smartphone models' exterior industrial design consistent between years.

Ko said Samsung has found VR technology is the "right thing" that consumers want, providing new experiences in the mobile space.

"Samsung Gear VR is the best device that can bring high value to consumers," Ko said. "With VR addition, you will enjoy experiences that you couldn't imagine before."

He said its VR technology is expandable not just for the business-to-consumer (B2C) market but also for the business-to-business (B2B) market for use in education, defense and health.

In a rare move, Facecbook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared at an event to unveil the two new Samsung handsets, praising Facebook's partnership with Samsung.

Ko stressed that Samsung is no longer a hardware-focused company, as it's been selling its mobile payment platform  Samsung Pay  and mobile security platform  Samsung Knox  in international markets.

"Samsung hopes to earn respect from partners by offering the best usability and affordability," he said. "We are ready to find new alternatives upon requests from our clients and I can say the company has been maintaining a healthy partnership with those customers."

Analysts say Samsung's new strategy shift is correct, as in the mature smartphone market, companies compete with their older selves to drive consumers to upgrade their existing smartphones.

"VR is the key tool which has been expected to be used by smartphone manufacturers in 2016 to market flagship models," said IHS, a market research firm, in a note to clients.
KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu, left, after signing an agreement with Turk Telecom CEO Rami Aslan, at the former's exhibition booth during this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) at the Fira Gran Via exhibition center in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday (KST). Under the partnership, both companies pledged to establish standards for fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology. / Courtesy of KT



Chairman Hwang aims to raise sales abroad to W2 trillion by 2020



By Kim Yoo-chul

BARCELONA, Spain  KT, Korea's second largest mobile carrier, pledged Tuesday to expand its overseas operations to boost its sales abroad to 2 trillion won by 2020 from 750 billion won last year.

"KT realized the need to go global for survival and future growth because KT's traditional businesses face fiercer competition," Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu said at a news conference on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress (MWC).

Hwang said it will bolster existing business tie-ups and expand faster wireless-focused services.

To that extent, KT signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Turk Telekom on business tie-ups.

Under the bilateral partnership, Turk Telekom's mobile, fixed voice, broadband and TV services will be powered by KT's fourth-generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless technology.

"KT believes demand for faster wireless technology by the Turkish operator will be huge in accordance with its moves to introduce converged telecom-oriented services," Hwang said.

He added the agreement also included a partnership to establish a standard of even faster fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology.

The 2016 MWC is highlighting efforts by telecom, software and hardware companies as 5G is beginning to take shape amid the growth of data-intensive devices and related solutions such as virtual reality.

KT has signed another deal with the government of Catalonia under which KT will supply its patented GiGA Wire technology to apartments in Barcelona.

Tourists in Barcelona could enjoy up to 600 Mbps Internet speed after the network is installed.

Hwang said that since the successful rollout of its superfast GiGA-dubbed Internet to broadband users, KT has successfully formulated plans to provide new GiGA services to boost its fixed line and wireless businesses, and to develop new convergence and platform businesses.

Its GiGA project will be expanded to Bangladesh after it finishes installing the GiGA network infrastructure on several islands in Korea.

"KT is very happy with the agreement to introduce LTE services to Maheshkhali Island," he said. The island is located near the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. It is the most common attraction for tourists who visit the Asian country.

"Releasing LTE services on the island is in line with KT's initiative called GiGA Island, to spread LTE networks to every corner of the island. Because the island is popular with tourists, the availability of faster Internet services will help the island spur digitalization," Hwang said.

KT earlier attempted to grow its overseas businesses by making direct investments in foreign telecom companies. However, the company changed its global business strategy toward beefing up strategic collaboration instead.
By Yoon Sung-won





Kim Hyoung-min

EnerNOC Korea said Tuesday it has appointed its vice president Kim Hyoung-min as the new head of the company.



"I want to take EnerNOC Korea to the next level of success," Kim said. "As we have some of Korea's top talent at EnerNOC Korea, my key focus will be to help our team perform at their best."



Kim joined EnerNOC Korea, the local subsidiary of the world's largest energy intelligence provider, as its vice president last Nov. 15.



Before that, he was the executive vice president in charge of human resources at Korea Exchange Bank between 2003 and 2008, then vice president of British American Tobacco Korea, a local affiliate of the leading global tobacco company headquartered in London, from 2011 to 2014.



Kim, who once was a staff reporter at The Korea Times, also worked at Cheong Wa Dae as chief manager of the foreign press and as a secretary for President Kim Dae-jung.



"The range of experience that Kim has garnered throughout his career speaks of his deep knowledge of challenges as well as opportunities facing customers, stakeholders and employees," said EnerNOC Asia Pacific Managing Director Jeffery Renaud. "I look forward to seeing the company's success both internal and external under Kim's leadership."



Established in 2003, the Boston-headquartered company provides energy intelligence software and services for its clients at more than 70,000 sites worldwide.
By Yoon Sung-won



Huawei said Tuesday it will collaborate with global telecom companies including LG Uplus in Korea on interim network technology ahead of the commercial introduction of the fifth-generation (5G) network.



Besides LG Uplus, the Chinese company said it has also reached agreement with global mobile carriers including TeliaSonera in Norway, HKT in Hong Kong, P4 in Poland and VIVA in Kuwait to strategically cooperate on what it calls the 4.5-generation (4.5G) network during the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. It also launched a new base station system named GigaRadio, which it expects to accelerate the commercialization of 4.5G network technology worldwide.



"4.5G is a technology that provides wider bandwidth, extensive connectivity and shorter delay time to prepare for new devices and services that will come five years from now," said Huawei's global products and solutions chief Ryan Ding.



Ding pointed out the 4G long-term evolution (LTE) network will coexist with the 5G network for a long time and stressed the need for an interim technology connecting the two standards.



"4.5G will help telecom companies' long-term investments by reallocating existing telecom infrastructure and resources while helping smooth out the application of new technologies," he said. "In the future, telecom companies will need to continue their efforts to lead the market in the 5G era."



Ding said the 4.5G network will boost data transmission speed, improve high-definition voice and video communication and enable connection to diverse devices.



For Huawei's 4.5G Summit at the MWC 2016, the company invited telecom operators, market analysts and media from around the globe to announce its strategy for 4.5G technology. The participants also share their views on the latest network technologies such as the establishment of a gigabit-class network, a narrow broadband Internet of Things (IoT), an LTE-integrated trunked radio and the expansion of system capacities, Huawei said.



Huawei said GigaRadio is a key system for the 4.5G network and is smaller and easier to deploy. It has 50 percent higher data transmission capability and is 20 percent smaller than other products.



"We expect the GigaRadio technology will soon be introduced globally, leading to the establishment of 4.5G networks worldwide in 2016," the company said.




The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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2015 Awards Finalists Announced

Today, the Los Angeles Times announced this years Book Prizes honorees and finalists in 10 categories. Novelist James Patterson will be honored with the Innovators Award and United States Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera will receive the 2015 Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement. The awards will be presented April 9th, during the 21st Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, at the University of Southern Californias Bovard Auditorium.

James Patterson will receive the 2015 Innovators Award, which spotlights cutting-edge business models, technology or applications of narrative art. Kenneth Turan, Times Film Critic and Director of the Book Prizes, notes that Patterson has left a singular mark on the literary community through his writing for adults and young people, as well as through his efforts to make books and reading a national priority. His support of libraries, independent bookstores, booksellers, teachers and students is unsurpassed with millions of dollars in grants and scholarships going toward encouraging Americans to read and supporting those who foster reading.

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Patterson, the current Guinness World Record holder for most #1 New York Times Best Sellers, has donated more than one million books to students nationwide, and established more than 400 James Patterson Teacher Education Scholarships at 24 colleges and universities across the U.S. Patterson was awarded the National Book Foundations 2015 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community and he has been honored with an Edgar Award, the International Thriller Writers ThrillerMaster Award, and Author of the Year at the Childrens Choice Book Awards.

Juan Felipe Herrera will receive this years Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement. We are delighted to honor Juan Felipe Herreras remarkable 45-year career as a writer, teacher and activist, said Turan. His literary contributions include poetry, prose, young adult novels and childrens literature, and his work in all artistic forms highlights a life dedicated to giving voice to those who are not always heard.

Named California Poet Laureate in 2012 and the U.S. Poet Laureate in 2015, Herrera studied at the University of California, Los Angeles and Stanford University and has an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers Workshop. His other honors include fellowships from UC Berkeley, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bread Loaf Writers Conference, and the Stanford Chicano Fellows as well as two Latino Hall of Fame Poetry Awards and a PEN Center USA Poetry Award. He has taught at California State University, Fresno, and at UC Riverside.

The Book Prizes recognize 50 remarkable works in 10 different categories: biography, current interest, fiction, first fiction (the Art Seidenbaum Award), graphic novel/comics, history, mystery/thriller, poetry, science and technology, and young adult literature. Judging panels of writers who specialize in each genre select finalists and winners. The complete list of this years finalists and further information, including past winners, is available at latimes.com/bookprizes. Tickets for the ceremony will be made available for purchase on March 8th.
Ever since Seattle enacted a measure to raise its minimum wage to a nation-leading $15 an hour, conservatives have been sharpening their pencils to show the raise is a job-killer.

Mike Patton of Forbes broke out of the box early, with a piece on Sept. 28 asserting that thus far the data doesnt bode well for supporters of this law. His evidence was an apparent spike in Seattles unemployment rate after April 1, when the first increase to $11 from the Washington state minimum of $9.47 was implemented.

The data are basically worthless for any serious analysis.  Jacob Vigdor, University of Washington, on data purporting to show minimum wage job losses in Seattle

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The unemployment rate will likely trend higher for several years as businesses seek ways to mitigate the negative financial consequences of this law, Patton wrote.

The issue isnt trivial. Dozens of municipalities are contemplating increases in their minimum wage or begun implementing long-term changes. Los Angeles will raise its minimum July 1 from the state-mandated $10 to $10.50, with the goal of $15 in 2020.

But the problem with using Seattle as an early warning signal for minimum wage increases is that, as yet, theres almost no good information. Patton, for instance, used a few months of non-seasonally adjusted data, but he may not have noticed that Seattle employment falls every April before recovering in subsequent months. Adjusting for seasonal variation, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics does routinely, the spike in the unemployment rate disappeared.

In fact, firm figures for city employment and wages in the post-April 1 period wont become available until early this year. A study team from the University of Washington, which has contracted with the city to analyze the effect, wont produce its first, very preliminary report, until mid-year.

That brings us to Mark J. Perry of the pro-business American Enterprise Institute, one of the most assiduous critics of minimum wage increases in general and Seattles in particular. By my count, hes written about a dozen posts on his AEI blog wholly or partially about Seattle since the end of March, among more than 25 posts attacking minimum wage increases generally.

Perry has been looking hard for evidence of a decline in Seattle jobs, especially in the restaurant industry, for months. In August and again in October he claimed he found it: In the first piece, he reported that restaurants in the Seattle metropolitan statistical area had shed 1,300 jobs between January and June 2015, while employment in other categories had risen. In his follow-up extending the statistics through September, he reported that restaurant employment in the Seattle metropolitan statistical area had fallen by a net 700, while restaurant employment in the state, outside of Seattle, had risen.

The problem, as several commentators pointed out, was that the Seattle metropolitan statistical area is not the same as the city of Seattle. Its huge  three counties encompassing 39 cities, with a population of 3.6 million compared to Seattles 660,000 residents  and only Seattle had enacted a $15 minimum wage. As regional economist Annaliese Vance-Sherman told the economics blogger Invictus of Ritholtz.com, It is not possible to draw conclusions about the city based on the MSA.

Now, Perry is back, armed with what he says are Seattle-only statistics. Seattles radical experiment might be a model for the rest of the nation not to follow, he wrote on Feb. 18. He cited figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that Seattle employment fell by more than 11,000 from April, the date of the first minimum wage hike, through December. He compared these numbers to the Seattle MSA, writing that while jobs in the city of Seattle were tanking starting last April, employment in the suburbs surrounding Seattle was increasing steadily to a new record high in November.

Unfortunately, local economists say Perry is still using bad data. Although he attributes the city-only numbers to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, theyre not reliable jobs numbers. Perrys source is the Local Area Unemployment Statistics file, or LAUS, which is based on a small sampling. Its aimed at counting the number of employed people living in the sample area (in this case, Seattle), not the number of jobs. The data are prone to error, University of Washington economist Jacob Vigdor told me by email, and basically worthless for any serious analysis.

Indeed, Vigdor  who is overseeing the universitys analysis of minimum-wage data  notes that the same statistics for Bellevue and Everett, Wash., showed exactly the same percentage decrease that Perry found in Seattle, even though they havent increased their minimum wage. (See below.)

My best guess is that the BLS has produced the figures for all three cities using a tiny amount of data mixed with a large number of assumptions, he said.

Vigdor observes that its simply too soon to come to any conclusions about the effect of the wage increase in the restaurant sector. Among other things, restaurants say that $11 an hour, the statutory minimum as of April 1, was the going rate for restaurant employees even before the law took effect. That means that employers actually didnt see an effective increase until Jan. 1, when the rate moved to $12 an hour for small employers and $13 for those with more than 500 workers.

Perry defends his analysis. Perhaps those BLS data are unreliable, he told me by email, but he maintains that all the data still suggest there are negative employment trends in the Seattle area. He adds, We can not necessarily blame the minimum wage increases ... but that is one factor that has to be considered.

The jury is still out on the $15 minimum wage, he said, and it will take years to assess its impact. Im simply pointing to some possible evidence in employment trends that might suggest that there is early evidence of some effects.

Yet its not clear that there really is early evidence of some effects, as opposed to flawed statistics that can be massaged to show it. Critics of the Seattle minimum wage are, at best, jumping the gun.

I would not go so far as to say that the [Perry] study contradicts our conclusions, Vigdor said. We dont have the data yet, there is nothing to contradict. ... Our primary interest is in ensuring that dialogue over Seattles experience is conducted using reliable evidence, which the LAUS numbers are not.

Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see our Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com.
Apple lawyer Ted Olson said Sunday that the tech heavyweight has good reason not to help federal investigators hack an iPhone that belonged to one of the San Bernardino shooters. The company, he said, has to draw the line at re-creating code and changing its product.

To which theres a two-word response: seat belts.

And heres two more: air bags.

In both those cases, the auto industry said federal officials had no right to make them tinker with their products. And in both cases, the feds prevailed, arguing that public safety is a more important consideration than automakers independence.

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There are many other examples of government officials telling businesses to fiddle with their products in the name of safeguarding the public  baby cribs, toys, gasoline, mattresses, prescription drugs, aircraft and so on.

Apple is arguing that the cellphone is a private space and that the users privacy would be infringed, said Timothy Lytton, a law professor at Georgia State University who specializes in regulation of consumer products. The government is saying, no, its something you bring out into the world.

Thats the crux of the dispute: Is an iPhone or any other mobile device representative of your most intimate behavior, and thus protected by privacy laws, or is it a ubiquitous consumer product subject to the same oversight as other goods found in everyday life?

At issue isnt what Apple has misleadingly dubbed a master key to the worlds iPhones. Rather, its a security feature that basically makes the device useless if too many attempts are made to unlock it.

We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorists pass code without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly, FBI Director James Comey said in a statement Sunday.

Maybe the phone holds the clue to finding more terrorists, he said. Maybe it doesnt. But we cant look the survivors in the eye, or ourselves in the mirror, if we dont follow this lead.

Comey is trying to stake out the moral high ground. Then again, so is Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook.

We feel we must speak up in the face of what we see as an overreach by the U.S. government, he wrote in response to a court order requiring that his company play ball.

Overreach, however, is a tricky thing to define.

The government cant seek access to a terrorists iPhone but it can interfere with your personal freedom and make you wear a helmet when you ride a motorcycle? It cant require Apple to write some new code but it can force cigarette companies to write on packages that their product may kill you?

Privacy is a big deal. And if that were the sole issue here, I dont think anyone would say the government should have free rein to root around in your gadgets.

The government is asking for a modification of a product that implicates an important right, Lytton said. Your phone is a private sphere of substance, just like your bedroom.

However, the government isnt talking about getting into everyones cellphones or everyones bedroom. It wants access to a single phone.

The question is whether that one phone represents a substantial hazard to the public, said Bill Kitzes, a product-safety expert and former program manager with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. You could argue that it does.

Privacy only becomes an issue, he said, if you dont trust the government or Apple to keep the potential backdoor created for this single iPhone under wraps.

If that software got out and anybody who had it could get into anyones phone, that could be a real problem, Kitzes said.

The government said in a court filing Friday that its demand for Apple to help unlock the shooters phone does not give the government the power to reach into anyones device without a warrant or court authorization, nor does it compromise the security of personal information.

It said the software the FBI wants Apple to write would remain under the companys control. No one outside Apple would have access to the software required by the order unless Apple itself chose to share it, the government said.

Can we trust Apple? Can we trust the government? I suspect many people would say no and no.

Distrust of the government is nothing new, and is arguably well deserved (yes, looking at you, NSA).

As for Apple, its worth noting that the company has a long track record of ratting out customers to the feds. In the first half of last year, according to the news site Quartz, Apple received 971 government requests for user data. It complied with a hefty 81% of those requests.

I dont buy that Apple has seen the light on users privacy. I think the company is more concerned that if it caves here, what will happen when any other government  Chinas, say  also demands security-related product changes?

Thats a reasonable worry. And its the companys most convincing argument in favor of why the feds should back off.

Apple is on less sure ground when it argues, as Olson did, that the government cant make it re-create code or change the iPhone.

It can, when public safety is a factor. Again, seat belts.

We need to protect what little privacy we have left. But In this case, and this case alone from a broader privacy perspective, I think the government is right.

Hack the damn phone, Apple.

David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. he also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.

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Michael Spann can drive from his home to the Long Beach Airport in less than 15 minutes, but the sales representative is frustrated that he cant get a direct flight to see his son in Denver from the handful of carriers that serve the regional airfield.

That could change now that the city of Long Beach has offered Southwest Airlines the chance to operate in Long Beach for the first time, setting up a possible battle of low-cost carriers at the 1,166-acre facility.

I welcome Southwest coming in because it gives me more options, Spann said.

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Long Beachs move to add nine new daily departures and arrivals boosts airport traffic up to 20%. It also opens the door for JetBlue Airways, the biggest carrier at Long Beach with more than 80% of the daily flights, to go head-to-head with Southwest, a low-cost carrier known to dominate its competitors at regional airports.

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Its an opportunity for Southwest to enhance their network even if it is a few slots, said Jonathan Root, an analyst with Moodys Investor Service.

Southwest executives have yet to announce the destinations they would like to serve from Long Beach but they have hinted that Southwest may add flights to the Bay Area  possibly duplicating the routes now served by JetBlue.

The new slots for daily flights became available after noise studies in November showed that the airport could add nine more daily departures and arrivals without violating an airport noise limit that sets a threshold tied to the airline noise generated in 1989-90.

Experts say the growing use of modern jets with quieter engines, among other factors, has helped reduce airport noise in Long Beach and other airports across the country.

Until Long Beach added the new slots, the airport imposed a limit of 41 daily flights for large jets, allocated to JetBlue, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Federal Express and UPS. The city distributed the nine new slots by offering four to Southwest, three to JetBlue and two to Delta.

For now, the airport serves only domestic destinations, but Long Beach is now considering adding a federal inspection facility to allow international flights. JetBlue has been lobbying for the inspection facility so it can open routes out of Long Beach to Mexico.

In neighborhoods around Long Beach Airport, residents have mixed views about the growth, with some praising the city for bringing in more travel alternatives and others worrying that it may lead to more jet noise.

Its about convenience and more choices, said Suzanne Powell, a retired teacher who has lived in Long Beach for 10 years.

Some residents who live near the airport say they prefer quiet skies to increased airline competition.

We are close enough to flight paths to hear the takeoffs, said Ron Antonette, a public relations consultant who lives less than three miles from the airfield. They are studying adding international flights now, and there are a lot of unknown variables.

Laurie Smith, a television producer who lives about two miles from Long Beach Airport, noted that federal officials have begun installing a modernized air traffic control system, known as NextGen, at the airport. She suggests that the city postpone adding more slots until the impact of the new traffic control system is studied.

Long Beach is one of the smallest airports that operates scheduled commercial flights in Southern California. In the 12 months that ended Nov. 30, the airport served 1.2 million passengers, an 11% decline from the same period in 2014, according to federal data.

The decline is partly the result of airline mergers over the last decade. The combinations have consolidated the nations domestic service to a handful of mega-carriers that have cut less-profitable routes to smaller airports to focus on more lucrative flights to large hub airports.

In addition, JetBlue hasnt taken full advantage of its Long Beach slots as it focuses on its growing business to the Caribbean and Latin America, Fitch Ratings has noted. But JetBlue has denied that the reduction in daily flights out of the regional airport is tied to delays in allowing international flights.

Airline industry experts say the move by Southwest to open operations in Long Beach may seem strange, considering the size of the facility and the decline in passenger traffic over the last few years.

But they note that Southwests business strategy has long been to concentrate operations at regional airports, leaving its competitors to battle over major hub airports like Los Angeles International Airport, the nations third-busiest airport.

Its part of being what they call a neighborhood airline, said Henry Harteveldt, chief research officer and co-founder of San Francisco-based Atmosphere Research Group.

In Southern California, major carriers such as American, Delta and United Airlines have been investing heavily to dominate at LAX. Delta, for example, last year completed a $229-million upgrade to its LAX facilities. American Airlines announced plans last month to add 25 daily flights out of LAX starting in June, a 10% increase in service for the Fort Worth-based carrier.

Meanwhile, Southwest has grown to be the largest carrier in most regional airports around LAX, including Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Ontario International Airport and San Diego International Airport.

Of Southern Californias regional airfields, Long Beach Airport has been one of the few facilities not served by Southwest.

We want to be L.A.'s preferred carrier, not just the largest, Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said. By having service in multiple locations we reach different groups of customers.

Industry experts say that advances in jet engine technology could continue to lower the noise impact at Long Beach, allowing the city to add even more air traffic in the future.

For now, Long Beach officials say they cant predict whether more slots will be added in the next few years. But if the airport continues to expand service, Southwest officials hope to be in a position to take advantage of the growth.

We have the strongest customer base in California, I would venture to say, and we aim to be everywhere they want to fly, Hawkins said.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

Twitter: @hugomartin

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Amid the tense standoff between the FBI and Apple, a Los Angeles congressman on Tuesday urged FBI Director James Comey to drop the demand the tech giant help the agency unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino terrorists.

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles) wrote in a letter to Comey that it should be up to Congress, stakeholders, and the American public debate and resolve these difficult issues, not unelected judges.

Lieu expressed concern about the courts deciding the issue based on a 1789 law, which he said does not take into account the complexities of todays technology.

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Lets all take a deep breath and start talking to each other instead of fighting in court, he wrote.

Meanwhile, Microsoft founder Bill Gates weighed in on the controversy, seeming to question Apples claims that the FBIs request represented an unprecedented inquiry to violate the privacy of customers.

This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing; they are asking for a particular case, Gates told the Financial Times. It is no different than ... should anybody ever have been able to tell the phone company to get information ... should anybody be able to get at bank records.

Gates stance puts him at odds with some others in the tech world, including Apple, for whom his company was a great rival for years. The company and others have argued the FBI request marks a dangerous precedent.

Demonstrations are planned across the nation Tuesday in support of the tech giants refusal to unlock the San Bernardino gunmans iPhone. The protest is being organized by a group called Fight for the Future, which has organized previous demonstrations on tech issues.

According to the group, protests will take place in San Francisco and Los Angeles and at Apples Silicon Valley headquarters and FBI headquarters in Washington, among other places. The group said backers will carry banners saying FBI: Dont Break Our Phones and Secure Phones Save Lives.

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A new Pew poll showed 51% of respondents supported the FBIs effort to force Apple to help in the terror probe.

On Monday, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook sent a letter to employees saying: The case is about much more than a single phone or a single investigation. At stake is the data security of hundreds of millions of law-abiding people, and setting a dangerous precedent that threatens everyones civil liberties.

Comey had said in a statement Sunday that the scale of the San Bernardino attacks, which left 14 people dead and 22 injured, warranted the pursuit of all leads, including reviewing Syed Rizwan Farooks iPhone 5c.

I hope folks will take a deep breath and stop saying the world is ending, but instead use that breath to talk to each other, Comey said.

We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorists passcode without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly. Thats it, Comey said. We dont want to break anyones encryption or set a master key loose on the land.

Comeys statement served as a rejoinder to comments made earlier in the day by Apple attorney Ted Olson, who predicted the FBIs request would unleash a Pandoras box and compromise the privacy of millions of Apple customers.

Theres no limit to what the government could require Apple to do if it succeeds this way, Olson told host George Stephanopoulos on ABCs This Week. But Apple has to draw the line at re-creating code, changing its iPhone, putting its engineers and creative talents to destroy the iPhone as it exists, Olson said.

Cooks employee memo was obtained by several news organizations, including the Verge and BuzzFeed. Apple also issued a Q&A to its customers.

The order would set a legal precedent that would expand the powers of the government, and we simply dont know where that would lead us. Should the government be allowed to order us to create other capabilities for surveillance purposes, such as recording conversations or location tracking? This would set a very dangerous precedent, the Q&A said.

The FBI has been investigating the Dec. 2 attack by Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, who stormed into the Inland Regional Center and gunned down his coworkers from the San Bernardino County Public Health Department.

Investigators believe Farooks smartphone, issued to him by the county, may contain critical communications around the time of the shooting. The FBI has a warrant to search the iPhone, but Apples encryption technology erases the phones data after 10 failed attempts to break the passcode.

After the San Bernardino shooting, Apple provided the FBI with data from Farooks work iPhone that he had backed up remotely. But he did not save to iCloud from Oct. 19 to the date of the attack, leaving about seven weeks of potential messages, texts and photos for investigators to review.

Maybe the phone holds the clue to finding more terrorists. Maybe it doesnt, Comey said Sunday. But we cant look the survivors in the eye, or ourselves in the mirror, if we dont follow this lead.

Last week, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym of Riverside ordered Apple to aid the FBI in unlocking the phone. Hours later, Cook released an open letter to Apple customers saying that it would resist the judges order. Cook said the federal government has asked the company to build a backdoor to the iPhone, which it considers too dangerous to create.

FULL COVERAGE: Apples fight with the FBI >>

The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone. But thats simply not true, Cook wrote. Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks  from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable.

The U.S. attorneys office responded by filing a motion to compel Apples compliance with the judges order. The government said it was not asking for a master key to Apples phones but for software that opened this particular iPhone. Once created, the government said, Apple could keep the software and destroy it after the phone was unlocked.

In his statement Sunday, Comey said the debate over Farooks phone showed how awesome new technology ... creates a serious tension between two values we all treasure  privacy and safety.

Urging the public to recall the innocent Americans who were victimized, he said it was not up to corporations, nor the FBI, to reconcile those two priorities. It should be resolved by the American people deciding how we want to govern ourselves in a world we have never seen before, Comey said.

Meanwhile, several victims of the attack will file a legal brief in support of the governments attempts to push Apple to unlock the iPhone.

Stephen Larson, who is representing the victims, said he was approached by the U.S. attorney and asked whether he would consider assisting the victims and representing their interests in a brief. Larson said the victims have a compelling interest in the outcome of this issue.

The law enforcement interest is in terms of their criminal investigation and potential prosecution. The victims interest goes beyond that, goes beyond just a prosecution or criminal investigation. It goes to the bigger questions: How [could this] have happened? Why were these victims targeted? Is there any continued issue or concern ... and part of it is trying to bring some kind of closure to this whole process. Any information that can shed light on why this happened and what information was being discussed about these victims by the terrorists, that helps bring some degree of closure.

Larson would not comment on how many victims he represents. He said he would file an amicus brief by early March.

Times staff writer Brian Bennett in Washington contributed to this report.

Twitter: @matthjourno and @LATChrisGoffard

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Could Matthias Pintscher be the next music director of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra?

Not long ago, a fast-rising high-modernist German composer, conductor and educator following in Pierre Boulezs footsteps would have seemed perhaps the single least likely figure to lead one of our citys more traditional ensembles. But Pintschers debut program with the orchestra Sunday night in Royce Hall was a superb concert that had all the appearances of love at first sight between conductor and orchestra.

LACO is, in fact, changing with the times and beginning to turn its attention to some of todays hottest young composers. And as the L.A. new music scene grows larger and hipper practically by the week, anything might happen. But there is much to consider.

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Last season LACO began auditioning conductors after its popular music director, Jeffrey Kahane, announced that he would be stepping down in 2017 at the end of his 20th season. The orchestra doesnt have much of a history of taking a chance on promising new talent, such as Karina Canellakis, an assistant conductor of the Dallas Symphony who made a spectacular debut last season (and who already may be on the shortlist for the San Diego Symphony or even Dallas). But that approach could attract the elusive younger audience. Then again, the safest bet may be to rely on a tried-and-true conductor who would appeal to core subscribers.

Pintschers concert on Sunday did not answer the basic question of what LACO is looking for, but it did leave behind a tantalizing prospect for the future. With Faure's Pavane, Schoenbergs Chamber Symphony No. 2, Ravels Mother Goose and Beethovens Eighth Symphony, the program itself was out of the ordinary only for the conductor. This was unchallenging standard repertory except for the Schoenberg, and even that wasnt a huge stretch. It was completed in 1939, when Schoenberg taught at UCLA, but the score is a reworking of a piece, romantic in its roots, begun in the early years of the century. Kahane conducted it shortly after he became LACO music director.

Pintscher, on the other hand, happens to be music director of Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Parisian new music group founded by Boulez that champions an uncompromisingly edgy European music we rarely hear in the U.S. Pintscher also has formal associations with the BBC Scottish Symphony and the Danish National Symphony, keeping them up to date with the uncompromisingly edgy European music that American orchestras avoid like the plague. He now adds the newly appointed position of principal conductor of the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, with which he oversaw an impressive day of Boulez performances at last summers festival.

This, of course, brings up one other point. Pintscher is busy. Living in Paris and New York, he also teaches composition at the Juilliard School, and his guest conducting calendar is growing. (He made his Berlin Philharmonic debut in the fall.) He doesnt need LACO. The orchestra didnt even have him bring along one of his own works. But conducting with rapt enthusiasm Sunday at Royce, Pintscher looked like someone who wanted LACO. And responding with like rapt enthusiasm, the LACO musicians played like an orchestra that wanted him.

There were no revelations on this occasion, just really good, intense playing and interpretations that made good hard sense. For all his advocacy of the avant-garde, Pintscher may be something of a romantic at heart. His conducting style is not in the cool new-music mold but broad and probing. He likes heavy textures and lushness and lavish expressivity.

Most of all, Pintscher juices sounds. In Ravels Mother Goose, he went for bursts of flavor from every instrument, putting great emphasis on the sonic equivalent of neon lighting for color and effect. He wiped clean all residue of schmaltz from Faure's Pavane, but only so that the wistful lyricism could stand on its own.

In brief remarks to the audience, Pintscher described Schoenbergs work as music coming right where Brahms left off, and it was a sensual Brahmsian luxuriance that Pintscher brought out. Beethovens Eighth Symphony was full of rhythmic spirit and elan. LACO sounded enthusiastically at home at every turn of every work.

Still, this does not tell us what a Pintscher music directorship would be like. Would he be an absentee leader who merely used the orchestra to build his repertory of standard works? Would he put his own stamp on the orchestra, bringing to us new music to which even the Los Angeles Philharmonic pays little heed?

Would his presence have the potential to tap into the burgeoning young art scene downtown and around town? LACO missed a chance to test those waters with this concert; it neither appealed to, nor drew, a new audience. But the very fact that Pintscher is a serious candidate, that the players already voted with their instruments, is an encouraging sign that all of these necessary concerns must be on the orchestras mind.

Twitter: @markswed
Frank and Virginia Zamora were among the last to file out of the movie theater. The couple had seen "Spotlight" before, but still it was a jolt. Especially watching one particular actor with green eyes. He looked a lot like their son, Dominic, who died last year following a battle with alcoholism, an addiction his parents believe began after he was molested at age 8 by a priest in the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

"One day, when he was about 12, he told us he didn't want to be an altar boy anymore," recalled Virginia. "He and his dad got into an argument. Frank said, 'It's an honor to be an altar boy.'"

"I was an altar boy," Frank interjected. "I always had respect for the priests. They were second to God."

"Spotlight," about the Boston Globe investigation that uncovered rampant child sex abuse within the Catholic Church, brings all these memories to the surface for the Zamoras. Which would seem to be a reason to stay away from the film and its Oscar campaign as it competes for six Academy Awards, including best picture.

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Instead, the couple went out of their way to make the Culver City screening, which had all the trappings of an awards season gathering: a logo-patterned backdrop for photos, chicken skewers, a Q&A with movie talent.

But in place of academy voters swapping film recommendations in the lobby, there were survivors huddled close together, sharing emotional stories and trading phone numbers. This is why the Zamoras had come. They wanted to see "Spotlight" with others who had been affected by child sex abuse.

Because after their neighbors in La Mirada found out what happened to Dominic at St. Paul of the Cross, they were shunned.

"We lost friends. We lost relatives," Virginia said quietly. "He was a child! Wait until you've walked in our shoes all these years and have been there with the tears and the sadness. You know nothing."

Rachel McAdams said she was proud to be part of a film that literally is giving voice to the voiceless -- that is speaking for a group of people who have been marginalized for decades. (Kerry Hayes/Open Road Films)

Since "Spotlight's" November release, many abuse survivors and relatives have felt empowered to share their own harrowing stories  some for the first time. They've also been enlisted to join in the movie's awards season campaign by Open Road Films and Participant Media (the companies that produced and financed the picture), helping to underscore its societal influence.

Though the Globe journalists responsible for the Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage were a big part of the film's initial media push, in recent months the focus has shifted to the survivors. During a presentation at the Director's Guild of America awards in early February, Rachel McAdams, who plays reporter Sacha Pfeiffer, made sure to remind the crowd of the movie's gravitas, saying she was "proud to be part of a film that literally is giving voice to the voiceless  that is speaking for a group of people who have been marginalized for decades."

And at the Culver City event, director Tom McCarthy underscored the actress' point. He told the audience that attending the screening felt more meaningful than the majority of his other media obligations.

Phil Saviano, from left, a victim; Richard Sipe, who wrote several books on priests and sexual abuse; and Terry McKiernan, who runs a nonprofit group that tracks the scandal, attended the Culver City screening.

"We've been running around like idiots, talking about ourselves and the film and pandering for any award anyone will give us," the filmmaker said with a smile. "But this does remind us, really, why we do the work, what got us involved and why we care so much."

Finding courage

More than two decades ago, when Phil Saviano first went public as a victim of clergy abuse, he was unable to imagine a day when strangers would openly relate to his story. As the head of the New England chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, he visited the Boston Globe in the '90s to talk about the widespread abuse within the church. But as depicted in the film, he was initially written off as an eccentric, unreliable source.

"They saw me as one of those conspiracy theorists," said Saviano, who flew out from Boston for the survivors screening. "Honest to God  I always tried to present myself as being respectable. I always made sure I wore a jacket and tie because I figured if you're going to say bad things about a priest, you better look respectable."

Looking back, he says he had the courage to share his story only because he had AIDS and thought he would die soon. He couldn't keep a job. He was broke. He figured his reputation was shot, so it made little difference if he was further embarrassed. If he'd been married, or had kids, or worked for some important company, maybe he never would have opened his mouth, he said.

Many of the real-life figures whose stories are told in "Spotlight" believe the movie has done a lot to reduce that stigma. Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston lawyer who has brought successful cases against more than 150 alleged church perpetrators, said he's had an influx of sexual abuse victims contact him since the film's release.

Rachel McAdams, from left, as Sacha Pfeiffer, Mark Ruffalo as Michael Rezendes and Brian dArcy James as Matt Carroll in a scene from Spotlight. (Kerry Hayes/Open Road Films )

"It's as though the movie is the beginning of the story for many victims," Garabedian, who is played by Stanley Tucci in "Spotlight," said by phone from his office. "I've always been extremely busy, but the film has caused a substantial spike in individuals contacting me from around the world  from Cambodia, Uruguay, Australia."

Jim Scanlan, who had used an alias for years when discussing his teenage abuse, decided to reveal his identity after watching "Spotlight." For decades, he didn't tell anyone that a priest at Boston College High School had abused him  not even his wife. And when the Globe uncovered what had happened to him, he agreed to be known in the paper only as "Kevin from Providence." (That's also what he's called in "Spotlight.")

"Everything has been a progression," said Scanlan, who is a financial planner. "Seeing the movie, I somehow understood much better that if I had been mugged in a park, I would not be afraid to tell anyone. And this should be no different. Seeing the movie really just flipped the switch for me that survivors are not the one who should have the shame."

Recently, Scanlan joined Saviano and fellow survivor Joe Crowley, whose story is also told in "Spotlight," for a meal with the filmmakers. They spent four hours together at a fancy restaurant laughing, recalled Crowley. No one drank alcohol.

"And I think that's why Jim came out publicly," said Crowley. "He saw the camaraderie and the relaxation we had about ourselves. I recently asked Sacha Pfeiffer if she thought I was a different Joe Crowley than the one she met in 2001. I feel like I'm so much more calm and relaxed  not nearly as angry or guilty or shamed. And part of that is talking  not keeping it bottled up."

All three men say they've received an outpouring of support since the film's release. Crowley will take calls from strangers referred to him by Pfeiffer. Saviano started a Facebook page, where he's noticed that more individuals in their 20s are coming forward than in the past.

"I'm not free of issues, but I'm in pretty good shape, and I like to hold myself out as an example of somebody who had some rotten experiences as a kid but got his head together and found ways to be productive," said Saviano. "My feeling is that this can't be the most important thing that ever happened in your life. You've got to find a life beyond this experience and find some joy."

ALSO:

Job 1 for Tom McCarthy in making 'Spotlight' was getting the actors and journalists on same page

Review: Radiant 'Spotlight' illuminates how the Boston Globe covered church sex scandal

'Revenant' vs. 'Spotlight' vs. 'Big Short': Best picture front-runners sharpen their Oscar pitches

Films once were an escape from work. Now, they celebrate it. What gives?

'Spotlight's' makers went for 'simple, unvarnished truth,' not sensationalism

What 'Spotlight' respects about the church-scandal-breaking journalists and the actors who play them
Good morning from the state capital. Im Sacramento bureau chief John Myers, and heres a great political chicken-and-egg quandary: Is the polarization of the major parties the reason why more Californians are registering as independents? Or is the exodus of centrist voters the reason the parties have become more polarized?

Either way, somethings driving voters away from the party. And it may not be confined to California.

This may give us a glimpse of whats happening nationally, Republican strategist Mike Madrid told me in an interview for my story on how new statewide voter data shows the ranks of the unaffiliated voters still rising. They make up 24% of the California electorate now, just about four percentage points smaller than the group of voters who are registered as Republican.

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But the key thing to note: Both major parties are losing market share in California, and researcher Eric McGhee says thats going to continue.

New, young registrants are heavily independent, he said.

REPUBLICANS ROLL THE DICE IN NEVADA

Todays Republican presidential caucuses in the Silver State feature a smaller field, a short turnaround from Saturdays vote in South Carolina, and perhaps a single burning question: Is there any dominant storyline other than Donald Trump?

Our Trail Guide team is on hand to provide some answers once the results are tallied tonight. Join us for live coverage and make sure to follow @latimespolitics.

For much of the time leading up to Nevadas GOP caucuses, the attention was focused on Texas Sen. Ted Cruz asking his national spokesman to resign over accusations leveled against rival Sen. Marco Rubio.

If other candidates choose to go into the gutter, we will not do the same, Cruz said after telling reporters hed asked his advisor Rick Tyler to quit. This was a grave error of judgment.

And just how big of a deal are the Nevada caucuses? One Las Vegas campaign strategist said dont get your hopes up, because its not really part of the political psyche of the states voters.

LAWMAKER CALLS FOR A BAN ON JUNKETS

Legislators in Sacramento have long been criticized, and yet drawn, to out-of-state trips that are funded by interest groups and billed as educational events.

Now, one lawmaker says enough. Assemblywoman Patty Lopez (D-San Fernando) has introduced a bill to completely ban these junkets. And as Patrick McGreevy reports, her effort could face long odds. Much smaller efforts to rein in these kinds of trips have failed in years past.

A reminder that were tracking all of the latest news and notes on California politics on our Essential Politics news feed.

TODAYS ESSENTIALS

 Kate Linthicum reports that Univision, after battling with Trump, is launching a major voter registration and engagement campaign aimed at turning out 3 million new Latino voters ahead of this years presidential election.

 With a big change in the branding of a major national park just days away, lawmakers say they dont want to see the same thing happen with state parks. Melanie Mason reports that legislators are ready to protect naming rights for state parks in the wake of the saga over naming battles for Yosemite National Park.

 Sarah Wire reports San Diegos Rep. Scott Peters made his way to the embattled city of Flint, Mich., to talk about the ongoing crisis over drinking water.

 What happens when a popular comedian stops by the state Capitol? The business of government (briefly) screeches to a halt.

LOGISTICS

Miss yesterdays newsletter? Check it out here.. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox daily. And keep an eye on our new politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics or @LATpoliticsCA?

Follow @johnmyers on Twitter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast.

Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.
Despite objections from some prominent business owners, the Burbank City Council has approved renaming a section of 1st Street in downtown to Ikea Way to help reduce confusion among shoppers headed to the Swedish retailers store, which will be its largest in the United States when completed.

Council members said the change would create a more favorable traffic pattern, and with directional signage, make the store easier for out-of-town shoppers to find from Interstate 5.

I think, ultimately, it does the community good, Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy said. Thats more important than this name or that name.

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But some business owners and residents objected to aspects of the proposal, which will affect the section of 1st Street between Santa Anita and Angeleno avenues.

In October 2014 the City Council approved naming a new segment of the street  from Santa Anita to Providencia Avenue, where the entrance to the stores parking lot will be  to Ikea Way.

Ikea did not request the extension of the street name, but former Traffic Commission member Ralph Herman suggested it. In a recent letter he said that it would enable the city to seek California Department of Transportation signs along the freeway pointing drivers to the Verdugo Avenue exit. Caltrans will not point specifically to a business, Herman and others said.

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Of the four businesses in the affected area, Black Angus Steak House and Residence Inn favored the change, according to a staff report. The others, TrueGrain Inc. and Keller Williams, opposed it.

The Traffic Commission, which includes three Keller Williams Realtors, voted against the proposal in December, voicing concerns that it would set a precedent for other businesses and might not comply with city code. A review by the city attorneys office found that the commissioners who work for Keller Williams did not have a financial conflict of interest, the report stated.

Council members were not swayed by the business owners concerns, in light of what they felt were broader benefits of the new name.

Resident Sharon Springer pushed for selling the naming rights and using the proceeds to ensure pedestrian safety along San Fernando Road.

Its not something that we should give away, especially if were facing a deficit, Springer said. If Ikea wont pay ... I think we should sell it to someone who will.

City Atty. Amy Albano and some members of the public expressed concerns that selling the rights could complicate the citys ability to refuse an undesirable name once the rights are purchased.

The council declined to seek payment for the naming rights.

Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes said Springers idea sounds good, but in practicality, I dont feel its going to work.

chad.garland@latimes.com

Twitter: @chadgarland

Garland writes for Times Community News.

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Among those debating Apples stance against the Justice Department are a handful of people who know from experience what it is like to have a terrorists gun aimed at them or their loved ones.

For some, Syed Rizwan Farooks iPhone and what it could reveal beyond its locked pass code is a valuable puzzle piece in the FBIs investigation. A failure to pursue that data, they say, could hinder their chance at closure.

Lets see how you feel when it affects you, Ryan Reyes, whose boyfriend was killed in the San Bernardino massacre at the Inland Regional Center, said Monday.

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Reyes went nearly 24 hours with conflicting reports about the fate of Daniel Kaufman. When the truth emerged about his companion of three years, Reyes wept in his kitchen while news of the mass shooting flashed across his television.

He now finds it disrespectful that the shooting has been folded into discussions of consumer privacy and believes that Apple has dished out what feels like an insult to the victims.

Supportive of Apples resistance at first, Reyes believes the federal court order should have ended the dispute. Those who disagree do so, he said, because theyve never had something like this happen to them. But as a fellow human being, you should be more focused on Are my bookmarked cat videos more important than finding out what it is that could keep myself or a family member safe?

FULL COVERAGE: Apples fight with the FBI

If another similar attack happened, he wonders whether people would still put privacy above justice.

The director of the FBI contends that the agency has simply requested a chance at guessing Farooks pass code without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly and has no intention of setting a master key loose on the land.

James Comey also said in a statement late Sunday that he hoped the public remembered what terrorists had done to innocent Americans.

Fourteen people were slaughtered and many more had their lives and bodies ruined. We owe them a thorough and professional investigation under law, Comey said.

Maybe the phone holds the clue to finding more terrorists. Maybe it doesnt. But we cant look the survivors in the eye, or ourselves in the mirror, if we dont follow this lead.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook appeared to volley back Monday morning in a letter to employees.

This case is about much more than a single phone or a single investigation.... At stake is the data security of hundreds of millions of law-abiding people, and setting a dangerous precedent that threatens everyones civil liberties, Cook said in the letter provided to news outlets.

He mentioned an email he received from a 13-year-old app developer who thanked the company for standing up for all future generations. And a 30-year Army veteran told me, Like my freedom, I will always consider my privacy as a treasure, Cook said.

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Company attorney Ted Olson had said that fulfilling the FBIs request would be akin to unlatching Pandoras box.

But a lawyer representing some families of the San Bernardino victims, as well as survivors, said that assertion was wildly overstated.

Attorney Stephen Larson said Apples compliance could shed light on the shooting and help lead to his clients peace of mind.

Some questions about smartphone protections and Silicon Valleys role in aiding police investigations remain unanswered. (Julie Jacobson / Associated Press)

The law enforcement interest is in terms of their criminal investigation and potential prosecution. The victims interest goes beyond that, Larson said Monday. It goes to the bigger questions: How this could have happened. Why were these victims targeted? Is there any continued issue or concern?

A former federal judge, Larson said he was approached by the Justice Department and local prosecutors about a week ago and asked if he would consider representing victims and family members interests. He said he plans to file a friend-of-the-court brief in early March.

John Ramos, who had been seated at Farooks table but stepped away shortly before the shooting began, said investigating the Dec. 2 attack should take precedence over any perceived risk to privacy.

The owner is the county, and the user is dead, he said. There is no privacy issue here.

Not everyone affected by the attack, however, is behind the FBI.

Salihin Kondoker said he and his wife  Farooks co-worker who was wounded in the shooting  dont believe the agency should be focusing on the phone, which was issued by the county. Kondoker, who works in information technology, said that his wifes work iPhone comes with GPS so it can be tracked and that employees are instructed not to use it for personal matters.

The company has a very high restriction on these phones, he said. My wife didnt use hers for personal purposes  even I was not allowed to call her on her company phone. I dont know why we have to put Apple in the spotlight on this. I think were going the wrong direction. We need to focus on his personal phone and the phone carriers.

Jenni Kosse, who lost four friends in the shooting, said she has come to understand Apples dilemma.

Initially I thought, Just open it. Why is this persons privacy more important than the lives that they took and the people that were injured? she said.

Now Kosse sees it as a more complex issue. But mostly, she worries that the battle between the federal agency and the tech giant will get tied up in the courts and only bog down the investigation.

For Kosse, who has suffered panic attacks since the shooting, any holdups to answers and possible protection is just a waste of time.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com | Twitter: @brittny_mejia

sarah.parvini@latimes.com | Twitter: @sarahparvini

corina.knoll@latimes.com | Twitter: @corinaknoll

MORE ON APPLE VS. FBI

Apple vs. FBI: Protests planned across the nation over phone privacy

In the fight to unlock iPhones, the U.S. government has more to lose than Apple

Lazarus: Car makers had to install air bags; shouldnt Apple have to hack its iPhone?
Good morning. It is Tuesday, Feb. 23. Are you from Los Angeles? This quiz on driving habits should be able to tell. Heres what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Probation sticker shock

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It costs Los Angeles County more than $233,600 a year to house one youth in juvenile lockup. A new study finds thats more than what any other jurisdiction spends. Last July, the countys chief executive was asked to identify why prices are soaring and what can be done to control costs. So far, she has not produced any recommendations. There is so much waste. And no one pays attention or cares, said Jacqueline Caster, a member of the L.A. County Probation Commission. Los Angeles Times

Legalizing weed

This may be the year California voters finally legalize marijuana. There are 20 statewide ballot measures on the issue, but only one has emerged as the clear front-runner: the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. Its backed by former Facebook president and Napster co-founder Sean Parker and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. We were determined that this measure would be the consensus measure on the ballot regarding regulating marijuana  not everyone is going to get what they want, said Jason Kinney, a spokesman for the campaign. Los Angeles Times

Party affiliation

Republicans now represent 28% of Californias electorate, a drop of three points since 2012, according to new voter data. Roughly a quarter of the states voters do not identify with a political party. New, young registrants are heavily independent and to a lesser extent Democratic, while elderly people are much more likely to be Republican, said Eric McGhee, an elections researcher at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Weather conditions: Its expected to be a hot and dry week in Southern California. Many experts expected El Nino to dump rain on the region throughout the first three months of the year. However, that really hasnt happened since the first week of the year. If March doesnt come through, and April and May are typically drier months, we might be out of time by then, said meteorologist David Sweet. Los Angeles Times

Whats true? PolitiFact takes on several statements about Californias drought and does some truth-squading. PolitiFact

L.A. AT LARGE

Museum piece: Take an audio tour of the Sheats-Goldstein residence, which was just donated to the L.A. County Museum of Art. NPR

Musicians home: A visit to Compton to talk with Kendrick Lamar, one of the biggest rappers on todays music scene. What can the music tell people about gang life in this city? Vice

Neighborhood makeover: Los Angeles officials are trying to give a face-lift to a gritty stretch of Avalon Boulevard in Wilmington. Daily Breeze

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

All-expenses paid: Could political junkets become a thing of the past? Assemblywoman Patty Lopez introduced a bill that would prohibit nonprofit organizations from paying the travel and lodging expenses of politicians. Will state lawmakers take it upon themselves to cut off the sources of lavish trips around the world? I think this bill has as much chance of passing as Ben Carson has of getting the nomination for the Republican Party, said Bob Stern, an author of the states Political Reform Act. Sacramento Bee

Visiting professor: President Obamas sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, will be at Cal State Sacramento on Thursday to talk about living peacefully in ones own community. We all need to feel empowered to have a voice and feel safe, Soetoro-Ng said. Sacramento Bee

Gun control: A proposed state bill would require all gun sales to be videotaped. Supporters believe the legislation would cut down on straw purchasers  people who buy guns for those who cant pass a background check. Associated Press

Sugar fix: Once again, San Francisco is considering a soda tax. City leaders are taking a cue from Berkeley and asking voters to place a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks. Unlike a previous effort to tax soda, the new funds would not be earmarked for any specific program. San Francisco Chronicle

CRIME AND COURTS

Philosophical becomes personal: The FBIs quest to unlock a cellphone used by one of the attackers in the Dec. 2 shooting in San Bernardino is being backed by the shootings victims and family members. The federal agency is locked in a legal fight with Apple, which argues it must maintain users privacy. Lets see how you feel when it affects you, said Ryan Reyes, whose boyfriend was killed in the San Bernardino massacre. Los Angeles Times

Weighing priorities: A new poll found that more than half of Americans say Apple should unlock an iPhone at the center of the escalating battle with the government. But there is a definite generational divide. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

California vintner: Winemaker Peter Mondavi died Saturday at the age of 101. He was an innovator who led his familys Charles Krug Winery for more than half a century. Los Angeles Times

Winning strategy: Peggy Siegal is the woman who helps actors and filmmakers win Oscars. She knows better than anyone that making a great movie is only the first step in winning an Oscar; after that, youve got to have a strategy. Vanity Fair

Back in the day: Heres what it looked like when Los Angeles hosted the Olympic Games in 1932. LAist

White actors: Comedian John Oliver reminds viewers the problem is not just #OscarsSoWhite but white actors who are routinely cast as non-white characters. Thats right  Jake Gyllenhaal, a white American with a Swedish last name, was cast to play the Prince of Persia from, you know, Persia. And hes far from alone, Oliver said. Variety

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego will be sunny and 79 degrees. Riverside will be sunny and 80. Los Angeles will be sunny and 81. It will be sunny and beautiful in Sacramento, where temperatures will reach 68 degrees. It will be partly sunny and 66 degrees in San Francisco.

AND FINALLY

Todays California Memory comes from Douglas Odum:

In the early 60s, growing up in La Puente, we had a short vacation in San Francisco. We only spent a few days there and tried to do as much as possible, but what always stuck with me was watching the boats docking on the original Fishermans Wharf, and seeing the crabs go straight from the boat to the pot. We sat there eating fresh crab with the still-warm sourdough bread, also made fresh, there on the wharf. Such a lasting memory from a simpler time.

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.
Your guide to the California drought from the Los Angeles Times.

NEWS AND POLICY

Water sources: One state lawmaker wants to see California make desalination plants a priority. Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang introduced a bill last week that would set state goals for generating drinking water out of the ocean. Desalination in itself is drought-proof. You have an existing water source, she said.

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Little rain: El Ninos rains havent materialized yet in Southern California, and thats left Ventura County with below-average rainfall for the year. Could the system be similar to the one that came through in 1983 and brought big rains in March and April? Everybody had such high hopes for an El Nino year. [Now] everybody is wondering if this is going to be another bust this year, said Peter Thielke, board president for Senior Canyon Mutual Water Co.

Frank Gehrke of the California Department of Water Resources surveys the snowpack near Echo Summit, Calif. (Rich Pedroncelli / AP)

ON THE GROUND

Snow in the north: Skiers and water officials alike are enjoying the snow in Northern California. Squaw Valley has 26 feet of snow this winter  40% more than all of last season. The true test, however, will come on April 1. Its so good to see all the snow piled up around here. Were way ahead of last year, and its only going to get better, said Janet Tuttle, who runs Donner Ski Ranch.

Danger below: An avalanche in Alpine Meadows struck a bus and pushed it into a home. No one was injured in the crash. The avalanche ultimately brought two feet of snow to the region.

OFFBEAT

Thats nuts: Pistachios helped Californias farmers pay for new wells that kept them afloat during the drought. But now, some are worried that nut sales could take a hit as sanctions are lifted in Iran. Persian pistachios were king through the 1980s. Once Americans are reintroduced to Irans supposedly bigger, nuttier version, some aficionados may not come back to the homegrown product, which one connoisseur compared to cardboard.

Blanket of flowers: Death Valley could experience a once-in-a-decade super bloom of wildflowers thanks to El Nino. You always get flowers somewhere in Death Valley almost every month of the year, but to have a big bloom like this, which we hope will become a super bloom  which is beyond all your expectations  those are quite rare, said Park Ranger Alan Van Valkenburg.

BIG IDEAS

The Bensley Co. is gone, but both its old reservoirs on Russian Hill still exist and the Lombard Street reservoir is functional, providing water to nearby neighborhoods  a little-known link with San Franciscos first water company.

 A brief history of San Franciscos water sources

DROUGHT SNAPSHOT

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.
Unemployment rate: An article in the Feb. 18 Business section about the states economy said the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. forecast that Californias current unemployment rate, stated as being 7%, would decline to about 5.9% by 2017. The groups report misstated the states current unemployment rate, which is an annualized rate of 6.2%. The report also misstated the groups prediction for unemployment in 2017, which is about 5.5%.

Wilmington oil field: A photo caption in the Feb. 21 California section with an article about a Wilmington oil field misspelled the name of Elficer Garcia as Elcifer. It also said Garcia lives next to a Wilmington oil drilling site permitted for up to 540 wells. Garcia lives in another Wilmington neighborhood, next to an oil pump jack and several storage tanks.

Fan charged: In the Feb. 19 California section, an article about a man being charged in an attack last year at Dodger Stadium said Bryan Stow, a San Francisco Giants fan who was beaten at the stadium in 2011, had won an $18-million lawsuit against the Dodgers and then-owner Frank McCourt. McCourt was not found liable in the case.

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If you believe that we have made an error, or you have questions about The Times journalistic standards and practices, you may contact Deirdre Edgar, readers representative, by email at readers.representative@latimes.com, by phone at (877) 554-4000, by fax at (213) 237-3535 or by mail at 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. The readers representative office is online at latimes.com/ readersrep.
The grieving family of a woman shot and killed by Inglewood police said Monday the circumstances surrounding her death dont match their memory of a doting mother of three who never owned a gun.

Relatives of 31-year-old Kisha Michael, who gathered for a news conference at the Inglewood intersection where the shooting occurred, said they have asked for more answers from police but have not been satisfied.

So far they only know what detectives have told them: Michael was found dead along with an unknown man inside a Chevy Malibu.

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They didnt state how or where, said Kishas twin sister, Trisha Michael. Its still a mystery.

It wasnt until hours later that Michaels mother, Rosalinda Reyes-Lopez, said she learned that her daughter had been fatally gunned down by police officers.

The only thing I know so far is what the police have told me, said Reyes-Lopez, of Carson. They said, We are still investigating.

The coroners office has not released the names of the shooting victims because it has not notified next of kin, officials said.

Reyes-Lopez said she had yet to identify Michaels body but the circumstances of the shooting match the description provided by detectives.

Officers said they received a call early Sunday morning of a suspicious vehicle stopped near Manchester Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue. When they approached the car, they noticed the woman in the car had a gun and ordered her and a male occupant out of the vehicle, said Scott Collins, a spokesman for the Inglewood Police Department.

Officers then took cover and opened fire, killing both people.

The woman was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting, and the man died later at a hospital. No police officers were injured.

Police have released few details of the shooting. Collins would not say whether the pair had refused to exit the vehicle or if the woman fired or pointed the gun at police officers.

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Community activist Najee Ali said that possession of a gun did not give the officers the right to open fire.

Even though she may have had a gun, that does not mean she was a threat to officers, said Ali, director of Project Islamic H.O.P.E. To this day, police officers have not said whether she pointed the gun at them or if she was a threat.... Also, her friend, her companion, was unarmed. Why was he shot?

At the corner of the 7-Eleven parking lot where the shooting took place, about a dozen family members and friends gathered to remember Michael, who was visiting Los Angeles from her home in Las Vegas.

I feel she was gunned down, said Trisha Michael, who lives in Inglewood. She never owned a gun. I feel like they are not telling us the whole story.

Relatives said Kisha Michael returned to California last month to attend to personal business. She was planning to return to Las Vegas.

The day before she was killed, she attended a baby shower and a friends birthday party. She left her three sons, ages 11, 10 and 3, with a neighborhood friend. They do not know how she ended up minutes from her sisters Inglewood home dead.

After the news conference, some relatives went to the Inglewood Police Department headquarters demanding to speak with the chief of police. Others stood on the corner collecting donations for the funeral.

One held a sign that said, Murdered by Inglewood Police, and another shouted: It could be your child next. You never know.

For more California breaking news, follow @AngelJennings. She can also be reached at angel.jennings@latimes.com.

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Los Angeles County supervisors voted Tuesday to approve an ambitious plan to renovate a county-run park in the community of Willowbrook, near Compton and South Los Angeles.

But residents of the area were sharply divided over one piece of the plan  a new planned horse stable and equestrian center.

The county plans to renovate the Earvin Magic Johnson Park, a 104-acre recreational space on the site of a former oil storage facility, over 18 years at an estimated cost of $135 million.

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As well as an equestrian center, the plan includes a new community event center, aquatic center, skate park, sculpture garden and dog park.

Neighboring Compton, despite its inner-city reputation, has a strong equestrian community. Staffers, volunteers and alumni of organizations like the nonprofit Compton Junior Posse, which introduces local children to horsemanship, spoke in favor of the park plan.

Tre Hosley, 22, a Compton Junior Posse alum who went to college on a rodeo scholarship and is now a professional rodeo athlete, said other kids should have the same opportunity.

Kids in this area that havent been able to see things of this sort are being blindfolded to way more opportunities that could have been presented to us, he said. Ive started shoeing horses, and kids could become vets and things of this sort, but without ever having been exposed to an environment of such, we would never have the ideas.

But some residents of the area around the park objected, saying the introduction of horses will lead to objectionable smells and health and safety issues.

I love horses, but I dont want them next door to me, said neighbor Juanita Thompson. She said she is worried about flies and the smell of horse manure around the stable. I dont want to wake up to that.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who represents the area, said he is confident that concerns about the equestrian facility can be addressed. He noted that the first phase of the park plan, slated to begin in 2018, does not include the equestrian center.

Environmental cleanup of the former oil site is still underway by ExxonMobil. Officials said new facilities wont be developed until each portion of the site is deemed by the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control to be remediated and suitable for use.

Twitter: @sewella
The Embassy Suites hotel near Los Angeles International Airport was evacuated Monday afternoon after a patron reported that someone was cooking meth in a room, police said.

Investigators later determined that a person was trying to extract tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

The incident began shortly after 1:30 p.m., when a guest who had just checked out of the hotel in the 1400 block of East Imperial Avenue approached a manager and said that people in his former room were cooking methamphetamine, said El Segundo Police Lt. Scott Doukakis.

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The manager called 911, and two El Segundo police officers responded to investigate, Doukakis said.

Read the latest Essential California newsletter >>

They opened the door and were overcome by fumes, Doukakis said of the officers, who were taken to a hospital with unknown injuries.

The officers did not find anyone in the room, Doukakis said.

A hazardous materials team from L.A. Impact, a countywide task force that targets illegal drug trafficking, responded to the scene.

Investigators concluded that the man appeared to be extracting THC from a very small amount of marijuana by using butane from a cigarette lighter, soap and cough syrup, Doukakis said.

No methamphetamine was found inside the hotel room, he added.

The hotel patron who had checked out was detained by police and was also taken to a hospital for medical treatment, Doukakis said. His identity was not released.

The hotel reopened about 5:45 p.m. A spokeswoman for Embassy Suites, which is operated by Hilton, confirmed that the hotel was cleared to reopen and referred further comments to local authorities.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno.

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A year ago, a group of UC Irvine medical students realized that Orange County was missing what they considered an important public health service that every major city in California had access to: a clean-needle exchange program.

So they decided to do something about it.

The students organized with partners across the region and submitted a plan to the California Department of Public Health. The agency rejected the plan last summer, noting a lack of community support and funding for a program.

Undeterred, the group revised the plan, finding a more acceptable location and raising money to support the venture. And last week, their work paid off: They won state approval to open Orange Countys first needle exchange.

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The thinking behind such programs is that if drug use cant be halted, at least substituting clean needles for dirty ones means that users face less exposure to diseases and infections.

The Orange County Needle Exchange Program opened last week at the Santa Ana Civic Center in a mobile site behind City Hall.

Im from San Francisco, where needle exchanges are very common and widely acknowledged to be an important factor in stemming the HIV epidemic, said Kyle Barbour, a founding member of the O.C. exchange and a second-year medical student. So I was shocked to find that Orange County didnt have one. We know that needle exchanges are safe, cheap and effective.

The original plan to house the exchange at an LGBT center in Santa Ana was met with resistance by police and residents.

We thought from a public safety standpoint that the first location was problematic, said Santa Ana Police Chief Carlos Rojas. It was in a neighborhood with schools and a house of worship and looked like it would have led to more calls for service.

So the group worked with the Police Department and other community groups to find a location everyone could agree on. The Santa Ana Civic Center, Rojas said, made the most sense.

Its away from residential areas, he said. We have a large homeless population there and a high concentration of IV drug users, so we saw this area as being more beneficial not only for the people who will be using the service, but also from a public safety aspect.

The organizers then raised $100,000  enough to keep the exchange running for several years, they estimate  from groups including the California Medical Assn. Foundation and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

Barbour said one of the biggest obstacles to the exchange has been fear.

Theres been 40 years of research on needle exchanges, and not a single scientific study has demonstrated that theres any harm either for public safety or public health, he said. But despite that, theres a lot of fear of needle exchanges and injection drug users.

That fear often translates into a lack of political support. Our clients are injection drug users and sex workers  marginalized and largely oppressed populations. Their interests are by and large not heard, and as a consequence, elected officials feel that if they support those interests, they may suffer in the polls for it.

The exchange provides up to 20 more needles than the number turned in by a person, as well as safe-injection supplies such as cookers, tourniquets and cotton; condoms and lubricant; and a list of community resources for services such as housing and healthcare. The exchange is also working with community partners to provide on-site HIV and pregnancy testing.

The exchange, a volunteer-run nonprofit, now boasts a long list of community supporters, including the Orange County Medical Assn., the AIDS Service Foundation of Orange County and the LGBT Center OC.

Barbour hopes the programs opening signals a broader change.

We feel the approval of the Orange County Needle Exchange Program epitomizes Orange County gradually coming into the modern era, he said, so that whether youre poor, stigmatized, minority or majority, you have access to the basic healthcare services that everyone deserves.

Kandil writes for Times Community News.
A former aide to West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran who sued the city and his boss alleging sexual harassment and wrongful punishment is set to receive $500,000 after settling with both parties earlier this month, according to the agreement obtained by The Times.

Under the terms of the settlement with former City Council deputy Ian Owens, Duran and the city admitted no wrongdoing.

This agreement shall not in any way be construed as an admission by defendants or Owens of the truth of any allegations, or an admission of any unlawful acts or other liability whatsoever, the settlement states.

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The money will be paid by the citys insurers, according to the settlement. Owens declined to comment, and his attorneys could not be reached Monday.

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Owens said that he was suspended from his job after he reported alleged misconduct by an aide to another city councilman. His concerns were ignored, he said, because Duran was angry that Owens had spurned his sexual advances. He sued the city and Duran in Los Angeles County Superior Court last year.

West Hollywood City Atty. Michael Jenkins said in an interview that an independent investigation showed Duran did not engage in sexual harassment.

Jenkins said the cost of going to trial was a major consideration in settling the lawsuit, adding that insurers often will make a calculated business decision to negotiate a settlement.

In the end, theres always risk in litigation even if a party is very confident of its position, Jenkins said.

Owens was placed on paid administrative leave in January 2015 amid accusations that he bugged the City Hall office of Fran Solomon, the former deputy to Councilman John Heilman. Owens suspected that Solomon was soliciting campaign contributions for her boss, who was running for reelection, on city time. Owens sent snippets from her office telephone conversations to numerous email accounts in the city, including those of reporters.

Jenkins declined to comment about investigations completed on Owens and Solomon, citing confidentiality of personnel matters.

In the lawsuit, Owens said he told Duran and City Manager Paul Arevalo about his suspicions regarding Solomon. Owens went public with his allegations only because he was frustrated by the lack of response from his supervisors, court documents said.

The city abruptly and unlawfully retaliated against him by suspending him, the lawsuit said. Owens said he was ignored because of sexual tension between him and Duran.

According to the lawsuit, Duran and Owens met in April 2012 via Grindr, a smartphone dating app for gay and bisexual men. They had a sexual encounter the first night they met in person, and Duran offered Owens the council deputy position three months later, the suit said.

In the lawsuit, Owens said Duran made sexual advances or sexually suggestive comments toward him well over 100 times.

Duran has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying Owens did not accuse him of harassment until he was accused of wrongdoing himself.

Duran has acknowledged that he and Owens were intimate and that they met through Grindr. He said they became friends and that he hired Owens because his degree in finance and experience in hotel development and real estate made him well-qualified for the job.

People are trying to make him sound like he was unqualified and got the job based on a one-time incident, Duran told The Times in March. Its just not true.

The City Council voted last summer to eliminate the controversial council deputy system, which spawned high salaries and political infighting. Owens was formally laid off by the city in December.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson

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Apple, which is battling a legal order to help the FBI open a terrorists encrypted iPhone, urged the government to back down Monday, calling instead for a panel of experts to study encryption and privacy concerns.

The proposed commission would issue a report only if it was created by Congress. It thus would have no direct effect on Apples standoff with the FBI, which now is in federal court in Riverside.

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Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, initially proposed the panel in December to study how to balance national security with privacy in the digital age.

Aides to the two lawmakers said Monday they were drafting legislation for Congress to establish the commission, and then to report back with recommendations on possible changes to the law, to government regulations and to business practices.

Sen. Richard M. Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is drafting a competing bill that would penalize companies that dont comply with court orders to decipher encrypted communications.

Apple executives endorsed the proposed commission in a Q&A that was published online Monday.

We feel the best way forward would be for the government to withdraw its demands [in court]  and, as some in Congress have proposed, form a commission or other panel of experts on intelligence, technology, and civil liberties to discuss the implications for law enforcement, national security, privacy, and personal freedoms, they wrote.

The issue was the latest wrinkle to the high-stakes battle for public opinion between Apple and the FBI since the technology giant announced last week it would oppose a federal magistrates order to write software to help the FBI hack into the iPhone that Syed Rizwan Farook used before he and his wife shot and killed 14 people in San Bernardino on Dec. 2.

The courts should not be left to set policy without a national dialogue on how our national security and technology policy interact, Warner said in a statement Monday.

Absent a national consensus, we might end up with an ad hoc policy with serious long-term ramifications, including potentially undermining the competitiveness and technological innovation of the United States, Warner said.

Technology executives argue that customers will stop buying Apple products and other U.S. digital devices if new laws require companies to weaken encryption or create a backdoor for investigators.

A commission would bring together experts who understand the complexity and the stakes to develop viable recommendations on how to balance competing digital security priorities, according to a description of the proposal on the website of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank in Washington where McCaul and Warner are scheduled to appear Wednesday.

McCaul is a former federal prosecutor in Texas, and Warner has close ties with technology and telecommunications executives from his time running a venture capital fund.

In an op-ed published in the Washington Post on Dec. 27, McCaul and Warner urged Congress to officially convene a body of experts representing all of the interests at stake so we can evaluate and improve Americas security posture as technology  and our adversaries  evolve.

Leaders here in Washington have failed to do this, and the relevant parties have not been brought together in an open, transparent manner, they wrote.

brian.bennett@latimes.com

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With Donald Trump gathering strength, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are looking to Nevada to slow his rise and push one of them forward as the alternative to the Republican front-runner.

The first-in-the-West presidential caucuses Tuesday are another contest in which the main fight appears to be the battle for second place.

So far Trump has managed to handily win New Hampshire and South Carolina even though he received only about a third of the vote in each state. That is unlikely to change unless another candidate  Rubio, Cruz or Ohio Gov. John Kasich  emerges as the sole alternative and consolidates a majority of the anti-Trump vote.

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That may take some time, however, playing to Trumps continued advantage.

A win in Nevada, where he is a heavy favorite, would put the Manhattan real estate mogul and TV celebrity in a strong position heading into next weeks big batch of Super Tuesday contests and make the effort to overtake the national front-runner an even steeper climb for his handful of rivals.

Cruz suffered a setback Monday after a top staffer admitted leveling an erroneous attack on Rubio.

Already fighting accusations of underhanded campaigning, Cruz asked his communications director, Rick Tyler, to resign after Tyler posted a video on social media and claimed that the senator from Florida could be heard disparaging the Bible. The allegation was false and Tyler apologized.

This was a grave error of judgment, the senator from Texas told reporters in Las Vegas. Even if the charge had been true, he said, we are not a campaign that is going to question the faith of another candidate.

Trump was quick to weigh in, noting that he won the evangelical vote in Saturdays South Carolina primary despite Cruzs months-long courtship and positioning as the candidate of Christian conservatives.

TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign >>

The reason that Ted Cruz lost the Evangelicals in S.C. is because he is a world class LIAR, and Evangelicals do not like liars! Trump said on Twitter.

At a rally Monday night in Las Vegas, Trump picked up the theme. This guy is sick, he said. Theres something wrong with this guy.

Rubio, speaking to reporters before Cruz had addressed the matter, demanded an explanation.

Who is going to be held accountable for making up this video? Rubio said to reporters in Las Vegas before flying north to stops in Elko, Reno and Minden. Who was held accountable for lying about Ben Carson?

Cruz apologized to Carson during a debate this month after the Cruz campaign spread a false report that the retired neurosurgeon, who competed in Iowa for the same evangelical voters as Cruz, was quitting the race.

Last week in South Carolina, Cruz had to explain away his campaigns use of a misleading picture that had been altered to show a smiling Rubio shaking hands with President Obama.

In the latest flap, Tyler posted a video with subtitles quoting Rubio as saying there were not many answers in the Bible. In fact, Rubio said in the video  which was hard to understand  that the Bible has all the answers.

Cruz was less than contrite.

At a news conference at a YMCA in Las Vegas, Cruz said Rubios team sees a benefit to run from his record.

They have a long record theyve earned in South Carolina of engaging in this kind of trickery and impugning the integrity of whoever their opponent is to distract the attention, Cruz said.

Rubio, seeking to build on his second-place finish in South Carolina and suggest a rallying around his candidacy, announced a number of endorsements from GOP lawmakers and leaders, including Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Orrin G. Hatch of Utah and Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.

Campaigning at the Peppermill hotel-casino in Reno, Rubio largely ignored his GOP rivals and attacked the Democratic opposition.

The winner of Nevadas Democratic caucuses is under FBI investigation, Rubio said, alluding to former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons use of a private email server.

Sanders is a socialist, he said of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who calls himself a democratic socialist. If you want to live in a socialist country, why dont you move to a socialist country?

With less than about 48 hours to campaign before the caucuses, there was little chance for others to overtake Trump in Nevada. Kasich, looking ahead to Super Tuesday and stumping Monday in Virginia, was not even trying.

Rubio may get some nice bounce from his South Carolina showing and some momentum from Jeb suspending his campaign, said Ryan Erwin, who was a Nevada strategist for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush until his exit from the race Saturday night. Cruz will pick up some rural voters concerned about federal lands and government overreach.

But, Erwin said, it would be an upset if Trump did not win.

Finnegan reported from Las Vegas and Lee from Reno. Times staff writer Mark Z. Barabak contributed to this report.

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

kurtis.lee@latimes.com

Twitter: @finneganLAT, @kurtisalee

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President Obama, hoping to finally meet his 2008 campaign pledge, sent Congress a plan Tuesday to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and transfer up to 60 terrorism suspects to a yet unnamed U.S. prison.

The GOP-led Congress has been strongly opposed to closing the controversial prison at the U.S. Navy station in Cuba, and its unlikely that the White House proposal will gain much traction in an election year.

Standing beside Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, Obama made an impassioned pitch for the plan in an address Tuesday morning at the White House.

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If it were easy, it would have happened years ago, as I wanted, Obama said."But there remains bipartisan support for closing it. Given the stakes involved for our security, this plan deserves a fair hearing even in an election year.

Obama said federal courts have successfully prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned hundreds of people for terrorism-related crimes, including two who sought to bring down U.S. passenger planes, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who bombed the Boston Marathon.

1 / 8 The now closed Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, is shown in November 2013. X-Ray was the first detention facility for Al Qaeda and Taliban militants captured after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. (Charles Dharapak / Associated Press) 2 / 8 Military guards exit an area known as Camp Delta at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. (Ben Fox / Associated Press) 3 / 8 A detainee is seen in the communal area inside Camp 6 at the detention center. (Ben Fox / Associated Press) 4 / 8 An Army captain walks outside unoccupied detainee cells inside Camp 6. (Ben Fox / Associated Press) 5 / 8 Camp 6 detainee cells at Guantanamo Bay. Obama sought to close the prison as one of his first acts as president in 2009, but ran into strong resistance in Congress and from some states. (Ben Fox / Associated Press) 6 / 8 Items provided to detainees are shown at Camp 6. There are now 93 prisoners held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, down from a peak of 684 in 2003. (Ben Fox / Associated Press) 7 / 8 A detainee cell in Camp 6 at Guantanamo Bay. (Ben Fox / Associated Press) 8 / 8 Contractors are escorted at the detention center. The Obama administration says it costs more than $3 million per prisoner per year to keep Guantanamo open. (Ben Fox / Associated Press)

Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values, Obama said. It undermines our standing in the world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former POW during the Vietnam War, said his committee would hold hearings on the proposal.

But McCain, who has publicly called for closing the camp, sharply criticized Obamas plan Tuesday.

What we received today is a vague menu of options, not a credible plan for closing Guantanamo, let alone a coherent policy to deal with future terrorist detainees, he said.

Obama has yet to say how and where he will house both current and future detainees, McCain added. Rather than identify specific answers to those difficult questions, the president has essentially passed the buck to Congress.

Amnesty International and the Center for Constitutional Rights, which has successfully represented Guantanamo Bay prisoners in two Supreme Court cases, also criticized the plan as inadequate.

Unless the Obama administration shows real will and dramatically steps up its efforts on these basic fronts, men whose detentions the administration itself has determined are unnecessary, who have already been imprisoned for 14 years, will continue to languish long after President Obama has left the White House, the center said in a statement.

The military is holding 91 detainees at the camp, which was built after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, down from a peak of 684 in 2003. Those not shifted to a U.S. prison would be repatriated abroad.

The plan cites 13 possible transfer sites in the U.S., including seven federal prisons in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas, as well as six on military bases. It doesnt recommend a single site, however.

A Pentagon team last year assessed the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks and Midwest Joint Regional Corrections Facility at Leavenworth, Kan.; the Consolidated Naval Brig, Charleston, S.C.; the Federal Correctional Complex, which includes the medium, maximum and supermax facilities in Florence, Colo.; and the Colorado State Penitentiary II, also known as the Centennial Correctional Facility, in Canon City.

Obama sought to close the prison as one his first acts as president in 2009, but quickly ran into strong resistance in Congress and from some states. His new plan, in his final year in office, is his last chance to make good on his campaign promise.

Congressional leaders showed no signs of being willing to change the federal law that forbids any effort to transfer the detainees to the United States.

The plan focuses on potential cost savings, arguing that closing the prison would save $65 million to $85 million a year. It estimated the one-time cost of transitioning to a U.S. facility would be $290 million to $475 million.

The Pentagon estimated that moving the detainees would save at least $335 million over 10 years, and up to $1.7 billion over 20 years.

The figures are approximate because Congress did not authorize a full engineering analysis of facilities that would need to be updated to hold the detainees, according to administration officials who briefed reporters on condition they not be identified.

More detailed spending figures, which are considered classified, will be provided to Congress, they said.

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman of House Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to Obama warning that Congress has made clear what details must be included in any plan and that anything less than that would be unacceptable.

According to the officials, the U.S. facilities would cost between $265 million and $305 million to operate each year. The annual operating cost for Guantanamo is $445 million, but the officials said the Cuba detention center will need about $225 million in repairs and construction costs if it continues to be used.

The administration has tried to get Republicans on board by arguing that the prison is too expensive, saying it costs more than $3 million per prisoner per year to keep Guantanamo open.

Nevertheless, opponents made clear they will continue to oppose the presidents plan.

The president is doubling down on a dangerous plan to close Guantanamo -- a move that I will continue to fight in the Senate, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) said in a statement. While the administration asserts that transferring detainees and closing Guantanamo is in Americas national security interests, they refuse to level with the American people regarding the terrorist activities and affiliations of the detainees who remain at Guantanamo.

The Pentagon spent months assembling the plan to meet a Feb. 23 deadline to submit a proposal to lawmakers.

When it became public that the assessment teams were visiting potential transfer sites, GOP lawmakers in those states reacted angrily.

Regardless of whether it is Kansas, South Carolina, or Colorado, none of these options are acceptable, U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) said a joint statement before the plan was released.

Our states and our communities remain opposed to moving the worlds deadliest terrorists to U.S. soil. The terrorists at Guantanamo Bay are where they should remain -- at Guantanamo Bay.

There are now 35 prisoners who have never been charged with a crime and have been approved by U.S. military and intelligence officials for repatriation or transfer abroad.

A small number of high-value prisoners, such as Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other alleged 9/11 plotters, would presumably remain at Guantanamo Bay until they are tried by military tribunals there. Mohammeds case is going through the tribunal process.

Just eight men were tried and convicted of war crimes, and only three of those are still serving time at the detention facility.

Guantanamo has held 780 terrorism suspects since it opened in 2002, and 678 have been released or transferred to the custody of other nations. Obama has reduced the population from 241 during his time in office.

Follow @wjhenn for military and defense information.

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He launched his campaign in the warmth of a Florida summer, hailed as the candidate who melded a new, multicultural Republican appeal, a family history of winning and the most formidable fundraising machine his party had ever built.

Eight humiliating months later, in the South Carolina winter, defeated once again by Donald Trump, John Ellis Bush gave up, making him the most prominent casualty of an unruly presidential contest and marking a stunning public repudiation of a family that defined GOP success for decades during two turns in the White House.

Jeb Bushs withdrawal from the race came as Trump handily won South Carolinas primary, advancing another significant step toward the partys nomination. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas were battling for second place.

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By dropping out, Bush could help the party consolidate against Trump, although even if all his votes in South Carolina had gone to one of the two senators, Trump still would have prevailed.

The heady promise of Bushs start made his fall that much more dramatic. The campaigns launch in June opened with a splashy call to action that was presidential in scale and embracing in tone, particularly toward the voters whom GOP leaders had identified as a crucial target after the partys loss in 2012.

Latin music blared, and speakers  including Bush  addressed the Miami audience in Spanish. His slogan added an exclamation point to suggest enthusiasm: Jeb! Bush employed his Mexican-born wife and his bilingual children and imported members of his famous family to craft a compelling image.

He is the new America. He is the new Republican Party, said one announcement speaker, state Sen. Don Gaetz.

It was everything a candidate could dream of  except for an almost total lack of appeal to GOP voters.

Bush had sought to resurrect the political fortunes of a family partially sullied by the misadventures of his brother, George W. Bush. But he was hobbled by an inability to deal with both the fallout of his siblings presidency and an angry, disaffected GOP electorate that despised the party establishment he personified and rejected its call to reach out to minority voters.

Out of office for more than eight years before he jumped into the presidential race in June, Bush appeared oblivious to the staunchly conservative direction the party had taken in his absence, a change driven by activist reactions to the presidencies of his brother and his father, George H.W. Bush.

He persisted in believing that people would eventually embrace a studious, serious candidate in a race filled with rhetoric-flinging rookie politicians and celebrity outsiders. But he failed to gauge the depth of animosity toward him and his family, and the more genteel Republican Party they championed.

In South Carolina, the last state in which he competed, Bush tried every trick. His mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, implored voters to side with her son. George W. Bush emerged from post-presidential retirement to denigrate his brothers nemesis, Trump, and ask South Carolinians who had once rescued his candidacy to do the same for Jeb. None of it worked.

In the end, having finished no better than fourth place in any state, the most conservative candidate his family had produced was deemed insufficiently rock-ribbed and far too old-school for a party surging toward a new identity.

The people of Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina have spoken, and I really respect their decision, said Bush, who occasionally grew emotional as he announced his departure.

He defended an effort that went from front-runner to underdog: I have stood my ground, refusing to bend to the political winds.

Bushs candidacy rested on the same ruthless strategy that had worked for two family members. Within months of signaling his interest in the race early last year, he used the familys expansive network of fundraisers to collect more than $100 million for the super PAC that helped finance his activities, and more still for his campaign. In the end, the campaign and super PAC spent well over $90 million.

Yet in an early warning sign, his effort to clear the field worked only minimally, helping to persuade 2012 nominee Mitt Romney to forgo a third White House try.

Even with the threat of all that money, Bush could not dissuade others: Trump, the non-politician billionaire who would soak up so much attention and bully Bush; Cruz, the eventual Iowa caucus winner whose rapier speaking style would attract many of the partys newer voters; Ohio Gov. John Kasich, whose surprise second-place finish in New Hampshire would win over the more moderate and blue-collar voters Bush had counted on; and his onetime protege, Rubio, who would cast Bush aside as he called for a generational revolt.

Bigger problems awaited. Some conservatives glowered at Bushs past support for the federal education standards known as Common Core. Others were enraged when Bush characterized immigrants in the country illegally as people who were acting out of love  a quote that Trump and others would mock for months.

Had the electorate been what he anticipated, the electorate of a generation ago, Bush might have surmounted his problems. But those two issues have become pillars of GOP activist fervor, so Bushs unorthodox views loomed large.

Its perhaps the biggest irony of Bushs campaign that while his family gave him many advantages  such as the massive fundraising base  it also set the stage for his failure.

Bushs father was never trusted by conservatives in the party, who saw him as the moderate underling not up to the stature of their hero, Ronald Reagan. The elder Bushs broken presidential pledge to not raise taxes led to a serious primary challenge by conservative Pat Buchanan in 1992 that served as a template for the racially tinged, insurgent candidacies this year.

George W. Bush campaigned as a compassionate conservative  a moniker that irked other conservatives it subtly maligned. His support for national education reforms and an immigration plan leading to rights of citizenship for those in the country illegally provoked another lurch to the right for party activists, which expanded further during the Obama years.

The sins of the father and brother made many Republicans greet the third Bush with skepticism, despite his conservative tenure in Florida. If there was to be a new Republican Party, as his supporters asserted, it was not in their view going to be one that heralded yet another Bush.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

Bush himself was another problem. He was neither his quietly confident, patrician father nor his back-slapping, perennially underestimated older brother. Jeb Bush was a self-described introvert, a sometimes diffident policy wonk comfortable in his briefing books, who had jumped into an election that was fuming with hostility toward politics as practiced by his family.

He started the campaign insisting that he would show who I am, tell my story, one different from the other Bushes. But even before his campaign officially began, he was tied in knots for days as he tried to answer the question of whether, given current knowledge, he would have gone to war in Iraq as his brother did. (The eventual answer: I would not have invaded Iraq.)

Trump mercilessly pummeled him over his brothers actions and what Trump declared to be Jeb Bushs personal inadequacies.

Ive got to get this off my chest: Donald Trump is a jerk, Bush finally declared in late December during a New Hampshire event, a comment whose prim language only underscored his discomfort with the rancor of the campaign.

Trumps most common refrain was that Bush was low energy. It was meant to get under Bushs skin, but got to a central truth about him: In a field of aggressors evincing animal rage, he barely registered.

He disappeared for long stretches during the early debates, as louder voices dominated. Campaign slogans  Right to Rise, Jeb Can Fix It  came and went, each an acknowledgment that the previous theme hadnt worked. It was only in the final weeks that Bush seemed to find a sense of urgency in debates and in speeches, but by then the race had passed him by.

The closing chapter of the Bush dynasty opened with one of its key attributes  public optimism. Jeb Bush had survived New Hampshire in fourth place and was back in South Carolina, the state that had righted his brothers campaign in 2000 and propelled his fathers in 1988.

But any momentum he might have had stalled when the well-liked Gov. Nikki Haley spurned Bush family appeals and instead endorsed Rubio. George W. Bushs popularity in the state proved nontransferable. A rally in Summerville descended into embarrassment as, one after another, supporters rose to give a visibly frustrated candidate campaign advice.

At the upbeat Miami event where his effort began so winningly, Bush had exuded optimism, and maybe even a sense of destiny. He was, he cautioned, presuming nothing.

Not a one of us deserves the job, by right of resume, party, seniority, family or family narrative, he said. Its nobodys turn. Its everybodys test. And its wide open  exactly as a contest for president should be.

At the time, he was inoculating himself against any insinuation that he felt he should be handed the presidency. It turned out to be an early and prescient assessment of the emotions at play in campaign 2016, and of the forces that would chase him out of the race.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

seema.mehta@latimes.com

Decker reported from Las Vegas and Mehta from Columbia.

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Marco who?

Its a three-man race in the Republican presidential contest Tuesday in Nevada, but Donald Trump is all but ignoring rival Marco Rubio, concentrating his rhetorical fire on Ted Cruz.

Ted Cruz does not have the right temperment to be President, Trump wrote on Twitter in a series of anti-Cruz tweets Tuesday morning. Look at the way he totally panicked in firing his director of comm. BAD!

The attack was partly tongue-in-cheek, coming from the combative GOP front-runner whose temperament is often questioned.

But it was also a kick-a-man-when-hes-down moment that fit the pattern of Trumps relentless attacks on Jeb Bush in the weeks before the former Florida governor dropped out of the race on Saturday.

Cruz asked his communications director Rick Tyler to resign Monday after Tyler claimed Rubio could be heard disparaging the Bible in a video he posted on social media. The allegation was false and Tyler apologized.

But the dust-up on the eve of the Nevada vote lent credibility to weeks of accusations by both Trump and Rubio that Cruz has run a fundamentally dishonest campaign, undercutting the Texas senators case that hes the purest religious conservative in the race.

The incidents timing was bad for Cruz, who was hoping that a strong finish in Nevada would help him recover from his third-place finish in the South Carolina primary. In Nevada, where illegal immigration has long angered many Republicans, Trump has tried to use the issue against Cruz.

Ted Cruz only talks tough on immigration now because he did so badly in S.C., Trump said Tuesday morning on Twitter. He is in favor of amnesty and weak on illegal immigration.

On Monday night, Cruz tried to reassure conservatives he would be tougher than Rubio or Trump on illegal immigration. Cruz told Fox News commentator Bill OReilly that he would use the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to round up and deport 12 million of them.

So Tommy OMalley from County Cork in Ireland is over here, OReilly asked, and he overstays his visa, and hes got a couple of kids, and hes settled into Long Island, and you, President Cruz, are going to send the feds to his house, take him out and put him on a plane back to Ireland?

You better believe it, Cruz responded.

The Nevada caucuses will offer a new gauge of how Cruz  who once enjoyed a well-chronicled bromance with Trump  is weathering Trumps verbal assault.

For Rubio, whose wherewithal to survive a pummeling was thrown into doubt when Chris Christie rattled him in a New Hampshire debate, a big question looms: When will Trump decide its his turn.
Justice Antonin Scalia had been dead only a few hours when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that the Senate wouldnt act on any replacement proposed by President Obama. The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice, McConnell (R-Ky.) said. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.

This is self-serving sophistry. The American people do have a voice in any nomination Obama makes. They spoke when they elected him to a second term that has 11 months remaining. His authority to nominate Supreme Court justices is no more diminished by his supposed lame-duck status than any of his other constitutional powers.

The Senate also has a constitutional duty: to consider presidential nominees expeditiously. A long vacancy is undesirable in part because a court comprised of only eight members raises the possibility of 4-4 decisions that, while they affirm a lower courts decision, dont create a national precedent.

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The obstructionism being threatened by Senate Republicans is outrageous. It would be equally so if the circumstances were reversed and a Republican president in the last year of his term were sending a nominee to a Democratic Senate. That nominee also would deserve prompt consideration.

No doubt its galling for Senate Republicans that Scalias sudden death creates the possibility of a third Obama appointee and one, moreover, who is almost certainly not going to share Scalias strikingly narrow view of the Constitution.

But there is no truth to the idea that Supreme Court nominations in an election year have an inferior status. Some Republicans have cited the so-called Thurmond Rule, a supposed tradition that the Senate need not act on judicial nominations in an administrations final year. It is named after the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, who along with other senators successfully blocked President Lyndon B. Johnsons attempt to promote Abe Fortas to chief justice in 1968, a presidential election year. But the rule has no formal status and has not been consistently honored. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, for example, was confirmed in 1988.

There is no truth to the idea that Supreme Court nominations in an election year have an inferior status. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, for example, was confirmed in 1988.

As a matter of practical politics, the Republican majority in the Senate  and the fact that Supreme Court nominations may be filibustered  make it unlikely that Obama would nominate a strident or doctrinaire liberal. But, like any president, he is likely to choose a candidate with whom he feels a philosophical affinity.

If Obamas eventual choice resembles the impressive judges he has appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, it will be hard for Republicans in the Senate to denounce that nominee as a radical. Republicans will still have the option of opposing the nominee, but if their only rationale is that they dont want to confirm an appointment by a Democratic president, their partisanship and disrespect for the court will be blatantly obvious.

Its true that both parties in the Senate in recent years have reacted to judicial nominations with excessive partisanship. President Ronald Reagans nomination of Scalia to the court was confirmed by a vote of 98 to 0 in 1986. President Bill Clintons nomination of Ruth Bader Ginsburg was approved 96 to 3 in 1993. Its inconceivable that any nominee, however moderate, would receive such an overwhelming margin of support today. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. was confirmed in 2005 by a vote of 78 to 22; all of the no votes were cast by Democrats (including then-Sen. Barack Obama). In 2010, 36 Republicans (and only one Democrat) voted against confirmation of Justice Elena Kagan.

This increased partisanship may have infected the court itself, with justices being publicly lobbied to time their retirements so that they will be replaced by a president of their own party. To prevent such gamesmanship, some have proposed that the Constitution be amended to provide for fixed but generous terms for Supreme Court justices. Its an idea worth considering.

In the meantime, election-year partisanship should not prevent either the president or the Senate from doing their respective duties. After consulting with the Senate, Obama should nominate a successor for Scalia who commands broad respect; Republicans in the Senate should then give him or her fair consideration and an up-or-down vote.

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As things stand, Donald Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee. Thats awful news, and depressing to contemplate. But terrible possibilities dont become less terrible if we ignore them. Rather, they become more likely.

The GOPs collective desire to look away has been a problem for months. Nearly everyone, including yours truly, believed that Trumps candidacy would exhaust itself. There are many reasons why that hasnt happened. Chief among them: Too many people thought it was someone elses job to bell the Trumpian cat. No better evidence for this thesis can be found than the fact that of the $215 million spent by super PACs so far this cycle, only 4% was spent attacking Trump.

Marco Rubio is now the only plausible alternative to Trump.

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Although the queue for allotments of blame would be longer than a Great Depression bread line, the person at the head of it is Sen. Ted Cruz.

For months, Cruz embraced Trump as a comrade in arms, which helped send the signal to talk radio hosts and various conservative activists that Trump was a healthy addition to the political conversation. Even though the two men are wildly divergent ideologically, they both found shelter under the anti-establishment umbrella.

Cruz finally broke the clinch in Iowa, demonstrating that negative attacks on Trump work.

Then, disastrously, Cruz stopped. He wrongly reasoned that he had no chance in New Hampshire and had little to gain there, so why bother fighting Trump? For the entire crucial week leading to the New Hampshire primary, the GOP field went back into a cannibalistic frenzy to win the non-Trump mantle. This disarray allowed Trump to run up a huge victory in the Granite State, and that momentum let him gobble up Cruzs evangelical base in South Carolina (where 73% of voters describe themselves as evangelical or born-again). Cruz finished a strategically devastating third.

The morals of this story so far should be a familiar. First, you cant count on politicians to look beyond their immediate tactical self-interest. Second, rumors of the so-called establishments power  or even existence  are greatly exaggerated. Waiting for the establishment to save the party from a Trumpian hostile takeover is like waiting for Godot to bring the beer to the party.

Marco Rubio is now the only plausible alternative to Trump. But its doubtful hes taken either of the above lessons to heart. According to his campaigns post-South Carolina strategy memo, he thinks he can wait until after Super Tuesday to post a win in any state. And he assumes first-place finishes will ultimately come his way because the field will clear. Will it? Jeb Bush is finally out, but Ben Carson seems to be running one of the most ingeniously disguised book tours in modern memory; John Kasich is hunting windmills in Ohio and Michigan; and Cruz, having tasted victory in Iowa, is unlikely to give up anytime soon.

Rubios strategy is not crazy, just implausible. Luckily, theres another option. Republican disarray is largely attributable to the fact that no establishment candidate has secured much support from the conservative grass-roots and no grass-roots candidate has secured much support from the establishment.

If the two factions could be unified, it might be enough to stop Trump.

What would unity look like? A Rubio-Cruz ticket a la Reagan-Bush in 1980. Cruz wont work at the top of the ticket for the simple reason that too many GOP apparatchiks fear Cruz more than Trump. But with Rubio leading the way, Los Hermanos Cubanos might just do the trick.

Of course there are real costs to such a deal (not least the fact that there are better general election running mates for Rubio). But if theres a good alternative, I havent heard it. And in a race where Trump has changed everything with his boldness, its past time for his opponents to provide some of their own.

jgoldberg@latimescolumnists.com

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Americans love guns. And Americans hate anyone who dares to criticize their infatuation.

The first truth is rooted in Americas almost unique constitutional right to bear arms  a legal and cultural paradigm that allows its citizens to own more than 300 million guns. This is roughly twice as many firearms per capita than there were in 1968, so its a growing love affair. Its also a painful one  according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 1.4 million Americans were killed or injured by guns between 2001 and 2013. The second truth is, perhaps, best proved by the outcry after British journalist Piers Morgan condemned Americas gun culture. More than 100,000 people signed a petition in 2012 called Deport British Citizen Piers Morgan for Attacking 2nd Amendment.

Americas gun control debate ... should acknowledge that measured gun control will not just affect Americans, but could also benefit the entire world.

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But more foreigners should be speaking out about Americas deadly relationship with the gun. The right to bear arms, and the sheer number of firearms bought and sold in this country every year as a result, has undeniable global implications. For a start, Americans in effect support the worlds gun economy. In addition to the 8.6 million guns made in the U.S. in 2012, 4.8 million more were imported from overseas. The U.S. import volume of foreign guns more than tripled between 2003 and 2012.

More insidious, though, is how the licit American gun industry affects the illicit Latin American gun market. The ease with which guns can be purchased in the U.S., and the fact that many sales may be conducted without background checks, has deep consequences. The majority of guns found in Mexico and Central America are from the United States. It is estimated that more than 250,000 guns flow south of the border into Mexico  a country with just one official gun retailer  every year. Roughly 45% of U.S. firearms licensees are believed to rely on Mexican trade for their survival. To the north, Canada estimates that 50% of the guns used in crime in Ottawa were smuggled across the border.

In 2014, El Salvador had almost 4,000 killings, a rate of about 62 homicides per 100,000 (in the U.S. it is about 4 per 100,000). Most of these slayings were committed with guns  and about 50% of guns traced in El Salvador that year came from the United States. The lifting of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in the U.S. in 2004 resulted in more than 2,600 estimated additional homicides in Mexico.

Even as the 2nd Amendment contributes to rising crime in nearby countries, it also validates the concept of governing with guns, both at home and abroad. The U.S. government has, in one decade  between 2006 and 2016  spent more than $6 billion on small arms alone. That figure reflects a wider trigger-happy reality in which about 250,000 bullets were fired by U.S. troops in Iraq for every rebel killed.

Such governmental largesse has consequences. The Pentagon acknowledges that it has lost track of about 190,000 rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces. And 43% of the 747,000 weapons given to the Afghan National Army could not be accounted for. Without question, U.S. government-funded arms have ended up in the hands of Islamic State militants. And ammunition magazines identical to those given to Afghan government forces by the U.S. military have been found on dead Taliban fighters.

But the 2nd Amendment isnt just upholding the worldwide gun market, fueling smuggling networks and inadvertently arming terrorist groups. Americas passion for guns also inhibits effective global gun control treaties.

The multilateral Arms Trade Treaty would, among other things, have prohibited the U.S. from transferring arms to states that might use them in genocide or crimes against humanity. Although the U.S. signed the treaty in 2013, Congress refused to ratify it, in large part because the National Rifle Assn. claimed that it would curtail American citizens right to bear arms. Amnesty International insisted that wasnt true  but lawmakers listened to their favorite lobby.

The U.S. is also to blame for watering down the United Nations 2001 Program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Then-Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton ensured the program made no mention of the civilian possession of arms nor the need for laws to control them in the final document.

It is not just the United States that deserves criticism. Russian and Chinese state arms manufacturers have caused untold harm, as have private manufacturers in the European Union. But Russia and China dont pretend to be fully functioning democracies, and the EUs gun makers have limited sway politically. America, on the other hand, legitimizes and embraces political donations from gun manufacturers. (All but three of the 45 senators who torpedoed gun control measures in Congress in 2013 accepted donations from gun lobbyists.) And it fails to stem the flow of illegal guns to the drug gangs of Latin America.

Americas gun control debate has now hit the political mainstream: President Obama makes a point of speaking out after mass shootings. That discourse should acknowledge that measured gun control will not just affect Americans, but could also benefit the entire world.

Iain Overton is the author of The Way of the Gun: A Bloody Journey Into the World of Firearms.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
A vacancy opened up Monday on Ted Cruz's campaign staff when the tea party's favorite ex-Canadian was forced to fire a top aide, his communications director Rick Tyler. The aide's offense? Posting on Facebook a video that purportedly showed rival Marco Rubio gratuitously dissing the Bible, when in fact Rubio had done the opposite.

For Cruz, the episode fits into a disturbingly Nixonian pattern of dirty campaign tricks, such as suggesting just before the Iowa caucuses that Dr. Ben Carson was about to quit the campaign. Regardless of whether Carson should have abandoned his sinking ship, given the departure of seemingly every woman and child, he wasn't on the verge of doing so then. More recently, there was the mailer with the fake photo of Rubio shaking hands with President Obama -- which says something about Cruz, given that it's hardly a sin to smile when one is greeted by the President of the United States.

For Rubio, though, the real video isn't terribly helpful, either.

First published by a student journalist at the University of Pennsylvania, the clip shows Rubio passing Cruz's father and a staff member in a Columbia, S.C., hotel lobby. The staffer waves and Rubio says, "Got a good book there" as he walks by. Rubio pauses, says something unintelligible, then departs with the words, "Especially in that one."

The book turns out to have been a Bible. The initial version of the video included subtitles that claimed Rubio said, "Not many answers in it" before "Especially in that one," which led to a flurry of tut-tutting on right-of-center sites. Then the Rubio campaign weighed in with a newly subtitled version of the clip, which has Rubio saying as he points to the staffer's Bible, "All the answers are in there. Especially in that one."

Dulled by years of listening to non-church-approved music at excessive volume, my own ears can't make out what Rubio actually said. But taking his campaign's subtitles as gospel, the video shows Rubio declaring that a religious text has "all the answers."

Granted, it's not just any religious text -- it's one held dear by most Americans, and of more particular interest to Rubio, most American voters. But Rubio's running for president, not pastor, and the First Amendment requires the federal government not to favor any particular flavor of religion. And the answers the Bible offers about a given issue may not jive with those offered by, say, the Talmud or federal statutes.

Of course, even Donald Trump has pandered to evangelical Christians in the primaries, so perhaps Rubio's comments were more of the same. But consider the context: It was a chance encounter with a Cruz staffer who was seated next to Cruz's father. There are no votes to be gained at that table. Why would Rubio pander to them?

Maybe he just couldn't help himself, considering that he was in a public place with at least one camera trained on him. Or maybe that's the real Rubio, a guy who, when trying to decide how to bring Islamic State to heel, balance the budget or keep Medicare and Social Security intact at least until his children retire, will reach for a centuries-old guidebook to Christianity.

But maybe I'm reading far too much into Rubio's book choice. What do you think? Take our wildly unscientific poll, offer your own analysis or do both!

Email Jon Healey

Follow Healey's intermittent Twitter feed: @jcahealey
On second thought, maybe its okay to be obstructionist after all.

Last week, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) warned his Republican colleagues not to reject a Supreme Court nominee from President Obama sight unseen lest they fall into the trap of being obstructionist. On Tuesday, Tillis joined all 10 of the other Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee in pledging to exercise our constitutional authority to withhold consent on any nominee to the Supreme Court submitted by this President to fill the vacancy left by the recent demise of Justice Antonin Scalia.

The pledge  written in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  goes on to state that the committee will not hold hearings on any Supreme Court nominee until after our next President is sworn in on Jan. 20, 2017.

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Its not at all surprising that Republicans would rather wait to see what happens in the election than let a Democrat fill Scalias seat now  and presumably shift the courts majority from conservative to liberal. Its just puzzling that they would do it this way, leaping headfirst into the very trap that Tillis noted just a few days ago.

Its not surprising that Republicans would rather wait to see what happens in the election than let Obama fill Scalias seat. Its just puzzling that they would do it this way.

Now, I dont buy for a moment the argument some Democrats make that the Senate has an obligation to approve any nominee whos clearly qualified for the job. And despite what Obama has argued, the Constitution doesnt even oblige the Senate to consider the nominee he puts forward. Instead, it gives the Senate absolute veto power over the presidents choice.

But if this crazy primary season demonstrates anything, its that voters are fed up with Washington and politics as usual. And for the last five years, politics as usual has meant partisan head-butting and recalcitrance, dysfunction and paralysis.

So now a cadre of Republicans say they are preemptively slamming the brakes on the advice-and-consent process, threatening to leave the Supreme Court shorthanded well into its 2016-2017 term. With the remaining eight justices evenly divided on a host of important legal issues, the freeze in Congress could translate into a bevy of 4-4 deadlocks.

The Judiciary Committee Republicans said they were motivated by a desire to ensure the American people are not deprived of the opportunity to engage in a full and robust debate over the type of jurist they wish to decide some of the most critical issues of our time. This is, of course, claptrap. Republicans dont want the presidential election to be a debate over the next Supreme Court nominee. They want it to be a debate over either Hillary Clintons private email server and her questionable truthiness or Bernie Sanders free-market-hating, economy-destroying socialism. Such a focus, they believe, will guarantee that the next Supreme Court justice will be picked by one of their own.

And its transparently claptrap. The political considerations on both sides are unmistakable. So why did the lawmakers tip their hands this way? Why not simply slow-roll the process? Hold off a hearing for several months, then use that session to try to undermine the nominee  as the Democrats did to Robert Bork? Evidently, they believed they had more to gain by playing to the conservatives who care deeply about the direction of the court than theyd lose by alienating the independents who are tired of Washington gamesmanship.

A more honest explanation came from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), erstwhile presidential candidate and a Judiciary subcommittee chairman. The Daily Beast quoted Graham saying Tuesday, If they [Democrats] were in charge theyd be doing the exact same thing, so this is going to go to the American people.... Im not going to meet with the nominee.

And yes, one can find Democrats posturing in similar ways in past election years, although not when confronted with an actual Supreme Court vacancy. One example is Obamas vice president, Joe Biden, who as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1992 said the Senate shouldnt consider a Supreme Court nominee in the throes of campaign season.

But again, thats just politics as usual -- finger-pointing and They did it first accusations. And if that sort of thing played well with the public, more establishment figures like Graham would still be in the race.

Obama could bail the Republicans out by striking a deal with McConnell that would allow the president to make a recess appointment to the court. That justice would serve until the end of 2017 unless the Senate confirmed him or her next year. And because McConnell controls whether the Senate ever goes into recess, he could prevent Obama from putting anyone on the court even temporarily who was not acceptable to Senate Republicans.

Such a move would reduce the potency of the obstructionist argument, but its hard to see any incentive for Obama to go that route. Rather than making a recess appointment, expect him to nominate someone with impeccable credentials whos been supported by Republicans and Democrats alike in the past. And then expect him to use some variation of the word obstructionist just about every time he faces a microphone.

Email Jon Healey

Follow Healeys intermittent Twitter feed: @jcahealey
To the editor: Amnesty International is not calling for Zika-related abortions, as Charles C. Camosy implies. What Amnesty and the other organizations mentioned are doing is pointing out how futile it is to advise women not to get pregnant in countries where family planning services are inadequate or nonexistent. (Is the call for Zika virus abortions the new eugenics? Opinion, Feb. 19)

Amnesty has also called out governments (previous to this Zika breakout) for laws that criminalize most abortions or outright ban the procedure.

The situation is so bad in El Salvador that women who miscarry can be sent to jail. In Paraguay, an 11-year-old girl who had been repeatedly raped by her stepfather was forced to give birth.

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Restrictive abortion laws may be intended to protect prenatal children from violence, but they amount to institutionalized violence against women. Human rights groups are not trying to impose Western values but stand with women in these countries who are fighting for their basic human rights.

Norma Edwards, Lakewood

..

To the editor: To equate the idea that access to abortion rights is a matter of human rights to neocolonialism or the return of eugenics is ludicrous.

In parts of the United States, sterilization was forced upon the unfit. Abortion is a choice made by an individual. The legality of that choice was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe vs. Wade.

Is Camosy proposing that we impose his moral principles and practice only parts of the Constitution? Does Camosy believe that the United States, United Nations, Amnesty International and Planned Parenthood speaking up for human rights is the same as trying to impose foreign moral and legal principles onto those who think differently?

I would suggest the person arrogantly insisting that [people] change their laws to suit someones elses ideology is Camosy.

Joanne M. Mell, San Diego

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Its 8 a.m., Congress isnt in session and Washingtons roads are icy, but more than 100 ambassadors, academics, African emigres and heads of humanitarian groups have crammed into a basement room of the U.S. Capitol for an unofficial meeting about how Boko Haram and other terrorism groups are stunting African progress.

The regular breakfasts are the brainchild of Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), who is frustrated by a lack of attention paid to the continent and sees her own constituents with deep interest in policy toward Africa.

In community organizing, you believe that the best policy is made by having those people that are most affected by the policy at the table. Its not rocket science. If you do policy in a vacuum it can have unintended consequences, she said in an interview after the meeting.

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Bass first got involved in African policy because of South African apartheid in the 1970s and 1980s when she co-chaired the local Southern Africa Support Committee.

When apartheid ended, and Nelson Mandela was freed from prison in 1990, Bass attention shifted to stopping crack cocaine abuse and gang violence in South-Central L.A. Bass started and ran the Community Coalition, a social justice organization. In 2004, she was elected to the state Assembly and in 2008 was the first African American woman in U.S. history elected speaker of a state legislative body.

I stopped doing international work and just focused on domestic work. One of the reasons I was excited about coming to Congress is I could do both, Bass said. I really took almost a 20-year hiatus away from foreign policy.

She views it as her responsibility.

The same way it was my responsibility to figure out how to address the gang and crack intersection in South-Central, I also felt it was my responsibility to help fight to end apartheid and especially the U.S. governments policies, Bass said.

When she joined the House Foreign Affairs Committee after taking office in 2011, Bass said it didnt feel like those actually affected by the committees decisions had a voice.

When I would go to hearings on Africa, you would have no Africans participating, but they are sitting there in the audience while were talking about their countries. That just seemed odd to me, she said.

She is now the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committees Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Human Rights, and International Organizations. Other Foreign Affairs Subcommittees focus narrowly on one or two subjects.

That in and of itself to me kind of says that Africa is not a big enough priority to have its own focused subcommittee, she said. We could go easily a month or two without having a hearing on Africa [with] so many subject matters.

Bass said shes gone out of her way to work with the Foreign Affairs Committee, not supersede it, by having committee leaders co-host the breakfasts or speak.

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) said a wider group of people are excited about legislation before the committee because of Bass breakfast meetings. Hes spoken at a few.

Its effective, he said. Karen Bass is able to strategically use the enthusiasm of those who participate in the breakfasts in order to try to assist us.

Royce pointed to several cases, including a bill recently signed by President Obama aimed at electrical infrastructure around the continent, the global anti-poaching act and congressional response to Ebola.

Bass said Africa may seem so far away to her Los Angeles constituents, but we have a huge diaspora community in L.A.

Her district includes Little Ethiopia, a block-long stretch on Fairfax Avenue between West Olympic Boulevard and Whitworth Drive.

Even Little Ethiopia is a commercial strip. It is not like Ethiopians reside in that area. Im sure some do, but that areas very, very mixed, she said.

She plans to talk with Mayor Eric Garcetti and the City Council about a trade mission and also a seminar to connect federal agencies with private businesses interested in investing in Africa, Bass said.

This year she wants to coordinate with the African diaspora living in Los Angeles and hold a policy breakfast in the city so her constituents can be heard too.

I know theres a huge Nigerian community, Cameroonian, and there are seven official consulates for seven African countries, and then theres about another five honorary consulates, she said. There should always be a voice. If we come up with a policy we want to bounce it back and forth. You want the people that are most affected also pushing for the policy as well.

Nii Akuettah, executive director of the African Immigrant Caucus, a coalition of immigrant groups in Washington, called Bass a big champion for Africa.

There is a great deal of good will in the African community here for her and on the continent for her, he said.

The periodic gatherings draw members of Congress, ambassadors from African countries, emigres or diaspora, and other people who have a stake in the United States policy regarding Africa, such as businesses, State Department officials and academics--and often the groups are not on the same page, Bass said.

The meetings began as a way to draw attention to reauthorization of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. First created in 2000, AGOA gives special market access to certain sub-Saharan countries that maintain legal, human rights and labor standards. In June, President Obama signed bipartisan legislation extending the act until 2025.

The talks continued, with a focus on trade and economic development between the United States and African countries. Topics have ranged from Ebola to elections to electricity, and the July 2014 breakfast was also about instability because of Boko Haram, the northeastern Nigerian Islamist group.

Former captives of Boko Haram rest at a camp in Yola, Nigeria, after being rescued by Nigerian troops. (Sunday Alamba / Associated Press)

Bass said Boko Haram must be addressed when looking to set policy about Africas future.

You cant talk about economic development, you cant talk about the implementation of AGOA in countries without security and in countries that are not stable or are being destabilized because of Boko Haram, she said.

Bass said many Americans underestimate the threat from the group.

When you look at the number of people that have been killed by Boko Haram, its more than the number of lives lost to ISIS. I think part of our job here is raising the consciousness in the U.S. that just because something is happening on the continent, that doesnt mean that it does not have international significance, she said.

Its her goal to reshape U.S.-Africa relations.

We still kind of view Africa as a charity case and not as a continent that is a partner. Unfortunately, I think the United States is behind the rest of the world, because the rest of the world sees Africa as much more of a partner than we do, she said.

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter

Read more about the 55 members of Californias delegation at latimes.com/politics

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It was a home crowd, a backslapping gathering in the town in western Ireland where Prime Minister Enda Kenny made his first foray into national politics four decades ago.

But despite the warm campaign trail welcome, Kenny could not resist a dig at whingers in his hometown, who, despite Irelands economic growth  at more than 6% last year, the highest in Europe  nonetheless find it very difficult to see any good anywhere any time.

Coming less than a week before Fridays parliamentary elections, Kennys undiplomatic outburst astonished many in a country where, despite recent growth, many people are struggling seven years after a devastating economic collapse that put 300,000 people out of work  a parallel collapse to the U.S. subprime catastrophe  and which prompted devastating cuts to health and social spending.

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Voters in Castlebar had mixed reactions to the prime ministers outburst. Declan Scully said he knew several former construction workers who have been out of work since the 2008 crash, when the Celtic Tiger, as Irelands roaring economy was known, went from being one of the most successful in Europe to a near basket case. As a result, he found Kennys comments a bit disrespectful.

According to the European Central Bank, the Irish shed more of their personal wealth than any other eurozone country in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash, which ravaged several European economies. The ECB calculated that on average $20,000 per person was lost in Ireland, more even than in Greece, where turmoil threatened to undermine the wider European economy.

But Mary Joyce, another resident of Kennys hometown, said the prime minister  known in Ireland as the taoiseach  inherited a mess and should be commended for the progress made during his five years in office.

It was a horrible situation he came into and he had to make very difficult decisions, she said.

After years of austerity policies dictated in part by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, Irelands broader economy has recovered on Kennys watch, with official statistics showing exports increasing by 20% in 2015, and the trade surplus rising to a record $48 billion. Official unemployment numbers have been cut in half from a high of over 15% at the bottom of the economic meltdown.

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Ireland remains a major investment destination for U.S. multinationals such as Facebook, Google and Intel.

However Kennys abrasive campaign comments have eroded his prospects of remaining in office after the vote, opening the door for other parties to accuse him of arrogance and of being out of touch.

His main rival, Micheal Martin, the leader of the center-right opposition party, Fianna Fail, is confident of regaining some of the ground lost when the party was routed in the last election, in 2011, after being widely blamed for the 2008 crash. That paved the way for Kennys Fine Gael, also on the center right, to take office.

Campaign posters on lampposts in Dublin, Ireland, on February 21, 2016. (Caroline Quinn / AFP/Getty Images)

Campaigning in capital Dublin, Martin said that voters had shed their anger at his party. We will do well in this campaign and we are very competitive, he said in an interview with The Times.

Martins party has dominated Irish politics for most of the century since the Republic of Ireland won its independence from the United Kingdom, but was accused of being in cahoots with property developers and bankers in fueling a disastrous real estate bubble.

Simmering discontent with Irelands established parties is leaving Sinn Fein, the party linked to the Irish Republican Army, among the best placed to succeed. Sinn Feins popularity has surged since a 1998 peace deal in British-ruled Northern Ireland and the end of the IRAs bombing campaign in British cities. It is likely to capture around 20% of the vote on Friday, an outcome that could see it emerge as Irelands second-biggest party.

The election comes less than two months before the centenary of Irelands 1916 Easter Rising against British rule, which paved the way for independence for most of Ireland a half decade later.

But the commemorations have not figured in voter concerns, which center around economic issues, and it is Sinn Feins leftist economic policies  mocked by Fine Gael and by Irelands business leaders  that are seen by urban working classes as more in touch with their needs than the centrist and pro-business stance of the main parties.

With no party likely to win near enough seats to form a government, a coalition government is almost certain. Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have ruled out governing with Sinn Fein, disdaining both its economic policies and its links to the IRA. Candidates who have criticized Sinn Fein during the campaign have claimed to have received anonymous death threats.

And though smaller left-wing parties have signaled they will align with Sinn Fein after the election, no single party or grouping is capturing the imagination of voters.

With the possibility that no clear winner will emerge from the election, there are suggestions that the two biggest parties  Fine Gael and Fianna Fail  could end up forming a coalition.

But such a partnership would hardly be popular among voters still angry over the economic crash and who see Kennys whingers remark as symptomatic of an aloof administration.

It all means that Ireland could emulate other European crisis economies such Greece and Spain, both of which have held inconclusive elections in recent years and have struggled to form a stable government.

Somewhere between 18% and 20% of voters are undecided, maybe as many as 30%, said David Farrell, a professor of politics at University College Dublin. It means that we cannot predict the outcome of the election.

Roughneen is a special correspondent.

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An extraordinary scene will unfold in a hotel in Rome late Sunday night when one of Pope Francis most trusted advisors sits down for the first of up to four nights of live-streamed testimony about his role in an alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in Australia.

Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican finance minister and Australias senior Roman Catholic cleric, will be subjected to questioning from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. nightly for at least three and possibly four nights by judges linked via video from halfway around the world in Sydney, where it will be morning.

Pell, 74, has not been allowed to have a lawyer travel from his home country to be at his side, but he will not be alone: He is being joined during the hearings by a group of victims of priestly abuse who are traveling from Australia to be in the room with him.

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In December, Pell was summoned to give evidence about abuse near Melbourne, Australia, but his lawyers argued his heart condition made it dangerous to fly, and suggested he speak by videolink from Rome.

Australias Royal Commission on child abuse wants to quiz the cardinal about his alleged role in moving a pedophile priest, Gerald Ridsdale, from one parish to another in Australia in the 1970s and 1980s  a common pattern in Catholic dioceses around the world at the time.

Returning from Mexico last Thursday, Pope Francis said that when a prelate is found transferring abusive priests, the best thing he can do is to present his resignation.

Pell was called to Rome by Francis in 2014 to oversee a complete overhaul of Vatican finances and is considered third in the Vatican hierarchy after the pontiff.

Beginning Sunday, Pells testimony, given at the Hotel Quirinale in Rome, will be broadcast to the royal commissions hearing room in Sydney, as well as to a public room in Ballarat, Australia, a town about 70 miles northwest of Melbourne where abuse was allegedly committed.

A statement issued by the commission Tuesday said that Pell had picked the late hours during which he will give evidence.

Following news that Pell would not return home for the hearing, denying victims of abuse to join him in person, a fundraising drive was launched to raise $40,000 to send a group of victims to Rome.

Eight days later, over $140,000 had been raised, helped by Australian comedian Tim Minchin, who recorded a song called Come Home (Cardinal Pell), which accuses him of being a coward and has been viewed nearly a million times on Youtube.

As 15 people, including victims and their advisors, now prepare to travel to Rome, the commission has said it will also allow journalists into the room as Pell gives evidence.

A spokesman for the Hotel Quirinale said Tuesday that the commission had asked for a space able to hold 50 people.

As the hearing approached, Pell last week attacked media reports in Australia that he is being separately investigated by Australian police for committing sex abuse while he was a priest in Ballarat.

The report was based on police leaks, which were timed to to do maximum damage to the cardinal and the Catholic Church and undermines the work of the royal commission, Pells office said in a statement.

The allegations are without foundation and utterly false, it said, adding that Pell had called for an inquiry into the leaks.

Kington is a special correspondent

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By many measures, things had been going well for Bolivian President Evo Morales.

Since he took office in 2006, the economy has averaged annual growth of 5%, and he has used revenue from mining and natural gas sales to build roads, schools and clinics, raise incomes and reduce the extreme poverty rate from 34% to 18%.

He easily won election to a third term in 2014, and as recently as last fall, his approval ratings topped 75%.

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But there are limits to Morales popularity.

In a referendum Sunday, voters appear to have rejected his proposal to change the constitution to allow him to seek a fourth term that would start in 2020, after his current one ends. The votes were still being counted late Monday afternoon, but analysts said exit polls indicated that the measure had failed.

Voters get tired and want a change once in awhile, said Luis Eduardo Siles, deputy director of the Nationalist Revolutionary Movement, an opposition party. Thats human nature.

Experts also blamed plunging commodity prices and an influence-peddling scandal involving Morales former girlfriend, 27-year-old Gabriela Zapata, whose lack of a university degree has not prevented her from heading a Chinese-financed company that has received $500 million in government contracts. She and Morales have a child together.

Morales, a 56-year-old Aymara Indian and former head of a coca growers union, is the first indigenous president of a country where native peoples account for 62% of the population.

He came to power in the so-called pink wave that that saw voters in several Latin American countries rebel against the neo-liberal, market-oriented economic policies by electing leftist populists who promised to reduce inequality. It began in 1998 with the election of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and continued with leaders in Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador.

Some experts said the referendums apparent defeat signaled growing disenchantment with that new generation of leaders.

Javier Corrales, a political science professor at Amherst College, said that Bolivian voters may be heeding the lessons of Venezuela, where the population is suffering with a government they cannot change. Chavezs successor, Nicolas Maduro, is not scheduled to leave office until 2019.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

John Youle, president of the Lima-based Consultandes, a risk analysis and crisis management consulting firm, said Morales attempt to extend his power is part of a long tradition of Latin American caudillos, a Spanish term for political strongmen.

These authoritarian populists never know when its time to go, Youle said. Yes, it is good to be king, but they forget they are there not by divine right but on the basis of democratic elections.

Morales recent dominance may have blinded him to the risks going into the referendum, analysts said.

Continued political success at the polls likely made him a bit over-confident, said Michael Shifter, president of Washington-based think tank Inter-American Dialogue. But a decade is a long stretch in office.

Besides the influence-peddling scandal, there were other indications of trouble. While Morales party, the Movement Toward Socialism, controls all branches of government, it suffered setbacks in local elections last year. And political opponents have accused Morales of mismanaging a fund aimed at helping indigenous communities.

The referendum result is likely to spur serious internal turmoil as Morales potential successors begin to jockey for position in the 2019 election, said Eduardo Gamarra, a political scientist at Florida International University.

An economic slowdown could aggravate the situation. Bolivia, which over the last decade has become a major exporter of natural gas, has yet to feel the full effect of declining commodities prices that have hurt economies across the region.

But its natural gas-supply contracts with Brazil and Argentina are set to expire this year and in all likelihood will be renegotiated at lower prices. That could leave less money for generous social welfare programs and the population increasingly dissatisfied.

Bolivians are tired of Morales aggressive discourse in which anyone who disagrees with him is a sellout or Yankee lover, said Siles, the opposition official.

Special correspondent Kraul is based in Bogota.

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Is Female Genital Nicking the Right Alternative to Mutilation? [Poll]

Two gynecologists from the United States are suggesting that minor forms of female genital mutilation or FGM should be permitted to prevent women from undergoing more invasive procedures. However, other medical experts have opposed to this proposal, arguing that permitting this practice violates the rights of women.

The World Health Organization defines FGM as any deliberate attempt to harm or modify a woman's genital organs. Mutilation of the female genital organs is practiced in 29 countries in the Middle East and Africa, affecting 125 million females.

According to UNICEF, the procedure is commonly done to girls under the age of 5. Some women undergo the procedure to follow cultural norms and make them more suitable for marriage.

In four out of 14 countries where FGM is practiced, approximately half of the women believe that the procedure is mandated by their religion. However, WHO data indicates that no documents have been found which recommend practicing FGM.

"The procedure has no health benefits for girls and women," the health organization stated.

The WHO has listed four major categories of FGM. Type IV includes the most invasive non-medical procedures, including piercings and cauterization.



Dr. Kavita Shah Arora and Dr. Allan Jacobs, the authors of the study, believe that permitting minor procedures such as cutting the vulva or the clitoral hood would allow women to abide by their cultural norms while discouraging them from undergoing more invasive forms of mutilation.

"If a girl, by undergoing a small vulvar nick in infancy, forestalls subsequent vulvar infibulation done under dangerous conditions, we would consider this a worthwhile trade-off," the authors stated in their study.

The authors are also proposing to change the way FGM is categorized. Instead of grouping similar procedures together, Arora and Jacobs are suggesting that procedures with the same effects are placed in the same group.

There are five categories under the proposed system. Category 1 includes all procedures with no lasting effects on the form or function of the organ.

Category 2 includes procedures that may affect the appearance of the organ but does not affect the function of the organ. Labiaplasty is one such procedure.

Categories 3 to 5 constitute all other procedures that would cause irreparable harm to the private area, affecting the woman's ability to achieve sexual satisfaction, get pregnant or give birth. It is the procedures that fall under the last three categories that should be banned, the authors stated in their report.

Should some forms of female genital mutilation be allowed? Answer the polls below to let us know what you think.

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Bernie Sanders has led an impressive campaign in the 2016 Democratic presidential race since he launched his bid in April 2015.

At the start of his run, the Vermont Senator was a long shot to win the White House. However, he has established himself as a strong contender, beating Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary and nearly tying her for first place in the Iowa caucus.

In addition to being a longtime advocate for civil rights dating back to the 1960s, Sanders touts left-leaning politics on important issues like immigration, education and healthcare. As a result, his proposals for free college tuition and healthcare-for-all have distinguished him as a progressive hero and helped him win over young Democratic voters.

Here is where he stands on five key issues.

Immigration

Sanders supports a comprehensive approach to immigration that includes providing undocumented residents with citizenship and taking immediate action to waive some deportations.

"As president, I will fight for comprehensive immigration reform that provides a road map to citizenship for the 11 million aspiring Americans living in this country," said Sanders, the longest serving independent member of Congress in U.S. history, last November. He also said he would use his executive powers to help undocumented immigrants.

Sanders voted for the controversial "Gang of Eight" immigration reform bill in 2013, which would have provided undocumented immigrants with a pathway to citizenship. However, the bipartisan bill was stalled by Republicans in the House.

In addition, Sanders supports President Obama's executive orders to waive deportation for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, popularly known as DREAMers. He also promised to expand the president's executive actions. In turn, his plan would protect all undocumented immigrants who have been in the U.S. for the past 5 years from deportation. Furthermore, almost 9 million immigrants would be able to apply for deferred action.

Other proposals under Sanders' comprehensive approach to immigration reform include securing borders, respecting local communities, modernizing the visa system and rewriting bad trade agreements. These changes would help regulate the future flow of immigrants across the border.

Lastly, the senator promises to invest more funding into the overburdened federal immigration courts. Latin Post reported last year that the backlog in the court system increased by 68 percent from 2014 to 2015, bringing the number of pending cases to a whopping 445,706 in April 2015. Following the addition of nine new immigration judges this year, there are just 254 judges and less than 100 courts to handle all of these cases.

To address this issue, Sanders plans to work with Congress to provide additional funding and immigration judges to the Executive Office for Immigration Review. He would also restore discretion to judges and allow them to consider the unique circumstances of an individual's case.

Campaign Finance

A major part of Sanders' campaign is his proposal to limit the influence of corporate and special interest-groups in political elections. Sanders proposes a Constitutional amendment that would effectively reverse the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, banning corporations and nonprofits from donating unlimited amounts of money to campaigns.

The senator would also require all organizations to disclose information when spending $10,000 or more on an election-related campaigns.

Education

One of the most popular proposals in the Sanders campaign is the candidate's plan to provide free tuition at public colleges and universities, as well as free universal preschool for children up to the age of 4. Although this plan would drastically reduce student debt, it would cost taxpayers $75 billion each year.

To fund this proposal, he plans to raises taxes on the wealthy and some Wall Street transactions, which would generate about $300 billion in revenue.

Healthcare

Sanders has also called for a universal, government-provided healthcare system. According to him, President Obama's signature healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act, does not go far enough to protect Americans. Instead, his "Medicare for All" proposal would implement a single-payer system, in which the federal and state governments would provide healthcare to all Americans.

This would be paid for by a 6.2 percent income-based healthcare premium paid by employers and a 2.2 percent income-based premium paid by households. In addition, it would be funded by progressive income tax rates, taxing capital gains and dividends the same amount as income from work, limiting tax deductions for the rich, adjusting the estate tax, and savings from health tax expenditures.

Climate Change

A staunch climate change activist, the Vermont senator has proposed a bill that would charge companies for carbon emissions. He would then invest some of the money raised into renewable energy technology.

Sanders also plans to stop elected officials from selling out to fossil fuel lobbyists by banning the lobby from working in the White House. Although the fossil fuel industry has earned record breaking profits, companies also receive massive taxpayer subsidies through legislation passed by Congress, notes Sanders.

Watch Sanders lay out his immigration plan below.
Emma Coronel Aispuro, the third wife of Mexico's drug kingpin and Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, made her first television interview last Feb. 19. In the interview, which was then aired on Feb. 21, Coronel insisted that her husband is not what federal prosecutors were claming.

"He is like any other man, of course, he is not violent, not rude. I have never heard him say a bad word. I have never seen him get excited or be upset at anyone," Coronel said. She also mentioned how "El Chapo" called her "Queen" and she never saw Guzman act violently against her or take any drugs.

Coronel said that he never saw her husband holding any weapons or possessing drugs. "He would be incapable of touching a woman with bad intentions, of trying to make her do something she didn't want to do," she added.

Not Love at First Sight

Coronel admitted that she had a boyfriend when she met "El Chapo" at a dance in the small town of La Angostura under the control of the Sinaloa cartel. They met again several months later when she won the "Coffee and Guava Fair Beauty Contest" in Canelas with Guzman reportedly fixing the event.

At the time, the 58-year-old drug lord was a wanted man for escaping a maximum security prison in Puente Grande. However, he still was able to visit Coronel in her home, but claimed that no luxury gifts were given.

"I would say what won me over was his way of talking, how he treated me, the way we began to get along. First as friends and from that came everything else," Coronel said. The couple was married at Coronel's home in Canelas on her 18th birthday last July 2, 2007.

Fear for Her Husband's Life

"I am afraid for his life," a worried Coronel said. "El Chapo" has been in solitary confinement at a maximum security prison in El Altiplano since being recaptured last Jan. 8. His wife says that Guzman is being guarded by hooded and armed guards with many police dogs.

The leader of the Sinaloa cartel is facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder, drug distribution, kidnapping and money laundering in several U.S. states. He is also being accused of distributing at least 1.8 million pounds of cocaine from 2003 to 2014 not only to the states but also to other countries.

Coronel and Guzman have four-year-old twin daughters born in Lancaster, California. The loving wife of "El Chapo" has no plans of leaving him. She even said, "I will follow to wherever he is. I am in love with him. He is the father of my children."
"The Blacklist" Twitter account stated that Red (James Spader) will continue to search for Masha Rostova. Liz (Megan Boone) will also discover more from The Caretaker, and this will make her hugely upset at Red.

After a State Department official is found dead in Beijing, Red and Liz link the murder to a secret keeper known as 'The Caretaker,' who maintains an impenetrable safety deposit vault for criminals. Red and Liz work with the task force to find the Caretaker and his collection of lethal and classified secrets. Meanwhile, Tom makes a risky decision, while Liz persists on her quest to find out more about her mother. the episode synopsis stated.

Liz and Toms relationship has been put to the test in the past few episodes. Finally, they are in a better state after they made amends at the end of Episode 15. Liz ultimately decided to keep her baby and bow out from her adoption plan. Red also promised that he will help her have the peaceful life she always wanted, away from all the dangerous people who may hurt her and her baby. The two will continue searching for blacklisters in the next episode.

Based on the episode synopsis, Toms risky decision may involve searching for Gina Zanetakos (Margarita Levieva) to get a portion of the money from the jewelry heist. Liz might again be struggling with the thought of putting her baby up for adoption.

The Caretaker is said to be a secretive person, who keeps a safety deposit vault for criminals. The promo video for the next episode showed the blacklister keeping vital information in a cemetery. He will subsequently start handing out information about criminals, including details about Reds past. Red has to act quickly before more people discover the things that he may have been hiding for so long.

Previously, Rostova also gave Red a painting of Liz standing before a gravestone with the name Reddington on it. It suggests that Lizs mother is searching for Red. Red may have lied to Liz about her mother when he said that she was last spotted walking into the ocean. Lizs mother may be alive. The video also showed Liz getting angry with Red after she uncovered new details about him from The Caretaker.

The Blacklist Season 3 Episode 16 will air on Feb. 25, 2016 on NBC.
Fashion designers Charlotte Olympia Dellal and Johnny Coca took part in London Fashion Week with debut runway shows and new collections. Dellal also launched an exclusive collection with Brazilian footwear brand Havaianas.

Charlotte Olympia for Havaianas

Fans of the brand Charlotte Olympia can now get beach sandals created by the popular and eccentric footwear designer Charlotte Olympia Dellal as part of her collaboration with Brazilian brand Havaianas.

Dellal, whose mother was a Brazilian model, partnered with the brand for a summer collection catering to lovers of Havaianas' comfort and affordable luxury aesthetic.

For a fraction of the price of Olympia's own collections, fashionistas can get the designer's fun and quirky designs while supporting Havaianas, a brand known for its contributions to social causes in Brazil. The company helps implement safe working conditions for factory workers and works toward environmental sustainability.

The collection features three designs of beach sandals: Charlotte Web's Havaianas, Kitty Havaianas and Bruce Havaianas. The sandals range from $55 to $115.

Dellal also recently made her London Fashion Week debut on Feb. 19 with her Fall 2016 collection of shoes, bags and accessories.

The collection featured no shortage of Dellal's colorful and bold signature designs. Everything from glitter to stars to metallic could be seen on the platform shoes worn by models as they made their way down the runway.

Fans of the designer include Sofia Vergara, Selena Gomez, Jennifer lopez, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Beyonce, among others.

Johnny Coca Debuts at Mulberry

On Feb. 21, during London Fashion Week, Spanish designer Johnny Coca made his debut as the new creative director for British fashion brand Mulberry.

His debut collection consisted of British punk-inspired leather pieces, structured military coats, rose printed pieces and edgy bags with chain links and studs.

Coca, who was born in Seville, studied fashion in Paris and held a position as design director of leather goods, footwear, jewelry and accessories at French brand Celine.

I wanted to reinforce the British character and sensibility of Mulberry, Coca said about his new role. Its quite humbling  to be trusted with this brand that people love and feel is very much part of them and their lives. In my role as creative director, I want to push the boundaries, but also respect the values and DNA at the core of Mulberry.

Coca's designs aren't the only changes that have occurred at the brand. The designer also revived the brand's logo from the 1970s.

The Spanish designer is not only skilled in fashion. He also studied art and architecture, and those influences are apparent in his designs. Coca has also acknowledged his love and use of red in his clothing because, besides being very British, the color is very Spanish.

Check out a video introducing Coca as Mulberry's new creative director and watch the designer explain his plans for the future of the brand.
Donald Trump's dominance is starting to show among the handful of Republican candidates still seeking the party's 2016 presidential nomination.

On the heels of his back-to-back primary wins in South Carolina and New Hampshire, reports are Trump now leads in 10 of the next 14 states set to go to the polls over the next 14 days. Surveys also reveal the bombastic real estate mogul is ahead by as much as 35 points in Massachusetts, with comfortable leads in Virginia, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Louisiana as well.

Trump on Cruz's Heels in Texas

Even in Ted Cruz's home state, Trump trails the Texas senator by just 7 points, suggesting he could still grab a significant number of the state's all-important 172 delegates. Trump already leads Cruz in that race 61 to 50. A candidate needs 1,236 total delegates to secure the nomination.

All the GOP candidates are now focused on Super Tuesday, set for March 1, when voters in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming will all go the polls.

Even in the face of such a clearly exhaustive schedule, Trump has still found the time to gloat about his impressive showing and resounding win in South Carolina.

"We won with everything," he said. "We won with women; I love the women. We won with men. I'd rather win with women, to be honest. We won with evangelicals, like unbelievable. We won with the military. We won with everything. We won with highly educated, pretty well educated, and poorly educated."

With strong wins in both South Carolina and New Hampshire, Trump now seems well on his way to dispelling the lingering notion that he struggles with turning widespread interest in his campaign into actual votes at the ballot box.

"He has a strong personality," said Chris Shaw, 41, who admits he is still deciding between Trump and Rubio. "He seems like he could be the one that will come in and get things done. He's a new face, a new direction."

Can Trump Be Stopped?

Trump's overall status as the GOP's undisputed front-runner has caused much grief for some veteran party leaders, who still fear his fiery, anti-immigration language will come with a price for Republicans come November's general election.

If elected, Trump has vowed to quickly deport as many as 11 million immigrants and to build a massive wall along the Mexican border to keep out immigrants.

That's where both Rubio and Cruz come in. Both men now find themselves locked in a high-stakes battle to emerge as the leading alternative to Trump. They each hope to become the party's last best chance of reassuming the Oval Office once Barack Obama's second term comes to an end.
Three Latino Republican congressional lawmakers are now endorsing Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for president after previously supporting former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Rubio's presidential campaign announced Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mario Diaz-Balart -- who all represent Florida congressional districts -- endorsed the Florida senator. The three members of the House of Representatives join former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart in aligning with Rubio after previously endorsing Bush.

The former Florida governor suspended his campaign following an underwhelming South Carolina primary performance on Feb. 20.

Endorsement of the South Florida Congressional Delegation

Mario Diaz-Balart, who currently represents Florida's 25th Congressional District, spoke highly of Rubio. In a statement released by Rubio's campaign, Diaz-Balart said the first-term senator has been a "principled man" since serving in the Florida Legislature.

"This commitment and his vision for the future of this great nation make him the strongest candidate for the Republican nomination," said the congressman about Rubio. "It's no secret that the current administration has left our country weakened and divided. We need someone who will not only win back the White House in November, but who will also put our country back on a path to prosperity. I am proud to support my friend Marco Rubio as the next president of the United States."

Ros-Lehtinen, congresswoman for Florida's 27th Congressional District, praised Rubio's lead on foreign policy and his focus to improve the U.S. economy. She added, "Marco understands our country's needs. From his days as an intern in my Miami Congressional office to his service in the Florida House and the U.S. Senate, he has shown that he will enthusiastically tackle the problems we face with innovative policy proposals. I'm proud to endorse my friend Marco for president because I know he is part of the next generation of leaders and will be an effective advocate for conservative principles in the White House."

Proud to have supported my good friend @JebBush. He ran an honorable campaign focused on issues and our future. I'll always be #AllinforJeb  Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinenCamp) February 21, 2016

Curbelo, representing Florida's 26th Congressional District, recognized Rubio's youth as an advantage in the presidential race. He said Rubio represents a new generation of leadership, and he's able to unify Republicans and Americans. Curbelo, currently serving his first term in the House, said the GOP deserves a candidate who will defend the Constitution and respect Americans.

"Like so many young Americans, I am proud to stand with Marco Rubio today, and I look forward to his leadership as our great country's next President," said Curbio, who previously received the endorsements of Rubio and Bush when he ran for Florida's 26th Congressional District in 2014.

Joined team @marcorubio today. He will bring the country together & represents a new generation of leadership pic.twitter.com/dtjGNvp2K7  Carlos Curbelo (@carloslcurbelo) February 22, 2016

The three current congressional lawmakers and Lincoln Diaz-Balart were among more than 225 Latinos comprising of Bush's National Hispanic Leadership Committee. The group spanned 20 states and two territories, working to promote the former Florida governor's record.

Former congressman Diaz-Balart said the time had come to unite and support Rubio, since the 2016 presidential election will be decisive for the cause of freedom. He added that only Rubio could defeat Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Monday's Growing List of Endorsements

The four Latinos' endorsements coincided with announcements of official support from four other political figures for Rubio since Monday morning. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty endorsed Rubio a little more than a week before the Minnesota caucuses on March 1. In Nevada, ahead of the state's caucuses on Tuesday, Rubio won the endorsement of Republican Rep. Cresent Hardy. Also in Florida, Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis endorsed Rubio. A little further north, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., officially announced his support for Rubio as well.

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.
Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla wrote a letter to House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., announcing financial statements from 2014 will be released soon and dismissed rumors of lack of reliable financial information from the island.

An Audit Two Years in the Making?

According to Garcia Padilla, a Working Draft of the commonwealth's Basic Financial Statements and Required Supplementary Information for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2014 will be completed this April. But the April timetable might not be final. The Puerto Rico governor wrote that additional issues may risk the audit's completion, specifically citing "the complexities posed by our current fiscal crisis." But he reassured that they are working "diligently" to complete the financial statements as soon as possible.

Garcia Padilla highlighted the island's fiscal and liquidity crises to the many years of significant government deficits an economic recession that dates back to 2006, an unemployment rate that surpasses that mainland U.S. average, high levels of debt and pension obligations and high record outmigration.

The governor addressed misconceptions about the lack of reliable and up-to-date financial details about Puerto Rico's debt crisis. Garcia Padilla acknowledged his administration released a comprehensive debt sustainability analysis -- referred to as the Krueger Report -- prepared by experts including International Monetary Fund economists, liquidity analysis by Conway MacKenzie in August 2015, the Puerto Rico Fiscal and Economic Growth Plan from September 2005 -- although an update was provided last month with a decade's worth of revenue and expenditure estimations and plan to stabilize the island's finances.

"Our debt is unsustainable and a broad restructuring of our debt is inevitable," wrote Garcia Padilla. "The issue is whether the restructuring will occur under a broad legal framework and in an orderly manner or without any legal guardrails and chaotic. Failure to enact a broad restructuring framework will cause years of legal challenges -- against the Commonwealth and among creditors -- that will harm the government's ability to provide essential services, accelerate out migration to the U.S. mainland, further contract the Puerto Rican economy and severely impair creditors' ability to recover on their claims."

"Without the rule of law, 3.5 million American citizens in Puerto Rico face an ever more uncertain future," added the governor.

Garcia Padilla said he will continue to update Ryan on the completion of the commonwealth's financial statements.

What Puerto Rico Is Calling For

Puerto Rico' has been calling for the "tools" to help restructure its liabilities; these "tools" include the same Chapter 9 bankruptcy rights as the 50 U.S. states. Garcia Padilla has said on numerous occasions that the island is not requesting a bailout to solve its more than $70 billion debt.

In December during a visit to Washington, D.C., Garcia Padilla bluntly said, "The fiscal crisis in Puerto Rico is real," Garcia Padilla said. "No one can argue seriously that there's anyone exaggerating on what we are facing, that Puerto Rico is facing the biggest fiscal crisis in its history. Puerto Rico is out of cash."

He did criticize the U.S. Congress for having a role in the crisis, acknowledging the legislative body's move to eliminate the competitive advantages for American enterprises in Puerto Rico in 1996, which led to hundreds of thousands of jobs, not just leaving the commonwealth, but going to other countries such as Ireland and Singapore.

In addition to the debt crisis, Puerto Rico has a health care problem. Garcia Padilla said the island's residents, who are also U.S. citizens, pay the same Medicaid and Medicare payments, yet receive less in return.

"We pay the same and we receive less. Puerto Rico healthcare system is also in distress," the governor said, adding the island has lacked more than a $1 billion in Affordable Care Act funding. "The disparity has forced thousands of healthcare professionals and patients to move stateside."

Puerto Rico was addressed in President Barack Obama's 2017 fiscal year plan, which proposes new benefits in both healthcare and financial assistance.

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.
Airline companies have until March 2 to apply at the Department of Transportation for at least 110 daily flights from the United States to Cuba. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Cuban Transportation Minister Adel Yzquierdo Rodriguez signed a civil aviation agreement last Feb. 16 in Havana.

However, the State Troopers Fraternal Organization of New Jersey is calling to halt the restoration of flights to Cuba before a fugitive cop killer is returned to the United States. Organization president Christopher Burgos wrote an opposition letter regarding Joanne Chesimard also known as Assata Shakur.

"We strongly oppose any request or approval of United Airlines or any other airline a permit to NJ Port Authority airports to fly back and forth to a country such as Cuba, that has openly slapped all Americans in the face with their policy of keeping U.S. fugitives away and safe from the reach of U.S. justice," Burgos said in the letter.

Joanne Chesimard

Chesimard was convicted in 1977 of killing state trooper Werner Foerster on the New Jersey Turnpike on May 2, 1973. She was sentenced to life imprisonment but managed to escape in 1979. The FBI has put a $1 million reward for Chesimard, who is believed to be living in Cuba since 1984.

Chesimard was a member of the Black Liberation Army. She was previously involved in several felonies, including a bank robbery, before killing Foerster. In 1998, the House of Representatives and Senate both passed resolutions that ordered Cuba to send back Chesimard to the United States.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also wrote a letter to President Barack Obama on Dec. 18, 2014, before the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"Cuba's provision of safe harbor to Chesimard by providing political asylum to a convicted cop killer, and her ability to elude justice, is an affront to every resident of our state," Christie wrote.

More Fugitives in Cuba

Besides Chesimard, there are three more fugitives that are believed to be living in Cuba. Victor Manuel Gerena, who has a $1 million reward. Gerena participated in the $7-million robbery of a security firm in Connecticut back in 1983.

Cheri Laverne Dalton and William "Guillermo" Morales are also named by the FBI as fugitives in Cuba with both having $100,000 rewards. Dalton, also known as Nehanda Abiodun, is responsible for killing two police officers while robbing an armored car with $1.6 million in 1981. On the other hand, Morales is a bomb-maker for a Puerto Rican group.

President Obama will be visiting Cuba from March 21 to March 22 to meet with Raul Castro. However, Chesimard and the other fugitives in the Caribbean island is not on the agenda of the two leaders.
The U.S. Department of Defense is ready to hand in its proposal to Congress for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. The plan consists of different options on how the prison will be closed. It will be submitted on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

"The plan is to submit to Congress what our thoughts are on the issue and what we see is a way ahead necessary to achieve the closure of Guantanamo and to specifically point out the need for legislative relief," said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis.

One of the proposed plans is to transfer some of the detainees back to the United States and the remaining prisoners to other countries. However, many GOP lawmakers have opposed this plan and have banned detainees coming to the country as they pose a threat to national security.

How many detainees are still at Gitmo? 91. The Obama administration started with 242.  Michelle Kosinski (@MKosinskiCNN) February 22, 2016

Obama's Promise

Two days after Barack Obama assumed his position as president in 2009, he signed an executive order that will close Guantanamo Bay in a year. Seven years have passed, but the POTUS is still determined to fulfill his promise despite the opposition of Republicans and his fellow Democrats.

"Submitting a plan to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay is yet another sign that President Obama is more focused on his legacy than the will of the American people," said Kansas Rep. Lynn Jenkins. "Republicans and Democrats are united on this issue: bringing the inmates housed at Guantanamo Bay to the United States is a nonstarter."

Kansas' Fort Leavenworth is one of the choices where some of the remaining 91 prisoners may be transferred. The federal supermax prison in Florence, Colorado and Naval Consolidated Brig in Charleston, South Carolina are the other locations where detainees might end up.

Cuba will also raise the Guantanamo Bay issue during Obama's visit to the country this March. The Caribbean island nation also wants the Guantanamo territory back from the United States as part of the countries' full diplomatic restoration.

Republican Opposition

Potential lawsuits from Kansas, Colorado and South Carolina are some of GOP's plans if prisoners will be transferred to the United States.

"Our border state governors who had standing in courts went and sued the administration," said House Speaker Paul Ryan.

The opposition also plans to cite two recently signed bills by President Obama. The defense authorization and defense appropriations bills have the power to halt the transfer of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay into the country.
More Cubans are fleeing their island nation before their relations with the United States are completely normalized.

According to the head of a Catholic group that helps newly arrived refugees in the United States, Cubans fear that the thawing of relations will terminate the special immigration privileges that Cuban immigrants have enjoyed for five decades.

"They're coming for the reasons they've always come, political repression and economic hardship," said William Canny, head of Migration and Refugee Services for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "But they're coming now in greater numbers because there is the perception in Cuba that diplomacy will lead to the normalization of relations with the United States and the end of the Cuban Adjustment Act."

The 1966 federal law carries out the "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy, which means that any Cuban who arrives on United States soil with a "dry foot" is permitted to reside in the country. "Wet foot" Cubans who are caught traveling the dangerous sea route to Florida are sent back to their home countries.

Canny said those who are traveling to the American shore via rafts and boats are people in good health and don't see a bright future in their homeland. Almost always, these people already have contacts and relatives in the United States.

Surge of Cuban Migrants

The federal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services doesn't have statistics detailing the exact number of fresh Cuban arrivals. Last month, however, it was reported that there's an increasing volume of Cubans enduring the dangers of the Florida Straits to reach the United States.

Statistics indicated that in the last three months of 2015, 1,536 Cubans took sail, but the majority of them were stopped by authorities and sent back to their homeland. In the whole fiscal year of 2015, which ended on Sept. 30, 4,473 Cubans tried to cross the sea.

In this year's first five days, 176 Cubans attempted to complete the trip during a season when the winter weather deters immigrants from traveling via the seas.

Panama, meanwhile, is flying around 500 stranded Cuban migrants to Mexico. A Foreign Ministry statement released on Monday said that migrants will be flown to Ciudad Juarez on the U.S.-Mexico border. Afterwards, they are expected to be let into the United States.

Panama's air transport is part of an agreement finalized in December by Central American countries. The deal allows the humanitarian transfer of more than 8,000 stranded Cuban migrants on their way to the United States.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will head to Cuba on March 21. The visit makes him the first American president to set foot in Havana in nearly 90 years.
Some 90,000 illegal immigrants or about 60 percent of those detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are released from police custody after 48 hours. Despite records showing that they could be criminally dangerous, enforcers let them go without deporting them, and local police think they will get blamed for this oversight.

In 2015, the ICE sought the help of local police forces in detaining some 152,393 illegal immigrants with criminal liabilities. However, the ICE determined only 64,116 have violated immigration laws and their deportations were processed. The rest of the detainees were not made to undergo any deportation proceedings, leaving local jails to release them even though they are suspects to criminal cases, according to Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Why Illegal Criminals Are Released

Local sheriffs reveal that the ICE does not come back for the illegal criminals in jail because they only pick certain individuals. Since laws stipulate that any suspect cannot be held in jail for more than 48 hours, the local police have no choice but to let them go, lest they would be sued for curtailing human rights.

However, in doing so, the police risk putting criminals back on the streets and receiving potential backlash from the public. "We're the bad guys, we're the ones CNN is on saying, 'That sheriff left that killer out," said Florida Highlands County sheriff Susan Benton.

ICE's Russian Roulette

The lack of enforcement has been an existing problem at the ICE with politicians like Sen. Jeff Sessions likening the agency's Priority Enforcement Program (PEP) to Russian roulette.

"By defining its 'priorities' to exclude large categories of illegal immigrants, including those who have already been ordered deported or those who illegally reenter after having been deported, PEP ensures that countless more dangerous aliens will be released into U.S communities-allowing otherwise entirely preventable crimes, including some of the most violent and egregious, to occur," Sessions wrote in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security in 2015.

Under PEP, state and local law enforcement officers are tasked to follow the directives, with emphasis on "convicted criminals and others who pose a danger to public safety."

Over 347,000 illegals convicted of crimes are believed to be roaming free in the United States as of Mar. 2015. The majority have DUI records, but some of these convicts are charged with serious crimes, like domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual offenses, kidnapping and homicide.
Chef, food historian and author Maricel Presilla, who wrote the book "The New Taste of Chocolate" in 2009, is helping put Latin America's cacao products on the map, and she has big hopes for the industry.

The restaurant owner, who became a multiple recipient of the James Beard Awards for excellent cuisine, traveled around the region to gather recipes as she worked on her book, "Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America." But while doing so, Presilla learned more about the cacao industry and now, she's pushing to make Latin American cacao world class.

"Cacao is very much a part of my life from the time I was a child, so it makes sense that I was drawn to cacao farms when I was traveling through Latin America doing my big book," Presilla said.

Latin American Cacao Vs. European Cacao

Presilla noted that the origins of cacao are deeply rooted in Latin American regions, which is where raw materials for chocolate products have been sourced since the early centuries. However, it was the Europeans buying the cacao crops who developed cacao as a fine ingredient, while Latinos remained producers. "We never developed beyond using cacao as a drink," the chef said.

Emerging Latin American Fine Chocolates

However, that has been changing with the introduction of high-end fine chocolate brands, such as Pacari from Ecuador or Chocolates El Rey from Venezuela. In fact, El Ray commissioned Presilla's help in bringing their products to the United States. It was there that the chef learned to appreciate Latin American cacao on a larger scale. "I really started to pay attention to the literature of chocolate and realized that there was much work to be done," Presilla said.

Her research led her to cacao factories in and around the region where she discovered that locals have learned to develop fine chocolate products worthy of international recognition. Some producers even have good techniques.

Establishing Direct Cacao

Realizing the potential, Presilla established Direct Cacao to protect and support Latin American cacao growers and the chocolate industry. "What we want to do is change people's perceptions and tell them that a chocolate has been directly traded and it means something," said Presilla.

Direct Cacao also works with local farmers via workshops that help them understand their crop's business potential better. "They need to market it properly and to understand the value of what they have," she said.

The chef hopes that local governments will recognize and support their efforts. "Stop that colonial idea that it has to be exported to the first world and then allowed to be developed into a fine product like chocolate."
MSNBC is in hot water after two of its hosts received severe backlash from the public for allegedly favoring Donald Trump.

"Morning Joe" Hosts Want Trump for President

Leaked audio featuring Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski sharing an off-air conversation with Trump is making headlines now. The three were happily discussing the success of the GOP frontrunner's campaign and his chances of winning South Carolina and Nevada, including the inefficiency of the other presidentiables.

At one point, Brzezinski admitted that she was impressed when Trump brought two men on stage after removing a protester from the rally. Trump then told the two hosts that his opponents spent $75 million on negative ads against him and asked the pair if the other candidates were catching on him.

"No, doesn't look that way," Scarborough said. Brzezinski also thinks the same.

Another portion of the tape that drew criticism was when Brzezinski said, "You don't want me to do the [questions] on deportation?" to which Trump replied, "That's right. Nothing too hard, Mika."

Brzezinski and Scarborough are friends with the Republican presidential frontrunner. In fact, in one interview with "Morning Joe," Trump said, "You guys have been supporters, and I really appreciate it."

Scarborough-Trump Friendship Produces Discomfort

Prior to the leaked audio, Scarborough shared the times he had given Trump political advice. According to the host, he told the candidate to speak in complete sentences during debates. He also advised the presidential aspirant to read about Syria and education reform.

Scarborough's statement drew laughter from the audience, but the NBC News and MSNBC journalists, reporters and staff did not find it funny. The friendship of the two produced wide discomfort in the network.

"People don't like that Joe is promoting Trump," an MSNBC insider said. Four of the sources revealed that management is aware of what's going on and that the network's leadership is monitoring Scarborough's comments.

Scarborough has nothing but praise for Trump. The host has been outspoken when it comes to his political opinions. However, many believe that his coverage is influenced by his friendship with the candidate.

MSNBC Remains Silent

The network declined to comment on the issue. However, Brzezinski told Michael Calderone that the conversation towards the end of the audio where she asked about the deportation issue was between her and the producer, not Trump. She guaranteed that she didn't discuss any of the questions with Trump prior to the interview.

Meanwhile, it was confirmed that the conversation took place in the control room with the producers during the break.
More raids and arrests were recently made by Brazilian police related to the Car Wash scheme. The investigations looked into possible kickbacks at Petrobras, the state-operated oil firm currently embroiled in a national scandal.

Arrest Warrant for Joao Santana

Joao Santana, President Dilma Rousseffs campaign manager, is suspected to have received bribes in offshore accounts. Santana, 63, is a well-known adviser of politicians. He previously worked with former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the late Hugo Chavez. Santanas involvement in the current investigation puts the focus on Rousseff again, although the latter is not under investigation. Santana is reportedly out of Brazil at the moment and could not be reached for comment.

Clamor by society and the press, and the countrys situation, could prompt a faster decision. Everyone knows Santanas importance to the Workers Party. He was much more than just a simple strategist. He worked for a long time in the hard core of the presidency as adviser, said Lucas de Aragao, partner at Arko Advice, a political risk consulting company.

Federal investigators continue to explore the Car Wash scheme and how bribes may have potentially been paid for contracts signed between Petrobras, Sete Brasil and Keppel Fels. According to police, they have eight arrest warrants related to the investigation, which commenced in 2014. Searches and arrests were made in Sao Paulo, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro in the past months. Politicians and executives have been arrested or put under investigation after being suspected of overcharging Petrobras. They were said to have also been using part of the money to bribe members of Rousseffs coalition.

Possible Involvement of Other Politicians and Executives

Prosecutors also asked for an arrest warrant for Marcelo Odebrecht. Odebrecht is the former chief executive officer of Odebrecht SA, the Brazilian engineering firm that is at the center of the scandal. The arrest warrant was based on Odebrecht's agenda notes, wherein he requested to transfer employees who managed payments abroad out of Brazil. Marcelo was detained in 2015 and is still under preventive arrest.

Rousseff is currently trying to avoid an impeachment process while former president Lula is also becoming the focus of police probes. The ruling Workers Partys former treasurer has already been sentenced while the former Senate leader has been temporarily imprisoned. Rousseffs press office refused to comment on the recent developments.

Rousseffs side and the Lula Institute have denied any involvement in the corruption allegations.
Did Bolivians already have enough of President Evo Morales? Well, partial results and unofficial quick counts from the referendum on Sunday seemed to indicate that they had ditched the constitutional amendment. The said legislative revision would allow Morales to stay in power for his fourth term.

Morales was elected as the first Bolivian leader who's an indigenous Aymara in 2006. His current term will end in 2020, but the constitutional change would have allowed him to keep his position until 2025. Unfortunately, the Bolivians have spoken out, leaving a grim picture for the former coca leaf producer's political future.

Bolivia's Referendum

Almost 6.5 million Bolivians participated in the referendum on Sunday, Feb. 21. The referendum seeks to ratify the proposed amendment of Article 168 of the nation's political constitution. The revision was approved by the Legislative Assembly last September.

Under the constitutional change, the law would allow Bolivia's president to rule for three consecutive terms. As opposed to the two succeeding five-year terms and an extra term following a five-year haitus (one-term) that are currently stated on its legislation.

Opposition Supporters

While Morales has been optimistic about the result of the referendum, the "no" vote won at 59 percent. Opposition supporters celebrated the partial results, but the Bolivian government stressed that there was a "technical tie" since rural votes were not yet counted.

"We need to wait with serenity for the final results. It's not time to begin partying yet," Morales said. "Life goes on and our struggle and efforts [to improve the country] will continue."

Morales' Love Scandal

Aside from the weakening tolerance of the Bolivian voters to their government due to corruption, Morales' "influence-peddling scandal" has also made matters worse for the nation's first indigenous leader.

The controversy involving the president's ex-lover and a lethal political violence incident came two weeks ago. A journalist exposed that Morales' former lady love was appointed as a sales manager for a Chinese firm. The said company, CAMC Engineering Co. Ltd, has reportedly acquired almost $500 million in "no-bid state contracts."

Morales, however, repudiated any indecency. He also insisted that he last saw the woman in 2007 when their child died. Unfortunately, the controversy deepened uncertainties about the integrity of his governance.

No to "Re-Election"

Morales has been instrumental for the economic growth of the nation for the past several years. But despite being a popular leader, many believed that Morales should not be allowed to serve 19 consecutive years as the head of state.

According to opposition leader Samuel Doria Medina, Morales should concentrate on solving issues that plague the nation instead of running for another term. He also said that the president should acknowledged the poll results.
A federal former immigration officer has been charged with accepting cash bribes and sex from undocumented immigrants in exchange for working papers.

Arnaldo Echevarria, 38, was a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. He was alleged to have garnered $78,000 in bribes from undocumented immigrants by secretly letting them into the country.

He also demanded sexual favors from two immigrants, which resulted in one getting pregnant. The pregnant immigrant was told by Echevarria to have an abortion, but she had the child. He told the woman that no one can know that he is the father of the child. His demands for sexual favors continued due to his help with getting her employment papers.

Echevarria was charged last year with lying about his girlfriend, who is also an undocumented immigrant, since he set her up with a job under a false name at his hair salon in New Jersey.

Echevarria owned the hair salon business in West Orange, New Jersey and made his girlfriend the manager. He paid her and other employees in cash and did not have them fill out employment eligibility paperwork.

The ex-immigration officer apparently did this for two years between 2012 and 2014. The prosecutors added that Echevarria lied to the authorities about the immigrants, saying that they have been given temporary protected status in order to stay in the country. It was revealed that none of the immigrants illegally let in by Echevarria had applied or had been granted the protected status.

US Attorney Paul J. Fishman says undocumented immigrants who flee to the country for protection against armed conflict, environmental disasters and other conditions, may apply for employment authorization. The permit allows the immigrants to work legally in the United States for a year, and it can be renewed.

The indictment accused Echevarria with seven counts of accepting bribes and a count of harboring an illegal immigrant, as well as making false statements to immigration authorities. Echevarria's lawyer, Michael Korbanics, did not state the specifics of the indictment. Instead, he said that he is getting ready to defend his client.

"We're ready to establish a vigorous defense of the allegations," Korbanics said.

The ex-ICE officer remains free on bail. The seven bribery counts carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Harboring illegal immigrants and lying to immigration authorities have a possible penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
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President Barack Obama announced a plan has been sent to Congress regarding to closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.

The Plan

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) submitted the administration's plan to close the facility to Congress on Tuesday, addressing a matter Obama calls a "national security imperative."

"For many years, it's been clear that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security -- it undermines it," said Obama during a press conference on Tuesday morning. "This is not just my opinion, it's the opinion of experts, this is the opinion of many in the military. It's counterproductive in our fight against terrorists because they use it in their propaganda in their efforts to recruit."

Obama acknowledged that one of his first acts as president was to close the detention facility, but unfortunately the process suddenly became a partisan issue and support waned. He noted $450 million was spent on maintaining Guantanamo Bay last year, with an estimated $200 million in the upcoming years, despite the facility housing less than 100 detainees.

The plan lists four main points:

1. Securely and responsibly transferring to foreign countries detainees who have been designated for transfer by the president's national security team;

2. Continuing to review the threat posed by those detainees who are not currently eligible for transfer through the Periodic Review Board (PRB);

3. Identifying individualized dispositions for those who remain designated for continued law of war detention, including possible Article III, military commission, or foreign prosecutions;

4. Working with the Congress to establish a location in the United States to securely hold detainees whom we cannot at this time transfer to foreign countries or who are subject to military commission proceedings.

The plan, as Obama said from the White House, does not specify a location for Guantanamo Bay detainees to transfer into once entering the U.S. The DOD wrote the Obama administration does seek an "active" dialogue with Congress on the transfer topic.

Prompt GOP Opposition

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., said it's unlawful for Obama to transfer terror detainees into the U.S. and such an act may affect national security.

"After seven years, President Obama has yet to convince the American people that moving Guantanamo terrorists to our homeland is smart or safe. And he doesn't seem interested in continuing to try. His proposal fails to provide critical details required by law, including the exact cost and location of an alternate detention facility. Congress has left no room for confusion," said Rubio. "It is against the law -- and it will stay against the law -- to transfer terrorist detainees to American soil. We will not jeopardize our national security over a campaign promise."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., among the five major GOP presidential candidates and son of Cuban immigrants, spoke against the plan during a campaign stop in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rubio said Americans have the right to be frustrated with the proposal, which "maybe" includes transferring the land back to the Cuban government. Rubio said he will not return the naval base to Cuban control and will keep the detention center open.

"Not only are we not going to close Guantanamo -- When I am president, if we capture a terrorist alive, they are not getting a court hearing in Manhattan. They are not going to be sent to Nevada. They are going to Guantanamo and we are going to find out everything they know," said Rubio.

The Florida senator is also co-sponsoring legislation with Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., titled "Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Protection Act," which prevents the U.S. naval base from being transferred to the Cuban government without congressional approval.

"Since announcing the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba, President Obama has given the Castro regime concession after concession, prioritizing political promises over national security, the integrity of America's justice system, human rights and democracy. The Castro regime is already ripping the American people off and now it's demanding the return of a U.S. naval station, which has been vital to Navy and Coast Guard operations in the Caribbean for over a century," said Rubio in a statement regarding the Senate bill.

He later added, "Naval Station Guantanamo Bay has been an essential tool for our military to resupply U.S. ships supporting counter illicit trafficking and humanitarian missions in Latin America, as well as for mass migration contingencies."

About Guantanamo Bay

The U.S. created the base following an agreement with then-Cuban officials in 1903. Cuba had agreed to lease Guantanamo Bay to the U.S. for "the purposes of coaling and naval stations."

Approximately 800 detainees have been held at the base's detention facility, but more than 85 percent were transferred, mostly during President George W. Bush's administration when over 500 detainees were transferred. During the Obama administration, 147 detainees have been transferred. As of Feb. 23, the facility is home to 91 detainees.

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.
Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are both concentrating on their Nevada ground games in hopes of slowing Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

Since Trump secured back-to-back primary wins in South Carolina and New Hampshire and sprinted out to a lead of 20 points in Nevada, both Cruz and Rubio hope getting out the vote in greater numbers than expected will help them in Tuesday's caucus.

"In Nevada, organization is key," said Jeremy Hughes, Rubio's state director. "I wouldn't say it's sexy, but it's the grind work you've got to do to win elections here."

Rubio Has Deep Roots in Nevada

Rubio arrived in Nevada over the weekend, but his roots in the state date back to his childhood. He attended grade school there before his parents relocated to Miami. His cousin, Mo Denis, is a state senator, and other family members have often accompanied him on the local campaign trial.

"Believe it or not, we still have more family in southern Nevada than in South Florida," Rubio recently told a crowd of supporters. "So if I only win by 68 votes here, you'll know why."

Operations for Rubio have been up and running in the state for roughly a year, and the campaign has particularly made a spirited effort to connect with Mormons and senior voters.

"You have to remember who's going to show up to caucus," said Mike Slanker, a key Rubio adviser who worked on the local campaigns of Gov. Brian Sandoval and State Sen. Dean Heller. "There are going to be, like, seven people there. So you want to look to your most civic-minded people. Who is that in this state? It's Mormons and seniors. It's a powerful combination. If you can't get those folks you're not going to win."

Not far from Rubio's office, supporters for Cruz have set up camp and are toiling just as tirelessly.

Cruz Also Desperate for Strong Nevada Showing

"Today Ted's volunteers are in full force building our ground game in Nevada," supporters recently assured voters in one campaign call after another. "And the most important part of our ground game is establishing local contacts in individual precincts so that every voter has the opportunity to hear Ted's message."

A Cruz staffer recently boasted "hundreds of thousands" of such calls have gone out in recent days, all part of the campaign's relentless effort to get the vote out.

"We're hitting our targets," said field representative Matthew Bell. Cruz easily boasted the most sophisticated caucus operation in Iowa, which largely propelled him to the only win any candidate has thus far registered over Trump. Here in Nevada, supporters are again hoping to draw on that expertise.

"I'm thrilled to be surrounded by lovers of liberty," Cruz recently told supporters in the state from the bed of a black pickup truck. "If every one of you gets ten people to show up Tuesday night, the men and women standing in this parking lot can change the outcome of the Nevada caucuses."

Recent polling shows Trump leading in 10 of the next 14 GOP voting states, Nevada included. Even in Cruz's home state of Texas, polls show Trump trailing the Texas senator by just 7 points, perhaps positioning him to snare at least some of the state's 172 total delegates.

"I'm really on my way," Trump boasted about his prospects after his win in South Carolina earlier this month. "I'm going to win."
The American public is favoring the FBI in the bureau's dispute with Apple over whether the tech company should unlock an iPhone owned by one of the San Bernardino shooters.

Those who support Apple say the phone should remain locked in order to preserve the privacy of all other iPhone owners. They are planning to protest to show their support for the technology company.

Poll Shows Support for FBI

A new poll conducted by the Pew Research Center on Sunday found 51 percent of Americans say Apple should cooperate with the FBI and unlock the iPhone owned by Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the San Bernardino shooters.

Meanwhile, 38 percent of Americans believe Apple should stand its ground and leave the phone locked, while 11 percent of Americans are not sure what should be done in the situation.

A similar poll by USA Today found 51 percent of Americans take the FBI's side and believe the phone should be unlocked.

Democrats and Republicans Share Opinion

There is very little difference between Republicans and Democrats on the issue. The majority of both parties say Apple should help the FBI unlock the device.

"It's 56 percent of Republicans and 55 percent of Democrats," Carroll Doherty, Pew's director of public research, said.

Protests Planned

Demonstrators plan to protest on Tuesday in San Francisco, Los Angeles and at Apple's headquarters, as well as at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. They will hold signs that display messages like "FBI: Don't Break Our Phones" and "Secure Phones Save Lives," The Los Angeles Times reports.

Apple's CEO Tim Cook said in a letter to employees Monday that this dispute is about more than just one phone or one investigation. He argued agreeing to unlock the iPhone would expose the data of millions of law-abiding people in the future.

FBI Just Wants One iPhone Unlocked

The FBI disagrees. The bureau has stated it simply wants to access the suspect's iPhone and not the iPhones of everyone in the country.

The FBI says the iPhone owned by Farook could contain critical information they need in their investigation. To unlock the phone, they must type in the correct passcode in less than 10 tries. If they input the wrong code too many times, all of the phone's data will be erased.

"We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorist's passcode without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly. That's it," FBI Director James Comey said. "We don't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land."

Apple Fears Millions of Users' Data at Risk

Apple executives think the government is going too far and abusing their powers with this request. The company argues unlocking the device would set a legal precedent for further surveillance on the general public. Cook does not believe the FBI would only use an unlock solution to access this particular iPhone.

"Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks -- from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable," Cook said.

Apple is standing its ground and refusing to unlock the iPhone, but will the company eventually give in?
Agora is the latest human rights group to be shut down by the Russian government. The Tatarstan Regional Supreme Court ruled over to liquidate the human rights group for allegedly involving in political activity influencing public opinion. Agora will appeal to Russia's Supreme Court over the decision.

Just 24 hours after the ruling, the justice ministry has again called for liquidation of another human rights group, Golos. The Russian government is among the nations to continually crackdown on independent civil society. Agora is a network of lawyers and activists, recognized for defending civil and political activists across Russia. It is the human rights group that represented high-profile court cases such as Ukrainian filmmaker from Crimea, Oleg Sentsov, and his alleged accessory, the Crimean activist Olexander Kolchenko; Alexei Navalny; and the feminist punk group, Pussy Riot, HRW. Org reports.

"I'm proud we were the first ones because there's public awareness of what is going on," Pavel Chikov, former head of Agora Human Rights Association said over Skype from Russia. "If we talk about the substantial work of our team of lawyers, this court decision does not influence or impact at all, but it doesn't undermine the overall importance of that court decision; it sets a very dangerous precedent. When we talk about any leading human rights NGOs in Russia, there is no feeling comfortable or secure currently."

Chikov said that their group composed of about 30 lawyers has been working on over 300 cases in Russia and they will continue to do their job even they were no longer organized as a group. The Tatarstan court decision was denounced by international factions, including the Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch, according to The Washington Post. This way, the group claimed that decentralization would make it more difficult for the authorities to track them.

"We will find a legal way how to continue our work, it can be a commercial organization, it can be an association of people without registering any kind of legal entity, that is actually allowed for by the Russian constitution and civil code. There are legal ways," said Olga Sadovskaya, a human rights lawyer and the deputy chairperson of the Committee Against Torture, International Business Times claims. "There are other options at the moment and we will be using them."

At the moment Russia and other nations, including India, China, Uganda, Egypt, and Cambodia are the nations that are experiencing the biggest crackdown in human rights group. Chikov claimed that he and other lawyers will continue to work to achieve the change they want.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Friday to bring to an end the lower court ruling, which demands North Carolina legislators to draw a new congressional map. This allegedly means that the House primary elections will not occur next month as planned and are rescheduled on June.

According to ABC NEWS, the rejection of the request by the state of North Carolina lawyers for the justices to intervene the redistricting ruling came just hours after Republican lawmakers conducted a meeting in Raleigh, which voted to redraw the boundaries. The move will allegedly comply with a federal court ruling that called the majority of the black districts racial gerrymanders.

The General Assembly called for a regathering and passing of a new map since a three-judge panel had already ordered such replacement by Friday. But then the state lawyers argued that the absentee ballots already were being requested for the March 15 primary election schedule. They also appealed that blocking districts used since 2011 would bring about electoral chaos and a costly separate House primary.

As a customary, the Supreme Court declined to release the tally of votes for the decision. But then an election law expert revealed that before Justice Antonin Scalia's death, the court would have granted the stay. "Before the death of Justice Scalia, I had thought the Court would grant the stay, not because there would be a majority of justices who would necessarily agree on the merits, but because there were likely at least five who would see the problem of changing the rules so close to the election," stated Rick Hasen, professor of law and political science at the University of California Irvine School of Law, via CNN.

However, the voters who filed the case over the boundaries claimed that they should not have to go through the process of voting in illegal districts for another election cycle, just like in the years 2012 and 2014. St. Paul's Review reported that the decision to decline the ruling, which is a one-sentence decision that said Chief Justice John Roberts had referred the appeal to the entire court, would mean that the congressional primary elections are now set to pursue on June 7. These elections will be under the new boundaries that put two incumbents in the same district and would jeopardize the re-election of the Democratic Rep. Alma Adams in the Republican district.

Meanwhile, those who made an appeal could ask the judges to reassess the new maps for compliance with their order. The judges could also hold a new hearing themselves.
It won't be long until King Kong fans see the return of the giant ape in the cinemas as "Kong: Skull Island" has already started shooting on Monday, February 22 . After looking for several unique places and locations, the production team settled in the midst of the Southeast Asian country, Vietnam.

The adventure film "Kong: Skull Island" has decided to set the giant ape's den in the islands of Vietnam as they prepared to start shooting in the country. According to KFTV, the upcoming film is about to be the biggest one to be done in Vietnam as it stars "The Avengers" stars Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson and "Room" actress Brie Larson.

The filming is said to commence on the central and north eastern Vietnam over the next five weeks and they will be supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism in the region. "We appreciate Viet Nam's support for this film project," said Ted Osius, the ambassador of United States in Vietnam.

"Kong: Skull Island" has been a treat to the country, specifically its residents as Tom Hiddleston made a surprise visit. According to Tuoitre News, the British actor landed on the country in time for the press conference held in Vietnam despite prior news that indicated he won't be coming. The actor greeted his Vietnamese fans in the country's language and sent a smile to the media. Hiddleston also revealed his excitement toward his role in the film saying that he will try to give justice to the character. Following the arrival of Hiddleston and the press conference, the production team took selfies before initially starting the production.

Furthermore, the director of the "Kong: Skull Island", Jordan Vogt- Roberts, shared how he found out about the place in the report of Youth Health Mag. The director disclosed that he has chosen Vietnam as they found 'magical' locations that would be really beneficial to the film. He stated that he was stunned on the beauty and surreal places in the country, citing the mountains to the vistas. He added that "We believe movie fans in the U.S. would wonder in awe as to where this beautiful place is."

"Kong: Skull Island" is a reboot of the 1933 film, "Kong". The film is said to be the first part of a series including "Godzilla 2" in 2018 and "Godzilla vs Kong" in 2020. "Kong: Skull Island" will hit theaters on March 2017.
Jury selection has started on Monday in a federal court case. The two North-eastern Pennsylvanian families accuse that Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation contaminated their well water with methane when it started fracking for natural gas.

According to Reuters, The case initially involved 40 people, but then Scott Ely and Monica Marta-Ely and Ray and Victoria Hubert, the two couples, are the only plaintiffs who remained standing for the allegation that Cabot contaminated the well water. The rest of the claimants already settled with Cabot, which is a major producer in Susquehanna County.

Marta Ely stated, while gesturing to her 13-year old son, Jared, at a news conference during a break in the jury selection, "We haven't had clean water since he was in kindergarten." It was also claimed that the process of hyrodraulic fracking, which extracts gas from underground shale formations, has brought a widespread opposition in many parts of the U.S.

Yahoo! News also reported that hyrodraulic fractioning is to be blamed for the environmental destruction, noise pollution, as well as earthquakes in the country. But the company's supporters opposed the idea as they claim that the process is proven to be safe.

The families who are taking the court in trial live close to Dimock, Pennsylvania, which was made well-known by an Oscar-nominated documentary, "Gasland", to raise anti-fracking movement. The 2010 documentary revealed that tap water in the area that could be set on fire since it contained methane gas. The two families admitted that water in their homes was even flammable in the past.

Both families are asking for compensatory and punitive damages from Cabot for the alleged fouling of the water supply. Scott Ely, who lived in Dimock since 1800s, stated that he hauls tankers of water for his family. The family even showed off the bottle of water from the well with the color of coffee and cream, as claimed by Townhall.

Meanwhile, the court documents suggest that the trial will bring to light a state law that assumes that a gas driller is responsible for the water contamination in the area. However, Cabot still argues that the state law diverges too much from traditional tort law, which requires the plaintiffs to prove damages.
Feb 23, 2016, 3:07pm ET

Audi leads, FCA lags in latest Consumer Reports rankings

The magazine doesn\'t recommend a single test model from Fiat, Jeep or Chrysler.

Audi, Subaru and Lexus have taken the podium positions in Consumer Reports latest 'best cars' rankings.

The magazine recommends every single test model from Audi and Subaru. The Japanese mainstream automaker is arguably the most notable winner, ranking higher than luxury brands Lexus, Porsche and BMW.

The brand comparisons are based on overall scores, road-test performance and predicted reliability for each tested model of each brand. Scores are then averaged to determine which companies build the best vehicles.

"Brands with a lineup of mature, incrementally updated vehicles tended to rise to the top," the magazine wrote. "For instance, Toyota's middling road-test score was balanced by strong reliability; Mercedes-Benz's strong road tests were offset by below par reliability. And Honda, Nissan, and Chrysler suffered due to problematic new transmissions."

At the bottom of the list, Fiat was deemed the worst brand with the lowest overall score, second-to-worst road-test score and worst predicted reliability. Fiat Chrysler Automobile brands took four of the bottom six positions, shared by Land Rover and Mitsubishi. Notably, Consumer Reports does not recommend a single tested model from Jeep or Fiat.

"We respect Consumer Reports' opinion, as they're one of the many third-party evaluators we receive comments from," FCA quality VP Matt Liddane said in a statement. "With that being said, we encourage customers to experience our vehicles for themselves. We continue to aggressively pursue both product and launch-quality improvements as they are top priorities for the Company and our internal measurements are showing progress."
Feb 23, 2016, 1:04pm ET

'GM authored' anti-Tesla legislation moves forward in Indiana

The company already sells cars in the state, however lobbyists have pushed to deny a license renewal.

General Motors is allegedly behind the latest state-level lobbying effort to ban Tesla Motors from selling direct to customers.

Tesla already operates a retail location in the Indianapolis area, however legislation "authored and pushed by General Motors" threatens to effectively ban the company from continuing to operate in the state.

The bill includes a critical revision to the licensing scheme. If signed into law, the legislation would prevent Tesla from renewing its dealer license 30 months after it was first renewed, according to an excerpt published by Autoblog.

"Despite having a lawfully granted license to sell Tesla vehicles directly since 2014 at the Fashion Mall at Keystone; despite contributing over $42 million to the state through the purchase of parts and components from Indiana suppliers; and despite plans underway to construct a 26,000 square foot Tesla Service facility that will employ approximately a dozen Indiana residents and serve our customers, GM is pushing the Senate Committee to shut out Tesla," the company wrote in a plea to owners and enthusiasts who reside in Indiana.

General Motors has not confirmed its role in the move, though the company has previously argued that all automakers should have to follow "the same rules." The company also boasted that its nationwide dealer network means "customers never have to worry about driving to another state to buy, service or support their vehicles." The comments have been viewed as disingenuous as the company pushes for laws to restrict rivals from establishing national sales networks.

GM's involvement takes on new significance as both companies prepare to launch mass-market long-range vehicles. The Chevrolet Bolt could be the first to arrive on the market, though it will soon be followed by the Model 3. Tesla's offering could pose a significant threat to the Bolt; it is expected to feature longer range, a lower price and a more luxury positioning akin to a BMW 3 Series rather than a subcompact hatchback.
Tensions over wind turbines and power pylons boiled up at an IFA-run general election public meeting last week where Minister Charlie Flanagan said he could have sued campaigners .

The debate started after a farmer asked all six general election candidates for their view because he said the issue has led to a lot of debate in the IFA and elsewhere.

The pylon issue was raised by another farmer, Colm Fingleton from Ratheniska, who has campaigned against an Eirgrid pylon plan and substation earmarked for his area.

He told the meeting in the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel, that the powers that be in this country have thrown us under a bus in Ratheniska.

Dismissing as a charade, consultation he said State bodies walked all over the community.

Mr Fingleton said his area and surrounding countryside would be destroyed by pylons He said everybody had deserted the community apart from Sen John Whelan, Cllr Padraig Fleming and other in dividuals.

Fine Gael candidate Charlie Flanagan said he was happy to address the issue because of a campaign which called on people to vote against candidates who were deemed to support turbines. The campaign targeted Minister Flanagan and others.

I address this having been the subject of a very personalised, vindictive and malicious campaign by certain individuals and if I was a litigious type of person I can tell you I would be spending a lot of time in the high court. Some of the things that were said about me were clearly wrong. I have never promoted any development of private windfarms in this constituency, said the Fine Gael candidate.

The Minister said there was a place for wind energy, but not at all costs.

If the people of Laois don't want wind turbines the people of Laois shouldn't have wind turbines foisted upon them, he said.

However, he said he could not stop any farmer from engaing with wind turbine developers - that is their right.

He said the country could not continue to rely on oil and other fossil fuels for energy but he did not see Laois windfarms as being the solution. He added that he 'didn't care' if that was a NIIMBY - not in my back yard attitude.

He was challenged from the floor by Mr Fingleton who said it is 'not true' to claim as Mr Flanagan put it that there are people in Ratheniska who entered into certain contractual arrangements that are honoured by law.

Sen John Whelan said it was time to stop pretending that Ireland was an energy producer. He sais the country was a food producer and should import energy.

Communities should not be convulsed and divided. It is a horrendous situation that is causing untold damage with no economic benefit to rural communities and economies, said the Labour Party candidate.

Sen Whelan said there were alternatives such as bioenergy which could create 5,000 jobs. He said wind was not reliable.

Brian Stanley said there must be regulations, and not guidelines. He said county councils should be given back the power to decide on turbines.

He said the Government had put all their eggs in the one basket of wind rather than exploring a range of alternatives renewable power sources.

He said electricity must go underground and not on pylons.

Sean Fleming said there must be 'statutory guidelines' on windfarms.

He said the developers of windfarms were putting their hand in the pockets of Irish taxpayers for tax reliefs. He said that if subsidies were not given there would be no wind turbines.

As of now the Irish taxpayer is subsidising all of these, apart from the problems it is creating in the community, said the Fianna Fail candidate.

He said there had been a successful campaign in Killeshin to have a windfarm moved further from houses before being built.

My own community of Ballybrittas is torn apart over wind turbines, said Fine Gael candidate Thomasina Connnell.

I have lost friends over it, families are divided. It is a very very difficult situation. I believe there should be more consultation as communities are left destroyed, said the Fine Gael candidate.

Sinead Moore, the Green party candidate suggested that there may be a place for wind energy, but on a smaller scale.
Senior doctors at Portlaoise hospital have begun the fightback against downgrade by warning HSE bosses that a plan to end round the clock A&E cover would be risky and not safe if implemented as outlined.

A letter sent by hospital consultants to Dublin/Midlands Hospital Group CEO Dr Susan O'Reilly effectively confirms that the A&E would shut. This in turn would lead to the loss of surgical and other key services.

The consultants claim A&E services will cease and on site surgical and intensive care back up will be severely curtailed.

The HSE plan an alternative but consultants believe it is unworkable. The model outlined involves two 24/7 medical assesment units - one for adults and one for children.

We cannot support a model, where undifferentiated patients presenting for acute care, are soley managed and treated by medical teams who are neither Emergency Medicine nor surgically trained. This would not be a safe pathway for adults or hildren, the letter states.

The consultants claim that they are not aware of any existing model in Ireland where Adult Medical Assesment Units or Paediatri Medical Assesment Units have an open door policy where patients can present directly for acute care.

This model does not provide for the risks inherent in acute clinical care and we wish to make it clear that the physicans and paediatricians at Midland Redional Hospital, Portlaoise do not support this model, they say.

We are committed to our community and would welcome the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the formulation of a plan that would better meet its need for safe and effective acute care, say the consultants.

Despite a refusal by the HSE to publish a plan for the hospital, consultants are aware that a 25-page document is already being discussed by doctors who are national clinical leads in hospital care. There is some hope this will stave of implementation. They also believe a plan for Portlaoise will be buried in another document that will reconfigure other hospitals in the Dublin/Midlands region. It is suspected that what is on the cards for Portlaoise could happen at similar sized hospitals nationally.

In a seperate letter, GPs also called for upgrade.

We are aware that the status quo of an unresourced, understaffed ED cannot remain.

The only solution is to upgrade, fully resource and staff the ED, said a letter in this week's Leinster Expres.

The HSE's boss Tony O'Brien visited Portlaoise hospital last week but made no announcement.

The Dublin Midlands Hospital Group declined to confirm or deny what consultants outlined.

See pages 8, 17, 21
Small businesses and start-ups in Kildare are being encouraged by the Local Enterprise Office to enter this years National Enterprise Awards, for a chance to represent the county and share a 20,000 national prize fund.

The deadline to enter the LEO Kildare County Enterprise Awards is Friday, February 26.

Last years local winner was Kellys Mountain Brew from Clane and this years local winner will be announced by mid-March and will represent the county at the 2016 National Enterprise Awards in June, with twelve awards on offer and a top prize of 10,000.

Co-ordinated by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in the Local Authorities Network, the National Enterprise Awards were set-up to celebrate the achievements of Irelands micro-enterprise sector.

Previous winners have included Irish Yogurts from West Cork, Hot Irishman Irish Coffee (Walsh Whiskey Distillery) from Carlow, Innovate IT and Telecoms from Wexford, Grouse Lodge Recording Studios from Westmeath, DesignPro from Limerick and Simtech Aviation from Fingal.

According to Mary Foley of the Local Enterprise Office Kildare, the National Enterprise Awards highlight the success stories behind Irelands small businesses.

First stop shop

Encouraging local businesses to enter this years competition, she said: The Local Enterprise Office is the first stop shop for small businesses and start-ups here in the county and we want to celebrate their impressive achievements, giving them national recognition for their successes. Winning awards can open doors for businesses and were inviting local businesses and start-ups to take the next step by entering the National Enterprise Awards.

Last years national winners included: MyBio (Overall Winners, supported by Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny), Aine Knitwear (Design Award, supported by Local Enterprise Office Clare), Vision Built Manufacturing (Export Award, supported by the Local Enterprise Office Galway), the Property Button, (Start-Up Award, supported by Local Enterprise Office Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown) and Gannon Eco (Innovation Award, supported by Local Enterprise Office Westmeath).

Three other national finalists from 2015 were: Glendalough Distillery (supported by Local Enterprise Office Wicklow), Elemex (supported by Local Enterprise Office Louth) and Kinnegar Brewing (supported by Local Enterprise Office Donegal).

Further details about the supports available to local start-ups and small businesses are available through www.localenterprise.ie.

Updates around the National Enterprise Awards are available by searching #NEAwards16 on social media.
The first American federal law enforcement officer to be named as chief honoree at the Irish Law and Order Awards in New York has strong links to both Counties Leitrim and Cavan.

Bernard 'Bernie' McCormack, a Special Agent with the US Treasury Department, was selected as chief honoree at the Irish Law and Order Awards held recently in Manhattan.

Bernie is the son of Charlie McCormack, a native of Cormore, Arva, Co Cavan and Teresa Reilly from Gortnalug, just outside of Mohill.

In 2009, the Irish Echo newspaper in the USA inaugurated the Irish Law and Order awards. The awards feature a listing of Americas Most Distinguished Law and Order Leaders drawing nominees from the ranks of police officers, corrections officers, federal law enforcement officers and lawyers working in the offices of district attorneys.

In 2016 nominees from around America were honoured at a special ceremony at Rosie OGradys Manhattan Club in New York and, for the first time a federal law enforcement officer was selected as the chief honoree, much to the delight of Bernie's family, friends and colleagues.

Equally proud are the members of Bernie's extended Irish family who still reside here in Ireland, including aunts, uncles and a wide circle of cousins and friends.
Taking charge of the Stay in the EU campaign, David Cameron was accused of using the politics of fear: claiming Britain will have greater security staying in, while leaving would expose us to unknown hazards. Its ironic, though, that his actions caused an astonishing split even in his own Cabinet. Are the British people expected to feel safe and secure while seeing our Government and the ruling Party split from top to bottom? How much effective business can such a Government enact in the next fraught few months?

Meantime our own Party has had its share of turmoil and trauma in the past five years. Internally, the comprehensive 2015 Election Review from the Campaigns and Communications Committee shows that a fatal dislocation arose between our Party in Government and the Party in the country. Externally, strong negative emotions against us were simultaneously roused in the British public. Anger among many that we joined with the Tories in the Coalition at all became disgust and even hatred when our Government Ministers broke the Manifesto pledge on abolishing tuition fees, and went on to back austerity measures to reduce the Deficit. As the Review reminds us, our Poll ratings dropped like a stone, our activists departed and our councillors fell from power. While the Lib Dem Ministers achieved much good and prevented some harm, there was little recognition of this in the country.

During the build-up to the Election, the Review points out the inadequate messaging from our Centre: Stronger economy, fairer society was a slogan not distinctive for us. Then came Look right, look left, then cross. This though more specific was surely worse, for it suggested the truth that we were willing to enter another coalition with either Tories or Labour. That could be seen as opportunistic and unprincipled, the Lib Dems out for a bit more power and ministerial salaries. Cue renewed hatred from sections of the public, especially if we looked likely to let in a candidate from the Party they most detested.

But our collapse had many causes, as the Review makes clear. For example, the Tories recognition that one of our strongest emotions is fear led to their instilling in the English public a fear of an alliance between Milibands Labour and the Scottish Nationalists. Why should that be dreaded? Was it much the same fear that drives some peoples dislike of the EU, that we English may not have sufficient control of our own laws?

Liberal Democrats should be just as aware as the Tories of the part that fear plays in the national psyche, for there is plenty to be afraid of. Consider only the fear not talked about, of terrorists appearing in our cities, and the dread of Putins expansionism. And there is fear of immigrants taking our jobs when good and lasting jobs are so hard to come by, or of them further depleting our too-small housing supply and our overstretched NHS.

When the current indifference to us lifts, will we still be hated and distrusted? And can we help to alleviate the nations fears? There are ways ahead on both fronts, notably by following Review recommendations. Furthermore we need a positive message now about the Lib Dem work in the Coalition. The leadership should draw up a national statement, honestly setting out what the real achievements of our Ministers were in their minority role. From that we can derive campaigning material, adding to it news of our developing policies. And as the Review suggests, we can adopt better campaigning methods involving the whole Party.

Yet it is the image that we convey that will count for most as we seek to win back the publics liking and trust. As the Tories did last year, we can now project an image of safety and security. Did we not keep the ship of state steady for five years, thanks to the committed efforts of our Ministers in Coalition? And arent we ourselves an image of stability, united as we mostly are, secure in our faith in the EU and in the potential of our people?

We have an unprecedented chance this year to project ourselves as national saviours. The image of the Tory Government struck through the heart is not one to be dwelt on by people nursing fears, and neither can they take comfort from the spectacle of the divided Labour Party with its apparently unelectable Leader. We are the only sensible but progressive major Party around, and as the Review suggests can look forward now with optimism, hope and belief in our rebuilding.

* Katharine Pindar is a long-standing member of the Lib Dems and an activist in the West Cumbrian constituency of Copeland and Workington.
Why are the Tories writing to us? groaned my husband as he brought the post through this morning. Getting to the doormat before the dog is a daily challenge in our house.

Remember how, before the General Election, the Tories carpet bombed their target constituencies with direct mail creating fear of a pact between Ed Miliband and the SNP? You almost expected them to say that they had evidence that Ed and Eck had done a deal with the Loch Ness Monster to crash the stock exchange after relocating Trident to a lake in David Camerons constituency. It was all preposterous and neither Liberal Democrats nor Labour showed it up for the nonsense it so clearly was. There was never going to be a pact between the SNP and Labour. Why on earth would they want to show they could be part of a stable UK Government that worked?

Well, they are at it again in Scotland ahead of the Holyrood elections in just two and a half months time. That letter from the Tories was from Ruth Davidson herself. Shes standing as a list candidate in my region. Its certainly the only time in the 16 years Ive lived here that I can remember getting direct mail this far out from polling day from the Tories if at all. They are clearly well funded, but one of the things that they say in their letter is simply not true:

Labour and the Lib Dems have dropped their opposition to independence? WHAT? That is utter nonsense and the Tories know it. All Willie Rennie and Labours Kezia Dugdale said was that the small minority of people in the party who backed independence werent going to be drummed out for that sincerely held view. Both parties policy, backed by the vast majority of their members, is to stay in the UK. Thats probably just as well given the fall in the price of oil. We could be facing independence, a month from tomorrow, with oil at around a quarter of what the SNP based its projections on. Despite what would be a massive black hole in our finances, there is not a huge sense up here of a bullet being dodged.

Both Conservatives and SNP seem to want to talk a lot about the Constitution at the moment. It certainly takes the focus off what they are actually doing in Government, I guess.

What makes Ruths letter really hilarious is that its not as if the Conservative Party is united on a massive issue of constitutional significance at the moment. Former Tory MP Jerry Hayes did a very sweary rant about Boris the other day. If they think they can put this genie back in the bottle after 24th June, they have another think coming.

What makes it really worrying is that we know that the Tories are spending a fortune drip-feeding these untruths to their target voters. There is one way to stop them in their tracks, though. Donate to the Scottish Lib Dems so that we can get across our positive vision of a Scotland where we invest in the future of our children and young people.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
On a bleak windswept desolate morning in mid February, I walked through puddles of mud whilst alongside me a community of refugees, desperate to re-start their lives, remain near the French /UK border hoping to escape the situation and get to the UK, or some other place of sanctuary. I visited along with my Lib Dem colleague Councillor David Chalmers. Im left wondering what will become to all those that I met this weekend.

I believe in showing humanity, care and love for our fellow citizens wherever they come from in the world, especially those escaping from lives of persecution, violence and discrimination. We, as a country, should be utterly ashamed of ourselves, as should the French authorities, for allowing a situation to develop only 20-25 minutes by travel from our shore, where a group of harmless, fear stricken people are left looking for sanctuary.

Now, I did specifically make the trip to try to understand the extent of the crisis, especially for the plight of LGBT+ people, but fear of their own situation prevents anyone from being open about their sexuality or gender identity. There are no reliable figures as to the number of people we could be talking about, but as I walked through the camp you could tell by the facial expressions that there was a connection, even if nothing was said.

I was struck by the number of refugees who said to me, We want to come to the UK because we have a family connection or Our countries have a common history and we have been told that your country is a beacon of hope, love and support around the world. I was deeply saddened to hear just how we are not living up to our worldwide reputation of compassion that those refugees had heard of.

During all my conversations not once was benefits mentioned. It is a media smokescreen to drive fear and prejudice in our population. We see the same sort of thing coming from those who support leaving the European Union, stating that our country is full.

The French authorities were threatening to evict these refugees this week, but fortunately, this immediate threat has for now been stopped in the Courts. By coincidence, a group of celebrities, led by Jude Law, happened to be visiting the camp this weekend, to lend their support to the plight of the refugees, especially the hundreds of unaccompanied children living in the Jungle. Should the eviction take place at some point in the next few months, it will leave them in a disastrous position as the facilities which they have made their community will be destroyed by bulldozers.

This visit has completely opened my eyes to the humanitarian crisis which is happening on our doorstep and how it is down to our Leader Tim Farron to continue to challenge the UKs Governments stance.

I would call upon those people who vote to remain IN and those voters that hopefully share our values of compassion and love to support and where possible to get involved with NGOs like Care4Calais, Help Refugee UK, Citizens UK and many others to amplify this situation to the wider media and beyond.

I hope that our visit has enabled people to hear about the true situation on the ground in the Jungle.

* Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett is the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Ipswich and Chair of Liberal International British Group (LIBG).
A LIMERICKMAN who lost his wife to cancer shortly after the birth of their second child is setting up a charity in Ireland to raise awareness of women who are battling cancer while pregnant.

Pete Wallroth, who is originally from Shannonbanks, set up Mummys Star, a cancer support charity for pregnant women in England and Wales in 2013, and is now establishing the charity in Ireland.

Pete, a father of two, will officially launch the charity during the weekend of the Barringtons Hospital Great Limerick Run in May, when he hopes they will have some 15 runners taking part in the race to raise awareness of this cause.

Petes wife Mair, who was diagnosed with breast cancer while she was pregnant, died three years ago, just 10 weeks after their son Merlin was born. Their first child Martha, now six, was aged three at the time. Mair, from north Wales, died aged 41.

Due to the lack of support available to support families in this very unique situation we set up the charity and to date we are supporting over 200 women around England and Wales by offering emotional support through connection and forums, advocacy on behalf of patients and working with health professionals and providing small grants to give some financial relief to these families, he explained to the Limerick Leader.

He said they already have a small but strong support base in Ireland, especially in the midwifery community, through the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), which he described as a huge advocate of our work. He said he wants to encourage women to be aware of cancer symptoms, which sometimes can be masked by pregnancy symptoms.

We seem to have tapped into something that wasnt here before, and would like to do the same in Ireland. We want to be able to provide emotional support and assist with some of the costs of treatment, and raise awareness that sadly women do die after cancer shortly after birth, he said.

He also wants to highlight that it is possible to be treated while pregnant, even though there are a lot of myths out there and a perception that you cant have chemo while pregnant. Thats just not true, but there are parameters there, and it may not be safe up to a certain point. Its not a talked about area. A lot of websites, rather than providing women with some relief, just heighten concerns. There is an online community for these women to talk to each other and help to take away from some of that isolation. They can feel like their pregnancy is ripped away from them, and that they lose their early bonding time with their child, especially if they are undergoing treatment. There is a big physical impact and a big psychological impact as well.

For details see www.mummysstar.org or see their Facebook page
I HAVE to say I love elections. I do whinge coming up to them, because Ive been at them so long and your life is turned upside down. But once you get into it, you cant stop and you dont even want to stop for one second.

You say to yourself, Theres too much at stake. I must keep going. If you lost a seat for the sake of 20 votes, youd say If only we went down that street again, or responded to this person about the new road, we might have done better. Also, I have always been involved with good politicians and that gives you the impetus to drive on. I take it almost personally, especially in relation to someone like Jan OSullivan.

The count day can be the best and worst day ever. We traditionally meet early for breakfast, about 8am for a 9am count. Well have the tally sheets prepared. Some of us call, some of us mark, and collate all the figures that are coming in.

A lot of inexperienced people, when the boxes are open, proclaim that a candidate is only on 5%  but that could be a box for which a 5% vote is actually OK. Obviously youll be strong in some boxes and weak in others.

You could call it early, but it can be misleading. You have to wait until a persons strong boxes are out on the table, and their weak boxes, and form an opinion. Some will be eliminated quickly enough, and then other trends will begin to emerge. If your first preferences are down a lot, chances are your transfers will also be down, and youll struggle. Theres an element of luck as well.

I honestly dont know how it will pan out nationally, because in the final week to go it could see a swing towards the current Government, or towards the Civil War parties. What looked very unlikely several weeks ago even is now a distinct possibility, but it remains to be seen how the people vote. There is a desire amongst some to see stability, and others feel the austerity measures were too much, so they'll vote for more left parties. I have to separate my wish from what might happen. In all honesty, I believe the present coalition will fall short. I think the Civil War parties will have to come together, unless theres a coalition with reasonable, like-minded Independents. I cant let my heart rule my head on this one.

Jans seat is under threat, no doubt about it. In politics, when things go your way, you can do no wrong, but when things go against you thats when you must show your backbone and stand up, and withstand the swing against Labour in Government.

Ive been knocking on doors the past six weeks and people very much appreciate the work that Jan has done in a straightforward manner. Shes a lady and I think thats what endears her to the public. She's in Moyross every week in her clinic, in St Marys Park and Southill  areas that are not represented well by some politicians, who'd need a map to find them.

I havent heard anyone say shes a poor Minister or shes done nothing for Limerick. Sometimes the electorate make decisions that theyll soon regret  Im thinking of when my brother Jim lost his seat in 1982.

It'll be a travesty if shes defeated. Whoever replaces her, if shes replaced, will have a difficult time achieving as much as shes achieved within a short space of time, and she didnt come in under a gender quota or any back doors. She just had to fight the men all the time.

Jan has total integrity, you couldn't steer her away from what she instinctively feels is right. You couldnt buy Jan OSullivan. The nod and a wink stuff that goes on doesn't apply to her. I know Im biased but she is the outstanding candidate as far as Im concerned and Ill do all I can in my power to have her elected. Shes a longtime advocate on womens rights and social justice, and shes all that you could ask for in a candidate. She underplays her own achievements, if anything.

If you add Joe Leddins vote and Jans vote the last time we polled extremely well [6,353 and 2,411 first preferences respectively]. We expect to be down because we were in Government and we had to make hard decisions, but how far down is difficult to predict. Every general election is like 40 small elections.

The polls, I believe, always give us a good snapshot, but no more. Willie ODea and Michael Noonan are over the line. I wont say Noonan is the real leader of Fine Gael, but he is on the front line. He may not get 30% of the vote this time round, though.

Kieran ODonnell should be over the line too, given the change in the constituency and getting back old Tom O'Donnell country like Cappamore and places like that. I think there are 10,000 additional people are coming into the constituency, and he will benefit the most  along with maybe ODea, but Willie won't need it. Any politician would love that  to get such a lump added on.

We see it essentially in Limerick city as a battle between Sinn Fein [Maurice Quinlivan] and Jan O'Sullivan for the final seat. I am a betting man, and I happened to win a lot of money in the by-election when she ran in 1998, and she was 7-1.

I think Cian Prendiville will poll alright, but be wont be a significant threat this time to Sinn Fein or Jan. He will probably disagree with that.

In this constituency, Fine Gael got 43% of the vote in the 2011 election, between Noonan and ODonnell, which was a colossal vote. Noonans campaign doesn't seem to be as energetic this time, probably because he doesnt need to. Were realists to know that were fighting for the last seat, and it would be pointless to say otherwise. Itll be touch and go. It could run right down to the wire, and I think its going to be a cliffhanger of an election.

I would expect Noonan to take the first seat, Willie to take the second, ODonnell to take the third, and the last seat is the battle. Wed be asking the voters of Limerick to consider who will serve Limerick best  a proven minister with great ability, who has devoted her life to politics or Sinn Fein? And to me thats the battleground here.

In the county, I have a feeling Emmett OBrien will be elected. Ive heard hes running a lively campaign. The two Fine Gael candidates are young and theyre lively performers, and Im sure Dan Neville will pull out all the stops to help his son [Tom].

I remember a candidate being beaten there before by five votes. Im not saying itll go that close again, but who knows how close itll be between two Fine Gael men. People say its a conservative and safe electorate, but its open to change.

Emmett will challenge FG for one of their seats  and he comes from the Fianna Fail gene pool. I think itll be a battle royal for that seat in the county, particularly between Patrick ODonovan and Tom Neville, and I think thats where the real story is.

I never met a candidate who believed they have no chance.

Every candidate has this sense of belief that theyll defy the odds, but the polls point clearly to whats going to take place. Most people involved in any campaign will tell you theyre flying, but we know were in a fight. Because were not ahead in the polls, it means we have to fight twice as hard.

- Joe Kemmy was talking to Limerick Leader reporter Anne Sheridan
SOUTHSIDE city residents in Limerick are set for more chaos, with their road being dug up for the third time in as many years.

Hundreds of residents on the Ballinacurra Road will see diggers outside their homes for the next month, after Irish Water confirmed it was replacing lead pipes in the area.

In 2013, there were works in the same street with the installation of a bus-lane on the inbound side at a cost of 1.4m. And a year later, Irish Water moved onto the street for the first time to install water meters back in 2014.

The utility firm has written to residents advising them of the fact the parking lane will be closed for the next month on the Ballinacurra Road, from the South Circular Road junction to the Southern Ring Road on the inbound side.

Fine Gael councillor Maria Byrne, who lives near the Ballinacurra Road, said: It is going to cause absolute chaos altogether, while local businessman Jim Power, Power Insurances, said: Its going to be a disaster.

Obviously it is inconvenient for both our staff and clients. There is already an inconvienience with the bus lane, with cars being pushed to the other side of the road and down the side roads. What is going to happen when the roadworks are in full swing I dont know, Mr Power told the Limerick Leader.

Cllr Byrne also questioned why Irish Water could not have replaced the old lead piping when it installed water meters.

I would sympathise with the residents on this one. They have had an awful lot to put up with over the last number of years. While I understand these new water pipes are needed, it is not fair on the residents that they have had the whole road dug up again.

"There will be diversions, and I am sure people on the South Circular Road will not be too happy as it will mean traffic will be diverted up to them, she said.

A spokesperson for Irish Water said: As far as possible, meter installation works in Limerick City were co-ordinated with the planned water mains replacement works.

In relation to the meter installation in Ballinacurra Road, existing meter boxes installed by the Local Authority during footpath improvement works were re-used to install meters as part of the metering programme.

The spokesperson added: We apologise for any inconvenience. Irish Water is committed to minimising traffic disruption and keeping residents informed over the period of the planned work.

Irish Water is investing 6.5m in a water rehabilitation project across Limerick, with the company saying it will result in the saving of 11 million litres of water each week in the city  enough to fill four-and-a-half Olympic sized swimming pools.
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This marsh warbler has a cuckoo chick in its nest. It was unable to differentiate between the cuckoo egg and the rest of the eggs in its nest, researchers say.

Female cuckoos are brilliant masters of disguise  at least when it comes to laying their eggs. A new study finds that mothers invade other species' nests and lay eggs that look remarkably similar to those that actually belong there, in an effort to hide the foreign eggs in plain sight.

For about a century, researchers have been investigating how different female cuckoos manage to lay eggs in such a wide variety of colors and patterns so that unsuspecting birds can't tell the difference between their own eggs and imposters.

Now, scientists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have solved one piece of the egg puzzle: The gene that causes cuckoos to lay blue eggs is determined by the mother alone. [The 7 Weirdest Moms in the Animal Kingdom]

"The enigma for scientists is the distinct colors and patterns of eggs mimicking different host species," said lead study author Frode Fossy, a research scientist in the Department of Biology at NTNU. "We do know that males and females from different host races mate with each other. If not, each host race would quickly become a separate species."

If the genes that affect egg color were carried by both males and females, any mating could result in eggs that are a mixture of the two colors and patterns, which would thus not mimic the host bird's eggs at all. In other words, the male cuckoo's genes could mess up the disguise.

Birds have Z and W chromosomes, which work similarly to X and Y chromosomes in mammals. Male birds have ZZ and females have ZW, and so the gene for blue eggs could be carried on the Z chromosome, the researchers said. Another explanation could be that it is passed on in mitochondrial DNA, which scientists think is only passed on by mothers, they added.

This illustration shows the wide variety of colors and patterns in eggs laid by cuckoos. Cuckoo eggs may be slightly different in size to a host bird's eggs, but otherwise it is almost impossible to tell the difference, especially for humans. (Image credit: NTNU)

The researchers homed in only on the genes for blue eggs, not any other colors, but they studied a wide variety of samples, including some eggs that are more than 100 years old.

Blue eggs are thought to have originated from Asia, around 2.6 million years ago. In Europe, blue eggs are most commonly found in common redstart nests, but have also been found in pied flycatcher, winchat and wheatear nests, the researchers said. These are the species that cuckoos are likely to try to dupe by depositing their blue eggs in the other birds' nests.

However, the cuckoo's plan isn't foolproof, and sometimes the wily birds are found out and their eggs are kicked out and destroyed by suspecting host birds.

"There is a continuously ongoing arms race between cuckoos and their hosts," Fossy told Live Science. "As cuckoo eggs evolve to be more like the hosts' eggs, the hosts themselves become better and better at recognizing and ejecting cuckoo eggs from their nests."

It is not known whether the cuckoos or the host birds are winning the arms race, but Fossy said many host species are declining in population throughout Europe, and cuckoos are also declining as a result.

Fossy said he and his colleagues are interested in studying other egg colors in addition to blue ones. The blue eggs had a long documented history that made them ideal for this research, but more genetic data is needed to ask the same questions of other colored eggs, the researchers said.

"We have recently sequenced the complete genomes of several cuckoos and this will be the focus of our work for the next couple of years," Fossy said. "Hopefully, we will be able to say something about the other egg colors during this work."

The new study was published in the journal Nature Communications (opens in new tab).

Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
Seven minutes to midnight. Five minutes to midnight. Three minutes to midnight.

Last month, experts with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced that the "Doomsday Clock," an iconic symbol meant to represent humanity's risk of facing global calamity, was stuck at 3 minutes to midnight, despite a historic climate agreement reached in Paris just a few months earlier. As part of their reasoning, the atomic bulletin scientists cited the nonbinding nature of those Paris climate accords, the rise of hostility between superpowers and the proliferation of more "modernized" nuclear weapons that may be more tempting to use.

But the minute hand of the clock has been stuck just a snack break away from global apocalypse for decades. And the Doomsday Clock now encompasses more than just nuclear threats. [End of the World? Top 10 Doomsday Threats]

Given that, the Doomsday Clock may not be the right tool to mobilize people to actually change things for the better, experts say.

"I don't think that using apocalyptic rhetoric helps us to do the hard work of discussing difficult and complicated issues in a democracy," said Katherine Pandora, a history of science researcher at the University of Oklahoma.

Powerful symbol, muddled message

Originally conceived in 1947 by a cadre of former Manhattan Project physicists, the clock was meant to symbolize how close humans were to nuclear annihilation.

And as a visceral and powerful symbol, it hit the mark.

"All of us have experienced events in our lives when the matter of a few moments could change everything," Pandora told Live Science in an email. "The clock metaphor calls up associations with the gut-level emotional impact of living through those moments and their aftermath, adding to its power as a symbol."

Now, however, the Doomsday Clock represents not just the threat of nuclear annihilation, but also the threat of global climate change, hostile killer robots, malevolent genetic engineering experiments and cyberterrorism. All those threats are legitimately frightening, but with such a grab bag of threats, the symbolism of the clock has been a bit muddied, said Anders Sandberg, a philosopher at the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford in England.

"It's not an exact measure and it's also combining several things," Sandberg told Live Science. "It was perhaps much easier when they started, when it was just nuclear war, but since then we have gained other existential risks."

From alarm to action

What's more, focusing on the big picture may not be the most effective strategy for getting people to fix the problems. Solving nuclear proliferation is tricky enough; add in forestalling climate change meltdown, and many people feel paralyzed, Sandberg said.

People typically do better with more bite-size challenges. For instance, adding buttons to prevent the accidental detonation of nuclear weapons was a small but significant step in avoiding nuclear war, Sandberg said.

The clock's conflation of current risks is also tricky because it's not really a numerical risk estimate, Sandberg said. And the clock publishers don't explain how they factor in potential future risks, such as artificial intelligence, he added.

"Without the right safeguards, it might be tremendously dangerous," Sandberg told Live Science. "With the right safeguards, it's probably the opposite; it's probably the best things you can imagine: Having smart systems that actually help us."

Persistent panic

The clock may be on target when it depicts how close humanity is to global catastrophe, Sandberg said. But persistently living on the precipice of destruction may inure people to the justifiably scary threats the Bulletin hopes to emphasize, Sandberg said.

"You can't live your life at 3 minutes to midnight," Sandberg said.

Pandora thinks the clock could even be counterproductive.

"Having authorities state that an emergency is at hand is an effective way to gain someone's attention and have them primed to take immediate action, which is the logic behind the clock's minutes-to-midnight gambit," Pandora said. "Asking successive generations of people to sustain a constant sense of emergency is a contradiction in terms. The unintended effects of this directive can impede a successful resolution of the issue at hand and undermine the working relationship between experts and nonexperts."

While the Doomsday Clock itself may not be an effective symbol, that doesn't mean all the work put into creating it is useless, she said.

"It is the prodigious amount of research and analysis that ground the conclusions in the reports that the [Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists] issues that are the real tools for mobilizing discussion among all of us on critical issues," Pandora said.

Follow Tia Ghose on Twitterand Google+. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
Sand tiger sharks congregate in the shallow waters of the Delaware Bay in summertime. Researchers at the University of Delaware in Lewes use acoustic tags to track the movements of individual sand tigers in the open ocean throughout the rest of the year.

Author Carson McCullers famously wrote about the heart as "a lonely hunter," but her description seems to apply just as well to a shark. They cruise the ocean on their own and generally have little contact with other sharks  or do they? While these apex predators were typically thought to lead mostly solitary lives, a new study finds that sand tiger sharks may be a lot more social than scientists had suspected.

Sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus) go by a number of common names, including grey nurse shark, spotted ragged-tooth shark, slender-tooth shark and ground shark. They swim in coastal waters in the western and eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and near Australia and Japan, and measure about 10 feet (3 meters) long.

During the summer months, sand tigers that inhabit the waters off the coast of the eastern United States migrate to Delaware Bay, where they are in close contact with one another. However, scientists were uncertain about whether the sharks continued to interact socially when they dispersed back to the open ocean. [See Photos of a Sand Tiger Shark Nursery]

Previously, researchers had explored shark interactions in controlled environments like pens or laboratories, but this was the first study to investigate social behavior in sharks swimming in the open ocean. For the study, scientists attached acoustic tags to more than 300 sand tiger sharks, tracking their movements and recording interactions among the sharks for nearly a year.

Danielle Haulsee and colleagues implant an acoustic receiver into a sand tiger shark resting in a sling (Image credit: Danielle Haulsee)

The scientists conducted initial data analysis from two individual animals, and found that the sharks enjoyed an active social life year-round. They registered almost 200 encounters with other sand tiger sharks, and interacted repeatedly with the same individuals. The sharks also formed groups that varied in size depending on their location and the time of year.

And during late winter and early spring, the sharks took a break from their socializing and hardly encountered any other sharks, the scientists discovered. Danielle Haulsee, one of the researchers and a doctoral candidate in oceanography at the University of Delaware in Lewes, suggested in a statement that sharks might self-regulate their time in a group, depending on individual needs for certain activities that are best done alone, like finding food or mating.

Discovering that sharks are capable of making decisions associated with social networking casts these former "loners" in a new light, Haulsee said. "Our research shows that it is important for the scientific community to not rule out these types of behaviors in nonmammalian species," she said.

The findings were presented Feb. 22 at the 2016 Ocean Sciences Meeting, and the abstract was published online.

Follow Mindy Weisberger on Twitterand Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
This is a photo of Amelia's plane in the movie "Love on the Run." The registration number R1602 of Earhart's plane is visible on the upper wing surface.

Some eight months before its last, fateful flight over the Pacific, Amelia Earhart's aircraft appeared on theater screens chasing a panicked crowd all around an airport apron and then making a wild takeoff, new research into the world's most famous missing plane has revealed.

Researchers at The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), which has long been investigating the last, fateful flight taken by Earhart on July 2, 1937, have discovered the twin-engined Lockheed Electra had a cameo role in the MGM romantic comedy "Love On The Run," starring Clark Gable and Joan Crawford.

"With Hollywood stunt pilot Paul Mantz at the controls, the plane cavorted for the camera," Ric Gillespie executive director of TIGHAR, told Discovery News.

Photos: Amelia Earhart's Fate Reconstructed

According to TIGHAR, the Electra was filmed within weeks of its delivery to Amelia on her 39th birthday on July 24, 1936. Whether she knew or approved of her new airplane's debut is not clear.

After the crazy takeoff performed by Mantz, who was also Earhart's technical adviser, the newly-licensed airplane wasn't used again in the film. All of the later shots were done using a scale model.

In the story, the plane ultimately crashed, though Clark Gable and Joan Crawford escaped without injury.

"It is little wonder that this bizarre use of Earhart's aircraft was kept quiet," Gillespie said.

Photos: Jars Hint at Amelia Earhart as Castaway

He noted that scenes in the movie clearly show the registration number R1602 of Earhart's plane on the upper wing surface.

The strange episode has been unknown to Earhart biographers and researchers until now. The fate of Earhart and resting place of the Electra remain unknown as well.

In the attempt to finally solve the mystery, a new expedition will be launched in summer 2017, on the 80th anniversary of the disappearance of the legendary pilot.

Amelia Earhart Plane Fragment Identified

Gillespie told Discovery News that the comprehensive search will rely on two three-person manned submersibles operated by the University of Hawaii's Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL).

HURL's subs, Pisces IV and Pisces V, will inspect a one-mile-long section of the steep, underwater reef slope off the west end of Nikumaroro, an uninhabited island in the southwestern Pacific republic of Kiribati, looking for fragments of Earhart's plane.

"An abundance of archival, photographic and artifact evidence suggests that Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan made a successful landing on the island's fringing reef," Gillespie said.

Amelia Earhart and her Lockheed Electra plane. (Image credit: TIGHAR)

He explained that the couple appear to have sent radio distress calls for nearly a week before the aircraft was washed into the ocean by rising tides and surf.

"Earhart and Noonan died as castaways on the waterless, uninhabited atoll. The aircraft lies somewhere below," he said.

Called Niku IX, this will be TIGHAR's 12th expedition to Nikumaroro.

Credible Amelia Earhart Signals Were Ignored

Efforts to search the reef in 2010, 2012, and 2015 using Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) were frustrated by equipment malfunctions and limitations of the technology.

A side-scan sonar survey in 2012 using the same Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) later used to search for the missing Maylasian Flight MH370 also proved unreliable and misleading.

"Detailed re-analysis of the sonar data has shown that an anomaly in the imagery that seemed to resemble an aircraft is almost certainly a coral ridge," Gillespie said.

This time the craggy underwater mountainside will be searched by direct human observation.

"No more ROVs. We'll do it right or we won't do it," Gillespie said.

Theory on Amelia Earhart's Emergency Camp Site Shifts

Equipped with high-definition video, still cameras, mechanical arms, powerful lights and recovery baskets, each of the subs will carry a pilot and two observers. They will inspect the underwater area down to a depth of up to 6,500 feet.

Gillespie estimates the search area will be covered in seven days of operation.

Next year, if all goes as planned, submarines will be used in a comprehensive survey of all of the atolls and seamounts in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, the world's largest marine sanctuary.

Amelia Earhart Letter Encourages Aspiring Aviator

TIGHAR plans to charter the mother ship, the University of Hawaii oceanographic research vessel Ka'Imikai-O-Kanaloa (KOK), and the HURL subs during that time.

"Staging out of Samoa, three days from Nikumaroro, rather than Oahu, nine days each way, would mean a tremendous saving in positioning costs," Gillespie said.

In that scenario, Gillespie estimates the expedition will cost a little under $1 million.

Originally published on Discovery News.
During the last ice age, Greenland experienced wild climate swings, but even during its coldest stints, a blob of warm surface water lurked nearby.

A "warm blob" of surface water played a role in Greenland's wild climate swings during the last ice age, a new study finds.

Greenland's climate flipped quickly and brutally from cold to warm and back again 25 times between about 20,000 and 70,000 years ago, ice cores and ocean sediments show. The abrupt climate swings, called Dansgaard-Oeschger events, involved extreme changes in average temperature. Each time, the cold snaps continued for centuries, while the rapid warming lasted a few decades.

The new study adds to evidence that warm Atlantic Ocean currents set the tempo for Greenland's climate swings. The findings were published Feb. 5 in the journal Scientific Reports. (opens in new tab)

The Atlantic Ocean's modern-day currents are similar to its ice age circulation pattern, with the Gulf Stream pulling heat from the southern and tropical Atlantic toward the North Atlantic. In the cold Nordic seas, the Gulf Stream cools off, and the cold water descends, flowing back to the south to repeat the cycle. [See Stunning Photos of Greenland's Melting Glaciers]

Researchers think the wild ice age climate swings are linked to a temporary pause in deep, sinking cool water. "Most researchers agree that these [climate] shifts were controlled from the Northern Hemisphere through an 'on and off switch' of deep-water formation in the Nordic seas," lead study author Tine Rasmussen told Live Science in an email interview. "This study clarifies that the whole of the Atlantic was involved," said Rasmussen, a professor at the Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate in Troms, Norway.

These are North Atlantic current and ice sheets during the last ice age. (Image credit: T. Rasmussen/CAGE and E. Thomsen/Aarhus University)

According to the study, when the subpolar regions were in the midst of a cold snap, with thick ice cloaking land and sea, a blob of warm water still pushed slowly northward toward Greenland and Iceland, even though the deep-water convection system was slack.

"During cold periods, the surface and intermediate water of the Atlantic from Antarctica to Iceland gradually warmed, finally penetrating below the sea ice into the Nordic seas," Rasmussen said. "Once the ice was gone, the pump started up again, bringing additional warm water into the Nordic seas. And we got a warmer period for 50 years," she said.

The researchers determined past ocean temperatures by examining fossils in an ocean sediment core collected southeast of Greenland, along 60 degrees north latitude. This area is close to the Nordic seas and Greenland ice cap, yet still represents the open Atlantic, Rasmussen said.

The researchers tracked changes in ocean temperature with foraminifera  tiny, shelled organisms that record water conditions during their lifetimes. The team compared the temperature changes to the arrival and disappearance of iceberg-carried debris.

The results also confirmed that iceberg activity followed the rapid warming events. This suggests that warm water broke up sea ice and calving glaciers in the North Atlantic, the researchers said. This delivered icebergs and fresh water into the sea, again slowing down the deep-water current.

Although the sudden climate swings aren't a good analogue for human-induced climate change, the findings could be used to test and improve the global climate models, the researchers said. "The situation during the ice age, as we see it, was quite different," Rasmussen said. "We see the abrupt climate changes during the ice age basically as warming during a cold period. [This is] in contrast to the present situation, where a future abrupt climate change would be a cooling during a warm period," she said.

Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
Thirteen bald eagles were found dead recently in Maryland, prompting officials to offer a reward of up to $10,000 for information about what happened to the federally protected birds of prey. The eagles were found in Federalsburg, Maryland, on Feb. 20, after a local resident reported seeing several of the dead birds in a field, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Maryland Natural Resources Police.

Bald eagles were listed as an endangered species in the lower 48 states after the birds nearly went extinct in the 1960s. Though bald eagles are no longer listed under the Endangered Species Act, they are still federally protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, enacted in 1940, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, according to the FWS. These federal laws carry maximum fines of $100,000 and $15,000, respectively, and violators could face up to one year in prison, agency officials said.

The FWS is offering up to $2,500 for information about the dead bald eagles. The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust are also contributing up to $5,000. The Phoenix Wildlife Center, Inc., a wildlife rehabilitation center located in Phoenix, Maryland, is also offering $2,500 in exchange for information, according to the FWS.

Anyone with information can contact John LaCorte, a special agent in the Office of Law Enforcement at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Cambridge, Maryland, at 410-228-2476, or the Maryland Natural Resources Police hotline at 800-628-9944.

Follow Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP) today announced it has archived its 100,000th veterans collection. This ongoing, congressionally mandated project, now in its 16th year, highlights this milestone to draw attention to the importance of collecting and preserving the stories of Americas veterans and to relaunch the call to action for volunteers.

Although we pause to celebrate reaching the important milestone of 100,000 collections, the Veterans History Project will not rest on these laurels, said Veterans History Project Director Robert Patrick. There are more than 22 million veterans still living in the United States, and it is our hope that even more volunteers will come forward to interview the veterans in their lives and communities and also submit original photographs, letters and other correspondence to be preserved for researchers now and to inspire future generations.

Individuals, businesses, high schools, colleges and universities, congressional offices, houses of worship and other organizations across the country may participate using the VHP field kit, a how-to booklet accessible on the VHP website, loc.gov/vets. The field kit provides participants with easy-to-follow instructions, a list of interview questions and required forms. The website also features a 15-minute training video, answers to frequently asked questions and a searchable database of the collections, more than 20,000 of which are available online.

Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 to collect, preserve and make accessible the firsthand remembrances of Americas war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from them and better understand the realities of war. These 100,000 collections are of veterans first-person narratives from WWI though the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. For more information, visit loc.gov/vets/ or call the toll-free message line at (888) 371-5848. Subscribe to the VHP RSS to receive periodic updates of VHP news.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. The Library seeks to advance the knowledge and creativity of the American people through its collections, programs and services. Many of the Librarys rich resources can be accessed through its website at loc.gov.
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Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: February 23 2016

The Third Squad reports the arrest of a Brooklyn man on Saturday, February 20, 2016 at 11:50 p.m. in Brooklyn.

Mineola, NY - February 23rd, 2016 - The Third Squad reports the arrest of a Brooklyn man on Saturday, February 20, 2016 at 11:50 p.m. in Brooklyn.



According to detectives, on Friday, February 19, 2016 a female victim returning to her Princeton Street home observed a male exiting a window on the side of her house with a bag containing personal property from the home.



The Major Case Burglary Pattern Squad in conjunction with the Third Squad conducted an investigation and on Saturday, February 20, 2016 Mamuka Bokuchava, 31, of Bay Parkway located on Cropsey Avenue and placed under arrest.



A further investigation revealed Bokuchava had entered a Roselle Street, Mineola, home on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 and removed personal property including cash and jewelry and on Monday, December 7, 2015 he entered a Lipton Lane, Williston Park home and removed personal property including cash and jewelry. The investigation is ongoing.



Bokuchava is charged with three counts of Burglary 2nd degree and was scheduled to be arraigned on February 21, 2016 at First District Court in Hempstead.
Local News, Crime, Business & Finance, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: February 23 2016

NCPD is urging citizens to be vigilant when receiving telephone solicitations or emails from persons identifying themselves as employees of the Internal Revenue Service.

Nassau County, NY - February 23rd, 2016 - County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Acting Police Commissioner Thomas C. Krumpter are urging citizens to be vigilant when receiving telephone solicitations or emails from persons identifying themselves as employees of the Internal Revenue Service.



It has come to the attention of the Nassau County Police Department that individuals are receiving calls from persons claiming that they or a family member owe money for unpaid taxes. In these cases, individuals are contacted by scammers claiming that they are federal employees and that the individual called owes money.



These victims are told they can avoid arrest, foreclosure or suspension/termination of services if they make payment.



The IRS does not and will not ask for credit card numbers over the phone, nor request a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer.



Other characteristics of this scam may include:

Scammers using fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves.



Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victims Social Security Number.



Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that its the IRS calling.



Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls.



Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.



After threatening victims with jail time or drivers license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.

Residents should also be aware that there are other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that the department sees from time to time.



These scams cost honest citizens thousands of unrecoverable dollars.



This information is being provided to residents to make them aware of these ongoing scams. If you believe you may have been a victim of any of these scams, please call 911 immediately.



Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the individual(s) responsible are asked to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS (8477). All calls remain anonymous.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: February 23 2016

The Suffolk County volunteer committee attended The Fresh Air Funds annual Friendly Towns Leadership Conference February 5th through February 7th at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.

Manhattan, NY - February 23rd, 2016 - The Suffolk County volunteer committee attended The Fresh Air Funds annual Friendly Towns Leadership Conference from Friday, February 5th through Sunday, February 7th at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Over the course of three days, volunteers participated in interactive workshops with The Fresh Air Funds full-time staff and community agency partners.



The volunteers learned to how support their Friendly Towns communities, received data management training, communicated with New York City agency partners that register the programs children, and attended various training sessions such as public relations and social media.



Former Fresh Air child Darryl Rattray, the Associate Commissioner for Community Centers and Strategic Partnerships at the Department of Youth and Community Development in New York City, gave the keynote speech. Darryl shared with the 250 volunteers in attendance how The Fresh Air Funds Friendly Towns Program greatly impacted his life.



The closing ceremony included a celebration of long-time volunteer leader and host parent Patty LeRoy for her 50 years of dedicated volunteerism to The Fresh Air Fund. Patty was reunited with her former Fresh Air child Donnalese as well as her current Fresh Air child Krystie.



What an inspirational weekend at The Fresh Air Funds annual Friendly Towns Leadership Conference! Meeting the Fresh Air staff, hearing many amazing stories from former and current participants, learning how to grow the program and re-energizing us to kick off the new season! Only five months till the first buses arrive! said Eva Lennon, a volunteer from Harleysville, PA.



About The Fresh Air Fund

The Fresh Air Fund, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.8 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Fresh Air children are boys and girls, from seven to 18 years old, who live in New York City. Children on first-time visits are seven to 12 years old and stay for one or two weeks. Children who are reinvited by host families may continue with The Fresh Air Fund through age 18 and can enjoy extended trips.



Join the Suffolk County Volunteer Committee this summer as a volunteer host family and help unlock the limitless potential of New York City children. Please contact Jacqueline Shapiro at 516-702-1203 or visit The Fresh Air Fund online at www.freshair.org to sign up.
Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com

Columnists Press Releases
Business / Companies

by Walter Muchinguri

Air Zimbabwe's turnaround strategy is set to receive a major boost this year after the national airline won the right to host the 48th African Airlines Association (AFRAA) annual general assembly (AGA) in Victoria Falls later this year.The event, which will take place from November 20 to November 22, is expected to attract 400 high profile delegates from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America.AFRAA secretary-general Dr Elijah Chingosho, who was in the country on an advance visit and also witnessed the unveiling of the logo for the general assembly, yesterday said the general assembly was a unique opportunity for Air Zimbabwe to spread its wings as it is expected to play a major role in bringing delegates to the general assembly and taking them back to their countries."As the host airline, Air Zimbabwe is expected to play a pivotal role in the transportation of delegates to and from the country."The hosting of this event in Zimbabwe and the Victoria Falls in particular also presents an excellent opportunity to strengthen aviation in the country and the tourism sector because we are encouraging all the delegates to travel with their spouses so that they can sample what Zimbabwe has to offer."This is also a chance to show the visitors the business opportunities that exist in the country and to state clearly that Zimbabwe is open for business," he said.AFRAA president and Air Zimbabwe's acting chief executive Mr Edmund Makona said Air Zimbabwe was geared for the challenge."The secretary general said the purpose of hosting the general assembly in a specific country and being hosted by a specific airline is meant to maximise benefits for that airline. As Air Zimbabwe we have taken note of that. Within Air Zimbabwe we have also said it cannot be a strategy without the attendant issue of growth and sustainability. So growth and sustainability are at the heart of what we are doing."So we really are geared to grow that route network. I do not want to pre-empt other than just to confess that it cannot be an airline without the attendant issues of growth otherwise there is no need for the management at Air Zimbabwe to preside over a still birth airline."We will be the host airline and carrier of choice during the general assembly and we cannot do that if we have not spread our wings. We want to assure you that by the time the AGA takes place we would have spread our wings beyond the thin route network that we are currently operating. We have started some initiatives but we would want to under promise and over perform," he said.Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo said hosting the AFRAA general assembly will be the best opportunity to look for partners to boost our Air Zimbabwe."We are busy talking to several airlines who want to partner with us to revitalise Air Zimbabwe so that we can come up with one because the shopping list of partners is long since many companies are approaching us from the Middle East, China and from Europe."We are expecting that in the next three to four years Air Zimbabwe will be back as a leading airline in the continent," he said.He added that the ministry is looking at bigger airplanes and small to complement the airline's fleet so that it can resuscitate its old routes."I am looking at possibly engaging with partners before the end of the year and it's a process, when you bring somebody to partner in such an industry which a number of countries are struggling to boost."We are we are aiming at bringing in new airlines and experts to revitalise Air Zimbabwe," he said.Meanwhile the general assembly would see delegates discussing issues on the development of air transport in Africa and development opportunities for African airlines in particular. AFRAA has a membership of 35 airlines that include all major intercontinental African operators.The members also represent over 85 percent of total international traffic carried by African airlines. This is the third time that the annual general assembly is being held in the country.
Business / Companies

by Agencies

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has confirmed that NMB Bank is in a safe and sound financial position. It says the bank is not facing any liquidity challenges and is not threatened with curatorship, as alleged in a message being circulated on social media."We have learnt with concern that there is a message being maliciously circulated on social media advising NMB account holders to withdraw their money from the bank and alleging that the bank is faced with the threat of liquidation," the regulator said in a statement issued today (Tuesday)."The Reserve Bank wishes to reassure the public that NMB Bank is not facing any liquidity challenges and there is no threat of curatorship or liquidation as alleged."Members of the public are therefore advised to ignore any misleading statements from unauthorised and uninformed persons on the status of banking institutions or the banking sector," the Reserve Bank said.The statement pointed out that in its Monetary Statement last month the central bank had communicated that the banking sector is safe and sound, as evidenced by positive financial sector indicators."The Reserve Bank is the sole superintendent of the banking sector in Zimbabwe, and any information on the condition of banks, other than that published by the banking institution itself, should come from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe."In order to keep themselves informed on the status of the banking sector, members of the public are advised to access reports published by the Reserve Bank on a quarterly basis or phone the Reserve Bank for information," the bank said, adding that Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe reports are available on its website, www.rbz.co.zw, or through its offices.
Business / Economy

by Bianca Mlilo

TRADERS in Bulawayo have increased the price of maize and small grains by more than 50 percent citing increasing demand.A snap survey by Business Chronicle yesterday revealed that the price of a bucket of maize in the informal market has risen to between $7 and $8 from between $4 and $5. Small grains like wheat and millet are now being sold at $5 per bucket from an average $3.Traders said demand in the commodities was spurred by fears over food shortages due to drought and anticipated failure of the 2015/16 agriculture season.Bigboy Lunga, the organising secretary of Malaleni Vendors Association, said the price increase began in December. "We now get our grain at high prices from producers and that leads us to increase the mark up too. Suppliers don't tell us where they get their produce from. As you can see, we don't have much produce to supply," he said."The available grain now comes from personal storehouses by farmers and since there's a national grain deficit they increase the price." Another trader, Regina Masuku, said most traders were now getting grain from districts such as Gokwe."There's grain scarcity in the country and that's why the prices have increased. As you know if things are scarce then the price will increase," she said. The government has declared a state of national disaster on drought in the wake of the El Nino effect and is already working on mobilising funds to import more grain to ensure no one dies of starvation.Last week Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe needs around 1.4 million tonnes of maize to take the country through to the next harvesting season in 2017.He said government efforts were underway to import grain from Zambia and Ukraine while the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe is also seeking to import grain from South America.
Business / Economy

by Staff reporter

The International Monetary Fund Mission, which arrives in the country today, will interact with Government and the business community at a round table discussion scheduled for early next month during the delegation's three-week assessment of the country's Staff Monitored Programme.The IMF Mission, headed by Domenico Fanizza will be in the country until March 11 for the third and final review under the Staff Monitored Programme and the annual Article IV Consultations.During the three-week sojourn, the Mission is expected to meet Government officials, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and other stakeholders while a stakeholder's conference is being planned.
Business / Economy

by Suitable Kajau

The untimely challenge to the local opposition parties landscape by the emergence of the Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) fronted by the former Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Joyce Mujuru, has sent shivers down the spine of Morgan Tsvangirai, who has suffered successive defeats from President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF since its formation in 1999.Mujuru seems to challenge Tsvangirai more than anyone else in the opposition circles, especially if the reports are correct, the expected grand coalition of opposition parties is likely to reduce him to a junior post. This will pave way for other perceived competent opposition leaders who are believed to have more political clout than his which is tainted by successive losses since 2000.In a state of shock, Tsvangirai has therefore, impulsively started on a wild and crazy goose chase as he is galloping criss-crossing the nation as he tries to restore his wasted pre-existing glory in the grassroots country-wide. He is cajoling and begging his support base never to abandon him as his territory is invaded by Mujuru.MDC-T is even mesmerized by the impulsive actions of its leader which they are forcibly compelled to justify in the public eye. They are making trivial assertations that he is capitalizing on ZANU-PF infighting which gave him the lee-way to access rural areas. There is no co-relationship between such perceptions and his free movement across the country.The national constitution is quite explicit that anyone has the freedom of movement, association and the right to enjoy the vast array of fundamental freedoms enshrined in the constitution and other international conventions. This is mere fussy over nothing as Tsvangirai never had any of these rights taken away from him. Neither was he declared a prohibited immigrant who was denied movement into other areas. If ever there were such incidents, he never challenged it legally. This then amounts to fabrication of issues which resembles the last kicks of a dying donkey.The local laws require anyone intending to address a public gathering to get police clearance for him/her to address, at least seven days prior to the date. This legal requirement does not relate in any way to the political matrix taking toll in the ruling ZANU-PF party. It is naive for one to suggest that the factional feuds are paving way for Tsvangirai to access remote areas where he was previously denied. That is cheap politicking.Zimbabwe is a constitutional democracy where every public issue is governed by the relevant legal clauses. Every citizen has the right to challenge any violation of his/her constitutional rights before the courts. Not before have I heard of such challenges from Tsvangirai to authenticate the false claims making rounds in his party.MDC-T has a primary responsibility to satisfy the expectations of its supporters as opposed to hiding behind the finger by making false claims. It is in public record that MDC-T was dumped by its western donors after they failed to meet their expectations, which was primarily anchored on regime change in this country.Meanwhile, MDC-T employees have gone for over a year with no pay. The workers recently were making frantic effort to seek court order so that at they could attach either Tsvangirai's personal property and/or party assets as a way of recovering the cash they are owed. If ever Tsvangirai could not go out into rural areas to address his people, the obvious sure case is due to bankruptcy position of the party. Nothing more, nothing less. They are seeking a foolish scapegoat by claiming harassment and barring orders from ZANU-PF which do not have tangible evidence.Even Morgan Tsvangirai was on record for failing to buy basic requirements for his family due to lack of cash.The generality of the public expects serious business from Tsvangirai and his MDC-T, rather than political bickering over trivial matters which do not increase the quantity of their bread and butter on their tables.
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News / Africa

by Staff reporter

The Johannesburg High Court has been evacuated following a bomb threat. Convicted criminals Radovan Krejcir, Desai Luphondo, former East Rand organised crime Warrant Officers Samuel Modise Maropeng, Jan Lefu Mofokeng and George Jeff Nthoroane, and Siboniso Miya were in the middle of sentencing proceedings. They were convicted of various charges in August relating to kidnapping, dealing in drugs, and attempted murder.As court resumed after lunch, a police member came into court and whispered something to prosecutor advocate Louis Mashiane, who then informed sitting Judge Colin Lamont of the threat.Lamont left immediately while Tactical Response Team officers bolted down a side corridor to secure him. According to a National Intelligence officer present in court, the threat was not made to Krejcir's court specifically, and the entire building was evacuated.Krejcir had tried unsuccessfully on several occasions yesterday to have proceedings postponed. There was no bomb at the High Court in Johannesburg, officials said after the entire building had to be evacuated yesterday.Court official Zoleka Sondlo confirmed that no bomb had been found at the court. "After lunch, we received a call from a guy saying there was a bomb in the court," Sondlo said.Sniffer dogs were brought in and after an extensive search, no explosive device was found.The bomb threat resulted in the disruption of the sentencing proceedings of Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir, who has been convicted of kidnapping and attempted murder.Sondlo said sentencing would resume again today at 0930hrs.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

A 36-year-old husband opted to leave his wife and marry his sister-in-law instead.Zambia Daily Mail reported that Peter Banda, of Kamwala Township told senior court magistrates Pauline Newa and Lewis Mumba that Alice Manda, 20; of Kabangwe area did not respect him as her husband.Banda was narrating in a case in which he sued Manda for divorce after four years of marriage. The couple has one child. Bride price was paid."I used to love her very much but not anymore because of her behaviour. I want a divorce because I have another woman in my life. I can no longer be with Manda. Since she used to say I am a dog, I have left her so I can be with a fellow dog," he said.But Manda accused Banda of being a promiscuous man."He was never like this when we first started dating. Banda has changed especially after he got a job at Hybrid. When I was due to give birth, he sent me to stay with his relatives and started having extra-marital affairs. One day when I went to visit him I found he had brought in another woman in our home,"she said.Manda who did not object to the divorce said Banda impregnated her when she was in grade 10 and then immediately married her."This man married me and then started mistreating me. We have been on separation since he decided to bring his sister-in-law into our matrimonial home. They are using all the household property we bought together. I just want this marriage to end so that I start a new life and live in peace," she said.The court granted divorce and ordered Banda to pay Manda K8,000 as compensation payable in K300 monthly instalments.The court also ordered him to pay K500 monthly as child maintenance effective March monthend.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

A married woman who was caught red-handed with her lover in an unoccupied house almost suffocated when she hid in the ceiling to escape the wrath of her husband.Zambia Daily Mail reported that this was heard in a case in which the woman's husband Masiye Daka of Mchini Township sued Simon Njovu 41 of the same area for Compensation for adultery.Daka narrated before local court magistrate Tyson Mumba and Leonard Nkhata that the incident happened when he followed his wife to her lover's house after a tip from his friends."I started monitoring my wife's movements and soon enough I noticed a frequently dialled number on her phone. I investigated and discovered it was Njovu's number. So I tricked her into thinking I would be travelling out of town to visit my relatives," he said.That morning after saying his goodbye to his wife, Daka hired a bicycle transporter Elias Banda to take him around as he followed his wife's movements."We hide in the bushes along the route my wife uses to go to work. My wife later passed and we followed her but instead of going towards the direction of her workplace she went to an unoccupied house where she was welcomed by a man who looked like a caretaker," he said.Like a hunter waiting on his prey, Daka waited a few minutes before knocking on the door and forced himself inside the house."Banda and I checked all the rooms except one which was locked. I peeped through the keyhole and saw somebody laying on the floor covered in my wife's chitenge. I forcefully banged on the door until Njovu emerged half-dressed and immediately started throwing punches at me daring me to find my wife in his room," Daka said.Unbeknownst to Daka, his wife was hiding in the ceiling while the two men continued fighting outside. The prolonged fight did not help Daka's wife who was slowly running out of breath in the ceiling. And unable to get down from the ceiling, she opted to save herself by calling for help."Banda heard the cries for help from my wife and helped her out of the ceiling while we continued fighting. She escaped after being rescued leaving us behind. Njovu surrendered the clothes and shoes as admission of guilt," he said.Daka's witness Banda confirmed to the court that he helped Daka's wife get down from the ceiling.But Njovu denied the charge and told the court that Daka has a grudge against him. He claimed not to know Daka's wife and that he was forced to surrender his clothes.The court thought otherwise and not only found Njovu guilty but also ordered him to pay Daka K2,000 as compensation in monthly instalments of K200.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

A MARRIED man's decision to engage in an extra marital affair has landed him in trouble after his lover allegedly used charms on him to prevent him from engaging in sex with his wife.Jubeck Nkepeshi (42) of Munkulungwe area in Ndola has not been intimate with his wife since June last year.Zambia Daily Mail reported that Nkepeshi suspects his lover Angela Kalekesha, 37, used charms on him because he discovered he had been shaved when he spent a night with her before the problem started."My problem started after I spent a night at her house. I discovered that part of my pubic hair had been shaved. I suspect she used my pubic hair in her concoction to prevent me from being intimate with my wife," he said.Nkepeshi told Chifubu Local Court senior presiding magistrate Agnes Mulenga and Kaala Nyambe that he wants the court to order Kalekesha to undo the charms so he can once again enjoy his conjugal rights with his wife.He was narrating in a case in which he sued his lover Kalekesha on grounds that she had bewitched him in order to prevent him from enjoying sexual relations with his wife."I have brought her here so that she sets me free because I want to live a normal life with my wife. I have not had sex with my wife since June last year. She used charms to cause confusion in my marriage," he said.Nkepesha also claimed that the charms caused him to become violent towards his wife."Once I spent a night away from home and when my wife came looking for me at Kalekesha's home she found us making love but instead of showing remorse and protecting my wife, I turned against her," he said.But Kalekesha told the court that she has been dating Nkepeshi since 2006 and that the two have a child together."My husband divorced me because of Nkepeshi. Nkepeshi promised to provide everything I need including renting a house for me and our child. However, I am not responsible for his problem. Maybe he should go for spiritual counselling," she said.The court gave the parties one week to find solutions to restore Nkepeshi's virility.
The maritime community is no more immune from cyber threats than any other entity that relies on computers and the internet.

The maritime industry, though, constitutes part of the worlds critical infrastructure. Thus, the consequences of a successful cyber-attack on a maritime entity could be far greater than a successful cyber-attack on, for instance, a bakery. Consequently, it is important that the maritime sector and its numerous constituents adopt reasonable measures to deter, detect, and recover from cyber-attacks.

Currently, much of the worlds attention is focused on terrorism. Cyber-attacks by terrorists are a real threat and steps must be taken to counter them. More commonly, though, cyber-attacks are launched by criminals, nation-states, and corporate spies. While the different groups have different motivations for cyber-attacks, the methodologies are basically the same  find a weakness and exploit it to gather information, steal monies or property, and/or disrupt operations.

While a robust cyber security plan may not totally stop a determined and sophisticated cyber-attack, it will cause most attackers to seek a softer target. Thus, the goal of a vessel, waterfront facility, or other maritime entity should be to have the best or one of the most robust cyber security plans available. A consortium of international maritime associations recently posted guidelines for cyber security onboard ships, intended to complement IMO requirements and company plans and procedures, while focusing exclusively on unique shipboard issues.

The US Coast Guard has been working diligently to enhance its cyber security plans and programs. In June 2015, the agency posted its Cyber security Strategy. It has also taken a number of steps to harden its communications and information technology (IT) structure.

For several years, the Coast Guard has been urging the maritime community to adopt cyber security plans. The problem is that no two vessels, waterfront facilities, or other maritime entities are the same. Some have only very basic computer systems, while others have highly sophisticated systems with dedicated in-house IT staffs. Some have converted their operations to be heavily dependent on computerized coordination and interaction, while others use electronics only as an adjunct to traditional operations. Thus, one cyber security plan will not be able to address the myriad situations.

While it is vital that each element in the maritime sector adopt a cyber security plan, it is obvious that each cyber security plan be tailored to address the circumstances of that particular entity.

The Coast Guard has issued guidance to its field units and the Area Maritime Security Committees (AMSCs) regarding cyber security plans. In October, the House Committee on Homeland Security conducted a hearing entitled: Protecting Maritime Facilities in the 21st Century: Are Our Nations Ports at Risk for a Cyber-Attack? A bill is pending in Congress that will, if enacted, provide the Coast Guard with specific authority to mandate cybers ecurity plans within the maritime industry.

The Coast Guard seems to favor the legislation, but at the same time believes that it has in the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) sufficient authority to get the job done. A recent federal appellate court decision supports that position. In that matter, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brought suit against a major hotel chain alleging that the defendants cyber security program was insufficiently robust to protect its clients against hackers. The hotel chain defended itself by asserting that, while the Federal Trade Commission Act prohibited unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce, it provided the FTC with no authority regarding cyber security. Evidence showed that, prior to the litigation, the hotel chain had been the subject of at least three computer hacks in which clients financial information had been stolen. The court held that Congress had given the FTC a broad mandate and that it was not inappropriate or unreasonable for the FTC to interpret that mandate to include cybersecurity.

A similar situation exists regarding the Coast Guard and the MTSA. In that statute, the Coast Guard is given responsibility of deterring and responding to a transportation security incident, defined as a security incident resulting in a significant loss of life, environmental damage, transportation system disruption, or economic disruption in a particular area. The MTSA also gives the Coast Guard specific authority to require covered vessels and facilities to prepare and submit for approval security plans that include provisions for establishing and maintaining physical security, passenger and cargo security, and personnel security; establishing and controlling access to secure areas; procedural security policies; communications systems; and other security systems (emphasis added). Given todays environment, there is little doubt at, if litigation ensued, a court would uphold the authority of the Coast Guard to require that security plans of covered vessels and facilities include a cyber security component.

The problem for the Coast Guard is, as noted above, no one cyber security plan will be appropriate for all vessels and facilities.

Thus, it is likely that any initial cyber security plan requirements adopted by the Coast Guard will be vague. As experience and capacity develops in this arena, those requirements will become more specific and meaningful. The maritime sector will, with encouragement and a little prodding, implement increasingly robust cyber security measures, further protecting itself from hackers of all persuasions.
Six leaders and influencers from across the shipping industry will join global NGO Carbon War Rooms (CWRs) Shipping Operation Advisory Board. Their backgrounds span the shipowning, chartering, technical analysis, finance, and academic worlds. The board will lend extensive industry insight and support CWRs mission to profitably decarbonise the international shipping industry.



Galen Hon, Manager, Shipping Operation, Carbon War Room, commented: "We are thrilled to have gathered a group with so much knowledge and experience in shipping. Following UNFCCC in Paris, the industry has an obligation to find new and innovative ways to reduce carbon while remaining competitive. With expertise spanning finance, ship operation, classification, data analysis, technology, and software, these individuals are perfectly positioned to identify and evaluate opportunities for innovation and growth.



The calibre of the board reflects the credibility that CWR has garnered within the shipping industry. Its a validation of our ongoing efforts to work directly with the industry to deliver paths to carbon reduction in ways that make good business sense.



The new advisory board will be comprised of:



Jan Dieleman: The incoming President of Ocean Transportation at Cargill, Jan has been managing supply chains, trading, and sector ocean transportation in various roles at the company since 1999. With charterer motivation and demand acting as fundamental levers within shipping, Jans trading floor perspective will be key to understanding the real-world impacts of prospecting strategies and approaches. His understanding of energy and carbon trading, alongside his experience within ocean transportation, will add a wider perspective to the conversation.



Henrik Overgaard Madsen: The former CEO of DNV and, following the merger, President and CEO of DNV.GL from 2006 to 2015, Henrik has significant experience leading and managing change through both an industry and a company in flux. Having been at the helm of DNV.GL, Henrik will be able to advise with both a broad-spectrum overview and a significant understanding of regulatory impact on the industry. Henrik will also bring a forward-looking and optimistic approach to innovation and sustainability from his board positions at the UN Global Compact Board, the Research Council of Norway, and the World Council for Sustainable Development.



Mark Cameron: Chairman of the International Parcel Tanker Association (IPTA) and COO of Ardmore Shipping Corporation, the Irish product and chemical tanker owner and operator, Mark will bring the voice of the shipowning community to CWRs Advisory Board. He will provide a first-person perspective of the challenges facing individual owners and the industry as a whole. Mark will also be able to guide CWR towards the solutions that make the best business sense for owners in the current market.



Juha Heikinheimo: President of NAPA, which provides maritime software, services, and data analysis for ship design and operations, Juha brings a key understanding of the current availability, application, and capability of technologies in yards and aboard vessels. His understanding of the design process for newbuilds, the data feedback process, the optimisation of day-to-day vessel operations, and third-party verification of existing technologies means he can provide key insight on the pressure points at which change is possible for the industry. He can also deliver a direct perspective on yards and design from his previous position as president of STX Finland.



Mark Clintworth: As Head of Shipping for the European Investment Bank, Mark has been personally responsible for driving support for the financing of sustainable shipping projects, funding newbuild and retrofit projects, and steering investment in research and development for the industry. Mark also holds an MSc in Naval Architecture and is currently working on his PhD in Risk in Maritime Project Investment with the UKs University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. His skillset and range of understanding puts Mark in the ideal position to advise CWR on investment and funding, the financial landscape of the shipping industry, and finance availability.



Dr Tristan Smith: Tristan is director of the Research Council UK-funded project Shipping in Changing Climates, and Reader in Energy and Transport at the UCL Energy Institute. As lead author of the Third IMO GHG Study 2014 and co-author of Lloyds Registers Global Marine Fuels 2030, he has an unparalleled understanding of the current landscape of emissions, fuel availability, and demand within shipping, and how that landscape is likely to shift and adapt in the future. He will bring a rigorous scientific approach to the Advisory Board, and will ensure that the CWR team maintain focus on both the necessary and the possible.



We are proud to welcome six eminent industry figures to our Advisory Board. Their expertise will help guide our strategies so that we can continue to reduce carbon emissions profitably. commented Jules Kortenhorst, CEO, Carbon War Room and Rocky Mountain Institute



Carbon War Rooms Shipping Operation Advisory Board members have joined and been appointed as personal individuals and will not be representing any company or organisation in their advisory role.
Simrad StructureScan 3D sonar imaging has won the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Award in the Consumer Electronics category at the 2016 Miami International Boat Show.



Following the success of the Simrad NSO evo2 multifunction display in 2014, and Simrad ForwardScan sonar in 2015, this is the third consecutive NMMA innovation win at the Miami show for the brand. Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar also won the NMMA Innovation Award in September at the 2015 International Boat Builders Exhibition and Conference (IBEX).



The Innovation Awards program, organized by the NMMA and judged by Boating Writers International (BWI), recognizes exceptionally innovative, new consumer marine products that best meet the criteria of Having innovative distinction from other products currently manufactured in the marine industry; providing benefit to the marine industry and/or consumer; providing practicality of use; and are cost-effective Simrad StructureScan 3D allows boaters to easily see fish, underwater structure and bottom contours in a stunning three-dimensional display on their NSS and NSO evo2 navigational systems.



StructureScan 3D imaging quickly scans underwater terrain to create high-resolution, 180-degree super-wide, three-dimensional views  in depths to 300 feet and as far as 600 feet port and starboard. Yielding captivating images with unprecedented detail, StructureScan 3D gives cruisers and offshore anglers a better understanding of where fish, bottom contours and structure are located in relation to their boat. The true-to-life 3D scans are viewed on the Simrad NSS and NSO evo2 display, when used in combination with the StructureScan 3D Skimmer transducer and module  making the NSS and NSO evo2 the ultimate fishfinders.



We are deeply honored to be continually recognized by the NMMA, said Leif Ottosson, CEO of Navico. To be selected, year after year, for providing game-changing sonar, radar and navigation solutions by a panel of industry professionals, speaks volumes to the way we approach our work every day. At Navico, our primary focus is to develop innovative products that provide meaningful benefits on the water. We are thankful that this has been recognized by industry professionals, year after year.


Marines from the provost marshals office K-9 unit trained with Hiroshima Prefectural Police Headquarters policemen at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Feb. 17, 2016.



Military working dogs are trained in a variety of areas such as locating explosives or narcotics and conducting patrol work. Handlers and their dogs train regularly in order to maintain operational readiness, become a more effective team and ensure the safety of the station residents.



We conducted this joint training with the Hiroshima dog handlers and gave them access to our explosives in order to teach their dogs how to detect explosives, said Lance Cpl. Landon Gilliam, provost marshals office military working dog handler with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron. To prepare them, we train them up using scent boxes.



K-9s are trained on scent boxes in order to get accustomed with the different scents of various explosives. An explosive material is placed inside one of multiple boxes in order to familiarize the K-9s with the scent so they can later detect these dangerous materials.



This training is beneficial to the Hiroshima police headquarters for special events and is valuable for investigations. The training Marines provided to the officers allows them and their K-9s to locate explosives and then search for hidden explosives.



The purpose of the this police dog training is for security purposes and explosives search at the upcoming G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Hiroshima and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, said police Lt. Muneyuki Hirao, a police dog trainer at the Hiroshima Prefectural Police Headquarters. The location and types of training are changed each time to broaden the capabilities of the dogs as well as the handlers.



According to Cpl. Colton Corsetti, provost marshals office military working dog handler with H&HS, conducting bilateral training helps maintain situational readiness and build better relations between the U.S. and Japan.



When you take two types of handlers, especially from different ethnicities, backgrounds, styles of training, and you put them together, a lot can be learned and shared so that everyone can walk away from the experience being better handlers, said Corsetti. Whenever two different organizations or groups come together for one common purpose or goal, they can see the similarities between each other and build stronger relationships."



The officers from the Hiroshima headquarters expressed they would like to continue training their police dogs to detect different types of explosives.



I was very interested in the intramural training because there are no facilities like this provided by the Hiroshima Prefectural Police, said Hirao. I hope to continue joint training and to further train our dogs allowing a deeper bond between the U.S. and Japan.




More than 30 Marines with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 14 suited up to conduct gas chamber training at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Feb. 10.



The Marines received classes on Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear warfare which taught them about types of chemical weapons and how to survive in a chemical warfare environment, as well as how to recognize the symptoms of a biological attack.



Following their classes, the Marines brought their personal protective equipment, including their M50 Joint Service General Purpose Gas Mask, and were issued Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear, before stepping inside the gas chamber to begin practical application training.



Conducting gas chamber training as often as we do is just part of keeping up with our mission readiness, explained Cpl. Samuel Ballard, a parachute rigger with MALS-14. Knowing this skill will help us accomplish the mission regardless of obstacles we may face. We have to go through the chamber at a minimum of once every two years. It becomes more like refresher courses since we become so used to it.



According to Sgt. Christian Nelson, the CBRN noncommissioned officer in charge with Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2, inside the chamber Marines were exposed to CS gas, it is a particulate that when exposed to a heat source cause the crystals to irritate the skin.



When you break the seal on your mask, or walk through the chamber, the CS effects your skin and helps you identify if you are using the equipment the right way, explained Nelson.



According to Nelson, if proper protective equipment is not utilized, Marines would potentially become infected and contaminated. If Marines do not know how to use their gear properly, they may not survive a critical situation which would not only harm the Marine, but would affect the entire unit because Marines would be out of the fight.



We may or may not ever use what we practice here in a real life situation, but it prepares us to use it if we ever have to, said Ballard. We cant control what happens when we are in a combat environment, so every bit of training helps.





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During a Celebration of Life ceremony, family, friends and fellow Raiders gathered to honor the life and legacy of retired Master Sgt. Eden M. Pearl, at the Base Theater at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Feb. 19, 2016. Master Sgt. Pearl succumbed to his wounds on Dec. 20, 2015, more than six years after his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device while deployed to Herat Province, Afghanistan in 2009.



He was one of those guys the Marines tell stories about in the Marine Corps, so I couldnt wait to meet (him) said Phillip Noblin, who met Pearl in 2002, when Pearl was his team leader at 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company, II Marine Expeditionary Force. Just off the stories, I had built up this picture of this battle-ax swinging Viking of a beast of a man.



By 2002, Pearl had already built himself a reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the reconnaissance community. He had deployed with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, completed Amphibious Reconnaissance School, Scout Sniper School, and the Rigid-hull Inflatable Boat Coxswains Course.



He was a very consummate professional, and commanded respect everywhere he went, said Noblin, who described Pearl as a leader who always took the time to teach and train younger Marines. (On his team) you always wanted to make sure you did the right thing because Eden was your team leader and you didnt want to let him down.



Pearl completed four more deployments with II MEF, in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom I and Iraqi Freedom II. It was shortly before his fifth deployment that Pearl was introduced to his wife, Alicia, a U.S. Navy corpsman stationed in Virginia. After a long-distance relationship, the two received orders to deploy with the same unit, but two months from deployment, Alicia found out she was expecting.



He had a plan, to be together for some time, engaged for some time, said Alicia, but we both knew we were right for each other and we wanted to be together, so he was just so excited when he found out.



The couple married days before his deployment and their daughter was born just two weeks before his return in 2005.



(She) was his joy, said Don Hoemann, long-time friend of Pearl. He had this carrier that he bragged about continuously and did so much in-depth research on, and hed carry her absolutely everywhere. Hed be up to his knees in muck, and shed be on his back, hiking with him.



In April 2005, Pearl then received orders to 2nd Special Operations Training Group, Special Missions Branch, as a Dynamic Assault/Entry Instructor.



(When I arrived) Eden was kind of in charge over there, which was funny because on paper there was probably a (gunnery sergeant) over him, said Noblin, founder of Brothers in Arms Foundation. But he had that about him, you could be in a room with majors and captains, but if Eden was talking they were listening. He was the guy who had been there and knew all the skills, and at the time, that was with only 10 years in.



Pearl was with the Special Missions Branch in 2006 when the unit was reassigned and re-designated at Marine Special Operations School (MSOS), U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. At MSOS, Pearl was assigned as Lead Instructor and was integral in the development of the Individual Training Course (ITC).



An explosive ordinance disposal technician with 3rd Marine Raider Support Battalion, who met Pearl in 2006 described Pearl as a very intense individual.



His reputation as a recon Marine was already legendary with all of us, so in a way it was hard not to be in some kind of awe when you first met the guy, said the EOD tech. In 2008, he was assigned to Marine Special Operations Team 8211, Fox Company, 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, with Pearl as his team chief.

Eden was (the teams) anchor, our go-to guy with anything, said the EOD tech. We all would have followed him anywhere because we knew without a doubt that he would do the same for any of us.



In 2009, MSOT 8211 deployed to Herat Province, Afghanistan. While on a routine convoy, Pearls team was ambushed and an IED was detonated directly under his vehicle. Two service members were ejected from the vehicle and survived, three others, including Pearl, were caught inside. Pearl was the only service member from inside the vehicle to survive.



I don't pray often, but that night I prayed it wasn't one of our vehicles, and more specifically not his, said the EOD tech. As you can imagine, the entire team was caught pretty off guard to that kind of a blow; having that anchor, brother, leader and friend taken from you.



Pearl suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns to 97 percent of his body. He was medically evacuated from country and only days later to Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, where he underwent multiple surgeries and skin grafts. After a couple of months, Pearl had a severe stroke that put him into a temporary vegetative state, but after 16 months he was transferred to a facility in Florida, that catered to his cognitive care needs.



In 2013, the Brothers in Arms Foundation, together with the Gary Sinise Foundation, helped build a home in San Antonio that was accessible to care for Pearl in a home setting.



I dont think most people would have survived those initial injuries to begin with and the fact that he made it out of (Brook Army Medical Center) after 16 months is amazing, and the fact that he was even able to come home and spend more time with us here, is kind of miraculous, said Alicia. He truly was an incredible man, father and husband.



Pearls wounds and recovery not only led to the development of multiple medicines but also several procedures that will help future burn victims. His survival was the leading factor for the Brothers in Arms foundation, which continues to support wounded and fallen special operations Marines. Alicia and Hoemann attribute his survival to his ceaseless warrior spirit.

(Eden) was the epitome of a fighter, he was not going to give up, said Hoemann. Even with family and work it wasnt an option to give up and not give 110 percent. He fought every day  for what he thought was best for his Marines and his family.



Pearl was retired in September 2014, where he continued to live in San Antonio with his family, until his passing on Dec. 20, 2015. He is survived by his wife Alicia, daughter Avery, and a community of Raiders with an example to live up to.



I only wish that more guys coming up through MARSOC could have been influenced by him, said the EOD tech. (Eden) was a full package deal that could do it all. I will never forget the moments that I had with him, to know him, and have the honor to work beside him.





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News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

A 28-YEAR-OLD pastor of Revival for All Nations Church in Kitwe has walked to freedom after the Kitwe High Court overturned the subordinate court's decision to convict him of rape.Zambia Daily Mail reported that Justice Isaac Kamwendo acquitted James Thewo, of house number 31 Congo Way in Kitwe's Riverside, who was facing one count of rape.It was alleged that on June 1, last year, in Kitwe, Thewo had unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman without her consent. The incident was alleged to have taken place at Thewo's house where the woman had gone to attend prayers.In overturning the lower court's decision, Justice Kamwendo noted that the court did not consider the accused's evidence.He also said that there was no corroborating evidence in the matter and the conviction was unsafe."The victim and her siblings, who were the only witnesses with a possible interest to serve, were found to be lying on the material points of the case which rendered their evidence incredible. The magistrate did not warn himself on the danger of convicting the suspect on evidence of the suspect's witnesses," Justice Kamwendo said."I find that the state failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, and I therefore set the accused person at liberty," he said.During trial, the victim testified that on the material day, she was attending a prayer meeting which Thewo was conducting.She narrated that after the prayers, the accused asked for her mobile phone number because he had a vision from God about her.The court heard that at 05:00 hours the following day, Thewo called the woman and told her that he had another vision and that she needed to go to his house for prayers.And when she went to his house at 15:00 hours, she discovered that there was no one else who had gone to attend prayers at the pastor's house.It was at this point that Thewo lured the victim and raped her.The matter was later reported to the police where the pastor was charged and arrested for the subject offence.
U.S. Marines and sailors with Black Sea Rotational Force completed the final training evolution of an arctic-weather training package in Porsangmoen, Norway, Feb. 16-20, 2016.

The arctic training was conducted by U.K. Royal Marine Commando Mountain Leaders and hosted by the Norwegian military to improve the U.S. Marine Corps capability to support their NATO Allies in extreme environments.

The last three weeks we have been focusing on survival, mobility and the ability to operate and fight in an austere environment, said Capt. Jonathan Blankenship, a company commander with BSRF. The survival portion challenged the Marines because that transcends every operative environment.

The Marines and sailors operate without their allied mountain guides during this last portion of the training to apply the cold-weather survival and mobility techniques they learned the past three weeks.

It was my first time working with the U.K. Royal [Marine] Commandos in a foreign country, said Cpl. Thomas Powers, a fire team leader with BSRF. They helped us from the beginning, from getting our snowshoes on to operating on skis with our weapons.

The culmination of the training tested the Marines ability to operate with minimal supervision from the U.K. Royal Marine Commandos during the four-day event, pushing everyone to their limits.

I have worked with the [U.K. Royal Marine] Commandos on past deployments and in the United States; this has been a productive experience with the skill set and experience they bring in this environment specifically, said Blankenship. The junior guys have a different perspective on not just being Marine and maintaining that level of professionalism, but also how to patrol in an environment like this from a subject matter expert spending one-on-one time with the Marines; it was a huge benefit to them.

Being able to patrol on skis or snowshoes while operating with weapons efficiently was the final portion of cold-weather training.

The U.K. Royal [Marine] Commandos are knowledgeable about this environment; it has been an honor to be taught by them, said Powers. Giving us the capability to grasp their techniques on cold-weather training and incorporate infantry tactics strengthens [our allies] and the entire Marine Corps.

Marines and sailors with BSRF will use the cold-weather training they have received from the U.K. Royal Marine Commandos in the upcoming Exercise Cold Response 16, a joint NATO and allied country exercise composed of 12 countries and approximately 16,000 troops.

Everything we do is about teamwork on this deployment, not just from the platoons all the way to the battalion, but working with every host nation we go to train with or alongside, said Blankenship. Whether its in an arduous environment like this or being on the open plains in eastern Europe fighting on terrain together, its all about the teamwork.

Strength through partnership, but its not just the partnership; its the teamwork aspect thats going to make everything work.











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Four months from now, we will know how much longer these flags will fly together. Photo by Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Well, there you have it. UK Prime Minister David Cameron secured a deal to reform his country's EU membership, and voters will have their say on June 23. Get ready for four months of arguing, fear-mongering, overthinking market volatility, analysis of London Mayor (and PM hopeful) Boris Johnson's haircuts, polling, dissection of said polling and, for good measure, more arguing and fear-mongering. Or, much more simply, four months of noise. None of it will be terribly edifying for investors. It won't predict the likelihood of a vote for "Brexit" or yield actionable portfolio tactics. It will be entertaining if you're into political theater, but that's about it. If you'd rather tune out the circus, it probably won't do your investments any harm, as nothing here radically changes UK stocks' fundamental outlook.

No one can know today how the referendum will go. Polls aren't predictive. It won't be decided on campaigners' personalities. The relative merits of Cameron's deal might not even factor in much. Some voters will favor the status quo regardless, whether for fear of the unknown or a genuine belief in the EU's benefits. Others will favor leaving regardless. A large chunk of voters identifies as undecided, and no one issue will tip that entire bloc one way or the other. Nor will one single politician's influence. Different appeals and issues will resonate with different people.

Much is being made of the latest polls, but at best, they give only the baseline for sentiment heading into the campaign. As Exhibit 1 shows, surveys give the "Remain" campaign something of an edge, but the margin of error here is fairly wide, and some polls are much closer than others. Surveys conducted online show much stronger support for "Leave" than telephone polls do, and it's anyone's guess which is more accurate. Pollsters theorize that online respondents are more politically aware (since they self-select) and therefore aren't an accurate sample. We can see the merits of that argument. Telephone surveys are more genuinely random. Then again, these are the same polling outfits that had well-documented troubles gathering a representative sample of likely voters before last year's general election, and as far as we know, none have devised and applied a solution (or at least, not one with any record of success). About the only useful thing at this point, most likely, is the demographic breakdown-and only because it shows where each campaign's hurdles are highest and how turnout among various subgroups might influence the result. Other surveys, like those purportedly showing businesses favor staying in the EU, are too narrow to reveal much-the latest surveyed all of 10 firms.

Exhibit 1: "Brexit" Referendum Polling

Source: UKPollingReport, as of 2/22/2016.

So don't read into the widely hyped poll showing only 42% of respondents would vote to stay (vs. 40% for Leave) when surveyed right after the unveiling of Cameron's deal. One survey doesn't make a trend, it's an online poll, and the polling outfit, ICM, has shown a pretty even split between Remain and Leave for months.

One key question as the campaign unfolds: Will the concessions Cameron secured from Brussels be enough to win over moderate euroskeptics? On paper, he got just about all of what he asked for. EU leaders gave the UK an explicit opt-out from further political integration, to be enshrined in the EU Treaties at a later date. Britain also gets a firm exclusion from eurozone financial regulations, the banking union and any future eurozone bailout funding. All EU countries will now have the ability to stall eurozone or banking union legislation they find onerous, provided the opposition can form a qualified majority. On the immigration front, Cameron won the right for member-states to reduce in-work benefits to EU migrants for a seven-year period[i], index exported child benefits to the economic conditions in the country where the child lives (effectively reducing welfare payments sent to Eastern Europe), and restrict migration if EU leaders agree it's necessary for economic purposes.[ii] The remainder of the agreement included some squishy pledges to reduce bureaucracy, enhance the single market and rev up free trade negotiations. The UK's opt-out from certain aspects of the EU judiciary was reaffirmed, but not strengthened.

All of this wasn't enough to satisfy one high-profile euroskeptic Conservative MP: the aforementioned Boris Johnson, who sits in Cameron's cabinet (for now) alongside his mayoral responsibilities. After spending weeks seemingly on the fence, Johnson announced his support for the Leave campaign late Sunday, and the press went nuts. Many called it a gamechanger for the Leave movement, which until now has been fractured and largely feckless, citing his fairly wide popularity among Conservative voters and a 2015 poll showing voters considered him one of the most trustworthy politicians on EU matters. Though, that same survey showed voters considered Cameron a smidge more credible, and we can't help but wonder if they'd cancel each other out. (We also reckon neither gent's opinion carries much weight with Labour supporters, who overall lean much more pro-EU.) In short, it seems quite short-sighted to read the pound's post-Boris plunge as the market saying "Game Over." Short-term volatility rarely means much. Note, also, UK stocks rose Monday.

Moreover, there isn't much evidence campaigners' names and personalities factor in all that much. Those who back certain politicians on either side of the campaign are already fairly predisposed to agree with their views on EU membership-it's part of the package-and Johnson's euroskeptic tendencies aren't exactly new news.[iii] It also remains to be seen how compelling voters will find Johnson's argument in favor of leaving. At the moment, it seems to amount to "Vote Leave so we can get an even better deal, with more guarantees of national sovereignty." We remember when Greece tried that last year. It didn't work. The UK has a vastly stronger negotiating hand than Greece did, and the economic consequences are far different, but there could be severe political consequences to interpreting a "Leave" vote as "Renegotiate." For what it's worth, Cameron said the vote is one and done, and the EU agreement clearly states it expires the instant a "Leave" vote is final.

As for what happens if voters do opt to leave the EU, the short answer is, no one knows yet. Officially, it would trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which opens a two-year exit negotiation.[iv] During those likely long and drawn out talks, whoever is running the UK[v] will hash out a new relationship with the EU, likely focusing on continued single market access. Parallel to that, they'll also have a chance to negotiate new bilateral trade deals, presuming membership in the European Economic Area (which would probably preserve the UK's participation in all existing EU free trade agreements) is a non-starter.[vi] For markets, this lengthy process would probably be a blessing. Regardless of whether staying or leaving would be a bigger net benefit, markets tend to dislike sudden, sweeping change. Having to discover and adapt to new rules overnight can discourage risk-taking, and markets aren't fans of the shock. A long exit process, by contrast-with negotiations playing out publicly and dissected endlessly in the media-lets markets slowly discover and price in the likely changes, negating the shock factor. The lingering uncertainty might present a headwind (similar to regulatory overhang in the wake of the financial crisis), but stocks can also do fine in that environment.

But markets will cross that bridge when and if they come to it. For now, there really isn't anything actionable for investors on the Brexit front. Making big portfolio changes based on an unpredictable referendum four months away-one whose outcome isn't inherently positive or negative for UK stocks either way-would be myopic and unwise. Volatility might linger, but the referendum's approach shouldn't be a fundamental negative for UK stocks, particularly with economic drivers fairly strong. It's one variable, but not a reason to be bearish. Ultimately, markets will wait and see, and we'd suggest investors do the same.
U.S. Presidential Campaign Political Marketing, Big Data and Google's Hillary

In the fledgling days of advertising over a century ago, legendary department store merchant John Wanamaker, an early proponent of the power of advertising, complained: "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half."

It has been the goal of marketing and advertising chiefs ever since to answer his question.

More than $5 billion may be spent by presidential candidates and their supporters for the the 2016 race according to The Hill (thehill.com), which is double the tally for 2012. While much money will be spent on salaries, wages, fees and expenses for campaign workers, Kantar Media estimates that for all races political ad spending on TV will total $4.4 billion for the 2016 election cycle, and that another $1 billion will be spent on online ads.

As of February 19, presidential candidates have spent a combined total of over $297 million across broadcast, cable and satellite TV as well as radio, according to Advertising Age 2016 Presidential Campaign Ad Scorecard (adage.com).

Jeb Bush, who since withdrew from the race, spent the most at $84.8 million (#1) and Ben Carson spent the least at $5.7 million (#9). Just above Dr. Carson is... Donald Trump at $10 million (#8). Mr. Trump needed little advertising since he himself was the ad and was given generous free space and time across all media in an age when sensationalism draws audience share and audience share drives advertising revenue.

Of campaign ad spending for Jeb Bush, 95% was by PACs and 5% by the candidate. Of Bernie Sanders, 3.5% was by PACs and 96.5% by the candidate.

An analysis from the ad-scoring firm Ace Metrix (acemetrix.com) ranked 152 television and digital ads run by presidential candidates or independent super PACs from the middle of July last year to January 14. Bernie Sanders Dec. 28 spot, "Social Security," scored the highest. Seven of twelve "top ranked" by Ace Metrix were Bernie Sanders ads.

Use of marketing strategies and analytics for political campaigns is a relatively recent practice.

By the 1950s, Vance Packard's "The Hidden Persuaders" had revealed to the general public some of the inner workings of how "Mad Ave" sold products; but in Joe McGinniss' "The Selling of the President" it became an open secret how Richard Nixon in 1968 was marketed "like soap".

For this campaign, Harry Treleaven stressed "image is what counts"; Roger Ailes, a PR man, coordinated the TV presentations that delivered the product (today, Ailes is Chairman and CEO of Fox News); Frank Shakespeare, formerly of CBS, cast the image that sold America a President.

Forty-eight years later, political image-making, campaign advertising and marketing have sharpened traditional methods to where pinpointed metrics of the audience (you) from data compiled from digital interactions and "footprints" (yours) are added to the mix.

Social media became an integral marketing medium for Barack Obama in 2008 in what has been referred to as a Facebook Election. John McCain elected not to use social media.

In addition to Facebook, campaigns today use YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Periscope and "live streaming"; advertising dollars are committed mostly to TV.

As Zach Cutler explained in Entrepreneur magazine (entrepreneur.com), "With the rise of big data and analytics, candidates can now understand much more deeply whats working and whats not in their campaigns."

The Ted Cruz campaign, for example, has contracted with Cambridge Analytica (cambridgeanalytica.org), which according to the company "collect(s) up to 5,000 data points on over 220 million Americans, and use(s) more than 100 data variables to model target audience groups and predict the behavior of like-minded people."

In short, if you are one of Cambridge Analytica's 220 million Americans, you consist of 5,000 data points from which your behavior can be predicted by Ted Cruz. The analytics company calls it "behavioral microtargeting". Alarming, however, is when analytics used to predict behavior are used to modify and shape behavior.

A recent Politico article pointed out that SCL of London (scl.cc), parent of Cambridge Analytica, has been especially active in the developing or Third World countries, where it has boasted of its ability to bring about changes in existing governments: "So far, SCLs political work has been mostly in the developing world  where it has boasted of its ability to help foment coups. Cambridge Analytica entered the competitive U.S. political data market only last year."

Bringing analytics down to earth, you are your name, age, gender, income, religion, location and political affiliation for traditional demographic measurements; but in the cyber age, you also are data points, behavioral attributes and elements that comprise your psychographic profile on which your predictive behavior is based.

"Big data" knows your bank and credit balances; what schools you attended; your family and friends' names; your past and present employers; what web sites you visit; what you have written about yourself on social media; comments and opinions you left on internet sites; your search history on Google; your biometrics; your voice, photos and/or videos "shared" online; analysis of your email by algorithms; your files stored in the "cloud"; your criminal and traffic records; the car you drive and license number; your present location signaled by GPS and "always on" smart phones and digital devices; a record of your shopping history online and when using credit/debit cards elsewhere; the movies you watch; the ebooks you read; your pet's name; your doctors, hospital visits and health status... Need I go on?

Swept, scanned and analyzed by Big Data behind whose one-way mirrors sit anonymous government and mega-corporations selling and re-selling your personal data, you are surveyed and monetized in a labyrinthine food chain which then microtargets you.

On March 1, 2012 at a CEO summit of In-Q-Tel, the CIAs venture capital arm, former CIA Director David Petraeus laid bear the future of spycraft made easier by the plethora of devices most people now own and carry. "In the digital world, data is everywhere... Data is created constantly, often unknowingly and without permission," explained Petraeus. "Every byte left behind reveals information about location, habits, and, by extrapolation, intent and probable behavior. The number of data points that can be collected is virtually limitless."

Items of interest will be located, identified, monitored, and remotely controlled through technologies such as radio-frequency identification, sensor networks, tiny embedded servers, and energy harvesters  all connected to the next-generation internet using abundant, low-cost, and high-power computing, Petraeus concluded.

Almost four years later, testifying to the Senate on Feb. 9, James Clapper, US director of national intelligence, reaffirmed how intelligence services might use a new generation of smart household devices to increase their (intel's) surveillance capabilities, "for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment, or to gain access to networks or user credentials."

The "internet of things" (IoT) is dawning. No doubt, consumers will adopt and adapt as they have already to seamless dragnet surveillance by corporations and government. Methods of social engineering have been well publicized also, such as Facebook's controversial emotional experiment in 2014.

But can the election of 2016 be "rigged" by none other than Google? Robert Epstein, senior research psychologist, speculated it could, in Politico. "(T)he employees who constantly adjust the search giants algorithms are manipulating people every minute of every day. The adjustments they make increasingly influence our thinkingincluding, it turns out, our voting preferences."

Research that Epstein has been directing suggests that Google, Inc., has amassed far more power to control electionsindeed, to control a wide variety of opinions and beliefsthan any company in history has ever had. "Googles search algorithm can easily shift the voting preferences of undecided voters by 20 percent or moreup to 80 percent in some demographic groupswith virtually no one knowing they are being manipulated."

Could Donald Trump's online search activity push him higher in search engine rankings thus bring him more support? "Most definitelydepending, that is, on how Google employees choose to adjust numeric weightings in the search algorithm."

Epstein concludes: "Our new research leaves little doubt about whether Google has the ability to control voters. In laboratory and online experiments conducted in the United States, we were able to boost the proportion of people who favored any candidate by between 37 and 63 percent after just one search session. The impact of viewing biased rankings repeatedly over a period of weeks or months would undoubtedly be larger."

Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google parent-company Alphabet, has become a major technology vendor for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, according to Quartz (qz.com). The Groundwork (thegroundwork.com) is part of efforts by Schmidt to ensure that Clinton has the engineering talent needed to win the election, the web site explained.

"And it is one of a series of quiet investments by Schmidt that recognize how modern political campaigns are run with data analytics and digital outreach as vital ingredients that allow candidates to find, court, and turn out critical voter blocs. Schmidt is underscoring the bonds between Silicon Valley and Democratic politics," Quartz concludes.

As of February 10, 2016, a total of 1,547 candidates had filed a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission (ballotpedia.com).

But as of February 23, 2016, there are 3 Democrats and 5 Republicans still in the presidential race.

With 220 million Americans having 5,000 data points each, Big Analytics will be busy crunching 1,100,000,000,000 factors to make a President - like it, him or her, or not.

Sources:

"The $5 billion presidential campaign?" Amie Parnes and Kevin Cirilli. The Hill. January 21, 2015.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/230318-the-5-billion-campaign

"A Campaign About You: How Content Marketing Could Help Elect the Next President". Robert McGuire. McGuire Editorial. September 18, 2015

http://mcguireeditorial.com/a-campaign-about-you-how-content-marketing-could-help-elect-the-next-president/

"Introducing Ad Age's 2016 Presidential Campaign Ad Scorecard". Advertising Age. February 19, 2016.

http://adage.com/article/news/Introducing-Presidential-Campaign-Ad-Scorecard/302617/

"Bernie Sanders has the most effective political ads of the 2016 presidential race". I-Hsien Sherwood. Campaign Live. January 14, 2016.

http://www.campaignlive.com/article/bernie-sanders-effective-political-ads-2016-presidential-race/1379312#QkgQY69cav0WPmle.99

Packard, Vance (1957). The Hidden Persuaders. IG Publishing. ISBN: 978-0-9788431-0-6

http://igpub.com/hidden-persuaders/

McGinniss, Joe (1969). The Selling of the President 1968. Original publisher Simon & Shuster.

http://www.amazon.com/Selling-President-1968-Joe-McGinnis/dp/0671270435/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

"2016 Presidential Candidates Placing Emphasis on New Marketing Techniques". Samuel Edwards. Entrepreneur. July 20, 2015.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248108

"4 Ways Technology Has Impacted Presidential Elections". Zach Cutler. Entrepreneur. July 16, 2015

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248450

"Cruz partners with donor's 'psychographic' firm". Kenneth P. Vogel. Politico. July 7, 2015

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/ted-cruz-donor-for-data-119813

Cambridge Analytica

https://cambridgeanalytica.org/

SCL Group

http://scl.cc/

"An Internet of Things that will number ten billions". Julia Boorstin. CNBC. February 1, 2016

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/01/an-internet-of-things-that-will-number-ten-billions.html

"CIA Chief: Well Spy on You Through Your Dishwasher". Spencer Ackerman. Wired. March 15, 2012.

http://www.wired.com/2012/03/petraeus-tv-remote/

In-Q-Tel (CIA)

https://www.iqt.org/

"Remarks by Director David H. Petraeus at In-Q-Tel CEO Summit". CIA. March 1, 2012.

https://www.cia.gov/news-information/speeches-testimony/2012-speeches-testimony/in-q-tel-summit-remarks.html

"Everything You Need to Know About Facebooks Controversial Emotion Experiment". Michelle N. Meyer. Wired. June 30, 2014

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/everything-you-need-to-know-about-facebooks-manipulative-experiment/

"How Google Could Rig the 2016 Election". Robert Epstein. Politico. August 19, 2015.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/how-google-could-rig-the-2016-election-121548#.VdW4T85nEYl

"The stealthy, Eric Schmidt-backed startup thats working to put Hillary Clinton in the White House". Quartz.

http://qz.com/520652/groundwork-eric-schmidt-startup-working-for-hillary-clinton-campaign/

The Groundwork (website consists entirely of a grey-on-black triangle logo.)

thegroundwork.com

Presidential Candidates 2016 (updated data). Ballotpedia. (Last accessed February 23, 2016.)

https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_candidates,_2016

(c) 2016 Michael T Bucci. All Rights reserved.

Michael T Bucci is a retired public relations executive currently living in New England. He has authored nine books on practical spirituality collectively titled The Cerithous Material.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Catholic Church based upon Roman vs Anglo Saxon Law

Whatever you think or believe about the Catholic Church, the latest dust up between the current Pontiff and Donald Trump may seem trite, but actually reveals a fundamental difference in the meaning of being a Christian. When Pope Francis Suggests Donald Trump Is Not Christian , such a troubling account reported in the New York Times, should alarm believers and non-believers alike. An integral part of this issue must acknowledge a startling distinction on the basei of law and how it relates to the concept of a Christian Church.

Geoffrey Grider writes in THE POPE RECOGNIZES NO SALVATION OUTSIDE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC SYSTEM.

Pope Francis gave a sermon on June 25th in Rome, where he dispelled any and all lingering doubt about how the Vatican views worldwide Christianity. Francis once again declared his unshakable belief that the Roman Catholic Holy Mother Church  the very same one mentioned in Revelation 17 & 18 as the Whore of Babylon  is the one and the only church. Listen to Pope Francis as he tells you in his own words exactly what he thinks of all Christian churches outside of the Roman Catholic Church:

Well, do yourself a service and investigate the true background and ideological temperament of Pope Francis the False Prophet. The dichotomy set forth by this pontiff that only an obedient Catholic can be a real Christian has a long history with the Roman Latin Church. Much of this ritual of cathedral authority is guised in ecclesiastical platitudes of salvation through clerical absolution.

Nonetheless, the operational enforcement of the temporal power exerted by the Church, throughout the last two millenniums requires an understanding of the difference between Roman Law and English Law: Two Patterns of Legal Development. This account by Alan Watson argues from the perspective of the Canon Law tradition of the Catholic Church.

Compare this interpretation with that of Piyali Syam, who answers the question in WashULaw, What is the Difference Between Common Law and Civil Law?

The main difference between the two systems is that in common law countries, case law  in the form of published judicial opinions  is of primary importance, whereas in civil law systems, codified statutes predominate.

It is noted that Watson prefers the model followed by the religious jurisprudence foundations for their influence over political authority. Piyali Syam continues:

The original source of the common law system can be traced back to the English monarchy, which used to issue formal orders called writs when justice needed to be done. Because writs were not sufficient to cover all situations, courts of equity were ultimately established to hear complaints and devise appropriate remedies based on equitable principles taken from many sources of authority (such as Roman law and natural law). As these decisions were collected and published, it became possible for courts to look up precedential opinions and apply them to current cases. And thus the common law developed.

Civil law in other European nations, on the other hand, is generally traced back to the code of laws compiled by the Roman Emperor Justinian around 600 C.E. Authoritative legal codes with roots in these laws (or others) then developed over many centuries in various countries, leading to similar legal systems, each with their own sets of laws.

With establishing the clear linkage between the civil authorities claim of the Catholic Church grounded upon Roman law and custom, one needs to track the relative recent departure in defining the essence of the Church.

Turn to the Encyclopdia Britannica section, THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH, which provides a distinction that is often missed.

In 1965 the Roman Catholic theologian Marie-Joseph Le Guillou defined the church in these terms:

The Church is recognized as a society of fellowship with God, the sacrament of salvation, the people of God established as the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The progress of Roman Catholic theology can be seen in the contrast between this statement and the definition still current as late as 1960, which was substantially the one formulated by the Jesuit controversialist Robert Cardinal Bellarmine in 1621:

The society of Christian believers united in the profession of the one Christian faith and the participation in the one sacramental system under the government of the Roman Pontiff.

Here lies the key to understanding the sympathies of the only Jesuit Pope, Francis. Even Catholic Answers acknowledges the following:

There is a person sometimes called "the black pope," but his existence is not a secret and he does not have anywhere near as much power as the real pope. "The black pope" is a nickname given to the Father General of the Society of Jesus. "The black pope" does not have authority over anyone but Jesuits.

Historically Jesuits were the equivalent of the storm troopers for the Roman Church. With the unprecedented selection of Francis, from the ranks of the Society of Jesus, you have the liberation theology ingredients and a celebrity heretic sitting on the chair of Peter.

If one strips out the secular appetite of Popes to enter the political arena, the humanism direction of the post Vatican II Church involvements would be tempered by the correct traditional doctrinal gospel of the New Testament.

The 1054 schism with the Eastern Orthodox Catholics had more to do with an adherence to Roman law authority of a political pontificate emperor, than theological differences.

The eleventh-century reform in the Western Church called for the strengthening of papal authority, which caused the church to become more autocratic and centralized. Basing his claims on his succession from St. Peter, the pope asserted his direct jurisdiction over the entire church, East as well as West.

This split forewarned of the eventual 95 Theses of Martin Luther. But before that fateful break which had significant doctrinal differences, the contribution of Thomas Aquinas needs to be recognized. E. B. F. Midgley writes in a scholar abstract in the Cambridge Journals, Natural law and the Anglo-Saxonssome reflections in response to Hedley Bull.

I concentrated upon St. Thomas's discussion of the various kinds of law and especially upon the doctrine of eternal law which he brought to a certain perfection. In doing this, I was consoled by the view which I shared with Vincent McNabb that it was always the thought of Aquinas never the history of that thought which seemed of greatest worth Indeed, given the incompleteness of so much of the discussion on the intellectual reconciliation of natural and divine law before Aquinas, it is arguable that McNabb was hardly exaggerating very greatly when he wrote that Aquinas's treatise on law in the Summa theologiae would seem be the first great treatise ever written on law.

Church abuses like the inquisition and the selling of indulgences cannot be condoned. Violations of natural law by church courts share similarities to a Roman Ceasar. The English tradition of Common Law and Aquinas foundations of developing the natural law legal underpinnings of individual rights is the exception.

The transition of restraint on a monarch as laid down in the Magna Carta, leads a path to the break with the Roman Papacy. Since the Catholic Church as an institution is actually a political entity, it should surprise no one that the Vatican is organized as a sovereign civil state.

One should not reject the theological precepts out of hand from two thousand years of Christian teachings. The gospels are timeless and are not subject to a live interpretation as the legal charlatans on the Supreme Court would have you believe.

However, the world is inescapable from its political interactions and the clergy is certainly entitled to enter the coliseum to do warfare. When Pope Francis condemns Donald Trump for not being a Christian, he is engaging in a bare knuckle brawl that often results in self induced bruises.

Political partisans can argue all day long if The Donald is a Methodist, a Presbyterian, neither or something else. What everyone should agree upon is that he is not a Jesuit.

The Scottish roots of Trumps lineage have an influence of Anglo-Saxon Law - Extracts From Early Laws of the English. This contrast with the attitude of proclaimed infallibility as defined in,

As Vatican II remarked, it is a charism the pope "enjoys in virtue of his office, when, as the supreme shepherd and teacher of all the faithful, who confirms his brethren in their faith (Luke 22:32), he proclaims by a definitive act some doctrine of faith or morals. Therefore his definitions, of themselves, and not from the consent of the Church, are justly held irreformable, for they are pronounced with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, an assistance promised to him in blessed Peter."

Educated within this tradition of church history, one comes to know that few political positions out of the Vatican have very much to do with doctrines of faith and morals.

One can certainly maintain their faith in Catholic teachings, while rejecting the social liberalism and New World Order pronouncements of a fictitious Pope. America is based upon the tradition of English common law, not Roman imperial dictates.

Source: http://batr.org/solitary/022316.html

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Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors

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News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

THE European Union (EU) has given Zambia a grant of over 4 million for the implementation of the power interconnector project with Kenya and Tanzania.This is according to a statement issued by first secretary for press and tourism at the Zambian embassy in Addis Ababa Naomi Chulu.Zambia Daily Mail reported that Chulu said Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Development Charles Zulu said the three-country power interconnector project is being funded by the EU with the help of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).Mr Zulu was speaking on arrival at Bole International Airport ahead of the 9th infrastructure ministers meeting to be held in Ethiopia.He said the interconnector project would help ease the power deficit in the region once completed."The 4.4 million grant would enable Zambia start exporting power to East Africa and other neighbouring countries once the power deficit challenges are overcome in the country," he said.He also said Zambia would soon start generating enough power which would result in energy exports.And Mr Zulu said Zambia has contracted two international companies to start inland power generation.He said the two companies, which are from the United States of America and Turkey, would also supply equipment for inland power generation.He added that the move would help solve the power deficit problem that Zambia is currently facing.
The opinions of two psychologists indicate that Travis Dylan Hazelwood, who is charged with first-degree murder of Larry Gilliam, was legally insane when the shooting occurred on Dec. 31, 2014.

At a hearing Monday in Patrick County Circuit Court, Commonwealths Attorney Stephanie Vipperman asked that the case be continued because she received some supporting documents Friday afternoon, tried to review them over the weekend, but needed more time. The documents relate to psychological evaluations of Hazelwood and documentation, Vipperman said.

Judge David V. Williams scheduled a hearing for March 14 at 1:15 p.m.

Alan Black, Hazelwoods lawyer, said in an interview that the psychologist for the defense found that Hazelwood met the criteria to be not guilty by reason of insanity at the time of the crime, but that the psychologist for the commonwealth found that Hazelwood met some but not all of the criteria.

According to a document from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services (VDBHDS) that Vipperman provided in an email, the "Virginia insanity test" requires that a defendant suffered from a mental disease or defect (defined as a disorder that substantially impairs the defendants capacity to understand or appreciate his conduct). Virginias insanity test also requires one of the following three elements as a result of mental disease or defect: the defendant did not understand the nature, character or consequences of his or her act; was unable to distinguish right from wrong; or was unable to resist the impulse to commit the act.

Vipperman said the psychologist for the commonwealth opined that Hazelwood suffered from a mental disease or defect and met one of the other three criteria, but that there was insufficient evidence or information to know whether the defendant met the other two criteria. The two criteria Hazelwood did meet were enough to be legally insane, according to Vipperman.

"Now Im reviewing the doctors files to determine whether they reached their opinions based on complete and accurate information about the defendant and the incident," Vipperman said.

She added that her options are to go trial and fight the experts opinions or to concede that they have reached their opinions based on complete and accurate information.

Black said that if Vipperman concedes, Hazelwood would enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Vipperman said the judge has the right and option to not accept the plea and find a defendant criminally guilty.

According to the VDBHDS document, if the judge finds the defendant not guilty by reason of insanity, the defendant is acquitted of criminal charges and there typically is a court-ordered treatment component,

"The insanity plea was developed to protect individuals who are morally blameless. The insanity defense is a compromise; it reflects societys belief that the law should not punish defendants who, for reasons beyond their control (as a direct result of mental disease or defect), committed a criminal act," the document states.

Vipperman said that if a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity, he initially is committed to Central State psychiatric hospital for a 45-day evaluation, and then, if recommended by the hospital, the court could order that he be released with conditions, released without conditions or continue to be confined in a state psychiatric hospital, with a review every year for five years and after that a review every two years until he is released.

The VDBHDS document states: "In Virginia, the average length of hospitalization for someone found NGRI (not guilty by reason of insanity) is 6.5 years. Many individuals will spend much longer in the hospital setting. Only 25% of acquittees are released to the community after their initial temporary custody period."

Vipperman said she has not yet decided how she will proceed with the case.

Larry Gilliam, 63, of Claudville, was pronounced dead at the scene of a shooting near Boaz Pond Lane in Patrick Springs, Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith said at the time of the incident. He added that Gilliam was shot at close range.

A criminal complaint alleges: "Travis Dylan Hazelwood stated that he had wanted to kill Larry for some time. Larry showed up this morning (Dec. 31, 2014) to go rabbit hunting with Traviss family. When Travis saw that Larry was going with them he planned on killing him."

"Travis said he shot Larry Gilliam in the back with a single shot 12 gauge shotgun. Travis stated that he meant to do it and wanted Larry to die," the criminal complaint alleges.

Hazelwood, 19 at the time of the incident and now 21 years old, of 528 Old Mill Road, Patrick Springs, is charged with first-degree murder and use of firearm in committing a felony. He is being held in the Patrick County Jail.
TODAYS WORD is weird (WEERD). Example: "And yes, I know its all in my head. But my head is a weird, wonderful place that does a lot of things I wish it wouldnt."  Erin Stewart, The Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)

MONDAYS WORD was elate (eh-layt). Example: Jane was elated upon learning that she had been accepted by her first-choice college.

Maddy, a fifth grader at Faith Christian School in Kearney, Nebraska, is asking for help with a school project. Her letter reads.

Dear readers of the Martinsville Bulletin: My name is Maddy and I am a 5th grader at Faith Christian School in Kearney, Nebraska. My class is studying the 50 states and I have chosen Virginia as my state. Our assignment is to find out as much about our states as we can and I was wondering if you would help me out. Would you be willing to send me any information about your state? Some examples could be maps, brochures, souvenirs or anything else that would be helpful. We will be having our states fair at the end of the school year to display all of our information.

Thank you.

Send information to Mr. Van Winkles 5th-6th grade class/Maddy, Faith Christian Church, P.O. Box 3048, Kearney, NE 68848

Free community meal reminders:

 Today from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Orchard Drive Baptist Church, at 228 Orchard in Drive Bassett. Dine in only.

 Wednesday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Smith Memorial United Methodist Church, located at the corner of John Redd Boulevard and Daniels Creek Road in Collinsville.

 Thursday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Bassett United Methodist Church, at 2803 Riverside Drive, across from Carter Bank. Call (276) 629-2869 for more information.

Beth Macy is returning to the Bassett Historical Center on March 8 to give an introduction to "TRUEVINE", her new book. The book is crammed with hundreds of exclusive interviews and sources as Beth tells of how she researched the book and the many challenges she faced while interviewing and writing the book about the Muse brothers. She will share the true story of these brothers, their kidnapping by the circus, and their mother who embarked on a decades-long struggle to get them home. The program will be at 10:30 a.m. on March 8 and it is free and open to the public.

Note for location of Truevine, which is in Franklin County. It is near the following small populated areas with names such as Penhook, Dickinson, Progress, Laprades Mill, Peckerwood Level, Sago, Hopkins Mill, Vashti, Museville, Gladehill, Union Hall and Henry Fork. Truevine is 12.2 miles from Rocky Mount.

One of the biggest TV hits ever was a story about a poor mountaineer trying to keep his family fed. The numbers behind "The Beverly Hillbillies" are truly staggering. A mere six weeks after its debut, "The Beverly Hillbillies" was the most watched program on television. Between the years 1962 and 1964, the show averaged 57 million viewers.

Bear in mind, this show was luring around 60 million viewers at a time when the U.S. population was approximately 190 million. At some points in its run, 44-percent of all American televisions were tuned to the show.
Wolf.jpg

Dr. Scott Wolf, president of Mercy Medical Center, discusses the addition of RiverBend Medical Group into Mercy and the Sisters of Providence Health System.

(JIM KINNEY/ THE REPUBLICAN)

CHICOPEE -- RiverBend Medical Group - a health care practice with offices in Agawam, Chicopee, Springfield, Westfield and Wilbraham - will become a part of Mercy Medical Center and Sisters of Providence Health System under an agreement announced Tuesday.

"The transition should be transparent for patients," said Dr. Scott Wolf, president of Mercy Medical Center. "RiverBend practitioners will have the same offices, provide the same services and take the same insurances as before."

Officials at a news conference hosted Tuesday at RiverBend's offices at 444 Montgomery St. in Chicopee spoke of the combination as a partnership. Ownership of RiverBend will transfer to Sisters of Providence, itself part of Trinity Health - New England.

The same economic forces that led to the set of mergers creating Trinity Health - New England last year are also driving the partnership between Mercy and RiverBend, said former Sisters of Providence Health System CEO and President Daniel P. Moen, who was recently promoted to executive vice president and COO for Trinity Health - New England.

"The health care landscape is changing. We are moving away from fee-for-service," Moen said. "That is where people get paid for providing a specific service."

The new mode of paying for health care focuses on keeping a population of patients healthy and calls for more prevention and continuing care.

"In order to do that, you need scale. You need a certain number of patients," Moen said. "Then you need a wide range of services, from hospitals to doctors practices to rehabilitation. Then you need a continuum of care, where you follow people as they move from one type of care to another. This partnership gives us all three. You are seeing this all over the region. You are seeing this all over the country."

Wolf used the example of a patient going from his doctor's offices to the hospital for treatment and then out from the hospital to a nursing care facility and finally back out to his doctor's offices. The health care system tends to lose patients in each transition, leaving folks with gaps in their care, poor followup, no help managing their ailments and an increased chance of ending up back in the hospital.

RiverBend Medical Center is coming to the combination in a strong position. Wolf made a point of saying how far ahead RiverBend is when it comes to electronic medical records.

Dr. Richard Shuman, president of Riverbend Medical Group, said it has more than 100,000 patients, 700 employees and 140 physicians. RiverBend's offices are at: 230 Main St., Agawam; 444 Montgomery St., and 1109 Granby Road, Chicopee; 305 Bicentennial Highway, Springfield; 395 Southampton Road in Westfield; and 70 Post Office Park in Wilbraham.

"This provides stability for Riverbend moving forward," said Shuman, who will stay on as senior vice president of Mercy's Physician Network Organization.

Mercy and RiverBend do not plan to close any offices, even in cities like Springfield and Westfield, where both entities currently have locations.

"In fact, this will allow us to expand the services we offer," Moen said. He added that RiverBend and Mercy have been cooperating for years.

RiverBend patients won't see any changes now that they are part of a Catholic organization that follows Catholic teaching when it comes to health care, Mercy officials said.

"We don't get into the conversations that happen inside a doctor's office," Moen said. "We don't get into that."

As part of Trinity Health, Mercy is part of the second-largest Catholic health care system in the nation. Trinity Health - New England includes St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center and Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital in Hartford and Johnson Memorial Medical Center in Stafford Springs, Connecticut.

In Western Massachusetts, Sisters of Providence includes:
News / Health

by Thobekile Zhou

Zimbabwe has only five qualified pathologists and officials say such professional are difficult to attract. Pathologists carry out post-mortems on bodies to determine the cause of death.Director of pathological services in the Health and Child Care ministry, Maxwell Hove on Monday told a parliamentary thematic committee of the shock situation."Pathologists are difficult to attract to the system."In Harare there are only three and in Bulawayo we have two. We have three trainees and one is going to be in the final year this year".
Darren Chraplak.jpg

Darren Chraplak, 9, of West Springfield is a DJ on WXOJ-LP in Northampton.

(Submitted photo)

WEST SPRINGFIELD - "What time is it?," the FM radio disc jockey asks.

"It's time forrrrrr 'Off the Record' hosted by DJ Darren," follows the answer.

It's not the deep voice of a man or of a seasoned radio veteran; it's the voice of a boy.

Nine-year-old Darren T. Chraplak of West Springfield has been on the air with his "Off the Record" comedy music show on 103.3 FM WXOJ-LP Northampton, airing on Sundays from 7-8 p.m. It can be live streamed at valleyfreeradio.com

"He's bringing comedy music back to the airwaves of Western Mass. and beyond," said his father, Dan E. Chraplak.

Darren has been deejaying since November.

Max DeGroot, Weird Al Yankovic and Mark McCollum are Darren's three favorite artists.

Darren's musical endeavors began after he heard "Kill the Wabbit" and wanted to perform it on guitar; all he had to work with was a toy guitar with only two strings. So his father bought him a Starcaster by Fender guitar at Maximum Pawn on Memorial Avenue in West Springfield for Christmas 2014, and two weeks later he took his son to an open mic night in Westfield for him to perform.

"What would it be like if Elmer Fudd had a punk son who was into Heavy Metal? What would it sound like?" the then-8-year-old asked the audience. He showed them, playing three chords on his guitar and singing in a falsely deep voice. (Watch the video at

Darren liked performing so much they went to more open mics in the area, and his father looked for online for comedy music opportunities for him and found an online comedy community.

Darren doesn't take guitar lessons, "but if you teach him something, he'll pick it up," his father said. "He watches YouTube or people teach him chords and there you go!" he learns some songs on his own.

"He has high energy and has got stage presence. He's not afraid to go out and do his thing," Dan said.

Darren - who stands about four feet tall and weighs 70 pounds - has brown hair and hazel eyes. He likes to wear T-shirts or his favorite purple sweater and sweatpants.

He had been listening to music on line at the comedy music website madmusic.com, and his father told him if he got a Number 1 hit he would buy him a turntable; in June it was time for Dan, owner of an auto repair business in West Springfield, to make good on the promise thanks to Darren's "We Don't Play Five Nights at Freddie's."

Dan - who introduced his son to comedy music -- bought the turntable from a friend, but then Darren needed records; he likes the sound of records better than music online.

One day when Darren - now in fourth grade at John R. Fausey Elementary School in West Springfield -- and his dad went to a record store they met Kevin M. Smith, the radio station DJ on 103.3 FM, who, after being "amazed by his talent," suggested Darren to do a radio show.

"I've never seen anybody learn so quickly," said Smith, who helped train Darren, adding that the boy is innovative and technically savvy.

Darren's interest is two-fold, deejaying and making music. Besides open mics, Darren has had one paid gig in Easthampton. He also performed in July at Treehouse154 in New York City to the delight of his audience. His repertoire included his original "I Don't Wanna Do My Laundry" set to the tune of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" and "When the Sharks Come Swimming In" to the tune of "When the Saints Go Marching In."

He gets ideas for his songs on his own or by brainstorming with his father and brother, Camren M., 12, who is more into Legos than music.

"Camren [a seventh grader at West Springfield Middle School] puts things on YouTube; he's like the producer. I'm the manager, and Darren in the star!" Dan said with pride.

The music has brought the three closer as a family "and helps us work as a team," Dan said.

"We work really well together and never run into problems except with Wi-Fi connections," Camren said.

Three of Darren's songs were played on the Dr. Demento Show online, and he had the #10 song for January with "I Want To Be A Housecat," the 2015 remix of a parody his father did when he was 12 in 1985. (Dan used to make parodies and change around songs as a kid in West Springfield, but he doesn't play a musical instrument). Darren was the artist of the year for 2015 on Mad Music Top 20 Revenge on Mad Music's home page with 21 songs in the top 100 of the year.

He likes to play comedy and novelty music and song parodies.

Some of his titles - which can be found at madmusic.com - include "Dunno the Words," "Fishing Nets," "It's Not My Mess," "Mary's Lamb" and "Snow in the Boat."

Darren enjoys the comedy music because it is, after all, funny. "It sounds a lot better than Taylor Swift or Meghan Trainor," he said.

Asked what he thinks is funny, Darren mentioned "cartoon stuff" and Chipmunk-style music.

His favorite subject in school is, not surprisingly, music. He's in the school band, learning to play the trumpet. "It's helping me read music," he said, noting that he often learns "by ear and sees what works."

He spends a lot of his free time on his music, and he is "absolutely not" interested in sports. "I do not like sports," he said emphatically, adding that he quit wrestling because music was his priority.

Darren would like to do comedy music for a living.

At age 9, he feels older than he is. "I feel accomplished," he said, but he still has an accomplishment to pin: "to be one of the most famous comedy musicians of all time."
Zachary Marr

Zachary Marr

(Boston Police Department )

Update: Massachusetts State Police were searching the waters under the Zakim Bridge in the disappearance of Marr.

MSP Dive Team and Marine Unit operating under Zakim Bridge in search related to disappearance of young man from Harvard MA. Mission ongoing.  Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) February 24, 2016

BOSTON - Members of the Boston Dive Team began searching the water near Nashua Street Tuesday as they looked for missing 22-year-old Harvard man Zachary Marr, according to NECN.

Dive teams enter water in search for missing Harvard, Mass. man Zachary Marr. https://t.co/OzTf6FevxM pic.twitter.com/DTO4RJwhVc  necn (@NECN) February 23, 2016

This is the second time authorities have searched in the water for the missing man, according to news reports. Last week, dive team members were searching the waters of the Charles River, according to NECN.

Marr was last seen around 1:40 a.m. on Feb. 13 outside the Bell in Hand Tavern in the area of 45 Union St. A Facebook post from the bar said video footage showed Marr leaving the Bell in Hand at 1:20 a.m.

The video showed Marr did not try to go back inside. Other video, according to the Bell in Hand, shows Marr in front of the garage heading toward the surface artery.

Marr's family told the Boston Globe that the Harvard man had just turned 22 and headed to Boston to celebrate with his cousins. Marr had texted his cousin, Amanda Marr, around 1:30 a.m. to say he was going to smoke a cigarette, the newspaper reported.

When the cousin went outside the bar about 20 minutes later, Marr was nowhere to be found, according to the Boston Globe.

Divers back into the water in search for Zachary Marr #fox25 pic.twitter.com/stzxjvjZz9  Scott Tetreault (@BostonNewsMan) February 23, 2016

Authorities said Marr is a white male who is about 175 pounds and 5-feet, 8-inches tall. He has short, brown hair, blue eyes and a beard. Police said Marr was wearing dark jeans, a blue sweatshirt and black sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to call Boston Detectives at (617) 343-4571 or Harvard, Mass. Police Sergeant Coates at (978) 456-1212.
lit.jpg

Amherst College is hosting a literary festival March 3 to March 5.

(Submitted)

AMHERST - Next week, literary giants like Pulitzer Prize winning writers Michael Chabon and Stacy Schiff will be coming to Amherst College for the first of what will be an annual festival on campus.

Amherst College LitFest 2016 is a collaboration between the college, with the National Book Award on Campus program and a new partnership between the college and The MacDowell Colony.

The three-day festival organized by Jennifer Acker, founder and editor-in-chief of The Common, and Pete Mackey, chief communications officer, begins March 3.

The Amherst College based literary magazine The Common began five years ago "to publish greater literature from around the world and to represent the Amherst dynamic literary life and literary accomplishments," Acker said, so the festival is a natural outgrowth of that.

She has a relationship with Harold Augenbraum, the executive director of the National Book Foundation and 11 years ago, the foundation began its campus program to increase reading across the country.

She began working with him to bring that collaboration here and then got the endorsement from campus leaders.

Pete Mackey, meanwhile, had a friend at the Peterborough, N.H. based McDowell Colony and Chabon is the chairman.

He brought the possibility of a relationship with the colony to campus officials and they all supported that too.

"It's inevitable and natural. It wasn't going to take long for this to come together," he said of the festival. Mackey began his job two years ago.

He and Acker have been working on this since the summer. "

We're very excited to see it begin, we're really thrilled about the partnerships and the caliber of the authors," he said.

The program begins March 3 at 7:30 p.m. with Lauren Groff, Amherst class of 01, author of "Fates and Furies," and Angela Flournoy, author of "The Turner House, having a conversation led by Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker's fiction editor.

Both books were nominated for the 2015 National Book Award. President Barack Obama named "Fates and Furies" as his favorite book of last year.

Chabon, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay," will read at 7 p.m. March 4.

Both events are the Johnson Chapel.

On March 5 at 10 a.m., Cullen Murphy Amherst Class of 74, editor-at-large of Vanity Fair and chairman of the Amherst College Board of Trustees, hosts a reading and conversation with nonfiction writers Stacy Schiff, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Vera," and "Witches" her latest work, and Mark Bowden, author of "Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War" and "The Finish: The Killing of Osama Bin Laden." The discussion will be held in Valentine Hall.

All programs are free and open to the public and a book signing will follow all talks and readings.
News / Local

by Stephen Jakes

The Harare Resident Trust and the Harare City Council officials last week toured the Morton Jaffrey Water Works site to assess the situation.The trust said they were representatives from different organizations, the Mayor, acting Town Clerk, the Harare water Engineer, and Engineers from Morton Jaffrey who were explaining everything occurring at the site."Residents were shown 7 pumps from the Chinese loan, the City received another 9,5 million dollars from Zimfund which was used to buy another 7 pumps to make them 14. out of the 9,5 million dollars received from Zimfund 4.5 million dollars was used for the rehabilitation of Prince Edward Water Works," said the trust."Other materials bought were generators, dosing pumps, valves and back breakers. The Morton Jaffrey Engineers said the City needs 30 days to complete the job, so they spread they the days of the shut down so that residents can have water. The people who attended the tour at Morton Jaffrey acknowledged that there is progress although the speed might not satisfy residents."
News / Local

by Stephen Jakes

Harare City Council in conjunction with the Harare Residents Trust will on Wednesday hold a public meeting to increase awareness to the residents on the pandemic disease Typhoid.The trust indicated that it will in conjunction with the Harare City Health department host yet another explosive public meeting in Glen Norah A tomorrow Wednesday 24 February 2016 from 10am -1pm ."The meeting will be held at Glennorah A hall. The main agenda of the meeting is to raise awareness and educate residents on the ongoing spreading of the pandemic disease Typhoid," the trust said. "Typhoid has claimed many people thus it is imperative for residents to come and get necessary information and tips from health expects.Service delivery issue will not be left out .Speakers from City Health will be present.You are all invited to be part and parcel of this great program. Tell someone to tell someone."
News / National

by Staff reporter

Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated President Mugabe on his 92nd birthday, wishing him good health. President Mugabe turned 92 on Sunday, and official celebrations to mark his birthday will be held under the auspices of the 21st February Movement in Masvingo on Saturday."I wish to extend my warm congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of your birthday," said President Xi, who visited Zimbabwe last year on a State Visit where he, together with President Mugabe, witnessed the signing of mega deals between Zimbabwe and China."In December last year, I paid a State Visit to your country, enjoyed your warm reception and mapped out a grand blueprint for the future development of China-Zimbabwe relations with you."We, together, attended the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation. Your splendid speech at the Summit and your penetrating insights into the development of China-Africa relations made profound impression on me."President Xi said he was ready to work with President Mugabe to deepen political mutual trust and bilateral practical cooperation and "together start a new chapter for China-Zimbabwe and China-Africa friendship"."I wish you good health and may everything go well with you," said President Xi.Pakistan ambassador Mr Asaf Khan also sent his congragulatory message, praising President Mugabe for his good leadership qualities. "He is an icon, a legend," he told ZBC News. "He is a Statesman with good leadership qualities for the nation and Africa. His endeavour is to raise the standards of Africa."Congratulatory messages for President Mugabe started pouring in on Sunday, with various Government departments and State enterprises wishing him happiness, good health and more strength.Elders from Zvimba, his home area, congratulated him saying living that long could only be through the love and will of God.Gogo Agatha Nyere, who is younger sister to President Mugabe's late mother, Mbuya Bona, vividly narrated to ZBC News how he grew up from a young rural boy in Kutama to become the President.Gogo Cecillia Mupariwa Zindoga, a neighbour at Mugabe's rural home, said the whole of Kutama neighbourhood felt blessed by the gift of long life bestowed on the President, as he is "a man of the people". An uncle to President Mugabe, Mr Philemon Kutama, said he worked hard and suffered to lead Zimbabwe and Africa."It was during our boyhood that he developed an avid culture of reading," he said."As the youngest of the herd boys of that time, I had to assume the duties of monitoring the movement of cattle as the elder, Robert (Mugabe), buried his face into books."Mr Kutama said President Mugabe's rise from just a herd boy to become President was not achieved overnight, but followed a difficult road punctuated with prison, suffering, hunger and tears.President Mugabe's love for books did not end during his time as a boy, as he went on to become a teacher, before acquiring a degree from Fort Hare University in South Africa. He also taught in Ghana before returning home to participate in full time politics.During his time in prison between 1964 and 1975, President Mugabe also studied and acquired many degrees.
Since 1985, U.S. college costs have surged by about 500 percent, and tuition fees keep rising. In Germany, theyve done the opposite.

The countrys universities have been tuition-free since the beginning of October, when Lower Saxony became the last state to scrap the fees. Tuition rates were always low in Germany, but now the German government fully funds the education of its citizens  and even of foreigners.

By Rick Noack

Full Story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/10/29/7-countries-where-americans-can-study-at-universities-in-english-for-free-or-almost-free/?postshare=1741456071919449&tid=ss_fb

***

Stanford Will Now Be Free To All Students From Families That Earn Less Than $125,000 Per Year

by Bryce Covert

Full Story: http://thinkprogress.org/education/2015/04/02/3642085/stanford-free-tuition/
The mission of the Helena Public Schools is to challenge and empower each student to maximize individual potential and become a competent, productive, responsible, caring citizen.

This mission will be supported through the wise use of resources to meet students needs, regardless of interests and talents. Students, families, educators and the community are committed to sharing the responsibility for creating a student-centered educational community that acknowledges learning as a life-long process.

All Opportunities  http://www.applitrack.com/helena/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp?all=1
The African Leadership Magazine is today pleased to announce the winners in the 13 categories of the 2022 edition of the African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA), following the call for vote entries which ended on Friday, June 3, 2022.

The keenly contested awards attracted over 370, 000 entries on the website and across social media platforms, as well as submissions via email and physical posts from Africans across the continent and in Diaspora.

All winners and their runners-up shall be presented with an award trophy and formally decorated with the instruments of the honour at the 7th Africa Summit  London 2022, which is scheduled to hold at the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, on July 4, 2022, from 3.00  4.30pm, with the theme- Rethinking African Trade & Partnership Possibilities.

The Winners emerged through a keenly contested 3-step points-based selection process that included a call for nomination; a call for online voting for shortlisted nominees; and the editorial boards final review of the nominations and voting submissions  using supporting evidence and voting considerations in their final decisions to decide the African Business Leadership Awards 2021 winners. Voting was responsible for sixty five percentage (65%) points and supporting evidence responsible for 35% in the final selection process for the 2022 winners.

The African Business Leadership Awards is a prestigious recognition event to reward exceptional corporate practices and outstanding achievers in Africas business landscape and its private sector. The awards is in keeping with the African Leadership Magazines tradition of presenting the sides of the continents businesses and leaders, which hardly finds placement on global media platforms  celebrating exemplary business leaderships on the continent.

See below, the list of winners:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Sam Matekane, Group Chairman, Matekane Group of Companies, Lesotho AFRICAN BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR

Akindele Akintoye, Chairman, Platform Capital, Nigeria- Winner

Daniel Mckorley, GCEO, McDan Group of Companies, Ghana- First Runner-up AFRICAN FEMALE BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR:

Mpumi Mpofu, CEO, Airports Company South Africa- winner

Anne Juuko, CEO, Stanbic Bank Holdings, Uganda  First Runner-up AFRICAN REGULATOR OF THE YEAR

Energy & Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Kenya- Winner

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA)- First Runner-up BUSINESS FRIENDLY GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Hassan Ali Joho, Governor, Mombasa County, Kenya  Joint Winner

Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, Nigeria Joint Winner

David Makhura, Premier of Gauteng province, South Africa  Runner Up AFRICAN FINANCE MINISTER OF THE YEAR

Dr. Renganaden Padayachy, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Mauritius  Winner

Ipumbu Shiimi, Minister of Finance, Botswana  Runner-Up CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Florens Luoga, Governor, Bank of Tanzania  Winner

Tarek Amer, Governor, Central Bank of Egypt  Runner-up AFRICAN INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AWARD

Joao Figueiredo, CEO, Moza Banco, Mozambique  Winner

Abena Brigidi, CEO, Nimed Capital Limited, Ghana  Runner up AFRICAN TRADE & INVESTMENT MINISTER OF THE YEAR

Alphonse Claude NSILOU, Minister of State, Minister of Trade, Supply and Consumption, Congo Republic  Winner

Beatha Habyarimana, Minister of Trade and Industry, Rwanda  Runner-up AFRICAN CEO OF THE YEAR

Peter Ashade, GCEO, United Capital Plc, Nigeria- Winner

James Githii Mburu, CEO, Kenya Revenue Authority  Runner-up YOUNG BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Ally Edha Awadh, CEO, Lake Oil Group, Tanzania  Winner

Sangu Delle, Chairman, Golden Palm Investments Corporation, Ghana- First Runner-up AFRICA CSR AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IMPACT AWARD:

Anglo American Platinum South Africa  Winner

Access Bank Plc  First Runner-up AFRICAN BRAND OF THE YEAR

Lafarge Africa Plc  Winner

Vodacom Group  First Runner-up AFRICA BUSINESS INTEGRITY LEADER AWARD

Mastercard Africa  Winner

Heritage Bank Plc, Nigeria  First Runner-up

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News / National

by Nduduzo Tshuma

FORMER South African President Thabo Mbeki yesterday reiterated that the United Kingdom and its ally the United States of America wanted to invade Zimbabwe to remove President Robert Mugabe from power through military action.The two countries have since 1999 devised a number of strategies to effect regime change as a reaction to the government's land reform programme which sought to address colonial injustices by distributing land to the black majority.Mbeki, in a letter which is part of the recently-launched weekly Mbeki letters, said his Minister of Intelligence at the time, Lindiwe Sisulu, "had to make a number of trips to London and Washington to engage the UK and US governments on their plans for Zimbabwe, with strict instructions from our government to resist all plans to impose anything on the people of Zimbabwe, including by military means."The former South African President, who served from 1998 to 2008, said the invasion of Zimbabwe, by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's admission, proved impracticable as the country's neighbours stood firm in solidarity with President Mugabe and the nation.Mbeki said the UK was against his quiet diplomacy policy as he brokered the 2009 Global Political Agreement (GPA) which ushered in the Government of National Unity (GNU) between 2009 and 2013."There were others in the world, led particularly by the UK, who opposed our approach of encouraging the Zimbabweans to decide their future. These preferred regime change - the forcible removal of President Mugabe and his replacement by people approved by the UK and its allies," said Mbeki in yesterday's letter."This is what explained the sustained campaign to condemn us for conducting the so-called 'quiet diplomacy'. What was wrong with quiet diplomacy was that it defended the right of the people of Zimbabwe to determine their future, as opposed to the desire by some in the West to carry out regime change in Zimbabwe and impose their will on the country."In the period preceding the 2002 Zimbabwe elections, the UK and the US in particular were very keen to effect this regime change and failing which to impose various conditions to shorten the period of Mugabe's Presidency."Mbeki said the UK and US were clearly intent on toppling the government of Zimbabwe. "Accordingly it was not from hearsay or third parties that we acquired the knowledge about Western plans to overthrow President Mugabe, but directly from what they communicated to a representative of our government."Mbeki backed his claims by citing a UK newspaper, The Independent on Sunday, which quoted former UK armed forces chief of defence staff, Lord Guthrie, confirming discussing the invasion of Zimbabwe with former Prime Minister Blair.He further quoted a book by John Kampfner titled Blair's Wars, claiming that the former UK Prime Minister once told Secretary of State for International Development Claire Short that, "if it were down to me, I'd do Zimbabwe as well  that is send troops."In his memoir A Journey, Blair explained that the reason he could not "get rid of Mugabe" which he "would have loved to" was because "it wasn't practical (sincethe surrounding African nations maintained a lingering support for him and would have opposed any action strenuously)."?Mbeki said revolutionary parties PF Zapu and Zanu  later called Zanu-PF after the Unity Accord in 1987  contributed to the African National Congress' victory against the apartheid regime, paving way for a democratic South Africa which attained majority rule in 1994."The ANC took the same position with regard to the struggles of the people of Zimbabwe to defeat colonialism and reconstruct the new Zimbabwe, and acted accordingly. Throughout these years we defended the right of the people of Zimbabwe to determine their destiny, including deciding on who should govern the country," said Mbeki."This included resisting all efforts to impose other people's solutions on Zimbabwe, which, if this had succeeded, would have served as a precursor for a similar intervention in our country! Consciously we took the position that democratic South Africa should at all costs avoid acting as a new home-grown African imperial power which would have given itself the right unilaterally to determine the destiny of the peoples of Africa!"Commenting on the land reform programme, Mbeki said Short repudiated the commitment made at the Lancaster House Conference by Conservative Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major."Later, Prime Minister Blair told me that the British governments he led never formally took this decision to repudiate the Lancaster House Agreement and regretted that in the end, his government had to accept it because Claire Short had succeeded to convince the UK public that it was indeed government policy," he said."Further to help resolve the conflict on the land question, at some point we also got commitments from three other governments to finance land acquisition by the Zimbabwe government which would then distribute the land to those who had started to occupy some farms. The Zimbabwe government welcomed this initiative."Mbeki also revealed that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assumed the responsibility to work with the Zimbabwean government to implement the acquisition and redistribution of land at the suggestion of the then UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. However, he said, the UNDP, "acted in a manner which led to the failure of this initiative."
News / National

by Ivan Zhakata

A Harare woman reportedly "locked" her husband to keep him away from bedding his second wife. Agnes Buzuzi allegedly visited a n'anga who gave her juju to lock her husband, Abel Humure, over the second wife.Humure, who was seeking a protection order against Buzuzi, told Harare Civil Court magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko that he discovered that he was locked after he made love to his second wife and her stomach started swelling.Humure said he had to visit a traditional healer who told him that the only "cure" was to drink Buzuzi's urine and her second wife to drink his urine, which they later did."I am applying for a protection order against my wife because she centrally locked me so that I cannot engage in sex with my second wife," he said."She visited a witchdoctor who gave her some juju to insert in her womanhood and when I slept with her I was locked. When I had sex with my second wife her stomach started bulging.Humure told the court that Buzuzi was chasing him out of their matrimonial house and was also insulting his second wife.Buzuzi refuted the allegations and told the court that she never used juju on him."I dispute all what he has said," she said. "The woman he is alleging to be his second is actually his girlfriend."I do not use juju neither have I abused him in any way. I have not had sex with him for the past seven months so I do not know how he is alleging that I centrally locked him," Buzuzi said.Mrs Mateko ordered Buzuzi to stop abusing her husband in any way and to solve their disputes amicably.Meanwhile, a Harare woman yesterday took her husband to the Harare Civil Court accusing him of assaulting her each time he drinks alcohol.Gracious Munetsi alleged that her husband, Garvin Tafirenyika, assaulted her in front of their children causing them to fear him.Munetsi, who was seeking a protection order against Tafirenyika, told Mrs Mateko that he has made several threats and was tracking her on his mobile phone."I want him to be stopped from assaulting me," she said. "Each time he drinks beer he assaults me even in front of the children instilling fear in them."He is in the habit of tracking my movements on his mobile phone and I do not know if it is legal to do that."He nearly killed me the last time he assaulted me and later forced me to engage in sex with him. He also threatens to come to my workplace to cause havoc and I want him barred from coming there," Munetsi said.Tafirenyika, who blamed all the abuses on alcohol, did not oppose his wife's application.Mrs Mateko ordered Tafirenyika to stop assaulting, insulting and threatening Munetsi in any way.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Former Vice-President Joice Mujuru has claimed her husband, Solomon, was shot before he was burnt, claims that are likely to re-ignite the debate into the death the country's first army commander, whose demise in a mysterious fire continues to baffle Zimbabweans almost five years later.Mujuru, in an interview with the United Kingdom's Sunday Times, said her husband's killers will be revealed at some stage and they were known to the "people in power"."I can't say who did it, but they know, the people in power. It will come out," she said.Mujuru said she was woken up at 1:30am on the fateful August 2011 night and she rushed to the farm, still in her pyjamas, after she heard reports there had been a fire."The Harare fire brigade was there, but they had no water, so we had to use the farm bowsers," she told the UK paper, "and we tried to pour water on his body. There was a blue, blue flame, almost one-and-a-half to two metres high, not normal at all."It seemed to me there was some kind of accelerant."According to the Sunday Times article, a white farmer, who rushed to the scene, said he believed a white phosphorous grenade had been used to burn the body.Solomon died in a mysterious house inferno at his Ruzambo Farm in Beatrice on August 15, 2011."That wasn't all that was strange: Solomon seemed to have made no effort to escape. The carpet underneath his body was not burnt," she said.The family of the late general has claimed foul play Mujuru's death after some witnesses, during the inquest held at Harare Magistrates' Court, alleged they heard gunshots from the direction of the farmhouse on the fateful night.A security guard at the farm also told the inquest, which was presided over by regional magistrate Walter Chikwanha, that when Mujuru arrived at his home on that night, he was in the company of a stranger, whose identity has remained a mystery.Although Chikwanha ruled out foul play and said Mujuru could have perished due to choking from inhaling smoke from the fire, the cause of the inferno remains unexplained.On First Lady Grace Mugabe, whose political stock has been rising since she orchestrated Mujuru's axing, the former Vice-President said "her power only lasts as long as he (President Robert Mugabe) is there"."She saw me as a threat, both did," she said.Mujuru was accused of using witchcraft in a plot to oust and kill Mugabe, accusations she denies to this day."I am a Christian and a member of the Salvation Army. I have never used magic," she insisted."A Head of State using this platform to lie and believing stories about frogs being kept in a calabash and if one dies, he will die, I said to myself: What a backward man'."Mujuru said she confronted Mugabe after she was accused of plotting his ouster and he said this was what intelligence reports were telling him.She said following that encounter, she left the meeting in fear, her mouth completely dry.In December 2014, Mujuru was fired as Vice-President, "It was the shock of my life," she said.In spite of claims she embellished her liberation war record, Mujuru insisted she had downed a helicopter during the armed struggle.The ex-VP also took a dig at her former boss, saying Mugabe slept quite often during Cabinet meetings, adding that in most instances, she had to chair the meetings.But Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday disputed Mujuru's claims that Mugabe slept in Cabinet meetings."I don't remember seeing the President sleeping during Cabinet meetings," he said. "She must explain what she meant there. But in any case, we don't discuss Cabinet proceedings with the Press. She risks breaching the law (Official Secrets Act)."Contacted for comment over Mujuru's claims, Information minister Christopher Mushohwe said he had not yet seen the Sunday Times article."I will have to read through the report first and understand the import of her statements. Kindly email me the questions and the article so that I can read and I will respond," he said.He had not responded at the time of going to print.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Mthwakazi Republic Party has said Zimbabwe's government has crafted and know the means of instilling fear to the people in Matabeleland as it deployed Gukurahundi soldiers to kill innocent citizens.MRP spokesperson Mbonisi Gumbo said the government of Zimbabwe really knows how to instill fear in Matebeleland, send an army and people will be reminded of Gukurahundi. Bhalagwe villagers now live in fear after the deployment of the army in their area."Bhalagwe is a place that has a lot of Gukurahundi victims and many people were killed and thrown into a disused Bhalagwe mine. A rational person from Matebeleland would be left wondering what is the meaning of deploying an army that is currently camped near Zhale mine in Bhalagwe? Heroes Day in Matobo is also celebrated in Bhalagwe and government has made that place a District Heroes Acre, what an insult to the people of Matebeleland by the Zimbabwean government," he said. "As MRP we say Mugabe stop intimidating the people of Matebeleland so that they remain unwillingly loyal to your oppressive government. We, the people of Matebeleland have had enough of your oppression, intimidation and misrule."He said the presence of that army in Bhalagwe is a serious disturbance to the people of Matebeleland and the villagers in that area are not happy at all about what is going on right now."We know that the army has been camped for a while in Bhalagwe, which is unusual since we have not seen any periodic checks done by national security in that place before, this was done without any explanation to the local leadership, we are seeing even helicopters hovering around our village," he said. "This is clear that the government of Zimbabwe is trying to send a message to the people of Matebeleland, probably a possible Gukurahundi 2 if people continue fighting for equality and their right. This incident is a serious threat to Mthwakazi."He said it is also a sign that someone is really touched by the progress being made by the people of Matebeleland in organizing themselves against the oppressive Mugabe regime."You will not enslave the people of Matebeleland again, or drive them to a corner like what Ian Smith said when he was commenting on Gukurahundi atrocities. We say no to another 'moment of madness' and we will not tolerate that," Gumbo said."Explaining the presence of that army in Bhalagwe will not help so that is not an option. Withdraw the army , or you indirectly help us to take our Agenda to the next level. We know it crystal clear that the Gukurahundi perpetrators are now scared that if the mass grave in Bhalagwe mine is exposed the world is going to be overwhelmed."He said a lot of heroes and ordinary people were brutally killed and thrown into the mine shaft whilst some were forced to jump in alive and died like rats."Enough is enough!!! That army has to be withdrawn before it becomes a hot topic that will spark a series of disturbances in the country," he said.
Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank.
by Gary Leopold , Columnist, February 22, 2016

This past week, over 300 hotel and travel marketing executives converged on New Yorks Marriott Marquis to attend the HSMAI Digital Marketing Strategy Conference. While the conferences theme was Navigating the Crossroads of Personalization, Attribution and Distribution, it might as well have been titled, Disruption is the New Normal as attendees were implored to think beyond the travel industrys legacy approaches and time-bound traditions.

As conference moderator Lalia Rach asked, How many old assumptions drive your strategies? How many of your opportunities are stuck in limbo because management cant make a decision? And what processes are inherently broken, overpriced or frustrating? She proclaimed that the opportunities for disruption are found by focusing on what is missing and what is desired, and that these will require new business models and new ways of thinking.

She cited Silvercar and noted that they ask you a series of questions when you bookthat they translate into action. Asking how tall you are lets them automatically have the seat set to your height. Determining what kind of music you enjoy allows them to preset the radio to your preference. Knowing where you plan to drive lets them program the address into the GPS. And, understanding the things you like to do helps them prepare a list of suggestions you might find interesting along your route.

advertisement advertisement

This kind of service-focused discussion filled a significant portion of the conference and it highlighted how disruption is forcing us to redefine and enhance what constitutes hospitality today. Indeed, the need to deliver ever-higher levels of personalized and customized service and its importance in marketing was echoed by multiple presenters, many of whom advocated that the best way for hotels to outpace and overcome competitors and the pull of the OTAs was to out-service them and create a greater and more lasting connection with guests.

Bill Linehan, EVP and CMO for Red Lion Hotels, said theyre focused on the total guest experience and channel agnostic marketing, which he feels is the best way for travel brands to overcome the OTAs and their transactional emphasis. He pointed out that, on average, a household belongs to 29 loyalty programs, and that the only way to stand out is to make your program more about the relationship and the person, and less about frequency. Within their own Hello Rewards program, theyve worked to simplify things and now offer a free night after just seven stays. They serve up a whisper screen to employees that prompts them to offer a personalized greeting to a guest, such as I see your birthday is coming up in the next few weeks, or How did you like your recent stay in our hotel in New York? Theyve also created a perk engine that enables the staff to serve up a relevant, distinct extra to a guest to help deliver more surprise and delight with each stay.

At the Library Hotel Collection, they evaluate every purchase, investment, service and action through one filter: Will it enhance the guest experience?

They believe that every traveler has a style and that a guest wants to be able to choose a hotel and configure their accommodations to whatever captures their imagination. To make that possible, the company starts by building hotels that are unique. Their Library Hotel is filled with thousands of books and each floor is organized by the Dewey Decimal system. In their Aria Hotel, everything has a musical theme with rooms for opera, jazz, classical and other kinds of music lovers. Not only are guests choosing to stay amidst the themed floor and room that most appeals to them, but during the reservation process the hotels also invite guests to choose from dozens of options to customize the room and stay  flowers, food items, gluten-free breakfast, empty or alcohol-free refrigerator, pillow types, softer beds and other amenities.

What was also clear from the presentations was just how much the human element remains critical to delivering a truly rich guest experience. At Le Parker Meridien in Manhattan, they get over 400 guest surveys returned every month (not including TripAdvisor) and every one of them receives a personal response. As Sylvie Fayolle, the hotels general manager says, You took the time to respond, so we will take the time to reply.

The hotel also has an obsession with its guest history and employs a full-time person who does nothing but manage guest profiles and works to ensure that the data is being used to elevate and improve the guest experience. By sharing guest feedback, data and preferences across the entire staff, it has enabled the hotel to better understand what guests value, allowing them to eliminate the mundane tasks and focus more on the guests themselves. As Fayolle was quick to point out, Technology is not the interface, but rather a tool that supports our staff and gives them the time and knowledge to better serve our guests.

The importance of human interaction was also borne out by Pedro Dias, the general manger at the Smyth Hotel in Manhattan. More than just CRM, he stressed the need for CEM, introducing his belief that you must add an emotional consideration to how relationships are managed. He is training his staff to read the guest, be ever alert and understand the mood of the traveler.

The same traveler who is visiting for a typical business meeting, combined with some pleasure in the city, is going to have a significantly different mindset when they are visiting for a tightly scheduled presentation and negotiating the deal of a lifetime. Recognizing that multi-personas exist for the same guest acknowledges the importance of mood and emotion in how you anticipate a guest's needs at any given moment.

In closing his presentation, Dias urged the audience to think about going from online to on-live and to never lose site of the fact that hospitality is powered by people and human connection.

Valuable advice in a digital age filled with disruption.
by Karl Greenberg , Staff Writer, February 22, 2016

Except for one brief, unfortunate interlude, I have covered the automotive beat for the past 16 years, give or take. Like most of my professional jobs, I fell into it in a cover it, or hit the bricks fashion: big magazine funded by internet money that burst with the 1999 internet bubble, and I was lucky to stay with the firm. I was told I could cover cars or leave. The problem was that I knew not the first thing about cars or car companies except that Id owned two Beetles when I was a kid, and had driven out west in a Corolla that somehow managed to take me across the West Texas desert with no water in the radiator and nothing in the tank but tumbleweeds.

When I started covering autos around Y2K, I was sent to Detroit to meet with Big Three reps, a fact-finding mission. It involved some embarrassing interviews in which I asked people at Ford, Well, how have sales of Ram been for you guys? Theyve been terrible, but not for us, since we dont make Ram (who is this guy?). Oh, right. I meant Tundra.

None of the people I spoke with then are there now. Some have moved to competitive automakers. That seems like a long time ago, even before Daimler AG made the mistake of acquiring Chrysler Group, and around the time Jacques Nasser was trying to turn Ford into some kind of holding company. Oddly, automakers are playing with that idea again as they figure out what the hell the automotive revolution means for the car business.

But back then, Nasser was about acquiring a lot of different companies  repair shops in the U.K., luxury auto brands under its Premier Auto Group umbrella  at the expense of its core brands. So was Ron Zarella over at GM. God knows what was happening at Chrysler. The idea was the automaker should be some kind of mobility company and not rely on Ford and Lincoln, to put it mildly. Now, with GM making deals with Lyft, and Fords new FordPass program, computer companies making cars, and cars becoming connected devices, auto companies are  mobility companies.

In the auto business, like the celebrity business, no news tends to be good news. That was especially true a decade and a half ago because there wasnt much good news in product development. It was kind of a lousy time for cars, with one lozenge looking like another, and a sense of desperation in the air as companies fired off Roman candles to the design gods to try to ignite some kind of gotta have excitement. Yes, a lot of PT Cruisers were sold, for a while. Ford Thunderbird entered through the front, exited through the kitchen door. There were more mainstream cars that, for one reason or another, didnt grab: Subaru Tribeca, Lexus SC 430, Honda Element, Chrysler Pacifica, and a whole list of some others that came, saw, didnt conquer.

Pontiac, Plymouth, Hummer, Saab, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, and most recently Scion? Gone. Mini, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Tesla? Here, for the time being. Mini is the most successful of these, if you dont count Tesla, which probably loses money on every car it sells, until it makes a ton of them.

But, for me, the standouts were mostly star turns: the near death, then stunning rebirth of Hyundai and Kia, which fewer than two decades ago were basically things with wheels you could buy if you couldnt rate a Camry. There was Nissans sudden, aggressive reinvention after the company allied with Renault under Carlos Ghosn, making him turnaround king and manga hero. Toyotas introduction of Prius, a car that would help to set in motion fundamental changes to the business.

There was Fords brilliant decision to woo Alan Mulally over from Boeing. He turned the company around by bringing the Blue Oval back to life with big investments in product, and savings through spinoffs of brands like Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Volvo. Great marketing, horrible ads, over-rated ads (I never thought the Darth Vader spot was all that brilliant), great car shows, product launches, leaders and agencies. And clueless ones.

And now, with the business on the verge of a major churn event or two, Im outta here. Bad timing  this will be my last auto marketing column for a while, though probably not forever. Who knows. Anyway, just pull over to the curb right about here, sir. No, there, near the charging station. Ive got Uber on my phone, but Ill use my Zipcar. Dont need to pick it up. Its on its way; its picking me up, ordering my groceries and calling my therapist at the same time. Thank goodness for cars.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A HARARE man was yesterday granted a protection order against his wife by the Civil Court after admitting in court that he sometimes stole and drank his partner's urine as a way of cleansing himself from the latter's juju, which he said she always applied before engaging in sex.Abel Humure made the startling revelations when he appeared before Harare magistrate Babara Mateko seeking a protection order against Agnes Buzuzi, whom he accused of forcing him to engage in sex after inserting traditional herbs in her private parts.Humure told the court Buzuzi uses the traditional herbs to "lock" him so as to cause illness to his other sexual partners.Humure said on a particular day, he actually witnessed Buzuzi inserting traditional herbs in her private parts."I had to steal her urine from a bucket that she uses at night, hide the urine on top of the wardrobe and then I later took it to work where I drank it," Humure said.He also told the court that as a result of Buzuzi's herbs, his second wife's tummy once "swelled up" after he had had sex with her."This woman went to a witch-doctor and bewitched me. That is why my other wife's stomach got swollen after we had had sex. My second wife also had to drink my urine to ease the swollen stomach," Humure said.However, in response to the allegations, Buzuzi vehemently denied the claims, saying Humure could have mistaken a panty liner for traditional herbs."I do not use any herbs. He (Humure) might have seen me putting on a panty liner," Buzuzi said.Buzuzi also denied forcing Humure into sex, saying the last time they had intercourse was seven months ago."I have even asked him to give me a divorce token if he no longer loves me because nowadays, he sleeps at the far end of the bed, turning his back to me," Buzuzi said.Mateko granted the order and instructed Buzuzi not to abuse Humure in any way.
by Larissa Faw , February 22, 2016

Maxus, part of GroupM, is spearheading a new campaign for beauty products marketer Clarins targeting a new demo for the brand in the U.S.

Clarins initially turned to its media agency to research effective strategies in order to promote the beauty brand's creams among women ages 28-39, the new target audience.

The agency's insights evolved into an overarching brand strategy and a global consumer-facing creative campaign for Clarins. Its designed to reframe beauty advertising by focusing on and creating a discussion around 'wrinkles'  seen by many as a forbidden theme across the beauty category.

The campaign will include a Facebook video platform that scrubs consumers' photos and finds moments that are "worth the wrinkle (#WTW). Videos will be produced from that content that can be shared across social media.

More than 20 influencers and bloggers will also be creating and sharing their own #WTW videos, encouraging followers to do the same.

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In addition to the social elements, the campaign will include out-of-home signage in cities, including New York, Boston, Miami and Chicago, as well as an in-store partnership with Sephora.

Clarins is also working with Cosmo, Refinery29, Clique, and PopSugar for native advertising. The Cosmo spot, for instance, details the life of a Swan Lake ballerina describing how her challenges and dedication are "worth every wrinkle."
by Tobi Elkin , Staff Writer @tobielkin, February 23, 2016

Here in beautiful, sunny Arizona, the air is thick with brand marketers, agencies and vendors all looking to learn from one another about how to do programmatic successfully, about the pitfalls and complexities -- of which there are many. Everyones keen to learn. Many are also here to cut deals.

And thats OK, because this is the perfect venue in which to do it. This is my first Programmatic Insider Summit, and I must say that people are genuinely open to one another and appear to be getting the most out of the experience. Youve got brand marketers, direct-response advertisers, agency folks, ad-tech vendors and legal experts all trying to make sense of the landscape.

Most panelists on my session on the factors holding programmatic back represented DR-based advertisers. None of them seem to be ready to go build a DMP just yet.

Some of those panelists, like Mike Colella, founder and CEO of Credit Simple, a personal finance comparison site among other things, is doing just fine spending a couple million dollars on Google Display. Goji, a marketer of property and casualty insurance, doesnt mind engaging in programmatic if its going to make the phone ring: its on a CPA model and needs to make sure agents are in place to talk consumers through a complex transaction.

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All of which begs the question: Do direct-response advertisers get less out of programmatic than big-brand advertisers? Vonage, which is focusing heavily on B2B efforts as well as keeping its B2C going, is pretty smart about its programmatic strategy. Read more about how Vonage does it here. I look forward to Day #2, when well have an exciting panel first thing on ad blocking.
by Richard Whitman , Columnist, February 22, 2016

I mean really. What the hell is up with Kanye? The dude is insane. First he rudely interrupts Taylor Swifts moment in the spotlight. Then he decides to run for President in 2020. Now he claims to be $53 million in debt and has reached out to a few billionaires to, you know, help him make ends meet. He even went so far as to suggest he is more deserving of the money than the children of Africa.

Well, in reaction to this idiocy, Alma DDB Copywriter Gabriel Ferrer has launched HelpKenyaNotKanye, an effort to transform Kanye's idiocy to a worthwhile cause. On the site, Ferrer outlines how contributions to Kenya, instead of to Kanye, could have a wonderfully positive effect. He notes that the cost of a pair of Yeezy Boosts, which retail at $200, could instead purchase a UNICEF School-In-A-Box for a teacher and 40 students for 3 months.

For the price of a Kanye album ($13), 10 rapid HIV tests kits could be provided to 10 expectant mothers. The cost of a $700 Yeezy sweatshirt could, instead, feed an entire school of malnourished Kenyan orphans and their 10 teachers for a month. For the cost of a one month subscription ($25) to Tidal (where Kanye's new album was released exclusively), clean drinking water could be provided to a Kenyan for an entire year.

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Of his decision to launch HelpKenyaNotKanye, Ferrer said: "Kanye West has been making a fool of himself more than usual. As a huge fan of his work, it became hard to defend him. I woke up one morning thinking that maybe I shouldnt. Maybe I should intercept the conversation for a good cause. I really dont mean Kanye any disrespect. On the contrary, I hope he comes to his senses and keeps making amazing music."

The HelpKenyaNotKanye site links over to Kenya Aid where donations can be made. It certainly sounds like a much better idea than supporting Kanye, who is increasingly becoming an irrelevant buffoon.
by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, February 23, 2016

If actor Charlie Sheen did one positive thing in the past year, it was to heighten awareness of HIV after the actor disclosed that he was infected with the disease. A study released this week shows the influence search engines have on news, and news on search engines.

The November 2015 news prompted the greatest number of HIV-related Google searches in the United States since 2004 on any single day, according to a study released Monday.

"Charlie Sheen's disclosure was potentially the most significant domestic HIV prevention event ever," Mark Dredze, a Johns Hopkins researcher who led the study of online data, wrote in a report.

Dredze, an assistant research professor in the Whiting School of Engineering's Department of Computer Science, is a coauthor of the new JAMA IM study. He worked with John Ayers, a research professor at the San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health, and Benjamin Althouse, a research scientist at the Institute for Disease Modeling and the Santa Fe Institute.

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The research team found about that 2.75 million more Google searches than expected, based on previous trends, included the term HIV on the day of Sheen's disclosure, with 1.25 million more searches than expected including terms for condoms, HIV symptoms, or HIV testing; after adjusting for changes in overall search volume and historic trends.

More than 1 million of those Google searches were for public health-related information. The day Sheen made the announcement, Nov. 17, researchers found more than 6,500 HIV-related news stories, excluding duplicates from the same news source, on Google News, reversing a decade-long decline in news reporting about the virus. This placed Sheen's disclosure among the top 1% of historic HIV-related media events.

All HIV searches were 417% higher than expected the day of Sheen's disclosure. Condom searches such as "buy condoms" rose 75%. HIV symptom such as "signs of HIV" and HIV testing such as "find HIV testing" searches increased 540 and 21, respectively, the day of Sheen's disclosure and remained higher for three days.

The research team used public archives for news media trends, using the Bloomberg Terminal and Google Trends to collect data describing HIV and HIV prevention engagement since 2004.

The news also coincided with a 265% increase in news reports mentioning HIV. Some 97% also mentioned Sheen, archived on the Bloomberg Terminal system, although HIV-related news reports have been in historic decline.

Celebrities going public is not new, but now we have instant access to information through smartphones, per Dredze. "With Sheen, unlike with Magic Johnson for instance, we have smartphones in our pockets that we can easily use to learn about HIV within seconds with a single search or click," he wrote.
by Thom Forbes @tforbes, February 23, 2016

Did you know Google had a comparison-shopping site for financial services? Precisely. And soon it wont. Google is pulling the plug on Google Compare, which enabled consumers in the U.S. and U.K. to get competitive quotes from several  but not all  providers for financial products such as car and travel insurance, credit cards and mortgages.

Consumers often use multiple sites to compare and take a lot of time to make decisions on financial products, reducing the appeal of the service to advertisers who already buy traditional search ads, a person familiar with Compare tells the Wall Street Journals Telis Demos and Jack Nicas. Google also failed to get some of the biggest insurers and lenders to participate, meaning shoppers received comparisons from only some potential providers, they write.

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In an email published by Search Engine Land, the Alphabet subsidiary team thanks its partners but says the service was not as successful as anticipated.

After a lot of careful consideration, weve decided that focusing more intently on AdWords and future innovations will enable us to provide fresh, comprehensive answers to Google users, and to provide our financial services partners with the best return on investment, the email states.

The company only recently began rebuilding the Compare product from the ashes of the Advisor program in the U.S., Search Engine Lands Ginny Marvin writes. The single piece left standing from that initial effort was the credit card offering  savings accounts, CDs and mortgages had all discontinued.

Google launched auto insurance comparisons last March and a mortgage product in November, according to Marvin. The shutdown is beginning today and will be completed by March 23, according to the email.

When Google jumped into the insurance-selling game, it joined a long list of technology companies that have been trying to shake up the market by selling things like auto and homeowner insurance online. The idea behind their sites is to help consumers save money by showing them multiple quotes in one place, writes Conor Dougherty for the New York Times.

Google Compare got a finders fee from referrals; other sites sell the policies themselves. The competition has so far done little to threaten the tens of thousands of insurance agents who continue to be the backbone of the business, but Google and others are likely to keep trying, Dougherty proffers.

A commenter to a story about the shuttering of the mortgage comparison feature of the earlier product, Google Advisor, pointed out four years ago on Search Engine Roundtable: As an advertiser and an online business developer I had strong concerns over the direction this type of service represented. The comparison engine stepped over the line of being an ad platform to being a competitor with many of the advertisers that generate significant revenue for Google. LendingTree, Intuit, Mint, LowerMyBills and more just in the mortgage and loan space are in direct competition with Advisor.

But not necessarily.

Mondays news comes just over a year after Google made a big splash with news it was getting into the insurance business. It was made official in March 2015 when the deal between the Mountain View, Calif.-based tech giant and major partners Compare.com and CoverHound was made known to the public, report Don Jergler and Amy O'Connor for Insurance Journal.

CoverHound.com CEO Keith Moore tells Jergler and OConnor that Google plans to go dark to retool all of its consumer product sites and improve the customer experience.

We think its a smart move and something we have been pushing for all along, Moore says. We are still engaged with them and still have an active partnership and hope that partnership will continue down the road.

That sounds similar to the Alphabet strategy for the erstwhile Google Glass, whose current homepage simply but emphatically states: THANKS FOR EXPLORING WITH US. THE JOURNEY DOESN'T END HERE.

One commenter to the Wall Street Journals coverage Monday blames government regulation for the failure of comparison sites for financial services while predicting that new forms of insurance innovation will be forthcoming online.

Another hits the other nail in Google Compares coffin squarely: It might have helped if Google had made the existence of the service known, writes Mac Balkcom. It is amazing that a company that makes its living selling ads for others can't get the word out for its own products.
by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, February 23, 2016

Of the various marketing tools within the digital landscape, email is one that receives less interest from the media than it may deserve. The direct access that a candidate obtains from being in a potential voters inbox rivals the best marketing techniques around.

Email-based marketing has matured from its early iterations in the Howard Dean presidential campaign of 2004. He may have been a few years ahead of the curve; today, a digital presence, anchored by a strong email strategy, is integral to the success of any national campaign.

The well-covered developments in big data, targeting and cross-platform marketing have greatly increased the efficiency seen with email marketing. Voters are targeted with more appropriate messaging.

Jason Kelly, president of email marketing firm LiveIntent, pointed out to Red, White & Blog that a five million email target segment could have as many as 290 different email subject lines, each catered to a specific tranche of that email list.

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Increasingly important is standardizing emails for responsive display on any sort of mobile device. With 67% of emails opened on mobile, a successful email-marketing campaign must be focused on the user rather than on the device.

A demographic of importance in the email-marketing field is the baby-boomer and older generation. There has been some buzz around the higher rate of donations from AOL.com email addresses -- which are mostly owned by older users. Despite only 4% of political email list subscribers having AOL emails, a Fluent study (conducted in November/December 2015) saw those addresses account for 22% of donations.

The average donation from an AOL account is, according to the Fluent study, $159. Whereas, despite being used by 44% of political email subscribers, Gmail addresses account for only 13% of donations, averaging $31.

Other opportunities in the email-marketing space include serving political ads in publisher newsletters. Candidates are able to target a politically interested and informed section of the electorate by working with firms such as LiveIntent, which serve ads within email newsletters.

Without the ad blocking that you can use on Web sites, email advertisements are more likely to be seen and engaged with, says Kelly.

With many potential voters receiving 10+ political emails per day, the reach afforded to email is hard to ignore. The more campaigns spend, the more they will ask for donations and the more emails will be delivered.

Separately, on the more traditional political front, Telemundo, in partnership with CNN and the Salem Media Group, will host a GOP debate in Houston, Texas this Thursday. The debate is slated to run from 8:30 p.m. - 11 p.m. Eastern Time. It will be the first and only RNC-sanctioned debate on a Spanish-language network. This is the last encounter between Republican presidential hopefuls before Super Tuesday, when 12 states, including Colorado and Texas, choose their GOP nominee.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, February 23, 2016

Dentsu Aegis Network today unveiled a new global agency called Interprise, designed to service the business-to-business ad-marketing sector with an estimated $200 billion in annual expenditures.

Some $80 billion of that total marketing spend is earmarked for ads.

The company said the agency would offer a range of services, including creative, media planning and buying, search, data, programmatic, events, content and business traveler-focused out-of-home.

The new agency will be led by marketing veteran Stuart Giddings as global president. He will report to Peter Huijboom, CEO media brands & global clients at Dentsu Aegis Network.

The firm has an existing B2B specialist, Carat Enterprise, which will be meshed with the new Interprise. The new shop will work with other Dentsu Aegis Network agencies to support new and existing brands with their B2B requirements.

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Interprise will be headquartered in London with offices initially in New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney, although the plan is to expand into other major markets during 2016, the firm said.

Commenting on the launch, Huijboom stated: 50% of the worlds top 100 global brands have significant B2B divisions and are increasing their investment. This needs to be matched with a similar commitment from the agencies that support them. Its an area that requires genuine, vertical expertise and deep audience understanding on a global scale. Under the Interprise brand, we will build upon the significant B2B expertise within our network to deliver this unique offering.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, February 23, 2016

Handing a defeat to the Direct Marketing Association, a federal appellate court has upheld a Colorado law requiring some online retailers to send information about consumers' purchases to the tax authorities.

The Colorado law, passed in 2010, applies to out-of-state companies, including e-commerce companies, that don't collect sales tax from consumers. The measure requires those companies to send Colorado tax authorities annual reports with customers' names, addresses and total amounts spent. The law also requires companies to send annual reports notifying consumers about their obligations to pay state sales tax.

In a ruling issued Monday, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the DMA's contention that the law interfered with interstate commerce.

"In light of the Colorado consumers preexisting obligations to pay sales or use taxes whether they purchase goods from a collecting or non-collecting retailer, the reporting obligation itself does not give in-state retailers a competitive advantage," the judges wrote.

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The DMA argued that the law was invalid due to a 1992 Supreme Court case dealing with catalog companies. The Supreme Court ruled in that case that state lawmakers can't require out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax unless they had a physical connection to the state -- like a brick-and-mortar storefront.

But the 10th Circuit rejected the DMA's position on the grounds that the 1992 decision only deals with tax collection, as opposed to reporting rules.

Colorado state residents are required to pay tax on merchandise even when retailers don't collect it. But state officials say that many residents don't do so. Colorado officials estimated in 2013 that state and local governments stood to lose around $173 million in tax revenue the prior year, because consumers failed to pay taxes on online purchases.

DMA Vice President of Advocacy Christopher Oswald stated that the group is reviewing the decision to determine its implications for "members and the data-driven marketing ecosystem.

Earlier in the case, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Blackburn agreed with the DMA and entered an injunction prohibiting Colorado from enforcing the law. A 10th Circuit panel subsequently ruled that Blackburn lacked jurisdiction to consider the matter, due to the federal Tax Injunction Act, which prohibits federal courts from suspending state tax laws.

The DMA appealed to the Supreme Court, which unanimously ruled that the DMA could continue with its lawsuit.

Santa Clara University law professor Eric Goldman says he predicts that this week's ruling by the 10th Circuit will encourage other states to pass laws that will affect Web retailers.

"This opinion tells states that hey can impose mandatory reporting obligations on out-of-state vendors," he says.

Goldman adds that doing so doesn't cost state lawmakers anything, while imposing costs on companies that aren't constituents.
by Wayne Friedman , February 23, 2016

Viacom confirmed what many equity analysts had anticipated: It is looking to possibly sell of one of its businesses -- Paramount Pictures.

We have received indications of interest from potential partners seeking a strategic investment in Paramount Pictures, and I have decided to pursue discussions with a select group of potential investors, said Philippe Dauman, executive chairman, president/CEO of Viacom, in speaking at the Jefferies Media & Communications Conference in New York City.

Todd Juenger, senior analyst at Bernstein Research, believes Viacom could get $4 billion for a sale of the movie studio.

Juenger says other Viacom business units would also make sense to sell, including BET network, which he valued at $3 billion; its U.K. TV network Channel 5, $400 billion; its other international TV networks, $1 billion.

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In early morning trading of its stock, Viacoms stock shot up 6%. Later in the day, it gave back those gains to rise 1.7% to $37.50.

Over the past year, Viacoms stock price has been cut approximately in half. In February 23, 2015, its stock has traded at $70.32.

Viacom has seen an overall decline in audience levels for many of its U.S. networks over the last several years, but a slight uptick recently  and weaker advertising revenues.

Analysts are also concerned about slower growth affiliate revenues for those channels  a key piece of the companys overall financial picture. Juenger believes the best case expectation for affiliate fee revenue going forward is somewhere in the low single [digit percentage gains].

In Viacoms favor is some healthy cash flow. It generated $2 billion to $3 billion a year in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Juenger says: And it's not going to zero overnight. That has value.
A paper published this week in the Journal of Medical Ethics asks whether some forms of female genital mutilation should be legalized in America. They argue that not allowing minor versions of the operation is a form of cultural prejudice. Share on Pinterest Somalia has one of the highest rates of female genital mutilation. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a hot topic and a subject that insights anger, confusion and distress. In many countries, the practice is extremely prevalent and shows little sign of slowing. In Egypt, for instance, between 2006-2011, the percentage of girls undergoing FGM only dropped from 77.8% to 71.6%. In one study conducted in Somalia, 81% of subjects underwent infibulation (complete excision of the clitoris, labia minora, and most of the labia majora) and only 3% did not have any form of FGM. A recent paper  written by Dr. Kavita Shah Arora, from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, and Allen J. Jacobs, from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stony Brook University, NY  puts a new slant on the difficult topic. The paper, published alongside a series of responses from other experts, is likely to spark impassioned discourse. The main thrust of Dr. Aroras argument is that banning the most minor of FGM procedures is: Culturally insensitive and supremacist and discriminatory towards women. An estimated 200 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to some form of FGM. Many nations in the Middle East, Asia and Africa carry out the procedure as a matter of course. FGM is, to a certain extent, routed in religion, but it also has cultural significance. The practice, many would argue, is anti-female and misogynistic.

The current state of affairs In most Western countries, including the US and UK, FGM is banned in all of its forms, but this does not necessarily prevent individuals from countries where FGM is practiced from having their children altered. Some families take their daughters back to their country of origin to carry out the procedure; others find someone in their local community who will undertake the procedure illegally. Either of these outcomes can be risky at best. To combat this, Dr. Arora and her colleagues believe that more time and thought needs to be devoted to finding some middle ground. They argue that some FGM procedures are little more than a nick in the vulvar skin and cause no long-term changes in the form or function of the genitalia. The authors consider that by categorizing the procedures along a scale of severity and renaming them as female genital alterations (FGAs), some of the stigma might be dropped. The authors are careful to make it clear that they are not arguing that any procedure on the female genitalia is desirable. [] we only argue that certain procedures ought to be tolerated by liberal societies. By legalizing only the least intrusive FGM procedures, they believe that some young girls might be saved from the most serious procedures that include clitoral removal and vaginal cauterization. These most disruptive interventions would be classed as Category 5 and would remain outlawed. On the other hand, so-called nick procedures, classed as Category 1, would become permissible. According to the authors, Category 1 FGM would be no more invasive  in fact, slightly less invasive  than circumcision, which is widespread in the US. The medical benefits of circumcision are tenuous, and the authors consider that the practice, in many cases, is a religious, cultural intervention with parallels to Category 1 FGM. Both practices are carried out without the consent of the minor at the sharp end of the scalpel.

Not all cultural symbols deserve respect Dr. Aroras paper is accompanied by a number of commentaries on the topic that argue against many of the points that she makes. The circumcision argument is rebuffed by Ruth Macklin, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY, in her commentary entitled Not all cultural symbols deserve respect. She argues that symbolically, FGM is about subjugation. In its worst form, it seeks to prevent women from having intercourse or, at the very least, prevent them from deriving pleasure from it. Additionally, in many cultures, FGM is necessary to make your daughter marriageable. Macklin says: As a cultural rite, it signifies a means of making girls and women physically, aesthetically or socially acceptable to men. Macklin also wonders whether a genital nick would suffice for Somalians, whose culture permits and encourages the most extreme versions of FGM. If a father has his sights on a culturally necessary Category 5 operation, Macklin asks whether he would settle for a Category 1 nick. If Category 1 truly leaves no mark in later life, would this be sufficient to make his daughter marriageable in his eyes?

In defence of genital autonomy for children In another commentary on the controversial subject, entitled In defence of genital autonomy for children, Brian D. Earp, of The Hastings Center Bioethics Research Institute, NY, makes his stance clear early on in the text: Ultimately, I suggest that children of whatever sex or gender should be free from having healthy parts of their most intimate sexual organs either damaged or removed before they can understand what is at stake in such an intervention and agree to it themselves. Earp goes on to explain the legal issues that would surround making Category 1 FGM permissible. He states cutting into a childs genitals without a medical diagnosis, and without its informed consent, meets the formal definition of criminal assault under the legal codes of most of these societies. He also raises concerns about regulating the procedures; he worries that it might open the door for more invasive procedures. Earps commentary goes on to discuss medical, sexual, cultural and political issues that would go hand in hand with weakening laws surrounding FGM.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Zimbabwe government is said to be owing the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) PF Parliamentary Studies Institute a total of $257 973 back to 2014 in membership contributions.This is exposed through the parliamentary official document Hansard."On the SADC  PF Parliamentary Studies Institute, the EXCO resolved that a comprehensive cost and benefit analysis be prepared by the Secretariat and that the Secretariat should explore the possibilities of collaborating with universities and accredited educational or training institutions," reads the Hansard. "The EXCO also resolved that the post of the Director of Parliamentary Business be kept in abeyance until such a time that resources permit to fund such a post."The Hansard states that parliament of Zimbabwe has paid its dues towards the purchase of the official residence of the Office of the Secretary General for the Forum."Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique were yet to pay their annual membership contributions of 2014/2015 financial years. Zimbabwe's outstanding subscription stands at $257,973.00 dating back to the year 2014. The fact that our Parliament is mentioned at every Forum when it comes to outstanding subscriptions does not augur well for the country's image," reads the Hansard.
Gone are the days of shuffling papers and making phone calls or visits to collect and pass on results. With the introduction of mobile health operating systems, information can now be shared at the touch of a screen. As mobile health becomes more widespread, solutions are proliferating.

Share on Pinterest Mobile technology is revolutionizing health care.

Through cloud computing, people can have seamless access to shared data, resources and common infrastructure.

Over the network, organizations can offer services on demand and carry out tasks that meet changing needs and standards. Electronic applications make it possible to do all this, and more, in the health care setting.

Mobile health, or mHealth, incorporates cloud computing technology and devices such as tablets, mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) for a variety of purposes.

But while it can make eHealth applications and medical information available anywhere at anytime, it must also be portable, secure and easy to use.

The range of applications and services supported by mHealth systems include:

Mobile telemedicine, used for remote consultations

Storing and sharing of patient data

Personalized monitoring of vitals, now enhanced through interconnectedness with wearable devices

Location-based medical services to ensure delivery of locally-relevant information

Emergency response and management

Pervasive access to health care information.

But as mobile technology gathers pace, the possibilities may be limited only to our imagination.

Advantages and challenges of mobile technology in health care

As governments and individuals experience ever-greater pressure to increase efficiency, mHealth solutions can offer numerous advantages.

The mobility of an interconnected, wireless system means that it can be used anywhere, and specifically at the point of care.

Share on Pinterest Physicians can now share images seamlessly.

Collaboration can reduce the risk of errors: there is less physical paperwork to get lost and a reduced risk of two doctors making different decisions.

Point-of-care digital tools can help to safeguard patients and protect professionals against litigation through instant recording of data and potential for verification in real time and in the future.

mHealth can save time and money by enabling instant recording of information and a reduction in the duplication of tasks. It can enable virtual meetings, eliminating the need to move physically to a new location.

Pooling of data and resources can lead to closer collaboration and stronger teams. Professional development becomes more feasible due to instant, online delivery of research, training materials and other updates.

The challenges of mHealth solutions include the practicalities of data storage and management, availability and maintenance of the network, as well as compatibility and interoperability.

The biggest issue is perhaps security and privacy, raising questions about permission control, data anonymity and confidentiality, as well as the integrity of the infrastructure.

The initial financial outlay and training and resistance to change within an organization may pose further challenges.

A case in point: Medopad

To investigate mHealth solutions further, Medical News Today have been investigating a specific example, Medopad, recently represented at the Internet of Things conference and exhibition in London, UK.

Medopad is a mobile health operating system (mHOS) that provides software, security, data connectivity and more to a number of major National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in London, amongst others.

We asked Jesko Bartelt, head of business operations at Medopad, about the concept.

Is Medopad a device or an app?

He told us that it is neither an app nor a device, but provides software solutions.

Medopad is a mobile health platform that delivers [] workflow solutions that provide easy access to unified and comprehensive patient information across hospital departments and multiple locations.

Additional functions include the incorporation of the Apple Watch to help manage chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients.

There is also a Google-glass app that surgeons can wear during surgery, enabling them to share a procedure for training purposes or consultation with other specialists who are not in the room.

How does Medopad work with existing systems?

Bartelt explained to MNT that Medopad integrates with and complements existing hospital systems, by collecting all data from hospital databases and collating them into a central source. Doctors can access this information quickly from an iPad.

One function might be a physician taking a photo of a patients visible symptoms and sharing them through the system with other professionals, who can then give advice.

How does Medopad deal with patient data?

Bartelt explained that Medopad does not contain data, but it provides access to a wide range of health care and patient data. Doctors can use it to interact with patient records, access lab results, view vital signs, take images and more.

The device means that hospitals can pool their patients data so it can be served up to doctors on mobile devices in real-time. Bartelt explains:

Instead of physicians flipping through physical pages on which nurses have marked patient notes, Medopad can automatically serve up relevant patient records on an iPad as a doctor approaches a bed.

The Apple Watch apps, Bartelt said, allows doctors to connect with their patients to provide better support and ultimately better care.

What security safeguards does Medopad offer?

As one study points out, the main challenge for mHealth is to ensure that the underlying IT infrastructure is secure and that patient data privacy is properly protected.

To achieve this, regulatory requirements and technological innovations must be effectively combined.

To develop Medopad, Bartelt told MNT security technology from the financial sector was used, in addition to gaining CE approval as a health device. While patient data is being transmitted, it is protected by strong encryption.

Fast facts about mHealth In April 2015, 90% of US health care providers had mobile devices to interact with patients

Only 8% had all their patient data uploaded from mobile devices to the electronic health record

51% cited lack of funding as the main barrier to using mobile technology.

Data security is also enhanced because it is not stored on Medopad. The system can only access information that is already on hospital servers, so as long as the hospital servers are safe, the data are safe as well.

Technology can be perfected, but behavioral and organizational issues can also affect security, for example, how many organizations or health care professionals will have access to mHealth data and which datasets.

Within the system, Bartelt said, the whole health care team can use it, including physicians, nurses and administrators. The individual health care provider will decide in each case who should be involved.

If a device is taken outside the hospital premises, he added, Medopad software allows for automatic wiping of its function.

Around the world, aging populations and shrinking budgets are putting pressure on health care systems and professionals.

mHealth solutions have the potential to ease the pressure in flexible ways, by adapting similar concepts to local needs.

From monitoring the vital signs of cardiac patients in remote areas of Sri Lanka to tweaking a patients heart medication while they are on holiday in the US, mHealth solutions are set to reshape our experience of health care.
Since 2008, the recommendation is that all US children from 6 months to 18 years of age receive annual flu vaccinations, yet rates for flu shots are much lower than for more traditional childhood vaccines for diseases like measles, polio and whooping cough.

Share on Pinterest Parents who did not have their children vaccinated against the flu had more negative views about the vaccine.

Image credit: C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital

Now, a recent national poll reveals that most American parents who do not have their children vaccinated against the flu do not rate the flu vaccine as highly as other childhood vaccines.

In January 2016, the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital National Poll on Childrens Health asked a national sample of US parents to compare the annual flu vaccine with other recommended childhood vaccines.

Sarah J. Clark, lead author and associate director of the National Poll, and an associate research scientist in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, says:

Despite substantial public health efforts, flu vaccine rates for US children are well below national targets.

The poll finds that 59% of parents whose children did not receive flu shots this season regard the vaccine as less important than other childhood vaccines, whereas only 14% of parents whose children did receive flu shots had this view.

Overall, 35% of parents surveyed said they regarded the flu vaccine as less important than other childhood vaccines and 33% were of the view that it works less well.

Also, 16% said they thought the flu vaccine undergoes less testing than other vaccines, while 15% of parents said they thought it leads to more side effects.

The proportion expressing these negative beliefs were higher in those parents who did not have their children vaccinated against the flu this season.

In exploring why some parents do not have their child get the flu vaccine, notes Clark, we found that many parents do not believe that flu vaccine is as safe, effective or important as the other vaccines their children receive.

Altogether, 1,367 parents completed the poll. Of these, 52% said their child had received the flu vaccine this season, with children aged 1-5 years being more likely to have had their shots than those between 6-17 years (60% and 49%, respectively).
A new study that uncovers a mechanism that allows bacteria to fend off immune cells and drugs could pave the way for a new generation of drugs that kill the microbes by bringing down their cell walls. The finding offers a new direction to pursue in the fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

Share on Pinterest The researchers examined the structure of the beta-barrel assembly machinery in the cell wall of the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli.

In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in 1945, Sir Alexander Fleming  the man who discovered penicillin and ushered in a new era of medicine  predicted that the day would come when, through injudicious use, antibiotics would lose their power to kill bacteria.

Now, some 7 decades later, the prediction has come to pass  infection-causing bacteria are becoming resistant faster than we can develop new drugs to fight them.

In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared antimicrobial resistance to be an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires action across all sectors of government and society.

Recently, Medical News Today has reported on a number of studies that offer a glimmer of hope. For example, one approach scientists at Northeastern University in Boston, MA, are pursuing is the idea of synthetic immune cells to boost infection-fighting capacity in people with weakened immune systems.

The new study, from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK and published in the journal Nature, examines the nature of the drug-resistant bacteria themselves and reveals the mechanism by which they are able to defend against onslaught by antibiotic drugs.

Lead investigator Changjiang Dong, a professor in UEAs Norwich Medical School, says:

Many current antibiotics are becoming useless, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.

The researchers suggest their findings will not only pave the way for a new generation of drugs that kill superbugs by bringing down their defensive walls, but will also increase our understanding of what can go wrong in human cells in diabetes and brain-wasting disorders like Parkinsons disease.
Use of positron emission tomography (PET) showed no association with two-year survival in lung and esophageal cancer patients and may possibly be overused in the hopes of detecting cancer recurrence, according to a study published February 22 in the JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

PET scans, which are primarily used in cancer patients for staging, restaging, and monitoring patients' response, are also frequently used to detect recurrence in asymptomatic patients. Despite this frequent secondary use, there has been little evidence showing that PET scans improve survival.

In order to determine the efficacy of PET scans for recurrence detection, Mark A. Healy, M.D., Department of Surgery, Center for Healthcare Outcomes & Policy, University of Michigan, and colleagues, looked at the national Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and Medicare-linked data of 101,598 patients with primary lung and esophageal cancers from 2005 to 2009, with follow-up through 2011. The researchers specifically looked at lung and esophageal cancers due to their comparable poor diagnoses and general anatomic location

Using the Medicare claims, the researchers looked at PET utilization in person-years, and looked at patient and tumor characteristics in order to calculate risk-adjusted two-year survival. The researchers then looked at hospitals by quintiles of PET utilization for adjusted two-year survival analysis.

The researchers found a statistically significant difference in the use of PET in the lowest vs highest PET utilizing hospitals. Despite this variation, the researchers found no association between the use of PET and two-year survival. "This combination of hospital-based variation without survival benefit suggests potential overuse and that efforts to decrease such overuse are warranted," the authors write. "Providers must take note of available data when making clinical imaging decisions to avoid unnecessary overuse."
Cancer cells don't live on glass slides, yet the vast majority of images related to cancer biology come from the cells being photographed on flat, two-dimensional surfaces--images that are sometimes used to make conclusions about the behaviour of cells that normally reside in a more complex environment. But a new high-resolution microscope, presented February 22 in Developmental Cell, now makes it possible to visualize cancer cells in 3D and record how they are signaling to other parts of their environment, revealing previously unappreciated biology of how cancer cells survive and disperse within living things.

"There is clear evidence that the environment strongly affects cellular behavior--thus, the value of cell culture experiments on glass must at least be questioned," says senior author Reto Fiolka, an optical scientist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "Our microscope is one tool that may bring us a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive cancer cell behavior, since it enables high-resolution imaging in more realistic tumor environments."

In their study, Fiolka and colleagues, including co-senior author Gaudenz Danuser, and co-first authors Meghan Driscoll and Erik Welf, also of UT Southwestern, used their microscope to image different kinds of skin cancer cells from patients. They found that in a 3D environment (where cells normally reside), unlike a glass slide, multiple melanoma cell lines and primary melanoma cells (from patients with varied genetic mutations) form many small protrusions called blebs. One hypothesis is that this blebbing may help the cancer cells survive or move around and could thus play a role in skin cancer cell invasiveness or drug resistance in patients.

The researchers say that this is a first step toward understanding 3D biology in tumor microenvironments. And since these kinds of images may be too complicated to interpret by the naked eye alone, the next step will be to develop powerful computer platforms to extract and process the information.

"When we conceived of this project, we first asked what we wanted to measure and then designed a microscope and analytical platform to achieve this goal," says co-first author Erik Welf, a cell biologist. "We hope that now instead of asking what we can measure, scientists will ask what we must measure in order to make meaningful contributions to cancer cell biology."

The microscope control software and image analytical code are freely available to the scientific community.
Among nearly 460 intensive care units (ICUs) in 50 countries, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) appeared to be underrecognized, undertreated, and associated with a high mortality rate, according to a study that appears in JAMA, which is being released to coincide with the Society of Critical Care Medicine's 45th Critical Care Congress.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome is an acute inflammatory lung injury. Limited information exists about its epidemiology, recognition, management, and outcomes for patients. John G. Laffey, M.D., M.A., of St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, and colleagues at the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine conducted a study of patients undergoing invasive or noninvasive ventilation during 4 consecutive weeks in the winter of 2014 in 459 ICUs from 50 countries across 5 continents.

Of 29,144 patients admitted to participating ICUs, 3,022 (10.4 percent) fulfilled ARDS criteria. Of these, 2,377 patients developed ARDS in the first 48 hours and received invasive mechanical ventilation. Clinical recognition of ARDS ranged from 51 percent in mild to 78.5 percent in severe ARDS. Hospital mortality was 35 percent for those with mild, 40 percent for those with moderate, and 46 percent for those with severe ARDS.

The authors write that the major findings in this study were the underrecognition of ARDS by clinicians, the low use of contemporary ventilatory and adjunctive treatment strategies, and the limited effect of physician diagnosis of ARDS on treatment decisions. "These findings indicate the potential for improvement in management of patients with ARDS."
Over 17,000 eight-year-old children in 16 countries on four continents were asked about their experiences and their views on their lives. No survey of this age group has ever before been undertaken. The second report on the "Children's World" study, which was published recently, reveals important results which can be used to improve children's lives throughout the whole world. The Jacobs Foundation in Zurich financed the research work on which this report is based and has announced that it will also support the next stage. The new survey of children of between eight and twelve years of age will begin in 2017 and again cover an even larger number of countries.

The views of young children are rarely the subject of research. The "Children's World" study has closed this gap. The survey asked children about all the important aspects of their lives, including family and home life, friends, money and possessions, school, local environment, time use, personal well-being, view on children's rights and their general contentment. "This is the first opportunity we have had to compare children's lives so comprehensively from the perspective of the children themselves", says Sabine Andresen of Goethe University Frankfurt, one of the principal investigators. "Children perceive the world around them very precisely and we can see who feels compromised in what areas."

Most of the eight-year-old children in the 16 countries examined were content with their lives and their situation, but there was a minority (about 6% of the children) who reported a lower level of well-being. The percentage of children with a lower sense of well-being varied from under 3% in Colombia and Romania to over 9% in Ethiopia, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

Simon Sommer, Head of Research at the Jacobs Foundation, said: "This project is pioneering. The report concentrates -- for the very first time -- on the opinions of eight-year-old children with regard to their lives and personal well-being. The Jacobs Foundation will continue to support "Childrens Worlds", as we are convinced that the study delivers unique and valuable information for everyone who has a special understanding for and an interest in the lives of children and adolescents and who devotes themselves to improving their lives and prospects."

Safety

Most of the children interviewed said that they felt perfectly safe at home, at school and in their local environment. However, 4% of the children reported that they did not feel safe at home, 4% of those interviewed did not feel safe at school and 9% did not agree that they felt safe in their neighbourhood and local environment. Although it might seem at first that these percentages are low, they nevertheless equate to a large group of the youngest schoolchildren whose feeling of safety -- of all things -- is restricted.

School life -- Differences between boys and girls

Most children (62%) said that they liked going to school. This is far higher than amongst the 10-year-old children interviewed (52%) or the 12-year-olds (42%). Going to school becomes less popular with each age group. But the country comparison is revealing too: Children in Algeria and Ethiopia like going to school most, whilst the percentage of children who do not like going to school is comparatively high in Germany, South Korea and the UK. In some countries, including Israel and six European countries, girls have a more positive attitude to school than boys.

Bullying and violence at school

A large number of children (41%) reported that they had been left out by their classmates or hit by other pupils (48%). Such experiences were more frequent amongst eight-year-old children than in the two older groups of participants in the survey. The percentage of children who had experienced violence was highest in Estonia, the UK and Germany, and lowest in South Korea. Feelings of being left out by classmates were highest in the UK and Romania and particularly low in South Korea and Ethiopia.

Knowledge of children's rights

Almost half the children (46%) stated that they knew about children's special rights. This was less than amongst the 10 to 12-year-old children interviewed (58 %). Children in Colombia were the best informed about children's rights (73%). All the same, in Turkey, Ethiopia, Romania and Norway over half the eight-year-old children said that they knew their rights. Professor Asher Ben-Arieh, Study Leader and Co-chairman of the ISCI (International Society for Child Indicators), commented: "This is the first time that we have heard from almost 20,000 eight-year-old children about their activities, feelings and wishes. This remarkable achievement teaches us above all that children know more about their life than anyone else and that all attempts to improve it should always include and take into account their opinions."

The "Children's World" project will include further countries in its future research work, such as Indonesia, Finland and Italy. The third study will start with the first surveys in September 2017 and the new findings will be published in 2019.

The Children's World Study

Children's Worlds, the International Survey of Children's Well-Being (ISCWeB), is a worldwide research survey on children's subjective well-being. The study aims to collect solid and representative data on children's lives and daily activities, their time use and in particular on their own perceptions and evaluations of their well-being. The purpose is to improve children's well-being by creating awareness among children, their parents and their communities, but also among opinion leaders, decision makers, professionals and the general public.

The current wave of the survey was funded by the Jacobs Foundation. It has so far been completed with over 56,000 children in three age groups (8, 10 and 12 years old) in 17 countries: Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Estonia, Ethiopia, Germany, Israel, Malta, Nepal, Norway, Poland, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Turkey and the UK.
Researchers have made an advance in the fight against a deadly virus that affects pigs.

The team used advanced genetic techniques to produce pigs that are potentially resilient to African Swine Fever - a highly contagious disease that kills up to two-thirds of infected animals.

The new pigs carry a version of a gene that is usually found in warthogs and bush pigs, which researchers believe may stop them from becoming ill from the infection.

African Swine Fever is spread by ticks. When standard farmed pigs are infected, they quickly become ill and die, but warthogs and bush pigs show no disease symptoms when infected.

The research is focused on one of the pig genes associated with African Swine Fever Virus infection called RELA. The gene causes the immune system to overreact with devastating effects.

Warthogs and bush pigs carry a different version of the RELA gene from that found in farmed pigs. Scientists believe that this variant - known as an allele - may dampen their immune response and explain why they are more resilient to African Swine Fever.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute used a gene-editing technique to modify individual letters of the pigs' genetic code. By changing just five letters in their RELA gene, they converted it to the allele that is found in the warthog.

The work builds on previous research from the team, which used similar techniques to produce pigs with a single letter of their genetic code altered. These animals produce a shorter version of RELA.

This latest study marks the first time researchers have successfully swapped alleles in an animal's genetic code using gene editing.

All of these changes to the pig's genetic code could have occurred spontaneously in nature.

Scientists will now conduct controlled trials to test whether the genetic changes have improved the pigs' resilience to the disease.

African Swine Fever is endemic in Sub-Saharan Africa and some areas of Russia. The disease has never been found in the UK, although recent outbreaks in Eastern Europe have raised concerns amongst farming groups that it could spread.

The study - published in the journal Scientific Reports - involved collaboration between scientists at The Roslin Institute and Sangamo Biosciences Inc. It was funded by Genus plc and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The Roslin Institute receives strategic support from the BBSRC.

Professor Bruce Whitelaw, Head of Developmental Biology at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute, said: "Our goal is to improve the welfare of farmed pigs around the world, making them healthier and more productive for farmers."
Introduction

On January 25-27, 2016, Muslim scholars and intellectuals from across the Muslim world convened in Marrakesh to discuss the protection of religious minorities in Muslim-majority countries. According to the website for the conference (Marrakeshdeclaration.org), it was held under the auspices of the Moroccan King and the Moroccan Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, and sponsored by the Forum for the Promotion of Peace in Muslim societies, a UAE-based think tank headed by Sheikh 'Abdullah bin Bayyah. It was attended by "hundreds of Muslim scholars and intellectuals from over 120 countries, along with representatives of Islamic and international organizations, as well as leaders from diverse religious groups and nationalities."

On January 27, the participants issued a closing statement, the Marrakesh Declaration.[1] The declaration presents the protection of minority rights as integral to Islamic heritage and history, as reflected, for example, in the 7th century Charter of Medina. According to the declaration, this charter contains "principles of constitutional contractual citizenship such as freedom of movement, property ownership, mutual solidarity and defense, as well as principles of justice and equality before the law" (For the text of the Medina Charter, see the Appendix). The declaration states further that the situation of minorities in the Muslim world has "deteriorated dangerously" today due to the activity of "criminal groups" that "alarmingly distort [Islam's] fundamental principles and goals." It suggests to remedy the situation by reaffirming Muslims' commitment to the Charter of Medina, and invokes this medieval document as a basis for guaranteeing human and citizen rights in the constitutions of modern Muslim states. It also calls for "Muslim educational institutions and authorities to conduct a courageous review of educational curricula."

Sheikh 'Abdullah bin Bayyah - the head of the UAE think tank that sponsored the conference - was prominently involved in similar initiatives in the past. In 2010 he initiated the New Mardin Declaration, which sought to address certain fatwas by 14th century Hanbali Muslim scholar Ibn Taymiyya that are invoked as authoritative by the takfiri Salafi-jihadi movement.[2] In 2014, the Sheikh was a prominent signatory of the open letter to ISIS "caliph"Al-Baghdadi that used Islamic sources to refute the Islamic State's religious doctrine and to condemn the torture, murder and destruction committed by this organization.[3] However, both these initiatives failed to spark an intra-Muslim debate, let alone trigger significant action.

The Marrakesh Declaration's call for educational reform did have some resonance. Morocco's King Muhammad VI declared on February 6 that religious schoolbooks in Morocco must be reviewed. The Moroccan website illionweb.com commented: OCWhen one admits that school plays a major role in shaping [people's] minds and social skills, one realizes [what] impact instruction based on radical Islam and Salafist ideas can haveOC The King's orders will enable combating radical theoriesOC They insist on the need to write curricula and schoolbooks based on the values of the Moroccan people and the fundamentals of the [Moroccan] national identity, while remaining open to [other] societies rich in knowledge. It is [now] up to the relevant ministries to take actionOCOC[4]

The day after the Marrakesh Declaration was issued, Prof. Sami Aldeeb, a Swiss-Palestinian expert on Islamic law, critiqued it on his blog. He claimed that the declaration would be toothless unless a series of fundamental legal were enacted by Muslim countries to truly end discrimination against their religious minorities. Without these legal measures, the declaration was merely "propaganda" and "a waste of time," he said.

Below are details on the Marrakesh Declaration and excerpts from Aldeeb's critique. The English translation of the Charter of Medina, the seminal work cited by the declaration is provided in the appendix.

The Marrakesh Declaration: A Commitment To The Charter Of Medina

The full version of the Marrakesh Declaration was posted on the website of the Morrocan government (habous.gov.ma) in French and Arabic; an executive summary (presenting the main points of the declaration but omitting Koranic quotes and the like) was posted on the conference's website (marrakeshdeclaration.org) in French, Arabic, English, Dutch and Italian.

The Marrakesh Declaration acknowledges that "conditions in various parts of the Muslim World have deteriorated dangerously due to the use of violence and armed struggle as a tool for settling conflicts and imposing one's point of view." As stated, the declaration invokes the 7th century Charter of Medina as a basis for guaranteeing human and citizen rights in modern Muslim countries, since this charter guarantees the rights of religious minorities and sets out "principles of constitutional contractual citizenship" (such as freedom of movement, property ownership, equality before the law, and mutual solidarity and defense). The declaration compares the Charter of Medina to the UN's Universal Declaration of Human rights, saying they are OCin harmony.OC The declaration calls on the people of the Muslim world to "rebuild the past by reviving this tradition of conviviality, and restoring our shared trust that has been eroded by extremists using acts of terror and aggression." In also urges "Muslim educational institutions and authorities to conduct a courageous review of educational curricula."

The following is the text of the executive summary in English:

"In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate

"Executive Summary of the Marrakesh Declaration on the Rights of Religious Minorities in Predominantly Muslim Majority Communities

"25th-27th January 2016

"WHEREAS, conditions in various parts of the Muslim World have deteriorated dangerously due to the use of violence and armed struggle as a tool for settling conflicts and imposing one's point of view;

"WHEREAS, this situation has also weakened the authority of legitimate governments and enabled criminal groups to issue edicts attributed to Islam, but which, in fact, alarmingly distort its fundamental principles and goals in ways that have seriously harmed the population as a whole;

"WHEREAS, this year marks the 1,400th anniversary of the Charter of Medina, a constitutional contract between the Prophet Muhammad, God's peace and blessings be upon him, and the people of Medina, which guaranteed the religious liberty of all, regardless of faith;

"WHEREAS, hundreds of Muslim scholars and intellectuals from over 120 countries, along with representatives of Islamic and international organizations, as well as leaders from diverse religious groups and nationalities, gathered in Marrakesh on this date to reaffirm the principles of the Charter of Medina at a major conference;

"WHEREAS, this conference was held under the auspices of His Majesty, King Mohammed VI of Morocco, and organized jointly by the Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs in the Kingdom of Morocco and the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies based in the United Arab Emirates;

"AND NOTING the gravity of this situation afflicting Muslims as well as peoples of other faiths throughout the world, and after thorough deliberation and discussion, the convened Muslim scholars and intellectuals:

"DECLARE HEREBY our firm commitment to the principles articulated in the Charter of Medina, whose provisions contained a number of the principles of constitutional contractual citizenship, such as freedom of movement, property ownership, mutual solidarity and defense, as well as principles of justice and equality before the law; and that,

"The objectives of the Charter of Medina provide a suitable framework for national constitutions in countries with Muslim majorities, and the United Nations Charter and related documents, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are in harmony with the Charter of Medina, including consideration for public order.

"NOTING FURTHER that deep reflection upon the various crises afflicting humanity underscores the inevitable and urgent need for cooperation among all religious groups, we

"AFFIRM HEREBY that such cooperation must be based on a "Common Word," requiring that such cooperation must go beyond mutual tolerance and respect, to providing full protection for the rights and liberties to all religious groups in a civilized manner that eschews coercion, bias, and arrogance.

"BASED ON ALL OF THE ABOVE, we hereby: Call upon Muslim scholars and intellectuals around the world to develop a jurisprudence of the concept of "citizenship" which is inclusive of diverse groups. Such jurisprudence shall be rooted in Islamic tradition and principles and mindful of global changes.

"Urge Muslim educational institutions and authorities to conduct a courageous review of educational curricula that addresses honestly and effectively any material that instigates aggression and extremism, leads to war and chaos, and results in the destruction of our shared societies;

"Call upon politicians and decision makers to take the political and legal steps necessary to establish a constitutional contractual relationship among its citizens, and to support all formulations and initiatives that aim to fortify relations and understanding among the various religious groups in the Muslim World;

"Call upon the educated, artistic, and creative members of our societies, as well as organizations of civil society, to establish a broad movement for the just treatment of religious minorities in Muslim countries and to raise awareness as to their rights, and to work together to ensure the success of these efforts.

"Call upon the various religious groups bound by the same national fabric to address their mutual state of selective amnesia that blocks memories of centuries of joint and shared living on the same land; we call upon them to rebuild the past by reviving this tradition of conviviality, and restoring our shared trust that has been eroded by extremists using acts of terror and aggression;

"Call upon representatives of the various religions, sects and denominations to confront all forms of religious bigotry, vilification, and denegation of what people hold sacred, as well as all speech that promote hatred and bigotry;

"AND FINALLY, AFFIRM that it is unconscionable to employ religion for the purpose of aggressing upon the rights of religious minorities in Muslim countries.

"Marrakesh

"January 27th, 2016"

Swiss Palestinian Expert on Islamic Law Sami Aldeeb Criticizes the Declaration

On January 28, 2016 , Prof. Sami Aldeeb, a Swiss-Palestinian expert on Islamic law, critiqued the Marakesh Declaration on his blog, Savoir ou se Faire Avoir ("To Know or to be Fooled").[5] The article states that, if the signatories of the declaration were sincere in their intention to stop discrimination against religious minorities in the Muslim world, they should have complemented their declaration with a set of amendments that must be made to the laws and constitutions of Muslim countries. These changes include constitutionally disestablishing Islam as the State religion; removing all discriminatory legal provisions favoring Muslims over non-Muslims in the area of OCiOCireligious freedom and freedom of expression and in the domains of marriage, guardianship of children and inheritance; establishing a unified law allowing members of all faiths to build their places of worship wherever they live; and removing religious references in personal documents and in laws defining eligibility for public service. "Unless the Marrakech Declaration is interpreted in the spirit at the legislative level, this declaration is pure propaganda with no significance, and is a waste of time," he says.

Below is an English translation of Sami Aldeeb's blog entry, provided by the author himself.

"If the signatories of [the Marrakesh Declration] were sincere in their intentions, they should have presented the following demands to the legislative echelon [in Muslim countries]:

"1) Remove the constitutional articles that make Islam the state religion. The state is an administrative institution that manages the affairs of the people based on citizenship, not religion. The state cannot have a religion: it does not pronounce the Attestation of Faith, does not pray or fast, does not pay zakat (charity) and does not make the pilgrimage [to Mecca]. These five pillars of Islam can only be performed by individuals. Considering Islam as the state religion means that it has priority over other religions and that the followers of Islam have more rights than the followers of other religions.

"2) Remove all legal provisions which distinguish between Muslims and non-Muslims in the area of OCiOCireligious freedom and freedom of expression. This involves the removal of all articles relating to apostasy from the laws of Arab and Islamic countries, including from the Unified Arab Penal Code that was approved by all Arab ministers of justice.[6] This penal code, published on the website of the Arab League, should be amended so as to conform with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says: 'Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.' At the same time, all fatwas issued by Islamic organizations on apostasy should be declared null and void. All legal provisions that prohibit the circulation of non-Islamic religious books in some countries and forbid proselytizing for any religion other than Islam should be abolished.

"3) Remove all legal provisions which distinguish between Muslims and non-Muslims in the field of marriage, custody of children and inheritance. This involves the removal of all legal provisions relating to this area from the laws of OCiOCiArab and Islamic countries, including from the Unified Arab Personal Status Code approved by all Arab ministers of justice [as part of the Unified Arab Penal Code]. These laws allow a Muslim man to marry a non-Muslim woman from among the People of the Book [i.e., a Jew of Christian], but forbid the marriage of a non-Muslim man to a Muslim woman, and impose Islam on that the children of mixed marriages, without granting freedom of choice [in this matter] to the child's parents. They also bar apostates from marrying, inheriting and [receiving custody of] children. These countries must abolish all religious courts, unify the personal status laws, and adopt civil marriage. Furthermore, they must ensure that these laws conform to the first paragraph of Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says: 'Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.'

"4) Establish a unified law pertaining to places of worship, allowing all [citizens] to build places of worship wherever they are, including in Saudi Arabia, and to practice their religion. Moreover, abolish the law banning non-Muslims from Mecca and Medina, as well as the ban on naturalization of non-Muslims in some countries.

"5) Remove legal provisions that restrict individual freedom during Ramadan or in the performance of prayer, or punish individuals who do not fast or pray.

"6) Remove the reference to religion from personal documents and from laws defining eligibility for public service, including the presidency of the state and the various ministries.

"7) Guarantee the right to a decent burial for everyone, whatever their religion. The current system discriminates on the basis of religion and does not guarantee a dignified burial to those designated apostates.

"8) Eradicate all the Islamic norms pertaining to jihad and to related practices such as the abduction of women, the imposing of the jizya tax, the requirement that members of religious sects that 'have no religious scriptures' must either accept Islam or die, and other practices that violate international conventions, particularly the Geneva conventions on war.

"9) Reform textbooks, from kindergarten to university level, and modify the content of media programs and mosque sermons that is contrary to the above requirements, and declare as null and void all fatwas that are contrary to these requirements.

"Unless the Marrakech Declaration is interpreted in this spirit at the legislative level, this declaration is pure propaganda with no significance, and is a waste of time."

APPENDIX - The Text Of The Charter Of Medina

The following translation is presented in Guillaume's The Life of Muhammad.[7]

In the name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful.

(1) This is a document from Muhammad the Prophet (governing the relations) between the believers and Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib, and those who followed them and joined them and labored with them.

(2) They are one community (umma) to the exclusion of all men.

(3) The Quraysh emigrants according to their present custom shall pay the bloodwit within their number and shall redeem their prisoners with the kindness and justice common among believers.

(4-8) The B. OCyAuf according to their present custom shall pay the bloodwit they paid in heatheism; every section shall redeem its prisoners with the kindness and justice common among believers. The B. Sa ida, the B. OCyl-Harith, and the B. Jusham, and the B. al-Najjar likewise.

(9-11) The B. OCyAmr b. OCyAuf, the B. al-Nabit and the B. al-OCyAus likewise.

(12)(a) Believers shall not leave anyone destitute among them by not paying his redemption money or bloodwit in kindness.

(12)(b) A believer shall not take as an ally the freedman of another Muslim against him.

(13) The God-fearing believers shall be against the rebellious or him who seeks to spread injustice, or sin or animosity, or corruption between believers; the hand of every man shall be against him even if he be a son of one of them.

(14) A believer shall not slay a believer for the sake of an unbeliever, nor shall he aid an unbeliever against a believer.

(15) God's protection is one, the least of them may give protection to a stranger on their behalf. Believers are friends one to the other to the exclusion of outsiders.

(16) To the Jew who follows us belong help and equality. He shall not be wronged nor shall his enemies be aided.

(17) The peace of the believers is indivisible. No separate peace shall be made when believers are fighting in the way of God. Conditions must be fair and equitable to all.

(18) In every foray a rider must take another behind him.

(19) The believers must avenge the blood of one another shed in the way of God.

(20)(a) The God-fearing believers enjoy the best and most upright guidance.

(20)(b) No polytheist shall take the property of person of Quraysh under his protection nor shall he intervene against a believer.

(21) Whoever is convicted of killing a believer without good reason shall be subject to retaliation unless the next of kin is satisfied (with blood-money), and the believers shall be against him as one man, and they are bound to take action against him.

(22) It shall not be lawful to a believer who holds by what is in this document and believes in God and the last day to help an evil-doer or to shelter him. The curse of God and His anger on the day of resurrection will be upon him if he does, and neither repentance nor ransom will be received from him.

(23) Whenever you differ about a matter it must be referred to God and to Muhammad.

(24) The Jews shall contribute to the cost of war so long as they are fighting alongside the believers.

(25) The Jews of the B. OCyAuf are one community with the believers (the Jews have their religion and the Muslims have theirs), their freedmen and their persons except those who behave unjustly and sinfully, for they hurt but themselves and their families.

(26-35) The same applies to the Jews of the B. al-Najjar, B. al-Harith, B. Sai ida, B. Jusham, B. al-Aus, B. Tha'laba, and the Jafna, a clan of the ThaOCylaba and the B. al-Shutayba. Loyalty is a protection against treachery. The freedmen of Tha OCylaba are as themselves. The close friends of the Jews are as themselves.

(36) None of them shall go out to war save the permission of Muhammad, but he shall not be prevented from taking revenge for a wound. He who slays a man without warning slays himself and his household, unless it be one who has wronged him, for God will accept that.

(37) The Jews must bear their expenses and the Muslims their expenses. Each must help the other against anyone who attacks the people of this document. They must seek mutual advice and consultation, and loyalty is a protection against treachery. A man is not liable for his ally's misdeeds. The wronged must be helped.

(38) The Jews must pay with the believers so long as war lasts.

(39) Yathrib shall be a sanctuary for the people of this document.

(40) A stranger under protection shall be as his host doing no harm and committing no crime.

(41) A woman shall only be given protection with the consent of her family.

(42) If any dispute or controversy likely to cause trouble should arise it must be referred to God and to Muhammad the apostle of God. God accepts what is nearest to piety and goodness in this document.

(43) Quraysh and their helpers shall not be given protection.

(44) The contracting parties are bound to help one another against any attack on Yathrib.

(45)(a) If they are called to make peace and maintain it they must do so; and if they make a similar demand on the Muslims it must be carried out except in the case of a holy war.

*Nathalie Szerman is head of the French Department at MEMRI.

Endnotes:
News / National

by Staff reporter

Former Vice President Joice Mujuru has claimed that her husband Solomon Mujuru was murdered in August 2011.She revealed this in an interview with UK newspaper, Sunday Times at the weekend.Mujuru revealed that though she was certain that her husband was murdered, she did not know who had carried out the assignment.However, a government coroner released a report which ruled out any foul play in Solomon Mujuru's death.Joice Mujuru disputed the official account of her husband's death and vowed that the truth about what happened would eventually come out.In the interview, Mujuru alleged that there was a blue flame, almost one-and-a-half meters high, and this was evidence that there was some kind of accelerant in that fire.
On February 5, 2016, the Russian media outlet RBC Daily reported on military countermeasures that Russia is taking in response to America's increased funding for military forces in Europe and to the increased military exercises in NATO countries.[1] According to the article, these countermeasures include the formation of new divisions on the Western border and the development and deployment of new weapons and military gear.

It should be noted that Sergey Karaganov, a professor at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, pointed out that, as early as 2007-2008, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of increased military confrontation in Europe 'should the West's [military] expansion reach Ukraine.' In an interview with the Russian magazine New Times, Karaganov claimed that it was in those years that the Americans decided to start the process of admitting Ukraine into NATO. Following this, he said, Putin arrived at the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest and stated unequivocally that, if the notion of Ukraine joining NATO ever arose again, there would be no more Ukraine. And he kept this promise, albeit partially, commented Karaganov. [2]

The following are excerpts from the LBC article.[3]

Three New Divisions On The Western Border

"Russia will take countermeasures in response to Washington's plans to increase funding for military forces in Europe... 'The establishment of new [army] divisions is one of the measures that are being taken in response to the increased [military] exercises that have been observed recently in NATO countries,' stated the commander-in-chief of the Russian ground forces, Colonel General Oleg Salyukov, on January 22, 2016. He explained that three new divisions will be formed in the Western Military District and another will be located in the Central Military District.[4]

"According to Colonel General [Salyukov, these three new divisions] 'will be formed on the basis of existing brigades and their establishment should be complete by the end of 2016.' An RBC source close to the Ministry of Defense states that one of the new divisions will be the Separate Mechanized Rifle Brigade of the 20th Army, currently located in [the town of] Yelnya in Smolensk Oblast. The second division will be formed on the basis of the 33rd Separate Mechanized Rifle Brigade, which was transferred in March 2015 from Maikop [capital of the Republic of Adygea] to Novocherkassk in Rostov Oblast. The RBC source disclosed that the third division will be the reformulated 10th Guard Tank Division in Boguchar in Voronezh Oblast."

New Tank Army On The Western Border

"In early February, the Defense Ministry [also] announced the forming of the First Guard Tank Army in the Western Military District, headquartered in the Moscow area. It will include the Kantemirovskaya Tank Division and the Tamanskaya Mechanized Rifle Division, and several others. The tank army will be equipped with T-72B3 and T-80 tanks, BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, and over 130 other items of military gear, said the head of the Western Military District press service, Colonel Igor Muginov. Over 1,500 [live] fire [exercises] and other exercises are planned for the army in 2016OC"

New Fighter Jets

"Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu declared in early February that renewed production of the Tu-160 strategic fighter jets (NATO designation Blackjack) is a priority objective [for Russia]. Deputy Minister of Defense Yury Borisov later clarified that the ministry intends to order no fewer than 50 Tu-160 jetsOC The Tu-160 can carry 10 tons of free-fall bombs or 12 strategic X-55SM cruise missiles (or the more accurate X-555) for hitting stationary targets. When fully loaded for combat, it is capable of flying up to 10,000 kilometers. The Russian Air Force currently owns 16 such aircrafts. The Tu-160 was first battle-tested in Syria, in November 2015."

Caliber Cruise Missiles

"The Caliber 3M-14 missiles (NATO classification SS-N-27 Sizzler) are able to hit targets at a distance of up to 2,000 km in any weather conditions and at any time of day. In order to approach the target at extremely low altitude, skirting the folds of the landscape, the missile is equipped with a GLONASS receiver, a radio altimeter and a radar homing head. The first combat launch, 40 years after the start of development, took place on the night of October 7, 2015, when four missile ships of the [Russian Navy's] Caspian Flotilla made a group launch of 26 rockets at objects of the Islamic State in Syria. A few months later, another four missiles were launched from a military submarine in the Mediterranean. In the future, dozens of ships will be equipped with the new cruise missiles, including nuclear submarines and the nuclear-guided cruiser, [informed] Admiral Nakhimov."

Submarines In The North Atlantic

"The commander of NATO's Allied Maritime Command, Clive Johnstone, stated on February 3 that commanders of NATO submarines in the North Atlantic have been reporting 'greater Russian submarine activity than was seen during the Cold War.' He has also noted the significant technological leap Russian vessels have made in recent times. The U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence warned in December 2015 that Russia's first order of business is to enhance its submarines with Caliber cruise missiles. This way, Russian vessels will be able to more effectively 'hold or destroy battle targets'. The agency [i.e., the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence] named 'construction of universal nuclear and non-nuclear submarines' as [Russia's] secondary objective. 2016 will see the launch of two non-nuclear vessels: Veliky Novgorod and Kolpino. Both will be equipped with the new Caliber missiles."

Exercises In The Western Military District

"The Ministry of Defense has announced approximately 800 key operative and battle exercises in the Western Military District for the year 2016. The District commander, Colonel General Andrey Kartapolov, has promised over 300 unannounced inspections throughout the year. The most important exercise will be a bilateral command post exercise with two units. It will be conducted with the participation of formations and military units stationed on the territory of the Leningrad and Voronezh Oblasts. Another large-scale exercise in the northwest will be held within the air defense troops with live firing."

Advanced Weaponry

"A fifth-generation fighter jet (factory designation T-50) will enter into service in 2016, Colonel General Viktor Bondarev promised. Mass production may begin in 2017. Currently, only one serial fifth-generation fighter exists in the world: the American F-22 Raptor. Its distinctive features are low visibility, supersonic cruising speed and extreme maneuverability.

"Also in 2016, preliminary tests of the S-500 Prometheus anti-aircraft missile system should begin. The main purpose of the complex is to fight medium-range ballistic missiles. According to the developer of the complex, JSC Concern PVO Almaz-Antey, the S-500 can simultaneously detect and hit up to ten ballistic hypersonic targets flying at a speed of 7 km per second."

Endnotes:
In 1986, India lost an incredibly brave, young girl who feared nothing. She died so that those 360 innocent passengers could live. Neerja Bhanots sacrifice to save humanity in the unfateful Pan Am hijack is a story our country shall never forget.

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The nation got a hero but a doting father lost his child. When he waved her goodbye that night, little did he know shell return in a coffin. Neerja Bhanot was shot dead on 5th September 1986. One month later, her father wrote a heart-wrenching letter remembering her and it still makes us tear up. Here it is.

Neerja, the vivacious and valiant senior flight purser of Pan Am was felled by hijackers bullets during the Pan Am holdup at Karachi airport on September 5 1986 - barely 25 hours before her birthday. A year ago, she had written to me, "I will do you proud" and the brave girl has kept her word.

Of late, Neerja was doing a lot of modelling. She had returned from Frankfurt on Tuesday (September 2) morning. She spent all of Wednesday shooting. On Thursday, she had yet another prestigious assignment. She reported for shooting at 9 a.m. and returned home only around 8 p.m. The hard day did not tell on her, she bounced about saying that she had the "most satisfying shooting day ever with Director Ayesha Sayani", whom she described as a highly talented professional. She had a light dinner and went to sleep after telling her mother to wake her up 90 minutes before the pick-up call from Pan Am. Her mother was keen that she should telephone Pan Am to get excused because she had a hard day. But a highly duty conscious Neerja did not oblige her mother.

Pan Am informed that the pickup time will be 1.15 a.m. (Sept 5). Her mother had to knock the door really hard to wake up Neerja. She had the usual cold bath. While she was getting ready, we talked. I asked her, how many friends had she invited to her birthday on Sept. 7. She replied, "None" because she would be returning only on Sunday morning. She wished the birthday party to be just a family affair.

I learnt of the Pan Am plane hijacking at Karachi, at a press conference. I felt uneasy. As I reached my own office, I had a telephone call from Mr. Irfan Khan of Hindustan Lever. He advised me to be with him, mainly because his office had better facilities to get the latest information from Karachi.

What happened at Karachi airport? As the terrorists rushed up the letter to "capture" the aircraft, Neerja dashed to inform the captain in the cockpit. A terrorist, however, caught her by her handy ponytail but she was able to shout the "hijack code". Another flight attendant who got her code conveyed it to the cockpit.

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Obviously, the cabin crew, including the two pursers, did not know the action the cockpit crew takes on hearing the hijack code. It is now known that the 3 member cockpit crew - pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer - slipped away, leaving the aircraft, 400 passengers and the 13 member cabin-crew at the mercy of an emotionally surcharged 4 member team of burly terrorists. Since Neerja was the cabin-crew leader, she took over the "command", as soon as she found that the three seniors (cockpit crew) had deserted them.

Neerja's notes say that she had to follow up the hijacking warning with 6 steps. In the Karachi situation, she was required to "communicate" with the hijackers. Her smiles, even in deep distress, won a response. She looked after the passengers, within permissible limits. Her smiles were taken as an assurance by the passengers and crew members that the worst was over.

The power generator was running out of fuel and voltage was falling. Then "something" happened. Neerja was standing close to the leader of the terrorists. The light had become very dim. Suddenly, guns began vomiting fire within the aircraft. Neerja jumped to the emergency exit and threw it open.

According to Mrs. Malti Krishnaswamy and other eyewitnesses, Neerja was caught by the leader of the terrorists and shot point blank. In the dead body I saw bullets had hit her in the abdomen, on the shoulder near the neck and in the arm. When she opened the emergency exit, she could have herself been the first to slide down the chute. But she was the "captain", who believed that she had to be the last person to quit - alive or dead.

The terrorists guns became silent only after spitting out the last bullet. The cabin crew got together on the tarmac and found the "leader" missing. Two crew members ran back to the aircraft to find a profusely bleeding Neerja at her post of duty. The shock of being hit by bullets did not stop her heart-beat. She had been bleeding, from at Least two bullet wounds, for nearly 15 minutes. But she was in her full senses and told her 2 colleagues to take care of her bullet-hit arm. With a little assistance, she slid down the chute to be received at the other end by another member of the crew. She was helped to walk to the ambulance. But she became a martyr before any medical assistance could help her to survive.

In the normal course of events, Neerja would have been back in Bombay on Sunday, September 7, her birthday. But instead of that we collected her coffin from the airport. She, who died so that others could live, was cremated the following day at 11 a.m. amidst chanting of her favourite mantras as we said "Goodbye darling, please keep coming." The young model has set a model for her class the world over.

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Neerja was a fruit of our long prayers for a daughter. We had two sons and were longing for a daughter. It was Sept. 7, 1962 at Chandigarh - where I was posted at that time. The maternity ward matron rang up to inform me that we had been blessed with a baby-girl. I was very happy to hear this and gave her a "double thanks". She thought I had got her wrong and so she repeated "It is a daughter". I explained to her the daughter had already 2 brothers and that is why it was an occasion for "double thanks". Neerja was a "no problem" child, right from day one. She was a "no nonsense" girl right from the start. She went to Sacred Heart School (Chandigarh). Her family name was "Lado" and I do not think I had called her Neerja more than a score of times in her 23 years.

We came to Bombay in March 1974. She was a student of sixth standard. I took her to Bombay Scottish High School for admission. Everybody had told me that admission would be impossible. But one look at her and that great principal gave a lie to canards that entry into the school was linked with the size of "donation".

Neerja was a very sensitive, deeply affectionate and an extremely decent person who believed in sharing with her people all her joys but not the jolts. She had well defined principles and there was little room for compromise in that area. Of the 23 years of her life, she had lived 22 years and 10 months under bracing sunshine. The two month long ugly patch was a dowry cloud. Following her ad-based arranged marriage in March 1985, she had gone to the Gulf to join her husband to set up a happy home. But the marriage went sour within two months. She was starved off finance and food in a foreign land and the bright girl lost five kg of weight in two months. She had to borrow money from the husband even to make a telephone call.

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Before the marriage, it was made clear that it would be a dowry less marriage. But when she reached the "ordained home" she was told that even a "very poor man gives something to his daughter in marriage". She came back to Bombay to honour a modelling contract. An ugly letter followed, listing terms for her return, which no person with self-respect could accept. The letter listed a straight formula: accept the humiliating terms without a whimper and return at your own cost or "we will separate". The worst was that the letter asked her as to what was she? "You are just a graduate". The young girl could not pocket this. She applied for a flight attendant's job with Pam Am. There were nearly 10,000 applications but Neerja Harish easily found place among the top 80. Some of her close friends in Pan Am knew of her marriage mishap. They say that Neerja had been clearly stating that if one day something happened to her, please see that even "his" shadow did not fall on her dead body. The girl with sinews of steel accepted the challenge "what are you" and has told "what she was".

The Pan Am job was a great success from day one. She went to Miami for training as a flight attendant but she returned home as a Purser. Nothing can, possibly, state her Pan Am stature better than a letter received from her instructor (at Miami), Mr. Keith D. Smith saying: "The courageous manner in which she lived was very evident in the courageous manner in which she died. Shielding 3 small children from danger was a bold, daring and brave act that so dignified Neerja's personality. She was a wonderful human being. All those who were concerned with her Miami training, including the 'local mother', have expressed similar assessment of Neerja."
In an explosive sting operation, three lawyers of the Patiala House Court claimed to have beaten Kanhaiya Kumar at a secluded place in the presence of Delhi Police officers. Vikram Chauhan, one of the accused in beating up a journalist earlier at Patiala House, can be seen discussing a bigger plan to teach the anti-national elements a lesson.

While the government has now agreed to discuss each and every issue pertaining to the JNU case on the floor of the Parliament, what we really need to ask ourselves as citizens of the country is if this is the new definition of nationalism! If not, then how long will we be mute spectators to this kind of hooliganism by unruly elements of our society?
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF) has challenged the Africa National Congress party in South Africa to assist people of Mthwakazi in their agenda to regain the Mthwakazi State.In a statement MLF said the Information being given out now by former SA President Thabo Mbeki about relationships between ANC :ZAPU and ZANU during and after the War against White Colonialism and Apartheid shows clearly how the ANC let down the people of Mthwakazi leading tens of thousands including the MKhonto Wesizwe cadres to be murdered in cold blood by Zanu."The failure by Mbeki to touch on the massacres of the 80s of the Ndebele people by Zanu whom the ANC had developed strong ties with despite having been earlier warned by the MK leaders not to, leaves boogles in the minds of many. That is especially if one puts considering that a report by the CCJPZ, over the killings, state that the Bulawayo -Ascot arms cache with which Mugabe justified his deployment of the killer gukurahundi in Mthwakazi, belonged to the MK," reads the statement."We had hoped that Mr Mbeki would touch on that as well and possibly send a formal apology to the people of Mthwakazi for accidentally setting them on fire if ever it was an accident."MLF said the revelations by Mbeki explains why his administration refused to see the regime change in Zimbabwe which Mthwakazi people had hoped it would bring about the healing for their past experiences in Zanu. It said Mbeki puts it indirectly clear that it would be improper for his administration to effect the regime change that could quiz him too of the killings as he worked and in hand with one of the prime suspects in the killings, Emmerson Mnangagwa."As MLF, we are still hopeful that Mbeki can still do the right thing now as he has already confessed their blindly falling into ties with Zanu, the ties that turned to be a nightmare and continues to be even today, to the people whom they had suffered the worst together in the hands of the Rhodesian Front and those of Zanu in Morogoro in Tanzania in 1976. We now challenge Mbeki and the current ANC leadership to do the right thing for Mthwakazi people, the people whom they have a good account of their historical background," reads the statement."Is it now that they (ANC) honour the agreements they had with Zapu, but in a different way though because what Joshua Nkomo was fighting for was not only wrong but has immensely failed his people. We say Mbeki and Hon President Jacob Zuma, go to Mugabe and tell him to set Mthwakazi Free. Matebeleland people who partnered you in the struggle for the liberation of South Africa are not Zimbabweans and cannot continue being called Zimbabweans any more.
Bulgaria confirming support for Georgias EU integration and visa liberalization

Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili met with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev within the framework of the Munich Security Conference, Novosti Gruzia reported.Issues of political and economic cooperation, the European and Euro-Atlantic agenda of Georgia and regional security topics were discussed during the meeting, according to the Georgian government.The sides emphasized the importance of the timely completion of the visa liberalization process with the EU and noted that Georgia has successfully met all the technical requirements.Rosen Plevneliev reiterated Bulgarias support for Georgias European integration and visa liberalization.
News / National

by Staff reporter

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe keeps files on all of his ministers' peccadillos but the material is not for criminal prosecution before the country's courts.The dirt is used to control the officials, with public disclosure threatened should any try to go against the man they all call 'father', President Mugabe's former deputy has revealed.And former vice president Joice Mujuru should know; when her own files were apparently partly unsealed, Zimbabweans heard all sorts - from witchcraft to allegedly sashaying half-undressed while seducing a man she did not know had been sent to spy on her."He keeps files on everybody," Mujuru lamented to a British publication earlier this week.Her moan, in an interview with the UK's Sunday Times newspaper, likely explains why Mugabe does not take action against ministers accused of corruption.Mujuru suggested that Mugabe holds evidence of his lieutenants' transgressions but only uses the information to ensure they do not rise against him.Mujuru did not say whether the allegations, which she has denied, came from her own files in the secret Mugabe vaults.It also remains unclear whether fear of further damaging revelations from is behind the former vice president's measured criticism of her former boss.Mugabe's wife Grace, who is being used to block current vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding her 92-year-old husband, has also threatened to expose the current VP.
News / National

by Staff reporter

In an interview with the UK's Sunday Times newspaper, Joice Mujuru poured cold water on Grace Mugabe's succession chances."She's just a housewife, a typist," Mujuru said of the First Lady."What does she know; how can she be head of state? Her power only lasts as long as he is there."Below are the individuals that are touted as the front runners in succeeding Robert Mugabe.Emmerson MnangagwaOne of two vice-presidents, Mr Mnangagwa, 69, looks to be in pole position to succeed Mr Mugabe. A veteran of the liberation struggle who has been in cabinet since independence in 1980, his connections to the security services make him feared and unpopular in some quarters. Donors and diplomats seem to have set aside his past as they describe him as a "pragmatist".Grace MugabeThe glamorous first lady, 50, made a dramatic entry into politics in 2014 when she embarked on a series of tirades against those alleged to be plotting against her husband. She was subsequently given a position on the party's politburo. Her political machinations are seen as an attempt to protect her family for the time when Mr Mugabe is no longer in power.Joice MujuruUntil her dismissal as vice-president during the purge of officials alleged to be plotting against Mr Mugabe, Ms Mujuru was considered a frontrunner in the succession race. Another former liberation fighter, she was seen as a more moderate or pragmatic force in Zanu-PF. Ms Mujuru, 60, has said she will lead the new opposition party, People First.Morgan TsvangiraiThe president of the Movement for Democratic Change has fought three elections against Mr Mugabe. Aged 63, his willingness to serve in a unity government and his perceived ineffectiveness while in office has damaged his opposition credentials.
The Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Nikos Xydakis, met at the Foreign Ministry today with Montenegros Deputy Foreign Minister for European Integration and Head Negotiator, Aleksandar Andrija Pejovic. The Montenegrin politician had beforehand held consultations with high-ranking diplomats, heads of the competent directorates, during which there was an in-depth discussion of the course of Montenegros accession negotiations.



During Mr. Xydakis meeting, which took place in a friendly atmosphere, a review was carried out of Montenegros course towards accession to the European Union. Moreover, the discussion covered current European affairs, including the European Unions relations with the UK and the refugee crisis.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Amanatidis met at the Foreign Ministry today, Tuesday, 23 February 2016, with the Most Reverend Metropolitans of Nigeria and Cameroon, Alexandros and Gregory, Prelates of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa.



The meeting, which took place in an excellent atmosphere, looked at issues of the Greek communities under the pastoral responsibility of the two Metropolitans, as well as at issues of the Orthodox Church in the two countries. Also considered were ways to better inform the public regarding the development and cultural prospects of Africa, through the organization of conferences and workshops.
The Foreign Ministrys Political Director, Ambassador Petros Mavroeidis, yesterday delivered to the Austrian Ambassador here, Andrea Ikic-Bohm, a demarche regarding the initiative for organizing, in Vienna, a conference of the Interior and Foreign Ministers of Austria and the countries of the Western Balkans.



On the instructions of Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, Mr. Mavroeidis stressed, among other things, to the Austrian Ambassador that, through this unilateral move, which is not at all friendly towards our country, an attempt is being made, in the absence of Greece, to take decisions that directly concern Greece and the Greek borders.



He also stated that it is surprising that this initiative was announced just a few hours after the completion of the European Council meeting that looked in detail at the refugee issue, adopting relevant conclusions.



Finally, he underscored that Greece, which is shouldering a disproportionate burden of a refugee and migration crisis caused by the actions of others, will continue to defend the principles, the values, the vision and the name of the United Europe, and will refute all those who undermine in practice the cohesion and vision of the European Union.



A corresponding demarche was delivered by our Embassy in Vienna to the Foreign Ministry of Austria.
News / Press Release

by Tongai Matutu

We as the People's Democratic Party (PDP) have always said that the ZANU PF government is no longer fit to govern and should resign. We have also consistently and correctly maintained that ZANU PF has neither capacity nor competence to run this economy and that as long as they are in power and with Robert Mugabe as the head of state, Zimbabwe will remain in the mire.To those who think that ZANU PF is capable of reform and consider that it must be supported in its reengagement efforts pursuant to Lima 2015, they must wake up to the hard realities. There can never be reforms without reformers and democrats. There are no reformers and democrats in ZANU PF.The publication of the General Notice 34 of 2016 in last Friday's Government Gazette, in which the government compulsorily acquired 15 pieces of commercial land in the name of land reform is simply not acceptable, sustainable and detrimental to efforts of attracting investors.The land reform commenced in February 2000 and by 2006 more than 11 million hectares of land had been acquired with more than 300 000 families resettled on the land. In our view, the land reform was effectively over and what remained were the issues of tenure, multiple farms, compensation and so forth.That 16 years later the land reform is still continuing is unacceptable and counter developmental. There is no reform or revolution that is permanent; parameters must be drawn to put an end to it.It is apparent that ZANU PF must stop these continued farm invasions, which are in effect undermining property rights, in order to attract investors into the economy. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy and there is need for robust policy interventions so as to attract investment in this crucial sector. In our view the current acquisitions, though done in terms of the law are illegitimate and unproductive to the economy.The second issue that concerns us is the forced closure of the diamond firms by the Minister of Mines Chidhakwa over disagreements on a meager which the government was pushing for.While it is common cause that the companies operating in Marange have been responsible for large scale looting of our national resources and thus depriving Zimbabweans of the much needed resources for development, they did so with the express blessing of the same government which today is crying foul.Since 2009, the nine companies operating in the Marange diamond fields have been exporting diamonds collectively worth US$2 billion annually but the government which had 50% stake in these firms ironically received less than US$300 million in revenue. This is criminal and unacceptable.As PDP we are further aware that the companies also committed shocking human rights atrocities on the poor people of Marange, murdering them in cold blood, razing down their houses and damaging their environment without compensation.However, as the PDP, we also believe in the rule of law which demands that there be fairness and just administrative conduct in respect of the principal of the right to be heard. One just can't wake up and announce the closure of a company, it is illegal and immoral. There are many issues to be considered such as benefits to workers and environmental restoration which the companies will get away with given the drastic action by the government.During the happy days of the diamond operations the ordinary people suffered and it is again sad that as the cozy relationship has turned sour, it is again the people who suffer.The above decisions confirm beyond the iota of doubt that ZANU PF has no national vision and is incapable of pushing for reforms.As the PDP we once again make the call for the establishment of the National Transitional Authority (NTA). It is the only hope for Zimbabwe to provide a soft landing for the people after years of ruinous ZANU PF rule and also a guard against an implosion which is becoming highly likely given the toxic politics of ethnicity, hate and violence which ZANU PF has upped."Another Zimbabwe is Possible"
News / Regional

by Staff Reporter

Five villagers surrounding Tsholotsho business centre face eviction to pave way for the expansion of the centre, as it upgrades to town status.Mvudlana, Mbute, Madona, Lupindi and Manzimahle - in Tsholotsho ward 13 were reportedly set to be affected by the expansion drive, but villagers have vowed to resist the eviction claiming they were not consulted.Tsholotsho Rural District Council (RDC) has reportedly started pegging housing stands on communal land, while the affected villagers have approached Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) to block the move."Our clients advise us that the RDC is in the process of demarcating land that traditionally belongs to the community without any prior consultations with them. They fear that the new development may see them being removed from their land without any due process," the ZLHR said in a letter dated February 2, 2016 and addressed to Tsholotsho RDC."We, therefore, request a meeting with your good office so that we can have access to the relevant information that may assist us in advising our clients and possibly resolving the matter amicable. We therefore propose a meeting at a date and time that is suitable to your office."Headman Charles Mazibisa said their local authority begun pegging stands as part of the business centre's expansion drive late last year."We were not consulted whatsoever. We have seen RDC staff pegging housing stands and demarcating our land. There has been no communication as to how we will be compensated, or where we will be relocated to and this is the reason why had to seek assistance from human rights lawyers," he said.In December, the villagers also appealed to Provincial Affairs minister, Cain Mathema in a bid to stop the evictions.In a letter to Mathema dated December 3, 2013, the villagers said: "We appeal to your office for immediate intervention in this move by council. We shall be grateful if your intervention is prompt in this case as these people are busy demarcating stands for plots, yet the community is suffering."Last month, the villagers petitioned council over the issue, but the matter was ignored, hence, the move to seek legal recourse.Part of the petition read: "In this regard, it is obvious that the council of Tsholotsho has no regard for the mentioned communities' plight save to advance their personal egos of dishing out housing stands in order to benefit their own ends at the expense of the communities concerned. We do, hereby, register our strongest opposition to their moves. We are prepared to fight the council action through the courts if council is not prepared to reverse the action at once."Council chairperson, Alois Ndebele and Mathema were unreachable for comment yesterday.
Opinion / Columnist

21st of February 2016, marked the 92nd birthday of President Robert Mugabe. It is pleasing to note that every additional year afforded to the President by the Almighty, means an added year of wisdom and wise leadership from him.21st February movement is a youth movement event which is annually celebrated and seeks to impart lifetime enhancing values to the youth and the generality of the people of Zimbabwe.President Mugabe's birthday is worth celebrating nationally. The event provides an opportunity and platforrm for the youths and generality of people nationwide to interact with the President. That mixing and mingling will also permit the President to enlighten the young generation on his life encounters and experiences that shaped his perfect character and made him to be the leader of our beloved country, Zimbabwe.The 21st February Movement was a brainchild of the revolutionary partys' youth league who are also the party's vanguard. It is heartening to note that this youths' initiative has nurtured many in the party some of whom are currently holding significant positions in the political and economic arena of the nation over the past years.Government has been spearheading the welfare of youths through availing financial resources to fund education and business projects which has gone a long way in empowering the youths. Soon after the country attained its independence, President Mugabe ensured that education was accessed by the indigenous people at all levels. Democratization of the education sector led to infrastructural development which included construction of more schools as the number of children going to school also increased. Such an innovative plan by President Mugabe should be commended.Education for all made Zimbabwe to be at the uppermost in Africa in terms of literacy rate.In addition, the ruling Government, through the movement made it a point to financially empower youths to kick start their projects.President Mugabe's government also ensured that the general populace should have access to health services in the country. A number of clinics were also constructed nationwide. Such a move lessened the number of mortality death in the country.President Mugabe, as the 21st February Movement's patron, is a true icon of Zimbabwe and the entire African continent. He has always been standing for Africa against Western nations machinations. His distinguished political position in defending African countries from former colonizers, who have a desire to siphon resources from the continent, is laudable. World over, President Mugabe has single handedly championed the African dream of being the master of its own fortunes. It is therefore imperative to greatly honor and celebrate President Mugabe's compassion for the nation and the African continent.Normally, at 21st February Movement, youths embark on fundraising programmes that enables them to generate revenue for themselves and their communities. Such programmes are laudable as they assist in improving the living conditions of the people living in their societies.Also, his life is not complete without mentioning his role in the liberation struggle. During that war, President Mugabe played a pivotal role as a peace keeper and a unifying factor. All the battles that he fought, he won. Also, President's unwavering leadership set in motion during the liberation war. In 1977, President Mugabe was the Commander in Chief of ZANU's political and military fronts. He led the two fronts peacefully.It is shame for detractors who fail to recognize the weight of celebrating the life of a Pan Africanist. If a day such as World Pangolin day is set aside, to celebrate the existence of those creatures, what then will prohibit the nation in celebrating the life of a great shrewd genius statesman like President Mugabe?Opposition parties in Zimbabwe should take a leaf and emulate the journey that President Mugabe travelled from the hardest period of liberation to present day self-governing Zimbabwe. His political mileage is worth celebrating as it speaks volumes of his persistent and dedicated love for the people of Zimbabwe.Certainly most Zimbabweans wish that President Mugabe remains the leader of our great nation for much longer so that he witness the realization of his dream; an economically emancipated Zimbabwe and Africa empowerment.Long live President Mugabe.
Opinion / Columnist

Last week I was reading a letter that was circulating on social media written by some veterans of Zimbabwe's 1960s and 70s liberation struggle, in which they were lamenting their failure to heed then Mozambique President Samora Machel's warning not to allow Robert Mugabe to lead an armed revolutionary movement, as he was clearly not the right person.As I was reading the letter, I remembered something that I had read in the book, 'The Struggle for Zimbabwe', by David Martin and Phyllis Johnson, that at one time part of the expenses of running the ZANU PF offices in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) were paid for by the Israeli embassy in that country.This led me to ask myself loads of questions as to why the Israeli government - which was, and still is, a staunch ally of the Unites States, and the United Kingdom, and is at the fore-front of oppressing and subjugating Palestinians after illegally occupying their land since 1947 - would be interested in sponsoring an organisation that is purportedly fighting racism, oppression, and Western colonialism and hegemony.This did not make sense at all.What interest did the Israelis have in ZANU PF?The answer did not come easy, but a study of ZANU PF's background helped shed some light.When ZANU PF was formed in 1964, the leaders of the Frontline States (now the Southern African Development Community - SADC) quickly saw through its divisive and sectarian nature.In January 1969, the seven genuine liberation movements on the African continent - including ZAPU from the then Rhodesia and the African National Congress (ANC) from South Africa - met in Khartoum (Sudan), at which they consolidated their bond as the 'natural allies' and authentic liberation movements of Africa.These liberation movements were guided by a sincere desire for independence, and the struggle against colonialism, neocolonialism, imperialism, and exploitation of man by man.They were vehemently opposed to any tribalism, regionalism, divisionism, and racialism.However, ZANU PF did not attend this meeting.It chose to align itself with movements as Angola's UNITA led by the late Jonas Savimbi.These organisations were clearly divisive and tribalistic - and clearly sponsored by the West.In fact, Mozambique's Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) said that ZANU PF was guided by power-hunger, and 'represented dangerous divisions, and tribal secessionist tendencies', as well as being 'racist and undisciplined'.Throughout the 1960s and 70s liberation struggle, ZANU PF was always viewed with disdain by the Frontline States, as its policies clearly ran contrary to the aspirations of the people.Before the formation of ZANU PF, the indigenous people of this country were united, and lived peacefully side by side irrespective of tribe.They had the common aim of liberating themselves from the shackles of colonialism and imperialism.However, ZANU PF brought about chaos and fighting between tribes, as it played the tribe card everytime.Joshua Nkomo, the leader of ZAPU was loved and admired throughout the country, and the party's structures clearly represented all the tribes in the country.On the contrary, ZANU PF portrayed itself, as a Shona party and gave the impression that ZAPU was for the Ndebele.This worked very much against the spirit of the liberation struggle, and provided an edge to the Ian Smith-led colonial regime, as Blacks were now fighting each other, instead of one common enemy.One might then ask why ZANU PF finally waged the liberation war using Mozambique as a rear base.Well, it is a complicated issue that needs its own article, but simply put, when Frelimo opened up the western part of Mozambique on 7 and 8 March 1968 during its own liberation struggle, it offered ZAPU to use this as an entry into Rhodesia to fight.However, at that time, ZAPU was embroiled in fierce divisions and was not ready to commence fighting.As it turned out, the fighting within ZAPU was being orchestrated by ZANU PF's Mugabe through their proxy James Chikerema, who was the ZAPU Vice President and leader in exile.In 1967, ZANU PF's Mugabe was trying to form a Zezuru alliance with Chikerema, so that if ZAPU ousted Nkomo, then they could form a united party led by Zezurus.Again, that will be a topic for another article.But the divisive and tribalistic machinations between Mugabe and Chikerema resulted in the debilitation of ZAPU, which made it unable to take up Frelimo's offer.Since Frelimo was eager for the liberation struggle to take off in Rhodesia, it then reluctantly opted for ZANU PF.As Samora Machel stated at the time, 'we do not support ZANU, but support the people of Zimbabwe', and so they would reluctantly work with any group ready to wage a liberation war.Therefore, Frelimo and ZANU PF started off with a tentative meeting at Dar es Salaam's Twiga Hotel in 1968, and an agreement reached in 1970.ZANU PF, through its divisive machinations managed to lead the liberation struggle until independence in 1980.So where do the Israelis and the US fit in all this?I strongly believe that ZANU PF was formed by these Western powers in order to sow hatred and division amongst the people of Zimbabwe, so that the authentic liberation movement would not win the struggle, and as such, threaten the interests of the Western powers.When ZANU PF succeeded in derailing the authentic liberation movement, it proceeded to the Lancaster House Conference in London (England), and consented to a new constitution that virtually safeguarded and guaranteed the interests of the colonial powers.They agreed to a 10-year dubious 'willing seller, willing buyer' constitutional guarantee on land - the very land that the whole liberation struggle was supposed to have been premised on.Even after, the 10-year period, the ZANU PF regime had no intention of seriously redressing these colonial land imbalances.The ZANU PF regime was clearly serving the interests of the colonial powers who had created it for that very purpose.That is why the West was conspicuously quiet throughout the 1980s Gukurahundi atrocities in Matebeleland and the Midlands, as they still needed ZANU PF to continue with its project of safeguarding colonial interests.There was never any talk of human rights abuses, or sanctions - instead Mugabe was globetrotting to Western capitals and being awarded all sorts of honours and honorary degrees for his 'exceptional leadership', despite the fact that his Fifth Brigade was butchering tens of thousands of people in cold blood.As long as their interests were preserved, the West did not care.Had the West not changed their allegiances to the Movement of Democratic Change (MDC) in 1999, the land question would have never been tackled.That is when Mugabe panicked and embarked on arguably one of the most chaotic and bloody programmes in this country's history.The manner it was carried out, clearly showed that Mugabe had not planned it - as he had not banked on the West switching allegiances.Even veterans of the liberation struggle were conveniently forgotten and discarded after 1980, as they had only been pawns in ZANU PF and the West's agenda, and as such, were no longer needed.Even today, war veterans are being beaten up by the ZANU PF regime - no wonder.Today, ZANU PF is still as power-hungry as ever, and still 'represents dangerous divisions, and tribal tendencies...racist and undisciplined', as Samora Machel's Frelimo so correctly pointed out nearly 50 years ago.Indeed, it has more in common with its chosen ally, UNITA, than any self-respecting liberation movement.Therefore, it is clear that ZANU PF was never genuinely a liberation movement, but was planted by Israel, probably on behalf of the US and UK, to safeguard their interests, as they knew that should an authentic liberation movement come to power, it would focus on genuinely empowering the majority of the people of Zimbabwe, something that the West saw as a threat. Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a community activist, communications specialist, writer, and journalist. He writes in his personal capacity, and welcomes all feedback. Please call/WhatsApp: +263782283975, or email: tendaiandtinta.mbofana@gmail.com
Muskegon County Sheriff Dean Roesler tells The Muskegon Chronicle that Deputy Tim Schmidt is returning to work Monday following an investigation by the Michigan State Police and an internal review panel.

Schmidt is credited with stopping the gunman's Feb. 9 attack and stopping potentially more injuries.

Twenty-one-year-old Clarence McCaleb is suspected of wounding three people in the shooting outside Muskegon Heights Public School Academy, northwest of Grand Rapids. Two of the wounded were students. Authorities say McCaleb was shot after refusing to drop a pistol.

McCaleb, who is accused of pointing a gun at the deputy, faces charges including assault with a dangerous weapon.
The Ottawa County sheriff's department says the Hudsonville man was carrying a knife when he entered the station in Blendon Township on Monday evening.

Investigators say he demanded cash from two workers who fled the station before he stabbed a customer. The man who was stabbed is identified as a 38-year-old from Hudsonville. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and was expected to survive.

The stabbing suspect, whose name wasn't immediately released, was arrested without incident after deputies responded. Formal charges are expected Tuesday.
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Air Force Gets Its Own Combat Dive Badge After Using the Navy's for Years

Air Force officials said there is a notable distinction between Navy divers and their divers, which was a key reason for...
The U.S. Army's largest Europe-bound ammo shipment in a decade has arrived at a depot in Germany as its forces ramp up their missions in response to Russia's military actions. More than 5,000 tons of ammunition -- which required 415 shipping containers to transport overseas -- was stored last week at a depot in Miesau, the Army says. The ammo will be available to all forces participating in Operation Atlantic Resolve, launched in the wake of Russia's intervention in Ukraine. "This critical shipment will help us to continue to enable the NATO alliance, and the fact that it's the largest single shipment in 10 years demonstrates our continued commitment to the defense of our allies," said Col. Matthew Redding, 21st Theater Sustainment Command chief of staff. The ammo also will be used for an upcoming U.S. Army exercise in Poland that will involve around 20,000 troops, the Stars and Stripes reports.
President Barack Obama and the Pentagon put forward a work-in-progress plan Tuesday to close the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility "once and for all" -- a proposal that was vague on the costs and legalities of transferring an undetermined number of prisoners to the U.S.

The plan developed by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter as part of the proposed fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Act and endorsed by White House already faced already strong and growing opposition in Congress and appeared to offer little chance that Obama would fulfill his 2008 campaign pledge to close "Gitmo" before leaving office.

In a background conference call, a senior administration official conceded that some of the remaining 91 detainees at Guantanamo would likely still be there when Obama leaves office on Jan. 20, but the proposal could at least resolve the issue and "take it off the plate of the next president."

Appearing in the Oval Office shortly after the plan was released, Obama acknowledged that closing Guantanamo would face an uphill fight in Congress, given the politics of an election year. But he said that "keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world."

Guantanamo continued to be a rallying cause and a recruitment tool in terrorist propaganda, while harming "partnerships with our allies and other countries," Obama said. "This is about closing a chapter in our history. Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world," he said."

Despite the difficulties of finding or building a facility for the detention of Guantanamo prisoners in the U.S., "we can ensure our security and save the American taxpayers a whole lot of money" by enacting the plan, the president said.

"I am clear-eyed about the hurdles of closing Guantanamo," said Obama, who was joined by Carter and Vice President Joe Biden for the announcement in the Oval Office. "The politics of this are tough. The notion of having terrorists in the U.S., rather than in some distant place, can be scary," he said, but "this plan deserves a fair hearing, even in an election year."

Obama said there was some evidence of bipartisan support for the plan, but Republicans were nearly solid in opposition.

Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and one of the few Republicans who has pressed for a plan to close Guantanamo, said Obama's proposal failed to meet the mark.

"What we received today is a vague menu of options, not a credible plan for closing Guantanamo, let alone a coherent policy to deal with future terrorist detainees," he said in a statement.

"The president has essentially passed the buck to the Congress," McCain said. He pledged to hold hearings on the plan "but we can say now with confidence that the president has missed a major chance to convince the Congress and the American people that he has a responsible plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility."

Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island and the ranking Democrat on the defense panel, pressed for support of Obama's plan. "Responsibly closing the detention facility at GITMO and transferring detainees won't be easy, but it is the right thing to do," he said in a statement.

"Gitmo should have been closed by now. Even George W. Bush wanted to close it. And let's be clear: closing Gitmo does not mean releasing anyone, setting bad guys free, or doing anything other than putting them in a highly secure prison and on trial under the right military tribunal system or legal process," Reed said.

On the campaign trail, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has repeatedly denounced proposals to shut down Guantanamo as another sign of Obama's weakness.

Last week in South Carolina, Trump said it was "ridiculous" that the Pentagon was looking at the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig at the Naval Weapons Station near Charleston as a potential site for the relocation of Guantanamo detainees. "We are totally against it," Trump said.

As a senator, Hillary Clinton favored closing Guantanamo while hedging on whether prisoners should be relocated to the U.S. During the campaign, Clinton has said she would await presentation of the plan before taking a position.

Of the current 91 remaining prisoners at Guantanamo, 35 have been approved by Pentagon for transfer to other countries and another 10 were in the process of being tried before military commissions, the senior administration officials said in the background briefing.

Considering delays in the transfers and the work of the military commissions, the administration officials said about 30-60 detainees would be left in Guantanamo by the end of this year unless they could be relocated to the U.S.

The officials said that 13 potential sites in the U.S. had been looked at by the Pentagon, including state and federal jails and military bases, but they declined to name them all.

The officials said it had not yet been decided whether to house the prisoners at existing facilities or to build a new one. Even if the prisoners were sent to a state or federal facility, they would continue to be guarded by defense personnel, they said.

The officials also said it was unclear whether additional legal rights would accrue to those prisoners who were relocated to the U.S. since prosecution in the federal court system would then be an option.

The cost estimates for relocating prisoners to the U.S. were "somewhat rough and notional" because Congress has put roadblocks in the way of doing cost analysis, a senior official said, but "our current estimate is that we can do this more cheaply in the U.S. than in Guantanamo Bay."

The official said one Defense Department estimate was that keeping the prisoners in the U.S. rather than at Guantanamo would save about $68 million annually. Obama said the projected savings could reach $1.7 billion over 20 years.

Facilities known to have been reviewed by Pentagon last year included the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks and Midwest Joint Regional Corrections Facility at Leavenworth, Kansas; the Consolidated Naval Brig, Charleston, South Carolina; the Federal Correctional Complex, which includes the medium, maximum and supermax facilities in Florence, Colorado; and the Colorado State Penitentiary II in Canon City, Colorado, also known as the Centennial Correctional Facility.

Last month, Canon City Mayor Tony Greer told National Public Radio, "I suppose I would prefer not to have war criminals or war prisoners in our community. On the other hand, we are a prison community. And if I were assigned the task from Washington to choose a site, certainly this would be on my short list."

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said, "The plan does not endorse a specific facility to house Guantanamo detainees who cannot be safely transferred to other countries at this time. The administration seeks an active dialogue with Congress on this issue and looks forward to working with Congress to identify the most appropriate location as soon as possible."

However, he added in a statement, "Implementing this plan will enhance our national security by denying terrorists a powerful propaganda symbol, strengthening relationships with key allies and counterterrorism partners, and reducing costs. As the President has said, it 'makes no sense' to keep open a facility that 'the world condemns and terrorists use to recruit."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Opinion / Columnist

The people of Zimbabwe are making one big mistake in pinning their hopes of getting out of this political and economic hell-on-earth the nation finds itself on the on-going factional wars destroying Zanu PF and the evil party being buried with President Mugabe on his death. As long as anyone in Zanu PF continues to have a firm hand on unreformed state machinery the Zanu PF dictatorship will continue to rule and ruin our lives!The dog-eat-dog fighting in Zanu PF shows we are dealing here with individuals who have got used to absolute power and a life of luxury and leisure. They all know Mugabe's days as the top-dog are numbered and each one of them wants to be the new top-dog and will fight to the death for it. Whichever faction emerges with the sceptre of office firmly in its hands will use the existing dictatorial powers to consolidate its power and assert its authority on vanquished factions and the nation at large.The victorious Zanu PF faction to emerge out of the dog-eat-dog fight tearing the party apart will have the mean-spirit of a one-eyed dog punishing friend and foe in advance for laughing at its physical deficiency.Whilst Zanu PF is preoccupied with its factional wars the populous should have been busy building a formidable concordat to confront the one-eyed dog with demands for the full implementation of the 2008 GPA democratic reforms designed to dismantle the dictatorship Zanu PF imposed on the nation. As it is, only a tiny minority of Zimbabweans are aware of the critical importance of the reforms as the key to open the only door out of the hell-on-earth Zimbabwe is in.Most of the country's opposition politicians are wasting time their demanding that the regime must implement electoral law reforms which will do nothing to reduce the dictatorial powers of whoever inherits Mugabe's post.As for the majority of the people, they are hoping that the death of Mugabe will be the transformative moment the nation has been waiting for. Of course this is naive because the death of the dicta-tor does not equate to the death of the dictatorship.So the nation is remorseless matching on to the next elections, set for 2018; still with not even one democratic reform in place as was the case in 2013. The one-eyed Zanu PF dog will once again use violence and use its dictatorial powers to blatant rig the elections. The opposition and the populous will raised their voices and complain about the violence and the vote rigging and the whole world will turn a deaf ear to the complaining.Zimbabweans complaining about violence and vote rigging is now a tedious theme; since we will not take the cure, implement the GPA democratic reforms out of sheer laziness, we should not complain incessantly of the ailment!Think of the Zanu PF dictatorship as the mythological Greek monster, the Gorgon, Medusa with snakes growing out of its head like hair. President Mugabe is not Medusa but, for the last 36 years, was the dominant snake. The other snakes can see President Mugabe, due to old age and ill health, is losing his bite creating room for a new dominant snake to emerge and they are all swelling around fighting for dominance.The dictator is but the dominant snake on Medusa, the monster, the dictatorship!Our task is to kill the monster that has held the nation captives for the last 36 years. Hoping that the snakes will kill each other is naive because fighting cobras wrestle each other, they do not bite each other otherwise there will be no poisonous snake left in the world. Cutting of one snake, even if it should be the dominant one, will solve nothing because another snake will grow in its place.Whilst Medusa is distracted by the swelling mass of snakes wrestling each other for dominance it is time to cut off the monster's head. Implement all the GPA democratic reforms and we will cut all the undemocratic control the regime has over the Police, CIO, Judiciary, ZEC, etc., etc.During the GNU we had five years to implement the GPA democratic reforms and end the Zanu PF dictatorship we wasted that chance because Tsvangirai and his MDC friends sold-out. President Mugabe offered them seats on the gravy train and they forgot about the reforms. Since the rigged elections of 2013 Zanu PF has been distracted and weakened by the infighting in the party and the country's worsening economic meltdown due to the decades of misrule; we have yet another golden opportunity to demand the implementation of the GPA democratic reforms. We must not waste this chance too!
GM Mike Rizzo says the Nationals have considered an extension for Bryce Harper, but there have been no formal talks, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Harpers agent, Scott Boras, says he and the Nationals (with whom he has a strong relationship) have had informal discussions about the possibility of a Harper extension.

My attitude is that you certainly want to know what they have to say, Boras says. Then, you talk about what they want to do. Historically, these type of players, its very difficult because often there are not player comparables that drive this contract.

It would, of course, be a monumental development if the Nationals were to extend Harper at this stage. He is only three years from becoming a free agent at the tender age of 26, and if he stays healthy and continues to play at anything close to the elite level at which he performed last year, his next contract will likely become the largest the sport has ever seen.

When a reporter recently mentioned to Harper the possibility he might eventually receive a $400MM contract, Harper said, Dont sell me short, implying that he might be able to get even more. It was, perhaps, a brash response, but it likely was not an inaccurate one. Boras, for his part, seems to be thinking of Harpers next deal in much broader terms than are typically discussed for individual contracts.

Player comparables are certainly evidence of the past market. But the true evidence of the current market, economic value of franchises, and the revenues of this game are going to be different three years from now, he says. Its not the amount, but whether its good business or not.  There may be incentives that excite [the Nationals]. You look at A-Rod when he signed with the Texas Rangers, and what it did for the clubs TV deal. When he was traded to the Yankees, you saw what it did for the YES Network.

Its well known that Boras likes his clients to test the waters of free agency, and given the likelihood that Harper could break records, it seems unlikely that the Nationals will make an offer significant enough to prevent him from hitting the market. There have been previous indications that the Nats arent even making a Harper extension a top priority, at least not right now. Both sides, however, appear to be leaving the door open a bit, and if formal discussions do eventually take place, they could go to some very interesting places, since its hard to know what a Harper deal ought to look like, either in terms of dollars or duration.
NOTE: Click any picture to enlarge.

Sunrise over Death Canyon

Whistle Pig (Marmot). They send out a loud shrill to alert their buddies.

Death Canyon coming to life

Looking back - our camp was behind the huge "building-size" boulder to the right - look for apes above!!

Lower left red dot - Death Canyon camp - Upper red dot - Cascade South Fork camp

Flyrod - Climbing up and down into Alaska Basin

Sugar cruising along.

The Alaska Basin

Whitey in the snow.

The night was uneventful until about 3:00 AM. One of the rituals prior to turning in is to move the bear canisters, not Whitey's bear pot (he lives alone with that hot mess), to a location about 100 feet away. This is to prevent the bears from coming near the tents since all the food and smelly items are in the bear canisters.As mentioned, Sugar, is a Type 1 diabetic. So throughout the hike Sugar would monitor his condition eat snacks and/or drink special solutions to keep his sugar levels in check. Prior to the hike we were all given a medic course on what to do if he suddenly crashed. He could easily die out here if we did not get the insulin or sugar into his system. That night at Death Canyon, when we were all asleep, Sugar had a bit of an emergency that required him to get some "sugar" into his system. Since all his stuff was in the bear canister, he had to climb out of his nice tent, find the canister in the dark, open it, and get some food. There was something out there he said that ran off when he approached the canister. Sounded like a hoofed creature - the Goatman!!! Scary stuff. Glad he made enough noise so we all could keep track of him. All was well by morning.The next morning was perfect again - never a cloud in the sky. It was chilly but it warmed up fast. I was hoping for some magic sunrise pics but the heavens kept the painters at home that day. Still a wondrous sight to see.We had our coffee and breakfast and the usual kit breakdown. There was no humidity or dew so we could pack our tents without any condensation issues - always a plus when camping. The rest of the creatures that lived on the shelf were also up and moving about keeping an eye on us. I suspect they habitually scour the campsites after the humans leave looking for anything of use. Since we follow the "Leave No Trace" mantra, they were out of luck.Today's hike was going to take us out of the Teton National Park again. The next area was called the Alaska Basin - part of the U.S.F.S. managed areas. It was a series of small lakes, streams and fun topography to poke around. I found it unique and interesting, quite different than what we had seen so far. Being outside the park, you can camp anywhere in this area. Some hikers will hike the TCT and stop in either the Jedediah Wilderness or the Alaska Basin since they do not need the N.P.S. Wilderness Pass; we had our pass so all was well. I noted everything seemed to lean west toward Idaho in this section.We would head over Hurricane Pass (10,372 ft) after lunch - so it would be a hard day. Again, not much distance (though our longest day so far) but tough climbing at this elevation. I would love to do this hike fully acclimated some day.Camp for the night would be at the awesome South Fork Cascade. This site is located under the watchful Teton sentinels that rise above - behind the cathedral grouping. And the cascade name - that was the glorious sound of the cascading waterfalls of melting snow from the above - incredible. We read a lot about this area and were happy we could get a camp site.Go here next - Teton Crest Trail -Part 10 or back to beginning - Teton Crest Trail - Part 1
BAY CITY, MI- The following are recent business announcements for Bay County.

Jim Hempton has added the role of chief lending officer to his title with Thumb National Bank and Trust Co. Hempton began his career at Thumb National in 2001 in Cass City before serving in the Bay City market as a mortgage and commercial lender. He was promoted to senior vice president in April 2015. Hempton received his bachelor of science from Michigan State University, and is a graduate of the Perry School of Banking.

The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons has granted three-year accreditation to the cancer program at McLaren Bay Region's Karmanos Cancer Institute. McLaren Bay Region's Karmanos Cancer Institute takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists.

The Great Lakes Bay Regional Trail has been awarded a $200,000 grant to benefit the connection of the regional trail system from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. In addition, The Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation and the Charles J. Strosacker Foundation have also each contributed $100,000 and $50,000 respectively. Once completed, the Great Lakes Bay Regional will be a 100-mile system that links Saginaw, Bay and Midland Counties.

Dr. Chelsea Mason Dental is now open at 3433 East Midland Road. Dr. Mason is the successor of Dr. Donald Goeckel and Dr. Dianne Weidner. Dr. Mason has earned several accolades, including 2015 Greatest Dentist in the area. In 2014, Dr. Mason was voted The Township View Reader's Choice Award for Best Dentist. Dr. Mason is a member of the Saginaw Valley District Dental Society, Michigan Dental Association and American Dental Association.
Bay City Academy in Bay City

Bay City Academy located at 400 N. Madison Ave. in Bay City.

(Yfat Yossifor | The Bay City Times)

BAY CITY, MI -- A deficit elimination plan that Bay City Academy officials say can pull the charter school out of a $1.3 million hole is now in the hands of the Michigan Department of Education.

Officials from Mitten Management, the charter school's management company, met with state school aid officials Friday, Feb. 19, to discuss their five-year deficit elimination plan, which the school board approved last month.

The state has 30 days to review the plan and request any changes from the school, said Chad Urchike, a financial analyst for the Department of Education.

Urchike declined to comment on the charter school's plan as the state continues to review it.

Bay City Academy sent a plan to the state last month, but submitted a revised version on Thursday, Feb. 18, a day before their meeting in Lansing, Urchike said.

Bay City Academy officials have blamed the school's previous management company, Smart Schools Inc., for the $1.3 million deficit. That company was run by Steven Ingersoll, who was convicted last year of tax fraud in federal court. Officials say the new management company will "normalize expenditures" going forward.

But the crux of the plan relies on more students enrolling. For every student who enrolls, the charter school nets $7,391 in state aid funding annually.

According to October count day numbers, 411 students are enrolled at Bay City Academy -- 191 at its North Central Academy campus in Mancelona and 220 in Bay City. School officials said they hope to add about 25 students each year for the next five years and have an enrollment of more than 500 students in the 2019-2020 school year, according to its deficit elimination plan.

The school board is expected to vote next month on bringing high school classes to Bay City, in addition to rebranding the school, as it continues to separate itself from Ingersoll.

Previously, the state mandated deficit elimination plans to be two years or less. But last July, when Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law the early warning bills, legislation he said would allow school districts to receive more help quicker during a financial emergency, those timelines became more flexible, said Urchike.

"There's language in that law that says the state superintendent shall determine the length and period of time it takes a school to eliminate its deficit," he said. "There's no exact period of time attached to it now."

He added that if a plan goes beyond five years, it is subject to a preliminary review by the state Department of Treasury.

Brian Lynch, who runs Mitten Management, said Friday's meeting "went as smooth as possible."
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.Jennifer Mooney, a dedicated member of the Talent Testing Service team and adult industry veteran, is heading a fundraising drive on behalf of her son who is leading the fight to end children's cancer.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation, a volunteer-powered organization dedicated to raising money for children's cancer research, will host one of its signature head-shaving events at LAFD Fire Station 89 in North Hollywood on Saturday, March 12, when more than 200 volunteers will shave their heads in solidarity with kids with cancer and raise money for lifesaving research.

Mooney has centered her career on ensuring quality healthcare with compassion and understanding for the adult industry for nearly a decade. The same dedication has been passed onto her 15-year-old son Christian, who along with his Civil Air Patrol Squadron 3 team, has taken up the charge to find a cure for children's cancer by volunteering with the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Christian's team goal is to raise at least $15,000 on his fundraising site, and Mooney is asking for the industry's help.

The tax deductible donation can be made at Christian Mooney's donation page at stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/821119/2016.

Donations raised at events like this have made it possible for St. Baldrick's to fund more than $178 million to support the development of childhood cancer treatments.

The 2016 event will include a pancake breakfast provided by local vendors, blood and bone marrow drive, face painters and balloon artists, free toys, silent auction, games and more.

For more information on Mooney's son Christian's fundraising effort, contact [email protected]
PLYMOUTH, MI -- Roksana Sikorski, an adopted Plymouth Township teen, faced life in prison after slicing her 12-year-old brother with a knife in what prosecutors called a plot to kill her entire family the morning of Oct. 17, 2014.

Her then-boyfriend and accused co-conspirator, Michael A. Rivera, 24, was sentenced to life in prison last August for his role in the crimes.

Sikorski entered into a plea deal Monday, reducing the likelihood she'll similarly be sentenced to life in prison.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy's office charged Sikorski as an adult. The Prosecutor's Office dismissed six felonies in exchange for Sikorski's plea of guilty to a charge of assault with intent to murder.

Rivera waited outside during the attack on Sikorski's family and sent "text messages with instructions and pictures, directing his 15-year-old girlfriend while she was inside the home," prosecutors said.

It's believed the duo planned to kill Sikorski's entire family, including her parents, who forbid their illegal relationship.

Wayne County online court records show Rivera was charged with three counts of criminal sexual assault and accosting a minor for immoral purposes in July of 2014, but the charges were dismissed Oct. 31, 2014, weeks after the attack. While facing charges stemming from the attack on Sikorski's family, Rivera was also convicted on a third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge for which he was sentenced in January.

Sikorski's attorney, Leslie Posner, previously said the her client suffered repressed trauma caused by neglect early in her life while living in a Polish orphanage, from where she , her brother and a sister were adopted.

Sikorski has remained jailed since her arrest in 2014. Her sentencing is March 28 at 9 a.m.

Since the prosecution began, Sikorski's parents have publicly supported their daughter and believe Rivera manipulated her into committing the crimes.
FLINT, MI -- A Congressional delegation led by U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee visited Flint Monday, Feb. 22 to speak with business owners and residents impacted by the water crisis.

Kildee, D-Flint Township, was joined by Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn.

The members of Congress will hold a roundtable discussion with local business owners, heard from Dr. Nicole Lurie, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about the federal response in Flint, and visited a water distribution site at the Sylvester Broome Center on the city's north end.

During a press conference at the Northbank Center in downtown Flint, each Congress member took their turn to address the ongoing water crisis in the city.

Here's one takeaway from what each Congress member said of their Flint visit:

"I came here to see about the lead in the water and what I've seen here is the flint in the people from Flint, the determination, the resilience, the expectation that tomorrow is going to be better than today" -- Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, on meeting the people of Flint
FLINT, MI -Gov. Rick Snyder said he will release his office's emails related to the Flint water crisis following calls from Democrats and open government advocates.

Snyder's office announced the release Monday, Feb. 22, during meetings with the

and

. The release will include documents dating back to 2011, before Flint changed to the Flint River as its source of drinking water.

The News was told the release will come "relatively soon" as lawyers work to remove any documents that would normally be exempt under the Freedom of Information Act.

Snyder's office has been criticized for a lack of transparency by refusing to release emails related to the crisis.

"Rick Snyder is the least transparent governor this state has ever seen and we're witnessing the consequences," said Brandon Dillon, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. "The people of Flint should not have to sort through cherry-picked emails, hoping to discover the truth of what happened to Flint's water and why it was poisoned with lead. They should have the right to apply the Freedom of Information Act to the Governor's office so all documents regarding the poisoning of Flint's water are open and available to the public."

The governor and his executive staff are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act under state law.

News of the release comes just hours after U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, issued a letter Monday that on the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, to request documents from Snyder and his staff on their role in the city's water crisis.

"Governor Snyder and his staff are central figures in the decision-making process that led to the poisoning of Flint residents, and the Committee owes it to these residents to conduct a comprehensive and bipartisan investigation," wrote Cummings.

The letter claimed Cummings previously requested in a Jan. 29 letter that the governor turn over documents to the committee, but the Snyder administration ignored the request.

Officials with Snyder's office could not be reached for comment on news of the release.

Snyder's office released nearly 300 pages of emails from 2014 and 2015 earlier this year after he promised during his State of the State address to make his correspondence about the water crisis public to ensure that residents have answers about "what we've done."

More than 20,000 other documents have also been released by the Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Treasury, Department of Technology, Management and Budget, and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as part of multiple FOIA requests.
FLINT, MI - State lawmakers have announced they will now formally begin reviewing Flint's ongoing water crisis.

Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof and Speaker of the House Kevin Cotter, both Republicans, said Tuesday, Feb. 23, that they have created a joint committee to review the findings surrounding the Flint water crisis.

"No Michigan citizen should be concerned about contaminated water," said Meekhof, R-West Olive. "The families and children of Flint deserve better from government--all government. This committee will provide the opportunity and the forum to review the causes of the crisis in Flint, ensure effective use of resources to help residents and use what we learn to prevent a similar experience in any other community."

The committee is expected to take testimony on the mistakes that led to the situation in Flint and explore potential policy solutions to prevent similar disasters in the future.

A total of four Republicans and two Democrats selected from both the House and Senate were selected for the committee. Members include, Rep. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan; Rep. Ed Canfield, R-Sebawing; Rep Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor; Sen. Jim Stamas, R-Midland; Sen. Joe Hune, R-Hamburg; and Sen. Jim Ananich, D-Flint.

"This new committee will allow us to work together to review the investigative findings from this crisis and build solutions that help this community move forward," said Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant. "The Auditor General and others are doing important work investigating what went wrong, and I look forward to taking their work and doing what we can to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

Federal lawmakers have already began their investigation into the crisis. The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform previously heard testimony from Virginia Tech researcher Marc Edwards, Flint resident LeeAnne Walters, and officials from the Environmental Protection Agency and DEQ.

That committee is expected to also hear testimony from Gov. Rick Snyder and former Flint Emergency Manager Darnell Earley.

The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee has also taken testimony from individuals connected to the crisis

There was no immediate word on when any hearings or testimony would begin in front of the new state committee.

Federal, state and local law enforcement officials have also confirmed they have also launched their own investigations into the city's water issues.
FLUSHING, MI -- A 26-year-old Flushing woman was killed Monday following a rollover traffic crash on Main Street.

On Monday, Feb. 22 around 2:17 p.m. Flushing police responded to a report for a rollover traffic crash in the 1000 block of Main Street, according to a news release from the Flushing Police Department.

When officers arrived they found the driver of the vehicle had been partially ejected and was pinned under the vehicle. The lone occupants of the vehicle, Kali Ann Reasor, 26 of Flushing, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Genesee County Medical Examiner.

The investigation shows the vehicle was heading east bound on Main Street when Reasor was likely distracted and lost control of the vehicle, according to the release. The vehicle then left the roadway and then rolled over.

Speed and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the fatal crash, according to the release.

Flushing police officers were assisted by an accident investigator from the Michigan State Police.
BARRY COUNTY, MI -- A 64-year-old man is hospitalized Monday night after falling through ice while fishing in Barry County.

Sheriff's deputies said the man was in the water, with only his head visible, for about 30 minutes until crews were able to reach him 150 yards off shore at Yankee Springs Recreation Area.

Police and firefighters were called to 2104 S. Briggs Road in Middleville about 5:12 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22. There are several lakes within the park's boundaries, the largest being Gun Lake. Deputies did not specify where the man was fishing.

The man was conscious and alert but was unable to pull himself from the water due to deteriorating ice conditions.

He was transported by Aero Med to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital. His condition was not known Monday night, authorities said.

DNR officers and state police troopers also assisted at the scene.

Angie Jackson covers public safety and breaking news for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email her at ajackso3@mlive.com, and follow her on Twitter.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A 61-year-old man was found dead Sunday, Feb. 21 near some dumpsters in the 600 block of Stocking Avenue NW, police said.

The man's death is not suspicious and it's believed he died of natural causes.

Police and rescuers were called to the scene, near Stocking Avenue NW and Fourth Street, about 5:50 p.m. Sunday on a report about a man on the ground near some Dumpsters.

Grand Rapids Fire Department rescuers attempted CPR on the man, identified as Bradley Harold Dunkel, but he could not be revived.

A medical examiner told police the man had a long history of medical issues. Dunkel's last known address was Degage Ministries in Grand Rapids.

E-mail John Tunison: jtunison@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/johntunison
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A man who conspired to assist in prepping fraudulent income-tax returns has been sentenced to prison.

Andres Orrego-Hernandez, 31, of Grand Rapids, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney in Kalamazoo.

Maloney ordered the defendant to pay $371,648 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

In a plea agreement, Orrego-Hernandez admitted to conspiring to prepare fraudulent tax returns, which included inflating incomes and inflating the number of dependents to qualify for earned-income tax credits.

Other returns included inflated or entirely false deductions or credits to qualify for larger refunds, U.S. Attorney Patrick Miles Jr. said.

Orrego-Hernandez will spend two years on supervised release once his prison term expires.

He directed a portion of clients' refunds to his own bank accounts, the government said.

In November, co-defendant Humberto Manrique-Mendoza was sentenced to 18 months in prison, two years on supervised release and 200 hours of community service.

Both of the defendants are on the hook for restitution.

"Most professional tax preparers provide a great service to their clients. However, those like Orrego-Hernandez and Manrique-Mendoza should remind us all of the importance of selecting a reputable tax return preparer," said Jarod Koopman, special agent in charge of IRS-Criminal Investigations, which investigated the case.

John Agar covers crime and other issues for MLiveE-mail John Agar: jagar@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReporterJAgar
Preparations are going forward on the ground for the resumption of operations at the controversial copper mine at Letpadaung, the site of repeated clashes between local residents and activists and government troops and police.





U Myint Thein, manager of the Yangon office of Myanmar Wanbao Company, told The Myanmar Times that work was already under way on the site, in Salingyi township, Monywa district, Sagaing Region, with a completion date for construction of May 4.

The company is building a processing factory and warehouses to store copper, explosives and other mining-related equipment, he said. Once construction is complete, we will resume copper production.

According to the agreement signed by the Ministry of Mines, Union of Myanmar Economic Holding Limited (UMEHL) and Myanmar Wanbao in 2013, the government will get 51 percent of profit, and Wanbao will get 30pc, with UMEHL receiving 19pc.

The announcement, first reported by AFP, is expected to send shockwaves through the local community, which blames the mining operations for land-grabs and environmental degradation. In November 2012, monks demonstrating against the project were attacked with white phosphorous, and in December 2014 Daw Khin Win, of Moe Kyo Pyin middle village, was shot dead, apparently by police.

A 2013 investigation led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi recommended that construction should continue.

The company has adopted an environmental conservation plan drawn up by an Australian company, in accordance with international standards, said U Myint Thein. Mining entails environmental impact, but we will reduce the harm as much as possible. We will sink many small mines rather than one single large shaft. We will use technology to reduce vibration, he said, adding that measures would be taken to avoid the spillage of acid used in mining.

Wanbao will also compensate farmers whose land has been taken, with money and job opportunities. Those who refuse to accept work will receive a monthly grant of US$70, $120 or $160 a month over a 30-year period. The company says 80pc of those affected have already accepted the offer.





However, Ma Lei, who lives in the nearby village of Tone, said more than 100 farmers have refused compensation and a meeting with Wanbao to discuss compensation for this years harvest has not yet taken place.

Were not satisfied. Theyve done nothing in terms of village development, or job opportunities, she said.

The resumption of the project is shaping up to be a potential headache for the incoming National League for Democracy government, as anti-Chinese sentiment arising from the controversy has spread far beyond Letpadaung.

Dong Yun Fei, Myanmar spokesperson for Wanbao told AFP, We will start production under the new government and I hope for a better future with them, adding that there are still some problems with local people.

Some of them protest sometimes. The question of how to handle this problem is the business of the government. Only they can solve it, he said.

Translation by Khine Thazin Han and Thiri Min Tun
The private sector could help cover a US$2.5 billion annual investment shortfall in Myanmars power sector and the government is urging international investors to help the country meet its electricity needs, an official has said.





Myanmars energy sector as a whole needs between $30 billion and $40 billion over the next 15 to 20 years, according to the governments recently published Energy Master Plan  drawn up with help from the Asian Development Bank.

International financial institutions (IFI) are expected to provide much of the necessary investment, but this still leaves ample room for private firms.

The $40 billion it will take to meet Myanmars 2030 energy targets will have to be spent, or at least allocated, by 2025, said Peter Brimble, the ADBs principal country specialist for Myanmar.

Youre talking $4 billion a year, he said during a panel discussion on energy and infrastructure at the American Chamber of Commerce Myanmars annual economic forum. Of that about three-quarters is in generation and about one-quarter on distribution and transmission.

The various development partners  JICA, the ADB and the World Bank  might perhaps provide $1.5 billion a year to the energy sector, Mr Brimble said. The $2.5 billion left over represents an opportunity for the private sector, he added.

My energy guys say we need to build three Myingyans a year over the next 10 years to keep up with that pace [of investment], he said, referencing the planned 225-megawatt gas-fired power plant in central Myanmar.

The $300 million Myingyan power plant is set to be the largest gas-fired independent power plant in Myanmar, according to Singapore-listed Sembcorp, which has an 80 percent stake in the project.





That project is also notable as the only Myanmar power project to use an international-standard bidding process, which Sembcorp won, said Mr Brimble. As part of the process various companies bid to sign a contract with the government, which will buy the power generated from the project at a set price.

The transparent and competitive bidding process resulted in an electricity price for Myanmars grid that was dramatically less than say the next four best projects that did not go through a competitive bidding process, Mr Brimble said.

The comparison data was not publically available, but the message is that this kind of process does work in terms of generating more favourable value for money, he told The Myanmar Times.

The ADB has also been working on a private-sector development framework and action plan, which the government requested last year in order to better coordinate private sector investment.

Weve really built momentum to present a transition file to the incoming government on private sector development, he said. I would think as the new government comes in it will take time to get them up speed, but I think we have a very good start.

Deputy Minister for Electric Power U Aung Than Oo laid out the many opportunities for investment in the electricity sector during the same panel discussion.

Over two-thirds of the country lacks access to electricity, and demand from the urban areas of Yangon and Mandalay is growing fast. Yangon faces high levels of internal migration, and new businesses and construction projects are springing up in both cities, U Aung Than Oo said. This makes improving electricity generation and distribution for both regions a priority.

All investors have the opportunity to invest in [electricity] generation centre[s] near Yangon, he said. They can invest in generation power plants near Yangon using gas, liquefied natural gas or coal.

For investors looking at gas turbine projects, the region around Yangon is also the right place, he said. Improving generation capacity around Yangon would mean less reliance on supply from the north, fewer losses and steadier electricity supply for the countrys biggest city.

Yangon requires 1050MW a day, but this will rise to 1400MW in the summer, he said, which existing generation capacity will struggle to meet. By 2020, Yangons required base load could be twice what it is today, he added.

Some 60pc to 70pc of Myanmars electricity comes from hydropower, mainly generated in the north of the country. In the dry summer season hydropower cannot generate enough electricity to meet demand, and the long distances involved in transmission to the southern demand centres of Yangon and Mandalay mean high losses.

Investors will also have many opportunities to invest in transmission projects as the government extends and improves transmission lines to bring electricity to the population, U Aung Than Oo added.

According to an electricity master plan, drawn up with the help of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Myanmar should have installed generation capacity of 23,600MW by 2030-31 and provide electricity for 99pc of the countrys population by the same date, he said.
A new privately run gas-fired power plant has joined the national grid system, boosting Myanmars power capacity, according to state newspapers.





In 2011, Myanmar had 10 state-owned gas-fired power plants, with a total capacity of 270 megawatts (MW). Since then, 10 privately run gas-fired power plants have been connected to the national grid, bringing total capacity up to 1200MW in 2016, said U Khin Maung Soe, Union minister for the Ministry of Electric Power (MOEP), as quoted in Myanma Alin.

Total installed capacity of the 10 state gas-fired plants was only 715MW in 2011, rising to 2403MW of installed capacity across state- and privately run power plants in 2016, he said.

The Mawlamyine combined-cycle power plant was developed by Myanmar Lighting under the governments independent power producer (IPP) system. The plant has a generation capacity of 230MW from four gas-fired turbines and two steam turbines.

The project was developed in three phases and began generating power in 2014, according to MOEP.

The government rolled out its IPP system in 2011 to encourage private investment in electricity production, especially in areas off the national grid, hoping to produce more power and alleviate shortages.

The first projects were in the Yangon area  privately run gas-fired power plants in Hlawga, Ywarma, Ahlone and Thaketa started electricity generation in 2013. Together, these projects added 220MW of capacity, said U Khin Maung Soe.





In 2014 the first phase of Myanmar Lightings combined-cycle power plant in Mawlamyine and an engine based gas-fired plant in Kyaukse near Mandalay were developed, adding 273MW. In 2015, two more engine based gas-fired power plants were built in Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State and Myingyan in Mandalay Region, adding 135MW. Another 70MW from the second phase of Myanmar Lightings project was also added last year.

This year so far, capacity has been boosted by 240MW with 180MW from the projects in Kyaukphyu and Myingyan and an additional 60MW from the project in Mawlamyine, said U Khin Maung Soe.

Electricity consumption is increasing 15 percent annually. We are using various ways of power generation from natural gas, diesel, coal, hydropower, solar and wind as a renewable energy to increase power generation and meet this growing demand, he said.

A number of new gas-fired power-plant projects are also being developed by international companies under agreements with MOEP.

For example, the government plans to upgrade a gas-fired power plant in Mon States Thaton township using a loan from the World Bank. The plant will be able to generate 106MW once the project is complete  the ageing turbines are only able to produce 40MW at present.

Last December, the MOEP and Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries signed an agreement to develop a gas-fired project in Myingyan. The project will be the largest gas-fired power plant in the country with installed capacity of 225MW and will begin generation this coming April.

The government has also signed a memorandum of understanding with a consortium led by Japans Marubeni Corporation for a US$1 billion, 400MW gas-fired power plant in Yangons Thanlyin township, which will be built later this year.

Last September, MOEP announced an IPP tender inviting local and international firms to develop gas-fired power plants in Yangon and Myingyan with a total capacity of 270MW. The tender winners have not yet been announced.

Myanmars energy consumption is among the lowest in the world. Around 70pc of the population and 84pc of rural households have no access to electricity according to a World Bank report published in June last year.

Around 7.2 million new connections must be added by 2030 to achieve 100pc electrification, requiring an average of 450,000 new connections per year  more than double the current rate, according to the report.

The countrys 4255MW of total installed capacity comprises around 70pc hydropower and 27pc gas-fired plants according to MOEP.
While international mobile operators Telenor and Ooredoo have criticised an upcoming spectrum auction for potentially coming ahead of finalised industry guidelines, a major local player has fired back, denying the sale is rushed and suggesting the companies are averse to competition.





Multinational telcos Telenor and Ooredoo have raised concerns that selling more spectrum before the completion of a roadmap charting its allocation would be hasty.

But Redlink vice chair and co-founder U Thein Than Toe said both operators have gone live in the Myanmar market without the finalisation of certain rules  and that mobile operators want to keep challengers down.

[Telenor and Ooredoo] ran their operations for more than a year already without rules, without a roadmap, without international gateway policies, he said.

[Telcos] want [this 2600-megahertz spectrum auction] postponed or cancelled. They dont want the new competition.

However, one executive at an internet service provider suggested more political motivations for the sped-up timeline.

It is quite rushed for the auction, yes, but considering the change of guard at the top I am not surprised, they said.





Spectrum is a crucial resource for players in the telecommunications industry, from mobile operators to internet service providers. It is available in bands, like highways, that carry traffic like data and voice.

The government has announced draft plans through documents posted to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologys (MCIT) website to auction 140MHz of spectrum to up to seven licencees in what is known as the 2600MHz band.

The auction is slated to occur on March 24, at which time the governments spectrum roadmap will not be finalised, according to Ooredoo CEO Rene Meza.

While the international telco executive recently compared holding the auction at that time to putting the cart before the horse, U Thein Than Toe said the telecoms regulator  the Posts and Telecommunications Department (PTD)  is proceeding according to plan.

PTD has already issued operating licences and now it will provide spectrum. Then they want these companies to run as internet service providers, he said.

This idea did not immediately pop up.

While many companies have gained licences to become internet service providers (ISPs), customers have yet to see them storm the sector.

From the start of Myanmars reform process, the government has prioritised spreading mobile services  leaving other telecoms players to wait for proper regulatory policies, according to U Thein Than Toe.

However, the administration has planned all along to supplement mobile services with a broadband market, he said.

He said the high-capacity spectrum that will go on offer in March is for broadband more than for the mobile operators, who have said the 1800MHz channel  which could be sold in Q4 of this year  would be a better band to start with.

Meanwhile, the internet service provider executive said both operators and ISPs would find value in possessing spectrum on the 2600 band as it could help provide last-mile connectivity.

While U Thein Than Toe alleged the telcos dont want new challengers in the market, Mr Meza said Ooredoo welcomes competition.

However, he said the upcoming auction would drastically shake up the markets competitive landscape.

The accepted norm internationally is that four mobile operators in a given market is optimal for ensuring sustainable competition for the benefit of all, he wrote in an email last week. To now so dramatically deviate from that position is harmful to the investment we have made and to a sustainably competitive market.

Part of the [2600MHz] auction plan is to issue seven new licencees on this band, so effectively there would be seven new licensees with frequencies allocated on the [2600MHz band] which would bring the total market to 11 players  something that is clearly not sustainable.

As to those that may bid in the upcoming auction, a Telenor spokesperson said the company had submitted an expression of interest (EOI) last week.

At this point, we are open on the decision to participate in the auction, the spokesperson said.

U Thein Than Toe confirmed yesterday his company had also sent in an EOI. Ooredoo declined to comment on the status of its participation, as official guidelines for the auction had not yet been published.
As authentic Kachin wine flowed freely, art buyers and socialites milled around the Pansodan Scene Gallery on February 20, writing their names beneath the uniquely painted parasols hanging from the walls.





From 6pm to 8:30pm, the silent auction of Better Burmese Health Cares Parasol Project raked in over US$9500 for the groups clinics, which offer affordable healthcare at locations around the city. The artists who created the pieces also profited, taking home half of each sale.

It went well, said Robert Berg, a board member of BBHC and the visionary behind the Parasol Project. Some things we can improve on, but we were pleased.

The second iteration of the event aimed to build on 2014s inaugural project, which raised US$16,000  more than any other BBHC fundraiser.

After selling 43 parasols for a total of $10,350, however, the BBHC take away will be just over $5000, well short of their previous benchmark. Even when the proceeds from general donations and raffle sales are included, the fundraiser will have brought in a little less than $10,000.

Berg said the silent auction concept was new to Myanmar and indicated they might move away from that model in the future.

I think people do enjoy it. Im not sure if we will continue in that vein but  people are appreciating it  certainly the artists, he said. People bidding up instead of down? Artists love that concept.





The novel idea, explained on posted signs around the gallery, had ex-pats and locals alike hovering near their favorite pieces as the deadline neared. Berg said it was exciting to see some of the savvier shoppers camping out near their favorite pieces as the deadline neared.

A couple of small bidding wars broke out, he said, laughing. A few shrewd women waited till the last second, eBay-style.

A number of donated prizes were also raffled away at K3000 per ticket. The raffle alone raised more than $2770  enough to pay for 277 months of diabetes medication for patients who visit one of BBHCs seven Yangon clinics.

Now we have patients that come in from Dala because they know theyre going to get honest healthcare, Dr Jalin Sama, a BBHC founder, said.

Those still interested in purchasing parasols can do so via the betterburmesehealthcare.org webpage, and Berg said they plan to sell the remaining parasols at a fundraiser in the United States in the coming months. Already, plans are being laid for another parasol project in December 2016.

We are trying to do this as a yearly event in Yangon, he said.
Canadian author Karen Connellys 2005 novel The Lizard Cage, a memoir of Myanmar political prisoners lives in the notorious Insein Prison, has been translated into the Myanmar language. The book in translation was launched at Pansodan Scene gallery on February 19.





It tells the harrowing story of a political prisoner, based on blow-by-blow accounts of a number of inmates the author met in Thailand. The novel is set in the 1990s.

They wouldnt let us read or write, so we used toilet paper to write on. If we were caught, we were kept shackled and starved as punishment, said Ko Kyaw Zwa Moe, an editor with Irrawaddy magazine, who features in the book.

Ko Kyaw Zwa Moe was sentenced to 18 years for his peaceful protest in 1988. After his release, he moved to Thailand where his brother Ko Aung Zaw founded Irrawaddy and has worked for the magazine ever since. He met Karen Connelly in Thailand and related his experiences in the prison.

We smoked cigars and talked about how I passed those days, he said.

All the stories in the book were told to me by former political prisoners. One of them said he had to eat lizards to survive because the food was so inadequate. Being Buddhists, they felt compassion for lizards. This book is also about Buddhism. What we do to others in order to survive is partly the theme, Connelly told participants at the book launch.

The last time she was in Myanmar, to research for the book, was in December, 1996. After observing and photographing the student protest at Hledan junction in Yangon, she didnt get another entry visa.





She was living on the Thai border and continued her interviews with former political prisoners. At that time, most of the prisoners she had access to were men. She spent 10 years researching the book.

Even under inhumane conditions and in a very brutal situation, it was remarkable how they struggled to lead good lives amid the evils that surrounded them. Despite the impact of dictatorship, people are generous and show human goodness and resilience, she said.

And theyre funny. Burmese people have a sense of humour. People were telling me these tragic stories, and they were laughing and funny. I love that, she said.

The Lizard Cage is a good book that recorded the true stories of how political prisoners survived severe conditions inside the prison, Ko Kyaw Zwa Moe said.

The Lizard Cage (Eain Hmaung Hlaung Eain) in translation is available at bookstores, for K4000.
It was a swell, elegant party, a swirl of nostalgia even on the cutting edge of the future. Yangons River Gallery is 10 years old. It celebrated the occasion with a party on February 20 that brought together some of the countrys most storied artists, amid their works. The exhibition assembled to mark the anniversary will run through March 6.





More than 50 new pieces are on display, mostly paintings, but also including two installation artworks. They range from intriguing to outstanding, and repay a quantity of profound ncontemplation.

The owner of the gallery, Gill Pattison, said, Mostly, Im astonished. I think to myself, How did that happen? When I first started the gallery I didnt know it would last 10 months, let alone 10 years.

I feel very lucky to have been able to run a gallery in Yangon during these years, and work with such a talented bunch. Many of the artists whose work I show today started out with me 10 years ago, so we are old friends. Im glad to have shared the journey with them and been able to expose their work to a larger audience.

The gallery on its birthday was filled with friends, artists and audience members who love art. Even the introduction of the artists responsible for the paintings on the walls was a kind of work of performance art in itself.

First came the sound of a bicycle bell, then entered the trishaws, each trishaw artist sitting and waving with a big smile as Pattison announced their names amid much merriment.





Front and centre stood Pattison herself, happy and proud.

My most treasured moments have been when Ive seen our artists getting recognised in the wider world  winning competitions, having shows abroad, becoming well-known here in Myanmar. The artists are the one we should salute  even through the darkest days, they keep on creating works of tranquil beauty.

Those who knew no better might have been surprised to find that Myanmar can boast so many talented artists producing such high-quality work. This is the culmination of Pattisons effort and experience over the years.

It hasnt all been smooth sailing. The censorship regime was bothersome for artists, as they had to be very careful in their choice of subject. But many of the artists did manage to insert subtle political messages in their paintings, which they would explain to me, and I could in turn convey to the people

interested in the paintings. Knowing that people from abroad understood their plight made them feel less alone.

The first River Gallery at The Strand Hotel opened in November 2005 and the second, in October 2013, in the Chindwin Chambers, right next door.

Pattison spoke of her experience in working with local artists, crediting Myanmar artists as being easy to work with and dependable. With no public support for the visual arts, she has found the local artists to be both resourceful and resilient in the face of setbacks. They also know opportunity when they see it.

When I first started the gallery, they showed touching faith in me, handing over their best work to display in the gallery, she said.

Because the art education opportunities here are limited, I want to see what I can do to expand artists options for further training and exposure to the global art scene. Over time, Im sure the country will develop an art ecosystem, but in the interim we have to do what we can with what we have.

Artist Zaw Zaw Co said, Ive been working with River Gallery for nearly four years. Its really pleasant to work with Gill, and together we can show what we want to draw, not only in Myanmar, but also overseas.

This exhibition is quite special for us because the artworks we create for the exhibition are different from what we usually create. So we have more fun, he added.

Khin Zaw Latt said, Ive been working with Gill since the beginning of River Gallery. It was the gallery that made me a professional.

The special thing about this exhibition is that it makes us create something out of the ordinary. Usually you can tell at a glance who painted what, but now you have to check the nameplate.

River Gallery didnt discriminate among artists based on their experience, age or success, he said. They were always looking for something extraordinary.
Tourism industry leaders in Bagan have condemned a Ministry of Culture decision to ban visitors from climbing on ancient pagodas in the world-renowned archaeological zone.





Watching the sunset from the top of a pagoda is one of Bagans main tourism drawcards, and is regularly cited as a must-do when visiting Myanmar. But yesterday the Ministry of Culture said all climbing on pagodas would be banned from March 1, following public backlash against a video showing a song-and-dance performance on top of one structure.

The ministry said in a post to its Facebook page that it took the decision because a medical company had conducted a cultural show on Pyathagyi Pagoda in the second week of February, describing dancing and singing on pagodas as having an ugly impact on Myanmars culture.

The ban will also ensure the pagodas are maintained for the long term, the ministry said.

The growing number of local and foreign visitors to Bagan  the number of foreigners has more than doubled since 2011, from 120,000 to 250,000 last year  means hundreds are turning up each evening to ascend the temples, placing strain on the ancient structures.

But tourism business operators in Bagan were scathing of the decision, which they said was poorly thought out and damaging for the industry.

Im totally against the decision. The main reason tourists come here is to enjoy the views from the pagodas. This will damage the image of Bagan, said U Zaw Win Cho, chair of the Bagan Guide Association.





We want this decision to be reconsidered. They can punish this [medical] company directly. If they think climbing damages the pagodas, they should only allow it on temples that have no ancient art, have a strong structure and can hold over 300 people. That would solve the problem, he said.

Another business owner in Bagan suggested that alternative viewing sites should be arranged before any ban is introduced.

Tourists will be upset when they come and visit to Bagan but are not allowed to climb the pagodas, said U Khin Maung Htwe from New Bagan, who runs a travel agency and restaurant. He said businesses were also upset at the ministrys failure to consult with them before making decisions about managing the archaeological site.

Bagan has more than 3000 ancient pagodas and temples, of which five are particularly popular for watching sunsets: Shwesandaw, Thitsarwady, Pyathetgyi, Shwenanyindaw and Oah Chan Pae Kone.

As The Myanmar Times reported last month, the Japan International Cooperation Agency has proposed building a raised earthen bank at the northwest corner of Nyaung Lat Phat pond near Sulamani temple for tourists to watch sunsets. The proposal is being considered by the government.
Strident Buddhist nationalists are lobbying against talk of a constitutional amendment that could allow Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to become president. A contingent of students, monks and politicians has applied for permission to demonstrate to protect the military-drafted constitution at Bo Sein Hman ground in Bahan township on February 28.





The charge is being lead by a youth nationalist network called Charming Smile, which anticipates a turnout of 500 people. Group leader Ko Thet Myo Oo said Charming Smile was formed last year, and now includes 50 members. He expects the rally will involve at least 10 other nationalist-minded groups who want to preserve section 59(f) of the constitution, which bars Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from the presidency because her sons are foreign citizens.

The clause also forbids anyone with foreign citizenship, a foreign spouse, or a foreign son-in-law or daughter-in-law from being president or vice president.

Rather than relax the criteria, Ko Thet Myo Oo said he wanted to see it tightened further, with further nationalist sections added to the constitution.

We, the supporters of nationalism, cannot accept amendments to this section of the constitution to relax the presidential eligibility criteria, he said.

The National League for Democracy is believed to be lobbying to suspend or remove the provision in order to allow Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to become president.

In May 2014, the party launched a campaign  also at Bo Sein Hman ground  to amend sections 59(f) and 436, which gives the military a veto over constitutional change, but its proposals were rejected in parliament last year.

Rumours that the NLD is looking for loopholes to get around the provision have sparked intense debate, including within the Committee to Protect Nationality and Religion, which is better known by the Myanmar-language acronym Ma Ba Tha.





Outspoken hardline monk U Wirathu, who supported campaigns against the NLD during the election, has been invited to the upcoming rally. According to organisers, he will not be in attendance, but will be sending a speech to be read at the event.

Not all of the nationalists participating wish to block the NLD leader entirely, however.

We are unified in our support of section 59(f) under the shared view of nationalism. We do not want the clause to be amended or omitted to allow someone to become president, said Ko Win Ko Ko Latt, chair of the Myanmar Nationalist Network and a scheduled speaker at the coming event.

He admitted, however, that he supports the Nobel laureates bid to lead the country.

I also wish for her to be president, just without amending the existing provisions of the 2008 constitution, he said.

In addition to U Wirathu and Ko Win Ko Ko Latt, organisers have invited Daw Khin Wine Kyi, a former MP from the National Democratic Force, and U Aye Pai, a lawyer and leading member of Ma Ba Tha, to speak at the rally.

The event is not officially supported or sponsored by Ma Ba Tha, which has said the organisation will remain neutral on an item for parliaments perusal, even as leading members take individual stands.

Ma Ba Tha central committee member U Parmaukkha, also known as Magwe Sayadaw, said he would accept a suspension of the constitution to enable Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to become president as it would benefit the people of Myanmar.

I will support her if she becomes president, he said. I would like to urge the hluttaw to prioritise the peoples interests.

U Parmaukkhas remarks have earned the ire of many within the nationalist community.

We heard some respond that the Magwe Sayadaw is a fair-weather friend or unfaithful to the nationalist cause, said Ko Win Ko Ko Latt. I dont agree with this accusation  everybody should have the right to say freely and openly their opinions or beliefs.

Event organiser Ko Thet Myo Oo urged every citizen in Myanmar to consider the legacy of amending the constitution for one person. The constitution should outlast a lifetime, and support and protect the country in perpetuity, he added, describing a change for one leader as short-sighted.

Despite our personal wishes, he said, our leaders should be thinking about protecting the country for all the generations to come when making such important decisions.
Government negotiators met non-signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement in northern Thailand yesterday, two days after announcing plans to coax them back into the peace process.





Few details about the Chiang Mai meeting were made available yesterday. The government delegation was led by chief negotiator U Aung Min, a minister in the Presidents Office, while the recently formed Delegation for Political Negotiation, formed by the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), represented ethnic armed groups.

None of the UNFCs current members have signed the nationwide ceasefire.

For peace building, we never feel tired, U Nyo Ohn Myint, a peace negotiator at the European Union-funded Myanmar Peace Cen-ter, posted on his Facebook account after the meeting.

MPC members said they would urge groups outside of the nationwide ceasefire to reconsider their positions. Eight armed groups signed the accord in October 2015, but around a dozen groups have not. Several of these  including two UNFC members  were blocked from signing by the government.

We have not closed the door to non-signatories. We are still trying, chief government negotiator U Aung Min told The Irrawaddy.

The meeting focused on finding a way to proceed with the peace process. We had a general discussion. We did not achieve a special result but we talked about how to continue with the peace process and exchanged our attitudes on peace building, a senior UNFC member was quoted as saying.





The peace process has come under increasing pressure as the Restoration Council of the Stan State/Shan State Army-South, which signed the nationwide ceasefire, has clashed with the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan State in recent weeks.

The TNLA has accused the Shan army of working together with government troops, an allegation the RCSS denies.

U Aung Min also met with RCSS chief Lieutenant General Yawd Serk in Chiang Mai yesterday, where they discussed the groups conflict with the TNLA.

Members of the MPC will remain in Chiang Mai until February 26 for talks.
An upper-house MP representing the TaArng (Palaung) National Party has hit out at the Tatmadaw for calling on only one side to cease fire in the clashes that have ravaged northern Shan State.





In an exclusive interview with The Myanmar Times on February 19, U Nyi Sein, the Amyotha Hluttaw for Shan State constituency 5, denounced the ceasefire demand as unfair and one-sided. He is one of the partys two MPs in the upper house.

Prolonged armed clashes in Kyaukme township have driven thousands of villagers from their homes since fighting broke out on February 7 between the TaArng National Liberation Army and the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South. The RCSS/SSA has signed the national ceasefire agreement, and the TNLA has not.

When there is conflict between Palaung and Shan ethnic armed groups, it is unfair for the Tatmadaw to call on just one side to surrender, U Nyi Sein said.

Observers and local residents say that the signatory RCSS is effectively allied to the government forces, although the RCSS has denied this is the case.

Calling on the TNLA to cease fire is a punishment. The Shan group has already signed the NCA, which makes it an ally of the Tatmadaw, he said.

The MP described the conflict as a territorial dispute arising from attempts by the RCSS to enlarge its forces and the area under its control.

The RCSS wants to control TNLA territory. The TNLA was willing to negotiate with them. There were only 30 members of the RCSS in Namkham township before the fighting broke out. There used to be only 50 of them in Kyaukme, but there are thousands now, he said, adding that the Shan armed group had forced the conflict on the TNLA.





Local residents have told the media of shelling by heavy weapons and detention and torture carried out by armed men in Kyaukme township. Most interviewed by The Myanmar Times described the TNLA as the aggressor, and said Palaung soldiers had committed most of the abuses.

In Pictures: On the front lines in northern Shan State

Clashes have also broken out in Namkham township, but the heaviest fighting has occurred in Kyaukme.

Parliament has begun to call for an end to the fighting.

The number of displaced people in Kyaukme continues to grow. We dont want war. Parliament has to find a solution. We all bear a responsibility on humanitarian grounds to stop the fighting, U Nyi Sein said.

The nationwide ceasefire signed last October in Nay Pyi Taw engages only eight of the more than 20 ethnic armed groups. The TNLA and two other allied groups fighting against the Tatmadaw in the Kokang region of Shan State were blocked from participating in the peace process by the government.

U Nyi Sein said the TNLA was ready to take part in negotiations with the government and the Tatmadaw for a broader ceasefire, but this would require flexibility on both sides.

Parliaments current position is like a threat to the TNLA to lay down its arms, he said.

The TNLA is said to be several thousand strong and reportedly controls villages in the townships of Manton, Namsan, Namkham, Muse, Kutkai, Namtu, Kyaukme, Hsipaw, Lashio and Mogok.

Translation by San Lay and Zar Zar Soe
The spectre of drought is already hanging over a Mandalay township, where villagers are being forced to pay K50,000 per load of water as their wells dry up.





Taungtha township, Mandalay Region, has been facing water shortages as nearby lakes and wells go dry, said Ko Si Thu, who works with a local youth group supplying water.

Dry conditions not normally experienced until April were noted as early as January, local residents say. Its too early for the lakes to dry up, said Ko Si Thu.

Freshwater wells in most villages have dried up and the main water resource for the town, Bone Sin Dam, has only about 60 centimetres (2 feet) of water left, he said.

The tanker used by the youth group to deliver water can carry only 1600 gallons, forcing many villagers to club together for further deliveries at up to K50,000 each.

The further villages are from the town the more they have to pay, he said.

Government attempts to dig wells last year failed, said Ko Si Thu. Not enough rain came to fill the wells. About 90 percent of them are dry.

U Thant Zin, a member of the Democratic Party for a New Society, who has toured the villages, said some of the Taungtha wells yielded only undrinkable water that raised blotches on the skin of villagers when they bathed in it. Some of them suffered hair loss.





They need water that they and their cattle can drink, he said.

Community-based groups in Taungtha are storing medicines and advising residents to boil water in order to avoid diarrhoea, said Ko Si Thu.

Last year 32 villages had cases of diarrhoea during water shortages. This year we are preparing medicines in case of a recurrence, he said.

Taungtha township has a population of 300,000 in 231 villages.

Translation by Kyawt Darly Lin
Ominous signs of drought and excessive heat are already causing concern around Inle Lake. Reports of a powerful El Nino phenomenon bringing hot weather and low rainfall in its train are disturbing farmers, residents and businesses around the lake.





Long-term deforestation in the lakes watershed area has already contributed to year-on-year falls in the water level. Low rainfall has reduced the amount of water entering the lake in the wet season, and the collapse of sections of the lakeside have produced greater silting.

At its deepest extent, the lake-bed is little more than 1.3 metres (4 feet) below the surface, and lakeside residents complain of odours from the water.

The water level in the lake is already falling, exposing sandbanks near the shoreline and raising concerns about navigation, Inle resident U Myo Nyunt told The Myanmar Times on February 20.

This years El Nino means the whole country is likely to suffer water shortages, and were worried about our drinking water sources. Its already hot, and its going to get hotter.

Since at least 2010, worries have been voiced that the lake is drying up, a threat to the thriving tourist trade. That year an El Nino system left much of the lakebed dry during the summer months of April and May, and prompted environmentalists to warn that unless the supply of water from the 29 streams and creeks that feed the lake, the countrys second-largest, was increased, the lake could dry up altogether. Bird and fish species are decreasing in number, local residents say.

We have to prepare for a lowering of the water level, said Nyaungshwe township MP U Nay Myom. It will be worse than last year. New channels will have to be dug, and damage will be caused to fields and the environment.





U Thar Doe, chair of Nyaungshwe township-based Sein Hla Nandar Regional Development Organisation, said, Current trends indicate that more villages will undergo water shortages than did in 2010. Irrigation can help, but it will have to be extended further. There is some urgency about conservation.

But last month U Kyaw Kyaw Oo, head of the township department of the agriculture and irrigation ministry, told The Myanmar Times that navigation would not be affected in April and May even if water levels fell slightly as expected.

Conservation efforts are in process to prevent landslides near water routes. We are working to maintain transportation by constructing silt protection dams in the creeks that result in the removal of 200,000 to 300,000 truckloads of sand a year.

One resident said, The drying of the lake would cause us great difficulty, both for transportation and for drinking water. We dont want this beautiful lake to dry up.

Translation by Khant Lin Oo
In the midst of a stand-off with local authorities, anti-drug campaign group Pat Ja San is lobbying the National League for Democracy to address the issue of opium poppy cultivation in parliament.





The Christian drug-fighting vigilantes  notorious for their hardline tactics  have been encamped in Waingmaw township, Kachin State, since police blocked a poppy-clearing mission last week.

U Lagang Ze Jone, an NLD lower house MP for Waingmaw, told The Myanmar Times yesterday that he would submit a proposal following the groups urging.

They seek support from parliament for their poppy-clearing campaigns. They said they need parliaments help as they have encountered some problems with their campaign, he said, adding that he would submit the proposal within the week.

The request puts the NLD in a tight spot mediating between ethnic armed groups, the military and impoverished farmers. Poppy cultivation serves as a major source of revenue for several ethnic armed groups, as well as corrupt military and government officials, according to the US State Department. The military has been loath to crack down on the illicit trade in part to avoid alienating allied ethnic groups, according to narcotics experts.

In power-sharing talks with the NLD, the military is reported to have lobbied for control of the regional governments in conflict-hit Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states. The latter two are both epicentres of the countrys opium production, which is the largest in Southeast Asia, and second in the world only to Afghanistan.

Mostly young, Christian and ethnic Kachin, Pat Ja San vigilantes have previously sought help from the government and the Tatmadaw to pursue their campaign against local poppy growers, who responded with deadly force to earlier attempts to destroy their crop.

On February 3, a Pat Ja San clearing team accompanied by soldiers clashed with cultivators protecting their subsistence crop. After the incident, the Tatmadaw said security could not be provided for further clearance attempts.





Despite several meetings with local authorities, more than 3000 Pat Ja San campaigners are still barred from clearing target areas in Sadon and Kambaiti sub-townships. Last week, the group vowed to re-launch the clearing efforts despite the threat of violence and government backflip on promises of protection. The ranks of anti-narcotic devotees have swelled as police and military personnel have been deployed to block the campaigners in Washaung village.

Tension heightened after some members of Pat Ja San and military personnel got into an argument during a meeting last week. A soldier began quarrelling with a member of Pat Ja San who was recording the negotiations.

Looking to ease the feud, the minister for security and border affairs in Kachin State yesterday told Pat Ja San leaders that campaigners could proceed in six locations near Kambaiti accompanied by security forces.

Pat Ja San refused the offer, citing concerns that the six proposed areas are not major poppy cultivation sites.

We replied that we are not going to follow their plan. We will go on in accordance with our own plan, said Daung Hkong.

The police deputy chief said he would present Pat Ja Sans response to his superiors, he said.

Kachin Baptist Convention general secretary Reverend Samson Hkalam said the group plans to meet with the state government to discuss the block on its activities.

As a last attempt, we are going to meet state government to negotiate to let us go to the poppy fields, he said.

He also confirmed that the campaign leaders have sent a letter to the Waingmaw Pyithu Hluttaw MP to try to secure his support in parliament.

During the meeting on February 21, Pat Ja San members said they were told by police officers that poppy cultivators had requested eradication efforts be delayed a year to allow farmers to find alternative forms of income.

They told us to wait one more year when we tried to destroy poppy fields last year, said Daung Hkong. Every year, the requests to delay are the same. Nothing has changed.

However, according to government statistics provided to the UN, some 1495 hectares (3694 acres) of poppy fields were eradicated in Kachin State in the 2015 season compared with just 395 hectares the year before.

UN Office on Drugs and Crime surveys of poppy-growing farmers have found that money for food drives farmers to produce poppies, with cultivation money essential to stave off food insecurity, debt and poverty. Farmers have previously requested rice subsidies if fields are eradicated.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has warned her partys Speakers and their deputies to meet the expectations of the public  and, in particular, to avoid any hint of corruption.





The NLD chair met Speakers and deputies from 12 state and region hluttaws in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.

While she spoke about the future plans of the regional parliaments, she avoided discussing the formation of state and region governments, attendees told The Myanmar Times.

U Aung Kyaw Oo, Speaker of the Mandalay Region Hluttaw, told The Myanmar Times that the NLD leader was worried about disappointing voters and encouraged unity between the hluttaws.

We didnt discuss the formation of state and regional governments. She [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] just advised us to perform the duties of parliament with goodwill and to avoid corruption during our five-year terms, he said.

The party leader also urged the inclusion of military representatives in the parliamentary committees  under the previous government they could only participate as observers  and to ensure checks and balances between regional governments and parliaments.

Kachin State deputy speaker U Kham Lee said that the NLD chair advised the Speakers and their deputies to follow the law and not make errors while doing their jobs.





But U Kham Lee was able to voice one concern of his own. [I told her that] the vehicle we are given is consuming too much fuel and the quality is low. She [Daw Aung San Suu Kyi] replied that she will address this after the government is formed, he said.

Today, talks will focus on the formation of the Myanmar Parliamentary Union (MPU), a new committee comprised of the Speakers and deputy speakers of each hluttaw. The committee is designed to improve coordination between the various legislative bodies and will be led by Mahn Win Khaing Than, the Speaker of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.

The agenda of the formation of the Myanmar Parliamentary Union will be more important than todays meeting, said U Aung Kyaw Khaing, Speaker of the Ayeyarwady Region parliament.

Read more: State & Region Hluttaws, in graphics

The constitution gives the president the power to nominate chief ministers to all 14 states and regions, regardless of the seat breakdown in the local parliament.

The NLD controls 12 of the 14 state parliaments. In Rakhine State, the Arakan National Party holds the Speaker and deputy speaker positions, while in Shan State the Union Solidarity and Development Party controls the post thanks to its alliance with military MPs.
Health officials are to continue their polio vaccination campaign beyond the official end of the program, which was yesterday, as it emerged that even in downtown Yangon less than half the under-fives eligible had been inoculated.





The US$4 million Supplementary Polio Immunisation Campaign targeted 4.6 million children, to be vaccinated in the three-day period of February 20 to 22. But as of last night, officials in Yangons Kyauktada township admitted that they had reached only 47.9 percent of the children they had targeted on February 20 and 21. Health officials were unable or declined to give figures for other townships.

Dr Htar Htar Lin, program manager of the vaccination campaign in the Department of Public Health, said efforts would continue. We dont want any children to miss out, so we have a plan to make sure that the program is carried out throughout the country, especially in conflict zones.

Children in rural areas will be able to get the vaccine at rural health centres, while in urban areas it will be distributed at Department of Public Health offices.

Dr Mya Thet Win, head of the Kyauktada Department of Public Health, said the campaign required at least 90 percent coverage to be successful. We invite the parents of any child who remains to be vaccinated to come to a government clinic, she said.

Roving teams located and vaccinated 443 of the 925 children in the township on February 20 and 21 who were supposed to receive the treatment, she said, adding that she was still confident of reaching the 90pc mark.

Some parents thought it was unnecessary because their children have already received inoculation, and others are migrant workers who could not attend the clinic, she said.





Dr Thaung Hlaing, head of the Rakhine State Public Health Department, said that in two townships, Buthidaung and Maungdaw, all children under 10 had received the oral polio vaccine, because two children in Maungdaw were found to have developed vaccine-derived polio virus last year.

In other townships in the state, we vaccinated under-fives. We will continue to offer vaccinations for any remaining children, he said.

Daw Cho, grandmother of two small children, said yesterday that they had skipped the campaign period but would get the vaccination later. We cant go to the clinic because the childrens mother is busy. But theyve already received the routine vaccination. When their mother comes back, she will take them, Daw Cho said.

According to Department of Public Health, polio virus type 2 was eradicated globally in 1999. A second type of vaccine, Inactivated Polio Vaccine, was introduced in December 2015 and will be given to all four-month-old infants one time only.

Dr Htar Htar Lin said the department would destroy all remaining supplies in May, once the country is clear of type 2 of the virus. The use of oral polio vaccine will then be discontinued, and children will instead get an injected IPV vaccine, which involves type 1 and type 3 polio virus.
Stephen M. Flatow is an attorney living in New Jersey. He is the father of Alisa Flatow who was murdered by Palestinian terrorists in April 1995 and founder of the Alisa Flatow Memorial Scholarship Fund.





Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work as well as a big vote to follow our good friend Kay Wilson on Twitter.

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..Times of Israel..23 February '16..One of the most interesting items in the latest batch of Hillary Clintons emails is a message from a left-wing Israeli leader complaining about the Obama administration being too soft on Hezbollah and Hamas.The email in question was sent to then-Secretary Clinton in 2011 by Tzipi Livni, who at the time was the head of the Israeli opposition. Livni wrote to Clinton of her frustration that in the case of Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the international community had limited its definition of democracy to the technical conduct of voting and failed to insist that those who sought the benefits of the democratic process accept its underlying principles as well.The result, as you know, she wrote to Secretary Clinton, was to give a measure of democratic legitimacy and power to forces that were plainly not committed to democratic principles and that continue to pose a danger to their own societies and to their neighbors.Livni was drawing attention to a serious problem: the ability of Arab terrorists to exploit democratic electionsand the policy of the Obama administration to turn a blind eye, leaving Israel to deal with the consequences.In Livnis view, those who sought the benefits of the democratic process  meaning, those parties that wanted to compete in democratic elections in Arab countries should be allowed to do so only if they accept its underlying principles as well  meaning that they would need to sincerely embrace the basic principles of democracy, or they could not participate in the elections.Livni was responding to the dangerous developments that occurred on Israels northern and southern borders in recent years.In the north, the Hezbollah terrorists were permitted to take part in Lebanons elections without having to change anything about their behavior or platform. They ran in the 2004 municipal elections and captured 21 percent of the nations municipalities. Then in the 2005 general parliamentary election, Hezbollah won 14 seats nationwide, and a Hezbollah-Amal joint faction won all 23 of the seats in southern Lebanon. As a result, Hezbollah became a partner in the governing coalition and was awarded two cabinet seats.Hezbollahs role in the national government has helped prevent the regime from taking any action against the 100,000-plus rockets that Hezbollah has stationed near the Lebanon-Israel border. By exploiting democracy to gain a share of power, Hezbollah strengthened its ability to continue its terrorist buildup without interference.Meanwhile, at Israels southern border, Hamas was allowed to take part in Palestinian elections in Gaza in January 2006 without having to change anything about its platform or behavior, either. Hamas won that election. The new Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, initially formed a coalition government with Fatah, but then later got into a mini-war with Fatah and took over sole control of Gaza.The Bush administration declined to pressure Lebanon to keep Hezbollah out of its elections. In Gaza, the U.S. administration actively encouraged the holding of elections, despite Hamass refusal to change its ways. And the Obama administration has continued this folly of treating democratically-elected terrorists as legitimate rulers.The threat to Israel from Hezbollah and Hamas is not a right-wing or left-wing issue. All Israelis are the targets of Hamas rockets, and likewise all Israelis will be the victims of Hezbollahs huge arsenal of rockets when that day comes. Thus in her private email to Hillary Clinton, left-wing leader Tzipi Livni said exactly what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said many times.In the United States, of course, any party can take part in elections, no matter how extreme they are. Communists and neo-Nazis who favor the destruction of American democracy can run for office just like everybody else. America can afford to be generous in this respect because those extremist factions are so little that there is no danger of them actually gaining power and destroying the system that they exploited.Not so in the Arab countries. There are enough extremist voters in Lebanon and Gaza that terrorists have been able to rise through the very democratic system that they subsequently destroyed in Gaza and which they dream of destroying in Lebanon.State Department officials prattle about the need for democratic elections in the Arab world when they dont have to deal with the real-world consequences of such elections. Once again, it is Israel that is stuck facing the dangers caused by overseas meddlers.
As the Asia Pacific Conference for Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights (APCRSHR) begins in Nay Pyi Taw today, Yoriko Yasukawa, director of UNFPAs Asia-Pacific Regional Office, and Janet E Jackson, UNFPA representative for Myanmar, argue that adolescent girls are central to Myanmars future success on several fronts.





In Myanmar, the accelerating train of political and economic transition has a particularly youthful engine. More than half of the countrys people  51.4 percent  are below the age of 28, with five-to-14-year-olds the largest population group. Fertility rates have fallen and families are having fewer children. The country appears poised to reap a demographic dividend  the economic growth that can occur when a population shifts from one with many dependents and comparatively few working-age people to one of many working-age people with fewer dependents.

We are hopeful that todays young generation will contribute toward not only economic growth but also building a vibrant and robust democracy in Myanmar, one that progressively guarantees a peaceful, prosperous and fulfilling life for all the people of the country.

But whether Myanmar achieves this objective will depend on how well the country invests in providing its youth with education, economic and employment opportunities. These will be needed for sowing the seeds of genuine full citizenship for all young persons, but in particular adolescent girls, whose ability to achieve their full potential can alter the future course of the country.

Why adolescent girls? Visualise two scenarios. In one, an adolescent girl has little or no access to comprehensive sexuality education, or sexual and reproductive health and rights. Shes forced to leave school due to unintended pregnancy or to help her family earn a living. Shes not free to decide when to marry, how many children to have or when to have them. She may suffer illness, injury and death from childbirth. She doesnt have decent employment opportunities, and cant adequately provide for her children. Eventually, years down the road, shes confronted with an insecure old age. Not only is she unable to contribute to her countrys potential to harness a demographic dividend, shes unable to achieve her true potential and worth as a citizen and as a human being  a tragedy far greater.

In the other scenario, this adolescent girl accesses vital information and services in an environment that allows her to make optimal choices. She graduates from school. She marries whom she wants, when she wants. She chooses how many children to have and remains healthy through childbearing. Shes protected from gender-based violence and displacement. She has the opportunity for gainful and satisfying employment. She achieves her true potential and worth  as a girl, a woman, a citizen, a human being.

That, in turn, ensures that this adolescent girl of today helps Myanmar fully achieve a double dividend  demographic and democratic  of tomorrow.





The formula for this double dividend can be illustrated another way, by the three Es: education, employment and empowerment.

Education means equal access for girls and ndary education, which helps them acquire the knowledge and abilities to become responsible and productive citizens. Education must include comprehensive sexuality education, teaching girls and boys how to respect their own and their partners bodies and dignity, and providing access to information that allows them to protect their health and to avoid unintended pregnancy.

Employment means decent jobs, including for young people entering the workforce, with equal pay for equal work, and guaranteeing the rights of all workers, regardless of gender. Employment means engaging young people when developing national labour policies and strategies, so that young people are part of the process of shaping their future.

Underpinning all of this is the biggest E of them all: empowerment. Empowerment comes from rights-based policies that advance gender equality and conditions for a decent life for all people, seeking to eliminate all forms of discrimination and gender-based violence.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights are a key ingredient of empowerment  guaranteeing girls and women full, unfettered access to family planning supplies and services to help decide on the timing, number and spacing of their children freely and safely.

Empowerment comes from treating all people with the dignity and respect they deserve  regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity or any other labels that not only classify and identify but all too often are used to demean, discriminate and divide.

As the window for a demographic dividend opens ever wider in Myanmar, we hope the new government will seize this historic moment to ensure a life of dignity for all, leaving no one behind.

The future of Myanmar  and its millions of young people  depends on this.

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young persons potential is fulfilled.
Mobile World Congress is now in full swing, with many of the major product announcements and news stories happening on Sunday and Monday. The big name phone companies unveiled new smartphones (and many more mobile devices, accessories, laptops and gadgets, not forgetting mobile network technologies) in what looks like another bumper year of faster and sexier devices. Is it just me, or do almost all of todays flagship mobiles look eerily similar to the iPhone 6  unibody metal cases, smooth sides, and antenna bands across the back?

US mobile operator Verizon also announced that its continuing testing 5G in collaboration with Ericsson, Intel, Nokia, Samsung and Qualcomm. Unfortunately, 5G isnt exactly finalised in terms of the definition and approved international standards, with some disagreement over what the next-generation network actually is. AT&T also claimed this week that theyll have the edge over Verizon when it comes to 5G.

Heres a brief recap of some of the highlights in terms of new, novel or interesting devices, which was largely dominated by powerful smartphones, hybrid devices and virtual reality.

Samsung updates the Galaxy lineup

We already covered Samsungs two new high-end devices, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, but the reaction so far has been quite mixed. On the one hand, they improve upon the Galaxy S6 in every way, adding in features that were sorely missed last time around (such as the removable SD card and waterproofing). On the other hand, there arent as many new and innovative features that might tempt a few users to switch to Samsung, but the South Korean firm appears to have done enough to please its fans. Is it enough to stay at the top of the Android heap in 2016 though?

Sony Xperia X lineup

The latest Sony smartphones are the Xperia X, the Xperia X Performance and the Xperia XA, besides being good looking device, has focused heavily on improvements to the camera, which will even predict where the subject in your snaps will move to and adjust its focus accordingly. Its a technique the Japanese firm calls hybrid autofocus, and early impressions have been very positive. Sony has also improved its battery tech, and claim that the batteries will last longer the competition at up to 2 days. Without any major leap forwards in battery technology in recent years, anything that keeps your phone going longer is definitely welcome

You can read more about the new phones on Sonys mobile blog.

Nokia Ozo VR camera

Now out of the smartphone business, Nokia is focusing on other areas. As far as devices go, the companys Ozo virtual reality camera is an interesting device  being one of the worlds first cinema grade virtual reality recorder, which can record up to 45 minutes of 360-degree audio and video. Its not cheap though, coming in a wallet-busting $60,000 with some models costing even more. For movie makers however, its a viable option for professional content creation.

LG G5 modular phone

LG have really upped their game with the latest G5. Embracing modularity, you can swap out components (like the 2,800 mAh battery) from the bottom of the phone and insert another with the touch of a button. You can also switch in other components like the LG Cam Plus, or a special Hi-Fi module for much-improved sound, courtesy of Bang and Olufsen. Perhaps this is the future of mobile devices

HTC Vive VR device gets a launch date and price

HTC have just announced the price for its Vive virtual reality headset, and its not cheap. Pre-orders start on February the 29th, but it will set you back $799 for the unit and $200 more than a similar device by Facebook-owned Oculus.

HP Elite X3 super-sized phablet

HP surprised many at Mobile World Congress and announced a super-sized Windows 10 smartphone, the Elite X3 (the one device thats every device!). The phone can be used as both a phone and a laptop, and boasts 4 GB RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU and 64 GB of storage. The laptop/desktop mode is afforded by connecting the X3 to HPs USB Type-C dock, giving a fullscreen experience with a desktop monitor and keyboard. The X3 is squarely aimed at the business market, but it should also appeal to everyday consumers looking for a powerful, flexible Windows 10 phone.

Huawei MateBook, a Windows 10 hybrid device

Huawei is better known for its capable Android-based phones, but its just announced a Windows 10 hybrid laptop called the MateBook, which features the MatePen stylus, an Intel Core M CPU and a hi-res 2,560 x 1,440 LED touchscreen. Theres no word yet on UK pricing, but the higher-specced version with a Core M7 CPU and 8 GB of RAM which will set you back $1,599, while the cheaper M3-based version with 4G of RAM will cost $699.

Stay tuned this week for more Mobile World Congress news and updates.
[February 23, 2016] Thinfilm and SmartSign Align to Combat Counterfeit Products in Vietnam

Thin Film Electronics ASA ("Thinfilm") (OSE: THIN.OL; OTCQX: TFECY), a global leader in printed electronics and smart systems, today announced a partnership with SmartSign, a leading provider of digital security products and other technology-based solutions in Southeast Asia. The companies are leveraging Thinfilm's NFC OpenSense technology as a means of addressing rampant counterfeiting that currently exists in many Vietnamese markets, including wine and spirits, tobacco, and home health products. In delivering this next-generation anti-counterfeiting NFC solution throughout Vietnam, Thinfilm and SmartSign are initially focusing on the wine market in the wine/spirits segment, an industry that has been hit especially hard by fraud. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated in a 2014 report that "50% of all alcohol consumed in Vietnam is unrecorded," a scenario which poses major health risks, creates unfair competition for legitimate businesses, and deprives the government of much needed tax revenues. NFC OpenSense tags will help prevent these counterfeiting activities, as the proprietary technology allows the consumer, the brand, the retailer, and others throughout the supply chain to verify the authenticity of each bottle. A growing number of firms in the global wine industry have expressed interest in NFC OpenSense, including Australia-based Ferngrove Wines. Thinfilm, the G World Group and Ferngrove unveiled the world's first "smart wine bottle" powered by printed electronics at Mobile World Congress Shanghai in 2015. The group is planning to launch field trials in 2016. NFC OpenSense tags are thin, flexible labels that can detect a product's "factory sealed" and "opened" states and wirelessly communicate contextual content with the tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone or device. The tags contain unique identifiers that make it possible for brands and government agencies to authenticate products and track them to the individual-item level using powerful software and analytics tools. In combination with the NFC OpenSense tags, SmartSign has developed a custom mobile app and back-end software to ultimately deliver a powerful end-to-end anti-counterfeiting solution. Counterfeiting and illicit trade are pervasive in Vietnam, primarily due to high import taxes and the huge influx of fraudulent goods from neighboring China an Cambodia. Beyond wine and spirits, nearly one billion packages of counterfeit/illicit cigarettes are smuggled into the Vietnamese market each year. This figure represents nearly 25% of domestic consumption and costs the government more than US$200 million in lost taxes. The Vietnamese government recently established "Committee 389" to unite the Ministry of Commerce, the Customs Department, and the Police Department to proactively combat these increasing levels of product counterfeiting and illicit trade.



"In a region that continues to be significantly impacted by fake products and illegal trade, SmartSign has been a leader in providing commercial anti-counterfeiting solutions to the Vietnamese market," said Davor Sutija, CEO for Thinfilm. "We're pleased to partner with SmartSign and also excited that NFC OpenSense will play a key role in helping to mitigate these serious issues in Vietnam." Thinfilm and SmartSign will be demonstrating the solution at an Anti-Counterfeiting Workshop featuring NFC technology and SMS labels in March in Hanoi. Thinfilm will also be demonstrating other technologies in its product portfolio, including NFC Speedtap and Thinfilm Memory. It is expected that the event will be attended by several government agencies, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Customs Department, and the Police Department.

"The counterfeiting issue in Vietnam has grown steadily over the past several years and has severely impacted the country's ability to attract investment," said SmartSign's CEO, Nguyen Hoang Vu. "This solution enables the Vietnamese government to increase tax revenue and protect companies against unfair competition from illicit trade in counterfeit products. It also allows businesses to combat the proliferation of fraudulent products and, at the same time, provide relevant information to their valued customers through their smartphones." About Thin Film Electronics ASA Thinfilm is a leader in the development and commercialization of printed electronics and smart systems. The first to commercialize printed, rewritable memory, the Company is creating printed systems that include memory, sensing, display, and wireless communication (NFC), all at a low cost unmatched by traditional electronic technologies. Thinfilm's roadmap integrates technology from a strong and growing ecosystem of partners to enable the Internet of Everything by bringing intelligence to disposable goods. Thin Film Electronics ASA ("Thinfilm") is a publicly listed Norwegian company with headquarters in Oslo, Norway; product development and production in Linkoping, Sweden; product development, production, and business development in San Jose, California, USA; and sales offices in the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore. For more information, visit www.thinfilm.no. About SmartSign SmartSign is a leading provider of digital security products and technology-based solutions in Southeast Asia. The Company is developing certificate authority solutions that are effective, practical, and consistent with market demands for its customers, the community and shareholders. It is also one of the first enterprises in Vietnam to address the Public Key encryption infrastructure market, and has introduced several security products in an effort to socialize information technology in Vietnam, including Vina CA (News - Alert). Vina CA is a Public CA provider, approved by Ministry of Information and Communications. It began offering CA services in March 2013, and today is one of the leading providers in the market. Vina CA has operations in 3 major cities: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang. In early 2015, SmartSign introduced an SMS Anti-Counterfeit Stamp to the market which, in collaboration with Thinfilm, is now being expanded to an NFC-based solution. For more information, visit www.smartstamp.com.vn / www.smartsign.com.vn. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160223005671/en/

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Financial technology (fintech) is one of those things many of us are already using and don't even realize it. A broad term that covers a lot of ground, fintech can be just about anything from an insurance company's Web portal to a mobile payment app. A new effort from Efma, Avanade and Microsoft, meanwhile, will offer up a powerful new fintech portal to help the fintech community connect to potential markets in banks and insurance firms.

The portal represents what's considered to be the first such instance of a platform that connects fintech makers to potential institutional users. As Efma's CEO Vincent Bastid noted, the platform offers a means to help fintech provide solutions to financial institutions' needs and demands. The platform allows fintech firms to fill out a simple form, available at no charge, to make an account with the portal and post currently-available solutions to it.

The profile also gives fintech firms the opportunity to show off collective chops, bring in some publicity, and network with the growing array of Efma member institutions, now number over 3,300 across 130 different countries. Some of the largest banks on Earth are already connected to the portal in some way; reports suggest BNP Paribas, La Caixa and Santander are all backers of the portal.

Microsoft's financial services director for the EMEA, Patrice Amann, offered comment: Microsoft and its partners are empowering financial institutions to thrive in the digital age, and we are proud to be working with Efma and Avanade to support this initiative and connect the rapidly expanding fintech community with retail banks and insurance firms globally.

It almost sounds like a Craigslist for fintech; with users able to offer up various solutions to see if anyone's interested, and those looking for a means to augment services and better distinguish themselves from the competition likewise able to do so. Some might call the banking industry a hopeless, antiquated wreck, and with mobile payments and blockchains and crowdfunding, it really is getting harder to see why a bank is really all that necessary any more to begin with. Sure, there are some legacy functions that banks still accomplish wellcashing a paper paycheck among thesebut how long until direct deposit to a mobile payment system is the norm rather than the exception? For banks to keep up, they must offer the latest in technology to help make users' lives better; brick and mortar is suffering all over, and the nine-to-five bank branch is no different. Fintech can help improve that brick and mortar proposition, and make the whole thing betterand more resilientas a result.

Technology changes whatever it touches, from retail to healthcare to even banking. Fintech's growth can be a huge help to banks...or it can replace banks. Just which will happen is up to the banks.

Edited by Stefania Viscusi
REVE Systems is a Singapore-based company that specializes in Mobile VoIP platform solutions catering to carriers, enterprise service providers and calling card service providers.

Mike Anderson with REVE Systems sat down with TMC CEO Rich Tehrani at the 2016 ITEXPO Fort Lauderdale to chat about what the company has been working on and a look at whats happening in the market currently.

Anderson noted that a shift is happening currently in traditional services. So things like mobile VoIP apps are taking over in popularity now and this is not just beneficial to the user.

While it certainly brings more value to the end user, service providers are also gaining benefits as the shift away from traditional services occurs. This is because they are able to bring in additional revenue and attract more customers than with the standard traditional calling card and carrier services available in the past.

You cant talk about the future of technology solutions and not talk about WebRTC. Anderson noted that the company is putting out a new IM offering that is available through WebRTC so communications are capable through SIP and codecs. As the trend toward real time communications capabilities increases across markets, this is sure to be a valuable tool for carriers t offer.

In addition Anderson mentioned the company is offering a Hybrid dialer and has a keen focus on South America as a target market this year.

Theres no doubt that keeping innovation top of mind is critical in todays market. When it comes to mobile VoIP offerings, REVE Systems has a proven track record and based on its latest work, should have no problem continuing this growth and leadership into the future.

Edited by Maurice Nagle
Torri Lynn Ashford with a puppet at Matrix Theatre

The Matrix Theatre

This April, southwest Detroit's Matrix Theatre Company will celebrate a remarkable milestone: a quarter century of bringing unique performances to Detroit audiences. But before its formal birthday party, which will take place at a ticketed gala at the Gem Theatre on June 16, there is an even more appropriate way to celebrate Matrix's legacy of theatre, community, and social justice in Detroitby checking out the company's latest production, "agua de luna (psalms for the rouge)," a play comissioned especially for the theater's silver anniversary debuting later this month.Written by Obie Award-winning playwright Caridad Svich, the bilingual play explores how the lives of three couples intersect with a 108-year old woman named Teresa de Los Angeles. The show, which delves into themes like missed connections, being a survivor, and "everyday magic," runs from Feb. 26-March 20.Over its 25-year history, the Matrix Theatre Company has earned a reputation for working with community members to create original, locally-relevant productions. It also stages non-original shows (like "agua de luna") and runs a school that teaches youth ages 5-18 about playwriting, puppetry, and performance.Dr. Shaun Nethercott, who founded Matrix in 1991 with her husband Wes, says the theaters community-oriented programming stems directly from its social justice mission. "Matrix is really about using theater as a tool to build and change community," she says. "We do that by education. We do that by creating plays. We do that by using theater as a tool to engage with people on issues of concern for them."Prior to founding the Matrix, the Nethercotts, who are Wyoming natives, worked as freelance theater professionals during the 1980s, plying their trade in the American South and West and as far away as England. The couple's first glimpse of Michigan came when Shaun got a job in Flint working on a play about the 1936-37 Sit-Down Strike against General Motors. Later, the Nethercotts would venture to Detroit and be captivated by what they saw."We came to Detroit in '89 and saw that Detroit was really, really underserved artistically," says Dr. Nethercott. "There was so much foment and stress, even then, and so many people looking how to do it differently in Detroit. It was really exciting to us."The Nethercotts ended up moving to southwest Detroit and launching the Matrix Theatre Company on April 16, 1991. Initially, they sustained the project by touring the neighborhood and region with original plays. In 2001, they opened the Bagley Street playhouse that is now Matrixs home base.Depending on the project, the Matrix Theatre Companys original plays are written collectively by the Matrix Writers Circle , members of the community, or by youth attending Matrix's School of Theatre.Some more memorable productions include "Ambassador," which examined efforts by the company that owns the Ambassador Bridge to buy up property in southwest Detroit through the metaphor of La Malinche, the native wife of conquistador Hernan Cortes; "Southwest Story," a retelling of "Romeo and Juliet" that shed light on tensions between the citys Latino and African American communities; and the multi-year "Ghost Waters" initiative, a series of plays and puppetry projects centered around Detroits water heritage and resources.Throughout its history, Matrix has won numerous distinctions from institutions like the Oakland Press and Detroit City Counciland even a 2003 Governors Award for Arts and Culture.Its also developed strong local ties. When word gets out about a new production, folks often get in touch to share topically-relevant stories. In turn, the plays can also end up stimulating community dialogue.Nestled in one of the most diverse neighborhoods of Detroit, the Matrix Theatre has done an impressive job of getting people of a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and abilities involved in its work. Nethercott says she's especially proud of the youth whove been involved with Matrix, many of whom have gone on to become activists and community change-makers.Damon Whitman, 19, is one of those young folks who grew up with the theater company. Currently a student at Western Michigan University, he joined Matrix's summer camp in 2008 and went on to join the Matrix Teen Company and perform in several productions, including a lead role in "Southwest Story.""Matrix was a safe space where I would unleash my creativity and exchange ideas with others I learned that it was OK to be myself and that my ideas were worth listening to," he says. "Matrix pretty much influenced me to be the person I am today, and for that I'm forever grateful."Samer Ajluni, 49, who will be playing the role of Jos in "agua de luna," was already a theater veteran when he began working with Matrix in 2012. The American Academy of Dramatic Arts-trained actor got his first taste of the company playing Dr. Miranda in "Death and the Maiden" and has fond memories of its opening night, describing the support he received from Matrix youth as "overwhelming.""It reminded me of when I was in high school, discovering the drama class, and finally feeling like I belonged with a group of people," he says. "I think that is what Matrix provides to the communitya sense of belonging to all the people who feel like outsiders."As for "agua de luna," Ajluni says working with Caridad Svich and others on the play has been wonderful. Hes looking forward to seeing how audience members respond to the world premiere.Nethercott, too, is thrilled about the plays upcoming debut. For her, "agua de luna" both exemplifies Matrixs interest in community and social justice themes and holds potential to bring their vision of transformative theater to a wider stage."For it to be a community-based play of an internationally significant playwright is a big step forward for Matrix, she says. It's really exciting to be both rooted in place as we are and yet to start to have a little bit broader impact and become part of more national conversation about place and identity and power and voice. Its important!Matrix Theatre Company's production of "agua de luna" premieres Feb. 26 and runs through March 20. Click here for more information about that production and other events related to Matrix Theatre's 25anniversary celebration.David Sands is a Detroit-based freelance writer. Follow him on Twitter @dsandsdetroit Photos by Nick Hagen
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Kitchanga (RD Congo) (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon visited on Tuesday a camp for displaced people in the restive east of Democratic Republic of Congo where several shelters for people fleeing conflict are under threat of closure by the authorities.

Following a trip to neighbouring Burundi, Ban travelled about 80 kilometres northeast of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province to the Mungote camp, an AFP photographer reported.

The camp located in Kitchanga, a town of 80,000 inhabitants, is home to around 15,000 people, according to the United Nations.

The UN secretary-general met with some of the women in the camp and visited a school where he shared a hot lunch with children.

The number of displaced people in DR Congo stood at 1.6 million as of late September, with North Kivu province having the biggest share at 604,000, according to the UN Office of for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The east of the vast central African nation has been plagued with armed conflicts between rival militias over ethnic and land disputes for more than 20 years.

But the future of camps for those displaced appears in jeopardy after regional authorities in January dismantled a camp at Mokoto where 4,260 people lived, the UN said.

According to OCHA, the move it described as a "mass punishment" was sparked by the discovery of a weapon in a hut and the authorities gave "the humanitarian workers only a week to inform the population."

In December 2014, it was the discovery of weapons that led the North Kivu authorities to close a camp of 2,300 people and announce they would begin closing other camps for security reasons.
President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, pictured on November 27, 2004, is granted Ivorian nationality by decree. By Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

23.02.2016 LISTEN

Abidjan (AFP) - Toppled Burkina Faso president Blaise Compaore, who fled to Ivory Coast after his October 2014 ouster, has been granted citizenship there on his request, national media said Tuesday.

Both Compaore and a younger brother named Francois were granted Ivorian nationality by decree with their new citizenship published in the country's official journal January 18, but reported only Tuesday in the media.

The official journal shows the decree was signed by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara on November 17, 2014, less than a month after Compaore fled into exile when a popular revolt ended his 27-year-rule.

Compaore is wanted in Burkina Faso for threatening state security and an international warrant for his arrest was issued there in December for his alleged role in the mysterious 1987 killing of his comrade, ex president Thomas Sankara.
22.02.2016 LISTEN

More than 10 million people in Indias capital are without water despite the army regaining control of its key water source after protests, officials say.

Keshav Chandra, head of Delhis water board, told the BBC it would take three to four days before normal supplies resumed to affected areas.

Jat community protesters demanding more government jobs seized the Munak canal, the citys main water source on Friday.

Sixteen people have been killed and hundreds hurt in three days of riots.

Defiant India protesters stand ground in Haryana

The Munak canal supplies around three-fifths of water to Delhis 16 million residents.

Mr Chandra said that prior warnings meant that people had managed to save water, and tankers had been despatched to affected areas of the city, but that this would not be enough to make up for the shortfall.

Schools in the city were also closed after supplies from the canal were sabotaged during the protests.

The army took control of parts of the canal on Monday morning, but repairs are expected to take time.

.

The BBCs Sanjoy Majumder who is near Delhis border with neighbouring Haryana state, said protesters who have set up road blocks are refusing to budge.

We dont trust them. Lets get something in writing. Let them spell it out, one demonstrator who refused to be named told the BBC.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that the army was trying to assess in how much time water would reach Delhi and whether any damage had been done to the canal.

Protesters went on the rampage despite a curfew and the deployment of the army, which is reported to have opened fire on them in the districts of Rohtak and Jhajjar.

Haryana state minister Ram Bilas Sharma said the situation was returning to normal, traffic had resumed on national highways and that railway lines between Delhi and the cities of Jaipur and Chandigarh had reopened.

Mr Sharma also confirmed that the government would introduce a bill on reservations and quotas for the Jat community in the next assembly session, although he did not say when that would be.

Meanwhile, Indias federal government has said it will set up a top-level committee to look into the grievances of Jats.

The violence had earlier forced the closure of several key roads and national highways, and paralysed the railway system in northern India.

-bbc


22.02.2016 LISTEN

The German government has condemned a mob that tried to stop a bus from taking migrants to a shelter as cold-hearted and cowardly.

Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for Angela Merkel, apologised, calling the episode deeply shameful.

About 100 people in the Saxony town of Clausnitz on Thursday shouted we are the people and tried to block the bus carrying about 20 asylum seekers.

Video footage showing terrified migrants crying caused outrage.

How cold-hearted and cowardly one must be to stand in front of a bus with refugees and shout with the aim of frightening the passengers, including women and children, Mr Seibert said.

Two days after the protest in Clausnitz, a shelter for asylum-seekers was set alight in Bautzen while onlookers applauded.

Clausnitz  an angry mob welcomes those who were snatched from the jaws of death, tweeted @janboehm

Mr Seibert called for a clear response from government institutions and the majority of citizens.

This is not something that we can solve with rules from Berlin. It is something that we must, as a society, take a clear stance on, he told a press conference.

.

Meanwhile, local authorities replaced the director of the refugee shelter after reports linked him to the populist anti-immigration party AfD (Alternative for Germany).

The man, identified as Thomas Hetze, had criticised Berlins decision to take in war refugees, but decided to help the newcomers all the same, telling the Bild daily: Can one not be against the policy but still help anyway?

Matthias Damm, a member of local authority, said the decision to remove him from the asylum shelter was for his own safety.

AfD head Frauke Petry said her party was looking into the links that the refugee centre director has with the faction. She also warned against drawing conclusions about the episode as investigations are still ongoing.

Separately, it emerged that Mr Hetzes brother had organised the demonstration in Clauswitz.

Germany, which received 1.1 million asylum seekers last year, has recorded a rise in the number of attacks against migrant shelters.

The former Communist east in particular has seen a disproportionate number of far-right hate crimes.

-bbc


22.02.2016 LISTEN

The recent misunderstanding that occurred at Tafo between the Muslim youth and the Tafo traditional council, leading to the assault on the Tafo Chief and the loss of an innocent life, has driven the chiefs in Kumasi crackers.

At a traditional council meeting held in Kumasi last Thursday, the chiefs doubted the leadership qualities of the outgoing Ashanti Regional Minister, Peter Anarfi-Mensah, the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye and the Chief Executive Officer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Kojo Bonsu, as far as the impasse between the Tafo Sub-Traditional Council and the Tafo Muslim Community was concerned.

Dr. Baffour Osei Hyeaman Bantuo IV, who chaired the Kumasi Traditional Council (KTC) meeting, expressed worry over how the out-going Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Anarfi-Mensah, Nathaniel Kofi Boakye and Mr. Kojo Bonsu respectively handled the issue. The KTC has, therefore, called for the prosecution of perpetrators of the Tafo clashes without further delay.

The Council also asked the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to re-arrest the 48 people who were set free as part of the peace deal brokered by the National Chief Imam and the police, before the Council's next meeting at Manhyia this week. The KTC expressed its disappointment after the REGSEC had presented security details about the roadmap to restore calm at Tafo.

Dr. Baffour Osei Hyeaman Bantuo IV, who is also the Mawerehene, expressed shock over the decision taken by the Regional Coordinating Council, the KMA and the Ashanti Police Command to release the 45 people who were arrested for reportedly fueling the riot which has claimed one life, with others sustaining injuries.

Baffour Osei Hyeaman Bantuo IV questioned why the Police couldnt handle the riot, but had to call for reinforcement from the Military. Doubting the competence of DCOP Kofi Boakye and Kojo Bonsu as security heads, the Mawerehene asked what their inputs were in the Tafo issue.

A timely intervention by both the army and the police averted what would have been the bloodiest clash in the history of Ghana, between the Moslem youth the youth supporting the Tafo chief.

The clashes were said to have been ignited by an order from the Tafo chief for a fence wall which was being constructed around the Muslim section of the Tafo cemetery to be demolished.

According to reports, the Tafo chief claimed he was not informed about the construction, and so asked that the construction be halted. The chief was said to have sent men to demolish the fence wall, but members of the Muslim community protested, resulting in the clashes.

From Richard Owusu-Akyaw, Kumasi
Deputy General Secretary of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described EC Chair, Charlotte Osei, as a shadow of her predecessor, Afari Gyan.

Nana Obiri Boahen says Mrs Oseis handling of the controversial elections Steering Committee for the November polls leaves him without a doubt that Dr Afari Gyan was better.

Dr. Afari Gyan retired last year, after 22 years at post as EC Chairman.

The NPP Deputy General Secretary was reacting to announcement by the EC last Saturday that the 18-member Steering Committee had not been suspended.

Nana Obiri Boahen

Political parties after an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting a day before the announcement had thought otherwise.

The parties had indicated at the IPAC meeting that in the absence of a clear mandate for the Steering Committee and a transparent framework for selecting the committee members, it be suspended.

The EC is reported to have said it was going back to the 'drawing board', a reply the political parties had understood to mean the Committee had been suspended until further notice.

Obiri Boahen told Accra-based Citi FM Monday the back and forth by the EC regarding the contentious Committee and previous decisions by the national elections coordinator is unfortunate.

The EC had earlier this year turned down a request by the NPP for a new electoral roll.

Obiri Boahen thinks the ECs needless complication of issues about the Steering Committee can partly be blamed on the mentality of some of its staff.

As the Electoral Commission of Ghana, if you consider the utterances and comments of some of the members, you will know that they have outlived their usefulness, he said.
Paris (AFP) - Africa's tropical forests are threatened by a palm oil bonanza that has already razed millions of old-growth hectares in Southeast Asia, Greenpeace France warned Tuesday.

The NGO called on European palm and rubber plantation giant Socfin, which controls vast tracts of tropical land in more than half-a-dozen African nations, to join other multinationals in adopted so-called "zero deforestation" policies.

Dozens of global companies -- GAR, Cargill, and Agropalma among commodity producers, and Nestle, Unilever and L'Oreal among makers of consumer products -- have made pledges, though some are more stringent than others.

So far, Socfin -- majority controlled by Belgian businessman Hubert Fabri, with French billionaire Vincent Bollore holding 38.8 percent of the company's shares -- have failed to make similar commitments, Greenpeace said.

The stakes are high: palm oil, soy, paper pulp, and beef drive nearly three-quarters of deforestation in tropical areas, according to studies.

Deforestation from all sources is responsible for 12 percent of the greenhouse gases driving global warming.

Indonesia and Malaysia account for more than 90 percent of palm oil production today.

Clear-cutting and burning to make way for palm oil plantations causes health-wrecking air pollution, exacerbates climate change, and destroys some of the planet's richest "hotspots" for biodiversity.

The transformation of great swathes of rainforest to monoculture farming is also a mixed blessing for local populations, providing a source of low-wage employment but often displacing indigenous peoples and disrupting established livelihoods.

- Africa is the new frontier -

Currently, only a small percentage of palm oil comes from Africa, but Socfin operates numerous plantations there with others in the pipeline.

"Africa has become the new frontier for palm oil, the new battleground of oil palm and rubber tree companies," the Greenpeace report said.

The company has sought a 150 million euro ($165 million) loan via the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an entity of the World Bank, to finance certification under environmental norms upheld by the IFC.

But Socfin does not meet even these modest standards -- described by Greenpeace as "insufficient to prevent deforestation" -- according to the IFC, which signalled "major gaps" between the palm and rubber giant's operations and "good international industry practice."

"The IFC must urgently suspend the ongoing corporate loan procedure and condition the granting of this loan on the company's publication of a credible zero deforestation commitment," Greenpeace said.

Made aware of the contents of the report, a spokesperson for the Groupe Bollore said that the company was "only a shareholder" of Socfin, and thus "can not be held directly responsible for the actions or decisions of Socfin."

"Nonetheless," Elodie Le Rol said by email, "the Groupe Bollore carries out it duty to be vigilant, and is an active shareholder and administrator of Socfin."

The core provision of a zero deforestation policy is to identify and protect so-called "high carbon stock" areas.

These are forest regions that store huge quantities of carbon dioxide in living wood mass. Once it is cut down and burned, CO2 is released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

Another key provision is the protection of peatlands which -- when drained to make way for a plantation -- also spew CO2 into the air.

Due to the rapid expansion of palm plantations and logging, Indonesia has become the sixth largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world.

Zero deforestation likewise includes guarantees that local populations are fairly compensated for lost land, and not otherwise adversely affected.

Socfin currently has 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres) in rubber plantations, and 80,000 hectares (198,000 acres) in palm oil trees in Africa.

The forests in the Congo basin cover some 200 million hectares (500 million acres) across six countries, and are home to more than 500 species of mammals, 400 reptiles and thousands of plants.

Between 1990 and 2010, at least 3.5 million hectares of natural forests were converted into palm oil plantations, mainly in Southeast Asia.
The Government of Ghana and the European Union (EU), on Monday signed a financial agreement of Euro 31.6 million for the new Ghana Employment and Social Protection (GESP) Programme in Accra.

The Programme would contribute to inclusive growth in Ghana by strengthening social protection and employment systems in the country.

It also aims at enhancing social protection services notably for vulnerable population groups and at generating decent employment opportunities, with particular attention to the youth.

Seth Terkper, Minister of Finance, said the EU has an impressive record as far as support to Ghanas development agenda is concerned, and its interventions in the various sectors were highly commendable.

He said the signing of the agreement with the EU was significant and timely because it is the first direct intervention in employment and social protection, saying other previous interventions have been in areas of road infrastructure and rural development.

Mr Terkper said the programme also has macroeconomic significance, by being in line with the policy priorities of both the Ministries of Gender and Social Protection and Employment and Labour Relations.

The programme would also help contribute to the 2016 budget targets through job creation initiatives in respect of both demand and supply sides, decent job opportunities, skills matching, social protection systems, addressing migration challenges and connecting the poor to the growth being generated by this intervention with a view to effectively reduce poverty.

He thanked the EU and it member states for their immense support to the countrys development agenda, saying, he expects that the partnership will further be deepened and broadened over the coming years for their mutual benefit.

Mr William Hanna, EU Ambassador in Ghana, said the programme focuses on people, providing new opportunities, including training and skills for the youth, business development for SME and protection for the most vulnerable.

He said the EU would support Ghanas own efforts under both ministries, assist the private sector to generate new jobs, and give young people the skills needed to find decent works.

He said the key stakeholders for the programme include the Local Government Service, COTVET, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Association of Ghana Industries, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, GIZ, and Danish International Agency.

Mr Hanna said the EU has already worked in various sectors in Ghana and the GESP Programme, which is supported by all 28 member states, would give people new opportunities and provide technical support to them.

He said one of the biggest challenges facing the continent was illegal migration, saying that the programme would ensure that young people in Ghana do not take the dangerous step towards the Sahara risking their lives by creating new opportunities and livelihoods for them.

He said the money would be disbursed in time to ensure that they are used for their intended purposes and in the interest of the people of Ghana.

The GESP Programme is a four year programme from 2016 to 2020, which would be implemented under four key components including enhanced effectiveness and efficiency of the social protection system and improved employment policy management at central and local levels.

Other components of the programme include strengthening technical and vocational education and improving access to finance and effective business development service.
The Metro Mass Transit Limited has initiated an internal process to review operations following the Kintampo accident which claimed over 60 lives.

Board Chairman of the company, Leslie Tamakloe, told Joy News the probe will review the companys corporate structure, safety procedures and maintenance schedules to establish areas for change.

He revealed these after he led a delegation to visit surviving victims of last Wednesdays accident at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital..

We understand that other agencies in road safety will be conducting their own independent investigations, at the end of the day we will like to compare notes, he told Luv FMs Erastus Asare Donkor.

Last Wednesday, a Metro Mass Transit bus and a cargo truck collided head-on on the Kintampo-Tamale road leaving scores dead.

Some of the injured survivors are currently receiving treatment at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and other various hospitals across the country.

The accident occurred when the Bolgatanga-bound Metro bus from Kumasi rammed into an oncoming cargo truck at Kintampo.

A survivor of the accident told police the bus developed faulty brakes during the journey but the bus conductor failed to resolve it, however, the Metro Mass company has denied this account.

Click audio link for a report filed by Luv FM's Erastus Asare Donkor.
Authorities of Mary Afriyie SDA JHS at Mamponteng in the Kwabre District of the Ashanti Region are investigating six students and a primary 6 pupil for allegedly performing occult acts.

They were picked up in an uncompleted building by community police assistants following a tip-off.

The seven children, most of them teenagers, were allegedly drinking a strange concoctions and making some incantations in the uncompleted building after school hours.

Nhyira FMs Ohemeng Tawiah reports school authorities have refused to speak to reporters on details of the bizarre incident.

They however say they are investigating the matter.

Head master of the school, George Antwi, told Nhyira News the alleged culprits are being interrogated with the consent of their parents, Ohemeng reports.

Nhyira News sources say the kids confirmed during the interogation that they have been seeking black power, or juju, that will enable them get rich, charm girls and become stronger.

Leader of the group, according to Ohemeng Tawiah, was transferred to Mary Afriyie SDA JHS from another school where his mother had complained about his strange behaviour.
Former Attorney General Martin Amidu has expressed disappointment in pressure group Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA), for attacking the membership of the electoral commission's Election Steering Committee.

According to him, it is unfair for the reputation of an individual to be attacked simply because they had been nominated to represent their respective public institutions on the now well-known Electoral Commissions Steering Committee for Election 2016.

The comment comes on the back of the impasse between political parties and the electoral commission over the setting up of the 18-member committee.

The (LMVC) was the first organisation to protest the establishment of the committee raising issues about the neutrality of some members.

But in a statement Tuesday, the anti-corruption campaigner said I am not aware that the Constitution prohibits any citizen of Ghana from holding any public office merely because he had previously exercised his constitutional right to freedom of association and associated with a political party whose existence the very Constitution guarantees.

Below are details of the statement by Martin Amidu

I am shocked and personally disappointed at the fact that the Let My Vote Count Alliance which I perceived to be a non-partisan civil society organization stooped so low in making unsubstantiated charges of political bias against named constitutionally protected public officers simply because they had been nominated to represent their respective public institutions on the now well-known Electoral Commissions Steering Committee for Election 2016.

The Let My Vote Count Alliance was later joined by the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) and later still by Mustapha Hamid, described as Spokesperson of the flagbearer of New Patriotic Party (NPP)and later still by Samuel Abu Jinapor whose full blooded brother is a Deputy Minister of the Republic of Ghana and confidant of the President of Ghana. My shock and disappointment is compounded by the fact that there are more objective credible and cogent reasons for kicking against the imposition on the people of Ghana by the Electoral Commission of a Steering Committee that includes representatives from independent constitutional and statutory bodies whose independent functions might be compromised by such inclusion.

I am not aware that the Constitution prohibits any citizen of Ghana from holding any public office merely because he had previously exercised his constitutional right to freedom of association and associated with a political party whose existence the very Constitution guarantees.

The base qualification for the most important public offices including the presidency is that a citizen of Ghana should first and foremost be qualified to be a member of parliament. Ones inability to exercise his civic responsibility including voting at elections and referenda is in my view a disqualification for holding the most important public offices under the Constitution of Ghana. Joining a political party of ones choice and exercising the civic responsibility of assisting it to contest for political power is not only a guaranteed political right to every citizen but the very foundation of multiparty democracy guaranteed by the Constitution.

The only safeguards I know is that the Constitution prohibits named public office holders from participating in politics or political party activities while holding those offices.

One may be removed from such public office for breach of these constitutional prohibitions of not engaging in political party activities or allowing overt political party considerations to influence the discharge of ones duties under the Constitution.

Unfortunately, the Let My Vote Count Alliance, the Alliance for Accountable Governance and the young NPP office holders have not adduced any credible evidence to show that while holding their present public offices the named public officers have breached their oath of office or exhibited any unlawful or unconstitutional conduct as a basis of disqualifying them from being nominated to the Electoral Commissions Steering Committee, assuming that the composition of that Committee is constitutionally justifiable. They could not even provide such proof of present political bias in the case of the representative of the National Service Scheme who was later withdrawn.

The conduct of using subjective criteria to tag public office holders for purposes of destroying their reputation and hounding them out of public office reminds me of the case of Sallah v Attorney General arising from the removal of hundreds of public officers from the public

service on purely subjective political party considerations leading to the then Supreme Court declaring their dismissals as unconstitutional. Public officers were similarly removed and others transferred across departments after the change of Government in 2001.

I bear witness to the fact that Professor Mills consciously tried to prevent any such vindictive conduct upon his assumption of office after the 2008 elections.

The signal that is being sent out  that some public officers may suffer in the future for unproven allegations of the past exercise of their civic responsibilities under the Constitution  does not do any of the Presidential candidates any good so far as canvassing the votes of floating voters are concerned. The earlier it is stopped the better.

There are several examples globally including a number of them in Ghana to demonstrate that the mere appointment of persons to hold independent public office is no guarantee that they will do the bidding of the appointing authority. The most notorious and frequently cited examples are two appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States of America by President Eisenhower.

Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower is famously quoted to have said that his two biggest mistakes in his presidency were the appointment of Justice William Brennan and Chief Justice Earl Warren the leading forces behind the aggressive liberal court of the 1960s. We ought to learn that good and strong institutions with institutional cultures dictate what persons appoint to those offices do and not where they are coming from and stop subjectively attacking personalities unless we have credible supporting evidence.

In my opinion there were and are very objective reasons why each of the institutions to which objection was raised should not be on a Steering Committee of the Electoral Commission. The Commission for Haman Rights and Administrative Justice, the National Media Commission, the National Commission for Civic Education and the National Peace Council as independent constitutional and statutory bodies will be compromised should their members or Executive Secretaries serve on the Committee of another independent constitutional body specifically charged with the conduct of the elections.

Would the framers of the Constitution not have added the mandate of collaboration with the Electoral Commission in the conduct of elections to their respective functions if it was intended that they should partner the Commission in supervising elections in Ghana? I believe this is why others have pointed out that the Electoral Commission has no constitutional mandate to set up such a Steering Committee to share its electoral functions with it.

The Electoral Commission has held several elections without inviting representatives of other independent constitutional and statutory bodies to partake in the constitutional functions entrusted to it.

The Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) has maturely and unanimously questioned the basis of the formation of the Steering Committee and disagreed with its formation.

It is my hope that the independent constitutional and statutory bodies will do the proper thing in withdrawing their representation from the Steering Committee on constitutional objective grounds and not on the grounds of the subjective, dangerous, speculative and unproven allegations being peddled around.

Martin A. B. K. Amidu
The Progressive Progressive People's Party (PPP) wishes to inform its members, supporters and the general public that it has not made any decision NOT to contest the 2016 presidential election.

All talk and rumours to this effect are false and without any basis. The PPP in the national interest made a decision several weeks ago to explore a coalition arrangement with prominent individuals and political parties to contest the 2016 elections and form a partnership in government on January 2017. Our stated deadline for this remains the end of this month, February.

Some political parties and their supporters have interpreted our coalition stance as a sign of weakness, a decision not to field a presidential candidate, a willingness to help some party to win the 2016 election. There are even people going around and asking our men not to bother campaigning for the party because we are coming together with them. We want to state emphatically that these are all not true and a wicked propaganda.

The PPP has prepared its strategy for the 2016 campaign; we have opened and closed nomination for the presidential race; we are electing strong parliamentary candidates; we have put in place a high powered national parliamentary campaign team led by the National Secretary; we will convene a National Convention to present our Presidential Candidate and Campaign Team; and we aim to cause the biggest political upset in Ghanaian history this year.

The PPP is united, disciplined and focused on selling our good message to Ghanaians. We have the best policy priorities to present to the voters. We have assembled the best men and women who will give the best leadership to Ghanaians from January 2017. We are the only party committed to changing the 1992 constitution to empower the people to elect their own DCEs, separate the executive from the legislature and separate the office of Attorney General from that of the Ministry of Justice. We are the only political party focusing on job creation and determined to make all Ghanaian state institutions buy from local businesses.

We are wide Awake!

Murtala Mohammed

National Secretary
23.02.2016 LISTEN

By Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK February 22, 2016

Last week Pastor (Dr) Mensah Otabil was accused of calling for the overthrow of the state when he questioned the role of the state and its incompetence at the launch of a book in Accra. Among others, he asked the state to get out of hospitals and schools so that entrepreneurs and businessmen can run them because the state messes up everything that it gets involved. This article is the socio-economic analysis of his clarion call for the state to be run by entrepreneurs, businessmen and women in Ghana. I will leave out the political ramifications of his call in the discussion as many writers and commentators have done that and also to avoid a narrow party political discourse.

For easy reference, I quote the relevant sections of what Pastor Mensah Otabil was reported to have said at the book launch. The state should stop monopolising and hijacking business opportunities from citizens and rather be an enabler for private organisations and individuals to do business and also run the country. I think one of the biggest problems nations like ours face is that the state, which should be an enabler, most of the time, becomes an agent of suffocation. There's too much impact of the state in the lives of the people...we have to get to the point where it's not the state running the country, it's the people running the country, its entrepreneurs running the country, its businessmen running the country. The state should get out of hospitals, the state should get out of the schools, the state should get out because they mess up everything they get involved in and get individuals to run the place".

On its face value, the above statement is what any entrepreneur such as Pator Otabil is expected to say. However, on critical examination, there appears to be contradictions in what Pastor Otabil is calling for. In fact, the call reminds me of the statement, two legs good, four legs bad in Animal Farm. There is no doubt that incompetence and corruption within officialdom is suffocating business opportunities and job creation in Ghana. There are reports of some foreign investors including Ghanaians in the Diaspora who gave up establishing businesses in Ghana because of bureaucracy and demands for bribes from state officials before relevant permits and licences could be issued. Notwithstanding such difficulties, to call for entrepreneurs, businessmen and women to run the state is either disingenuous or Pastor Otabil does not understand the state and its role in society.

The state is a politically organised community with or under a sovereign government. It is the responsibility of the sovereign government to ensure the peace and security of the state and to provide internationally accepted basic levels of living condition or standards through the provision of goods and services. The state fulfils its obligations in partnership with non state actors including entrepreneurs, businessmen and women such as Pastor Otabil. The state does not, cannot and should never abrogate its responsibilities wholesale and franchise them to non state actors as being suggested by Pastor Otabil. This is because most if not all non state actors are motivated by profit or return on their investment. Areas such as education, health and infrastructure development could not be purely for profit. Therefore, the state must play a leading role in the provision of infrastructure development, education, healthcare and others. That is part of the enabling role of the state to ensure that there are well educated, skilled and healthy citizens so that the private sector could rely on to create jobs and wealth.

There is also one other critical role of the state, that is, to regulate society as a whole, particularly powerful individuals and organisations from abusing their power, wealth and influence in society. This is normally done through the enactment of laws, rules and regulations by the elected government of the citizens (the Executive and the Legislature) under the supervisory authority of the Judiciary together with accountability roles of the media and civil society organisations. The passage of laws, rules and regulations is another aspect of the states obligations that cannot be taken over by entrepreneurs, businessmen and women as being suggested by Pastor Otabil.

So what did Pastor Otabil mean by there's too much impact of the state in the lives of the people...we have to get to the point where it's not the state running the country, it's the people running the country, its entrepreneurs running the country, its businessmen running the country?

I do not believe that Pastor Otabil was calling for the overthrow of the state or voting out of the government of the day to be replaced by a government of entrepreneurs, businessmen and women. Rather, he is calling for a situation in Ghana where entrepreneurs, businessmen and women would have unfretted powers to do their businesses without any hindrance or state interference to the extent that state policy would be dictated by them. In other words, some form of free for all vulture capitalism in Ghana. Where does this utopian capitalism being suggested by Otabil exist?

Even in the advanced capitalist states such as the US, Germany, UK, France, Japan, Canada and others, there is no such capitalist system where the state has abdicated its responsibilities and given the running of the state to entrepreneurs, businessmen and women. These countries where there are multi-billion dollar multinational companies with well developed infrastructure, the education and health policies as well as services are still run by the state and not solely by non state actors or entrepreneurs and businessmen.

The socio-economic risks of Pastor Obtabils call for the state to be run by people of his kind could be dangerous to the very existence of the state. For example, the last time there was some semblance to what Pastor Otabil wants in Ghana, when entrepreneurs, businessmen and women partially took over the running of states in the most advance countries, we had the global financial meltdown. The global financial crisis in 2007 was caused by greedy bankers and venture capitalists when governments failed to regulate them. In fact, not only governments failed in their duty to regulate them but also bankers were in charge of making up the rules as Otabil wants entrepreneurs to be in charge of running the state in Ghana.

The ramifications of the banking crisis in addition to the bail out by the tax payers included millions of job losses across the globe, draconian austerity measures by governments, disintegration of families, loss of homes because those who lost their jobs could not keep up with repayments on their mortgages, increased in metal health illness, etc. Despite the high level of development, the impact on society of such recklessness by entrepreneurs is obvious and we are still paying for it.

Another danger of Otabils call is tax avoidance. For example, in the advanced western countries, entrepreneurs and multinational companies use their power, wealth and influence to ensure that tax policies are in their favour in order to avoid paying taxes to the state as many millionaires and companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon have been accused of tax avoidance or paying minimal taxes in the UK, whilst poor workers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) pay their full taxes to the state. Again in the UK, when entrepreneurs were allowed to run public hospitals and they realised that they could not make profit, they just abandoned the contracts, left many patients at risk and workers with uncertain future as was the case of Hichingbrooke Hospital.

These are some of the consequences of good entrepreneurs gone bad running the state. What about bad entrepreneurs running the state?

In the event of bad entrepreneurs running the state, the socio-economic consequences could be more damaging for the state and its citizens. In fact, the very existence of the state could be at risk. For example, when drug cartels take over the running of the state, there is complete breakdown of law and order, which could lead to the potential risk of a failed state. With weak institutions and corruption in Ghana, drug cartels could make Ghana their base under the guise of entrepreneurship and being part of Otabils enterprise state running machinery to build and manage hospitals and schools as well as run the state.

In conclusion, though Pastor Mensah Otabil has the right to complain about the incompetence, bureaucracy and corruption that is stifling entrepreneurship in Ghana, it dangerous for him to call for entrepreneurs, businessmen and women to run the state and for the state to get out of hospitals and schools. Even in the US, the state has a key role to play in education and healthcare. The notion that the state is bad at running goods and services and the private sector is good at running everything is a myth similar to Animal Farms four legs good, two legs bad, when in reality though all animals are equal, some are more equal than others. What people like Pastor Otabil do not know or do not want the people to know is that when entrepreneurs, businessmen and women take over the running of public services, they are able to make profit at the expense of huge state subsidy to them. For example, the privatised railway companies in the UK receive millions of tax payers money annually in the form of state subsidy.

No country is run by entrepreneurs and no country hands over the provision and running of education and health care to the private sector. Healthcare and education cannot be provided solely for profit. The state of Ghana must weed out corruption, improve efficiency and create the conducive environment for business to thrive, grow and develop but the absence of these conditions must not be a reason to call for the state to be run by entrepreneurs, businessmen and women. Such call is dangerous and a recipe for a failed state. The analysis is not an argument for state monopoly; neither is it against private enterprise but a case for common sense and pragmatism.

Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK
Ever since he took over the mantle of leadership from Dr Goodluck Jonathan on 29 May 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari appears to be expending enormous energy in retrieving stolen tax-payers money from public office holders who were there before him. Yet, only three months ago, by 28 November 2015, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun told journalists in Abuja after a meeting with the Federation Account Allocation Committee that her ministry was yet to get details of recovered stolen money from the Presidency.

Journalists had asked her what she knew about the recovered looted money that the President alluded to while he was on an official visit to Iran. And she said she had yet to be told by the Presidency how much was realised and from who the money was recovered. The question is if the ministry of finance has no knowledge and no records of how much has been retrieved, which other ministry should? Even as we speak, there seems to be no evidence that the President is keen on opening up to Nigerians on how much has been recovered so far, from who and where the money is being kept. These, incidentally, are the issues that most Nigerians want Mr President to clarify for them, and they are anxious to have an explanation expeditiously.

In one of my recent articles titled Truth spoken to Authority and published by various tabloids across the globe on 8 September 2015, I pointed out that initially, there had been speculations that the Buhari administration could go the way of so many other administrations before it. In the past, the first thing any new government would do was to saddle itself with the onerous task of retrieving money stolen by the previous administration. At the end of the day, when all was said and done, one major characteristic stood out clearly: Nigerians were not really bothered about retrieved money or whose individual bank account it went into afterwards.

Not that they would care now, any more than they cared in the past.Experience has shown that they are not so much interested in retrieved stolen money that ended up, as usual, in the pockets of the shot-calling politicians of the day as they are in wanting to see transparency at work in the decisions and actions of the government in power.Nigerians voted for change. They want to see that change come through an enhanced quality of administration by their new leaders who took over from the past government. In the opinion of most Nigerians, that would be the sort of change they would like to look up to in the Buhari administration.

So, when President Buhari presented his first annual budget proposal on Tuesday 22 December 2015 which he ambitiously called The Budget of Change many Nigerians earnestly believed that the change they voted for was indeed beginning to happen. Buhari had explained then that the economic challenges confronting the nation, especially with the precipitation in oil price levels, had made it imperative for the budget to cut down on wasteful government spending. Buhari assured Nigerians that available funds would be used basically for public good. He emphasised that his government was determined to ensure that the nation's resources were managed prudently and utilized solely for public good. To set the proper tone, one of his early decisions was the adoption of a zero-based budgeting approach which he said would ensure that resources were aligned with governments priorities and allocated efficiently.

Despite this assurance, recent developments clearly show that the priorities of Buharis government are hundreds of miles apart from the dreams and aspirations of millions of Nigerians who defied torrential rains during the election period to troop out and vote for his party, and for the change they thought they needed from the ways solutions to national problems appeared to have been resolved in the PDP government of Dr. Jonathan. It is unfortunate thatBuharis assurance to the nation does not seem to be the fact on the ground right now, if we must judge from the discrepancies that trailed the 2016 budget proposal recently submitted to the legislature by Mr President. A cursory look at some aspects of the 2016 Appropriation Bill indicates that the President cannot be further from the truth he promised Nigerians.

Mildly put, the budget proposals were at best a collection of fraudulent financial allocations, most of which were obviously designed to sustain the flamboyant lifestyles of public office holders. Some of the allocations were repeated several times in the budget. Some were over-priced. Some were misplaced priorities. In acknowledgement of these discrepancies, a top official of the Presidency defined senior civil servants in the country as budget mafia who would comfortably sneak frivolous items into the budget.

Nigerians who had always believed in the ability of the duo of President Buhari and Professor Osinbajo to bring sanity back into the country saw the budget proposal as a worrying development. To think that the office of the Vice President was allocated more money for books than institutions of higher learning in the country is quite preposterous. While the office of the Vice President was allocated over N4.9 million for the purchase of books, the total allocation for books for eleven of the 22 federal polytechnics in the country was little in excess of N3.8 million.

Tongues have kept wagging. Nigerians are not only talking, they are still asking questions. Why must such huge sums of money be allocated to the office of the Vice President for the purchase of books when only a year ago, over N7.5 million was allocated to it for the same purchase of books? Nigerians want to know why and how most of these thoughtless proposals in the budget even found their way into the items marked for the State House.

If we look at the figures marked out for the renovation of the State House, for instance, we observe that over N3.8 billion was earmarked for the State House Medical Centre alone. Of this amount, N308 million would go to the construction of a new VIP wing at the clinic. N3.21 million was allocated for health equipment and supplies for the Medical Centre. Over N203 million was budgeted for drugs and medical supplies. In addition to all that, the Vice President was also allocated an additional N7.54 million for medical expenses. How does this compare favourably with the slightly above N2.6 billion that was proposed in the budget for the construction of hospitals nationwide?

The budget allocated over N618.2 million which is in effect N1.6 million daily for the installation of lighting and fittings in the State House. Then there is another over N377 million for the installation of electrical distribution boards and other cables. The general renovation of the State House Guest House was billed to cost nearly N388 million. Furnishing the rooms in the Guest House alone was put at N45 million. Fine. But Nigerians are eager to know when the existing furniture was procured and why there is need to change them so soon. That not withstanding, a mind-boggling N3.91 billion was earmarked for the annual routine maintenance of facilities in the villa. A breakdown of that budget showed that N10.72 million was earmarked for daily routine maintenance. This amount was different from the nearly N2.8 million proposed for villa office and residential maintenance.

More than N20.2 million was proposed for sporting and games equipment for the Presidential Air Fleet. Over N39 million was budgeted for the purchase of recreational facilities at the State House. In addition, the budget also recommended the sum of over N193.5 million for the purchase of recreational facilities for the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation. In the draft budget, a total of over N436 million was allocated for meals and refreshment, canteen and kitchen equipment, foodstuff and catering materials for Mr President and his Vice.

But that was not all.

The budget proposed an expenditure of over N904 million for the year for the acquisition of a new fleet of automobiles for Mr President and for fleet equipment maintenance. When broken down, this equals spending about N2.5 million on the maintenance of its fleet of automobiles every day. This does not include the over N259 million allocated for the purchase of tyres, batteries, fuses, toolboxes, car jacks, tyre changing machines and kits and N27 million for the purchase of C-Caution Signs, Fire Extinguishers, towing ropes and booster cables just for the State House fleet of automobiles.

Nor were these types of discrepancies in the draft budget limited to the presidency. Many such spurious allocations littered the entire budget. And many Nigerians are wondering. Could it be that Buhari was unable to put his priorities right as the President of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria Armed Forces? Could it be that he is being sabotaged by his subordinates? Could it be that the Opposition Party has got its sympathisers to infiltrate the Buhari government and insert figures in the budget proposal that would make President Buhari look stupid in the face of the National Assembly and less "holy" and "innocent" than many Nigerians believe he truly is? Could it be that he is being sabotaged by his own insiders who want to see him go so that the next office holder to him can take his place? Or would all this be true of the man many Nigerians would have readily vouched for was the best man to bring sanity back into the country?

For Instance, how come the budget was proposing a whopping N1.39 billion for the Ministry of Defence to spend on the procurement of a Houseboat in Abuja, a floating house used for relaxation which doubles as a dwelling for top officers at a time in the history of the nation whenits armed forces are desperately fighting a dangerous insurgency in the Northern parts  a war that has left many officers and men killed or maimed and members of their families infested with untold anxieties and unsettled minds?

How come the budget appropriated N415 million for the purchase of tables and N585 million for the purchase of chairs for the Ministry of Communication Technology and yet under this ministry, the budget talked about Procurement of the Equipment and its Accessories? It did not specify what this equipment was or the accessories it needed. Yet a whopping N2.9 billion was allocated to this item.

How come the budget provided over N99 million for the Ministry of Information and Culture to expend on the procurement of 1,600 chairs at the National Theatre and over N140.9 million for the procurement of computers for National Troupe of Nigeria, but budgeted nothing for costumes and other relevant equipment? Compare this with the over N91.3 million allocation to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

How come the budget provided for the Ministry of Works, Power and Housing to spend N140 million for the construction of a single solar borehole and N161.5 million for the construction of a motorised borehole?

How come it made provision for the Ministry of Interior to expend N576.5 million for the construction of electricity, N595. 6 million for repair and rehabilitation, and a whopping N6.2 billion for research and development?

How come the Nigerian Prison Service was to get N500 million for capacity building?

How come, in the 2015 budget, the allocation for security equipment for the Nigerian Immigration Service was slightly above N86 million but suddenly it plummeted to N2.12 billion in the 2016draft budget? The list of fraudulent allocation goes on and on.

All this calls for President Buhari to cut down on his frequent international shuttles, sit down for a while, and ask for results from his subordinates after these many months. Unless he is willing to take periodic stock, like every quarter, to know how the various departments of his government are performing and to what extent they are delivering APC campaign promises, Buhari is likely make the same mistakes as his predecessors made. There is a possibility that he could join their bandwagon with time, if and when those experienced civil servants he trusted so much to work with before his appointment of ministers and even his own family members put pressure on his office and on him. Who knows? The truth, however, is that it is too early for the APC government of General Buhari to go the way of previous governments.
The Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas(ALJA) says its attention has been drawn to the recent pronouncement by Liberia's Attorney General, Counselor Benedict Sannoh that the Liberian government is to begin the prosecution of local journalists and media institutions that engaged in what he calls the "deliberate and blatant reporting of falsehood" in Liberia.

ALJA says it is deeply troubled by the Attorney General's warning. The Association in a press release issued in Monrovia on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 said while it does not support ethical transgressions such as black mailing, fabrications, rumor mongering and the deliberate distortion of facts in the Liberian media, it is however, concerned by the unintended consequences the Justice Minister's statement could have on free speech and press freedom in the country if, the reported plan is not reconsidered.

ALJA said no matter how well intentioned the pronouncement may seem for ensuring responsible and professional journalism in Liberia, the statement has the probability of being misconstrued and literally taken by overzealous security personnel and some public officials as a license for clamping down on the media and perceived enemies of the Sirleaf regime.

The Association said it would remain vigilant in working with the Press Union of Liberia(PUL) in condemning and opposing actions that are inimical to the gathering and dissemination of public information by journalists and media institution in Liberia. Meanwhile, ALJA is calling on Liberian journalists to remain fearless and professional in the execution of their reportorial duties. ALJA further cautioned the Liberian press to strive in sustaining the Liberian peace and democracy by excising due diligence in their reporting about happenings in the country, especially when dealing with matters that have national security implications. "Ensure that your stories are accurate and balanced through facts checking and the verification of sources," the Association advised.

ALJA said the Liberian government and the press are not adversaries; and they must work in unison for a stable and better Liberia. In a related development, ALJA has welcomed the exhaustive efforts the Liberian government is making in getting to the core of circumstances surrounding the suspicious death of the late former Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company(LPRC), Harry Greaves.

The Association said its welcomes the recent arrival in Liberia of two law enforcement officers from the US with the purpose of assisting local security officers in the ongoing probe of circumstances regarding the disappearance and subsequent death of Mr. Greaves. The remains of the late Greaves was reportedly found on the beach behind the fence of the Executive Mansion on January 31, 2016 in Monrovia after his disappearance at the RL Johnson resort in Kendeja situated on the Roberts International Airport Highway where he was last seen on Friday, January 29th after his driver dropped him off.

ALJA also, described as laudable the decision by the Sirleaf government to bring in another US based pathologist for a second opinion, or the performance of another autopsy on the late Greaves' corpse in determining the causation of death. The Association than urged the government to take similar actions in addressing the mysteries regarding the deaths of the late Victoria Zazay, politician Fayiah Gbollie, Dan Orogun, expired Managing Director of the Guaranty Trust Bank in Liberia, and other Liberians, who also, in recent times, perished under dubious conditions like the late Greaves.

ALJA said it is imperative for the Sirleaf government to exercise impartiality in the probe of all suspicious deaths in Liberia because all human lives are precious and valuable regardless of the individual's gender, race, ethnicity, and social status.

Meanwhile, (ALJA) says it is deeply concern about the security challenges that might develop with the departure of the United Nations Peace Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) from the Country after June 2016.

The Association said the general lawlessness across the country are clues that there will be security challenges when UNMIL's mandate ends before the presidential and legislative elections in 2017. ALJA named the reported rise in ritualistic killings in rural Liberia, mob actions, and senior police officers involvement in armed robbery allegations as some of the challenges. ALJA said given these unfortunate developments unfolding in the country, it is only appropriate that the United Nations Security Council suspends UNMIL's drawdown at this time until after the 2017 Presidential and General Elections.

ALJA is a conglomeration of retired and current Liberian journalists residing in the Americas. The Association was founded in 1998 in Washington, D.C. ALJA seeks to foster camaraderie, peace, and unity amongst its members and their American counterparts. The Association is also, dedicated to the advancement of good governance, free speech, and press freedom in Liberia.

Signed by: _________________

Gardea V. Woodson

Secretary General

Approved by: _________________

Moses D. Sandy

President
23.02.2016 LISTEN

George Boateng, the man who attempted to contest President John Mahama in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential primary last year, has been arrested.

He is reported to have been arrested at about 11:30 Sunday night by officers of the National Security and handed over to the Airport police for further investigations.

Accra-based Joy FM reported that George Boateng was alleged to have been going round defrauding unsuspecting members of the public in the guise of being a National Security officer.

Even though officers at the Airport police station were not forthcoming with information, Joy FM said its checks indicated that he was still in detention.

The Airport Police District Crime Officer, Superintendent Felix Anyidoho, would not confirm or deny whether they had the man in their custody or not and for what reason he was arrested, when DAILY GUIDE contacted him yesterday. Instead, he referred all enquiries to the Greater Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Assistant Superintendent of Police Afia Tenge, who did not also answer calls placed to her phone.

George Boateng emerged in the news last year when he declared his intention to contest President Mahama in the party's November 7 primary.

Strangely, he was issued what later turned out to be fake nomination forms and an attempt to acquire a new one was thwarted by General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who declined to issue him with fresh (nomination) forms, even though he was ready to pay for them.

National executives of the party ruled out the possibility of allowing him to contest President Mahama, arguing that the forms he bought were draft copies.

The aspirant has since been engaged in verbal banter with some members of the party, especially Asiedu Nketia, who asserted that Mr Boateng was suffering from a mental disorder.
Dear Vandal Mahama,

Greetings in the name of Father Bacchus, the god of the VANDAL City, the only City within a City that is more powerful than Rome, and the Center of Power in all it's forms

To whom much is given, much is expected from and he who the gods love, in him they reside. Your ascendancy to the royal seat of the land may not be by chance, divination nor ordinance from Hermes. It may be as a result of what the City taught you. The City may have taught you that the Zongos' are the dwelling place of our ancestors. The Zongo is a conglomerate of society, a union of cultures and a determinant of your continuity to leading Oman Ghana and not RULING.

Today, excitement has eaten over my very existence, not because I have won a lottery or ticket to take a once-in-a-life-time snapshot with you, nor me finding a new Obibini-broni to help in massaging my tired self, my joy is in the transformation of the Zongo. My Zongo, Our Zongo, Goaso Zongo.

The excursion to Accra the other day was worth the VIP treat. Mr President, Is it New York that you have imported to Ghana? Or you have sneaked in some German structure. Hmmmmm, you are something Mr President. Something that Joy Dadi cannot provide.You are a satisfaction that cannot e gotten from Mama Kitwaa, the most delicious k)k) (beans and plantain base) in the world. You are more contaminating than Ebola, more fearful than pneumococal gbiligbili. You are at least not a bad company, you do not 'Rise and Fall'-during 'Rise-and-Beans Tours'.

Mr President, you have done what Osagyefo Nkrumah should have done when he was in your position. V-mate, you have done chaw-chaw infrastructure but still there is a lot missing. What about the rail sector? Can we not as a nation stop or possibly reduce the over-dependency on road? Can we not have a rail line right above the Circle Infrastructure?

Mr President, the rail sector is a sector that when revived, your name will e in the good books of the Zongos. Imagine that, rather than the investments in road, Ghana has the first inter-region rail network that connects the 10 regional capital of Ghana to aid in the transportation of goods such as Asumura Timber, Goaso Plantain, Techiman Yam amongst the many food stuffs to help reduce the over dependency on food stuffs from Mali and other neigbhoring countries. If we had a rail sector, the rate of accidents will be reduced drastically (you remember this word used by Atta Milk in 2008?)

My colleague Mahama (the President is my colleague Old-Vandal so i earn that right to call him a colleague though I have not 'chopped' President yet), the next time you visit the Zongo in Goaso, Asunafo North, you will ask if you did it because you twin brother, the dean of MMDCE's, Alhaji Mohammed Doku has made you proud. He built drains and now has tarred the road. Goaso Zongo is black. Mim is underway. Mim town roads are being constructed. For infratructure, my colleague is on top.

How about the boys? I will write to you in my next letter of the concerns of the boys until then, you reshuffle has delayed Mr President. People have lost hope in most of your appointees which may lead to a low voter turn out and your exit from the political realms and a big blow to the Zongo Caucus. Forget the talk from those stomach appointees and hear the torments from your active youth leaders.

Mr President, I will be publicizing and informally commissioning the Goaso Zongo roads with a mega street bash. Meet me there as we charge to the glory of Father Bacchus and as we sweat down the hustle after-all Once a VANDAL, balls must be held tighter than ever or else the koti b)t)'s will snatch our VOLTA Ladies.

Comrade-In-Vandalism

Edem Koku Edem

(Youth Organizer)

NDC-Asunafo North

0207046079

[email protected]
The Executive Director for Center for Social Impact Studies (CeSIS), Mr. Richard Ellimah has raised concerns over recent examination malpractices which are being championed by some remedial schools in the country, which has gone a long way to produce half-baked graduates who cannot fit into the job market.

In an interview with Obuasitoday.com in his Obuasi Head office, the astute Civil Society expert expressed what he calls disappointing at how Ghana has lost its former international glory due to examination cheating.

Our country used to cherish values of integrity and discipline. Gone are the days when students feared to cheat in exams. The products of our schools were received and respected all over the world he stated

Pass exams at all cost

Mr. Ellimah mentioned the current trend of foreign institutions exempting Ghanaian students from writing their exams due to what he calls pass at all cost which is being promoted by remedial schools.

Not too long ago Ghanaian students were exempted from writing qualifying exams to British universities unlike Americans, Indians and Pakistanis. Not so today. Exam cheating has been institutionalized, with so many so-called remedial schools springing up all over the place. It is an open secret that their mantra is pass exams at all cost he stressed

According to him, it is no more an open secret that some of these remedial schools buy exam papers for their students in abid to enable them pass. Once they pass, these schools become attractive to prospective students who want to pass exams without sweat.

Poor First Class Students

Mr. Richard Ellimah went on to give his view on the impact examination cheating is having on university graduates, especially University First Class students.

Our schools are churning out half-baked graduates who cannot fit into todays globalized job environment. First class students are no longer capable of critical thinking. They cant even think outside the box he stated

Way Forward

When asked what the solution to this canker should be, he had this to say;

As usual, we talk and lament but nothing ever gets done. So until, we stand up against this canker as a nation, it will be a tradition.
This week I joined more than a dozen of the worlds sharpest minds on African agriculture in an unprecedented effort to devote an entire issue of the influential magazine Foreign Affairs to consider the future of the African farmer in our digital age.

I wanted to establish one simple fact: agriculture is poised to drive a new era of inclusive economic growth for Africabut only if we focus on the small, family-run farms that are Africas main source of employment and produce the majority of what Africans eat.

The opportunity is clear. Africas growing population and expanding middle class are creating a domestic market for food products that will be worth $1 trillion by 2030. But to tap this opportunity for Africas smallholder farmer, we need to stop thinking about them as subsistence growers and embrace their potential to generate income.

The very word subsistence implies a struggle to survive, not an effort to build a business that thrives. Thats why no child of an African subsistence farmer wants to be a farmer. For the most part they remember farming as a trade that kept them poor, because for the majority of Africas farmers, agriculture is a classic poverty trap. Subsisting becomes a full time job. But African farms are fully capable of becoming profitable businesses.

Today, most farmers produce a fraction of what their lands can yield, mainly because they are not using improved seeds or fertilizers. In Uganda, for example, 87 percent of smallholder farmer use saved grain as seed, even though there are new varieties that could quadruple their yields.

One reason for their reticence to purchase new seed is that most African farmers operate in an environment that always has them on the verge of destitution. Its true that many lack access to yield-improving farm inputs, including seeds, fertilizers, and information. But more importantly, they rely on saved seeds because they know how they will perform. They cannot afford to gamble the unknown.

Many African farmers also wonder why they should invest in boosting production when they lack access to markets where they could sell their surplus. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the eleventh largest country in the world by geographical area, there are fewer than 1,500 miles of paved road, about what you would find in a middle-sized American city. And when African farmers do managed to get their produce to market, they often fail to get a fair return because they lack insights into commodity pricing.

So how do African farmers, a huge constituency that comprise 70 percent of our population, get beyond subsistence? For starters, national governments and the development community can empower African farmers with more options in seeds, fertilizers and market opportunities.

The good news is that over the last decade we have learned a lot about the local seed and soil needs on African farms. And we have seen many organizations intensify their efforts, including plant breeders at the CGIAR centers and soil experts at the International Fertilizer Development Center. Also, new efforts, like the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), are providing fertilizer blends suited to specific soil conditions. And there are innovative ways to scale up these solutions.

In parts of Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique, there are NGOs and private sector partners linking smallholder farmers with trusted local people who provide seeds, fertilizer, and other suppliesand the training in their proper use. Adoption rates are as high as 70 percent because, if given a chance to test them, farmers are willing to pay for inputs.

Digital innovations also are accelerating the shift to market-oriented agriculture. More than 750 million rural Africans already use mobile phones, which is why Nigeria now delivers seed and fertilizer vouchers directly to farmers through their phones. In its first year alone, the program reached 1.7 million farmers and helped them produce an additional 8.1 million metric tons of food.

When I took office as Rwanda's agriculture minister, I knew Africas food problems were caused not by African farmers but by our own shortcomings in offering them solutions. We embraced policies that addressed their challenges and between 2005 and 2014, two million Rwandans (20 percent of the countrys population) lifted themselves out of poverty. Average annual income rose from less than $250 to almost $650. The World Bank attributed 65 percent of this increase to growth in the agricultural sector.

We didn't get everything right in Rwanda. And yet, Rwandas commitment to smallholder agriculture shows what's possible.

Now we need to see this kind of commitment spread across Africa. Give our farmers the opportunity to prosper and they can cultivate a promising economic future that delivers benefits for all Africans.

Agnes Kalibata is the President for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the former Minister of Agriculture for Rwanda. A longer version of this piece will be published in a special issue of Foreign Affairs Magazine on February 15.
23.02.2016 LISTEN

In a letter dated 30th November, 2015, the Head of Service of the Local Government Service communicated to all Regional Ministers, the appointment of the long awaited fifty-two (52) District Coordinating Directors (DCDs). I congratulate all who made it to this list. Let me be clear here because my attention has been severally drawn to some falsehood being peddled around by certain individuals in the service. Though not bothered, I think it is proper to state that I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH ANY SINGLE PERSON ON THAT LIST OR WHO BECOMES A DISTRICT COORDINATING DIRECTOR (DCDS) OR NOT IN THE SERVICE.

What I surely have problems with is the fairness, prudence and even sometimes the legalities of the processes being adopted in the name of reforms to appoint DCDs. As I have said before, I will surely examine this issue later in detail for us all to see if we are fair to ourselves. Today, I want to talk about something I warned the current Head of Service about as far back in 2013 but as usual of our Bigmen, it was completely ignored because it was coming from some small boy in Kumbungu District Assembly.

In my letter of 19th August, 2013 addressed to Dr. Callistus Mahama as Head of Local Government Service, I warned that we have to hasten slowly by finding all the components of the Jigsaw puzzle before we proceed to solve it or else we risk running into problems. I mentioned even legal issues we are likely to encounter if we proceeded in the direction we were heading. Today, I have no doubt we are at that conundrum which I talked about in 2013. Why do I say so? I have been observing keenly on the sidelines since the release of these fifty-two (52) DCDs and it is interesting what I have heard so far.

Section 20(1) of the Local Government Service Act of 2003, Act 656 states There shall be a District Co-ordinating Director for each district who shall be the secretary to the Assembly and head of the District Co-ordinating Directorate. This is a straight forward statement and I dont intend to explain it further but what this tells me in simple terms is that in Ghana currently we are supposed to have 216 DCDs (whether acting or substantive) since there are 216 MMDAs. This same provision is contained in section 36(1) of the Local Government Act of 1993, Act 462. Again, if you read these sections carefully, District Co-ordinating Director is a position in the service and NOT a grade. It CANNOT also be both a grade and a position as Dr. Callistus Mahama answered during our meeting when I asked him a question as to whether DCD is a grade or a position in the service. If it is a grade, then it makes the processes adopted currently in the appointment of DCDs even more problematic.

Before this current appointment of DCDs, the service had written to inform all who have not duly gone through the process to be appointed as DCDs to desist from holding themselves as such and rather use Acting District Coordinating Director. Acting appointments are normal in the public services of Ghana and writing to those people to consider themselves as Acting, in my considered opinion, is a formalisation of their acting appointments. There are two main categories of acting appointments  Acting Assignments and Formal Acting Appointments, according to the Public Services Commission (PSC). People have acted as District Coordinating Directors for more than ten (10) years and are still acting. In the Northern Region for example, the last person to assume this position of Acting DCD is almost eight months in the post, if I am not mistaken. Section 20 of the Conditions of Service for the Local Government Service has made adequate provisions for acting appointments. It states Where it becomes imperative to request an officer to perform the functions of a superior officer for a period exceeding three (3) months, an acting appointment shall be conferred on him by the Head of Service. I think this is what the Head of Service sought to do when he wrote to all who were not appointed as DCDs to use Acting DCD.

Now, section 20 (c) states no acting appointment shall exceed a period of one year and yet people have acted for 2, 3, 6 and in some cases 11 or more years. The Human Resource Policy Framework and Manual for the Ghana Public Services under section 4.13.17 says Under no circumstance shall a worker serve in an acting capacity for more than one (1) year. Heads of organisation shall be held personally liable for failure to comply with this provision. Reading further to section 20(d) of the conditions of service for Local Government Service, it says an officer who has performed satisfactorily in an acting capacity for more than one year may be considered for promotion to the grade for which he/she acted. Circular no. PSC/ADP/01 of 10th June, 2005 under the subject GUIDELINES ON ACTING APPOINTMENTS, section 4.6 even puts it better by saying Three months to the end of the one year acting period, the Governing Board shall, appraise the performance of the acting officer and take appropriate action for the confirmation or termination of the appointment. I can state on authority that this has not been done for the many who have acted as DCDs for more than one year and still acting and truth is many of them were not even given the chance to be appraised for their acting appointments to be confirmed or terminated. Hope you are beginning to appreciate my harmless question as the title for this write up.

One might ask what this has got to do with the fifty-two just appointed DCDs. A lot, I say! Among this fifty-two are those who were already acting as DCDs in various districts (from the information I have, they are in the majority) and for them I call their appointments a confirmation of their acting appointments as required by the Public Service Commissions guidelines. So, naturally they returned back to their districts to continue with their normal routine. The other part of the fifty-two, are those who were not acting as DCDs before their appointment. They naturally have to now be posted to take over from those who are currently acting and therein lies the challenge. Many questions come to mind:

What is the status of those who have acted for more than one year since it is clear that no one is supposed to act more than one year? Hasnt someone reneged on his duty and who is to hold such a person responsible? Is it proper to renege on your duty and after 2 or 3 or 6 or 10 years, you wake up and demote or replace or make people worse off? And after 10 years of performing the duties of a DCD, where are you going to place them after replacing them? Head of Central Administration Department I guess! Ha-ha-ha...

As I write, information from the grapevine is that this second category of appointed DCDs have been posted to the Regional Co-ordinating Councils (RCCs) for further posting to the districts and close to four (4) months after their appointment, they are yet to be posted. I guess the RCCs are having difficulty posting them. And why didnt Dr. Callistus Mahama post them directly to the districts this time as he has been doing since he took over as Head of Service? Has he now suddenly seen the importance of the RCCs in the posting of DCDs in and out of the regions? So now, there are freshly appointed substantive DCDs and yet others are acting in their stead. Funny!

I wait to see how this issue is resolved but honestly I wish I was one of the Acting DCDs who have acted continuously for over 5 years and now penned for replacement. I have no doubts this will be an interesting case to argue in court. And again, the more this people appointed as DCDs are not being posted to head district coordinating directorates as contained in section 20 of the Local Government Service Act, the more their appointments are becoming problematic. Interesting days ahead!

Well another very interesting thing caught the eye of yours truly but not all that related to this write up and I cant just end this write up without mentioning it. Perusing through the letter of appointment of the fifty-two DCDs, I realised two things:

The letter was signed by a Director (HRPD) for the Secretary. Section 9(2) of the Public Services Commission Act says The secretary is not a member of the commission. And where is or was the chairman of the commission? With my small experience in the Public Service and with what I know goes on in Public institutions and the small hullabaloo that greeted these appointments, I can only say hmmm... Your guess is as good as mine! Paragraph 2 of the letter of appointment states As a District Coordinating Director of the Local Government Service, you will be responsible for the day-to-day administration and management of the Assembly to which you will be assigned, subject to such direction on general policy as may be given by the council. This in my candid opinion is a complete blunder and is setting the appointed DCDs, especially the new once on a collision course with the law and District Chief Executives (DCEs). This in my considered opinion is in direct contravention of Article 243 (2)(b) of the 1992 Constitution, section 20 (2)(b) of the Local Government Act and certain portions of section 20 of the Local Government Service Act. Article 243 (2)(b) says The District Chief Executive SHALL be responsible for the day-to-day performance of the executive and administrative functions of the District Assembly.

I rest my case here but remember I shall surely be back.

Charles A. Akurugu

[email protected]
Four of the worlds leading authorities on ISIL discuss what the group strives to achieve with its global attacks:

 Theyre baiting us  Lydia Wilson

 This is a clear strategy to be brutal, to change the behaviour of the enemy  Jurgen Todenhof

 They want Muslims to choose between being part of societies that dont want them, or joining the Islamic State  Will McCant

 ISIS has always had this mindset the West would go after them even if they dont do anything in the West  Hassan Hassan

On Al Jazeera Englishs flagship current affairs show, UpFront, Lydia Wilson, research fellow at Oxford University's Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict; Jurgen Todenhofer, the first Western journalist to be granted access to ISIL controlled territory; Will McCants, a former State Department adviser on countering violent extremism; and Hassan Hassan, co-author of the book ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, discussed what the group aims to achieve by carrying out attacks around the world.

If we believe what they say, and I doTheyre baiting us, said Lydia Wilson. Wilson, who recently interviewed ISIL fighters in northern Iraq, believes ISIL wants Western countries to attack them at home. Theyre inspiring terror and drawing the Western powers, or the unbelieving powers into wars that they cannot afford or draw them directly into the region not just by proxies [Terror attacks] produce the response that we are giving them."

German journalist, Jurgen Todenhofer, weighed in, saying, I think the brutality of these terrorists is their strategy. They want the Western governments to overreact, to send bombers, to kill civilians, and this is a terror breeding program This is a clear strategy, to be brutal to change the behaviour of the enemy."

Also joining the special roundtable was Will McCants, the former State Department senior adviser, and author of the new book. The ISIS Apocalypse. He explained how ISILs attacks intend to polarise and act as a recruitment tool. The Islamic State is seeking, particularly in the West, to make Muslims face a choice, he said. 

....They want Muslims to choose between being part of societies that dont want them or joining the Islamic State And the more that they can cultivate anger among non-Muslims in the West against Muslims, cultivate paranoia against them, the more they hope to be able to recruit from the resulting alienation amongst Muslims in the West."

Rounding out the panel was author Hassan Hassan, who believes ISIL would prefer the West not attack them. If ISIS had a choice, I think it would have wanted the West to stay away from it, he said. However, I think ISIS has always had this mindset of the West would go after them even if they dont do anything in the West."

Watch and embed the full discussion:


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Sitting on the new Metro Mass Transit Buses made by HuangHai Bus it becomes obvious and physically touchable these buses are made in China not being able to last for very long under Ghana climate conditions and usage by Drivers and Passengers alike.

Any Public Transport System around the world runs on a deficit. The bill is ultimately footed by the Tax Payer. The Tax Payer, for that matter every Ghanaian, has the right for good public service at the lowest cost possible.

Branding of 116 buses caused an outcry in Ghanas Media shouting out corruption at the highest level and discussing the inflated price for the branding done. No Media house raised the issue, is it necessary to do such kind of branding at all...very shameful. What will happen to the next over 500 buses to come?

In Germany, the richest country in Europe and number 4 in the world, public buses partially cover their operating cost by advertisement. Corporates, big and small, use the wide front of public buses to display their commercial offers. They have to pay for the branding process involved as well as a renting charge based on the length of their promotion campaigns.

In addition inside the buses passengers have the time to look at well places adds to inform them about the latest events in the city or what best to buy. On the back of the paper tickets you find advertisements of local companies. The overhead digital display to announce the name of the next bus stop shows in between the bus stop names advertisements of mainly local brands.

The front display of the 116 buses show 888 instead of indicating the final destination of the bus. This can be seen in the old traditional way by a small sign board at the bottom of the front window left hand side.

In London public buses are branded in unity red only as London is a City visited by many tourists and a rich financial city having enough cash to cover any deficit of their transport systems.

Ghana is a poor country, heavily indebted with no better idea but to force itself to display all Ghanaian Presidents and spend much needed Tax Payers money for their public glorification on the outside of their buses.

Foreigners in Germany, when having to renew their residents permit, come to the Immigration Office with all required documents. Once they comply with German law, it takes one Immigration Officer 15 Minutes to give the citizen from far away its renewed Residence Permit with no bribe to be paid for.

In Ghana the time for renewal is 4-6 weeks (unacceptable for foreign businessmen), 2 weeks with a good bribe, and a few days with a very good bribe.

2014 Foreigners were force to pay USD 120, 00 for a Ghana Non-Citizen Card being otherwise not able to open Bank Accounts or access NHIS Facilities. No Bank cared, no hospital cared. The project was stopped one year later. The amount collected was less than setting up the scheme.

Corruption, wasting precious money, having no vision for generations to come, sitting nicely dressed in churches or at funerals only to look for a good husband or wife, lying to each other to have peace in the country, not being well organized and many morehow do you Ghanaians seriously want to be judged by GOD?

GOD asked Moses to take his chosen people out of the hands of the Pharaoh towards the Promised Land. Yet, it took them 40 years to enter it due to the fact their minds and hearts were not in line with him and his grace subsequently far away from them. Once they changed their minds and hearts, they entered the Promised Land. Ghana is the same, as long as there is no change, GOD will not unveil to them that they live truly in a Black Paradise.

Do not use Nonsense by Force but use Force to stop various Nonsense.

Author: Dipl.-Pol. Karl-Heinz Heerde, Sakumono Estate, Block D10, Aprt.9, Tema West, Ghana, phone +233(0)265078287, [email protected] , 22.02.2016
Aba Asante-Koranchie, Facilities Manager, UT Properties

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Aba Asante-Koranchie, Facilities Manager of UT Properties, has urged companies to engage the services of facilities management experts.

According to her, engaging facilities management professionals allows companies to focus on their core functions to ensure better turnaround time.

Ms Asante-Koranchie, who made the call while speaking to journalists in Accra said, Though some companies are skeptical about engaging the services of facilities management professionals, the benefits from allowing trained professionals to handle all things not part of a company's core business make it worthwhile.

She said facilities management companies adhere to regulations, thereby reducing risks associated with legal, health or other activities that can negatively impact their clients.

Ms Asante-Koranchie said facilities management companies provide excellent advisory services and high level deliveries, adding that they coordinate activities to ensure highest and best use for clients' properties.

She said the emergence of indigenous facilities management companies is a very positive development.

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It is an opportunity that allows for skills development and deployment, particularly for professionals within the built environment or industry.

These include architects, land economists, estate managers, engineers, as well as our artisans. It is also positive as it shows that there is a concerted effort by Ghanaians to be a part of a growing global industry, Ms Asante-Koranchie said.

She said the facilities management industry is growing tremendously.

However, she said the present market is relatively small with concentration in large cities.

UT Properties is poised to offer quality services at the most competitive pricing and turnaround times for firms looking to outsource or engage the companys services.

UT Properties also offers diverse support services. It offers office and residential facilities management ranging from tenancy management, building and property audits, health and safety, preventive maintenance activities, advisory services, front desk services, hospitality services and office relocations, among others.

[email protected]

By Cephas Larbi


23.02.2016 LISTEN

A gold bullion weighing 480 kilogramme valued at $18 million and bound for India and Dubai was at the weekend intercepted at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The bullion was discovered among some 12 boxes being arranged for export to the afore-mentioned destinations by two Indian firms and three Ghanaian companies upon a tip-off.

Officials of the Accra-based AA Minerals Limited  the only licensed private gold buying company in Ghana  allegedly connived with their colleagues at BGC International, K.K Enterprises, Italtec Ghana Limited and Guldrest Resources to illegally transport the gold out of the country.

The gold were without declaration and proper documentation.

The incident has heightened further suspicions of the enormity of smuggling and under-declaration in the country's mineral sector.

According to customs officials, exporting gold without any documentation is a daily occurrence at the Kotoka International Airport, adding that a lot of licensed gold exporters in the country took part in such deals to eschew paying suitable taxes.

The Bank of Ghana, in 2015, noted that a total of $3.2 billion worth of gold was exported from Ghana by both large and small-scale miners.

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About $979.6 million worth of gold arrived in India from Ghana between 2014 and 2015, India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, reveals.

That involved the shipment of a total of 34,000 kilogram of gold by small-scale miners in Ghana.

A directive by the Bank of Ghana to check the occurrence has been met with stiff opposition from licensed gold exporters, who in turn have secured an injunction to stall the Central Bank from carrying out its work.

In September 2015, Bank of Ghana directed that all gold exports by licensed exporters should be made through the Precious Minerals Marketing Company.
Christine Lagarde, IMF boss

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The International Monetary Fund's Executive Board has offered Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) a second term in office.

A statement issued by Ms Lagarde at the weekend said: I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead the IMF as Managing Director for a second term of five years, and I greatly appreciate the continued trust and support of the Fund's Executive Board and our 188 member countries.

She said over the past five years, the IMF has adapted and strengthened its capacity to respond to its members' needs and is well-prepared to help them meet the challenges of the future.

The global economy is undergoing a number of important transitions, and we are focused on helping our membership navigate these successfullywith our excellent staff delivering policy advice, capacity building and where needed, financial support. The Fund remains committed to its fundamental goal of helping to ensure global economic and financial stability through international cooperation.

I look forward to serving our membership and carrying out our critical mission in the period ahead.
The youth wing of the National Democratic Congress under the leadership of the National Youth Organizer Hon Sidii Abubakar Musah with his two deputies James Kofi Fonu kpatakpa and Kobby Barlon, earlier today, held a strategic meeting with a ten (10) member former TEIN Executives ahead of March Innauguration.

The meeting was in line with the upcoming Inauguration of the Association of Former TEIN Executives which will be held in Kumasi.

The current former National Association of TEIN executives is an embodiment of the National Youth Wing of NDC, made up of ten (10) former TEIN executives, which would include fifty (50) from each region that will be provided by the Regional Youth Organisers across the country.

The ten (10) member-committee is strategically constituted to help the pursuit of agenda 57% for his excellency President John Dramani Mahama come November 7th general election.

The commitee comprising :

ANDREW NETTEY

BABA MUSAH

ISAAC KINGSLEY EDZII

VICTORIA BAAJIKE

HASSANA AHMED

DELIGHT AKOSUA MENSAPAH

AZIZ DONLA

ZULAIHA YAKUBU

MUSAH AHMED

BILAL MUAZU SULEMANA

Consistute the National Executive Committee of an Association of Former TEIN Executives (AFTEx).

The inauguration of the association has been slatted for March this year in Kumasi and is expected to have the vice president H.E Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur as the special guest of honor, the National Youth Organisers and his two Deputies, some national executives, and some government officials.

The National Youth Organizer Hon Sidii Abubakar Musah used the opportunity to inform all former TEIN members across the country that their doors are open to them any day therefore they should never feel left out or neglected
Ms Saeed (standing right) monitoring the exercise

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The assemblywoman for the Ofankor Electoral Area in the Ga West Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region on Saturday organised a special blood donation exercise within the area.

The exercise which formed part of Humu Dilley Saeeds social responsibility, had residents within the area  both old and young  voluntarily donating blood to the National Blood Service.

It was supervised by a team of 10 medical staff from the Ridge Regional Hospital, led by Samuel Nunoo, blood donor organiser.

Addressing the media on the sidelines of the donation, the assemblywoman who was only elected into office in September 2015, said the exercise was aimed at showing love to individuals who are in critical need of blood across the country in the month of February.

Ms Saeed indicated the need for Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of donating blood frequently in order to save lives.

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According to her, Ghanaians must not learn to wait until they see their fellows dying from shortage of blood before making efforts to donate, saying that donate blood today to save lives tomorrow.

She seized the opportunity to commend some organisations, including Tobinco Pharmaceuticals and Cocoa Processing Company, which assisted her in undertaking the donation exercise.

Touching on developmental projects within the area, the assemblywoman told DAILY GUIDE that she had embarked on more than five key projects, including special initiatives for the aged within the area since she was elected into office last year.

She promised to continue with the good works in order to bring improvement in the lives of residents of Ofankor Electoral Area.

Meanwhile, Ms Saeed has appealed to corporate and non-governmental organisations to support her in delivering help to the residents.

BY Melvin Tarlue


Nana Akufo-Addo at the Calvary Charismatic Church

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The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party(NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has admonished Christians in the country to renew their faith in the future of Ghana, which, despite the difficulties she currently faces, has a bright future under the right management.

Nana Akufo-Addo is urging Ghanaians not to despair in the face of hardships and difficulties, assuring that there is hope for a brighter Ghana. What we need is that, with the help of the Almighty, our nation remains stable, united and at peace.

The NPP flagbearer made this known when he worshipped at the St. Cyprian's Anglican Church, the Grace Baptist Church, and the Calvary Charismatic Church, all in Kumasi, on Sunday February 21, 2016.

At the Grace Baptist Church, Nana Akufo-Addo explained that he was in Kumasi, on Saturday, February 20, for the funeral of the late wife of Mr. Antwi Adjei, the Director of Protocol of the NPP, and a veteran activist of the party. It being Sunday, he, therefore, decided to fellowship with several Christian communities in Kumasi.

He congratulated Rev. Dr. Osei-Wusu, who preached the sermon at the Grace Baptist Church, Amakom, Kumasi, for his inspiring and well-delivered sermon.

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Describing 2016 as a difficult year for us in Ghana, which will lead to the choosing of a new government for the people, Nana Akufo-Addo asked for prayers for Ghana, for the NPP, and for himself.

Nana Akufo-Addo, earlier on Sunday, went to his traditional place of worship, the St. Cyprian's Anglican Church, at Fante Newtown, Kumasi, where the congregation prayed for God's strength and wisdom for him in the run-up to the November elections.

The NPP flagbearer further attended the morning service at the Calvary Charismatic Church, at Ayigya, where the Founder and Senior Pastor of the Church, Pastor Ransford Obeng, in his sermon, bemoaned the emergence of election year Christians, who plague the people with suffering once they secure power.

Nana Akufo-Addo, in his remarks to the congregation, thanked Pastor Obeng for the opportunity to interact with the congregation, and reiterated, to the amusement of the congregation, that I am not an election year Christian, but a well-established Christian who worships regularly at the Ridge Church in Accra, and, if I find myself in Kumasi, at the St. Cyprian's Anglican Church.

He appealed to the congregation to try me this time. This is my third attempt, and I can assure you that, when you give me the chance, I will, with the guidance of the Almighty, not disappoint you.
The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) Boss, Mrs. Charlotte Osei, has been admonished at a one-day Nation Building forum not to allow herself to be transformed into the Biblical 'Jezebel of our time' by committing acts that are likely to compromise Ghana's peace.

Jacob Osei Yeboah, 2012 Independent Presidential Candidate, who gave this admonition as a Key Note Speaker, at the official launch of 'Peace Advocacy Campaign 2016' on Saturday at Marbon Hotel in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, said the EC and especially its Chairperson Mrs. Charlotte Osei must guide her soul and spirit to resist all kinds of decisions that will culminate into acts of the Biblical Jezebel character.

"I pray for her; for election 2016 in Ghana as I declared in 2014 is indeed Election of Armageddon," he said.

He further added that Ghana will indeed not burn with such attitudinal self-organization such as stakeholders of peace events have exemplified.

President JOY spoke on the Topic 'Religion, Government And Nation Building'

The event, which was organized by the Christ Clergy Council (CCC) in conjunction with Peace Advocacy International (PAI) was on the theme 'Ghana Will Not Burn In 2016 During And After The 2016 General Elections.'

It brought together Machomen for Good Justice Ghana (MFGJ), Chiefs, Pastors, Imams, AYA, Zongo Youths and other faith-based organizations.

President JOY emphasised that it would require no pretense from the government, state institutions, opposition political entities, faith communities, CSOs in taking a firm stance in addressing and dealing with security threats in clear eyed-terms.

"I call on the National Election Security Taskforce and Technical Committee (NEST) not to act in pretense of peaceful election to address security flash-points that will undermine and short change the Sovereign Will of Ghanaians. No security force has overcome the human Will/spirit. The best security service is to prevent and not fire fighting. Prevention is a conscious and deliberate action," he said.

Touching on the One of the Biometric Voter Register (BVR), he noted that pervasive flash points and pretense of ignorance by the EC and the Political Parties is the creation of Credible BVR since the ECs independence is not an island onto itself.

"What ignorance and pretense by the EC on how to clean BVR. What does the EC mean by BVR Exhibition after the limited registration? The EC forum Eminent Panelistss report has stated BVR validation and Nigeria has demonstrated BVR validation by simply Placing of Voters fingers on the AFIS machine to verify respective Biodata in order to validate a voter for 2016 election, adding that .....the National Election Security Taskforce And Technical Committee (NEST) without pretense must engage the EC to ensure credible but economic BVR as against NEW BVR. The National Peace Council must equally collaborate with NEST for this common purpose. This will clear perceived manipulation and doubts of credible neutrality by these institutions."

On the government, President JOY said government and not the President alone in pretense should not mock the law and uphold it simultaneously and even in instances where court orders are not enforced, they become a total mockery of Justice.

"Examples are the orders on Woyome case and Fulanis. From hindsight whenever justice is denied the whole national security is threatened, to the extent that the lives of Fulanis, indigenes, and even the economic value of the cattle rearing will be lost."

On the recent rampage and rancour in Tafo, President JOY said the stakeholders of the unfortunate upheaval at Tafo must not deny the application of Justice.

"Though Justice can be tempered with mercy but the clarity of pursuing Justice and the lessons must not be denied the country, especially, the youth. The American reformer and statesman, Frederick Douglas cautionary statement cannot be ignored at this dispensation where Justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.

He paid special homage to the CCC with Apostle Chief Isaac who initiated the programme with Nananom and chose Kumasi as host region for the maiden event.

"The collaboration of Ashanti Youth Association, the Zongo Youth and Machomen for Good Justice Ghana (MFGJ) is a leadership trail blazer and a laudable resolved by all youth groups in Ghana to emulate not to allow themselves to be manipulated by political entities to ensure peace. For Ghana will not burn in 2016 by political EXPEDIENCIES. Let's deal with our fears legally and professionally and not leave our fate to the pretense of prayers and expected miracles for God has given us the power to dominate as stated in the holy bible.

One of the favourite quotations that the Muslim youth leader, Mallam Abdul Fattah of Accra often quotes is "For surely Allah will never change the grace which He hath bestowed on a people until they change what is in their (own) souls; and verily Allaah is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things)." (Qur'aan: Al-Anfaal, 8:53). For Allaah ta'aalaa will never change His blessings and the fortunes of a people unless the people take the initiative to change themselves.

.....Let us go back to the real Ghanaian and not change our souls for evil because of depraved partisan politics emanating out of insatiable greed. I am most grateful to the CCC and Peace Advocacy International especially Apostle Chief Isaac who never relented for me to share perspectives as a Political Leader.
Parliament has summoned the Water Resources Works and Housing ministry over the water crisis that has hit parts of the country.

The recent water shortage in the Greater Accra, Western and Eastern regions has caused a lot of fear and panic among residents in these areas.

The three regions have been without water for weeks. People have had to trek miles in search of potable water.

At Nsawam Adoagyiri in the Eastern region where a reservoir which supplies water to the area has gone low, residents have had to resort to the polluted Densu River for water.

Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Water Company, Tony Goodman said until the rains start, it will be difficult to supply potable water to these areas.

The Ministry says it has been able to provide enough water to the areas affected by the shortage as they look to deal with the drought which has caused the crisis.

Speaking to Joy News, Deputy sector minister Sampson Ahi explains enough potable water has been distributed to the areas affected but still insists Ghanaians still need to pray for early rains.

We are intermittently treating and distributing water from our system, so that is providing some form of water to the people.

However, because it is not enough we also engage the services of tanker operators, we charge them to supply water to the social centres that is the hospitals, schools and prisons, he added.

He insists that Ghanaians would have to pray for the rains to come in early to enable the GWCL provide enough water for distribution.

As Christians we should keep praying, even pastors have been saying that we should pray hard otherwise the drought this year will be severe but I dont want it to look as if we dont know what we are doing at the ministry, he said.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Naa Sakwaba Akwa | [email protected]
23.02.2016 LISTEN

From Christian Akorli, GNA Special Correspondent, Rabat, Morocco

Rabat, (Morocco), Feb 23, GNA -Journalists from 16 African News Agencies have begun a week's training on economic and financial journalism to sharpen skills in order to communicate effectively on those issues to the public.

Organised by the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA), the seminar is to afford participants the opportunity to build their competencies and to be able to tell compelling economic and financial stories in simple ways that would enhance readers' understanding of the issues.

Khalil Hachimi Idrissi, FAAPA President and Director General of Morocco News Agency (MAP), said the training session was part of an important strategy to build the capacity and to develop the human resources of the news agencies of members of the Atlantic Federation.

He called on journalists to use the knowledge they would acquire to enhance understanding of economic issues, especially in going behind to inform and explain to the public the reasons behind an economic action and its impact on the people.

Mr Bachir Thiam, Head of Public Relations for Africa Royal Air Maroc, who shared lessons and experiences from the career in journalism, said economic and financial journalists have the responsibility to simplify the terms, adding that the information is only relevant if the public could make a meaning out of it.

In October last year, heads of news agencies in Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Niger, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Mauritania, Liberia and host Morocco, met in the Kingdom of Morocco and established the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agency.

The formation of FAAPA is geared towards laying the basis for a strategic partnership, develop professional relations between member countries, share information and multimedia products.

It is also to ensure circulation of information and news concerning any member country.

GNA
Ho, Feb 23, GNA - Lack of a Freedom of Information Law is a significant blight on open governance in Ghana, the Open Governance Scorecard Country Report of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has indicated.

'One major setback for transparency in Ghana-possibly the major causal factor-for its weak transparency performance is the lack of freedom of information law backing a right to information recognized in the 1992 Constitution even though it does not create the institutional conditions for making access to information applicable in practice'.

Ghana is however 'making significant progress in its Open Data Initiative with the establishment of Open governance Data Portal- an important dimension of Open governance,' the GII Report said.

Ghana is ranked fourth in Africa in applying technology and innovation to facilitate open governance, Mrs Mary Awelena Addah, Programme Manager GII, said at a workshop in Ho.

The workshop brought together officials of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Municipal and District Assemblies, Civil Society Organization (CSOs) and Social Accountability Clubs (SAC) to discuss the report and draw work plans to facilitate open governance in those institutions.

The three-year Open Governance Project (OG-P) was launched by Transparency International (TI) in 2013 as part of activities to curb public sector corruption, and is being implemented in Ghana, Peru, Ukraine and Indonesia, the Concept Note of the Project indicated.

The Project focused on three main pillars, transparency, participation and control and oversight over governance.

The overall objective of the Project is to encourage institutional reforms by governments in order to attain transparency, and accountability in the operations of the political administration to ultimately serve the interests of the citizenry.

The Report singled out Control and Oversight as 'the best performing part of Ghana's open governance regime, while transparency is the weakest,' due largely to lack of Freedom of Information Law.

'The overall performance of Ghana is slightly better in open governance in-practice than in what actually is prescribed in the law in relation to citizens' rights to participate and access information,' the report indicated.

The Report described the open governance scorecard as a 'dashboard with an extensive set of indicators to assess whether basic conditions are met to foster open governance around the three pillars,' transparency, Control and oversight and accountability.

It gathered information on legal provisions related to open governance in diverse legal instruments, system arrangements, how institutions and branches interact between themselves and citizens to facilitate oversight.

It also looked at institutional mechanisms-process through which government branches or agencies disclose information, facilitate participation or comply with oversight provisions.

GNA
Accra, Feb. 23, GNA - Ashfoam Ghana, with the Rotary Club of Accra Dzorwulu, has organised a blood donation exercise at the Achimota New Lorry Park to support the Blood Bank of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

More than 100 people participated in the exercise, which brought together Ashfoam's staff in Accra, and its environs, and the members of the Rotary Club of the Accra Dzorwulu.

The exercise was aimed at encouraging the citizenry to know the importance of blood donation and educating commercial drivers and their mates on the issue.

Mr Joe Ampem-Darko Antwi, the Marketing and Communications Manager of Ashfoam, said the Company had for the past three years been organising the exercise and it would continue in the years ahead to support the blood banks of the hospitals across the country.

He said the exercise was also in line with the Company's Corporate Social Responsibility, (CSR) which it had integrated into its operations.

Mr Antwi said the partnership with the Rotary Club of Accra Dzorwulu indicated the renowned service club's appreciation of Ashfoam's operational principles and expressed the hope for more fruitful joint ventures.

He said the Company had branches in all the 10 regions and each had their various roles of handling their CSR: implementing Education, Health, Water and Sanitation, and others.

The Marketing Manager said Ashfoam had for more than 40 years been operating in Ghana; it had more than 2,000 employees, and their contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product was enormous.

Mr Johnson Dweban, President of the Rotary Club of Accra Dzorwulu, said the donation of blood was akin to the donation of life; and that it was a gift to the world, particularly, to those who needed blood most in the various hospitals.

Mrs Sophia Mills Blankson, the Head of Donor Recruitment at the National Blood Transfusion Service, thanked the two institutions for their commitment in supporting to save lives.

She appealed to other institution, civil society groups and organizations to emulate the example of Ashfoam Ghana and Rotary Club of Accra Dzorwulu to save the lives of the citizenry.

GNA
23.02.2016 LISTEN

Agormor-Agado, Feb 23, GNA - Madam Helen Adjoa Ntosu, Volta Regional Minister, has commended the Akatsi-North District Assembly for locally funding the Schools Feeding Program (SFP) in their area.

The programme, in its pilot phase, covers 10 schools.

'When I heard of the Assembly's own agenda of extending the feeding program to more schools from its own Internally Generated Funds, I said this is commendable, the first time an Assembly is doing this,' the Minister stated.

Madam Ntosu said this at Agormor-Agado, while inaugurating a 20-member Schools Management Committee for the local SFP and also handed over 10 reservoirs to the 10 beneficiary schools.

The Minister, who also commissioned a six classroom block for the Agormor-Agado basic school, said the initiative aside that of government was to draw more kids to schools and improve on their nutrition. This deserves praise.

She said the Mahama administration deserve praise for doing a lot for the country and for that matter the Volta Region.

Madam Ntosu said critics were pretending to be seeing nothing, mentioning the University, an airport and the Eastern corridor road projects, as just a few in the Region.

'Ignore and do not listen to the critics who say they do not have money in their pocket and are therefore deliberately downplaying the roads, schools and hospitals projects, ignoring fact that such facilities bring comfort and both direct and indirect sources of money,' she told the people.

Madam Ntosu, who commissioned another six classroom block for Afiadenyigba-Gborxoxome, said running a country was not a child's play.

On the November elections, the Minister said those beating war drums should be avoided as what the country needed now was peace.

Mr James Gunu, District Chief Executive of the area, said the pupil population of the Agormor-Agado school for example shot up to about 400 from 360 in six weeks due to the introduction of the feeding programme.

He said the District would find the money to sustain the GH320,000.00 pilot SFP until the Government absorbed those schools.

He said furniture for teachers and pupils were to be distributed to some schools in the area soon.

Madam Edith Akpoto, Volta Regional SFP Director, said the SFP has decided to forgo its management cost charges to the pilot SFP to enable it succeed.

GNA
Accra, Feb 22, GNA - Dr James K. Adomako, the Dean of Students' Affairs, University of Ghana (UG), has called for the education of students on Academic Freedoms (AF).

He said this would enable them to know their rights and responsibilities, and what is acceptable or unacceptable within the confines of AF; explaining that by so doing, they would be able to present their views, arguments and protests in an acceptable manner.

'AF means that both faculty and students can engage in intellectual discourse without fear of censorship or retaliation,' Dr Adomako said on Monday in Accra in a speech read on his behalf at a day's conference on Students' AF.

He said 'AF means that both faculty and students can make comparisons and contrasts between subjects taught in a course and any field of human knowledge or era.It means that political, religious, or philosophical beliefs of politicians, administrators and members of the public cannot be imposed on students or faculty,'

The conference was organised by the Faculty of Law, UG, on the theme 'Promoting Students' Academic Freedom in Ghana - Issues Arising'.

Students' right to AF in Africa has been given little attention in the literature and in regional instruments such as the 1990 Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Responsibility.

In African where AF is addressed, it is often done only tangentially - when it coincides with the larger interests of the university.

The aim of the conference was to come out with the best approach or recommendations for addressing the issue of AF in Ghana.

Dr Adomako observed that promoting students' AF in Ghana is very important because to a large extent it affects student-lecturer relationships and overall student academic performance.

He said AF entails giving faculty and students the right to seek redress or request a hearing if they believe their rights had been violated.

It also include protecting faculty and students from reprisals for disagreeing with administrative policies or proposals.

He said AF does not mean faculty can harass, threaten, intimidate, ridicule or impose its views on students.

Dr Adomako said AF is being practiced to some extent in UG; but however some of its tenets and statues are not being applied as they should.

'Many students are ignorant of the protection it provides. There is the problem of balancing free expression and the desire not to offend. The issue is how much freedom should be tolerated?' he said.

On the issue of use of threats, intimidation and ridicule, Dr Adomako said that 'there have been many reports by students where faculty ridiculed, intimidated or threatened students for expressing their views in class. In some situations the nature of language students' use is bad, whereas in others, the lecturers just lack tolerance'.

'In other cases, certain lecturers are alleged to deliberately avoid the questions and contributions of particular students, as they usually pose challenging questions and give controversial contributions.

'This does not do much for the students and even such lecturers, learning is a two-way process.

'Students also complain of lecturers who impose their handouts on them; some go further to insist that students should only write what they taught them, the notes they have given or the information in their handouts alone during examinations or test.

Dr Adomako said tolerance for diverging views of students in the faculty must be encouraged adding that 'intellectual growth requires the right to think the unthinkable, discuss the unmentionable and challenge the unchallengeable'.

He called for the adoption of the University of Chicago's approach to addressing AF; which took the stance not only to promote 'fearless freedom or debate', but also to protect it.

Professor Edward Kofi Quashigah, the Dean Faculty of Law, UG, who chaired the function in his remarks said university are established for the development of ideas; and ideas are nurtured in an environment where there is real freedom.

He urged students to challenge ideas; out of which societies would become a better place for all and sundry.

GNA
Koforidua, Feb. 23, GNA - The President of the Eastern Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church, the Reverend Samuel B. Arloo, has urged the church to provide the needed leadership to help everybody to uphold the peace ahead of the November 7 polls.

The nation should not be on edge and that all should be tolerant and accept to conduct themselves responsibly.

He was speaking at the region's observation of the 'Bible Sunday' at the Calvary Methodist Church at Adweso near Koforidua.

The Rev Arloo said there was absolutely no reason for Ghanaians to be torn apart by partisan politics.

He encouraged Christians to step up the spread of the gospel to help people to show love and learn to forgive others for any wrongdoing.

He conceded that the nation was indeed going through difficult times and that things had become really tough for all, but he said, there was hope.

The Rev Arloo pointed out that if all those, who gather at the church auditoriums to worship would lead Christ-like lives - sincerity and integrity, both at the workplace and home, things would radically change for the better.

Mr Nathaniel Nunoo, immediate past Church Relations Manager of the Bible Society of Ghana, appealed for more support to translate the Bible into more local Ghanaian languages.

GNA
Accra, Feb. 23, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday sentenced Irene Nyemebuo, a trader to four months imprisonment for dealing narcotic drugs without lawful authority.

Irene who was sentenced on her own plea was also fined 10,000 penalty units or in default serve 3 years in jail.

The court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh said in sentencing the court took into consideration the quantity of the substance and the fact that she was a single parent and the number of months already spent in custody.

The court also ordered that the exhibit be destroyed by the Police in the presence of the Court's Registrar by close of day.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu told the court that on November 19, 2015, at about 2200 hours the Mile 7 District Police conducted a surprise search on the premises of James Town Dinking Spot located at Ofankor, owned and ran by Irene.

He said the police discovered a sack half full of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp hidden under a table in the spot.

He told the court that the police also found a rubber container filled with some leaves also suspected to be Indian hemp soaked in some local gin known as Akpeteshie and seized them.

Chief Inspector Adu said Irene was arrested and the leaves and the drinks impounded was sent to the police station.

Upon interrogation, she stated that the exhibits were given to her by a man to sell for him, but she failed to produce the said man and was later charged.

GNA
Accra, Feb. 23, GNA - The HFC Bank would on Monday, February 29 host a seminar to help educate its current and prospective customers on the benefits of the existing local content legislation governing the Oil and Gas Sector in Ghana.

The seminar is expected to be opened by Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the Minister of Petroleum and would also feature local and foreign expects in the Oil and Gas Sector to provide insight into possibilities for small and medium size companies to participate meaningfully in the sector.

A statement issued in Accra by Madam Margaret Adatsi, Corporate Communications Manager, HFC, said various representatives from the Petroleum Commission and National Petroleum Authority would be participating.

It said the Republic Bank Limited (RBL), the parent institution of HFC Bank, played a significant role using similar circumstances in building the capacity of a number of local companies in Trinidad and Tobago and allowing them to participate in the Oil and Gas sector in the country.

'Republic Bank also played an active role in the structuring of financial products to facilitate small and medium enterprises' participation in the sector in Trinidad and Tobago,' it added.

Also participating in the seminar would be Mr. Robert Riley, the former President of BP, Trinidad and Tobago, who oversaw the multinational's participation over a decade during the time of rapid expansion of the energy sector in that country.

Mr Robert Le Hunte, Managing Director of HFC Bank, commenting on the seminar, said that 'financial institutions are critical to the success of local content implementation as they form the bridge via loan and other facilities to make the legislation a reality and HFC Bank is positioned to play a facilitating role in that regard'.

It said the Bank was excited about the prospects of leveraging on the experience and good work of RBL in Trinidad and Tobago with a committed focus to duplicate and improve on that success in Ghana.

GNA
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday pledged his country's cooperation with African nations against "terrorism" as he met Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

"Israel is willing and prepared to work with African countries in our common battle against militant Islamic terrorism," Netanyahu said as he went into talks with Kenyatta, whose country has long been a strategic ally of Israel.

"I have to say that more and more African countries recognise what you recognise -- that Israel is a unique partner against this extremism".

The Kenyan leader said "we both live in challenging neighbourhoods with similar security concerns and the cooperation between our two governments since the time of our independence has been formidable".

He said he hoped his visit would further strengthen ties with Israel.

The United States, Britain and Israel have all had close military and intelligence ties with Kenya.

Israel reportedly warned of plans to attack Israeli property ahead of the 2013 massacre at Nairobi's Westgate mall. The mall was part owned by Israelis and had long been considered a prime potential target.

Israeli agents reportedly assisted Kenyan security forces in their response to the mall attack by Shebab gunmen who killed at least 67 people.

Israeli businesses in Kenya have been targeted in the past, including the Al-Qaeda claimed bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa in 2002, in which 18 people died, as well as a failed missile strike on an Israeli charter plane at the same time.
23.02.2016 LISTEN

Islamist militias in Libya have lost two major areas in the eastern city of Benghazi, military sources and residents have told the BBC.

People are celebrating on the streets, a resident said.

Fighters loyal to anti-Islamist Gen Khalifa Haftar are reported to have taken over the port, a hospital and have cut off a key weapons supply line.

Thousands have fled more than a year of fighting in Benghazi, the birthplace of the 2011 uprising.

Once in the Libyan army, Gen Haftar fought with revolutionaries to overthrow long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Libya has since fragmented and has rival parliaments backed by various militias and brigades spawned by the uprising.

.

BBC North Africa correspondent Rana Jawad says the chaos has allowed Islamic State fighters to gain a foothold in the country, and some are believed to be fighting with other Islamist militias in Benghazi.

In January, the UN brokered a deal between rival lawmakers to form a unity government, but this has not yet happened.

The latest military gains will give Gen Haftar a stronger hand in Libyas volatile political landscape, and it is not yet clear if he is giving his backing to the unity agreement, our correspondent says.

Last year, he was appointed as the head of armed forces for the parliament based in the eastern port city of Tobruk.

Some of the Islamist militias he has been battling in his hometown of Benghazi are backed by political factions in the west, where the Tripoli administration is based.

-bbc


The BBC Africa team spoke with Uganda's President, Yoweri Museveni, to talk about claims of vote rigging and criticism from international election observers. Mr Museveni was declared winner of Uganda's election on Saturday extending his rule to a potential 35 years.

The interview is available here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03k9fc0 (and the clip can also be embedded). A video clip is also available on the BBC Africa Youtube channel:

Mr Museveni gave his first interview since returning to power to BBC Africa's Zuhura Yunus at his home in Rwakitura, Western Uganda.

In the interview Mr. Museveni says of term limits: We dont believe in term limits, on the arrests of opposition party leaders They were colluding, they were working together and on the military presence he mentions there being a young culture of democracy - some of these participants are not civil.

The latest news from Uganda can be found on www.bbcafrica.com

For any further information please contact [email protected]

BBC World Services BBC Africa hub brings together the production of multilingual content about the continent on radio, on TV and online on bbcafrica.com. As it delivers content in English, French, Hausa, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Somali and Kiswahili, BBC Africa ensures a pan-African approach to the output, offering its audiences opportunities to join the global conversation. BBC Africa has teams based in London and across much of sub-Saharan Africa, and has well established production centres in various cities.

Follow BBC Africa on Twitter, Facebook, Google +, Instagram, Soundcloud and YouTube.

http://www.bbc.co.uk
23.02.2016 LISTEN

Accra, Feb. 23, GNA - Ms Antoinette Delali Kemawor, Miss Ghana 2015, the Brand Ambassador for voluntary blood donation activities, has urged the youth to regularly take part in voluntary blood donation exercises.

She said studies have shown that regular blood donation helps in reducing risk of damage to the liver as well as help in improving cardiovascular health and obesity.

A statement signed by Mr Stephen Addai-Baah, Public Relations Officer, said the Ms Kemawor and her other colleagues together recruited voluntary donors in and around the Rawlings Park area at Makola in Accra to donate blood.

It said this forms part of the Miss Ghana Foundation's commitment to help increase the blood stock level at the National blood Service.

Participants also benefited from free dental screening alongside the blood donation exercise.

It said the opportunity to undergo free mini health examinations, as part of the donation exercise, were good enough reasons for Ghanaians to regularly donate blood voluntarily for their own health benefits.

Mr Alfred Oko Vanderpuye, Mayor of Accra, reminded the public about the dreadful consequences of blood shortage at the blood banks and called on the masses to be part of regular voluntary blood donation activities.

The statement commended the Miss Ghana Foundation, organisers of the blood donation event, for their passion and dedication to the lifesaving campaign of mass blood mobilization process.

More than fifty seven (57) volunteers donated blood on the day including some visitors from Europe who are in Ghana for voluntary and exchange programme.

GNA
Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A), Feb. 23, GNA - Madam Florence Iddrisah, the Dormaa Central Municipal Director of Health Services, has appealed to health workers in the Municipality to report private health facilities operating without certificates of registration.

She said the continuous operation of such 'mushroom clinics' was dangerous to the health and well-being of their clients and the general public because the quality of their services could not be guaranteed.

Madam Iddrisah made the appeal during the 2015 annual performance review meeting of the Municipal Health Directorate on Tuesday at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

The programme, attended by heads of departments, health personnel, the media, civil/public servants and some personnel of the security agencies, was to review the 2015 performance of the Health Directorate.

She said there was a need for collaboration between her outfit and the health officials, particularly those in deprived communities to expose the activities of those unaccredited facilities.

Mr Kwame Owusu-Amponsah, the Municipal Disease Control Officer, said in 2015, four cases of yaws and five cases of elephantiasis were reported but have all been treated.

He said other activities embarked upon by his outfit included the control of the incidence of buruli ulcer, malaria, leprosy, whooping cough, neonatal tetanus, HIV/AIDS, and awareness creation campaigns.

Mr Yiadom Boakye, a Physician Assistant at the Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital, called for proper demarcation of the houses and street names for swift ambulance services in the Municipality.

GNA
Bolgatanga, Feb. 23, GNA - Forty police personnel including senior officers and station officers from eight districts in the Upper East Region have ended a two-day training programme on Domestic Violence in Bolgatanga.

The programme, sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), was to build the capacity of the officers to differentiate between ordinary offences and domestic violence and how to properly apply the Domestic Violence Law.

Resource persons drawn from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), Department of Social Welfare and CHRAJ took the participants through topics including the Children and Juvenile Justice Act, Human Rights Violation in the Perspective of Domestic Violence, the Interstate Succession Law, Domestic Violence Law, and Management of DOVSU Cases among others.

The Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Simon Affeku, entreated the participants to use the knowledge acquired to help reduce domestic violence.

He said the region, which had eight police stations and 19 station offices had only one DOVVSU Office in Bolgatanga.

The situation, he said, made it difficult to handle the numerous domestic violence cases in the region.

DCOP Affeku cited for instance that whilst the region in 2013 recorded 304 domestic violence cases, it recorded 301 and 350 in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

The Regional Commander stated that the cases were those reported from the Bolgatanga, Talensi and Nabdam districts alone.

The Acting Regional Co-ordinator of DOVVSU, DSP Kwadwo Appiah, said early and forced marriages were classified as domestic violence and that even though the region had the highest recorded cases of early and forced marriages, few of such cases were reported.

He said his outfit, with support from the Ghana Education Service and Afrikids Ghana, Widows and Orphans Movement, both Non Governmental Organisations, had over the years sensitised people on domestic violence and their effects on victims.

'With the support from UNFPA-Ghana and Amnesty International, the Regional DOVVSU has formed and trained Community Based Anti-Violent Teams in some communities in the region to help curb the menace,' he said.

He called on the public not to hesitate to report cases of domestic violence to the DOVVSU and Community Based Anti-Violent Teams.

DSP Kwadwo Appiah mentioned the lack of transportation as one of the major challenges hindering the work of DOVSU, adding that the only vehicle that was donated by the UNFPA-Ghana had broken down.

He said more DOVVSU offices would be opened in Bawku and Navrongo and appealed for assistance from other development partners.

GNA
23.02.2016 LISTEN

Winneba (C/R) Feb. 23, GNA - Mr Bright Osei Adjaye, a level 400 Student of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) drowned in the sea, on Saturday, when he went swimming with his colleagues, to celebrate his birthday.

The Winneba District Police Commander, Superintendent Godfrey Tetteh Adjirakor, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Winneba, on Tuesday.

He said Mr Adjaye organised a party at the beach.

He said after enjoying themselves with food and drinks, they swam for some time and they all returned to the beach.

According to them, later Mr Adjaye decided to go for his final swim and went back into the sea.

He said the friends later saw Mr Adjaye being driven deep into the sea by the current and before they got a rescuer, he drowned.

The Police Commander said the body, which was washed ashore the following day (Sunday Feb. 21) had since been released to the family for burial after autopsy at Winneba Municipal Hospital.

GNA
Accra, Feb, 23, GNA - Ghana's leading telecommunications service provider, MTN Ghana, has announced a partnership agreement with Emirates airline, offering MTN customers special ticket fares on selected destinations.

Through this partnership, MTN customers will enjoy special fares representing a 15 per cent and 20 per cent discount on Economy Class and Business Class tickets respectively.

A statement signed by Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, Acting Corporate Services Executive of the company, said the offer can be accessed online via http://mtn.com.gh/personal/loyalty.

It said customers eligible for the special rates will be notified by MTN via SMS.

Mr Noel Kojo-Ganson, the Acting Chief Marketing Officer for MTN Ghana, said, 'MTN as a global brand in telecommunications is happy to provide great experiences on Emirates Airlines, which is one of the world's most valuable airline brands.

The Country Manager of Emirates Airlines in Ghana Mr Hendrik Du Preez said: 'Emirates is proud to partner with MTN to offer reduced fares to a raft of destinations across our wide network. We are always committed to enhance the travel experience of our valuable customers and this offer will give MTN customers in Ghana the opportunity to explore their dream destination for less and experience Emirates' award-winning product and services.'

Mr Kojo-Ganson said MTN would continue to find new ways of delighting customers with exciting, relevant and rewarding initiatives.

The special fares on Emirates Airline follow other loyalty reward schemes instituted by MTN to reward customers.

GNA
Akim Oda (E/R), Feb. 23, GNA - The Akim Oda Water Expansion Project would be completed by April to improve water supply more than one than one million people and enhance their wellbeing.

It would produce 1.3 million gallons of water daily for the residents of Akim Asene, Akim Oda, Akwatia, Winneba and their surrounding communities.

Speaking to Ghana News Agency at Akim Oda, Mr Mustafa Ediz Armador, the Deputy Manager of ARDA-GRUP, which is undertaking the project, said work on the project, which started 36 months ago, was almost 90 per cent complete.

The project, he said, had also created employment for more than 900 youths in the Birim Central Municipality.

The GNA conducted the interview when the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Antwi- Bosiako Sekyere, visited the site to inspect the progress of work.

The Minister said the165 million US-dollar- project demonstrated the Government's commitment to promote easy access to safe drinking water, especially, during the dry season.

GNA
Accra, Feb. 23, GNA - The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has extended its condolences to the bereaved families of the unfortunate road accident which claimed over 60 lives at Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region.

It described the accident as regrettable and disturbing while condemning the spate of road carnage in the country.

Mr Issah Khaleepha, General Secretary of the Union, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, urged its members to exercise the greatest caution to avert such occurrences in the future.

'It's unfortunate that the carnage had occurred at the time drivers are being congratulated for the massive reduction of road accidents in 2015,' the statement said.

'We wish to take this opportunity to encourage our members, social partners and other stakeholders that through collaborative efforts they should endeavour to give off their best towards the realisation of set targets,' it said.

The statement urged them to monitor the professional conduct of drivers to minimise road accidents.

It also advised the GPRTU members to continue to work together in harmony to curb such unfortunate incidents in the transport industry to ensure progress.

GNA
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business Inclusion of alcohol in GST could curb illicit sale : USL According to Abanti, there are various demographic and economic factors that indicate that India is one of the most attractive countries for the alcohol industry. She expects an eight to ten percent CAGR in the next five years for the sector.
business Maserati opens new store; launches luxury SUV Levante At the inauguration of its new store, Maseratis India head, Bojan Jankulovski says that after the west, the company will look at East, like Kolkata, for new dealerships.
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business PNB says 904 wilful defaulters owe it Rs 10,869 crore These are borrowers that Punjab National Bank believes have the wherewithal to pay but don't.
business Samsung unveils Galaxy S7, S7 Edge; LG showcases G5 South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG showed off their new flagship smartphones on Sunday as they fight for consumer affections with new features at a time of slowing global smartphone sales.
The topic of the government pressing private businesses for sensitive personal data is getting some much needed attention.

Im a bit of an armchair spectator when it comes to American politics. I find the whole process confusing, convoluted and oh-so-drawn-out.

I once had someone try to convince me that drawn-out battles were a good idea.

Their idea was that the longer the selection process took, the better chance you had to get to know your elected official.

The problem with that is I dont think many Americans really get that involved in the get to know you process. I have no doubt that, like many Aussies, its the sound bites on the nightly commercial news networks that form the basis of their opinions.

Im not here to debate which one is better.

My view is that the process doesnt matter; theyre all corrupt. Just how deep the corruption runs is something we explore in tomorrows issue of Strategic Intelligence.

While we dont get right to the bottom of it  you cant completely unearth political corruption in 8,000 words  the issue highlights political and banking influence on the US economy.

One of the points that we briefly touch, though, is the creeping rise of government control.

It starts innocently enough.

Web filters to protect the children. Strict alcohol consumption laws to stop you from making your own decisions. Insisting that 9.5% of your wages be paid into a retirement fund youll never see if you under the age of 40.

And then the attempts for control become more obvious.

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump called on Americans last week to boycott Apple. It might not have gotten as much media attention if it wasnt for Trump.

Since Trump gobbed off, its become big news. Apple denying a Federal court order? Oh my

In case you havent heard, the head honchos at Apple have refused a Federal magistrates order to hack into a smartphone that belonged to one of the people involved in the San Bernardino shootings in California last year.

Trump  because he knows whats good for the people  declared at a political rally in Southern California shortly after Apple refused:

Who do they think they are? First of all, Apple ought to give the security for that phone. What I think you ought to do is boycott Apple until such time as they give that security number.

I cant fathom why Trump would call for this. Does he honestly believe the people think this is a good idea? Or is he just too clumsy to hide the governments agenda for political control over the masses?

As unlikely as this statement sounds, Im thankful Trump opened his expensively sculpted lips and said that about Apple.

Because of him, the topic of the government pressing private businesses for sensitive personal data is getting some much needed attention.

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, felt the need to defend their move. Telling Apple fans in an open letter that the FBIs nosiness is an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers.

A day later, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak added his two cents, telling CNBC:

I believe that Apples brand recognition and value and profits is largely based on an item called trust. Trust means you believe somebody. You believe youre buying a phone with encryption. You cant trust who is in power. Its like believing the authority and police wherever they go. Generally, when they write the rules, theyre right when theyre wrong.

Most importantly, Wozniak highlighted his fear of the creep that breaking encryption would bring. The problem isnt just this one phone. Its what happens next.

Im talking about the general case that goes much deeper than this case. And that is the FBI wants a permanent backdoor built in. And I just think thats wrong.

Before you get sucked into the Trump vortex of reality, this isnt a PR stunt to get Apples names in the papers.

Apple doesnt need the people on its side.

As an example of just how pervasive Apple products are, both my kids (aged three and five) think all tablets are called iPads. No matter what the brand. To them, a large touch screen device is an iPad in their grubby fingered world. Its the generic Walkman term of their generation.

Facebook said in a statement that it will comply with lawful requests for user information. However, it will continue to fight aggressively on demands that weaken their security.

Adding that these demands would create a chilling precedent and obstruct companies efforts to secure their products.

Twitter boss, Jack Dorsey, Tweeted his support for Tim Cook at Apple. Telling the Twitterverse: We stand with Tim Cook and Apple (and thank him for his leadership)!

And then Google spoke.

Google CEO, Sundar Pichi, joined the chorus, saying the court order could set a troubling precedent.

We know that law enforcement and intelligence agencies face significant challenges in protecting the public against crime and terrorism. We build secure products to keep your information safe and we give law enforcement access to data based on valid legal orders. But thats wholly different than requiring companies to enable hacking of customer devices and data.

Our Revolutionary Tech Insider analyst, Sam Volkering, weighed in last week on why its so important that we trust these private companies more than the government.

As Sam explains below, because of our digital lives, its vital that we have faith in the owners of our information:

With the pervasive nature of modern technology in our lives we put our data, information and privacy at risk. Everywhere we go we leave breadcrumbs of data: GPS location, browser history, biometric information, payments and so on. We use this to help manage our day to day lives better. But there are nefarious players out there  namely government and law enforcement  who want to use our data and information to know more about us. They want to keep an eye on us, profile us. And they do it all under the fake guise of national security. But in order to get all this information they need big tech companies to play nice. So for us, as private individuals we have to trust companies like Google and Apple that they wont just hand over the keys to our data at the governments beck and call. This has just been put to the test with Apple. The FBI sent a court order to Apple demanding they unlock the phone of one of the recent California Shooters. Apple said no. Apple championed the privacy of the individual  regardless of the situation. Providing Apple sticks to its guns (pardon the pun), its a big win for our privacy and a big middle finger to the government. But will Apple have the guts to stand up or will it cave in as the pressure builds?

Will Apple give in? Ill pray to a deity they dont. We cant escape the technology. But were left with no choice but to blindly trust these capitalists to protect us  their so-called customers.

This isnt just a little spat between Apple, the FBI and the US Federal Court.

Its political influence pushing for an ever growing amount of information about you. And what they cant get on you, well, clearly thats what the court system is for.

Regardless of your views on Trump, his glib comment to boycott put the spotlight on the dirty tricks of politicians. The tricks theyll pull when they dont think youre watching.

We have been privy to the government using their clout to obtain information.

As I explain in Strategic Intelligence tomorrow, you dont always see the obvious grab for political control.

We got lucky this time.

Regards,

Shae Russell,

Editor, Strategic Intelligence

From the Port Phillip Publishing Library

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There are growing concerns that millions of savers may no longer be able to take a tax-free cash lump from their pension if the Chancellor launches a Pension ISA in this years Budget.

It is widely expected that there will be significant changes to the pension system this March  with either a Pension ISA being introduced, or the Government abolishing higher-rate tax relief on pension contributions.

Both could signal the end of the perk that allows savers to access a quarter of their pension funds, tax-free from the age of 55.

Leading pension experts have slammed these proposals. Steve Webb, the former Liberal Democrat pensions minister - and now director of policy at Royal London - said these changes could be the biggest example of daylight robbery since the days of Dick Turpin.

The idea of a Pension ISA was floated in last years Budget. It would mean savers would lose all up-front tax relief on pension savings  significantly reducing the amount invested and future growth potential.

Webb added: A pension ISA steals billions of pounds in tax revenues from the next generation who will need the money to fund the public services of an ageing society.

Flat-Rate Tax Relief

He was equally scathing about the introduction of a flat-rate of pension tax relief, unless this is set at a high limit. If the Chancellor opts for a low flat-rate of tax relief (such as 25%) he will be stealing billions of pounds today from the support we give to hard-pressed savers.

A Royal London report calculated that a flat rate of 25% would be a major disadvantage to higher-rate taxpayers, but would provide little benefit to lower earners. At this level the additional tax relief would be worth around 2 a week to basic-rate taxpayer, it said - not enough for a cup of coffee from a high street chain.

He isnt the only one voicing concerns that further changes to the pension system could hit savers ability to provide for their future.

Attack On Pensions

Phil Wadsworth, director of JLT Employee Benefits said, Pension ISAs are not the magic solution that George Osborne will have us believe. They are a much deeper assault on pensions that even Gordon Browns abolition of dividend tax credits.

He added, Pension taxation is a complex concept, which many people simply dont understand. Pension ISAs sound attractive because of their simplicity but such a move to this style of system would immediately remove the huge benefit under the current tax regime of taking one quarter of your savings free of tax.

He said this would effectively increase peoples future pension tax bill by a third.

Act Now To Protect Benefits

Steven Cameron, regulatory strategy director at Aegon said: Rumours that the Chancellor is planning to remove the 25% tax free lump sum will be a concern for pension savers.

He said this may be done through the introduction of a Pension ISA. But he added, Another which has not received much attention is the Chancellors ability to keep the existing pension system as it, but simply withdraw or reduce tax-free cash. With the government looking for savings this would be a less radical change than the introduction of a pension ISA but would still benefit Treasury coffers.

These rumours have fuelled a frenzy of activity, with many higher earners maximising pension contributions ahead of March, in order to ensure they get full tax relief on these savings.

This has led to reports that one leading figure in the pension industry planned to take his tax-free lump sum before March 16  the date of the Budget.

However, such radical moves may be unnecessary: any pension change is unlikely to be retrospective, and funds accrued under the current pension system should be protected. However future contributions  via a Pension ISA or flat-rate system  may offer restricted benefits, which would effectively set up a two-tier pension system.

Wadsworth added, People are still grappling with the substantial pension reforms of the last couple of years. There is a serious risk that further change will put them off saving for retirement altogether.
Google had barely dipped a toe in the mortgage business, but it appears the tech giant is getting out.



Last November, Google launched Google Compare for mortgages, an online tool that allowed home buyers to find and compare home loans. The product was initially available only in California, and joined other Google Compare products that allowed consumers to find and compare credit cards and various types of insurance.



Google didnt actually fund mortgages, but it did register as a licensed mortgage broker, according to a CNN report. The company had hoped to use its global reach to provide consumers with niche products and financial services, according to a Wall Street Journal report.



But is appears the Compare product line hasnt been as successful as the search engine titan had hoped. According to the Journal, Google struggled to sell ads on Compare  and the largest lenders and insurers simply declined to come on board. And according to the New York Times, the tool just didn't catch on with consumers.



In an email acquired by the website Search Engine Land, Google informed its partners that all Compare products  mortgage, insurance and credit card  would begin winding down immediately and shutter for good on March 23.



Despite people turning to Google for financial services information, the Google Compare service itself hasnt driven the success we hoped for, the email stated. We greatly appreciate your partnership and understand that this decision will be disappointing to some. But after a lot of careful consideration, weve decided that focusing more intently on AdWords and future innovations will enable us to provide fresh, comprehensive answers to Google users, and to provide our financial services partners with the best return on investment.



The Compare site was always a risk. According to a Fox Business report, analysts warned at the outset that the product, by allowing consumers to buy mortgages and insurance policies directly, had the potential to anger lenders and insurers who were major advertising clients of Google.



Google has not yet officially commented on the shutdown.



Speculation around whether Googlewould roll the product out in Canada circulated throughtout the industry following its November launch.



However, any such plans would likely be shelved now that it has pulled out of the American market.
Approximately half of the economic slowdown experienced by China since 2010 can be attributed to a significant drop in home construction, in turn contributing to a supply deluge that is threatening to upset prices and further unbalance the countrys already-struggling real estate markets.



These according to a Standard Chartered report released in November 2015, which noted that housing starts have dropped by a crippling 29% over the last two years. The study also linked the construction crisis to current overcapacity in the cement, glass, and steel manufacturing sectors.



The Chinese National Bureau of Statistics corroborated these developments, with 2015 seeing only 1% growth in real estate development investments in China, along with a meager 0.4% increase in residential real estate investments.



A New York Times report added that by the end of 2016, approximately 22% of the estimated $30 trillion total in credit would be non-performing loansthose that would pay late or unable to pay at all.



Together, these signs point to unsustainable credit growth in a volatile environment characterized by oversupply and zero profitability, which has led to finance officials contemplating even the possibility of a far-reaching meltdown.



[W]eve learned lessons from the global financial crisis, which started from the 2008 subprime crisis in the US, that the cross-contagion between the real estate market, the subprime market and shadow banking system in the US produced disastrous impacts. There is also the soil for such contagion in China, Peoples Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan told Caixin Weekly, as quoted by WSWS.org.
Google had barely dipped a toe in the mortgage business, but it appears the tech giant is getting out.



Last November, Google launched Google Compare for mortgages, an online tool that allowed home buyers to find and compare home loans. The product was initially available only in California, and joined other Google Compare products that allowed consumers to find and compare credit cards and various types of insurance.



Google didnt actually fund mortgages, but it did register as a licensed mortgage broker, according to a CNN report. The company had hoped to use its global reach to provide consumers with niche products and financial services, according to a Wall Street Journal report.



But is appears the Compare product line hasnt been as successful as the search engine titan had hoped. According to the Journal, Google struggled to sell ads on Compare  and the largest lenders and insurers simply declined to come on board. And according to the New York Times, the tool just didn't catch on with consumers.



In an email acquired by the website Search Engine Land, Google informed its partners that all Compare products  mortgage, insurance and credit card  would begin winding down immediately and shutter for good on March 23.



Despite people turning to Google for financial services information, the Google Compare service itself hasnt driven the success we hoped for, the email stated. We greatly appreciate your partnership and understand that this decision will be disappointing to some. But after a lot of careful consideration, weve decided that focusing more intently on AdWords and future innovations will enable us to provide fresh, comprehensive answers to Google users, and to provide our financial services partners with the best return on investment.



The Compare site was always a risk. According to a Fox Business report, analysts warned at the outset that the product, by allowing consumers to buy mortgages and insurance policies directly, had the potential to anger lenders and insurers who were major advertising clients of Google.



Google has not yet officially commented on the shutdown.


Courtesy art.

Due to demands by production company Lucasfilm, which owns the "Star Wars" franchise under its parent company Disney, the Midland-Odessa Symphony & Chorale will not feature the 501st Legion in its upcoming concert "Feel the Force. The 501st is a charitable organization of volunteers dressed in Star Wars character costumes. MOSC made the announcement Tuesday afternoon.

The 501st's mission is to promote "interest in 'Star Wars' through the building and wearing of quality costumes, and to facilitate the use of these costumes for Star Wars-related events as well as contributions to the local community through costumed charity and volunteer work."
HOUSTON (AP)  Oil prices will more than double by 2020 as current low prices lead drillers to cut investment in new production and gradually reduce the glut of crude, the head of a group of oil-importing countries said Monday.

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said oil would rise gradually to about $80 a barrel.

Oil prices shot to more than $100 a barrel in mid-2014 before a long slide sent them crashing below $30 last month.

"There was a rise, there will be a fall, and soon there will be a rise again," Birol said on the opening day of a huge energy-industry conference that will feature addresses by the oil minister of Saudi Arabia, the secretary-general of OPEC, the president of Mexico, and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.

Birol's group issued a fresh outlook on energy markets. It forecast that 4.1 million barrels a day will be added to the global oil supply between 2015 and 2021, down sharply from growth of 11 million barrels a day between 2009 and 2015.

A year ago, the Paris-based IEA, an organization of 29 major oil-importing nations including the United States, had forecast a relatively swift recovery in oil prices, but the decline continued, with the price for a barrel of crude hitting levels last seen in 2003.

Experts underestimated the ability of shale-oil producers in the United States to withstand falling prices  for a time  which, combined with OPEC refusing to cut production, led to a glut. The same experts now think that U.S. production, along with new supplies from Iran, which has been freed from international sanctions, will blunt what otherwise might be a sharper run-up in prices.

Nobody saw the shale-oil boom coming, and it has changed the market, said Neil Atkinson, who edited the IEA report released Monday.

"Producers everywhere around the world are having to accept that $100 a barrel is not something that is likely to return soon," Atkinson said. He and Birol declined to blame low oil prices on OPEC's decision to keep pumping away to preserve market share in the face of rising competition from the U.S. and elsewhere.

Now, IEA says, investment in future oil exploration and production is declining for a second straight year  the first back-to-back downturn in 30 years. U.S. shale oil production will fall in 2016 and 2017 before recovering with higher prices, the group predicted.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar have discussed freezing production if other oil countries go along with a strategy to boost prices. On Monday at IHS CERAWeek, an annual energy-industry conference in Houston, OPEC Secretary General Abdalla Salem El-Badri called a potential freeze "a first step" that, if it sticks, could be followed by other measures, which he did not specify.

The price of U.S. crude soared more than 6 percent Monday. A barrel of benchmark U.S. oil rose $1.84 to $31.48 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed $1.68, or 5.1 percent, to $34.69 a barrel in London. The price of wholesale gasoline jumped 4 percent.

Oil prices have tumbled 70 percent since mid-2014, and gasoline prices have followed. The U.S. Energy Information Agency expects an average price of $1.98 per gallon nationwide this year. The last time gasoline averaged less than $2 for a full year was 2004.

Low oil prices have had devastating effects on communities that rely on the energy industry. Home sales have fallen sharply in North Dakota and the West Texas cities of Midland and Odessa, and more recently in Houston.
WILLISTON, N.D. (AP)  Kennedy Mugemuzi is done moving. After leaving Congo to live in Nashville for a few years and then coming to North Dakota for the opportunities of the oil boom, he is among the many staying put in Williston  even though depressed crude prices have spurred an exodus of thousands of drillers and others seeking new prospects elsewhere.

The epicenter of western North Dakota's oil patch still teems with newcomers like Mugemuzi, who are opting to remain where they are in a still-strong economy instead of starting over somewhere else, or returning to the areas they left behind where jobs and financial stability are harder to come by.

With jobs for the taking in a gold-rush atmosphere, Williston offered a lifeline for people determined to stake an economic foothold, even far from home. Now it's Mugemuzi and those like him who are staying to raise families and start businesses that may save Williston in return, keeping it from withering like other oil towns after a boom.

"People who are here now are people who want to stay," said Mugemuzi, 33, who is saving most of what he earns from two full-time jobs to get his three children the college education he lacks. "The economy is still good but some people are leaving. I'm staying because we like it here and the schools are good."

Williston has seen its fortunes seesaw with oil for almost 65 years. The previous boom began in the late 1970s and went bust a few years later. The more recent boom, fueled by advances in drilling technology, doubled Williston's population to about 32,000 since 2010.

If not yet a bust, oil is now in a full-fledged slump. The number of working rigs has halved as crude plunged to around $30 a barrel. For Mayor Howard Klug, who watched Williston strain at times to grow fast enough to keep up, this is a welcome "calming period."

"It's been a tough year, but give it a year or two and it will be back  but not as fast, thank God," Klug said.

While pursuit of new wells has slowed sharply, output has remained steady from the more than 13,000 active wells in the nation's No. 2 oil-producing state. While many drillers have left, the wells require armies of workers to keep pumping, which provide a foundation for businesses in town. Around Williston, roads still groan with oil traffic and carry the smears of mud picked up from well sites.

Those muddy streets are what gave Wendy Coffman the idea for a commercial cleaning business. Coffman, 44, came three years ago from Idaho, where she had moved from job to job and "wasn't doing much." She got a job delivering pizzas and parlayed her earnings into the cleaning business. Black Gold Cleaning LLC, which she owns with a partner, has 10 full-time employees and clients like banks and apartment complexes. "We're doing very well," she said. "We're as busy as we want to be."

Coffman said she never before dreamed of owning a business.

"If I had a degree, I wouldn't be cleaning up after other people," she said. "But there are opportunities here, and for a lot of people, it's still better than where they came from."

Despite the oil slowdown, North Dakota still has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, at less than 3 percent, and more than 13,000 unfilled jobs. At the Job Service office in Williston last month, more than 1,000 jobs were on offer, a number that's been steady for the last three years, said Cindy Sanford, the site's manager. Nearly half the openings are for oil field-related jobs and trucking.

"We still have jobs and we are still short of people," Sanford said.

More than 70 people a day visit the office, many of whom have traveled from across the country.

Mugemuzi still checks in, even though he already has one job detailing cars and another cleaning commercial office buildings. He'd like to replace one of those with a $20-an-hour overnight position stocking shelves at Wal-Mart.

"There are opportunities and I'm a hard worker," he said. "That helps."

With job prospects lean at home for someone without a college degree, Emily Siliven, 25, moved from Cincinnati to North Dakota and worked first in the oil patch, maintaining equipment used to pump oil at well sites. She moved on to U-Haul and has been promoted to manager.

"I came out here like everyone else because the money was out here," she said. "It's been a struggle to get where I'm at right now. And I plan sticking around because it's a good, steady job."

Yvonne Niess, who lived in Williston during the previous boom-bust cycle and watched her father lose his job, doesn't see it that way. A single mother to two daughters, she came back four years ago from Fargo. She worked first as a flagger on highway construction projects, then at an insurance company. Now, she's headed to Atlanta for a job as an insurance agent.

"When I came out here I knew I wasn't going to stay," said Niess, 47. "My plan was to come here for the boom and leave when it went bust, which it may have."
MARFA, Texas (AP)  Efforts continue to bolster the West Texas pronghorn population with 112 animals recently relocated and freed near Marfa.

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department on Monday updated the Trans-Pecos Pronghorn Restoration Project, which is a $1.4 million public and private effort.

Similar transfers from the Trans-Pecos region happened in 2011, 2013 and 2014. The latest pronghorn were caught near Dalhart and moved in January, with about 50 getting GPS tracking collars that eventually fall off.

Experts say at least 17,000 pronghorn once roamed West Texas. By 2012 there were less than 3,000. A department aerial survey last summer estimated about 6,000 pronghorn, with transplanted herds doing well.

Pronghorn have a body somewhat like a deer, with distinctive white stripes on faces and necks and white markings halfway up their sides.

___

Online:

http://tpwd.texas.gov/
Good things come to those who wait right? In a way to honor her late father Robert Kardashian on his birthday, Kim finally shared the first public photo of her baby boy, Saint West, on Monday morning (Feb. 22) on her app and website. After looking at this adorable picture of their new new son, there's only one question left to be answered: Does Saint look more like the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star or his father Kanye?

Three-month-old Saint is pictured sleeping peacefully with his arms raised above his head. He's sprawled out on a white blanket, wearing a cozy white onesie. The heart-melting photo is a step up from the initial shot Kim shared of her bundle of joy holding onto big sister North's finger with his whole fist. While it's clear Saint has adopted his father's cheeks early on, only time will tell which features their son will develop from each parent.

Before Saint made his pictorial debut, the 35-year-old TV personality dedicated a blog post to her father, celebrating what would have been his 72nd birthday. Although he was not alive to witness his family grow into a multimillion dollar empire, Kim believes he's been watching over them and the steps they take, like a "guardian angel."

A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Feb 22, 2016 at 8:57am PST

"Today is my dad's birthday," the mother of two wrote on her personal website alongside the photo. "I know there's nothing more in the world he would have wanted than to meet his grandchildren. So I wanted to share this pic of Saint with you all."

Kim also gave fans a taste of what Saint sounds like while she was filming a live stream about her weight loss journey after the pregnancy. Saint is heard in the background, as Kim talks to him throughout the video, addressing him as "my boy" and "Sainty."

The reality star and controversial rapper welcomed their first son into the world on Dec. 5. Raising two kids has been a bit of a struggle for Kim, who admitted to rarely getting any sleep nowadays. With North vying for attention and both parents trying to make sure she doesn't feel left out, Kim wants both her children to feel equally loved.

Quality time is not an issue with the parents. Their two-year-old daughter is often seen tagging along with them to run errands, attend fashion shows, wearing matching outfits like her stylish mother and father, and even scaring away paparazzi.

The adoration for their kids doesn't stop there. Kanye, who recently dropped his seventh studio album Life of Pablo, felt so inspired by his children's presence that he named them both "creative consultants" on the project.

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Diplo's label Mad Decent has grown from just being an outlet to release new music for himself and a growing stable of artists - it has also become a global event promotions brand. This year marked the first time that Diplo's Mad Decent Block Party exited North America, taking place in several cities across India. Mad Decent also launched its own boat party and with a new announcement, it looks to keep the tropical, beach theme going with the Mad Decent Beach Party. The four day event will take place in 2017 in Mexico.

Occurring over President's Day Weekend in 2017, Feb. 16-20, Diplo will bring his Mad Decent crew down to Mexico for a long weekend of debauchery in the sun. It will take place on Riviera Maya on the coastlines of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Like you are vacationing in any Mexican resort designed to accommodate Westerners, the ticket is all-inclusive with food and drinks included. There is more than just music however. According to the official Facebook event listing, fans will be able to explore off-site and go on ATV rides, zip lines, Catamaran trips and even scuba diving.

The main attraction will be on the beach, just feet from the ocean where the artists chosen by Diplo and Mad Decent will be performing.

Head to the Mad Decent Beach Party website to sign up for a mailing list for first updates.

Mad Decent has already spread their wings under the guise of Diplo's growing stardom into a large independent dance and hip-hop label. Hosting its own land-based festival is just the latest step in that growth.

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
After taking a break for a week, Love & Hip Hop: New York has returned with a new drama-filled episode on Monday (Feb. 22) called "Showcase Showdown." The cast was up to their usual shenanigans, this time consisting of restraining orders, a Creep Squad reunion, Ciroc bottles being thrown, and so much more. This post is a recap of all the juicy antics that went down during season six, episode 10.

In an attempt to squash the beef between fellow Creep Squad members Rich Dollaz and Cisco, Peter Gunz holds acts as a mediator during a reconciliation session. Cisco was desperately looking for an apology from Rich for sleeping with Diamond Strawberry, but Rich believes Cisco never gave him a chance to apologize, especially after shoving him at the bar. Cisco apologizes to Rich for pushing him and explained why he felt so passionately about the topic, which then led to Rich apologizing to Cisco.

Bianca Bonnie and Yandy Smith are back at it again in the studio, this time preparing for her upcoming Gwinin Fest XL performance. Yandy is ready for Bianca to take things to the next level, so she has the rapper check out a few backup dancers to add to her performance.

Cardi B surprises DJ Self at the studio to confront him about not supporting her music. Self tells Cardi B that she hasn't been taking the right steps to get her music heard. He believes if she was really serious about getting her music out there, she needs to have it available for people to listen to it. Although still a little mad about his lack of participation in building her career, Cardi B takes his advice and gets to work.

Miss Moe Money isn't feeling too confident about her partnership with Yandy after she allowed Bianca to come into her studio session and "juice" her. She invites Sexxy Lexxy over to discuss the incident and a possibly getting BBOD back together. Moe tells Lexxy that she misses being in a group with her, but Lexxy is a little hesitant about joining forces again. Lexxy proceeds to tell Moe about her positive studio session with Rah Ali and French Montana. Lexxy is excited to see where her solo career will take her. After Moe tells Lexxy that executives from Def Jam Records will be at Gwinin Fest XL, Lexxy considers performing as a group at the show. She still isn't 100 percent sure that reuniting BBOD would be in her best interest.

Remy Ma and Rah get together to talk about last minute details for the wedding. Remy reveals that she's still having problems with one of her sisters, but thanks to her boo Papoose, the sisters have settled their differences for now. Remy's sister is now an official bridesmaid in her wedding. The ladies then begin talking about one of the most important factors of a wedding: the dress. Rah hypes Remy up to believe she wasn't able to get her dream dress in time, but it all turned out to be a joke. Rah surprised Remy with her wedding dress in the bridal studio. Remy couldn't have been happier.

Peter spends some quality daddy-daughter time with Whitney. Whitney opens up to her father about the recent news she heard from Amina Buddafly about Tara Wallace's pregnancy. Peter gets upset, because he wanted to break the news to Whitney first. Whitney admits she doesn't like the choices her father has been making and gets emotional after Peter asks her how it's been affecting her. Whitney breaks down into tears, explaining how hurtful his actions are. She then suggests one thing that might help: a vasectomy. Peter is shocked by her opinion.

Mendeecees is putting in work to expedite the release of his new sneaker line before he's forced to go back to jail. He meets with his partner Rodney to discuss the proper steps to take in order to get the product moving in the streets. Yandy enters the room with two of their kids, as their other two children play during their father's meeting. The two start talking about blending their family more. Yandy wishes she had a better relationship with her hubby's two baby mommas, because she adores her stepchildren. Mendeecees also thinks it would be great if everyone could interact with each other.

Back in the studio to work on her emerging music career, Cardi B is seen laying down a track in the booth. MariahLynn visits Cardi B and asks if she's going to perform that song at Gwinin Fest XL. Cardi B reveals Self never asked her to perform at his event, so she's not interested in supporting him. Cardi B also opens up about her nonexistent love life. Her incarcerated boyfriend Tommy isn't showing much interest in her music, which is causing Cardi B to reconsider marrying him. MariahLynn tries to cheer Cardi B up by spilling a little tea about BBOD. MariahLynn says she found out Moe issued a restraining order against Bianca after they initially fought. She plans on using this evidence against Moe, if she decides to act tough at the event.

The night has finally arrived! The majority of the cast showed up to support or be a part of Gwinin Fest XL. Self enlisted Remy, Rich, and rapper Maino to help judge the competition. Yandy is in the building to watch both Moe and Bianca perform, while Rah came out to see Lexxy hit the stage. Before the event can even kickoff, Rah notices Yandy entered the building with a female she doesn't like. Apparently Rah and her friends had a "stand-off" with this woman awhile back and she also believes Yandy was there that night as well. Feeling disrespected by Yandy and the female in question, Rah takes matters into her own hands. Rah grabs a large bottle of Ciroc, throws it their direction, and begins to fight the woman.

Rah gets escorted to her car. Remy then goes to check on her to make sure everything is okay. After confirming she's "lovely," Remy goes back inside to confront Yandy about bringing the woman to the event in the first place. Yandy claims the woman doesn't even know Rah and that she was not around for their initial beef. Remy realizes the beef between Rah and Yandy might be deeper than she expected.

The performances are finally underway. Moe and Lexxy decide to put their difference behind them and reunite as BBOD. The two were the first to perform at Gwinin Fest XL. MariahLynn takes the stage next rapping to her song "Never B****." Bianca later takes over the microphone with her backup dancers. After watching all the performances, it's now up to the judges to decide who tore the stage down the best. The judges all have different opinions, Maino believes BBOD should win, while MariahLynn brought the fire with her catchy hook. The ladies are all backstage chopping it up. Things get ugly quick after MariahLynn puts Moe's restraining order against Bianca on display and accuses her of being a snitch. Hands are quickly thrown and the ladies are soon separated by security.

Bianca tries to calm MariahLynn down, but she's not ready to chill. The show ultimately ends off on a cliffhanger, leaving the winner of Gwinin Fest XL to be revealed in next week's episode.

In next week's episode fans will find out the answer to these questions: Why are Rah and Yandy beefing? Will they cause an issue at Remy's wedding? How does Tara feel about having a baby with a married man? Will Mendeecees ever find peace with his baby mommas and the other women in his life?

Love & Hip Hop: New York airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on VH1. Tune in next week for another recap of the drama.

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
UK producer Gold Panda, born Derwin Schleckler, has announced his new album Good Luck and Do Your Best out on City Slang. The 11-track LP will be released on May 27. In addition to the album announcement, Schleckler has unveiled the music video for the LP's lead single "Time Eater."

This is the fourth studio album from Gold Panda following up his 2013 LP Half of Where You Live, 2011's Companion and 2010's Lucky Shiner. All of those albums were released on Ghostly International/Notown.

The album started to take shape during a trip to Japan in early 2014 when Panda was told by a taxi driver "good luck and do your best," which is a rough translation of the Japanese phrase "ganbatte kudasi."

He went with that for the album title and from there the song writing was easy, creating a record that was "quite motivational, quite positive."

Japan and its colors had a major influence on the record that permeates throughout it.

"The album was recorded at home in Chelmsford, but I had that visual inspiration or documentation from Japan. So it was a look back. If you go in those months, Japan has this light that we don't get here," explains the producer. "It's hard to explain. You know how LA has this dusk feeling? - that orange light that makes the place glow, and the neon signs? Well, Japan has this... at certain times of the year, it has this filter on stuff."

"The tracks aren't popping out against each other. It's a [complete] record."

Once he was done producing the LP, he gave it to Luke Abbott to "make it sound good."

Pre-order the album here ahead of its May 27 release date.

Gold Panda Good Luck And Do Your Best Tracklist:

1. Metal Bird

2. In My Car

3. Chiba Nights

4. Pink And Green

5. Song For A Dead Friend

6. I Am Real Punk

7. Autumn Fall

8. Halyards

9. Time Eater

10. Unthank

11. Your Good Times Are Just Beginning

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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